Every year on the Shangyuan Lantern Festival, the emperor will take the concubines to the Suzaku Gate to watch the lanterns, but this year, because the Queen Mother wants to summon someone to accompany her to watch the lanterns, so a lantern garden is set up in the Qujiang Palace, and a group of people have moved to the palace for the festival.

Although there have been rumors outside that the rigid standard for choosing a princess in the fifteenth year of Anping has been rumored, it is not only the girls born in the fifteenth year of Anping who are invited to enter the palace by the Queen Mother, but also some foreign women, which is actually a lively and lively scene.

In contrast, the emperor also allowed some officials to enter the palace to watch the lanterns. A section of the Qujiang River, the upstream is the women's seat, the downstream is the men's seat, the sound of laughter and bamboo in the night is heard, but only a little light is seen in the past, reflecting the yarn flowers tied on the flowers and trees, and the faint figure in the meantime, like a fairyland, but it also took a lot of thought.

Although it is said to the outside world that it is a lantern, everyone knows that this is to choose a concubine for the king of Anjun, so Shen Shu has naturally become the focus of attention today, and there are people whispering everywhere he goes, which makes him so annoyed that he simply picked up a remote place to stand.

"I heard that there are still girls from the Jinghai Marquis Mansion and the Ministry of Rites today......

"It's not that the first emperor dreamed and said that he wanted a girl born in the fifteenth year of Anping......"

"Do you believe that? The marriage that the first emperor referred to back then was not born in the fifteenth year of Anping. Otherwise, why did you invite someone else today, it is just to cover up your shame, for the sake of sounding good outside. ”

"Shhhh

"I didn't say anything......"

"Yes, yes, isn't that just looking at the lights? But then again, since you have invited so many people to come, what reason will you use if you don't pick a good one when the time comes? ”

"Well, you have a point. If I am replaced, I find a way to meet and make a relationship, can I still shirk it in front of everyone's eyes? Let them lift up a stone and shoot it on their own feet, and they will be glad. ”

"Don't talk nonsense, this is in the palace, how can there be a chance."

Shen Shu stood in the shadow of the plum tree, listening to the two chamberlains whispering as they walked not far away, and couldn't help but sneer slightly. The Queen Mother's hand stretched out long enough, he came here, and someone specially "passed" to speak to him, this is because he thinks that he doesn't want to marry the daughters of those small families, so he will desperately find a "chance encounter" with a good family background?

Of course, if he is really the wild child who grew up in the northwest in the eyes of the Queen Mother and does not know the etiquette, maybe he will really go as soon as his mind is hot, and it is better to pick one by himself than to let the Queen Mother be at the mercy of him, right? However, if he goes today, I am afraid that it will be the trap of the Queen Mother. It turned out that he guessed that even if the Queen Mother decided to point Taohua to him, she would have to find a good reason, so as not to fall into the mouth of outsiders. Now it seems that the Queen Mother is planning to simply ruin the reputation of the two of them and create a private meeting in the palace, so that everyone knows that it is not that she doesn't pick a good one for him, but that he himself takes a fancy to it and does some ugly things, but the Queen Mother covers it up for him and loses a good reputation in vain.

Drinking all the wine in the cup in one gulp, Shen Shu looked at the lights upstream. He still has to go and see, what if Taohua didn't expect the Queen Mother to use such a despicable means to get into trouble? Although generally speaking, as long as he doesn't go over, Taohua will be fine, but there are no absolutes in the world, what if Taohua is injured and suffers?

As soon as he took a step, Shen Shu couldn't help but shake his head and smiled, the Queen Mother had hit the right one by mistake, since he knew that she was going to attack Taohua, he had to go and see it anyway, otherwise how could he rest assured?

The feasting places on either side were not far away, but separated by a plum grove, and because there were no lamps in the forest, a darkness separated the two sides. It looks like it's clear, but it's actually easier to blend in.

There are internal supervisors guarding both sides of Merlin, but such a Merlin doesn't even have a lamp hanging, pointing to the lights coming from afar on both sides, where can you see clearly? What's more, it was cold, and these inner prisoners rubbed their hands and stomped their feet when no one came, and they didn't do a good job on duty, so Shen Shu passed easily.

The ladies were also drinking in the Xuan, and then came out to enjoy the lanterns.

