Chapter 352: Too Really Difficult

With a light sound of "swoosh!", a golden arrow was thrown high, and a bright trace was passed through the air. The sunlight shone on the golden arrow, which was particularly dazzling. When the arrow fell, the luster began to fade. With a crisp sound of "dong!", the golden arrow threw it into the thin-necked copper pot in a little lonely manner.

"Empress, come in!"

One maid was so happy that she slapped her hands, while the other maid ran forward, took out the golden arrow from the copper pot, handed it over and said with a smile: "Empress, five arrows within four meters are hit at the same time, we can try five meters."

A few steps away, Yang Yuhuan sat on an embroidery pier, took out a sweat towel and wiped the fine sweat beads on her forehead. Her practice in the past six months has reduced her appearance a lot, but her appearance is still extremely beautiful and has not been affected by the years. She plays the piano, chimes, or shoots golden arrows every day, and lives a simple life. Although she is still a concubine, nominally the leader of the six palaces, she no longer cares about the big and small affairs that happen in the palace. Now the Daming Palace is the world of Wu Xianyi, and her eyes are covered everywhere. Concubine Mei is favored for only one time. She can't compete with Wu Xianyi, and it disappears like the plum blossoms in March. Only Yang Yuhuan's Taizhen Temple Wu Xianyi cannot interfere, but she is still surrounded by confidant eunuchs and palace maids, always monitoring Yang Yuhuan's external movements.

But Yang Yuhuan no longer cared about all this. She was as calm as water and was preparing to spend the rest of her life peacefully in Taizhen Temple. Today, the sun was shining. Yang Yuhuan, who had been watching for a long time, was very quiet and came to the small courtyard behind Taizhen Temple to throw golden arrows. Yang Yuhuan was smart and ice-snow. Although Li Qingan only taught her for less than two hours, she had mastered the key points of arrows, straightened her chest and raised her hips, held the two inches of the golden arrows in her hand, found the best feel, and then threw the arrows out. She was already very familiar with the key points. All she had left was practice time and time again. Yang Yuhuan's arrow distance gradually changed from one zhang to three zhang, until now four zhang away.

"Empress, try again five meters away!" her maid Bingnu suggested.

Yang Yuhuan's confidant in the palace has been removed by Wu Xianyi. Now there are only two personal maids, one named Bingnu and the other named Xuenu. They have all followed her for many years and are loyal to her. Yang Yuhuan smiled and said, "I'm a little tired if I don't want to join you anymore. I'm getting older and I don't have the physical strength I used to when I was young."

Bingnu said sadly: "The Empress is only in her thirties, where is she old?"

Xue Nu next to him also advised: "Empress, just lower your head to the Lord! As long as you are willing to bow your head, the Lord will definitely forgive you, and you will be favored again. Don't live such a hard life."

Yang Yuhuan shook his head and whispered: "I'm not wrong. Why should I bow my head? He didn't forgive me. What's the matter? This life has only been decades, and it's past in a blink of an eye. Over the past decade, I've been very tired. What's wrong with me quietly cultivating my body and character here? At least I don't have to force myself and have fun every day."

Bingnu sighed and said, "If the Empress married into an ordinary family, she is loved by her husband and filial to her children, how can she be like now? Once she enters the palace gate and goes deep into the sea, when will it be the day of her debut?"

At this moment, a sharp voice suddenly came from behind them: "Empress, be careful when speaking!"

The three of them turned around and saw several eunuchs standing in front of the steps, with their hands behind their backs, with a cold attitude. The one who was speaking was a tall and thin eunuch named Wen Jinzhong, who was one of the six general managers of the Daming Palace who had just been promoted by Wu Xianyi, in charge of food offerings. He said coldly with his hands behind his back: "Empress Wu asked me to ask, is there any need for the Imperial Concubine here?"

Taizhen Temple is Yang Yuhuan's private forbidden area. No one in the palace is allowed to step in. This is a well-known rule in the palace. Usually, you can just put items at the door. Today, eunuchs dare to come in and broke in without authorization. Yang Yuhuan couldn't help but be furious and pointed outside and scolded: "Go out for me!"

"Empress, Empress Wu is kind, don't be ungrateful."

"Get out! Get out!"

Yang Yuhuan was so angry that her eyes were blazing fire. She picked up the golden arrow and rushed towards several eunuchs, "I will kill you dog slaves!"

