Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 598 The wonder of the fusion of water and fire
In Kunning Palace,

The tense atmosphere was swept away. Tian Baoliang was also an old man in the palace. Since he was his, it was not a bad idea to take care of him. He had some concerns in his heart.
Dai Quan looked at the dishes on the table again, walked to Emperor Wu, lowered his head and replied,
"Your Majesty, he is from the imperial kitchen, a subordinate of Eunuch Tian. The dishes on the table are fine,"

"I have seen that good intentions lead to bad things. Look at how stupid these two are to have such thoughts. Queen, please have a meal."

Seeing that nothing happened in the palace,

Zhou Shihong was relieved, so he picked up a cup of wine and started sipping. Not to mention, with such an incident, the dinner was actually a bit sweet. Just when the emperor and empress were talking and laughing. ,
At this time, outside

Over the capital,
The dark clouds seemed to have gathered together, and suddenly the wind suddenly rose, and the lightning and thunder were deafening.

Immediately, the heavy rain poured down, like a waterfall, falling into the sky. When the Forbidden Army guard saw Dingzhi, he immediately ordered all the Forbidden Army to return to guard under the eaves of the corridor around Kunning Palace. Just as he stood still,

When taking shelter from the rain,
I don’t know what happened, but suddenly a thick bolt of lightning flashed in the dark sky, piercing the sky directly and falling from the sky, like a divine punishment before dawn.
In an instant, the frightened expressions of the Forbidden Army guards were illuminated. In full view of everyone,

Directly hitting the ancient tree in front of Kunning Palace, like a fire spirit in the rain

A fire ignited in an instant, like a ghost.

I finished speaking bravely,

Everyone's face turned pale with fright, and even the timid ones sat down on the ground, shouting something else.

"It's him, let him in,"

This quiet movement was already noticed by Emperor Wu and he asked,
"what's up?"

"Nonsense, I've seen it, and you're still talking too much. You just stare here, and I'll report back to His Majesty."

"Well, what's the matter?"

He even asked stupidly,
Yu Dingzhi swallowed his saliva. It was obvious that he had never seen such a scene. If he hadn't been able to protect His Majesty last time, and with the adjustment of strengthening the guards in the palace, he would have been arranged by the Interior Minister to guard His Majesty. This would have been a huge blessing. In the future, Life was going well for me, but just a few days after taking office, something strange happened again.

The eunuch in charge of the door quietly opened an opening of the palace door. When he saw it was the guard of the Forbidden Army, he nodded and said,

There were even more imperial guards who suddenly shouted,
"The sky fire hit the ancient tree!"

After closing the door, the steward walked into the inner hall with small steps. After passing the partition screen, he turned a corner and arrived at the Dongshou Hall. He saw that His Majesty and the Empress were still having a meal. He did not dare to disturb them, so he could only lower his head and follow the corner of the wall. The shadow on the wall passed and walked behind Eunuch Dai.
"Governor, outside the palace, the Forbidden Army is guarding General Yu Dingzhi. I have something to ask for."

Then it spread all the way, and was immediately heard by Yu Dingzhi, the general guarding the imperial army in front of the palace. He looked up and saw that in the rainy night, the ancient tree in Kunning Palace was igniting a raging fire. The flames rose to the height of the palace. Moreover, the rain could not extinguish it. How could it be like this? I stood there stunned,
The captain Sun Shan behind him was even more dumbfounded. Why did he always encounter strange things after following the general for a short time? He might as well go back to the Forbidden Army camp.

"Back to Your Majesty, I have something to report to the general outside the palace."

"The sky fire hit the ancient tree!"

Dai Quan immediately turned around and responded,
The queen also looked over with concern, called Chunhe, and took the brocade cloth to clean her majesty's hands.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"General, wait a moment."

"General, what should I do if there's a fire?"

