Quietly returned to the banquet, singing and dancing, the whole place was as drunk as a dream. Devouring novel www. Everyone was immersed in their own concentration, Huanbi whispered worriedly in my ear: "Where has the lady gone? I won't let the slaves. Follow me, if something happens."
I said: "I'm not doing well. I'm just walking outside."
Huanbi said: "It's okay, Miss."
After Lingrong finished singing a cappella song, Xuan Ling asked me: "Why have you been out for so long?"
"I was so drunk that I went out to get some fresh air." I smiled, "I saw a flower called Xi Yan, and I was greedy for it."
He was at a loss: "Xiyan? What kind of flower is that?" He smiled and said to me, "The crape myrtle is blooming very well in the courtyard. I have ordered someone to move a few pots to your Yifu Pavilion. Well, it's the crape myrtle in full bloom. It’s the season.”
I owe you thanks.
Crape myrtle, crape myrtle, the flowers are purple-red, graceful and colorful. But right now, it is the little sunset that complements my mood.
Cao Jieyu said with a smile: "The emperor is very kind to Jieyu."
I smiled calmly: "Your Majesty treats the Sixth Palace equally and treats my sister very well."
Cao Jieyu looked at Xuan Ling tactfully, her eyes seemed full of affection: "The emperor is touched by the rain and dew, and the harem, the queen, and the ministers and concubines are all blessed." Cao Jieyu raised a glass to Xuan Ling and drank first to cheer her up, winning applause from the whole hall.
She wiped the corners of her lips with a handkerchief, and suddenly a palace goddess came to her side in a panic and whispered a few words in a low voice. Cao Jieyu's expression changed, and she stood up and left hastily. Xuan Ling stopped her and asked, "Why are you so scared?"
She forced a smile: "The maid came to report that Wen Yi had vomited milk again."
Xuan Ling's face flashed with anxiety: "Has the imperial doctor come to see you?"
"Yes." Cao Jieyu replied: "It is said that Wen Yi was born with a weak disease in her womb, and it was caused by the hot and cold air." There were tears in the corners of her eyes as she said, "I was already well, but I don't know why it happened again today." "
After hearing this, Xuan Ling got up and went out. Cao Jieyu, the Queen, and Concubine Hua hurriedly followed behind them. Everyone was left in the area, and they dispersed immediately.
Lingrong came out and returned to the palace with me.
She lowered her head and thought slowly for a while and said, "Sister, don't you think something is a little strange?"
"Come and listen."
"Spitting up is a common thing for babies, so why does Emperor Wen Yi do it so often? If it's hot, then Yanyu Zhai, where Emperor Wen Yi and Cao Jieyu live, is close to water."
I secretly said yes and said: "Ji Wen Yi is already one year old. It seems that she has never heard of vomiting milk before. It does come on suddenly."
"However," Lingrong smiled slightly and added, "Maybe it's just a common symptom in babies, and it will get better if you take good care of it."
I said calmly: "I hope Cao Jieyu and Concubine Hua can take good care of Di Ji."
Ling Rong lowered her eyes, with a look of sadness on her face, "It would be too cruel to do this for one's own honor, as a mother-in-law."
Deep down in my heart, I couldn't help but pity the cute little pink ball-like Wen Yi. I didn't know how much pain she was going through at this time. She shook her head and said softly: "Stop talking."
My heart was filled with complicated and unspeakable fear and sadness. I heard from the old palace people that Concubine Jing, who was the first emperor of the Huaiyang Dynasty, often secretly pinched the body of her infant son to make her cry and attract the attention of the emperor. Later, the incident ended. He was demoted to the cold palace and imprisoned.
My mother was originally the most gentle and kind woman in the world, but she was deeply distorted in this palace, and she became a viper who did not hesitate to use her children as weapons for the sake of honor and favor.
If your own children are like this, no wonder there are many people in the past who have fought for the throne and regarded other people's sons as enemies. The road to the throne of the emperor in the bloody killing is so terrifying.
I subconsciously caressed my flat belly, and gradually regretted that I should not have taken cold medicine to avoid being spoiled. Now there are still no signs of pregnancy, and I am afraid it will be extremely difficult to give birth. However, if you want to have a child, you will inevitably have to be with another person.
There was a fierce struggle and entanglement. Considering what I was thinking, I really couldn't laugh, so I reluctantly changed the subject and said to Lingrong: "I'm afraid that many people will have trouble falling asleep tonight."
Lingrong's sweet smile remained the same: "It's hard to say, I'm afraid it won't just be tonight."
