Hier gibt es Liebe für dreihundert Tael

Kapitel 78

The courtyard was simple and unpretentious. Built against the mountain, it exuded a spiritual aura and was a tranquil and peaceful place. Empress Dowager Meng liked it very much. Empress Dowager Meng only brought Yan Tong with her on this trip, saying that she did not want to disturb the peace of the Buddhist temple. Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen had other plans and naturally would not send any troublesome people, so apart from the guards waiting at the foot of the mountain, their group consisted of only the four of them, each with their own servants.

After a simple vegetarian meal at the temple at noon, Qin Zhen helped Empress Dowager Meng back to Jingxin Miaoyuan. She was very anxious and kept complaining about why her fourth senior brother hadn't arrived yet! She secretly glanced at Empress Dowager Meng, noticing a trace of worry between her brows, indicating that she also had doubts in her heart.

Qin Zhen didn't want to see her worry, so she changed the subject, saying, "Your Majesty, winter is coming soon. Although this place is a nice place with warm winters and cool summers, we still need to prepare more bedding and such. I will send some more over when I return to the palace."

Empress Dowager Meng shook her head and said, "We've already brought so much luggage, just the two of us, Yan Tong and I. There's no need to send any more. This is fine as it is."

Qin Zhen casually tidied up the room, checking for any shortcomings. Empress Dowager Meng was very pleased to see her obedient demeanor.

As darkness fell and the guards at the foot of the mountain had sent messengers to urge him several times, Qin Zhen had no choice but to return to the palace.

"Your Majesty, Fourth Senior Brother must have stayed away today to avoid attracting attention. You can rest assured, he will definitely come!" Empress Dowager Meng simply smiled and did not speak.

A sudden gust of cold wind swept through the mountains, swirling up the fallen autumn leaves and creating a chilling atmosphere. Qin Zhen quickly ushered Empress Dowager Meng back inside to avoid catching a chill. Just then, a flash of silver light appeared, and Qin Zhen, with lightning speed, flicked his long sleeves and soared into the air.

After spinning several times, when she landed, countless blades as thin as cicada wings fell from her body.

—

Qin Zhen was shocked. She was very familiar with this kind of hidden weapon. It was the "Wind Blade" that she had used before!

"Who is it? Show yourself!"

Qin Zhen shielded the startled Empress Dowager Meng and Yan Tong behind her, and scolded them towards the bushes in the forest. Wan Qiu, who was following her, also quickly drew two short knives and stood guard to one side.

Apart from the whistling wind in the mountains, there was no response. Qin Zhen frowned and stared intently, searching carefully. The next moment, he suddenly soared into the forest, his phoenix-winged silver whip lashing out. With several cracking sounds, dozens of trees crashed down under Qin Zhen's whip attack, forcing five black figures to fly out of the forest.

There were five enemies, their strength unknown, while Qin Zhen's side only had her and Wan Qiu skilled in martial arts, and they also had to protect Empress Dowager Meng, putting them at a significant disadvantage. Qin Zhen resolved to stall for time, hoping that reinforcements would arrive when the guards from the foot of the mountain came to urge them on.

"Who are you, and why did you ambush us?"

The five men in black remained silent. The one in the middle was noticeably different from the other four; slender and shapely, she was a woman. Qin Zhen hesitated for a moment, then exclaimed in alarm, "Li Yunluo!"

Indeed, the other party was Li Yunluo and her group. If it weren't for her intricate connections with the Tang Clan, how could she possess the Tang Clan's secret weapon, the Wind Blade Blade?

Before Qin Zhen could utter another word, five people surrounded her. Qin Zhen knew Li Yunluo knew martial arts, but she hadn't expected her skills to be so formidable. The five of them moved with unpredictable, serpentine movements, encircling Qin Zhen in the center. She couldn't wield her whip effectively and was completely suppressed. Seeing the situation was dire, Wanqiu abandoned the Empress Dowager Meng she was protecting and rushed to Qin Zhen's aid.

Wanqiu was skilled in martial arts, her movements clean and efficient. She created an opening in the encirclement of the five men from the outside, allowing Qin Zhen to quickly retreat. However, the five men relentlessly pursued the two, their unpredictable movements causing Qin Zhen considerable trouble!

Suddenly, Li Yunluo broke free and flew towards Empress Dowager Meng, her slender, snake-like sword aimed straight for her chest. Qin Zhen was shocked and quickly scrambled to her feet, grabbing Li Yunluo's ankle to slow her movements. But Li Yunluo, as nimble as a snake, spun in mid-air, her sleeves suddenly scattering a deluge of gray powder.

