"That's right, just send a killer." Leng Yi rolled his eyes and said: "If the emperor is worried about this, it is simple, if he doesn't paint the Spring Palace with his concubines, he and other women, he won't care about women, won't he feel at a loss?" ”

"Hehe, that's it, but the emperor has to be willing."

"In this way, the emperor has not issued an edict announcing my entry into the palace, probably because he is in various considerations and has not yet made up his mind to let me paint the spring palace for him?"

"That's the case, besides, this kind of thing is not a very urgent thing, observe you first, and by the way, think about how you can paint without suffering losses or leaks."

Leng Yi smiled bitterly: "He can wait, my lady's illness can't wait!" ”

"Unless you say, the Emperor has a woman he doesn't care about and wants to draw in particular. And you must paint it immediately, you can't wait, and your painting is indeed irreplaceable by other painters, so he may immediately summon you into the palace to paint. Otherwise, what about waiting for the next three or five years? When you sit firmly on the throne and observe you clearly, you think that you are trustworthy, and you have found a woman who is suitable to paint with you, it will not be too late to summon you to the palace at that time. ”

Leng Yi's eyes lit up, and he thought of a woman, that is, Xiao Zhouhou, the heroine of the famous Spring Palace painting "Xiling Xingxiao Zhouhou"!

Xiao Zhouhou is the queen of the Later Tang Dynasty Emperor Li Yu, is the woman of the king of the dead country, Zhao Guangyi covets the beauty of Xiao Zhouhou, he and Xiao Zhouhou can not talk about feelings, let alone love, this can be inferred from the fact that he raped Xiao Zhou and asked the painter to draw it, he is just a kind of proud humiliation of the winner to the loser after Xiao Zhouhou, and he made him more accomplished by raping a queen who surrendered to the former king. He was willing to let others see this, so he painted it and passed it on to future generations, not only because he liked to take selfies, but also because he showed off his military exploits in conquering enemy countries. After he knew that he had this kind of "painting" technique that was far more realistic than others, he would definitely let himself help him draw the scene after he raped Xiao Zhou, and now, as Cheng Luojie said, it was only a matter of time. And this problem can be dragged on for Zhao Guangyi, but for himself, it can't be delayed.

Now, we must find a way to make Zhao Guangyi feel that he can't afford to drag it out!

What can be done?

Leng Yi said in a low voice: "Do you know Xiao Zhouhou? ”

"Xiao Zhouhou?" Cheng Luojie was puzzled for a while.

"It's the queen of Li Yu, the lord of the Southern Tang Dynasty."

"Oh, you're talking about Mrs. Zheng Guo. You know, what's wrong? ”

Mrs. Zheng Guo was given the title given to her by Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin after Xiao Zhou and her husband returned to the Great Song Dynasty. Xiao Zhouhou is what later generations called her. Leng Yi said: "Is there any way you can make the emperor feel that she is about to die?" ”

"She's going to die soon? Why? ”

"I'm asking you to find a way to make the emperor feel like this."

"Why?"

Leng Yiqi said: "Don't you know about the emperor and Xiao Zhouhou?" ”

Cheng Luojie shook her head: "What's wrong with them?" ”

Historically, after Zhao Guangyi raped Xiao Zhou, it was in the year of Li Yu's death, that is, the year after the era set in this book, at this time when Leng Yi and Cheng Luojie were talking, Zhao Guangyi had not yet attacked Xiao Zhouhou. It was only started during the Lantern Festival the following year, and before that, he didn't even show his coveting for Xiao Zhouhou, so although Cheng Luojie was also in the palace, he didn't know about it.

Leng Yi said: "Because the emperor likes this little Zhou Hou very much." If he knew that Xiao Zhouhou would die soon, he would definitely attack Xiao Zhouhou and ask me to draw this scene. ”

"How do you know?"

"Didn't you say that he liked to draw the scene of him and his concubine together? He won't let me see his concubine, but he will definitely let me see him rape Xiao Zhouhou, and he will draw it. Because Xiao Zhouhou is the queen of the dead country, he will have a great sense of accomplishment when he does this. And my drawings are very realistic, which is unmatched by other artists. So the emperor will definitely let me enter the palace. ”

Cheng Luojie said: "I mean, how do you know that the emperor likes Mrs. Zheng Guo and will rape her?" ”

"Xiao Zhouhou's beauty is unparalleled in the world, and she is the queen of the deceased king, and the emperor likes this kind of off-tune, so I guess he will do it. - Now I must do everything I can to get the Emperor to summon me, and at the same time ask me to ask him to give him a decree that Hua Mingzun should treat my wife. ”

Cheng Luojie nodded: "This is also the case." ”

"You are familiar with the emperor, you can help me think of a way to make the emperor think that Xiao Zhouhou is about to die."

