The north wind overnight stained the green glazed tiles with a layer of hoarfrost, which was very beautiful. The huge palace, from the outside of the mansion, is the high courtyard and thick wall of the northern mansion, but the interior of the mansion is a pavilion and flower pavilion in the style of the south of the Yangtze River.

"Huoxiang, is Concubine He up?" A well-dressed woman asked the maid in front of the porch.

"It's been a while, and I haven't freshened up yet, Sister Xu has something important?"

Xu Siniang wanted to speak and stopped, and then smiled: "It doesn't matter, just come to say hello to your mother." ”

Xu Siniang is Concubine Zhou's companion, and she has served the prince several times, and she is also half a master. Besides, now that Concubine Zhou is in charge, half of the big and small things in the house have passed through Xu Siniang's hands, it is really thirty years in Hedong and thirty years in Hexi, thinking of the bleak situation in Daning Mansion, how can it not be embarrassing.

At that time, Concubine Zhou was diagnosed with tuberculosis suspected of contracting tuberculosis, and to add insult to injury, Concubine Zhou's maiden family had an accident in the court, and even the prince couldn't help it. Several times, Concubine Zhou wanted to throw herself into the well, but asked Concubine He to pull her back.

Concubine He is a young lady from a medical family and knows a lot about medical science. She said that Concubine Zhou was suffering from just an ordinary throat disease, and careful conditioning would definitely lead to recovery. The subordinate was unwilling to serve medicine to Concubine Zhou, so Concubine He decocted the medicine herself and sent it to her. But Princess Xie used the excuse of "being afraid of being sick to the prince", and locked Concubine Zhou and Concubine He in the garden and grounded them for several months.

Princess Xie has always been unpopular in the palace, and one day there was a gap with the princess who reported the matter to the old lady. The old lady is the nurse of the prince, and she is a good lord who eats fasting and recites Buddha, and she will release her as soon as she hears about it. But Princess Xie just stopped her, saying that there was a disease in the garden, and it should be set on fire. The quarrel alarmed the prince, who had always been respectful to the old lady and immediately ordered her to be released.

However, after a cup of tea, Concubine Zhou and Concubine He were led to the main hall, and everyone was taken aback at a glance. What is even more surprising is that these two people were locked up in a deserted garden and lacked food and clothing, but now it seems that the two are dressed plainly, their makeup is not messy, and they have not lost weight.

After a few questions, the old lady learned from Concubine Zhou that it was all thanks to Concubine He's daily care that her throat disease could be fully recovered. Concubine Zhou said with tears in her eyes that Concubine He not only left all the food sent by her subordinates every day, but also worked tirelessly to plant herbs in the garden, and relied on those medicines to cure her illness. Princess Xie suddenly felt embarrassed on her face, and reprimanded those subordinates for even deducting the master's food.

The old lady praised Concubine He and asked her if it was very hard to grow medicine by herself. Concubine He replied that in fact, thanks to the princess for letting the patient recuperate, Concubine Zhou recovered so quickly, and the subordinates served her attentively, because she had no worries about food and clothing, so she planted some flowers and plants when she had nothing to do.

This remark not only made Princess Xie's face look much better, but even the prince couldn't help but look at Concubine He a few more times. In a group of gorgeous concubines in the palace, Concubine He is like a lotus coming from the river, so beautiful that she is silent, with a faint medicinal fragrance in the quiet. Since then, Concubine He has not only won the appreciation of the old lady, but also been deeply favored by the prince, and her grace is unique in this mansion. At that time, news also came from the DPRK and China, saying that it had been found out that Concubine Zhou's mother's family had not interfered with the rebellion case, and the children of the Zhou family were reinstated.

