slave like jade

Chapter 167 The Death of Yan Fei
Yu Ruyan couldn't accept that three years ago, it was Mu Lingzhi who assassinated Xiaodao, she fell to the ground in shock, her legs were so weak that she couldn't get up.

Chen Yanfei pretended to be kind and stepped forward to help her, but Yu Ruyan shook her hand——

Even if everything she said was true, Yu Ruyan also understood that she didn't have good intentions when she told herself these things, she glared at Chen Yanfei fiercely and said: "What does this have to do with your putting down His Highness, you tell me all this For what purpose?"

Chen Yanfei was pushed to the ground by her, she was not annoyed, she got up and took the blueprint in Yu Ruyan's hand, said with a cold smile: "Of course it does matter, let you recognize His Highness's true face, and let me recognize myself His true face!"

After she finished speaking, she put away the blueprints, Shi Shiran bowed to Yu Ruyan and said, "It's late at night, the banquet in front must be over soon, Wangfei should go back early, don't make His Highness wait too long."

After all, a mocking smile appeared on his face, and he left proudly.

Yu Ruyan sat on the ground for a long time, until Chunhua and Qiuyue waited too long to return, then she got up and went back to Chaoyang Palace with them.

Mu Lingzhi saw that she had left the table early, so he found an excuse to leave the table early, but when he returned to Chaoyang Palace, he did not see Yu Ruyan's figure. Long corridor to Yaohua Palace to find Yu Ruyan.

Kankan stepped onto the veranda, and saw Xiaodao coming out of the imperial garden with a dark expression on his face. When he saw him, his expression froze for a moment, but the next moment he was staring at him fiercely, his hands clenched into fists, and his forehead The veins popped up, and the teeth were clenched tightly!

Suddenly bumping into him here, Mu Lingzhi was overjoyed, and was about to ask him if he saw Yu Ruyan in the garden, but the next second he was shocked by the expression of hatred on his face, and was about to ask him what's the matter, Xiaodao flicked his sleeve robe violently, brushed past him, and didn't say a word to him.

Mu Lingzhi clearly felt Xiaodao's hostility towards him, and even felt a fierce murderous aura in him. He turned his head and followed Xiaodao's leaving back in doubt, feeling suspicious in his heart!
But now he didn't have time to ask him what happened, he was worried about Yu Ruyan, so he hurriedly searched along the road, and finally he saw Yu Ruyan walking back at the corner of the garden.

Seeing him suddenly, Yu Ruyan's mood was extremely complicated, and she was stunned on the spot for a long time without taking a step.

Her abnormality surprised Mu Lingzhi again. Thinking of the abnormal description of Xiaodao who left just now, Mu Lingzhi's heart sank, and suddenly remembered what Xiaodao did to Yu Ruyan in Luyang County last time, and his whole body suddenly became cold. Anger welled up in my heart instantly!

Rushing forward, he wanted to ask her right away if Xiaodao had done something wrong to her again, but after looking at the two maids following her, he still gritted his teeth and took her hand and strode forward. Go to Chaoyang Palace.

Yu Ruyan was dragged back all the way by him, and the two court maids were beside them holding lamps to guide them. The faint and drowsy light shone on Mu Lingzhi's stern face.

And Yu Ruyan remembered what she heard from Chen Yanfei just now, although she never thought of trusting Chen Yanfei in her heart, there were some things she could not help but not believe, so, facing him again, Yu Ruyan felt mixed feelings, He couldn't even say a word.

For a while, both of them fell silent.

Looking from Yu Ruyan's side, the dim lights cast a dim shadow on his side face, making it hard to see his real face.She thought painfully in her heart, was he really the one who assassinated Xiaodao three years ago?If everything was as Chen Yanfei said, then what kind of person did she know him as?Will it still be the third prince who values ​​love and righteousness in her heart?
Back in the palace, Mu Lingzhi still didn't say a word, didn't ask her why she was still in the garden so late and didn't come back to the palace, didn't ask her why she was here

I saw a knife in the garden, but told her to rest early.

Closing her eyes and lying on the bed, Yu Ruyan hoped that she would forget everything that happened today, and hypnotized herself, hoping that after falling asleep and waking up, these things would no longer remain in her heart, and she would be able to communicate with her without any grievances. Mu Lingzhi stayed together.

