First Lady of the Crown Prince

  Chapter 322 The truth is revealed (two more)

  In Renshou Palace, Queen Mother Zhuang is dealing with the backlog of official duties in recent days.

  After all, she was getting old, and it took a long time to recover from a serious illness. It was only then that she finally realized more deeply how difficult it was to recuperate in the country.

  Leprosy is not an ordinary wind-cold disease. The contagion alone makes everyone daunting, and I don’t know how the two naive dared to take her in.

  Besides, it is clear that the conditions at home are already very poor, and I have eaten the last meal without taking the rest, and I have to raise a sick number.

   Queen Mother Zhuang sighed.

   "Queen Dowager, do you remember your days in the country again?" Qin Gonggong asked with a smile.

   "Yeah." Empress Dowager Zhuang did not deny it, "At that time they lied to Aie's family because they had tuberculosis, and told Aie's family not to go out, so as not to get sick to the villagers."

  Duke Qin was surprised: "Do you really believe it?"

Queen Mother Zhuang sighed, "Can the Aijia not believe it? The Aijia didn't remember anything at that time."

  Duke Qin thought, "Then...what happened later?"

   Empress Dowager Zhuang recalled: “After about ten days and a half, they ate at the same table with Ai’s family.”

   "Ah..." Duke Qin was surprised, "Healed in half a month?"

   "No." Empress Dowager Zhuang shook her head, "It's just that it's no longer contagious. I continue to take the medicine for half a year."

  Most people don’t do this. Even if the leprosy is cured, they will be avoided like a snake.

   "Miss Gu and Xiao Xiu treat you sincerely, and the slave is happy for you." Qin Gonggong's remarks came from the bottom of his heart. He met the queen mother when he was beaten into the cold palace.

  He is a little **** in Lenggong. He was taken by the virtuous and wanted to wait on him.

After   , the virtuous went out of the cold palace, and he was also taken out. In the blink of an eye, he had been with the Queen Mother through ups and downs for decades.

  There are many people who favor the Queen Mother, but there are very few who really feel sorry for the Queen Mother without asking for anything in return.

  If the queen mother is not the queen mother, then they will not be what the queen mother sees.

  Ms. Zhuang always complains that the queen mother loves Gu girl more than her own family, but Miss Zhuang doesn't want to think, is she really half as true to the queen mother as Gu is to the queen mother?

  Walked lonely and lonely for most of his life, and the heights are very cold. Who ever thought that he would run into such a few caring people in his twilight years?

   "It's Xiao Xiuzhuan..." Qin Gonggong also saw that there was something wrong between the Queen Mother Zhuang and Xiao Xiuzhuan. Although he was the queen mother's confidant, the queen mother didn't talk to him about everything.

  The mind of the Queen Mother, he guessed half of it, but the other half could not be guessed at any rate.

  "Is it because he looks like the late Little Hou Ye?"

  Duke Qin asked cautiously.

  The Queen Mother had never poisoned Master Xiaohou, but the emperor didn’t believe it, Xuanpinghou didn’t believe it, and everyone in the world didn’t believe it. Even the Zhuang family thought it was the work of the Queen Mother.

  The difference is that the Zhuang family does not complain about the queen mother.

  Being so wronged by others, the Queen Mother saw someone so similar to Xiao Hou Ye, I was afraid that she would also have a knot in her heart.

  Of course, this is the idea of ​​Duke Qin. Whether the queen mother thinks so is not known.

   "Sorrowful family..." Empress Dowager Zhuang was about to say something, a panicked voice from the maidservant came from outside the study, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, you can't go in!"

   "I am the emperor! The whole world is mys! A small Renshou Palace has blocked me out of the door once and twice. Are you trying to rebel!"

   is the emperor’s anger.

Queen Mother Zhuang frowned impatiently and winked at Duke Qin.

  Duke Qin clinging to the whisk, went out and said to the maid: "You retreat." Then he saluted the emperor, "Your Majesty, please."

"Humph!"

  The emperor glared at the crowd coldly, and threw his sleeves into the Queen Mother Zhuang’s study: “The Queen Mother is really a good method! I don’t have to be idle in the Renshou Palace. I have to be ugly! The Queen Mother may not see me clean one day!”

