Mountain and River Sacrifice 262. The Emperor of Chu is Seriously Ill

In the early winter of the 18th year of Emperor Jing of Great Chu, the barbarian tribes in the north of Great Chu invaded. Emperor Mo Jingqi of Chu mobilized 300,000 troops to drive out the enemy, but was defeated. Only 70,000 to 80,000 of the 300,000 elite soldiers were left and fled in panic. Within a month, the defenders of Great Chu retreated to several cities, and the northern border army chased them all the way to Zijing Pass in the north of Great Chu, which was only 400 miles away from Chujing.

In December, Mo Jingqi appointed General Leng Huai, the general of Zhenbei, as the general to fight against the invaders, and ordered Leng Huai's eldest son Leng Qingyu as the deputy general to lead an army of 400,000 to meet the enemy. However, the northern barbarians were brave and good at fighting, and they had been fighting for many years and were very strong. Even a veteran like Leng Huai could only hold on. It was even more difficult to take back the land that had been lost before. The two armies had been fighting for a long time in front of Zijing Pass, and the people in the territory of Da Chu were also panic-stricken and worried all day long.

Many court officials have even suggested moving the capital to Guangling in the south. Mo Jingqi naturally would not agree to move the capital, as the south is now Mo Jingli's territory. In the capital, this younger brother has a tendency to not take him seriously. If he goes to the south, I'm afraid Mo Jingli will dare to usurp power and seize the throne.

Even so, Mo Jingqi's life was not easy. The daily war reports sent to the front were enough to give him a headache. There were also the people who fled to the capital because of the war. A large number of people poured into the capital, but the capital had limited space and naturally could not accept so many refugees. However, if these refugees were allowed to starve to death, die of disease, or freeze to death, I am afraid that there would be civil unrest without waiting for the strong troops from the northern border to attack.

Looking at the pile of memorials in front of him, Mo Jingqi had a splitting headache. Only at this moment did he have to admit in his heart that he was indeed less capable than Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao could turn the tide in such an adverse situation, but he could only get angry at a mess of memorials.

Deep inside the palace, Concubine Liu Gui sat in front of the window, silently looking at the white snow outside. The snow-white snow fox cloak made her cold face look as cold as an ice sculpture.

Behind her, Tan Jizhi sat on a couch holding a heater with a comfortable expression on his face, and sighed, "Isn't the noble concubine afraid of the cold? What's so good about the vast white outside?"

Concubine Liu looked back, glanced at him coldly and said, "Why are you here?" Tan Jizhi smiled and said, "Of course I'm here to help you, Madam Concubine." Concubine Liu sneered and said disdainfully, "Help me? I'm just a wanted man in Nanzhao. What's the point of you and Shu Manlin making a detailed plan? If Prince Ding and Xu Qingchen move their fingers, you can only run away with your tail between your legs? Now that Shu Manlin is gone, what trump card do you have?"

Tan Jizhi's face changed slightly, and a trace of anger and viciousness flashed in his eyes. He soon smiled and said, "Your Highness, do you think that my trump card is only Shu Manlin?" Concubine Liu looked at him calmly and said, "What else do you have? Are you talking about the descendants of the royal family of the previous dynasty? They are all descendants of the royal family. Young Master Lin Yuan has done much better than you. You have been working hard for so many years and have achieved nothing. You still dare to say that you want to help me?"

"Shut up!" Tan Jizhi was furious, his face was fierce and vicious, "Who is Ren Qining? He is just a fake!" He is the royal orphan of the previous dynasty, he is Lin Yuan! Ren Qining is just a fake who came out of nowhere!

Concubine Liu snorted and stopped talking, but the contempt in her eyes was obvious. Does he think the title of the so-called orphan of the previous dynasty is valuable? An orphan of the royal family that has been extinct for nearly two hundred years and perished because of the people's misery could never win the support and support of the people. Ren Qining, who called himself Lin Yuan, probably saw this clearly and chose to start from the northern border. As long as he truly conquered the world and announced his identity as the orphan of the previous dynasty, the resistance to ascending the throne would be much lower. Compared to a foreigner entering the Central Plains to become an emperor, the people and the gentry would naturally be more accepting of an orphan of the previous dynasty with noble blood.

Seeing Concubine Liu's contempt, Tan Jizhi panted to hide the viciousness in his eyes, and finally smiled and said, "Really? Maybe I can tell Concubine Liu a very important news. Of course, if Concubine Liu is not interested, then forget it."

