Chapter 200 The Royal Concubine is shot by an arrow

When they were out of the forest, Jixiang looked back and saw no one around, so he whispered, "Your Majesty has always been in poor health, why did you go through all this trouble?"

"The emperor will not be able to have children again."

Concubine Duan shook her head. The Empress would never let the Emperor have any other children. "The Third and Fifth Princes are not up to the task, and the Sixth Prince is the Emperor's only hope. Even if I hate Shi Lan, I have to consider the overall situation and the Qi family."

The emperor will die sooner or later, and sooner rather than later.

All the court officials were watching and looking for a way out for themselves.

A bowl of medicine back then caused the enmity between the Qi and Nian families. The Qi family now has no other choice. If they don't take sides, they will be enemies with the Nian family and the new emperor. She must make her position clear.

"Then why don't you tell the Royal Consort and the Queen Mother..."

Concubine Duan's head moved slightly, and she looked at Jixiang with a warning look: Is that something that can be said out loud?

Jixiang immediately realized, "My servant has spoken out of turn, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Although the queen is selfish, she said something right. Se-ran is too straightforward and can't keep things to herself. There are some things that only we can do. If she knows, it will only make things worse."

When the Queen came that time, she said one sentence that stopped Concubine Duan from making the confession she had prepared for three days: The Emperor could also hear Shilan's thoughts.

Concubine Duan can only express her stance now and dare not do anything openly.

"The Queen seems to like the Princess very much."

Concubine Duan coughed twice and smiled, "Xi Chao looks very similar to her mother."

"That's right. Her every move, every frown and every smile is just like a miniature imperial concubine. She is obviously the most favored little princess, but she is not arrogant. No wonder all the ladies in the harem like her."

"The Imperial Concubine is arrogant and domineering, while the Empress is treacherous and suspicious. Unexpectedly, they raised Xi Chaotian to be naive and frivolous, while Zhang Yang is not overbearing, and is smart but not calculating. Instead, he combines the strengths of both and avoids their weaknesses, making him very likable."

"In fact, I don't quite understand. With the status and favor of the Imperial Concubine, the prince and princess don't need to be kept by the Empress. The Emperor's unnecessary move makes the Imperial Concubine feel uncomfortable. It seems... not very wise."

"Twins are of the same mind, so they should be raised together." Concubine Duan paused, "From what I've seen, although the emperor may be jealous, he also intends to protect Shilan."

"The Royal Concubine?" Jixiang didn't understand. "Are you overthinking it, Your Majesty?"

"There are as many women in the harem as flowers, but the only one who can really win the emperor's heart is her, except for the late Queen Chunyuan. Otherwise, she..."

If someone else had said so many treasonous words in his heart, the emperor would have found a way to deal with him long ago.

Thinking of the recent discussions in the court, Concubine Duan said, "The Sixth Prince is still young. If he is made the Crown Prince, there will surely be people who will say that the Empress is too young and the Mother is too strong, and that the Mother should be killed to save the Son. The Prince and the Princess did not grow up with the Imperial Concubine, and are less influenced by their birth mother, so she can be saved."

In his previous life, he killed her. Now that he heard that she had no resentment in her heart, he felt guilty and wanted to make amends?

Concubine Duan didn't know if what she thought was right.

On this side of the introduction building, when Jixiang went to help Concubine Duan, Songzhi came to the side of her own queen. She picked up the small purse on the table and handed it to Nian Shilan.

"Your Majesty, this seems to have been dropped by Concubine Duan."

It wasn't dropped, it was left there on purpose.

Nian Shilan raised her hand and paused for a moment, "Give it to the Queen later."

"The Queen?"

Songzhi seemed a little hesitant. She also looked around and said, "The Queen has been busy lately. I'm afraid she doesn't have the energy to take care of other things."

Seeing that her master didn't seem to understand her meaning, Songzhi said more bluntly: "The last time Her Majesty went to see Concubine Duan, the Empress was already unhappy. If she knew that you and Concubine Duan met in private again, I'm afraid she would think too much."

Nian Shilan was filled with astonishment, "I am the Imperial Concubine! Do I need to ask the Empress's permission before I can go where or visit whom?"

"Others don't need it, of course. Isn't this..." Songzhi's voice got smaller and smaller. "Is Concubine Duan special?"

"What?"

Songzhi immediately changed her words, "The Queen has done her best to treat the prince and the princess, and I also hope that the two masters will work together to achieve great things."

Nian Shilan realized that what Songzhi said made sense, but it was not easy for her to blame her. She pulled the purse over and looked at the small pomegranate on it.

"It is for the sake of oneness that I have to tell her. These things cannot be heard by a third person."

Song Zhifu bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I will learn from your teachings."

Ye Lanyi was holding Xi Chao on horseback, and the two of them waved over here.

"My Lady!"

Nian Shilan immediately smiled back. She took Xi Chao back to Louyue Kaiyun. Concubine Jing and the others had just left not long ago.