To hit the mark, Xuan Ling spent one night at Cao Jieyu's place and then stayed at Concubine Hua's for two consecutive days. Even Emperor Wen Yi was taken into the care of Concubine Hua. Everyone in the palace praised Concubine Hua's thoughts.
After that, he began to become virtuous.
The queen was just unaware of this. She said indifferently while holding the pine nuts and playing chess with me: "Concubine Hua is getting smarter day by day, and she knows how to borrow others under false pretenses."
I paused and smiled lightly, "The Queen is able to see through Concubine Hua's tricks, which shows that her skills cannot compete with yours, and she is not very smart."
The queen's beautiful eyes closed slightly, showing a satisfied smile. The pine nut in her arms meowed, and the green light suddenly brightened in her eyes. She jumped down lightly and pounced on a ball of fluff beside the flower pot. It castrated it fiercely and pounced the ball of fluff.
He tore it into pieces under his claws and threw it aside. He showed a gentle and elegant smile again.
I suppressed my disgust and fear of pine nuts and turned my head away from looking at them.
The queen stopped talking, watched the process quietly, and said with a smile: "This thing also knows how to save the ball."
However, the situation of Emperor Wen Yi vomiting milk did not improve.
The next morning, she followed the empress and everyone to visit Emperor Wenyi. The usually magnificent Shende Hall seemed to be shrouded in sadness. Cao Jieyu's eyes were red and swollen, Concubine Hua and Xuan Ling were also frowning, and the imperial doctor stood aside in fear.
.
Wen Yi seemed to have just woken up, her eyes still couldn't be opened, and her energy seemed exhausted.
The nanny hugged her and coaxed her for a while, and Cao Jieyu teased her with a flower drum. Concubine Hua said attentively: "The horseshoe soup that I came to the palace a few days ago is still delicious. I think it's better to make some more."
Come and eat, so that everyone can have a taste together."
Xuan Ling said: "Okay, I'm a little hungry too."
After a while, the horseshoe soup was served.
In fact, it is a very simple dessert. Use water chestnut powder, marshmallow and boiling water to cook it until it is white and translucent. Add some melon, peach and watermelon pulp into it. It is very appetizing.
Wen Yi was still young, so there were no fruits in her bowl. Cao Jieyu took the nanny's arms and carefully fed spoonfuls to her mouth. From time to time, she used a silk to wipe the saliva from the corners of her mouth. When she saw how sweet the food was, she
A gentle smile appeared on the tired face.
Lingrong and I looked at each other and secretly thought that such a gentle and attentive mother would not attack her own children in order to compete for favors. It would be Lingrong and I who were overly concerned.
Seeing this, the queen smiled and said: "I see that Emperor Ji is eating sweetly. It seems that she will be well soon."
Cao Jieyu looked grateful when she heard this and said, "Thank you very much for your concern, Queen."
After only a few mouthfuls, the wet nurse came forward and said, "Little Master, it's time to feed Di Ji."
As he spoke, he hugged Wen Yi and leaned sideways to breastfeed her.
The baby was so small that the wet nurse had just finished feeding him milk. Within a moment, he saw milky white milk spit out from his mouth. Soon, it also gushed out from his nose like a spring, like a small white rainbow, even the water chestnut soup he had just eaten.
They also vomited it out together. Wen Yi's small and soft body couldn't bear it, and she almost suffocated and trembled. She choked and cried, and her little face turned blue from holding it in. Cao Jieyu couldn't bear it any longer and cried "Wow"
He came out, snatched the baby from the wet nurse's hands, held it upright, put his cheek against Wen Yi's face, and patted her back gently with gestures.
Concubine Hua also shed tears and reached out to hug Wen Yi. Cao Jieyu was stunned for a moment, but did not let go immediately, showing great reluctance. Concubine Hua then let go in frustration.
For a moment, people were on their backs.
Xuan Ling was furious when he heard his daughter crying. He took two steps forward and pointed at the imperial doctor and said, "What's going on? It's not getting better after three days of treatment. It's getting worse!"
Seeing Long Yan's anger, the imperial doctor was so frightened that he hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed: "Wei Chen... Wei Chen really doesn't know. Logically speaking, most babies spitting up milk occurs within one or two months after birth, due to the narrow pylorus. Nowadays,
Di Ji is one year old..." He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
Xuan Ling shouted angrily: "Trash! Useless thing! It can't even cure a baby's vomiting."
The queen hurriedly tried to comfort her: "Your Majesty, please don't be angry, otherwise it will hurt your body and cause harm to your body. Let the imperial doctor examine it carefully."
