Xiao Xuanke was leaning on a small red lacquered and carved bench, eating grapes fed by the palace maid, with gloomy black eyes and a cold look between his eyebrows.
"Gu is the crown prince, and my father is seriously ill. The sacrifice ceremony should have been held by Gu on his behalf. It's a pity that Xiao Langyan is so ignorant of current affairs and wants to compete with Gu. He really overestimates his ability!"
The more he spoke, the more Shen Dingzhu's face appeared in his mind.
Xiao Xuanke unconsciously and slowly tightened the belt at the hem of his robe, clenching his fists.
"How come he wants to snatch everything from Gu, and he deserves it?"
Fu Yunqiu did not interrupt, but lowered his head and maintained a quiet posture.
Xiao Xuanke glanced at Fu Yunqiu, then suddenly pushed away the maid's fanning hand, approached Fu Yunqiu, and asked her with a half-smile: "What's the matter? Every time I talk about Xiao Langyan, you seem to be unhappy?"
Fu Yunqiu's expression paused: "I definitely don't, I just know that the prince is now the crown prince, and I will listen to you. From now on, the prince will be my husband, and I will also listen to you. Whatever you say will be what it is." .”
Hearing this, Xiao Xuanke laughed heartily, his dark eyebrows raised, and he stared at Fu Yunqiu for a long time before saying: "It would be great if she was as knowledgeable as you."
Of course she was not talking about Su Wenhua, but Shen Dingzhu.
Fu Yunqiu secretly tightened the hem of her skirt, and looked as if she didn't understand. He only said: "Ms. Su is still young. Your Highness will teach you a lot. I believe she will soon win your favor even more."
"You are generous." Xiao Xuanke said, and then he had no intention of dealing with Fu Yunqiu anymore and let her leave on her own.
Fu Yunqiu retreated respectfully and walked to the door. He saw that Su Wenhua had been waiting outside for a long time. He kept putting his feet up and looking inside.
Seeing Fu Yunqiu coming out, a hint of boredom flashed across Su Wen's screen, but he still smiled and greeted: "Miss Fu."
Fu Yunqiu's posture was cold, noble and unattainable, and his eyes were as cold as a snake. He gently glanced at Su Wenhua's belly, and then said calmly: "Your Highness is busy, so don't bother him all the time when you have nothing to do."
After that, she left with the palace attendants. Su Wenhua stared at her back and gritted his teeth.
Let Fu Yunqiu be arrogant for a while longer, and let's see how proud and arrogant Fu Yunqiu can be when she gives birth to the emperor's eldest grandson.
For two consecutive days, Shen Dingzhu paid attention to what was going on in the court.
Originally, the emperor was supposed to appoint a prince to perform sacrifices to heaven on his behalf early yesterday morning.
However, the emperor suddenly coughed up blood and became seriously ill. He immediately lingered on the bedside. Xiao Langyan took the initiative and changed the morning court to once every two days. All important officials in the court were on standby at any time.
Several thunderstorms followed the heavy rain, and finally, Shen Dingzhu learned the latest news about the emperor from Xu Shou.
The emperor, who had been in a coma for several days, finally accepted Du Lao's suggestion this morning and nominated the prince Xiao Xuanke to perform sacrifices to heaven on his behalf.
After Shen Dingzhu learned about it, she was stunned for a long time. Xu Shou walked away without any reaction.
Shen Bi stepped forward, saw this, and tried to comfort him: "Master, Mr. Du has always been stubborn, you have done everything you should do."
There were waves in Shen Dingzhu's beautiful eyes, and she sighed with her cherry red lips.
"That's all, the rest depends on what the prince will do."
Xiao Langyan became increasingly busy and even had no time to return to the palace. Shen Dingzhu didn't know how he dealt with it.
However, on the night of the Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony, Shen Dingzhu learned that something happened during the Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony!
Shen Bi asked the waiter in the outer courtyard for information. There was still rainwater on her forehead. After wiping it off, she said breathlessly: "Master, the prince has got into big trouble!"
