Dong, dong …
The sky was like a curtain, and the sea of lights was like a tide. One hundred and eight drums of dusk resounded through Chang 'an. Between the palaces and corridors of the majestic imperial city, maids and eunuchs walked in an orderly manner. It was quiet and solemn. There were no singing and dancing of the orioles and dancing of the swallows, nor was there the sound of flesh and wine that the common people imagined. Even the sound of zither was rare in the palaces.
After the emperor, Song Ji, inherited the throne, he devoted himself to politics. The lights in the imperial study were lit until late at night all year round. Sometimes, even the little eunuchs who accompanied him could not stand it and had to take shifts to keep watch.
It was a good thing that the emperor cared about the country, but it made the imperial concubines in the harem suffer. They could not see the emperor a few times a year. As for the struggle for favor in the harem, there was no one who was favored at all. When the empress was here, Song Ji would go to the harem. After the empress died of illness a few years ago, Song Ji rarely went to the palace of the imperial concubines to sleep.
Even many of the imperial concubines were suffering from the sorrow of not being seen year after year, not to mention the empress dowager who stayed alone in Changle Palace.
After the death of the former emperor, according to the "palace servant system" left at the founding of the country, the palace servants with lower status were given silver to find a husband. The imperial concubines with higher status went to the imperial mausoleum for three years and could remarry after that. But the empress was not included. Unless the throne was changed, it was impossible for the empress to marry a second man. As for the empress dowager, even if she dared to marry, no one would dare to be the emperor's stepfather. After all, no one wanted to see the emperor's mother bullied in court during the day and at night …
The empress dowager had no children, so she could not be taken to her son's fief to enjoy life like the imperial concubines who gave birth to a prince. She could only live alone in Changle Palace for ten years. Although Song Ji often came to greet her and call her "mother", they were not related by blood, so it was just a formality.
The empress dowager did not have the power or qualifications to interfere in politics. Basically, her future could be seen at a glance — about 40 or 50 years old, she would die of depression and be buried in the imperial mausoleum. It was recorded in the history books.
As the sky gradually darkened, palace lamps were lit on the eaves. A few palace maids walked through Changle Palace, carrying plates of exquisite dishes to the living room.
There was a heater in the room. The Empress Dowager, who was dressed in a gorgeous palace dress, was lying on her side on the soft couch. Her left hand supported her cheek as she played chess with the palace maids. Her skirt was draped over the soft couch like a peacock spreading its tail, revealing a pair of small palace boots and delicate ankles.
Maybe because she was tired of waiting for a long time, she covered her lips and yawned occasionally.
It was not that the Empress Dowager was fond of sleeping, but rather that she had nothing to do in Changle Palace. She would usually sleep when it was dark, and it had become a habit over the years.
After calculating the time, the Empress Dowager glanced outside the hall and asked, "Qiao 'e, why isn't Xu Buring here yet?"
Qiao 'e knelt beside the couch and placed a chess piece on the chessboard. She said softly, "Actually … Empress Dowager shouldn't have invited Prince Xu into the palace."
"Yes."
The empress dowager raised her eyes and looked at Qiao E a few times, looking slightly puzzled.
Qiao E was the empress dowager's personal maid. She grew up in Huainan and was taught to help her miss fight for favor in the imperial palace. Her ability to analyze the situation was needless to say.
Qiao E thought for a while and said, "It is widely said that there is a vassal king plotting to unify the country. As for which vassal king it is, it is not clear. But Su Of Gojoseon has the most military power, so it is self-evident who it refers to. And some people in the imperial court say that the emperor wants to remove the vassal kings. Although the emperor has never shown this intention, the rumor will not come out of nowhere. "
The empress dowager nodded lazily and motioned Qiao E to continue.
Qiao E thought carefully and said, "These two rumors are to provoke the relationship between the emperor and the vassal kings. I don't know what is hidden behind it, but it must not be a small matter … My Xiao family has been prime minister for three generations and has a very special position. The empress dowager is close to Xu Buling. If the Courtiers think that my Xiao family is deliberately trying to win over Su Of Gojoseon …"
Qiao E was obviously reminding the empress dowager not to pick a side casually. It would be troublesome if she picked the wrong side.
But the empress dowager had long lost her interest in the imperial court. She sighed faintly and threw the chess piece into the chess basket, "My second brother and third sister are in charge of the Xiao family. I married into the palace ten years ago and became a member of the Song clan. Asking Xu Buling to come over for dinner is just an ordinary way of doing things. Let them guess randomly."
Qiao E hesitated and said, "And … my Xiao family is involved in a lot of things. Crown Prince Xu was ambushed at the Wei River and was poisoned by the extinct Dragon-locking Insect. The power behind him must not be small …"
The empress dowager's expression slightly froze. She propped her elbow on the soft couch and lifted her upper body. She frowned and thought for a while.
