Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 308: The Queen is stabbed, the harem is full of foxes, and the demon queen is in danger

The harem courtyard.

As night fell, the place was deserted, with only the lantern lit alone. Zhu Qizhen came in, not to reminisce, but to take another look at the scene.

He lit the candles in the hall, his brain working quickly. Who wanted to kill Alena? What hatred or grudges required killing? Alena was not a concubine, so she would not be envied.

In his previous life, he had watched many bloody dramas about harems. He knew that when the women in the harem became ruthless, they were even more ruthless than men. Could it be because of the competition for favor? Although I often come to see Alena, she has no status. Even if there are concubines competing for favor, I will not attack her.

"It can't be the Queen Mother." He muttered to himself.

At this moment, he suddenly heard footsteps. He was alerted and looked up to see someone walking in. It was Aisha. Aisha was obviously surprised to see the emperor in the hall and bowed quickly: "Your Majesty."

"Why are you here?" Zhu Qizhen asked.

"I heard that Alena was murdered, so I came to the palace to take a look." Aisha looked sad. "The virtuous concubine asked me to stay. I just finished dinner and came here while walking."

She was wearing an elegant black dress that reached the floor, with the hem of the dress trailing gently, perfectly outlining her graceful figure and showing off her proud figure. Her snow-white neck was adorned with a string of dazzling gems, adding an unparalleled charm and enchanting beauty.

"You and her really hit it off right away." Zhu Qizhen smiled.

Aisha twisted her waist lightly and walked to the side of the incense burner. Her slender and soft fingers gently pinched the lid of the incense burner and slowly opened it, revealing the incense that was about to burn out. Then, she gracefully took out a new piece of spice and gently placed it in the burner. As she moved, her charming eyes, which were somewhat lazy, blinked gently, captivating people. She bent her waist, and her posture presented a breathtaking and graceful arc.

Zhu Qizhen admired her beauty and was somewhat curious about this beauty from the Western Regions, especially since he had met Ni Ni last time, which made him miss her quite a lot.

Aisha met his gaze, walked over, boldly put her arms around his neck, and revealed a seductive look: "Your Majesty, I missed you so much."

She was tall, the tallest woman Zhu Qizhen had ever seen, and could almost look him in the eye. Zhu Qizhen directly reached out and hugged her flexible waist. She smiled with her hands covering her mouth, and the charm in her eyes became even stronger. She leaned forward slightly and leaned into his arms.

Zhu Qizhen picked her up and walked to the soft couch at the back.

A charming blush appeared on Aisha's pretty face, as beautiful as morning dew. Her small mouth opened and closed slightly, breathing softly, and she lazily nestled in his arms, her eyes blurred and deep, as if she had exhausted all her strength, and even her fingertips were too lazy to tremble slightly.

Zhu Qizhen's hand gently stroked the jade-like delicate back, his face filled with a proud look. I can conquer the beauties of the Ottoman Empire as well.

……

The next day, at the city gate.

The long-lost sunshine penetrated the thick clouds and sprinkled sparingly on the world, but this warm winter sun seemed pale and powerless in the face of the raging cold wind.

At the city gate, the guards stood like pine trees. Although the sunlight was weak, they still tried to draw a little warmth from the thin light. They rubbed their hands unconsciously, trying to dispel the coldness that penetrated into their bones, and the cold armor shone in the morning light.

A carriage stopped outside the city gate. No one knew that the person sitting in the carriage was Emperor Zhu Qizhen. He was wearing casual clothes and came here so early to pick someone up.

Shi Heng rode his horse to the side of the carriage and said, "Your Majesty, why are you so troubled in such a cold weather? I can just pick him up by myself and bring him to you."

"Old General Guo Deng has finally returned, and I have to come and pick him up in person," said Zhu Qizhen.

Shi Heng said helplessly, "General Guo is still the same temper. He came back from the border alone and didn't even let the Ministry of Rites come to pick him up. If it weren't for the intelligence from the Jinyiwei, we wouldn't have known he would arrive today."

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

The old general Guo Deng defended Datong after the Battle of Tumu. He did not open the gates even when the Zhengtong Emperor knocked on the gates. Later, when he was conquering the northern desert, the Zhengtong Emperor, who was hiding in Dunhuang, wrote to him, but he ignored them.

