At dawn, the lights of Xianfu Palace gradually turned on, and the hands in the main hall were in a hurry, and those carrying water hit the basins, and those who stumbled on the decoction of the pots, faintly mixed with painful moans. Concubine Shu put on a cloak, knowing that it was Master Gao who was in labor, so she ran to the corridor in her sleeping shoes, and pulled a palace person and asked, "How is Master Gao?" The palace man panted and said, "The minions don't know the situation, it's always dangerous." Concubine Shu helped Xiang'er and said, "Let's go, let's take a look." ”

Wu Shulai leaned on the corridor and dozed off, rolled into the door like a eunuch, patted his thigh and said, "Wu Yanda, it's not good!" Hurry up and tell the Lord Long Live, the high master can't do it! Wu Shulai was dripping saliva from the corner of his mouth, woke up from his sleep, didn't react for a while, wiped his saliva and asked, "What?" The eunuch repeated it. Wu Shulai stood up from the chair suddenly, picked up the red hat on the table, walked to Qingyunzhai in a hurry, and asked the little eunuch beside him, "What time is it?" ”

The little eunuch walked quickly and said, "It's just past three o'clock." ”

Wu Shulai nodded, his feet did not stop, and he said in his mouth: "Tell Si Ji Shanggong to hurry up and prepare hot water, green salt and Qingxin tea." The little eunuch promised to go to the other end, Wu Shulai trotted into the flower hall, and there was a palace maid at the door, and asked softly: "How many times has the Lord turned around?" The palace maid said: "Three times." Wu Shulai estimated that the emperor was about to wake up, so he had the courage to slam the door twice. The palace maid on duty in the dormitory tiptoed out and asked, "What's the matter?" Wu Shulai said: "The blood of the high master collapsed, I am afraid that my life is in danger, and I have to be the master of Long Live Lord." The palace maid understood, and returned to the house lightly, lifted the curtain and shouted twice: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty." After a while, the emperor hummed.

Qingcheng heard someone talking and asked with a sleepy voice, "What's wrong?" ”

The lamp was in charge of the house, and someone from the palace came in to serve and dress, and the emperor said: "Something happened to Xianfu Palace, I will go and take a look." Qingcheng sat up from the pile of quilts and said, "I'll go with you." The emperor said, "If you go, it's in vain, just rest." Qingcheng called Hai'an to serve and dress, and said: "I have given birth to the third elder brother and the sixth elder brother, and I always have some experience to talk about, maybe I can help something." "The matter was urgent, and the emperor couldn't care about persuasion, so he left her alone.

The holy car rushed to Xianfu Palace, and the imperial doctors knelt all over the ground, and without waiting for the emperor to speak, the imperial physician led by the emperor knelt down and stepped forward and said: "The ministers deserve to die for their crimes." The emperor looked at him with bare eyes and asked, "What about the child?" The imperial physician hesitated for a moment, and then said: "The high master gave birth to the prince at the end of the year, but..." ”

The Emperor took a half-step back, his face colorless, his snort twitching. Wu Shulai knew that he was extremely angry, and hurriedly knelt down and shouted: "Long live the anger." Seeing this, the palace people inside and outside all knelt down in unison and didn't dare to squeak. Qingcheng stood beside the emperor, shook his hand under his sleeve, and said, "Don't worry about getting angry first, Master Gao doesn't know what the situation is, he is kneeling here to listen to your lecture, how can it be good if there is no one to serve her in front of her?" The emperor eased his tone and asked, "What about the high master?" ”

Imperial Physician Wang also breathed a sigh of relief, and said: "Master Gao's dystocia and blood collapse have really hurt his vitality, if he can survive three days, he will be better if he has been recuperating for a year and a half." Human life is at stake, Qingcheng has also had a miscarriage, at this time empathy, so he said: "I'll go into the delivery room and take a look." The emperor said: "It's filthy inside, you..." Qingcheng said softly: "Don't be afraid." ”

