Chapter 141 Chapter 141 A ghost that is hard to get rid of.
She exclaimed.
The man suddenly pressed his palm on her mouth, muffling her short cry.
The person in front of him had his eyes bound, and was dressed in a long, dark blue silk gown. He shone brightly and silently, as if he had appeared out of nowhere.
He closed his palm, slowly raised a slender index finger, and placed it in front of her lips.
"Shh," he said, "Be good, don't scream."
She gasped in shock. So close, she could hear her own heartbeat. She glanced to the side. Laughter Garden was still empty, but the majestic little stone lions crouching on the stone railings seemed to have opened their eyes and stared intently at her.
She got goosebumps all over her body:
"Why are you here?!"
He leaned down, and his heavy shadow suddenly fell over her, covering her with only one sentence:
"Why won't you see me?"
Too close, lips and nose almost touch each other.
They were used to kissing at this distance.
Her heart almost jumped out of her chest, and she pushed him hurriedly: "Let go! Let go!"
Before he could catch her, she dodged and jumped out from the side, using her internal energy to stand on tiptoe twice in the air.
Suddenly, an inexplicable force grabbed her waist and pulled her down suddenly. The hem of her gilded skirt spread out like a flower. Before she could react, her back hit the carved window frame, causing a sharp pain in her spine.
The beads of the hairpin hit the side of her face. Gu Huaijin lowered his head and approached her nose, and the blood on his lips was almost bright red.
"What do you mean by letting each other go?" He said softly, "Speak."
She froze against the carved window, her body as stiff as a board, her mind full of questions about whether there was anyone inside the window.
If there is, even just one - both of them are finished.
"Don't stay here..." She exerted more force on her hands, moved her body away, and barely avoided the window. She turned her head to look at the direction where the young eunuch went, "Let go! That man is Chang Da's spy, I have to go..."
"I arranged it."
He held her shoulders with both hands and spoke lightly.
She looked up at him in disbelief.
After a while, her eyelashes fluttered for a long time, and she turned her head away in shock, anger, and a little embarrassment, and took a long breath.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" she scolded him angrily. "The Emperor is in such a mess, and you've left him all alone in the hands of the Regent. If you don't take care of him, how can he be left with nothing?! Go back now!"
"My mind is full of you, what's the point of me going back." Gu Huaijin suppressed his breath and said, "What do you mean by letting each other go?"
She looked at him.
He had a paranoid look on his face, as if he would never give up.
If I don’t answer, I won’t be able to get over this matter today.
She pondered and reconsidered in her mind, and finally spoke:
"Let each other go, that's the end."
The two hands that were holding her shoulders suddenly exerted force, and she almost felt his five fingers pinching her arms. She frowned and endured it for a moment, then looked up and saw him leaning down and leaning close to her lips.
He was at a distance that should have been kissing, and his presence was almost intimidating.
He said slowly:
"You didn't even ask me, so you just assumed we were over?"
She heard herself swallowing. The distance was so close that her lips felt numb.
The breath between their lips was connected, as if they were holding an invisible string together, and the two ends of the string were getting tighter and tighter. No matter how unwilling she and he were, they were still unconsciously involved with each other.
Her body wanted to be kissed.
She hurriedly bit her lips.
The soft lips were pulled between his teeth. At that moment, Gu Huaijin could no longer control himself after a long time of hard work, and suddenly moved close to her lips and kissed them.
Her head buzzed, and when she reacted, she had already twisted her head and struggled out of his arms. Her whole body was numb, and she was sweating and panting. She gritted her teeth and pinched him:
"This is the Forbidden City!"
Gu Huaijin let her do it in silence, without a trace of emotion in his eyes.
But he was panting so hard that she could hardly bear to listen anymore.
"Go back!" She was trembling with shame. What kind of place was this? Did he still think it was his Four Elephants Tower?! "What kind of temper does the Regent have? What kind of ability does the Emperor have? Chang Zhong was stopped by the Regent, and Chang Da can't enter the palace without a summons. If you don't go back and suppress the situation, if the Emperor goes crazy, who knows what will happen!"
"Why, you want me to go back and calm things down too." He stroked her wrist, "Then come see me. Right now, I have a lot to ask you."
Nan Qiong Shuang closed her eyes exhausted.
This is not the time to let personal matters delay the overall situation. He is indispensable in Xiaole Garden. He doesn't know what the situation is like inside when he is out for a while.
She swallowed the anxiety in her throat and nodded.
He said, "Come out of the palace and find me."
"What?"
"I know you got the token from him."
She was stunned for a moment, looking at him repeatedly in disbelief: "How do you know?"
He didn't answer.
She suddenly woke up as if from a dream: "What happened to Qinglian Yuanxiang? When did she start communicating with your informant? Where is Wudao?"
