Qing Ping Le · Double Songs

Chapter 45 45

When Rong Che returned to Prince Jingyuan's mansion, he sat withered in the study until dawn. Memories swept over her like a tide. To this day, she has completely turned against Prince Jingyuan.When did their father and daughter become enemies, and when did she no longer expect warmth?Xiaoguang walked slowly until a round of golden sun hung high, and the night passed in vain like this.She witnessed the time flies by for ten years.

For ten years, she has been neglected by her father, bullied by her elder brother, and the wind in the frontier is so wild that she has become more and more strict with herself. Ten years are like a cruel carving knife, little by little, she has shaped her today's appearance .She raised her hand, and her jade fingers stroked her forehead coldly, where indifference was engraved there, and she touched her eyes to engrave ruthlessness.

Every aspect of the arrangements for this drastic change must be just right, and no errors are allowed. If there is a sand table in her heart, after a night of rehearsal, the eyes will be clear when she opens her eyes again.This palace, her father who raised her, she will only be stingy with this one-time memory, and when they meet on the battlefield in the future, it will be life and death, without any sympathy.

She called out, "Dafu."

Dafu answered through a door, "What are your orders, Master?"

"From now on, this courtyard doesn't need to be so strictly guarded." She got up to take Liu Guang, and it was time to practice sword again, "The whole palace will be useless."

"Yes." Dafu backed away, and hurriedly ran to give orders.

Rong Che pushed the door open and Chen Xi caressed her face with warmth. She walked down the platform and stood in the courtyard with steady steps. Her inner strength moved a little, and the stream of light flew into the sky from the scabbard. The new scabbard in her hand was specially made by Rong Ling. Made to match her streamer perfectly.The streamer fell back into the hands and the people danced, the Qionghua was in full swing, and the green shadows were like dreams, who can match this kind of swordsmanship in the world?

Another morning passed after practicing the sword and adjusting breath. Rong Che left the palace at noon. Today, she was going to the palace to report to the imperial censor to sort things out. Before leaving, she deliberately brought the two generals with her. The carriage staggered across the long street.

Dafu reported from outside the curtain, "Master, someone is following."

She said calmly, "Don't worry about it."

"Yes." The carriage drove nonchalantly all the way to the palace.

Rong Yeli's eyes and ears followed him all the way for a long time before he went back to tell his master that he had gone far away, and after Rong Yeli waved him back, it was difficult to read the scroll in his hand.

He is the eldest son of King Jingyuan. Don't take him seriously, but those officials who are eager to curry favor with him just want to use him to cling to Rong Che, his jealousy is hard to swallow.

In recent days, he has repeatedly searched for her fault but failed. Today he wants to visit Rong Che's small courtyard.Rong Yeli changed into inconspicuous clothes and turned into Rong Che's bedroom, looking around. He didn't believe that there was nothing wrong with Rong Che here. He rummaged in the bedroom for a long time but found nothing, so he sneaked into the study cautiously.

The study room is bright and the tables are neat. The pens, inks, papers and inkstones are arranged in a regular manner. There are many books in different categories on the bookshelf behind. At first glance, there is no difference.He glanced left and right and searched around, and stopped on the tripod Qingtong censer on the table. He walked over and reached out to touch the censer. His hand was cold, so he opened it, and there was half a sheet of unburned incense inside. residual paper.

His chest was throbbing wildly and he was inexplicably excited. He took the scrap of paper and shook off the ashes on it. The shocking words had already made his breathing stagnate. Before he could carefully read the sound of footsteps coming in from outside the door, he hurriedly closed the incense burner. Hastily flipped out from the back window, and took out the half piece of paper after returning to his study. At this moment, his chest was calm and his eyes were dark.

What he didn't expect was that he discovered such a big secret because of his jealousy. The news of his father's march to Wucheng had been known by the Queen, who had secretly sent troops to besiege him, and at the same time, Duke Wei would be executed secretly in Nanyang City. .He gritted his teeth and his chest heaved, he was angry and flustered, Angry Che betrayed his father and panicked that the queen had already taken action.

