The courtyard is deep in spring

Chapter 115 Dilemma
"Madam really don't know why?" Liu'er interrupted Madam Lin and said, "My concubine did this because of Ling'er... Also, she doesn't want Miss Lin to make things difficult between Madam and her..."

"Hmph! Stop pretending to be considerate!" Mrs. Lin was taken aback when she heard this, and then the sarcasm on her face intensified: "For a girl, you want to break up with my Xi Rong? How ridiculous !"

After finishing speaking, she turned her head, glanced at Lin Xirong triumphantly, and said, "Xi Rong, Mother didn't say anything this time, and you saw it too. In the eyes of the Crown Princess, you are not as good as Ling'er, a maid. important……"

"Stop talking!" Lin Xirong suddenly interrupted Mrs. Lin sharply, and the angry look shocked everyone.

Even Liu'er was a little stunned. She had served Lin Xirong for many years, and she never expected that she would be so powerful when she got angry!
"Mother, do you really think that the Crown Princess can't figure out how Ling'er died?" Lin Xirong said word by word: "Do you really think that the death of a woman can offset the anger in the Crown Princess' heart? She broke up with me, It’s just for understanding that I’m stuck in the middle!”

"Mother, it's better to do it on your own! Without me, the Crown Princess wants to do something to you, but there is a chance!" After Lin Xirong finished speaking, she turned her head and said to the maids and women in a deep voice: "Please help, carry Liu'er out, be careful."

Liu'er glanced at her, and asked hoarsely: "Miss, why don't you read that letter first?"

"I'll see it later." Lin Xirong replied lightly, before getting angry, she had carefully folded the letter that Ye Zhaoqing wrote to her and put it in her sleeve pocket.

Liu'er nodded, and let a few servant girls help her up from the ground, and said in a low voice: "When I came out of the palace, the Crown Princess once told me that whether to go or stay is entirely up to me."

Lin Xirong's body shook violently when she heard the words, she turned her head to look at Liu'er fixedly, and asked hoarsely: "Then, do you want to return to my side, or to the palace?"

"The servant is going back to the palace! Go back to the Crown Princess!" Liu'er said firmly when she heard the words: "The lady just wanted to execute the servant, and you have seen the situation. If I stay here, I will definitely not escape her murderous hands in the future. , although staying in the palace is hard, but with the protection of the crown princess, I think that day will not be too bad."

"It's so good." Hearing this, Lin Xirong also remembered the shock she felt when she saw Liu'er covered in bruises when she just entered the door. She nodded and said, "I'll send someone to take you back to the palace right away." , if you still think about our past master-servant friendship, I hope you will speak a few words of kindness for me in front of the Crown Princess when you return to the palace."

"Miss! You..." Liu'er was both shocked and sad when she heard this.She didn't expect that at this time, Lin Xirong cared most about Mrs. Lin.

"Sorry, that's my mother after all..." Lin Xirong smiled bitterly when she heard the words, and said, "If I could choose my origin, I hope I am not the daughter of the Lin family, but it is destined to be so. Since she gave birth to me, I will give birth to you." If you want to find a way to protect her, as for the princess, I can only say sorry!"

After hearing this, Liu'er fell silent.In the face of Madam Lin and Ye Zhaoqing's undying feud, Lin Xirong chose Madam Lin, which was understandable in the first place.

After all, no matter how close a friend is, he can't kiss his mother!

"Miss, I understand what you mean." Liu'er nodded heavily, raised her eyes to look at Lin Xirong and said, "When I'm in front of the Crown Princess, I will know what to say, but can I ask you something? "

"What's the matter, tell me!" Lin Xirong said immediately.

Liu'er glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, and said: "In the house just now, Madam wanted to force the servant to work for her, but the servant refused, so she fed the servant a poison. Now, the servant promised to deal with the matter. The Crown Princess is hiding it, so regarding the antidote, please help me."

"My mother, did you take poison?" Lin Xirong was shocked when she heard this.

