Chapter 111
Lin Rong was in a state of confusion, as if she was falling rapidly into the endless darkness. She was eager to grab something, but unfortunately there was nothing.
When she looked forward, she saw a dark mist. When she looked back, it was also a misty black mist, without a sound. She stood there for a long time when she suddenly heard footsteps and hurriedly looked for the sound. She saw a ray of light appearing on the horizon, where there were many white birds and a golden sunrise.
A man stood with his backlight, and when he saw her coming, he stopped and did not turn around, only sighed slightly.
Lin Rong asked him: "Who are you?"
The man's voice was very hazy, as if coming from a very far distance and could not be identified. He asked her: "Who do you want?"
Lin Rong was so choked that her throat hurt. She stretched out her hand to hold the man's hand and felt it was cold: "Is it you? Lu Shen, is it you?"
The man sneered with a bit of playful ridicule and turned his head, but his face was always shrouded in mist and blurred. Lin Rong stretched out his hand to scatter the mist and dispersed it with the wind, and the figures dispersed, leaving only a slight coolness on his fingertips.
Lin Rong stood there. She didn't know how long it had passed before she heard the sound of roosters crowing in the sky. She opened her eyes in a daze and saw the kingfisher had arrived at some time. Zhenghou was beside the bed, looking at her with a worried look on his face. .
It was unknown what time it was outside, it was still dark, and there was a strong smell of blood in the bed tent. She seemed to remember something, and suddenly sat up from the bed and asked, "How is it? Lu Shen...how is he?" Did you bruise an artery?”
When King Jingqin heard her question, he started to cry before he could reply: "Shen Yan said, when the arrow was pulled out, the bleeding couldn't stop. Just... just an hour ago, he had... already passed away... with my own eyes." I saw the imperial doctor put a goose feather between His Majesty’s nose, but the feather didn’t move at all.”
Lin Rong sat there in a daze and asked, "Why didn't you call me?"
Kingfisher looked at Lin Rong timidly, as if he didn't dare to say anything. He hesitated for a moment, and finally whispered: "When I pulled out the arrow, the county master screamed and fainted. The blood didn't stop. His Majesty then announced the two generals waiting outside to go in. Later, Shen Yan asked him if he wanted to wake up the county master and see him for the last time. His Majesty could not speak much at that time, so he just shook his head and said reluctantly, No need to say goodbye.”
Hearing this, Lin Rong immediately burst into tears and asked Jingqin in a daze, "What do you mean, no need to see you again?" What qualifications did Lu Shen have to say to him, "No need to see you again?"
Kingfisher shook his head, covered his handkerchief with a soft cry twice, and went to hold Lin Rong's hand: "Master, please express my condolences. There is also the little princess. She is still so young and doesn't know anything? You just treat her as such." For her sake, I must hold on and stop embarrassing myself and Your Majesty?"
How could Lin Rong listen? She put on her clothes and stood up, heading to the cabin where Lu Shen had just been treated for his injuries. Every step of the way, people from three floors inside and three outside were surrounded by whistles. Shen Yan was standing guard outside the door, discussing something with the two generals in armor. Not long after, Lin Rong came towards the three of them, and immediately knelt down to salute: "I will bow to you, my empress!"
Lin Rong had a cold face and asked: "What the hell, Shen Yan, you are so brave, you don't ask me to go to such a big thing? What's your intention?"
Shen Yan had no choice but to kowtow: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. This is not the place to talk. Please go to another room and report the offenders one by one."
Lin Rong only felt that these calls of "mother" were quite harsh, so he scolded: "Don't call me mother-in-law!"
Shen Yan was still kneeling, straightened up, and waved behind him, then a small yellow door came up with a tray, on which was a bright yellow treasure book and a queen's jade seal. Shen Yan took it and held it in front of Lin Rong with both hands: "This is the Queen's treasure book and jade seal. Now, by His Majesty's order, the guilty subjects shall return to their original owners."
A testament? Lin Rong opened the treasure book and saw Lu Shen's handwriting on it. The paper was slightly yellowed and no longer as smooth as new rice paper. It was obviously written three years ago.
Lin Rong waved his hand down, opened the door and went inside. He saw a person lying quietly in the bed tent, covered with white cloth, surrounded by ice cubes, and the whole room was filled with a faint chill.