Guo Deng was a descendant of Guo Ying, a relative of the Zhu family. However, Zhu Qizhen was very surprised by Guo Deng's choice.

"Your Majesty, he is here." Shi Heng's voice came.

Zhu Qizhen got out of the carriage and looked up to see a man and a horse approaching slowly. The horse was an old horse and the man had a head full of white hair.

Four words popped up in his mind: The hero is too old.

Shi Heng went up to him and bowed: "General Guo, you are really free and easy. You came back just like this?"

"What else do you want? Do you need a sedan chair like a woman?" Guo Deng glared.

Shi Heng held his forehead, pulled him forward, and said, "Quick, meet His Majesty. His Majesty has been waiting here since morning to welcome you."

This was the first time Zhu Qizhen had seen Guo Deng, and his eyes fell on him. Guo Deng was stunned for a moment, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am Guo Deng, here to see you."

"Hurry up and get up." Zhu Qizhen raised his hand, "Come, it's cold outside, get in my carriage."

Guo Deng shook his head, and Shi Heng directly put him on the carriage and said, "Don't be shy. I almost froze to death waiting for you. His Majesty wants to invite you to drink. Let's go drink."

"Ah? Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Guo Deng wanted to refuse.

Zhu Qizhen pulled him into the carriage and said, "I know you don't like the banquets in the palace, but prefer the food and wine in Taibai Restaurant, right? I have prepared everything, let's go to Taibai Restaurant to drink."

"I obey your order." Guo Deng nodded.

……

Soon, they were already on the second floor of Taibai Building, sitting by the window. Guo Deng looked around, his face full of smiles, this was what he dreamed of. In the past, when he was still in the capital, he liked to come here to drink and listen to other people in the hall talking nonsense.

After a while, the food and wine were served, and Zhu Qizhen raised his glass: "I'll have a drink."

"Your Majesty..." Guo Deng stood up quickly.

Zhu Qizhen was annoyed: "Sit down and don't call me Your Majesty. I am incognito."

Shi Heng echoed: "Old Deng, His Majesty doesn't care about these things, just call me Young Master."

Zhu Qizhen was very upset and asked, "Can you please not call me Lao Deng? You can just call me Lao Guo."

After three cups of wine, the atmosphere became much more harmonious. Guo Deng also felt comfortable and ate heartily. He had not had the food and wine at Taibai Tower for many years.

"It's not as delicious as before." Guo Deng said, "I guess the chef has changed. There was an old chef before, and his cooking skills were definitely better than those in the imperial kitchen."

Zhu Qizhen rolled his eyes and said, "The Imperial Kitchen isn't much better now, so I have to run out to eat from time to time."

Guo Deng was amused: "Your Majesty, you can't blame the chefs in the imperial kitchen. They are restricted. The chefs outside can be bold and do what they want."

"This is also the reason why you don't want to return to Beijing, right?" Zhu Qizhen said, "It's more comfortable in the frontier."

Guo Deng nodded sincerely and smiled: "Yes, I would rather be at the border. Besides, many of my brothers are buried there. When I miss them, I can go to their graves and drink with them."

Zhu Qizhen silently raised his glass, poured the wine on the ground, and sighed: "This glass is for the soldiers who died on the frontier."

"Your Majesty, are you being pretentious?" Guo Deng raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

At this time, in a private room of the restaurant.

Yu Qian and Shang Lu were drinking together, just the two of them. Shang Lu's face was already slightly red, and he lowered his voice and asked: "Guo Deng is coming back, can he be won over?"

"Boss Rat asked you to ask me?" Yu Qian asked.

Shang Lu nodded: "Old General Guo Deng has a great reputation in the army. If he helps us, it will be a great help."

Yu Qian put down his wine glass and frowned: "I guess not. He refused your Majesty's knock at the door at first, and later he also refused your Majesty's letter."

"You've refused this before." Shang Lu spread his hands, "He is the great-grandson of Marquis Wu Ding, and a member of the royal family."

Yu Qian frowned, "So, I'm not sure. You don't want me to test it out, do you?"

