Reborn I want to be a giant

Chapter 22
The wind on Weiming Lake carries the fragrance of flowers, which makes people feel happy.

"Look, Haitang, there are fish and fish." Weng Qimin pointed at the red carp on the shoal and exclaimed.

"Miss, we also have them in our house." Haitang was depressed, there was no difference between the carp in this palace and the carp at home, Miss seemed to see something rare.

Gu Changyan squatted on the ground, found a thin piece of stone, turned around and asked the maid behind him: "Auntie, can I play?"

The maid hesitated for a moment before nodding.

So Gu Changyan made a fool of himself, and then curled his lips regretfully, "I'm unfamiliar."

Gu Yanqing also found a flat stone, hit nine times, and grinned at Gu Changyan, "How about it, your brother is still your brother."

"Arrogant, just wait and see." Gu Changyan was so stimulated that his face flushed, and he was very cute.

It's a pity that the sky didn't come true, her grades this time were worse than the first time, only three consecutive.

"I'll help you win him." Seeing Gu Changyan stamping his feet in anger, Xu Ye knelt down and picked a few stones.

Gu Yanqing's second time was Jiulian, his chin almost went up to the sky.

Xu Ye ignored the little boy's expression and knocked out the stone, only to see that the small stone caused a series of countless ripples, and it didn't sink until it was close to the center of the lake.

"Won."

Gu Changyan's eyebrows finally relaxed, "Gu Yanqing, are you convinced?"

"Don't accept it, come again." The little boy yelled.

Gu Changyan rolled his eyes, "Two out of three rounds, if you lose, how about calling me sister?"

"Good idea." Gu Yanqing snorted coldly.

However, Weng Qimin next to him was already supporting Gu Changyan with his actions, picking up a lot of flat stones with Haitang.Gu Yanqing seemed to be competing with Xu Ye, but the latter seemed to be at ease from the beginning to the end.In this way, the group of people played in Weiming Lake until the banquet time, and then they left with the leading palace maid.

Xian Le Dian

Everything in the palace is based on grades, so ladies without grades are arranged in the rear, unless the empress takes special care of them and wants preferential treatment, otherwise no matter what their family background is, they have to obey obediently.When Gu Changyan took his seat, Gu Changxi treated her as transparent and had a stern face. In contrast, Gu Changyu's smile was even more obvious. I don't know what good things happened to her.

After the emperor and the empress had entered the table, other concubines could sit down, but the emperor was well maintained, neither fat nor thin, and looked as good as a young man in his early thirties. sharp contrast.Concubine Zhu Xian sat on the other side of him. Anyone who is not blind would think that these two are more like a husband and wife, and they are more compatible.

It's a pity that in the emperor's house, the most useless thing is the fit on the outside.

The palace banquet was still very lively, with singers and dancers taking turns, and the juggling troupe specially raised in the palace lived up to expectations and aroused bursts of applause. Halfway through the banquet, the restraint at the beginning was lost. Zhan, the female guests here seem to have a lot to talk about.If the dishes in the imperial dining room were not delicious enough, Gu Changyan felt that he would have dozed off.

At this time, a little palace lady ran over eagerly and whispered a few words in her ear.

Gu Changyan's complexion was not good, and he looked towards the men's area, but Gu Yanqing was nowhere to be seen.So he said to Gu Changxi and Gu Changyu who were sitting nearby: "Two sisters, third brother broke his leg."

Gu Changxi chose to ignore her words, while Gu Changyu comforted him: "Third sister, you go there first, and I will tell my grandmother to find you later."

Gu Changyan was chilled, but he was not surprised by the attitude of the two of them.Right now is not the time to worry too much, so she stood up and hunched over her skirt, trying not to disturb too many people and walked out of Xianle Hall.

"Auntie, how did my brother get hurt?" Leaving Xianle Hall is just for convenience, the palace is the most strict place, as long as you don't commit suicide or get attacked, the probability of accidents is very low.My elder brother knew that he had never been a person who would mess around.

