Chapter 86 Pianpian: Nothing in the world can compare to her.
A streak of dark green mixed with crimson appeared in the sky, spreading over the mountains like smoke and fog. The Ying Palace with its double-eaved and flying roofs was still hidden in the long night. The rapid sound of horse hooves startled the crows that were napping on the eaves. They flapped their wings as black as the night and flew over the glazed tiles and disappeared into the darkness.
The guards at the palace gates stepped forward with torches in hand and took a look. When they saw who was coming, they were stunned. The gong for the hour of Yin had just struck, and the morning court was at the hour of Mao, yet the imperial tutor had already arrived on horseback... The chief guard was surprised and suspicious, but he didn't dare to say anything and only ordered the palace gates to be opened wide.
A young servant came forward to hold the reins for Song Xieqing's horse, but the man on horseback didn't even glance at him. He just kicked the horse's belly and sped away towards Fenglou Longque.
"Imperial Master! Lord Song! You are not allowed to run fast inside the Ying Palace..." He chased for several steps, and when he looked up, apart from the dust at the end of the palace road, there was no human figure anywhere.
Song Xieqing rode his horse through the numerous palace gates, ignoring the obstructions of the palace guards along the way. What's more, few people dared to stop the imperial teacher of the dynasty, and the palace servants gave way along the way. Although the imperial teacher had no real position or power, he was an important official in charge of the emperor's teaching. The emperor, sitting in a high position, had to respectfully call Song Lang "teacher". What's more, Song Lang held the jade order bestowed by the previous emperor, which allowed him to enter and leave the palace at any time. For many years, the imperial teacher had never used the jade order. Today, he entered the palace during the palace confinement for the first time, and he must have something important to discuss with His Majesty.
When the palace guards and eunuchs on duty thought so, no one dared to stop them.
Before the hour of Yin, the inner court of Ying Palace was already bustling with people. The palace maids walked hurriedly, the eunuchs walked quickly with their heads lowered, and the palace guards on duty frequently patrolled in the dark, as if searching for something important. Song Xieqing did not stop and rode his horse straight to Zhenggan Palace.
At three quarters past the hour of Yin, dozens of palace ladies were already waiting outside Zhenggan Palace, some eunuchs and some maids, some holding golden basins and some presenting handkerchiefs, all standing quietly with their heads bowed.
Song Xieqing glanced at him and found that his diligence was not like Jiang Zhi's style.
Anything abnormal is a monster.
When the palace maids outside the hall saw Song Xieqing, they put down what they were holding and knelt down to greet him. Song Xieqing raised his chin slightly, signaling everyone to stand up. While he was doing this, he had already walked to the door. In the past, there was no need to notify anyone, as the smart palace maids would have rushed to open the door and make way for him. But today, no one came forward, not even a palace maid came into the hall to inform him.
Just as Song Xieqing touched the gilded lacquer of the palace door, a nearby eunuch hurried forward on his knees, prostrating himself on the ground and saying piteously, "Sir Song... Imperial Tutor Song, His Majesty has decreed that no one may enter or leave the Zhenggan Palace without an imperial decree within this month... and this applies to you as well."
The eunuch touched the ground with his forehead. When he looked up, his face was filled with fear and pleading. "Of course, if the Imperial Preceptor insists on entering the palace, we servants will never dare to stop him... But... if the Imperial Preceptor sets foot in the Zhenggan Palace, we, the humble servants, will never see the sunrise again..."
What was this? Threatening him?
"Aren't you trying to stop me right now?" Song Xieqing sneered, and put his hand against the palace door. Instead of retreating, he held the side bar tightly. He lowered his eyes, and the palace maids kneeling on the ground were trembling like sieves. The few timid ones had already sweated through their clothes. All they thought about was being dragged to pieces by five horses, and even the chill was soaked in their bones.
There was dead silence in front of the hall.
"Your Majesty, are you well?"
The palace servants were momentarily relieved when they saw that the usually expressionless Imperial Preceptor hadn't forced his way into the main hall, but instead greeted the Emperor with greetings. Their nerves tensed only to rise again. The leading eunuch, sweat dripping from his forehead, gritted his teeth as he replied, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty is in good health, enjoying your meals... and in high spirits..."
"Is that so?" Song Xieqing tapped the relief on the palace door, startling everyone in the palace. "But the qin girl told me that His Majesty has been having trouble sleeping and eating lately, and he's been restless and can't even drink half a cup of hot tea."
