Emperor Que Shaohua

Chonghua Palace faces south from the north, enters the Meridian Gate, and the Qiangong Taihe Gate is far away from the Zichen Palace.On the east side of Taihe Gate, a two-story building stands majestically, named Chaoxi Building.

In the entire imperial city, the Chaoxi Building is also quite unusual.It was built at the beginning of Yu Zhou's founding of the country. It is six feet six feet high. The whole building has no doors and is ventilated on all sides. The imperial guards are stationed inside the building all the year round. The only duty is to guard the evening drum placed in the building.

It is said that the Xiwen Drum was specially set up by the founding ancestors of the Luo family in order to warn future generations and show the strictness of the royal family to all people in the world.The diameter of the whole drum is seven feet three, and the drum head is made of exotic animal skins brought in by Siam. It is said that when the drum was struck in the evening, the sound was like thunder from nine heavens, which not only shook the entire Chonghua Palace, but also spread throughout the city of Luo Every corner for tens of miles.

The name of Xiwen, like Chaoxi Building, was bestowed by the ancestors and emperors. It not only means unpredictable fortune, good fortune and misfortune, but also sighs that if you hear the Tao in the morning, you can die in the evening.Just because the drum is used, it means that there is an emergency, or it is related to the fate of Yu and Zhou, or if there is a major injustice and there is no place to appeal, it must be heard directly.For the Son of Heaven, it is better to have no knowledge than to not hear the truth in the morning, although it is late to hear it in the evening.When the drum sounded in the evening, no matter day or night, no matter where the emperor was in the palace or what he was doing, he had to stop immediately and rush to the Zichen Hall to take his seat and deal with the whole situation.

If you strictly abide by the hadith of your ancestors, then everyone from the imperial court to officials, clan relatives, common people, traffickers and pawns has the right to go up to the tower and beat the drum.However, I also want to know that the relationship is so important, and the Chaoxi Tower is located in the palace city, and it is difficult for officials who enter the palace to approach. Even if they risk their lives, Xiwengu is still close at hand; For serious crimes, those who use this method will not escape the punishment of knives and nails.Due to various reasons, the Xiwen Drum has only been sounded once in the past hundred years. The Chaoxi Tower standing beside the Taihe Gate is more like a symbol left by the ancestors of the emperor.

Luo Pingyuan's pupils shrank instantly, and the last three words of King Yun surprised him, this is indeed the fastest way at present.No matter how Luo Wenxiao tried to stop him, he never expected that the Xiwen drum would sound again, and Emperor Tianyi could not violate the ancestral rule and continue to stay in the harem.

"Brother Sihuang, you go to Changning Palace, I will go to Chaoxi Building." He said immediately, "I will compete with the Liao people in a few days, Father will not punish me."

"There is no martial arts competition, and no one dares to ask me to roll the nailboard. What are you afraid of?" King Yun frowned, and Ling Ran said, "You are different from me, and you can't make such a head rashly. By Yuan, your intentions are beyond my control." I understand, but Brother Dahuang has already tried his best to prevent you from wading into the muddy water. Stop wasting time by talking, go and do things separately!"

His tone was decisive, without any room for negotiation.Luo Pingyuan nodded, still remembering that a few months ago when King Yun first returned, he visited the door, the plum blossoms reflected the snow on that day, and the three of them were cooking wine and drinking tea in the small pavilion, discussing future achievements together.The promise made is still in my ears, and the weight of it is actually heavier than what I can think of.He said, "Be careful, I'll wait for your drumbeat."

When King Yun and King Ning were still arguing with King An in the Eastern Palace, outside Changning Palace, Luo Wenxiao had already arrived for a while.At the moment, he was more relaxed than anyone else in the palace, and he even asked the guard in charge to bring a chair, and Shi Shiran sat beside the First Prince.

Luo Yanhua felt that it had not been this cold for a long time.The cold wind at night is not as harsh as winter, but has a damp chill that penetrates deep into the bone marrow.Even though the consciousness has been numb, why do you still feel the hollowing-out cold spreading in your body, wherever you go, your limbs and bones seem to be scraped by a knife blade unhurriedly, endless pain and soreness, accompanied by bursts of collapse.

