Qing Palace - Biography of Concubine Wan

Chapter 39 The Dark Night Poison (1)
"What is that?" Fulin, who had just come out of the Palace of Compassion and Ning to accompany the Empress Dowager, accidentally looked up and saw something like a lamp slowly rising from a corner of the palace with light, against the background of the night. The next is very eye-catching.

Chang Xi squinted his eyes for a while and said: "Back to the emperor, it seems that someone put Kongming lanterns in the imperial garden."

"Oh? Is there someone in the palace who put this up?" Fulin raised his eyebrows and said, "Come on, let's go see who is putting up a lantern in my palace!" Chang Xi led the little eunuch behind him to follow quickly.

The grosgrain shoes inlaid with agate were wrapped in those slender nudes and walked quietly on the path among the flowers. The evening wind blew by, the skirts rustled, and the hazy moonlight in the sky shone on her delicate and pleasant face, as if A thin veil was cast over it.

The owner of the feet stopped, looked around, then turned to the maid behind him and said, "This is almost the north corner, let's put it here."

Arlene responded and put the Kongming Lantern, which was half her height, on the ground. Sweat was already on her forehead. The surroundings of the Kongming Lantern were filled with all kinds of blessings, large and small. Candlelight, Kongming lanterns began to gradually leave the ground, as if being pulled by an invisible rope and slowly rose to the sky.

Yue Ling raised her head, followed the fading light with her eyes, slowly closed her eyes, folded her hands in front of her chest and prayed silently, may God bless sister Xi to be safe and sound, and have a long life!
This is the last Kongming Lantern. After praying, Yueling smiled at the smaller Kongming Lantern. Sister Xi, you must be safe.

"Are you putting on the lamp?" A sudden voice woke up Yueling who was in deep thought. Someone came at such a late hour. Looking back at the person who came, when he saw clearly, an imperceptible sense of loss flashed across his eyes. Si was disappointed that maybe she didn't even realize it herself, but she was seen by someone who cared about her.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." A figure stumbled towards Fulin.

"What's the matter of panic?" Fulin scolded with a straight face, very dissatisfied with this slave who boldly blocked his way.

"Your Majesty, just now someone from the Department of Punishment came to report that the Xi noble who was locked in the prison was poisoned and was in danger!" His voice trembled like fallen leaves in the autumn wind.

"What?!" Unprepared Fulin was shocked by this sudden news.

"Be careful, Your Majesty!" Chang Xi supported Fulin.

"Is the imperial doctor Xuan dead? What should I say?" Fulin asked after standing firm.

The eunuch who was kneeling on the ground wanted to raise his head but did not dare, tremblingly said: "Go back to the emperor, without your order, they dare not invite the imperial physician!"

Fulin kicked the eunuch angrily, kicked him far away, and yelled at the same time: "A bunch of bastards!" As the matter was urgent, Fulin asked Chang Xisu to go to the imperial hospital, and asked him to bring enough things to hurry up. When they rushed to the Punishment Department to save people, they ordered people to inform Concubine Tong and Zhen Concubine to go to the Punishment Department. After all, they were the presiding judges of this matter. He opened his mouth a few times and still didn't say anything.

After the order was over, he himself rushed to the Punishment Department to find out about the release of the Kongming Lantern man, but he had long since forgotten about it.

Seeing that Fulin is so anxious to start a fire, it can be seen that Rixi still has some status in his heart, otherwise he would not be so heartbroken when he learned that she had caused Shu Heng to have a miscarriage yesterday. He really didn't want to believe that his favorite concubine turned out to be a sinister Unbearable people.

Royal Garden

"Yueling greets the concubine, the empress is auspicious!"

"You are Ling Changzai who entered the palace with Mrs. Xi, you look so beautiful!" The concubine smiled and looked at the blushing Yue Ling by the moonlight.

"Your Majesty, Liao praised you. Yueling is like a willow. Your majesty has a beautiful appearance, and Yueling is not as good as it should be!"

"Ling Changzai, you haven't answered my question just now!"

Seeing the concubine Zhen staring at her, Yue Ling quickly lowered her head and said: "Go back to your mother, it is indeed Yue Ling who puts the lanterns here. There is such a custom in Yue Ling's hometown that as long as there are four corners of a place Putting on a Kongming lantern can bring blessings to others. Seeing that sister Xi is in trouble and can't help her, Yueling wants to use this to pray for her. If there is anything that offends the empress, please forgive me!

Hearing this, Concubine Zhen thought of something for some reason, her face darkened for a moment, but she quickly recovered her smile: "I really envy Mrs. Xi for having such good sisters as you, who help her so regardless of gains or losses. , Alas!" The last sigh sounded like it was a feeling, but Yue Ling was a little confused, when it came to envy, it should be that they envied the sisterhood between the concubine Zhen and the imperial concubine, how could it be changed? .

When the concubine raised her head slightly, the purple tassels on both sides were shaking, and the pearl hairpin on the top was shining faintly under the moonlight. The moment she raised her head, she happened to see a shooting star dragging its long tail across the quiet night sky.

"It's been almost a year since you entered the palace, right?" The concubine Zhen suddenly asked such an irrelevant question, stroking the flowers and leaves in the garden with her hand.

"Well, it's been a year since I entered the draft." Yue Ling's usual weakness was in his voice, as if he would fall when the wind blows.

"Looking at the palace, your beauty is considered above average, even better than that of the nobleman Xi, why haven't you been favored so far?" Yue Ling was so embarrassed that she really wanted to find a hole in the ground for such a blunt question. After entering, she pinched the corner of her clothes at a loss and didn't know how to answer.

What the concubine Zhen was talking about was the depression in her heart. Of the four sisters, she is the only one who is still in the same place. Even Qingru, who was in the worst situation at the time, is better than her now. Although she will not be jealous of anyone because of this, but There is still some disappointment, but it is not shown on weekdays. Now that someone pokes at the point, naturally I don't know how to answer it.

Seeing her embarrassment, the concubine didn't ask any more questions, but asked her to accompany her for a walk in the garden. After walking for a while, Jian'er, who was supposed to stay in the palace, ran into the garden: "Your maidservant has seen the master, I've seen Ling Chang is here." He was panting heavily when he spoke, obviously he came from running.

"But there is something important?" The concubine Zhen knew that if it was something trivial, Jian'er would never go against her own words and run out to find her.

Jian'er nodded heavily, swallowed and said: "The emperor sent someone to invite your mother to go to the Punishment Department. He said that Mr. Xi, who was imprisoned inside, is now poisoned, and his life may be in danger?"

"Is there such a thing?" The concubine Zhen was extremely surprised when she heard the words, and her graceful face changed color slightly.As for Yue Ling, it was even more unbearable, his hands and feet were weak, and he almost fell to the ground.

After thinking about it for a while, Concubine Zhen knew the purpose of the emperor calling her, and someone from Concubine Tong should also call her.By pinning the broken hair behind the ears, he calmed down his agitated mood a little bit.

(End of this chapter)