However, the more she forced herself to sleep, the more she couldn't fall asleep. After a while, there was a rustling sound beside the bed. She knew that Mu Lingzhi had undressed and went to bed.

She fell asleep with her back to him, and when Mu Ling went to bed, he stretched out his long arms and hugged her into his arms habitually. Her back was tightly pressed against his strong chest, and he could even feel him. heartbeat.

Normally, at this time, she would turn her body around and sleep on the pillow facing him, but today, she stiffened her body and pretended to be asleep, without moving at all.

In the end, she couldn't help but speak, and hesitantly said in a voice behind his back: "Your Highness...do you have something to hide from me?"

Slender and slightly cool fingers touched her cheek, and Mu Lingzhi's voice slowly sounded from behind, "I even told you about the mutiny of my father ten years ago, and I have nothing to hide in front of you. You —Do you believe it?"

Before she could answer his words, Mu Lingzhi turned her body over. His deep eyebrows met her eyes, and he said firmly, "Did you hear something? I found that something is wrong with you today."

In fact, after hearing his words 'nothing to hide', Yu Ruyan already believed in her heart that the assassination of Xiaodao three years ago was not done by him. Based on what she knew about him, he was not in such a powerful position. A cruel person.

Thinking about it, even the wrong things his father did to Prince Yi ten years ago, he has always been brooding, he has always felt guilty for Prince Yi, and he does not agree with his father's actions between the lines. How could he repeat the same mistakes? ?
After trying to understand all this, she completely dispelled the doubts in her heart, believed him, and immediately felt relieved, shrunk into his arms, and said: "It's nothing, I just met Chen Yanfei in the garden today, I didn't expect that she was also in the palace. Here, am I afraid that she will entangle you with tricks again?"

She deliberately changed the topic. Of course, she couldn't tell him what Chen Yanfei said. If she let him know, it would only hurt him.

Thinking about it now, she couldn't help but feel that Chen Yanfei suddenly said these things to her today, not intentionally but intentionally. In this case, she plans to investigate this matter for Mu Lingzhi. Maybe the real culprit who murdered Xiao Dao Chen Yanfei knew about it, so it's better to start with her, maybe follow the clues to find out the real culprit, restore Mu Lingzhi's innocence, and give himself an answer that can convince him.

Hearing that Chen Yanfei was in the palace, Mu Lingzhi was slightly taken aback, and frowned, "I didn't know she was in the palace, let alone saw her."

After all, he saw the smile in her eyes clearly, understood that she was teasing him, and couldn't help laughing: "It's really rare for you to be jealous for me."

A blush rose on Yu Ruyan's face, thinking about the misunderstanding of him before, feeling ashamed flashed in her heart, she buried her face in his arms with a blushing face, and said nothing more.

Mu Lingzhi's voice sounded slowly above her head, and said: "In two days, the crown prince's seal ceremony will be held. For these two days, you will stay in Chaoyang Palace and go back after the ceremony is over. I want to see you every day..."

After hearing his words, Yu Ruyan felt sour and sweet in her heart, and she wished she could stay with him every day and never separate, but when she thought of what happened next, her heart felt like falling into a cold pool, and her body felt cold... …

Suppressing the sadness and reluctance in her heart, Yu Ruyan said softly: "But the day after tomorrow is Brother An's birthday, and I want to go back and celebrate her birthday with her. I spend her birthday with her every year. This year not excluded……"

Mu Lingzhi smiled slyly, and said, "I just know that the day after tomorrow is her birthday, so I won't let you go back to the Bieyuan."

Yu Ruyan looked ignorant, but in the next moment she understood, she couldn't help but smiled, and said, "Is this idea from His Highness, or did you come up with it yourself?"

Mu Lingzhi thought of Yulin's pimple-like copper coins finally enlightened for love, and smiled with relief: "How would I know An's birthday? This time he enlightened himself. For that silly boy, it is really rare." , so you really have to fulfill him once."

Hearing this, Yu Ruyan was deeply moved. She really didn't have enough money to be so dedicated and persistent to her after knowing what happened to An Ge before. Such feelings are precious, and she is of course willing to fulfill them.She hoped that Brother An's birthday would be spent with copper coins every year in the future.

Moreover, she still wanted to find Chen Yanfei to investigate the truth about the assassination of the knife three years ago!
But, to her surprise, before she could find her, someone had already attacked...

