This night, the silver moon was like a hook, creeping up into the night sky. It was destined to be an extraordinary night.
Haiyin quickly led the people starting from Linghua Hall at the east end of the palace, then to Baohua Hall, Hehua Hall, then to the Queen Mother's Kunning Palace, and then to Shuixie Pavilion, Guanju Palace, Yongfu Palace at the west end, etc.
He gave instructions to all the more than a hundred palaces one by one: "Masters, I have received the order. Tomorrow morning, at five o'clock, you will gather under the Phoenix Terrace. You will wear state-ceremony palace robes, and no makeup or makeup is allowed!"
None of the concubines knew what was going on, and they couldn't help but wonder: "Eunuch Hai, what kind of big celebration is there tomorrow? How come everyone suddenly has to gather under the Phoenix Stage? Isn't the Phoenix Stage the place where the Queen is canonized?"
"Eunuch Hai, has there been a successor? Who has been crowned the phoenix?"
"Is the imperial concubine going to be named a successor? After being enthroned as a phoenix, will she have to live in the new East Palace built from Shijiang Ferry to Chang'an Ferry? The East Palace and the Harem, which stretch for dozens of miles, are divided into Phoenix Terrace
It is said that the boundary line was established by future successors, and it is not comparable to the palace in the harem!"
"Of course it can't be compared. There are so many people in the harem, but no woman has ever stayed in the New East Palace! If someone can stay in the New East Palace, she must be the emperor's favorite!"
"It must be the imperial concubine Song Ning. She alone has the Changming palace lantern, and she alone stays with her in the dragon's bed every night."
"It's just, why not let the powder be applied."
Song Ning remained silent, hugging her little rabbit and saying nothing. Governor Shen Qingchuan's eyes filled with hatred flashed through her mind. At the Jiuxi palace banquet, Jin Shang originally invited her to the banquet, but Jin Shang did not.
Go, she was very helpless at the banquet by herself. Her rabbit ran to the hunting ground again on a rainy day. It was Governor Shen who helped her find the rabbit. When returning the rabbit to her, Governor Shen's fingers touched
The emperor had never touched her hand. It was the first time she had skin-to-skin contact with a man. She had not been out of the boudoir a few times and had very little contact with men. She could never forget the sparks between her fingers.
, and also felt ashamed of the emperor.
Haiyin listened to the various questions from the crowd and only said: "We will know tomorrow morning. Anyway, I am reminding you that if you don't follow the advice and dress up with white cheeks, be careful to get into trouble!"
The Queen Mother was not clean in Kunning Palace. She only heard Ji Xiang asking: "Ji Xiang, Ji Xiang!"
After calling twice, she didn't see Ji Xiang come in, so she hurriedly got out of bed. Unexpectedly, the soft couch under the bed shook and she almost fell. Her ankle hurt so much that she became even more impatient.
"Empress Dowager, your name is slave?" Ji Xiang entered the room and quickly helped the Queen Mother rub her ankles, "What's wrong, Empress Dowager? Why are you so restless?"
"Today, Haiyin suddenly informed me that he would go to Phoenix Terrace tomorrow morning, but he wanted to choose a successor? There was no sign. The Ai family always felt a little uneasy, and they just felt that something big was about to happen. It was easy to get over it
Half a year of peace." The Queen Mother said, rubbing her heart, "Did the Crown Prince and the Second Prince sleep well?"
Ji Xiang whispered: "We are all asleep. The two children have been raised under your knees for nearly half a year, and they live and eat with you. You are increasingly unable to live without your two children. If someone takes them away, you will be gone for a while."
His life is at risk. Don’t worry, the two children are sleeping well in the bedroom next door."
"No, these two children are the life of the Ai family. Not to mention not seeing each other for a moment, I can't stand it even if I don't see them for a blink of an eye." As the Queen Mother said this, she remembered the faces of her two beloved grandchildren, and then nodded.
, "You accompany the Ai family to burn incense sticks in front of the Buddhist shrine. I'm very flustered. As we get older and have experienced a lot, all the old things from the past and present dynasties come to mind."
The Queen Mother said, and asked Jixiang to help her go to the front of the Buddhist niche, kneel on the soft cushion, and burn a stick of incense. She said: "Yesterday, I dreamed about Chang'an again. I asked the dream to tell me that my whole body was burning and hurting, and I screamed.
It’s hot. I’ll have to ask a mage to give me a blessing tomorrow.”
Ji Xiang looked at the Queen Mother, then lowered his eyes, and simply said: "Okay, I will arrange for a mage to perform rituals tomorrow. Queen Mother, you single-handedly cultivated Mei Guan, and he is gone. Mei Guan and I are as close as each other."
Sister, every time I think about it, I can't help but feel uncomfortable."
The Queen Mother patted Ji Xiang's hand and said, "It's only because of the unexpected fire that the poor daughter-in-law of the Ai family and the most valued official of the Ai family, Mei Guan... were burned to death. The Ai family has always fasted and chanted Buddha's name, so why did they end up like this?
It’s bitter, and those with gray hair will be sent to those with black hair early on.”
***
At the Shijiang Ferry, the crescent moon hangs at the end of the river.
On the night of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, there was a big market. At the market, various vendors were selling various items on the ferry, some were selling jade, some were selling things from tombs, and some young men were selling their bodies to bury their fathers.
Luo Changan bought a civilian ship at a high price from an old fisherman. She was sitting on the bow deck. The river wind was a bit strong, and her hair on her forehead was blown a little messy.