  The father-in-law Qin who came after took a look at the queen mother, and then at a house of pale-faced palace people, his face turned ugly.

   Queen Mother Zhuang said lightly: "You all retreat."

   "Yes." Duke Qin retreated with all the palace men.

  The back of Mrs. Zhuang gave the emperor a blank look, and threw the folder in her hand on the table: "What are you crazy about again!"

The emperor sneered: "I should ask the queen mother, what is the madness of the queen mother? Isn't it enough for you to be in charge of politics? Isn't it enough to control half of the country? Wouldn't it be fun to force my mother and concubine to the nunnery? How vicious is it going to be? Do you have to kill everyone around me one by one!"

   Queen Mother Zhuang frowned and said: "Who killed the Ai family again?"

"Heh!" The emperor stood in front of the desk, looking at the dignified and majestic Empress Dowager, sarcastically, "Which one is the queen dowager singing? Do you still dare to recognize it? I'm tearing my face away, and I don't need the imaginary and devilish set!"

  Cold and cold flashed across the eyes of the Queen Mother Zhuang, but her expression was still not salty or light: "The Aijia has done too much, I don't know which thing you are referring to."

  The emperor laughed angrily: "Finally admitted that you are a frenzied poisonous woman! Whatever you have, come to me! Why did you kill Zhang Zhang! Why did she provoke you!"

   "Zhang Zhang matter?" Queen Mother Zhuang frowned weirdly.

  The emperor pointed at the Queen Mother Zhuang angrily: "Let’s install garlic! Last night Zhang Zhangshi was summoned to Renshou Palace by the Queen Mother, and she committed suicide when she went back! The Queen Mother dare to say that you didn’t kill you!"

   Queen Mother Zhuang sneered, raised her eyes faintly, and curled her lips in a mocking manner: "What about the murderer of the Ai family?"

She slowly stood up, walked out from behind the desk, and walked towards the emperor step by step, "Can you abolish Ai Jia or kill Ai Jia? Even if Ai Jia kills all the people around you, you take Ai Jia again. Is there any way?"

   "You poisonous woman!" The emperor raised his hand!

   "Your Majesty!"

  Xiao Liulang walked in quickly, threw away the crutches, hugged the emperor's hand, and blocked the Queen Mother Zhuang behind him.

   Seeing the teenager who suddenly stood in front of her, Queen Mother Zhuang was taken aback.

  The young man had a thin body and poor legs and feet, but he didn't hesitate to stop the emperor's courage.

  The emperor was furious: "Xiao Liulang, you let go!"

  "It's not the queen mother." Xiao Liulang said solemnly. He didn't let go or let go. "It's not the queen mother, it's the minister. It was the minister who called Zhang Zhangshi over last night, and it has nothing to do with the queen mother."

  The emperor was so angry that he was about to explode: "Even you speak for her! One or two of you...all towards her! Xiao Liulang! You are the new champion chosen by me!"

Xiao Liulang said sternly: "The minister is your majesty's minister and the champion of your majesty. Because of this, the ministers don't want to see your majesty make mistakes. What your majesty does today will be recorded by the historians in the future. Your majesty is Mingjun. Bamboo and silk are beautiful forever, and you must not ruin a century-old reputation on impulse."

  The emperor asked with sorrow and sorrow: "Am I wrong? Am I wrong!"

  Xiao Liulang said: "Your Majesty is not wrong, and the Queen Mother is not wrong, the fault is the minister. The minister should not come to Zhang Zhang, if your majesty wants to blame, you should blame the minister. It was the minister who killed her."

   "You...you..." The emperor was so angry that his eyes were blood-red, and his whole body trembled.

   "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, always listen to what's going on." Wei Gonggong entered the house to persuade him.

  His Majesty suppressed the emotion that might go violently at any time and nodded: "Okay, you said, what is the matter with Zhang Zhang, how did you kill her!"

  Xiao Liulang cannot say that he was investigating a case 14 years ago. The timing was wrong and the evidence was insufficient.

  Xiao Liulang thought for a while, and said, "The minister is giving her something for someone else. When it was returned to her, the minister realized that her mood was not right."

