Tang'er was anxious and afraid, and struggled a few times in Qianlong's arms, but was held down tightly by Qianlong's hands, so he had to resign himself to his arms. Seeing a string of lanterns entering the Zhongcui Palace, and seeing the "nuns" bowing down to greet the concubine, they heard Gao Wuyong laugh outside the small Buddha hall and said: "Your lord, the master is incense inside, and all the people who follow him will avoid it!" ”

"Really?" Outside, Nala's crisp voice smiled, "This morning and evening, the master will come over, and this piety is as if I came to my Buddha and moved!" As he spoke, he walked in, and said to himself, "I am here for Coco, and the master of Coco is also here, which is also my blessing-" She was stunned for a moment, the lights and candles were clear, and under the Guanyin seat, Tang'er, the brother and daughter-in-law of the queen's mother's family, openly leaned in the arms of Emperor Qianlong! Qianlong put one hand around her shoulder, and gently stroked her hair with the other. In an instant, Nala was nailed to the ground like a nail, unable to enter, retreat, see, or avoid, and his handsome and beautiful face became sallow, unable to say a word!

Qianlong let go of Tang'er, who was already half-dizzy, got up and paced in front of the incense case, bowed with his hands together, put on three sticks of incense, bowed again, took a step back and turned to look at Nala's, for a long time, and said with a smile: "Are you here to enter the incense, or are you here to catch the traitor?" ”

"Yes...... It's not ......" Nala had never seen Qianlong's eyes like this, and he was so flustered that he didn't know what to say, and he said after a while, "The slave doesn't know that the master is here, really!" I really don't know ......."

"It's okay to know or not to know. Have you seen it all? ”

"The slave has a bad eye, and she doesn't see anything......"

"You see!"

Listening to these heavy, stressful words, Nala lowered his head, and said after a while, "Yes...... Slaves and maids dare not deceive the king...... See. In this case, the slave and maid should make a word to the emperor, and there are already rumors outside. As soon as this kind of thing spreads, the emperor's face is not good-looking, the queen's face is not good-looking, even Tang'er can't be a person-" Before she finished speaking, Tang'er covered her face and sobbed and cried.

"Gao Wuyong," Qianlong ordered from the other door, "tell everyone who is with the concubine to go back to the palace." I and the concubine are here tonight to keep vigil and incense! With that, he turned around and paced back and forth. After a while, he suddenly asked: "Have there been any emperors who can't hear gossip since ancient times?" Nala was stunned by his question, hesitated for a while, and said, "When Emperor Zhenguan Taizong was excited, right?" Xuanzong Kaiyuan ......" Qianlong sneered: "Yes, you moved out of Tang Taizong, it seems that you have read a few books!" Xuanwumen coup d'état, Li Shimin killed his brother and usurped the throne, do you know? A Wu Zetian, serving Taizong at the top and Gaozong at the bottom, do they have a good reputation? ”

Nala lowered his head and muttered, "The slave doesn't read much......

"You should learn from your master's mother and read books like "The Book of Daughters". Qianlong saw her blushing, lowering her head and rubbing her clothes, and her tender demeanor that wanted to speak and stopped, he couldn't help but feel pity and slowed down: "You are fortified everywhere!" If you do the math, I have more than twice as many brands as the queen, so why should I be jealous? Don't forget, jealousy is also out of seven! He looked at Tang'er, who was silent, and his tone became stern again. For example, in this small Buddha hall, I am here to make incense, and I tell you not to come in, can you come in? I just mean to cure you! I just have a relationship with Tang'er, there is - this matter, you should have followed the rules, for your relatives, for your Venerable, repeatedly punned on Tang'er, and rumored these 'gossip'! Now that you have come, you have also seen it, and you say a charter, are you guilty, or am I guilty?! ”

Qianlong was clever and sophistry, and he said eloquently, and put a big hat of "jealousy" on Nala's head, which had overwhelmed her, and this question of "who is guilty" was even more powerful, and Nala's could no longer stand, so he knelt down and kowtowed: "The emperor is eloquent and convincing, yes...... It's a slave...... ......"Knowing that you are guilty, I will forgive you from your sin." Qianlong said, "Today when it comes to the bright place, I will simply hand over Tang'er's life and face to you." She is here, you are rich and honorable, and you are still my beloved concubine; If something happens to her, you can't help being a concubine, and you can't help if you want to live! ”

"Long live...... Nala lay on the ground, holding Qianlong's feet, trembling all over, and sobbing, "I am jealous of love, and I really love my master...... I don't want anyone else to share it at all......"

