Chaos in the Chu Palace

Chapter 83 Seeing Big Red (2)
Ouyang Ruo patted the back of her hand and asked her to be safe and calm: "Sister Lin didn't find her cheating feet, how can she make her confess? If she was not the one who killed her, then Sister Lin would not kill her even if she was beaten to death." Admittedly. Those who dare to bear such charges have been bribed. The evidence is not convincing, and when the time comes to bite Sister Lin and say that it is an abuse of lynching, it is also a small crime."

Ouyang Ruo sighed in his heart, those wet nurses were all found by Mrs. Liu, and they should have thought of something wrong earlier.Ouyang Ruo looked at Lin's troubled face, and after a few words of persuasion, she quietly went back to the palace.On the way, the more I thought about it, the more my heart became colder, and when I thought about the child in my womb, I couldn't help but feel deeply worried.

Let's just take one step at a time... She sighed softly, the life in the harem has never been peaceful.

Lin's second prince gradually recovered, and that incident was just buried in the peaceful harem, no one mentioned it, and no one knew about it.Mrs. Liu Guo has always been very calm, but sometimes when Ouyang Ruo went to pay her respects, she always felt that her eyes were staring at him vaguely.Ouyang Ruo's heart shuddered, and he secretly thought that it was not good, because he really meddled too much of his own business.No matter how tightly sealed the news from Lin's side is, Mrs. Liu Guo, who has all hands to the sky, can still know everything. It is too difficult to completely hide it from her.But Ouyang Ruo didn't expect that when she was thinking hard about the countermeasures, Mrs. Liu Guo suddenly came to visit.

In the early morning of that day, Ouyang Ruo was serving Chu Huotian and was about to go outside for a walk, when suddenly Xiangye came in and said, "My lady, Mrs. Liu Guo is here."

Ouyang Ruo was gesturing which golden step to insert, and was taken aback when he heard the words, and exchanged a glance with Wan Hui who was on the side, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses: "Go and invite you to the hall, good tea is served." Wan Hui was busy Help her tidy up her makeup and help her out.

Mrs. Liu Guo was sitting at the main seat in the hall, seemingly sipping tea leisurely.Ouyang Ruo hurriedly stepped forward to pay respects: "The concubine is terrified and has not greeted Mrs. Liu Guo yet. I wish Mrs. Liu Guo peace!"

Mrs. Liu Guo served tea, stepped forward to help her affectionately and said: "Sister, what are you doing out of sight? Today, my sister came to see Sister Ouyang specially. There is one more thing. Being a sister is really something that I think about day and night. I’m sorry, so I’m here today.”

Ouyang Ruo watched as she wore a pair of dark emerald jade bracelets on her arms as bright as frost and snow, and on her hands were also shining armor wrapped in gold thread and inlaid with sapphires the size of soybeans. There were three of them. No different from the Queen.

She withdrew her hand calmly, and said respectfully: "What's wrong with Mrs. Liu Guo? She is too lazy to be a concubine and pregnant. It's fine for Mrs. Liu Guo not to blame the concubine. Is there anything to be sorry about?"

Mrs. Liu Guo saw her advancing and retreating respectfully, a smugness flashed across her delicate and gentle face, she took her hand and took her seat: "Oh, it's not that the people in this palace are ignorant. Sister Ouyang can accept this month's order. Have you arrived yet?"

Ouyang Ruo opened his eyes wide, confused: "Got it, how did Mrs. Liu Guo ask this?"

Mrs. Liu Guo stared at her face, as if she wanted to find a flaw: "Does sister Ouyang feel that she is lacking?"

Ouyang Ruo thought for a while before nodding: "Mrs. Liu Guo also knows that my concubines don't care about this kind of thing. The palace people below said that this is Mrs. Liu Guo's sympathy for the emperor's hard work and love for the people. How could the concubines do it again?" Say one more word?"

