Chapter 195: Please enter the urn
Concubine Yuan, with an oval face, silkworm eyebrows and a gloomy expression, did not move.
A pair of dull eyes, through the reflection of the bronze mirror in front of him, looked at the maid behind him who had a cautious and shivering look after entering the door, and suddenly said:
"Do I scare you that much?"
The maidservant was startled and almost fell to her knees, but she just lowered her head:
"I forgive you..."
Seeing the other party's attitude, Concubine Yuan looked self-deprecating, and her eyes were filled with sadness.
Everyone in the harem knew that Concubine Yuan Gui had a bad temper and often beat and scolded her servants.
Even more than one of the maids in her palace was killed by the rod.
As a result, very few servants were willing to go to Yuan Fei's palace, and those who remained had developed a fearful and timid temperament.
As the saying goes, Concubine Yuan is born from the heart, and Concubine Yuan's depression every year is also caused by the accumulation of heart knots over the years.
Outsiders only think that Concubine Yuan is extremely harsh on her servants and is a difficult master to serve.
But she was not like this back then.
In the past, Yuan Ru was once a gentle and virtuous lady, and she thought she was a "princess" loved by her family.
Until, an imperial edict sealing her as a concubine shattered Yuan Ru's dream.
Only then did she learn that her father, who had treated her well in the past, secretly bribed the eunuch Wang Zhen to send his own daughter to the bedside of the aging emperor for the sake of family prosperity.
Not even a hint was revealed in advance, so that when the news was learned, it was a foregone conclusion.
That day, Yuan Ru, who was young and in perfect condition, was heartbroken.
Facing her parents who were praying in front of her, she finally didn't calm down and said that she had secretly promised her that she had the one she loved, but she just hadn't taken the step of making a lifelong decision.
She knew that once the news broke that she had a lover, not only the entire Yuan family, but also the entire Yuan family would be in danger of being deceived.
The lover in my heart will also have his future ruined.
So, Yuan Ru was carried into the deep palace on a golden sedan chair in early winter. From then on, Dayu had another concubine named Yuan Guifei.
The only thing worth celebrating is that the old emperor is old and weak. Marrying her is more like proving something to the outside world, so he rarely gets lucky.
Yuan Ru also resisted fighting for favor, hoping day and night that the old emperor would die soon.
After waiting for several years, the old emperor really died, but she still could not find relief. Even because the empress ascended the throne, the "aura" of the imperial concubine was dimmed.
The family can no longer enjoy the shadow she brought.
This time I went home to visit relatives, and the feeling was obvious. Even though everyone in the family seemed respectful, in fact... they were just maintaining a false sense of respectability.
A "noble concubine" who cannot get close to the king and bring benefits to the family is just water poured out of the basin.
"Get up," Concubine Yuan sneered, "What's the matter? It's so mysterious."
The maid stood up, walked closer carefully, and whispered a few words. Concubine Yuan's expression changed slightly.
The general meaning is that the imperial concubine’s old friend asked someone to bring a letter to the empress.
It seems...very important.
The maid only memorized the word "Qingping". The man said that as long as she said this word, the imperial concubine would naturally understand.
Qingping... an old friend... Concubine Yuan looked surprised and uncertain: "Where is the letter?"
The little maid took it out from her arms and said:
"I dare not check it privately."
Concubine Yuan glanced at the wax seal on the envelope to make sure it had not been opened. She nodded slightly and said: "Go out. Just pretend you don't know about this."
"yes."
Wait for the maid to close the door and go out.
The noble concubine Yuan hesitated for a moment, then tore open the envelope, tipped it outward, and first slid out an old jade pendant.
The moment she saw the jade pendant, Concubine Yuan's body suddenly stiffened, and her expression became extremely unnatural.
And when she opened the letter in the envelope and saw the vague handwriting in the memory, her whole body felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
The memory of death came to mind at this moment.
Concubine Yuan read the words on the paper and those past events.
This concubine, who stayed alone in the empty boudoir, was extremely lonely, had no family ties and love for a long time, and even had a weird temperament. Her eyes slowly turned red, her shoulders shook, and unknowingly, she burst into tears.
"Li Lang..."
Although this letter was unsigned, Concubine Yuan was able to confirm the identity of the other party simply by mentioning old events in the past that only the two of them knew, as well as the jade pendant token.
The content of the letter was extremely brief. Apart from the vague reminiscences in the first few sentences, it was an invitation for her to have a private meeting somewhere tomorrow.
If he agrees, he will order someone to send out the signal.
Nothing else was mentioned.
But these few words have successfully aroused countless reveries in Concubine Yuan.
Why... would he send this letter? Private meeting? With their current identities, what is the need for them to meet?
Could it be said that he could still help him escape from the sea of suffering and leave the deep palace?
Yes, he is no longer what he used to be. He is a very important figure in the "Li Party", and the old thief emperor is completely dead.
The newly ascended empress does not care about the harem. If she is willing to put in the effort, there may not be the possibility of some "exchanges"...
Concubine Yuan was not a very smart woman, and she knew little about temple struggles and could only make random guesses.
For a moment, I was both happy and worried.
The worry is that once the secret of her private meeting with the man is leaked, she may face big trouble.
Fortunately, Li Yinglong still remembers him.
Concubine Yuan was wavering, in a dilemma, and was flustered for a moment. She sat there for more than an hour before she finally calmed down.
She believed that with Li Lang's current status, it would be extremely risky to meet her.
If Li Yinglong dares to find himself, he must be fully prepared.
Moreover.
What else can I be reluctant to part with now? It is not difficult to choose between dying in the cold palace and giving it a try.
