Chang Huanxi

Wangcheng is very busy today. Numerous guards are neatly arranged on several streets to maintain order. All kinds of luxurious and dazzling carriages pour into the palace city from different directions. The pomp is comparable to the enthronement ceremony of King Liang back then.The road was full of gongs and drums, and it was so lively that it seemed like it was about to celebrate the New Year.

The common people in the city lay down by the windows and the door and looked out early, waiting to see how rich and noble these big figures look. If the guards didn't stop them, the frames of these big people would be hard to say. Unable to enter the palace smoothly.

Qi Yuan and the others kept a low profile among the adults' carriages, and only a few nearby adults greeted him through the narrow gap between the two carriages.

Hong Xiao, who was pretending to be an attendant, entered the palace with Qi Yuan. He lifted a corner of the curtain to look out. The palace people coming and going were holding rare treasures collected by these dignitaries from all over the world. A dazzling array of eyes competed for novelty and beauty, almost blinded, Hong Xiao was speechless, and looked away resentfully.

"Are you really sure that he will appear at the palace banquet?" Hong Xiao asked.

Since that day when they went to the dark alley of Shiwu Street, Qi Yuan didn't know what he saw. He was only asked to enter the palace together to attend the palace banquet today, and to watch the performance of the troupe brought by Di Jing. He didn't say anything else .

Qi Yuan replied: "The purpose of this person is nothing more than to stir up trouble and cause commotion. Is there any occasion that attracts more attention than this grand palace banquet?"

What he found that day was actually nothing special, but some gold powder was stained on the horseshoe prints. It was a cloudy day, and the air was humid, and the gold powder embedded in the soil gave off a scent of pine ink.

This pine ink is a good thing that even ordinary officials can hardly get. It is a good opportunity for hundreds of officials to attend the banquet today.

Hong Xiao nodded in agreement.

The carriage slowly drove into the gate of the palace, and soon some palace people led the horses to welcome the two of them in.

Qi Yuan got out of the carriage, and handed a golden tortoise the size of a thumb to the smiling old eunuch, "Eunuch Shun, how's his appetite these days? There are complicated affairs in the palace, and I have to rely on my father-in-law to share my worries."

The old eunuch took the golden tortoise and stuffed it into his arms, his eyes narrowed, "Hey, Your Highness the Fourth Highness is really annoying this old slave. There are old slaves watching, so don't worry!"

Qi Yuan smiled and said: "A few days ago, Brother Sanhuang asked me to bring some gadgets to Mr. Su from outside the palace. I have to pay my respects to my father, queen and queen first. Please trouble my father-in-law to take my guard to Moge to find Mr. Su." good?"

"Of course, of course, Fourth Highness, don't worry, leave it to the old slave."

Qi Yuan turned around and handed Hong Xiao a small wooden box, and said in a low voice: "This is a letter, you can give it to Su Lan and he will know it at a glance. When the time comes, the painters will wait to paint at the palace banquet. On their side, you just follow him and wait for the opportunity to find your sister, and when you see her, don't say anything, just keep an eye on her."

Hong Xiao nodded to mark it down, and followed the old eunuch to Moge.Qi Yuan straightened his clothes, and was led by another eunuch who had been serving Eunuch Shun to the main hall of the palace banquet.

Along the way, he met many ministers from the court and China, so few people recognized him as the prince.

Today he is wearing a blue-green gown and a jade crown to simply tie his hair. He looks very classy in the cumbersome and bright official uniforms, but he is playing with a branch that has just been broken from a tree by the roadside in his hand. With a thoughtful, mysterious smile.

After walking a few steps, he arrived at the main hall, the little eunuch bowed to leave, and Qi Yuan also gave him a reward. The child looked familiar, he should have just entered the palace, and he was submissive when he thanked him for the reward.

King Liang hadn't arrived in the hall yet, but the queen was already sitting in the hall, holding the hand of the first prince, who was also the present prince Qi Shu, and talking.

Qi Mo sat under them, carefully studying the gold cup on the table in front of him, as if he saw something novel.

The First Prince and Second Prince are both born of the late Empress Yuan, and Qi Yuan and Qi Mo are the sons and daughters of the current Empress Fu Yueying. Although Fu Yueying is an empress empress and the eldest daughter of the Marquis of An, she does not have those extravagant habits. He was also very kind to Empress Yuan's two sons, for fear of treating them badly. Originally, these two children lost their mothers when they were young, but they were also regarded as bereaved of their fathers.

"Mother Jin'an, Brother Dahuang, Brother Sanhuang." Qi Yuan visited his mother and elder brother in turn. The crown prince asked him how he was doing in a gentle voice. very."

The prince helplessly supported his forehead and said with a smile: "Since this is the case, let's help the emperor take care of the affairs of the court. The three of you will know that you can leave the business to me, and you will be happy."

Fu Yueying said: "Shu'er, you have learned the way of governing the country since you were a child. You know that Mo'er and Xiao Yuan's thoughts are not on this side, and Yu'er... You are more tired on weekdays, and you should learn more when helping your father and emperor to assist the government. It's better than the princes of the previous dynasty fighting for the throne..."

"The emperor is here—" Following the eunuch's high-pitched voice, the main hall fell silent.