Mrs. Liu Guo was full of remorse when she heard this, she just shook her hand, and said earnestly: "It's all my fault, the queen went to escape the summer heat, and the emperor handed over a huge harem to me to take care of. I also assisted the empress to take care of it, but the new official will burn three fires when he takes office. So..."

She paused, took a look at Ouyang Ruo, and then said: "So I think the harem has always been extravagant, and see if I can change it in my hands. First, for the emperor's love for the people, and second. This is also my selfish intention, I want the emperor to see my ability. This reduction, the emperor agrees, will offend many people." She sighed.

Ouyang Ruo hurriedly laughed and said: "Madam Liu Guo's intentions are good, and my concubine naturally knows Madam Liu Guo's original intention."

After hearing this, Mrs. Liu Guo showed a moved expression on her face, she took her hand and patted it lightly: "Sister Ouyang is the one who understands the truth. But this palace is also short-sighted. Sister Ouyang's role cannot be reduced in this thousands of cuts. Ah. Not to mention that you are pregnant now, just because the emperor loves you, I shouldn't treat you badly."

After hearing this, Ouyang Ruo smiled coldly in her heart, after all, it turned out that she just used an example as an excuse.

After thinking about it, he said modestly: "Madam Liu Guo, you don't know what is going on. The concubines spend very little, and most of the orders are rewarded to the maids and eunuchs in the palace. In fact, it doesn't need anything."

Mrs. Liu Guo saw her refusal, and said again: "Sister Ouyang spends less on her own, but it is another matter to give it or not. Someone, bring the things here and let Rou Fangyi have a look." Don't miss anything."

Ouyang Ruo looked at her Zhangluo coldly, and saw that the palace servant she brought brought a box of things, the upper layer was gold and silver, more than 300 taels, and the bottom was silk and satin, and some hairpins.This is not to make up for what she owes, it is clearly to bribe her.

Ouyang Ruo approached and looked at the box, then turned around and asked Mingjuan on the side, "Are there too many of these?"

Mingjuan was embarrassed for a while and whispered: "Go back to your mother, the servant will only know after verification. Let the servant go down and order."

Mrs. Liu Guo hurriedly said: "Don't order too much, but this is also my wish. Sister Ouyang will accept it, otherwise I will always think about treating my sister badly these days, and I will not be able to sleep peacefully every night." .Sigh...Although I am in charge of the harem, the law must be strictly enforced, but the law is still lenient."

Mrs. Liu Guo wanted to persuade her again, but Ouyang Ruo suddenly sighed: "Mrs. Liu Guo's intentions are too serious. The concubine is afraid that if the empress of another palace finds out, I may not know what to say."

Mrs. Liu Guo's face froze, she just smiled and said: "My sister is overthinking, I will explain it in the future."

Ouyang Ruo sneered even more in his heart, it really was for the palaces to see.She only came to show her favor when the harem was cut down so much, but she didn't know that Ouyang Ruo became the lady of Liu Guo.After that, no one will believe it.

She thought about it and didn't say anything else, Mrs. Liu Guo said a few words to her and left with a smile.Ouyang Ruo felt more and more confused when he looked at the pile of things in the hall.

Wan Hui stepped forward and said, "Madam, what should we do? This weasel has no good intentions in paying New Year greetings to chickens."

Ouyang Ruo looked at the pile of gold and silver, with a sneer on her beautiful face: "Okay, does she want to be a good person? I will let her be a good person, but this good reputation is what I want. .”

After she finished speaking, she snorted coldly, never looked at the box again, and helped Wan Hui to go to the imperial garden, where the summer flowers were in full bloom, there was really no need to waste a good mood because of such a person.

Two days later, Ouyang Ruo found an opening, and when Chu Huotian came over, she saw that he was in a good mood, and said softly to him: "Your Majesty, Mrs. Liu Guo said today that the concubine is pregnant, and the rules cannot be missed. , so I specially brought the missing share to the concubine. So the concubine..." She paused, wanting to see his face.

