Chapter 69 Chapter 9: Shocking Morality

The third part, The Wind and Cloud of Seizing the Inheritance In June of the twenty-fifth year of Wuwei in Dayong, the emperor issued an edict to offer sacrifices to the Yellow Emperor, set up an altar in Qiaoshan, and ordered the prince to accompany the sacrifice in Chang'an. Unexpectedly, the prince's deeds were not good, the emperor was frightened, and the prince was imprisoned. ——"Yong History."Biography of the King of Violence" Seeing this, Cizhen smiled lightly and said: "Your Highness, don't worry, Shaolin has no choice but to do this. Although the actions of His Highness the Crown Prince have not been made known to the world, they cannot be hidden from the people of the world. What's more, Fengyimen's recent perverse behavior has caused black and white. Shaolin is the largest sect in the Bai Dao, and we cannot see such a situation happening. Your Highness has always favored our temple, and is diligent in government and loving the people. Although our temple cannot get involved in political disputes, Fengyimen is a sect of the rivers and lakes. Our temple There is still something that can be done.”

King Yong and I both felt relieved. It turned out that Shaolin couldn't see the arrogance of Fengyimen, and the new and old grudges were forgotten together. But I thought to myself, because "Huo Jicheng" caused chaos in the world, Fengyimen borrowed This matter must not be leaked out, at least not known to everyone, otherwise I am afraid that I will also become the chief culprit in the troubled world. At this time, Cizhen said: "There is another matter for this old monk. His Majesty intends to offer sacrifices to the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum recently. Senior brother Cixiu was ordered to come here to preside over one of the ceremonies. Although the senior monk is profound in Buddhism, he is not good at martial arts, so I deliberately Come and protect him."

Li Zhi and I both nodded secretly. We know about this. Master Cixiu was originally a famous official in the court. After his country was ruined and his family was destroyed, he joined Buddhism. Over the years, he has translated more than a thousand volumes of Sanskrit classics, and he is the number one hero in promoting Buddhism. This person is indeed worthy of Cizhen's personal escort when he leaves the temple. You must know that although Cizhen is a master of a generation, when it comes to his status in Buddhism, he is no better than Cizhen. Master Hugh is honorable.Thinking of this, I can't help feeling a little apologetic. I'm afraid this grand ceremony to pay homage to the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum will not end well.

Since the founding of Dayong, there have been many grand ceremonies to worship the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum, but this time it is a bit unusual. Naturally, the Son of Heaven will go to Qiaoshan to worship the Mausoleum in person, but at the same time, he will also set up an altar in Chang'an, and sacrifice at the same time. The fortune of the country is prosperous, and naturally only the crown prince can be the person to accompany the sacrifice. Therefore, from June onwards, His Majesty ordered the prince to enter the East Palace to fast, and he himself fasted in the fast palace. On June 14th, the emperor will drive to the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum. The grand ceremony was held on June 15th, accompanied by King Yong, King Qi and a group of civil and military officials, while Prime Minister Wei Guan and servant Zheng Xia were ordered to assist the prince in offering sacrifices to heaven in Beijing.

Fasting is not an easy thing, if you don’t eat meat, don’t drink alcohol, don’t listen to music, don’t get close to concubines, don’t pay tribute to funerals, don’t pay attention to criminals, and you must be calm and not restless, but how can Prince Li An endure it? It’s just that the clear soup lacks water, and there is no taste at all. This has already made him unable to eat, and he can’t deal with government affairs. What's more, he can't stay alone every day, not being close to women makes him irritated and distressed, but he still has to endure for half a month, and he has to abide by various prohibitions under the supervision of his servant Zheng Xia, if it wasn't for the seriousness of the matter , He has long been unwilling to bear it, and was thinking that if he ascended the throne in the future, it would definitely not be such a troublesome time to hold sacrifices. Another bowl of brown rice was brought out, followed by a pot of tea. Li An cursed God again, then picked up the chopsticks, and ate the meal hastily. .

