Qing Dynasty Secret History

Chapter 35 Jade Broken Fragrance Eliminates Concubine Zhen's Martyrdom
It is said that the group of palace eunuchs, following Gao Zhi's will, all went to Xiyuan to comfort Xiangfei with unpleasant words.Concubine Xiang was overwhelmed by them, so she had no choice but to relax her wrist, and took out a dagger more than seven inches long, which was soaked in coldness from the bottom of her sleeve.Everyone was surprised, and asked the empress what to do?Concubine Xiang said: "Who is your empress, don't be fooled and confused. When I am who I am, we return to the women, and we can't compare with the women who show power. Whoever wants to be powerful can flatter anyone.

I am a member of Huibu when I live, and a ghost of Huibu when I die.You soldiers are strong and brave, but you can only destroy my country, destroy my family, and kill my people. If I don’t have my heart for you, what will you do to me?This small knife is my personal treasure, and my future harvest depends entirely on it. "

Everyone hurriedly asked: "Is your empress going to commit suicide?"

Concubine Xiang said: "The country is ruined and the family is destroyed. It takes a long time to die. But for a person like me, it is not worth it to die so casually. It is worthwhile to find an opportunity to repay the old master. If The Sao Tartars forced me, and I will do so."

Everyone was shocked, and they all said: "It's amazing, let's take her knife away."

Just about to make a move, Xiang Fei smiled and said: "You are all fools, do you only have this knife when you look at me? To tell you the truth, I have dozens of such knives hidden on me. If you have the ability, search them all. go.

Besides, if you dare to offend me, I will wipe my neck first, so what about you! "

After hearing this, everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, so they had to play back the truth.It's exactly: it's hard to fill the sea with weak strength, and it's hard to face the old cold pine.

Gao Zong was stunned for a while, and said to everyone: "What a child, so beautiful, and so strong. It's a pity that I don't have the good fortune. If she is willing to change her mind, I will not be the emperor, and I am willing."

Everyone said: "The expectation is just a moment of anger. After a long time, it will be better."

Gao Zongdao: "I hope she will be fine like this."

Suiyu Xiyuan Palace said humanely: "Serve carefully, if you wrong that child, I will not obey."

Palace people obey the order, so naturally they will be flattered ten or a hundred times.Reluctantly, Concubine Xiang missed her old monarch with tears, and shed tears on the moon in Guanshan; her heart hurt her homeland, and her soul flew to the clouds in the frontier fortress.The cicada's temples are fluffy, and the eyebrows are furrowed. Every time the beautiful scenery is beautiful, the heart will be broken and the soul will disappear.When Emperor Gaozong heard about it, he became more and more depressed.

On this day, when Heshen met, Gaozong talked about Concubine Xiang, and Heshen said: "I have a plan to make Concubine Xiang change her mind."

Gao Zong was overjoyed.He Shen said: "Concubine Xiang misses home all the time. She is just afraid of seeing the scenery in other places. She just calls craftsmen to build a few Hui-style houses in Xiyuan, and chapels in the streets. She is happy to see it. That inch of love will naturally come back gradually.”

Gao Zongxi said: "Your plan is very good, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

He Shen met and said: "The slave dare not bully the master. This plan was actually conceived by the servant of the slave, and the slave is just picking on other people's teeth."

Gao Zongdao: "What's your name, your disciple? Do you have any official position?"

He Shen said: "This person's surname is Feng, and his name is Wenhai. He is an editor of the Imperial Academy."

Gao Zongdao: "It must be a man of wisdom, you bring him in to see me tomorrow."

He Shen took the order and retreated.

The next day, sure enough, Feng Wenhai was invited to see him.Emperor Gaozong was overjoyed, so he rewarded him with a sable coat.After retreating from the court, He Shen congratulated him, and Feng Wenhai said: "It's all the cultivation of Xie Kui."

He Shen said: "What is cultivation and not cultivation? This is the lord Kuangdai Longen. Since the Kangxi year established the uniform system, officials below the third rank have never been allowed to wear mink fur and lynx catkins."

Wen Haidao: "I also know that this was made by Minister Ren Kui Zun in Yixing. At that time, Mr. Wang Ruanting still had a poem called Qijue, which mocked Ren Minister. I remember it was: Jingtang, Zhan Han, and the two yamen, all seized the sable fur, lynx cat.

Last night at five o'clock it was bitterly cold, no one in the court would blame Kui Zun. "

He Shen smiled and said, "You know it."

After talking about something else, Wen Hai got up to leave, He Shen said: "I have one more word to tell you, don't mention Ling Yue when you meet him today. Going to nag again."

