Chapter 320 Jealousy (First Update)
"Forget it, why are you arguing with an old beggar? He looks like a madman, and this place doesn't work." Another young man tugged at the scholar's sleeve and pointed to his head, indicating that the scholar shouldn't bother with the old beggar.
On the surface, it seems like they are trying to mediate the fight and not hold a grudge, but in fact, isn't it a blatant mockery of the old beggar?
What does a beggar on the street know?
Does he understand chess? Does he know what the Eight Great Chess Games of the Six Kingdoms are? Does he understand the difficulty of the Kun opening?
It's nothing!
"No, it isn't." No matter how others looked at him, the old beggar kept repeating these words.
Fortunately, most of the onlookers were scholars, and apart from making a few sarcastic remarks about the old beggar, they did not do anything excessive like pushing or shoving him.
The old beggar left muttering to himself, and the crowd, watching his incoherent ramblings, became even more convinced that he was a madman.
Xiao Liulang never liked to join in the fun, and after waiting for a while without seeing any signs of the road clearing up, he had Liu Quan change course.
Summer days are long and nights are short, and it was still bright when we arrived at the palace.
The palace guards stopped the carriage: "Who goes there?"
"Hanlin Compiler Xiao Liulang." Xiao Liulang thought about asking him to go to Renshou Palace to announce their arrival, but then he saw Xiao Jingkong take out a token from his pocket. "Here! Can we go in now?"
The guard's expression didn't change much when he heard the title "Hanlin Compiler," but upon seeing the token, he immediately adopted a respectful attitude: "Yes, of course!"
The guards gave way, and the carriage entered the palace gate.
Xiao Liulang looked at Xiao Jingkong with astonishment: "Where did you get the token?"
Xiao Jingkong calmly put the token away: "It was given to me by my aunt. Don't you have one?"
Xiao Liulang: Of course not!
Xiao Jingkong counted on his fingers and said, "Jiaojiao has one, and Brother Xiaoshun and Brother Yan have one too."
So he's the only one without it?!
a bolt from the blue! ! !
Little Jingkong had no idea that her wicked brother-in-law didn't have the token given by her aunt. The carriage wasn't allowed to enter the inner palace, so it stopped near the Golden Palace.
Little Jingkong jumped off the carriage and ran towards the inner palace.
There were guards at the boundary between the inner palace and the outer palace, but both of them knew Xiao Jingkong and knew that he was not only a guest of the Seventh Prince, but also a guest of Renshou Palace, so they let him in without worry.
Xiao Liulang's life took a tragic turn.
He was stopped yet again.
Little Jingkong arrived at Renshou Palace in one breath. Empress Dowager Zhuang asked who brought him, and he replied, "You bad brother-in-law." Only then did Eunuch Qin rush over to fetch him.
When Eunuch Qin first saw Xiao Liulang, he was so frightened by Xiao Liulang's appearance that he almost thought he had seen a ghost.
Thinking about it later, it seems impossible. If it really was the deceased Xiao Heng, how could he have saved the Empress Dowager in the first place?
Xiao Liulang and Eunuch Qin went to Renshou Palace.
Empress Dowager Zhuang was about to have her meal when she saw Xiao Jingkong arrive, so she ordered the kitchen to prepare vegetarian dishes.
Empress Dowager Zhuang was not surprised by Xiao Jingkong's sudden visit, but she was astonished that Xiao Jingkong was sent by Xiao Liulang.
Of course, she didn't show it on her face.
The kitchen staff worked quickly, and soon served several exquisite and delicious vegetarian dishes.
Eunuch Qin brought over a chair.
Xiao Jingkong was small in stature. In the countryside, children this young usually didn't eat at the table. Instead, they were given a bowl and taken to the side to eat with the women in the kitchen.
However, Gu Jiao did not have the habit of women and children not sitting at the table. Gu Jiao personally made a special chair for Xiao Jingkong, which was higher than a regular chair and had a guardrail in front of him to prevent him from falling.
Xiao Liulang hadn't expected that Renshou Palace would also have such a chair.
It was clearly not Gu Jiao who did it.
Xiao Liulang glanced at Empress Dowager Zhuang but said nothing.
The three of them began to eat.
Empress Dowager Zhuang dismissed the palace maids who were serving the dishes.
Xiao Liulang only learned after entering the Hanlin Academy that there were special Hanlin officials who recorded the emperor's daily life. The emperor's every word and deed, his daily meals, etiquette and rules would all be recorded.
Records will also be kept of the Empress Dowager and the Empress.
These are all recorded in the palace annals for future generations to review.
Empress Dowager Zhuang's dismissal of palace servants may seem like a minor matter, but it will actually be remembered.
She wouldn't be completely indifferent, otherwise she would have already let herself go long ago.
She cared but still did it, without offering any explanation.
If he hadn't become a Hanlin official, who would know how far she had gone for them?
For them?
Or is it for a small purification?
Xiao Liulang lowered his eyes.
