Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Eat well and don’t think too much...
The Empress Dowager leaned on the imperial concubine's couch, half-closing her eyes as she listened to Lu Suizhu playing the piano behind a gilded screen with a picture of green mountains and clouds.
"Grandson pays his respects to the Imperial Grandmother, may the Imperial Grandmother be blessed with good health and happiness."
The Sixth Prince was seven years old this year. He had a broad, square face and a sturdy build. He was also very articulate and could recite two volumes of the Analects of Confucius to the Empress Dowager right away.
The Queen Mother was in high spirits after hearing this. She hugged him to her chest and said repeatedly, "Great, great, our Xiaoliu has really grown up. He is no worse than your brother, the Crown Prince, when he was just starting out."
After a moment of joyful reunion, the Sixth Prince suddenly began to cough and retreated behind a screen. "My grandson has caught a cold, and I'm afraid I might have passed on my illness to the Empress Dowager, so I'm going to the side hall to study."
After saying this, she walked out, accompanied by the palace maid beside her, coughing.
The Queen Mother whispered a few words to the young eunuch beside her, and he hurried out in a short while.
Pei Zhiji came in wearing a purple official robe. From Lu Suizhu's perspective, the cassia petals embroidered on the screen just fell on his shoulders, as if he was wearing a hairpin with flowers and swaying willows. The picture was elegant and harmonious.
"Everyone, please go down. I have something to say to Master Pei."
Except for the young eunuch Tihuo who had been following the empress dowager, the other palace maids left one after another. After Lu Suizhu's slender and nimble fingers played the last note, she stood up and prepared to say goodbye.
"Master Lu, please stay. My headache will get worse if the music stops."
The name of this piece of music is "Gurgling Heart", which was composed by Master Lu Suizhu. On that day, she was sitting in the mountains, and her irritable mood was soothed by the sound of flowing water before her eyes, so she composed this piece of music. She never thought that it would have a miraculous effect on the empress dowager's headache.
"The Sixth Prince has been suffering from minor illnesses and ailments for the past few months. Although they haven't caused any serious problems, he is still a vital figure for the nation. I'm thinking of building a new palace in Yunqing Palace to accumulate merit for the Sixth Prince."
The Queen Mother twisted the Buddhist beads in her hand, and each bead passed through her fingertips.
"Empress Dowager, building a prayer palace involves many trivial matters before construction even begins, such as divination and site selection, drawing up blueprints, and asking the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to choose an auspicious date. All in all, it will take at least a whole year." Pei Zhiji advised.
But the Queen Mother had made up her mind, leaving no room for negotiation: "I will draft an edict later, asking He Zhiyuan from the Ministry of Works to cooperate with you and build this palace as soon as possible, so that I can fulfill this wish."
After saying this, the Queen Mother felt her lips and teeth were irritated.
But the freshly brewed Five Gods Soup was still boiling violently in the pot.
Tihuo came to get the soup, wiping the thin layer of sweat that had seeped out of his forehead with his indigo narrow sleeves, soaking his collar. He hated himself for being lazy for half a minute today.
Lu Suizhu noticed his embarrassment and took advantage of the fact that there was no one in the hall and there was an embroidered screen to block the way and directly added the cold water in her bamboo tube.
In a flash, he handed Tihuo a bowl of warm soup. He nodded in gratitude and took it to the empress dowager to moisten her throat.
The Queen Mother took a sip and put it down. "One more thing. Ever since Grand Tutor Li drowned, His Majesty hasn't decided on a Grand Tutor for the Sixth Prince. I'm worried. I can't let the prince neglect his studies. After the court session, Pei Qing should go to the side hall of Shoukang Palace and teach him for an hour or so."
Pei Zhiji received the order.
Tihuo calculated the time and saw that the Queen Mother was also tired. "Master Pei, it's time for the Queen Mother to rest. Please go back first. I would like to ask Master Lu Qin to take Master Pei to find the Sixth Prince."
In the side hall, the Sixth Prince was seen sleeping on the table, with his book tilted to one side. His face was abnormally flushed, his breathing was a little rapid, and in his sleep he kept scratching his neck.
"The Sixth Prince is so seriously ill, why don't you call the imperial physician?" Lu Suizhu asked the palace maid standing beside her.
"The Imperial Concubine said the Sixth Prince just had a common cold and would be fine after sweating. There's no need to alert the Imperial Hospital."
