Qin Xiao's mood when he entered the palace again was completely different from the last time he entered the palace.
When he first entered the inner palace, Qin Xiao was full of doubts. He couldn't figure out why the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty summoned a small military official of his.
But this time when he entered the palace, he knew exactly why the saint summoned him.
After he provoked Mrs. Cheng Guo and killed Mrs. Cheng Guo's lover and bodyguards, Mrs. Cheng Guo certainly couldn't let it go.
He has been staying at Dali Temple, waiting for the next storm.
Naturally, it was impossible for the palace to hand over this case to Dali Temple, but it did not issue an order to hand it over to the Ministry of Punishment, but directly issued an order to summon him to the palace.
Although Qin Xiao had planned how to respond to the questioning, and what he did was even considered impeccable from a legal perspective.
But the real strong man does not use doctrine to reason with you, but authority and strength.
Just like the Ministry of Punishment, if you really want to kill someone, those laws and regulations will become a pile of waste paper.
After entering the palace, Qin Xiao was taken directly to the courtyard where the imperial study room was located.
He knew that the imperial study room was where the saint would review memorials alone after he went to court. He imagined that the imperial study room should be extremely luxurious, but to his surprise, the courtyard where the imperial study room was located was not large, and was surrounded by exotic flowers and plants.
It is a small courtyard full of spring. The imperial study room located in the center is also antique and cannot be said to be luxurious.
The courtyard is peaceful and quiet.
In addition to flowers and plants, the courtyard is also surrounded by golden bodhi trees. Entering the small courtyard, a winding path made of rainflower stones leads directly to the main entrance of the imperial study. To the left and right of the main entrance, two deacons and eunuchs from the palace are guarding, waiting for orders at any time.
After Qin Xiao was brought to the small courtyard, he knelt down ten steps away from the main entrance. He had been brought here before noon. By this time, the sky had darkened, and even the eunuchs on duty in the imperial study had changed their posts.
The saint was never summoned.
Beneath his knees were hard and finely broken Yuhua stones, which looked really beautiful, but they were really not very comfortable on top. From noon to dark, Qin Xiao’s knees felt extremely uncomfortable, and his body was a little sore and stiff. He wanted to do it several times.
I wanted to get up and move my body, but in the end I didn’t have the courage.
His internal strength was enough for him to detect gentle and even breathing coming from at least five or six places among the dense flowers and plants in the small courtyard.
Judging from the breathing of those people, almost none of them were inferior to me in martial arts.
This is the place where saints review memorials, and it can also be said to be the heart of the entire empire. Under the quiet surface, the defense is naturally extremely tight.
There are many masters in Ziyi Prison, and Qin Xiao is well aware of this. He dared to challenge the Ministry of Punishment, and even killed Mrs. Cheng Guo's people under the cover of Tang Lu, but he really did not dare to easily provoke the people in Ziyi Prison.
Although he wanted to get up and move around, he knew very well that since the saint asked him to kneel here and ignored him, it would probably be a punishment. If he got up without authorization, he would be charged with disrespect in an instant. The most important thing at the moment was
What I want is not to let anyone find an excuse to deal with me, but to endure it.
When it gets dark, palace lanterns have been lit in the imperial study room, making it very bright.
But Qin Xiao suspected that the saint was not in the imperial study room at all.
Otherwise, from noon to now, not only have I not seen the saint walking around for a long time, but no one has even brought royal meals inside. Although the saint is a noble person, he is still made of flesh and blood, and he cannot go without meals for two consecutive times.
Qin Xiao felt a little uncomfortable in his stomach when he thought of eating.
From yesterday to today, it was a full day. Apart from drinking the jar of wine in Dali Temple, I really didn't eat a grain of rice. Moreover, I had a fierce battle with the guards of the Duke's Mansion last night, which also consumed some energy. At this time, I really feel a little bit tired.
Dry mouth and tongue, hunger in the belly.
This feeling of hunger is actually nothing to Qin Xiao. After all, it was not like he had never been hungry back then.