As soon as these words were spoken, the palace fell into a state of total silence. For a moment, the palace maids looked at each other. The leading eunuch's face turned pale and pale. After a long while, he finally managed to speak: "Imperial Master, please understand... Qin and Qinnu have not been summoned to the palace recently. May I ask, Imperial Master, when did Qinnu... tell you this?"
"Of course it was the night before, otherwise why would I rush from the other courtyard to Ying Palace in the middle of the night?"
The palace servants looked at each other, their expressions each exceedingly horrified. The leading eunuch stammered, "Your Majesty, as you may know, Your Majesty has not summoned the Qin girl for nearly a month. Why does she say this? She is in Zhangtai, blessed by Heaven, yet she knows no bounds. How dare she speak so recklessly of Your Majesty's holy body! I will report this to Your Majesty immediately, and I will have her torn into pieces..."
"Dismantled by five horses?" Song Xieqing interrupted the conversation with a smile, loosening his hand that was supporting the palace door, making the kneeling palace maids feel as if they had been pardoned. Song Xieqing took the reins of the horse and headed eastward in the dawn.
The so-called zither girl was none other than Chenghua, who usually stayed in Fengzhai to avoid being seen by others, and occasionally sang songs and played the pipa in the brothel. He had thought that it would be fine if "Yu Shu" bumped into Chenghua, but he was afraid that she would bump into the censor. Thinking of this, Song Xieqing felt inexplicably guilty. He... should have stopped her and tied her up and taken her back. At least... he should have caught up with her as soon as she stepped out of the private room.
In his earlier probing, he had deliberately mentioned Qinnu's private report on Jiang Zhi's recent situation, but the eunuch's initial reaction was intriguing. He neither questioned his acquaintance with Chenghua nor inquired into their relationship. After all, in the eyes of others, Chenghua was merely a courtesan in a brothel; who could have known she was an orphan of the Shangguan family? Furthermore, since the eunuch insisted that Qinnu had not been summoned by Jiang Zhi recently, wouldn't he have immediately denied it? Instead of first asking when Qinnu had revealed Jiang Zhi to him, wouldn't he have done so?
After all, I am just a servant. Even if I have been immersed in the palace for many years, it is difficult to hide the slightest movement on my face. You must know that in the court, every subtle expression and behavior of the officials is an obvious answer.
Chenghua must have met Jiang Zhi recently. Since the eunuchs did not suspect him and Chenghua, it seemed that what they wanted to cover up was far more shocking than his acquaintance with Chenghua, or perhaps they already knew the connection between them.
Now, they not only have to cover up the fact that Chenghua was summoned by Jiang Zhi, but also prevent him from meeting Jiang Zhi and setting foot in the Zhenggan Palace.
At this time, the Ying Palace was still immersed in the shadows before dawn. The palace lanterns that were still on in the distance flickered in the wind, and in the blink of an eye, they were completely extinguished.
Song Xieqing couldn't help but tighten the reins. He knew that Chenghua had been lurking in the well-informed brothel for several years. She looked calm but had a hot temper. He didn't expect that she would be so impatient. Not only that, she might have implicated "Yu Shu" this time.
When he left Fengzhai, his spies reported that although Jiang Zhi had dug up a fake corpse that he had forged as "Yu Shu", he still did not let down his guard and ordered his men to continue searching the mass grave. Until last night, the corpse diggers that Jiang Zhi had placed at the mass grave suddenly stopped and took a shortcut back to the palace.
This matter may not be completely hopeless. Judging from the patrols inside the palace just now, they must be looking for Chenghua and Yu Shu.
He must get there before Jiang Zhi.
Song Xieqing pressed his aching forehead and galloped towards Fengzhu Palace.
The sun broke through the clouds, and the gloomy Ying Palace finally enjoyed the mercy of heavenly light. The light golden morning sun poured down on the glazed tiles. Song Xieqing stood outside the Fengzhu Hall, and his handsome silhouette on a galloping horse was cast on the bricks.
The palace maids on duty saw that it was the imperial teacher who came, and they thought that His Majesty had come to carefully study his sister's lessons and ordered the imperial teacher to come and give lectures. However, he came especially early today, so the palace maids bowed deeply and went into the hall to announce the news.
Jiang Lin should not have gotten up yet, so Song Xieqing waited outside for half an hour, until the morning sun completely dispelled the morning mist within the confines of Ying Palace, casting a warm glow on his shoulders before the maids led him into the inner hall. Though Fengzhu Palace wasn't as impressive as the Emperor's Zhenggan Palace, it still bore witness to the late Emperor's unwavering love for Daying's only princess, now Princess Suiping. However, the further one went, the more gilded and jade-clad palaces faded, leaving only a pure and elegant atmosphere as Jiang Lin's usual residence remained.