He only gave her an ambiguous reply: "Come find me outside the palace and we'll talk. Three days later."
…
The thought of confronting him about everything that happened on Tianshan Mountain made her scalp tingle, and she didn't want to agree no matter what.
"Come see me in three days." Gu Huaijin gently stroked her hair, untangling the strands that were tangled with her hairpin beads, and scratched her cheek with his index finger. "If you don't come, don't blame me for hunting you down in the Forbidden City."
Although he was threatening, his tone was gentle and calm, as if he was trying to coax him.
She heaved a sigh of helplessness, and after a long pause, she finally said with a knotted brow, "...Okay."
Suddenly he stuffed a package into my hand.
He said, "Pumpkin seeds."
After saying this, Gu Huaijin finally stepped back and walked under the sun. His long satin gown suddenly shone brightly, as if water was dripping down. His voice was carried gently into her ears by the wind:
"Haven't you been enjoying this lately? I even split my nails last night."
She looked up in surprise, unable to believe it.
In the courtyard, the person had disappeared.
It appeared out of thin air and vanished with the wind. He wasn't beside her, yet he followed her like a shadow, as if he had never left her side for a moment.
Why did he know everything about her?
Nan Qiong Shuang looked at the lonely courtyard with swaying tree shadows, and suddenly had a feeling.
He has always been there.
Never missed a moment.
A ghost that is elusive, silent, and hard to get rid of.
*
Laughter Park was in a mess.
When Nan Qiong Shuang stepped into the threshold of Xiaole Garden again with trepidation, there were countless broken porcelain pieces on the gold brick floor, and the card table was overturned on the ground, with cards and fruit peels all over the floor.
No palace servant dared to step forward to clean up the mess, and the nobles stepped on the white melon seed shells on the ground, making a crackling sound.
Emperor Jiaqing had been helped to a chair, his head tilted on the top of the chair back. He was in a daze, unaware of calls, and seemed to have almost left his body.
Mao Linyan was still safe. What she meant by safe was that at least she had not been sent to the cold palace. She lay trembling on the ground, kneeling with her butt sticking up.
Beside her, Chang Zhong, with his head covered in greasy sweat, knelt down and clasped his fists towards the person above him.
Upstairs, Li Xuanbai sat with his legs crossed, his elbows resting on the armrests, playing with his earrings, his tone nonchalant, but she had never seen that kind of expression on Li Xuanbai's face.
It's more than just anger.
If this was not the Forbidden City but the Tianshan Mountains of the past, I'm afraid neither of these two people would be left alive.
Her head was splitting with pain and she looked inside again.
Gu Huaijin sat leisurely by the window, holding a cup of tea with steam rising from it. He slowly scraped the tea foam with the cup lid.
She felt her temples pounding and held her forehead.
It is true that when Chang and Li were fighting, the one who benefited was Gu Huaijin, but wasn't his attitude a bit too passive?
Li Xuanbai propped up his cheek, spread his hands and smiled, "Don't cry to me, my Lord. I can't stand your wailing at the top of my lungs. How about this? It's just filial piety and sisterhood, isn't it? Easy."
He pointed at the faces of the people on the ground one by one: "The imperial concubine misses her sister, General Chang misses his aunt, and the emperor misses his mother. Let's go in and reunite, all of you happy and harmonious families."
He clapped his hands twice: "Come on, everyone, attack Jingsi Pavilion!"
Mao Linyan on the ground looked up hurriedly, and Chang Zhong's whole body was stiff.
In an instant, two tall and strong guards came up, grabbed Mao Linyan and Chang Zhong who were kneeling on the ground, and tried to drag them away.
Beneath the window, Gu Huaijin scoffed disdainfully, "The Prince Regent is being too arrogant. Imprisoning the Imperial Concubine wasn't enough; he's also sending General Chang to Jingsi Pavilion?" He gently placed the lid on the teacup, letting it ding. "A moment of anger can lead to endless trouble. The Prince Regent won't need to think twice; he'll surely understand the pros and cons."
Before Li Xuanbai could speak, Emperor Jiaqing woke up from his trance, his eyes suddenly opened, his dry lips trembling, and he pointed to the sky:
"If...if even Yan'er is to be locked up in Jingsixuan, then...lock me up too!"
Li Xuanbai laughed. "Why are you so anxious? When I say 'all,' I also include you." He suddenly threw his folding fan to the ground and said, "Alright! Your Majesty, please enter the Jingsi Pavilion!"
Nan Qiongshuang's heart skipped a beat.
Imprisoning the Emperor in the Jingsi Pavilion is not the same as house arrest? Is he planning to take advantage of the current situation and just take the Imperial Seal?