It's just that when I entered the palace last time, I ate delicious food and feasted to my heart's content. This time I entered the palace, I didn't even have to drink any water, and I knelt on the Yuhua Stone for most of the day. The treatment I received twice was completely different.
The terrible thing is that Qin Xiao is not sure how long he will continue to kneel.
Last time he waited in the palace for a whole day, and was finally sent out of the palace without even seeing a hair of the saint. Today, he knelt here for a long time, and still couldn't be summoned by the saint. He was really worried that the saint would let him kneel here all the time.
Go down, even if you have an iron body, kneeling on this rain flower stone, it is too much.
After a while, he suddenly heard footsteps coming from behind. Qin Xiao immediately straightened up. Soon, he felt the lights turn on. A eunuch holding a palace lantern walked past him, followed by two young eunuchs.
, holding the memorial in his arms, no one looked at Qin Xiao and walked over.
Qin Xiao knew that these memorials were for the saints to review. At this moment, a faint fragrance penetrated his nostrils. This fragrance was not strong, even a little light, but when it filled the tip of the nose, it was refreshing and made people feel special.
Comfortable.
The fragrant breeze blew by, and a graceful figure walked past him. The palace gauze was like clouds and as elegant as a fairy. Qin Xiao couldn't help but look up and saw the graceful back, and the body wrapped in gorgeous gauze was plump and enchanting.
, when walking around, the willow waist swings, and the charm is endless.
Several eunuchs walked directly to the imperial study. The graceful figure walked a few steps past Qin Xiao. Suddenly he stopped and turned around. Qin Xiao could see clearly that that beautiful and soft face could not be the official of the eldest grandson.
who?
When Changsun Meier saw Qin Xiao looking at her, a slight smile appeared on her lips. She walked over quickly, handed something to Qin Xiao, and whispered: "Don't let anyone see it."
Qin Xiao was startled and took it in his hand like a reflex, only to find that it was a small oil paper bag. A scent of osmanthus came out from the oil paper bag. Qin Xiao was stunned and looked up again. Changsun Meier had already turned around and twisted her waist.
With her full and round buttocks covered, she walked quickly towards the imperial study room.
Qin Xiao opened the oil-paper bag and found that there were two pieces of osmanthus cake wrapped inside. His heart suddenly warmed up. He thought to himself that Changsun Sheguan was really gentle and considerate. He probably knew that he had knelt here for a long time and the rice water had not entered.
That’s why I secretly stuffed myself two pieces of sweet-scented osmanthus cake.
Changsun Meier asked herself not to be seen. Naturally, she was not referring to the experts lurking in the courtyard. After all, her every move was under the attention of those experts. Naturally, she also saw Changsun Meier stuffing cakes for herself.
By doing this, Changsun Sheguan should be careful not to be seen by the saint, or be the personal eunuch next to the saint.
He was already quite hungry, but the sweet-scented osmanthus cake was so exquisitely made, and the sweet scent of the sweet-scented osmanthus only penetrated his nose. Qin Xiao could not wait to take a bite, but he was not in a hurry to eat it. Sure enough, after a while, the memorial was sent to him.
The three eunuchs came out of the imperial study. The eunuch carrying the palace lantern walked in front, and the other two followed behind. They were all slightly bent and not squinting. When they passed by Qin Xiao, they didn't even look at him.
Sun Meier, the elder, was still in the imperial study and did not come out.
Qin Xiao knew that being able to enter and leave the sage's royal study freely, the status of the eldest grandson's official was definitely extraordinary, at least he was the sage's close servant and confidant.
The last time she entered the palace, Princess Sheyue took the opportunity to attack herself. It was the eldest grandson's house officer who helped her to smooth things over. Qin Xiao was grateful to the eldest grandson's house officer and had a good impression of him. Today, the eldest grandson's house officer was worried about her not eating.
, secretly stuffed herself with sweet-scented osmanthus cake, which made Qin Xiao even more grateful for that lovely creature.
