Chapter 90 (8,000 words) The Imperial Edict for the Selection of a King, the Struggle for Prestige...
The drizzle in early spring always comes silently. The water droplets on the glazed roof tiles meander down to the ground, gradually staining it damp and dark.
At this time of year every year, Xuan Yizheng is particularly afraid of wind and rain. He closes the doors and windows tightly and cannot tolerate any wind.
Therefore, Xuan Yizhen claimed to be ill and no longer attended the morning court. Instead, Princess Tai'an and the four princesses assisted in the administration while he rested and recuperated.
Yin Xing and Xuan Yizhen sat on a high couch in the outer hall of the palace. Yin Xing spread a soft, fluffy blanket over her. His eyes fell on the pile of documents beside the desk, and he wondered, "Didn't Yizhen let the princess and the county lord take charge of government affairs for the time being?"
Xuan Yizhen's thin lips paled slightly, and as she sipped her tea, a rosy complexion appeared. She spoke slowly, "Well, I'm just reviewing the documents they've processed."
Upon seeing this, Yin Xing realized that the number of court affairs was beyond his imagination. These were already streamlined documents prepared by the princesses and princesses.
"Could it be that Yizhen feels that the princess is not doing well and is therefore worried?"
"I'm only worried about you. You've been looking quite down lately. It seems you really need to abstain from sex and rest for a while."
Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen with a hot face as he changed the subject. He wanted to say something but stopped himself. He had to raise his hand to pick up the sweet pastry and put it into his mouth to chew, to stop himself from talking.
Okay, we should always tolerate each other in life, and Yin Xing couldn't tell the truth.
Xuan Yizhen's beautiful eyes were filled with a faint smile. Wen Liang stroked Yin Xing's chubby face with his fingertips and jokingly said, "You like sweets so much, no wonder you gain weight so easily."
Yin Xing, who wanted to take another piece of cake, paused stiffly and picked up the tea to drink. He replied vaguely, "I've never heard of the saying, 'If you don't gain weight during the Chinese New Year, it's like you haven't celebrated the Chinese New Year at all.'"
"No, I wonder which sage or great person said this?" Xuan Yizheng was frank and straightforward, without any hesitation.
"..." Yin Xing, who wanted to remain stubborn, couldn't utter a word and looked at Xuan Yizheng with innocent eyes.
She hasn't looked well lately, with a pair of misty eyes filled with a heavy mood that even her gentle demeanor can't conceal.
In silence, Xuan Yizhen stopped teasing Yin Xing. He wiped the tea from her lips with a handkerchief and said softly, "If you feel that accompanying me is boring, you can actually catch up on some sleep and rest."
Yin Xing didn't understand the affairs of state, and Xuan Yizheng wouldn't tell her about them, so it must have been very boring.
"It's okay, I'll stay here with Yizhen and you can rest too." Yin Xing looked at the spacious soft couch and was not at ease with Xuan Yizhen sitting alone.
As he spoke, Yin Xing was wrapped in a snow-white blanket, his head resting on Xuan Yizheng's lap. He was glad that the fire path under the bedroom was much warmer than the villa.
Xuan Yizhen lowered his eyes to look at the fluffy Yin Xing. His palms landed on her fair face, carefully touching and tracing it, and he coaxed her softly, "Okay. Go to sleep."
Yin Xing closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep, his breathing gradually becoming long.
At this moment, Xuan Yizhen's eyes, with his back to the candlelight, were exceptionally quiet and deep, like a canyon cave in the mountains, with a hint of confusion in the darkness.
There was no sound in the huge and magnificent bedroom. Even the candlelight did not flicker. It was dead silent.
But outside the palace, a freezing cold wind raged through the palace roads, passed through the palace walls, and leaped into the streets and alleys. It was raining heavily, and pedestrians hurried past in the cold without stopping.
Jiang Yun stepped into the restaurant, raised his hand to pat the rain off his new clothes, and sat down with light steps.
