Fake concubine, real queen

The emperor woke up at this time.

This sudden serious illness seemed to have defeated the illusion that the emperor's body seemed to be in good health. Over the years, he had been working day and night at court meetings and governing affairs, except for the New Year's Palace banquet and Empress Chen's Zhiyang Palace, The emperor stayed in the Lanzheng Palace almost every day, and he never slack off at all. How could he not become ill after working so hard?

Presumably, if it wasn't for this reason, the emperor wouldn't be so sick and collapsed at the first touch.

It's not that Pei Zhaoyuan is ignorant of this, because the emperor's father's hand holding his trouser leg is light and weak, but it doesn't surprise him.

But when Pei Zhaoyuan looked down at the exposed, skinny hand with a few spots, he still couldn't help but tremble slightly in his heart.

The hand that pinched Empress Chen's neck loosened so suddenly.

Empress Chen broke free from the shackles, her body went limp all of a sudden, she almost couldn't stand still, she collapsed on the side of the couch and coughed violently while lying on the couch.

However, Pei Zhaoyuan turned a blind eye, turned around and lowered his head, looking at his imperial father with half-closed eyes and slightly cloudy pupils on the imperial couch.

The inner hall, which was filled with the smell of medicine, returned to silence again, only the coughing sound of Empress Chen lingered in the hall for a few times, which was very clear.

Pei Zhaoyuan's lips moved, but he still didn't hold on. He turned his head to avoid the emperor's gaze, and said in a low voice, "Father...you are awake."

The emperor coughed and did not answer him, but rolled his eyes with some difficulty, looked at Empress Chen at the end of the bed, and said, "A Rong...you..."

Empress Chen knew that he was worried about herself, but now that he was sick like this, how could Empress Chen have the heart to ask him to worry about herself again?

She suppressed the discomfort in her throat, forced a smile, walked up to her knees and held the emperor's hand, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, the concubine is here, and here, Your Majesty finally woke up. But is it better? Where is it still uncomfortable?"

The emperor seemed to be very tired, so he slowly closed his eyes again, took a few short breaths, but exerted some force in his hand, and tried his best to slowly hold Empress Chen's hand.

"A Rong...you coughed...did you...cough cough...did you...have passed my illness...cough cough...sickness..."

"Queen...you...you go out...don't be...ahem...here..."

Empress Chen's nose was sore, her eyes were about to burst into tears immediately, she held back with great difficulty, and said in a shy voice: "It's nothing... This concubine is doing well, and this concubine is here to accompany Your Majesty, Not going anywhere."

Pei Zhaoyuan stood on the side, taking all this into his eyes, with a gloomy expression on his face, but he didn't say a word.

The emperor seemed to have just woken up, and he hadn't heard the argument he had with his aunt just now.

Pei Zhaoyuan's mood is a bit complicated——

He would rather the emperor heard everything.

Empress Chen didn't seem to intend to tell the emperor what happened just now, and she obviously had her own considerations, so she was willing to hide the very rebellious remarks and actions of the emperor just now from his father.

But the matter has come to this point, what's the point of him keeping it from his father and pretending to be a kind and virtuous prince?

It doesn't make sense anymore.

All the expressions on the prince's face finally faded away. He raised his voice and said coldly with no expression on his face: "Come on, take the empress down here."

Immediately, palace people came in from outside the palace upon hearing the sound, but the order from the crown prince obviously made it difficult for them to handle. Several internal officials and court ladies all looked panic-stricken, looking at the emperor, empress, and crown prince in front of the imperial couch, they did not dare to act rashly .

Pei Zhaoyuan said: "Do you not understand what Gu said?"

The leading palace maid swallowed her saliva and whispered: "Slaves...slaves don't dare, Empress Empress, then...this..."

Empress Chen was very disturbed, she looked at the emperor lying on the couch, she was a little hesitant, but felt the hand that the emperor was holding her, slightly scratching her palm.

Empress Chen was slightly taken aback, and when she came back to her senses, she heard the maid calling her again.

Although Pei Zhaoyuan's expression did not change, his eyes were obviously a little impatient, and when he was about to speak, Empress Chen suddenly said: "...Okay, I will go with you."

