After the good news

of the emperor's wedding, the news that shocked the entire court the most was the sudden death of Wu Zhonghou Cao Yu.

Cao Yu's death was unusual, and rumors were rampant outside. However, both the Cao family and the palace kept it secret, because Cao Yu did not die somewhere else, but in a small brothel.

Many of the nobles in the capital have masculine habits in private. Some keep prostitutes at home, and some go to small brothels to indulge in lasciviousness. However, no matter how indulgent they are in private, it is something that cannot be brought to the public, and no one wants to publicize it. .

Of course, the same is true for Cao Yu. Because of his special status, he naturally did not dare to openly raise prostitutes at home. Otherwise, people would say that Marquis Wu Zhong indulged in corruption. Not only would his reputation be bad, but it would also bring disgrace to Empress Dowager Ciyi and others in the palace. Your Majesty's face is dull.

So he secretly hung out in the small butler's taverns in Beijing. Every time he went there in casual clothes, he never revealed his identity, and no one knew that the generous guest was actually the current emperor's uncle, Marquis Wu Zhong.

But that night he chose a waiter whom he had always liked, and the two stayed in the house all night. They didn't come out on the second day. The madam knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. She felt something fishy and took the initiative. When he pushed the door open and went in, he saw Cao Yu's body on the ground. His neck had been cut, and his blood was dripping all over the ground. It had turned red and black.

The waiter was tied naked in the corner and had fainted.

Of course, this case could only be investigated secretly. It was only announced to the outside world that Marquis Wu Zhong of Cheng died unexpectedly at home, and the funeral was held with great pity. Zhao Yuan decreed that he should be posthumously named Wu Zhonggong and promote his eldest son to the commanding officer of the Chinese Army Governor's Mansion. However, Cao Yu's death made it difficult for the Cao family to hold power in the court within ten years. For the Cao family and Empress Dowager Ciyi Nothing less than a heavy blow.

Beizhen Fusi secretly investigated under the orders of the Empress Dowager Ciyi, and finally found out that Cao Yu was killed in a vendetta. Speaking of which, the root of this trouble was planted when he was reinstated.

When Cao Yuqian had no military qualifications, he was reported by a Zhenshi from Zhishitai, and several courtiers later petitioned for severe punishment. In the end, Cao Yu was not only dismissed from his position, but also demoted from a marquis to a count. , made him look disgraced, how could he not hold a grudge in his heart after eating such food.

When he regained his title, he became the commander of the Chinese army again. After gaining power, he began to eliminate dissidents. Although Jiang Weiren was the mastermind behind it, he had been forced to retire and leave Beijing. The only ones left were those who had participated in his work.

He fabricated charges against those people and forged evidence of their crimes. Finally, they were directly taken away by Beizhen Fusi for investigation and sent to prison.

Everyone knows the tricks of the imperial guards in the prison. Several people were tortured so hard after entering that they were worse than death. One of them couldn't bear it and died directly inside. Those people didn't commit any real serious crimes. What happened to them was like this. After the incident, Beizhen Fusi hurriedly handed it over to the Ministry of Punishment, and the Ministry of Punishment hastily closed the case.

Poor Zeng Shi, surnamed Guo, died in the imperial prison without any explanation. His wife died early and he only had one son left. Knowing that his father was killed by Cao Yu and died unjustly in prison, he naturally felt sad. Hatred never goes away.

Cao Yu only thought that the incident was over and everyone had been killed. His previous anger had naturally dissipated, and he didn't take it to heart anymore.

On weekdays, he was naturally followed by his entourage. Only when he went to the tavern, in order to conceal his identity, he went alone every time. How could he have expected that Guo Shenshi's son would actually pay a large sum of money to bribe a killer in the Jianghu and lurk under the hood? He entered the room and killed him with one knife.

The dignified Marquis Wu Zhong died in such an ironic and comical way, but in the final analysis, he was still to blame.

This incident was a big blow to Cao Dingzhen, and her whole spirit was broken. Although Beizhen Fusi had already investigated the case, she still had doubts in her heart when she looked at the file.

"Wen Ying, the Ai family asked you to order people to follow Jiang Weiren. Those people came back to ask for help. Did he indeed go back to Jiangling?"

Wen Ying knew what she was worried about. "Yes, my dear, those people sent a message back and said it was Jiang Weiren." We have indeed returned to Jiangling by boat. Perhaps what happened to the Marquis this time was really an accident."

