Chapter 18 Chapter Eighteen

It was almost a watch, and the palace was silent.Tangli Palace also extinguished half of the lights in the courtyard as usual, but there was a murderous intent waiting for an opportunity that had never been seen in the past in the quiet night as usual.I was still sleepless, and kept alert and startled like a night animal in the dim and flickering candlelight.I began to feel that there was a strange bloody smell in the quiet night in the harem, mixed with endless plots and curses that could not be guarded against, and every concubine and concubine were eager to move and watch.In this silent spring night, I seemed to wake up and grow up suddenly, and those pure and peaceful minds gradually moved away from me.I deeply realized that I already wanted to avoid it but couldn't avoid it, and was deeply immersed in the huge vortex of the harem struggle.

The sound of Genggu is getting closer and closer, and the sound of loud clappers beating Genggu may disturb other people's dreams.For me, it was more like a shrill cry.I took Liu Zhu Huanbi and walked quietly into the courtyard, where several small eunuchs had already ambushed under the palace wall.Jinxi approached me quietly, pointed to a figure lying on the gate of Tangli Palace, and said in a low voice, "Xiao Lianzi is up there, just wait for the thief to appear, then jump down and capture him alive." I nodded , Xiao Lianzi has some kung fu on him, he is lying on the palace gate, if you don't pay close attention, you really can't see it.

There were only two cuckoo calls outside the palace wall, and Jinxi also imitated the two calls with the lantern in hand. Sure enough, a hand was stretched out from the hole in the palace wall, holding a small paper bag in the palm. , there is a scar on the palm.Jinxi nodded, and the little eunuch next to him immediately covered up and twisted that hand.The hand was in a panic, but it couldn't be twisted away even with force.Hearing a few more "Alas" from outside the wall, Xiao Lianzi said loudly: "My lord, it's done!" In an instant, the palace lanterns were lit, and the courtyard was as bright as day.Xiao Lianzi twisted the man in and pushed him to kneel in front of me.But it looks like a small inner eunuch, with his head down and unwilling to look up, his figure is very familiar.I lowered my head and thought for a while, then snorted coldly and said, "Isn't it an old acquaintance? Lift up his dog's head."

Xiao Lianzi hit him hard on the back of the neck, and the little eunuch felt the pain and instinctively raised his head. Everyone was surprised when they saw it, and then their expressions became contemptuous.The little eunuch shrank his head back in shame in a hurry, but he wasn't the little Yinzi who used to serve me by my side. I smiled lightly and said, "Eunuch Yin, don't come here without any problems." Xiao Yinzi didn't dare to say anything, Liu Zhu walked up to him and said: "Hey, isn't that Mr. Yin? He climbed up the high branches back then, now he came to see us still nesting in Tangli Palace like this Are you guarding the old master's old friend? Thank you for your trouble." Stretching out his hand to pull his hat, he said with a smile: "Where is the post now, and you still come to the old master's palace in the middle of the night."

Xiao Yinzi remained silent.Liu Zhu's voice was sharp and stern: "Why don't you say it, you can't be a thief. If you are a thief, you have to offend him. Xiao Lianzi, get someone to bring a big board and beat him hard!" Xiao Lianzi called Qian'er and said: "Since Miss Liuzhu ordered, come and bring a big board. Only if the thief's legs are discounted will it count!" Xiao Yinzi panicked and begged for his life again and again.I smiled and said: "What are you panicking about? Although it's been a long time since I've seen you, it's still a master-servant relationship. I'll just ask you what I want to answer, and what am I supposed to do to hurt you?"

I said to the left and right: "The big board is still coming up to prepare, so as not to worry about the future when Mr. Yin speaks, and he is always hesitating to make people impatient." Xiao Yunzi immediately went to fetch two execution sticks from the palace, and the little inner eunuch held them one by one and stood on both sides of Xiao Yinzi. I asked, "Where are you on an errand now?" "At... at Yu Changyi's place." "That's a grievance. Yu Changyi now only lives in the old house in Yongxiang, which is not a good place." Xiao Yinzi lowered his head and replied weakly: "A slave is just following the master, there is nothing good or bad."

I chuckled lightly: "You can think about it. Didn't you go to Concubine Li with your master at the beginning, why did you go to change clothes with Yu?" "Yu Changyi entered Changzai on that day, and Master Li said that there was a shortage of people in Yu Changyi's place, so he directed the slaves to go." "Master Li has a long-term plan for you. You have been transferred to three masters in just half a year, and you are very popular." Xiao Yinzi kept silent with a face full of embarrassment.I said lightly: "This story is over. I just want to ask you now, what are you doing sneaking around outside my palace in the middle of the night?"

Xiao Yinzi was stunned for a moment, then recovered his senses and said: "The slave is just passing by." "Oh, there are also urgent errands in the middle of the night?" "This... the slave couldn't sleep and came out for a walk." "Really? I think you haven't woken up yet. I'm too lazy to talk nonsense with you." I turned my head to Xiao Yunzi and said, "Call out all the palace servants in the Hegong Palace and give me a hard hit on the back." The Lord's ungrateful thing, hit him until he wakes up and tells the truth!" I said coldly again: "I said how the situation in my palace can be clearly understood by outsiders, it turns out that it is an old man who went out of this palace."