Qin Zhen hadn't expected her to use such a despicable method. The powder was blown into her eyes, causing an instant, burning pain! She cried out in pain and fell from the air. The next moment, she felt a cool, thin object pierce her chest, the pain rendering her speechless!

"Your Majesty the Empress!"

Wanqiu screamed in a hoarse voice as she rushed over and helped Qin Zhen up from the ground, ignoring the swords and knives held to her neck by the men behind her. Empress Dowager Meng and Yan Tong, who were standing nearby, were already trembling with fear. When Empress Dowager Meng saw blood flowing continuously from Qin Zhen's chest, she quickly came to her side, treating the assassins as if they were invisible.

Qin Zhen's eyes were damaged by the poison, and she gasped in pain. Just then, she heard Li Yunluo's sinister laughter and say, "I never thought you'd have this day!"

Qin Zhen endured the pain and asked, "Why...why? I've always treated you well!"

Li Yunlu laughed wildly as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. After a while, she said, "You've treated me well? What a wonderful way to say you've treated me well! When we first met, I admired you and sincerely regarded you as an older sister, as a heroine. But what did you do? You were already on good terms with Zhao Gou, and you even pretended to take me to see him. If you had just said that Zhao Gou was the one you loved, I would have immediately returned to Western Xia and would never have bothered him again. But you kept it from me, just so that I would be humiliated in front of Zhao Gou?"

Qin Zhen hadn't expected her to misunderstand the events of that year in such a way. There was no time to explain now, so she simply asked, "You like Zhao Gou so much?"

Li Yunlu laughed loudly and said, "Like him? What a joke! I just don't understand, what do I lack compared to you? Why does Zhao Gou not even glance at me, yet he's so devoted to you! I'll kill you today and make him suffer enough!"

It seems that Zhao Gou's words from the past few days have made her hold a grudge!

She suddenly pulled out the thin sword stuck in Qin Zhen's chest, raised her hand as if to stab him again, and the people protecting Qin Zhen cried out and rushed over.

Just as Li Yunluo thought Qin Zhen was completely at her mercy, a wave of heat hit her in the face, sending her flying. Unable to see anything and with her breathing disordered, Qin Zhen only heard Empress Dowager Meng excitedly call out "Little Liangzi" before fainting! Liang Shicheng, who had been delayed, finally arrived.

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky Chapter 147 The Emperor's Wrath Shakes Mountains and Rivers

Chaos erupted on Zhuque Avenue outside the city. Palace guards, disregarding the crowds, cleared a path for the Empress's rapidly moving carriage. Qin Zhen, having had several acupoints sealed by Liang Shicheng, was quickly transported back to the palace.

Zhao Gou staggered to Yuxiu Palace and saw Qin Zhen wrapped in blood-stained clothes. He felt dizzy! His hands and feet turned ice-cold as he rushed to Qin Zhen's side and hugged her tightly in his arms, as if she would disappear if he let go even slightly.

The imperial physicians had rushed to the scene. The situation was urgent, and disregarding etiquette, they all urged Zhao Gou to quickly release Qin Zhen so that he could treat her. Liang Shicheng, who had escorted Qin Zhen back to the palace, stepped forward and pulled the dazed Zhao Gou aside, saying, "Your Majesty, the Empress has been poisoned in addition to her sword wound. Please summon Ji Wuhuan to the palace immediately for treatment, otherwise her eyes may be in danger!"

Zhao Gou was greatly alarmed upon hearing this and immediately sent people to find Ji Wuhuan. Ji Wuhuan had been living in Bianjing with Fan Tianxiang, so finding him wouldn't take much time. However, Qin Zhen's current situation was truly dire.

After Ji Wuhuan arrived at the palace, pale-faced, Zhao Gou felt a little relieved. Ji Wuhuan had saved him from the brink of death, so Qin Zhen would definitely be alright!

Slowly, Zhao Gou came to his senses from the shock. Liang Shicheng and Wan Qiu briefly explained the events at Xiangguo Temple to him, but they felt that his eyes were becoming increasingly gloomy, and the temperature of the entire Yuxiu Palace seemed to have dropped because of his gaze!

