first minister

boom!

The next morning, the two ajar doors were slammed open from the outside.

Yanzhi, who was busy writing at his desk, looked up in surprise and saw Mr. Xiang rushing into the room excitedly, "It's done! Miss Rouge! It's done!"

Yanzhi quickly put down his pen and asked in surprise, "What did you do?"

"A spy finally couldn't survive the punishment and revealed an important piece of information. The Marquis Laiyang we have been searching for is hiding in the mansion of Anle Marquis Dongfangtai, who is now a prisoner!"

"what?"

Yanzhi stood up suddenly, looking surprised and happy, "Is it reliable?"

He nodded heavily to the chief, "Reliable, I personally interrogated you!"

Yanzhi immediately took the boss to report to Mr. Zhao, and Mr. Zhao's decision was no doubt that he had to make arrangements to arrest people first. After all, it was too late.

As for the formalities, it was natural for him to enter the palace in person and speak to the Queen Mother and His Majesty.

Dongcheng, the secluded house where the former Linjiang County Prince and the emperor's brother Dongfang Tai was imprisoned, was always guarded by soldiers, and spies from Heibingtai were watching around. All the servants and stewards in the house had also gone through strict inspections. Selection, entry and exit will be screened and will be severely restricted.

But despite this, no one doubted the possibility that Marquis Laiyang could hide in it.

It is not unusual for a person to be able to escape justice despite the almost dragnet manhunt in Heibingtai and Jingzhao Mansion.

They even felt that hiding here was an extremely reasonable approach, and they were worthy of being someone who could get away with it for so long.

When layers of Black Ice Platform spies came from all directions and surrounded the house, everyone felt a little excited and nervous, for fear of leaking this big fish.

Dongfangtai heard the noise outside and listened to the report from his servants. He thought it was Concubine De and Brother Six who finally couldn't help but kill him. He was so scared that he almost peed his pants. However, he didn't expect that the leader Heibingtai gave in. The men immediately cleared out everyone in the house, while saluting him respectfully and apologizing, "Master Hou, according to the intelligence report from Heibingtai, there are traitors hiding in the house. We were ordered to arrest them. I hope you will forgive me for disturbing the Master Hou. "

After the powerful grandfather and the arrogant mother and concubine left one after another, the helpless Dongfang Tai had already lost his former arrogance and domineering attitude. Hearing this, he first breathed a sigh of relief, and then his expression changed again, "I don't have any You’re protecting an imperial prisoner! I don’t know anything!”

The chief didn't have a big problem, but he wasn't humble either. He just bowed and said calmly: "Don't worry, Lord Marquis. Once the criminal is caught, everything will come to light naturally."

In the backyard of the mansion, a row of houses next to the woodshed are cramped and simple, and they are one of the few residences for the slaves in the mansion.

Marquis Laiyang, who was wearing servant clothes and had been lurking in the mansion for six or seven days, froze when he heard the movement outside.

His face naturally showed panic at first, and soon after he realized something, it turned into a look of uncontrollable astonishment.

He listened to the messy and hurried footsteps getting closer and closer, listened to the movement on the other side of the wall, and slumped down on the chair.

It seems that he can't believe that he will face such a situation.

It turns out that I am also a pawn abandoned by my senior brother?

Yes, this kind of character is that of my cold-blooded and cruel senior brother who doesn’t even recognize his relatives!

He smiled mockingly to himself, listened to the footsteps getting closer and closer outside the door, pulled out the dagger in his boot, and stabbed his heart slowly and relentlessly.

The door was kicked open with a bang, and what came into the eyes of the Black Ice Platform spies was a calm face and a body covered in blood.

"It is indeed Marquis Laiyang."

Chief Xiang stood in the open space in the courtyard, looking at the body that had been stripped of its disguise and restored to its original appearance, and spoke in a deep voice.

He felt very complicated at the moment. Marquis Laiyang was really here and was really caught by them. This was certainly a very happy thing.