The next morning after breakfast, Yu Ruyan came to the East Palace, apparently looking for Xiaoru, but after seeing her, she asked her to take her to see Chen Yanfei.

Xiaoru agreed immediately, and led her to Xiyuan, where the court ladies lived, but when she got there, she saw a group of people gathered in front of a small courtyard in Xiyuan, and the maids and eunuchs of the East Palace were all around to watch. It was lively, seeing Xiaoru and Yu Ruyan approaching, they were so frightened that they hurriedly dispersed.

Seeing this, a bad premonition flashed in Yu Ruyan's heart for no reason, she asked Xiao Ru on the side, and knew that the house on the east side of the courtyard lived in Uncle Chen's family, and her heart sank even more.

Entering the courtyard, she heard suppressed crying from the house on the east side, Yu Ruyan went in with great difficulty, only to see Chen Ma covering her mouth and crying heartbroken, and Aunt Qin was also in the house.

Before she could open her mouth to ask Chen Ma what happened, Chen Ma suddenly saw her here, and rushed to her feet as if she had met a savior, trembling all over, suppressing the grief in her heart, begging her: "Princess, Please help me say something nice in front of my aunt, let me see my family for the last time, let me see him for the last time, please!"

Hearing this, Yu Ruyan's whole body was shocked, and only then did she realize that Chen Ma was wearing a plain dress, with white silk flowers on her temples, and a hemp rope tied around her skirt, she looked like she was in mourning!

Suppressing the panic in her heart, Yu Ruyan looked at Aunt Qin who was standing by with a sullen face, and said, "Auntie, what happened?"

Aunt Qin didn't expect Yu Ruyan to appear in the servant's room of the East Palace at this time, she couldn't help but sighed and said: "Her husband, Chen Shiwei, died suddenly while he was on duty at the Prince's Mansion last night, because the Prince will be the next day." During the seal ceremony, the Empress strictly ordered that nothing bad happen in the East Palace during this period, so she ordered Chen Shiwei's body to be sent out of the palace for burial early in the morning."

Thinking of Uncle Chen's death without a sound, Yu Ruyan couldn't accept it for a while, she looked at Mama Chen who was crying so hard, she couldn't bear it and said: "In this case, please ask Auntie to forgive me and let Mama Chen Go out of the palace to see Uncle Chen one last time, and send him off for the last time."

Hearing this, Aunt Qin showed an imperceptible look of embarrassment, and mumbled: "It's useless to leave the palace. Presumably, Guard Chen has already been buried at this time, so if you want to see it, you won't be able to see it."

Chen Ma's face was full of despair. Thinking of the rumors she heard, she suddenly gritted her teeth and said, "My old man has always been in good health, why did he suddenly leave? Princess, I heard from the guards who were on duty with him that he was murdered." , bleeding from the seven orifices when he died, he was poisoned to death, I beg the princess to be the master of this old slave!"

Chen Ma's words made Yu Ruyan's face change when she heard the words, and it also made Aunt Qin's face change. Before Yu Ruyan could speak, Aunt Qin turned around and said to Chen Ma with a serious face: "What are you doing about the groundless rumors?" Can you believe it? I'm just telling you that the crown prince's seal ceremony is coming soon. If you want to dwell on this matter and make the empress feel uncomfortable, or cause some troubles in the crown prince's seal ceremony, this Can you bear the guilt?"

Aunt Qin's words completely stunned Chen Ma, and made it hard for Yu Ruyan to say anything else.

Everyone knows that this is the second time for the ceremony of conferring the seal, and if any disturbances affect the ceremony, no one can bear the responsibility.

In the end, Yu Ruyan pleaded with Aunt Qin and said, "Auntie, since Uncle Chen has been buried outside the palace, why not let Mama Chen go out of the palace to visit her grave."

Aunt Qin did not refuse this time, she said: "She and her daughter are not considered to be from the East Palace. It was only because Chen Shiwei has been with the prince for many years, and the prince was grateful for his kindness that he allowed him to bring his family to live in the palace. Here, now that Chen Shiwei has passed away, she can take her daughter out of the palace to mourn for Chen Shiwei, and she doesn't have to go back to the palace."

After hearing her words, Chen Ma immediately got up, wiped the tears from her face, and said: "Thank you for your kindness, aunt, I will take Yan Fei out of the palace to see her father."