She walked over, but only two or three steps, and before she reached the bed, Shen Yan stopped her and knelt in front of her: "Your Majesty, your Majesty, you have given me a strict decree. Since there is no righteousness, there is no need to meet each other." , Just comply with the etiquette rules. He also told the guilty minister that he did not want to see the empress again."
Lin Rong laughed back when he heard this, and his tears fell quietly. He ignored Shen Yan and continued to walk forward. Shen Yan had no choice but to stand up and kneel in front of Lin Rong again: "Mother, your Majesty has passed away, why bother making him uneasy anymore?"
Lin Rong turned his head and looked at him coldly: "You are so brave. This is my family matter. How can you comment? I haven't seen you. How can you, an outsider, have the final say? You protect me." Lack of strength, counting from every dynasty and every generation, has been a major crime against the nine clans, and you still dare to stop me here? You are as loyal as you say, and you should have died for the Lord a long time ago, instead of trying to stop me here."
When Shen Yan heard this, his face was filled with shame and he no longer stopped him.
There were mahogany boxes placed around the bed. The boxes were filled with ice cubes. Lin Rong used all his strength to push open a gap and slowly held Lu Shen's wrist. As Kingfisher said, Lu Shen had only died for an hour, and his body was still a little warm. Lin Rong looked at that little bit of warmth and felt it was completely cold.
She sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, and then she seemed to have some strength. She raised her hand to lift the white silk cloth covering him, and slightly opened a corner, and Lu Shen's completely pale face appeared in front of her eyes.
Lin Rong is a doctor, so she naturally understands that this pale and blue complexion is unique to corpses, and is not a sign of weakness. She tilted her head slightly, not daring to take a second look, and went with trembling hands. Looking at Lu Shen's breathing, he found that he had already held his breath.
She sat there for a long time, and the hand holding Lu Shen seemed to be getting colder. Suddenly she remembered something, and was about to feel the pulse of his neck, when she heard a kingfisher outside hurriedly opened the curtain and ran over, with an anxious look on his face: " County Lord, it’s not good, the little princess seemed frightened by her screams, started talking nonsense, even vomited, and couldn’t wake up no matter how she screamed.”
Lin Rong slowly took back his hand and was not in a hurry to go out. He sat there for a while and asked Shen Yan, "Did he really say that we don't have to see each other again?"
Shen Yan and Jing Qin both knelt down and remained silent. However, sometimes silence is the best answer.
Lin Rong stood up and slowly pushed the door open. The wind in the center of the river was very strong late at night, making Lin Rong's clothes flutter. She softly uttered a few words: "Lu Shen, you are very good, but it makes me feel so uncomfortable." The voice was very soft, so soft that as soon as it came out, it disappeared with the wind, and it seemed that even I didn't hear it.
Ah Zhaoguo was talking nonsense: "Abba... Abba..."
The nanny was sitting next to her, patting her on the back and driving the wheel: "Don't be afraid, princess, don't be afraid, princess, it's all lies, dreams are all lies..."
Grandma was old and had stayed up all night, so she was a little sleepy. She kept nodding her head while talking, and suddenly woke up. When she saw Lin Rong, she quickly knelt down and, like Shen Yan and the others, had changed. Title: "Empress!"
Lin Rong hummed, sat down, reached out to touch Ah Zhao's vest, and saw that it was already wet, and asked, "What's wrong with Ah Zhao? Didn't I ask her to blindfold her? How could she be scared?"
The nanny shook her head and sighed: "I blame the old slave for not taking good care of the princess. She was fine when we got off the boat. When we got on the boat, the old slave coaxed her for a while and just thought she fell asleep. I really couldn't feel relieved. I thought of reporting back to you. Who would have thought that if I wasn't paying attention, I would see the princess slip out, and just in time to see the maid coming out with a big basin of blood, I was shocked. "
Ah Zhao didn't sleep peacefully. As soon as there was a voice, he slowly woke up. With a pale face, he threw himself into Lin Rong's arms and exhaled: "What a scary dream?"
Lin Rong only comforted her gently, and did not ask about the content of her dream. He only asked something else to interrupt: "Did the little dragonfly lantern burn its tail?"
Ah Zhao shook his head: "No." On the other hand, he stood up again and went to get the lantern hanging on the bed wall: "Let's show it to Dad, okay? Where has he gone? I haven't seen him for a long time. ?”
