Chapter 15 Chapter 15
The aroma in the warm room was obviously wrong.
Yuan Mu felt weak not long after he walked in.
She forced herself to remain calm and looked at the uninvited guests: "I don't need anyone to wait on me."
Yuan Mu had no idea how these people managed to sneak into such an important occasion.
Even though the all-powerful Yuan Wei was behind them, she still found it unbelievable.
What Yuan Mu could not have imagined was that his father could be so crazy.
Why is he in such a hurry?
She clenched her fingers in her sleeves, her eyes wavering: "I did not agree to my father's request."
"I am the emperor's concubine," Yuan Mu said with all her might, "If you dare to offend me, His Majesty will not let you off easily."
But she was too frail, and her boastful words were powerless.
There were tall men in black on all sides, blocking the road completely.
Yuan Mu retreated step by step, but was forced closer and closer.
"We have no choice but to obey your command," the leading man said in a low voice, "I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
Could it be that in their eyes, Yuan Wei's order was even more terrifying than the emperor's edict?
Yuan Mu fell onto the couch, his pale face showing an unnatural blush.
She had already been drinking, and now the strange drug-like aroma disturbed her, making her thoughts completely confused.
But after hearing these words, Yuan Mu suddenly understood.
They were the assassins secretly trained by Yuan Wei.
During the chaotic times of the previous dynasty, the wealthy and powerful families were keen on raising assassins to carry out killings and rebellions in secret.
Behind every rebellion, there are always assassins. They are emotionless killing machines who think life and death are nothing.
Yuan Mu had only heard of their existence, and this was the first time he saw real assassins.
She couldn't help but feel a little desperate, her lips tightly pursed.
At this moment, Yuan Mu subconsciously thought of the emperor, and couldn't help but hope that he would notice her disappearance and rush over to save her from the danger.
But the emperor did not notice, nor did he want to get Yuan Mu.
The emperor and empress must be present at the New Year's banquet at the same time.
After three rounds of drinks, the emperor came to the queen's side, and the two stood side by side, as if they were the most perfect couple in the world.
This is an important social occasion, not just a simple banquet.
There are so many things going on that no one would remember Yuan Mu.
The King of Chu was drinking with his clan members when he was called over by the emperor to meet the old ministers who founded the country.
Some of them watched him grow up and even served as his early teachers.
A scholar with gray hair and sparse teeth saw the King of Chu coming and burst into tears: "Your Highness, you have grown so tall."
The King of Chu was dressed in red, looking like a graceful jade tree in the wind, and his tall figure stood out under the palace lanterns.
He looks like a handsome young man, but also like a steady young man who can stand on his own.
The King of Chu's expression was slightly moved. He was rarely patient and stayed among the meritorious old ministers for a long time.
The emperor originally wanted to rescue the King of Chu, but when he saw him standing among the old people like a good grandson, he couldn't help laughing.
The King of Chu is a complete fool.
He likes riding and shooting, sightseeing, and fine clothes.
He was quite popular among his peers, and ministers whose daughters were about to get married would stay away from him when they saw him.
But in the eyes of the old man, there is no royal family member more popular than the King of Chu.
As the night deepened, he finally escaped.
The King of Chu returned to the emperor's side. He always had clear and bright eyes and rarely showed any signs of tiredness.
After all, he is a young man.
The emperor was still very indulgent towards these few surviving blood relatives.
"Go and take a rest," he said with a smile, "you won't have to work hard tomorrow."
The King of Chu leaned back and suddenly asked, "Isn't your sister-in-law by your side?"
How could the emperor bring Yuan Mu with him in such an occasion?
He doted on her in private, but this wasn't the time for her to be there.
"How could she be willing to stay with me?" the emperor chuckled. "Last time during the Qianqiu Festival, I called her several times but she refused to come."
His tone was very casual and the King of Chu didn't think much of it.
Drinking is required at this kind of banquet.
Most of the female members of the family had normal alcohol tolerance, and Yuan Muxu was probably tired and wanted to rest somewhere.
The King of Chu walked along the water's edge towards the warm room. After a whole night, even he began to feel a little tired.
Banquets are often held by the water, and during the Shangsi period, wine cups flow along the winding stream, which is quite elegant.
But the weather has been cold recently and the water surface has already frozen.
As the King of Chu was walking, he suddenly saw several palace maids walking hurriedly: "Something happened! How could this happen... I heard it was..."
