I was leaning alone on the imperial concubine's couch in the inner room of the Nuan Pavilion, leaning my chin on one hand. Although I was lazy, I didn't feel sleepy at all.
There is a ruby at the end of the tassel, and the cool ice feels on my cheeks. After a while, it seems to have melted with the temperature on my face, and I no longer feel cold. When I was half asleep and half awake, I heard a small voice calling me: "Ms.
,Miss."
Gradually I woke up and heard Huanbi's voice outside the curtain. I didn't get up and asked lazily: "What's the matter?" She didn't answer. I knew it was not a trivial matter, so I stroked my face to cheer up and said: "Come in and answer.
.”
She lifted up the curtain and hid herself in, walked up to me and whispered in front of me: "The Yu family in Leng Gong refused to die, and caused a huge uproar. She insisted on seeing the emperor before she was willing to end it."
I shook my head, "What's the point of struggling like this? What does the emperor say?"
"The emperor hated her so much that he just said 'no see'."
"Have you returned, Queen?"
"The queen has had a headache these past few days and can't even get out of bed, so naturally she can't take care of this matter."
I pondered: "Then only Concubine Hua can take care of this matter. It's just that Concubine Hua has always been very close to the Yu family. Now it's too late to step away to avoid suspicion, so she must have shied away."
"What the lady is saying is that Concubine Hua said she is not feeling well and cannot go."
I raised my eyebrows and asked, "How can Li Chang be so useless? Several internal prisoners can't even deal with a weak woman like her?"
Huanbi frowned and said in disgust: "Mr. Yu is very shrewd. She drank poisoned wine and looked like a mad woman. She cursed the young master in the cold palace. Her words were so vicious that it was unbearable to hear!"
I slowly sat up straight, smoothed my temples and said, "Does she still have the nerve to scold? If she continues to scold like this, she will probably die without a burial place."
"Yu kept saying that she was framed and didn't know why she had to die."
I stood up, stretched out my hand for Huanbi to hold my hand, and said slowly: "Then you will accompany me to the cold palace, and let her die clearly, so as not to die in vain!"
Huanbi was startled and said quickly: "The Cold Palace is an ominous place. Miss, you must not go there! Besides, Mrs. Yu will definitely lose control and hurt you if she sees you. You can't put yourself in danger!"
I stared at the bright sunshine outside the window screen, straightened the tassels on my skirt that were embroidered with hibiscus purses made of gold thread, and said, "I can't let her continue to act like this. Ask Jin Xi to come with me."
Huanbi knew that I had made up my mind and would not listen to anyone's advice anymore, so she had no choice but to order someone to prepare a shoulder carriage and Jin Xi to go with me.
The name of the cold palace is Qujin, which is far away from the palaces and palaces where the concubines live. It is the place where the deposed concubines in the past dynasties were imprisoned. It has the meaning of stripping off the brocade clothes and suffering for life. There are many deposed concubines and nobles who cannot bear to be deposed.
The miserable life in the palace after that, either going crazy or committing suicide, so privately everyone believed that going to Jin Palace was too deep for grievances and the yin energy was too strong. It was the place with the deepest resentment in the entire harem. There were always palace people who lived nearby.
Hearing the endless crying, sobbing, shouting and cursing coming from the Qujin Palace, some palace residents even claimed to see erratic ghosts in white wandering around the Qujin Palace at midnight, which made people stay away from the Qujin Palace even more.
.
After sitting on the shoulder carriage and walking for a long time, there was still no sign of getting closer to Jin Palace. In the afternoon, the weather got warmer. Huanbi and Jinxi walked on both sides of the shoulder carriage for a long time, and there were fine beads of sweat on their foreheads.
I wiped it with my handkerchief. But the eunuch who was carrying the shoulder carriage walked in a neat pace, as if he were alone, walking as fast as flying. I told him: "It's hot, walk slower." Then I turned sideways and asked Jin Xi: "How far is it?"
Jinxi replied: "After leaving Shanglin Garden, walk to the end of Yongxiang and then walk north for a while."
The houses at the end of Yongxiang 1 are already very small, where low-status palace residents live together. The further you go, the more desolate you get, as if you are in a place that has been uninhabited for a long time. Gradually, you can see clearly what a palace looks like.
It is huge, but it is full of devastation, as if it has been uninhabited for a long time. The palace tiles are broken, the railings and painted buildings are covered with thick dust and messy and dense cobwebs, and the gold patterns that were once painted on it cannot be seen clearly.
Before I entered the cold palace, I heard the hoarse and sharp screams of a woman. I ordered the little eunuch who was carrying the carriage to stay outside and walked straight in. When the eunuchs saw me coming in, they all knelt down to say hello. Li Chang was
The personal attendant next to Xuan Ling did not have to kneel down according to the rules. He only bowed and saluted and said: "The graceful ceremony is auspicious."