Wen Hai answered "yes" and said with a smile, "Jiayue just has a bad temper, and he hasn't been around very much recently."

He Shen said: "The gift of Dingxing is indispensable. You don't have time yourself, so you should ask Mrs. Zun to go. Ling Yue's calligraphy is very popular. If he wants to take care of you, he just needs to help you with a sentence or two inadvertently." Words are enough."

Wen Hai said "yes", but his face turned red.It turned out that Feng Wenhai's Taishan Liang Shangshu was not his wife's biological father, but the godfather who worshiped him.This Feng Taishi has an astonishing skill. He has used his wife well for a year, and he has never paid for it once. It can be said that Chen Ping is smarter than Zhou Yu.In the past, when the golden altar was popular in Xiangguo, he asked his wife to worship Mrs. Yu as his adoptive mother. When Yu Xiangguo lost power, he recognized Liang Shangshu as his father. At that time, the courtier wrote a poem to mock him: Godmother, today the godfather is also surnamed Liang.

The new official department of Heyi Menting, the old central hall of the desolate pool hall.

If Lang is determined to forget his concubine, how can a concubine be shameless and only be a Lang.

One hundred and eight Muni hung it with his own hands, and he still carried the fragrance of frankincense when he returned.

When He Shen mentioned Dingxing, Wen Hai felt ashamed and disgusted for a moment, and his face turned red.He Shen felt it, and quickly diverted it with other words.After Feng Wenhai left, He Shen went to the upper room to chat with concubines Ji.Press momentarily.

But Gao Zong adopted Feng Wenhai's unique strategy, so he ordered a minister to oversee the work to build Hui-style houses in Xiyuan.After all, money and money were scattered in the affairs of the imperial family, but within a year, all the projects were completed.Unexpectedly, it would be okay if Xiangfei didn't see the Hui-style house, but when she saw the Hui-style house, it touched her heart, and she became more and more heartbroken, crying so hard that she couldn't speak.At this time, Emperor Gaozong was full of discomfort and had nowhere to vent, so he put it all on the person who offered advice.It just so happened that there happened to be a censor named Guan Shiming who participated in Feng Wenhai's book. The money he paid for it was nothing more than despicable behavior. , set up an imperial edict to remove Wenhai.When He Shen saw him, he was also very chilled, so he hurried to his notebook and asked for a crime.Unexpectedly, the higher-ups stayed behind, and He Shen panicked even more, so he hurriedly went to Eunuch Qiu to find out the news.Eunuch Qiu said with a smile: "What are you busy with? Our lord is so upset about being a concubine. In the past few days, the Queen Mother has not even invited Qian An. There is no time to argue with you. According to me, you don't need to read your book."

He Shen asked, "Is the emperor sick?"

Eunuch Qiu said: "Sickness is a disease, but I go to Xiyuan every day. I have persuaded twice, saying that my father is not in good health, so there is no need to go there. That man has no good intentions, my lord. You should take care of your body. My father scolded me, saying that I am not sensible. He said that I am sick, and that person is a panacea. After seeing her, I will recover from my illness. Ten to nine times. I secretly told my companions They talked about it, our grandfather is not sick, but that man is sick. Do you think he is stupid or not?"

He Shen sighed after hearing this.It's just that: doctors can be sick, but they are beautiful.

After Eunuch Qiu left, He Shen chatted with his wife, Rong Shi, with a very comfortable air.Rong said: "Master, these days, he walks in and out like ants on a hot pot. He has never settled down for a moment. He always doesn't answer when he asks you. Why is he so happy today? Dare he have that moment again?" The governor of the province seeks to adjust the vacancies, and he has paid a large amount of money to pay his respects?"

He Shen said with a smile: "My wife's heart is always on money. I joined Fatty Feng Er for the sake of taking care of the fool. The master believes in taking care of the fool and getting rid of Fatty Feng Er. I feel uncomfortable."

Rong said: "Get rid of Fatty Feng Er, what has it to do with you!"

He Shen said: "You are here again. Fatty Feng Er is recommended by me. If you get rid of him, you will embarrass me. Why don't I be wary."

Then he told Rong Shi about his original plea and a verse that Qiu Delu came to his house, and Rong didn't say a word.

But Gaozong spent a lot of money on Xiangfei, and he never lived a day at will.After all, my heart is unwilling to die, so I always have to sit in Xiyuan for a while after I retire from court every day.

