cold branch low

The wind and snow are surging on the border of Daqi, thousands of households have their doors and windows closed, and the lights in the houses are brightly lit. The whole of Ning'an is immersed in the festivities of New Year's Eve.

After eating the New Year's Eve dinner carefully cooked by the chef of the palace, everyone waited until the early morning to let Huo Xiao open the first gate of the new year. Huo Xiao seemed to have gotten used to the presumptuousness of these people today, and pushed away the palace expressionlessly. At the gate, although the people inside and outside were caught in the snow and freezing, they still couldn't restrain the joy brought by the New Year!

Wen Renhuang didn't quite understand this, he just saw that everyone showed a little excitement and a little presumptuousness today, if they would not dare to get so close to Huo Xiao on weekdays, they even yelled loudly.

There was one sound of firecrackers, and then thousands of them followed. The crackling sounded into a ball, and the children laughed and ran around in shock. The adults laughed and didn't stop it. There was excitement everywhere.

Huo Xiao walked up to Wen Renhuang, and stuffed a candy into Wen Renhuang's mouth while he wasn't paying attention.

"What is this for?" Wen Renhuang blushed.

Huo Xiao said: "This is the first thing you eat this year, and the next year will be sweet and sweet for the whole year."

This is... a rare love story.

Taking advantage of his inattention, Wen Renhuang quickly stepped on his foot and pressed a kiss on his lips, hehe said: "Then you are sweet too."

Huo Xiao looked at him with raised eyebrows, and said, "Very good, how about making it sweet tonight."

"..."

Sure enough, it was sweet all night.

At the beginning of the new year, although Duan Wang's Mansion is located in the frontier, it is still the most popular person in Daqi. There are countless people who come to visit. Huo Xiao is busy entertaining these people who have come all the way and don't know what their intentions are. Several days passed in a flash.

Wen Renhuang's heart was settled, and naturally he lived much more comfortably, but this stability did not last long, and Shen Chen's arrival soon brought them bad news.

That day, Wen Renhuang was practicing boxing in the courtyard, and it happened that Shen Chen rushed to the prince's study and passed by his courtyard.

Shen Chen, who was supposed to be here a few days earlier to celebrate the New Year with them, was unable to come back in time because he was stumbling over things in Beijing. Now that he said something happened, Huo Xiao frowned.

"The Zhen Guojun soldier talisman that was lost some time ago suddenly appeared. The leader led an army of [-] and set off for the capital, and will arrive in the capital in less than a month."

Huo Xiao narrowed his eyes and said: "Didn't the emperor say that the soldier talisman has been recast, and the previous one is invalid?"

Shen Chen wondered: "How did the prince know?"

Huo Xiao glanced at him, and Shen Chen immediately knew that he should not have asked, and continued: "The emperor's previous thoughts are humble, but he did not know about the sudden transfer of the Zhen Guojun this time. The prince returned to Ning After Ann, the emperor wanted to send someone to invite you back, but it was delayed because of these things."

Huo Xiao's eyes moved: "You mean, the emperor never sent anyone here from the beginning to the end?"

Shen Chen nodded and said: "When the lord returned with Mr. Wenren, it happened that the news that Qihuang Mountain had been rebelled came from the whole palace. The crow had left Jinling without a trace, and the vulture was caught by us and could not escape. It doesn't need to be a big deal, but just a few days later, I heard that the Zhen Guo army has been transferred, and the emperor seems to be a little busy."

Huo Xiao secretly guessed that the night they seriously injured Fengtian, Fengtian told the guards of the Forbidden Palace about the rebellion at Mount Qihuang, and he probably really made up his mind.Wen Renhuang was greatly stimulated that night, but Feng Tian had no intention of stopping.

Just as he was thinking, he suddenly saw Wen Renhuang standing outside the house.

Seeing that Huo Xiao's expression changed slightly, Shen Chen couldn't help but look back, and said, "Mr. Wenren... yes."

