The fog dissipates
"There's no one here now, so feel free to ask what you want to say."
"Before General Huo left, he asked me to give something to his wife. I heard that Madam Huo was summoned to the palace by the Queen and has not returned for many days. Your Majesty, could you please let Madam Huo come and see me?"
The smile on Liu Che's face faded, "I remember that you and Chang Qing have no personal relationship."
"A gentleman's friendship is as pure as water. The general did give some instructions before he left." He repeated, "I wonder where the lady is now?"
"Madam caught a cold a few days ago and is currently bedridden. It's not appropriate for you to go to the harem alone to meet her. If there's anything you need, I can send someone to bring it to you."
"I must personally deliver this to Madam."
Liu Che was silent for a moment. "What do you mean? I told you my wife is ill. I can't force someone who is ill to get up and entertain guests. Or is there some secret between you and General Huo that you can't let me see, and you're worried that I might steal your things?"
The ministers who would have been terrified in the past did not lower their heads, but looked straight at him, and suddenly stood up and knelt down.
"Your Majesty, do you know that the reign of Chu is unethical and the reign of Qi is immoral? A ruler who is dissolute and licentious will surely face great trouble."
With just this sentence, the leader's face suddenly darkened. "Zhang Yannian, do you know what you are saying? It's ridiculous! Go back!"
"As a minister, it is my duty to speak frankly and offer advice. This matter concerns the well-being of the country and your Majesty's reputation for generations to come, so I have no choice but to speak out. Your Majesty, where is Madam Huo now? I will bring her back to the palace."
"Then you should go to the Queen's Palace."
"The Queen said she never summoned Madam to the palace."
Liu Che narrowed his eyes at him. "So you believe the Queen's words are more trustworthy than mine? Zhang Yannian, whose subject are you? Don't forget, who was the one who pushed through all the opposition to promote you?"
"It is precisely because I am grateful for Your Majesty's kindness that I risk my life to offer advice. If I turn a blind eye to Your Majesty's faults, I would be disloyal. If Your Majesty has shown me kindness, it would be even more unrighteous for me to remain silent."
After going around in circles, he finally returned to his original question, "Your Majesty, please allow your wife to come out and see me."
The emperor was angry at first, then he sighed, seeming helpless. "Who told you that your wife is here with me? It's not that I don't want you to see her, it's that I really can't find anyone to show you."
He acted innocent, as if he had truly wronged the person before him, acting unreasonably against his own monarch. Even he hesitated for a moment. But it couldn't be fake. The bamboo slip she handed him had General Huo's official seal on it. The servants in Huo's residence said she had been summoned to the palace by the Empress, but the Empress said she hadn't seen her enter. After all this talk, there was only one person.
"If Your Majesty does not bring your wife out, I will kneel outside the palace forever."
"Zhang Yannian!" Liu Che's face turned completely cold. "I told you my wife isn't here. Who deceived you and sowed discord between the emperor and his subjects? Tell me, and I'll confront him face to face."
Zhang Yannian did not answer. "It seems that Your Majesty is unwilling to be honest." After he said that, he really lifted up his robe and walked out.
Liu Che sneered, "Do you really think I won't punish you? You've repeatedly questioned and doubted the monarch, and now you're using your name to threaten me. Do you know the full extent of the crime of defaming the royal family and offending the monarch?"
"Your Majesty, if you want to punish me, I will accept it."
A bowl of hot tea spilled onto Zhang Yannian, shattering the porcelain bowl. Zhang Yannian's calm gaze remained fixed on the person before him. After a long pause, he walked out without looking back and knelt outside the hall.
Looking at the straight figure, Liu Che closed the door, isolating his scorching gaze outside, out of sight, out of mind.
Jiang Chong bent down to close the door, then cautiously walked towards the emperor. He heard the emperor say calmly, "Besides me, only you and the imperial guards know about the matter in the stone chamber. How did Zhang Yannian know about this?"
Jiang Chong broke out in a cold sweat and immediately knelt down, saying hurriedly, "I don't know either. I have been serving you since Your Majesty returned. After you went to court, I returned to the Stone Hall to deliver something for Madam, and was even beaten by Madam."
As he spoke, he lifted his clothes to reveal the bruises on his arms, "My lady regards me as an enemy and will never ask me to pass on a message for her!"
The Imperial Guards were a family of soldiers trained by the imperial family for generations. Like the Stone Chamber, they shrouded themselves in darkness, living and dying as long as the emperor lived. They would never betray the emperor. Jiang Chong and Zhang Yannian were strangers, and considering he was intelligent and sensible, this was impossible. So who could this be? It was truly bizarre. Could it be a demonic spirit that had sent this message through a dream?
"Your Majesty, Master Zhang is kneeling outside, and Madam..."
He actually wanted to suggest that they send the person back. Zhang Yannian did not directly tell the matter in front of all the civil and military officials in the court, which showed that he wanted to save people's face. But Zhang Yannian was a stubborn person after all. If he was really angered, he would definitely shout it out to everyone even if he died.
"Let him kneel down first. If he wants someone, just tell him I'm going to investigate. If he wants to do something else..."
Liu Che said nothing, but Jiang Chong had a clue. Zhang Yannian, this greenhorn, had been in the officialdom for over a decade, yet he still couldn't fathom this emperor's temper. Did he really think he was some kind, benevolent, and enlightened emperor who readily accepted criticism?
