The past events reappeared scene by scene, as if they were alive and immersive.
~~
In November of the eleventh year of Hongwu, the winter rain brought snowflakes and fell in the Forbidden City.
The atmosphere in Chunhe Hall, where the Crown Princess lives, was somewhat depressing. Waves of suppressed moans could be heard in the hall.
Empress Ma held Buddhist beads in her hands and stood outside the palace, praying to the cloudy sky.
"Your Majesty and Heaven, please bless my daughter-in-law to give birth to this baby safely, and bless their mother and son to be safe..."
The imperial doctor said that the root of the disease fell into the princess's body when she gave birth to the emperor's eldest grandson. This pregnancy would be ten times more dangerous than an ordinary birth.
Snowflakes fell, gradually falling lightly on Queen Ma's hair and shoulders. Amidst the moans of the Crown Princess in the palace, Queen Ma, the most noble woman in the world, knelt down to the sky and kowtowed devoutly.
The Crown Princess was her personally chosen daughter-in-law and the goddaughter she had raised by her side since she was a child. She was her childhood sweetheart with the Crown Prince. They arranged to get married when they were still in their infancy.
"God bless me. I, an old woman, have lived enough. I am willing to use my lifespan in exchange for the safety of my daughter-in-law and grandson..."
As Empress Ma prayed, everyone in the palace shed tears, because the Crown Princess was the one they had seen since childhood. The Crown Princess had never treated them as slaves as human beings.
As the eunuch in charge of Kunning Palace, Pu Bucheng quietly held up an umbrella behind Queen Ma. She held the umbrella high to help the Queen block the rain and snow, and then knelt down.
The rain and snow hit Park's face, and it was extremely cold that day.
A loud cry suddenly broke out.
Queen Ma, who was kneeling, stood up happily.
A mammy's voice came from inside, "Your Majesty, the queen is a grandson of the emperor!"
"Amitabha!" Standing outside the door, Queen Ma cried with joy and clasped her hands together.
But then, the palace maid's heartbreaking cry came from inside, "Imperial doctor, hurry up, imperial doctor! The princess is bleeding!"
Suddenly, Queen Ma's body leaned against the porch and fell softly. If Pu Bucheng hadn't been holding her down, she would have been sitting in the melted cold rain and snow.
"Quickly, save my daughter!" Queen Ma shouted with a pale face.
The imperial doctor began to be busy, and soon the emperor and the prince arrived.
The prince had tears in his eyes, while the emperor was as angry as a tiger.
"If we can't save our daughter-in-law, you will all be buried!" The emperor stood outside the door and roared in a low voice.
"Big girl! Big girl!" The prince was lying on the window sill, murmuring in a low voice.
~~
By God's blessing, the Crown Princess's bleeding stopped.
Several nuns were wiping the face of the newly born grandson with fine cotton cloth.
"Ah, those little eyes and little nose look so much like my daughter-in-law's!" The emperor stretched his head to look at her from a distance, with a smile on his face.
"They say boys are like mothers!" Empress Ma covered her chest and said to the emperor with a smile in her eyes, "Chongba, what do you want to name our second grandson?"
"Mom!" Zhu Biao said with a smile, "He is the third child, not the second child!"
Queen Ma immediately lowered her face and said displeasedly, "Why is your second son not the second son? Do you think I'm an old fool?"
"Although he is the legitimate second son, after all, he has two elder brothers, Brother Ying and Brother Wen!" Zhu Biao said with a smile, "Although Brother Wen is a concubine, he is also your grandson and your son's son!
"
"I don't care, from what I've seen, he's the second son!" Queen Ma glared at the prince, "He's your second son!"
Hearing this, Zhu Biao could only smile silently.
The old couple are very partial, as if only those born by the princess are considered their grandchildren. In fact, the old man is better, he is happy to see your son. The old lady, on the other hand, does not even look at the grandson next to her, but only looks at the legitimate son.
Sun.
Pu Bucheng looked at the joyful scene of the Tian family from a distance, and felt warm in his heart.
