Little Yoko lowered his head, his eye circles were red, and he was glaring, but he didn't see a single tear fall. He probably cried too much and had exhausted all his tears.
Even though he was so sad, he still spoke clearly and coherently. He told the story in a hoarse voice. It turned out that a tragedy happened in Xinzheku on the Ghost Festival yesterday.
Xin Zheku is a lowly slave laborer who is responsible for the Forbidden City and the palaces of princes.
For example, in the courtyards of the Forbidden City, road sweeping, weeding... transporting rice, flour, grains and oils, carrying water, milk, firewood and Yuquan mountain water, making sauces and vinegars, cakes and baits, tea and soup, washing fruits, managing lights, and purchasing sundries.
In winter, snow must be cleared.
In addition, if there are errands arranged by some high-ranking eunuchs, the people of Xinzheku must also follow them.
It can be described as all kinds of hardships and unspeakable suffering.
On this Hungry Ghost Festival, the task assigned to the mouse is to deliver smokeless charcoal to the dining room of the palace for the Chinese food.
She was thin and small, and had been sick for the past few days. She could not push the cart filled with smokeless charcoal, but during the Ghost Festival, the palace was busy and manpower was scarce, so the eunuch in charge rushed
Go with the mouse.
The mouse was sweating profusely, and finally reached the palace dining room, where something happened.
She pushed the charcoal cart into the fire room. Due to the difficulty, the wheels turned very awkwardly. On the long table in the fire room, there was, by chance, a large furnace of newly lit charcoal fire, which was very hot.
In the entire Forbidden City, fire is used the most in winter.
Every year in the tenth month of the lunar calendar, furnaces are officially turned on for heating in the Forbidden City. The fires are not turned off until February 2nd of the following year, the day when the folk "dragon raises its head".
During this period of nearly four months, there were hundreds of stoves and fire boxes in East and West Twelve Middle Schools, which could cause fires if they were not careful. Therefore, when winter came, in each palace, needless to say, the dining rooms and fire rooms
The slaves are very careful.
On the contrary, it is summer, and the slaves relax.
At that moment, the little eunuch who was looking at the charcoal fire happened to sneak out. As a result, the mouse was so tired that he was dizzy and couldn't see clearly. The charcoal cart missed the charcoal fire by such a coincidence.
A large furnace full of charcoal fire fell from the table in an instant!
The red charcoal fire suddenly rolled down from the mouse's neck and covered her whole body.
The mouse let out a heart-rending howl, and the man died at that time.
The little eunuch who rushed over after hearing the sound rushed into the fire, smelled the smell of burning flesh, looked at the disgusting appearance of the mouse, and was so frightened by the tragic scene in front of him that his legs softened and he fell straight to the ground.
After the mouse was carried back, it twitched on the bed for a long time. Finally, on the night of the Ghost Festival, it kicked its legs and died.
Little Yoko said with red eyes: "The mouse was on the bed, and the slave tried every means to ask someone to come and see it. Once he saw it, he shook his head and said that there was no way to save it. It would be better for him to leave early to reduce the torture!
Poor mouse... Until the end, black and reddish blood was still oozing out... The slave brought a sea bowl to catch it, but he couldn't even pretend to hold it!
The slave and the mouse have had a friendship since they entered the palace. When the slave looked at the mouse, he would rather suffer this than suffer this disaster!"
There was silence in the front hall. Ji Ling felt very heavy in her heart as she listened to Xiao Yoko describing the miserable situation.
Qixi, Bixue, and Xiaofenzi, who had interacted with mice in the past, were all frowning. Qixi had already taken out a handkerchief and was wiping her tears.
After a while, when Little Yoko calmed down a bit, Ji Ling took a deep breath and asked him: "How did you take care of the mouse's funeral?"
Little Yoko was helped up by Qixi and murmured: "I spent all my monthly money to finally get him settled! The mouse's life is miserable, his parents have already passed away, and there is only a blind man in the house.
The aunt who lost one eye lives at the entrance of Fenxiang Alley. Yesterday, I asked the purchasing eunuch to go out and inform her."
