don't fight the general

I don't know if it was because of Yan Cheng's illness that the imperial city was suddenly curfew. Even though Yan Jing held the pass token and was a prince, he still struggled outside the city gate for a while before entering the city.

During this period of time, Yan Jing entered the palace quite a few times, and every time he entered the palace, he must first go to the Yongshou Palace to greet him, but when he stood under the long steps of the Yongshou Palace and looked up at the majestic palace in front of him, he still felt a little bit raised from the bottom of his heart. A subtle feeling—perhaps because the dark clouds that appeared at an unknown time gradually covered the sky, Yan Jing always felt that today's Yongshou Palace was particularly gloomy, exuding an indescribable dead air.

He couldn't help pinching his fingers, then tidied up his clothes, and walked up the long steps step by step.

As usual, Wang Zhong took a few servants to guard outside the palace gate, and when he saw Yan Jing approaching slowly, he bowed and saluted: "My servant, please see Your Highness King Rui."

Yan Jing nodded lightly: "I'm sorry to bother you, I don't know how the father is doing now?"

Wang Zhong hesitated a little, turned his head and looked behind him, followed Yan Jing and walked a few steps forward, and then said slowly: "Your Majesty woke up a few times this morning, and fell asleep after talking , Later, when it was time for lunch, His Majesty could not be woken up as before, and only then did he realize that something was wrong... The imperial doctor was already in the palace, and the empress was also standing by. Come."

Yan Jing frowned slightly, he could already imagine what kind of scene it would be in the hall.But having come here, there is absolutely no reason to go back, so he nodded: "Trouble."

"Slaves dare not." Wang Zhong pushed the palace door open for Yan Jing with his own hands, "Please, Your Highness."

After the heavy palace door was pushed open, there was a sound, and Yan Jing couldn't help frowning. He turned his head, glanced behind him, then stepped over the high threshold, straightened his clothes, and strode into the inner room. temple.

The inner hall was filled with a strong herbal smell, which made Yan Jing sniff his nose. He stopped and looked away from the hall. Several imperial doctors were gathered around the bed, chattering about something, his mother Sitting on a chair next to the bed, the concubine wiped tears while looking at Yan Cheng who was unconscious on the bed.

As for Cui Qiao... Yan Jing turned sideways, looked around the hall, only to see the thin figure in front of the west window behind the screen, Yan Jing looked back, and found that her concubine's attention was still on the bed, He didn't realize that he had already entered the palace, he hesitated for a moment, and walked over with light steps.

Before he came to the front, Cui Qiao said in a low voice: "Your Highness got news very quickly."

After all, it is a member of the Cui family, even after so many years in the palace, their hearing and insight are still amazing.Yan Jing looked back and saw that no one noticed her, so she walked around the screen, came to Cui Qiao, and saluted her: "See mother."

Cui Qiao nodded lightly, but didn't look back, but looked at the closed west window in front of him, and said slowly: "It's time like this, Your Highness doesn't need to be so polite. After all, you came to me to inquire about it a few days ago. When you get the news, you don't care about etiquette."

Yan Jing's demeanor was calm, without any guilt for his actions a few days ago, and asked Cui Qiao, "How is the father's situation now?"

"The imperial doctor is right there, Your Highness can go and ask yourself." Cui Qiao looked sideways, and his eyes fell on Yan Jing's face, "But in this situation, even if you don't ask, you should be able to guess. Otherwise, why is Concubine Shu?" Want to call His Highness back from Yunzhou all the way? The people of the royal family are the most shrewd, everyone has made plans in their hearts, and they have made preparations early, but they don't show it."

Yan Jing lowered her eyes slightly, and suddenly laughed: "What preparations did the mother do?"

Cui Qiao glanced at him, a mocking smile curled up on the corner of his lips, but he didn't answer Yan Jing's words.Yan Jing seemed to have expected her reaction, and didn't care at all, and said to herself as if chatting: "Just now when I entered the palace, I met my second brother and the imperial concubine outside the city gate. I heard that I was worried. Father's dragon body, go to the Temple of Mercy to pray for father."

"Concubine Zheng Guifei has been in the palace longer than this palace, and she has a deep relationship with His Majesty. In this situation, it is human nature to feel worried and place hope on gods and Buddhas. Naturally, this palace has to be unsympathetic, so I agree." Cui Qiao pressed his fingers on the window lattice, and his fingertips slid across the window paper, "If Concubine Shu wants to go, I will agree, Your Highness doesn't have to complain for your concubine mother."

"I'm not complaining, what's more, for my mother and concubine, I want to stay by my father's side even more at this time," Yan Jing said, and glanced behind the screen, "I actually want to What I'm saying is, when the queen mother agreed, she should have been very clear, even if you didn't agree, the imperial concubine will always have other ways to leave the imperial city, and she won't come back for a while."

