Palace Scheming: the Queen In the Cold Palace I

Chapter 27: Worshiping Ancestors During the Qingming Festival and Almost Being Assassinated (3)

Yun Qing raised his head and saw that Xuanyuan Ze was descending from his left side. At some point, the carriages of the two people had lined up side by side. At this moment, the two of them were descending simultaneously, one on the left and the other on the right. The pace was very much like that of an emperor or an empress.

But Yun Qing saw that the moment he got off the sedan chair in Xuanyuan Ze, he seemed to be looking at him unkindly. He couldn't figure out the reason for the moment and didn't have time to think about it carefully, so he got off the sedan chair with Ling Ge's help.

"Long live the emperor! Long live the queen!" When Yun Qing stood next to Xuanyuan Ze, the princes and ministers in front of him all knelt down in unison, and the momentum was definitely greater than in front of Xihua Gate.

 “Everyone, please be at peace!” With both hands spread out, Xuanyuan Ze’s imperial aura was fully displayed.

Compared to a year ago, this time his natural majesty as emperor has already overshadowed the chaos below and shocked all the ministers below. He is worthy of being the king of a country.

Yun Qing, on the other hand, just put her hands lightly in front of her body, with a smile on her face, maintaining the posture that a queen should have in a dignified and elegant manner.

The breeze gently picked up the corners of their clothes, dancing gracefully, domineering yet gentle, bringing up their hair that was fluttering in the wind, showing a beautiful picture of the emperor and empress meeting each other.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" After everyone was on their feet, Yun Qing noticed that He Ruowan had already stepped off the sedan first, and was now standing in a row with Xuanyuan Yi, Xuanyuan Moyu and other royal family members. She was supported by a palace maid on each side. The body seemed to be overwhelmed by the wind.

However, when she was lying down, a pair of originally gentle eyes cast an extremely stern gaze on Yun Qing, with deep jealousy that was so obvious that Yun Qing could not ignore it.

However, when she saw the depressed expression on Xuanyuan Moyu's face, she couldn't help but flash her eyes and almost laughed.

Fortunately, the Minister of Etiquette stepped forward and recited a long eloquent recitation prepared by the Ministry of Etiquette, so that she could not be noticed by everyone. As a queen of a country, she was in such a good mood on such a solemn occasion.

 Just because others don’t pay attention, it doesn’t mean that no one pays attention.

Xuanyuan Yi, who had been staring at Yun Qing quietly, saw her smiling eyes and couldn't help but twist his handsome eyebrows and glared at Yun Qing again. It also made Yun Qing very confused. She didn't know why he kept glaring at him today, as if he had offended him somewhere.

 She remembered that since she parted ways with him that night, she had never offended him again! Is it possible that he still holds a grudge because of what he said casually that time?

"The ceremony is over! All the courtiers kowtowed and bowed down!" Mr. Zhang, the Minister of Rites, finished reciting the words, then with a bang, he took the lead and knelt down on the ground. After hearing the sound, everyone behind him followed suit and knelt down.

"Please the emperor and empress bow down to worship our ancestors!" Yao Lin, the Minister of Rites, walked out of the crowd, holding an ink book in his hand, stepped forward and stood beside the emperor and empress, bowed first, and then read the sacrificial words: "Tai Chi is impermanent, Eight Trigrams are endless, Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Wen De Wuchang, generations of reproduction, the family is in order to govern the country, the Qing Dynasty is the leader, the stone is broken and the cauldron is destroyed..."

Chang Le and Ling Ge respectively lit a stick of incense and handed it to the emperor and queen. They both stepped forward and inserted it into the incense burner.

Then the emperor and the empress bowed deeply to the altar at the same time, and a sacrificial **** scattered paper money all over the sky. The breeze picked up, and all the yellow and white things in the sky flew with the wind.

 Along with the complicated sacrificial words, in the unique atmosphere at this time, people feel deeply saddened.

