absurd

Porcelain bowls and cups from somewhere on the banquet table shattered to the ground with a clang.

Below the stage, Prime Minister Qiu Laojian stood straight, his knitted brows revealing an overly stubborn expression on his aged face. He demanded in a trembling voice, "Since the Imperial Master refuses to accept, whose side are you on today?"

Jiuzhong's laughter sounded so strange and eerie. He kept silent and closed the feather fan to his lips.

The man in red burned people, and he left the most taboo back to the guard holding a knife in his left hand.

Blood splattered on the spot!

“Puff…”

The long sword pierced straight into Jiuzhong's left abdomen. Everyone screamed in shock and looked terrified, not daring to look sideways.

And Jiuzhong just lowered her long eyelashes with a smile.

"Master Yanxiao, since you have acknowledged Your Majesty as the monarch, how dare I keep you?" Ren Beixi nodded slightly and asked the people behind him to drag Jiuchong away. There was a mixture of truth and falsehood in his words. When he met Jiuchong's burning eyes, he just silently told him that tit for tat.

Gui Yao hugged her knees and hid behind the screen on the high platform.

The palace door closed, and a faint cry from the stage made her look up. The queen was leaning against the emperor, her face tense, her knuckles curled around the corner of the emperor's clothes, and her lips were bitten white.

…She doesn’t even know about today’s plan?

Under her long eyelashes, Gui Yao could only focus her gaze on her pale face and use her eyes to make her feel a little more at ease.

The Emperor, or should I call him Brother Li Cong.

On the way to Xianyu City, she naturally saw Li Cong's love for his wife at home. It was only when she entered the palace that she understood why the people said that the emperor and empress were as loving as husband and wife. There were no other concubines in this palace. In the huge harem, there was only Li Jiao.

But why.

She closed her eyes tightly, her aunt's instructions flashing through her mind. After a while, she sighed softly.

Ren Hui retracted his sword, the bright red on it was too eye-catching.

Since the blood is already all over the ground.

"I thought you came to the capital to assist the emperor, but I never imagined you were trying to change the country! Taxes are a concern for everyone in the capital, and the finances are deteriorating day by day. General Ren, you've been stationed in the northern border for years, and we respect and fear you. If you're willing to withdraw your troops today..."

Guiyao listened quietly.

This person actually understood that the path to rebellion would not be so easy, and he was willing to talk about it, not just saying something absurd.

Ren Beixi's eyes were silent. "It's great that the Minister of Revenue is so well versed in state law."

"But once the bow is drawn, there's no turning back. You were once a military commander, and you were once protected by my father. Oh, and where is the Minister of Rites? I remember seeing you weeping and covering your face when my father died for his country. Why are you so timid today, not daring to show up?"

"Young General Ren, why are you like this?" The Minister of the Ministry of Rites could not stand steadily and knelt on the ground with a plop.

"Okay, since you have no objection."

Ren Beixi's sword was still half an inch away from the emperor's throat, not off the mark.

"Ren Hui."

"exist!"

"Please come in, Uncle Li."

There were tears and blood in Li Yushi's eyes. He naturally felt it was ridiculous. Why did his high-spirited young general suddenly suffer a misfortune and force the emperor to abdicate?

Yes, who doesn’t know how ridiculous this scene is.

But those who know dare not speak, and those who cannot see through it rush forward rashly.

"Your Majesty, I dare not." Censor Li, dressed in his official uniform, knelt beside Elder Qiu. He didn't dare to look at his daughter again. He only frowned and smiled bitterly, saying, "General Ren, please issue a clear order. If I disobey, I can still leave this palace alive."

Ren Beixi's sword trembled slightly in front of the silent emperor. The man suddenly laughed, and then said half a sentence so cold that it made his body tremble.

"If you want to live, it's simple."

"Just make my wife happy."

Gui Yao raised her eyes and fixed her gaze on the emperor in front of her. She saw the same helplessness in his eyes. She raised her head and stood up. The handkerchief tightly held in her hand was put into her sleeve. Her slender knuckles were holding the table, slightly supporting it.

