Chapter 51 fourth quarter

A luan car with a narrow front and a round back was galloping on the dark street. When it ran to an intersection, it was stopped by patrolling soldiers.The carriage finally stopped, and the shaft horse neighed endlessly. "During the curfew, it is forbidden to go out." An officer walked to the side of the car and reprimanded the driver.The coachman lowered his head and pointed to the carriage, which meant that this matter had to be asked later.The officer was taken aback for a moment, but he didn't expect the coachman to be quite courageous.He walked towards the back of the car, opened the curtain, and met the passengers' eyes, both of them were stunned.

"Lieutenant Sun." The passenger said blankly.Sun Li hurriedly bowed his head and saluted respectfully: "Mrs. Tang..." Sun Li didn't expect that the stopped car belonged to Tang Ji. He was flustered for a while, and it took a few breaths before he regained his composure and performed his duties: "Xu Duwei issued an order to put a curfew in the whole city. Where is Mrs. Tang going?" Tang Ji took out a brocade box: "Your Majesty has just recovered from a serious illness, and there are still remaining illnesses that have not disappeared. I need to take medicine powder every day. I am late today, and I dare not delay, so I have to go out at night in violation of the order. I hope Captain Sun can accommodate me." .”

Sun Li glanced at the front and back of the Luan car, but found nothing unusual.He glanced at Tang Ji, and found that her face was a little pale, and he felt a little guilty. He raised his hand to signal her to let her go, and gave back a token to avoid being stopped and questioned by other patrols.It wasn't until the carriage left that he realized that every time Tang Ji saw him, she would always be sarcastic and sarcastic. Since when was she so polite? Sun Li straightened his helmet and was puzzled. The car soon arrived at Sikong Mansion.Since the emperor was stationed here, it was inconvenient for the ministers to come and go, so a passage was specially opened up, which went directly to the emperor's bedroom without passing through Cao's residence, and was controlled by the guards along the way.Regarding Tang Ji's sudden request to see His Majesty, Su Wei did not dare to make a decision without authorization, and asked Yang Xiu for instructions-this was exactly Tang Ji's purpose.

Yang Xiu didn't live too far away, so he rushed to Sikong's mansion soon.Tang Ji secretly whispered in his ear, Yang Xiu looked at the coachman and gave the order to let him go.So Tang Ji, her coachman and Yang Xiu walked in together. As soon as he stepped into the Sikong mansion, the driver's body began to tremble, and every step seemed to be very difficult.Yang Xiu put his hand on his shoulder and said in a deep voice, "This is Cao Cao's mansion. If you don't want to mess it up, calm down." The coachman pushed his hand away, touched the dagger at his waist, and tried his best to Suppressing the mood.

On the surface, he appears to be submissive and follows others step by step; in fact, it is he who shows great courage and coerces Yang Xiu and Tang Ji to approach the truth step by step.How could this unprecedented stimulation not make him nervous. All of this came from Sima Yi's plan.Sima Yi told him that the real threat will always be effective before it is spoken, so he is required to put on a posture that there are accomplices outside, and he can disclose the truth at any time, so that the Han Dynasty will not dare to act rashly.This was used to create pressure and force them to lead him to the emperor.

"Even with a sharp blade, you have to believe that you are in control of the situation, not them." Sima Yi urged.Zhao Yan's actions are completely based on this principle, and the effect is indeed remarkable. Yang Xiu and Tang Ji walked one after the other, feeling uneasy.This guy named Zhao Yan was so weak that it was too easy to kill him, but the consequences of his death were unbearable to them——Zhao Yan knew the truth about the Han Dynasty, and it was definitely a disaster. , They didn't know what Zhao Yan was planning, so they couldn't deal with it.The only good thing is that Zhao Yan is not part of the Cao family, so Yang Xiu decided to wait and see what happened, and at the same time, he was running fast in his mind to find out which link leaked the secret.

