Chaos in the Chu Palace

Chapter 90
Ouyang Ruo was conferred the title of "Jieyu" by Chu Huotian after the confinement period. She was full of glory and attracted the attention of all the palaces.Chu Huotian was also at the full moon banquet, and officially named Ouyang Ruo's third prince "Chu Hanlin", and specially gave him the nickname "Chu Yingzhou", because the name of Yingzhou is so majestic and pleasing to the ear, until many years later From then on, people in the Chu Kingdom all knew that the third prince of the Chu Emperor was named Yingzhou instead of the complicated "Hanlin".

At the full moon banquet, Ouyang Ruo hugged little Yingzhou, her face was like a lotus, shining in the water, her stunning radiance was eye-catching, her hair was tied up with Chu Huotian's favorite Liuyun bun, and in the dots of cloudy black hair, she sprinkled it thinly. Put on the gold powder, looking around, it is shining brightly. Huge south beads are inlaid on the gold hairpin. After the bun, three branches are inserted on each side, which is full of luster, and three fingers are inserted on the sideburns. Shanfeng, who is getting smaller and younger, holds a pearl and gold steps, and wears a fine lotus jade forehead ornament carved from mutton jade on her forehead.Under the cold jade ornaments is her beautiful and incomparable radiance, the shimmer in her eyes is like the cold light on the Tianshan Mountain, clear and cold, her nose is like a gall, her lips are like the most tender petals, and her pointed jaw has the most beautiful lines.On the cheeks is a little bit of plum blossom rouge, a faint red, flying into the temples, making her look even more charming and charming.

She was wearing a bright red long dress, and her long tail spread out for a full three feet. She walked forward slowly, like a phoenix wagging its tail, and wherever she passed, all the concubines were shocked, Chu Huotian With a full smile, he stood on the high imperial steps.

He watched her approaching step by step, in his arms was his and her child, the flesh and blood of his Chu Huotian!

At this moment, he suddenly remembered that day when the city of Huaguo was broken, she was dressed in white and stood among the kneeling palace servants, her figure was lonely and proud, with the most tragic determination.He was holding a broken hosta in his hands stiffly, and he was holding a crimson-wrapped child in his arms.His heart, which had always been volatile, suddenly moved at that moment. Her unyielding and frailty left him the deepest impression in the strong shocking contrast.

Now, such a beautiful woman is following him all the way forward, conquering the hearts of the most powerful emperors in the four kingdoms with her most beautiful smile.Little by little, no one can shake her position.

Ouyang Ruo walked up to him and bowed down gracefully.Chu Huotian couldn't help but stepped down the imperial steps, helped her up, and sat beside him.She gave him a sweet smile.The peerless radiance with a smile that overwhelms the country and the city is even more beautiful and unparalleled because of her self-confidence.

It took Chu Huotian a while before he smiled and said, "Ruo'er, today I have invited some guests to congratulate you and Xiao Yingzhou!"

He said and clapped his hands.

The drawn-out chorus of the palace people stretched far away.

"The first-class general who prostitutes and rides, General Su meets..."

"Walk before the imperial court, Mr. Zhao, to see you..."

"The number one scholar, Mr. Cha, has an audience..."

...

Ouyang Ruo's smile stopped immediately when he saw the blue figure.Su Yanqing was covered in dust, and his handsome face in the past was stained with a lot of wind and frost. He stepped forward and knelt down to congratulate: "The last general Su Yanqing congratulates the emperor, Rou Jieyu is happy to have a dragon son!" There is no other expression.

Zhao Qingling, dressed in a smoky green gown, followed lightly into the room.Still worship like a ritual.

Third Young Master Zha was still dressed in a red official uniform, and with inexplicable thoughts in his eyes, he stepped forward to pay his respects.

Chu Huotian looked at his subordinate Aichen with a smile, surrounded by his favorite woman. For the first time, he felt that there were no regrets in his life, so he couldn't help laughing.

Ouyang Ruo smiled and handed Xiao Yingzhou to the nurse beside her, and said softly to Chu Huotian: "Your Majesty, my concubine has one thing to do."

Chu Huotian laughed and said, "Okay!"

Ouyang Ruo picked up a glass of water and wine, stepped down the imperial steps, walked up to Su Yanqing, looked at him quietly for a while, then suddenly knelt down and said, "If General Su hadn't tried his best to save this palace back then, I'm afraid I would have died as soon as possible with the emperor." It's already a world apart, please accept Ouyang Ruo's gift."

Su Yanqing's expressionless complexion suddenly cracked, he knelt down on one knee, took the water and wine in her hand and drank it in one gulp, and said loudly: "Your Majesty don't need to worry about the past, this is the duty of the general. Your Majesty's words are serious, and I will swear to death for your Majesty's safety!"

