Chaos in the Chu Palace

Chapter 87
This sentence was said pitifully and shyly, but Ouyang Ruo's heart moved when he heard it.

She straightened up slowly, looked at Zhang Xiaoyi with a trace of coldness, and said quietly: "Does Zhang Xiaoyi want to be favored by the emperor?"

Zhang Fang raised her head to look at her, but she lowered her head because of her eyes: "Your Majesty...the concubine is really..." She became nervous, and Ouyang Ruo's eyes were like a mirror, which aroused her anxiety.

Ouyang Ruo held her face with his hands, and the sharp gold armor inlaid with emeralds swept across her delicate face, causing her to tremble.

Ouyang Ruo suddenly smiled and said, "Sister Zhang, if you have something to say, just say it. I'm not a fool, so I won't fail to understand what you mean." A trap waiting for her to fall into it.

Zhang Fang suddenly stood up and knelt on the ground. She was only wearing a tunic, and she looked thinner and thinner. She pulled the hem of Ouyang Ruo's long skirt and said in a low voice: "I can't do it anymore. Elder brother Zhang Qiu was squeezed out in Beijing and had nowhere to go. This time the maid and concubine sent someone back to inquire about the situation, and my brother sent a letter to the maid and concubine. The words in the letter were very sad, and he already intended to resign and return to his hometown. The concubine only has such a close brother who loves me since he was a child. Maids and concubines are useless. They cannot win glory for my brother in front of the emperor. I will also blame him, blame maidservants and concubines for being useless, they can't glorify the lintel..."

She was crying while talking, but Ouyang Ruo didn't help her, just gently twisted the handkerchief in her hand, and suddenly said softly: "I find it strange that you are so close to me these days, if you don't have something to ask for Ben Gong, it is also unlikely that it is for other things, and now I know that I asked Ben Gong to give you a share of the emperor's favor."

She spoke very lightly, but in Zhang Fang's heart it was like a thunderbolt, she just stared at Ouyang Ruo in a daze, unable to say a word.Ouyang Ruo smiled slightly, and took the bronze mirror of Double Happiness with a magpie and sticks on the table and placed it in front of her.

The mirror reflected Zhang Fang's pear blossom with rain, she looked at her and said softly: "It's not that I don't want to help you, nor does it mean that I don't intend to help you. The emperor's favor is three-thirds dependent on the sky, seven-pointed on yourself The three points are appearance, talent, and the seven points are temperament, and how to figure out the emperor's will. In terms of appearance, you are not as good as this palace, and you are not as good as the other concubines. Let me talk about how you can win the emperor. favorite?"

Zhang Fang was shocked.There was despair in his eyes, and the self in the bronze mirror was like a grass that had been wilted by a violent storm.How can she be favored by the emperor? !

Seeing her stunned, Ouyang Ruo smiled slightly and said, "Ten thousand steps back, even if I help you recommend yourself as a pillow mat and win overnight favor, it will be useless in the end. The easier a woman is, the less a man will cherish it. "

These words hit Zhang Fang's heart like an iron stone, she shook her face a few times, her face was pale, and she didn't know how to deal with it, she just felt that there was no hope of life.

Ouyang Ruo put away the bronze mirror, then helped her up, and sighed: "You have a good heart. Although your temperament is different from that... the late Li Yinghong, your heart is true, better than some people who are black-hearted. I don’t know. How many times. Bengong will help you, but not in this way, this is the worst strategy. Are you willing to listen to Bengong, or do you want this seemingly useful method to be the worst strategy?"

Zhang Fang had already lost her mind, so she only said in a low voice: "My maidservant is willing to obey your mother's orders, as long as I can help my elder brother, this maidservant can do anything."

Ouyang Ruo finally laughed, with a sigh of relief, and whispered in her ear.Zhang Fang's eyes widened the more she heard it, and at the end she hurriedly covered her mouth, her eyes widened: "Your Majesty, it's true? This, this... I can't believe it."

