On the second day of Dugu Yanxiang's visit to Concubine Rong, Concubine Rong went to the queen's palace to say goodbye. When passing by the Imperial Garden, I heard a few palace maids whispering.

"Did you hear that? The emperor gave the king of Beixuan a set of mansions yesterday. A palace maid said.

"That's it, I also heard that the emperor gave the courtyard an inscription "Pity the Courtyard", you say that the emperor is really favored by the king of Beixuan. The other man said again.

"Hey, how did this become a pity courtyard? It sounds like a girl's place, how do you talk about that? ”

"You don't know that, do you? I heard that the king of Beixuan is a woman. The emperor rewarded her with the house yesterday, just to spend a good night with her, but who expected that the queen mother was urgently recalled to the palace and obstructed, so it was over. ”

"What? Is the King of the North Spinning a woman? How is this possible? The little palace maid shouted in surprise.

Another palace maid looked around cautiously, and hurriedly blocked her mouth with her hand: "Be quiet, don't let others listen, you and my heads will not be safe." ”

"The King of the North is really a woman, how do you know?" The little palace maid asked again.

"A friend of mine is on an errand in Fukang Palace, she was on duty last night, when the Queen Mother asked the emperor to go to the Buddha Hall, she was in the side room, and faintly heard the Queen Mother and the emperor quarreling." The other palace maid said with an oath.

"Huh? No wonder the emperor went to Concubine Rong's palace last night. ”

"Isn't it, look at how similar Concubine Rong looks like King Beixuan! Besides, Concubine Rong was a little palace maid like you and me that day, just because she was similar to the King of Beixuan, she was included in the harem and became a mother. Ay? You can't tell anyone else these words, or you and I will wait to be beaten! ”

"Don't worry, I won't tell others, let's go quickly, Tsinghua Palace still has something to do." As she spoke, the little maid walked out from behind a peony flower, and another maid followed.

As soon as the two looked up, they saw Concubine Rong standing on the road in front of her with a gloomy face. The two knelt on the ground in fright, and bowed: "Slave maid, slave maid see Concubine Rong." ”

Concubine Rong looked at the two of them and scolded angrily: "What a bold man, he dares to chew the root of the master's tongue, one by one he doesn't want to live, he doesn't know whether he is alive or dead, he will drag down and punish eighty." ”

"Niangniang spare your life, Niangniang spare your life." "Concubine Rong, we were wrong, please let us go. The slave didn't dare anymore. ”

The two palace maids prayed in mourning, but Concubine Rong could not allow them to talk about herself behind her back, and said to the eunuch with a gloomy face: "Drag it down." ”

Originally, Concubine Rong was very happy to be blessed by the emperor, but she didn't want to go out early in the morning, and she heard people say irresponsible things to her like this, so she naturally wouldn't let them go.

However, she was going to the palace concubines to show off today, so naturally she ignored this little unpleasant episode, she came to the queen's palace with a spring breeze on her face, and asked the queen to say goodbye: "The concubines see the queen's mother." ”

The queen looked at her and said coldly: "If Concubine Rong sleeps late in the future, she doesn't have to come to the palace to say goodbye." The main palace is nothing, but it is not good to ask the people in this room to wait. ”

Concubine Rong smiled, knowing that the queen was jealous of her being favored last night, so she saluted everyone again and said: "The queen is angry, the concubine didn't mean to, but this morning the concubine wanted to get up earlier to say goodbye to the mother, but the emperor felt sorry for me, and insisted that I sleep for half an hour longer, which made me miss the mother's good morning, and the concubine will not compensate the sisters."

The ladies of the various palaces are also unhappy with Concubine Rong's re-favor, but what they don't know is that the previous favor is just an illusion, and now is the beginning of Concubine Rong's life.

Concubine Qi looked at her happy face, and said with a sneer: "Hey, we don't dare to say that this Concubine Rong is not it, people have the emperor's favor, and it is not impossible for us to wait longer." Who told the emperor that he hadn't entered the harem for two months, and as soon as he arrived in the harem, he went to Concubine Rong again. ”

"Look at what my sister said, where the emperor is going is the emperor's preference, how can you and I control it, I didn't know that the emperor would go to my palace last night, if my sister is displeased, the next time the emperor comes again, how about I invite him to your Tsinghua Palace to sit?" Concubine Rong said with a smile still on her face.

"Cut, when does this palace want you to intercede." Concubine Qi gave her a fierce look, then got up and saluted the queen: "The queen's concubine still has something to do in the palace, so the concubine will retire first." ”

"Well, everyone is gone." The queen looked at the crowd and said. All the concubines in each palace stood up and saluted, and said in unison: "The concubines are retired." ”

As soon as I came out of the Chaofeng Palace, I saw the ladies of each palace walking together in twos and threes, pointing and discussing with Concubine Rong.

Concubine Qi and Concubine Xian walked past her, snorted coldly and said, "Cut, what's the matter?" It's just a stand-in for someone else. ”

Concubine Xian pulled the corner of her clothes and asked in a low voice, "Isn't that rumor true?" Is the King of North Spinning really a daughter's family? ”

"It's not my daughter's, she's just a stand-in, and I really think she's a dish." Concubine Qi's harsh words made people really angry.

