fleeting photos

Before dawn, Zhao Heng changed into his official robes and was about to enter the palace, when he happened to meet Zhao Zhixin walking towards him when he went out.

"Father, something happened."

With a serious face, he pulled Zhao Hengze back into the room, and said in a low voice, "It was just now that the palace has announced that it will be temporarily exempted from court today, and you don't need to enter the palace.

I felt that something was wrong, so I asked people to inquire about it. I heard that Tang Jinshan took people from Dali Temple to Xianglefang to investigate the case in the middle of the night, and started fighting with Lu Shuai's people. "

Zhao Heng had a serious expression on his face, and quickly asked: "Didn't you send someone to prepare for the attack late at night, is it done?"

Zhao Zhixin shook his head and sighed: "Before he could do anything, he was surrounded by people led by Tang Jinshan, and now he was arrested together with the people from the Shuaifu, and temporarily detained in the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, the interrogation has not yet started."

"Your Majesty really made such a move, and didn't save Lu Cangyu any face?"

Zhao Heng frowned, put the official hat in his hand on the table, stroked his beard and asked.

"Shuai Lu has already entered the palace, but how His Majesty will deal with this matter is still unknown."

Zhao Zhixin didn't care about what would happen to Lu Cangyu at this time, he was afraid that it would soon be discovered that the captured guards were actually two groups of people, and if the Zhao family was confessed again, it would be nothing to lose Put the rice up.

He told Zhao Hengze his worries, but Zhao Hengze was much calmer.

"Since he was sent to the Ministry of Punishment, there is no need to worry too much, Wei Liang is not someone who likes to be tortured.

And those are all dead men, they may have committed suicide in prison at this time, even if His Majesty became suspicious, he would not casually suspect us, and all we have to do at this time is just wait quietly. "

Zhao Heng waved his hand, signaling Zhao Zhixin to sit down with him, and said to him: "Since His Majesty sent Dali Temple to arrest people openly, it is likely that he will tear himself apart with Lu Cangyu, and we have achieved our goal."

"But father." Zhao Zhixin frowned slightly, and retorted: "After all, Marshal Lu is the Holy Majesty's own uncle, and now the Holy Majesty is firmly seated on the throne, and he relies on his military power. It will be over."

Zhao Heng smiled, reached out to touch the tea bowl, Zhao Zhixin got up and poured him a cup of hot tea.

"Don't underestimate our Majesty, what about my uncle?

The emperor's family can't even rely on the bond of flesh and blood, let alone such a relationship between uncle and nephew without the empress dowager to mediate in the middle. "

After taking a sip of hot tea, Zhao Heng breathed a sigh of relief, and said meaningfully: "I'm only playing with the court situation, and His Majesty can't tolerate me, how long do you think Marshal Lu, who is in charge of the three armies, can be brilliant? "

"As for military power..."

Zhao Heng paused for a moment, and a cold light flashed in his slightly cloudy eyes, "You also know the importance of military power, don't you think His Majesty doesn't know?

Her desire to centralize power is undisguised, the Zhao family can't hide it, and the Lu family can't hide it either, not to mention that Lu Cangyu is now openly confronting His Majesty, what does the word "uncle" mean? "

Seeing the expression of enlightenment on Zhao Zhixin's face, Zhao Heng stroked his beard and calmly said, "Xin'er, don't forget that our ultimate goal is not to kill Xie Jin, but to separate His Majesty from Lu Cangyu."

"It's my son who is thinking about it." Zhao Zhixin cupped his hands at his father, and finally felt relieved.

The palace, the imperial study.

At this time, there was indeed some tension between the uncle and nephew who the Zhao family father and son said had been divorced.

"Uncle, you promised me that I would never treat her slowly, but now?"

Sitting behind the desk, Jiang Zhao looked at Lu Cangyu who was kneeling on the ground expressionlessly, and asked softly.

Lu Cangyu lowered her eyes and didn't look at her. Although she already knew that Xie Jin hurt herself, but the matter has come to this point, there is nothing to justify, so she just said: "I have nothing to say, please punish me, Your Majesty."

"Punishment?" Jiang Zhao asked back, squinting his eyes and laughing.

She leaned back on the back of the chair, looked lightly at the uncle who was kneeling in front of her, a smile appeared on the corners of her lips, but she didn't see it, "The Generalissimo guarded the border, fought on the battlefield, and made great contributions. How dare I punish you for your crime?"

