Shanglin Night Snow

Sunlight slanted in through the window, covering half of the neat desk.In the shadow on the right side of the window, the lonely figure is like a silent ghost, which has not moved for half a day.

There was a slight sound of footsteps behind him.

"Has he come back?" The person in front of the window spoke in a low voice, apparently without hope, and without turning around.

Those who entered bowed their heads: "Return to Your Majesty, Shao Dianshuai is still in Yaohua Palace and has not yet returned."

There was a moment of silence.

The person in front of the window turned back to the case, and as his sleeves flicked, a crisp cracking sound resounded in the huge hall.

The visitor turned his gaze to his toes: "Your Majesty, Mr. Zhang, the counselor of political affairs, asks to see you."

Mu Yunqi sat down, and drew an arc on the case from near to far with his fingertips casually, landed on the stack of blue booklets, and said plainly: "Let him in." It seemed like that scene just now, but It's just someone's imagination.

When Zhang Zhongyue entered, Mu Yunqi was thinking about the Zhazi spread out in front of him.

New news came from Youguo. At the end of the first month, Huo Lanyu's old illness relapsed, and he was dying for a time. During this time, Huo Lanyu, the King of Qi, was urgently called back to Beijing. However, after several days of treatment, Huo Lanyu's condition improved. At that time, Huo Lanyu had died On the way back to Beijing, Huo Lanyu immediately ordered him to return to Jinzhou, where he was stationed, without delay!

Mu Yunqi was worried at the moment: "Master You is too suspicious, whether King Qi can successfully ascend the throne, it seems really hard to say now."

Zhang Zhongyue replied: "It's up to people to plan things. Now that the king of Qi knows where the danger lies, he should take precautions. He should have left a way out for himself." It is the king of Qi and not the king of Chu, so it can be seen that the position of the king of Qi has been guaranteed, which is really good news for us."

This remark obviously had a soothing effect on Mu Yunqi, and he nodded when he saw it: "What you said is very true, Huo Lanxian has a lot of strategies, so he should have a plan. Since we are helpless at the moment, we can only wait and see." The direction of the wind, see the opportunity again." Yan Jian pushed the Zha Zi in front of him aside, rubbed his brows: "Is there any discussion in the court about the matter of Concubine Jing?"

The person who was questioned told the truth: "Concubine Jing is already suffering from illness, and both inside and outside have heard about it. Although the incident happened suddenly, it is not without warning. Even if there are some rumors outside, it is groundless after all."

Mu Yunqi smiled bitterly: "However, the Shao family may not think so."

"Your Majesty is referring to Shao Chenye?" Zhang Zhongyue stroked his beard, "Forgive me for your boldness. In his position, it is not surprising if you have some doubts about this matter. Your Majesty may wish to give favor to his family in time. I heard that Concubine Jing is still alive." It will take several years for the two younger brothers to reach the age of Yinbu, Your Majesty might as well promote him to the official position earlier, in order to appease the Shao family, it is considered decent."

Mu Yunqi's eyes flickered slightly: "I think so too, it's just..."

"Your Majesty is worried about Shao Jingheng?" Seeing him pondering, Zhang Zhongyue made it clear.

Mu Yunqi sighed softly, and no longer concealed his melancholy: "Shao Jingheng's city is quite deep, although the death of Concubine Jing has not yet been questioned, but the blind silence makes me more suspicious. I think he has always been concerned about Concubine Jing. Moreover, I promised him that Concubine Baojing will be safe in this life, but now that something unexpected happened, I really worry that he will act with resentment in his heart."

Zhang Zhongyue twitched his beard for a moment, then spoke cautiously: "Has Your Majesty ordered someone to investigate the death of Concubine Jing, is there any doubt?"

Mu Yunqi was at a loss, and leaned back in the chair exhaustedly: "Since Concubine Jing's illness has worsened, I ordered the Secretary of the Imperial City to investigate secretly, but in the end I couldn't find anything suspicious. According to the imperial doctor, Concubine Jing's old illness has worsened. , coupled with recurring wind and cold, Yin Shu disease was complicated and died, and there was no sign of man-made harm."

"This is God's will." Zhang Zhongyue breathed a sigh of relief: "Even if the Shao family has doubts about this, there is no reason to attack without evidence."

"I also hope so." Mu Yun prayed and stroked his forehead, but couldn't let go of it for a while.