Dai Quan gently pushed the steward behind him. The latter bent down and took a few steps back, then turned around and left quickly.
General Yu, who was waiting outside the door, looked at the ancient trees that were still burning. He felt a lingering fear in his heart. He didn't know what he thought of. He gritted his teeth and rushed outside, soaking himself in the rain. Sun Shan couldn't understand why it was so cold. If the rain falls on your body, you will not die of coldness.

"The final decision will be made. If there is an urgent matter, please inform Your Majesty."

"Return to the Governor, General Yu has not said anything."

Yu Dingzhi walked tremblingly towards the door of Kunning Palace. His legs and feet were like an old man's, not obeying orders. He walked very slowly, came to the door of Kunning Palace, and knocked carefully.

Before asking, General Yu shivered, held on to his helmet, and ran back quickly. Unexpectedly, the steps were slippery, and he stumbled and fell to the ground with an ouch.
"Oh, you killed me,"

He hurriedly stood up on the ground and ran back in embarrassment. As he walked back and forth, many forbidden soldiers saw that they were confused.
"General, what are you doing?"

Sun Shan couldn't help but ask after all. Looking at General Yu whose helmet was crooked, he wanted to help, but was stopped by Yu Dingzhi.
"What do you know? I'm keeping an eye on you."

After a while,
The palace door opens,

The eunuch in the chamber sent a message,

"General Yu, Your Majesty declares."

"Yes, father-in-law."

Then his face straightened, he limped into the inner hall, followed the steward, turned left and right, and entered the east hall.
"General Yu, here we are."

Hearing what the eunuch who was leading the way said, Yu Dingzhi touched his face with his hand, then waddled over,

Just entered the inner hall,

He immediately knelt down and crawled in, crying loudly;

"Your Majesty, my empress, it's not good, the fire from the sky burned the ancient trees, and the rain outside the palace will not extinguish it. There will be nothing we can do in the end."

This voice howled so loudly that there was no sound in the palace. Emperor Wu looked at Yu Dingzhi, who was covered in mud, with doubt in his eyes.
"You mean, the ancient tree in front of Kunning Palace was hit by sky fire,"

"Back to Your Majesty, yes, it is still burning. The general dare not hide it. The fire is so powerful that the rain will never put it out. The general called all the guards to the outside of Kunning Palace."

Yu Dingzhi was shivering from the cold, kneeling on the ground and shivering.

Queen Jiang thought General Yu was scared and had some doubts.
"Your Majesty, that ancient tree was there during the previous dynasty. Why is it such a coincidence today?"

"Let's go and take a look, the sky fire came too suddenly,"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dai Quan, who was beside him, did not dare to neglect. With a wave of his hand, the serving eunuchs surrounded him, and Yu Dingzhi led the way. The emperor and empress walked to the door of the palace together, looking at the pouring rain outside and the ancient buildings burning with raging fire. The tree, in a state of water and fire, had no expression on its face and was speechless for a moment.
The flames soared into the sky, which was especially visible in the dark night.

"Your Majesty, it's windy and rainy, it's better to go back." Dai Quan was also surprised when he saw this vision, but Your Majesty's dragon body is important and cannot be exposed to the wind and cold.

Emperor Wu had a gloomy face, looking at such a strange aspect, he really couldn't believe that water and fire could actually merge together, as if the harder the rain fell, the stronger the fire would burn. He looked at each other with Empress Jiang, then turned and returned to the palace. asked on the road;
"What does the queen think?"

Empress Jiang was also extremely surprised. This kind of thing is considered rare, but she remembered the carefree look of Marquis Luo Yun, as if he had said that all visions were fake, and things were done by humans, not God.

Feeling a little more at ease, I replied,
"Your Majesty, it's just that the sky fire hit the ancient tree and lost its fire. It has nothing to do with anything else. Even if there is anything, it is not under your Majesty's control."

"Yu Qing still understands me, but I'm afraid someone will make a fuss about this matter."

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong sighed secretly,
Only Tian Da and Tian Er, who were waiting in the corner, looked at each other quietly with pale faces, and they both understood that the fire was burning so strangely. It must be the things they had just thrown, the kit and the iron rod. If they were It was found out that the two of them had not died without a burial place. Fortunately, the two of them were waiting in the palace and no one suspected it. Otherwise, there would really be no explanation.

