Golden branches and jade leaves

Chapter 18
Fengyi Palace.

"Qu Yiran is such an unbelievable thing, it wasted all my painstaking efforts to cultivate her." The queen sighed and sat back on the phoenix seat, and said with a bit of reluctance: "It just fell like this."

"That's right, Concubine Yun is so unwise, daring to murder the emperor's heir in this way is really a risky move." Yu Rui echoed from the side.

"Do you really think it was Concubine Yun who did it?" The queen rolled her eyes, "Even if she has such scheming and courage, she doesn't have such power. She is a poor girl, how can she order the earthquake?" Concubine Zheng Gui who was born as a noble daughter of the general family?"

"Ah? That's..." Yu Rui hesitated.

"Who did this thing, and what need to go through to search the palace and interrogate the inner eunuch," the queen held up a cup of tea, and said leisurely: "Just think about who in this palace can instruct Concubine Zheng to move? Is it clear?"

"Then, isn't there only..." Yu Rui covered her mouth, Concubine Ni!
"That's right, besides her, who else instigated Concubine Zheng? Zheng Peiyu's father works under Ni Yuan's command, so that bitch Ni Yelin must have done a good job. Concubine Yun is just a scapegoat." The queen sighed. : "Look at it, right now only Xianglin has a mouth and there is not enough evidence, but tomorrow, I'm afraid the 'witnesses' will come out one by one."

The queen threw down the teacup in her hand in a bit of distraught, and sighed: "Concubine Yun is probably doomed this time."

"However, without the help of Concubine Yun, how would you deal with Concubine Ni? I'm afraid..."

"If the old ones don't go away, how will the new ones come in?" The queen said with a sarcasm: "Isn't there a new one around Bengong immediately?"

"Your Majesty, you mean Concubine Su? But Concubine Su's miscarriage this time is really strange, and Imperial Physician He died again without justice..."

"He died 'unjustly', but it may not be 'not for nothing'." The queen laughed: "As long as you connect Ni Yelin's actions today, it is not difficult to figure out how He Ling died."

"You mean, Imperial Concubine Ni sent someone to kill Imperial Physician He?" Yu Rui asked hesitantly.

"That's right," the queen nodded and said, "She put musk into that girl Su Mi's anti-fetal medicine. As an imperial doctor, He Ling is not too bad at medical skills. Even if he doesn't know it for a while, he will definitely discover something after a long time. Su Mi died like this, it's all over...it's a pity..."

Yu Rui suddenly understood.If Su Mi died, the anti-fetal medicine would not have had time to take effect, and the fetus would be gone, and the matter would naturally be exposed, and it would be settled once and for all.I believe that He Ling may not find out in time, even if he finds something and doesn't have the guts to say anything, he will definitely not be so stupid as to offend Concubine Ni Gui for a dead person.But Su Mi woke up and had a miscarriage. Even if He Ling didn't find anything before, he probably will find out now. Once the emperor asks, under the dragon face, He Ling might reveal something that shouldn't be revealed , Naturally, he simply did nothing and kept on killing people.

"Furthermore, according to Wu's autopsy, He Ling's wound was clean and neat. It is definitely not at the level of ordinary robbers. The person who shot him must be a rare master," the queen said, "Su Mi is a little maid with no roots and no credentials. , What kind of power is there, of course only the Ni family can have such a quick response and outstanding masters to kill people."

What a pity for that child!Now she really needs a child so much, why is her stomach so unbearable, Ni Yelin has been pregnant once before, why didn't she have one?The queen thought with some regret.

"Then Concubine Yun, what is the empress going to do?" Yu Rui asked the queen for instructions, and now Concubine Yun is still locked in the backyard of their Fengyi Palace.

"What else can I do? Prepare a booklet for me." The queen said with a self-deprecating and sighing tone: "Of course I have to write a letter, demanding that the palace be cleaned up and the criminal law be strictly enforced."