"Yes." Liu'er nodded immediately upon hearing the words: "This servant is willing to keep this matter a secret for Miss, but the poison in her body cannot be faked."

After hearing this, Lin Xirong immediately said: "You wait for me here for a while." After saying that, she turned and went back to the room.

Liu'er stood where she was, and waited expectantly.

The reason why she brought this matter up to Lin Xirong was because she didn't want to burden Ye Zhaoqing, as her concubine was already busy enough.

In the room, Lin Xirong and Mrs. Lin were having a fierce quarrel.

"Mother, why did you feed Liu'er medicine? What about the antidote? Take it out!"

"She is a dog raised by my Lin family. Why, she hasn't repaid us for decades, but now she is confident enough to ask for poison? Don't even look at her own identity!" Mrs. Lin sneered after hearing this.

Lin Xirong looked at her mother in despair, and persuaded her earnestly: "Mother, you have already killed Ling'er, why do you want to touch Liu'er? Two lives, the Crown Princess will not let you go!"

"Even if there is no such thing, do you think she will let me go?" Mrs. Lin suddenly had a sneer on her face: "I set up a poisonous plan in the fragrant orchid water pavilion that day, just to destroy her innocence , but that girl was treacherous and escaped, from then on, I knew that either she died or I died!"

Lin Xirong was taken aback when she heard this. She glanced at Mrs. Lin in disbelief, and said in a trembling voice: "It turns out that you did that thing, and you paid so much money to get me away." So much thought..."

Mrs. Lin saw her ghost-like expression, and suddenly regretted that she had told the truth, but the words had already been spoken, and it was too late to deny it at this time, so she straightened her neck and said, "That's right! For you, my child! Who doesn't want to be the crown princess, who is high above and enjoying all the glory and wealth? Do you dare to say that you are not jealous of Ye Zhaoqing at all?"

After saying that, he paused and said: "Speaking of which, if she, Ye Zhaoqing, really didn't have the slightest intention of becoming a princess, how could she hook up with His Royal Highness and almost put her eyes on her?"

Lin Xirong couldn't help but fell silent when she heard these questions.

Mrs. Lin saw that she was speechless, a hint of complacency appeared on her face, she leaned over, patted Lin Xirong's shoulder reassuringly, and said earnestly: "Good Xirong, mother, all this is for you!"

"Don't talk so much! Take out the antidote! Then I can send Liu'er back to the palace, and pretend that this incident never happened." Lin Xirong suddenly shook off her hand, expressionless.

Seeing this, Mrs. Lin's face immediately showed disappointment. She withdrew her hand that was knocked down, and said in a calm tone: "Is there any antidote! If you want to send that girl back, you should do it as soon as possible!"

After hearing this, Lin Xirong's eyes widened in disbelief, and she asked blankly, "Mother, what did you say? There is no antidote?"

"Yes! No!" Madam Lin said with a blank expression.

"Haha..." Looking at her like this, Lin Xirong suddenly burst out laughing crazily, tears streaming down her cheeks: "My good mother, for your sake, I don't hesitate to beg you Liu Er didn't tell the Crown Princess about this, but it's good that you don't give me the antidote! Do you know what kind of consequences Liu Er will cause if she goes back like this?"

"Wouldn't it be good not to go back?" Mrs. Lin turned her head suddenly, glanced at her daughter, and said in a calm tone: "As long as she dies, everything will be dead without proof. Even if the Crown Princess wants to pursue it, there is nothing she can do! Why bother?" trouble?"

Lin Xirong never expected that up to this moment, her mother was still thinking of killing Liu'er, she was completely dazed, she stumbled back a few steps, and stared at her for a long time as if she didn't know Mrs. Lin.

"Xi Rong? What's wrong with you?" Mrs. Lin was shocked when she saw this.

Lin Xirong stared at her blankly, and suddenly burst into tears: "Mother! You only know that Liu'er is from the Crown Princess, but do you know that she is also my servant girl? She has served me for more than ten years? How could you, How can I let her die..."

