Seeing that night was falling, Yuwen Lan stepped into Ganlu Palace, but saw Yan Shu writing furiously at the table.
She was so focused that she didn't even notice him entering the palace.
It was Ren Dong who reminded him, "Master, His Majesty is here."
Yan Shu looked up and saw him. She stood up from the table and saluted, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
She glanced out the window and asked in surprise, "What time is it?"
"It's 11:00," Yu Wenlan answered her, and was a little surprised, "You forgot the time while writing the storybook?"
Yan Shu nodded and said, "I wanted to finish it quickly, so I didn't pay attention for a while."
"Oh?"
Yu Wenlan became curious again, "What kind of story is this time?"
It was already the end, so Yan Shu cleared her throat and said to her, "Today, I am writing a story about ungratefulness and retribution in the end."
Yu Wenlan was already sitting aside, With an attentive look, "Tell me about it."
Yan Shu continued, "Many years ago, there was a scholar. Because of his poor family background, he had to save money and live frugally since he was young. His life was not satisfactory, so he was determined to study hard and make a name for himself in the future."
"This scholar was indeed quite talented. He passed the county and provincial examinations and was about to go to Beijing to take the spring examination. On his way to Beijing, he met another candidate. This candidate came from a wealthy family, acted generously, and liked to make friends. Hearing that the scholar was quite talented, he traveled with him, not only treated him to meals, but also took boats and cars with him, helped him pay for his travel expenses, and took good care of him."
"But this scholar was narrow-minded and jealous. He took advantage of the situation and stole the person's gift and ran away."
Hmm?
Yuwen Lan couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. "What happened next?"
To be honest, he still hadn't figured out the identity of this person until now. He couldn't help but wonder if this was just a fictional story.
But according to common sense, this kind of person who repays kindness with enmity should not have a good ending, right?
But she said, "Later, unexpectedly, this scholar actually passed the imperial examination, while the one he stole from unfortunately failed."
Yuwen Lan hissed, "His companion didn't report him for stealing?"
Yan Shu looked at him as if he was a nobody, "This scholar actually planned to steal people's money a long time ago, so he gave the other party a fake name at the beginning. Even if the other party wanted to report him, they couldn't find him at all, and they didn't even know that he passed the imperial examination."
Yuwen Lan frowned, "How could this person be so scheming? What happened later?"
Yan Shu said, "Later, this person successfully entered the official career, while the companion returned home in frustration. When he took the exam again, this person used his identity to secretly do bad things to him, causing him to fail many times, while this scholar climbed higher and higher, and later became an important official in the court."
An important official in the court?
Yuwen Lan was stunned. Could it be that it was not fiction?
The other party was actually an official in the court?
Who was so cruel that he didn't even know?
It was not easy to ask directly, so he asked, "What happened later?"
She said, "Later, the companion failed in the exams many times and finally became discouraged. He simply changed his career to business. However, because he was open-minded and liked to make friends, his business was pretty good."
"Because this scholar was scheming and good at intrigue, his official career was very smooth at the beginning, but later, he began to seek flowers and ask willows, and finally died of syphilis."
Yuwen Lan, "..."
Well, this ending...
he knew who it was.
However, he still didn't understand why she wrote such a story for Xie Pei?
Could it be that this was also Xie Pei's previous experience?
He tried to say, "I listen, this man is somewhat similar to the promiscuous businessman the other day."
Yan Shu nodded, "Indeed, they are somewhat similar. Your Majesty can understand it as the second life of that businessman. Anyway, they both love promiscuous people."
[No doubt it's him, your Southwest Tongzheng Shi Xie Pei! The most ruthless person in history!!!]
Yuwen Lan, "..."
It's really Xie Pei.
This man actually did such a bad thing when he was young?
He thought about it, and said, "It seems that this man really has a bad character. This time the ending is even more cruel than the last time."
