"Ah!"
Before Lü Baiwei could finish her words, the man grabbed her wrist, twisted it, and then pushed her away forcefully!
She staggered and fell to the ground, sprawling on the grass. Her palms stung, and tears welled up in her eyes instantly.
Then, Song Yinghuai's cold voice sounded above her head:
"Your Highness, please behave yourself. You are my imperial sister - in - law and the current empress dowager. You should abide by your proper conduct!"
"I don't want to see such a thing happen a second time!"
Lü Baiwei sat on the ground sideways, looking at the man's tall figure turning around. She asked unwillingly:
"Are you still thinking about Caiyu?"
Song Yinghuai's steps paused. His tall back looked desolate, and he didn't answer for a long time.
Lü Baiwei said, "She's dead. Now you're second only to the emperor. There's no woman in the world who doesn't admire you and hope for your favor."
"Even I... I've always hoped to renew our past relationship with you."
"Why do you insist on keeping her in your heart?"
Song Yinghuai turned around and looked coldly at her embarrassed appearance. He asked, "You promised to find Young Master Lan for me back then, but you failed to do so. If you hadn't fulfilled your promise to rehabilitate the Lan family, do you think you and Zhu'er could have sat in this imperial city safely?"
Lü Baiwei's face instantly turned as white as snow. "Xuanyao, it's not that I didn't look for Young Master Lan. It was Qingqing who went to Yuexi and brought back the news that Young Master Lan was missing. I had no other way. For the past two years, I've always had her searching everywhere... You know, if even the Vermilion Bird Camp couldn't find any news, I'm afraid he's in great danger."
Speaking of Qingqing, Song Yinghuai's eyebrows became even more frigid. "I haven't even settled the score with you for planting this spy beside Caiyu and me. Although her crime is not worthy of death, if she helps you do evil, I'll cut off your heads with one sword!"
In early August last year, Lü Baiwei sent a letter to him who was fighting on the border, informing him of Lan Guifan's disappearance and admitting that Qingqing was her person.
Only then did Song Yinghuai know that the scheming little girl's master was actually Lü Baiwei!
"Zhu'er is young and has just ascended the throne. The world has just been pacified. He can't do without his mother. I'll temporarily remember your heads and Qingqing's."
"But if you still have delusions about having something with me, don't blame me for being merciless!"
After saying that, Song Yinghuai strode away without looking back.
He couldn't stay in this imperial city for another day!
Lü Baiwei stared blankly at his determined back as he left. Thinking of the harsh words he left behind, she suddenly felt a chill in her heart.
A wave of fear welled up in her heart.
She thought that after she had schemed to get Caiyu out and Caiyu had unexpectedly died,
as time passed, Song Yinghuai would surely forget Caiyu.
But she didn't expect that this man not only didn't forget Caiyu, but also became as gloomy as if he had crawled out of hell.
He was even more cold - blooded and heartless than before, and didn't recognize his relatives.
Aunt Mei beside her timidly helped her up and advised her fearfully:
"Your Highness... Maybe you should stop having ideas about the prince. Now that the emperor has ascended the throne, you've got what you wanted. This old servant sees that the prince has no intention of the throne, so you don't need to worry at all. Why do you have to drag the prince into your boudoir?"
"With your current status and position, there are plenty of good young men in the world. You can choose freely, and they'll all be obedient. Why do you have to hit a wall with the prince?"
Lü Baiwei was silent for a moment. She knew that Aunt Mei was telling the truth.
But people are always like this.
The more they can't get something, the more restless their hearts become.
Lü Baiwei looked blankly into the distance in the direction where the man had long disappeared. She sighed:
"There are plenty of good young men in the world, but there's only one Song Xuanyao."
"Aunt Mei, you've also heard that the emperor and Xuanyao had an unpleasant encounter today. Xuanyao's methods are so tough."
"Zhu'er is naturally weak and doesn't have a strong backer... Xuanyao means what he says. In this Great Ye, the emperor is Zhu'er, but who's behind him?"
Aunt Mei trembled and blurted out, "It's the regent."
"Let's go. Back to the palace."
The mistress and the maid staggered away, not noticing that at the end of the low branch, the young emperor was standing in the shadow, his eyes cold and chilling.