Li Xuanbai rested his chin on one hand and swung his feet nonchalantly.
The time is not yet ripe, and he has no intention of seizing the throne today.
But now, a mere madman, a woman, a fool, dared to take advantage of Chang Da's power to make a scene in front of him. If he didn't teach them a lesson, he would have many more embarrassing moments in the future when he sat on the regent's chair.
As the brocade curtain was lifted, a large group of guards with golden weapons suddenly came in from outside. They came in in a black mass, each of them wearing a long sword and was tall and sturdy.
The Golden Spear Guards were Li Xuanbai's personal guards, personally selected from among his closest personal guards. Their importance lay not in numbers but in their skill. Li Xuanbai's chief eunuch, Wu Shun, followed in at the end of the line, his hands in his sleeves and his brows lowered.
Nan Qiong Shuang sneered inwardly.
She asked why the guard Jin Ge left the Daming Palace unguarded. He was just outside Xiaoleyuan, and came in with a wave of his hand. It turned out that it was Wu Shun who ran out to spread the news.
I wonder if Chang Da’s family has received the news yet.
"Prince Regent." Gu Huaijin finally gently placed the teacup on the windowsill, stood up with his hands behind his back, and looked out the window. "When Prince Ding was promoted to the title, he told me that the emperor was weak and ill, and the Prince Regent had a violent temper. He asked me to restrain myself and advise him while I was in the Forbidden City."
"Restrict?" Li Xuanbai smiled, chewing the word between his lips. "The one capable of restraining this king hasn't been born yet. Mr. Gu should take care of yourself first. You don't even hold an official title, but you're able to come and go in the Forbidden City with just your mouth. The Li family has already given you enough respect."
Gu Huaijin turned around with a smile and nodded politely, "Prince Regent, today I advise you to do your duty and not make trouble. Will you listen or not?"
Li Xuanbai leaned back in his chair and looked at him with great interest: "Are you worthy enough to speak to me like this?"
He signaled to the guard Jin Ge with his eyes and pointed lightly at the person by the window.
Nan Qiongshuang grew increasingly anxious as she watched. Li Xuanbai was furious today. He was a reckless and unbridled person, and when he got excited, he would do whatever he wanted, whether it was necessary or not.
The Golden Spear Guard is here. If you want to break the deadlock, you must delay time and wait until the rest of the palace troops are mobilized before you can fight the Golden Spear Guard.
He knew clearly that Li Xuanbai had such a temper, so why did he still confront him?
Two tall guards walked slowly over to Gu Huaijin's side and clasped their fists, "Master Gu, I apologize for the offense."
Gu Huaijin was just indifferent and turned around to sneer.
"This king knows that your boundless mental method is remarkable. A few mere guards can't capture you." Li Xuanbai finally stood up slowly, his eyes casually sweeping over Chang Zhong and Mao Linyan, who were lying on the ground covered in cold sweat, and smiled sinisterly, "But, this king wants to take you, do you dare to disobey?"
He shouted: "Catch him!"
The rest of the Jin Ge guards immediately stepped out of the line and ran over in unison, striding forward with their long legs and quickly surrounding the person near the window.
Gu Huaijin was absent-minded and straightened his sleeves.
Nan Qiongshuang was so angry that she almost fainted.
What on earth was this man doing? Even Emperor Jiaqing and Chang Zhong were held up by the Jin Ge guards, so catching him would be a piece of cake!
She was a palace concubine, so it was not easy for her to show up. Seeing that Yuanxiang had returned to her side, she whispered in her ear, "Go inform Gongsun Hong and tell Chang Da that the commotion in the Forbidden City is getting out of control..."
Suddenly, a sound of footsteps came straight towards her, loud, even and orderly. Before she could finish her words, the brocade curtain of Xiaole Garden was suddenly pulled back, and two rows of people dressed in Xuantian purple brocade robes entered one after another. Everyone was wearing a sword, and everyone was burly and strong, cold and solemn, and exuded a murderous aura.
In Xiaole Garden, all the palace servants lowered their heads and made way.
Chang Zhong's eyes suddenly lit up, and he tremblingly helped the dizzy Mao Linyan up.
When Emperor Jiaqing heard the unusual sound, he suddenly opened his eyes, and when he saw what was happening, he clapped his hands in delight.
Only Li Xuanbai's expression suddenly turned hideous and ferocious.
Brocade clothes, long sword, flying fish pattern, broad shoulders and narrow waist.
Gu Huaijin's Feiyu Guard.
"You're entering the palace with swords drawn, what are you trying to do?" Li Xuanbai sneered, "Are you trying to kill me?"
Gu Huaijin politely replied, "I dare not, but I have something to say to the Regent."
