Placid Chang'an

Early the next morning, when the gate of Xingqing Palace opened, Su Cen came out silently.

Zheng Yang rushed forward excitedly, gesticulating to Su Cen while walking, "Sure enough, someone stood up again this morning, two more than yesterday, and there was a censor who wrote a long scroll of impeachment profusely." Li Sheng, I read it out in the hall, calling Li Sheng a villain who messed up the government and corrupted the government, and said he was a treacherous minister who persecuted loyal and good ministers. I wanted to give him a "good" word on the spot. Mr. Zhang Jun, Mr. Zhang, submitted a resignation this morning, but the little emperor rejected it on the spot, and ordered Li Sheng to release the two people arrested yesterday. Don't take personal revenge for any reason, it was directed at Li Sheng. You just go in and tell the little uncle, let him wait patiently, as long as we find out by then, I'm not afraid that Li Sheng won't let him go."

Su Cen lifted the curtain and got into the carriage, sat down without saying a word.

"Where are we going today?" Zheng Yang followed closely behind, and asked Su Cen after taking his seat.

Su Cen stared at the small space in front of him for a moment, not knowing how to answer.

where to?Where else could he go now?

Su Cen's eyes were lost for a moment before he said, "I want to visit Zhaoling."

"What's the matter with you?" Zheng Yang was surprised, Su Cen's voice was very hoarse, obviously yesterday it was fine, but after a night, the pearly and smooth voice seemed to have been polished with sandpaper.

Taking a closer look, I saw that Su Cen was haggard as far as the eye could see.

"Are you sick?" Zheng Yang stretched out his hand to test it, but Su Cen turned his head away, his throat was really sore, he didn't want to say a word at this moment, he could only use his eyes to signal Zheng Yang to get back to the topic.

Zheng Yang couldn't help but shook his head at Su Cen, "Zhaoling is far away in the western mountains on the outskirts of the city. It will take us half a day to go there. I'm afraid we won't be able to make it back before the curfew. And there is no edict, and the people who guard the tomb will not let you in..."

Zheng Yang was stunned suddenly, "Why are you going to Zhaoling? What do you want to do?!"

"Trespassing the mausoleum..." Su Cen swallowed before continuing, "What crime is it?"

Zheng Yang frowned, "In order to prevent the emperors from all dynasties from being exhumed and robbed, our government strictly supervises the imperial tombs. Not to mention that you can't get in by force, even if you go in, that is also a crime of beheading, isn't it? Just kidding."

"What about destroying the imperial tomb?"

"That's a serious crime of copying the Nine Races," Zheng Yang raised his eyebrows, "What the hell do you want?!"

Su Cen shook his head lightly, but never mentioned the matter of the Imperial Tomb when he spoke again.

"Go to the palace." Su Cen said softly, "I want to see the records about the late emperor's illness."

In a small courtyard on the outskirts of the northwest city, a young man in black strode into the courtyard carrying a food box. He was about to raise his hand to open the door when he came to the door, but he heard some noises in the room.

The rustling sound was like the gentle friction of fine metal, if you don't listen carefully, you will almost miss it.The people in the room seemed to be aware of the commotion outside, and after a moment of silence, there was a rush to clean up, and silence returned after a while.

The young man opened the door and went in, only to see a person lying on the bed, with a haggard complexion, but his appearance was exquisite.Hearing the noise, he opened his eyes, looked sleepy, and his voice was a little hoarse, and asked, "Han Shu? Why are you here? Where's Xiaohong?"

Han Shu put the food box heavily on the table, stepped forward, lifted the quilt covering Qu Linger, and sneered, "Don't pretend."

I saw a pair of shiny iron locks wrapped around those white ankles, but the ends of the locks were scratched in a mess, and there was a small scratch on the impenetrable fine steel lock.

"This, this..." Qu Ling'er sneered, "My feet are cold when this big iron block is tied to my leg, so I did it..."

"Where are things?" Han Shu stretched out his hand with a cold face.

