As soon as Luo Qingzhi and his party reached the palace gate, they were stopped by Huang Si who came in a hurry.
"Princess, Your Majesty declares."
Luo Qingzhi whispered in Luo Chen's ear: "Bring that woman back to the house, without interrogation, just keep her under strict supervision."
"yes."
"Eunuch Huang, let's go." Luo Qingzhi said.
"Sister." Luo Qingzhi's face was full of worry.
Luo Qingzhi turned around and smiled softly, "It's okay."
Huang Si did not take Luo Qingzhi to Xuanyang Palace, but instead took her to the Imperial Garden.
Gao Yan sat on the floor with an oven in front of him, and sweet potatoes were roasting on the oven.
Seeing Luo Qingzhi approaching, he waved his hand and said briskly, "Come on, A Luo."
Huang Si put down the cushion next to Gao Yan, and Luo Qingzhi sat down cross-legged.
Gao Yan wrapped it in a handkerchief, took out the sweet potato, and handed it to Luo Qingzhi, "Here, this is just right."
Luo Qingzhi hesitated for a while, then stretched out her hand to take it.
"It's great. I can bake sweet potatoes for A Luo again. I remember you loved it most when you were a child." Gao Yan seemed very happy, but seeing that Luo Qingzhi refused to eat it, he asked, "Why don't you eat it?"
Luo Qingzhi took off a small piece and tasted it. It melted in your mouth and it was really sweet.
"Is it sweet?" Gao Yan eagerly wanted to get the answer.
Luo Qingzhi nodded, "Sweet."
Gao Yan used a wooden stick to pull the charcoal fire. General Yuan Ying came over and knelt on one knee.
"His Majesty."
Gao Yan asked casually, "What's the matter?"
Yuan Ying replied: "Your Majesty, my subordinates have been searching the city and the outskirts of Beijing for several days, but have not found Gao Zhen's whereabouts."
"Oh?" Gao Yan responded lightly, turning to look at Luo Qingzhi, "A Luo, tell me, is it strange or not? Why can't I find a living person?"
Luo Qingzhi didn't panic at all and continued to eat the sweet potato in her hand, "Your Majesty, why are you looking for him? Isn't it that he has been demoted to a commoner?"
Gao Yan waved his hand and Yuanying stepped back.
"I don't want to look for him either," Gao Yan said, "but the Yushitai said that Gao Zhen is a royal heir after all and should not be living outside. Let me find him." As if thinking of something, he continued to add,
"You also know the person on the page, Bailihan."
Luo Qingzhi stopped what she was doing and simply said "Oh", "Master Zhongcheng has always been like this, Your Majesty doesn't need to care."
Gao Yan turned over the sweet potatoes on the stove, "I didn't care at first, but I have been having nightmares these past few days. I see the emperor coming to ask me why I treat his son like this."
"A Luo, please help me." Gao Yan looked at Luo Qingzhi, his words were sincere, but very oppressive.
Luo Qingzhi put down the sweet potato in her hand and refused, "Your Majesty, in the capital, I only have a few government soldiers. I'm afraid I can't do the job in Jinling, which is so big."
Gao Yan nodded, "Yes, how can we do things without anyone, so I will give you the patrol camp."
Luo Qingzhi smiled and said, "Your Majesty, are you testing me again?"
Gao Yan also laughed loudly, and the palace servants who were serving him three feet away knelt down one after another.
"That's it, that's it." Gao Yan said repeatedly, looking at Luo Qingzhi, "It's just Gao Zhen. If he's not here, he's gone. It's not important."
Luo Qingzhi originally thought that this matter had been settled, but Gao Yan continued: "However, there have been several leaks in the Yushitai, and we cannot ignore them completely. Aluo, tell me how I should respond."
"Your Majesty makes your own decision." Luo Qingzhi said.
Gao Yan put down his stick without smiling, "Aluo, I want you to tell me."
Luo Qingzhi quickly calculated in her mind, "I can't drag my uncle in, and I can't continue to stuff sugar. However, tonight, His Majesty suddenly asked Gao Zhen what happened. Is it because he knew Gao Zhen was in the princess's mansion, or for some reason.
.....”
"Aluo?" Gao Yan asked.
Luo Qingzhi couldn't help but her heartbeat quickened, she smiled and said: "There are so many rumors on the Yushitai every day, but Your Majesty just ignores them. If they continue to be ignorant, then they will be sent to the palace and scolded."
Gao Yan laughed out loud again, "Aluo really knows how to avoid the important and take the easy. Let's scold him."
Seeing Gao Yan's recovery, Luo Qingzhi picked up the sweet potato, took a bite, and said casually, "It's getting late, I should leave."
Gao Yan said: "There's no rush."
He clapped his hands, and Yuanying brought up a woman covered in blood.
The woman lowered her head, and Luo Qingzhi couldn't see her face clearly.
Gao Yan said: "Some time ago, you were insulted by this woman. Seeing that you did not pursue the matter, I will pursue it for you."
Luo Qingzhi couldn't hold it back, frowned, and finally remembered that she was General Zuo's wife who was on the street that day. Seeing that she was covered in wounds, she must have been severely tortured.
The madam raised her head with difficulty, looked at Luo Qingzhi, her eyes turned hateful, and she spat, Yuan Ying immediately pressed her head down.
Luo Qingzhi's face returned to calmness, "It turns out it's her, Your Majesty, she's just a crazy woman, Your Majesty doesn't need to care."
Gao Yan said: "Really, but she said something that really made me care." "...She said that Li Chu is not dead."
Gao Yan looked at Luo Qingzhi and asked, "Li Chu, do you remember? He was the deputy general of King Pingbei. He was also in the Xianyang Palace back then."
