"As soon as there is news, I will report back in time!"
The commander in front of the palace, Ma Zude, knelt on the ground, his forehead almost touching the gold bricks on the ground, and said cautiously: "Your Majesty, don't worry, I have ordered people to spread eyes all over the nearby sea area... As long as... there is any abnormal movement, there will be no escape." We are in control..."
After a while, a majestic voice said lightly: "Well... please step back!" Mazumder stood up, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and carefully stepped back.
In the Yangxin Hall, there are several braziers on the ground, which are filled with fine smokeless charcoal. The hall is as warm as spring. There are a few wintersweets in the pure vase. A few plum blossoms are blooming, just like the cheeks of the palace maid standing nearby. .
Across a huge screen painted with ink landscapes, sandalwood smoke curled up, and the air was filled with a scent like orchid and musk.
Emperor Chen was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and a golden crown on his head. He was lying on his side on the dragon couch. He held his chin with one hand and narrowed his eyes slightly. He said leisurely for a long time: "National Master, National Master, I... I really miss you a little!" "
Not far away, the eunuch Zhao Qin stood indifferently. Zhao Delu on the side did not dare to say anything, lowering his head and pretending to sort out several memorials on the case.
Emperor Chen raised his head and glanced at the two eunuchs, squinted at the sky outside, and moved the brocade quilt under his shoulders: "Delu, continue reading!"
When the maids waiting beside the dragon bed saw this, one of them leaned over and gently beat Chen Di's calf, and the other took down several fruit plates from the table next to him. There were candied fruits, dried fruits, and even a bunch of green grapes in the plates.
It's cold weather now, and the wind is biting outside. It's extremely rare that there are fresh grapes in this season, which shows how rich the Dachen Empire is.
The grapes have just been washed, with crystal water droplets on them, just like agate. A maid leaned over, gently peeled off the skin of the grapes, then carefully removed the core with a silver hairpin, and fed the pulp to Emperor Chen's mouth.
Emperor Chen bent his lips and sucked the slender finger with sweet juice in his mouth. A blush appeared on the face of the palace maid, but she did not dare to pull out the finger, so she could only turn her face away with a slight trembling...
Hearing this, Zhao Delu picked up another memorial at hand and said cautiously: "This is the memorial of Grand Tutor Tang Zan Tang... Your Majesty, I will read it now!" After he finished speaking, he cleared his throat and began to read the memorial.
"Rectify the way of the king, clarify the duties of ministers, and seek governance for all ages. The king is the master of the world's subjects and everything. However, he is the master of the world's subjects and everything, and his responsibility is the most important. In the past, the violent Liang, flattery and obedience, led to the isolation of disasters, the Lord Those who have not heard of it have nothing to say. I have received great favor from my country, and I would like to speak with all my heart and soul to Your Majesty..."
Zhao Delu paused for a moment, coughed lightly, and continued to read: "The late emperor was kind and gentle in nature, kind, forgiving, respectful and frugal, and had great love for the people. Your Majesty, how do you think of yourself, compared with the late emperor? The world is full of people, and they look up to you for your great achievements. Your Majesty is still sharp and capable. For a long time, being rich all over the world did not rely on the blessings of the people, but built extravagant construction projects..."
When Emperor Chen heard this, he spat out a grape with a "bah" sound, and several of the maids serving on the side were so frightened that they knelt down in a hurry.
He turned over and sat up, jumped off the dragon bed with bare feet, looked gloomy, spread his big hands and said: "Stop reading, show it to me!"
Zhao Delu did not dare to neglect, took up the memorial and presented it to Emperor Chen respectfully with small steps.
Emperor Chen unfolded the memorial and frowned to watch it carefully. For a moment, his breathing became heavier and heavier, and his face seemed to be dripping with gloom.
"That's unreasonable! It's just a bastard!"
Emperor Chen's hand that was holding the memorial was trembling. He suddenly slapped it on the ground and cursed angrily: "Criticizing the people for their crimes? Whose crimes are they punishing?"
When Zhao Delu and the other palace maidens saw Emperor Chen's anger, they all knelt on the ground in fear, and the air in the palace seemed to become colder.