Su Xuying fiddled with the golden abacus in a bad mood, making a clacking sound like a sharp weapon. She said in a low voice, "Last time you ate and took without paying, and today you think you can eat for free?"
"Stop, I'm just keeping accounts, I'm not refusing to pay." Jiang Yun took out the gold ingots and placed them on the table with a smile, pouring tea by himself, his eyes swept across the piles of account books on the table, and he sighed inwardly that he was obsessed with money.
Su Xuying took the gold ingot without hesitation and placed it in the cabinet. She said shrewdly, "I'm afraid you're here for more than just paying off your debts, right?"
Jiang Yun lifted a heavy bag of gold ingots from the table and complimented, "Ms. Su has a lot of information and connections. She must be able to find out about the Ghost Condensation Manual, right?"
"Strange, you are not seriously ill, why do you keep thinking about it and are willing to spend a lot of money?" Su Xuying could estimate the price of the gold bag by just looking at it, and knew that at least half of it was the profit from the original contract amount.
Su Xuying absolutely did not believe Jiang Yun's nonsense about Liu Ci being curious about medical books.
"Alas, I'm not sick, but the girl I adopted is very ill and has a hard time." Jiang Yun sighed, his expression no longer as conceited and unrestrained as before.
Su Xuying's reaction was flat. She raised her hand and nimbly fiddled with the golden abacus, saying, "It's not that I won't help you, but it's about the Ghost Condensation Secret Manual. The Lord has also sent people to look for it, but there's no news at the moment."
When Jiang Yun heard this, he remembered Yin Xing's worried look at that time, and it was not difficult for him to suspect that her new emperor's wife was in the same bad condition.
"So the Ghost Condensation Secret Manual might not even be circulated in the world, otherwise there would be no reason why even the Emperor couldn't find it."
"Who says it isn't? Moreover, because the Lord is claiming to be ill, it has further aroused the ambitious people in the court. People from both the underworld and even the underworld are all looking for the Ghost Condensation Manual."
Su Xuying paused fiddling with the golden abacus, looked up at Jiang Yun, and said teasingly, "I heard that the ghost Ning who wrote the Ghost Ning secret book is not only a skilled doctor, but also has superb magic skills. It is said that he can escape the cycle of life and death. Why don't you try to find this person?"
Jiang Yun looked at Su Xuying suspiciously, feeling she was trying to trick him. He spoke cautiously, "Rumors of Gui Ning have been around for at least a thousand years. Even if he were immortal, he would have died of old age by now. When did you switch careers and start swindling people?"
It turns out that frauds and deceptions all start with acquaintances, so we must be vigilant!
"I'm only giving you this hint after seeing that you've offered a large sum of money. Rumor has it that Gui Ning is an immortal. She's waiting for a destined person. She'll appear on the Ghost Festival every Jiazi year. This year happens to be a Jiazi year. If you want to know the details, pay first." As Su Xuying spoke, she raised her hand to take the gold bag, her movements very skillful.
"You used this kind of nonsense to cheat people out of money? I really misjudged you!" Jiang Yun said with disdain. He then used his sword to pick up the gold bag to avoid the thief's hand and was about to run away.
Su Xuying raised her eyebrows, opened the golden fan with one hand, and approached Jiang Yun, not wanting to let her gold bag leave the pavilion.
The two people's bodies changed, the tables, chairs and screens trembled slightly, the wooden boards on the ground shook, and dust covered the ground. The guests downstairs were puzzled.
The golden fan opened and closed with a cold, sharp sound. Jiang Yun quickly dodged it, his eyes glittering with cunning as he said with a smile, "Goodbye!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Yun swung his sword and picked up a golden god of wealth with smiling eyes, threw it to the side, and when the god was not prepared, he jumped out of the attic window and escaped.
Su Xuying was quick-witted and swift-handed. She waved her golden fan and deftly caught the Golden God of Wealth. She treasured it very much and said angrily, "This Jiang Yun is such a thief. It's almost impossible to get money from her!"
