atypical prostitute

Chapter 209 The Price of Power

King Teng died in a strange manner.

He was lying on the bed wet all over, his abdomen was swollen like a bucket, his skin was black, and there were aquatic plants and goldfish in his mouth, obviously drowned.

But apart from him and the bed under him, there was not even a trace of water stains in the sleeping hall!
At the moment when the monarch is changing from old to new, his death is so strange that it is unavoidable to be criticized.

But the matter was turned over in a trivial way, and the Ministry of Criminal Justice racked its brains to weave the excuses, and the murderers in luxurious uniforms smiled tacitly at the moment their eyes met.

……

……

The enthronement ceremony included a large number of cumbersome sacrificial ceremonies. Because the new emperor was still in his infancy, a court official suggested that these ceremonies should be presided over by the regent King Wei.However, the king of Wei abided by his duty as a monarch and his ministers. After receiving the suggestion from the court official, he became furious and wanted to kill the court official who spoke rudely.All of a sudden, swords were on the verge of breaking out, but thanks to the wise words of the ministers, the life of the ceremonial official was saved. As for the sacrifices to heaven and earth and the ancestral temple, which need to be presided over by the monarch on the day of enthronement, they will be completed after the new emperor performs the coronation ceremony.

When the news got out, the King of Wei had a faint reputation as Little Duke of Zhou among the people.

But Li Ci, who was invited by Jun Fengxi to visit Bailu Lake, covered his teeth and smiled: "Under your guidance, His Royal Highness King Wei has really made great progress."

She said sarcastically that during the national mourning period, banquets and weddings were suspended, so the jade makeup car was covered with black and white silk flowers, and a group of slaves and servants were accompanied by black and white Confucian skirts with sorrowful tear makeup, and the blue silk was decorated with white flowers. people.

Fortunately, the scenery of Bailu Lake is pleasant, and there is mist that lingers all year round. Sitting on the bamboo building by the lake and chatting, the mist floats in the air, like a fairy.

Turning his face away, Li Ci "looked" at Jun Fengxi who was sitting on the other side of the screen leaning on the railing.

Men and women are not close to each other, so there is a brocade screen between the two sitting together on the wind platform. The screen, which is as thin as a cicada's wings, is wetted by the mist and becomes more transparent.

"You actually wear sackcloth and filial piety? Although it is said that the world is plain during the national mourning period, it is indeed a little uncomfortable to see you dressed like this."

"When I entered the world to practice, I naturally had to follow the rules of the world."

Jun Fengxi smiled casually, picked up a bronze wine cup with white jade fingers, played with it for a long time, and sighed: "Unfortunately, I can't drink alcohol."

"You are really insane."

Li Ci smiled lightly. Since forming an alliance with King Wei, her relationship with Jun Fengxi has greatly improved.

Although she still suspects that this handsome, long-sleeved and dancing man has impure motives, and knows that he must have ulterior motives to get close to the Ye family, but the affairs of the government are all about mutual use.

"It's too much of a prize. It's not like Mrs. Shaohou. If you don't make a move, it's fine. Once you make a move, the world will be shocked."

Jun Fengxi smiled ambiguously.

"My lord has won the prize."

Li Ci humbly holds the fan and bows her head. Through the gaps in the screen, one can see the thick fog. Jun Fengxi's white clothes and black hair are wet, and her eyes, which were originally as clear as autumn water, have a hazy beauty filled with smog.

Didn't it say that each other is born from the heart?So despicable...how could she have such a good temperament?

Just when he was feeling emotional, a sigh entered his ears.

"...His Royal Highness Prince Teng didn't have to die."

The voice hit her ears like a lightning strike, Li Ci sat up stiffly, and looked at Jun Fengxi through the gap: it was still hazy like a fog in a cloud.

"The royal family...has its own reasons. Mr. Jun is unparalleled in intelligence. Don't you know what to say and what not to say?"

