Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 300: The Demon Queen begs for mercy with her beautiful eyes: Don’t come again

Changchun Palace.

Zhu Qizhen came here to amuse his son after reviewing the memorials. When he entered the room, he saw a beautiful woman, which moved his heart. The woman was wearing a long dress with flowing colors, with a graceful figure, exquisite curves, a beautiful face, three-dimensional features, skin like cream, and long and curled eyelashes. When she fluttered gently, it seemed to touch the softest heartstrings.

Her long black hair was as smooth as silk, casually scattered on her shoulders, and a few strands of hair danced in the wind, adding a bit of unruliness and agility to her. She had a slender neck, and wore a necklace inlaid with gems, which made her look more noble.

A typical Persian beauty!
Zhu Qizhen had seen this woman before. She was Aisha, the queen dowager of the Ottoman Empire. He was puzzled as to why she was in Changchun Palace.

"Your Majesty." Concubine Xian came out from a side hall and said, "Your Majesty, this is Aisha. She is a distinguished guest. I am here to entertain her on behalf of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Qizhen smiled: "It should be."

Aisha also came over and bowed: "Aisha greets Your Majesty."

"No need to be so polite." Zhu Qizhen raised his hand. "Are you used to coming to Ming Dynasty?"

Aisha smiled slightly and said, "I'm getting used to it. I plan to stay here for a while and go to Shuntian University to study."

Looking closely, her skin was so good, like the most delicate white jade, with a faint warm luster. Her eyes were deep, and her long eyelashes were like two small fans, gently covering her eyelids. Every blink was like the fluttering of a butterfly's wings, bringing endless temptation and charm.

"If you need anything, just tell Concubine Xian." Zhu Qizhen smiled.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave now." Aisha bowed slightly, then strode away with a swaying figure.

Zhu Qizhen's eyes fell on her buttocks, thinking that if he patted them, they would definitely sway. Concubine Xian came closer and glared at him, "Your Majesty, are you attracted to her?"

"Don't talk nonsense, that's Osman's concubine." Zhu Qizhen glared.

Concubine Xian blinked and said, "You didn't even let the Queen Mother go, let alone the concubines of other countries?"

Zhu Qizhen pinched her cheek and said unhappily: "You are getting bolder and bolder. By the way, why are you the one entertaining her?"

"The Queen Mother doesn't care about these trivial matters. The Queen stays in the palace." Concubine Xian shrugged, "Then it's not just me who is left."

Zhu Qizhen put his arm around her waist and said with a smile, "You've worked so hard, taking care of the children and taking care of the harem affairs. Come, I will reward you well, a generous reward."

……

Sun Lian, the Marquis of Huichang, was released, shocking the court and the public. He was in prison, but he was able to get out, which made everyone have a new understanding of Sun Lian. That is, this man must have sold huge intelligence to the Jinyiwei and was recognized by the emperor.

Because he was released from prison, his title was not stripped. He was not subject to any restrictions and went to Feiyan Tower to look for girls and Taibai Tower to drink as before.

Some people secretly speculated that it was the Queen Mother who protected him. After all, he was the only one left in the line of Marquis Huichang. The Queen Mother also had to leave a seed for the Sun family.

The Marquis of Huichang seemed to be more unscrupulous than before, and had been in Feiyan Tower for several days and nights, spending money like water. So much so that the Prince of Run, who had just come in, asked the madam next to him: "Who is this man, so generous?"

"Your Highness, you have just arrived in the capital, so you don't know him." The madam introduced, "He is the Marquis of Huichang, the nephew of the Empress Dowager."

Prince Run raised his eyes and said, "It turned out to be him, the legendary number one playboy in the capital. I have to meet him. He must be a fellow traveler."

He smiled and walked forward, greeting the dizzy Sun Lian: "Are you the Marquis of Huichang?"

"Who are you?" Sun Lian raised his eyes.

"I am Zhu Zunyuan." Prince Run smiled.

Sun Lian was stunned, very confused: "Prince Run? There is a Prince Run in the Ming Dynasty?"

The madam came out to explain: "My Lord, you have been in the East Factory for a while, so you don't know? This is the newly appointed Prince Run who returned from Southeast Asia."

