Liu Yantian kept kneeling in the Shangqing Courtyard. He didn't know how much time passed, but he could only hear the clear ringing of the golden bell in the hall.
Wisps of green smoke floated over him, suffocating his whole body.
Liu Yantian remembered the oral message from the palace chamberlain, "Empress Libi wants you to give it your all. Now is the last moment. There is nothing you can do if you wait any longer."
Liu Yantian broke out in a cold sweat thinking of this, and the sweat was immediately dried by you. The longer he waited, the more anxious he became.
"Mr. Ge," Eunuch Han came over and said, "The emperor invites you to come in."
Liu Yantian's heart was beating fast and he almost stumbled into the palace gate. Then he saw the emperor with his head lowered and blowing incense. The empty hall was deserted and silent. It was indescribably scary when he walked in.
Liu Yantian knelt down.
The emperor handed the incense in his hand to the chamberlain, tilted his head and looked at Liu Yantian strangely, "I heard an interesting thing, saying that there is a saying among the people, saying that my cabinet minister is actually..." the emperor said
He paused here, as if he was thinking about it, and then continued, "Bastard."
The waiter's eyes flickered and he didn't know what to say. The whole hall was buzzing, as if many people couldn't hold back their laughter.
"Is that true?" the emperor asked the chamberlain beside him in a clear voice.
"Chi, chi, chi..."
Those chuckles seemed to be in Liu Yantian's ears, making Liu Yantian's body tremble with laughter and his face turned blood red.
He wanted to take advantage of the Chang family, but unexpectedly he was caught by Zhou Chengling. Now people in the streets are whispering to each other, watching the Liu family's jokes.
"Mr. Ge, please explain to me what this means?"
Liu Yantian gathered all his strength and looked at the emperor, "Your Majesty, I imprisoned Yang Bingzheng. When Feng Dang rebelled, I found out that Yang Bingzheng was not dead. I should have reported this to the emperor, but the emperor promoted Zhou Chengling to lead the army.
In Baoding Prefecture, I thought that if Zhou Chengling was disloyal, he could use Yang Bingzheng to blackmail him. When Zhou Chengling came back from a victorious battle, he submitted a memorial to the emperor asking the emperor not to reward Zhou Chengling. If he did not suppress it, it would be a disaster in the future.
Sure enough, this time Zhou Chengling rescued Yang Bingzheng and reported it to the court after so many days, but he did not take the emperor seriously at all. The emperor still remembered that he once told the old minister that the biggest disaster in your heart is Zhou Chengling. The old minister has always remembered
In your heart, Your Majesty, you must not be deceived by Zhou Chengling..."
Liu Yantian said it in one breath.
He just wants to remind the emperor of his fear of Zhou Chengling. If the emperor wants to deal with Zhou Chengling, he will still use him. Just like Feng Guochang before, he has not yet reached the point where the rabbit is dead and the dog is cooked.
The emperor narrowed his eyes, "Does Mr. Ge mean that everything is for me?"
Liu Yantian knocked his head on the ground, "I did it for the Great Zhou Dynasty. I know that what I did was heinous, but I had to do it. I am willing to die to apologize in order to protect the emperor's country."
The emperor suddenly chuckled when he heard this, "Does Mr. Ge think that I am the king of the country's subjugation?" He stood up and said, "No one can escape my eyes. I know what you are all planning, and you all want to
Treat me like a puppet."
The emperor walked down the steps, his green silk coat blown by the wind like scattered flower petals, "But there is one thing Mr. Ge said is right. I want to rely on Zhou Chengling, but I want to hold him firmly in my hands."
Liu Yantian heard the hope, "Your Majesty, although Feng Guochang was with the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, the Yushi Yanguan was not on his side. Now Zhou Chengling holds military power and uses the Yushi Yanguan as his eyes and ears.
It’s really the biggest disaster.”
Zhou Chengling wanted to take him down in one fell swoop, so he pressed forward step by step, leaving him breathless. However, this also exposed Zhou Chengling's shortcomings. Zhou Chengling was too flamboyant, like an unsheathed sword.
He didn't know how to pull back the sheath. He thought that Zhou Chengling would tremble with fear. Could it be that the emperor wouldn't? As long as he and the emperor share the same enemy, he could fight for a way out.
Zhou Chengling was so confident that he mobilized many civil and military ministers to harm him, forcing him to have no way out and exposing King Kang's party to the emperor.
