“.It turns out that all the beautiful flowers are left to the broken wells and dilapidated walls.”

Li Hu leaned back in his chair, one foot resting on top of the other leg and swinging leisurely, sipping tea while listening to Wenguan and Lingguan singing.

When I have nothing to do, I like to listen to some music and drink some tea. It would be even better if someone could massage my shoulders.

Thinking about it, Li Hu looked towards the desk.

In front of the desk, Lin Daiyu was holding an account book, flipping through it slowly, and occasionally picking up a pen to write something on the account book.

It’s the end of the year, and it’s time to calculate all this year’s expenses.

Lin Daiyu never asked others to do such things, she did it herself and kept the family’s financial power firmly in her hands.

At this time, the maid’s voice came from the living room: “Miss Bao is back.”

The door curtain was raised, and Xue Baochai walked in. She bowed slightly to Li Hu and said softly, “Master.”

Li Hu sat up straight and looked at her with a smile: “Are you done?”

Xue Baochai said “hmm” and looked at Lin Daiyu under the south window.

Li Hu understood and waved his hand: “Go ahead.”

Xue Baochai walked up to Lin Daiyu, bowed to her, said a few words, and then walked back.

Li Hu: “How is your mother?”

“Okay. Master Meng is thinking about it.”

Xue Baochai handed the tea to Li Hu and said, “I’ve been busy with my brother’s wedding recently, so I’m a little tired.”

Li Hu waved his hand and said, “I’ve been drinking tea all afternoon. Please massage my shoulders for me.”

“Hey.” Xue Baochai put down the tea bowl, walked behind Li Hu, and began to massage his shoulders gently.

With moderate force and skillful technique, Li Hu leaned back in the chair comfortably and said with a smile: “Now that you’re married and have someone to look after you, maybe your brother will be able to change those bad habits. Hey, try harder~” When he said this, he was also stunned. Soft and tender, what is this?

Li Hu suddenly reacted and rested his head on the softness of Xue Baochai’s chest.

It was snowing heavily outside, but it was warm as spring inside the house, and it was even a little hot in the bedroom.

Xue Baochai took off her fur coat when she came in, and was only wearing a half-new and half-old cotton-padded jacket, which could be clearly felt.

Li Hu blinked his eyes. Anyway, Xue Baochai was the concubine approved by Lin Daiyu, the mistress of the house. So he could just rely on her and enjoy it.

Thinking about this, Li Hu leaned his head back again and continued, “When did your mother and her family move out of Rongguo Mansion? The grass has grown on Prince Zhongshun’s grave.”

Feeling Li Hu’s movements, Xue Baochai’s face turned even redder, and her neck and ears also turned red. She bit her lower lip, and then continued to massage Li Hu’s shoulders, saying softly, “We originally planned to move in early December. We have already packed up the house in the east city. The old lady and the second lady insisted on staying, and it snowed heavily, so my mother wanted us to move after the New Year.”

Li Hu: “Your brother got married in Rongguo Mansion?”

Xue Baochai: “The house in the east city has been cleaned up. My brother is getting married there. Mother and her family will move in after the New Year.” She paused and said, “Madam knows.”

Li Hu said “hmm”, feeling the soft hands kneading his shoulders, and asked, “Do you need me to go there in person when your brother gets married?”

Xue Baochai was really surprised. She didn’t expect Li Hu to take the initiative to ask. She had thought of asking Lin Daiyu for help. Her brother’s wedding would definitely be accompanied by generous gifts, but Li Hu might not go. There was a big difference between Li Hu going and not going!

Seeing that she didn’t speak, Li Hu raised his head: “What’s wrong?”

Xue Baochai came back to her senses and asked with a smile, “Is the master free?”

Li Hu looked at her and smiled: “Do you want me to go?”

Xue Baochai was embarrassed, but still nodded.

Li Hu smiled and leaned his head against the softness of Xue Baochai’s chest again: “Your wife talked about this last night. We will all go on the day your brother gets married.”

Xue Baochai said “hmm” and looked at Lin Daiyu with gratitude.

Li Hu: “Is the old lady in good health? Is there any trouble in the backyard of Rongguo Mansion?”

