In the evening, a woman wearing a pure white hat and a blessed figure slowly walked down from the carriage that stopped in front of the inn in the east of the city.

She walked closer to the inn. The innkeeper watched her slowly walk into the backyard room, and with these few steps, he could see that her identity was probably not low.

The door was shut.

Zhao Xin and Moon Shadow, who had been leading her, stood outside the house.

When the woman entered the house, she lifted up her hand and untied her hat, and unhurriedly bent her knees, and was about to bow down.

Xiao Yizheng stepped forward and helped her up: "Mama Du, don't make this big gift." ”

Du Qinniang was the personal maid of Queen Xiaoyi during her lifetime. After Empress Xiaoyi died, the emperor originally wanted to arrange for her to continue to return to the palace to take care of Xiao Yizheng, who was still young at the time. But she begged the emperor to let her come to Luojing Shangqing Palace on duty and be the lady in charge.

Over the years, the emperor also sent someone to ask her what she meant, saying that she could let her return to her hometown and enjoy her old age in peace, but she was politely refused.

Du Qinniang raised her eyes and looked at Xiao Yizheng with a smile, and said kindly and gently: "I haven't seen you for two years, Your Highness is getting more and more handsome." Even if I don't give you a big salute, I will salute the princess. As she spoke, she shifted her gaze to Qingxi, who was reclining on the bed not far away, staring at her.

Qingxi saw her kind eyebrows, although she was old, her skin was still smooth and translucent, and the whole person was gathered in a layer of soft light, which made people want to be close inexplicably, which reminded her of her mother.

Du Qinniang stepped forward and bowed in advance.

Qingxi immediately spoke out to stop: "Mama Du, there is no need to see the outside like this. ”

But Du Qinniang still knelt down meticulously and bowed: "The slave maid has seen the princess, if the mother is there, she must be very happy to see that Her Royal Highness has won this beauty." The slave maid can be regarded as living up to the trust of the mother, and saw it for the mother. ”

Her words were sincere, which made Xiao Yizheng and Qingxi inevitably sigh.

"Mama Du, please get up quickly." Xiao Yizheng helped her get up and asked her to sit down and talk.

"Your Highness, don't be so careful with me, my body is very good. As you know, Shangqing Palace is very idle. ”

This is a good point, Luojing's Shangqing Palace is the emperor's palace when he visited Luojing; But on weekdays, it is very deserted, just a former concubine's residence. Although there is not much oil and water in the Shangqing Palace, the figure is relaxed.

"I want to take you back to the Shangdu Palace, but you always refuse. I got married, and you haven't returned to Beijing. Xiao Yizheng pretended to complain.

Du Qinniang always looked at him with a smile, and said modestly: "It's for His Highness to worry." The news of His Royal Highness's wedding has spread all over the world, and I can know a lot in the Shangqing Palace, so I'm really happy for you. As she spoke, she stared at Qingxi again, revealing a look of affection.

Qingxi was suffering from unbearable abdominal pain, but when she looked at her like this, she also responded with a warm smile.

"Oh, seeing that His Royal Highness and the princess were happy, they forgot to get down to business." She got up, carried the medicine box that had been placed on the table when she just entered the house, and said to Xiao Yizheng, "Along the way, Moon Shadow Girl has already told me some general symptoms of the princess. Your Highness, you should avoid it first, and I will do a check for the princess. ”

Xiao Yizheng nodded, and called Moon Shadow into the house to wait.

He exited the house and stood outside the door with Zhao Xin.

"Xiao Qi is settled?" He asked.

"The little master rode all the way back to the city, he was a little tired, and he just came to ask if his wife was better, and now he went back to the house to rest, and Xiao Shengzi was waiting."

"Okay."

Zhao Xin looked at the door and asked in a low voice: "Speaking of which, I have known Mama Du for many years, why didn't the young master tell me that she is still proficient in medical science?" ”

Xiao Yizheng bowed his head and said lightly: "Mama Du can't cure any disease, she is proficient in women's affairs." ”

Zhao Xin paused, and then understood.

"Before you followed me, Mama Du had already come to Shangqing Palace, and it was normal for you not to know." Xiao Yizheng added.

Zhao Xin nodded slightly, and didn't ask more.

Xiao Yizheng's thoughts drifted away.

When he was a child, he heard his mother say that in order to take care of his mother's body and to have someone by her side, he chose Du Qinniang and asked her to accompany her mother.

It's a well-intentioned choice. The father must know that the things in the harem hide too many unbearable thoughts, mother

Although he does not live in the palace, he still has to be foolproof.

And Du Qinniang is indeed a loyal, considerate and good female official. She has been with her mother for many years, and her friendship is deep, and she has long surpassed her master and servant, just like today's Qingxi and Moon Shadow.

He even felt that if some secret mothers would hide from their father, they would not hide it from Du Qinniang.

After a long time, the door opened, and Du Qinniang walked out slowly.

Xiao Yizheng hurriedly turned around, first looked at the back room, and saw that Moon Shadow was waiting for Qingxi to lie down.

He turned his eyes to look at Du Qinniang again, and saw that there seemed to be a layer of melancholy under her calm face, and his heart was in turmoil. t.

"Your Highness, take a step to speak." Du Qinniang took the door and said in a calm tone.

Xiao Yizheng's breathing was a little short.