She was so close to him, the two finally smiled at each other, and there was nothing to worry about anymore.

He understands her mind, and she understands his mind.Nothing in the world made her feel better than this moment.

After toasting the wine, Ouyang Ruo smiled at Zhao Qingling and Cha Sanshao, took a glass of water and wine, and said to them: "Mr. Zhao Da helped me when Liang Guo came to send me last time. Cha Sanshao has a good character and is the emperor. The talents I love the most are the people I admire the most. Please drink this cup to the brim." After she finished speaking, she drank it in one gulp, her eyes glistening, her red lips glistening so tenderly that it would capture people's hearts and souls.

Both of them were slightly moved, and both drank in one gulp.She went on to say: "I am not talented, I would like to invite Mr. Zhao to play a piece with Bengong Qinxiao, and I have fulfilled Mr.'s wish!"

Zhao Qingling was a chic and unrestrained person, so he laughed naturally, and said to Chu Huotian, "Your Majesty, Rong Weichen and your empress will play a song together, and pray for the Emperor and Great Chu!"

Chu Huotian nodded, and laughed: "So, it's hard work!"

The palace people put down the gauze curtain and burned sandalwood.Ouyang Ruo sat down and smiled slightly at Zhao Qingling: "Mr. is Ouyang Ruo's bosom friend, so can you play a piece of Gaoshan Liushui?"

Zhao Qingling nodded slightly, and put Chang Xiao to her lips.Ouyang Ruo meditated for a moment, and a string of zither sounds like still water and streams floated out, and the whole hall suddenly fell into silence, as if there were no longer delicacies from mountains and seas in front of him, but deep mountains and flowing water passing by like a picture, the zither sounds gurgling, Calm and cheerful, the still water of the mountain stream is deep, and the most primitive and simple atmosphere rushes towards us.The long Xiao sounded at the right time, like the softest breeze in March chasing the cheerful stream, suddenly near and far away, stirring everyone's minds, wishing to hold the wind in their hands, the cheerful stream and soft breeze filled the hall In the spring of March, a hundred flowers are in full bloom, and the fragrance of flowers is tangy.Everyone's hearts were silent for a moment...

Among them, a picture of flowing water in the forest is displayed. Because of the chorus of the zither and Xiao, everyone feels that the forest is quiet and unspeakable. The gurgling stream and the soft breeze are chasing and playing with each other. with the current.

Ouyang Ruo's fingertips twitched lightly, Zhao Qingling's Xiaosheng was brisk and melodious, the two played one piano and one Xiao, like fairies and gods falling from the sky, letting their hearts wander in the forest.

The body of the qin is gradually raised up, like the water is getting faster and faster, the sound of Xiao also turns around, and everyone is suddenly cheerful, but seeing a spring is full of eyes, the water of the stream is flying down, splashing thousands of water drops, little by little, The small waterfall is full of vistas, and the sound of Xiao turned into joy, and followed closely, and the hearts of the people gradually increased with the joy of the flowing water. They only felt that the beautiful scenery of the mountains was so beautiful...

The two of them were devoted to each other, playing the qin and Xiao ensemble, but they didn't know how happy and how sad the people in the hall were.

Chu Huotian's face was slightly drunk, and when he heard Ouyang Ruo's words, "Mr. is Ouyang Ruo's bosom friend, can I play a piece of high mountains and flowing water?" He smiled slightly in his heart, and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

Su Yanqing only looked down at the wine glass in her hand, but didn't take a sip. Thousands of sighs turned into a faint wry smile on her face. When she knelt down, it was clear that she had nothing to do with her and had no worries. From then on, she was superior His concubine, and he is an illustrious general in the court, so it doesn't matter anymore.

The emotion in that snowy night... all vanished...

Cha Sanshao on the opposite side stared at the pair of people behind the gauze curtain with a pair of drunken eyes, and felt that she had never felt such pain in her heart. She was a concubine and gave birth to a prince, but why was she still so infatuated with her? ?
In her eyes, he is not even her bosom friend.Thinking of him, he took a sip of bitter wine bitterly.

Ouyang Ruo and Zhao Qingling have the same heart and mind, and a song of high mountains and flowing water that everyone has heard is perfectly performed by the two of them with their qin xiao.

At the end of the song, everyone came back to their senses, Chu Huotian clapped his hands and praised: "You are indeed the number one talented person in Chu country, not only the number one in writing, this Xiao Chui is also very good."

Zhao Qingling bowed slightly, her body was so graceful.Ouyang Ruo stepped up the imperial steps and sat beside Chu Huotian, smiling very charmingly.So the lively full moon banquet passed happily like this, and no one would pay attention to the different feelings under the smiling faces of those few people.

After a month of anxiety among the concubines in the harem, it finally ushered in the day when the queen returned to the palace.