"This time Xifu Palace has put in a lot of effort. Concubine Yun will definitely not escape this catastrophe. Alas, this palace will not be able to save her this time...Only Mingzhe can save her life."

Yurui went to get the booklet as she said.

The queen seemed to be sitting peacefully on the phoenix seat, but she didn't feel at ease in her heart. She began to recall today's events carefully. Could there be any mistakes?Can Concubine Su be supported like Concubine Yun?And what should I write next? ...

At this time, the sound of the watch from outside sounded, and it was already the third watch.

She suddenly realized that another lonely night had passed.

The queen put on her robe and stood up. The Fengyi Hall at night was extremely empty and lonely. She walked through the empty seats and stopped at the second seat from the left. This is the seat that Concubine Yun often sits in. .

The seating arrangement in the Fengyi Hall was not subdivided into grades, but while embodying the majesty and luxury of the royal family, it imitated the furnishings of ordinary people. There were two neat rows of ebony chairs and small tables inlaid with silver on both sides.Perhaps it is to reflect the harmony between wives and concubines in the six palaces and the deep love between sisters. Therefore, except that the queen's seat is fixed, there is no regulation which concubine must sit in which seat.

However, the concubines, who were used to the strict hierarchy of the harem, naturally formed fixed seats, arranged naturally according to the level of status and whether they were favored or not.Sometimes just by thinking about the changes in these positions, you can describe the vicissitudes of the harem in detail.

The queen looked up at the far, far back seats.Concubine Yun was an inconspicuous member of the crowd sitting there at the beginning, and within a short year, her position gradually approached her.The Queen's gaze moved forward slowly. She has been sitting in the seat in front of her for almost a year, right?It doesn't seem like a very long time.

Concubine Yun may have thought that she was going to sit down forever. The long-term success made her think that she could only move forward and not fall backward... Her eyes were unconsciously looking at the place in the center of the hall. Concubine Yun was still kneeling there begging.

When a person climbs up, if it is too smooth and easy, he will always think that it will be so smooth and easy in the future.They thought they wouldn't fall down, but they didn't know that the closer to the front seat, the more unstable they would be.

Therefore, no matter who, the seat will not last long, only the top seat, the phoenix seat that the queen pays attention to her, only that seat will never change.

Turning around and returning to her seat, she straightened her body and sat down.In fact, this seat looks gorgeous and shiny, but it is not comfortable to make.But there are so many women who miss and spend all their time thinking about this seat.she laughed

At this time, a chill came over her, and she tightened her coat tightly. This time the matter should be over like this, but there was another kind of uneasiness in her heart, and she couldn't tell what it was.

Maybe I'm too tired, by the way, there is no outsider in the palace right now, why does she still have to pose in such a dignified, solemn and well-mannered sitting posture?

For so long, maybe she has been used to this posture, even if there is no one, once she sits in this seat, she will naturally assume such a dignified and serious posture, as if she was born to be so suitable for this seat Cooperate.

She smiled bitterly. Such a posture was surprisingly tiring, and soon after sitting it made her back ache. How she wished she could be like Concubine Ni, reclining lazily on the soft cushion.

She tried to lean back in the chair and relax.

This time it's Concubine Yun, I don't know who it will be next time?
There is no one seat at this time, who knows which concubine will be sitting here tomorrow?
It's a new year soon, and a new draft is coming soon. I don't know what kind of people will come in and what kind of things will be brought in?

"Those assassins, why didn't they kill everyone?" She couldn't help but murmured softly, shaking her head distractedly, this cold day is really hard!

There was a knock at the door.

"Who will the emperor invite to bed tonight?" She asked suddenly.

"It's Concubine Su."Yu Rui, who just walked in with a booklet, froze for a moment, and replied.

"En." The Queen replied with a calm expression, her voice was surprisingly quiet and desolate, wafting through the empty hall.

At the end of the third year of Emperor Qicheng's Longhui, the first major case in the harem came to an end soon.

