Chapter 65: Rescue Suspicion
Qingzan and Dong'er hadn't seen each other for a long time. This was the first time they saw someone like this, so they hurriedly called him into the house and told Doukou and others to guard outside.
"What terrible incident has happened to make you look so haggard? And who was the person you just said you wanted to save?"
Dong'er had just run all the way here hoping to see Master Ying as soon as possible, but now that the person was in front of her, she found it difficult to speak.
His Majesty personally ordered the punishment of this person. Just based on the little affection she had for Master Ying in the past, could she really make Master Ying speak up for her?
Perhaps out of embarrassment, the only thing Dong'er could think of was to kowtow twice: "I shouldn't have come to find the master, but this servant really can't think of anyone else who can save her."
Dong'er has witnessed His Majesty's special treatment of Master Ying from the very beginning.
Dong'er said, "Her name is Yunrong. She works in the tea room of the Taiji Palace. She's considered my half-apprentice. A while ago, I don't know what she did wrong, but she had her tendons cut, was given a mute drug, and thrown into the palace. I've spent a lot of money to take care of her, but she can't take care of herself now, so how can those people be willing to serve her? I slipped out to see her today, and her hair was full of lice. I'm afraid she has to go home immediately and be cared for by her relatives, so she can have a chance of survival."
There were no other palace maids in the inner room. Qingzan helped Dong'er up, but she did not respond for a long time.
I think only the emperor could punish the palace maids in Taiji Hall. But how could he rescue them if he didn't even know what they had done wrong?
They cut her tendons and made her speechless with medicine, which meant she couldn't speak or write...
Could it be that Yun Rong has discovered some secret of the emperor?
Qingzan returned to the couch and sat down. She saw Dong'er's hands were twisted together nervously. She really couldn't bear to say no. "You go back to Taiji Palace first. I will send someone to inform the Yiting Bureau. We will find a way to take care of her for a while. When the time is right, we can see if we can send her out of the palace."
It was already a very good result. The palace was in a turbulent time, and Master Ying herself was at the center of the storm. Dong'er thanked her profusely, but still returned with a worried look on her face.
*
In Huying Pavilion, all the palace servants have been warned recently not to make too much noise.
Outside, rumors swirled about a witchcraft case. It was said that the Empress Dowager had left Fengzao Palace in a rage, and that the Empress's fate was sealed, with the possibility of her being deposed at any moment. The world had turned upside down, seemingly in the blink of an eye.
But even though the sound came in repeatedly, Concubine Yang didn't care at all.
Xiao Tao had thought that the relationship between her master and the Queen had become much closer, and she was worried that her master would be so upset that he would plead for the Queen. Now she didn't know whether to be happy or sad. She didn't think the Queen was a good person, but her master's indifference also frightened her.
Concubine Yang sat quietly by the window, finishing her embroidery of a mandarin duck on the frame. She stopped working after finishing the embroidery. In her work basket, the ends of several different kinds of silk thread had been pulled out, tangling together in a chaotic and disorderly manner.
Xiao Tao walked over to help her tidy up: "Didn't the master say a few days ago that she would take good care of herself and become a concubine in glory? Why did you bring out this embroidery again? It's really annoying."
"What did you say?" Concubine Yang's expression was a little stiff. "You are talking about this... It's to be given to His Majesty on his birthday next year. If I don't hurry up and embroider it now, I'm afraid it will be too late by then."
Thinking about her master's recent strange behavior, Xiao Tao held her master's hands with both hands, looked at her and said, "Master, are you unhappy? Ever since Concubine Ying became pregnant and was promoted to Concubine, you..."
Originally, His Majesty did not come to accompany the master very often. The master often said that His Majesty was a man of vigor and vitality. Even if he often came to accompany the concubine when she was pregnant, he would not be of much help. Instead, it would make him feel depressed. Therefore, it was normal that he was unwilling to come.
As soon as Concubine Ke Ying became pregnant, not only did Rong Hua become a Concubine, but His Majesty also rushed to Chengluan Palace.
When comparing the two, some palace maids who like to gossip said that the one in Concubine Ying's belly is the treasure, and as for the master's, His Majesty has little affection for her at all.
The master's smiles became less and less frequent. The person who used to be the brightest and most cheerful would now sit in fear and cry at night.
Xiaotao heard that some women's temperaments change drastically during pregnancy and they suddenly become depressed.
"I'm fine." Yang Concubine comforted Xiao Tao perfunctorily. Xiao Tao thought about it and realized that she couldn't delay any longer. She served her master a cup of warm tea and two bites of cake, then went to the Imperial Medical Bureau.