The imperial doctor repeatedly kowtowed and said yes. After thinking for a moment, he said: "Wei Chen repeatedly thought that it might be the result of Emperor Ji's gastrointestinal problems, and thought that she had taken something that hurt her stomach. Wei Chen wanted to check the time when Emperor Ji's vomiting of milk became serious.
Things I’ve eaten so far.”
Xuan Ling said without hesitation: "Okay."
The baby's food was laid out one by one on the long rosewood table. The imperial physician checked each one and found nothing unusual. His face became increasingly gloomy. If there was nothing wrong with the food, it only meant that he, the imperial physician, was not good at medical skills.
It's so easy to leave the hospital.
Everyone stood behind the queen and could not help but whisper for a while.
It wasn't until the imperial doctor picked up the half-eaten water chestnut soup that Wen Yi had just eaten and looked at it carefully for a long time. Suddenly a look of joy appeared on his scorched face. He immediately knelt down with a solemn expression and said: "Wei Chen feels that there is something wrong with this soup. To be cautious, please, please
The emperor sent a message to the father-in-law who tasted the food in the imperial dining room to come and tell the difference together."
Xuan Ling's face darkened when he heard these words, and he raised an eyebrow and said, "Go and tell Zhang Youlu from the imperial dining room to come."
Zhang Youlu arrived after a while, rinsed his mouth with water, tested with a silver needle to see if it was poisonous, and then took a mouthful with a spoon and tasted it slowly. He frowned slightly, took another spoonful, tasted it, and reported back: "
This water chestnut soup is not poisonous, but it is not made only with water chestnut flour, but is mixed with tapioca flour."
Xuan Ling frowned and said, "Tapioca flour, what is that?"
The imperial doctor replied on the side: "Cassava is also called cassava, tree sweet potato, and cassava. It belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family, and its scientific name is cassava. It is a specialty of Southeast Asia and is not produced in our country. Cassava can be ground into powder to make snacks, but only the roots and leaves
It is poisonous and must be handled with care.”
The Queen was shocked and said: "You mean someone poisoned you?"
The imperial doctor shook his head and said: "Tapioca flour is generally non-toxic, but babies have delicate stomachs. Eating cassava flour will irritate the intestines and stomach, causing vomiting or spitting up milk. In the long run, they will become weak and die." He added: "Tapioca flour and water chestnut flour are similar in color and shape.
, it’s not easy to detect even if they are mixed together.”
The concubines who had just eaten the water chestnut soup were immediately panicked and felt like vomiting. Some of them sobbed uncontrollably and started to cry.
The imperial doctor hurriedly said: "My dear ladies and gentlemen, please don't panic. We can definitely conclude that this cassava flour is non-toxic, and the dosage will only irritate the baby's stomach and intestines, but will not have any effect on the baby." Everyone was relieved.
Xuan Ling's face was livid, "How does the imperial kitchen do things, and can it even get this wrong?"
Zhang Youlu kowtowed and did not dare to speak. Concubine Hua said: "The imperial kitchen is good at this and will never make a mistake. It seems that someone did it deliberately."
Xuan Ling was furious: "What a vicious method, are you going to kill my little girl?"
Everyone looked at each other in shock, and no one dared to say anything for a while.
Cao Jieyu couldn't help but shed tears and said with sincerity: "I have no virtue. If I am dealt with unethically, please ask God to show mercy and let Wen Yi go. As my mother, I am willing to accept any punishment from heaven."
Concubine Hua sneered, pulled her up and said: "What's the use of asking God, I'm afraid someone is causing trouble and deliberately trying to make things difficult for your mother and daughter!" After saying that, she knelt down and said to Xuan Ling: "Please, Your Majesty, have mercy on Cao Jieyu and her daughter.
, investigate this matter thoroughly so that the palace can be purged."
Xuan Ling's eyes flashed coldly and he said: "Check! Investigate thoroughly immediately!"
As soon as these words came out, who would dare to do something unreasonable? It was soon discovered that the consumption of water chestnut soup began on the night when Wen Yi severely vomited milk, which was the day of the night banquet. Wen Yi had been taking this soup in the past few days, which shows the problem
It really comes from the tapioca flour mixed in the soup.
When the head of the imperial kitchen and the internal supervisor checked the concubines who had received tapioca flour, the back of the palace became pale and embarrassed, and he hesitated to speak. Finally, he said: "Only Zhen Jieyu's Yifuguan has sent someone to receive tapioca flour four days ago.
He said he wanted to make pearl balls. There was no one else."
Everyone's eyes fell on me instantly, and there was silence all around.
