The captain swung his knife and chopped open Madam Gui's calf. The room was instantly filled with the smell of blood and Madam Gui's cries. Gui Rulan was so frightened that her face turned pale and she fell to her knees.
Prince Xin left in a hurry. Yinchen pulled aside the curtain to see that the steward thought that no one was in the palace, so he stood in the east corridor to assign night errands. She tiptoed over and saw the lacquer tray was still on the table. She calmed down and lifted the cloth to see that it was a Hangzhou satin inner garment. The people in the clothing bureau said that it had just been collected from the East Palace and had not been starched or washed. It seemed to be the prince's. They didn't want Prince Xin to touch it, for fear that he would leave his smell. The more they avoided it, the more she felt that she should start from here.
Anyway, the kiss was fierce and fierce, and he almost bit her mouth. The prince couldn't stand it anymore, and cried, "Wait... Wait, what's wrong with you today? Have you figured it out and are planning to cook? I've already washed up, why don't we go in..."
It turns out that to climb higher, you have to put yourself in a difficult position. It's a pity that this position is not what she wants. However, the agreement with Xinghe that day was a consensus. Although she didn't want to continue to stay in Wude Hall for this purpose, it was all worth it in order to be with the person she loved in the future.
The official robes of the Control Military Department were the best pass, and the group entered without making any noise. After entering the hall, Xinghe sat down at the head of the table, and Xilang, who had already gone to bed, came out to greet him in dishevel, stammering, "I don't know... I don't know why the Jinyi Envoy came to visit."
She raised her face and said stubbornly, "When you go out, can you carry a dagger with you? I have a beautifully crafted one that suits your status. I'll bring it back to you. Can you carry it with you?"
Yinchen looked up blankly, "Prince Xin's Mansion? Are we leaving the palace?"
Wude Hall is very close to Lizheng Hall, separated only by Daji Hall. The wall gate on the west is open, leading directly to Lizheng Hall. The three halls are originally in a straight line, so the so-called residence of Prince Xin not following the emperor is actually just two more palace walls. The emperor loved this youngest son very much and gave him the highest title besides the crown prince. After Empress Gong passed away, the young son was left alone, and he personally took care of him. It's just that the emperor was busy with affairs of state and couldn't take care of all the trivialities of life, so Zuo Zhaoyi took care of it for him. Prince Xin suffered a lot because of this, but he hated Zuo Zhaoyi and hated the emperor, which was too unreasonable.
Before he could finish his words, Qian Hu drew out his goose-feather knife and put it against his wife's neck. "Lord Gui may not remember it clearly. It doesn't matter. Think about it again."
She said, "Shut up and let me hold you for a while."
She didn't know what would happen next. The next day, while Prince Xin was at the government office, she went to the East Palace and left a letter for Xinghe, writing down everything that happened yesterday in the letter, and asked Dequan to hand it over to Xinghe personally.
Xilang on the Qingsuo Gate… She told Aunt Wei to keep everything as usual and keep the matter to herself. She came out of the Qingsuo Gate and headed straight for the North Gate, where the guards had been replaced by her men. She selected a thousand households and several guards, rode into the city, and searched for Xilang's residence overnight.
Yinchen felt uneasy when she heard this, because it involved the Clothing Bureau and Aunt Wei, and she knew it must be related to the Eastern Palace. It seemed that Prince Xin was going to do something strange again. She was still busy with her own things, but she stretched her ears and put them on the curtain behind the floor-length cover to listen carefully. She heard Prince Xin sent the eunuch away and called the chief steward in. He said that the key under the Qingsuo door should be sent to Xilang① to take it out of the palace. She was about to give another order, but the eunuch was sent by the imperial court, saying that His Majesty was suffering from severe chest tightness and shortness of breath, and asked His Majesty to go and see him immediately.
"Let me see." He reached out to grab her wrist and lifted her sleeve without waiting for her consent. She was afraid and shrank, but finally gritted her teeth and did not pull her hand back.
While kissing, he was still thinking, maybe she was stimulated by something, otherwise she wouldn't be so bold. How much this woman must love him in her heart, she usually holds back, but today she can't hold back, and plans to choke him to death.
Is it because he hasn't organized his words yet? The prince was a little puzzled, "Xinghe, what happened?"
Look, this is his blatant ambition. For a man who can even use his father's life and death, what else would he not dare to do
He came in from the palace gate and first glanced at the south window. Their eyes met, and they both felt a little embarrassed. After the last Flower Festival, she had been hiding in his room for a few days. Today was the first day she came back to work. There was a happy light in Prince Xin's eyes. In his opinion, she had already surrendered.
