Since Li Zicheng's army arrived at the city of Beijing, Fei Zhen'e has been secretly thinking about how she will do her best if the city is broken.

Like millions of women in that era, chastity was as important as life, or even more important than life, and could never live to be disgraced by a thief. She was born in the court, read the book of Confucius and Mencius, and regarded loyalty as a matter of course. She was once loved by the emperor, but by chance the emperor suddenly took her into her arms, put it tightly on her lap, and pushed it out again in a moment.

She was a young girl in love, and at that sudden surprise she was frightened and shy, her face flushed, her heart beating wildly, her breathing was strained, her whole body was paralyzed, and she was overwhelmed, and then she was grateful to the emperor and reveled in her dreamlike fantasies.

In the era in which she lived, if in the home of ordinary people, an innocent woman who was as guarded as jade was suddenly held in the arms of a man, it was a great indecency, she would resist to the death regardless of her strength and weakness, shout loudly, and give back a slap to the man who had insulted her. However, this time it was not an ordinary man who suddenly held her in his arms and forcibly put her on his lap, but her emperor, and it was a young emperor who was only thirty-three years old, which was completely different in nature.

She knew in her heart that if it weren't for the state crisis and the thieves were attacking Beijing, the emperor would definitely summon her. Although the thought of being summoned at night made her blush and her heart beat, but at the same time it made her heart shake, and she was intoxicated by the wonderful dream of happiness. She knew that among the thousands of palace maids in existence, she was one of the most beautiful palace maids, and there was another girl who was called beautiful by everyone was Dou Meiyi, who was next to Empress Yi'an in Ciqing Palace.

But she Fei Zhen'e is by the emperor's side, has served the emperor for several years, and has become the emperor's sweetheart. She thought that as long as the thieves could not enter the Juyong Pass or could not break the capital after entering the Juyong Pass, as in previous years, the country would be in danger, and the thieves would retreat and everything would be the same, and the emperor would be relieved, and she would be crowned as a concubine by Si Jin, and at that time, her parents and family would enjoy endless glory and wealth.

Not long ago, the emperor gave her to the princess to accompany the princess to study, but she knew in her heart that the emperor had not forgotten her. Every time she presented the princess's imitation book to the Dongnuan Pavilion of the Ganqing Palace, the emperor always stopped the red pen that reviewed the documents and looked at her affectionately. Once the emperor clearly wanted to hold her hand, but unfortunately Wu Xiang came in to do something, and the emperor swung his chin and made her quit. All these things hidden in the depths of her girl's heart, every time she thinks about it recently, it makes her thoughts of doing everything for the emperor more resolute. Not only can she not lose her virgin virginity, but she also cannot live up to the royal grace.

Today's fifth watch, when she ran to Kunning Palace with several female companions in Shouning Palace, and rushed to Ganqing Gate with a large group of palace maids summoned by Wu Wanrong, her idea of committing suicide by throwing herself into the moat began to waver. When two or three hundred palace maids gathered outside the Ganqing Gate, I only heard Wei Qinghui shouting: "Sisters, all those who are ambitious will follow me out of Xihua Gate and commit suicide by throwing themselves into the water!"

So the palace maids followed Wei Qinghui and staggered around the Neijinshui River in front of Wuying Gate and ran towards Xihua Gate. In the middle of the way, a palace maid smaller than her fell, she picked up the palace maid, grabbed the arm of the female companion and continued to run forward. The day is starting to dawn. She was even more shaken by the idea of throwing herself into the river, unwilling to die like this, and at the same time thought of the princess.

When two or three hundred palace maids ran out of Xihua Gate and crowded on the bank of the moat, it was very chaotic, many people gathered around Wei Qinghui and Wu Wanrong, ready to throw into the water, some people retreated from the shore, Fei Zhen'e suddenly made up her mind in the confusion, and quickly turned back and ran. When she was about to run into Xihua Gate, she heard Wei Qinghui calling out to her in the crowd, and at the same time heard Wu Wanrong say to Wei Qinghui: "Don't call her!

She was unfamiliar with the road, lost her way in the emergency and panic, and ran to the Guiji Gate by mistake, and had already crossed the high vermilion lacquer threshold, and suddenly saw Li Zicheng's soldiers coming in from the noon gate. She turned back and retreated, remembered the road when she came, staggered and ran north, crossed the Jinshui River stone bridge between the red wall of the Wuying Palace and the Chonglou, and ran through the Baoning Gate, only after believing that she would not be caught by the thieves who entered the palace.

She thought that Wei Qinghui had already thrown herself into the water and died, so she said to them in her heart as she ran forward: "Sister Wei, Sister Wu, please wait for me, we will meet in the Netherworld!"

When the Dashun army cleared the palace for the first time, the beautiful Feigong people were not discovered, and it was only when the palace was cleared for the second time after lunch that a little eunuch of Shouning Palace revealed his mouth. The soldiers of the Dashun army found her from a dry well.