Mrs. Lin never expected that her daughter's reaction would be so strong. Hearing this, she hurriedly stepped forward to persuade her: "Xi Rong, it's not what you think..."

"It's not like that?" Lin Xirong cried bitterly, "You're going to kill Liu'er! What's the misunderstanding?"

"Then, do you choose Liu'er or Mother?" Mrs. Lin suddenly asked.

Lin Xirong's crying stopped abruptly, and she glanced at her mother in a daze, not quite understanding what this sentence meant.

"If you choose to send Liu'er back, then the Crown Princess will know everything, and she will never let me go." Mrs. Lin explained indifferently: "If you choose to let Liu'er die, then the Crown Princess will have no evidence of death. Your mother Or you can get a chance to breathe, two options, you choose yourself!"

Lin Xirong stood there blankly, looking at her mother with pain on her face, but she couldn't say a word.

"Choose quickly! Time is running out." Madam Lin said, she turned her head and looked into the yard, only to see that there was no ray of sunlight in the originally sunny weather, and the sky was also dark.

If the delay continues, the Crown Princess may come to the door in person.

By then, things will be even more difficult to deal with...

Lin Xirong's heart shuddered, but she couldn't say a word any more.

She glanced at her mother standing in front of her with infinite anger, and felt very disgusted with her behavior of using those dirty and indecent means to frame Ye Zhaoqing, but at the same time, another voice in her heart told her that all this was for you……

All this is for you, what right do you have to hate your mother?

If it weren't for you, why would she be so unscrupulous?
But Liu'er has been with her for so many years, is she really going to abandon her...

It's so hard to choose!
Compared to Lin Xirong's entanglement and pain, Mrs. Lin seemed much calmer, she didn't even look at her daughter again, went back to the house and sat down, and calmly ordered Caiyu to prepare lunch, she was hungry.

"Yes, ma'am, this servant will tell the kitchen to prepare." Caiyu didn't dare to say a word when she heard the words, she responded respectfully and withdrew.

Lin Xirong stood by the door, behind her was her mother, and in front of her was Liu'er, who was covered in colorful flowers in the yard.

I don't know how long it took, when Mrs. Lin finished her meal in a leisurely manner and ordered someone to clean up the dishes, Lin Xirong finally said, "Mother, my daughter listens to you."

After saying this, it seemed that all the strength in her body was drained, she shook her whole body a few times, then closed her eyes, and passed out!
"Xi Rong!" Mrs. Lin was taken aback when she saw this, she turned her head and shouted frantically to everyone, "Quick! Bring the young lady in! Hurry up and call the imperial physician! Please invite the imperial physician!"

After being in a hurry for a while, after a quarter of an hour, Lin Xirong was carried to the room by the maids and women to lie down.

"My dear Xirong..." Mrs. Lin no longer had the composure she had just now, and her face was full of worry and tension. She knelt on the edge of the bed, stretched out her hand and gently stroked her daughter's cheek, A tear fell from one eye.

The next moment, she turned her head and asked Caiyu who was beside her, "Have you sent someone to invite the imperial physician?"

"Returning to Madam, Nanny Zhang, Nanny Xu, and Nanny Ding, they are all going to ask the imperial physician!" Caiyu hurriedly replied after hearing this.

Madam Lin breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this, but the next moment, a sneer appeared on her face.

"Caiyu, do as I told you just now!"

Caiyu was stunned when she heard the words: "Madam, are you referring to Liu'er? Don't think about it anymore?" As she spoke, she turned her head and glanced at Liu'er who had passed out on the bed.

"Why are you talking so much nonsense?" Mrs. Lin frowned after hearing this, and said: "Miss wakes up, I will naturally have a way to explain to her!"

Caiyu's heart trembled, and she hurriedly replied, "Yes! Ma'am!" She said, not daring to delay any longer, she turned around and retreated quickly.

Mrs. Lin stood in the main room, watching her leave, with a cold smile on the corner of her indifferent mouth.

