Shen Gong Ji

I heard from Duan Xihe before that the main stronghold of Piaomiao Palace has been protected by antique shops, and there will be special codes if any guests come to the door.Usually, the guest would say, "Do you have a Chilong double-eared enamel flask?" Then the other party would say, "No one with two ears." At this time, the guest needs to say again, "It's fine if you have a single ear, but you want a bronze one. ", and then the clerk in the antique shop will lead you into a closed room to learn more about the mission.

I sent someone to inquire all over the antique shops near Yu County, and finally found out the stronghold of Piaomiao Palace.The servant handed over the superstition of the task to the "recipient" as I ordered, and placed a large deposit, asking that person to hand over the task to Min Ye, that is, Duan Xihe.Misty Palace has always had a good reputation for keeping secrets. If the employer appoints an assassin, then other assassins will never open the letter without authorization.But just in case, I still only wrote to ask Duan Xihe to wait for me at Jiuliting outside the county seat the next day.

In the middle of the night, the sky was gloomy, and the winter wind was already blowing a cloud. I don't know if it will snow the next day.There is silence on Jiulipo, a lonely pavilion stands on the top of the hill, and there is only one solitary lamp, like a firefly swallowing in the dark.I asked my followers to wait at the bottom of the stone steps leading to the pavilion, and walked up by myself.Duan Xihe was sitting on the railing of the pavilion, wearing a long black gown, and stood up when he saw me coming.

"I originally said to see you in the palace, it's really an impermanent world." He shrugged his shoulders and laughed.

I put the lantern in my hand on the stone table in the center of the pavilion, and asked him, "You should know why I want to see you. What happened? How did Fang Ziji end up in the hands of your son?"

He sighed softly, "You have to know that I am not the most powerful person in Piaomiao Palace. Although Piaomiao Palace has always kept its promise, it is now a period of turmoil. If Piaomiao Palace does not have certain authority in the court of Yan Kingdom Power and background, it is very inconvenient to act. Therefore, in this life-or-death period, the Palace Master will make some other plans."

"You mean, it was Min Qingping who wanted to cooperate with your son, so he handed over Fang Ziji to your son?"

"You shouldn't entrust Fang Ziji to Piao Miao Palace. This is equivalent to handing over the biggest bargaining chip to someone you don't know well."

"But I thought you were my friend."

"Xiao Yang, it's been two years, how can you still be so naive? Should I say you're stupid?" He laughed lowly, "I do take you as a friend, but I'm just a little Guyu Palace Master , how can you compete with the Palace Master?"

That's right, I actually overlooked that for such a huge organization as Piaomiao Palace, how could its position be represented by Duan Xihe alone...

It seems that Min Qingping is planning to take the risk and bring down the little emperor.I can probably understand why he must choose your son.If he doesn't hand over Feng Ziji, then the chances of your son and Prince Wei usurping power are almost zero, and all their actions will be dishonest.But at the same time, the little emperor will not have the opportunity to know who helped him keep the throne, and I, a son with no background in the court, even if I establish a relationship with me, it will not be of much benefit to them.And if they choose to hand over Feng Ziji to your son and Prince Wei, then in the future when the new emperor ascends the throne, the backstage of Piaomiao Palace will directly become the emperor of Yan Kingdom. Will choose to take the risk.

The current situation is very bad.Once the true identity of the little emperor is revealed, even if Ouyang Qi and the others don't send troops, the little emperor must abdicate.After all, he was not qualified to take the throne.

In this way, all his arrangements of coercion, personal conquest and alienation schemes were all in vain.So many years of forbearance and painstaking efforts have all been in vain.The throne is everything to him.I don't know if he'd survive if he was forced to give up.

I can't imagine him failing.He never seems to fail.He always smiled casually, as if there were no problems in the world.However, I still remember that when I was sleeping that night when I first met him in Yu County, I quietly looked at his sleeping face, saw his tangled eyebrows, and the worry and hesitation leaking out of his sleep. He was a little at a loss.The secret he has kept for many years is about to be revealed, so he must be very scared, right?