The queen reached out her hand to touch Xi Chao's neck and asked, "Why are you sweating so much? Are you cold after being blown by the wind all the way back? How can you be so careless as a mother?"

Nian Shilan looked down at Xi Chao, and the mother and daughter blinked at each other. Xi Chao immediately threw herself on the Queen and hugged her legs with both hands.

"Empress Dowager! My wife and I came back on horseback. Look at my cape."

Xi Chao turned around, and the red cape with auspicious clouds and phoenix tail drew an arc in the air, intricate and gorgeous, shining brightly, "It's not cold at all~"

"Your hair is all messy." The queen touched the slightly messy hair on her temples, "Embroidering summer and dyeing winter, take the princess to change clothes quickly."

Ye Lanyi and the maids escorted the princess away.

Nian Shilan went to the bedroom with the Queen and placed the purse in front of her.

"What is this?" asked the Queen.

[I left your place today and went to the introduction building to find Xi Chao. I met Concubine Duan, and she gave me this.]

Nian Shilan confessed honestly, raised her chin slightly, and gestured to the queen, "I don't know what it is either, let's show it to the Lord of the Six Palaces first."

Queen: “…”

[This palace keeps its word. Since I have chosen you, I will never waver and get tangled up with others. However, she said one thing that is right: the Qi family secretly supports Hong Zhao, which does not harm Hong Zhao.]

The queen opened her purse and found a palm-sized bronze mirror inside.

"What is this?"

Nian Shilan took it and took a look at it curiously.

"Heart protector."

The queen's brows were full of thought, and she asked again, "What else did she say?"

"It's dangerous to go to the hunting grounds, so I have to take good care of myself."

danger?

It seems that this time the emperor is openly guarding the Niuhulu family, but secretly, in addition to the upper three banners, he is also mobilizing other troops, and he is determined to take down the rebels.

It is another case of the emperor and empress being of one mind.

Nian Shilan said seriously, "Nothing else."

[I also said a few bad things about you. ]

The Queen raised her head: "..."

Nian Shilan: “…”

Nian Shilan lowered her head and pretended to concentrate on studying the breastplate. "This pattern is nice. Is it for the chest?"

"You are too careless. This heart mirror cannot protect you - Jianqiu."

Jianqiu was holding a tray and talking to Songzhi at the door, "Our queen specially ordered someone to make this according to the size of the imperial concubine..."

When she heard the queen calling her name, she immediately went in, placed the tray on the square table, and left the bedroom.

"This soft armor was previously presented by Governor Yun Gui. I have no use for it and it is useless to leave it alone, so I will give it to you."

The queen lifted the handkerchief, and on the tray was a piece of silver silk soft armor. "Whether your son can become the crown prince depends entirely on you."

The idea was proposed by Nian Shilan herself, and she certainly understood the seriousness of the matter.

【Why are you so sad? You should be happy. 】

[If anything happens to me, you will be Hong Zhao's only queen. ]

The queen rolled her eyes at her.

Joking aside, Nian Shilan said sincerely, "If anything happens to me, please take good care of Hong Zhao and Xi Chao."

In June, the imperial carriage set off, and the emperor, his concubines, and his courtiers and their families went to Mulan Paddock.

It only takes one day to travel from the Forbidden City to Mulan Paddock by express horseback, but the royal family was traveling on foot, the procession was huge, the etiquette was complicated, and the emperor had to take the opportunity to inspect, so the journey would inevitably take more than half a month.

When passing by the Rehe Palace, the emperor felt sorry for his young son who could not withstand the long journey, so he ordered him to rest for one more day.

Xia Qian was ordered to keep an eye on Prince Dun, Longkodo and others. From the moment they left the capital, all the actions of the two were under the control of the emperor.

That night at the palace, Xia Qi came to report that a suspicious person had been found infiltrating the imperial guard team.

The emperor knew what was going on, but still chose to keep his troops in place.

After the imperial carriage arrived at the hunting grounds, it rested for two days before the opening ceremony, which was the first day of hunting.

The night before, the queen was worried, so she sent people to each tent to remind them not to miss the ceremony.

Songzhi received instructions from the Royal Concubine to go to the princess and told Ye Lanyi to stay with Princess Xi Chao at all times. When she came back, she happened to meet Jianqiu.

"Why are you running around so late at night instead of serving the Empress/Royal Consort?"

They both said it almost at the same time.

"I don't have time to waste my time talking to you." Jianqiu glanced around, pulled Songzhi aside, and said in a low voice, "The hunting ground is dangerous and swords have no eyes. You must remember to let the queen dress well before going out tomorrow morning."

Wear it well, of course, refers to soft armor.

"Don't worry, I have served the Majesty for so many years, and nothing has gone wrong."

"This is a matter of life and death, so don't take it lightly."

"I know. Her Majesty said that the Empress is weak and there will be chaos. You should also be more careful and check the road in advance."

The two did not dare to say much. After explaining everything to each other, they went back.

On the first day of the hunt, the emperor shot the first arrow, and the Eight Banners men rushed out like arrows from a bow.