Half a year ago, Princess Xie forced a maid to death, and then someone found out that the maid was pregnant with the blood of the prince, and the prince was furious when he learned about it, and ordered Princess Xie to think about it behind closed doors, how to hand over the key to the house to Concubine Zhou. Concubine Zhou is also a grateful newspaper, until now when she mentions the old things of the year, she will still wipe her tears while reading He Concubine's good. Since she became the head of the house, the most meticulous thing is He Concubine here, and she often sends Xu Siniang, who is the closest confidant around her, to greet her and send things.

"Is Sister Xu outside? The mother asked her sister to come in and speak. The maid in the house shouted. Xu Siniang pushed the door in, and saw a person sitting in front of the rhombic mirror under the window, because it was backlight, so she only saw a slender silhouette. Xu Siniang bent her knees and said with a smile: "Niangniang's body is getting better today?" ”

The woman in front of the mirror platform smiled at the bronze mirror: "It's already much cooler, Sister Concubine Lao Zhou, think about it, Siniang, sit down." "She is the prince's favorite concubine.

Xu Siniang sat down, only to notice that Dongcao was combing Concubine He's hair. After combing a reverse bun, Dongcao asked with a smile: "Which hairpin is Niangniang wearing today?" He Concubine shook her head: "It's weird, if you don't go out anyway, you can save it." Xu Siniang said with a smile: "Just passing by the East Garden, I saw that the begonia flowers are blooming very well, why don't you let people pick a few to please, the fragrance is calming." He Concubine smiled and said, "Winter grass, you go and pick it." Winter grass answered.

Concubine He glanced at Xu Siniang: "Does Sister Concubine Zhou have something to explain?" ”

Xu Siniang nodded and replied: "Yes, a few days ago, when our mother reconciled the accounts, we found that there was a mistake in a sum of silver, and this silver was allocated to the old lady when she was alive...... of Makihara-do. ”

Concubine He frowned and asked, "How much worse?" ”

Xu Siniang glanced around, then lowered her voice and said, "Two thousand taels." ”

He Concubine was silent for a moment, and sighed silently: "Although I probably know the reason for this, but the old lady is so confused, although the old account of two thousand taels is not impossible to make up, but once this matter is known to the prince, wouldn't it be embarrassing?" ”

Xu Siniang hurriedly comforted: "Don't worry, Niangniang, fortunately, our Niangniang found out early, and the account has been redone, so I'm not afraid of others coming to check." ”

He Concubine nodded: "That's fine." ”

Xu Siniang said in a very low voice: "But our mother heard that Princess Xie has also set her sights on this public case, and she is not allowed to go to the prince to sell her tongue, so I want you to take care of this matter and clear the old lady, so as to leave the old lady with a clean reputation behind her." She was afraid that Concubine He would not agree, so she added, "Now that the account has been filled, let's unify the tone and say that three hundred taels of silver have been allocated by your hand, which is used to relieve the victims." ”

He Concubine raised her hand and stroked the cool jade handle on the rhombic mirror, and said a little sadly: "I know that the old lady has planted good karma and good fruits all her life, only this incident moved her selfishness, I didn't understand her mind and dissuaded it a few times before, and now I am also a mother, and I know the kind of state of mind that a mother has for her child......" said that her voice was a little choked here, and after a while, she stood up, and then smiled at Xu Siniang, "Sister Yu'er should breastfeed, let's go, let's go and see her." Xu Siniang understood that this matter could be regarded as a matter of concubine, so she secretly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.

Sister Xiang is a premature baby, she only opened her eyes when she was two months old, and now she is sad most of the time and rarely cries. Concubine He felt sorry for her daughter, so she was unwilling to ask the nurse to nurse the child, and she took her daughter herself regardless of her postpartum weakness. The doctor prescribed all kinds of warm and tonic herbs to Sister Xiang'er, and Concubine He always drank a big bowl slowly by herself first, and then fed the milk to her daughter.