Qianlong laughed, pulled Tang'er in the past, and said: "I all love me, I naturally love you, since you have removed jealousy, you should be good friends, come on, Guanyin Bodhisattva, solve this grievance, you hold hands!" ”

The two white and delicate hands hesitated for a moment and shook them gently.

Qianlong originally wanted to come to see Tang'er and go back to the Yangxin Palace, but after such a turmoil, he was sleepy, and he wanted to hear "gossip", but he really didn't want to go back. Ordered someone to carry into a silk vine Luo Chun stool and lay down, ordered Tang'er to sit on the chair in front of him, facing himself, Nala leaned sideways to massage himself and beat him, Qianlong smiled proudly: "How many days can life be happy?" I have a pair of beauties by my side today, are I happy? ”

"The emperor only said what your lord said, some are right, some are wrong." Tang'er glanced at Nala Shi, whose expression was a little gloomy, and sighed deeply, "I am a man with a husband, no matter what, this is called sin...... If it weren't for the seed in the belly, I really wanted to - some people outside said that Fu Heng was working for the emperor in front, and the emperor was wearing Fu Heng in the rear, wearing ......" She was so ashamed that she was ashamed of herself, and the three words "green turban" were worn for a long time, but she still didn't say it.

Just saying that he was wearing a green turban, Qianlong didn't care: there are thousands of people in the world. Fu Heng and Qianlong's twenty-seventh sisters, Jieying and Princess Shuo, also have ambiguities, so Deya also wears a green turban. Deya and Yue Ying are not clear, so Wu Zhenqing is also ...... Wu Zhenqing and ...... Even Zheng Chunhua, the former Holy Ancestor, had an affair with Yunren, and the wise Holy Ancestor also wore a green turban - stinky man, dirty Tang, Song Ming, Yuan confused, Ming sloppy, and now he says "clear nose" - it is similar since ancient times. is now his own concubine in the palace, and I heard that there are also troublesome brothers who are also wearing "green turbans". It's really not the same thing. But the matter involving "Fu Heng is working hard in the front" has become extremely serious. Qianlong wanted to laugh, but he didn't laugh, and sighed: "The word 'love' in the world is arranged by creation, and no one can escape this snare." I tell you that Fu Heng is in the cottage and the female thief leader is called Juanjuan, and he is also very affectionate......" Then he said the meeting between Fu Heng and Juanjuan, "If you really want to live, it is difficult to have both love and law, and I am also embarrassed." If it is a martyrdom, it becomes a good story—what else is there besides this? ”

Fu Heng still has a lingering relationship with a female thief, Tang'er couldn't help but be stunned, somehow, her heart was relieved: she was sorry for her husband, and her husband had something else to love, which could somewhat alleviate her guilt. Thinking of the first time I talked to Qianlong**, when it came to my husband and Twenty-Seven Gege, I was faithful at this time, and I felt a little more comfortable. Just thinking about it, Nala said beside him: "Your Majesty, you can't get to the bottom of what I say. If you want to get to the bottom of it, it will kill me, not to mention that I have only heard of a superficial ......"

"So solemn?" Qianlong's back was turned inward, beaten by the Nala clan, and said with a smile, "You say, I listen, don't pursue it." ”

"Someone said...... The first emperor died unexpectedly! ”

Qianlong turned over and sat up with a "sigh"!

"Your Majesty...... You said you wouldn't pursue ......"

"I'm still not going to pursue it." Qianlong's face was blue and pale, "But I have to understand this." You tell this matter clearly, I have to know it in my heart! Seeing that Tang'er was stunned, Qianlong said again: "You are lying here...... These words are important, but they are not a great thing, you can nourish your spirits. I'll find a place to talk to Nala. Saying that, Qianlong stood up, and Nala was uneasy in his heart, and followed Qianlong to the courtyard courtyard.

At this time, it was already more quiet, and the nuns of Zhongcui Palace were not allowed to disturb because of the emperor's order, so they all concentrated in the West Side Hall to meditate. There was no sound in the courtyard, and the desolate and old, intermittent, and weak shouts of the night vigil eunuch were heard from afar, "small-heart-lamp-fire...... and a half moon sprinkled the dim and bleak silver light on the ground, and sometimes it was covered by floating clouds, and the fragrance of flowers wafting from the imperial garden and the strong Tibetan incense wafting from the small Buddha hall were mixed together, filling the dark night sky. After a long time, Qianlong said in a low voice: "Xiaoqian (Nala's nickname), you can say it." ”

"The emperor trusts him so much, and he allows it not to be investigated, and the slave doesn't want to hide anything." Nala's tone was particularly deep and clear, "When my mother's brother and daughter-in-law went to the Sixteen Gege family to pay their birthdays, I heard someone at the banquet that one of the emperor's favorite palace concubines was called Yindi......