Jiang Yun had already stepped on the rain on the ground and quickly returned to the small medicine shop where the medicine soup was boiling.
Liu Ci looked at Jiang Yun, who was holding the heavy gold bag and putting it into the cabinet. He didn't close the medical book in his hand, and asked doubtfully, "Could it be that your friends in the martial arts world have no solution?"
Jiang Yun raised his hand to pour the tea and drank it, then said apologetically, "The Ghost Condensation Secret Manual is too old, and there is no successor, so it is very difficult to find."
"Then there is no other way to treat it?"
"However, I heard that the current empress is also ordering people to find the Ghost Condensation Secret Manual, but there is no news yet. I am afraid that there may not be any medical books with such strange names in the world."
When Jiang Yun first heard the name of this secret book, he never thought it was a medical book. It felt more like a book of ghost stories.
Seeing the fine raindrops on Jiang Yun's face and hair, Liu Ci wiped them off with a clean handkerchief and explained, "I also heard Master mention Gui Ning before. The way he spoke seemed strange and bizarre, so I asked about it and learned that Gui Ning was a shaman who was in charge of offering sacrifices to ghosts and gods."
Jiang Yun cooperated and let Liu Ci wipe the water droplets. Seeing her so gentle and considerate, he hugged her with a distracted heart and said, "But there are no so-called witches now. No wonder the secret book disappeared with the world."
"But Master said that the rumored Gui Ning is immortal and not subject to the cycle of life and death. The book she wrote also has this effect."
"Are you sure your master didn't just tell you something he heard from a storyteller in the teahouse?"
Jiang Yun remembered that Liu Ci was very easy to deceive when he was a child, but that master was very cunning and always deceived him.
Liu Ci looked at Jiang Yun, who was clearly unconvinced. He wiped the water droplets from her slightly heroic brow with his fingertips through a handkerchief. Meeting her scorching gaze, his heartbeat quickened slightly, his face flushed as he spoke, "Master has been dead for many years. I have no way to verify it. Now I can only find another way to treat her. Please stop making trouble."
After saying that, Liu Ci took out Jiang Yun's hand that was being touched randomly, feeling that she was asking for it too frequently now, and avoided her suggestive gaze.
Now Jiang Yun is like an energetic gray wolf who can never be fed enough.
Jiang Yun didn't resist, letting Liu Ci move his hand away. His eyes fell on the part of her white neck that wasn't covered by the buttons of her collar. His throat felt dry, and he cleared it and said, "Ah Ci, I heard from Yin Xing that they can be intimate during the month except when they have menstrual period."
"This kind of thing shouldn't happen too often, otherwise it will lead to physical weakness or mental depression. Do you still want to drink bitter soup?" Liu Ci blushed with embarrassment and said in a low voice.
"Okay, then drink the medicine soup, it's a deal." Jiang Yun leaned forward slightly and hugged Liu Ci's soft body, his thin lips pressed against her ear and said ambiguously.
Liu Ci felt waves of hot breath falling on her earlobes, stirring up dense itchiness. When her jaw was pinched, she tasted an aggressive kiss. Her palms rested helplessly on the old wooden medicine cabinet, her fingertips curled up and trembling, unable to push it away. She called out in a hoarse voice with uneven breath: "Ayun, don't, I'm busy now. Give it to you after dark, okay?"
Jiang Yun ended the seductive kiss with satisfaction, not wanting to cling too tightly to avoid angering Liu Ci. He raised his hand to fasten the loosened buttons on her collar and said with a wicked smile, "Okay, I'll go find out more about the poisoner somewhere else. Perhaps I'll have to start with the Du family in Wuzhou."
After saying that, Jiang Yun picked up his hat in case of rain and hurried out of the pharmacy.
Seeing this, Liu Ci raised his hand to his chest, feeling extremely agitated. He used his fingertips to lift up a few strands of hair on his cheek, only then did he realize that his face was incredibly hot.
