Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 153: Queen Mother: Stab me, hurt me, humiliate me, isn’t that enough?

In the northern desert, there is Yesibatur, the headquarters of the Oirat Mongols.

A sudden snowstorm swept across the sky like a roaring beast. The wind and snow were raging, and the sky and earth were bleak. Everything seemed to be swallowed up by the raging wind and snow, losing its original color and outline.

The tents seemed so fragile in the violent snowstorm, like lonely boats in the sea, beaten and torn by the ruthless waves again and again. Some tents could no longer hold on and were swept away by the wind, disappearing in the vast snowstorm.

What was even more terrifying was that the blizzard not only swept away the tents, but also took away innocent lives. Some people lost their way in the snowstorm and were swept away without a trace; the livestock screamed in fear, trying to escape from this terrifying situation, but were also swallowed up mercilessly by the snowstorm. The entire Wala base camp seemed so helpless and insignificant under the ravages of the blizzard.

Finally, the blizzard stopped.

In the central army tent, Yesen sat there with a gloomy face. This winter, Mobei suffered a snowstorm, causing huge losses. Some tribes were already short of food.

Boyan came in hurriedly and reported: "Great Khan, more than a hundred people and several hundred animals have been swept away. Fortunately, our food and fodder are still there in the leeward place."

Everyone in the tent breathed a sigh of relief. Bayan praised, "Thanks to the Khan's preparations before winter, our Wala tribe is still relatively well off. Other tribes are probably going to starve."

Alazhiyuan sighed and said, "This is not a good thing. When people are extremely hungry, they will not care about anything. Khan, I suggest that we help those tribes that are short of food."

"Are you stupid?" One of the generals stood up. "Our own food won't last until spring."

Most people also stood up to oppose Alazhiyuan's proposal. Yesen waved his hand and said in a deep voice: "Give some food to those tribes that are short of food, so that we can reduce our daily consumption. Those tribes have received our help, and they fought for us to the death."

"But..." Boyan worried, "I'm afraid we won't make it to spring."

Yesen said confidently: "We can survive this! After the snow melts, we will immediately march south. By then, a group of extremely hungry wolves will be able to bite through the Great Wall of the Central Plains."

The ministers could only obey orders. Now Yesen was the overlord of the grassland and no one could shake him.

When Alazhiyuan returned to his tent, Bolai was grilling meat.

"The snow is too strong." Bolai held up a piece of meat and handed it to Ala Zhiyuan, saying, "Master Zhiyuan, you haven't eaten for a day, eat something quickly."

Alazhiyuan waved his hand, took a sip of the tea on the table and said, "Bolai, eat sparingly. The Khan will distribute some grain and food to those tribes that are short of food."

"Ah? The Khan...what is he thinking? We are not enough ourselves." Bo Lai said.

"This is my suggestion." A cold light flashed in Alazhiyuan's eyes. "At this time, Mobei cannot cause internal strife over food and grass. Then the Khan probably won't be able to go south next year."

Bolai understood that Alazhiyuan wanted the Khan to move south, so that he, who stayed at the base camp, would have a chance.

"Minister, we have reached an alliance with the fake emperor of the Ming Dynasty." Bolai said excitedly, "The Khan went south and suffered a heavy loss. Our chance has come."

Alazhiyuan said coldly: "This time, we can't let him return to the grassland."

Bolai nodded, and he signed an alliance with the false emperor of the Ming Dynasty on behalf of Alazhiyuan. However, the false emperor also told him something else, which Alazhiyuan would never know.

……

Datong City.

Although there is no snowstorm here, it is very cold.

Yang Guifang, who grew up in the south, was surprised and delighted to see snow at first, but now he stays at home as long as he can, curled up by the fire basin, covered with a blanket, and doesn't care about anyone. In his own words, if he doesn't pee quickly, he will freeze.

At this moment, he was wearing a blanket, squatting beside the brazier, holding up a bottle of wine and taking a swig. Guo Deng, who was sitting opposite him, couldn't help laughing: "You kid, even with this, you still want to be the Huo Qubing of the Ming Dynasty?"

Yang Guifang drank several sips in a row, and finally felt her body begin to heat up. She spread her hands and said, "Even if Huo Qubing came, he wouldn't be able to bear it. It's so cold here, how do people on the grassland survive?"

