To The Land of Nevernight

In the Great Song Palace at this moment, there were bright lights and the sound of soldiers everywhere.

Countless imperial guards patrolled vigilantly with torches and spears.In this turbulent time, a figure in a black cloak quietly ran into the Jingxin Hall in the northeast corner of the palace.Jingxin Hall is a palace just built by the emperor last year, which is specially used to worship Buddha statues.

After the figure in black robe entered the hall, he lifted his cloak, and the second prince Zhao Shang, who had been in the hall for a long time, saw his face clearly and hurried up.

Zhao Shang: "Master, what's going on here, what happened outside? Why did it suddenly become chaotic, but what happened?"

Zhao Shang was so anxious that he was sweating profusely, but he was imprisoned in the Jingxin Palace by the emperor, and he couldn't get out at all.Tonight he had a fast meal and was about to copy the scriptures for the queen mother, when he was halfway through the copy, he heard the sound of fighting outside the hall.Zhao Shang was so frightened that he thought it was Zhao Fu who was going to chop him up, but he hid behind the pillar and waited for a long time, but no one came in.It wasn't until half an hour later that I waited to listen carefully.

Shan Ting's neither sad nor happy face showed any emotion, he clasped his hands together, performed a monk's ceremony, and said slowly: "Your Highness, indeed something happened. Your Majesty is seriously ill, and has been in bed for more than three days. Today , some prince raised his troops to rebel, and now I am afraid that he has already killed the palace gate."

Zhao Shang opened his eyes wide in horror: "Forcing the palace?!"

The pleasant voice seemed to come from the mist: "Yes, forced the palace."

"How dare he!" Zhao Shang roared, "Who is it, Zhao Jing or Zhao Ji, they dare to do such a disrespectful thing?"

"The poor monk doesn't know either."

As soon as the words fell, there was another sound of guns and halberds colliding with iron objects in the distance. Zhao Shang was startled, and he said with a trembling voice: "Then what should we do?" He was imprisoned in the Jingxin Palace by the emperor. , the counselors were not around, at this moment Zhao Shang was completely panicked, not knowing what to do.

But there is no doubt that whether it is Zhao Jing or Zhao Ji who forced the palace, once they succeed, they will definitely not keep him as the second brother.

Zhao Shang even thought of it: "Could you still put the eternal crime of forcing the palace on my head?"

Zhao Shang clenched his fingers, wishing he could shoot his brother who forced the palace to death with his own hands.

However, he has no armor now, let alone strangling the rebels, he can't even escape from this palace.When Zhao Shang was full of anxiety, Shan Ting said: "Your Majesty is seriously ill, and the Imperial Forest Army in the palace has no leader, only His Highness the Second Highness can meet the enemy."

"I?"

Shan Ting: "That's right. Your Highness is the prince, and no one can mobilize the [-] Imperial Forest Army in the palace except you. Your Highness, don't hesitate any longer. Please hurry to Zhaode Gate and stop the rebels before they enter the palace." .”

Zhao Shang felt hot in his heart: "Master is right, you can't sit still!"

The gate of Jingxin Hall opened suddenly, and Zhao Shang stepped out of the hall, only to see Ruan Fengzheng, the leader of the Imperial Forest Army, waiting at the entrance of the hall.Zhao Shang looked back at Shan Ting, and said movedly: "Thank you, Master, today, as long as His Highness is still alive, the rebels will never want to enter the palace and get closer to the emperor!"

Ruan Feng knelt on one knee, he lowered his head, hiding his expression in the night: "Your Highness, please give me an order."

Zhao Shang's eyes were firm: "Where did the rebels break into the palace?"

Ruan Feng: "Zhaode Gate."

"Okay, then I will go down with my highness, and kill the head of the rebel in Zhaodemen!"

The night fell, like a swallowing beast, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.Outside the gate of Zhaode, the fourth prince Zhao Jing and the fifth prince Zhao Ji led the soldiers and horses of the five cities to attack the city gate.On Zhaode Gate, the Imperial Forest Army dropped tens of thousands of rockets to block the stormy attack.

However, when Taizu built the Great Song Palace, he didn't want to use the palace as a fortress.Shengjing is the capital of a country, and the enemy has already attacked the palace, so why is there any need to defend the city?The city has already been destroyed!Therefore, the [-] Imperial Forest Army in Zhaode Gate gradually became unable to hold on, and the reinforcements from the two princes gained the upper hand.

