The queen has so many tricks

Chapter 11 Taian Palace

It was only after he regained his sight that many things only knew their names but did not know what they looked like.

Huijiu joyfully pulled her along, starting from the Zhonghe Gate, and pointed out the rare flowers and plants in the imperial garden, the palaces and halls in the inner court, and the rare treasures in her collection to Changbin one by one.

For dinner, I can't wait to arrange all the delicacies of mountains and seas for Chang Wei to taste.

Chang Ji returned to Luoying Hall after having dinner in Shangshan Hall, she was a bit tired after wandering around the palace for half a day.

Tan Qing helped her wash and rest, but she lay on the bed but was unwilling to close her eyes. She tossed and turned for a while, and saw the moonlight shining outside the window, she put on her clothes again, sat on the bed for a while, and called Tan Qing to ask: "What time is it?"

"At the beginning of the Xu Dynasty." Tan Qing said with a smile, "Your Highness is sure to be happy when she regained her consciousness. I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep for a while. Why don't I accompany His Highness outside for a walk."

Chang Ji said: "Alright, I also want to go outside and watch the moonlight."

Tan Qing put on a cloak for her, and accompanied her to wander around the Luoying Hall.When he reached the gate of the hall, Chang Bi stopped for a while, then raised his foot to go out again.

Tan Qing led the way for her with a palace lantern, left the Luoying Hall, walked along the corridor, first passed several concubines' palaces, then went to the Imperial Garden, bypassed Huachi and arrived at the Queen's bedroom, Zhonghe Palace.

Walking by the Huachi, Changbin saw palace lanterns flickering by the pool, green springs surging in the pool, and flowers undulating.Suddenly thought of something, and asked as he walked, "Is the red Polygonum submerged in Huachi that day, dead or alive?"

Tan Qing replied: "The fourth princess ordered someone to rescue him in time to rescue him. On that day, His Royal Highness fell into the water, which alarmed the front and rear palaces. The second princess was afraid that His Majesty would punish him severely, so she pushed the matter to Hong Liaozi, saying that it was him. Sowing discord between you two. His Majesty didn't care much about these things, so he beat Polygonum Red and sent him to Zongzheng Temple as a foreigner."

Chang Ji said: "Tomorrow you go to Zongzheng Temple to inquire about it, and I will go and see him."

Tan Qing came down, and Chang Wei continued along the Huachi to the Zhonghe Gate.

Tan Qing said: "Your Highness, the palace will be under martial law and the guards will be changed at Haishi, and you are not allowed to move around. Your Highness, let's go shopping tomorrow."

Chang Ji said: "It's okay, we will come back when martial law is encountered."

After passing the Zhonghe Gate, you will find the Qianchao Palace ahead, and when you walk to the closest palace to the Zhonghe Gate, Tan Qing said: "This is His Majesty's bedroom, the Zhenghe Palace."

Although Emperor Chu was not in the palace, the Zhenghe palace was still brightly lit.

Looking at the Zhenghe Palace in the face of the lights, Changji saw a hall with five ridges and four slopes. The lower three floors are white jade platform bases, with glazed gold tiles on the top, four corners with double eaves, and 36 towering pillars in the hall. , The floor is paved with gold bricks, and the eyes are full of gold and jade in the brilliant lights.

Chang Wei took a look and then walked forward. On the corridors around the Zhenghe Palace, there were continuous lineups of imperial guards patrolling through. When they met Chang Wei and Tan Qing, they stopped them for questioning.

Tan Qing showed his identity, and the imperial guards bowed and cupped their hands to Chang Wei.

The guard who led the team said: "There will be martial law in the palace, Your Highness is not allowed to go any further."

Chang Ji insisted on going forward, but the head of the Imperial Guard stopped him and was about to get into an argument, when a thick male voice came from behind and said, "Let's all go, I will tell His Highness."

Chang Po looked back and saw that this man was tall and straight, with clear eyebrows and eyes, wearing black armor and a long sword hanging on his waist, walking along the way, the armor and shoes made their own clanging sounds.

All the imperial guards clasped their fists and saluted, "Master Nie Chuan."

He waved his hand, and the guards marched away.

He stepped forward to salute Chang Wei with his fists cupped and said: "Minister, the commander of the imperial guards, Nie Chuanpei, has seen His Highness."

Chang Wei sized him up and nodded slightly: "Master Nie Chuan and the left minister Nie Chuan Zhen are from the same branch?"

Nie Chuanpei replied: "The minister comes from a side branch of the Nie Chuan family, which is not as good as the direct line of Master Zuo Xiang."

Chang Ji said: "How do you and your lord Zuo Xiang talk about seniority?"

Nie Chuanpei said: "The subject is of the same generation as the Prime Minister Zuo. In terms of seniority, the subject is older."

"Since that's the case," Chang Ji said with a smile, "I still have to call my lord cousin."

Nie Chuanpei hurriedly bowed and saluted, "I dare not."

He also said: "When you are young, the palace will be under martial law. It may be inconvenient for Your Highness to walk in the palace. It is better to let your ministers accompany you."

Chang Ji nodded and said, "Thank you, my lord."

She was walking forward, Tan Qing was leading the way on one side of her holding the palace lantern, and Nie Chuanpei was a few steps behind, walking on the other side of her.When the patrolling guards saw him head-on, they all stopped to salute with their fists clasped, and then continued to patrol, instead of coming to stop them as before.

After walking for a while, Chang Ji saw a grander palace than the Zhenghe Palace. Below it was a five-step white jade base, and above it was a gilded dome.

However, there is no light in the hall, and the outline of the hall can only be seen by the lamps and candles on the white jade platform.

"Where is that?" Chang Ji stopped and asked.

