Chapter 51: The Gift
Late at night, Wenlin Pavilion.
As soon as Bai Han came out, he saw his brother Bai Zhao walking into the courtyard by moonlight.
He greeted him with some apprehension, "Brother, Your Highness asked me to ask you for a pass signβ"
"Do what?"
"To Su Sixi." He quickly looked away. I don't know why, my brother doesn't seem to like Su Zhi very much, and his eyes are like looking at ghosts under a knife. Every time Su Zhi was mentioned in front of his brother, he was a little panicked.
Sure enough, Bai Zhao's face sank, "What to do with her?" β
"You go and ask Your Highness yourself." Bai Han shirked and reached out to ask for the brand.
Bai Zhao looked at his younger brother for a moment, glared at him coldly, turned around and strode towards the room.
Brand? Scold.
β¦β¦
In the Wenlin Pavilion, the palace lights flickered, and it was dim.
Helian Mingrui looked at the chessboard seriously, twisted up a white piece, and never fell.
After Bai Zhao reported the movements of the King of Chu, he remembered what his younger brother said about giving Su Zhi a pass sign, endured it, and asked, "Your Highness, why do you want to give Su Wanwan a pass sign?" β
He didn't want to ask, the prince has never liked people who have a lot of questions.
Moreover, he is good at speculating on people's hearts, and the purpose of His Highness's actions, he can guess nine times out of ten. But there are two things he didn't understand today:
One is what His Royal Highness said to Zuo Xiang. What happened to Qifeng Palace back then? He went to ask the oldest father-in-law, Wei, but father-in-law Wei looked secretive, and only said a word, I don't know.
Since Gonggong Wei said so, he also pressed his curiosity.
The second is the matter of giving Su Zhi a token that Bai Han mentioned just now. With the Prince Token, you can enter and exit the palace freely, as if you were in a no-man's land. Such important items are generally not given lightly.
Why does His Highness trust Su Zhi so much? In case she had bad intentions and brought some assassins in, and when the time came, how could Her Highness get away with it?
Bai Zhao thought uneasily, and after waiting for a long time, His Highness did not answer.
He cautiously asked, "Your Highness?" That token ......"
"You doubt her?" Helian Mingrui didn't look up, and took a sip of tea.
"Yes. Doesn't Her Highness doubt her? Bai Zhao expressed his doubts in his heart, "The minister has been investigating in the past few days, and this person has no relatives or friends in Beijing, and the people in Hongchun Mansion don't know where she comes from." There is no such person in the records of the household department, as if ...... She appeared out of thin air. β
"Interesting. Will there be people in the world that you can't find out? Helian Mingrui smiled.
Bai Zhao was sweating profusely, "The ministers are not doing things well." β
"It doesn't matter. Since the people in the palace can't find out, let her tell the palace herself. β
"What does Your Highness mean?"
"Only the fox knows where the fox nests."
Bai Zhao immediately understood. His Royal Highness wanted to let Su Zhi go and take them there.
Helian Mingrui pressed the chess piece and ordered softly, "Chu Ling'er." β
As the words fell, a black-clothed figure flashed down from the beam. It was Chu Siyi.
"The slave is here."
"Follow along. Her every move was reported to the palace. β
β¦β¦
Bai Han was bored and dozing against the wall, and when he heard his brother's footsteps coming out, he hurriedly came up.
"Brother, token."
Bai Zhao threw it to him expressionlessly.
Bai Han stepped forward with a smile and asked, "Brother, do you think this Su Sixi will be a goblin who fascinates His Highness, I thinkββ"
Bai Zhao interrupted coldly, "It's just a chess piece, what are you yelling about?" Take a good look at her. If she dares to be unfavorable to His Highness, she will kill her directly. β
"But brother, didn't you say that Your Highness likes her before?" The elder brother suddenly changed his statement, which made Bai Han confused.
"I said that?!" Bai Zhao hated that iron was not made of steel, and he raised his hand to fight, didn't this unlucky brother understand the rhetoric?