At this point, her good husband still wants to test it.

Guiyao had no choice.

"I love to see men kowtow. If someone is willing to kowtow today..." Before she finished her words, the eunuch who was still in the hall suddenly knelt down and began to kowtow. She glanced at Ren Beixi in surprise, then bit her lip and continued, "If someone is willing to kowtow today, they can get a way out."

There were hundreds of people present, and some were willing to go first, so it was not just the eunuchs who kowtowed.

Ren Beixi said with satisfaction: "Take it away."

The hall door opened, and those who had kowtowed left tumbling and crawling. However, most of the guests remained in the hall with different expressions on their faces.

"Madam, are you satisfied?" Ren Beixi raised his eyebrows.

"He's spineless, worse than my big black dog! By the way, the kennels at my husband's and my home need repairs. If anyone in the palace is willing to offer me treasures, I'll wave my hand and let him go!"

"The capital is so small. If we escape now, there will definitely be a chance of survival." Gui Yao sat on the table, swinging her legs.

"Husband, Madam... My family has a white jade Buddha statue enshrined, which cannot be purchased even with a thousand taels of silver."

"I can hand over the jade token, which is more than enough for Buddha! No, not only that, you can use the jade token to withdraw my life's wealth from any shop in the world."

"Not enough." Gui Yao said with a smile.

"Madam! There is a secret room behind the rockery in the residence of the Minister of Rites, which is dedicated to collecting rare treasures offered by aristocratic families in recent years." The man knelt on the ground, looking very dishonest, but there was a smile hidden in his eyes.

"You old bastard!" The Minister of Rites rushed forward and shouted angrily, "I didn't keep those treasures for myself, I kept them for you, my Lord!"

The Minister of Rites, who was acting like a coward, shouted angrily, "Shut up!"

"Today has come to this. My wife is at the banquet, and my son is still young. I will do anything to save my life!" The Minister of Rites knelt beside him and shouted, "If my wife agrees, I am willing to give all my treasures, just to be with my wife and children."

Well, now the knife hanging over everyone's head suddenly has a few more dead souls. The three generations of infatuated kings in the An Dynasty naturally promoted monogamy, thinking about their wives and children at home.

How innocent.

Half of the people left the temple.

With the gold, silver and treasures or thousands of acres of fertile land that one has revealed, and a prosperous family, one can be content just to survive.

Most of the women sitting by the side of the hall left hand in hand with their husbands, leaving only one woman in court dress, sitting upright at the table, not moving at all.

There is such a strange person in the court.

Although there is no party struggle, life is used as a measure to observe the political situation.

Gui Yao accidentally met her gaze and blushed as she looked away. Mind-reading is bad! It’s better not to offend irrelevant people.

She averted her gaze.

Yet I can't help but feel nostalgic about the current situation.

It seems there are quite a few people acting under the stage. She rested her knuckles lightly on the table, raised her eyes to meet Ren Beixi's dark eyes, and parted her lips slightly.

"Are you satisfied?"

Seeing his eyes lowered with deep affection. Now she really had to go to the prison to look after Ren Beixi from time to time. After all, she had read his inner thoughts and spoken out the words he silently recited in his heart. She was now speechless.

very good.

So now there are only twenty people left in the hall.

In the center, Old Qiu had his eyes wide open and bloodshot. Beside him was Li Yushi, the Queen's father, who was kneeling silently. In front of him was the Minister of Revenue, the Imperial Master's close friend. To his right was the Jingzhao Prefecture Governor, who was over fifty years old and had not spoken a word.

Mr. Qiu knew very well that he could not turn back.

Or the ministers kneeling in the first row were all like this.

Those who do not leave the hall at this time are either full of blood or are willing to die fearlessly to show their loyalty. No matter whether the actions in the hall today are true or false, it cannot change the instinctive gathering and approach of the followers behind them, and finally catch them all in one fell swoop.

A sigh.

