Chapter 5: The Scourge of Witchcraft

In front of the palace gate, the maids under the Song nobles went out of the palace and had to be inspected as usual

The maid looked disdainful: I am in the palace of Song Niangniang, and now I am going to Song Guozhang's house to spread the word, if you delay the hour, how many heads do you have?

Although Song Guiren is not as favored as Queen Dou, after all, she is the biological mother of the prince, and it is even more likely to become the queen mother and the master of the harem in the future. No one in the palace dared to grab its sharpness

The palace gate guards immediately made promises to the maid and let her go immediately

In recent days, the Song nobles often sent people out of the palace and had frequent contact with their mothers, and their subordinates were arrogant because they believed that the power of the Song nobles was also arrogant

All of this was watched by the little yellow door arranged by Cai Lun to keep an eye on him

Cai Lun: Although Song Guiren has fallen out of favor, but the prince is still the prince, as long as there is no accident, one day he will grow up and ascend to the throne, and then Song Guiren will become the Queen Mother of Song.

Queen Dou looked worried: What can I do?

After the incident, because Song Guiren was the biological mother of the prince, Emperor Zhang did not punish Song Guiren, but Song Guiren was obviously alienated

As the biological mother of the crown prince, after the establishment of the prince's ceremony, Emperor Zhang never stepped into her bedroom again

Queen Dou is becoming more and more favored.

But Queen Dou was not pampered and arrogant, and she was still walking on thin ice

In the secret room at this time, Empress Dou was secretly discussing the next plan with Cai Lun

Cai Lun: If you want to keep your favor forever, you must not be merciful

Queen Dou: Ji An will come out?

Cai Lun smiled: The prince is the prince, but if the prince's biological mother is convicted, can the prince still keep the throne?

Empress Dou: You mean, start with the Song nobles?

Cai Lun is confident: Song Guiren is just falling out of favor now, if we add another fire, let her be convicted, and it must be a felony! There are no eggs under the nest, don't talk about Song Guiren when the time comes, even if it's the prince, don't want to stay out of it... Then your position is stable, mother.

Queen Dou muttered: Although Song Guiren has a somewhat frivolous personality, she is a person who understands the rules, and she never violates the law, and she is afraid that it will not be easy for her to be convicted...

Cai Lun said with a smile: Today, Song Guiren has frequent contact with his family. Either she has something to do with herself, or she has something at home. The fact that she does not violate the law in the palace does not mean that her family does not violate the law outside the palace. Outside, Niangniang, you have four brothers, you can collect the faults of her mother's family, even if they are small, they will not be omitted; Inside, we can detect her gains and losses. People are not sages, who can do nothing, let's take a two-pronged approach, sooner or later we will grasp the handle...

Queen Dou nodded, and was a little worried: how to detect her gains and losses internally?

Cai Lun: During this period of time, I have checked the people around Song Guiren. There are two female attendants around Song Guiren who are the most trusted. One is called Zhou Ninglu and the other is Ning Xiaolan. Zhou Ninglu's family is poor, and Ning Xiaolan is cowardly. Niangniang's harem hostess's authority, the two of them either bought with a lot of money, or coerced and enticed, are you afraid that they will not obediently report to the mother?

Empress Dou looked happy and nodded again and again.

Empress Dou's brother Dou Xian served as the general of the Tiger Ben. His younger brother Dou Du served as the waiter of the Yellow Gate. The two brothers, who are fortunate to be close to each other, and serve the palace province, are favored and prosperous, and the prince is sideways.

At this time, with the instruction of Queen Dou, the two brothers understood and sent people to serve Song Yang, the father of Song Guiren.

One day, Empress Dou received a secret report from Dou Xian, and recently found that Song Gui's family was collecting a large number of medicines

Empress Dou came to Cai Lun to discuss

Cai Lun: The opportunity may be coming...

At the door of the court, a palace maid came out and quietly asked to see Cai Lun

This person is Zhou Ninglu, the female official next to Song Guiren, who has been bought by Queen Dou with a lot of money at this time

Zhou Ninglu took out a letter: This is what Song Guiren asked me to send home

‘… If you want to use raw dodder as bait, I would like to write to my mother, please buy a large number of them outside the palace, and I am looking forward to it..."

After reading the letter, Empress Dou was very unimpressed: This letter is just asking her mother to buy raw dodder. Song Guiren has often contacted his family recently, maybe he is unwell and wants to ask his family to help buy some medicinal materials, which does not mean anything

Cai Lun smiled secretly: Can you explain that what does not lie in Song Guiren, but in us...

In the Shanglin Garden, Emperor Zhang and Empress Dou enjoyed the flowers, only the craftsmen who managed the flowers waited on the side, and the guards and others surrounded them far away.

