Chapter 162 Praying for Rain on the Tongque Terrace
The person behind the screen did not speak, but there was a chilling air coming from him. Zheng Shilang shuddered, knelt down and said, "Please tell me, girl, how did Zheng offend her?"
"In February this year, did you rob a girl's property and land in Luoyang?"
Finally someone spoke, but it was not a woman's voice, but a very beautiful man's voice.
The sound did not come from behind the screen, but from inside the private room.
But he stared for a week, but couldn't find anyone to speak, and the fear in his heart became even more intense, so he hurriedly replied: "Yes, Zheng did do this, but later on, I, the Zheng family, will seize the property and land and those All the property and deeds were returned to her, and Zheng did not occupy any of her private property!"
"Why did you do this? Who ordered you?" the man asked again.
"No one ordered me, I just saw that the girl was extremely beautiful, and when I felt lustful, I made the same mistake that all men make..."
Zheng Shilang said confidently, and even muttered, "If you saw that girl's appearance, you would definitely also..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lu Yu, whose face was covered, punched him hard, causing his nose to bleed.
"Tell the truth, otherwise, I'll stomp your hands and feet and feed the dogs!"
Zheng Shilang held his nose and wailed: "I am a descendant of the Zheng family in Xingyang. If you kill me, aren't you afraid of offending the entire Zheng family?"
"Bah, you are just a concubine of the Zheng family. Will the Zheng family offend the royal family because of you?"
As soon as he heard the words "royal clan", Zheng Shilang was stunned and immediately became frightened.
"Okay, I'll tell you! Zheng would never dare to offend the royal family. He went to rob the girl that day. In addition to being greedy for her beauty, Zheng actually made a deal with someone. The man said, as long as I take it away I will take away all the belongings of this girl, kill her, and give her belongings to that person, and that person will find me an official position in Yecheng Kyoto!"
"Who is that person?"
Zheng Shilang struggled and hesitated for a long time. After Lu Yu drank, he finally answered: "Mu Dipo!"
This answer made De Yajian feel silent, and there seemed to be an angry breath rushing towards him.
"What do you want to get from her?" the man asked again, his voice became extremely cold and low, as if cold air was pouring into the room.
Zheng Shilang shook his head repeatedly: "I don't know about this, but there is a good-looking Xianbei boy beside this girl, and her identity must be extraordinary. Moreover, she also has land and a tribe in Luoyang, so she must be an extraordinary person. The person... Oh, she is indeed extraordinary. Wasn't it rumored recently that she made a bet with Lord Lu and was going to pray for rain?
By the way, she is the Southern Dynasty woman who recently came from the Southern Dynasty and married King Lanling? , Princess Lanling!”
Lu Yu turned his attention to another part of the elegant room and didn't hear the sound, but he felt the anger suppressed by the prince. He immediately beat Zheng Shilang until he was knocked unconscious. Only then did Yu stop, and called two more guards to come in and drag him away.
At this time, Prince Lanling walked out from the other side of the elegant room, and Axiu immediately came out from behind the screen and called out in a low voice: "Prince——"
Prince Lanling's expression was very ugly, and there seemed to be deep anger and hatred surging in his twinkling eyes.
As if he had made up his mind, he secretly clenched his fists.
"Prince, what should we do next?"
Lu Yu felt his extremely sad and unhappy mood.
"We can't sit still and wait for death. With the temperament of this Lord Lu, he will definitely be cruel to Ayu secretly. I will never let her hurt Ayu even a little bit again!"
"Even that Zheng Yue, don't let her enter the Lanling Palace again, don't let her get close to Ayu!"
When he said this, there was a cold and cruel look in King Lanling's eyes!
Lu Yu hadn't seen this look in his eyes for a long time, except on the battlefield.
"yes!"
…
After returning to Prince Lanling's Mansion, Gao Changgong quickly came to the bedroom and saw Xiao Jinyu had woken up and was sitting by the mirror.
"Chang Gong, where have you been?"
Seeing him coming back, Xiao Jinyu stood up and asked.
