Chapter 91: Changes in the Mausoleum
Emperor Chengxuan was over fifty years old. Although his temples were a little gray, his back was straight and his eyes were still sharp.
At this moment, the palace servants in the hall were so frightened that they knelt on the ground, not even daring to breathe.
The imperial blue glaze brush washer on the table was swept to the ground, and broken porcelain pieces were scattered all over the floor.
After venting his anger, the emperor's Adam's apple rolled heavily. The anger that had overturned the palace had not yet dissipated, but his knuckles suddenly loosened.
The beauties in the harem are like blooming flowers, their jewelry rings and bracelets jingling, their hair swaying in the wind, never ceasing.
But it seems that the only person he has ever liked is Lu Zhaoyi, although the emperor has never admitted it. How could he be so distracted by a woman who was born a palace maid?
No one knows what kind of Lu Zhaoyi is hidden in the heart of this emperor who is so decisive and ruthless in the court.
She is so beautiful, her beauty lies in her natural beauty without any makeup.
She is so special, especially in her calmness and non-competitiveness.
And he was so humble, so humble that even looking at him was a bit frightened.
Emperor Chengxuan felt a tightness in his throat. The fact that Concubine Lu had an affair with the imperial physician was like a thorn that had been prickling him for years.
In his rage, he banished the person to the cold palace without even giving her a chance to explain.
Unexpectedly, she had such a strong temper that she hanged herself the night after the imperial physician died.
Now, twenty years have passed, and you tell him that the body in the coffin is fake?
Emperor Chengxuan suddenly raised his eyes, the red veins in his eyes still lingering, and banged his knuckles heavily on the dragon table.
"Investigate it for me! Investigate it!" The emperor's voice was like an ice-hardened blade, frightening all the palace people so much that they fell to the ground and trembled.
He glanced at everyone and caught a glimpse of Xie Jinglan. He hadn't changed his posture since he came in, his knees firmly nailed to the cold floor tiles, his spine straight, like a piece of unbreakable iron.
Emperor Chengxuan raised his hand to support him, and the hostility in his voice faded a little.
"Jinglan, I'm afraid the matter of Consort Lu will involve too many people. You are in charge of the defense of the capital, the archives of the Dali Temple and the Imperial Household Department. You can enter and exit freely. I trust you."
Xie Jinglan's eyes trembled slightly, and his clenched fists tightened quietly.
If this matter is investigated, the first person to be implicated will be Cai Huichun. How will he explain this to Wen Ning?
The man's Adam's apple rolled, but he finally leaned forward and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, I will live up to your expectations and get to the bottom of this matter."
…
Xie Jinglan accepted the order, feeling heavy in his heart.
What the emperor wants is the truth, but this truth has been hidden in the dust of the past twenty years, wrapped in rumors and the emperor's hidden pain. It cannot be easily uncovered.
If Concubine Lu was really alive, she couldn't have been able to hide so deeply for the past twenty years by just one person.
Cai Huichun was the only breakthrough in the "dirty affair" back then. Although he lives in seclusion now, Xie Jinglan doesn't believe that he knows nothing about it.
If you want to get him to talk, you probably have to start with his missing daughter.
However, he had the secret guards keep an eye on the fifth princess for two months, but they didn't even find any trace of a person named "Yin'er".
Normally, he should go to the Fifth Princess to investigate in person, but when he thought of the unruly temper of that princess and the group of palace maids and eunuchs in her palace, he felt reluctant from the bottom of his heart.
While hesitating, his footsteps had already turned a corner on the palace road.
Forget it, I'll go to Concubine Hui's palace first. I should be able to know something about Concubine Lu's past.
The Chengxi Palace of Concubine Hui was filled with the refreshing fragrance of plum blossoms. As soon as Xie Jinglan stepped over the threshold, he saw Concubine Hui trimming a branch of white plum blossoms by the window. She wore a silver hairpin with kingfisher feathers on her temples, which made her look more elegant than her actual age.
