refuse to be a concubine
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
"Please punish the emperor." I was even more humble.
"Look up at me."
"The slaves dare not."
"Don't you dare?" He chuckled, and said coolly, "If other people are really deceived by your appearance, you are respectful and humble, and you have performed all the behaviors that a palace official should do."
"Your servant does not understand what the emperor means." My heart became slightly uneasy, as if he had peeped into the depths of my heart.
I must have thought too much, he had already forgotten that night in the Red Mansion and me, so it is naturally impossible to know the resentment and rejection I have towards him in my heart.
"Look up at me." He ordered again.
As a last resort, I looked up.
The line of sight meets a pair of sharp eyes, followed by an oppressive breath.
The body couldn't help trembling, this feeling, this feeling... just like that night.
At this time, I couldn't show any dissatisfaction and resentment, so I had to endure it.
But in front of this person who ruined my life, under those sharp and cold black eyes, I can no longer act humble and respectful.
At such a close distance, he was right in front of me.
Trying to restrain, trying to let go of the resentment.
I kept telling myself not to think about the past.
I kept telling myself that in front of him, I was just a court lady.
But I'm afraid, my eyes, my expression, have revealed the hatred in my heart.
He stared at me coldly.
I only felt cold sweat on my back, but I still had to maintain a calm appearance.
After a while, he waved his sleeves and turned around, and said calmly, "Dress me, I'm going to the imperial study to approve the papers."
I was a little puzzled by his sudden words.
"Do you still want to ignore my words?" Seeing me stunned, he raised his eyebrows.
"Slave, servant girl, go get the clothes immediately." I hurriedly got up and went into the inner hall. Although I was puzzled by his repetition, I was relieved. It seemed that the worry was in vain just now, and he didn't see it from my face. what.
The next day, the weather was fine and the sky was blue.
When I led the palace people with washing utensils into the inner hall, the queen was sitting lazily in front of the dressing table, combing her hair. Her black hair was like running water, winding down the lavender underwear.
The queen got up late today, but she was in a good mood, as could be seen from the corners of her smiling brows.
"I fell asleep last night, and I don't even know when the emperor will leave." The queen got up and walked towards the jade screen.
I hurriedly handed the slightly wet brocade towel to the queen, and after she scrubbed it, I ordered the palace servants to remove the washing utensils.
The queen said again: "If there is such a thing next time, you have to wake up this palace no matter what, you understand?"
"Your maidservant has written it down." I ordered the maids holding the clothes trays to line up and said, "Your Majesty, which one do you want to wear today?"
The phoenix eyes swept across the clothes plate, and the queen's eyes stopped on a Hu Qingshen dress, "Just this one."
While dressing the queen, the palace servants came to report, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Tang is here, standing outside the palace waiting for the announcement."
"Call him in."
"Yes."
After getting dressed, the queen looked at the potted plants in front of the window and closed her eyes slightly, as if she was thinking about something.
After a while, she walked out of the inner hall.
Seeing Tang Yu, I couldn't help but think of the conversation last night.
The shock was still in my heart, but I tried my best to pretend to be normal and not squint.
"Your Majesty, I have cooked the anti-fetal medicine according to your instructions. Do you want to send it to Concubine An now?" Tang Yu asked.
The queen looked at her slender fingers with cold eyes, "Naturally, when the medicine cools down, half of the medicine's effects will be gone. I haven't visited Concubine An since she became pregnant, so I should care about it. "
"Yes, send it here."
"Wait." The queen glanced at me, with an invisible smile, and said, "Enen, I will send it to you, and tell Concubine An to let her have a good life. If there is any inconvenience Just let the palace people tell me the place."
"Yes."
From the corner of the eye, Tang Yu frowned, and looked at me with eyes like cold pools. Apart from the usual coldness, there seemed to be a little more worry in the eyes.
The buildings of the imperial palace are all very large, and the corridors and all kinds of palace roads are extremely long and wide, as if only in this way can it show its grandeur and magnificence.
With the anti-fetal medicine in my hand, I dare not be distracted while walking.
It's just that the sun is too bright. Looking up, the bright yellow glazed tiles reflect colorful colors in the sun, which is eye-catching. Although the palace is magnificent, the most beautiful thing is the roof of these halls. Each corner of the roof is carved with different patterns. The mascot, or baring its teeth and waving its claws, or swooping down on prey, or acting coquettishly and amused, is lifelike.
Go through a round door.
Just about to enter, I almost collided with the people who came out.
"Be careful!" I yelled, but it was too late, the wooden basin in her hand overturned, and the water in the basin splashed all over me.
Fortunately, not a little bit was spilled into the medicine bowl.
"Are you okay?" I asked quickly.
It was her.
The maid next to Concubine Ming, Jing Lin gave her a pendant in the pavilion that day.
Didn't expect to run into it here.
"Miss Su, your clothes are all wet, I'm so sorry." She apologized, took out her handkerchief and wiped it.
"It's okay, the sun is so good, it will be done in a while."
"Where are you going with the medicine?"
"Go to Empress Anfei." My wet hem was sticking to my legs, and I was extremely uncomfortable, so I said, "I'm going first."
"Miss Su," she stopped me, with a good-natured look on her face, "Why don't I send it for you? Although the sun is pretty good, it's very easy to catch cold if the clothes are wet. You should go back and change."
"it does not matter."
"But the servant feels sorry, let the servant send it."
Seeing her being so enthusiastic, I was embarrassed to refuse, but the queen personally gave me the medicine, and this thing is unusual, so I was not at ease if I didn't deliver it to Concubine An Palace in person, so I said: "Thank you for your kindness, really It's okay, go get busy." After crossing her, she was about to leave.
Unexpectedly, she stopped in front of me suddenly, and said with a smile: "Miss Su, you should give the medicine to the servant, if you don't let me deliver the medicine for you, the servant will not sleep well for several days."
She is extremely strange.
I had no choice but to decline her kindness again, and said gently: "Don't feel sorry, it was because I was careless, I was too busy looking at the scene on the top of the temple and not paying attention to the front, so you can sleep soundly, right?"
"Then it will be even more uneasy to sleep." Her face suddenly darkened, and her voice was not as easy-going as before.After finishing speaking, she reached out to snatch the medicine bowl in my hand, and said in a low voice: "You are so strange, don't you know that this is what the queen told you?"
Monk Erzhang was puzzled by what she said, but when she saw that the medicine on the plate was snatched by her, I didn't think much about it, so I reached out and was about to snatch it back, "What are you doing? You are too courageous, this is the empress. An anti-fetal drug given to Concubine An."
"What's the matter with you? Didn't Eunuch Tang tell you?" She shook off my hand and ran forward.
"Hello?" I chased after her and grabbed her sleeve, "You are too presumptuous."
bang——
Between tugging and pulling, the medicine bowl fell to the ground and shattered all over the ground, and the black herbs stained a circle of grass.
"You?" The palace man stared and pointed to my forehead with one hand, "You ruined the empress's good deeds."
Ben was overturning the medicine bowl, but he was stunned when he heard her say that, "What?"
She snorted softly and glared at me fiercely for a while, "Looks like I have to go to fry the bowl and deliver the medicine myself." After speaking, she left angrily.
"What?" Decoct the medicine and deliver it yourself?Could it be that a little palace man could make the anti-fetal medicine given to Concubine An by the empress?
The next moment, doubts came to my mind.
The things she said...
What does the queen want to tell me?
What should Tang Yu say to me?
What a good thing for the empress?
There seemed to be something going on about me that I didn't know about.
Confused, I bent down to pick up the medicine bowl that was broken on the ground, and when I saw the grass that was spilled by the medicine juice, my eyes suddenly widened, and the grass that was green just now was half withered now .
How could this be?
This medicine is poisonous?
Standing up abruptly, I took a step back and looked at the ground in horror, feeling a chill all over my body.
The anti-fetal medicine is actually poisonous, the queen wants to poison Concubine An?
At this moment, even the limbs felt as if they had been soaked in ice.
I stood there in a daze for a while.
Until the voices of the palace people not far away came one after another.
I looked around in a panic, turned around to leave, took a few steps, and turned back abruptly.
Staring at the broken bowls, I gritted my teeth, tore off the sleeves of my inner jacket, wrapped up the bowls, and hid in the path of flowers.
As soon as I left, a figure appeared silently where I was standing just now, and no one saw how he appeared.
He narrowed his eyes with a half-smile, looked at the direction where I was leaving and murmured: "Have I seen this maid somewhere? Hehe, she was in the Red Chamber last year...how did she enter the palace? If I saw her I'm the emperor, tsk, I've only left the palace for three months, and there are many interesting things in the palace."
Staring at the withered grass for a long time, he shook his head and murmured: "Someone will suffer again." As soon as the words fell, he quickly disappeared again.
In the blink of an eye, things come and go.
Many branches and leaves of the orchids on the table have fallen, and a few small white orchids are dotted on the branches, as if to tell the world that they can be cut and planted.
I stayed in my small side hall, staring blankly at the orchid in front of me, and from time to time looked at the broken bowls next to the orchid.
What should I do?
One can imagine the consequences of failing to complete what the queen asked, and it was such an important matter.
I rejoiced in my heart, fortunately the medicine was overturned, otherwise I would have become an executioner.
That was one dead body and two lives, my body trembled slightly, because I was afraid.
In the end how to do it?
Escape is impossible.
I clenched my fists and struggled incessantly.
My mind was so confused that I had no direction at all.
It's been a long time.
I stood up, poured out the orchid, scraped off the mud in the pot, put the broken bowl piece into the bottom of the pot, sprinkled the mud, and then put the orchid in.
After leaving the small side room, it was already afternoon.
The Queen's Palace was very quiet, only a few of the Queen's servants walking around in the palace.
Every step I take, my footsteps feel very heavy.
But in the face of it, I can't be timid.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the main hall.
The moment he entered the hall, his gaze met Tang Yu's cold gaze mixed with worry. The next moment, he retracted his gaze and heard him say, "Ma'am, Su En is here."
The queen sat high on it, with a cold expression, gently clasped the teacup with one hand, and did not speak.
In this situation, the lady-in-waiting must have already told the story.
Also, after such a long time, how could the queen not know?
"Your maidservant kowtows to see the empress." I knelt down, and since I was already in this hall, my heart was much calmer.
Putting down the teacup, the queen looked at me sharply, "Enen, you should know that Ben Gong likes you, that's why I let you stay in the small side room for three hours."
It seems that the queen knows everything, my heart tightens.
The queen said again: "Have you thought it through? Are you my confidant or your enemy?"
It was a very gentle sentence, but it made my heart tremble violently in my ears.