"The ancestors were brave, unparalleled on the battlefield, loved the people and protected the country, and were our holy emperors. They chose the right way and governed the country well..." Mr. Yao's voice was heavy and he recited it loudly. The sad voice covered all the dust at this time, in the imperial mausoleum. Surrounded by...

Yunqing looked at the endless tombs of emperors and ancestors in the distant mountains, and a feeling of wonder arose spontaneously.

Throughout the ages, many emperors, generals and prime ministers have spent their entire lives as soldiers and galloping on the battlefield in order to defend their homes and protect their country and expand their territory. How many people know the scenery and bitterness in it?

Only that short-lived glory was recorded by future generations, but a hundred years later, only this loess was left, and he was finally buried under the imperial mausoleum.

Alas, it is no wonder that during the third month of the third month in the world, during the Qingming Festival, people pay filial piety first and never forget the ancestral system throughout their lives.

"...We worship our ancestors from generation to generation, look up to them, share the same origin, and bring glory to the whole country!" After a long while, Master Yao finished reciting, then knelt down in front of the imperial mausoleum, and like everyone behind him, silently worshiped the late emperor.

There was a soft chanting from the sacrificial team, accompanied by the unique sound of knocking instruments and objects. All the palace people scattered yellow and white paper money at the same time, and the world suddenly became chaotic.

"The ancestors are on top, and the descendants (daughter-in-law) of the Xuanyuan family (Yun family) - Emperor Ze (Yunqing) pay homage to the ancestors! I pray to the ancestors to bless the people of our Tianque Kingdom and prosper from generation to generation!"

 The emperor and the queen each picked up the wine on the altar, bowed to the imperial mausoleum, and then sprinkled the wine on the ground.

Then, amid a burst of chanting and worshiping Buddha, the emperor took out the sacrificial sermon scroll prepared by Yun Qing from his sleeve and began to recite the sacrificial sermon: "The sky and the earth are dark and yellow, the prosperous age is not yet young, the ancestor of civilization, the fire is passed down from generation to generation. Peace in the world, common destiny Prosperity, harmony among the people, well-being of the country..."

Yun Qing raised his eyes and couldn't help but look at Xuanyuan Ze beside him with confusion, but saw that his handsome face was calm and his expression was focused.

Just when I was puzzled, I heard his voice sink, and continued: "The swallow shadows are flying sideways, the flowers are red and the willows are green, the spring breeze is rolling, and the sequence belongs to the three springs. Where is the Qingming Festival? The waves are like weeping, the rain is like drops, and the Qingming Festival is playing the song of departure. . At this time of year, when the soul is broken, the candle paper and smoke are floating, and the sorrow is endless..."

As soon as this sacrificial speech came out, everyone below was moved. One was because it suited the occasion, and the other was because it was this year’s sacrificial speech. It was so poetic and picturesque, and it made people feel a lot.

It’s not that everyone disrespects their ancestors, it’s just that everyone has long been tired of listening to the lengthy sacrificial speeches in previous years that were boring and even confusing.

　　It may feel a bit heavy when you listen to it at the beginning, but if you continue, except for those old-fashioned people, there are not many people who can listen to it.

 But this year's emperor's speech was different from previous years, and it was fresh and refreshing. They all pricked up their ears and listened attentively.

Yun Qing frowned and realized that what Xuanyuan Ze was reciting had changed back to the sacrificial words he had made. Could it be that he had added them impromptu just now?

If so, then his talent is beyond his imagination. No wonder he only said "fair" in his words of sacrifice.

"My thoughts are like smoke, soaring into the sky, my mind reaches the ancient times, and my mind wanders in vain. Thousands of meritorious deeds, great merits and glorious achievements, thousands of heroes hanging in the universe, but they coexist with the infinite sky and earth, sharing the sun and the moon. The fate of living beings is only a few The joys and sorrows controlled by human beings; the dream of a peach blossom land only blooms in the drunkenness of the literati... Which one is a sacrifice, it should be a sacrifice of love, because most of the living beings are obsessed with each other; in the world, there is always one love, for the country and the people. ; Xiaoqing, the soul is persistent. Why not borrow wine, sprinkle it on the flowers and trees in front of the tomb, and settle countless grievances..."

