"This abandoned palace...is another Youzhi Palace?"
Zhao Hongrun walked around the palace a few times, feeling a little surprised because as far as he knew, there were no two identical palaces in the palace.
For example, Ningxiang Palace, where Concubine Shen Shu lives, also has its own herb (flower), but it cannot be Angelica dahurica, because Angelica dahurica represents Youzhi Palace.
There are two identical palaces. Zhao Hongrun has never heard of such a thing happening in the palace.
"Some of the artifacts are quite old..."
"It must have been more than ten years, right?"
"Tsk, tsk, it's such a pity that the fine sandalwood is left here to get wet..."
After checking the safety situation, the sect guards began to look at the abandoned palace and commented from time to time.
"Your Highness, this is not Youzhi Palace."
Wei Jiao, the chief guard of the clan, walked up to Zhao Hongrun, pointed to the stone base of a pillar in the palace and said, "Look, none of these palace foundations are carved with Angelica dahurica..." He pointed out this abandoned building to Zhao Hongrun one after another.
The second type of carvings in the palace.
Yes, in addition to the Angelica dahurica carvings, there is also a second type of carvings in this ruined palace, and these carvings almost always appear on the pillars, the bases of the pillars and the top beams.
Seeing this, Zhao Hongrun nodded and said: "Well, this is not Youzhi Palace. These objects belonging to Youzhi Palace should have been moved here..."
"ah!"
Just as Zhao Hongrun was guessing, Xiuxiang seemed to have thought of something and she screamed in surprise.
"What's wrong, Xiuxiang?" Zhao Hongrun turned around and asked.
I saw Xiuxiang looking around at the things in the palace, and said softly with a look of reminiscence: "Your Highness, I once heard something from Sister Xiu'e. If this matter is true, these...maybe really me...
No, no, it’s something from Youzhi Palace.”
"Xiu'e?" Zhao Hongrun glanced at Xiuxiang in confusion.
Seeing Zhao Hongrun's confused expression, Xiuxiang explained to him. It turned out that Xiu'e was the older palace maid next to Chen Shuai. This palace maid was one of the first batch of palace maids assigned to Chen Shuai when she first entered the palace. Therefore, Chen Shuai
Trust her very much, no less than Concubine Shen Shu trusts Xiao Tao.
"...According to what Sister Xiu'e once said, when Empress Shuai moved to Youzhi Palace at the beginning of that year, she was very unhappy when she saw that the utensils in the palace were very old, so she begged Your Majesty to let the Palace Construction Bureau rebuild some. As for the
The original items were all moved away and disposed of by the chamberlain..." After saying that, Xiuxiang looked around again and said in surprise: "It turns out that the chamberlain has all moved here."
"It's more like what Chen Shuai would do." Zongwei Mu Qing curled his lips and said, causing all the Zongwei to smile knowingly.
After all, in the eyes of the guards, Chen Shuai was always arrogant because she was favored by Emperor Wei. She asked the Palace Construction Bureau to re-create a batch of old things just because she didn't like to use them. This was a big deal.
Not a small expense.
However, Zhao Hongrun did not mean to laugh, but looked at the artifacts in the palace again with surprise and surprise.
"Old things...old things from Youzhi Palace? No way? Could it be that these things are Xiao Shuai..."
Just when Zhao Hongrun was wondering, Zongwei Lu Mu and Gao Kuo were checking several closets against the wall. They saw that they were empty except for a scroll in a drawer.
"Your Highness." Lu Mu handed the scroll to Zhao Hongrun.
Zhao Hongrun slowly unfolded the scroll, and saw a beautiful woman painted on the scroll. She was wearing a gauze skirt, sitting sideways on a stone beside the pool, looking at the fish swimming in the pool with a calm expression.
Behind her, there was a palace maid holding a paper umbrella, as if to block her from the sun.
"..."
Zhao Hongrun opened his mouth, because he subconsciously felt that this scene was very familiar - although he had not seen it with his own eyes, he had heard people mention it, including his sixth uncle Zhao Yuanli.
"This is...princess?"
Mu Qing leaned over to take a look, murmured twice, and looked shocked.
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiuxiang came over and said after looking at her twice: "Ah, isn't this Empress Shu'ai? Why is there a portrait of Empress Shu'ai here?"
"Is this Chen Shu'ai?" Mu Qing looked at Xiuxiang in shock and said with a strange expression: "How could Chen Shu'ai learn such tranquility... If it is really Chen Shu'ai, the woman in the portrait must have her head raised...
"
Hearing these words, all the sect guards couldn't help laughing.
However, after laughing, the eyes of the smart and astute Zongwei like Lu Mu, Zhou Pu, and Gao Kuo gradually changed, because like Zhao Hongrun, they also guessed the true identity of the woman in this portrait.
identity.
It's not Chen Shu'ai, because Chen Shu'ai doesn't have the tranquility and dignity of this woman; nor is it Princess Yulong, because Princess Yulong is not as mature and charming as the woman in the painting. So, the answer is already obvious. The woman in the painting is Princess Yulong's.
Biological mother, Xiao Shuai.
"Tsk, I see... I see... No wonder Chen Shuai, even though she has no heirs, is unruly and willful, and has caused trouble in the palace many times, is still favored by the old man. Even if she is thrown into the cold palace, she still has a chance to return to Youzhi."