Since last night, the concubines and palace maids have known that the city is broken in front of them, and they have no intention of eating. Fei Zhen'e saw that the princess refused to eat, and she did not eat. At dawn she jumped into the dry well, the bottom of which was damp and cold. When she was fished up, her legs and feet were frozen, her lips were blue, and she was about to die of torture. People hurriedly draped their clothes over her, lit a charcoal fire in front of her, and boiled a bowl of ginger soup with brown sugar for her to drink. After a while, her strength regained slightly.

When she was rescued from the dry well by the soldiers of the Second Qing Palace, although her body was very weak, she sat on the ground without fear, and put on a proud look at the officers standing in front of her, and said: "I am the eldest daughter of the Ming Emperor, Princess Changping. Since the country is gone, he is not afraid of death. You must not be rude to me!"

The officer saw that although she was weak, she was very beautiful and noble, and thought that she was indeed a princess, so he immediately sent someone to report to Wu Ruyi, and then found a few palace maids from Shouning Palace to help Fei Zhen'e into the palace and serve carefully. Although the palace maids of Shouning Palace also threw water and escaped, most of them did not leave the palace. The officers of the Qing court interrogated several palace maids and confirmed that the woman who was fished out of the dry well was not the princess, but the palace maid named Fei Zhen'e who accompanied the princess to study.

He asked Fei Zhen'e why she was hiding in a dry well and why she was pretending to be a princess. Fei Zhen'e refused to answer, but said coldly: "Your official humility, I won't talk to you, don't ask more." If your master has entered the palace, I can tell your master to your face. ”

This officer immediately sent someone to report to Wu Ruyi. When Wu Ruyi came, Fei Zhen'e had already drunk brown sugar ginger soup, warmed up her body by the brazier, and gradually regained her tender whiteness, and slightly revealed the ruddy color of youth from the white tenderness. She looked at Wu Ruyi's aura, attire and the entourage behind her, and guessed that this must be an important general under Li Zicheng, and several palace maids also saw that Wu Ruyi was an important person, and they all knelt down to greet him, not daring to raise their heads. Fei Zhenmoth slowly got up from the chair, refusing to kneel or bow, just bowing her head and saying nothing.

Wu Ruyi didn't dare to despise her, first said his own name and official position, and then asked, "Who are you?"

Fei Zhen'e replied: "Fei Zhen'e, who is from the Palace of the Dead Country." ”

The officer who came in early said to Wu Ruyi: "It's her pretending to be a princess." ”

Wu Ruyi asked, "Why are you pretending to be a princess?"

"In order to save the princess, I am willing to die. ”

"Do you look like a princess?"

"It's a bit like, but not all. The princess is a golden skill and jade leaf, how noble, even if others have similar appearances, their spirit is the same. ”

"You look up!"

Fei Zhen'e raised her head. Wu Ruyi was taken aback, almost daring to face Fei Zhen'e's radiant face and phoenix eyes. He turned his gaze to the two palace maids next to him, his mood was very uneasy, and asked, "Don't be afraid, stand up." What are the people of Fei Gong in charge of by your princess's side?"

An older palace maid replied: "She was serving the emperor in the Ganqing Palace. Because she reads well and writes well, the emperor gave her to the princess and read by the princess's side. ”

"Who are you?"

"I am Liu Xianglan, the steward of Shouning Palace. ”

"Does Fei Zhen'e also write imitation books?"

"Her imitation writing is very good. Sometimes she went to the palace to present the princess's imitation book, and the emperor ordered her to present her own imitation book at the same time, and always smiled after reading it, rewarded the palace with colorful satin, and called her the best female talent in the palace. ”

"Go get her imitation book!"

The housekeeper of Shouning Palace didn't dare to slack off, so she quickly took Fei Zhen'e's imitation book and presented it to General Wu with both hands. Although Wu Ruyi didn't read much, he saw that Fei Zhen'e's imitation writing was really good, which was indeed rare among women.

He glanced at Fei Zhen'e again, almost daring to meet Fei Zhen'e's gaze, and then looked at the Fei Palace people again, and asked, "How old are you this year?" He unconsciously used the word Fang Ling, revealing that he did not treat Fei Zhen'e as an ordinary palace maid.

"I am seventeen years old, a few months older than the princess. ”

"Why are you pretending to be a princess, since you refuse to tell me directly, and you are willing to play to Emperor Dashun, I am not reluctant to you, you have a good life to rest, freshen up and change clothes, and wait for Your Majesty to summon you. ”

Wu Ruyi said to Liu Xianglan, the housekeeper's mother-in-law: "You take good care of her, hurry up and eat, let her rest, don't be negligent!"

Liu Xianglan bowed down and replied: "Obey Jun's orders!"