"These days, an envelope of memorials has been delivered to the Shangqing Court. Even though the old ministers are in the cabinet, they cannot suppress the censors, the Minister of War, the Minister of Personnel, and the Yin of Shuntian Prefecture. Those people are all speaking for Zhou Chengling," Liu Yantian
His eyes were twitching wildly, "Didn't the Emperor notice?"
The emperor slowly curled his lips, wondering what he was thinking that Liu Yantian and Zhou Chengling could not know.
Everyone is a chess piece in his hands, and only he knows when and where to place them.
Liu Yantian continued: "Your Majesty, if you surrender to a rat, your life will be nothing more than a low life. Your Majesty can use this opportunity to get rid of the serious troubles in your heart. In this way, the political situation of the court will be completely controlled by your Majesty."
Liu Yantian's eyes lit up as he spoke, and his whole body trembled with excitement, as if he had been living for this day all his life, just for the emperor to gain power, and he had long since ignored his personal life and death.
Now he is the most loyal minister of the Zhou Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, this opportunity must not be lost and never come again."
"The current situation is very clear. As long as Zhou Chengling is eliminated, I am willing to die." Liu Yantian raised his head, "If the emperor feels that Zhou Chengling has made great achievements and cannot explain to the civil and military officials of the dynasty, then I am willing to be the emperor's murderous knife.
Get rid of this scourge for the emperor."
"In the future, if anyone pursues fault, it will only be my fault."
Liu Yantian's voice made the entire hall buzz. Liu Yantian, who had been trembling with fear just now, became energetic because of these impassioned words.
"Then what do you want to do?" The emperor looked at Liu Yantian. He just liked to see this scene, so he would weigh all the rights. When the time is right, he would quietly crush him to death in his hands. He was
The emperor is the smartest and most powerful person in the world, and everyone must obey him.
Liu Yantian said: "Call Zhou Chengling into the palace, and the old minister will kill him when he is not prepared."
As long as he kills Zhou Chengling with the emperor's help, he can turn the whole situation around. This is his last way out. Liu Yantian's eyes are filled with blood. He failed to kill Zhou Chengling a few years ago. He must make up for this mistake this time.
, as long as Zhou Chengling lives for a day, he will not be easy.
"Do you really have such thoughts?" The emperor remained calm and picked up the tea bowl to drink tea.
Liu Yantian knocked his head on the ground, "I am willing to relieve the emperor's worries."
The emperor narrowed his eyes. Ever since he restored Zhou Chengling's title, he had people quietly watching Zhou Chengling's every move. He already knew about Zhou Chengling's meeting with the censor at the Yang family. The Minister of War and others also tried their best to work for Zhou Chengling. Liu Yantian was
The treacherous traitor, Zhou Chengling deserves to die even more. The reason why he did not deal with Liu Yantian immediately was to let Liu Yantian deal with Zhou Chengling.
This will save him a lot of effort.
Sitting on this throne requires you to know how to strategize. He has already predicted today's situation.
"Why did I call Zhou Chengling into the palace?" The emperor lowered his eyes, as if he didn't care.
We must call Zhou Chengling into the palace quietly, and we must not scare the snake. Liu Yantian held down his racing heart and said, "Wei Chen has already thought about it."
"Zhou Chengling and the Yang family have a very close relationship. We need to start from this aspect... Only in this way can we hit Zhou Chengling's heart." Liu Yantian paused slightly as he spoke and looked around.
I don't know when the emperor and he were the only two people left in the hall.
Liu Yantian knelt and crawled forward a few steps, "What do you think, Your Majesty, of the medicine that Yang made using the alchemy furnace?"
The emperor raised his eyes. As long as he thought of Yang, he felt that he was one step closer to becoming an immortal. If he had no immortal fate, why would a strange person like Yang appear in this dynasty? He waited patiently just because he wanted to
Wait for Yang to refine the elixir that can bring the dead back to life.
Liu Yantian said: "Yang Bingzheng was already dead when he was rescued, but he came back to life after going to Yang's place and taking Yang's medicine."
This should be what the emperor likes to hear most.
Liu Yantian tried carefully and looked at the emperor's face. Resurrection from the dead and living as long as heaven are what the emperor wants most. Now only Yang can do such a thing. "The emperor doesn't want Yang to come to the Shangqing Courtyard."
, make elixirs for the emperor?"
In order for the Yang family to come to the Shangqing Court, they must first pass the test of Zhou Chengling. As long as Zhou Chengling is alive, he will protect the Yang family. Once Zhou Chengling dies, no matter what he does, it will be much easier.
Let Yang enter the Shangqing Courtyard.
