55 Fate

◎Lu Jing said calmly: "You two have a good relationship."◎

The two of them were busy at random, but they didn't come to any conclusion.

They had a simple vegetarian meal in the temple at noon, and after Gu Ningxi prayed for two amulets, they went down the mountain together.

"Who are you praying for?" Lu Jing spoke after walking up a few stone steps.

Gu Ningxi touched the amulet in his sleeve and replied, "My grandmother has been in poor health since the beginning of winter. My mother said that amulets blessed by a master are more effective."

Thanks to the blessing of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, she was able to obtain the amulet, which is extremely rare in Chongsheng Temple.

"And my cousin is out fighting bandits during the New Year holidays. I wanted to ask for one for him, too."

"Well," Lu Jing said calmly, "you two have a good relationship."

We even watched the polo match together.

"Yeah." Gu Ningxi smiled, and when he mentioned his cousin, his tone naturally carried trust.

She thought of the house she and her cousin bought together. The price had increased by nearly 10% in less than a year. It was a good thing they acted early.

His Royal Highness Prince Zhao said no more.

When the emperor was halfway back to Changqing Garden, the secret guards delivered an urgent report from the court.

It was not a secret letter, but Gu Ningxi still lowered his eyes to avoid suspicion.

Lu Jing finished reading it in a moment and saw that Prince Zhao looked a little serious. Gu Ningxi asked, "Your Highness, what happened in the court?"

Lu Jing delivered a report to her: in the Hebei region, former subordinates of Zhao Jian'an had revolted, enthroning Xu Lang as their leader. Xu Lang, a fellow townsman and close friend of Zhao Jian'an, was a brave and skilled warrior. After joining Zhao Jian'an, he was promoted to general and achieved numerous military successes. After Zhao Jian'an's death, Xu Lang refused to surrender to the Jin army and took refuge in southern Zhangzhou.

When they started the rebellion this time, they had only more than 2,000 people under their command, and were not yet a force to be reckoned with.

According to the report from Gu Ningxi, Your Majesty only set up the Shandong Daoxingtai in Raozhou and ordered Lu Zhuo, the Prince of Linchang who was familiar with Shandong affairs, to lead the army to attack.

The Prince of Linchang was a member of the imperial family. Although he was still young, he had previously followed His Royal Highness Prince Zhao in his expeditions to all directions and had made military achievements.

Although the military situation was not urgent, Gu Ningxi was keenly aware of the undercurrents in the court.

Your Majesty had promoted Prince Zhao to the highest rank, placing him in charge of national conquests and overseeing the internal and external military affairs of the Jin Dynasty. However, when the Hebei rebellion broke out, Your Majesty bypassed Prince Zhao and, within half a day, sent an order to the front lines, handing over 20,000 troops to the Prince of Linchang.

Gu Ningxi returned the report. If he wanted to be optimistic, it would only mean that the military affairs in Hebei were mediocre and there was no need to trouble His Royal Highness Prince Zhao to deal with them.

However, given the current situation in the court, it is self-evident that Your Majesty is supporting the Crown Prince and balancing the power of Prince Zhao's Palace.

Gu Ningxi did not interrupt much. When she returned to Changqing Garden, she knew that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao and Marquis Wu'an had something to discuss, so she went back to her own courtyard to rest and did not show up for the rest of the day.

…

The stars are shining and everything is silent.

The assassination attempt in the autumn hunting ground was the second time that it appeared in Gu Ningxi's dream.

"Is the Imperial Concubine safe and sound?"

Following His Majesty's orders, the personal guards escorted the Imperial Concubine back to the tent first.

By the time Gu Ningxi peered back through the crowd, the situation was under control. Marquis Wu'an had mobilized his secret guards, and His Majesty had ordered that the prisoners be spared.

It has been many years since Kyoto has seen such a daring assassination.

After three days of rigorous interrogation by the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice, the assassin's origins were soon revealed.

