Chapter 17 Chapter Seventeen

Gradually entering winter, my work is still busy, but my body is getting tired day by day. I often cough in the middle of the night. The dry air in late autumn and early winter makes me unable to sleep peacefully. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, I never allowed Xuanqing Dao Ganlu Temple to come.I feel faintly in my heart that it's okay for Wen Shi to come here for the first time.And when he came, if he was bumped into by someone, it would be unnecessary to make publicity.And I don't want him to be involved in rumors. It was cold, and I was too lazy to go to the long river.Perhaps it wasn't laziness, but thinking of the Queen Mother's concern for his marriage, I hesitated to stop.

After all, I am not suitable for him.No matter how you look at it, no matter how you look at it, the Buddhist aunt and the nobles of Tianhuang, the emperor's abandoned concubine and the handsome young man are not compatible. Therefore, Jinxi was often the only one who went to see him. When Jinxi came back this time, she packed a small cup of stewed pears with rock sugar, which was still warm.She said: "The maidservant accidentally mentioned the lady's cough to the lord last time, and this time the lord brought rock sugar Sydney to moisten the lady's lungs." I was copying Buddhist scriptures with my head down, and I only said: "Put it aside, I will eat after I finish copying."

Jinxi stood aside and watched me write for a while, then said, "Fang Ruo hasn't come here for two months." I nodded and said: "Hu Deyi has just given birth to Hemu Diji, and then entered Deyi from Changpin, and is in the process of being favored. Fang Ruo often takes Diji to the Queen Mother's place, naturally he is busy, and has no time to come and get it often Buddhist scriptures." Jinxi whispered in her ear: "It's a good thing if Fang doesn't come. Her frequent presence shows that some concubines in the harem keep a close eye on the lady, so she has to check on the lady's safety often. If she doesn't come often, that is It is said that some people in the palace have gradually become more relaxed towards the lady."

I was full of ink, and said lightly: "I have been out of the palace for two years, knowing that I will not be able to go back. After a long time, they don't care about me anymore. Besides, Hu Deyi just gave birth to Hemo Diji, When she was being favored, how many people's thoughts and eyes were on her." "It's just..." Jinxi hesitated and said, "I heard that Hu Deyi can no longer give birth." "Oh?" I put down the brush, looked at her and said, "How did you know?" "Two days ago, Imperial Physician Wen brought some cough medicine, and my wife went out. The servants mentioned it when they were chatting with him. Mrs. Wen said that Hu Deyi was injured because of childbirth and Diji, and it would be difficult to conceive again." Jin Jin Xi still lowered his eyebrows.

I changed my mind, "Does Hu Deyi know?" "I'm afraid I don't know. If I knew, what kind of trace would I be looking for? Having a baby is always risky. Even if Lord Jinkang is angry and sad, nothing can be found." I sneered, Hu Deyi is the daughter of Lord Jinkang, her child will not fail to be born.As for an empress, it doesn't matter if she is born. In the eyes of the people in the palace, the important thing is that Hu Deyi's favor can't be reborn in the future.No more trouble.What's more, even if the child is a prince, it's unknown whether he will grow up or not.

And this trick never hurts, but it is wonderful. I said lightly: "Does the emperor know?" "Of course I don't know. If we find out and pursue it, it won't be a good thing after all." Jinxi smiled slightly, "The queen's skill has improved. I just feel sorry for Hu Deyi!" "Hu Deyi will not be the first, nor will she be the last, as long as the queen is still here." I sighed sadly, opened the bowl, and there were a few slices of pear lying quietly in the small white cup, the soup was white and transparent , I took a sip, and the light sweetness slowly entered my heart and spleen, as if it was really moisturizing my dry and stagnant spleen and lungs.

Jinxi packed up the Buddhist scriptures I copied, and said softly, "In fact, Mr. Wen's intention of 'a piece of ice in the jade pot' is also good. It's just a jade pot, how can it compare to a cup of rock sugar stewed pears? Woolen cloth." I coughed twice, and my cheeks flushed strangely.I clenched the prayer beads on my wrist and said softly, "Jinxi, you talk too much today." But I knew in my heart that even if I didn't see Xuan Qing, his concern would always be by my side all the time. The weather was getting colder, and my cough became heavier day after day. At first, I just coughed at night, couldn’t sleep, and sweated badly. Gradually, I also coughed and wheezed during the day. I can't even write well on the desk.

