The fact that donghai will have an envoy to Beijing is not a secret of the imperial cabinet, and after the Hongxu Temple received the report, it began to arrange for the reception. Emperor Liang wanted to take advantage of the power of Marquis Mozi to turn his face upside down, and he did not say anything about his case of taking six lives in one night. With such a rare new talking point between the government and the public, how could they not pay much attention to it, and for a time there were rumors, and all kinds of strange and strange news came out that were difficult to distinguish between true and false.
Xiao Yuanqi had always been filial to his mother, thinking that she was married here far away, and must have liked the envoys from the homeland, so he went to hongxu Temple early to inquire about the contents of the Donghai Guoshu, and relayed it to Lady Laiyang in 1510, comforting her: "You see, the national book also specially proposes to pay tribute to Lady Shufei. It can be seen that after so many years, the East China Sea has not forgotten you two..."
Probably because the hometown love intestines were hooked, Mrs. Laiyang was not as happy and moved as Xiao Yuanqi hoped, but her face was miserable and shy, and she did not want to speak for half a day. Later, when the case of Mo Zihou's murder came out, Xiao Yuanqisheng was afraid of touching her again, and it took two days before he dared to mention it roughly, but he did not expect that she was much calmer this time, not only asked about the relevant details, but also recalled the incident with this clan brother when he was a child, and said it for a long time, until lunch time stopped.
It is not advisable to sleep much in the winter afternoon, but it is always necessary to take a short break, and the maids have laid out the bed as usual and quietly withdrawn. Mrs. Laiyang sat on the side of the makeup table for a moment, raised her hand to open the mirror on the stage, and looked at her half-faded red face shyly.
I remember that in the year of the original flower armor, the two Lords of the East Sea County came to each other for thousands of miles, supported each other in a foreign country, and spent the initial period of confusion together, and cherished this sisterhood far more than when they were in their homeland. But what about the biggest emotions? After the woman got married, every encounter was tied to the husband's body, although the lady still cried out for her sister, but she could not truly understand the pain and resentment of living alone alone.
"I'm not jealous of you being a spoiled concubine, so why don't you let me go, but don't understand the hatred in my heart..."
The eyes in the bronze mirror had long lost the radiance of their youth, bleak and fearful, just like when they knelt in the Jinhua Palace and pleaded bitterly.
However, the tears soaked in the placket and the bruises on her forehead did not impress Lady Shufei, and to this day, Mrs. Laiyang still remembers every word she said at that time.
"I know what my sister brought from the East China Sea, and I have seen with my own eyes the hands and feet you are moving in the Queen's Palace, and the reason why I didn't expose it on the spot is nothing more than to take into account the sisterhood of our same family." But whoever commits harm to others, how can they really have no flaws? Once the incident occurs, what kind of person does Your Majesty see my Daughter of the East Sea? I'll give you ten days to find a way to get back what you should get back. This is already all I can do for my sister... The biggest love point. ”
The biggest sentiment, after all, is also the fear of being involved. She was pregnant with the crown prince Jin Zun Yugui, where did she understand that she was wearing the heavy filial piety of her husband's death, the pain of crying and giving birth to a child on the delivery bed, the kind of torment, the hatred that was carved into the bone marrow that could never be dissipated...
Mrs. Laiyang clenched her teeth slightly, took out the white god charm she had obtained that day in the Qiantian Courtyard from the dressing table, got up and went to the inner shrine, and knelt down to pray silently.
Guru Puyang was right, a small rubber pill can solve all the problems. She is a person outside the palace, there is no entanglement of interests, and she is the sister of Lady Shu, who has always had deep feelings, no one will notice her, and no one will suspect her, she can still hide in the darkness of no one's attention, when a small and poor widow, ready to stab the sword of revenge.
The wind and rain have swept by, and the shadow of old sins has long gone. Even if the Changlin Palace discovered Zhu Jiao, even if the empress dowager began to pursue it, it was not a real crisis for her, until the name of Mo Zihou appeared on the national letter sent by the East Sea.
The flames rose up, and the bright yellow rune paper burned and twisted in the copper basin. Mrs. Laiyang bit her fingertips and dripped blood into the red embers.
The movement in the inner room of his mother's bedroom, Xiao Yuanqi at this moment did not know anything, he still went out to shop as usual, and went back to the study to read a few volumes of classics, unconsciously it was nearly dusk, and the maid in the upper room came to invite him to go to dinner.
Laiyang Houfu population is thin, only mother and son rely on each other, daily dining is just to rotate their favorite dishes to prepare a few, to comfort and delicious emphasis, not pay much attention to pomp. But as soon as he entered the flower hall today, Xiao Yuanqi immediately felt something different, the original small square table was replaced by a large round table, full of a table for a feast, and Mrs. Laiyang was personally warming the wine.
