Chapter 17 Chapter Seventeen

As we agreed, Mei Zhuang said that he had slipped and fell into the water, so naturally no one was suspicious.Xuan Ling also went to visit Mei Zhuang more often in addition to comforting her.Mei Zhuang's body recovered quickly, and he only made up his mind to wait for the opportunity, so he just waited for the opportunity and remained calm.Concubine Hua was also calm and stable, and she didn't move much. On April 18th of the thirteenth year of Qianyuan, I was granted the title of Cong Sipin Wanyi by the Jin Dynasty.Although I have only been promoted to one level, it is always a happy event anyway, and it has pushed me even more vigorously since the beginning of spring.Welcome to He Xiangjian, the harem, as always, maintains a calm and peaceful surface.I was momentarily, relieved.

It's nearly May, and the weather is getting hotter.My body has already recovered, but Xuan Ling was worried, and often asked Wen Shichu to prepare some nourishing and nourishing medicine for me to recuperate. One day, I was alone on the porch looking at the two tanks of goldfish newly sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Jingdelan tank. The new lotus planted in it was only as big as a child's palm, and it was so fresh and green that it was very pleasant to see.There are a few crimson goldfishes in the water under the lotus. The clear waves are like green, the green leaves are like covers, and the red fish swim leisurely, which is really cute.

Seeing me feeding the fish leisurely, Pei'er suddenly remembered something and said angrily: "That Yu Changing clothes is really too much! I heard that since he fell out of favor and moved out of Hongni Pavilion, he has been complaining and swearing at the little master all day long, using foul language Insulting the young master." Stretching out his fingers, he sprinkled the fish food into the tank, and said calmly, "Let her go. I act with a clear conscience, even if I think about it, the curse won't work." Pei'er said: "It's just that her words are really ugly. Why don't I ask someone to seal up her residence or report it to the queen."

I wiped off the fish food on my hands, and shook my hand: "Don't bother with this kind of person." "The young master is too kind-hearted." "She has to be forgiving and forgiving. She will inevitably feel aggrieved when she falls out of favor, and it will be fine after a while." It happened that Huanbi came over with the medicine: "Miss, the medicine is ready, you can drink it." I took a sip from the medicine cup, frowned and said, "The medicine seems to be more sour than before in the past two days." Huanbi said: "Maybe it's a new medicinal material prepared by Mr. Wen, so it feels sour."

I let out a "hmm", frowned and finished the drink slowly, then rinsed my mouth with water.After sitting for a while, I felt a little dazed under the sun, so I asked Huanbi to help me in to take a nap. Huanbi laughed and said, "Miss has been sleeping very much these past two days. She just woke up and wanted to take a nap at noon, but she was sleepy." "Maybe it is. I only heard that 'spring sleep does not wake up', so it turns out that it is easier to get tired when summer is near." He was talking and joking, feeling something was wrong in his heart, he stopped in his tracks and asked, "Huanbi, since when did I get so sleepy? But it started a few days ago?"

"Yes, you were sleepy five or six days ago, and you fell asleep five or six hours out of twelve in a day. When the emperor came up the day before yesterday, it was already high in the sun, and you were still asleep. The emperor won't let us wake you up..." She He stopped suddenly as he spoke, and a mixed expression of doubt and anxiety gradually appeared on his face. My hands gradually became a little cold, and I asked, "Do you also feel something is wrong?" Huanbi hurriedly let go of my hand: "Miss, don't sleep yet. This servant will invite Mrs. Wen here."

I hastily instructed: "Don't alarm anyone, just ask Mr. Wen to take Ping An's pulse." I walked into the warm pavilion step by step and sat down. The pattern of thousands of branches and leaves on the brocade tablecloth on the table was shining coldly in the sun. I grasped the tablecloth bit by bit with my hands. The thorn stabbed me straight up once and for all. Wen Shichu finally arrived, his expression was still calm, he caught the pulse on my wrist, remained silent for a while, then took out a small silver needle, and said, "I'm offended, please hold on to the pain." , and stabbed at an acupuncture point on his hand.His gestures were very light, and he felt slightly numb, not painful.Wen Shichu gently turned the silver needle while explaining: "This point is called Hegu point. If the little master is just sleepy and drowsy, then nothing will happen; if it is because of medicine, the silver needle will change color when it is inserted into this point."