Luo Wenxiao was sitting not far away talking, his voice was close to his ears, as if he was afraid that he would not hear him, but he still couldn't hear a few words, the mocking tone seemed to come from far away, and it was hard to attract attention force.The head is heavy, but the pain in the body is still clear.Yes, this is just the prelude to the beginning. When the toxicity really kicks in, all kinds of more severe suffering will come one after another, making life worse than death, and even coma is a rare luxury.

As time went by, the memory of being tortured by Bihai Chengxin for the first time a long time ago became clear, as if he had been awakened along with the hidden poison, and his heart was filled with emptiness and coldness.

"Brother Dahuang, I've told you a lot in vain. Why don't you say a word? It's really disappointing. Where has all your eloquence gone?" Luo Wenxiao had the most gentle smile on his face, and his tone was like Gentle like a spring breeze, "Changning Palace is a good place. It's a good place to grow up here and die here. It's a pity that the people who followed you are either dead or unable to enter the palace. See you off, don't you appreciate it?"

Speaking of this, he saw that King Jing did not respond, and then lowered his body slightly: "Still waiting for someone to intercede for you? The time to close the palace gate is coming soon. Why is there no one who can help you? It's a pity Ah, trying my best to win over this and that, no one will be of use at critical moments. Let me tell you, Luo Linpian, the only one who is looking for you, went out of the city early to play."

From now on, the cynicism is like the water that has broken the embankment. Perhaps the prince has pretended for too long and suppressed too much, and he is eager to vent once he gains power.Luo Yanhua still didn't answer, he was so uncomfortable, every ounce of strength was taken away by the pain, he only felt that he would lose strength and fall down at any time.The cold sweat was blown dry by the cold wind the moment it broke out, and the prince's voice came into his mind intermittently. He vaguely thought, what would A Su do if he couldn't find Lin Pian, he would definitely die of panic.

In the gradually darkening night, Luo Wenxiao saw Jing Wang's face was strangely pale, as if life was draining from his body bit by bit.It's really a pity that the surroundings are too dark to capture every trace of pain hidden under the calm face. This is the most important pinnacle in his life, and it is worth recalling repeatedly in the future, just like when he was canonized as the prince back then.

Why do you hate Luo Yanhua so much?He can't say clearly now, but he has known for a long time that the other party is your life-and-death enemy.Even before he was born, he was doomed to be crushed by this elder brother who was only one year older.Of course he wanted to plunder it back, the crown prince's position, blood relationship, innocence, everything that could be deprived from the eldest son of the emperor and taken as his own.He also didn't understand why he became more and more obsessed and crazy, maybe he had tasted the benefits after Concubine Han guided him to make a start.The deeper I went, the more I couldn't stop, and I realized that King Jing had so many natural advantages and endowments, but on the other hand, he was too poor.He has already been deeply involved, as long as Luo Yanhua is not dead, he will not be able to stop.But all of this will end tonight after all, because it is a narrow victory, the taste becomes more and more wonderful.

"Brother Dahuang, it seems that Father didn't intend to give you an antidote, what can you do?" He smiled, "If you can't do it, the subordinates in Langhuan will have no leader, how will you deal with any accident? Don't hurry up Now beg me carefully, maybe as a younger brother, I will take good care of you for the sake of getting along with you for many years, just like my mother and concubine promised that Empress Langhuan would take care of you."

King Jing still didn't make a sound, and even his expression didn't change, as if he didn't hear it at all.The prince was a little unhappy. Apart from waiting to appreciate the tossing pain of the poisonous hair, he also had to see King Jing's emotional loss of control and collapse. Begging or scolding would make this victory more perfect.

