The Imperial Medical Office of Taichang Temple in the city outside the palace is now full of ruins and a mess. Even if the open flames are extinguished, the herbs are filled with thick smoke, and people are running around and busy. The slight coughs of the soldiers and the small yellow door, as well as the crackling of firewood, are really heart-wrenching.
There is the imperial city to the south of the palace city. The central provincial, Taiwan, temple, and prison offices are all located in the south of the palace city, which is called Nanya.
Yue Huai, the commander of the Nanya Guard Army, is in his early forties. He is tall, thin and fair. Compared with his status as a military general, he looks more like a gentle and modest gentleman in a moon-white Confucian gown. However, he has accidentally caught those flames. The gray is too garish.
You must know that today coincides with his holiday. When Yue Huai heard that there was an explosion in Nanya, he hurried back to the imperial city to deal with this unexpected incident without even having time to change his clothes.
Looking at the mess with his hands behind his hands, Yue Huai's thick eyebrows were knitted together, which made outsiders think that he was more of a scribe than a warrior who complained about compiling new words and moaned at others. It's just that the beard that has reached his chest has really brought him down by more than one level, making him look very awkward.
If you were really deceived by this rough and slovenly appearance and thin figure, and thought that the position of leader was just relying on the relationship between the Yue family and the Panshan Prince's Palace to get such an important position, then you would be asking for trouble.
Forty years ago, the Yue family was only an inconspicuous third-rate family in the capital. Now there are so many people engaged in politics and business. Apart from other reasons, how can they get along well with others? What's more, when he was in his thirties, he was promoted to the imperial city's guard commander and disciplined the twelve guards of Nanya. At such an age and with such a great honor, how could he be so generalized because of his appearance?
Just because when he first took office, he was secretly laughed at as a weak scholar who could only talk on paper, this man who was more Confucian than domineering suddenly grew a long beard, short mustache and beard, and shocked thousands of Nan Ya Xiao Guards with thunderous means, but Just imagine the means.
A guard in thin scale armor came forward, bowed and clasped his fists in salute: "Teacher Yue Tong, there is news from the inner palace. The saint is still in a coma, and Cai Diao Temple is also unconscious. The imperial doctor means that it is best not to disturb him."
"In addition..." After a brief pause, the guard hesitated and glanced at Yue Huai, who had a solemn expression. He said in an awkward tone, "Xiao Zhili, the Minister of Rites, Mr. Xiao came in person this time and was stopped at the gate of Taichang Temple. Why don't you take a look?" look?"
Yue Huai's thick eyebrows narrowed even further and asked, "Prince Fuying is still awake?"
"Lucky is healing his wounds, we don't dare to disturb him."
Yue Huai sighed, turned around and walked away.
At the entrance of Taichang Temple, Xiao Zhili, the Minister of Etiquette, dressed in purple court uniform, paced back and forth with a very anxious expression. From time to time, he looked past the soldiers guarding both sides and glanced at Taichang Temple.
The two guards also did their duty, guarding the door and never leaving Xiao Shangshu's eyes. They were afraid that the sixty-year-old man who had served the emperors of two dynasties would break in. Not to mention his position of being criticized by these two people, it would be a crime not to stop him. According to the military regulations, if you stop someone, you are going to attack a high official in the court, which is really difficult to handle.
Finally, the arrival of the gentle and elegant commander of the Imperial City Guards broke the awkward deadlock.
The first one he saw was the old minister. When he saw Yue Huai coming out, the old minister stepped forward to meet him. Just as he was about to go in, he was stopped sideways by the two dedicated soldiers who pressed their sabers. The sound of "hurrah" was also clear and clear as the armor clashed.
Xiao Zhili, who has been in a high official position for many years, will naturally not be intimidated by such a battle. With just a glare, the two people couldn't help but dodge. Obviously, this kind of aura is also a unique existence that has been cultivated through many years of subtle influence. " Why, do you really think you can stop me?"
