Chapter 30 The first show, monkeys climbing trees!
The scale is biased, and it has been so since the beginning.
The room was quiet, and the cold wind howled as it hit the windows.
A bitter smile appeared on Xiao Mingxuan's lips. After a long time, he sighed softly and smiled with relief.
What is he asking for? Has he forgotten who he is in just two or three months?
"Little brother, but I can go to Beili to see you, and you can also come to Tianshuo to see me. I can also send you a letter."
Although they are two countries, they are not far apart. The letter will arrive in five days at most.
Xiao Mingxuan looked at Xihe deeply and pulled his hand away. "Go to bed early. I'm leaving first."
He put the little girl into the quilt, tucked the corner of the quilt, and left silently.
Her palms were empty, and the little girl pursed her lips and lowered her head.
The Big Bad Wolf was angry, and seemed different from before.
Xiao Mingxuan returned to Mingyue Palace and saw Shijian waiting at the door.
Shi Jian poured him a cup of tea and stood aside in silence.
"If you have something to say, just say it."
Shi Jian has been with him since he was a child, and his significance has long surpassed that of an ordinary attendant.
Shi Jian hesitated to speak, then said, "Your Highness, the general will be arriving soon. It's best if you don't get close to Princess Zhao Yuan anymore."
"Even you say so." Xiao Mingxuan said hoarsely.
In an instant, he felt physically and mentally exhausted and could not exert any strength.
Shi Jian lowered his head and said, "Your Highness, one day, the little princess will know what we are going to do. When blood is spilled all over Tianshuo, and her relatives and friends have all died at your hands, will she still be as close to you as she is today? It is better to end it sooner rather than later."
The cold wind whistled past, scraping the bones like a blade.
With a snap, the only light in the room went out.
Xiao Mingxuan looked at the white snow outside the window and felt a sense of powerlessness that he could not keep it. The little girl's words "I don't want to" kept lingering in his ears like a nightmare that could not be shaken off.
After a long time, a soft sigh was heard in the cold wind, "Go down first, I'll think about it."
*
In a blink of an eye, it was time for the state banquet, which would only begin after the previous dynasty's reception was over. Xihe slept until she woke up naturally before she slowly began to dress.
Concubine Chen prepared a red jacket for Xihe, with soft fur sewn on the collar and cuffs. She tied two small buns into her hair as usual, and added wind chime beads and flowers of the same color, making her look like a lucky doll.
Emperor Jingyuan sent someone to deliver a message early in the morning, and Concubine Chen packed up and took Xihe to Yuanyang Palace. Before leaving, the girl sneaked into the inner room, took out a box of rouge and hid it in her sleeve.
Concubine Chen looked at it, smiling but said nothing.
The ground fire in Yuanyang Palace was very strong, and the virtuous concubine and the princes and princesses had already arrived.
As soon as Xihe saw Emperor Jingyuan, she rolled into his arms, poking her little head out from under his huge cloak. She smiled sweetly at him, "Daddy, happy birthday. May you have this day every year. May you be safe, smooth, and healthy."
The little girl blurted out all the auspicious words she had memorized for several days, and coupled with her costume as a blessing boy, it made everyone laugh and cry.
Emperor Jingyuan listened to the chants of "Long live the emperor" all morning, as well as slogans like "Blessed with great fortune and longevity" and "Long live as long as the sky", and his heart was not moved at all.
The little daughter's simple blessings were the most heartfelt and were directed to him, not Emperor Tianshuo.
Emperor Jingyuan kissed his little daughter lovingly and brushed off the snow on her body. "Well, this is the best gift Daddy has ever received."
"Hey, I haven't sent it yet, how come Daddy received it?" The little girl blinked and looked at Emperor Jingyuan curiously.
Emperor Jingyuan's face showed some anticipation, "Did Xihe prepare anything else for Father?"
After a few words, Xihe knew she was being tricked again, "Daddy is so mean! He's trying to trick me again!"
The little girl pretended to be unhappy, turned around and left her butt to Emperor Jingyuan, showing her arrogance to the extreme.
Emperor Jingyuan smiled and quickly turned the person back. "Daddy is wrong, okay? What good things did Xihe prepare for you?"
Children are easy to coax, and Xihe immediately smiled happily. After a while, she suddenly thought of something, blushing, and leaned close to Emperor Jingyuan's ear and whispered, "Then you have to promise not to laugh at me! Okay?"
"Okay, Daddy will definitely not laugh."
With Emperor Jingyuan's assurance, Xihe jumped down and pulled the eldest prince with him.
"Big brother, help me!"
Zhao Chengning had already colluded with his sister. After hearing this, he stood in the center, ready at all times.
Xihe took out a rouge box from her sleeve and applied a lot of it on both cheeks.
Concubine Chen was overjoyed. It turned out that rouge was used here.
"First show: Monkeys climbing a tree!"
The eldest prince is that tree.
