Chapter 68: Blood fell into the bowl, making Wen Zheliu look even more...
The snow that had been falling for several days stopped, and the rustling sound of falling snow faded away, adding a bit of loneliness to the already quiet winter night. In the palace, only the orderly footsteps of the night watchmen remained.
After observing for a while on the roof of the tile-roofed house, He Jiuyue passed through dozens of palaces in one breath and entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
"you--"
Chen Sanxi, who was standing outside, was dozing off when suddenly a living person fell from the sky in front of him. He was so scared that he opened his mouth to scream, but before his shrill voice came out, He Jiuyue cut his neck with a knife.
Emperor Jingming was sleeping soundly when his heart suddenly trembled. He opened his eyelids abruptly and met a pair of eyes as sharp as blades.
"He Feng, where did you hide Wen Zheliu?"
He Jiuyue was dressed in black, blending in with the silent night outside. Only the dagger in his hand emitted a faint silver light in the moonlight, like a ghost crawling out of the underworld to take his life.
Emperor Jingming suddenly jumped to the side of the bed and yelled, "Someone, protect me!"
It was dead quiet outside.
He Jiuyue curled up the corner of his mouth in a sneer.
She stepped in with her black boots, her steps rhythmically and gracefully, like a pianist playing the zither beside a mountain stream.
Emperor Jingming's heart was pounding.
"He Jiyue, do you know that this is my palace, my bedroom? During the day, ministers are not allowed to enter unless summoned! This is even more true at night!"
"I know."
He Jiuyue originally wanted to save some face for Emperor Jingming, but it was obvious that she was at a disadvantage. She still did not know how to judge the situation and compromise. Instead, she stiffened her neck to maintain her pitiful dignity and completely broke free from the shackles of the monarch and his subjects.
"Ministers are not allowed to enter, so from now on, I will no longer be a minister."
Emperor Jingming couldn't stop sweating all over his body.
"Your father and younger brother are still in Changle Palace, in our hands. Are you crazy for rashly attempting to assassinate them?"
"I'm not crazy."
He Jiuyue slowly walked to the front of Emperor Jingming's bed, pulled up the priceless golden dragon quilt under her, and slowly wiped the blade that reflected her sharp eyes.
"I'll ask you again, where is Wen Zheliu?"
"Wen Zheliu? Isn't he in your Princess's Mansion?"
Emperor Jingming was shocked and confused, and the first expression that appeared in his panicked and turbid eyes was confusion.
"Others may use this to deceive me, but why are you so ignorant?" He Jiuyue lowered his eyes.
She strangled Emperor Jingming's neck with one hand and held the dagger with the other, stabbing it straight into her forearm.
Emperor Jingming was born into an imperial family and was the youngest daughter. She did not have to be tempered in the military camp like her elder sister He Yuyao. She grew up in luxury and had no experience of such hardship.
"ah--"
She screamed without any grace and struggled hard. The bun on her head was disheveled, and the white hair that had turned white at some point flowed down to her shoulders like water.
Blood flowed out, forming a dark red river on the palace bricks.
He Jiuyue specifically chooses to tattoo parts that cannot be seen from the outside.
She listened to the increasingly hoarse and discordant roars of the tortured person, her face expressionless.
It is like an old-fashioned mountain, neither happy nor sad, and never gets upset by people.
"I really don't smell anything, ah——"
There were several bloody scratches on his arm. Emperor Jingming was in great pain. His eyes turned black and he was about to faint, but he was brought back to his senses by the pain in his leg.
How could Wen Zheliu escape from the capital?
He had the drug she had given him. If he escaped from the capital and got far away from her, he would die immediately, according to the Western Yue envoy. If he was alive, he must not have gone far.
But how could she know whether he was dead or alive, or where he was?
With a "bang", the door of the Hall of Mental Cultivation opened wide.
Chen Jin led the guards in red armor into the room, walked to He Jiuyue's side, and reported with his head lowered.
"Princess, everything has been handled."
There was no sound of fighting outside the house, and it was obvious that the winner had been decided.
Emperor Jingming was trembling with fear: "He Jiyue, are you trying to force me to abdicate?"
Forcing the emperor to abdicate?
She hadn't originally intended to go this far, she just wanted to find out Wen Zheliu's whereabouts.
But she thought about it again and again, and she realized that when she confronted Emperor Jingming, they would inevitably quarrel, and when anger took over the mind, people would always do irrational things.
