Master of Rebirth

Just when Concubine Shen was caught in a dilemma, Zhengxihou's Mansion was not cold because Zhou Ying caught Mr. Wuzhu first.On the contrary, because of the involvement of the Ning'an House, the Seventh Prince and Dingbeihou's House have kept a low profile these past few days, but the Crown Prince and Zheng Xihou have been entrusted with important tasks by the emperor, and they are very busy.The Seventh Prince, who had been overpowering the Prince, was at a disadvantage because of this.

Although the Crown Prince is in the limelight right now, the Seventh Prince and Ning'an House were not convicted. The Emperor didn't even reprimand him. He just let the Seventh Prince hang out for a few days. as usual.

The emperor's mind is unpredictable, the crown prince and the seventh prince have been fighting openly and secretly for many years, and it is still unknown who will win.At this most critical time, smart people choose to keep silent and wait and see.But most people still firmly believe that the seventh prince is still the emperor's favorite, and the previous neglect was just a disguised protection.

In line with the principle of "it's easy to add flowers to the icing on the cake, but it's difficult to send charcoal in the snow", they took the slant of the sword and took the chestnut from the fire. They wantonly showed hospitality to the Seventh Prince, Concubine Shen, Ning'anbo Mansion and Dingbei Hou Mansion, trying to give them a share when they were "in trouble". "Loyalty", trying to get a familiar face in front of the future master.

All of a sudden, there were those who wrote for Shen Rongchang, some who complained for Zhou Ying, and some who ridiculed the Zhengxihou Mansion for taking credit... But the papers handed in were like mud cows, and there was no news.However, the Zhengxihou Mansion, which was criticized by everyone, still did what it should, without being affected by the criticism at all.

Wang Qi just smiled and didn't comment on those clowns seeking wealth and insurance.According to the memory of his last life, the current crown prince is the one who inherits the throne, and the Seventh Prince died of "due to illness" long before the emperor passed away, and entered the Hall of Yama first.Due to excessive grief, Concubine Shen soon passed away, and the Shen family also disappeared after their deaths. The ending became a mystery, which added a lot of color to the "history of folk royal secrets".

Although Wang Qi in the previous life didn't know about it and didn't care, she still knew that conspiracy and calculations were absolutely indispensable.The so-called "death due to illness" and "remembering children into illness" are nothing but a fig leaf for the royal family to whitewash the peace.In this life, Wang Qi was fortunate to participate in it, and concluded that the failure of the seventh prince in the previous life must have a great relationship with Ning Anbo and Mr. Wu Zhu, so he has been biting Ning Anbo's mansion, but he has no way to explain it to others. .

Unfortunately, not everyone has the memory of two lifetimes.

"My lord, there is something going on in the palace today, the young master can't go back to the mansion for lunch, so you don't have to wait for him." Xiuwen said to Wang Qi.

Although it was expected, Wang Qi was still a little disappointed not to see Zhao Jing.He looked at Xiuwen, and reprimanded him: "Ah Man, it's true, it doesn't matter if I wait, you are so busy, it's too troublesome to bother you to go back home for such a trivial matter."

"Prince Wang, you don't need to be polite. Anyway, this subordinate happens to be returning home due to something, so there won't be much time wasted." Xiuwen said.

Wang Qi asked: "How is the investigation of Li Mian's affairs going?"

"It's still under investigation. Unfortunately, Li Mian is dead. It will take more time to confirm many things." The expression on Xiuwen's face was heavy, obviously the result of the investigation was not satisfactory, "But there is already evidence that Li Mian may be the sinner Yang Guotao His son, he is Wuzhu, we should be sure."

If Li Mian is really Wuzhu, even though Shen Rongchang is guilty of covering up, he insists that he has no knowledge, and the matter was found out by Zhou Ying. According to the current attitude of the emperor, Shen Rongchang will not be severely punished, let alone Said Concubine Shen and the Seventh Prince who had no contact with Li Mian.

Unexpectedly, Zhengxihou's Mansion would find out such a result, Wang Qi was stunned for a moment, and then asked: "Who is this Yang Guotao?"

"It is said that he was the late emperor's staff, and that the late emperor was able to ascend the throne. This Yang Guotao made great contributions." Xiuwen said.

