Si Tian Guan

There was a clatter of horseshoes at the end of the long street.

People who often do business on this road hurriedly put away the tables and chairs that were spread out along the street.

This is the usual practice these days, every time around this time, there are important people going back to the palace through here, and pedestrians avoid it.

Soldiers of the Xiao Battalion ran forward along the street to clear the way, forming two lines, waiting for the crowd in the middle to pass.

As if he was not afraid of the scorching heat, Qu Chenzhou took his horse's belly in his hands, counted the bluestone slabs, and walked slowly.

The bamboo curtain hanging on a door by the side of the road was thrown open with a bang, and the person who came out was full of joy, and was concentrating on counting the silver in his palm with his head down, when he was yelled by the soldier, he raised his head hastily, and was looking at Qu Chenzhou.

The man was so panicked that he dropped the silver on the ground and knelt down on the ground, not daring to look up.

Qu Chenzhou laughed, didn't bother with him, tilted his head, and asked, "Where is that place?"

The general on the side quickly replied: "Back to Qu Sitian, it's a gambling house."

"Is it a gambling house? It's a good place." Before anyone could react, Qu Chenzhou dismounted: "It's still early today, go and have a look."

As early as the man knelt down at the door trembling, the inside had already heard it. When the soldiers of the Xiaoying battalion filed in to line up the crowd, everyone in the gambling house looked at the door.

The gambling house was lit and crowded with people. There were only a few residual lights coming in from the cracks in the windows, and the dust flying in the beam of light could be seen.

When Qu Chenzhou came in with his cloak folded and the curtain drawn, it seemed as if he had brought light in, making people's eyes brighten up instantly.

The soft boots under his feet clicked on the debris thrown randomly on the ground.

He lightly raised his toes to kick away, looked around, and everywhere he looked, everything fell silent.

Interested people stepped back one after another, like a sharp ax splitting water to open a path, until they split open to the table closest to the inside.

There was a man sitting on the other side of the table, and the Jinxiu Battalion soldier standing behind him didn't get up when he saw him walking straight, but only smiled slightly: "Qu Sitian, what an official authority."

Qu Chenzhou lifted the hem of his clothes, sat down at the table, and replied calmly: "My son, each other."

The shopkeeper came over in person and was about to pour tea for Qu Shenzhou when Liu Chongming raised his hand to stop him.

"What's the taste of old tea? Go to the tea shop across the street and get the best Junshan Yinzhen."

The shopkeeper hurriedly responded, and then sent someone over to get it.

The croupier seemed to be roasted by two fires at the same time, holding the sieve cup, looked from both sides in embarrassment, and finally fell on Liu Chongming.

"Look at what I'm doing?" Liu Chongming signaled to the opposite side: "Qu Sitian is a guest, so of course we have to see what the guest wants."

Qu Chenzhou was looking at the gambling equipment on the table. Hearing what he said, he raised his head and asked, "Is this the gambling shop opened by the son?"

"Qu Sitian laughs at a little trick that doesn't come to the fore—why come to this place in the mood today?"

"Fresh," Qu Chenzhou looked at the sieve cup in the hands of the croupier: "Since the son said to be happy with me, then I would be more respectful than obedient. How about asking the son to play with me?"

There was a small commotion in the crowd.

Nowadays, the rumors are very popular in the streets and alleys. No one knows why Qu Sitian is favored by the emperor. In the past, people in the Qisheng Building also joined in the fun, telling Qu Shenzhou divination as if a god came.

Now that the gods want to gamble with others, they may have to refuse to change others, but according to the temper of the prince, it is impossible to bow their heads and give in.

Many people still remember how many things were smashed and how many people were injured when Nanya and Jinxiu Camp had a quarrel last year.

Now the leaders on both sides have changed, but the atmosphere between these two people is yin and yang, which seems to be even more difficult than last year.

"Okay," Liu Chongming grinned, and he did not refuse. He glanced at the croupier and said with a smile, "Let's play a simple game. There are two dice in the sieve cup. The number of dice. If you are right, you win, if you are wrong, I win."

The people around resisted their boos.

The son is too shameless, and let others guess like a dog, why not go directly to heaven?