At this time, he felt someone behind him. When he turned around, he saw that it was the eunuch who was the foreman beside the emperor. The yellow dog came walking through the rain and snow.
"Brother Park!" Huang Gou'er saluted with a smile.
"Going to see the emperor?" Pu Bucheng asked.
"In terms of military information in the northwest, Duke Han Guo, Hu Zhongcheng, and Duke Xin are waiting in front!" Huang Gou'er said with a smile.
Pu Bucheng frowned, "This is such a military and national event, what are you talking about to the Za family?"
Huang Gou'er choked and said quickly, "I'm just telling you, I won't tell anyone else!" After saying that, he bowed and said, "Serving by the emperor's side, I will always remember your words, everything will be fine."
Talk more, talk less, and do more!”
Ahead, Queen Ma noticed this and said to the Emperor and the Crown Prince, "You two go and do your work, I'll watch from here!"
So, the emperor and the prince took the yellow dog away.
It was getting late, and the queen was still in the palace of the imperial concubine. Across the curtain to keep out the wind and cold, the two of them were smiling and talking.
"You are also very lucky, but you scare me to death!" Queen Ma said.
"Mom, I'm worrying you!" The princess's weak voice came from the bed.
Queen Ma wanted to say something else, but when she heard her daughter-in-law's breath was weak, she stood up and walked out.
As soon as I walked outside, a eunuch from the East Palace came running quickly.
"Why are you running away? The dog chases you, you are unruly!" Pu Bucheng scolded.
"Uncle, it's not good!" the eunuch said anxiously, "I started vomiting at night, and now I'm vomiting yellow water!"
Pu Bucheng was shocked and quickly reported it.
The uncle is the emperor's direct grandson, the future emperor's grandson Zhu Xiongying. He is just six years old now. He has been suffering from poor health and bones since he was a child.
In the queen's heart, this uncle is definitely the best and the most eye-catching.
After hearing the eunuch's report, Queen Ma did not dare to delay. She gave a few instructions and hurried back.
Fortunately, the uncle was fine. After a night of ruckus, he took medicine and fell into a drowsy sleep at dawn.
Then Pu Bucheng served Empress Ma again and rushed to the palace of the Crown Princess.
By this time, the sky had become brighter, and the rain and snow that had lasted all day and night gradually became lighter.
Pu Bucheng stood outside the door of the Crown Princess's Palace, looking at the messy row of footprints on the corridor leading to the East Palace, feeling a little confused.
"Who came last night?" Pu Bucheng asked Gou Bao'er, the eunuch who was keeping watch.
"The Concubine is here!" Gou Baoer yawned, "Bring soup to the Crown Princess!" As he spoke, he laughed and whispered, "The Crown Princess is so soft-hearted and her body is so weak, yet she still managed to get up and drink it.
Take half a bowl and give it back to the concubine to say thank you!"
"Stop chewing your tongue!" Pu Bucheng glared at him.
Suddenly, Empress Ma's panicked cry came from inside, "Send to the imperial doctor quickly!"
That afternoon, the princess passed away!
~~~~
The past events are vivid in my mind, and when I recall them, I am like a bystander, seeing so clearly and so brightly.
"That day, the concubine brought soup to the crown princess!" Pu Bucheng slumped down on the chair and looked at the file in his hand, "But here, not only is there no file, but the food records of that day have been torn off!"
Why? Pu Bucheng no longer dared to think too much, his hands and feet felt cold.
The Crown Princess was obviously in good health, but after drinking the soup, she fell ill within a long time!
Does it matter? If it doesn't matter, why did Lu's mother-in-law later transfer to the tea pharmacy to work as a female official? Why in the entire archive, only a few archives at the end of November of the eleventh year of Hongwu were torn up?
Go down?
God, the princess was poisoned to death!
At that time, the palace was only concerned with grief, and no one noticed or became suspicious!
"Bitch!"
Pu Bucheng gritted his teeth and cursed in his heart.
