In the afternoon, the scorching sun was scorching, and the yellow glazed tiles reflected the dazzling light. The cicadas screamed loudly, as if they were endless.
Thousands of rays of sunlight pierced the majestic palace like a sharp sword, and the Chunwu Courtyard was as quiet as death, as if there was no one there.
Murong Ci and Shen Zhiyan stepped into the courtyard door. There were only a few people in the corridor, lying on the ground or leaning against the wall or fanning the wind with an old palace fan. Down to enjoy the cool.
After receiving the notification from the palace servants, Nanny Li hurried over, sweating profusely.
"My servant pays homage to Your Highness, Mr. Shen. I don't know what orders His Highness has."
She bowed respectfully and bowed her head deeply.
The prince came to Chunwu Courtyard twice in three days, when will he be the first, maybe something happened again
Murong Ci said coldly: "Bengong and Mr. Shen are walking around, and you can go on your own."
Nanny Li bowed and retreated, but how dare she go back and sit under the shade of the greenery to enjoy the coolness
This big Buddha is here, she has to stay awake all the time, find a place to wait, and prevent the prince from getting caught.
Murong Ci and Shen Zhiyan went to the backyard, there were indeed many people in the three bunk rooms. The shade in the backyard was as cool as water, and many people dozed off there.
The person they were looking for stood in the corner.
An Guiren was sitting in a wheelchair reading a yellowed and shabby book. The heat was unbearable, and he still wrapped his head and face with a gray-black long cloth scarf. Liu Mei stood aside, combing her hair in a ponytail, with a serene expression, guarding her master loyally.
Coincidentally, Liu Mei was facing them sideways, and the left side of his face was clearly visible.
Murong Ci and Shen Zhiyan looked at each other, and then stared for a moment.
Sensing that someone was watching, An Guiren turned his head to look, his expression was not half surprised, it was as silent as a pool of stagnant water.
Liu Mei also turned around, but turned back quickly.
Murong Ci and Shen Zhiyan could see clearly, and there was no scar on her right cheek.
It can be said that Liu Mei is in her fifties, with many wrinkles, but without any blemishes.
Now that they saw it, Murong Ci and Shen Zhiyan walked over.
"His Royal Highness wants to repair the Chunwu Courtyard, and told me to wait to see what needs to be repaired." Murong Ci said loudly.
"Your Highness also said that fresh rice, grain, and vegetables will be delivered someday." Shen Zhiyan smiled, and turned to Liu Mei without a trace.
Just now, His Highness has already told him about Liu Mei's disfigurement, and he can conclude that there is something wrong with Liu Mei.
An Guiren said indifferently: "Your Highness is benevolent and generous, which is the blessing of the community."
Murong Ci turned his eyes, glanced across Liu Mei's face inadvertently, and said, "Let's go to another place to look."
Mrs. An nodded slightly, as a compliment.
When they left the backyard, An Guiren looked at Liu Mei, and a cool light instantly condensed in his withered and clear eyes.
Liu Mei was puzzled, "Why do they come to Chunwu Courtyard again and again?"
An Guiren's eyes returned to the old and yellowed book, but he did not answer.
When Murong Ci and Shen Zhiyan left Chunwu Courtyard, she suddenly stopped and thought: "Concubine Qiao should not remember wrongly, and she should not deceive Ben Gong either. If this Liu Mei is a fake now, why would she pretend to be Liu Mei and the real Liu Mei?" where again"
"There is a more important point. It is impossible for Mrs. An to recognize her maidservant by mistake. Then there is only one possibility, Mr. An also has problems." Shen Zhiyan said decisively, his brows were full of joy. To this day, there are new clues to the numerous suspicious and murder cases.
"I also think there is something wrong with Mrs. An. In this scorching summer, she still wraps her head and face with a long cloth scarf, which is indeed strange."
"Go ask the person in charge of the palace."
When Nanny Li heard that they wanted to ask questions, she hurriedly invited them to her room, obsequiously took out tea cakes and ordered the palace servants to make tea.
Shen Zhiyan said gently, "I'm just making a routine inquiry, Madam Li, you don't need to be polite."
The palace servants still took the tea cakes to make tea, but Madam Li stood there, smiling apologetically, "Your Highness, what Master Shen wants to ask, this servant knows everything."
Murong Ci asked straightforwardly: "Do you know why An Guiren and An Shuren cover their heads and faces in such a hot day?"
Nanny Li replied: "About five or six years ago, An Shuren covered her head and face all day long. She said that she had a head disease, and she often felt headaches and chills in the back of her head. Your Highness, is An Shuren guilty? it's over"
"You just need to answer." Shen Zhiyan's face turned cold.
"Yes, yes, yes." She lowered her head, looking at her nose with her eyes, and her heart with her nose.
"Has Liu Mei, An Shuren's maidservant, been following the master since the day An Shuren entered Chunwu Courtyard?" He glanced at His Highness and asked.
"My servant thinks about what happened more than ten years ago, and my servant's memory is not very good."
Nanny Li was terrified and nervous, her facial features were a little distorted, her hands were twisting the corners of her clothes, and cold sweat kept coming out of her back.
It's too bad, Anshu people have been going to Chunwu for more than ten years
She really didn't remember whether the courtyard brought her maid Liu Mei or not.
At this time, a palace lady in her thirties came in with two cups of tea and put them respectfully on the mottled case.
