Twilight Cloud Returns

His tone was undeniable, and he didn't want to leave Wuqing with even the slightest chance to refute.

Wu Qing also didn't remember how he reacted at that time, only remembered that his heart was as cold as snow hidden in a mountain stream, icy cold.

After the two entered the palace, they still lived in the Yulan Pavilion.

The magnolia in the pavilion has not yet reached the flowering period, and the flower branches are scattered, making the palace look dilapidated.This scene fell into Wuqing's eyes, which made him even more sad.

Inside Ningshou Palace.

The bitter smell of medicine dregs permeated the decayed air, making Chu Tiankuo cover his mouth and nose involuntarily.

Because Liang Deying failed in his job last time, Chu Tiankuo found a fault at will and ordered him to be executed.Now it is Wei Zhongan who occupies the previous position of Liang Deying and is very popular.

He cautiously followed behind Chu Tiankuo, brushed off the dust around him with a whisk that symbolized the power of the eunuch, and said in a low voice, "The empress dowager has been ill for more than three months."

"Go down." Chu Tiankuo's tone was calm and flat, as if he was facing a terminally ill lowly palace official that could be seen everywhere in the imperial city.

Wei Zhongan left Ningshou Palace knowingly, and signaled all the servants and servants to leave the palace.

The light in the hall was dim, and the candles in the candlesticks protruding above the pillars were dying.

After Rong Pingju's death, Chu Tiankuo never set foot in Empress Dowager Rong's palace.When Empress Dowager Rong was still able to move, she often went to Jianzhang Palace to see her son.However, Chu Tiankuo always avoids seeing him.

The moment the palace door was pushed open, Empress Dowager Rong recognized her Kuo'er from the sound of footsteps.

She coughed heavily, got up from the bed with difficulty, forced herself to half sit up to see her son, and said weakly: "Ko'er, you are here..."

Broad...

This title, which had not been heard for a long time, quietly touched Chu Tiankuo's heart.

Sitting next to Empress Dowager Rong's couch, he said slowly: "Mother, do you still remember that when I was young, my father and you often called my son Kuo Er. You can enjoy the flowers in the imperial garden in spring, and enjoy the coolness in the grass garden in midsummer." , Autumn Equinox ordered the servants to sow ripe fruits, and Lin Dong taught Xi Erchen how to read and write..."

Recalling this, Chu Tiankuo showed a long-lost smile.

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager was startled, she never thought that her son would still remember what happened when he was a child, and she has long forgotten the two or three things about her relationship with the late emperor.

Now, she can only reply in embarrassment: "Aijia will never forget."

"Really?" Chu Tiankuo changed the subject sharply, and his tone suddenly sharpened, "The mother doesn't remember, not only doesn't remember, but also hates the father."

"You hate your father, and you never liked your ministers. Since your birth, your sons have been just pawns for your Rong clan to fight for power. As long as you can realize the glory of the Rong clan, anyone can become Chu Tiankuo!"

The queen mother never thought that her own son would say such cruel words to her, and she felt more owed and guilty besides heartache.

She kept tearing up and said: "It's not like this... Kuo'er..."

"Mother, are you and uncle really siblings?" Chu Tiankuo's eyes were wet with tears, but his gaze was as sharp as an eagle's.

As soon as these words came out, Ningshou Palace fell silent, as silent as death.

Seeing that his mother did not reply for a long time, Chu Tiankuo laughed at himself, stood up and said mockingly: "The young daughter of the Rong family was born in Yongning in 15 years, and suffered from a serious disease in 23 years, and was cured after being rescued by a doctor. The real daughter of the Rong family is afraid She died when she was eight years old. The Rong family couldn't let go of their glory and wealth, so they chose a girl of the same age and stature from outside the clan to replace the young girl."

"Mother, for so many years, you have devoted yourself to planning for the Rong family. Is it because of the burden on your shoulders as a member of the Rong family, or because of the long-term love of Rong Pingju, a lover who is not married to you!"