Gao Changgong suddenly felt his eyes moist, strode over, and hugged her tightly, his cheek caressing her smooth forehead.
The touch of the smooth skin immediately made people feel charming. Xiao Jinyu also kissed his cheek, and her lips fell on his lips like a dragonfly touching water, playing indulgently and selflessly.
Desire is like fire, the clothes are peeled off, the love is entangled like silk, the silent love and care are hidden in the endless lingering.
"Chang Gong, when I treat people, it does take some mental effort and lead to physical fatigue and drowsiness. However, my health is not bad and I don't have any incurable diseases. Don't worry."
"I am a miracle doctor and I know my body best."
"So, don't always be afraid of losing me. My life is very tough! Even if I fell off the cliff, I still survived!"
Hearing her say that she had fallen off the cliff, Gao Changgong's heart ached even more, and he hugged her very tightly again. At this moment, both of them were naked, and the delicate and silky touch was like an electric current passing through their bodies, and Hong Yu felt at the top of his heart.
It made him realize what it means to have a real warm and fragrant nephrite in his arms. Even in the hot summer, the person in his arms is as refreshing as the cool and beautiful jade.
He thought that his Ayu was so beautiful and so good that he would protect her with all his heart.
Even if you have to fight against the emperor, you will not hesitate!
…
At a quarter past noon, Axiu spread the news about Zheng Yue's visit. Before Xiao Jinyu could reply, Gao Changgong refused.
Hearing that Gao Changgong didn't want to see her, Zheng Yue's heart seemed to be stabbed hard, and with tears in her eyes she ran to the wine shop where she had gone to seek marriage.
After listening to Zheng Yue's cry, Muti Po conveyed all her words to Lu Lingxuan.
"I really didn't expect that Prince Lanling is so cruel. A Yue of the Zheng family, who has grown up with his childhood sweetheart, is so merciless that she won't even be allowed to enter Prince Lanling's palace!"
"It seems that it was A Yue of the Zheng family who made them suspicious, so Gao Changgong refused to let her in. Is he afraid that Zheng Yue would hurt the princess whom he regards as a treasure?"
"Mother, that day Zheng Yue entered the mansion with Gao Yanzong, and I heard her talk about the rain. She said it was three quarters past noon three days later, which is tomorrow. I don't know if it is true?"
Lu Lingxuan just smiled.
"Since we have become suspicious, how can we take what she said seriously? I'm afraid she wants to use Zheng Yue's words to mislead us!"
"Then what should we do? If Zheng Yue can't be installed, then our people really won't be able to enter the Lanling Palace!"
Lu Lingxuan narrowed her eyes, thought for a moment, and suddenly smiled sadly.
"Then let's make good use of Zheng Yue's chess piece! Let her try it out!"
…
The three-day period of praying for rain has come. On this day, headed by Emperor Gao Zhan, all civil and military officials gathered under the Tongque Tower, and countless nobles and nobles from Ye City came to watch.
In front of the Bronze Bird Tower is Heluo River, with its back leaning on the Zhang River, looking at the Central Plains, with flying pavilions and double eaves, and the buildings and towers naturally embody the aura of a king.
It was originally the place where Cao Cao held a banquet with his ministers, where all the heroes gathered, and where the generals competed.
At this time, Gao Zhan also ordered a banquet. While enjoying the singing and dancing, he asked the civil servants to compose poems to cheer for the guests. Of course the highlight today is praying for rain!
Regardless of whether the Princess of Lanling can pray for rain, the fact of gambling with her life is enough to attract many people to come here to watch the fun!
Even Empress Dowager Lou, who had just recovered from illness, insisted on going to Tongque Terrace to watch and pray for rain.
"The Ai family heard that it was the Southern Dynasty woman brought back by Chang Gong who cured the Ai family's illness?"
"Yes, Queen Mother, Your Majesty is planning to ask the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the Queen Mother's funeral. It was Prince Lanling who insisted on bringing his own princess to treat the Queen Mother, and after Princess Lanling cured the Queen Mother, she herself She was so exhausted that she fell asleep." Wu Yu reported back.
