The size of Chu Palace is second only to Xianyang Palace among the palaces Xiang Shaolong has ever seen, but it is even more heavily guarded.
The palace city is surrounded by a high wall, which is three feet high, with an exquisite turret at each corner. The moat outside the wall is surrounded by a moat, which is five feet wide.
Even if you want to sneak past, it is difficult to do so. There are two city gates, and the entrance can be made by hanging doors that can be raised and lowered at will.
There are many palaces inside the high wall, which are divided into two parts: the outer court and the inner court. The middle part is divided by the inner wall connecting the two bell and drum towers. The inner palace gate is set up as a passage through the outer court and the inner court.
The layout is symmetrical about the central axis. An avenue runs through the north and south city gates and the inner palace gate. Eight huge palaces and nearly sixty courtyards are distributed in an orderly manner on both sides of the avenue along the central axis. They are decorated with flowers, stones, fish ponds, small bridges and flowing water, towering
Ancient trees, magnificent.
Xiang Shaolong and Li Yuan entered the palace from the north gate. First there was a square square, and then a small river ran through it. After crossing the bridge, they arrived at the two main halls "Government" and "Ritual", both built on a white stone platform, surrounded by
There is a fenced platform and the atmosphere is solemn and beautiful.
The other six smaller palaces, four of which are located in the outer dynasty and two of which are located in the inner court, are all named after characters in Chu mythology, namely the "God of Fire", "God of Rivers" and "God of Punishment" in the outer dynasty.
"Si Ming". The inner court is divided into two halls: "Fang Lie" and "Witch".
When listening to Li Yuan's introduction, Xiang Shaolong was of course most impressed by the Witch's Palace. But with these names, he already knew that the Chu people were actually the most creative and romantic nation among all the countries. They would never have thought of such a place in other countries.
A name for bold innovation.
At the same time, my mind was spinning.
Just now, after Li Yuan proposed that Lord Chun Shen must be killed, he changed the topic, as if to give himself some time to digest this unpalatable suggestion, but he had already thought of Li Yuan's uneasy kindness.
After all, Lord Chun Shen has been in power for a long time and has thousands of followers. He has a high prestige in other countries. He is strong in all aspects and has deep roots.
If Li Yuan tried to kill him, it might cause a big turmoil, so he had to find a new generation of sinners, and that person would be himself.
As soon as he arrived in Shouchun, he took strong measures to drive away Li Chuangwen who had occupied the Dian Prince's Palace. He seemed to have no regard for the consequences. In Li Yuan's eyes, he was considered a fool and a fool.
Assuming that he can drive himself to assassinate Lord Chun Shen, he can put all the blame on Wan Ruiguang, and he can also resolve the Zhuang family's plot to restore the country, and even take Mrs. Zhuang as his own, killing three birds with one stone.
The plan couldn't be more vicious than this.
From the perspective of the Chu people, everyone hopes to use Li Ling's hand to level the vassal states and re-integrate the land into the Chu state. From this point of view, Li Yuan and Chun Shenjun are all in the same nest as Li Ling, and they are just perfunctory.
Mrs. Zhuang is such a beauty.
After the carriage passed through the gate of the inner palace, it entered the inner court, which was where the King of Chu handled daily government affairs and daily life. The main buildings were the two halls of the Witch and Fanglie and the six east and west palaces. Each palace consists of four quadrangle courtyards and three gardens.
, that is, the Imperial Garden on the middle road and the East Garden and West Garden on the east and west roads. The scenery is pleasant and the scenery is endless.
Li Yuan was obviously very knowledgeable, and he introduced to him the legends of the gods represented by the names of the palaces one by one. His conversation was elegant and charming. No wonder Mrs. Zhuang, although her heart belonged to Xiang Shaolong, and she knew that Li Yuan was not a good person, still seemed a little bit towards him.
Can't help myself.
