The night in the bamboo courtyard was particularly quiet, with only the flickering candlelight. The black coffin was quietly placed in the mourning hall. Everyone went to rest, and only Aunt Li beside Concubine Wen was still guarding.
She was an old lady who had served Concubine Wen for nearly twenty years.
When she was tired of crying, she leaned over the table and fell into a deep sleep.
The wind blows.
A slender figure entered silently from the back door.
Before the burial, the coffin had not yet been nailed down, and through the gap, the swollen face of Concubine Wen could be vaguely seen...
She was drowned.
Too much water was pumped into his body, and coupled with being idle for the past few days, his entire body was swollen, and his face was so pale and swollen that it was unrecognizable.
Chu Li clutched the edge of the coffin, his bloodshot eyes almost revealing tears.
Mother!
When my mother was alive, she loved beauty the most. She liked to wear flowers in her hair, put on lip balm, and wear the most fashionable clothes. But now she is lying here in a disfigured state...
It was like a knife stabbing into her heart.
Why!
Chu Yeli!
You clearly promised that you would protect the people around me and not make things difficult for them, but you killed the most important person in my life!
Whether it was the Emperor's uncle or his mother, in his eyes, they seemed like ants and grass.
"I underestimated you... Not only are you cruel and ruthless, you're also a ruthless executioner!"
Chu Li covered her mouth tightly and shed tears.
"Mother, I am sorry for you."
"We clearly agreed that when I leave the palace, I will take you away to a place where no one knows you and live a peaceful life. But I underestimated Chu Yeli's cruelty. He is the one who hurt you!"
Tears blurred my vision, but hatred burned and boiled in the mist.
"I won't let you die in vain!"
"Absolutely not!"
A cold night breeze blew by, and a burnt candlestick was accidentally blown down.
Snap——
The sound is crisp.
Aunt Li, who was working at her desk, woke up immediately and raised her head: "Who!"
The bamboo hut was peaceful and quiet. The mourning hall was empty and deserted, except for the candlestick on the table, which was tilted and lying sideways.
Besides, it was quiet and peaceful.
"Did something happen?" The door of the ear room opened and Master Guiyi walked out.
Aunt Li stood up and said:
"Master Guiyi, the candlestick fell over. It might be because it was windy at night."
She walked into the mourning hall, straightened the candlestick and lit a new candle.
Master Guiyi stood in the courtyard, looking at the cold mourning hall, and glanced at the tranquility around the courtyard, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully...
-
The next day.
The imperial capital was desolate.
After the Queen's death, every household still hung white banners, and they were not allowed to take them down for half a month. Theaters, brothels, gambling houses and other places were not allowed to open, and the entire capital was immersed in a depressing atmosphere.
The people did not dare to commit crimes and just did their jobs honestly.
Without any entertainment, teahouses became the most lively gathering places for a while.
Bang!
In a corner, the gavel slammed, and dozens of tea drinkers around applauded:
"Wonderful!"
“Well said!”
Seeing how lively this place was, other tea drinkers could not help but gather around. They saw a thin woman in white, wearing a veil and holding a white fan, reading a book slowly:
"Let's talk about the battle to force the emperor to abdicate a few months ago. It was a life-and-death moment for the Chu Dynasty and the previous dynasty. The traitor Chu Yeli colluded with the Southern Barbarians..."
hiss!
The tea drinkers all gasped.
How dare she say that the current emperor is a traitor!
At the feet of the emperor, in the imperial capital, she is so bold, does she want her life?
She dared to speak, but they didn't dare to listen!
However, as the woman's tone fluctuated, she vividly described the battle to force the emperor to abdicate that night, down to every soldier and every detail, as if she was there at the time.
The picture portrayed makes the tea drinkers deeply immersed in it, as if they were there themselves.
Tensed and exciting.
Just as I was listening intently, I heard the gavel bang:
Bang!
Everyone's breathing tightened, and their heartbeats rose and fell as the woman's voice brought them:
"It is because of this man's rebellion that he was punished by the heavens, and the disaster has been brought down. The imperial capital is in turmoil, and the country will never have peace, all because he is not the true dragon emperor!"