"When he was offering sacrifices to heaven on behalf of the emperor, he dropped a candle that was not completely extinguished into the cauldron, causing a fire that almost burned down the main hall where he was offering sacrifices to heaven."
The so-called tripod altar is a long incense altar made of bronze. Even if the burning incense falls over, it should not cause a fire.
However, when offering sacrifices to heaven, there were yellow papers flying around and various memorials to heaven.
Ink, paper and pine oil will naturally turn the sacrificial hall into a sea of flames when exposed to fire.
Shen Bi lowered her voice and said with some gloating: "Not only that, I heard that Ma Shangshu was also burned! Our prince broke into the sea of fire and snatched out the tablets of the late emperor and several ancestors. After the emperor knew the news, Frankly speaking, the prince is unlucky and must kneel before his ancestors to repent!"
Shen Dingzhu was startled, Xiao Langyan actually broke into the sea of fire?
She thought for a while and said: "The emperor should just be angry. Deposing the prince is not a trivial matter."
Shen Bi nodded: "Isn't that right? I heard that the ministers all knelt down and asked the emperor to calm down. They finally stopped the matter. I just don't know what happened to the prince."
As she said this, seeing that it was getting late, she came up to remove Shen Dingzhu's hairpin ring.
Shen Dingzhu faced the carved bronze mirror and looked at the beautiful figure in the mirror, but fell into deep thought.
This sudden fire should not be an accident.
Before she could think carefully about what this matter had to do with Xiao Langyan, suddenly, Xu Shou's voice came from outside: "Aunt Shen, have you rested?"
Shen Dingzhu motioned to Shen Bi to go out and reply.
"Our aunt is just about to dress up and take a break. What can I do for Eunuch Xu?"
"Oh, the prince has sent an order from the palace to let my aunt enter the palace late at night. Please ask Miss Shen Bi to work hard again and dress my aunt neatly. The carriage is already waiting at the gate of the palace. We can't keep the prince waiting for too long."
After Shen Bi came back, Shen Dingzhu immediately said: "Put on some simple makeup."
After a while, she took a carriage and entered the palace again.
When we arrived at the Yuzhang Palace, just after midnight, the palace's cornices and brackets were like giant beasts sitting in the dark night, and the strings of palace lanterns under the corridors were like the beast's eyes, paying attention to everyone passing by.
Hot and humid air blew in the evening breeze. Xu Shou seemed to be a little anxious, leading the way with fast steps. Even if Shen Dingzhu followed closely, he would inevitably fall a few steps behind.
When she arrived at Yuzhang Palace, she clutched her heart, her lips panting non-stop, and a light layer of sweat oozed out on her greasy forehead.
A few strands of black hair stuck to her cheeks, making her pretty face look like a blooming hibiscus, beautiful and delicate.
In the Yuzhang Palace, Dr. Cen, who was on duty, happened to come out with two other doctors. When he saw Aunt Shen, Dr. Cen was the first to greet her.
Shen Dingzhu returned the gift: "How is the prince?"
Before Doctor Cen could answer, Xiao Langyan's cold voice came from inside: "Shen Dingzhu, why don't you come in?"
Several imperial doctors smiled and then took their leave.
After Shen Dingzhu entered, he smelled a strong smell of medicine mixed with the smell of blood.
She walked around the screen and saw Xiao Langyan's upper body was naked, and his entire right arm was wrapped in white bandage.
Shen Dingzhu was surprised for a moment: "Your Majesty..."
Xiao Langyan's thin eyes were light and his cold eyebrows were sharp and calm: "I was injured a little by Huo Liao, but it's not serious. Come here."
He threw a medicine bottle towards Shen Dingzhu with his left hand: "Give you a chance to make up for your mistakes and apply medicine to my eyes."
Shen Dingzhu was stunned, opened the stopper, and immediately smelled the pungent smell in the medicine bottle.
"Can this medicine cure sparrow blindness?"
"Yes, but there will be some discomfort." Xiao Langyan said calmly. Not only was he not afraid, but he urged her, "You have to act quickly, otherwise, if I feel pain, I will make things difficult for you."