Everyone was preoccupied, and soon they came to the emperor's temporary residence.Leng Shouguang had been notified, lit a candle, and the room suddenly lit up.It stands to reason that this is a very dangerous move, because Cao's eyeliners will have a panoramic view of all this and then report it to Xu Duwei, but they have no choice. "Go in." Yang Xiu and Tang Ji stood still in front of the steps, Zhao Yan hesitated, and walked forward, Leng Shouguang opened the door, stared curiously at the guy who asked to see the emperor at night, and led him in.After the gate was closed again, Tang Ji asked Yang Xiu anxiously: "Is there any problem?" Yang Xiu did not smile this time, but frowned in a rare way: "Even I don't think much about this bet. clear……"

Liu Xie was wearing only a middle coat, sitting on the bed in the dormitory, and Fu Shou stood beside him obediently.Zhao Yan entered the room, instead of prostrating and bowing face down like a courtier meeting the emperor, but first stared at Liu Xie's face for a long time.Leng Shouguang was about to scold, but was stopped by Liu Xie.Liu Xie felt that something was wrong with this person, so he remained motionless, waiting for him to speak first. "Young Master, I will get the answer you want right away." Zhao Yan said silently in his heart, then took a long breath, knelt on the ground, kowtowed and saluted, with a very disrespectful tone: "Chen Yilang Zhao Yan sees Your Majesty." Liu Xie is not very familiar with this name: "You want to see me overnight, why?"

"Your Majesty, do you still remember Concubine Dong?" Zhao Yan stared straight at Liu Xie. "My woman, how can I not remember?" The corner of Zhao Yan's mouth twitched mockingly, and continued to ask: "Then, does Your Majesty know why she died?" "Being implicated to her death by her father, I heard from Tang Ji about the specific circumstances." Liu Xie sighed sincerely. Although he and Concubine Dong had no feelings for each other, thinking about her death situation, he couldn't help feeling desolate. "Is Your Majesty not sad at all?" Zhao Yan asked calmly.On Liu Xie's face, he could distinguish regret, sympathy and intolerance, but there was no heart-wrenching sadness.

Fu Shou could not help but sneer.A courtier came to see the emperor in the middle of the night and kept asking questions about the imperial palace. This is really a strange thing.She couldn't help but said: "This is the emperor's family matter, what right do you have to ask?" Zhao Yan suddenly raised his head, staring at Fushou with eyes as sharp as a woman's nails. "Immortal temptress! Get out!" Zhao Yan roared suddenly. Fu Shou is the woman Zhao Yan hates the most, because she always excludes Concubine Dong.Concubine Dong complained in front of Zhao Yan more than once how vicious and annoying that woman was.Since he guessed the emperor's identity, he became more suspicious of Fushou's role in it, thinking that even if she was not behind the scenes, she was still a key figure.Now she still has the face to say something about her family!The emperor is gone, where is the emperor's family affairs!