They walked very fast and spoke in low voices.
But the King of Chu still heard it.
His expression changed slightly, and for some reason, his thoughts subconsciously drifted to Yuan Mu, who had disappeared for a long time.
The distance from the waterside to the warm room is very short.
The King of Chu followed, and he was accompanied by an old eunuch, an old friend of the late queen, who had been with him since childhood.
The old eunuch cried out in pain: "Your Highness, please go slower!"
He said this, but his steps were steady. He was a martial artist when he was young, and even after wandering around Jiangnan for many years, he was still strong and healthy.
He just didn't understand why the King of Chu was so anxious for no reason.
Some people have gathered in front of the warm room.
The King of Chu saw a slightly unfamiliar face. He had actually never seen this person before and was not very familiar with him.
But when he saw the long scar across the man's face, the King of Chu understood his identity.
Yan Fei, the second son of Yan Pushe.
All his family members were civil servants, but he was the only one who became a military general.
I heard that he is brutal and bloodthirsty, a playboy who is not easy to mess with.
But his father, a high-ranking official who is good at socializing, treats him very well, as if he owes him something, and is eager to give him everything.
The emperor has always been worried about the King of Chu's marriage.
But compared to the King of Chu, Yan Fei's marriage is more difficult.
No family in the capital was willing to marry their daughter to him, even though he came from an outstanding family and had some talent in military affairs.
If nothing else, that disfigured face alone is enough to make people stay away.
There has been only one exception over the years.
During the turmoil, Yuan Wei wanted to marry Yuan Mu to the Yan family in order to win over the family.
Yan Fei is Yuan Mu’s ex-fiancé.
How did he get here?
The King of Chu frowned slightly, and he walked through the crowd towards the warm room.
The guards had already surrounded the place, which seemed to be a sign of caution. The King of Chu was of a superior status, so he walked in directly.
The first thing that caught my eye was the smell of blood that was so thick it was fishy.
A half-cold corpse lay in the middle of the warm room, with a golden hairpin stuck in his chest.
At the top of the golden hairpin is a very lively young bird.
The workmanship is so fine that every feather of the little bird looks vivid.
This gold hairpin is so exquisite and beautiful that anyone who has seen it will never forget it.
Xi Lanyan kept repeating in his ear several times: "Is that something used by the emperor? I've never seen such a beautiful hairpin."
The Queen's dowry was also very large, and the Concubine Shu's headgear was also very elegant.
They are all exquisite ornaments specially made for the palace.
But none of them are as detailed as this.
Only those who are cherished by the emperor can receive such extraordinary treatment.
The King of Chu had an ugly expression on his face. He ignored Yan Fei and Wei Cong's attempts to stop him and immediately walked towards the inner room.
The blood is extremely strong.
The warm room was not big. It was only two steps away from the corpse to the screen.
But the bloodstains kept winding and never stopped, and the blood became thicker the further in you went.
The bad premonition grew stronger and stronger, and the King of Chu's steps became heavy. When he saw Yuan Mushi lying on the couch covered in blood, the huge rock hanging in his heart could no longer be put down.
Her clothes were in disarray, her cloak fell to the ground, and her belt was scattered all over the place.
Yuan Mu was only wearing a thin petticoat, and her snow-white inner garment was covered in blood. She rested her elbows on her knees, covered her face with her hands, and cried inconsolably.
Her skin was as white as snow, and in the dim light it was flawless and lustrous, like the finest mutton-fat jade.
But at this moment, Yuan Mu's palms, face, and even trembling shoulders were covered with dark bloodstains.
"Get out!" Her voice trembled, and her emotions seemed to have collapsed to the extreme.
It's almost early morning.
As midnight approaches, people outside are singing and dancing, and countless people are looking forward to the ringing of the bell symbolizing the New Year.
But Yuan Mu in the warm room was in deep despair.
Life's sudden changes always come unexpectedly.
They had been hanging out together in the villa during the day, but after what happened tonight, everything would change.
When Yuan Mu left the villa, he had a smile on his face, and when he happened to catch up with the palace banquet, his eyes were also full of light.
But after only an hour or two, those joyful things were completely gone.
Men and women should not touch each other when giving or receiving things, this is a courtesy.
What's more, they are uncle and sister-in-law.
The King of Chu could not comfort Yuan Mu, could not get close to her, and could not even offer her a handkerchief.
He could only whisper, "Don't be afraid, everything will be fine."