I politely said, "Father-in-law, please get up." I then motioned to the inmates to get up. I asked, "Why is it that your father-in-law's errands are not done yet?"
Li Chang had a wry smile on his face, pointed at Mrs. Yu who was still cursing, and said: "You see, my young master, he is really a scoundrel."
Mrs. Yu's eyes were full of frightening light. She rushed up to me and grabbed the hem of my clothes and said, "Why is it you? Where is the emperor? Where is the emperor?" As he asked, he looked behind me.
Jin Xi and Li Chang shouted in panic: "Let go of the little master!"
I pushed her hand away coldly and said, "How can the emperor, who has a body of thousands of gold, set foot in the cold palace at will?"
Mrs. Yu's clothes were in tatters and her hair was disheveled. The light in her eyes was like an extinguished candle, which gradually dimmed. She then pointed at me and cried and shouted: "It's all you, you bitch! It made the emperor insist on coaxing him.
You can’t kill me! You bitch!”
Huanbi hurriedly hid in front of me, fearing that she would hurt me. Perhaps Mrs. Yu's shout was too loud, which made the thick dust on the beams fall down. I couldn't hide, and the dust fell straight on my shoulders.
It made me cough twice.
When Mrs. Yu saw this, she clapped her hands and laughed wildly: "Okay! Okay! You scorpion-hearted bitch! Even God will forgive you!"
Seeing that she was scolding her viciously, Li Chang slapped her so loudly that her left cheek swelled up and five red fingerprints appeared on her face. She stroked her cheek with one hand and looked at me with a cold smile.
I took out a handkerchief and wiped the dust off my shoulders, and said calmly: "You are the one who brought it upon yourself, and you deserve to die. It's just dust. Since it's annoying, just brush it away. It's not a big deal, and it deserves the emperor's favor."
Is your beloved concubine so happy?"
Mrs. Yu gradually stopped laughing after hearing the meaning of my words, and looked straight at me. The corners of my mouth slightly raised, and said: "You are so unwilling to die, don't you just want to die clearly? Then
I'm here to tell you." I lowered my face and said, "It's true that you tampered with my medicine, right? You can't evade it because the people have stolen it."
She raised her head, with a ferocious look on her face, and gritted her teeth and said: "Yes, I ordered people to do it. If it weren't for you, how could I have fallen out of favor and ended up in this situation? I wish I could gnaw your bones and drink your blood!"
You bitch will never be reincarnated!"
Seeing the situation, Li Chang wanted to hit him with his palm again. I raised my hand to stop him, and he lowered his hand and retreated behind me. I said: "Since you already know your crime, why don't you just obey him and kill him?"
"It's all because of my carelessness that you discovered it. The emperor sent me to the cold palace for this, and I can't blame anyone else. I was the only one who sent me to the cold palace, and the emperor suddenly wanted to kill me. Do you dare to say that you didn't instigate me?"
I smiled slightly: "Why do I need to instigate words? You should know best why you are favored!" I paused, and the smile on my lips deepened: "On New Year's Eve, leaning against the plum garden, 'The wind is like a solution, and it is easy not to destroy it.'
, do you still remember?"
A look of confusion gradually appeared on Mrs. Yu's face, and then was replaced by panic. She screamed: "It's you! It's you!" She stretched out her arms and jumped forward, shouting at the top of her lungs: "It was you that day.
!I am successful because of you, and I am defeated because of you!"
I turned sideways and said to Jin Xi: "You are so rude, slap me!"
Mrs. Yu missed her and fell to the ground with too much force, causing dust to fly everywhere. Without saying a word, Jinxi stepped forward, picked her up and slapped her hard twice with her backhand, until the corners of her mouth were broken and bloodshot oozed out.
come out.
Seeing that Mrs. Yu was beaten into a daze, I motioned to Jin Xi to let go of her and said: "The way you gained favor was not aboveboard, and you should be careful and guard your duty. But you have made trouble again and again, and you still don't know how to teach you and get worse."
You poisoned me and tried to kill me, how could I spare you?"
She listened in despair, hearing that I could not spare her, and suddenly jumped up and rushed out. Li Changyan quickly pushed her back inside, and she shook her head like crazy and shouted: "I won't die! I won't die! The Emperor likes to listen to me.
Sing, the emperor won't kill me!" She shouted while struggling hard to get out. A group of internal prisoners tried their best to pull her, causing a commotion.
I waved to Li Chang to come over, frowned and whispered: "It's not an option to continue like this. The emperor is upset, and the queen has a headache again. We can't let her make trouble."
