Fingers of crossing

Xu had expected it a long time ago, and Jiang Ningzui was not too surprised to hear the news of Chi Wei's death.

After silently concentrating on thinking for a moment, Jiang Ningzui suddenly walked out of the inner hall from behind the screen, passed Qingfu and hurried out.

"Where are you going, ma'am?"

Jiang Ningzui didn't stop walking, she walked straight out of the palace door, stepped out of the main hall, looked back at Qingfu, and said coldly: "Show the Yi'an Palace."

Yi'an Palace?Empress?

Qingfu couldn't figure out Jiang Ningzui's intentions, just followed her words and thought about it, but she didn't dare to disobey her intentions, and hurriedly ordered people to bring the phoenix chariot according to her instructions, and followed her to Yi'an Palace. go.

There was just a light rain in the morning, and the ground was particularly humid, but Jiang Ning's drunken face was more condensed than the blue-gray ground, with the chill of three feet frozen, her eyebrows were slightly frowned, and there seemed to be a faint smile on her face. The knot can't be dissipated.

Arriving at Yi'an Palace, Jiang Ningzui hurriedly stepped down from the phoenix chariot, and when she looked up, she saw a glowing crimson figure standing outside the palace. The stone hanging from her heart slowly fell, but it hit her with a faint pain in her heart.

Yan Yilan stood facing Yi'an Palace, the hazy weather made her back look more heavy and dignified, when she heard the footsteps behind her, she turned her head and smiled at Jiang Ningzui, obviously she was like The lingering smile of the past hides too obvious burnout and helplessness.

Bi Yuan, who was standing silently by the side, also saw Jiang Ningzui's group at this time, she hurriedly came to meet Jiang Ningzui, hurriedly saluted, she approached a few steps to Jiang Ningzui's body, lowered her Voice, said: "The eldest princess came to Yi'an Palace as soon as she came down from the court, but unfortunately, after waiting for more than half an hour, the empress still refused to see her."

Empress Ning had a dispute with Yan Yilan last time because of Chi Wei's matter. Now that the imperial order is issued, there is no chance to change her words. Presumably, Empress Ning must be angry with Yan Yilan because of this matter.Thinking about it, Jiang Ningzui nodded to Bi Yuan, and then slowly walked to Yan Yilan's side.

Looking up at the gate of Yi'an Palace, Jiang Ningzui turned her gaze back to Yan Yilan, and said in a low voice, "Go back to the palace."

Yan Yilan did not answer, but followed Jiang Ningzui to look sideways at Yi'an Palace, and said: "While waiting outside Yi'an Palace for more than half an hour, I have been thinking, in the heart of the Queen Mother, what is the resentment?" I am more, or more disappointed."

"If the mother really wants to save Chi Wei, according to her status, it is not difficult to stop it." Jiang Ningzui's usually emotionless voice sounded unusually soft at this moment, even with the ice in her eyes. Feng Buhua's expression also showed signs of melting. "But she has never done this in front of the world. I think, in her heart, the eldest princess is the most important."

Yan Yilan smiled, and the loneliness between her brows and eyes dissipated with this smile, "You are so serious, it really makes me think..."

"Eldest princess." Before Yan Yilan could finish her sentence, Jiang Ningzui suddenly raised her voice a little, looked at her coldly, and said, "This is Yi'an Palace after all, so there must be a limit to what you can say."

Not paying any serious attention to Jiang Ningzui's strict restraint, Yan Yilan shrugged her shoulders and moved closer to Jiang Ningzui, the unique fragrance of Yuelin immediately lingered in her nose, Yan Yilan smiled more joyfully, she Said: "If you are embarrassed, then I will change to a private place next time and let you know..."

Jiang Ningzui was just about to reprimand Yan Yilan for such frivolous words, but she didn't want to see a palace lady walking out of Yi'an Palace. Back then, she was the personal maid who accompanied Empress Ning to the palace as a dowry, so everyone respectfully called her "Aunt Wang".