She shook her head like a drum.Ouyang Ruo turned her face back, and said solemnly: "I am not lying to you. If you don't believe me, you can ask your brother to check to see if there is any unknown money flowing into her Liu family. Also, Li Yinghong's death has something to do with Mrs. Liu Guo." Although it was Guo Minghong who did it, how could she have dared to act so boldly without the support of Mrs. Liu Guo? At that time, the Empress wanted Li Yinghong's child wholeheartedly, so she would never have cut her own way and poisoned Li Yinghong to death."

Zhang Fang was trembling all over when she heard this, and she still felt chills all over due to the tragedy of Li Yinghong's death.Only now did she realize that she was so naive and ridiculous, this peaceful harem was full of crisis traps, one wrong step would leave no bones left!

"Your Majesty... the concubine wants to help my brother, please give me instructions!" She finally kowtowed heavily to Ouyang Ruo.

Ouyang Ruo helped her up, and said coldly: "This time the involvement is serious, it must be very secretive, Mrs. Liu Guo's methods are vicious, in fact, I just told you the tip of the iceberg, if you are willing to believe me, I will Guaranteed to let your brother be reused in front of the emperor, if you don't believe me, you can go to Mrs Liu Guo, but Li Yinghong's tragic situation is vivid in my mind, I don't want you to follow in her footsteps. Do you understand?"

Zhang Fang tremblingly said: "Yes, the concubine understands."

Ouyang Ruo nodded, and licked her disheveled temples, her beautiful eyes were full of tiredness: "I don't want to fight to the death like this, but I'm still pregnant, and Mrs. Liu Guo is on the side. She is a smiling tiger in the harem who eats people and doesn't spit out bones. If I don't get rid of her, I won't be able to sleep in peace in the future, and you will never have a bright future."

"If you think you have the ability of this palace, you can compete with her. Madam Liu Guo has grown from a merchant's daughter to a dignified second-rank lady today. Do you think her position is just for nothing?" She Zhang Fang in front of him said calmly.Zhang Fang finally calmed down and said yes in a low voice.

Ouyang Ruo glanced at her again, and then whispered in her ear the contact method and so on. After she memorized it by heart, Zhang Fang sent it out.

On the way to Yunxiang Palace, Dexuan frowned and said: "Your Majesty, tell Xiaozhu Zhang rashly, in case she..."

A cold light flashed in Ouyang Ruomei's eyes, she clasped the golden armor in her hands, and nodded secretly: "You are right, I am careless today, but I have to tell her that her brother is very powerful in Jing Zhaoyi's hands." If Mrs. Liu Guo is to be brought down, it must be investigated from her natal family, and the person who will be tried in this case must belong to Jing Zhaoyi Zhang Qiu. Zhang Fang and her brother Zhang Qiu are also a very tolerant man. They She is determined to honor the lintel, and will definitely seize this once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity to make meritorious service. Back then, her brother Zhang Qiu rebelled against the queen and led the emperor's troops into the city. Today, the investigation of Mrs. Liu Guo's natal family is also for the same reason. But we must be on guard If there is a mistake, you go and send a few more people to guard around her palace, and if she acts suspiciously, come and report to this palace."

Dexuan's heart trembled, and he said yes in a low voice.He raised his face again and asked: "If she seeks refuge with Mrs. Liu Guo..."

Ouyang Ruo's complexion tightened slightly, and he looked at De Xuan, who stared at her without blinking.When the two looked at each other, they both saw the killing intent in each other's eyes.

Ouyang Ruo gently put down the veils on all sides, as if to block the oncoming autumn wind, when De Xuan almost thought she was silent, a light but stern voice floated into his ears: "Kill!"

kill!

Ouyang Ruo closed his eyes, the sky was dazzling in front of him, and the bright autumn sun made his eyes blood red, and finally he was going to have a showdown with Mrs. Liu Guo.On this silent battlefield, she has a plan, she has a wall ladder;At this moment, she can no longer have a trace of womanly benevolence, either you die, or I die...

The late autumn of the second year of Chu Ninghe was destined to be an uneasy autumn. At some point, officials began to go to court to discuss that the economic lifeline of the entire Chu capital was controlled by a few wealthy businessmen. They bought high and bought low, hoarded exotic goods, and won huge profits. .

