After lunch, Minglan sat in a sedan chair and toured the surroundings of the Hou Mansion.

Spring was originally a time when all things flourished. The originally gorgeous brocade-like flowers in the courtyard fell to pieces overnight and were trampled into mud by the running footsteps in the dark. Although the smooth bluestone slabs have been washed many times with water, some places remain the same.

The dark red and sick Kou Xiangyuan was especially worse. People died inside and outside the house. A few timid maids were crying and did not dare to go in. Minglan was not able to force her, so she planned to move Sister Rong to another place. It turned out that

The location was already a little out of the way, so we simply turned it over and used it for other purposes.

The worst is yet another place

The nearly half-foot-thick vermillion-lacquered door slowly opened with a permeating creaking sound of gold and iron. Looking down the bluestone steps extending outward, the ground outside the door was covered with mottled blood. The boiling oil stuck to human skin and hair had cooled.

It was condensed into a burnt black mass, and even though the dead bodies and mutilated limbs had been cleaned up, it still had a thick purple stench that was appalling.

There were several tree trunks as thick as a cup on the ground. I don't know which house the thieves cut them from. Most of the big brass nails on the facade were knocked off. They were scattered everywhere. The concierge Liu was muttering to the side, "Thank you."

There was no gold plating at that time, so if you collect them all and melt them, you can still use them.

Minglan wanted to laugh but couldn't

Returning to Jiaxi Residence, I sat next to the kang in a dull mood, staring at the increasingly yellowish and golden sky, lost in thought.

Before dinner, Boss Tu came back from outside and knelt down to Minglan in the corridor through the curtain. His face was extremely ugly, as if he had just been cuckolded and was so panicked that he couldn't say anything... Then Han San is indeed unclean and I can't control him strictly. Please

madam punishment

He led a few guards to Han's house and rummaged around, and surprisingly found two newly transferred land deeds and one hundred taels of gold - Tu Hu was so angry that he wanted to chop the people into pieces.

Minglan was slightly shocked: Mr. Tiger took action. Although Han San was a member of his family, they were all from good families.

This is not the case, Boss Tu said sadly. He just looked at the person first. It is not appropriate to be discouraged at this moment and then go back and settle the score.

Minglan nodded tiredly: It's better to wait until the marquis comes back to make up his mind.

It was really boring for a person like her who advocated a peaceful and lazy lifestyle to be forced to deal with such things constantly. She comforted Boss Tu with a few words. Anyway, the undercover agent obviously didn't succeed, so there is no need to be too upset. Just take precautions in the future.

On the third day, although the martial law had not yet been lifted, the atmosphere was obviously relaxed. Many impatient families secretly sent their servants to exchange news. The first person to write was the British government once again asking if everything was safe. Minglan Ruo was short of manpower and equipment, whether it was the bodyguard or the doctor.

Or just ask her for wound medicine and decoction - Mrs. Zhang even said with a smile that the British government spent the night on alert and the things they had prepared earlier were of no use at all.

Minglan was moved. No wonder Mrs. Zhang has always been one of the top figures in the aristocratic circle in the capital in the past few decades. Her actions are indeed courageous. Not long after, the daughter of this courageous person also received a letter; a short note was

The handwriting is violent and full of anger.

The uncle's house was not peaceful the night before yesterday, but it was really just a simple robbery. Sister Yu has spent nearly twenty years and is arrogant. The Zhang family has a false reputation and little prestige. There should be no one who dares to stroke the tiger's beard. Unexpectedly, there are people who dare to stroke the tiger's beard.

The calamity of the night before

Mrs. Zhang has really experienced a lot. She never thought that one day a thief would be bold enough to come to her door. I was depressed for a long time before I remembered that this family’s original surname was Shen, not Zhang. She said that even if her father’s name was now defeated, the British government would be full of it.

There is still no pickpocket that dares to open a business within a three-mile radius.

The letter said that if there were no insiders, it would be impossible to attract outside thieves. The root cause was the trouble caused by the Zou family showing off their wealth outside.

