Ripple silent

Magnolia just opened the season.Abnormally, there was no wind, Kunming Lake was so quiet that the entire Longevity Hill could be reflected, and the waves were calm.It seems that the peace here is the peace of the whole Qing Dynasty.

A group of people walked the garden with the Queen Mother.Lan Qin walked behind Li Lianying, holding the incense, and followed along with her head lowered. She couldn't hear the words clearly, but a few words still fell into her ears.

"... There is a saying from Shandong that the foreigner's silver is obtained from the eyeballs of our Qing people and made into prescriptions. Do you believe it, Lafayette? Anyway, the slaves don't believe it... Or Lafayette, you see the truth. But...the foreigners preach the doctrine of no king and no father, and the missionaries are also deceiving people too much, so it's no wonder they make fists..."

The Empress Dowager suddenly stopped in her tracks, and said, "...there are many people without kings and fathers, and it's not just those foreign devils."

Lan Qin's heart tightened when she heard it.

Raising his head, he saw Ou Xiangxie, the west side hall of Yulan Hall, in front of him, habitually looking into the hall.But suddenly froze.

In the middle of the Ouxiangxie house, about three feet away from the outer doors and windows, there is a brick wall that was built at an unknown time, and it is completely blocked there from top to bottom, left to right.

It was the place where Guangxu sat by the window couch and read books in the summer days of old.Tired of reading, he closed the book, took a sip of his favorite jasmine green or Liu'an melon slices, and looked up at the newly blooming lotus on Kunming Lake.Occasionally leaning against the pillow, taking a nap in the halo of the warm summer sun.Just for a moment.

And now.

Now there is only one wall left.There is not a single door, nor a single window.

Lan Qin was almost stunned and almost dropped the incense on the ground.

"By the way, little Lizi," the Empress Dowager said suddenly, "Is the plaque I inscribed hung up for the emperor?"

"It's on, it was on last summer... Lafayette, you probably forgot."

"Just hang it up."

Hearing the smile in the Empress Dowager's words, Lan Qin forced herself not to think too much, walked a few steps, and followed Cixi and her party.

That night, Li Lianying was on duty.Lan Qin helped the Empress Dowager to sleep, said hello to Manager Li and said that she was going to give the empress the shoes for the Qingming outing, and went out of the Leshou Hall to the east, from the west boundary wall of Yiyun Hall to the empress's room. Yongshou Zhai.

From a distance, I saw a eunuch waiting outside the gate with a palace lantern.

"Deputy Manager Lan is auspicious."

"Eunuch Cheng is exempt from courtesy. These are the shoes that the empress ordered by name. I will report to your master tomorrow. If you make a deal, just write back to me."

"It's so late, I'd like to trouble the deputy manager to go there personally, the little one should go and get it by himself. I always trouble you to run back and forth, worrying the hearts of us low-level people, thanks to your care, We only have today." Xiao Chengzi smiled all over his face.

"Eunuch Cheng is too polite. They are all serving the master. There is no distinction between high and low. Lanqin should do her best to help if there is something she can do. How is the empress recently?"

"Okay, okay. Everything is fine, ma'am."

"...Why do you see that Eunuch Cheng's eye circles are a bit dark?" Lan Qin asked in a low voice concerned, "Could it be that the empress thinks that the service is not good enough?"

"Hey, how could it be..." Xiao Chengzi leaned forward and said in a low voice, "I just got promoted from the emperor, the empress pulls me every day to ask about the emperor's recent situation, but you say I'm alone The little eunuch in charge of cleaning the courtyard over there can't get close at all. What can he know? How can he compare with your boss in Lanzhou?... Your Majesty loves the emperor, and she suffers from insomnia every night, and our servants follow suit chant."

"Tell your mother not to burn yourself out. Relax your heart."