"You really take care of Sister Nan'er as an eyeball," Xu Siniang sighed, "Don't say that in our palace, even ordinary rich families can't see Mrs. nursing their own children, which one doesn't invite a group of wet nurses to serve." When the slave was a child, I heard people say that milk. Water is the essence of blood and vitality, and it cannot be damaged easily, so you are not taboo about this. ”

He Concubine looked at her daughter's silent sleeping face and smiled gently: "I also heard people say when I was a child that if you eat a mouthful of your mother's milk, you will become smart when you grow up, so ......" Speaking of this, two lonely shadows were cast under her eyelashes.

Xu Siniang also hurriedly smiled: "That's why Niangniang is so smart, and this is the reason why she dares to love!" ”

The two were gossiping about each other, when they suddenly heard a lot of noise outside the hospital. He Concubine put her daughter back in the cradle and frowned and looked out. Xu Siniang was also very angry, and scolded: "What kind of person is so unruly, running to He Niangniang's door to be presumptuous!" ”

As soon as he finished speaking, a man walked in the distance. Xu Siniang's face turned pale with fright, and she knelt down: "The concubine said wildly, the prince forgives the sin!" ”

The person who came wore a red gold hairpin crown and a blue robe, walked very fast under his feet, bypassed Xu Siniang on the ground in a few steps, and went straight to the main hall without anyone looking. Xu Siniang didn't dare to get up, and looked at Concubine He for help. He Concubine smiled comfortingly, and said, "Don't go and make a pot of incense for the prince!" Xu Siniang hurriedly retreated.

He Concubine also walked into the main hall, but saw that the prince's face was pale, and his brown eyes were like a bottomless Wang. Yang, staring at her uprightly, couldn't help but be startled. Fang Ziqiang smiled: "What's the matter, as soon as you come in, your nose is not a nose and your face is not a face, which one brushed your tiger whiskers?" ”

The prince clenched his hands into fists and didn't say a word, just staring at her face. At this time, a large group of people came in outside the door, in addition to Princess Xie, Concubine Zhou, Concubine Wan, Concubine Gu and other masters, as well as a group of stewards and maids, and a few big men in coarse linen clothes.

He Concubine glanced at everyone in surprise, and then at the prince, full of doubts: "Who can tell me what happened?" ”

Princess Xie was wearing a skirt of a hundred birds and a phoenix, sat next to the prince with a spring breeze, and said: "He, now that the human and material evidence are there, you are guilty!" ”

Concubine He bowed to the person on the throne in a dignified manner, and replied: "How can the concubine confess her sins if she has never done it?" ”

Princess Xie's apricot eyes widened: "Look at how hard your mouth is, Steward Zhou, take the account book to the prince to see." Someone immediately presented a blueprint, and the prince threw it on the table, Princess Xie didn't care, and continued: "He, the old lady liked you the most when she was alive, so you opened the Muyuan Hall in the name of helping the old lady relieve the victims, right?" ”

Concubine He raised her eyebrows: "The concubine has indeed handled the supply and accounts of Muyuan Hall, and Muyuan Hall has donated doctors and medicines, saving countless people, what's wrong?" ”

"Of course there is nothing wrong with saving people," Concubine Zhou on the side suddenly spoke, and her words were shocking, "But stealing people is a serious crime." ”

Concubine He was shocked, stared at Concubine Zhou's face, and asked, "Sister, what did you say?" ”

Concubine Zhou suddenly cried loudly, and the concubines and concubines on the side handed over their handkerchiefs one after another and persuaded in unison. "Don't be sad, it's really not worth it for this kind of person." "It's this reason, that little family came out, and he couldn't get on the stage, and he lived up to my sister's heart in vain." "Just look at her mother, and whatever mother will teach her daughter...... Bah, bah, it should be said that there is a mother and no mother to raise it, I heard that she was raised on a farm in the countryside, and she has seen a lot of filthy things, so naturally she will learn from it......"

He Concubine was originally kneeling on the ground, but when she heard this, Huo Di stood up and walked towards the ancient concubine who said this, and raised her hand to slap her.