At this time, he talked about the River God and the Witch, and said with a smile: "Our two most beautiful goddesses, the River God and the Witch, do not live in Chu, but in Luoshui in Han and Wushan in Qin. Hanzhi Yi
Smile, as ethereal as a god, living far away in the long rivers and deep mountains, just thinking about it makes people fascinated."
Xiang Shaolong said: "What uncle Taiguo said just now about Chun Shenjun..."
Li Yuan patted his brow affectionately and said, "We'll talk about this later. I want Brother Wan to take some time to understand Chun Shenjun's true face first and understand that I, Li Yuan, am not slandering a good person. Then Brother Wan can make a decision."
But Brother Wan, please remember that this is our men’s business. If women know about it, not only will they be afraid of flaws in their demeanor, but it will also make them worry all day long, which is harmful and useless."
Xiang Shaolong secretly called for a clever move, and of course he nodded in agreement.
Li Yuan was lying to himself, why didn't he lie to him? It was even, and no one had any complaints.
At this time, the carriage turned to the east road, but I didn't know where Tian was alone.
Li Yuan smiled and said: "I have a mansion outside the palace that is ten times bigger than this, but I still like to live in the palace and spend most of my time here."
Xiang Shaolong thinks that you have to try to control Li Yanyan at a close distance.
The guard opened the door. Xiang Shaolong put away his distracting thoughts and followed Li Yuan out of the carriage.
Li Yuan and Xiang Shaolong sat down as guests and hosts in the main hall, and the pretty maid served them tea.
Xiang Shaolong glanced around and couldn't help but secretly praise Li Yuan for being a person with good taste.
Looking towards the central courtyard of the courtyard, there is a row of eighteen wooden doors with windows and leaks, a platform pool, and a small pavilion and rockery mountain in the pool, connected by a stone bridge. The courtyard is five hundred steps deep and wide, and is planted with camellias.
Fragrant cinnamon, in this hot summer, camellias are in full bloom, cinnamon and citrus are fragrant, red and white complement each other, creating a scene of beauty and spring.
The furniture in the hall is all made of finely carved fragrant pear wood, the floor mats are covered with brocade, and the decorative ancient porcelain, hanging carvings, and screens are all available. Xiang Shaolong has no such thoughts.
If he hadn't won Ji Cainv's heart first, and due to various special circumstances, he might have really lost in that competition.
Since the north hall faces the sun and faces the pool, it is refreshing and cool, relieving summer heat and relieving fever.
Xiang Shaolong and Li Yuan were sitting in the center of the hall, enjoying the fragrant tea. For a moment, they felt that it was difficult to regard Li Yuan, a handsome and seemingly gentleman, as an enemy.
This kid is so powerful that he actually knows how to attack this dissolute and helpless "subjugated man" like a family brother. Of course, he can't let him "disappoint".
When he was pretending to be grateful and about to speak, Li Yuan clapped his palms lightly and said with a crisp sound: "Brother Wan, take some time to observe the situation before considering what I say. Alas, the reason why Li Yuan is not afraid of making shallow conversations is just because
There is nothing else but righteous indignation and the future of my country."
Following his applause, four beautiful beauties with graceful figures, wearing Chu clothes, high buns, hats and turbans walked out from the side door with dancing steps, knelt down in front of the two seats and bowed, and sat down gracefully on their knees.
The two of them were within reach.
The gauze covering their faces makes them even more attractive.
Only then did Xiang Shaolong realize what Concubine Yanran said, if this son is deliberately trying to please you, he does have extraordinary means.
He couldn't help but shed a cold sweat because he hadn't caught up with Ji Cainv. It was because Li Yuan only knew the Book of Songs and Chuci, but didn't understand aphorisms like "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" or "Honey Story".
Li Yuandao: "When we make friends, we either use beauty or gold as a sign. These four girls come from different places and have their own styles, but they are all beautiful people selected from a thousand, and they are all inhumane young girls. Brother Wan can't
I will take off their face coverings one by one and see which one is most suitable for my eyes, as a gift for me to meet Brother Wan."
Xiang Shaolong's heart was strong, and Li Yuan was probably the one who knew the most about psychological tactics among the people he had met.
