Beijing,
It was midsummer at the moment, but there was a chilly atmosphere in the whole city.
At this moment, even the soldiers at the gate of the city were all armed and ready.
Ever since His Majesty pointed his sword at the neck of Chief Minister Lin Chunqiu in the main hall, undercurrents began to surge in the entire court.
There was no court appearance, and no one even mentioned Hou Jin's cavalry again.
It seems as if everything is fine now in Youzhou.
But even the beggars in the capital know that this is where the storm is coming.
Just because no one mentioned it, doesn't mean it won't happen.
It’s probably going to be very difficult over there in Youzhou now.
Even more pessimists believe that Luozhou has already fallen into the hands of Hou Jin. Your Majesty's doing this is nothing more than finding a way out for yourself.
Since that day, the entire officialdom has fallen into an extremely strange atmosphere.
The officials are still busy all day long, but if you look closely, you will find that those officials who used to be aloof are now busy transporting goods outside the city.
Wealthy businessmen who have the conditions have also begun to respond in advance and withdraw their family assets.
All in all, today's land prices have dropped by 30%, but the prices of horses and grain have increased by a full 50%.
It is not an exaggeration to say that everyone is in danger.
royal palace,
Qingniao looked at the empress's increasingly thin face, with a flash of worry in his eyes.
She picked up a bowl of meat soup with her own hands, handed it to the empress and said:
"Your Majesty, you'd better drink a bowl first. You haven't had a meal in two days."
"If this continues, even if you are a great martial artist, your body may not be able to hold on."
The empress shook her head gently, a look of exhaustion appeared on her majestic cheeks.
"Qingniao, you don't have to worry about my condition. I know very well how my health is."
"By the way, is there any movement over at Lin Mansion?"
Qingniao shook his head slightly and said slowly:
"Your Majesty, that old dog Lin Chunqiu is extremely calm. From the beginning to the end, he didn't make any move. It seemed that he didn't care about the invasion of the Hou Jin Cavalry at all."
"It seems that I have not wronged him."
A strong killing intent suddenly burst out from the empress's eyes.
"If he hadn't colluded with Hou Jin, how could he have remained motionless?"
"What a great chief minister of the Zhou Dynasty. Not only did he collude with Hou Jin, but he also tried to hand over Youzhou to Hou Jin. Isn't such an act treason?"
"If I am, if I am...ahem!"
The empress coughed heavily, and a look of pain appeared on her majestic cheeks.
She raised her jade hand and rubbed her chest vigorously, and Qingniao also handed over an emerald green pill very skillfully.
The empress took the pill and swallowed it, a flash of relaxation flashed across her majestic face.
"Your Majesty, the dragon's body is the most important thing, so don't be angry."
Qingniao supported the empress and sat on the soft couch, but the worry in his eyes was real.
"You said this is strange. How could your body be infected with wind and cold so easily? But... the poison of wind and cold is so deep-rooted. Even the Qingfeng Pill can only relieve it."
"Your Majesty, why don't you ask Qingniao to go outside the palace and find a famous doctor to come over and give you a look?"
"This is a knot in the heart. How can it be cured by medicine?"
The empress sighed and shook her head slightly.
"By the way, is that bitch Lin Man'er doing anything strange?"
When Qingniao heard this question, a trace of uneasiness flashed across his cheeks.
After a moment of silence, he spoke:
"The Queen is currently practicing ventriloquism with An Guiren, hoping to gain His Majesty's favor."
"hehe."
The empress sneered,
Now, she already understands what the so-called "ventriloquist" means.
Xiao Dongzi, this bitch, actually praised Mr. An Gui's ventriloquism in front of me.
I said at the time that I wanted to experience it myself.
Little do they know that this ventriloquism is not that ventriloquist!
Xiao Dongzi, Xiao Dongzi, I really didn’t expect it.
Speaking of which, Xiao Dongzi is in Luozhou now, and she doesn't know how she is doing.
With the sign I gave you, Han Zheng should take care of it for me.
The high-speed official road mentioned last time is a wonderful idea. Just wanting to realize it would cost so much that today’s Da Zhou cannot afford it!
I'm afraid Xiao Dongzi won't be able to complete the construction of Luozhou's official expressway alone.
If you want to build high-speed official roads throughout the Zhou Dynasty... I am afraid only the god-like First Emperor can do it, right?
The empress sighed again, suddenly stood up, and walked out of the study.
"Qingniao, if Hou Jin's cavalry is outside the capital at this moment, do you think all the civil and military officials will come to welcome him?"
Qingniao was slightly startled, with a hint of complexity on his cheeks.
She looked at the empress, her eyes filled with distress.
Only she understands how much burden this emperor, disguised as a man, bears.
But even so, it can't save the building from falling.
This time, when the Houjin Iron Cavalry went south, even Ji Ziyue, who was among the best among men, could not stop them.
If there really is a Houjin Iron Cavalry, that day will break through the capital.
I'm afraid your Majesty is already ready.
No, His Majesty is already making preparations.
Just yesterday, Qingniao saw the Ouchi eunuch burying certain packages under the walls of various palaces.
If the prediction is correct, these may be the gunpowder developed by Xiaodongzi at that time.
I thought it was a weapon to defeat the enemy, but I didn't expect it to be a helpless move that would kill both of us.
My Majesty, I am afraid that I have already begun to have a death wish.
But Your Majesty, if you leave like this, what will happen to Great Zhou?
The blue bird sighed quietly, but felt powerless.
She was just a personal guard. How could she change what Ji Ziyue decided?
No matter what, if His Majesty wants to die together with Hou Jin's cavalry, how could she, Qingniao, have ever been afraid?
But, is there really no room for redemption in all this?
Maybe... Yang Dong will have a solution?
Qingniao was startled by his sudden idea.
Then she shook her head,
Impossible, even if Xiao Dongzi has the talent to manage the world, there is nothing he can do this time.
…
Different from the depressing atmosphere in the palace,
Today's Lin Mansion is still peaceful.
Lin Chunqiu was still cutting bamboo in the bamboo garden, but instead of using Dazhou's hatchet, he held a prairie-style sickle.
At this moment, the housekeeper's hurried footsteps interrupted Lin Chunqiu's rhythm of cutting bamboo.
The housekeeper glanced at only a quarter of the bamboo garden left, then immediately buried his head deeply and said hurriedly:
"Master, something happened over there in Luozhou!"
"Young Master, he is back from Luozhou!"
"What did you say!?"
With a "clang" sound, Lin Chunqiu dropped the sickle in his hand.
He suddenly raised his eyes. He was dressed like an old farmer in coarse cloth, but his eyes still shone with the majesty of a superior.
"Luo'er didn't get summoned, how could he suddenly return to Beijing!"
"Isn't this disrupting the situation?"