Concubine Liu frowned slightly and stared at Tan Jizhi with some displeasure, as if she was considering whether she had to listen to the news he was talking about. Tan Jizhi leaned on the couch and smiled, "Don't worry, Concubine. This matter... may not be bad news for you." Concubine Liu narrowed her eyes. It may not be bad news, but it could be bad news. "You tell me."

Tan Jizhi raised his eyebrows and said, "Prince Li bought a magical medicine from the holy land of southern Xinjiang." Concubine Liu responded coldly without even moving her eyes. Her cold expression seemed to be asking, what does this have to do with her?

Tan Jizhi laughed out loud, looked at Concubine Liu and said, "I just like Concubine Liu's temperament. She is so cold and ruthless that it makes people feel depressed."

That's why Prince Ding doesn't like such a woman. She looks as cold as an ice sculpture in her beauty, and her heart is so cold and ruthless that men are convinced by her. Look at the Princess Ding that Prince Ding married. She is elegant and graceful when she is calm, and radiant when she is in action. She can be kind and cruel, gentle and strong, with outstanding abilities, a devoted husband, and an extraordinary status, but she is not spoiled or domineering at all. Such a woman is the woman that every man dreams of. What does the appearance and talent that Concubine Liu Gui is proud of count for in the eyes of a man with a truly discerning vision?

Of course, he would never tell this proud woman in front of him. Concubine Liu frowned and looked at Tan Jizhi. She didn't know why she always felt that Tan Jizhi's words were not all praise. But it didn't matter. She never took Tan Jizhi seriously, so naturally she didn't care about his opinion of her.

"Is the Royal Concubine really not interested in the things that Prince Li bought? Or... the Royal Concubine doesn't want to know who Prince Li wants to buy the things for?" Tan Jizhi said with a smile. Royal Concubine Liu's mind moved slightly, and she looked at Tan Jizhi calmly.

Tan Jizhi knew her very well, so he naturally understood that he had aroused her interest. Without hiding it, Tan Jizhi smiled and said, "Yes, it's just as you thought. It's for the person in Yu's study. And, I guess, I'm afraid the medicine has been used for a month." Concubine Liu frowned and said, "The emperor is not feeling unwell." Tan Jizhi smiled and said, "Of course he won't feel unwell. Not only that, but his body will be very good. However, once the medicine is stopped or used for too long, His Majesty will suffer. There was originally a lot of that stuff, but after Princess Anxi ascended the throne, the Southern Xinjiang Holy Land rebelled, and somehow a fire burned the entire Southern Xinjiang Holy Land into an empty space. Naturally, there was no medicine... Mo Jingli would not have more than half a year's supply of medicine at most."

Concubine Liu frowned and thought for a moment, then asked, "What do you want?"

Tan Jizhi smiled faintly and said, "What I want...I'm afraid the Royal Concubine can't give it to me now. Why not wait until the Royal Concubine can give it to me?"

Concubine Liu lowered her eyes, hiding the fierceness and murderous intent in them, and said in a calm voice: "Okay, as long as I can do it, I can promise you. But what can you do for me now?" Tan Jizhi smiled and said: "I have been with Mo Jingqi for more than ten years. No one in the world knows better than me when he will do what. Isn't this enough? Who are Mo Jingqi's real confidants? Concubine Liu Guifei doesn't want to know? And... I can help you deal with Prince Li." Concubine Liu Guifei's eyes moved, and she nodded after a while and said: "It's a deal, I hope you won't let me down."

Tan Jizhi smiled and said, "Your Highness, just wait and see."

The nineteenth year of Emperor Jingdi was definitely the worst year in the hundred years since the founding of the Chu Kingdom. Before the New Year was over, news came from the border that Leng Huai had been defeated and was asking for help. You know, Zijing Pass is less than four hundred miles away from the capital. If you ride fast, you can get there in one day. At this distance, if you lose again, the enemy will be at the gates of the city. In addition, Mo Jingqi fell ill just after receiving Leng Huai's letter for help.

Although he managed to go to court, anyone with a discerning eye could tell from his pale face and listless spirit that the emperor was extremely ill. The combination of these two things made people feel that there was no light in the sky, as if the fate of the Great Chu was about to end. Mo Jingqi managed to mobilize troops and food to support Leng Huai, but then he fell ill and never got up.