  This is the truth, Zhang Zhangshi did not feel right when he got the broken inkstone, but Xiao Liulang didn't think too deeply at that time.

  Now that I take a closer look, I am afraid that Zhang Zhangshi and Laojijiu have a deeper bond and relationship than imagined.

  "Who are you sending things for?" the emperor asked.

   "The minister can't say it." Xiao Liulang said.

  He wouldn’t guess if he didn’t say the emperor?

  How many people in the world can work for him to send letters to the palace in person? Since there is a beginning and end with Zhang Zhang, it must be about the same age as Zhang Zhang.

  A name is ready to come out.

  "Chuanhuo Jijiu!"

  "Let it go! Do you want me to send Huo Jijiu to the Queen Mother's bedroom? Follow me to the Imperial Study Room!"

   "Yes." Xiao Liulang just let go.

  Lao Jijiu was called into the palace.

  The emperor did not give him the opportunity to make a confession with Xiao Liulang, so he directly let him take Xiao Liulang down, and then began to question the relationship between Zhang Zhangshi and Lao Jijiu.

  The emperor also did not tell the old Jijiu Zhang Zhangshi was dead.

  What kind of spirit is Ke Lao Jijiu?

  Guess can also guess that something happened.

  Most people will try to distinguish their relationship with the female officials when they are interrogated. After all, blaspheming the female officials is a felony, but the old Jijiu thinks this is not easy.

He barely thought about it before saying that he and Zhang Zhangshi had an unknown past, and there was a token of love between them. Last night, he asked someone to return the token to her, which was regarded as a relationship to each other. Made a close.

  If what the old Jijiu said is true, that piece of embroidery is committing suicide for love.

  The emperor squinted suspiciously: "Why end? Is it because of the Queen Mother?"

"The minister dare not! The minister is because... his own fate has died soon..." The old Jijiu began to pretend to be sick and sold miserably, with various tears and white lotus tricks. "...If your majesty doesn't believe it, you can call the little genius doctor, it is her. The veteran was diagnosed with a terminal illness."

  ……

   Coming out of the Yushufang, Laojijiu saw Xiao Liulang who had been waiting for a long time.

   "I'm sorry, I'm tired of the teacher." Xiao Liulang said guiltily.

  Old Jijiu sighed: "It's not your fault, it's because I didn't think well."

  "Teacher's reputation..."

  Old Jijiu waved his hand: "I don't have any good reputation at all. Although I and her are not what I told your majesty, but in the end... I also lost her. She... is my wife and sister."

  Wife’s sister-in-law, she was adopted to another village since she was a child, and only after they grew up did the sisters recognize each other.

  His wife took his hand before he died, asking him to take care of his only sister Zhang Xiu anyway.

  Zhang Xiu wanted to marry him, but he did not want to marry her, so she went into the palace angrily.

  He fought fiercely with Zhuang Jinse, and in order not to affect Zhang Xiu, he did not let people know their relationship, otherwise he was not the only one who was exiled that year, as well as his wife and sister Zhang Xiu.

  After all, the first emperor's decree was to exile his family.

"She came to me when she was 25 years old to be released from the palace, and asked me again if I would marry her? I said, I will take care of her for the rest of my life, and treat her as my own sister, and then she broke me. Afterwards, she regretted it very much and lost me a new one, which is the one I told you to return. When she gave it to me, I didn’t hold it firmly, and accidentally broke a piece... She smiled and said it’s a joke draw."

The old Jijiu sighed, "Forget it, I won't mention the old things. She certainly didn't commit suicide because of love. Her death was strange. I asked your majesty for grace and sent her the last journey. You follow me. Go there."

  Xiao Liulang: "Good."

  Lao Jijiu and Xiao Liulang went to Shanggong Bureau accompanied by Duke Wei.

  In the previous dynasty, people hanging in the palace would harm their families. This dynasty abolished this law, but the deceased were not allowed to enter the land for safety and could only be thrown into the wilderness.

  Old Jijiu gave Wei Gonggong a bag of silver.

  Wei Gonggong refused to resign for a long time and did not refuse to go over: "I have taken care of it. Later, the body will be sent to the mass grave outside the Xicheng Gate. Just send someone there to wait."