Hearing this roar, Fushou's face changed drastically, she had never been so humiliated before.Liu Xie held her trembling hand and squeezed it lightly.After all, Fushou is a person who understands the overall situation, so she managed to suppress her anger and turned her face away to ignore Zhao Yan. Zhao Yan's shout was like tearing his face completely apart, and there was no room for change.Liu Xie could tell that this person might have gone all out, he quickly thought about it in his heart, flicked his outer robe, and said calmly: "These are my family affairs, Zhao Yilang, as a foreign minister, why Beak?" "The two families of Dong and Zhao were originally married by fingertips. Before the young master entered the palace, he had an engagement with the minister. It was only later that Mr. Dong wanted to serve the royal family, so he changed his mind and withdrew the letter of engagement." Liu Xie laughed when he heard the words: "Could it be that you are here to settle accounts with me just for this matter?" "No!" Zhao Yan yelled, he let go of his arrogance today, "I, Zhao Yan, am I a man who steals his wife and commits crimes! Today's audience is for Dong Shaojun's last request, come and ask His Majesty!" Liu Xie's expression changed slightly.He only knew that Concubine Dong died in Tang Ji's cottage, but he didn't know that there was a last word before that.He glanced at Fushou, Fushou shook his head, saying that it was the first time he had heard of it. Zhao Yan closed his eyes, and his thoughts returned to that night.That night, Concubine Dong stood guard at the gate of Dong Mansion with a lantern in her hand, grabbed Zhao Yan's lapel, and yelled the last words she said to Zhao Yan in her life: "Your Majesty seems to be a different person. You must represent I figured this out, otherwise my mother and child will die with peace!" Zhao Yan opened his eyes, as if possessed by Concubine Dong's ghost, he took out a spiritual tablet with Dong Shaojun's name from his arms, held it up with both hands, and asked, "Where is the real Majesty?" As soon as the words came out, the whole room fell silent.Fu Shou suddenly thought of Zhang Yu for no reason. He was also in this room, and the old man had asked the same question.In less than half a year, it happened twice in a row, which gave her a subtle sense of absurdity. "Young Master under Nine Springs wants to know, where is the real His Majesty?" Zhao Yan asked again, raising the spiritual tablet in his hand, and his voice increased a little.This is an invisible pressure, if they keep refusing to answer, he will eventually shout out, resounding throughout the Sikong Mansion. "It's time to come..." Liu Xie secretly sighed.In order not to reveal his secrets, he has never dared to approach Concubine Dong. Unexpectedly, a woman's intuition is so terrible, not only guessing the truth, but also leaving such a dangerous hidden danger.Liu Xie pondered for a moment, and tried again: "Zhao Yilang, I am here, why do you say that?" Zhao Yan sneered and said, "You can hide it from Xun Yu and Guo Jia, but you can't hide it from me! I don't know why you and Your Majesty are similar in appearance, but you are definitely not Your Majesty!" Fu Shou felt that he could no longer let him mess around Go down, walk forward quickly, and reprimanded: "It's simply presumptuous! He is not His Majesty, who do you say?" Zhao Yan stretched out his index finger confidently, pointing to the Ninth Five-Year Lord of the Han Dynasty: "You are the son of Yang Jun, Yang Ping!" Hearing this name, Liu Xie and Fu Shou were greatly moved. They thought that Zhao Yan just suspected that the emperor's identity was fake, but they never expected him to find out this step.The two looked at each other, and had nothing to say for a moment.Fu Shou winked at Leng Shouguang, and moved slightly towards the dressing table beside the bed. This man is too dangerous and must be killed immediately!Even if Cao's eyes and ears are disturbed, his life must be kept in this sleeping hall. Fushou's actions did not escape Zhao Yan's eyes. He raised his chin and straightened his chest to meet him: "The sword of the emperor can pierce my chest; the emperor's axe can cut off my head. But this will only Let the curtain of your shame be torn apart faster, and let the whole world know the filth in it." Hearing what he said, Fu Shou had no choice but to stop.Sure enough, this Zhao Yan arranged means outside, that's why he was so confident.She glared at him with a kind of resentment: "Dong Shaojun was ignorant during his lifetime, and he never imagined that the person entrusted to him after death would act like this." "Shut up, you are not qualified to judge Shaojun!" Zhao Yan looked at him.Fu Shou showed mockery: "This empress is in charge of Fengyin and the palace. I'm not qualified to comment, but you, an outsider, are qualified? Or, you..." She deliberately showed an ambiguous expression. Zhao Yan smiled instead of anger: "Hahahaha, you don't have to try your best to provoke me. I and the young master are innocent and have a clear conscience. Yan did not come here today in a fit of anger. How could he be provoked by you, a wicked woman? You The more you slander the young master, the more you will prove your guilt!" He smiled, looked straight at Fushou and took three steps forward, each step was extremely confident and excited, and an unprecedented force swept over him. In this small dormitory, at this time he is the one who controls everything and denies everything. Fu Shou flinched, she bit her lip, and turned her gaze to the Son of Heaven for help.Liu Xie still had the same indifferent expression, without any panic. He stared at Zhao Yan, and his tone was as gentle as ever: "Zhao Yilang, even if it is an ordinary