Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 218 The Demon Queen Poisons: Your Majesty, It’s Time to Take Medicine
Outside the capital, the sky is clear and the sun shines on the earth, reflecting a solemn and glorious scene.

Zhu Qizhen rode his horse on a hill beside the official road, overlooking the warriors who were about to embark on the expedition. On his left and right, the Northern Expedition Commander Yu Qian had a resolute face, and the deputy commander Yang Guifang was in high spirits.

On the official road, dust was flying and the sound of horses' hooves rumbled, as if thousands of horses were galloping across the sky. The sound, at first, was like thunder in the distant mountains, and gradually gathered into an unstoppable torrent, resounding through the clouds. Looking around, I saw the army winding like a dragon, with flags covering the sun and swords and spears like a forest. Every flag was fluttering, and every sword and spear was shining with cold light.

The soldiers, wearing iron armor, carrying spears on their shoulders and swords on their waists, had a burning fighting spirit in their eyes. Zhu Qizhen, standing on the hill, had a burning passion in his heart.

Four years have passed, and he has gone from being a timid pseudo-emperor to having a million strong troops under his command. He doesn't just want to be an ordinary emperor, he wants to create an unprecedented empire.

"Your Majesty!" Yu Qian said, "I have no lofty words. I will bring you a stone from Mount Langjuxu."

Yang Guifang laughed out loud: "Then I will bring back a pot of water from the vast sea for your Majesty to taste."

Zhu Qizhen sat high on his horse, looking at the army going away, and smiled: "Come back alive to me!"

It’s not that he is being pretentious. As the saying goes, 'It is easy to get thousands of soldiers, but it is difficult to get a good general'. He certainly hopes that these two are alive and well. In the future, there will be more big battles waiting for them.

"Mobei, to put it bluntly, is dispensable." Zhu Qizhen said loudly, "The world is infinitely vast, and men should not rest on their laurels! You two, our journey is to the sea of ​​stars."

Yang Guifang clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, your words are still very powerful."

Yu Qian also clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, wait for me to give you the victory report."

After saying this, he rode down the mountain, followed closely by Yang Guifang. Zhu Qizhen looked at their backs, looking forward to it. After this battle, Mobei was settled, and he should be free to move westward.

……

A garden in the east of the capital.

The garden was heavily guarded, with sentries within three miles around. At this time, three people were standing in a secret room in the garden. The woman in the middle was wearing a rat mask. On her left and right were women wearing deer masks and cow masks.

"Boss Rat, why are there only three of us?" asked the Bull Mask.

"The wolf won't be coming anytime soon." Old Rat said, "Junshan will need new members. I have already found a candidate. He should be able to come next time."

The man in the deer mask sighed softly, "I shouldn't be here in the first place. Why did you make me come back, Boss Rat?"

"I can't help it. We need people." Rat Boss said helplessly, "We have to speed up our preparations. We must get the emperor from the northwest back to Beijing."

The man with the deer mask shook his head: "He himself is unwilling to come. What can we do? We are far away in the capital."

"I'll write another letter. Cheng Ming is very powerful." Rat Boss said coldly, "Now the situation has changed. If he doesn't come, there will be no chance. From now on, we have no choice but to fight."

Deer Mask and Bull Mask nodded.

"It's not easy to send letters now." said the man with the deer mask.

"I'll take care of this." Bull Mask said calmly, "Let's go through Shunfeng Escort Agency."

Rat Boss glanced at the two of them and said, "It's hard for you. When the emperor returns, you will have your share of credit."

Deer Mask shook his head and chuckled: "I don't care about any merits. I just want to repay the late emperor for his kindness."

Rat Boss nodded slowly: "We must act cautiously. Junshan Society cannot suffer any more losses. Do not take any action without my order."

She gave some instructions, and then the three of them left through different doors.

……

Datong City.

Guo Deng stood on the tower, looking at the vast grassland outside the pass. Wang Yue stood behind him, his face excited: "General, Yu Shaobao has led his army north, and it won't be long before they arrive here. Hahaha, we can finally leave the pass and go on an expedition to Mobei."

"Back then, Emperor Taizong's mighty army also left the country from here," said Guo Deng.

