Huan Chun was startled, and asked softly: "The master can't talk nonsense, what kind of concubine Niangniang drugged the emperor, but it will be ...... to say this."

"Trouble, I understand." Lan Qi was very calm, "But I also understand that there are some things that I can not care about or am not qualified to care about, but there are some things that must be taken care of, she can have a second time, she can do such a thing, what kind of heart does she have?" You just said so much, you are suspicious of the concubine, but I only think about Concubine Hui, so I wonder, how can she do it to her own son? Concubine Tong used to treat me like that and torture me, and I just thought she was pitiful and pathetic, but when I heard that Concubine Hui dared to drug the emperor, thinking that she was gentle and polite and generous on weekdays, so sanctimonious, I felt that a person was so hateful for the first time. ”

"What are you going to do to Concubine Hui?" Huanchun is very nervous, she has been with her master for so many years, from the humble Chang to the current master of the scenery, it is the first time to see her come up with such an active mind, she has always been defensive and retreating, even if she is so aggrieved that she can no longer be wronged, she swallows it herself, and suddenly becomes so tough that even she can't adapt to it.

"I don't know, that's why I'm confused, such a thing as poisonous mushrooms, and what she used to do to the emperor, what should I do?" Lan Qi was puzzled, "And the Juechan Clan, I heard that in order to leave Yikun Palace, in order to win the emperor's attention, in order to retaliate against Guo Guiren's abuse of her, she almost calculated step by step in the summer, I was thinking, what should I do like this?" Huanchun, what can I do so that Concubine Hui can never get close to the Qianqing Palace? One by one, why are they so smart? ”

Huanchun's heart was pounding, where did she know what scheming, knowing that if the master really took this step, she might deviate from the path she had been taking, and she didn't know which direction was right, but at least the master went all the way, steadily, and went on like this in this life, even if it was not the most correct, it couldn't go wrong, her heart turned and turned, pulled Lan Qi from the mirror to sit on the bed, held her shoulder and said: "You calm down, the matter of the eldest brother must remind you of the fact that the fourth elder brother was almost suffocated to death, Now you're emotional, just wait until you've calmed down. ”

Lan Qi gasped for breath, and sure enough, Huanchun understood her, leaned on her softly, and gradually calmed down before saying: "I said today that the Jue Chan clan used a noble and poignant excuse to sympathize with selfish things, and what I said to you just now is not true." What am I going to do to Concubine Hui, to make the stumbling block pit her, so that she will lose her trust in the two palaces? Or did he poison her so that she could not be active in the sixth house from now on? Do you rely on the reason of protecting the emperor to do the same thing as them? ”

Huanchun breathed a sigh of relief and comforted her: "It's better for you to go to the Empress Dowager to know, and let the Empress Dowager decide how to deal with these things." ”

Lan Qi shook her head weakly: "There is no evidence, it's just a sentence from Juechan, I'm too excited, and to others, maybe it's just an excuse for her to pretend to be pitiful in front of me." She settled down, sat down by herself, patted Huanchun and said, "You listen to me lose my temper, I'm much more comfortable, no wonder the emperor always asks me to listen to him when I have something to do, sometimes I don't necessarily need to get any solution when I say it, I just want to breathe." ”

"Have you figured it out? And what happens after that? Huanchun was tossed by Lan Qi like this, but he had no direction.

"As far as I said before, we don't care about the affairs outside the Yonghe Palace." Although Lan Qi said such words, a strange sharp light flashed in her eyes, and she said slowly, "Mama once said that when I ascend to the high position in the coming day, don't put the ugliness I saw in the past on my face, but Huanchun, you have also seen the statues of the gods, do you know why the gods and Buddhas are obviously compassionate and benevolent, but there are many fierce and evil faces?" ”

Huan Chun shook his head, but listened to Lan Qi continue: "When I accompanied the Empress Dowager to recite the scriptures in the Great Buddha Hall, the Empress Dowager told me that because evil ghosts and fierce spirits will also be afraid, they are the most bullying soft and afraid of hard things, so many gods and goddesses have shown fierce faces, so as to suppress demons and monsters, which is also a shock to ordinary people. Therefore, not all of them are evil, and what Mama said to me at the beginning should have been only half right. ”

"The slave understands, but ......," Huanchun said softly, "you are not a god or Buddha." ”

Lan Qi nodded and smiled at her: "I understand, this kind of truth, just keep it in your heart." ”

When the words fell, the drums sounded outside, and the deeper the night, it was time for the lights of Yonghe Palace to be extinguished.