For a moment, he only felt buzzing in his ears, although he always knew that his father had the intention of treason, but he didn't know that it had become a conspiracy.Now that he is still in Nanyang City, this secret decree means that His Majesty's blade has been placed under his neck, and the crime of treason is life and death. At this moment, the more he thinks about it, the more frightened he becomes.

Rong Yeli collected his emotions and shouted outside the door, "Come and prepare the horse." He covered himself with a cloak and his face was difficult to discern, and hurried to the mansion of Hu Chengliang, Minister of the Ministry of War.Hu Chengliang happened to be not in the mansion at the moment, Rong Yeli thought for a moment and went to the back hall to wait without leaving.

Hu Chengliang was also very surprised today. Princess Yuanjia suddenly came to the Ministry of War and brought people from the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of Punishment. .Liu Changqing is now the Minister of the Ministry of Officials in charge of the Ministry of Officials. He is under the command of Princess Yuanjia, so he is under the command of the Princess. As for the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment, Pei Xian, he has always been alone, so he is very puzzled why the Princess came here.

The empress's jealousy is well known throughout the court. Hu Chengliang knew that the empress disliked the princess contacting the courtiers the most. He thought that this sudden visit should be the empress's will, so he didn't dare to doubt it.

"Hu Chengliang." Rong Ling was tall and straight, with a dignified demeanor, and her restrained eyes were bright and aloof.

"The subordinate is here."

"The Queen Mother has already seen the people you decided to send to the western and southern borders." She paused, and continued slowly, "The Queen Mother thought it was not a good choice."

Hu Chengliang was beating in his heart, he couldn't figure out what Rong Ling meant for a while, so he just bowed his head and confessed, "It's the official's dereliction of duty, so please ask the eldest princess to plead guilty to His Majesty on your behalf."

"Your Excellency Hu, you don't have to be so cautious." She said with a very good demeanor, "I have come here today to learn a lot from the lords of all ministries under the order of my mother. The ministries should also move more and work together for the community."

"Remember, sir."

Rong Ling got up and walked slowly towards Hu Chengliang, and said, "Master Hu, don't you take me to have a look around?"

"Yes." Hu Chengliang didn't dare to be negligent and quickly led Rong Ling around, and explained in detail the duties of the various bureaus and divisions of the Ministry of Officials. Rong Ling listened carefully and asked patiently.

Back in the hall, Rong Ling asked casually, "Master Liu told me that the Ministry of War has frequently withdrawn and dispatched the commanders of the garrison in the past six months. I don't understand the art of war. I would like to ask Master Hu why he did this." What considerations?"

Hu Chengliang's eyes opened suddenly and he flicked through it nervously. He subconsciously thought that the empress knew about their plot, but he thought carefully whether the plan should be seamless and shouldn't be discovered, so he suppressed his panic and calmly responded. "The commanders of the garrison in each city will be replaced every once in a while. This has always been the rule of the imperial court."

Seeing that he answered freely, Rong Ling continued to press, "But I see Commander Liu of Yuzhou has only been in office for less than half a year. I seem to remember that you just said that the term of the commander is changed every two years."

The uneasiness in Hu Chengliang's heart continued to deepen. In the past six months, many commanders had been removed and replaced. Rong Ling only mentioned Yuzhou, which seemed to be mentioned casually, but he was prepared. .”

Rong Ling stopped there and just nodded thoughtfully, Hu Chengliang peeked at her face but couldn't distinguish the expression, Rong Ling's eyes suddenly looked towards him, with an imperceptible smile, he hastily lowered his eyes I was shocked again.Just listen to Rong Ling say, "I really learned a lot during my visit this time." She walked to the hall and said, "It's getting late and I should go somewhere else. Today I have Mrs. Hu."

"I don't dare." Hu Chengliang stabilized his mind and bowed, "I respectfully send off the eldest princess." When Rong Ling walked away, Hu Chengliang was still pacing back and forth anxiously in the hall, and he couldn't figure out Rong Ling's sudden visit even more. He seemed to be listening to the affairs of the Ministry of War as a matter of routine, but there were some voices in his speech that made his heart skip a beat.

"My lord." Outside the door was a servant from the mansion, "The eldest son of Jingyuan Palace has been waiting in the mansion for a long time."