Forget it, why should he care about that?
He wasn't there to enjoy family time with Empress Dowager Zhuang; that was Xiao Jingkong.
He has important business to attend to.
Renshou Palace has undergone two expansions and is even larger than the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace. After finishing his meal, Xiao Jingkong began his adventure.
Wow! What a tall swing!
As soon as Xiao Jingkong entered the side hall, he saw a super swing that was three times taller than the swing in the East Palace. When he swung on it, he could almost see the entire palace.
"I want to play! I want to play!"
He was already eager to try.
Eunuch Qin summoned two top imperial guards to accompany Xiao Jingkong on the swing.
Xiao Liulang had visited Renshou Palace when he was a child. It was in the courtyard of this side hall that he was poisoned. However, many years had passed, and even revisiting the place could not trigger any more memories for him.
However, one thing he was certain of was that the Renshou Palace in the past never had a swing.
Because Empress Dowager Zhuang did not like children.
Xiao Liulang soon discovered that Renshou Palace had not only swings, but also a lot of wood waiting to be carved, jade for people to play with, and... rare medicinal herbs collected from all over the country.
Gu Jiao and her three younger brothers each have something of their own.
Xiao Liulang was the only one missing.
Xiao Liulang kept repeating "I don't care, I don't care" in his mind, but a strange, faint emotion unconsciously welled up in his heart.
He didn't know what it was, but anyway... he didn't feel well.
Xiao Liulang tried to ignore the strange feeling in his chest and turned to look for Eunuch Qin, but caught a glimpse of Empress Dowager Zhuang sitting leisurely in a rattan chair, drinking tea.
Empress Dowager Zhuang is looking at Xiao Jingkong.
Xiao Liulang sighed. Sure enough, he not only had no token or anything that belonged to him, but he couldn't even get a glance from him.
Forget it, he doesn't care anyway.
Eunuch Qin brought over a plate of fresh fruits and said to Xiao Liulang with a smile, "Xiao Xiuzhuan, I noticed you didn't eat much just now. Is the food at Renshou Palace not to your liking?"
Having lived in Bishui Hutong, Eunuch Qin naturally knew how much Xiao Liulang ate.
Xiao Liulang said nonchalantly, "No, the food was very good, it's just that the weather is too hot, so I didn't have much of an appetite."
Eunuch Qin said, "I knew it would be like this. This is freshly cut honeydew melon, chilled, and there's also plum juice, both of which are appetizing. Xiao Xiuzhuan, have a simple meal first, and I'll have the kitchen prepare a few more dishes you like later."
"No need," Xiao Liulang declined.
"I want it! I want it!" Xiao Jingkong shouted from high above.
Xiao Liulang's lips twitched. How could they hear them talking so quietly when they were swinging so high?
Eunuch Qin smiled and looked at him: "Good, good! What would you like to eat? This servant will have someone make it for you in a moment!"
Xiao Jingkong said anxiously, "I...I...I can't remember right now! I'll come down and tell you in a bit!"
Eunuch Qin smiled and agreed, "Alright!"
Xiao Liulang glanced at Empress Dowager Zhuang again, seemingly unintentionally.
Empress Dowager Zhuang continued to sip her tea with her head down, seemingly never glancing in his direction from beginning to end.
Xiao Liulang felt a tightness in his chest again. Did they really dislike him that much?
Xiao Liulang took a deep breath and decided to take care of business first: "Eunuch Qin, may I ask you about someone?"
"Ah, go ahead and tell me."
"Do you... know any palace maids or concubines with a mole on their wrist? On their left wrist?"
Eunuch Qin thought for a moment and shook his head: "I don't know them, and I've never seen them before." He explained with an embarrassed smile, "I'm a eunuch. If you ask a eunuch, I know a lot. But as for palace maids and concubines... I dare not stare at their hands for too long."
He didn't ask Xiao Liulang why he was inquiring about this.
Xiao Liulang wasn't surprised by this answer; he hadn't held out much hope anyway: "Does the Empress Dowager know her?"
"This servant will go and ask." Eunuch Qin didn't say you could ask the Empress Dowager, but since Xiao Liulang had come to him for help, it was clear he didn't want to ask the Empress Dowager himself.
Whether it was out of embarrassment or some other reason, we don't know.
After asking, Eunuch Qin came over to Xiao Liulang and said, "Even the Empress Dowager didn't notice."
"Then forget it, it's not a big deal anyway," Xiao Liulang said calmly. "By the way, is Zhang, the head of the Shanggong Bureau, in the palace today? An old friend of hers asked me to send her something from outside the palace and to deliver it to her personally."
Eunuch Qin summoned a young eunuch: "Go to the Shanggong Bureau and ask if Steward Zhang is on duty. If she is, invite her to Renshou Palace."
I'm not feeling well today, so I won't stay up late writing (even though I've already stayed up until 1 a.m.). I'll start writing again when I get up at 2 a.m., so please come back to read later.
(End of this chapter)
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