Chu Tiankuo was furious, and his words were loud and loud.

When Empress Dowager Rong saw that her deepest secret was nakedly exposed in front of her own son, she felt ashamed.

Chu Tiankuo wiped away the tears on his face, and said with a wry smile: "My queen, my son is suffering... the love and respect of parents in ordinary people's homes is all illusions to my son, and the mother's mother is doing all she can to support the Rong family. Because of my own selfish interests, I want to hand over the throne to the Huns. This time, the Huns invaded, and there was no one available for my son except Liu Yi. The national treasury suffered serious losses due to the Rong family’s chaos and was unable to supply the army. fight."

"Da Zhou's foundation, I'm afraid it will be ruined in the hands of my son..."

Empress Dowager Rong never knew that the situation had developed into the current situation of riding a tiger, and her body that was forced to support suddenly lost strength and fell down.

She spoke incoherently, and tightly grabbed the corner of Chu Tiankuo's clothes, "Kuoer, the queen mother really doesn't know... really doesn't know..."

Chu Tiankuo closed his eyes sadly, "You know how much I hate Concubine Yun Gui and her son Yun Chuxiu! They deprived my minister of all love! But as much as you hate, you will be as envious... When you are busy revitalizing the Rong family At that time, Er Chen had repeatedly gone to the Yulan Pavilion, watching his father and them secretly from a distance, imagining how good it would be if he were the son of Concubine Yun Gui... at this moment, the child who is loved by someone is me..."

At the end, Chu Tiankuo was sobbing.No one knew how he had witnessed his mother lying in his uncle's arms when he was young, plotting to kill the king.These secrets had been buried in his heart for so long that he couldn't breathe.But he is the emperor, how can the emperor give up easily...

In the end, Chu Tiankuo tidied up his clothes, put on his usual expressionless face, saluted the empress dowager who had collapsed on the ground, and said indifferently: "I respectfully wish the queen mother peace, and wish the queen mother and the immortal Enjoy happiness and live a hundred years!"

After speaking, he walked away without leaving a trace of nostalgia.

Perhaps his goodness had disappeared as early as the day he killed the king.

On the first day of February in the fifth year of Apocalypse, Empress Dowager Rong died in Ningshou Palace due to a serious illness, at the age of 47, and her posthumous title was Kangrong.

Emperor Chu Tiankuo was heartbroken, and fainted several times during the vigil for Empress Dowager Kangrong. This became a good story about the filial piety of mothers in the Zhou Dynasty, and later generations even wrote it into the story books to sing praises.

However, the unofficial history is completely opposite to the official history. It is recorded in "Yan Zhou" that Empress Dowager Kang Rong hanged herself to death because her own son found out that she had committed adultery with her elder brother, and she was so ashamed.

The world is like this, true is also false, and false is also true.What the world sees is only what those in power want the common people to see.

When the sad news of Empress Dowager Kang Rong's death came, Yun Chuxiu and Wu Qing were having breakfast in Yulan Pavilion.

The woman who forced her mother and concubine to commit suicide died suddenly like this, the jade chopsticks in Yun Chuxiu's right hand suddenly stopped in mid-air, and she put it down slowly after a while.

A sneer floated on the corner of Yun Chuxiu's lips, but her tone also added a touch of desolation: "Ashes return to ashes, and dust returns to dust. In the end, being forced to death by my own son is what I deserve."

This was the first sentence Zhi Huan had spoken between the two of them since they entered the palace.

Wuqing suddenly thought of a play, as if he had read it in the words book of senior brother Wulu - don't be bored by words with strong affection, and it is also tiresome to read them when they are separated.

This is in line with the current situation between him and Zhihuan.

Wuqing only felt mixed flavors, even the sweet pastry tasted bitter.

Maybe what Senior Brother Wuchen said is right, but he just doesn't want to face it...

After breakfast, Yun Chuxiu mourned for Empress Dowager Kang Rong according to the ancestral system.

Just as the entire imperial city was shrouded in the gloom of the death of Empress Kang Rong, the border war was pressing on every step of the way.