The lamps here are more delicate than the emperor's side, and the dead trees are either silk flowers made of silk, or lanterns the size of a fist are hung, and the lamp surface is painted with various folded branches and flowers. Among them, there are all kinds of big lights, and there is a mountain of lights in the middle of the garden, which is all glass lanterns, and the top one is a marquee that turns dripping, and the people painted on it seem to be moving.

Shen Shu was hidden on the edge of Merlin, and after a while, a palace maid hurriedly walked by, and there was a patrolling inner supervisor on the side of the road who asked in a low voice: "Who is it?" ”

"It's me." The palace maid stopped, "The girl from the waiter of the Ministry of Rites is waiting in Ning Bixuan, and asked me to go out and get her change of clothes." ”

"Oh, let's go over then." The inner supervisor waved his hand, "You are also hard, these girls and ladies didn't bring in a single girl, they only asked you to run errands." ”

Shen Shu laughed again in the shadows. The Queen Mother is counting the time to call someone to give him a breath? The daughter of the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, this candidate is a good candidate.

Speaking of which, among the girls who entered the palace today, the girl with the best background was naturally the eldest girl in the Jinghai Marquis Mansion, but because her background was too good, he didn't dare to move. After all, Jinghai Hou is now a person trusted by the emperor, if he is really unwilling to marry his daughter and beg to the emperor, the emperor may mediate the matter for him. On the contrary, it is the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, who has been in the third rank in terms of official position, but there is not much real power, and if such a thing really happens, he can only admit it.

Shen Shu really wanted to wait a little longer to see if the Queen Mother would send a palace maid to make such a trip every once in a while, or if such a scene was also being staged elsewhere, but he was worried about Taohua in his heart, so he still went to Ning Bixuan.

Ning Bixuan is a pavilion close to the Qujiang River, which is near Huachi Xuan where today's banquet is held.

The banks of this section of the river are full of stones, and the river water is deep, so it is not suitable to build a pavilion. But the scenery in this section is good, so the people who built the palace racked their brains and used a nine-curved bridge to lead from the flat river bank, and built Ning Bixuan at the end of the bridge.

This Xuan is facing the deep water, backed by the undulating river bank, you can see the flowers and trees along the coast from the Jiuqu Bridge, and you can see the whole section of the river in the eight long windows in the front, it is really a good place to enjoy the cool in summer. But this also has a disadvantage, that is, if someone blocks the bridge, the people inside can't escape. Oh, and you can't say that you can't do anything about it, if you know how to swim, you can dive and swim, or if you are nimble, you can climb up from the riverbank. However, these two methods are probably not possible for ordinary female dependents.

Taohua is now in Ning Bixuan. She had been paying attention all night, and finally her skirt was wet by a cup of pear soup. It's not that she didn't notice that the palace maid had a tendency to knock over the tray, but the palace maid who was waiting beside her blocked the space for her to hide.

"Sister, I wonder when I will be able to pick up my change of clothes?" Taohua looked at the palace maid in the room with a smile. When she followed this palace maid from the Jiuqu Bridge just now, she smelled a strange smell, like flammable materials such as sulfur, so the Queen Mother didn't plan to burn her to death in this Ning Bixuan, right?

"Girl, wait a minute, someone will send it soon." The palace maid was full of smiles, but her eyes flickered.

To say that Taohua was in the hospital in her last life, and the patients passed in front of her every day like flowing water, which not only increased the experience of diagnosis and treatment, but also honed her ability to observe and see the face. Especially when a patient dies, those who cry and shout, who is true and who is false, she can really see it clearly later. So although the people in this palace have covered it up, the kind of gaze that is a little wandering and does not dare to face people is enough to prove that there must be a ghost in her heart.

Taohua looked at her for a moment, and the palace maid subconsciously turned her head and said with a smile: "I think it doesn't taste very good in this room, and the girl can't sit still." I'll light some more incense for the girl, and I'll pick up the girl's clothes later." ”

This place is prepared for a change of clothes, and it is inevitable that there will be a little smell, but there are several pots of wax plum narcissus in the house, and the aroma is strong, where is the taste bad? However, as the palace man spoke, he walked over and dialed a copper incense diffuser next to him, and a piece of incense that had been sealed in it emitted white smoke.