Wang Qi was even more puzzled, "If it's really a minister of the first emperor's side, it's impossible that I haven't even heard of his name?"

"This is a royal secret, and not many people know about it, so the prince has never heard of it." Xiuwen's face was full of the feeling of being a dead dog, "Yang Guotao used many improper methods. After the first emperor succeeded to the throne, he secretly He was executed. It is said that Yang Guotao cursed the late emperor before his death, and made a poisonous oath that anyone left in the Yang family would overthrow the Great Liang and avenge him. In a fit of anger, the late emperor secretly executed Yang The house is full."

The prince's fight for the throne is far more exciting and dirty than ordinary people's fight for family property.The intrigues and tricks and scheming in this are naturally shady.But after succeeding in ascending the throne, every emperor will maintain his tall and stalwart image. Of course, those things about plotting against his father and harming his brothers cannot be spread to the outside world.And those conspirators behind the emperor who could not stand on the bright side were the first to bear the brunt and became the first victims.Yang Guotao devoted himself to the late emperor, and instead of getting the glory and wealth he deserved, he was killed and killed. It is inevitable to have hatred in his heart.

"At that time, Yang Guotao did not bring his family members to the capital, but stayed in his hometown in Huai'an County. When the late emperor sent people to find them, the whole family was basically there, except for one youngest son who had gone out to play and did not return. The late emperor's people were waiting there. For several months, there was no trace of the young son, and there was no result when I went out to search." Xiuwen continued: "Because of Yang Guotao's curse before his death, the late emperor has always been worried about this fish that slipped through the net, and sent people many times. They searched secretly, but unfortunately found nothing. Over time, everyone thought that the child might have died outside. It was not until the emperor passed away and became the throne today, that this matter was considered a let-down. Unexpectedly, the orphan of the Yang family did not die. Mr. Wuzhu who disturbed the situation many times, but in the end he couldn't escape death. Yang Guotao knows, I don't know whether it's joy or sorrow."

Wang Qi did not have as much emotion as Xiuwen, he said: "It has been 30 years since the death of the late emperor, and the Yang family will be exterminated sooner. How can you be sure that Li Mian is the orphan of the Yang family?"

"Of course it's thanks to Mrs. Ning Anbo." Xiuwen said with a wry smile: "Mrs. Qin knew that she had made a big mistake by leading a wolf into the house, so she was busy making up for it and cooperated with the investigation very much. She explained everything about Li Mian in detail. Said it out. With a definite goal, of course it saves a lot of time and effort than looking for a needle in a haystack. Thanks to Qin's news, we found out a lot of things by following the traces of Li Mian before he was alive. Yang Guotao's memorial tablet was found in it. It was also because of this memorial tablet that the emperor identified Li Mian as Wuzhu."

Wang Qidao: "Do you think someone wants the emperor to believe that Li Mian is Mr. Wu Zhu, so they use Yang Guotao as a cover?"

"Probably not." Knowing that Wang Qi suspected that someone in Beijing knew about Yang Guotao, so he put him on Li Mian's head to prove his crime, Xiuwen shook his head and said: "That tablet is old, it's not new. Besides, Yang Guotao was an aide of the late emperor, so he was not seen well. Except for a few confidantes of the late emperor, no one knew him. Besides, the late emperor had passed away for so many years. I don’t even know anything about Yang Guotao, let alone other people in Beijing. The emperor only vaguely remembered those old things after hearing the name on the tablet.”

Wang Qi frowned and said, "In other words, except for the only remaining orphan of the Yang family, no one in this world may know about Yang Guotao."

"That's right." Xiuwen briefly explained Li Mian's life, "According to the old man in Gulou Town, Li Mian was about seven or eight years old when he wandered in Gulou Town, which was comparable to the age when the orphan of the Yang family disappeared. There are a lot of homeless beggars, and the people in the town are not surprised, and no one cares. Although Li Mian is young, he is very clever and sweet-mouthed. He worked part-time to make money, and he worked in the Qin family for the longest time. After Qin married Shen Rongchang, Li Mian also left and did not come back until more than ten years ago. He bought land and built a house. But he spends most of his time outside doing business, and rarely goes back, and the townspeople haven’t seen him much.”

