Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 320 The Demon Queen Tells the Truth: Yao Guangxiao Is Helping You

Night falls.

After Zhu Qizhen had dinner in the Qianqing Palace, he did not go to Kunning Palace, but came to Yonghe Palace. He had not come to see Defei for a while, and now it seemed that the Queen Mother still wanted to make her the Queen, so he had to come to appease her.

When Concubine De saw him, she was slightly surprised. His Majesty had not come for a long time. She thought His Majesty was angry with her because the Queen Mother wanted to establish her, which ruined His Majesty's plan. But what could she do? Everything was beyond her control.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." Concubine De bowed gracefully.

"My beloved, please get up quickly." Zhu Qizhen raised his hand.

De Fei stood up slowly, her black hair cascading down her back, lightly tied with a simple ribbon, looking particularly elegant. She was wearing a light and thin purple dress, the color further highlighted her cool and elegant temperament. Her face was delicate, and her eyes flashed with a soft, deep and complex expression. When Zhu Qizhen approached step by step, she was at a loss for a moment, not knowing how to meet his gaze, and unconsciously turned her eyes to the side.

Zhu Qizhen reached out and held her soft hands. With a touch of fragrance, he smiled and said, "Are you wronged?"

"No...I don't feel wronged." Defei shook her head.

"Come on, let's go to your room and talk." Zhu Qizhen took her hand and went into her bedroom.

After closing the door, Zhu Qizhen embraced her slender waist without hesitation, and gently pressed her against the door with some force, and then gave her a deep and lingering French kiss, the force of which seemed to overturn the whole world. She in his arms, like a willow tree in the spring breeze, completely let go of all her defenses, and obediently nestled in his arms, letting the emotions spread wantonly.

It took a long time before he let go.

"I know that the Queen Mother wants to make you the Queen, but you are afraid that Concubine Xian will think too much, so you haven't gone out these days." Zhu Qizhen put one arm around her waist and stroked her long hair with the other hand, smiling.

The De Fei's eyes were as bright as stars, yet they concealed an indescribable tenderness. Her arms unconsciously hugged him tightly, as if she was looking for support and comfort. She whispered, "I don't need anything, and I don't have the ability to be the queen."

"If the Queen Mother insists, this will be difficult to accomplish, after all, she is in charge of the harem." Zhu Qizhen smiled bitterly.

"I will kowtow to her until she gives up." Concubine De pursed her red lips.

Zhu Qizhen reached out and gently stroked the corner of her mouth, his eyes affectionate, and said softly: "I'm really embarrassed for you."

"Your Majesty understands, and I feel relieved." Tears glistened in Concubine De's eyes.

"Come on, I will love you well, with all my love." Zhu Qizhen raised his eyebrows.

De Fei's expression froze for a moment, and then a helpless yet doting smile appeared on her lips. The complexity, grievance and emotion in her eyes instantly disappeared. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her mind, and said softly, "No, it's still early, we can't do this."

In those eyes, gleaming with tears, there was an indescribable coquettishness and charm, so charming and alluring that it made one's heart beat faster.

"I don't care!" Zhu Qizhen hugged her waist again. Her slender waist could be held with both hands.

Concubine De glanced at him and wanted to open her mouth to refute, but she was too tired to do so. She knew that what she wanted most at this moment was his warm embrace, which was a safe haven for her soul and allowed her to find a rare peace. So, she chose to remain silent, just leaning her head gently on his chest, immersed in this dependence and peace of mind, enjoying this quiet and warm moment.

Zhu Qizhen picked her up and walked towards the couch. The next step was to comfort her with practical actions.

Is it easy for me to be an emperor?
……

At noon the next day, the morning court began and all officials stood in silence.

Xu Shiliang, the head of the Ministry of Rites, straightened his clothes and stepped out of the ranks, respectfully saying, "Your Majesty, I, Xu Shiliang, have the audacity to make a report. The dignity of the Empress is the model of the harem and the etiquette of the mother of the country. It is related to the safety of the country and the prosperity and decline of morality. Since the death of the previous Empress, the position of the Empress has been vacant. I think that it is urgent to establish another Empress to stabilize people's hearts. I hope Your Majesty will understand public opinion, accept my advice, and make a plan as soon as possible to stabilize the world."

Zhu Qizhen was stunned for a moment. Xu Shiliang had just joined the Ministry of Rites, and he did not expect that his first memorial would be this. Obviously, as the chief minister of the cabinet, Xu Youzhen did not know that his son would fire such a shot so early in the morning.

"What do you know? Why don't you step back?" Xu Youzhen glared.

Xu Shiliang looked serious and snorted, "Lord Xu, there is no father and son relationship in the court. Besides, this is the Ministry of Rites' business, you have no right to interfere."