As early as when he was fasting in the East Palace, he thought that the rough tea and light food would be too bitter, so he ordered someone to secretly replace the coarse tea with ginseng tea. This was Xia Jinyi's idea. He was haggard because of his unsatisfactory diet, but unfortunately, it would be nice if he could have a jug of wine. After drinking a glass, he felt much better, so he put the ginseng tea aside and prepared to drink it when he read the scriptures in the afternoon. The little eunuch who came to take out the meal was brisk, and quickly finished the work. Then Zheng Xia personally delivered the scriptures he was supposed to recite in the afternoon. Li An glanced at the scripture case impatiently, and went to take a nap first. Replenishing energy since then has made Li An miss those beloved pets even more. He tosses and turns and cannot sleep.Can't help but sit up, thinking that it's better to go outside for a walk, so as not to toss and turn like this.

Walking out of the dormitory, I saw guards from the Eastern Palace surrounding him, but Zheng Xia was nowhere to be seen. He was replaced by an official from the Ministry of Rites. He casually asked, "Where is Mr. Zheng?" I asked Mr. Zheng to discuss the sacrifice, and he will not come back until the end of the hour." Li An was happy, if Zheng Xia was here, he wouldn't dare to be presumptuous, but if Zheng Xia wasn't there, then it wouldn't matter if he took a walk in the palace courtyard. When he looked up, his trusted bodyguard Xia Jinyi was standing beside him.He whispered: "Jin Yi, I just want to play throwing pots, you go and get it quietly, don't let others see."

After hearing this, Xia Jinyi looked around for a moment, and said, "Your Highness, wait a moment, this subordinate will go and get it." But after a while, Xia Jinyi really brought over the pitching pot. This is Li An's beloved thing. It has been kept in the East Palace, and he is often bored reading the booklet. Sometimes it is used for entertainment. This silver pot has a wide mouth, a big belly, and a slender neck. It contains some beans, but it is designed to increase the difficulty. The arrows are all finely carved, beautiful and beautiful.Xia Jinyi handed over the arrow and said with a smile: "Your Highness, please be merciful, your subordinates lost badly last time."

Li An said with a smile: "When it comes to throwing pots, you are not as good as me." As he spoke, he threw the arrow, and it really hit the arrow. He smiled complacently, but after winning several rounds in succession, he felt that the meaning was dull. In the past, Xia Jinyi always made Li An lose a few rounds at the right time. In this way, Li An was always able to turn defeat into victory, and he was naturally very happy. Today, Xia Jinyi made repeated mistakes, which made it very easy for Li An to win. He inevitably lost interest. He couldn't help saying angrily: "Jin Yi, are you perfunctory Gu?"

Xia Jinyi hurriedly said: "Your Highness, how dare this subordinate perfunctory you, it's because this subordinate has something in mind." Li An asked suspiciously: "What makes you so preoccupied?" Xia Jinyi said: "Today, I received a token, which should have been presented to the prince, but now it is the time for the prince to fast, so I dare not present it." Li An said with a smile: "I think it's something, bring it." Xia Jinyi didn't dare to refuse, so he quickly took out a brocade sachet from his pocket and presented it.Li An took it, and saw that the sachet was very exquisite, with lotus flowers embroidered on it. His heart moved, and he opened the sachet. In addition to the sachet, it was a emerald green silk handkerchief as thin as a cicada's wing. Unfolding the handkerchief, I saw a pair of cross-necked mandarin ducks with red feathers and white heads embroidered on the silk handkerchief, and there was a small poem underneath, "Looking at the clouds and smoke from the sky steps, I miss the waning moon sky. Go to the pillow." Li An only felt his heart flutter, this silk handkerchief is lingering, could it be sent by concubine Chun.