He finally sighed and patted his younger brother on the chest, "Remember, Your Highness has never pretended to be a woman in his heart. Not in the past, not now, and not in the future! β
"Oh." Bai Han didn't believe it. His brother didn't see the scene where His Royal Highness fed Su Zhi water that day. Unconvinced, he asked, "What is in His Highness's heart?" β
Bai Zhao was stunned, and suddenly realized that he couldn't answer this question. After eight years as a minister, he knew nothing about His Highness except for being powerful, cruel and indifferent.
Even he was not sure: Does His Highness have a heart?
"Do things well, don't ask so much. You don't understand it. Bai Zhao sighed and turned to step into the boundless night.
Bai Han was left standing in the corridor, looking confused.
β¦β¦
Su Zhi didn't expect that Helian Mingrui would agree to give her a pass token.
With this thing, what wall do you want to climb?
Of course, she is not stupid, someone is insidious and cunning, and there must be a conspiracy behind such an important item being given to her so easily.
Maybe she was looking for someone to follow her and see what she did.
Although someone was very suspicious, she just didn't want anyone to know her whereabouts.
On the one hand, there is the fear that someone will have something to do with the traitor.
On the other hand, she was a little annoyed when she said it:
The person sent by Helian Mingrui to follow her was quite good, and her observation skills were top-notch, and she couldn't find any trace of that person.
How can she, the ace of the special combat team, swallow this breath?
After Su Zhi left the palace, she did not go straight to Baicaotang, but went to the East Market for a few laps, looking for the most lively and crowded stall to stay.
It just so happened that under the Red Square, there was a newly opened comb shop that was being sold at a discount, and there were so many people outside the door that you couldn't see anyone when you entered.
Su Zhi walked around the outside a few times, found a gap and squeezed in, and then slipped away with a fat girl.
Out of the East City, she felt the hairy feeling of not being watched behind her, and knew that she had succeeded.
But this excitement only lasted until the door of the Hundred Grass Hall.
The door of the hundred grass hall is closed.
She knocked on the door for a long time, and the elementary school apprentice poked his head out and said, "Don't knock, the shopkeeper has something to do when he goes out, and he wants to grab the medicine and come tomorrow." β
Su Zhi left in a huff.
This shopkeeper is really a busy man.
The next day, Su Zhi used the same method to get rid of the tracking.
Similarly, the shopkeeper of Baicaotang also used the same method to make her eat the closed door.
"Your shopkeeper has something to do every day, can you still do business?" Su Zhi didn't have a good airway.
The apprentice was even more angry, "Hmph, it's your business." β
"Why are you like that? When is the shopkeeper here, can you give a quasi-head? β
"My shopkeeper is busy dispensing medicine to the marquis every day, how can I have time to see you? You shabby, line up slowly! β
Su Zhi couldn't swallow it in one breath, and reached out to bring out the junior apprentice. But the little apprentice was a ghost, and he shrank his head and entered the door, and made a grimace at her, "Hehe, do you have the ability to arrest me?" β
Su Zhi blocked the door lock with one palm, and immediately let this little ghost know the fate of taunting the special combat team.
"Ouch! Sister, don't slap your face, I say I'll say! Our shopkeeper is in the palace of the king of Chu! β
"King Chu?"
"Yes, yes! Princess Chu has been in a depressed mood these days, and she can't eat, so the shopkeeper goes to grab medicine for people! β
"When will you be back?"
"Tomorrow, tomorrow!"
On the third day, Su Zhi was about to leave the palace when she was stopped by Gonggong Wei.
"Su Sixi, today is the Spring Moon Appreciation Party, go and get the reward!"
Seeing that Father-in-law Wei was gone, Su Zhi asked Yan'er, only to know that this spring moon appreciation meeting is a small festival once a year.
On this morning, all the courtyards, whether the masters or the palace maids, went to Concubine Zhu's courtyard to wait and receive the prince's reward.