"You are a very talented person, but it's a pity that you are not smart enough. Knowing how my mother and concubine defeated the queen back then, how dare you bet on the father? Today's defeat is really unfair!" He shook his head. Sighing, there was actually a hint of regret in her tone, "Back then, my mother and concubine made all-out efforts to win the game for ten years, all thanks to my father; now you have risked your life and finally forced me to nowhere, and it is because Your father has failed. You may still bet, maybe he will change his mind and let you go, so give up, with me here, as long as your father does not come in person, even if the antidote arrives in front of you, you have no chance to swallow it."

He slowly got up from the seat, walked in front of King Jing, lowered his head to stare at the face that had faded from blood and anger, and said softly: "I heard that people who are in love with Bihai Chengxin are most afraid of the cold, and the night is cold and dewy. How long can Brother Da Huang's weak body last, one hour, two hours? Don't worry, I will always be with you every step of the way, and will not allow anyone to disturb you."

At this point, he suddenly moved closer, almost close to King Jing's ear, and it was no surprise that he saw a trace of disgust flashing across Luo Yanhua's face: "The fourth and fifth emperors are both talents. , but they have experienced too little. No matter ten years ago or now, they can neither see through the treacherous schemes nor distinguish the dangers of people's hearts, so no one is at the moment of life and death. Without you from now on, they are not my opponents, especially King Ning , he is currently accepting hospitality at the Dingjianhou Mansion."

Speaking of the last sentence, he saw King Jing's drooping eyelashes tremble, and he couldn't help being satisfied: "You won't beg me for Langhuan, so what about the Fifth Emperor? As long as you beg sincerely, maybe in the future I will beg you." Thinking of brotherhood, I will be a little merciful to him. Seeing that he is still indifferent to you until now, I can't bear it. It's a pity that Luo Pingyuan will never have the chance to know how precious you are to him in this life. "

He stared carefully at the other person's expression, but still didn't find the expected emotional change, no matter panic, anger or vulnerability, Luo Yanhua's face was only indifferent, and he didn't even lift his eyes.

"Second Brother, what are you doing?" There was a sudden reprimand from not far away, the voice was crisp.

Luo Wenxiao was engrossed in his excitement, but he didn't expect that someone would dare to disturb him, so he backed away slightly in shock.The slim figure of Princess Danyang appeared in front of her, blocking King Jing behind her.

"It turns out that you are the imperial sister, and you still come out at such a late hour, no wonder the father always wants you to learn more rules." Luo Wenxiao was annoyed in his heart, but smiled slightly on his face, "This is not the place you should come, or Go back quickly, don't cause trouble for Concubine Rong."

"I was stuffy in the room, so I went out to relax. I didn't expect that the night was dark and the wind was high, and there were people blocking the way in a mess everywhere. I avoided it and took a few steps and turned to this side." Luo Xuening just saw the prince and Jing Wang leaving She was too close, as if she was going to make an unfavorable move, so she hurriedly yelled out, and she said nonchalantly, "Where are all the servants, why are the two imperial brothers here alone, there is not even a servant to serve you?" , there are no rules, if the father finds out, he will definitely be unhappy."

Luo Wenxiao's heart trembled slightly, all his deeds were done under the banner of filial piety, but he still exceeded the rules, if Luo Xuening exposed it in front of Emperor Tianyi, it would be very disadvantageous.

Luo Xuening didn't bother to say more, took a thick cloak from the maid behind her, and put it on King Jing's body. She felt that her hands were cold, as if she had suffered from severe hypothermia. When she looked intently, she was suddenly as pale as Shi's face was startled, and he lost his voice: "Brother Dahuang, what's wrong with you, are you sick?"

Luo Yanhua heard the emperor's sister talking beside him, and in front of his eyes was a girlish face, but as the time approached, the toxicity on his body had begun to show, and the pain in his body became more and more serious, like ice needles piercing.Just now he didn't want to pay attention to Luo Wenxiao, but now he wanted to talk but couldn't muster the energy.He didn't want to scare Xue Ning, so he managed to utter a few words: "It's okay, but I'm a little dizzy."

"I can't kneel anymore!" His appearance was wrong, and his voice was wrong, Luo Xuening panicked for a while, "Brother Emperor, can you stand up? I will help you to rest in the side hall, and you must call the imperial doctor quickly." He wanted the maid to come over and help King Jing up together, but a hand was stretched out beside her and pressed down on her shoulder.