Nanny Li had a flash of inspiration, "Xiaotao, you have been in Chunwuyuan for more than 20 years, do you remember that Mr. Anshu is that Angui, did you bring Liumei with you when you entered Chunwuyuan?"
Xiaotao tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said: "Your Highness, Master Shen, this servant remembers clearly that Anshu came alone when he entered Chunwu Courtyard."
"Why do you remember so clearly?" Shen Zhiyan looked at His Highness, this matter was strange.
"The concubines who committed crimes and were demoted would usually bring in their maidservants when they entered the Chunwu Courtyard. Mrs. An did not bring her maidservants. Back then, the maidservants thought it was a bit strange, so they asked about it. It turned out that Mrs. An's close servants Maid Liu Mei was expelled from the palace by Anshu people for committing crimes." Xiaotao replied.
"Have you seen Liu Mei?" Murong Ci asked calmly.
Nanny Li and Xiaotao shook their heads, saying they hadn't seen each other.
Murong Ci asked again: "Then what's going on with Liu Mei now?"
Nanny Li felt that this matter was getting more and more strange. The Crown Prince asked such detailed questions. This matter must be very important. The Crown Prince questioned so many things because he was sure that Shuren An and Liu Mei had committed some serious crimes. Mother Li became more and more frightened as she thought about it, she didn't dare to hide anything, and said: "Only five or six years ago, An Shuren suffered from a headache, and she took Liu Mei to tell the maidservant that Liu Mei would stay in Chunwu Courtyard to take care of her." She, Chunwu Courtyard is isolated from the world, it is a place to accommodate the palace servants and concubines who committed crimes, one more person is not too many, one less person is not too many, slaves and servants didn't care, so they let Liu Mei stay to take care of Anshu."
Murong Ci asked a few more questions, and then left Chunwu Courtyard.
Before leaving, she told Nanny Li and Xiaotao that if they thought of the weird things that happened in Chunwu Courtyard in the past ten years, they could go to the East Palace to find her.
Behind them, a person turned out from another palace road, looking at their backs with a cold and poisonous gaze.
Walking under the scorching sun, Murong Ci was sweating all over her body and her back was sweaty, but she didn't care, "Liu Mei obviously left the palace, why did she return to the palace ten years later, and willingly entered the Chunwu Courtyard to serve a hopeless woman?" , Isn’t it strange that common people whose life is over?”
Shen Zhiyan nodded, "What's even more strange is that the Liu Mei who suddenly returned to the palace is not the disfigured Liu Mei. An Guiren and Liu Mei have been together for so many years, it is impossible for them to admit their mistakes. Also, An Guiren She suddenly suffered from a headache, and covered her head and face in the name of headache, obviously because she didn't want people to see her appearance."
"Liu Mei is not that Liu Mei, so Mrs. An." She thought hard, as if a flash of lightning flashed past, "Mr. An is not the former Mrs. An either."
"That makes sense. But, who are the master and servant, why are they pretending to be Mrs. An Gui and Liu Mei, and what are their plans to lurk in the Chunwu Courtyard?" He frowned, "Another bigger mystery lies before us. "
"Yeah, who are they? The deaths of Shuren Bai and Shuren Mo have anything to do with them?" Murong Ci frowned deeply, "If we ask directly, we won't be able to find anything, and we will only scare the snake away."
"Fortunately, the palace is peaceful these few days, we can investigate this matter slowly." Shen Zhiyan comforted.
She nodded, that's all she could do now.
Qing Yuan Hall.
Murong Ci came to greet his father, "father and son" talked for a long time.
After Murong Cheng ate the bird's nest porridge and took the medicine, she helped him lie down to rest, and prepared to leave.
At this time, someone rushed in with a sash in front of the wind, causing a whirlwind.
A beautiful red figure leaned against the emperor's couch, her whole body was soft and delicate, her voice was delicate and crisp, "Father, my servants come to pay my respects to Father."
Such a daughter-in-law's attitude is half or half of a coquettish mood.
Murong Ci's heart was slightly bitter, she would never have such an opportunity in this life to act like a spoiled daughter to her father.
Murong Cheng patted Murong Chang's snow-white catkins, and smiled lovingly, "Zhao Hua is obedient, filial, and I comfort you."
"Royal father, every day from now on, the ministers will come to pay respects to the royal father. Before the minister was out of the palace for half a year, the royal father was seriously ill and he didn't know in time, and he couldn't come back to take care of the sickness. It won't be like this anymore, from now on, I will accompany my father every day." Murong Chang said sweetly, the smile on his small face was as sweet as a flower, enough to drown hundreds of thousands of ants.
"Okay, okay." He smiled cheerfully, very happy.
She looked at Murong Ci and winked secretly, "Brother Prince is getting more handsome and handsome."
Murong Ci said calmly: "Father, the imperial sister is not young anymore, she has reached the age of bestowing a marriage. However, the imperial father will have to rest for a while, why not choose a son-in-law first, give the imperial sister a marriage, and wait for the father Huanglong After recovering from the body, we will hold the ceremony of the big wedding. What does the emperor think?"
Murong Chang held her hand, posing like his daughter Jia Yiyi and said coquettishly: "Father, I don't want to marry, and I want to stay with Father for a few more years. But I don't know why, wherever I go, there is always I can hear someone chewing their tongues, saying, "My son"
As she said that, she lowered her head, feeling aggrieved and pitiful.
Murong Cheng's smiling face suddenly turned cold, "Who dares to talk about my Zhaohua's death?"