Yinchen's heart was trembling. If she could, she would kill him with a knife. But she couldn't. She had the entire Shangguan family behind her. No matter how much hatred she had, she could only endure it until the time was right.
Xinghe returned to the palace after work at night, and Dequan handed her the letter, "That rat claw, he is so weird, I don't know what he wants to do."
Yinchen looked reluctant and tried to test him, "But I've just gotten used to life here, and I have to move so soon..."
Xinghe signaled her to stop shouting, "Whether it's true or not, don't make it public. Keep calm and count the inventory yourself. We can make a decision after you've checked."
Going north from the alley, past the inner square, you will reach the East Palace's clothing bureau. It was getting dark, and she was walking alone with a sheep-horn lantern. The gates were locked one after another, except for the road from the clothing bureau to the East Palace, where the lights were on in the stone pavilion, and the scattered light spots looked like undulating waves.
Before the sudden uproar after the New Year, she happened to enter the Wude Hall. Prince Xin was probably not used to having a personal maid by his side, so some important things were not hidden well and were discovered by her. Yinchen was confused about everything, big or small, but there was only one thing she could be proud of - she could recognize hundreds of medicinal herbs at the age of six, whether they were raw or cut into slices.
When she stepped into the clothing department, the palace servants were busy with mending and ironing. They stood up in confusion when they saw her.
When I returned to Lizheng Palace, the prince was standing in front of the parrot stand, playing with the birds. He was wearing a wide-sleeved Yanfu of azure blue, holding a straw stick in his hand, and his long hair was tied up casually, looking elegant and graceful. He turned around when he heard footsteps and asked, "You're back? Where have you been?"
She said nothing, and threw herself into his arms with a chill all over her body. The prince was stunned, not knowing what was wrong with her, but he took her in his arms and said with a smile: "You missed me so much after not seeing me for just one day?"
She suddenly stretched out her hands to hold his face, stood on tiptoes to kiss him, and the prince was confused. Of course, a beauty asking for a kiss was something that could not be obtained even if you begged for it. He threw away the straw and hugged her tightly. It was not appropriate to be kissed by her until he lost his mind. The prince had to have the upper hand at all times and places, so he turned the tables and kissed her until she lost her mind.
Cheng Zi laughed in Lizheng Hall. The spring exam for the military examination was approaching. The civil and military examinations of Dayin were scheduled for the turn of spring and summer. In addition to the first two days, there were three rounds of selection for students each day. The last day was used to test the riding and archery skills of the royal family members.
Anyway, the substitution has already been done, and whatever happens in the future will be the result of karma, so you can’t blame others.
The brim of his straw hat slowly lifted up, revealing a pretty face with a big smile on her face. She said in a gentle voice, "You see, your wife is more sensible than you. At a time like this, life is more valuable than favors. Don't ask me to ask a second time. We can't come to your house overnight for unimportant things."
This is courtesy before force. Gui Rulan has been in and out of the palace for many years and knows this principle very well. He trembled and said, "I dare not, Master Su, if you have anything to say, just ask. I will tell you everything I know."
To make a deal, there are sacrifices.
Under the candlelight, the female official's hat was pulled down very low, and her eyebrows and eyes were not visible, only her red lips were visible. She said: "Don't be afraid, Lord Gui. I came to your house late at night, but I have something to ask you."
In the evening, a tall eunuch came in from Wude Gate at a brisk pace. Yinchen was holding the lamp at that time. When he heard the footsteps, he turned around and saw the eunuch presenting a large red lacquer tray covered with a cloth. He lowered his hands and reported to Prince Xin: "It has just been taken into the Shangyi Bureau and has not been starched or washed."
In the following days, Yinchen endured the nausea and was intimate with him. Although they did not do such things again, they were still close to each other. He began to trust her gradually. After all, they had that kind of relationship. In his opinion, she had no way out. If she didn't help her man, was she still turning her elbow outward
His fingertips rubbed the creamy skin, and the bruises from that night gradually faded, leaving only a faint yellow shadow. He rubbed and said, "I was too hasty and hurt you. I apologize to you today, please forgive me. I drank a little that day, and encountered so many things, so..."
It was just like that, a woman's temper should be calmed down after two days. After all, the matter was done, and he was her only supporter from now on. But he still had to coax her, not only because of her family background, but also because she was his first woman.
