Chapter 105: Domineering White Moonlight 24 Escape
The ceremonies of the new emperor's enthronement and the emperor and empress's wedding were proceeding in full swing. Although the court officials had some objections to the new empress's background, this marriage was arranged by the Empress Dowager, and the new empress had been raised in the palace since childhood and was a princess canonized by the previous emperor.
Therefore, apart from the initial disputes that were suppressed by the new emperor, no one in the court dared to oppose it.
However, these old ministers turned their attention to another matter: the first selection of candidates after the new emperor ascended the throne.
According to the ancestral system of this dynasty, no selection will be held within three years of the new emperor's accession to the throne as the country is still in mourning.
However, most of the previous emperors had children when they ascended the throne. Even if they did not, they would still have a principal wife and concubines in their mansion, not counting other concubines.
But the new emperor now has no concubines in the Eastern Palace. Even when the emperor and empress get married, there is only the empress in the harem.
To prevent the new emperor from favoring the empress exclusively and leaving the six palaces empty like the previous emperor, resulting in a lack of offspring, the old ministers who had served through two dynasties wrote petitions to the emperor, requesting that the selection of concubines be put on the agenda after the emperor and empress's wedding.
After hearing this, Xie Jingchuan simply suppressed their advice by saying, "The late emperor has passed away, and I have no interest in the harem. Now I should focus on the affairs of the court."
As for the matter of Xu Xing, after the Xu family went to Beijing, they finally received news from the palace.
Xu Xing wrote a personal letter, telling his family not to worry about him. His Majesty did not make things difficult for him. Instead, he was entrusted with important tasks and asked for advice from time to time.
After revising the results of the case several times, the Censorate guessed the emperor's intention and found the commander of the imperial guards who had gone to arrest Xu Xing as a scapegoat, dismissing him from his post and investigating him.
After reading the memorial submitted by the Censorate, Xie Jingchuan gave the commander a light punishment and a severe warning, fining him one year's salary and ordering him to reflect on his actions in seclusion.
On this day, Chen Yizi was summoned to the palace and was waiting outside the Qinzheng Hall.
He is now the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards. Because the commander was dismissed, he and another deputy commander are temporarily acting as the commander of the Imperial Guards.
Chen Yizi didn't have to wait too long. The door of the Qinzheng Hall was soon opened and the palace servants invited him in.
The hall was completely silent. Green smoke from sandalwood curled up from the Suanni beast furnace, swirling between the empty and towering beams and pillars of the hall before finally disappearing into thin air.
Xie Jingchuan sat upright behind the imperial desk, dressed in a dark uniform. The golden dragon in the sea of clouds embroidered with gold thread reflected his unmistakable majesty under the light.
Although he had been on the throne for only a few days, the last trace of gentleness from his time as a crown prince had been washed away from his brow, leaving only the calmness and coldness of a deep pool.
Chen Yizi paid his respects and gave a brief report when he heard a few light coughs.
He looked up and saw that Xie Jingchuan's face was indeed pale. He turned his head and put his fist under his lips. There was a faint bitter smell of medicine in the hall.
From being confined in the Eastern Palace to the death of the previous emperor and then to the ascension of the new emperor, in just a few months, Xie Jingchuan was always exhausted and even a strong body could not bear it.
"Your Majesty, please take care of yourself." Chen Yizi paused, his tone earnest.
Xie Jingchuan shook his head, his voice hoarse from coughing: "It's okay, just keep talking."
Chen Yizhi had no choice but to continue speaking. Coincidentally, the palace door behind him opened again, and a palace attendant from the Qinzheng Palace walked in carrying a food box. "Your Majesty, the Princess of the Hidden Moon Pavilion sent someone to deliver pear soup."
When Chen Yizi heard Ali's name, his eyebrows moved.
Xie Jingchuan shifted his scrutinizing gaze from his face and said, "Give it to me."
Mo Wen, who was standing by and waiting on the side, stepped forward to take the food box and scolded in a low voice, "I've told you a hundred times that you should call her Empress. How come you only care about food and not punishment? Get out!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yizi lowered his eyes to hide the disappointment in his eyes.
The palace servant quickly closed the door and left. Mo Wen took out the soup bowl and placed it on the imperial desk. "The Empress knows that Your Majesty is ill, so she personally makes pear soup for you every day. This kind gesture is truly precious."