Cheng Luojie smiled and said, "You really found the right person!" I have a way. ”

Leng Yi was overjoyed: "What way?" ”

"The leader of the guards who is responsible for the safety of Li Yu and his wife and is also monitoring them is called Lu Feilong, he used to be the guard of the former emperor, and he had a good relationship with me, once he made a mistake, the first emperor wanted to execute him, it was I who pleaded with Empress Kaibao, so I spared his life, and asked him to protect Li Yu and his wife at the same time to monitor them, and make meritorious contributions. He was very grateful to me, and I begged him for help, and he would definitely say yes. Besides, it was originally his duty to report on the situation of Li Yu and his wife. It's just, what can I say to make the emperor think that Xiao Zhouhou is about to die? How about saying she's seriously ill? ”

"This is not good, the imperial doctor knows that it is fake at a glance." Leng Yi pondered for a moment and said, "Let's just say that Li Yu and his wife miss their homeland and are ready to commit suicide and martyrdom together." ”

Leng Yi said that Li Yu missed his homeland, and he did not wronged him, Li Yu wrote a lot of popular words, all of which were nostalgic for his homeland, and in history, Li Yu was also suspicious of Emperor Zhao Guangyi because of this, and poisoned him with poison. And it was a year later. Of course, it is said that Li Yu and his wife are ready to commit suicide and martyrdom, but in fact, Li Yu and his wife planned to survive in the Great Song Dynasty at that time, but after Li Yu was poisoned by Zhao Guangyi, Xiao Zhouhou did commit suicide and martyrdom. This did not wronged her.

Leng Yi wanted to make up this matter, the purpose was to make Zhao Guangyi feel that time could not wait, and for a person who was about to commit suicide, it was not clear when he would do it.

Cheng Luojie blinked and said, "Is this okay?" ”

"I'm not sure, so I can only try and ask him to be more urgent."

Cheng Luojie smiled and said, "This kind of thing of turning sesame seeds into watermelons, the guards are all good at it, otherwise they won't be taken seriously." Okay, just do as you ask, I'll write him an expedited eight hundred land right away, and ask him for help. As for the purpose of doing this, I will not tell him, and he will not ask about it, he is a smart man, and it is actually good for him to do so, because he has spied on things, and the emperor is already very suspicious of Li Yu, a king who has fallen to the country, for fear that his former subjects will think of him and cause trouble. ”

After saying that, the two stayed warm for a while, and Cheng Luojie went out to run errands.

After a while, Master Dong came in with a few Hongru, his excitement was overflowing, he took a test paper, and said to Leng Yi: "Dong Weng, we reviewed this test paper of Ming Medicine, and we think that this poem can be called a first-class masterpiece, much stronger than the poems of Jinshike, so I don't know how to judge the paper, please Dong Weng decide." ”

Leng Yi took the test paper and saw that it was Hua Wuxiang, and that song, of course, was Liu Yong's "Wanghai Tide" that he copied from her, which was a famous song about the peaceful and prosperous era of Qiantang, which was naturally enough to attract the attention of these Hongru.

He pretended not to know why, didn't look at the word, and smiled: "You are not mistaken, right? Isn't it a joke that this is a candidate of the Ming Medical Department, and the poems he made overshadowed the Jinshi Department? ”

Master Dong said: "We also think it's impossible, but it just happened, we have all read this word carefully, and it is really excellent, so we specially came to invite Dong Weng to take a look." ”

Several other Hongru also nodded in agreement. I couldn't stop praising the poem for being well-written.

Leng Yi finally picked up the test paper, read it carefully, and then sighed and glanced at a few of them. The eyes were full of surprise, Master Dong and the others were happy, quite a bit of Bole.

Leng Yi read the poem again, and exclaimed: "Good words! Sure enough, it's a good word! Who wrote this? Which Hongru Junjie's disciple is it? ”

A medical officer stepped forward and said, "This is written by a fifteen-year-old girl, who opened a small store in Bazhou with her grandmother to sell medicinal herbs. ”

Leng Yi's face was even more surprised, and said: "It's really rare for a fifteen-year-old girl to have such talent!" ”

An old pedant said: "It's a pity that she is a woman, and women can't be officials, otherwise, with such talent, she can be transferred to the Jinshi Department and recorded as the first Jinshi!" ”

Several others also showed regret.

Leng Yi said: "Then how is her medical skills?" ”

The medical officer who was in charge of correcting the medical skills examination paper stepped forward and said, "Her medical skills test paper is also among the best among all Ming medical candidates. ”

"Well, since she is a woman, she can't be an official, and she can't be transferred to Jinshi, so she still determines the ranking according to the Ming Medical Department."