Huanbi and Jinxi were in a hurry.Huanbi personally went to Wen Shichu's mansion, and came back dejectedly said: "It is said that Hu Deyi in the palace suffered from postpartum disorder, so Mr. Wen was left in the imperial hospital, and he has not returned to the mansion for many days." I coughed and said with difficulty: "Hu Deyi just gave birth to Hemu Diji, who is the celebrity in front of the emperor and the daughter of the Lord Jinkang, so she is naturally very precious." Jinxi said sadly: "How can it be good? After eating so many pears in rock sugar, stewed a lot of loquat leaves, at least I ate a loquat tree. It's not good at all." Holding a bowl of bird's nest in it, he said in a good voice: "The bird's nest that the prince quietly sent over is the most nourishing, let's drink it."

I waved my hand and said, "Why are you so delicate, it's just a few coughs." Huanbi's face turned pale with anxiety, and said: "This is not a matter of coughing twice, people are going to cough badly. In the past half a month or so, I have been coughing all night and haven't slept well. Jingbai even sent Miss Washing so many clothes by the stream, it seems to me that I am overworked." Jinxi tugged on Huanbi's sleeve, and said in a low voice, "Girl, stop talking, because my wife coughs so badly, how many gossips are ugly, and she even said that she has tuberculosis."

Huanbi was angry, and said: "Who is talking nonsense like that? I saw that Miss was tortured by them like this!" I panted so hard that my throat constricted, and said in a hoarse voice, "Say a few words less." While talking, the door was pushed open with a "bang", and a group of aunts broke in. The leader was Jing Bai, and she shouted impatiently: "We can't live in people with tuberculosis in Ganlu Temple, and there are people who don't know what to do." Do pilgrims dare to come? The reputation of a centuries-old temple cannot be ruined by such an ominous person."