In Yuqing Palace, Xuan Ye came alone, the prince had not fallen asleep at that time, and he was disturbed by the search of pastries, Xuan Ye came and talked to his son for a while, and then gradually coaxed him to sleep, he lifted Yinren's sleeves, revealing the scratch traces, his fingers brushed lightly, thinking about what Yinren said, his heart was very uncomfortable: was it really Yinzhen who scratched him?

Leaving the prince's dormitory, standing in the open courtyard of Yuqing Palace, Haoyue is bright and bright in the sky, you can see things ten steps away from you without any lanterns, Gonggong Li brought all the palace maids and eunuchs and guards around the prince, twenty or thirty people in Wuyang, Xuan Ye stood on a high place and looked at them, since he found that the nurse and grandmother before were talkative, groups of people carefully selected, in order to give the prince the best environment, recently the prince is more cheerful than before, it must be useful, but Xuan Ye cares too much about Yinren and knows him too well, The words he said tonight in Yonghe Palace were unusual.

But at this moment, Xuan Ye just said: "From now on, the diet in the prince's Yuqing palace will be checked three times a day for each meal, the prince must not eat outside the palace at will, and the concubines and concubines of the palace must also be careful to deal with it. All of you, from the close grandmother to the guards at the door, if anyone causes harm to the prince, I will be punished. ”

Everyone at the steps listened to the dishes, but the emperor continued: "Serving the crown prince is serving the future of the Qing Dynasty, you are superior to other places, but the responsibility is also heavier than anyone else, I don't want to make it difficult for others, if there are any of you who don't want to take responsibility and are afraid of being affected by others, now when you go out of Yuqing Palace, I will not let anyone embarrass anyone, and I have another place to go." But if you don't leave now, in the days to come, you can only remember my words, take good care of the prince, and don't allow him to make any mistakes. ”

From the palace maid to the accompanying guards, they all looked at each other, Xuan Ye reiterated that he would not be embarrassed if he wanted to leave, and now he really went out two little eunuchs, and then there was another palace maid, and after waiting for half a moment, Xuan Ye said: "Mr. Li counts fifty times, and if no one leaves, I will treat you all as if you are left." ”

Gonggong Li received the order, counted one by one, until forty-nine, no one moved, and when fifty was counted, everyone bent their knees and bowed their heads and swore allegiance to the prince.

Xuan Ye's heart sank, and he instructed Mr. Li: "All those who stay, a hundred taels of silver, and the three people who leave, don't be embarrassed by the arranged place, and don't cause evil to the prince." ”

After saying this, Xuan Ye wanted to go back to the Qianqing Palace, but when he left, he handed a look to Gonggong Li, and when he returned to the Qianqing Palace to change clothes and rest, Yinren's personal nanny and grandmother were brought, this woman in her thirties was born upright and charitable, not very bold, as soon as she entered the door of the Qianqing Palace, she trembled, and she didn't know what the emperor was looking for her. ”

The grandmother lay on the ground, very hesitant, but heard Gonggong Li say quietly: "If you lie, everyone up and down Yuqing Palace will die in your hands." ”

"Father-in-law, oh no, the emperor ......" Mama was frightened and trembled, "The emperor forgives me, the scar on the prince's arm was indeed scratched by the fourth elder brother, but the prince didn't tell you the truth, and the slave didn't dare to say it." ”

"You say, I forgive you for your innocence, and I won't tell the prince." A muffled voice came from behind the screen.

