Chapter 128 Chapter 128
Xu Duanyi originally thought that the days after Xie Qingya's departure would be difficult, but in fact they were not so bad.
After Xie Qingya left, she still had a lot of things to do.
The line that was originally opened with Yutian has already started formal operation.
The Tzu Chi Hall has taken over the operation of Yutian's famous but unsalable products.
After learning about this, several other counties followed suit and sent a lot of things.
I hope Tzu Chi Hall can help them.
These matters are tedious and complicated, so Xu Duanyi naturally has something to do.
Moreover, Xie Qingya is now on the battlefield again, and supplies have to be collected.
Although Mei Xuezheng is now in the Ministry of Revenue.
He is in charge of the supplies at the border, and all the people sent there are his trusted confidants, so there is no need to worry about any mistakes.
However, Xu Duanyi still sent Tzu Chi Tang to run the operation and raised a lot of supplies.
Especially cotton-padded clothes, shoes and socks, these close-fitting items.
It is still cold today, especially in Jizhou, which is extremely cold.
If you don't dress warmly enough, you won't be able to hold out for long on the battlefield.
The Tzu Chi Hall employs a group of embroiderers.
These embroiderers were all homeless women of varying ages, some very old, some very young, but all very hardworking and capable.
Xu Duanyi then gave them the task of making cotton-padded clothes and socks.
In addition to them, the royal palace, under the leadership of Aunt Deng, also started making cotton-padded clothes and socks. Under the instructions of Empress Xiao, the needlework bureau and palace maids also helped in the palace.
The days passed like this.
Xu Duanyi returned to the way she was when Yutian got into trouble.
Go out early and come back late every day.
Whenever he had time, he would go to the palace to visit Empress Dowager Zhaoyu.
Only at night, when she was sleeping alone on the bed in Linfeng Pavilion, would she uncontrollably think of Xie Qingya.
Hope he can come back soon.
She misses him very much.
The person who had the greatest objection to Xie Qingya's expedition was Empress Dowager Zhaoyu.
Seeing that Xu Duanyi had become visibly thinner after he left, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's prejudice against him naturally grew.
But everyone has left.
No matter how angry you are, it's useless.
It was late January when Xie Qingya left.
At the end of February, Liu Zhao finally arrived in the capital.
Many old officials in the capital knew the son of Prince Xin. When they saw his face which was very similar to that of the late Prince Xin, they no longer had any doubts.
Early March.
With the witness of all the officials, Liu Xie granted Liu Zhao the title and fiefdom that belonged to his father.
Liu Xie was indeed a little angry, worried and scared when he first found out, but he was about the same age as Liu Zhao.
Among the brothers in the past, they were the best friends.
His biological mother was of low status, and he was the least outstanding among his brothers. Apart from his brother the crown prince and his cousin, Liu Zhao was the best to him.
Whenever something good comes, I think of him.
Now looking at this familiar face, the anger and worry in his heart were naturally replaced by the affection from the old days.
He planned to leave Zhao'er in the capital for the time being.
As for where he will go in the future, let's wait until my cousin comes back.
Now, there are only three brothers left in the world. No matter where Zhao'er will go in the future, he hopes that the three brothers can at least have a good meal together.
What's more, no one knew where Cao Da was hiding, and he was also afraid that Cao Da would attack Zhao'er.
Therefore, we dare not let people leave at will.
Early March.
The battle report from the border showed that the situation had turned from dangerous to safe, with a potential for a major defeat of the enemy.
Naturally, everyone in the court was very happy.
Liu Xie was also happy.
That day, Liu Xie drank two more glasses of wine in the company of Liu Zhao.
Now that Xiao Xinyi is getting older and spring has arrived, the symptoms of pregnancy are starting to appear and she is starting to become a little sleepy.
Liu Xie was afraid that this would become too much and would cause people to have trouble sleeping.
He planned to take a nap in the Huangji Palace, where he often slept in the past.
I didn't let the little nobleman accompany me.
Liu Xie rested in the inner hall himself and left Long Yi to guard it.
Regarding this point——
The little nobleman didn't think much about it.
While half asleep and half awake, Liu Xie suddenly heard a few "dong dong" sounds. At first, Liu Xie thought he was dreaming, but this situation continued for a while.
Thinking of something, Liu Xie suddenly woke up.
He sat up quickly.
At this time, Long Yi also appeared beside his bed.
"His Majesty."
He lowered his voice and said to him: "Secret room."
Liu Xie, who was drunk and sleepy at the moment, was awakened by this commotion.
As early as when Long Yi opened his mouth.
His gaze had already fallen in the direction of the secret room.
Without saying anything, he winked at Long Yi, then stood up and walked towards the secret room.
He asked Long Yi to stay outside and try to catch Cao Da in the jar. It would be best if he could get the booklet and related evidence directly from Cao Da.
In this way he could kill Cao Da directly.
To prevent future troubles.
If not, at least he could give Cao Da a warning! So that he wouldn't always think that he was easy to control and bully, and that he could come and go as he pleased.
But when he opened the secret room, there was no one inside.
There was only a note, quietly placed on it.
——Tomorrow, I will give Your Majesty a great gift.
Liu Xie looked at the note with an unreadable expression. He had no idea what this so-called gift from Cao Da was.