It rained continuously outside the drugstore in spring, and only when the spring was gradually getting warmer did the sun gradually become brighter and warmer.
Princesses and princesses assist in government affairs
After several months of twists and turns, when all the officials in the court and the country were waiting and waiting, the six heads of the Wanqi family were already the most anxious.
Firstly, it was for the interests and bloodline of the Wanqi family, and secondly, it was to prevent the throne of the dynasty from falling into the hands of the royal family again, and all the years of planning would be in vain.
Then, memorials regarding the selection of a prince to enter the palace fell like snowflakes on the desks of the four princesses and Princess Tai'an.
At first, the princesses and princesses did not take it seriously, but as more and more people learned about it, they realized that it was the Wanqi family that was pushing the court officials, and then they all started to have their own ideas.
"Come and catch up with me!" a child said in a childish voice as he ran across the long road.
"Your Highness, slow down!" Many waiters followed, full of panic.
The eldest princess looked at the children running around in the distance, put down the book in her hand, and said, "It's only been warm for a few days, and someone is already impatient. How do you think we should handle this matter?"
Hearing this, the Fourth Princess glanced at the sharp armor on her eldest sister's hands and pretended to be confused, "Choosing a ruler is a matter for the inner palace. Let's leave it to His Majesty."
"Fourth sister, the six chief ministers of the Wanqi family are now competing for supremacy in the imperial court. Our royal family is weak, and we only have this little prince, born to me. However, we may have a chance to compete in the future."
"Do the other two sisters know what the eldest sister meant?"
The eldest princess' expression suddenly turned cold and stern, and she said nonchalantly, "The second eldest's reputation is completely ruined, and her health is not good, so she has never had any children. The third eldest is even more obsessed with having fun. Fourth sister, shouldn't you take a long-term view?"
At that time, Han Fei and the second princess ordered people to surround the residences of the three princes and strangle all their blood vessels.
Looking ahead now, his son will undoubtedly be the most qualified and legitimate heir to the throne in the royal family.
The fourth princess remained silent, thinking that there was a reason why the other two sisters did not often interact with the eldest sister.
The new emperor has just ascended the throne. Even if he is in poor health, it does not mean that he will not have children in the future.
What's more, there is Princess Tai'an, who has an army of women under her command. She was the one who was reluctant to get married but adopted the twins of her elder sister who died early.
Those two children are now able to learn both literature and martial arts. If they really want to compete, the eldest princess, who is just a playful little princess, has no chance of winning.
In the quiet courtyard, the sky is bright and its light is silently projected onto the Second Princess's residence. Amid the sound of wooden fish, sandalwood incense lingers in the air.
"It's already so lively at the beginning of spring. It's really a good show where I put on a show and then you take the stage. Someone, please classify all these documents for selecting the emperor to enter the palace and submit them to the person in the palace for review." The second princess fiddled with the ruby Zen beads with her fingertips and called out with a chuckle.
"As you command." The waiter responded fearfully, feeling that his master was a little crazy.
In the afternoon, the letters from the four princesses and princesses were all sent to the dragon table in the deep palace.
At this moment, Yin Xing was showing Xuan Yizheng how to fold a thousand paper cranes.
Xuan Yizhen's white fingertips held the origami paper and slowly folded it in half. He glanced at the clerk beside him and said calmly, "Put these folded books away."
The courtesan Chunli hesitated, thinking, "It's just been brought in, why doesn't the master even glance at it?!"
Yin Xing was also puzzled, thinking that Xuan Yizhen was ill and his memory was confused. He said tactfully, "These documents have just been sent to the palace and have not been reviewed yet."
"Well, is there any problem?" Xuan Yizheng slowly spread out the wings of the thousand paper cranes with his fingertips, revealing his complete body, and said calmly.
"No." Seeing Xuan Yizheng's fluent response, Yin Xing stopped asking.