What’s going on? Xue Baochai suppressed her laughter and said, “I’ve come to pay my respects to the old lady on behalf of the master and his wife. The old lady is in good health, but she missed you. She asked when you are free to come over and have a chat. You just said that we can talk after the snow stops. By the way, the second wife is ill.”

After hearing this, Li Hu asked with a smile: “What caused your illness this time?” He emphasized the word “illness”.

Xue Baochai couldn’t help but burst out laughing: “This time he is really sick.”

Li Hu: “You’re not pretending?”

Xue Baochai covered her mouth and smiled: “I am really sick. Doctor Wang has come here twice.”

“What are you talking about? You look so happy.” Lin Daiyu came over.

Xue Baochai: “Madam.”

Lin Daiyu nodded, then glanced at Li Hu: You really know how to enjoy yourself!

Li Hu coughed, picked up the tea bowl and handed it over: “Drink some tea to moisten your throat.”

“Moisten your throat?” Lin Daiyu glanced at him, pursed her lips and was too lazy to speak.

This look seemed to be both mocking and laughing: Who of us needs to moisten our throat?
Li Hu was thick-skinned. He smiled and drank it himself.

At this time, Xue Baochai asked the maid to bring a chair and placed it next to Li Hu: “Please sit down, madam.” As she said that, she brought a bowl of tea to Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu took a sip, put it down, and then said to Li Hu: “After deducting the income from the expenditure, the deficit this year is 188,000 taels.”

Li Hu was stunned for a moment: “Loss? How could it be a loss?”

Lin Daiyu looked at him, meaning: Are you asking me?
Li Hu slapped his forehead and remembered that he had taken hundreds of thousands of silver from Lin Daiyu and gave it to Zhang Cheng this year.

Li Hu: “How much money do you have at home?”

“Enough for you to squander.”

Lin Daiyu changed the subject: “I have thought about it carefully. We cannot say that the court transferred the Ruishi Battalion to serve under the command of the Zhongjing Marquis and avoid suspicion. This year, the New Year’s goods distributed to the families of the generals in the Ruishi Battalion must not be reduced, but doubled. Second brother is still the commander of the Ruishi Battalion. The soldiers under his command are fighting for the country, and they should take care of their families both publicly and privately.

At the same time, it also tells those people with dirty thoughts that our Li family is upright and honest, worthy of the people, fearless of the heavens, and open and aboveboard. “

Outside the window, a shrill cry of “Duke, Duke” was heard.

Li Hu was stunned at first, then he stood up suddenly and walked out with big strides.

Lin Daiyu also stood up. It was the eunuch’s voice, and there was a tremor in his voice.

problem occurs!
The civil officials and the young officials also stopped.

As soon as Li Hu walked out of the warm room, he saw the eunuch in charge of the Cining Palace rushing in with a panic on his face. He then ran to Li Hu and whispered rapidly in his ear.

Li Hu’s expression changed drastically and he said hurriedly, “I’ll change my clothes and come over.” Then he turned and entered the warm room and walked towards the bedroom.

The civil officials, Lingguan and the maids came out at this time.

As soon as he walked into the inner room of the bedroom, he saw Lin Daiyu had already prepared his clothes.

Li Hu took off his brocade robe and said, “Something happened in the palace. I need to go to the Yongwei Camp to mobilize troops immediately.”

Lin Daiyu was startled: “Mobilize troops? What happened?”

Xue Baochai came over and helped Lin Daiyu help Li Hu change his clothes.

Li Hu lowered his voice and said, “The emperor has been assassinated. He may not survive.”

Xue Baochai’s face changed first. The retired emperor had passed away, and Li Hu was a first-class duke. According to the rules, he had to observe mourning for a year. She could not marry into the family until the end of next year, or even after the New Year. After the New Year, she would be twenty years old and become an old maid!

Lin Daiyu: “Assassin? Where did the assassin come from in the deep palace?”

Li Hu smiled bitterly and said, “This cannot be explained in a few words. I probably won’t be back tonight. You should go to bed early.” Then he said to Xue Baochai, “Take good care of Madam.”

Xue Baochai knelt down and said, “Yes.”

Li Hu took the cloak handed to him by Lin Daiyu and strode out.

