Lu Heng went out in the middle of the night, and it was already four watch when he came back. Wang Yanqing didn't sleep long after returning to the house, and it was dawn outside. She was thinking about entering the palace today, so she didn't feel sleepy at all, so she quickly got up to wash up.
Last night, she and Lu Heng agreed that Lu Heng would go to Nanzhen Fusi Dianmao first, and send someone to pick her up at Lu Mansion when everything is ready. Wang Yanqing changed into a low-key moon-white long jacket with a pair of fronts, a lavender horse-faced skirt, and white silk shoes on her feet. She sat quietly in the room and waited for Lu Heng.
The sun shines through the ruyi fringe partition, casting a hazy golden light on the room. Wang Yanqing sat sideways on the Arhat bed, with her feet close together on the pedals, and the edge of the moon-white long jacket hung down beside her legs, revealing a delicate and neat skirt.
This long jacket is knee-length, although it is dignified, it is easy to look bloated, but it is slim when worn on her. Because of her side sitting posture, the fabric on the waist was tightened to outline a slender waistline. Looking at the beauty like jade from a distance, the years are quiet, dignified and beautiful.
After Wang Yanqing finished arranging things, she waited in the room for a while, and around this time, someone from Lu Heng came to pick her up. Wang Yanqing got into the car and went all the way quietly, as arranged. After I don't know how long it took, the carriage stopped, Wang Yanqing lifted the curtain of the car, and at a glance, he saw Lu Heng not far away.
He changed into a blue flying fish suit, with a slender embroidered spring knife hanging on his waist. The color was not as flamboyant as the crimson, but he was more solemn and solemn. He was fair-skinned, and his dark uniform made him look handsome, not angry. He was standing in front of the palace gate talking to the eunuch, when he saw the carriage coming, he stopped talking and walked towards Wang Yanqing.
The palace in front of him was continuous, solemn and splendid, and the guards around him were all fully armed and majestic. She couldn't help feeling flustered, and subconsciously relied on the only person she knew: "Second brother."
Lu Heng glanced at her and quickly understood that she was afraid. Lu Heng thought to himself that she was so persistent last night, he thought she was born to be reckless, and she knew she was afraid.
Lu Heng was helpless and pitiful. He stopped in front of Wang Yanqing and comforted him: "Don't be nervous, I will always be with you. The palace has been arranged, I will take you to see the emperor first."
Wang Yanqing nodded and followed Lu Heng step by step. After they entered the palace, they turned west and entered a passageway enclosed by the palace wall. This route seems to have been cleaned up in advance. Wang Yanqing did not meet anyone else. Occasionally, a eunuch passed by. When he saw Lu Heng, he bowed his hands from a distance and shouted politely, "Commander Lu."
They lowered their eyes, even though they were very curious about the woman behind Commander Lu, they didn't look up. Lu Heng didn't talk much, and took Wang Yanqing straight to the Qianqing Palace. He walked out of the lane, passed through the Longzong Gate, and said to Wang Yanqing, "The Qianqing Palace is in front. You don't have to be nervous, the emperor is very kind. If you have anything to say, the emperor can understand."
Lu Heng's words are secretly reminding Wang Yanqing, don't play tricks when you see the emperor, let alone be smart, speak straight, and nothing will happen.
If Wang Yanqing realized something, he nodded in response. A eunuch was already waiting in front of the Qianqing Palace. When he saw Lu Heng, he put the whisk in his hand and greeted him with a smile on his face: "Lord Lu is here. The sage is repairing inside, Sir Lu, please."
The eunuch smiled, his eyes wandered as he spoke, and his eyes swept across Wang Yanqing, but he did not ask who Wang Yanqing was. Wang Yanqing could only smile at the eunuch, bowed his head and followed Lu Heng into the hall.
Wang Yanqing didn't dare to look after entering the door, and kept her eyes down. She only felt that the golden bricks under her feet were deep and introverted, and the surrounding furnishings were elegant and solemn, not as splendid as she imagined. Lu Heng didn't need the guidance of the eunuch when he entered the palace, he walked eastward skillfully, and seemed to be very familiar with the decoration of the Qianqing Palace. They entered a warm pavilion, and Lu Heng stopped and bowed to the front: "Long live my minister."