"This old fool... still advises me to be close to a virtuous minister, Yuanxiaoren, who is a wretch? Is he the only virtuous minister in the civil and military affairs of this dynasty? Is he the only virtuous minister that I can't help?"
Emperor Chen paced back and forth angrily. He pointed his halberd at the eunuch Zhao Qin and said: "Immediately pass on my oral message: Grand Tutor Tang Zan, the pillar of the country, is old and virtuous. I remember that he is weak and sick and cannot bear the hard work, so I will give him gold, silver, brocade, silk, horses, chariots and sticks." , from now on...resign yourself to old age and return to your hometown!"
Zhao Qin accepted the order, stood up and quickly went to convey the order. When he opened the palace door, a cold wind blew in his face.
It was snowy outside, and several feet of ice lay beneath the eaves of the palace, shining like a sharp sword in the temperatureless sunlight.
There was silence in the Yangxin Hall. Emperor Chen lost his temper, and Zhao Delu quickly asked the palace maid to bring a bowl of Dendrobium and Tremella soup.
Emperor Chen tasted a spoonful. The temperature was just right, the mouth was soft and moist, the aftertaste was long, and his face was slightly refreshed. He waved his hands and said: "Everyone, please step back! Delu, please go down, I want to go to the Palace of Eternal Life to have a look!"
"Let's drive!"
As the young eunuch's crisp shouts rang out in the Yangxin Hall, the eunuchs and maidens rushed out from the side of the hall, carried the Emperor's chariot, served His Majesty the Emperor, and walked to the back hall.
The carriage was so tightly sealed that no bit of cold wind could get in. Emperor Chen half-closed his eyes and held his jaw open, wondering what he was thinking. He slowly stroked the slightly hot small charcoal stove with his palms. After a while, he sighed, opened his eyes, and looked at the familiar and tired palace.
There were red bricks, green tiles and glazed roofs, snow piled on the branches, and a few wintersweet trees blooming in the cold wind. After bypassing the back halls of the palace, the emperor's carriage stopped in front of a remote and slightly old palace.
The door of the palace was ajar, and there were several eunuchs and guards with swords standing at the door. Someone had already cleaned the place and brought the brazier in.
Zhao Delu carefully helped Chen Di get out of the chariot. Chen Di walked slowly to the front of the palace, looked back at the people accompanying him, and pointed at an old eunuch among them: "Lu Aping accompanied me in, Delu and the others were guarding Outside the palace, no one is allowed to enter without my summons!"
The weather was sunny and cold, and the words in Chen Di's mouth turned into white mist and drifted in the wind. The eunuch named Lu Aping looked like he had chicken skin and black hair, and his eyes were dim. He hunched over after hearing the words, and followed closely behind Chen Di.
Pushing open the ajar door of the Hall of Eternal Life, the door made a hoarse and unpleasant creaking sound. When he stepped over the threshold, the light suddenly dimmed, and there was a damp and moldy smell in the air. Emperor Chen frowned and walked inside.
Lu Aping followed and walked in, closed the palace door tremblingly, leaned against the door and closed her eyes to take a nap, looking weak.
Emperor Chen was walking on the broad corridor of the Hall of Eternal Life. There were many ever-bright lamps lit along the corridor, and the wick flames were swaying, reflecting his figure on the wall. His shadow was tall and majestic, moving slowly with Emperor Chen.
At the end of the corridor are three levels of stairs. On the tribute table on the steps are placed an incense burner, three animal offerings, and two spiritual tablets. One of the tablets clearly reads "The spiritual tablet of Emperor Taizu of Chen".
This Hall of Eternal Life is actually dedicated to Zhao Zhen, the founding emperor of the Chen Empire, and the other spiritual seat is that of the eldest prince. However, this palace is cold and eerie, and it looks even more dilapidated and empty, but it is in line with the former emperor Zhao Zhen. Zhen has always advocated frugal style.
"Father...I...see you are here. Last night, I dreamed of you, and I miss you so much in my heart!"