Then she had to clear away all obstacles before the confrontation.
Emperor Jingming felt very nervous as he hadn't heard a word from He Jiuyue for a long time.
"Do you think you can rest easy just because you control the palace? He Jiyue, you are so ambitious and dare to seize power and usurp the throne. The princes will not let you go!"
"Your Majesty, you are well-read. Haven't you heard of the saying 'holding the emperor hostage to control the princes'? As long as you are in my hands, they dare not act rashly."
He Jiuyue's blade moved along Emperor Jingming's skin, like a guillotine hanging over his head, ready to stab down at any moment.
"Besides, even if they lead their troops to attack, they may not be able to gain any advantage from my Red Armor Army.
"The world is bustling with people, all for profit. The world is bustling with people, all for profit. Those who understand the current situation are heroes. They should know how to make the most advantageous choices."
The strong desire to survive finally made Emperor Jingming put aside his so-called decency. She asked in a low voice, almost begging.
"What do you want me to do in order to spare my life?"
"Save her life"?
He Jiuyue wiped the knife with Emperor Jingming's dragon robe.
She had never intended to take Emperor Jingming's life.
If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. Becoming an emperor is not all sweetness. While you can suppress all the ministers, you will also be bound by the title of emperor. You will be tied to the palace like a mascot and cannot go out for a moment.
However, this is also a good opportunity to deceive Emperor Jingming.
"Hand over Wen Zheliu, and I might consider sparing your life."
As soon as He Jiuyue finished speaking, Emperor Jingming roared.
"I haven't done anything to him. Ever since the last welcoming banquet, when you brought him back to your residence, I have no idea what his situation is! What can I do under the watchful eyes of you, Sima He?"
...Even when he was "about to die", he still refused to reveal anything. I'm afraid Emperor Jingming really didn't know the truth.
But if even she doesn't know, who else would know?
"Lock him up." He Jiuyue raised her hand.
Emperor Jingming's eyes were bloodshot: "Are you going to put me under house arrest?"
"For the sake of our relationship as aunt and nephew, I will spare your life for now... Besides, for you, death is not necessarily a punishment, and life is not necessarily a gift."
He Jiuyue turned his head and ordered Chen Jin to put down the chains.
"You put him in solitary confinement back then. You should feel what it was like now."
Emperor Jingming's eyes widened. "I did put him under house arrest in Changle Palace, but I didn't lock him up!"
He Jiuyue shrugged.
"Your Majesty, don't worry. I only locked you up. I didn't cut off your food, water, or medical care. If you continue to bargain, you will have to pay more than just these chips."
Emperor Jingming straightened his neck and said, "A gentleman can be killed but not humiliated. You might as well kill me!"
"Are you worthy of being called a 'scholar'?"
He Jiuyue sneered, then turned around and went straight to the imperial study where memorials were stored, not wanting to say much to Emperor Jingming.
"The feng shui of this Yangxin Palace is nourishing. Your Majesty, please live here and clear your mind and spirit. Chen Jin, you don't need to follow me. Stay here and take good care of Your Majesty."
suburbs.
"Stop... ahem!"
The carriage was galloping all the way. Dugu Qiu, who was riding the horse outside, still had the reins to hold on to, but Wen Zheliu, who was inside, was running around in the four corners of the carriage, and his stomach, which had been difficult to calm down for a long time, was even more churning.
The spittoon was shaken to some unknown place and Wen Zheliu couldn't find it for a while.
As the shouts of the soldiers and bystanders faded away, he pushed open the carriage window with all his strength and poured out the acid in his mouth with a "wow".
"Young Master, are you okay?" Dugu Qiu immediately stopped the carriage.
Wen Zheliu's legs were weak from vomiting, and even sitting in the carriage, he felt a little uncomfortable, but he just raised his hand and made a "no problem" gesture, then took out a handkerchief and touched his lips.
"What's the situation?"
Dugu Qiu looked at his face cautiously.
"Just now at the city gate, my subordinates were caught in a search and faked a fall from a cliff. That person took a pill that changes his appearance and wore your clothes. His figure resembles yours, so he will definitely ensure your safe escape."
"Yeah." Just as he expected.
The burden of his identity being exposed was temporarily lifted, and Wen Zheliu felt relieved. Only then did he realize that the cloth tied around his abdomen was tied so tightly.
Cold sweat popped up on my back like mushrooms after rain.
It was so painful that at least a red mark was left on her stomach.
"When can this belt be untied?"