Chu Huotian was leaning on her stomach to listen to the child's purring, and said casually: "Then you can keep it, it's not easy to go back, she is also kind. But I think she did too much this time Now, many people in the entire harem are complaining to me. I usually see her being so good at life, how come she offended many people this time." His face was full of helplessness, thinking that he was really annoyed by the complaints from the women in the harem. It's too much trouble.

Ouyang Ruo secretly laughed in her heart, Mrs. Liu Guo thought that this move would please Chu Huotian, but she didn't expect to get twice the result with half the effort, not only the whole harem was furious, even Chu Huotian blamed her behind her back.

Ouyang Ruo smiled and said: "The emperor hasn't finished listening to the concubine. The concubine thinks, there is nothing missing here, and besides, the monthly quota is too much to spend, so why don't you give it to the emperor, and the concubine listens?" It has to be said that the emperor is constructing water conservancy projects, and this meager amount of money is donated to his concubine's heart."

Chu Huotian was just listening, but when she finished speaking, his handsome face was slightly moved, and he couldn't help but shook her hand and said, "Ruo'er..."

Ouyang Ruo saw that his eyes were piercing, and his star-like pupils rippled slightly like the sea, but just this little light made her feel that the sunlight all over the sky was not as bright as his eyes.Chu Huotian suddenly walked back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, the hem of his thin skirt lifted up slightly with his movements, as if he was angry, he seemed a little excited, and only said in his mouth: "Not bad, not bad... "

Ouyang Ruo didn't understand what he meant, and quickly asked: "Your Majesty, my concubine is really out of line. I should not interfere with such important national affairs. I just hope that the emperor understands that my concubine is just out of goodwill and nothing else."

Seeing her being cautious, Chu Huotian laughed, and his usually cold and serious eyes widened into a smile: "I'm so happy, this construction of water conservancy has been difficult for me for a long time. If there is a good harvest this year, I can use the money to repair some big rivers. Di, but the national treasury has been empty after several years of war. I wanted to move the treasury silver in various states and counties a few days ago, but I was worried that this collection of treasury silver would trigger the foundation of money in various states and counties. Now Ruoer thought of it for me. Good idea, lol..."

He laughed for a long time, which seemed to be very happy, Ouyang Ruo realized that she had thought of a good way for him by mistake.Seeing that he was smiling happily, Ouyang Ruo had to force a smile to accompany him, and her heart was sweating profusely.

Sure enough, the next day, Chu Huotian first donated about 10 taels of his own antiques and treasures on weekdays on the grounds of being self-serving and frugal, and jointly controlling the flood, and then hinted that Mrs. Liu Guo ordered the concubines to donate money and materials.Mrs. Liu Guo had no choice but to take the lead and donated 1 taels. The concubines of the palaces were unwilling, but seeing that the emperor and Mrs. Liu Guo had both donated, they had to donate a lot according to their positions.And the officials in Chujing, big and small, had to follow when they saw that the emperor had donated money.After a few days, a total of about 90 taels was raised, enough to remediate a moderately large river.

This move worked well, and officials from all over the country also launched such activities to show their political achievements. For a while, the trend of building rivers really arose in Chu.

When Ouyang Ruo went to pay her respects to Madam Liu Guo, she saw her complexion was unkind, thinking that the errand that Chu Huotian had sent her had greatly offended everyone.The concubines did not dare to resent the emperor, so they could only vent their anger on her behind their backs.Perhaps Liu Shi knew that the entire harem was full of resentment towards her, so she had to stay in Yanxi Palace every day.But Chu Huotian was grateful for her sacrifice, and stayed in her palace for two consecutive days, so the look on her face was more beautiful.Just because of this, the faces of the ladies in the harem became even more ugly.

The days passed peacefully day by day, Ouyang Ruo was careful about everything and only raised her baby quietly in the palace. Occasionally, when she was free, she would think about what happened to the queen who was far away in the summer resort.She also didn't dare to mention it to Chu Huotian, and only occasionally mentioned it cautiously when chatting with the empresses of the palaces.But the Mountain Resort is far away from the capital of Chu, and it takes a day and a night to go on a fast horse. All the news is just passed on to the emperor at the post station.