Xihe stepped on the eldest prince's legs and quickly climbed onto his head. With her red face, she looked like a naughty monkey.
Zhao Zhinan burst out laughing, "Hahahahahahahahahahaha, I'm dying of laughter, what a monkey climbing a tree!"
Emperor Jingyuan was stunned for a moment and couldn't help laughing out loud.
"The second show: Monkey catching the moon!"
The eldest prince immediately threw a prop to the ground, then hugged his sister's waist tightly. Xihe stood upside down and reached out to pick up the prop.
"The last show: Monkeys watching from afar!"
Xihe stood on the eldest prince's shoulders, put her hands on her forehead, looked around, and acted like a monkey.
Emperor Jingyuan threw his head back and laughed, and everyone in Yuanyang Hall suddenly burst into laughter.
Emperor Jingyuan said "good" three times in a row, with joy on his face.
The naughty monkey Xihe jumped forward and said, "Daddy~"
Emperor Jingyuan held his little daughter in his arms, and it was as if a warm current rushed through his heart, diluting the winter chill, leaving only the lingering warmth. "This is the gift Xihe gave to Daddy. Daddy likes it very much."
Unexpectedly, the little girl shook her head, looking mysterious, "What Xihe wants to give to Daddy is not a show, Daddy, guess again?"
Emperor Jingyuan was stunned for a moment and scratched his little daughter's nose. "What is that?"
Xihe chuckled, "It's happiness. Didn't Daddy smile just now? This is the gift Xihe gave Daddy."
The hall was silent, everyone's eyes were wet and they couldn't help but look away.
Emperor Jing Yuan was stunned for a moment, his nose felt a little sore, and his voice was a little hoarse, "Okay, Daddy is very happy, this is the best gift Daddy has ever received."
Emperor Jingyuan had seen everything, including gold, silver, jade, and rare treasures, but today his eyes were filled with tears because of one sentence.
Seeing that her goal had been achieved, Xihe snuggled into Emperor Jingyuan's arms and asked for a hug obediently.
The envoys from the two countries had arrived at Qianyuan Hall. Emperor Jingyuan picked up his daughter and was about to leave, but unexpectedly Xihe suddenly started crying.
"Daddy, don't go, you can't go!"
A thought just flashed through Xihe's mind, and he recalled a forgotten plot.
In the ninth year of Yongjing, Emperor Jingyuan was stabbed by an envoy from Nanli who had hidden a knife while entertaining envoys from various countries. The knife was highly poisonous and there was no antidote. This was the direct source of Emperor Jingyuan's declining health in his later years.
Daddy is so good to her, she doesn't want him to get hurt.
"What's wrong? Don't cry, daddy is here."
Emperor Jingyuan immediately stopped and coaxed softly.
Xihe cried so hard that her heart ached and she couldn't breathe for a long time.
When Emperor Jingyuan saw his little daughter clutching her chest, her face pale, he pursed his lips and said, "Santaping, wait in front. Go and call the imperial physician first."
Zhao Chengning, who was closest to the center, was the first to notice something was wrong. "Did something happen up ahead? Why did my sister get so upset when she heard that Father was going to Qianyuan Palace?"
Emperor Jingyuan pondered for a moment, "Xihe, tell me why you didn't let me go to Qianyuan Palace?"
Xihe opened her mouth but couldn't utter a word for a long time. She only calmed down after drinking a few sips of water.
"Daddy, you can't go. Someone wants to kill you. You can't go." The little girl's eyes were red and there were traces of tears on her cheeks. She pulled Emperor Jingyuan's sleeve desperately, not letting him leave.
Everyone was shocked and looked at each other.
Xian Fei suddenly said, "Your Majesty, the little darling has such pure eyes, could it be that he saw something?"
After Wuxuzi saved her life, Concubine Xian had no doubt about Xihe's identity as Xiao Fubao. After all, her life was saved by Xihe.
Emperor Jingyuan pondered for a moment, raised his hand to call Sanping over, and whispered a few words to him.
Sanping was horrified and said, "I'll do it right away."
Emperor Jingyuan sat down again and said to the crowd, "You all go to the front hall first and wait and see what happens."
"I obey your command."
"Your son obeys your order."
*
There was singing and dancing in the Qianyuan Hall. Emperor Jingyuan hid behind the curtain and coughed twice when the wind blew past him. "I am not feeling well and should not be exposed to the wind. Let's begin now."
The princes attended the meeting in the morning, but Emperor Jingyuan did not show up, and no one suspected anything for a while.
Nanli's envoys and those around them were discussing quietly, "What's going on? I haven't heard that the tyrant is ill?"
The person next to her had her face covered with a veil, and her movements were very elegant, but when she spoke, it was a man's voice.
"It's winter now, so it's not uncommon to get sick occasionally."
"Then the plan remains unchanged?" asked the envoy.
The man hesitated for a few moments, "I always feel like something is wrong."