But based on Liu Xie's understanding of him over the years, he could only be wary of this person.
"He shouldn't have gone far. I'll go after him now." Long Yi said as he was about to open the secret passage and go in, but was stopped by Liu Xie.
Not knowing what was inside the secret passage, he couldn't let Long Yi take such a risk.
Long Yi is the only person around him who he can trust wholeheartedly and who can protect him.
If something happened to Long Yi, he would be truly isolated and helpless.
Cao Da will definitely show up again, there's no need to risk chasing him.
That night, Liu Xie tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. He really couldn't guess what Cao Da's so-called gift was.
Xiao Xinyi asked him what was wrong.
He just buried his face in her bulging belly and remained silent.
Until the next day.
He finally knew about this so-called great gift.
After the news that Liu Zhao was still alive came out, a rumor began to spread in the capital.
——The late emperor was killed by Empress Dowager Zhaoyu.
Early in the morning of that day, someone beat the drum to file a complaint against Empress Dowager Zhaoyu.
The man claimed to be the grandson of Dr. Lu and said that he found a letter of confession written many years ago in his grandfather's house.
In the letter of apology, this doctor Lu stated that he was once the imperial physician appointed by the late emperor, but was threatened by the Empress Dowager Zhaoyu, who was the empress at the time, and had no choice but to give the late emperor a chronic poison.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was powerful.
He was afraid of bringing harm to his family, so he had no choice but to agree.
But he couldn't live with it, so he wrote a letter of repentance and eventually died in depression.
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole court was in uproar.
Unfortunately, because the person involved in this matter was the omnipotent empress dowager of Shoukang Palace, no one knew how to deal with the matter.
But there was a lot of discussion about this in the city.
Especially some scholars and students, they all called for a thorough investigation of the matter.
By the time Xu Duanyi learned about this, the news had already reached the palace.
By the time she arrived hurriedly at Shoukang Palace, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu had already lost her temper.
Dan Feng saw her coming.
As if he had seen a savior, he hurried towards Xu Duanyi.
"How is your aunt?"
Xu Duanyi took a look inside first, then asked her in a low voice.
Dan Feng shook his head at her, looking bitter.
Xu Duanyi didn't ask any more questions and went in first.
As soon as she entered, a vase flew towards her, but fortunately she dodged it in time.
Dan Feng also spoke up immediately: "Queen Mother, His Highness is here."
Only then did Empress Dowager Zhaoyu look towards the door.
When she saw Xu Duanyi and her relieved look as she looked at the vase at her feet, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's face changed slightly. She scolded Dan Feng for not reporting it in time, and walked towards Xu Duanyi quickly, asking worriedly, "Are you okay? Did it hit you just now?"
Xu Duanyi was indeed shocked.
But it's not that serious yet.
Seeing her aunt's nervous face, she smiled and shook her head: "Aunt, I'm fine."
When Empress Dowager Zhaoyu saw that she was indeed fine, she said to her with a sullen face, "What are you doing here during this troubled time?"
"Didn't I just send a letter to you and your cousin, asking you not to come?"
At this moment, the more you get involved with her, the more dangerous it is. This book is exclusively compiled by the LK team for you. She doesn't want Zhao Zhao to get into trouble because of her.
How could Xu Duanyi not know? But how could she not come? When she heard about this rumor when she went out today, she immediately couldn't hold back and hurried into the palace first.
"Is that person really a member of the Lu family?"
After Xu Duanyi helped Empress Dowager Zhaoyu sit down again, he took the tea handed to him by Yingxue, placed it next to his aunt, and then asked.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu had a gloomy face and said nothing.
Dan Feng answered her question: "...I have seen it before, it is true."
Xu Duanyi fell silent.
She actually knew that the late emperor's death was not clean.
My aunt hated the late emperor so much.
How is it possible that nothing has been done?
Even this is known to many people.
But knowing about this kind of thing is one thing, and spreading it is another.
"What confession? With Lu Zhaohe's greedy, cowardly, and profit-seeking personality, could he write such a confession? And he died in depression? And what do you mean by I threatened him? It was Cao Da who contacted him and did it!"
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu said sullenly, "If I had known this would happen, I should have dealt with all of their family members, so that they wouldn't cause me trouble now!"
She was furious.
I can't control my emotions.
Although Xu Duanyi knew that all of these people were her aunt's confidants, she still reminded her in a low voice: "Aunt..."
When Empress Dowager Zhaoyu heard her voice, she managed to suppress her emotions.
She frowned and said nothing for a while.
Dan Feng stood aside and asked worriedly, "Your Highness, what should we do now?"
Xu Duanyi is on the way.
Although I was anxious, I didn't do nothing.
The more anxious you are, the calmer you should be.
She said, "When I first entered the palace, I asked Shi Yu to contact Shen Yu. He is from the Dali Temple and has nothing to do with us, so he is the most suitable person to take charge of this matter."
"Whether this is true or not, unless there is solid evidence, a confession of guilt, whose authenticity is unknown, will not be enough."
She knew her aunt's methods.
Even if she really did something, she would never leave any hidden dangers for herself.
She also told Dan Feng, "Aunt, have someone contact my cousin and uncle and tell them not to send anyone to get close to the Lu family's son."
"We must not let anyone find any evidence against my aunt now."
