"See the holy driver?" Hua Chun raised his eyebrows.
"Because Nie Cairen would smoke expensive incense every time before seeing the holy driver." Hongtai said: "Other servants dare not say it, but once the incense is smoked, Nie Cairen will definitely go to see the emperor. There were also Someone came to her palace to inform her a few words, probably conveying the emperor's will, that's why Nie Cai was so excited to go out."
Unexpectedly, when I went out, I never came back.
"Didn't she bring any palace servants with her when she went out?"
"I brought it, but the palace man came back halfway, saying that he was taking the cloak for the empress. When she took the cloak back, she was nowhere to be found. It was only after two days that she saw it in the lotus pond."
A little creepy, Hua Chun couldn't help shivering: "Who did Nie Cai have a grudge with before his life?"
Hongtai hesitated for a moment.
Qing Niao said in a low voice: "If you know anything, you can say it boldly, our empress is the most favored in the palace now, she is not afraid of anyone, and can protect you."
"... I'm not sure if I have any grudges or not, but Concubine Hui and Lan Zhaoyi are the ones who associate with Nie Cairen the most." Hongtai whispered, "Before Nie Cairen was killed, he was with Lan Zhaoyi in the same room. We had dinner together."
"Why did I hear people say that Nie Cairen and Concubine Hui still have a festival?" Hua Chun raised his eyebrows.
Hong Tai whispered: "It's not a festival, but after Nie Cairen was favored, he didn't want to be at the mercy of Concubine Hui as before, so he pretended to be sick and avoided Concubine Hui's invitations a few times. After that, Concubine Hui didn't often Send people to Nie Cairen's palace."
With this bit of news, it is indeed impossible to prove that Concubine Hui has anything to do with Nie Cairen's death.
After thinking about it, Hua Chun suddenly felt something was wrong: "Wait, before Nie Cairen died, did he receive an invitation from His Majesty to go to the lotus pond?"
Hongtai nodded lightly: "It should be like this."
With dry laughs, Hua Chun turned his head and asked Qing Niao: "What did Rui Er say just now, where did the Emperor ask me to go?"
Qing Niao turned pale, paused for a while, and uttered three words: "Lotus Pond."
Good guy, do you want to attack her too? Hua Chun pursed her lips, waved her hand and said, "Hongtai, you go down first."
"Yes!" Finally able to leave, she ran faster than anyone else.
The room was quiet for an instant, the atmosphere was a bit heavy, after a while, Qing Niao said: "Maidservant, go and report to the emperor?"
"You let others go, you stay." Hua Chun said with a serious face.
"Is there anything else the master wants to discuss with the slave?" Qing Ling was curious.
Hua Chun shook his head: "I'm just a little scared."
Qing Ling: "..."
Go out and ask Rui'er to report, she turns around and comes back, holding Hua Chun's hand and sitting with her on the soft couch.
"We are all law-abiding and good citizens. Haven't there been any dead people around us?" Hua Chun asked.
Qing Ling nodded: "You haven't been in Dalian Hospital a few times since you were young."
"So I'm not being cowardly, it's a normal physiological reaction." She straightened her chest and said, "The legs are weak."
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Qing Niao said: "You still have the Emperor backing you up, what are you afraid of? Why don't you just take advantage of this time and use the trick to lure the snake out of the hole."
"Sounds amazing." Hua Chun nodded, "But I'm afraid of death."
Excited to use it as bait, what if something happens
"I understand." Qing Ling nodded: "So let's be more careful before going."
After all, we still have to go! Hua Chun pursed her lips and let out a long sigh. It's not easy being a concubine, knowing that there are tigers in the mountains, she prefers to go to the mountains of tigers.
After a while, Rui'er came back and reported: "The emperor said he knew, please rest assured to go, master."
"All right."
After taking two deep breaths, Hua Chun ate his dinner with a heavy heart, wiped his mouth gracefully, took the palace guards and cape, and set foot on the road to the lotus pond.
As the sun set, the surrounding chill surged up to wrap her around her. She walked with her, and asked Rui'er again worriedly: "Are you sure the emperor is ready?"
"The maidservant did not enter the Zichen Palace, but the emperor's servant came out to answer in person, saying that the emperor reassured the empress."
Sounds a bit mysterious? Hua Chun pursed her lips, and glanced at the five or six palace servants behind her, some of them were given to her by Yu Wenjie, and they knew martial arts.
Shouldn't be a big problem, right
Seeing that the lotus pond was approaching, Hua Chun was so excited that he stepped forward, but accidentally stepped on the ground and twisted his ankle severely.
"Aww!" Tears came out in pain, she looked down and saw that one of the square blue bricks on the ground was dented by her stepping on it.
It's strong enough...
"Master, are you alright?" Qing Ling frowned, and hurried up to support her.
"I twisted my foot." Hua Chun flattened his mouth, "It hurts so much."
Qing Ling lowered her head and was about to look at her ankles, but she heard a voice from the nearby rockery: "What's wrong?"