Wang Yueque shook his head: "Not only that, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing in the Han Dynasty, Li Jing in the Tang Dynasty, they all led their troops to Mobei from here and achieved great things. Now, it's our turn."

Guo Deng patted the top of the city wall and laughed: "You are so arrogant, kid! If we can win this battle, we can really seal the Wolf's Lair. In the history books of future generations, our names will be ranked after Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, and Li Jing."

"It sounds exciting!" Wang Yue excitedly.

Guo Deng frowned slightly. He didn't know how many people would die on the grassland during this expedition.

"General, I'm going to train the troops." Wang Yue bowed and went down the city wall.

Guo Deng stood there for a long time, then took out a letter from his sleeve, an unopened letter. The letter came from Dunhuang, he squeezed it tightly, took a deep breath, and tore the letter into pieces with both hands. The tiny pieces of paper floated down from the tower in the wind.

"Your Majesty?" He whispered to himself, "When you knocked on the door, I had already made my choice. There is only one Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and he is in the capital."

He frowned deeply, with a lot of thoughts in his mind.

The Majesty in Dunhuang could write to him, so he could also write to Yu Qian. What he was most worried about now was Yu Qian. With 500,000 troops under his command, whoever he wanted to help would win.

……

Northwest, Dunhuang City.

In early spring, the chill still lingers, but there is also a subtle tenderness in the cold.

At dawn, the sky was a faint blue-purple color. The Zhengtong Emperor, wearing a thick robe, stood on the city wall and looked to the south. There, spring may have become more intense, and all things are reviving and full of vitality.

Under the tower, sparse willow branches swayed gently in the cold wind. Occasionally, one or two early wild flowers bloomed tenaciously in the cracks of the city wall, adding a touch of spring color to this ancient city.

"Your Majesty, there is a letter from Junshan Society." Xu Bin ran up from the city wall.

The Zhengtong Emperor frowned slightly, opened the letter and read it, his face gloomy: "Junshan Society urged me to go south and sneak into the capital. Because the concubine of the fake emperor is pregnant, the queen mother is very worried about this."

"Ah?" Xu Bin was shocked. "This means there is no way out. The fake emperor has his own son, so he will definitely pass the throne to his son."

"Do you also think that I should sneak into the capital?" asked the Zhengtong Emperor.

Xu Bin pondered for a moment and nodded: "Yes, I think this way, the chances are the greatest. Of course, the risks are also the greatest. My thoughts are only mine. Whatever your majesty decides, I will support it."

The Zhengtong Emperor was silent for a while, then said, "Go back and discuss this with the military advisor."

They returned to the palace in the city and just as they entered the door, they saw the maids hurrying in. One of them came up and reported: "The lady is about to give birth."

"Ah? Why don't you call a midwife?" The Zhengtong Emperor was shocked.

"Already gone." The maid replied.

The orthodox emperor hurried back to his bedroom, where a dozen maids were already standing outside. Bulma's voice was heard from inside the palace. Soon, a baby's cry was heard.

After a while, the door was pushed open and an old maid came out and said happily: "Congratulations, a little boy was born."

The Legitimacy Emperor shouted happily and hurried in. Looking at Bulma on the couch and the child beside her, he almost cried: "My wife, we have a child."

"Your Majesty, we have a child." Tears glistened in Bulma's eyes.

They were affectionate for a while, and then Emperor Zhengtong came out and went to the front hall. Military Advisor Wu Xingdao and Xu Bin were there, and he announced the good news.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty." Wu Xingdao bowed, "The arrival of a prince is a good omen."

Xu Bin clasped his fists and congratulated: "Your Majesty, this is a brand new beginning."

The Zhengtong Emperor smiled and nodded, then waved his hand: "I will write a letter to the Junshan Society, telling them that I will not sneak into the capital. I want to return to the capital with dignity."

Wu Xingdao and Xu Bin looked at each other and nodded.

At this time, footsteps were heard, and Yuan Bin, dressed in armor, came in and bowed: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

"Mr. Yuan, you're back so soon? Didn't you say it would take two days?" The Zhengtong Emperor was overjoyed.

"I ride fast on horseback, so I came back first." Yuan Bin said with a smile.

Wu Xingdao walked up to him and said expectantly, "Tell us about Chagatai's situation. We have received your good news continuously."