Yu Bi really stood up, walked out of the tent, and followed the palace servants out.

As soon as Empress Chen went out, only the emperor on the imperial couch and the prince standing in front of the couch were left in the inner hall.

The inner hall was still so empty, this time only the emperor's slightly heavy breathing echoed in the hall.

Pei Zhaoyuan was silent for a while, and said: "Father... You are awake, do you know what happened in the Heavenly Palace?"

The emperor closed his eyes and coughed, but he didn't answer his words. He just raised his hand and patted the edge of the couch, and said, "You... you sit... ahem... sit down and talk."

Pei Zhaoyuan was slightly taken aback.

... His imperial father, there should be no one in the world who understands him better than Pei Zhaoyuan. It is the imperial father who has been seriously ill and unconscious for the past few days. However, after he woke up just now, he heard the few words from his aunt. With Huang's intelligence, he must be able to guess what he did without taking a breath of effort.

However, at this moment, in such a situation, Pei Zhaoyuan really did not expect that the emperor's father was still in the mood, and asked him to sit down and talk.

This situation really doesn't look like a pair of father and son who are against each other, but rather like an ordinary family, where the dying father wants to leave some heartfelt words to his children.

Pei Zhaoyuan's throat rolled.

Before this trip, he had already made complete psychological preparations, and he was not afraid of tearing up his face with the emperor's father. Pei Zhaoyuan knew better than anyone in his heart that since he had chosen this path, he should have no desires at this moment. , The six relatives do not recognize, and are not affected by any slightest selfish desires and feelings.

But when he saw the emperor's father with this appearance with his own eyes, and heard him coughing and telling himself to sit down——

Pei Zhaoyuan's fingers trembled under his sleeves, and the air was silent for a long time. After an unknown amount of time, he finally followed what his father had said, and sat down on the side of the couch facing the emperor.

Father Huang has already run out of fuel, if he guessed right, it is likely that uncle tampered with that bowl of pear soup without telling him this time.

It's hard to say whether the father can survive this hell, after all, they are father and son, and right now they just ask him to sit down...

He doesn't have to...be so on guard.

The emperor said: "Yuan'er...is...who taught you...ahem...to teach you to do...ahem...to do these things?"

Pei Zhaoyuan was silent for a while, and said: "No one teaches my son, what I do is my own idea."

Hearing the words, the emperor suddenly opened his eyes slightly again, and those half-drowned eyes stared at the prince steadfastly. After a long while, he slowly said: "Your child... ah... cough cough... ..."

It was clear that he was forced into the palace, but he still had the appearance of a loving father who didn't have much fluctuation.

Pei Zhaoyuan suddenly felt a little suffocated. It felt like a punch full of strength, but it hit the cotton, which made people feel really uncomfortable. He said in a muffled voice: "Father...you are still calm, Haven't you ever been angry with your son?"

The emperor coughed twice, and said in a low voice, "Angry...why are you angry...ahem...you...you are my son."

When the prince heard this, his pupils shrank slightly, and his back stiffened.

The emperor coughed violently a few more times, this time he seemed to finally catch his breath, his throat was a little quieter, he sighed, and said in a low voice: "I am... really angry, but not angry at you for forcing the palace. "

Pei Zhaoyuan's throat tightened, and he said, "Then... why is Father so angry?"

But the emperor didn't answer his question, but only asked inappropriately: "Yuan'er...the bowl of pear soup you asked someone to prepare, do you really think...Ji Hong just...made it perfect?"

The prince was taken aback when he heard the words, then raised his eyes to look at his father in disbelief, and said, "Father, you...you know...?"

The emperor closed his eyes again, twitched the corners of his mouth, as if he was laughing, and said in a low voice: "He can hide it...he can hide it from Wang Zhonglu, he can hide it from these slaves in my palace, but he can't hide it from me..."

"Yuan'er...you...cough cough...don't underestimate your father..."

Pei Zhaoyuan felt a little dazed for a while, and he came back to his senses after a while, and couldn't help asking: "Since...in that case, why does the emperor still drink that soup, you..."