When I entered the delivery room, the smell of blood was very strong. Qingcheng remembered this smell, when she was out of the palace that year, the emperor went out to see the Yellow River water defense, she stayed in the room alone, watching the blood in her body flow out one by one, but she couldn't do anything. Concubine Gao's face was as pale as paper, the corners of her forehead were drenched with sweat, her hair was messy, and even the corners of her lips were white. There was a palace man sobbing slightly beside the couch, and Qingcheng scolded lightly: "What are you crying here, hurry up!" Seeing that there was a basin of water next to him, he touched it, but it was still hot, so he twisted a towel and carefully wiped the sweat beads on his forehead for Concubine Gao. Concubine Gao slowly opened her eyes and wanted to speak, but tears poured out first.

Qingcheng said softly: "The emperor is guarding outside, are you hungry, do you want to eat something." ”

Concubine Gao shook her head with difficulty, gritted her teeth and said, "What about the child?" ”

Qingcheng was stunned, and then smiled: "The seventh elder brother was congenitally deficient and had a very serious illness, so the doctors took him to the side hall to check the pulse." You have a good rest for two days, and when you are better, let the grandmothers carry you and show you. Concubine Gao's eyes widened, and she suddenly had strength in her hands, grabbed Qingcheng's sleeve, and said, "They were crying just now, what are they crying about?" Qingcheng's eyes showed a sad look, tilted his head, pretended to ask Hai An to twist the veil, held back his tears, and then turned his head and smiled: "They are worried that you won't wake up." He said, "The kitchen should prepare ginseng soup, I'll ask someone to bring it, so you can eat two bites." ”

Concubine Gao has always hated Qingcheng, but at this time she nodded obediently. Finally, Concubine Gao was fed half a bowl of ginseng soup, and the imperial doctors didn't care about maintenance, medicinal effects, etc., so they poured half a bowl of soup medicine on Concubine Gao, and when the sun rose, everything stopped. Qingcheng wanted to go back to Yikun Palace to take care of the sixth elder brother, and he couldn't stay for a long time, and said, "You're also tired, take a good rest." got up, but Concubine Gao grabbed the hem of her skirt, and said angrily: "You help me take a good look at the seventh elder brother, and it will be in vain for the mother and son." ”

Qingcheng listened to her words sadly, and reluctantly smiled: "Don't worry, Jian Yuheng from the Imperial Hospital is my cousin, and he is also very good at treating pediatric diseases, I will entrust him well, and when you are well, the seventh elder brother will also be fine." Concubine Gao nodded, lowered her hand, closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The emperor went to the early court, and after a night of hustle and bustle, Xianfu Palace was quiet at this time. Qingcheng said to Erqi: "You stay in Yikun Palace as a two-day errand, you cook well in the kitchen, and what you lack is taken from Yikun Palace." It is absolutely forbidden that because the master is sick, the people below will come nonsense. Keep an eye on them and see who dares to overstep them, and tell me directly. Er Qi responded, she was impatient by nature, thought of a few good soups that could replenish qi and blood, and immediately went to the kitchen to be at the mercy of her.

Qingcheng has the right to associate the six palaces, and she sent an order for the first time, saying: "After closing the Xianfu Gate, no one is allowed to enter or leave the Xianfu Palace within three days, except for the queen mother or the emperor, and no one is allowed to go to the master Gao to talk nonsense." He also said: "The bedroom of the high master, except for the relatives around him, no one who has nothing to do with him is not allowed to enter." ”

The upper and lower palace people knelt down in unison and said, "The slaves obey the order." ”

After everything was arranged, it was past breakfast time, Qingcheng sat on his shoulder and returned to Yikun Palace, Hai An asked softly: "Why does the master want to help the master so dedicatedly, not to mention others, the slave and maid also feel that it is a little too much." Qingcheng looked at the sky as blue as the sea, and the end of the vermilion wall was also the vermilion wall, and sighed: "I am also a woman after all, so I should have pity on her." ”

Concubine Gao's blood collapse and loss of a son are a big deal in the harem, but in the eyes of the emperor, it is just one of a thousand things a day. In order to appease the Gao family clan and comfort Concubine Gao, the emperor issued an order at noon to promote Concubine Gao to be a noble concubine and restore the gold book, gold seal and all the specifications of the noble concubine.