"Yes, we persuade every day, but the empress always cries into the purse of the big wedding back then, what's the use of persuasion." Xiao Chengzi breathed a sigh of relief, "However, it's better for me to follow the empress than to serve us now." Long live the Lord is much lighter."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You don't know the temper of our Long Live Lord?! If you say you throw things, you will throw things, if you say you will be scratched, you will be scratched... Yes, the Yulan Hall, Champs, and Xiafen Room are all built to seal the wall, but You can't always use us servants to play tricks... Deputy Chief Lan, you don't know that last year, just after the Longevity Festival, I just came to Yulan Hall to work for a few days, oh, it was Lafayette who asked someone to send it On the day of that plaque, I was standing outside the yard, when I heard the Long Live Lord start smashing things in the house... At first, he smashed in the house, and then he just threw it outside. it took……"

"...What plaque?"

"Don't you know? Oh, my deputy manager Lan, don't you know that you are a big celebrity in front of Lafayette?!" Xiao Chengzi almost slapped his thigh, "Last year's Wanshou Festival, Lafayette gave a plaque with an imperial pen, "Fu Dian Liu Jing" originally had a good meaning, but the old man deliberately reversed the word "日" above the word "Jing" and the word "口" below it... What does it mean that the word "日" is not written on the top? ——Isn't this saying that there will never be a bright future!...We have spread the news all over the place and you don't know?!...Deputy Manager Lan, Deputy Manager Lan?"

Lan Qin was stunned when she heard this, and she came back to her senses after being called twice, her hands behind her back were already turning white, "Then... when were those walls... sealed?"

"It was built at the end of the [-] year. You probably don't know about it... You really know how to joke with us little ones."

"Hi," Lan Qin resumed his usual smiling face, "I have always served Mr. Lafayette with Mr. Li, and we are so busy every day, how can we take care of these things."

"Yes, Deputy Chief Lan, how can you find the time to inquire about these with all your daily affairs?"

"Good life to serve the empress. As for the long live Lord, there is no wall or wall. Lafayette must have sent someone to add it because of the emperor's weakness. As for the plaque, it must have been written by Lafayette temporarily. Don't. Don't mention these in private in the future. What do you think, Eunuch Cheng?"

"Yes, Deputy Manager Lan, what you said is true. I will remember it."

Walking staggering south from Yiyunguan West Road, Lan Qin raised her eyes to see the back wall of Yulan Hall that was sealed off with blue bricks.

On the silent night of the new moon, there was no one guarding behind the Yulan Hall.In fact, no one needs to guard it.

Lan Qin supported the brick wall with both hands, wishing to break it with flesh and blood.

I thought that during the short interval of leaving the small island of Yingtai, he would be able to breathe.However, he never thought that in the largest royal garden in the four seas, he would succumb to the more closed and unbearable walls with the honor of ninety-five.And the plaque in the hall reminded him all the time - you are a loser who will never make it to the top.

And all this, he didn't know it.

When the last blue brick was laid, it also completely sealed off the last escape route of the so-called mother-child relationship.I hardly dare to imagine the despair that person felt when he first faced the high wall standing out of thin air.Perhaps, he can only be relieved of this endless suffering for a moment in a dream.

Lan Qin only knew that in the past two years since the Reform Movement of [-], the eunuchs around that person had changed four shifts.They really couldn't have much sympathy for him, especially under his humiliating violence.

Forcing myself to wipe away the tears that welled up at some point.

Yes, I am no longer by his side.

The weather is getting warmer, and even the lotus leaves in Xiyuan Haizi are beginning to stand out.

On this day, Cixi finished reading the scriptures from the Palace of Qinzheng, and went to Beihai Jingqingzhai to have breakfast.

"Xiao Lizi, Prince Duan said that he wants to show me the kung fu of Yihe and the boxers. Is this today?"

"Go back to Lafayette, it's noon today."

"I thought it was tomorrow...I feel so tired today." Cixi said wearily after taking a sip of lotus seed soup.

"Then let them change another day?"

Cixi sighed, and said: "Forget it, let's do it today. Who let me spend such a life of worrying and suffering."

Just as he was speaking, Zaiyi, king of Duanjun, came to see him. "I greet Lafayette." Zai Yi saluted with a smile on his face.