"Xue Ning, you should have had enough trouble." Luo Wenxiao looked on coldly, and said solemnly, "Father personally asked the eldest brother to kneel outside the Changning Palace to reflect. There is no purpose, so you are not allowed to add clothes to him and help him up , is it a child's play to be the father? If you don't get a lesson, if he offends the father next time, can you bear the responsibility?"

"Brother Erhuang moved the chair and sat here for a long time, but he didn't see what happened to Brother Elder Emperor? If he didn't immediately send someone to report to Emperor Father to plead for mercy, and even send away the servants, what kind of heart is there?" Princess Danyang was furious. Furious, he turned around and stared at the crown prince, "Father wanted to punish the elder brother to kneel, but he didn't say that he would be allowed to die of illness, death, and freezing to death! Others are afraid of you, but I am not. I will report everything to Father!"

"I can't see that the emperor's sister is threatening people. Is this the way you are talking to me? It seems that the father really spoils you!" Luo Wenxiao sneered, he has no intention of maintaining a modest and gentle image, " I only know that nothing is more important than the health of the royal father, no matter how much the imperial sister loves the elder brother, don't think about resisting the order, otherwise don't blame me for ordering you to kneel as a punishment."

That's what he said, but he felt somewhat apprehensive in his heart.Luo Xuening is not familiar with martial arts, she only needs to move her fingers to push her away, but the martial arts competition is not over yet, Princess Danyang's status in the palace is very detached, if something happens to her, it will be difficult to explain to the heroes all over the city .

Luo Xuening wrapped the cloak on King Jing's body more tightly, and felt that his body was trembling slightly, as if he would be unable to hold on at any time.If the maids or servants were ordered to go to the harem to report, these servants would definitely be stopped at Jingqing Gate in Tianjie; if they went by themselves, they would have to leave King Jing's side, and the prince might take the opportunity to assassinate him.She was at a loss in her heart for a moment, and she was so anxious that tears were about to flow down.

From Dongpian Hall to Taihe Gate, the distance is not very far, Luo Linpian walked quickly towards Dongshou Chaoxi Tower, his white clothes fluttered in the night wind, followed by a few followers.The imperial guards who were guarding outside the building immediately came forward to meet them, all of them were a little bit at a loss due to excessive surprise, could it be that the Fourth Highness is...?

"Excuse me," King Yun made a slight signal, and walked towards the building without stopping. Several imperial guards quickly blocked the way, and one of them boldly said: "Your Highness, this is an important place, and you must not enter without permission."

"Get out of the way, I have something important, and I need to borrow Xi Wengu to use it." Yun Wang said lightly, "Why, is this king not qualified to use it?"

"Of course, Your Highness certainly does." Even the four princes who are as arrogant as the royal guards in terms of scenery and pacified the northern border are also heavenly figures. It is an honor to be glanced at and scolded by him. Hearing the words, he can't help being moved Intimidate.However, it is the duty of guarding the Xiwen drum, and the leader still dare not give way, he stammered and said: "This is a big matter, why do you have to use such means, Your Highness, think twice! The younger ones are ordered to take turns. Ring, we are all guilty, I beg your Highness to be sympathetic, will the prophet tell Commander Li?"

"Shut up! If you delay any longer, you are the ones who can't afford it. Even if Commander Li is here, he won't object." Luo Linpian was a little impatient, and said coldly, "I want to force my way, you can stop it ? Get out of the way quickly, don't wait for my order to do it!"

There were frequent incidents in the palace within a day, and all the imperial guards had already heard about it, including Li Pinglan's attitude. Now seeing King Yun's stern expression, he was even more horrified. Is it so important that something happened to the eldest prince?

They glanced at each other, moved their feet, and avoided the two sides without saying a word.