Qingcheng had dinner, didn't sleep during the lunch break, set up a sedan chair and went to Xianfu Palace, passed the message to the noble concubine, and smiled: "When you are well, maybe you can be like me and put the seventh elder brother in Xianfu Palace to be raised." ”

Concubine Gao listened, and there was indeed some joy on her face.

Qingcheng suddenly heard the commotion, frowned and said, "Who is outside, hurry out, don't disturb the master Gao to recuperate." But it was Erqi who came in with the curtain and muttered in Qingcheng's ear: "The slave found something strange in the kitchen. Qingcheng knew in her heart, raised her hand, signaled her not to say it yet, and left the noble concubine's room, Fang asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Er Qi said: "I was in the kitchen just now, and I saw a palace maid who was waiting for snacks sneaking something into the cabinet. ”

As he spoke, a palace man presented a white porcelain round jar, opened the green orange and smelled it, and said, "Is it almond jam?" Erqi nodded and said, "Exactly." The slave was very strange, it stands to reason that the high master is pregnant, almonds are taboo, and there should be no such thing in the kitchen, so he asked the girl carefully. Unexpectedly, the girl actually said that it was Jin Ling, the palace maid in charge of the high master, who asked her to throw away the jar of almond butter, and the slave maid had doubts, so she wanted to ask Jin Ling. After all, Jin Ling was the palace maid in charge, so she quarreled with me. ”

Qingcheng thought for a moment and said, "Tie up Jin Ling." ”

Er Qi loved to be majestic, listened to Qingcheng's orders, and took the eunuchs to tie people up as if on fire. Jin Ling knelt in front of Qingcheng, her expression was calm, and she was not ashamed at all. Qingcheng carefully took a cue, quietly drank half a bowl of tea, and asked, "Who instructed you?" ”

Jin Ling said: "What did the pure master say? The slave and the maid did not understand, and no one instructed the slave or the maid. Er Qi shouted: "Be bold, and don't think about who you talk to, you dare..." ”

Er Qi sneered, but obeyed.

Qingcheng said: "Since no one instructed you, then you should always know what that jar of almond butter is for, right?" Jin Ling said calmly: "Qiyu is a pure master, and the slave eats it by himself." Qingcheng smiled at the corner of his lips and said, "Since you eat it yourself, why do you have to secretly ask someone to throw it away?" A trace of panic crossed Jin Ling's eyes, and said, "The slave maid felt that the taste was bad, so she wanted to throw it away." Qingcheng slowly opened the jar, picked up the spoon and scooped it, tasted two bites, and said with a smile: "I think the taste is very fresh, it should be ground yesterday, and I haven't had time to use it yet." After a pause, he held back his expression and said, "If you don't say it now, you have to go to the Shen Criminal Division to say it." Her tone was not fierce, but it was majestic.

Jin Ling shuddered, and said toughly: "The slave doesn't know anything, even if she arrives at the Shen Criminal Division, it is still this sentence." "Qingcheng Assistant Sixth Palace has been in the sixth palace for a long time, and he has never tied up a palace person, let alone have anything to do with the Shen Criminal Division, but Jin Ling is the first palace maid in charge of the noble concubine, just like his own Hai'an, if Hai'an did something to murder him, it would really be unthinkable. After thinking for a moment, she ordered: "Tie up all the cooks and men who work in the kitchen, and send them to the Criminal Division for interrogation together with Jin Ling." ”

The Shen Criminal Division has always been ruthless, and few palace people who enter it will hurt their muscles and bones, and if they are big, they will return to Huangquan. When Jin Ling heard this, she couldn't help but tremble. Qingcheng looked at her expression and said slowly: "If you recruit truthfully, the punishment will be punished, and it will not drag others down." If thou wilt give thy head to others to speak, thou shalt not die. ”

Jin Ling's eyes rolled with tears, hesitated for a moment, and then bit her lip and said: "Let you kill and chop, listen to it." ”