If the emperor didn't speak, no one would know.Ouyang Ruo also asked Chu Huotian a little bit, and saw that his face was slightly gloomy, with a sense of helplessness and [-]% worry: "It's good now, but I'm worried. After all, she was with my husband and wife, and I really can't bear her. I was hurt because I wanted to bear a child for me..."

Ouyang Ruo felt uneasy, but forced a smile and said: "The emperor is worrying too much. Everyone knows that people can overcome the sky. It's up to people. The queen also wants to continue the royal blood for the emperor."

Chu Huotian smiled helplessly, and gently touched her stomach: "She is too stubborn. I can't make sense with her." For some reason, Chu Huotian seemed to be very interested in the child in her belly, every time Come over and touch and listen.It doesn't look like an emperor, but like a husband in an ordinary family.

Ouyang Ruo sighed softly in her heart, it has been nearly two months since the queen was pregnant, she remembered that day when Qin Zhi ventured over and made three comparisons to her.

Three... Is it the third month?

Ouyang Ruo suddenly felt cruel.When the queen was desperate, she gave her a hope, and then killed this hope alive.But if she doesn't do this, can the queen let her unborn child go?

Ouyang Ruo kept this matter on his mind day by day with contradictory and apprehensive feelings, until that day he rushed towards her in a gesture of being caught off guard...

It was the [-]th of July in the second year of Chuninghe, and Ouyang Ruo remembered it very clearly.Chu Huotian stayed at Ouyang Ruo's Yunxiang Palace that night.Both of them were a little tired during the day, and after dinner, they watched the moonlight in the garden for a while, and then went to sleep.In the middle of the night, Ouyang Ruo woke up from the heat, feeling sticky and sweaty all over her body, and her chest felt oppressed.Chu Huotian was in a deep sleep, Ouyang Ruo turned around to look at the bright moonlight, and seemed to be able to see a small shadow cast by his straight eyelashes under the eyelids.

She didn't want to wake him up, so she didn't ask the palace servants who were on duty outside to come in to serve him. She groped out of the bed by herself, took advantage of the dim moonlight, and found cold tea on the table to drink.The night outside the window was as cold as water, and the water wheeler that had been running for a day had already been stopped by the palace servants. Only the gurgling sound of the water was still making a soft sound. Ouyang Ruo listened carefully, and felt that the stuffiness in his chest gradually disappeared.

Just about to go to bed and sleep again.Suddenly the door was knocked loudly.Ouyang Ruo was startled suddenly, brushed his hand over the tea table on the desk, and with a "crash", the tea cup was turned over by the sleeves and shattered into thousands of pieces.

Chu Huotian was startled in his sleep, straightened up, turned quickly from the bed, stretched out his hand, and pulled out a long sword as thin as a cicada's wing from the dark side of the bed with a "swish", looking around vigilantly.

He was unconscious in his dream, and when he glanced at him with hawk eyes, he saw Ouyang Ruo with a pale face holding on to the desk and gasping for breath.When he came back to his senses, he hurried over to help her sit down, the knock on the door continued, and someone shouted in panic: "Your Majesty, it's not good..."

Chu Huotian saw that Ouyang Ruo was only wearing a middle coat, and his face was like snow with his hands on his chest. It seemed that he was frightened by the sudden knock on the door, so he hurriedly put on a coat for her, and lit the lamp again. There was a faint reassurance.

When Chu Huotian saw that her complexion was better, he opened the door and said angrily, "You knock so loudly, if something happens to Rou Fangyi, I will pull you out and chop you up!"

The little servant who knocked on the door rolled in, his face was covered with sweat, and seeing Chu Huotian furious, he hurriedly said, "Your majesty, it's not good, the empress has had a miscarriage... and I saw Da Hong... Your majesty, go and have a look!"