At this time, Xu Duanyi's words were obviously very useful. She soothed the worries of Dan Feng and others to a certain extent.
This time, Dan Feng didn't even ask Empress Dowager Zhaoyu. He just agreed directly and hurried out to give the order.
The anger in Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's heart was gradually calmed down by Xu Duanyi's instructions.
She looked at Xu Duanyi.
For a moment, it was as if I saw Xiao Yuan through her.
She thought of the many times when A-Yuan stood in front of her.
Obviously, between the two sisters, Yuan is the weaker and more timid one, but whenever something happens, she will always stand in front of her without hesitation.
But Ayuan's steps are more lonely and brave, he is ready to risk his own life.
Zhao Zhao, on the other hand, is more rational and thoughtful.
Seeing Zhao Zhao still frowning in thought, it seemed that he was afraid that something was wrong.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's heart suddenly softened, and she reached out and held her hand.
Unconsciously, her Zhao Zhao has really grown up.
She has grown into an independent and even protective person.
She is no longer the little girl who needs her protection.
Xu Duanyi was still in deep thought.
Suddenly my aunt held my hand and I looked at her in surprise.
Wait until you see the tenderness in your aunt's eyes.
A tender feeling flashed through Xu Duanyi's heart.
She held her aunt's hand, squatted in front of her, looked up and said to her: "Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu raised her hand and rubbed Xu Duanyi's head. She was no longer as angry as before.
Just when he was about to speak, he saw Dan Feng suddenly running in with a pale face.
Hearing the noise coming from behind, Xu Duanyi and Empress Dowager Zhaoyu looked at the person at the same time. When they saw Dan Feng's face, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's expression darkened.
Xu Duanyi's heart sank first.
She stood up.
Before she could ask, she heard Dan Fengxian's pale face reply: "Lu Neng was forcibly taken away by my uncle's people and died at the city gate. Many people saw it."
"The two guards who killed him, when they were trying to escape, they said..." She hesitated and dared not say it.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu looked sullen and asked in a deep voice, "What did you say?"
Seeing that Dan Feng was still hesitant and didn't dare to speak out, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu frowned and scolded again: "Hurry up and say it!"
Dan Feng had no choice but to reply: "They said they were loyal..."
"What?"
Now, even Xu Duanyi's expression changed completely.
The hall was extremely quiet for a while.
At this time, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu calmed down.
She was silent for a moment, then suddenly sneered, "This hand is really long enough to even dare to touch my people."
"But I want to know why he did this? Was it just to vent his anger? Revenge?"
No one answered.
No one can answer this question.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu did not need anyone to answer. She sneered coldly, "Go, open the door of Shoukang Palace. I want to see what they dare to do to me!"
"What can they do to me?"
"The Queen Mother..."
Before Dan Feng could say anything to persuade them, Empress Dowager Zhao Yu shouted coldly, "Go!"
Dan Feng didn't dare to disobey, but he also didn't dare to actually do it.
When she went out just now, the outside was in complete chaos.
There are all kinds of opinions.
Even those who originally spoke for the Queen Mother kept their mouths shut and dared not say more.
She was at a loss for a moment and could only look at Xu Duanyi.
Xu Duanyi's face also looked very ugly.
She didn't expect that they were still a step too late, but she didn't lose her composure.
Soon she calmed down and said to Dan Feng, "You pack the things for your aunt, I will go to see His Majesty."
Dan Feng was confused at the moment, so naturally he listened to her.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu frowned and asked, "What are you packing for?"
Xu Duanyi looked at her and said, "I'll take you to live in Huang'en Temple for a while."
"What?"
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was stunned.
After realizing it, she immediately frowned: "Why would I go there without any reason? Do you want me to leave the palace in the name of atonement?"
Having said this, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's face had completely darkened.
Before Xu Duanyi could say anything, she said angrily with a cold face: "How can I atone for my sins?"
"He and that bastard killed my son and wanted to kill me. How can I atone for their sins?"
Seeing that his aunt's emotions were beginning to collapse violently again, Xu Duanyi squatted in front of her, holding her hand while looking up and comforting her: "Aunt, I'm not asking you to atone for your sins."
"Calm down and think about what this person behind the scenes wants to do."
Facing his aunt's gaze, Xu Duanyi did not wait for anyone to say anything, and continued with what he had said before, saying, "He knows that this little evidence will not allow you to do anything. Apart from simply hating you and weakening the power of the Xiao family, I guess if he really wants to do something to you, someone will suggest that you pray for blessings and atonement soon."
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu glared and said, "How dare they!"
Xu Duanyi still looked at her calmly and said, "If one thing doesn't work, then do two things. If this thing doesn't work, then come up with something else."
"The enemy is in the dark while I am in the light. In the future, no matter where a natural disaster or man-made disaster occurs, they will be able to blame it on you."
"It can even give rise to a lot of prophecies."
"When there is a lot of discussion, everyone will change their tune and attitude, and will force you to do this."
“Unless you really don’t care.”
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Xu Duanyi knew that she had already understood in her heart, so he continued to talk to others: "Instead of letting them speak in the end and not knowing what will be waiting for us at that time, it is better for us to take the lead and catch them off guard first."
