Wei Lan Derivative · Houde · Ruhui

13

When the news of Xing Wang Zhu Youzhao's death reached the capital, Zhu Houzhao and Pei Wende were discussing when to pick up Xing'er.

In the summer of the 14th year of Zhengde, the northern border was stable and the court was peaceful.It's rare that there are no major events inside and outside the palace, the queen mother devoted herself to worshiping Buddha, and the two of them only lived in the small room in the leopard room.

One year after the Battle of Yingzhou, it was rare for the courtiers to coincide with each other, unanimously kept silent, and never made things difficult for Pei Wende.

So spring flowers are enjoyed together, summer moon is drinking together, autumn wind and winter snow are dependent on each other.The emperor gradually became more like a wise monarch, and the imperial commander also kept his duty.

Yang Tinghe finally let go of the Queen Mother.

"It's not a good thing for the emperor to be with Pei Wende. The queen mother should not worry too much."

At the end of winter, Pei Wende was worried about the northern border, fearing that Dayan Khan would invade again, so the two of them came to Xuanfu to sit in person.

In spring, on a whim, Zhu Houzhao planted a large peach grove on a barren hill near Xuanfu. When the peach blossoms bloomed, the two returned to Beijing.

Xiao Huanyun only sent an ambiguous letter during the war, and then lost the news for another year, so he thought it was nothing serious.Seeing the stability of the court, Zhu Houzhao moved his mind to take Zhu Houcong to Beijing.

But Zhu Youtang's body couldn't hold on in the end. When he went to Wuchang Mansion two years ago, he was not in good spirits.Now that he died of illness suddenly, Zhu Houcong can no longer enter Beijing at will.

"The posthumous title... just choose the word 'present'." Zhu Houzhao put down his imperial pen, his brows and eyes were full of sadness, and he only said to the Minister of Rites: "Xing'er is the title of King Xing. I think he is young and wants to reward him more. Let the Ministry of Rites handle it as appropriate."

The minister of the Ministry of Rites led the decree, and the palace people withdrew.Only then did Pei Wende walk up to him, and gently pressed his temple.

Zhu Houzhao leaned back in his arms and closed his eyes, showing a rare expression of sorrow: "Wen De, even the emperor is gone."

Pei Wende embraced him, leaned over and lowered his head on his shoulder: "Birth, old age, sickness and death are beyond anyone's control. Fortunately, the little prince is now twelve or thirteen, so things can be done."

"Yes. It's a pity that I can't pick him up to Beijing at will." Zhu Houzhao held his hand, tilted his head and closed his eyes gently. "Wende, I want to rest for a while."

"Don't worry, I'm here." Pei Wende held his hand back.

The room was silent for a while, the distant breathing intertwined with the birds chirping outside the window.

Zhu Houzhao opened his eyes again not long after.He rubbed Pei Wende's slightly stiff wrist: "Why did I fall asleep again, I always feel sleepy for a while."

"Your Majesty, don't make excuses for your inability to sleep at night." Pei Wende leaned closer and bit his ear: "It's time to sleep at night, but now I sleep too much, and I'm tossing my minister at night."

Zhu Houzhao rubbed his lower lip and smiled lightly: "Pei Qing is also very forgetful, who is haunting me every night? I am wronged."

It wasn't enough for the two of them to laugh and laugh, but they saw a white dove land on the window pane against the light.

Pei Wende took down the letterhead, and the pigeon pecked at his wrist.He handed the letter to Zhu Houzhao, and went to the side to fetch pigeon food and a water cup.The pigeon hadn't eaten a few mouthfuls, but there was a "click" behind it.

Zhu Houzhao threw all the notebooks in his hand to the ground, and he held the letter in his hand tremblingly.There was an unbelievable gloom on his face.

Pei Wende even vaguely sensed a hostility.

"Azhao?"

He walked over to pick up the booklet, glanced at the words on the letter paper, and his expression changed drastically.

"Xing Wang died of poisoning. Xiao"

The last character Xiao was very distorted, and the last vertical stroke was written out of the paper.

"It's the word calling the cloud. But why is it so scribbled?" Zhu Houzhao put away the letter paper, sat there with a gloomy face.