Guo Deng also took a sip and said, "You don't understand this. It is said that the Xibe people live further north of Mobei, and that place is even colder than Mobei. The Xibe people can bathe in snow."

"I'm not well educated, so don't try to fool me." Yang Guifang stretched out his hands to warm the fire and said, "Wait until I lead the army to Xibe and see for myself."

Guo Deng stared speechlessly, "Don't talk nonsense, kid. Let's get down to business. A spy brought back a Wuliangha from the grassland and got some information. Mobei suffered a snowstorm, and many livestock and even people froze to death. The tribes in Mobei are indeed running out of food, but the Wala tribe is helping other tribes. However, they can't hold out for long."

Yang Guifang put away her joking expression and frowned: "That means they may not be able to wait until spring. As long as the snow melts, they may come. Moreover, they can be said to be a group of extremely hungry wolves."

"That's right. Yesen is taking advantage of the food shortages of various tribes to integrate them all." Guo Deng said.

Yang Guifang raised her lips slyly: "If Yesen can make use of it, so can we! As for food and grass, we have no shortage. Lao Deng, can you contact Tuotuo? They are also short of food, right?"

Guo Deng glanced at the sky outside and said, "Stop the snow, let's make preparations for both scenarios."

……

Northwest, Dunhuang City.

Although there was no blizzard here, it was still shrouded in desolation. The sky was low and the clouds were thick, like an endless gray curtain, isolating this ancient city from the world. The cold wind brought the unique harshness and determination of winter, like a sharp blade, penetrating every hole and cutting every inch of air.

In the streets and alleys, sparse figures hurried by, all wrapped up tightly, wearing thick hats, their cheeks reddened by the cold wind. In the distance, the outline of Mogao Grottoes loomed in the haze, and the thousand-year-old murals and sculptures silently endured the loneliness and cold.

All around, the vast desert adds a bit of desolation and loneliness, with yellow sand and cold wind intertwined to make a low whistle.

The Zhengtong Emperor stood by the window, staring blankly at the vast expanse of darkness outside. Xu Bin came in with a plate of hot cakes and goat milk.

"Your Majesty, be careful not to catch a cold." Xu Bin reminded.

"I am not that weak now." The orthodox emperor smiled, "I heard that the false emperor is very skilled in martial arts?"

Xu Bin nodded: "During the defense of the capital, the false emperor personally guarded the Desheng Gate and led hundreds of Jinyiwei to charge, and almost killed Nayexian."

The Zhengtong Emperor sighed softly, "I have read the various documents about the fake emperor that Tan You brought me these days. I feel that I am not as good as him. He is more suitable to be the emperor than me. His strategies and methods are better than mine, and the new policies he has implemented are beyond my imagination no matter what."

"Your Majesty!" Xu Bin said seriously, "But he is not the real emperor, you are! It's good this way, when you return to the throne, everything he does will be yours."

The orthodox emperor laughed out loud: "From this point of view, he is quite pitiful."

Xu Bin shook his head: "He is just a refugee who enjoys the treatment of an emperor. How can he be pitiful? Even if he dies, his life will be worth it."

The Zhengtong Emperor nodded with a smile, drank a sip of goat milk and asked: "My uncles conspired to assassinate me, I wonder if they succeeded."

"Difficult!" Xu Bin frowned deeply. "The heavy snow has blocked the road, and there is no accurate news yet. I think it's difficult. The fake emperor is skilled in martial arts, and he has Jinyiwei and imperial guards around him. Alas, those princes shouldn't be impulsive."

A cold light flashed in the eyes of the orthodox emperor: "Someone has to go ahead, even die, to shout 'Kill the false emperor'. Haha, in this way, when I appear, there will be momentum and people to follow me."

"Your Majesty is wise." Xu Bin bowed.

……

The capital city, Jingyi Garden Palace.

This palace was built on the mountain, showing the grandeur of northern architecture, majestic yet steady. However, when you step into the garden, you feel as if you have traveled to the water town of Jiangnan, where you will feel exquisite and elegant. The pavilions, terraces, and towers are small and exquisite, and the rockery and ponds are scattered in an orderly manner.

Zhu Qizhen felt much better after he checked in. He put his left arm around Consort Xian and his right hand around Consort De, and said with a smile, "Look at the weather, it's going to snow, let's have some fun today."

"Green ants and new wine, red clay stove." The virtuous concubine recited the first half of the poem.

"The sky is going to snow tonight, can you drink with me?" Defei continued the second half of the sentence.