Several eunuchs turned around and fled. Wen Jinzhong ran a little slower and was inserted into his left shoulder by Yang Yuhuan. He screamed in pain, covered his shoulders, and stumbled towards Guanwai. Seeing that they had escaped, Yang Yuhuan said hatefully: "Close the door, no one is allowed to come in again!"

Wen Jinzhong stumbled back to Wu Xianyi's inner palace. After all, Yang Yuhuan was a weak woman, and the golden arrow was not sharp. Therefore, although Wen Jinzhong was a little bit pierced, it was not a big deal. Despite this, Wen Jinzhong still cried and shouted, as if he was about to die.

"Empress, save me!"

He ran away and was out of breath. He knelt in front of Wu Xianyi and shouted in a crying voice: "Empress, I'm going to die, save me!"

Wu Xianyi was sitting in front of the couch and drinking a bowl of bird's nest porridge. She was shocked by Wen Jinzhong's sudden attack. She put the jade bowl heavily on the table and said unhappily: "What's the matter? You're so fussy, where are you going to die?"

"Slave...Slave was stabbed by the imperial concubine."

Wen Jinzhong touched his shoulders and felt wet and sticky, and it hurts hotly, "It's blood! Empress, the slave is going to die."

"Shut up!" Wu Xianyi shouted angrily: "Don't embarrass me anymore."

"Yes! Yes!" Wen Jinzhong didn't dare to shout anymore. Wu Xianyi walked behind him with her hands behind her back and looked, saying, "No big problem, it's just a little skin breaks, just apply some medicine."

Wu Xianyi was concerned about Yang Yuhuan's situation. She asked coldly: "How is she now?"

Wen Jinzhong hurriedly stepped forward and whispered: "When the slaves went, they didn't notice me. I heard it very clearly. She had complaints about the emperor, and her maid also encouraged her to marry someone else."

Wen Jinzhong said the original story of what he had just heard and saw, and finally said, "I can hear it clearly. I dare to guarantee it with my head, and there is no false statement."

Wu Xianyi narrowed her eyes and smiled with great pride. Yang Yuhuan finally had a handle on her hand. She nodded and praised Wen Jinzhong: "You have done a good job. I will reward you with a hundred coins of money. Go and recover from your injuries!"

"Thank you for your reward!" Wen Jinzhong went to collect the money happily.

Wu Xianyi snorted and turned toward Li Longji's quiet room.

In the Ming Palace, Wu Xianyi's qualifications are far older than Yang Yuhuan. Her aunt is Li Longji's favorite concubine Wu Huifei. She also got the nickname of "Little Wu Concubine". She was full of Wu Zetian's blood, so she was particularly tough in the palace. She was once favored by Li Longji and gave birth to several children for him, but most of them died young. Since Yang Yuhuan entered the palace, Wu Xianyi, like all her concubines, lost the favor of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. After ten years alone, she got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Yang Yuhuan and Li Longji had a conflict. She seized this fleeting opportunity, expanded the results step by step, and even held Li Longji's heart firmly in her hand.

At first, she was low-key and tolerant, and did not dare to be too arrogant. But since Yang Yuhuan entered Taizhen Temple, she immediately showed a hideous face, replaced all the main eunuchs and palace maids in the palace in the Ming Palace, and drove away all the palace people loyal to Yang Yuhuan. But this was not enough. Yang Yuhuan was still in the Ming Palace, and Li Longji and her would rekindle their old love at any time. She must completely cut off Yang Yuhuan's hope. For several months, she has been waiting patiently for the opportunity. Now, the opportunity has come. The opportunity is not only Yang Yuhuan's fault, but also because Li Longji was in an abnormal mood and had an extremely manic temper these days, which made Wu Xianyi feel that it was an opportunity, so today she specially sent Wen Jinzhong to spy on Yang Yuhuan's situation.

Wu Xianyi quickly walked across a white jade bridge and came to Li Longji's Jingxin Hall. The guards at the door were about to report, but Wu Xianyi waved his hand and asked, "How is the Lord?"

The guard whispered: "I'm quiet today, and the imperial doctor said that the emperor could not be stimulated anymore."

"I understand, I'll go see him!" Wu Xianyi walked quickly into the palace.