Seeing Queen Ning's confidant, Aunt Wang, walk out of Yi'an Palace, Jiang Ningzui withdrew her gaze from Yan Yilan, and silently watched Aunt Wang come to the two of them.

Aunt Wang made a salute, and said: "My servant pays homage to the Eldest Princess and the Crown Princess. The Empress has a decree to call the Crown Princess to the palace alone."

"I see." Jiang Ningzui replied, her gaze passed over Yan Yilan, and she said, "Please ask Auntie to lead the way."

Yan Yilan didn't speak until now when she saw Jiang Ningzui passing her by, she suddenly took Jiang Ningzui's hand, and said: "The queen has always been nagging, if you don't want to go, then I won't go."

Looking down at Yan Yilan holding her palm, Jiang Ningzui raised her head, slowly pulled out her hand, and said, "I also just want to see my mother..."

Aunt Wang led the way, Jiang Ningzui followed her into the bedroom, saw Empress Ning was burning incense and praying to Buddha in the hall, Aunt Wang signaled her to go in, then turned and retreated.The door was gently closed, Jiang Ningzui walked a few steps closer to the main hall, and smelled sandalwood.

Empress Ning twiddled the Buddhist beads in her hand all the way, and never turned her head to look at Jiang Ningzui. No one spoke in the empty and solemn hall, and it suddenly became more solemn and quiet.

"Do you really want to ask Aijia why you don't see the eldest princess?"

Putting down the beads in her hand, Empress Ning opened her eyes and looked at Jiang Ningzui. Years had left traces on her dignified and luxurious face, but they couldn't hide her arrogant and indifferent eyes. With a lingering majesty.

Jiang Ningzui thought for a while, and said: "The imperial decree this morning, about Chi Wei's life experience, suddenly became known all over the city through the hands of someone with a heart. There was a lot of discussion in the court, and even the people in the capital began to spread word of mouth. , but the eldest princess didn't care about these things, but waited outside Yi'an Palace." As she spoke, Jiang Ningzui lowered her eyes slightly, "I think in the eldest princess' heart, the queen mother's feelings are what she cares most about. .”

As if caught by Jiang Ningzui's words, Empress Ning sighed, and said, "Why doesn't Aijia know what the eldest princess is thinking? How long has Aijia's heart ached for as long as she has been standing outside Aijia's palace?" But when the first emperor was alive, he once said to the Ai family that if he did not want to see the descendants of the Yan family kill each other and persecute each other in a hundred years, how could the Ai family, as the first wife of the first emperor, see the eldest princess disobedience? To protect and condone the late emperor's last wish?"

When Empress Ning said these words, her voice was cold and old, which vaguely concealed her pity and helplessness when she mentioned Yan Yilan.Sometimes a person's appearance may still confuse people's hearts, but the inner decay cannot be hidden no matter what.

At this moment, Jiang Ning was drunk, and she could more or less understand Empress Ning's painstaking efforts. She is not only a mother, but also the mother of a country. She has her powerlessness.Thinking about it, Jiang Ningzui said in a low voice: "The reason why the eldest princess did this is for the prince."

"The Ai family understands." Empress Ning smiled and said, "The Ai family also understands that this matter is related to the prince's side concubine."

Jiang Ningzui's eyes couldn't hide her astonishment, she looked up at Empress Ning, then lowered her head again.I thought Empress Ning didn't know the secret between Chi Wei and Liu Huanxue, but she didn't expect that she had already seen it all. Jiang Ningzui kept her head down and kept silent. At this time, perhaps only silence is the best way to deal with it.

"Nowadays Chi Wei's life experience is making a fuss in the court. It doesn't matter who planned the leak. Ning Zui, do you know what is the most important thing now?"

Jiang Ning closed her eyes drunk and said: "The most important thing is the prestige of the eldest princess."