Yan Shu snorted, "Bad people must be punished, otherwise wouldn't everyone in the world do bad things? Anyway, no matter what the reality is, the bad people in my story must get the end they deserve."
[Humph, if I want to wrongly accuse him, I will stop writing! How dare you go and file a complaint? Now let him know the consequences of fighting with me!】
Yuwen Lan, "..."
Okay, he said, why did she write Xie Pei to death again for no reason?
It turned out that she knew what happened in the court this morning.
He nodded and said, "This story is very good. I think it should be spread all over the world to make people understand that evil will be punished."
Yan Shu's eyes lit up and nodded quickly, "That's what I think. Why don't you ask Your Majesty to take it to Academician Zou tomorrow morning and ask the bookseller to hurry out."
Yuwen Lan raised his eyebrows, "Why tomorrow morning? Just ask someone to send it now."
Then he ordered Fu Hai, "Find someone to deliver Yipin's manuscript to the residence of Academician Hanlin."
Fu Hai agreed and went out to find the guards.
Yan Shu, "???"
Why is this person more anxious than her?
But he looked at her again and said, "By the way, have you finished writing?"
Yan Shu came back to her senses and said hurriedly, "There are still two sentences to go."
Then she hurried to the table and wrote the ending with a few strokes.
That's right, revenge should be taken as soon as possible.
Ignoring other things for now, when Fu Hai found the guards, she handed over the paper that had just dried the ink.
Tsk, now I just have to wait for the reaction of that ruthless Southwestern Tongzhengshi.
I'm quite looking forward to it.
Yuwen Lan, "..."
Is this... addicted to quarreling?
~~
A night passed.
The next morning, Yan Shu was enjoying her breakfast leisurely when she heard a message from the system.
[Your new storybook has been printed overnight by the bookseller. As soon as the bookstore opened this morning, hundreds of copies were sold.]
Hundreds of copies?
Yan Shu's eyes lit up, [So my storybook is already so popular?]
Hundreds of copies were sold this morning. How much money can I get from this wave?
System, [Hey, is the focus now on money?]
Yan Shu, [... That's right, have you seen that shitty Southwest Tongzheng History?]
System, [This person just asked the driver to buy a copy on his way home from court, and is now hiding at home reading it.]
Tsk tsk, Yan Shu really wanted to know what this person's expression was.
Especially when he saw that he died of syphilis.
She took a bite of the beef steamed bun and told the system, "Remember to broadcast to me what he looks like after he finishes reading."
The system replied, "OK."
Yan Shu then began to enjoy the delicious food.
Well, the beef filling is so juicy, and the steamed bun is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It's so delicious!
Just as she was about to finish eating a beef steamed bun, the system finally sent another message, "Yes, that person has finished reading it, and was so angry that he threw the book into the charcoal stove and burned it. He was also furious and said he would find a way to catch you."
Yan Shu raised her eyebrows, "He actually plans to catch me? It seems that he won't cry until he sees the coffin."
Well, after she drinks another bowl of pumpkin porridge, she will write in detail about how this person fought with fireworks girls everywhere.
Oh, by the way, the word "battle" cannot be used yet.
With his little skill, it can be described as "fighting in seconds".
So, after she had a full stomach, she was ready to start.
But just as she picked up the pen, she heard the system ding, [The emperor just issued two edicts. ]
Yan Shu, [Edict? Doesn't the emperor issue edicts every day? What's special? ]
System, [One is to strictly prohibit officials from patronizing places with fireworks; the second is to strictly investigate the lifestyle of court officials. Anyone who has been involved in crimes such as theft, robbery, and detention, no matter when it happened, will be dismissed from office and severely held accountable. ] [
Try it, think about it carefully. ]
"..."
Yan Shu, [Emmm, this edict could have been inspired by my storybook? ]
Otherwise, how could it be so clever and so targeted?
However, she was also a little worried about the emperor. After all, according to what she had heard, the ministers in the court, especially the older ones, were basically not clean.
Once this edict comes down, he will probably lose a lot of people.