Zhu Qizhen laughed out loud and said, "Yes, we will warm the wine and enjoy the snow in this pavilion later."

Both of them nodded happily. Although they were both peerless beauties, their temperaments were different. Concubine Xian dressed simply and elegantly, looking gentle and virtuous, while Concubine De dressed brightly and looked fiery and bold.

Zhu Qizhen was strolling in the courtyard with his arms around his girlfriend. The eunuch Cao Jixiang came to report, "Your Majesty, the commander of the Imperial Guard, Shi Biao, wants to see you."

Xianfei was very tactful. She led Defei into the room of the temporary palace. Zhu Qizhen looked at their backs and had a bold idea in his mind: when will the three of them come...

"Your Majesty, I, Shi Biao, am here to pay my respects." Shi Biao walked over and bowed.

"Any news about the assassin?" Zhu Qizhen asked.

Shi Biao nodded and lowered his voice and said, "I found a lieutenant general of the imperial guards. When I arrived at his home, I discovered that his entire family had hanged themselves. I got some clues. The lieutenant general was... a subordinate of King Xiang."

"Uncle Xiang Wang." Zhu Qizhen frowned, "You have always supported me before."

"I'm still investigating, but I'm also worried about the defense of this palace," said Shi Biao.

Zhu Qizhen nodded slowly: "The palace defense does need you, you can let Ding Xiu investigate the case! I am not in a hurry, but let him investigate carefully and don't wrongly accuse anyone."

"Yes, sir." Shi Biao nodded in acceptance and walked out.

……

In the evening, it really started snowing.

Zhu Qizhen, Consort Xian and Consort De were warming their wine and admiring the snow in a small pavilion in the palace garden. Consort Xian and Consort De were both wearing fox furs, and there were several charcoal fires in the pavilion, so it wasn't cold.

"Your Majesty, are you just going to drink like that?" Defei's charming and amorous foxy eyes moved provocatively, as if in a provocation.

"How about a drinking game?" The beautiful eyes of Concubine Xian were filled with tenderness as she looked around.

"Sister, you are bullying me." Concubine De refused, "I am not well educated, how can I compare with you and Your Majesty."

Zhu Qizhen laughed out loud: "Shall I play a song for you?"

The two concubines' eyes sparkled instantly and they nodded in unison. Zhu Qizhen, dressed in a white robe, walked to the guqin next to him and sat down. In his previous life, he had learned a piece of music called "A Laugh in the Sea".

What man hasn't had a dream of becoming a hero? When he first came here, he wished it was a martial arts world, so he could roam the world and date female heroes.

He put his hands on the zither, and the sound of the zither rang out, melodious and heroic. He also began to sing: The vast sea laughed, and the tides on both sides surged

Ups and downs, follow the waves, only remember the present moment
The sky is smiling and the world is full of tides
God knows who will win and who will lose...

This poem is full of heroic sentiment and overwhelming. Concubine Xian and Concubine De have never heard such a song before and are fascinated by it. Zhu Qizhen also plays with great enthusiasm, his clothes fluttering and snowflakes fluttering behind him.

The Queen Mother stood at the door, looking at Zhu Qizhen who was playing the piano for a long time. Shuangxi behind her whispered: "Queen Mother, are you still going over? It's cold standing here."

"Let's not disturb them." The Queen Mother said softly.

She lowered her eyes, turned around and walked away quickly. Zhu Qizhen looked up and saw the back of the empress dowager, wearing a white long dress, swaying her figure, and her soft hair swaying in the wind.

The Queen Mother returned to her own chamber and ordered, "Shuangxi, let's drink and enjoy the snow, too."

Shuangxi smiled and nodded: "I will go and prepare it now. Do you want to call His Majesty and the others as well? It will be more lively with more people."

"How could they remember us now?" The Queen Mother snorted, "Let's just have fun by ourselves. We still have to barbecue."

Shuangxi pursed her red lips.

Queen Mother, you are eating barbecue now? Are you kidding me? In order to keep in shape, you don't eat meat.

……

The capital city, Jingyi Garden Palace.

The bed curtains were shaking violently, and then they calmed down with a low roar, and the two people inside were hugging each other tightly. Zhu Qizhen reached out and gently stroked the virtuous concubine's soft long hair, feeling the person breathing gently in his arms.

