Peach Blossom at the Bottom of the Fan

Chapter 228 Cause and Effect
Without even uttering a scream, Zheng Xuan was nailed to the ground.

The long sword passed through the chest and was nailed to the bluestone board. Zheng Xuan's body was nailed to the ground like a quail stuck on a wooden stick.

In such a tragic situation, even if Zheng Xuan had just been injured, the imperial concubine who hated him to death could not help but exclaim.

The emperor kept the imperial concubine behind him, but remained calm, looking at the half of his face turned sideways, his eyes were wide open, obviously it was Zheng Xuan who had died unrepentantly, and there was an inexplicable meaning in his eyes.

Turning his head, he looked at the prince whose face was a little pale but whose eyes were extremely fierce, and suddenly he smiled, "If you are decisive and cruel, you really deserve to be my son! He is qualified to sit on the throne of the Great Xia Dynasty." bit."

There was a smile on the corner of his mouth, and the prince was a little proud.

When he was young, the emperor praised him for his intelligence, but as he got older, the emperor praised him less and less.

Unexpectedly, when the emperor praised him again, it was in such a situation.

"I'm going to write the edict of the Zen position right now—put it in the imperial study room."

Hearing that the emperor wanted to write an edict for the Zen position, the prince was really relieved.

Before he could speak, someone behind him coughed.

The prince came to his senses immediately, and said calmly: "Father, there are many people in the palace tonight, too chaotic, you'd better not walk around outside, if someone who doesn't open their eyes startles the holy car, it will be the son of the minister." It's a crime. Just write the imperial edict in Ningxin Palace! Whatever the emperor needs, I will ask someone to fetch it."

Looking at the prince with a firm expression, the emperor turned his eyes away, glanced at the subject standing behind the prince, and suddenly said: "It seems that I have not misjudged the person, Mu Qing is indeed a man of great talent..."

The vassal who had been following the crown prince lowered his head, with a look of fear on his face, "Thanks to His Majesty's grace, I have given this minister the chief official of the East Palace to assist the crown prince, and I dare not not do my best."

"It's a good one to do your best!" The emperor laughed, flung his sleeves, and turned around abruptly, "No one should follow in, I have to think carefully about how to write this edict."

Holding the imperial concubine's hand, the emperor retreated to Ningxin Palace, his complexion immediately darkened.

Looking at the emperor's expression, the noble concubine also felt full of panic, but she didn't dare to show it at this time, she just silently patted the emperor's back gently.

After a while, the emperor felt calm, turned his head, looked at the imperial concubine, sighed in a low voice, held her hand, and reached out to caress the somewhat swollen cheeks of the imperial concubine.

Said softly: "It's hard for my concubine, let you follow me to suffer like this."

"Your Majesty, what kind of suffering is this? I followed Your Majesty and enjoyed a lifetime of blessings. Now I just got slapped in the face. How can it be suffering?"

"Don't comfort me. Although I never cared about the affairs of the harem, I also know that it is not easy for you as a noble concubine. When the empress was alive, you have always endured it. What wronged me did you say differently. Just like this until the empress If you go, you will be free from torture..."

"Your Majesty, the concubine is not..."

The imperial concubine wanted to explain, but was stopped by the emperor, "Now there are only two of us, and this is the situation, what else can we say? In short, I have wronged you..."

A comforting word made the imperial concubine immediately lower her head, her voice was already choked with sobs, but she raised her head with a smile on her face, "I don't feel wronged, and how many people envy my concubine for being able to win His Majesty's favor for decades? !"

The emperor laughed when he heard the words, thought for a while but then sighed: "It's a pity to protect you for half your life, but now I can't protect you anymore."

"It's nothing for a concubine, as long as His Majesty is well."

Smiling, the imperial concubine held the emperor's hand, her eyes were extremely gentle.

Both she and the emperor knew well that after the crown prince ascended the throne, she would never be left as a noble concubine.Even though they are called brothers, but Prince Rui is a thorn in the prince's side, he is bound to be removed, and her son is killed, how can she survive as a noble concubine! ?
Holding the imperial concubine's hand back, the emperor smiled slightly, "Perhaps, this time, you and I can be a pair of mandarin ducks with the same destiny."

The complexion changed suddenly, and the noble concubine said in shock: "Stop saying that, Your Majesty, no matter how courageous the crown prince is, he would not dare to kill the king like that..."

Covering her mouth, she didn't dare to continue, "It won't happen anyway, Your Majesty will live a long life!"

Not following what the imperial concubine said, the emperor sneered: "Now that beast dares to force the palace, what else is there not to do?! I hate that I didn't see through the true face of this beast earlier, so I ended up in this situation."

Sighing sadly, he shook his head and said, "It's a pity that I'm trapped in Ningxin Palace now. If I can go to the Imperial Study Room, there is still a glimmer of hope."

"Yushufang?" The imperial concubine's eyes flickered slightly, thinking of a legend in the palace.

It is said that this imperial palace was built by the previous dynasty. Later Taizong proclaimed himself emperor and repaired it in the palace. It is said that when repairing the inner palace, craftsmen discovered countless secret passages...

Turning her face sideways, the noble concubine didn't dare to think about it anymore, for fear that the emperor would discover her strangeness.

Although she didn't have any other ideas, it would be disrespectful to speculate on the affairs of the palace like this.