Mama hurriedly said: "It wasn't the fourth elder brother who grabbed the third elder brother's things, the prince came forward to stop the scratch, it was the prince who grabbed the fourth elder brother's things, the fourth elder brother grabbed the prince's arm in a hurry, and was pushed backwards by the prince and fell to the ground, when the fourth elder brother was grabbing a water chestnut in his hand, and the prince was scratched." The slave didn't dare to make a noise and pulled the prince away, and the prince also told the slave and maid not to talk much, but then the eldest princess and Princess Duanjing saw the fourth elder brother crying and came to coax him, but after the noble concubine came, she thought that the princesses had bullied the fourth elder brother, and the emperor ...... The slave and maid don't know why, the prince will break up the matter, and then tell you upside down, the slave and maid are frightened when they hear it, and they don't dare to squeak. ”

There was silence behind the screen for a long time, Mama panicked, and Gonggong Li was not at ease, and finally heard the emperor's voice again, and said slowly: "The prince doesn't talk much on weekdays, except for listening to him recite books and ask about homework, he rarely speaks, if there is a concubine who is more silent in him, and he says so many words in Yonghe Palace today, I feel strange, so I want to ask you, but I didn't expect it, sure enough." ”

"Slaves and maids should be damned, Your Majesty." Mama said again, "In the summer, you are often in the Chengqian Palace, and the prince will ask the slave maid from time to time if you are going to accompany the fourth elder brother again, do you say that the prince is because he wants you to accompany him more?" That's the ...... who lies."

There was silence behind the screen, Xuan Ye didn't know what he was thinking, and he said again: "You can't escape today's affairs, and letting the prince lie is more hateful than letting him eat the wrong thing and bump into it." But I won't punish you, as long as you remember one thing, you are the prince's minion, but your master, I am the only one, and if there is such a thing in the future, I will wait for me to ask you instead of you first......"

Gonggong Li hurriedly interjected: "Long live the master, the slave will explain, the hour is not early, you can rest." "Come with me." ”

But before the two of them turned around, Gonggong Li reached out to take the candlestick to blow out the candle, and the emperor said: "Send a soft sedan chair, quietly go to Yonghe Palace, take the concubine over, it's late at night, don't make too much movement." ”

And said that Lan Qi had already laid down, although she had not fallen asleep, but since she entered the Yonghe Palace, she has never been taken to the Qianqing Palace to sleep experience, if she didn't see the familiar eunuch in the Qianqing Palace tonight, she didn't dare to believe that it was really Xuan Ye who wanted her to go, she was picked up at night after a long time, and suddenly returned to the scene still in the Zhongcui Palace, she hurriedly didn't have time to make up, only wrapped her clothes and pulled her hair, and was led to the door of the dormitory by the eunuch of the Qianqing Palace with a lantern, and the little eunuch said politely: "Niangniang go in by herself, the emperor said, There is no need for minions to be around. ”

Lan Qi nodded, stepped into the door, the door of the hall was closed behind her, she picked up the candlestick in front of the door, walked in slowly, bypassed the screen, and saw that Xuan Ye was already lying on the couch, with one hand lowering his forehead as if he was meditating, and he didn't open his eyes when he heard the footsteps, but the other hand stretched out to let Lan Qi close.

She put down the candlestick, untied her clothes, there was only a regular shirt in it, and took off her own satin bedgown to reveal the silver beads, the slippery silk reflected the crystal light in the candlelight, reached out and pulled out the hairpin, and the long black and soft hair fell like a waterfall, but all these people on the bed didn't look at it, only when she approached the bed, she was about to shout, and someone touched her hand and grabbed her, and gently pulled her into her arms, it seemed that the breath on her body could make people peaceful, Xuan Ye turned over and brought her into the bed.

All hands and feet were hugged by Xuan Ye, Lan Qi moved slightly, and asked softly, "The emperor is not happy?" ”

"Hmm." Xuan Ye also moved, seemed to find the most comfortable position, and then said, "You can sleep peacefully by your side, I am very tired, my body and mind are very tired." ”

Lan Qi's heart was shocked, and Xuan Ye said again: "Don't worry, Yinzhen is not a bad boy." ”

"The Emperor's ......"

"I'm sleepy."

With a few simple words, the dormitory fell into tranquility, and Xuan Ye felt that Lan Qi couldn't sleep without him, it was a loneliness and coldness that came out of his bones, and he would feel warm only when he had her breath, otherwise the layers of bedding on the dragon couch in the dormitory would feel cold.