Cui Qiao turned around, his eyes fell deeply on Yan Jing's face, and after a long time, he slowly said: "It seems that Ah Wei is still somewhat accurate in judging people, I don't know about other aspects, but Your Highness does It's not that I don't know anything." Speaking of this, she shook her head lightly, "Since she is very clear about the current situation, why bother to enter this imperial city again today? Concubine Zheng is leaving today, will she come back soon? Come back, Your Highness will come in today, don't even think about leaving in a while."

Yan Jing lowered her head and pinched her fingers, and smiled softly: "It's not so clear, at least when I left the mansion, I didn't think so much, until I ran into the imperial concubine at the gate of the city, recalling that I returned After the capital city, I met many people, but I never saw my second brother, nor Mr. Zheng Jingzheng, so I suddenly realized that they had been making preparations just like my mother said in recent days."

Speaking of this, Yan Jing paused slightly: "Even if you figure it out, what can you do? Yan Cong still knows to take his mother and concubine out of the palace before doing anything, and I can't leave my mother and concubine in this mess alone Let’s just run away. Besides, according to my father’s prudence, I won’t be ignorant of their little tricks, so I should always be on my guard?”

"For many years, the Holy Majesty has been well versed in the art of checks and balances. He has used the Zheng family in the court, but he has not given them any positions in the army; he has given great authority to the northwest garrison, but he has entrusted you, the prince, in front of them; King Kang and Chen Qi’s fiefdom, however, sent the Southwest Army to guard against South Vietnam. All kinds of power were distributed to multiple forces, threatening each other, and finally returned to the hands of the Holy One.” Cui Qiao sighed lightly, “For many years Never went wrong, clinker..."

The words have come to this point, how can Yan Jing not understand, so he continued: "The clinker northwest garrison just went north to face Beiliang, and I, the prince of the fief Yunzhou, was tricked back to the capital, and Nanyue, who has been paying tribute for many years, was deceived. I started to be restless, and at this time, my father actually fell ill, the right time and place, if I were the Zheng family, even if I hadn't prepared before, I would not let this opportunity go Are you unprepared?" Speaking of this, Yan Jing's expression became more serious, and he asked Cui Qiao, "I have never figured out why my father is always in good health, why did he suddenly fall ill at this time?"

"Your Highness really doesn't know?"

"I don't know."

"It's no wonder that I didn't know about it before." Cui Qiao smiled softly, "Your Highness still remembers that His Majesty met a few Taoist priests before and invited them into the Yongshou Palace. They lived in seclusion and rarely showed their faces to the public. Knowing the existence of these few people, but how many people know that the reason why His Majesty raised them is to make them refine elixir for himself in order to live forever."

Cui Qiao closed his eyes slightly, and sighed softly: "In the past dynasties, there have been many emperors who wanted to obtain the law of longevity, but who has asked for it?"

Yan Jing was dumb, and finally just raised the corners of her lips, showing a mocking smile: "This may be fate, it belongs to the father, and it also belongs to the Great Wei."

Seeking longevity in vain, but thus short-lived.

He bit his lip, thought for a while, and asked, "Where are those Taoist priests now?"

"Perhaps because of the lingering illness, the Holy Majesty suddenly woke up and instructed me, so before His Highness returned to the capital, I disposed of them." Cui Qiao lowered his eyes slightly, "There is no trace."

No wonder Yan Jing never saw those Taoist priests again after returning to the capital.He focused on Cui Qiao's face, and said in a low voice: "Then, can the queen mother answer my question just now, and what preparations have you made?"

Cui Qiao looked at him for a while, as if he was judging something. After a long time, he flicked his wrist, and brought the thing on his palm to Yan Jing's eyes: "Since Your Majesty fell ill, the Zheng family has been planning in secret. What he noticed was that the current situation was out of his control, so he could only take some precautions, but he couldn't clear it up in a short time. Although His Majesty was still awake a few days ago, his spirit was already weak. Presumably, he had already thought about it , so, give this thing to me."

Yan Jing looked at her palm, and recognized at a glance that it was the soldier talisman that commanded the Suwei army. The Suwei army has guarded the imperial city for many years and is loyal to the emperor. Although there are only [-] people, they are all elite. There is no need to worry about safety for the time being.

As long as the imperial city can be defended, and one of the Southwest Army or the Northwest Garrison Soldiers resolves the immediate situation, and withdraws to return to the capital, the problem will be solved.So right now, as long as they can bear it, it is the Zheng family who are in a hurry.

"The queen mother thinks, when will the Zheng family make a move?"

"It shouldn't take long." Cui Qiao turned around, his eyes seemed to fall on the bed through the screen, "If His Majesty can't wake up again, they won't hold back anymore. At that time, just push everything to the original It can be said that this palace has ulterior motives, concealed His Majesty's illness in order to seek the throne, and even said that this palace murdered the Holy Majesty, so it can be done justifiably."

"Justifiable?" Yan Jing smiled softly, "Now these are just high-sounding excuses, the one who can really stand at the end is the real rightful one, right?"

Cui Qiao withdrew his gaze, looked at Yan Jing quietly, and after a long time, said softly, "Does Your Highness want to be the last one standing?"