Chapter 3 Chapter Three

The Guangping Prince's Mansion was built next to the Imperial Palace and Miyagi City, occupying most of the Fuxing Square.Like other palaces, it is divided into inner palace and outer palace by an east-west partition wall.The outer mansion is mainly the place where the king of Guangping discusses affairs and joins the army. The meeting is held in the Yuande Hall. The hall is composed of the front, middle and back halls. , The apse is about four rooms deep, and there are two square pavilions on the left and right of the nave, and the north of the pavilion has two floors on the left and right of the apse, called Yufeng Tower and Feiyun Tower.From the building to the south, there are elevated flying towers leading to the second pavilion, and from the second pavilion to the inner side, each flying tower leads to the upper floor of the nave.There is a door in the partition wall, leading to the inner palace.In fact, the inner mansion is much larger than the outer mansion. It is mainly divided into three parts. The east side is the living place of King Guangping and his concubines. The largest Qingyi Pavilion is lived by Shen Zhenzhu. Cui Caiping lives in Liuli Pavilion, Wenjin Pavilion, Xiuyun Pavilion, etc., and the rest are all vacant.The Qingyi Pavilion and the Liuli Pavilion are far apart from the south to the north; the west side is the room for needlemen, handymen, maids, etc.; Connected by corridors, the central part of the mansion is a vast garden and pavilions, and there is a pool with gurgling clear springs.

Originally, on the second day of the wedding, they would go to the palace to pay homage to the emperor and concubine, the prince and princess. Who would have thought that the imperial decree had been handed down that morning, and the emperor and concubine drove to Luoyang, Tokyo, accompanied by the prince and concubine. The class was put on hold first, and even Li Chu had to go there.It takes more than a month to go back and forth. Although Li Chu is not in the mansion, there is always an endless stream of people who come to congratulate him, and they are all received by the manager Liu Run for entertainment. Shen Zhenzhu just looks through the list of servants and maids every day, reads books, and listens to Suci and Hongrui's reports .Although Suci and Hongrui are newcomers, they are the princess's dowry after all, and they are both smart and smart. Who in the palace doesn't make a smile?In less than two days, he has grasped all kinds of situations in the palace.Liu Run, the general manager of the palace, was an eunuch who originally followed the crown prince. After the new Guangping palace was built a few years ago, he was transferred to the palace of Guangping. There is no servant who is not secretly afraid of her, but in the past one or two years, she always leaves early and returns late, and has less work to do.

Cui Caiping couldn't bear the loneliness, she went back to her mother's house three times in more than ten days, but she didn't ask Shen Zhenzhu for leave according to the etiquette, Shen Zhenzhu ignored her, and only asked the governor of the inner government to take notes. The weather was fine that day, after dinner in the morning, Shen Zhenzhu was going to relax in the garden accompanied by Hong Rui, when Su Ci came to ask Liu Run to see her.After getting out of the outer room, Liu Run was already waiting there, bowed, and said in a high-pitched voice, "I didn't dare to disturb the princess, but this is a serious matter, so I must ask the princess to show me." Shen Zhenzhu saw Seeing that there was no panic on his relaxed face, he sat on the soft couch unhurriedly, and said with a smile: "What's the matter, Mr. Liu just speak slowly."

"Back to the princess, Yin'e, Cui Ruren's personal maid, is missing! Cui Ruren is pointing at this old slave as an important person." Shen Zhenzhu snorted: "Such a trivial matter, can't Manager Liu handle it by himself?" He took a cup of tea from Su Ci and took a sip slowly. "The old slave dare not, this maid has disappeared strangely." "Oh", Shen Zhenzhu still smiled, "What's going on? Let's hear it. When did you disappear, have you checked carefully?" "I just found out this morning. Yin'e went to rest after serving Cui Ruren at Haishi last night. The maid in the same room was so sleepy, I don't know if she has returned to the room. This morning, Cui Ruren sent her to serve, so I looked around I can't see her anymore. Seeing that her bed is neat and tidy, I dare not sleep at all last night. At first, the old slave didn't pay attention to it, thinking it was a little girl who likes to play with movies, so she went to hide somewhere to be lazy, and then Cui Ruren came again Urge, the old servant led people to search all the places in the mansion that should be looked for, but there was nothing! I asked the guards on duty at the front and rear gates of the mansion, and they all said that there was no one. I checked her belongings, oops, clothes, jewelry, etc. And coins, the same is not missing. Princess, do you think this is strange?" Liu Run was vivid.