But Concubine Rong still quietly let them talk, after all, she was just a palace maid, unlike others who have a family to rely on. But she will never let others bully her.

Hearing everyone say this, she couldn't help but wonder in her heart, isn't the identity of the King of Beixuan really different, no, she has to find someone to secretly investigate.

In the evening, the big eunuch Xi Ning beside Concubine Rong went out of the palace, and he took advantage of the moonlight all the way to a mansion on West Street, and stepped forward and knocked lightly on the door three times.

After a while, a little guy yawned and asked, "Who?" It's so late, what's the matter? ”

"Where's your master? I want to see him. Xining said.

"The master has already slept, come back tomorrow if there is anything!" The little guy waved his hand and wanted to close the door.

Xining stopped him, handed a piece of jade pendant to the little servant, and said, "Take this to your master." ”

"I said you, didn't you?" The little guy was very displeased.

"Go, if you delay a big thing, can you afford it?" Xining glared at him angrily and shouted.

The little guy was obviously frightened, and stopped talking and walked inside.

After a while, he ran out to look at Xining at the door and said, "Sir, please, my master is waiting for you in the study." ”

Xining entered the courtyard and entered the study.

As soon as he entered the study, Li Qing, the imperial historian, stepped forward and bowed his hand and said, "Father-in-law, which gust of wind blew you here?" ”

"The minion has seen Master Li." Xining said in a sharp voice.

"My father-in-law is polite, please take a seat, I don't know when my father-in-law will visit late at night?" Li Qing asked.

Xining sat down and said, "Lord Li, the slave family will not sell Guanzi, recently, there are some rumors about the King of Beixuan in the court, I wonder if you can hear about it?" ”

"The lower officials have heard a little bit about this." Li Qing said again.

"The slave family came here at the behest of Concubine Rong this time, hoping that the adults could help find out about this matter, and make sure that the king of Beixuan committed the crime of defrauding the king, and he will be severely punished." Xining made her intentions clear in a few words.

"The officials will do this verification by themselves, but if you want to do the crime of deceiving the king of Beixuan, I'm afraid it's not so easy!" Li Qing shook his head and said.

"Lord Li, there is no wind and no waves, there is no wind, I heard that yesterday the emperor sent a courtyard to the king of Beixuan! It shouldn't be hard to confirm, right? Xining said again.

"Yes, the lower officials try to investigate, but the emperor is very partial to the king of Beixuan, if you want to bring him down because of this matter, I am afraid it will not be easy."

"Master Li just do what Niangniang instructs, as for whether you can bring it down, whether you want to bring it down or not, it depends on what Niangniang wants." Xining said.

"Yes, the lower official will send someone to investigate tomorrow."

"Well, it's not too early, so let's rest early! The slave family also went. ”

"My father-in-law has worked hard, and he has gone all the way."

"Farewell." "Farewell."

The matter was investigated for more than half a month, and Xining reported the results of Li Qing's investigation to Concubine Rong. Concubine Rong was overjoyed when she heard this, and sneered: "Hahaha, Shangguan Beitang, if you want to fight with me, this palace will let you die without a place to be buried." Xining, tell Li Qing to impeach Shangguan Beitang tomorrow morning, and the palace still doesn't believe that he can't be defeated. ”

"Niangniang, Master Li said that if you want to bring down Shangguan Beitang, there is one more person who can be used by us." Xining said.

"Who?" Concubine Rong asked with some doubts.

"Xiao Yiqing, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites."

"Isn't this person very good at friendship with Shangguan Beitang? How can it be used for us? ”

Originally, the king of Beixuan promised to marry the woman to him, but when he went to propose marriage two days ago, the king of Beixuan suddenly repented and refused to marry the woman to the Xiao Mansion. I'm afraid that Xiao Yiqing hates the King of Beixuan very much at this moment! Xining said.

"I see, but how are we going to win over this Rite Squire?"

"Don't worry, Niangniang, it's better to leave this matter to Master Li, just wait for good news here."

The next day, a surging controversy began.

Dugu Yanxiang had just reached the top of the dragon chair, and Li Qing, the imperial historian, stepped forward and said, "The minister has a play." ”

"What does Li Aiqing have to say?" Dugu Yanxiang asked without looking at him.

"Your Majesty, recently, it has been rumored in Beijing that the king of Beixuan is really a woman, that is, a woman, how can he take charge of the soldiers and horses of my Jiang country. The minister thought that the king of Beixuan was suspected of bullying the king, and he should check his integrity and abolish his military power. Li Qingzhen said eloquently.

"Why are there such rumors, even the identity of the King of Beixuan dares to doubt it. Outrageous? Dugu Yanxiang looked at the audience and said sharply.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid that these rumors are true, recently, everyone in Beijing is saying that the emperor gave the Beixuan King a set of courtyards, and the inscription is "Pity the Courtyard"

"This has to make people wonder if the emperor's favorite person is actually the king of Beixuan, if you don't verify the identity of the king of Beixuan, I am afraid that the rumors will be difficult to quell, and it will be unfavorable to the emperor and the king of Beixuan! The minister implored the emperor to order the king of Beixuan to take off his shirt in public, verify his identity, and clarify the rumors. Xiao Yiqing also stood up and said righteously.