As we agreed, Mei Zhuang said that he had slipped and fell into the water, so naturally no one was suspicious anymore. Xuan Ling visited Mei Zhuang more often in addition to his consolation. Mei Zhuang recovered quickly and only pressed the button
She was determined to wait for the opportunity to act, so she just waited for the opportunity and remained calm. Concubine Hua was also calm and did not make any moves.
On April 18th, the 13th year of Qianyuan, I was promoted to the fourth rank Wanyi by the Jin Dynasty. Although I was only promoted to the first level, it was always a happy event anyway, and it made me even more popular since the beginning of spring.
.Welcome to the palace, the harem maintains the surface calm and peace as always. For the time being, I breathed a sigh of relief.
It was nearly May, and the weather was gradually getting hotter. My health had already improved, but Xuan Ling was worried about it, so he often asked Wen Shichu to prepare some qi-nourishing tonics to help me take care of myself.
One day, I was alone on the porch admiring the two new tanks of goldfish sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The large Jingde blue tank. The new lotus plants in it were only as big as a child's hand. They were so fresh and green that it was a pleasure to see. The water under the lotus
There are several crimson goldfish in it. The waves are as clear as blue, the green leaves are like a cover, and the red fish swim leisurely. It is really cute.
When Pei'er saw me feeding the fish leisurely, she suddenly thought of something and said angrily: "That Yu Changyi is really too much! I heard that since he fell out of favor and moved out of the Hongni Pavilion, he has been cursing and using dirty words against his little master all day long.
Insulting the little master."
He stretched out his fingers, sprinkled the fish food into the tank, and said calmly: "Let her go. I act with a clear conscience, and even if I try to curse, it won't work."
Pei'er said: "It's just that her words are really unpleasant. How about I ask someone to seal her residence or report it to the Queen?"
I wiped off the fish food on my hands and waved my hand: "Don't bother with this kind of person."
"My little master is too kind-hearted."
"You have to be merciful and merciful. She will inevitably feel aggrieved when she falls out of favor. It will get better after a while."
It happened that Huanbi came over with the medicine: "Miss, the medicine is ready and you can drink it."
I picked up the medicine cup and took a sip. I frowned and said, "The medicine seems to be more acidic than before in the past two days."
Huanbi said: "Maybe it's the medicinal materials newly prepared by Mr. Wen, so it feels a little sour."
I said "Yeah", frowned and finished the drink slowly, then rinsed my mouth with water. After sitting for a while, I felt a little dazed under the sun, so I asked Huanbi to help me in to take a nap.
Huanbi smiled and said, "Miss has been very sleepy these past two days. She just woke up and wanted to take a nap, but she felt sleepy."
"Perhaps so. I've only heard that 'spring sleeps without realizing the dawn'. It turns out that it's easier to feel tired as summer approaches."
While talking and joking, I felt something was wrong in my heart, so I stopped and asked, "Huanbi, when did I become so sleepy? But a few days ago?"
"Yes, you were sleepy five or six days ago, and you always fall asleep at five or six of the twelve hours in a day. When the emperor came up the day before yesterday, it was already three o'clock in the morning, and you were still asleep. The emperor didn't let us wake you up..." she said
He suddenly stopped, and an expression of doubt and uneasiness gradually appeared on his face.
My hands gradually became a little cold, and I asked, "Do you also feel that something is wrong?"
Huanbi quickly let go of my hand: "Miss, please don't sleep yet. I will go and invite Lord Wen right now."
I hurriedly asked: "Don't alarm anyone, just ask Mr. Wen to check Ping An's pulse."
I walked into the warm pavilion alone step by step and sat down. The brocade tablecloth on the table had a pattern of thousands of branches and leaves, glowing coldly in the sun. I grabbed the tablecloth bit by bit with my hands, and my back felt like it was covered with tingling pain.
The thorns pricked me one after another, and I straightened my waist.