The palace maid led Song Xieqing to an elegant and neat dew garden in Fengzhu Palace. Looking around, there were only a few flowers and trees. But every flower and grass was selected and planted by Jiang Lin himself. The flowers and leaves that had not yet dried with morning dew were still dotted with crystal clear and round water droplets.
Song Xieqing's eyebrows moved slightly. The man once said that he liked to plant flowers and plants in his spare time.
The young girl, who had just reached the age of 13, was wearing a veil on her head and was lazily leaning on the crescent-shaped table. She put her hand into the veil and half yawned. When she saw Song Xieqing approaching, Jiang Lin immediately sat up straight, took out a threaded book, quickly flipped to a blank part, and used the ink that had been ground on the table to write on the printed paper.
Song Xieqing was very respectful and did not take his seat. He glanced at the three words "Teacher, be well" written on the paper and said, "Your Highness, may you be well. The princess's handwriting is so free and elegant that it has become a solid foundation and is improving day by day."
Jiang Lin tilted his head slightly when he heard that, and saw the light veil of the veil fluttering slightly, probably smiling. He has always been frugal with words and rarely praises people. He must have come here today to ask for something else.
Seeing that the palace maids had consciously retreated to the corner of the corridor, Song Xieqing said straight to the point, "A person has been lost in my Fengzhai. I cannot conduct a large-scale search throughout the palace. I hope Your Highness will be kind enough to do this. If Your Highness requires me to do so in the future, I will repay you with all my heart."
He didn't explain the whole story, nor did he mention who was missing, nor did he mention how a perfectly healthy person in Fengzhai could be lost in the palace. Jiang Lin didn't ask any more questions, but simply clapped his hands. The eunuch waiting at the rockery came forward. Jiang Lin was too lazy to write again, so he just raised his hand and gestured a few times. The eunuch understood what he meant and immediately summoned dozens of palace servants. "Your Highness has lost a precious hairpin, a birthday gift from the late emperor. Find it quickly!"
Everyone was about to accept the order and leave when they heard the Imperial Master suddenly say, "Wait a minute."
Upon hearing this, the eunuch glanced at his master and saw that the prince's veil swayed slightly, which was considered as tacit approval. He then lowered his head and waited respectfully. The imperial teacher picked up the wolf hair brush on the table, wrote a few strokes on the prince's line drawing, and presented it with both hands.
The princess was hidden in the veil, and her expression could not be seen at all. But at this moment, the girl suddenly straightened her back, and everyone seemed to be able to see her surprised and happy expression through the veil.
She quickly lifted her skirt and ran to the palace maid, gesturing even more rapidly with her hands. Last year, when Song Xieqing was ordered to teach Princess Suiping, she had learned some common sign languages. Now, considering the previous situation, it was not difficult for her to guess what Jiang Lin meant.
It's just to add some features to the "treasure hairpin".
The next moment, the palace servants received the order and scattered like frightened birds.
Jiang Lin made a rough gesture to Song Xieqing, and when he nodded and sat down, he lifted his skirt and hurried into the bedroom.
Her elaborate palace skirt stretched all the way, and she didn't even have time to catch her breath. As soon as she entered the bedroom, she went straight to the embroidered couch. Jiang Lin dismissed the attendants, and only a koi in the water jade jar accompanied her. Jiang Lin crouched down and crawled under the couch, lifted the peony embroidered carpet, revealing a secret door embedded underneath.
This door has been covered in dust for many years, and now the joints with the brick surface are slightly loose, and the dust at the opening and closing also shows signs of being blown away.
Jiang Lin curled the corners of her lips and nimbly crawled out from under the couch. She lifted her skirt and skipped back to Lu Garden.
She wrote a few words on the paper: Can I entrust my care to the teacher?
Song Xieqing knew that there were signs of this happening, so he lifted his robe and knelt on the ground, holding his hands flat and bowing deeply. Although Jiang Lin could not speak, his hearing was normal, and this kneeling and bowing were already worth a thousand words.
Jiang Lin wrote neatly: Grand Princess Wanyi's Mansion.
At the end, she added a line of bold words: Ayin and Huahua are girls, they should be gentle.