As the emperor recited loudly, the ministers of the Ministry of Rites and the academicians of the Hanlin Academy all pricked up their ears, surprised by the emperor's surprising memorial speech this year.

It is truly sincere and elegant. It is clearly a sacrificial poem that touches all living beings, but it also has a poetic charm that makes people unable to extricate themselves. Many people were fascinated by it for a while.

The more he read, the more the emperor's handsome eyes deepened. Before, he only glanced at it briefly and did not want to read it in detail, but every word was full of calm and elegant charm, which made people want to stop.

At this moment, the shock in his heart was almost the same as that of the people kneeling below. However, among the people below, few knew that Yun Qing had done much. If you knew it, I'm afraid someone would have already exclaimed in surprise at this time.

"The distant mountains are green, and deep in the water and clouds, only melancholy remains. I wander in front of the mountains, watching the spring breeze blowing, and the heaven and earth are dispersed... The deceased has long since passed away, and the survivors will always be sad. The feelings can be remembered, the kindness can be remembered; the ancestors' instructions are worthy of memory. , always remember! Let’s go, I just hope that all sentient beings in the world will be at peace, and then the world will be peaceful!"

After the lengthy memorial poem was recited, everyone was not drowsy, but everyone raised their heads slightly, watching in a daze as the young emperor put it into his sleeves, sprinkled wine and money, and paid homage. Ancestors.

There was another burst of instrumental music, and Yun Qing also recited his own sacrificial words loudly. The sound was clear and as sweet as an oriole in the empty valley; it was completely different from Xuanyuan Ze's deep and intoxicating voice just now, but it was even more breathtaking. Listen: "Be careful to chase the distance and never forget your ancestors. The willows are blown by the wind, and the fallen flowers are like snow. The sleeves are still wet with clothes, and for a while, I can only speak and choke. Among the flowers and rain in the world, there is a slow and clear chant..."

 Different from the emperor's majestic speech, the queen's memorial speech was more feminine, but equally thoughtful and far-reaching, making people feel refreshed.

 The world was quiet for a while, except for the occasional chirping of birds and the gentle whistling of the mountain breeze, as if time had stood still.

 While Yun Qing was reciting, Xuanyuan Ze had been staring at her quietly, and his mood was ups and downs while listening to her outstanding memorial poem.

I have never realized that she is such a quiet woman! Every word, every sentence is filled with deep sadness. Although it is just for the occasion, there is a sense of separateness everywhere.

 He knows that women have always had delicate minds, and it is common for them to feel sad about the spring and autumn. In Wan'er's poems, he can often see the unfounded sadness of his daughter's family.

　　However, in Yun Qing's words and prose, there is an incomparable atmosphere and indifference, as if he has already seen all the vast number of sentient beings in the world.

 Why is she so different from other women?

"Where can I send it? I can only use the floating clouds to cover my eyes. The sincere teachings are still in my ears. But my guest's heart is flowing, I follow the fate of the world, I think of the lonely tomb thousands of miles away, where is the desolate picture?" Yun Qing's voice sank, I miss my mother who died young in Xianghun.

Although she can no longer remember her mother's voice, smile and appearance, the warmth her mother gave her will be remembered forever.

It's a pity that today she can't go to her mother's grave to place a stick of incense, so she can only use this to pay homage to her!

When Yun Qing thought of this, Yun Tianhai, who had been kneeling down below with a cold look, felt his heart tremble, and a rare longing also surged into his heart.

Then he raised his head and looked at the backs of Yun Qing and her mother who were very similar, but his eyebrows narrowed and his expression became darker.

"The past has been quiet, the living is not yet young, right and wrong have turned into clouds and smoke... The emperor and the empress are in the land, the merits have been abandoned, the rain and dew are wet, and the sun is full of admiration; time and space are different, the heroic spirit is still there, only offering incense, bowing one hundred times !" After Yun Qing finished reading, he closed his eyes silently for a while, and then bowed from a distance again.