Just when the atmosphere in Kunning Palace was heavy, people in the palaces of various concubines in the harem vaguely heard that the ancient trees in Kunning Palace were hit by sky fire and burned up. The concubines, nobles, talents, etc. in the palace, all Thoughtful, especially Concubine Wu from Chunli Palace, with a sinister smile on her face.
"What a coincidence that the fire happened. Your Majesty just went to Kunning Palace, and there was a fire from the sky. Tell me, the fire from the sky didn't burn out sooner or later, but it burned at this time. Did the Queen do something wrong?"

"Your Majesty, you must not say that. Your Majesty, the Queen, cannot leave the palace during this period. How can she be unethical?"

Song Shuang, the female historian, replied eagerly that the empress was too courageous.

Concubine Wu was obviously full of jealousy. She couldn't stand the Queen's arrogant look. Her Majesty had nothing to show for her. It was unknown who the Queen's three princes were, and sinister thoughts emerged spontaneously.

Song Shuang also knew the resentment in the empress’s heart and whispered,
"Your Majesty, after the limelight, please ask the imperial doctor to come again for diagnosis and treatment. Now in the harem, you still need to be careful with Mr. Zhou. After all, your Majesty has not yet made you a concubine. Everything is possible."

"Hmph, that bitch is like a stone in the pit, smelly and hard, and her methods of deceiving people are also very good. She actually found a lot of talented people, and the ministers dared to go against me, and they were blinded. What did Xiao Shixuan say? "

Concubine Wu's face was ugly, and her argument with Guiren Zhou was aroused in the harem. With the queen's pressure, Concubine Zhou became even more complacent, and she had no choice but to kill her.
Song Shuang looked a little embarrassed.

"Mother, Xiao Shixuan hasn't agreed yet. Although this matter is hidden, if it is found out, Xiao Shixuan will have no way to survive. The Queen Mother and the Empress will not be lenient."

"waste!"

Concubine Wu couldn't bear it any longer and cursed angrily, then pushed all the tea bowls on the table to the ground.

"Okay, since you don't agree, then let's kill her. Let's step back and let her do everything. Doesn't Zhou Guiren want to be a concubine? There are rumors in the harem that Zhou Guiren will be named a concubine on a certain day. Let those people take care of themselves. have a look."

"Yes, my dear, I will remember this."

Song Shuang's eyes lit up. This is a good plan. Let's see how Zhou Guiren takes it.
In the corner of the harem, there is a small palace, which is Jia Yuanchun's Chunyun Palace.

After Jia Yuanchun left Kunning Palace, he lived here for about two months. He remembered the empress's meaningful look in her eyes before leaving. He knew that Rongguo Mansion's plan was mostly successful, but now, there is not even a letter. There is no news from Manager Xia of Changle Palace, so why don't you worry.

"Miss, you'd better go inside and rest."

The female officer Baoqin behind her quickly took out her cloak and put it on Yuanchun. It was windy and rainy outside, and the room was a bit cold.

"Miss, it's night, you'd better rest early and don't bother yourself anymore. What happens in the future can only depend on God's will. In fact, I want to say that the last time the palace granted a marriage, it would be better to directly grant a marriage to Marquis Luo Yun. It’s better than living in this palace too much. I heard that Yang Hanyu left the palace and lived a very comfortable life with the property of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. "

The female official Yuncai was even more aggrieved for the young lady. She blamed it all on the second wife of the Rongguo Mansion, who said she must never marry Marquis Luo Yun and never leave the palace. The young lady listened to her words and did not see Manager Xia.

Nowadays, I don’t know how many women in the palace are envious and jealous of Yang Hanyu. Although she is not a woman from the Central Plains, great good things have happened to her and she lives a free and easy life. How can she not be hated by others.

