On the eve of the sacrifice to the Ancestral Temple, Xu Mingyi was taking a walk in the garden of Zhenguogong Mansion to eat.
It's just that it's not her who needs to eat, but the big bird following behind her.
Dinner is served when the whole family gathers together, so it is indispensable. During the dinner, I don’t know if the big bird sensed something. It buried its head in eating and had such a good dinner that it was eaten until it went to the execution ground.
The meaning of eating before decapitation comes.
Tianmu was well aware of the fact that she was overstuffed, so he followed her around obediently.
The autumn night is cool, and it is quite pleasant to take a walk like this.
Xu Mingyi raised his head and looked above his head. Stars were densely packed on the blue night sky. If you look closely, a few stars were faintly twinkling among them. It was really beautiful.
"Yes, I have remembered it all..."
After walking out of a small path, Xu Mingyi faintly heard the sound of low voices.
The other party happened to be coming in her direction, and within a few steps, she met her head-on.
"Father."
Xu Mingyi blessed his body.
Xu Jin agreed with a smile, and the old servant behind him saluted Xu Mingyi: "Girl."
Xu Mingyi nodded: "Uncle Yun."
"Zhao Zhao is also here for a walk?" Xu Jin asked with a smile, his face like a big cat's chin showing a gentle expression that has remained unchanged for ten years. There seems to be nothing surprising about this appearance, but it has the power to soothe people's hearts.
, when you are close to him, you will feel a sense of relaxation that "everything is a small matter"——
At this time, he looked at his daughter with a smile and said, "If nothing happens, let's go for a walk with my father."
"Okay." Xu Mingyi also had a smile on his face.
The father and daughter talked slowly while walking.
Tomorrow is a crucial moment, but the atmosphere between father and daughter is particularly relaxed at this time.
"Zhaozhao is reluctant to leave home?" Xu Jin asked, his eyes scanning the scenery in front of him.
"Yes, there are some." Xu Mingyi said, "But only a little."
In her previous life, she married Ningyang, lost her family, and really left home——
But this time, she didn't leave alone.
Xu Jin smiled and nodded, as if he understood what his daughter had not finished saying, and said: "A place with family is a home. You can see Mingshi and your second uncle tomorrow."
Listening to his casual and determined tone, Xu Mingyi couldn't help but be curious: "Isn't father afraid of accidents?"
Even though everything has been carefully planned, the risks of tomorrow's events are still extremely high. If anything goes wrong, the worst result will be waiting for them.
"If you are well fed and drunk, what is there to be afraid of when you are with your father and your daughter?" Xu Jin answered more and more casually.
Xu Mingyi glanced at his father and said jokingly: "You don't have to worry about anything."
Xu Jin smiled and asked, "Who made my father and my daughter so talented?"
Even if he is a fool, he has to meet certain conditions. This is called having capital!
Uncle Yun who followed behind also smiled.
This scene seemed very ordinary, and so did the laughter, as if everything was quiet and peaceful. However, this was not the case in Xu Mingyi's ears.
Tomorrow's plan dictates that Yun Bo and others will not be able to follow along.
She slowed down two steps and said in a very soft but solemn voice, "Uncle Yun will do the hard work for what happens next."
"What are you talking about, young lady? These are all matters that belong to the old slave." When he was young, Uncle Yun followed the Duke of Zhen and went through bloody and bloody adventures. At this time, he assured in a relaxed tone: "Young lady and the old master.
Just go and do big things, family matters, and leave them to me."
Now that he is old, he cannot follow the general and rush to the front. Fortunately, he is still of some use and can still help take care of things at home.
Xu Mingyi looked at the old man and was touched in his heart: "Can Uncle Yun trust me and my grandfather?"
"That's natural!" Yun Bo replied decisively and simply.
To put it more harshly, at this critical moment, the old man and the girl did not have to worry about the lives of these people, but in order to protect them as much as possible, for the arrival of this day, the old man began to work more than half a year ago
Start preparing countermeasures.
"Okay, then Uncle Yun will be waiting for us." Xu Mingyi repeated: "No matter what, we must wait for our return."
"Yes, yes." Uncle Yun responded repeatedly: "Don't worry, girl, I will stabilize the situation so that everyone can wait for our people in peace."
At the end of the meal, he said solemnly: "But the girl and the old man, please do everything within your ability. If you have a way, use it. If you really have no way, you don't have to take risks. But everyone in our family is a rough sweeper."
Servants all know some sense. If something big happens for us, that is the last thing anyone wants to see."
Their lives are worthless, and the old man and the girl have important things to do, so it's really not worth taking the risk for them.
Xu Mingyi did not respond to these words, and only smiled and asked: "The army has not moved, why are you talking about dejection now?"
