Red walls and black tiles, the sound of bells echoing in the temple, a gentle breeze caressing their faces, under the ancient tree, Chu Changning picked up a teacup and took a sip.
Sima Yue sat opposite her and said gently, "I heard that His Majesty has been searching for an antidote for Jiu Yuye recently. Has Madam been poisoned by this?"
Chu Changning said calmly, changing the subject, "Just call me by my name."
"Changning".
His voice was low and tender, carried on the gentle breeze to my ears.
Chu Changning was slightly taken aback. She looked up at him and met his deep, dark eyes.
Their eyes met, and there was a light in his eyes that she couldn't understand.
That's weird.
Chu Changning looked away and withdrew his gaze.
Sima Yue lowered his eyes, picked up the teacup, and took a sip.
"Speaking of which, I've seen you in the Xiaonan area before."
"Mannan?"
Chu Changning had no recollection of it and shook his head.
Sima Yue chuckled, "When you and Helian Ye were ambushed in the Northern Secluded Forest."
Oh, she remembered.
That was the time when Helian Ye was using the alias Gu Xuanye and was by her side. She was assassinated, and in order to survive, she promised Helian Ye something.
"So, that wasn't an assassin sent by the new emperor, it was you?"
Sima Yue smiled and put down his teacup. "They are from Mo Nan. When His Majesty was in Li Bei, he caused the Great Desert to fall apart. Mo Nan has always been at odds with His Majesty."
"---"
It was all because of that mad dog again.
But why did he bring this up?
Chu Changning felt something was very strange.
"You are very skilled."
Suddenly, he raised his eyelids and uttered a word of praise.
Chu Changning, "---"
For a moment, all around was silent.
He looked at her seemingly casually, and the air around them seemed to become somewhat turbid.
Chu Changning felt extremely uncomfortable. She patted her dress and stood up.
"Your Highness, please drink. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."
Sima Yue's eyes darkened slightly. He paused, then looked up with a gentle smile on his face.
Take care.
Chu Changning didn't want to stay in the temple anymore, so she went straight to Taozhi and took a carriage back to her courtyard.
In the past few days, Yan Beimo had been keeping an eye on her. Upon hearing that Sima Yue had seen her at the temple, his expression darkened slightly.
“The Prince of Pingxi was returning to Jiangdong, and he entrusted the affairs of the northwest region to Xuan Yao. I don’t know why he came to Jiankang. He met the lady by chance at a temple.”
Yan Beimo walked along the palace corridor, the cold wind blowing against the hem of his clothes.
"Summon him to the palace."
Night Hawk, who was following behind, immediately replied, "Yes."
Yan Beimo returned to the warm pavilion next to his palace.
The maids and servants in the palace saw someone enter and immediately bowed and withdrew.
Ayu had just woken up and was playing on the tatami mat when she saw him. Her eyes lit up and she looked behind him.
It was empty; there was no one there.
Those big, dark eyes blinked, and a hint of disappointment inexplicably arose within them.
Yan Beimo took off his cloak, walked to the bedside, and raised an eyebrow when he saw him reach out for a hug.
"Your mother ran away."
Ah Yu, "---"
He reached out his chubby little hands to tug at the hem of his robe and climbed onto him.
Yan Beimo picked him up and carried him outside.
Sima Yue's expression changed slightly when he heard that the palace had summoned him.
He came to Jiankang secretly, yet Yan Beimo's news spread so quickly.
"Your Highness, the palace staff are waiting outside."
Sima Yue snapped out of his daze, changed into his court robes, and rode in a carriage all the way to the palace.
The Hall of State Affairs.
The palace was filled with imperial physicians on both sides, and in the center of the hall, Minister Li knelt down to report the affairs of Southern Liang to the emperor.
Yan Beimo placed the little dumpling in his arms on the table, listening to the sounds below, his gentle face remained unchanged.
"As Your Majesty commands, all of them shall be arrested and brought back to the capital and imprisoned."
The Li family of Longxi has repeatedly defied the emperor, using His Majesty's ascension to the throne as a pretext to cause trouble in Southern Liang, leading to uprisings in the Taiyuan area. His Majesty has long been dissatisfied with them.