The assassin came from the Turkic tribe and was instructed by Zhaoli Khan to sneak into the hunting ground and assassinate the emperor of the Jin Dynasty and his royal family during the autumn hunt.

The detailed topographic map of Weichang and all the forged customs documents were given by Lu Chen, the King of Huai, who was in exile and defected to the Turks.

Since the palace coup, no one knew the whereabouts of the defected Prince Huai, and many people thought he was dead.

Once the truth was revealed, the Emperor of Jin was furious and sent envoys to punish the Turks.

The Turkic Khan had no intention of starting another war with the Jin Dynasty, so he offered more than 3,000 cattle and sheep and wrote a letter to the Jin Emperor asking for peace.

Also arriving with the Turkic delegation was Huai Wang Lu Chen, who was tied up.

The Turkic Khan announced to the world that he would return the Prince of Huai to the Jin Dynasty. The Jin Emperor was left to decide how to deal with his rebellious brother.

On the day when Prince Huai Lu Chen was escorted to the capital, the people of Dajin could not help but recall the rebellion that swept the capital several years ago.

At the same time, the retired emperor, who had been living in Dening Palace and not involved in state affairs for a long time, also returned to the palace.

With many parties involved, all the civil and military officials in the court were trying to guess how His Majesty would deal with the Prince of Huai.

According to the law, he should be executed, but in terms of blood, Prince Huai is the biological son of the Emperor and Empress Dowager, and is also the younger brother of Your Majesty.

If the Turks had sincerely apologized, they could have simply executed the Prince of Huai. However, the Turkic Khan had sent this hot potato back with great fanfare, forcing Your Majesty to bear the infamy of fratricide.

There was a lot of discussion in the court and the country, but the harem was quiet and peaceful.

Gu Ningxi met Queen Yao outside her own bedroom.

After a moment of shock, she performed the etiquette of a junior: "Hail, Your Majesty."

The Emperor has held several lengthy talks with Your Majesty in the Imperial Study, yet to no avail. The Empress Dowager, not Your Majesty's biological mother, finds herself in an awkward position within the palace. Especially since the Crown Prince's rebellion, his defeat, and his suicide, she has long since immersed herself in the secluded world, oblivious to worldly affairs.

His Majesty had not implicated her and had treated her with the honor of Empress Dowager over the years. However, Empress Yao never left Dening Palace, praying devoutly for the good fortune of the Great Jin.

This time she returned to the palace for her young son who had come back from the dead and made another big mistake.

"Your Majesty, please." Gu Ningxi wanted to invite Queen Yao into the palace, but Queen Yao was stubborn and refused to move.

She no longer had the face to appear before His Majesty, but Chen'er was her only son.

The autumn wind howled, and there was silence in front of the hall for a long time.

Gu Ningxi said: "Okay, I understand."

…

When the imperial concubine asked for an audience, Sun Jing, who was standing outside the imperial study, did not stop her as usual.

The case of Huai Wang Lu Chen has been a hot topic of discussion in the court and the country lately. Even the retired emperor has pressured His Majesty out of filial piety, urging him to spare the life of Huai Wang out of consideration for his brotherly love.

However, the crime of Prince Huai is unforgivable, and he is caught in a dilemma between national law and filial piety.

This case has become a sore spot for His Majesty. No minister in the court dared to advise against it, whether it was to request His Majesty to sentence Prince Huai to death or to show mercy outside the law.

But the Imperial Concubine dared to do it, and only the Imperial Concubine dared to do it.

Sun Jing's heart skipped a beat, and he didn't even have time to serve tea. He hurriedly retreated and closed the door of the imperial study.

Sitting beside the emperor at his beckoning, Gu Ningxi's question was simple: "Will Your Majesty spare Prince Huai's life?"

She was entrusted by someone, and Gu Ningxi has always remembered the kindness that Queen Yao had shown to her mother in saving her life.

No matter what, she had to go through this for the Queen.

"How do you want me to deal with you?"

Gu Ningxi lowered his eyes. If it were based on His Majesty's temperament and the laws of the country, there would be no reason to let Prince Huai live for another day.