"Fames are buried in the dust, but they will last forever. Please all the people of Tianque kowtow to the late emperors!" The main priest shook his sutra tube, opened his hands, and his bright red robe immediately fluttered in the wind, blowing out his breath. The sound of calling.

As soon as the sound fell, everyone including Xuanyuan Ze bowed to the altar in front of them and kowtowed their heads on the back of their hands.

After three kowtows, the ceremony was finally over, and Yun Qing could finally move his almost numb legs, turn around and stand still.

 “Long live the emperor, long live the emperor!”

“The queen is a thousand years old!”

In the midst of the emperor's grace, everyone stood up in front of Xuanyuan Ze and Yun Qing, and then when Chang Le sang "Respectfully Invite the Holy Master to Return to the Palace", the imperial palace officials standing at both ends of the altar immediately went to Xuanyuan Ze in unison. Coming around.

Ling Ge and Bi Tao also walked quickly to Yunqing, while all the officials still stood quietly in front of the imperial carriage, respectfully seeing the emperor and empress off in the sedan chair.

At this time, Yun Qing suddenly saw a strange look from someone not far in front of her. When she raised her eyes, she saw that it was her father, Yun Tianhai, who was looking at her. There seemed to be something he wanted to say to her in his eyes.

As her mind moved, before she could understand the meaning of her father's gaze, she suddenly saw a flash of silver light in front of her eyes, a cold light that was so strong that her heart almost stopped beating, and it flew towards her side.

“Ah!” Someone below exclaimed. Xuanyuan Ze was also startled, and his instinctive reaction was to raise his hand to wave.

"Dang!" As soon as he said it, someone next to him flew up with a long sword to block it. He had already swung his sword to knock away the silver hidden weapon, which also allowed Xuanyuan Ze to dodge sideways and avoid the other two weapons that were a little slower. A sharp hidden weapon.

Then he quickly rolled up his sleeves, and after hearing a few "swishes", he immediately swept away several black flying arrows that followed like raindrops.

"Protect!" Murong Chong flashed his figure and flew towards the firing point of the hidden weapon as fast as lightning.

"Protect the emperor! Catch the assassin!" Duan Qingming's handsome eyebrows raised, and his body followed Murong Chong and flew towards the tree in the distance.

The surrounding imperial guardsmen came up with swords in hand, protecting the emperor and queen in groups, and moved towards the dragon chariot with purpose.

All the ministers were also in panic. Some of the palace maids and eunuchs were so frightened that they screamed. The situation was already in chaos, and many people could only gather in a place protected by the imperial guards.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" He Ruowan was panicked. The two maids around him had been stunned by the sudden situation, and they didn't know where they were rushed by the crowd at this moment.

She held up her skirt and squeezed toward Xuanyuan Ze as hard as she could, crying loudly.

"Mother, be careful!" Ling Ge and Bi Tao guarded Yun Qing tightly. Xiao Taohong was originally far away from Yun Qing, but now she saw the imperial army guarding the emperor and the empress coming towards the royal chariot, and couldn't help but feel worried. Heart comes.

"I'm here! Don't be afraid, Wan'er! You all get out of the way!" Hearing He Ruowan's shout, Xuanyuan Ze's heart moved and he found her. At that moment, his heart softened, and he stretched out his hand to her with great pity, and asked the guards to make way for He Ruowan to squeeze in to the emperor's side.

As soon as He Ruowan threw herself into Xuanyuan Ze's arms, she cried so hard that her branches trembled. Xuanyuan Ze hugged her tightly and carefully led her to the dragon chariot.

Yun Qing watched all this silently. She originally wanted to stay away from them, but all the imperial guards and the guards brought by the Queen Mother kept the two of them tightly in the circle, making it difficult for her to escape.

"Miss!" Bi Tao held her hand tightly, letting Yun Qing see that she was casting a comforting look at him.