"aunt--"
"The abbot of Huang'en Temple has a very good relationship with the prince. Before the prince left, he also told me that if there is anything in the city, I should take people to Huang'en Temple for temporary stay."
"I'll accompany you."
The anger on Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's face finally faded away a little after her words.
She pursed her lips in silence.
Under Xu Duanyi's gaze, Empress Dowager Zhaoyu finally nodded.
Xu Duanyi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her give in.
Time was of the essence and she was afraid of any further accidents, so she did not delay any further. She only gave Yingxue and Danfeng a few instructions, asking them to prepare things quickly, and then she left for Huangji Palace immediately.
At this time, this matter was also being discussed in the Huangji Palace.
There was a lot of discussion among the people, but Liu Xie, who was sitting high on the throne, never expressed his opinion.
He didn't expect that the great gift Cao Da was talking about was actually this.
Confused, surprised...
There was also some faint excitement gathering in Liu Xie's heart.
But after being excited, he couldn't help but feel a little worried. If his mother knew that he had contact with Cao Da, wouldn't she think that he had asked someone to do this?
The Queen Mother didn't like him in the first place.
If he knew this, he would probably hate him even more and might do something to him...
Liu Xie couldn't help but feel a little scared again.
Liu Xie's fear of Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was too deep, and this fear that was deep in his bones could not be offset by holding power now.
Deep down, he is still the child who is afraid of Empress Dowager Zhaoyu.
But there was another idea that was constantly active in his mind.
If this time, my mother will really be implicated because of this matter...
Would that mean there would be one less person to supervise him from now on? Would that mean he could finally give his biological mother the status she deserved?
He didn't need anything to really happen to his mother, as long as she didn't have the qualifications to do anything in the future.
Thinking like this.
Liu Xie's heart couldn't help but become excited again.
Although he knew it was wrong, Liu Xie still felt sincerely that the gift Cao Da gave him was very much to his liking.
It can even be called a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
It would be better if he didn't have to deal with these things.
Otherwise there are always hidden dangers.
He can't afford the consequences.
He also didn't want to be blamed by his cousin.
"Your Majesty, what do you think we should do?" Someone came to ask for his opinion again.
How could Liu Xie answer this question?
If he really makes the decision on this matter, he will not be able to get through to his cousin and sister Yi regardless of whether the queen mother gets into trouble or not.
He looked down.
Finally, he threw the matter to Sun Hongde: "Mr. Sun, what do you think we should do about this?"
Sun Hongde secretly groaned in his heart.
As it was about the person in Shoukang Palace, he did not dare to speak rashly, so he could only ask the person beside him: "What does the Grand Master think?"
Qu Boyuan glanced at him and knew that the old man was afraid to answer, so he deliberately let him open the mouth. There was nothing he couldn't answer.
Just when I was about to speak.
There was a sudden commotion outside, which stopped him from talking.
Then, a eunuch hurried in and said, "Your Majesty, the eldest princess is here."
For a while.
The court was in an uproar, and Liu Xie was also slightly stunned.
Guessing why Sister Yi came, Liu Xie's hands on his legs clenched unconsciously.
There was also a lot of discussion below.
Some people felt that this was the morning court hall and Xu Duanyi should not have come here, as it was inappropriate.
Some people also think that Xu Duanyi is not someone who doesn't know the rules. She came here in a hurry, so she must have something to say.
Finally, the topic was thrown back to Qu Boyuan, asking for his opinion.
This time Qu Boyuan responded quickly: "The princess was also my student before, and she is very polite. She must have important business to come here. Your Majesty should let her in and ask what's going on first."
He said so.
No matter how reluctant Liu Xie was, he had no choice but to let people in.
When Xu Duanyi walked through the officials and arrived in front of the palace, she wanted to greet Liu Xie, but Liu Xie hurriedly said to others, "Sister, there is no need to be polite. Just stand and talk."
Xu Duanyi thanked many people.
But he still bowed and saluted, then stood up and replied, "I'm here for Luneng's matter."
"But does mother have anything to say to my sister?" Liu Xie asked in a gentle voice, not daring to show any unnecessary expression.
"The Queen Mother was very angry when she learned that Lu Neng had died outside the palace gates."
"In the great Xia, under the Emperor's feet, there are actually thugs who dare to kill people in public."
After Xu Duanyi paused for a moment, he suddenly changed the subject and said, "But Your Majesty, I also have doubts in my heart."
"Those two men may have used the title of the Duke of Protector of the Country, but I want to ask Your Majesty and the ministers, if the Queen Mother really wanted to kill someone and silence them, why would she use the title of the Duke of Protector of the Country and do it directly at the palace gate, in front of all the soldiers and civilians?"
"Isn't this a little too blatant?"
"Do you ministers really think that the Queen Mother did this?"
Although everyone present had witnessed Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's abilities, it was impossible for them to, and they dared not, say in front of Xu Duanyi that Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was such a courageous person.
Besides, this matter is indeed a bit too ostentatious.
Although it suits that person's personality.
But it would be too stupid to act this way, and it is indeed not in line with that person's style.
"Do you think someone is framing the Queen Mother?" Qu Boyuan asked her.
"teacher."
Xu Duanyi first leaned over and greeted the man, then continued his words, "I am just a little woman in the inner house, I don't understand these things, these things still need the adults to take the trouble to find out."
"I came here today just to express my confusion to you gentlemen."