In the bedroom, the Queen Mother, who had been fasting and chanting Buddha's name for a long time and not caring about worldly affairs, and the Queen, who had been recuperating from illness, both appeared. Also waiting in the room were Prince Li, Concubine Liu, Prime Minister Liu, and several princes of the royal family.

After the imperial physician finished taking the emperor's pulse, the empress dowager asked anxiously, "Imperial physician, what's wrong with the emperor's health?"

The imperial physician who was examining the emperor frowned and said respectfully, "It seems that the emperor took some medicine that was harmful to his body... coupled with the daily overwork, his body collapsed all of a sudden."

The Queen Mother suddenly stood up and asked, "What do you mean by drugs that are harmful to the body?! Someone poisoned the emperor?" The imperial physician shook his head and said, "Please forgive me, Queen Mother, I misunderstood. What I meant was... the emperor seemed to have taken some forbidden things. That's why... he was hurt." The expressions of everyone in the bedroom suddenly changed, and they all looked a little strange. The forbidden drugs that the imperial physician said were mostly Wushisan or some wolf-tiger drugs. In history, there were indeed some dynasties where taking Wushisan became a trend, but from the previous dynasty to the Great Chu, it was listed as a banned drug. If it were to be spread out, the emperor and the royal family would lose face.

"Emperor! You are so foolish!" The Queen Mother stared at her son on the bed and said in hatred. Although she did not love this son as much as her younger son, the Queen Mother did not want him to die. Seeing him lying in bed in such a sick state, the Queen Mother felt very disappointed.

Mo Jingqi opened his mouth, endured the pain in his heart that was like being bitten by ants, and frowned and said, "I didn't..." He knew no one would believe him, because his current symptoms did look a bit like being addicted to Wu Shi San. But he knew what the effects of taking Wu Shi San were, so he was sure that he had never taken that forbidden medicine at any time.

His eyes fell on Mo Jingli standing at the side. Mo Jingqi was startled and suddenly thought of something and glared at Mo Jingli fiercely. How could Mo Jingli not see Mo Jingqi's gaze? He walked forward and his usually serious face showed a faint smile, "Brother, do you have any instructions?"

"You...it's you..." That hint of smile seemed provocative and complacent to Mo Jingqi. He pointed at Mo Jingli and said breathlessly.

Mo Jingli, however, did not have the slightest fear of his conspiracy being exposed, and still said respectfully: "What are you talking about, my brother? I don't understand."

Prime Minister Liu on the side had been preparing for trouble for a long time. How could he miss this opportunity? He stepped forward and said, "Your Highness Prince Li, the emperor clearly meant the banned drug you gave him!"

Mo Jingqi glanced at Prime Minister Liu and nodded. Obviously agreeing with Prime Minister Liu's words, Prime Minister Liu became even more confident and pointed at Mo Jingli and said in a stern voice: "Prince Li, you are so brave!"

"How dare you!" the Queen Mother said in a stern voice, staring coldly at Prime Minister Liu and said, "Prince Li and the Emperor are brothers, how could he harm the Emperor? Now that the enemy is in front of you, as the Prime Minister, you don't know how to assist the Emperor with all your heart, but you are trying to sow discord between the Emperor's brothers. What crime should you be punished for?"

Prime Minister Liu frowned and said, "Your Majesty, this is clearly the Emperor's intention. Even if there is no evidence, murdering the Emperor is a serious crime. Shouldn't we arrest Prince Li first and then investigate?"

The Queen Mother stared at Mo Jingqi with tears in her eyes and said, "Your Majesty, do you really think so? Do you think that Li'er wanted to harm you? Without the slightest evidence, you suspect your own brother. Are you going to lock me up as well?" Mo Jingli stepped forward and said, "My Royal Brother is wise. I will never have any intention of killing you. If you don't believe me, just order me to be killed."

Mo Jingqi stared at Mo Jingli with hatred, his eyes seemed to want to cut him into pieces, but at this moment he couldn't say a word. It seemed as if countless ants were biting his limbs and bones. If he didn't care so much about his face, he would have rolled over on the bed and wailed in pain. The corners of his lips trembled, and Mo Jingqi uttered a few words, "Get out! Get out of here!" Everyone was startled, and Prime Minister Liu looked at Mo Jingqi anxiously. Now was the time to take advantage of the victory and capture King Li in one fell swoop.