Yuan Bin's face was high: "Chagatai's main force is fighting a decisive battle with Timur's army in the west, and he has no time to care about the east. Our army has won battle after battle and has occupied dozens of cities."

"Great!" Xu Bin said, "Our territory has expanded again."

"Hahaha, today is a double celebration." The Zhengtong Emperor laughed, "It's worth celebrating. I'm going to hold a banquet and we'll celebrate properly."

Military Advisor Wu Xingdao smiled and said, "Your Majesty, there is another piece of news. The court's 500,000-strong army has marched to the northern border and will soon enter Mobei. Your Majesty, you can write to Yu Qian now."

"Okay, I'll write it right away." The Zhengtong Emperor said, "If Yu Qian can lean on us, then the matter will be settled. Why should I sneak into the capital?"

……

Capital city, Ministry of War.

There was a huge sand table in the hall, and everyone was gathered around it, playing a game. The person in charge of the game was, of course, Duke Chen Mao of Jing, who was in charge of military affairs, and the one directing the game was Marquis Zheng Hong of Wu'an.

"Your Majesty has arrived~" Cao Jixiang's voice came.

Everyone in the Ministry of War knelt down to greet the emperor. Zhu Qizhen walked in and raised his hand: "Everyone, stand up, you continue, I will watch from the side, don't worry, I will never interfere."

Everyone laughed and continued to deduce.

They were deducing the route of the army entering Mobei. Through deduction, they could determine where the grain transporting army would leave something along the way. If the army encountered an unexpected situation in Mobei, they would have supplies when they retreated, especially various herbs, to treat the wounded.

After the deduction, Zhu Qizhen walked in the corridor with Chen Mao, Duke of Jing, and Zheng Hong, Marquis of Wu'an. He asked: "What is the biggest difficulty in the Northern Expedition?"

Duke Chen Mao of Jing pondered for a moment and said, "They are looking for Yesen's main force. The vast northern desert is their territory, and they are very familiar with it. They know that if our 500,000 troops go deep into the territory, Yesen will not confront us head-on. He will hide."

"Hasn't Yang Guifang been studying the map of Mobei?" Wu'an Hou Zheng Hong said with a smile, "In recent years, our spies like Mobei have also been drawing detailed maps of Mobei."

Zhu Qizhen nodded: "We have made sufficient preparations. Don't rush in, we can use Tutubuhua and the Alazhiyuan in the Oirat."

"Your Majesty, don't worry. Yu Qian is a very cunning man." Chen Mao smiled. "In terms of the cunningness of using troops, he can be compared with Emperor Taizong. Emperor Taizong was unable to use his hands and feet freely because of his status, but Yu Qian is not bound by any constraints."

Zhu Qizhen just laughed it off.

In his opinion, the most cunning one is Yang Guifang, who will do anything to win. As the two pillars of the empire, Zhang Lun has become a leader in the southeast and has the title of the empire's tiger. Yang Guifang is also secretly making every effort this time.

...Eternal Spring Palace.

The virtuous concubine leaned lazily on the cushion, gently stroking her belly, her eyes full of tenderness and anticipation.

"The Queen Mother has arrived~" a voice came.

Xian Fei was slightly startled, and then quickly stood up to greet the Queen Mother, bowing to her and saying, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you, Her Majesty."

"You are not feeling well, so please don't be so polite." The Queen Mother said calmly, "Hurry up and sit down."

The virtuous concubine nodded and sat down beside her. The queen mother also sat down beside her, dignified and majestic, and said: "It is because of your good fortune that you are pregnant with a dragon seed for His Majesty. Does the Duke of England know about this happy event?"

"I don't know." Concubine Xian lowered her head.

Her eyes dropped, not knowing whether the Queen Mother did it on purpose. She thought if her grandfather knew, he would be angry, right? If His Majesty had his own son, the Zhu family might be completely destroyed.

"Of course, this happy event must be shared with the Duke of England." The Queen Mother chuckled, "The Duke of England is indeed very shrewd. No matter what, your family will be the winner."

The virtuous concubine's expression changed slightly, and she pretended to be puzzled: "I don't know what the Queen Mother means, and I don't understand."

"Hehe, it's better if you don't understand." The Queen Mother stood up and said, "You are very good. When you take charge of the harem in the future, you will do better than me."