Suddenly, she didn't know what she thought of, and suddenly she picked up her skirt and chased him out!

She had to stare at it with her own eyes, to see Liu Er die with her own eyes before she could rest assured!

"You take good care of Miss! If something happens to her, I'll ask you!" Mrs. Lin rushed to the door, and met a few maids coming with tea, snacks and other things, and immediately snapped.

Seeing her sharp gaze like a knife, the maids were all trembling with fright, and hurriedly responded in unison: "Yes! Ma'am!"

Mrs. Lin overtook them, and now she went after Caiyu with peace of mind.

……

In the East Palace.

"Why hasn't Liu'er come back yet? How long has she been away?" In the side hall study, Ye Zhaoqing wrote slowly, while turning his head to glance at the little palace lady Yuxiu who was standing upright behind her.

"Back to Crown Princess, Sister Liu'er has been out for three hours." Yuxiu bowed her head and replied respectfully.

Ye Zhaoqing was about to write, but stopped when he heard this, the thick black ink dripped onto the snow-white rice paper, and this piece of paper was considered useless.

She sighed, put down the brush, gently washed her hands from the golden basin brought by Yuxiu, and asked nonchalantly, "Where is Your Highness? It's time to return to the palace, right?"

"Back to the Crown Princess, His Royal Highness is going to the Yongchun Palace to pay his respects to the empress today, and he is still in the imperial study room. When he comes back, he may have to wait for an hour or two." Yuxiu replied.

Ye Zhaoqing raised his eyes to look at her, and said softly: "You go down first!"

"Yes, empress." Yuxiu replied, then turned around and retreated immediately.

When he was the only one left in the study, Ye Zhaoqing snapped his fingers.

A person jumped out of the wide-open diamond window in the northeast corner without a sound, and knelt down in front of Ye Zhaoqing: "Crown Princess, what are your orders?"

It was Ji Yan who came, and they had been secretly protecting Ye Zhaoqing in the past, although it didn't work every time, this time, it was the first time Ye Zhaoqing called him out.

"Liu'er has been in Xiangfu for three hours. I'm worried that she will be in danger. Go and have a look." Ye Zhaoqing said in a deep voice.

Ji Yan couldn't help being taken aback when he heard the words, the prince sent him to protect the princess, but now, he was assigned by the prince to rescue a court lady?And that palace lady is likely to return to the palace a few hours late because she is playing outside?

The corner of Ji Yan's mouth twitched, and he glanced at Ye Zhaoqing with some embarrassment, and said, "Crown Princess, this subordinate was sent by the Crown Prince to protect you..."

"I said Liu'er would be in danger, don't you believe me?" Ye Zhaoqing glanced at Ji Yan expressionlessly, and said in a deep voice, "If you can't bring Liu'er back to the Prime Minister's mansion today, then you will Never come back! Where the prince is, Bengong will naturally explain to him!"

Ji Yan's whole body trembled when he heard the words, and he didn't dare to say another word, and immediately responded: "Just now, my subordinates spoke nonsense, please punish the Crown Princess!"

"I have nothing to punish you." Ye Zhaoqing said, raised his eyes to look at Ji Yan and said, "Go and save Liu'er, I won't care about anything with you." Then he paused and said : "The prime minister's mansion is basically full of female relatives, it's inconvenient for you to come and go, how about this! I will give you one thing, so that no one will dare to stop you."

Saying that, he took out a gold medal from his sleeve, handed it to Ji Yan, and urged: "Go quickly, or it may be too late."

Ji Yan lowered his head and saw the large character '禹' on the gold medal. He knew that it belonged to His Royal Highness, so he respected him a little more, and quickly replied: "Yes! Crown Princess, I promise to complete the task and be sure to be safe. Bring Liu'er back!" As he spoke, he kowtowed respectfully, turned around and was about to retreat.