"A treacherous minister sitting on a throne that does not belong to him will naturally bring disaster to his country and there will never be peace..."
The tea drinkers looked horrified.
Is this woman a storyteller or a Taoist priest?
But she was wearing a veil and her real face could not be seen at all. However, what she said caused ripples in everyone's hearts that took a long time to calm down.
They looked at each other and whispered carefully:
"Since the Emperor ascended the throne, it seems that there has not been a few days of peace. Even the Empress was killed..."
"A few days ago, I heard from a senior monk at Tianling Temple that the imperial capital has bad feng shui and no dragon energy. Isn't that a hint that the current emperor is not the true dragon emperor..."
"He gained the throne by rebelling..."
"He is a traitor..."
The tiny sound spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred.
Rumors spread faster than a bird with wings.
The woman picked up the teacup, took a sip, and quietly left amid their buzzing discussions.
As soon as I left the teahouse, I saw a group of guards running towards me:
"Anyone who dares to speak nonsense and criticize the emperor will be arrested and taken to the Dali Temple!"
Everyone immediately shut up, took a few steps back, and scattered to both sides in panic.
If one or two people are discussing something, they can be arrested and the situation can be settled. But what if the entire imperial city is discussing something? That cannot be solved by arresting people.
The mouth is on someone else's body. When there are many people, the power of the masses is great. How can we be afraid?
The commander entered with a sword in hand, pointed fiercely at the tea drinkers, and glanced at them one by one. When he didn't see the source, he immediately turned around:
"Chase!"
Catch the source.
After a few steps, I saw a woman in white wearing a veil about ten meters outside the teahouse.
Commander Zhang suddenly narrowed his eyes.
etc!
This person...
Just now when they came out of the teahouse, they bumped into each other head-on.
He suddenly thought of something and looked back: "Stop!"
As soon as the shout fell, the woman quickened her pace, lowered her head, and quickly merged into the crowd.
wrong!
There is something wrong with this person!
“Over there!”
Catch her!
"stop!"
Commander Zhang quickly chased after her, directing his guards to encircle her from the surrounding streets, and finally blocked the woman at the entrance of the alley at the next corner.
"run."
Commander Zhang sneered and stepped forward, "Let's see where you can run!"
The woman stepped back, "I wonder why you are looking for me, sir?"
"Why are you wearing a veil in broad daylight? Do you have some shameful secret? Have you done something shameful?"
The woman narrowed her eyes:
"I was born ugly, and I have covered my face with a veil since I was young to avoid scaring others. I hope you can forgive me."
"Yeah?"
Commander Zhang narrowed his eyes coldly, as if he believed it. He turned around and was about to leave, but suddenly turned back and raised his hand to suddenly lift the veil off the woman's head.
Swish!
The veil fell to the ground, the woman's face felt cold, and her true face was revealed.
That is a...
A plain, ugly, dark-skinned face.
At first glance, it is indeed ugly.
The woman looked horrified, and quickly snatched the veil and put it on hastily, "My Lord, why do you have to humiliate me?"
"I apologize for investigating this case impartially."
Commander Zhang was still staring at her.
"If you really think you are ugly and shameless, why did you run away when I called you just now?"
The woman said timidly: "If a group of people with knives suddenly chased you, wouldn't you run away if it were you?"
"..."
There is some truth to that, but not much.
Commander Zhang questioned a few more times, but found no clues, so he had to give up. Finally, he asked:
"Do you know who is telling stories in the teahouse?"
"I don't know."
"Okay, go ahead."
The woman bowed her head, then hurried away, looking terrified.
However, after reaching the corner, the woman slowed down, glanced at the busy street, went to the market, and bought a horse.
On the way out of the city, I heard a lot of heated discussions:
"Have you heard? The current emperor is not the true dragon emperor!"
"If he sits on the throne, it will only bring disaster to us..."
"He is a traitor..."
"He is not worthy to be our king..."
The woman walked through the heated discussions along the way, lowered her eyes, and walked out of the city at a leisurely pace.