For more than a year, he has never been relieved of what Xiao Huanyun said before.But there is Wang Xun and Zhang Yong in the north, and Wang Shouren in Huguang and Jiangxi is watching secretly, they are stable as usual, which is very confusing.And the royal relatives and important officials of the various families all obeyed the rules and regulations, and often paid tribute to the emperor and empress dowager during the New Year's festival, which was a scene of peace and happiness.

But Zhu Houzhao knew clearly that since Xiao Huanyun had told him, it would not be groundless.

"I'm worried."

"Let me accompany you to Anlu."

Zhu Houzhao and Pei Wende spoke almost at the same time.

Zhu Houzhao looked up at Pei Wende, he set the letter on fire, and said: "Master Xiao has always been rigorous, and the handwriting is so scribbled, I'm afraid something happened to her."

Before she finished speaking, she only heard a slight movement outside the door, and then Fendai hurried in.

"Master, Master Pei, the Queen Mother is not very well."

When Empress Dowager Zhang heard the news of King Xing's death, the old man felt restless for a while, half of the bowl of rice he ate at noon was stuck in his stomach, and now he vomited without talking, and fainted from weakness.

When the aunt in charge saw the emperor, who didn't come once a year, rush in through the door, her eyes turned red.

"Mother's Queen." Zhu Houzhao moved closer, and Queen Mother Zhang frowned even when she was asleep, and she was not at peace.

"Your Majesty..." The aunt in charge said in a low voice, "You...you should be with the Queen Mother well, she has been devoted to you all these years."

Zhu Houzhao had something unsettled in his heart and another incident happened again, but it happened to be his mother again.On weekdays, because of Pei Wende's affairs, the mother and son were a little bit estranged, not to mention that the emperor's family was ruthless.At this time, Zhu Houzhao had mixed feelings in his heart, and he just held his mother's hand.

Pei Wende quietly stepped forward and took a look, the aunt in charge was very embarrassed when she saw that it was him.

.

"Don't worry, aunt." Pei Wende stepped forward and kowtowed: "I know that the Queen Mother doesn't want to see me, so I... just go out."

Zhu Houzhao looked at him helplessly.Pei Wende patted him on the shoulder reassuringly: "I'm going to the Shang Palace Bureau, call me if you need anything."

It wasn't until he left the empress dowager's palace that the depression dissipated completely.In fact, he couldn't smell the agarwood that the Empress Dowager lit all the year round, and it would be better when the fumigated wind outside the palace blows.

Fendai had already made tea and waited for him.

"How did you know I would come?" Pei Wende sat at the round table, but the person sitting opposite became Fen Dai.

"Master always wants to accompany the Queen Mother. In this palace, Master Pei can't go anywhere else." Fen Dai handed her tea, "Master Pei, if the Queen Mother doesn't like you for the rest of her life, what will you do?"

"Do all the filial piety that should be done." Pei Wende took a sip of tea, but he was helpless: "After all, Ah Zhao is mine, and there is nothing she can do if she doesn't recognize it. Every time I kowtow outside the palace, she won't accept it, and always Should know."

Fendai just looked at him, but couldn't say anything for a while.

Pei Wende looked at the pigeon loft next to her house, walked over and sprinkled a handful of rice: "Didn't Xiao Shanggong say anything to you?"

"No." Fen Dai followed, and said in a low voice, "My aunt has not often delivered ordinary letters in the past six months, and most of the pigeons that fly here are from Lanling's family, so it's nothing serious." She hesitated for a moment, but still spoke : "Master Pei, but I always feel that something happened to my aunt."

At this moment, in An Lu Xing Wang's mansion, the mourning hall is surrounded by white tents, behind the coffin of King Xing, a huge "Dian" character hits his eyes.

Wearing plain clothes and holding a bamboo pole, Zhu Houcong knelt in front of the coffin, staring at the incense without saying a word, and circling upwards, as if he could really take people's souls to bliss.

The deceased was dead, but the living had gloomy brows and eyes. At first glance, there was a trace of sharp and cold hostility on the young face.

"Little prince." The sound of footsteps behind him stopped outside the mourning hall.

Zhu Houcong turned around, and saw a young man led by the housekeeper. He had delicate features, but he felt somewhat familiar.

