Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 175 The Demon Queen is shocked: The fake emperor comes from the future?
As the sun sets, the sky gradually turns a soft orange, casting a dreamy golden glow over the entire palace. The sun shines through the staggered eaves of the palace, casting mottled shadows.

Zhu Qizhen walked along the imperial road that was stretched by the setting sun, his steps unconsciously becoming brisker. All around him, the palace maids and eunuchs were talking in low voices, and the occasional melodious sound of a musical instrument could be heard from afar.

The breeze blew by, causing the willow branches on the palace wall to dance lightly, bringing with them the faint fragrance of flowers. Zhu Qizhen looked up at the red sun that was gradually sinking into the horizon, and unknowingly got used to the life in the palace.

He arrived at Kunning Palace and didn't see any eunuchs or palace maids. He knew that they must have gone to the team building. When he entered the inner hall, he saw the Queen Mother standing alone in front of the window.

She was wearing a thin light blue dress, her figure was graceful, her skin was whiter than snow, and her long black hair was like a waterfall, draped behind her, swaying in the wind.

"Empress Demon, you let them go for team building again?" Zhu Qizhen walked over, "You are still a good boss."

"What's all this nonsense?" The Demon Queen didn't understand those strange words and turned around. "You're back just in time. The palace maids and eunuchs are not here. Fake Emperor and Demon Queen, let's cook together."

"Ah?" The fake emperor just wanted to eat what was ready.

The Queen walked over with her slender waist twisted, her eyes were charming and seductive, there was no trace of the dignified grace of a queen mother, she glared: "What? If you don't do it, you won't get to eat, help me tie up my hair first."

As she spoke, she turned around, her back to him, her smooth hair falling to her waist. Zhu Qizhen stepped forward, reached out and picked up her hair, and could smell the unique fragrance.

Tie hair? He really knows how to do it. He had done it for his girlfriend in his previous life. He only knew one way. That was to tie her hair up and use a chopstick to hold it steady.

He moved very skillfully. Finally, he picked up a chopstick from the table and inserted it. He patted the demon queen's shoulders and said, "All right."

The demon queen was a little confused. She walked to the bronze mirror and looked at it. She had never seen such a hairstyle before. She felt it was not bad. She curled her lips, looked at the false emperor in the mirror and asked: "You are so skilled. You must have done a lot of women's hair?"

Zhu Qizhen looked at her in the mirror, with a few strands of hair falling on her beautiful white cheeks, and her mature charm was fascinating. He took a few steps forward, hugged her from behind, and said, "I've done it for you."

The Demon Queen turned around, raised her pretty face, and snorted, "You must be kidding me, are you so skilled at this for the first time?"

"I... have talent." The fake emperor put his arm around her waist.

After the last kiss, the Demon Queen no longer resisted some intimate contact, and sometimes she was very proactive. She hooked her hands around the pseudo-emperor's neck, stood on tiptoes, and moved closer.

Come again?

Zhu Qizhen was of course not polite. He must be the leading one this time, otherwise, all the love affairs in the previous life would be in vain.

For a long time.

The demon queen grabbed his hand that was beginning to do something naughty, pushed him away, and glared at him: "No~"

Like a mature sister, teasing a little brother.

The fake emperor spread his hands and did not continue.

Let’s see who loses patience first. Can’t I outlast you, a woman who has been widowed for more than ten years?
"I'll wash the vegetables and you cook." The demon queen walked towards the kitchen.

"Uh, is there a rebellion?" The fake emperor followed behind.

……

Night, Yonghe Palace.

After a thrilling fight, Defei, this delicate flower, drooped a little, and lay in Zhu Qizhen's arms, with a soft and weak figure but graceful curves.

"The Empress Dowager is leaving the palace, but she still doesn't let you accompany her?" Zhu Qizhen asked.

"I accompanied her twice, and went to the Fahai Temple to burn incense." De Fei said softly, "There was nothing special, I just burned incense and prayed for the soldiers, and copied scriptures and chanted sutras. Maybe it was because of the victory. The Queen Mother has been in a good mood recently. She feels younger. I envy the Queen Mother. When I reach her age, I will definitely be old and ugly."

Zhu Qizhen stroked her jade back and smiled: "I am curious about how she maintains her beauty. You can learn from her."