A gust of wind blew up and the fire was blown up. Huang Si took his coat and put it on Gao Yan.
"I don't remember."
The sound of wind covered Luo Qingzhi's voice, but Gao Yan did not ask further questions.
"Kill him."
Just three words did not give Luo Qingzhi any reaction. Yuanying drew the sword, raised the sword and dropped it without even leaving too much blood.
Gao Yan stared at Luo Qingzhi and saw that she had no reaction at all.
When the wind suddenly picked up, Gao Yan said softly: "The wind is blowing, Aluo, come back."
Huang Si helped Gao Yan up, walked a few steps, and without looking back, said, "Aluo, I don't want to hurt you."
Luo Qingzhi had no time to think about this sentence. She saw the woman lying on the ground, dripping with blood, and suddenly died. She didn't leave any words, not even her name.
She suddenly felt very cold, very cold, and very powerless. She couldn't even protect a family member of the Beifu Army. How could she protect the former prince?
When she returned to the princess's mansion, she came to her senses slightly. She locked herself in the study and began to blame herself for her stupidity. General Zuo's wife and General Li Chu were both killed by her.
At this time, she truly understood that Gao Yan was really the emperor and could decide a person's life or death in an instant.
"Dong-dong-dong-dong-dong-dong!"
"Arlo-allo!"
Luo Qingzhi stood up and opened the door.
Gao Zhen saw the blood stains on her clothes and asked worriedly: "Are you injured?"
"No," Luo Qingzhi shook her head, "It's not my blood."
Gao Zhen clearly sensed that something was wrong with Luo Qingzhi and took her hand. It was extremely cold and he couldn't help but worry, "What happened?"
Luo Qingzhi continued to shake her head, "It's okay. Are you coming to see me for anything?"
Gao Zhen took out a wooden hairpin from his arms, carved with plum blossoms, "birthday gift."
"My birthday has passed." Luo Qingzhi said.
"I know." Gao Zhen nodded, "I know that Aluo's birthday is on the winter solstice, but that day, well, it was so rushed that I didn't know that I would see you on that day. This is a make-up gift."
Luo Qingzhi did not take over for a long time, and Gao Zhen continued: "Although it is just wood, I carved it with my own hands. It is a plum blossom, the plum blossom we first met. I will give you better ones in the future."
Looking at the plum blossom hairpin in Gao Zhen's hand, she naturally knew the meaning of the man giving the hairpin to the woman. She hesitated, hesitated, and even flinched a little.
Gao Zhen bent his fingers slightly, afraid of hearing Luo Qingzhi's rejection, so he ignored it and inserted the hairpin into her bun, turned around and walked away.
Luo Qingzhi took off the hairpin and looked at it carefully. Gao Zhen probably wasn't very good at carving. There were many cuts on the hairpin, but they didn't cut her hands. They were polished smooth, leaving only deep or shallow marks.
She stroked the hairpin, put it in her arms without putting it back on, and sighed deeply.
It was an extremely cold night. Luo Qingzhi was alone in the study, using up all the paper in the study just to plan a future.
The second day
Luo Qingzhi called Luo Chen and asked, "Where is the woman brought back last night?"
Luo Chen replied: "She is locked up in the woodshed." "But, Master, why did you bring that woman back?"
Luo Qingzhi said: "Originally, I just wanted to save her, but now, maybe I can use her."
Luo Chen was puzzled and asked: "Use?"
Luo Qingzhi didn't want to explain too much, and ordered: "Send someone to watch her carefully. When necessary, rely on her to pass on the news."
"Your Highness, the eldest son of the Jin family wishes to see you." The concierge came to report.
Luo Chen said: "What is this eldest son of the Jin family doing here?"
"Go tell Luo Er and ask him not to go out and walk around. Jin Ziji knows him."
After Luo Qingzhi gave Luo Chen instructions, she turned around and said, "Invite the guests to the study."
"yes."
Luo Chen was very surprised and murmured in his mind why Jin Ziji was asked to go to the study instead of the main hall where he met guests.
"Aren't you going yet?" Luo Qingzhi asked.
Luo Chen asked: "I don't need my subordinates to accompany me."
Luo Qingzhi shook her head, "No need, I just go alone."
After Jin Ziji was invited to the study, Luo Qingzhi personally closed the door of the study and stepped back.
Luo Chen went to Gao Zhen's yard to convey Luo Qingzhi's words. Gao Zhen was following Luo Chen's method, tying sandbags to his ankles and practicing the exercises.
When Qin Shu was also driven out and found Luo Chen, the two looked at each other.
Apart from Feng Zinan, these are the two people whom Luo Qingzhi trusts the most.
Luo Chen couldn't believe it, "Master, even you were called away?"
Qin Shu looked unhappy, "I don't know what happened today."
"Then now, are the Young Master and the Master of the Jin family in the study?"
As soon as Luo Chen's words came out, Gao Zhen lost his mind, his steps were unsteady, and he staggered.
The two of them knew Gao Zhen's feelings for Luo Qingzhi. Qin Shu quickly tried to make up for it, "Maybe, after a while, the master will take the initiative to find us."
Gao Zhen did not answer the call, stabilized his mind and continued training.
In the next few days, Jin Ziji came to visit almost every day, and was invited to the study every time. Luo Chen and Qin Shu could never get close to him again.
All of a sudden, all the major wine shops and teahouses in Jinling City started talking, thinking that this Anning County horse must be Jin Ziji, and many people even began to privately call Jin Ziji the Anning County horse.
At the same time, Gao Zhen never saw Luo Qingzhi again, and this situation continued until New Year's Eve. This chapter has been completed!