Lu Cangyu finally raised his eyes to look at her, and said calmly: "The merits of the minister are not for myself, nor for the Lu family, but for the great Meng Jiangshan, and for the people of the world.

It is a gift from His Majesty that I occupy the position of Marshal of the whole country and control the military power of the three armies. If Your Majesty wants to take it back, I dare not hold any grudges with the Lu family. "

After he finished speaking, seeing that Jiang Zhao remained silent, he asked, "But are you sure, Your Majesty, that you want to wipe out all the affection between you and my uncle and nephew, and the righteousness of the monarch and minister, for the sake of a woman?"

As soon as these words came out of her mouth, Lu Cangyu felt a little regretful, thinking that she said it too seriously.

But Jiang Zhao didn't intend to get angry when he heard his words, but just took a deep look at him, shook his head and sighed: "Uncle, you still don't understand what she means to me."

She asked Lu Cangyu to stand up and sit down, put the matter in front of her aside for the time being, and talked about the past with him instead.

Those pictures that never faded in memory resurfaced bit by bit. Jiang Zhao's expression moved slightly, and there was a gentle smile of nostalgia on his face, telling the story of her acquaintance with Xie Jin.

It was the past that she never wanted to mention, but never forgot.

It was the secret that she kept silent after Lu Yanrong came out of the cold palace for fear that her mother would personally blame her.

It was also the embarrassment that only Xie Jin had seen so far.

Finally she smiled and said to Lu Cangyu: "I used to think that to be an emperor is to be like my father, holding the power of life and death in the world, getting what I like, and destroying what I hate, but later I found out that it is not the case .”

Jiang Zhao stretched out his hand to shake it, and said in a low voice: "Even if I become the emperor, I can't save my mother's life, and the uncle who loved me once also alienated me for the sake of the overall situation, and let me learn to be a lonely king.

In fact, I also thought about it, if I hadn't concealed my identity from the beginning, would Jinniang have treated me well?

If I sent her out of the palace as she wished after I ascended the throne, would she be willing to stay by my side when she only regarded me as her younger sister? "

She looked at Lu Cangyu with absent-minded eyes, and smiled lightly again, her brows and eyes curved in joyful arcs, and she said with a little ease: "But then I didn't think about it, because the past can't be chased after all, and now, it's already me. The most desired ending."

"Uncle is always an uncle, mother's elder brother, and one of the few relatives I have in this world.

For me, there is only one Jinniang, the only person I love in this life, but likewise, there is only one uncle, I will not hate my uncle for Jinniang, nor will I give up Jinniang for my uncle. "

Jiang Zhao stood up, walked out from behind the case to Lu Cangyu, raised his clothes and knelt down, Lu Cangyu was startled as if he had just woken up from a dream, and hurriedly got up to dodge, not daring to accept her big gift.

"This kneeling is not the emperor begging the marshal, but Jiang Zhao begging uncle."

Seeing that Lu Cangyu's face was complex and hesitant, Jiang Zhao fired up again and asked him, "Does uncle still remember what mother said to you before she died?"

Lu Cangyu was startled, then slowly nodded.

He naturally remembered Lu Yanrong's last words, that as the son of the Lu family, Lu Cangyu lived up to the expectations of his parents, the entrustment of the late emperor, the soldiers in the army, and the common people of Dameng.

In this life, all his guilt has been given to his only biological sister.

It was he who proposed to bring Lu Yanrong to the palace for a banquet, which made his sister fall into the eyes of the late emperor and ruined a lifetime of happiness.

It was also he who only focused on guarding the border, but left Lu Yanrong in the deep palace behind, causing her to become depressed and sick.

In February of the first year of Jiaping, on that rainy night before the end of the cold spring, an imperial decree was passed into the commander-in-chief's mansion. Lu Cangyu rode into the palace alone, and met Lu Yanrong for the last time with Jiang Zhao.

Lu Yanrong struggled to support her sick body, took her daughter's hand into his palm, and said in a very weak voice: "It's not my original wish to take the throne. The throne is too high and too cold, but I can't accompany her to go on. , I hope that after my death, my brother can treat her kindly and tolerate her.

As a mother, I don't ask her to be a wise king through the ages and create an unworldly foundation. I only hope that she can live a safe and happy life and get what she wants.Brother, I will leave Zhao'er to you, okay? "

She talked too much in a row, coughed a few times in a low voice, her face was almost transparent.