Xiao Zhili, who was not angry and boastful, made these two soldiers, who had been fighting on the battlefield for several years, slump their shoulders with just one sentence. However, the discipline in the military for many years prevented them from daring to neglect at all. The dilemma is really embarrassing. Xiao Zhili ignored the two people's thoughts and walked past them and entered the gate of Taichang Temple. The two soldiers were startled and were about to stop him, but they saw Yue Huai walking towards him. He was so far away that it seemed like they were waving, so they were relieved.
Yue Huai put a smile on his face and said loudly to Xiao Zhili: "Why did Xiao Shangshu make a trip in person? I didn't plan to wait until the incident at the Imperial Medical Office settled down and then personally send Prince Wage back to the Ministry of Etiquette. If you make such a trip again, It really slapped me in the face.”
The laughter was hearty and full of smiles. When he came closer, he patted the other person's arm affectionately and said, "Xiao Shangshu still can't trust me."
Xiao Zhili was very disgusted and avoided Yue Huai's familiar actions, and said lukewarmly: "If Yue Tongjiao had said this earlier, instead of sending away the people I sent repeatedly, I wouldn't have Come here again, do you think I am free now?"
Yue Huai smiled awkwardly, feeling very embarrassed. He also knew the temper of Xiao Zhili, who had worked in the Ministry of Rites for ten years. Knowing that he had just avoided seeing several officials in the Ministry of Rites had angered the Minister, he could only Can cover up embarrassment with laughter.
Xiao Zhili added: "After all, this person has a special status, and his visit to our kingdom was so sudden. Many questions are unknown. In addition, such a sudden disaster occurred. If my Ministry of Rites cannot take care of it, wouldn't it make the envoys of other countries laugh at me? The style of a great nation?”
Yue Huai at least expressed his agreement and nodded: "Xiao Shangshu is right. It's just that Prince Fuying was seriously injured and is still unconscious. It's not too late to return to the Ministry of Rites after the imperial doctor has diagnosed and treated him and is fine."
Xiao Zhili put his hands in his sleeves and looked up at the sky. He ignored the prevarication of the imperial city's leader and replied nonchalantly: "I, the Ministry of Rites, have my own official residence."
Yue Huai had a headache.
The number one person in the Ministry of Rites is well-known in the court for accepting death. Whenever he is determined to do something, even if he hits the south wall, he will first think about hitting the south wall instead of looking for another way. During the spring sacrifices a few years ago, Concubine Hui, who had just been given the title of imperial concubine, could attend the ceremony under the sacrificial platform according to the etiquette. It just happened that the sixteenth prince born to Concubine Hui had just come of age that year and had a fiefdom to build a palace. The original plan was to take office in the fiefdom after the new year, but when I was still in the capital, I had to stand beside the emperor as an adult and jointly perform rituals to worship heaven and ancestors. After the ceremony, according to the rules, everyone on the stage except the emperor must participate in the ceremony. Holding the mother's hand and stepping down means that the father is in heaven and the mother on earth is followed. This also created a situation where the sixteenth prince was helpless on the stage. After all, the concubine could not go to the rooftop to offer sacrifices.
This kind of embarrassment has troubled all the officials of the Ministry of Etiquette. It is not in line with etiquette for a concubine to come to the stage, and it is also not in line with etiquette for an adult prince to step down empty-handed. The Lord Shangshu alone browsed thousands of historical books in the golden and stone room of the royal library, sorting out all the etiquette laws. The Jingshi Ziji, who was in charge of rituals and rituals, stayed awake for two days and nights before he came up with a solution that was not a solution.
He asked for an order overnight to send the sixteenth prince to the fiefdom.
Yue Huai remembered that there was a huge quarrel between the court and the central government because of this incident. They all held different opinions about this unprecedented event, which made the emperor very annoyed. Fortunately, there is such a stubborn Minister of Rites, who has come up with a foolproof plan.