Cao Dingzhen closed his eyes and rubbed his eyebrows, looking tired.

When Wen Ying saw this, she persuaded: "My Majesty, are you really going to imprison the Queen Mother Shengyi in the palace? In fact, if you let her go, as long as she and Jiang Weiren don't return to Beijing, they will no longer be able to hinder us."

Cao Dingzhen opened his eyes. He rolled his eyes and frowned: "It's too easy to let her go like this. His Majesty still doesn't know about the good things she did with Jiang Weiren. The Aijia must make His Majesty hate that bitch!"

"Then what are you planning to do ? Show that testimony to Your Majesty?"

Cao Dingzhen shook his head, "Don't worry for now. Your Majesty has just got married. He is still like a child and has been showing his heart to Yan Qing. Now he knows that the Ai family is afraid that he will suffer. Can't wait. Wait another year or two, when His Majesty sees her true face, and when the Ai family has tortured her enough, the Ai family will let her out."

She sneered and said coldly, "But then she will too . We don't have much time left to live."

Cao Ding really thought that now that Jiang Weiren has retired and is far away in Jiangling, he has nothing to worry about.

But she didn't expect that she still underestimated him...

The letter was handed over to Cao Dingzhen by Wen Ying herself. Wen Ying only knew that the letter was written by Jiang Weiren, but she didn't know what was written in the letter.

The rest of the servants in the palace had been dismissed by Cao Dingzhen, leaving only Wen Ying. Wen Ying watched her master open the envelope. After looking at it for a while, the color drained from her face.

She had served Cao Dingzhen for many years, and except when the news came that Beiqi had broken through, she had never seen Cao Dingzhen look so shocked.

At the end, Cao Dingzhen's hand holding the letter was shaking. He looked shocked and sad. After reading it, Cao Dingzhen suddenly raised his head, his whole person looked a little dull. When his hand loosened, the letter was It fell to the ground, and she stepped back and fell onto the lounge chair behind her.

"How could it be possible? It's impossible..." Wen Ying heard her murmuring.

Wen Ying stepped forward to help her hand worriedly, "Mother, what's wrong with you? What was written in the letter?"

Cao Dingzhen's eyes were slightly red, and he covered his chest with his hand, frowning in pain. The next moment, , a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

"Empress!" Wen Ying said in horror.

She turned around and picked up the letter. After a quick glance, she was stunned by the last four words.

Kill the mother and create a son.

"This... this..." Her hands were trembling. After reading the letter carefully, she shook her head and said, "How could the late emperor issue such a will? It's impossible..."

The letter was from Jiang Weiren. The writing was specially sent to the capital. It said that before the death of the late emperor, there were only three people in front of him, the Queen Mother Shengyi and Wang Tingen, the then chief minister of rites. At that time, the late emperor dictated the imperial edict and ordered him to draft it. After he finished writing, he submitted it to the cabinet for review the next day.

The letter described what happened that night in great detail. The late emperor first ordered Wang Ting'en to declare him, and then sent someone to call Queen Yan Qing.

Before Yan Qing arrived, the late emperor had told him and Wang Ting'en that the crown prince Zhao Yuan should be allowed to inherit the throne. In order to prevent the Cao family from becoming too powerful and the Cao family to use the status of the emperor's biological mother to interfere in political affairs, he decided to He killed his mother and established a son, so that Cao could be buried after his death.

He and Wang Ting'en heard the late emperor's words clearly, but later, he and Wang Ting'en discussed it and thought that the new emperor was young and it would be really pitiful if he lost his authority at a young age, so he deliberately concealed it.

The letter only told the story of the matter, but the meaning was very obvious. When he promised her that Cao Dingzhen would become an official and leave the capital, she also promised to give Yan Qing the antidote and let her out of the palace. If she breaks her promise now, He will spread the word about it.

When the late emperor passed away, there were only three people in the palace. As long as these three people insist that the late emperor did have this will, who can say that it is false?

Needless to say, Yan Qing said that she had not known about this matter before. As soon as the news came out, she would naturally insist that she had indeed heard the late emperor say this, and that Wang Ting'en and Jiang Weiren must have dealt with him.

Therefore, the meaning of killing the mother and establishing a son in this edict, even if it is false, can eventually become true.