Since his son Pu Jun was made the eldest brother, Zaiyi's position in the center has risen rapidly, and he has almost become the most favored official besides Ronglu.After mastering the real power of the Prime Minister's Yamen, the power was transferred to the government and the opposition for a while, acting arbitrarily.

"King Duan is here, let's get flat."

"Just as I was talking about the lord, the lord has arrived." Li Lianying interjected, "Lafayette is not feeling well today, but he just said that he would insist on seeing the boxers today. This is a great honor to the lord."

"Hey, Lafayette, you...how can this humble minister take on the responsibility."

"You think I'm giving you face, I'm a lesson from the loyalty of Nianyi and the boxers in helping the Qing Dynasty and destroying the oceans."

"Yes, yes, Lafayette, the Boxers of Yihe are righteous people who are willing to die to pay for the country's difficulties. These ordinary people are being bullied by foreigners, and it is impossible not to. Before the ministers of various countries asked us two Suppress the Boxer Regiment within a month, or suppress it on your behalf. Ha, suppress it on your behalf? What a joke! It’s only been a few days, and warships from Britain, France, the United States and Russia have all arrived at Dagukou, what are they going to do? What else are they going to do?”

"Zaiyi, I know what you're thinking. I've already asked Zhao Shuqiao to go to Zhuozhou Liangxiang to proclaim the Boxer Regiment. If all the Boxers are as you said, strong and invulnerable, it's all for me. Why should the righteous people of Qing Sheji be suppressed?"

"Lafayette Shengming!"

"In a few days it will be Big Brother's birthday, King Duan should go back and see him."

Zai Yi burst into tears upon hearing this. "Thank you, Queen Mother Lafayette Long En!"

On that day, Zaiyi led dozens of Boxer gangsters to set up a stage in Xiyuan to build momentum, some practicing boxing, wrestling wrestling, fire-breathing fire-breathing, juggling jugglers, and even those who smashed boulders on their chests and smashed their throats with gunpowder. number of names.Cixi was drinking tea nearby, and within half an hour each offered a reward and sent it off.That Zaiyi thought that the Queen Mother would really rely on him, King Duan and tens of thousands of Boxers, and was overjoyed, and set up an altar in the mansion after returning home, worshiping it every day and night, and ordered all the Tiger God camps under his command to practice Boxing.Within a few days, he resolutely conspired with the Minister of the Ministry of Officials to open the gate of the city. Within a few days, [-] boxers from the Boxer Regiment entered the capital in large numbers.Under the banner of "rebellion according to order", the boxers ran amok, burning, killing and looting wantonly.None of the real foreigners were moved. Instead, Chinese people who believed in foreign religions, were proficient in foreign languages, and used foreign goods all suffered. They were nicknamed "Ermaozi, Sanmaozi". Hands and feet were cut off, and even the family was exterminated.For a time, the city of Beijing turned into purgatory.

Gengzi Year May [-]th.It is already Haishi.

The cicadas chirping outside Yiluan Hall were annoying.

Li Lianying, Lan Qin and the others had just combed Cixi's hair when they were about to wait for Cixi to go to bed.I heard from outsiders that Rong Zhongtang is here.

"What are you doing here so late?" Cixi sat in front of the big makeup mirror with her hair draped, and asked without turning her head.

Anxiety was clearly written on Rong Lu's face, "Queen Mother, do you really believe that King Duan led the Boxers to make such a mess?"

"Give foreigners some deterrence, and besides, you are holding Dongjiaominxiang for me. However, I haven't made the final plan... If one day, I really fight with foreigners, let the rioters go up and block the bullets first. Cannon fodder Someone has to do it."

"The war is about to break out, Queen Mother, the warships of this foreigner have been confronting each other at the Dagukou Fort for several days."

"I know. It's been a bad day."

Rong Lu looked around, "Queen Mother, I'm afraid foreigners are impatient..."

"What are you talking about? Although Zaiyi has been messing around a bit and organized some kind of "killing a dragon" activity, it doesn't hinder foreigners. The Boxers will be suppressed in the end anyway, and foreigners always It's time for peace."