In a quiet room in Jingxin Palace, Li Longji stood in front of the window with his back hunched over. He looked at the beautiful flowers in the distance with a daze. His mood had calmed down a lot today. Four days ago, he received news. An Sishun refused the edict to dismiss him from the repression of Shuofang. To a certain extent, this was to have troops and become independent. Even Li Qing'an dared not take this step. An Sishun walked out. This news caused the violent beast in Li Longji's heart to be released. The indulgence and abuse of drugs over the past few years destroyed his body and mind. He lost the cultivation that an emperor should have. He roared hysterically in the palace, beating and killing people, as if a storm was set off in the Daming Palace. Everyone was scared and trembling. They were like small trees under the storm, in danger of death at any time, and even Wu Xianyi dared not come to see him.

Fortunately, Li Longji finally locked himself in Jingxin Hall, without eating or drinking, and no one was allowed to enter Jingxin Hall. It was not until yesterday afternoon that Li Longji resumed his diet.

A few days of mental torture made Li Longji haggard, as if he had been aged a few years. For normal people, when he suffered major setbacks, they often reflected on and looked for the crux of his mistakes. However, for Li Longji, this was no longer the case. His way of thinking began to be different from ordinary people. Not only did he not realize his radicalization of reducing the vassal states, he believed that he was too weak and too accommodating these governors. Therefore, they did not take their will seriously at all. He was thinking quietly that he needed to take some tough measures, and he wanted everyone in the world to tremble under his emperor's power.

Li Longji's fist slowly clenched. At this time, he not only did not look back and reflect, but instead walked further and further along the wrong path.

At this time, a low footsteps came from outside the Jing room, followed by Wu Xianyi's voice, "Your Majesty, can I come in?"

"Can come in!"

The door opened, and Wu Xianyi walked in from outside. To be fair, Wu Xianyi is also a beautiful woman. She is nearly forty years old this year, but she still looks like a beauty in her twenties. She especially likes to wear a green skirt, which highlights her white skin, just like a new leaf in April.

When did it happen to be that the only one who could comfort Li Longji's anxiety was not Wu Xianyi, but Yang Yuhuan. Yang Yuhuan was like spring rain, nourishing Li Longji's lonely and old heart in detail. But now, Wu Xianyi no longer gave Yang Yuhuan this opportunity. When Yang Yuhuan could not keep up with Li Longji's mental journey, he gave Wu Xianyi, who had been peeping in the dark, and she appeared just right next to Li Longji and ruthlessly locked Yang Yuhuan outside the door.

Her appearance is second only to Yang Yuhuan and Mei Fei, but her scheming is beyond the reach of the first two. Yang Yuhuan is honest and kind, and Mei Fei admires herself, while Wu Xianyi's scheming and cunning are deeper than the sea and more cruel than the poisonous snake.

She was like a butcher who was very good at smearing cows, and Li Longji was the cow under her knife. She understood any subtle changes in Li Longji's heart clearly. She knew how to achieve her goal.

She slowly walked to Li Longji, gently held his arm, and said softly: "Does Your Majesty feel better?"

"I feel much better. I am in a bad mood these two days, and I have caused my beloved concubine to suffer."

"Your Majesty, I am guilty!"

Li Longji glanced at her and said strangely: "What is the crime of a beloved concubine?"

"I have not served Your Majesty well, and I am useless. I beg Your Majesty to forgive Yuhuan and let her serve Your Majesty."

"She?" Li Longji sneered, "When she bows her head to me, I don't believe that I can't deal with her!"

"Your Majesty, I actually think that it's not Yuhuan that has something wrong. She is an honest person and has feelings for Your Majesty. I think that it's someone around her who is encouraging her to resist Your Majesty."

"Did the beloved concubine hear something?"

"I dare not disturb Your Majesty with this little thing."

"Say!" Li Longji's face became gloomy, "You are not allowed to hide anything."

Wu Xianyi was helpless and could only sigh and said, "I sent eunuchs to visit Yuhuan today. The eunuch accidentally heard a maid named Bingnu tell Yuhuan that if Yuhuan married into an ordinary family, she would have a husband's love and would not have suffered so much."

"Is that true?" Li Longji asked coldly.

"I dare not hide it from Your Majesty, nor dare to make up lies. If Your Majesty does not believe it, you can confront it in person."

"No need to confront each other!"

Li Longji suddenly raised his voice and shouted loudly: "Come here!"

Several guards ran in from outside, and Li Longji ordered them word by word: "Go to Taizhen Temple immediately and beat the maid named Bingnu to death!"

"Yes!" Several guards rushed away.

Wu Xianyi's appearance changed color and said in surprise: "Your Majesty, please spare her life! I'm just talking."