"You can't. If you are exposed, it will be over." Shang Lu thought for a moment, "Find someone else to test it."

Yu Qian smiled coldly: "It turns out that when Marquis Huichang joined Junshan Society, he was a discarded pawn from the beginning. You used him to contact outsiders."

"It's Boss Rat's decision." Shang Lu said.

Yu Qian sighed, "The Rat Boss is still the best. The former Imperial Master was right. If she were a man, she would be destined to be an emperor."

……

Fahai Temple.

In the Zen room in the backyard, two pots of charcoal were burning, and two masked men stood on either side of the pots.

The rat mask stared at the fox mask and said coldly: "Alena is dead, did you kill her?" "No!" The fox shook his head.

Rat Mask snorted, "Not you? Don't try to fool me."

The fox mask spread his hands and said with a smile: "Why should I kill her? What good will it do me?"

"Yeah, what good will killing her do for you?" Rat Mask asked coldly.

"So, it wasn't me who killed him." The fox mask chuckled.

The charcoal fire crackled, and neither of them spoke. After a while, Rat Mask asked again, "When will you start the action?"

The fox mask shook his head: "There is no chance yet! You know, we need a foolproof plan. I can't act rashly, right?"

"What are you waiting for?" Rat Mask asked coldly.

The fox mask sighed softly: "I am just a woman, I don't have any ambitions. Don't think that all women in the world are like you. Who can be like you?"

"Really? Do you think I will believe it?" Rat Mask sneered.

Fox Mask didn't seem to care at all and asked, "When will you take action?"

"After the New Year!" Rat Mask affirmed.

The fox mask was slightly stunned. She didn't expect the mouse mask to give an answer. She smiled faintly: "I wish you success. Oh, it's our success."

The Rat Mask looked cold, and the Fox Mask bowed slightly to her and strode out. She came out from the back door, got on a carriage, and said to herself coldly: "So you are also so indecisive, then what do I need you to do?"

……

market.

As the year draws to a close, the market in the capital is very lively. Xiyao and Li Ling take Isabella for a stroll. On both sides of the street, red lanterns are hung high, one string after another, swaying in the wind.

The crowd was bustling, Xiyao walked between the stalls with ease, selecting the finest silk and exquisite accessories. Li Ling was attracted by a stall selling calligraphy couplets, and stopped to admire the flowing handwriting.

Isabella was curious and amazed at all this. She was deeply attracted by a stall selling colorful paper-cuts, with exquisite patterns such as fish leaping over the dragon gate, symbolizing abundance every year, and lotus blossoming, symbolizing peace and beauty.

"It's incredible!" she exclaimed softly, touching the delicate paper lightly with her fingers.

Not far away, an alluring aroma wafted over, the sweet aroma of candied haws, the warmth of roasted sweet potatoes, and the mixed aroma of various snacks. The three of them bought candied haws and ate while watching.

"Do you know Junshan Society?" Isabella asked, "Just now the old man selling paper-cuts said that Junshan Society is a rebel. He even cut the Junshan Society into little figures."

Li Ling snorted, "It must be that the cunning emperor is up to something again. The Junshan Society is going to be in trouble."

Xiyao was surprised: "Junshan Club, such a secret thing, you all know it?"

"It's spreading all over the capital." Li Ling spread his hands. "If you provide clues to the Royal Guards, you can get a reward. This time the reward is very high."

Xiyao frowned slightly.

She thought to herself that it seemed that the Junshan Society was no match for the Emperor. Even the vegetable vendors were scolding the Junshan Society. What could be done?
……

The night was dark.

The harem was completely silent, with only the sound of the cold wind blowing through the palace walls, making whistling sounds.

The red doors of the palaces were tightly closed, and the copper door knockers occasionally bumped against each other due to the wind, making a soft "dangdang" sound, which added a bit of depth and loneliness. A ray of warm light occasionally leaked through the cracks in the door. It was the palace where the empresses and maids were sitting around the fire, whispering, and the candles were still burning, revealing a bit of warmth and tranquility.

Inside the palace walls, tall trees swayed gently in the night wind, and the sparse branches and leaves rubbed against each other, making a rustling sound. The queen stood in front of the window, and the candlelight fell on her body, leaving a graceful figure.