Wen Shichu finally arrived. He looked calm. He took the pulse on my wrist and kept silent for a while. Then he took out a small silver needle and said, "I'm sorry, please bear with the pain."
, and then pricked an acupuncture point on his hand. His gesture was very gentle, and he only felt a slight soreness and numbness, but no pain. Wen Shichu gently turned the silver needle while explaining: "This acupoint is called Hegu point. If the little master is just normal,
If you are sleepy and snooty, then nothing will happen; if it is due to medicine, the silver needle will change color when inserted into this point."
But after a moment, he pulled out the silver needle, looked at the sun for a long time and said: "I prepared the prescription, but someone added other things." He put the silver needle in front of me and said, "Please, young master.
Look closely at this needle."
I lifted it up and took a closer look, and sure enough, the silver needle seemed to be coated with a light cyan color. My hand shook, and the silver needle fell into his palm. I looked into his eyes: "What was added? Poison?"
"No. Someone added a few more ingredients to my prescription that were originally very light. The person who used the medicine was very cautious and added a very small amount, so even if I checked for pulse every day, it would not be easy to detect. But even so
, if you take this dose of medicine, you will first feel tired and sleepy, and within half a year, you will lose your mind and be like a dementia."
My face must have changed shape in fear, I could feel that my close-fitting clothes were wet with cold sweat and were sticky. I was shocked and hateful in my heart, but with a forced smile on my face, I said: "You really think highly of me, Zhen Huan, and you use this..."
Use some means to deal with me!"
Wen Shichu hurriedly said: "Don't worry, little master. Fortunately, it was discovered early. I have only taken it for a few days. It will not be harmful to the body if it is taken care of in time." He slowly put the silver needle back into his bag and said worriedly: "It is obvious that it should be put away slowly.
My little master, you are going to die, your methods are too sinister!"
I sighed and said: "The harem has always used all possible means to fight for favor, and it is really impossible to guard against it." I said to Wen Shichu with a moved expression: "If it weren't for you, your Majesty, Huan'er would probably die as if she were in a dream, not knowing why."
Wen Shichu looked ashamed: "It was my negligence that made my little master suffer."
I said warmly: "Adults, don't blame yourself too much."
He solemnly said: "In the future, the little master's medicine minister will be even more careful. From grabbing the medicine to brewing it until the little master takes it, I will do it myself and not let others interfere."
I said sternly: "The top priority now is to find the person who wanted to poison me, so as to prevent something like this from happening again." I looked out the window warily, lowered my voice and said, "You can poison me into the palace.
It must be the people around me. I feel that my physical discomfort started a few days ago, and it happened that a dozen new palace maids came to my palace a few months ago. Although I told Xiao Yunzi and Jin Xi, who are in charge, to pay attention to them early in the morning.
, but there are many things in the palace, and I am afraid that they are not able to do what they want. In my opinion, we need to pay more attention to the little maids and eunuchs in this matter."
"Then what do you want to do, little master?"
"Then Lord Lawen and Huan'er will act in a play together, pretending as if nothing has happened so as not to alarm others with today's incident."
"But according to the little master's orders."
"Liu Zhu, go and open the window. I'm a little bored." Liu Zhu opened the window as he said. I stood up and walked to the window and said loudly: "Since Mr. Wen said I'm fine, I'm relieved." After saying that, I squeezed towards him.
Wink.
Wen Shichu understood and immediately said loudly: "My little master has been sleepy in the spring recently, so it doesn't matter. Why don't you take this opportunity to rest more and recuperate your body."
I smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Wen, for taking the trouble."
"The emperor personally gave the order, and the ministers will never dare to neglect it."
"Then it's hard for you, Sir, to run around all day. Liu Zhu, please send Sir out well. I want to rest."
As soon as Wen Shichu went out, I immediately ordered Xiao Yunzi to come in and gave him detailed instructions. He nodded repeatedly. After saying that, I whispered: "You have neglected this matter. Now do as I say, pay careful attention.