Wang Yanqing immediately understood that the person above was the emperor. Wang Yanqing also hurriedly saluted. The emperor was wearing a robe with sleeves and was sitting on the throne reading Qingci. He replied softly and said, "You are here. The East Palace suddenly shouted in the middle of the night yesterday, what's going on?"
Lu Heng cupped his hands, lowered his eyes slightly, and said, "Last night, the people of Ciqing Palace heard some strange noises. The Empress Dowager Zhang may not have slept well, and her mind is not very peaceful. She said that she wants to move the palace. The minister brought someone today to persuade him. Empress Zhang."
The emperor finished reading the Qing Ci written by Zhang Jinggong. He folded it, put it aside, looked up and saw Wang Yanqing behind Lu Heng. The emperor's gaze swept over Wang Yanqing. Before the emperor spoke, Lu Heng, like a roundworm in the emperor's stomach, introduced, "Your Majesty, this is the sister of the minister."
The emperor knew the situation of the Lu family all too well. Where does Lu Heng have a younger sister? The emperor realized that this was the foster sister of Fu Tingzhou who Lu Heng had mentioned some time ago. She accidentally fell on her head and mistook Lu Heng as her elder brother.
The emperor looked at Wang Yanqing secretly, and then looked at Lu Heng. Lu Heng didn't move, calm and true.
The emperor and Lu Heng were close, but they never interfered in each other's private affairs. Lu Heng had never had a woman before, and the emperor was secretly worried about whether Lu Heng had any hidden problems. Unexpectedly, Lu Heng refused to accept women not because of physical problems or psychological reasons, but because of unique hobbies.
Can't see that he actually likes the brother and sister.
The emperor gave a very light hum, and there was no fluctuation on his face, as if he had heard an unusual thing. Lu Heng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "The Empress Dowager Zhang always suspected that there were ghosts around her. She was a foreigner, and it was inconvenient to stay in the Ciqing Palace for a long time, so she brought her here. Tonight, she will stay in the Ciqing Palace to protect Zhang. Empress Dowager, so that Empress Dowager Zhang can feel at ease."
The palace is so big, it doesn't matter to the emperor to keep one more person. The emperor said lightly: "You can arrange it. You will meet the Queen Mother in a while, and comfort her for me. Don't scare yourself and let outsiders see jokes."
Lu Heng heard that the emperor did not want Empress Dowager Zhang to move the palace. The harem lived well. Empress Dowager Zhang was clamoring to move for fear of being haunted. Who would live in the vacated palace? Now the haunting is limited to the Ciqing Palace, and no one knows if the maids and eunuchs serving in the Ciqing Palace are sealed up.
The emperor has a good face and will never allow such a thing to happen.
Lu Heng replied: "The minister follows the order. If the emperor has no other orders, the minister will take her to see the Empress Dowager Zhang."
The emperor nodded and motioned for Lu Heng to go and stay on his own. After Lu Heng told the security, he took Wang Yanqing to withdraw from the Dongnuan Pavilion. Except for the first glance, the emperor and Wang Yanqing did not have any communication.
Wang Yanqing didn't say a word, thinking that the Lu family and the palace were intimate, why did she have no impression of the emperor at all, and the emperor seemed to be unfamiliar with her? But Wang Yanqing thought that she was adopted after her second brother's family came to the capital. At that time, King Xing had already become the emperor, and the Lu family could no longer go in and out of the palace like Anlu, so she was estranged from the palace, which was completely understandable. .
Wang Yanqing felt that this guess was very reasonable, and she found a reason for Lu Heng, without the slightest doubt in her heart. She walked out of the Qianqing Palace with Lu Heng, and walked down the white marble steps. People came and went in front of the Qianqing Palace, and eunuchs led the ministers past from time to time. After leaving the Qianqing Gate and entering the Jingyun Gate, the surrounding area was clean.
Lu Heng made sure that there was no one else in his sight, so he took a step behind and said in Wang Yanqing's ear, "You went to Ciqing Palace in a while, only to say that she was the female guard of Lu's house and was ordered to protect Empress Dowager Zhang. Don't mention the extra things. ."