"Your Majesty, do you want to call Concubine De here?" Concubine Xian asked softly.

"No...no need." Zhu Qizhen looked embarrassed.

After the storm, he no longer had the high spirits he had before, and his emotions had faded. Concubine Xian gathered some strength, propped herself up slightly, her black hair slid down, and she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Zhu Qizhen gently hugged her waist and thought, wait a little longer, I will definitely conquer you, this evildoer. He knew why the concubines were working so hard, because they were all vying to conceive a dragon seed.

"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother seems to be worried recently." Concubine Xian leaned in his arms, her narrow eyes blinking slightly, "She has been worried since she received the letter from Prince Xiang."

Zhu Qizhen was shocked: "Prince Xiang's letter? When?"

Concubine Xian looked surprised: "You didn't know? I thought you knew. I also heard it from Concubine De. She went to pay her respects to the Queen Mother and ran into someone sent by Prince Xiang to deliver a letter to the Queen Mother."

Zhu Qizhen's eyes suddenly became sharp.

The King of Xiang was connected to the Queen Mother? And the assassination might be related to the King of Xiang. Could it be that the Queen Mother was really involved in the assassination? Damn, I was still flirting with her? She wanted to kill me?
"Don't tell this to anyone else." Zhu Qizhen whispered.

"What's wrong?" Concubine Xian was puzzled.

Zhu Qizhen did not give a direct answer, but frowned slightly: "It seems that I still have to go find Concubine De."

After hearing this, Concubine Xian slowly stood up, her black hair falling behind her like a waterfall. She put one hand in front of her body and turned sideways to face Zhu Qizhen. Her curves were graceful. She glared and said, "Your Majesty, you really treat everyone equally. I will go get you some clothes."

……

It has been three days since Zhu Qizhen came to the palace, and he has not visited the empress dowager. There are some things he needs to clarify. It happened that Ding Xiu, the Jinyiwei pacification envoy, came up the mountain to report.

"Your Majesty, I have found out through the line of Prince Xiang that Prince Xiang, who is in Xiangyang Prefecture, has corresponded with the Seven Guards of Guanxi in the northwest," Ding Xiu reported, "but I have not yet found out the content of their correspondence."

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

No wonder the King of Xiang suddenly changed his attitude. He must have contacted the Zhengtong Emperor. Then, the letter between the King of Xiang and the Queen Mother must be a conspiracy to kill me?

That's not right. It would not be good for the Queen Mother to assassinate me now. Even if the legitimate emperor returns now, people in the world may not necessarily think he is the real emperor.

Most people in the world think that I am the real emperor. If I were the empress dowager, it would be a silent replacement.

"You contact Liu Dingzhi, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and cooperate with each other to find out the content of their communication." Zhu Qizhen ordered.

"Your Majesty, why not just arrest the person directly?" Ding Xiu asked.

"How can the prince be so easy to catch? He is my uncle." Zhu Qizhen spread his hands.

Although uncle and nephew were old enemies in the Ming Dynasty, he had not yet figured out how to deal with Prince Xiang. After dealing with him, he had to leave him speechless and convince the people of the world.

Ding Xiu continued to report: "Your Majesty, the arrow that was shot at you last time was indeed not made in the Central Plains, but was commonly used in the grasslands. However, there are two possibilities. One is that the other party did it on purpose to lead us in the wrong direction. The other is that the archer might be a grassland person, and he is used to using that kind of arrows."

Grassland people?
Could it be that the people who tried to assassinate me last time were two groups of people?
Zhu Qizhen frowned and said, "You continue to investigate, but be careful about the line involving Prince Xiang."

Ding Xiu took the order and left.

Zhu Qizhen pondered for a long time and decided to go directly to the Empress Dowager to confront her.

……

The Queen Mother was reading a book out of boredom. Zhu Qizhen hadn't come over in the past few days, and she didn't let Shuangxi ask. She thought, maybe this is a good thing.

Bang!

The door was kicked open, and a gust of cold wind blew in. Shuangxi hurried forward, about to scold the eunuch guarding the door, but when he looked up and saw Zhu Qizhen, he was so scared that he quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty."

"Everyone get out!" Zhu Qizhen said coldly.

Shuangxi glanced at the Queen Mother, and led all the eunuchs and palace maids out of the hall. Zhu Qizhen's cold eyes fell on the Queen Mother, who was wearing a snow-white fox fur coat that made her skin look as white as jade, and her hair was loose and fell behind her.

