Iron-faced King? Didn’t he already die long ago?

I still clearly remember that when he was captured by Butu and General Ba and others in Yunling camp, General Tiba once mentioned that among the eight heavenly kings, only the Iron-Faced King died young.?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

This lineage has already declined with the Iron-Face King's early death and the Queen Mother's marriage far away.

But now, Madam Gui told me that she was going to find the Iron Face King?!

I just felt incredible, thinking she was confused, and said, "Madam Gui, have you made a mistake? Didn't the Iron Face King pass away long ago? How do you go to find him?"

Madam Gui just smiled bitterly and shook her head.

I suddenly noticed something and lowered my voice and said, "Can he be - he is not dead?!"

Madam Gui looked around and stepped forward to me, and said softly: "Whether it is dead or alive, in fact, no one can explain it clearly."

"What?"

"He is not dead, but he is gone."

My heart skipped a beat, and I looked at her with wide eyes. Madam Gui sighed and said, "The Empress Dowager went south from Shengjing to marry into the royal family. The Iron-faced King and her brother-sister love were deeply loved by her. After the delivery, he did not return to Shengjing, but planned to travel in the Central Plains."

Looking back, Shengjing and the royal family had intermarried back then, and obviously the relationship was still harmonious. It was not uncommon for the Iron Face King to stay in the Central Plains to play.

I hurriedly said, "Then he is—"

Madam Gui said, "But when the person left, there was no news. After half a year, the empress dowager found something wrong and sent someone to go back to Shengjing to inquire. The people there also said that the Iron-faced King did not return to Shengjing. The empress dowager asked the emperor to search everywhere in the Central Plains. Who knew that this person seemed to have suddenly disappeared in the world. No matter how many people were sent or how they were looking for it, they could not find it."

I was stunned.

"how so?"

"If you encounter a bad guy and a martial art like the Iron Face King, how can an ordinary person be his opponent? But if the man is still there, how could he not come back after so many years?"

"Then, is there no news at all? No one knows where he appeared last time?"

Madam Gui glanced at me: "No, I don't know."

“…”

"Although the Supreme Emperor had been comforting the Queen Mother before, everyone said behind their backs that I was afraid that the Iron-Faced King would not come back. But the Queen Mother always refused to believe it, always saying that her brother was still there and would come back one day. This time, her unfinished thoughts were beyond - that thing, and there was one more thing."

The Empress Dowager’s Unfinished Worship - Huang Tianba, no matter how he is now, at least the Empress Dowager knows that he is still alive, but the Iron Face King’s life and death are uncertain, which really makes her unable to let go.

I didn't expect that the legendary Iron-faced King had such a bizarre experience. No wonder Butu used the word "seem" when talking about his premature death at that time because there was no way to confirm whether he was really dead. But a person never appeared again over the years, so naturally he could only use "death" to end his last connection in this world.

Looking back on the past few years, the Empress Dowager who lived alone in Linshui Pagoda and knelt in front of the Buddhist shrine and recited prayers, I felt sad again. She was worried about this life, but her relatives who were connected to her blood have all lost them one by one.

She is so bitter.

Thinking of this, my eyes were a little hot, but it was still important for Madam Gui in front of me. I asked, "Where are you planning to find Madam when she goes out?"

Madam Gui glanced at me and said, "Let's go around and take a look."

"Then, mama, wait for me."

After I said that, I turned around and walked into the house, and all the things were moved over. Fortunately, the little eunuchs were careful and did not put them in random places. The pattern was almost the same as when I lived in Jingren Palace. I quickly found my own box to save myself. Over the years, I was trapped in the palace and received my salary. I also had a generous reward during festivals and the birth of the prince and daughter. I saved a lot of money, so I picked up a bag of silver and stuffed it into her hands.

Madam Gui hurriedly refused: "Sir, this is not OK, this--"

"Madam!" I pinched her hard and looked at her steadily. She met my firm gaze, was silent for a moment, and then stopped refusing, with only red eyes: "Thank you."

I felt that she was feeling a little depressed. Perhaps because of parting, I held her hand tighter and said, "My grandma, don't thank me, I want to ask Mama if I want something."

"Oh? What?"

"The nanny has been with the Queen Mother for so long, so there must be some items that the Queen Mother has used. I want to ask for one to bring with me."

"That's it..." Madam Gui thought for a while, then lowered her head and lifted up her sleeves, wiped a string of sandalwood Buddhist beads from her wrist, and said, "The Queen Mother has packed up all the other things. The Queen Mother has always brought these beads to me before she refused the horse. I'm afraid she had already-" At this point, Madam choked up and said softly, "If you don't dislike it, just accept this."

I hurriedly said, "Thank you, nanny, for giving up your love."

Madam Gui looked at me again, sighed, and said softly: "Sir, take care of yourself."

I think her eyes looked at me very solemnly today. Maybe because of the feeling of parting, I wanted to say something, but when I heard a eunuch outside urging me, she saluted me and turned around and left.

.