The palace man turned away the incense and said with a smile: "Girl, sit down, I'll go and see if the person who delivered the clothes is here-" As soon as she spoke, she turned her head, and suddenly found that the Jiang girl who was still sitting on the chair just now had quietly stood behind her, and she was so frightened that she was about to scream, and the back of her neck was pressed hard, and she lost consciousness as soon as her eyes were dark.

Taohua calmly supported the palace maid, put her to the ground, picked up the cup of tea she had just poured, and extinguished the incense with her hand. The fragrance of flowers in this room was so strong that she couldn't tell what was in the incense, but it wouldn't be a good thing when she thought about it, and it still doused the insurance.

Ning Bixuan was lit up, but although there were lanterns hanging on the Jiuqu Bridge outside, they were not lit, so it was a long period of darkness. Walking out in such darkness, it is difficult for people outside to see who it is.

Taohua lowered her head and untied the skirt on her body, turned it over and tied it again. In the middle of this skirt is a layer of soft sheepskin, and the inside and outside are woven soft satin, the color is similar, but the pattern is different, and it becomes a double-sided skirt. This is the invention of mint, and the precaution is that the skirt outside is soiled and there is no clothes to replace, but I didn't expect it to be used in the palace.

It was quiet outside, and Taohua looked out and didn't find any movement. It's too dark to go out now, but if you stay here, you're waiting for someone else to take the initiative.

Taohua pulled out a gold-covered copper hairpin on her head, which Shen Shu quietly asked someone to send a few days ago. The hairpin head is a ruby shape of red gold, but the hairpin body is brass and gold, which is harder than ordinary red gold hairpins, and the hairpin tail is sharper. At least if you poke it down the throat or temple, it can really kill you.

Carefully closing Ning Bixuan's door, Taohua clenched the hairpin in her hand and walked along the bridge into the darkness. Her figure was about the same height as the palace man, so even if someone was really waiting outside, it would be difficult to tell who was coming over.

The faint smell of sulfur wafted over again, and Taohua had already walked to the bridge, but there was still no movement. Just as her heart was at the highest, a whisper came from the dark shadow next to her: "Taohua? Then a hand reached over and jerked her over, "Are you alright?" ”

The hairpin in Taohua's hand had already been raised, and when she heard this voice, she only felt that her hand was soft, and the whole person fell to that person: "Shen Shu!" Why are you here? ”

In the dark, Shen Shu put one hand around her and touched her hair with the other: "Why did you come out?" He was also worried that she would suffer, but he didn't expect her to run out on her own.

The weather was very cold, but Shen Shu's body was warm, and there was a faint smell of wine. Taohua's heart had already settled in his arms, but he knew that this was not the place to speak, so he hurriedly explained the situation in a few words: "I made the palace people faint." What is the Queen Mother going to do? ”

Shen Shu kicked something next to him: "Someone is guarding here, ready to set fire to the bridge when I enter." "This eunuch is quite gritted his teeth, he is actually hiding in the water in the winter, if he hadn't had the heart to observe it first, he really wouldn't have found him.

"Ruthless enough—" Momoka instantly understood. Ning Bixuan is just such a nine-curved bridge, and you can catch turtles in the urn as soon as the bridge is burned. And the palace is in the water, and the people who come to see it are definitely not one or two, and when the time comes, there will be a scene of catching rape - ah, bah, what is she saying, who is the rape!

"You go back to the lights at once, but don't let anyone see you, I'll set it up here." He and Wu Zheng had also imagined before, what means the Queen Mother would use, but they couldn't imagine that they would be so generous that they would even put the fire, and they didn't care if it was unlucky to leave the water before the New Year.

"Be careful." Taohua knew that she couldn't help, but she still shook Shen Shu's hand, a little reluctant to leave immediately.

Shen Shu backhanded her hand, touched the hairpin she held in the palm of his hand, couldn't help but feel distressed, impulsively pulled her over, and kissed Taohua on the forehead with a little glimmer of light in the distance: "After this time, it's fine." ”

Momoka's face was blown cold by the wind, and he felt his lips as hot as fire, burning from his forehead to his heart. She didn't know how she walked away, and she didn't wake up until she saw the lamp mountain in front of her, first inserted the hairpin back into her head, and then avoided the palace people and inner prisons who came and went, and stood in the shadow of the lamp tree.