Nowadays, in the state of Chu, the tax is light and the tax is low. Many farmers have grain in their hands, but they can’t exchange it for items of comparable price. Rich merchants buy grain at a very low price, and sell it at a high price in other places where there is a shortage of grain. It has already attracted the attention of the people, and there have been many discussions.It was also discussed that the price of salt was so high that many people could not afford a catty of salt all year round. The salt merchants were as rich as an enemy country and controlled the salt transportation routes of the entire Chu State. Due to lack of information on the salt transportation of the imperial court, they could not compete with private salt merchants. Therefore, it is suggested that the national salt transportation should be allocated by the imperial court.

Chu Huotian looked at them one by one, and his sword eyebrows furrowed deeper and deeper.For a few days, I had a court meeting with several young officials for several hours without a break, seeking how to not shake the foundation of Chu State, and to combat this kind of atmosphere one by one.

Seeing that Chu Huotian was tired after several days, Ouyang Ruo specially stewed bird's nest porridge with rock sugar, and sprinkled a lot of thin chrysanthemum petals on it, which looked beautiful and delicious.

She ordered the palace servants to carry her there, and when she was at the door of the imperial study, she suddenly saw a bright red figure passing by and was about to enter in a hurry.

She hastily said: "Master Cha, please stop..."

The figure stopped abruptly and turned around. The handsome eyebrows and eyes were none other than Cha San Shao, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.When he saw her coming, a trace of surprise flashed on his face, and then he was sad again.

Ouyang Ruo ordered the palace people to carry him to him, and then he smiled and said, "Fortunately, in time, does Third Young Master Zha want to discuss state affairs with the emperor?"

Third Young Master Zha hurriedly knelt down and said: "I pay my respects to Empress Rou Fangyi, and in reply to your empress, I obeyed the emperor's order to go in and meet the saint."

Ouyang Ruo breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, this is the rock sugar bird's nest porridge stewed by Ben Gong, please take the number one scholar in with you?" Third Young Master Zha heard her call him "the number one scholar" and suddenly remembered what he said to her that day The promise I made made my heart a little sour, and then I hid it and said with a smile: "Don't you go in and send it?"

Ouyang Ruo said with a smile: "How can I get in? How can a woman in this palace understand these important military and state affairs. The champion should stop making fun of me."

Third Young Master Zha was startled for a moment, then laughed and said, "It turns out that I just asked Weichen to deliver something. It's a trivial matter."

Ouyang Ruo smiled half-smile, squinted his eyes and said slowly to him: "Otherwise...Did Zhuangyuan Gong think that I told you to do something you shouldn't do?"

Zha Sanshao was taken aback for a moment, then lowered his head and laughed softly, with a hint of self-mockery in his helpless laughter.Ouyang Ruo handed the basket to the palace man, and said with a light smile, "I'll trouble the Zhuangyuan Gong to bring it in, I'll go back to the palace first."

After Ouyang Ruo finished speaking, she turned and walked slowly.Zha Sanshao watched her leave gradually, feeling lost in his heart, so he had no choice but to carry the basket into the imperial study.

Ouyang Ruo got on the shoulder chariot, watched him enter lightly, and then ordered him to serve on the sedan chair.Wanhui couldn't see clearly, so she asked in a low voice: "Isn't your lady called Zhuangyuan Gong..."

Ouyang Ruo smiled slightly, and said: "Auntie forgot, it's not so straightforward to ask someone to do something, you have to make him let go of his guard before he can speak. Auntie just wait, if he has the heart, he will naturally come to me."

Wan Hui was just puzzled.

Ouyang Ruo didn't say much, and just went back to "Yunxiang Palace" quietly. Her delivery date was approaching, and she was more anxious than anyone else. Mrs. Liu Guo had already selected four or five strong and strong nuns, and she was called the housekeeper. The government invited several wet nurses.

Ouyang Ruo received them one by one in the palace after reading them, and presented her with many gifts.After coming and going, Mrs. Liu Guo treated her even more warmly.