But after a while, he pulled out the silver needle, stared at the sunlight for a while and said, "It's the prescription I made, but someone added other things." He put the silver needle in front of me, "Please, my lord. Take a close look at this needle." I lifted it up and took a closer look, and sure enough, the silver needle seemed to be plated with a layer of light blue.I shook my hand, and the silver needle landed on his palm. I looked into his eyes: "What did you add? Poison?" "No. Someone added a few flavors of medicine that was originally light in weight to my prescription. The person who took the medicine was very cautious and added a small amount, so it was not easy to find it even if I asked for the pulse every day, but even so , according to this dose of medicine, the little master will be mentally fatigued and drowsy first, and within half a year he will lose his mind, which is similar to dementia."

My face must have changed shape with fear, and I could feel the sticky clothes that were next to me from being wet with cold sweat.Shocked and hated in my heart, but with a forced smile on my face, I said, "Sure enough, Zhen Huan thinks highly of me, and used this method to deal with me!" Wen Shichu hurriedly said: "Don't worry, my lord. Fortunately, I discovered it early. I have only taken it for a few days. Timely recuperation will not be harmful to the body." He slowly put the silver needle back into the bag, and said worriedly: "Obviously it is necessary to put it slowly. My lord, you are dying, your methods are too insidious!"

I sighed and said: "The harem has always used everything to fight for favor, and it is really impossible to guard against." I was moved and said to Wen Shichu: "If it weren't for your lord, Huan'er might die as if in a dream. I don't know why." Wen Shichu looked ashamed: "It's because of my negligence that I let the young master suffer." I said softly, "My lord, don't blame yourself too much." He solemnly said: "In the future, the servants of the young master will be more careful. From picking up the medicine to brewing it until the young master takes it, the minister will do it by himself, and will not allow others to intervene."