Master Dong said: "With this poem, it should be recorded as the first place." ”

"That's the first one."

The medical officer hesitated a little, and said, "However, let a woman be ranked first, I'm afraid it will cause discussion." ”

Leng Yi's eyes widened, and he said, "What is there to discuss?" Literary talent can't compare to other little girls, and medical skills can't be compared, I don't have that ability, what face do I have to talk about others? ”

"Yes, yes!" The medical officer was embarrassed.

Since the examiner has set the ranking, it naturally cannot be changed. Leng Yi read all the other people's test papers. He didn't understand the imperial examination, and he couldn't change it casually, so he agreed with the preliminary opinions of several of them, which made these Hongru who revised the papers very face-saving.

At that time, the yamen announced the list of those who had been discharged from the test. Sure enough, Hua Wuxiang, the little girl who ranked first in the Ming medical imperial examination, caused a lot of discussion. There are various theories. However, after the poem written by Hua Wuxiang came out, those who said strange things were speechless.

When Leng Yi returned home, he saw Cao Sui sitting alone under the porch sobbing silently, and his heart couldn't help but tighten, he stepped forward quickly, and said in a low voice: "What's wrong?" What's going on? ”

Cao Sui looked up at him, then looked back at the house, and said, "Sister's eyes ......"

"What's wrong with the eyes?"

"I can't see things clearly......"

Leng Yi was startled, and hurriedly walked in, only to see Zhuo Qiaoniang leaning on the head of the bed, her eyes closed, as if she was asleep. Leng Yi walked to the side of the bed and sat down on the edge of the bed. Zhuo Qiaoniang slowly opened her eyes, looked at him, and smiled slightly: "......Is the official back?" ”

Leng Yi said: "What do you think?" ”

"It's okay, it's good......"

Leng Yi touched her emaciated cheek distressedly, and said, "I still said it's okay, look at how thin you are." ――Would you like to drink water? I'll pour you a glass of water. ”

Zhuo Qiaoniang nodded.

Leng Yi got up, poured a cup of tea, came over, and handed it to her. Zhuo Qiaoniang slowly raised her hand to pick it up, but her hand was still half a foot away from the teacup, so it staggered. Zhuo Qiaoniang still had a smile on her face, but her hand groped, but she couldn't find the exact location of the teacup.

Leng Yi's heart was heavy, Doctor Sun said that Zhuo Qiaoniang would lose her sight in half a month, and now, this sign has appeared. What kind of bad luck will befall next?

He lifted his hand to grab her hand and placed the teacup in her slender palm.

Zhuo Qiaoniang smiled, took a sip, and handed it back to Leng Yi.

Leng Yi said: "I'm trying to find a way to ask the emperor's imperial doctor to treat you." Don't worry. ”

"Okay." Zhuo Qiaoniang said: "Official, you don't have anything to do now, right?" ”

"No, what's wrong?"

"I want to talk to the officials."

"Okay." Leng Yi took her hand and looked at her gently.

"Close the door, we'll whisper."

Leng Yi got up and went out, and said to the grass outside the door: "I'll talk to your sister, don't let people disturb you." ”

"Okay!"

Leng Yi closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed, Zhuo Qiaoniang said in a low voice: "I will tell you about the situation of our family and the official family, you remember ......"

Leng Yi shook his head: "Don't say it!" Don't say it now! When you're well, tell me. ”

"Why?"

Leng Yi kissed her face and said in a low voice: "If in case, your illness really can't be cured, I won't pretend to be your official anymore and continue to be this official, I will leave." ”

"Official......

"I swore to take care of your husband's family, but I couldn't protect you, and to a certain extent, you got such a serious illness because of me, if your illness is not cured, what face do I have to pretend to be him?"

"But ......"

Leng Yi blocked Zhuo Qiaoniang's mouth and said, "Don't say it, I've made up my mind." This is the worst-case scenario, though. Now your illness is far from that far, I'm trying to figure it out, and I'm already eyebrow-raising. Wait until your illness is cured, and then you tell me, anyway, with you, you don't have to worry about revealing your stuffing. ”

Zhuo Qiaoniang smiled hard and nodded.

At night.

Leng Yi finished washing, took off his coat, and was about to lie down on the soft floor next to the bed, when he suddenly heard Zhuo Qiaoniang's weak voice say: "Official......!" ”

Leng Yi hurriedly went over, opened the curtain, and said, "What's wrong?" Where is it uncomfortable? ”

"No, the official ......, the concubine thinks, I want you to go to bed and sleep ...... with the concubine, okay?" Zhuo Qiaoniang's words were full of shyness and longing.

(To be continued)