Empress Dowager Lou pondered for a moment, her expression a little complicated. Due to the inexplicable assassination of her eldest son, she had lost trust in many people around her, so that her relationship with her disciples was not very good. And because she wanted to preserve the Lou family of Xianbei Gao Yang, Gao Yan and even Gao Zhan are not happy with her. Gao Yang and Gao Yan can pretend to be filial while fighting against her, but the ninth son Gao Zhan is not even willing to pretend. .
Empress Dowager Lou felt sad and sighed: "The grandson of Chang Gong is indeed more filial than the sons of the Ai family, but what happened to the Southern Dynasty woman he married? Why did he risk his life to pray for rain?"
"I heard that she made a bet with Lord Lu, and the bet was that the emperor would grant her an official position, and that she would be married to Prince Lanling for the rest of her life!"
"That's nonsense. As a woman, why not just be Princess Lanling? What kind of official position will she be?"
"The Queen Mother, she has made it clear that she wants the post of Taishi Ling!"
Taishi Ling is in charge of astronomy and calendar. It is just a sixth-grade official position. She can just pay attention to the changes in celestial phenomena. However, if she does not have profound knowledge, she cannot fulfill this position. What is she going to do as Taishi Ling?
Empress Dowager Lou came to Tongque Terrace with confusion and doubts. Today she wanted to take a closer look at the woman Chang Gong married.
Because he had to fast before praying for rain, Xiao Jinyu took a bath and purified himself under the service of all the palace servants. He changed into a white robe specially used for praying for rain. His black hair was hanging down and not adorned with anything except his face. Still covered with a veil.
Before walking towards the Tongque Tower, Gao Changgong was still worried and repeatedly told her to be careful.
There are imperial guards all around the Tongque Tower, but in order to ensure Xiao Jinyu's safety, he has asked Ling Ye, Fenghuang and several guards around him to keep an eye on each important sentry point to avoid enemy attacks.
At three o'clock in the morning, all the ministers had arrived, and the hundreds of pavilions were noisy. Under the gaze of everyone, Xiao Jinyu walked up the steps to the center of the Tongque Terrace step by step.
The eyes of all the ministers were bright, and they were impressed by Princess Lanling's calm demeanor and awe-inspiring aura.
When Empress Dowager Lou cast her eyes on Xiao Jinyu, she couldn't help but sigh and nod, and asked the old woman next to her: "Why does she wear a veil?"
"I heard that on the way back to Yecheng with King Lanling, he was assassinated by an assassin and half of his appearance was destroyed!"
"Is this happening?"
Following the music of various musical instruments such as zither, zither, sheng and yu, several dancers danced gracefully and performed the white band dance.
Gao Zhan and the ministers began to mingle and exchange drinks. When they were in high spirits and the crowd was buzzing, Lu Lingxuan suddenly walked out, came to the emperor, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I also want to pray today. rain!"
Her request silenced the entire crowd.
Gao Changgong's expression also became confused and nervous.
Gao Zhan narrowed his eyes and said, "What did you say? Princess Lanling has already chosen to pray for rain today, why are you here to join in the fun?"
"Your Majesty, whether she can pray for rain is her business, and whether I can pray for rain is my business? Since she wants to make a bet with me, I can't show weakness!"
"I also want to make a bet with Princess Lanling. Just bet on when and what time will the rain fall?"
"I will write this moment on paper and submit it to His Majesty!"
"Please also ask Princess Lanling to write down the exact time of rainfall on paper and present it to His Majesty!"
"Whoever writes the time more accurately will win!"
After Lu Lingxuan finished speaking, her eyes looked slightly provocatively at Xiao Jinyu, who was standing in the Tongque Terrace and was dressed in a white robe.
"This Lord Lu is so shameless. Princess Lanling wants to pray for rain, and she also prays for rain. Isn't this stealing the princess's credit?"
"It's just that I'm not as good as others, and I still want to plot against others!"
Li Mi and Cui Hengzang shouted loudly in the crowd.