Hu Chengliang's eyebrows twitched, how could Rong Yeli go to the mansion to look for him for no reason, he asked, "What can you say?"

"I didn't say anything, I've been waiting for you in the mansion."

"Prepare the horse, go back to the mansion." Before he could finish his words, the people had already galloped out, and the good horse returned to the palace after traveling thousands of miles a day, and walked all the way to the back hall, only to find that he was out of breath.He asked, "Why did my nephew suddenly come to my house?"

Rong Yeli had been waiting anxiously for a long time, and when he came back, he impatiently said that he handed over the half piece of paper, "My lord, please take a look."

Hu Chengliang only felt shocking, so he figured out why the eldest princess suddenly visited the Ministry of War, and then carefully thought about what she said, and was shocked, "It seems that His Majesty already knows."

Hu Chengliang's words sounded like thunder on the ground, and Rong Yeli's head was so dizzy that he didn't dare to think about it. There was silence in the room for a while, and the two of them became more and more frightened as they thought about it. In the final analysis, it was a serious crime of treason Who dares to treat it as normal?If he succeeds in prosperity and wealth, he will enjoy inexhaustible enjoyment, and if he loses, he will implicate his clansmen and be punished and exiled, not to mention beheading.

Rong Yeli grabbed the straw in front of him, in order to have a chance, "My lord, what should I do?"

"Nephew, don't worry, your father's plan and mine are seamless, His Majesty may not know everything." He thought about it, and then said, "Go back to the mansion and keep an eye on Qingping, and I will rearrange the military department."

"Okay." Rong Yeli forced himself to calm down, "My lord, be careful."

Some people who returned to the Ministry of War after Hu Chengliang went were also surprised. He had a strange expression and checked a large number of files of the garrison in various cities, and summoned the left and right servants for questioning.After half a day, there was no clue or abnormality.At this time, the secretary of Zhongshu Province came outside the door, saying that he wanted to see Lord Shangshu, and Hu Chengliang asked someone to bring him in.

After the visitor saluted, he said, "Master Hu, this is the proposal of the Ministry of War that was just reviewed by the Ministry of Education." He presented it with both hands, and the left servant of the Ministry of War took it and handed it over to Hu Chengliang.

Hu Chengliang couldn't remember when he handed in the paperwork and waited for review by the Ministry of Education. He opened it suspiciously and knew that something was wrong. This was an arrangement for the deployment of troops.A few days ago, the Ministry of Officials appointed Gu Chengfeng to go to Wucheng to take up his post, and then sent two good generals of the court who seemed to have His Majesty's secret decree in their hands.

Hu Chengliang closed the folder and asked calmly, "Who and when did you hand over this folder?"

The left servant looked carefully, and recalled, "It seems that the head of the staff handed it in yesterday. At that time, the subordinate officer saw that he was dodging and asked what happened. It was the adult's order that he shirked at that time."

"Presumptuous." Hu Chengliang yelled angrily, "Someone bring someone up to me."

"Reporting to my lord, today he is not in office at home."

Hu Chengliang got up and walked towards the door, and ordered, "Catch him at his home, and put him in prison until I come back for interrogation. If there is another person from the Ministry of War who submits a memorial under the guise of my order, he will be detained and tried." A gust of wind blows out.He walked outside the military department and got on his horse, and he galloped towards the Duke's mansion, halfway through the journey, he reined in the reins and turned the horse's head back to the mansion. At this moment, it is not appropriate to go straight to the Duke's mansion at dawn, and make plans in the dead of night.

When Rong Ling returned to the palace, she heard the news from Eunuch An that Rong Che was accompanying her in the West Hall at the moment, and with a smile in her bright eyes, she ordered to change clothes and drive to the West Hall.Eunuch An saw her coming all the way, and moved quietly to wait for her to approach. When Rong Ling brushed against him, he heard him whisper, "Lord Pei is also inside."

She nodded slightly and said outside the door, "I come to pay my respects to the Queen Mother."

The Queen's voice came from the hall, "Come in."

The palace maid opened the palace door and she stepped in. She saluted first, "I greet the Queen Mother." When the Queen asked her to show her respect, she pretended to be surprised, "Qingping is also here with the Queen Mother. It seems that the minister is here. It's not the right time."