However, blessings never come together, and misfortunes never come singly.When Chen Ma was thinking about taking Chen Yanfei out of the palace, she was surprised that she hadn't seen her all morning, and she hadn't seen her face since such a big incident happened at home.

Chen's mother went to her room to find her, and found her bed was messy. Then she remembered that after she got up to take a urinate in the middle of the night last night, she never went back to the room, and Chen's mother happened to hear Chen Bo's sudden death at that time In grief and despair, she actually forgot about the news.

Thinking about it now, she never went back to the house after urinating, where did she go in the middle of the night, but what happened?
Thinking of this, Chen Ma couldn't bear it any longer and fell down. The servants of the Eastern Palace helped her to sit on the pit.

However, before she could sit firmly on the pit, at this moment, a little court lady who was usually close to Chen Yanfei ran over in a panic, her face was pale, and she trembled in fear: "Mother Chen, go and see Well, Yan Fei... Yan Fei drowned in the dung truck..."

As soon as this remark came out, it was truly a shock to a thousand layers of waves!Chen Ma couldn't admit the blow any longer, and passed out...

When Yu Ruyan, Aunt Qin and the others rushed to the Yeting where the accident happened, they saw that the round big excrement bucket, which was specially responsible for transporting the palace pickles out of the palace, was surrounded by the lowest maidservants in the Yeting.

When they saw Yu Ruyan and the others arriving, they were so frightened that they knelt down on the ground, not daring to vent their anger.

From a long distance away, Yu Ruyan could smell the disgusting smell coming out of the dung bucket, Xiao Ru couldn't help but hesitate to approach, but Yu Ruyan approached indifferently with a solemn expression, her heart was cold——

Last night, Chen Yanfei just told her about the assassination of the prince, and she died in the dung truck today, and she mentioned that Uncle Chen found the blueprint, and Uncle Chen also died suddenly, all of this is definitely not a coincidence!

Before she could speak, Aunt Qin said angrily to the palace man kneeling on the ground: "What happened?"

Aunt Qin is the most respectable aunt in the palace. She has been with the queen for many years and is the dowry maid of the queen Xie. Even Mu Lingzhi and the prince give her three respects, let alone the lowest palace people in the palace. up.So when she heard her question, everyone couldn't stop shivering all over their bodies, they were so afraid that they dared not speak.

An old palace lady in her early 30s walked forward with trembling knees and said, "Back to my aunt and all the nobles, the servants are the stewards of this court. Just now, the Lin who is in charge of the Yexiang carriage found floating in this barrel. One person... Hurry up, report it clearly to your aunt and all the nobles!" After finishing speaking, she stretched out her hand to signal another court lady kneeling beside her to answer.

Huan Lin's servant girl came forward with a frightened face and said: "My lords and lords, I went to the palaces and halls this morning to pour the night incense as usual, but when I came back, the servant found that the night incense bucket was floating in the barrel. A person, servant girl... but servant girl doesn't know where this person came from, servant girl is innocent, please investigate clearly..."

That Lin was so frightened that she almost cried. When she found the dead person in the Yexiang car she was in charge of, she was afraid that she would be involved again, so she couldn't help shaking like chaff all over her body.

"Where are people?" Yu Ruyan asked coldly, resisting the chill all over her body.

Now that things have happened, there is hardly any doubt that both Chen Yanfei and Chen Bo were murdered to silence them.

A chill flashed across Yu Ruyan's eyes, she thought, maybe the one who killed Chen Yanfei was the one who actually killed Xiaodao three years ago, but what happened three years ago had nothing to do with her, why did Chen Yanfei specially tell her last night everything?
Clouds of mist rose in her heart, and Yu Ruyan fell into confusion and panic again...

Hearing her question, all the people in Ye Ting showed embarrassment, and finally, the troubled man pointed to the big round excrement bucket and said tremblingly: "Go back to your mother, that person...that person is still in Yexiang's car... ..."

Hearing this, Aunt Qin's face turned cold, and she ordered people to quickly take him out of Yexiang's car and send him outside the palace, then she turned her head and said to Yu Ruyan: "Princess, this place is filthy, please move leave!"

Xiaoru couldn't bear it anymore, pulled Yu Ruyan away, and said, "Sister, this place is smelly and dirty, it's so disgusting, it will be even more disgusting when that person is fished out of the dung bucket, I once saw it A chicken fell into a cesspit, and when it was finally picked up, it was covered in maggots... wow..."