Although hidden behind the curtain, his voice and figure were fine.
For some reason, the man always felt uneasy and uneasy.
The envoy gave him a look of disdain. "What's wrong? I think you're just too cautious. Our plan is so thorough that no one else knows about it. This is your only chance. If you miss it, you'll never get another!"
The man still hesitated.
Seeing this, the envoy sneered, "I don't care. We must take action this time. As long as this tyrant is dead, Nanli will be completely safe."
Seeing that the envoy refused to listen to his advice, the man sighed and said, "Then be careful."
Then he retreated.
The envoy rolled his eyes at him, picked up the wine glass and drank it all, thinking to himself: "A grown man, but he speaks like a woman, without any royal aura."
He glanced at the Beili envoy not far away and snorted coldly.
Paying tribute to Tianshuo, what a wishful thinking!
Xiao Mingxuan was not too far ahead or too far behind, and as soon as he came in, he looked for Xihe's trace, but when he looked around the hall, there was no sign of the little girl at all, and he couldn't help but frown.
He looked up and saw "Emperor Jingyuan" hidden behind the curtain. He glanced in the direction of Nanli and smiled silently.
The singing and dancing subsided, and the envoys from Nanli were the first to step forward and pay their respects.
"Your Majesty Tianshuo, we have been entrusted by the monarch to come and congratulate you on your birthday. May your majesty live forever."
Emperor Jingyuan hummed calmly, "Thank you for the hard work of the envoy who has come from so far away."
The envoy smiled. "To celebrate your majesty's birthday, the king has specially asked me to bring you a precious gift."
Seeing this, Sanping was about to take the gift from the envoy, but was dodged.
"What does the envoy mean?" Zhao Chengning and Zhao Jinyuan looked at each other, stood up and moved slightly, standing a little further away from Emperor Jingyuan, leaving enough space.
"You may not know that this is the greatest treasure of my Nanli. It would be better for me to give it to His Majesty Tianshuo personally!" said the envoy.
Zhao Chengning wanted to argue a few more words when the "Emperor Jingyuan" at the top suddenly spoke.
"Let him come up."
Zhao Chengning raised his eyebrows, bowed and retreated, "Yes, your son obeys your order."
Zhao Chengning retreated, but did not return to his seat. Instead, he stood next to Concubine Chen.
Sanping moved aside to make room.
The envoy was delighted and stepped forward with the treasure in his hand. With every step he took, his eyes became more and more fiery, and his hands under the lacquer tray trembled slightly.
As soon as the palace maids lifted the curtain, a ferocious look suddenly appeared on the envoy's face. The so-called treasure fell to the ground. He pulled out a knife from under the lacquer tray and walked straight towards "Emperor Jingyuan".
"Tyrant, die!"
The incident happened in an instant. Everyone in the hall was frightened by the sudden assassination and fled in all directions. The scene was extremely chaotic.
Zhao Chengning and Zhao Jinyuan protected Concubine Chen and Concubine Xian tightly, and even Zhao Zhinan pulled Zhao Siyuan behind him.
The imagined bloody scene did not appear. The man behind the curtain suddenly stood up, subdued the envoy with a few smooth turns, and kicked him away.
"Imperial Guards!"
Zhao Jinyuan shouted loudly, and the soldiers who had been waiting outside rushed forward, with swords across the envoy's neck.
The envoy was shocked and looked at the scene in disbelief.
The "Emperor Jingyuan" behind the curtain lifted the curtain and came out. Although he was wearing a dragon robe, his face was extremely unfamiliar.
"You...you are not Emperor Jingyuan! Who are you?" the envoy asked in a trembling voice.
The man didn't say anything, just looked at Sanping and stood aside.
"Yes, it's a good show."
"Your Majesty!"
The envoy looked to the side following the sound.
Emperor Jingyuan was seen walking slowly towards them holding a little girl.
"How is this possible!" The envoy's eyes were filled with disbelief. "This is impossible. Who could have leaked the news?"
Emperor Jingyuan held his little daughter in his arms and sat on the dragon throne. "Who asked you to assassinate me? Emperor Nanli?"
The envoy took a deep breath, his face filled with indignation. "It's not the king, but I just can't stand you! Tyrant, you killed your father and brother, and murdered loyal people. You've killed countless people over the years. I'm just doing justice for the people. Why bother dragging the king into this?"
His hand tightened, and Xihe moved uncomfortably, and Emperor Jingyuan quickly relaxed.
"Dad, don't listen to his nonsense. Dad is a wise ruler and he is talking nonsense."
Although Emperor Jingyuan was called a tyrant, during the few decades of his rule, Tianshuo's national strength reached its peak and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. His achievements can be said to be eternal.
The warm breath of his little daughter lingered in his ears, soothing the unhealed wound in Emperor Jingyuan's heart.
People all over the world misunderstood him, feared him, and hated him.
But his little daughter believed in him from beginning to end and relied on him wholeheartedly.
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