Marriage of the Di Daughter

It snowed in Qingzhou for three consecutive days. Jiang Li was in a strange house, and she was followed wherever she went. Even when she went to clean the room, there was a maid who knew martial arts watching beside her.

She can't escape, it's just a small courtyard, guarded by layers of soldiers, she has become the most important bargaining chip, and no mistakes can be tolerated. Since seeing Yin Zhiqing last time, Jiang Li has never seen her again. Counting the days, Jiang Li didn't know what was going on outside, or whether the Ye family and Situ Jiuyue were still safe, and she didn't know where Ji Heng was, and if anything happened. She can only sit hopelessly. These days, she has even changed from her usual calmness and composure. She does not hesitate to protest with hunger strike, quarrel, or threaten, but it has no effect. Except for these silent guards, she cannot see anyone.

It was the same this night.

Late at night, only the sound of wind and snow can be heard outside. Jiang Li sat at the table, she couldn't sleep, she just thought about how to escape. The oil lamp dimmed the room, and also reflected the shadow on the ground. It was winter, and the leaves were withered, leaving only the bare tree trunks outside, so the swaying figures were particularly eye-catching.

The figure landed on the ground and didn't move for a long time, as if it was just Jiang Li's illusion. Jiang Li stared at the shadow on the ground for a long time before saying, "Since Mr. Yin is here, why don't you go in?"

The figure outside moved slightly, and then, there was a sigh, and with a "squeak", the door was pushed open, and someone came in from the outside.

It was Yin Zhili.

Jiang Li also hadn't seen Yin Zhili for a while, under the light, his face was extremely haggard, as if he had changed. His eyes were no longer clear and gentle as when they first met, replaced by countless complex and unwilling expressions. He stood in front of Jiangli and said, "Miss Jiang."

The gentle and handsome son in the past has disappeared, and Yin Zhili in front of him is extremely strange. Jiang Li stared at him and said, "Please sit down, Mr. Yin."

Yin Zhili sat down.

Jiang Li asked, "Do you want a cup of tea?" She lifted the teapot on the table, poured a cup for Yin Zhili, and handed it to Yin Zhili. Yin Zhili looked at the teacup in front of him, but he didn't reach out to take it, nor did he intend to drink it.

Jiang Li smiled sweetly, and said with some regret: "Don't be fooled."

All the tea here is mixed with medicine, so that people can't use too much strength and can't do other things. Probably the people who cared about her also knew that she was very cunning, so they came up with such a plan for fear that she would use tricks to escape. Yin Zhili seems to have known about it a long time ago, so he didn't answer the connection.

Sure enough, he looked at Jiang Li and whispered, "I'm sorry."

On Yin Zhili's face, there was a look of guilt. This made him seem to finally have a shadow of Jiang Li's familiarity. Jiang Li sighed, and said: "I just want to ask you, where is the girl who came out with me that day? And those from the Ye family, Mr. Xue, how did you deal with it? Haitang's little finger..."

"Don't worry," Yin Zhili replied, "They're all fine now. Since you're here, it's useless to keep those people, they've all been sent back. As for Haitang's fingers... sorry..."

"Your father did it." Jiang Li stared into his eyes.

Yin Zhili was silent, that is to say, he acquiesced. Jiang Li had already guessed this point. Yin Zhili's nature is not bad, such a cruel method can only be done by Yin Zhan. I'm afraid that all of this is for Yin Zhan's back road paved for Yin Zhili. No matter what happens in the battle between Yin Zhan and Ji Heng, Yin Zhili can use his body to retreat.

"Where is your father now?" Jiang Li asked.

"I don't know." Yin Zhan replied, "He didn't tell me."

Yin Zhili locked himself here, the more he felt guilty, the more Jiang Li knew that it was impossible for him to let him go. In other words, Yin Zhili had no way to let him go, this was Yin Zhan's arrangement, and Yin Zhan's arrangement was precisely impossible to be changed. Yin Zhili himself is also one of Yin Zhan's pawns, and he is the one who controls this game of chess.

