tkworld #445 - Court Meeting (2 in 1 order)
#445 - Court Meeting (2 in 1 order)
Just as Zhong Wu Ye was at a loss, a deep male voice suddenly came from beside him, coldly saying, "If I may be so bold, I am extremely familiar with this kind of formation and restriction."
As he spoke, the man walked out from the shadows. It was Qin Huan. He was wearing a gray robe, with a plain sword at his waist, and a guarded expression on his face.
Seeing Zhong Wu Ye stunned, Qin Huan didn't bother to say more and went straight to check on the maid's condition. He frowned, his sharp, cat-like eyes scanning her up and down before he said in a deep voice:
"This technique comes from the Northern Kingdom's sorcerers. This method is so ruthless and insidious that it's impossible to guard against!"
Hearing this, Zhong Wu Ye couldn't help but be shocked. Although she had long known that the Emperor of Northern Zhou was ruthless, she never thought he would resort to such despicable means! To be so cruel to a mere palace maid?
She calmed herself and asked in a low voice, "Then, in your opinion, how can the restriction on her be lifted? Otherwise, I'm afraid..." Qin Huan frowned deeply, looking troubled.
He sized up the now stiff maiden, and finally sighed helplessly, saying, "This restriction is indeed very strange. I am afraid that even someone as shallow as myself can hardly unravel its mysteries. Unless... the source of this restriction is found, there may be a turning point."
......
At the same time, the shocking news of the Northern Zhou delegation being attacked exploded in Chang'an City, and in an instant, it caused a sensation throughout the entire Dayuan dynasty.
This was a major event concerning relations between the two countries, how could it be ignored?
Emperor Yongping was young and, although seemingly composed, he was inwardly uneasy. As a new ruler, he knew that the court had not fully supported him, and the details of the delegation's attack were currently confusing, making it difficult for him to decide what to do.
Finally, amidst an uproar, Emperor Yongping issued an decree to convene the officials in the Kun Ning Palace of the Forbidden City to discuss countermeasures together.
As the bell rang, Kun Ning Palace was bustling with noise and activity.
Civil and military officials had been standing solemnly on both sides of the aisle for a long time. A red carpet sprinkled with gold flower brocade extended from outside the square and directly into the entrance of the main hall. Palace servants held up colorful blue dragon-patterned long-handled palace umbrellas, waiting for a long time. All the officials looked tense and well-dressed, and they entered the hall in single file, some with solemn faces, some with flickering eyes, and some with faint sneers at the corners of their mouths, all guessing the ins and outs of this joint trial.
After everyone was seated one after another, the nine dragons playing with pearls statue on the top of the golden hall suddenly sprayed out colorful clouds, and on the semi-dome in the center of the hall, which was carved with thousands of flying dragons soaring, wisps of dragon energy surged from all directions, and finally condensed into a dazzling golden light, in which a dragon-shaped phantom could be vaguely seen.
Then, a sound of gongs and drums sounded in unison, and the main hall door slowly opened. Emperor Yongping's dragon chair slowly entered Kun Ning Palace, and the young emperor in a yellow dragon robe had a solemn expression and his eyes were slightly narrowed, secretly hiding a sharp light, and slowly walked from the central passage, his steps were steady and powerful.
As Emperor Yongping slowly sat on the dragon chair, the entire Kun Ning Palace became silent. Prime Minister Sima Ru stepped forward to kneel and salute, and then spoke to Emperor Yongping with a tone of resentment:
"This group of people were only going to meet the delegation, but unexpectedly they were attacked on the way, it is really a crime that deserves ten thousand deaths! I have sent people to track down their whereabouts, but who the perpetrator is, we are still investigating."
Before Sima Ru finished speaking, Ouyang Xing, the Grand Tutor, interrupted him without allowing explanation. The old man, wearing a dark purple brocade robe, was sunken, his eyes were like copper bells that could be thrown to the ground, his forehead was high, and he had a pair of sword eyebrows, and his face was full of unquestionable majesty and arrogance.
He slowly stepped forward, coldly staring at Sima Ru, and said sharply: "Your Majesty, I have now grasped conclusive evidence! This kind of conspiracy and trickery actually came from Prime Minister Sima's hand. Sima Ru is harboring resentment and attempting to provoke relations between our court and Northern Zhou, which is why he set up such a cold arrow to hurt people."
Speaking, Ouyang Xing waved his sleeves, and two guards dressed in black armor held up a large plate, which contained some weapon wreckage and armor fragments.
"These are all relics left at the scene of the attack. I have secretly investigated them, and they all came from some Jianghu gangs working for Sima Ru! It can be seen that the real murderer in this case is Sima Ru."