The interests of the northern gentry are deeply entrenched, and His Majesty's punishment of many members of the Longxi Li clan has aroused much resentment.
Other powerful families in the north have been putting pressure on Jiankang. If His Majesty had not come from one of the four top aristocratic families in Yandu, he would probably have been overthrown long ago.
"But General Li Yuanji keeps insisting on seeing His Majesty. What should we do?"
Yan Beimo sat down and spoke softly.
"Drag him away and beat him to death."
Minister Li was slightly taken aback, and even the imperial physicians standing on both sides were startled.
"yes."
"Go down."
After Minister Li stepped down, the imperial physicians standing on both sides carefully stepped forward and told him about the progress of preparing the antidote for Jiuyuye.
The golden cup suddenly smashed down from above, and blood instantly flowed from the head of the leading imperial physician.
The imperial physicians and ministers in the hall turned pale with fright and immediately knelt on the ground, their prostrate bodies not daring to move.
"After so many days, there has been no progress. Is the imperial court keeping a bunch of useless people around?"
The voice above them was so cold and indifferent that the imperial physicians trembled with fear.
"The medicinal herbs you requested have been sent to the Imperial Hospital. I need to see the results within three days. Do you all understand?"
"Yes, Your Majesty understands."
Just then, the voice of a eunuch came from outside.
"Your Majesty, the Prince of Pingxi has arrived."
Yan Beimo glanced at the imperial physicians on the ground and said in a low voice, "All of you, get out."
After everyone had left, Sima Yue entered. As soon as he entered the main hall, he lifted his robe and knelt down to pay his respects.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."
Yan Beimo walked to the dragon throne and sat down, without telling him to get up, his voice indifferent.
When did you arrive in Jiankang?
Sima Yue could tell what he meant just by looking at his behavior.
He knelt respectfully on the ground and replied.
"I just arrived and caught a cold from the boat ride. I rested at the manor for two days. I heard that there was a very efficacious temple in the suburbs, so I went to pray there. I also ran into Madam by chance."
The person above him didn't speak, but glanced at him indifferently, their gaze seeming to pierce his heart and go into his flesh.
The hall was eerily silent.
Only Ayu, who was lying on the imperial table, broke the silence with her babbling.
Yan Beimo leaned back in his chair, looking at him with a lazy and indifferent expression.
"Oh, what did you say?"
Sima Yue said, "I overheard Madam mentioning Jiu Yuye's poisoning, and we chatted for a bit."
Are you two very close?
"We only met once in the Northwest."
People fell silent, and the entire hall fell silent, with the sound of two black jade beads clinking in their hands echoing back and forth.
Sima Yue felt a chill run down his spine, and a strange light flashed in his lowered eyes.
After a while, a man's ambiguous voice came from above.
Is she beautiful?
Sima Yue paused, and cold sweat immediately broke out on his palms hidden in his sleeves.
He hesitated for a moment, then spoke respectfully.
"His Majesty's women are of course beautiful."
As he finished speaking, Yan Beimo let out a soft laugh, tinged with a hint of mockery.
"Get up."
Sima Yue stood up and stood respectfully to the side.
"Jiangdong is in turmoil, and bandits are rampant. Yan Rongli is young, so please bear with him, Your Highness."
"Your subject dares not."
Yan Beimo glanced at the sky outside, and then talked to him for a while about the military power in Jiangdong. By the time they finished talking, it was almost dark.
Ayu had long since fallen asleep from their talking. Yan Beimo glanced at him, picked him up, and prepared to leave the palace.
Before he even reached the entrance of the main hall, he paused and called out.
"Nighthawk, come in."
The Night Hawk, who had been lying in wait in the shadows, immediately appeared and pushed open the door.
"His Majesty."
Yan Beimo glanced at him, and Ye Ying immediately understood, telling him all about Chu Changning's recent situation.
The thought of that scholar flashed through my mind briefly, yet it was immediately captured by someone.
"What scholar?"
Nighthawk licked his lips and said awkwardly, "He's a neighbor who lives next to Madam's courtyard."
The scholar coveted the lady's beauty and always found excuses to visit her.
Yan Beimo paused, his eyes turning to the night outside, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
"She doesn't even want her son, and she's secretly meeting with other men every day. It seems I'm the one who's hindering her from finding a new love."
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