Palace...hehe. But...this is wrong. Didn't the old man hate Xiao Shuai so much? He even directed his hatred towards Yulong, but not only did he place Chen Shuai, who looked similar to Xiao Shuai, in Youzhi Palace
, and even let the eunuch keep the items that Xiao Shuai once used... This is not just pure hatred."
Shaking his head, Zhao Hongrun couldn't help but pity Chen Shuai.
The proud and arrogant woman in the past may have thought that she had won the favor of Emperor Wei because of her appearance, but in fact, she was perhaps the most pitiful woman in the palace.
Thinking of this, Zhao Hongrun's only trace of hostility towards Chen Shuai disappeared without a trace. He couldn't help but recall the words of his mother, Concubine Shen Shuai: Life is not easy for women in this palace.
"Forget it, seeing as how she behaves like a mother, concubine, and sister today, she probably doesn't want to cause any more trouble. Let's just keep our distance from each other in the future."
Zhao Hongrun stroked the portrait, which had a few spots that were yellow due to age. Suddenly, his heart moved and he said to Mu Qing: "Lu Mu, bring Yulong here."
"Yes!" Lu Mu understood, nodded and turned to leave.
After that, the sect guards continued to inspect the ruined palace, while Zhao Hongrun continued to look at the portrait in his hands.
"She is the woman that Uncle Six loves deeply to this day..."
Zhao Hongrun sighed in his heart. He had to admit that the hostess in the portrait was indeed beautiful. This beauty was not only reflected in her appearance, but also in the temperament of her every move. And this kind of temperament was something he only saw in Shen Shufei and Wu Fei.
The noble concubines and the very few concubines in the palace felt it, as if they were aloof from the world.
Therefore, compared to the woman in the portrait, both Chen Shuai and Princess Yulong are more than inferior, although the appearance of the three women can be said to be quite similar.
"No wonder something is wrong with Yulong after meeting Chen Shu'ai today. I see... I used to be so focused on hating Chen Shu'ai that I really didn't pay attention to it. Chen Shu'ai and Yu Long are indeed 60-70% similar..."
Looking at the painting in his hand, Zhao Hongrun was relieved to understand several questions that had puzzled him for a long time.
After an unknown amount of time, Princess Yulong, led by Zongwei Lu Mu, hurriedly arrived at the abandoned palace.
Maybe Lu Mu had revealed something to Princess Yulong on the way, so when Princess Yulong walked into the front hall of the abandoned palace, her face was a little ugly, with an expression that was mixed with anxiety, fear and sadness.
When she came to Zhao Hongrun and saw the woman in the portrait clearly, the forced smile that was left on her face disappeared. She subconsciously covered her mouth with her small hands, and tears suddenly burst out of her eyes.
"No, don't cry." Zhao Hongrun hurriedly wiped the tears from Princess Yulong's face with his sleeves, and asked: "Yulong, look carefully, is she your mother?"
"I...I don't know..." Princess Yulong said in a choked tone: "I have never seen my mother since I can remember, and there is no portrait of my mother in Yuqiong Pavilion...I have also asked the palace many times
No one in my family has ever told me whether I look like my mother or not, but..." She sobbed softly, pursed her lips and said, "Just looking at this portrait, I suddenly felt a pain in my heart.
…It hurts so much…I can’t breathe…”
Seeing that Princess Yulong was so emotional that she took the portrait from her hands and shed tears while looking at it. Zhao Hongrun sighed secretly and patted her back gently to comfort her.
At the same time, in Chui Gong Hall, a young eunuch hurriedly ran to the inner hall.
"What are you so worried about?"
The great eunuch Tong Xian scolded him softly.
The young eunuch calmed down his breathing, and then whispered a few words to Tong Xian. Suddenly, Tong Xian's expression changed drastically, and his expression became gloomy and uncertain.
"What's wrong?" Emperor Wei, who was reviewing the memorial, asked slowly, perhaps sensing something strange about Tong Xian.
Tong Xian waved his hand and dismissed the young eunuch. After hesitating for a moment, he walked up to Emperor Wei, bent down, and whispered to Emperor Wei: "Your Majesty... His Highness Prince Su just went to that palace.
I also asked people to bring Princess Yulong there."
"Hmph, that scoundrel just doesn't listen to me." Emperor Wei snorted coldly as he reviewed the chapter, probably because he was unhappy because Zhao Hongrun didn't listen to him and still stayed with Princess Yulong.
Suddenly, the movements in his hands stopped, he frowned and asked suspiciously: "Which palace?"
"That palace!" Tong Xian whispered, deliberately emphasizing his tone.
"..." Emperor Wei opened his mouth. After a moment of confusion, a fierce light flashed in his eyes, and he slammed the brush in his hand on the dragon case. Regardless of the ink staining the dragon case and the seals on the case, he stood up.
He came and walked quickly outside the palace with a gloomy look.
Tong Xian quickly followed.
At this scene, the three secretaries in the palace looked at each other in shock.
"Your Majesty, what is this?" Zhongshu Youcheng Feng Yu asked doubtfully.
Zhongshu Ling Lin Yuyang and Zhongshu Zuo Cheng Yu Ziqi exchanged glances, with some confusion on their faces.
Because they had never seen Emperor Wei lose his composure like this before.