Don't startle the grass and scare the snake." Xiao Yunzi's expression turned serious and she continued her work.
I just pretended that nothing had happened. In the evening, Xiao Yunzi came to see me and quietly told me that I found a small hole under the palace wall, which seemed to have been newly opened recently. I kept my composure secretly, knowing that there was Xuan Ling's will.
Except for Wen Shichu and himself, no one else has entered my palace, and none of the maids who serve me have ever left. Someone must have tricked the door and secretly transported the medicine in.
I said: "Just pretend you don't know, and don't pay special attention there. Just let Xiao Lianzi, you and Jin Xi pay attention tomorrow when the medicine is boiled. Make sure that both the person and the person get the stolen goods, so that he can be caught off guard."
Xiao Yunzi gritted his teeth and said: "Yes. Xiao Lianzi has some skills in his body. He will not be able to escape that villain who is trying to eat him in and out!"
At night, I was lying on the bed, looking at the bright moonlight outside the window through the embroidered bed curtain. For the first time, I felt that there was a terrifying and fierce murderous intention lurking in my Tangli Palace, approaching me.
Even though I tried to be vigilant, I still slept until the sun rose. The medicine was still given, and when I saw the dejected looks on several people's faces, I knew that the reason had not been found out.
Xiao Lianzi said: "The servants have been guarding outside. Pin'er has been watching the medicine being cooked. No one else came near during this period, let alone administered the medicine."
I couldn't help but be suspicious, maybe someone had noticed my presence, so I glanced up at Xiao Lianzi, Xiao Yunzi and Jin Xi. Jin Xi hurriedly said: "The slaves are very careful. At that time, the slave was talking to Jingqing about dinner outside the kitchen.
"Xiao Lianzi directed the little eunuch to clean the courtyard, and Mr. Yun looked around as usual, but nothing was revealed."
I picked up the medicine bowl and took a sip of the medicine, but there was still a faint sour taste. I was so angry that I vomited it all on the ground and said bitterly: "What a cunning thing! It's still drugged!"
Jin Xi and others were horrified, and they all knelt down and said, "The slaves must have been careless enough. I hope that I will forgive you, my master."
I didn't ask them to get up, I just said: "It's not entirely your fault. If I could have put the medicine in under the noses of a few of you without being discovered, and no one came close to the medicine jar, there must be something in it."
eccentric."
Little Yunzi kowtowed and said, "I remember something, please allow me to go away for a while."
I nodded in agreement and ordered Jinxi and Xiao Lianzi to get up. I said to Huanbi, "Go and pour the medicine into the bucket!" Huanbi hurriedly went, and I asked, "You poured the medicine without anyone seeing it."
Bar?"
"No, all the slaves fell into the bucket in the back hall, and no one saw them."
Xiao Yunzi came back soon, holding a purple clay medicine jar and medicine spoon in his hand and said: "I secretly thought that if someone didn't personally administer the medicine, then I would have to manipulate these guys."
I nodded and said, "You're not too confused after all." I reached out and took the medicine spoon. After looking at it carefully, there was nothing wrong with it. Then I took the medicine jar and looked at it. It was a purple sand medicine jar made in Yizhou.
, completely black and purple, in the shape of a watermelon, with Wei Zhuang's words engraved in cursive script on the surface of the jar, with dragons and phoenixes dancing, which is very exquisite.
I opened the lid and looked at the inside of the jar in the sunlight. There was nothing wrong. I put the medicine jar on the table. Just when I thought that Xiao Yunzi had made a mistake, I was about to speak when I suddenly smelled that I was holding the lid of the medicine jar.
There was a very faint sour smell on my fingers. I immediately picked up the lid and looked carefully. The color of the lid was lighter than the can body. You would never notice it unless you looked carefully.
I handed the lid to Jin Xi: "You have been in the palace for a long time, what is the reason for this?"