Wang Yanqing nodded solemnly, Lu Heng's eyes were down, and he silently glanced at her tight little face, smiling in his heart. She thought that Lu Heng was afraid of another incident, so she didn't let her claim that she was the adopted daughter of the Lu family, but she didn't know that it was because the Lu family had no adopted daughter.
But the Empress Dowager Zhang and Lu Heng have a delicate relationship. It is better to have less than one thing, and it would be better to let her continue to misunderstand. Lu Heng didn't explain, and continued: "Outside the Ciqing Palace are the staff of Nanzhen Fusi. If I'm not here, you can go to the door to find someone named Guo Tao, and tell him anything you want. There are still a few hidden piles around the Ciqing Palace. I am afraid that it will affect you, so I will not tell you which ones are. You only need to know that the code is the night owl, and if you hear birdsong , remember to pay attention to the length and height."
Lu Heng told her what the number of times and the length of the owls meant, and Wang Yanqing took it down seriously. The closer the air is to the east, the more dignified the air becomes. The palace maids and eunuchs lowered their heads and walked in a hurry, without the slightest smile on their faces. Lu Heng pointed to the palace complex covered with green glazed tiles in front, and said, "That's the East Palace."
Ciqing Palace is on Gongcheng East Road, and it should be the residence of the prince, but there are two empress dowagers in this dynasty, and it is impossible to treat any of them badly. Anyway, the emperor had no heirs, so he let Empress Dowager Zhang live in Ciqing Palace.
As soon as Wang Yanqing stepped into the gate of Ciqing Palace, he felt the atmosphere was depressed. When the servants of Ciqing Palace saw Lu Heng, they were not surprised at all, they bowed and saluted, "Lord Lu."
Lu Heng asked, "Where's the Queen Mother?"
"The Empress Dowager has just drank the medicine and is recuperating in the warm pavilion."
Lu Heng nodded and took Wang Yanqing to the warm pavilion. It is already spring, but Empress Dowager Zhang wears the Zhaojun condom on her forehead, her face is white with yellow, and there are heavy shadows under her eyelids, and her complexion is very poor. When she heard someone coming in, she just lifted her eyelids lightly and said listlessly: "It's you. You made such a big battle yesterday, and it was of no use in the end. Why are you here again today?"
Lu Heng didn't care about Empress Dowager Zhang's accusations at all. He saluted Empress Dowager Zhang and said with a good temper, "It's the minister who is not good at guarding. Please forgive the empress dowager. Tonight, the minister will guard outside the Ciqing Palace in person, and the empress dowager can rest assured."
Lu Heng respectfully observed the ceremony, but it seemed that Empress Dowager Zhang was making trouble unreasonably. Empress Dowager Zhang can't trust anyone in the palace now, Lu Heng was sent by the emperor, who knows what they are hiding.
Empress Dowager Zhang showed little interest, and said: "You eat the emperor's salary, and Aijia can't control you. What do you want to check? Go outside and don't stand in front of Aijia's eyes. It's annoying."
The only one who dares to scold Jin Yiwei for being upset is probably the Empress Dowager Zhang. Wang Yanqing sighed in his heart, Empress Dowager Zhang is so arrogant, no wonder the second brother has nothing to do. With such an attitude, how can we investigate the case
Lu Heng responded with a smile, with a very good attitude. Lu Heng didn't care about Empress Dowager Zhang's face, and turned to Wang Yanqing, who was born after her birth, and said, "I know that the Empress Dowager was frightened last night, and I came here to apologize today. This is a female lay priest whom I specially hired. She once led a practice in Qiyun Mountain when she was young. Learned from Zhang Tianshi, who knows the art of yin and yang. If she is with the queen mother, she will be able to dispel the evil and keep the queen mother sleeping."
Wang Yanqing has been very cautious since entering the palace, and kept her face down the whole time. Fortunately, she did not reveal the expression on her face.