prison lawsuit, evidence is needed. You have many criticisms, and your words are conclusive. Empty talk, right?" Hearing this, Zhao Yan's eyes froze. He had been waiting for this sentence for a long time: "If your majesty is still half lucky and thinks that your threat is a bluff, you might as well take a look at this thing." The thing was thrown to the ground in front of Liu Xie's feet, making a crisp "clang". This is a big killer.When Sima Yi handed it to Zhao Yan, he said it was the strongest weapon to pierce the false emperor.When the fake Liu Xie sees this thing, he will definitely collapse completely. Now is the critical moment. Leng Shouguang stepped forward to pick it up, but was stopped by Liu Xie.He picked it up from the ground himself, and slowly inspected it under Zhao Yan's fanatical gaze. This is an arrow cluster made of iron, with a double-winged head and dark gray color, and two small official characters "Chongli" are engraved on the wings.Liu Xie put it between the thumb and index finger of his right hand, fiddled with it lightly, and the cluster of arrows flew rapidly between the fingers.Fu Shou and Leng Shouguang looked at each other suspiciously, and they could tell that Liu Xie must have used this type of arrow cluster frequently to be so familiar with it. Liu Xie's fingers flew up and down nimbly, skillfully controlling the balance so that it never landed.As the arrow clusters turned faster and faster between his fingers, a smile inadvertently appeared on his lips, as if he had forgotten that he was confronting a dangerous enemy in Xu Du's bedroom. Seeing his reaction, Zhao Yan snorted coldly: "What are you laughing at! Are you guilty?" Liu Xie stopped the movements in his hands, and gently rubbed the rough edges of the arrowhead with his fingertips, feeling its sharpness. After a while, he opened his eyes again and asked, "This is what Zhongda gave you. What?" Zhao Yan nodded emphatically, showing a cruel smile, the answer has been revealed, this false emperor should be terminated. Liu Xie tapped the table rhythmically with the arrow, with infinite emotion on his face: "It really is him, Zhong Da is really well-intentioned." The "Chongli" engraved on the arrow is the earliest ancestor of the Sima family after Zhuanxu.Therefore, the two characters "Chongli" will be engraved on the tripods and weapons cast by the Sima family to indicate the ethnicity of the Ming Dynasty.When Liu Xie was in Hanoi, he always rode and shot hunting, and he did not know how many arrow clusters he shot.Even when reading, he would play around with an arrow between his fingers. Liu Xie recognized at a glance that this arrow was the last arrow he shot during his last hunting.The arrow was originally aimed at a doe, but he deliberately missed it in a soft heart. Sima Yi scolded him for being weak and took away the arrow.It was after that hunt that Liu Xie was hastily brought to Xudu by Yang Jun, and he never saw Sima Yi again... Seeing the cluster of arrows again at this time, Liu Xie deciphered the meaning hidden by Sima Yi almost instantly. Zhao Yan dared to break into the bedroom alone because he had Sima Yi as his external support, so he was confident.He believes that if he dies, Sima Yi will reveal this secret thoroughly, and the Han Dynasty will surely throw a mouse at him.The irony is that when Zhao Yan presented the arrow cluster with his own hands, thinking that he would break the defense of the false emperor, he didn't know that in Liu Xie's eyes, his confidence had completely collapsed, and he would no longer need any scruples in killing him. This cluster of arrows represents killing, determination, and ruthlessness.Sima Yi hoped that when Liu Xie saw the arrow, he would harden his heart and kill Zhao Yan on the spot. Zhao Yan seemed to have the wisdom in his hands, and went to the palace alone to confront the emperor, but what he actually presented was a reminder for himself. Sima Yi knew that Zhao Yan was a tenacious person, and it was almost impossible to stop him from investigating the identity of the emperor.In order to protect Liu Xie, Sima Yi had no choice but to do the opposite, using Zhao Yan's fanaticism to encourage and stimulate him so that he would obediently send him to the emperor to be slaughtered.Zhao Yan seemed to be a puppet, stepping towards the flames step by step under the guidance of the craftsman, but he didn't realize it. This is the puppet technique set up by Sima Yi who is far away in Wen County. Although Liu Xie didn't know the reason behind it, he was very clear about Sima Yi's intentions, and he couldn't help shaking his head helplessly: "Zhongda, Zhongda, you are really willful." He knew that Sima Yi had other ways, but The use of such a provocative method made Liu Xie terrified - this was Sima Yi expressing his dissatisfaction with Liu Xie and wanting a little revenge. Zhao Yan looked at the emperor in a daze and said nothing, thinking that he had been poked in a sore foot, so he didn't urge him to stand in the middle of the bedroom smugly, waiting for the moment when the victory would be announced. Liu Xie moved his neck, clasped the arrow in his hand, and looked at the next man with some pity.Now the situation is clear, as long as he gives an order, Leng Shouguang will kill Zhao Yan, and then dispose of the body quietly.At most, the Cao family would only be a little suspicious, and the biggest secret of the Han family can be guaranteed not to be leaked.This is the easiest way to do it.But is this really good?A trace of hesitation flashed in Liu Xie's mind.This doubt is not entirely out of kindness, but also mixed with more emotions - some speculation about people's hearts, some consideration for the overall situation, some appreciation for Zhao Yan's