The Dongji Factory is located at the Donghua Gate on the easternmost side of the imperial city, where the roots of the city wall lie. A large yard with five entrances, the door opens towards the outside of the imperial city, and the people who enter and exit are all subordinates of Dongchang.
It was early winter, and the large plum blossoms planted in the yard were budding, and in a winter day wrapped in silver, the bright red stars were beautiful.
Duan Chong, the eunuch and supervisor of the East Factory, sat on the Taishi chair in the main hall, holding a fragrant Lu'an melon slice in his hand. He looked at the red plum outside the flower window and said with a smile, "This most beautiful scene must be seen in the coldest genius."
Sitting beside him was Wu Shunhai, the head of the Dongchang factory, who was also the personal eunuch of Concubine Rong, Xue Yan's biological mother.
Wu Shunhai followed with a smile and said, "Who said it wasn't? The more he watched Xuan He lively, the more he didn't know when the tree would fall and the hozen would disappear."
On the stone steps outside their door, there was a large terrifying bloodstain, which dyed the white snow red, and the stars were like red plums blooming on a tree.
Half an hour ago, a man was executed there and skinned alive. The man didn't die until the skin was completely peeled off, and the wailing could be heard halfway through Dongchang.
Duan Chong glanced at the bloodstain and shook his head indifferently.
"Your Majesty still trusts the dog whose tail is wagging at his side every day," he said. "Although our East Factory has worked hard for His Majesty, what can it compare to the one who served on the side every day."
Wu Shunhai naturally knew that he was talking about Lingfu. In the past few years, the power of Dongchang has been divided by the emperor by nearly 30%, and all of them have been given to Lingfu. From Lingfu to the group of eunuchs under his command who are serving nobles in the palace, in the past few years, all the spring breezes have been triumphant, but the Dongchang gate has been left out in the cold, much bleak than in previous years.
In the past, Dongchang had some noble powers in the palace. The mistress of the palace, which family is not an official in the court, all hope to please Dongchang, so that they can open up the Internet and do things more smoothly.
But now, even these people have complimented to listen to the blessings.
And Lianfu is clearly still not satisfied. The one who was executed in front of the court just now was the eyeliner that Lingfu placed in the East Factory.
Wu Shunhai smiled and said with relief: "Father-in-law, don't worry. There is always a way."
Hearing this, Duan Chong lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea, and asked, "I heard that you sent someone to the palace that day to find the Fifth Highness?"
Wu Shunhai heard the words and said: "I found it, and also revealed the identity of his subordinates to him."
Duan Chong smiled: "This child is also pitiful. What did he say?"
Wu Shunhai said: "It's pitiful, but it always means embarrassing and useful."
Duan Chong raised his eyebrows: "How do you say this?"
Wu Shunhai said: "Little Weizi came back and said that although he was moved, he only wanted to reminisce with his subordinates. Xiaoweizi asked him if he wanted revenge, but he said he couldn't do anything, so he rejected him."
Hearing this, Duan Chong laughed.
"It's embarrassing, it's the biggest use," he said. "Our East Factory's own usefulness is enough. If he has more skills, it will be our trouble in the future."
These words spoke to Wu Shunhai's heart. He nodded again and again, saying that the factory supervisor was wise.
"Then, will the subordinate choose a day to meet him?" Wu Shunhai asked.
Duan Chong shook his head.
"Wait a minute," he said. "Let Xiao Weizi still go to Wenhua Hall every day, what it was in the past, and what it will be in the future."
Wu Shunhai was puzzled: "This...?"
The situation of the East Factory is clearly already very difficult. Lingfu was eyeing the tiger, and the empress in the palace, who had become famous in recent years, also defected. That mother-in-law was attached to Dongchang for her father and brother, but she did a lot with Dongchang, and she also had a lot of handles from Dongchang... The factory supervisor has not been in a hurry until now
Duan Chong shook his head.
He turned his eyes to the door. Below the steps stood a ten-year-old child, thin and frail, but his expression was surprisingly indifferent.
The skin of the man just now was peeled off by the child himself. His face was still stained with blood, but at this time, he calmly instructed his followers to clean up the blood, as if he had just killed a chicken in front of the door.
Duan Chong took a sip of tea slowly.
"Human, only when you get to the point where the mountains and rivers are exhausted, will you give up your heart to the people who send charcoal in the snow." He smiled meaningfully.
"Only when the time comes, this person will be your obedient dog."
—
Jun Huailang never thought that he could say such words with such confidence. After the words were said, he was a little embarrassed after realizing it, lowered his eyes, and no longer dared to look into Xue Yan's eyes.
He thought to himself, there is no reason for a man to take it back once he has said it, not to mention that it is what he thinks in his heart, and there is nothing wrong with saying it to let him know.