"Why are you crazy? Why are you coming to my palace to chase people away?" The Queen Mother's eyes were as cold as ice, and her beautiful face revealed a cold charm.

Zhu Qizhen walked straight up to her and lowered his voice and asked, "Are you communicating with the King of Xiang? You were also involved in the assassination at the Imperial Ancestral Temple on the first day of the first lunar month, right?"

The Queen Mother was stunned at first, then she stared at him coldly and snorted, "Since you think so, then it is! Isn't it right for me to kill a fake emperor?"

Zhu Qizhen suddenly stretched out his hand and pinched her chin, lifted up her beautiful and delicate face, and gently brushed the corner of her mouth with his thumb, feeling the warmth of her lips. His hand suddenly exerted force: "Aren't you afraid that I will kill you?"

The Queen Mother let him pinch her without resistance. Her face was cold and she gritted her teeth. Her brows had regained their coldness and arrogance. She stared at him and said, "Go ahead and kill me."

Suddenly, she smiled, a crazy smile, but tears in her eyes: "You always use words to hurt me, humiliate me, isn't that enough? Are you finally going to kill me? Come on, kill me."

She stood up and took a few steps forward, arriving in front of Zhu Qizhen.

Zhu Qizhen's cold face suddenly changed into a smile. He gently brushed the empress dowager's cheek, tucked a strand of hair from her forehead behind her ear, and said, "Don't worry, I won't kill you now."

"You lunatic." The Queen Mother stared at him with cold eyes.

Zhu Qizhen stroked her hair and said softly, "Aren't you also a lunatic? Let's see who is crazier in the end."

He loosened his grip on her. Unexpectedly, the Queen Mother rushed forward, grabbed his neck, and said coldly: "The assassination in the Imperial Ancestral Temple has nothing to do with me."

Zhu Qizhen's face turned red, but he did not resist and asked, "What did the King of Xiang tell you?"

The Queen Mother's hands increased in strength, but her beautiful eyes were full of tears: "If you have the guts, go and check it yourself! If you come to me for no reason again, I will never see you again."

"Are we going to lock up Kunning Palace forever again?" Zhu Qizhen was almost out of breath.

The Queen Mother bit her lip lightly, tears welling in her eyes: "You only know how to bully me. What kind of ability is it to bully a woman?"

Are you a simple woman?

Starting to act pitiful again, huh?

Zhu Qizhen was really out of breath, so he stretched out his hands to pry her hands apart and took a deep breath: "Are you still crying? I didn't use any force just now, but you strangled me half to death. Besides, I was the one who was assassinated."

The Queen Mother struggled to shake off his hand, but he held her tightly and she couldn't shake it off. She was so angry that she opened her mouth and bit Zhu Qizhen's arm. Zhu Qizhen felt pain and said, "Ah, let go, are you born in the year of the dog?"

He thought he would be bitten by her and bleed like last time. However, the Queen Mother relented, raised her head, and tears flashed in her eyes: "I'll say it again, the assassination has nothing to do with me, can you go away now?"

Zhu Qizhen reached out and pulled her into his arms, giving her a warm hug and said, "Ruo Wei, are we even now?"

"If you don't let go, I'll bite your neck." The Queen Mother said coldly.

"It's indeed the dog year." Zhu Qizhen quickly let go.

The Queen Mother suddenly smiled, as if she had won a battle. She reached out to wipe away her tears, her smile still a little crazy: "You are still too soft-hearted. If you... really want to kill me in the future, please be decisive. Anyway, if you fall into my hands, I will definitely be very decisive and will not let you suffer at all."

"Well, it's a deal." Zhu Qizhen said, "No matter who wins in the end, we'll give the other party a quick death."

The Queen Mother's beautiful eyes stared at him unscrupulously today, with a playful smile on her lips. Zhu Qizhen was very upset: "Don't smile like that, it makes me feel like you are controlling me."

"Whoever takes it seriously will lose." The Queen Mother regained her composure, her beautiful eyes reddening a little. "Can you play a piece for me? The piece is called... 'A Laugh in the Sea'. Concubine De told me about it. You know, when I was young, I was a chivalrous woman, and I liked pieces like this."

Zhu Qizhen spread his hands: "Okay."

The two of them looked normal, as if nothing had happened.

……

Ps: I’m just asking for votes.

(End of this chapter)