"Qiao Yindi," Qianlong said, "it turned out to be with Yun." ”

"Yes, it's called Qiao Yindi." Nala's voice trembled a little, "Yun committed an accident, was sent to Ma Lingyu to guard the spirit of the ancestors, and took this girl to be the person around him." Later, someone instigated the fourteenth master to rebel, and asked the first emperor to find out and guard the palace maids. The first emperor took Yindi to his side and made him a low-level concubine.

"People wonder, how could the first emperor accept his own brother's person as his concubine? Later, from the Jiuye Mansion, it turned out that Qiao Yindi's appearance looked very much like a person - in the early years, the first emperor was the prince, and he went to Anhui for disaster relief, and the flood flooded the city, and the first emperor floated in a lotus pot for three days and three nights, and was rescued. It was a woman who saved him, and this woman's name was Xiaofu...... Later, he got along with the first emperor. Somehow, the people of the Xiaofu clan knew about it, and they burned Xiaofu to death......"

This tragic story was told by Gao Fu'er, a house slave, when Qianlong was a prince. Later, Gao Fuer's traitor was executed, thinking that no one in the world knew about it, and he couldn't imagine that what was rumored outside was more true than what Gao Fuer said! Qianlong pondered and asked, "What does this have to do with the death of the first emperor?" ”

"This Qiao Yindi looks too much like Fu'er." Nala said with a deep groan, "So the first emperor accepted her, saying that she was just a concubine, but in fact, he loved her in his heart and loved her, and no one in the six palaces could compare." The lord knows that the first emperor does not love money and is not greedy for sex, but he likes this Yindi, who is not very good looking. He sometimes gets irritable, kills people and raids his home, as long as Yindi says a few words, he can dissipate his old man's anger......"

Qianlong nodded, he had seen it. Yongzheng once beat his younger brother Hongday. The rattans were all broken, and Yindi didn't say anything, but only took the stick sore medicine to ask someone to wipe it on her brother. The cold Yongzheng had tears in his eyes, threw the rattan and sighed and left. Qianlong was about to say what he saw, but Nala said in shock: "No one believes it, it's this Qiao Yindi who gave the first emperor's life!" Qianlong shuddered suddenly: he suddenly thought of that exciting and terrifying night, the strange two corpses, strange bloodstains, and Yongzheng's inexplicable edict.

"This is what a palace maid has seen with her own eyes. That night, it happened that this palace maid was on duty at night, and she brought water in to give medicine to the first emperor. She saw the first emperor staring at Yindi with warm eyes, staring at it for a long time, and said, 'It's hard for you to be loyal, I am tired to death every day, and when I see you strangely, I have no fatigue - since you say that this pill is good, I will take it with you, you take it, I take it, I use it!' Yindi smiled and handed over the water, and the first emperor said with a smile while taking medicine, "There are three major suspicious cases in the former Ming Dynasty, one of which is the "Red Pill Case". As he spoke, he ate it, and Yindi ate it too.

The maid was walking under the window and heard a sound inside. She stood on tiptoe and looked in, and was stunned:

Yongzhengye's face turned bloody, he covered his stomach with one hand, and pointed at Yindi with the other, saying that you ...... You...... You want to kill me? I...... I have given you all my heart! Oh...... It's like a fire in the belly...... I'm going to die......

"Yindi stood in front of the table, picked up a paper cutter, rushed up a few steps and stabbed the first emperor's chest, and plunged straight into it - the palace maid was scared, holding on to the window, and couldn't even shout!"

Qianlong was also stunned, this situation was exactly the same as the scene he saw that night, how could people not believe it? He looked at the black palace in a daze, only to feel eerie and cold...... I don't know how long it took, but I took a breath and asked, "What happened later?" ”

Yindi stabbed the first emperor, and seeing that the first emperor was struggling, he was also frightened and retreated to the front of the case. Staring directly at the first emperor, the first emperor had a knife in his chest, staggered and refused to fall, and asked with difficulty: 'You...... You tell me, why? - I love you, but I ...... Die without complaint...... 'Yindi said, 'I saw my mother...... My mother told me everything......

