"Peach ripens only once every three thousand years,
The immortals gather together at the Yaochi Banquet.
Today is the birthday of the Queen Mother,
I, Magu, wish you a happy birthday!"
Boom clang clang~
On the stage, the woman playing Magu walked gracefully with her sleeves fluttering.
It is indeed a famous opera troupe in the capital, with unique charm in both body and singing.
If you put it elsewhere, even if you are a low-level actor, there are still many people who will praise you.
But here Prince Ying's Estate, I didn't even get a warm meal.
Of course, no one in the troupe dared to complain.
The King of England at that time was born in the military. Although he fought bravely and followed the emperor in the north and south, and made great contributions, he was too poor when he was young. According to the advice of his parents' matchmaker, he married a famous and fierce woman in the village.
As the King of England rose higher and higher, this shrew gradually became Royal Concubine, becoming more domineering and domineering.
If the King of England were still alive, this old Royal Concubine wouldn't be able to change the world.
However, the King of England was wounded all over his body on the battlefield. He died not long after returning to Beijing and handing over military power.
Now, Prince Ying's Estate's family tradition has completely gone wrong.
Many distant relatives came to seek refuge with him. They were all unscrupulous people. They would say flattery to try to please old Royal Concubine, and then they would rely on Prince Ying's Estate's reputation to do evil outside. How could these descendants of the palace not be affected?
Just like the Princess from before, he ran directly to the side door, yelled and urged the troupe to sing.
Which lady can do this?
The key thing is that old Royal Concubine didn't feel embarrassed and even came to see it himself.
Of course, their tyranny and notoriety are all directed at the common people at the bottom.
A true dignitary, Prince Ying's Estate has a lot of contacts and is very considerate in giving gifts during holidays.
Because of this, after the death of the King of England, the royal palace could still remain in the capital for such a long time Xiaoyao.
No matter how big the troupe's role is, they naturally don't dare to offend.
Of course, Li Yan doesn't care about this.
The moment he saw Yu Wenhai, he knew that the end of Prince Ying's Estate had come.
This person is in charge of Jinghai Gang, and is also a disciple of the "bad scholar" Kong Hui.
Prince Ying's Estate Where does this bear's heart and leopard's courage come from?
Li Yan was puzzled but did not say anything.
In front of the stage is a pool with dense bamboo forests on both sides.
Li Yan leaned back quietly, hiding in the bamboo forest, observing through the gap.
The attic terrace opposite was open, and old Royal Concubine was sitting in the middle. He was a little fat, and the heavy makeup could not hide his wrinkles and age spots. His hair was meticulously combed with silver threads, and his forehead was smeared with gold threads, with an emerald as big as a thumb embedded in it.
The female relatives on both sides were all dressed in rich clothes, with swaying pearls and jade. They said they were watching a show, but most of the time they were sideways and saying compliments. Old Royal Concubine was surrounded by everyone and smiled very happily.
Unlike others, Yu Wenhai did not have a seat, but stood respectfully aside.
Because of the distance and the interference of the troupe's gongs and drums, Li Yan couldn't hear what was being said.
"Manager Liu, please help me."
Li Yan looked at the palace guard opposite who was wearing Wild Goose Feather Blade and stared at him with eager eyes, and explained in a low voice.
Liu San suddenly understood, bowed his head and leaned over, "Everyone, where should we go to eat later?"
"How can I have time to eat?!"
A guard scolded, "The guests will arrive later, continue singing, and then we can talk after the banquet is over!"
While the two parties were talking, Li Yan had pinched Mystical Gestures and closed his eyes.
With a pick of the little finger, several Chuling Paper Figure flew out immediately.
Prince Ying's Estate also asked a Feng Shui master to arrange the arrangement and place counterfeit objects in the courtyard to suppress the monks from exploring.
Li Yan can naturally be broken open, but the movement is too loud, so Chuling Paper Figure is more convenient.
With his current skills, he can control several paper figures at the same time.
