Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Walking to another...
After the night of the Pipa Conference, Nan Qiongshuang returned to Handan Palace alone.
It’s not that she isn’t sad, although she refuses to cry.
Since she had anticipated all this, she shouldn't be surprised. Since this was all she wanted, she shouldn't complain.
Since you already know that everything is just a dream, don't feel too sorry for yourself when you wake up.
People trapped in dreams are more pitiful than beggars.
She knew she would forget him soon, just like she had done back then.
Nan Qiong Shuang is good at losing.
However, for a long time afterwards, she couldn't help but be lost in thought.
Sometimes, while talking, I would get distracted by the melon seeds in my hand.
Sometimes when she picked up a pen to write a few words, Qinglian would grind ink for her. Suddenly, she would see his reflection in the ink, but when she looked again, it was gone again.
Sometimes, when it was time to go to sleep, she sat on the edge of the bed, and Qinglian Yuanxiang took down the curtains on both sides. She looked at the purple wisteria-colored gauze slowly draping down, and suddenly heard him humming behind her.
One after another, suppressed, heavy, hoarse, low hum.
She was now very afraid of these auditory hallucinations. Once she heard them, not only would she be upset, but her dreams would also be restless.
She had no regrets about everything she said and did to him that night.
Only this one.
Knowing that this would be the outcome after she confessed, she shouldn't have let him take what he wanted that day.
——It feels so good.
It was obvious that they should not have been entangled anymore, but their bodies were entangled madly and they almost died. When they returned to Handan Palace, their minds were still confused.
I'm afraid I'll never experience that kind of nearly drowning feeling again in my life.
How can she forget?
She silently twirled the lotus palace lantern in her hand. The lantern was carved entirely from white jade, with eight petals forming an open pointed top. As she turned it in her hand, light filtered out from the carved lotus petals and circled around her face. She played with it out of boredom and sighed.
Suddenly, a voice emerged from the shadows in the corner: "Nan Qiong Shuang."
Now, even if Wu Dao appeared and disappeared without a trace, she was no longer afraid. She placed the lamp on the table with a lack of interest, waved her hand, and told Qing Lian Yuan Xiang to go down.
"how."
"I came back to report to you." Wu Dao smiled flatteringly, his eyes narrowed like two short sickles, "and report to you about what happened in Prince Ding's mansion."
"Well, go ahead." She hugged her shoulders and crossed her legs.
"Over at Prince Ding's mansion, Gongsun Hong's suspicion has been largely eliminated. Prince Ding is now searching the city for the woman in purple. Notices with her portrait are plastered all over the walls, and the three Fuyu guards are searching every household. I reported this back to the inner gate, and they've already received word that my aunt's half of the mission has been completed."
He smiled lecherously, "As soon as you finished your mission, I reported the news back to the gate. Tell me, did I do my job efficiently?"
She gave him a cold look.
He was so arrogant before, and he would threaten her even for the smallest things. But now that she has some evidence against him, he has become a complete scoundrel.
She smiled and said, "Stop talking nonsense and get to the point."
"Hey, hey. Also, on the day of the Pipa Festival, there was a fire in the kitchen of Prince Ding's mansion, burning down half the courtyard. Right now, Prince Ding is so pissed off that he's about to explode. There's a commotion going on in the mansion."
She raised her eyelids and asked, "Did Li Ya do it?"
Wu Dao smiled apologetically: "That's right."
She nodded: "Thank them for me." Suddenly, she thought: "How is Gongsun Hong?"
On that day, Gu Huaijin rescued her and caused such a big fuss. Gongsun Hong must have thought that she had colluded with Gu Huaijin and was waiting to plot against her at the meeting.
Wu Dao: "I'm mad at you. I want you to be in trouble."
She rubbed her brow and sighed.
Although she wanted to explain to Gongsun Hong, this matter involved Gu Huaijin. Her relationship with Gu Huaijin had long been entangled and difficult to explain. If she wanted to explain, she would probably have to confess to Gongsun Hong the purpose of her trip.