He ordered Zhao Xin to continue to guard outside the door.

He led Du Qinniang to another room.

As soon as he entered the house, he couldn't wait to ask, "Mama, is there really a problem?" ”

Du Qinniang sighed lightly: "If Your Highness hadn't been worried, he wouldn't have invited me to come over to check." ”

Xiao Yizheng shook his head: "I'm just not at ease, I'm just afraid of what happens, is it really ......?" ”

Du Qinniang stared at Xiao Yizheng and said solemnly: "The reason why the princess has unbearable abdominal pain during her menstrual period this time is because she was drugged. ”

Xiao Yizheng's hands tightened, and his breathing stopped. "But does it matter?"

"If I'm not mistaken, this medicine comes from the palace. His Royal Highness thinks that the people in the palace drugged the woman for what reason? ”

Xiao Yizheng's eyebrows furrowed, trembling and spit out two words: "Heir." ”

"Not bad." Du Qinniang's head. She watched Xiao Yizheng change color instantly, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly, her eyes were full of anger, she stepped forward to help his arms, and comforted: "Your Highness, don't worry, the princess's situation is still early, and it is not very serious." ”

Xiao Yizheng took a deep breath, calmed down, and said in a deep voice: "Mama, you say be more specific." My biggest concern was her body. ”

"I have asked the princess carefully, and she has not done anything wrong with her previous menstrual affairs, and this is the first time. Your Highness is not at ease, let me come and check. Otherwise, either the princess will not think about it as the ordinary situation of some women's menstrual affairs, or if she invites an ordinary doctor to take a look, she will only see some palace-warming prescriptions, and she will definitely not see that the princess has been drugged. If this delay continues, it will be extremely difficult for the princess to conceive. Fortunately, we found out early, and I will hand over the secret recipe to His Royal Highness later, and according to this secret recipe, I will be able to recuperate for three to half a year, and the princess's body will be fine. ”

Hearing her say this, Xiao Yizheng was a little relieved, and asked: "How can Mama be sure that she has been drugged, and how can she be sure that this medicine is from the palace?" ”

Du Qinniang was silent for a while, and sighed: "Because all the symptoms of the princess are in line with the efficacy of this medicine, and because the princess was still in Shangdu a month ago." And this medicine will only come out of the palace, not the people. ”

"What kind of medicine is it?" Xiao Yizheng asked.

"This medicine has no name." Du Qinniang paused, and then said: "In fact, this medicine is specially made by the royal family. His Royal Highness should know that not everyone in the harem is voluntarily accepted by the emperor. The relationship between the emperor and the ladies, if it is said that there is only the love of men and women, is not necessarily true; There is also a trade-off of interests, family fame. The ladies are not alone, behind them is the family and the power. Therefore, sometimes the emperor himself is reluctant to give birth to an heir due to certain considerations. This medicine should have been handed down by Emperor Sejong, how could such a thing and such a medicine appear among the people? Moreover, the medicinal materials used for this medicine are all precious things, and the common people will not be so troublesome if they have this mind. ”

"Got it!" Xiao Yizheng closed his eyes, and his chest was bulging, uncomfortable.

"If the emperor alone knows about this, it is not credible. However, there are absolutely very few people in the palace who know that this medicine can be dispensed with this medicine, and they must be people in high positions. "

The sweat in Xiao Yizheng's palm oozed out layer by layer. At this moment, he didn't want to think deeply, but he also knew very clearly that he had to think deeply. "Despicable!" The word hatred came out of his throat and eyes.

"And the reason why I know is because His Majesty personally gave me this secret recipe."

Xiao Yizheng was taken aback, frowned at Du Qinniang, and quickly asked, "Could it be that someone used this prescription to harm my mother back then?" ”

Du Qinniang shook her head, with a hint on her face

Moved: "Your Majesty, like you, is afraid and worried, and doesn't want the slightest accident from your mother." Therefore, he gave me this secret recipe and asked me to pay more attention to it. Later, I studied and pondered repeatedly, and I also tried to find a symptomatic drug to ablate its effect. However, I have never tried this side. I don't know if His Highness can trust it. ”

"I can trust Mama." Xiao Yizheng is categorical.

Du Qinniang's heart warmed, and she comforted him: "Your Highness, don't be anxious, you and the princess will definitely be able to have a full house of children and grandchildren, and Niangniang will protect you in heaven." ”

She suppressed her smile and said worriedly: "What Your Highness wants to think about now is: Who in the palace doesn't want you to have an heir?" ”

As soon as these words came out, she already had a plan for herself. "Will it be the ......?"

"Mama," Xiao Yizheng interrupted her. His mind can be said to be extremely confused at the moment, unwilling to make any hasty judgments, or subconsciously he is rejecting such judgments. "Have you said these words to the princess?"

"Naturally, there isn't."

"Hmm. Don't tell her for the time being, lest it make her feel disgusted and disgusted, and affect her mood. ”

Du Qinniang nodded in agreement. "Although I have just met the princess, after a simple exchange, I feel that her temperament is somewhat similar to that of the mother. In fact, whether it is the mother or the princess, it is not suitable to live within the walls of those palaces and live a life of intrigue. ”

"What about Mama? He left Shangdu when he had the opportunity to leave, but when he had the opportunity to leave completely, he stayed in the Shangqing Palace. Why? ”