Xu Youzhen was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, rolled up his sleeves and was about to beat him: "Rebellious son, I will beat you to death!"

"No, no, no!" Zhu Qizhen stopped him with a smile, "Xu Shiliang is right, he is the head of the Ministry of Rites, this is his responsibility, you really can't control it."

He was curious, how did Xu Shiliang submit this memorial? Was it his own idea, or was it someone who instructed him to do so? If someone instructed him to do so, then it would be interesting, as he was Xu Youzhen's son, and this identity could be used.

"Xu Shiliang is right. The position of the queen cannot be left vacant for long." Zhu Qizhen sighed, "But we can't be so anxious, right? The people still have to observe mourning for three years."

Xu Youzhen quickly seconded the proposal: "Yes, Your Majesty, it will be in time in two years."

Minister of Rites Li Bing also stepped forward and said, "The Empress Dowager is in charge of the harem, and I also think it would be better to wait a few years."

The two big men stood up and spoke, so even if the other ministers had different opinions, they had to hold them back. Zhu Qizhen also changed the subject and asked about the arrangements for the 90th anniversary ceremony.

Li Bing reported that all preparations were going on in an orderly manner, and foreign envoys were rushing to the capital. This time, it would be a grand occasion with all nations coming to pay tribute.

……

After court, Qianqing Palace.

After the small court meeting, Xu Youzhen stayed behind to explain to Zhu Qizhen: "My son went to the imperial prison yesterday to see the former Minister of Rites Yang Shan. I guess it was Yang Shan who instigated him to submit the memorial."

"It's okay." Zhu Qizhen smiled and waved his hand. "Your son Xu Shiliang is very methodical and reasonable. This is rare. However, he is easy to be exploited. You just need to guide him well."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Xu Youzhen bowed.

Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and retreated. Not long after, the commander of the Jinyiwei, Shi Biao, came to see him. He reported to the emperor the process of Hu Yi's meeting with Shang Lu.

"The two old men are arguing again?" Zhu Qizhen was surprised.

Shi Biao nodded speechlessly: "That's right, Mr. Hu even threatened me to use torture."

Zhu Qizhen didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and shook his head: "He wanted to save Shang Lu, so he said that on purpose. Shang Lu was the former chief minister of the cabinet, and he died in the imperial prison without any decent charges. It will not be clear in the history books later."

"I don't know what they talked about specifically." Shi Biao bowed, "Mr. Hu will be here soon, Your Majesty, you can ask him. He walks slowly, I'll let two Jinyiwei support him."

Zhu Qizhen held his forehead with his hand and said, "Can't you use a sedan chair to carry it?"

"Your Majesty, this is the palace, how can he have the qualifications?" Shi Biao said.

Zhu Qizhen was very upset: "Quick, use my sedan chair to bring Mr. Hu here."

Shi Biao took the order and left in a hurry.

Soon, Hu Yi was helped in by two eunuchs. Zhu Qizhen stopped him from paying respects and gave him a seat. Hu Yi was not polite and sat down without hesitation, panting: "I am old and can't do it anymore. Last night in Feiyan Tower, I fell asleep in the arms of the young lady before the second half of the night."

Zhu Qizhen: “!!!”

Damn, you really are still strong despite your old age.

"Your Majesty, I think Shang Lu has also become depressed, so please spare his life." Hu Yi sighed softly, "He is... he is... he is extremely disappointed. Because one of his students was killed by those people, killing innocent people, do they deserve to rule the world?"

Zhu Qizhen was shocked.

He knew about this matter, but he didn't expect it to have such a big impact on Shang Lu.

"I heard you had a fight with him?" he asked.

"That fellow is stubborn and won't say anything." Hu Yi snorted, "If it were a dozen years ago, I would have beaten him to the ground."

Zhu Qizhen nodded slowly.

He understood what Hu Yi meant, which was that Shang Lu was completely disappointed with Emperor Zhengtong, but he would not reveal any information about the Junshan Society.

……

Zhu Qizhen did not hold out hope that Shang Lu would speak. He was struggling with whether to kill Shang Lu. Shi Biao and Ding Xiu both wanted to kill him to deter the rebels. As for the evidence, the Jinyiwei had plenty of ways to charge Shang Lu with treason.

He still couldn't bear it, and complained in his heart that he didn't act like a heroic leader.

"Mr. Hu, tell me the story of the late emperor and the empress dowager." Zhu Qizhen sat down next to Hu Yi.

Among the old ministers now, he has lived the longest, and he knows the most about the events from the time of Emperor Taizong to the time of the previous emperor. He frowned, "Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"Just out of curiosity!" Zhu Qizhen spread his hands, "How come the late emperor fell in love with the empress dowager, who was born in an ordinary family?"

