Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 152 Queen Mother: Leave quickly, you will be discovered

The two of them lay quietly for a while, and the Queen Mother turned around and faced Zhu Qizhen. Her cold eyes flashed with melancholy and confusion, and her tone became a little weaker: "You go."

Zhu Qizhen slowly opened his eyes and looked at her mature and beautiful face from a close distance. He was absent-minded for a moment and shook his head: "Ruo Wei, I won't hurt you. Besides, aren't you the only one who is afraid?"

The Queen Mother glared and said, "You always make me angry."

Zhu Qizhen reached out and gently lifted the hair on her forehead, and said softly: "Have you never been angry with me?"

The empress dowager's beautiful eyes showed a rare tenderness: "We... a fake emperor and a current empress dowager, we are enemies, and there will be no good result in the end."

Zhu Qizhen gently brushed her soft hair and said affectionately: "Let's talk about the future later. Can we just focus on the present?"

At this moment, he was a little unsure how much of this witch queen's acting was sincere, and how much of his own acting was sincere?
The Queen Mother's eyes were filled with anger and shame: "If you don't leave, when Shuangxi and the others come back and see us, then... what should we do?"

Zhu Qizhen looked at the beautiful face that was almost approaching him and thought to himself, I'm going to endure it, but you must take the initiative, let's see how long you can hold out.

At this time, the cold wind was howling outside the window.

The Queen Mother stretched out her jade hand, tapped Zhu Qizhen's forehead, and gently pushed him away. She stood up, stepped on the blanket with her white jade feet, picked up the fox fur beside her and put it on.

Zhu Qizhen supported his head with one hand and looked at her.

Seen sideways as a peak on the side of the ridge, the height varies from far to far.

She has a slim waist, a perky butt, well-proportioned figure and graceful curves.

"Are you not leaving yet?" The Queen Mother glared.

"How heartless." Zhu Qizhen also stood up.

He walked away without looking back, and he was in a hurry. How could he not be in a hurry? He had to go to Concubine Xian to solve the problem.

……

The next day, at dawn, the sky was a light blue-gray, and the palace was already busy. A large team had assembled in the morning light, ready to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple for the annual ancestral worship ceremony. The team was large in scale, consisting of the Imperial Guard, the Guard of Honor, musicians, and accompanying officials, all dressed in neat formal attire and with solemn expressions.

With the sound of clear bells, the team slowly set off, stepped out of the gate of the palace, and headed towards the Taimiao along the predetermined route.

When we arrived at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the sun was already high in the sky, and the sunlight shone through the sparse clouds onto the ancient buildings, adding a bit of solemnity. The Imperial Ancestral Temple had already been decorated solemnly and grandly, with tablets of successive emperors placed in the center of the main hall, surrounded by various sacrificial items, and the air filled with incense, creating a solemn atmosphere.

The ceremony of ancestor worship officially began. The emperor, surrounded by his ministers, slowly walked into the main hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. He first performed the ritual of kneeling three times and kowtow nine times to the ancestral tablets to express his deep remembrance of his ancestors.

Afterwards, the emperor personally read the sacrificial text:
On this auspicious day, in the early spring, I personally go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices to my ancestors. I respectfully pay tribute to my ancestors, whose virtues match those of heaven and earth, whose contributions will be passed down through the ages, who opened up the territory and established the nation. I have inherited the teachings of my ancestors, and have been blessed by the saints. I am honored to be the emperor, and I dare not respectfully offer sacrifices to repay their great kindness.
Today, on the first day of the first lunar month, an auspicious day, I lead all the ministers to prepare solemn ceremonies and present the recommendations to show my filial piety. I remember that our ancestors started their business with great difficulty and blazed a trail through the mountains and forests. I should carry on the past and forge ahead, work hard to govern the country, and comfort the spirits of our ancestors in heaven.

I hope that my ancestors will look upon my heart and protect my country, so that my dynasty will be forever strong and the world will be peaceful. I will also work diligently and tirelessly on the path to carry on the past and open up the future.

Shang Xiang!

……

The memorial ceremony is in progress.

Suddenly, there was a sound of breaking through the air, and Zhu Qizhen rolled on the ground quickly, hiding behind the huge square tripod. At that moment, several arrows sank into the ground where he had just stood.

"There's an assassin!" shouted Shi Biao, the closest Jinyiwei commander.

At this moment, among the crowd below the platform, nearly a hundred people took off their outer robes to reveal their black clothes. They all drew their swords and rushed towards the emperor on the platform, shouting: "Kill the false emperor! Kill the false emperor! Kill the false emperor!"

At this time, there was only the emperor on the high platform, and on the steps below, there were only dozens of Jinyiwei led by Shi Biao. Because it was a sacrifice, most of the guards were on the periphery.