Wang Yanqing was quite shocked in her heart. Didn't she agree to let her enter the palace in the name of the Lu family's guard, why did the second brother still play on the spot? Moreover, what Lu Heng said was so good that Wang Yanqing almost suspected that she had indeed been practicing Taoism in Qi Yunshan before she lost her memory.
Ever since Empress Dowager Zhang hit the ghost, she had already found a Taoist monk and asked for a peace amulet and a Buddha statue, but it was of no use. After hearing Lu Heng's words, Empress Dowager Zhang looked up at Wang Yanqing. After seeing Wang Yanqing's appearance and figure clearly, Empress Dowager Zhang couldn't help showing contempt.
What kind of ability can such a young half-baked person have, but it is better than nothing. Empress Dowager Zhang waved her hand and let Wang Yanqing stay.
Wang Yanqing stepped forward to salute the Empress Dowager Zhang. With her salute, she raised her eyes and swept across the top quickly.
The Empress Dowager Zhang sat on the red sandalwood lotus throne in the middle, leaning on the armrest as if exhausted, with her right hand in front of her brow bone, and a long armour on her fingers, covering most of her face. There was a woman standing behind Queen Mother Zhang. She was wearing a blue-purple collar, and her face should be around thirty-five, but she always had a straight face, looking more than ten years older than her age. There were also some palace maids standing around the throne. They were wearing ordinary palace dresses, their faces were pale, their eyes were panic, and they all bowed their heads.
Wang Yanqing just glanced at it and then withdrew his gaze, and stood back behind Lu Heng with low eyebrows. Empress Dowager Zhang had trouble eating and sleeping for several days, and she was very short-tempered. Lu Heng saw that Empress Dowager Zhang was impatient, so he sent Wang Yanqing to him, and he did not stay in front of Empress Dowager Zhang to make trouble, so he quickly retire.
Wang Yanqing sent Lu Heng out. She followed him all the way just now. Wang Yanqing didn't think there was any difference between the palace and the family. Now that Lu Heng was about to leave, she finally felt a little flustered. Lu Heng was not at ease. As he walked out, he whispered to Wang Yanqing: "I will be patrolling the palace tonight, although I can't come in to see you, but I am outside the wall. If you are in danger, call out and I will immediately Come in and find you."
Of course Wang Yanqing wanted Lu Heng to stay, but with Lu Heng's position, he didn't need to patrol in person. She hesitated a little, and whispered, "Second brother, you didn't rest much last night, and you're staying tonight, isn't it too hard?"
Lu Heng shook his head: "I'm fine. I don't worry about you alone in the palace, anyway, I won't be able to sleep when I leave the palace, so I might as well watch you in the palace. Empress Dowager Zhang has been frightened recently, so she shouldn't have the energy to trouble you. Wait for her to sleep. After that, you can ask anyone at will, mainly to ask about the relationship in the Ciqing Palace. If you ask anything, don't rush in, come out to find me first, and if I'm not there, go to Guo Tao."
Wang Yanqing knew that he should persuade the second brother to go back, but he was still no match for his selfishness, so he nodded in response. As long as he thought that Lu Heng was outside, Wang Yanqing immediately felt at ease. She stopped in front of the Ciqing Palace, smiled at Lu Heng, and said, "Second brother, I'm fine, go and do your business."
Seeing her standing at the door alone, Lu Heng really regretted it, he shouldn't have promised her yesterday. Lu Heng said, "There are many people in the palace, so go back first."
Wang Yanqing shook his head: "Now you are the commander and I am the guard. How can you let me go first? Second brother, you go, I will see you here."
When it was over, Lu Heng regretted it even more. He glanced at Wang Yanqing lightly, said nothing, turned and walked out. Wang Yanqing watched Lu Heng go away, and saw with his own eyes that he approached a group of Jinyi guards. The Jinyi guards were talking, but they immediately stood upright when they noticed that he was approaching. Lu Heng turned her back to Wang Yanqing, she couldn't see what Lu Heng said, but soon, Jin Yiwei separated and walked in different directions.
Only then did Wang Yanqing return to Ciqing Palace with confidence. After she turned around, Lu Heng, who was speaking with her back to Wang Yanqing, turned her face slightly, and his eyes fell silently to her direction.