Zhang Zhongyue paused for a moment, and submitted several letters: "As for the uncle and nephew of the Shao family, I still have something to report."

Mu Yunqi frowned: "Impeachment again?"

Those who looked at him nodded: "It is not uncommon for Yushitai to impeach Shao Chenye for personal fraud and bribery to gain power. It is also commonplace to accuse the Shao family of being disloyal as a minister, and it is not uncommon to talk about it in general terms. For example, Yushi Zhou Qi impeached Shao The clan supports the soldiers with self-respect, the uncles and nephews of the Shao family have little talent and virtue, relying on their family background to get to a high position, it is actually a vegetarian meal, and this even implicated Guo Kai, the capital of the infantry, because he relied on the princess to gain power."

Mu Yunqi was helpless: "This man really speaks freely, regardless of the timing. What's the use of being impeached every time without any evidence?"

Zhang Zhongyue felt the same about this, and after pondering, he said: "There are also some people who have detailed words. Yushitai Liu Hang and several others jointly participated in the impeachment of Shao Jingheng's evil deeds in the Northwest. It can be said to be well-known. It is said that he is headstrong, arbitrary, violent and unrestrained, and that the leader of the army to kill and seize depends on his own will. He also cited many examples. It is a meritorious service for one enemy to ten in the enemy's rear, but he returned to the camp and was accused of "defeat and escape" and was beheaded; there is also a case of Tang Tinghui, the magistrate of Liangzhou, who committed suicide because he lost the city. Liu Hang and others said that this matter Another inside story is that Shao Jingheng led the army to save the city and was frustrated, so in order to cover up his own loss, he put the blame on Tang Tinghui and forced him to commit suicide (even killing him and calling him suicide) in order to protect himself."

Mu Yunqi pondered for a while: "Is there any evidence for all of these?"

Zhang Zhongyue shook his head: "Not at all. I think it's all a matter of following others' opinions and catching up with the wind. Even if there are shadows, Shao Jingheng can defend himself against the so-called military orders abroad, not to mention the battle in the northern border. His achievements are high, and it is not easy to convict him based on these! However, the case of Tang Tinghui may be worthy of investigation, whether it is true or not, although we cannot make a public conclusion right now, but if we find out the inside story, it will be of some benefit in the future."

"In the future..." Mu Yunqi sighed and expressed his helplessness: "Ze Yiqing, what should we do now?"

The other said frankly: "The impeachment of chasing after the wind and the shadows, and the new death of Concubine Jing, both emotional and reasonable, should not be widely announced. So I think that it is better to hand over these few clear-named cases to the Imperial City Secretary for secret investigation."

Mu Yunqi nodded: "Just Yiqing."

After Zhang Zhongyue left, Mu Yun prayed for a moment, and suddenly called Huangmen: "Let Shao Jingheng come to the palace to see you immediately, I have something to ask!" Huangmen led the order to go, but he changed his mind and stood up: "That's all, my dear Let's go to Yaohua Palace."

It was dusk when he left the palace, and only half of the sun in the western sky was left leaning on the top of the distant mountain.

The light car was simple, and all the way out of Liangmen, the flow of people gradually thinned out, but the scenery opened up.As far as the eye can see, wisps of cooking smoke are floating up on the roofs in the distance, and scattered with the wind as evening mist, covering the fields and forests.Going forward, the surroundings are dark green and light green, peaches and apricots are competing, and powder noodles are rushing.

Putting down the curtain of the car, the person who closed his eyes sighed softly: "Chun | The color is pleasant, but it's a pity that the direction is not what he wants."

The scene in front of me seems to be back to the day 16 years ago, after the death of the birth mother, Empress Wenkang.

There are plain white flags everywhere, white flags swaggering, cigarettes around the body, and the sound of cymbals makes people dizzy and dizzy.However, the plain human wall behind the retreat early education was sealed off, and the six-year-old boy had to be like a puppet at the mercy of a dozen pale-faced attendants who looked like living corpses, receiving incense, bowing deeply, standing still, and kowtow... as if in a dream, Light and hazy.

Huanpei jade sounded softly, and when she turned around, she saw that the palace people surrounding her had bowed their heads and scattered, and there was a woman in a plain skirt standing alone in front of the door, wearing thin powder and daisy, and her eyes were cold.Lightly moving the lotus steps forward, the woman squatted down, her slender jade fingers brushed the little man's pink cheeks, and the trace of forced mourning on her face disappeared, the corners of her mouth slightly turned up, with a frightening smile: "This is What about the prince? It’s really pitiful to lose your mother at a young age.”