The emperor's hand exposed on the brocade quilt suddenly grabbed Pei Zhaoyuan's hand.

Pei Zhaoyuan was stunned for a moment, and felt the emperor's father's fingertips rubbed against the back of his hand. That hand was different from his. Naturally, the skin was not as smooth and firm as that of young people in their 20s, but much more rough and dry. But that hand was so warm that it was impossible to ignore its existence.

The emperor said slowly: "You are...my child, the soup you gave me as a tribute on the New Year's Day...is you...ahem...it is your filial piety to me, how can I not drink it?"

Hearing the words, Pei Zhaoyuan suddenly felt as if he was hit hard by something hard along the atrium, piercing the skin, and then stabbing straight down his heart, almost leaving him bloody.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was completely hoarse, and he couldn't make a sound no matter what.

The emperor continued to speak slowly: "I...I know that Yuan'er can't hold back anymore, Yuan'er...Yuan'er plans...to bet with me, these...I know...I will bet with you... It's just...it's just that I'm still here...even if Yuan'er shows his flaws...I'm willing...to continue gambling with my son...but...but if I'm not here in the future...if you show your flaws... ...then...cough...then no one will bet with you anymore...they will only kill you with one blow...if you want...you will never turn over...not even a breath...cough... Here...you can...do you understand?"

Pei Zhaoyuan's eyes were red at some point, he felt a surge of anger rushing straight to his temples, and he roared in a low voice: "Father already knows...why should I say these things to my son again, my father is to my son... ...What is the reason for such painstaking efforts? After all, in your heart, you no longer intend to pass on the great position to your son, so why do you say these things, call your son... call your son..."

Speaking of this, he seems to have collapsed. Pei Zhaoyuan thought that the preparations he had made before today were enough to harden his heart, but he never thought that his defense, which he thought to be invincible, would make him feel like this. The emperor's father flirted with a few words, and it was smashed to pieces.

He took the emperor's hand with such force that he hardly cared about the old man's feelings, but his eyes were already clouded. He looked at Junfu with hatred, and almost said every word through gritted teeth.

"Father...Father favors the third younger brother, and for him...he has spent all his time, planning for him, paving the way for him, do you think that the son can't see it... the son is not the idiot that the second brother is! "

The emperor may have been hurt by his pinching, or maybe the phlegm blocked his chest again, and this time he coughed violently a few times, the cough was so frightening.

But he still answered Pei Zhaoyuan with great effort.

"Ahem... I... I naturally know that you are smart, and... I never thought that you would always be kept in the dark... You... You have been sensitive since you were young, although you didn't show it on your face... , always look like a little grown-up...But I know that you care more about others' opinions than anyone else, you are born...ahem...you are born to read words...even if I can hide it from the whole world...it is impossible to hide it Got Yuaner..."

Pei Zhaoyuan could no longer control his emotions, he swallowed his tears and said bitterly: "Since that is the case, why did the father drink that bowl of pear soup, why did he give the son a chance... What are you... What are you? What do you think... Could it be that seeing Erchen like this, Father feels... happy?!"

The emperor closed his eyes and shook his head, and said, "Yuan'er still remembers, I told you that the Tian family...is not without family affection."

"Yuan'er thinks I'm fooling you, but I... I've never lied to you."

"I drank that bowl of soup... because you are my child... I gave you this chance to bet... and because your body... is bleeding from me..."

"If you win the bet today...you must also remember...ahem...remember that you can win the bet...your chip...was never a forbidden army...nor the Chen family..."

"...but because you are my son, a descendant of the Pei family."

"I would like to give you a chance to win, so that you can win."

"Do you understand?"

"Life and death, this is the king."

"Do you understand?"

Pei Zhaoyuan stared blankly at the emperor on the imperial couch, his mind was almost blanked by what he said just now, and his heart was shocked. He couldn't tell what mood he was in at the moment, but looking at this moment, he was clearly dying and dying. However, for the first time, Pei Zhaoyuan, the old father, felt a bit of fear and shock that was hard to describe in words.