What did the Zou family do outside? Minglan asked

The young man who came to report the news also had an unlucky look on his face: ...the evil-hearted people from the Zou family said that my uncle was seriously injured outside, and if someone happened to be the heir apparent, he would soon attack the throne. My uncle, Dashi, would not be able to ask my husband for advice on everything then. From the looks of things, Zhang’s name is pretty good. After the interrogation came out, our wife was very angry...

The nonsense told by the liquor store attracted the attention of the local gangsters who deliberately drank and made friends. After a while, they found out the truth about the Shen family's inner house. Then they took advantage of the chaos in the capital at night and used the name of the Zou family to deceive the back door of Shen's house and sneak in. Kill and loot

Fortunately, Mrs. Zhang was already on guard. After hearing the news, she hurriedly led her guards to kill the thief. How could an ordinary thief defeat a brave man trained by the British government? He was already killed and captured in a short time.

Zhang is full of cowardice—it’s said that those preparations were originally for a more serious and larger-scale political persecution, okay?

At that moment, he personally shot and wounded several thieves with his close-fitting soft bow. Two of the brave thieves were captured. After seeing a room full of women and children, they were still arrogant and full of filthy words. Zhang was so angry that without saying a word, he cut off the two thieves with his sword several times. He threw his ears to the ground and fed the black mastiff - the whole place was solemn and everyone in the Shen Mansion dared to make a sound

The boy said it with a proud look on his face, and Minglan screamed in her heart, "Good boy"

From then on, everyone in Shen's house walked around when they met Mrs. Zhang; Mrs. Zhang also lived in great style for the next few decades. The concubine did not dare to talk back to her stepchildren, and they did not dare to be verbose. It is not known that it was a blessing in disguise. This cannot be pressed. carry

In addition to the fact that the female members of the Duan family, the Zhong family and the Geng family have not returned home from the palace, the reason is still unknown; the boys who went to the Bo family and the Fu family finally got a reply, but they were all attacked on the way and trapped in civilian households until the martial law was relaxed. He hurriedly came back to report that the two families were fine - especially since the female members of the Bo family had gone to the countryside with Mrs. Bo early.

The letter from Sheng Mansion is the thickest. Chang Feng wrote more than ten pages eloquently. Minglan read it patiently and couldn't help complaining about "The Third Brother is Mighty". In fact, the story was very simple. That day, Father Sheng went to work as usual and ate a bowl of rice and half a roast chicken. I started to check Chang Feng's homework and just after he was taught, 'If Qiu Wei doesn't succeed this time, he will...' Before the harsh words were released, chaos started outside.

The capital is under martial law and Mr. Sheng has been forced to stay out of work for two days and has not been able to return to work. This is the case for most civil servants. It can only be said that compared to the last time when the rebellion against the king occurred, the hardest hit area has been moved.

A simple letter from home. There are no big or small things, but the whole text is rich in diction and rhyming. It just laments the instability of the current situation and uses three allusions at once. Even the cook who can't go out to buy fresh vegetables and fruits has to recite "There is chaos in the sky." A self-composed limerick of "Zao Juntan"

Brother Tuan originally had his round eyes open and refused to sleep no matter how much he was coaxed. However, Minglan told his son his faith. After reading a page and a half, the little fat man drooped his head and fell asleep.

Come on, I don’t expect you to continue to practice chest breaking with your father after you study. Minglan resignedly touched her son’s chubby little arms, legs and belly and fell asleep.

The news about the Zheng family was delayed until it was time to turn on the lights - but it was worse than the news about the thief in the uncle's house.

The young man choked and said: ...My old man went there the day before yesterday, and this morning the old lady was also... gone too.

Within three days, both elders died of illness.

Minglan was extremely shocked: How could this be said so well and it would be gone if she didn't say it... She wanted to ask what happened, but Mrs. Zheng was very strict in running the family, and the boy just shook his head and refused to say a single word.

...The old man and the old lady have not been cured of illness over the years... The eldest lady asked the younger one to tell the story that she and the second lady have no time to spare at the moment. She will have time to discuss it in detail with Mrs. Gu Hou.

