Chapter 760
Words:952Update:22/08/26 06:05:40
The Ji 'an Residence was located two to three li outside the palace walls. It was the resting place for the concubines of the imperial harem. As a result, it was filled with a gloomy and cold air all year round. When you walked in, you would subconsciously hold your breath for fear of inhaling a large mouthful of the stench of rotting flesh. Ordinary people would take a detour of three streets rather than walk nearby.
However, because of Consort Qi's tragic death, the place was unusually lively. The main and side entrances were all blocked. Even a fly that tried to approach would be interrogated three times.
The summer heat had passed. After the seventh day of the seventh month, the weather had unknowingly cooled down. The beginning of autumn had quietly arrived, and this slight chill was especially noticeable in the middle of the night outside the Ji 'an Residence. Ning Shu wore a dusty eunuch's robe and waited outside the walls for most of the night. It wasn't until the thin autumn dew quietly wet her clothes that the rusty corner door, which had been abandoned for many years, finally opened with a grating sound. A gray-haired old eunuch walked out. His back was hunched, and every step he took was unsteady. His drooping eyelids were lifted, and his eyes were yellow, but they were sharp.
He walked slowly to the corner of the wall and looked at Ning Shu from head to toe. Without saying anything, he turned around and walked back through the crack in the door.
Ning Shu couldn't see what he meant. After thinking for a moment, she raised her feet and followed his wobbly steps.
Another grating sound was heard, and the door closed.
Ning Shu followed him slowly, making many turns and passing through many narrow paths until they arrived at an abandoned hut. Standing in front of a mottled wall, the old man trembled as he bent down and squatted on the ground. He stretched out his skinny hand and patted the floor tiles. The tiles moved away, revealing a small path that led underground.
The old man finally opened his mouth. His voice was muffled and full of grit, as if he hadn't spoken for decades. "Go in. Follow the stone steps to the bottom. Walk forward for another twenty zhang and you'll find it. Don't go the wrong way. If you go the wrong way, you'll never be able to leave this place. "In the end, his shoulders shook twice with a faint smile." Just like me. "
Ning Shu could roughly guess what he meant by "never leaving here". She was not angry. She cupped her hands and bowed to the old man politely to thank him. She pulled the hem of her robe and fearlessly entered the tunnel.
The tunnel was pitch-black and nothing could be seen. Ning Shu walked slowly in the tunnel with the dim light of the torch. The tunnel was unexpectedly messy. She did not know where the stone paths came from, but they intersected here and rushed to secret places. It seemed that they had existed for many years. Suppressing the curiosity in her heart, Ning Shu followed the old man's instructions and walked forward for another twenty zhang. Sure enough, she saw the stone steps going up.
She blew out the torch and climbed up the stone steps step by step. She reached out and touched the wooden plank above her head. One, two, three. She twisted the mechanism the old man had told her three times. The wooden plank opened, and there was another wooden plank above her. However, it was heavier and thicker than the previous one. Ning Shu used a lot of strength until the wounds on her body that had not yet healed burst open again. She was soaked in sweat. Then, the wooden plank slowly moved away.
When she finally crawled out of the narrow and cramped place, she looked back and suddenly shivered.
It was actually a coffin.
Using the weak moonlight that came in through the window lattice, she looked around and saw the thick coffin in the middle of the room. The smell of tung oil was very strong. It was obviously freshly painted. There was a circle of extinguished white wax around the coffin. There was also a funeral table set up above. The standard was extremely high. Even the incense burner was made of pure gold. However, the incense burner was empty. Not a single incense had been lit.
She did not need to guess to know that inside the coffin was the Imperial Concubine Qi that she had spent so much effort to see.
Looking at the coffin, Ning Shu let out a long sigh.
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