Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 655: Night Talk between the Two Palaces
The "news" in front of Zongyang Palace spread quickly, faster than the speed at which the people who fled from Zongyang Palace spread it spontaneously.

After all, after they escaped from Zongyang Palace, out of curiosity, they stopped at Zhongwazi and Taipingfang nearby to find out more information.

After the court made the decision, it immediately sent a large number of street guards to various wards and neighborhoods to spread the news.

The news said that the commotion in front of Zongyang Palace was caused by the Jin captives' ill intentions when they came before the emperor.

The emperor originally wanted to pardon their death penalty, but because they had caused chaos during the ceremony of offering captives, he ordered them all to be beheaded.

Then, an even more exciting piece of news came out: to celebrate the great victory in Lingbi, the ban on gambling was lifted for three days.

This good news immediately diverted the attention of the people of Lin'an.

The people of the Song Dynasty loved entertainment, and the entertainment industry was the most developed among all dynasties. So how could there be no gambling?

Not only men like it, but women like it too. Li Qingzhao is a gambler and her gambling skills are quite good.

Of course, most people don’t gamble to the point of losing everything they have, but rather gamble for fun, rolling the dice or playing cards, which is more interesting when there is a stake.

However, gambling prohibition means prohibiting all gambling with prizes, so those who really have a gambling habit do so through underground gambling houses.

If ordinary people and friends want to add some chips when playing cards, it is illegal.

But during the lifting of the ban, there will be no problem at all.

The bodies in front of Zongyang Palace were quickly removed and the streets were cleaned up.

Thanks to Qin Changjiao, the section of the Imperial Street in front of his house was paved with large, flat stones, which were smooth and easy to clean.

When night falls, the city is lit up with colorful lights, and the world seems to have turned into a paradise.

The most lively places are the various tile houses in Lin'an, both sides of the canal, and the Zongyang Palace.

The Zongyang Palace became a prosperous place at night because the emperor and the people were having fun together tonight and would sprinkle gold and silver rain on the Zongyang Palace.

The emperor gave out big red envelopes, even if you only got one cent, it would be auspicious.

Who really hopes to get rich by picking up a few coins thrown down by the emperor? Isn't it just because it is rare and you want to get good luck?
In order to avoid crowding and trampling, the prefectural governor Qiao Zhen strictly restricted the number of people allowed to go to the palace to receive the rain of gold and silver to only women and children.

Therefore, the men who came here with their wives and children became "cheerleaders" and stood outside the cordon.

Below the palace, there were women and children all wearing colorful new clothes, as happy as if it were New Year.

The emperor's yellow silk umbrella suddenly appeared on the top of the city wall, and countless people immediately bowed down.

Zhao Yuan stood under the yellow silk umbrella, and all she could see were twinkling lights, dense crowds of people, and a prosperous atmosphere.

Xiao Luo stepped back half a step, gently supported Guan Jia under his injured ribs.

A bucket of shiny new copper coins was brought in front of Zhao Yuan, and another eunuch quickly scooped up a handful and presented it to Zhao Yuan.

Zhao Yuan grabbed a handful, took a breath, and lifted it forward.

This handful of money was only worth more than twenty cents, and under the lights of the city, it turned out brilliant golden rays of light.

Then, the royal relatives, civil and military officials in the city grabbed handfuls of money from three money buckets and threw them out.

The sky is full of money raining down, and the sound of money falling to the ground is so crisp and pleasant.

The women and children cheered and rushed forward.

Their husbands and fathers jumped and shouted outside the cordon.

There was also someone shouting at the top of his lungs, "There are so many over there! Put them in your arms, put them through your collar, you stupid son!"

Those who thought their wives and children were clumsy would beat their chests and stamp their feet, causing laughter from people inside and outside the city.

Zhao Yuan still felt a dull pain in his body, but he felt happy from the bottom of his heart.

This kind of joyful scene was exactly what he wanted.

"Sir, leave this to me."

Shen Gai and Prince Jin came up to Zhao Yuan and persuaded him in a low voice.

Zhao Yuan nodded: "The yellow umbrella cover will be removed after half an hour."

After saying this, he was supported by Xiao Luo and turned around and left the city wall.

As soon as they reached a place out of sight of the common people at the foot of the city, several eunuchs stepped forward quickly and helped the emperor onto the imperial sedan chair.

Zhao Yuan waved his hand, and Jin Wang Zhao Yu hurriedly stepped forward. Zhao Yuan whispered, "Yu'er, what's the matter with that? Just place him in Zongyang Palace."

Zhao Qu nodded, watched the imperial carriage leave, and then called the new commander of the Palace Front Department, Mu En, to his front.

Mu En has been officially transferred from the Imperial City Division and promoted to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Front Division.

Now Yan Shen's identity is unclear, and we need to ask some old officials from Tokyo Bianliang to evaluate him.

Even if his identity was proven, he was clearly involved in the conspiracy to usurp the throne and rebel planned by the Jin people.