"Queen Mother... I'm afraid, this reconciliation will not be settled..." Rong Lu knelt down, took out a note from his pocket, and handed it to Cixi, "Military aircraft Zhang Jing Lianwen rushed forward, the diplomatic note just received today."

Cixi opened the booklet and saw that there were four requirements written in black and white in the note:

[-]. Designate a place where Emperor Guangxu lived;

[-]. Collect various money and food on behalf of the Qing government;

[-]. Take charge of the national army on behalf of the Qing government;

Fourth, the Empress Dowager returned to the Emperor Guangxu.

Cixi was silent for a while.Lean less, close the folder.Turning back to face the makeup mirror, she suddenly said, "Li Lianying, comb my hair."

Li Lianying hurried forward, picked up the comb and combed her hair carefully twice.

"Comb your hair! Put it up!" Cixi yelled angrily, "Ring the bell! Shout out!"

The air in Yiluan Hall seemed to be frozen, and it was surprisingly quiet.The sound of cicadas chirping outside the window was even louder.

half an hour.

"Why don't you talk, just watch foreigners bullying me, a widowed old lady..." Cixi's eyes were red, she was really sad.

"The minister is incompetent, he deserves death." Xu Tong resolutely knelt down with them.

"What's the use of your death... It's not the death of a foreigner."

"Declaration of war!" Zaiyi and Zaixun shouted almost at the same time.The ministers also followed suit.

Cixi covered her mouth with a handkerchief and did not speak.

Guangxu knew in his heart that this imperial meeting was no small matter, it was related to the future of the entire country, and he couldn't care less, he blurted out and retorted: "Since the First World War in Korea, it has caused great pain and deep pain. Japan is such a small country. Our Qing Dynasty It also ended in a crushing defeat. Today, the power of the various countries is ten times that of Japan, and they conspire against me, how should we defend them?"

Just as Zaiyi was about to answer, Xu Tong said first: "Millions of boxers rose up, all brave and good at fighting, helping the Qing Dynasty and destroying the foreign countries, and united in foreign affairs, why can't they be resisted? The hearts of the people are available, Your Majesty."

Guangxu said again: "Since the Sino-Japanese War, China has been declining, and its soldiers are not enough to rely on. Using the Boxer to fight against the rebellious people to show off its strength, what is the difference from gambling? Besides, although the Boxers have loyalty, they are false and not real. Training, once they are in battle, let them fight with each other in the midst of a hail of bullets? Is it necessary to take hundreds of thousands of lives as a trifle?"

Xu Tong was dumbfounded.

Cixi put down the veil and asked slowly, "Then according to the emperor's intention, should we just wait to be beaten by foreigners?"

"The few cannot defeat the many, the weak cannot defeat the strong, and there is absolutely no one that can defeat seven or eight countries with the power of one country. For the current plan, the only solution is to stop the war and make peace, and then move the capital."

When Zaiyi heard the word "move the capital", he immediately objected, "Okay! This is the first way to lose people's hearts! It's all about avoiding war and seeking peace, and moving the capital is to abscond in fear of crime!"

Guangxu smiled wryly, "I don't care about my body, but what about the empress dowager and the ancestral temple? And from ancient times to the present, there has never been a capital that has been corrupted and can still arrange everything. Our Qing Dynasty has a vast territory, and only by moving the capital can we still deal with other countries. , save tens of millions of lives!"

The hall was silent for a moment.

Cixi stood up slowly, and said: "The emperor means, either run or make peace. Why, because we can't fight. That is to say, if you fight, you will die. But you also know that if you don't fight, you will die! The emperor , This is the official note just sent by foreigners, please read it to them."

Guangxu opened the booklet, and was almost stunned when he saw the four clauses, and immediately knelt down. "Dear Daddy! Son didn't—"

"You what?!"

"How dare my son—"

"This is the 'reconciliation' you negotiated with the foreigners?! Is it?!" Cixi snatched the note in a rage and threw it on Guangxu's face.