I saw a Chuling Paper Figure flying into the gap in the rockery, shuttled through it, and headed towards the ancestral hall.
That's what Hu Yuanyuan said, and Wuleji's possible hiding place.
Although Li Yan didn't know how the other party judged it, he had already accepted Underworld Journeys's mission and noticed that a small area was slightly hot, and the direction was Prince Ying's Estate's ancestral hall.
The other paper figurine flew from the dark corner of the corridor to the bottom of the attic.
Through the paper figures, the images and conversations of the people above all appeared in Li Yan's mind:
Old Royal Concubine was leaning on the Arhat couch, with the maid behind him blowing a pheasant feather fan.
The middle-aged woman next to you said flatteringly, "Old Ancestor looks better and better. The eminent monk of Daxiangguo Temple said that your appearance is the blessing of Bodhisattva."
"More than that? Dragon Tiger Mountain Daoist priest said that your longevity star is so bright that you have clearly eaten the Queen Mother's flat peach!"
Another middle-aged woman saw this and quickly answered.
However, the face of old Royal Concubine immediately darkened, "Ms. Zhao, the amount of money your family received last month was wrong, right?"
After hearing this, the middle-aged woman's face suddenly turned pale, "Old Ancestor, it's unfair..."
"Stop talking!"
Old Royal Concubine glanced at me lightly and said, "It's such a happy day, I'm too lazy to argue with you."
When everyone saw this, they didn't dare to speak anymore.
Old Royal Concubine has always been moody, and they don't know how to say the wrong thing.
However, this appearance attracted Li Yan.
Through Chuling Paper Figure, he can see clearly and find more details.
When the female family members mentioned "flat peach", old Royal Concubine's reaction was extremely abnormal. The wrinkles that had been relaxed due to flattery instantly tightened, a trace of panic flashed through his cloudy eyes, and his skinny fingers suddenly pinched the armrest of the incense couch.
Li Yan already has a judgment in his mind.
This eighty-year-old Royal Concubine is a "flat peach" eater, but beneath his apparent appearance, he has been hollowed out by magic!
No wonder...
Li Yan showed a sneer at the corner of his mouth.
Outside, Prince Ying's Estate is in charge of the King of England and his younger brother.
But the one who really walks the talk is old Royal Concubine.
At the age of eighty, he is still greedy and domineering by nature, and he cannot resist the temptation of the flat peach.
"Old Ancestor Calm down."
Yu Wenhai, who was standing next to him, suddenly spoke, smiled and cupped his hands and said, "Today is a big day for the palace, and I am here to save your face. When all the guests are here, we must not make any mistakes."
These words were extremely unreasonable and almost seemed like an order.
The female relatives nearby were a little surprised when they heard it, and they didn't dare to breathe.
But what surprised them was that old Royal Concubine was not angry, but rather looked forward to it, "Can it really work?"
Yu Wenhai smiled, "Don't worry, don't we all get together just to help each other?"
"That's good."
Old Royal Concubine breathed a sigh of relief, "Where is your master?"
Yu Wenhai bowed his hands respectfully and said, "Master has other important matters and cannot come."
"Who is there?"
"Old Ancestor will find out later..."
The conversation between the two made the surrounding women confused.
However, Li Yan heard the key point.
Many people from "Pan Peach Gathering" will come to this gathering. With the help of these powerful people, Prince Ying's Estate will be able to survive the disaster.
Moreover, these "Pan Peach Gathering" people don't seem to know each other.
What an unexpected surprise!
Li Yan I never expected that such a good thing would happen to me.
Long Yan'er and the others will follow the guests later, and Luo MingZi's people will also be surrounding them.
If confirmed, all the people named "Pan Peach Gathering" can be caught in one fell swoop.
I just don't know if Zhao Qingxu will show up.
That's all, even if you don't come, you can't miss this opportunity.
The characters in "Pan Peach Gathering" are all dignitaries in the capital, and they are all serious troubles.
If these people could be removed, he would no longer need to conceal his identity.