Wang Qidao: "Gulou Town is near Jinling, and Yang Guotao's hometown, Huai'an County, is not far from Jinling. Judging from this, it is very likely that the orphans of the Yang family will end up in Gulou Town."

"Yes." Xiuwen said in great frustration: "Now the wind in the court has turned. Many people have written to plead for Ning Anbo, saying that he was used by traitors. Although he was wrong, he was completely deceived and The crime has already been made. Some people even wrote a letter to complain for Zhou Ying, saying that he is fair and strict, and he is not favoritism. If it can be fooled, the Shen family will still be the Shen family, and the Seventh Prince will still be the Seventh Prince. Even if the Shen family is affected, as long as the Marquis of Dingbei does not fall, the Seventh Prince will still be able to rely on him."

Wang Qi hesitated for a moment, and then said: "You said... Could it be that we were wrong? Because Zhou Ying married Concubine Shen's younger sister, we assumed that he supported the Seventh Prince. If Zhou Ying is really the Seventh Prince's party, no He will cooperate with Ah Man knowing that the Ning Anbo Mansion and Wu Zhu are involved, and is willing to give up the first contribution to the Zhengxi Hou Mansion. What good does he do? Is it just to let Ah Man and his appointed Is the woman married?"

"Of course Zhou Ying is not just for these reasons, he was driven into a hurry." Xiuwen smiled sarcastically, and said, "Do you still remember Qiaojie, Mr. Wang? It was Cuiyun, the personal maid who betrayed the mother of the young master. Through Cuiyun The little Hou Ye found out the doctor who treated Shen Yutang back then, and got conclusive evidence that Shen Yutang murdered his wife. Zhou Ying found out about this by some means, so she put forward a condition that as long as the little Hou Ye let Shen Yutang go, no After investigating the past, marrying the woman he chose, and settling the Shen family, he told the young master all the information in his hand, so that Zhengxihou's mansion would make meritorious service. Unfortunately, the young master insisted on refusing to agree .”

Xiuwen said the last sentence with regret.

Knowing what he was regretting, Wang Qi said: "You have known Ah Man for many years, so you should know his nature. It is Ah Man's lifelong wish to avenge his mother, and he will definitely not make any compromises."

"I know." Xiuwen smiled bitterly: "Young Master is just too upright. He can pretend to agree to Zhou Ying. After Wu Zhu is caught, it's not up to us to fulfill the agreement."

Wang Qi said with a smile: "Ding Beihou is not a fool, he just knows Ah Man's personality too well, and he will propose a deal only when he knows that he promises a lot. If Ah Man is the kind of person who changes his mind at the last minute, Zhou Ying probably won't do anything extra. "

"Young Master Wang is right." Xiuwen said embarrassingly: "This subordinate is stubborn."

Anyway, Zhao Jing rejected Zhou Ying because of him. Wang Qi didn't want to say much, so he could only change the topic, "By the way, have you ever seen the portraits I painted?"

Xiuwen said: "I have seen it, but Master Hou has never seen anyone who looks similar to the painting. In addition, it is now confirmed that Li Mian is Wuzhu, so the significance of those paintings is not great."

"That's it." Wang Qi couldn't help being a little disappointed.

No matter what, those paintings were painted by Wang Qi with painstaking efforts, and the writing was not good enough to discredit his hard work, so he said: "However, there is a portrait of Lord Hou that looks familiar, but I just can't remember where I saw it."

"Can you tell me which one it is?" Wang Qi was shocked.

Xiuwen said: "It's the full body portrait."

Most of Wang Qi's paintings are busts, and only one is a full-length portrait. On it, a middle-aged man is drawn in white. The handsome appearance when he was young.This is Wang Qi's guess based on what Kong Yun said about Wu Zhu's appearance more than 20 years ago, plus his own imagination.

Thinking about the painting in her mind, Wang Qi asked Xiuwen, "Did Hou Ye say something familiar?"

"Master Hou can't say for certain, but he just thinks he looks familiar." Xiuwen said with a smile: "Not to mention, not only Master Hou, but brother Xu and I also feel a little familiar, but judging by his appearance, we are very sure that we have never seen this person before. But , since everyone feels familiar, this person must have appeared around us. Lord Hou asked someone to copy a few more portraits, and is going to take them out to ask, maybe asking a few more people will be rewarding."