"How many years, how many years of scourges, treaty ports, open missions, cession of land and compensation, equal interests... It's nothing, you can bear it, you can talk about it, as long as you can coexist peacefully! How many years have I waited, in exchange for a Tongzhi Zhongxing, but now, what am I waiting for here! Not only do they want to pay soldiers, but they also want to take care of my family affairs in the Qing Dynasty!

"The national disaster encountered today is not the national disaster of today, but the old hatred and new hatred for decades. Since this war has been forced here, let's settle the old score and the new one together. I have explained my words, and I This is a war against foreigners for the sake of Jiangshan Sheji, and the result is not yet known. If the battle is fought, you will still lose, and Jiangshan Sheji will not be guaranteed. You, the emperor, and you ministers, let alone me ruined the Qing Dynasty for 300 years. Jiangshan." Cixi met Guangxu who was kneeling on the ground, "Emperor, draw up a decree."

"Father! There is absolutely no reason to start quarrels with other countries at the same time... Please think twice, dear father!" Guangxu kowtowed heavily.

"It's enough!"

"Dear father!" Guangxu almost forgot that he was in the court hall, and reached out to pull the corner of Cixi's court robe, "Dear father, son, please..."

"Okay, okay! If you don't say it, I'll say it!" Cixi almost kicked Guangxu's hand away, and said word by word: "It is in accordance with the heavens, the emperor said. The foreigners deceived me so much that the country was about to perish. Instead of just trying If you survive, you will be ashamed for eternity, and whoever is more aggressive will fight for the victor."

The echo reverberated and resounded everywhere.

The golden bricks of Yiluan Hall reflected her pale face.In Guangxu's view, his real father at the moment is like a ghost.

After Cixi left the banquet, everyone prepared to disperse tremblingly.

Just as Rong Lu turned around, someone grabbed his hand suddenly. When he turned around, he saw that it was Guangxu.She bent down to kneel in panic, but was held by him.

"Ronglu..." He said in a low voice, three parts worried and seven parts anxious, "My army is weak and we are cautious in matters. Fortunately, the military power is in your hands. Don't start a quarrel."

Never confronted the emperor alone.Rong Lu could feel his hands trembling, and was at a loss for words when he met his eyes.

Rong Lu knew very well what kind of power it was, which could make him abandon the hatred and obsession with him in the [-] Years, abandon the supremacy of being the king of a country, and give him almost begging entrustment with the sincerity of shaking hands.

That's because - he loves this land far more than he loves himself.

In the end, no one in the courtroom that day, except Duanjun Wang Zaiyi himself, knew that the note from the foreigners that ruined everything was actually a forged photo fabricated by Zaiyi himself, ordered by Zhang Jing, a military officer.Zai Yi wanted to be the Supreme Emperor already crazy.

The non-existent piece of paper caused the Qing Dynasty and the Eleven Kingdoms to go to war at the same time.

And the signing of this gauntlet was his Aixinjueluo Zaitian.

An early morning at the end of May in the lunar calendar.

The weather was getting hotter and hotter, and Guangxu had just finished his breakfast in the East Nuan Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.Since the war had just been declared for a few days, Cixi needed to read the booklets to understand the situation of the battle at any time, and Guangxu was inevitably present, so he was asked to temporarily stay in the Hall of Yangxing, and it was better to be closer to the Leshou Palace.The three old eunuchs who accompanied him saw that Guangxu was silent and only focused on reading a book. After clearing away the cups and plates, he retreated knowingly.

Guangxu was anxious about the war, but seeing the memorials full of cases, there was not a single success report, and after a while, fine sweat began to ooze from his forehead.

After a long while, there were bursts of chaotic shouts coming from outside the window.Listening attentively, the voices of "Looking for Ermaozi" and "The barbarians will perish themselves" are getting closer, as if they are already outside Ningshou Gate.

An old eunuch suddenly barged in and almost fell into the East Nuan Pavilion, "Your Majesty!... Big, big things are bad!"

"what happened?"

"Prince Duan and Prince Zhuang brought boxers into the palace!... They, they said that there are bastards in the palace, and they have to be inspected, even eunuchs and maids... There is no way for the imperial army to stop them."

Guangxu tried to calm down, "Don't panic, are you sure it's a member of the Boxer Regiment?"