Qu Ling'er and Han Shu were in a stalemate for a long time, and then she reluctantly handed over the last butterfly dart on her body.

Han Shu snorted coldly, turned his head and left, "Let them come over and replace you with a new pair tomorrow."

"Han Shu, Han Shu!" Qu Ling'er hastily went to pull, but just as she was grabbing a corner of the sleeve, Han Shu pulled it out forcefully, and she fell off the bed with all her strength.

Involved in the old wounds on his body, he immediately grinned in pain.

Han Shu stopped walking and looked back, finally sighed helplessly, then bent down to pick him up and send him back to the bed.

"Han Shu," Qu Linger said once she climbed onto Han Shu's wrist, she would not let go, her slender knuckles were eager to be sucked into human flesh, "Han Shu, listen to me, I have to go out, they use me to threaten Brother Qi, you Gotta help me."

"Why are you so...so obsessed with eating and not beating?" Han Shu gritted his teeth angrily, "This is the person you said was really nice to you, but he turned around and poked a hole in you. Are you surprised or not? Accident?"

Qu Ling'er held the sword wound on her heart and shook her head lightly, "Brother Qi didn't do it on purpose."

Han Shu wished he could go up and open Qu Ling'er's head to see if it was full of paste, and finally he could only sigh heavily, "My father took so much effort to get you back from the sect master, Don't think about tossing about it, and let the old man have peace of mind, okay?"

Qu Linger's eyes suddenly lit up, "I want to see Master."

"Don't even think about it, my father won't agree!" Han Shu said firmly, "My father worked for Prince Chongde during the Wude period, and he has been in the secret door since the establishment of the secret door. He will never betray the secret door." door."

"I don't know how the situation outside is going, but it must not be much better." Qu Ling'er lowered her eyebrows sadly, "Then please ask Master for me, is this what he has been waiting for for so many years?"

As the end of the year approaches, the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven is on the agenda as scheduled, but it is slightly different from the previous year's team. The position of Prince Ning has been replaced by Prince Yu Li Sheng, and the presenter has also changed to an unfamiliar face. Xu is the first The first time I got this job, I shrank, my waist was not straight enough, my face was not good, I accidentally took the wrong step, and I was dressed in red like a funny gorilla.

Su Cen went against the flow of people, turning a blind eye to this huge team.

In recent days, he has been busy going in and out of the imperial palace, sky prison, and Dali Temple, analyzing the case word by word, checking every point, and visibly losing weight, his face getting colder, and often One look makes one feel cold all over, and no one dares to provoke her.They just go back to Xingqing Palace as soon as the curfew is reached, sometimes twice a day, they don't say a word when they see Li Shi, they just go up to pick people's clothes, and they spare no effort every time.Li Shi didn't move, so he worked hard by himself, and finally cried and shouted and was exhausted before he was able to sleep peacefully for a while.

Since it started with a trade of flesh and blood, it will end here. If he can really die on the bed, it will be considered a good end.

Every day before dawn, I go out again, and I have been busy until New Year's Eve.

I also ran into Li Sheng in the palace, and asked him with a smile how the case was going.Tomorrow morning, the Grand Court will still count on him to be as good as last time.

Su Cen was very haggard, as if she could fall down if blown by the wind, but she still said in a hoarse voice, "I will definitely live up to my lord's expectations."

"Your voice is not good. I'm afraid all the courtiers will not be able to hear you clearly." Li Sheng suddenly raised his hand to attach the man's Adam's apple, and it tightened before Su Cen could retreat. The joints there were clear and fragile, and the Adam's apple After sliding a few times with difficulty, he was finally forced to stop under strong force.

Li Sheng let go only before the joints dislocated there, and said with a light smile, "Where do I have good Qiuli ointment, I'll send someone to deliver it to you later."

Su Cen leaned over and coughed until the sky was dark, her raised shoulder blades were abrupt and obvious.