She bent down and sniffed the inner garment in her hand. Actually, there was no smell. However, she thought of the prince, who didn't even like clothes. She folded it with disgust and stuffed it into the mother-of-pearl cabinet.
During the day, there are many people and eyes, so it is easier to do things at night. Let alone finding a person, even if you pick up a mouse in Beijing, you can tell whether it is male or female.
What do you hope to get? What kind of life do you expect to live? The current hibernation is paving the way for future happiness. If you think in this way, there is nothing you can't give up.
Look at the sky. There is only one stick of incense time left before the key to the Qingsuo door is unlocked. We must be quick.
Sometimes I think that the prince has a hard time. He is disliked by everyone. Except for the emperor who unswervingly promotes him, his fellow countrymen are all plotting against him. The intrigues between men are different from those between women. Women don't suffer many injuries, but men have to bleed in every battle.
Gui Rulan was trembling all over. "I... I don't know who it was for. Someone picked it up on the way..."
The arrival of the Military Control Department is not much better than the arrival of the King of Hell. Such a plague god should be sent away as soon as possible. Gui Rulan was so anxious that her temples were wet. He said, "I didn't..."
Listening to these words, there is a hint of resentment. For a woman, nothing is more embarrassing than being kicked out of bed. Ordinary female officials know that it is embarrassing, but she is a pampered young lady from the general's mansion, and her self-esteem should be a million times stronger than others.
Aunt Wei was in a mess, talking and almost unable to stand. The Shangyi Bureau was guilty of a serious crime this time, and it was not impossible to investigate it, but it would be difficult to explain to Yinchen.
He smiled and pinched her cheek, "I'm just leaving for now, maybe I can come back in the future."
How cruel a person must be to be so cruel to the father who raised him? It's really chilling to think about it.
Aunt Wei left trembling, and she stayed in the duty room to listen. Originally, there were only dozens of sets of underwear, so it was not difficult to search. After waiting for two cups of tea, Aunt Wei came back and said with a pale face that one underwear was indeed missing. "What should we do? If something goes wrong, our heads will fall. It's all because of the servants' incompetence... This time there is no way, let's report it to the higher-ups, and find the things first. Those are the master's underwear. If someone steals them to do some kind of nightmare victory technique, the heads of all the servants will be chopped off."
The sun in Wude Hall is warm, shining on the body just like in the Prince's Eastern Palace. Yinchen used to eat three meals a day and then fall asleep, but now it's almost the same. When she first came, she was looked down upon by people around Prince Xin because of her ridiculous and embarrassing experience. After getting into the prince's bed, she was squeezed out again, looking humiliated, which shows that this girl is not popular. But a lean camel is bigger than a horse, and her family is powerful. No one dares to laugh at her openly, and even their legitimate masters are trying to curry favor with her. Later, the incident happened on the day of the Flower Festival, and her current status in Wude Hall is finally equal to Xinghe's status in the Eastern Palace.
The next day, Princess Xia Ling added aconite to the medicine jar in Lizheng Palace. When she heard the news, she was confused. She just thought that although the two brothers were equally unpopular, the prince was still a little better than the vicious Prince Xin.
He held her in his arms and shook her gently, "Dequan said that you went out again after returning to the palace. Did something happen?"
She found it difficult to say it. If she told him that Prince Xin wanted to harm him, he would be very sad!
There was deep panic in her eyes, and it seemed that the matter was not simple. He was silent for a moment, then nodded and said yes.
"Okay." Shan Han's voice was like a thin blade, cutting through people's ears. "I have no other questions. I just want to ask you, Lord Gui, to whom did you give the things sent by Wude Hall? Lord Gui, think it through before you reply. I will leave as soon as I get the answer and will not stay in your house for a moment longer."
Gui Rulan's forehead was covered with cold sweat, which soon became mottled on the surface of the blue brick. As a civil servant, he was confused when he saw blood. He did not struggle anymore and said dejectedly: "Prince Jian... Prince Jian's people took the things away."
She lowered her eyes and nodded, hiding all her resentment so well that it looked like a girl's shyness.
Yinchen felt that she could now understand the meaning of the phrase "bearing humiliation and bearing heavy burdens". She had to continue to act and not let Prince Xin see through it. Women always follow their husbands, so she also learned to accept her fate like others, and Prince Xin naturally trusted her.
Xinghe checked the green mud used to seal the door, and found it was intact. Without saying much, he walked towards the duty room.