Concubine De pursed her lips and shook her head: "I guess I can't learn it. The Queen Mother doesn't seem to trust us concubines in the harem. The person she trusts the most is Shuangxi. In Fahai Temple, when she goes to the backyard to rest, only Shuangxi can follow her, not me."

Zhu Qizhen frowned, as if thinking about something.

De Fei regained some strength and propped herself up with her hands. The heart-stirring tremor in front of her made Zhu Qizhen immediately full of fighting spirit. De Fei looked charmingly and said, "Your Majesty, has Sister Xian Fei cured your illness?"

"Ah? She told you?" Zhu Qizhen held his forehead with his hand.

"Well, there are no secrets between me and Sister Xianfei." Defei raised her eyebrows, "We came later, so of course we have to form an alliance. It will be a good thing for whoever gives birth to a prince for His Majesty."

Zhu Qizhen grabbed her waist and winked: "Keep working hard!"

……

Northwest, Dunhuang City.

The Zhengtong Emperor and the Shazhou Guard leader Yahansha stood side by side on the city wall, looking at the desert sand outside the city. Although Yahansha's hair was already gray, he was still strong and majestic, with an imposing manner.

"Your Majesty, I only have one daughter. I hope you will treat her well." Yahansha said.

"I am an emperor in distress. It is my blessing that she can marry me." The orthodox emperor sighed softly, "If she can return to the capital, I will make her the queen and make her the most noble woman in the world."

Yahansha looked into the distance and smiled: "I know that Your Majesty wants to use the power of Guanxi. But that is far from enough. Since ancient times, I have never heard of any princes from the northwest finally ruling the Central Plains."

The Zhengtong Emperor shook his head and said, "It's not just Guanxi. I still have power in the capital! Now the fake emperor has the highest prestige. I can only wait for the right time. Once the time is right, I will lead the army south, take the imperial seal, and announce it to the world. When the time comes, the princes of various places will respond, and my people in the capital will also respond. It is not impossible for me to rule the world again."

Yahansha nodded slowly: "The legend of the true and false emperors in the Central Plains has spread to the people. There must be people who support your Majesty. After all, the Zhu family has ruled the country for nearly a hundred years and is the legitimate ruler of the world."

The two looked at each other, and both seemed to see hope. Yahansha told the Zhengtong Emperor about the situation in Guanxi, and after a while, they came down from the tower.

I was walking on the street and just reached an intersection when suddenly, I heard a sound of breaking air.

"Be careful!" Yahansha shouted.

There was an ambush in the houses on both sides of the street, and thousands of arrows were shot at him. The orthodox emperor quickly dodged behind a big tree on the street, his eyes blazing with fire: "It's coming towards me!"

Yahansha held a long sword in his hand, guarding one side, and said, "This is Dunhuang. Your Majesty, don't worry. The city patrol will be here soon."

The Zhengtong Emperor looked at his arm and shouted in shock: "Prince Xining, you...you are injured!"

It turned out that Yahansha's arm was grazed by an arrow and was bleeding black blood. The Zhengtong Emperor panicked: "The arrow is poisonous!"

Strangely, the assassin upstairs did not respond. At this time, the sound of hurried horse hooves came. It was the patrol guards. The general in the lead dismounted and ran to them. This was Yahansha's trusted general Tieyan, who was about to help Yahansha.

puff!
Yahansha spat out a mouthful of black blood and could no longer stand.

"Hurry, carry the master back." The general who dismounted from his horse shouted anxiously.

"Prince Xining." The Zhengtong Emperor looked sad. "Hold on."

A large group of people hurried back to the palace in the city. The orthodox emperor rode on horseback, glanced at the building where the assassins were ambushing, put his hands behind his back and made a gesture.

……

Yahansha was carried back to the palace hall. He was already dead and did not even have time to leave a last word. He was foaming at the mouth and his entire face had turned black and purple.

Bulma came out of the inner hall, saw the dead Bulma, and ran up crying: "Father~"

She was about to pounce on him, but the orthodox emperor grabbed her and hugged her tightly, saying, "Be careful, it's poisonous!"

"Father~" Bulma screamed miserably, "Who hurt you? Who?"