"Lan'er is here." When Concubine Hui heard the servant report, a smile appeared in her voice.
When Xie Jinglan was about to kneel down to salute, Concubine Hui grabbed him.
"Don't be so polite," she looked him up and down, her eyes and eyebrows showing pity. "It's been a long time since we last met. How come you've lost weight? If your mother saw this, she'd probably blame me for not taking good care of you."
As he said this, he ordered someone to bring freshly steamed plum cakes.
"Try it, it still tastes like the one you loved when you were a kid."
Xie Jinglan looked at the soft and glutinous pastries on the plate, and felt a warmth in his throat.
Concubine Hui was the mother of Prince Chen. She had been good friends with his mother since childhood, and he had often gone to Chengxi Palace since he could remember.
Concubine Hui always treated him as close as her own son.
After a conversation, Xie Jinglan talked about what happened in the mausoleum.
When Concubine Hui heard this, she looked incredulous and the smile on her face froze.
But when talking about Concubine Lu, the surprise in her eyes gradually turned into a gentle melancholy.
"Lu Zhaoyi is truly adorable. She was originally the maidservant in charge of cooking in the Queen's palace. She has a pair of skillful hands and can cook delicious dishes. What's even more amazing is her face. When she stands in front of flowers, they look three inches shorter.
How could His Majesty not be moved by such a celestial being? Within half a year, she was conferred the title of Zhaoyi. At that time, she was the apple of His Majesty's eye, and others were too busy trying to curry favor with her.
She has a very good temper and doesn't fight or compete. But to be honest, the only people in the entire harem who can really speak to her in a heartfelt manner are me and your mother. Your mother and I are both greedy and often go to her to ask for snacks. She never gets annoyed and always has a table full of food ready for us.
At this point, Concubine Hui couldn't help but smile. "Your mother already had you at that time. She even joked that if Concubine Lu gave birth to a princess in the future, she would be so beautiful that she would definitely ask you to marry her."
Concubine Hui's smile gradually faded, her fingertips unconsciously caressing the edge of the teacup. "Who could have imagined... His Majesty had already drafted the decree to confer the title of Concubine, and all that was missing was an auspicious date, but something like this would happen."
Her voice dropped. "It was snowing heavily that day. She knelt outside the Yangxin Palace, frozen stiff, but she still refused to acknowledge me..."
"If Your Majesty says so, would Concubine Lu be the kind of person who would have an affair with someone else?" Xie Jinglan asked.
"What does it matter whether it's true or not? The two of them slept on the same bed together, and were caught red-handed in a side hall. There's witnesses and evidence. Even if you had a hundred mouths, you couldn't explain it."
Xie Jinglan paused, then followed up the conversation with a question, "Did the imperial physician have a family at the time?"
Concubine Hui thought for a moment and nodded, "Yes. His wife was originally a purchasing maid in the Imperial Hospital's pharmacy. She was timid and always kept her head down when meeting people. They also had a daughter, who at the time... seemed to be only three or four years old."
She took a sip of her teacup and continued, "After the incident, Imperial Physician Zhang was executed. His wife cried herself to death, but fortunately, she wasn't implicated in the end. I heard that the Empress, out of pity for her widowed mother and orphan, sent a letter to let her stay in the Palace Hall to do odd jobs, which provided her with a basic livelihood. I think the child also settled down with her mother in the palace."
Xie Jinglan's eyes darkened slightly, and the warm steam rising from the teacup covered his brows, blurring the doubts surging in his eyes.
Every word Cai Huichun spoke was about his daughter, and he never mentioned his wife.
Or, this old man is so cold-hearted that he has already forgotten his wife.
Or, he already knew that his wife was no longer alive.
After chatting about these past events, Concubine Hui changed the subject, a gentle smile shimmering in her eyes, "Come to think of it, Yu'er came to pay her respects to me a few days ago and said that you actually have a lovely girl by your side. It's really rare."
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