The Sixth Prince opened his mouth and took a deep breath. Pei Zhiji reached out and gently lifted his collar. Sure enough, there was a subtle red rash. "Since the Sixth Prince has fallen asleep, let's go out first."
The side hall on the east side was the busiest. The palace musicians were rehearsing new music here. It had rained last night, and water had accumulated on the glazed tiles, forming clumps that slid down, just enough to cover up the sound of their conversations.
"The Sixth Prince has been poisoned." Pei Zhiji was very sure.
"The Sixth Prince is so favored, who would dare to poison him?" Lu Suizhu was a little surprised, and a chill rose up his spine.
Pei Zhiji gently tapped the white jade buckle on his waist, his fingertips feeling cool, and his movements were quite rhythmic. "Is there anything unusual in Shoukang Palace lately?"
"The Imperial Observatory has come several times, and the Sixth Prince has been coming more frequently than before." Lu Suizhu counted on her fingers. These days, the Sixth Prince came to pay his respects almost every day and stayed with the Empress Dowager for an hour or two.
"The Sixth Prince is already carrying the Mandate of Heaven, and the Empress Dowager firmly believes it. The Imperial Concubine is using a little self-torture to trick the Empress Dowager into wasting money and manpower building a prayer palace. This is truly absurd."
Pei Zhiji's dissatisfaction was evident in his words.
No wonder Xiao Mao was suspicious all day long and regarded the young Sixth Prince as a strong rival. Lu Suizhu also understood a lot in her heart.
The sound of the piano was harmonious and the rhythm was well-arranged. Lu Suizhu's eyebrows were as neat and clean as willow leaves, and they were slightly raised at this moment, with a clear look of pride.
"What do you think, Lord Pei? I personally tuned this piece of music. Is it worthy of being played at your banquet for all the officials?"
“It’s already outstanding.”
At the main hall door of Shoukang Palace, Tihuo came out carrying a basket of burning incense ashes. Looking at the two people standing quietly in the corridor, he walked straight towards them. He was young and his smile was like a spring breeze.
"Thank you, Master Lu Qin, for rescuing me. The Queen Mother has gone to bed today. Master Lu Qin, please leave the palace and rest. If you have any instructions, I will send someone to inform you in advance."
"Okay, thank you for reminding me, Master."
*
The simple old house has a main entrance facing the mourning hall. A white banner hangs high above a pinewood coffin. The name engraved on the mourning hall is Li Wensong.
After coming out of the palace gate, Pei Zhiji brought her here.
Pei Zhiji took three incense sticks from the incense table for her: "The matter of Fan Xi is over. I think you are also thinking about it in your heart."
She once burned paper for Master Li in the shabby thatched hut in the backyard of Pei's mansion. It turned out that Pei Zhiji had always remembered it.
Lu Suizhu took the incense and bowed three times devoutly, then placed the incense in the incense burner. "Master Li, although I was unable to apprehend your murderer, I have at least contributed in some small way to destroying the illegal mine. I hope you will find some peace in your afterlife."
The Li Mansion was deserted and empty, with only half a page of yellow paper scattered on the ground and the pungent smell of incense ash in the air.
After a long time, a trembling elderly woman walked in from outside. She was leaning on a crutch with one hand, her eyes seemed to be blurry and she squinted hard, dragging her heavy body and staggering forward.
Lu Suizhu hurriedly reached out to help. Only when the old woman got closer could she see Pei Zhiji's face clearly. She suddenly threw herself on the empty coffin in front of her, crying and laughing.
"Old man, Master Pei is here to see you again, and this time he's brought his wife with him. You must be happy!"
In the silence, a mournful sound resounded hoarsely. Pei Zhiji supported her sleeve, which seemed particularly empty due to her thinness. "The spirit of Grand Tutor Li in heaven would surely not want to see you grieving day and night."
But she refused to get up, her wrinkled hands still clinging to the wooden boards of the coffin, the pain in her heart had penetrated deep into her heart.
Taifu Li and his wife had a deep affection for each other. They were childhood sweethearts and married young. They had no children or concubines in their lives, and their story was praised by the court.
On that day, the body of Li Taifu had been soaked in the lake outside the capital for a long time and was completely unrecognizable. Xu Ruogu could not bear to carry it back, so he buried it on his own initiative and only sent someone to deliver an empty coffin.
Unexpectedly, after Mrs. Li was heartbroken, she dismissed all the servants in the house, set up a mourning hall herself, and guarded the empty coffin every day, crying until her eyes were almost blinded.
