Chapter 103 The Queen Mother is Assassinated
After returning to Qixiang Palace, Su Qingrong called Qinglian.
"You arrange for the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to deliver meals to Jiangxuexuan, and then find a smart palace maid to contact them. After the task is completed, send her..." Su Qingrong made a gesture.
Qinglian understood immediately and whispered:
"Your Majesty, please be cautious. I will proceed with caution."
Qinglian was trained by the Su family, so Su Qingrong is very confident in her work.
The effect of this medicine lasts for two months, and then we just have to wait for the flowers to bloom.
At the Wanshou Palace, after Su Qingrong left, Nanny Xia presented a letter to Empress Dowager Xue.
After reading it, Empress Dowager Xue's face was full of confusion.
Seeing this, Nanny Xia asked, "But Miss Third is refusing to enter the palace again?"
Empress Dowager Xue shook her head. "No, she didn't mention it this time. She just told me not to go to Da'an Temple tomorrow because she had a bad dream."
Nanny Xia frowned, "The Third Miss has been acting more and more strangely lately."
Empress Dowager Xue threw the letter aside and rubbed her forehead. "I see that too. She didn't let me go to Da'anguo Temple, and her reason was unclear. She must have been frightened by a nightmare. In that case, I should go to the temple to pray for her safety."
Early in the morning of the 16th, the Empress Dowager's procession left the main gate of the Imperial Palace and headed towards the Da'anguo Temple on Yuhua Mountain in a grand procession.
When Xue Ning received the news, he sighed slightly, but he was not too surprised. His aunt always loved to worship Buddha in Da'an Temple, rain or shine.
She was afraid of the secret and could not tell her aunt that she would be assassinated by the Sixth Prince's concubine today, so her aunt did not take her advice seriously.
This is fine. She doesn't want to change other people's cause and effect at will because she doesn't know what the consequences will be.
What's more, today's incident will be a good verification. If her aunt was really stabbed, then everything in reality will be consistent with her dream.
That would mean that she was not possessed, but that she had truly received a God-given opportunity.
In the Da'anguo Temple, the empress dowager first bowed to the east, west, south and north in front of the hall.
When preparing to burn incense, there was a commotion among the guards.
"Who are you? Sneaking around!"
The guards caught a nun who had covered her face so that only her eyes were left.
The Queen Mother frowned, "Why are you wearing a mask?"
The nun remained silent. Master Jing'an, standing nearby, explained, "This is a person we ordained at the temple a few days ago. Her face was burned, making her look rather hideous. Although the Buddha and Bodhisattvas don't discuss beauty or ugliness in front of others, they covered her face to prevent her from frightening the pilgrims. This has offended the Empress Dowager, and is truly a sin."
When Queen Mother Xue heard this, she clasped her hands together, chanted some Buddhist mantras, and waved to the nun.
"Then you can light incense for me." The Queen Mother said with a kind look.
It seemed as if her act of mercy towards this poor nun was a great act of kindness.
The masters accompanying her all made way for her, chanted a Buddhist mantra, and praised her: "The Empress Dowager is full of compassion."
The nun approached the empress dowager, glanced at her quickly, lowered her head, took three incense sticks, lit them for the empress dowager, and handed them over respectfully.
The Queen Mother took the incense and raised it to her brow reverently. The people accompanying her also lowered their brows and eyes, quietly bathing in the Buddha's light.
At this moment, a gleam of light flashed in Liang Shuren's eyes.
She knew this was her best chance!
The next second, her sleeve flashed, and a sharpened wooden thorn pierced the empress dowager's chest.
Liang Shuren whispered like a devil: "Go to hell!"
The scene was quiet for a second, then suddenly became chaotic.
Queen Mother Xue fell down with a scream, and bright red blood gushed out of her chest.
"Protect the emperor! Protect the emperor!"
The guards instantly captured all the accompanying nuns. Liang Shuren was pinned to the ground. When he raised his head, he saw a flash of cold light.
"Keep alive!"
However, in their eagerness to protect the emperor, the long swords in the hands of four or five personal guards almost instantly stabbed into Liang Shuren's back.