With a slight smile, Yun Qing shook his head, indicating that he didn't care. When he looked sideways at Bitao, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a black shadow not far behind him, and then he saw a man wearing an evil golden mask who moved as fast as a ghost and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

But in the blink of an eye, Yun Qing saw that the other party seemed to be giving her a horrifying smile under his evil mask, and then he saw a flash of golden light, and a slender golden needle was unnoticed by anyone. Then, he quickly stabbed at the back of Xuanyuan Ze's neck.

"Be careful!" Yun Qing's heart skipped a beat. The golden light seemed to have magic power. She broke away from Bi Tao's hand before she had time to think about it, and used all her strength to knock Xuanyuan Ze away, making him unable to distinguish the situation for a moment. Di Yang put his palm on the back of her heart...

 “Poof!”

"Miss!"

"Empress!" She screamed in chaos all around. Yun Qing felt a heat in her chest, and a fishy-sweet smell pressed into her throat. She couldn't help but make a "pop" sound, and the bright red blood was like a bouquet of coquettish flowers. Squirted straight out of the body.

Coupled with the numbness in her heart when she received the needle just now, she felt that all the strength in her body was drained out in an instant, and she could no longer hold on, and fell forward softly.

"Damn it!" There was an angry low roar in his ears. Yunqing only heard Bitao and Ling Ge's exclamations, and then his mind was spinning. His body was caught by a pair of strong hands, and he completely lost consciousness.

"Qing'er!" Xuanyuan Moyu, who had been watching with cold eyes, saw Yun Qing vomiting blood. His heart skipped a beat in horror. Without thinking, he flew over everyone's heads and reached out to catch Yun Qing's fallen body. The flames in his eyes were Can burn almost anything.

He held the limp woman nervously and looked at her lifeless eyes with her eyes closed. A sound of disappointment made him almost crazy.

He could clearly see that Yun Qing was shot to save that person, but he didn't expect that the person not only failed to appreciate her, but actually hurt her so severely, hurting her like this!

　　Raising his head, he glared hard at the man who hurt Yun Qing regardless of the consequences. If looks could kill, then Xuanyuan Ze would definitely die under his gaze at this moment.

 “Protect him, protect him quickly!” The surrounding imperial guards were shocked, and their bodies had already tightened the circle to protect the emperor. Everyone spontaneously protected Xuanyuan Ze and the queen towards the dragon chariot.

Some of them secretly looked at the culprit who almost caused the emperor's assassination - Concubine Hua with great hatred! If it weren't for her, they wouldn't have let go of their defenses, and the unexpected mistake just now would never have happened.

 Speaking of which, all of this was caused by her!

 “Everyone, get out of my way!” A roar shook all directions.

Everyone was stunned by the emperor's furious roar. Even He Ruowan, who was suddenly released by him, trembled and subconsciously stopped sobbing.

"Brother Imperial, quickly send the Queen to my dragon chariot. Nighthawk, quickly go and bring the imperial physician!" Staring at Xuanyuan Moyu coldly for a long while, a silent air flow collided with each other in the air, causing the surrounding people to Everyone was covered by these two condensed auras, and they all stood stunned for a moment and didn't know what to do.

 Then the emperor's handsome eyebrows were raised, and without saying a word, he took the lead and flew towards the dragon chariot, without even taking Concubine Hua with him.

　　The guards behind him realized what was happening, immediately raised their spirits, and left to protect the emperor.

Hold the unconscious man in his arms tightly, Xuanyuan Moyu's fists clenched loudly, and the corners of his clothes were dancing in the wind, as if he had been immobilized and unable to move.

 Later, when he saw that the imperial doctor brought by Nighthawk had rushed to the dragon chariot, he finally darkened his handsome eyes and quickly ran towards the dragon chariot.

"Your Majesty..." He Ruowan stayed in place blankly. The original fear and panic turned into a deep cold like a bottomless pit, causing her nails to sink into the palm of her hand unconsciously, and her whole body seemed to be dried by the wind.

 He actually forgot himself for that woman?

 No, he has always loved himself deeply, and there is no way he would forget himself here, he would definitely not...

 (End of this chapter)