Xie Jingchuan's gentle gaze fell on the bowl of steaming pear soup, and he uttered only two words lightly: "Too much talk."
Mo Wen knew best how much his Majesty had devoted to the Empress. Now that the Empress had responded, he was sincerely happy for his Majesty: "I am sorry for being nosy, but this pear soup is sweet and delicious, soothing the throat and relieving coughs. It's much better than those bitter medicines from the Imperial Hospital. Your Majesty, please use some."
The Qinzheng Hall fell silent again, leaving only the subtle clinking of spoons.
Chen Yizi stood in the middle of it, feeling that every moment was torture.
In a few days, the woman whose smile could fill him with joy would marry someone else. Would he be able to see her again and talk to her as freely as before?
Finally, Xie Jingchuan put down the soup bowl and slowly wiped the corner of his lips: "Chen Aiqing, please continue."
Chen Yizi struggled to move the corners of his mouth, and after a while he found his voice: "Yes, Your Majesty."
The sweet pear soup was like a good medicine, which made Xie Jingchuan's tired body feel much more relaxed, and the brows that were originally furrowed due to discomfort gradually relaxed.
Seeing Chen Yizi's distraught look, Xie Jingchuan did not make things difficult for him. As long as he behaved himself in the future and stopped dreaming of impossible people, he would not do anything again.
Chen Yizi quickly came out of the Qinzheng Hall. He lowered his head quietly, no longer as high-spirited as when he came.
After walking a few steps outside, he saw a figure in the distance. It was Lord Wang, the Minister of Revenue.
Chen Yizhi stepped forward to greet him. Lord Wang also noticed him and stopped to exchange a few words of greeting.
"I was thinking of visiting Lord Wang later and didn't want to meet him here." Chen Yizi said.
Lord Wang was a little surprised. The Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Guards had never had much contact, so he didn't know what required them to visit him.
Chen Yizhi saw his confusion and took the initiative to speak, "As Lord Wang knows, the Imperial Guards guard the capital and control the entry and exit of people inside and outside the capital. Recently, my brothers have discovered during patrols that refugees have been arriving outside the city. I heard they are from Nan County, where there is a famine."
Lord Wang frowned and said, "But there have been no reports of famine in recent days. Is what Commander Chen said true?"
Chen Yizhi nodded: "It is absolutely true. If you don't believe me, you can go to the city gate with me and see for yourself."
Lord Wang straightened his expression and said, "If there really is a famine, and the prefectures and counties below have not reported it, then this is a serious matter. I must report it to His Majesty immediately."
Chen Yizhi stopped him and said, "I have just come out of the Qinzheng Palace and noticed that Your Majesty looks ill. The situation outside the city is still unclear. It would be better to investigate thoroughly before reporting to Your Majesty."
Lord Wang thought his words made sense and nodded. "Commander Chen, please wait outside the palace gate for a moment. I will report the matter at hand to His Majesty and then reunite with Commander Chen. We will go outside the city together to take a look."
"That's great. It would be best if we could find out the situation tomorrow. At the latest, tomorrow night, you and I will come together to report to Your Majesty." Chen Yizi said.
Lord Wang agreed and turned to walk towards the Qinzheng Hall.
Chen Yizi clenched the memorial in his hand, took one last look in the direction of Yinyue Pavilion, and then strode away.
*
Because Xie Jingchuan attached great importance to this wedding, Ali was woken up before dawn every day to try on clothes and jewelry.
It was not known how many times that Ali was surrounded by palace servants and stood in front of the huge bronze mirror. With his eyelashes drooped, he concealed all his emotions and let the palace servants control him.
The female official from the Shangfu Bureau knelt at her feet, carefully adjusting every fold of her skirt, muttering to herself: "Your Majesty, please stand up straighter... Here, yes, here, show a little more waistline..."
Ali moved his stiff neck slightly and glanced casually towards the inside of the bedroom.
The layered gauze curtains were half pulled up by golden hooks, revealing the spacious bed inside.
Xie Jingchuan casually put on a black nightgown with the belt untied, revealing his well-defined chest.
He lay on his side on the bed, supporting his head with one hand, his black hair loose, lacking his usual imperial majesty and gaining a bit of lazy aggressiveness.