Suddenly I heard a loud sound in my ears, and I raised my head in shock, knowing that it was not good. I just had a clear conscience, and ignored others. I just stood there according to the etiquette and said: "Four days ago, I asked my maid Huanbi to go because I wanted to eat water chestnut cake."
When she came back, she did bring tapioca flour to make pearl dumplings for my concubine."
"Then I dare to ask Jieyu, is the cassava flour still there?"
After a moment's hesitation, I thought it would be a bad idea to hide it after all, so I said calmly: "I guess it hasn't been used up yet."
Xuan Ling asked: "Only someone from Zhen Jieyu's palace took it, and no one else?"
The inner prisoner did not dare to hesitate and said: "Yes."
Xuan Ling's eyes swept across my face intentionally or unintentionally, and said lightly: "This does not prove that Zhen Jieyu did it."
Suddenly, one of the maids knelt down and said, "Zhen Jieyu went out alone at the banquet that night, and I saw that the young master seemed to have gone in the direction of Yanyuzhai."
Xuan Ling suddenly raised his eyes and said to the palace maid, "Did you see it with your own eyes?"
The palace maid said respectfully: "Yes, I have seen it with my own eyes. It is absolutely true."
Another palace maid knelt down and said: "The young master is alone and does not have anyone with him."
The spearhead was pointed directly at me, and it seemed conclusively that I dropped the cassava flour into the water chestnut flour to harm the thermometer.
Feng Shuyi was surprised and said: "If there is really cassava flour mixed in this soup, Zhen Jieyu also ate it just now, I'm afraid there is some misunderstanding in it?"
Qin Fangyi said disdainfully: "Didn't the imperial doctor just say that eating something like this won't kill you? If she doesn't eat it... Humph!" Feng Shuyi looked slightly disappointed and looked at me helplessly.
Concubine Hua looked at me coldly and said, "Why don't you kneel down?"
Cao Jieyu walked up to me and cried: "Sister may have behaved inappropriately and unintentionally offended Jieyu. Last time in the Shuilv Nanxun Palace, my sister was just making a quick statement and did not intend to cause misunderstanding between the emperor and my sister.
"If you really blame Jieyu for this matter, Jieyu can beat me and scold me, but please don't embarrass my Wen Yi, she is still a swaddled baby." She then bowed her knees to me.
I grabbed her and said: "Sister Cao, why do you say that? I have never felt that my sister has offended me in any way. My sister has never caused me to misunderstand the emperor about the water-green Nanxun Palace, so how can I bear any grudge and see the crime?"
"As soon as I said it." I paused and asked, "Does it mean that my sister thinks that she has done something wrong to her, but my sister doesn't think so?"
Cao Jieyu was speechless for a moment and just held my sleeve and cried endlessly.
The Queen said: "Cao Jieyu, what are you doing? The matter has not yet been found out. How is it appropriate to cry like this?"
Concubine Hua spoke up: "I think it's not that I haven't investigated clearly, but that it couldn't be clearer. I'm afraid the queen is deliberately protecting Zhen Jieyu by saying this?"
The queen was not angry when Concubine Hua spoke rudely like this. She only said slowly: "Concubine Hua, are you following the etiquette that you should have when speaking to me? Or do you think you have no regard for me just because of your position as a concubine?"
Concubine Hua's face didn't look good either, and she said stubbornly: "I don't mean to offend, I just feel pity for the emperor's suffering and feel unfair to Cao Jieyu." Then she said to Xuan Ling: "Please let the emperor make the decision."
Xuan Ling said: "Even if you care about Emperor Wen Yi, you still need to respect the queen. After all, she is the master of the harem." After saying that, he looked at me and said, "Whatever you want to say, just say it."
I slowly knelt down, looked up at him, and said calmly: "I have never done such a thing, and I will never do such a thing."
"So, did you go out to Yanyuzhai alone that night?"
"My concubine did pass outside Yanyu Zhai, but she did not go in."
Concubine Hua said indifferently: "That day at the night banquet in the palace, most of the palace ladies and eunuchs in Yanyuzhai were waiting outside Fuli Hall, and the remaining servants were mostly drinking and taking naps. I don't think anyone would notice whether you entered the Yanyuzhai kitchen.
But in the palace, apart from the imperial dining room, you are the only one in Yifu who has cassava flour, and a palace maid saw you going to the direction of Yanyuzhai. After you went, Di Ji started to have a seizure. I'm afraid it can't be explained by the word 'coincidence'.
Yeah."
I ignored her and just looked at Xuan Ling's expression and said, "Although everything is pointed at me, I have indeed never done anything."