Wang Qi smiled and said, "I hope."

……

In Fengqi Palace, Shen Yumei looked at her younger brother Shen Yingjie, her face was very ugly, "Why, I just rejected his proposal two days ago, and he asked you to be a lobbyist?"

"If it wasn't for something important, I wouldn't bother my sister." Shen Yingjie handed a painting to Shen Yumei, and said in a deep voice, "Look at this first."

Looking up at the painting, Shen Yumei asked lightly, "Who is this?"

"The statue of five bamboos drawn by Zheng Xihou." Shen Yingjie said with a sullen face: "It is said that he had a junior brother before he worshiped the five princes. It is hidden in Zhengxihou's mansion. This painting is inferred from his description. This morning, Zhao Rui has copied many portraits, and it seems that he is going to find more people to recognize him. This is the one I managed to Made it."

Looking at the painting again, Shen Yumei sneered, "He has been wearing a character mask all these years, which is nothing like this painting. Besides, didn't you say that the emperor believed that Li Mian was Wuzhu? It's safer, why are you so nervous?"

"Sister, you have been with the emperor for so many years, so you naturally know his temper." Shen Yingjie persuaded earnestly: "If he really let go of his grudge against Uncle Ning'an Mansion, why hasn't he stayed in Fengqi Palace these days? The superior treats you and His Royal Highness the same as before, but in fact, he is already on guard."

Shen Yingjie's words expressed Shen Yumei's uneasiness, since she entered the palace, she has never failed to attend bedtime almost every night.Even if the emperor couldn't take care of her due to the busy government affairs, he would announce her to accompany her.But these days, although the emperor still sent people over to ask her about her health, Shen Yumei always felt that the emperor had a vague sense of alienation and defensiveness towards her.

"Recently, the emperor's health is not as good as before. Although he didn't stay with me, he didn't invite other concubines to sleep with him." Shen Yumei pretended to be calm and said: "Besides, even if the emperor still doubts Ning Anbo's mansion, just relying on a picture Can a painting with four different images be convicted?"

"Sister, take a closer look." Shen Yingjie put his right thumb on the portrait and said to Shen Yumei.

Shen Yumei glanced casually, then glanced again, her face suddenly became serious, "This... this..."

"You can see it too." Shen Yingjie took over the conversation, and said worriedly: "My sister can tell that something is wrong if she has little contact with him. If this painting is seen by the emperor or other ministers who are familiar with it, it is hard to guarantee that it will be wrong." Someone will recognize it. Normally, no one would dare to say anything, but it’s hard to say at this moment. Don’t forget, Zheng Xihou has been doubting Li Mian’s identity for a long time!”

Shen Yingjie's words made her heart flutter, Shen Yumei said: "Then what do you mean?"

"Sister, that matter really can't be delayed any longer. This painting may be recognized by others at any time. If the emperor really notices the clue, we will have no room to turn around." Shen Yingjie looked at Shen Yumei, Seriously.

Shen Yumei was already in a cold sweat, she said sharply: "But what you plan is not a trivial matter after all, if it fails, we will really die without a place to die."

"Sister, I understand." Shen Yingjie lowered his head, covering the loneliness in his eyes, "If he is exposed, my mother and I will definitely die, but you and His Royal Highness still have a chance to survive. You don't want to commit a crime with your own body. Risk, I can understand."

Seeing Shen Yingjie like this, Shen Yumei felt uncomfortable, and hurriedly said: "Yingjie, don't do this, I..."

"I don't blame you." After Shen Yumei's words were interrupted, Shen Yingjie raised his head, his eyes full of determination, "But I am not willing to die like this, and I don't want His Royal Highness to miss the position. His Highness the Seventh Highness is obviously better than the Crown Prince, so why do you have to bow your head and become a minister just because you were born a few years later, wasting your life? I decided to take a gamble, not only for His Highness Seventh, but also for my mother. We are reunited, we don’t have to worry about being separated anymore. If we fail... During the incident, my sister can always be by the emperor’s side, scolding us as traitors and pretending not to know. Even if we fail, the emperor will not I blame you. As for the future, forgive my brother for not being able to escort my sister."