A colleague and a few days of friendship were not enough for her to confide in.
If there is a misunderstanding, let her misunderstand it.
"There's something I want to ask you." She picked up the wooden comb on the table and combed her hair. "I heard Yun Manyue is on standby in Luojing City, ready to rush to reinforce wherever needed. If I want to call her over, how can I contact her?"
Wu Dao's flattering smile froze instantly. To prevent spies from colluding with each other and rebelling against the sect, the Wangsheng Sect had always forbidden private communication, and all messages were carried out by the instructors. However, he was kept at Prince Ding's mansion by her every day, away from her.
Wu Dao scratched his head: "Auntie, you ask this..."
"Sometimes I need a cloud to hide the moon." She crossed her legs. "Or, do you want to hear something from inside the door?"
Wu Dao scratched his cheekbone and looked at her sweatily.
She looked down at him, holding a wooden comb in her hand, and her index finger leisurely touched the hair from the first stubble to the last, raising her eyebrows.
Wu Dao finally arched his brows and said, "Go to the Linglong Chess Club on Qipan Street and find a fellow named Lu Bo. He's our boss's informant. Talk to him and ask for Yun Man Yue. If he agrees, they'll send him over to you."
"That's it." She sat with her chin propped up. "Okay. If I ever..."
"Auntie," he suddenly interrupted, "you don't have any improper thoughts about Yun Manyue, do you?"
Nan Qiongshuang immediately gave him a glare.
Wu Dao obediently shut his mouth.
She threw the wooden comb onto the table in annoyance and said with a snap, "It's okay, you can go down."
Wu Dao nodded in agreement, standing up on his knees. He immediately cast a shadow like a mountain across the room, casting it on her face. A thought struck her, and she suddenly said, "Wait a minute."
"Auntie, do you have any other instructions?"
"I want to see Li Ya again. He's in Prince Ding's mansion, and maybe I can ask him for help in the future. Go to Prince Ding's mansion and tell him that I'll thank him in person tomorrow while he's out shopping."
On the second day, Nan Qiongshuang put on a cloak, a white gauze veil hat, and left the palace using the token given to her by Li Xuanbai.
Go straight to the vegetable collection.
Li Ya worked as a cook at Prince Ding's mansion, and had to go out twice a day to buy groceries. Without Gongsun Hong's care, she couldn't enter Prince Ding's mansion. Meeting outside the mansion was the easiest and most free way for her to do so.
Li Ya was waiting for her in front of a butcher's shop.
It was the morning of the 11th hour, and the market was bustling with people. The fresh morning air was refreshing, and the streets were filled with the sounds of vendors shouting and hawking. Freshly picked fruits and vegetables lay spread out on the ground, round and bright.
When Nan Qiongshuang raised her eyes, she saw Li Ya holding two strings of brown-red blood sausage and bargaining with the butcher with a beaming expression in front of the butcher shop where half a red pig skeleton was hanging.
She lowered her head and ran straight ahead.
Li Ya was talking excitedly, spit flying everywhere, when she was suddenly bumped into by someone. She immediately became angry, and shook the copper coins in her hand into the butcher's hand. She grabbed her arm and shouted, "Are you fucking blind? You bumped into someone and you still want to leave? I will never let you go today!"
As he spoke, he pulled her and dragged her away.
The butcher shouted angrily behind him: "Hey, hey, who allowed you to take the money by yourself! Come back! Come back!"
Neither of them turned his head.
After walking a few steps quickly and turning a corner, Li Ya let go of her arm and said in a calm voice, "Miss Nan."
Nan Qiong Shuang glanced around. The number of people on the road was gradually decreasing, and no one was following her closely anymore. She said, "I came here today to thank you."
Li Ya nodded: "It's a small matter, why bother coming here in person?"
Nan Qiong Shuang smiled slightly and adjusted her veil.
Of course, she came today not to thank him, but to see this redeemed colleague again and take a closer look to see if there was anything unusual about him.