Huanbi was so angry that her lips turned white, and said: "Who said our lady has tuberculosis? Which doctor has come to see her? Are you not afraid of lightning strikes with your mouth full of nonsense?" Jingbai pulled Huanbi away, frowned and said, "Even if it's not tuberculosis, it's almost the same as tuberculosis. Coughing day and night like this makes others want to stop coughing. It's bad luck to watch!" I had to swallow my anger and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry, I'm not in good health, and I've troubled everyone." A sister-in-law stretched her neck and said in a sharp voice: "If you know that you will be troublesome to others, you should leave as soon as possible. People will hate you if you live like this." Jingbai rolled her eyes and saw a bowl of bird's nest on the table, her throat became thick immediately, she put her hips on her hips and said in a high-pitched voice, "Look! She's a thief, and the ready-made stolen goods are here!" My eardrums were humming and hurting from her loud voice. Hearing her slander with red lips, no matter how well I restrained myself, I couldn't help but show a little color, saying: "You have to have evidence, why have I ever Steal something from you." Jingbai was very pleased, pointing to the bird's nest on the table and said in a stern tone: "In Ganlu Temple, only the abbot and the wife eat bird's nest, where did you get this bird's nest?" I changed my color slightly, signaling Jinxi and Huanbi not to speak, how can I tell the origin of this bird's nest? Jingbai snapped her fingers and said: "The imperial doctor hasn't come to see you for several days, don't say that he brought this bird's nest. The aunt in the palace hasn't come for two or three months, who else will give it to you?" Bird’s nest? The abbot’s bird’s nest is put together with mine, and my apprentice Mo Jie stewed it and sent it to me every day. If you didn’t steal it from my room, it’s possible that the bird’s nest has grown legs Did you run into your bowl by yourself!" The sisters-in-law beside Jingbai echoed: "That's right, she would go to the master's room every day when she came back from gathering firewood to tell her that she must have stolen the bird's nest out of revenge because she thought the master had treated her harshly." I said coldly: "The monks don't lie. Since the bird's nest is always in Master Jingbai's room, and it is something we eat every day, if it is missing, we should have found it long ago. Why did you only talk about a thief when you came to me?" What happened?" Jing Bai was stunned, and waved his hand: "I don't have so much nonsense to tell you. If you have the ability, just tell me where this bowl of bird's nest came from. If you can't tell, you stole it from me!" Huanbi said anxiously: "Why are you allowed to have bird's nest, and no one else is allowed to have bird's nest!" Jingbai said with a "hey" laugh: "Someone else may have some family members to send something! But who is Mochou, she is an ominous person who was kicked out of the palace, she has no relatives and no reason, how could she have such a valuable gift?" Bird's Nest, a thief is a thief, and it's useless to deny it!" He said in a voice: "Go and ask the abbot!" The aunts who were watching were sneering and whispering, eager to see a joke. I had never been slandered like this before, and I couldn't help being stunned with anger, my chest was tossing like a sea, and I was suffocated and uncomfortable. The abbot will be here soon. She looked at me with pity, and said, "How did you become so ill?" My chest was heavy and heavy, and it was difficult to breathe.Jingbai said: "Abbot, you got the stolen goods. Mochou is the thief who stole the bird's nest. Our Ganlu Temple's century-old reputation, how can we allow a thief to live here and ruin it!" I clenched my fists, held back my tears and said slowly, "Abbot, I didn't steal." The abbot sighed softly and said, "What did you say about tuberculosis just now?" I shook my head, "I don't have tuberculosis, and no doctor came and said it was tuberculosis, it's just a bad cough." "Are you taking any medicine?" Huanbi supported my body and said, "Take it as prescribed, but it still doesn't work." A sister-in-law said: "Mochou has been coughing day and night for more than half a month. In fact, she has been coughing two months earlier, but it's not that bad. If it wasn't for tuberculosis, how could it be so long that the medicine didn't help? " Everyone echoed: "You see she is so thin, and her face turns red again when she coughs. She probably has tuberculosis that cannot be cured. It is absolutely impossible to live with her." The abbot looked around the crowd with a pitiful and helpless expression, and said to me: "Right now...you are in such a bad condition, and everyone is absolutely unwilling to be with you anymore, why don't you move out first." Feeling aggrieved in my heart, I said, "The abbot knows that I have no family or reason, so where can I move now?" Huanbi said sadly and indignantly: "Can't the abbot just uphold justice? He can only listen to a group of aunts yelling. It's too soft-hearted." Before Huanbi finished speaking, Jingbai stepped forward, slapped her face, and shouted, "Can you blame the abbot too?!" Huanbi was ashamed and angry, covering her face and crying desperately, holding my hand firmly.Huanbi's hands trembled slightly, neither she nor I have ever suffered such humiliation. Jinxi stepped forward and said: "Abbot, can you listen to this servant girl? I don't know if my wife is suffering from tuberculosis, but she is so sick now." She looked at the sky, "It looks like it's going to snow outside again. Where should I move? I wonder if the abbot can accommodate me for a few days?" As soon as Jinxi finished speaking, the sisters-in-law headed by Jingbai started yelling all the way, saying in confusion: "She is so sick, why is she living with us!" "Cough day and night cough, let's go to sleep!" "She's a