After saying this, Shen Yingjie stood up and knelt in front of Shen Yumei, and kowtowed three times, "My brother is deeply grateful for my sister's care for so many years. If there is another life, my brother will definitely come to repay my sister's great kindness."

"Yingjie, you want my sister's life!" After all, Shen Yingjie is the younger brother that Shen Yumei held in her hands and watched him grow up. Seeing him like this, Shen Yumei felt uncomfortable. It's all gone, and my sister has nothing to rely on. Yingjie, it's not that my sister is greedy for life and fear of death, it's just that time is short, are you sure?"

Seeing that Shen Yumei showed signs of loosening, Shen Yingjie hurriedly said: "Sister, don't worry, we have been planning this matter for a long time, and now it is only a few days in advance. Now all the Habayashi guards in the palace are in my hands, and the rest Those odds and ends can't make any big waves. Just set up a name cleverly, copy the East Palace in the name of an assassin in the palace, then control the emperor, force him to abolish the prince on the charge of treason, and then write down the seven chapters to change the establishment. According to the imperial edict of the prince, His Royal Highness the Seventh Highness can inherit the throne in a legitimate way. You don’t have to do anything, just keep an eye on these servants in the harem, and don’t let them leak the news. As long as the arrangements are made properly before the next morning, the civil and military officials As soon as you go to the court, you can announce the imperial decree. When the new king takes the throne, everything will be settled. Even if someone doubts it, the emperor and the crown prince are dead anyway, and they have no power to recover."

Shen Yingjie's plan sounds very feasible, but Shen Yumei is still worried, "But there are a large number of guards in the emperor's bedroom and the East Palace who do not belong to the Habayashi Guards. What if they resist stubbornly? What if they are allowed to last until the next day?" In the court, it is impossible for the Habayashi guards to lock the palace door and not open it. When civil and military officials find something wrong, they will definitely move in to rescue the soldiers, and then how will you end up?"

"The guards in the bedroom hall and the east palace are a bit tricky. Fortunately, although they are large in number, they cannot be compared with the Habayashi guards. I am sure to take them down early. Besides, this is just the worst plan. We can choose A time when both the emperor and the crown prince are present, and take care of them at the same time. Although there are many guards in the East Palace, it is impossible for all of them to follow the crown prince. If we suddenly attack, they will definitely not be able to react in time." Shen Yingjie said: "Sister, don't worry, Even if they can survive until the morning of the next day, as long as we close the palace gates, can the civil and military officials outside still attack? As long as the emperor writes an edict with his own hand, His Highness the Seventh Highness is justified, and we can get rid of all the crimes. When it comes to the crown prince, it can be regarded as an explanation to the civil and military officials."

Shen Yumei said coldly: "Even if the civil and military officials can't help it, there is still Zhao Rui as a variable. Don't forget, there are still tens of thousands of forbidden troops stationed in the suburbs of Beijing. If they want to attack, it will be absolutely easy."

"The Forbidden Army in the suburbs of Beijing does not pose any threat at all." Shen Yingjie laughed, and said: "Sister, don't forget, thanks to the gift of the late emperor, what decree did the emperor make?"

Shen Yumei was stunned for a moment, then she was surprised and delighted: "You mean..."

"That's right." Shen Yingjie said: "The former emperor left a secret decree. If the fifth prince dies before the emperor, those who hold the secret decree can take over the Imperial Guards in Beijing and avenge the fifth prince. In order to prevent this from happening, the emperor made another what?"

Shen Yumei murmured, "The emperor not only replaced the commanders of the imperial army with his confidantes, but also issued a decree, unless there is an imperial decree written by the emperor himself and stamped with a jade seal, the imperial army is not allowed to move without authorization."

"As long as we control the imperial palace, no matter whether it's the emperor or the jade seal, it's hard to fly." Shen Yingjie said with a smile: "Without the jade seal and imperial decree, even if the imperial army is right in front of us, it's just a decoration."

After hearing this, Shen Yumei felt relieved a little, but then trembled all over her body, "Wu Zhu has been with the Fifth Prince, so he has seen the late emperor's secret decree. Could it be that as early as 20 years ago, even if he planned that there would be today?"

