Chief Gu Shan and Empress Dowager Yu grew up together and were very familiar with her handwriting.
At this time, Gu Shanchang was sitting in front of the bright candlelight, his eyes slowly passing over the writing on the letter, and bursts of sadness surged in his heart.
People have different ages and experiences, and there will be subtle differences in how they write and write.
At that time, Yu Lianniang was talented, confident and proud, and she was like a flying dragon and a phoenix when she wrote. Later, Empress Yu was restrained and repressed, and her handwriting was much mellower.
Today's Empress Dowager Yu no longer needs to be restrained, her writing is sharp and sharp. The words reveal a shocking decisiveness.
Gu Shanchang calmed down and began to read the letter.
There was nothing special in the letter. It neither mentioned the changes in the capital nor the situation in the palace. It just talked about trivial matters in life like old friends talking.
Such as "I missed you very much after you left" and "You were too stingy to write nothing after you went to Shu". Then I casually asked about life in Shu.
After reading the letter, Gu Shanchang's mood improved slightly. He raised his lips and wrote a reply.
…
From Shu County to the capital, we traveled day and night at high speed.
Twelve days later, the letter arrived at Jiaofang Hall.
Zhi Lan carefully held the letter and walked outside the main hall.
In the main hall, Concubine Li was kneeling in front of Empress Dowager Yu, weeping and begging for mercy: "...Someone must be secretly trying to frame Prince Ning and set up this plot to pour all the dirty water on Prince Ning. The Empress Dowager saw it with her own eyes.
Those who have watched Prince Ning grow up are most familiar with Prince Ning’s mood and temper. I beg the Queen Mother to make the decision for Prince Ning!”
King Ning was imprisoned in the Zongren Mansion for more than two months.
Since Eunuch An confessed, Prince Ning has been completely at a disadvantage, and the situation is quite unfavorable. Even if Prince Ning's accomplices are secretly working hard, they are still in a state of decline.
Today, the imperial censor has sent a petition to the emperor to interrogate King Ning on the charge of "murdering his brothers and sisters."
Emperor Jian'an pretended to keep this memorial without publishing it.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that it was only a matter of time before Emperor Jian'an took action against Prince Ning. Concubine Li would come to Jiaofang Hall every day to cry and beg.
Empress Dowager Yu's eyebrows were cold and serious, and the wrinkles on her forehead became deeper and deeper, revealing ruthlessness and coldness.
"The emperor will decide on matters in the court. The Ai family will not interfere at will."
"If Prince Ning is really innocent, the emperor will definitely clear his name after finding out the whole story. Otherwise, he will never escape severe punishment! You crying and moaning here in the Ai family are of no use at all, so leave!"
Concubine Li continued to plead with tears in her eyes: "The Queen Mother..."
Empress Dowager Yu glanced coldly: "Back off!"
Concubine Li couldn't help but shudder and staggered out of Jiaofang Hall.
…
Zhilan was not in the mood to pity the concubine Li. She immediately entered the palace with the letter in her hands and said respectfully: "To inform the Queen Mother, the Shu Palace sent someone to deliver a letter to the palace. This is a letter written by Gu Shanchang to the Queen Mother.
.”
Upon hearing the name of Chief Gu, Queen Mother Yu relaxed her brows slightly and her eyes became much gentler: "Present the letter to the Ai family!"
Having served Empress Dowager Yu personally for several years, Zhilan was quite familiar with Empress Dowager Yu's temperament. Seeing that Empress Dowager Yu was in a good mood, Zhilan also smiled slightly and respectfully handed over the letter.
Queen Mother Yu took the letter, glanced at the beautiful and dignified Zhilan, and suddenly said: "The Ai family has heard that Eunuch Lu is ill."
Zhilan trembled and whispered.
To Empress Dowager Yu, Eunuch Lu was not of much use now. He could not serve Emperor Jian'an personally, and he was not valued by the emperor. The information that could be obtained was quite limited.
There were many servants in the palace, and with Empress Dowager Yu's methods, it was not difficult to win over a few of them as a show of favor.
"Zhilan," Queen Mother Yu asked calmly, "If you don't want to eat with Eunuch Lu anymore, give the Ai family an order, and Eunuch Lu will understand and won't pester you again."
Zhilan's body trembled again, her face was downcast, and she could not clearly see the emotion in her eyes: "I am brave enough to report this to the Queen Mother. I am willing to continue to eat in pairs with Eunuch Lu."
The unexpected answer made Queen Mother Yu a little surprised.
Empress Dowager Yu looked at Zhilan intently: "Zhilan, you are still young. Eunuch Lu is twenty years older than you. He is now ill and it is not known how long he will live. The Ai family only wants to ask you this
Go back, you have to be clear before you go back to Ai's house."
If it had been anyone else, Empress Dowager Yu would not have bothered with this.
Zhilan did not raise her head, but her voice was soft but firm: "I have already thought about it clearly."
Queen Mother Yu was speechless for a moment, then waved her hand to signal Zhi Lan to step back.
It is a pleasant thing to receive a letter from a friend. Empress Dowager Yu opened the letter and read it with interest.
"Lian Niang, good to see you Xin'an."
"I feel quite comfortable since I came to Shu. The food in Shu is spicy, which I was not used to at first, but now I gradually feel that it tastes better."
"I plan to open a girls' academy. It will accept girls from ordinary people's families regardless of their family background, and teach them to read, read, and understand things. I have also thought of a name for the academy, and it will be called Gu's Academy."
"I also plan to build a nursing home in the future to take in abandoned girls. I will also set up a medical clinic to treat women who are poor and cannot afford a doctor..."
It was written eloquently and filled three pages of letter paper.
Gu Shanchang's confident, energetic face seemed to appear in front of his eyes.
Queen Mother Yu's brows were completely relaxed, and her eyes were full of smiles.
This Xianzhi felt like a fish in water after going to Shu, and he was extremely happy!
Just seeing how happy my friend was, it was worth letting the King of Shu and his wife go to Shu to become a vassal that day.
…
After exiting Jiaofang Hall, Zhilan went to Eunuch Lu's residence.
The maids and chamberlains I met along the way all came forward to greet her warmly. The younger ones called me "Sister Zhilan", and the older ones also called me "Sister Zhilan" shamelessly.
Zhilan has firmly occupied the position of the first person around Queen Mother Yu. Even the doctors walking in the palace are particularly polite to Zhilan.
When Eunuch Lu fell ill, it was Zhilan who went to the imperial hospital privately and asked an imperial physician for a secret prescription. Otherwise, if a palace servant fell ill, he would have no choice but to wait for death.
A teenage eunuch was brewing medicine under the eaves of the corridor. When he saw Zhilan, he came to greet her with a smile: "Sister Zhilan is here."
Zhilan was quite kind and laughed softly: "I have to boil medicine three times a day, and I have to wait for food, drink and change clothes. Thank you for your hard work."
The young eunuch was quite flattered: "It is the right thing to serve your adoptive father."
Eunuch Lu had adopted several adopted sons, and the most promising one was Eunuch Wei, who has now gone to Shu with the King of Shu. This little eunuch is the adopted son that Eunuch Lu adopted three years ago.
Now that Eunuch Lu is ill, this young eunuch still has a conscience and takes care of him attentively every day.
...Of course, Zhilan came every day, and he didn't dare not do his best.
Zhilan smiled and without saying anything, she reached out and pushed the door open.