But why did he die!

The merits of a living Marquis of Laiyang and a dead Marquis of Laiyang are vastly different.

Just when he was in a complicated mood, a subordinate's report made him feel relieved again.

"Chief, in the room where the traitor lived, a well-hidden box was found, which contained poison, sleeve arrows and other items."

Chief Xiang was shocked. He originally thought that Marquis Laiyang was just hiding in this mansion to survive, but now it seems that there may be something else hidden!

I'm afraid this is going to be a great achievement for myself!

He quickly took the box, turned around and walked out without looking at Dongfang Tai, who was standing in the corridor with a nervous look on his face.

Mr. Xiang walked out of the mansion and came to a carriage parked in front of the mansion. He said respectfully: "Miss Rouge, we have found the traces of Marquis Laiyang, but he knew that he could not escape and committed suicide in fear of crime. But I am waiting in his room, Poison and sleeve arrows were found, and the person is hiding in the Anlehou Mansion. He may have other agendas."

Sleeve arrow?

Yanzhi was also shocked when he heard this and opened the curtain, "Have all the things been registered?"

Nodding to the chief, "I have already asked my subordinates to register."

"You must keep it properly and don't let anyone steal it. I will report it to my adoptive father. Your Majesty may be involved in this matter."

Upon hearing this, a fire of power suddenly surged in the head's heart, and he nodded in agreement.

Not long after, when Rouge came to the palace, he saw the Queen Mother, His Majesty, foster father, Mr. Su, Wan Xiang and Yang Xiang who were discussing matters in the Qianyuan Hall.

Concubine De had a good impression of this girl who had made great contributions in the process of seizing the throne. In addition, she was Xia Jingyun's concubine and the adopted daughter of Duke Wei. Naturally, she greeted her warmly and went to Rouge. After a salute, the situation was explained.

As soon as these words came out, the other big shots in the court had no reaction, but De Fei and Dongfang Bai couldn't help but change their expressions, and the mother and son looked at each other with some fear.

Naturally, this change in expression could not escape the eyes of Mr. Zhao, "Your Majesty, Queen Mother, but what's the secret behind it?"

Concubine De took a deep breath and slowly placed her palms on her belly, "According to the original plan, tomorrow is Dongfang Tai's birthday, and His Majesty planned to visit."

"hiss!"

Everyone present, including Yan Zhi, also changed their expressions.

A rebel is nothing.

It's nothing if a traitor hides in the house of his former rival.

It's nothing if a traitor hides a murder weapon and prepares to kill someone.

But if the above things are put together, and the person who is planning to assassinate is still His Majesty, and almost succeeds, this is a very scary thing.

Concubine De said slowly: "If it hadn't been for Duke Wei's warning and without Black Ice Platform's crackdown on the traitor, I'm afraid His Majesty's safety would have been greatly threatened!"

Seeing the Empress Dowager praising Old Manor Zhao so highly, Wan Xiang naturally felt unwilling to do so, but he could not refute it, so he had to change the subject, "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, does anyone else know about this matter? If there are others, there may be a traitor at work. The hidden dangers need to be identified and eliminated. If no one else knows about it, how did the traitor know about it?"

Concubine De's eyes were dark, "Only the Ai family and Your Majesty know about this matter."

Wan Xiang then reasoned as a matter of course: "In that case, I'm afraid that the traitor prepared these for other purposes, but he almost caught the emperor's arrival."

Mr. Su glanced at Wan Xiang lightly, as if he didn't understand how such a big-hearted person could hold the position of Prime Minister for a time.

The owner of the old village, Zhao, was still there and didn't take this matter too seriously.

Yang Xiang smiled and tried to smooth things over, "In any case, it is a great achievement that Duke Wei was able to capture this beast and prevent His Majesty from being put in danger."

Just as Concubine De was about to speak, a message suddenly sounded outside the door, "The Queen Mother, the Minister of War, Shen Shengwen, would like to see you!"