As soon as it got dark, the city of Chang'an was already decorated with lights and festoons, just like a whitewashed peace of "a businesswoman who doesn't know the hatred of subjugation, but who is still singing flowers in the backyard across the river".

Today was uncharacteristically, just after nightfall, Su Cen came to the gate of Xingqing Palace with a food box, in addition to two bunches of firecrackers and two fireworks. There is nothing wrong with it on New Year's Eve. Let people in.

Su Cen found the Nanxun Palace where Li Shi was staying, and saw that the royal food from the palace had already been delivered there, which was unusually richer than before, and it seemed like a meal with a broken head.

Su Cen went forward to put away all the dishes, and then put on the meals he brought. Every dish was home-cooked, and delicacies from mountains and seas were replaced with radish and cabbage. Su Cen said without changing his expression, "Ah Fu is gone, These are all made by me, they may not be as good as the royal meals in the palace, but they won’t kill you.”

Li Shi smiled, took a mouthful of vegetables and tofu, and said with a smile, "You know how to cook?"

"When I was in the temple, I learned from the monks. I can only cook vegetarian dishes, and I can't do anything else."

Su Cen went to Li Shi's private storage to pick out a jug of wine, and toasted the two of them.

"What's wrong with the neck?" Li Shi frowned. As soon as Su Cen moved, he noticed a faint bruise on his neck. He reached out and stroked it gently, as if he wanted to smooth the bruise.

"It's okay," Su Cen raised his hand to block it, and continued to raise his glass to toast, "I would like to thank the prince for taking care of me over the years for this first glass of wine. Without the prince, I'm afraid I can't live with my temper. to today."

Before Li Shi could respond, Su Cen raised his wine glass and drank it down in one gulp. The spilled wine flowed down his neck, shining brightly under the light, like a trail of tears.

Li Shi picked up the wine glass silently and drank it with Su Cen.

"For the second glass of wine, I would like to thank the prince for giving me a big dream. I will wake up from the dream when all the glitz is gone. I'm afraid I will wake up from this big dream."

The cup was drunk in a hurry, Su Cen choked a few times, Li Shi stepped forward to hold him in his arms and comforted him carefully, the black jade wrench gently slid along the spine, only then did he realize that this small body was too early It's so skinny.

"You have always been strategizing, I want to ask you, how did you arrange me this time?" After coughing, Su Cen asked Li Shi's wrist.

"After tomorrow, go to Zhuo'er and take him away from the Xuanwu Gate. There will be Wenxiu to meet you there. He will take you to a safe place first. When the army arrives, Li Sheng will punish you before you come out. Then you With the merit of protecting the Lord, he can naturally be employed exceptionally and continue to support Zhuo'er."

"Okay, very good." Su Cen took a deep breath and straightened up. "Then today's farewell should be a farewell. This third glass of wine... the third glass of wine..."

Su Cen suddenly choked up, "The wine that day was drank with everyone at the heaven sacrifice ceremony, this time I want to have another drink with you alone, it can be considered... It can be regarded as fulfilling my private wish... "

Li Shi's eyes looked deeply, Su Cen felt as if he was drunk, raised his hand to touch those eyes, his fingertips seemed to be wet.

"Okay, I'll drink with you." Li Shi took the jug and filled it up for the two of them himself. The two of them put their heads against their heads, their wrists intertwined, like a pair of lingering couples, sending the wine to their respective mouths.

Just after midnight, the city of Chang'an was filled with the sound of firecrackers one after another. Amidst the sound of firecrackers, it was the sixth year of Yuanshun before he knew it.

Suddenly there was a loud "boom" somewhere, and the ground seemed to tremble. The two guards outside the gate of Xingqing Palace woke up. It lit up half of the sky.

The fiery trees and silver flowers crackled and exploded in mid-air, illuminating the roof of the calyx Xianghui Building that had not seen light for many days, illuminating the bottomless Longchi Lake, and illuminating a small crack in the impenetrable wall of Xingqing Palace.