The sound of footsteps was heard, and the main generals of Shazhou gathered in the hall. Their leader Yahansha was assassinated, and his death was so hasty. After the grief, the atmosphere in the hall became a little strange.

Yahansha is dead, so who will be the next leader of Shazhou?
"Tie Yan, didn't the leader leave any last words?" someone asked Tie Yan loudly.

As Yahansha's trusted general, Tieyan stood up and looked around before his eyes fell on the Zhengtong Emperor. He bowed to the Zhengtong Emperor and said, "The leader said before his death that if anything happened to him, Shazhou Guards would no longer have a leader and would obey your command."

"What?" The other generals looked suspicious.

Although Shazhou helped the Ming emperor in distress, it was an alliance with Emperor Xuanzong. But how could Shazhou not have its own leader?

"Tieyan, stop talking nonsense!" someone said angrily.

At this time, Bulma, who had been crying, stepped forward and said loudly: "Tie Yan is not talking nonsense. Father may have a premonition that he will have an accident. He also told me that if he dies, Shazhou will obey the will of His Majesty."

The whole place fell silent.

Tieyan glanced around again, his eyes lingering on a few of the generals for a moment, and then he knelt down in front of the Zhengtong Emperor: "Your Majesty, I swear to be loyal to you until death."

Then, several generals stood up behind him and knelt down together: "Your Majesty, we swear to be loyal to you until death."

The Legitimacy Emperor stood, his eyes sweeping over the few people who were still standing. Bulma beside him also looked at those people and cried, "Don't you respect my father's orders?"

The men looked at each other and then knelt down.

The Zhengtong Emperor sighed, his face sad: "Those people must be coming for me. The King of Xining died for me. I promise you, I will avenge the King of Xining!"

"Your Majesty is wise." Everyone bowed together.

……

Frontier, Xuanfu.

Guo Deng, Yang Hong and Liu Dachui gathered here. Shi Heng summoned them here. Firstly, the emperor's reward had arrived and they were asked to take it away, and secondly, to discuss the next course of action.

Although they were both in the northern border, Guo Deng had not seen Liu Dachui for several years. The two of them each carried a pot of wine and drank as they walked along the horse path on the tower.

"When we followed Emperor Taizong to the north, I followed you to compete for military merit." Guo Deng took a big sip. "In a blink of an eye, we are both old and have white hair."

Liu Dachui glared at him and said, "I don't want to go back to the capital because I'm old, I don't have many friends in the capital, and I can't climb up. Why don't you, Guo Deng, go back to the capital? You are still relatives of the royal family."

Guo Deng spread his hands nonchalantly: "I really can't be an official in the capital. Don't you know me? If I really go to the capital, I will be suffocated to death, and I might even offend people and be demoted in the end, so I'd rather not go back." "If several of us old generals don't go back, I'm afraid that His Majesty will think too much." Liu Dachui smiled bitterly, "His Majesty may think that we are unwilling to give up the military power in our hands."

Guo Deng shook his head: "I had a deep talk with Yang Guifang once, and he said that His Majesty is not that kind of person. Look, His Majesty didn't force us to return to Beijing, did he? The rewards were not reduced at all."

Liu Dachui listened, took a few steps closer, looked strange, and said in a low voice: "You should have received the letter from the northwest, right? The real emperor..."

Guo Deng interrupted him directly and said, "I know nothing. I am just like the common people in the world. Whoever sits on the throne in the capital is the emperor."

"What if someone wants to split the Ming Dynasty?" Liu Dachu asked.

"No matter who he is, I will definitely go to war with him!" Guo Deng said in a firm tone.

Liu Dachui heaved a sigh of relief and raised his wine pot. "Let's go! We just need to guard this border and bring out Wang Yue, Zhu Yong, Bai Gui and these bastards. That's enough."

clang!
The two clinked glasses and drank heavily.

……

Mobei, Yesen’s camp.

This time, when he went south, he was defeated. Although Yesen's main force was saved, his prestige was damaged. The tribes in Mobei did not dare to oppose him openly, but they certainly despised him behind his back.

Not only other tribes, but also many people within the Oirat were dissatisfied with Yesen. The Ala Zhiyuan, who was guarding the rear, received more support. However, generally speaking, Yesen still held all the power.