That night, the palace was brightly lit. In the Xiu Palace, Ji Wuhuan worked tirelessly through the night to heal Qin Zhen's injuries, while in the Zichen Palace, people came and went in a constant stream, and countless imperial edicts were issued, signaling a sudden change in the political climate!

The roar of war chariots, the shouts of soldiers, and the spray of gunpowder once again filled the battlefield on the Song-Xia border. When news of the renewed war reached Empress Yelü Yazhu of Western Xia, she smashed a vase beside her and said bitterly, "You worthless brat!"

Far from home, Li Yunluo suddenly shivered and frowned. She felt uneasy. Assassinating Qin Zhen was undoubtedly an impulsive act; she hadn't considered what would happen to Xixia or to her afterward, but she didn't regret it at all.

The Western Xia guards commander, though rough on the outside, was meticulous. He finally managed to bandage Li Yunluo's shoulder injury. Li Yunluo pulled up her collar. Without even glancing at the burly man with a flushed face, she muttered a curse at Liang Shicheng. If it weren't for his sudden attack, Qin Zhen would probably be dead by her hand right now!

"Princess, the conditions are limited at the moment, and we can only provide a rough bandage. You should come back to Western Xia with me as soon as possible."

Li Yunlu glared at him and said, "Go back? How could that be? When Mother sent me out, she never intended for me to go back. Now I've ruined her plan. Going back would be suicide."

"How could the Empress bear to kill the princess?"

"Hmph!" Li Yunluo simply snorted, too lazy to explain further. She was her own mother. Did she not understand?

Li Yunluo didn't have many skilled guards with her, and three of them had died at Liang Shicheng's hands today. Now only she and the captain of the guards remained. What should she do now...? She couldn't help but worry. Zhao Gou must hate her to death right now and has definitely set up a trap to capture her. And the Empress Dowager of Western Xia might have also sent people to look for her.

"Since the princess doesn't want to return to her country, what should we do now?"

After thinking for a while, Li Yunluo said, "Let's go to Liao Kingdom. After resting for two days, we can pretend to be siblings and go to Liao Kingdom. Maybe there's still a chance of survival."

--------------------

In just three months, the Song army had reached the city walls, heading straight for the Western Xia's Zhongxing Prefecture. Along their advance, they bombarded cities with cannon fire, destroying them one after another. Their methods were ruthless, completely different from their previous, more cautious tactics. The flames burning from those cannons reflected Zhao Gou's deepest hatred!

Although Qin Zhen regained consciousness two days after his injury, his eyes had not healed and would occasionally bleed. Zhao Gou, heartbroken, did not know what to do.

The New Year was approaching, but the palace was nearly empty, and Qin Zhen was still ill, so there was little festive atmosphere. Qin Zhen was in good spirits today, and had Wanqiu help her dress and then go for a walk. She was blind, only able to perceive faint light. She had felt regret and sadness in this situation, but what good was regret or sadness? It only made Zhao Gou more distressed; it had no positive effect whatsoever.

"It's so quiet... Is it almost New Year's? Why is it so quiet?"

Wanqiu, supporting Qin Zhen, symbolically bent to the side and replied, "His Majesty is busy with state affairs and has not yet given any instructions."

—

Qin Zhen was aware of the war with Western Xia, but made no statement. She also harbored resentment and hatred towards Yelü Yazhu…

"When the Emperor comes later, I'll talk to him about it. We still have to celebrate the New Year. How can it be so quiet?" After walking a few more steps, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from ahead. The next moment, Qin Zhen was grabbed by the shoulders by a pair of large hands. Zhao Gou's familiar and warm breath rushed towards him. Qin Zhen smiled and said, "Speak of the devil, and he appears."

Zhao Gou ignored what she said and only scolded her, "Why did you come out? What if you bumped or hurt yourself!"

Qin Zhen slightly raised his head, and his grayish-white pupils reflected in Zhao Gou's eyes, causing him pain as if being stabbed with a knife!

"With Wanqiu by my side, it's fine to go out for a walk and get some fresh air."

Unfortunately, she coughed as soon as she finished speaking, and her old chest wound started hurting again. Zhao Gou was furious and scolded Wanqiu, "Why is the Empress dressed so thinly? Don't you have any sense of propriety at this time of year? Are you all made of wood?"

Wanqiu hurriedly knelt down after being scolded by him. The people following behind Zhao Gou also kept their heads down and dared not breathe. Fortunately, Qingmei was with them and quickly took out the cloak that had been prepared for Zhao Gou and put it on Qin Zhen.