Ouyang Xing's eyes were like electricity, staring at Sima Ru, his tone aggressive.
Sima Ru was greatly angered by these words, and his already dark complexion suddenly turned iron-blue, and a burst of ferocious distortion appeared at the corners of his lips. He clenched his fists tightly at his sides, and it took him a long time to recover.
When he finally calmed down, he retorted fiercely: "What? I am a noble family in the Central Plains, and I have many Jianghu righteous people under my command, why would I do such a despicable thing? It is clear that you, a treacherous villain, are framing me!"
The two sides then engaged in a battle of words and swords, fiercely clashing.
Ouyang Xing changed his previous solemnity and sternness, and a sinister sneer appeared on his face. He slowly opened his mouth and retorted: "Preposterous! I am wholeheartedly for the country and the people, how could I do such a dirty thing? What's more..."
As he spoke, he gave another wink, and several servants led a woman from the back hall.
The woman was wearing a gorgeous embroidered robe, her skin was as white as transparent, she had bright eyes and white teeth, and her black hair was tied behind her head with delicate gold hairpins, and the casually scattered hair softly draped over her fragrant shoulders. Her facial features were exquisite and peerless, her nose was straight and her mouth was small, especially her eyes, which were charming, and her eyebrows were outlined into a word shape, with thousands of charms. Looking at her pretty face, she must be Princess Tana, the most beautiful woman in Shuofang.
Ouyang Xing led her to his side, respectfully looking at Emperor Yongping, and said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, this is Princess Tana, whom I was fortunate enough to rescue when the delegation was attacked. Thanks to her testimony, otherwise I would not know how to explain the ins and outs of this attack to Your Majesty."
After saying that, he looked at Emperor Yongping with an extremely sincere expression, showing that he was seeking credit from the Emperor.
Emperor Yongping showed a troubled expression upon hearing this, and a look of confusion and helplessness flashed in his eyes.
He was a diligent and studious emperor, who had been taught Confucian classics since he was a child, and was gentle and modest in nature. Therefore, in the face of such complex power struggles, he could not help but fall into a dilemma:
Ouyang Xing was a trusted minister of the late emperor, and even if he had any improper actions, he would not dare to really suspect him.
And Sima Ru was a friend he had known since his youth, and he had studied with him in the same window. Although he was a little eccentric, he was not as insidious and despicable as Ouyang Xing said. After weighing the two, Emperor Yongping's eyes were filled with hesitation, and he frowned, unable to say anything for a long time. At this moment, an old man coughed lightly in the hall.
All eyes turned to him, and they saw a kind-faced old minister, with a pair of half-white long beards slowly swaying on his head. He was wearing a dark blue robe, and his full head of white hair was covered by a wide hat, leaving only two strands of white hair hanging down from the brim of the hat.
This old man was Wu Lao, the Taichang Qing who had been in Emperor Yongping's time. Although he was old, his kind eyebrows and eyes faintly revealed a light of wisdom. Wu Lao smiled and spoke loudly, persuading Emperor Yongping:
"Your Majesty, this kind of major national military affair cannot be hastily concluded like this. How about"
He pondered his words, and continued, "Order the Cang Li director of the Shuji Yuan to mediate this matter and thoroughly investigate the truth, so that everyone will be convinced?"
As soon as these words came out, all the civil and military officials agreed.
The Shuji Yuan was a hidden place of esoteric arts in the Dayuan Dynasty, which was well known to the Chaoye people, but it had always been independent and free from any court affairs interference. More importantly, the Shuji Yuan was in charge of the anomalies of nature, mysteries of yin and yang, and had always adhered to the principle of fairness and coldness, with the purpose of seeking truth and pragmatism. The Cang Li director was highly skilled, and although others could not see through the mysteries, he would definitely give a fair investigation result.
Emperor Yongping listened to the old minister's suggestion, and then nodded in agreement.
Then a dragon-robed figure walked in from the side door, it was the Cang Li director, who was known as "Tianji Mingtong".
This venerable old man, who was admired by thousands of people, was more than seven feet tall, slender and tall, and faintly revealed a calm and restrained demeanor. He came alone with his sleeves bared, holding only a bronze ritual implement that looked like a crutch in his hand. He walked in slowly by himself, walked to Emperor Yongping, and directly saluted without hesitation, and said sincerely:
"This old minister has heard that this matter is of great importance, and I would like to ask your Majesty to grant the old minister full power. Although the Shuji Yuan is small, the old minister will do his best to thoroughly investigate the truth of this case."
