Chapter 118： rebels

The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.

The night had not yet fallen, and preparations for the palace banquet were in full swing. The auspicious atmosphere brought by the Mid-Autumn Festival diluted the tension and uneasiness of the previous two days, and everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

In Tianshu Palace, the maids are putting on ordinary clothes for Li Zixuan. Li Zichou had an injury on his back, so he couldn't wear a dress that was too grand, so he wore a black narrow-sleeved lapel gown with a cross-stitched wide-sleeved silk shirt of the same color, which was loose and comfortable without losing the dignity of the empress.

After the clothes were neatly dressed, Li Zifu sat down in front of the mirror, and Lu Xiaoying fixed her hair bun.

It has been half a year since Lu Xiaoying entered the palace. From a taciturn acrobat at the beginning to now a personal maid who is comprehensive in every aspect, her transformation is surprising. Today, she is still doing her job seriously as usual.

Li Zishou stared at Lu Xiaoying in the mirror, watching her braid her hair with ease. After a while, she asked, "When did you take refuge in Bai Qingyang?"

The movements of Lu Xiaoying's hands paused, and she raised her eyes subconsciously, her eyes met the empress in the mirror, and Li Zishou could see the astonishment and panic in her eyes that she hadn't had time to hide.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I don't understand..."

"Aren't you the eyeliner she placed beside me?"

Lu Xiaoying slowly let go of Li Zifu's hair, and lowered her hands: "No, it's not..."

When Li Zichou said this, he didn't have any emotions, as if he was just stating a fact: "I went to the Queen's camp to find her that day before I entered the mountain, and you were the one who was talking to me at that time."

Although the timbre and voice are perfectly reproduced, the word habits are slightly different, and the servants have no idea what their private communication is like.

Lu Xiaoying hastily took two steps back and knelt down: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, forgive me! Your Majesty, Madam, she made this decision because she was worried about you. It was I, Lu Xiaoying, who did it. You can't misunderstand her because of it."

"I didn't misunderstand her," Li Zichou looked down at Lu Xiaoying, "It's fine if you betray me, but if you betray her..."

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Lu Xiaoying dared to raise her head to look directly at Li Zichou, and said solemnly: "Xiaoying has never betrayed His Majesty.

"The Empress only asked me to protect Your Majesty and urge you to rest on time.

"I am not an eyeliner sent by your empress to monitor you, and I have never betrayed you. Xiaoying has her own opinions and backbone."

After hearing this, Li Zichou was stunned for a long time, seeing Lu Xiaoying's obstinate look despite her flushed eyes, he sighed helplessly.

"Okay, get up." Li Zichou raised his hand to help her up.

Why is everyone like this...

"During the time when Your Majesty fell into the water and fell ill, the Empress found me and asked me to keep an eye on your physical condition. I thought she was really worried about Your Majesty, so I agreed." Lu Xiaoying who stood up was still babbling explained.

"I know."

Whether Lu Xiaoying did something to backstab herself, Li Zichou was clear about it, the reason why he made it clear today was because—

"Xiaoying, since you are so loyal, I need to ask you to do one thing."

Lu Xiaoying was stunned for a moment, unable to understand why the topic jumped so fast: "W-what's the matter?"

The other maids and servants were all dismissed, and only Li Zishou and Lu Xiaoying were in the hall.

After hearing this, Lu Xiaoying opened her eyes wide in surprise: "Your Majesty, this is too dangerous..."

"Is it difficult?"

"...I mean, it's dangerous for you, Your Majesty."

"It's not dangerous, I even avoided the assassination, so what's the point?"

"But..." Lu Xiaoying still hesitated.

"Only you can do this. I will ask the twin generals to cooperate with you." Li Zishou said, "Don't tell the queen yet."

//

The Linde Hall is grand in regulation, with buildings in the east and west, and a pavilion in the south. The corridors and the square in front of the hall can accommodate 3,000 people. It is often a place for the emperor to entertain his officials.

The emperor of Dasheng attaches as much importance to the Mid-Autumn Festival as the New Year's Eve at the end of the year. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, Guanglu Temple and the Ministry of Rites will be busy. Especially the Ministry of Rites, while organizing the banquet, it also needs to promote the work of Qiu Wei.