The female official was even more tactful. Without delay, she left the hall with the documents in her hands and let the eunuchs review them instead.
Since the Lord claimed to be ill, although it is stated that the princess and the county lord have been entrusted with the administration of state, the palace eunuchs will also verify and review the reports. It is not that they are really turning a deaf ear to what is happening outside, but they are using this opportunity to lure the snake out of its hole.
Soon, the hall returned to silence. The sun was shining brightly today and the weather was very clear.
However, the fire in the bedroom was still heating like in winter, and Xuan Yizheng did not find it strange.
But Yin Xing was a little overwhelmed. He sipped his tea intermittently from the heat. Seeing Xuan Yizhen folding paper cranes more and more skillfully, he asked tentatively, "Yizhen, don't you want to go out and bask in the sun?"
It’s not good to always stay in one place. Maybe you should get more exposure to the wider world.
"No, the sun looks bright now, but it's actually very cold, not warm at all." Xuan Yizhen placed the small paper cranes neatly on the table, which was quite childish.
Seeing Xuan Yizhen continuing to fold paper cranes with a look of great interest, Yin Xing couldn't help but ask curiously, "Yizhen, do you like folding paper cranes so much?"
"Yes, and you need to practice more to memorize it so you don't forget it."
"It's okay. If you forget, I can teach Yizhen again."
As he finished speaking, the light from the window lattice was obscured by the clouds and seemed dim.
Xuan Yizheng paused in folding the paper, pursed his thin lips, and his expression froze. He was silent as if he had encountered an obstacle, and his long eyelashes did not move at all.
At first, Yin Xing didn't notice anything unusual. He just stared at the origami held in Xuan Yizheng's palm. It was gradually twisted and squeezed, and the folding direction also became disordered, almost unrecognizable.
After a while, bits of paper were scattered on the table. Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizheng's gloomy and depressed expression, which changed rapidly, and didn't dare to make a sound.
When the light from the window lattice fell on Xuan Yizhen's eyes, which were empty, Yin Xing called out with a fluttering heart, "How about I teach you again?"
Xuan Yizhen met Yin Xing, who was looking wary and worried, in a daze. Then he saw a pile of broken paper in his hand and asked in confusion, "Origami, why is it broken?"
"It's okay, I accidentally tore it into pieces just now." After saying that, Yin Xing quickly cleaned up the remaining pieces, fearing that it would arouse Xuan Yizheng's suspicion.
"Is that so?" Xuan Yizheng murmured indifferently, raised his hand to touch the thousand paper cranes not far away, and there were some dark ripples in his dark eyes.
Maybe the medicine hasn't been working very well lately, so I always feel absent-minded.
At dusk, the palace maids served dinner. Yin Xing served soup and dishes to Xuan Yizhen, paying close attention to her every move, almost wanting to feed her directly!
Xuan Yizhen noticed Yin Xing's abnormality and asked in confusion, "Could it be that I can make you more hungry than food?"
On weekdays, Yin Xing is extremely focused and serious when eating. Her pair of bright black eyes always sparkle when she looks at the food.
"Well, have you ever heard of beauty being a feast for the eyes?" Yin Xing explained clumsily.
"You are quite talkative. It seems that you don't want to abstain from sex tonight." Xuan Yizheng smiled and didn't ask any more questions. He let Yin Xing stare at him.
Yin Xing blushed and was silent, not knowing what to say. He took a mouthful of rice and wondered if there was any association between this.
But Yin Xing didn't want to make things more obvious with his explanation. He looked at Xuan Yi and saw that he was eating as usual without the previous incident. He breathed a sigh of relief.
But Yin Xing found that Xuan Yizheng ate in an orderly manner, with a certain mechanical and fixed feeling.
Not long after, after the two of them finished their meal, Yin Xing and Xuan Yizheng stood up and paced around the hall to digest their food. During this time, the palace lanterns burned quietly, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, but it did not affect her quiet and beautiful appearance.