"The servant thanked the empress for her kindness. The servant only wants to be an ordinary palace maid, and I hope that the empress will make it happen."
"An ordinary court lady?" A sneer spread from the corner of the queen's mouth, "When you became the personal maid of this palace, you will never be an ordinary court lady again. Why, don't you even have such self-knowledge?"
"I hope your mother will be perfect." I kowtowed.
"Fulfillment? This palace can fulfill you." Seeing the queen raised her hand, two palace servants came in immediately, holding a water basin and a nearly transparent cloth in their hands.
My face turned pale in an instant, this cloth is specially used for palace people, once the palace people violate the palace rules, they will put it on the face layer by layer after soaking, causing people to suffocate to death.
"If you become Ben Gong's confidant, you will be rich and prosperous from now on, and all the palace people will flatter and flatter you when they see you. On the contrary, what will accompany you is only the dry well and damp well mud in the palace. Do you still want Ben Gong to fulfill you? ?”
I looked up and saw the gloomy and cruel eyes of the queen.
Tang Yu looked at me coldly, with a hint of temptation mixed with worry, as if what I said next made him extremely concerned.
"Your Majesty, this servant is a dull person, I beg your Majesty to spare this servant."
"Are you a dull person? I know it very well. I have left my words here." The queen took a sip of tea, her voice calm and unwavering, "Don't think that I don't know what's going on in your heart. What you think, unfortunately, once you enter the palace, you will not be able to protect yourself wisely, let alone look at the disputes in the world with a cold eye, all you can do is keep your eyes open and choose a good master, Tang Yu."
Tang Yu gave me a look, and the palace servant standing on the lower side came up and stood in front of me with a plate.
The queen said: "Is this bowl of anti-fetal medicine just cooked by someone in the palace, or you sent it to Concubine An. Huh?"
The strong smell of medicine rushes into the nostrils, and the body feels cold.
What should I do?
My heart seemed to have sunk into a bottomless ice cave, and I couldn't even jump.
No, I cannot do harm, I will never be an executioner.
But if I don't, I will die.
Even so, I don't want to hurt anyone.
You've already figured it out, haven't you?
"Your Majesty, this servant does not want to harm anyone." The voice was slightly hoarse, but the words were very clear and forceful, "Concubine An is pregnant with a dragon child, one dead body and two lives, this servant will never send this anti-natal medicine. "
"You don't want to hurt anyone?" The queen laughed, and the silver bell-like laughter was as sharp as a thin needle in my ears, "It's too late, you have already killed Concubine An, although it didn't kill two people, but she But the child in my belly is gone.”
"what?"
"You are really as noble as you said. When you learned that the anti-fetal medicine was poisonous, you should have told the Holy Majesty, but you hid the evidence in a flower pot. Didn't you help me indirectly?"
The Queen's words pierced my heart like a sharp knife.
The queen got up and looked down at me, "This palace is full of my confidantes. I know your every move. As for your so-called harm, if you don't do it yourself, others will take over."
The palace man's words suddenly flashed in my mind, "It seems that I have to decoct the medicine and deliver it myself."
"Besides," the queen laughed lowly, the overly reserved laughter made people startled and trembling, "the palace still has a scapegoat, who do you think it is?"
Scapegoat?Shivering, I heard my trembling voice say: "Is it Concubine Ming?" That palace lady is the maid of Concubine Ming Palace.
The queen squinted like a moon.
This plan has obviously been planned for a long time.
Shocked suddenly, then, what role did Jing Lin play in it?
Just as she was thinking about it, she heard Tang Yu yell softly: "Your Majesty." His eyes were fixed on the palace door.
The queen raised her eyes, and the next moment, her eyes became weaker, "Jing Lin, why are you here now?"
Turning around, it's really Jinglin, the clear eyes in the past are no longer, as if covered with a layer of worry, the gentle smile on the corner of the mouth has also been replaced by indifference, only the handsome appearance remains the same.
Worrying eyes swept across my face, and when the queen approached him, Jing Lin took a step back and saluted, "My brother came to the palace to report to Empress Ming, today is my fiancée's birthday, so I can't separate myself to be busy." The other things that should be said have already been made clear to the empress, so I will leave now."
"Stop." The queen stood in front of him, changed her aggressive look, her cherry lips trembled slightly, and her almond eyes were covered with tears, "What do you mean by that?"
"The younger brother has made it clear."
"But I don't understand, are you really not willing to help your sister anymore?" Empress Lihua's rainy appearance did not hide her brightness at all.
"Your Majesty, please take care of yourself." Jing Lin turned around and left.
The queen stood in front of him again, grabbed his hand eagerly and said: "No, Jing Lin, you can't treat me like this. I treat you..."
The queen said the last few words in an extremely low voice, so low that only Jing Lin could hear it.
I think, I know what the queen is talking about.
The worry in Jing Lin's eyes became more intense, and he said lightly: "Your Majesty, my brother has made up his mind."
The queen pursed her cherry lips, and the tenderness in her almond eyes gradually faded, "Is it because of Yuefu? Is she that good?"
Just as they were talking, a palace official hurried into the palace and reported: "Your Majesty, Hong Cui wants to see your Majesty, but the slaves have followed the previous rules. Do you want to see her?"
Red Cui, for me, this is a strange name.
The queen hid her emotions and regained her usual pride, "See you." When she faced Jing again, her apricot eyes filled with pleas, and she said softly, "Jing Lin, I still have something to say to you. Can you stay first?"
Jing Lin's eyes were extremely complicated, but he finally agreed.
His heart was shrouded in disappointment, and he still couldn't refuse the queen after all.
"My servant has seen the empress." A familiar voice sounded in the hall.
I looked, but it was a father-in-law saluting. When she looked up, that face was that of the palace maid who knocked over my medicine bowl.
It turned out that her name was Hong Cui.
When she saw that the person standing beside her was Jing Shi, she immediately looked shy and looked at him affectionately.
Seeing Hong Cui's appearance, the Queen's face sank slightly, and she said indifferently: "Hong Cui, what's going on?"
"My lady, Xiaoling, the maid of Concubine An, ran out of Concubine An's Palace in a panic, crying that Concubine An had a miscarriage, and asked the imperial doctor to come quickly."
Miscarriage?I was startled, and looked at the medicine bowl in the hands of the palace servants. Concubine An had already drank the poisonous anti-fetal medicine, so what about this herbal medicine?
I suddenly understood that the queen was using this medicine to let me make a choice.
Bursts of guilt and remorse welled up in my heart.
The queen was right, I helped her indirectly.
"You did very well."
"Your Majesty." Hong Cui glanced at Jing Lin with a shy look, "You promised the servant at that time that once the matter is completed, Lord Jing will marry the servant as a concubine, and Lord Jing also gave the servant a token at that time."
Hong Cui took out a pendant from her bosom.
Before recovering from the guilt and self-blame, a trace of pain slowly spread in the bottom of my heart, not sharp enough, but so depressed that I couldn't breathe.
I finally understood why he was so affectionate and merciful everywhere.
Everything he does is for the Queen.
I didn't care about dignity, I looked straight at Jing Lin, with an unconcealable sense of loss and sadness in my eyes.
He actually looked at me, the deep sadness in his eyes was like a very thin and tiny thorn, it didn't hurt very much, and it passed over my skin very lightly, but it was uncomfortable.
Without realizing it, Tang Yu was also looking at me with his eyes that were getting colder and heavier.
"Yes, I promised you, but it's not done yet, isn't it?" The queen's voice was very calm, so calm that it made people uneasy.
Hong Cui didn't notice it, but said happily: "Your Majesty, don't worry, once the Emperor opens the investigation, the servants will definitely push this matter to the Empress Ming. The servants will leave first."
When leaving, Hong Cui looked at Jing Lin endlessly.
The huge hall suddenly became quiet, so quiet that they could hear each other's breathing.
"Su En, have you thought it through?" The queen looked down at me again.
I felt that all eyes were on me.
"Your servant thank you for your kindness, I have made up my mind." I replied calmly.
It's not that I'm not afraid of death, it's just that I don't want to live like that.
It's not that I'm arrogant, it's just that this kind of life is not what I want.
The empress looked annoyed, "You are really stubborn. If it was normal, I would have dealt with you long ago. However, since you hid the fragments of the medicine bowl and did not betray me, forget it. I don't believe it. , after a long time, you can still hold on to what you said today, go down."
Is the queen not going to kill me?
The heart that sank to the bottom of the valley eased a little, but still couldn't shake off the heavy feeling.
I saluted and said: "Young lady thank you for your kindness." I bowed and left the hall.
The sky was blue.
Walking up the long corridor with nine bends and ten bends, I looked at the endless Crescent Gate not far away, and my mind was in a trance.
It should be said that it is natural to be happy and excited when one life is saved.
but i...
Swipe away thoughts that fill your head.
There are some things that I shouldn't think about, so let's stop thinking about them.
Stepping down the corridor, I walked towards the nearest crescent door.
As soon as I walked into the entrance hole, I heard Aunt Suyan's voice faintly coming from behind the tree.
I was overjoyed, I hadn't seen Aunt Suyan for quite some time.
I walked quickly to the bushes, I have a lot of things I want to say to Aunt Su.
As I got closer, I heard three voices, two of which I was very familiar with, namely Aunt Su and Aunt Lian, the steward of the Queen's Palace, and another voice, I seemed to have heard it somewhere, but I couldn't remember it at the moment.
Listening to her, even though her voice was crying, she still couldn't hide her sternness, "The concubine Ming is arrogant and brutal, and she often offends people without knowing it, but it's just because of her temperament, and she has absolutely no evil intentions to harm others. It was her who borrowed a knife to kill someone. In my opinion, it was the queen's trick. She has always been jealous that my mother is more favored than her, so she secretly harmed the concubine Ming."
"Don't spitting blood, the empress is so respectful to the world, how can I let you frame her casually?" Aunt Lian's serious voice had always scared the palace people, but her words were much softer than before.
"Mingxiu, it's fine for you to say these things in front of the two of us, but please don't say them in front of others." Aunt Suyan always speaks indifferently, and it's rare to hear her speak so helplessly.
Myung Soo?I remember, when I was still in the laundry bureau, I once went to Mingfei Palace to deliver clothes. The person who talked to Aunt Su was also called Mingxiu, was she?
Ming Xiu snorted coldly: "You don't need your fake kindness. You all joined forces to deal with me 20 years ago. How can you help me now?"
Unexpectedly, Mingxiu would suddenly rush out of the bushes.
I just stared at her coldly.
After glaring at me fiercely, Mingxiu left.
"Enen, why are you here?" Seeing me, Aunt Su was overjoyed.
