Volume 4: Holy Capital Tribulation Chapter 260: The Past is Like a Dream and Like the Wind
Xu Zun waited in the flower garden full of flowers for half an hour, but still did not see Empress Dowager Lin appear.
Looking at the looming curtain and smelling the fragrance of flowers, Xu Zun finally calmed down and fell into deep thought.
It is conceivable that after experiencing such a thrilling assassination, a large group of people will inevitably suffer misfortune.
Except for the internal security personnel, all those suspected in this case will probably not escape accountability.
Although Xu Zun did not understand Empress Dowager Lin's personality, he instinctively felt that her anger had reached its peak.
Next, the entire Holy City, and even the entire Daxuan, may usher in a new bloody storm!
I don’t know how many people will have to pay with their lives to satisfy Empress Dowager Lin’s anger.
Of course, Xu Zun had also thought that his own situation was difficult to judge.
Although he had made great contributions in rescuing the emperor, he still put the empress dowager in danger. Therefore, it was difficult to predict whether he had done a good deed or not, and it all depended on the Empress Dowager Lin's decision.
However, Xu Zun guessed that since the Queen Mother came to talk to him so soon, and in this flower garden full of flowers, perhaps she did not intend to punish him.
The more likely possibility is that he should investigate this Xuanmen assassination incident thoroughly and find out the mastermind behind it.
But... at this time, Xu Zun discovered that this Xuanmen Heavenly Tribulation incident was a huge political vortex, and the people behind Xuanmen seemed to be far beyond his imagination...
Finally, with a slight sound, Empress Dowager Lin walked in gracefully from behind the curtain and sat on the phoenix chair in the middle.
But I saw that Empress Dowager Lin had changed her clothes, and a fragrance was wafting from her in the distance, probably because she had just taken a bath and changed her clothes.
Xu Zun hurried over and prepared to kneel down and kowtow.
"Forget it, Lord Xu," but Empress Dowager Lin said first, "Please take a seat."
"This... Thank you, Queen Mother!" Xu Zun did not expect the Queen Mother to be so polite to him. Why did she even call him "My dear minister"?
He looked around and although the Queen Mother asked him to take a seat, no eunuch actually pulled a chair over for him.
Embarrassed, he had to step back a few steps and sit on the reception chair beside the flower bed.
"Xiang'er's surname is Qi." Before Xu Zun could even sit down, Empress Dowager Lin said with a look of disappointment, "She is also a descendant of a noble family in the Central Plains. Qi Xiang'er, Dongfang Yaorao's father Dongfang Jin, and I were childhood playmates. The three of us are best friends!"
"..."Xu Zun was speechless, feeling a little uneasy.
"Brother Dongfang is handsome and suave," Empress Dowager Lin said to herself as if lost in reminiscence, "Xiang'er and I were infatuated with each other as young girls, and both regarded him as our ideal husband. Although he was so young, we were still jealous and scrambled to please our brother Dongfang..."
oh……
Xu Zun suddenly realized something. No wonder Dongfang Yaorao was attacked by the Xuanmen rebels twice but miraculously survived both times.
Perhaps, Qi Xianger still remembered their old friendship and ordered her subordinates not to harm Dongfang Yaorao's life?
"Later..." Queen Mother Lin recalled, "In this battle to win my lover, I was defeated miserably, completely.
"Despite all my calculations, Brother Dongfang still chose her in the end!
"From then on, I understood one thing: true feelings cannot be shaken by schemes.
"It's really fate. Even now, I still wonder what would happen if I had won."
Hearing this, Xu Zun swallowed his saliva unconsciously. He didn't expect that the powerful Empress Dowager Lin had such a past.
"Later, my family arranged for me to marry into the royal family," Queen Mother Lin continued, "Qi Xiang'er married Brother Dongfang and gave birth to Yaorao..."
Oh my god, Xu Zun almost fell off his chair. He didn't expect that he had thought it was too simple. Dongfang Yaorao turned out to be...
"When the lotus leaves bloom, spring hatred arises; when the lotus leaves wither, autumn hatred arises." Empress Dowager Lin took a deep breath, a hint of sadness on her face. "The palace is locked in autumn. From now on, I will be a stranger to them."
When Xu Zun heard the empress dowager reciting poetry, he wanted to add a few lines to show his elegance, but he felt helpless as he seemed to be able to sleep through the spring without knowing the dawn, so he had to keep his mouth shut.
However, he was still surprised in his heart. Qi Xiang'er knew that Dongfang Yaorao was her daughter but she refused to recognize her. This person was really hard-hearted.
"I hate Xiang'er because of this, so I haven't been in touch with her for many years, but I know..." Queen Mother Lin said quietly, "In fact, we both care about each other, and no one has forgotten the other, but we just lack an opportunity.
"Alas, it's a pity that the opportunity came, but it was a series of bad news!" She sighed, "First, when Yaorao was twelve years old, Brother Dongfang passed away due to an illness.
"Then, another big event happened to the Qi family. Qi Chong, the prince's tutor, joined forces with several ministers in the court and the three princes of the Li family to plot a rebellion. In the end, the whole family was executed!
"Although Qi Xiang'er and her family escaped the death penalty, they still ended up in exile.
"At that time, Qi Xianger came to me and begged me to let her family go! But I had no power at that time. Although I begged for them in the ear of the late emperor, it was still useless.
“In fact, I have tried my best, but Xiang’er can’t understand.
"I know her personality. She must think that I am still holding a grudge against her for stealing her lover, and that I am deliberately not helping her.
"She will definitely bear a grudge against me..."
"Then...what happened next?" Xu Zun was so fascinated by what he heard that he couldn't help but ask.
"Later, I just used my strength at that time to save Yaorao and let her return to the Dongfang family." The Queen Mother said, "Xiang'er didn't know about it and just thought that the Dongfang family had smoothed over the relationship.
"Besides, how could I not miss Xiang'er? Since I was exiled, I have sent people everywhere to help and protect her.
“But unfortunately, her parents were old and died of illness on the road.
"Later when we arrived in Yuanzhou, Xiang'er also disappeared.
“I later sent many people to look for it, but they never found it.
"So," Queen Mother Lin finally looked at Xu Zun and asked, "You can understand how I felt when I saw her just now, right?!"
"This..." Xu Zun had imagined many questions before, but he didn't expect the Queen Mother to ask him like this.
"The Qi family's ancestors produced many great doctors who reached the pinnacle of medical attainments, so it's not surprising that Xiang'er could develop a drug that can drive people crazy!" Queen Mother Lin tapped the armrest of the phoenix chair with her jade hand. "Today is Brother Dongfang's memorial day. I was in the inner hall offering sacrifices to my brother, so she concluded that I was in Wanfu Palace!"
Wow...
The more Xu Zun listened, the more frightened he became.
"She has such a deep plan, such painstaking efforts, and has endured for many years. She has placed spies in my Holy City, vowing to make me pay for everything she has lost. This shows how deep her hatred for me is!"
At this point, the Queen Mother trembled slightly and became excited.
Xu Zun quickly lowered his head, not daring to speak or to persuade.
"But," Empress Dowager Lin slowly stood up and walked towards the curtain, "Qi Xiang'er is not scary. I can understand her hatred for me and I can even forgive her.
"However, precisely because of my understanding of her, I am more certain that there must be a more sinister enemy hiding behind her!
"This person knows the Holy City, the Imperial Palace, and even me! Xu Zun," the Queen Mother asked, "Do you know who this person is?"
this……
Xu Zun's forehead suddenly broke out in sweat. Fortunately, he was prepared and immediately asked, "Queen Mother, that secret room... who else knows about that secret room?"
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