The Empress Dowager said: "Xiao Jiaozi, you and General Du go to the mourning family to make an edict, and let Mei Cai and Chen Meiren take care of themselves and be martyred for the emperor!" For Yu Ge'er, Su Cairen and Taiyi Cheng Wei Zhan, let's avoid martyrdom! ”

Father-in-law Jiao hurriedly bowed down and said, "Yes!" Receive the Empress Dowager's decree! ”

Du Wenhao hurriedly asked: "Queen Mother, is Weichen also going to announce the decree?" ”

"Hmm!" The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "You have worked hard to persuade the mourning family to spare the three of them from being martyred, and this affection will be remembered by them, so that they can repay you in the future." ”

Du Wenhao smiled: "This is all the grace of the Queen Mother, how can Weichen have any credit, Weichen will explain it by himself." ”

At this time, there was a sound of cloud plates in the distance, and it was already the second watch day when I heard the sound, and there was only one hour left before the time-limited suicide. The Queen Mother said: "Go quickly!" Finish it early, go back to rest early, and start tomorrow, you will also be responsible for guarding along the way, and you have a great responsibility! ”

Du Wenhao bowed and said, "Yes!" Wechen retires! ”

Du Wenhao and Gonggong Jiao came out, and with a team of eunuchs and palace maids, they went straight to the side hall next to the Funing Palace. The coffin of Song Shenzong's funeral was parked in the Funing Palace, and in the side shop next to it, Yu Ge'er and the four concubines who were about to be buried were waiting here.

Gonggong Jiao knew that the Empress Dowager was asking Du Wenhao to be a good person, so he said on the way: "General Du, don't panic to announce the Empress Dowager's decree later, and after our family sends the other two ladies back to heaven, you will announce the decree again, first, to show the kindness of the Empress Dowager, and second, to let the two ladies think that they have a companion and return to heaven with peace of mind." It will feel better. How is it? ”

Du Wenhao nodded and said: "My father-in-law's idea is very benevolent, how can I not obey my humble position." ”

The two said okay, and explained to the eunuchs and palace maids, and then came to the side hall.

In the side hall, the four mothers and the personal maids and grandmothers were crying together, and when they heard the footsteps outside the hall, they heard the sound of the guards shouting and avoiding, knowing that the time limit was coming, and the crying suddenly shook the sky.

Gonggong Jiao pushed open the door of the hall with a palm, walked into the hall with a gloomy face, glanced at the women who were crying in a group, and said coldly in a sharp voice: "Our family is ordered by the Queen Mother to send the funeral concubines back to heaven!" Sideways people avoid it at a fast pace! ”

Knowing that it was useless for her father-in-law to beg for the decree, these women wept and stepped aside, knelt on the ground, and wept on the ground.

Gonggong Jiao waved his hand expressionlessly, and the eight eunuchs came over with black lacquer and gold trays in their hands, on which were placed four white silk and four exquisite small porcelain vases.

Jiao Gong said fairly: "The four mothers, tomorrow the emperor and the queen mother will send out the funeral, the queen mother has already explained, tonight, before the hour, please let the four mothers take care of themselves." Now there is a white silk and a crane top red, and the mother can choose any of them. ”

Yu Ge'er had already cried into a tearful person, and when she heard this, she trembled like a little quail, looked at Du Wenhao in despair, and said in a wailing voice: "General, save my ......!" ”

Du Wenhao now wants to witness the suicide of the two mothers, is it not a taste, although he knows in his heart that Yu Ge'er has been spared from martyrdom, but it is difficult to say it, so he stands there expressionlessly.

Yu Ge'er's personal maids and grandmothers turned around and kowtowed to Du Wenhao and begged for mercy.

Chen Meiren's originally beautiful face has been scratched by Queen Xiang, one eye is also blind, and she has pretended to be crazy for so long, she has already described it as withered, but after all, it is normal to be greedy for life, although she already knows in her heart that it is inevitable, but listening to Yu Pigeon's pleading, and Du Wenhao's precedent of saving her life, she can't help but also see the expectation, seeing that he is also coming, thinking that he is here to save his life as before, his knees are weak, he kneel on the ground, and mourn in a hoarse voice: "General...... Help me......! ”

Chen Meiren's maid naturally knelt down for Du Wenhao, crying and begging for help.

Su Shi was already so frightened that the three souls and seven spirits were almost dissipated, almost like a walking corpse, just waiting for one death, but now seeing Yu Ge'er and the two of them kneeling down and kowtowing and begging, greedy for life and afraid of the dead, not to mention being forced to be buried, he was even more unwilling, knowing that this General Du was now a figure in the court who covered the sky with one hand, and was a big celebrity in front of the queen mother, begging her, or she could get a life, where could she still care about face. He fell to his knees in mourning, and was about to pray, and in his horror and despair, he could not speak.