What reassured Lan Qi was the steady snoring after Xuan Ye, and she seemed to have to listen to such snoring to fall asleep, last night because of Jue Chan's affairs, she couldn't sleep all night because of Jue Chan's affairs, and she was in a trance all day during the day, and she was also very tired, and there was more poisoning of the eldest brother, she was also tired, her body and mind were tired, and on the way to come, she thought that Xuan Ye would want her to sleep, worried that her tired body would not be able to bear it but was unwilling to refuse, but she didn't expect to just fall asleep peacefully like this, Xuan Ye fell asleep, she also fell asleep.

This sleep is dreamless and sweet, Lan Qi woke up and found that she was lying on the dragon couch for a long time and was stunned for a while, but she turned over to get up, someone outside heard the movement, the bright yellow tent was opened, Huanchun's smiling face was in front of her, and she said gently: "Has the master slept well?" The emperor said, if you don't wake up, you won't be allowed to scream. ”

"What time is it?"

"It's almost noon."

"Noon?" Lan Qi almost jumped up from the couch, she actually slept in the Qianqing Palace until noon, didn't sleep for a day and a night, no wonder she could sleep for so long this night, probably because here, she couldn't hear Yinzuo's crying and laughter, and since Xuan Ye let her sleep peacefully, she would never let people disturb her.

Hurriedly washing and changing clothes, combing hair and makeup, not wrapped in a coat in the middle of the night, to walk out of the door of the Qianqing Palace again, how to do it if it is not cleaned up, while busy complaining about Huanchun: "When did you come, why don't you call me, the people outside should laugh at me." ”

Huan Chun only grinned and said, "What the emperor ordered, the slave didn't dare." ”

Just waiting for the proper fit, stepping on the bottom of the flower pot to the study, at this moment the ministers have dispersed, Xuan Ye is looking at the excerpts, outside Gonggong Li and Lan Qi bumped into each other, and said politely: "It's time to pass the meal, can Niangniang ask for the slave?" ”

"It's easy." Lan Qi was a little embarrassed, and agreed with a smile, but when she entered the door, Xuan Ye put down the fold in his hand as soon as he saw her, got up and walked over and held his hand and said, "I'm hungry, let's go to Cining Palace for a meal, and last night's incident, I want to talk to the imperial grandmother." ”

In this way, Lan Qi was taken away again before she sat down, and last night she was sent to Cining Palace in a soft sedan chair, and sure enough, the Empress Dowager had passed the meal here, but the old man's appetite was not good, not like the usual big feast, as long as the japonica rice porridge and a few side dishes, he smiled when he saw them coming: "I'm eating here for fasting, you also come to join in the fun?" ”

Xuan Ye smiled: "I eat too much wine and meat during the festival, so I should have a few meals." ”

Grandparents and grandchildren sat around the table, the Empress Dowager saw that someone was accompanied, her appetite was a little more open, and in the middle of the middle, she asked Su Mala to add a few more side dishes, Xuan Ye just ate and didn't speak, Lan Qi sat with her and looked at her, just waiting for all to eat, she was pushed to get tea, the emperor only talked to the grandmother, Su Mala was afraid that she would be uncomfortable, and accompanied her to the pantry and said: "Their grandparents always have whispers, and the slaves and maids have been with them for decades, and they can't listen to everything." ”

"I don't care about this, but I don't feel very sure about what happened last night." Lan Qi fiddled with the teacup and teapot, took the boiling water and scalded it over and over again, and then looked at her grandmother and said, "Is the eldest brother better?" I heard that this matter has been investigated by the Zongren Mansion, what will be the result if it is investigated? The previous things are always gone. ”

"It is inevitable that there will be some things to be jealous of, there are always some implications between the head of the palace and the people, and the whole body will be affected by one shot, and sometimes when you see the truth, it is time to despair." Mama sighed, took over the work in Lan Qi's hand, scooped the tea leaves into the teapot, rushed to the hot spring water, and sighed helplessly, "The master's most worrying thing has begun, and in another ten or twenty years, the master and the slave will probably be gone, but at that time, the prince and his brothers are all adults, and what they are fighting for is not just toy candy, and it is not just poisonous mushrooms." ”

"Mama, ...... the East Palace" Lan Qi looked nervous.

