After Taiwan's admonition, it was announced last day that Li Wei would be exempted from demotion, only fined 30 catties of copper, and stayed in Beijing. The princess was not happy to hear the news, and insisted more and more on not returning to the princess's house, and at this time she did not realize that more worrying things would follow.

After Sima Guang took the lead, the officials shifted the focus of the princess's affairs from the night lock on the palace door to the situation in the princess's mansion and the issue of the ministers. First of all, the official Wu He impeached Ren Shouzhong for "Ling Yi", that is, he slandered Li Wei, the commander of the horse, so frightened that Ren Shouzhong did not dare to say more about the princess, and then, the rest of the officials continued to discuss in detail "There are many ministers in the princess's house, and there are those who are not self-conscious". When the Imperial Historical Observatory heard the rumors, he began to investigate the matter of Zhang Chengzhao and Xiao Jing'er, and then privately submitted some evidence to the emperor's court, and now ordered Zhang Chengzhao to be demoted to the imperial tomb to serve miscellaneous duties, and sent Xiao Jing'er to Yaohua Palace. And the capital supervisor Liang Quanyi did not wait for Taiwan to admonish and impeach, so he first pleaded guilty to Jinshang, saying that he was derelict in supervision, so that the princess and her husband's family did not agree, Zhang Chengzhao's matter was neglected first, and he was not good at handling it later, so he really had the trust of the lord, and he did not dare to occupy a high position anymore, and implored the emperor to reduce his responsibility. Jinshang also punished him, stripped him of his position as the capital supervisor of the Yanguo princess's mansion, and chose a remote place outside the capital with an inner attendant, and ordered him to go to the prison.

Liang Dujian is a kind person, he has respected the princess and the horse all these years, and he has been kind to the people in the house, and he is not at fault, but this time it is all because of us. I was full of apologies for him, and immediately after hearing the news, I went to him and bowed down to him to apologize. And he picked me up, smiled faintly, and said: "I knew about the situation of the princess and the concubine, but I failed to persuade well, and when something happened, I blindly concealed and sheltered, and indeed did not play the role of a capital eunuch." He is not wronged to be punished now...... But you, I didn't talk much about the past, now I just hope you can think about what to do in the future...... The fire is already on fire, and all you can do is try to escape. ”

I understood what he meant. If this is a fire, then I am tantamount to one of the arsonists, and I will not be let go as if nothing happened, not to mention, neither Zhang Chengzhao nor Liang Quanyi will be the real target of the Yanguan attack, and their spearhead will be aimed at me sooner or later.

This is indeed the case. In the next two days, the palace began to circulate the words of the Taiwanese admonition against me, although it did not explicitly indicate my name.

They said that although the princess's office was important, she had been treated with too much courtesy in the past, so that she was not only not on the same level as the retainers, but also on an equal footing with the concubines, and even the slaves and maids regarded her as their masters...... They also said that it was really inconsiderate to let such a heavy task be taken on by the chamberlain who had not yet been established, and now this courtier is young, and his words and deeds are not careful, and there are quite frivolous points, such as not wearing the courtier's clothes in the princess's house, pretending to be a lieutenant in front of outsiders, and even separating the concubine from the princess, so that the couple is out of harmony......

After witnessing the departure of Zhang and Liang, the princess apparently realized the danger I was facing, and she became more nervous than ever, and stayed by my side all day, almost to the point of not leaving an inch, especially when she came up to him today, she stared at him so vigilantly, as if he were an executioner coming towards me with a big knife in his hand.