The emperor let out a long breath, and said: "Remember...cough cough...remember what I said to you today...if you win the bet in the future...don't forget it for the rest of your life...if you lose the bet...if Yuaner... ...cough cough...if you are willing to take this bargaining chip...then you can still do well...if you don't...then you have no way out..."

Pei Zhaoyuan's throat rolled, but he didn't know what he thought of. This time he stopped crying, and the emotions on his face faded away little by little.

"Father...write the imperial edict."

-------------

Northland, Yangxi.

As expected, Zhou Zhenfei rejected He Gu's request to send troops to Beijing.

He Gu was not surprised. After all, he was just a small side general. He had no tiger talisman and no imperial edict. Even if he had already told General Zhou that there was a change in the capital, maybe something unexpected happened to His Majesty and the Empress at this moment, and it was easy to say that it was unfounded. He can trust Zheng Ye who brought back the news, but General Zhou has no obligation to believe him who brought the news.

But the Kunqiong Mountain camp is so close to the capital, and it is the closest force that He Gu can get right now. Even if they are old, weak, sick and disabled transporting food, the situation is urgent and life and death are at stake, so he can't help but pick and choose .

It's just that even if He Gu doesn't pick and choose, the soldiers and horses in the Kunqiong Mountain camp are far from being able to mobilize if he wants to.

Although the martial law in the capital and the changes in the capital are all He Gu's guesses and intuitions, he does not have sufficient correspondence and evidence to prove what happened in the capital, but such things have been waiting for him since ancient times. If there is no full evidence, that bit of intuition is often the only chance. If something really happens, wait until there is complete evidence before doing it, then the day lily may be cold.

At this juncture, a dead horse can only be used as a living horse doctor, and cannot mobilize the soldiers of the Kunqiongshan camp, and there are also the soldiers of the Yangxi County Government. .

Therefore, when He Gu forcibly took away all the soldiers from the Yangxi County Yamen, even though Qian Zhixian was so frightened that he could not help but kneel down and kowtow to him, he begged this young master not to cause him trouble by doing anything wrong again. His old money can't be taken care of after he becomes an official, but He Gu is still determined after eating the weight, so he refuses to listen.

Qian Zhixian was arguing with him, so he brought out the third prince who had just frightened Qian Zhixian a few months ago, and told him that if he cooperated and agreed to transfer troops, although he might not be able to comfortably provide for the elderly, but if he did not cooperate, it would be It must not be comfortable for the elderly. There are several counties in the second prefecture of Beidi in the north. Every year, officials who make mistakes are held accountable by the court and exiled there to sweep the shit for the horses. If Qianzhi County does not follow, then the great Beidi stable And the horse manure everywhere is beckoning to him.

Forced to do nothing, Qian Zhixian had no choice but to obey under the coercive power of Lord He. Before the man surnamed He took his mansion Haohao Tangtang swaggeringly away, Qian Zhixian had no choice but to hug the pillar at the gate of the county yamen, feeling sad and sad. I begged God so much that nothing would happen, while yelling in my heart that these vulgar people really didn't have a good thing.

Just like that, He Gu led more than a thousand subordinates and more than a thousand soldiers of Yangxi Mansion, and went south to the capital, galloping away overnight.

Along the way, He Gu's consciousness was very clear. He thought he should panic and even be at a loss, but when it really came to this juncture, the instincts he had cultivated in his previous life, bathed in blood and experienced countless fights, actually made him feel better. The more anxious and calm you are, the more worried you are about Pei Zhaoheng's situation, the more you know what you should do.

General Yang at the Chenghe camp in the north has not yet pulled out the camp, and is still on the Boudan grassland. The Luoling camp in the south is probably the key target for the prince to strictly guard against, and it is even more difficult to pass on news. The urgent need is to be close to the water, but General Zhou is stubborn, strictly obeying military orders, and will never mobilize troops if he does not see the tiger amulet.

Even with the more than a thousand people under his command, relying on the available men he has trained these days, they bravely broke through the city gate and rushed into Beijing, but if there is no big wave of soldiers and horses to support them, they might end up being killed instead. Locking up in the city and being caught by the crown prince and Ji Hongwen is definitely not a good strategy.