Jinxi looked at it carefully for a long time and said: "The lid of this medicine jar was boiled in water with medicine. The lid absorbed the medicine, so it changed its color." Jinxi looked at my face and saw that my expression was as usual, so she continued
Said: "As long as the lid is touched when the little master's medicine is boiled and rolled, the medicine will be mixed into the little master's medicine."
After a long time, I sneered and said: "What a meticulous work! It's strange that we can't find out the person who administered the medicine. It turns out that it was prepared long ago." I asked Jinxi: "Who usually keeps these things?
?”
"Originally, Pei'er was in charge, but now the new palace maid Hua Sui is in charge."
I said "hmm" to Xiao Yunzi: "You just brought out the medicine jar, did Huasui see it?"
"Never seen it."
"Put the medicine jar back to its original place and don't make people suspicious. Then ask about Huasui's origins, which palace he served as a servant, and which master he served." Xiao Yunzi hurriedly agreed and ran away.
Two hours later, Xiao Yunzi came back and reported that Hua Sui was originally the palace maid next to the deposed Yu Changyi. Because Yu Yu was demoted to Chang Yi, many of the palace maids around her were also sent away. Hua Sui was sent out at that time.
Later it was pointed out to me again.
Liu Zhu said: "Miss, it looks like that hoof wants to avenge her former master!"
"What a loyal and nostalgic servant!" I told Huanbi: "Go to the kitchen and pick up some hot coals, the kind that burn bright red, and put them in the house."
Without looking back, I said to Xiao Lianzi: "Go and ask Huasui to come and tell her that I have something to ask her. If she hesitates at all, she will immediately turn around." I said coldly: "Let me come and judge it myself.
Such a loyal and good slave!"
After a while, Huasui slowly walked in behind Xiao Lianzi, and Liu Zhu shouted: "Why are you still lingering when I ask you a question, as if someone wants to eat you!"
Seeing this, Huasui had to walk a few steps quickly and kneel in front of me, timidly not daring to raise her head. I suppressed my anger and said with a smile, "Don't be afraid, I just have a few words to ask you."
Huasui lowered her head and said, "Young master, just ask, I will definitely answer if you know what I am doing."
I said to Yan Yuese, "It's not that important. Aunt Jinxi said that you did a good job and took care of things in an orderly manner. I'm very happy, and I'm thinking about what I should reward you, so that others can know about my rewards and punishments."
Clearly, work more diligently."
Huasui raised her head with joy and said, "Thank you, young master, for the reward. This is what a slave should do."
"You are indeed doing a good job as an errand, and you are considered top-notch among the new palace maids." Seeing the uncontrollable joy on her face, I deliberately paused and said, "In which palace did you work as an errand before, your master is also the best?"
Are you willing to let you out?"
After hearing what I said, her face changed slightly, and she bowed her head and said, "I am a clumsy slave. I could never follow a good master in the past. Being able to work as an errand in the Wanyi Palace now is a blessing that I have earned over many lifetimes."
I walked closer to her side, stretched out my little finger wearing a three-inch long gold shell inlaid with enamel armor, and gently scratched her face. The cold and sharp armor tip scratched her face, and the stinging pain made her ache.
Her body trembled involuntarily. I didn't use any force and only left a crimson scratch on her cheek. I chuckled and said, "Ms. Yu was demoted to changing clothes. She is really not a good master, but she gives you
The favor is not small, right? Otherwise, how dare you commit such a capital crime of beheading in my palace!"
Huasui lay on the ground, her voice trembling, "I used to help Yu change clothes, but I really don't understand what the young master is talking about."
My voice suddenly turned cold, and I said sternly: "Do you really not understand what I'm talking about? Then what happened to the lid of the medicine jar I used to boil medicine?"
When Huasui saw me asking about the lid, her face turned pale with fright, and she didn't dare to move. After a while, she cried and said, "I really don't know. I am loyal to you, my master! I hope your master will notice!"
I glanced at her and said coldly: "Okay, I have wronged you. Since you said you are loyal to me, I will give you a chance to show your loyalty."
