"Go back and tell the prince that Liu Niangniang has invited me, and I will go to the banquet on time. I still have something to say to Liu Niangniang, you step down. ”

"But, sister, I ......" Lai Xing'er wanted to ask, but she didn't know what to ask, so she was so anxious that she sweated.

"Little kid, know what to do with so many things! Just do what I say, the first person you come to see when you leave the stable courtyard is me, and my sister will send you out of the East Palace safely. "Fleur really has a little love for Lai Xing'er, not as strict as others.

After Lai Xing'er stepped back, Furong looked at Liu Cairen, who was still trembling, with some disdain, and asked in a long tone: "Xiu'er, do you can't bear to leave the prince and the East Palace, or are you afraid that Niangniang and I will harm you?" ”

Liu Cairen had the courage to ask: "Xiu'er doesn't know what she did wrong, my sister wants to do this to me?" ”

Furong was not in a hurry to answer her, and counted with her fingers: "At the beginning, Niangniang took great pains to send you, a lowly servant, to the Liu She family in Zhongshu Province as a daughter, and then entered the East Palace through the draft to be the master, and it has been five years now."

Now if I ask you: Mother needs you to make sacrifices, would you be willing? I'm not sure what's in your mind. ”

Liu Cairen got up from the ground and said with sadness: "Xiu'er's life is Niangniang's, and I have never forgotten this." It's just that sister, you have to make me understand that you can't rashly sell me just based on clues, so I don't accept it. ”

Fleur snorted and said, "Clues? Do you know that Jing Yuncong came to the East Palace today to serve the emperor's secret decree?

Do you know that since the Xia family's wife said in public that the Wang family was plotted, you have become the prince's number one target of suspicion?

Do you know that my intention in living in Qihuatai is to cover up for you, in case the people around the Wang family confess to you?

Liu Niangniang, don't you want to think about it, invite me to the banquet and send a little eunuch to come, why does the prince just have to work for you, the concubine in charge of palace affairs, to come in person? ”

Liu Cairen was flustered by her series of interrogations, but he was unwilling to be a sacrifice, and said forcefully: "There is no evidence in the prince's hand to prove what I have done. Besides, maybe the prince is looking forward to us not being able to hold our breath and make some moves, so he can take the opportunity to grab the handle and bite the mother back.

You called Xing'er to fly the black feather to the prince, Xiu'er's life and death are small, isn't it just the fulfillment of what Mama Xia said is true? I really can't think of any benefit to the mother's plan. ”

Furong's face was like frost, and she said coldly: "You are right, firstly, the prince was deprived of the title of marshal and lost his military power, and secondly, Shang Jing is still locked up and has not been tried, he is a little anxious, and he does have the intention of inducing us to take action."

But what you don't know is that Niangniang is more anxious than him now. Over the years, Niangniang has spent almost all her thoughts on eradicating the remnants of the Yang family, from Concubine Wu to the Yang family, King Jianning, and now the crown prince, but what she didn't expect was that someone in the palace took advantage of the situation and wanted to reap the benefits of the fisherman.

This time the army was sent to recover Tokyo, and Concubine Li bewitched the emperor and made her own son King Ying replace the prince as a marshal; Although Li Jinzhong was driven out of the Inner Service Province by Niangniang's scheme, he became a military secretary and a general with great power in just ten days.

Now, if the crown prince and the Yang clan forces hidden behind the Xia clan are not dealt with as soon as possible, I am afraid that the backyard will catch fire.

The crown prince's current situation is very dangerous, there are even rebels in the East Palace, he wants to be deposed to protect himself, but he can't, even if he gets the so-called evidence, how can he make the emperor believe that what he said is true?

Therefore, Niangniang expected that as long as she was not caught by the prince in public, everything would be better.

After the prince gets the evidence, he will inevitably use the power outside the East Palace to exonerate him and launch a counterattack.

The Shangyuan Night Banquet is a good opportunity for the prince to induce us to make a move, rather than being exposed by him in front of the subordinates of the East Palace, it is better for us to take the first step and simply sell this flaw to him, and see how he acts, wouldn't it be a clever plan?

Now that the prince is in seclusion, he wants to dispose of you, he must pass me, what are you worried about? ”

When Liu Cairen heard this, his mind stabilized slightly.