Hearing this, the emperor suddenly looked at Liu Yantian. How could Liu Yantian know what he was thinking.
Yes, he just wants the Yang family. He wants the Yang family to lead people to refine the elixir for him and help him become an immortal.
Liu Yantian looked at the emperor's shining eyes, and his heart suddenly jumped with joy. He finally guessed the emperor's thoughts.
"Your Majesty, the nights are long and the dreams are many..." Liu Yantian persuaded in a low voice.
"The emperor can ask Zhou Chengling to confront me. We will arrange our manpower outside. When the emperor orders everyone to capture Zhou Chengling together, he will not be able to escape even if he has three heads and six arms."
…
Yang Mo felt uneasy all the time, Princess Chunjun asked: "What are you thinking about?"
Yang Mo shook her head, "If I hadn't been pregnant, I would have been on my way to the Yang Le Hall." She had originally planned to go to the Yang Le Hall with Wei Mao and the others to see the situation in the Yang Le Hall. Although the war had been going on for a long time, there was no
The young wounded soldier was still recuperating in the Yang Le Hall. The dignitaries and dignitaries in Beijing donated a lot of rice, grains and medicinal herbs, so she thought of going to the Yang Le Hall to make arrangements.
Princess Chunjun smiled and said: "Take your time, there will be plenty of time in the future."
Yang Mo nodded.
"Don't think too much. Taking care of the baby is the most important thing now. You have something to rely on to give birth to the baby safely."
There is something in Princess Chunjun's words. In fact, anyone close to Zhou Chengling should know what will happen to Zhou Chengling in the future. But she doesn't think about anything now. As long as Zhou Chengling is safe, she will be relieved.
Just as Yang Mo was thinking about it, Mei Xiang came in and said, "Princess, a message came from the prince. The prince has gone to the Shangqing Courtyard and said that the emperor wanted to ask Mr. Liu Ge about something."
Yang Mo nodded.
Princess Chunjun said: "I heard from the prince that the Liu family's case is finalized and Liu Ge cannot deny it even if he wants to. You don't have to worry, just listen to the good news."
I hope so, I hope everything will be calm after today.
Princess Chunjun took Yang Mo's hand and said, "The girl in my house has made some new patterns. I brought them here today. Come and pick out any ones you like. I will help you make the winter clothes and bedding for your house."
.”
Yang Mo looked at Princess Chunjun gratefully, "Everyone knows that I am clumsy. Princess Xian also sent a lot of gifts yesterday."
"It's not that you are clumsy," Princess Chunjun said, "it's that you put all your thoughts into curing diseases and saving people. Where do people come from with so much energy?"
Both of them covered their mouths and laughed. Before the laughter could stop, the woman outside came in and said, "Princess, the envoy Ding from the Imperial Hospital is here."
"At this time, is it possible that one of the masters in the palace is feeling unwell?" Princess Chunjun said, "It's strange, too. This is all a matter of the Taiyuan Hospital. How come both of them came to you?"
The envoy Ding liked to discuss cases with her, so he came to Baohe Hall to be more diligent. Yang Mo said: "There is no one else here, so please invite the envoy in!"
The servant responded and quickly ushered Envoy Ding into the house.
Ding Yuanshi lowered his head and entered the door, then raised his head to look at Yang Mo and Princess Chunjun.
Yang Mo couldn't help but be stunned.
Dean Ding looked very unhappy.
"Princess." Envoy Ding looked at Princess Chunjun and hesitated to speak.
"It doesn't matter," Yang Mo took Princess Chunjun's hand, "Princess Chunjun is not an outsider."
The envoy of Ding Academy nodded, "Have you heard anything, Princess? Today I checked the pulse of the young Taoist priest from Shangqing Academy, and the young Taoist said that the emperor intends to let Princess Kang enter the palace to refine elixirs."
Princess Chunjun's eyes widened, "How could such a thing happen? When will women be allowed in the Shangqing Academy? Besides, alchemy is a matter for Taoists, so how can you let the princess go? What are you talking about? It must not be true."
As soon as Princess Chunjun finished speaking, the room suddenly fell silent.
Yang Mo and Ding Yuanshi didn't speak. Princess Chunjun suddenly panicked and her voice trembled, "Could it be true?"
Yang Mo nodded for a while, "I think it's very possible."
Princess Chunjun's face suddenly felt hot, "What should we do?"
What should we do? Who can change the emperor's wishes?
Yang Mo suddenly panicked, "Who else has Director Ding told this to?"
Ding Yuan was startled.
Princess Chunjun said: "The princess is asking, does the prince know? Now the prince is in the Qingyuan."