"Aunt Su, Aunt Lian." I saluted the two of them briefly.
Aunt Lian looked at me and said solemnly: "I'm going back first, you can talk to Aunt Su for a while."
"Yes."
As soon as Aunt Lian left, Aunt Su and I looked at each other and smiled.
"Aunt, how are you lately?" I held Aunt Su's hand and walked towards the bluestone corridor beside me.
"It's okay, how about you? Are you still used to being in the Queen's Palace? I didn't believe it when I heard that you became the Queen's personal maid."
I smiled and said, "I'm fine."
Aunt Su looked at me for a long while before saying, "I hope the decision to send you to the Queen's Palace was right."
"At that time, my aunt also did this to save Enen." Thinking of what I heard just now, I said, "Auntie, Enen heard what the three of you said just now."
"It's okay to hear it." Aunt Su sighed, "It's all old stuff, do you want to hear it?"
I nodded, "As long as Auntie doesn't find it troublesome."
"How could it be?" Aunt Su smiled, patted and held my hand, and said as she walked, "More than 20 years ago, I, Qinglian and Mingxiu were maids who entered the palace together, and the three of them were selected at the same time. At that time, the crown prince, who is now the emperor, was only nine years old."
emperor?Is it about the emperor?
Aunt Su smiled bitterly, and said: "Our relationship is very good. Mingxiu is a few years younger than us. She is straightforward, honest, and loves to fight against injustice. Whenever Qinglian and I are angry with other court ladies, she will always stand up. Come out and accuse the other side of getting justice for us. Until six years later."
Aunt Su stopped her pace, looked at the bright yellow stamens not far away, seemed to be thinking about what to say, and said after a while: "That year, the emperor was only 15 years old, and it was the age of adulthood. They arranged eight older, well-behaved court ladies for the emperor's court, so that the emperor would not be in a hurry on the night of the wedding."
Lin Yu?Lin Yu is a favor, I can't help but blush.
"Mingxiu is one of them, and she is the most beautiful among the eight. It is the hope of all the palace people to be courted by the emperor. Once he is favored by the emperor, he will become a person of status in the palace from now on, receiving a monthly salary. , but no longer doing labor like other ordinary court ladies.” Aunt Su sighed again, “Qinglian and I both thought that Mingxiu would be extremely happy, but we didn’t expect her face to be sad every day and unable to eat. I asked her Only then did I know that she fell in love with someone, but that person was younger than her, and she didn't know what to do."
I can hear it.
"You also know that once the palace people reach the prescribed age, they can leave the palace and marry freely. Both Qinglian and I came from hard backgrounds, and our family lives on our meager salary in the palace, so we have no intention of leaving the palace. Two After some discussion, it was decided that I would replace Mingxiu to serve the crown prince at that time, and let Mingxiu pursue her love. Two days later, we asked the previous empress to replace her on the grounds of Mingxiu's physical defects, and I replaced her."
Speaking of this, Aunt Suyan's eyes gradually filled with guilt, "But I made a mistake with Qinglian, it was a big mistake, it's my fault that we didn't ask clearly at the time. The person Mingxiu loves is the current emperor, she Her worries and her worries are all because she doesn't know how to win the emperor's favor. After all, their ages are too different. What she wants is not being favored for a while and then being thrown into the cold palace. She is worried about this, and we are worried about this. But she mistakenly thought that... that's why she hated me, blamed me, and opposed me all these years. No matter what I explained to Qinglian, she would not listen, thinking that I was jealous of her and used a trick."
Aunt Su's voice was extremely sad, and I was a little moved when I heard it.
"It's no wonder she doesn't believe it. She has been in the palace for so many years, and she has seen all the harem tricks, schemes, and self-protection. No matter what the purpose is, someone has to die before giving up. Even if it is out of good intentions, people who watch it will Imagine something."
Yes, Aunt Su is right.
False and false, real and real, all seem to be wrapped in a layer of invisible mist. When you think it is true, it is false, and when it is false, it is mixed with a bit of truth.
"The emperor's love is only a flash in the pan. In fact, it's good that Mingxiu is like this. Although he is just an ordinary palace man, at least he can live a peaceful life."
"Auntie." A doubt came to my mind, but I didn't know whether I should ask, after thinking about it, I decided to forget it.
Aunt Su looked at me.
"It's nothing." I smiled.
"Do you want to ask, since I am the emperor's bedroom secretary, why am I now the steward of the laundry bureau?"
I was a little embarrassed to be guessed by Aunt Su.
Aunt Suyan's eyes became far-reaching, and she smiled sadly, "Perhaps, this is a common problem of men. When the candlelight is dim and the red tent is put down, a man will be nervous, embarrassed, and flustered when it comes to his first woman. Will be timid. After a few bedtimes, once he has mastered the intercourse, he naturally thinks of avoiding her and rushing to other beauties. Because facing his first woman every day, he will feel that his self-esteem will be hurt. In front of other women, he felt that he was in charge. After I understood this, I took the initiative to kneel down to the former empress to invite the laundry bureau. I didn’t expect to stay here for 20 years. Time really flies.”
I almost finished listening to this passage with a blushing face, but at the end, I only felt bursts of sadness.
I couldn't help calling softly, "Auntie."
I wanted to say a few words of comfort, but my head was empty.
"Enn," Aunt Su was looking at me with wet eyes, "Remember, don't be the emperor's woman, otherwise, you will never be able to escape the palace for the rest of your life."
I was startled, and my heart suddenly went up and down.
"Look at what I said," Aunt Su shook her head, "How could you do that. Go, walk with me and talk."
"Aunt." I took Aunt Su's hand and tried to smile, "Even if the favored one is a court lady, can't you leave the palace?"
"Naturally, the emperor's woman can only have one man in her life, and she can only think about the emperor, so the court ladies can only die of old age in the palace."
"Then," I bit my lower lip, "what if the emperor forgets her?"
"Forgot?" Aunt Su was stunned, then smiled, "Even if the emperor forgets, the servant will write it down, and the servant will record all the women the emperor favors in the book."
"Then what if there is no record of the servants, and the emperor has forgotten the maid again."
After I finished speaking, I saw Aunt Su looking at me suspiciously, and I realized that I spoke eagerly, making people suspicious.But Aunt Su still answered me seriously, "I don't know about the previous emperors, but the current emperor has an amazing memory. It is absolutely impossible for him to forget the woman he was lucky to have, unless he deliberately."
Amazing memory?Deliberately?
Why bother?
Impossible, no way.
"Enn, what's the matter with you?"
"fine."
"Really okay?"
Suppressing the impetuousness in my heart, I smiled and said, "It's really all right."
"Enen." Aunt Su looked at me thoughtfully, "The reason why I didn't ask you about what happened in Concubine Ming's Palace that day was because it might not be a good thing if I knew about it. A person who knows the threat may be more, but contradicting the emperor is a crime of beheading, no matter what you do in the future, you have to think about it, and sometimes you even have to be willing to bury it, understand?"
Aunt Su's words were puns, revealing sincere concern.
I nodded, "Enen will remember what my aunt said."
After walking a few steps, Aunt Su looked at me again, with deep meaning in her bright eyes, "There is no record of the servants, and the emperor has forgotten the maid, so there is no such thing as luck. You can leave the palace now. Can you not understand such a simple truth?"
Seeing me in a daze, Aunt Su sighed, "Enen, you are still not deep enough."
After sending Aunt Su away, the sky gradually darkened.
Walking slowly in the bluestone corridor, Aunt Su's words upset me.
His memory is astonishing, it is absolutely impossible to forget the woman he was lucky to have, unless he deliberately.
But he forgot that night.
If deliberately, why?
If a majestic emperor doesn't want to admit the innocence of robbing the daughter of the people, he can just move his mouth.
He kicked the pebbles on the road without a foot, and put all his thoughts on the man.
A hem embroidered with broken golden patterns came into view.
look up.
The man in front of him was shrouded in a touch of sadness, the frivolous feelings of the past were gone, his gentle eyes were only lonely, and his handsome face was full of deep exhaustion.
I have never seen such a scene.
"My servant has seen Master Shangshu." When I came back to my senses, I secretly collected myself, saluted briefly, and was about to pass him and leave.
Hands were surrounded by a piece of ice.
Bowing my head, a pair of slender, white and extremely beautiful hands held me, but these hands were too cold, as if there was no warmth at all.
"Talk to me." His voice was soft and sad, as if he had been deeply hurt.
"Slave," I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, "Please forgive me for being rude, I still have something to do."
I know that I am not up to date, obviously it is impossible, but ever since I met him, I can't help but miss him in my heart, and I miss him whenever I see him.
But I also understand that I am a stranger to him, a stranger who cannot meet.
I can't help liking him, but I just let it go in my heart, let myself be presumptuous in a small corner of my heart.
In reality, I can't do anything.
"I want someone to talk to me now." He looked at me like a wounded child.
"The servant really has something to do. Besides, this is the harem. It is better for Mr. Shang Shu to leave the palace as soon as possible, so as not to arouse criticism."
"Criticism? Who would? Who would dare? Everyone here wishes I could live here every night." He chuckled sadly.
"My lord, let's go back quickly."
"You really don't want to talk to me?"
"I really have something to do with this servant, so I'm leaving." It was difficult to say these words, but I had to harden my heart.
After walking a few steps, he heard him sneer, "It's nothing wrong with you, you know too much, so you can be far away from me, and even despise me in your heart."
"The slaves dare not."
"Don't you dare? You dare to refuse even the queen, why not? Forget it, let's go." Under the dark night, his figure was lonely and desolate.
"My lord." In the end, I couldn't bear it, and my hardened heart softened layer by layer under his lonely back. I said softly, "Let this servant take you to the gate of the palace."
He looked at me sideways, his eyes as dark as midnight finally faded the little bit of sadness, and my answer seemed to make him feel a little better.
Glazed palace lanterns hung under the eaves, rows and clusters, under the night wind, they looked like flying dragons, and bright red flowers dazzled the eyes.
He didn't take the wide palace road, but chose a deserted path.
Walk very slowly.
I quietly followed behind him, and no one spoke a word along the way.
As if he wanted me to come, just to be a companion.
The two of them walked back and forth like this, passing through bushes, rockery, and flower paths.
In front of a pavilion with Chun Xiaohan written on it, he stopped and looked up at the three large lacquered gold characters.
"She and I are not real siblings." He said lonely.
I was taken aback.
"When I was three years old, my mother passed away. Two years later, she and her mother came to Jing's house." He turned and looked at me, "There is no incest between me and her."
I didn't know how to answer, and no matter how I answered in my capacity, it seemed strange, so I smiled, a sincere and easy-going smile.