The group of men in black rushed towards the platform fiercely. They were all skilled in martial arts and were obviously masters. The dozens of Jinyiwei on the steps fought desperately, but the men in black were not afraid of death.

Zhu Qizhen, standing on the high platform, was very calm. His brain was working rapidly. How did these assassins get in? How did they bring their weapons in?

"Kill the false emperor!"

Some black-clad men broke through the Jinyiwei's defense and rushed towards Zhu Qizhen with knives raised. Zhu Qizhen's eyes were cold, and he moved suddenly. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the black-clad man who rushed to the front and grabbed his neck.

Click!

The black-clad man's neck was twisted, and Zhu Qizhen snatched his knife and slashed at him.

scold!
The head of a man in black flew out of his body. Zhu Qizhen did not stop, and the fierce blade flew, accompanied by a rain of blood. After a while, the dozen or so men in black who rushed to the front were all beheaded.

Blood stained his dragon robe red, he shook off the blood on the tip of his knife, and stood at the top of the stairs. The few men in black who had just rushed to his feet were frightened by his fierce murderous aura and took a few steps back.

"Escort! Escort!"

At this time, the outer imperial guards had already rushed over, and the men in black began to run left and right to escape. Shi Biao, covered in blood, ran to Zhu Qizhen and asked anxiously: "Your Majesty, are you injured?"

"It's not my blood." Zhu Qizhen said coldly.

Shi Biao kicked the corpse on the ground and said disdainfully: "These people don't know that Your Majesty is the strongest one."

"Let them capture a few alive." Zhu Qizhen ordered.

"Yes!" Shi Biao went there in a hurry.

……

An hour later.

The scene returned to silence, but was shrouded in the smell of blood.

Shi Biao came to Zhu Qizhen with a gloomy face and bowed, "Your Majesty, these people are all dead men. They have poison in their mouths. Not a single one of them can be left alive."

"Not a single one was left alive?" Zhu Qizhen's voice was low and dangerous, and every word contained endless anger. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white from the force, and his eyes were like knives, looking particularly cold.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Shi Biao lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly. Although he was a battle-hardened general, he was still afraid of the emperor's anger. "They have obviously received strict training. Once they find that the mission has failed, they will immediately commit suicide by taking poison and leave us no clues."

Zhu Qizhen was silent for a moment, and the aura around him seemed to solidify the air, making it difficult for people to breathe. He walked forward a few steps, stood on the top of the steps, and glanced at the ministers below.

An invisible murderous aura enveloped him, and his voice suddenly rose, carrying endless murderous intent: "It seems that one of you wants me dead! Without help from inside and outside, these assassins will not be able to get in."

All the ministers are numb!
"Investigate, investigate thoroughly! No matter who is behind all this, I will dig them out and tear them into pieces." Zhu Qizhen's imperial power was as powerful as a prison. "I want to see who is so bold!" Shi Biao, who was standing aside, was shocked when he heard this and quickly responded, "As ordered, Your Majesty! I will immediately mobilize all available forces to get to the bottom of this matter!"

Zhu Qizhen nodded, his expression slightly eased, but the cold light in his eyes remained the same: "My dear ministers, don't be nervous. I will not kill people indiscriminately. I will only punish the assassin and the person behind the scenes."

The ministers below then secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

……

After returning to the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Qizhen summoned three of his trusted ministers, Li Xian, Ke Qian, and Shi Biao, and asked them directly: "What do you think about today's assassination?"

Li Xian bowed and said, "There are definitely people working together from the inside and outside. I observed at the time that those people were under the high platform. That area is where the royal family members stand. Of course, this does not mean that the people behind the scenes are related to the royal family. Maybe someone deliberately muddies the waters. However, this is a breakthrough."

Zhu Qizhen nodded slowly.

The royal family in Beijing, in addition to the prince Zhu Qiyu, also includes some princesses and princes of vassal kings, who need to be investigated one by one. Perhaps, the royal family wants to attack him.

"Your Majesty, I have already ordered people to investigate." Shi Biao frowned, "When Ding Xiu was chasing, he found a suspicious person outside the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

Zhu Qizhen thought of the initial arrows and said, "The arrows that were shot at me were not shot from below. This means there are still men in black hiding in the dark. Shi Biao, the Jinyiwei and the Imperial Guards are in charge of the scene. Hum, how did they get in?"

"I am guilty!" Shi Biao knelt down hurriedly.

"I'm not trying to punish you. It means that there is an insider in the Jinyiwei and the Imperial Guards." Zhu Qizhen said coldly, "That's why those assassins were able to bring in weapons."

Shi Biao nodded: "I'll check it out right away!"

Ke Qian, who had been silent the whole time, said, "We can check their weapons. The arrows don't look like the Central Plains standard."