Xuan Yizhen held Yin Xing's hand. Seeing that she was still gazing at him attentively, he raised his thin lips and whispered, "Do you know what those documents said today?"
Yin Xing, who was thinking, came back to his senses and shook his head: "I don't know, but it should have nothing to do with me."
"If I must say, it has something to do with you, because recently the court officials have been strongly recommending that I hold an election for the emperor."
"What?"
Xuan Yizhen saw Yin Xing's expression change visibly, and recalled her tears when her marriage proposal was rejected. She teased, "Selecting a Prince is the ceremony in which I choose handsome men to enter my harem. Don't you understand this?"
Yin Xing looked at the serious Xuan Yizhen and thought to herself that she was not so ignorant. She looked at her nervously and whispered, "Yizhen, you are not going to choose someone else to enter the harem, are you?"
After he finished speaking, Yin Xing felt a little uneasy, and felt that those court officials were very bad.
They must be jealous of the loving relationship between Xuan Yizhen and me!
"This matter is not only about the ministers, but also the Wanqi family's push. The princess and the princess are even keeping an eye on me. Do you want me to take the risk of being condemned by the whole world?" Xuan Yizheng responded indifferently.
"I, I..." Yin Xing didn't know what to say for a moment. His heart was complicated, as if shrouded in haze.
Just as Yin Xing was hesitating, Xuan Yizhen let out a light smile, as if parting the mist. Her beautiful eyes blinked as she spoke softly, "Silly, if I wanted to obey, why didn't I read those documents?"
Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen, who was smiling gently in front of him, and his heart suddenly became clear. He smiled and said, "That's right. I shouldn't have wavered."
"What are you wavering about?"
"Nothing, just some random thoughts."
Xuan Yizhen leaned closer with interest, his dark eyes reflecting Yin Xing's flushed cheeks. He opened his thin lips and asked, "So you suspect I'll change my mind?"
Yin Xing hugged Xuan Yizhen nervously and leaned in to kiss her thin lips, saying bitterly, "It's just a little bit, not much."
Although Yin Xing believed that Xuan Yizhen was not a fickle and promiscuous person, when he thought of those arrogant and terrifying princesses with ulterior motives, he felt that he should not stop her.
"It seems that I only have a little bit of love in your heart, not a lot." Xuan Yizheng pursed his thin lips and smiled faintly.
"Why do you say that?" Yin Xing came back to his senses and asked.
Xuan Yizhen leaned forward and kissed Yin Xing on the lips, then stepped back as if nothing had happened. He held her warm hand between his fingers and said softly, "As the saying goes, there's no room for two tigers in one mountain. Are you really willing to let so many handsome men come into the palace to serve me?"
Yin Xing held Xuan Yizhen's cool, slender hand tightly and said worriedly, "Of course I'm reluctant, but Yizhen said that there are many people with ulterior motives behind this matter. I can't let Yizhen fall into danger."
"Silly, if it weren't for this grand ceremony, you would have been living in the deep palace without a name or status, and you would be in danger in the future." Xuan Yizhen knew that Yin Xing had no idea about the importance of status and reputation, so he patiently explained to her, "The reason why everyone pushed me to the throne is first and foremost because I'm the legitimate daughter of the Empress. Ordinary princesses and princesses can't compare to me. Even the princes have to respect me. Do you understand?"
Yin Xing nodded, then shook his head, and replied with a burning sensation in his ears: "But we don't have any children."
"Ouch!" As soon as Yin Xing finished speaking, his forehead was tapped lightly. He raised his eyes and saw Xuan Yizhen raising her bare hands lightly. Her eyebrows and eyes were picturesque, like the breeze and the bright moon. Even the candlelight could not cover her brilliance. He was stunned for a moment.
"I said I would give you the best of everything. If you don't want the position of Empress, then no one else is allowed to covet it." Xuan Yizheng said it as bluntly as possible to prevent the dull-witted Yin Xing from misjudging his thoughts.