Only by going to Beijing to ensure the safety of the emperor and His Highness the Third Highness, while getting the Tiger Talisman, and going back to mobilize the soldiers and horses from Kunqiong Mountain to help, can there be a three-point chance of winning.

But even so, it was only three points.

He Gu knew exactly how much that group of soldiers in Kunqiong Mountain weighed.

But I have to gamble.

After all, there is no other way.

Forget it, just gamble, but it's just a gamble. After two lifetimes, has he, He Zihuan, gambled less?

So he took his men and horses and galloped to Beijing overnight.

He Gu was sane all night, without any sleepiness.

Strange to say, since he had this little one in his stomach, after three or four months, his appetite and drowsiness flew together. At twelve hours a day, sometimes he still yawned in the middle of his sleep and felt that it was not enough, but today But he was sober like never before, this little guy was as honest as a different person in his stomach, he didn't move at all, he bumped on the horse all night, and he didn't feel any discomfort, if it wasn't for He Xiaohou who hadn't lost his memory , almost thought that the fact that he had a little guy in his stomach was just a dream of his.

Such a good and sensible little guy is not in vain as a man, but he still plans to bite the bullet and give birth to this child.

It's just that He Gu can rest assured that Zhengye followed all the way, but his heart was in a state of panic, watching Yun Zhui, who was running swiftly under Master He's crotch, his heart was in his throat all the way, for fear of something bad or bad.

Fortunately, Yun Zhui is really a priceless horse. Even though he was rushing like this, he ran more than a little more steadily than other horses, and He Gucai was safe and sound.

He Gu was not fat at all, and in addition to being tall at this age, he was of course thinner than two years ago. Although there were a few traces on his lower abdomen, he couldn't see anything when he put on the armor, so others naturally didn't know it. I feel that only Zhengye knows that his Lord Marquis is riding a horse with a little guy, but there is nothing he can do. He can only pray in his heart for a while, Amitabha Buddha, and the immeasurable Heavenly Venerable. This matter can be understood quickly, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, and There are people from the Yan family, Wang family, etc. in the capital, all of whom are safe and sound, turning dangers into blessings.

Running into the early hours of the morning, everyone finally couldn't hold on any longer. He Gu turned his head and glanced, knowing that the weather was extremely cold and he really needed to rest, so he ordered the team to temporarily camp and rest at a place only a few dozen miles away from the capital. leave.

After running all night, it was dark and windy, and people were exhausted, but He Gu also knew in his heart that they couldn't help being tired at this moment.

In fact, these soldiers didn't have to take the risk of going to Beijing with him after dawn...

He Gu turned around and stood up, looking down at them resting wearily leaning on each other with closed eyes, the north wind was howling, and everyone's exposed fingers, nose tips, and ears were all red from the cold.

It was less than a moment before dawn.

Seeing him standing up and staring at the dark and mighty team behind, Zhengye was lost in thought, and he didn't know what he was thinking, but he was worried about his body, so he persuaded him: "Sir, sit down for a while, it will be dawn soon, hurry up and take advantage of it." Rest now, or your body won't be able to bear it..."

He Gu ignored him.

At this moment, in He Gu's eyes, the team of people behind him, although they spread far and wide in the snowy field, the team seemed as long as there was no end, but He Gu knew very well in his heart that this manpower, Facing the well-trained Imperial Army of the Fifth Division of Gyeonggi Province, it was a bit too insignificant.

He can only gamble.

Betting that Pei Zhaoyuan mainly deployed his troops in the south of the city, and didn't pay much attention to the defense of the north of the city, so maybe there is still a glimmer of life...

But... But if everything can only be gambled, what if the bet loses.

Now look at the more than 2000 soldiers who were temporarily dragged to Beijing. Facing this sudden and unknown battle, they really have the fighting spirit and can really break through the martial law at the North City Gate. ?

He Gu closed his eyes, suddenly raised his voice, and said, "Everyone! Listen to me!"

The voice of a man who has just grown up should be clean and smooth, but at this moment, in the cold winter night, in the sharp north wind like a steel knife, it is as rough and hoarse as a broken gong.

But it is precisely because of this that soldiers in the distance can hear clearly.