It was getting cold at night in early autumn. She was wearing a large blue cloak, and she was still wearing a plain men's shirt under the cloak. Men's clothing is very convenient for traveling. She put down her cloak and hood, and her small face was basically hidden in it.
Under the hat, a small dim candlelight was on the small table at her feet. There were many antiques and pendants on her small boat. The jade pendant that Aunt Mei pulled from the murderer's waist was made of red rope.
Ruyi knot, underneath is a square jade pendant with a lark shape on it.
Many people came to buy her things. Luo Changan was not thinking about making money by selling things. When the guests came to ask about non-key things, she casually offered a high price, such as ten thousand taels of silver, and sent them away. Before leaving,
She left a message saying, "Why don't you go and grab it?" She was not impatient and just watched the customers leave with a smile.
Until nightfall, a dark shadow floated lightly on her boat. The man leaned down and asked her, "What jade articles do you have here?"
When Luo Changan heard the sound, she thought it sounded familiar. They were all high-level people in the palace. Who knew who these people were? She raised her head, and under the dim candlelight, she saw Si Liang's handsome and cold features, which were indeed somewhat...
The emperor's demeanor and body shape are also similar. No wonder he is used as a double for many important tasks. She said solemnly: "They are all displayed on the hull of the ship. The guest officer can choose for himself."
Si Liang looked at her belongings. There was nothing he wanted, so he handed over a picture, "Has the boatman seen the pendant in the picture?"
Luo Changan took a quick look at the pendant picture. It was the wishful knot pendant with a lark engraved on it in her sleeve. She said softly: "I have seen this pendant before. It was sold by a girl who said she didn't have enough money to go home.
It was given to me. Later, it was bought by another girl. The girl who sold me the thing left her name for me and said she would come to redeem it. Trouble, I see she never came to redeem it, and I died again.
Aunt, I urgently need money for burial, so I sold it. Are you looking for this pendant?"
"I'm not looking for the pendant." Si Liang's eyebrows narrowed slightly, "I'm looking for the girl who sold you the pendant."
Luo Changan was startled. The person who stabbed Aunt Mei with fourteen swords was really the emperor's man. Was he looking for her to make up for the damage? He also stabbed her with fourteen swords to make her die again? Anyway, she
It's his mistress. She gave him a house to celebrate his 25th birthday last year. She didn't neglect him. She didn't have any conscience at all. "Oh, then I don't sell girls here."
Si Liang's voice actually trembled a bit, "Didn't she leave her name for you? Can you show me her name?"
Luo Changan stood up and said, "Well, I can tell, you really want to know this girl's name. One hundred thousand taels, not even one cent less."
Si Liang did not hesitate, took out ten thousand taels of silver notes from his pocket and handed them to Luo Changan, "Take me to see her name."
So, Luo Changan accepted the banknote and said, "Come this way, follow me into the cabin of the ship."
With that said, she led Si Liang into the cabin. She came to the cabinet in the cabin, took out the pawn calligraphy book with Luo Changan's name on it that she had prepared in advance, and slid it from the table in front of Si Liang.
.
Si Liang picked up the book and saw the three characters "Luo Chang'an" on the paper. His voice suddenly stopped and his mood was not relaxed. He just asked: "When this girl sold the jade pendant to you, she...
.Is it okay? I mean, is your physical condition healthy?"
Luo Changan was a little puzzled when he heard Si Liang's tone that was somewhere between excitement and ecstasy, "I didn't pay attention."
"Do you know which direction she went?" Si Liang said solemnly: "A very important person of mine is looking for her! If you can provide clues, it will be easy to find out!"
"Si Liang." Luo Changan slowly took a few steps back. As she stepped back, someone from all four sides of the cabin used Qinggong to float down in the cabin. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be Nighthawk, Qiuyan, Laoqing, and Kangzhuang.
Waiting for the people who were loyal to the emperor, Luo Changan retreated behind these generals, raised his hand and took off the hat on his head, revealing his half-masked cheeks. Her smile was a bit sad and bloodthirsty, "I want to
To know if I am well or not, you should see my face with your own eyes. The fire hurts me so much. Does my voice... sound good?"
As Luo Changan spoke, he took off his mask, revealing the left half of his disfigured cheek. The scar the size of a baby's palm, like a brand, brought everyone's memory back to the fire that filled the sky!
When Si Liang saw Luo Changan, he was shocked and relieved. It seemed that he had been under great pressure for a long time. He breathed a sigh of relief and knelt on one knee in front of Luo Changan, "Subordinate, see the Queen!"
Luo Changan sneered, "You still know that I am the queen! It was you who said on the boat that day that you would send me off in person!"
"Ever since Qiu Yan wore the jade pendant with great fanfare, I knew it was to lure me out. I knew it was a trick, but I still came. I came here to seek death."
With that said, Si Liang took out the long sword at his waist from the hilt, raised the sword above his head with both hands, "My queen, please kill me. I accept the punishment. With the south wind, the fishing boat loaded with hay, the burning
The candlelight of the fishing boat, the person who stabbed Laomei with the Fourteen Swords, the person who forced the queen to jump into the river until her life or death was unknown, are all me! Lao Qing, take action to avenge the queen and your sister! Si Liang
, I have suffered from psychological torture for half a year, and I pray for quick death and relief!”
At this moment, Di Qianao boarded the small boat moored in the shallow water of the Shijiang River. Si Liang's words fell into his ears verbatim, confirming his name of betrayal. Great!
And in the cabin of this small boat floating on the Shijiang River, there was his wife, whom he had not seen for half a year. His mind flashed through the various coquettish behaviors of his beloved wife when they were in love. When he opened the door, he saw her, and his heart felt like it was tightly grasped.