Once the empress arrived in the palace, she didn't show her face, she only said that she was unwell, so there was no need for the empresses of the other palaces to ask for annoyance.With this decree, many concubines breathed a sigh of relief, not to mention that the queen has not been in the palace for several months, it would be very strange for someone to ask someone to pay her respects all of a sudden.

After a few days, the queen finally saw the concubines in the palace. Ouyang Ruo went to greet the concubines with several concubines that day. When they arrived at the queen's Fengyi Hall, they were shocked. , the entire hall was dark and difficult to distinguish.

The concubines were all trembling, they came forward to say hello one by one, when Ouyang Ruo stepped forward, the queen moved a little, and said with a smile: "Rou Jieyu has done a great job in raising the prince, wait a while, I will reward you a lot. "

Ouyang Ruo hurriedly said that he didn't dare, and waited until his eyes got used to the light in the palace, then he raised his head and glanced at the queen, but this glance frightened her quite a bit, only to see that the queen was as thin as skin and bones, and her high cheekbones were very prominent sharp.The flesh around the cheeks seemed to have disappeared, only a layer of skin wrapped it.The dignified face in the past now seems to be a different person in the dark.

Only her eyes still carried the usual majesty, but Ouyang Ruo felt that the smile in her eyes was like ice knives, piercing people's body with chills.

"What is Jieyu looking at?" The queen suddenly laughed.An unknown meaning flashed across his eyes.Ouyang Ruo quickly recovered, bowed her head and said: "The empress forgives the sin, the concubine feels that the empress is sick and weak, and I really feel sorry for her..." She dared not hide it, so she had to speak like this.

The queen smiled lightly and said: "I'm a person who has closed the door of hell, and I'm lucky to be alive. How can I ask for anything more, but Rou Jieyu..."

Before she finished speaking, Ouyang Ruo felt dripping with cold sweat, kowtowed hurriedly and said: "The concubine is afraid, and from tomorrow on, the concubine will pray for the empress every day, and ask the Lord Buddha to bless her in good health."

The queen smiled slightly, and said to the concubines below: "It's Rou Jieyu who cares about this empress' body."

All the empresses hurriedly knelt down and said: "The concubines must also pray for the queen empress!"

The queen looked at the concubine who was kneeling on the ground and finally smiled silently.

The empress's illness made many concubines in the harem feel weird. Not only was the Fengyi Palace filled with the smell of medicine every day, but the window lattices were covered with black gauze all day long, as if they were afraid of the skylight.The queen's strange behavior gradually made the whole harem uneasy.

Concubine Wan Lin went to greet the empress one day, and went straight to Ouyang Ruo's "Yunxiang Palace". Her lips turned pale with fright, and she clasped Ouyang Ruo's wrist tightly and tremblingly said: "Sister Ouyang, it's too scary!" Now, is the empress still calling someone like that? Why hasn’t she recovered from the miscarriage? I think she’s even changed her way of speaking like that.”

Ouyang Ruo couldn't help shivering when he thought of the strange appearance of the queen when she asked her.

"Now she has truly become a temptress!" Ouyang Ruo said in her ear after finishing her greetings that day.

Isn't she a temptress?Ouyang Ruo trembled slightly, his appearance was like that of a dying person getting up from the grave, it was chilling to see.

Ouyang Ruo comforted Mrs. Lin, and ordered Dexuan to go out to find out the news, and asked where Doctor Qin was now.Dexuan went out to ask questions for a long time before coming back and said: "Your Majesty, I can't see Imperial Physician Qin. But after a few days, Empress Empress will let Imperial Physician Qin go home, maybe this servant has a way."

Only then did Ouyang Ruo feel a little relieved.

After a day or two, Dexuan finally invited Imperial Physician Qin, but he acted very secretly, and Qin Zhi could not stay longer, so he could only stay for a short while.

Seeing that Qin Zhi had lost a lot of weight, Ouyang Ruo couldn't help being surprised and moved: "Prince Qin really worked so hard, the queen..."

Qin Zhi smiled wryly when he saw his official robe that was obviously too big, "Your Majesty doesn't know. The Empress Dowager had a miscarriage that day. It was really dangerous. After seeing Dahong, the humble minister kept guard day and night for three days..." He felt very good. many.

Ouyang Ruo sighed: "I don't blame Imperial Physician Qin, if something happened to the Queen, Imperial Physician Qin would have to be buried with her. Ming Ying is still looking forward to Imperial Physician Qin returning."

When Qin Zhi thought of Mingying who became his sweet wife at home, his face flushed: "Your Majesty, don't worry, I will definitely be grateful for your kindness."

Ouyang Ruo nodded, and then asked: "How is the queen's body now? How did she become like this?"