Sun Lian immediately understood that as a marquis, he still knew some of the legends of the Zhu family, and he quickly greeted, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"I am only a prince." Zhu Zunyuan spread his hands, "My Lord, I have just arrived in Beijing. Can you take me out for some fun?"

Sun Lian smiled proudly: "When it comes to having fun, I am the only one in the whole capital who is the best at it."

The two looked at each other and laughed evilly.

……

Sunchon University.

In the school building area, in the small courtyard, Xiyao sat up suddenly from the soft couch, breathing heavily. She turned her head to look out the window, it was pitch black, with the sound of the whistling wind.

She panted heavily for a while, got up from the bed, and lit a candle. The candlelight swayed, and her shadow seemed to be distorted. She stood in front of the bookshelf in a daze.

"Master, you are not here to look for me, are you?" She whispered to herself, "You can't blame me. I had no choice but to kill you."

It turned out that she had just had a nightmare. She dreamed of her master Yao Sanxiao. In the dream, Yao Sanxiao looked at her with a sad face and didn't say a word.

She recalled the last quarrel between her and Yao Sanxiao, which also happened at night. At that time, Yao Sanxiao read the notes left by Yao Guangxiao, and he seemed to be crazy, and kept saying: "Master, it turned out that you arranged it! But, Master, do you know? A false emperor appeared. Master, I am the same as you, I will not help the Zhu family, but I will not help the Queen Mother either."

Xiyao heard everything at the time and asked Yao Sanxiao what he saw. Yao Sanxiao refused to show her and told her not to get involved. For this, the master and apprentice quarreled for a while.

Yao Sanxiao didn't know Xiyao's true identity. He regarded her as a maidservant beside the emperor and told her not to get involved, because such things could cost her her head if she was not careful.

Xiyao agreed at that time, but she took advantage of Yao Sanxiao's sleep to secretly read Yao Sanxiao's notes and found out everything.

The next day, Yao Sanxiao died.

"Master, please don't blame me." Xiyao came back to her senses, with a cold smile on her face, "The road to hegemony is full of corpses, I won't let anyone stand in my way."

At this moment, she was completely different from her usual self in the Qianqing Palace.

Who could have thought that a lovely girl would poison her own master.

"I have to use your things to make a deal with Rat Boss." Xiyao laughed coldly, "Only when you die will Rat Boss feel relieved."

……

The next day.

Xiyao got up early in the morning and cooked porridge in the kitchen. Li Ling came to see her from the side yard, full of admiration: "Xiyao, you are so brave, if it were me, I wouldn't dare to live alone."

"The one who died was my master, what do I have to be afraid of?" Xiyao sighed.

She invited Li Ling to drink porridge with her. Li Ling smiled slyly: "I just come here to eat for free, Xiyao, your cooking skills are really good, better than Taibailou's."

"Sister, as long as I'm here, you can come and eat anytime. Don't collapse, okay?" Xiyao glared.

Li Ling chuckled and started to pick up the bowl and chopsticks. The two of them finished their meal slowly, and then agreed to go to the market together. After the heavy snow, the capital was full of people. The streets had long been cleared by the patrolling city guards, and carriages were coming and going.

"Xiyao, let's go to the East Market." Li Ling said, holding Xiyao's arm.

"Then we need to call a carriage." Xiyao asked.

The two were on the roadside, preparing to call a carriage, but a luxurious carriage sped past and almost hit them. A patrolling guard ran over and asked them with concern if they were injured.

Li Ling asked angrily: "Who is this? He doesn't obey the traffic rules of the Ming Dynasty."

The patrolman spread his hands speechlessly: "Who else could it be? King Run. We have punished him several times, but he still does what he wants because he has plenty of money."

"Prince Run?" A sharp look flashed in Xiyao's eyes.

The patrolling guard nodded affirmatively: "Prince Run and Marquis Huichang, who was just released from the imperial prison, have been eating, drinking and having fun everywhere these days. They are two of the most dissolute dandies in the capital. They are really enviable."

Xiyao looked at the carriage going away with murderous intent on her face.

……

Qianqing Palace.

Shang Lu, the president of Shuntian University, came to report. On such a cold day, Zhu Qizhen looked at the white-haired Shang Lu and ordered Cao Jixiang to bring him a chair.

"Your Majesty, a new group of Western students have arrived at the university." Shang Lu reported, "I am here to report the situation to you."