But for Cao Dingzhen, the most distressing thing was not how Jiang Weiren could deal with her, but whether the late emperor really had the intention to kill his mother and create a son.

Although she was Zhao Chun's concubine when he was living in the mansion, she came to him much earlier than Yan Qing. She didn't believe that he would really be so unfeeling to her.

Wen Ying knew that she was sad, so she could only advise: "This must be Jiang Weiren's trick. It is impossible for the late emperor to make such a will. You can't believe it, my empress!"

Cao Dingzhen opened his eyes wide and held Wen Ying's hand tightly. , just now she was in great mourning, her blood refused to return to her heart, and the blood came out from her throat. At this moment, it was as if someone had strangled her throat, and she said in a hoarse voice: "But back then, he was the one who ordered A Yuan to be removed from the hospital. The person who was taken away from me..."

It was a pain that she would never recover from, an old scar on her heart that would never heal.

She stood up unsteadily, Wen Ying carefully supported her, and listened to her murmur: "Wen Ying, pass the chariot, the Ai family is going to the Fengxian Hall..."

In the Fengxian Hall, there are sacrifices since Taizu. The spiritual positions of the ancestors and emperors of Dayu also include Renzong Zhao Chun.

On every important day, Zhao Yuan and the two queen mothers would pay homage to the ancestors here. This is also where the Zhidian Superintendent was most careful on duty. Cao Dingzhen was supported by Wen Ying and staggered in. All the internal guards on duty in the palace were kicked out.

"Wen Ying, please go out too..." Cao Dingzhen said a little weakly. Not long ago, she heard the news of her brother's accidental death. Today, she suffered another blow, and it was hard to support her.

Although Wen Ying was worried, she did not dare to disobey her wishes, so she retreated outside the palace and closed the door for her.

In the Fengxian Hall, Taizu's spiritual tablet and portrait are in the innermost part, and the closest place is Zhao Chun's portrait and spiritual tablet.

Cao Dingzhen walked up slowly and looked up at the portrait. It was painted by Dai Zhao in the art academy. It was meticulous and detailed. At this time, he looked through the candlelight and saw that the whole person in the painting seemed to be standing there. In front of you.

She looked at the man in the painting, feeling both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

"Zhao Chun," on normal days, it would be disrespectful for her to call the late emperor by his name like this, but now there is nothing to be taboo about. Cao Dingzhen gritted his teeth and said word by word, "Tell me, what exactly did Jiang Weiren say?" Isn't it true?"

But how could the dead person answer? Time has passed, and it is now unclear what Zhao Chun said and what he did not say before his death.

It doesn't matter whether what Jiang Weiren said is true or false, the key is whether she believes it or not.

Of course she didn't want to believe it, and she also wanted to convince herself, but she knew better than anyone what Zhao Chun's attitude was towards her.

As if her strength was suddenly drained, she staggered and fell down on the brocade cushion, leaning lifelessly, with tears in her eyes.

With tears in her eyes, she stared at the portrait and murmured: "That year, when I gave birth to A Yuan, it was difficult to deliver because of the abnormal position of the fetus. It took two days and nights to give birth to the child, but the afterbirth was still full of bleeding and bleeding.

"At that time, I thought I really wouldn't survive...Who would have thought that later, after I escaped from the gate of hell, I actually recovered my life. When you came to see me, you said to me, thank you..."

Her voice trembled, and tears flowed down her cheeks.

"That was the gentlest word you ever said to me . For Yan Qing, it may be normal, but for me, he has to risk his life..." She choked, lowered her head, and murmured, "Zhao Chun, you are so cruel..."

In the past, in Next to

him , his eyes rarely fell on her. She knew that she was from a humble background, but at that time, she had never sincerely hoped to meet her beloved and protect her throughout her life. The child she bought in exchange for her life was given to another woman to be her mother. Even now, Yan Qing's status in A Yuan's heart is undoubtedly that of her biological mother.

Even before his death, he really wanted to kill his mother to establish a son. Cao Dingzhen raised her head

and let her tears flow down endlessly. There was a storm outside the palace, and it seemed that even the heaven and earth were sobbing.

She seemed to have returned to the British palace many years ago. For two whole days and two nights, she The pain was so painful that it was worse than death. At that time, the mother who delivered the baby couldn't decide. She held the man's hand and said that he must keep the child.

When he came to see her, he held her hand and her voice was gentle and full of pity

. Only now did she understand that the words "Thank you" were just words...