No matter how strong the snowstorm is, it cannot stop ordinary people from making a living. Both sides of Deshengmen Inner Street are lined with stalls, all with sheds and umbrellas, selling chicken, duck, fish, meat, vermicelli, dried fruits, New Year pictures, couplets, firecrackers, candy, wontons, sesame cakes, and big meat buns. Suddenly, there was a sound of hurried running.

Then, a voice came from the snow and fog: “Martial law! Go home! Go home!”

Before the vendors could recover from the shock, they saw a captain leading two teams of soldiers running towards them with guns and swords, and rushing straight into the street leading to the west city.

Another burst of hurried running sounds was heard.

Another team of soldiers rushed over and blocked the entrance to the street.

The vendors hurriedly packed up their stalls and left.

The gate of the Prince’s Mansion is much more imposing than that of the Duke’s Mansion. There are three rooms and a pair of male and female stone lions on both sides of the gate, which are majestic and magnificent. In front of the gate, across the street, there is a screen wall as a counterpart to the gate.

Outside the gate of Prince Nan’an’s Mansion, four guards, two on each side, were standing there majestically with swords slung over their shoulders.

In the snow, the sound of an entire team running could be heard.

The four guards quickly turned their eyes over.

The captain led the two teams of officers and soldiers and ran over.

“Stop!” A guard stepped forward to stop the soldiers. “Which government office are you from? Don’t you know that this is the Prince of Nan’an’s Palace? Take a detour!”

The chief officer tilted his head and looked at him: “Is this the Prince of Nan’an’s Mansion?”

The guard: “Not bad.”

The Qianzong officer said: “Come on, guard the front and back doors, and don’t let anyone leave. If anyone resists, kill them without mercy!”

All the officers and soldiers shouted in unison: “Yes!”

“Who dares!” the guard roared and reached out to grasp the hilt of the knife.

The gleam of coldness suddenly grew in the eyes of the thousand-man commander. He drew his sword out of its sheath like lightning!

A white light flashed, and the guard’s head flew out immediately!
Then with a “bang”, the headless body fell down, with the handle of the knife still tightly grasped in his hand!
The other three guards were shocked and drew their swords together.

The commander shouted, “Drop your weapons, or I’ll kill you without mercy!”

The three guards were hesitating.

The commander waved his sword and said, “Kill!”

Those officers and soldiers charged forward with their spears, turning the three guards into a hornet’s nest!
At this moment, the guards in the Prince of Nan’an’s mansion heard the noise and ran out. They were shocked when they saw the situation and drew their swords together.

A hint of surprise flashed across the eyes of the thousand-man officer, and he quickly cut a cut on his forehead.

Blood oozes out of the wound.

The captain shouted, “There’s a rebellion! There’s a rebellion in the Prince of Nan’an’s mansion! Brothers, kill them!”

Obviously, they had discussed it in advance. One soldier threw down his spear and ran to the street like a flash, shouting, “The Prince of Nan’an’s Mansion has rebelled!”

The other officers and soldiers rushed forward with their spears in hand and fought with the guards of the Prince of Nan’an’s Mansion.

The commander shouted loudly: “Kill! Kill all the rebels!”

An inch longer is an inch stronger, and with their absolute advantage in numbers, the guards of the Prince of Nan’an’s Mansion fell one after another.

The captain said: “Kill!” and rushed into the Prince of Nan’an’s mansion first.

The officers and soldiers followed and rushed in.

Screams of terror and death were immediately heard from the mansion.

Not long after, Bai Wu, the leader of the White Tiger Hall, came with a group of soldiers to provide support.

At this time, the screams and cries from all over the place became louder and louder.

Bai Wu strode in.

Along the way, the bodies of the guards, servants, and maids of the Prince of Nan’an’s mansion were lying all over the place!
Before he even stepped into the inner ceremonial gate, a volley of musket fire was heard.

Bai Wuyi was shocked: “Fire gun?”

A soldier covered in blood rushed out from the Neiyi Gate, bumped into Bai Wu, and then fell to the ground.

The soldier then saw Bai Wu and immediately reported, “General, there are fire guns hidden in the Prince of Nan’an’s mansion. The brothers were caught off guard and the captain was killed in the battle.”