"Could it be that there is a guest tonight, and the child has forgotten it?" Xiao Yuanqi hurriedly quickened his pace to his mother's side and asked, "Which one is coming?" ”
Mrs. Laiyang smiled faintly and pushed him to sit down, "Where are the guests, but the mother suddenly remembered that next month is your birthday..."
Xiao Yuanqi couldn't help but laugh, "Next month's birthday, what is this tonight?" Who has passed away so long in advance? ”
Mrs. Laiyang sat down next to her son, brought chopsticks to him, and whispered, "You always say that you want to ask Your Majesty for some errands to go out of Beijing for training, in case it comes to the right day, your mother will not be able to see you anymore?" ”
Speaking of consular errands, Xiao Yuanqi's mood became a little depressed. He was now old and wise, and although no one said anything in front of him, he also knew that his father, as the crown prince, had died without a title and had never been buried in the imperial tomb, so he thought that he must have made some mistake and was not favored by the previous emperor. At present, he is hanging on to the erpin marquis, his daily respect is complete, and no matter how inadequate he is in his heart, he cannot complain about being mean, so he has the idea of doing something practical. However, thinking about it, as a person far away from the center of imperial power, he knew very well that he might not be able to ask for a good messenger, and said sullenly at the moment: "Mother said this, although the child has the intention of going out to practice, he will not be able to leave next month." ”
Mrs. Laiyang flashed a trace of pain in her eyes, trying to hold back the tears, "Mother knows that you have great ambitions in your chest, and no one in this imperial city can compare with you... What you want to do, you can definitely do..."
Xiao Yuanqi couldn't help but laugh again, "Fortunately, you are my mother-in-law, no one can compare with my words, and only you dare to say it." ”
Mrs. Laiyang smiled with him, lowered her eyes to stabilize her spirit, added soup and cloth dishes to him, and did not eat a bite herself, only watching from the side, as if she could not see enough. Xiao Yuanqi was accustomed to the only look in her eyes in her heart, and did not feel abnormal, while eating, while thinking about some interesting things to tell her, the atmosphere between the banquet gradually relaxed.
After dinner, Xiao Yuanqi sent his mother back to the dormitory, and then accompanied him for a little more than half an hour before retiring. Mrs. Laiyang sent it to the door, and reluctantly looked at the other person until the other person was gone, so she slowly turned back, ordered the maid to remove the evening makeup, and withdrew all the people, sitting alone in the bedroom, as if waiting for something.
In the trance, one drum farther away, the second more loud, and the high candle on the dressing table suddenly flickered a few times. Mrs. Laiyang felt a chill roll over her vest, and when she looked back in horror, there was already a figure in a black robe inside the closed door, quietly like a ghost, silent.
Mrs. Laiyang got up and bowed her knees in salute and shouted in a low voice, "Fourth brother." ”
Mo Zihou looked at her coldly, "Ben is the same lineage, I really hope it won't be you." ”
"When the fourth brother came tonight, did he already think it was me?" Mrs. Laiyang's face was white, and she tried to make a final defense, "My sister and I have been dependent on each other in a foreign country for all these years, why should we..."
Mo Zihou quickly raised his hand to interrupt her, "You save some effort, since I came, I must already know the truth, and there is no need to say this nonsense again." With that, his gaze crossed her shoulder and pointed to the rear.
Mrs. Laiyang quickly turned back, and her heart suddenly sank. Only to see that under the high candle lampstand, Puyang miao's eyebrows smiled, and he said calmly: "Yes, I said it." I was the only one who knew why you wanted to kill Lady Shufei, and without me, how could Hou Ye have found Madame So quickly? ”
Mrs. Laiyang's feet were weak, and her body shook twice, and she could not support herself and sat paralyzed on the ground.
Mo Zihou looked at her eyes without any temperature, "I have thought about all kinds of possibilities, but until this moment, I have a hard time believing that you will really be cruel to little sister." ”
Lady Laiyang knew that she was hopeless, closed her eyes, bowed her head and murmured, "Is it just me who is cruel?" She is also the daughter of the Donghai Sect, she is a favorite concubine in the palace, with the protection of His Majesty, but I am an orphan and widow, living by courtesy and obedience. The fourth brother thinks that I am cruel to her, but does she really have a sisterly relationship with me? ”
Mo Zihou snorted coldly and did not reply, but instead Puyang Miao stepped forward and smiled: "Well, for a reason, I have already made it clear to Hou Ye, and Hou Ye is not unaware of your grievances, but no matter what, if you give this hand, it will be impossible to leave you a way to live, this point, Mrs. Tai herself must also know very well in her heart, the most important thing now... What should I do with my child? ”
Mrs. Laiyang's whole body trembled and she raised her head sharply, "What are you talking about?" Why dispose of Yuan qi? She knelt down in front of Mo Zihou in horror and pulled on his robe, "Fourth brother, fourth brother, Yuan Qi doesn't know anything, the child is innocent!" ”
Mo Zihou's eyes were cold, and he said lightly: "I don't care if I am innocent or not, I only know that there are endless troubles after killing my mother and leaving my son, and if I want to save his life, there must be some reason, right?" ”
For this clan brother's fierce temperament, Mrs. Laiyang was naturally very clear, and she thought desperately in a panic, and her lips were already eager to bite out the blood beads.
