This villain has become a ghost

Zhao Zhiming said:

"...I heard that Daying and Chiyu have gone to war. If the border needs food and fodder, as a citizen of Daying, I will definitely provide it!"

"Okay," Nangong Mingzhu nodded, "Then I'll leave this matter to you."

"Yes!"

Zhao Zhiming received the order and left in a hurry with his wife.

Lin Yuan pondered, "Your Majesty, Wancheng is strategically located, easy to defend but difficult to attack. As long as we have sufficient food and grass, Liu Zeyin won't be able to break in easily."

And this is exactly why Wancheng has been able to hold on for so long.

"But we can't hold on any longer," Nangong Mingzhu's eyes glared. "...We must fight quickly and decisively, and capture Yizhou and Liangzhou as quickly as possible. By then, the other four cities will see that the situation is not good and won't cause any more trouble. We can wait until everything is over before we can reorganize."

Lin Yuan said solemnly:

"Your Majesty, has the situation really reached such a critical point?"

If one is not absolutely sure and does not know the strength of Yizhou, it is always wrong to attack rashly. If it is not a critical moment, one will not abandon safety and focus on speed.

Nangong Mingzhu said solemnly:

"No matter how powerful Liu Zeyin is, his forces cannot defeat the army I personally lead. The Song family army and your soldiers have all been on the battlefield. The private soldiers he raises are far inferior to you."

"But he knew this, and he still wanted to rebel."

"I suspect the order he received was to try his best to 'delay'," Nangong Mingzhu said, standing with his hands behind his back. "The real fun... should be in the Eastern Capital."

"Your Majesty is saying..."

Lin Yuan frowned and thought.

Nangong Mingzhu's eyes gradually became deep, his thoughts turned back to the past, and he said:

"Some people's chess game is too deep, the net they have laid is too large, and the disguise is too good... people have to use all their strength to compete with them."

"All the letters sent to Dongdu in the past few days have been intercepted."

"The only solution now is to resolve the situation in Yizhou as quickly as possible and return to Dongdu immediately."

-

Dongdu.

royal palace.

The first ray of morning light poured down from the sky, piercing the darkness of night that enveloped the earth. The eaves of the palace were high, and copper bells were hung on the corners. When the wind blew, the bells rang crisply and pleasantly.

The palace maids' screams were sharp and resounded throughout the palace.

"Empress Shufei had a miscarriage!"

"Someone come quickly!"

The palace was suddenly in chaos.

The sky became brighter and clearer, and the morning sun was like blood, dyeing the sky red.

Nangong Qianshang sat on the high hall, his peach blossom eyes filled with solemnity. He rubbed his temples with his fingers, frowned deeply, and listened to the noisy officials below.

Someone whispered, "When did Concubine Shu become pregnant?"

Another person replied, "The imperial physician said... it had been going on for over two months before His Majesty passed away. He was afraid of jealousy from the concubines in the harem, so he kept it a secret. But he still got caught..."

"Fortunately, the Empress Dowager visited Shuhua Palace in time and discovered this matter, otherwise the life of Concubine Shu would be in danger..."

"Who on earth is so bold as to murder the heir to the throne? This is His Majesty's firstborn child..."

"I do not know……"

Qiu Lin was already extremely anxious. He bent his already hunched body deeply, knelt for a long time, and said tremblingly:

"...My daughter has been harmed by this. Your Highness, please rescue Concubine Shu and bring to justice the culprit who committed this crime!"

Su Shaoran came forward, trying to help Qiu Lin up, and said in a deep voice:

"Please rest assured, Commander. His Royal Highness Prince Xuan has already handed this matter over to the Dali Temple. I will do my utmost to help you!"

Nangong Qianshang comforted:

"Grand Marshal, please rise. This matter will be thoroughly investigated. Consort Shu has been rescued by the Imperial Physician and the Empress Dowager and is now safe. If you are concerned, please visit her at Shuhua Palace."

"Okay..." Qiu Lin nodded slightly and was helped up by Su Shaoran.

He wiped the faint traces of tears from the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, looked straight at Nangong Qianshang, and said, "Your Highness Prince Xuan, I have only one question to ask. Your Majesty and you... are you aware that Concubine Shu is pregnant?"

Nangong Qianshang knew what he meant, and after a moment of silence, he sighed:

"……Know."

"Since Your Majesty and Prince Xuan knew she was pregnant, why did they confine her to Shuhua Palace and dismiss the maids who cared for her?" Qiu Lin's eyes showed a hint of disappointment. He said in a deep voice, "Could it be that... Your Majesty doesn't like this child?"

There are many ways to protect, but since ancient times, no concubine who became pregnant would be treated like this. She would not be announced to the world, nor would she be rewarded or promoted. Instead, she would be confined to her room.

Nangong Qianshang replied:

"General, it is precisely because this is His Majesty's first child that His Majesty attaches so much importance to him."

"The Shuhua Palace is heavily guarded to protect the safety of the Concubine Shu. This is to prevent this matter from being leaked and to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from endangering the Concubine Shu and her unborn child."

Qiu Lin looked at Nangong Qianshang steadily, his eyes complicated.

After a while, he finally sighed, closed his eyes and said:

"I hope so."

-

late at night.

Qingyunzhai.

With a clap of thunder, spring thunder sounded again. The torrential rain was like a long-suppressed anger that finally fell.

Lightning tore through the dark sky, and raindrops shone like silver pearls, and then it turned into a silver

The curtain of light enveloped the dark land. When there was no lightning, the sky and the earth were even darker.

In the brightly lit room, the windows creaked in the wind.

"Clang-"

The girl in a black robe put away her umbrella, carried with her the scent of rain and fragrance, walked into the house, put the umbrella aside, and closed the door.

Jiang Wenjin stood by the window, wearing a gorgeous and noble red robe, but it was wet by the rain that overflowed into the house, and his handsome face was also slightly moist.

Ye Zhaoxi's eyes were gloomy, and he spoke calmly:

"Standing in the rain?"

Jiang Wenjin closed his eyes, opened his arms, and said:

"The night is so beautiful. Getting wet in the rain is even more luxurious. Maybe no one will feel sorry for me because they are all ignoring me. People get wet in the rain, but the rain cannot get into my heart. People hide from the rain, but they cannot escape the rain in their hearts..."

“I love getting wet in the rain, but I don’t want anyone to see my tears.”

"Ah! This elegant rainy night..."

Ye Zhaoxi: “…”

Ye Zhaoxi said calmly, "What are you pretending for?"

Jiang Wenjin: “…”

Jiang Wenjin withdrew his arm angrily and closed the window.

He stared at the hostility and indifference between Ye Zhaoxi's brows and sighed deeply.

Jiang Wenjin gestured for her to sit down and asked, "I heard that your friend had a miscarriage. Is she okay?"

"The miscarriage was just an illusion I created," Ye Zhaoxi said calmly, "Her body has been well taken care of by me, so she'll be fine."

Jiang Wenjin was puzzled:

"What are you trying to achieve by doing this?"

Ye Zhaoxi didn't look at him, but asked:

"Who do you think is the person who least wants this child to be born?"