The courtyard was full of pomegranate flowers, which were brightly reflected in the scorching summer sun, falling on Zhen Huan's eyes, but her face became more and more pale, Cui Jinxi couldn't help but feel sad on the side: "The emperor is too ruthless, how can he let his mother do something to commit herself to the enemy army?" ”

Zhen Huan sat coyly, like an empty shell with a hollowed out soul, she stared blankly at the flower shadows reflected on the window paper, and said in a low voice: "Cultivate into the color of jade, sell it to the emperor's family, and even the life is the emperor's, the so-called grace and affection are always not as good as the future of the country and the stability of the society. ”

"The slave and maid see that the mother has the intention of giving up on herself." Cui Jinxi frowned tightly, and there seemed to be a dead knot between her eyebrows, "Is it because of the emperor, or is it because of ...... Seventeen masters? ”

"Jinxi, I thought he loved me, but I never thought that behind the deep love was his ambition that had been hidden for many years, how could the illusory love compare to the majestic imperial power? It's just my obsession. Zhen Huan told the real reason for her death, and tears fell like rain, "What Moge said, I guessed that it would reach the ears of the emperor, because that night, I was prepared early that there would be someone between me and him who could not be saved...... Jinxi, it's me who is amorous. ”

Cui Jinxi was distressed, and wiped Zhen Huan's tears with a handkerchief: "Niangniang must not be so discouraged." ”

"I've been wondering again and again in the past few days, did he have the same thoughts as me, and he cut off his future in order to protect me?" Zhen Huan raised her hand to wipe away the tears, shook her head and smiled bitterly, "No, no, he's not for me." Jinxi, you know what? He called Queen Chunyuan 'Arou', so intimate, just like a lover who has been in love for many years, that little statue has been cherished by him for many years, and it is also because his eyebrows and eyes are very similar to Queen Chunyuan, not because of me. ”

The more tears were wiped, the more Zhen Huan's eyes were hazy.

Guanguan class, she couldn't escape the prison of these four words all her life, and the two men she once loved regarded her as a stand-in.

The sun poured down, and Weiyang Palace was quiet and peaceful.

Seeing Zhou Nan away, An Lingrong slowly drank the warm bird's nest soup, lowered his eyes and asked Cardamom: "How is the situation in the Old Summer Palace?" ”

"Last night, the team of relatives had already left the palace, but the sedan chair that Concubine Xi was riding in turned back to Bitong Academy after leaving the palace gate, and the slave maid watched Cui Jinxi help Concubine Xi walk in." Cardamom replied in a low voice, "According to Niangniang's instructions, the slave maid went to Tonghuatai again and told her everything one by one, and after King Guojun knew, he only said 'If I can save her, I will have no regrets if I die'." ”

"Okay." An Lingrong drank the only two remaining mouthfuls of bird's nest and wiped the corners of his mouth, "Dill, accompany the palace to the Heart Cultivation Palace." ”

"Yes." Dill hurried to prepare a soft sedan chair.

An Lingrong held Cardamom's hand and slowly stood up, and said again: "Xianfu Palace and Yanqing Palace, have you brought all the words?" ”

Cardamom nodded and said: "Concubine Jing Niangniang has already taken Princess Haoyue to the Heart Cultivation Palace, Niangniang may not be able to meet her in the past now, although the imperial concubine is not in good health, she also said that she will try her best." ”

The matter of the Old Summer Palace was too big, when the holy car returned to Luan, Concubine Xi uncharacteristically did not go with her, the emperor only said that she suddenly felt unwell, and it was advisable to stay in Bitong Academy to recuperate, but everyone in the palace was a human spirit, even if they didn't know the whole picture, they could guess a seven, seven, eighty, eight,

"Concubine Niangniang, why are you here on such a hot day?" Su Peisheng saw An Lingrong getting off the sedan chair outside the palace gate, and greeted him from a distance, and saw Cardamom behind him holding a food box in his hand, and said with a smile, "What is the important thing, and you want the mother to send it personally?" ”

"Father-in-law Su, is the emperor free now? This palace has something to say to the emperor. An Lingrong walked very slowly.