Lin Rong looked at Ah Zhao's smiling little face and suddenly shed tears again. She was still so young and had no father. She would never see Lu Shen again.
Ah Zhao was really confused when he saw her crying. He turned to look at the nanny, and saw that she was also wiping her tears with her head down, and said blankly: "Then we won't go. If mother doesn't want to go, we won't go. Tomorrow will dawn. That’s it, I’ll just go by myself.”
Lin Rong's tears flowed more and more, and she hugged Ah Zhao for a while before she stopped: "No, I don't want to see him, it's just that he is sick and has a fever, and I'm afraid that he will be sick again, so this I'm afraid I won't be able to see him for a while. When we get back to Luoyang, let's go see him again, okay?"
Ah Zhao thought for a while and nodded, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he hugged Lin Rong's neck: "Really? Are you really going back to Luoyang?"
Lin Rong nodded: "Yes, back to Luoyang."
Ah Zhao was so happy that he nestled in her arms, laughing and joking for a long time. He drank half a bowl before Lin Rong coaxed him back to sleep.
Lin Rong leaned against the head of the bed and sat quietly for a long time. He sighed deeply, cheered up, and ordered: "Send Shen Yan to come in."
Immediately, she walked to the small couch outside, and Shen Yan knelt down: "Your Majesty?"
Lin Rong asked: "Have you sent a letter to my great-aunt?"
Shen Yan nodded: "We have sent a secret envoy back to Luoyang, working day and night. I am afraid that the news will be known in the evening."
Lin Rong asked again: "Then, what are you going to do?"
Shen Yan immediately handed over a bright yellow edict from his hand: "Your Majesty, your majesty has left a legacy. It will be kept secret for the time being and no funeral will be announced. I will escort the empress back to Luoyang and order the clan to be chosen as the new king. The eldest princess and the empress will , jointly govern."
Lin Rong took the edict without opening it, lowered his eyes, paused, and then said: "He believes in you, so of course I believe in you."
Shen Yan could only kowtow: "I will never be able to repay the late emperor's kindness even if I die!"
Lin Rong responded lightly with a good word and asked: "I remember Feng Xiao is in Jiangzhou. Our master and servant have not seen each other for many years. When we pass through Jiangzhou, ask her to get on the boat and go back to Luoyang together."
When Lin Rong was shipwrecked, Lu Shen was involved in a lot of things. Feng Xiao, a person who betrayed his master, naturally Shen Yan did not dare to openly marry into the house, so he had to keep him outside. When Shen Yan heard this, he kowtowed again and said, "Thank you, empress, for your success."
That night, the ship was fully loaded with sails, and it traveled more than a hundred miles a day. However, it arrived at Jiangzhou the next day, stopped briefly, and then headed for Luoyang. Within six or seven days, it was already sighted from a distance. The mountains outside Luoyang City.
Chapter 112
It was already late at night when Lin Rong arrived in Luoyang. The torch-lit Forbidden Army was guarding the city gate tower at three steps, one post and five steps. Car driving.
The old aunt had looked much older than when she was in Xuanzhou five years ago. Her hair was all white, and there were many fine brown spots on her face. She only stood there with her waist straight and straight, saying nothing. Speaking of which, it seems to be a critical moment.
Lin Rong opened the curtain and saw her old man from a distance. As if she had some reassurance, she asked King Jingqin to help her out of the carriage. He walked slowly to her and saluted: "Auntie!"
The old aunt did not look at Lin Rong, nor did she speak to her. She only watched the closely guarded chariot behind her, walked slowly to the curtain of the chariot with a cane, and asked Shen Yan who was waiting at the side: "Your master Woolen cloth?"
The words were not serious, but Shen Yan immediately knelt down and said, "Back to the eldest princess, Your Majesty is in the chariot!"
The old aunt lifted the curtain and went up. After a while, several lights inside went out, and the car immediately became dark.
For a moment, the city gate was silent. Only the sound of burning pine oil on the torches of the Forbidden Army could be heard. Lin Rong stood there, and after a while, an old woman in Taoist robes came over: "Queen, the eldest princess, please get in the car and talk."
Lin Rong was sad and hesitant, and the old woman said: "The eldest princess said that some things should be said in front of His Majesty."