Uncle Yun was startled for a moment, then he smiled in shame: "Yes... I am an old fool. What I said is not pleasant to listen to. Please forgive me, girl."
He added: "The girl and the old man will be safe and sound, and everything will go as planned..."
While talking, he took out something from his arms and handed it to the girl: "This is what the old slave has been playing with recently. If the girl doesn't dislike it, she will take it with her. It's just for good luck...
…”
Xu Mingyi took it and saw that it was a small wooden sword carved from peach wood. It was only about the size of a palm, but the texture was very delicate and elegant. Yun Bo's hands were very skillful. When she was a child, she got many gadgets carved by him himself, and she still has them now.
It was kept properly by her.
"Thank you, Uncle Yun." Xu Mingyi smiled and held the thing in his hand.
She will definitely take it with her.
…
At first light, Xu Mingyi got up as usual.
The servants in the Zhenguo Duke's mansion also started cleaning everywhere, and steam was rising in the kitchen. Everything was in order, just like every ordinary morning in the past.
In the Imperial Ancestral Temple, everything was much busier than before.
The palace people were walking through various palaces, preparing for today's sacrifices.
The morning sun rises slowly, and the sunlight shines on the glazed tiles, casting a layer of almost transparent golden light.
At three quarters of the hour, the Holy Spirit arrives.
The emperor, wearing his royal sacrificial robes, left the palace in a ceremonial chariot from Chengtian Gate. He led everyone in at the south gate of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, crossed the Yuhe River via three bridges, and entered the middle gate. Under the auspices of officials from the Ministry of Rites, the three-legged bronze statue in the courtyard was first
After burning incense in the incense burner and bowing in obeisance, he then passed through the Halberd Gate and came to the front of the main hall.
The Duke of Zhenguo stood behind the emperor and raised his eyes to look at the main hall.
The main hall is broad and deep, sitting on a white marble Xumi pedestal. The beams and columns are covered with agarwood, and the feet are paved with gold bricks. There are side halls on the left and right of the corridor. The side halls on the right are enshrined in the ministers who have made meritorious service in the country——
When the late emperor was still alive, he told him that he must be worthy of enjoying the Ancestral Temple, so that they would not be lonely and have no one to talk to after their death.
Now it seems that it is probably impossible.
His so-called hero is destined to become a traitor.
If the late emperor really had a spirit and knew his decision, I wonder how he would view right and wrong.
However, no matter what, he had to do this.
When they actually met at the foot of the spring, he had to ask the late emperor to drink three cups of wine as a punishment - he was modestly called a dog, but his son was a real dog. To give birth to such a dog son, he was not a damned person.
Talent?
Duke Zhenguo followed Emperor Qingming to worship this talented person, and then went to the middle hall.
The throne of the late emperor was here. After the complicated sacrificial process, the Queen Mother was beginning to look tired. Emperor Qingming looked respectful and said: "If the Queen Mother is tired, she might as well go to the Zhai Hall to rest first..."
The great sacrifice has been completed. As for the sacrifices to the distant ancestor gods in the back hall, the concubines of the harem do not need to accompany them.
The Queen Mother nodded and said: "Then the Ai family will go to the Zhai Hall to chant sutras and talk to the late emperor..."
"I, my concubine, will go with my mother." The queen bowed to the emperor and said, "I, my concubine, will take my leave now."
This was within the rules, and Emperor Qingming didn't notice any difference and just nodded.
"I'm with Madam too!" Princess Jingrong grabbed the corner of the Queen Mother's clothes and said with a smile, "Madam must have brought some candy!"
"..." Several officials couldn't help but look over. Can the eldest princess' illness be cured?
Princess Yufeng tried hard not to show her disgust.
Every time she brings Xie Dingning in front of others, she loses her face.
"Let's all go, I agree." Emperor Qingming smiled, with a friendly and indulgent tone, and said to Concubine Rong: "I saw that Zhang'er was crying just now, or maybe he was hungry, so please take him with you."
Concubine Rong agreed and retreated behind the Queen Mother with her nanny holding the little prince in her arms. She hesitated for a moment, but did not follow her to the dining hall.
So far today, she has not found a suitable opportunity. If she follows the Queen Mother to the Zhai Palace again, she may not have a chance to get close to the Emperor before returning to the palace!
The emperor still had to go to the back hall to worship the gods, and according to past customs, after worshiping the gods, the emperor had to rest for a while in the side hall and discuss with the officials whether there were any mistakes or omissions in the sacrifice...
Side hall...
Concubine Rong was slightly moved, so she took several maids and wet nurses into the side hall and left on the pretext that the young prince was very hungry.