After saying that, the Cang Li director turned around and scanned the hall with piercing eyes. Although there was no stagnation or restlessness in the eyes, they revealed a calm and wise charm. Emperor Yongping finally breathed a sigh of relief.
......
After that, the emperor decided to follow the established procedure and let Princess Tana parade through Chang'an City for the people of Dayuan to admire.
The streets in the imperial city were now bustling with people, and the streets were filled with flowers and colorful flags, and there was a festive atmosphere everywhere.
Princess Tana and her party were riding in a magnificent white elephant dragon car, inlaid with countless pearls and gems. Several strong war elephants slowly stepped on the streets, and each step had an ear-splitting sound. A magnificent awning was erected high on the chariot, and the top of the awning was inlaid with ten thousand pieces of broken glass, which shone brightly in the bright sun, radiating light.
In front, behind, left and right of the convoy, there were several honor guards guarding. The guards in silver-white armor had formed a long snake in a line, holding halberds and marching forward mightily.
The dragon cart team moved slowly, and every few tens of meters beside the cart stood a fully armed guard, who stood tall and chest out, and their tall figures were like sculptures, unmoving like a mountain.
Looking from a distance, this long snake-like cart team was really awe-inspiring. More nosy people were attracted by this shocking scene, and they stood along the street, shouting long live, and kowtowing frequently.
Even those vendors and small merchants had temporarily put down their affairs and were convinced by this grand scene. They all bowed and congratulated the safe arrival of the Shuofang princess.
In stark contrast to this royal chariot formation was the maid beside Zhong Wu Ye, who was stuffing her mouth with snacks, but her eyes were full of stubbornness.
"Miss Zhong," the girl said in a low voice, but her face was still solemn. Zhong Wu Ye quickly came over and asked in a low voice, "What's the matter?"
Her eyes fell on the blood stains on her body, and gradually a sense of anxiety arose. At this time, the girl shook her head and sighed, saying, "Miss Zhong, in fact... I am the real princess, Hainahe Tana of the Northern Zhou royal family."
Zhong Wu Ye was stunned when she heard this, and then a sense of disharmony welled up in her heart.
She looked at the girl's slightly immature face in confusion, wondering how this could be?
Seeing Zhong Wu Ye's confused expression, the girl continued to say a little embarrassedly: "At the beginning, in order to escort me to arrive safely, my father sent a team of experts to guard me. Unfortunately, we were attacked on the way. Under the enemy's siege, my maid sacrificed herself for me and exchanged identities with me."
Speaking of this, tears welled up in her eyes, as if she missed the sacrificed maid very much.
Zhong Wu Ye couldn't help but gently hold the girl's shoulders with both hands, and asked with concern:
"Then do you know who attacked the delegation?"
The girl nodded vigorously, and her face suddenly became solemn, and said: "Those people were wearing black clothes, and their masks were embroidered with blood-colored roses. Their Kung Fu was very good, and our guards were simply not opponents and could only let them be presumptuous."
Zhong Wu Ye couldn't help but fall into contemplation when she heard this. The blood rose mask was clearly the same group of people she saw when she appeared at the Jianjia pass camp!
Recalling the situation at that time, Zhong Wu Ye's mind involuntarily emerged a scene of ferocity: the blood-colored fire tongues spread ferocity in the camp, and the thick smoke rolled straight into the sky, covering the sky and the sun. Everywhere there were wailing screams, and the corpses of people and horses fell scattered on the ground, as well as those palpitating " nightmare" phenomena, and the black fog floated like ghosts on the battlefield. At that time, I felt very unusual, but now it seems that it may have an inseparable relationship with this group of blood rose people who are talked about with fear.
Thinking of this, Zhong Wu Ye couldn't help but be secretly shocked. If there really is a hidden dark force in this world, then what will their purpose be?
They seem to be intentionally provoking the dispute between Dayuan and Northern Zhou, but the specific purpose is not clear at all.
Moreover, since this is the case, then the princess in the parade team must be a fake princess!
Ouyang Xing is so involved in it, I wonder if he is also using these dark forces. All kinds of doubts are more than that, which makes Zhong Wu Ye feel the seriousness of the matter more and more.
Looking at the tears flowing from the princess's eyes, Zhong Wu Ye's heart surged with an unprecedented sense of mission.
She secretly made up her mind to find out the truth and clear the injustice for this case. At this moment, the princess suddenly raised her head, looked at her firm eyes, and said softly: "Miss Zhong, thank you for your concern and appreciation. In fact, I have never revealed these words to anyone, and I have never revealed a word to anyone around me. But now I have made up my mind to tell you everything."