Hu Yi pondered for a while and said, "I don't know the specific situation. But the Queen Mother once blocked a knife for Emperor Taizong, and Emperor Taizong also values ​​her very much."

"Ah?" Zhu Qizhen was shocked. "There is such a thing?"

"Of course, that was also a grand ceremony," Hu Yi recalled. "Zheng He had just returned, bringing with him many foreign envoys. Little did they know that members of the White Lotus Sect were among them and attempted to assassinate His Majesty. It was the Empress Dowager who helped Emperor Taizong block the knife."

Zhu Qizhen became even more curious: "How did the Empress Dowager at that time enter the ceremony?" "She was brought by the late Emperor." Hu Yi said, "I don't know much about her and the late Emperor. After that, the late Emperor, who was still the Crown Prince, got married and married the current Empress Dowager."

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

Damn, there is a story behind this. The Empress Dowager is the Saint of the White Lotus Sect. Why did she block the knife for Emperor Taizong?

"Why are these not recorded?" he asked.

"Your Majesty, how could these things be recorded?" Hu Yi sighed, "Back then, when Tang Sai'er was involved, many people died. Although Emperor Taizong had no other options, he still killed some innocent people."

Zhu Qizhen understood.

……

Hanlin Academy.

Liu Wanqing was looking for something among the rows of bookshelves. Xiyao came over and smiled: "Sister, what are you looking for? I can help you. There are so many books in the Hanlin Academy, it's not easy to find them."

"Oh, I'm looking for historical materials related to Jian Shu Ren." Liu Wanqing stared at Xiyao and said.

The Jian Shu Ren she mentioned was Emperor Jianwen. Xiyao's expression changed slightly, but only for a moment, and then she pointed inside and said, "It's there, but there's not much."

She led Liu Wanqing inside and asked as they walked, "Are you interested in Jian Shu Ren?"

"Yes." Liu Wanqing answered simply, "Aren't you interested? Is he dead? If he ran away, where did he go?"

Xiyao smiled faintly: "I'm not interested. I'm interested in the history of the late Yuan Dynasty when many heroes competed for supremacy."

Liu Wanqing smiled and nodded, then changed the subject and asked, "Sister, are you from Jiangnan?"

"Yeah, you too?" Xiyao asked.

"Yes." Liu Wanqing seemed to be thinking about something. "I know most of the talented women in Jiangnan. Did you hide your talent at that time? I have never heard of you."

Xiyao shrugged: "I was born in an ordinary family, and later came to Beijing to select concubines. It's normal that you haven't heard of me, but it would be strange if you heard of me."

"Sister, you are the most talented woman I have ever met. I need your guidance in the future." Liu Wanqing said.

The two of them stood in front of the bookshelf and chatted back and forth. Liu Wanqing flipped through the books for a while, blinking her beautiful big eyes and asked, "What kind of person is your majesty?"

Xiyao smiled and said, "Sister, do you like Your Majesty?"

"Sister~" Liu Wanqing blushed slightly, "I dare not."

"Your Majesty is the greatest hero in the world. Beautiful women love heroes. There is no need to be shy, my sister." Xiyao said.

Liu Wanqing smiled slyly: "So, sister also likes your majesty?"

Xiyao was stunned and shook her head: "I am just a Shang Gong, to put it bluntly, a palace maid."

"I think sister has a good chance." Liu Wanqing said with a smile.

Xiyao glared at her and said, "Sister, you are so mean. I helped you and you made fun of me. I won't tell you anymore. Just look for it yourself."

After saying that, she turned and left. Liu Wanqing looked at her receding back, a smile flashed across her lips, and then she returned to her previous position. What she was looking for was information about the White Lotus Sect.

Xiyao returned to the harem and came to Jingwen's palace. Jingwen was obviously a little disappointed, and Xiyao blinked and asked, "Has your majesty not come for a long time?"

"Yeah." Jingwen sighed faintly, "This huge harem is really too lonely. Xiyao, it's a good thing that you come to accompany me from time to time."

"You and I entered the palace together. Although you became the empress, you are still my good friend." Xiyao said.

Jingwen pursed her lips and said, "You are also a Shang Gong now, and those palace maids respect you even more."

The two drank tea and talked about some past events. Jingwen seemed to suddenly remember something and said, "By the way, Eunuch Cao came to my palace to deliver something two days ago and asked about you."

Xiyao was secretly shocked: "Are you asking about me?"

"I'm not asking, I'm just asking." Jingwen smiled, "Speaking of Jiangnan, he asked me about you in Jiangnan, how would I know that?"

Xiyao frowned slightly: "There is also this matter, tell me what happened at that time. Although I am a Shang Gong, he is the chief steward of the palace and can control me."