"Whether this letter of apology was written by Doctor Lu or not is unknown at this time. The timing is too coincidental. Why did this letter of apology come out just as the war broke out at the border? It happened neither too early nor too late, but right now when our Great Xia is facing foreign invasion."
Xu Duanyi did not keep explaining that it was impossible for her aunt to do these things.
Such words will not work in front of these ministers.
She directly linked this matter to state affairs and the safety of Daxia.
She did not look at the ministers' reactions, but continued to lower her eyes and said, "Since last year, incidents have occurred in Yutian and Liaodong, and a border war broke out before the New Year. Now there are people with no reason, spreading rumors for no reason."
"I don't know what this man wants to do, but the country has only been stable for a short time, and the border war has not ended yet. The capital cannot be in chaos again."
When Qu Boyuan heard the last sentence, his expression changed slightly.
nice.
The war is not over yet, the capital cannot be in chaos anymore, otherwise there will be external and internal troubles, and something bad will happen sooner or later!
"His Majesty."
He took the initiative to bow to Liu Xie and said, "I think what the princess said makes sense."
The ministers from the Xiao family naturally followed suit.
Seeing this scene, the other ministers followed suit.
Liu Xie's hands, which were not visible to anyone, clenched tightly again at some point, but it only lasted for a moment before he loosened them and said, "I know that my mother has been wronged this time. I will have someone investigate the matter immediately and give my mother justice and innocence."
Xu Duanyi breathed a sigh of relief.
She did not show it on her face, but continued to talk to Liu Xie: "I came here today to discuss something with Your Majesty. The Queen Mother cares about the country, and in order to stabilize the people's hearts, she plans to go to the Huang'en Temple to worship Buddha and pray for a while."
"I will go with you then."
People were very surprised by these words.
It seemed that no one had expected that person to be willing to humble himself and take the initiative to go out and pray for blessings.
Liu Xie naturally didn't say anything about this. He was relieved that his mother was not in the palace, so he said to others, "Then Sister Lao Yi should take good care of our mother."
He hid his regret and sorrow in his heart, and said to others in a gentle voice: "When things here are over, I will go to Huang'en Temple in person to bring my mother back."
Xu Duanyi answered softly.
She actually wanted to say a few words to His Majesty, but now was not a good time, so she could only bow and leave.
Wait outside the palace.
Xu Duanyi immediately walked towards Shoukang Palace.
As soon as I got there, I saw Xiao Xinyi coming out.
When the two met, Xiao Xinyi asked the palace maids to leave first, and then said to Xu Duanyi: "I heard from my mother, does His Majesty agree?"
Xu Duanyi looked at her and nodded.
Xiao Xinyi is now more than five months pregnant and her belly has bulged a lot.
"My aunt and I don't know when we can return to the palace. The Queen is in the palace, so please be careful about everything. The same goes for His Majesty." Xu Duanyi and Xiao Xinyi said.
That’s all.
She lowered her voice and said to the others, "Qiao Zhong from the Needlework Bureau and I have some connections. If there is anything, Your Majesty can send someone to ask him to tell me."
Xiao Xinyi glanced at her and nodded.
Xu Duanyi still had a lot of things to do and couldn't wait much longer, so after giving the instructions, he called for someone to come and help Xiao Xinyi and prepared to leave first.
"cousin--"
Xu Duanyi was about to leave when a voice suddenly came from behind him.
This was the first time that Xiao Xinyi called her like this. Xu Duanyi turned around in surprise.
Xiao Xinyi looked at her and said word by word: "Be careful in everything."
Xu Duanyi couldn't help but laugh.
She responded softly, said goodbye to Xiao Xinyi, and then turned and left.
Xiao Xinyi looked in the direction she left, but she didn't leave until the palace maid beside her called her, and then Xiao Xinyi withdrew her gaze.
She is still as quiet as ever.
But today.
She was noticeably quieter than usual.
She thought of His Majesty tossing and turning, unable to sleep yesterday.
It was as if I knew early on that something was going to happen.
And behind her and in the palace, there suddenly appeared more palace maids and guards...
Was it Your Majesty who did what happened today?
Xiao Xinyi didn't know.
She just knew.
This matter must not be known to others.
But she also doesn't want His Majesty to do these things again...
…
That day.
Xu Duanyi took Empress Dowager Zhaoyu out of the palace.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu initially did not want her to accompany her, but Xu Duanyi insisted and insisted on going with her.
Before leaving, she went to the palace to pick up Changning and Ping'an, brother and sister, and planned to let them stay in Huang'en Temple for a while to prevent anything from happening to them.
Cao Da even reached out his hand to his aunt.
Who knows if he will take away Changning and Ping'an?
As for Zhao'er.
As he is now a prince, his status is sensitive, so Xu Duanyi naturally cannot take him away casually. However, he also wrote a letter to someone and passed the message to Mei Xuezheng, asking them to take good care of him.
Fortunately, nothing happened on the way.
After that, there was no more chaos in the city for a while.
But who exactly was Lu Neng being instructed by, and who exactly did the two traitors turn to, and who did they benefit from...
No one has yet found out about this.
Duke Huguo Xiao Changbao, Xu Duanyi's uncle, was also implicated in the incident. Although he still held his official position, he had to stay at home for a month to reflect on his mistakes.