thief, if she steals a bird's nest today, she won't know what to steal tomorrow!" In the end, it was merged into one sentence, "If Mochou lives in Ganlu Temple, we won't live anymore." I saw that the head of the abbot was as big as a bucket, and he was in a dilemma.In a moment of anger, Yingying bowed to the abbot and said: "Since the Ganlu Temple can't accommodate me, I shouldn't make things difficult for the abbot. The only thing is, I am not a thief, and this bird's nest is not stolen." I turned to Huanbi Yu Jinxi said: "Since Ganlu Temple can't accommodate us, let's go." He said, "Clean up all the boxes and cages." Huanbi agreed with tears in her eyes, and was about to tidy up her clothes with Jinxi, when Jingbai stepped forward and said narrowly, "Since we are thieves, we have to check these cages one by one, in case something is taken out by you... " The abbot said: "Jingbai, don't say any more!" Jingbai was not reconciled, she rolled her eyes, and finally did not do anything again. I was angry and anxious, the blood in my chest was surging, my eyes turned black, and my steps were weak.I had to sit sideways and watch Huanbi and Jinxi tidy up. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, a person suddenly rushed into the diagonal stabbing, it was Mo Yan. She stood up with her chest in her arms and said, "You want to go?" I nodded and said, "Yes." She looked around the crowd coldly, and said, "It doesn't matter if you can't live in this kind of place. I'll take you out!" As she spoke, she helped Huanbi and Jinxi clean up together. The abbot sighed slightly, and said to me: "Ganlu Temple still has two meditation rooms at Lingyun Peak, you can go there and recuperate with peace of mind. Everything will be done when you are well. No matter how bad it is, there is a place to stay first." I suppressed the discomfort and nodded slightly. After packing up, Mo Yan looked at me and said, "You look so bad, how can you go to Lingyun Peak, and it looks like it's going to snow outside, I'll carry you on your back." He picked me up and walked out. The sister-in-law muttered behind her back: "Sure enough, Qiao Zhang will do it. It's just going over a mountain from Ganlu Peak to Lingyun Peak, and someone has to carry it." Mo Yan turned his head back coldly, and said sternly: "Anyone who wants to be nagging again, just come and talk to me." There was no sound around, Mo Yan snorted coldly, and walked out quickly with my back on his back. The mountain was cloudy and snowy, and the wind blew on my cheeks like a knife cut.Fortunately, Lingyun Peak is close to Ganlu Peak, and it only takes half an hour to arrive. Huanbi let out an "Aiya" and complained, "How can I live here?" There are three small meditation rooms, two bedrooms, one light and one dark, and a small dining hall, with a small courtyard in front.It just seems that no one has lived in it for a long time, dilapidated and dirty. Jinxi looked at it for a while, and said: "It can still be cleaned up. There are trees in the yard. It won't be hot in summer, and the orientation is okay. It's just that I have to work hard to clean up." So we worked together, tidying up for two days before we could barely live in it. Mo Yan helped to paste the windows and fix the roof, and we finally got to live before the snow fell.Mo Yan said: "When the snow falls, the mountain is not allowed to be closed, and I can't come out of Ganlu Temple to see you often, so take care of yourself." I tried to smile, "Thank you, I will trouble you anyway." She clapped her hands, "What's the matter, you can live here, so you won't be tortured by those people in Jingbai every day, so you can live well." She thought for a while and said, "Don't blame the abbot, she has her own. Difficulty." I nodded, "I know, I don't blame the abbot." Mo Yan said: "Jingbai and the others have always disliked you, but now that the people in the palace haven't come to see you for several months, of course they will continue to humiliate you." I felt uncomfortable in my chest, and sighed, "I never thought that even a Buddhist temple like Ganlu Temple would not be clean." Mo Yan sneered and said, "Buddhist temples are built in the secular world, can there be less right and wrong? Well, you just keep it up, you look so ugly." Heavy snow fell in the evening. It was the snowdrops, and the windows were clattering and rustling. Huanbi and Jinxi picked up some dry firewood to burn before the snow fell. Although the room was tidied up, it was still cold, and the heat from the small brazier could hardly warm the body.Huanbi and Jinxi were sitting by the brazier, all the clothes and quilts they could cover were covering me.My body was still trembling slightly, obviously feeling cold, like a piece of cold ice at the bottom of my body, but my body was scorching hot, unbearably hot.I half-opened my eyes vaguely, outside the thin window paper was heavy snow like goose feathers, rolling all over the sky and the ground, and the world was bound to be in chaos.Huanbi and Jinxi's cold hands took turns covering my forehead, and I was in a deep daze.In a trance, it seemed that Huanbi was crying, and his mind was buzzing, chaotic and aching like ten thousand horses galloping. The heat is so unbearable, like roasting in the sun at noon in summer, like burning a fire by the hearth, there are countless small hot fireballs rolling around in my body, dancing like fireflies in my body, making me thirsty Incessantly, he tore vigorously the clothes and quilts covering his body. In a daze, as if hugging a very comfortable big ice cube, it cools me slightly, comforting the scorching heat and pain in my body.The ice was so hot that it melted, and after a while, it was cool to hug again.That kind of coolness, like drinking a bowl of cold iced plum soup in the hottest summer, the sourness and coolness, even every pore of the internal organs is comfortable. I turned over, lost consciousness in a groggy state, and fell seriously ill.