Even if he had no choice, he could not be treated with the same courtesy as the former crown prince who was welcomed back normally.

His current identity is sensitive and needs to be strictly controlled, so Zhao Qu handed the matter over to Mu En, who has been in charge of the Imperial City Bureau for many years, so that it would be foolproof.

The news of the emperor's injury was strictly controlled. Those who knew about it were given the highest level of gag order, and only the empress knew about it in the harem.

The Queen was very worried as she knew that her husband had internal injuries but was still trying to force himself to give today's ceremony a happy ending.

As soon as the emperor came back, the queen quickly ordered people to carry him onto the imperial bed, and asked the imperial physician who had been waiting in the side hall to examine him again.

Afterwards, the decocted medicine was brought up, and the queen personally served the emperor the medicine.

"Daddy, Daddy, hey, Daddy, are you sick?"

The little princess Zhao Ning'er ran into Zhao Yuan's bedroom. As soon as she came in, she smelled a scent of medicine. She couldn't help but run to Zhao Yuan and asked worriedly.

"Ning'er, why aren't you asleep yet so late?"

Zhao Yuan handed the medicine bowl to the queen, scratched Zhao Ning'er's nose, and smiled lovingly, "Daddy is fine, he just caught a cold."

In the royal family of the Song Dynasty, as long as there were no outsiders present, the addresses were the same as those of ordinary people.

Zhao Ning'er said, "Then Daddy, just drink more hot soup and sweat a little, and you'll be fine."

"Know it."

Zhao Yuan was amused. The maid took a soft pillow and placed it behind Zhao Yuan. Zhao Yuan asked, "Why are you so energetic when you are still awake so late?"

"I'm not that weak anymore."

Zhao Ning'er's eyes sparkled and her little mouth started to puff.

The look was just like that of many ordinary children who suddenly encountered something new and interesting and couldn't wait to tell their parents:
"Dad, today you were reviewing the three armies in Zongyang Palace, and Ning'er was watching from the foot of the city. Dad, you don't know that when those Jin captives were rioting, they suddenly fell from the high poles. It was General Ziyue who saved my daughter..."

"Ziyue..." Zhao Yuan was stunned for a moment, then she remembered that she was talking about Yang Yuan, and couldn't help but said with a smile: "Don't be disrespectful, he is your aunt Luxi's husband, if you don't call him uncle, you should call him Duke of the County to be polite."

Zhao Ning'er stuck out her tongue and said coyly, "I think General Ziyue sounds impressive. Oh, Dad, don't interrupt me, I haven't finished yet."

Zhao Ning'er excitedly recounted the entire story from beginning to end: how Yang Yuan stepped on someone's shoulders and ran to her, how he caught her in his arms when she fell off the pole, and how he protected her and ran to a safe place.

Zhao Yuan and the Queen were frightened and delighted at the same time when they heard their daughter showing off like a storyteller.

The little princess finally finished her words. Seeing her father looking a little tired, she said shyly, "Daddy, Mommy, I'm going to sleep now. You should also get some rest."

Looking at their daughter's leaving back, Zhao Yuan and the Queen couldn't help but shake their heads and laugh.

The queen waved her hand and asked the attendants to leave. Then she stepped forward to support Zhao Yuan, moved the soft pillow aside for him to lie down, and whispered, "My husband, I heard that the crown prince Chen of Emperor Qinzong has returned to the Song Dynasty?"

"Right now, his identity cannot be confirmed. Wait two days and invite some old officials to come before the Grand Empress Dowager so that we can identify him together."

The queen thought about it and held Zhao Yuan's hand. Her fingertips felt a little cold.

The Queen whispered, "The Emperor was assassinated today. Was that man one of the masterminds?"

Zhao Yuan understood what she meant. He closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment. Then he slowly said, "If he is true, he was originally the crown prince and had already served as regent in times of crisis. But now he has wasted thirty years in the Northern Kingdom. He has suffered enough."

Zhao Yuan opened her eyes, smiled at the Queen and said, "Just raise her."

……

Since the emperor was injured, Zhao Yu had to take charge of the situation, and Prince Jin returned to the palace very late.

It was not until this time that Zhao Qu learned that something had happened to the two new beauties from the north that he had married.

Fu Guang was poisoned, but he was rescued in time and Han Su, who poisoned him, had poison in his hand, which was originally prepared by the Jin people for Zhao Yu.

The imperial physician saw that the poison was there and was able to prescribe the right medicine in time, and actually saved Fu Guang's life. However, the remaining poison had not been cleared and he was still in a coma.

However, Han Su, who had two hairpins pierced on his chest, had already woken up and explained everything to the princess.

After hearing what she had said, the princess was almost frightened to death.

As soon as Zhao Qu came back, the princess told him everything, which made Zhao Qu terrified.

"Where are they now?"

"I have locked them up in the woodshed, waiting for the king to come back and deal with them!"

That woman wanted to poison her man. No matter how kind the princess was, she hated them.