"Where is this?" Jiang Li asked.

"It's still a hundred miles away from Qingzhou."

"How long are you going to lock me up?" Jiang Li asked.

Yin Zhili raised his head, Jiang Li's gaze was calm, without any resentment or blame towards him, the more he was like this, the more he didn't know how to deal with it, so he had to avoid Jiang Li's gaze.

Everything was arranged by Yin Zhan, and he was Yin Zhan's son, so he had to obey. The Queen Mother's blood was still flowing on his body, even if he didn't want to, he had boarded the boat and couldn't turn back. The people who stayed behind Yin Zhan told him that if Yin Zhan can come back alive, everything will be discussed after Yin Zhan returns. If Yin Zhan can't come back alive, he will take Jiang Li to raise troops from Qingzhou, with Changhe as the boundary. There are 100,000 soldiers of the Yin family, and there are still 100,000 hidden in Qingzhou. If not only Yin Zhan can't come back, but Ji Heng is still alive, Jiangli will be used as bait to trap and kill Ji Heng, so as to avoid future troubles.

Yin Zhili has no right to refuse these things. Because when he found out, Yin Zhan had already disappeared. The lives of everyone in the Yin family are tied to Yin Zhili alone. If Yin Zhili doesn't do this, the members of the Yin family, Yin Zhiqing, Mrs. Yin, all the servants of the Yin family, those uncles he knows, and the master who calls him martial arts , and the soldiers who accompanied Yin Zhan on the battlefield will all be wiped out. With so many lives at stake, Yin Zhili couldn't afford to refute, he had no choice.

After a long time, Yin Zhili looked at Jiang Li, and he asked softly, "Miss Jiang... like Su Guogong very much?"

Jiang Li's heart turned cold, and with just these words, she could see Yin Zhili's inner voice. She paused and said, "Yes."

Hearing Jiang Li's answer, Yin Zhili felt a pain in his heart, and a dark and obscure emotion rose from his heart, which was suppressed by him, and he said: "Then how does Su Guogong treat Miss Jiang?"

"If you want to use me as a bait to lure and threaten Ji Heng, you'd better give up this idea." Jiang Li said coldly, "Yin Zhili, don't make me look down on you."

Hearing this, Yin Zhili smiled wryly, and said: "Miss Jiang looks down on me, that's all, even I look down on myself, so how can I care about others?"

His expression was actually slumped, a kind of rogue who broke his cans. If other people saw it, they would be shocked. It is really hard to imagine that this handsome man would look like this now.

"However, I also hope that there won't be a day when you kill the person you love with your own hands. You will hate me for the rest of your life. I don't want you to hold grudges against me," he said.

Jiang Li was silent. If this day was really unnecessary, it would mean that Ji Heng had died before then. What she said would not make Jiang Li happy, but would only make her more worried.

"What do you want, Young Master Yin?" Jiang Li asked, "You tied me up and threatened Jiheng, but those soldiers and horses outside don't look simple. Do you also want to rebel like a king, aiming at the throne? "

Yin Zhili suddenly became agitated. He flicked the teacups on the table, and the hot tea splashed on the ground, white steam came out, and the fragments splashed everywhere. The soldiers outside heard the sound and rushed into the house to have a look. Yin Zhili told them to get out, and they went out.

Yin Zhili sneered and said, "Who cares about this throne!"

"Your father is rare." Jiang Li replied.

It seems that Yin Zhili doesn't want to rebel anymore, but Yin Zhan's attitude is so firm. This made Jiang Li even more puzzled, but seeing Yin Zhili's appearance, he didn't intend to say anything. Jiang Li said: "I remember when you played chess with Mr. Yin before, you once said that war will make people suffer. We know that once your Yin family soldiers rise up, countless people will be displaced, and countless families will be separated. This is also your What do you want to see?"