At the beginning, she kept it from the queen mother, but later the queen mother also found out, and called him several times, Gaozong always said that he was sick.When the queen mother saw that he could not be summoned, she personally sent her to be an upright official.Gaozong hurriedly greeted him.

The queen mother sat down and said: "I heard that you are sick, now looking at your face, you don't look like a sick person."

Gao Zong replied with a blushing face: "Thanks to the Queen Mother, it is already healed."

The queen mother said: "Okay, it's best, I miss you very much, so I'm here to have a look."

Gao Zongdao: "The empress dowager is of such a high age, and she worries so much about her son, how can the son be able to do it!"

The queen mother said: "There is no need to say that kind of thing. Our mother is not an outsider. Your heart is at ease, and mine is also at ease. If you feel uncomfortable in your heart, just tell me, don't be bored in your heart. If you are willing to listen to my words, your filial piety is better than anything else. Otherwise, I will not be happy with how you treat me."

Gaozong heard the empress dowager's sincere words, and couldn't help but be moved by his conscience, so he knelt down in front of the empress dowager, weeping and said: "The empress dowager is so kind, and the ministers still have to hide it. Heaven will not allow it."

The Queen Mother said: "My son, speak up if you have something to say."

Gaozong then told the story of Concubine Xiang from beginning to end.The queen mother said: "Since she is so stubborn, it's useless to keep it. It's better to fulfill her loyalty and give her death."

Gao Zongdao: "The minister has spent eight or nine years of hard work, but he will end up buying a bone with a lot of money. I also ask for the grace of the Empress Dowager."

The queen mother said: "Since you can't bear it, I still let her go back. If you want to stay in Xiyuan, you are not allowed to go there again. There are millions of women in Mongolia, and you can't pick one or two. You must be there." The hoof. Could it be that the hoof is a celestial treasure?"

Gaozong dared not agree.The queen mother said: "My son, you are the master of a country. The foundation of the ancestors and the lifeline of the country are all on you alone. The hoof is holding a murder weapon. If there is a mistake, you can feel sorry for your ancestors if you ask. Country?"

Gaozong had to answer a few "yes."

The queen mother called the eunuchs who followed Gaozong and said: "The emperor wants to go to Xiyuan. You try your best to dissuade him. If you can't dissuade him, just play me. If you only want to please the emperor, go there privately with him. If you find out, you will never want to live."

Everyone should say "Don't dare."

The queen mother sat down again before getting up to drive.

After Gaozong sent the Queen Mother off, he turned to his attendant and said, "This is another difficult question. What can I do with you?"

From then on, even though they couldn't disappear, they didn't dare to wait for them every day.

This year happened to be the Grand Ceremony in Yuanqiu. The day before Emperor Gaozong went to the fasting palace, the queen mother said to the left and right: "The concubine in the Xiyuan, if you don't get rid of it, it will be the root of the disaster. Let's clean it up while the emperor is gone. she."

The palace supervisors and others naturally agreed.The Empress Dowager issued a decree to summon Xiangfei to the Palace of Compassion and Ning, and all the palace guards whispered: "The world has been turned upside down all day long, what kind of beauty is she, we have to feast our eyes today."

Just as he was talking, he saw a person running towards him, saying, "Here we come, we come."

When everyone raised their eyes, they saw two internal eunuchs, leading a beautiful woman in a fancy dress, walking gracefully and gracefully, but before they arrived, a sweet and quiet fragrance was first pungent and piercing.Everyone couldn't help saying: "It smells good, it smells good."

It's exactly: when you go to the other sister, you can see the face of the spring breeze at first glance; when you guide the prisoner, you will be shocked by the waves of the autumn water.

A young eunuch had already entered the room to announce the news, and the queen mother said: "Here we are, just come in, are you still waiting for the invitation?"

Three or five maids raised the curtain, and the little eunuch led Xiangfei into the inner palace gate.

At this time, the Empress Dowager only wore gold-woven gold south satin black fox gowns, tuanlongjiang silk celestial horse vests, snow-white silk socks, paired with celestial satin Beijing-style flag round shoes, a head of white hair like frost and snow, and she was holding a flag. Sitting in a bun, sitting on the kang and smoking dry cigarettes.Concubine Xiang kowtowed as usual, and when the queen mother called her up, she just stood there aggrieved, bowing her head.The queen mother first asked her a few words, which were nothing more than old-fashioned clichés, but she smelled the sweet fragrance, so that the 60-year-old queen couldn't help being moved, thinking to herself: No wonder the emperor is fascinated. Fragrant and warm, jade and soft as precious as precious.Then he asked: "I heard that you are not willing to bend Zhi, right?