The maid who led the way was about the same age as her, and she looked like she had just entered the palace for a few years. Hearing Gu Changyan's question, she also thought about it, "I don't know the specific situation. I just passed Wenyuan Palace and met someone asking for help. Seeing a child fell to the ground, the elder sister said that the third son of Liang Guogong's mansion fell and was injured. The third son kept muttering not to tell his sister, but he was seriously injured and couldn't move. The elder sister insisted on letting him go. I'm looking for you."

Hearing the words "serious injury", Gu Changyan's heart raised his throat, and he almost fell to the ground.How could Gu Yanqing be injured so badly in the palace?It must not be an accident.But who is against him?A child who hangs around his sister except for studying, and has few acquaintances, so how can he have enemies?

Hurry up and finally came to Wenyuan Hall. At this time, the hall was brightly lit. Two maids saw them coming and asked if it was Miss Gu San. After confirming their identities, they sent away the little palace lady who led the way and took them to the palace in person. Follow Gu Changyan into the main hall.

"Aunts, how is my brother's injury? Have you sent someone to call for the imperial physician?" Gu Changyan was almost crying, and kept praying in his heart that his brother would be safe.

The two maids looked at each other and said, "You will know when you go in and meet him."

The Wenyuan Palace began to be renovated after the next year, and now there are a lot of decoration materials in the main hall. When Gu Changyan stepped into the main hall, he could smell the smell of new paint, but the lacquer of this era is not too unpleasant.She heard the sound of metal falling from the side room on the left, and rushed there.I saw a person lying on the ground, judging from her figure, she was a woman, but this woman was too embarrassed, not to mention disheveled hair, and her dress was torn several times.A hemp rope as thick as a thumb was wrapped around her neck. She was struggling to pull the hemp rope, but she couldn't make a sound, but she was on the verge of suffocation.

Gu Changyan turned around and asked the two maids to help, but found that there was someone there.She didn't have time to think about why they suddenly disappeared, her mind was full of Gu Yanqing's injuries, she gritted her teeth and decided to go to her brother first.Anyway, as long as she goes outside, find other people to rescue her.

However, just when she made up her mind to leave, the woman let out a hoarse groan, her legs kept kicking, and her strength became weaker as she got to the back, as if she was going to die, she was startled and flustered He quickly found a batch of wall knives from the tool pile next to him, and ran over to cut the hemp rope around the woman's neck.But when the woman showed her face, she was surprised that it was Zhang Wanqing.

"you……"

"Why did you kill me? How did I offend you? Why did you kill me...Is it because of the Fourth Highness, I...I really have nothing to do with him..." Zhang Wanqing suddenly cried and begged for mercy, A delicate face is full of horror.

Gu Changyan frowned and was about to speak, but the sound of intensive footsteps came from behind him.And Zhang Wanqing went crazy crying and begging her to spare her life.

"What are you doing?" The man's roar resounded throughout the hall.

Only then did Gu Changyan realize that he had been tricked, so is Gu Yanqing okay?At this moment, she is still thinking about the safety of her little brother.

Zhao Yanran rushed forward, hugged Zhang Wanqing who was overly frightened, and kicked Gu Changyan angrily, her small body couldn't withstand his full strength.Gu Changyan bumped into the wall, probably hit his head, and suddenly he was dizzy and almost fainted.

"Don't arrest this vicious bastard yet." Zhao Yanran gave orders while walking out with Zhang Wanqing in her arms.

"I didn't..." Her internal organs were in severe pain, and suddenly her throat was fishy, ​​and she vomited blood, and then she lost consciousness again.

What happened in Wenyuan Hall was immediately heard by the empress. The empress left the table first, and after Zhang Xiang and Mrs. Zhang, Liang Guogong and Mrs. Gu were all invited to leave, everyone was guessing in their hearts. Home is not what happened.Gu Yanqing didn't see his sister, so he already had a bad premonition, but he couldn't follow. He looked at Weng Qimin in a hurry, but saw that Mrs. Weng had already led Weng Qimin to leave the palace and return home first.He looked for Xu Ye in the dense crowd again, and found that the other party was looking over.