Such an auspicious day, and such a big thing happened.
Even the calmest attendant didn't know what to do.
The guards and palace maids were still hesitating whether to inform the Queen or to find the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs first.
The Queen is in poor health and has some heart problems.
What she hated most was dealing with bad luck. If she ran into bad luck at this time, it would only make things worse.
As for the emperor, no one had ever thought about it.
Yuan Mu was just an ordinary, unfavored Zhaoyi.
She wasn't even a concubine, so even if she died here, it wouldn't reach the emperor's ears at this critical moment.
The King of Chu drew the long sword from his waist, walked out of the warm room, and said in a solemn voice: "Go and invite His Majesty here now."
He looks very much like the emperor, but his overall face is softer and more like the late queen.
At this moment, the face of the King of Chu, which was between a boy and a young man, was filled with coldness and a hint of murderous intent.
His voice was cold and gloomy. "The warm room is sealed off. No one involved is allowed to leave. Violators will be killed without mercy."
Tonight is the ultimate chaos.
Wei Cong and the palace maids finally felt more confident and started to work quickly, but under the moonlight, the bloodstains could not be hidden.
The incense burner in the warm room had been extinguished long ago, but there were still some remnants of a strange smell.
The entire warm room was shrouded in a thick bloody aura, and the flickering candlelight seemed like ghosts and monsters lurking in the darkness, making sharp cries.
Perhaps after dawn, there will be a bright sunrise.
But Yuan Mu’s sky will never be bright again.
-
In the eyes of the emperor, official business always comes first.
He is the master of this world and is rich, so he should be responsible for the people of the world.
The New Year's banquet is different from any other banquet. It is the most important banquet of the year.
In addition, there is the New Year's Day court meeting tomorrow morning.
The emperor was wearing a dark suit, and after a night, even he was a little tired.
Before he ascended the throne, he had been the crown prince for many years. Every summer when the emperor went to the palace to escape the heat, he was the regent in the imperial city.
This is the advantage of being the eldest son.
The emperor received the most orthodox imperial education, and since he was young he had been working hard to become the most outstanding monarch.
While his younger brother was taking a nap in the hall, he was following his father in reading memorials.
While his sisters were enjoying the coolness in the shade of the trees, he went to the border in the scorching sun.
Over the years, I have been working day and night.
Although there were some setbacks, it went smoothly overall.
At least in his way of being a king, no mistakes will be found in his meticulous writing in history books in the future.
The emperor drank with Xi Rongjing. He had a low alcohol tolerance and switched to tea after drinking little. As they chatted, they inevitably talked about the past.
He was seriously injured during the chaos that year.
A sharp arrow pierced his shoulder and he almost died.
The main reason was that the accompanying army was ambushed. They were originally heading south to cross the Luo River and meet the reinforcements from Yuzhou.
But there was a spy in the army, who led everyone westward.
The 132 most trusted elite soldiers around the emperor all died in the ambush.
That night the rain was so heavy that it was difficult to tell the direction.
But thinking about it now, the emperor still found it incredible: "We have all been marching for many years, how could we all have misjudged the direction?"
Xi Rongjing led the troops to meet the emperor afterwards.
At that time, his body was covered in blood, and his shoulder was completely pierced. He almost died that night.
Xi Rongjing took a sip of wine and said helplessly, "Only the spy knows this."
It had been so long since the incident that all the people involved that day were wiped out, and only the spy escaped.
For more than two years, the emperor had set up a dragnet to try to find this person, but to no avail.
He takes betrayal very seriously. Even if this person can never make trouble again, he will never forget what happened.
But how long has it been?
After the emperor came to power, everything went smoothly and he was too lazy to care about what happened in the past.
For this person, living a miserable life like a rat may be a more appropriate punishment than capital punishment.
Memory is a very mysterious existence.
The person who was so hateful at first would become so indifferent after two years.
Just like Yuan Mu.
He used to be extremely disgusted with her losing her virginity before marriage, but now he doesn't feel anything about it anymore.
The emperor just thought it was wonderful.
Yuan Mu clearly had an affair with her fiancé, but in order to protect him, she fabricated a story about an adulterer named Helan Zhen.
If she had made up a story that was a little more clever, it might have caused some trouble for the emperor.
But there are very few people with the surname Helan in this world.
The emperor had read the genealogies of all the people with the surname Helan, and he had also looked through the information of all the soldiers stationed in the suburbs of Beijing during that period.