Gu Concubine was stunned for a moment, covered her face and cried: "Princess, look, she dares to beat people in front of the prince and you, what can't she do behind your back?" ”

Princess Xie was furious and shouted: "Slut, you fornicate with men, use the money in the public to stick to the adulterer, and beat others with your face!" ”

He Concubine also knelt down anymore, stood directly in the middle of the crowd, and said coldly: "I didn't do anything to be sorry for the prince, and I didn't greed more than half a tael of silver." Just now it was a lesson for the prince to teach the ancient concubine, as the princess's concubine, her mouth was not clean, and she was really embarrassed by the prince. ”

Concubine Gu ran over crying, wanting to retaliate with a tooth for a tooth, Concubine Zhou hurriedly stopped her and begged: "Don't be like this, sisters, beg Sister Gu not to be angry with her when she looks at my face......"

The scene was chaotic, and the prince sitting in the hall couldn't hold back any longer, and shouted: "Shut up all for me!" Suddenly, those who were crying, making trouble, and whispering all quieted down and looked at the prince in unison. Princess Xie said word by word: "The concubine takes care of the prince's face and wants her to confess her guilt, but you can also see her attitude, she doesn't shed tears when she doesn't see the coffin!" Lord Wang, so many pairs of eyes are watching, how do you say this matter should be handled? ”

The prince said with a dark face: "Do what you want." ”

Princess Xie was waiting for this sentence, and hurriedly shouted: "Come on, bring the Xu family in." Someone immediately brought Xu Siniang in. Xu Siniang walked to the feet of the prince on her knees and cried: "The prince forgives the sin, He Concubine threatened the slave and maid that if she had the courage to leak half a word, she would wronged the slave and maid for stealing, cut off her tongue and threw it into the water prison." The slave didn't dare to help her hide it, so she told Zhou Niangniang...... Sister Xiang'er is not the daughter of the prince! ”

Princess Xie sneered: "Even if you didn't say it, I would have guessed it a long time ago." Talking about premature birth, and saying that I feel sorry for my daughter and want to take my daughter by myself, it's all a pretense! It's a wild species! ”

Gu Concubine turned her head in disgust: "Phew, what kind of mother really taught what daughter." ”

Concubine He's face turned pale, and she scolded in a hoarse voice: "What are you talking nonsense one by one!" Sister Xiang and I are innocent, there are gods on our heads, and you are not afraid of being struck by lightning! ”

Princess Xie was furious, pointing outside the hall and shouting, "All the minions are dead!" Don't hurry up and slap this cheap. Man's mouth, slap me hard! Immediately, a few mothers-in-law came to hold down He Concubine, and the big-shouldered and round-waisted Wang Po went down with all her strength and slapped He Concubine dozens of times. In the blink of an eye, I saw Concubine He's snow-white cheeks high and swollen, and blood gushing out of her mouth and nose. Princess Xie squinted at the prince who was sitting there motionless, and a triumphant smile rose on her lips.

With tears in her eyes, Concubine He looked up at her husband, the man who was so handsome as if he was a fairy, and laughed miserably: "Zhu Quan, don't you even believe me?" Do you think I'm that kind of woman too? ”

The prince lowered his eyelids to study his jade wrench, and slightly lifted his thin lips: "I didn't believe it before, but I can't believe it now." ”

Concubine Zhou took a few steps forward and knelt down in front of Concubine He, stopped the bleeding with her brocade sleeves, and cried loudly: "Sister, why did you know today in the first place!" Look at your current appearance, my sister's heart is also bleeding, sister, you are so confused! ”

Concubine He's gaze moved to Concubine Zhou's face, as if she had seen her for the first time, staring at her directly. Concubine Zhou avoided that gaze, turned around and cried to the prince: "Master, the concubine only asks you to spare your sister's life, and the concubine is willing to give up the key to the house and eat fast and copy scriptures every day to alleviate her sister's sins." The younger sister is kind to the concubine, and the affection between the concubine and the sister is better than that of the sister, so the concubine originally didn't believe in this matter until Steward Zhou brought them in. After that, he pointed to a few big men outside the hall, "I heard them talk about the cause and effect, so I believe it, Rong Si, say what you said to me again." ”