I said seriously: "The most urgent thing now is to find out the person who is going to poison me, so as to avoid such things from happening again." I looked out the window vigilantly, and said in a low voice: "If you can put the medicine into my palace, It must be the people around me. I feel that my physical discomfort started a few days ago, and a month ago, there happened to be more than a dozen new eunuchs in my palace. Although I told Xiao Yunzi and Jinxi in charge to pay attention to them early in the morning , but there are so many people in the palace, I am afraid that the two of them are also unable to do what they want. In my opinion, this matter should be paid attention to those little palace ladies and eunuchs." "Then what does the young master want to do?" "Then Lord Lao Wen and Huan'er will play together, pretending to be nonchalant so as not to scare the snake with what happened today." "But according to my lord's orders." "Liu Zhu, go open the window, I'm a little bored." Liu Zhu Yiyan opened the window, I got up and walked to the window, and said loudly: "Since Master Wen said that I'm fine, I'm relieved." After speaking, I squeezed towards him Wink. Wen Shichu understood it, and immediately said loudly: "The young master has been sleepy and sleepy in the spring, which is not a problem. Why don't you take advantage of this to rest and take care of your body?" I smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Wen, for your concern." "The emperor personally ordered, and the minister will never dare to ignore it." "Then Mr. Lao will be running around every day. Liu Zhu, take your lord out properly. I'm going to rest." As soon as Wen Shichu went out, I immediately ordered Xiao Yunzi to come in, gave him detailed instructions, and he nodded repeatedly.After finishing speaking, I said in a low voice: "You have neglected this matter. Now do as I said, be careful, and don't startle the snake." Xiao Yunzi's face turned serious, and she got busy. I just pretended nothing happened.In the evening, Xiao Yunzi came to see me and quietly told me that a small hole was found under the palace wall, which seemed to be newly opened.I kept my composure, knowing that there was Xuan Ling's will. Except for Wen Shichu and himself, no one else had entered my palace, and none of the maids who served me had ever gone out. Someone must be doing it on the door. They sneaked in the medicine with hands and feet. I said: "Just pretend you don't know, and don't pay special attention to it. Just let Xiao Lianzi, you and Jinxi pay attention when the medicine is decocted tomorrow. You must get the stolen goods and catch him by surprise." Xiao Yunzi gritted her teeth and said: "Yes. Xiao Lianzi has some kung fu in his body, and he won't be able to run away from that little man who crawls around!" At night, I was lying on the bed, looking at the bright moonlight outside the window through the embroidered bed curtain, and felt for the first time that there was a terrifying and fierce murderous intent lurking in my Tangli Palace, approaching me. Although I tried to be alert, I still fell asleep until the red sun rose.The medicine still came up, and when I saw the dejected expressions of a few people, I knew that I hadn't found out why. Xiao Lianzi said: "The slaves have been guarding outside. The medicine is made by Pin'er who has been watching it for a long time. During this period, no one else approached, let alone administering the medicine." I couldn't help but become suspicious, could it be that someone noticed me by showing my signs, and raised my head to glance at Xiao Lianzi, Xiao Yunzi and Jinxi.Jinxi hurriedly said: "The servants are very careful. At that time, the servants were talking to Jingqing about the dishes for dinner outside the kitchen; Xiao Lianzi directed the little eunuch to clean the courtyard, and Eunuch Yun looked around as usual, and did not reveal anything. " I picked up the medicine bowl and took a sip of the medicine, but there was still a faint sour taste.I was so angry that I spit it all out on the ground, and said bitterly: "What a cunning thing! It's still drugged!" Jinxi and the others turned pale in shock, and hurriedly knelt down together and said, "The slaves must have been careless enough to make mistakes. I hope the young master will forgive me." I didn't ask them to get up, I just said: "It's not all your fault. I can put the medicine in under the noses of you without being noticed, and no one is close to the medicine jar in the middle. There must be someone in it." eccentric." Xiao Yunzi kowtowed and said: "I think of something, please allow me to go away for a while." I nodded in agreement, and ordered Jinxi and Xiao Lianzi to get up.I said to Huanbi: "Go and pour the medicine into the bucket!" Huanbi went there in a hurry, and I asked, "Did you pour the medicine without being seen?" "No, all the servants and servants were dumped into the pail in the back hall without being seen." Xiao Yunzi came back soon, holding a purple sand medicine pot and a medicine spoon in his hand, and said, "My servant is selfishly thinking that if someone hadn't prepared the medicine himself, he would have to mess with these guys." I nodded and said, "It's still not completely confused." I reached out and took the medicine spoon, looked carefully, there was nothing wrong with it, and then took the medicine jar to see, it was a purple sand medicine jar produced in Yizhou , the whole body is black and purple, watermelon-shaped, and Wei Zhuang's words are carved in cursive script on the surface of the can, which is very exquisite. I opened the lid to look at the inside of the jar in the sunlight, and there was nothing wrong with it.I put the medicine jar on the table, thinking that Xiao Yunzi had made a mistake and was about to speak when I suddenly smelled a very faint sour smell from my fingers holding the lid of the medicine jar. I immediately picked up the lid and inspected it carefully. The color of the bottle is lighter than the body of the can, so you won't notice it unless you look carefully. I handed the cover to Jinxi: "You have been in the palace for a long time, let's see why?" Jinxi looked at it carefully for a long time and said: "The lid of this medicine jar was boiled in the water where the medicine was added. The lid absorbed the medicine, so it changed color." Jinxi looked at my face and saw that my expression was normal, and continued Said: "As long as the little master's medicine