Zhu Qizhen stopped writing and looked up, saying, "Mr. Shang, you can make the decision on these small matters yourself."

Shang Lu shook his head and said, "There are a few special students among this group of students. I still have to report them. Aisha from the Ottoman Empire, she is the empire's queen dowager."

"I know, just arrange an independent courtyard for her, and don't take special care of the others." Zhu Qizhen said. Shang Lu nodded and continued: "There are also Princess Isabella of the Kingdom of Spain and Princess Joana of the Kingdom of Portugal."

Zhu Qizhen was stunned.

He really didn't know all this, and there were two princesses coming? He frowned. He didn't know Joana of Portugal, but he still remembered the name Isabella.

In his previous life, he had watched a TV series called "Isabella I", which was about this princess. Isabella later became the queen of Spain.

It was she who supported Columbus's voyages and it was she who opened the road to Spanish hegemony.

"Well, just like Aisha, they will be assigned independent courtyards." Zhu Qizhen waved his hand.

"The Ming Dynasty has a great influence on the world. There are three princesses in the university." Shang Lu's eyes were full of pride. "Your Majesty, you said that the capital will become the capital of the world. I think it will be soon."

Zhu Qizhen smiled and said, "So, you should take care of your health and see a more powerful Ming Dynasty."

A complex look flashed across Shang Lu's eyes.

Yes, only Your Majesty can make the Ming Dynasty continue to be strong and far surpass the Han and Tang Dynasties.

……

After the winter solstice, it gets dark very quickly. Without the bustling lights of the past, the capital city seems particularly quiet in the cold night, and even time slows down in this biting cold.

On both sides of the street, the once bustling night market stalls have long been empty, leaving only lonely wooden boards and a few swaying candles, which look particularly desolate in the cold wind. The vendors who usually shout one after another have now hidden in their own little nests. The entire capital seems to be accompanied only by the sound of the wind and the cold, which shuttle freely between the empty streets and alleys, making bursts of whimpering.

Before midnight, the city was already asleep, and there was no trace of pedestrians on the streets. Only the figures of the patrolling city guards were particularly eye-catching in this silent and cold night. They were wearing thick cotton clothes, iron helmets, and holding torches. They stepped firmly and powerfully on the cold stone road, and the firelight drew warm tracks in the night.

Prince Run's Mansion.

A person entered the palace from the back door and came to the study room where the candlelight was still on. It was Xiyao. She pushed open the door directly, and King Run, who was reading in the room, jumped up from his chair in fright.

"Why are you here so late?" King Run looked suspicious. "What's the matter?"

Xiyao walked up to him and said coldly, "Didn't I tell you not to make trouble? How did you get involved with Marquis Huichang?"

Prince Run's eyes flashed coldly, and he spread his hands: "It's just men eating, drinking and having fun, don't worry, what can I do? You arranged all the servants in the palace, don't you know what I do?"

"Don't worry?" Xiyao took a few steps closer, "I'm not worried at all. I know what kind of person you are since we were young."

King Run laughed sarcastically: "Same here!"

Xiyao's eyes were cold. She approached again and said coldly, "Before in Nanyang, I could let you do whatever you want, but now that you are in the capital, you can't do whatever you want. I won't allow any accidents to happen."

"Then what do you want?" King Run shrugged. "After the New Year, won't I go to Fengyang to accompany my ancestors?"

Xiyao's eyes flashed coldly: "Yes, you do need to accompany the ancestors."

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly thrust her hand forward and a cold light flashed.

scold!
She stabbed King Run in the heart with a knife. King Run was caught off guard, staring with frightened eyes, his face full of disbelief: "You... We are brother and sister... You... kill me?"

"Because this is the safest way." Xiyao's eyes were fierce.

Blood was gushing out of King Run's chest. He didn't shout, but looked at Xiyao tenderly and said, "Okay, Xiyao, you... win. Since you were little, you have been... better than me... I will... bless you to succeed in the underworld."

There was no hatred in his eyes, only sadness. He slowly and with difficulty raised his hand, gently stroked Xiyao's face, and smiled sadly: "Xiyao, you are very strong, stronger than a man. From childhood to adulthood, you don't respect anyone, nor do you have compassion for anyone. You don't know how to love others, nor will you be loved by others...Xiyao...you will become the strongest, but the long life of a strong person has no end...how will you continue..."