As for involving the family...she no longer cares about it.
"Here comes someone." Concubine Yuan gathered her emotions and shouted.
The door creaked open, and the maid from outside came in again:
"What are your orders?"
…
…
The incident that happened in Yuan Mansion did not attract anyone's attention. Also unnoticed.
That night, Xu Hanlin, who had recently listened to Chen Zhengru's admonishment and focused on his homework again, met a person on his way home.
The next day.
The sun was not shining brightly, and the sky over the capital was covered with gloomy clouds, which seemed to indicate unrest.
Early in the morning, Xu Mingyuan got up and dressed as usual. After having dinner with his family, he arrived at the Hanlin Academy as usual.
Along the way, he ignored the looks of gloating, disdain, sighs, or sympathy from the other officials in the courtyard.
Afternoon.
Xu Mingyuan packed up, found an excuse, left the Hanlin Academy, and went straight to the Ministry of Industry.
As the minister of the Ministry of Industry, Li Yinglong was working in the Yamen at this time. When he learned that Xu Mingyuan came to the door from a junior official, he couldn't help but frowned.
Given his status, he didn't want to waste time on this little Hanlin.
The clerk said: "Sir, Xu Hanlin said, I have been ordered to come here."
Under orders?
The gentle-faced Mr. Xiaoge frowned:
"Call him in."
Russian qing.
In a separate room, Xu Mingyuan met Mr. Xiao Ge for the first time after he was released from prison, but his face was full of respect and admiration.
"You said you were ordered to find me?" Li Yinglong got straight to the point.
Xu Mingyuan calmly raised his hands and said:
"The student, Master Chen, invites you to have a chat with me to discuss matters related to the New Deal."
Chen Zhengru is looking for me?
Li Yinglong was stunned for a moment and frowned. He had no doubts. After all, Xu Hanlin was indeed Chen Zhengru's student, and the two had a close relationship.
This is not the first time that Xu Hanlin has sent a message for the teacher.
What he was wondering about was what Chen Zhengru wanted to do with him. Regarding the New Deal... Could it be that something happened at the Hanlin Academy?
After all, Dong Xuan is the head of the Hanlin Academy...
Li Yinglong did not dare to be careless, knowing that Chen Zhengru would never come to him for entertainment out of boredom. Since he was invited, there must be important matters to discuss.
"Where is Bachelor Chen now?" He looked a little more cheerful.
Xu Mingyuan lowered his head and said respectfully:
"Teacher has found a quiet place, students just lead adults there."
He wasn't worried that the lie would be exposed.
Because he was very sure that Chen Zhengru would not meet Mr. Xiao Ge today to vent his anger.
Not long ago, Chen Zhengru was indeed discussing with the rest of Li's party about the New Deal.
"Okay," Li Yinglong nodded.
During this period of time, he was very busy during the day and spent a lot of energy at the Sixth Madam at night. He was already two years old and did not notice anything unusual:
"Prepare the car and lead the way for me. ”
Xu Mingyuan said respectfully: "Follow your orders."
On the drooping face, a pair of eyes concealed anger, which disappeared in an instant.
…
…
Mingyueju is a quiet and elegant residence.
It is famous for its private rooms and serves as both a tea house and an inn.
Across the street from Mingyue Residence is a very lively area with people coming and going, making it very lively.
There is also a restaurant here.
At noon today, Zhao Duan came in plainclothes and leisurely entered the seat arranged by the secretary with his hands behind his back.
Welcome the guests invited today.
"Zhao Shijun came so early? I am rude."
Dong Da, who was mediocre in appearance and not well-known in the capital, but whose family background was prominent, walked up the stairs and couldn't help but apologize.
Zhao Duan smiled and waved, stood up to greet him, asked him to take a seat, and said with a smile:
"Brother Dong, if you don't want to meet anyone outside, why would you call me Lord? You and I should continue to treat each other as brothers as usual."
Dong Da stood in awe, impressed by his grace, and sighed:
"There are too many mediocre people in the capital who follow the wind and act like rain. They repeatedly slander Brother Zhao's reputation and say that evil will be repaid, but they don't know how broad-minded Brother Zhao is."
After the incident in Zhaiyuan last time, the Dong Mansion sent someone to send generous gifts as an apology.
The unworthy descendant Dong San was also ordered to be grounded again. This time, Grand Master Dong personally spoke and threw him out of the capital and into the southwest frontier army.
Let this first dandy go to the army to start as a pawn and sharpen his stubbornness. The result is not unkind.
After all, gold plating generally goes to relatively safe military mansions, but the Southwest Front Army is really capable of killing people.
In particular, the legendary General Zhao Shixiong never tolerated the children of officials.
Even so, Dong Da still feels indebted.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Duan invited him to have a drink and reminisce today.
"Who says it's not the case..." Zhao Duantian accepted the flattery shamelessly.
The two exchanged pleasantries for a while.
Dong Da looked curiously at the other empty seat next to the table, where there were dishes and chopsticks but no one could be seen:
"Brother Zhao invited guests today? Hasn't he arrived yet?"
Here, apart from Zhao Duan and Dong Da, there was only Qian Kerou standing aside.
But the extra bowls and chopsticks obviously didn't belong to anyone.
"Oh...she..."
Zhao Duan was thinking about how to answer.
Then he saw, at the top of the stairs, a girl who had changed into a more ordinary dress and no longer looked so out of the ordinary walking straight towards her.
Without saying a word, he sat down on the empty seat, his slightly distracted eyes slowly focused, and said with a pun:
"People are coming."
(End of chapter)