Why do you still pretend to be relaxed in front of me, what a fool...

"Xiao Yang, this is the end of the matter, you have done your best to Zhao Yanshu, you should make plans for yourself earlier." Duan Xihe restrained his smile, and his expression became a little dignified, "This time, I'm afraid he is really going to lose If you lose, you will lose everything. If King Wei wants to ascend the throne, it is impossible to keep him."

I stared fixedly at a crumbling autumn chrysanthemum outside the pavilion, and pursed my lips, "Actually, the result is not certain yet."

"What illusions are you still clinging to? The witnesses have already been obtained. Zhao Yanshu is the son of Du Qian, and has no blood relationship with the late emperor. How do you win against the orthodoxy of the royal family?"

"Now all of this is just based on the proof of Feng Ziji. Without him, who would dare to say that Zhao Yanshu is not the son of the late emperor?" When I said this, I felt a little numb to myself.I know that I am about to bear another life. This life also has no grievances or enmity with me. I have never even met him, but in the days to come, he will be like Xiang Li, forever under pressure. In my heart, it is impossible for me to completely immerse myself in happiness at any time.

Duan Xihe chuckled, "Are you planning to assassinate him? But don't forget, the most perfect assassin organization in the world is guarding him now."

"Indeed, but it's not impossible." I raised my eyes and stared at him, "As long as you are willing to help me."

He froze for a few seconds, then laughed, "Are you kidding me?"

"This is the task I gave you. After the task is completed, no matter how much you want, I will give you double."

"You are asking me to betray the organization. Do you know that if I help you, you are making an enemy of the Palace Master."

"I am your customer, and it is the task I entrusted to you to take care of Feng Ziji. Now that your palace lord has handed over the person I want you to take care of to my opponent without authorization, do you think he really released you, the lord of Guyu Palace? In my eyes?" I sneered, with a deliberate sarcasm, "I'm afraid that your palace lord has long regarded you as a thorn in the side, so you don't care about your reputation. It's your palace lord who betrayed you. "

He crossed his arms and looked at me leisurely, "It's useless if you use aggressive tactics. I don't want to be an enemy of Min Qingping."

"why?"

"You know that he has already reached the eighth level of his magic power of transforming darkness, and there are few opponents in the world. I don't want to mess with him. Besides, the assassins in our palace have poisonous Gu specially made by Piaomiao Palace in their bodies. If there is no antidote every month, they will die." will die horribly."

I quickly digested what he said in my mind, and then raised the corners of my mouth slightly, "The antidote? If I remember correctly, isn't your Grain Rain Palace in charge of pill refining? As the master of the Grain Rain Palace, I'm afraid Have you solved the poisonous Gu by yourself already?"

He was taken aback, and seemed to realize that the excuse he made was not very good.

I sat on the stone chair and looked at him with a relaxed posture, "According to what you said, the way your Misty Palace controls the assassins in the palace mainly relies on that poisonous voodoo, and the elixir, of course, includes the antidote." , has always been refined by your Guyu Palace. That is to say, the power of life and death in this palace is actually controlled by the Guyu Palace. If my analysis is correct, the previous masters of the Guyu Palace must be the most trusted by the palace owner under his command, isn't he?"

He looked at me quietly and didn't reply.

"As the master of the Guyu Palace, you have lived in seclusion in the palace for many years, obsessed with the research of elixir. I guess, what are you hiding? In addition, the last time I saw your palace master, although he was polite to me in words , but his expression was full of thorns. Later, when I was in trouble, I called you back to hold you back. This time, I handed over the person I entrusted to you to your son. I guess your palace master must be very upset to see You come and go with me so frequently. In this way, I have to guess that the relationship between you and your palace master is not as simple as master and servant."