But your parents are still alive, and the retired emperor has tried his best to dissuade you. Your Majesty cannot bear the reputation of being unfilial and killing your brother.

Gu Ningxi said quietly, "The imperial physician said that the Empress Dowager is not in good health and may not have much time left."

The two looked at each other, and Lu Jing immediately understood Gu Ningxi's way of begging for mercy.

After a long pause, he said, "Okay."

Gu Ningxi felt relieved and ground ink for His Majesty.

The emperor issued an edict, imprisoning the commoner Lu Chen in Dening Palace. If he dared to leave without permission, he would be killed without mercy.

There was also a secret decree that Lu Chen should be killed immediately after the death of the retired emperor and the retired empress.

Preventing Queen Yao from losing her loved ones again is the greatest effort Gu Ningxi can make.

It can be considered as repaying the life-saving favor.

She whispered, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

…

At dawn, the first thing Gu Ningxi did after waking up was to order his servants to bring him pen, ink, paper and inkstone.

Relying on the memories left in her dream, she once again drew the hunting scene that appeared in her dream.

She had been to the royal hunting grounds several times before, but she seemed to have never seen this area before.

Gu Ningxi stopped writing, pondered for a long time, folded the piece of drawing paper neatly, and stuffed it into the deepest part of the box.

She doodled a winter scene to cover it up.

Gu Ningxi was painting absentmindedly. The first time she dreamed of this assassination was in Zhaohe Township, the day when His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was assassinated.

Last night was the second time, but she didn't know what year or month it was in the dream.

The Crown Prince committed suicide after his defeat, the Prince of Huai fled to the Turks, and Your Majesty and the Empress moved to another palace...

Gu Ningxi had no one to discuss her dreams with. If others knew about her dreams, she would probably be charged with disrespect.

The spring hunt will be in two months. Gu Ningxi thought it would be better to go to the enclosure first to explore. Maybe he could find some clues about people or things and make long-term plans.

…

Apart from the dream, everything went well for Gu Ningxi during his two-day stay in Changqing Garden.

The original return date was set for today, but His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was delayed due to some matters, and the winter rain was intermittent, so Gu Ningxi stayed for two more days.

There are hot springs in Changqing Garden, which are warmer than those in Kyoto.

After the rain, the sky cleared up. Gu Ningxi put away his oil-paper umbrella and enjoyed the scenery in Changchun Garden.

She didn't need anyone to guide her, as this place was a map she had drawn herself, and she knew the route very well.

Seeing the buildings in the garden that he had drawn come to life one by one, Gu Ningxi felt amazed and a little proud.

Walking through the bamboo forest, Gu Ningxi remembered there was a small courtyard hidden behind it. If it was a spring day, with the wind blowing through the bamboo grove, the scenery would be even more beautiful.

Gu Ningxi chose a shortcut. The drawings had not been changed since she handed them over, and she was familiar with every path in Changqing Garden.

The warm winter sun shines obliquely among the bamboo leaves, adding a touch of tranquility and mystery to the bamboo forest.

Gu Ningxi accidentally stepped on two fallen leaves, making a slight sound.

The sound startled the people in the bamboo pavilion.

Gu Ningxi looked up and saw an old man sitting upright in a square wooden pavilion, a child guarding him. The old man's hair and beard were all white, and he closed his eyes to rest. His gray robe fluttered gently in the wind, and combined with the scenery behind him, he had a certain air of immortality.

Gu Ningxi vaguely remembered that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao had invited a guest to Changqing Garden, and she thought it was the person in front of her.

She felt that it was disturbing and felt a little uneasy being here alone, so she wanted to leave.

"...Now that you're in this game, why would you want to leave?"

An old and kind voice sounded, echoing in the bamboo forest.

Gu Ningxi guessed that the old man was talking to her, and she intuitively felt that he had no ill intentions.

The old man opened his eyes and Gu Ningxi bowed to him.

She hesitated for a moment, but still wanted to leave first.