I called Liu Zhu: "Bring up the charcoal." Liu Zhu picked up a few pieces of hot charcoal with a pair of clips and put them in a basin and placed them on the ground. I said softly: "You are the person who worked for Yu Gengyi. I have to
Be careful. Since you are loyal to me, well, as long as you hold the coal in your hand, I will believe in your innocence and loyalty, and I will treat you well in the future."
Huasui's face turned pale and she froze there, like a wooden sculpture. Liu Zhu looked at her with disgust: "Go quickly!"
The whole room was filled with silence. The charcoal in the basin was burning red and steaming. Suddenly there was a "crack" sound and a few sparks splashed out, making the flower spikes tremble violently. The warm sunshine in the late spring afternoon
The light shone on her through the window paper, making her as lifeless as a corpse.
I looked at her with a silent smile. Huasui was trembling on the ground and moved towards the charcoal pot bit by bit. No one spoke, and everyone's eyes were fixed on her.
I knew it was Huasui who did it, but she was just a person who obeyed orders. I wanted her to tell the person behind the scenes. I smiled slowly and said, "Don't you dare? It seems like your loyalty to me is really false.
Woolen cloth."
Huasui looked at me timidly, and then looked around at everyone standing. No one would save her. She sobbed softly, slowly straightened and curled her white index finger and thumb, and hesitantly reached for it.
That piece of charcoal looked smaller. One of her tears fell on the hot charcoal, and there was a "pop" sound, stirring up a burst of thick white smoke. She immediately retracted her fingers and shed more tears.
Finally, Huasui stretched out her two fingers again and pinched a piece of charcoal with her eyes closed tightly. When her fingers touched the hot charcoal, she screamed and threw the charcoal far away.
The coals rolled far away, scattering ash and sparks all over the place.
Huasui's fingers were bloody and bloody, exuding a faint smell of burnt flesh. She cried loudly and came up to hug my legs, crying, "My Lord, please forgive me!" Neither Liu Zhu nor Huanbi could pull her away.
I frowned and said, "I thought you were so brave. You even dared to put medicine in my soup. Why don't you have the guts to hold that piece of charcoal!"
Huasui cried and cried: "My master, please spare my life, I don't dare to do it anymore!"
I said in a deep voice: "Then tell it carefully. If there is even half of a sentence that is not true, I will immediately drag you out and beat you to death. Even if you are beaten to death, no one will dare to question you!"
"Before I came to Tangli Palace, I served Yu Gengyi. Because Yu Gengyi was convicted and didn't need so many people to serve me, I sent this slave out. The day before I came to Tangli Palace, Yu Gengyi called my slave to reward him.
He bought a lot of gold and silver from the slave and forced the slave to agree to work for her. The slave... was also confused for a moment. Please forgive me! Please forgive me!" As she spoke, she cried and kowtowed.
My tone was cold: "Just tell me what you want. This is your chance to atone for your sins. If you still lie to me even a little bit, I will never forgive you!"
"Yu Gengyi said that the slave doesn't need to worry about anything else. He only needs to add medicine to the soup and food that the young master takes. The night the slave entered Tangli Palace, he followed Yu Gengyi's instructions and found a small hole under the corner of the wall.
If Yu Gengyi has any instructions or if he wants to hand something in, someone will put a note in the hole in the corner, and the slave can just follow it."
Jin Xi asked with a dull face: "Is that how the medicine was delivered? Was it Yu Gengyi who taught you the treacherous method of putting the lid into the potion and boiling it?"
Hua Sui cried and nodded in admission.
I raised my head and sneered: "Listen, one after another, they are waiting to kill me! If it hadn't been discovered early, I might not even know how I died! This shows how confused we are!
"
Everyone knelt down in unison, lowered their heads and were so frightened that they did not dare to say a word. I said: "Get up. You will learn a lesson from the experience. How many of you are old people in the palace, but you are being treated like this?"
Acting wildly without knowing it is not because we are too honest!"