At this moment, Yesen was meeting guests in the central military tent.

Alazhiyuan and Bolai stood not far away, looking at the heavily guarded central army tent. Bolai asked curiously, "Who is the Khan meeting? He is hiding it from us?"

"Do you know where the heavy cavalry surrounding the Khan came from?" asked Alazhiyuan.

"I don't know." A look of pity flashed in Bolai's eyes. "I heard that if there was no heavy cavalry, the Khan would have suffered heavy losses even if he came back."

Alazhiyuan sighed softly: "The guest that the Khan is meeting is the one who brought heavy cavalry."

Bo Lai wanted to go up and take a look, and asked, "Who is it that has such great power?"

"From the north!" Alazhiyuan pointed to the northwest, "Golden Horde! I don't know what kind of deal the Khan reached with the Golden Horde, but they actually sent 10,000 heavy cavalry."

Bolai took a deep breath and became even more confused: "Shouldn't the Golden Horde help Toghto? They are all descendants of the Golden Family."

Alazhiyuan snorted: "The Golden Family has long been divided. Who still remembers it now? Since the Golden Horde has moved south, they must have some plans. It seems that I have to tell this news to my allies."

Bolai understood, bowed, and hurried out of the camp.

……

The sun is scorching in the capital.

Zhu Qizhen and Chao Xiaotian were squatting under a big tree on the street eating watermelons. They looked ugly while eating, and their faces were covered with watermelon seeds. Chao Xiaotian said proudly while eating: "Master, do you know the Weiyuan Escort Agency? Yesterday, their chief escort Liu Molin came to see me and asked me to help him check a person."

"Who are you investigating?" Zhu Qizhen asked casually.

"Ms. Ning from the Chamber of Commerce." Chao Xiaotian looked puzzled. "He just wants my people to follow Ms. Ning to see where she goes and whether she has any strange behavior."

Zhu Qizhen was also curious: "The Weiyuan Escort Agency is so powerful, why did he ask you for help?"

Chao Xiaotian raised his head, patted his chest and said: "I have a lot of people. All the beggars in the capital are my people. He thinks my people are not conspicuous and not easy to be discovered."

Zhu Qizhen was not interested in Weiyuan Escort Agency, but he was interested in Ning Dajia. He said, "Tell me what you found out. Also, Ning Dajia is the woman that I, your master, like, like. Don't hurt her first."

He added in his heart that the master not only liked her as a person, but also her money. If this were said, it would easily lead the child astray, after all, Chao Xiaotian was still at an enthusiastic age.

"What? Master, don't you have a wife?" He widened his eyes at Chao Xiaotian.

"Isn't it normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines?" Zhu Qizhen glanced at him.

Chao Xiaotian frowned tightly, hesitated for a while, and said: "Master, the woman from the Ning family is not a good person! I, a subordinate who works in the guild hall, saw her kill her maid Xiaocai with my own eyes. That woman is cruel and ruthless..."

Zhu Qizhen was shocked: "What? Xiao Cai is dead? Killed by the Ning family?"

The last time he went to the guild hall, he was wondering why he didn't see Xiao Cai.

"Yes! She was stabbed through the heart by the Ning family." Chao Xiaotian described, "The white knife and the red knife came out, and that woman surnamed Ning didn't hesitate at all."

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

Damn, these women don’t look like good people.

……

Zhu Qizhen came to the guild hall. Ning Rongrong personally greeted him. She was wearing a simple long dress, looking cool and capable, with sharp and cold eyes, and a bit of a domineering aura.

However, she was very enthusiastic towards Zhu Qizhen: "Mr. Zhu, I haven't been here for a while. I thought you had left the capital."

Zhu Qizhen shook his head: "Be busy with something else. I see you are also very busy here. There are so many goods at the door. Where are you going to transport them to?"

"Ship to the northwest." Ning Rongrong greeted as she led him into the private room.

"Northwest?" Zhu Qizhen was really shocked. "I heard that it's not stable there. There's internal strife in Guanxi. The court has set up checkpoints in Shaanxi and Gansu. Can your goods get through?"

Ning Rongrong smiled slightly: "We are here in accordance with the court's rules. We have prepared all kinds of travel permits and paid all the taxes. In this way, we can pass. The Silk Road is not so smooth now, but there are still caravans, and Guanxi cannot do without the materials of the Central Plains."