Yin Zhili groaned in pain. Jiang Li couldn't bear to look at him. He seemed to be roasted on the fire. He couldn't please both sides, but he couldn't go one way. It ran counter to his original intention, and he could see it at a glance. The end of the road of fate.

He said: "I don't want to...I don't want to...but I can't help it."

"You have a way." Jiang Li said softly: "You are the son of King Xia, it's too late to stop it now, don't let things go to the point where you can't turn around and think of a way, it's still too late, isn't it?"

She tried to persuade Yin Zhili, Yin Zhili was stunned for a moment, but suddenly stood up, his eyes became resolute, and the eyes he looked at Jiang Li were no longer as warm as before, with a trace of broken indifference and resignation, he said: " Needless to say, Miss Jiang, you are not me, and you don’t understand that I have no other way to go. Since I was born in Yin’s family, I was destined to have what I am today. This is my destiny, and I don’t intend to resist it, so you, Accept your fate too." After saying this, he stopped looking at Jiang Li, turned around and walked away.

The door was closed again, and the room returned to silence, only the remnants of the teacup on the ground indicated what had just happened. Jiang Li looked out the door and sighed deeply.

Yin Zhili couldn't go this way, but fortunately, both Ye's family and Jiuyue were fine. Yin Zhili is not going to take action against them. For Yin Zhan, he probably thinks that he is the only one who can threaten Ji Heng, and other people are also cumbersome, so there is no need to bother. But... what about Ji Heng?

In Yin Zhili's words, Yin Zhan has not been seen until now, so I don't know how the situation outside is. Jiang Li could only pray silently in her heart, hoping that Ji Heng would be safe.

...

The distance between Qingzhou and Yanjing is too far, Qingzhou is full of wind and snow, and the streets of Yanjing City are almost empty at night.

In the wind and snow, the imperial palace still stands firmly there, as if it will never be shaken. It's just that it is not as splendid as in the past, and it looks like an ordinary house. It even looks like a gloomy and magnificent underground palace, and those who walk in will never return.

In the Compassionate Ning Palace, the lights flickered and the earth dragon was burning vigorously, so it wasn't as cold as outside. The scriptures were randomly placed on the desk, and no one had transcribed them for a long time. Only the incense in the censer burned by itself in this quiet night, like the two red eyes of a legendary palm-sized mythical beast, its ferocity hidden under its gentleness.

The Empress Dowager was leaning on the soft couch, sleeping soundly. Recently, she always likes to be in a daze, sitting in the temple, trying to copy a few scriptures calmly, but she can't calm down, so she simply doesn't copy. There is nothing to do when not copying scriptures. In the past, when Concubine Liu was around, she could still hear Concubine Liu making troubles. After Concubine Liu left, the harem became more and more deserted, and some rabbits and foxes became sad. Emperor Hong Xiao's concubines didn't like to come to her, and she, the queen mother, had already ignored the affairs of the world. In the harem, the concubines are busy uniting and fighting for favor, but they don't have time to deal with her, an old woman.

The Empress Dowager missed the old days very much. It seems that when he was young in the harem, competing with Concubine Liu Shu and Concubine Xia, he also became cute. Of course, what I remember the most is the time related to Yin Zhan. She dreamed more than once of the first time she met Yin Zhan. Yin Zhan was riding a horse. The young man was tall and handsome with a hearty smile on his face. After saving her from the gangster, she bandaged him. Yin Zhan sat on the rock and looked at her with a smile. She blushed when she was seen, but still mustered up the courage to ask Yin Zhan's name. She was addicted to this dream and didn't want to wake up. Every time she opened her eyes, she felt that everything was just a big dream. She was still the young lady of the Lin family, and she still had a chance to change.

But after all no. Today, she dreamed of Yin Zhan again, but this time the Yin Zhan was not the Yin Zhan when she first met. She was in Hongshan Temple, that day hundreds of archers besieged and killed Ji Minghan, but Ji Minghan disappeared. When she returned to the house, she found that Yin Zhan was also wounded. She knew that Yin Zhan had killed many people, and Ji Minghan was his good brother. Yin Zhan was silent, she asked: "Do you hate me?"