"You mean the poison was planted by my Xiao family?"
Qiao E staggered. She quickly raised her hand and shook it. She said anxiously, "Empress Dowager, don't say this. It will be troublesome if someone hears it … My Xiao family is not a pawn. We always plan before we act. How could we do something that will make people talk about us?"
The empress dowager blinked and lay on the soft couch again. She looked a little helpless. "That's it. I know what I'm doing …"
While they were chatting, footsteps came from outside the palace. A palace maid walked out of the hall and said softly,
"Empress Dowager, Crown Prince Xu is here."
The empress dowager became a little more energetic. She got up and was ready to go out to welcome him. She stopped halfway and picked up the bronze mirror beside the soft couch to look at it.
Qiao E hurried to the front. She tidied up her slightly messy hair and smoothed her palace dress. Then she followed the empress dowager out of the door …
…
In the afternoon, on the back street of Daye Square, merchants and pawns came and went. The gambling house and brothels were just about to open for business.
Zhu Manzhi wandered on the street alone. Sometimes she ran to the vicinity of Bluestone Alley to take a look. Unfortunately, Crown Prince Xu had not come for the past two days.
Zhu Manzhi was only a sixteen year old girl, and she did not have much of a mind to begin with. She thought that perhaps she had angered Heir Xu by leaving without saying goodbye the day before yesterday.
She was just a little constable born in the streets. She could not even be considered as a person of Jianghu. Her status was very different from that of a prince. She should be careful when talking to him. How could she throw a tantrum in front of Crown Prince Xu …
But Crown Prince Xu did not seem to be such a petty person. How could he not come to find her because of such a small matter …
Zhu Manzhi's big round eyes were obviously a little disappointed. After walking two rounds on the street, she walked to the eaves of a house at the corner of the street. She squatted on the steps and broke a small branch to draw circles on the ground.
Although she was not very cheerful at her age, Zhu Manzhi was not stupid. After waiting for two days without Xu Buling coming, her mood became more and more depressed.
She recalled the little things that happened these days. First, she helped him in the back street. Then, she saved the beauty in the alley. Then, she went to the White Horse Village and started a massacre. Then, she entered the document warehouse …
Everything seemed to be a coincidence. However, it was obvious that there was an invisible thread connecting all of them.
From the moment they met in front of the restaurant, everything happened around the purpose of 'entering the document warehouse' …
Crown Prince Xu … could it be that he is using me …
Thinking of this, Zhu Manzhi's heart suddenly trembled. The small branch in her hand broke, making a light 'pa' sound.
No, no …
Zhu Manzhi shook her head and laughed. She felt that she was being a little whimsical. Crown Prince Xu is such a good person. Why would he use me?
She laughed and laughed, but she could not laugh anymore.
She … seems to be useless …
When this thought appeared in her mind, Zhu Manzhi did not know why, but her nose suddenly became sour. She tightly pursed her lips and looked at the end of the back street with her slightly young face.
She stared blankly for a long time. The people on the street left afterimages, but the handsome young master dressed in white still did not appear.
Zhu Manzhi bit her lower lip and snorted. She picked up the small branch on the ground and continued to draw circles.
Not long after, the sound of horse hooves suddenly stopped in front of her.
Zhu Manzhi's body slightly trembled. She suddenly raised her head.
Unfortunately, the look of surprise in her eyes quickly dimmed.
Monkey Liu and Wang Dazhuang were leading the three horses. They lowered their heads and looked at Zhu Manzhi who was squatting under the eaves. They were slightly puzzled. "Manzhi, why are you crying?"
"I'm not crying … Sand is in my eyes … Why are you here?"
Monkey Liu spread his arms and looked slightly puzzled. "We went to the courier station outside the city to investigate a case. We waited outside the yamen for a long time, but you didn't come. If we don't leave now, the commander will scold us."
It was only then that Zhu Manzhi remembered this. She stood up and patted the clothes on her body. Then, she got on the horse with her head lowered. She did not say anything and looked at the end of the street again. Then, she shouted, "Go!" and galloped out of the city.
Monkey Liu and Wang Dazhuang could not figure out the little girl's thoughts, so they immediately followed behind her and headed out of the city.
Beside a tea stall at the back street, two wanderers wearing bamboo hats looked at each other. When the horses were about to disappear, they threw a few copper coins on the table, stood up, and untied the reins on the posts.
At another tea stall was a man who was drinking tea. When the two wanderers were about to disappear, he threw a few copper coins on the table, stood up, and untied the reins on the posts.