When Chu Huotian was stunned, Ouyang Ruo felt as if a thunder had been struck on the ground when he heard the words, and he couldn't recover for a long time.

Chu Huotian picked up the servant and said angrily, "What's going on?!"

The servant was pinched almost to death by his iron hand, so he had to struggle and said intermittently: "Going back to the emperor, the servants don't know... I only know that the queen is really bad... someone else has already notified the Tai Hospital to rush over..."

Chu Huotian looked at her blankly, and both of them saw panic in their eyes.

Under the flickering candlelight, the veins on his forehead were throbbing, his complexion was pale, he looked at Ouyang Ruo, a trace of guilt flashed in his eyes, and he fled away like a flying bird.The servant who delivered the message also scrambled out.

Ouyang Ruo opened his mouth and stretched out his hand, but he could only put it down.

He left... Her mind was blank, only the guilty look in his eyes before he left.He and her have been married for more than ten years, so they must have a deep relationship. Otherwise, how could Chu Huotian, who never changed his expression before Mount Tai collapsed, lose his composure like this?
Ouyang Ruo was thinking wildly, just sitting at the table in a daze, not even knowing that Wan Hui came in.Wan Hui saw her sitting in a daze with only her coat on.

Sighing, she put her clothes back together, and said softly: "Your Majesty, let's go back and have a rest. The emperor is gone, and it's not yet dawn."

Her warm body leaned over, Ouyang Ruo suddenly grabbed her hand, and hurriedly said: "Auntie, I was the one who killed the queen...it was me..."

Wan Hui hurriedly covered her mouth, and said in a low voice with a little anger: "Your Majesty, what are you talking about! This is chosen by the empress herself. If she hadn't thought about it, who would have forced her to become pregnant? "

She paused, then pulled Ouyang Ruo's hand tighter, and a sharp light shot out from her usually gentle eyes: "Your Majesty, please remember! No one harmed her, everything was her own fault, and the emperor persuaded her." , Mr. Zhao also persuaded, even...even the Qin imperial doctor arranged by the empress also persuaded...she wants to go this way, fight for this one-in-ten-thousand chance, but in the end, who can blame her?!"

Ouyang Ruo looked helplessly at Wan Hui's irrefutable expression, and the panic in his eyes slowly receded, leaving only desolation and sadness.The rabbit dies and the fox is sad, she is also a woman, why did she ever want to take revenge on the queen in such a tragic way?At the beginning, she just wanted Qin Zhi to drug her to make her unable to manage affairs, but Qin Zhi said that there are always traces of drugs, so she simply made her pregnant.So everything became like this...

At first, she also agreed...

"Auntie, the emperor didn't even have his clothes on, so he ran out..." She said shyly, her eyes turned to the dragon robe that was still draped on the screen beside the bed, and a trace of pain flashed in her eyes: "He is still in love with her after all." deep…"

Wan Hui sighed in her heart, Ouyang Ruo's eyes were worried about gains and losses, and she, a bystander, could see it most clearly.Wan Hui came over, helped her by the hand, led her to sit on the side of the bed, and said slowly: "Your Majesty, you don't want the emperor to be a heartless person, do you? The emperor and the queen have been husband and wife for more than ten years, even if they have no feelings I have grown affection, but the empress must not be disturbed, slaves see that the emperor treats empress differently. This slave dares to guarantee it."

Ouyang Ruo forced a smile, and said to Wan Hui in a daze: "Don't talk about the emperor, sometimes I don't know where my heart is, so how can I blame him?"

He is an emperor surrounded by wives and concubines.She has experienced the ruin of her country and her family, and she has long been like a frightened bird. She hesitated again and again, and her sincerity was hard to protect.Two people really want to love each other sincerely, I really don't know when to wait.

Ouyang Ruo sighed quietly, and lay back on the bed.Since it was a sleepless night.

(End of this chapter)