"Ms. He knows! You all followed me to Beijing today, and you don't know the reason. You are not far away from Beijing now. Mrs. He is here to tell you that His Majesty and Empress are in trouble in Beijing. Life and death are at stake, and everyone needs to fight hard , follow me to save you!"

"All of you go with me. After dawn, you may have to face the soldiers of the Imperial Guards in Gyeonggi, but you must remember that you are the king of Qin who rescued you! And those who stop us from saving you are treacherous and guilty. You must stay behind." The infamous traitor through the ages!"

"Everyone here today, no matter you are the soldiers under my command, He, or the soldiers of Yangxi, since you have come together, as long as you contribute, it will be a meritorious service. In the future, whether it is the court, Whether it is His Majesty or He, he will never treat you badly, and you will be rewarded with gratitude!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the soldiers below were all different. Some were confused and couldn't understand what he said, some became excited after hearing words such as rescue and heavy reward, eager to try, gearing up, some were afraid and hesitant, and their eyes shrank of……

Of course, there are doubts.

"Pianjiang... I have a question in my humble position, I don't know if I should ask it or not?"

Sure enough, a lean man with a dark face spoke.

He Gu turned to look at him and said, "Don't be shy, just ask if you have anything to say."

He remembered that this person seemed to be a small official of the Yangxi county government. When the refugees were driven out, the magistrate Qian listened to him very much.

The black and thin man said: "The humble officer understands the meaning of the general, but there is no order from the superior... The general secretly sent troops to Beijing immediately... I heard what you said just now... to attack the city gate, this is a loss of head." It's a big crime...Humble position...There are old and young in the lowly position, I'm really a little scared..."

When he asked this question, the crowd became silent. Obviously, the question of this black and thin man reached the hearts of many people, and they were also afraid of this relationship.

But He Gu didn't panic, just closed his eyes, as if he had expected it.

"Zhengye, bring the bowl."

Zhengye let out an "ah" and didn't know what he was going to do, but now that everyone was watching, he didn't want to chatter like an old lady, so he could only suppress the wonder in his heart and fetch Xiao Tao who was carrying water on the road bowl.

He Gu took the bowl, bent down and grabbed a handful of snow on the ground, threw it into the bowl, and burned it twice on the campfire, and the snow melted in the bowl immediately.

He Gu Lang said: "He knows what everyone is worried about. He is in a hurry today, it is inconvenient here, and it is not easy to drink when we are marching, so He Gu respects you with this bowl of snow water!"

"I, He Gu, swear to God! Today He transferred troops to the capital, if the court blames them in the future, if they are investigated, all the crimes have nothing to do with you, and I, He Gu—"

"One person bears it!"

"If you can't say what you say, you will violate this oath! Heaven and earth will not tolerate it!"

After speaking, he raised his head and drank the bowl of snow water, raised his hand and threw the pottery bowl viciously on the nearby rock, and it fell to pieces with a "crash".

Although the sound was not too loud, it rang in everyone's ears at the moment, but it was as impossible to ignore as thunder in the clear sky.

The young general who took the lead in throwing the cup was obviously only about eighteen or nineteen years old, but at this moment, the rising crimson morning light was reflected on his face, but against the sharp and clear face with sword eyebrows and starry eyes, it was as determined as if This is not the first time he has gambled his life and wealth like this.

There was a sudden silence among Wu Lie.

Zheng Ye was beside him, and he didn't know what he thought of, his eyes suddenly turned red, but before he could speak, Ning Shilang, who had been following him all the time, suddenly opened his mouth and roared vigorously: "The villain is willing to go!"

This is the case in the army, as long as there is one leader who speaks, the ones behind will suddenly seem to have a backbone.

As a result, the "little man is willing to go" layer upon layer, like a mountain shout, came one after another, passing from the beginning to the end of the column.

He Gu's nose was red from the cold, and he finally sniffled and laughed when he saw this. He looked up at the sky that had just revealed a ray of light, and was about to call the soldiers to leave camp when there was a sudden rush of voices in the distance. hooves.

There was also a somewhat familiar voice.

"He Pianjiang! Stay!"