He was silent for a long time, then suddenly sighed and looked away.The moonlight was cold, illuminating his handsome profile, showing a bit of confusion, "You can guess this way, so I've lost to you."

I was secretly surprised in my heart, so it was really like this?There is a deeper relationship between Duan Xihe and Min Qingping.

To be honest, I made the guess just now while analyzing it, and every time I uttered a word, I would be even more surprised.Not to mention, he actually guessed right.

He simply sat down, the firelight reflecting his deep eyes.I know that I have torn off his disguise, and I must hold on tight at this moment, shaking his will bit by bit.

No, it should be said that it completely collapsed his own weak will.

"I was sold into the Misty Palace when I was five years old. Min Qingping was one of the children who entered the palace with me at that time. We received the training of assassins together. The training of assassins is very cruel. Many children who can't bear it He died in the palace, and only the two of us survived with mutual support in that group. He was more talented, and was accepted as a disciple by the palace owner at that time, and our contacts gradually decreased. Later, he successfully assassinated I became the new Palace Master after replacing the previous Palace Master, so I was named the Palace Master of Guyu Palace by him."

I asked him, "When you hide in the palace, are you hiding from Min Qingping?"

He lowered his eyes, and a wry smile appeared on his lips, "It's sort of. But it's not all."

"Then why? Is it really for the research of pill refining?"

"I'm in love with a man from the palace."

I frowned, a little surprised.

He smiled, "Why? Do you think assassins don't have the love of normal people?"

"No, I just never heard you say..."

"Of course I can't let you know. This is a secret that only belongs to me and that person." He said, showing a soft smile.I've never seen him smile like this before, like the first baby pistil to unfold after the winter snow melts, glistening with bright dewdrops.For a moment, I was somewhat fascinated by his smile. If such a complete love can be seen in the eyes of the little emperor...

But at the same time, I feel a little sympathetic to Min Qingping.The stronger Duan Xihe's love for that person was, the rarer and colder it was for Min Qingping.

I recall Min Qingping's appearance.I didn't expect such a cold and arrogant person to ask for it.

"Then will your palace master allow you to stay in the palace all the time?"

"At first he summoned me, but I always found an excuse to come back. Then he stopped summoning me." He shrugged slightly, "I thought he had given up. But after I started contacting you, He seems to be moving again."

I also laughed, "Does he think I'm your new love?"

He sneered, "Probably so. This time I also want to remind you that I probably won't see you too often in the future."

"Are you willing to let him control your life and your feelings like this all the time? Don't you want to take the person you like to be free and easy?"

"We grew up together after all. He was good to me, too."

His refutation is too pale, I guess, he should have long wanted to break free from the shackles in the name of love.

It does seem promising...

I didn't speak for a while, and sorted out my thoughts.He didn't speak either, as if he was lost in his own thoughts.The night is dark, brewing between the two of us, the slightly biting wind blows the wormwood, and the air is already a little damp.

"Duan Xihe, if you are willing to do me a favor, it is to do Emperor Dayan a great favor. Your Majesty will not treat you badly. Not to mention a Min Qingping, the entire Piaomiao Palace will be in your hands. In addition, No matter who you fall in love with in the palace, His Majesty will not be stingy."

His long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he raised his eyes to look at me.

I smiled at him, "I am now Dayan's virtuous son, and I will do what I say."

I know that what I offer is an absolutely attractive bargaining chip. He is already very impatient with Min Qingping. Under such a temptation, will he stick to those so-called "loyalties"?

He said, "You don't need to say any more. I never thought of becoming the palace lord."

"You don't have to tell me, but ask yourself. With your ability, have you really never thought about it?"

He was still struggling, "No."

"Okay, even if you haven't thought about it." I fiddled with the paper lantern on the table with my fingers, "Haven't you thought about staying with the one you love for the rest of your life?"

He stopped talking.

I didn't wait for his answer anymore, but stood up, turned around and walked towards the steps, "You don't have to rush to answer me, give me an answer within three days."