Jiucheng Palace is located on Tiantai Mountain, about 300 miles northwest of Chang'an City, originally used as a summer palace for the emperor, and has a history of hundreds of years since it was built.

As early as the early days of the reign of the emperor's grandfather, due to the Turkic Koubian, they often invaded the vicinity of Tiantai Mountain, and for safety reasons, the imperial court changed the practice of going to Jiucheng Palace in summer to escape the summer. Since then, because of the rebellion of the border generals, a major rebellion has not been quelled, and Jiucheng Palace has been reduced to a ruined palace.

In the past few decades, although most of the errands who were sent to the Jiucheng Palace were some palace people and eunuchs who were not powerful in the palace, for the dependents of those criminal ministers, being able to stay away from the capital and be punished to do hard labor in the Jiucheng Palace was always like the palace under the emperor's nose.

Lai Xing'er was in a hurry, and from time to time he patted the back crotch of the little white dragon with his palm, and he couldn't wait to go to Jiucheng Palace immediately to see the eunuch named Dong Laocheng to find out.

The little white dragon's foot strength is also really good, so he rushed back to Chang'an from Jingzhou non-stop, during which he just ate a full meal, and then he rushed to Jiucheng Palace with Laixing'er without stopping. Rao was so, and it took less than six hours to cover a distance of 300 miles. Before the first watch, Lai Xing'er was already standing outside the door of Jiucheng Palace.

Dong Laocheng is an old eunuch who is nearly sixty years old and was born with a kind eyebrow. When he sat in the duty room of the Jiucheng Palace Supervision Office, when he heard Xing'er ask about Cheng Meixin's whereabouts, he lifted his eyelids, looked at the handsome young man standing in front of him again, who was also dressed as a eunuch, and asked with a sinking face: "Who ordered you to come to Jiucheng Palace to meet our family?" ”

Lai Xing'er held the bag containing her mother's hair in both hands, and replied earnestly: "I can't hide it, Cheng Meixin is her biological mother." Today during the day in Duliu Lane in Chang'an City, someone handed over this coil of hair to Zai Xia and told me that only you know the exact whereabouts of my mother now......"

"Are you Mrs. Cheng's son? So, let's ask you, who is your father? Dong Laocheng stared at Lai Xing'er with questioning eyes and asked.

"My father came to be cautious, and he was beheaded under the single willow tree in Chang'an City five years ago because of his disobedience. In Xia Xing'er, I was implicated by my father with my mother, and my mother was punished to hard labor here, and I became a eunuch in the stable. ”

"Your mother is long gone."

Dong Laocheng's faint words, but like an incomparably sharp knife, instantly pierced the remaining glimmer of hope in Lai Xing'er's heart.

In recent years, whether it is from Furong, or from Li Jinzhong's mouth, or even from Wu Bi's relays of the emperor's words, Lai Xing'er has always believed that her mother is still alive and well, and is only waiting for the day when she can reunite with him in the near future. In order for this day to come as soon as possible, he did not hesitate to travel thousands of miles to the bitter cold land to find his mother's whereabouts, but what he got from Dong Laocheng's mouth tonight was the bad news that his mother had passed away.

Lai Xing'er screamed heartbreakingly, stepped forward and pressed Dong Laocheng's shoulders tightly, and asked in a hurried tone: "When did my mother die, you say it quickly, say it quickly?" ”

Dong Laocheng saw that Lai Xing'er's tears were like pearls with broken threads, and they fell on his body, sighed, and said, "Child, it was the people of Empress Zhang from the previous dynasty who asked you to come to our house." In retrospect, it has been nearly three years since Mrs. Cheng died. It's getting late today, and early tomorrow morning, we'll take you to Ling Ci's grave to pay respects. ”

Lai Xing'er heard that his mother's grave was near Jiucheng Palace, so he dragged Dong Laocheng up from his seat and forced him to go out.

Dong Laocheng didn't expect that Xing'er would have great strength, staggered and was taken out a few steps by him, hurriedly struggled to break away from his hand, and reprimanded in the tone of an elder: "You kid, why are you so rude!" If it weren't for you, why would Mrs. Cheng find a short-term sight at a young age, and if you don't ask the reason, you will make a mess, wouldn't you live up to your mother's good intentions? ”

Lai Xing'er was reawakened by his words, stopped her tears, stopped, turned around and apologized: "The younger generation misses his mother and is inevitably too careful, please forgive Master Dong." It's just that the younger generation and the mother have been separated in two places since the death of the father, why do adults say that the mother committed suicide for the sake of the younger generation? Please let me know the details. ”

Dong Laocheng persuaded Lai Xing'er to sit down, and called out to the outside of the room: "Come on." ”

A eunuch entered the chamber.

"Ask the small kitchen to make a soup cake and send it over, and then bring in the adult's horse outside the palace gate, and feed it raw with spring water essence."

The eunuch glanced at Lai Xing'er, and saw that he was dressed in a dark green brocade robe, obviously a figure with a head and a face, so he didn't dare to slack off, agreed, and turned around.

Dong Laocheng said to Lai Xing'er at this time: "This Jiucheng Palace has been abandoned for many years, since you have found this place, there will be nothing to do for a long night, and we will tell you slowly." ”

Lai Xing'er was already impatient, his hands were on the case, leaned forward, and urged: "Speak quickly, my lord." ”

"Our family came to Jiucheng Palace 20 years ago as an errand, and when I returned to Beijing with the palace supervisor ten years ago to report on my work, I was fortunate to get acquainted with Zhang Liangdi, who was next to the prince at that time, that is, the late Empress Zhang of the first dynasty.

"So, you're also from the Zhang family?" Lai Xing'er asked vigilantly.

Dong Laocheng smiled bitterly: "The reason why our family first revealed their identity to you is to tell you, why did the people under the Zhang family ask you to come to Jiucheng Palace to find me?" Their intentions may only be realized by our family. ”

Lai Xing'er listened to him open and honestly tell himself that he was the old man of the Zhang family, but he had two more trusts in Dong Laocheng in his heart, and no longer interrupted him, just sat quietly and listened to him continue.

"About five years ago, your mother was sent to the Jiucheng Palace as palace slaves along with more than 20 other rebellious officials. Soon after, Qingning Palace sent someone to our family, asking our family to pay special attention to your mother's every move, especially not allowing your mother to have any contact with people outside the Jiucheng Palace.

At that time, our family still wondered: Among the more than 20 people who came in this batch, in terms of origin and status, your mother is not outstanding, why would Qingning Palace just look at her differently?

It wasn't until two years later that I vaguely guessed why.

I remember that just after the Shangyuan Festival that year, Lord Li Jinzhong suddenly came to Jiucheng Palace and asked our family to bring your mother to see him as soon as possible......"

Lai Xing'er secretly calculated: Three years ago, wasn't it the year when the prince avoided trouble and left the town in Tongzhou? In this way, Li Jinzhong already knew the exact whereabouts of his mother at that time. Could it be that he exiled his mother to Liaodong? (To be continued.) )