Xu Ye got up and walked to the side of Xu Ze who was drinking with his colleagues. The father and son just looked at each other before getting up and leaving together.Gu Yanqing knew that Xu Ye should be there to help, but he didn't feel relieved, but he was not Xu Ze and his son, he had no official position or even a scholar, if he appeared in a place where he shouldn't be, it might make his sister's situation worse .

Yongfu Palace

In the inner room of the side hall, Zhang Wanqing cried hoarsely in the arms of Mrs. Zhang, while Zhao Yanran stood beside her with distressed hands shaking.The queen was helped in, and she held Zhang Wanqing's hand to comfort her, "Don't worry, I will find out the truth and give you justice." She also instructed the imperial physician to diagnose and treat well so as not to cause any scars.

Zhao Yanran stepped forward, "Mother, that Gu San is young and vicious, I beg my mother not to tolerate it." He was afraid that the queen would make a big deal smaller because of Gu Changyan's marriage contract with him.

The queen pays attention to the rules, and seeing her son talking like this in front of everyone at this time, she is a little displeased.

"Your Majesty, you're awake." The little eunuch's voice came at the right time.

The queen propped up her body and said to Zhao Yanran, "You go too."

"... Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Mr. Xu, Minister of Dali Temple have also arrived." The little eunuch added.

The empress and everyone present looked unhappy. Zhang Wanqing came all the way here in disheveled clothes and was carried by Zhao Yanran. The Zhang family still didn't know how to calm down this turmoil.Now the crown prince and Dali Temple are involved again. After tonight, the reputation of the Zhang family... Master Zhang doesn't even want to think about it.But what happened to their granddaughter was more distressing. If Zhao Yanran hadn't arrived in time, the treasure they had held in their hands for 15 years might have been in trouble.

"You stay here with Wan Qing, I'll go meet the Gu family." Zhang Xiang clenched his fists, straightened up, and followed the Queen and Zhao Yanran out of the side hall with big strides.

Gu Changyan was woken up by being splashed, and his whole body was in pain. He had never suffered such a crime in two lifetimes, and he wanted to die immediately.All she wanted to know now was whether Gu Yanqing was injured or not.

After the queen took her seat, she first took the tea from the nanny and moistened her throat, "Gu Changyan, do you know you are guilty?"

Gu Changyan was held up by two palace servants, ignoring the pale-faced Gu Zheng and the old lady next to him, looking up at the tall woman, "Empress, may I ask you to send someone to find my brother... Is he alright?" I didn't know where the injury was, but it hurt so bad even to speak.

"Your elder brother is Gu Yanqing, the third son of the Gu family?" the prince's voice suddenly came.

It was only then that Gu Changyan noticed that the crown prince and Xu Ye were both there, and there was also a slightly older man wearing an official uniform who resembled Xu Ye by [-]% or [-]%. She guessed that it should be Xu Ye's father Xu Ze, that is, the A famous minister of Dali Temple.

"Yes, my aunt said my brother was seriously injured."

The prince and Xu Ze looked at each other, and then said: "Do you still remember the appearance of that maid?"

Gu Changyan nodded with difficulty.

"And...the two aunts who led me into the Wenyuan Palace, I also remember...their looks."

"Your brother is fine." The prince said.

Gu Changyan let out a long sigh of relief. Although she was in a disadvantageous situation, she still showed a reassuring expression on her face, and looked at the prince gratefully, "Thank you."

The prince's heart moved slightly, he didn't seem to help her anything, he just told her that Gu Yanqing was well behaved, and he could even get her a thank you.

Xu Ze stepped forward, "Empress, I think this case is quite suspicious, please allow me to search Wenyuan Hall and bring Miss Gu San and Miss Zhang back to Dali Temple."