"No." Yin Zhan replied, "I never blamed you. I only wish I didn't meet you sooner."

The next moment, Yin Zhan's figure was suddenly engulfed by raging flames, with a painful expression on his face, he called his name: "Roujia..."

The queen mother suddenly opened her eyes and woke up from the dream profusely sweating. Mei Xiang stepped forward and said with concern: "Empress Dowager, are you alright?"

"It's nothing." The Queen Mother wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, and said, "It turned out to be a nightmare."

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a man's voice from outside, "What kind of nightmare did the queen mother have to scare her like this?"

The queen mother raised her eyes and looked forward, and Hong Xiaodi appeared at the gate of the main hall. Behind him, the eunuchs and palace servants knelt down on the ground. It was probably when he came in that they were told not to notify, and the queen mother did not hear the sound. Emperor Hong Xiao walked in with a smile, the queen mother straightened up, and said with a smile, "Why did the emperor think of it today?"

Her heart was beating very fast, she wondered if it was because she hadn't recovered from the fright of the dream just now, and she always felt that the dream was very ominous. Even the smile is very reluctant. Emperor Hong Xiao seldom came to the Palace of Compassion and Peace on weekdays, and most of the time he talked with her was in the Imperial Garden.

"It's windy and snowy outside today, so I came here to see my mother." Emperor Hong Xiao waved to Eunuch Su, and Eunuch Su asked the surrounding palace people to retreat.

The queen mother vaguely sensed that something was wrong, but she couldn't tell what was wrong. Asking Mei Xiang to serve tea to Emperor Hong Xiao, she walked to the tea table and asked Emperor Hong Xiao to sit down too.

Emperor Hong Xiao looked at the incense on the Empress Dowager's incense case, and asked with a smile, "Who is the Empress Dowager praying for?"

The queen mother replied: "Naturally, it is for the common people in the world. Many people died of freezing due to snowstorms in various places. After hearing this, the Ai family was very sad and could do nothing. They could only copy scriptures and pray for them in the palace."

"The queen mother really has the world in her heart." Emperor Hong Xiao praised.

The queen mother raised her eyes to look at the emperor. At some point in time, the prince who had been an eyesore to her had grown into this appearance. She still remembered that not long after the prince's death, in order to stabilize her position, she had to pretend to be a loving mother and a filial son with the prince. She still remembered that Hong Xiaodi was a cowardly and well-behaved Emperor when he was a teenager, and he obeyed her. On the one hand, she was very relieved and proud, and on the other hand, she was very disgusted and contemptuous. But she underestimated the prince after all. Every prince has the blood of the late emperor on his body, and plunder and disguise are the instincts they brought from birth. From what happened to King Cheng, it can be seen that Hong Xiaodi is the same, even he awakened earlier, when he was young, he knew to use himself to get what he wanted.

Think about it too, the deep palace is like a jungle, how can a beast that grows up in the jungle not eat people? The queen mother thought of Yin Zhili again, the young man she saw at the palace banquet, after more than twenty years, she saw her son for the first time. Yin Zhili's gentleness like jade is what she loves and is most proud of, but now, she is worried about her son's chances of winning in the face of the terrifying emperor.

She couldn't let Yin Zhili fail, she couldn't let that happen, so she wanted to clear all obstacles for Yin Zhili. Including the emperor in front of him. She definitely couldn't do it alone, and Yin Zhan was there. No matter what kind of difficulties she encounters, only this man will not abandon her, and will always stand behind her to solve all problems for her.

"Actually, I came today, and there is one more thing I want to tell my mother." Emperor Hong Xiao picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and said unhurriedly: "Prince Xia is dead."

The Empress Dowager also went to get the teacup with a smile, but when she heard this, she moved a little, and some tea spilled out, and Mei Xiang hurriedly wiped the stains on the table with a handkerchief. Then the Queen Mother held the teacup tightly, as if she was trying her best to get it right. Her smile was a little stiff, and she said, "What nonsense is your Majesty talking about? Well, how could King Xia die?"