Later, she didn't sleep because she was afraid that someone would take me away while she was sleeping. After hearing that the princess had not closed her eyes for two days, she finally couldn't help but come to see her again, and the first thing the princess said when she saw him was: "Daddy, are you here to catch Huaiji and leave?" ”

Now he was silent, and shook his head. The princess looked at him suspiciously, and suddenly her eyelashes trembled, and she burst into tears: "Daddy, will you hurt Huaiji?" ”

Imakami sighed, "Have you forgotten all my words back then? Don't be too nice to someone if you want to protect him. ”

The princess moved to her father, knelt down, looked up at him with tears in her eyes, and pulled him by the sleeve and pleaded: "The daughter knows that she is wrong, and the daughter will change, as long as the father spares Huaiji...... If my father promises not to hurt him, then I am willing to go back to the princess's house, no matter what Li Wei's mother and son say, I will never argue with them again. ”

Imagami looked down at his daughter, frowning slightly with a thousand sighs. Touching a few strands of the princess's forehead with pity, he said gently: "Okay, Daddy promised you that you will never hurt Huaiji, and you can relax." ”

"Really?" The princess asked incredulously.

"That's nature, how could Daddy ever lie to you?" Today, he smiled and persuaded her, "I haven't slept for two days, you don't look very good, go and rest." ”

The princess thanked her and stood up slowly, but she still looked a little uneasy, and stood hesitantly in place for a long time.

Jinshang turned to me again and said, "Huaiji, you also go and clean up, and go back to the princess's house with the princess tomorrow." ”

When he said this, he was kind and even smiled at me. I bowed my body to agree, and Concubine Miao Xian suddenly smiled, and came over to support the princess in person, saying, "It's okay, it's okay." My sister told you a long time ago that your father is kind-hearted and won't blame Huaiji, you still don't believe it, now you know? Come in and sleep, you haven't closed your eyes for the past two days, your face is sallow, and even your hair is about to lose its luster......"

The princess was led into the chamber by her mother's arms, and walked slowly, turning back one step at a time, and when she came to the door, she paused slightly, looked back at us, and saw that we were all right.

After the princess left, Jinshang waved everyone back, but I was the only one left. When he was the only one left in the room, he said to me, "I can not hurt you, but I can't help you." ”

That's what I can guess. I was not surprised, nor did I kneel down and beg him to take it lightly, but bowed my head and said the simplest word: "Yes." ”

"I must punish you and give Tai Ji an explanation, otherwise, Yu Shitai may come up with a bunch of evidence to question the princess's character and conduct in the near future." Imagami said.

I hesitated, but still explained in a low voice: "The princess and the minister are innocent. ”

Jinshang pulled out a cold smile: "Is there no such thing as Zhang Chengzhao to be innocent?" You and him, that is, fifty steps and a hundred steps. ”

I lowered my eyes and was speechless. He was speechless for a long time, and after a while, he spoke again and announced the result of his punishment against me: "Tomorrow I will order you to be expelled from the Beijing Division, and you will be assigned to the Xijing Sprinkle Sweeping Class." ”

Xijing sprinkle sweeping class belongs to the province of internal service, with the post of "sprinkle sweeping yard", dedicated to the placement of eunuchs, is in Xijing Luoyang Da Nei to serve in the service, the position is humble. The Xijing Da Nei basically followed the Sui and Tang Dynasty palace cities, and the emperors of the national dynasties rarely went to it, and they fell into disrepair, and the people who served there were generally palace people who had fallen out of favor or had committed crimes. For the eunuchs who entered the inner province, going there was tantamount to serious exile.

However, such a decision is obviously a mercy on the part of his subordinates. If I follow the advice of the platform, I am afraid that I will not survive.

I kneel down to this day and thank you Ruyi.

"Actually, no matter whether the Taiwanese adviser notices you or not, I will punish you." He kept an indifferent expression, and said, "You are not a stupid person, this point, you should have thought of it from the day the princess locked the palace door at night?" ”

I was silent and nodded.

"If you are smart enough, you can excuse yourself before the Tai admonishment accuses you, find a reason for the dereliction of duty of the master, resign from the princess's house, and ask yourself to stay away from the princess, and the punishment will be lighter, and perhaps, you can stay in Tokyo. But you didn't do this, didn't you think it was a fluke, thinking that the princess could shelter you? He asked me.