The emperor put away his ruthless eyes that were concerned about the overall situation.

"They are all my good subjects..."

He lowered his eyes but still smiled, but felt helpless when he looked at the traitor who was threatening to abdicate. "My dear brother, you stabbed Jiuchong, who will take you to jail?"

Ren Beixi loosened the hilt of his sword half an inch and closed his eyes.

It was at this moment of slackness that the leftovers of soup were still on the table and the cold wine in the cup was swaying. The maid hiding in the corner was frightened and overturned the stand on which the guzheng was placed. Everyone saw the platform collapsing with a loud bang. Outside the hall, there were bursts of swords and knives clashing and the sound of chiseling was heard. The imperial guards rushed into the hall with crackling torches held high.

Gui Yao held the sword across her neck.

"My husband, whether you are a pair of star-crossed mandarin ducks or a couple of gods, I may not meet you in the next life. I just want to find a way for you and me to be reunited in this life." Outside the palace door, the night was silent and the cold wind blew into her sleeves.

It was the second year of Chengwen, the autumnal equinox.

In the secret letter from the capital, it was written like this: The daughter of the Gui family snatched the sword and pointed it at her husband, she did not envy the mandarin ducks or the immortals.

Three days later.

Gui Yao supported her face, glanced to the left at Li Jiao who was playing chess seriously in the distance, and then glanced at the emperor in front of her who was covering his chest.

"Sister Gui, please help me coax Jiaojiao."

To be honest, although she had some doubts about Li Cong's identity in the past, she did not expect that he would have such an identity. Before meeting Ren Beixi, Gui Yao had only two impressions of the new emperor Gao Shun: one was that he was not favored in the past, and the other was that he came to the throne through treason.

Seeing that she ignored him, Gao Shun narrowed his eyes and asked, "When are you willing to go see Brother Ren?"

"It's interesting to say, my sister seems to be able to really read Brother Ren's thoughts, and she agrees with him, making others envious. It would be great if I could also understand what Jiaojiao is thinking." He changed the subject.

Gui Yao bit her lip: "Where is he imprisoned?"

Gao Shun: "It's in the palace."

The one who led the way was still the eunuch Liu. Perhaps because Ren Beixi was not around today, Gui Yao walked much more cautiously. She also found out from Eunuch Liu's inner thoughts that he actually practiced martial arts. No wonder it was not him who announced the imperial decree in the palace that day.

The dagger in the sleeve suddenly became much heavier.

Eunuch Liu introduced: "After General Ren spent his first night in the prison, His Majesty invited him to Changqing Palace. Changqing Palace was His Majesty's residence when he was still a prince, so few people set foot here."

Gui Yao walked quietly beside him, feeling a little hesitant for a moment.

"Did Ren Beixi suffer any punishment?"

Eunuch Liu paused for a moment, then shook his head. A faint smile crossed his calm face. As if sensing Gui Yao's doubts, he said frankly, "I remember... the young general had a fondness for swords when he was young."

General Ren Dingshan said the sword was too short, and Ren Beixi said, "As long as it can protect the people I want to protect, it's fine."

"But you have to protect the people of the world!" Ren Dingshan took away Ren Beixi's sword. He couldn't bear to break such a good sword, so he threw it on a mountain overnight. The next morning, he saw Ren Beixi returning to the mansion with the sword in his hand, threatening to compete with his father.

From then on, Ren Beixi never handed over any part of his sword to others.

"Not to mention the hilt." Eunuch Liu's eyes were filled with love. When the two of them left the Imperial Garden and walked to a palace, he returned to his proper demeanor. "Gui's child, go ahead."

Gui Yao turned around blankly.

Eunuch Liu had already left. She had just wiped the food box she was hugging tightly and walked into the palace. Just as she looked up, she saw a man in the small courtyard wiping his sword with a peach-colored embroidered handkerchief. It was clearly hers! She wondered when this man had hidden it.

Guiyao didn't take the things seriously and walked over with red eyes.