   "Thank you, Father Wei." Old Jijiu thanked him.

  Xiao Liulang performed an autopsy on Zhang Xiu. It was indeed self-hanging, without any signs of fighting or struggling.

   Then Xiao Liulang discovered a situation and he stopped.

   "What's wrong?" Old Jijiu came over and asked.

  Xiao Liulang didn't speak, but raised Zhang Xiu's left wrist. There was a mole on it.

  Lao Jijiu was shocked: "How come..."

Yup?

How could    be Zhang Xiu?

  Many details that were overlooked last night flashed through Xiao Liulang's mind one by one.

  Zhang Xiu saw him for the first time and almost fell in fright. He thought she and Qin Gonggong and others thought that she had seen a ghost, but after thinking about it carefully, it seemed that she had never met Zhang Xiu.

  She shouldn’t know him.

   Even if she knew each other, her reaction was a little too big.

  When he told her that he was investigating a palace man with a mole on his wrist, she knew that what happened back then was exposed.

  But she didn't know it was Xiao Liulang who was investigating. She only thought that the person investigating the truth was her brother-in-law, Jijiu.

  Lao Jijiu is Xiao Heng’s teacher, and his investigation of Xiao Heng’s death is justified.

  The reason why she was so desolate and lonely was probably that she had decided to go to death at that moment.

  Use death to atone for the brother-in-law and his apprentice, and also use death to escape to report the matter to the master behind the scenes.

  How did she frame Zhuang Jinse back then? What kind of mood was it to discover that Xiao Heng, who had been poisoned by him, would one day become the closed disciple of his brother-in-law?

  Old Jijiu's throat is sore: "It's all for me..."

  Zhang Xiu's fault for Zhuang Jinse must be because Zhuang Jinse was at odds with him, which caused him to be exiled and almost killed him.

  But who could have expected that he and Zhuang Jinse did not become enemies in the end, but Zhang Xiu took his own life in vain.

  Duke Wei has taken care of it, and they can take away Zhang Xiu's relics.

  The relics of Zhang Embroidery are very simple. Several sets of clothes and a makeup box. The box contains several kinds of jewelry that are too old to be worn. There are dozens of silver tickets hidden in the mezzanine of the box, all written with the name of the old sacrificial wine.

  There is also the inkstone that Xiao Liulang gave her yesterday.

  Lao Jijiu's eyes are red.

   "Teacher." Xiao Liulang said softly.

  "I'm okay." Laojijiu wiped away tears, packed Zhang Xiu's relics, and packed them with a bag. When he went out, his steps staggered.

  Xiao Liulang supported him.

  Old Jijiu's voice trembled: "I...I'm really fine."

  哐哐!

  The Yantai slipped out of the bag and hit the ground.

  Old Jijiu bowed to pick it up.

  Xiao Liulang said: "I'm coming."

  He picked up the inkstone first, "I'll take it."

  Lao Jijiu did not insist.

  His mood is very complicated, and his mind is full of chaos. He feels that he has harmed Zhang Xiu and also that he has harmed Xiao Heng.

  He choked and said: "You...don't blame her...you blame me... it's me... she is for me..."

  Xiao Liulang sighed: “It’s not her but there will be others. What is really hateful is the master behind the scenes. Teachers should not blame themselves. What happened back then has nothing to do with you, and nothing happened last night.”

  Since he wants to check, he will find this step no matter what.

  Lao Jijiu's relationship with Zhang embroidery for him only speeds up the process, and does not change the result.

  The ending of Zhang Xiu has been doomed since she reached out to an innocent four-year-old child.

  He can forgive, but God does not forgive.

  Lao Jijiu went to collect Zhang Xiu's body, Xiao Liulang did not follow, forgiveness is his greatest mercy, and he will not prepare for her funeral.

  Xiao Liulang went to Renshou Palace.

   Queen Mother Zhuang continued to read the Zhuangzi presented by Mrs. Zhuang in the study. The Zhuangzi passed through her hands before returning it to the minister and presented it to the emperor in the court.

  Gong Qin waited on the side, saw Xiao Liulang his eyes bright, and said to the queen mother: "The tea is cold, the minion is going to make a pot of hot tea."

