May 15, Princess He'an's death anniversary.
Before the sacrificial table, the shaman's wife offered wine and bowed to pray three times.
There was solemnity in the Shoukang Palace, and everyone recited the rebirth mantra with the Queen Mother: "Namo Amitabha Ye Duta Gaduoye, Duo Diye Ta Amitabha Dupovi."
The shaman's drum was beaten, and the shaman's wife recited the divine song and danced to the sound of the drum, and the string of bells tied around her waist tinkled.
The Empress Dowager was reciting scriptures when Shen Bi came over, and after saluting, she held up a book of scriptures: "My concubine congratulates the Empress Dowager on the holy peace, this is the Ksitigarbha prayer scripture copied for the princess, and may the princess be reborn in Western bliss. Pure Land."
The queen mother nodded lightly.
Shen Bi walked to the altar, and was about to put down the Buddhist scriptures in his hand when he suddenly heard a clatter, looked up, and saw that the little Buddha flower on the altar was burning without fire. In an instant, the fire spread like a greedy tongue. , licking up the portrait from the Buddha flower all the way.
In the portrait is a naive girl. Although she is still young, she is born with straight eyebrows and looks like a beautiful woman. The most special thing is that she has two small moles on her chin.
"He'an! He'an!" The queen mother's expression changed greatly, and she rushed towards the portrait desperately, and then hurriedly stopped her and shouted: "Come on, put out the fire!"
There were only female family members in the house, and they all screamed and fled. Where could they care about the portraits? The guards outside would not be able to come over for a while. Finally, Wei Yingluo stepped forward and snatched the portraits. Half of his sleeves were burned, and his face was blackened.
"The Queen Mother." She handed the portrait over.
The queen mother hurriedly reached out to take it, holding her in her arms like a child, her eyes were red: "He'an! He'an!"
At this time, Yuan Chunwang arrived late and ordered a group of eunuchs and guards to put out the fire on the altar.
Looking at the messy altar, the Queen Mother frowned, raised her head to the shaman standing beside him, and said, "Mrs. Shaman, if something happened to the festival, will it affect He'an?"
The shaman's wife raised her eyelids: "The princess died at a young age, because the front yin has faded, and the posterior yin has not yet arrived, so there was no blessing to go to the west. In order to let the princess live a blissful life, the queen mother has done good deeds and made great merits. After two years, she will But you're done, it's a pity that years of hard work have been ruined by a demon today!"
Everyone was shocked.
Afterwards: "What evil?"
Mrs. Shaman stared at Shen Bi with cloudy eyes, raised her hand and pointed: "As soon as she appeared, the Buddha's flower spontaneously ignited and all the offerings were destroyed, she must be a demon! The queen mother, kill her and use her blood to pay homage to the gods. anger!"
Shen Bi: "What evil, you are talking nonsense, I have not done anything!"
Afterwards: "Concubine Rong, don't be rude to the shaman. Mrs. Shaman, are you telling the truth?"
Mrs. Shaman sneered: "How dare you doubt me?"
Even if they don't believe it in their hearts, the concubines and concubines believe it in their mouths.
"Empress Empress, the concubine knows that you have always been kind, but the concubine is too beautiful to be born, and she has the act of charming the king. If you don't keep it together, it is a demon!"
"No, Mrs. Shaman is a messenger who communicates with ghosts and gods. She transmits news between the Three Realms. How can you doubt her words?"
"Queen Mother, all the merits and virtues of 30 years have been exhausted today. The princess has been burdened by this evil spirit, and the bliss of her life has been in vain! If you continue to indulge her, I don't know how many people will be affected!"
At other times, the queen mother can be merciful, but the matter involves her most beloved dead daughter, plus all the money, she finally said with a sullen face: "Take the concubine Rong!"
Yuan Chunwang waited for her to say this for a long time, and immediately waved his hand, and the eunuchs rushed to take Shen Bi.
Shen Bi quickly fell at the feet of the Queen Mother, grabbed her skirt tightly, and said in a mournful voice, "Queen Mother, someone has framed the concubine and concubine. The concubine doesn't know what happened!"
The empress dowager said condescendingly, "framed you?"
Shen Bi: "It's a false accusation. Someone must have bribed the Shaman's wife, and the altar has also moved! Now that it's burned to ashes, the concubines can't produce any evidence, but as long as you interrogate the Shaman's wife, you can know the truth!"
"Presumptuous!" He continued, "Who is Mrs. Shaman, the Queen Mother treats you with three points of courtesy, how can you slander it!"
Then he sighed: "Don't take people down!"
Shen Bi held on to the skirt of the queen mother, as if she was grabbing a life-saving straw: "Queen mother, please take a closer look at Shen Bi, I have flesh and blood, and I am a living person!"
The Empress Dowager was originally focused on the altar and didn't look at her directly, but now she heard her cry bleakly, so she looked at her with her eyes, but when she saw it, her eyes immediately froze, and she clasped Shen Bi's back with her backhand. Chin, voice trembled: "You—"
Although I don't know what happened, but looking at the appearance of the Queen Mother, I am afraid that things have changed, and then frowned and said, "Take it away!"
Shen Bi threw herself into the empress dowager's arms, like a frightened child: "No, empress dowager, no!"
The queen mother also seemed to protect the child, and put a hand on her back: "Stop!"
Everyone was shocked, and countless eyes were placed on the arm of the Queen Mother who was protecting her.
The queen mother took a deep breath, stared at Shen Bi, and said word by word, "You, come with me."
After he finished speaking, he left everyone in the room and turned around to go to the back room. Shen Bi looked back at Wei Yingluo, got up and chased after him.
After that, her attention was always on Shen Bi, and she naturally did not miss her gaze, so she turned her head slowly, her gaze also fixed on Wei Yingluo's face, and she smiled coldly.