Song Xiuzhu felt that the blood in his whole body seemed to have solidified. The information he learned tonight was enough to overturn all his previous perceptions of life.
So... this was how he got his throne.
It was a deal between his mother and his uncle.
Fine, it was just a deal.
But his mother still wanted to have an affair with his uncle?
The great empress dowager of Great Ye and the regent...
Anger welled up on the young man's face. He clenched his hands tightly.
His fingertips dug deeply into his palms, but he didn't seem to feel it. A drop of fresh blood slowly flowed down his palm. His handsome face looked like a ghost climbing out of hell.
Song Yinghuai's threat to Lü Baiwei echoed in his mind:
"Do you think you and Zhu'er can sit in this imperial city safely?"
"I'll temporarily remember your heads and Qingqing's."
How daring!
There was actually someone in the world who dared to remember the empress dowager's head!
There was actually someone in the world who could control the emperor's throne!
"Your Majesty." Li Muge changed into clean clothes and then looked everywhere for the young emperor. He found the young emperor standing in a daze under a catalpa tree. The expression on his face was different from usual.
It was so ferocious. Li Muge was startled and quickly stepped forward to call out.
When Song Xiuzhu was called, the ferocity on his face gradually faded. He looked at Li Muge and gritted his teeth tightly.
Suddenly, the young emperor asked, "Lord Li, if I want the regent to die, do you have a way?"
Li Muge looked up in astonishment. Looking at the hatred on the young emperor's face, he was overjoyed:
"Your servant will surely do his best to relieve Your Majesty's worries!"
---
The tall tree in the forest catches the wind.
Zhu Xiao and the others soon clashed with Li Muge, who was led by the Minister of War in Shangjing.
The cause was that Li Muge wanted to inspect the troops.
As the Minister of War, it was reasonable for him to inspect the military camp, just like a superior leader's routine inspection.
However, Zhu Xiao and the others were arrogant. They were used to being unrestrained in Yan territory and looked down on these court officials in the capital who only knew how to shout slogans.
After Li Muge was picky and ordered various rectifications, they couldn't bear it anymore and finally beat him up.
No matter how many merits Zhu Xiao and the others had, they were still just generals. Once they entered the capital, there was no such thing as "a general far from the emperor may ignore the emperor's order".
The Minister of War was their administrative superior.
After beating their superior, Li Muge immediately ordered the Imperial Guards and the Garrison Command that had been prepared long ago to surround the Yan Army's military camp on the outskirts of the capital.
Zhu Xiao and the others were not to be outdone and openly clashed with them.
This incident shocked the court and the public.
Li Muge's faction incited a group of court officials to strongly condemn the Yan Army for having the intention of rebellion and even attempting to kill a court official.
Naturally, Song Yinghuai, the commander - in - chief of the Yan Army, was involved and was labeled as a rebel!
Naturally, for Song Yinghuai at present, such a thing was nothing to worry about.
He was even too lazy to come out and defend himself. He just let the Yan King's faction in the capital and Li Muge's faction quarrel non - stop.
The young emperor watched coldly for a long time. He knew that such a trivial matter couldn't bring down Song Yinghuai.
But if Song Yinghuai had no intention of rebellion, he should show some sincerity and give him, the emperor, some face, right?
Song Yinghuai naturally knew what the young emperor was thinking.
He had always disdained to care about the young emperor's petty schemes, but he wanted to return to Yan territory.
Although there was still Caiyu's aura in the Yan Prince's Mansion in Shangjing, he knew that Caiyu had not been happy for a few days after entering the capital.
So whenever he sat in the mansion in a daze, he would always dream of Caiyu crying, which scared him so much that he couldn't sleep at night.
Yanling was better.
In Yanling, Caiyu was bold and charming.
They had their best memories there.
So, after the two sides had been at a stalemate for half a month and the conflict had reached its peak, when the young emperor could no longer hold on, he finally sat down and discussed with Zhu Xiao and the others.
Zhu Xiao and the other four great generals, as well as the Master Guangzhi, gathered in the Yan Prince's Mansion.
Song Yinghuai still habitually wanted to rub the Buddhist beads on his wrist, but he found it empty again. He was in a daze for a moment and then said:
"I plan to return the military power of the capital troops to the young emperor."