Perhaps due to the sudden heat and cold during the cold weather, or perhaps because of crying too much, Fang Zilan fell seriously ill. She was dizzy and had good and bad spells. It lasted for more than a month, but she still didn't feel better.
Seeing that the New Year is approaching, the palace is getting busier. All day long, the palace maids and guards are busy making arrangements for inspections. Master Liaoyuan was ordered to enter the palace to perform several rituals, and then began to prepare the New Year's dojo in Lianhua Palace.
Since Fang Ziqin announced the edict to Baiye Temple for Li Shengxuan, Master Yuan has been almost always in the palace in the last few months of the year. It is rarer than in previous years. This year can be said to be the year in which he has made the most appearances since he succeeded as the abbot of Baiye Temple.
When Fang Zilan was in better spirits, she would go to Lianhua Palace to listen to Master Yuan's lectures. Occasionally she would meet the Queen Mother and Princess Dejia, but in front of the master, everyone was harmonious and there was never any discord.
"Amitabha, Miss Fang San is here to listen to Master's sermons again?" The little novice monk guided Fang Zilan into the Lianhua Palace with familiarity. She nodded slightly, "Thank you, little master."
Before she finished speaking, she heard a burst of noise in the palace courtyard and couldn't help but frown, "This is..."
"Amitabha, the rehearsals for the New Year's social drama have started in the past two days." The little novice monk explained. Fang Zilan looked towards the crowd and saw King Yucheng Li Qiyou at a glance, "His Royal Highness King Yucheng is also in charge of this year's social drama?"
The little novice monk shook his head, "His Royal Highness King Yucheng is not only the person in charge, but also one of the leading actors."
"His Royal Highness King Yucheng will actually participate in the New Year's social drama?" Fang Zilan blurted out, and a gentle voice answered her, "Amitabha, this year is of great significance to His Highness."
Fang Zilan thought and suddenly understood what Master Yuan meant. At the beginning of the year, the Empress Dowager left Beijing, the Pei family declined, and the household department fell into the hands of Xu Youtong. Li Qiyou never fought or snatched, and settled in the court. Princess Rongan died in the middle of the year, and Di Rong's tribe had a falling out with Dajing. He stood up to protect the two princesses. Later, King Rongan died of illness, and he invited himself to the southeast.
Although the Queen Mother had always disagreed and shelved the matter, Li Qiyou's move was enough to show his responsibility as a prince.
After King Rong'an died of illness, the southeastern region was in urgent need of an adult who could control the situation, preferably a relative of the emperor. Compared with other princes who have little reputation and popularity, Li Qiyou is the most suitable candidate. He has been on the battlefield, taken over as an envoy, and served as a master in the court. He has gone through all the experiences, so that many people think that he is Li Shengxuan's successor.
Heir? Fang Zilan was startled by her own thoughts, and vague details that had been ignored came to her mind with these three words. Only then did she realize that perhaps Li Shengxuan had this intention and was cultivating Li Qiyou as his heir...
"Miss Fang San?" Master Lioyuan stretched out his hand and waved it in front of Fang Zilan's eyes. She came back to her senses and smiled apologetically, "His Royal Highness King Yucheng is so handsome and handsome. I couldn't help but look at it a few more times. In front of Master like this , it’s really rude.”
"Amitabha, everyone has the love for beauty." Master Liaoyuan lowered his eyebrows and said with a smile: "How can we talk about being rude?"
"Thank you for your understanding, Master." Fang Zilan followed Master Yuan's words and continued in a half-serious and half-playful tone that was indescribably relaxed and joyful.
Master Liaoyuan smiled and invited Fang Zilan inside to listen to the sutra. However, before he took a step, he heard someone behind him say: "Miss Fang San, please stay."
Fang Zilan looked back and saw Xu Yi, Xu Youtong's son, standing not far away, with an awkward look on his face, "I heard that Miss Fang San was seriously injured while saving the Queen..."
"What did Mr. Xu want to say?" Fang Zilan interrupted Xu Yi unceremoniously, "Did you never think that I would have the courage to block the knife with my body, or did you not expect that I, a sickly man, would survive even a serious injury? Lose your life?"
"I..." Xu Yi's face turned green and white, and Fang Zilan snorted, "In any case, thank you Mr. Xu for your concern."
Xu Yi opened his mouth and held it back for a long time, "As long as Miss Fang San has nothing to do, the flower party before..."
He paused for a moment as he spoke, as if he didn't want to bring up the embarrassing past, and then changed his voice, "I am Master Xu now."
It would have been better if he didn't say this last sentence. Fang Zilan was too lazy to pay attention to it at most, but after he said it, she felt an unknown fire rushing up, burning her reason completely.
"Master Xu has such great official authority." Fang Zilan raised her eyebrows and said sarcastically: "Why, if I call Mr. Xu, you will punish me for my crime? I don't know when the imperial court official in Dajing was so petty. Already?"
"Miss Fang San, you..." Xu Yi clenched his fists in anger. Fang Zilan still had no intention of restraining himself and said in a drawl: "I forgot, it is written in the book that the prime minister's belly can punt a boat. Mr. Xu is not Prime Minister, isn’t it ridiculous for me to think about you with my father’s broad mind?”
She rarely spoke so much recently, and her breath was unsteady and she coughed a few times. Xu Yi looked stagnant, fearing that she would faint at the next moment. Under the gaze of everyone, he couldn't wash himself away even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
So Xu Yi immediately endured this sigh and walked back to the rehearsal crowd dejectedly. Fang Zilan curled her lips with satisfaction, turned around and followed Master Yuan in.
Little did he know that this scene fell in Li Qiyou's eyes, and he suddenly felt inexplicably familiar. When Fang Zilan moved to the palace, he asked her to help perform in the New Year's social drama, and in desperation, he called himself the king. At that time, she looked down on the arrogance of the powerful, and this was the case.
In a daze, he actually thought he had seen the woman who amazed him again - Fang Zilan, the decisive and decisive Duke of Dajingyue Kingdom.
It's a pity that she is no longer alive and will only be sadly missed.
"Your Highness!" The shouts of people around him brought Li Qiyou back from his thoughts. He calmed down and focused on the New Year's social opera.
It's still a story about slaying demons, but this time Li Qiyou is not a bystander, but an upright demon exterminator. As for the big demon being killed, Xu Yi plays the role.
"Your Highness, after so many years of New Year's social drama, what new tricks can we have?" Someone on the side said dissatisfiedly: "The scene when Duke Xianyue was alive, she and Duke Wei were there, the martial arts drama was outstanding, and it happened to be on a snowy day. It adds a lot of artistic conception. If the time, place and people are favorable, I'm afraid we may not encounter it only once in ten or a hundred years..."
"Yes." Everyone agreed. Li Qiyou looked at Xu Yi and asked, "What do you think, Mr. Xu?"
"Everything is subject to the wishes of His Royal Highness King Yucheng." Xu Yi said it matter-of-factly, but Li Qiyou felt as if a ball of cotton was stuck in his chest when he heard this, making it boring and meaningless.
After a while, Li Qiyou said: "Master Xu is a civil servant, so there is no need to force martial arts, just follow the regulations."
Xu Yigang hurriedly agreed, and everyone else also breathed a sigh of relief, became energetic and started to show off.
After the rehearsal of a social drama, Li Qiyou was very serious about every move. Xu Yi took a few moves and was defeated soon after. The first time there was a problem of not enough time.