After saying that, he slowly fell down.

Xiyao was stunned. She originally thought that King Run would resist fiercely and would drag her along even if he died. But she never expected that King Run would say such a thing in the end.

She held the dagger in her hand, fear flashing in her eyes. This fear was not because she had just killed someone, but because of King Run's words.

Since she was a child, she has always thought that Prince Run was a waste.

But what King Run said before he died hit her heart. She was stunned for a while before she came to her senses. She looked at the cold body on the ground and snorted coldly: "How well do you think you know me?"

With that, she pushed over the burning candlesticks, and soon the whole room was ablaze.

……

The next day, morning.

A shocking piece of news shocked the government and the public: a fire broke out in Prince Run's mansion last night, and seven or eight people, including Prince Run, died in the fire.

After court, Qianqing Palace.

Shi Biao, the commander of the Imperial Guard, came to report the fire last night. When the Imperial Guard dared to go, it was too late. The fire was so raging that it was impossible to go in and save people.

Zhu Qizhen frowned: "The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty easily dissolves in water, and the Zhu royal family likes to play with fire and burn themselves?"

Fires are more likely to occur in winter, but Zhu Qizhen always felt that this matter was suspicious. He ordered Shi Biao to investigate and not to jump to conclusions.

After Shi Biao left, Zhu Qizhen frowned and thought.

Xiyao came over with tea and bowed: "Your Majesty, have some hot tea."

"You're back?" Zhu Qizhen took the teacup. "How does it feel to go to school?"

Xiyao smiled and said, "That's great. I never had the chance to go to school before. Your Majesty, many girls in the school are very grateful to you because of your reform. They all have the opportunity to go to school."

Zhu Qizhen waved his hand nonchalantly: "Men and women are equal, women can also be officials."

Xiyao's beautiful eyes were full of surprise: "Your Majesty, do you really think so? Isn't it said that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent?"

"That's shameless!" Zhu Qizhen laughed, "Gender should not be a boundary. An equal stage allows everyone to shine."

Xiyao couldn't believe that these words came from the emperor's mouth. The more she understood, the more she felt that the emperor in front of her was very unique, and there was no emperor like him in previous dynasties.

"It's a headache. Another prince died." Zhu Qizhen rubbed his eyebrows.

Xiyao gave him another cup of hot tea and said, "It's normal to have a fire in winter. Your Majesty has the whole world in your heart, so you can't let these things bother you."

Zhu Qizhen shook his head and sighed: "I am not that great, nor do I have that ability. Alas, I just want everyone within my scope to live a stable life."

Xiyao blinked her beautiful eyes and looked at him.

……

Night falls, Kunning Palace.

After dinner, Zhu Qizhen embraced the Queen and lazily lay on the soft furry mat. The Queen slightly lifted her body, making her already graceful figure even more exquisite. She gently slapped Zhu Qizhen's dishonest hand away, a hint of shyness flashed in her eyes, and then rolled her eyes at him coquettishly, turned her body slightly, and leaned into his arms in an elegant side-leaning posture, and the expression on her face softened a little, revealing endless gentleness and charm.

"Aren't you in a hurry to leave today?" She glared.

Zhu Qizhen's hands were still restless, and he replied, "It's almost the end of the year, so I'm not that busy anymore."

The demon queen's face was already red. She grabbed his mischievous hand again, bit her lower lip lightly, looked at him with her beautiful eyes begging for mercy, and said, "Don't come again. Wait until we get to the small courtyard by the Gaoliang River, and everything will be up to you... Is that not enough?"

"You always say nice things." Zhu Qizhen stopped, pulled his hand back, and hugged her gently, very properly.

The Demon Queen leaned in his arms, raised her head slightly, and glared: "I won't lie to you this time."

Damn~
Zhu Qizhen kissed her beautiful cheek and said, "Okay, I'll wait."

"Alas, another year has passed." The Demon Queen sighed.

Zhu Qizhen also echoed the sigh: "Prince Run is dead, maybe one day, I will suddenly die..."

Before he could finish his words, the Demon Queen covered his mouth with her hand. Her slender hand was soft, warm, and fragrant.

"Don't talk nonsense." The Demon Queen's beautiful eyes were filled with worry.

Zhu Qizhen held her arm tightly and smiled calmly: "So, we should cherish the present moment."

(End of this chapter)