"Congratulations to Your Majesty on your beautiful wife."
The envoy Zhou who had left appeared in the study again and said happily.
Xiao Yanzhou raised his eyelids: "Stop talking nonsense."
The envoy of Zhou Yuan said seriously: "Reporting to your majesty, although I have not fully understood it yet, it is certain that Xie's fragrance can alleviate your majesty's head ailments."
"Is there no other impact?"
"Your Majesty, do you feel chest tightness or palpitations?"
Seeing that Xiao Yanzhou remained silent, the envoy Zhou continued: "That means it is gone. Xie's fragrance happens to not cause His Majesty to suffer from asthma. Perhaps this is... God's will."
God's will?
If God had his way, it would be his turn to sit in this seat.
Xiao Yanzhou thought casually, since Xie was useful, he would just keep her for now. After Zhou Qi made the medicine, he would consider what to do with her.
"Your Majesty, I have something else to say."
Xiao Yanzhou was impatient: "Don't be so long-winded."
The envoy of Zhou Yuan cupped his hands and said: "The fragrance of Xie's family comes from people. Please treat Xie well. If she is in a happy mood, maybe your majesty's illness will be cured as soon as possible."
Xiao Yanzhou narrowed his eyes: "You want Gu to please her?"
"No, no," the envoy Zhou almost broke into a cold sweat, "Your Majesty, you don't have to please anyone, you just need to be kind to Mr. Xie, and that will be fine."
Xiao Yanzhou was silent for a long time, then said a little irritably: "Get out."
The envoy of Zhou Yuan hurriedly retreated. A moment later, Huo Heng limped into the imperial study room, as if he had just returned from receiving his punishment.
"Your Majesty, my subordinates have investigated and found that the assassin should be related to King Qin."
Huo Heng's voice was still a bit weak: "This matter concerns the prince, and I dare not be careless."
King Qin was the second son of the late emperor, and he was also very popular when discussing the throne.
Xiao Yanzhou lowered his eyes indifferently, feeling somewhat expected but also disappointed.
Why not the Cui family...
If it was Cui who did it, he could justifiably get rid of them.
"...There's no need to check, I know it well." Xiao Yanzhou said slowly, "Then how did the assassin deal with it?"
"Reporting to your Majesty, he committed suicide in prison and his body has not yet been disposed of."
"Oh?" Xiao Yanzhou's dark eyes suddenly became interested, "If I think about it carefully, I haven't contacted my brother for a long time. Since my brother misses me so much, I should also care about him, don't you think?"
Huo Heng understood and responded in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, I have one more thing to report."
"explain."
"The Queen Mother...will return to the palace in five days."
--
"Your Majesty has been practicing meditation for a long time. Is it inappropriate to suddenly return to the palace this time?"
Mammy asked in a low voice while adjusting Queen Mother Cui's cloak.
Cars and horses have been waiting outside the National Temple for a long time. The Queen Mother's ceremonial guard extends downward from the mountain gate, reaching as far as the eye can see.
Queen Mother Cui lowered the corners of her mouth and sneered when she heard the words.
"The Ai family is the Queen Mother. Could it be that she can't even return to the palace?"
Mammy hurriedly said no, but couldn't help but said: "I am worried that someone will use this to criticize the empress and embarrass Mr. Cui."
"It's okay, they don't dare."
Empress Dowager Cui raised her chin slightly, looked at the bronze mirror brought by the maid beside her for a moment, then took her grandma's hand and walked out.
The abbot led the monks to wait outside and respectfully put Queen Mother Cui on the carriage.
When the Queen Mother returns to the palace, the road should be cleared.
But Xiao Yanzhou obviously didn't want to give Queen Mother Cui this face.
The Queen Mother's ceremonial guard was delayed on the road for a full hour, but it was Jing Zhaoyin who led the people to clear the way in a hurry, so the delay was not further delayed.
In the carriage, Queen Mother Cui looked ashen.
It's just that Xiao Yanzhou couldn't come to Miyagi City to meet her, but he still flattered her like this, making it clear that he didn't want to listen to her.
She took a deep breath and managed to calm down her anger.
Although Xiao Yanzhou crawled out of her belly, mother and son never connected.
She thought that since he ascended the throne, he should understand the situation more clearly, but she didn't expect that he stabbed Cui first.
It's really something that's not mature enough.
Empress Dowager Cui was angry, and she became even more angry when she thought about how King Qin came to her a few days ago and cried, saying that Xiao Yanzhou had given him a human skin lamp.
Xiao Yanzhou had some power in his hands and became more and more out of control; but what Bei Jiang needed was an obedient emperor.
She lowered her eyes and slowly twisted the beads in her hand.