Seeing Ali being pulled to try on clothes, he looked at her directly with an interested smile in his eyes.
In fact, Xie Jingchuan woke up long before Ali was arrested.
In the still dark daylight, he quietly gazed at Ali's sleeping face, playing with her fingers tirelessly, as if he could never get enough of looking at her.
"The color of this one suits you." Xie Jingchuan suddenly spoke, his voice carrying the hoarse magnetism unique to waking up in the morning, and it sounded particularly clear in this hall filled with the sound of rustling fabrics.
The female official smiled and replied, "Your Majesty has fair skin, so any color looks beautiful on her."
Xie Jingchuan nodded proudly: "Try the phoenix crown again."
At his words, the palace servants became busy again.
Ali felt the phoenix crown adorned with oriental pearls and gems being carefully placed on her head. It was so heavy that it almost suffocated her.
The figure reflected in the bronze mirror is wearing a tall hat, a wide belt, and gorgeous clothes. Even without makeup, she is breathtakingly beautiful.
There was something strange in Ali's eyes, but it quickly passed away. "What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"Very beautiful." The curve of Xie Jingchuan's mouth deepened a little. He changed into a comfortable posture, but his eyes never left her.
Ali's heart was beating coldly under her gorgeous clothes, and a perfect blush appeared on her face, as if she was shy because of his compliment.
Xie Jingchuan sighed: "Try the other ones too."
He didn't want to let her down on something that would only happen once in a lifetime, and he wanted to bring all the treasures and gorgeous clothes in the world to her for her to choose from.
Ah Li seemed to have finally lost her patience. She squinted at Xie Jingchuan in the mirror and said through gritted teeth, "Is this the end?"
The female officials of the Shangfu Bureau were so frightened by the Queen Mother's bold words that they immediately knelt down. Lan Xin and Ming Shuang were also a little trembling.
Xie Jingchuan was stunned at first, then burst into laughter: "I was wondering why you were in such a good mood today. You've been pretending for so long and finally can't help it? You're still this arrogant and unreasonable look. I'm used to it."
Ali was so angry that he gritted his teeth, knowing that this person was deliberately teasing him.
She pulled off the phoenix crown on her head and threw it at him, but the direction was off and it hit an embroidery stand beside the bed, bringing down the silk cloth covering it.
Xie Jingchuan looked over and saw that it seemed to be a pattern of a dragon and phoenix veil.
He just reached out to take it for a closer look, but Ali had already run over and blocked his way: "Don't look!"
Seeing her fierce and guilty look, Xie Jingchuan couldn't help but want to tease her: "I want to watch."
As he spoke, he propped himself up, reached around behind her with his long arms, and took the embroidery stand in his hands.
Ali was startled and quickly turned around, trying to snatch the embroidery tent from his tightly clenched hands.
But how could she have the strength to pry Xie Jingchuan's hand apart?
During the struggle, Xie Jingchuan's pajamas were completely opened by her without her knowing it, and the palace maids in the hall had already retreated very tactfully.
The smile on Xie Jingchuan's lips grew deeper and deeper. He exerted force with his hands and held the restlessly moving A Li in his arms from behind.
Ali was so focused on snatching the embroidery frame from his hand that she didn't pay any attention to Xie Jingchuan's actions. When she saw him finally let go, she quickly hid the embroidery frame in her arms.
Xie Jingchuan's hearty and joyful laughter came from behind her ears, vibrating slightly against her chest. Ali instantly calmed down, and her heart skipped a beat.
Feeling Xie Jingchuan's hands restlessly on her waist, and his hot lips kissing her red earlobes and the back of her neck, Ali's face flushed red and she kept dodging: "It's still daytime!"
Xie Jingchuan didn't say anything and only responded to her with actions.
The two of them had been sleeping on the same bed for such a long time, and there had been some unexpected incidents, but every time he would go to the side hall to take a shower by himself, and it had never been as uncontrollable as it was today.
Ali was so anxious that he was sweating all over, but his hands and feet became weak and he couldn't use any strength at all.
She bit her lip and quickly escaped from the devil's clutches while her gorgeous clothes were being stripped off. She turned around and faced him: "Your Majesty, you must not indulge in lust in broad daylight!"