Xianfei could tell that the Queen Mother was not here to bless her, but she looked calm and bowed respectfully: "Queen Mother, I am not feeling well right now, so I am definitely not able to take care of the affairs of the harem."

"Forget it, just take good care of it." The Queen Mother smiled, "Leave the affairs of the harem to me for now. When you become the Queen, I will hand it over to you."

The virtuous concubine shook her head repeatedly: "I dare not!"

The Queen Mother smiled slightly, pointed to the gift box brought by the palace maid behind her, and said: "These are all for nourishing your body. You need more nourishment now."

"Thank you, Queen Mother." Concubine Xian bowed again.

The Queen Mother looked at her deeply and strode away.

……

Yonghe Palace.

De Fei was frantically applying medicine to the false emperor's wound. The wound on the false emperor's shoulder had not completely healed because of the demon queen's tossing and turning. He had just played too crazy with De Fei. When De Fei reached the climax again, she violently tore the false emperor apart. This time, the wound burst open, and she was so scared that she fell directly from the clouds.

"Don't worry, it's okay." The fake emperor said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, I'd better go call the imperial physician." Defei pursed her red lips and said.

The fake emperor smiled playfully: "The imperial physician is here, what did he say? Did he say that you tore it open?"

Concubine De was a little flustered and looked very self-blaming. The false emperor sighed inwardly, if the evil queen was here, she would not feel the slightest bit of self-blame and would just open her mouth and lean over to suck.

"The Empress Dowager has arrived~" the eunuch's voice suddenly came.

The fake emperor and the virtuous concubine were both startled, and the same thought came to their minds: why is she here? To catch an adulterer?

At this moment, the fake emperor was half lying on the soft mat with his strong upper body naked, while Concubine De was only wearing a thin gauze undergarment, with messy hair, a blush on her pretty face, and a pair of long white legs exposed. She was about to get up and go to the inner hall to change her clothes, but the witch queen had already come in.

The queen wore a purple dress that outlined her charming and perfect body curves. She had a graceful figure, a dignified and elegant temperament, black hair like a waterfall, and skin as white as jade, just like a goddess descending from the sky.

When the Demon Queen saw the scene on the soft seat, she was obviously stunned. Her beautiful eyes fell on the false emperor and she said coldly: "Shouldn't you be handling government affairs at this moment?"

The false emperor was just thinking about how to respond when the Demon Queen saw the wound on his shoulder which was still bleeding.

The fake emperor suddenly had an idea, and immediately pretended to have lost too much blood and fell on the cushion. His breath became weak, as if he only had one breath left. He half-closed his eyes weakly: "It hurts... It hurts..."

"Why are you injured again?" The Demon Queen came over hurriedly, her face full of worry.

Concubine De whispered, "It's all my fault."

"Take him to my Kunning Palace." The Demon Queen waved her hand.

Her cold and beautiful facial features were chilly, as if she was jealous, but her eyes remained calm.

Your Majesty, be taken to Kunning Palace in this state?
Defei's eyes flickered. The words of the evil queen made people think more.

The fake emperor was panting weakly, looking as if he was about to die. Concubine De glanced at him and nodded to the evil queen: "It is this concubine who caused the trouble. I need the queen mother to take care of your majesty."

The demon queen raised her eyebrows, glanced at Concubine De, and said in a cold voice: "It was I who bandaged his wound, and I need medicine in my palace."

She seemed to be explaining.

The fake emperor knew that he couldn't pretend anymore, otherwise the next time he went to Kunning Palace, the demon queen would give him another wound, so he said weakly: "Help me go to Kunning Palace."

"Shuangxi, come and support His Majesty." The demon queen slowly stood up, acting like a lady of high rank.

Shuangxi came over to help the fake emperor up, and then followed the Demon Queen out. When they reached the corridor outside, the Demon Queen, who was walking in front, snorted coldly: "Stop pretending, walk on your own, don't crush Shuangxi."

The false emperor stood up straight, chased after the demon queen with a smile, and said, "It was just an accident."

The Demon Queen smiled and said, "Tell me, what's the accident?"

The fake emperor smiled playfully and told the whole story. The demon queen listened and glanced at him with her tender eyes. She snorted proudly, "So you not only bully me, but also bully them."

The ambiguous words were full of a charming flavor, but the fake emperor had an aggrieved expression: "When did I bully you?"