When the imperial physician arrived, Concubine Yang spoke as usual, with nothing wrong except a frown on her face. She even poked Xiao Tao's forehead with a finger in a light tone of disapproval: "You, all you know is to cause trouble to the judge. What can I do?"
But the imperial physician looked unusually solemn. Medical practitioners emphasize observation, listening, questioning and palpation. As soon as he entered the room, he could see that Concubine Yang's eyes were dull and unfocused, and her face was pale and listless. How could she become like this in such a short time?
Some reckless little palace maid returned from outside and, as she lifted the door curtain, she shouted indignantly, "Master, guess what I heard. Concubine Ying went to Taiji Hall again. She even complained that Your Majesty's company was not enough—"
The little palace maid's voice suddenly stopped.
Yangpin picked up the scissors with tears in her eyes, and waved her hands uncontrollably, cutting the embroidered silk in the basket.
The entire piece of shark silk was torn into pieces, and the golden scissors fell on Concubine Yang's legs, scaring everyone in the room into panic.
Xiao Tao was also frightened and cried: "Master, this servant will go to find His Majesty right now, no, this servant will go to find the Queen Mother!"
*
In the Taiji Hall, Dong'er returned to the courtyard of her lower room with a guilty conscience, and opened and closed the door in one go like a thief.
When she turned around, she saw that Xu Dajian was actually waiting for her in the room!
Xu Delu sat at the wooden table, sipping his tea slowly. He pinched his throat a little, and his voice was particularly soft: "Where did you go?"
Dong'er wasn't actually that afraid of Xu Delu. This eunuch had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, so she approached him with a somewhat flattering attitude and said, "Eunuch, you don't know me yet. Where can I go? I'm just wandering around. I just saw that the osmanthus flowers outside have all fallen this year. I can pick them up and make osmanthus dew."
Xu Delu snorted coldly, "Isn't it the sweet-scented osmanthus in Chengluan Palace?"
Dong'er was exposed. She hung her head and muttered softly, "Where can there be osmanthus flowers in Chengluan Palace?"
Xu Delu made his point clear, saying earnestly, "Don't worry about Yunrong's affairs anymore, or our family won't be able to save you."
Dong'er is not stupid. She knows that she is taking a risk now. It would be fine if His Majesty does not care, but once he gets angry, she might be sent to the palace.
"Anyway, I have eunuch to guide me. Eunuch has a keen eye, so please don't expose me." She clasped her hands together, prayed to the big Buddha Xu Delu several times, and said a lot of nice words of gratitude.
"May you wish yourself good luck!" Xu Delu couldn't leave for too long, so he sighed helplessly and went back to serve the emperor.
The emperor was standing before the towering antique display cabinet again, his figure tall and straight, holding a sword tassel in his hand, which was old and faded.
Xu Delu was secretly shocked. He seemed like a demon to other palace maids, but he was under the control of a true god.
The emperor spoke in a casual tone, stroked the tassel twice, and then put it back on the grid: "This was given to me by my father when I was still a prince."
This is reminiscing about the past.
Xu Delu said in a pleasant way, "In the blink of an eye, Your Majesty will become a father again. Who knows whether more princes in the palace will be fond of literature or martial arts."
The emperor did not respond.
Then, he said in a deep voice, which was completely unrelated to what Xu Delu was thinking: "Tell me, why didn't she send me anything?"
Huh? Xu Delu finally understood what His Majesty had been thinking when he held that shabby old sword tassel. No wonder he looked so lonely.
You know who she is referring to without asking.
Thinking about it carefully, it seemed that Concubine Ying had never given His Majesty anything serious. She had given him food a few times, but Xu Delu couldn't remember anything else.
Unlike other masters, who would send sachets every now and then, there were sweet-scented osmanthus sachets for Mid-Autumn Festival and evil-averting sachets for Double Ninth Festival, as if they wanted to hang them all over the emperor's body.
But Your Majesty, you don't look down on it either.
Xu Delu said, "Master Ying probably hasn't had time to send him off yet. Your Majesty and Master Ying are both blessed with great fortune. The royal heir arrived so quickly. Now that Master Ying is pregnant, she certainly can't overwork herself."
It seemed that he was speaking for Qingzan, but in fact he was comforting the emperor.
Xiao Fang picked up the sword tassel again: "Put it away and give it to her when she comes today."
Xu Delu said "Hey" and walked over to take it with both hands.
But how did Your Majesty know that Concubine Ying would come today?
Just as Xu Delu was struggling over whether to speak out his doubts, the eunuch came in and said, "Your Majesty, Concubine Ying is here!"