At the moment his body was pierced, Liang Shuren was still staring at the empress dowager on the ground.
She grinned at her with her lips and teeth stained red by blood.
“Go to hell…”
The Queen Mother's blurry eyes seemed to see an evil ghost with blood all over the ground.
She was so scared that she was shaking all over and fainted.
****
The assassination of the Empress Dowager at Da'anguo Temple caused a huge uproar.
Xiao Chenglan put aside all government affairs and paced anxiously in front of the Wanshou Palace. When a man came out, he asked:
"How is it, how is Mother?"
The imperial physician who emerged said, "Fortunately, the assassin's weapon was only a sharp wooden thorn, and the Empress Dowager has not sustained any heart damage. However, I'm afraid she will be bedridden for a long time."
Xiao Chenglan finally seemed to have made up his mind, "I'll go see the Queen Mother."
The Wanshou Palace was filled with the smell of medicine. Empress Dowager Xue lay on the couch with a pale face. She was drowsy and looked at a man in a dragon robe approaching. She stretched out her hand tremblingly.
"Someone is trying to harm me... The Emperor will punish him severely... and exterminate his entire clan..."
Xiao Chenglan was heartbroken: "Don't worry, mother. I have already ordered the sealing of Yuhua Mountain. I will investigate this matter thoroughly. He dared to assassinate mother. I will grind his bones and scatter his ashes."
The three courts conducted a thorough investigation into the assassination of the Queen Mother overnight, and finally traced the case back to the deposed Sixth Prince.
The Zhaojue Pagoda, where the six kings and their families were imprisoned, caught fire. A concubine took advantage of the chaos to escape with burns on her face. She ran to the gate of Da'an Guo Temple and was taken in by Master Jing'an.
Xiao Chenglan told Empress Dowager Xue the result, and Empress Dowager Xue's face, which had just gotten better, turned pale again.
Her Xue family shouldn't have been soft-hearted and spared the Sixth Prince's life!
"It seems Sixth Brother still refuses to give up. Xue Shi has been a great help to him, but even a small concubine beside him hates Mother with such fervor that she is even more determined to assassinate her. I think Sixth Brother himself hates Xue Shi even more. Sixth Brother has turned against Mother, bringing her to this state. Even if I risk being branded as a murderer of my brothers, I will avenge her."
After hearing what Xiao Chenglan said, Empress Dowager Xue was actually somewhat moved.
She had always felt that the emperor was not under her control and was very dissatisfied, but now it seems that he has done well enough.
"Since the real murderer has been found, the monks and nuns of Da'anguo Temple should be released. Otherwise, killing Buddhists will bring you infamy." said Empress Dowager Xue.
"Mother, be merciful."
Seeing Empress Dowager Xue close her eyes tiredly, Xiao Chenglan stood up and left, a mocking smile flashed across his eyes.
The concubine of the Sixth Prince assassinated the Queen Mother, and all the descendants of the Sixth Prince were sentenced to death.
The word "filial piety" comes first, and it is natural and logical. No one complains that Your Majesty killed his brothers and was cruel and inhumane. The storm was settled in an instant.
At night, Xiao Chenglan asked Jiang Yingli in his arms, "The Queen Mother is not dead. Do you feel sorry, Li'er?"
Jiang Yingli shook her head, playing with her own and Xiao Chenglan's hair, and said leisurely, "Being bedridden for so long is a form of torture for someone as proud as the Queen Mother. Furthermore, Your Majesty has completely eliminated the Sixth Prince by diverting the blame elsewhere. From now on, no legitimate prince can threaten Your Majesty. This is very good. Anyway, I am happy."
After saying this, Jiang Yingli felt a little carried away and whispered, "She was the one who made me unhappy first, so it's only reasonable to stab her."
"Yes, as long as you're happy." Xiao Chenglan flicked her forehead, paused for a moment, then felt something was wrong and changed his words, "But you've indeed become more and more presumptuous. A proper balance between restraint and relaxation is the right way. I have to discipline you to prevent you from becoming too arrogant."
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