Mama smiled meaningfully: "The East Palace is just the East Palace, and the people on the dragon chairs of the past dynasties are still ...... Heh, not to mention the East Palace? Niangniang, you are a smart person, when the fourth elder brother and the sixth elder brother grow up, you have to watch for them, the harem can't interfere in politics, but you can manage your own son and protect your son, isn't it? ”

Lan Qi pondered for a while, and then asked softly: "Mama, who will you go to when you talk about last night?" Towards the eldest brother, the concubine Niangniang, or ...... Fourth elder brother? ”

Su Mala's face floated gloomily, from the outside of the gate to the capital, the woman who lived in the Forbidden City with the smoke of gunpowder and war, even if she was old, even if she was plain and kind and gentle, the courageous and capable temperament of the past was still in her body, and at this moment, it seemed to spread out inappropriately with the fragrance of tea, and Mama smiled coldly: "Who benefits?" In fact, it doesn't matter who you are, who is the most important thing? ”

Lan Qi looked at her in a daze, she really didn't understand.

"You can protect the sixth elder brother well, and the concubine will also protect the fourth elder brother desperately." Su Mala Mama put down a serious expression, returned to her former gentleness, and coaxed Lan Qi to say, "It's not that the slave and maid can't say it clearly, it's that they don't see the truth like you right now, but they are just looking at the situation inside and outside the palace and guessing with experience, presumably the emperor is also talking to the master at the moment, everyone has an account in their hearts, and in the future, you will also have an account, which records the human relations, remembering who is reliable and who can't be approached, isn't it?" ”

Lan Qi smiled bitterly: "It's already there, and it's clearly written one stroke at a time." ”

Mama said: "It's good for you to keep it yourself, but don't be interested in turning it over to others, the slave and maid are just right, so they shouldn't say this to you." ”

"I've peeked at the account in Mama's heart a few times." Lan Qi smiled and joked, seeing that Mama's expression was better, she held her and said, "I understand, the emperor will always tell me, not to mention that this matter has nothing to do with Yonghe Palace, I don't have to worry about it." ”

At this time, a eunuch in front of the door came to report, saying that Hui Concubine Niangniang had arrived, and Mama left Lan Qi to let her not go out first, and went to ask if she could see her, Lan Qi turned around and continued to serve tea, anyway, she didn't want to see Hui Concubine, and silently recalled Mama's words just now, Mama said that it doesn't matter who you go to, what matters is who benefits, and who can be hurt by this matter? Big brother, concubine, fourth brother? Still is......

Lan Qi's heart tightened suddenly, the teapot in her hand shook out hot water and scalded her fingers, the teapot fell to the ground and blossomed, and the sound of porcelain shattering attracted the female eunuch of the palace outside to come in to see, shouting to ask for a doctor, but Lan Qi stopped her, she dipped her hand in a jar of cold spring water, calmed the pain of her fingertips, and her heart cooled down a little bit.

The most sharp opponent in the palace has always been the former Empress Niu Hulu and Concubine Tong, and now Concubine Tong and Concubine Wen, the ancestor of the Niu Hulu family against the emperor, Tong Guoweifu, on the one hand, is the origin of the old noble family in Manchuria, and on the other hand, the royal relatives of the Tong family, and what about the prince? What about the prince's biological mother?

The Hesheri clan is still in full swing in the imperial court, and they have the glory of the prince in the deep palace, but there is no woman who can protect the prince.

"Did I think too much?" Lan Qi herself didn't understand why her thoughts suddenly jumped to this, but she thought about it in her heart, and felt that there was a piece missing, so she suddenly felt excited, everything she experienced was not from the death of Empress Hesheri, and from that day on, even if the emperor paid tribute every year, everyone gradually forgot the former queen, and forgot that there was a powerful force behind the crown prince.

The coldness of the spring water is not as cold as the chill floating behind her, and she understands where the depth of the palace is, and she has nothing, and Mama asked her to take care of her son and protect her son, can she do it?

"Niangniang, the Empress Dowager, please send tea over." Suddenly, a palace maid came, but she was quickly reminded that Concubine De was burned, and she couldn't wait for her to stop the palace maid and ran back to say, Su Mala Mama came immediately, only to know that it was not serious, and waited to come to the main hall with tea, but when she saw Concubine Hui sitting down, she was already crying and her eyebrows were red.

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