"No matter how strange things are, it won't bother Mr. Liu." Shen Zhenzhu said lightly.The maid's disappearance can be big or small. Yin'e was Cui Caiping's dowry maid, and the incident became serious. The Guangping palace was accused of torturing and killing the maid and throwing away the corpse to destroy the traces. With a busy look, knowing that he already knew what he was thinking, he couldn't help secretly scolding Liu Run for being a treacherous and cunning man, so there must be something to follow.Sure enough, Liu Run went on to say: "This old servant is terrified. It's a trivial matter, but Cui Ruren's maid, Yushu, said that Yin'e might have been murdered!"

"For no reason, a little maid, who is going to murder her!" Liu Run seemed to say cautiously: "She said, it was the concubine's maid Rui who did it!" As soon as the words fell, Hongrui who was beside her couldn't bear it anymore, and argued loudly: "She is talking nonsense. What are you doing!" "Hehe", Liu Runpi pulled the two facial muscles with a smile, and approached Hongrui: "Miss Hongrui, yesterday afternoon, you had an argument with Yin'e in the laundry room, didn't you? You also threatened You want to kill Yin'e, don't you?"

Hongrui was stunned, and replied: "So what, she deliberately splashed water on my dress and sneered at me; as for killing her, it was out of anger. If I want to beat someone to death for such a reason, then I have already entered the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, and I will not stay in the palace!" She spoke urgently and quickly, but Liu Run still kept speaking very slowly, and said with a smile: "Miss Hongrui said so, the old slave believes it, and the princess certainly believes it, but I don't know if Cui Ruren believes it or not." "Oh my god, why did my girl disappear?" Just as he was talking, Cui Caiping had already barged in crying, and when he saw Shen Zhenzhu, he grabbed her by the sleeve and shouted: " Elder sister should make the decision for me, Yin'e beat me up, she is the closest to my heart, don't let anyone look down on her and murder her! Who is so cruel!" She took out a hand towel to wipe her face, and looked at her. He stared at Hongrui viciously.Shen Zhenzhu watched coldly and didn't speak for now, but when she saw that Cui Caiping actually shed a few tears, she couldn't help wondering.

Cui Caiping spoke without covering her mouth, but Yushu, the maid who was supporting her, saw that the situation was not right, and hurriedly said: "Madam, don't say that!" With a sound of "slap", Yushu had already been slapped across the face, Cui Caiping was still not satisfied, she stopped and wanted to slap her, cursing, "Shameless little hoof, do you have a share in talking?" "Stop!" Shen Zhenzhu put the teacup on the couch and made a crisp sound, Cui Caiping saw that Shen Zhenzhu's face had never been awe-inspiring, unconsciously stopped, and let go Yushu, the room was suddenly silent.

"Sister, since this matter has already happened and it involves my maidservant, I will deal with it fairly and give you an explanation." Liu Run and Cui Caiping, one of them knew the truth but wanted to watch the excitement, and the other was telling lies for fear of chaos. , How many people watched the new princess's family management skills.After pondering for a moment, he said to Cui Caiping: "My sister has always been in charge of maidservants in a decent manner. Today's matter is not a big one at all. It will be understood after discussing it with me, okay?" The whole government knows.