Suddenly, he recalled in his mind that Mrs. Lu was crying so hard that she almost died in the mourning hall of the Crown Princess, and suddenly she became furious.
"Bitch!"
Bang bang, he couldn't stop punching and landing on the bookcase. The board shattered and his joints began to bleed.
Outside, the eunuch who was the head eunuch of the tea pharmacy was surprised when he heard the sound inside. He was about to poke his head in to take a look. But he found Park Zuzong's follower, the eunuch, staring at him coldly.
He sneered and retracted his head.
In the room, Pu Bucheng sat down weakly again after getting angry.
There was sweat on his head and tears in his eyes.
"How dare you? How dare you?" He cried silently, shouting in his heart.
Suddenly, he stood up again.
How did the uncle die?
Obviously, under the care of the Queen, the uncle has taken good care of himself and his body bones have become strong. When the weather is good, he is often held by the prince and rides on horses.
How could he, who was fine, suddenly suffer from vomiting and diarrhea, and die from treatment?
And the queen, how did the queen leave?
The uncle is gone, and the queen regards the current emperor's grandson as her hope of survival, and hopes that his highness will grow up!
When the queen was dying, she held the emperor with one hand and the emperor's grandson with the other!
"I am a womanly person and don't know much about other things, but you have to remember Chongba, this is our direct grandson..."
Pu Bucheng listened to the Queen's parting words.
Moreover, before the queen left, she had already chosen the people who would serve around the emperor's grandson. She also told her to keep an eye on them secretly.
Queen, have you realized something? Do you want to tell the emperor?
Thinking of this, Pu Bucheng fell into madness. He was in the tea pharmacy like crazy, rummaging through various archives.
"Someone is coming!"
With a shout, the little eunuch came in.
"Go and bring the records of the Imperial Hospital and Guanglu Temple regarding the medicines, medicines and meals taken by the masters to the Zajia family!" Pu Bucheng said with a beautiful face.
The little eunuch nodded and left quickly.
~~~~
"I've met my father-in-law!"
He Guangyi appeared respectfully in Pu Bucheng's room, saluted and said.
"The Za family is only a seventh-rank member. You, a third-rank official, call yourself a lower official. This is a disgrace to the Za family!"
Pu Bucheng's weak voice came from the front.
"Juniors don't dare to make mistakes in front of you!" He Guangyi smiled, then raised his head, and was immediately startled. Pu Bucheng seemed to be decades older, the wrinkles on his face were deeper, his eyes were red, and there was no blood at all.
.
"Father-in-law, are you sick?"
Pu Bucheng grinned, "It's okay!" He said, coughing twice, "You also know how the Za family are, and would not bother you easily. But now, the Za family has something to do, and I have to trouble you!"
"My father-in-law is talking about the house that was investigated last night. What other names are there?" He Guangyi said, "The official is supervising it personally. The previous owner of the house said that it was bought to him in the spring of the 26th year of Hongwu.
I met a businessman in the mule and horse business in Xishikou. He spoke Mandarin with a Jianghuai accent. He was in his forties and was a bit thin. He always walked with a stooped waist, walked lightly, spoke slowly and politely, and was very polite!"
"According to the name provided by the homeowner, it does not match the name you provided. Moreover, the person did not live in that house for long. After about a month, he sold it to someone else at a low price!"
"The current homeowner who took over the house said that the person who sold him the house was not named Zhao, nor was he a middle-aged man as the previous homeowner said. He was a scholar in his twenties who also spoke Jianghuai Mandarin!"
"Wait a minute!" Pu Bucheng said weakly, taking out a crumpled piece of paper from his sleeve, "It's not urgent, let's check this first!"
He Guangyi took it and his pupils suddenly tightened.
The first name on the paper is the slave, tea maid, palace maid, etc. given to King Qin in a certain month in a certain year.
However, He Guangyi was fully involved in the affairs of King Qin’s death.
According to the old man's imperial edict, all the palace servants who have served King Qin must be buried.
But there are no such people on the list of Prince Qin’s Mansion! And there are also no such people in the entire Prince’s Mansion!