Luo Linpian boarded the Chaoxi Building, and the gigantic Xiwen Drum stood in the middle, carrying the solemnity accumulated over the years. The ancient mallet inlaid with ebony and silver was about four feet long and heavy in the hand.At this moment, the leisurely and prosperous days in Luo City passed before his eyes like a fleeting moment, without a trace, and he seemed to have returned to the field of battle at the northern border.

Luo Pingyuan plundered towards Changning Palace alone, he no longer cared about the confinement of the palace, and used lightness kung fu to go straight through the palaces. The guards on duty along the way felt blurred and were left behind before they could recognize King Ning's figure.His clothes fluttered in the wind, he didn't care about the shouting and scolding behind him, and in the blink of an eye he was outside the empty Changning Palace.

In front of the palace gate, Princess Danyang is still in a stalemate with the prince, and the servants have already been sent away, seeing this situation, she is even more afraid to approach.Luo Wenxiao was a little anxious, a coat wouldn't help much, but Luo Xuening didn't leave, so he was in a dilemma.Originally, he had made up his mind to watch King Jing's poisonous hair first, and if there was any trouble, such as the emperor changing his mind, he would calmly give him a slap to completely cut off the life force of the most powerful enemy in his life, and even the antidote would not be able to save him.Emperor Tianyi had a ghost in his heart, even if he suspected it afterwards, he didn't dare to investigate it.Besides, King Ning will soon be so ill that he will lose half his life, and there are many forces in Luo City, so he has to come forward to clean up the mess on his own.

Luo Yanhua didn't make any movement, but he could tell that his condition was deteriorating after a short look. Luo Wenxiao saw blood oozing from his lips, so he probably bit his lip.However, while arguing, Luo Xuening seemed to be inadvertently guarding King Jing firmly behind her back, preventing herself from approaching, obviously very vigilant.

If it goes on like this, Concubine Rong will send someone to look for the princess in a short time, and there will be disturbances everywhere in the palace, and there may be changes.And if he personally took action to restrain her, in the eyes of everyone, his face would be torn too much, which would cause unnecessary discussions and doubts.

While hesitating, there was a short shout in the wind, and the voices were not far away.He suddenly stood up from the chair, and under the rising moonlight, a figure quickly covered him, and he was in front of him in a blink of an eye.

When she saw the other party's eyes clearly, Luo Wenxiao's scolding question suddenly got stuck in the middle, her heart sank, but Luo Xuening couldn't help being overjoyed: "Brother Wu Huang, come quickly, Brother Da Huang is ill!" She He was already nervous and worried, but now he breathed a sigh of relief, and there was a sound of crying.

Why did Luo Pingyuan, who was supposed to be a guest at Dingjianhou's Mansion, appear in the palace, and came so urgently? Could it be that Lin Huai'an messed things up?Thinking of this, Luo Wenxiao's scalp almost exploded, King Ning came too fast, could it be that he has already pinched the evidence of his conspiracy, and wants to ask the teacher for the crime?No matter how deep his city was, his expression could not help but change drastically. His plan was really too big, thinking of the consequences of being exposed, his legs felt weak for a while.

Luo Pingyuan was in no mood to talk to the prince, his eyes reflected Jing Wang's bleak snow-like face, and the blood stains on his lips were far more serious than any previous episodes.Exactly how unbearable it was, this was the first time he had seen Prince Jing unable to hide his pain with calmness. Is this the emperor brother who was still smiling quietly this morning?

Why would King Yun say that there is no time, Brother Dahuang can't wait; why Asu just didn't come to him?Unknowingly, he knelt on the ground and hugged King Jing, feeling that the body in his arms was as cold as ice, without any warmth or strength.He remembered how much the emperor was afraid of the cold, and needed to bring warm jade all year round. When the weather was slightly colder, a charcoal basin would be lit in the Lancang residence. Heal him, let him kneel for so long?

If it is said that before seeing this scene, he still held a trace of self-deception in his heart, but at this moment, he already understood everything.