Xiao Yunzi approached me and asked, "Dare to ask my lord, how much do you want to fight?" I whispered: "Keep alive, just don't beat me to death." I stood up and said, "Let me watch Liu Zhu Huanbi here, so that the people below will know the fate of betraying the Lord and ungrateful. Jinxi, it's cold outside, help me I'll go in." Jinxi helped me in, and said softly: "Your master has been tossing around for half the night, so it's time to rest." I listened to the howls one after another like a slaughtered pig outside the window, and just sat there without saying a word.But after a while, the movement outside gradually subsided.Xiao Yunzi came in and reported back: "Little master, that thing can't stand the punishment, so it took only a few strokes. It is said that Yu Changyi ordered him to do it."

"Tie him up and lock him up with Huasui, watch them both carefully." Xiao Yunzi answered and went out, I gritted my teeth slightly and said: "Looking at the situation, how can I not be chilled. He is someone who has gone out of my palace before... I treat him well." Jinxi comforted her with words: "Master, please don't be chilled by this filthy thing. Now the situation is very clear, it must be Yu Changyi who has a grudge in his heart and made people take revenge." "I know." I have been tolerant and patient enough for Mrs. Yu, but she still insists on taking my life every step of the way.After a long silence, he said softly, "Why is it so difficult?"

"What did the young master say?" I sighed silently: "It's so difficult to live safely in this palace." Jinxi lowered her eyelids, and said respectfully, "People don't harm tigers, but tigers harm people's hearts." "Now I understand why the palace always prays for peace and auspiciousness. It should be that peace is the most lacking thing in the harem. Because there are few people who want to ask for it all the time." I thought about it, "I still have to ask the emperor for this matter." Reported by the Queen." "yes." "Tomorrow morning you will go back to the emperor first." "Your servant understands. Where is Yu changing clothes..." I thought for a moment, "There are all the stolen goods, she can't shirk it." After a moment of hesitation, "If the emperor still has old feelings for her, it will be difficult to deal with. Back then, she sang outside the Yiyuan Hall all night and made the emperor show mercy again. Now A woman is narrow-minded, and she must retaliate... If she fails to eradicate the grass, there may be troubles in the future." "Does the young master have a perfect plan?" I lightly tapped the table with my fingers, thought for a while, and suddenly a flash of light flashed in my mind, and I smiled and said: "The curse of poison and the crime of deceiving the emperor, I am afraid that her life will be lost." Can't stay anymore." "My lord is referring to..." "Do you still remember that you once asked me if there were people in Yimei Pavilion on New Year's Eve?" Jinxi immediately reacted, and smiled at me. The night passed quickly, and I slept soundly.After waking up, Jinxi told me that Xuanling had sent Xiao Yinzi and Huasui, and was waiting for me to wake up in the hall.Hastily got up to wash. Keeping the emperor waiting for a long time is already a violation of the rules.I saw Xuan Ling sitting alone with an ugly expression on his face, so I called him softly, "Shiro." Seeing me coming out, Xuan Ling's expression turned pale, and he said, "Huanhuan, are you sleeping well?" I said in a worried voice: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern, but I'm afraid it's not good if I slept too deeply." "I know that the Shun people around you have been back and forth between me and the queen early in the morning. From today onwards, I will ask people to pay attention to your medicine, drink and meals, so that such sinister things will not happen again." Speaking of the last two sentences, he There was an icy chill in his voice. "The harem competition for favor is so sinister, I really never expected it! I have ordered people to take the flower spike and the little seal to the violent room and kill her with a stick; as for Yu Changyi, I made a decree to send her to Jin Leng Palace. Lifelong confinement! Huanhuan, you don't have to worry about it anymore." As expected, the emperor was merciful. When I thought about the past, I was anxious and sad, and knelt down again, sobbing and crying: "Huanhuan has always been weak and has nothing to do with the world. I don't want to offend Yu Changyi unintentionally to hurt so many people." Human life, Huan Huan is really sinful, and she is not worthy of the emperor's favor." The emperor held my arm and said gently: "You are worrying too much. You were injured innocently, and you have been frightened again and again. Don't cry again and hurt your body." I was crying and refused to get up, leaned down and said: "Huanhuan once prayed for blessings on New Year's Eve, and only wished that the wind would be as good as the meaning, and it would not be easy to destroy", but I didn't want the sky to fail..." When I said this, I deliberately didn't say anything Going down, only looking at Xuan Ling, sobbing softly. Sure enough, his expression was shocked, his eyebrows were raised, and he pulled me up and asked, "Huanhuan, what is your wish? Where did you make it?" I seemed to be puzzled, and murmured: "Leaning in the plum garden, I hope that 'the headwind will be as good as your mind, and it will not be easy to destroy'." I looked at his expression, and said cautiously: "That night Huanhuan was not careful. The shoes and socks are wet from stepping on the snow." Xuan Ling frowned slightly, looked