Chapter 81 Section 81

Nine cities are isolated, and every house is closed. If anyone goes out, it is likely to find out the real news.However, no one knows which sentence is the truth and which sentence is a rumor. Some said that outside Dongzhimen and Chaoyangmen, the forerunners of the allied forces had arrived; . This statement can be determined to be a rumor, and the Empress Dowager Cixi still lives in Ningshou Palace.Of course, she also heard the rumors that the enemy had arrived at the city. Thinking of the gunfire from the east that lasted all night the night before, she knew that the time to break the city was approaching.

"I have something to do!" She stood up talking to herself, and ordered loudly, "Look for Cui Yugui!" Cui Yugui is leading forty fast gunners to guard the dance and gate of Tongda Nei of Ningshou Palace, which is to the west of Le Shou Hall, very close to each other, and they can arrive as soon as they pass. "Send her to ask!" "She" is Concubine Zhen.Cui Yugui, who had already had a tacit understanding, agreed, hurriedly moved to the north, and went to summon Concubine Zhen in person. Then, the Empress Dowager Cixi also left, without a maid or eunuch, she came out from the West Nuan Hall of Leshou Palace, passed the Yihe Pavilion around the West Corridor, and walked to the West Corner Gate, where Cui Yugui greeted her.

"We'll be there soon!" Cui Yugui said, helping the Empress Dowager Cixi out of the West Corner Gate. Outside the door is a hallway to the west of Jingqi Pavilion, and beyond the west wall is the large courtyard between Fuwang Pavilion and Juanqinzhai, which has been desolate for a long time.The old tree was over the wall, and two or three crows were screaming "croak, croak". Few people pass by this hall, and it is empty, without any furnishings.Cui Yugui wanted to find a chair, but the Empress Dowager Cixi shook her hand to indicate that she didn't need it, and sat on the stone steps to the south. When she looked up, she could see a well, which was the only well in Ningshou Palace besides the small kitchen.

Soon, Concubine Zhen arrived, she couldn't help being surprised when she entered the door, why did Empress Dowager Cixi summon her here?Of course, she was not allowed to think about it at this time, so she calmly walked in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi, knelt down and said, "Good luck, Lafayette!" "Foreigners are coming to Beijing, do you know?" Concubine Zhen was startled, and then her face returned to calm; she said slowly: "The sound of the cannonball last night was different from usual, I think the foreigners came from the east." "You know everything." Empress Dowager Cixi asked in a slightly artificial voice:

"The foreigners are coming! So, what do you think we should do?" Concubine Zhen thought for a while and replied: "The servant should not be involved in important national affairs. Since the Lafayette asked, the servant dared to come up with an idea. Lafayette can go to Rehe and let the emperor stay in Beijing to negotiate peace with foreigners." Before the words were finished, Empress Dowager Cixi yelled: "Who asked you this?" Concubine Zhen did not show weakness, "Neither asked these," she said, "I don't know what Lafayette wants to ask?"

"When foreigners enter Beijing, most of them will run amok. Could it be that we were still murdered by them at that time?" "As expected, the slave will never be humiliated!" "How can you be so sure?" "It's nothing more than death." Concubine Zhen said, "If one person is desperate, what's the big deal?" "That's right. But there is also a time when a person can't wish to die. Since you have this plan, why don't you make a decision at this moment?" Upon hearing this, Concubine Zhen's face changed drastically, but she could still remain calm, "I beg Lafayette to clarify." She said.

"Aren't you planning to be martyred?" Empress Dowager Cixi said in a slightly teasing tone, "Why are you pretending to be confused now?" "The slave is not confused, the slave will understand until he dies." Concubine Zhen was excited: "The slave is not afraid of death, but I want to understand, does Lafayette want the slave to die?" "You can say that if you want! In fact, you should have died a long time ago!" Then, Empress Dowager Cixi shouted: "Cui Yugui!" "Cha!" Cui Yugui answered first, then turned to Concubine Zhen and said, "Master please obey the order!"

"This is chaos..." Before she could finish her sentence, the anger accumulated by Empress Dowager Cixi from yesterday exploded, and she shouted sharply: "Throw her down!" So Cui Yugui stepped forward to make a move, just as she was pulling Concubine Zhen's sleeve, she grabbed her hand back vigorously, took advantage of the situation, stood up, and shouted with a haughty face, "What are you going to do?" "Master, please go down!" Following his fingers, Concubine Zhen seemed to discover for the first time that there was a well not far behind her, she stared at it blankly, as if she couldn't make up her mind for a moment. "Master, please go down!" Cui Yugui coaxed her and said, "Master, I will go down!"

Who would have thought that this sentence made Concubine Zhen furious, she widened her eyes and reprimanded: "You are not worthy!" "Yes! A slave is not worthy, please go down alone, master!" When someone said something, Cui Yugui jumped up two steps, grabbed Concubine Zhen's arm, and moved forward vigorously. When she staggered forward, Cui Yugui followed the trend and dragged her to the edge of the well, of course she struggled.The mouth of the well is not big and the curb is not high, so it is not easy to push her into the well, so Cui Yugui hugged her tightly by the waist from behind, leaned back, and Concubine Zhen's feet were involuntarily lifted off the ground.Then, Cui Yugui stepped onto the well platform, and then leaned back again, waiting for Concubine Zhen's feet to slip into the well fence, then sank down, and let go of her hands, only to hear a "plop"!Cui Yugui's technique was extremely fast, and before there was any shouting sound from the well, he covered the extremely thick jujube wood well cover.