System, [Do you think the emperor is stupid? Those older ones are either the people of the previous emperor or the empress dowager. Wouldn’t it be better for the emperor to take advantage of this opportunity to remove them one by one and replace them with his own people?]
So that's how it is.
Yan Shu suddenly realized.
Tsk, the emperor is smart and capable, and he looks good. It would be great if he didn't have that problem.
But no matter what, she doesn't have to write about "second battles" anymore. She can just wait and see.
Tsk, tsk, these two edicts are so targeted. I wonder if that Tongzhengshi is scared to death?
~~
Qianming Palace.
In addition to the two imperial edicts, Yuwen Lan also ordered to increase the number of staff in the Censorate and ordered the Ministry of Personnel to reform the official inspection system in order to increase supervision of the court and thoroughly rectify the atmosphere.
So he spent the whole day busy.
As dusk fell, the lights in the palace were already on.
Fu Hai stepped forward and said to the king who was still reading the memorials, "Your Majesty, it's time to serve the meal."
Yuwen Lan hummed, but asked, "What has Concubine Yi been doing today?"
Fu Bao hurriedly stepped forward to answer, "Your Majesty, Concubine Yi has been in Ganlu Palace today. She asked the kitchen to send a lot of snacks such as melon seeds and candied fruit. She seems to be in a good mood."
In a good mood?
Yuwen Lan raised his eyebrows.
Could it be because Xie Pei was scared after reading her new storybook?
He simply said, "Put the food in Ganlu Hall, I'll go and have it."
Fu Hai hurriedly agreed.
~~~
In Ganlu Hall, Yan Shu had been eating melons for most of the day, and when she was about to eat, she saw Fu Hai coming.
A long line of palace maids followed behind him, holding various bowls, plates and food boxes in their hands.
Fu Hai smiled and said, "Your Majesty will have dinner here tonight, please wait for a moment, Your Majesty."
Huh?
Yan Shu's eyes lit up immediately. There was another food to eat?
She hurriedly said yes, and went to the side to wait for the palace maids to put the food.
After a while, various dishes were placed on the table like flowers.
Yan Shu scanned the menu and saw braised pork loin with melon, spicy tripe strips, fish fillet in milk sauce, duck feet with flower mushrooms, as well as eight-treasure chicken, salt and pepper golden wings, dorado fan, pepper fish soup, and three snacks: golden crispy sparrow, double-colored bean cake, and Ruyi roll.
This was actually a menu that had been simplified a while ago. The ingredients were more down-to-earth than the previous sea cucumber, abalone, deer tendon, and sparrow tongue, but the chef Yu was very skilled and made the dishes look, smell, and taste amazing.
At this time, all kinds of aromas rushed into Yan Shu's nose, making her stomach growl.
This was the first time she was so eager to see the emperor soon.
Fortunately, not long after, Yuwen Lan appeared in her eager anticipation.
Yan Shu's eyes lit up, and she led the others to pay her respects, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
[Finally you're here!!! Do you know how hard I've been waiting for you!!!]
Yuwen Lan secretly raised his eyebrows -
is this... finally thinking about him?
It's really rare.
However, the next sentence she said, [Hurry up and sit down at the table and stop talking nonsense!!! Otherwise, the pepper and salt golden wings and golden silk crispy sparrow will not be crispy anymore!!!]
Yuwen Lan, "..."
Well, it turns out that it's for food.
He had no choice but to say "no thanks" and went to the table.
He wanted to say something else, but was afraid of being scolded by her, so he had to eat first.
Seeing him pick up his chopsticks, Yan Shu hurriedly followed suit.
Well, it was not bad, the skin of the salt and pepper golden wings was still crispy, and the chicken inside was juicy, not bad.
The braised pork tenderloin with melon and the fish fillet in milk sauce were both refreshing and delicious, the flower mushroom duck feet were rich and fragrant, the eight-treasure chicken was full of surprises, and the fish soup was fresh and spicy.