"'Your mother! Who is your mother? She said it all...... What the? ’

"'My mother is a little blessing! The fourteenth master is my uncle, you are my father! ’

"Yongzhengye was like being struck by lightning, he no longer staggered, his eyes were round, staring at Yindi deadly, he went around in a circle, and suddenly laughed, 'There is such a thing in the world? This kind of thing happens to give me Yunzhen? Ah—' He suddenly stopped laughing, and asked, 'What about your mother?' I—I want to see ...... See her...... Oh...... It was your aunt who was burned at the stake...... I understand, I understand...... 'Yindi was so shocked that she took a step back when she saw him in such pain, and said gloomily, 'Mother heard about me...... Also took medicine...... Dead ......'

Yongzhengye's chest was oozing blood, he took a few steps to the front of the case, dipped his fingers in blood and wrote a few words, and then didn't speak again...... Retreating to the bed, he said to Yindi: 'Daughter, I can't stand up as soon as the knife is pulled, good boy, you have to live...... Remembering that your father kept everything in the dark, that Amma should die a little more quickly,' he said, and he drew his knife violently, and immediately blood gushed from his chest...... The first emperor took the blood-dripping knife in his hand and said intermittently, 'Come...... Fast...... You...... Rush here, and do it again! ’

Yin Di took the knife with a trembling hand, looked at Yongzheng Ye who was dying, and suddenly looked up to the sky and laughed miserably, shouting, 'God...... Oh, my God! You're so ruthless—' She slammed into her heart ......"

When Nala finished speaking, her petite body seemed to shrink as if she was overwhelmed by the cold, and she was so frightened that she put her head in Qianlong's arms, and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid...... This Forbidden City...... This palace is like a palace with a story and a ghost in every house...... To be honest, I'm scared of ...... at night I'm a little more at ease with you. I'm not all jealous, I just hope to be with you more, borrow your blessings, and suppress the evil ......" Qianlong has been immersed in this terrible story, and only then did he pull his thoughts back to reality and confirm his memory. Nala's words were so in line with the situation when he saw his father's tragic death that night—his eyebrows trembled imperceptibly, he pulled Nala's shoulders, looked at her pale and blurred face secretly, and asked, "That 'palace maid', is that you?" Nara seemed stunned, lowered his head, and his voice was almost inaudible: "Yes......"

"You must know that these things are rumored to be to destroy the Nine Clans." Qianlong frowned tightly and said, "At that time, Minister Wang discussed that all the eunuchs and palace maids of Shanningju would be stabbed dumb and would never be allowed to leave the palace. You're not stupid, how dare you say something like that? ”

"No, no, no!" Nala knelt down as soon as his knees weakened, "I dare to swear to the heavens, I didn't show a word of my words." The rumors out there are worse than that. I-" She lowered her head and sobbed, "You know, you said that I sleep like a child and never even talk in my dreams......" Qianlong picked her up, stared at her and asked, "How did rumors spread outside?" Nala wiped away a handful of tears and said, "Some people say that on the night of the emperor's violent death, there were only ...... You were present, saying that the master was the same as Yunren, and he had 'that' with Yindi, so that the first emperor bumped into him, and he was angry - I just told the truth, just to let the master understand, someone spread rumors for the master. I know in my heart that my lord is innocent. If one day I am asked to die for my master, I will not hesitate! ”

Qianlong was deeply moved by her affection, but these malicious rumors outside the palace made him confused and uneasy: Where is the source of this rumor? What is the reason for these rumors? He suddenly remembered Yang Mingshi's inexplicable violent illness, those amazing movements and expressions before he died, and he fell into deep thought......

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty's ......" Nala gently tugged at the corners of Qianlong's clothes and said, "The night dew has come down, please...... Let's go into the Buddha Hall. "Oh!" Qianlong woke up from his stupor, smiled coldly, and said, "I won't go in." A lot of people are suspicious these days! You and Tang'er are fasting and punctual in one place, and have a good chat. I want to go back to the Temple of Heart Nourishment. He smiled and twisted Nala's face slightly, "Tomorrow I'll turn over your brand!" - Huh? This time I made it clear, in the future, Tang'er will enter the palace and rest in your palace! Nala blushed, spitted, and swallowed back.