"Xiangfei replied in a low voice," yes. "

The queen mother said: "The emperor appreciates you, and it is also your good fortune. Why don't you want to?"

Concubine Xiang said: "The emperor is the hero of the prosperous dynasty, and the lowly concubine is the concubine of the subjugated country. There are many daughters of Qin Ji and Zhao in the emperor's palace. Although they are blessed by heaven, why dare to hope for anything."

The queen mother said: "What are you thinking about?"

Concubine Xiang said: "This concubine has received great kindness from Xiaohe Zhuo Mu. Since Xiaohe Zhuo Mu committed a crime and was punished, this concubine does not want to live alone."

The queen mother said: "Are you willing to die?"

Concubine Xiang said: "The concubine is willing to die, but not to live."

The queen mother said: "You are so ambitious, I will give you death today, okay?"

Concubine Xiang happily said: "The Empress Dowager, the concubine Jiuquan knows, and I can't thank you enough. The concubine is close to thousands of miles, so I endured the humiliation until now, just wanting to have a chance to avenge the shame of the old master. Now I can't do it. , this body is a burden.

What's the fun of living in vain, it's much better to die early.The queen mother is willing to grant me death, the queen mother is my benefactor. "

Speaking of this, I feel sad and cry.

The queen mother sighed very much when she saw it, she turned her head and said to the eunuchs: "Decree, cover the palace gate and lock it, no matter who it is, don't let it in."

The eunuch obeyed the order and closed the door.The Empress Dowager ordered three or five young eunuchs to take Xiangfei behind and strangle them to death with a towel.Concubine Xiang bowed her head to thank her, followed the eunuch, and went back, her manners were elegant, her words calm, and she didn't look like she was about to die.Who doesn't sigh and praise the eunuchs of the palace and palace.There is a poem from later generations: The young servant girl grows up in Dawanxi, and the tin is combined with the ruthless sword.

If the emperor does not come, the flowers have fallen, and the beauties are fascinated by the loess and jade hooks.

But Gaozong was in the Zhai Palace, and was about to go to the Temple of Heaven to salute that day. All the ministers who accompanied the sacrificial ceremony wore flowered clothes, and they were arranged outside the Zhai Palace according to their ranks, waiting for the emperor sincerely.Quiet, serious, not even a coughing sound.Suddenly, two eunuchs guarding Xiyuan rushed in panting.The guards stopped him and said, "I'm here to tell you that the fasting palace is an important place, and those who are unclean are not allowed to enter. Please go back, both of you!"

The eunuch said: "We have something important to play for the Lord!
Something happened to my sweetheart! "

The guard said: "Who happened?"

The eunuch said: "Miss Xiangfei."

Gaozong had already heard it inside, so he was busy sending the two people into the room for questioning.When the two eunuchs met Gaozong, they told the story of the empress dowager's summoning of the concubine Xiang.

Gao Zong asked in surprise, "What did you call her in for?"

The eunuch said: "The concubine Xiang concubine went to call, and the slaves and maidservants followed. Who would have thought that the door was blocked and the slaves and maids were not allowed to enter. After the empress entered the palace, the door was closed. In the future, the slaves and maidservants will wait." Not very careful."

Gaozong was shocked, and he hurriedly delivered an order to prepare his chariot, and he was going back to the palace immediately.All the ministers remonstrated: "The Grand Ceremony of the Garden is being held today, and the emperor has returned to the palace. Is this important event to be suspended?"

Gao Zongdao: "Don't hinder me, I can't be my own master at this moment, so I can't control you much."

He Shen took a step forward and said, "Since the emperor has something to do, let's appoint a minister to take his place."

Gao Zong nodded and said, "That's fine!"

He Shen said, "Who should I send?"

Gao Zongdao: "It's whoever you say."

He Shen said, "How about the Grand Scholar Fu Heng?"

Gao Zongdao: "Alright. Don't bother me, I'm not in my heart right now."

As he spoke, he asked again, "Is the car ready?"

The left and right echoes are ready.Gaozong didn't wait for the guards of honor to line up, so he hurried to get on the car.So the eunuchs and guards helped Gaozong onto the imperial chariot, and rushed back to Da Nei surrounded by Fei Ye.He didn't wait to change to the soft car, so he rushed back to the Compassion Palace on foot.

When I arrived at the palace gate, I saw that the palace gate was closed tightly, and a dozen or so eunuchs stood on both sides like a row. When they saw Gaozong, they all came to pay their respects.Emperor Gaozong ordered to open the door, and the eunuch replied with a smile: "My lord, the Queen Mother ordered that no one is allowed in, and slaves and maidservants can be the masters."