She glanced at the light outside the window again and stammered anxiously, "It's just dawn!"
Xie Jingchuan's embrace suddenly fell away, and his brows, which were obviously moved, frowned in dissatisfaction. Looking closely, he seemed a little aggrieved and confused.
Ali leaned against the edge of the table, staying far away from him, not daring to speak.
Xie Jingchuan lowered his eyes resignedly, remaining motionless for a long moment before he spoke in a hoarse voice, "It's just a veil you embroidered yourself. What's the harm in me taking a look?"
The royal family is different from the common people. They never require the bride to embroider her wedding dress or veil by herself, and Xie Jingchuan never thought of asking Alifei to do this.
Today, when he suddenly saw her embroidering the veil herself, and knew that she was also making careful preparations for the upcoming wedding, Xie Jingchuan couldn't help but feel warm in his heart, and for a moment he forgot about everything and indulged himself.
Ah Li shook his head repeatedly and hugged the embroidery tent tighter: "I am not good at embroidery. You can see it on the day of the wedding so that you won't make fun of me."
Xie Jingchuan still leaned against the headboard somewhat stiffly. Seeing that she was so principled, he stopped pushing her. His ambiguous gaze fell on her slender waist, which he held tightly in his hand. "What about this?"
Ali followed his gaze, his face flushed, and his voice was as low as a mosquito: "...We're also waiting for the wedding day."
"This is what Ali promised, and you are not allowed to regret it later." Xie Jingchuan deliberately dragged out his tone, his eyes swept across her flushed face, and he was in a good mood.
Ali's palms were sweating, and he said in a boastful tone, "Are you going to sleep or not? If not, get up! I'm going to ask someone to come in and help me change my clothes."
The wedding clothes were layered and wrapped up Ali like a dumpling. It was impossible for her to take off the clothes by herself, and she had to have someone to help her.
Xie Jingchuan refused to move: "Don't bother, I'll help you change."
After saying that, he made a move to stand up, which frightened Ali so much that he pulled out the phoenix hairpin on his head and pointed at him: "You, you, you, don't come over here!"
Xie Jingchuan raised his hands obediently, but a smile spread in his eyes: "Okay, I won't go over. Put down the hairpin and be careful not to hurt yourself."
Ali didn't move, staring at him as if facing a great enemy.
Xie Jingchuan could only sigh, got off the bed and walked towards the side hall.
The palace door opened and the palace maids filed in to help Ali take off his clothes.
Xie Jingchuan walked behind the screen and looked back greedily, and saw Ali frowning and complaining to Mingshuang and the others about his bad behavior.
He looked away and smiled knowingly.
The sweetness and warmth of this moment almost gave him the illusion that it would last forever.
After Xie Jingchuan left, Lan Xin and the people from the Shangfu Bureau packed up their things and went out together. Only Mingshuang was left in the hall with A Li.
Mingshuang gently massaged Ali's sore neck. Seeing her drooping eyelashes, she was too tired to say a word and had completely lost her lively and agile nature.
A trace of heartache flashed in Mingshuang's eyes. She hesitated for a long time and finally took that step.
The comfortable hand on her shoulder suddenly left. Ali opened her eyes and saw Ming Shuang kneeling in front of her. "What happened?"
Mingshuang did not rush to speak, but kowtowed to her three times solemnly.
Ali frowned and stood up: "What happened?"
When Ming Shuang raised her head, her eyes were already red. "I once told the princess that I was sold to the palace by my family. As the eldest sister, I should do this to support my younger siblings' education."
"Fortunately, I was lucky. After entering the palace, I was assigned to Shou'an Palace. However, in the beginning, the older palace maids always bullied us newcomers. At that time, I couldn't eat a full meal for several days. I was so thin that my bones were visible, and I was sick. No one cared about my life or death."
"Later, when the princess was older, she wanted to choose a palace maid to serve her personally. The Empress Dowager asked you to pick a few from the Shou'an Palace, and you chose me at first sight."
Mingshuang's voice choked with sobs, "Everyone knows that serving the princess is a lucrative job, and they desperately pushed forward. I couldn't compete with them, so I could only stand timidly at the back. But you still took one look at me and made me go from a lowly palace maid who barely had enough to eat to become the princess's personal maid."