Her personal maid and grandmother cried and grabbed the ground, kowtowed like pounding garlic, and kept begging: "General, general!" Please, get around us! "Let the slave die for the mother!" ……

All of a sudden, there was a lot of crying in the room, kowtowing like a drum, Jiao Gonggong became irritable, his sleeves were flicked, and he said sharply: "The love of martyrdom for the emperor, returning to heaven to serve the emperor, what a glory, you just make this sad appearance, it's really boring, come on!" Pulled a dry of idle miscellaneous away, and waited for the four mothers to return to heaven! ”

The eunuchs and palace maids agreed in unison, rushed up and dragged the maids and grandmothers kneeling in front of Du Wenhao outside the hall with their hands and feet. The eight eunuchs stepped forward and knelt down and lifted the tray aloft in the air.

Su Shi's body was weak and he collapsed on the ground, and the whole person was so frightened that he couldn't even cry.

Yu Ge'er was barely calm, seeing that Du Wenhao was speechless, expressionless, and unlucky, he trembled and stretched out his hand, touched the folded white silk, as if it was electrified, retracted his hand, and the palace maid next to him urged him violently, and trembled to take the porcelain bottle containing the red of the crane top, touched the cork, did not have the courage to pull it out, and tears fell down like broken pearls.

Chen Meiren prostrate on the ground, begging for help.

Only Mei Shi has been standing there, at this moment, he walked over slowly, glanced at the two things on the tray, hesitated for a moment, reached out and grabbed Bai Aya, and walked under the beam, where a eunuch had already brought two tall and low coffee tables with footsteps. Mei Shi was supported by the eunuch, stepped up to a high place, shook his hand and hung the white silk on the beam, tied the end of the end in a dead knot, pulled it, it was very strong, grabbed the white silk with both hands, and looked up to the sky and said: "Your Majesty, the concubine has come to accompany you......"

The pink head poked into the white silk ring rope, kicked hard under his feet, hung his hands down, twisted his body a few times, and then hung motionless in the air.

Mei calmly committed suicide and was buried, which made the other three mothers frightened, Chen Meiren heard the crying, and saw a corpse fluttering in the air with one eye, frightened and scattered, her body was weak, she collapsed on the ground, her legs were hot, and she was already incontinent.

Father-in-law Jiao sneered, turned his head sideways and said to the palace maid eunuch next to him: "Look, Chen Niangniang is so scared that she pees her pants, it seems that she can't go on the road, what are you all standing stupidly for?" Waiting for the mother to return to heaven! ”

Four or five palace maids and eunuchs rushed up, grabbed Chen Meiren's arms and set them up, holding her legs and feet and couldn't move, one of them pulled her hair and made her raise her neck, and the other five big and three thick palace maids, pinched Chen Meiren's nose with her left hand, and pinched her cheeks with her right hand, squeezing her mouth open.

A eunuch next to him took the small bottle of Heding Red from the black lacquer tray, pulled out the cork, and poured a small bottle of light red powder into Chen Meiren's mouth, and another eunuch with a curved teapot came over, stuffed the teapot spout into Chen Meiren's mouth, and poured half a pot of water into it.

When pouring water, she put her head on her back, pinched Chen Meiren's mouth so that she couldn't spit out, pinched her nose and waited for her to swallow involuntarily, seeing that the medicinal powder in her mouth was swallowed with the water, and Chen Meiren was almost out of breath because her eyes were rolling and she was out of breath, so she let go.

Chen Meiren kept panting and coughing, wanting to stretch out her index finger to pick her throat, but her arms were held by the palace maids and eunuchs on both sides, and she couldn't move. Looking up to the sky, I didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

After another moment, Chen Meiren's abdominal pain was like a knife, her body kept twisting, and the palace maids and eunuchs who were driving her arms on both sides knew that she had a toxic attack in her stomach, so she threw her back and fell to the ground.

Chen Meiren rolled on the ground with her stomach in her arms, foaming at the mouth, gasping rapidly, struggling to kneel on the ground, reaching out to pick her throat, retching, and only spitting out some sour water.

Chen Meiren immediately collapsed to the ground, rolled her eyes, and gasped while retching, and hissed: "Water ......, so thirsty ......, water, give me water ......!" ”

Du Wenhao knew that this was the initial symptom of Hedinghong (arsenic) poisoning, and there were even more uncomfortable ones later.