On the second day after the incident was revealed, an eunuch in Concubine Yun's palace insisted that Concubine Yun ordered him to secretly take a large bag of musk when he was getting something from the House of Internal Affairs, but he didn't know what it was for. But he did as he was told.The time also coincided exactly.

Another court lady also testified that Concubine Yun once ordered people to search for various medicinal materials in the anti-fetal medicine.

……

So this matter is completely settled.

Concubine Yun was detained in the Queen's Fengyi Palace. It is said that she cried and begged all day long, scolded Concubine Ni for secretly harming her, and said she wanted to see the emperor to resolve her grievances.

At this time, no one was in the mood to pay attention to her.Just waiting for His Majesty's final treatment of her, almost everyone can foresee what kind of results will be brought about by such an act of poisoning the emperor's heir.

Red tassels hang down from the bright yellow curtain, enveloped in a beautiful and charming scenery, and the air is filled with the smell of chrysanthemum incense.There are two purple and gold incense burners at the corner of the bed, exuding a gentle aura.

Outside the tent, arm-thick red dragon and phoenix candles mixed with agarwood powder burned until dawn. Looking out through the translucent crocodile gold tent, everything was reflected indistinctly. The exquisitely embroidered dragon and phoenix patterns on the tent followed The sound on the bed trembled slightly, and the dragon and phoenix flying with claws and claws seemed to come to life, vividly.

More leaking voices came in from time to time, and the inside and outside of the tent seemed to be two worlds.

In the middle of the night, after the lingering clouds and rain, Su Mi cuddled in Qi Long's embrace tenderly and infinitely.

"Concubine Yun really disappoints me." After a while of silence, Qi Long put his arms around Su Mi and said with a long sigh.

Su Mi said: "The concubine can actually understand her feelings. She has just endured the pain of bereavement, and it is inevitable that she will be overly sad and do some unreasonable things. I also ask the emperor to remember her infatuation, and the punishment should not be too severe. "

"She killed Mi'er, your child, but you pleaded for her," Qi Long wondered, "Don't you hate her?"

"It's not that the concubine doesn't blame her, but Concubine Yun entered the palace earlier than the concubine, and the concubine has always respected and envied her, and she has always served the emperor with great respect and thoughtfulness. Hard work." Su Mi said softly.

"Hmm..." Qi Taki remained silent.

Su Mi lowered her eyes, and sure enough, Qi Long still had some old feelings for Concubine Yun, that was enough, what he wanted was her love, not her life.

However, Concubine Yun is not necessarily better alive than dead. According to Concubine Ni's temperament of holding grudges, I'm afraid she will suffer a lot in the future.Su Mi secretly sighed.

"Your Majesty, a woman in a commoner family is worried about losing her husband's favor, not to mention in the harem of His Majesty Wan Cheng, the Emperor's love is more precious than anything else. Without His Majesty's favor, it is already The biggest punishment for her, this time, according to my concubine's opinion, it's better to give her a lighter sentence, downgrade and get a job title."

Qi Taki looked a little hesitant, "According to the previous rules of this dynasty, it should be..." He thought of Concubine Yun's gentle and considerate appearance before, and couldn't help hesitating. He really couldn't bear to let the woman who was so close suffer that punishment.

"Concubine Yun is also infatuated with the emperor. Although she did make a big mistake that cannot be forgiven lightly, but she lost her child first, and now she has lost His Majesty's favor. Such a severe punishment is enough." Su Mi looked up Qi Taki said every word.

"It's still Mi'er who is reasonable and magnanimous." Qi Taki pondered for a moment, nodded, and sighed.All he received in the past few days were papers demanding that Concubine Yun be severely punished to suspend the palace.Including the noble concubines headed by Ni Guifei, as well as the empress.

"The emperor's reputation is too high, and the concubine actually has resentment towards her, it's just because of those thugs, the concubine's child can't be saved, I'm afraid it's a lucky one, and it doesn't have a chance in this world." Su Mi said with a bit of sadness: " Although Concubine Yun is at fault, but the crime is unforgivable, and the situation is excusable."