"Talking is one thing, but they've transferred such a large group of people, almost the entire Feiyu Guard, into the palace. Are you ready to talk?!"
"Gu, please invite some people to accompany the Regent for tea. The Regent is so arrogant. Are you willing to listen to what Gu says?" Gu Huaijin stood in front of Li Xuanbai calmly. The commander of Feiyu Guard brought a wooden chair and placed it behind him. He sat down leisurely.
"The Prince Regent just couldn't bear to hear what Gu said. I wonder if he's willing to listen to me now."
The Jin Ge Guards were few in number, after all. Once the Fei Yu Guards entered Xiaole Garden, they practically filled the entire room. Even Li Xuanbai, despite his sharp edge, had to assess the situation.
He gritted his teeth and smiled for a long time, his hands tightly gripping the armrests of the chair, until the veins on the back of his hands bulged: "If you have anything to say, say it."
"I understand the Regent's love for his mother. But I am also moved by the Emperor's love for his mother."
Across from him, Li Xuanbai rolled his eyes and sneered.
"Therefore, there is actually a way to compromise this matter. Why bother to start a war and damage the harmony?"
"A compromise. The Emperor has already been wailing before our ancestors, but I don't see what compromise the Emperor has left for me."
"The Emperor misses his mother so much. Besides letting Concubine Chang leave Jingsi Pavilion, there might be other solutions," he said. "The Regent might as well allow the Emperor to visit Jingsi Pavilion."
"Concubine Chang has entered the Jingsi Pavilion and is not allowed to leave forever. No one is allowed to see her. This is the order of the late emperor!"
"The late emperor." Gu Huaijin smiled when he heard this. "The late emperor also said that brothers should be friendly and respectful to each other and live in harmony. Did you listen?"
All the Feiyu Guards in the room knelt down together, and the purple sky in the room suddenly became much shorter.
Li Xuanbai actually laughed.
He is a person who, after doing something, is not afraid of what others say and does not get angry.
"The Emperor lost his composure and wept bitterly today, and the officials are sure to be discussing this. Even if you refuse to let the Concubine Dowager leave Jingsixuan, allowing the Emperor to visit her will be considered an explanation to the officials."
Li Xuanbai thought for a moment.
"Okay. But today, I have to make it clear that it was the Emperor who disregarded the orders of the late Emperor and forced me to break the ancestral system." After he finished speaking, he glared at Emperor Jiaqing.
Emperor Jiaqing looked at Gu Huaijin with a pale face.
"But, sir..."
As soon as Emperor Jiaqing opened his mouth, Nan Qiongshuang covered her face.
What the emperor wanted was for Concubine Chang to come out of Jingsixuan, not for him to go in and visit her. After going through so much trouble, how could Emperor Jiaqing not get what he wanted?
This approach did appease Li Xuanbai, but Emperor Jiaqing was certainly unwilling to accept it.
And Gu Huaijin, after all, was a minister of Emperor Jiaqing.
"Whether the Dowager can be released ultimately comes down to whether there's someone else who truly murdered Concubine Xie," Gu Huaijin said slowly. "If there is, the Dowager can certainly be released. If not, I'm sure General Chang, the Concubine, and Prince Ding won't bother the Regent with this matter anymore."
"That's right, what Mr. Gu said is right!" Chang Zhong kowtowed hurriedly.
"As for the Imperial Concubine, it's not wrong to consider the Emperor's compassion for his mother. If you want to enter the Jingsi Pavilion, it's really an unprovoked disaster." Gu Huaijin picked up the teacup, took a sip, and put it down again. The bottom of the cup hit the tray with a crisp sound. "The Imperial Concubine is as beautiful as a flower. You kicked her in the face for no reason. It's time for you to calm down."
Li Xuanbai lowered his eyes and thought lazily for a while.
In the end, I felt that there was really nothing wrong with it, so I just laughed it off.
"As beautiful as a flower?"
He rubbed his chin and looked meaningfully at the person in the far corner.
Nan Qiong Shuang immediately understood what he was thinking, rolled her eyes, and didn't bother to pay attention.
"Then who will investigate the case?" Li Xuanbai sat back in his chair, feet crossed. "I'm too busy to take care of it. Are you willing?"
Gu Huaijin didn't say anything.
These trivial matters were neither harmful nor helpful to the current situation of two tigers in one mountain, but Emperor Jiaqing was personally worried about losing his mother and he didn't care at all.
After all, he is no longer the Gu Huaijin who worked hard, took responsibility, and was willing to cover for others on Tianshan Mountain.
Emperor Jiaqing blinked his eyes tearfully and looked at him: "Sir..."
Gu Huaijin was helpless and sighed: "I am willing to serve my emperor."
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