He looked at me with dark eyes for a while, and suddenly said: "You impress me very much. This is the first time I have met a woman who can kick a man's crotch."
Thinking of the situation when I first met him, I can't help being a little embarrassed. I must have given him a very bad impression at that time.
"The second time I saw you, you were being beaten with a stick, and you were sweating profusely in pain, but you were so stubborn that you didn't make a sound. The other palace servants had already begged for mercy, but you gritted your teeth and stood up." He said. Smiling lightly, there was subtle appreciation in her eyes, "And today, I stood outside the Queen's Palace for a long time, and I saw everything that happened in the palace."
"My lord?" Did he come early?
"Call me Jinglin."
Under my surprise, he said lightly: "That night, you hid in the inner hall, saw me meeting her, and also knew a secret that I shouldn't know. It's strange that I felt unprecedentedly relaxed. .”
I froze for a moment, almost thinking I had heard it wrong.
"Finally someone can help me share this secret." He had a slight smile in his eyes, and the sadness seemed to be less. "For so many years, I have suffered everything alone. Now, I have you."
I?Share a secret?
"Aren't you afraid that your servants will tell you?"
"You're not that kind of person."
"Your Excellency trusts the servants so much?"
The loneliness in his voice was a little lighter, "It's a feeling. Didn't you say it? From now on, I'll call my name, at least when it's just the two of us."
There was sincerity in his eyes, as well as a bit of fragility, as if he desperately needed the care and warmth of others.
Care, warmth, can I give it to him?Is it what I should give?
Calling him by name means that the distance between me and him is no longer far away.
I should be happy, but I also understand that this doesn't mean anything.
I shouldn't be close to him, but he is right in front of me, with clear eyes, gentle smile, and approachable.
Heart, jumping, really disappointing.
I heard myself say softly: "Yes, Jing Lin."
He smiled gently, with a release in his smile, as if my answer made him feel extremely comfortable.
Uncontrollably, I laughed too.
"Just send it here."
"Yes."
Under the moonlight, his leaving back is still lonely, but his footsteps are not as heavy as before.
This night, the distance between me and him has been shortened, which I did not expect.
I didn't turn around until his figure disappeared into the depths of the forest road.
The crescent moon hangs high, and the moonlight is beautiful and bright tonight.
The entire flower forest is bathed in the moonlight, which is beautiful.
Just as I was about to walk out of the flower forest, a small figure passed by me and walked towards the pear blossom forest on the side.
"Xiaoru?" There is only Xiaoru a child in the huge Queen's Palace. I don't even need to think about it to know that the person who just walked past me is Xiaoru. "It's so late, where is she going?" followed her.
Most of the pear blossoms have withered at this time, and there is no sound when footsteps step on the remaining flowers.
After only walking a few steps, Xiaoru started trotting with her skirt in hand, as if she was in a hurry, but at the same time she seemed extremely excited.
I was even more puzzled.
Until she stopped panting, bowed and looked around.
Surrounded by pear trees, what is she looking for?I couldn't help but also looked around, there was nothing but the dead flowers all over the ground.
After a while, she heard her muttering: "Strange, we made an appointment to meet here. Prince, Prince, where are you?"
Prince?Just when I was surprised, my sleeves were pulled off, I lowered my head, and saw the prince's clear eyes looking at me with a smile, his thick eyelashes winked at me like a fan, and with a shush, he pulled me Take a few steps back and squat down.
The place where we are squatting is the junction of the pear garden and the flower bushes. There is a plant that looks like grass but not grass and flowers but not flowers. It is luxuriant. The two of us are hiding here.
"Prince, are you playful again?" I smiled.
"Who is playful? My Highness is not a three-year-old child, you see." The prince handed me a note in an old-fashioned way.
Spread it out, and look at it through the moonlight shining through the gaps in the trees. It turns out that Xiaoru has made an appointment with the prince in private, saying that he has made a new honey tea for the prince to taste.
Xiao Ru is getting bolder and bolder.
"If I wasn't usually bored, His Highness would not bother to come."
I smiled slightly, "It's too late today, the prince should go back to the palace first, if he is bumped by the palace people, the empress will have to blame you again."
"No, my Highness hasn't played enough." After speaking, he picked up a small stone on the ground and threw it out.
In the silent night, the sound of stones hitting trees is especially loud.
"Prince? Is it you? Come out, stop playing, don't scare Xiao Ru." Xiao Ru's voice was full of anxiety.
The prince covered his mouth and started laughing.
I said helplessly, "Prince..."
After a while, the prince stopped laughing and made a face at me.
A few more pebbles were thrown out, and some of them landed on Xiaoru's body.
"Prince, is that you? Where are you? Just come out, don't tease Xiaoru." Xiaoru's voice was already crying.
"Your Highness? Xiaoru is about to cry."
"So what?" After speaking, he threw a few more stones.
"His Royal Highness, stop playing, come out." Xiaoru really cried, but she didn't dare to cry too loudly, sobbing, she was still looking around, but she couldn't find here.
The prince had more fun.
"Your Highness," I stopped his hand that was about to throw the stone, and said gently, "Even though it's a small stone, it still hurts when you hit it, so stop playing, okay?"
"Well, my Highness is also tired." After finishing speaking, he took out a gleaming silver ingot from his pocket and stuffed it into my hand, "Don't let the Queen know everything about tonight."
Contrary to the childishness just now, the clear eyes are shining with the sophistication of the world.
The smile that should have been a pure elf was also stained with an invisible contempt.
I stayed for a while, then returned the silver in my hand to the prince, smiled, and said: "Please take back this silver ingot, the prince will not report it to the empress."
"You really don't want it?"
I shook my head, "I have only one request. The prince should not come out at such a late hour, especially in such a place. If something happens, even the palace servants will not respond. It's too dangerous. Okay?"
He stared at me, as if guessing my sincerity.
"Okay?" I smiled kindly again and said gently.
"You really won't sue the queen mother?"
I nodded.
"What about my honey tea?"
"Go, this servant is here to watch you drink the honey tea and then go back to the East Palace, huh?"
The prince raised a bright smile, turned and left.
"Prince, you haven't promised your servant yet."
Turning around, the prince raised his face, "Who will believe what you say." After speaking, he made a face at me again, and ran to Xiaoru to ask for honey tea.
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, I had to sit down and quietly watch the two people who were drinking honey tea happily under the pear tree.
After a while, the prince stood up and wanted to go back, but Xiaoru held his hand.
I couldn't hear what Xiaoru said, but seeing the prince's happy face, I'm afraid it was some playful idea.
Thinking about going to find Xiaoru tomorrow, the empress clearly issued a strict order not to allow her to get close to the prince, but she committed crimes again and again, the empress really knew about it, her little life might be in danger.
I didn't get up and go back to the palace until both of them left the pear forest.
The moonlight was so pure that one couldn't bear to blink.
The night is really bright tonight, and I don't even have to look to see if there's a stumbling block on the ground.
As soon as she got out of the flower arrangement, she was almost bumped into by a person.
I walked slowly, but she hurried.
"Aunt Lian?" I hurriedly supported her body that was about to fall.
It was Aunt Lian who was in charge. I couldn't help being surprised. It was so late, what was she doing here?
Aunt Lian's usually calm pupils flashed nervously, but she covered it up very well, "It's Enen, it's so late, what are you doing here?" The serious voice was astringent, as if it had been tense all of a sudden. Open your mouth, extremely uncomfortable.
"My servant just sent Master Jing out of the palace, and came back by taking a shortcut." What I said was true, but not all the truth.
"That's it, then go back to the palace quickly, the empress should go to bed too, I can't do without you." After finishing speaking, she left in a hurry.
Aunt Lian's behavior was a little unusual.
But too many things happened today, so I didn't think deeply about it, and walked quickly towards the Queen's Palace.
The next day was actually cloudy.
Early in the morning, I saw the drizzle covering the entire palace like a mist, looking out through the window, even the top of the opposite palace could be seen very vaguely.
"Concubine An's body has become extremely weak during this miscarriage. According to the imperial doctor, her life has been recovered, but there are too many miscarriages, and the medicine is too strong. I'm afraid that Concubine An will never have another There are heirs." Tang Yu reported the situation in the palace to the queen sitting in front of her.
Looking at Tang Yu in shock, there will be no more children?How could it be so serious?
Guilt and self-blame are like a bug slowly nibbling in my heart, my hands and feet are unconsciously cold, and my face is pale. I even forgot to cover it up in front of the queen.
The queen glanced at me indifferently, and then listened to Tang Yu's reply as if nothing had happened.
"The emperor has issued a foot restraint order for the concubine Ming, saying that this matter will be strictly investigated. However, the most important thing about this matter, Hong Cui, has disappeared since last night, and the emperor is sending people to search everywhere."
"Strict interrogation? Why interrogate when everyone is gone?"
What the queen said was incomprehensible.
Tang Yu still had a cold expression, as if he knew everything, yet seemed indifferent to everything.
Sensing that I was looking at him, he glanced at me slantingly, his deep eyes like cold pools revealed incomprehensible thoughts.
"Your Majesty, it's not good," the maid hurriedly ran into the hall with her skirt on, and knelt down, "Hongcui committed suicide in fear of crime. When Lu Gonggong led people to search, they found her body in the pond next to the pear tree garden."
The queen was not surprised at all, as if she had expected it a long time ago, she just took a sip of the teacup and said lightly: "Got it, let's go down." Standing up, she straightened her dress, showing a trace of modesty. Ao raised his raised brows, "It's time for Ben Gong to play."
All the evidence points to Concubine Ming.
In the middle, there was actually a maid from Concubine Ming's palace who stood up and testified that it was Concubine Ming who killed Hongcui in order to destroy the evidence, she saw it with her own eyes.
Therefore, Concubine Ming was given a glass of poisoned wine.
It has been raining continuously for three days, and the weather has not improved.
I crouched in a small corner of the palace corridor, looking at the gray sky absently.
Hongcui died in the pond next to the pear orchard.
Late that night, I ran into Aunt Lian there.
obvious thing.
The most important witness is gone, so of course there is no way to conduct a rigorous trial, so the case is just concluded like this.
Concubine Ming didn't say a word.
(End of this chapter)
"Please punish the emperor." I was even more humble.
"Look up at me."
"The slaves dare not."
"Don't you dare?" He chuckled, and said coolly, "If other people are really deceived by your appearance, you are respectful and humble, and you have performed all the behaviors that a palace official should do."
"Your servant does not understand what the emperor means." My heart became slightly uneasy, as if he had peeped into the depths of my heart.