I turned around and asked Huasui: "Are there any other comrades in this palace?"
Huasui kowtowed with a frightened "bang bang": "No more, no more!"
"When will Yu Changyi come in with a note and medicine for you?"
Huasui hesitated for a moment, then Liu Zhu beside her immediately shouted: "Xiao Lianzi, open her mouth and pour all the charcoal in!"
Xiao Lianzi responded, trying to break off Huasui's mouth and pour charcoal into it. Huasui was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he didn't dare to cry, so he had to roll on the ground to avoid it, shouting "I say, I say" again and again.
I then told Xiao Lianzi to let her go and said calmly: "Then just say it word for word."
"Yu Gengyi will ask someone to put the medicine in the small hole every three days. You can just go get it yourself."
"Every three days, isn't that tonight? When is the time to get the medicine? Is there any secret code?"
"At the first watch, you can hear two cuckoo calls outside the palace wall. The slave will imitate two more cuckoo calls to answer him..."
"Have you seen the person who delivered the medicine?"
"Because I have never seen it through the wall, I only know that it is a man's hand. There is a scar on the palm of the right hand."
I nuzzled at Huasui and said to Xiao Lianzi: "Tie her into the warehouse and stuff her mouth with a cloth. I just said she was caught on the spot for stealing my jade bracelet. Find two more powerful undercover guards to watch her."
Keep her close and don't allow her to commit suicide. If she runs away or dies, ask those who are watching her to raise their heads to see me!"
Huasui looked at me in horror. I glanced at her and said, "Don't worry, I don't want your life." Xiao Lianzi neatly packed her up and stuffed her into the warehouse. I asked Huanbi to close the door and looked at
Jin Xi said: "Tonight you pretend to be Huasui and go get the medicine." Then she said solemnly to Xiao Yunzi: "Call Xiao Lianzi and a few capable internal guards, and tonight we will sit back and wait."
With such arrangements in place, seeing everyone retreating, Liu Zhu whispered beside me: "We know it was Yu Gengyi's hand. Miss, have you thought about how to deal with it?"
I looked out the window at the setting sun that was gradually setting towards the west. There were hibiscus flowers that had just bloomed in the courtyard. The flowers were already as red as fire, but under the weeping sunset, they were even more bright red and so rich that they were about to drip, almost stinging.
It hurts my eyes. The wind blew through the branches and leaves all over the courtyard and made a sound. It carried the light fragrance of flowers, and there was a faint pressing heat of summer. But my body was soaked in coldness and filled with a thin layer of chill. I couldn't help but hold on.
Window Ling let out a long sigh and said, "Even if I let others go, they still won't let me go!"
The fine white teeth bit her bright red lips, and her almond-shaped eyes widened, "Miss, do you still want to tolerate it?"
I used my armor to poke at the intricate patterns of petals and leaves of the peonies on the pear wood window lattice, and made a gentle "bata bata" sound, but remained silent. The evening breeze blew through the leaves, and then my face tensed up.
The sky was darkening gradually, and dim and bright stars appeared. I took a breath quietly, clasped my fingers and said: "Someone has put a knife on my neck, or I will wait to die."
, or fight back. Can I still endure it?"
Liu Zhu held my hand and said, "As long as Miss has made up her mind, Huanbi and I will protect Miss to the death."
I slowly exhaled and said, "If you don't want people to be cutters, I will have to fight for fish and meat."
I understand in my heart that in the harem, if you are not favored, you have to tolerate it, and if you are favored, you have to fight. Tolerance and fighting are the main points of life for women in the harem. Looking at the current situation, it is difficult for me not to fight.
I stretched out my hand to straighten the crumbling gold hairpin on my head, and asked, "Has your Majesty turned over the sign today? Who is going to bed?"
Liu Zhu said: "It's Concubine Hua."
I said softly: "I understand. Please pass on the food. Only when you are full can you have the strength to cope with tonight's twists and turns."