When Zhao Qu rushed to the woodshed, he saw Fu Guang and Han Su thrown on the firewood, with no mattress underneath and no cover above. Their faces were grim and their eyes were dull.

Seeing Zhao Yu, Han Su struggled to sit up, but he was too weak to stand up, and could not get up at all. He could only call out sadly, "My King..."

When Zhao Yu saw her pale face and lips, his heart softened immediately.

Zhao Que's heart melted by the sight of that sad, mournful, and resentful little look.

He rushed forward with concern, grasped her cold little hand, looked at Fu Guang who was unconscious beside him, and couldn't help asking: "Han Su, how are you?"

"cough!"

The princess coughed, and Zhao Yu suddenly woke up. He let go of Han Su's hand angrily: "You...you actually want to poison Yu Gu?"

"Yes, Nunu deserves to die!"

Han Su shed tears: "The Jin people captured Nunu's entire family and threatened the lives of my parents and relatives. They forced Nunu to come to Song to please the king and wait for an opportunity to poison her."

Han Su said with tears in her eyes: "Nunu is grateful for the king's favor, even if I die, I will not be willing to hurt the king in the slightest.

But, what crime have my parents and family committed? Once they know that Nunu disobeyed orders, the Jin people will definitely kill my family, so..."

Han Su gently held Zhao Yu's hand and said quietly, "Nunu wanted to protect her family, but she couldn't bear to hurt the king, so she wanted to kill Fu Guang who knew the truth, report it to the king, and then commit suicide to apologize. Who knew she..."

Han Su glanced at Fu Guang and smiled sadly at Zhao Yu: "Your Majesty's demeanor is so charming that it makes people fall in love with you at first sight. Your Majesty's tenderness in cherishing beautiful women is something that Nu Nu and Fu Guang have never experienced before."

She lowered her head and said softly, "The king is Nunu's only man. Nunu doesn't want to hurt the king. Who knew Fu Guang had the same idea as Nunu? She also wanted to kill me to protect both the king and my family. I...we are really two stupid women, so stupid that it's ridiculous..."

"How can this be called stupid? I don't allow you to say that about yourself." The corners of Zhao Qu's lips rose wildly, and he could hardly hold it back.

He held Han Su's cold little hand again: "I understand your feelings, you..."

"Cough!" The princess coughed again, her face turning black.

Zhao Yu pretended not to hear: "You...you should not blame the princess. The princess is gentle and kind, virtuous, honest, respectful and frugal, gentle and beautiful. She is a good woman unparalleled in the world. She only punished you slightly because you intended to harm me and she was worried about the consequences."

Zhao Yu turned around and said, "Come here, send Han Su and Fu Guang back to their rooms and take good care of them."

While his family was preparing to lift the plank, Zhao Yu said to Han Su, "You should take good care of your health. I already know your difficulties. I will definitely think of a plan to satisfy both of you and fulfill your chastity and filial piety."

"Your Majesty..."

Han Su grabbed Zhao Yu's hand and pressed it tightly against the uninjured side of her chest, her eyes blurred with tears: "My king, you are so kind. Han Su...even if I die for you, I will have no regrets."

"Nu... Nunu too..."

At some point, Fu Guang woke up, uttered a few words with difficulty, and looked at Zhao Qiu with tenderness in his eyes.

Zhao Qu stretched out his other hand and held Fu Guang's soft hand, feeling a surge of heroic emotion.

Princess Qu's toes began to itch, and she wished she could kick Zhao Qu down on the pile of firewood.

However, the good education she received since childhood did not allow her to lose her temper and act like a shrew.

"Take good care of them. Assign four maids to each room."

When Zhao Yu saw the two girls being helped onto the stretcher and sent back to their room, he gave them instructions reluctantly.

After the two girls were carried away, Princess Qu couldn't help but say, "My husband, no matter what, they came here to kill you. Their families are still held hostage by the Jin people. It would be fine if you didn't punish them, but..."

Zhao Yu held Qu's hand and smiled gently, "I knew that you are so gentle and kind, how could you bear to punish them? They... are also miserable and pitiful."

Zhao Qu took Qu's hand and they walked out of the woodshed together.

Zhao Yu said gently, "Look, they were forced by the Jin people and wanted to harm me, but they were moved by your tolerance and my love, and would rather die than harm my husband and me. If I abandon them, I will be struck by lightning."

The princess was both angry and amused. She really had no way to deal with this lovelorn man, so she could only breathe a sigh of relief and persuade him, "Your Majesty, you already have many beautiful concubines around you, so you should put your mind at ease in the future.

I know your majesty's fault. If you use your beauty to target your majesty again, what will I do if something happens to you?"

"Princess, you are wrong!"

Zhao Yu took Qu's hand and walked slowly: "You see, some people use their beauty to harm me, but they think that they have a gentle and kind mistress and a king who loves them, so they are reluctant to hurt us.

If I am not lustful anymore, and they approach me as servants or other relatives, then you are finished as a man, right? Don’t you think so? "

(End of this chapter)