"Absurd, my granddaughter is seriously injured, overly frightened, unable to sit or lie down, Master Xu still wants to torture her a miserable master?" Xiangye Zhang asked sharply.

Xu Ze said with a smile: "Master Zhang, Dali Temple is the most clear and bright place. I asked Miss Zhang to go back because I wanted to ask carefully. If it is confirmed that Miss Zhang was indeed innocent and suffered, I must send her back to the prime minister's residence in full. .”

"...I'm willing to go." Gu Changyan said suddenly.

Gu Zheng's eyes widened, and he couldn't help cursing: "You bastard."

The queen was annoyed by their quarrel, and her already uncomfortable body was even more exhausted, "Shut up."

"Gu Changyan, I ask you, why did you kill Zhang Wanqing?"

Now that things have happened, Gu Changyan is no longer afraid, "Why do you want to kill her if you have no grievances with Ms. Zhang?"

"Then why did you appear in Wenyuan Palace with the murder weapon in your hand?"

"The court lady was led into the Wenyuan Palace by the court lady. She saw a woman struggling on the ground in a panic, and the court lady found a batch of wall knives to help her cut the noose. Who knows that kindness will not be rewarded..."

"You..." Zhang Xiang glared angrily.

Gu Changyan didn't care what they thought of her, "If the empress doesn't believe in the court ladies, you can go find those three court ladies and confront them."

The emperor's arrival did not break the deadlock. After everyone saluted him, he squinted at the prince and Xu Ze and his son next to him, "Xu Aiqing doesn't know the rule that courtiers are not allowed to enter and leave the harem at will?"

Xu Ze wasn't afraid at all, "So I asked His Highness the Crown Prince to lead the way."

The prince longed for the sky.

"Tell me what's going on."

Xu Ze stepped forward and reported the arguments of both sides impartially.

"It's clear that this jealous woman thinks that I have something to do with Wan Qing, and she's poisoning Wan Qing." Zhao Yanran couldn't sit still, thinking of the scene he saw in Wenyuan Palace and Zhang Wanqing's miserable state, he felt so distressed that he couldn't help himself. .

The prince murmured: "Fourth brother is so strange." The voice was not loud, but everyone heard it.

"Why is Your Highness so sure that Miss Gu is the murderer? As far as I know, Miss Gu is your fiancée. And Miss Zhang... Speaking of which, the congratulatory gifts given by Miss Zhang and His Highness Ji that day were quite spectacular. Everyone knows it." Xu Ze squinted his eyes, first glanced at the empress sitting above, and then at Zhang Xiang opposite.

"Xu Ze, you are pouring dirty water on my granddaughter and forcing her to die." Zhang Xiang's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and anyone could see that he was trying to restrain himself.

Zhao Yanran also said anxiously: "Gu Changyan did such a vicious thing because of those pretentious rumors that he hated Wan Qing."

Xu Ze shook his head, "Since we are not allowed to go to the Wenyuan Hall, we can only deduce from the known clues. For example, on the night of Shangyuan Festival, the back door of Zhumenglou..."

"Okay." The emperor interrupted what Xu Ze was about to say.

But everyone present is not a fool, and the second half that Xu Ze didn't say is not difficult to guess.

"Is Dali Temple busy? Go back." The emperor glared at Xu Ze and his son.

Xu Zeneng climbed to this position at a young age. In addition to his own ability, he also has the ability to look at the emperor's face.He has done everything he can do right now. The empress has concerns about this matter, and the Zhang family may have their own ideas. The two of the Gu family are afraid that Gu Changyan will be convicted of the crime.Based on Xu Ze's understanding of the emperor, this matter is destined to have an ambiguous result.

"Resignation, my servant." Pulling his son who was like a rock, he left Yongfu Palace.

The hall returned to silence, and the emperor said coldly: "Those three court ladies are the most suspicious. The empress is in charge of the harem. This matter should be dealt with as soon as possible. Liang Guogong, please take your daughter back, and the imperial physician will follow her to diagnose and treat her."