Xu Delu was shocked, wondering if the Emperor and his concubine had already made an appointment. However, this did not stop him from expressing exaggerated praise in surprise: "Master Ying really came? Your Majesty is truly amazing."
The emperor, however, did not cast a comforting glance in the direction of the person who was about to appear as usual. Instead, he walked straight past Xu Delu and pulled his lip with a deep and helpless look: "Since someone has gone to invite her, why wouldn't she come?"
Xu Delu reacted immediately and hurriedly tried to distance himself from the matter with a sad face: "Your Majesty, please understand. I did not help Dong'er to conceal the truth."
Your Majesty will not be angry with Master Ying, right?
Xu Delu soon discovered that his worries were unnecessary, as the emperor had gone out to pick someone up in person.
When Qingzan arrived, seasonal fruits and vegetables had already been laid out in the hall, and palace servants were serving snacks one after another.
As soon as the emperor and his concubine entered, the other palace servants consciously retreated.
The emperor sat down and extended his hand, motioning her to come and sit down.
"I don't know how to take care of me. If you miss me, just send someone to tell me."
"I don't have to walk by myself now, so I won't be tired." Qing Zan didn't snuggle into the emperor's outstretched sleeves, but chose to sit on the other end of the Arhat couch. She looked at the dazzling array of fruits on the table and asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, did you know I was coming?"
There were many fresh snacks that had clearly been carefully prepared, evidently prepared in advance. When the emperor was alone, he never cared much for his appetite.
The emperor seemed to answer but didn't quite. "I know you haven't had much of an appetite lately."
Qing Zan was about to pick a milk date to taste when Xiao Fang quickly and accurately grabbed her wrist and asked, "Why are you so far away from me?"
"Aren't you tired of talking like this?"
The fruit almost fell back onto the plate. The emperor held her in place and sat closer to her.
"I have come to discuss serious matters with Your Majesty." Qing Zan fed the milk date to the emperor: "I would like to ask Your Majesty for someone."
Xiao Fang slowly swallowed the sweet taste in his mouth, still holding the lotus root in his palm. Today, he was unusually hard-hearted: "No."
Not only did he refuse, but since she asked for the palace maid whose mouth he had silenced, there was no need to spare her life. In this world, only the dead can truly keep their mouths shut.
Qing Zan: "Your Majesty hasn't even asked who it is yet."
The emperor didn't even raise his eyelids, so why bother asking? How could he not know her?
Qing Zan brought up the case of witchcraft: "I didn't expect the Empress to hate me to this extent. The person I want to ask for is called Fu Cui, and she is currently imprisoned by the Palace Administration Department. I was helped by her when I was in Fengzao Palace. Now, because of the Empress, she must have suffered a lot."
The emperor was slightly surprised, but even though the person she wanted to save wasn't Yun Rong, he didn't nod in agreement. Instead, he said coldly, "Even though the queen has acted unethically, you should avoid suspicion. Do you know what it means to ask for the maids from Fengzao Palace at this time?"
Qingzan wanted to feed the emperor a freshly steamed butter-covered snail, but the emperor turned his head away, as these were prepared for her according to her taste.
Qing Zan: "If Your Majesty trusts me, why should I avoid suspicion? If Your Majesty does not trust me, it is useless for me to be restrained and avoid her everywhere. I have received her kindness, and even if it is not good for me now, I always want to repay her... Not only her, but also the others in Fengzao Palace. I beg Your Majesty, no matter what, do not punish them."
When Fu Cui agreed to help her put the doll under the queen's bed, in exchange, she also promised her that she would be allowed to come to Chengluan Palace so that she would no longer have to live with her head hanging on her belt.
Moreover, even if she deliberately avoided suspicion, given the emperor's suspicious nature, he might not doubt the role she played in the matter. It would be better for her to be open and honest.
The emperor lowered his eyes slightly, and was about to repay the favor. Could her feelings for him also stem from this?
Just then, someone came from Ziquan Palace.
Not long ago, someone from Ziquan Palace came to report to the emperor the results of the empress dowager's interrogation. The emperor simply assumed the empress dowager wanted to discuss the witchcraft issue with him, but he didn't realize the palace attendant was asking for someone else: "The empress dowager requests Concubine Ying come over."
Qingzan had already prepared herself for the fact that the witchcraft case would not end like this, and she was not afraid of the empress dowager's questioning.
Just as he was about to follow the palace maid, he was stopped by Xiao Fang.
"Wait a minute."
Qingzan turned around.
Facing each other, Xiao Fang lowered his gaze, as if he couldn't bear to spoil the beauty of the red cherry blossoms and snow. After a moment, he gently wiped the cream off her lips and asked, "Do you want me to go with you?"
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