"They are indeed from the Boxer Regiment! The servants have seen it from Ningshoumen. They are all wearing red scarves, and each of them is holding something in their hands!"

"How many of them are there, do you know?"

"Look at this battle, at least there must be five or sixty people!"

At this moment, a crowd shouted outside the window: "Please come out the emperor! Please come out the emperor!"

He heard another voice laughing loudly: "What emperor, it's just a devil friend!" Guangxu recognized that it was the voice of Duanjun Wang Zaiyi.

Hearing this, he turned his head and said to the old eunuch: "Don't worry, they are not here for you. Step back." After speaking, he breathed a sigh of relief, straightened the collar of his black long coat, and pushed open the door of the Hall of Cultivation , step out.

I saw a group of reckless men in black, holding a statue of Guan Gong, a thunder fan, a banner of Hunting Sky, etc., standing outside the Hall of Cultivation of Nature like monsters and snakes.

Guangxu glanced around the crowd, forced himself to calm down, looked directly at Zaiyi and said, "King Duan and King Zhuang are here, didn't you just meet him when you woke up in the morning, why are you doing this?"

Zaiyi didn't pay attention to Guangxu at all, turned around to face the Yihe Boxers and said, "The barbarians have had no king and no father for more than two thousand years, and God has used the hands of me to wipe out the Yihe Tuan people. Now is the time Good time to lose."

Hearing this, Guangxu understood his reason for coming.He could only overwhelm the other party in terms of momentum first, and said sharply: "Zaiyi, as a prince, you have to limit your nonsense!"

Zaiyi laughed, "My lord is the lord who assists me in the Qing Dynasty, not a pedantic lord!"

At this time, Lan Qin was bringing her servants back to Leshou Palace from the Wanchun Pavilion in the imperial garden, and wanted to get a domino for Lafayette on Xingtouer, but she heard a wrong voice from the Hall of Yangxing.Hearing it closely, he realized the seriousness of the situation, and it was not good to exclaim in his heart. He knew that he could not save him by himself, so he immediately called his servants, "Long live God is in danger of life! Please bring Lafayette back no matter what. Do you understand! I will kill you a moment later!"

After all, Lan Qin hid behind the side wall of Yangxing Hall to watch the changes, and then heard Guangxu's stern words: "In the face of national crisis, even if you must kill foreigners, go defend yourself against foreign enemies, what are you doing here in the inner court!"

"Regardless of the foreign court and the inner court, all traitors who blindly believe in the teachings of that foreigner and work for that foreigner will not be able to escape the wrath of God!"

"You mean, someone in the Forbidden City is a traitor? Duan Wang, today you brought boxing people into the palace privately, disregarding the safety of the royal family, what a shame! It's clearly a rebellion!"

"Today, this king wants to rebel. The luck of the foreigners is exhausted. The traitors and traitors are all angry. God's will must be cut off. The people of the Boxers speak of the constitution of heaven, and they are all over the world. Who dares to take the lead?!"

The reckless men also rushed to shout: "Kill all the fake foreigners! Kill all the bastards!"

"What a mouthful of Tianxian! This is the reality of harming the country in the name of patriotism, do you know the truth, King Duan!"

The big man who took the lead scolded Guangxu: "Apprentice devil! You are the head of the disaster! Brothers, we say every day that we want to kill one dragon, two tigers and three hundred sheep! Let's kill this dragon today!" The three-foot-long sword is about to move forward.Zaiyi didn't move rashly on the side of the crowd, and all the big men from the Boxers rushed forward one after another.

Guangxu seemed to know that his fate was in danger.

When the gleaming blade was lifted up, he didn't even take half a step back.

Perhaps, today is the last.

The 300-year-old Jiangshan Sheji of the ancestors was finally destroyed by my hands.

Guangxu closed his eyes.

But the sword that was supposed to fall was firmly held by another person with both hands.The blood instantly stained the blade red.

——It was Lanqin.

Guangxu was stunned.

