When the dragon boat landed, Qin Mubai said goodbye to the emperor and went to the Xianju Palace.
His mood has never been as complicated as it is now.
I can’t tell whether I feel heavy, grateful, distressed, guilty or moved.
The father and daughter Li Shimin and Princess Gaoyang made Qin Mubai feel too many complicated emotions. Between him, Li Shimin, and Princess Gaoyang, there are complex relationships intertwined between monarch and minister, father and daughter, lovers, and even enemies.
If you keep cutting, it will become messy.
For Gao Yang, Qin Mubai really didn't have any wrongdoing from the beginning. He didn't even have a good impression of him and just wanted to avoid him. But this persistent little girl who had just begun to fall in love, with her silly energy without any regrets, really moved him.
For Li Shimin, Qin Mubai has always regarded him as a "symbol" in his heart. He is synonymous with famous kings in history, and was an unmatched god in the Zhenguan era. He brought great blessings to the world, but in life, he was just an ordinary man, father, and friend.
Li Shimin was kind to Qin Mubai from the very beginning. Ever since Wu Meiniang's marriage, Qin Mubai felt that he was always wary when facing the emperor because he had offended him. But Li Shimin has always had great trust in him. Even after the incident involving Princess Gaoyang, he showed no intention of blaming Qin Mubai. Instead, he reflected on himself in front of Qin Mubai.
This was beyond Qin Mubai's expectation.
It is true that Li Shimin was a man of profound wisdom and masterful use of the emperor's mind, but his broadmindedness and magnanimity really impressed Qin Mubai, and he had to feel a little impressed.
Putting himself in Li Shimin's shoes, Qin Mubai expected that he might not have his good temper and patience.
If anyone snatches away the woman he wants, Qin Mubai will take it back without hesitation and kill her instantly; if anyone drives his daughter crazy, he will kill her without hesitation. There's not even a scum left!
Li Shimin, how did he enlighten himself and endure it? … The one emperor through the ages is indeed different from the ordinary!
Princess Gaoyang often said that she felt constrained and depressed as soon as she arrived in Chang'an. She was just a princess. In other words, as the emperor, wouldn't Li Shimin be more repressed and restrained than him? In particular, he determined to be a wise and sage king. Therefore, he will always have the country, the country, and the people in his heart, and always pay attention to his every word and deed as a king.
The common people of Li can draw their swords and kill people in a moment of anger, but the emperor cannot be angry at will, especially the sage and Mingjun.
Li Shimin, it’s not easy either…
After thinking about it for a while, I unknowingly walked outside the Immortal Palace. Qin Mubai saw the hundreds of cavalry guards with bright armor from a distance. I have asked before, and the foreman on duty here today is Pang Fei.
Seeing Qin Mubai coming, Pang Fei hurried over and bowed his hands: "General."
"Well, I'm here to see Princess Gaoyang." Qin Mubai said briefly.
Pang Fei was slightly startled, and nodded in front of everyone without asking more questions: "General, please. Your Highness the Princess... But in the Huanyi side hall of the back hall of Xianju Hall."
"Huanyi side hall?" Qin Mubai frowned slightly, sighed and thought to himself: It is indeed the cold palace!
"The palace passage is winding, so it is better for the general to lead the way!"
"Walk."
The two of them walked into the Xianju Palace one after the other. Qin Mubai frowned deeply and just walked forward without squinting. It feels like the palace is extremely deserted today, and there seems to be a bone-chilling chill coming from everywhere.
"Why is it so cold in the palace?" Qin Mubai asked casually.
Pang Fei whispered: "Since Her Highness Princess Gaoyang went crazy, Concubine Yin has evacuated most of the maids and maids in the palace, leaving only one or two to deliver food. All the charcoal in the palace to warm the winter is also used. It’s over, and the windows and doors are not open on weekdays, so it’s extremely cold.”
"No wonder I didn't see anyone along the way." Qin Mubai sighed softly, and the leisurely sigh spread far away in the empty palace.