She was personally placed in the East Palace by the queen, and now she is the identity of a concubine, and she does not obey Furong's orders, her frightened heart has disappeared, and her heart of victory has risen again, and she bowed to Furong and said: "Thank you sister for thinking about everything." It's just that I don't know if my sister has thought about it, Lai Xing'er's background is different from Xiu'er, if he truthfully reports today's events to the prince, wouldn't it be self-defeating? ”

Furong bowed her head and said: "Lai Xing'er was picked by Li Jinzhong on the order of her mother, and the Xia family was kind to Li Jinzhong in the past, and it is difficult to guarantee that Li Jinzhong will not tell her the details of Xing'er." In this regard, I have already thought of it, so I will not bother Liu Niangniang to remind me.

What I'm worried about now is not what Lai Xing'er will say to the prince, but once the prince obtains the so-called evidence that proves that Wang's poisoning case is indeed as they suspected, he will still stand still and remain obscure.

In that case, things won't be easy. Based on what you know about the prince, what do you think will happen to him? ”

Liu Cairen hesitated and said: "The prince has always been gloomy and deep, and he rarely consults with others, and he really can't tell how he will act." ”

Furong pondered for a moment, and suddenly asked, "How did you find out that the Xia clan was hiding in the East Palace in the first place?" ”

This question touched Liu Cairen's itch, and she replied proudly: "After Jing Xuan's miscarriage, one day Wang and I went to visit her in the stable, and after I came back, I found that Wang's expression was wrong, and he looked worried.

I asked again and again, Wang Shi, the person who couldn't hide things in his heart, couldn't stand me three questions and two questions, so he told me everything.

According to her, the old woman who delivered Jing Xuan was very much like a noble person she knew, but that person died three years ago, and it is impossible that she is still in the East Palace.

I knew that the Wang family was originally a maidservant of the Yang family, and the noble person she was talking about was most likely a member of the Yang family, so I paid special attention to inquiring, but no matter how much I asked, she refused to tell the identity of the nobleman.

So, I quietly reported the news to Niangniang, and Niangniang ordered my sister to secretly investigate, only to find out that this person was actually the palace doctor Xia who was destined for the five products.

When I learned who she was, I started asking people to keep an eye on her to see who she was interacting with on a daily basis, and the results were disappointing.

In addition to often going to the stable to take care of Jing Xuan, she hardly interacts with people, and the one with whom she has the most contact is Lai Xing'er, the other is Cheng Fourteen, the steward of the flower shop, and Wang has been to her cabin twice, as for what they talked about, it is unknown. ”

"Xia is an old man in the palace, from Daming Palace to East Palace, there are many people who know her, if you want to stay incognito in the East Palace without being recognized, it is difficult to do it by her alone.

Think about it, when the Yang family was expelled from the East Palace, the Xia family left, and then sneaked back as a flower shop handyman, which joints must be opened to be so? Fleur continued.

"Isn't my sister worried that the prince won't take the bait and wants to do both?" Liu Cairen saw Furong nodding in acquiescence, and then thought about continuing.

"The East Palace Flower Workshop is under the jurisdiction of the Prince Inner Palace, but the increase or decrease of the number of people must be checked and sealed by the Zhan Mansion who is in charge of the affairs of the East Palace, so the Xia family wants to re-enter the East Palace as a miscellaneous servant, and the two places of the Prince Inner Fang and the Zhan Mansion cannot be bypassed, among which the Zhan Mansion is the most important."

"Zhan Shifu? I remember that the last crown prince Zhan Shi, the prince's uncle Wu Bi was transferred to Shaanzhou as an assassin envoy before Luan returned to Beijing, who replaced him? ”

"My sister has a good memory, after Wu Bi took office, the prince took the name of the East Palace and the Marshal's Mansion, and made Shi Liuyi, the then Marshal's Mansion, also in charge of the East Palace.

Liu Yi resigned from his position three years ago and went into hiding, and in recent years, it has been the prince's concubines Lin Shu and Zeng Qingze who have actually presided over the daily affairs of the Zhan Mansion.

Counting up, the time when the Xia family re-entered the East Palace was not long after the two of them were transferred to the East Palace, and my sister wanted to investigate, so she might as well start from here. ”

"Do you know where these two people come from?" Fleur seems to have discovered a new prey, and she is staring at it.

"Lin Shu, as soon as I say it, my sister will be able to remember that he is the champion of the Yang family's power that year.

Zeng Qingze, it seems that he was transferred from Luoyang, Tokyo, but I don't know the specifics.

It is interesting for these two people to work together in one place: Lin Shu has a beautiful heart, a belly of knowledge, but he looks alive and vigorous; Zeng Qingze, on the surface, looks like a weak scholar, but I heard that his skills are the best in the capital. ”

"Sounds like these two are not ordinary!"