…
When Song Xieqing rode his horse at full speed to the residence of Princess Wanyi, the vermilion lacquer door was already wide open. The Princess was puzzled by the visit of the emperor's tutor, who was both praised and criticized, but she had no reason to refuse him entry. The Princess was about to send a servant to greet him, but her little granddaughter took the initiative and thanked the guest on her behalf.
Princess Wanyi coughed violently upon hearing the news. "What a scoundrel! Send her back to the Mei Mansion tomorrow! She's been stirring up trouble at the Princess Mansion every day... Let's see how she hides from her brother when she returns to the Mei Mansion!"
This place was so angry that Mei Lianjun on the other side just raised the corner of her lips halfway, but when she saw Song Xieqing standing in the courtyard for no reason, she couldn't help but twitch.
"...Hi? Where did you come from, Imperial Preceptor?"
Song Xieqing raised his chin towards the west wall of the courtyard.
Mei Lianjun looked in the direction and saw that the walls that were repeatedly built were empty. She had ordered people to clean up the hidden blades that injured Li Qingrang the day before. Now it was not enough to guard against Li Qingrang, she also had to guard against Song Lang.
"The Grand Princess's residence is naturally heavily guarded..." Song Xieqing brushed the non-existent dust off his sleeves. He spoke slowly, "However, I happened to encounter the shift change at the hour of Mao. The guards were light, and the morning mist had not yet dissipated. With the right time, place, and people...I was able to take advantage of this opportunity to enter."
Mei Lianjun examined Song Xieqing carefully from beginning to end, and found that he was neatly dressed and meticulous in everything, and indeed he had never been in a fight.
Mei Lianjun was so angry that she almost bit her back teeth.
"What is the purpose of the Imperial Tutor barging into my daughter's room before dawn?" She crossed her arms and asked, "Does Master Song think this behavior is proper?"
"The princess really doesn't know why I'm here?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know, but you're in a hurry to thank the guests?"
"Huh?" Mei Lianjun chuckled. "I even avoided Qing Rang, so why would it be strange to send you away?"
There was silence in the courtyard for a moment. Although Song Xieqing knew that the longer he delayed, the more danger the man would be in, but he had no close relationship with the Mei family and Princess Wanyi.
He had long heard of the princess's temperament, which, in the words of her brother Mei Lianqing, was as stubborn as an ox, unbending. Mei Lianjun would say one thing to one person and another to another, and was quite insightful in deploying troops. Such a person hated circumvention, not to mention... Putting aside other matters, focusing on this matter alone, he thought that whether it was Mei Lianjun or Jiang Lin, the three of them should have the same self-interest.
"Is Miss Shangguan at the princess's place?" Song Xieqing's gaze swept across the tightly closed window and he chuckled. "I don't know why Princess Suiping was so determined to order me here to look for her, but Your Highness must have her own hidden agenda."
The palace was deep, and so were the palace maids guarding it. Finding two living people was not a difficult task, and they were most likely injured. Even so, there was no reason for Jiang Zhi to search so hard, unless...
Song Xieqing recalled the moment Jiang Lin saw him write the name "Chenghua" on the paper, Jiang Lin's trembling was so intense that even Mi Li could hardly hide it. She hurriedly ran to the bedroom, then turned back in a hurry and told him to go to the residence of Princess Wanyi. If someone could really disappear out of thin air under the eyes of the garrison, it could only be that they took advantage of the secret passage, and the secret passage was most likely in Jiang Lin's Fengzhu Palace.
Why was the secret passage built? Why was it only in Jiang Lin's Fengzhu Hall? He didn't need to ask about these things, and he even forgot about them completely.
The prerequisite is that Mei Lianjun makes friends.
"She shouldn't come alone?" Seeing Mei Lianjun's slightly surprised look, Song Xieqing asked indifferently.
The man in front of him didn't answer but asked, "How could Ah Lin trust you so much?"
Song Xieqing gradually lost his patience. He was about to break in, but before he took half a step, Mei Lianjun blocked the way with an outstretched arm. "My Lord Imperial Preceptor, if you insist on entering this gate today, you must defeat me first. Regardless of why A-Lin sent you on this journey, I finally found her and learned that she's still alive. At least, I can't hand Xiaohua over to you, even though you were the one who took her in three years ago... At least right now, while she's still unconscious, I won't die..."
"Who told you that the person I want is her?" Song Xieqing interrupted coldly, "I only want the person who accompanied her. Once I get her, I will leave the Grand Princess's Mansion immediately. I will pretend I have never heard of the secret passage or Miss Shangguan. As for Your Majesty..."