Lifting the veil of the four women in this way and selecting them not only greatly arouses curiosity, but also creates a high level of stimulation that violates privacy.
Although I have no intention of accepting beautiful women, I still have a strong impulse to take a look.
But of course he can't do that.
His face darkened and he said, "I accept Uncle Taiguo's kindness, but I, Wan Ruiguang, have not returned to Dian Kingdom for a day, so I won't take anything else to heart."
Hearing this, Li Yuan was not angry but happy. He laughed, waved the four girls away and said, "I don't know if Brother Wan believes it. Li just tried it deliberately to see if Brother Wan would be interested. That makes me feel more at ease."
"
They clapped their hands again, and the pretty maid presented them with exquisite wine and food. The two of them drank from the cups and chatted freely.
Li Yuan was quarrelsome, kept asking about the situation in Yunnan, and expressed great concern. Fortunately, Li Yuan knew less about Yunnan than he did. When he couldn't answer, Xiang Shaolong casually made up some strange customs to deal with him.
There are no flaws.
When he was undergoing military training, he had been to many places in China, and with his understanding of China's topography and customs, he seemed to be talking about what he was doing.
Halfway through the meal, the guard announced the arrival of the Queen Mother.
Xiang Shaolong was startled, and when he was about to evade, Li Yuan was calm and helped others move away the food and wine. He then pulled him to a corner screen and said, "Brother Wan is hiding here. When I ask about the help,
When your country is restored, Brother Wan will know who is standing in the way."
Xiang Shaolong lost his voice and said: "What if the Queen Mother finds out?"
Li Yuan patted his chest and promised: "When my sister-in-law talks to me, there will be no one else around. If anything happens, I will take full responsibility for it and will not let Brother Wan suffer any grievances. But remember, I can only
Hear with your ears, but do not see with your eyes.”
The last time I was a Dong Ma fan, I had to act rough and arrogant. This time, Wan Ruiguang was stereotyped by Li Yuan as brave and foolhardy. Xiang Shaolong had no choice but to stupidly accept this ridiculous arrangement.
With the sound of the ring, I was "enchanted to death". King Xiaoyeol's unparalleled charm finally arrived.
The sound of the door closing and the sound of footsteps revealed that the palace guards had all exited the door.
Xiang Shaolong remembered how Long Yangjun and Mrs. Zhuang described Li Yanyan, and he still paid attention to Li Yuan's instructions. He put his eyes to the crack of the screen and looked towards the center of the hall.
As soon as I saw it, my breath stopped immediately.
He couldn't believe that he would see a beauty whose beauty and temperament could rival Ji Yanran and Qin Qing.
To be fair, in terms of charm and beauty, she is still half as good as Ji Yanran, and not as noble and elegant as Qin Qing.
But she has a sultry temperament that is deep in her bones, charming, frail and slender, and makes everyone pity her.
At this time, she stood tall and pretty in the center of the hall, her eyebrows lightly furrowed. As long as she was a man, he would have a strong impulse to hold her in his arms and love her tenderly.
She is the kind of lovely woman who, when a man sees her, wants to drag her onto the bed for fun, but he can't bear to hurt her even a little bit.
Mrs. Zhuang was right, her elegant and refined jade face was covered with a touch of indescribable sadness, as if nothing in this world could make her happy.
Li Yanyan's hair is tied in a cloud bun, and her forehead is also made into a cloud shape, resting gracefully on her slender black eyebrows. It is indeed worthy of the description of "the cloud bun is fragrant and dark."
Her temples were arranged into a curved hook shape, but they were thin and transparent. The clouds on her temples were carelessly combed and as ethereal as cicada wings, which further emphasized her perfect clawed face and beautiful, silent eyes.
Her slender and graceful figure, coupled with her phoenix crown and emerald green robe, gave her an air of celestial beauty that was unmatched by all living beings, difficult to climb, and aloof.