"That child is indeed my loss. I lost him only to save my life. Even you almost..." Qi Long couldn't help tightening his grip on Su Mi's hand, and said with lingering fear: " When I think of the scene that day, I still can't help being shocked!"

"Your Majesty," Su Mi gently covered Qi Taki's mouth with his hand, "The Emperor's words are different, it should be because the Emperor saved Su Mi's life."

"Huh?" Qi Long grasped Su Mi's slender hand and asked, "I saved Mi'er's life? Why did Mi'er say that?"

"Your Majesty, don't forget how Mi'er survived. Didn't she escape the catastrophe and save her life because of the jasper pendant that blocked the assassin's deadly sword?" Su Mi looked at Qi Long with a solemn expression. He said: "There is nothing on this concubine that was not given by the emperor, including the jade pendant. Naturally, the emperor saved the life of this concubine."

Qi Taki was moved for a while, and sighed: "How lucky I am to be accompanied by Mi'er."

"There are countless beauties in the harem, and there are countless beauties who are better than Mi'er. Who doesn't want to be by His Majesty's side forever? It's not just Mi'er?" Su Mi hesitated and said.

"But no one is willing to go all out for me," Qi Taki said with a smile, "What I value most is your sincerity for me."

"However, all the sisters are always very respectful to the emperor, sharing all the worries and problems for the emperor. They have tried their best to make the emperor happy. Which one is not infatuated with the emperor and has no regrets." Su Mi was somewhat reluctant asked.

"How could I not know their 'love'?" Qi Taki snorted coldly, and said ironically, "It's not all for their families, begging me to reward this and promote that all day long! Only Mi'er has never done it for herself The consideration is all for my own sake. I don't know how much love is in the harem..."

"The concubine is not as selfless as the emperor said," Su Mi said with a smile: "It's not that the concubine doesn't want to seek an official position for his family. Since the emperor said so, how about the concubine asking for an official position for his family today?" She smiled coquettishly.

"Oh, who is it?" Hearing Su Mi's words, Qi Long became interested.

"Of course it's the concubine's husband," Su Mi raised her head and smiled mischievously.

"You narrow little thing," Qi Longchi paused for a moment to react, and laughed loudly. He hugged Su Mi, twisted her delicate little nose, and kissed her on the cheek again.

"Your Majesty, don't laugh. The concubine is not talking nonsense. The concubine's family is the emperor alone." Su Mi slightly pushed him away, with a bit of sweetness, and said solemnly: "The life and value of the concubine are all bestowed by your majesty." No one in the world can match His Majesty's kindness to Su Mi, Su Mi's life is of course His Majesty's."

Qi Long said with emotion: "If the people in the harem who only know how to beg for official titles from me can be as good as Mi Er by [-]%, I will be satisfied."

"Your Majesty..." Su Mi whispered softly, with infinite shyness.

Qi Taki couldn't help being moved, and put his arms around Su Mi's waist.

"Your Majesty...the court will be early tomorrow, how can..." Su Mi hurriedly stretched out her hands to put Qi Taki's chest in reproach.

"It's okay, didn't I say that I would definitely compensate Mi'er for being a few good children. How about starting now..."

For a time, the scenery is beautiful and the tent is warm in spring...

Xifu Palace.

"Fortunately this time, you were quick and put things away in time. Finally, this vixen stumbled." Ni Yelin smiled and stretched contentedly: "The other day, when I was pregnant and couldn't accept favors, I seduced the emperor. , she, Qu Yiran, probably didn't expect that today would happen."

"Your Majesty, this is what a slave should do." Xia Zhen said.

"It's just that what happened last time was too dangerous. Such an important conversation would be overheard by a little girl. Fortunately, I acted accordingly and took the opportunity to fall on Qu Yiran."