But the emperor had already spoken, so naturally the others could not stay any longer. The queen mother stood up and said, "Then the emperor should take good care of his health. I will go back first." The queen mother left first, and the others had to follow suit. Mo Jingli walked last, turned around and glanced at Mo Jingli lying on the bed, with a strange smile on his face.

After returning to Zhangde Palace, Mo Jingli said respectfully to the Queen Mother: "Mother, I thank you very much..."

"Pa!" Before he could finish his words, a slap hit Mo Jingli's face hard and fast. Mo Jingli stopped talking and looked up at the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother's eyes were cold but full of sadness and disappointment, "Li'er! How dare you give Qi'er such a vicious drug? He is your own brother, do you still have any humanity?"

Mo Jingli wanted to explain, "Mother, I..." The Queen Mother waved her hand and said coldly, "You don't need to explain! I am not old and confused!" Mo Jingli put down his hand that was covering half of his face. The Queen Mother's slap was not a pretense. Mo Jingli's face immediately had several red and swollen finger marks. Mo Jingli stopped arguing and said coldly, "Mother, you are right. It is the medicine given by your son. So what? Mother, do you want to lock me up like that old man surnamed Liu?"

Although she had known that it was Mo Jingli who did it, the Queen Mother was still so upset when she heard him say it in person that she couldn't help crying. Her well-maintained face suddenly looked more than ten years older. She sat on the gorgeous phoenix chair and cried, "What a sin! How could I give birth to two bastards like you?! I'm sorry to the late emperor and the ancestors of the Mo family."

Mo Jingli looked at the Queen Mother crying bitterly with cold eyes, but he didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt in his heart. The one who aroused his ambition was not someone else, but his mother who was crying in front of him. Just because she was dissatisfied with her brother's gradual disobedience to her control, she wanted to depose him and push him to the throne. The struggle for the throne has always been bloody and bloody, but now she blames him for being cruel and ruthless? It's a pity that the arrow has been shot and there is no turning back. He and Mo Jingqi were destined to fight to the death the moment his ambition was born.

"Li'er...Qi'er is your biological brother, you should give him the antidote. Your mother will protect you." The Queen Mother finally got tired of crying and said in a hoarse voice.

Mo Jingli raised a sarcastic smile, "Mother, after being the Queen Mother for more than ten years, you have become more naive than before."

The empress dowager was stunned, and looked coldly at her son who seemed so familiar and yet strange, as if she had never known him before.

Mo Jingli said calmly, "Not to mention that I don't have the antidote, even if I did... I wouldn't give it to you. Does the Queen Mother think that if Mo Jingqi recovers, she will really let me go?"

The Queen Mother was so angry at his heartless words that she was shaking. She pointed at Mo Jingli and said angrily, "You...you beast! You..." She had been fighting for power all her life, and now she was over 60 years old. She was really tired. She just hoped that her two sons would live in peace and safety, but why did she have to watch her two sons kill each other at the age of 60? Is this really... retribution?

Mo Jingli smiled indifferently and said, "If that's the case, why didn't you just follow the old man surnamed Liu's wishes and lock me up? In your eyes, isn't there something more important than your son?"

The Queen Mother pointed at Mo Jingli silently for a long time and could not speak. Yes... In her heart, there is always something more important than her son, that is power. If Qi'er is already dead, then Li'er must not be in any danger. Otherwise, once Qi'er has an accident, the one who ascends the throne must be one of the two princes born to Concubine Liu. The Queen Mother has always been at odds with Concubine Liu and the Liu family. If Concubine Liu's son becomes the emperor, what benefit will it bring to her? Although the Grand Empress Dowager is noble, the grandmother is far less affectionate than the mother, not to mention that Concubine Liu's son is not close to her. But even so, it does not mean that she is willing to let the younger son kill the older son.

"You..." The Queen Mother looked at her son with a gloomy expression in front of her and found that she didn't know what to say.

Mo Jingli raised his eyebrows and said, "Don't worry, mother. I won't kill him. He is still my brother, right?" Of course he wouldn't kill Mo Jingqi. He wanted him to lie on the bed, unable to move, while he watched himself holding power and even ruling the world.

More importantly... he couldn't let Mo Jingqi die too suddenly. Although Mo Xiuyao said that he had severed ties with Da Chu, Mo Jingli was not sure if he would use this as an excuse to attack Da Chu if Mo Jingqi died. From beginning to end, Mo Jingli never believed that Mo Xiuyao had no ambitions, he just lacked an excuse to realize his ambitions!