Furong walked back and forth in the hall, and after a while, she turned to Liu Cairen and said, "Okay, you go back to Yichun Palace, I will send someone to protect you secretly." If the prince tells you, just go with confidence. ”

Liu Cairen was apprehensive, and asked hesitantly: "Xiu'er went out of the door of Qihuatai today, and she won't see her sister again, right?" ”

Fleur smiled and stepped forward to take her hand, soothing: "You are still trained by Niangniang herself, why can't you trust Niangniang so much?" Besides, the medicine was given to the prince by Lai Xing'er, and the prince may not believe his words. ”

Liu Cairen still refused to leave, and asked Furong again: "Xiu'er has been away from Niangniang's side for a long time, and her thoughts about Niangniang are far less clear than that of her sister. ”

"Sister, please speak."

"Niangniang now has no children under her knees, she can't wait to get rid of the prince, could it be that she has found a replacement?

As far as Xiu'er knows, there are more than a dozen princes who are now adults, regardless of their popularity, talents, backgrounds, and honors, and it seems that they can't find one who can be compared with the crown prince.

Even if the crown prince is deposed, if there is no suitable candidate to replace him, we will not be busy in vain sooner or later, so why come? Liu Cairen finally mustered up the courage to tell the puzzle that had been hidden in his heart for a long time.

Fleur is naturally clear about what the queen thinks: although her biological son is gone, isn't she still there? This dynasty is not without a precedent for a female protagonist to rule the world.

But the queen's thoughts can't be told to Liu Cairen no matter what.

So, she smiled and replied mysteriously: "What's the matter with me, it turns out that my sister is worrying about my mother."

However, if you are a sister, you should persuade your sister: if the master wants us to know, he will naturally tell us; The master doesn't want us to know, so it's best not to think about it.

My sister is asking about what happened after getting rid of the prince, and my sister can only tell you now, and everything will be clear at that time, and she will never disappoint her sister. ”

At this moment, a maid came in and reported: "Lord Lin, the prince's left concubine, and Gonggong Xie, the steward of the inner fang, came to ask for a meeting for the Shangyuan night banquet. ”

Furong was stunned, and immediately signaled Liu Cairen to avoid behind the screen, and she went out of the door.

The prince has not been to the stable since returning to the palace in the second year of junior high school, and sent Jing Yuncong away, and he has the heart to accompany Jing Xuan more. Jing Xuan has heard about what has happened in the palace recently, but because of his weak body, he can't go out, and he can't go to Ning Xiangxuan to meet the prince.

The two asked Jinping to clean up an assorted hot pot and sat around the warm kang table to eat and chat. Jinping looked at this warm scene in the small house, for some reason, her nose was sore, and she shed two lines of tears, she was afraid that Jing Xuan would see it, so she hurriedly flashed out of the room, but she almost collided head-on with Lai Xing'er, who rushed over.

Lai Xing'er pulled Jinping aside, lowered his voice and said, "I have something important to report to the prince, you go in and ask the prince to come out." ”

Jinping wiped his tears and said, "Phew, you are so bold, you actually want the prince to come out to see you!" ”

Lai Xing'er had to be patient and explained: "The matter can't be known to Niangniang, otherwise, she will be worried." ”

Jinping looked at Lai Xing'er suspiciously, and said slowly: "I don't understand what you said." ”

Lai Xing'er didn't care about talking to her in detail, and as soon as she turned around, she went straight into the house.

The prince and Jing Xuan were shocked when they saw Lai Xing'er rushing in, and the prince reprimanded in a low voice: "What's the matter, don't even talk about the rules!" ”

Lai Xing'er knelt down and replied, "Mama Xia sent someone to return to her father in an emergency." ”

"What about people? Tell him to come in and speak. ”

Lai Xing'er looked up at Jing Xuan and winked at the prince, the prince already understood in his heart, raised his feet on the kang, and said to Jing Xuan, "You eat first, I'll come when I go." So he took Lai Xing'er out of the house.

Lai Xing'er let the prince into another room, took out the small paper bag, and said, "Furong ordered the little one to give this to the master." ”

The prince took the paper bag, opened it, was taken aback, and hurriedly asked, "Tell me what's going on?" ”

Lai Xing'er briefly recounted the situation when he went to see Furong with Liu Cairen.

When the prince heard this, he didn't think about it, and ordered: "Go, go back to Ning Xiangxuan." ”