"Xuan!"

Soon, Shen Shengwen came in a hurry. After saluting, he immediately said: "Your Majesty, Queen Mother, there is an urgent letter from Fei Ge in Yuyan Prefecture. The Marquis of Jianning and Su Yuanshang, the shepherd of Yuyan Prefecture, jointly sent a message. In front of the words, Xuanhu, the leader of the Black Ice Platform, wants to unite with Bei. Liang Spy is plotting to assassinate the Queen Mother and Your Majesty, so the Queen Mother and Your Majesty must take strict precautions! Marquis Jianning has returned to Beijing quickly and will arrive soon!"

Hearing this, everyone present was shocked again.

Old Xianggong Su said slowly: "It seems like this traitor really came after your Majesty!"

Shen Shengwen looked puzzled, and Yang Xiang on the side slowly told him what happened just now, which made Shen Shengwen even more shocked.

He said in shock: "This matter has actually progressed to this point?"

Everyone nodded slightly, yes, everything is connected.

After the Black Ice Platform was swept away, everyone knew the secret relationship between Xuanhu and Laiyang Hou, and even dug out their relationship with the old servant in Qin Weizhong's house, and the two of them disappeared at the same time. Disappearing in the search of Heibingtai and Jingzhao Mansion can also confirm that the two people's whereabouts are probably together. Immediately, Wan Wenbi's cheeks felt slightly hot.

But then he thought of a way to resolve it, "Duke Wei, Heibingtai is in the capital. Why did the intelligence personnel of Beiliang inform Marquis Jianning? Is it possible that there is no news about our Heibingtai?"

The old owner of the village, Zhao, who had previously been unwilling to pay attention to him, turned to look at him and pretended to be stupid: "Is it possible that Xuanhu went against his will and assassinated your majesty without consulting me about the plan?"

Wan Wenbi didn't seem to expect that Mr. Zhao could be so messy in the court, and his tone was stagnant for a moment.

The good old Yang Xiang smiled again and said, "Hei Bingtai has found clues and solved the problem. In short, thanks to the many heroes in the court today, the Duke of Wei is astute and decisive, and the Marquis of Jianning even made a mistake with the North." We have established a good relationship with Liang, and this time we can eliminate the disaster and prevent His Majesty from being put in danger, which is a great thing after all!"

He paused and said, "However, Your Majesty, I hope tomorrow's matters will be postponed for now. If you really want to show your brotherhood, you can summon Anlehou to the palace to give you a banquet. Don't put yourself in danger again."

Dongfang Bai hummed, with lingering fear on his face, "I don't mind."

Old Xianggong Su also nodded and said: "What Prime Minister Yang said is true. Although Marquis Laiyang has been arrested, the thieves' conspiracy has been shattered, and the danger has been eliminated, it has finally sounded a warning to us. With the new policy reforms, it is inevitable that some crazy people will take risks. The Queen Mother and Your Majesty are responsible for the overall safety of the world and should be extremely cautious."

Wan Wenbi saw that the Queen Mother's face seemed to be unhappy, and then he changed his mind and said: "But fortunately, this crisis has finally passed, and the culprit has been arrested. Your Majesty is now pregnant with Liujia, so you should take it easy. She is under palace confinement. , there are many guards in the palace, even if something happens to leave the palace, just strengthen the guard, so as not to worry too much. As for other chores, there are courtiers to share the worries for the king. "

Sure enough, the Queen Mother's face softened slightly and she said slowly: "My dear friends, please rest assured that the Ai family and Your Majesty will not be frightened by these little people. They will continue to implement the new policy and bring peace and happiness to the world."

When all the courtiers heard this, they all shouted, "Your Majesty, your Majesty!"

"This time, the Duke of Wei was astute and decisive. He found out the clues, captured the rebels, and protected His Majesty. He made great contributions and was awarded an imperial plaque, an imperial mansion, and two hundred households with food."