I must have thought too much, he had already forgotten that night in the Red Mansion and me, so it is naturally impossible to know the resentment and rejection I have towards him in my heart.
"Look up at me." He ordered again.
As a last resort, I looked up.
The line of sight meets a pair of sharp eyes, followed by an oppressive breath.
The body couldn't help trembling, this feeling, this feeling... just like that night.
At this time, I couldn't show any dissatisfaction and resentment, so I had to endure it.
But in front of this person who ruined my life, under those sharp and cold black eyes, I can no longer act humble and respectful.
At such a close distance, he was right in front of me.
Trying to restrain, trying to let go of the resentment.
I kept telling myself not to think about the past.
I kept telling myself that in front of him, I was just a court lady.
But I'm afraid, my eyes, my expression, have revealed the hatred in my heart.
He stared at me coldly.
I only felt cold sweat on my back, but I still had to maintain a calm appearance.
After a while, he waved his sleeves and turned around, and said calmly, "Dress me, I'm going to the imperial study to approve the papers."
I was a little puzzled by his sudden words.
"Do you still want to ignore my words?" Seeing me stunned, he raised his eyebrows.
"Slave, servant girl, go get the clothes immediately." I hurriedly got up and went into the inner hall. Although I was puzzled by his repetition, I was relieved. It seemed that the worry was in vain just now, and he didn't see it from my face. what.
The next day, the weather was fine and the sky was blue.
When I led the palace people with washing utensils into the inner hall, the queen was sitting lazily in front of the dressing table, combing her hair. Her black hair was like running water, winding down the lavender underwear.
The queen got up late today, but she was in a good mood, as could be seen from the corners of her smiling brows.
"I fell asleep last night, and I don't even know when the emperor will leave." The queen got up and walked towards the jade screen.
I hurriedly handed the slightly wet brocade towel to the queen, and after she scrubbed it, I ordered the palace servants to remove the washing utensils.
The queen said again: "If there is such a thing next time, you have to wake up this palace no matter what, you understand?"
"Your maidservant has written it down." I ordered the maids holding the clothes trays to line up and said, "Your Majesty, which one do you want to wear today?"
The phoenix eyes swept across the clothes plate, and the queen's eyes stopped on a Hu Qingshen dress, "Just this one."
While dressing the queen, the palace servants came to report, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Tang is here, standing outside the palace waiting for the announcement."
"Call him in."
"Yes."
After getting dressed, the queen looked at the potted plants in front of the window and closed her eyes slightly, as if she was thinking about something.
After a while, she walked out of the inner hall.
Seeing Tang Yu, I couldn't help but think of the conversation last night.
The shock was still in my heart, but I tried my best to pretend to be normal and not squint.
"Your Majesty, I have cooked the anti-fetal medicine according to your instructions. Do you want to send it to Concubine An now?" Tang Yu asked.
The queen looked at her slender fingers with cold eyes, "Naturally, when the medicine cools down, half of the medicine's effects will be gone. I haven't visited Concubine An since she became pregnant, so I should care about it. "
"Yes, send it here."
"Wait." The queen glanced at me, with an invisible smile, and said, "Enen, I will send it to you, and tell Concubine An to let her have a good life. If there is any inconvenience Just let the palace people tell me the place."
"Yes."
From the corner of the eye, Tang Yu frowned, and looked at me with eyes like cold pools. Apart from the usual coldness, there seemed to be a little more worry in the eyes.
The buildings of the imperial palace are all very large, and the corridors and all kinds of palace roads are extremely long and wide, as if only in this way can it show its grandeur and magnificence.
With the anti-fetal medicine in my hand, I dare not be distracted while walking.
It's just that the sun is too bright. Looking up, the bright yellow glazed tiles reflect colorful colors in the sun, which is eye-catching. Although the palace is magnificent, the most beautiful thing is the roof of these halls. Each corner of the roof is carved with different patterns. The mascot, or baring its teeth and waving its claws, or swooping down on prey, or acting coquettishly and amused, is lifelike.
Go through a round door.
Just about to enter, I almost collided with the people who came out.
"Be careful!" I yelled, but it was too late, the wooden basin in her hand overturned, and the water in the basin splashed all over me.
Fortunately, not a little bit was spilled into the medicine bowl.
"Are you okay?" I asked quickly.
It was her.
The maid next to Concubine Ming, Jing Lin gave her a pendant in the pavilion that day.
Didn't expect to run into it here.
"Miss Su, your clothes are all wet, I'm so sorry." She apologized, took out her handkerchief and wiped it.
"It's okay, the sun is so good, it will be done in a while."
"Where are you going with the medicine?"
"Go to Empress Anfei." My wet hem was sticking to my legs, and I was extremely uncomfortable, so I said, "I'm going first."
"Miss Su," she stopped me, with a good-natured look on her face, "Why don't I send it for you? Although the sun is pretty good, it's very easy to catch cold if the clothes are wet. You should go back and change."
"it does not matter."
"But the servant feels sorry, let the servant send it."
Seeing her being so enthusiastic, I was embarrassed to refuse, but the queen personally gave me the medicine, and this thing is unusual, so I was not at ease if I didn't deliver it to Concubine An Palace in person, so I said: "Thank you for your kindness, really It's okay, go get busy." After crossing her, she was about to leave.
Unexpectedly, she stopped in front of me suddenly, and said with a smile: "Miss Su, you should give the medicine to the servant, if you don't let me deliver the medicine for you, the servant will not sleep well for several days."
She is extremely strange.
I had no choice but to decline her kindness again, and said gently: "Don't feel sorry, it was because I was careless, I was too busy looking at the scene on the top of the temple and not paying attention to the front, so you can sleep soundly, right?"
"Then it will be even more uneasy to sleep." Her face suddenly darkened, and her voice was not as easy-going as before.After finishing speaking, she reached out to snatch the medicine bowl in my hand, and said in a low voice: "You are so strange, don't you know that this is what the queen told you?"
Monk Erzhang was puzzled by what she said, but when she saw that the medicine on the plate was snatched by her, I didn't think much about it, so I reached out and was about to snatch it back, "What are you doing? You are too courageous, this is the empress. An anti-fetal drug given to Concubine An."
"What's the matter with you? Didn't Eunuch Tang tell you?" She shook off my hand and ran forward.
"Hello?" I chased after her and grabbed her sleeve, "You are too presumptuous."
bang——
Between tugging and pulling, the medicine bowl fell to the ground and shattered all over the ground, and the black herbs stained a circle of grass.
"You?" The palace man stared and pointed to my forehead with one hand, "You ruined the empress's good deeds."
Ben was overturning the medicine bowl, but he was stunned when he heard her say that, "What?"
She snorted softly and glared at me fiercely for a while, "Looks like I have to go to fry the bowl and deliver the medicine myself." After speaking, she left angrily.
"What?" Decoct the medicine and deliver it yourself?Could it be that a little palace man could make the anti-fetal medicine given to Concubine An by the empress?
The next moment, doubts came to my mind.
The things she said...
What does the queen want to tell me?
What should Tang Yu say to me?
What a good thing for the empress?
There seemed to be something going on about me that I didn't know about.
Confused, I bent down to pick up the medicine bowl that was broken on the ground, and when I saw the grass that was spilled by the medicine juice, my eyes suddenly widened, and the grass that was green just now was half withered now .
How could this be?
This medicine is poisonous?
Standing up abruptly, I took a step back and looked at the ground in horror, feeling a chill all over my body.
The anti-fetal medicine is actually poisonous, the queen wants to poison Concubine An?
At this moment, even the limbs felt as if they had been soaked in ice.
I stood there in a daze for a while.
Until the voices of the palace people not far away came one after another.
I looked around in a panic, turned around to leave, took a few steps, and turned back abruptly.
Staring at the broken bowls, I gritted my teeth, tore off the sleeves of my inner jacket, wrapped up the bowls, and hid in the path of flowers.
As soon as I left, a figure appeared silently where I was standing just now, and no one saw how he appeared.
He narrowed his eyes with a half-smile, looked at the direction where I was leaving and murmured: "Have I seen this maid somewhere? Hehe, she was in the Red Chamber last year...how did she enter the palace? If I saw her I'm the emperor, tsk, I've only left the palace for three months, and there are many interesting things in the palace."
Staring at the withered grass for a long time, he shook his head and murmured: "Someone will suffer again." As soon as the words fell, he quickly disappeared again.
In the blink of an eye, things come and go.
Many branches and leaves of the orchids on the table have fallen, and a few small white orchids are dotted on the branches, as if to tell the world that they can be cut and planted.
I stayed in my small side hall, staring blankly at the orchid in front of me, and from time to time looked at the broken bowls next to the orchid.
What should I do?
One can imagine the consequences of failing to complete what the queen asked, and it was such an important matter.
I rejoiced in my heart, fortunately the medicine was overturned, otherwise I would have become an executioner.
That was one dead body and two lives, my body trembled slightly, because I was afraid.
In the end how to do it?
Escape is impossible.
I clenched my fists and struggled incessantly.
My mind was so confused that I had no direction at all.
It's been a long time.
I stood up, poured out the orchid, scraped off the mud in the pot, put the broken bowl piece into the bottom of the pot, sprinkled the mud, and then put the orchid in.
After leaving the small side room, it was already afternoon.
The Queen's Palace was very quiet, only a few of the Queen's servants walking around in the palace.
Every step I take, my footsteps feel very heavy.
But in the face of it, I can't be timid.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the main hall.
The moment he entered the hall, his gaze met Tang Yu's cold gaze mixed with worry. The next moment, he retracted his gaze and heard him say, "Ma'am, Su En is here."
The queen sat high on it, with a cold expression, gently clasped the teacup with one hand, and did not speak.
In this situation, the lady-in-waiting must have already told the story.
Also, after such a long time, how could the queen not know?
"Your maidservant kowtows to see the empress." I knelt down, and since I was already in this hall, my heart was much calmer.
Putting down the teacup, the queen looked at me sharply, "Enen, you should know that Ben Gong likes you, that's why I let you stay in the small side room for three hours."
It seems that the queen knows everything, my heart tightens.
The queen said again: "Have you thought it through? Are you my confidant or your enemy?"
It was a very gentle sentence, but it made my heart tremble violently in my ears.
"The servant thanked the empress for her kindness. The servant only wants to be an ordinary palace maid, and I hope that the empress will make it happen."
"An ordinary court lady?" A sneer spread from the corner of the queen's mouth, "When you became the personal maid of this palace, you will never be an ordinary court lady again. Why, don't you even have such self-knowledge?"
"I hope your mother will be perfect." I kowtowed.
"Fulfillment? This palace can fulfill you." Seeing the queen raised her hand, two palace servants came in immediately, holding a water basin and a nearly transparent cloth in their hands.