The style of the Rebirth Sect is treacherous. Maybe they release people on the surface, but secretly use evil magic to control people's minds.
She asked, "Brother Li, are you doing well since you redeemed yourself?"
"Ah, redeeming myself is much more comfortable than working for the sect," Li Ya sighed. "Inside the sect, I work with my head hanging by a rope every day. If I redeem myself, even if Prince Ding is cruel, he'll only give me a small commission and my head won't fall on us."
"That's true. We're used to the rough seas and storms, and we have no interest in anything exciting. We just want to find a stable job and live a few days of peace."
"That's right, that's right." Li Ya looked at her with emotion. Today, with her appearance hidden behind the veil, he felt much more at ease. He no longer had to be so nervous and even talked more. "There are always people who say that with people like us, if we are willing to join the army or become a staff, no one will not be able to make a name for ourselves. But, people like us don't want to make a name for ourselves. After half a lifetime of ups and downs, we just want to live a peaceful life."
Nan Qiong Shuang smiled but said nothing.
"How is Brother Li? Your old illness..."
"Much better, almost recovered. As long as you're in good spirits, your body won't be in bad shape."
"I heard that you were accidentally infected with a poisonous insect while on duty," she said with a meaningful smile, "are you okay now?"
"Later, while on duty, I met a witch doctor named Guizhu, who cured me. Now I'm completely healed."
Witch doctor and ghost blessing.
She was familiar with the name. Back then, Gu Huaijin had broken the mountain rules and forced the Hidden Dragon Pond open to save her, earning him seventy lashes for it...
Suddenly, her heart sank and she couldn't think any further.
At that time, in order to treat his injuries, she made up an excuse to explain why she knew some medical skills, and she used the name of Guizhu.
"Witch doctor Guizhu, is there really such a person?"
Li Ya nodded in a reserved manner, "He's like a mysterious dragon, yet he's truly a miraculous doctor, able to bring people back to health."
She looked him over from head to toe again in silence through the milky white veil.
I really didn't see anything unusual.
His face was rosy, his eyes were clear, and he could talk fluently during casual conversations. He answered every sentence naturally, without any sign of stupidity.
As for his body, it looked normal.
She looked him up and down, but ultimately found nothing unusual. Her heart slowly settled, and she nodded, "Since Brother Li is doing well, we, his former colleagues, can rest assured. I still have work to do in the palace, so it's not convenient for me to leave. I've come to thank Brother Li, and then I'll return to the palace."
"Please don't delay your important business." Li Ya bowed. "If there is anything happening in Prince Ding's mansion in the future and the staff inside are unable to handle it, Miss Nan can come and find me."
Upon hearing this, Nan Qiong Shuang turned around and was about to leave, but suddenly stopped and raised her eyes thoughtfully.
“Come and find me whenever you want”?
In the rebirth gate, everyone is selfish, and who would rush to get involved in things that have nothing to do with their own mission? Besides, he has already left the gate and redeemed himself.
After finally escaping, shouldn't you be prudent and protect yourself?
She turned around and looked deeply into his eyes through the veil.
Li Ya didn't dodge or evade, nor did he show any sense of guilt or anxiety. He bowed to her calmly and said, "Please go back."
Nan Qiong Shuang remained silent, her eyes obscured by layers of white veil, making them hard to see. "In that case, I really want to thank you, Brother Li, for your kindness. However, there's one more thing I want to ask you."
"The situation in the capital is turbulent. We never know when things will suddenly change. I am on this mission alone and feel helpless. I wonder if Brother Li knows any colleagues who have redeemed themselves? If so, could you introduce them to one or two? If anything, I would like to lend a hand."
Li Ya thought for a moment and said, "Indeed, there is one. He has been redeemed for three years and is now performing with a troupe in the capital."
Nan Qiong Shuang smiled: "Which troupe?"
"It's called the Caiqing Troupe, and they specialize in Kunqu opera."
Nan Qiong Shuang smiled and nodded: "Then I really have to thank Brother Li."
After meeting with Li Ya, she returned to the palace.