"After the death of the fifth prince, the secret decree disappeared together with Wu Zhu. The emperor always thought that Wu Zhu was holding the secret decree to plot the command of the imperial army. In fact, his real purpose was to let the emperor put shackles on the imperial army and restrain them with his own hands. Hands and feet." Shen Yingjie's eyes were full of admiration, "From my sister's entry into the palace to being favored, to my birth and taking over the palace guard, all of this was planned by him long ago."

Shen Yumei poured cold water coldly, "But he has calculated thousands of times, and he still hasn't calculated that Moji is not dead. Otherwise, the prince and Zhengxihou's mansion would have disappeared long ago, and we would not have reached the point we are today."

"Sister, even if you are a god, it is impossible to be exhaustive." Shen Yingjie scolded: "Besides, he also thought of the possibility that Mo Ji was not dead, but how did His Royal Highness do it?"

Shen Yumei was at a loss for words for a moment, and she heard Shen Yingjie continue: "Even though His Highness the Seventh Prince smashed a good game of chess, he still helped to turn things around."

Looking at Shen Yumei's surprised eyes, Shen Yingjie smiled and said: "Why, does my sister really think that His Royal Highness alone can steal the crown prince's miraculous achievements? His plan is indispensable, but he said it through my mouth Just come out. Now almost everything is developing according to his expectations, sister, with such a capable person planning for you and His Royal Highness, what else do you have to worry about?"

It has to be said that Shen Yingjie's words made Shen Yumei completely relieved.Deliberately ignoring those horrifying memories of the past, Shen Yumei said: "Does my brother-in-law know about your plan? Although he is on good terms with us, he really loves your second sister, but after all, he is the Marquis of Dingbei granted by the emperor. You might as well first Go and test his intentions, if we can get his support, our chances of winning will be even greater."

"Sister, don't worry, Dingbeihou's mansion and Ning'anbo's mansion are in-laws. If Ning'anbo rebelled, can Dingbeihou not be implicated? Even if it is to keep Dingbeihou's mansion, the second brother-in-law will stand by us. Even if he If you don't support us, at least you won't expose us." Shen Yingjie said confidently: "Besides, although Zhao Jing is his own son, that little bastard already recognizes Zhao Rui as his father and hates him to the bone. Jing made good friends with the prince, and believed that he was the Seventh Prince's party. If the prince succeeds, he will definitely not have the good fruit of the second brother-in-law. He knows this very well. Anyway, Zhao Jing is just a piece of incense to him, and the big deal will happen Afterwards, we handed that little bastard Zhao Jing to the second brother-in-law. Whether to kill him or keep him is up to him."

Now, Shen Yumei no longer has any worries.She said slowly: "Let me think about it again, so don't tell Jing se."

"Sister, we are going to start trouble as soon as possible." Shen Yingjie did not give Shen Yumei any chance to hesitate, he held Shen Yumei's hand, and said seriously: "This portrait may be recognized at any time, and it will be dangerous later. Sister, if you make a decision, you will suffer chaos! You should make a decision quickly, so as not to leave a grudge for life."

"Then... alright." Looking at Shen Yingjie, Shen Yumei finally nodded.

That night, there was chaos in the dormitory.Emperor Liang was guarded by several guards, and looked in shock at the imperial guards who drew their swords and the smiling man standing in the middle, with pain and disbelief mixed in his eyes.

Concubine Shen curled up with the Seventh Prince in her arms, not daring to look up at Emperor Liang.

"It's really you!" Emperor Liang said through gritted teeth, his tone full of unwillingness and regret.

The man stood between the firelight and the knife light, with a gentle smile on his round face, without the slightest timidity of the past.He arrogantly raised his chin at Emperor Liang, and said leisurely: "Yes, it's me. I am the orphan of the Yang family and the real Mr. Wuzhu. Your Majesty, I have been waiting for this day for a long time."

The flames in the dormitory were soaring to the sky, killing and shouting mixed together.A portrait was left on the ground, and soon, the snow-white paper was splattered with bright red blood.

The face of the person in the portrait happened to be covered by blood, making it impossible to see clearly, but the chubby figure and demeanor in the painting were exactly the same as the person just now, as if he had stepped out of the painting.

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The author has something to say:

I have been eating Wang Leehom's melon since Friday night, and I was so shocked that I couldn't speak.This year's entertainment industry is really lively, and it never stops.