My face turned pale in an instant, this cloth is specially used for palace people, once the palace people violate the palace rules, they will put it on the face layer by layer after soaking, causing people to suffocate to death.
"If you become Ben Gong's confidant, you will be rich and prosperous from now on, and all the palace people will flatter and flatter you when they see you. On the contrary, what will accompany you is only the dry well and damp well mud in the palace. Do you still want Ben Gong to fulfill you? ?”
I looked up and saw the gloomy and cruel eyes of the queen.
Tang Yu looked at me coldly, with a hint of temptation mixed with worry, as if what I said next made him extremely concerned.
"Your Majesty, this servant is a dull person, I beg your Majesty to spare this servant."
"Are you a dull person? I know it very well. I have left my words here." The queen took a sip of tea, her voice calm and unwavering, "Don't think that I don't know what's going on in your heart. What you think, unfortunately, once you enter the palace, you will not be able to protect yourself wisely, let alone look at the disputes in the world with a cold eye, all you can do is keep your eyes open and choose a good master, Tang Yu."
Tang Yu gave me a look, and the palace servant standing on the lower side came up and stood in front of me with a plate.
The queen said: "Is this bowl of anti-fetal medicine just cooked by someone in the palace, or you sent it to Concubine An. Huh?"
The strong smell of medicine rushes into the nostrils, and the body feels cold.
What should I do?
My heart seemed to have sunk into a bottomless ice cave, and I couldn't even jump.
No, I cannot do harm, I will never be an executioner.
But if I don't, I will die.
Even so, I don't want to hurt anyone.
You've already figured it out, haven't you?
"Your Majesty, this servant does not want to harm anyone." The voice was slightly hoarse, but the words were very clear and forceful, "Concubine An is pregnant with a dragon child, one dead body and two lives, this servant will never send this anti-natal medicine. "
"You don't want to hurt anyone?" The queen laughed, and the silver bell-like laughter was as sharp as a thin needle in my ears, "It's too late, you have already killed Concubine An, although it didn't kill two people, but she But the child in my belly is gone.”
"what?"
"You are really as noble as you said. When you learned that the anti-fetal medicine was poisonous, you should have told the Holy Majesty, but you hid the evidence in a flower pot. Didn't you help me indirectly?"
The Queen's words pierced my heart like a sharp knife.
The queen got up and looked down at me, "This palace is full of my confidantes. I know your every move. As for your so-called harm, if you don't do it yourself, others will take over."
The palace man's words suddenly flashed in my mind, "It seems that I have to decoct the medicine and deliver it myself."
"Besides," the queen laughed lowly, the overly reserved laughter made people startled and trembling, "the palace still has a scapegoat, who do you think it is?"
Scapegoat?Shivering, I heard my trembling voice say: "Is it Concubine Ming?" That palace lady is the maid of Concubine Ming Palace.
The queen squinted like a moon.
This plan has obviously been planned for a long time.
Shocked suddenly, then, what role did Jing Lin play in it?
Just as she was thinking about it, she heard Tang Yu yell softly: "Your Majesty." His eyes were fixed on the palace door.
The queen raised her eyes, and the next moment, her eyes became weaker, "Jing Lin, why are you here now?"
Turning around, it's really Jinglin, the clear eyes in the past are no longer, as if covered with a layer of worry, the gentle smile on the corner of the mouth has also been replaced by indifference, only the handsome appearance remains the same.
Worrying eyes swept across my face, and when the queen approached him, Jing Lin took a step back and saluted, "My brother came to the palace to report to Empress Ming, today is my fiancée's birthday, so I can't separate myself to be busy." The other things that should be said have already been made clear to the empress, so I will leave now."
"Stop." The queen stood in front of him, changed her aggressive look, her cherry lips trembled slightly, and her almond eyes were covered with tears, "What do you mean by that?"
"The younger brother has made it clear."
"But I don't understand, are you really not willing to help your sister anymore?" Empress Lihua's rainy appearance did not hide her brightness at all.
"Your Majesty, please take care of yourself." Jing Lin turned around and left.
The queen stood in front of him again, grabbed his hand eagerly and said: "No, Jing Lin, you can't treat me like this. I treat you..."
The queen said the last few words in an extremely low voice, so low that only Jing Lin could hear it.
I think, I know what the queen is talking about.
The worry in Jing Lin's eyes became more intense, and he said lightly: "Your Majesty, my brother has made up his mind."
The queen pursed her cherry lips, and the tenderness in her almond eyes gradually faded, "Is it because of Yuefu? Is she that good?"
Just as they were talking, a palace official hurried into the palace and reported: "Your Majesty, Hong Cui wants to see your Majesty, but the slaves have followed the previous rules. Do you want to see her?"
Red Cui, for me, this is a strange name.
The queen hid her emotions and regained her usual pride, "See you." When she faced Jing again, her apricot eyes filled with pleas, and she said softly, "Jing Lin, I still have something to say to you. Can you stay first?"
Jing Lin's eyes were extremely complicated, but he finally agreed.
His heart was shrouded in disappointment, and he still couldn't refuse the queen after all.
"My servant has seen the empress." A familiar voice sounded in the hall.
I looked, but it was a father-in-law saluting. When she looked up, that face was that of the palace maid who knocked over my medicine bowl.
It turned out that her name was Hong Cui.
When she saw that the person standing beside her was Jing Shi, she immediately looked shy and looked at him affectionately.
Seeing Hong Cui's appearance, the Queen's face sank slightly, and she said indifferently: "Hong Cui, what's going on?"
"My lady, Xiaoling, the maid of Concubine An, ran out of Concubine An's Palace in a panic, crying that Concubine An had a miscarriage, and asked the imperial doctor to come quickly."
Miscarriage?I was startled, and looked at the medicine bowl in the hands of the palace servants. Concubine An had already drank the poisonous anti-fetal medicine, so what about this herbal medicine?
I suddenly understood that the queen was using this medicine to let me make a choice.
Bursts of guilt and remorse welled up in my heart.
The queen was right, I helped her indirectly.
"You did very well."
"Your Majesty." Hong Cui glanced at Jing Lin with a shy look, "You promised the servant at that time that once the matter is completed, Lord Jing will marry the servant as a concubine, and Lord Jing also gave the servant a token at that time."
Hong Cui took out a pendant from her bosom.
Before recovering from the guilt and self-blame, a trace of pain slowly spread in the bottom of my heart, not sharp enough, but so depressed that I couldn't breathe.
I finally understood why he was so affectionate and merciful everywhere.
Everything he does is for the Queen.
I didn't care about dignity, I looked straight at Jing Lin, with an unconcealable sense of loss and sadness in my eyes.
He actually looked at me, the deep sadness in his eyes was like a very thin and tiny thorn, it didn't hurt very much, and it passed over my skin very lightly, but it was uncomfortable.
Without realizing it, Tang Yu was also looking at me with his eyes that were getting colder and heavier.
"Yes, I promised you, but it's not done yet, isn't it?" The queen's voice was very calm, so calm that it made people uneasy.
Hong Cui didn't notice it, but said happily: "Your Majesty, don't worry, once the Emperor opens the investigation, the servants will definitely push this matter to the Empress Ming. The servants will leave first."
When leaving, Hong Cui looked at Jing Lin endlessly.
The huge hall suddenly became quiet, so quiet that they could hear each other's breathing.
"Su En, have you thought it through?" The queen looked down at me again.
I felt that all eyes were on me.
"Your servant thank you for your kindness, I have made up my mind." I replied calmly.
It's not that I'm not afraid of death, it's just that I don't want to live like that.
It's not that I'm arrogant, it's just that this kind of life is not what I want.
The empress looked annoyed, "You are really stubborn. If it was normal, I would have dealt with you long ago. However, since you hid the fragments of the medicine bowl and did not betray me, forget it. I don't believe it. , after a long time, you can still hold on to what you said today, go down."
Is the queen not going to kill me?
The heart that sank to the bottom of the valley eased a little, but still couldn't shake off the heavy feeling.
I saluted and said: "Young lady thank you for your kindness." I bowed and left the hall.
The sky was blue.
Walking up the long corridor with nine bends and ten bends, I looked at the endless Crescent Gate not far away, and my mind was in a trance.
It should be said that it is natural to be happy and excited when one life is saved.
but i...
Swipe away thoughts that fill your head.
There are some things that I shouldn't think about, so let's stop thinking about them.
Stepping down the corridor, I walked towards the nearest crescent door.
As soon as I walked into the entrance hole, I heard Aunt Suyan's voice faintly coming from behind the tree.
I was overjoyed, I hadn't seen Aunt Suyan for quite some time.
I walked quickly to the bushes, I have a lot of things I want to say to Aunt Su.
As I got closer, I heard three voices, two of which I was very familiar with, namely Aunt Su and Aunt Lian, the steward of the Queen's Palace, and another voice, I seemed to have heard it somewhere, but I couldn't remember it at the moment.
Listening to her, even though her voice was crying, she still couldn't hide her sternness, "The concubine Ming is arrogant and brutal, and she often offends people without knowing it, but it's just because of her temperament, and she has absolutely no evil intentions to harm others. It was her who borrowed a knife to kill someone. In my opinion, it was the queen's trick. She has always been jealous that my mother is more favored than her, so she secretly harmed the concubine Ming."
"Don't spitting blood, the empress is so respectful to the world, how can I let you frame her casually?" Aunt Lian's serious voice had always scared the palace people, but her words were much softer than before.
"Mingxiu, it's fine for you to say these things in front of the two of us, but please don't say them in front of others." Aunt Suyan always speaks indifferently, and it's rare to hear her speak so helplessly.
Myung Soo?I remember, when I was still in the laundry bureau, I once went to Mingfei Palace to deliver clothes. The person who talked to Aunt Su was also called Mingxiu, was she?
Ming Xiu snorted coldly: "You don't need your fake kindness. You all joined forces to deal with me 20 years ago. How can you help me now?"
Unexpectedly, Mingxiu would suddenly rush out of the bushes.
I just stared at her coldly.
After glaring at me fiercely, Mingxiu left.
"Enen, why are you here?" Seeing me, Aunt Su was overjoyed.
"Aunt Su, Aunt Lian." I saluted the two of them briefly.
Aunt Lian looked at me and said solemnly: "I'm going back first, you can talk to Aunt Su for a while."
"Yes."
As soon as Aunt Lian left, Aunt Su and I looked at each other and smiled.
"Aunt, how are you lately?" I held Aunt Su's hand and walked towards the bluestone corridor beside me.