I smiled and said intermittently, "No." From the day the palace gate was locked at night...... Perhaps even earlier, the minister understood that sooner or later, the minister would pay a heavy price for what he had done and would have to leave the princess...... If the princess does not see her courtiers, she will be sad...... Since parting is going to come after all, let it come as late as possible...... Therefore, the minister was reluctant to plead guilty first, and hoped to protect the princess for a while until the day she was expelled...... As for the severity of the punishment or the distance of the banishment, it doesn't matter anymore, anyway, if you are not by the princess's side, it is the same everywhere. ”

After listening to my answer, Jin Shang looked me up and down with an intriguing and complicated look, and suddenly mentioned Mr. Zhang: "You are a student of Zhang Maoze, I used to think that you were very similar to him, but now it seems that what you have learned from him is only scratching the surface." ”

I bowed and said, "The minister has always been dull. ”

Imakami stared at me, and his initial coldness began to soften like ice melting: "Then, you should rejoice in your stupidity. If you have learned enough and do what you are doing now, then I will definitely kill you. After a pause, he sighed again, "However, if you really cultivate to the level of Mao Ze, how can you let things develop to this point?" ”

I didn't answer, but I listened to him continue: "But it is precisely because you are not similar to him that I have this kind of care for you...... It's true to take every step of the way and protect yourself, but life is always like this, and it's also boring, right? ”

Seeing that I had not spoken for a long time, he asked me again: "Do you have any other wishes before leaving Jingshi?" The smile that came to me at the end was kind.

I raised my hand to increase my forehead, bowed solemnly to him, and then said, "I only hope that the princess will not let the princess watch the minister leave." ”

The next day, the princess got up early and waited quietly for the maid to pack up and return to the princess's house. I still put on a scribe's clothes according to her wishes, and asked the little yellow men to arrange my clothes and stationery for me, as if I really wanted to go back with me.

I inquired about the details of the affairs of the palace people in the house one by one, and tried to do everything perfectly, even the silver incense balls hanging in the princess's chariot I personally touched them one by one to see if the temperature of the incense was appropriate.

When the sound of the morning drum came from the vertical arch hall, I was holding on to the incense chopstick, adjusting the incense in a ball of incense that was too smoky. Hearing the heavy sound of the drums, I couldn't help but pause, remembering that the imperial decree that had exiled me was about to be announced in the court, and the incense spoon in my hand lowered a little.

"Waiji!" Suddenly the princess called behind me. My hand trembled, the incense fell down, fell on my left wrist holding the incense ball, a little hot, I hurriedly retracted my hand, the incense ball immediately fell quickly, several layers of mechanisms in the swing touched, emitting a string of fine silver bells, just like the princess's laughter at this time.

"What are you thinking? Absent-minded. She asked me with a smile over her face. Concubine Miao Xian sent her back today, and with her mother by her side, the princess seemed to be in a good mood.

"Oh, Chen just thought, the incense ball in the car is dark, and it should be replaced and scrubbed when I go back." I replied without changing my face.

Still smiling brightly, she said a few more words to me. I smiled and listened, but what she said didn't catch in my ears, and looking at her radiant appearance, I sighed in my heart: "What a beautiful smile, but unfortunately I can't see it anymore." ”

It was still the Imperial City Division who escorted the princess back to the house, but there were especially many chamberlains who accompanied her today, because half of them had another task - to escort me out of the city when I was halfway through.

As usual, I rode my horse with the princess's chariot. When I walked out of the Xuande Gate and walked along Suzaku Street to the vicinity of Xiangguo Temple, Deng Baoji, the commander who guided the Imperial City Division, gave me a look.