Especially the spicy tripe shreds went well with rice, and Yan Shu finished a bowl of rice without knowing it.
Seeing her leisurely eating desserts and drinking fish soup, still sighing at the sweetness of bean cakes in her heart, Yuwen Lan couldn't help asking, "Why do you have such a good appetite today?"
Yan Shu smiled and said, "Because I'm in a good mood today."
Yuwen Lan raised his eyebrows, "Why are you in a good mood? Is there any good news?"
Yan Shu said casually, "Nothing, it's just that the storybook is written smoothly, and I'm happy. Well, Your Majesty, please try this golden crispy sparrow, it's so crispy!"
But she said in her heart, [Do you even need to ask this? Of course, she feels good to see her opponent suffer a defeat! 】
【Since receiving those two imperial edicts today, that damn Southwest Tongzhengshi immediately panicked, as if he was an ant on a hot pot, fidgeting, and even fell when he went to the toilet, and almost fell into the toilet, hahahahahaha】
Thinking of this Yan Shu,
it's almost laughing to death. Yuwen Lan secretly twitched his mouth.
What? Xie Pei almost fell into the toilet?
He hasn't even received the news yet, but she already knows it so clearly?
However, thinking about that picture... it's really funny.
Yuwen Lan took a golden crispy sparrow to taste.
Well, the skin is crispy, and there is sweet and sour sand fruit sauce inside, which is really delicious.
Probably because of the infection, he couldn't suppress his expression for a while, and his lips curled up.
After dinner, it was still early, and the two decided to play chess to digest the food.
However, Yan Shu was not as skilled as him, and was defeated in the next three games.
Just when she was losing interest, she saw Fu Hai enter the palace and said to Yuwen Lan, "Your Majesty, the Jinyiwei has something to report."
The Jinyiwei were the emperor's confidants, and usually reported things that could not be known to outsiders.
Yan Shu's eyes rolled, and she hurriedly said, "I will go to bathe first and not disturb your majesty."
It is really not easy to cling to someone's thighs. In order to please the emperor, it is too difficult for her to endure with her chess skills.
Yuwen Lan, "..."
Obviously, he had already given her a lot to save some face.
Anyway, it seems that this activity can be eliminated from the two of them in the future.
He nodded first, "Okay." He
got up and went to the outer hall.
When they saw him, the Jinyiwei immediately reported, "Your Majesty, since receiving the imperial edict today, Xie Pei, the historian of the Southwest, has been in a panic. He fell at home in the evening and injured his coccyx. He is now bedridden and is unlikely to attend the court meeting tomorrow."
Yuwen Lan raised his eyebrows. He broke his coccyx?
It seems that maybe he really fell in the toilet?
But then the Jinyiwei said, "Your humble servants and others have read through the imperial examination files from twenty years ago one by one, and found a candidate from Jingyang, probably the person Your Majesty mentioned. His name is Hu Ziang, and his hometown is next to Xie Pei, so it is very likely that they went from the same path. Moreover, when Xie Pei passed the imperial examination, this person failed. After that, he went to Beijing six times in a row, but failed every time. Later, he started a business, and now he has opened several silk cloth shops and tea shops in Chang'an, and his business is pretty good."
There really is such a person...
Yuwen Lan said, "Send him to the capital and let him recognize Xie Pei. If what happened back then is true, submit it to the Ministry of Personnel and the Dali Temple for investigation."
- Now that the imperial edict has been issued, it must be effective. If a real example is not produced, they will not take it seriously.
The Jinyi Guards agreed and left.
~~
Zhongcui Palace.
After Concubine Zhou was demoted, the emperor still asked her to live here to save the Empress Dowager's face, and the decorations inside were not removed.
It's just that the palace still looks magnificent, but it is no longer as lively as before.
Concubine Zhou also waited for a long time tonight before she saw Concubine An and the palace maid Liu Di step into the door.