Wen Zheliu's hoarse voice trembled.
"I'm afraid I'll have to keep it tied up."
Dugu Qiu stared at his flat belly which looked normal for a moment, then froze for a moment and quickly looked away.
"Not only would being pregnant be too conspicuous in the Central Plains, but even back in Xiyue, you can't let your guard down. His Majesty doesn't even know you're pregnant with He Da Sima's child. If he knew... I'm afraid he wouldn't let you keep the child."
That's true.
Not only must his biological mother Situ Yun not know about this matter, but the group of ministers in Xiyue must also keep it a secret.
Because even with the protection of the national teacher, his biological mother's throne would not be stable.
She has no children, and many relatives are watching her.
As soon as she died, they would fight to the death and put their own family members on the throne.
Wen Zheliu had thought about all these things.
He just couldn't understand why these words came out of Dugu Qiu's mouth.
"Dugu Qiu, if I remember correctly, aren't you her most trusted confidant? Tell her I'm pregnant and bring me here to surrender. It should be a win-win for you."
Dugu Qiu choked.
It is true that she is Situ Yun's confidante, but Situ Yun is old and has a lot of old and new illnesses. Their opponent, Zhongyuan, has the god of war He Yuyao and his daughter He Jiuyue. They have fought with Zhongyuan many times and have never been successful.
Since Situ Yun ascended the throne, the Western Yue Kingdom has been declining. On the other hand, her only heir, Wen Zheliu, is not only gifted and intelligent, but also in her prime and pregnant with He Jiuyue's child.
With the birth of the little princess, the two countries will most likely be able to establish relations and there will be no need to fight anymore.
After fighting for a long time, no one can gain the upper hand.
As for Situ Yun and Wen Zheliu, even though they are blood relatives, they have never met each other, so they may not be that close.
If they had a falling out, he would definitely take sides.
Between having a full meal and having a full meal every time, any sane person would know which one to choose.
"I swear to follow you till death." Dugu Qiu knelt down.
Wen Zheliu covered his lips with a handkerchief and coughed softly, then took out a pill from his sleeve and said, "Take it."
Dugu Qiu stretched out his hand as if to take it, but hesitated and stopped in the air.
Wen Zheliu supported her chin with her bare hands, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised.
"You also ate my biological mother, Situ Yun, right?"
"……yes."
This kind of pill that commands loyalty can be taken not only once in a person's lifetime, but when there are two pills with the same effect in the body, it is like raising a Gu, and you have to figure out which one is more effective.
First of all, it depends on the refining craftsmanship.
Situ Yun already had the best medicine furnace in all of Xiyue, and Wen Zheliu's residence, where he lived when he was young, was not necessarily that bad in terms of fine food and finery.
Secondly, whichever pill contains more blood, or has purer Xiyue royal blood, will outweigh the other.
Dugu Qiu is asking him for blood.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
A sweet and fishy taste rose in his throat, and Wen Zheliu subconsciously wanted to swallow it back. Thinking that Dugu Qiu was asking for his blood, his eyes moved, and he spat into the spittoon that still had water stains after being cleaned.
But the blood he vomited was not pure blood, but mixed with some acid.
It fell into the spittoon, half of it hung on the wall, and half mixed with the remaining water stains, making it sticky and obviously unusable.
Wen Zheliu felt even more disgusted when he saw it. He bent his waist, held the edge of the spittoon and vomited several times before he suppressed the churning in his stomach.
He vomited so hard that the sky was black and the earth was dark. Dugu Qiu knelt below him, not moving an inch and not daring to say a word.
"Come, ahem, come here."
He wiped the dirt from the corner of his lips with a handkerchief, then Wen Zheliu lifted his sleeve, took out a dagger, and slashed his jade-white arm.
Dugu Qiu understood and quickly found a silver bowl to receive it.
Drops of bright red blood fell into the bowl, making Wen Zheliu's wrist look even paler.
However, the wound was not deep enough. A thin layer of blood dripped out and then stopped seeping. It even showed signs of healing. Wen Zheliu bit the inside of his lip lightly with his white teeth and cut it again. He stared at the bowl until it was almost full before pressing the wound with his fingertips.
Dugu Qiu treasured it and put it away: "Thank you, sir."
"……Um."
Due to excessive blood loss and severe vomiting just now, Wen Zheliu felt dizzy and his eyes were blurry. He supported himself on the table with his elbows.
"Please find a doctor."
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