At present, everyone has scattered to see the lights, and she is standing in the dark and not attracting attention, but looking at the Queen Mother and others under the lamp mountain in front of her, she is very clear. After a while, she heard someone shouting: "Ning Bixuan is out of the water!" ”

The places where the two sides drank and feasted were so close that the news of the water immediately reached the emperor. The inner eunuch who came to deliver the message first glanced at everyone at the table, and then knelt down in front of the emperor: "Your Majesty, Ning Bixuan has walked into the water and separated King Anjun inside!" ”

Immediately during the banquet, someone went to look at Shen Shu's seat, and sure enough, there was no one.

When the emperor hurried to Ning Bixuan, he saw the Queen Mother standing on the bank of the river with a group of people, watching people fight the fire. A palace man was kneeling on the ground and trembling and replied: "The slave maid sent Miss Jiang in, so she went to get a change of clothes for Miss Jiang, and when she came back, she saw King Anjun on the bridge, and the slave maid, the slave and maid did not dare to go over...... Later, somehow, the wind probably blew the lanterns on the trees and caught fire. As she spoke, she kowtowed, and there was a small burden in her hand, which had been half-spread out, revealing a skirt.

Old Madam Yu Ge coughed lightly, and Grandma Yu San, who accompanied her into the palace today, said as if talking to herself: "What is the prince of the county doing here?" ”

The sound was not loud or small, just enough for everyone to hear, and suddenly there was silence, except for the sound of the eunuchs fighting the fire, no one spoke.

Mrs. Jinghaihou held her daughter's hand tightly. There are too many tricks like this in the back house. However, the trick is not afraid of getting old, as long as it works. Ning Bixuan is a place for women to change their clothes, why did a man from King Anjun come here? On that basis alone, he could not explain. After a while, the fire was extinguished, and everyone went in to take a look, the lonely men and widows were in the same room, and the black cauldron was settled.

It's just that Mrs. Jinghaihou really didn't expect that the other person who was cheated was Taohua, and she was still the queen mother because Taohua had diagnosed and treated her several times, and she was summoned to the palace to see the lights because she wanted to reward her face. knew that the Queen Mother was going to target Taohua, she should really take good care of one or two, at least she couldn't let her come over to change her clothes. Now it looks like he is hitching up with King Anjun, but if this matter spreads out in the future, his reputation will be ruined, and he will be poked in the backbone for the rest of his life!

In the silence, the Queen Mother smiled: "The fourth child, I can't wait." I told him that the emperor would make a decree to marry in the first month, and he had to meet at this time. ”

Mrs. Jinghaihou held her daughter's hand and tightened it again. The queen mother sounded really loving, and immediately came out to make up for King Anjun, but this is also tantamount to finalizing the marriage - a county king, royal blood, and only marries a doctor girl as a concubine. Looking back, I want to thank the Queen Mother for covering his bed so that he wouldn't be talked about scandals?

"Emperor, since this is the case, the holy decree should be issued earlier." The Queen Mother didn't seem to see everyone's eyes, so she just looked at the emperor with a smile, "After the writing is done, I will call someone to Jiang's house to announce the decree as soon as possible, and don't tease the fourth child anymore." ”

The emperor's face did not show joy or anger in the light, but nodded. At this point, it was as if he had suddenly pressed some organ news, and the crowd suddenly came to life, and they began to talk nonsense, the central meaning of which was nothing more than to congratulate King Anjun, and to say a few words about the young man is like this, as if they were happy from the bottom of their hearts.

When Mrs. Jinghaihou was secretly slandering in her heart, she suddenly felt that Cao Hui shook her hand and said in a low voice: "Why is there no movement in Ning Bixuan?" "The fire on the bridge is on fire, and it's like this, don't the people inside know it?

"I'm afraid I'm thinking about how to go......" Mrs. Jinghai frowned. The Jiuqu bridge has been burned into a ball, and it is impossible to walk from the bridge again, if the king of Anjun can get out, he can still try to swim away, but he was seen that his clothes and hair were wet, which is also evidence. What's more, he can walk, can Taohua also follow him to dive? When the time comes, both of them will be wet, won't they not admit themselves?

"I always feel that something is not right...... Cao Hui's words were not finished, and someone outside the crowd suddenly laughed: "What is Zhao Shilang talking about?" A big event in the county king's mansion? Do you mean this king? ”

The squire of the Ministry of Works, who was just saying that the county king's mansion was going to be happy soon, that is, Zhao Chongyi's father, froze before the last word could be spoken, and turned his neck in the direction where the voice came from with some difficulty.