Lin Rong called to the carriage. The carriage was very wide, one foot wide, and the whole room was filled with ice cubes. As soon as he entered, he felt extremely cold, and all the lanterns around him were extinguished, leaving only A lamp is like a bean, and the afterimage is hazy. There is a small bed against the wall of the carriage. The green silk curtain around the bed has been rolled up high, and the white silk covering Lu Shen's body has been completely uncovered, revealing his extremely pale face. The clothes on the chest were also untied, and there were already some purple spots on the chest, revealing the rather ferocious arrow wounds.
It was already June, the hottest time of the year. Although there were a lot of ice cubes placed in the carriage, it did not completely freeze the whole person in the ice. The pale face was elsewhere. Fortunately, only the forehead showed slight signs of decay. The tiny lamp was placed on the small table beside the bed, and the dim candlelight shone on his face. Lin Rong could faintly see a hint of warmth on his pale face.
She stared blankly for a while. She couldn't tell what she was feeling, or she felt guilty, so she didn't dare to look anymore. She tilted her head slightly, straightened the slightly open coat, and slowly pulled the white silk up to cover Lu Shen. Then he said: "Auntie, please give me my condolences!"
"Sorrows? Hey, when the news of your shipwreck in Jiangzhou came, everyone advised him to show his condolences. How can he be restrained in his grief?"
The old aunt was sitting on the edge of the bed. After hearing this, she stood up with a cane and sat aside. However, in just a quarter of an hour, she seemed to have become much older. Her originally straight back also collapsed. She leaned against the car wall and slowly He sighed, nodded slightly, and said in a gentle tone: "Sit down!"
The old aunt sat quietly against the wall of the car for a while, then stretched out her hand to wipe the corners of her eyes, and sighed: "We, the Lu family, have gathered the strength of three generations to obtain such a hero. It only took three years to conquer the world, and it was less than three years." At the age of ten, he died in his prime."
Such words made Lin Rong feel a little on pins and needles. If it weren't for her, Lu Shen would not have gone south to Jiangzhou, nor would he have been assassinated. She sat in silence, unable to say a word to her old aunt.
The old aunt didn't seem to be blaming Lin Rong when she said this. She lowered her head and moved her eyes to Lu Shen's lifeless face: "When he was born, the couple were having a serious quarrel, and his mother was in front of her. The first born child was gone, so I didn't care much about him. When I went to the Taoist temple to do the water and land dojo for the first child, the nanny took a nap and asked the wolf down the mountain to pick it up. After searching the mountain for three days, the wolf found that When we found it in the nest, the baby, which had just turned 100 days old, was not crying or fussing, and was sleeping soundly with a litter of wolf cubs in its arms."
"In addition, there are rumors that he ate wolf's milk when he was young, and his temperament followed that of the wolf. The wolf's blood is cold, and his blood is also cold. No matter how many books he reads, he can't educate him, and he also brought those who massacred the city. The matter of trapping soldiers is also connected. In the past, when King Hejian was in charge of Luoyang, there were many rumors among the literati."
The old aunt shook her head: "Of course this is nonsense, but Brother Zhi is cold-blooded and murderous. This is also true. A sword is too sharp. When you draw the sword, you can move forward without hesitation, but when you withdraw the sword, you will not be hurt. Taking care of oneself is not the way to long-term protection. I often advise him, but how can a person's temperament be easily changed? "Zuo Zhuan" says that by this, you will prosper and you will perish. This is also his destiny. ”
Lin Rong has never known such past events. He is cold-blooded and murderous, right? Is he cold-tempered? Lu Shen's old face gradually appeared in front of Lin Rong's eyes. He gently pinched her chin and asked her very frivolously: "What, are you pregnant?" When he looked at her with such eyes, he didn't feel tempered. It's cold, I just feel disgusting.
After a moment of silence, the old aunt stopped and did not ask about Lin Rong's shipwreck. She just assumed that she was living among the people, and Lu Shen went to pick her up and take her back to the palace. She asked, "I have already read the imperial edict. I can roughly understand what Brother Pheasant meant. It’s just that he’s gone and I want to settle you and Azhao down. Now I’m asking you, do you have any plans?”