This king selection ceremony, seemingly aimed at Yin Xing, was a grand affair, but in fact it was more of a test and pressure test by the elders of the Wanqi family on Xuan Yizheng.
Most of the elders thought they could push themselves to the throne or pull themselves down from the throne, so they dared to be so provocative and blatantly threaten.
Yin Xing looked at the calm Xuan Yizhen and felt that her aura was even stronger. He nodded repeatedly, not daring to disobey. He asked curiously, "So what is Yizhen going to do?"
"Of course it's the ceremony for Jing's candidacy. You just looked like you were going to hold back, but don't secretly wipe your tears with your sleeves when the time comes."
“…”
Only now did Yin Xing realize that Xuan Yi was very unhappy and was nitpicking.
Did Xuan Yi really enjoy seeing him getting jealous?!
Thinking of this, Yin Xing shyly replied: "No, I will cry loudly in front of everyone, is that okay?"
Xuan Yizhen looked at Yin Xing, whose cheeks were flushed red, like a delicate spring peach. He couldn't help but touch her face and resisted the urge to bite her. He said lovingly, "Okay, but you can only cry in front of me. Don't go out and let others see you."
In fact, Xuan Yizheng ascended the throne and bestowed titles on princesses and dukes in order to prevent the elders of the Wanqi family from abusing their power and interfering in government affairs, and the current situation is no exception.
It would be a good opportunity to take a look at the thoughts and abilities of various forces. Of course, Xuan Yizhen would not tell Yin Xing about these.
After all, Yin Xing still thinks that he is a puppet emperor who is controlled by many forces. Maybe the wife in her mind should be weak and gentle.
So Xuan Yizheng could only follow Yin Xing's preferences and act his best to the end.
At this moment, Yin Xing was full of shyness, and felt that Xuan Yizheng's kiss on the face was even more sexy than a kiss on the lips.
However, Yin Xing was a little surprised when he thought that Xuan Yi really liked to play this role.
It seems that the drama of good kids and bad kids is outdated.
The two of them walked slowly into the palace, whispering softly, their intimate figures blending into one in the light of the palace lanterns.
The bright moon and stars outside the palace are like stars in a patchwork, heralding the arrival of warm spring.
As the sun rises in the east, flower buds gradually appear on the new green branches, waving in the wind and emitting a faint green fragrance.
The storyteller in the teahouse clapped his hands to wake up the crowd and began to tell today's story.
"It's said that during the last Zhongyuan Festival in the capital of the Jiazi year, sixty years ago, a very incredible thing happened. The legendary ghost Ning appeared in the world, the sky and the earth changed color, the mountains and rivers trembled, and the light was dazzling!"
"The Taoist Ghost Ning, draped in rosy clouds, descended upon the mortal world and made a prophecy: by the next Jiazi year, only one-third of the people in the dynasty would remain!"
"As everyone knows, the dynasty experienced droughts in more than ten states, followed by wars and terrible plagues. Even the emperor himself was not spared!"
After the words were spoken, many people in the teahouse were skeptical, and some even echoed the rumors, saying that they were true.
At this moment, the purple-blue tassel of the sword on the table in the corner of the hall was being stroked and played with. Jiang Yun cracked some melon seeds, brushed off the crumbs, and drank some tea to moisten his throat. He then said in a resounding voice, "It seems you know about the Ghost Condensation Secret Manual?"
The storyteller was stunned, but considering that everyone was watching, he could only respond, "Of course. It's rumored to be a book of runes that can heal the dying, exorcise evil spirits, and escape the suffering of reincarnation. Many people in the dynasty know that the current empress is looking for this secret. You... um!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Yun realized something was wrong. He tapped the tea table with his toes, threw a silver ingot into the storyteller's mouth, picked him up with his palm, and went into the private room upstairs.
The tea drinkers in the hall looked at each other in confusion. Who was this person? It was really new that he robbed the storyteller in broad daylight!