"Your Highness Prince Zhao."

The old man spoke again. Gu Ningxi looked around but did not see King Zhao.

If he were here, she would feel more at ease.

The old man said slowly, "I never thought that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, who is famous throughout the world, would be so handsome and delicate."

"Me?" Gu Ningxi pointed at herself and finally reacted.

Apart from the little boy, there was only her and the old man whose age was unclear in the bamboo forest.

The old man's gaze was fixed on her. At this moment, Gu Ningxi regarded him as just an ordinary person: "You have the wrong person. I am not King Zhao."

She thought it was interesting that after living for so long, she would still encounter someone who mistook her for His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.

This is truly the first time in history.

It was too far away, and she couldn't see the expression on the old man's face.

She said, "I don't mean to bother you. I'll take my leave now."

When turning around, Gu Ningxi thought that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao might have met some charlatan.

The bamboo forest soon returned to silence, leaving only the old man and the young boy in the pavilion.

The little boy helped the master to stand up and said with a smile, "Master, why are you so blind?"

Although the master is old, his eyesight is unmatched.

Even he could see that how could the weak and unyielding young man just now be the invincible and unstoppable Prince Zhao?

"Really?"

The old man looked at the tortoise shell that had appeared on the stone table and remained silent.

The wind here is clear and the land is blessed with good fortune. He calculated here for more than a night and a day.

Just now when that young man mistakenly entered, it was the tortoise shell that came into being.

The fate of the young man is clearly, clearly—

The old man broke the tortoise shell and looked up at the sky.

…

After leaving the bamboo forest, the sunlight sprinkled all over my body.

If he hadn't caught a piece of bamboo leaf in his hand, Gu Ningxi would have almost thought that what he had just experienced was a dream.

After thinking for a moment, she asked the attendant, "Where is His Royal Highness Prince Zhao?"

He must not let anyone fool him.

【Author’s words】

I touched a new pre-collection of a woman dressed as a man, welcome babies to poke

Xie Xi felt that he was not suitable for officialdom for three reasons:

Her father was a high-ranking official, but he died suddenly of illness before he could help her.

After three years of mourning, she returned. Her political enemy, the Prince of Linzi, supported her father to ascend the throne and was promoted to the title of Prince Rui, with great power in the court.

She wanted to assist the new emperor's eldest son and compete with Prince Rui. However, the eldest prince was too sensible and, after crying, making a scene and even threatening to hang himself, he abruptly gave up the crown prince position to his younger brother. As a result, Prince Rui became the unspoken crown prince of the court and the public.

Xie Xi: Well, she has a hard life.

What's even more terrible is that she was charged with deceiving the emperor by disguising herself as a man, and she was in danger every step of the way in the court.

Fortunately, she is a genius, and she has escaped unscathed time and time again, rising step by step.

Perhaps because he had been unable to do anything to her for a long time, Xie Xi proudly discovered that when Prince Rui looked at her in private, his eyes became increasingly gloomy and unclear.

As for Xie Xi, Pei Xuan initially thought of finding a crime to accuse him of and exile him three thousand miles away.

After working together for a while, Pei Xuan felt that he was indeed talented and could be assigned to a post outside the capital.

Later, Pei Xuan felt that as long as Xie Xi could change his temper, it would not be a problem to allow him to serve as an official in the court.

But in the end, when he finally had enough evidence of Xie Xi's guilt and saw Xie Xi kneeling in front of him to plead for others, he just wanted to lock her up by his side.

Small Theater

When the young general, who had not returned to the capital for three years, entered the imperial study to pay his respects, His Majesty was just peeling the last lychee in his hand.

Talking about the changes in the court, the young general sighed: "Your Majesty is as broad-minded as the sea. He can even keep people like Xie Xi in the court and make use of them."

The next moment, he suddenly saw the master who was supposed to be exiled three thousand miles away enter the imperial study without being summoned. He then seemed to glance at him before taking away the dish of lychee pulp in front of His Majesty.

His Majesty just looked at him with a smile.