Minglan saw that the young man was so tired that he was sweating and panting, but he still spoke properly and without any confusion. He admired Mrs. Zheng's ability and asked Luzhi to grab some copper coins and reward him, and then asked someone to send him out.

Cui's mother watched the figure disappear at the door and then said: Madam, there is something wrong with this. A few days ago, we sent fruit wine brewed all winter to Zheng's house. Aren't Mrs. Zheng and Mrs. Zheng still doing well?

...I repeated 'this' several times in a row and still couldn't come up with the following.

Minglan understands what she means. The more elderly people who have been on the sickbed for many years, the less likely they are to die in an emergency. The time from being critically ill to dying lasts for three or two days. It is really strange that the old man passed away suddenly a few days ago without anything happening.

After thinking for a long time, she couldn't think of a reason. Ranlai Minglan only hated her lack of imagination. She hugged the pillow and was confused all night. However, someone came to her door early the next morning to explain her confusion.

Mrs. Liu is wearing a half-worn ocher-colored dark gold silk flowered gown. She has a finger-wide dark red velvet band on her head and a big bead in the middle of her forehead. Her face is painted with pink on her temples, and there are small red beads on the side.

Huahuo is like the new society’s version of Grandma Liu who has turned around and gotten rich.

At that time, Minglan was having breakfast and said hello. Who knew that Mrs. Liu opened her mouth and said yes, picked up the chopsticks and started eating?

She seemed to be in a very happy mood and praised as she ate: "My sister's food is very special. Tsk, the glutinous rice soup is so fragrant... What's in it? Oh, my girl is so handsome. This fried fruit at home is also very nice..."

Minglan felt despair at this metaphor, pulled the corner of her mouth and smiled dryly: "Everywhere there are recipes passed down from previous generations. Even the chef's skills are passed down from generation to generation in the Zhongming Dingshi House. Which house doesn't have a few unique dishes that stand out from the crowd, sister?"

If you want to rush tomorrow, I'll have someone make a few copies and send them over.

Mrs. Liu quickly waved her hand and said with a grin. To be honest, the whole family is not used to the food in the capital. I specially invited a cook from Sichuan years ago. I just said that, girl, don’t take it seriously... hit the little old man.

I just said that when I go to someone else’s house, I must praise them more. I talked to myself for a long time.

Minglan opened her mouth and then closed it

Mrs. Liu didn't just keep nagging. She wiped her mouth and washed her hands after eating. She didn't wait for Minglan to ask. She already said her intention very consciously: His father came back in the middle of the night last night, and he was covered in blood... Oops, I won't say this for fear of scaring the girl...

His father told me a lot of things and asked me to make it clear today so that the girl can relax and not worry about her health... Well... where do I start from? I said, girl, what do you want to ask first?

Of course, Gu Tingwei is dead and the Marquis Mansion is safe. There is no Madam. Is the old witch finished? It's a pity that it doesn't work. This is the ancient time when she was a first-class imperial concubine.

Minglan suppressed the words in her throat and laughed a few times: "Of course the emperor and the empress are well now. Is this what we, as ministers, are most concerned about?"

Mrs. Liu seemed very touched that her sister was indeed loyal and patriotic.

After being moved, she began to sing praises to the emperor in order to express her political consciousness.

...Those clowns who usually act sneakily and secretly collude with each other, but they don't know how smart they are when they think of our emperor...that...rarely seen wise king who has come to the world to see these things has long been obvious, but for the sake of the late emperor, I thought

Who knows how to leave some favor to Queen Mother Shotoku and Prince Rui, mother and son...

Minglan endured the soreness of her teeth and interrupted: "It's really related to Empress Dowager Shotoku and Prince Rui."

It’s not like the girl thought she was someone who dared to pretend to be an imperial edict and deceive the ministers’ families into the palace. Mrs. Liu wiped her dry eyes like the lead singer of a rural mourning team. Oh, feed our emperor. What a kind emperor. That Queen Mother Shengde... It’s not that the emperor’s biological mother has never been promoted to the throne. The empress, for the words of the late emperor, our emperor is always obedient, obedient, filial, considerate and considerate...