"It's true." Emperor Hong Xiao's answer was also taken for granted, "On the red building in Qingzhou, Old General Ji of the Duke's Mansion killed King Xia, and King Xia also killed Old General Ji. It's a pity."

It's a pity to say "light and fluttering", and I can't hear any tone, making it impossible to guess the emperor's mind, and also make people wonder what he means. Mei Xiang stood behind the queen mother, her face changed slightly, she couldn't help but look behind Hong Xiaodi, where two imperial guards with knives stood, as steady as a rock. As if he knew all her thoughts.

"How could it be?" The Empress Dowager laughed, she didn't look at Emperor Hong Xiao, but just looked at the armor on her hand, as if she wanted to see the gems on the armor clearly, she said: " How could Old General Ji kill King Xia, and how could King Xia kill Old General Ji? Aijia is getting old, Your Majesty, don’t make fun of these things, Aijia won’t take it seriously.” It’s like a child lying , as if the adults forgave him tolerantly.

"I don't have the heart to make such jokes with people." Hong Xiaodi smiled half-smile, "It's fine if the mother doesn't believe it, and soon, the corpses of General Ji and King Xia will be sent back to Beijing for burial. "

The Empress Dowager's expression finally changed. She raised her head to look at Emperor Hong Xiao, the emperor who grew up under her nose, finally revealed the ferocious eyes of a beast. With just one glance, the queen mother knew that it was impossible for him not to know everything, he understood it clearly.

But she still had to struggle a bit, as if she could get away with it, the queen mother smiled, and she said: "The Ai family doesn't understand. The emperor is so relaxed, isn't he going to question the crime?"

"Ask the crime? My mother doesn't know something. It goes back to a long time ago. Speaking of which, I only found out recently." The emperor smiled, "Many years ago, Su Guogong's father, General Jin Wu, disappeared. He was framed and died by the King of Xia County. The hatred of killing his father is unshakable. It is understandable that Ji Heng killed the King of Xia County, but the old general loved his grandson and helped Ji Heng complete this matter. It is only natural for the mother to kill and pay for her life. I can't say anything, does the queen mother want me to favor someone?"

The queen mother looked at Emperor Hong Xiao and didn't speak for a long time.

Emperor Hong Xiao laughed again, and he said: "I almost forgot that when General Jin Wu was ambushed and besieged, the queen mother was also present, so naturally she must favor King Xia."

At this time, the Empress Dowager calmed down instead, she looked at Emperor Hong Xiao, smiled slightly, and said: "Your Majesty, the Ai family has treated you well all these years, and you don't have to use such a method if you want to put the Ai family to death. You slander Aijia like this, do you have evidence?"

"Evidence?" Emperor Hong Xiao smiled, and he paused every word: "Yin Zhili is the evidence."

Mei Xiang's hand tightly clenched the corner of her skirt, and the Queen Mother's complexion changed drastically. This is her biggest weakness. If Emperor Hong Xiao threatened her with this, she would have no chance of winning!

"The queen mother forgot so quickly. Not long ago, before Xia Junwang left Yanjing for Qingzhou, didn't he come to look for the queen mother?"

He already knew it! The queen mother's heart couldn't help trembling, she looked at Hong Xiaodi like a monster. She had thought many times that one day the truth would be discovered, but it was not like this. She doesn't have any bargaining chips in her hand, and Yin Zhan is not around, she is like a piece of fish, which can be slaughtered at will.

It's not that she is weak and omnipotent, but that neither she nor Yin Zhan underestimated the emperor.

"My mother restrained me in the palace, King Xia restrained Su Guogong in Qingzhou, and Yin Zhili led the Yin family soldiers to raise troops south of Changhe. I have to admire King Xia's patience. After so many years, I have been dormant for so many years to set up a bureau." Hong Xiao The emperor laughed and said, "It's really a matter of worrying about Yin Zhili."

