Snake Tale

When Zhong Lichun stepped into Wugui's bedroom, he felt a wave of heat rushing to his face.It was already early summer, and there was still a charcoal basin in the bedroom.The palace slaves serving Marquis Qi came and went, some sprinkled water on the steps, some added charcoal to the stove, some played fans in front of the curtain, and some waited by the bed with bated breath, every half an hour. Put the cotton wool under the innocent nose to test the weak breath.When they saw Zhong Lichun coming in person, the well-trained palace servants bowed their heads in an orderly manner, and retreated out soundlessly like a school of migrating fish.After a while, only Zhong Lichun and her husband were left alone here.The dormitory was like a stuffy and humid coffin, when Zhong Lichun sat down on Wugui's couch, the tip of his nose was already sweating slightly.However, the Wu Kui hand she was holding was still dry and cold.Those fingers are as barren as Populus euphratica in the desert—they are, indeed, as tenacious and unyielding, struggling to survive, and they look the same when they are alive and dead.

Wu Kui's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.He stared at her for a moment, then said softly, "Have you put on makeup?"

Zhong Lichun said: "I forgot to put on makeup last time at the court meeting, and I was missed by my concubine for three days..." She pulled out a brocade handkerchief from the front of her lapel, calmly wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said with a smile: "I knew I wouldn't be going today .”

There was a smile in Wu Kui's eyes, and he quietly listened to Zhong Lichun's innocuous rejection of the imperial court lady.Naturally, Zhong Lichun's case was piled up with innumerable military intelligence, but in her opinion, none of them were worth bothering Wugui's heart.Day after day he sleeps in this tomb-like bedroom, but every time Zhong Lichun looks at him, he can still see the image of the high-spirited young man three years ago on his face.When he knew her from humble beginnings, he promoted her to be the most powerful woman in the state of Qi, encouraged her to use her talents to innovate, and protected her from the attacks of corrupt scholars and the back arrows of political opponents with her weak and sick body for several years. ——Now he finally fell down, buried dying in the warm bed of the bedroom, like a dying skeleton.Precious and rare medicinal materials gathered from all over the world in an endless stream, without any loss to support the broken body, to fight against the pain unyieldingly, and to prolong his own life, just for Zhong Lichun to use the name of "Xiaojun" for one more day. His authority issues decrees from the throne.At that time, the situation in Qi State was delicate and unpredictable, and it could not withstand a little shock and turbulence.For God's will, since April, there has been no rain, the farmlands are tormented, the people are hungry and displaced, and people's hearts are floating.However, the river was dry and men and horses were feasible, which attracted Beiyan, who had always been in a fishing and hunting dispute with Qi and was coveting day and night, to take advantage of the emptiness and join forces with Zheng, Lu, Wei, Song and other countries to form an allied army to invade the border.The most hated thing is the stalemate in the country. The power struggle between Zhong Lichun and Mrs. Zishuo has reached a critical moment, and all the officials are sitting on the fence, evaluating which side will finally win the hot crown.Before that, these nobles, who were stained with merchants' slippery air, were stingy with their loyalty like misers: at the moment when the national treasury was empty and waiting to raise food and disaster relief, when the army was approaching the city and was in urgent need of soldiers, horses, and military salaries, these nobles were looking forward to Ai Ai. , Yongyong cowardly, pretending to be stupid, indifferent.The snipe and the clam competed, and the fisherman benefited. During the stalemate for more than a month, the Beiyan coalition forces captured dozens of cities including Yuanlou and Cuili.The government and the public are rebelling against Yingtian, and no one reflects on their responsibilities. However, under the secret instigation of Mrs. Zishuo, they all accuse those in power of being a dead body and doing nothing. Even if you are in dire straits, which one can you confide in Wugui who lives in Bo Xishan?

Zhong Lichun chatted with Wu Kui for a while with his usual expression, then got up and left the palace.The attendants waiting outside the court quietly followed behind her, listening to her order: "Drive me to the other building outside the city."

The attendant couldn't help being startled, hesitantly said: "Are you going to visit the Empress Dowager?"

Zhong Lichun let out a "huh" and suddenly said: "The disease is dying, and the only way to get rid of it is with strong medicine."

The valet was terrified and broke out in a cold sweat: "Ma'am! Could it be that you—"

"That's right," Zhong Lichun said in a low voice, "I'm going to continue the unfinished agreement of the day - the position of Lord Qi, and those who are able will occupy it. If she can really solve the current predicament, I will... follow Yao and Shun's example, The position of Lord Qi is handed over."

"Zhong Lichun is indeed a person who understands current affairs."

In the guest house in the suburbs of Linzi, Mrs. Zishuo lightly opened her teeth and bit off the brocade thread in her hand, then turned her head and smiled to her confidant behind the screen.

When the game between Mrs. Zishuo and Zhong Lichun was on the verge of breaking out, there were many fence-sitting factions who heard the news and rushed to show their loyalty to the widowed queen mother. Mrs. Zishuo kept her voice calm with unexpected calmness. move.It's not that she doesn't admire those flattery, but she understands that, unlike Zhong Lichun who stood on the stage and suffered all kinds of open and dark arrows, her biggest advantage is in this mysterious and unpredictable position.With the help of the blessing of darkness, she wins over people's hearts, lobbying secretly, planning and arranging, like a spider hiding in the shadows, attracting all kinds of forces in the government, the opposition, and the market, and weaves her web densely. —and finally let her prey have no escape.

"Natural disasters and man-made disasters, internal and external difficulties, evil voices like a tide." Standing under the lamp, his confidant carefully read the sincerely worded document sent by Zhong Lichun, and said: "In this situation, Zhong Lichun has no choice at all."

"That's why I would rather be enemies with smart people." Mrs. Zishuo raised her head and said approvingly, "They will always understand the principle of a strong man cutting his wrists and wisely protecting himself, so that they won't do stupid things like killing a fish."

Mrs. Zishuo is full of ambition, and she is not stingy with compliments to her old enemy.The confidant said: "The queen mother has replied to Mrs. Wuyan as agreed?"

"nature."

"However, the difficulty of the thorny hill cannot be solved overnight." The confidant was far from being as optimistic as she was, and said hesitantly: "Leaving aside the fact that the Allied Forces of the Five Nations are mighty and the refugees are chaotic and violent, just say that today, the hearts of the insiders In a floating situation, where do the soldiers come from? Where does the food come from? Most of the domestic soldiers are directly descended from nobles. They have not been rectified since the prince seized the throne and the civil strife has not been rectified, and they are not restrained; , once the repression is excessive and causes a mutiny, I am afraid there will be dangers to the family and life—Madam, Zhong Lichun's 'Yao and Shun Zen Position', I think he will be punished!"

Mrs. Zishuo's green eyes were full, and she smiled slyly, and said: "That's right. So what I'm working on is not in this 'gentleman's agreement'... However, on the surface, we still have to deal with them perfunctorily." One time. Fortunately, I have an excellent candidate at my knee... It is time for him to stand up and show the filial piety of a black bird."