The maids and eunuchs had gone to rest long ago. As a queen, she rarely went out. She had released most of the maids from the palace a few years ago. She liked quietness and didn't want to get involved in the disputes in the harem.

"Oh~" she sighed softly.

As a queen without children, she knew that she would be deposed sooner or later, but the emperor had not taken any action. This made her uneasy. Although the palace was harmonious now, there were undercurrents.

"My queen, it's time to rest." A voice came from behind her.

The queen came back to her senses and shook her head: "You go and rest, I will stay by myself for a while."

A shadow came up behind her and suddenly chuckled: "My lady, you are so incompetent, you might as well die."

The queen was startled. She realized that the voice was not her maid's. She turned around suddenly and exclaimed, "Why is it you..."

scold!
A knife was stabbed into her chest, and the queen's mouth was sealed before she could make a sound.

scold!
Another knife.

The queen died completely. The shadow looked at her coldly and chuckled, "Waste!"

……

The next day.

After Zhu Qizhen's morning court session, he returned to the Qianqing Palace, where a maid served him hot tea. He took a sip and asked Cao Jixiang, who was standing beside him, "Did Xiyao leave the palace again?"

Cao Jixiang nodded and smiled: "Yes, it was said to be a dinner party for classmates."

Zhu Qizhen stretched out his hands to warm them on the stove and prepared to review the memorials. At this time, the maidservant of Concubine Xian hurried in with a panic on her face: "Your Majesty, Concubine Xian asks you to go to the Queen's Palace. There is something important."

"Big deal?" Zhu Qizhen stood up and left.

The virtuous concubine was very sensible. If it wasn't something urgent, she wouldn't have sent a maid to ask him. He hurried to the queen's bedroom. As soon as he entered the hall, he smelled blood and felt something was wrong.

"Your Majesty, the Queen...is dead." There were still tears on Concubine Xian's face.

Zhu Qizhen saw the queen's body on the ground and took a few steps back in shock, unable to believe it: "How... could this be..."

Xian Fei supported him and said, "I came to pay my respects to the Queen early in the morning and found it."

"Where are the palace maids and eunuchs? Are they all dead?" Zhu Qizhen shouted angrily.

"Your Majesty, the Queen sent her maids out of the palace a few years ago, leaving only two maids behind." Concubine Xian introduced, "She has been staying at home for these years, and I am the only one who came to pay my respects to her. Alas, when I came, the two maids had not yet gotten up."

Zhu Qizhen turned around and saw two palace maids kneeling on the ground and trembling. Concubine Xian gently pulled him and said, "It should have nothing to do with them. They are people trusted by the Empress. Please don't implicate them, Your Majesty."

"Go and ask them and see if there is anything unusual about the Queen recently." Zhu Qizhen said in a deep voice.

The virtuous concubine took the two maids out. Zhu Qizhen came to the queen's body, squatted down, and looked at her face, which was still frozen in shock. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

He naturally didn't have much love for the queen, but he still had feelings for her. The queen stayed with him for the first two years, and later she found out about his fake identity but didn't reveal it.

"Who will come to kill you?" Zhu Qizhen's forehead was bulging with veins.

At this time, hurried footsteps were heard, and the Queen Mother came in hurriedly with Shuangxi. When she saw the Queen's body on the ground, she was also shocked, and Shuangxi supported her.

She walked slowly to the side of the corpse and said coldly: "The queen was killed. What do you do as an emperor?"

"You are in charge of the harem." Zhu Qizhen raised his eyes.

"Haha, I'm done with this, it's not my fault." The Queen Mother glared, "However, murders have occurred one after another in the harem, it's time to rectify it, otherwise, how can the concubines feel at ease?"

Zhu Qizhen stood up, stared at her and asked, "How do we fix this?"

The Queen Mother snorted, "I have my own way."

After saying that, she strode away, and Shuangxi followed closely behind her. After leaving the palace, the Demon Queen asked as she walked, "Is the maid named Xiyao not in the palace?"

"I asked, and Xiyao left the palace yesterday and went to Shuntian University." Shuangxi replied.

The Demon Queen frowned.

(End of this chapter)