Sure enough, after only waiting for a moment, Chen Meiren screamed screaming in her lower abdomen, rolling on the ground with her body in her arms, shouting that it hurts, retching and panting. Then I smelled the smell of feces, and Chen Mei's body was full of watery pale yellow fecal liquid, rolling all over the ground.

Gonggong Jiao and the eunuchs and palace maids pinched their noses and retreated again and again.

Then, Chen Meiren screamed and shouted a headache, and hit her head on the ground like a drum, and blood was dripping on her forehead, but she was not dead. After a while, he finally collapsed on the ground, one eye turned up, from panting to only breathing out but not in, and his body kept twitching.

After a while, Chen Meiren's body twisted a few times, then she stopped breathing and was motionless, her face full of scars was twisted, very hideous, and her single eye was still round, staring at the ceiling, as if she was looking at someone.

Gonggong Jiao glanced at Du Wenhao, and saw that he didn't come forward to check whether he was dead, so he stepped forward, pinched his nose and squatted down, first probed his nose, and then stretched out his two fingers and touched the carotid artery, confirming that Chen Meiren was dead, nodded slowly, got up and walked to Du Wenhao's side, and said with a smile: "General, our family's affairs are done, and the rest will be handed over to you." ”

Du Wenhao didn't say a word, and walked towards Su Shi and Yu Ge'er with his hands behind his back.

Seeing that Chen Meiren was poured poison and died a tragic death, the Su family was already frightened, urinating incontinence, and there was also a wet pale yellow urine between her legs, and she looked at Du Wenhao with a dull gaze.

Yu Ge'er no longer has illusions, seeing the miserable appearance of Chen Meiren, she made up her mind to commit suicide by hanging the beam, at this moment her pretty face has no trace of blood, seeing Du Wenhao coming over, with a group of eunuchs and palace maids behind her, she smiled miserably at Du Wenhao: "General, thank you for sending me!" ”

The detective grabbed the white silk on the tray in the eunuch's hand, looked back at the nurse who was crying at the door of the hall and said, "Mother......!" Son, go! ”

As soon as he turned around, he got on the high table, and shook his hand and flew Bai Aya towards the beam.

Du Wenhao stepped forward and kicked off the height of her feet.

Yu Ge'er had not yet put the white silk in his hand on the beam, his feet were empty, oops, falling from mid-air, Du Wenhao reached out and grabbed her, put it down steadily, and said with a smile: "Niangniang, you don't have to die!" ”

"Huh?" Yu Ge'er exclaimed in surprise and stared at him, not understanding what he meant.

Du Wenhao's hand holding her shoulder tightened, and said loudly: "Spread the Empress Dowager's edict - avoid the burial of the pigeon and Mei's family!" ”

Yu Ge'er's delicate body was shocked and stayed on the spot.

Gonggong Jiao also said with a sharp voice: "Two mothers, this is the grace of the Queen Mother, and it is also the result of General Du's plea, but you must keep it in mind!" With a wave of his hand, he went out with the eunuchs and palace maids.

Outside the hall, Yu Ge'er and Mei's maids and grandmothers heard this, only as if a spring thunder sounded on a sunny day, and their hearts were about to explode with joy, but they couldn't believe this fact, and saw that Jiao Gonggong took people away, so they completely believed in the good news from heaven, and they all poured into the hall at once:

"! doesn't have to die! "Thank you, Bodhisattva!" "Thank goodness!" "Thank you Queen Mother", "Thank you General Du......! ”

The women hugged the two ladies and cheered, but Yu Pigeon was so sad and happy that he was stunned, standing there, holding the white silk in his hand, looking at Du Wenhao in a daze, and the two lines of tears flowed silently.

Su Shi, who was sitting on the ground, was still sitting there stupidly, as if he hadn't heard Du Wenhao's words at all. Her nurse took her into her arms and cried out, "My son! Queen Mother's grace, you don't have to be buried! - My son, don't scare your mother like this, you cry! Hurry up and cry out......! ”

Su's soul finally returned to her body, she turned her face to look at the nurse in a daze, saw that her old face was full of tears of joy, and heard her own maids around her crying and saying that the queen mother would not have to commit suicide to be buried, and finally understood, opened her hand to hug the nurse, and cried out.

Du Wenhao looked at it and smiled, turned around to leave, but was stopped by Yu Ge'er: "General, please wait!" ”

Du Wenhao stood up and turned around, Yu Ge'er took two steps forward, knelt down and kowtowed, crying silently: "Thank you for the general's life, the pigeon will not forget it!" ……”

Du Wenhao was just about to reach out to hold it, but the Su family over there also crawled over and kowtowed: "Thank you for the great kindness of the general...... ”

Du Wenhao hugged each other with his arms: "Niangniang, please get up, two mothers please get up quickly, this is the grace of the Queen Mother." Wechen didn't dare to accept this great favor. ”

The two ladies knelt down, and the maids and grandmothers naturally knelt down with them, kowtowing with joy and sorrow.

