Darkness of Rebirth

Before you time, the sky was still bright, but all the candles in the East Palace had been lit, and the orange palace lanterns were replaced with festive red ones for the new year. The maids and eunuchs who came and went held a rectangular black walnut in their hands. On wooden trays, the food and wine from the banquet were sent to the main hall of the Eastern Palace—Shangde Hall, and then left in an orderly manner.

Dongfangdu's chariot stopped at the main entrance of the East Palace.When the little eunuchs at the gate saw that His Royal Highness Prince Qing had arrived, they all bowed their heads and saluted.After Dongfangdu said his excuse, one of the little eunuchs stepped forward and made a gesture of invitation, intending to lead the way for Dongfangdu.Dongfangdu turned his head to signal Banlan to follow him in, then left the other court ladies and eunuchs outside the door.

After entering Shangde Hall, I realized that I was the last one to arrive.The imperial sister Dongfang Lingwu, Youwang Dongfang Xu, and the fourth prince Dongfang Jin had all sat down in front of the food table. When they saw her coming, they stopped chatting and turned to look at her.Dongfangdu felt a little embarrassed, if it wasn't for An Yun's restless hands, she wouldn't have arrived so late!

The upper seat in the middle is the Oriental seat.Seeing Dongfang Du entering the palace, he was taken aback for a moment, then got up and walked to her, and said with a smile: "Second Emperor, I'm just waiting for you to come." He patted her on the shoulder lightly and put his hand on her shoulder. On her shoulders, but moved her eyes to her legs, and asked, "Second Brother's legs are healed?" It's only been three days, so it must be getting better too quickly!

Dongfang Du smiled slightly, and pretended to take a step back inadvertently, took off Dongfang Du's hand on his shoulder, cupped his hands and replied: "Thank you for your concern, brother, Du's leg is fine, if you have been relying on a wheelchair for transportation , I’m afraid these legs are really going to be useless. Why don’t you walk more and exercise.”

After speaking, he turned sideways, and bowed to Dongfang Lingwu and the others one by one: "Sister Huang, Third Emperor Brother, Fourth Emperor Brother." After the three returned their salutes, Dongfang Xi led Dongfang Du beside Dongfang Lingwu The desk chair sat down, then turned and returned to the upper seat.

Everyone has arrived, and the table can begin.Dongfang Xi held the gold-rimmed ceramic wine glass on the food table with his right hand, held it lightly with his left hand, and said to Dongfangdu: "Second brother, the reason why the banquet is held this time is to celebrate you and the third brother being crowned kings." Jue. This glass of wine will congratulate you first, and you must be crowned King of Qing, and the emperor will do it first as a respect." After speaking, he raised his head and drank it, and turned the glass down to indicate that there was no more wine in the glass, and then gently put it back on the food table With a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, he stared at Dongfang Du, waiting for him to drink the wine on the table.

Dongfangdu glanced at the small white porcelain cup that was already filled with wine on the food table, hesitated for a while, then picked it up, and drank it all in one gulp.Ban Lan, who was standing behind her, caught a glimpse of Dongfang Xi's weird smile, worried, but helpless, she had to watch her Second Prince finish the wine.

Seeing that Dongfang Du drank all the wine in the cup, Dongfang Xi sighed: "Okay, okay, I thought that the second imperial brother would refuse to drink this cup on the pretext of being weak and inconvenient to drink, I don't want to be so bold, how about drinking three more cups? "Without his eyes to signal, the maid standing by the side has already stepped forward to refill the wine glass.

Dongfang Du closed his mouth, raised his eyes and looked at the Eastern Seat. He was wearing a bright yellow prince's uniform inlaid with four-clawed golden dragon, which clearly showed his status as the prince and prince. How long do you sit? '

Dongfang Xi saw that Dongfang Du's gaze had been on him, and the smile on his mouth deepened, making others tremble involuntarily.After a while, he jokingly said: "Second Brother, you look at Brother Huang like this, can you sit next to Brother Huang and get closer to him?" In a word, the question was shameless.I don't know, I thought their brothers had some kind of incest/incest relationship!