Li Chang was also in a dilemma: "Little master, I don't know that the emperor gave her permission to commit suicide, but this crazy woman smashed the medicinal wine and tore the white silk ribbon. There is absolutely nothing she can do."
I asked: "Eunuch Li has served the emperor for many years, right?"
"As far as I'm concerned, young master, this servant has been serving the emperor for twenty years."
I said with a smile: "My father-in-law has worked hard to serve the emperor, and he is well-informed in the palace. He can best understand the emperor's thoughts." I deliberately paused, "Since the emperor gave her permission to commit suicide, she will die. If she dies, your job will be over.
That’s it, who will investigate whether it was suicide or something else.”
Li Chang whispered: "What the young master means is..."
"Mr. Yu has no support in the palace, no one will speak up for her, and now the emperor hates her." I changed the topic and asked: "What should happen if the concubines who were ordered to be buried in the past died unwillingly?
"
Li Changhe was so obedient that he immediately lowered his eyes, looked at the ground and said, "Yes."
"My father-in-law understands better than me what a long night of dreams is. By ending her, the emperor will also have something to worry about."
Li Chang bowed and said respectfully: "I understand. I respectfully send you my little master."
I smiled slightly and walked out slowly with Huanbi Jinxi. Behind me came Yu's sharp curse: "Zhen Huan! If you don't die in my hands, someone will help me kill you! You will definitely not die well!"
Her maniacal laughter was as shrill as a night owl, and her head was stabbed in the ear. She just pretended not to hear and continued walking out.
Huanbi said bitterly: "I don't know how to repent even when I'm about to die."
I said calmly: "When death is imminent, let her go."
When I went to the twilight outside the Jin Palace, a crow jumped up and flew towards the distant tree. The wind in front of the Leng Palace seemed to be particularly cold. Huanbi Jinxi helped me get on the carriage and go all the way back to the palace. The sky was getting darker and darker.
The dark half of the sky was like ink dripping into clear water, gradually spreading bigger and bigger, bit by bit swallowing up the other half of the sky with gorgeous sunset.
There are street lamps on both sides of Yongxiang. Each street lamp is as tall as a person. There is a copper lamp tower on the stone base, and the windows are protected by copper wire. It is illuminated all night long, regardless of wind or rain. There is an internal prison at this time.
While lighting the lamp, I poured fuel into the lamp tower and lit the street lamp. When I saw my companion approaching, I knelt down and saluted silently.
After returning to the palace, we had dinner. Jinxi came in to report that Li Chang had sent a small eunuch to tell him that Yu had committed suicide. Although I had known the result for a long time, now that I heard it from others, I was still very excited.
My mind sank, and my little finger trembled slightly. After all, this was the first time I had destroyed a human life. Even though I had everything in mind, I was still a little scared.
Seeing that I looked ugly, Jin Xi dismissed the people waiting around me, closed the door and stood aside quietly.
Incense was burning in a small Boshan stove on the table. The seal smoke was thin and fragrant, rising in straight curls and spreading out like mist. I stretched out my hand and flicked it, and the smoke dispersed and lost its shape.
I asked softly: "Jin Xi, am I too cruel in this matter?"
"What do you mean, little master?"
I sighed quietly, gently plucked the messy silk embroidery on the tablecloth with the tip of my armor, and remained silent.
Jinxi poured a cup of tea and put it in front of me and said softly: "I don't know what is too much. I only know that if others don't offend my master, I will not offend others. If my master takes action, it will be intolerable."
"Are you trying to comfort me?"
"This slave doesn't know how to comfort me. She just told me that there are too many killings in the palace. If I am not cruel to others, I'm afraid others will be even more cruel to me."
I was speechless. Jin Xi looked at the leak and said softly: "It's getting late, please serve me and take a nap."
I said "hmm" and said, "At this hour, the emperor should still be reading the book, right?"
"Yes. I heard that there have been a lot of memorials from ministers these days."
"I'm tired too. I sent Xiao Yunzi to deliver some ginseng soup to Yiyuan Palace. The emperor has been working too hard recently."
"Yes." Jin Xi went out and gave instructions. She took the water to remove the rouge from my hairpin ring, helped me get on the bed, put down the silk curtain, leaving only two small candles in front of the bed, and quietly retreated.
After spending a lot of effort in the past few days, and the medicine in my body had not yet been exhausted, I fell into a deep sleep as soon as I hit the pillow. I don’t know how long I slept, but I felt the quilt on my body was cool, as if it was raining.
There was a loud sound of wind and rain, and the sound of beating leaves was loud. Someone was calling my name vaguely - Zhen Huan! Zhen Huan! It's been a long time since anyone called me that, and I felt strange and alienated. I sat up in a daze, and the window sash clicked.