The queen must be Cui, and as for the emperor...who said it can't be changed?
--
In the afternoon, Xie Hengwu was summoned to Zichen Palace by Xiao Yanzhou again.
Xiao Yanzhou likes to keep her with him these days, and calls her over from time to time every day.
massage.
He was leaning on the couch, and Xie Hengwu stood behind him and massaged him gently.
She was a little distracted.
Although his hands kept moving, Xie Hengwu's thoughts had already flown out.
Nanliang wanted her to kill the king.
They said nicely that if it happened, they would help her fake her death and escape and give her her freedom.
But Xie Hengwu didn't believe it. After doing such a big thing, Beijiang would not let her go without mentioning Nanliang.
She will become the first victim between the two countries.
But if she doesn't do it, she will die soon.
Thinking of this, Xie Hengwu smiled bitterly in his heart.
There were so many Nanliang people around her, but she couldn't believe any of them.
She didn't know who among these people would be the one to end her life.
In short, whether she kills the king or not kills the king is just the difference between dying early and dying later.
Xie Hengwu doesn't love Nanliang that much, she loves herself more and doesn't want to die.
She thought if she told Xiao Yanzhou about this, would he be willing to spare her life...
Xie Hengwu was so distracted that he didn't notice Xiao Yanzhou turning his head, and scratched his forehead with a few inches of his nails.
After realizing what he had done, Xie Hengwu looked at Xiao Yanzhou's cold eyes and retracted his hand.
Xiao Yanzhou was about to get angry, but suddenly he remembered what Dean Zhou said, and finally pursed his lips to suppress his anger.
"What are you thinking about?"
Although Xiao Yanzhou looked calm, his tone was still kind. Looking into his dark eyes, Xie Hengwu hesitated again and again, but still did not tell the matter.
"I haven't had a good rest, so I'm a little dizzy."
Xiao Yanzhou was noncommittal and did not blame her after all.
"come over."
Xie Hengwu walked to him obediently. Xiao Yanzhou pulled her arm and pulled her to sit next to him.
"There is a banquet for the Queen Mother tonight, does Ah Heng know what to do?"
Xie Hengwu raised his eyes in surprise. Although he didn't understand what Xiao Yanzhou meant, he had a feeling that it was not a good thing.
"Your Majesty, I am..."
"Ah Heng is so smart, he won't let Gu down, right?"
Xiao Yanzhou's voice was low and gorgeous, almost seductive. But Xie Hengwu clearly remembered that the last time he called himself "Aheng", he wanted to gouge out his own eyes.
"I am at your Majesty's command."
She lowered her head and spoke softly, her neck bent like a swan.
Xiao Yanzhou was satisfied and patted her cheek.
"Go back. I'll let Zhao Quan lead you there later."
"Yes." Xie Hengwu stood up and retreated.
Staring at her leaving back, Xiao Yanzhou felt a little irritated.
He had brought her with him every day these past few days, and he thought he was very kind, but Xie Hengwu still seemed to shy away from him.
The noble king Xiao Yanzhou never knew what kindness was.
He knocked on the table depressedly, and then called Zhao Quan.
"Go find some classics for me."
Zhao Quan quickly agreed and asked, "I wonder what classics your Majesty wants?"
Xiao Yanzhou thought about it again and again, then hesitantly said: "...it's about how to get along with women."
Zhao Quan was surprised at first, and then understood in his heart.
I didn't expect that His Majesty would be so interested in Xie Meiren.
He smiled and said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, I'll keep it with you."
Xiao Yanzhou nodded respectfully, completely unaware that Zhao Quan had completely misunderstood what he meant.
--
Not long after Xie Hengwu's sedan chair left, another sedan stopped outside Zichen Palace.
Queen Mother Cui got off the sedan, looked at the sedan that had not gone away, frowned and asked, "Who is that?"
The guard outside Zichen Palace replied: "Reporting to the Queen Mother, that is the beauty of the Xie family who has just entered the palace."
Queen Mother Cui thought about it for a moment and became convinced.
"Where is the emperor? The Ai family wants to see him."
"The Queen Mother, this..."
The guard looked embarrassed, but luckily Zhao Quan came out in time to smooth things over.
"The Queen Mother, your Majesty is still processing the memorial, and you are not available at the moment. If you don't mind, I will take you to wait for a while." He bowed his waist, his round face full of smiles.
As the saying goes, don't hit someone with a smiling face. Empress Dowager Cui knew that Xiao Yanzhou didn't want to see her, but she couldn't get angry with Zhao Quan.
"That's all. Since the emperor is busy, the Ai family won't disturb him."