That day was the first time that six-year-old Mu Yunqi met the rumored glamorous woman.Thinking about it now, Shao's smile at that time was obviously chilling, but it fell into his eyes, but he didn't feel terrible, it must be said, it was just loathing.

After all, after that day, Mu Yunqi hated going to the mourning hall, and beautiful women with a heart of snakes and scorpions.

The carriage stopped slowly, and the voice of the attendant came through the curtain: "The official, we're here."

The Qing'an Hall where the mourning hall is located is surrounded by cigarette smoke, the flags and banners are blowing lightly, and the sound of clocks is full of wooden fishes.During the interval between incense sticks, Mu Yunqi taught that the smell of fireworks lingering in the hall made him dizzy. Fortunately, the attendants played at the right time, please move to Yaobi Pavilion for a short rest.

Looking at the person standing on the side, Mu Yunqi ordered: "Jing Heng come together."

Yaobi Pavilion is located in the northwest corner of the palace. It is quiet, simple yet elegant.With no banners, banners, souls, silk flags and shadows waving, nor the sound of bells, drums, and cymbals disturbing each other, Mu Yunqi's dizziness and deafness gradually subsided, and his heart returned to peace.

After the palace servants served tea, they withdrew.

The pavilion was opened just now to greet the driver, although the room has been lit with incense, there is always an unpleasant smell of dust lingering at the tip of the nose.Shao Jingheng tried to push the window but it didn't open, probably because it hadn't been used for a long time and it was already stuck.

Mu Yun just prayed to go down the sidewalk, since he was only here for a while, and it was very cold at night, there was no need to worry about it.

"If I remember correctly, Your Majesty has been reluctant to set foot in the mourning hall since he was a child, but how could he come here now?" After taking the order to sit down, Shao Jingheng obviously had nothing to say.

Mu Yunqi stared at the dark green tea soup: "I promised you that Concubine Baojing will grow old safely, but now I have broken my promise, and come here to burn incense in front of her spirit to comfort the dead, it is only right."

"Your Majesty has a heart, and I am grateful." As he said that, the man's tone was indifferent, "However, when it comes to comforting the dead, I think I should thoroughly investigate the inside story of Concubine Jing's sudden death!"

Mu Yunqi was bewildered: "Since Concubine Jing moved here, when she became ill for the second time, I ordered the Secretary of the Imperial City to thoroughly investigate the cause, but unfortunately nothing was found."

The man frowned: "If this is done by someone close to Concubine Jing or the person in power in the palace, it will be difficult to find out." After a while: "Then I think that your majesty should still be the full-time imperial guard in this matter." Shi Tai thought it would be better to conduct a thorough investigation."

Mu Yunqi sighed softly, not wanting to go around with him again: "I know what you are suspicious of, but why don't you think about it, Concubine Jing has already left here, and I promised to keep her safe in front of you, why did you go back on your word?"

"I dare not, and I never said that." The man turned his eyes to look at the light yellow curtain on one side.

"Jing Heng," Mu Yunqi couldn't hide his disappointment, "I have been withdrawn since I was a child, but I am the only one who is honest with you, and now, after all, you still can't trust me?"

"Frankly?" This sentence seemed to disturb the other person's mind. Seeing him turn his head, there was a sarcasm on the corner of his mouth and eyebrows: "Dare to ask your majesty, why didn't you tell me the truth when your father died, and why did you borrow it instead? My third uncle conveyed it? And said that His Majesty wanted to take advantage of my power to bring down Queen Shao, but repeatedly insinuated, implying that Queen Shao would be detrimental to my family, so as to force me to revolt, but Queen Shao suddenly turned indifferent to me, because Aside from realizing that I have become suspicious of her, is it possible that His Majesty is helping the flames? Can this be called honesty?" Looking back, he sneered, "Perhaps the death of Concubine Jing was not what His Majesty wanted, but His Majesty dared to say so. Do you have a clear conscience?"