But as if she had sensed, the princess suddenly closed the curtain and called me in a panic: "Huaiji, where are you going?" ”

I stopped, looked at the three or five people who went to Xiangguo Temple on the side of the road to make incense, and found an excuse, so I turned around and responded: "Princess, the minister wants to go to Xiangguo Temple and buy some roasted pork for the princess." ”

She watched me suspiciously, and I kept my smile so unmistakable that she couldn't be found. After a while, she also smiled: "That roasted pork does taste good, but you don't have to go to buy it yourself?" It's the same with just calling a little yellow door. ”

I chuckled and said, "It's different." There is so much meat on the pig's body, they don't know which part is delicious, and they won't choose. ”

The princess couldn't help laughing when she heard this, and finally agreed: "Well, you can go." But it's not good, it's going to rain, you have to go back quickly and catch me early. ”

I naturally agreed. She blinked, and said, "I don't eat fat, I want to be thin." ”

I smiled and said, "Roasted pork is still semi-fat and lean, and it tastes better with some fat." ”

"Don't!" She shook her head resolutely, "If you eat fatty meat, you will get fat." ”

The people around laughed when they heard this, which made the princess a little embarrassed, and said angrily: "What are you laughing at?" Don't go yet! ”

Her hands drooped, her face was hidden behind the curtain, and the chariot set off again.

I leaned on my horse and watched her go away, then turned to Deng Duzhi, who was staying with me and waiting to escort me out of the city, and said, "Huaiji has a reluctant request, and I hope you will agree." ”

"Say it." Deng knew that he looked at me with pity.

"Can you give me a little more time, let me go to Xiangguo Temple to buy something, and after I leave the city, I can take it to the princess's house and hand it over to the princess?"

He should be able to guess what it is, and he sighed: "Okay, I'll go with you." ”

When I arrived at the gate of the Burning Zhu Courtyard, Deng Duzhi led the Imperial City Division to stop and wait outside, letting me go in alone.

It was not the great monk Huiming, nor his apprentice, whom I had ever seen, who was doing business in the courtyard that day, but a woman with a strong physique. As soon as she saw me approaching, she immediately stood up and greeted warmly: "Lang Jun wants to buy roasted pork?" Now there's a freshly roasted horse that's still hot! ”

I went inside to pick it up, and while checking it, I casually asked her, "Isn't Master Huiming in the store?" ”

"Don't mention that old immortal!" The woman crossed her waist with her left hand and shook a big fan with her right hand, and said hatefully: "He drank a jar of old wine at noon yesterday, and he stood up on the bed, and he hasn't gotten up until now!" ”

I was surprised by her tone, and then I remembered that I had heard that Hui Ming had married a wife, and Sergeant Jing jokingly called her "Fan's sister-in-law", so she must have been the woman in front of her.

So I threw my hand at her: "The lady is the sister-in-law, right?" I don't know the right talent, and I am disrespectful and disrespectful. ”

She waved her hand: "Hey! What a sister-in-law! That's all you scholars shouting and playing, to be honest, I don't want to be the Hun family of the wine and meat monk! Follow him, sooner or later you will be angry with him! ”

That being said, there was still a warm bright color flashing in her eyes when she mentioned Hui Ming, and her expression was familiar, like Ruozhu complaining about Feng Jing.

I should have laughed, and stopped the subject, but pointed to a piece of roasted pork and asked her to cut the lean part.

"Lang Jun wants to clean lean meat, it must be your lady's order?" Sister-in-law Fan asked while cutting.

I didn't say anything more, I just said yes.

Sister-in-law Fan smiled: "Lang Jun is so considerate to the lady, she must be born beautiful?" ”

I smiled, thinking of the princess's eyebrows, and my heart was warm, like a spring sun: "Yes, my lady is the most beautiful woman in the world." ”

Coming out of the roasted Zhu Courtyard, I handed over the roasted pork to Deng Duzhi, immediately got on the horse, and galloped out of the city without looking back. It was so fast that the Imperial City Division's chamberlain thought I was going to run away. One by one they came after them on their prancing horses, and without any explanation, I whipped them and galloped until they reached a hill outside the city, and then they stopped.

"The princess is ...... now What's going on? ”

Thinking about this question, I looked back abruptly, and with a pair of damp eyes met the rain scattered in the sky, I looked at the Tianjia city in the distance covered in light inky clouds, and said my final goodbye to this city that was deeply locked in my loved one.