It should have been the birthday banquet on the third day of May last year. I should have thought about it a long time ago. How could it be possible not to ask for a replacement price? If it wasn't for the exchange of health, freedom, and even life, how would Emperor Tianyi allow Langhuan to return? To find balance and trust, there is also the Taiping Canyon where swords and swords flicker, Shao'an, the border gate where beacons are everywhere, and today's precious situation of peace.In the past year, the sound of the piano as quiet as flowing water, the conversation and guidance at the table under the tree, the exhaustion under the lamp at night, why have I never seen the pain and sadness behind the quiet smile, the painstaking efforts and forbearance soaked in every bit of progress .What kind of mood is it to look at the full moon in the sky, send away the passing life in the morning and evening thoughts, prop up the future and hope with the talent that has never been annihilated, and entrust everything to yourself quietly, leaving only the lonely ash.

At this moment, Luo Pingyuan felt that his heart also fell into the ice cave, as cold as King Jing's body. "Brother Huang," he said softly, "what did they do to you?"

Luo Yanhua felt in a trance that someone was hugging him, and the warmth brought him some peace of mind and comfort, but he didn't even have the strength to distinguish what was happening around him. Exploding pain.Luo Pingyuan's voice seemed to be far away from the horizon, faintly drifting into his ears, but he couldn't figure out what he was talking about.He faintly felt that something unexpected and important happened, but his mind was unable to think because of all kinds of pain.He was in a bottomless cold pool, and there were sharp ice edges everywhere, as if trying to cut him to pieces, where was he?At this moment, a familiar and warm inner breath penetrated from behind, as if trying to dispel the pain. When a trace of clarity returned briefly, he suddenly realized that the person hugging him was Luo Pingyuan.

He trembled suddenly, his confused eyes gradually gathered, and met the emperor's dark pupils.The eyes met, and they couldn't believe it. There was deep pain and anger in Luo Pingyuan's eyes, as if he had suffered an unexpected serious injury. What did he see in his own eyes?Luo Yanhua felt an indescribable pain in his heart, which was different from Bihai Chengxin's toxicity, but it was also piercing and piercing, making him almost suffocate.I tried my best to hide it, tried every means to cover it up, but why did this kind of self finally fall into the eyes of my younger brother, which was worse than ever, worse than any opportunity.But he really didn't want to, only Ping Yuan hoped that he wouldn't know until the end.Luo Yanhua closed his eyes, and before he could bear it, an uncontrollable heat flow surged up, instantly dyeing King Ning's lapel red.

"Come on, hurry up and call the imperial doctor!" Luo Xuening exclaimed, "No, I'll go by myself!"

Luo Pingyuan didn't stop the emperor's sister, even though the imperial doctor should be useless, why didn't he turn Chonghua Palace upside down and let everyone know the emperor's inhumanity and cruelty?He only felt that besides the freezing cold, there was also a surge of blood in his chest, and he was about to spurt out a mouthful of blood.He stood up holding King Jing, and said in a low voice: "Brother Huang, don't be afraid, just bear with me a little longer, and I will take you to find Emperor Father for the antidote."

"Five emperors, my father hasn't issued a decree to forgive elder brother, I'm afraid it's not good for you to break into the palace without authorization." The prince finally stepped forward and said that he had no chance to attack King Jing again, but looking at it like this, Most of the time, it was more ominous than ominous, so he calmed down a bit.It's just that I didn't expect that King Ning's complexion was so bad that he seemed to be losing his mind.

Luo Pingyuan turned his head and stared at the prince coldly, full of hatred.He had always been indifferent, and Luo Wenxiao had never felt such a strong hatred from him, as if about to kill herself, she couldn't help but take a step back.

The servants in the palace heard the princess' exclamation and started to gather towards the Changning Palace. At this moment, a low and loud roar came from afar, one after another, cascading and echoing, like thunder falling from the sky and rolling to the ground. It is getting denser and denser, covering the huge Chonghua Palace in an instant, as if the wrath of the gods is shaking the majestic palace city again and again.

"It's the Xiwen Drum! My God, the Xiwen Drum has been struck!" Someone shouted in panic after identifying the source.

With the overriding sound of thunder and drums, two groups of twelve large bells in the North and South Guard Buildings of Chaoxi Building rang together. Whirlwind.