Lin Rong was speechless, as if saying such a thing in front of Lu Shen made her extremely intolerable. She said for a long time: "I just want to protect A Zhao. She has lost her father. I don't care about other things." care."
The old aunt asked again: "Protect Azhao? According to your opinion, there are two ways. The first one is to choose an adult prince from the clan. If the older brother succeeds, the younger brother will ascend the throne and become the emperor. In this way, Of course you are the emperor's wife, so you will naturally treat you as the late emperor's widow with courtesy. However, this courtesy is limited. As time goes by, when I don't have it anymore, it will all depend on the mood of the new emperor. "
She paused and then said: "The second method is to choose the younger member of the clan to succeed the throne and ascend the throne as the crown prince. At that time, you will naturally be the empress dowager. With you assisting in the administration, you will naturally be able to grow up. Protect Azhao for a long time."
Assistant government? Lin Rong didn't say she was attached to powerful people, and she didn't have any desire for power. The things here had nothing to do with her, and she didn't care. She just wanted to sit under the wisteria flower trellis in her small yard and sip tea in the wind. But there were no what ifs. She couldn't leave Ah Zhao alone and couldn't bear it. She thought about it and said, "Auntie, I..."
But the old lady waved her hand to stop her: "Don't answer me yet. It's okay to think about it carefully for two days. However, once you make a decision, there is no turning back."
After that, she ordered out of the car: "Go back to the palace."
The carriages and horses stopped until they reached the Xuanzheng Hall where Lu Shen lived. It was surrounded by brocade tents. Shen Yan personally carried Lu Shen's body into the side hall for placement. Finally, he knelt down in front of Lin Rong and his old aunt and replied: "As told to my two masters, Your Majesty has been placed in the side hall. The palace gates and city gates are under security. No orders are issued, and no one is allowed to enter or leave at will."
The old aunt sat upright, the sadness on her face had completely receded. She took a sip of tea and asked, "Is Qin Huaiyi, the General Affairs Secretary here?"
Shen Yan immediately reported back: "Lord Qin is already waiting outside. The other nine admirals Zuo Shigong and Zhang Yuanchun from the Beijing Suburban Camp have also been waiting outside for a long time."
The old aunt put down her tea and said, "First tell Qin Huaiyi to come in."
After Shen Yan said yes, someone from the palace immediately put up a screen and lowered the soft curtain. After a while, an official in a crimson robe and a crane costume came in with a jade gui and a pre-written edict in his hand: "Your Majesty, your Majesty." Princess, the edict has been polished."
The old aunt took it, looked at it briefly, and handed it to Lin Rong. It was an edict written in Lu Shen's voice, telling the world that Queen Ming Mu was still alive. The feeling of joy is vivid on the paper. The little yellow gate on the side came forward with a jade seal, and the old aunt said: "Ignore other things for now, this imperial edict must be sent out from the General Affairs Department first, and your identity has been determined, so that the rest of the matter can be handled easily." It's a secret and we won't announce it. If we talk about it, we can't keep it secret for long, it can only take ten days at most before it is announced to the world."
Lin Rong stared at the edict and was silent for a long time. Finally, he took the Huangtian Jade Seal of New York and Five Dragons and covered it with a heavy hand. The bright red cinnabar was printed on the bright yellow silk cloth, which became more and more dazzling. If he didn't pay attention, There was a trace on her fingertips. She stared blankly at the red mark, and finally realized that nothing could be changed.
That night, Lin Rong sat with the old aunt and grandmother, discussing matters until dawn, and then ordered the ministers to retreat. The old aunt was getting old after all. After staying up all night, her complexion was not good. She took a pill and went to the side hall. She sat there with Lu Shen for an unknown amount of time before leaving the hall.
Lin Rong stood at the door and reached out to help her: "Auntie, please take care."
The old aunt looked at her after hearing this, and saw that her face was light and showed no sadness. She said nothing. When she walked outside the hall, she said: "You should go and see him more. Later, the coffin will be sealed and he will be carried in." After leaving the Imperial Tomb and the Underground Palace, how can we see each other again?"
Lin Rong nodded hesitantly, and after seeing off the old aunt, she saw Ah Zhao running barefoot from the palace and throwing herself into her arms. She had just woken up, and the nanny was chasing after her with her shoes and clothes in her arms: " Princess, be careful, don’t fall.”