"In addition, Xia Jingyun, the Marquis of Jianning, and Su Yuanshang, the Prefect of Yuyan Prefecture, sent letters in time and handed them over to the central committee for discussion and reward."

Although everyone was envious, they also knew that this matter was reasonable and irrefutable, so they immediately agreed.

"Mr. Wei Guo, the traitor Xuan Hu has not yet been arrested. Black Ice Platform should increase its search efforts. We must capture it as soon as possible and restore peace to the capital!"

"Old minister, take the order!"

Everyone slowly exited the court with complicated expressions. What they saw and heard today was another good conversation starter.

Emperor Assassin!

That thief Xuanhu really dares to think!

Fortunately, there is still Duke Wei, and fortunately there is also Marquis Jianning.

Speaking of which, Marquis Jianning is really awesome. He can have good relations with the people of Beiliang. The people of Beiliang are actually willing to tell him such a big thing.

The Queen Mother truly trusted Marquis Jianning, and the Queen Mother just pretended not to have heard something like this that would have aroused suspicion among others.

With these various thoughts, a group of big guys slowly left the palace city.

In the main hall behind them, Concubine De slowly held Dongfang Bai's hand and walked out of the Qianyuan Hall. She slowly came outside the main hall of the court. Watching the city of Zhongjing gradually spread out under their feet, Concubine De slowly Said: "Are you afraid?"

Dongfang Bai shook his head, but hesitated for a moment, nodded again, hesitated again, and shook his head again.

"now it's right."

Concubine De wanted to squat down, but she was already squatting down just over a month before giving birth, so she had to continue standing and said: "Your uncle once told me that you have to face your own heart and the world. The fragility, unbearability, and despicability of one’s own heart, and then be brave enough to overcome it; discover the dirtiness, cruelty, and coldness of the world, and then still love it.”

"You are the emperor, you are the lord of all the people, and you must have the magnanimity of the clouds. When you stand at the highest point in the world, you have to face the winds and huge waves that are more terrifying than anywhere else in the world. If you are firm, they will There is nothing you can do about it. If you hesitate and fear, they will devour you completely. Although you are still young, an emperor should be like an emperor."

Dongfang Bai was silent for a moment. After he faced his heart, he actually wanted to ask, why do I have to stand at the highest point in this world?

However, he knew that it was her mother's life-long dream, a dream that she finally achieved with her uncle's help and great luck.

So, he nodded heavily and said, "The child will remember the Queen Mother's teachings. The child will never disappoint the Queen Mother."

This time, Concubine De did not ask for trouble by rubbing his head, but gently shook his hand, "Let's go, my mother asked the imperial kitchen to make your favorite food today. You have to eat more." some!"

Dongfang Bai hummed, and two figures, one tall and one short, slowly walked towards Changle Palace.

But after walking a few steps, a small yellow doorman came in a hurry and said a few words in the ear of Jin Zhong, the eunuch who was accompanying him. Jin Zhong's expression changed slightly and he quickly followed.

"What happened?"

Naturally, these movements could not be hidden from Concubine De, so she asked.

Jin Zhong said respectfully: "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother, because the news of Wan Xiang's letter requesting the establishment of Tushan Academy has spread, today many wealthy families from various states and counties jointly visited Qingbei Tower, hoping to donate funds to build the academy and support the students of the academy to study for free. .”

Concubine De smiled, with a bit of coldness in her smile, "Are you trying to show your respect by inviting celebrities?"

Dongfang Bai said: "They will not succeed. The three gentlemen will not even accept gifts from them, let alone money."

"The Queen Mother's analysis is correct, and Your Majesty's judgment is also correct. These people did have this plan, but the three Wenzong masters did not take any money from them."

Jin Zhong paused, "But, because of this, this group of people failed to show their kindness, so they became angry and quarreled with the people in Qingbei Tower. It is said."