"The spirit in heaven?"
Madam Li grabbed Pei Zhiji's wide sleeves with her backhand, her eyes bloodshot as if she was crazy.
"If there really is a spirit in heaven, Master Pei, please tell me how this old man can rest in peace. He served diligently for decades, but in the end, he ended up like this."
"You're talking about drowning? My old man was able to swim when he was seven. That unscrupulous scoundrel Xu Ruogu just dismissed the case so hastily. Does he really think I'm stupid?"
"Master Pei was our old man's most proud disciple. When he was alive, he always lamented that your relationship as master and disciple was shallow. He just thought of it as a token of his old affection. Tell me! Tell us how our old man died."
Pei Zhiji let her tear and tear as much as she wanted without even frowning, and Madam Li was helpless.
He could only turn around and go to Lu Suizhu, holding her hand tightly, his cloudy eyes gradually turning red: "If he won't tell me, then you tell me!"
No one knew the circumstances of Grand Tutor Li's death better than Lu Suizhu. Facing Madam Li's pressing questioning, she couldn't remain as calm as Pei Zhiji. With difficulty, she turned her head away and said, "Please don't ask any more questions. Master Pei is keeping quiet for your own good."
Even if the living knew the truth, they would only feel helpless.
Mrs. Li seemed to have given up. She let go of the two of them, turned back with her head tilted, and sat back in front of the coffin.
She was dressed in mourning, with only the hem of her skirt tinged with ink. She held onto the coffin and hummed a little tune:
“Out of the east gate, there are women as numerous as clouds.
Although it is like a cloud, it is not what I think.
Wearing white clothes and red scarf, I enjoy myself with my friends.
When he came out of the door, there was a girl as beautiful as tea.
Although it is in full swing, it is not what I am thinking about.
Wearing white clothes and eating glutinous rice, I can entertain myself a little."
Seeing her immersed in grief and unable to extricate herself, not knowing whether she was conscious or confused, Lu Suizhu and Pei Zhiji had no choice but to leave.
Just turned around.
There was a loud "bang" behind her, and Mrs. Li hit the pillar.
Lu Suizhu turned around and looked at her drooping head and the wound that was bleeding profusely. She felt extremely confused.
When I held her in my arms, she still had her last breath.
His eye sockets bulged out from under his eyes as he squeezed Lu Suizhu and Pei Zhiji's hands with all his might. The veins on his neck bulged to the extreme, and from the depths of his throat, he hoarsely uttered four words: "Help him get revenge."
The yellow paper on the ground was blown by the wind and covered Mrs. Li's hands.
The mourning hall suddenly became lifeless.
After a long while, Pei Zhiji's Adam's apple rolled over with great difficulty: "They have no children in their lifetime. Let's help them complete their burial."
Lu Suizhu knelt beside Madam Li and nodded silently.
Pei Zhiji raised his hand to close her eyes, which were tightly open. When he took his hand back, she was shaking uncontrollably. Her body was bent and half-knelt on the ground. Red blood oozed from the corners of her lips, but he swallowed it back with force.
"Let's go, don't dirty their mourning hall."
Lu Suizhu helped him up, saw the blood at the corner of his mouth, lowered his head and let out a breath before speaking again as usual.
"Go find a good doctor. This won't work. The imperial physician is useless, but there are still rural doctors and wandering Taoist priests who can cure your illness."
A young man vomits blood, and his years are numbered. Even if he lives a long life, he will eventually become a useless person.
But Lu Suizhu didn't believe it.
Pei Zhiji shook his head, slowly put down the hand that Lu Suizhu had wiped his lips, and his voice sank into the mud and became heavy.
"Tell me... am I wrong?"
"You wanted to protect Master Li's widow, so you didn't tell her the truth."
"It's a pity that I'm not as noble as you think."
He just wanted to have evidence that could bring down the prince, and he didn't even take Madam Li into account when he was planning.
Master Li recognized him as his most proud disciple, how could he deserve such praise?
"It's a pity that I'm not as noble as you think."
Hidden beneath Pei Zhiji's words was a self-loathing and contempt that Lu Suizhu had never seen before, a side of him he never revealed to others.
Lu Suizhu touched his temples and straightened the official hat on his head, her voice gentle and calm.
"Build the palace well, be a good official, eat well, take good care of yourself, and don't think too much."
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