Seeing that Lan Qin's lips were bloodless from the pain, but she was still holding the knife firmly in her hand, she sternly said: "The Empress Dowager Lafayette - anyone who dares to act recklessly will be killed without mercy!"

When everyone heard the name of the Empress Dowager, they were all frightened and dared not move.Especially Zaiyi, when he heard the name "Lafayette", he immediately shouted, "All heroes, don't move!"

Lan Qin grabbed the knife, opened her bloody hands, and stood in front of Guangxu.Looking back slightly, enduring the pain, he said to Guangxu with a smile, "Master Zhen is fine...Long live Lord, don't worry."

Guangxu was so shocked that he couldn't say a word. For a moment, he even suspected that he had identified the wrong person.

Xiao Lanzi.

Cixi arrived in time, and the farce ended.Dozens of leaders of the Boxer Regiment who entered the palace that day were all beheaded, and Zaiyi was also fined for one year.For the meritorious service of Lanqin escort, Cixi made an exception and rewarded the third-rank Dingdai with a hundred taels of silver, and ordered the imperial doctor to quickly diagnose and treat her trauma.

That night, in the Leshou Palace where there were no outsiders, Lan Qin knelt outside Xinuang Pavilion with her hands stretched in gauze.

About two hours later, Cixi put down the hookah in her hand, and said wearily through the gauze curtain: "Do you understand why you are punished to kneel?"

"The servant falsely preached the decree of Lafayette."

"...Go ahead and kneel."

In the face of the crisis, it was not her Lafayette who Lan Qin chose to protect immediately.

Lan Qin lost a lot of blood, her wound was hot and her body was hot, and she knelt for almost a whole night.When it was nearly Mao, Li Lianying got up at night and sent him down. "Don't let Lafayette see you blocking the door when he gets up. She is very upset."

"Chairman, after the slave..."

"Now is not the time to talk about this. Go to sleep quickly, and you have to wait on your son when you wake up."

Lan Qin was not the only one who stayed up all night.

Guangxu was in a mess.Leaning on the bed, but no sleepiness.

She never expected that today's catastrophe would be suffered by Lan Qin on her behalf.It happened that this servant who had been watching him for ten years took the knife for him when his life was at stake.After being seriously injured, he actually told him the safety of the person he cared about the most immediately.Could it be that he was the one who arranged to meet Zhen'er that day?

And the strong self-esteem and arrogance warned him that he could not and should not forgive him at all.

Lan Qin is just a servant.

But why, in this deep and deadly night, I would be so excited that I almost trembled because of his grip and that stop.

Xiao Lanzi.

Cixi began to pave the way for herself.Obviously, he still strictly ordered the soldiers and civilians to work together, and encouraged the Boxers to fight against foreign enemies, but secretly asked Rong Lu to deliver vegetables, meat and other supplies to the foreign embassy, ​​and even sent watermelons for the foreigners to relieve the heat.

A few days later, the fighting has almost gotten out of control.Tianjin fell.

Empress Dowager Cixi then asked Rong Lu: "You ask the envoys stationed abroad to explain to all countries that war is a last resort. It is all because of the Boxer Rebellion and the people's provocations and disasters, and China is so overwhelmed, why did it go to war with other countries at the same time. The embassies of all countries have me Protection, and the rioters will take action to punish them. In short, the Qing court has to do this as a last resort, to achieve my original intention."

He also ordered Li Hongzhang to make up for the governor of Zhili and the minister of Beiyang, and to follow Yi's order and rush north to Beijing.

She began to flatter the whole West with great fanfare.However, this naive idea did not receive any response from the nations—on July [-], the city of Beijing was finally breached.

It's about sunset.The noise of guns and artillery outside the palace wall can already be faintly heard.

Cixi had summoned the Minister of Military Aircraft several times that day, and was terrified to hear the news reported by the people below.He didn't even take a few sips of dinner, pushed the cups and plates, didn't say a word, just smoked the hookah dully.Suddenly, Cixi ordered Cui Yugui and Lanqin to carry Concubine Zhen to Yihexuan.