In the afternoon, those who have talent go to rehearsals, and those who don't have talent go to decorate the venue.
In the evening, everyone gathered on the white terrace of Chonghua Palace, admired the moon and chanted poems, played the piano and danced.
Tsk, this damn pervert will really enjoy life. But she didn't have time to play with him. This whole day was occupied by the Yangchun Moon Appreciation Meeting, how could she go to the shopkeeper of Baicaotang to ask?
But Gonggong Wei specially emphasized that the prince must let her participate.
Helian Mingrui's order could not be disobeyed, and it seemed that the matter would be postponed for another day.
Su Zhi had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to Concubine Zhu's courtyard with Yan'er to receive the reward.
When I came to Fengyuan, there were already more than a hundred palace maids and eunuchs gathered at the door.
The female officer in purple is handing out gifts to everyone. The eunuch was given a few taels of silver, and in addition to the reward, there were also some hairpins and other jewelry.
Everyone got the things and thanked them again and again. When it was Su Zhi's turn, the purple-clothed female officer smiled and handed her a box.
The box contained an ordinary mahogany comb with a peach blossom carved on the handle.
Su Zhi looked at this comb a little familiar, and after thinking about it carefully, it was from the comb shop under the Red Square.
In the past two days, in order to get rid of the stalking, she deliberately went to this comb shop, during which she pretended to pick up this comb and play with it, pretending to love it.
The stalker has such a good eye, he can even see this comb clearly.
A chill rose in Su Zhi's heart. Helian Mingrui gave her this comb to tell her that he knew her every move.
What else could she do? can only bow the knee and thank you.
The purple-clothed female officer saw her unhappy face, and showed a sympathetic look, "Sister Su, this feng shui takes turns, I didn't expect it to turn so fast in you." β
This comb is worth a maximum of eighty yuan, which is much lower than other gifts.
Even the bottom-level sweeping palace maid also received jewelry such as pearls and gemstones, and the lowest one was at least worth a few taels of silver, which was worth thousands of dollars.
The purple-clothed female official expected that the prince was beating Su Zhi.
Everyone on the side quietly looked at the worthless comb in Su Zhi's hand and whispered.
Not even half a month, Su Sixi fell out of favor?
Su Zhi was a little embarrassed by the onlookers.
Did the script change? Helian Mingrui didn't tell her.
Thinking of Jiezhudan and "Yang Chunsan", she understood: someone likes to play dumb riddles the most, and then catch the audience off guard.
This comb...... I'm afraid someone wants to reverse it again.
She couldn't wait to see his good show.
She simply plugged the comb into her head and said with a smile, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is very fond of it, and the slave is really flattered." β
Everyone laughed secretly, some came forward to comfort her, and more ridiculed.
In terms of background, Su Wanwan is the lowest in Chonghua Palace, but this cheap woman almost flew into the sky. Now that they have suddenly fallen out of favor, can they not be happy?
Yan'er was angry, crossed her waist and saluted those people, almost not telling her about the veil. Su Zhi hurriedly pulled her away. At this time, Zhang Shun came over and comforted him in a good voice, "Don't be sad, Your Highness has such a temperament, and he has not been spoiled for more than a month." As soon as the freshness passes, it ......"
"you! Crow's beak! Yan'er kicked people away, but she was worried in her heart, for fear of being said by Zhang Shun.
There were only two people at the scene who understood the truth:
One is Su Zhi, chatting with Zhang Shun indifferently.
The other is Chu Ling'er. She held the box in her hand and stood in the distance looking at Su Zhi with a complicated expression.
Last night, she reported to Her Highness Su Zhi's whereabouts and what she had accidentally lost.
His Royal Highness didn't care what Su Zhi was doing, and he didn't criticize her for not tracking her well, but he was very concerned about the comb and asked her to buy it.
It turned out that it was intended as a gift for Su Zhi......
Chu Ling'er's face suddenly turned dark.