At this time, when the spring flowers are blooming, the flowers in the Shanglin Garden are full of flowers, purple and red

When Emperor Zhang saw the beautiful scenery, he couldn't help but be happy in his heart, and personally plucked a flower and put it on Queen Dou

Empress Dou bowed in thanks

The two had a great time

At this time, Cai Lun ran over: Your Majesty, the palace gate guards found a letter on the maid of the Song nobles. As a waiter of the Yellow Gate, the servant was in charge of conveying articles in the palace, and felt that this matter was strange, so he did not dare to ask His Majesty to decide

Emperor Zhang was very curious and read the letter carefully

In addition to the content of Song Guiren's request for his mother to buy raw dodder, there is also an additional poem on the letter:

Ran Ran lonely bamboo, rooted in Mount Tai.

Newly married with Jun, the silk is attached to the daughter.

Sometimes, couples will have appropriate.

Thousands of miles away to get married, long across the mountain.

Emperor Zhang smiled: This is a private matter of the Song nobles, Cai Shilang is loyal to his duties, but he can't help but worry too much

Empress Dou looked at the letter curiously, and suddenly her face was pale, and she looked sad

Emperor Zhang wondered: Why did he suddenly lose color? But if you have any concerns, tell me about them

Empress Dou: Your Majesty Mingjian, this poem reads, 'Thousands of miles away to get married, long across the mountain.' 'Your Majesty is in the palace, why stay away?' This is clearly complaining about His Majesty's exclusive favor of concubines. Song Guiren used the medicine last time, and this time he wanted to give birth to dodder, thinking about it day and night, and he wanted to do it, and the concubine was willing to give up the position of the main palace to her.

It is necessary to know that the palace gathers beauties from all over the world, the emperor is only one person, and it is a daily opportunity, so not every concubine has the opportunity to be favored, and some beauties can not even see the emperor for life, they can only be depressed in the palace, lonely and old life, there are a lot of resentful women in the palace, such grievances are also human nature, Emperor Zhang was born in the emperor's house since he was a child, and it is commonplace to do this, although he loves Queen Dou, but he still feels that there is no need to make a big fuss about this matter, so he wants to divert the topic.

Emperor Zhang: This silk is wrapped around other plants and trees, and it seems to be lingering and weak

Cai Lun gave the gardener a look

Gardener: Your Majesty, the minister has a word.

Emperor Zhang: Speak

Gardener: The silk seems to be lingering and weak, but it can be bloody strangled, its delicate stalk is actually a gentle killer, whoever is entangled, who is doomed to bad luck; Flax, peanuts and soybeans are often entwined with dodder silk, but the tighter they are wound, the farther away from life. Your Majesty, please see...

The gardener came across a pot of plants with dodder seeds entangled, and Emperor Zhang took a closer look

I saw a few small pink and white flowers dotted with slender golden vines of dodder silk, like millet grains, wrapped around the tender stems of plants, fluttering in the summer morning breeze, Chu Chu moving, and making people love and pity.

Gardener: Spikes stick out of this stalk and pierce into the body of the climbing plant, mercilessly absorbing nutrients, causing the climbing plant to grow poorly or even die.

Emperor Zhang was thoughtful

Cai Lun: Your Majesty, the slave has a word...

Emperor Zhang slowly looked at Cai Lun

Cai Lun knelt down: Your Majesty is the monarch's father, and Niangniang is the mother of the world. The slave suspects that Niangniang is really rebellious, but the safety of the world depends on the emperor, and the slave has to talk about it.

Silk may seem delicate and must cling to other plants and trees to survive, but this weakness can devour what it clings to... Song Guiren asked for this thing, but he was afraid...

Emperor Zhang's face changed slightly: continued

Cai Lun: I'm afraid that the disaster of the previous dynasty will recur! Song Guiren obviously wanted to be a Gu Dao and ask the ghosts and gods to bring disaster to the monarch's father, so that the prince could ascend to the throne as soon as possible!

Emperor Zhang's face turned pale

During the period of Emperor Wu of the previous dynasty, there was a witch curse, with the wisdom of Emperor Wu, it was inevitable that father and son could not help but kill each other, and for a time Chang'an City was full of blood, and countless heads fell to the ground...

Could it be that today, the tragedy of humanity is going to be repeated?

Emperor Zhang was furious and took the case: pass the decree and put the Song nobles in prison. Cai Qingjia, your loyalty can be demonstrated, and you will try this case.

Emperor Zhang suddenly thought of something: This case involves royal decency, and it should be carried out in secret, not publicly.

Cai Lun: Obey.