The emperor did not notice her weird expression, but tapped on the desk, and said in a deep voice: "The palace is in such a mess, I don't know if there is any abnormal movement outside the palace, if Prince Rui notices it, maybe..."

Suddenly standing up, he held the noble concubine's hand and said anxiously: "If Prince Rui leads troops to escort him, then the beast will definitely take the knife on you first. Concubine Ai, you can't stay in Ningxin Palace any longer."

The noble concubine was startled, before she could figure out what to do, the emperor had dragged her to the front hall, and shouted loudly: "Come here—"

As soon as he finished calling, the palace door was immediately opened.Obviously, although the people outside did not dare to stand at the door, they were not far away.

"What orders does the emperor have?!"

"If I want to write an imperial edict, I must use jade seals."

His eyes flickered, and the prince immediately said: "My son is willing to help, and share the worries of the father."

"I don't need you!" The emperor made no secret of his displeasure, and said in a deep voice: "I only rest assured that the imperial concubine is alone. I will tell the imperial concubine where the jade seal is, and let her pick it up."

"This..." The crown prince was still pondering, but the emperor had already snorted coldly: "If you don't trust the noble concubine, then forget it, it doesn't matter if I don't write this edict..."

Hearing what the emperor said, the crown prince didn't hesitate any longer, "Okay! Let the noble concubine come this way, the emperor can rest assured that the son will send someone to escort the noble concubine to protect her safety."

It is said to be an escort, but it is actually an escort.

But the emperor didn't care about it, and just let the prince lead the people to retreat.

After the people retreated, he took the noble concubine and turned into the apse, and whispered a few words in her ear, "Just do as I told you."

"Your Majesty, how can the concubine escape without you? The concubine is willing to live and die with Your Majesty."

"Nonsense! Is this the time to argue about these things?" The emperor said in a low voice, "I know what you mean, but you have to know that you are also going here to save me—— Concubine Ai, that bastard for a while. You still dare not make a move on me, but you..."

Holding the noble concubine in his arms, the emperor gently patted her on the back, and said in a warm voice: "Go! I am waiting to reunite with the noble concubine..."

The noble concubine wept for a while, but finally wiped away her tears, turned around resolutely, walked to the door, pushed open the door, and said calmly: "You can go!"

Leaning at her, the crown prince smiled coldly, "Your concubine, don't forget that father is still waiting for you."

The noble concubine turned her head and glanced at the prince, not hiding her contempt.

After a glance, he didn't say a word, and just walked past the prince.

Squinting his eyes, the prince's right eyelid twitched slightly, and he held the long sword by his waist with his hand, but he still let go.

"Escort the noble concubine well, and make sure the noble concubine returns safely..."

In this sentence, for some reason, the word "return safely" was deliberately bitten at the end.

The noble concubine's heart trembled, and she felt extremely uneasy when she heard the bodyguards' sudden response.

Your Majesty was right, she was the first person the prince wanted to kill.

As long as she handed over Yuxi to the guards, it would be impossible for her to leave the imperial study room alive.

Heart flustered, but her back was still straight, the imperial concubine walked slowly, and slowly walked out of Ningxin Palace.

It's not like going to die, but like going to worship the emperor.

The peaceful palace in the past seems to have been ravaged in the flames of war today.

Looking from a distance, the flames can be seen faintly, not just one place.

I don't know which palace was burned by the rebels who broke in.

Faintly, there were cries of women, eunuchs begging for mercy, those cries, the golden sound of sword clashes, and the blood stained red on the bluestone slabs, turning this once peaceful palace into a hell on earth.

"Your Majesty is willing to write an imperial edict, why bother to kill innocent people like this?" Sighing softly, the noble concubine said softly, "These bodyguards who resisted are just loyal to the emperor. Isn't he the loyal new king? There is really no need to kill them all like this."

A guard following the imperial concubine looked at her upon hearing the words, "Your Majesty, it's better not to meddle in these nosy matters, Your Majesty is still waiting for you!"

No more words, the imperial concubine remained silent, followed the guards, walked through the imperial garden, around the promenade, through the palace, through the corridor, and finally arrived at the imperial study after half an hour.

The Imperial Study Room is already in the Outer Palace. If it wasn't for the fact that Ningxin Palace, where the imperial concubine lived, was the closest palace to the Outer Palace, which was convenient for the emperor to come and go, it wouldn't have arrived so soon.

"You all wait outside!"

When the imperial concubine gave such orders, the faces of the guards changed, "Your Majesty, we are ordered to protect Your Majesty, what if there are villains in the study?"

"Wicked people? Are there few wicked people here?" The imperial concubine sneered, "If you insist on following in, then I can only stay outside. Your Majesty has entrusted me with such a heavy responsibility, how can you wait to peep?!"

After this questioning, and she really stood still in front of the door, several guards also felt embarrassed, looked at each other, but still nodded, and let the noble concubine enter the imperial study room alone.

After entering the imperial study room, the imperial concubine immediately closed the door tightly, and shouted outside: "No peeping is allowed, if you dare to peep, I will not go to get the jade seal even if I die!"

"Your Majesty, don't worry, the younger ones are just protecting your Majesty outside..."

Hearing that the voice was indeed under the steps, the imperial concubine breathed a sigh of relief, sat on the chair for a while, then stood up and walked towards the imperial case.

(End of this chapter)