But at this time, he heard Ye Zhaoqing talking to himself behind him: "Come on, I have been in danger several times, and I can't count on you every time. Don't talk about bringing it back safely. I still pray that Liu Let's die!"

Ji Yan, who had already reached the gate of the hall, staggered suddenly after hearing this.

……

With a sound of "Wow!", a basin of cold water was splashed on the unconscious Liu'er, and she opened her eyes very slowly.

Seeing a lot of colorful figures standing in front of her, blurry, Liu Er tried to blink her eyes, and then she saw clearly that the person standing at the front with a proud face was Mrs. Lin.

The words of Madam Lin clamoring to kill her before she fell into a coma flashed into her mind, Liu'er's eyes showed a trace of fear, she couldn't help curling up her limbs, her teeth chattered and said: "Husband, ma'am, what are you going to do?" ?”

"I came here to ask you one last question, do you agree to work for me?" Mrs. Lin played with the armor in her hand slowly, looked down at Liu'er, and said with a smile: "Don't think that you will sell yourself without the paper. Qi, I can't control you! Now there are only two paths in front of you, either die, or agree to work for me, and be a support for the princess, you choose one!"

After hearing this, Liu'er closed her eyes in despair, she really hoped that all this was just a dream!
She is absolutely, absolutely impossible to agree to Mrs. Lin!

In this life, she will never betray the princess!
Then, for the rest, there is only one way to go.

Just die, she also wants to die with some dignity.

"I'm thirsty and want a drink of water," she said.

Seeing that she said such irrelevant words, a woman immediately slapped her hard: "Do you want to die? Do you still want to drink water at this time?" She wanted to slap her palm like a cattail leaf fan again, but Madam Lin's icy voice came from her ear: "Nurse Yu, stop!"

The ferocity on Nanny Yu's face disappeared immediately, and then she put on a flattering smile: "Ma'am, what are your orders?"

"Do as this girl says and bring her a bowl of water!" Mrs. Lin said in a deep voice.

The expression on Mammy Yu's face changed, and she smiled and said, "Yes, ma'am!" After finishing speaking, she turned around and poured a bowl of tea herself, and handed it to Liu'er.

Liu'er took her hand and gulped it down, then let out a long breath, and said, "I'm hungry!"

Nanny Yu stared, and raised her big hand like a cattail leaf fan to give Liu'er another blow, but at this moment, Mrs. Lin said again: "Do as she tells you!"

"Yes! Ma'am." Nanny Yu's fierceness was discouraged at once, and she turned around with a low eyebrow and obediently prepared meals.

"I want to eat beef!" Liu'er shouted.

Nanny Yu staggered abruptly, she turned around and took a look at Madam Lin, seeing that she didn't make a sound to stop her, she gave Liu'er a resentful look, turned around and backed away.

"Help me up!" Liu'er spoke again.

As soon as Mrs. Lin waved her hand, two women stepped forward and helped Liu'er, who was limp on the ground, up from the ground.

It has been several hours since she came to the Prime Minister's Mansion, and she was scolded and beaten. At this time, she was really tired and hungry. It was Liu'er's only request to have a full meal before she died.

In fact, she still has an extravagant wish in her heart, that is, she wants to see Ye Zhaoqing. If it can be realized, she will have no regrets in this life.

When she came out of the palace today, she never expected that this would be the last time their master and servant would see each other.

However, Mrs. Lin took Liu'er's behavior as she had surrendered and agreed to be her internal response, that's why she was so talkative, and she was given food and drink.

After Liu'er sat up, she looked down at her wet clothes. She originally wanted to change them, but after thinking about it, after eating, she bit her tongue and committed suicide. Mrs. Lin would definitely chop her up and use her It doesn't matter if you don't have clothes or clothes to vent your anger.

She didn't say that.

After a while, Mammy Yu brought a tray with not only beef, but also a plate of Sixi meatballs, a plate of braised pork, and two plates of vegetarian dishes, all of which Liu Er likes to eat on weekdays.

It is no regret to be able to eat such a full meal before dying.

(End of this chapter)