It was intended to dispel his doubts with heartfelt words, but he didn't know that he was not only ungrateful, but also retorted and aggressive!Mu Yunqi couldn't bear it for a while: "You forced Gong Shaohou to change the cold food, did I instigate you to persecute you, or did you have a plan and focus on it? As for Concubine Jing... If you didn't push me every step of the way, how could I have done it?" Intention to make her move the palace?" At this point, I felt a little dizzy again, as if everything around me became unbearable, even the originally elegant incense smelled irritating at this moment.

Standing up, breaking the incense and throwing it on the ground, Mu Yunqi lowered his head and rubbed his temples: "That's right, when you believed that Concubine Jing's condition was improving, and you really hoped that she would be cured, I ordered the imperial doctor to stop her medicine for a few days, but at most Making her dizzy is definitely not enough to cause an incurable cold, let alone kill her!" He pointed his eyes directly at the opposite side, "If there is any doubt about the death of Concubine Jing, you should be the one who should feel guilty the most!" The feeling of dizziness was even worse, he gritted his teeth and supported the table to stand firm.

There was silence for a while.

A pair of strong hands reached out from the crook of his arms, carefully helping him to sit down.

"Your Majesty's complexion is not good, let's just sit down and rest for a while." The voices in the ear were soft and soft, as if the argument just now was just Mu Yunqi's imagination. Drive back to the palace."

Mu Yunqi propped his forehead with one hand, and waved his hand to indicate that he was free.

Ever since he heard the news of Concubine Jing's death, he has been restless for many days. Even though he found out that there was nothing suspicious about it, he always felt that he might have overlooked something, and he was afraid that the withdrawal of the medicine in those few days might be the culprit that caused the result... A single thought lingers in the heart, gnawing at the mind like a poisonous insect, causing people to be terrified all day long.Today, he finally got the chance to finish his speech, although he didn't know what that person was thinking, but the big stone in his heart had really fallen, and now he just wanted to be alone and recover some energy.

Seeing that he is about to go out, he calls him back.Their eyes met, and Mu Yunqi suddenly didn't want to force it anymore, and his voice softened: "Jing Heng, I really have nothing to do with Concubine Jing's death, you must believe me!" He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, his voice became softer: " When you go, tell the attendant that I don't want to be disturbed, and tell him to wait downstairs without coming."

"Yes." The speaker stared at him silently for a while, then turned and closed the door.

Stepping into the mourning hall of the Qing'an Temple, the lingering smoke and the shadows of the banners made people who have been here all day suddenly feel dizzy. Rubbing the center of his brows, Shao Jingheng calmed down and stepped forward to light a stick of incense.

"If the death of Concubine Jing is really in doubt, you are the one who should feel guilty the most!" Her words sounded in her ears again.

The culprit!Really? ...

Hold the incense and bow respectfully for three times, insert the incense into the furnace, but the feeling of panic in my heart has not been relieved at all.

"when"!The crisp ringtone startled the person who was still in a trance, his eyes swept over the flickering candles, and he suddenly felt restless.

Stepping out of the hall quickly, I smelled a not too strong but clearly distinguishable smell of fireworks in my nose. Several thoughts flashed through my mind, and I saw a ball of fire when I looked up!Before he could think much, Shao Jingheng ran forward like a madman—the place where the flames came from was Yaobi Pavilion!

When you arrived, you had already gathered a group of people who hurried out with buckets.After catching a man from the palace and asking them, he learned that the fire started upstairs, Mu Yun Qishang was trapped inside and did not come out, and everyone was rushing to rescue him.

After being dazzled for a while, Shao Jingheng firmly grasped the door frame to prevent himself from falling.Stepping in quickly, pushing away all the palace people and going up to the second floor through the thick smoke, only to see that the room where they rested just now is already surrounded by fireworks.He snatched the bucket from the palace man and poured it on his head, and plunged into the sea of ​​fire.

The house was filled with thick smoke, and people and objects could not be seen clearly two steps away.Shao Jingheng had no choice but to grope inside according to his memory, and he could vaguely see a few figures, knowing that they were palace servants who also came to rescue him, but he couldn't find the official's house when he asked.

In desperation, Shao Jingheng held a glimmer of hope, and regardless of the fierce fire, he touched the window, but saw that the two windows had been burned, leaving a big hole.Stepped forward a few steps and probed down, as expected - a person loomed under the old tree in Linxuan, motionless!

"Your Majesty!" shouted, but the man didn't realize it.

Gritting his teeth, Shao Jingheng climbed up the crumbling window and jumped down.