touches the lid when it boils, the medicine will be mixed into the little master's medicine." After a long time, I sneered and said: "What a delicate work! It's strange that we couldn't find out who gave the medicine. It turned out that it was prepared a long time ago." I asked Jinxi: "Who usually keeps these things? ?” "Originally Pei'er took care of it, but now it's the new maid Huasui who takes care of it." I said "hmm" to Xiao Yunzi: "You just came out with the medicine jar, did you see Huasui?" "I never saw it." "Put the medicine jar back to its original place, so as not to make people suspicious. Then go and find out the origin of Huasui, which palace she worked in, and which master she served." Xiao Yunzi hurriedly responded, and ran down in a hurry. After two hours, Xiao Yunzi came back and reported that Hua Sui was originally the court lady next to the deposed Yu Changyi. Because Yu Niangzi was demoted to Chang Yi, many of the court ladies beside her were also sent out, and Hua Sui was sent out at that time. Then it was pointed to me again. Liu Zhu said: "Miss, it looks like that hoof wants to avenge her former little master!" "What a loyal and nostalgic slave!" I told Huanbi, "Go to the kitchen and get some hot charcoal, the kind that will burn red, and put them in the house." Without turning my head, I said to Xiao Lianzi, "Go and call Hua Sui, and tell her that I have something to ask her. If she hesitates at all, immediately turn around." I said coldly, "Let me personally come to interrogate her." This loyal servant!" After a while, Huasui came in slowly behind Xiao Lianzi, and Liu Zhu shouted: "I'm asking you something, why are you still dawdling, like someone is going to eat you!" Seeing this, Huasui had no choice but to walk a few quick steps and kneel in front of me, timidly daring not to raise her head.I forced myself to suppress my anger, and said with a smile, "Don't be afraid, I just have a few words to ask you." Hua Sui lowered her head and said, "Master, just ask, and this servant will answer when she knows." I said kindly, "It's nothing important. Aunt Jinxi said that your errands are doing well, and things are in good order. I am very happy, and I am thinking about what I should reward you, so that others can know my rewards and punishments." Clearly, work more diligently." Hua Sui raised her head with joy and said, "Thank you, my lord, for the reward. This is what a servant should do." "Your errand is indeed good, and you are among the top among the new maids." Seeing her uncontrollable joy, I deliberately paused and said: "Which palace did you work in before, and your master actually did it?" Are you willing to let you out?" After hearing what I said later, her complexion changed slightly, and she bowed her head and said: "This servant is clumsy, how could I follow any good master in the past. Now being able to work in Wanyi Palace is the blessing of this servant." I approached her side, stretched out my little finger wearing the three-inch long gold-shell inlaid enamel armor, and lightly brushed across her face, the stinging pain of the cold and sharp armor tip scratching her face made her shudder The body trembled involuntarily.I didn't push hard, and only left a scarlet scar on her cheek.I chuckled lightly and said, "Madam Yu was demoted to a dresser. She really isn't a good master, but she has given you a lot of favors, right? Otherwise, how dare you commit such a capital crime of beheading in my palace!" Huasui lay on the ground, her voice trembling, "This servant used to serve Yu to change clothes, but this servant really doesn't understand what the young master is talking about." My voice was steep and cold, and I said sharply: "You really don't understand what I'm talking about? Then what happened to the lid of the medicine jar I decocted?" When Huasui saw that I asked about the lid, her face turned pale with fright, and she dared not move.It took a long time before weeping: "Your servant really doesn't know, this servant is loyal to you, my master! I hope my master will find out!" I glanced at her and said coldly: "Okay, I blamed you. Since you said you were loyal to me, then I will give you a chance to show your loyalty." I called Liu Zhu: "Bring up the charcoal." Liu Zhu picked up a few pieces of hot charcoal with tongs and put them in a basin on the ground.I said softly: "You are the person who worked next to Yu Changyi, I have to be more careful. Since you are loyal to me, well, as long as you hold the charcoal in your hand, I will believe in your innocence and integrity." Loyal, I will treat you well in the future." Huasui's face was pale, and she froze there like a wood carving, Liu Zhu looked at her with disgust: "Hurry up!" In the silence of the whole room, the charcoal in the pot was red and steaming, and suddenly there was a "crack", and a few sparks splashed out, which made the flower spikes tremble violently.The warm sunshine in the late spring afternoon shone on her through the window paper, making her as lifeless as a corpse. I looked at her with a silent smile, Huasui was trembling all over and crawled on the ground, moving towards the charcoal basin little by little.No one spoke, all eyes were on her. I know it was Hua Sui who did it, but she is just a person who obeys orders, and I want her to reveal the instigator behind the scenes.I smiled slowly: "Don't you dare? It seems that your loyalty to me is really false." Huasui looked at me timidly, and looked around at all the people standing there. No one would save her. She sobbed softly, slowly stretched and curled her snow-white index finger and thumb, and hesitated to grasp it. That piece of charcoal that looks relatively small.A drop of her tear fell on the hot charcoal, and there was a sound of "呲", which stirred up a thick puff of white smoke, causing her to immediately retract her fingers and shed more tears.Finally, Huasui stretched out two fingers again, and squeezed a piece of charcoal with her eyes closed.When her fingers touched the hot charcoal, she screamed and threw the charcoal far away. The charcoal rolled far away, splashing ash and sparks all over the place. Huasui's fingers were bloody and bloody, exuding a faint smell of scorched flesh.She wailed and came up to hug my leg, crying, "My lord, spare me!" Neither Liu Zhu nor Huanbi could pull her away. I frowned and said, "I thought you were so courageous, you dared to add medicine to my soup, why didn't you have the courage to hold that