Qin Zhi sighed helplessly: "Your Majesty doesn't know. The Queen's Majesty is not in good health. She drank a lot of tiger and wolf medicine when she was forced to conceive. After seeing Da Hong, her body has been ripped out. I'm afraid..."

He hesitated and didn't dare to continue, Ouyang Ruo's eyelids twitched, and he tightened his throat and said, "What's the matter?"

Qin Zhi made a five, his face was slightly nervous, he looked around and said in a low voice: "I don't dare to say too much, this matter is too taboo, my colleagues all understand it, but they don't dare to say it, I just keep saying that the miscarriage hurts the mother and needs to be recuperated, but... oh..." He sighed.

Ouyang Ruo stared blankly at his expression, and murmured: "Is that really the case?"

Qin Zhi naturally didn't dare to say any more, so he could only vaguely say: "Perhaps there is a miracle, so it's certain, so now the empress can't let the wind blow, maybe it will be better after a month or two, but it will be worse every year..." He left immediately after speaking.

Ouyang Ruo watched him quietly disappear at the door, her heart skipped a beat.

Doctor Qin was right. The queen recuperated in the "Fengyi Palace" every day. She didn't come out and walk around, and she didn't force the concubines to come over to pay her respects. She kept making soups and medicines every day. Qin Zhi is now her personal doctor. He had to spend every day with her, and only let him go home to reunite with his relatives at night.

The queen's inability to be a director is a bit of an advantage, that is, the power in charge of the harem is assumed by Wanfei Lin and Xu. The two are soft and strong, and they complement each other.It is very appropriate to discuss and handle the affairs of the palace.Ouyang Ruo also gradually felt relieved, and only took good care of the third prince every day.Chu Huotian visited the queen once after she entered the palace, but never again.

Ouyang Ruo tried to persuade her: "The empress is sick and unwell. If the emperor visits her, the empress may recover quickly when she is in a better mood."

Hearing this, Chu Huotian frowned and said: "Now in her eyes, I am the murderer who killed her child. She kept saying that I cursed her child not to live, and sure enough, he couldn't live. On the day I entered the palace, I went to visit her , It made her sick again. How can I go again?" Despite Chu Huotian's words, he kept sending precious supplements, but Ouyang Ruo heard that the queen threw them away.

After more than ten years of love between husband and wife, now because of the queen's obsession, the two have become strangers. Ouyang Ruo couldn't help but sigh in his heart, and dare not persuade him again.

Just over a month later, the queen didn't know whether it was because she had taken good care of herself or she was relaxed in the familiar environment. When Ouyang Ruo was walking in the imperial garden, she accidentally ran into the queen coming out for the first time.

It was already the ninth month of the lunar calendar in the second year of Chu Ninghe, the sky was getting colder, and the day was fine, so Ouyang Ruo took advantage of the clear sky to go out to take a break, and saw a crowd of palace people embracing one person from afar.

Ouyang Ruo took a closer look, and it turned out to be the queen.Seeing that she couldn't hide, she helped Wan Hui to come forward to meet her. The queen seemed to have regained her complexion. Although she was still skinny, her face was no longer terribly pale, and she even put on a little makeup to look more energetic.

She watched Ouyang Ruo come forward to meet her with a smile, and said with a smile: "Why didn't Rou Jieyu bring the third prince to show me? I really want to have a look."

Ouyang Ruo felt a sudden in his heart, and forced a smile and said: "Yes, the concubine originally wanted to wait for the empress to regain her spirits before hugging her to show the empress. I didn't expect that the empress looks so good today. This concubine will Ask someone to hug him, just now the third prince fell asleep after eating milk, so the concubine stole the time and came out to relax. The queen empress forgive me."

The empress smiled slightly: "I feel better these few days. By the way, call the eldest prince to let the empress take a look. Something happened to her mother and concubine, and the empress has not fulfilled her duties as a concubine. You Girls, go invite the eldest prince." The last sentence she said was to the maid serving behind her.

The palace people hurried down to pass on.Ouyang Ruo also told his palace servants to go back and hug Xiao Yingzhou.She smiled, but her heart became more and more uneasy.I don't know why today's queen is more unpredictable and uneasy for her than in the past...

After a while, the third prince hugged him, and Ouyang Ruo carefully held him and handed him to the queen. The queen glanced at him, and suddenly smiled: "What name did the emperor give the third prince? I heard that he took two. Yes. What is the reason, tell the empress."

After she finished speaking, Ouyang Ruo coughed twice, and Ouyang Ruo kept the little Yingzhou back in her arms, and said respectfully: "Go back to the empress, the emperor named the third prince 'Han Lin', and his nickname was 'Ying Zhou'." state'."

The queen let out a groan, and leaned back on the reclining chair that the palace man had prepared for her. There was another layer of thick cushions on it, which made it look more like a beauty's couch.

(End of this chapter)