Jingwen pulled her aside and began to talk in detail, and even invited her to stay for dinner.

……

The night is intoxicating.

Zhu Qizhen stood in front of the window, clenched his hands suddenly, and couldn't help but take a deep breath of cool air, then slowly exhaled, as if his whole body was relaxed.

The moonlight was shining softly. The Queen held his hands tightly and pulled him up. She stood up gracefully, her long hair falling down like a waterfall. Her beautiful face was stained with a shy blush. She gently stroked a strand of black hair on her cheek with her slender jade-like fingers. Her skin looked even whiter and flawless under the moonlight. She opened her thin lips slightly, and the words she uttered were full of playfulness and teasing, which made people feel a ripple in their hearts. They joked: "You...you are not as good as before."

"Haha." Zhu Qizhen hugged her slender waist and said, "You only rely on your words. Let's do it for real one day."

The Queen's smile grew stronger. "You are still young, you must be restrained. Having too many concubines in the harem can be fatal. Beauty is like a knife that scrapes your bones. You must remember this."

Zhu Qizhen looked embarrassed: "I... I am very strong. Besides, how can a great leader like me indulge in love?"

After hearing this, the demon queen lowered her eyes and leaned in his arms, her face gloomy. Zhu Qizhen was stunned, holding her face, and asked softly: "What's wrong? You laughed at me first, why are you depressed now?"

"No!" The Demon Queen shook her head slightly.

"If you don't tell me...I'll take action now." Zhu Qizhen pinched her cheek.

The demon queen glared with her beautiful eyes, and just as she was about to speak, Zhu Qizhen kissed her directly. It was a long and domineering French kiss, and the demon queen's head was a little short of oxygen. She reached out and patted his shoulder, but he didn't let go.

Suddenly, the Demon Queen bit his lips and exerted force.

"Ah." Zhu Qizhen immediately let go, "You bite me again, you are a dog."

A strange and morbid excitement suddenly flashed in the demon queen's narrow eyes, accompanied by a look of joy. She slowly extended her tongue and lightly touched the remaining blood stain on her lips, her eyes revealing an almost obsessive intoxication. Then, the corners of her mouth outlined an arc, a sickly smile intertwined with madness and love.

"Hmph, sister will eat you up sooner or later." She hooked her hands around Zhu Qizhen's neck.

At this moment, Zhu Qizhen felt a little numb. He didn't know that the Demon Queen practiced evil magic before, but now he knew, and felt that the Demon Queen's abnormal state was probably related to the evil magic.

"You... I almost don't recognize you anymore." Zhu Qizhen tried to be as affectionate as possible, "What's wrong? I was still worried."

The Demon Queen leaned in his arms, her eyes charming, and chuckled: "Worried? Alas, I don't know how much of your sincerity is true and how much is just to coax me."

"You have always been sincere. Otherwise, would you still be alive today?" Zhu Qizhen said with a very serious and emotional expression.

The Demon Queen gently lifted the silky hair on her cheek, her beautiful eyes flashed with displeasure, stared at him, and asked coldly: "Why? Did you ever want to kill me?"

"Didn't you? When I came back from Tumu Fort, you didn't have the intention to kill me?" Zhu Qizhen asked seriously.

Let’s stop acting. At that time, we were wary of each other and used each other.

Have you all thought about how to kill the other person?

“Do you have to be so frank? Now that the window paper is broken, there is no turning back.” The Demon Queen’s eyes moved slightly, her tenderness was restrained, and there was an extra scrutiny.

Zhu Qizhen shook his head, hugged her tightly, and said, "Then let's not talk about it. I'm afraid of losing you."

The Queen's expression suddenly became gentle and lingering, and her black and white eyes, like deep pools, clearly reflected his sincere face. At this moment, she suddenly opened her lips and asked an unexpected question: "Have you ever liked me?"

"Of course I love you." Zhu Qizhen answered very straightforwardly.

"Oh, don't you ask me whether I love you or not?" The Queen of Demons smiled, seeming satisfied with his answer.

Zhu Qizhen hugged her, his tone became more gentle, and he said affectionately: "It's not important, that's your business, I love you is enough."

The Demon Queen was slightly stunned, and for a moment she was absent-minded. She looked at him infatuatedly and said, "Yao Sanxiao should have told you that my master Yao Guangxiao taught me a Taoist health-preserving technique, right?"

"Well, if you don't tell me, I won't ask." Zhu Qizhen said, thinking, tell me quickly, what is that, what on earth is Yao Guangxiao doing.

The Demon Queen sighed: "Yao Guangxiao has made every possible plan. Haha, he probably didn't expect that someone like you would appear in the Ming Dynasty. Instead, he helped you."

(End of this chapter)