In an instant, the battlefield was filled with the sound of drums, waving flags, and the sound of thousands of horses galloping. The earth was shaking, and the tea on the tables was rippled, and the spectators' blood was boiling.

Prince Dun took advantage of the fact that there were many hunters and deliberately separated from the crowd. He gathered with his trusted followers in the deep forest to discuss what to do tonight.

Xia Qian took advantage of no one's attention, came behind the emperor, and whispered a few words in his ear.

"General Qi has already replaced his men and is aware of tonight's plan."

The emperor raised his hand and took a sip of wine, his expression normal, and Xia Qi left.

As night fell, sheep and deer were cooked and bonfires were lit in the camp. The princes and tribal leaders sat down in order with their wives and queens.

Concubine Xunchang was not allowed to attend such occasions.

Nian Shilan is an exception.

Not only does she have two children, but her second brother is also in the northwest, making great military achievements.

At this moment, she, the vice queen, sat on the left and right of the emperor with the empress, and no one dared to say a word.

The Queen was always worried that something might happen, and seeing that it was getting late, she found an excuse to have Xi Chao taken back first. However, the little girl was having too much fun today. She learned a dance from someone and wanted to show off in front of the Emperor before she could even dance well.

The drums sounded and she entered the stage with two consecutive somersaults, which aroused cheers from everyone.

She walked with swaggering steps in her leather boots, wearing the dress of a prairie princess, her shoulders shaking, and her pearly hair accessories reflecting the firelight.

Xichao's dance might not be standard, but each of his movements is powerful and looks quite good.

Young boys and girls from all the tribes came out to dance and play music for her, and the joyous atmosphere reached a new climax.

Just when everyone's attention was focused on the dance in front of the fire, a dark shadow appeared behind Prince Dun's sturdy body and left in a moment.

The night in the distance was thick and dark, and it became increasingly darker.

Xi Chao bowed to thank the audience, and everyone praised him lavishly. The emperor laughed and reached out to his daughter.

"Xichao is the one I like best! Come! Come to my father!"

A few starbursts burst out from the fire, and a ray of silver light cut through the night sky and shot towards the emperor.

Ye Lan obeyed and entered the enclosure, remaining highly alert. She was the first to notice something unusual, and she flew out without hesitation, protecting Xi Chao under her.

Xia Qian raised a crossbow arrow and shot down the arrows in the air.

Someone noticed something was wrong and shouted, "There's an assassin!"

The empress embraced Hongzhao nearby, while Jianqiu stood sideways in front of her master.

Nian Shilan's first reaction was to glance at her two children. Seeing that they were safe, she reached out and pushed the emperor down, "Your Majesty, be careful!"

The camp became chaotic and people fled in all directions.

"Someone come!" Su Peisheng followed closely behind, shouting, "Protect the driver!"

Two rows of guards entered the venue holding long knives and fish spears, surrounding the emperor, empress, imperial concubine and other nobles.

"There's an assassin! Quickly protect the emperor and get him away!"

Prince Dun's eyes flashed with a gleam of light, and a smug smile appeared on his face:

He was fully responsible for this hunt. Over the past few months, he had made careful arrangements and all the guards at important locations in the enclosure were his men.

Even the guards who came out of the palace and served as escorts were replaced by his own personal attendants in the palace.

He stood up and shouted bravely at the top of his voice: "I am here, who dares to act rashly!" while running in the opposite direction of the emperor.

On the surface, Prince Dun was holding a knife and was ready to fight the assassin to the death to protect the emperor. In fact, he was going to join forces with the personal soldiers of Prince Dun's mansion who were ambushing nearby.

Wait for the order.

The emperor, his children, concubines, and those old ministers loyal to him will all die in this rain of arrows.

And he, Prince Dun——

As one of the few survivors who has served the emperor well, and the only remaining bloodline of the previous emperor, he will be the only one qualified to inherit the throne.

"Shoot!"

Before Prince Dun could even laugh, he realized something was wrong: Who said "release the arrows"?

Before his doubts were answered, arrows rained down from the night sky, clanging and the long sword was ultimately unable to withstand the uninterrupted and continuous attacks.

Until there were no more unusual sounds here, another round of arrows was dropped just in case, and then the guards lit torches to illuminate the surroundings.

If the emperor had not been a little bit confident about what happened tonight, he would not have personally gone to the front line of danger.

The guards stepped forward to take a look, then came back and knelt before the emperor, saying sadly:

"Your Majesty! Prince Dun was killed by thieves while protecting the emperor. It has already been..."

Without even a word being spoken by either side, Prince Dun and his cronies and personal soldiers were shot into pieces.

Prince Dun is of noble status and difficult to deal with. It would be better for everyone if he died with honor.

The emperor's face was filled with sorrow, but he slammed the table in anger and said, "Investigate! Investigate it thoroughly!"

"This is the imperial forbidden land. I want to see who is so bold as to assassinate me!"

"Your Majesty, be careful!"

Another arrow flew in the same direction as the first arrow. Nian Shilan stood in front of the emperor without hesitation.