She wears a variety of accessories, but the most eye-catching thing is the necklace hanging from her pink neck and breasts. The upper layer is composed of more than twenty gold beads inlaid with jewels, and the lower layer is composed of a Dettol.
The jade-shaped pendant is a pendant that complements the jeweled phoenix crown on her head. It is crystal clear and dazzling, but it cannot take away her elegance and elegance at all, surpassing all the rich and gorgeous temperament.
Xiang Shaolong couldn't help but feel amazed.
If she is willing to sleep with him, Xiang Shaolong is sure that he will take action immediately.
At this time, Li Yuan came behind her and gently took off her outer robe, revealing a floor-length one-piece dress embroidered with exquisite phoenix patterns, black and gold patterns, and a jade belt around her waist, revealing a noble and gorgeous posture.
When Li Yuan's fingertips touched her fragrant shoulder, this beautiful woman who was the Queen Mother of Chu visibly shuddered and lowered her eyes with a very strange expression.
Xiang Shaolong was shocked in his heart, wondering whether they were not biological brothers and sisters, but he knew that if so, how could he hide it from Chun Shenjun?
A nationally famous beauty like Li Yanyan cannot be faked.
Li Yanyan's plump and sexy red lips trembled slightly, and she said softly: "Why is big brother here? I made an appointment with Xiu'er to see her latest thorns."
Her voice is sweet and crisp, with a sonorous and magnetic reverberation. God has been so kind to her.
After Xiang Shaolong has gone through many years of troubles, he can be as unmoved as an old monk in trance towards attractive beauties such as Madam Zhuang and Ying Ying. But at this moment when he peeked at Li Yanyan, he was still defeated.
.
At the same time, he wondered whether Li Yuan was determined to get Ji Yanran because only a talented girl Ji could replace Li Yanyan's position in his heart.
Could it be that his brother and sister actually have an ulterior relationship?
In this era, polygamy is a natural institution.
For people of high status, when a woman marries them, some of her sisters and even nieces will follow her to serve as concubines for the groom, not to mention maids as dowry.
What is even more strange is that when a monarch marries a daughter, monarchs with the same surname or who are friendly to each other will send some girls from their sect to be nuns according to the ceremony.
In addition, princes and ministers can take the women they like to the palace at any time, so you can imagine the number of concubines.
Polygamous families are the most complicated and can easily lead to fratricide and unethical chaos.
Li Yuan and Li Yanyan are probably half-brothers and sisters. They are talented and beautiful, and Li Yuan is ambitious. He wants to use Li Yanyan to repeat Lu Buwei's trick, and also deceives Chun Shenjun into thinking that he is still young and will have children in his later years.
Passing on to another fool like King Xiaolie, you can imagine that when King Xiaolie saw Li Yanyan, he even forgot his father's name. He would have thought that the "miracle" in Li Yanyan's belly was caused by Li Yuan's hands and feet.
What about concocted ones?
If Shaolong hadn't learned about the relationship between Li Yuan, Li Yanyan, Chun Shenjun and King Xiaolie from Zhao Mu, and understood Li Yuan's unscrupulous character, he would never have come to such a shocking conclusion just by looking at a single action or a moment's expression between the two.
inference.
If Li Yuan knew about it, he would kill him and refuse to give Xiang Shaolong a chance to peek at the two of them alone. Thinking of this, his breathing could not help but quicken.
After Li Yuan sat down with Li Yanyan, he said softly: "Xiu'er is doing embroidery in the east chamber. It's a rare opportunity like this. Can you please let me have a word with Yanyan?"
With this said, Xiang Shaolong knew that Li Yuan's seemingly unintentional encounter with Li Yanyan was actually a deliberate arrangement so that he could hear a conversation that was not conducive to Chun Shenjun, so that he could become his target to assassinate Chun Shen Jun.
tool.
Because Li Yuan should have known that Li Yanyan would come to see Guo Xiuer's embroidery after lunch, and the unfinished relationship between the embroidery and the embroidery must be difficult to transport, so the most powerful Queen Mother in Chu State had no choice but to condescend.