Emperor Chen's voice sounded at the foot of the stairs. His nose twitched and his voice was a little more choked: "Brother... think about how many hardships we, father and son, went through back then when we fought from Chengdu County to Bianliang, Kyoto? Only now... ...As the saying goes: Father and son go into battle, brothers fight tigers, but now...I am the only one left, my father, my eldest brother, I...miss you..."
The corners of Chen Di's eyes were shining, and he spoke sincerely. He slowly sat on the steps, picked up a knife of yellow paper and threw it into the brazier. The dazzling firelight reflected his cheeks red, and his mustache curled up like ink. His thick eyebrows were furrowed tightly, and a cluster of fire flashed in his eyes.
"Brother, you were taught a lot back then, and everyone praised you and me for being respectful brothers and sisters, but never thought... that my eldest brother and sister-in-law would die in Qinzhou, and that my miserable nephew was said to be... saved by someone. Let’s go, but there’s no news!”
When Emperor Chen said this, he raised his voice: "Brother! Brother! If you know anything, please tell me in my dream the whereabouts of my unfortunate nephew so that our uncle and nephew can be reunited!"
A knife of yellow paper was thrown into the brazier, and thick white smoke rose up. The smoke drifted towards the tall pillars in the hall, and a slight crackling sound was heard.
Suddenly, a figure slowly appeared on the Jinsinan pillar. White smoke was emitting from his body, and his face could not be seen clearly.
"who?"
Emperor Chen stared warily and shouted in a deep voice, but there was no trace of panic on his face.
"You have let the secret guards investigate for so many years, but you still don't know? Why ask questions knowingly?
The figure in the white mist said sadly.
"You dare to break into my forbidden palace and show up to see me. Why?"
A cold light flashed in Emperor Chen's eyes, and he scolded in a low voice.
"Let me make a deal with you!"
The figure in the white mist laughed and replied.
"It's so mysterious, how can I... not trade with you casually?"
Emperor Chen raised the corners of his mouth with a sneer.
"You and that dwarf can trade. What the dwarf can't give you, I can!" the figure in the white mist said calmly.
Emperor Chen's eyes shrank: "Deal? What can you give me? What do you want?"
"I can kill someone for you, someone you want to kill but can't!" The man in the fog chuckled again and continued: "As for what I want, it's very simple - Immortal Picture!"
Emperor Chen's face suddenly changed color, and he shouted angrily: "How bold! What nonsense!"
The candlelight swayed, and a pale shadow that looked completely different from a mortal floated towards the pillar very quickly.
The white mist flickered in and out, moving rapidly.
A palm that seemed to be carrying the aura of a dust-free fairy reached into the mist.
"Zheng Zheng Ding Ding"
With the soft sound of pear blossoms like a rainstorm, pale shadows fell to the ground, and one sleeve was torn apart, revealing an old and withered arm underneath. It was Lu Aping who had been guarding the door. He spread his palms and held a shining ring between his two fingers. Silver needle with a drop of blood hanging on the tip.
At this moment, this old eunuch has a tall figure and exudes a terrifying aura. How can he look like he is senile?
He stood in front of Emperor Chen, his originally cloudy eyes were shining brightly, staring into the white mist as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Okay!" Emperor Chen suddenly said quietly.
"I didn't expect that there is such a master in the deep palace!... Just wait for my news!"
The white mist floated slowly like clouds, and the man in the mist spoke. As the vitality fluctuated, he suddenly disappeared...
Emperor Chen stood up and walked slowly out of the hall. Lu Aping's body stooped and returned to her frail and old look, and she followed Emperor Chen step by step.
"What did you...hear just now?"
Emperor Chen asked leisurely without looking back.
Lu Aping suddenly paused, suddenly stretched out two fingers, and quickly tapped two fingers on the "cheekche acupoint" on her face. After a moment, a trace of blood flowed from both ears.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, this old servant is deaf and cannot hear what Your Majesty said!"
Lu Aping said word by word, his gray hair on the temples trembling slightly, obviously enduring great pain.
A trace of unbearability flashed across Emperor Chen's face, but he quickly put it away and stretched out his hand to open the door of the palace. The refreshing air-conditioning outside made him shiver.