I was a little dazed, as if I felt that the little warmth in my life had left another one. A gust of wind blew, and with the bleak autumn, a tree of red leaves coolly blew. I turned around and watched the red leaves dancing gracefully. In a trance, I seemed to see the fire in Gui Palace decades ago.

Perhaps it is more than just a woman who swallows it.

And what will the fire in front of me swallow?

I kept standing under the tree, and the wind blew everyone cold. After a while, Shui Xiu and Kuaer ran in from outside, and immediately said, "It's really here!"

I looked back at them: "What?"

Kou'er came over to me and said, "Sir, the Queen asked you to go back--to-go."

I knew I was moving to Yihua Palace, so I didn’t say I would go back to Jingren Palace.

I lowered my eyelids lightly and said nothing, then turned around and walked out, passed the towering red wall, and walked into the familiar house of Jingren Palace. It was cool outside, but there was a warm and salty fragrance inside.

There were slow dishes and soup on the table, and Chang Qing sat quietly by the table.

Her face didn't look very good, maybe because these days were too hard, her chin was thin and her long and black eyelashes hung on her eyes, making her look a little sad and melancholy.

"I pay homage to the Queen."

I went over to salute her, and she hurriedly asked Kouer to help me up and said softly: "Come and accompany me to use this meal."

I paused: "I don't dare."

"Okay." She glared at me with a angrily angrily, and asked Kou'er and Shuixiu to come and help me sit down. I could only sue me and sit down sideways. She asked Kou'er to serve me a bowl of hot soup first.

The bowl was steaming and the milky white soup was slightly rippling. You could see the crispy stewed calves, the almost melted Codonopsis and Angelica sinensis. Unlike me who often get hurt and get sick, Chang Qing looks good, but she is not in good health, so her diet has been mainly nourishing for a long time. It was cheaper for me to eat with her.

I took a sip carefully and the soup tasted very strong and fragrant.

Chang Qing also held the soup bowl. Just as she was about to drink it, she suddenly frowned again, as if the taste of the soup didn't satisfy her much. Although I thought the soup was very good, she didn't say anything. She just held the spoon and plucked the oil on the edge of the soup bowl, and said softly: "Have you seen it in Yihua Palace?"

"……Um."

"All everything is OK?"

"……Um."

Listening to my obedient and almost numb answer, she raised her head and looked at me, and sighed softly: "Qingying!"

I also looked at her, but seemed to have no strength to look at each other again. I lowered my head and looked at myself reflected in the soup.

Some are blurry, some are naive.

She looked at me for a long time, then sighed again, and said, "Forget it."

“…”

"After this matter, you should think about yourself more."

After saying that, he scooped a spoonful of soup with a spoon to drink, but as soon as he lowered his head, he frowned again.

Just then, Eunuch Yu's voice came from outside—

"The Emperor is here!"

Everyone in the room was shocked when they heard this. I put down the soup bowl and stood up and took a step back. Chang Qing glanced at me, but didn't say anything, so she got up to greet her. Pei Yuanhao had already stepped in and said with a smile: "The Queen is so fragrant here."

"I wish you to the Emperor."

"Get up."

Pei Yuanhao reached out and helped her get up, looked up at me again, then looked at the dishes all over the table, and smiled and said, "Okay, you're eating private dishes again."

Chang Qing smiled and said, "The emperor said this, but I am wronged."

"Let me come and taste it, but the queen is wrongly accused."

They were talking and laughing, sitting down together, and I was still standing next to me. Pei Yuanhao reached out to take the bowl of soup that Kuaer had served, and said without looking back, "Cingying, come and sit down."

I said calmly: "I don't dare."

"I'll let you sit down."

"The emperor and the queen have no ceremony for a meal."

Before the soup could be drunk, his brows had already frowned. He raised his head to look at me. I could feel the anger between his eyebrows, but when he raised his head to meet my eyes, the anger slowly dissipated, as if it had dissipated in the fragrant hot air of the soup. After a moment of silence, he said softly: "I asked you to sit, not Jixian Zheng."

Not Jixian Zheng?

Thinking back on the transport of large and small bags to Yihua Palace just now, and when the little eunuchs smiled carefully, I just felt that the salty fragrance in the room was no longer so tempting, just stood still.

Chang Qing stood up quickly and said softly: "Qingying, the emperor asked you to-"

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly stopped, frowned, and a sad expression flashed across her face, and she was hunched over.

When I saw her like this, I was shocked and said carefully: "Empress, what's wrong with you?"

"I-I-" She was a little helpless and murmured to say something. She suddenly reached out to cover her mouth and let out a dry retching.

When I heard this sound, I was shocked.

Pei Yuanhao also hurriedly got up and helped her, saying, "Queen? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry—" Chang Qing frowned. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly felt dry retching again and vomited a few mouthfuls of sour water unbearably. Kua'er and Xing'er next to her rushed forward to protect the queen. Shui Xiu handed over a silk handkerchief. I took it carefully to help Chang Qing wipe the corners of her lips. Pei Yuanhao looked at this scene and suddenly seemed to feel something. He turned around and said, "Transfer to the imperial doctor!"
To be continued...