Sure enough, the butler said, "This is Mr. Xiao Zai, the master of Lanling."

"Xiao received the secret letter from the young prince, so he rushed here." Xiao Zai first went up to pay homage to the coffin of King Xing, then turned around and said worriedly: "I don't know why the young prince called Xiao here in such a hurry?"

"Come with me." Zhu Houcong looked normal, and led him to the backyard of the palace.

He ran eagerly until there was no one else in the remote part of the inner courtyard.

In the unattractive side courtyard, the door of the room was ajar.

Xiao Zai pushed open the door, and there was a woman lying on the couch in the back room.His expression was shocked instantly, and he rushed forward in two or three steps.

"Yun'er..."

Xiao Huanyun's face was pale, his lips were black and blue, his breathing was ethereal, and his pulse was extremely weak.Xiao Zai took out the silver needle with only one glance: "Why is she poisoned?"

Zhu Houcong closed the door gently, and took out a stack of letter papers from his arms.

"Aunt Xiao has been in Huguang for the past six months. Her father passed away that day. She found out that the father died of poisoning, not an ordinary illness. After only sending a letter to Beijing, she collapsed. Before she fell into a coma, her mouth I called my husband's name. So I call the shots and call you to Anlu."

Xiao Zai took Xiao Huanyun's hasty notes, which were densely packed and very complicated. He only heard Zhu Houcong say: "My aunt strictly forbids her whereabouts to be revealed. I have never shown these things to anyone else. Mr. Xiao is from Lanling. Holy Hand, no matter what, it's important to save Auntie first."

Xiao Zai's silver needle swept over the fire, and after sealing several heart vessels, he only pressed lightly on his fingertips.

Black pus and blood gushed out and seeped into the fingers, which was very frightening.

Xiao Huanyun frowned.

"Yun'er, can you hear me?" Xiao Zai pressed her wrist, and then stabbed at the other fingertip.

Still black blood.

Xiao Huanyun suffered from pain and finally slowly opened his eyes.

Xiao Zai glanced at her and said in a low voice: "Yun'er, endure the pain, you are an old poison, I must let you out."

Xiao Huanyun's tears fell, and he sobbed a few words softly.

"Auntie, what did you say?" Zhu Houcong hurriedly leaned over.

"Azhao...Azhao he..."

"Aunt asked the emperor?" Zhu Houcong hurriedly supported her: "The letter has already been delivered, so don't worry, Aunt."

Xiao Zai looked at her with a frown, but the needle didn't stop, but all ten fingers pricked it in a moment, and the black blood flowed for a while before it was clean.

Xiao Huanyun had already fainted from the pain.

Xiao Huanyun woke up again at night when Zhu Houcong brought the food.

Xiao Zai lifted up his sleeve and gently wiped her sweat: "How did you do it? Such old poison is in your body, and you didn't realize it at all?"

"What are you talking about?" Xiao Huanyun stared at the ten fingertips holding the gauze, and said in surprise: "Old poison? I found out that there is slow poison in the spices used by King Xing on weekdays. Even if it is poisoned, it is not enough. Five or six days, how could..."

"You have been in a coma for three days." Xiao Zai set fire to the needle and stuck it on her wrist: "Your stale poison was induced by accident." His eyes darkened slightly, and he whispered: "You are in the palace. Do you use incense too?"

Xiao Huanyun was at a loss for words.

Not only does she use it.And the aroma of peach blossoms is almost ten years old at one point.

"Is Fang Zi still there?" Xiao Zai got up angrily, pointed at her and didn't know what to say: "I really shouldn't send you into the palace, and suffer these crimes for nothing."

Xiao Huanyun was vaguely aware of what these words meant.

"Brother...you...you mean..."

An unknown line suddenly ran through Xiao Huanyun's mind, and she stared blankly at the candle flame for a while and lost her mind.

In the year she was away, she found many things that shocked her but were at a loss.

For example, the secret transactions between Tatar merchants and several princes, the collusion between officials and bandits, and even the caravans that King Ning went to the north several times for trade.

It is not uncommon to export tea, silk and porcelain, but it is not uncommon for them to buy more spices to the country.

But why did the spices need to be transported secretly by gangsters?