Zhu Qizhen was startled and nodded: "Ke Qian, you are quite careful. Yes, check the weapons of those assassins, maybe we can know their origins."

Shi Biao took the order and left, and Li Xian also returned to the Ministry of Personnel to handle government affairs. Only Ke Qian was left in the hall. Although he had not been with the emperor for a long time, he knew the young emperor quite well.

This time, the emperor is probably going to start a massacre!

……

"The Queen Mother has arrived~"

Zhu Qizhen, who was deep in thought, was stunned. He waved his hand at Ke Qian, signaling him to leave. After a while, the Queen Mother came in alone, raised her beautiful eyes and saw Zhu Qizhen sitting on the chair, and asked: "Is there an assassin in the Imperial Ancestral Temple today?"

Zhu Qizhen raised his head: "Did you arrange this?"

The Queen Mother paused. She didn't expect him to ask this. Her beautiful face instantly turned cold and she said angrily, "Yes, it was arranged by me. So what? You take me now."

Zhu Qizhen spread his hands and said, "It's just a joke! It can't be you. If you want to assassinate me, there are many ways, such as poisoning me. There's no need to go through so much trouble. Besides, it won't be good for you if I'm assassinated now."

The Queen Mother was furious and slapped him twice on the back: "You are just trying to make me angry!"

Zhu Qizhen sighed softly: "On the first day of the new year, I was assassinated. Shouldn't I adjust my mood?"

The Queen Mother withdrew her hand, pursed her lips and asked, "Are you going to start a killing spree? You have to use blood and lives to scare those people. That way, no one will dare to say that you are a fake emperor."

You really know me.

Zhu Qizhen grumbled in his heart and shrugged: "It's New Year's Day, why would I kill anyone? No hurry, no hurry."

There was a flash of worry in the Queen Mother's eyes, but she didn't ask any more questions.

Zhu Qizhen smiled bitterly: "Originally, I was thinking of taking you to Jingyi Garden to stay for a few days during the New Year. But after encountering an assassin today, I think it's better to forget it."

"No!" The Queen Mother waved her hand. "The more this happens, the more the Emperor needs to appear calm. I will tell them to prepare and stay at Jingyi Garden tomorrow."

Zhu Qizhen: “!!!”

……

The next day.

The entire capital was still shrouded in the shadow of the emperor's assassination, and some ministers did not even dare to go out to visit relatives and pay New Year's greetings. At this time, a motorcade left the palace, and the emperor took the empress dowager and the concubines in the harem to Jingyi Garden to enjoy the scenery and stay for a while.

The ministers were relieved. The emperor was going to have some fun, so why were they still worried? This was a good time to visit relatives and friends.

Zhu Qizhen sat in the empress dowager's carriage, looking out the window at the capital, and smiled: "This is good. If I show a nonchalant attitude, the enemy will relax their vigilance, and it will be easier for Shi Biao and his men to investigate."

"Do you suspect that members of the royal family are trying to murder you?" the Queen Mother asked coldly.

"It's all possible." Zhu Qizhen snorted, "Let's see what Shi Biao and the others find out. I'm telling you first, this time, I'd rather kill the wrong person than let him go."

The Queen Mother felt a murderous aura and her body trembled: "Why is it so?"

"They want to kill me, so why shouldn't I fight back?" Zhu Qizhen chuckled. "It's said that 'a rage from an emperor leaves millions of people dead and blood flows for thousands of miles'. I'm a fake emperor, so a few thousand people should die, right?"

"I don't want to tell you." The Queen Mother turned her head away, shrank her body, and hugged herself tightly with her arms.

Zhu Qizhen ignored her and stared out the window in a daze.

This assassination made him realize some problems. This was a life-and-death struggle. When the day came when he and the Queen Mother lost their usefulness, they would kill each other without hesitation.

"If that day really comes, I might really grow up to be an emperor." He sighed in his heart.

He turned to look at the beautiful and gentle Queen Mother, slightly lost in thought. The Queen Mother turned her head and glared: "Why are you looking at me? Are you going to throw me out?"

Zhu Qizhen held his forehead and said, "It's New Year's Day, can you please stop quarreling these days? I have prepared some games for you in the palace on the mountain, and you can come and play with us when the time comes."

"I am the Queen Mother." The Queen Mother shook her head.

"Once you leave the palace, you are just Sun Ruowei." Zhu Qizhen said, "Don't be so pretentious."

The Queen Mother turned her head away again: "Forget it, I won't argue with you these days! When we go to the mountains, we must not relax our defense. The assassins may seize this opportunity. After all, the temporary palace is not the imperial palace."

Zhu Qizhen said nonchalantly: "I was afraid they wouldn't come!"

The Queen Mother frowned slightly, knowing that this guy was not just out for fun. Doesn't he worry about the safety of me and the concubines?
(End of this chapter)