Jia Yuanchun remained silent. He had stayed in the palace for almost six years, and his heart was already like a dead tree. Anyone could see his mother's intention of getting her to the top. As the direct daughter of Rongguo Mansion, she could not stay out of the matter. , Mrs. Wang of the Hou Mansion has also seen him. He is considerate and generous. Marquis Luo Yun is even more heroic. It is a pity that he has not met.

"You two, stop complaining. The matter is now over. There is still one year left. If I reach my age and there is no news, you two can follow me back. You have been here for six years, so you are not afraid to wait any longer. One year.”

The desolate words made Yun Cai and Bao Qin feel very sad. Although the words were just like what the young lady said, when they returned to Rongguo Mansion, there was no place for the young lady, let alone the choice of a husband. It would not be like becoming a laughing stock. , even the former foxy Yang Hanyu, whose status is higher than that of a young lady, how can that be done!

"Miss, the harem is in chaos now, and Concubine Wu and Concubine Zhou are at odds with each other. Let's go to the Empress for help. Maybe we can find some solution."

"Okay, don't waste your time. You have already said that the harem is complicated and the concubines have many eyes. The Kunning Palace must be the focus. Now we go, not to mention getting burned. If it doesn't work out as we want, The gain outweighs the loss.”

Jia Yuanchun sighed, after all, he stopped quietly and could not pass. Even if he wanted to pass, he would wait until the situation in the court was better. However, it might not be an opportunity to go to Jing'an Temple to offer incense the next day. He was afraid that the Queen Mother would not know whether to take it with him. Together with the concubines in the harem,
"You two should clean up and rest together."

"Yes, ma'am."

The two girls had no choice but to go into the back room and start making the mattress.

Cining Palace,
Eunuch Zhou had already secretly entered the inner hall, walked through the secret passage into the Queen Mother's palace, and paid his respects.

"Queen Mother, this old slave is here."

"Well, I saw it. This man is old and has lost his energy. He will feel sleepy after leaning on it for a while."

Empress Dowager Lu leaned on the edge of the bed, covering herself with a quilt and squinting her eyes. When she heard the voice, she came back to her senses. An old woman had already come to serve her, bringing tea and water.

Eunuch Zhou bowed and replied,
"Master, news just came from Kunning Palace. The ancient tree in front of Kunning Palace was accidentally hit by sky fire tonight and burned down. Then I received a message from the eldest princess from Beishan Palace. I want the Queen Mother to go to Jing'an Temple to offer incense tomorrow. I feel that the eldest princess is responsible for this."

The Queen Mother changed her clothes at this time, took a sip of tea, calmed her mind, and nodded.

"Well, it's like that girl's method. That ancient tree has been there for at least a hundred years. It's a sin to burn it tonight."

Then he got up, and with the help of the old grandma, he sat down at the table, straightened his skirt,

"What she means is to go to Jing'an Temple to offer incense tomorrow. Why are you in such a hurry? It's not the same thing if it's one day earlier or one day later. She still has something to say."

Queen Mother Lu thought a lot in an instant. What else could happen in one day? Could it be that the girl had something important?

Eunuch Zhou stood there, wearing an old eunuch uniform, standing motionless. When the Queen Mother finished speaking, he coughed and said,
"Ahem, master, if my guess is correct, it was the old department of the Jingnan Hou Mansion that sent the message. The land in Jingnan was originally the home of Jingnan Hou Su's family. It disappeared without a trace in one day. Who knows? Can you believe it? There is no news about the nearly 100,000 troops under my command. Even if half of them were killed in the battle, there are still 50,000 troops left. Is it possible that all of these people are dead?"

"Are you saying something happened again in Jingnan?"

"Master, no, on the contrary, the old slave guessed one thing, that is, His Highness the Crown Prince may not be dead, and these old subordinates may have disappeared with the young master."

It had been so long since Eunuch Zhou used the secret guards, and there were many clues. Now that they were connected together, there were always clues leaking out. Empress Dowager Lu suddenly became energetic.
"You mean Yongxiao is still alive!"

(End of this chapter)