Ali's expression couldn't help but be moved. She was less than ten years old at that time, so how could she know how to choose someone.
However, looking at that skinny little girl squeezed at the back, her big eyes full of timidity and nervousness, she was like another self in the world. Facing these numerous palaces, she could never fit in and always looked out of place.
Ming Shuang continued to cry, "After I came to your side, I sent most of my monthly allowance back home. When you found out, not only did you not scold me, but you found all sorts of excuses to give me extra rewards..."
Lan Xin had felt resentful of the princess's rewards many times, and she had excluded her openly and covertly.
The princess was extremely observant and even noticed the undercurrents among her servants. From then on, whenever she gave them rewards, her attitude was always extremely bad and unruly, which scared Lan Xin so much that she never dared to ask for rewards from the princess again.
Only Mingshuang, who was in the middle of it, knew that although her princess was harsh in her words, she was actually the softest-hearted person. She was like this to them, the servants, and also to His Majesty.
Ming Shuang kowtowed heavily, her tone firm: "I'm going to say something bold. You are now being forced to stay by His Majesty's side. Although you are smiling, you are not happy. I have seen it all...
"No matter what you want to do, I am willing to die for you, even if it means death!"
After hearing these heartfelt words, it would be a lie for Ali to say he was not shocked, but what followed was endless suspicion and doubt.
The emotion in her eyes was replaced by scrutiny, and she spoke and moved without any action.
Is this Mingshuang's own idea? Or is there someone behind her teaching her to say this?
Is it Xie Jingchuan? What is he trying to test with this action?
Did he discover her plan and wanted to use Mingshuang to gain her trust so that he could catch them all in one fell swoop?
Ali felt his mind was in chaos and he couldn't grasp anything.
Can she trust Mingshuang?
Mingshuang's tears fell even harder after not hearing the princess' voice for a long time.
But the next moment, a pair of warm hands lifted her up from the ground, just as they had rescued her from the swamp where she was trapped in Shou'an Palace several years ago.
Mingshuang looked at Ali in disbelief, her lips trembling.
Ali whispered, "Don't cry, I believe you."
Ming Shuang's nose felt sore again, and she couldn't stop crying. "This servant will never let the princess down! I didn't tell anyone about what happened to Miss Shen Liu that day, and afterward, I followed the princess's instructions and escorted her out of the palace safely. Princess, please believe me, this servant will definitely be able to help you!"
Ali nodded with a faint smile, not missing a single expression on her face: "Okay, I believe you, don't cry."
*
Outside the Qinzheng Hall.
A man in a black cloak came in the night. Mo Wen, who was outside the palace, saw that it was him and ordered the palace servants to open the door and invite him in.
Xie Jingchuan was still reviewing memorials behind the imperial desk, occasionally taking a sip of the refreshing tea beside him.
The man slowly stepped forward and stood still. He took off his cloak, revealing a handsome and uninhibited face. He saluted and said, "I am here to see Your Majesty."
Seeing that he had arrived, Xie Jingchuan closed the memorial. Thinking that Ali didn't like him frowning, he raised his hand to rub his brows and leaned back on the dragon chair: "You're here."
Xu Xing lowered his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, the restrictions on Kunning Palace will be completed in a few days. When that time comes, Your Majesty will need to cooperate with me in casting the spell as before."
Xie Jingchuan opened his eyes and said calmly, "There's no need to set up restrictions in Kunning Palace anymore."
Xu Xing looked up in surprise.
He remembered that His Majesty had told him several months ago that the princess would move into Kunning Palace in the future, and ordered him to set up the same restrictions in Kunning Palace as in Yinyue Pavilion before that.
Why do you say it’s not necessary today?
Xie Jingchuan did not explain, but just gave him an order.
Although Xu Xing was puzzled, he still responded respectfully, thinking to himself that serving the emperor was like serving a tiger. His Majesty's thoughts were ever-changing and difficult to guess.
He thought for a moment, then continued, "The restrictions of Hidden Moon Pavilion are closely connected to Your Majesty, so if there's any movement within the pavilion, Your Majesty will be the first to know. However, this kind of magic is ultimately damaging to the body and mind. If Your Majesty decides not to imprison the princess anymore, why not remove this magic as well?"
In fact, this restriction itself goes against the will of heaven and comes at a heavy price.