Hua Chun looked up, and saw Lan Zhaoyi coming out with frowns.
Reminiscent of Hongtai's words, when she saw this man, she felt chills on her back, and she must have a pitiful look on her face: "Lan Zhaoyi, I twisted my foot."
"Why are you so careless?" Lan Zhaoyi squatted down at her feet in concern, stretched out her hand to pinch her, and then looked at the large group of people behind her and said, "So many people followed, but they didn't help the master? "
Qingyou pursed her lips, looked at her twice, turned around and said: "What's the use of bringing so many people out? Who can afford to delay your empress' meeting with the emperor?"
A group of people behind were silent, Qing Niao then said: "You guys, go ahead and look for the emperor, and report, the rest of you go back and find someone else."
"Hua concubine is still just a concubine, where can someone sit on her seat?" Lan Zhaoyi said: "Not far from here is Xiyuan Palace, you might as well ask Empress Xi for a loan, she will definitely agree."
"That makes sense." Hua Chun waved his hand: "Go ahead, Liu Qingyou will serve you."
Hearing this, Qing Ling lowered her head and glanced at her, and suddenly felt that she could see a sense of heroism in her face, which was generous to die.
Anyway, there are hidden guards, as for being so cowardly
The palace people responded and went, and Lan Zhaoyi took a look at Hua Chun: "My concubine is really touched by her love for the emperor, her ankle is twisted, and she still wants to see your majesty."
"I want to see the emperor I like even on my knees." Hua Chun looked up at the sky melancholy: "Who knows how many more times we can meet in the future?"
Lan Zhaoyi was taken aback, stood up and supported her arm and said, "The concubine happens to be on the way, why don't I help you to meet the emperor?"
As she said that, she added: "Before meeting the emperor, the concubine will naturally retreat, and there will be no interruption."
"You are such a good person." Hua Chun was moved and said, "Thank you."
Lan Zhaoyi only brought one palace man with her, and the four of them walked to the lotus pond together, without speaking a word along the way.
Hua Chun couldn't figure it out, what did Lan Zhaoyi do here? There are so many people in the palace, and they all saw her with him. If she falls into the pool for no reason later, there should be many people who will testify that she is related to Lan Zhaoyi. Isn't she afraid of being implicated
"There's something in the corner of the empress's eyes..." As she approached the lotus pond, Lan Zhaoyi glanced at her, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her eyes with her hand: "Don't move."
Qingyou frowned, subconsciously trying to stop her, but Lan Zhaoyi really carefully wiped the dirt from the corners of Hua Chun's eyes, just twice.
Hua Chun blinked, reached out and rubbed: "Thank you."
"We've reached the place ahead. If we see the emperor, the concubine will have to salute." Lan Zhaoyi smiled and said, "Then I'll send you here, and the concubine will leave first."
This is gone? Hua Chun raised his eyebrows, nodded, and watched Lan Zhaoyi go along the way he came.
"What do you mean?" Qing Niao also couldn't understand: "There are no people, let's go to the lotus pond to play by ourselves?"
Hua Chun thought for a while, then glanced at the sparkling pool water in the distance: "In the past."
The emperor is naturally not here, and he is probably still discussing important matters with the group of ministers in Zichen Hall. Hua Chun walked around the pool, and tried it with a branch. The water in the pool is deep, and drowning is not a problem, but how did it fall, and it took two days for it to surface
"Is there any movement?" Hua Chun asked Qing Niao.
Qing Niao shook her head, looked around and saw no one. It's fine if the emperor doesn't come, but what does it mean that even a murderer doesn't come? Let them dove or what
"Could it be that I'm the only one who can do it?" Hua Chun pursed her lips, looked at Qing Niao and said, "Why don't you go back first?"
Qingyou raised her eyebrows: "Aren't you afraid?"
There are also hidden guards, Hua Chun gestured with his eyes.
Alright, Qing Niao nodded: "The servants are going to help the people who borrowed their shoulders, they don't have enough face, I'm afraid Concubine Xi won't agree."
"Yes." Hua Chun agreed.
The footsteps gradually faded away, and the surroundings became quiet, with the sound of insects from time to time.
She was so tightly packed in her heart that she knew that she was safe, but she was also afraid of the situation where she would jump out suddenly and give her a fright.
However, after squatting by the pool for a while, she actually felt sleepy, and the drowsiness was overwhelming. Before she could react, her whole body lost her balance and fell headlong by the pool.
A black shadow jumped out of the bushes quickly, and hurriedly tied up the unconscious Huachun, tied a stone with a slipknot, and pushed it into the pool.
"Wow-" A small splash of water splashed, and the two black figures breathed a sigh of relief, and were about to leave, when they turned their heads and saw eight dark guards silently surrounding them.
"ah!"
The thief was frightened to death by the thief, and before he had time to resist, eight hidden guards jumped up and held them down, and then Qing Ling, who was going back and forth, flew at the speed of the university's 100-meter swimming exam. Jumped into the lotus pond in the same way.