Puyang Miao watched quietly for a moment, then laughed, and out of nowhere took out a tray, with pen, ink and paper on the plate, and placed it on the nearby table.
Mrs. Laiyang looked at him blankly, her whole body trembling.
"I know that the little Marquis is the lifeblood of the wife, and I really can't bear it in my heart, so I have repeatedly persuaded each other," he added a little clear water to the stone, grinding up the ink, "to tell the truth, I want to make Hou Ye believe that your son will be of great use in the future, it is really not easy." ”
Mrs. Laiyang was immediately alert, and her voice was sharp, "What do you want to do with Yuan Qi?" That's my son... No one should try to take advantage of my son..."
Puyang Miao's tone of voice cut off her words like a knife, "Your son has the blood of the East Sea on his body, and Mrs. Tai should know better than anyone that he has great ambitions and will not be willing to be mediocre forever." "He leaned down and leaned close to her ear," the word 'use' is not as terrible as Mrs. Tai thought, and in life, you have to be useful before you can get a chance, don't you?" ”
Mrs. Laiyang was obviously confused and could not answer, her upright bun had long been caught in a messy mess, and even the sides of her cheeks were scratched with blood marks.
Puyang Miao smiled and took the pen and ink, turned and handed it to her, "The child only has this way of life, you don't agree, he doesn't even understand why he died." Come, listen to me, leave a suicide note for the little Marquis, and write down all the words that should be written, without missing a word. ”
Mrs. Laiyang was still a little dazed at this time, "What do you want me to write?" ”
Puyang Miao snorted softly, "When King Laiyang died, Lady Tai's hatred for the Former Emperor, Her Majesty, and the Changlin Royal Palace for more than twenty years, shouldn't all of this be understood by the little Marquis?" He lost his father and mother, and was alone in this world, could it be that Mrs. Tai could not bear to let him be so confused, to continue to be swayed by others, to be deceived, and not to know the cause of his father's hatred and hatred of his mother? ”
Mrs. Laiyang sat on the cold ground for a moment, and the trembling in her body gradually stopped. She stood up, took a step closer to Mo Zihou, and whispered, "Fourth brother, I don't believe him." Please give me a word. ”
Mo Zihou looked at her with a calm face and said slowly, "If you resist your life, your little sister's personal vendetta will be repaid." After one yard to one yard, your son can also call me an uncle. If he really has the heart, in the future, he will take my East Sea as a helper, why worry about the achievements? ”
Tears rushed out of her eyes, and Mrs. Laiyang took one last look out of the window in despair, clenched her teeth, and slowly took the pen holder handed by Puyang Miao.
No matter what happened in the inner courtyard of the Laiyang Marquis, for the rest of Jinling City, it was a quiet and smooth night, there was no abnormal noise, and there was no trace of waves.
Xiao Pingjing got up early, cleaned up a little, and rushed to the Janissary Commander's Mansion to meet Xun Feizhan, and the two of them, according to yesterday's agreement, only brought a dozen guards with them and came to the Laiyang Marquis Mansion in a low-key manner.
Xiao Yuanqi had just finished freshening up at this time, and after receiving the report, he hurriedly greeted him and surrendered his hand in surprise: "The two are really rare guests." Come over in the morning, is there something wrong? ”
Xun Feiyan raised his hand in return, "Little Marquis probably also knows that Ping Jing and I are pursuing old things in the palace according to Your Majesty's will." There are some details in between, and I want to ask my wife if you remember. Annoyed little Marquis to help us pass a sound, right? ”
Looking for a foreign woman to inquire about the old affairs in the palace sounds strange, but it is not completely unreasonable. Xiao Yuanqi didn't ask much, he could only lead the way first, taking the two into the inner courtyard, just bypassing the shadow wall inside the door, he couldn't help but be stunned.
Only to see that the door of the main house in the inner courtyard was closed, some of the maids were looking inward by the window sill, some were standing under the steps, and Grandma Zhang, who had been with Mrs. Zhang for many years, was leaning against the door panel to listen to the movements inside, Yu Guang swept up Xiao Yuanqi's figure, stood up busily, quickly greeted him, and said worriedly: "Little Marquis, Mrs. Lady did not get up this morning, the slaves knocked on the door and did not answer, did not know what happened, and wanted to go over to tell Xiao Houye." ”
Xiao Yuanqi's face changed slightly, and he ran to the door in three or two steps, slapped it hard twice, and shouted: "Mother! Mother! ”
Down the stairs, Xun Feidian and Xiao Pingjing looked at each other with doubtful faces.