Lu Lingxuan's face darkened secretly, and she glanced at He Shikai and Han Changluan who were sitting at the banquet.
At this moment, another voice from the crowd said: "Mr. Lu is the goddess of our country of Qi. Three years ago, she prayed for rain for our country of Qi. Who dares to say that her skills are inferior to others? Besides, she prayed for rain for our country of Qi. Praying for rain is recognized by God, and what is needed is pious prayer!”
"That is, it is still unknown whether Princess Lanling can pray for rain!"
"I don't think it's possible. Look, the sun is still shining brightly, and it doesn't look like it's going to rain at all!"
"That's right! The sun is scorching, the office is unbearably cold, and all the ministers and officials are gathered here. I'm afraid today's prayer for rain will turn into a joke!"
"It's just a joke, and I'm afraid it will turn into a funeral ceremony for Princess Lanling. However, with His Majesty and so many ministers present, even if he dies, it will be considered a well-deserved death, and it will be enough to be recorded in the history books. Pen!"
"So, this Princess Lanling is still a smart person, and she will die in a spectacular way, which is enough to shock the world. However, if she really dies like this, it will be a pity!"
Amidst the discussion among the people, Fenghuang's face was also livid with worry, his eyes were locked on the person standing on the bronze bird stage, and he tried his best to use his ears to carefully distinguish the sounds around him.
Xiao Jinyu met Lu Lingxuan's provocative gaze, raised her head and responded with a smile: "Okay! Then let's have a good bet with Lord Lu!"
Because it was a bet, a group of ministers headed by Zu Jue actually started placing bets!
The scene became extremely lively for a while, but it was only after Empress Dowager Lou scolded that the sound of placing bets, singing and cheering gradually became silent.
With the sound of drums, praying for rain began. Xiao Jinyu walked up the steps to the highest point of the ten-foot bronze bird platform and prayed to the sky with a pious sacrificial ceremony!
At the same time, a guard asked her to write a note and present it to the emperor.
The same is true for Lu Lingxuan!
After Gao Zhan got the note from the two of them, his expression changed slightly and he looked at the woman in white robe standing at the top of the Bronze Sparrow Platform.
At this time, Xiao Jinyu only said: "There will be no rain after two or three lightning strikes, and six or seven stars will rise slightly in the clouds."
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, the sky that was originally bright and sunny actually started to become covered with dark clouds. There was a sudden "bang" and two lightning bolts streaked across the sky like two cracks.
A gust of cool wind blew towards my face, immediately blowing away all the air on the bronze bird platform.
"I'll whip Wolong up and ride away. I'll wave my sword and scold Lord Wu Lei."
Xiao Jinyu chanted again, and the sound of "boom" suddenly sounded again. Several bolts of lightning illuminated the sky filled with dark clouds, and huge raindrops fell at this moment!
At this moment, it is three quarters of noon!
Gao Zhan's expression also changed drastically. He looked at the two notes in his hand, one of which read: At three quarters, the rain will fall!
Signed: Xiao Jinyu!
But another note said: Rain will never fall at three quarters noon!
Signed: Lu Lingxuan!
Gao Yanzong looked at the sudden heavy rain and cheered ecstatically: "It really rained at 3:00 noon. Fourth sister-in-law's calculation is so accurate!"
"Fourth sister-in-law, you are much more powerful than Lord Lu and those imperial historians!"
"It's raining. It's raining. You don't have to worry about this year's autumn harvest!"
In the public fields outside the villages of Yecheng, the farmers who were cultivating even welcomed the heavy rain with open arms and cheered!
Lu Lingxuan was also in disbelief. She couldn't help but bite her lips and cast her eyes fiercely at Xiao Jinyu, who was still standing at the highest point of the Tongque Terrace, hunting in the wind, and immediately her eyes froze.
At this moment, an arrow came through the air and shot straight in the direction of Xiao Jinyu!
"Brother Qing, be careful——"
"Ayu, quickly hide away——"
Almost suddenly, Phoenix and Prince Lanling shouted at the same time!
(End of this chapter)