He took off his veil, revealing a delicate and cold face.
It’s Chu Li!
She turned her head and glanced in the direction of the imperial capital, her eyes as cold as ice.
Chu Yeli, what you care about most in your life is the throne, and you want to revive the previous dynasty the most. I will make you sit there uneasy day and night, and in the end it will all be like a dream, all in vain.
Chu Li turned his horse around:
"drive!"
-
The heated discussions in the capital were like a boiling pot. Even with the guards trying to suppress it, they couldn't stop the people from talking.
The people are uneasy and the officials are in panic.
When the news was delivered to the palace, Chu Yeli stayed dejectedly in the imperial study, staring blankly in a certain direction, as if he had lost his soul, and did not respond for a long time.
"emperor?"
"emperor?"
The minister knelt on the ground, feeling chilled in his heart.
Looking at the emperor's appearance, I'm afraid there is no hope.
"emperor……"
Chu Yeli looked gloomy, like a walking corpse. After returning from the imperial mausoleum, it seemed as if his soul was imprisoned in the mausoleum.
Ayu came over:
"master."
The man's eyes finally brightened up, and he looked at the minister kneeling on the ground, "You step back."
"……yes."
The minister dared not say much.
Ah Yu looked worried, stepped forward, took out a note, and said:
"The matter you asked me to investigate has yielded results."
The person who secretly informed the regent that he was still alive; the person who betrayed the regent.
Chu Yeli took it and opened it.
When he saw the content, he suddenly smiled:
"It's him...it's him...why..."
This way, everything makes sense.
His life-and-death battle with Chu Dichi; Concubine Wen's death; Chu Li's departure; in the end, everyone was hurt.
Only he...
At the end, it slowly surfaced.
Why?
Chu Yeli coughed violently several times, his throat felt sticky and he seemed to be coughing up blood.
Ah Yu hurried forward, "Master!"
“Ahem! Ahem… Let’s let the Regent return to the capital… Let him come back…”
The tired words seemed to have exhausted all the strength.
"Also, I don't plan to move the capital because of the unrest among the people. You should go and invite the senior monk of Tianling Temple in person and tell him that I am seeking his help to discuss a solution."
Ayu was surprised.
The master actually wants to let the regent return to the capital!
This was the kingdom he had won with great difficulty, but with the death of the queen, the master seemed to have changed completely.
Without any doubt, Ayu went to do it immediately.
The next day at noon.
Master Guiyi has arrived.
At that time, Chu Yeli dismissed all the idlers. He was coughing violently and his face was pale. He had not slept well for days and was hit by a grief, so he coughed up blood repeatedly.
Master Guiyi lit the sandalwood, calmed his mind, put his hands together and said:
"Your Majesty, please accept my condolences."
"Ahem! Ahem... Master, please sit down... Ahem..."
Master Guiyi looked at him coughing up blood, his eyes gradually became weird:
"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. You really shouldn't be sad because of a woman, especially her...sister."
Chu Yeli raised his head suddenly, as if he was so surprised that he forgot to react:
"What did you say?"
Biological sister?
"Your Majesty should have a peach petal birthmark on his lower back. This is a unique mark of the Dongling royal bloodline."
As Master Guiyi spoke, he gradually rolled up the hem of his cassock.
There was also a peach petal birthmark on his lower back!
Chu Yeli looked shocked:
“You… you are…”
They actually have the same blood flowing in their bodies!
Even Chu Li is...
"More than 20 years ago, the Chu family rebelled and joined forces with treacherous people to break into the palace and slaughter all the bloodline of the Dongling royal family, not even sparing the babies in their cradles."
Master Guiyi's tone was strangely calm.
"Back then, for the sake of the dynasty's eternal prosperity, I exchanged clothes with the assassins. The assassins disguised themselves as me and died for me. I took advantage of the chaos to escape."
He is the emperor of the previous dynasty!
Chu Yeli’s biological father!
"you……"
Master Guiyi looked at him and said, "After leaving the palace, I hid in Tianling Temple for revenge. I created an accident, burned this face, and survived with a new identity. But to my surprise, my son, you are very capable."