Wen Renhuang said: "Thanks to guard Shen for his concern, I'm fine."

Shen Chen didn't know where he offended the master, but he heard Ren Huang whispered: "Guard Shen came back this trip, do you know where the people from Qihuang Mountain are?"

Huo Xiao looked up at him.

Shen Chen thought for a while and said: "I don't know yet, there is only such a saying, and Prime Minister Wu has also disappeared."

Wen Renhuang took a look at Huo Xiao, and said slowly, "My lord, I'm afraid it's not suitable to stay here for a long time."

Huo Xiao instantly understood the meaning of his words, but he was a little surprised: "This king has been guarding the foot of Qihuang Mountain for so long, why has he never found it?"

Wen Renhuang's eyes darkened: "I have lived on Qihuang Mountain for ten years, and I have never found it."

After coming and going, Shen Chen's expression changed: "Could it be that the people from Qihuang Mountain... are on Qihuang Mountain!"

Wen Renhuang frowned and said, "I'm not sure if it's on the mountain or not, but it's in that direction after all."

Huo Xiao's complexion was not good: "How did he recruit soldiers under my king's nose?"

Wen Renhuang also thought of this. Huo Xiao has been stationed here for at least seven years in Ning'an, and it's unreasonable not to notice anything unusual for seven years, but he suddenly thought of something, and asked hesitantly: "The first Wu Ting girl, what is his identity?"

Huo Xiao opened his mouth and answered: "It is said that there are also two courtiers. In the previous emperor's generation, he was the bodyguard of the current emperor's younger brother."

After thinking about it, he asked, "Why did you ask him?"

Wen Renhuang said in embarrassment: "I once secretly followed Fengtian's whereabouts in Jinling City. I was told that he often went in and out of the Fifth General's Mansion."

Huo Xiao's complexion changed suddenly.

Wen Renhuang thought he was jealous, but when he was about to explain, Huo Xiao slammed the table and roared, "Qihuang Mountain is absolutely lawless!"

Wen Renhuang was stunned, and Shen Chen, who didn't know why, also asked cautiously: "What did the prince think of?"

Huo Xiao said speculatively: "Qihuang Mountain, together with Dunhe and Daqi, if he has soldiers and horses in the territory of Daqi, it is impossible for the king not to know. And the fifth daughter is originally from Dunhe, if they have a relationship, Recently, with the power of the fifth court girl on the fifth floor where Tsuruga is located, it is not a problem at all to help him place the army."

Wen Renhuang asked blankly: "The fifth Ting girl is from Dunhe, so I...why does the emperor still keep him as a tiger?"

Huo Xiao said: "I only know that he and the emperor had a deep relationship. The emperor has always indulged him, just like Prince Zhuang. I don't want him to live up to the grace of God."

Shen Chen murmured: "That can also explain why the Zhen Guo Army was suddenly mobilized. Originally, the Zhen Guo Army was in the hands of the fifth general. If he changed his mind, the army would naturally be in danger."

Huo Xiao's eyes were gloomy: "If the Zhen Guo army falls into their hands, it will be a fierce battle with the original army of Qihuang Mountain."

Wen Renhuang also thought of this, and said anxiously: "My lord, can you win?"

Huo Xiao looked at him, his expression finally softened, and he said in a deep voice, "If you don't win, there will be no future, so I will definitely win."

Shen Chen watched the interaction between the two in amazement. It seemed that the relationship between the two had undergone a qualitative change when he was not around!

Therefore, on the second day after Shen Chen came back, the entire Duanwang Mansion began to be relocated.

Many people couldn't figure out what King Duan was thinking. Many years ago, he asked for his order to go to the border area of ​​Ning'an. He went to Beijing to report on his work at the end of each year, and then rushed back to Ning'an at the end of the year. Year after year, he lost a lot of fame in vain. Lilu, and this time after the new year, he hurriedly moved back with the whole palace, which was different from usual.