Fortunately, it did not involve Xiao Yuanxing.
But the Xiao family, from top to bottom, has obviously become much more cautious recently. Even Chang is not as flamboyant as before.
Early April.
Good news finally came to the capital.
The battle was a great victory. The troops led by Xie Qingya not only defeated the Northern Yuan Khan, but also captured more than 30,000 people, including thousands of royal family members and the families of their ministers, as well as countless cattle, sheep and supplies. It was considered a great victory.
This book is compiled exclusively for you by the LK team. The capital city is naturally filled with joy because of this incident.
Liu Xie was also very happy.
He was naturally happy that his cousin was not only fine but also came back victorious.
Although Xu Duanyi was in Huang'en Temple, he was the first to know the news.
When Xu Duanyi learned about this, he was naturally very happy.
Xu Duanyi was even happier thinking that Qingya would be back soon.
When she arrived at Huang'en Temple, she sent a letter to Xie Qingya first. She didn't want to disturb him at first, fearing that he would be worried outside, but she was even more afraid that "someone with ulterior motives" would deliberately exaggerate and make Qingya even more worried.
So Xu Duanyi finally wrote a letter to the person personally.
I want him not to worry.
Now that I think about it, he should have received it.
The dark clouds overhead were finally cleared up by the news brought back by Shi Yu.
Xu Duanyi was very happy and planned to tell Ping'an and Changning about it, so that they wouldn't keep worrying about Qingya's safety.
It has been half a month since they arrived at Huang'en Temple.
After the initial discomfort, my aunt has now gradually adapted.
Ping'an and Changning were easy-going people, except that they were a little afraid of their aunt and were very cautious in the beginning.
After getting familiar with it, I became much more comfortable with it.
Now Changning spends more time with his aunt than she does.
Ping An, under the guidance of Uncle Guo, began to practice martial arts and exercise every day.
Since my aunt came to Huang'en Temple, Uncle Guo would come over every day to bring news from Beijing and some matters in Tzu Chi Hall that required her to make decisions.
However, Uncle Guo didn't know about today's news.
It rained heavily yesterday, so he stayed overnight in Huang'en Temple.
When Xu Duanyi went out, his aunt was basking in the sun in the yard accompanied by Changning, while Ping'an was standing aside, being taught boxing by Uncle Guo.
What a beautiful picture.
Xu Duanyi looked at them and couldn't help but smile when he thought of Qingya who would be back soon.
She walked towards them, smiling.
…
At this time, Jizhou camp.
At dusk, Xie Qingya finally returned to the camp with his personal soldiers.
Changfeng greeted them outside.
After the victory, there were still follow-up matters that needed to be dealt with, so Xie Qingya stayed behind to finish the work and let Changfeng and the others return to the camp to rest first.
This will finally come back.
Xie Qingya threw the sword in his hand to Changfeng, took off his armor and dismounted.
The other officers and soldiers greeted him when they saw him.
Xie Qingya nodded one by one.
On the way, Xie Qingya said nothing. After entering the tent, he drank a jug of water and asked in a hoarse voice, "How is the capital?"
I thought it was the news brought by the guards at home, but unexpectedly Changfeng said: "The princess wrote to you."
When Xie Qingya heard this, he immediately frowned.
He didn't ask any more questions. He just took the letter from Changfeng and started reading it immediately.
Changfeng had received a letter from home in advance and knew what was going on in the city, but he didn't know what the princess had written. Fearing that the prince would be worried, he first told others, "Furong and the others are here, saying that the princess, Sanlang, and the girl are all fine."
After Xie Qingya read the letter.
The heart that was hanging in the balance before finally settled down again.
Relieved.
He hummed and said it was okay.
As he spoke, he put away Xu Duanyi's letter carefully again, and then asked in a calm voice, "Where is Lou Gaohan?"
Changfeng did not dare to hide it: "Some time ago, his injury has healed. He has been busy arranging matters with the Tartars. He asked about you this morning. When he learned that you were coming back today, he said he wanted to see you."
Xie Qingya did not comment on this statement.
When he first came to the camp, he met Lou Gaohan, who was indeed seriously injured. He was lying on the bed and looked like he was almost half dead.
I don't know how he got this injury.
Xie Qingya didn't care about him at the time. He just said hello, then quickly gathered people and went to the battlefield first.
Now I can finally meet him properly.
Just as he was about to call Changfeng to bring the person over, unexpectedly, an uninvited guest arrived first.
"My Lord."
Lingji's voice came from outside the tent: "Chai Shou is here!"
Hearing this long-lost name out of the blue, Xie Qingya thought he had heard it wrongly. He looked at Changfeng and found that there was surprise in his eyes as well.
Xie Qingya then realized that he had heard correctly.
Although he was surprised, Xie Qingya still hurriedly let the person in.
Someone lifted the tent and came in.
Xie Qingya looked past Lingji who was leading the group and his eyes fell directly on Chai Shou.
Haven't seen you for months.
It was visibly that Chai Shou looked much thinner and more haggard.
"My Lord."
He greeted Xie Qingya in a hoarse voice.
Xie Qingya raised an eyebrow and looked at him, both because of his current appearance and because he had come from so far away.
No greetings.
Xie Qingya personally poured a cup of tea for the guests.
