One day and night, Yu Lin slept alone in the Chunyuan Palace, because he was worried about the government and tossed and turned on the dragon bed, and it was already in the middle of summer, the weather was hot, even though several pots of ice were used in the dormitory, it was still not possible to relieve the heat of the summer, Yu Lin was afraid of heat, so he could not lie patiently, so he wore a middle coat, drew shoes, and did not call people, a person paced to the stone steps in front of the hall, and stood silently to enjoy the coolness.

Suddenly, he noticed that a figure flashed in the night and slipped into the Chengming Hall not far away. Yu Lin is unconsciously suspicious, Chengming Hall is usually where he deals with government affairs, the palace is full of confidential documents, and ordinary idle people are not allowed to enter, and it is at night, sneaking in here, there must be misdeeds.

Yu Lin was not alarmed, quietly retreated to the hall, called Li Zhong and the guards on duty at night, and told him what he had just seen.

Li Zhong led a group of guards into the Chengming Hall gently, divided into several roads, and quietly searched in the hall. Sure enough, in front of the long case in the main hall, a figure was facing away from everyone, turning over piles of documents like a hill. Li Zhong shouted: "Who is here!" ”

Before he could finish speaking, several guards rushed forward with weapons in hand, grabbed the man, and held him down. Xiao Dezi picked up the lamp and took a closer look, it was the eunuch Xiao Shunzi who was serving tea in front of the emperor. Xiao Shunzi's face was full of panic, and she kept kowtowing and begging for mercy.

Li Zhong shouted: "Dog, what are you doing here in the middle of the night!" Can you flip through these memoirs? Come with me to see the emperor and obey the fate! Saying that, he ordered someone to escort Xiao Shunzi to the Chunyuan Palace.

Yu Lin was waiting in the side hall, and when he saw Li Zhong and his entourage escorting a person with a big tie up, he took a closer look, and it was Xiao Shunzi who was waiting by his side every day, and he couldn't help but say angrily: "What did you do when you ran to Chengming Hall in the middle of the night!" Hurry up! ”

Xiao Shunzi saw that he couldn't deny it, so he had to admit: "The slave accepted the benefits of others and came to Chengming Hall to steal secrets." The emperor spared the slave, the slave's wife was sick and needed silver, so she was blindsided for a while, and she didn't dare anymore. ”

Yu Lin frowned and asked, "Who instructed him?" Say it! ”

Xiao Shunzi swallowed and said: "The slave is the one who is instructed by the Yanfu Gong Yi and Yi nobles. ”

"Who? If you dare to talk nonsense, I will immediately have you dragged down and beaten to death! Yu Lin was shocked.

Xiao Shunzi raised his head, snorted and said with tears: "The slave will never dare to talk nonsense, it is indeed at the behest of the Yi nobles." Because Yi Guiren's father recently offended General Zheng and his gang in the court, he was afraid that the general and his cronies would be impeached, because the slave was literate, he promised the slave a hundred taels of silver, so that the slave could check the folds, and if there was any bad remarks about Lord Zhang, he would report it immediately. The servant was worried about the money, so he took the errand. ”

Yu Lin's face was pale, his eyes were gloomy and terrifying, and he said in a deep voice: "What you said is the truth? ”

Xiao Shunzi kowtowed like pounding garlic and said: "Every sentence is true, and the slave will never say half a lie!" ”

Yu Lin closed his eyes, and in front of him was the innocent face of Yi Guiren, and slowly ordered: "Go to Yanfu Palace, and immediately announce Yi Guiren, there must be no mistake!" ”

He said to Xiao Shunzi again: "I will immediately call Yi Guiren to confront you in court, if you have half a lie, I will let you die without a place to be buried!" ”

Li Zhong hurriedly walked in the direction of Yanfu Palace with a few guards, the night was silent, and everyone was asleep in their dreams.

The stars in the night sky disappeared at some point, and the moon, which was as thin as a silver hook, also disappeared into the clouds, and the night was like a huge black curtain, enveloping the entire palace, as if hiding the waves.

Early in the morning, Lu Yuan had just gotten up and had not yet freshened up, when she saw Concubine Xian Niangniang hurriedly walking into the hall with her maidservant Shutong, with a anxious face. Lu Yuan hurriedly got up and said, "Why is Sister Xian here at this time?" ”

Concubine Xian grabbed her hands and said eagerly: "Something very bad happened." ”

Lu Yuan was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Concubine Xian said: "Don't worry, I'll tell you slowly." I also just got the news, so I hurried over. Last night, Xiao Shunzi in front of the emperor stole confidential information in the Chengming Palace, and was arrested by the guards. ”

Lu Yuan's body was shocked, and she looked at Concubine Xian incredulously, Concubine Xian continued: "The emperor announced that Yi Guiren came to confront him, and Yi Guiren insisted that he was wronged, how could that little Shunzi bite Yi Guiren to death, and also took out an orchid jade pendant that Yi Guiren wore every day, saying that it was a benefit from Yi Guiren. ”

Lu Yuan asked, "Then the emperor believes it?" ”

Concubine Xian said: "At first, the emperor didn't believe it, but later when he saw the jade pendant, he believed it a little. ”