"That's natural. Do you want others to say that I, Cui Caiping, are useless and that I can just be a concubine. I have only been married for a few days, and I can't even keep my personal maid!" Cui Caiping kept chattering. Can understand the mystery in Shen Zhenzhu's words. Then Shen Zhenzhu turned to Liu Run and said, "Okay, Manager Liu, let me ask you, are the guards on duty this morning still the same group as last night?" Liu Run nodded and said, "Exactly, there is still half an hour before changing guards!" "Okay, pass the left back rate quickly!"

After a while, Zuo Wei led Yan Ming to arrive, about 30 years old, Kong Wu was in good spirits, he took a rest yesterday, and just returned to the palace, he was passed to the princess, and he didn't know why, so he stood respectfully at the head to listen to the order. The left guard led the official residence of the sixth rank and was responsible for all the security and guards of the palace. Shen Zhenzhu was very polite to him: "General Yan has worked hard. Please personally lead two guards to wait secretly at the side door of the palace. If anyone comes in, they will be arrested." Come to me." Yan Ming didn't dare to make a mistake, and hurriedly took orders. Sure enough, within a quarter of an hour, Yan Ming and two guards brought in a person. Cui Caiping took a closer look, and it was Yin'e!Impossible to hold back, she rushed forward and raised her hand to slap her face, cursing: "You poor maid, where did you die!" She stretched out her hand to grab Yin'e's arm and dragged her out of the room, "I have to teach you a lesson when I go back!" "Wait a minute!" Shen Zhenzhu stopped talking and said seriously: "Sister, Yin'e violated the government regulations, she must ask the reason and deal with it according to the regulations!" Yan Ming waved his hand to the outside, and several guards pushed two dressed-up guards in like zongzi and knelt down, Yan Ming also knelt down: "A certain army is incompetent, I beg the princess to punish." "The way to govern the army is to gain it from strictness and to lose it from lenient. General Yan, I have been here for less than half a decade, but I have watched you train your servants occasionally. I shouldn't talk too much. It is a good thing to have a kind heart, but let it go." In terms of military management, if you are too benevolent, you will not be able to follow suit." This dynasty has already been wary of women's involvement in politics, so it is necessary to keep a low profile, Shen Zhenzhu said a few words and signaled Liu Run to help Yan Ming, and asked: "I understand everything ?” Yan Ming bowed his head and replied: "Back to the princess, I understand the question, the guards Wang Ping and Wang You brothers on duty last night accepted the coins privately given by Yin'e, and let her leave the mansion secretly." "If I remember correctly, the monthly salary of an ordinary guard in the mansion is 3,000 yuan?" Shen Zhenzhu nodded and asked Liu Run. Liu Run repeatedly answered yes. "Director Liu, you know better than I do how much rice and silk you can buy for three thousand yuan at the market price in Chang'an?" "Back to the princess, you can buy fifteen dendrobium rice and more than twenty bolts of silk." "Is it enough for a middle-level family to live and eat for a month?" "It's more than enough to go back to the princess." Shen Zhenzhu asked Yin'e again: "Tell me, how much did you give those two guards?" Yin'e was already trembling with fright, kowtowed like pounding garlic, and replied tremblingly: "Back, back to the princess, it's... twenty yuan per person..." Shen Zhenzhu snapped a few pictures suddenly, the teacup fell to the ground with a bang and shattered, even Cui Caiping was taken aback, seeing that Shen Zhenzhu was not angry, she said: "The palace treats these guards well, Such a small profit can buy them to ignore their duties, what is the use? General Yan, you are the left guard, what do you say?" Yan Ming hesitated for a while and then replied loudly: "According to the government's regulations, Wang Ping and Wang You should each hit forty sticks, deduct one month's salary, and immediately drive them out of the house; January!" "General Yan doesn't need to impose a penalty on himself, according to the law, you only need to receive twenty sticks." Shen Zhenzhu was slightly relieved. Yin'e heard that the seven souls had gone to the six souls, and she kowtowed with tears: "Prince, please, please don't drive the servants out of the mansion!" The guards kicked