She knelt down and begged, "If the concubine knows that I was telling me that she was telling me, she would not spare me. Your Majesty, the concubine is the leader of the six palaces! Please spare that maid!"

"She has become a monk and will no longer be the leader of the six palaces from now on."

Li Longji turned around and walked out of the hall, "Chuan, I want to go to the imperial study."

Wu Xianyi looked at Li Longji's back and left, and she couldn't help but laugh sinisterly, killing Yang Yuhuan's personal maid. Could Yang Yuhuan be with him?

Li Longji came to the imperial study room, and he sat down and asked, "What major incidents have happened these days?"

Yu Chaoen next to him immediately replied respectfully: "This morning, Yang Xiangguo came to see His Majesty twice, saying that there was an urgent matter to report to His Majesty. He had been waiting outside the palace."

"Summon him to see me immediately!"

After a moment, an eunuch walked in slowly and whispered: "Your Majesty, I have a letter to Your Majesty."

"Where is the letter?"

The eunuch presented a plain paper, and Li Longji unfolded it, and saw a messy statement: "Let me out of the palace, I will go to Yuquan Temple to be the Tao, and I will not want to stay in this bloody murderous palace again for a moment!"

If it were in the past, Li Longji would have been so scared that he would have been coaxed and persuaded Yang Yuhuan to change his mind, but now Li Longji can no longer measure it with the heart of ordinary people. More importantly, his heart for Yang Yuhuan has faded. His anger that had just calmed began to ignite again, and the boiling fire instantly swallowed his reason.

‘Brush! Brush!’ He tore the plain paper into pieces, threw it into the air, and roared and shouted: “Let her get out! Get out of my Daming Palace, and you are not allowed to go into the palace again.”

Yu Chaoen and other eunuchs were so scared that they fell to the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, "Your Majesty calm down! Your Majesty take care of the dragon's body!"

Li Longji calmed down in one breath. He felt that he had been deeply hurt. Yang Yuhuan actually called the Daming Palace a bloody murderer. He could not forgive her no matter what. Even if she came to beg him, he would never forgive her!

At this time, Yang Guozhong stumbled in and cried and said, "Your Majesty, let the concubine go! Let her go!"

Yang Guozhong was extremely afraid. Once Yang Yuhuan was driven out of the Ming Palace, their Yang family's last hope would be cut off. He kowtowed and spoke incoherently, only begging Li Longji to spare Yang Yuhuan again.

Li Longji waved his hand extremely tiredly and said, "Stand up first, you are the right prime minister, don't act like a child."

"Yes!" Yang Guozhong stood up, feeling so nervous that he didn't know what to do.

Li Longji sighed and said, "Yang Aiqing, Yuhuan is my family business, you are my business. I will not confuse the two and will not dismiss your position because of this. Don't say more."

After pausing, Li Longji said again: "Yuhuan is a monk in the palace, and a monk outside is also a monk in the Tao. There is no difference. If you are her brother, take care of her more!"

"I obey the order!" Yang Guozhong saw that it was irreversible, so he had to agree helplessly.

At this time, Li Longji took a sip of tea and asked, "Tell me! Do you have any urgent matters to report to me?"

Yang Guozhong suddenly thought of the important matter and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, the Uighur Khan sent a special envoy to the capital. They promised to withdraw their troops, but they had to discuss the conditions for withdrawing troops with Your Majesty."

"Is that?" The news was a little beyond Li Longji's expectations. He sneered: "They are soft and fast."

Yang Guozhong also nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I and several other prime ministers all thought that the Uighurs had actually wanted to withdraw their troops. They just wanted to blackmail the Tang Dynasty's property, so they came to negotiate. I suggest that Your Majesty meet the envoy and hear what they really want?"

Li Longji was a little distracted. He was not very concerned about the Uighur invasion from beginning to end. He only cared about the use of the Uighur invasion from the south to cut off the military power of An Sishun and Geshuhan. Now An Sishun dared to resist the order and refused to obey it. It was probably Guo Ziyi and King Bian could not take him down, so he could only take him and persuade him himself. At that time, he saw what he had to say. At this moment, Li Longji only wanted to rush to Shuofang, wanting to see An Sishun's desperate appearance. This idea was so strong that he did not consider the distance between Shuofang and Chang'an at all.

Thinking of this, Li Longji said lightly: "I don't want to meet this envoy. I plan to go to Shuofang and negotiate with Gerkhan in person."
Chapter completed!