He glanced at Dongfang Bai and said, "During the chaos, Mr. Xun was pushed down and injured."

"What?" Concubine De also felt a little incredible after hearing this, "A fight started? Is anyone else injured?"

Dongfang Bai quickly asked: "How is Senior Brother Xun's injury?"

"It's not a big problem, it's just a scratch. The heads of the family who came at that time were very excited and wanted to go to the three Wenzong masters to ask for an explanation. Mr. Xun, who came forward on behalf of the teacher, went to stop him and was pushed. , Fortunately, Mr. Kongbi came forward later, and everyone calmed down."

Dongfang Bai was silent for a moment after listening, "Mother, tomorrow is the time for me to go to Qingbei Building every ten days to listen to my teacher's lectures. I want to go there."

Concubine De looked at him, "But I just said it today. I need to be cautious and prudent recently."

Dongfang Bai raised his head and looked at his mother, "But is it possible that I, my son, have been in the palace all this time and never left? As you just said, recognize your own fear and overcome your cowardice. I asked Commander Shang to accompany me and bring enough soldiers. How could there be any problem?"

De Fei was noncommittal, "Is there any more?"

Dongfang Bai said: "The Queen Mother once said that the powerful families in these states and counties are the ones who are particularly opposed to this new policy. This time they can be regarded as showing some goodwill. If they just ignore it, I am afraid it is not for the king. What's more, as a disciple of the three gentlemen, I have received the grace of preaching and solving my doubts. This time something like this happened in the Qingbei Tower, I should also support him. I will go tomorrow to build a strong force. , and then we’ll see if there’s any chance of reconciliation.”

He continued: "Moreover, now that Marquis Laiyang has been executed, and the traitor's conspiracy has been shattered, it may be difficult to stir up trouble for a while. This is not a critical time."

Concubine De looked at him, then turned to look at Shang Zhicheng, the commander of the Forbidden Army who had been personally guarding the area recently.

Shang Zhicheng clasped his fists and said, "Don't worry, Queen Mother, I will never leave and protect Your Majesty."

Concubine De nodded slowly, "Go."
-

Night quietly enveloped the largest and most complex city in the world.

Late at night, in the Qingbei Building, a figure in black silently jumped down from the beam on the third floor of the Qingbei Building.

Under the faint moonlight, he had been lurking in the Qingbei Building for a day, silently observing and recalling the layout of the place, imagining the positions of everyone at that time, and adjusting his route of action.

Then, he picked up the kettle and teacup on the table, slowly and carefully applied a packet of powder in his arms to the inner walls of the teapot on the stove and the teacup beside it, and then put them back silently.

When he was done with this, he climbed up to the beam again and hid himself among the tall timber. He looked at everything vaguely below with a sneer on his lips.

Zhao Qingsheng, you are indeed a ruthless person, a powerful character, and your mind is as sharp as a fox, but how can you defeat my dozens of days and nights of hard planning and deduction!

I have lost half my life, my whole life, and all my dreams, but in the end, I will definitely win this round against you!

Tomorrow will be the day when Dongfang Bai will die.

Tomorrow will be the day when the entire line of virtue concubines will turn against the world's literati.

Tomorrow will be the day when all his resentment will be repaid.

For this day, he did not hesitate to sacrifice his life! ——

It was still dark, and Changle Palace attendant Meng Yong, who had rested all day and night, successfully walked into the palace gate with the two pairs of silver chopsticks hidden.

Dongfang Bai opened his sleepy eyes, prepared to wash up, dress, eat, and then leave the palace to Qingbei Tower.

Concubine De felt the throbbing in her stomach becoming more and more frequent, and stretched out her hand to comfort her gently.

Dozens of miles away from Zhongjing City, Xia Jingyun, whose beard and hair were disheveled and extremely tired, was lying on his horse, with only a pair of shining eyes staring at the huge city that was vaguely revealed. (End of chapter)