"Du is just worried about the body of the emperor's brother." Dongfang Du raised his eyes slightly, met Dongfang Xi's gaze, smiled slightly, and continued: "Imperial Brother, it is better to drink less tonight." Alcohol spreads faster and invades internal organs.She wanted Dongfang Xi to die, but she would not let him die because her brothers and sisters were both of the royal blood.As long as he loses his status as the crown prince and prince, it will be fine if he can no longer sit on the throne.

Hearing this, Dongfang Xu raised his head and asked, "Brother Huang, is he in good health?" A few days ago, I learned that his elder brother Dongfang Xi had passed on an imperial doctor, and also knew that his second brother Dongfang Du had personally come to the East Palace to treat him. Brother Huang checked the pulse, but Dongfang Xi kept saying that he was in good health, so he didn't dare to inquire further. Now Dongfangdu just mentioned it, so he took the opportunity to ask.

"Of course I'm all right." Dongfang Xi turned his head and smiled at Dongfang Xu, glanced at Dongfang Du from the corner of his eye, picked up the wine glass and said, "Imperial brother, this glass of wine, I congratulate you, you have to be crowned king." Then he raised his head and drank the wine in the glass.

In the middle of the banquet, several people were chatting in different directions, and suddenly, there was a sound of broken porcelain. It turned out that it was Dongfang Xu who knocked over the bone china bowl.

"Your Highness~" Dongfang Xu's personal attendant saw that something was wrong, hurriedly took two steps forward, squatted down/body, and supported him, but seeing Dongfang Xu fainted, he quickly raised his head and shouted: "Come on, hurry up!" Come on, hurry up and go to the imperial hospital to teach the imperial doctor!"

Dongfang Xi saw that his younger brother suddenly passed out at the night banquet he set up, and an ominous thought suddenly flashed in his mind.This wine was only drunk two or three cups, his brother-in-law was always clear about his drinking capacity, it was absolutely impossible for him to fall asleep because of drunkenness.

Sensing something was wrong, he hurriedly said to Wu Yu, his bodyguard: "Wu Yu, you go to the imperial hospital as soon as possible and bring the imperial doctor here." Wu Yu clasped his fists to accept the order, and flew out of the Eastern Palace directly using his lightness kung fu.

Fortunately, there was always an imperial doctor on duty at the Imperial Hospital, but after a while, Wu Yu brought the imperial doctor back.Dongfang Du saw that it was Lin Shunan, and sighed in his heart: "What a coincidence!" '

Before Lin Shunan could salute, Dongfang Xi asked him to take Dongfang Xu's pulse directly.This life is at stake, so why should we stick to these vain rituals.

At this time, Dongfang Xu had been moved to the bed in the side hall, calm and peaceful, without any expression of pain on his face, as if he was just asleep.Lin Shunan stepped forward, leaned over and took Dongfang Xu's hand out from under the quilt, pressed his three fingers on his pulse, closed his eyes and frowned for a moment, then opened his eyes, turned around and cupped his hands and said to Dongfang Xi: "His Royal Highness, I don't know His Royal Highness You Wang But have you drank or eaten anything special by yourself?"

"What's wrong with the emperor?" Dongfang Xi asked with a frown, and before Lin Shunan could answer, he said, "Doctor Lin said it's all right, there's no need to beat around the bush and talk about him."

Lin Shunan sighed lightly, and said: "His Royal Highness Youwang is just drugged. I just wonder why Dudu Youwang is drugged..." This poisoning is more reasonable than drugging!It's just a drug, what purpose can it achieve?The drug could neither harm him nor cause him to die, it was just a night of coma.