Both Gu Zheng and the old lady heaved a sigh of relief, and hurriedly knelt down to thank them.At this time, the two palace guards who were holding Gu Changyan had already let go of her, and she was finally carried out in a daze.

"What are you still doing here?" Seeing that the prince did not take the initiative to leave, the emperor became even angrier.

"Father, as Master Xu said, this matter is strange. Ms. Gu's family is only 11 years old, and she is short in stature. How could she be so violent to the tall and strong Ms. Zhang's family? My son thinks that the Imperial City Guard should investigate the matter immediately. What?" The prince asked earnestly.

When Zhang Xiang heard the words "tall and strong young lady of the Zhang family", his liver ached with anger. The prince had always been respectful to these veterans in ordinary times, but today he was so aggressive for some reason.

"I have my own opinion, you should go back and rest." The emperor suppressed his anger.

The prince saluted helplessly, but before stepping out the door, he stopped and looked back at Mr. Zhang, "Speaking of which, Gu is very curious about how Miss Zhang is in Wenyuan Palace, and how does the fourth brother know they are there?" After leaving this sentence, I didn't look back.

Only the empress, the fourth prince, and Mr. Zhang were left in the main hall.

"How is Miss Wanqing's injury?" the emperor asked the queen.

"The imperial doctor said that the spleen was not injured, but the bruises on the neck dissipated more slowly." The queen said truthfully.Now she can't guess whether the emperor wants to get to the bottom of this matter, and the more troublesome thing is still waiting for her.

Zhang Wanqing was carried all the way from the Wenyuan Hall to the nearby Yongfu Palace by the fourth prince, and the number of palace people who passed by was unknown.As long as it spreads in the palace, it will be a matter of time before it spreads outside the palace.At that time, neither the Gu family nor the Zhang family will let the situation worsen, so what should the emperor do?
The emperor nodded slightly, "I will stay in Yongfu Palace to recuperate these few days, please ask people to be more careful."

These words are an explanation to the queen, but they are also a temporary result for Zhang Xiangye.

Mr. Zhang has been in court for many years, and he knows what it means to accept as soon as he sees it. "Since this is the case, the old minister will resign first."

Zhao Yanran's brows did not loosen, and he said after Master Zhang also left: "Father, the reason why Wan Qing is in Wenyuan Palace is because of an appointment with my son."

The queen's eyes widened, thinking that her son had lost his mind and gone crazy.

"Because of Erchen's reckless actions earlier, Wanqing's reputation was damaged, and I also misunderstood many of them. Erchen expressed his feelings to Wanqing in a hurry. Wanqing is a good girl. She invited Erchen to Wenyuan Hall It was to separate interests from my ministers. Unexpectedly, Gu San followed Wan Qing to Wenyuan Palace to commit murder. Father, if her son hadn't arrived in time, Wan Qing would have already..." He shook his head in pain, repeating in his mind The picture I saw at that time.

The emperor's expression was indifferent, "You never thought that Gu Changyan was framed?"

"My son entered the Wenyuan Palace and saw her holding a murder weapon. Wan Qing was covered in bruises. She was so frightened that she cried and begged for mercy. Father and Queen Mother, don't be fooled by Gu Changyan's appearance. She is a woman with a heart like a snake. Son You can't marry such a woman." Zhao Yanran finally said what she wanted to say.

The emperor rubbed the finger on his thumb, "I remember when you were young, Taifu Wu often praised your talent and intelligence..." He didn't continue.

The couple has been married for many years, and the queen is not favored, but it doesn't mean that she doesn't understand her husband's temperament, so she tried her best to ease the atmosphere, "Your Majesty, you have been tired all day, how about my concubine serving you first?"

Pushing away her old and withered hand, the emperor stood up, "Don't bother, I still have a memorial to read."

"Father..."

The emperor's cold eyes swept across his son's face, "Since you don't like this marriage so much, then I will make it happen for you." As long as you don't regret it in the future.

(End of this chapter)