lump of charcoal!" Hua Sui cried out: "My lord, please spare me, my servant will never dare again!" I said in a deep voice: "Then speak carefully, if there is half a sentence that is not true, immediately drag it out and beat you to death, no one will dare to come and ask half a sentence if you are beaten to death!" "Before the servant girl came to Tangli Palace, she was serving Yu Changyi. Because Yu Changyi was convicted and did not need so many people to serve him, he sent the servant girl out. The day before the servant girl came to Tangli Palace, Yu Changyi called the servant girl to go and reward him. The servant gave a lot of gold and silver, and forced the servant to agree to work for her. The servant... was also confused for a while. Please forgive me, please forgive me! Please forgive me!" She cried and kowtowed. My tone was cold: "Just say what you say. This is your chance to redeem yourself. If you still lie to me, I will never forgive you!" "Yu Changyi said that I don't need to worry about anything else, I just need to put the medicine in the soup and diet that the young master takes. On the night when the slave entered Tangli Palace, I followed Yu Changyi's instructions and found a small hole in the corner of the wall. If Yu Changing has any orders, or if he wants to hand something in, someone will put a note in the hole in the corner, and the servant will just do it." Jin Ximu asked with a straight face: "The medicine was passed in like this? Is it Yu Changyi who taught you the treacherous method of using the lid to boil in the medicine?" Huasui cried and nodded in agreement. I raised my head and sneered: "Listen, one after another, they are waiting to kill me! If I hadn't discovered it early, I'm afraid I wouldn't even know how I died! It can be seen how confused we are! " Everyone knelt down in unison, lowering their heads so frightened that they did not dare to make a sound.I said: "Get up. You will learn a lot of wisdom. How many of you are old people in the palace, but you are being acted like this without knowing it. It's not that we are too honest!" I turned to Hua Sui and asked, "Are there any other accomplices in this palace?" Huasui kowtowed in shock and said, "No more, no more!" "Then when will Chang Yi give you a note to deliver the medicine?" Huasui hesitated for a moment, and Liu Zhu beside her immediately shouted: "Xiao Lianzi, open her mouth and pour all the charcoal into it!" Xiao Lianzi responded, and made a gesture to break Huasui's mouth and pour charcoal into it.Huasui was so frightened that her face paled, and she didn't dare to cry loudly, so she had to roll all over the ground to avoid it, yelling "I say, I say".Only then did I tell Xiao Lianzi to let go of her, and said flatly, "Then say it word for word." "Yu Changyi will ask someone to put the medicine in the small hole every three days, and the servants can get it themselves." "Every three days, isn't that tonight? When will the medicine be taken? Is there any code word?" "At the first watch, just hear two cuckoo calls outside the palace wall, and the servants will imitate the cuckoo calls to answer him..." "Have you seen the man who delivered the medicine?" "Because I have never seen it through the wall, I only know that it is a man's hand, and there is a scar on the palm of the right hand." I pouted at Huasui, and said to Xiao Lianzi, "Tie her into the storeroom and stuff her mouth with a cloth. She was caught on the spot for stealing my jade bracelet. I'll find two more powerful little internal monitors." Watch her, don't allow her to commit suicide, if she runs away or dies, ask the person who is watching her to bring her head up to see me!" Huasui looked at me in horror, and I glanced at her and said, "Don't worry, I don't want your life." Xiao Lianzi packed her up quickly and stuffed her into the warehouse.I asked Huanbi to close the door, looked at Jinxi and said, "Tonight you will pretend to be Huasui to get the medicine." Then I said to Xiao Yunzi in a deep voice: "Call Xiao Lianzi and a few capable internal eunuchs, tonight Let’s just sit on the sidelines and wait for the rabbit.” The arrangement was well done, and seeing everyone retreating, Liu Zhu whispered next to me: "I know it's Yu Changyi's hands, Miss, have you figured out how to deal with it?" I looked out the window at the setting sun that was gradually setting to the west. There were hibiscus flowers that had just bloomed in the courtyard. The flowers were already scorching red like fire, but under the setting sun that was crying like blood, they seemed so bright red that they were about to drip, almost piercing. Sore eyes.The wind blows through the branches and leaves all over the courtyard, and there is a sound of rinsing, with a light fragrance of flowers, and a faint sense of summer.My body was soaked in cold and covered with a thin layer of chill, so I couldn't help holding onto the window lattice and sighed, "Even if I let others go, they still won't let me go!" Huanbi's fine white teeth bit her bright red lips lightly, her almond eyes widened, "Miss, do you still want to be patient?" I used my armor to touch the delicate and intricate patterns of petals and leaves of peony flowers on the pear blossom wooden window lattice, and made a soft "click, click, click" sound, but remained silent.The evening wind loosened the furry pores on the face that had been tensed just now, and the sky gradually dimmed, with hazy bright stars appearing.I took a quiet breath, squeezed my fingers together and said, "Others have put a knife on my neck, and I have to wait for death or fight back. Can I bear it?" Liu Zhu held my hand and said: "Miss has already made up her mind, Huanbi and I will definitely protect Miss to the death." I let out my breath slowly and said, "If you don't want to be a knife, I'm a fish, so I can only fight with all my might." I knew in my heart that in the harem, if you don't get favored, you have to endure it, and if you get favored, you have to fight.Forbearance and struggle are the essence of all the lives of women in the harem.Looking at the current situation, it is difficult for me not to argue. I stretched out my hand to straighten the crumbling gold hairpin on my head, and asked, "Has the emperor turned over the sign today? Who is serving the bed?" Liu Zhu said, "It's Concubine Hua." I whispered: "Understood. Let's pass on the meal. Only when you are full will you have the strength to deal with tonight's twists and turns."