In the spring, there was a muffled thunder, and the clouds rolled over, as if there was heavy rain. The emperor stood in front of the case to practice calligraphy and meditate, Wu Shulai quietly lifted the curtain and entered the hall, bowed down and said: "Long live the lord, the queen mother has a message, please ask the emperor to set up the Shoukang Palace." ”

The emperor's pen flew around and asked: "The Queen Mother summoned her at noon, what can she say?" Wu Shulai replied: "The slave didn't dare to figure out what he wanted, and asked the palace people who passed the message, saying that the master Xian had dinner with the queen mother, and talked about the person who tied up the kitchen in the Xianfu Palace, but did not discuss it with the fourth concubine. He was halfway through his words, and carefully watched the emperor's face with his peripheral eyes. The emperor's fingertips froze, and then he made a heavy stroke, and said: "Let's just say that I have rested, and I will meet the envoy of the foreign court in the afternoon, and I will go to the queen mother to ask for peace tomorrow morning." ”

Wu Shulai said: "The pure master..."

The emperor put down his pen, wiped his hands with a warm towel, and instructed the little eunuch who served the ink, "Take it." The little eunuch Ma Li picked up the paper inkstone, and the emperor threw the towel and said, "Don't ask if you shouldn't ask." Wu Shulai was frightened and hurriedly said: "The slave loses his honor, long live the Lord forgive the sin." The emperor said, "If there is anyone in the harem who asks to see me, he will say that I am not available." ”

Wu Shulai was full of excitement and said, "If the pure master comes..."

The emperor glared at him fiercely and said, "You are getting more and more confused, and you can't understand what I say." Wu Shulai was so frightened that he was sweating finely, and said again and again: "Yes, yes, the slave should die, the slave should die." After saying that, he retreated.

In the blink of an eye, the heavy rain was like a note, the court was full of cold wind, and Luoying was shattered. Qingcheng watched Concubine Gao eat gruel and decoction, and was about to return to Yikun Palace, when suddenly the eunuch in charge flew over in the rain, knelt down and said, "Master Qi, Jin Ling has recruited." Qingcheng was taken aback, just now he was still unyielding, but in the blink of an eye, he was recruited in just an hour or two?

"Who instructed it?" she asked. ”

The eunuch in charge hesitated, paused for a while, and said, "Jin Ling said... It was instructed by Master Xian..."The matter became more and more tricky, Qingcheng didn't dare to believe it, and he didn't dare to believe it completely, so he thought for a while before he said: "I tied Jin Ling up, and I want to interrogate it myself." The eunuch in charge answered, and went away in the rain. Within two quarters of an hour, the eunuch in charge returned, he was drenched, and he didn't know whether he was frightened or shivering with cold, his mouth trembled, and said: "Jin Ling said that he wanted Xiao Gong... It's raining and the ground is too slippery... She fell into the dung tank and drowned..."

It's just nonsense, Qingcheng was angry and said, "How could a big living person fall into a dung tank and drown?" The eunuch in charge couldn't say why, so he could only kneel and kowtow. Hai'an saw that Qingcheng was slightly anxious, so he said: "Why doesn't the master give the emperor?" After all, when it comes to the master, whether it is true or not, it is better for the emperor to decide. ”

Qingcheng had no better way, so he said helplessly: "It can only be like this." ”

Jian Yuheng diagnosed the sixth elder brother's pulse of peace and returned to Xianfu Palace in the rain. Qingcheng went to the Heart Cultivation Palace, he was busy with everything, and the sixth elder brother was also healthy, so he said to the palace people who were familiar with Qingcheng's side, and went back to the imperial hospital first. Not far from the main hall, a little eunuch caught up, holding a pair of boots in his arms, and said, "Aunt Erqi ordered me to send it, the adult's shoes are soaked, it is better to wear boots and leave." Without waiting for Jian Yuheng to ask more, he lost his burden, turned around and ran away.

Erqi.

