In the Ruoxi Palace, Emperor Liu Hongjing was sitting on the bed, holding a portrait of Concubine Xi, looking sadly at the six-stringed harp she often played under the west window. The furnishings in the palace were still the same as Concubine Xi was during her lifetime, even her makeup.
The makeup boxes she had used on the stage were all well preserved. Hearing the announcement, he raised his head in displeasure.
"I see you, Your Majesty." Duanmu Yunji saluted.
"What are you doing here?" Liu Hongjing looked at her coldly.
"When I heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was killed, I came here to comfort the Emperor and ask His Majesty to express his condolences and take care of the body of the dragon." Duanmu Yunji lowered her eyebrows and nodded.
Liu Hongjing's sharp eyes swept across her face, and he sneered: "Prince's death, isn't it just what you want?"
Duanmu Yunji suddenly knelt down, raised her eyes and said: "What do you say, Your Majesty? Although I am sad about the Emperor not appointing a prince according to the ancestral system, the Emperor is God, and the Emperor has made a decision, so I can only accept my fate.
I never dare to think anything wrong."
"It's best not to have any ideas! Go down, I'm tired and want to rest." Liu Hongjing stared at her coldly.
"Huo'er will return to the palace soon." Duanmu Yunji was still kneeling on the ground.
"I know."
"Your Majesty, since Concubine Xi entered the palace, I have never been favored by you for a day. I dare not complain, but I hope that the Emperor can give Huo'er some love. After all, the palms and backs of my hands are the Emperor's flesh.
"Duanmu Yunji raised her head, her eyes full of resentment.
Liu Hongjing looked at her and remained silent for a while, and there was silence in Ruoxi Palace.
"Huo'er has done great work in pacifying the bandits in the north. I don't ask the emperor to reward Huo'er. I just ask the emperor to give Huo'er some of his love for the prince. I will be satisfied." Duanmu Yunji saw that the emperor was silent for a long time and knelt down again.
He fell to the ground and whimpered.
"You go down, I know my own rules." Liu Hongjing waved his hand, stood up and turned his back to her, and stopped talking.
Duanmu Yunji got up from the ground, knelt down and quietly exited the palace. Supported by the palace maids and eunuchs, she returned to Qingning Palace in a grand manner.
"Liu Ruoxi! You bitch! You have been dead for more than ten years, but you still occupy the emperor's heart! My youth and great achievements in Huoer's life are all ruined in your hands! How many lifetimes have I lived?
I can't even settle this debt with you!" She sat in front of the mirror, looking at herself in the mirror, her eyes filled with the flames of hatred. So what if she was so lonely in the palace, where the country was once the most beautiful city? "Abandon the donation in the basket
, there is no way out in kindness.”
In the imperial capital of Xiling, a group of five people came in one after another from the city gate that day. The two young masters in front were dressed like men, followed by two maids and a chubby child looking around. The child held a sable looking around like him in his arms.
"Brother, the imperial capital is really lively." The child is Xiao Gudong, the two young masters in front are naturally Wuyou and Yunshang, and the little maids are Ni'er and Xiaohui.
Wuyou looked back at Little Gudong and said, "Take some peace amidst the noise, and don't lose your true nature in the bustle." This was what their master, Mu Shi, often taught them. Little Gudong stuck out his tongue and said obediently: "
Disciples must obey Master’s teachings.”
"That's right." Wuyou touched his head. They walked around a few streets and stopped outside Taifu Sima's door. Wuyou climbed up the steps, raised his hand, grabbed the knocker on Taifu's door, and knocked.
A few times.
The servant of Taifu's family opened the door and looked them up and down.
"Please inform the Grand Tutor that the disciples of Sanqing Taoist Temple Mu Shi have come to pay homage to the Grand Tutor." Wuyou cupped his hands and bowed.
The servant hurriedly returned the gift, asked them to wait, and then turned back and ran off to report.
After a while, Master Sima came out shakily with the support of his family. He waved to Wuyou and the others from afar: "Come in quickly, come in and talk."
Wuyou hurriedly led Yun Shang and the others into the courtyard, where they bowed their hands to pay homage to the Grand Tutor.
"No need to be polite, good children. We haven't seen each other for a few years, but they have grown so tall. It's great! It's great!" Taifu Sima stretched out his hand to help them up and looked at each of them lovingly. He hadn't been to Sanqing Taoist Temple in a few years, Wuyou
They have all grown from children to adults.
"Master asked his disciples to send greetings to Master Taifu for his well-being." Wuyou said with cupped hands.
"Taoist Priest—" Taifu Sima cried bitterly, with tears streaming down his face, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is in trouble, and all the Taoist Priest's hard work has been wasted on him for many years—" he cried tremblingly, about to faint.
"Master Taifu!" Wuyou became anxious and hurriedly supported him and whispered in his ear: "Sir, the prince is fine. The prince is on his way to the capital and will enter the capital soon."
The Taifu stopped crying, looked at Wuyou with wide, cloudy eyes, and said in surprise: "Seriously?"
"Wuyou came here specifically to report a message. Sir, let's go into the house and ask you to listen to Wuyou's detailed report." Wuyou said in a low voice.
When Taifu Sima heard that the prince was fine, his energy suddenly brightened. He took Wuyou's hand and turned around and walked quickly inside: "Let's go in."
Yun Shang, Xiao Gudong and the others followed closely behind them.
Taifu Sima took them into the inner study. After the servants served tea, they all dismissed and retired. Everyone sat down and Wuyou told Taifu Sima in detail about the prince's journey.
"His Royal Highness the Prince fell into a cliff and still survived, it must be the protection of the gods, Amitabha!" After hearing what Wuyou said, the Taifu clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name tremblingly.
"His Royal Highness and Princess Dongling will return to the capital soon. In order to avoid being plotted on the way, the Grand Tutor would like to inform the Emperor Ming to send additional Imperial Guard troops out of the city to welcome the return of the Crown Prince." Wuyou said.
"Okay! I will go into the palace immediately to meet the saint. You can rest in the mansion now." After speaking, Master Sima looked around lovingly at the few people, and his eyes fell on little Gudong who had been standing obediently next to Yun Shang.
"Good boy, if you like something to eat, feel free to eat it. Grandpa will ask the girl to take you for a stroll in the yard." He went over and stroked little Gudong's head and said.
"Thank you, grandpa Taifu." Little Gudong handed over his hands in a decent manner and said thank you crisply. The sable in his arms jumped on his shoulders, and looked at the Taifu in a friendly manner with his dark eyes open.
The Master Taifu laughed, waved to a girl, and ordered her to take little Gudong out to play.
"Master Taifu, there is one more thing that needs to be reported to Master Taifu." Wuyou said after little Gudong went out.
"Say." Taifu Sima said.
"About Princess Dongling, Xiaozhu specifically asked Wuyou to report truthfully." Wuyou told Sima Taifu that Luo Lianyi was born with a cinnabar-red mole on his forehead and was planted with the heart-biting powder poison by Queen Dongling.
"Old thief Qi Yu is so vicious!" Master Sima's brows knitted into knots. He pondered for a while and then said: "In this way, the emperor must not be allowed to meet this princess. For the safety of our Xiling,
We must—kill her!”
"Kill her!" Yun Shang stood up and exclaimed, and the girls all looked at each other with fear in their eyes. If they had never seen this princess, they might not have any idea of killing her, but in the canyon,
They have become acquainted with her, and she is so beautiful and lovely, how can they have the heart to kill her?