She sat on the south kang, her feet stretched into a band of light. The Boshan stove on the kang table had just been filled with incense cakes, and wisps of green smoke rose from the holes on the stove top. She used her fingers to move the Canaan Buddhist beads in front of her, trying to calm down, but she had no affinity with Buddhism and could not calm down.
There are still seven days until the Spring Examination.
Prince Xin nodded and reached out to lift the cloth, but the eunuch stopped him with a smile, saying, "Wait a minute, Your Majesty. It would be bad if we get your scent on us. Big things are hard to move. Every day, there is a record of what is put into the warehouse. Aunt Wei is a fussy person. If she makes a fuss, I won't be able to bear the blame. Only small items that are close to the body can be added to the excess in the warehouse. We can get away with it by adding them casually."
But she grabbed his collar and held him forcefully. The silk and embroidered robes of the Jinyi official rubbed against his delicate skin, causing a tingling sensation.
Xinghe sneered: "Your words don't make sense. If you really didn't know, you wouldn't deny the first sentence."
There is basically no difference between men's underwear. They are made of the same material and style. Even if they are switched, no one can tell them apart. She made sure that the steward would not come in for the time being, so she changed the things on the lacquer tray, covered it with a cloth, and quietly returned to the inner chamber. Just at the same time, the steward led people into the front hall, packed the underwear on the lacquer tray into a bundle, and gave it to a eunuch to take out. Yinchen looked out through the half-open window, and she didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the eunuch left the Wude Gate.
Tell him to shut up. Under normal circumstances, the prince would be angry with such an attitude. But today, seeing how enthusiastic she was, he didn't bother with her.
Madam Gui's fair skin was scratched by the blade, and blood began to seep out. She dared not breathe, and sobbed and called the head of the household, "It's already this hour, and you still..."
Yinchen said, "Don't say anything, Your Majesty. I was originally a female official. Your brother looked down on me, so he sent me to you."
In fact, she knew that they sent her to Wude Hall just to marry her to Prince Xin. But in the end, Prince Xin turned out to be such a person. It turned out that the Crown Prince could also make mistakes. She didn't like Prince Xin in the first place, and later she saw his unscrupulous means. Now she wanted to vomit when she saw him. She returned to Wude Hall only to keep the promise with Sister Xinghe.
After she finished speaking, she walked away. The world behind her was in chaos. She could not hear anything but the sound of the palace bells on the handles of the Yanling Knife striking each other.
Prince Xin smiled and gently held her hand in his palm. "Second brother only has eyes for Su Xinghe. You should be glad that you left the East Palace, otherwise you would only suffer more humiliation. Stay with me, I will treat you well, and let me slowly compensate you for the harm caused by what happened that day. You see, things have come to this point. If you agree, I will report to the emperor in two days and ask him to grant us a marriage. Prince Xin's mansion is also being built outside. If you are willing, you can go and take a look when you are free."
Xinghe asked her to step aside to talk, so she went into her duty room, explained her purpose, and asked her to check the underwear that the East Palace had filed yesterday. Aunt Wei panicked, "It shouldn't be wrong. The items used by the master, from the crown to the sachets, must be checked when they are put into storage..."
A smile spread across Prince Xin's young and fair face, and he asked her softly, "Are you okay?"
Aunt Wei had already prepared the prince's court robes. Just as she turned to leave, she exclaimed, "Why is Lord Su here?"
Xilang's residence was quickly found. Banzi went up and knocked on the door. Before the doorman could even open his mouth, he was kicked to the ground.
He nodded somewhat melancholy, "In the end, the only one left in the palace was the prince. When I was young, I still had a place, but now that I'm older, it's against the rules to stay here, and I must open a palace and build a mansion."
She didn't come out to greet him, so he had to go into the side hall. After he called her, she got off the kang shyly, bent her legs and bowed to him.
She turned back to the inner chamber, opened the mother-of-pearl cabinet, and found Prince Xin's inner clothes. Fortunately, the prince and the crown prince were a little different in terms of regulations. If she had to wait for the clothing bureau to send a change of clothes, it would be troublesome.
"Wait a minute, don't ask now, let me think about how to report to you."
She read it from beginning to end, and was filled with panic. Sitting under the window to concentrate, she saw that the prince had not returned yet, and she could not wait any longer, so she stood up and went to the gate next to the wall.
The answer was found. Xinghe stood up and said coldly, "Madam has suffered a lot. Take good care of yourself and don't tell anyone. Lord Gui will be on duty as usual tomorrow. Don't say a word about what happened tonight. Otherwise, next time it won't be your calves that will be torn apart, but the back of your neck."