Lu Yuan hurriedly said: "What is the result?" ”

Concubine Xian said: "The emperor imprisoned Yi Guiren in the Weiyi Palace, and the people who served around him were all imprisoned in the Shen Criminal Division, and at the same time ordered the Shen Criminal Division to continue to investigate. ”

Lu Yuan said: "Someone must have framed her, Xin'er is not that kind of person." ”

Concubine Xian said with relief: "Don't worry, I also think that Yi Guiren is honest and honest, and he will not do such a thing, and the emperor has not made up his mind, and he is still being investigated." ”

Lu Yuan said anxiously: "It's just that all the bad evidence now points to Xin'er, if that little shunzi doesn't change his words, wouldn't he have ruined Xin'er and stole the court's secrets, and his crime should be punished." No, I'm going to see the emperor! ”

Seeing this, Concubine Xian hurriedly grabbed her and persuaded: "Don't do it, the emperor is angry now, if you go to intercede now, you can only set yourself on fire, you have always been calm and cautious, why did you suddenly mess up." ”

Lu Yuan came to his senses, sat down in a daze, and said, "Then what should we do to save Xin'er?" ”

Concubine Xian said slowly: "What we can do at present is to wait, wait for the emperor to find out the truth, and maybe I will return Sister Xin's innocence." ”

"Perhaps? If she can't find out, then Xin'er, isn't she .....?" said him, tears rolling down.

Concubine Xian gently wiped her tears and comforted: "Don't be impatient, now that you are in the limelight, others want you to intercede, don't throw yourself into the net." ”

Lu Yuan was deeply worried about Lan Xin, and after all, she couldn't hold it back, and decided to explore Yu Lin's tone.

She ordered Chunhua to carry a small food box, which contained a plate of freshly made lotus root powder osmanthus sugar cake, and came to the door of Chengming Hall to let Li Zhong inform him to enter. Originally, she had the dictation to enter and leave the Chengming Hall freely, but at this time she was unwilling to use the privilege, but only took the food box and walked in after getting the emperor's permission.

In the hall, Yu Lin was sitting in front of the case and writing something, and there was a woman standing next to her, wearing a hibiscus-colored cloud brocade and a capacia blouse, embroidered with Lingyun patterns on the wide sleeves, and a group of beads and layered yarns. The woman looked up and smiled, it was Concubine Rong, she must have been dressed up like this, it must have been deliberate.

Lu Yuan saluted Concubine Rong in accordance with the rules, sat on a circle chair, opened the food box, took out the plate of cake and put it on the plum blossom table next to it, and said: "The emperor has a lot of opportunities, and the case is hard work, Yuanyuan made lotus root and osmanthus sugar cake with her own hands, this cake is soft and delicious, sweet but not greasy, please taste it." ”

Yu Lin looked up and said, "Are you here to give me this sugar cake?" ”

Lu Yuan smiled: "Then what does the emperor think the concubine is here for?" The emperor's dragon health is what the concubines care about the most. ”

Yu Lin was silent, and Concubine Rong next to her chuckled: "The concubine still thinks that Sister Lu is here to intercede for Yi Guiren!" Speaking of which, Yi Guiren is young and unstable after all, the emperor doesn't spoil her more, and she doesn't follow the rules on weekdays. I don't know if I was instructed by Lord Shoufu, but fornicating with the courtiers is a big crime. Concubine Rong hid a knife in her words, and she didn't see blood when she killed people.

Lu Yuan held back the anger in her heart, and said with a slight straight face: "It's better not to speculate on trumped-up charges." Justice is at ease in the hearts of the people, and the concubines believe that the emperor will make a fair decision. ”

Concubine Rong smiled and said: "Oh, look at me annoyed Sister Lu, the concubine almost forgot, Sister Lu and Yi Gui are like sisters, look at my sister's capacity." ”

Lu Yuan said: "Niangniang's words are serious. He got up again and said: "The emperor is busy with government affairs, so the concubines will not be bothered much, and the concubines will retire!" With that, he withdrew from the Chengming Palace. As soon as he walked out of the main gate, he heard a burst of laughter from Concubine Rong, Lu Yuan sighed deeply and said to Chunhua: "Let's go!" ”

A few days later, Yu Lin issued a holy decree: because of this matter, only Xiao Shunzi said that the evidence was not sufficient, the facts were not clear, and Yi Guiren was temporarily confined in the Fanying Pavilion of Yanfu Palace, and no one was allowed to take half a step, and no one was allowed to enter to visit. The palace people who served around him were all sent to the Huanyi Bureau, the Weaving and Dyeing Bureau and other places as low-level slaves. Zhang Zhaohe, the first assistant of the cabinet, was fined for one year and demoted by two ranks.

Hearing the will, Lu Yuan's heart settled down a little, fortunately, as long as you are not convicted of capital crimes, there is still a way to return to heaven, Xin'er, you must wait for your sister to rehabilitate you.

While she was working around, she dredged the guards in front of Fanying Pavilion and Aunt Xie, who was in charge of food and clothing, and took more care of Yi Guiren, while secretly investigating without giving up, hoping for the day when the truth would be revealed.