Jian Yuheng read softly, he sat on the railing of the verandah and changed his boots, which were very fitting, and he was very surprised. After taking two steps, I suddenly remembered that he was going to Jiangsu that year, and a palace maid intercepted him from the corridor, her face was red, and she said that she had seen the purse given to him by the pure master, and asked him to return the purse, so as not to bring disaster to the pure master.

He also told him to die to the pure master.

Thinking of this, Jian Yuheng couldn't help but smile, she was really a loyal girl.

Qingcheng waited for a long time under the corridor of the Yangxin Palace, Wu Shulai said for a while that the emperor had not woken up after falling asleep, and said that he had gone to the front hall to summon the envoys, and seeing that the sky was about to get dark, Wu Shulai whispered the truth and said: "Pure master, it's not that the slave won't let you in, it's just that the Lord of Long Live has made a will, no matter who comes in the harem, he won't see it, you better go back, if there is anything, you might as well make up your own mind." ”

Starting from the Qingcheng Servant's bed, not to mention that the Heart Cultivation Hall comes and goes freely, even if it is the Xinuan Pavilion to discuss politics, if she is willing to stay crooked in the inner room, the emperor will not drive her. But now, he refused to see him no matter what, which made people suspicious. The spring rain is pure, and the emperor is afraid that Qingcheng will stand outside for a long time and be cold, so he passed on a sentence: "The harem has the rules of the harem." Qingcheng had an epiphany and said: "Right now, the five concubines are jointly in charge of the six palaces, and I am arbitrary, so that no one wants to gossip, and I am really not thoughtful." ”

Hai An said: "But the master Xian is involved, and the five concubines discuss, and it is difficult to come to a conclusion." Qingcheng thought for a while and said, "Let's go to Changchun Palace." "The assistant of the five concubines is the assistant of the five concubines, and the middle palace is still the middle palace, and whoever the queen really wants to punish is a matter of course.

There was no one in the Xinuan Pavilion of Changchun Palace, and the queen was half leaning on the kang table, looking at Concubine Yu with interest and drinking tea. On the high table there is a gold-inlaid Western chiming clock, which is walking with a click. The queen asked: "I'm strange, how did you make that palace person die, and you even bit Concubine Xian before you died." Concubine Yu put down the teacup, smiled at the corner of her lips, and said: "She has a sister named Ning'er, who was originally a palace maid who swept the corridor of Xianfu Palace. I promised her that when the matter was done, I would send her sister out of the palace before the Mid-Autumn Festival. ”

The queen smiled and said, "Everyone is dead, what is the next one." Concubine Yu was about to speak, Shanrou walked into the house quickly, blessed her body and said: "Master, pure master is here." Concubine Yu hurriedly got up and said, "I'll take a look at the back." The queen waved her hand and said, "No need, the fifth elder brother is here, it's not strange that you come often, just be generous." After that, he told Mama to go to the side hall to bring the fifth elder brother over, and said to Shanju: "Please come in." ”

Qingcheng entered the house, saw Concubine Yu holding the fifth elder brother teasing, and did not care, carefully explained that Erqi found that Jin Ling instructed the palace people to throw almond butter, to kidnap Jin Ling to the Shen Criminal Division for interrogation, and then to Jin Ling's confession and fall to death, and finally said: "Because it involves the master Xian, the concubine does not dare to make a judgment, and asks the queen to be the master." The queen was naturally surprised, and she couldn't come back to her senses for half a sound.

Still Yu Concubine said: "I really don't want such a thing in the world!" The queen had a difficult face and said: "Concubine Xian is a concubine after all, and she has been taking care of the harem, and she has contributed a lot." I also want to see what the queen mother and the emperor mean, and I don't dare to make my own opinions. ”

Qingcheng didn't know what was inside, and said: "If you don't have a family, you don't know the difficulties, and the concubine understands." Concubine Gao worked hard to conceive, but was framed by a confused maid with a blindfolded heart, it is really hateful, if this wind is encouraged in the palace, isn't everyone in danger? The relationship between Concubine Xian and the Queen Mother is known to the palace, and the concubine thinks that the Queen Mother must come forward in this matter. ”