Jiang Yun closed the door, his eyes gleaming with hostility as he said, "Now tell me the truth about who told you to spread the news about Gui Ning, and I'll give you the silver ingots. Otherwise, I'll knock out your teeth!"
The storyteller was so frightened that he almost lost consciousness. He coughed dryly while holding the spitted silver ingot in his palm. Looking at the untouchable woman, he could only reply: "I don't know her either. I just accept money and recite the manuscript."
"You're so ignorant, yet you dare to interfere in your private work and imply that the current empress is tainted with evil. It seems you want to be handed over to the authorities for punishment?"
"No, I met him at a bookshop in the east of the city. Many storytellers or failed scholars make a living from this. I guess the boss behind him has some background."
Hearing the sound, Jiang Yun put away his unsheathed sword.
The Wuzhou Du family, who originally developed the witchcraft, was exterminated and almost wiped out. Jiang Yun asked others but couldn't find out what happened, so he could only come to the teahouse to inquire for news.
Unexpectedly, he discovered that there seemed to be another conspiracy in the capital.
At noon, Jiang Yun returned to the pharmacy to have lunch with Liu Ci and talked about this matter.
Liu Ci served soup to Jiang Yun and the little girl who finally regained some spirits. He frowned and said, "Are you saying that someone is trying to stir up trouble?"
Now that the dynasty has finally come to an end, this is not a good thing.
Jiang Yun drank a mouthful of the delicious stewed meat and bamboo shoots soup, and smiled and leaned closer to reply: "Yeah, and it might be related to the powerful officials in the court, so I didn't get involved too much. I keep my word."
Hearing the voice, Liu Ci met Jiang Yun's naughty and playful face, chuckled without saying a word, and served her food with chopsticks, knowing that she had really changed a lot.
From the New Year to now, he has been accompanying her for three meals a day and basically goes home before dark. Jiang Yun was not so obedient before.
"Have you heard about the recent empress's selection of a prince?" Liu Ci was thinking of Yin Xing in the palace and was a little worried that the girl could not stand the stimulation.
"Well, this is normal. Which emperor doesn't have three palaces and six courtyards?" Jiang Yun ate the delicious stewed meat in big mouthfuls, thinking that he had advised Yin Xing a long time ago, hoping that she could let it go.
At this moment, Yin Xing, who was far away in the palace, had no time to care about other things.
The spring sunshine is bright and the flowers are beautiful, but the palace is as quiet and silent as ever.
The gauze curtains fell, and red silk ribbons wrapped around the cold white skin like jade. With every breath, it trembled as if it was filled with vitality.
Xuan Yizhen lowered her eyebrows, a faint blush on her cheeks, and her black hair fell in disorder, adding a bit of charm. Her clear voice was hoarse as she said, "Tighter."
Yin Xing bent over and listened to the arrangements, his eyes fixed on the mark that kept turning red, his heart beating fast. He looked at Xuan Yizhen who was as graceful as a snow branch, and felt that her beauty was too stunning.
"I have issued an edict to select a king. Don't you want to do something to vent your anger?" Even though Xuan Yizheng fell into passive constraints, he still had a natural majesty. He blinked his beautiful eyes, remained calm, and a faint smile appeared on his thin lips.
The smile was obviously a bit cold, but the eyebrows were unusually gentle, adding a completely different kind of weird beauty, seemingly gloomy, yet gorgeous, just like a man-eating ghost.
"Yizhen is right. This deserves severe punishment." After saying that, Yin Xing leaned over and kissed her slowly. Listening to her gradually heavier breathing, his blood boiled.
But Xuan Yizhen acted very calm, even biting Yin Xing's lips with a smile in his eyes, which was both seductive and dangerous. He said helplessly: "This is what punishment should be like. Learn it carefully."
Yin Xing blushed and nodded in a daze, thinking that when it came to bullying, Xuan Yizheng was indeed much more skilled than him!
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