At this moment, a long voice came from a side room with a half-open window: "Who is that?"
"It's Concubine Yin." Pang Fei hurriedly told Qin Mubai in a low voice.
"I'm reporting to Concubine Yin, the humble minister Qin Mubai, that I have been ordered to come to visit Her Highness the Princess." Qin Mubai stood by the door and answered with cupped hands. I was secretly surprised in my heart, why did the voice I heard just now sound so old and tired? I had heard Yin Niang speak before. Although her voice was not that of nature, her voice was dignified and clear, and she was at least twenty years younger than she sounded now.
Concubine Yin in the room was silent for a moment and just said: "Oh, then go ahead."
From this sound, it seemed that no emotion on her part could be heard. Like the moans and sighs of a dying person, the air is cold and stiff.
Qin Mubai frowned slightly, raised his hands and replied: "Wei Chen, please leave."
When the two of them walked a few miles away, Qin Mubai asked, "How is Concubine Yin?"
"Hey, don't mention it!" Pang Fei sighed and said worriedly, "Ever since Princess Gaoyang escaped from the palace, she has never had a sound sleep or a full meal. Later, the princess went crazy. Concubine Yin seemed to have aged twenty years overnight, and even her hair had turned half gray... Afterwards, the emperor was angry that Concubine Yin continued to ignore her. Even if she came to visit the princess, she would not come through Concubine Yin's door. Now, she stays on the bed every day and rarely even gets out of bed. She only relies on one or two maids to serve her food and drink. It's as if she is paralyzed. "
"I know." Qin Mubai responded lightly, but his heart suddenly felt painful.
Is this all my fault? ! !
…
"Teacher, we're here, right here." Pang Fei stopped in front of a round arch and pointed to a courtyard inside.
"Well, you go back."
Pang Fei retreated, Qin Mubai cut his hands behind his back and slowly walked into the small courtyard.
There are many ropes and stands in the center of the yard, all of which are used to dry clothes. There are many wooden basins, spoons and other laundry supplies placed around the wall. A wooden house stands alone in the middle, so out of place with the entire splendid Tang Dynasty Palace.
This is the Huanyi Bureau. Historically, this has been the place where the most humble palace maids in Ye Ting did menial and menial work. For example, laundry and toilet cleaning. In addition, some concubines who made mistakes or were neglected were thrown here to be punished, and usually never saw the light of day again. They were even bullied by the petty eunuchs in charge here, which was even worse than the exile of ministers.
How glorious it is to be at the side of a king for a day; but as long as you make a mistake, you will never be able to live a life, and life is worse than death!
But there are very few princesses who have received such treatment. It can be seen that Li Shimin was really angry at the beginning!
…
After walking slowly for a few steps, a eunuch who was napping in the side room hurriedly ran out, looked Qin Mubai up and down, and said with rolling eyes: "Who are you and why are you here?"
"Qin Mubai, the Baiqi Envoy." Qin Mubai took out the golden token, glanced at him, and said, "Where is Princess Gaoyang?"
"Uh!..." The eunuch was really surprised. He obviously knew a lot about Princess Gaoyang. After swallowing hard, he whispered: "General, I have heard of your name for a long time, and I know that you can... The courtiers in the harem can come and go as they please. But under such circumstances... why don't you avoid suspicion and come to see the princess? "
"Stop talking nonsense, you, a eunuch servant, dare to teach me a lesson?" Qin Mubai snorted coldly, "Tell me, where is the princess?"
"Uh... It's in the quiet room in the backyard. General, please come with me." The eunuch was shocked and had to lead the way forward.
There were a lot of people in the backyard. There were about a dozen women in coarse clothes, all sitting in a row next to a well, washing piles of clothes. These women, some of whom were only thirteen or fourteen years old, and some of whom were as old as fifty-six years old, saw the arrival of the grown man Qin Mubai. They all stopped and stared at him like they were looking at rare birds and animals.