"Your Majesty is unparalleled in wit, and I admire you." Xia Zhengong said.Her compliment was sincere, this time Concubine Ni Gui's quick-witted move to get rid of the shell was indeed just right.

"By the way, is that girl solved yet?" Ni Yelin asked as she put down the brocade handkerchief in her hand.

"It has been resolved, and there is absolutely no flaw." Xia Zhen reported back.

"That's good," Ni Yelin nodded, and asked again: "Did you find out anything? I asked you to check it out, but what clues do you have?" The incident this time is too weird. Who sent me the medicine? Have you replaced it with musk?Ni Yelin couldn't let go of it all the time, so she asked Xia Zhen to secretly question Xianglin and the palace servants of Caiwei Palace.

"There is no clue," Xia Zhen shook his head and said, "That Xianglin didn't know anything about it. It seems that Zheng Guifei didn't tell anyone. She would know about it, and it was just a coincidence that she overheard it."

"There is no clue... Could it be Concubine Zheng, the medicine has only passed through her hands." Concubine Ni said doubtfully, "It seems that no one else has touched this medicine before."

As for the queen, she was ordered to take care of Su Mi's fetus, so naturally she wouldn't get burned like this.

"My servant also thinks so. I have questioned the people in Caiwei Hall, and Zheng Guifei seems to have a lot of complaints about Su Concubine. It is very difficult for her to be favored by her as a little maid, but she is still pregnant with a dragon fetus." It's jealousy." Xia Zhen said hesitantly.

"In this way, it should be Zheng Guipin. The red radish is a rare drug. I'm afraid she is worried that the effect of the drug is not enough, so she made a move." Ni Yelin said dubiously, but she still felt that this matter seemed to be a problem. Unspeakable strangeness.

"Forget it, let's put this matter aside for now." Anyway, I can't think of any clues based on speculation here, Ni Yelin resolutely put it aside first: "Today's facts are a lesson. It must not be repeated." She thought for a moment and asked, "Where are those people in Concubine Zheng's palace now?"

"The queen asked to check for a while, but she didn't find anything, so she put them all back."

"These people can't stay anymore. Ask Gao Shengnuo to send them to the Hard Labor Department. After a while, they will be dealt with in secret," Concubine Ni said in a cold voice with a gloomy look in her eyes: "In case I don't know which day, some troublesome court lady and eunuch will suddenly remember something and come to trouble me."

"Yes." Xia Zhen replied with his head bowed, this sentence ended the lives of more than a dozen people in Caiwei Hall.

Not long after Concubine Yun's crime of poisoning the emperor's heir was completely settled, Qi Long made a decree to deprive Concubine Yun of her title, demote her to the position of nobleman, and relegate her to the Jin Palace, making her face the wall to think about her past mistakes, practice self-reflection, and no longer be called to serve drive.For the crime of poisoning the emperor's heir, such a punishment is considered very light.

Then came the punishment of those involved in this matter, first of all the accomplice Zheng Guibi, because she was dead, she would definitely not be able to accept the crime, so her punishment was to be removed from the gold book and deprived of her title.Even the funeral was hastily buried in a random grave with the rituals of an ordinary court lady. Qi Taki originally wanted to hold his family accountable for not being strict with his daughters, but Ni Guifei tried to stop her: "Ordinary civil etiquette still pays attention to marrying and obeying your husband. , has nothing to do with her natal family, let alone in the palace. Since the concubines enter the palace, it is natural that the concubines and the queen empress who are in charge of the harem should teach the rules of etiquette and follow the rules. If the emperor pursues the crime of lax teaching, he should first punish the concubines Waiting for others, how can the crime of the imperial court be imposed on the general of the court..." In addition, the queen and Su Mi pleaded for him, so they were not pursued.

In Juhe Palace, it was found out that the palace people involved in this matter were punished and denounced numerous.As for the rest of the Caiwei Palace, on the night of the incident, the court lady Xianglin who testified committed suicide in fear of crime, and the rest of the people found out that they had nothing to do with the incident, but they were not implicated.This matter is completely over.