Lu Heng looked back, and Guo Tao followed. He had noticed this woman for a long time. It was her who interrogated Zhao Huai last time. He didn't expect the commander to bring her again this time. Full of curiosity, Guo Tao quietly asked: "Commander, where did you recruit the female spy, why haven't you seen it before?"
Lu Heng looked back and glanced at him coolly: "Are you free?"
Guo Tao immediately became awe-inspiring, saluted and left. He didn't dare to leave, he ran away quickly.
Wang Yanqing found that she was like a child who went to school. Before her parents left, she cried all the time, but after her family left, she could actually handle everything.
Empress Dowager Zhang now only dares to sleep at ease during the day. When Wang Yanqing returned, Empress Dowager Zhang had already rested. Wang Yanqing didn't have to speak in front of Empress Zhang, no doubt greatly relieved. Others in Ciqing Palace knew that Wang Yanqing was a talented person invited by Lu Heng, so they did not dare to stop him and let Wang Yanqing go around.
Wang Yanqing did not rush to ask questions, but strolled in the palace first, and stepped forward to help when the maids were doing things. After a while, Wang Yanqing made everyone familiar. Empress Dowager Zhang rested inside, and the palace ladies quietly knelt outside to clean the windows. Wang Yanqing helped them carry water and twist the handkerchief, and asked, "Does this place have to be scrubbed every day?"
"Yeah." The palace maids originally avoided Wang Yanqing, but after getting along for a long time, they found that Wang Yanqing's attitude was kind and his speech was gentle and gentle, and they couldn't tell that it was sent by Master Lu. The guards of the palace ladies disintegrated before they knew it, and said, "Sooner or later, once in the evening, if you don't finish, the aunt will punish you."
Wang Yanqing sighed, "It's so hard."
The palace maid shook her head and said, "We're pretty good, the ones who wipe the floor are the most tiring. They have to wait for everyone to finish before scrubbing. If they move around a little, they'll be wasted. The steward is responsible and punished. Recently, there are unclean things in the palace, no one dares to go out at night, and no one wants to clean the floor."
The palace maid started talking, and Wang Yanqing asked, "What the hell is this, why is it so rampant?"
The palace maids were very taboo to talk about ghosts, but when they thought that Wang Yanqing was a man of Taoism, they dared to say: "It is said that it is a resentful spirit who died in the palace, because he was wronged and could not be reincarnated, so he is looking for a ghost in the palace. "
Wang Yanqing thought this statement was strange and asked, "How do you know it's a wronged soul?"
A round-faced palace maid seemed to want to say something, but when someone next to her pulled her clothes off, she swallowed what she wanted to say, and said, "Everyone in the palace said this. ?"
Wang Yanqing could see what these palace maids were hiding, she did not rush to ask, but said in a circle: "Really? I once learned the method of transcendence with my master. You describe in detail the appearance of the ghost, maybe I can recognize it. What the hell. If I help it do a ritual, it will be able to escape, and there will be no need to find a scapegoat."
Lu Heng helped her arrange her identity, and Wang Yanqing could only follow Lu Heng's words. The palace maids did not suspect him when they heard it, and they talked about the ghost. Wang Yanqing couldn't hear the key information at all, so he could only stop and ask one by one, "When did it first appear?"
"At the end of last month, the Empress Dowager was stunned."
"Apart from the Queen Mother, haven't you all seen it?"
The palace maid shook her head, and Wang Yanqing asked, "What about the palace maid who was on the night watch that day, didn't even see it?"
"No." The palace maid said, "Yuehuan was beaten for this. It's strange. She usually sleeps very lightly, but she fell asleep completely that night. The next day Lan Yu went to call her and shook it for a long time. , she just woke up."
Cui Yuehuan was the palace maid who kept the night watch when Empress Dowager Zhang met a ghost for the first time, while Lan Yu was the one who found Empress Dowager Zhang fainted the next day. Wang Yanqing listened thoughtfully, Cui Yuehuan fell asleep, and Lan Yu appeared the next day, that is to say, only the Queen Mother Zhang knew what happened that night.
