After being a widow, the empress dowager was favored by the powerful ministers

Chapter 23

Outside the hall, the wind and snow were blowing, and the earth dragon in the hall was burning warmly.

Sheng Baoling sat at the table, flipping through the memorials sent today, most of them had to be read by her before sending them to the little emperor.

The new Bingbi servant in the Hall of Compassion and Peace, named Lu Lisheng, was kneeling at the side, lowering his head, grinding.

Qiuyi walked slowly into the hall, "Empress Dowager, Lord Pei is here."

Sheng Baoling's hand holding the pen paused slightly.

But after a while, a step was steady, neither hurried nor slow, and shallow footsteps sounded in the hall.

Sheng Baoling looked up, and saw that Pei Ci was wearing the cloak he had seen a few days ago, his body was still stained with the cold air of the wind and snow outside, and there were still a few snowflakes that were about to melt on his hair and shoulders.

There was probably a cold wind blowing outside, but now he came in, his face was still a little pale.

"My minister sees the Empress Dowager."

The voice was always cold and unkind.

Sheng Baoling motioned him to sit on the chair that had been arranged earlier, Jian Jia retreated the rest of the palace people, and soon, only Sheng Baoling, Pei Ci, and Jian Jia were left in the palace.

When the servant Lisheng got up and walked out of the palace, he quietly looked at the nobleman from outside, Pei Ci, when his eyes touched that face, his heart jumped violently, his eyes were full of surprise, but he quickly returned to normal, with his head bowed Shen Mo walked out of the Hall of Compassion and Ning.

Jian Jia brought hot tea, a blanket to wipe the snow, and Mrs. Tang who warmed Pei Ci's hands, which can be described as caring.

Pei Ci's palm was warmed bit by bit by Mrs. Tang. This warmth seemed to be a touch of spring amidst the white snow in this cold winter day.

There was only a distance of about ten steps between the two of them, and there was a bead curtain in between. When the bead curtain was tilted, Sheng Baoling suddenly couldn't see clearly.

Her voice was bright but not harsh, "I heard that Prime Minister Pei was not in good health when he returned home a few days ago. Are you feeling better today?"

Pei Ci responded, "The Empress Dowager Lao is concerned, and she has invited the Imperial Physician Liang, and she is already feeling better."

The Pei family has never announced these things to the outside world, but Sheng Baoling knows it, but it is not surprising. After all, it is a member of the Sheng family. .

It was also these things in her hands that made Taishi Lou fearful, and made the little emperor dissatisfied but now he could only turn a blind eye.

Sheng Baoling nodded slightly, looking down at the memorial in his hand.

The hall was quiet, so quiet that one could still hear the sound of wind and snow outside, one sound at a time, as if a wild beast was roaring outside, sometimes far away, sometimes near, which made people feel a little panicked.

After roughly reading the memorial on the table, Pei Ci had already drank two cups of hot tea, his body was warm and his face was turning bloody, Sheng Baoling's voice sounded again.

"Pei Xiang, there is something about the Ai family that I have been wondering about, I wonder if Pei Xiang can clear up the Ai family's doubts?"

Sheng Baoling realized that she was looking at Pei Ci through the bead curtain. After hesitating, she got up and walked away from the table, and walked slowly behind the bead curtain. With her white fingertips, she slowly opened the bead curtain.

The beads collided and made a small sound.

Pei Ci's gaze was fixed on Sheng Baoling's direction, without moving for a moment, his eyes were deep, but his expression was cold, just like the wind and snow outside.

Cold, not mixed with half a trace of other.

"Please speak, Empress Dowager."

Facing such gazes, Sheng Baoling felt at ease for some reason.

She walked slowly in front of Pei Ci, "I heard from the servants who served the late emperor that the late emperor had secretly summoned Prime Minister Pei a few days before he left due to a serious illness. I wonder if this happened?"

When Sheng Baoling asked the question, she didn't blink her eyes. She looked at Pei Ci, trying to find out from his emotional reaction the answers to some of the things she was puzzled about, but which she might not be able to get answers to.

But Pei Ci has always kept his emotions very stable, and he has never lost his composure in the slightest.

"Return to the Empress Dowager, it is true."

Sheng Baoling's eyes flickered slightly, and his tone gradually softened, but then became serious, "I don't know what the late emperor discussed with Pei Xiang?"

She was almost sure that the late emperor must have entrusted Pei Ci with something, and only Pei Ci knew about it.

But what is it?
Pei Ci's eyes were calm, and the moment he met Sheng Baoling's gaze, there was no slight disturbance in his expression.

But only he himself knows in his heart how flustered he is at this moment...

In Funing Palace, the autumn wind is rustling, passing by the old trees in front of the palace, and the yellowed leaves are falling to the ground.

In the depths of the hall, on the dragon couch, the imperial aura of Emperor Chenghe has long since dissipated, leaving only a terminally ill face with pale lips, but a trace of the former glory can still be seen in the outline of the remaining eyebrows and eyes.

Pei Ci was on the side, with a pair of eyes without superfluous expressions, when he heard what Emperor Chenghe said, his pupils suddenly constricted.

"The queen entered the palace at the age of 12, and now she is only seventeen... She shouldn't be trapped in this palace for the rest of her life..."

Speaking of Sheng Baoling, Emperor Chenghe's turbid eyes flashed with regret.

In his whole life, he has always been cautious at the beginning and respecting the end, he has been steady and far-sighted, and behaved in a clear and clear manner. The only way he agreed to the Sheng family's daughter entering the palace was to implicate Sheng Baoling and ruin her life.

The more it is now, watching Sheng Baoling grow up, the more he regrets it.

After he left, who else in the palace could protect her for him.

"Xuan Jin, that little girl loves to cry since she was a child, after I leave...you will take care of me for a while..."

Pei Ci's voice was deep and respectful, "Your Majesty entrusts me, I will do my best."

Emperor Chenghe sighed, "I don't want to hear this."

As soon as he finished speaking, he covered his mouth with his hands and coughed heavily.

Pei Ci frowned slightly, "Your Majesty, take care of the dragon's body."

However, Emperor Chenghe grabbed Pei Ci's hand, two equally chilling hands, for a moment, he didn't know which one was weaker.

Emperor Chenghe's hand suddenly exerted force, as if he had exhausted the rest of his life's strength, his voice became heavy and soft, and his breathing was rapid, "In the future, if Baoling is tired of being in this palace, or...or has someone he likes If you want to leave, I hope you will help her."

"She is used to hiding all her thoughts in her heart, you are careful..."

Pei Ci only felt that the hand held by Emperor Chenghe seemed to weigh a thousand catties, and he was almost out of breath, his thin lips moved, his eyes darkened, but he did not agree.

Emperor Chenghe's breathing was sometimes short of breath, sometimes shallow and slow, as if he was about to lose his breath, but his cloudy eyes kept staring at Pei Ci, "Xuan Jin, apart from you, I have never had any other close friends in my life, let alone you. Never asked anyone."

"Now, I beg you, help her."

Pei Ci's heart suddenly sank to the bottom, and the other hand slowly held Emperor Chenghe's hand, his voice was deep and deep, not as cold as usual, it seemed a little heavy.

After all, it should be done.

Emperor Chenghe seemed to have entrusted An Dian with the last worrying thing, and the heart that was hanging tightly finally fell to the ground slowly.

Looking at the preoccupied Pei Ci, there was a slight smile on the corner of his pale mouth.

Pei Xuanjin, no matter how well you hide your thoughts.But it's not true that no one found out.

(End of this chapter)