It's just that when Ouyang Ruo looked at her smile, the chill in his heart grew deeper.She was afraid that it would be too late, but she still pretended to be more relaxed and happier than anyone else, as if she was immersed in the joy of being a mother soon.

Lin once hugged the second prince to see her. Seeing her like this, she looked worried and said: "Sister Ouyang, this matter is of great importance. My heart is really..."

Ouyang Ruo pressed her hand, looked at the second prince who was already sitting in her arms, and said softly: "They are all mothers, even if elder sister Lin wants to protect herself wisely, she can't, even if she doesn't fight, the second prince It has long been a thorn in the side of Mrs. Liu Guo, a thorn in the flesh, if you don't pull it out, you won't be quick, otherwise she wouldn't be cruel. Sister Lin should think twice!"

Lin looked at the immature face of the second prince in her arms, and finally nodded emphatically.

...

So after a few days, officials in the DPRK accused the wealthy businessman of various injustices, and the spearhead of the speech was vaguely aimed at Liu's father, Liu Zhengsheng, the most wealthy businessman in Chujing.No matter how closed the harem is, the words of the court have spread to the harem.Although Ouyang Ruo didn't greet Mrs. Liu Guo because her delivery date was approaching, she still heard Wan Hui say that Mrs. Liu Guo's complexion was getting uglier day by day, and anxiety gradually appeared on her face.

Ouyang Ruo smiled lightly, took a piece of paper, handed it lightly with delicate hands, and said to Dexuan: "Go, just pass the recipes of these Chinese dishes to Mr. Zhuangyuan, and say that a good dish needs to be prepared with heart." It’s what makes people taste delicious.”

Dexuan took it, and asked hesitantly, "Did you hand it to the champion from the palace?"

Ouyang Ruo said: "Yes! And the more people, the better. It's best... it's best to hand it to him in front of the emperor."

Dexuan was startled by her words and broke into a cold sweat, Ouyang Ruo's eyes gradually turned, the beautiful eyes seemed to be filled with the cold light of the snow mountain, staring at Dexuan lowered his head.

"Go, I believe that the No. [-] scholar will understand what I mean, and will remember the promise he made in front of me."

She said lightly, never saying a word.The plain hands squeezed the jade ruyi on the couch until the joints turned white.

Even without him, she can win!
A few days later, Jing Zhaoyi and Zhang Qiu suddenly found out in court that Liu Zhengsheng had secretly controlled grain prices in various places in order to make huge profits.

Chu Huotian's always motionless jade crown also shook a few times.Zhang Qiu spoke convincingly, counting Liu Zhengsheng's crimes one by one, and vaguely pointing the finger at Liu Zhengsheng's rich man for buying court officials and paving the way for business.

Then the Minister of the Ministry of War also came out for a collegiate discussion, and other officials, large and small, also stepped forward for a collegial discussion.

Chu Huotian finally said in a deep voice: "Detain Liu Zhengsheng in the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, and the Ministry of Criminal Justice, Jing Zhaoyi, Zhang Qiu, and Young Supervisor Cha will try it together. Retire!"

After Chu Huo went to court, he went to Yanxi Palace with a sullen face. After a while, there was a cry from inside.Ouyang Ruo finally smiled when he heard the return.

The next day, Chu Huotian decreed to remove Mrs. Liu Guo from her post as interim harem, and ordered Concubine Wan Lin and Xu Xiuyuan to temporarily manage the harem.

The decree spread to all the palaces, and finally all the concubines knew that Mrs. Liu Guo was going to be over.

Ouyang Ruo kept sending people to inquire, every day as long as there was a little news, she would think about it for a long time.Mrs. Liu Guo locked herself in the "Yanxi Palace" and saw no one.

Only then did she let go of the big stone in her heart, but she just vaguely felt that things were not so simple.

Is Mrs. Liu Guo already a trapped beast?Did I really succeed after planning for so long?But she was still uneasy, deeply uneasy, like the mountain scenery of heavy rain, thick and suffocating.

(End of this chapter)