From here, it can be seen that the relationship between her and Guo Xiuer is very good.
Li Yanyan sighed and said: "Say"
Li Yuan was quite trembling in front of this girl. He coughed dryly, cleared his throat and said: "The Princess of Dian and her son have asked us to send troops to help them restore their country. I want to discuss it with Yanyan."
Li Yanyan said coldly: "Eldest brother is attracted to Princess Shen."
Li Yuan was immediately embarrassed because "Wan Ruiguang" was eavesdropping, and said displeasedly: "How can Yanyan look at your elder brother like this? I am just thinking about Dachu. The late king is newly deceased. If we have the requirements for Princess Dian and her son,
Being indifferent may arouse the rebellion of the princes. If they lean towards the Qin people, the Chu country will be in danger."
Xiang Shaolong was amused in his heart, Li Yuan was really painstaking for him by making such an impassioned speech.
After Li Yanyan was silent for a while, she smiled lightly and said: "This matter cannot be decided by you and me. We must ask the generals and ministers for their opinions, otherwise there will be a dispute. Has the eldest brother mentioned this opinion to Chun Shenjun?"
"
After King Xiaolie passed away, Chun Shen Jun immediately became the most important figure in the military and political aspects of the Chu court. It was also for this reason that Mrs. Zhuang rushed back to Shouchun without delay to ask Chun Shen Jun for help. Little did she know that Chun Shen Jun was the
The person behind the plan to get rid of her mother and son.
Li Yuan was right in his mind and said proudly: "Of course I have said it, but Lord Chun Shen still insists on going his own way and is determined to use Li Ling to pacify the princes. He also thinks that except the Princess of Dian who can stay, everyone else must be eliminated. Alas, if Li Ling gains power, he will
Are you willing to obey the king's orders? That's why the eldest brother had to advise the Queen Mother."
This was the first time he called Li Yanyan the Queen Mother.
Xiang Shaolong, who was peeping attentively, secretly screamed, no matter what he said was true or false, but Li Yuan said it in front of the Queen Mother Chu, the false would become true. If he were Wan Ruiguang, he would definitely believe it.
There is no doubt that Hengjian is also dead, and he will follow Li Yuan's order to kill him.
After Li Yanyan pondered for a while, she slowly said: "I'll teach my eldest brother to invite Princess Dian's mother and son to live in the palace for a while. If they come here, no one can hurt them. Alas, widows and orphans are really pitiful.
"
Xiang Shaolong was moved in his heart. He heard Li Yuan's explanation of why Mrs. Zhuang and her son refused. He thought that Li Yanyan was so kind-hearted. It seemed that everything she did was forced by her clan members headed by Li Yuan.
No wonder she was so unhappy, I couldn't help but feel pity for her.
In her confusion, she heard Li Yanyan say in a soft voice: "Brother, please go to see the Princess of Dian immediately. No matter what, you must invite her mother, son and accompanying people to the palace, even if we can't send troops to restore the country for them."
, and we will never allow them to be killed by others. Zhuang Jiao has made great contributions to our great Chu, so how can he feel compassion for Zhongliang?"
Li Yuan was deeply grateful for the trick, and when he stood up, he realized that Li Yanyan had no intention of standing up at all, and asked curiously: "Isn't Yanyan going to see Xiu'er?"
Li Yanyan said calmly: "I want to think about something quietly here alone, and no one is allowed to come in and disturb the Ai family."
Li Yuan couldn't help but turn around and glare at the screen, which scared Xiang Shaolong and immediately turned his head back.
Li Yanyan said displeased: "Brother, why are you still hesitating?"
Then there was the sound of the door opening and closing. You can imagine how anxious and distressed Li Yuan was when he had no choice but to leave.
Xiang Shaolong was also in great pain. If this beauty sat in meditation for an hour, he would be bored to death.
Li Yanyan's voice sounded: "No matter who you are, get out of the Aijia immediately."
Xiang Shaolong was sweating profusely as soon as he heard this. If Li Yanyan was beheaded like this, it would be extremely unfair.