The queen smiled and said, "Why do you have time to pay my respects today?"

"Where is the Queen Mother? Didn't the children come to greet the Queen Mother every day, not to mention that today I really want to go to the garden with the Queen Mother to enjoy the flowers."

"You really have a heart." The Empress said again with a smile on her face, "Then I will let you go to the garden for a walk, Pei Aiqing and Qing Ping will follow me to have a look."

Rong Che folded his hands in front of his stomach, and said respectfully, "Yes."

Pei Qingyang showed joy and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."

Rong Ling helped the Queen out of the West Hall, and Rong Che followed the Queen all the way to the garden. At this moment, all the flowers were in full bloom and the old trees were flourishing. After admiring the flowers, everyone rested in the pavilion and had some snacks. Pei Qingyang took this opportunity to try his best to please the Queen, " Although the flowers are beautiful, they are not half as beautiful as His Majesty."

The queen was full of smiles, but said, "You know how to make me happy."

"I'm not trying to make His Majesty happy, I'm clearly telling the truth." After he finished speaking, he did not forget to remind Rong Ling to agree, but he deliberately didn't talk about etiquette, showing his status and wanting to be equal to him, "Princess, don't you think so?"

Rong Ling's eyes turned cold, but her voice was filled with a smile, "How can flowers be compared with the Queen Mother? The Queen Mother is the son of heaven and flowers are not the same, Mr. Pei, do you think so?"

Pei Qingyang gritted his teeth secretly, and said with a smile, "The princess is right, but the minister is stupid. Your Majesty must not take offense."

"You two talk so much that I love to hear it." The Empress laughed, "Why don't you just have dinner in this pavilion today when the weather is fine, facing the spring, Qingping and Pei Aiqing also stayed together."

Rong Che stood up and saluted, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Pei Qingyang smugly sat there and said, "Thank you for your kindness."

The empress still smiled and said, "Qingping doesn't need to be formal, An Decai, order dinner."

"Yes, the old slave is going to prepare now."

Strange to say, God seemed to want to mess up the dinner on purpose, but in a short while, the clouds were overcast, covering the blue sky without leaving any gaps.The sun fell through the thick clouds like a curtain, only in twos and threes, and the green shade was like a cover to block it, so the garden in the daytime was as drowsy as the night.

The queen frowned and said, losing interest, "Why did the day suddenly change?"

Rong Ling said respectfully, "Mother, the weather is unpredictable, I'm afraid it's going to be windy, please go back to the palace to avoid damage to the dragon's body."

Pei Qingyang quickly helped the Queen up with sharp eyes and hands, and said in a compassionate tone, "This god is really unreasonable." He said with gentle movements, "Your Majesty's dragon body is the most important thing, it's better to go back to the palace. You can also dine with His Majesty in the hall."

The queen's complexion improved, and she smiled, "Pei Aiqing knows how to comfort me." Suddenly she just wanted to be alone with Pei Qingyang, so she didn't wait for Rong Ling and Rong Che to say, "It's been a long time since you two don't need to accompany me, and Go back to the Tai Chi Hall and talk about your family life, I have Pei Aiqing waiting for you to go back."

"My son retire."

"Qingping resigns."

All the way back to the Tai Chi Hall, Rong Ling didn't say a word, and when she returned to the hall, she sat silently aside. Rong Che first ordered the maid to prepare dinner, and then walked to her side and said, "Sister Huang shouldn't mind."

Rong Ling raised her eyes to look at her, and didn't speak until she looked into the depths of her eyes, "That's why you turned your back on Prince Jingyuan's mansion and would rather bear the reputation of being unrighteous and unfilial?"

Rong Che's body trembled almost imperceptibly, she avoided Rong Ling's gaze, and remained indifferent as usual, "At least I have the reputation of being loyal to the emperor."

The torrential rain happened overnight, and it slammed on the roof in a frenzy, with non-stop crackling noises, completely covering up the movement outside.In the Taiji Hall, Ling and Rong Che had a quiet meal, but in the other hall of the palace, there was another kind of wind and rain.