"It's a bet!" Qu Shenzhou made a decision immediately without hesitation.

As soon as the words fell, there was an uncontrollable applause, which then weakened under Liu Chongming's glance.

"I'll take a look at the dice," Qu Sitian signaled to the croupier, "Your Majesty has a bad reputation, and I'm afraid I'll be cheating on my own land."

Liu Chongming sneered: "It's up to who to do such a thing, I'm sure I wouldn't dare to do it for others, but for Qu Sitian, it's worth it."

The dice twirled on her white fingertips.

"What do you say, Shizi?"

"Since you want to gamble, you should have a bet," Liu Chongming said with a smile, "I don't speak ill of anyone in this world. If I lose, I will give you ten thousand taels of gold. If I win, Qu Sitian will go to my other courtyard." How about being a guest for a month and letting me ask for it? Does Qu Sitian dare?"

"If I win, Qi Sheng Lou will give it to me." Qu Chenzhou threw the dice back, touched the waist card from his waist and patted it on the table: "If I lose, Xiao Ying will give it to you."

The people around did not dare to make a sound, they glanced at each other, for fear that a little noise would become an introduction and ignite the gunpowder between the two.

"Is Qu Sitian afraid?" Liu Chongming raised one leg: "It's better to make a compromise. If you win, the Qisheng Building will be handed over to you, and the house title deed is the same. If I win, Qu Sitian and I How about going back to the other hospital?"

Qu Chenzhou didn't even blink: "It's a bet."

Some people couldn't help whispering to each other—this bet really pinched Qu Sitian's weakness, and the Qisheng Tower was a shame, Qu Sitian was afraid that he would take it back no matter what.

The croupier shook the sieve cup, and the dishonest dice clinked and jingled, which made people feel anxious.

Liu Chongming glanced casually, and asked: "Did Qu Sitian know that this son is there when he was outside the door, and came in specially to throw himself in his arms?"

"I know that the son is here." Qu Chenzhou stared at the sieve cup, and replied indifferently: "I think the son has too much ill-gotten wealth, so I want to share a piece of it."

In front of them were gods fighting, and sparks flew everywhere before they fought, and mortals shut their mouths consciously.

The sieve cup fell with a slap, and there was no sound, everyone's eyes fell on Qu Chenzhou.

"six……"

Qu Shenzhou looked around, and softly spit out the second number: "Four."

The croupier deftly picked up the sieve cup with a copper rod, and flipped it skillfully. The two dice on the table did not move at all. One clearly had a six and the other a four.

It was as if he had won the first lottery, and the surrounding cheers thundered.

Qu Chenzhou put away his waist card again, put his hands down, stopped the commotion of the crowd, and smiled slightly: "I'm sorry to trouble you to spend the money, and everyone in the building has returned. I only want to be in charge of Lin, the house title deed, and send it to Xiaoying another day." .”

Liu Chongming didn't speak, and kept staring at the two dice. Seeing that Qu Shenzhou was about to get up, he suddenly slapped the table, and the soldiers behind him rushed forward to outflank him.

Everyone in the Xiao camp also immediately lit up their weapons.

For a moment, the temperature seemed to drop to freezing point, and everyone dared not run, they could only shrink their heads, looking at the sword in front of them in shock.

"Qu Sitian is bullying..."

Liu Chongming hadn't finished speaking when he heard someone shouting and rushing into the casino, so panicked that he didn't even pay attention to the tension at the moment.

"Your Majesty!" The man knelt down on the ground with a bang: "The emperor declares that your son will enter the palace immediately!"

Liu Chongming took the crutch from the side, no longer in the mood to bicker, but when they passed each other, the two looked at each other calmly.

They all know why the emperor called.

At this time, the news of King Qi's death should have been rushed back to the capital by Baili.

King Mu Jingde of Qi died, those who believed in him remained silent, and those who did not believe in him would not let him go.

The fire that sprang up from the ground burned for a full day, and the planks and bushes that covered the well mouth were burned to charcoal, leaving a smoking hole.

Those who turned around to look for it could only wait for the thick smoke to dissipate before going down to the cellar well.

But inside, even the walls were burnt and peeled off layer by layer, and two lumps of scorched black could barely be seen. With just a light touch, the skin and flesh were shattered, and the shape could not be distinguished at all.

