Chapter 210: Falsehood as Reality
Midsummer came quietly, and the red walls and yellow tiles of the imperial palace were dotted with lush green. It should have been hot in the hot summer, but in the spring-like climate of southern Xinjiang all year round, all the heat waves were blown away like a gentle breeze, the water waves were flattened without ripples, and it was quiet and cool.
The old eunuch flicked her dust whisk, put it on the crook of her arm, straightened her back and walked towards Huilinyuan.
More than a hundred people who participated in the selection lived in Huilinyuan, and they were now lined up in the spacious courtyard to listen to their aunt's lecture.
As soon as he arrived, the sharp-eyed eunuch standing nearby hurried over to greet him, bowing and saying attentively, "Eunuch Zhou is here. Did His Majesty send you to inspect the situation?"
The old eunuch, also known as Eunuch Zhou, uttered a "hmm" in a neither light nor light tone, with great dignity.
It must be said that Eunuch Zhou has always been a favorite of His Majesty. Not only does he hold a high position and great power, but his treatment is also good, making all the servants envious. However, since the Queen had an accident, His Majesty has ignored him.
Although Eunuch Zhou seemed to be in a good position on the surface, without the support of the King of Southern Xinjiang, only he himself knew that he was not only in name only, but even his salary had become meager, so he had to take on some private work to make enough money.
Normally the old man was quite kind and caring towards the group of young eunuchs and palace maids under him. After all, they all worked together in the palace, and they all knew some of the horrors of the Southern Xinjiang royal family. They felt a sense of sympathy for each other. These young eunuchs would also cover for each other in private. In a word, Southern Xinjiang was rotten from the inside out.
The pretty palace maids listened to their aunt talking about the details of the competition. The aunt also noticed that Eunuch Zhou had come. Just as she was about to stop talking, he raised his hand to stop her: "Go on, I just came to see how these girls are preparing."
No one could guess what the King of Southern Xinjiang was going to do, but they just had to follow their master's orders.
As he moved through the ranks of the team, eyes were slowly scanning him.
These palace maids already had a hard life. They were all selected from the common people and were locked up in the palace, separated from their loved ones and unable to see them. Not only did they suffer in fear all day long, but they also missed their loved ones too much, making them look a little haggard. They were all petite in stature, and there were only two of them who looked similar to Tagalong and Junlin at first glance.
The old eunuch's mind moved, and his eyes fell on the two people. One was slightly plump and round, and the other was thin and slender. His eyes flashed, and he asked the aunt: "Is everyone here? Is there anyone who hasn't come?"
My aunt quickly replied, "My dear father-in-law, they are all here."
Hearing this, the old lady laughed so hard that even wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes.
There is only one person who meets the conditions mentioned by Lord Shen, and I'm afraid it is this girl.
He didn't show any emotion on his face, but he admonished and taught: "Girls, you must work hard. Everyone knows that the Queen is the most beloved one of His Majesty. If you serve her well, you will surely be successful."
His footsteps moved back and forth among the queue, and he held the square stack of sealed letters in his palm.
"If any of you become popular with His Majesty, I will need to rely on you even more."
The old eunuch was usually very popular in the palace, and when she made this joke, a few girls couldn't help but lowered their heads and curled their lips to laugh silently.
He walked up to the target person, brushed off the dust to cover his movements, and quietly stuffed the letter into the woman's hands.
The tall woman was stunned, knowing that this matter could not be made public, she just lowered her eyes and pursed her lips without saying anything.
"This girl is tall, not bad."
The old lady praised with satisfaction and continued to walk in front of the others. Auntie smiled and said, "They are the only two who are taller and have outstanding martial arts skills. I guess one of them is the leader."
The other is the voluptuous palace maid.
The old eunuch observed for a while and then left. After listening to the instructions given by their aunt, the girls returned to their rooms to recuperate.
The tall woman ran to a deserted area on the pretext of having to go to the toilet and carefully opened the letter. Her eyes moved as she scanned the black words on the white paper. Suddenly, a hint of surprise appeared on her always cold and paralyzed face.
[There will be someone to take your place after the selection. You can leave the palace with your family and start a new life here. I will prepare money and a safe place for you. If you are willing, please come to the rockery in front of Liaoyun Pavilion at midnight to meet me.]
The woman clutched the letter tightly, her trembling fingertips wrinkling the pages.
She wanted to escape but had no chance. She was like a crane standing out among a flock of chickens, standing stupidly among the palace maids, with a paralyzed face and a straightforward and unpleasant personality, so she was pushed out by them to participate in this selection.
If there really is a chance to escape, then why should I hesitate?
Although the surprise came too suddenly, like pie in the sky, but considering that she could ask Eunuch Zhou to deliver it personally, she couldn't help but want to take the risk and give it a try. At least she could be sure that this man was not a prankster. It would be a waste to put so much effort into an inconspicuous palace maid.
As night fell, she quietly lifted the quilt and stood up, looked around at her sleeping companions, carefully opened the door and decided to go to the appointment.
Although the movement was subtle, it still woke up the tall woman sleeping next to her. She was half asleep and muttered, "Chunhua, where are you going?"
Chunhua whispered: "Get up to go to the bathroom."
The other person uttered an "oh", and soon the sound became quiet and he fell asleep again. Chunhua had already broken out in a cold sweat on her forehead, and she walked out with gritted teeth.
Liaoyun Pavilion has been abandoned for a long time and is covered with dust. It is a remote place and there are not many people here during the day, let alone at night.
At this moment, she came to the rockery and looked around anxiously, her heart so nervous that it seemed like it would burst out of her chest.
"girl."
The night was dancing, his clothes were fluttering, and a young man with clear eyebrows and eyes floated down from the roof like a white crane, with an elegant demeanor and a handsome appearance that was unparalleled.
Chunhua was startled, but there was still no change on her face.
"You agree, don't you?"
"Uh-huh!"
"That's rude."
Before she could come to her senses, Shen Sinian had already stretched out his arms and held her in his arms, using his lightness skills. Although the corners of his cold eyes were tinged with chilliness, they were unexpectedly touching.
"Please don't make any noise. I'll take you out of the palace first."
The shock in Chunhua's eyes had not yet subsided before it was replaced by a layer of joy of soon gaining freedom.
She clenched her teeth tightly and tried hard to suppress the joy in her body. She raised her eyelashes and looked at the palace where she was imprisoned, with a look of sorrow and relief.
Shen Sinian had obviously planned a safe route long ago. He easily avoided the local soldiers on patrol at night and brought people to an abandoned temple not far from the imperial palace, where Jun Lin, Yan Yu and others were waiting.
They didn't know whether the old eunuch could find the person, nor did they know how many days would pass even if they did. Therefore, Shen Sinian waited in Liaoyun Pavilion at midnight every night, and Jun Lin also rushed to the temple from their side courtyard which was some distance away from the imperial palace to wait for support.
Fortunately, the person came.
Chunhua looked at the group of heavenly men who suddenly appeared, and her brain went blank again.
Jun Lin took out the human skin mask and began to imitate Chunhua's facial features in detail, saying, "Tell me all your information and preferences. The more detailed the better."
Yanyu has already picked up the pen and is ready to write down the key words.