Wang Yanqing thought of Empress Dowager Zhang's state, and if she didn't think the second brother couldn't ask, she could ask. Wang Yanqing gave up asking the parties, but asked sideways, "Where is Lan Yu?"
A palace maid got up to look for it, and after a while, Lan Yu came. Wang Yanqing asked, "On the twenty-ninth day, did you discover that the Queen Mother fainted?"
Lan Yu knew that the woman was sent by Jinyiwei Lord Lu, she tugged her fingers on the front of her clothes and nodded nervously. Wang Yanqing swept the motion of her finger without making a sound, and asked, "When did you find out the next day?"
Lan Yu thought for a while and said, "It should be Yin Shi. It was my turn to sweep the floor that day, and I got up early."
Wang Yanqing asked, "Since you are in charge of sweeping the floor, how do you know that the Empress Dowager has fainted?"
Lan Yu pointed to the other window and said, "The window was not closed that day. When I passed by, I found the window open. I thought that opening the window so early would not wake the queen mother from the cold? I thought it was strange, so I took a second look. , I happened to see the queen mother sleeping on the ground. I was startled and hurried in to call someone. "
Wang Yanqing recalled the layout of Empress Dowager Zhang's palace. From this angle, he could indeed see the ground. Wang Yanqing asked, "When you discovered the Queen Mother, was there anything around?"
Lan Yu thought for a while, then shook her head: "I didn't pay attention. I was shocked when I saw the Queen Mother fainted, and I hurriedly called someone to help the Queen Mother without paying attention to the surroundings."
When Lan Yu was talking, Wang Yanqing kept staring at her expression, and she didn't find any lie for the time being. Wang Yanqing looked at the window, and sure enough, there was no trace on it. The Ciqing Palace is cleaned twice a day. After so long, the evidence has long been cleaned up.
Wang Yanqing didn't get any valid information for the time being, so he had to ask about the second haunting: "What happened when the ghost appeared for the second time?"
Speaking of this, the palace maids know many people. One of the palace maids named Yu Wan said: "After the queen mother fell ill, let everyone stay in the dormitory as soon as it gets dark. It was too much to bear, so Aunt Qin suggested to the queen mother to divide the people into two groups, one group to watch the night, the other group to go back to sleep, and change shifts in the middle of the night. On the fifth day of the fifth day, it was our turn to stay in the middle of the night. I was still awake in front of me, and later I was so sleepy that I didn't know when I fell asleep. There was a cold wind in the room, and I was suddenly awake. I think it was almost time for a shift change, so I was waiting in the hall for another group of people to come. At that time, the queen mother I fell asleep with the others, and the palace was very quiet. Suddenly, I heard a cry outside. It sounded like it was about to die. Shake them awake quickly. The result..."
When Yu Wan said this, her eyes widened and she showed a terrified expression. Wang Yanqing asked, "What happened?"
Yu Wan swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and said with lingering fears: "As a result, as soon as I looked up, I saw a figure reflected on the window paper, with hair disheveled. I woke up. Fortunately, Aunt Qin was there at the time. Aunt Qin comforted the queen mother and told us not to make any noise, and even took a wooden stick to open the window. It is strange to say that the shadow of the female ghost was outside not long ago, but as soon as we opened the window , but nothing."
Wang Yanqing was silent. After thinking for a while, she asked, "What about the third time?"
"The third time was last night." Yu Wan said, "We were still vigilant as before. When it was about time, there was the cry of a female ghost outside, and this time the ghost was knocking on the door. It scared us to death. Then, Jin Yiwei came in. "
Wang Yanqing knew about these things, Jin Yiwei heard the palace maid scream and broke into the door immediately, but the yard was empty and nothing was found. Seeing Wang Yanqing's eyes lowered, the palace maids thought that Wang Yanqing had thought of a way to take the ghost, and asked, "Fairy Fairy, what can you do?"
Wang Yanqing thought to herself that she didn't even know what Qi Yunshan looked like, how could she know how to exorcise ghosts? It's all to blame for the second brother's nonsense, and even she has to follow suit.
But then again, why didn't you find out before that the second brother is so good at making up lies
The author says:
Lu Heng: Dangerous.