Only one of them could be found holding King Qi's waist plate, and the other had King Qi's saber stuck in his breastbone.

No one can tell which is the king of Qi, let alone guess what happened here.

Concubine Ming fainted from crying several times, she refused to believe that King Qi died just like that no matter what.

The emperor not only summoned Liu Chongming, but also summoned several princes and important officials in the court, and finally handed over the matter to Qu Chenzhou to decide.

The 24 hexagrams were put in front of him, and the emperor accepted the result without hesitation, and ordered Concubine Ming to send someone from her natal family, accompanied by King Jing, Mu Jingchen, to Jiping.

Although Liu Chongming could not know in advance who would be sent out, he knew that he would not be pointed at himself.

In a few days it will be the sixth day of June, Shen Zhou's predictions are correct, and the imperial doctor also said that his sister's delivery date is approaching, no matter what, he cannot leave the capital.

Drunk bone fragrance.

He had never heard of this thing before, his aunt and sister told him that there was this drunken fragrance in the private things in the palace earlier.

The fragrance is as its name suggests, and even the bones will be drunk after smelling it. If a woman in labor smells it, she will not be able to exert any strength at all. When the fetus is in the belly for too long, it will be stillborn in eight out of ten.

There was a time when it was rampant, but then everyone knew to beware of it. The queen mother once rectified it when she was young, but it didn't appear for a long time.

The poisoner's intentions are vicious and sinister. If it was in the past, he would definitely think of the empress.

But if it is a queen, she is more willing to go to the mother and keep the child. Like the queen mother, with the blood of the Liu family by her side, the Liu family has to stand on the side of the queen.

It was another person's wish to leave their children and leave their mother behind, and this wish made him feel sick.

Liu Chongming stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, looking at the door not far away, and the surrounding lanterns cast deep and shallow shadows under his feet, as if he was stepping on a flower.

My aunt has been in for a long time, and only took time out once in the middle, saying that my sister's first delivery will take longer, so let him wait patiently.

Now that the mother is not at home, it is a common practice in the palace for someone to come to guard the concubine who is about to give birth. It is not good for the father to show up at this time, so he asked the emperor for this opportunity, and brought his cronies from the Jinxiu Camp to search the entire Lijing Palace. .

All the supplies in my sister's room were used in the palace, and he couldn't replace them with new ones, so he checked every inch to make sure everything was safe.

The other party must either stop, or they can only enter from the outside.

Someone outside the palace gate carried buckets of hot water across the threshold, and after a short while, another basin of bloody water was brought out. The woman carried the wooden basin and walked out together with the palace man who was carrying the empty bucket.

There are many people in the room, and some spare things are placed in the side hall, and it's not like picking them up once or twice.

Liu Chongming watched them disappear outside the door, and suddenly heard Liu Qingru's mournful shout from inside the room, sweat clenched in his palms, and the whole breath was in his throat.

The calm voices of the women gave him some comfort.

"Your Majesty, don't bark! Push down hard!"

"Put more strength! Use some more strength! I'm touching my hair!"

Suddenly someone said in surprise: "What is this?"

Almost at the same time, the bamboo curtain was raised, Madam Bai threw out a veil, and screamed at him: "Chongming! Drunk bone fragrance! The one who just went out!"

He waved his hand without hesitation: "Go after it!"

Soldiers swarmed out behind him, and the woman who was still staggering at the end of the road suddenly bumped away from the palace guards and disappeared into the night like flying.

Liu Chongming walked quickly, stepping on the rock beside him.

Twirling and leaping, he didn't overtake, the target was not the woman, but he threw himself into the bushes by the roadside, and hugged the person in the bushes who was ready to go.

The two rolled into the depths of the bush together, and they didn't stop until they hit the rockery.

The mother-in-law's voice came from the alley: "Shizi?"

"Fuck you, don't worry about it!" Liu Chongming snorted, and from the corner of his vision, he saw a hand drawn towards his cheek like a wind, and he grabbed it lightly.

"Don't move around." He lowered his body and pressed the two of them together in the shadow: "Wait for another place, I'll hit you casually."