He took the throne back.
He is worthy of being his eldest son, his crown prince!
"But what surprised me even more was that Chu Li was actually my bloodline, and was raised by Concubine Wen, and was even liked by both you and the Regent."
So, he interfered and made Chu Yeli and the Regent kill each other.
Then he killed Concubine Wen and dealt a heavy blow to Chu Yeli by attacking Chu Li.
Looking at this eldest son who was very ambitious but fell into the hands of a woman, Master Guiyi shook his head:
"You've vomited blood like this, and I put a drug that can make you lose your mind in the sandalwood. My son, I'm afraid you can't take good care of this country. It's better to return it to your father."
"you!"
Chu Yeli stood up suddenly, but his eyes were dizzy and he stumbled back.
“Ahem… ahem…”
He coughed weakly:
"You... plotted against me... betrayed the Regent, killed Concubine Wen, and killed Chu Li, who is your biological daughter!"
Master Guiyi laughed eerily:
"I have many children, but you two are more capable than others."
The country was restored successfully without any effort.
Chu Yeli felt dizzy, as if all his strength had been drained away. Looking at the ugly scarred and disfigured Master Guiyi, he couldn't help but think of his father in his childhood memories:
"My son's handwriting is really good, quite similar to my style back then."
"Let me feel you and see if you have gained weight."
"I recited this poem wrong..."
He has always believed that God was unfair and had taken away everything from him. He harbored a strong hatred and was determined to avenge his parents and revive his country.
But this moment.
His persistence and hatred over the years seemed like a joke.
Even his own son became a chess piece on the chessboard.
Oh.
Hahaha!
What is he obsessed with?
What was the point of his endurance of humiliation over the years?
In the end, it turns out that Chu Li and he share the same bloodline of the previous dynasty, and they are actually siblings!
"Where's my mother?"
"He died on the night of the abdication more than 20 years ago."
Chu Yeli's eyes turned red: "That is to say, you were the only one who escaped that night. You didn't take anyone with you. Your wife, children, you all left them all behind!"
Master Guiyi looked at him calmly:
"As long as I am alive, Dong Ling's bloodline will continue to exist. If you, the old, the young, the sick and the disabled, drag down my pace, it will be truly destroyed."
"you!"
joke!
What a joke!
Chu Yeli pulled out the long sword from Lan Qi with his backhand.
"Do you want to kill your father? This is a crime of blasphemy."
Why is it that when a father abandons his children, he is bearing humiliation, but when his children want to retaliate, it is disrespectful!
What a ironic world!
"My son, don't get excited. The aphrodisiac in the sandalwood can penetrate deep into the body with the fluctuations of emotions. You must take care of yourself. You cannot die before I take over the imperial power."
"Do you think I will hand over the royal power to you?"
"Why not?"
Master Guiyi narrowed his eyes and looked at him meaningfully: "Don't you want to know the whereabouts of Chu Li?"
-
Ride your horse south.
There was war in the south.
The closer we get to the south, the more refugees we see, and the more they talk:
"They're fighting again..."
"The Regent has returned..."
"I heard that the current emperor is not the true emperor. I really hope that the regent can seize power and settle everything. When the regent was in power, the situation was never as chaotic as it is now."
"well……"
The refugees were fleeing together, but they saw a horse running against the flow of people towards the war-torn area.
Everyone fled the city, but this man entered.
"One of the upper rooms."
Bang!
A silver ingot was thrown on the table, and the waiters immediately took the key, "Sir, please go to the third floor, room number one."
"Thank you."
Chu Li took it and stepped forward.
Pushing open the window, the scene of roof tiles and people fleeing came into view. In the early summer, there was a sense of sadness and chaos.
The emperor's uncle is still alive.
When she received the news, she rushed over without stopping, but when she got closer, she became timid.
Don't dare to see him.
Whether in childhood or now, she owes him too much...
Woo——
In the distance, a horn suddenly sounded, and the people in the city were all startled:
"War?"
"Is there going to be a war?"
"Hurry, hide!"