After hearing this, Ji Ling turned around and nodded to Qixi.
Qixi understood, turned around and went into the back room. After a while, he came out with the money.
Ji Ling reached out and took it, then handed it to Xiaoyangzi, saying: "Take this first, I have an impression of the mouse. This is so tragic. I felt uncomfortable after hearing it. If it hadn't been for the disaster years ago,
, come to think of it, this may not be the case.
There is enough money here, and there are many rules in the palace. Little Yoko, you are a cautious person. Under the rules, you can always make no mistakes. Try to do it as safely as possible. If there is any inconvenience, you can tell me.
In this way, you will always feel better."
Little Yoko's lips trembled, but he hesitated and did not reach out.
Ji Ling nodded and said: "Let's not mention the matter about Rouge before. Although you are now the eunuch of the palace, I always regard you as a person from Jingyang Palace. Take it, this is for you
Of mice.”
Xiao Yoko finally took it.
He wiped away his tears fiercely and coughed three times for Ji Ling, so fast that Ji Ling had no time to stop him.
Seeing Xiao Yoko's face full of tears, he gritted his teeth and said: "I thank you, my master! Your master is a living Bodhisattva. I have a humble status. I have been in the palace since I was a child. In the palace, I have been used to seeing the harsh conditions of the world. Like you, I treat your slave as a human being."
What a good master, this slave has never seen before.
I have only recognized you as my master in this life! I will work for you in the next life, and the next life, and the next life, to repay your noble master for your great kindness! If you are as kind as your noble master, you will definitely be very blessed in the future.
!”
Ji Ling felt sour after what he said, and quickly stretched out her hand to Xiao Fenzi and said: "Okay, okay, help him up quickly."
Little Yoko is now so thin that he has a light frame. No one knows that he has been dividing his food rations for the mice. Little Fenzi stepped forward and put his hands together, and easily supported the person.
Woke up.
Ji Ling said softly: "Little Yangzi, after the matter of the mice is settled, I will find an opportunity to tell the emperor that you come to the east courtyard of my Jingyang Palace!"
When she said this, she thought about how she had persuaded Xiao Yangzi before, but Xiao Yangzi insisted on working as a sweeping eunuch on the palace road, so she couldn't help but said softly: "Of course, if you have any difficulties and don't want to come, I won't force you, you can do it yourself
It just depends on what you feel like."
Little Yoko raised his head, looked at Ji Ling, and said with gratitude: "I thank you, my master! There are one thousand slaves, but ten thousand are willing!"
Ji Ling raised his eyebrows and said: "That's right! I asked you to come here a long time ago. Apart from other things, there is a fact that the dining room in the east courtyard is always open. I can eat three meals a day.
full!"
She pretended to be teasing, and sure enough, the atmosphere in the front hall became a little more relaxed.
Ji Ling nodded and said: "Little Yangzi, you go back and clean up first. You can't rush this matter. If I mention it to the emperor and queen too abruptly, if it doesn't work, it will harm you instead; but you can't delay it either.
The Emperor is going to the Old Summer Palace at the end of August, and he may leave early. I don't know how long it will take before he comes back, and it won't be easy for you."
It would be best to rescue little Yoko as soon as possible, put him in his palace, and take him with him.
Ji Ling pondered for a long time, looking at the back of Xiao Fenzi helping Xiao Yangzi out. She looked up thoughtfully and asked Qixi: "Do you still remember that time we met him? He was dragged into an alley on the palace road.
Did you get a full face?"
Qixi nodded and said sympathetically: "Why don't you remember? I still remember that the master asked him if he wanted to come to Jingyang Palace that day, but he declined the master politely! At that time, the slave was still a little..."
Ji Ling turned to look at her and said, "Is there anything else?"
There was a look of guilt on Qixi's face, and she whispered: "At that time, I thought that little Yoko was really disrespectful! Thinking about it now, it turned out that he insisted on being a low-level sweeping eunuch so that he could often see mice on the palace roads.
, just take care of her!"
Ji Ling tapped the table gently, leaned back slightly, and sighed: "It's so rare to see a person's heart through adversity!"