He was not the only one who did this, and Mrs. Jinghai saw the queen turn her head suddenly, and her strength was so great that people were worried about whether she would twist her neck.

I saw a person on the riverbank striding over and walking into the light. This person is wearing a red regular suit, not Shen Shu, who else? It's just that his head is all dry, and there is no water stain, obviously he didn't climb up from the river.

"The younger brother went to relieve his hands, and when he came back, he saw that there were no people, and he asked the little eunuch to know that it was water." Shen Shu walked all the way to the emperor and saluted, and then saluted the queen mother, "It's not a big deal, why did it alarm the emperor and the queen mother?" It's a bit windy here, so it's really not good to stay for a long time. ”

Yes, it's just a section of the Jiuqu Bridge that caught fire, it's really not a big deal, why did it alarm the emperor and the queen mother? Isn't it because a waiter came running and shouted that he was blocking you?

The expression on the queen mother's face was cloudy in the jumping firelight, and she didn't say a word, just looked down at the palace maid kneeling on the ground.

The palace maid was even more surprised than Zhao Shilang, she looked at Shen Shu like a fool for a while, and then subconsciously turned her head to look at the shore. It was not her task to set fire, her task was to splash the Jiang girl's skirt wet, then delay the time to take the skirt, and when she saw the fire on the bridge, she came out and shouted to take away the water, and then said her lines.

So she didn't actually see Shen Shu walk in, according to the plan, it should be a eunuch staring at Shen Shu and quickly setting fire to Ning Bixuan, and she just needs to say a few words that have been made up in advance. But now that Shen Shu is here, what about the people who set the fire?

The Queen Mother already knew that tonight's affairs were messed up. In front of everyone's eyes, Shen Shu's sudden appearance had already poked through the lie of the palace maid just now - not only did he not jump into the trap, but he also attacked her.

Now what? Just now, she had already said in front of so many people that the holy decree for marriage had been written, and now it was difficult to ride a tiger. If it is denied, is it to let the emperor take back the written decree? If the holy decree is still issued, it is tantamount to telling everyone that she is determined to point out an incompatible princess to Shen Shu, and she doesn't even want face?

The emperor had no expression on his face, and only then did he wave his hand, and Eunuch Du brought two people up, blocked the palace maid's mouth and dragged her down. Shen Shu was still asking: "Zhao Shilang, what kind of joy did you just say?" ”

Zhao Shilang is speechless. Zhao Chongyi also came out tonight, and when she saw that her father was forced to speak, she immediately covered her lower abdomen and frowned. When the emperor saw it, his expression turned cold and hard, and he said in a deep voice: "What I just said is your family business." Although you have to keep the Cui family for a year, the family affairs should have been settled early. I have already written the decree of marriage, and in a few days I will call for someone to give it. ”

Zhao Shilang breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at his daughter, and felt a hint of pride in his heart. Although Shen Shu is the king of the county, his daughter is now pregnant with a dragon fetus, and the emperor still protects his daughter and gives him face.

The emperor's face sank, and although Shen Shu had a look of disbelief on his face, he didn't dare to say any more. At this time, the eunuch who rowed the boat to Ning Bixuan had already turned around, and when he got ashore, he knelt down and replied: "Miss Jiang is not in the Xuan, only the palace maid on duty is asleep." ”

Jiang Taohua is not in it either? Co-authored the so-called private meeting, and neither of the parties was there? Everyone looked at each other, and no one knew what to say to relieve the Queen Mother.

"Sleep on duty." The emperor said lightly, "Drag it down, and kill it with the person who had a bad look and talked nonsense just now." ”

The Queen Mother's lips moved slightly, but she did not speak. The emperor is cutting through the mess quickly and pushing everything on the palace people, and for now, this is the only way. But then she couldn't ask what was going on tonight? Did Shen Shu enter Ning Bixuan, and where did the Jiang family, who was supposed to be in Ning Bixuan, go?

The emperor apparently thought of this as well: "What about the Chiang family? ”

There was silence for a moment, and a palace maid muttered: "When Fang just shouted to take away the water, the slave seemed to see Miss Jiang in the lamp forest, but she didn't see it clearly at that time, and she didn't dare to talk nonsense......"

"It's fine." The emperor remained expressionless, "In this case, there is no need to be here, I will go back first after sending my mother." It's all gone. ”