Because she was busy with the Pipa Festival, she had not spoken to the Jiaqing Emperor for a long time. Ever since Mao Linyan had sacrificed her life to plead for him in Xiaoleyuan, she had been particularly favored by the Emperor. With no one competing with her these days, her favor had grown day by day.
The rare treasures awarded by Emperor Jiaqing flowed into her Jingren Palace like water, and the good things from the Imperial Household Department were also sent in wave after wave. Even Nan Qiongshuang, who was on duty outside the palace, had heard that people "only heard of the prosperity of Jingren Palace, but not the withering of lotus flowers."
Seeing that the newly delivered flowers in the Handan Palace were becoming increasingly withered and gray, with dry branches and few leaves, Nan Qiongshuang, no matter how impatient she was, knew that it was time to win over the crazy emperor who was fickle and had no interest in state affairs.
She finally went to the Zichen Palace.
These days, knowing that she had fallen out of favor, she should have gone to the Zichen Palace to show off her smile, but she kept putting it off and was always reluctant to go.
Firstly, she had no feelings for Emperor Jiaqing and was just trying to coax him patiently.
Secondly, that person was often with Emperor Jiaqing.
Ever since the night of the Pipa Festival, she hadn't seen him face to face for a long time. Even when they met in the palace, it was only from a distance. Before they could even meet, one of them would often turn in the opposite direction, tacitly understanding each other.
In fact, in her heart, the two of them were considered to be at peace. At least on her side, there was no resentment in her heart, so she didn't avoid him like the devil.
But maybe he doesn't think so.
Maybe he really resents and hates her.
Knowing that he probably didn't want to see her, she didn't want to rush to get close to him.
However, she had a job to do, so she had to do some things even if she didn't want to.
She still went to see Emperor Jiaqing.
The July heat was unbearable. She stood in the shade beneath the eaves of the Purple Palace, wiping the sweat from her nose with a handkerchief. The chief eunuch, Wang Rang, lifted the curtain and went in to report. A moment later, Wang Rang emerged, bowing and inviting her in: "The Emperor wishes your Highness to come in."
She nodded, and just as she stepped over the high threshold of the Zichen Palace, she heard a clear and elegant voice that she was very familiar with.
Her heart suddenly tightened, and she paused, grabbing the hem of her skirt. A feeling of irritation rose in her lungs, but she suppressed it.
What's the big deal if you see him? There's nothing to be afraid of. He won't eat people.
She walked in.
The voice echoed faintly in the vast hall: "Gu has reviewed the old cases of the Palace Justice Department and interrogated all those involved. However, it has been a long time, and many of the palace maids from that time have left the palace and married. Even though we have tried everything, there are not many witnesses. If we want to re-examine them, I am afraid it will take more time. However..."
She lowered her head and emerged from behind a golden screen with flowers and birds, and the man's voice stopped instantly.
Her heart was hanging in the balance by his silence.
Emperor Jiaqing raised his head and stretched out his hand to her from a distance: "Deyin, I haven't seen you these days. Come quickly."
The man watched from a distance without saying a word.
Now, she didn't have to look at him to know where he was and that he was looking at her.
She walked over to the other man in front of him and bowed, "May the emperor be blessed with good health."
Gu Huaijin looked away and lowered his head to drink tea.
"Come quickly, come quickly." Emperor Jiaqing took her hand and led her to snuggle up to his side. "A few days ago, I heard that you were fascinated by the pipa. How is your practice going?"
She hadn't expected that even after all these days of not seeing each other, Emperor Jiaqing hadn't shown any indifference towards her. She followed his lead and gently leaned against him, her eyes curved. "Deyin's temper is not permanent. She liked you for a few days, then she didn't like you anymore. Now she's been thrown into the storeroom, gathering dust."
"You." Emperor Jiaqing couldn't help but shake his head and nodded at her nose. "Everything is just for fun. When you're done, you throw it away."
Gu Huaijin suddenly put down his teacup and stood up. "Your Majesty has important matters to attend to, so I cannot bother you any more. Regarding the matter of Concubine Chang, I will go to the palace another day and discuss it with Your Majesty in detail."