After the eunuchs left, Qin Xiao took the sweet-scented osmanthus cake and ate it happily.
Dessert shops in the market naturally have no shortage of osmanthus cakes for sale, but the osmanthus cakes in the palace are obviously different from the pastries in the market. Not only are they exquisite in shape, but other things are obviously added to them. They are soft and delicious, full of fragrance, and sweet but not sweet.
greasy.
One piece of pastry was quickly finished. He picked up another piece and bit into half of it. At this moment, he heard footsteps coming from behind again. Qin Xiao hurriedly wrapped the remaining half piece in an oil paper bag and put it in his arms.
, chew the half piece in your mouth a few times faster and swallow it into your belly.
At this moment, I heard a high-pitched voice coming from behind: "Kneel down to the edge."
Qin Xiao couldn't help but turn around and saw two eunuchs holding two palace lanterns, one on the left and one on the right. In the middle was a woman wearing a golden brocade robe and a dragon crown with her hands behind her back.
, beside her was an old eunuch in black who was over fifty years old and was bowing down.
When Qin Xiao saw the woman wearing a dragon crown and gold robe, he immediately knew that this was the current Emperor of the Great Hall. Naturally, no one in the world would dare to wear such an outfit except a saint.
Qin Xiao knelt in the middle of the road. This road was not wide. When the emperor was walking, of course he couldn't go around it like the eunuchs who delivered memorials before.
Qin Xiao hurriedly moved to the side, kowtowed and said: "Little minister Qin Xiao, kowtow to the saint!"
The saint put his hands behind his back. Although he was a woman, he had a heroic spirit. He glanced at Qin Xiao condescendingly and walked directly to the imperial study without saying anything. The old eunuch in black was always beside the saint and glanced at Qin Xiao.
One glance.
The old eunuch in black accompanied the saint into the imperial study. The accompanying eunuchs did not go in. They just hung two palace lanterns on the hooks outside the imperial study. The two eunuchs who were on duty before took turns to retire.
In a moment, only the eunuch who had previously held up a lantern to guide the saint was left outside the imperial study. The other eunuchs all left the courtyard.
Qin Xiao smiled bitterly in his heart.
He knelt in the imperial study room for a long time, but was not summoned by the saint, so he always suspected that the saint was not among them. Now it seemed that it was indeed the case. He had been kneeling in front of the empty imperial study room for a long time, and the saint had just arrived in the imperial study room.
He knew in his heart that the saint intended to make him kneel as a punishment. After all, he had offended the saint's sister, but he didn't know how the saint would punish him next.
I thought that since the saint returned to the imperial study, he would find me in soon, but after waiting for more than half an hour, he saw his eldest grandson Sheguan appeared in front of the imperial study and said in a sweet voice: "Xuan Dali Temple Shao Qin Qin Xiao"
Meet me." Then he raised his slender hand and waved towards himself.
Qin Xiao let out a long breath. He was stung by the rain flower stone for a long time. If he continued to kneel like this, he might not be able to stand up.
He got up and trotted over. When he got to the door, Changsun Sheguan had already turned around and walked into the room. Qin Xiao followed behind Changsun Sheguan, and soon saw an ancient imperial desk appearing in front of him, with two figures on the left and right.
The unique copper crane has smoke curling out from its mouth, and the royal study is filled with the scent of sandalwood.
On the imperial desk, memorials were piled up like a hill, with pens, inks, papers and inkstones. The old eunuch in black was doing something next to a bronze tripod in the corner, while the saint was sitting behind the imperial desk, reading the memorials by the light.
, when Qin Xiao came in, the saint didn't even raise his eyes, concentrating on reviewing the memorial.
The eldest grandson, Sheguan, stopped, turned around, and winked at Qin Xiao. Qin Xiao understood the idea, took two steps forward, knelt on the ground, and said respectfully: "My little minister, Qin Xiao, kowtow to the saint, long live my emperor."
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