Zhao Jing gritted his teeth and said, "Thieves like Zhao Shang just colluded with that monstrous monk to be good at listening, but they actually instigated against the Imperial Forest Army. Father is now in prison, I don't know what's going on!"

Zhao Ji: "Today, you and my brothers, regardless of each other, let's kill Zhao Shang together, how about it?"

Zhao Jing: "Naturally!"

Zhao Ji ordered: "Chong, take this Zhaode Gate for Your Highness!"

The soldiers swarmed up and rushed towards the towering and majestic Zhaodemen with roars.

The Imperial Forest Army on the city gate was gradually unable to hold on, and the crumbling palace gate was about to be breached.Zhao Jing and Zhao Ji's eyes lit up, and they secretly sized each other up.Although both of them are going to kill Zhao Shang now, it is important to know who will rush into the palace first to rescue him.No one is willing to give this great contribution to the other party, as long as the city gate is broken, it is time to compete.

boom!

With a loud bang, the towering palace door was blasted open, only one blow could break it.

Both Zhao Jing and Zhao Ji held their breath, waiting to rush into the palace.At this time, I saw a group of people coming from outside the palace.The two turned their heads together, and when they saw the visitor, they both showed joy.

"Left phase!"

Ji Wengji was riding on the horse, and the bumps along the way made his old bones almost fall apart.He looked at the dilapidated Zhaodemen from a distance, and suddenly, he seemed to see another door from it.His old and sharp eyes looked through the city gate, and saw the densely packed archers behind the gate.

The night is deep, a dream for years.

Ji Wengji came back to his senses: "Fourth Highness, Fifth Highness."

Zhao Jing said angrily: "Zhao Shang is a traitor, how dare he force the palace, please let the left minister enter the palace with His Highness, and kill the traitor!"

Zhao Ji also hurriedly said: "Let Prime Minister Zuo enter the palace with His Highness, and cut off Zhao Shang's head."

The soldiers and horses of the five cities took advantage of the victory to pursue, and the roar shook the sky.However, Zhao Jing and Zhao Ji didn't know that behind the dilapidated Zhaode Gate, the second prince Zhao Shang led the Imperial Forest Army, deployed archers, and was also waiting to shoot and kill the traitors.

In the chaotic palace, the eunuchs and maids fled in panic, but a figure in a black cloak quietly walked into Funing Palace.In the huge Funing Palace, only the chief eunuch Ji Fu was left guarding it.A solitary lamp was lit in the dormitory, Ji Fu lowered his head, his body hidden under the loose robe was trembling, he dared not speak.

In front of the case, a thin figure held a brush and wrote four large characters with a brush——

"Don't Ask Heaven".

The good-hearing monk took off his cloak, and he performed a monk ceremony with a gentle and calm voice: "Your Majesty."

Zhao Fu didn't respond, he wrote the four words carefully, then took out his imperial seal, held it in both hands, dipped it in red mud, and printed it.He admired his handwriting with satisfaction, then raised his head and asked, "Look, how do you write these four characters?"

Shan Ting glanced from a distance: "Monks don't tell lies."

Zhao Fu laughed for a moment, and said to Ji Fu: "He is saying that my writing is not very good!"

Ji Fu was so nervous that his face was tense. When Zhao Fu spoke to him, he immediately responded: "I think your Majesty's writing is very good."

Zhao Fu nodded: "I also think that I write very well."

Throwing the brush aside, Zhao Fu sat on the throne and asked lazily, "Zhao Shang has gone?"

Shan Ting: "Go."

"Where are Zhao Jing and Zhao Ji?"

"It's all here too."

Zhao Fu opened his mouth, then closed it abruptly.After a long time, he said leisurely: "Zhen, I think someone must have arrived at Funing Palace at this time."

As soon as the words fell, Ruan Feng, the leader of the Imperial Forest Army, went outside Funing Palace and knelt down to beg to see him.Zhao Fu announced him into the room, he stood up and took two steps, there was a rare trace of reluctance and struggle in his eyes, and then he asked in a low voice: "What's the matter? Is it Zhao Shang, Zhao Jing, or Zhao Ji? "

Ruan Feng hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "The three princes are all in Zichen Palace, waiting to be released."

Zhao Fu's body shook and he froze in place.