"It's okay, how about you? Are you still used to being in the Queen's Palace? I didn't believe it when I heard that you became the Queen's personal maid."
I smiled and said, "I'm fine."
Aunt Su looked at me for a long while before saying, "I hope the decision to send you to the Queen's Palace was right."
"At that time, my aunt also did this to save Enen." Thinking of what I heard just now, I said, "Auntie, Enen heard what the three of you said just now."
"It's okay to hear it." Aunt Su sighed, "It's all old stuff, do you want to hear it?"
I nodded, "As long as Auntie doesn't find it troublesome."
"How could it be?" Aunt Su smiled, patted and held my hand, and said as she walked, "More than 20 years ago, I, Qinglian and Mingxiu were maids who entered the palace together, and the three of them were selected at the same time. At that time, the crown prince, who is now the emperor, was only nine years old."
emperor?Is it about the emperor?
Aunt Su smiled bitterly, and said: "Our relationship is very good. Mingxiu is a few years younger than us. She is straightforward, honest, and loves to fight against injustice. Whenever Qinglian and I are angry with other court ladies, she will always stand up. Come out and accuse the other side of getting justice for us. Until six years later."
Aunt Su stopped her pace, looked at the bright yellow stamens not far away, seemed to be thinking about what to say, and said after a while: "That year, the emperor was only 15 years old, and it was the age of adulthood. They arranged eight older, well-behaved court ladies for the emperor's court, so that the emperor would not be in a hurry on the night of the wedding."
Lin Yu?Lin Yu is a favor, I can't help but blush.
"Mingxiu is one of them, and she is the most beautiful among the eight. It is the hope of all the palace people to be courted by the emperor. Once he is favored by the emperor, he will become a person of status in the palace from now on, receiving a monthly salary. , but no longer doing labor like other ordinary court ladies.” Aunt Su sighed again, “Qinglian and I both thought that Mingxiu would be extremely happy, but we didn’t expect her face to be sad every day and unable to eat. I asked her Only then did I know that she fell in love with someone, but that person was younger than her, and she didn't know what to do."
I can hear it.
"You also know that once the palace people reach the prescribed age, they can leave the palace and marry freely. Both Qinglian and I came from hard backgrounds, and our family lives on our meager salary in the palace, so we have no intention of leaving the palace. Two After some discussion, it was decided that I would replace Mingxiu to serve the crown prince at that time, and let Mingxiu pursue her love. Two days later, we asked the previous empress to replace her on the grounds of Mingxiu's physical defects, and I replaced her."
Speaking of this, Aunt Suyan's eyes gradually filled with guilt, "But I made a mistake with Qinglian, it was a big mistake, it's my fault that we didn't ask clearly at the time. The person Mingxiu loves is the current emperor, she Her worries and her worries are all because she doesn't know how to win the emperor's favor. After all, their ages are too different. What she wants is not being favored for a while and then being thrown into the cold palace. She is worried about this, and we are worried about this. But she mistakenly thought that... that's why she hated me, blamed me, and opposed me all these years. No matter what I explained to Qinglian, she would not listen, thinking that I was jealous of her and used a trick."
Aunt Su's voice was extremely sad, and I was a little moved when I heard it.
"It's no wonder she doesn't believe it. She has been in the palace for so many years, and she has seen all the harem tricks, schemes, and self-protection. No matter what the purpose is, someone has to die before giving up. Even if it is out of good intentions, people who watch it will Imagine something."
Yes, Aunt Su is right.
False and false, real and real, all seem to be wrapped in a layer of invisible mist. When you think it is true, it is false, and when it is false, it is mixed with a bit of truth.
"The emperor's love is only a flash in the pan. In fact, it's good that Mingxiu is like this. Although he is just an ordinary palace man, at least he can live a peaceful life."
"Auntie." A doubt came to my mind, but I didn't know whether I should ask, after thinking about it, I decided to forget it.
Aunt Su looked at me.
"It's nothing." I smiled.
"Do you want to ask, since I am the emperor's bedroom secretary, why am I now the steward of the laundry bureau?"
I was a little embarrassed to be guessed by Aunt Su.
Aunt Suyan's eyes became far-reaching, and she smiled sadly, "Perhaps, this is a common problem of men. When the candlelight is dim and the red tent is put down, a man will be nervous, embarrassed, and flustered when it comes to his first woman. Will be timid. After a few bedtimes, once he has mastered the intercourse, he naturally thinks of avoiding her and rushing to other beauties. Because facing his first woman every day, he will feel that his self-esteem will be hurt. In front of other women, he felt that he was in charge. After I understood this, I took the initiative to kneel down to the former empress to invite the laundry bureau. I didn’t expect to stay here for 20 years. Time really flies.”
I almost finished listening to this passage with a blushing face, but at the end, I only felt bursts of sadness.
I couldn't help calling softly, "Auntie."
I wanted to say a few words of comfort, but my head was empty.
"Enn," Aunt Su was looking at me with wet eyes, "Remember, don't be the emperor's woman, otherwise, you will never be able to escape the palace for the rest of your life."
I was startled, and my heart suddenly went up and down.
"Look at what I said," Aunt Su shook her head, "How could you do that. Go, walk with me and talk."
"Aunt." I took Aunt Su's hand and tried to smile, "Even if the favored one is a court lady, can't you leave the palace?"
"Naturally, the emperor's woman can only have one man in her life, and she can only think about the emperor, so the court ladies can only die of old age in the palace."
"Then," I bit my lower lip, "what if the emperor forgets her?"
"Forgot?" Aunt Su was stunned, then smiled, "Even if the emperor forgets, the servant will write it down, and the servant will record all the women the emperor favors in the book."
"Then what if there is no record of the servants, and the emperor has forgotten the maid again."
After I finished speaking, I saw Aunt Su looking at me suspiciously, and I realized that I spoke eagerly, making people suspicious.But Aunt Su still answered me seriously, "I don't know about the previous emperors, but the current emperor has an amazing memory. It is absolutely impossible for him to forget the woman he was lucky to have, unless he deliberately."
Amazing memory?Deliberately?
Why bother?
Impossible, no way.
"Enn, what's the matter with you?"
"fine."
"Really okay?"
Suppressing the impetuousness in my heart, I smiled and said, "It's really all right."
"Enen." Aunt Su looked at me thoughtfully, "The reason why I didn't ask you about what happened in Concubine Ming's Palace that day was because it might not be a good thing if I knew about it. A person who knows the threat may be more, but contradicting the emperor is a crime of beheading, no matter what you do in the future, you have to think about it, and sometimes you even have to be willing to bury it, understand?"
Aunt Su's words were puns, revealing sincere concern.
I nodded, "Enen will remember what my aunt said."
After walking a few steps, Aunt Su looked at me again, with deep meaning in her bright eyes, "There is no record of the servants, and the emperor has forgotten the maid, so there is no such thing as luck. You can leave the palace now. Can you not understand such a simple truth?"
Seeing me in a daze, Aunt Su sighed, "Enen, you are still not deep enough."
After sending Aunt Su away, the sky gradually darkened.
Walking slowly in the bluestone corridor, Aunt Su's words upset me.
His memory is astonishing, it is absolutely impossible to forget the woman he was lucky to have, unless he deliberately.
But he forgot that night.
If deliberately, why?
If a majestic emperor doesn't want to admit the innocence of robbing the daughter of the people, he can just move his mouth.
He kicked the pebbles on the road without a foot, and put all his thoughts on the man.
A hem embroidered with broken golden patterns came into view.
look up.
The man in front of him was shrouded in a touch of sadness, the frivolous feelings of the past were gone, his gentle eyes were only lonely, and his handsome face was full of deep exhaustion.
I have never seen such a scene.
"My servant has seen Master Shangshu." When I came back to my senses, I secretly collected myself, saluted briefly, and was about to pass him and leave.
Hands were surrounded by a piece of ice.
Bowing my head, a pair of slender, white and extremely beautiful hands held me, but these hands were too cold, as if there was no warmth at all.
"Talk to me." His voice was soft and sad, as if he had been deeply hurt.
"Slave," I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, "Please forgive me for being rude, I still have something to do."
I know that I am not up to date, obviously it is impossible, but ever since I met him, I can't help but miss him in my heart, and I miss him whenever I see him.
But I also understand that I am a stranger to him, a stranger who cannot meet.
I can't help liking him, but I just let it go in my heart, let myself be presumptuous in a small corner of my heart.
In reality, I can't do anything.
"I want someone to talk to me now." He looked at me like a wounded child.
"The servant really has something to do. Besides, this is the harem. It is better for Mr. Shang Shu to leave the palace as soon as possible, so as not to arouse criticism."
"Criticism? Who would? Who would dare? Everyone here wishes I could live here every night." He chuckled sadly.
"My lord, let's go back quickly."
"You really don't want to talk to me?"
"I really have something to do with this servant, so I'm leaving." It was difficult to say these words, but I had to harden my heart.
After walking a few steps, he heard him sneer, "It's nothing wrong with you, you know too much, so you can be far away from me, and even despise me in your heart."
"The slaves dare not."
"Don't you dare? You dare to refuse even the queen, why not? Forget it, let's go." Under the dark night, his figure was lonely and desolate.
"My lord." In the end, I couldn't bear it, and my hardened heart softened layer by layer under his lonely back. I said softly, "Let this servant take you to the gate of the palace."
He looked at me sideways, his eyes as dark as midnight finally faded the little bit of sadness, and my answer seemed to make him feel a little better.
Glazed palace lanterns hung under the eaves, rows and clusters, under the night wind, they looked like flying dragons, and bright red flowers dazzled the eyes.
He didn't take the wide palace road, but chose a deserted path.
Walk very slowly.
I quietly followed behind him, and no one spoke a word along the way.
As if he wanted me to come, just to be a companion.
The two of them walked back and forth like this, passing through bushes, rockery, and flower paths.
In front of a pavilion with Chun Xiaohan written on it, he stopped and looked up at the three large lacquered gold characters.
"She and I are not real siblings." He said lonely.
I was taken aback.
"When I was three years old, my mother passed away. Two years later, she and her mother came to Jing's house." He turned and looked at me, "There is no incest between me and her."
I didn't know how to answer, and no matter how I answered in my capacity, it seemed strange, so I smiled, a sincere and easy-going smile.
He looked at me with dark eyes for a while, and suddenly said: "You impress me very much. This is the first time I have met a woman who can kick a man's crotch."
Thinking of the situation when I first met him, I can't help being a little embarrassed. I must have given him a very bad impression at that time.
"The second time I saw you, you were being beaten with a stick, and you were sweating profusely in pain, but you were so stubborn that you didn't make a sound. The other palace servants had already begged for mercy, but you gritted your teeth and stood up." He said. Smiling lightly, there was subtle appreciation in her eyes, "And today, I stood outside the Queen's Palace for a long time, and I saw everything that happened in the palace."