From the northern border to Jiangxi, the bandit gangs in various places seem to have formed a line with a tacit understanding, each controlling its territory without interfering with each other.

Xiao Huanyun actually suspected that it was black market drugs at first, but when she found out that King Xing and several other princes had been poisoned to varying degrees, she realized that there might be something wrong with the incense.

When King Xing was burying her, she went to King Xing's study, and there was still half of the incense burnt in the incense burner.But as soon as he smelled that smell, Xiao Huanyun became dizzy immediately.

She tried her best to write a letter and let the pigeon fly, then fell down unconsciously.

Until she woke up again, Xiao Zai told her that she had old poison.

"Your poison seeps into your skin. If you hadn't been soaked in medicine in the bath, it could only be caused by incense all the year round. But fortunately, you have been out of the palace for a long time, and the poison has been let go. I will take care of you for a few more months. Thinking about it, there should be no harm." Big problem."

"No..." Xiao Huanyun said in a daze, "Something's going to happen... Something big is going to happen... I'm going back to the palace... I'm going to go back to the palace!" She struggled to get out of bed, but Xiao Zai pinned her down on the bed :"Are you crazy?"

The divine doctor said with a cold face, "Even if I can snatch people from the Palace of Hades, but you are like this, if you have to walk such a long way back, it is tantamount to courting death! I still care about the signboard of my divine doctor, how dare you smash it for me?" try!"

"Brother..." Xiao Huanyun felt great pain in his heart, tens of thousands of thoughts were connected for a moment, and his fear was even worse: "Brother, you don't know, the queen mother and the emperor use incense every day, if there is something wrong with my incense, they will definitely ...and must have been poisoned too early."

Xiao Huanyun clutched his heart, unable to speak for a moment, and after a long while, a long-lost and eerie figure appeared in his mind.

... "I pity you, I pity you for being ignorant." ...

Xiao Zai hurriedly helped her calm down: "You can't get angry now..."

"It's Liu Jin..."

"what?"

At that time, Xiao Huanyun just thought that what Liu Jin said was a matter of mutual affection between Zhu Houzhao and Pei Wende, but thinking about it now, her heart became colder.

"Liu Jin has always purchased the spices in the palace... He knows all the incense used in the palace... He is also the one who placed those precious incense burners in the leopard room... What is the matter that the master is there as ethereal as a fairyland...Ah, as he used to I don't like fragrance, and it was only after Liu Jin said that..."

Xiao Huanyun tightly held Xiao Zai's hand: "Brother, you go to the palace, go to check the pulse of Ah Zhao, and check the pulse of the Queen Mother... I'm worried..."

"They treat you like that, why do you help them think so much!" Xiao Zai was furious for a moment: "I don't care about them, I just know that I want to save my sister!"

But when he looked into her eyes, his heart was stabbed severely.

Her eyes are very beautiful, and the tears in her eyes are amazingly touching, forcing people to soften their hearts.

If she is willing to cry in front of Zhu Houzhao, He Chou will not be able to get the seat of empress and noble concubine, and now she has to wander abroad.

"That's all..." Xiao Zai pressed down her hand: "I will prescribe you a prescription, and you must take the medicine on time. I will go to the palace."

Xiao Huanyun wanted to be happy, but was restrained by Xiao Zai's eyes.

"But before I enter the palace, I have to find out the cause of King Xing's death. I suspect that your poison was brought up by some medicine in King Xing's incense." Xiao Zai said in a deep voice, "I know you are worried about the emperor, but this time There is no rush. Even if you are a noble and unattainable doctor, you have to listen to me."

Zhu Houcong sat in the courtyard for a long time, and when Xiao Zai came out, there was a gleam in his eyes.

"gentlemen."

"Little prince." Xiao Zai leaned over and saluted: "Thank you, little prince, for saving my sister."

"I know what my aunt is doing."

Xiao Zai looked up in surprise, the eyes of this twelve or thirteen-year-old boy were dim, and for a moment it was impossible to guess what he meant.

"The matter that my aunt is investigating is very important. She reminded the father to be careful early in the morning, but she didn't want the final problem to be in the incense." Zhu Houcong hid his sadness, his back straightened, and his head held high.