Xu Xing was shocked that the king of a country was willing to do this just to trap a monster. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of person this "raccoon cat" princess was.
Xie Jingchuan, who was at the head of the group, was silent for a long time, then said, "We'll discuss this matter later. You can go down now."
Xu Xing had no choice but to bow and retreat, but before leaving the Qinzheng Hall, he saw a familiar figure.
When passing by Fu Youzhi, their eyes met in the air for a moment, and then quickly separated.
Fu Youzhi came to bother Xie Jingchuan as usual and said to Mo Wen, "I want to see His Majesty."
Mo Wen saw Miss Fu coming again and said with a bitter face: "His Majesty said he would not see you..."
The sound of the two people arguing behind him gradually faded away. There was shock and confusion in Xu Xing's eyes under the cloak, which eventually turned into a deep understanding, hidden under his deep eyes.
*
Soon it was the second night. Xie Jingchuan discussed the famine in Nan County with the ministers in the Qinzheng Hall. He ordered Mo Wen to come to Yinyue Pavilion. He would stay in the Qinzheng Hall tonight and asked her to rest early.
Mingshuang followed Ali's instructions and exchanged with Lanxin, who was on duty that night. Seeing that Yinyue Pavilion had become quiet, she quietly opened the door and carefully walked towards the Imperial Garden.
Ali watched Mingshuang's figure disappear into the darkness from the window, and calmly withdrew his gaze.
She did not believe Mingshuang. Firstly, she was really in awe of Xie Jingchuan's methods, and secondly, she did not dare to gamble with other people's lives.
In order not to alert the enemy, Ali told Mingshuang to go to Qushui Pavilion in the west corner of the Imperial Garden tonight and bring back something. In fact, there was nothing there.
If Mingshuang was sent by Xie Jingchuan, this move could draw their attention to the Imperial Garden. If not, there would be two fewer people monitoring her in Yinyue Pavilion, making it easier for her to escape.
At this moment, the Yinyue Pavilion was so quiet that one could hear the sound of the copper clock dripping, hitting Ali's heart again and again.
She sat at the table, waiting quietly.
After an unknown amount of time, the restrictions in the hall seemed to flash, and Ali suddenly stood up, trying to use his demonic power.
The hall was silent, and the ban was not triggered.
Ali's eyes flashed with great surprise. She no longer hesitated and took advantage of this extremely rare opportunity to use her demonic power to break the ban. She quickly pushed open the door of the palace and ran towards Xihua Gate.
On the other side, after several discussions, Xie Jingchuan finally decided on a strategy to deal with the famine. The ministers dispersed one after another, and he was the only one left in the Qinzheng Hall.
There was a food box next to him, and the pear soup that Yinyue Pavilion had sent him during the day had already gone cold. He was so busy all day that he didn't even have time to drink the soup.
He raised his eyes, and Mo Wen immediately came forward to bring down the pear soup, and quickly heated it up and served it up again.
Xie Jingchuan's brows relaxed, he picked up the spoon and slowly drank.
It was late at night outside the hall. Mo Wen had already made the bed in the back hall and was just waiting for Xie Jingchuan to finish and help him wash up and go to bed.
Xie Jingchuan drank the bowl of soup very slowly, feeling drowsy, as if all the fatigue from the whole day's meetings had come up at this moment, almost making him unable to hold on.
Mo Wen supported him worriedly: "Your Majesty, I will help you to rest."
Xie Jingchuan shook his head, trying his best to wake himself up: "Go to Yinyue Pavilion."
"You have already asked me to go there before. Your Majesty knows that you are busy with government affairs tonight and should have gone to bed long ago." Mo Wen advised.
Xie Jingchuan was particularly persistent tonight. His eyes were vacant and lifeless, and he felt inexplicably uneasy. He repeated, "Go to Yinyue Pavilion."
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
Mo Wen could hardly hold him up. Xie Jingchuan fell heavily onto the dragon throne, but he kept saying, "Let's go to Yinyue Pavilion. I won't disturb her. I just need to see her once."
"One glance is enough."
Mo Wen did not dare to disobey the order, so he had to call the palace servants outside the hall to come in. One group of people prepared the carriage, and another group carefully helped Xie Jingchuan onto the carriage and headed towards Yinyue Pavilion.
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