Gaozong stomped his feet and said, "No matter who orders it, if I want to open it, you will open it for me!"

The eunuch knelt down and said: "Your servant has only one head, you must forgive me."

Gaozong said angrily: "The Taidun can kill you, but I can't kill you? But you only obey the Queen Mother's order, not mine!"

The crowd listened too much, and everyone knelt down and headed together.Gao Zong Baigan was in a hurry and couldn't think about it.Arrived early in the morning, and waited until noon, only to hear a sound, the double doors opened, and an inner eunuch walked out with a smile, and said to Emperor Gaozong, "I summon the emperor to come in according to Yi's decree."

Gao Zong was eager to step into it in one step, and walked in hastily.Seeing that the Queen Mother was sitting upright, I had no choice but to come forward to say hello.The queen mother said: "Why did you rush back?"

Gao Zongdao: "I heard that the empress dowager summoned the concubine Xiang..."

Before finishing speaking, the queen mother said, "Do you want to see her? It's inside."

Gao Zongdao: "My son, go and see her."

Lifting the curtain and entering the room, I saw Xiangfei's fragrant corpse lying on the ground straight and horizontal, the strange fragrance lingered, her complexion was lifelike, her pear-blossom face was still smiling, like a begonia sleeping, she didn't look like she had died tragically.With a sore heart, the tears in the eyes flowed down like broken pearls.It's exactly: it's hard to find a country, and you can't keep it if you want to; seeing the famous flowers fall, there is nothing you can do!
Gaozong couldn't care about anything else at this time, beat his chest and stamped his feet, and cried for a while.After crying, he ordered the eunuch to carry Xiangfei's body into the Old Summer Palace, and personally wash it with fragrant soup for him. After washing, he stroked it for a while before he called the coffin to carry alkali.As soon as the pomp is met, the imperial concubine's ceremony will be followed.The queen mother can't stop it.It's just that Gaozong mourned too much, contracted a disease, and took medicine for more than a month before he gradually improved.The Empress Dowager was also afraid that he would treat Jing Huairen, so she sent an order to seal off the Xiyuan, and hid the key in the Palace of Compassion and Ning. Anyone who wants to visit the palace must first go to the Palace of Compassion and Ning to ask for an order.Gaozong ordered him to drive several times, but he only looked at the facade.

On this day, when He Shen came to see him, Gaozong told him: "I want to see the relics of Concubine Xiang in Xiyuan, can you persuade the Queen Mother to open this important door?"

He Shen bowed his head for a while, and then said along with him: "In the past, the emperor of the ancestors, didn't he serve the emperor's grandmother, Empress Xiaozhuang, to hunt in Mulan?"

Gao Zongdao: "Yes, it happened."

He Shen said: "Now the emperor just needs to follow the established practice and invite the empress dowager to go hunting. The empress dowager refuses to agree. Nothing to say, if she agrees, the door will be opened."

Gao Zongdao: "This is an irrelevant matter. Why do you talk about it together?"

He Shen said: "Isn't there a Kunming Lake near Xiyuan? The emperor only said that it is water hunting, so please go to the Empress Dowager for a day. When you get there, there are other places to rest besides Xiyuan. Is it? The Empress Dowager will open this important door of course. By then, the Emperor will be able to visit as much as he wants."

Gao Zong was overjoyed.After a few days, he really went to the Palace of Compassion and Ning, invited the Queen Mother, and Chao Ming went back to hunt.The Empress Dowager was overly aggressive about Concubine Xiang's affairs, which hurt Gaozong's heart, so she had to make some false remarks to comfort her, and said with a smile: "I was just about to disperse, Kunming Lake is very good. Tomorrow we will Come early, you have to play with it for a day."

The next day, he was full of civil and military affairs in the Han and Han Dynasties, and he was in charge of the imperial chariots of the two palaces. He went to Kunming Lake and hunted for a whole day.Later generations have chanted an epic saying: Kunming Lake is rippling in the autumn, and the breams are bathing quietly in the evening.

When the water hunt is over, Xiao Guan enters, and the precious feasts are wrongly opened to Cining.

After hunting in the evening, the Empress Dowager awarded a large amount of money to all the officers and men who would hunt.Those who were rewarded were all bursting with joy.So far Gaozong said to the eunuch: "This place is far away from the city, and it's too late to go back to the palace. Where should we go to stay overnight? Please ask the queen mother's order."

If you want to know how the queen mother will answer, let's listen to the next chapter.

(End of this chapter)