After all, although he is not frail and sickly, it is difficult for him to recover quickly after contracting a cold once in a while. This time, it may be that the wind chill is not complete, or it may be the hidden danger brought by rebirth, but it has nothing to do with Xue Yan and must not be blamed on Xue Yan.
Although Jun Huailang was openhearted, Xue Yan kept silent, which made him feel a little uncomfortable.
But for a moment, Jun Huailang couldn't take it anymore.
He lowered his eyes, cleared his throat, and pretended to be indifferent: "In short, my nightmare has nothing to do with you. You just live here, and the faults that have nothing to do with you don't have to be on your own."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and entered the room by himself.
He didn't look back, and of course he didn't see it. The light-colored eyes behind him that had been watching him were full of complicated, fiery and restrained emotions.
He didn't know that Xue Yan returned to his room that day and didn't speak for a long time.
Jin Bao was used to seeing his deep and reserved appearance, but he always felt that today was a bit unusual. He was waiting in the room, and was about to leave quickly when he heard Xue Yan's voice.
"Is there really a Buddha in the world?" he asked.
Jin Bao was taken aback.
Whether there is such a thing, people in the world say it is, but he is a little eunuch, how can he see the real Buddha, and how can he know whether it is true or not
"This... Maybe there is?" Jin Bao was ambiguous.
Then, he heard Xue Yan sigh in a low voice.
"I don't know which of the gods and Buddhas in the sky can suppress the evil spirit in me." He said. "...and save that ignorant little fool."
Although his voice was low, there was a hint of dazedness and helplessness in his tone, and there was a hint of pampering in his tone.
Jinbao people are stupid.
He thought to himself that a master like him who was most not afraid of divine punishment had begun to believe in Buddhism, so he must have really fallen for evil, and he needed to have the Buddha's manifestation to exorcise him.
From this day on, the smell of Buddha incense has been permeating in Jun Huailang's room, and it has been like this for a long time.
He was very strange at first. He didn't expect the incense of Baoguo Temple to last for so long. But until the night watchman Fuyi told him that every day Xue Yan would come to Jun Huailang alone to light incense in his front hall when he hadn't woken up.
As for Jun Huailang, who fell asleep smelling the incense of Buddha every day, the frequency of nightmares really decreased.
He has not been able to communicate with Xue Yan for a day. Every day he got up, Xue Yan was gone, and when he went to the Wenhua Palace, Xue Yan was still alone, not having any contact with him.
Jun Huailang couldn't bear it in his heart, and even he himself found out that he was soft-hearted.
Such a silent person who only treats him well makes it difficult for him to maintain vigilance and hatred for each other all the time.
Jun Huailang sometimes even prefers that Xue Yan is a complete bastard, but he doesn't need to be so entangled, and enjoys the benefits of the other party every day.
Jun Huailang tried his best to suppress the strange feeling in his heart, and he was still as usual. Just like this, it got colder day by day, and after another snowfall, it was the day of the Emperor's Thousand Autumn Banquet.
In the previous life, this Qianqiu Banquet Jun Huailang was also absent. The wind chill in his previous life was severe, and until this day, it was not very good. His parents were afraid that he would be ill at the banquet to others and ruin the auspiciousness of Qianqiu Banquet, so they let him stay in the mansion.
And this life, Jun Huailang, who lived in the palace, is naturally different from the previous life.
When the Qianqiu Banquet arrived early in the morning, Jun Huailang got up early. The servants in the palace are most familiar with the handling of such a palace banquet. Even though there are three more people in Mingluan Palace this year, they still take care of the dresses and accessories they need.
When the hour came, Jun Huailang tidied things up, and then heard the palace maid come to report that Xue Yunhuan had been waiting in the hall, waiting to go with him.
When he arrived in the hall, he saw Xue Yunhuan frowning and cocking his nose and said, "What does your palace smell like? It smells like entering a Buddhist hall."
Jun Huailang paused for a while before noticing the incense of sandalwood and Buddha surrounding him.
After these days, he had already become accustomed to it.
Jun Huailang's gaze involuntarily fell out of the window.
Across the delicate and beautiful garden of Mingluan Palace, opposite is the west hall where Xue Yan lived. It is clearly the boundary of Mingluan Palace, but the side hall seems to be separated out.
At this time, the door to the west hall was tightly closed, and Jinbao, who had always been guarding the door, was not there.
"I've already left." Jun Huailang said softly to himself.
"What did you say?" Xue Yunhuan didn't hear clearly, and asked.
Jun Huailang smiled at him: "It's nothing. We'll miss the hour later, let's go."
Xue Yunhuan snorted with a vague understanding, and when he went out, he glanced in the direction Jun Huailang had just looked at.
There is no one, what was Huailang looking at just now