Empress Dowager Cui fluttered her sleeves and turned around. Although her momentum was strong, she was still embarrassed. Zhao Quan hurriedly followed a few steps to see her off, and then he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Empress Dowager Cui's sedan was far away.
The discord between His Majesty and the Queen Mother made slaves like them tremble with fear.
--
At night, the Huayi Palace turned on the lights, and the palace attendants entered in an orderly manner and presented the dishes one after another.
After all, it was a palace banquet to welcome the Queen Mother. Although the scale was small, it could not be too perfunctory. Xiao Yanzhou also invited all the princes.
This also includes the King of Qin.
The late emperor raised seven sons in total, two of them princesses have left the palace to build mansions, the eldest son died at an early age, the fourth Prince Jin is weak, the fifth Prince is devoted to the study of calligraphy and painting, and the seventh son... Xiao Yanzhou is a complete lunatic.
Among the four princes alive, he is actually the second prince, and the current King of Qin is the most normal.
But in the end, it was the youngest son Xiao Yanzhou who ascended the throne. How could he be willing to do so?
The three princes arrived one after another and began to greet each other.
King Cheng looked at King Qin and smiled: "Second brother, I heard that His Majesty sent you a lamp a few days ago."
The King of Qin snorted coldly, and raised his hand to the vacant seat of honor: "Your Majesty, I am so kind to you. I am ashamed to accept it."
King Cheng ridiculed him: "Yes, only the second brother can make Your Majesty care about you so much. We don't have such treatment. Fourth brother, don't you think so?"
The King of Jin coughed several times with a pale face. The King of Qin was angry and could only wave his sleeves since it was difficult to have a seizure in the palace.
Seeing this, King Cheng smiled even deeper.
The bells and drums at the entrance of the palace changed, and the eunuch announced loudly: "Your Majesty has arrived——"
As Xiao Yanzhou entered, the princes stood up to greet him.
The gorgeous robes brushed against the cold floor tiles, and there was a hint of murderous intent everywhere he went. What was different from usual was that there was another person beside Xiao Yanzhou.
On any occasion, beauties can always easily attract attention, let alone beauties appearing next to Xiao Yanzhou.
Xie Hengwu was born in a beautiful flower, and today she was dressed up carefully, like a peony in full bloom, with its petals even decorated with dewdrops, so delicate and beautiful.
King Qin's eyes flashed with surprise and then anger.
If he ascends the throne, such a beauty will be his. How can he get a lunatic like Xiao Yanzhou!
Xiao Yanzhou took Xie Hengwu and sat down at the main seat. He looked down from a high position and said coldly and arrogantly, "Brothers, there is no need to be polite."
King Cheng smiled lightly and spoke first: "Your Majesty, is this Princess Nanliang?"
Xie Hengwu stood up and said softly: "I am the Xie family, and I would like to pay my respects to all the princes."
Xiao Yanzhou said quietly: "You already know, why do you ask?"
Cheng Wang smiled nonchalantly and toasted to him: "Congratulations to your Majesty on your beautiful wife."
Xie Hengwu made a shy gesture at the right time, like a hibiscus trembling in the evening breeze.
Although Xiao Yanzhou had no intention of paying attention to Cheng Wang's toast, the latter still drank the wine in one gulp before sitting down at the table.
King Qin secretly scolded him as a flatterer.
At this time, the sound of the clock and drums changed again, and the eunuch preached: "The Queen Mother has arrived——"
The people in the palace knelt down to worship. Xie Hengwu stood up and knelt with everyone, but his eyes quietly turned to the entrance of the palace.
I saw a woman in rich clothes walking in surrounded by a group of maids and palace maids. She looked like she was no more than thirty years old. Her dark, long-sleeved phoenix robe made her solemn and solemn. Her phoenix eyes were sharp and not angry. .
Is this... Xiao Yanzhou's biological mother, Queen Mother Cui?
Empress Dowager Cui swept through everyone calmly, paused for a moment in front of Xie Hengwu, and finally stopped at Xiao Yanzhou.
She did not sit down at the table immediately, but asked in the palace: "The emperor has been here recently, is he well?"
Xiao Yanzhou said quietly: "Everything is fine for me alone, but my mother and queen have lost a lot of weight after not seeing each other for many years."
"The Ai family is old and it is normal to lose weight. The emperor does not need to worry about it."
Empress Dowager Cui smiled, Shi Shiran took the seat of honor, and sat down on the left side of Xiao Yanzhou.
Xie Hengwu was on his right, watching this greeting from a loving mother and a filial son, and thinking about the farce that the Queen Mother's honor guard was blocked in the city this morning, she felt funny in her heart.
"Let's have a dinner."
Xiao Yanzhou raised his glass and announced the banquet.