"Drugged? Just drugged?" Dongfang Xi frowned. Before the imperial doctor came, he guessed that Dongfang Xu was poisoned and passed out.And the purpose of this poisoning is probably to frame him, the crown prince.But it suddenly turned into a drug, which made him, the prince, really confused about the other party's intentions.

Several princes are already here at this moment, the third prince His Royal Highness King You lying on the bed, the Qing king Dongfangdu standing aside, the fourth prince Dongfang Jin, the princess Dongfang Lingwu, and the prince Dongfangxi.The descendants of the royal family are all here, and if they want to attack Dongfang, they are the most likely.If it were someone else who had to be drugged, Dongfang Xu wouldn't be the only one.

At this moment, Dongfang Xi frowned, groaned in pain, and covered his chest. Wuyu next to him stretched out his hand to support him nervously, "His Royal Highness, what's wrong with you?" ?” The cold sweat kept breaking out on his forehead, “Doctor Lin, please show your Highness the Crown Prince quickly.”

He was speaking to Lin Shunan, but his eyes were fixed on Dongfang Xi anxiously.At this moment, Dongfang Xi was half-reclining against Wuyu's arms, unable to move, unable to even speak a word.

Lin Shunan noticed that Dongfang Xi's expression was not right, so he hurriedly said to Wuyu: "Let Your Highness sit down first, and I will give His Royal Highness a pulse."

The bed in the side hall is occupied by Dongfang Xu, and the back hall is the sleeping hall of Dongfangxi, which is still some distance away.At this moment, Dongfang Xi was heartbroken and couldn't move, so he could only sit down on the grand master's chair beside him.After Lin Shunan checked Dongfang Xi's pulse, he hurriedly took out a small sandalwood box from his bosom, took out a brown pill from it, and asked Wuyu to fetch warm water and feed Dongfang Xi to take it.

Dongfang Xi passed out after taking the medicine. Seeing this, Ban Lan secretly pulled Dongfang Du's sleeve, and said softly behind her: "Your Highness, Second Prince, I'm afraid I won't be able to return to Fengqing Palace tonight." Needless to say, Dongfang Du also understood.

She glanced sideways at Dongfang Lingwu and Dongfang Jin who were standing aside, and then turned her eyes to Dongfang Xi, "Doctor Lin, what's wrong with the prince and brother?" According to her calculations, the poison cannot be released at this moment. Although he drank alcohol, it wouldn't make him speechless in pain so quickly.

Lin Shunan glanced over the several people present, and finally fell on Dongfang Du, "Your Highness, he is poisoned." From Dongfang Xi's reaction, anyone with a discerning eye could see that he was poisoned.But if Dongfangdu was poisoned, it is absolutely impossible for someone to diagnose him.This poison was not intended to take Dongfang Xi's life, it was just a step in a calculation.

Being diagnosed with poisoning at this moment can only mean that there is another poison on Dongfang Xi's body, or that the original poison has changed and turned into another kind of poison.

As soon as Lin Shunan said this, Wuyu immediately ordered the guards to guard all the gates, not to let a suspicious person go out, and at the same time signaled a guard with his eyes to go to Weiyang Palace to report everything that happened in the Emperor's East Palace, please come here Preside over the overall situation.

The safe and sound Dongfang Du, Dongfang Lingwu and Dongfang Jin became the biggest suspects in Wuyu's mind, but compared to them, he was just a small bodyguard, and a direct confrontation was impossible. He could only make excuses and said: "His Royal Highness, His Royal Highness King Qing, and Fourth Prince, in order to avoid any further accidents for your Highness, I implore you to stay in this side hall now, and don't leave half a step away until the humble officials find out what is inside the East Palace. Suspicious maids and eunuchs, please leave."

The three of them made eye contact, nodded together to express their willingness to stay in the East Palace, and only waited for the Crown Prince Dongfang Xi to wake up.Dongfangdu quietly glanced in the direction outside the hall, and sighed in his heart: "It's a good thing that Yun'er didn't come to the East Palace together tonight..."