Looking at it, grandma always felt that something was wrong... It's not that the empress behaved abnormally today, it was because it was too normal. So normal, is this really normal?
Mammy couldn't help but secretly worry - she was afraid if the empress was not normal, and she was also afraid if the empress was too normal. Is there anyone here who is more difficult than her?
As everyone knows, there really is.
The Imperial Master who accompanied Emperor Qingming was dressed in Taoist robes as if carrying an immortal wind, and his movements were extremely calm.
But in his heart, he was thinking and hoping all the time - when would the organization send someone to pick him up and run away? He had prepared everything and was just waiting to run away!
But I can't escape for a while, so I have to continue acting.
The imperial master followed Emperor Qingming to the back hall, lit three sticks of incense and handed them to the emperor.
Amid the scent of incense, Emperor Qingming's face turned slightly pale.
Maybe I haven't walked around for such a long time in a long time. After walking around for nearly two hours and smelling the scent of incense everywhere, I felt a little tight in my chest and my legs and knees began to tingle.
He took the green incense, forced himself to bow, and wanted to insert the incense into the incense burner on the table, but his hand trembled unsteadily. Three green incense sticks fell apart, and one of them burned the surface of his right hand.
superior.
"emperor……!"
Li Ji exclaimed and hurried forward.
The officials of the Ministry of Rites standing on one side also saw this scene. Compared with whether the emperor was burned and whether it was severe or not, what they were more concerned about at this time was-it was just a piece of incense, but he could be burned?
Is this the emperor's incompetence, or is the god expressing dissatisfaction?
Even though he thought this way, he couldn't show too much indifference. When he was about to surround him and ask questions with concern, he saw Emperor Qingming's figure swaying, and he was about to lose his balance.
Li Ji and Ji Xiu quickly supported the person.
"What's wrong with your Majesty?"
It can't be that you are unsteady due to being burned due to poor use. This is obviously due to other discomforts.
"It's okay... I just feel a little short of breath." Emperor Qingming could not ignore the pain in his legs that seemed to be drilled from the bones, but he could only hold on in front of the minister.
"Hurry and help His Majesty out for a breather..."
"Help His Majesty to the side hall! Dr. Xuan!"
——It was just a sacrifice to Meng Qiu, but in the end it was announced that the imperial doctor was here. Is the emperor still able to do it?
At this juncture, if the country is well governed and the dragon body is healthy, no matter how bad it is, you have to get one, right? Can the emperor still want one if he doesn't have one?
The Minister of Rites sighed in his heart.
The ministers started to get busy, and the Duke of Zhen also showed concern and accompanied him all the way to the central auxiliary hall.
Such an unexpected situation caused a small amount of confusion.
Chaos is a good thing - Duke Zhen Guo looked up at the sun, which had risen to the middle of the sky, and estimated the time in his mind.
In the side hall, seeing Emperor Qingming being helped in, Concubine Rong was a little surprised, but a thought came to her mind... Seeing the emperor like this, it was undoubtedly a good time to take action. Could it be that God wanted to help her too?
As long as she can succeed today, once the emperor dies, no one can suppress Xia Tingzhen, and Yue Lang will be saved...
The sick prince's left hand was disabled due to falling into the water before. Even today's sacrifice could not be carried out. In the eyes of the courtiers, he had long been useless and was destined to be unable to compete with her Zhang'er.
By then, with Xia Tingzhen supporting Zhang'er to ascend the throne, the court situation will be under their control... She no longer has to be afraid of anyone, and she and Yue Lang will be able to stay together for a long time from now on!
Thinking of this, Concubine Rong hurriedly stepped forward: "What's wrong with Your Majesty? Are you tired?"
"I'm fine, my dear, don't worry..." Emperor Qingming was helped by his chamberlain to sit down in the chair.
Concubine Rong picked up the enamel teapot on the table, poured a cup of tea, and held it in front of Emperor Qingming: "Your Majesty, have some tea and rest first, maybe you will feel better..."
When the grandma who was holding the child saw this scene, her heart beat wildly - yet the emperor was so attentive to her at such a juncture, why did the empress completely change her temper?
As the saying goes, when things go wrong, there must be a monster.
Grandma patted the crying child and retreated subconsciously. She always felt that the consequences of staying any longer were not something she could bear...
"Don't cry, don't cry. Let's go over there and catch butterflies, okay..." Grandma coaxed the child and hurried down the stone steps - let's run far away first!
Emperor Qingming has taken the tea cup from Concubine Rong.
"..." Concubine Rong's whole body was tense, her heart was beating like a drum, and she even held her breath.
As long as the emperor can drink this tea... Yue Lang will not have to die!