"My lord?" Did he come early?
"Call me Jinglin."
Under my surprise, he said lightly: "That night, you hid in the inner hall, saw me meeting her, and also knew a secret that I shouldn't know. It's strange that I felt unprecedentedly relaxed. .”
I froze for a moment, almost thinking I had heard it wrong.
"Finally someone can help me share this secret." He had a slight smile in his eyes, and the sadness seemed to be less. "For so many years, I have suffered everything alone. Now, I have you."
I?Share a secret?
"Aren't you afraid that your servants will tell you?"
"You're not that kind of person."
"Your Excellency trusts the servants so much?"
The loneliness in his voice was a little lighter, "It's a feeling. Didn't you say it? From now on, I'll call my name, at least when it's just the two of us."
There was sincerity in his eyes, as well as a bit of fragility, as if he desperately needed the care and warmth of others.
Care, warmth, can I give it to him?Is it what I should give?
Calling him by name means that the distance between me and him is no longer far away.
I should be happy, but I also understand that this doesn't mean anything.
I shouldn't be close to him, but he is right in front of me, with clear eyes, gentle smile, and approachable.
Heart, jumping, really disappointing.
I heard myself say softly: "Yes, Jing Lin."
He smiled gently, with a release in his smile, as if my answer made him feel extremely comfortable.
Uncontrollably, I laughed too.
"Just send it here."
"Yes."
Under the moonlight, his leaving back is still lonely, but his footsteps are not as heavy as before.
This night, the distance between me and him has been shortened, which I did not expect.
I didn't turn around until his figure disappeared into the depths of the forest road.
The crescent moon hangs high, and the moonlight is beautiful and bright tonight.
The entire flower forest is bathed in the moonlight, which is beautiful.
Just as I was about to walk out of the flower forest, a small figure passed by me and walked towards the pear blossom forest on the side.
"Xiaoru?" There is only Xiaoru a child in the huge Queen's Palace. I don't even need to think about it to know that the person who just walked past me is Xiaoru. "It's so late, where is she going?" followed her.
Most of the pear blossoms have withered at this time, and there is no sound when footsteps step on the remaining flowers.
After only walking a few steps, Xiaoru started trotting with her skirt in hand, as if she was in a hurry, but at the same time she seemed extremely excited.
I was even more puzzled.
Until she stopped panting, bowed and looked around.
Surrounded by pear trees, what is she looking for?I couldn't help but also looked around, there was nothing but the dead flowers all over the ground.
After a while, she heard her muttering: "Strange, we made an appointment to meet here. Prince, Prince, where are you?"
Prince?Just when I was surprised, my sleeves were pulled off, I lowered my head, and saw the prince's clear eyes looking at me with a smile, his thick eyelashes winked at me like a fan, and with a shush, he pulled me Take a few steps back and squat down.
The place where we are squatting is the junction of the pear garden and the flower bushes. There is a plant that looks like grass but not grass and flowers but not flowers. It is luxuriant. The two of us are hiding here.
"Prince, are you playful again?" I smiled.
"Who is playful? My Highness is not a three-year-old child, you see." The prince handed me a note in an old-fashioned way.
Spread it out, and look at it through the moonlight shining through the gaps in the trees. It turns out that Xiaoru has made an appointment with the prince in private, saying that he has made a new honey tea for the prince to taste.
Xiao Ru is getting bolder and bolder.
"If I wasn't usually bored, His Highness would not bother to come."
I smiled slightly, "It's too late today, the prince should go back to the palace first, if he is bumped by the palace people, the empress will have to blame you again."
"No, my Highness hasn't played enough." After speaking, he picked up a small stone on the ground and threw it out.
In the silent night, the sound of stones hitting trees is especially loud.
"Prince? Is it you? Come out, stop playing, don't scare Xiao Ru." Xiao Ru's voice was full of anxiety.
The prince covered his mouth and started laughing.
I said helplessly, "Prince..."
After a while, the prince stopped laughing and made a face at me.
A few more pebbles were thrown out, and some of them landed on Xiaoru's body.
"Prince, is that you? Where are you? Just come out, don't tease Xiaoru." Xiaoru's voice was already crying.
"Your Highness? Xiaoru is about to cry."
"So what?" After speaking, he threw a few more stones.
"His Royal Highness, stop playing, come out." Xiaoru really cried, but she didn't dare to cry too loudly, sobbing, she was still looking around, but she couldn't find here.
The prince had more fun.
"Your Highness," I stopped his hand that was about to throw the stone, and said gently, "Even though it's a small stone, it still hurts when you hit it, so stop playing, okay?"
"Well, my Highness is also tired." After finishing speaking, he took out a gleaming silver ingot from his pocket and stuffed it into my hand, "Don't let the Queen know everything about tonight."
Contrary to the childishness just now, the clear eyes are shining with the sophistication of the world.
The smile that should have been a pure elf was also stained with an invisible contempt.
I stayed for a while, then returned the silver in my hand to the prince, smiled, and said: "Please take back this silver ingot, the prince will not report it to the empress."
"You really don't want it?"
I shook my head, "I have only one request. The prince should not come out at such a late hour, especially in such a place. If something happens, even the palace servants will not respond. It's too dangerous. Okay?"
He stared at me, as if guessing my sincerity.
"Okay?" I smiled kindly again and said gently.
"You really won't sue the queen mother?"
I nodded.
"What about my honey tea?"
"Go, this servant is here to watch you drink the honey tea and then go back to the East Palace, huh?"
The prince raised a bright smile, turned and left.
"Prince, you haven't promised your servant yet."
Turning around, the prince raised his face, "Who will believe what you say." After speaking, he made a face at me again, and ran to Xiaoru to ask for honey tea.
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, I had to sit down and quietly watch the two people who were drinking honey tea happily under the pear tree.
After a while, the prince stood up and wanted to go back, but Xiaoru held his hand.
I couldn't hear what Xiaoru said, but seeing the prince's happy face, I'm afraid it was some playful idea.
Thinking about going to find Xiaoru tomorrow, the empress clearly issued a strict order not to allow her to get close to the prince, but she committed crimes again and again, the empress really knew about it, her little life might be in danger.
I didn't get up and go back to the palace until both of them left the pear forest.
The moonlight was so pure that one couldn't bear to blink.
The night is really bright tonight, and I don't even have to look to see if there's a stumbling block on the ground.
As soon as she got out of the flower arrangement, she was almost bumped into by a person.
I walked slowly, but she hurried.
"Aunt Lian?" I hurriedly supported her body that was about to fall.
It was Aunt Lian who was in charge. I couldn't help being surprised. It was so late, what was she doing here?
Aunt Lian's usually calm pupils flashed nervously, but she covered it up very well, "It's Enen, it's so late, what are you doing here?" The serious voice was astringent, as if it had been tense all of a sudden. Open your mouth, extremely uncomfortable.
"My servant just sent Master Jing out of the palace, and came back by taking a shortcut." What I said was true, but not all the truth.
"That's it, then go back to the palace quickly, the empress should go to bed too, I can't do without you." After finishing speaking, she left in a hurry.
Aunt Lian's behavior was a little unusual.
But too many things happened today, so I didn't think deeply about it, and walked quickly towards the Queen's Palace.
The next day was actually cloudy.
Early in the morning, I saw the drizzle covering the entire palace like a mist, looking out through the window, even the top of the opposite palace could be seen very vaguely.
"Concubine An's body has become extremely weak during this miscarriage. According to the imperial doctor, her life has been recovered, but there are too many miscarriages, and the medicine is too strong. I'm afraid that Concubine An will never have another There are heirs." Tang Yu reported the situation in the palace to the queen sitting in front of her.
Looking at Tang Yu in shock, there will be no more children?How could it be so serious?
Guilt and self-blame are like a bug slowly nibbling in my heart, my hands and feet are unconsciously cold, and my face is pale. I even forgot to cover it up in front of the queen.
The queen glanced at me indifferently, and then listened to Tang Yu's reply as if nothing had happened.
"The emperor has issued a foot restraint order for the concubine Ming, saying that this matter will be strictly investigated. However, the most important thing about this matter, Hong Cui, has disappeared since last night, and the emperor is sending people to search everywhere."
"Strict interrogation? Why interrogate when everyone is gone?"
What the queen said was incomprehensible.
Tang Yu still had a cold expression, as if he knew everything, yet seemed indifferent to everything.
Sensing that I was looking at him, he glanced at me slantingly, his deep eyes like cold pools revealed incomprehensible thoughts.
"Your Majesty, it's not good," the maid hurriedly ran into the hall with her skirt on, and knelt down, "Hongcui committed suicide in fear of crime. When Lu Gonggong led people to search, they found her body in the pond next to the pear tree garden."
The queen was not surprised at all, as if she had expected it a long time ago, she just took a sip of the teacup and said lightly: "Got it, let's go down." Standing up, she straightened her dress, showing a trace of modesty. Ao raised his raised brows, "It's time for Ben Gong to play."
All the evidence points to Concubine Ming.
In the middle, there was actually a maid from Concubine Ming's palace who stood up and testified that it was Concubine Ming who killed Hongcui in order to destroy the evidence, she saw it with her own eyes.
Therefore, Concubine Ming was given a glass of poisoned wine.
It has been raining continuously for three days, and the weather has not improved.
I crouched in a small corner of the palace corridor, looking at the gray sky absently.
Hongcui died in the pond next to the pear orchard.
Late that night, I ran into Aunt Lian there.
obvious thing.
The most important witness is gone, so of course there is no way to conduct a rigorous trial, so the case is just concluded like this.
Concubine Ming didn't say a word.
(End of this chapter)
Tap the screen to use advanced tools
Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.
You'll Also Like
-
Chronicles of Ascension: The Path to Immortality
Chapter 1089 58 minute ago -
Family Cultivation: I can upgrade my magic weapon
Chapter 1172 14 hours ago -
The Wizarding World: Throne of Frost
Chapter 133 14 hours ago -
Mirroring the changes
Chapter 757 14 hours ago -
Soviet Union 1991
Chapter 1122 14 hours ago -
Kyojuro, the life of a Hokage since the age of one
Chapter 137 14 hours ago -
Put away your magical powers now!
Chapter 51 14 hours ago -
The road to immortality is difficult, bones build immortality
Chapter 343 14 hours ago -
A five-year-old Daluo Jinxian? I simulated binding with the prehistoric world.
Chapter 88 1 days ago -
I got rich by extracting skills from games
Chapter 204 1 days ago