Minglan deeply believes that the last three idioms are inappropriate, but it is not a good reminder to see someone's emotions bursting out.

...They hold people in their hands but are still not satisfied. They have to seek the throne of the Holy Emperor before they give up. And the wolf-hearted gang of Concubine Rong Zhenzhen...Thanks to General Zheng for being so loyal, otherwise our emperor would be in trouble and plotting...

Mrs. Liu then talked for more than half an hour - half of which was about praising the virtues of Xiaotao. After changing two pots of tea, green branches and adding snacks three times, she was able to give a rough summary of what happened.

In fact, Ming Minglan judged that Queen Mother Shotoku and her group had ulterior motives. However, the emperor who was loved by everyone and loved both loyalty and filial piety, who respected heaven and loved the people, was not necessarily as pure and innocent as a little lamb.

In recent years, as the power of the imperial faction has grown (Zhang Shen, Gu Zheng, Duan Liu, etc.), the emperor has acted more and more fiercely, sparing no effort to weaken the Queen Mother Shengde and her family. Among the civil servants and important officials, they are either die-hard emperor faction headed by Yao Ge Lao or people like Mr. Zou Ge, who has become an official, pretends to be stupid with Ni Ni.

Among the veterans who were at the bedside of the late emperor, those who insisted that the emperor should be filial to the Queen Mother Shotoku had been unknowingly dismissed or "accused" in the past few years.

As for those of the third and fourth grades and below... Prince Rui is young after all. No matter how orthodox he is, there are not many young and strong cabinet ministers who are willing to wade into this muddy water of fighting for the throne.

Seeing that the current emperor's throne is becoming more and more stable, several princes under his knees are gradually growing up. Queen Dowager Shotoku and her family are as anxious as a cat scratching their hearts. On the other hand, the emperor also has a thorn stuck in his throat every time he sees the clever and smart Prince Rui. so uncomfortable

Empress Dowager Shotoku and her family wanted to take action but did not find a good opportunity and did not dare to do so; the emperor knew that they had evil intentions but could not take the initiative for fear of being notorious for not caring for his concubines and taking care of his children and nephews.

The two factions are so stalemate - just like in a civilized society, both countries want to start a movie, but neither one wants to bear the bad reputation of provoking a war, so they keep teasing each other and praying to God and Buddha, hoping that the other party will quickly take the first shot.

By last year, the emperor felt that he had an overwhelming advantage and began to lose his patience.

So he set up a plan to kill two birds with one stone.

I still remember that a few years ago, Jie Nu took advantage of the new emperor's accession to the throne and went south to plunder. Although he was repulsed, he still occupied several northwest border towns. The emperor spent several years with vigorous troops and finally mobilized the army to attack and regain this tone - this is the first time. bird

The army marching westward to the capital city is an empty and perfect opportunity for rebellion. The unscrupulous people are ready to move, just to lure the snake out of its hole - this is the second bird

Empress Dowager Shotoku came from a prominent family in the northwest. For decades, her family was deeply entangled in the local area and her in-laws controlled the military and political affairs of the northwest at every turn. (It was this group of people who actively conveyed the news of the defeat of Zhang Gu's army.) The emperor secretly ordered General Bo to conquer the enemy and pacify the area. ; If Empress Dowager Shotoku can't hold it back, it's best if the other party can endure it, then take the opportunity to eliminate this serious trouble in the northwest in one fell swoop - this is the third bird.

It is said that there are several other birds, but Mrs. Liu cannot explain them clearly and Minglan herself cannot guess them.

The emperor is also in danger. The army is gone. What if there is an eventuality... What a good thing... If you bet big, you will win a lot, but if the God of Gambling Bodhisattva does not protect you, you will easily lose your pants.

Who is our emperor? He is the real dragon emperor descending to earth... Mrs. Liu once again enthusiastically praised the emperor's wisdom and martial arts before she revealed the truth - the emperor had secretly ordered General Zheng to respond internally and externally to Liu Zhengjie, which can determine the overall situation.
To be continued...