The next moment, he asked, "All there?"

Ruan Feng: "Yes, they are all there."

"Why are they all there?!"

Ruan Feng: "Yes... Lord Zuo entered Zhaode Gate alone, and His Highness the Second Highness never shot an arrow, so now... all of them are waiting for His Majesty in Zichen Hall."

Zhao Fu collapsed, sat on the throne, and stared blankly at the four words on the table.

Don't ask God.

The good-hearing monk fiddled with the beads, and the voice was the same as before, coming from the mist: "The karma is the cause, and the breaking of the obstacles is the effect. Those who love and desire are like walking against the wind with a torch, and they must suffer from burning hands. But because of delusion and persistence , can’t prove it. Benefactor, under Abi, in the hell of thorns, you are the only one after all.”

Zhao Fu raised his head suddenly, staring at Shan Ting with scorching eyes, revealing his killing intent.

The benevolent and round-faced monk still recited the Buddha calmly, neither happy nor sad.

All night long, in the Youxiang mansion, the kitchen stopped serving food, but Tang Shen and Youxiang sat at the table, opened their eyes and waited all night.

The east is white, and the sun is rising.

The officer trotted into the Right Prime Minister's Mansion: "Reporting to my lord, Mr. Geng, Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment, entered the palace half an hour ago."

Wang Quan was surprised and said: "Geng Shaoyun? Why did he enter the palace? What happened in the palace last night?"

This official was just ordered by Wang Quan to go to the place where he should go to get news, and he couldn't tell what he didn't get.Wang Quan waved his hand: "Go down."

"Yes."

Tang Shen looked at him: "Uncle, what happened in the palace?"

Wang Quan said helplessly: "You, even if I ask, I don't know."

Tang Shen was embarrassed.

Wang Quan: "It's just that Geng Shaoyun entered the palace, which was beyond my expectation. He actually entered the palace. Could it be that there was a turning point in yesterday's incident? What is the turning point?" Wang Quan became interested, but he couldn't figure it out after much deliberation.

And he naturally didn't know that outside Funing Palace, Ji Wengji was wearing a slightly old official robe and entered the palace under the leadership of the chief eunuch Ji Fu.As soon as he entered the hall, he could smell the curling sandalwood, the smoke was lingering, and he could not be quiet.Ji Xiang didn't look up, just stood in the hall with his eyes down, waiting quietly.

After a long time, a figure came out from behind the curtain. He walked up to Ji Xiang and watched him quietly for a long time.

A sigh seemed to sound from afar: "Chongming."

Zuo Xiang Ji Weng Ji, the word Chongming, is taken from "Book of Changes": "Chongming is beautiful and upright".

Ji Xiang raised his head slowly, and said sincerely: "Chen Ji Wengji, I pay my respects to Your Majesty."

Zhao Fu said gently: "Why did you enter the palace?"

"I care about your majesty's dragon body."

"I feel fine."

"Your Majesty's dragon body is healthy, and the minister is full of joy."

The monarch and his ministers faced each other silently, no one knew how long it had passed, the burning ambergris in the hall had been burned out, and gradually cooled down.

"Chongming, you have been with my monarch and minister for more than twenty years, and I suddenly feel that I don't understand you anymore."

Ji Wengji lowered his head, and said neither humble nor overbearing: "I have never understood Your Majesty."

boom!

A teacup hit Ji Wengji straight on the forehead, smashing his head to the ground, and fell to the ground, shattered into several pieces.After all, Ji Wengji was old, and when he was hit suddenly, he staggered and almost fell to the ground, but he stabilized his figure.

Zhao Fu laughed hastily, and his voice was sharp: "You don't understand me?"

Blood flowed all over his face, Ji Wengji raised his face.That face was full of wrinkles and ravines, but his eyes were sharp and clear.His face was covered with blood, but his voice was very calm, and he said slowly: "Yes, I don't understand. I don't understand what the second prince did wrong and was chosen as a traitor by you. I also don't understand, the fourth prince, the fifth prince, etc. What did the princes do wrong again? You want to kill them. Tiger poison does not eat children. If the three princes die, the great Song Dynasty, which you have worked so hard to win from others, will be handed over to you. who?"

"Zhao Ao? Zhao Qiong?"

"Did you forget that everyone surnamed Zhao has been slaughtered long ago, and now only King Jing's line remains."