into my eyes and asked, "Then have you ever met someone?" I looked at him in surprise, without avoiding his gaze, and said, "How did Shiro know? Huanhuan met a strange man in the garden that night, because he went out sick, and the men and women couldn't get close, so I had to talk about it." I lied and claimed to be the palace maid in the garden, so I got away." I said "ah", and suddenly realized: "Could it be the man from that night..." I knelt down in panic and said: "I really don't know that I am the emperor, my concubine is disrespectful." , I hope the emperor will forgive me!" After speaking, she cried again. Xuan Ling embraced me, and unconsciously exerted a little force with both hands under emotion, causing my arm to hurt slightly, and said: "So it was you! It was you! I actually misidentified someone else." I pretended to be confused and said, "What other people is the emperor talking about?" Xuan Ling summoned Li Chang, his personal servant, from outside the hall, and said, "Pass down my will. The Yu family of the Leng Gong, bullied the king and ignored the king, and poisoned the concubine. Give it to me and kill myself." Li Chang saw that the emperor had suddenly changed his mind, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions, so he bowed and went out to deliver the decree.I pretended to be puzzled and said, "What's wrong with the emperor? He suddenly wants to kill Mrs. Yu?" Xuanling's expression turned cold for a moment: "She, bullying the king, dared to claim to be the person who talked to me in the Yimei Garden that day. She must have been eavesdropping when you and I were talking that day, so she could vaguely say a few words. This 'Against the wind is like understanding, easy not to destroy' I can't think of a sentence, I just reasoned to me that I was nervous and forgot." He said coldly: "She has committed the following crimes many times, and I always think about the love that day. It took a few minutes to spare her. Now it is unforgivable." I hastily pleaded: "Your Majesty has made thousands of mistakes, and I only admire the Emperor's sake. What's more, the root cause of this matter is from the concubine, and I ask the Emperor to treat Yu Shi lightly." Xuan Ling sighed: "You are always too kind, she hurt you like this, and you pleaded for her." I couldn't bear it in my heart, after all, it was Yu's life that was committed in my hands, and I felt sad and cried, "I hope the emperor will make it happen." "I already understand your intentions. It's just that you are not joking, Yu's crime is unforgivable. However, since you pleaded for her, I will allow her to return her body to the family after death." I leaned down again and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty." Now that the matter was over, Xuan Ling and I both breathed a sigh of relief, he held my hand, my face was getting hotter but I didn't dare to pull my hand, so I had to let him hold it.Xuan Ling said casually with a smile: "Speaking of praying in the Yimei Garden that day, what beloved items did you bring with you? Is it a sachet, a fan pendant, or a pearl flower?" When I saw him asking, he seemed to have no idea that it was a small portrait that I was hanging that day, and I knew whether the small portrait fell into his hands.Although he felt a little strange, he didn't take it to heart, and just replied: "It's just something my daughter likes, if Shiro likes Huanhuan, he can make another one." Xuanling smiled lightly: "You must have been frightened by what happened this time, if you want to do it, wait until you relax." He fixed his gaze on my face and squeezed my hand tightly: "I and you The days are still long, don't rush for a while." I heard him say the words "the days are still long", and my heart softened and turned into a honey-like sweetness, as if someone's hand was gently brushing over my heart, my eye sockets were so tender, I called him in a low voice: "Shiro." Xuan Ling embraced me, but remained silent.Hanging from the painted beams are several silver-plated incense balls, engraved with intricate patterns, golden and silver, fragrant and musk, and the fragrance is lingering in the hall.The sound of wind washing outside the window can be heard clearly. After a long time, Fang Fang said softly, "I will stay with you today." I whispered shyly, "Huanhuan is inconvenient." Xuan Ling couldn't help laughing: "It's always okay to eat and talk with me." After lunch together, Xuanling said: "There are still some government affairs, you just rest, I will come to see you tomorrow." I got up and watched Xuan Ling go out. It wasn't until he walked for a long time that I slowly calmed down and walked back to the Nuan Pavilion.I summoned Jinxi to come in and said, "Shouldn't the maids and eunuchs be buried in mass graves after death?" Jinxi looked a little sad, and said in a low voice: "Yes." I knew she was sad, and sighed: "I didn't want Huasui and Xiaoyinzi's lives, so I just sent them to the violent room to serve hard labor. Who knows that the emperor has issued an order, so there is nothing I can do." .” Jinxi said: "They also committed their own crimes." I straightened my clothes and said: "Although I have said that, I still can't bear it. You take some money and ask someone to collect the corpses of Huasui and Xiaoyinzi, and then buy two coffins to bury them properly. After all, you have served me once." Jinxi was taken aback for a moment, as if she never thought that I would give such an order, and then replied: "My lord is kind, I will definitely let someone else do it." I waved my hand, and said in a tired voice: "Go down. I'm tired, I want to rest alone."