At this time, a few eunuchs and palace maids came in from outside the door, put down the corpse of Mei Cairen who was hanging in the air, and together with the corpse of Chen Meiren who was twisting her body on the ground, they were lifted up and placed on the soft couch, and then carried away the funeral, ready to be buried when the dawn was introduced.

Looking at the bodies of the other two mothers who had just died being carried away, the two maids outside the hall cried and grabbed the ground, and Yu Ge'er and Su Cairen and the women around them in the house were even more full of mixed feelings, and they were even more grateful to Du Wenhao for saving his life. and again prostrated in thanks.

Du Wenhao comforted him softly, seeing that it was already late at night, he asked the two maids' personal maids and grandmothers to help the two ladies go back to the palace to rest, and said that early tomorrow morning, there would be a team to send a funeral to the emperor and the queen mother.

Yu Ge'er and Mei Shi were even more grateful to Du Wenhao for his thoughtfulness, and they wept and left with their maids and grandmothers.

Du Wenhao walked out of Funing Palace, and Gonggong Jiao waited there with a team of palace maids and eunuchs, and the two of them each took a sedan chair to the prison. Where is the Dafang Pulse Imperial Physician Cheng Wei Zhan still waiting for death, he has to rush to announce the pardon as soon as possible.

The prison is in the northwest corner outside the imperial city, which is heavily guarded, and on the way, Du Wenhao discussed with Gonggong Jiao, wanting to use this matter to find out the situation of the case, so don't announce the pardon of Wei Zhan's death penalty for the time being.

So after the two came to the prison, Jiao's father-in-law stayed in the outside room, and only Du Wenhao went in to inquire about the situation.

Du Wenhao came to the basement where the prisoners were held in the prison, Wei Zhan was a prisoner, and he was detained alone in a dark and damp room in the innermost, Du Wenhao even felt a chill around him, and couldn't help but shiver.

The basement was dimly lit, and Du Wenhao only saw a figure curled up in the corner, with a thick wooden flail around his neck, and long thumb-thick chains on his hands and feet.

Before Du Wenhao could identify who it was, the man had already recognized him and exclaimed, "Lord Du? Is that you? Master Du. ”

Listening to the voice, Du Wenhao also recognized the voice of the imperial physician Cheng Wei Zhan, so he said, "Lord Wei, I am Du Wenhao." I heard that you are on death row, and you will be beheaded tomorrow, so I am here to see you off. ”

Wei Zhan already knew the news of tomorrow's execution, and smiled miserably when he heard the words: "Thank you, Lord Du, for your righteousness." I don't dare to be old. ”

Du Wenhao ordered the jailer to put on a banquet. Tianjian knew the weight of the general in front of him, so he hurriedly agreed, and soon set up a good banquet and sent it, and set up dishes, chopsticks, tables and chairs in the prison.

Du Wenhao ordered that the wooden shackles around Wei Zhan's neck be taken for the time being, and the cell boss naturally complied and personally helped Wei Zhan remove the wooden shackles.

Du Wenhao asked the cell boss and the guards to retreat outside, and then beckoned Wei Zhan to sit down. After Wei Zhan confessed, he sat down with his head tilted.

He took a drink from his wine glass and said, "Lord Wei, I heard that on the day of the emperor's death, you were greedy and mistaken and failed to rescue the emperor in time, right?" ”

Wei Zhan drank the cup with his hand, lowered his head and said: "My lord, the humble position failed to save the emperor, if the result is blamed, the humble position has nothing to say, and he dies without complaint, but the humble position is indeed not greedy for the cup!" It's been years since I drank alcohol! Besides, adults should also know that the imperial doctor is on duty and always follows the emperor's side, where is the opportunity to be greedy? Why should there be a cup to be greedy for? ”

Du Wenhao nodded: "What happened at that time?" You say come and hear it. ”

Wei Zhan sighed: "Tomorrow, what's the use of saying this?" It's better to drink a lot and go to the execution ground drunk! With that, he poured himself a large glass and greeted his hand: "Thank you, Lord for the wine!" He drank a large glass of wine, choked on it, and coughed repeatedly.

Du Wenhao waited for him to cough for a while, and then said in a deep voice: "Don't hide it, the Queen Mother issued an order to let me investigate your case, if you can tell the truth, maybe there will be a turnaround." ”

Wei Zhan smiled bitterly: "Turnaround? Tomorrow at noon, where is the turnaround? Besides, the old decay doesn't know what happened, and how can he wash away his grievances? ”