After saying that, he pushed the chair away and bowed to leave.
"Sir, sir!" Emperor Jiaqing hurriedly reached out his hand to stop him. "I have nothing to do today, sir, please stay. My mother's matter cannot be delayed, so please stay and discuss it in detail."
Gu Huaijin turned around silently, wearing a black robe with wide sleeves, and looked as depressing as a charred barren mountain.
Nan Qiong Shuang knew that he was paying attention to her, although she did not look up and he did not take off the ribbon.
His concern was like the damp air before a rainstorm, invisible and intangible, but it made her feel heavy and suffocated.
But she also felt a little proud.
She went to hold Emperor Jiaqing's hand as if nothing had happened.
Gu Huaijin stood there, restraining himself from looking at her. After a long while, he finally met the anxious face of Emperor Jiaqing and paused for a moment: "Your Majesty, don't you have something private to say to the Empress?"
"When can't we talk about personal matters?" Emperor Jiaqing slammed the table in a panic and waved anxiously at Gu Huaijin, "Sir, please take a seat. No matter how foolish and incompetent I am, I will not lose my mind because of beauty!"
These words made Gu Huaijin even more silent.
Nan Qiongshuang didn't look at him, but looked at Emperor Jiaqing, tucking the loose hair from her temples behind her ears with a smile, which seemed to be a bit provocative in his eyes.
He made up his mind immediately and sat down again.
Sitting across from the two of them, he felt even more indifferent than before. He drank his tea with a sullen face, deciding in his heart that no matter who she got close to, he wouldn't care at all.
He waited to see her lose.
She took a toy from Emperor Jiaqing's hand and fiddled with it over and over again, asking, "What is this?"
"Luban Lock. It's a difficult thing to solve. I've been fiddling with it for half a day, but I still can't solve it." Emperor Jiaqing put his arm around her shoulders, letting her rest between his body and the soft pillow behind him. He turned around and smiled at her, "I have something to discuss with Mr. Gu. Please relieve yourself first."
Her heart was completely focused on the Luban lock, and she nodded absentmindedly.
Gu Huaijin suddenly laughed: "The Luban lock is complicated and tedious, can the queen solve it?"
Nan Qiongshuang had never expected that he would take the initiative to speak to her in front of Emperor Jiaqing. When she opened her mouth, her tongue stumbled twice, and she pretended to be comfortable: "Sir, how do you know that I can't untie it?"
"Even if it could be solved," he sneered and took a sip of tea, "Does Your Majesty have the patience to solve it?"
"Sir, how do you know I don't have it?" She sat up suddenly and straightened her back.
"Gu, it seems you can't figure it out," he said sarcastically. "I guess you played with it for a bit and then threw it away, saying you were immature."
She simply couldn't understand why he mocked her in front of Emperor Jiaqing for not being able to unlock a Luban lock.
Did he find out that she had kissed Li Xuanbai and couldn't get over it, so he wanted to embarrass her?
"Why didn't Her Majesty throw it away?" He sighed slowly, "That rosewood pipa, even the exquisitely skilled Miss Qu Huan couldn't play it. Her Majesty, on the other hand, plucked it for two days before throwing it into the storeroom to gather dust. You know, pipa can't get wet, especially in rainy seasons? Or does Her Majesty not care? Or is it that," he laughed and swallowed a mouthful of bitter tea, "the treasury of our Qi and Song dynasties is so full that Her Majesty has no regard for things?"
Nan Qiong Shuang looked at him in disbelief, not knowing why he was arguing with her so harshly.
Emperor Jiaqing found it even more difficult to understand. He stared at her for a moment and wanted to speak to dissuade her, but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he finally stopped.
He went on to talk to himself: "If you don't cherish things, have no moral integrity, and are too playful, you should stay away from precious things as soon as possible to avoid wasting them. They will be thrown away in the end anyway, so why should you waste good things? Just throw them all away, throw them all away. When the national treasury is empty, you will know the sin you have committed today! If -"
"Sir." Emperor Jiaqing leaned forward, his face concerned. "Sir, what's wrong with you?"