persistence, and even regret for the Dong family . After thinking about it again and again, Liu Xie gently put down the cluster of arrows, and said to Zhao Yan: "Zhao Yilang, as you said, I am not the real emperor." The emperor's unexpected confession stunned Fu Shou and Leng Shouguang.How could this big secret be easily told to an outsider?What's more, this outsider has been clamoring to destroy the Han Dynasty.Fu Shou'e frowned slightly, and wanted to speak out to stop her, but suddenly saw Liu Xie secretly making a reassuring gesture, so she had to shut up. Zhao Yan smiled.He already knew the answer, and now he just wants to seek justice for Shaojun.The false emperor was forced to confess his guilt, which showed that he was in a state of confusion and bowed his head to admit defeat.He hugged the spiritual seat even tighter, thinking that the young master is in the sky, he must be very happy to hear this, right? "Hmph, Young Master saw that something was wrong with you early on, but it's a pity that Manchao civil and military have no eyes!" Zhao Yan said angrily, and glared at Fushou at the same time.Concubine Dong tried to get close to the emperor several times, but she stopped her every time. If it wasn't for this, the truth would have been revealed long ago. Liu Xie said slowly: "But there is something hidden in it, I don't know if you know it?" "Using the throne against the Lord, what excuses do you have? Well, tell me, Shaojun and I are listening!" Zhao Yan simply put the spiritual seat on the ground, sat cross-legged by himself, folded his hands on his chest, and said nothing in his tone. Respectfully. Liu Xie glanced at the spiritual seat, and began to tell the story of the two Liu brothers, with a calm and unhurried tone, like a historian recording the legacy of a previous dynasty.Zhao Yan began to show disdain, but as the narration deepened, his body straightened unknowingly, and the enthusiasm in his eyes gradually subsided. ※※※ "...Forcing the overall situation, I have no choice but to act in this way. It is not injustice for me to get the position. Here is the edict of the late emperor." After Liu Xie finished telling the story, he took out something and handed it to Zhao Yan. It was a silk belt with a line of ink characters scrawled on it.Zhao Yan took a look, his face became stiff.It was clearly written on it: "With no virtue, I will pass on my younger brother Liu Ping, so that the morality can be revived, and the Han Dynasty will be honored. Definitely." This is the imperial edict left by the real Liu Xie before his death, and it is the last trace in the world of the person whom Concubine Dong has always cared about.It turned out that he died earlier than Concubine Dong.Thinking that in just a few days, all three members of this family passed away one after another, Zhao Yan suddenly felt sad.He held up the silk belt with both hands, placed it tremblingly on Concubine Dong's coffin, and kowtowed three times. "You...you can be regarded as reunited..." Zhao Yan muttered to himself, but suddenly felt unprecedented loneliness. Liu Xie watched Zhao Yan finish kowtowing, and asked calmly: "I have revealed the truth about the Han Dynasty. Zhao Yilang, since you have discovered the truth, what will you do next?" Zhao Yan was completely stunned by this question.He was preoccupied with thinking about how to dig out the truth and fulfill Concubine Dong's entrustment, but he never thought about what to do after digging out the truth. In his original imagination, this was an ugly palace conspiracy. As a tracer, he was naturally on the side of justice.But the truth revealed by Liu Xie made him hesitate.Zhao Yan is not stupid. He has followed Kong Rong for so long and knows the political situation very well.If Liu Xie's words are true, the Han family's plan of Li to replace the Tao's rigidity is really a last resort and was forced by the Cao family.Then his righteous reputation of Zhao Yan will be greatly reduced. "Next, what will you do?" Liu Xie asked again, with a dignified tone.He has seen through the weakness behind Zhao Yan's awe-inspiring manner, and this question is an iron arrow shot at his deathbed. Sure enough, this short question caused Zhao Yan to fall into an inexplicable contradiction, like a small stone thrown into the middle of a lake, but it stirred up huge waves. yeah, what should i do? Zhao Yan is also a Han official, and he still has a heart of loyalty to the Han family.He may not be willing to throw his head and blood for the revival of the Han Dynasty like Yang Biao and Dong Cheng, but he will never destroy the Han Dynasty with his own hands.What's more, if the truth is announced, the most gratifying thing is not the dead Concubine Dong, but the murderer who killed Concubine Dong.The Cao family will take the opportunity to attack and completely destroy the Han Dynasty. Wouldn't that make loved ones hurt and enemies quickened? Looking at Liu Xie's eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling, Zhao Yan suddenly realized that the emperor didn't want to ask a question, but wanted to point out the absurdity that he had never noticed before.How sad and ridiculous this kind of behavior is. He wanted to seek justice for Concubine Dong, but in the end he found that Concubine Dong's greatest enemy was the one who benefited. The overwhelming self-confidence just now disappeared, and in an instant, it seemed that something in the body broke with a "click".Zhao Yan's shoulders swayed slightly, and a big mouthful of blood suddenly spewed out, and his whole body went limp. Liu Xie got up and walked over quickly, ignoring the blood dripping from his front, and supported his shoulders: "Zhao Yilang, the dead are long gone, and we, the living, still have a lot to do."