Because this year's spring was delayed for more than a month, and there was a visit from Wanbang in the summer, and the autumn exam was postponed again and again due to various force majeure reasons. Prepare separately.

Every now and then, the polite and gentle Confucian scholars will become vigorous and burnt out, wishing for one person to be the envoy of two people.

On the willow twigs on the moon, the city lights in Linjing are just beginning to come on.

High palace lanterns were hung in the middle hall of Linde Hall, and clusters of bronze candle trees were lit up. On the open square outside the Yueyue Pavilion, food tables were placed in rows.

The people who came to the palace banquet entered the venue one after another. Civil and military officials, court musicians, dancers from the teaching workshop, and palace servants bowed their heads one after another, shouting long live and thousand live.

There are gauze curtains hanging around the Yueyue Pavilion, filtering the moonlight hazyly.

The full moon is in the sky, Xuanhui is clear, and the night is beautiful tonight.

Bai Qingyang was a little worried: "Wai, is it important for your health?"

After the officials thanked each other, the banquet officially began. Li Zichou had been staring at the moon in a daze since just now, not knowing what he was thinking, and he didn't even touch the delicacies on the food table.

Hearing her calling him, Li Zichou collected his thoughts and looked at Bai Qingyang: "Well, I'm fine."

"You didn't eat much, did your wound hurt again?"

"It doesn't hurt." Li Zichou smiled reassuringly, "It's just that I don't have much appetite."

Bai Qingyang frowned: "I asked you to postpone the palace banquet, but you insisted on holding it as scheduled. The imperial doctor said that you need to rest, in case the wound gets worse again..."

"I'm really fine, the wound doesn't hurt at all." Li Zichou held her hand, "Naturally, the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet will be held on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. People in the court are panic-stricken these days, and the ministers need to take this opportunity relax for a moment."

"how about you?"

"I'm fine."

Bai Qingyang held her hand instead: "But your complexion is not very good."

The same is true for the temperature of her hands. Li Zifu's hands are usually warm, but at this moment her hands are surprisingly cold.

Li Zishou's lips parted slightly. She had already been put on light makeup to cover up her complexion, but Bai Qingyang still saw it.

Even so, she could only say vaguely: "It's okay."

Bai Qingyang wanted to say something else, but at this moment, the next song was over, everyone applauded, and Li Zichou also attracted attention.

All the courtiers were sitting in the cabinet, and someone offered a toast to her. Li Zichou raised his glass happily, but Bai Qingyang pressed it down.

"That's wine." Li Zichou was injured and couldn't drink.

Li Zichou was taken aback for a moment, said thank you in a low voice, and changed to a cup of tea.

After Li Zizhi finished drinking, Bai Qingyang confirmed again and again: "Are you sure you're not forcing yourself?"

Li Zichou coughed lightly, swallowed the fishy sweetness coming up from his throat, and still gave a gentle but slightly tired smile: "Of course."

Bai Qingyang pursed his lips and said nothing: "..."

Li Zishou was always absent-minded, as if he was waiting for something.

After drinking for three rounds, Xiao Xian ran into the pavilion, saluted the two of them, and then reported in Li Zichou's ear: "Your Majesty, there is a change in the east of the city."

Li Zishou was not surprised: "Have you found what I want?"

Xiao Xian: "I found them all, Master Zhou also said that you will never think of what it is."

"He really found it?" Li Zichou seemed relieved after hearing this, showing a reassuring smile, and asked curiously at the same time: "What is it?"

Xiao Xian: "...I don't know."

Li Zichou sighed in bewilderment: "This week, Huaijin, why are you being so secretive at this time?"

Xiao Xian said again: "Then Your Majesty, should we..."

"Not in a hurry." Li Zichou waved his hand.

Let the bullets fly a little longer.

The two of you were talking to each other and playing riddles, Bai Qingyang was at the side listening in a daze, after Xiao Xian stepped back, she asked: "Did something happen?"

Li Zichou blinked: "It's nothing."

Bai Qingyang: "..." There is clearly something wrong!

When did Xiao Xian not come here with bad news? !

Seeing that Li Zichou didn't intend to say anything at all, Bai Qingyang felt a little depressed, so he looked elsewhere and ignored her.