These women may rarely see a real man for several years!
"You bitch, what are you looking at? Washing clothes!" The eunuch roared loudly and kicked a little girl down. The little girl screamed and fell into the wooden basin, hitting her head hard, and her whole body was soaked.
The other women were shocked, and none of them came forward to help her. They all lowered their heads in panic and quickly washed their clothes.
Qin Mubai stopped, glared at the eunuch with a heavy expression on his face, and stepped forward to help the maid up.
"Thank you, sir, thank you..." The woman was flattered, but also glanced at the eunuch with fear. She hurriedly pushed Qin Mubai away and sat down, pouring half a bucket of water into the wooden basin, and washed her clothes hard.
"You!" Qin Mubai turned around, stared at the eunuch with dagger-like eyes, and shouted through gritted teeth, "Let me know that you bully and beat the women here again, or I will crush you to death!"
"Ah!" The eunuch was so shocked that his face twitched, and he stared blankly at Qin Mubai, nodding like a chicken pecking at rice, "Yes, yes, I know."
"You also know that I am the envoy of Baiqi, and I can come and go in the palace at will. I can also take care of the affairs of Ye Ting in the harem." Qin Mubai said solemnly, "I will leave these words here today, and from now on If I find anyone who dares to bully the Huanyi girl here again, I will make him pay back a hundred times!"
"Yes, yes! The general is so powerful, how dare we, Xiao Xiaoan, offend? Whatever the general says, that's what it is." The eunuch was so frightened that cold sweat broke out from his forehead, and he responded hurriedly.
The women all secretly rejoiced and watched Qin Mubai walk away with the eyes of worshiping God and Buddha. They murmured in secret: "Who is this person? So majestic!"
"How could he come to Yeting in the harem?"
"It's better now. Those damn eunuchs won't dare to bully us anymore!"
"We have to know who that person is. If we suffer in the future, we can let him make the decision!"
"He is truly a living Buddha who saves people in distress! If I can get out of this cold palace, I would like to repay him by working as a cow or a horse for the rest of my life!"
"Me too!"
"Me too!!… "
…
The eunuch walked slowly, and when he heard the chatter behind him, he felt entangled and annoyed but did not dare to get angry. Qin Mubai looked back at him, and he hurriedly put on a smile and giggled: "Don't worry, general, I will treat them like my biological sisters and aunts from now on!"
"If I were to find out who had abused the princess here, he would definitely regret that his parents gave birth to him." Qin Mubai said as if talking to himself, but the eunuch was so frightened that his face turned pale. He panicked: "General, you are worrying too much. Although the princess has been demoted, she is still a golden person. How dare we, the villain, make a mistake?"
"There is no best."
"General, here we are." The eunuch came to an independent hut and said.
Qin Mubai stepped forward and took a look, and saw that there was actually a huge copper lock hanging on the hut. He couldn't help but feel a little angry: "You eunuch, you dare to lock the princess in a secret prison, are you tired of living?!"
"No, no, no, the general has misunderstood!" The eunuch waved his hands hurriedly, "His Majesty the Emperor personally ordered the villain to hang up this lock. The princess is so crazy that she will beat and scold whenever she sees a stranger. The situation was so chaotic that one time she almost set fire to the place and burned it to ashes. She even dared to hit His Majesty the Emperor with a washing hammer, so... "
"Stop talking nonsense and open the door!!"
"Yes Yes!"
The eunuch trembled as he took out the key and opened the door, while nagging: "General, you can be careful, crazy people are very powerful. Three or five people can't control the normally weak princess when she gets crazy. And she He doesn’t recognize anyone, even Concubine Yin and the emperor dare to beat and scold them..."
Just as he was talking, the door opened.
At first glance, it is shocking!
Qin Mubai's heart felt like it was suddenly pierced by a red-hot iron drill, contracting violently and almost suffocating!
"Gao Yang, are you really crazy?!..."