"But now is indeed not the best time to kill King Teng."

Jun Fengxi said coldly, he stood up, the mist was disturbed by this, and it slid towards Li Ci softly and without a trace.

The refreshing water vapor blowing towards her face could not calm Li Ci's heart. She raised her head and looked at Jun Fengxi who was standing beside the screen.

Are you questioning me?
After a brief entanglement of eyes, Jun Fengxi turned around. He leaned against the bamboo railing, and carelessly played with Jiu Jue with his slender fingers. He stared at the green bamboo deep in the sea of ​​clouds with affectionate eyes, as if there were fairies singing and dancing in the depth of the green bamboo.

for a long time--

"I see," he said.

Li Ci felt a little embarrassed, she grasped her palm tightly, and was about to speak, but she didn't want to see the veil in front of her, but it was Jun Fengxi who walked around the screen and walked in front of her.

"Xiao Zhiqian's posthumous edict is about passing on the throne of Wei Wang, right?"

"You... how do you know!"

"Only in this way can we explain why you are eager to kill King Teng."

Jun Fengxi smiled softly, her breezy expression contained an enchantment that could not be looked directly at.

Li Ci's heart trembled, this person... is as pervasive as water!

"What do you think! No, you are the counselor of the King of Wei. Even if you know about this kind of thing, you won't spread it to the outside world."

Suddenly thinking of this level, Li Ci suddenly felt courageous, raised his head, and looked directly at Jun Fengxi.

"In order to win the trust of the virtuous concubine, I fabricated the edict to pass on the throne to King Teng, and then killed King Teng to silence it. But it's all worth it!"

"It's really worth it. In this way, you have concealed the truth that King Wei is a great treasure. He can gather power in ten years and wait for everything to happen. The calculations of you and King Wei are excellent, but The act of burning the edict fell into Xiao Zhiqian's calculations."

"how do I say this?"

"Without the will, there will be no righteousness. Even if you succeed in forcing the palace, you will also be infamous for bullying orphans and widows. Besides, Pei Linger is not a person who is caught without a fight. For ten years, in the center of power, even a stupid pig should Learn how to manipulate power."

Jun Fengxi said sarcastically that the world thought he was as gentle as jade, but only those who conspired with him knew that under the gentle water surface was the ice edge that repulses people thousands of miles away and the aloofness that is dust-free.

"what do you mean--"

"What I mean, Mrs. Shaohou knows best! Why did Your Majesty leave the imperial edict to succeed the King of Wei? Is he really willing to hand over the great country to a mediocre King Wei? Wei Wangcheng is too arrogant , but in His Majesty’s eyes, he is nothing but a lackey. If I guess correctly, passing on the imperial edict is a trick of His Majesty. First, he would use the hands of King Wei to wipe out the kings, and then his uncle and nephew would kill each other. In the end...the fisherman will benefit.”

When talking about "the fisherman wins", the corners of his mouth showed charm.

This time Li Ci was calm.

"Your Majesty is a rare genius, and what he thinks is something that ordinary people like us can guess." She said lightly.

"Of course Xiao Zhiqian is a genius, but you are not bad either."

Jun Fengxi continued to smile ambiguously, with one hand dipped into the sea of ​​clouds, showing an intoxicated smile because of the chill from the water mist slipping through the fingers.

"No one is born with a lot of scheming, cunning and cunning. All the schemes are for self-protection at the beginning. Mrs. Shaohou is only [-] years old, but she has a careful plan that is not inferior to the old foxes. After all, she was forced out. .Because of the taboo bloodline, you have been involved in political turmoil again and again, you are also very distressed, right?"

"Of course it's distressing. If you can choose, who would like to live a life that is calculated step by step? But fate, but—"

"Yeah, fate pushed you to the cusp, you didn't want to die, so you had to fight hard."

Jun Fengxi's smile became softer and softer. He withdrew his hand soaked in the mist, the mist wet his fingertips, and the crystal water drops like flower dew made his already crystal clear jade hands even more cold and flawless.