The water in the pool was muddy, and she fished anxiously for a long time before catching him up, and quickly put him on the shore for first aid.
"How did you pass out so well?" While pressing her chest and muttering, Qingyou was very anxious, guessing that she had almost vomited water, and hurriedly asked to carry her back to the imperial doctor.
The two murderers were caught, but they wanted to commit suicide but were controlled by the dark guard in a professional way. When the emperor received the news, he didn't care about Li Zhongtang's chatter, and went directly to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
"What's going on?" Yu Wenjie frowned, looking at the person on the bed whose hair was still dry, he took a handkerchief to wrap her around, and rubbed her.
Qing Niao asked the emperor curiously: "Has the emperor received a report from the Hall of Mental Cultivation before?"
"What is the report?" The emperor frowned: "I have been talking to Li Zhongtang in Zichen Hall, but no one has come in to report."
Rui'er next to her turned pale, and said hastily: "My maidservant went to Zichen Hall to report to him earlier, and the father-in-law next to the emperor came out and told this maidservant that you know about your empress going to the lotus pond, so let your empress rest assured."
With half of his face darkened, Yu Wenjie looked at Eunuch Qin who was next to him, and the latter bowed quickly: "My servant will investigate immediately."
The imperial doctor checked the pulse and said after a long while: "Your Majesty must have taken the drug by mistake, so she is unconscious, and there is nothing serious about her body."
Drugged
Qingyou frowned: "The servants have tried the dinner for the master. If the master has been drugged, it is impossible for the servants to be fine."
After listening for a long time, the emperor said to the imperial doctor: "Just prescribe some prescriptions to dispel the cold, and everyone else should go out."
"Yes." Everyone agreed and retreated one after another, only Qing Niao and Rui Er did not move.
"I just didn't come for a day, why did such a big thing happen?"
Yu Wenjie's face was so ugly that the two of them knelt down in fright.
Ruier said: "Your Majesty, the father-in-law of the Zichen Palace came to deliver a message to the servant girl today, saying that the emperor asked the empress to go to the lotus pond in Xushi. The servant conveyed it to the empress according to the original words. Later, the empress felt that something was wrong and asked the servant to ask again. It doesn't matter if the servant girl has gone, or the father-in-law, the empress can just go. So... Your Majesty, forgive me!"
Qing Niao frowned, looked up at the emperor, and glanced at Rui'er fearfully.
The emperor understood, and said in a deep voice, "You go out first."
"… yes."
After confirming that the person left and the door of the palace was closed, Qing Niao said: "The beginning of the matter is just like what Ruier said, but about the process, I have something to say."
After looking at her twice more, the emperor nodded: "You say."
"In the afternoon, Hongtai gave clues about Nie Cairen's death, saying that before she died, she received a message to go to Lotus Lake to see His Majesty. Du sent someone to Zichen Hall to confirm with the emperor, and then decided to use himself as bait to see if he could lure out the murderer."
"In the end, I met Lan Zhaoyi on the road. Although Lan Zhaoyi left after saying a few words, according to Hongtai, before Nie Cairen died, he also chatted with Lan Zhaoyi."
"The servant girl doesn't know why the master is unconscious, but this incident must have something to do with Lan Zhaoyi."
Reasonable and well-founded, the analysis is also reasonable, really worthy of the people around her.
Yu Wenjie nodded to show that he understood, then held Hua Chunban in his arms, dried her hair, and fed her two more antidote.
"The next time something like this happens, get my nod in front of you before you do it." He whispered: "Be careful in everything."
Qing Ling agreed, but she didn't get the emperor's order to get up, so she just kept kneeling, thinking that she should let her go when he noticed it later, right
As a result, the emperor remained silent for half an hour, as if he had forgotten that she was still kneeling.
Knee hurt, Qing Niao couldn't help but looked up, but saw Yu Wenjie frowned and stared at the person on the bed, motionless.
What are you doing, no matter how much you look at it, you can't wake people up! Qingyou pursed her lips, and said: "The murderer is still locked up in the side hall, anyway, the master can't wake up now, why don't the emperor go and have a look?"
When he came back to his senses, Yu Wenjie nodded, got up and walked out.
Qing Ling also took the opportunity to stand up and bowed her knees to send her off respectfully.
The two murderers were both eunuchs, this can be found out in one test. What's a little special is that these two eunuchs are good at martial arts.
"Whose palace are you from?" the emperor asked.
The two of them naturally refused to answer such a simple, rude and thoughtless question, but Yu Wenjie's next sentence was: "I remember that the palace people who will fight in the palace are all registered in the booklet, including who they have been with and which palace they are in." Served. Do you think it is difficult to check?"
As soon as their legs went limp, the two palace servants kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, spare me, the servants are served by Lan Zhaoyi Palace!"
Is it really Lan Zhaoyi? The emperor frowned. Has such a gentle woman been driven crazy by this harem