Su Peisheng nodded clearly: "It's about Concubine Xi's mother, right?" Concubine Jing Niangniang just went in with Princess Haoyue, and the slave listened to it, and said that this is also the case, since the mother is here, she will persuade the emperor, and the emperor actually remembers it in his heart, but he can't get over the hurdle in his heart. ”

An Lingrong had a plan in his heart, and when he entered the Palace of Nourishing the Heart, he heard Haoyue Langlang say: "Yesterday, Haoyue read Mencius, and Mencius said that the gentleman has three joys, and the king does not exist with the world. Both parents exist, brothers have no reason, and they are happy; Look up to the sky, bow down to people, and be happy; Get the world's talents and educate them, and the three music are also. Haoyue is willing to be a gentleman, filial piety to the good emperor Ama and Eniang, and take care of her younger siblings. ”

The emperor's slightly cold face slowly loosened, and he suddenly remembered that he was healthy, if she was still there, she would definitely be able to talk to Haoyue.

An Lingrong walked in slowly, and said with a light smile, "Haoyue is as proficient in poetry and books as her sister, it's really good." ”

"Say hello to Rong Niangniang." Haoyue gave An Ling a blessing to him, and Concubine Jing also leaned over to greet her.

An Lingrong turned sideways, only accepted the concubine's half salute, and turned to look at the emperor: "The concubine asks the emperor for peace." ”

"Why are you here?" The emperor hurriedly excused herself and asked her to sit down on the side, "The sun is drying outside, and I am careful about the heat." ”

"I heard that the emperor hasn't slept well in the past few days, and the concubine asked the small kitchen to make a bowl of passion soup and specially sent it to the emperor to taste." An Lingrong glanced at Concubine Jing, and Concubine Jing immediately retreated with Haoyue in understanding.

The emperor drank the soup absentmindedly, and only after the people serving him had withdrawn did he slowly speak: "You know everything about Concubine Xi, right?" ”

An Lingrong smiled and blinked, and asked rhetorically: "Does the emperor want the concubines to know or not?" If the concubine knows, she must intercede for her sister, and is the emperor willing to listen to the concubine to intercede for her sister? ”

"As long as you say it, I will listen." The emperor raised his eyes to look at An Lingrong, and his eyes were serious.

An Lingrong couldn't help but put away her smile and straightened up: "Your Majesty, the king of Guojun covets his sister first, and the leader of the army rebels later, and it is not a pity to die, but this matter is not to do my sister's business from beginning to end, she only loves the emperor, and the king of Guojun can't love it, do you want to blame my sister for being too beautiful?" Everyone has a love for beauty, and the emperor blames the king of Guojun for arrogance, so why bother with his sister? asked the concubine to say that the emperor did something wrong. ”

"Moge and Lao Seventeen both covet the beauty of Concubine Xi, and I know that this is not to blame on Concubine Xi, but I am still hesitant." The emperor's expression was cold, "Did Concubine Xi have a choice between me and Lao Seventeen, and she finally chose me, whether it was because she loved me or because she wanted me, who can know?" Rong'er, if she wasn't sincere to me, wouldn't my years of love for her become a joke? ”

"Whether my sister is sincere or not, can't the emperor feel it?" An Lingrong lowered her eyebrows slightly, and said softly, "Before my sister left the palace, she loved the emperor sincerely and warmly, and gave the best years to the emperor. ”

The emperor was silent thoughtfully for a long time, then slowly raised his head, looked straight at An Lingrong, and asked endlessly: "Rong'er, do you love me with all your heart?" ”

An Lingrong slammed his voice.

"Rong'er, if I weren't the emperor, would you still love me like you do now?" The emperor stared at An Lingrong, his sharp gaze as if he wanted to see through her heart.

"Your Majesty, there is no such if." An Lingrong's hesitation was only for a moment, she looked back at the emperor, and said, "You are the lord of all peoples, and you are the only person who is qualified to sit on this dragon chair. She raised her eyebrows and smiled softly, "Is the emperor arrogant?" ”

The emperor's heart trembled, he never thought that An Lingrong saw through his thoughts, and he was a little embarrassed for a while.