He stretched out his hand, as if to caress Li Ci's face, but stopped half an inch away.

"Madam Shaohou, you are actually very hypocritical."

"hypocritical?"

"You are very hypocritical. You always put yourself in the position of the victim. It seems that all the killings and injuries are forced. But do you really have no intention of hurting others? In your heart, you really love power. No desire? With your status, if you want to live a peaceful and contentious life, you can find a man of noble status, and you will sing with each other for the rest of your life. But you chose the Ye family. When you chose Ye Chuan, you must have already Know all the possibilities in the future. Your identity and his authority are superimposed, and the result can only be—"

Having said that, he paused, and looked at Li Ci with autumn water in his eyes.

"Ye Chuan is my savior, I should have promised him with my body."

Li Ci spoke stiffly, under Jun Fengxi's gentle and cold eyes, she even had the illusion of being naked.

"But no one forced you to marry him. In the final analysis, Mrs. Shaohou has the blood of the Xiao family in her veins, and her desire for power is born with her. Even if you are not recognized, even without any external assistance, you will follow the law." Pursuing power by instinct. Madam Shaohou, you and I are of the same kind, and we both like to wrap our selfishness in a high-sounding cloak. The difference is that I know you are after power, but you don't know what I want."

At this point, he smiled again, like a fox.

But Li Ci was not annoyed, she said with a smile, "If you seek fame, you should seek eternal fame, and if you want to make profits, you should think about the interests of the world. If you and I have lived for dozens of years, if you and I are not chasing fame and fortune, wouldn't it be a waste of time? "

"Madam Shaohou is really eloquent, but you can justify yourself like this, which saves me a lot of worry."

Jun Fengxi put away her laughter and said calmly: "Since you have chosen this path, you should know that the road to power is bumpy and dangerous, and if you make a wrong step, you will lose everything. In terms of intelligence, you are not as good as King Liang, and in terms of viciousness, you are not as good as King Wei." In terms of killing you, you are no match for King Yan... Besides, you still have the biggest disadvantage, you are a woman. After all, in this world, men are respected. Even if women are talented, they are just girls. If you want to be tall The Empress, the Empress Dowager of Civilization, must have the awareness to bear the eternal infamy."

"People are dead, what do you care about those false names? Because of the race, the fate is determined by God, and the most important thing is to live without leaving regrets."

Li Ci said disdainfully, the memory of her previous life let her know that there are infinite possibilities in history, and any small negligence may lead to the birth of a parallel world.Therefore, the traversers are either walking on thin ice, for fear of causing chaos in the known history; or they are ambitious and determined to change the original humiliation.Fortunately, she has transmigrated into a parallel world. She doesn't know how the history of this world will develop, so she can only rely on the experience of the two lives to go forward step by step.

Glory or humiliation belonged only to oneself.

"Madam is so open-minded, it's no wonder His Majesty treats her differently."

Jun Fengxi sighed, and said solemnly: "Madam must remember, the more you want, the more painful the price you have to pay. Today's decision will one day require you to pay an unbearable price."

"No matter what the price is, I can afford it! Besides, there is no turning back now."

Li Ci smiled sadly, and said: "When I shouldered the burden of Fu's family in order to repay Fu Zhu's kindness in nurturing, I have no chance of turning back. Fortunately, I don't hate fighting. Maybe you are right. In my body, there is the blood of power."

"Then I'll wait and see."

Closing the fan with a snap, Jun Fengxi bowed, as if to see off the guests.

Li Ci didn't force her to stay, she drank all the dew in the bronze wine cup, and left with the servants and maids who were waiting at the corner of the bamboo building.

Hearing the crisp ringing of the jade bell coming from the depths of the cloud and mist, Jun Fengxi's eyes were bloodshot.

"...If you knew the price you will pay, would you still be so chic?"

(End of this chapter)