out of the mansion just because they lost their positions. She was bought by the Cui family since she was a child. If you get out of the house, there is no way out.Cui Caiping was anxiously rubbing her hands in secret, forgiving that she usually talked more than anyone else, but now she didn't know how to speak. Shen Zhenzhu gave Yin'e a cold look: "As for you, I don't ask why you left the mansion privately, what you did when you left the mansion. But the mansion rules are hard to forgive, for the sake of Cui Ruren, you will be punished with twenty sticks, and you will be fined if you are still alive. Three months of hard labor in the canteen." Shangshifang has to cook for nearly a thousand people in the whole house every day, which is extremely hard, but Yin'e is still like a gift from God, thanking her for her kindness, and going to receive her punishment. All the people dispersed for a while, Shen Zhenzhu saw that only Liu Run was still standing on the ground, with a half-smile on his face, and said: "Boss Liu, you are also tired, go and rest." Liu Run grinned, his face was wrinkled, his appearance was wretched, his smile was really ugly, he bowed to the ground, and said to Shen Zhenzhu: "This old slave really admires the princess." Shen Zhenzhu said lightly: "You have seen enough of this excitement." Liu Run still smiled: "The old slave just doesn't understand, why didn't the princess severely torture Yin'e's whereabouts overnight?" The maid went out privately and didn't come back all night, and she didn't elope with anyone. She was just a private lover. If you have anything to ask, you have to save some face for Cui Caiping.Shen Zhenzhu asked Liu Run instead of answering: "Where is Miss Dugu, why can't I see anyone all day long?" Liu Run was stunned, and then replied: "This—the concubine has to ask His Highness, Miss Dugu has been specially ordered by His Highness, and she is not under the jurisdiction of the old slave." He coughed twice, and then said: "Concubine Wei really has giant eyes. , the princess really has the talent to govern the world." "Miss Wei Concubine?" Shen Zhenzhu was startled, but her face did not change, she winked slightly at Hongrui who was waiting at the door, and Hongrui went out to invite the maidservants who were waiting outside the door to leave with a few words.Liu Run burst into tears in an instant, and knelt down on the ground: "When the concubine Wei was the princess, she showed great kindness to the old slave. She once told the old slave to serve the princess with all her heart. Today, the old slave has the courage to try the princess, and she is still alive." I hope the princess will forgive me." Then she took out something from her sleeve and handed it to Shen Zhenzhu, an ingenious golden comb with a thin seal character "Wei" on the inner wall, Shen Zhenzhu believed it a little, got up and helped Liu Run up , feeling disconcerted in his heart: "I haven't seen Concubine Wei for a long time. Last time I saw her, she was a little thinner than before." Liu Run immediately gritted his teeth: "As long as the old slave has the breath to deal with the enmity of Concubine Wei's family, I will try to avenge it." This happened a year ago. Li Linfu, the prime minister of the right, reported to the emperor that Wei Jian, the elder brother of the concubine Wei, conspired with Huangfu Weiming, the Jiedu envoy of Hexi Province. Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice was demoted to be the prefect of Jinyun County, while Huangfu Weiming dismissed the envoys of Jiedu envoys in Hexi and Longyou on the charge of "dividing the monarch and his ministers", demoted him to be the prefect of Bochuan County, and lost his family. Huangfu Weiming and Wei Jian brothers died after being demoted.The prince abolished the concubine on the grounds of "disharmony" with Concubine Wei, and Concubine Wei became a nun in the Buddhist Temple in Jinzhong.Wei Jian's case implicated many officials and officials with whom he interacted. Only the Shen family kept a low profile and was not known to outsiders. Fortunately, they were not implicated.Liu Run knew the whole thing, and he had concubine Wei's token, so it seemed that he could be trusted, but seeing that he was so upset about this matter, Shen Zhenzhu felt unspeakable uneasiness in her heart. Although the matter of Yin'e was not widely publicized, within half a day everyone in the Guangping palace knew it clearly. They all knew that the princess was good at managing the house, shrewd and intelligent.