Before I knew it, it was sunset.
The afterglow of the setting sun coats Prince Ying's Estate's vermillion-lacquered door with a layer of golden red, like burning charcoal fire.
The shadow of the stone lion in front of the house was stretched extremely long, and people who came to celebrate his birthday also came in an endless stream.
"Mother, the guests are here."
A middle-aged man hurriedly ran upstairs. It was Xiao Jingyan, the younger brother of the King of England, who had brought Prince Hai home the night before.
"Okay."
Old Royal Concubine stood up slowly and said, "Go and greet the guests and let Jing Yuan entertain them."
"Yes, mother."
Xiao Jingyan quickly turned around and headed towards the door.
The first one to arrive was a simple carriage with green curtains.
The car curtain was lifted, and a hand wearing an jade ring poked out first, and then a middle-aged man in rich clothes walked out.
"Seen Lord Zhou."
Xiao Jingyan looked surprised and hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.
To be honest, given the current situation of the palace, he was not sure who would come back.
But unexpectedly, Vice Minister of Revenue Zhou Mingyuan arrived first.
This man has been promoted all the way from the county magistrate. He is young and powerful, and his future prospects are limitless.
" It's Royal Concubine's birthday. Naturally, I want to come and ask for a drink."
Zhou Mingyuan smiled slightly, with both hope and fear in his eyes.
"Lord Zhou please."
The Wang Mansion and Zhou Mingyuan have never interacted with each other. Xiao Jingyan didn't know why the other party came, but he still invited him into the palace with a face full of joy.
The sedan chair of Zheng Shian, a doctor from the Ministry of Industry, followed closely behind.
This man, who has always been afraid of the cold, was unusually wearing only a single coat, but his neck was tightly wrapped in a fox fur collar...
Salt Transport Commissioner Mrs. Lin came in a fragrant car decorated with bells.
Her belly was bulging high, and she had to hold her waist and gasp for air every time she took a step, but her face was covered with thick lead powder, and her lips were filled with bright red rouge...
The most ostentatious one is the eight-carriage sedan of Marquis Anping Xiao Jinghuan.
When the alcoholic and prodigal royal opened the sedan curtain, the whole street was filled with the strange smell of wine mixed with sandalwood.
His swollen cheeks were shiny under the setting sun, and the jade pendant around his waist jingled...
Xiao Jingyan's face was filled with joy.
He didn't expect that his mother had such a great reputation.
With the help of these people and the kindness of the late King of England, any disaster can be overcome.
All this was recorded by the Commandery Commandant Office spy who was watching from a distance.
In a nearby house Wing Room, Luo MingZi checked the list one by one, his expression getting increasingly ugly.
Because among them, there are actually two hosts from the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect Daoist Temple in Beijing.
At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind:
Things are about to get big!
News came from the palace that Imperial Guards is ready and gathering here.
If so many powerful people are from "Pan Peach Gathering", the capital city will inevitably face a wave of bloodbath.
When the carriage Imperial College offering wine Zou Yanli arrived under the last ray of skylight, the palace was already ablaze with lights.
"Zou Jijiu."
Xiao Jingyan couldn't hide the smile on his face, and he quickly stepped forward to help him.
This Zou Yanli is a great scholar in the capital and has countless disciples among the officials.
But before he could take action, a young man next to him took Zou Yanli's arm.
Wearing a Confucian robe and a cold expression, he is none other than Lu San in disguise.
In addition, Long Yan'er and Sha LiFei also pretended to be maids and servants.
Only Wu Ba, because his size was too eye-catching, stayed two streets away to protect Wang Dao Xuan who was setting up the altar.
"You're welcome."
Zou Yanli stroked his beard and smiled and said, "This is the son of the clan. I brought him to see the world. He is not feeling well. The maids and servants have to follow him into the house to serve him. I don't know..."
"Master Zou is joking, of course."
Xiao Jingyan was so excited that he didn't care about these trivial matters and immediately invited people in.