Chai Shou glanced at him and said nothing. Xie Qingya also said nothing.
After Chai Shou thanked him and took it, he did not exchange pleasantries with the person, but looked at him and asked, "What's going on?"
Chai Shou was indeed thirsty.
After trekking for many days, he did not dare to stop, but the bowl of tea handed to him by Xie Qingya was hard for him to swallow.
The situation is obviously urgent.
At this time, he held the teacup and drank slowly.
After a while, he looked at Xie Qingya and said, "I know where Cao Da is."
When these words were spoken, not only Xie Qingya was surprised, but Changfeng and Lingji also widened their eyes.
The two were about to talk.
The curtain outside was suddenly lifted up with great force.
Xie Qingya looked in the direction of the sound.
Seeing that the person who appeared outside the tent was actually Lou Gaohan, he couldn't help but frown.
At this time, Lou Gaohan did not notice the change in Xie Qingya's expression. He was looking at him with a sudden change of expression and shouted in shock: "Qingya, be careful!"
Xie Qingya seemed to have some feelings.
Sure enough, I noticed something flash before my eyes.
Almost at the moment when Chai Shou stabbed over, Xie Qingya dodged to the side. At the same time, Lingji and Changfeng reacted and rushed forward to take the man down.
"Mr. Chai, what are you doing?"
After Lingji took down Chai Shou, he asked angrily.
He had some good feelings towards Chai Shou because of their previous encounter, so when he saw Chai Shou outside the tent just now and knew that he wanted to see the prince, he immediately brought his people over.
I didn't expect that this person was here to assassinate the prince!
Lingji was so angry that he raised his fist high, his eyes red, and wanted to hit someone.
He was stopped by Xie Qingya.
"stop."
"My Lord!"
Lingji looks at him.
Xie Qingya glanced at him, and waited until the other person shut up before ordering, "Take the man into custody first." As he spoke, he looked towards Lou Gaohan.
Seeing the obvious relief on Lou Gaohan's face, as if he was relieved and not pretending, Xie Qingya's eyes darkened slightly, but his face did not show any expression.
He is no longer the impulsive Xie Jiajilang.
"Uncle Lou."
He took the initiative to walk over and greeted the man: "Thank you Uncle Lu for reminding me just now. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to dodge just now."
Lou Gaohan looked at him and was about to speak.
Then Xie Qingya asked again: "But how did Uncle Lou know that he wanted to hurt me?"
The expression on Lou Gaohan's face suddenly froze.
But after a short while, he returned to his normal expression and replied, "When I came in just now, I saw that his hands were not moving properly, and I remembered that he used to be Cao Da's man, so I became more alert."
Xie Qingya nodded without any doubt: "So that's how it is."
"I don't know why this person wants to hurt me. Uncle Lu can stay and interrogate him with me?"
Lou Gaohan shook his head and refused: "I have other things to deal with."
As such, Xie Qingya had no intention of keeping him any longer, and simply bowed and said, "Then when Uncle Lou is done with his work, we can talk about the past together."
After hearing what he said, Lou Gaohan's expression softened again.
He smiled and said yes.
She wanted to pat his shoulder as she did before, but looking at the familiar face in front of her, Lou Gaohan didn't raise his hand in the end.
"Then I'll go out first, you——"
He glanced at Chai Shou and said, "Be careful."
Xie Qingya nodded to the others.
After Lou Gaohan said goodbye, Xie Qingya watched him leave but did not go in immediately.
He stood where Lou Gaohan had stood before and called out Changfeng.
Changfeng understood and immediately stood where Chai Shou had stood before, trying to repeat Chai Shou's previous actions.
When he heard footsteps behind him, Changfeng turned around and asked him, "Prince, how is it?"
Xie Qingya shook his head at him.
Changfeng knew that Lou Gaohan had just lied.
It was not surprising that he lied, but why did he suddenly rush over to remind the prince?
Aren’t he and Cao Da in the same group?
Not only Changfeng didn't understand, Xie Qingya didn't understand either. However, he didn't say anything at this time, but looked at Chai Shou.
Chai Shou was tied up at this time and was watched by Lingji, not moving a single muscle.
Looks like a walking corpse.
Seeing him looking over, Lingji immediately said angrily: "My Lord, what should we do with this man?"
Xie Qingya said calmly: "Let go."
When he said this, not only did Ling Ji's eyes widen, but even Chai Shou, who had been silent since being tied up, raised his head in disbelief.
"My Lord!"
Lingji still looked incredulous.
"This man almost killed you!" he shouted.
"You can shout louder." Xie Qingya glanced at him lightly and walked towards the two of them.
In his hand was the dagger that Chai Shou had intended to use to kill him, but now he was using it to free Chai Shou from his restraints.
"Commander Chai is very good at using hidden weapons. If he really wanted to kill me, you wouldn't have had time to react just now."
The rope has fallen to the ground.
Xie Qingya looked at Chai Shou and asked, "Tell me, what did Cao Da do to your family?"
When Chai Shou heard this, he was even more shocked: "How did you know..."
Xie Qingya threw the dagger in his hand back to him.
Although Lingji was shocked by what the prince had just said, he subconsciously wanted to go over when he saw this scene, fearing that Chai Shou would use the same trick again. In the end, he was looked at by Xie Qingya, so he had to stop and stand aside anxiously.