Fu Yueying also stopped talking, and looked towards the entrance of the main hall together with them.Qi Shu gave Qi Yuan a wry smile, and Qi Yuan patted him on the shoulder to show that he was helpless, and soon walked up to the seat on Qi Mo's left that belonged to him and sat down.

Facing them are the only two concubines in the harem, Concubine Shu and Concubine Hui. These two are the daughters of General Dingnan and the granddaughter of Song Taifu, who were canonized after King Liang quelled the Di Jing Rebellion. Waiting for a beautiful woman.

It's a pity that Lang Wuqing's concubine has no intentions, and the two of them will enjoy the flowers and chat together on weekdays, which is mysterious and not for outsiders to understand.

"I have already given the note you handed in to the palace yesterday, what's going on, little Ayan is missing?" Qi Mo asked in a low voice, turning sideways.

At the same time, the sound of bells and drums was played in the hall, subtly covering up their conversation, so no one noticed their small movements.

Qi Yuan shook his head, and asked instead: "Why hasn't Second Brother come here yet?"

"I heard that I was caught with the wind and cold, so I can't speak at the moment. People in his palace said that he will arrive later. It's strange to say that I also felt an itchy nose for no reason yesterday." Qi Mo held up the teacup Leaning against the lips to cover up the movement of speaking.

"I just wanted to ask, who are you hiding from?"

Qi Mo glanced at the top of his right hand with a guilty conscience, and said with a sneer: "Brother Elder Emperor asked me to help him manage the government yesterday, but I excused that my throat was inflamed, so don't let him see it."

Qi Yuan: ... Brother Dahuang is too pitiful.

Someone knocked on the door outside the house, the man in black coughed lightly, took a black cloth belt and wrapped it around Shen Yanhuan's eyes, fumbled for a pill, pinched his mouth open and stuffed it in.

"Eat this jelly bean and you won't be able to talk. It may hurt a little later, but you should be able to bear it!"

Shen Yanhuan rolled her eyes under the black cloth belt, but unfortunately the other party couldn't see it.

As soon as he tasted this thing, it tasted exactly the same as the hibiscus cake he ate that day...it was so delicious.

Soon the familiar feeling of powerlessness surged up again, and he felt that his eyes suddenly became brighter, and the light shone in through the black cloth, but he felt uncomfortable for a moment, and he vaguely heard that person chuckling in his ear.

Immediately afterwards, a familiar sharp blade slowly moved down along the wound where he had been injured.

Shen Yanhuan broke out in cold sweat immediately, this long process is the most tormenting, why not give him a good time!

But he couldn't make a sound at all, so he could only grit his teeth to relieve the pain. Before he could go completely, he heard the man put on his clothes and said slowly: "Let's go, let's go see Qi Yuan."

In the hall, the singing and dancing was peaceful, and Di Jing's envoy wanted to stand up and say something several times, but was persuaded by the ministers around him. It's not time for the second prince to speak now. What if something happens to the second prince? They can't escape the suspicion.

Liang Wang also frowned imperceptibly, and asked the queen beside him in a low voice: "What's the matter, why hasn't Yu'er come yet? Could something have happened again?"

The empress signaled him to be calm and calm, and told the maids who were waiting beside him to rush to the second prince's palace to remind him.Before the court lady walked out of the hall, the eunuch who passed the door shouted loudly: "The second prince is here—"

Several people in the hall showed relieved expressions on their faces.Yuan smiled slightly, rubbed his index finger on the golden cup that was said to be Di Jing's fine wine, and raised his glass to Di Jing's envoy from a distance, regardless of the other party's reaction, he drank it all in one gulp.

Envoy Di Jing had no choice but to stand up and raise his glass to drink. After sitting down, he quietly asked the ministers beside him, "What does the Fourth Prince mean? Could it be that he saw something?"

"I can't..." The minister was also a little confused, "Haven't we not done it yet? What can he see? Is this fourth prince really as godly as in the legend, who has cultivated the Dao and can predict the future?"

In the words, the second prince, Qi Yu, had already arrived at the hall, with a pale and sickly face, and his thin body looked like a weak willow supporting the wind.

Although the queen knew that the shell of her cheap second son was probably a different person, similar to her husband Liang Wangqi's reasoning, she still greeted him for a long time.

Qi Yu was indeed like what the palace people said, her throat was burnt out and she couldn't speak, and she only listened carefully to the queen, nodding her head from time to time in response.

At this point, all the people who were supposed to come had finally arrived, and the dancers were really exhausted after forcing a half-day extra play, so I hoped that these nobles would hurry up and get down to business, and let them, the little ones, go down and rest.

The music gradually died down and after a round of drinking, Di Jing's envoy saw that the time was almost up, he raised his wine glass and left his seat, bowed to the King of Liang in the center of the hall, and said loudly: "I, Di Jing, have heard that the people of Daliang have superb folk music, and today I will serve the state. The order of the Lord brought our theater troupe here to perform, and the small tricks are just for the laughter of the adults! Bring the things up!"

Soon the palace people carried seven or eight large boxes into the hall, one of them didn't know what was in it, and the liquid dripped down, following the footsteps of the palace people.

Qi Yuan's expression changed instantly, that thing was blood!