Nie Chuanpei said: "Shanghe Palace is the place where the courtiers meet, but..."

It's just that during Emperor Chu's reign, court meetings were rarely held, and almost no one went there, so there were no lights.

Chang Ji walked past the Shanghe Palace, and Nie Chuanpei pointed to a long straight corridor going eastward beside the Shanghe Palace: "Going east from the Shanghe Palace is the Wenhua Palace, which is the East Palace, which is the former prince's palace. residence."

Chang Ji couldn't help stopping his feet, looked beyond the dark palace to the same dark corridor beside him, and said in a low voice for a long while: "Elder Brother Huang lives there..."

Tan Qing heard Chang Ji mentioning Prince Gongde, afraid that she would go to the Wenhua Palace to see the scenery and be sad, so she said softly: "Your Highness, it's getting late, go back to the palace and rest."

Chang Wei shook his head, continued to walk forward, and saw a group of dazzling lights in the distance. Surrounded by the lights, there was a hall with nine ridges and seven slopes. Below it was a white jade platform with twelve steps. There are candlesticks, and lights are lit.Auspicious birds and auspicious animals are carved on the double eaves at the four corners on the top, and a row of octagonal palace lanterns half a person's height are hung under the eaves.

Danbi in front of the hall descends along the 24-step white jade platform. There are also lampstands on both sides of Danbi. In the hall, 72 thousands of lamps are arranged in two rows. The whole palace is brightly lit up and down, as bright as day , plus the [-] Tengyun pillars in the hall, painted with gold and silver, make it even more solemn and gorgeous.

Nie Chuanpei said: "This is the Xuanhe Palace, the most important palace in the Tai'an Palace. It cannot be used at will. Only the enthronement of the emperor, the wedding, and the ceremonies of offering sacrifices to heaven can be held here. Ordinary people are not allowed to enter and leave at will. If your Highness Don't go in easily without His Majesty's will."

Going forward through the moat of Xuanhe Palace is Xuanhe Gate, and beyond the gate of Xuanhe Palace is the outside of the imperial city.Chang Ji finally stopped in front of the Xuanhe Palace, and looked at the Tengyun Long Bridge on the moat and the Xuanhe Gate at the end of the long bridge from a distance by the palace lanterns on both sides of the imperial road.

At this time, the more drums of Haishi sounded.

The sound of drums followed closely, especially in the thick and silent night.After the tenth watch drum sounded, a distant bell rang from Taixu Pavilion, echoing continuously in the empty hall.

An internal official stood on the seventh white jade steps of Xuanhe Palace, raised his neck, and sang in a high-pitched voice like a rooster crowing: "The hour of Hai is here—martial—strict—"

The patrolling guards stood still, turned to face north, and retreated towards the Beique Gate.At the same time, the Nanhua Gate opened wide, and another group of guards in armor and swords came in from the Nanhua Gate.

These imperial guards were divided into two sides with the Zhonghe Gate as the boundary. One side went to the inner court and only went to the front of the Zhonghe Palace, standing guard at ten steps.In the future, the inner court guards of Zhonghe Palace will be in charge of internal officials.The other side moved forward and divided into three parts, one part continued to shuttle and patrol among the palaces, one part went to the turrets on the four corners of the Taian Palace to change defenses, and the other part went forward to change defenses to each palace and hall.

When the guards changed, the palace gates of the previous court and the inner court began to close. After the palace gates were closed, the lights in the palace were half extinguished, and the brightly lit Tai'an Palace immediately dimmed a lot.

When martial law began, Nie Chuanpei went to Nanhua Gate to command the guards.Before leaving, he said to Chang Wei: "During the martial law in the palace, no one is allowed to move around at will. Your Highness stands here and waits. I will send someone to escort His Highness back later."

Although Chang Ji didn't grow up in the palace, he was still familiar with certain rules of the palace.At the beginning of the founding of Luoshui, there was no rule of changing the martial law in the palace. Until No. 70 when the emperor ascended the throne, the relationship between Luoshui and Nan Zhao was tense. Nan Zhao's secret works often sneaked into Luoshui, or stood in the court as an official. Be a butcher, or mix into the imperial guards to monitor the words and deeds of the emperor.

One year, the abolished prince colluded with Nan Zhaoxi, who had been infiltrated into the imperial guards. When the guards were lax, they opened the gate of the palace wide open in an attempt to plot a rebellion.

Since then, the Tai'an Palace has established a palace rule, the forbidden guards are changed every day, the palace is under martial law, and no one is allowed to enter or leave the palace gate or walk around the palace without the emperor's will.Otherwise, they will all be punished as the crime of treason.

At this time, the martial law was changed, and Chang Wei stood quietly in front of Xuanhe Palace. Xuanhe Palace was slowly closing the two black palace gates. Halfway through, under the eaves of the four-cornered palace, the half-person-high octagonal palace lantern is still on. The snow-white silk surface is painted with looming misty mountains and ten thousand hectares of pear blossoms. The palace lantern is blown by the night wind, and the candles flicker. The mountains and pear blossoms sway endlessly in the blink of an eye.

Chang Wei slowly looked around, in the dimly lit night, far and near, there were many palaces, continuous palace walls, circle after circle, layer by layer...

She had always been calm and composed, but at this moment she suddenly felt scared. She wanted to leave, and at that moment a thought came into her mind - if she didn't leave at this moment, she would be trapped here forever in this life.

She wanted to go back to Shen Shan Mansion, she hadn't seen what Shen Shan Mansion looked like, it should also be a tall courtyard with many buildings, but it wouldn't be the same as here, it made her feel uneasy.

She couldn't wait for a moment, turned around, and ran towards Xuanhemen quickly.

(End of this chapter)