There was no sound in the room for a long time, Xiao Yuanqi was anxious, took two steps back, kicked at the door panel, and forcibly kicked the outer door open. The slammed door panel smashed into the dust, and the morning light shot into the room. Mrs. Laiyang's body hung slowly on the beam of the outer hall, but instead of hanging her neck, it was hung up by a long silk rope tied under the ribs, and a sword wound as thin as a red line between her necks, blood soaked through her body, and a small stall flowed on the ground of the water mill, her eyelids were half open, and her eyes were gray.
Xiao Yuanqi was shocked, and the whole person froze for a moment before he shouted "Mother" and rushed in with red eyes.
The two men in the rear reacted no faster than him, and they also rushed into the door. Xun Feiyan drew his sword and cut off Chang Aya, Xiao Yuanqi grabbed his mother's body below, knelt on the ground and hugged her tightly in his arms, trying to press the condensed wound between her neck with his hand, and shouted: "Go and ask the Tai Doctor!" fast! Go get a doctor! ”
Xun Feizhan crouched down and looked at it, knowing that there was no help, frowning and shaking his head at Xiao Pingjing.
Xiao Pingjing looked annoyed, his eyes quickly swept around the perimeter, and his pupils suddenly closed.
I saw a page of paper nailed with a dagger on the wall next to it, and the cursive font on it was frantic, "The old grudge has been flattened, angelica to the East Sea." Ink".
This paper may have been forged, but the sword wound left by Mo Zihou between the throats of the deceased was absolutely impossible. Everything in front of him showed that he had confirmed that his sister's death should be borne by Lady Laiyang.
If Mo Zihou had been preoccupied with someone else, he might not have been able to be fully convinced, but he had come thousands of miles and finally killed his own clan sister to avenge himself, and there was almost no possibility of wronging her.
Things took such a bizarre turn, even Xun Feidian didn't know what to do, so he hurriedly ordered his guards to quickly seal the entire courtyard and bring the page into the palace to report.
Compared to the completely ignorant Xun Feidian, Xiao Pingjing knew a little more information. He first interrogated the two lady in charge of the East Sea dowry separately, asked Mrs. Laiyang that she had indeed brought a copy of Zhu Jiao from her hometown, and ordered someone to look for it during the search, if it was completely unable to find or insufficient weight, it could be inferred that it had been used by her. Xun Feidian had returned at this time with the will to search the Hou Mansion, and as soon as he heard that Meng Qianxue had been plotted against, he was furious and led the forbidden army to almost turn the entire Hou Mansion upside down, but instead of finding Zhu Jiao, he turned over a yellow-robed doll with silver needles in the dark compartment of the inner chamber.
The witch curse was a great rebellion, and everyone present was frightened and stiff. Xiao Pingjing hurriedly ordered someone to take the mahogany box and seal it and report it to the palace.
At this time, the funeral eunuch sent by the Inner Tingsi had arrived, wrapped the body in a white cloth and carried it out, Xiao Yuanqi stumbled and chased after him, and his voice hoarsely shouted: "What! You put my mother down! Mother! ”
Emperor Liang's will for Xiao Yuanqi was to "temporarily close the palace for disposal", at which point any of his inappropriate behavior could become a heavy crime. But yesterday's mother, who was still smiling softly, turned into a bloody and cold corpse overnight, and only the heart-wrenching grief and dazed chaos in his mind were left, and he had completely lost the ability to think clearly, if it were not for The desperate embrace of Ah Tai in the rear, he would almost hurt people.
After all, Xiao Pingjing had known him since childhood, and was no longer angry at His wife's evil deeds, nor could he bear to see him act out of line to ruin himself, so he hurried forward to stop him, frowning: "I know that you have too many questions now, but this case is involved in the branches, and it is impossible to explain it for a while." Your Majesty's will is here, and I am afraid that you will not be allowed to be reckless. I must return to the palace immediately, and if I have anything to say, I will say it later when I visit you. ”
Xiao Yuanqi's eyes were blood red, and he held back tears and pleaded, "Even if the mother of the family has a great sin, people are already dead." At least...... Can I be allowed to drop the pot for her and bury her, leaving a chance to cultivate the world again..."
This is not something that Xiao Pingjing can agree to at will, he twisted his eyebrows and pondered for a while, before he sighed, "I will try to think of a way, but in the end it still depends on whether Your Majesty can be gracious..."
Several forbidden soldiers stepped forward and tried to pull Xiao Yuanqi back into the courtyard door. This time he did not resist, and in cooperation took a few steps back, fell to his knees in the dust, and began to cry loudly.