"Senior brother."
In the distant house, seeing the number of guests getting fewer and fewer, a Daoist asked for instructions in a low voice.
"No rush."
Luo MingZi wiped Law Sword quietly, "Once Dragon Lady is confirmed, we will start arresting people!"
At dusk, the lights inside Prince Ying's Estate are brightly lit.
The glazed palace lanterns hanging under the red lacquer corridor make the blue bricks slightly golden.
In the main hall, King Xiao Jingyuan of England was sitting at the throne in a purple python robe. Although he was nearly fifty years old, his complexion was as rosy as a man in his prime. Only the fine lines at the corners of his eyes revealed his fatigue.
"Everyone, I would like to propose a toast to you!"
His mood was also very good.
This is the first time the royal family has encountered such a dilemma since inheriting the throne of the British King.
He has been naughty since he was a child and is a well-known dandy in the capital. He has never suffered much since he was a child, so he was inevitably frightened in the past two days.
Now that I see a room full of dignitaries, I finally let go of my worries.
After three rounds of drinking, the singing on the stage remains the same.
Suddenly I heard the jingling of rings, and it was old Royal Concubine who was helped out by two maids.
"I have seen Royal Concubine, I wish you happiness like the East Sea."
Seeing this, many officials and dignitaries quickly raised their glasses to welcome him.
"I owe my life to all of you..."
Old Royal Concubine had a kind face and even drank a glass of water and wine to thank the guests.
"Where, Royal Concubine looks very good."
"I'm here to get some luck..."
Everyone started to flatter him one after another.
After three rounds of drinking, some people immediately said goodbye and left.
They are all officials and businessmen trained by the royal family. They can't come this time to show their support.
Some people were led into the West Cross Courtyard by the maid.
The waterside pavilion in the west courtyard of the palace has been converted into a secret room.
The window lattice was covered with blood talisman paper, and seven bronze oil lamps were placed on the ground. The flames were actually a faint green.
More than ten guests were sitting around, including Vice Minister of Revenue Zhou Mingyuan and Marquis Anping Xiao Jinghuan.
They looked at each other first, then smiled and chatted.
Everyone has a tacit understanding.
This is the first time that "Pan Peach Gathering" members have gathered together since its establishment.
At this moment, when old Royal Concubine pushed in the door, everyone stood up.
"Everyone..."
Old Royal Concubine smiled slightly, "We are all our own, there is no need to hide it, I must be tired."
As he spoke, he waved his hand gently.
Just then, maids filed in, carrying sandalwood plates in their hands.
The plate was filled with big smoking poles and small celadon bowls.
No one was talking nonsense, and after taking it, they dug out a ball of black paste from the small celadon bowl.
After lighting it, everyone puffed out clouds of mist and their expressions became relaxed.
"Ugh~"
Suddenly, Mrs. Salt Transport Commissioner Lin bent over and retched.
There were actually a few clusters of snow-white mycelium in the spit out mucus.
I quickly took a few more puffs, then leaned back on the chair with my eyes drooping...
"That's it."
In the hall not far away, Long Yan'er fiddled with Gu worms and whispered, "They all use Fushou Paste to relieve pain."
"There's no rush yet."
Lu San shook his head and said, "I haven't seen Yan XiaoGe yet. Wait for him to confirm before sending a signal."
Just as he was talking, he suddenly saw Li Yan walking out slowly from the stage in the distance and gesturing to them.
"Do it!"
Lu San shouted lowly, Sha LiFei took out a bamboo tube from his arms without saying a word.
There was a flint mechanism hidden inside, and when it was pulled suddenly, smoke suddenly appeared from underneath the bamboo tube.
Phew! Pa!
Fireworks shot out from the door and window into the night, followed by a loud bang.
"Do it!"
Luo MingZi suddenly opened his eyes, picked up Law Sword and stood up.
In an instant, a man named Commandery Commandant Office appeared in the surrounding dark alley, rushing toward the palace with a knife...