The queen mother said: "Does the emperor want to kill Aijia?"

"How come?" Emperor Hong Xiao smiled and said, "Isn't Yin Zhili still alive?"

"The emperor wants to use Aijia to threaten Yin Zhili?" The queen mother sneered.

"No." Emperor Hong Xiao said gently: "My mother knows that I don't like to do such a thing. Just as King Cheng would not risk his life for the sake of Concubine Liu, Yin Zhili may not take a chance for his mother's sake."

What he said was extremely mean. The Empress Dowager stared at Emperor Hong Xiao for a long time, and suddenly smiled. She shook her head while laughing, almost crying, and she said: "Old man, it turns out that Aijia has always underestimated you. Aijia Just say, Xia Liulan's son, how could he be so virtuous, it's not because of you, it's because the Ai family misjudged him!"

Xia Liulan is the name of Concubine Xia. When Hong Xiaodi heard this name, he paused, put away his smile, and said: "The death of my mother and concubine back then must have something to do with you!"

Concubine Xia died shortly after giving birth to Emperor Hong Xiao, and others said that she died of illness. Emperor Hong Xiao searched for so many years, found the old man in the palace, but said that Concubine Xia was in good health before this, without a trace of illness.

"Hmph, in a place like the palace, there are countless people who want Xia Liulan to die, and it's not Ai's doing it!" The queen mother said disdainfully.

Emperor Hong Xiao's face was green and white, and he didn't seem to believe the answer. Sure enough, the queen mother's next words immediately made him furious. She said: "But after Xia Liulan gave birth to you, Ai's family was indeed very unwilling. In the palace, if you want someone's life, sometimes you don't want it." It needs to be done. The Ai family only needs to say that His Majesty intends to make you the crown prince, and there will be countless people who will go forward to do this for the Ai family."

"You!" Emperor Hong Xiao was furious. The Empress Dowager's out-of-the-box words made Concubine Xia a bright target in the palace. Unfortunately, Concubine Xia had just had a child at that time, and her heart was all on her child, so she would not pay attention to other things.

"The Ai family just hates them. Those people didn't kill you together, leaving a root of trouble." The Queen Mother's eyes were full of resentment, "If I had known today, the Ai family would have taken you out of this place with their own hands even if they had done it themselves. Remove from the world!"

"It's a pity that you don't have this chance." Emperor Hong Xiao calmed down again, and he said: "Although my mother and concubine were not killed by you, they died because of you. I will write down this debt for you first. As I said before, debts are repaid, murders are paid for life, the sins you and Yin Zhan have committed, will naturally be punished by God. Now that Yin Zhan is dead, it will be Yin Zhili's next turn. When Yin Zhili is also dead, I will I personally sent you on the road. No, I changed my mind. I will not let you die. I will let you live. I will imprison you in the palace, which is worse than a concubine in the cold palace. Let you look at the people around you alone You will die and live forever without hope. This is the best punishment for you. I will tell the world the scandal you and Yin Zhan have done, and make Yin Zhili like a rat crossing the street. I will also be ashamed of him, and when he dies, he will not be able to get rid of this stigma, and he will be stabbed in the back even when he dies!"

"No——" the queen mother let out a burst of exclamation. She made a gesture to grab Emperor Hong Xiao's face. The guard beside Hong Xiao emperor pulled out his knife and pushed her to protect Emperor Hong Xiao. The queen mother fell to the ground. The bun is all loose.

"No..." she murmured.

Emperor Hong Xiao gave her a cold look, turned around and walked out, saying: "Come here, lock her up! Without my permission, no one is allowed to see the Queen Mother. Also," he sneered, "Look carefully at her." , don't let her die."

The queen mother fell to the ground, Mei Xiang came to help her up, but she stretched out her hand in vain, looked at Mei Xiang, and said: "He is lying to me, Yin Zhan is not dead, right?"

Her tears flowed down.

The little emperor is actually quite handsome. Do you like the little emperor? Raise your hand~