The man named Rong Si knelt by the door and said, "The little ones are porters, they live outside the northern city, and they earn a few pennies on weekdays. It wasn't until a year ago that a man dressed as a maid named Green Bottle came to us and made a bold move, saying that he had hired us to carry a sedan chair. After that, every night we were asked to wait at the entrance of Qipi Alley, and every other day, the green bottle would take a sedan chair with a man wearing a cloak and a hood covering his face, and if he didn't come to the third watch, he would let us leave by ourselves. ”

The hall was packed, but it was eerily quiet. Suddenly, Lu Po came in from outside and ran behind Concubine Zhou and whispered. Concubine Zhou frowned, turned her head and said to the prince: "Master, in the morning, I asked Mother Lu to detain the green bottle and confront her, but I didn't expect that girl to become weak in her heart, and she crashed into the wall and died while people were unprepared." ”

The prince was silent, and Princess Xie sneered: "There is one dead, and there are several more!" Bring those girls around the slut! "For a while, the herbs were brought to the hall. Princess Xie asked, "Say, how much do you know about the scandal of the He family?" Recruit from the truth! ”

Huoxiang Dongcao lay on the ground and cried, while shaking her head and said: "Concubine He did go out at night, but the slave maid didn't know it, begging the mother to be kind and spare the slave maid's life!" ”

Concubine Zhou gave Rong Si a look, and Rong Si immediately continued: "Last month, the little one carried the sedan chair into the inn, because he drank too much wine before, he wanted to find the east toilet conveniently but got lost, and heard a woman's moaning from a room. Yin, my heart was curious, so I stuck to the window to look, and it was a good thing to see a man and a woman on the flower table by the window. Because of the proximity, the little one not only saw the woman's face clearly, but also saw that there were three small red moles on her chest, and there was a flower on her navel......"

"Enough is enough!" The prince changed color, grabbed the teacup in his hand and slammed it to the ground, shouting, "Get out, get out, get down!" ”

Seeing that the situation was not good, the subordinates took the lead in retreating, and then Concubine Zhou, Concubine Wan and others also left with various expressions, and in a blink of an eye, only the prince, Concubine He, Princess Xie and her two cronies were left in the house. The prince looked at Concubine He's haggard face, and he was fierce: "He Angelica, can you confess?" ”

He Concubine's heart was like ashes, and she laughed sharply: "What a vicious method, good, good!" Haha, that's great! Zhu Quan, if you are afraid that I will reveal your secret, give me three feet of white silk, I have nothing to say, I am willing to die for my daughter! But you can't even bear to splash your own daughter! You have a good conscience for humiliating our mother and daughter like this! Good! Good! ”

Princess Xie looked puzzled when she heard this, and the prince's face changed greatly, and he quickly stepped forward and kicked Concubine He's heart.

He Concubine vomited blood and flew out a few feet, then stood up on the ground, and stared at the prince with a poisonous snake-like gaze: "I don't hate Zhou Jinglan, I don't hate Xu Siniang, and I don't hate Xie Qiaofeng, I understand their thoughts...... Zhu Quan, do you know, what I hate most is a man who beats women! The person I hate the most is you! I hate it so much, I regret it, I have worked hard for you for more than ten years, and I lost a pair of children for you, in exchange for your kick! ”

The prince's eyes were blood-red, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Burn your throat with hot coals and throw it into the water prison!" ”

Princess Xie asked: "And the wild seed she gave birth to?" ”

"Throw it in together!" The prince turned around indifferently.

Princess Xie immediately looked at the mother-in-law behind her, and the two of them hurriedly dragged Concubine He down.

There was no joy or sorrow on the prince's face, and he whispered: "What you heard just now, you must forget it completely, and you can't remember it until you die." ”

Princess Xie lowered her head in fear: "The concubine knows." ”