He raised his hand and gently pressed his aching forehead. "Now, if you and His Highness are determined to protect Shangguan, then there will be no conflict of interest between the three of us. In other words, in Jiang Zhi's eyes, you, me, and her are already the nails he intends to remove."
"Princess Yunwei, I hope you understand that I have come here today with no intention of opposing you."
Mei Lianjun dropped her arm that was blocking the door and whispered, "Well, Xiaohua certainly didn't come alone. The person she was traveling with..."
She looked up at Song Xieqing's expression, which was dim and bright in the morning sun, and Mei Lianjun said word by word, "He's dead."
"Three stab wounds to the ribs, she didn't make it through last night." Mei Lianjun choked up, a rare occurrence. "Xiaohua... Xiaohua is almost dead... Song Lang, do you know anything? She's been hiding in Fengzhai for three years, do you know the whole story? Xiaohua hasn't told me the whole story yet... Was it Jiang Zhi, that bastard emperor, who hurt her? Who exactly is Xiaohua..."
"Where are the people?"
With just two short words, Mei Lianjun understood everything and said, "Of course, the dead cannot be left in the Grand Princess's residence. I took advantage of the night and sent someone to arrange for an ordinary family's coffin. Although I felt that this person looked familiar, I couldn't remember where he was at the moment... So, I temporarily buried him in the western suburbs forest outside the city..."
"Thank you very much."
…
Even a good horse could not stand the long night of running. When Song Xieqing arrived at the western suburbs forest, the sun was already high in the sky. The horse knelt listlessly on the scorching ground, breathing heavily.
Since the burial was just last night, the traces of the newly turned soil should be very obvious. Song Xieqing had excellent eyesight. He thought that the people sent by Mei Lianjun also felt that it was unlucky and they all wanted to finish the burial as soon as possible and return home to report. Therefore, not long after Song Xieqing entered the woods, he saw a strange color of soil in the distance.
Ever since hearing the news of that man's death, Song Xieqing's heart has been out of rhythm. Although his heart beat rapidly when he was riding the horse just now, it was still relatively orderly. On the contrary, at this moment, with every step Song Xieqing took, his heartbeat became more and more frantic, and it was not an exaggeration to say that it was jumping out of his chest.
His lower limbs seemed to be entangled in invisible and untouchable vines. Every step he took was as heavy as a thousand pounds. If he forced himself to speed up, he would feel as if a thousand needles were piercing his heart.
He didn't understand where this pain came from or why.
The fear of loss filled his heart for no reason, like a tide that almost drowned him, but he... had he ever truly owned anything?
The light and shadow in the forest changed several times, and finally, he stood in front of a new grave without a tombstone.
Water droplets bigger than beans fell on the new soil one after another, leaving water marks of varying depths, sizes, rounds, and flats. Song Xieqing looked up at the sky and saw a cloudless sky, the sun, and warm wind. Song Xieqing touched his face in a daze, and felt the wetness on his hands. He was stunned on the spot.
...Why is he crying?
After a brief moment of astonishment, Song Xieqing bent his knees and dug his ten fingers into the new soil.
His hands trembled uncontrollably, and even the blood in his body seemed to be flowing backwards.
The wind blew through the forest, shaking the fresh green leaves of a tree. A sharp pain came from my fingertips, and along with the tears, blood also seeped into the grave soil.
The green is dazzling and the red is fishy.
What on earth was he crying about? He was just an acquaintance who spoke nonsense.
His bloodstained fingers didn't stop until they finally touched a corner of the coffin. He touched the rough wood with a trembling hand. Suddenly, behind him, there was the sound of dead leaves being crushed. Song Xieqing clenched a sharp rock and was about to turn around when he heard someone say, "Song Xieqing! Why are you digging someone's grave?"
Song Xieqing had heard her voice in his dreams more than once. The woman in his dreams was more beautiful than the sun. Her smile could make the world pale in comparison. Nothing in the world could compare to her.
Ever since he first dreamed of her and heard her calling him Xieqing and smiling at him, he started to become abnormal.
The man clearly looked like Yu Shu, but he claimed to be a woman. When he saw him, he couldn't help but associate this man with the woman in his dream.
His mother once asked him why he insisted on choosing the word "Xieqing" as his courtesy name, even though there was no allusion or source for it.
Song Xieqing didn't know.
For example, right now, he didn't know why he was crying, why he insisted on finding a liar, and why he dreamed of his daughter again and again.
"Song Xieqing...don't cry."
Had she said this to him before? Why did it sound so familiar?
"……elegant?"
Is that what you call it?
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