"Concubine An pays homage to the queen."
Concubine An bowed slowly.
Concubine Zhou looked at her coldly and sneered, "In the past you would come here whenever you had nothing to do, but now it's so difficult for me to see you? I've been waiting for you for half an hour tonight!"
Concubine An said, "Please calm down, Your Majesty. I was sick two days ago, and I didn't dare to come because I was afraid of passing my illness to you. Just now, the doctor happened to be taking my pulse, so I was delayed for some time."
Concubine Zhou knew that the other party had looked down on her, and snorted unceremoniously, "Don't think that just because Concubine Li has been sent to the cold palace and Concubine Ning has not yet been confined, you are the first in the harem. Li Yanshu has been promoted to the position of concubine, and now she is on the same level as you."
How could Concubine An not hear the provocation in her words?
So she just kept lowering her head and said, "Your Majesty is right. At this rate, it may not be long before she can be on the same level as you."
"You..."
Concubine Zhou was so angry that she choked.
After a pause, she deliberately smiled and said, "Then you have to watch that little country bumpkin sit on the same level with you. Aren't you sad?"
Concubine An just said, "That can't be helped. Hasn't your Majesty seen it yet? His Majesty's heart is with Concubine Yi. No matter what happens, he will definitely protect her. Ordinary tricks can't move her at all."
Originally, she was frankly advising, but Concubine Zhou deliberately provoked her again, "Aren't you always resourceful? Even the Queen Mother looks at you differently. How come you are now out of ideas?" Concubine
An gave up.
Then she also laughed and said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I am just an ordinary person. Moreover, my grandfather has been at home since the sacrifice that day and has not attended the court until now. I have no other choice now."
Oh, only someone as stupid as her would want to use others as a knife in such a situation. Concubine
Zhou was annoyed and snorted, "If the Minister of Rites had not been so eager to plead guilty that day, would the situation be like this today? Blame him for not being able to keep his temper!"
But Concubine An said, "Even if my grandfather didn't plead guilty, Lord Cheng'en would still have fainted at the sacrifice. Your Majesty's current situation cannot be blamed on my grandfather."
"You..."
Concubine Zhou's eyes widened, and she was about to raise her hand to hit her.
What a jerk, now he dared to talk back to her!
At this moment, the sound of the night watch came from outside.
"The weather is dry... Be careful of the candles..."
Needless to say, it was the voice of Wang Zhaoyi again.
Concubine An bowed her head and said, "I'm afraid the key is about to be handed down. I won't disturb your Majesty. I have to pay my respects to the Queen Mother tomorrow morning."
After saying that, she turned around and walked out of the palace.
~~
It was almost the Lantern Festival, but the chill in the night wind didn't seem to have diminished at all.
Liu Di followed the master all the way, thinking of the scene just now, and said with some worry, "Your Majesty, Concubine Zhou has always been cruel. You treated her like this this time. I wonder if she will deal with you?"
But Concubine An smiled contemptuously, "Deal with me? Who in this palace still listens to her? Is she so attractive? Even the Queen Mother no longer sees her."
That's true.
In the past, the Queen Mother valued Concubine Zhou the most, but since her father made a fool of himself at the sacrifice and she was demoted, the Queen Mother no longer saw her.
Even if she occasionally saw her at a palace banquet, the Queen Mother would not even look at her, and her disdain was already very obvious.
On the contrary, the Queen Mother has recently summoned the master to talk, which shows that she values him very much.
Liu Di was relieved a little.
The two walked a few more steps, but saw two guards wearing flying fish uniforms walking quickly from not far away.
Liu Di was startled and said, "Why are there Jinyiwei in the harem?"
Anpin looked in the direction they came from and said, "Isn't it the direction of Ganlu Palace? They are probably going to see His Majesty."
Liu Di sighed and whispered, "Even if Concubine Zhou lost her power, His Majesty would still only go to Ganlu Palace. When will he see you?" Anpin
smiled and said, "There will always be a chance."