Qianlong returned to the Palace of Nourishing the Heart, originally wanted to pass the decree to order Zhang Tingyu to come in, looked at the self-striking bell, it had passed, the palace gate had already been keyed, and he wanted to see the twists and turns, but he couldn't read a word tonight, he thought about it for a while, called Gao Wuyong, and asked: "You often go to Cining Palace at night, has Lafayette rested for a while?" ”

"Definitely not!" Gao Wuyong said with a smile, "Lafayette is in good spirits, even if he has nothing to do, he has to burn Zi Shi Xiang, looking at the incense to the incense spectrum [1]

, to finish the incense spectrum before resting. Today's news of Fu Liuye's great victory, and it is the day of bathing Buddha, and the slave came back to get Ejiao and Tibetan incense, and saw that the seventeenth old imperial aunt also came to see the master, and wanted to ask the master to go to Cining Palace to wipe the cards. Qianlong said: "I'm also a little crazy today. Let's go, let's see! Gao Wuyong hurriedly said: "The emperor wants to go over, so let the slave go first to Lafayette!" ”

Qianlong ordered someone to bring a big coat, and said with a smile: "What does my son report when he sees his mother?" Let's go. ”

The Queen Mother was really playing cards, but the atmosphere was not as lively and happy as Qianlong imagined. She sat on a porcelain pier in front of the big kang, opposite the queen. The two old imperial aunts on either side of the Queen Mother, Si Ge and Seventeen Gege, are both old widows, holding cards seriously. Behind the seventeen grids stood a young woman about thirty years old, wearing a five-clawed dragon and four dragon gowns, with a giant dragon in front and back, a walking dragon on both shoulders, and a two-layer ruby crown on her head.

"Mother is happy." Qianlong came over with a smile, called the Queen Mother to say goodbye, got up and said, "My son is sleepy tonight, and I want to come over to talk to my mother - this is the seventh sister, what are you doing kneeling?" Family, this will make such a rule, and they are still wearing dresses! I forgot to fight crickets when I was a child, I lost, and the seventh sister scratched my nose so painfully! When Qigege heard Qianlong talk about this, a smile bloomed on his face, and he also smiled and said, "The master only remembers my badness!" A lychee, you eat meat, I forgot about biting the core? Qianlong laughed. The atmosphere suddenly eased a lot.

While playing the cards, the Queen Mother said to Qigege: "Look at it, looking for someone to say something, you can relieve your boredom, and your heart will be better, right?" Don't be bored in the house all the time! You have a large group of sisters, some of whom are in love, often walk around, listen to a play, pull an ancient record or something, and the days will go out. Qianlong pondered, but it was expected that his sister missed his son who served with Zhang Guangsi in the Sichuan army, so he smiled and said: "If you don't endure hardships, it is difficult to be a master." He has no military merits, and there is no middle scholar in the civil service, so he can only be a temple secretary of Guanglu Temple. The brother asked the nephew to go out, which also means to earn you dignity. Now the seventeenth aunt is an example, the first to call Mogro to go on the expedition, and the seventeenth aunt is also full of reluctance. How is it now? Fujian Admiral! Jianya Kaifu feudal officials, where to go majestic! As Lafayette said, when you are bored, you walk around and talk to people, and you really miss your son, so it is not difficult to send a letter to ask him to ask for leave to come back for ten days and a half months. In the future, you will taste the sweetness. The Qing Dynasty has a system, and if you don't have military merits, you can't be knighted, and your brother can't cross this ceremony if he is the emperor, so he can't be a faint king, right? ”

"That's what the emperor said." The Queen Mother and several old princesses couldn't help laughing, and the Queen Mother smiled: "Don't think about it." Her surname is Aixin Jueluo, so she is destined for this fate! - Ming'er, your fourth sister's birthday, you want to act, you go back and tell her by the way, I want to go to the play. Fu Heng won the battle in front, and the emperor was also happy, Ming'er asked the military aircraft department to have a day off, and he also went with me to loosen and loosen his body - the emperor, can it be done? Qianlong thought about it: The mourning period is less than three years, and acting is not allowed, but in fact, the world's official and civilian weddings and funerals have long been banned, which is not clear and confused, and there is a mother's mercy, so he bowed down and smiled, and said: "I haven't seen my old sister for a long time, but there is still something to do tomorrow." I'm here to discuss with Galeries Lafayette tonight. Ming'er Lafayette will go over first, I will go to the banquet to disturb her later, maybe she will be even happier! What do you say, the Queen Mother? Tell the queen to accompany you first, okay? Only then did everyone know that Qianlong came to Cining Palace at night, and there was something to ask the Queen Mother, so they lost their cards and resigned one after another.

[1]

In the old days, there was a printed "incense book", according to the shape of the incense burning, divination of good fortune and evil.