There was a great chaos for a while, like a frightened bird, every household closed its doors and windows, only soldiers with swords ran by quickly, quickly gathering and returning to the team.
Chu Li glanced at him, his eyes darkening slightly.
He drank the water in the cup slowly, went downstairs, and found a lone soldier who was adjusting his belt with his head down.
"Hello."
“Who… Ugh!”
Just as he raised his head, he was knocked unconscious by a knife.
It only took a moment.
Chu Li changed into soldier's clothes and tied up his sleeves. Although he was thin, he stood straight. He also did some work on his face and smeared his skin. He really looked like a skinny nobody.
Holding the sword at his waist, he turned his head to glance at the soldier who had fainted in the alley and was stripped to only a pair of shorts, lowered his head, and followed the main force.
Run to the city gate.
She hid in the team and saw a man who looked like a commander on the high city wall pointing outside the city and shouting:
"You traitor, you still dare to do evil. Why don't you put down your weapons and surrender immediately!"
The next moment, a familiar voice came through the tall and heavy city gate and entered Chu Li's ears very clearly:
"Open the city gates. I promise not to kill a single soldier or humiliate any captive."
It's him!
Chu Di is late!
Chu Li's eyes trembled violently.
Even though we are so far apart, even though we cannot meet, I can still recognize him among thousands of people.
Thinking back to the beginning...
The corners of her eyes quickly turned red, and she felt sad and depressed.
"What a big tone! This is Dongling's territory now, and you still thought it belonged to your Great Chu?" The commander's words were cold and stern.
One side wants to attack the city, and the other side wants to defend it.
The two sides confronted each other diametrically.
They were not on the same page and could not come to an agreement. Within a moment, no one knew who started the fight first, but they started fighting.
A fierce battle is about to begin!
The commander drew his sword and shouted:
"Soldiers, fight hard and wipe out the traitors. The emperor will reward anyone who takes the head of the regent!"
“Kill!”
"kill!"
Morale was greatly boosted.
Siege battle.
Chu Li was squeezed in the chaotic crowd. The soldiers around her picked up bows and arrows and shot towards the outside of the city. She also pretended to pick up a bow and arrow.
The commander stood on the city wall and encouraged the morale:
"Guard the city gates. Do not allow the traitors to enter. Those who have made contributions will... ugh!"
call out!
An arrow flew through the air.
"General!"
The soldiers were horrified: "Protect the general, the general has been shot!"
"cover!"
"Wait... How come the general was shot in the back? Damn it! Which blind archer shot his own general!?"
Archers: "......?"
Chu Li lowered his head, and his dark-skinned face blended into the crowd without attracting any attention.
The melee continued.
Another arrow flew through the air and accurately hit the large iron chain that locked the city gate.
A crisp sound.
The iron lock broke, the chain loosened, and a gap appeared on half of the city gate.
Another arrow!
boom--
The city gate collapsed with a loud bang.
"The gates are open!"
"rush!"
"Go in!"
"..."
Just two quarters of an hour later, the Regent and the Black Armored Guards entered the city and took control of the entire situation in the shortest possible time. The injured commander and soldiers all squatted on the ground, dropped their weapons, and surrendered honestly.
The Regent did not kill the prisoners. He wanted to reach the imperial capital as quickly as possible and had no time to waste on these unimportant matters.
Those who surrender will all have a chance to survive.
"We... descend."
"Thank you, Regent, for not killing me!"
"We surrender..."
Chu Li squatted on the ground, holding his head in his hands, and shouted along with the voices around him:
"Surrender, we surrender."
When Chu Dichi was about to spur his horse to pass, he suddenly pulled the saddle tighter. Among the many messy sounds, he seemed to hear a voice that was enough to penetrate his soul and was familiar to his bones.
His eagle-like eyes immediately turned to look.
Chu Li's back stiffened, and he immediately fell silent and lowered his head.
A large group of soldiers, all wearing the same uniform, squatted on the ground with their heads in their hands. They were crowded together like a group of densely packed ants.
But when the man's cold eyes swept over, he accurately stared at a thin and frail figure.
"you,"
Holding the whip in his hand, he pointed, "Lift your head."
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