The Sanqing Temple is a place of meditation, the houses are plain in color, and the clothes worn by the Taoists are mainly gray, with no other colors. The sun is shining brightly in the west, casting a bright color on the plain furnishings.
Grand Concubine Zhang looked up at the height of the sun, and a sense of joy and relief rose in her heart because it was soon time for dinner, and the day had finally come to an end.
Perhaps, there are still many people in the world who do not have enough food to eat or warm clothes to wear, and have to work hard for a living, which is naturally very difficult; but they can at least have some hope, and there are close people who understand their hardships.
Others, who have no worries about food and clothing, still have a hard time. Because after having enough food and clothing, there is no fun, no hope, no meaning. They cannot go anywhere else, cannot do what they want to do, and are bored day after day. At this time, time is almost stagnant; the only thing that changes is the gradual aging of age.
Zhang sighed softly, picked up the brush and dipped it slowly in the inkstone.
Every movement she made was very slow and serious, as if she was doing something extremely important, so she was very careful with every detail. After all, the whole day was so long and there were only so many things to do. If you slow down your habits, time will seem to go faster.
Zhang turned a page of Chen Tuan's book "Fetal Breathing Technique" on the left, and thought: If I copy one more page, I should be able to have dinner.
She does not believe in Taoism, but is trying to copy some Taoist works so that she can become a true believer someday.
At this moment, Wang Shang Gong hurried in. It was rare to see someone move so quickly, and Zhang looked at her in surprise.
Wang Shanggong came up to her and said:
What's wrong? Zhang frowned and said, "Why don't you tell me what happened first."
Wang Shang Gong bowed her head and whispered: I heard two women gossiping at a corner outside the Sanqing Hall. They said that the Grand Concubine had used her body to seduce the current emperor.
When Zhang heard this, her face suddenly turned red, then pale, and she felt ashamed and angry. It was as uncomfortable as being stripped naked on the street. Wang Shanggong was stunned. She might think Zhang's reaction was too big. People only care about themselves when it concerns them.
Wang Shang Gong also looked angry: Those gossipers, they can't say a single clean word. I remember that time when the queen's clothes were stained by sesame oil. It was because she went to get tea leaves from the shelf and accidentally knocked the sesame oil jar down; but when it came to other people's mouths, they said such a terrible thing.
Zhang said coldly: What else are they saying
Wang Shang Gong said: "It is said that the Concubine Tai deliberately wore very thin clothes. When the scented oil was poured on her body, the clothes were tightly attached to her body. Everything was seen by the Emperor, even the cherry-like things were clearly visible."
Wang Shanggong, with a united attitude, scolded those gossipers from head to toe.
Zhang's chest was heaving, and she was so angry that she almost vomited blood. She bit her lips with her teeth, and almost couldn't breathe smoothly. After a while, she sighed and said coldly: The matter of the sesame oil was really an accident, but how could even two women standing in the corner know about it
Wang Shanggong was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: That's right, it must be that little hoof
The servant Zhang who stole the things frowned.
Wang Shanggong said: Who else but her
Zhang was so angry that she finally calmed down and thought for a while. She said: I spared her because she was young and couldn't do it. I didn't expect that she didn't understand the kindness and was so ungrateful.
Wang Shang Gong sighed and said: "I am a mouthful and said something I shouldn't have said. Your Majesty is too kind, which is not a good thing; the truth is that a little kindness will be repaid with a little hatred. People in the world bully the weak and fear the evil. If they offended the Majesty Li, they would definitely be retaliated; but if they bullied you, they would think you would not do anything, so of course they would not be afraid."
After hearing this, Zhang said angrily: That makes sense.
Wang Shanggong said: Your Majesty, what should we do
What should Zhang do? She pondered over it. Even if she heard someone say something bad about her, it was none of her business. What could she do? Should she take her shameful deeds out and make a scene to seek justice
The more she thought about it, the colder she felt. What was her identity, and what was the seniority of the Lord? This matter was simply intolerable and too scandalous. The key was whether it was according to the rumors or she was actively trying to seduce the Lord.
If this matter is not handled well, it is hard to say whether she can continue to survive in the palace. It depends on what means Li uses.
Feeling both ashamed and angry, Zhang gradually felt a sense of fear rising in her heart.
The little servant went to Wanfu Palace first. Zhang frowned and pondered. Was this Li's conspiracy behind the scenes? She wanted me to die.
Wang Shang Gong hurriedly nodded and said: "Don't say anything nonsense, it must be Concubine Li who is spreading rumors."
Zhang pressed her fingers hard on her temples: What methods will Li use
The two talked for a while, and the sun had already set. The nun from the Sanqing Temple brought in dinner, but Zhang still had no appetite. She had been trying to figure out Li's conspiracy. What was Li's intention in spreading the rumor? What would he do next
After thinking about it all night, Zhang still couldn't figure it out. Mainly, this matter had just begun, and she really had no idea what the other party would do.
It was late at night and she went to bed. Because she wanted to sleep, she left only a bean-sized oil lamp in the bedroom so that the room would not be so dark that she could not see anything.
However, Zhang couldn't fall asleep at all. She tossed and turned in bed countless times, feeling uneasy.
The incident with the sesame oil was not something she had planned on purpose, and she had not yet reached the point where she would completely disregard her dignity; it was just that she was nervous at the time and was a little clumsy, so something went wrong.
As a result, not only did her secret become known to others, but she was also criticized in such unpleasant ways that Zhang felt not only ashamed, angry, and afraid, but she also felt extremely aggrieved.
She turned over again, facing the outside, just in front of the solitary oil lamp. The bedroom was very quiet. She stared at the light blankly, thinking: If I really did something and was exposed, the consequences would be bad, at least I would have some ideas; I didn't do anything, but I was tortured to death.
Zhang recalled the embarrassing moment and found it difficult to face the fact that she wished it had not happened.
However, the scene of meeting Guo Shaoshi for the second time was unforgettable.
The feeling was very subtle. I didn't think about it too much at the time, but later I thought about it: something embarrassing and rude had already happened before, and he came to see me again after today; he at least had a good impression of me, otherwise he would have avoided me as much as possible. Why would he come to visit me on his own initiative, and his tone and expression were still so nice
No one wants to be disliked and hated. When Zhang thought of this, she felt a little warm.
She recalled the time when Guo Shao entered the room, his tall and strong figure almost touching the door, and she always thought to herself that it would be better not to bump into him. Such a person, who was in power, cared about her and made her feel at ease, as if she didn't have to worry about anything, and felt protected and loved by someone.
Zhang turned over again without saying a word, her cheeks feeling hot.
But these thoughts must not be seen in public, as they were too serious. Thinking of the serious consequences, Zhang was once again shrouded in worry and fear, tossing and turning, thinking about everything that might happen. After so many years in the palace, Zhang knew Li relatively well. Li was very scheming and not so easy to deal with.