Before she finished speaking, Xiaoru couldn't help vomiting when she thought of the disgusting scene.

However, at this moment, Chen Ma, who had come to her senses, stumbled to Ye Ting with the support of others, and happened to see the people in Ye Ting obeying Aunt Qin's order, hooking Chen Yanfei's clothes with a long rake from the dung bin. Fishing it out, a burst of stench suddenly overwhelmed the sky, and it was so smoked that people couldn't open their eyes!
Chen Yanfei, who was fished out, was covered in pickled dirt, not to mention filthy, and disgusting maggots were crawling all over his body. With just one glance, everyone around couldn't help but cover their mouths and vomit.

Yu Ruyan's face turned pale, and she also had a nausea. When she bent over to vomit, her eyes swept over Chen Yanfei's corpse again, and suddenly found that she was staring at a pair of round eyeballs, and the expression on her face was also a look of horror and anger. , Unexpectedly, I will die with my eyes closed!
Everyone avoided it, only Chen Ma threw away the hands of the people around her regardless, rushed to Chen Yanfei's corpse, hugged her filthy corpse and wailed loudly, screaming 'Daughter' miserably Despair makes people cry.

Everyone looked at the sad and crying mother Chen with sympathy, thinking that she lost her husband and daughter overnight. How can ordinary people bear such heart-piercing pain?

While crying, Mama Chen took out a handkerchief to help Chen Yanfei wipe off the pickled dirt on his face. Everyone was moved by that careful and loving look.

Looking at the grief-stricken Mama Chen, Yu Ruyan couldn't help but want to step forward to persuade her, but unexpectedly, everyone was shocked by what happened the next moment——

Chen Ma stopped crying suddenly, turned her head to look at Yu Ruyan with despair and said, "Princess, I beg you for one thing."

Yu Ruyan looked at her in a daze, and said without thinking, "Mother Chen, tell me, no matter what, I will promise you."

Chen Ma smiled sternly, tears rolled down like broken beads.

"My husband and daughter were killed by others, but unfortunately I can't help them avenge them. Therefore, the old slave begged the princess to help the old slave find the murderer who killed them."

At this time, no matter how difficult Yu Ruyan was, she had no choice but to agree to her, she said to Chen Ma: "Don't worry, I will definitely find out who killed Uncle Chen and Yan Fei, and give them justice."

Seeing that she agreed to come down, Chen Ma put down Chen Yanfei in her arms, turned around and respectfully knelt down to her, and said in a trembling voice: "Thank you, Princess, for willing to help Yan Fei regardless of past suspicions, and thank you, Princess, for taking care of this old slave for a long time. I can't repay the kindness of the princess, I just ask to be a cow and a horse for the princess in the next life, and return the kindness of the princess."

When Chen Ma said these words, her face was determined, and Yu Ruyan had an inexplicably bad premonition in her heart. She suddenly thought of something, and she was startled. She was asking the people around her to stop her, but it was too late...

After finishing speaking, Chen Ma quickly got up and slammed into the bluestone wall next to her...

"Ah..." Everyone exclaimed in unison. The people around her stretched out their hands to pull her, but they couldn't even grab the corner of her clothes. Mama Chen's head hit the rough and hard head with a loud bang. On the bluestone wall, his head was bleeding immediately, and he fell to the ground in the next second.

The sudden change made everyone stunned. Yu Ruyan looked at Chen Ma who fell to the ground and died.

In a blink of an eye, the three members of Uncle Chen's family were all killed, which is really embarrassing and sympathetic.

When Aunt Qin saw that Mama Chen went with her daughter in grief, she felt sympathetic and regretful, but remembering what the queen said, she didn't dare to make this matter worse, so she quickly ordered the people in Yeting to take Mama Chen and her daughter away. Sent out for burial outside the palace.

After listening to Aunt Qin's instructions, the palace servants went forward to take two rolls of straw mats, packed them one by one, and put them on a cart to be transported away.

Seeing that the palace man was about to move the two away, Yu Ruyan recovered from the shock, suddenly thought of something, couldn't help stepping up to stop the palace man who was driving the carriage, and shouted: "Wait a minute, the corpses cannot be transported away for the time being!"

As soon as this remark came out, the people around looked at her in surprise, wondering why she left the corpses of Mother Chen and her daughter?
(End of this chapter)