He saw that the emperor was not going to let him go. If he continued, he might really lose his life...
Even more irritated than Zhang Yannian's offensive words was another question: the Stone Palace was a deeply secretive matter. He had eliminated every possible person around him, but there was no one to investigate. It seemed like an unsolvable deadlock. So who had leaked the information?
He walked towards the bedroom with full of doubts, turned the mechanism, and a secret passage appeared under the bed. Jiang Chong followed him closely, and the two walked in one after the other.
The guards with ghost masks brought hot water, new clothes and ice, and she could finally take a comfortable bath.
Feeling the hot water flowing over her body, she wiped it with a cloth while thinking that Zhang Yannian would definitely go to the Huo Mansion to confirm her presence before entering the palace. Then the people in the Huo Mansion would be alerted and pass on the news to Chang Qing. So even if he failed to persuade Liu Che to release her, it would not matter.
Huo Changqing… speaking of this, it was a bit worrying. Although he followed his uncle, the battlefield was brutal and the Xiongnu were ruthless. Could he really escape unscathed? This news… No, with Wei Qing here, he would protect him. He probably went to the battlefield just like those noble sons, just to gain experience and earn a natural reward.
Please come back soon and let the show start earlier. She can't wait.
A voice came from the stone chamber. She turned around and saw Liu Che.
Hanging on the screen were the woman's newly changed clothes. A long tear ran down the hem of her skirt, the raw edge clearly scratched by something. He stood by the door, quietly surveying the stone chamber. To prevent her from injuring herself, the entire wall had been covered with polished wood planks. Sharp instruments, scissors, and candlesticks had been put away.
How did she get her clothes scratched so badly?
An absurd idea germinated in his mind. Once he thought of it, he pulled open the screen and slowly walked to her.
The woman's barrier was removed, and her smooth skin was suddenly exposed to the man. She seemed very panicked, her eyes widening. "Your Majesty! Get out!"
"I have something to ask you."
He just stood there, staring at the person in front of him, but there seemed to be no trace of love in his eyes. Her scalp was numb from being stared at, and she bravely soaked in it for a while, and after a long time, she suddenly stood up.
Let her look, it’s not like she hasn’t seen him before, and she feels creepy being stared at like this all the time.
As if she treated him as air, she rolled her eyes and walked out of the bathtub as if nothing had happened. She walked towards the screen he had pushed open, took off the clean clothes, put one sleeve on her left hand, and glanced at the person beside her.
What was he planning to do? Hadn't Zhang Yannian found him yet? Or had he changed, no longer rushing around recklessly like before?
Liu Che stood quietly beside the bathtub, staring at the person in front of him motionlessly. Beneath his seemingly calm appearance, a huge wave was already surging in his heart.
Her arms were bruised, and her calves and thighs were scratched. Scars had formed over them, and the wounds were slightly red and swollen, indicating they had only been there for the past day or two. She was injured, truly injured.
This means she's out...
Gillian put on her inner garment very slowly, twirling the belt around her waist again and again, while keeping her ears perked up to observe the man's movements.
The figure swayed slightly, and suddenly took a step, which scared her, but he walked quickly towards the door, forgetting to close the stone door.
She immediately put on her clothes quickly and followed him out quietly. She thought, could it be that Zhang Yannian came to her house and wanted to let her go?
She saw Liu Che walk through several corridors and come to the deepest secret room. At the same time, she also stopped. His destination was the Golden House.
Dozens of candles were lit, and the clear glass water reflected a golden light as bright as day. A series of dry and undetectable footprints suddenly appeared, with nowhere to escape.
His body suddenly swayed slightly, like a stone mountain about to collapse. He dragged his broken body to the innermost wall. His hand that pressed the mechanism trembled slightly. The dull and stagnant sound of the stone wall slowly sounded, and the vicissitudes of time that had almost been obliterated appeared before his eyes.
The narrow cave could no longer accommodate his strong body. The stone wall rubbed against his broad shoulders, his brocade robe was torn, and his flesh was rubbed by the rough stones. However, this pain was like hope to him in the dark night.
Dark night... He had endured this long night alone for too long. It was cold, lonely, and boring. He was like a hollow corpse, not knowing where to go or where he would end up.
Now he saw hope, hope in the daylight.
He anxiously passed through the narrow passage and finally poked his head out. There was another narrow stone wall, only enough for him to fit in. There was no room to turn around. He raised his head and looked up. A few sparse spots of light fell on the soap boots.
With the help of the light spot, he saw the rope, a rope ladder made of two hemp ropes. One side of the ladder was broken, leaving only the other side hanging. The wooden board for stepping on was also loosely attached to the single rope. A very thin piece of cloth was hanging on the edge of the board corroded by moisture.
His heart was like raindrops in the scorching summer heat, violently pounding upon the world, trembling violently among the mountains, rivers, and seas of stone. They stirred and collided with each other, overflowing, and flowing along his scarlet eye sockets...
He clumsily grasped the shaky rope and climbed up, the manhole cover pushed open, the loose soil fell on his shoulders, the smell of spider webs, broken wood and dilapidated walls...
He walked out from behind the green bronze Buddha statue, stood in front of the door, and looked at the houses in the distance.
As the morning sun broke, the fog dissipated, revealing a familiar home - the residence of Zhang Yannian.
As for this place, at this time, the polar night has come and gone and returned to the long and brilliant day, and the fish in the dry rut are drowned to death and there is no way back.
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