While he was daydreaming, Xia Jinyi had already said: "Your Highness, the trusted little eunuch next to Madam Chun is here to present this item, but His Highness is fasting now, so this item is inappropriate, so I dare not present it, but if If it is deducted, it is disloyal to His Highness, so this subordinate is very embarrassed." Li An said with a smile: "You have meritorious deeds and are not guilty. Well, you go down, this king should also recite the scriptures." Xia Jinyi quickly put away the throwing pot and retreated. In the afternoon, Li An was looking at the scriptures on the surface, but he was thinking in his heart, Concubine Chun must have invited me to a private meeting tonight, but I can't get close to women now, this is absolutely impossible, but when I think of Concubine Chun's delicate and beautiful Because of his long-term dance practice, he felt itchy in his heart. Besides, after the dispute with Concubine Xiao last time, he no longer entered the palace to have a private meeting with Concubine Chun. Now he has fasted in the East Palace for twelve days. Already alone and unable to sleep, thinking that Concubine Chun would be waiting for him to meet him tonight, he couldn't help but wonder and imagine. At night, lying on the bed, the more Li An thought about it, the more he couldn't sleep. Finally, he stood up and put on a piece of clothing. He saw that the little eunuch serving outside was already asleep. He walked gently outside the hall and saw a few guards watching the night When he arrived at the side hall, he saw Xia Jinyi sleeping with his clothes on. This is the rule of the guards serving in the East Palace. He stepped forward and gave Xia Jinyi a slight push. Xia Jinyi woke up immediately. He was not qualified to wear a sword in the palace. Touching his waist, Li An knew that there was a hidden weapon hidden in his waist, so he quickly whispered: "It's me." Xia Jinyi immediately came to his senses, and hurriedly got up and bowed down. He was about to say hello, but Li An stopped him with a wave of his hand. He said in a low voice, "Come with me to see Concubine Chun. Don't disturb outsiders." Xia Jinyi was shocked and said: "Your Highness, absolutely not, if this matter is spread, the emperor may be furious." Li An smiled and said: "It's okay, no one will know, let's go and come back quickly, there will be no hindrance." Xia Jinyi tried hard to persuade, but Li An said angrily: "On weekdays you are obedient to everything, Why are you so stubborn today, why don’t you get up and go with Gu.” A flash of determination flashed in Xia Jinyi's eyes, and he said, "Your Majesty obeyed, but it's inappropriate for Your Highness to go out like this, so why don't you change your clothes." Li An thought it was reasonable, so he changed into a guard's clothes, and secretly took Xia Jinyi and the two of them Sneaking towards Concubine Chun's residence, although there were many guards in the palace, Xia Jinyi was the best at sneaking around, and he didn't meet many people with the prince. , Perfunctory with rhetoric. Arriving at Concubine Chun's residence, Li An couldn't wait to push open the palace door, but the gate was not closed, Li An walked in, but there was no one there, he only said that Concubine Chun sent the maids and eunuchs away, and hurried into the bedroom, I saw a silver lamp placed on the table and on the brocade couch. Concubine Chun was only wearing tulle pajamas, sleeping soundly. Her two lotus arms were exposed outside the brocade quilt, making her more attractive, while her confidant maid was Without a companion, it can be seen that it must be Concubine Chun who waited for a long time and couldn't help but fell asleep. Li An felt more and more guilty in his heart, and the desire aroused by Concubine Chun couldn't bear it anymore. pounce. Concubine Chun was sleeping soundly at first, when she suddenly felt that someone was pressing on her, she was half asleep and couldn't resist, after a while, she woke up from the passion, and found that someone was raging on her body, she was about to exclaim, but the familiar feeling made her Without yelling out, she saw the man's identity clearly through the dim light, and couldn't help being shocked. Why did the prince come to have a private meeting with her during the fasting period, but in just a moment, the prince's madness made her addicted to it, and then I didn't even bother to cross-examine. They were lingering to death, but Xia Jinyi was panicked in his heart. He secretly checked, all the eunuchs and maids were in a deep sleep, obviously they were lightly tapped on their sleeping holes, it seems that this is a trap that has been set up.And the prince is the elk that fell into this trap, and he himself is the accomplice who helps tighten the rope.But he thought about it again, what is there to sympathize with for the prince's behavior, he should take the medicine quickly to avoid a tragic death. He hastily took out the pills Jiang Zhe gave him, first swallowed the pills inside the green wax coat, a refreshing faint fragrance made him feel refreshed, and then hid the pills in the black wax coat, so as not to accidentally lose them.He stood outside the sleeping hall and waited silently, but he didn't know whether he was waiting for the