"Haha, I don't remember." The Demon Queen sneered, "It turns out that all stinky men are bad."

The fake emperor was speechless: "If I said this to someone else, I would admit it, but I don't admit it to you."

The demon queen chuckled and glared at him fiercely: "You heartless stinky man."

……

Return to Kunning Palace.

The Demon Queen bandaged his wounds skillfully, and then snuggled in his arms. The Pseudo-Emperor gently stroked her cool and soft hair, and the Demon Queen slowly raised her head, revealing her cool and beautiful face, her rosy lips, and a faint fragrance.

The false emperor bit it directly, and the demon queen immediately opened her beautiful eyes slightly. She was dazed for a while, then hugged his neck tightly and responded.

After a long while, the Demon Queen suddenly grabbed the fake emperor's hand, her face flushed, "No, let's go to the courtyard outside the palace."

The fake emperor was already used to it. He held her beautiful blushing face in his hands, squeezed it, and said, "You did it on purpose, didn't you?"

"It will be yours sooner or later." The Demon Queen bit her lip and snorted, "You stinky men, you won't cherish it once you get it."

You are so right.

Zhu Qizhen complained in his heart, stretched out his hands and hugged her in his arms, saying softly: "Of course I will cherish you."

The Demon Queen tilted her head back, stretched out her delicate hand, and gently stroked his cheek, as if she couldn't get enough of it. After a while, she said, "I'll go make some medicine for you."

She stood up, her long hair cascading down from her shoulders and falling between her slender waists. Her figure swayed like a ripe and tempting peach.

Entering the kitchen, the Demon Queen prepared medicine herself, her eyes flickering.

There is still no news from the northwest. The cowardly emperor probably doesn't dare to sneak into the capital. What should I do? My chances are getting smaller and smaller.

Poison him?
He drank the poison, and I drank it too, and we died together, once and for all.

Coo coo coo~ coo coo coo~
Only when the water boiled did she come to her senses.

……

The fake emperor leaned on the cushion, looked at Shuangxi who was cleaning the table and asked, "Why did you suddenly go to Yonghe Palace today?"

Shuangxi wiped the table while saying, "Your Highness and I went to Changchun Palace first, visited the Concubine Xian, and sent her many supplements. After that, we went to Yonghe Palace."

The false emperor was stunned.

Many memories of watching "The Legend of Zhen Huan" in his previous life suddenly came to his mind. The harem struggles, in order to prevent other concubines from giving birth to princes, the means used were extremely cruel.

Would the Demon Queen do this?
Probably!

Because the evil queen has her own motives. She doesn't want me to have a new prince. If that happens, the throne will be passed on to my adopted son.

"What kind of supplements were sent?" he asked again.

"I didn't know, they were all picked by the Queen Mother herself." Shuangxi said.

The false emperor's mind was racing.

The evil queen would not use such a direct method, which would be easy to detect. However, the virtuous concubine should be on guard, as there might be more than one person in the harem who wants to attack her.

I finally have a son, so nothing can happen to him.

"The medicine is ready." The demon queen came out with a plate, "Your Majesty, it's time to take the medicine."

She walked in front of the Pseudo-Emperor with her long legs, put the medicine on the table, picked up the bowl, filled it with her own hands, and looked at the Pseudo-Emperor with charming and affectionate eyes: "Do you still want me to feed you?"

"Well, I dare not." The fake emperor smiled.

He took the bowl, covered his nose, and drank it all in one gulp. The Demon Queen looked at him without hesitation, slightly absent-minded, and then she filled another bowl.

"More?" The fake emperor waved his hands repeatedly, "It's too bitter, I don't want it anymore."

The Queen smiled, her beautiful eyes blinked, her long eyelashes curled up slightly, revealing a different kind of charm: "If you don't drink, I will."

As she spoke, she picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

The fake emperor held his forehead and said speechlessly: "You are getting more and more crazy. You also drank the medicine? I think you should ask the imperial physician to take a look. You are sick, mentally ill."

The demon queen didn't understand. She looked at him lovingly with a charming smile on her beautiful face and leaned into his arms, like a docile little wife. She opened her thin lips and spoke softly, revealing deep affection: "My husband, I like you. Let's die together."

(End of this chapter)