After the matter was over, Mi Qing asked Su Mi during a chat: "Your Majesty's scheming is good, but this matter did not hurt Concubine Ni, but Concubine Yun."

"Is this not enough? Without Concubine Yun, who else in this palace can stand shoulder to shoulder with me in the future?" Su Mi plucked off a branch of golden pistil and white plum, gently stroked the half-bloomed flowers on the branch, and said leisurely.

Mi Qing suddenly realized that Concubine Yun fell out of favor, Qi Yan was pregnant, and in the future, who else could compare with Su Mi in the love in front of Qi Long.

"Could it be that the empress planned to..."

"I'm not a god, so everything can be as I expected. This design is mainly to relieve the queen's suspicion. After all, if I turn against her again now, I'm afraid it will be difficult to move even a step in this palace. It is." Su Mi smiled wryly.The miscalculation of blocking the sword last time really taught her a lesson, and made her fully understand the truth of "people plan things, but heaven makes things happen".No matter how careful the calculations are and how meticulous the planning is, there are inevitable variables such as accidents.

"As for the rest, it's just an additional effect, and it's just a matter of adapting to the situation. Even if that girl Xianglin dares to say the name of Xifu Palace, according to Concubine Ni's influence, this matter can't shake her at all. After all, there is no evidence, and Zheng Your concubine is dead, and the testimony of a girl can't explain anything."

"I don't have a deep foundation in the palace right now. Without the support of the queen, I can't confront her head-on." Su Mi sighed.

Miqing patted her chest, and said with lingering fear, "That said, fortunately, that Xianglin is not worth relying on, dare not tell the truth, it would be better to bring down Concubine Yun like this."

"But what if Xianglin is brave enough to name Concubine Ni?" Mi Qing couldn't help but asked again.

"That's not bad. Although Concubine Ni is deeply entrenched, it's hard to shake her position just because of this incident, but murdering the emperor's heir is a big crime after all. In addition, the death of Imperial Doctor He is unknown. The queen will inevitably think that it was Concubine Ni's conspiracy As long as I make a little provocation, the emperor will naturally have a grudge against her. It can be regarded as harming her." Su Mi lightly lifted the white plum in her hand, and the plum blossom branch fell into the snow, half submerged.

"Anyway, no matter whether it succeeds or not, whichever one is harmed, I can only gain more sympathy and love from the emperor." Su Mi smiled charmingly.

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A long time after the incident, Su Mi suddenly asked where the eunuchs who were originally serving in the Caiwei Palace were assigned to.

Xiao Luzi came back after inquiring, and replied: "They have all been assigned to the Department of Hard Labor, and most of them are dead now."

At that time, Su Mi was silent for a while, then asked again, "Who decided to send these people away?"

"I heard that it is the meaning of Chief Gao Shengnuo, who said that these people have served sinners, and they can no longer be kept to serve nobles, so as not to spoil the atmosphere in the palace." Xiao Luzi said.

The sinner naturally refers to Zheng Guibi.However, the order of the Emperor and Empress clearly stated that none of the courtiers in Caiwei Palace knew about Zheng Guifei's incident, so no one was guilty except Xianglin.

Is Gao Shengnuo a person with so many things?Su Mi couldn't help hesitating, Gao Shengnuo could achieve the position of head of the Qianqing Palace, and he was smooth and thoughtful in handling things, and was airtight.He has lived in the court for a long time, and he will never add crimes to others for no reason for such a trivial matter, and do such things that harm others and benefit himself.

Why do you want to kill those people in Caiwei Hall?Who is it good for?
It was Concubine Ni, only she was afraid that someone would leak the secret, so she simply silenced them all!
She couldn't help standing up, Gao Shengnuo was from the Ni family? !
Su Mi thought blankly, this was the first time she realized that the power of the Ni family might not be as simple as she imagined...

(End of this chapter)