A pair of slender hands slowly touched Zhao Gou's resolute and handsome face, gradually smoothing his furrowed brows, and then gently smoothing them away. Qin Zhen was held close to Zhao Gou's chest, and all she heard him say was, "Don't be so angry, I'm really fine."

Zhao Gou covered Qin Zhen's hand, wrapped his arms around her waist, and said softly, "Alright, let's go back quickly."

Qin Zhen silently let Zhao Gou lead her back, but her heart was heavy. Ever since she was injured, Zhao Gou had become extremely strict with those around him, even displaying a somewhat tyrannical expression, which was not good.

"Hmm... I was just about to tell you this. The New Year is coming soon, and the palace is too quiet. This is not good. We should bring a few opera troupes into the palace another day so that the Empress Dowager and the imperial concubines can have some fun. I will be happy to hear their joyful voices."

Zhao Gou unconditionally accepted Qin Zhen's opinion and had Qingmei write it down herself.

"Whatever you want, I will give it to you," Zhao Gou said firmly, giving Qin Zhen a tight hug.

Once they were settled in Yuxiu Palace, Qin Zhen leaned against Zhao Gou's warm and strong chest and suddenly sighed. Zhao Gou thought she was in pain from her wound, so he quickly and carefully asked her what was wrong.

Qin Zhen shook her head and said, "It's not that the wound hurts, it's that I'm so bored. You're afraid I'll worry, so you don't tell me anything. I can't see anything, so I really have nothing to do."

Zhao Gou stroked Qin Zhen's soft, long hair, pulled her into his arms, and said slowly, "Alright, whatever you want to know, I'll tell you."

Qin Zhen was delighted to hear her say that and said, "Just tell me what you want to say. I don't know what you want to ask."

Zhao Gou lowered his head and looked at Qin Zhen, who was smiling. Her gaze was unfocused and fixed on his direction, but the smile on her face was particularly hurtful to Zhao Gou.

"Zhen'er, I have indeed come today to tell you something." Zhao Gou's voice was cautious as he slowly said, "This morning I ordered your father to be imprisoned."

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky Chapter 148: Past Events Revisited

Regardless of Qin Hui's character, he was still Qin Zhen's father. How could Qin Zhen not be shocked when he was suddenly thrown into prison?

Her smile vanished, and she asked in a trembling voice, "Why...because he brought Li Yunlu back without permission?"

Zhao Gou dismissed all the palace servants before carefully saying, "That's only one thing. More importantly, Yelü Yazhu revealed that he had colluded with the Western Xia to capture my brother, and even produced the letters from that time. If I don't punish him, I won't be able to explain myself to the world."

It turns out that when Zhao Huan was on his campaign, Qin Hui secretly wrote a letter informing the Western Xia cavalry, who were assisting the Jin dynasty, of the time and route Zhao Huan would take. This allowed them to intercept Zhao Huan. The letter fell into Yelü Yazhu's hands, and she used it as her final trump card. When the Song army besieged the city, she secretly sent Nongying to contact Qin Hui, demanding that he do everything in his power to persuade Zhao Gou to withdraw his troops, or she would expose the matter to the public.

Zhao Gou was no match for Qin Hui. Knowing his days were numbered, Qin Hui went to the palace to plead guilty and told Zhao Gou everything. Zhao Gou's attempt to steal the letter from Western Xia failed, but instead alerted Yelü Yazhu. Yelü Yazhu was furious and announced the matter to the world, causing a huge uproar.

Qin Zhen knew nothing of this; she was still ill at the time. She was also unaware that some ministers had even jointly petitioned to depose the empress, arguing that the daughter of a disgraced official was unfit to rule the empire. Zhao Gou was furious upon reading the petition and nearly executed those who spoke out of turn. Fortunately, Li Gang and Liu Qi persuaded him to stop.

After hearing Zhao Gou's explanation, Qin Zhen's expression gradually darkened. This was the inevitable outcome; what could she do? The thought of violating filial piety, even going so far as to say she had used her father, caused her a sharp, stabbing pain in her heart.

Zhao Gou rested his chin on Qin Zhen's head, and the two nestled together quietly, both feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Zhao Gou's gentle words slowly reached Qin Zhen's ears: "Don't worry, Father-in-law did that for my sake. I will not forget your kindness. Let me deal with Xixia first, and then we can resolve this matter."

"You decide on this matter; I'll listen to you."