The queen was thoughtful and said, "That's right." ”

As the night grew darker, Li Yu entered the hall with a vermilion lacquer plate, and only then did he shout, "Long live the lord...", and the emperor raised his hand and motioned for him to retreat. When he arrived at the tea room, Li Yu secretly asked Wu Shulai and said, "Long live the master, what's wrong?" If you don't go to Yikun Palace, and you don't turn over the cards, I haven't heard that the holy bow violates the peace? Wu Shulai slapped him on the head and said, "The master can't rest by himself for one night, he has to be accompanied?" Be careful to sail the ship of 10,000 years, don't talk too much. ”

Li Yu flattered: "I'll ask casually, what are you serious." ”

The emperor's eyes were fixed on the fold, but he waited for the palace people to reply. Wu Shulai sent all his cronies out, and reported the whereabouts of Concubine Chun every half an hour. As a result, the name of the pure concubine always sounded in the Heart Cultivation Palace.

"Long live the Lord, the pure concubine Niangniang went back."

"Long live the Qiyu Lord, the pure concubine Niangniang went to Changchun Palace."

"Long live the Lord, the pure concubine and the queen went to Shoukang Palace together."

"Long live the Lord Qiyu, the Queen Mother was angry and let the pure concubine kneel."

“......”

The emperor slapped the fold on the table, and the palace people who were serving ink shook all over their bodies, and almost smashed the inkstone. Wu Shulai heard the sound outside, lifted the curtain and entered the hall, and asked, "What do you have the master's command?" The emperor nodded his hand to his eyebrows and said, "Go, take the third elder brother to Shoukang Palace to ask for peace." "Wu Shulai understands that the emperor is a pure master, but he has put the third elder brother in handy.

The Queen Mother cherishes Yongzhang, and it is not good to reprimand his mother in front of him.

At the end of the time, Wu Shulai entered the palace and said: "Qi Qi master, the pure master has returned to the palace, the third elder brother stayed in Shoukang Palace to accompany the queen mother, and the queen mother explained that the third elder brother does not need to call the third elder brother to go to the south study." ”

The emperor sat cross-legged on the kang and read a book, turned the page and asked, "What did the Queen Mother do?" Wu Shu replied: "The Queen Mother said that Jin Ling's words are not credible, they are really false, and someone is deliberately murdering behind their backs." He also said that Concubine Xian was in charge of the six palaces, but she did not serve the dragon heir wholeheartedly, which made Concubine Gao's blood collapse, so she should think about it behind closed doors, and intended to return the power of the six palaces to the queen. The emperor stopped asking, as if in deep thought, stared at the pages for a long time, and said indifferently: "I know." ”

Wu Shulai knelt down, bowed and retreated to the lower room.

Early the next morning, the rain was slightly cool. The emperor dispersed and drove to Shoukang Palace to accompany the Queen Mother for breakfast. Yongzhang slept lazily on the couch and didn't get up, and when he heard that the Lord Long Live was coming, he was immediately frightened, and the Queen Mother was so anxious that she scolded the emperor directly, and said: "Look how fierce you treat him normally, good boy, bluffing like this." The emperor laughed and said: "His mother is too spoiled, if I don't pay attention, his little tail will not reach the sky." The Queen Mother said: "If you go to the sky, you will go to the sky, didn't you also mourn when you were a child?" Isn't it good now? ”

The emperor glanced at Yongzhang, Yongzhang had the support of the queen mother, and simply shrank into the quilt, as if he didn't see it.

Seeing this, the Queen Mother issued an eviction order and said, "Okay, you are also invited, go back." The mourning family knows your thoughts, so they sent Yongzhang over, rest assured, the mourning family is not such a blind person. Concubine Chun is good, you go to Yikun Palace now, and you can accompany her to breakfast. ”

The emperor was a little embarrassed, and said: "My son wants to serve the queen mother..."The queen mother said: "The mourning family is accompanied by Yongzhang, you can go." After speaking, he took his brother's robe and went to the quilt to catch Yongzhang and dress.