Xiao Zai was momentarily overwhelmed by his aura and couldn't breathe.

"I hope that sir can help me and my aunt." Zhu Houcong's voice was very soft, with the childishness of a child, but very solemn: "...can help me in the Ming Dynasty."

"Little prince..." Xiao Zai was shocked when he heard this.

But I saw Zhu Houcong looking south: "Some greedy people can't sit still."

Zhu Houzhao pushed open the door of the Shang Palace Bureau late at night.

Fen Dai had already fallen asleep leaning against the room, and Pei Wende was sitting on the porch, half leaning against the starry sky.

Hearing his footsteps, Pei Wende lazily turned his head, and a faint smile crept to the corner of his mouth.

Zhu Houzhao's heart was slightly relieved, he stepped forward and bowed his head to kiss his eyes, and said softly, "Let's go."

"Go back?" Pei Wende walked out of the yard softly, pointed inside, and indicated that Fendai had fallen asleep.

"It's too late, let's go to Liuhua Pavilion for one night."

Liuhua Pavilion is on Meishan, the only house on the side of the high platform.It was also the place where he and Pei Wende met for the first time.

Zhu Houzhao was holding a glazed palace lantern in his hand, and Pei Wende was holding his waist, walking lightly like flying, and he climbed Meishan in just a moment.

The emperor seems to like Meishan very much, and he doesn't usually live here, but there are special palace maids and aunts to clean it.Entering the house at this moment, it is also clean and tidy, with everything available.

The aunt of the palace maid left silently after packing up. Zhu Houzhao just hugged Pei Wende and curled up in the quilt, and remained silent for a long time.

"Are you worried about the Queen Mother?"

Pei Wende patted his back lightly, and pulled him into the quilt again.

"Not only worry about the queen mother."

Zhu Houzhao buried his head in the socket of his neck.He seems to like this very much, every time they share the same bed, he must tear off his collar, as if such intimate contact can make him feel at ease.

However, Pei Wende knew that he was really afraid.

"I'm still worried about you, Huanyun, and Xiao'er...I've always been uneasy these days."

But he then took a long breath: "Maybe it's because of the emperor's uncle. What does Huanyun mean when he said that he died of poisoning..."

He raised his head slightly, and his eyes were really confused with fear: "Is it an assassination?"

"Don't think so much, you are too tired today." Pei Wende looked at his rare embarrassment, and his heart was heavy, but he still comforted him: "It will be fine, sleep well, and I will have the strength to deal with it tomorrow These things."

"Wende..."

Before falling asleep, Zhu Houzhao muttered one last sentence.

"Fortunately, you are here, otherwise I... what should I do..."

I had a good dream, but I didn't know that there were dark clouds outside the window, which completely blocked the moonlight.

There was a faint fragrance in the room, and Qian Ning was spinning a golden scale in his hand. With a touch of his fingertips, the medicinal materials in the scale were sparsely scattered.

A pair of hands behind him embraced him, ripped off his belt, and yelled at him for further violation.

"My lord, Ning'er is a hero this time." Qian Ning was unmoved, still twirling the powder with his fingertips, but purposely the voice disturbed his breath, every word and every word was teasing the people behind him.

Zhu Chenhao reached under him with both hands, held the gate of life to relieve him, and bit his neck fiercely: "If you hadn't known about Liu Jin's good deeds back then, this king would not have taken over so easily. .You have indeed made meritorious service, and this king should reward you well."

As he spoke, he turned the man around and bit his chest.

Qian Ning smiled lightly and pushed him away: "If the prince wants to vent his anger, go find someone else, Ning'er is leaving tomorrow..."

"Let's just taste it."

Zhu Chenhao looked at his softer body with a teasing smile, he had already seen through his playing hard to get, he threw him on the bed, and said in a low voice:

"As long as you persuade Dayan Khan to cooperate with this king, after the event is completed, you will be under one person and above ten thousand people."

"Ning'er is now... also under one person."

Qian Ning smiled and pulled down the curtain to hide the beauty of the room.

The next day, Zhu Houzhao sent someone to visit Anlu unannounced.Zhu Houcong formally attacked King Xing.

Also on this day, a fast horse ran out of the back door of Prince Ning's mansion in Jiangxi and headed north.