Although as she said just now, the two of them could not do anything to Li Yanshu, but no one is perfect.
She just doesn't believe that Li Yanshu will not make mistakes.
There is still a long way to go, so she will wait.
~~
After the Jinyiwei left, Yuwen Lan walked back to the inner hall alone, still unable to help thinking in his heart.
Xie Pei's fall, and the past events when he rushed to take the exam... were all predicted by her again.
Since all the possible explanations don't make sense, it seems that there is only one possibility.
- She is probably like himself, and has a skill that is different from ordinary people.
It's just different from mind reading.
But it seems to be more powerful than mind reading.
Tsk, no wonder she wants to write a storybook, it must be very uncomfortable to keep so many things in her heart, so she wants to write them down.
He was of course shocked, but also a little emotional.
It's also fortunate that she has a clear mind. If the evil person has this skill, what should we do?
But, wouldn't it be a waste of her talent to just ask her to write a storybook?
Just imagine, if a man has this ability, he can use it in many places, which will definitely benefit the country and make great achievements...
Suddenly, he heard footsteps, and Yuwen Lan looked up, only to see Yan Shu coming out of the bath.
She had bright eyes, pink cheeks, and rosy lips, just like cherries in May.
Yuwen Lan suddenly felt thirsty. He
put the thought aside for the time being.
——With such a beauty by his side, he should ask him to get well quickly.
Thinking of this, Yan Shu had already climbed onto the couch.
Yuwen Lan took the opportunity to hold her in his arms and asked softly, "What did you do today?"
Yan Shu, who had no idea what was going on, said truthfully, "I didn't do anything today. I just ate some snacks and played cards with Honeysuckle and the others for a while."
Yuwen Lan raised his eyebrows, "Didn't you write a storybook?"
Yan Shu smiled and said, "I felt a little tired these two days and wanted to take a break, so I didn't write today."
[Hehe, the main thing is that I didn't pay attention to eating melons! Today, I was so happy just to see that old man Xie panicking like an ant on a hot pot! ] [
Just imagine, if one day this person saw the details of himself and the fireworks girls in the storybook, wouldn't he faint? Hahahaha, she can't wait! 】
Yuwen Lan, "???"
What?
The bed, the details of the bed?
How does she know this? ! !
No, no, it seems that this ability is not so good.
He then said, "Don't stay in the palace all day, the weather is getting warmer, go out more."
Yan Shu thought to herself, [It's easy to say, but if I go out as a target, I will be hated by others! Who knows if someone will secretly push me into the lake. Or grease the ground to make me fall? Horrible! 】
Yuwen Lan, "..."
What a mess is this?
But all she heard was, "I am still a little afraid of the cold, and the weather has not warmed up yet. It would be bad if you accidentally catch a cold."
As the words fell, Yu Wenlan suddenly took her hand and said, "Don't be afraid, you are mine, I will protect you well."
As he spoke, he gently kneaded her hand in his palm and twisted it slowly, feeling that his fingers were as slender and tender as green onions.
While she was enjoying herself, she heard her tut in her heart, "That's nice to say. If you don't need me as an arrow target one day, wouldn't you know how to kick me?" 】
Yu Wenlan, "..."
Did she actually think so?
He then looked at her seriously and said, "I never lie. Whatever I say, I will definitely do it."
As soon as these words came out, she was finally stunned and looked at him seriously.
After staring at him for a while, she suddenly said in her heart, [Oh my god, he is so charming when he is serious!]
Yuwen Lan, "..."
Why do you always add the first two words when you praise him?
But...
she is finally fascinated by him.
Yuwen Lan was happy and wanted to kiss her.
But just as she was about to lower her head, she heard her say in her heart, [Tsk, if I write a story about the emperor one day, will it be a big hit?]
[A man who is impeccable in every aspect has a fatal flaw! This topic is exciting just thinking about it!]
Yuwen Lan, "???"
Quick, stop it!