The Queen Mother Zhuang glanced at Xiao Liulang: "Huh."

  Gonggong Qin retreated with a smile, and took the rest of the palace people with him.

  "What are you doing?" The Queen Mother read the memorial and asked lukewarmly.

   "Passing by." Xiao Liulang said.

  Both of them are temperamental that one more explanation will lead to death, and neither of them is willing to break the ice first.

"I am leaving."

  It’s not a big deal, so just come and have a look.

  He has always known that the relationship between the emperor and the queen mother is at odds, but he hasn’t been able to get it right.

  Somewhat worried.

  The Queen Mother looked at him, turned around, cleared her throat, and asked, "Why speak for the Aijia?"

  Xiao Liulang said lightly: "There is no why, the lords of the food bear the worries of the prince, the duty of the minister."

  Duke Qin who overheard outside is almost anxious. He's a **** minister. Is it hot to say a word?

  Anxious to death, anxious to death!

  The emperor and the empress dowager are not so anxious. After all, the emperor’s children are really annoying, but Xiao Xiu wrote that he was the empress dowager, and it was really heart-wrenching for them to misunderstand this way!

  He cares about the other party so much, why do you have to be strangers!

   Click.

  The inkstone in Xiao Liulang's hand slipped and hit the ground. He bowed to pick it up, and the purse in his arms fell out.

   Seeing the purse, the eyes of the Queen Mother moved slightly.

  It was the birthday gift given to him by the Queen Mother on New Year’s Eve Xiao Liulang’s birthday, and Xiao Jingkong also had one.

The Queen Mother    embroidered bluegrass by herself, which was too ugly like weeds, so she improved the old Jijiu, embroidered it into a piece of green bamboo, and added some stitches to the stitching.

  But after all, it's not too good-looking.

   Empress Dowager Zhuang hummed: "Why are you still wearing such an ugly thing? Isn't it shameful? Somehow she is a Hanlin official."

  Xiao Liulang didn't say anything, he took his purse back into his arms and continued to walk outside.

come back!

   Queen Mother Zhuang opened her mouth, but in the end she didn't say the words on her lips.

  If she is not so awkward temperament, she won't be able to carry so many scapegoats.

  Although she has indeed done a lot of bad things.

  She threw away the folder in her hand irritably, and she was in a bad mood!

Suddenly, Xiao Liulang, who had disappeared, turned back again.

  He came back too fast, and the Queen Mother didn’t even have time to calm the irritability in her eyes.

  He took a deep breath, as if to have some courage, and asked in a low voice: "Why am I not?"

   "Huh?" The Queen Mother was taken aback.

  Xiao Liulang squeezed his fingers, his face flushed, but he continued to pluck up the courage to ask: "Why don't I have a token?"

  Why didn’t Renshou Palace prepare anything for me?

  ...Do you want me?

  His tone is as usual, but his eyes cannot hide grievances.

  The Queen Mother Zhuang's heart was stunned.

  That grievance made her heart hurt.

   She lowered her eyes and whispered: "Aijia... I thought you didn't want it."

   "Why don't I want to..."

  Before finishing the key words, Xiao Liulang paused.

  Aijia thinks you don’t want it.

The amount of information in this sentence is huge.

  Aunt’s Xiao Liulang would not want it, Xiao Heng would not want it.

  The Queen Mother Zhuang knows who he is.

   also remembered that he had “poisoned” Xiao Heng, and knew that Xiao Heng had always been jealous of her, hated her, and wanted to stay away from her.

   "You never thought about..." Ask me?

   "The Aijia thought about it, but the Aijia... is afraid." The Queen Mother confessed her emotions after almost exhausting her life's courage and face.

  Because I cared too much, I was afraid of being rejected, so I rejected the possibility of rejection first.

  She would rather recite a thousand times in a scapegoat than once confessed.

  Her self-esteem is so strong, that's it.

But the trace of grievance in Xiao Liulang's eyes crushed her self-esteem that she had accumulated over the past few decades.

   "I didn't want it." Xiao Liulang rolled his face and said, his tone aggrieved and awkward.

  He is also a twister.

  He is also ashamed to speak up.

  And he is still a child.

  It is in front of the elderly.