Wu Ruyi couldn't help but glance at Fei Zhen'e's face again, turned around and walked out, he said in his heart as he walked: "The emperor will be very satisfied if he finds it, and when he returns to Chang'an soon, the queen will be satisfied when she sees it." ”

Liu Xianglan sent Wu Ruyi out of the palace gate, and after coming back, she instructed some of the palace maids to pick up eggs for Fei Zhen'e, some to prepare ginseng and chicken soup, and also instructed other palace maids to help Fei Zhen'e wash and change clothes after Fei Zhen'e rested and eaten, and waited for the new emperor to summon her.

She whispered to Fei Zhen'e: "Sister Zhen'e, because you are destined to be a noble person of the new dynasty, our sisters in Shouning Palace have been blessed by you, and every evil turns into good fortune." After you ascend to the sky in one step, don't forget the sisters in Shouning Palace, and beg the new emperor to send the grace of heaven as soon as possible, and let the sisters leave the palace safely and return to their parents. ”

Fei Zhen'e was very sympathetic to the sisters in the palace, but she didn't make a sound, she just said in her heart: "Hey, Sister Liu, I will soon be cut by a thousand thieves!"

Wu Ruyi knew that Li Zicheng went to Wansui Mountain to see Chongzhen's corpse, and hurried out of Xuanwu Gate after leaving Shouning Palace. He met Li Zicheng in front of the Banzai Mountain Gate and walked out with a few ministers, and knelt down on the side of the road and said: "Your Majesty, what was fished out of the dry well of Shouning Palace is not a princess, but a beautiful palace maid. ”

Li Zicheng asked, "Why is she pretending to be a princess?"

The minister asked her again and again, but she refused to answer, saying that she wanted to see Emperor Dashun in person. ”

"Strange thing! Why don't you interrogate him strictly?"

Wu Ruyi said hesitantly: "This, this woman is extraordinary, she is both beautiful and literate, and she is calm, not afraid, and she can not be subdued by coercion." Please summon her once tonight, ask her face to face, and listen to her pour out her true feelings to Your Majesty. ”

Li Zicheng shook his head and said with a smile: "There are thousands of palace maids in the Qin Wangfu and the Jin Wangfu, and there are also many women in the clans of the two mansions, all of whom you named and disposed of. You're not a hillbilly who just entered the city and haven't seen the world. Is this palace maid really outstanding and beautiful?"

Wu Ruyi said: "The minister does not dare to bully the king. ”

Li Zicheng asked again: "What is the name of this palace maid, and how old is she now?"

"Her name is Fei Zhen'e, and she is seventeen years old. ”

Li Zicheng smiled, fully understanding Wu Ruyi's intentions. Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance, and Li Yan, who were standing behind him, also understood in their hearts, exchanged glances with each other, and nodded lightly. Li Zicheng has no heirs, which is not only a great cause of the Li family, but also a major event of the Great Shun Dynasty. When Li Zicheng left Xi'an for the Eastern Expedition, Empress Gao Guiying once instructed Song Xiance and Wu Ruyi in person, and also instructed Li Yan through the Red Lady to pay attention to finding a concubine for the emperor after entering Beijing.

But Li Zicheng's personality is completely different from Zhang Xianzhong's, he listened to Wu Ruyi's words and moved the idea of taking Fei Zhen'e as a concubine, but on the surface, he refused to reveal his eagerness to summon him, first ordered Wu Ruyi to calm down, and then asked casually with an indifferent attitude: "You just said that this Fei Zhen'e still has literary talents, how can you see it?"

Wu Ruyi bowed down and replied: "The minister doesn't dare to speak casually, the minister listens to what the palace maid in charge of Shouning Palace said, Chongzhen praised Fei Zhen'e's literary talent, saying that she is the best female talent among the palace maids." Speaking of which, he presented Fei Zhen'e with a copy of the book.

Although Li Zicheng is not good at calligraphy for half his life, he likes to read on weekdays and likes to appreciate other people's words. He didn't forget his identity as the emperor, so he didn't say it out loud, just looked at two imitation papers, nodded with a smile, handed a copy of the book to Niu Jinxing, and meditated in his heart: Since this palace maid surnamed Fei is very beautiful and has literary talents, she might as well summon her once and make a decision.

Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance, and Li Yan watched Fei Zhen'e's imitation book together, and they all praised this imitation book. Because Song Xiance saw that Li Zicheng had already intended to take this Fei Gong person as a concubine, he even said some beautiful words. Of course, his praise is not outrageous, saying that Fei Zhen'e's words are based on European characters and Zhao characters as the face, and said that judging from the small characters she imitated, she obviously practiced the "Lingfei Sutra", and these words made Niu Jinxing and Li Yan nod in agreement.

After reading the imitation book, Song Xiance bowed to Li Zicheng and suggested: "Since this Fei Palace person claims to have something to say to His Majesty, please summon Your Majesty to ask him when he returns to the palace." ”

Li Zicheng replied lightly: "When I first entered Beijing today, I am busy with everything, so I will summon her when I am free." ”