An Lingrong got up and slowly walked to the emperor's side: "The emperor is standing on the top of no one, and occasionally he is a little confused, right?" Will you question whether you are doing well as the emperor? for fear of disappointing the people of the world and dawn. She knelt down, looked up at the emperor, and said softly, "Your Majesty, you have done a good job, and there must be a stroke of your ink in the history books." ”

The emperor's eyes slowly loosened, as if cold ice melted under his eyes, he stretched out his hand and stroked An Lingrong's face, and slowly spoke: "Rong'er, with you, I am willing to forgive Concubine Xi." ”

"What about King Guojun? Does the emperor want to confine him to the Zongren Mansion? An Lingrong's eyes flickered slightly.

"Nope." The emperor's expression returned to normal, he helped An Lingrong up, and said word by word, "Such a traitor cannot be left ......."

"Your Majesty, Meng Guogong asks to see you." Su Peisheng walked in with his head down.

An Lingrong breathed a sigh of relief almost invisibly, and took half a step back: "The concubine will retire first." When she exited the Heart Cultivation Palace, she raised her eyes and glanced at Meng Guogong, even though she was old, she could vaguely detect a little bit of the handsomeness of her youth between her eyebrows, but her temperament was completely different from that of Duchess Meng Guo, like a raging flame, it was actually pressing, but unfortunately the years were not forgiving, and now there was only a little residual heat left in this momentum.

The general trend has gone, Meng Guogong knows this very well, but for the sake of his daughter, he is willing to show this old face.

"Minister Mengjiang, I have come to ask the emperor for his guilt." After Meng Guogong entered the hall, he couldn't kneel.

The emperor didn't say anything for a long time, just looked at Meng Guogong, until he felt that his eyes were a little sour, then he blinked, held on to the armrest and sat upright: "Meng Jiang, back then, you followed me with Long Keduo and Nian Qianyao, but I snubbed you because of Nian Qianyao's ability, have you ever resented me?" ”

Meng Guogong's body trembled slightly, and he buried his head deeper: "The minister doesn't dare." "How can you not be resentful? Obviously, he was the first person to stand by the emperor's side, but he was overtaken by Nian Qianyao's latecomers, but the past followed the wind, everything passed, the Nian family and the Tong family were in decline, and the Meng family at least kept the title of duke.

"Yunli's rebellion, you dare to say that you don't know?" The emperor slapped the desk heavily and said angrily, "How can it be possible to mobilize so many soldiers with just one county king's mansion?" If you Meng family didn't contribute to the troubles behind the scenes, I would never believe it! ”

"The emperor is clear, and the ministers will never dare to commit it!" Meng Guogong kowtowed vigorously, and said urgently, "The minister has followed the emperor since he was a child, and he knows that the emperor's courage and skill are very comparable, so he persuaded the prince many times, and Jingxian also persuaded him several times before the prince dispelled this idea....... ”

Meng Guogong took out the gold medal from his sleeve, grabbed the ground with his head, and held the gold medal high.

The emperor looked at the gold medal fixedly: "This was given to you by your wife when she entered the palace to pull out an arrow for Rong'er." Xu is remembering the past, the emperor pursed the corners of his mouth, and finally relented, "King Guojun coveted the imperial concubine, plotted rebellion, and rebelled, everything is his fault...... Anyway, I just want to fulfill your daughter's infatuation. ”

He raised his hand slightly at Su Peisheng and said: "Decree, the king of Guojun is loyal to the monarch to protect the country, and the king of Guojun is the prince of Guo, from now on, he will be stationed outside Yanming Pass, and he will not be allowed to return to Beijing without an edict." After a pause, he said, "Seal Shen Beile as the king of Shen County." ”

Su Peisheng immediately received the order.

The emperor looked at Meng Guogong again and said in a deep voice: "When I go back, tell him that there will be a next time, and I will not leave him a way to live." ”

"Yes." Meng Guogong kowtowed again, got up and respectfully put the death-free gold medal in front of the case, bowed and retreated, until he stood in the sun, he was shocked to realize that he was in a cold sweat, and his close-fitting underwear was sticking to his body, and it was very hot, but it was so hot that he felt alive.

It's over.

Meng Guogong seemed to be a decade old in an instant, and left with trembling steps.

(End of chapter)