Does the prince know?
Ding Yuanshi's heart skipped a beat, "I...have never told anyone else...your lord...your lord..."
Yang Mo immediately held up her palms.
…
Zhou Chengling walked into the Shangqing Courtyard step by step. The emperor ordered Eunuch Han to bring a lotus seat for Zhou Chengling and Liu Yantian to sit on.
Liu Yantian took a deep breath, trying to hold down the pounding heart in his chest. Success or failure depended on this. As long as he threw the tea bowl on the ground, the guards on both sides of the hall would swarm up and chop Zhou Chengling into pieces.
A scene that he had not seen for many years was about to happen before his eyes.
As long as he thought about the river of blood that would immediately flow in front of his eyes, he couldn't help but pucker his dry lips.
Come on, come on, as long as this is done, no one will block his way from now on.
No matter who he is, he will die in his hands in the blink of an eye.
Zhou Chengling, Zhou Chengling, what a pity, because a woman is about to die in front of his eyes. A flamboyant woman like Yang will bring disaster sooner or later.
"Have you found out?" the emperor asked Zhou Chengling in a low voice, "What did Mr. Ge say?"
Liu Yantian went to get the tea bowl dejectedly, but the tea bowl kept trembling. Zhou Chengling must have thought he was afraid, but in fact he was trembling with excitement.
Zhou Chengling thought he was about to die, but in fact it was Zhou Chengling who died, and he was the big winner.
Liu Yantian took a careful look at Zhou Chengling. Zhou Chengling was as calm as usual and found nothing.
Liu Yantian dipped the tea bowl to his lips, and then the tea bowl in his hand fell to the ground. He immediately thought of retreating. He didn't want Zhou Chengling's blood to splash on his face.
The moment the teacup fell to the ground, he saw the guards coming out of the hall, and one of them pulled out a knife.
The shining knife was about to strike Zhou Chengling on the head.
Liu Yantian was so happy that one moment he almost cooked the fish on the chopping board, and the next moment he completely turned the situation upside down.
Lifting the knife and dropping it, Liu Yantian saw the shining sword, and then the sound of flesh and blood being torn apart. All the blood rushed out from the gap, so hot that it seemed to burn through the skin, smoking and steaming.
into his eyes.
It made his vision blurred and he couldn't breathe.
Liu Yantian looked at the blade on his stomach in disbelief. Zhou Chengling neatly took the knife from the guard's hand, then gently waved the knife tip into his body.
Everything happened so fast, it was scary.
His heart was even jubilant, thinking that he had already ushered in victory. When the knife went down, Liu Yantian didn't even feel pain, but pleasure.
He had no idea that the knife had stabbed him.
Why is this happening?
Liu Yantian looked at the emperor on the throne in surprise.
The fairy-like emperor also opened his eyes wide, with a look of astonishment on his face. The calmness he usually pretended to have disappeared without a trace at this moment.
"Come here." The emperor suddenly shouted when he saw the blood, his voice full of fear.
The feeling of power slipping away from his hands is so terrible. He used to think that birth, old age, illness and death were the most terrible things. Now he realizes that the terrible thing is not death, but that others can decide his life and death. The terrible thing is not life, but not being able to live as he wants.
.
From then on, he could no longer do whatever he wanted because he was already controlled by others.
The emperor's cold sweat suddenly dripped from his forehead.
The emperor's voice rang in the hall, but no one responded. The guards in the hall stood upright, looking at Zhou Chengling holding a knife covered with blood.
"Prince Kang, are you planning to rebel?" The emperor calmed down and shouted in a low voice.
Zhou Chengling looked at the emperor and said, "The emperor asked me to discuss Liu Ge's case. This is my idea. A treacherous minister like Liu Ge should have died long ago."
"What do you think, Your Majesty?"
Zhou Chengling walked forward slowly, his steps were broad, and the sound of his feet hitting the ground was clear. His calm demeanor was like a strong wind, blowing the emperor into a corner.
The emperor suddenly thought of Zhou Chengling's appearance when he put on his dragon robe.
"Bold." Eunuch Han, who was beside the emperor, suddenly said loudly.
The emperor looked at Eunuch Han. The people around him were still reliable. Maybe Eunuch Han had already spread the news of King Kang's rebellion. When the people from the Beijing camp entered the Shangqing Courtyard, they would definitely restrain Zhou Chengling.
The emperor thought this, but when he turned his head, his heart suddenly fell into the ice cave. What he saw was Eunuch Han's cold eyes.