The fact is, there is no such person in the world.
Apart from the thin bracelet on his wrist, Yuan Mu himself could not produce any evidence to prove the existence of this person.
This person named Helan Zhen was like a beautiful dream that she had in her despair and loneliness, leaving no trace.
What's even more ridiculous is that Yuan Mu once firmly believed for a period of time that he was that despicable and mediocre military household.
Her physical health is okay, but her mental state has not been very good.
Yuan Mu suffered from hysteria when he first entered the palace.
She still feels an instinctive fear when facing sergeants.
This is true for everyone who has experienced war.
Yuan Mu had seen soldiers mutiny and kill their leader, then be left in a dark room on fire. He had also witnessed a person being disemboweled.
The year she came of age was the most chaotic year in the entire Jingzhao.
When he was fighting hard for the throne and trying to take back everything, she endured countless sleepless nights alone.
The emperor felt some sympathy for Yuan Mu's experience.
But this does not mean that he can tolerate Yuan Mu treating him as an imaginary other.
Later, he used some means to make Yuan Mu never mention Helan Zhen's existence again.
But she was so obsessed with that jade bracelet that she was willing to give up her life for it.
That's all. Let's take it step by step.
The emperor played with the new bracelet in his palm for a while, then put it back into the sandalwood square box.
Xi Rongjing took a look and said with a smile, "Is this a New Year's gift for Empress Zhaoyi?"
They have a close relationship and have been best friends since childhood. They know each other so well that they can't be more familiar with each other.
The emperor did not hide it and said "hmm" in a low voice.
"You have good literary talent, so think of a title for your concubine," he said nonchalantly, "You might need it in a couple of days."
The position of concubine is now full.
If you want to promote someone, isn't this the only way to do it?
When Xi Rongjing returned to the court, he heard that the emperor had been busy with this matter recently.
All the emperor’s family affairs are state affairs.
The emperor could certainly make Yuan Mu his consort with a wave of his hand, but what he cared most about was having a legitimate reason. Even if he wanted to kill an entire family, he would choose a good reason.
Promoting the person you love most will naturally make it less likely for others to gossip about you.
"Okay." Xi Rongjing just smiled and said nothing, without asking any more questions.
When the Jingyun Bell rings, it means that the New Year has finally arrived.
The banquet was coming to an end.
Many concubines had left due to being drunk, and Yuan Mu was nowhere to be seen among the crowd.
The emperor frowned slightly. Where did she go to rest? Why didn't she come back for so long?
Just as he was about to get up and ask someone to bring Yuan Mu over, the guard who was left beside the King of Chu to take care of him suddenly hurried over.
Wei Cong knelt on the ground, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, Empress Zhaoyi...something happened!"
The emperor subconsciously had a bad premonition.
But when he heard Yuan Mu's name, his expression changed instantly.
-
Before the first chapter, Yuan Mu was not an ignorant child.
Women are in the most danger when war breaks out, because apart from burning, killing and looting, there is something even more terrifying.
Yuan Mu had seen it with his own eyes and had almost been kidnapped and humiliated.
It was Master Wang who happened to pass by and saved her life.
The sharp arrows grazed her face and pierced the hearts of the evil men, and blood splattered all over her face.
Yuan Mu was very afraid of this kind of thing. When she took off her clothes in front of Helan Zhen, she was afraid in her heart and kept asking him to be gentler.
He was incredibly gentle, and even though they were unfamiliar, he never really hurt her.
Later, when Yuan Mu had his first time with the emperor, he was drugged and did not feel any excessive pain.
After entering the palace, she never imagined that this shadow would reappear.
But what frightened Yuan Mu even more was that she had killed someone.
She did not have any sharp weapons on her except for the long, thin golden hairpin in her hair.
Yuan Mu didn't like pearls and jade, nor did she like hairpins. When she was alone in the palace, she would just tie up her black hair with silk.
When she pulled out the golden hairpin, she just wanted them to retreat.
Soldiers would wear soft armor under their clothes.
When Yuan Mu thrust out the golden hairpin, he had no idea that there was nothing under the black clothes of the assassin.
Everyone was shocked when the blood pumped out.
Yuan Mu's accuracy has never been so good.
The long hairpin pierced her heart, and the man who was about to strangle her neck and separate her knees died instantly.
He died without even struggling for a few moments.
Yuan Mu's pupils dilated, and she instinctively raised her hand, trying to press the wound that was gushing blood.