Cui Lan and the two of them should follow suit.He went to the North Third Office to declare his will, and when Concubine Zhen was dressed properly, she led her out.Seeing Concubine Zhen's clean face, with both sides of her hair removed, she was wearing a blue water jacket and a pair of green satin shoes, she looked like a guilty concubine.Lan Qin felt sore, and said: "My lord, Lafayette is waiting at the Yihexuan." Concubine Zhen seemed to want to ask something, but she never opened her mouth, and the three of them paced slowly all the way silent.When they arrived at Yihexuan, Cixi ordered Concubine Zhen to go in, leaving only Cui Yugui present, and asked Lanqin to retreat first.

Lan Qin stood outside the door and waited.At first I couldn't hear the voice from inside the door, but after a while, I suddenly heard Concubine Xuannei crying loudly, "Dear father! Dear father, walk around me! I don't dare anymore... The old queen mother Buddha!"

Lan Qin was startled.I only heard that Concubine Zhen's cries became louder and louder, and finally she started to shout "Li Jianda, save me", but Li Lianying was not there, it was obvious that she had reached a moment of helplessness and anxiety.No way of knowing what happened, Lan Qin was eager to save Concubine Zhen, but couldn't move, and was so anxious that she broke out in a cold sweat.But at this moment, the door of Yihexuan opened abruptly.Seeing that Cixi was already trembling with anger, Cui Yugui was standing by the door with a livid face, and Concubine Zhen was kneeling in front of the Empress Dowager with tears all over her face.

Cixi was silent for a moment, then suddenly called out coldly: "Cui Yugui, push this bitch into the well for me."

Lan Qin was stunned.Cui Yugui was also taken aback, and wanted to step forward.Concubine Zhen was frightened out of her wits and begged for mercy.

"Lafayette! I beg you to take back your life!" Lan Qin knelt down, not caring much.

"You?" Cixi turned her head to look at Lan Qin, smiled coldly, and said, "Okay, I take it back—Lan Qin, you go!"

Lan Qin suspected for a moment that she had heard wrong.

Cixi said sternly: "I still need to say it a second time!"

Lan Qin raised her head and begged bitterly, "Lafayette! The young master will not deserve to die no matter what, I beg Lafayette to show mercy and let her go!"

"You are my man, Xiao Lanzi!" Cixi stood up and glared into his eyes.

Cui Yugui was also anxious, and scolded, "You don't want to live, Xiao Lanzi!"

"Xiao Lanzi! Xiao Lanzi, you can't kill me!" Concubine Zhen yelled almost hysterically, "Deputy Manager Lan, I beg you to save me!... Long live Xiao Lanzi has treated you well!"

Lan Qin couldn't help trembling when she heard the words "Long Live Lord", her eyes seemed to be bleeding, and she almost crushed her hands.

The person he was most jealous of in the past, this woman—his woman.

Perhaps, for Lan Qin herself, destroying this woman is also a relief.

Killing his favorite with his own hands, such a creepy bond-whether it will make him hate himself for the rest of his life.The resentment that can never be forgiven will never be turned over.

The pity and love for him that go deep into the bone marrow, the feelings that cannot be expressed and not understood by anyone, the feelings that are so strong that they are almost drowning and suffocating, can they just close the coffin.

The empress dowager, concubine Zhen, and Cui Yugui's yelling, crying and cursing were all inaudible for an instant.

A tear fell from the corner of Lan Qin's eyes.

Throwing the woman's nearly frantically struggling body into the mouth of the well.Where did I get such strength, I have no way of knowing.The wound on the hand has not even fully healed, and what the pain is, I can't feel it at all.

The sound of the water in the well colliding with the whole body was intense and terrifying, but it soon became calm, as if nothing had happened.

Straightening the collar, stretched the shirt, turned around and took off the horseshoe sleeves, knelt down on both knees, and said loudly: "Go back to Lafayette, Lanqin will always be yours. It was yesterday, it is today, and it will be tomorrow."

A smile curled up at the corner of his mouth.

If it is my generation, I will fall into the uninterrupted hell for thousands of billions of kalpas, and there will be no time to seek escape.

Go to hell for this - I deserve it.