So Lu Cangyu gave her the promise without any hesitation, and said, "Okay."

Lu Yanrong smiled slightly, she no longer had the strength to say any more unnecessary words, she raised her hand to Lu Cangyu, Lu Cangyu held Jiang Zhao with one hand, and shook her with the other, hearing her weak voice, she called out to him one last time.

brother.

This was almost the nightmare of his life, making him feel that the hot part of his blood-stained palm belonged to Lu Yanrong.

Lu Cangyu looked at Jiang Zhao, looking for traces of blood from her eyebrows and facial features.

After being silent for a while, he finally made a concession and said to Jiang Zhao: "Uncle promises you that you will not interfere with the affairs between you, but can you promise uncle that you should think about it about the position of the crown prince, otherwise it will be difficult to block the world." Yoyo's mouth."

He bent down to help Jiang Zhao up, and said in a low voice: "Xie Jin should be a person who understands the general situation. If this is inconvenient for you, let uncle tell her, even if you go to the father to keep the son..."

Lu Cangyu's eyes changed, she became more decisive and fierce, and promised: "Let uncle handle this matter as well."

As long as Jiang Zhao agrees to give birth to her own flesh and blood, Lu Cangyu can act as if she doesn't know anything and doesn't interfere.

Even if Jiang Zhao didn't want to be drafted or established in the middle palace all his life, as long as there is a biological heir who can legitimately inherit the throne, Lu Cangyu has the position to guarantee all her power at all costs.

Is there a better option than this?

He thought that this was the biggest concession he could make, and it was also the choice Jiang Zhao should make now. It could not only ensure that his heirs would have a worry-free inheritance, but also allow her and Xie Jin to stay together for life and never be separated.

But Jiang Zhao shook his head to express his refusal, and said bluntly: "Uncle, women and men are different, since I have Jinniang, how can I have children with others?

You don't need to talk to her, even if she agrees, I won't agree, I can't give her the name of the mother of the middle palace, at least give her a complete and clean picture of ginger. "

"you……"

Lu Cangyu wanted to say that she was unreasonable, but considering her status, she swallowed it forcefully, and added half-truthfully, "You and her do have something to match."

Jiang Zhao didn't understand what he meant, but Lu Cangyu didn't want to explain, and became sullen again.

From the overall situation, he felt that Jiang Zhao was too stubborn, unwilling to tolerate, and didn't know how to give in.

But from an emotional point of view, he admired the two people's loyalty to each other. Although their attitudes were relatively tough, which made him lose face and feel angry, fundamentally speaking, Lu Cangyu felt that it was precious.

But these commendable things made him very troubled.

In the end, he still wanted to struggle, and asked Jiang Zhao if he could let him see Xie Jin again. Seeing that Jiang Zhao was hesitant and didn't agree immediately, he assured him, "Don't worry, I never meant to hurt her."

"I believe in my uncle's character, but I'm not worried about this."

Jiang Zhao's eyes flickered slightly, and he said truthfully: "Uncle told me that the house in Xianglefang sent six guards, but Tang Jinshan surrounded and arrested more than ten masters nearby. Isn't this very strange?"

Lu Cangyu didn't know about this yet, and she felt weird when she heard it, and pinched her chin and said, "Two days ago, I heard that there were people nearby, but I thought it was sent by His Majesty, so I didn't let them act rashly. But according to what His Majesty said now, apart from you and I playing games, there are actually people who fish in troubled waters?"

Jiang Zhao nodded, "That's what I'm worried about. Although I believe that my uncle won't do anything to Jinniang, it's hard to guarantee that someone else will do something secretly, so I don't want Jinniang to show up for the time being, and let her recover from her injuries by the way."

"Besides, I need Uncle Lao's cooperation to stay in prison for a few days." Jiang Zhao grinned, and winked at Lu Cangyu playfully, "I want to lure the snake out of the hole, thank you Uncle."

Lu Cangyu sighed, showing no sign of reluctance towards her plan, she cupped her hands and said, "I would like to obey the holy edict."

The author has something to say:

How to play the emotional card again, Jiang Zhao said, there are not many plans, just do what works.

Uncle: Carve the word "birth baby" into cigarettes and inhale the lungs

Jiang Zhao: Dabaa