Concubine Hua said coldly: "At this point, it's useless to make excuses."
I said: "Concubine Hua insists on accusing me, but I have nothing to say. I just ask the Emperor and Queen for a clear warning. I am definitely not such a snake-hearted person." After saying that, I lowered my head and touched the smooth and hard ground with my forehead.
Xuan Ling said: "You raise your head. Since you said no, then after you left the banquet that night, did you meet anyone who can prove that you did not enter Yanyu Zhai, which can also prove that you have nothing to do with this matter."
As soon as I thought about it, I almost blurted out what happened when I met Xuan Qing that night. When I looked up, I suddenly saw Cao Qinmo's sad face, and the incident about the green Nanxun Palace came to my mind. There was a lump in my throat, and I saw the care and trust that was clearly visible in Xuan Ling's eyes. If
If he doesn't believe me and doesn't want to defend me, he can send me to a palace prison for interrogation slowly, or imprison me like Meizhuang for punishment.
It would be bad if Xuan Ling knew that I was talking to another man alone, even though that man was his younger brother. Besides, Xuan Ling would have to ask me what I said to Xuan Qing. What I said to Xuan Qing more or less involved those in the palace.
If the old story between Concubine Shu and the late Emperor were to be heard by someone who was interested and spread to the ears of the Queen Mother, I'm afraid it would be even more embarrassing. If Xuan Qing was summoned to confront him again, wouldn't it make everyone in the palace and outside the palace know about it?
It does a lot of harm and no good.
Moreover, Xuan Ling once suspected that the person I admired back then was Xuan Qing because of Cao Qinmo's provocation. Bringing up the past will only lose Xuan Ling's trust in me. And his trust in me is the only backing I can use to protect myself and escape guilt.
.Once lost, Concubine Hua's crime of wanting to incriminate me will be confirmed as my real crime, and then I will be in a truly tragic situation.
In an instant, countless thoughts passed through my mind, so I decided to remain silent, bowed my head and said, "I didn't meet anyone, but I don't know who else saw that I didn't enter Yanyu Zhai." He looked at them one by one as he spoke.
There are concubines and maids around.
But I saw Lingrong running out of the crowd, knelt down next to me, and said to Xuan Ling calmly: "I am willing to vouch for Zhen Jieyu with my own life. Jieyu will never do such a sinful thing." After that.
Kowtow endlessly.
The man beside Tian Gui showed a look of disgust and muttered in a low voice, "They are the same as each other."
The Queen said warmly: "Anmei, please get up first. I and the Emperor will handle this matter impartially. I also believe that Zhen Jieyu is the first knowledgeable and sensible person around the Emperor, so she cannot be like this."
Concubine Hua said: "You know people, but you don't know their hearts. It's best for the Queen not to be deceived by others." She glanced at me as she spoke.
At this moment, the queen no longer showed her usual tolerance and tolerance towards Concubine Hua, and said tit for tat: "I don't think I am being deceived by others, but it seems that Concubine Hua's preconceptions are too arbitrary."
Xuan Ling said solemnly: "I want to ask questions. You talk more than anyone else. Only when you all go out can you be clean!"
Seeing Xuan Ling's attitude, the queen immediately apologized, and the concubines and palace officials also knelt down and begged Xuan Ling to calm down.
Xuan Ling said to me: "If you think about it carefully, if you think of anyone who can prove that you have not been to Yanyu Zhai, just tell me."
My knees hurt from kneeling on the hard marble floor... It was as if there were small bugs biting up my calves one by one. The ground was as smooth as a dark mirror, and I could almost see my face, which had turned white from kneeling for a long time.
Sweat beads slid to the ground with a "tick" sound from the hair on the temples... and splashed into irregular circles.
I thought about it again and again, and finally shook my head. I knew that Xuan Ling wanted to help me, but if I used the maids around me as proof, I'm afraid people would say that they defended me, which would lead to their involvement. And there was indeed no one on that day.
If you follow me and are exposed as lying, it will only confirm my accusation of harming the Emperor Ji. I am afraid that there will be one more way to deceive you, and even Xuan Ling will not be able to protect me.
Xuan Ling let out a long breath and said in silence for a moment: "In this case, I have no choice but to ground you first and then make any plans."
His mind was a little dizzy, and his body swayed slightly and was supported by Ling Rong beside him.
He looked at me closely and said, "Believe me, I will investigate this matter. No one will be wronged. This is what you told me."
My heart felt warm, and I tried my best to suppress the cry that was about to overflow from my throat. I looked up at the red dragon on his clothes with angry eyes piercing the clouds, and said, "Yes. I believe it."