"That's right." Empress Ning looked at Jiang Ningzui, with a hint of relief and admiration in her eyes, and said, "Now everyone in the court is waiting for the next move of the eldest princess. People in the world will say that the eldest princess does not care about brotherhood and family, and has no tolerance in her eyes; but if the eldest princess does not kill Chi Wei, then people in the world will say that the eldest princess is protecting the emperor's relatives and blatantly despising the king's law. Regardless of the eldest princess Whatever you do, you will definitely be criticized by people in the world."

"Actually, there is a way to properly solve this matter. It's just that you are the only person in the world who can do this." Empress Ning smiled slightly, and put a coin engraved with Xiangfeng on the table. The token with the pattern was thrown to Jiang Ningzui's side, and said: "Ningzui, let the Ai family take a good look at how loyal your Jiang family is to the eldest princess."

The weather did not know when it began to drizzle again, and it was foggy everywhere, making people breathless.

Qingfu looked up at the heavy dungeon door in front of her, then turned her head to look at Jiang Ningzui uneasily, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, do we... really want to go in?"

Ningzui, Aijia hopes that you can be a knife beside the eldest princess.Cut off all the thorns in front of her, kill all the people she can't kill, and everything that hinders her from opposing her, just cut and kill, your sister used to charge to kill the enemy, now you are her left arm and right hand shoulder, the best knife in her hand.

Thinking of what Empress Ning said in a condensed voice when she left, Jiang Ningzui turned her head to look at Qingfu, and said softly: "If you still have a chance to see the eldest princess, tell her something for me." Said Then, Jiang Ningzui looked down at the token in her hand, the last remnant in her eyes faded away, leaving only a bleakness. "This princess, I'm afraid I can't do it again." After finishing speaking, Jiang Ningzui turned around and walked towards the dungeon without any hesitation.

As soon as he walked to the prison, the guards immediately stepped forward to inquire. Seeing that it was Jiang Ningzui, he didn't dare to go too far. He cupped his hands and said, "The door of the prison is very important. I don't know how the princess came here?"

Lighting up the token in Liang's hand, Jiang Ningzui said in a cold voice: "By the order of the eldest princess, I have come to visit the guards in Chi." After finishing speaking, Jiang Ningzui ordered: "Open the door! .”

The guards were still a little confused about the situation, but they were ignored by Jiang Ningzui's indifferent voice, and instinctively followed her words and opened the cell door, watching her plain figure disappear into the dungeon for a long time The aisle, turned the corner, and disappeared between the alternating light and dark lights.

The dungeon that hadn't seen the sun for a long time was dark and damp, exuding a decaying smell. Jiang Ningzui stood for a long time, and gradually felt the cool air of the dungeon penetrate into the skin, icy cold to the bone.

There is a small window on the wall of Chi Wei's cell, through which there is faint light. This is the only place in the dark dungeon that can be in contact with the outside world.Following the guards along the way, I have seen too many down-and-out and sloppy felons, and now seeing Chi Wei in white, I have an unreal illusion.

Chi Wei is still Chi Wei, maybe only a person like her who is out of the world can hardly conceal her ethereal and unrestrained temperament even in the dungeon.

Xu didn't see each other for some time, Jiang Ningzui sent away the guards leading the way outside the cell, looked at each other with Chi Wei through the cell door for a long time, and then opened the door and walked in.

He ordered Qingfu to put wine pots and cups on the simple table in the dungeon. Jiang Ning was drunk and sent Qingfu to wait outside the cell. Then she filled the wine for the two of them, picked up one of the cups, and gently stroked the wine with her index finger. Passed the cup wall, and handed it to Chi Wei.

Silently watching Jiang Ningzui's series of movements, Chi Wei was not in a hurry to ask her why she came, until she saw Jiang Ningzui handing her a glass of wine, she smiled vaguely and reached out to take it.

"This glass of wine, I respect you." Jiang Ningzui said, doing it first, she put down the wine glass in her hand, a sudden coldness rose in her eyes, and said: "Quan is here to see you off for the last time."