   Queen Mother Zhuang looked at him directly, her eyes brightened: "What did you say?"

   "Nothing!" Xiao Liulang walked out blankly.

  Before he left the Renshou Palace, Duke Qin chased him up and said with a grin, "Xiao Xiuzhuan, please stay! You have something forgotten!"

  Xiao Liulang: "I don't have one."

  Duke Qin: "Some and some! Please come with the minion to get it!"

  Xiao Liulang was taken by Duke Qin to a side hall of Renshou Palace.

  Duke Qin opened the door and said with a smile, "Please."

  Xiao Liulang stepped inside.

  The huge side hall, at a glance, is full of bookshelves, and the bookshelves are full of books.

  And beside the window sill swaying in the sun, there is a desk. The four treasures of the study on the desk emit a faint fragrance of ink, and there is a brocade box in the center of the desk.

  Duke Qin brought the brocade box over: "Here."

  Xiao Liulang opened, and suddenly found a token of Renshou Palace lying inside.

Qin Gonggong sighed and said, "The Queen Mother was prepared long ago, but I don’t know why it has not been taken out. There is also this side hall, which was also transformed by the Queen Mother. At first, the servant did not understand what the Queen Mother would do to transform such a large library. I finally know the purpose."

  They just own a small house or a small yard, but does he own such a large library?

  Xiao Liulang is unbelievable and unspeakable.

  He didn’t suspect that Qin Gong’s words were fake. After all, tokens could be given, but Cangshuge could not be made. The paint smell was brand new and strong.

  He stood there blankly, like a silly little chicken.

  It was at this moment, he lost the aura of youth and old age, and he had a bit of childish innocence and youthfulness.

  To be forced to grow up is helpless, while being spoiled back to a child is a kind of luck and happiness.

   "Comments by Xiao Xiu." Duke Qin found a baggage to install the brocade box and the inkstone. He turned around and saw Xiao Liulang look dazed, shaking his hand in front of him, "Don't be so happy."

   "I'm not too happy either." Xiao Liulang said without changing his face, and walked out with the baggage.

  Duke Qin with black lines on his face: "..."

  Xiao Liulang, holding a cane in one hand and a brocade box in the other, walked most of the Renshou Palace on the same hand, leaving the maids and eunuchs of Renshou Palace stunned.

  A person who looks like a dog, is he so mentally handicapped when he walks? !

  Xiao Liulang had already left Renshou Palace, but he paused and then turned back.

  He stood outside the study of the Queen Mother.

   didn't go in.

  Queen Mother Zhuang said indifferently, "Thanks and you don’t have to, I’m so nauseous."

  Damn, she just said so much that she regretted it. It was only when she was caught in evil that she would be defeated in this kid's grievance.

  Give her another chance. She stabbed him a hundred times with a knife, and never admitted that she was afraid of being rejected by him.

  Xiao Liulang pursed his lips, poked a head in from outside the door, and filed a particularly naive complaint: "Auntie, Mrs. Zhuang bullied me!"

   After that, I ran away in a hurry!

  Well, the first time I was so naive, I was so embarrassed, I forgot that I was a lame, I stumbled directly when I ran, rolled off the steps, and fell on the grass!

  Everyone: "..."

  They just didn’t even look at it.

  The corners of Queen Mother Zhuang’s lips twitched imperceptibly, and in the next second, she returned to her indifferent expression, and said majesticly, "Master Xuan Zhuang!"

  　 may have stayed up late some time ago, people are very tired, sitting at the computer desk can go to sleep directly.

  　　 There are more updates this month than last month. Basically, it can guarantee seven to eight thousand words every day, sometimes nine thousand, which is very overdraft.

In fact, on Monday, the editor notified me to reduce the number of updates and prepare to save the manuscript. I told the editor that I would not reduce the number of updates before the specific date came out. Let the readers read more. Once the date is confirmed, I will increase the code word a little every day Strength, it should be able to complete the task.

  　　, but I did not expect to update seven or eight thousand every day, and at the same time submit two extra drafts, completely overdrawn.

  　　 There are not many updates today, please forgive me.

  　　 I will adjust my status as soon as possible, good night.

  (End of this chapter)