Eight hundred li urgent document newspaper: The Xiongnu army is in full swing, and has now taken [-] counties of Liangzhou.Hussar General Liu Yi was seriously injured and retreated to Daizhou.Liangzhou Inspector Shi Ning Han led his men to resist stubbornly, and they were also scarred.Both of them wrote a letter together, imploring the emperor's kindness to descend to Liangzhou, and send generals to garrison to resist and supply supplies.

War is never about a certain famous general or a certain city, it involves the rise and fall of an entire dynasty.

The wars and disputes continued, and refugees from Liangzhou and its vicinity poured into the surrounding counties and counties in large numbers. However, as the Xiongnu rose steadily, the refugees have now fled to the foot of the capital.

Both the supply of border gates and the resettlement of thousands of refugees, the capital is at the end of its rope.

Above the court, Chu Tiankuo's face was very ugly, and some ministers suggested to give up the refugees.

Chu Tiankuo did not accept it at the moment, but at some point, there were rumors that the Holy Majesty had given up on the refugees, which aroused even more anger among the people.

The auxiliary vehicles are dependent on each other, and the lips are dead and the teeth are cold.

Today, the Holy One can abandon the refugees, and the Ming Dynasty can leave the capital and go south, choose another capital, and dedicate the northern part of the Great Zhou Dynasty to the Xiongnu and Yi people.

All of a sudden, public grievances arose everywhere.

At this time, King Mo Xian was not afraid of power and dared to commit crimes. He opened King Mo's mansion and set up shelters in the capital to accommodate the refugees who fled from Liangzhou.The old, young, women and children who were seriously injured were all driven by the people of Prince Mo's mansion to the rich prefectures and counties for recuperation.

As soon as this move was made, it won the applause of the court, and the people were full of praise for the Moxian King.

Many people in the court were children from poor families recommended by Prince Mo, and they generously donated their money to help the refugees.

Chu Tiankuo completely lost the hearts of the people.

It was night, Chu Tiankuo got drunk in Jianzhang Palace.

Wei Zhongan took a cup of hangover tea and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, take a sip of hangover tea and go to the wine bar. The slaves have already dried this tea until it is the seventh coolness you like most."

Chu Tiankuo was unprepared, and after receiving it, he raised his head and drank it down.

A sinister smile appeared on the face supported by the porcelain cup that was raised over the top of the palace hat.

At this time, Chu Tiankuo didn't know it. He had already entered the road to the underworld, and he was still thinking brokenly: "Little Zhongzi, you said that the history books will be well-written in the future, how would you evaluate my emperor? Mediocre and incompetent?"

Chu Tiankuo laughed at himself as he read it, "Losing the territory left by our ancestors has made the people's hearts unstable. Is it true that I am not suitable to be the emperor... Do you think that if it is true that Yun Zhi returned the boy to the throne , what will happen to him today..."

Wei Zhongan put the porcelain cup on the dragon case, and said perfunctorily: "The holy god is so wise, how can he be mediocre and incompetent?"

He put the whisk aside, and slowly took out the white silk from his wide cuffs.It wasn't until he walked behind Chu Tiankuo that the latter realized his evil intentions.

Chu Tiankuo climbed down from the dragon chair in a panic, but tripped over his disheveled clothes and fell onto the steps.

He yelled loudly: "Come here... Come here..." But he found that he had no strength left, only a weak call for help.

Wei Zhongan stepped down the stairs, lowered his head and looked down at the supreme person in the whole world.

Chu Tiankuo was still struggling, but to no avail.

Wei Zhongan smiled triumphantly: "Your Majesty, just save yourself, the hangover tea is full of medicine, even if you are climbing now, there is no strength in your whole body to allow you to climb out of this Jianzhang Palace."

Chu Tiankuo looked in disbelief at the eunuch whom he single-handedly pulled up, and finally wanted to kill him. He widened his eyes, and said with all his might, "Why...why do you want...to kill me..."