Although this method was the second best, it aroused the reluctance of the eldest son of Concubine Hui at that time. It is said that there was a lot of gossip in the inner palace, blaming this pedantic old guy for not letting his child stay with him for a few more days. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit is also sensible, and it will be over with a haha, so naturally he will not blame him.
Yue Huai naturally knew how serious this minister was, but he was in a dilemma at the moment. As the leader of the imperial city, if he didn't investigate such a big thing after it happened, then he would be derelict in his duties if he cried. There were only four people present. The saint and Diao Yan Cai Donglai were affected by the explosion and are still unconscious. The alchemy Taoist Zhang Weiji was all killed in the explosion. The only remaining one, the Prince Fuying, fortunately showed no signs of coma, but he was still practicing his skills. Healing, not being able to say a word, isn't it just like being in a coma?
Naturally, Yue Huai wanted to investigate everything like this before releasing him, but Xiao Zhili was so recalcitrant, how could he not be embarrassed?
Yue Huai scratched his head a little. He, a man of no rank and rank who could only be said to have power and no real authority, was not good at speaking. Meeting this kind of minister of the Ministry of Rites who only relies on words to make a living is really like a scholar meeting a soldier, which makes sense.
Xiao Zhili naturally had a rough idea. He looked up at the sky and stopped talking to Yue Huai, as if he would not leave without making friends.
While they were in a stalemate, another person walked in at the gate of Taichang Temple.
A very tall woman was almost a head taller when she walked past the two bowing guards. Her attire is also very eye-catching, with a white skirt and a white robe draped around her body, a snow-white hairband that is tied up in a bun with a long hairband swinging up and down on her shoulders, and a frosty white hydrangea on the moon-white shoes that bounces with her footsteps. Dian, even the body plate around her waist for entering and exiting the palace is made of rare white marble, and the exposed skin is also unusually white. I am afraid that the word "skin as good as snow" was written specifically for her. So much so that for such a white woman, people would ignore her pretty face. What's more important is this dazzling white body and the... big white rooster in her arms?
The long tail feathers have almost reached the ground, the jet black head is like charcoal, and the flickering eyes are surrounded by red, like a ruby at night, dazzling and even more impressive. There is a ring of white feathers about two fingers wide and narrow around the neck, no less than the color of a woman's clothes, and then down to the belly are bright white green, a pair of wings are also black, and a golden silk thread on the back goes straight to the tail feathers, with Those long black feathers lifted up the woman's robe from time to time.
A layman who doesn't understand this bird that looks like a chicken will just think of it as a chicken raised in a home. Only those who know more about it will know its auspicious name, "Jia Feng".
The ancient sacred book "Guan Shan Hai" once recorded that in Kunlun, the ancestor of the earth's veins, there is a mountain called Yushan in the southeast. There is a lot of water below it, and there is a lot of rain and vegetation above it. The trees are thousands of feet high, and the ground is full of weeds and full of insects. When a phoenix and a chicken mate, they give birth to a domestic phoenix, which travels around the mountains looking for food to ensure peace and no harm.
Whether this is true or not, but when it comes to myths and legends such as the Phoenix that no longer exist, it is a bit doubtful. However, there are also folk rumors that hens lay a clutch of eighteen eggs, and one of them must be the most difficult to hatch. You need to wait. It takes more than a month to break out of the shell, and this is the Phoenix.
But whether it is a legend or a rumor cannot be verified. Nowadays, this bird only has a familiar name: pheasant.
In the capital city and even the entire Gyeonggi Province, or in Dazhou, a world where people are familiar with the conversation after dinner, the identity of a woman who can carry such a magical creature into and out of the palace is about to be revealed.
The next head of the Yue family, the third young master of the Panshan Ye Palace, is the child bride, and the strange woman who pays blood for blood on the third night of the night - Yue Baiji.