Zhu Qizhen was secretly shocked.

Ning Rongrong is so capable? There must be someone in the court cooperating with her, and there must be people cooperating from the capital to the local areas. This woman is really not simple.

"Has the spinning machine been made?" Zhu Qizhen changed the subject to avoid attracting her attention.

Ning Rongrong shook her head: "It will take some time, but I believe it will be done. By the way, Master, I have already asked the Western customers to find the Western books that you asked my Chamber of Commerce to find last time."

Zhu Qizhen expressed relief on the surface, but secretly thought of asking the Jinyiwei to keep an eye on their Chamber of Commerce. It was obvious that they were engaging in smuggling, so where would the Western guests come from at this time?

……

The dusk is vast.

Zhu Qizhen came back from outside the palace and walked on the imperial road.

All around, tall pines and cypresses stand upright, their branches and leaves swaying gently in the evening breeze, making rustling sounds like whispers or sighs.

The outline of the palace gradually blurred in the twilight, leaving only the towering eaves. The carved beams and painted buildings under the eaves were looming in the weak light, as if hiding countless secrets and stories.

As night fell, the palace seemed to be covered by an invisible veil, becoming even quieter. The tall palace walls, like the walls of a giant beast, trapped everything inside.

At this moment, the Queen Mother stood in front of the window, frowning, with all kinds of complex dark colors flashing across her beautiful face. She went to visit the Duke of England today and had a secret conversation with him for half an hour. After she came back, she dismissed all the eunuchs and palace maids and stood by the window for half an hour.

"From the future? How is that possible!" The Queen Mother whispered to herself, "But he does know so much... Impossible, he must be deceiving the Duke of England and confusing him. But... How should I test him?"

A breeze blew past, blowing up her long skirt, making her look graceful. At this moment, she heard footsteps, and she put away her thoughts, knowing that the false emperor had arrived.

The person who came was naturally the False Emperor, who hugged the Demon Queen from behind. During this period, the Demon Queen would not resist similar intimate actions, unless the False Emperor's hands were dishonest.

The Demon Queen also leaned against him, her voice gentle: "I really don't know how long this time will last."

The false emperor hugged her waist, feeling the softness, and remembered the victory kiss he had seen in his previous life. So he grabbed her arms, slowly opened them, clasped his fingers together, and lowered his head to kiss her.

The Demon Queen has cooperated out of habit.

After a long time, the lips opened.

"In my hometown, this gesture is called the kiss of victory, which will last forever." The false emperor said softly.

The Queen blinked her beautiful eyes, her pretty cheeks blushed, and her eyelashes trembled: "Your hometown is the small county town in the south of the Yangtze River that you mentioned last time? Where is it?"

As she spoke, she stretched out her white arms and hooked them around his neck, a faint smile on her lips and a pair of charming eyes filled with rich emotion.

"Dao County belongs to Changde Prefecture of Huguang Provincial Administration Commission." Zhu Qizhen said.

He secretly guessed in his heart that the Demon Queen was trying to trick him, so he would just make up a story to see if the Demon Queen would send people to Dao County to investigate.

The demon queen raised her flawless and beautiful face, her eyes moved slightly: "Why don't you bring your parents and sister to the capital to enjoy a good life?"

The false emperor shook his head and lowered his head to nibble on her red lips again. The demon queen cooperated enthusiastically, hugging him tightly with her fair wrists.

"Well, I can hardly breathe." The queen took a step back, her stunningly beautiful face flushed with an intoxicating blush.

The false emperor knew that today would end here.

The demon queen was even more confused. Which of his words was true and which was false? How could he have a home in Dao County when he came from the future? It seemed that she had to send someone to investigate.

"We have to cook for ourselves again today?" The fake emperor asked after looking around.

"An ordinary couple, oh no, isn't that what ordinary families are like?" The Demon Queen glared, "Let's eat."

She was obsessed with the feeling now, just like an ordinary family. The false emperor grabbed her hand and leaned forward: "Do it again, otherwise, I won't move."

There was a glimmer of fondness in the Demon Queen's beautiful eyes, and she stood on tiptoe and moved closer.

(End of this chapter)