Wei Yingluo lowered her head and said nothing, but she knew in her heart that from now on, she would never be the same.
Inside the house.
The queen mother repelled her left and right, leaving only Aunt Liu and Shen Bi in the house.
Shen Bi knelt in front of the queen mother, the queen mother raised her chin, looked carefully for a long time, her eyes became more and more strange, and suddenly said: "When is your birthday?"
Shen Bi was startled.
Queen Mother: "Answer me."
"September 15th." Shen Bi replied hurriedly, then looked at her carefully, "Queen Mother, why are you asking this?"
The queen mother recited silently: "September fifteenth time..."
After a long time, the queen mother waved her hand: "Take it down."
Shen Bi opened her mouth and wanted to explain, but Aunt Liu had already stopped her words: "Rong Concubine, the queen mother knows your grievance, so come with the servant first."
Shen Bi had to follow her. Not long after the two went out, the door was reopened and Wei Yingluo stepped over the threshold: "Queen Mother, are you looking for me?"
The queen mother sat in the chair with the portrait of Princess He An on her lap. She slowly stroked the girl on the portrait with a complicated expression, and after a long while she said slowly: "I know that the queen wants to kill with a knife, but someone must sacrifice it for the destruction. Chen, be responsible for my He'an! Mrs. Shaman is a divine envoy, and what she said is the will of the divine spirit. So, I made up my mind to punish Rongbi! But I didn't expect... "
Wei Yingluo: "What's wrong?"
The queen mother hesitated for a while, and finally said: "You still remember what I said, that year when He'an was seriously ill, I begged all the temples, kowtowed and burned incense to the Buddha everywhere, praying for ten years of life, for He'an one life?"
Wei Yingluo nodded.
"At that time, an eminent monk told me that if I left a mark on the princess' body, even if I couldn't keep it in this life, I would have a chance to be reunited in the next life. I was cruel. I lightly pierced two small eyes on He'an's chin. , then, right here." The queen mother pointed to her lips, "the moment Rong Concubine rushed up just now, I saw with my own eyes that she also had..."
Wei Yingluo: "Queen Mother, the theory of reincarnation is ridiculous, you shouldn't believe it."
The queen mother was excited: "But she was also born on the fifteenth day of September, the same time, the same mark, isn't it a coincidence?"
Wei Yingluo: "You miss the princess too much, but Rongbi is from the Horan tribe, how could it be the reincarnation of the princess?"
Empress Dowager: "Since the reincarnated soul boy came first, there are also many babies born with strange marks. Everyone says that this is the fate left by their parents in the previous life!"
Wei Yingluo: "The Queen Mother!"
Queen Mother: "Maybe you're right, but what if? What if she really is—"
The hearts of the poor parents in the world, as long as there is a possibility, they will be tightly grasped in their hands, the queen mother will not speak anymore, only look down at the portrait on the knee, and look at the two small moles on the girl's chin.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Hongli's voice broke the calm in the room. He panted and said, "My son respectfully invites the Queen Mother, Sheng'an!"
Wei Yingluo turned around and saluted him: "My concubine respectfully invites the emperor to be safe."
Hongli didn't even look at her: "Queen Mother, where is Concubine Rong?"
Seeing that the Queen Mother did not answer, he became anxious: "The Queen Mother, Mrs. Shaman's words cannot be trusted, Shen Bi will never be a demon!"
Only then did the queen mother slowly raise her head: "Isn't it contradictory that the emperor honored Mrs. Shaman, but didn't let me believe her words?"
Hongli sneered: "The Queen Mother, I gave Mrs. Shaman status and respect, and let her play a role in the second sacrifice of the morning and evening. It is to follow the old customs of the ancestors, and urge the whole Qing Dynasty not to forget that this country is hard-won, not to let her. She dominates your thoughts and influences your decisions. Please believe me, Shen Bi is an ordinary beauty, not a demon!"
"emperor!"
Hongli suddenly turned his head and saw Aunt Liu pushed in the door and Shen Bi was standing behind her intact. He immediately looked happy and stretched out his hand: "Shen Bi, come here!"
In order not to see the hands they were shaking, Wei Yingluo quickly lowered her head, but saw their feet walking past her side by side.
"Wait!" The Queen Mother suddenly shouted.
Hongli suddenly clenched Shen Bi's hand: "The Queen Mother, what other orders do you have?"
The queen mother smiled: "don't be nervous, I won't hurt your loved one. It's just a familiar relationship with Concubine Rong. If she wants to, she can always come to Shoukang Palace and talk to me."
Hongli was stunned.
After returning to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his brows still did not loosen, he repelled him left and right, and pulled Shen Bi to sit beside him: "Tell me, what's going on?"
Shen Bi replied honestly: "Today, the concubine participated in the princess sacrifice, hoping to please the queen mother, but who expected the sacrifice to suddenly burn, Mrs. Shaman said that I was a demon, and she had to force the queen mother to deal with it!"
She vividly told what happened today, and when it came to the thrilling place, even Hongli wiped a sweat for her, but her doubts deepened: "How did you escape this disaster?"
Shen Bi rolled her eyes: "The concubine doesn't know either, the queen mother was going to kill someone, but suddenly she changed her mind."
Hongli grabbed her chin, forced her to look directly at him, and said solemnly, "Shen Bi, I want to hear the truth."
If Wei Yingluo sees his eyes at the moment, she will know that Hongli does not love Shen Bi, because love is a poison that makes people stupid, partial, and gullible, not like he is now, his eyes are calm and terrible, almost sharp swords The same pierces people's hearts.
Just looking at him, Shen Bi lowered his head and sighed: "Concubine Ling saved me."