Gu Huaijin's stray words finally stopped. He pinched the teacup in his hand, pinching it so tightly that it was stretched thin by the palm of his hand, leaving it pale and tinged with white. His chest rose and fell, and he took a sip of tea, suppressing his anger.
"No problem. I just mentioned to you that the treasury has been empty in recent years, and Prince Ding has just been granted a title, so we've already asked for rice five or six times. Seeing such waste again is really unbearable."
His voice was calm, as if he was being completely businesslike. "As I said earlier, replenishing the national treasury is all about increasing revenue and reducing expenditure. The bureaucracy is now overcrowded, and it's time to merge departments with similar responsibilities and cut redundant and useless personnel. But besides cutting costs externally, frugality should also be a norm within the palace. Therefore, Your Majesty's actions are truly inappropriate."
Nan Qiongshuang was so angry that she almost laughed when she saw him beating around the bush and finally giving her such a high-sounding name.
Just as he was about to turn around to see Emperor Jiaqing's expression, Emperor Jiaqing turned to him with a sincere face: "Sir, you are right."
She was so angry that her head buzzed and she threw the Luban lock onto the table.
"Then do as you say, sir. Cut down on unnecessary staff and practice economy."
Gu Huaijin: "The six palaces' monthly silver needs to be reduced as well, so that the upper class can follow suit."
Nan Qiong Shuang hissed in anger, but tried to appear calm.
Gu Huaijin looked at her with joy and unexpected expression.
Isn't it holding hands? Yes, hold. Isn't it leaning? Yes, leaning.
A heartless and unscrupulous person.
He is playful and has no perseverance.
She has the nerve to say that!
"Well, from now on, I'll have no money. If I need money—" She suddenly pushed her chair and stood up. Then she remembered that she hadn't been so rude in front of Emperor Jiaqing, but there was no way back. "From now on, if I need money, I'll leave from the Daming Palace. Anyway, my cousin is in the Daming Palace, so even if Mr. Gu wants to stop me, he can't do anything."
Gu Huaijin choked on a mouthful of tea and coughed violently while holding his chest. His face turned pale and he couldn't straighten his back.
"Deyin! How can you be so willful? Mr. Gu is right!" Emperor Jiaqing immediately raised his head and glared at her, "Hurry up and apologize to Mr. Gu!"
Nan Qiong Shuang felt as if a tight hoop was hanging over her head. She gasped angrily and refused to speak even if she died.
Normally, she could endure anything for the sake of her job, but she simply didn't want to endure the anger he had caused her.
Anyone can bear her anger, except Gu Huaijin.
She trembled in place and thought anxiously for a moment. Then her eyes rolled and two lines of tears rolled down from the bottom of her eyes. She sobbed and wiped her tears with her handkerchief:
"I just played the pipa for a few days, but before I could master it, I put it back in the treasury. Why accuse me of being a scourge to the national treasury? It's only because my cousin is away that you dare to treat me like this—"
She glared at him with red eyes.
Gu Huaijin felt as if someone had choked him, and he no longer had any harsh words to say, but was simply disheartened.
She choked up, "I'll go find my cousin to judge the matter. After all, even if everyone doesn't stand on my side, my cousin will stand on my side!"
After saying that, he ran away with tears in his eyes and covering his face.
There was silence for a moment in the huge and empty Zichen Hall.
Emperor Jiaqing sat in the hall, and for some reason, he vaguely felt that he was an excluded person.
The other two people were arguing and crying for no apparent reason. He wanted to reconcile them, but they were having their own confrontation behind the scenes, and he couldn't get in on it, nor could he understand.
He looked at the person opposite him in surprise.
Gu Huaijin, wearing a silk ribbon, still showed no emotion. However, today, he felt that the person who was usually as tall as a mountain and difficult to look up to had experienced an unknown landslide inside.
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