"If you really wanted to kill me, you wouldn't have looked dead just now."
Xie Qingya said, and glanced at him again: "The poison in your body has been cured. Cao Da doesn't have much to threaten you."
After listening to this, Chai Shou was speechless for a long time.
After a long while, he lowered his head, covered his face with his hands, and said in a dejected voice: "Cao Da knew that I betrayed him, so he captured my wife and daughter and threatened me to exchange your life for theirs."
Although I had guessed it beforehand.
But seeing how decadent he looked at this moment, Xie Qingya also fell silent.
Chai Shou usually only considers profit in everything he does, but such a person also has a beautiful pure land in his heart.
He raised his hand and patted Chai Shou on the shoulder: "Got it, I'll help you."
When Chai Shou heard this, he looked puzzled.
Cao Da wants to kill him, how can he help him?
Xie Qingya did not explain anything to him at this time.
That night, Xie Qingya invited Lou Gaohan to his tent for dinner as scheduled.
As soon as Lou Gaohan came in, he asked, "Where is the person who just hurt you?"
While pouring wine for the people, Xie Qingya said, "Let them keep him in custody first. We plan to bring him back to the capital and let His Majesty deal with him when the time comes."
After listening to it, Lou Gaohan didn't say anything, but just told people to be careful.
I originally wanted to say a few more words, but was afraid that I would make more mistakes.
That night, the two drank and talked in a very harmonious atmosphere, until the moon rose above the willows and they were both a little drunk, then Lou Gaohan stood up and said goodbye.
"Changfeng, you, you take Uncle Lou out."
Xie Qingya was drunk and spoke to Changfeng in a slurred voice.
Changfeng was about to answer yes and go to help Lou Gaohan, but Lou Gaohan waved his hand and said, "No, no, I can go by myself. You take care of Qingya."
Lou Gaohan said this and staggered out.
But Lou Gaohan was not actually drunk. He had a good alcohol tolerance and got drunk on purpose. Firstly, he couldn't face Xie Qingya, and secondly, he wanted to see if Qingya had any doubts about him.
But looking at it tonight, it seems not.
It seems that Qingya really believed that those things were done by Ding Xiu.
Thinking of Ding Xiu...
Lou Gaohan's heart sank again.
If Ding Xiu had not discovered something wrong that day, he would not have taken action against him.
One wrong step leads to all wrong.
He just hopes that some things can end here.
Once the matter in Jizhou is over, he will go and deal with Cao Da, and then he can finally rest assured.
Lou Gaohan thought as he continued walking forward.
It was already late at night, and there were only patrolling soldiers in the tent.
Just when he was about to reach his own tent, Lou Gaohan suddenly felt a murderous intent coming towards him.
People who have fought on the battlefield are naturally extremely sensitive to such things.
He turned around almost immediately.
Seeing three short arrows coming towards him with a gust of wind, Lou Gaohan's face changed drastically, thinking that they were people sent by Cao Da again.
There was no one around at the time, and he didn't dare let anyone know that he had anything to do with Cao Da.
He wanted to use his sword to block it, but he found that the sword he carried with him was not with him at that moment.
Then he saw a man in black coming towards him from the side.
Lou Gaohan quickly turned to the side, trying to avoid the three short arrows, and used his hands to block the attack from the man in black.
I didn't expect that this man in black also had extremely high martial arts skills.
Lou Gaohan fought with him for several rounds, but there was no winner. He also saw the man in black using hidden weapons from time to time, and Lou Gaohan was injured by them several times without noticing.
"Hmm."
Lou Gaohan held his injured arm and stepped back groaning.
Seeing the man in black flying towards him like a shadow, Lou Gaohan gritted his teeth and threw out a few plum blossom darts.
I saw the plum blossom dart directly hit the man in black.
Lou Gaohan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and planned to deal with this person quickly, remembering not to let anyone find out.
Unexpectedly, just when he was about to rush towards the person.
The tents all around were lit up at this time, and at the same time, many people gathered from all directions in formation.
Some held torches, others held weapons.
These people are the ones he is most familiar with.
Brothers, subordinates...
But at this moment, the looks they gave him were extremely complicated.
Standing in the middle and in the front were his most admired nephews and nephews.
When she saw him looking at her with a calm face and without a trace of drunkenness, Lou Gaohan knew that the man in black tonight was not sent by Cao Da.
Rather, it was a play performed for him by his good nephew.
really--
There were footsteps behind him. The injured man in black took off his veil and walked forward with the help of Lingji and Changfeng.
Lou Gaohan took a look and found that the man was Chai Shou.
Unexpected.
Unexpected.
He thought that the person was sent by Cao Da to harm him, but it turned out that he had already been his man for a long time?
His good nephew is truly better than his father.
Lou Gaohan pursed his lips to laugh, but he couldn't.
There were still two plum blossom darts in his hand that had not been thrown out, but when seen by the young man in the distance, they seemed like the clearest evidence.
Lou Gaohan could actually pretend to be dead and refuse to admit it, but looking at the young man in front of him, he suddenly felt a little tired.
So many years.
He was already tired.
The plum blossom dart in his hand fell to the ground, and Lou Gaohan lowered his head without saying a word.
Not a single word was said.
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