But the result was only more blood.
Those assassins didn't seem to expect such a thing to happen. They hurriedly took off the man's coat and mask, and left immediately without even looking at her.
Under the black clothes of the assassins, there was no tight-fitting clothes, but rather dark golden gorgeous clothes.
This is the only son of the Minister of Rites, and his sister is also one of the Nine Concubines.
His father had a son in his old age, and he was his only son, so he doted on him to the extreme. Many families in the capital had heard about this, even Yuan Mu had heard of it.
The backgrounds of most of the assassins are unusual.
Some were induced by profit, some were coerced, and some did it to repay a great favor.
They will not gather in one place as openly as the army, but will hide among the people and only show up at critical moments.
Yuan Mu couldn't imagine that with such a noble status, he would become Yuan Wei's death warrior.
Her mood only grew more desperate.
Yuan Mu just heard from someone that this man is getting married next month, and his fiancée is his childhood cousin.
But now he is a cold corpse.
Yuan Mu's black hair was disheveled. She stepped back, fell on the couch, and burst into tears.
She was left with only a thin petticoat.
Yuan Mu should have felt cold, but she felt nothing, and was not even able to stretch her blood-stained fingers.
The patrolling guards came over only after they sensed the bloody atmosphere.
By that time, Yuan Mu had been in a pool of blood for quarter of an hour.
The leader had a familiar face.
But Yuan Mu had lost the ability to think, and she couldn't even accept the palace maid's attempt to clean her face.
She cried and avoided their hands, not allowing anyone to get close to her.
There was simply too much blood.
The thick smell of rust made the entire warm room look like purgatory.
Dealing with secrets is the most troublesome thing.
The guards were only responsible for protection. If they were involved in the affairs of the concubines in the palace, they would lose their heads if they were not careful.
So even though everyone was so anxious, they did not dare to act rashly.
Yuan Mu covered her face in despair, her slender elbows bent and her body bent in an extremely defensive posture.
Her body was covered in blood, her black hair was soaked in blood, and her fair face was also stained with blood.
Even the King of Chu and Zhang Yuanzheng, who rushed over after hearing the news, could not make her raise her head and break free from her utter despair.
Until the emperor appeared.
His expression was so cold it was almost terrifying. The guard who first noticed this said nervously, "Your Majesty, the deceased was the only son of Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Rites. He died an hour ago."
"He was killed instantly by a golden hairpin piercing his heart," he continued. "We immediately cordoned off the area nearby. Minister Zhang, Minister Zhang, he didn't even know..."
Wei Cong didn't even dare to breathe.
But the emperor interrupted him sharply: "Did I ask this?"
"Where's Yuan Mu?" He could barely contain his anger. "Where is she?"
The banquet venue and the resting room were not far apart, but they were separated because there was a body of water nearby.
"The queen... is still in the warm room," Wei Cong replied in a trembling voice, "She refuses to leave there."
Yuan Mu's ability to withstand pressure is very weak.
The emperor had never experienced such a moment in his life. Even when he was in danger of death, he still had a faint smile on his face.
But since it concerns Yuan Mu, he can't be calm.
When he arrived at the warm room, the emperor went in without any hesitation, but his eyes suddenly caught sight of Yan Fei.
He always appears by Yuan Mu's side, always one step ahead.
Marriage. Falling into the water.
Even when something like this happened, Yan Fei was one step ahead.
At that moment, an emotion stronger than anger inexplicably came over me, burning like a fire of jealousy.
After the warm room was pushed open, the sky suddenly became bright.
Yuan Mu stayed in the warm room for an unknown amount of time, but when she raised her tearful eyes and saw the emperor's figure, she stumbled to her feet.
She ran to him crying, wailing like a child.
The emperor held Yuan Mu's waist tightly and held her in his arms.
She was only wearing a snow-white petticoat, and her wrists were bruised from being pinched.
He hugged her, his voice filled with murderous intent: "Did he touch you? Why is Yan Fei here?"
The emperor's voice was filled with a kind of morbid calmness. He could always handle affairs calmly, and even in life and death situations, he could remain calm and composed, as if facing a crisis.
That's why he is cold and heartless.
That's why he could kill his old Manchu relatives without batting an eyelid and watch his old friend being executed.
So he was able to ascend the throne.
But Yuan Mu couldn't.
She raised her eyes blankly, her eyes filled with confusion and helplessness: "Is this all you care about?"
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