Hearing that Huo Xiao and Wen Renhuang were already on their way home, Emperor Longbao's turbid eyes were a little moist. His sudden excitement caused another wave of discomfort in his body, and he coughed a few times before realizing that the blood on the handkerchief was bright red and glaring.

The gift Huo Xiao gave him before he left was to help him uncover the spies of Qihuang Mountain in the palace, and the imperial concubine Xuan who had always been loved by him was actually the vulture of Qihuang Mountain.

Emperor Longbao sat in the empty study and smiled. He never drank the tonic that the woman stewed for him on weekdays, but his body continued to decline day by day. Maybe it was because he was old. Every year is worse.He thought for a while, and asked people to put on a thick cloak and go to jail.

It is not for nothing that Kong Ningshuang stands out in a sea of ​​vulgar fans. At this moment, she is sitting alone in the cell and is out of tune with everything around her. She is still beautiful and beautiful, but her eyes are dull and dead.

The emperor walked to the door and asked in a low voice, "During this time, how are you doing?"

It took a while for Kong Ningshuang to recover, seeing the figure of the emperor, she felt her whole body stiffen, and said, "Thank you for your concern, it's true that Ningshuang's sinful people can still let His Majesty come to visit..."

"I treat you well," said Emperor Longbao, "although I didn't give you a higher name, the rewards were never harsh. Even though you couldn't help yourself when you entered the palace, after I treated you like this, you Still don't want to repent, what kind of thought do you have in serving the tonic you stewed me?"

Kong Ningshuang looked at him blankly, smiled suddenly, and said: "Your Majesty, Ningshuang is from Qihuang Mountain. When he was dying, it was King Feng who saved this humble life and kept me alive. What do you think you can do with money and money? Did you buy it?"

"I don't care what you think and what you are loyal to, I just want to know that Fengtian asked you to do these things?" Emperor Longbao asked.

Kong Ningshuang frowned: "Now that King Feng has led his troops to rebel, what's the point of His Majesty asking these questions?"

Emperor Longbao coughed a few times, and Zhang Zhong who was behind him hastily patted him on the back.He said dumbly: "Fengtian has such a tortuous approach, why didn't he just let you assassinate me when I was slack?"

Kong Ningshuang said: "Naturally I don't know how Feng Wang wants to be a subordinate, so I just have to do it."

"Then why did you sneak into the General's Mansion? I'm afraid it wasn't Feng Tian's order to get you arrested." He stopped coughing, and waved his hands to indicate that Zhang Zhong needn't be nervous.

Kong Ningshuang suddenly closed her eyes.

"It's not like I don't know what Qihuang Mountain has been secretly preparing for these years, just like Huo Xiao is waiting for you to fall into the trap."

"Your Majesty, the sinner Kong Ningshuang has something to ask."

Emperor Longbao looked at her: "What's the matter?"

"Can you let Ningshuang see that child for the last time?"

Emperor Longbao frowned imperceptibly.

Only then did Kong Ningshuang turn around and face the outside of the cell. Zhang Zhong, who was standing behind, could see that this woman was completely different from the glamorous Concubine Xuan at that time.

"Your Majesty, the child was adopted by Ningshuang since he was a child, and he didn't know Ningshuang's identity. This time, he was captured by King Duan because he was worried about Ningshuang's safety. I implore Your Majesty to let Ningshuang see the child." Kong Ningshuang walked sonorously, Walking to the prison door, the guards guarding Emperor Longbao immediately pulled out the saber at his waist vigilantly.

Emperor Longbao said softly: "I heard that the child's name is Que'er, and when you went to rescue him, it happened just after the death of the Peacock apostle."

Kong Ningshuang trembled all over, murmured with pale lips but couldn't make a sound.

Emperor Longbao looked at her for a while, seemed to understand something, shook his head and said: "Now the peacocks and vultures are all dead, only the crows are left to follow Fengtian against me."

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