Just as she stepped into the yard, something suddenly rushed in front of her. Before she could see clearly, the palm-sized flying thing rushed straight towards her head.

Guiyao was frightened by the sound of her voice first.

The man who was still polishing his sword in the distance suddenly looked up, closed the scabbard and the sword body with one hand, and jumped with light skills. The scabbard hit the bird that was about to hit Gui Yao's face with a light knock.

It's a bird.

Gui Yao didn't care about her own condition and subconsciously reached out to protect the bird that was knocked dazed and unable to fly.

When his slender knuckles touched its cyan feathers, the system in his mind suddenly spoke.

"Congratulations to the host for unlocking the main quest: Raising Birds."

It looks like a round little thing, but when you pick it up, you will feel how light and soft it is.

She still had the food box in her other hand, but she couldn't stand steadily. When Gui Yao reacted, her whole body was protected by the man's tall body, and Ren Beixi whispered her maiden name.

Looking from under his long eyelashes, his wife's fair neck was reddened by his breath.

In short, Guiyao's face was burning.

Her original intention was to come here to seriously discuss and review the grievances she had suffered at the banquet, but now, she was bumped into by a task target as soon as she entered the door. She just shrank in his arms and didn't want to move. She just lowered her eyes and carefully took away the embroidered handkerchief that was still held in the man's palm.

"Let go..." she hummed softly.

Ren Beixi refused, and put the sword back on his waist, then carefully held Guiyao in his arms.

Gui Yao held up the bird for Ren Beixi to see.

"Do you recognize him?"

Seeing the man nod slightly, she struggled again, "Let me down. Why did you knock it out without saying a word? What if it doesn't wake up?"

Ren Beixi had no choice but to explain in a deep voice how the bird had just flown in from afar, flapping its wings several times before finally sitting at the entrance of the palace, watching him from afar. Gui Yao felt aggrieved when she heard this: "The bird was living in peace with you, and you still hit it!"

She touched the little bluebird that had its eyes closed and was knocked unconscious.

He decided to take this opportunity to ignore Ren Beixi again.

Ren Beixi touched Guiyao's face seriously, then turned his head and sat back at the table, not wanting to let her go. He just wanted to cling to the warmth in his arms, which made her unable to let go of the little blue bird in her left hand. She twisted her waist and put the food box on the table, but it was already turned over. She raised her butt and met Ren Beixi's silent eyes.

Gui Yao felt wronged: "Your sword... hit me."

The young lady's honey-like almond eyes were full of grievance at the moment. Ren Beixi paused slightly, and Gui Yao took the opportunity to land, holding the bird in her hands and standing four or five steps away from him, with an even brighter smile in her eyes.

She didn't know whether it was a sword or something else.

She stared at Ren Beixi's thin red earlobe, leaned against the red palace wall, and looked intently at the furry and round bird in the palm of her hand.

Are you my main quest?

I could vaguely hear the little bird's chirping voice in my mind, it was about to wake up.

The little bluebird shook its wings in a daze, and suddenly felt that the touch of its little feet was wrong. It flapped its wings and opened its big eyes.

Their eyes met, and Gui Yao heard a scream from the bird's body, and her own eyes bulged out.

"Madam." Ren Beixi's long eyelashes trembled slightly. He was about to act innocent to please Gui Yao, but when he turned around, he saw Gui Yao touching the bird in a daze. The bird fluttered and beat several times in her hand. They looked at each other, and then the bird screamed, and the person also screamed.

Gui Yao finally remembered to look up at Ren Beixi, but saw that the man was already kneeling on one knee beside him, poking the bird's butt.

"Don't poke!" she said subconsciously.

Looking at Ren Beixi's troubled eyes, I don't know who felt more aggrieved when they looked at each other.

But before he could finish his words, the little bluebird with beautiful feathers pecked Ren Beixi's index finger.

Guiyao was shocked.

"Shen Xiaoyuan, don't bite! He is indeed my husband! What do you mean by taking tofu? I don't like tofu! Wow!"