Knocking, the cold wind leaked in, and the flickering candle in front of the bed immediately went out with a "pop". I asked in a daze: "Who is it?"
There was a dark shadow shaking in front of the bed. It was vaguely a woman, with her hair hanging down. I asked: "Who?"
It was a woman's voice, sobbing and shrilling: "Zhen Huan, you took my life and asked people to strangle me. How come you forgot so quickly?" She asked repeatedly, "Why did you forget so quickly?
"
Cold sweat breaks out on my body, Mr. Yu!
"Zhen Huan, do you know what it feels like to be strangled? They strangled me with a bowstring. It really hurt. Half of my neck was strangled. Do you want to see it?" She laughed wantonly, and the laughter followed my heart.
The horror of what he said quickly filled the whole room. "Do you dare to take a look?"
She gestured to open the curtain. I was so frightened that my hair stood on end, and my scalp was numb. I fumbled randomly for the things around me. Pillow! Gilt porcelain pillow! I grabbed it suddenly, lifted the curtain and used it towards the shadow.
Throwing it with all my strength, there was a clanging sound, and the broken ceramics were scattered all over the floor with a sharp "Zira" sound. I gasped for breath and shouted sternly: "I, Zhen Huan, ordered you to be strangled, what can you do to me! What if?
If I don’t kill you, you will have to kill me! If you dare to linger again, I will crush your bones and spread them to ashes, so that you won’t even be able to keep a stinky skin!"
There was silence, and soon there was the sound of the door being opened. Someone rushed in in a panic, hurriedly lit candles and opened the curtain, "Little Master, Little Master, what's wrong with you!"
A twisted silver bracelet on my wrist made a swishing sound, reminding me that I was still in the human world. I was covered in cold sweat, and I breathed a sigh of relief: "It's just a nightmare." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and started busy.
She wiped my face with water, closed the window, and cleaned up the mess on the floor. Jinxi helped me get a new pillow and put it on it. I tried my best to lower my voice, and said close to her ear: "She's here."
Jinxi's expression changed, she changed the benzoin and burned it in the Boshan stove, and said to the others: "Little Master Nightmare, I will accompany you to rest in the room, you can go out first."
Everyone retreated, Jin Xi took the bedding and lay down under my bed, and said calmly: "I will accompany you, my master. Please sleep peacefully, my master."
The sound of wind and rain pounded into my ears, and I was still in shock. The more scared I became, the more I wanted to curl up into a ball. The more I tried to stretch my body, straightening my hands and feet, my body was a little stiff. Jinxi's breathing was slightly rapid, not even and gentle, and also
It doesn't look like he has fallen asleep.
I whispered: "Jinxi."
Jin Xi responded: "Is the young master still afraid?"
"Um."
"The rumors about ghosts and gods are just rumors spread by the world. Please don't take it to heart, little master."
I stretched my hands out of the quilt. Under the dim candlelight, the silver bracelet on my wrist reflected the cold dark light, like a free dark yellow snake. I calmly said: "Today's nightmare is actually the first time my hands are stained with blood.
I even dreamed that Yu’s innocent soul was asking for his life.” I calmed down and continued: “That’s not what I’m really afraid of. Ghosts and gods come from the human heart. As long as I no longer feel guilty, I will no longer have nightmares. What I’m afraid of is
Although the Yu family died and returned to the West, the matter was not completely settled."
"The young master suspects that there is someone else behind the Yu family?" Jin Xi turned over and sat up and asked.
"Hmm. Do you still remember what Mrs. Yu cursed me when we left the cold palace?"
"Remember." Jin Xi's tone was slightly serious, "She said that someone must help her kill the young master."
"You have been in the palace for many years. If you think about it carefully, Mrs. Yu doesn't seem to be a scheming person. She is just a flower-growing palace maid. How can she understand pharmacology and know how much medicine to put in my soup each time and how to arrange it carefully?
When people enter my palace, the inside should be harmonized with the outside? Where did the medicine come from?"
Jin Xi's breathing gradually became heavier, and she remained silent for a moment before saying, "The young master has long understood that she should be kept alive for careful interrogation."
I shook my head and said, "Ms. Yu hates me to the core, how could she reveal the person who was behind her plans? She would rather die than tell us, and would even bite us and falsely accuse others. But after she dies, the person who made her plans will
If you relax, we will have a trace." I sneered and said, "Let's make a good show out of her death."
Jin Xi said softly: "My young master has already made a plan?"
"Not bad." I waved her to me and whispered a few words.
After hearing this, Jin Xi smiled: "My master has a good plan, let's just wait for that person to reveal his true colors."
Note:
1 Yongxiang: A long alley in the palace. On both sides, there may be residences for maids who have not been assigned to various palaces, and there may also be places where low-level concubines who are claustrophobic and unloved live.