Before he finished his words, the sound of dense gunfire rang out from inside.

General Bai Wu waved his hand and said, “Kill! Kill all the rebels!”

Roars of killing immediately rang out outside the Neiyi Gate, and countless soldiers rushed in through the open Neiyi Gate!
Kill them! Kill them! Only if more officers and soldiers are killed can we pass the test with the imperial court.

If the entire Nan’an County Prince’s family is wiped out and he is forced to rebel, the entire South will be plunged into war. The emperor will not live long, and the fate of Dashun is over. It’s time for someone else to take over the throne!

Thinking of this, Bai Wu’s heart was burning. Well, we have to arrange for someone to spread the news, so as not to let the Prince of Nan’an fall into the hands of the court.

As for Li Hu, he just has to accept the punishment!

Thinking about this, Bai Wu said to an old brother of the White Tiger Hall beside him: “Drive the rebellious family members to the woodshed and burn them, and then say that they burned themselves out of fear of punishment.”

Although the Cining Palace is also a harem building, it is not located in the inner court within the Qianqing Gate, but in the west road outside the inner court. Therefore, the five grand secretaries of the cabinet who learned the news also rushed to the Cining Palace.

On the palace corridor, Li Hu and five ministers of the cabinet stood there, looking at the open palace door.

Li Yuanzheng walked out.

Everyone gathered around:

“How about it?”

“Are you awake?”

Li Yuanzheng bowed and replied: “It’s just a matter of anger, it’s nothing.” After that, he lowered his head and walked quickly into the heavy snow.

Li Hu’s eyes flashed. Was the emperor really just angry? According to the old system of the court, in this case, the emperor’s medical records and prescriptions should be submitted to the cabinet for review.

The cabinet members exchanged anxious glances. However, Jia Jing’s eyes flashed with an ambiguous light.

Li Hu happened to see it. He frowned, turned his gaze to the open palace door, and sighed in his heart. The world is really a huge makeshift team. It’s so ridiculous!
The retired emperor was assassinated in the inner courtyard of the imperial city, and the assassin was sent by the emperor.

As for the assassin’s motive, no one knows.

According to the eunuchs in charge of the Cining Palace, after the evil Taoist entered the bedroom, he pulled out the hairpin from the bun and inserted it into the throat of Emperor Yongchang in front of Zhao Tong and the red-robed eunuchs of the Silijian. Upon hearing the news, Emperor Yongxing rushed to the scene and was so angry that he vomited a large mouthful of blood and fainted.

After beating to death several eunuchs in red, the evil Taoist priest took poison and committed suicide.

Li Hu blinked his eyes. Could it be that the demon had a grudge against the Prince of Nan’an? Did he deliberately arrange a game of Nine Clans Elimination for him? !

Thinking about it, Li Hu shook his head again. The Prince of Nan’an controls hundreds of thousands of elite troops in southern Xinjiang. It is impossible for the court to punish the Prince of Nan’an’s Mansion for such a thing without evidence.

Or maybe the Prince of Nan’an had rebellious intentions, and he arranged for the demon to come. But his family is all in the capital?
Could it be that the people under Prince Nan’an’s command can’t wait any longer and want to put a yellow robe on him and force Prince Nan’an to rebel?

When you think about it this way, everything makes sense.

Li Hulue thought about it and expressed his guess.

After hearing what Li Hu said, several people in the cabinet were shocked.

Suddenly, the little prince’s crying was heard from inside!
“The Emperor!” The Prime Minister was the first to rush in.

Jia Jing and three others followed closely and ran in.

Li Hu sighed silently. Emperor Yongchang was dead, and Emperor Yongxing would probably die soon. The crown prince was young, and there were wars in Mobei and Liaodong. If Prince Nannan rebelled again, the world would be in chaos!

The crying and shouting inside became louder.

Li Hu turned and walked in. As he walked, he paused and suddenly remembered: Emperor Yongchang was dead, how could Jia Yuanchun come to visit her parents? Was the Grand View Garden built in vain? Was the money wasted? Oh, by the way, Jia She, the old drunkard, has not paid back the money yet, and it has been several years. Could it be that he wants to use his daughter to pay off the debt like in the original novel? (End of this chapter)