Looking at it, she felt something was wrong: Xie Zhi was not at the table.

Not in the cabinet, nor in the ranks of officials of the Ministry of punishment.

Not only was Xie Zhi absent, but even Zhou Huaijin, the Chief Assistant Minister, was absent.

She was worried about Li Zishou's departure just now, but she didn't notice that the chief minister of the cabinet was absent on such an important occasion...

Bai Qingyang thought of this, and then looked behind Li Zichou. It wasn't her personal maid—Lu Xiaoying wasn't there either.

what happened?

Just as he was thinking, Meng Shike appeared, interrupting Bai Qingyang's thoughts.

He looked at Li Zishou hesitantly, and seeing that she didn't respond, he whispered a few words to Bai Qingyang.

"What?!" Bai Qingyang's low cry caught Li Zichou's attention.

Bai Qingyang swung him back, and then said to Li Zichou, "Fu, there are some changes in Shanglin Garden."

Li Zifu paused when he was pouring tea for himself, and looked up at her, a little surprised, but not panicked: "Your people stopped him?"

Bai Qingyang was taken aback by Li Zichou's expected appearance, "Uh... let's just stop it."

"That's good."

"Over the city gate..."

"There are also changes," Li Zichou accepted her words, "I know."

"You know? Then you still..."

Before Bai Qingyang could finish his sentence, Xiao Xian ran over again: "Report to Your Majesty, the rebel army is approaching the east gate of the palace, and there are still two troops who went to the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple respectively."

"Rebels?!" Bai Qingyang frowned.

"Hush—" Different from Bai Qingyang's astonishment, Li Zishou's expression was as usual, and he even became a little excited instead of the sluggish state just now.

The bullets flew.

Bai Qingyang was even more puzzled, he only heard Li Zichou and Xiao Xian asking and answering:

"Where did the leader go?"

"To the Ministry of Criminal Justice."

"Ministry of Justice..." The goal is very clear.

"Tell Zhou Huaijin and the others to bring their things and go directly to the Ministry of Punishment."

"yes!"

Bai Qingyang listened to Li Zichou's order full of doubts, then saw her stand up and stretched out her hand to him: "Let's go."

"where to?"

"Go and meet the surprise I prepared for you."

surprise?

She was still trying to figure out the situation, but was pulled away by Li Zichou: "Eh? Wait a minute... What about the palace banquet..."

Bai Qingyang looked back in a daze, but saw that the ministers in the cabinet were still laughing and drinking, as if they hadn't noticed the empress leaving the banquet at all.

What is this...

//

On the other side, the Ministry of Punishment is in prison for serious criminals.

In the dim light of the fire, the humid air, and the gloomy cell, the jailers lay on the table talking in their dreams, and the full moon shone through the cramped window into a pair of clear eyes.

She sat on the ground against the wall, looked at the bright moon outside the window, and sighed for a long time.

"Oh... I want to eat ramen..." Yang Dejin covered his belly that had been screaming for a while, and smashed it.

Her appeals were scattered in the dark space, and no one responded to her.

"Iron gates~iron windows~iron chains~~"

"Hold on to the iron window ↘↗ and I'll look out~"

…

"Yue'er~Yuanyuan~Follow my heart~"

"My son misses his mother in prison ↘↗"

There was a small but abrupt movement, as if a large group of people approached with a low voice.

Yang Dejin's singing stopped abruptly, and she turned her head to look at the source of the sound. A group of men in black had arrived outside her classroom at some point.

The cell was opened, and each of them held a cold soldier in their hands, reflecting a dangerous luster, and the visitor was not kind.

"You are in a good mood, Your Highness Prince Yu." The leader stepped out of the darkness, his face was exposed to the moonlight, and his eyes carried a cold murderous intent.

Yang Dejin stood up and stared at him warily, the shackles on his hands rang, his hands trembling with fear: "It's really you."

The author has something to say:

Yang Dejin Prison Limited Edition: I'm hungry, I want to eat ramen.

Xie Zhi: As expected of you.

The palms of the hands and the backs of the hands are full of meat. The heroines are all my treasures. Don’t scold them. If you want to scold me, scold me (but I will fight back.