prince to come out or the violent storm when this matter was exposed. Not long after the crown prince entered Chun's palace, Li Yuan, who was keeping fast in the fasting palace, was sleeping soundly. It was all red, and he couldn't help but put on his clothes and stood up, and asked loudly: "Gao Hou, what happened outside Lengchuan?" A forty-year-old eunuch in apricot clothes hurried in and said: "Your Majesty, the East Palace is flooded, and the guards are fighting the fire now, and Chief Leng is escorting him outside." Li Yuan was startled. Today is the twelfth day. How could such a thing happen before the ceremony? What? Go and pick him up quickly, and don't let him make a mistake." Gao Hou looked a little uneasy, peeping, but he didn't dare to speak, Li Yuan was slightly annoyed, and asked, "What's the matter, but the crown prince was injured?" Gao Hou had no choice but to say: "Your Highness is fasting in the East Palace, and Zheng Shizhong is in charge, but tonight the East Palace was flooded, and Zheng Shizhong sent someone to rescue the prince, but found that the prince is not in the palace." Li Yuan only felt a basin of cold water poured down from his head, and his heart felt cold. He asked slowly, "Where did the prince go?" Gao Hou said in cold sweat: "I don't know about this, but just now Zheng Shizhong sent someone to inquire, and they said that two guards from the Eastern Palace went to Hanxiang Hall." Speaking of this, he was already trembling. Li Yuan was stunned, and said: "Hanxiang Hall, Concubine Chun, hum, Leng Chuan, you and I will go to Hanxiang Hall." With a flash of his figure, a middle-aged man dressed in the uniform of the head of the imperial bodyguard walked in. This middle-aged man was plain in appearance, but he was graceful, with a cold light shining between his eyes. He was Emperor Yong's trusted bodyguard. He has reached the pinnacle of martial arts and is most trusted by Li Yuan, and now he is the chief of the guards of the Ouchi, favored by the emperor.He said lightly: "Your Majesty, don't worry too much, lest you hurt your body." Li Yuan said coldly: "Okay, hurry up to Hanxiang Hall, and order Xiahou to imprison all the guards, eunuchs, eunuchs and maids of the East Palace, and there must be no mistakes." When Li Yuan brought Leng Chuan, Gao Hou and a few guards and eunuchs to the Hanxiang Palace, there was still no disturbance.He had no idea that there was a problem with the East Palace.Li Yuan winked, and a guard stepped forward and kicked open the door of the palace. Xia Jinyi, who was guarding in front of him, shook his head and looked up. Under the moonlight, Emperor Yong Li Yuan was staring at him angrily. Instead, he calmed down, turned around and shouted: "The emperor is here." A fierce light flashed in Li Yuan's eyes, and without his order, Leng Chuan's figure flashed, and he slapped Xia Jinyi's back heavily with his palm. In an instant, the internal force poured into his meridians, and Xia Jinyi passed out when his eyes went dark. Li Yuan didn't even look at the bodyguard who was killed, and broke into the bedroom, only to see his eldest son's face was pale, on the brocade couch, Concubine Chun, naked, was terrified.Li Yuan felt that everything was burning, he was dizzy, and he was about to fall when he staggered, but he was supported by Gao Hou and a few eunuchs.Li Yuan didn't speak, and said angrily: "Leng Chuan, don't kill this traitor for me." Leng Chuan's eyes flashed, but he didn't dare to obey the order, and remained silent.Li Yuan said angrily: "Why, don't you even listen to my words?" Leng Chuan said indifferently: "Your Majesty, the crown prince is the heir apparent, even if he is guilty, he must declare it to the world, how can he deal with it like this." Li Yuan was originally out of breath, but Leng Chuan's words calmed him down. At this time, Li An had come to his senses, and he rushed forward and kowtowed repeatedly: "Father, please forgive me, please, please forgive me, Father." Li Yuan gave him a disgusted look, kicked Li An aside, and said, "Gao Hou, you send this rebellious son to the 'Jin'an Palace' for house arrest, and no one is allowed to visit him, and, Give me the execution of all of Hanxiang's Highness, Concubine Chun, Concubine Chun, I don't want to see her again." After finishing speaking, Li Yuan turned and went out.Leng Chuan hurriedly followed. Gao Hou stayed here according to the order, he went outside the hall to say hello, and a group of guards rushed into Hanxiang Hall like tigers and wolves, but after a while, all the eunuchs and maids in Hanxiang Hall were strangled to death, and most of them just woke up from sleep Come, die before you know what happened.And Xia Jinyi woke up when Li Yuan and others entered the dormitory. He took out the black wax-coated pill with difficulty, and inside was a pill with a strange smell. After taking the pill, Xia Jinyi only felt numb in his limbs, unable to move his whole body, and unable to open his eyes, but he still had a slight feeling.Not long after, Li Yuan left, and the guards began to silence him according to the order. When he arrived, a guard probed his breath and said, "This man is already dead. In fact, there is no need to look at it. How can Director Leng have a living mouth?" exist."