Chuxiu Palace, formerly known as Shouchang Palace, was built in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (AD 14) and renamed Chuxiu Palace in the 14th year of Jiajing (1535). The Qing Dynasty followed the old name of the Ming Dynasty and was built in the 12th year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (AD 1655).

) rebuilt.

In the second year of Xianfeng (1852 AD), when Cixi first entered the palace and was granted the title of Lan Guiren, she lived in Lijingxuan of Chuxiu Palace. Then she was granted the title of Yi concubine. In March of the sixth year of Xianfeng (1856 AD), she lived in Lijing

Xuan gave birth to Zaichun (the Emperor Tongzhi).

In the 10th year of Guangxu (AD 1884), Empress Dowager Cixi, who had already lived in Changchun Palace, moved to this palace to celebrate her 50th birthday and renovated the palace, spending 630,000 taels of silver. The inscription on the wall of the corridor in the courtyard said that the minister at that time was

Empress Dowager Cixi's birthday wish "Longevity without Borders".

Chuxiu Palace is the most important palace in Cixi's life. It is worthy of consideration that Cixi moved to Chuxiu Palace on her 50th birthday. First, Cixi made her fortune here, and her only political capital, Tongzhi Emperor, was in the apse of Chuxiu Palace.

Born is the real political capital to seize power. Secondly, Cixi entered the palace at the age of seventeen. Her youth was buried here, and there are memories everywhere. Thirdly, she is attached to Emperor Xianfeng and never forgets the love that the former emperor had for her.

kindness.

Chuxiu Palace is the most exquisite palace among the Six Western Palaces in the Forbidden City.

In the courtyard of Chuxiu Palace, there are two vigorous ancient cypresses; under the platform are a pair of bronze dragons and a pair of bronze deer. The oil decoration on the outer eaves of Chuxiu Palace adopts the elegant "Su-style color painting", with themes such as flowers, birds, fish and insects.

Landscapes, figures, stories about gods, etc.; the doors and windows are all carved from fine-textured nanmu with patterns of "Wanfu Longshou" and "Five Blessings Holding Longevity".

Recently, there is a new thing in Chuxiu Palace, and that is electric lights.

There have been electric lights in the palace for several years, but electric lights in Chuxiu Palace are still extremely rare.

In recent days, the number of electric lights in Chuxiu Palace has increased a lot, and they are almost everywhere in every corner. Even the dining room and toilets are equipped with extremely bright "electric lights".

In recent years, the Queen Mother's body has been aging. The most obvious thing is that she is afraid of the dark, her eyesight has begun to decline, she is afraid of colds, and she has many dreams.

In the palace, there are intrigues and intrigues. Even a noble like her can't help herself. She has to always be on guard against the reformist ministers who are promoting the New Deal. Together with the emperor, she deprives herself of her power in exchange for a great country...

This is something she cannot allow!

So every night, when she had the energy, she would read various files and memorials, as well as some secret reports and letters as needed, and keep an eye on the situation and movements in the court.

Her eyesight has become blurred with old age. Although she is not fainting yet, the electric light is a very important prop if she wants to read books at night.

In recent days, she had been having some very strange dreams, those indescribable magic and mysteries, as if she had experienced them personally, but after waking up, she had completely forgotten them.

Somehow, she felt that something incredible was about to happen. Regarding some unexplainable mysterious perceptions, she could only relate them to mystical theories such as ghosts and gods.

Emperors throughout the ages have firmly believed in celestial omens. Qin Tian Jian is a specialized department in this field. There are some incidents that she would like to find a senior person in Qin Tian Jian to investigate secretly...

The staff of Qin Tian Jian, in fact, those few important officials are just idle personnel sent by the royal family. The truly knowledgeable people do not have high official positions.

She sat in the study, under the bright electric light, carefully searching the list of those employees of Qintian Prison who had real knowledge. Gradually, she suddenly felt a twitching feeling in her heart.

The only thing she frowned and looked at was that the name of a person above caught her attention.

"The five senses must be upright, and the eight grades must be upright."

"Zhou Linjun?"

The Queen Mother suddenly took a breath of cold air, and she gradually remembered this name that made her a little frightened.

If it was really the person from three years ago, there would be something very fishy!

She stared for a long time, became restless, and began to feel irritable and angry.

"Xiao Dezi!" she called slightly loudly.

Behind the curtains, a young eunuch of seventeen or eighteen years old with an extremely delicate appearance walked out. With a whisk in his right hand, he flicked it slightly, bowed and said crisply: "I'm here, my servant."

"Inform Lin Tianfang, the Minister of Punishment, to quickly enter the palace and meet the Ai family secretly."

At night in the capital, there are always lights all night long.

Although there is a curfew, it cannot control some noble banquets and fireworks places.

The housekeeper of Lin Mansion found Lin Tianfang in a brothel.

Lin Tianfang is a good official, at least within the dynasty, and not a dirty person.

He has some affection and integrity, but he has always been willing to compromise. With a character like his, it is definitely the limit for him to be a second-rank official in the imperial court.

Even if he plays with romantic situations, it will not detract from him being a good official.

At thirty-five years old, he is still unmarried. It would be abnormal for a man of his age not to vent his anger in a place like this.

It is obviously not unusual for the Queen Mother to summon her late at night!

He was certain that the big incident three years ago would eventually be exposed, but he would not hesitate to do so even if it cost his own life or even the lives of his entire family.

Because that incident was not just about a certain person, but the destiny of the entire country, and even the survival of the entire world!

The Minister of Criminal Affairs is equivalent to the ministerial level of a country's public security and judicial departments.

If he risked his life to cover up something, it would definitely be an incredible accident!

"Dismissal of all servants, maids, and immediate relatives, we will leave the city tonight. Lin Zhong, I'm afraid there will be no way back for me. According to my instructions back then, take care of yourself and take care of yourself..."

These were the last words Lin Tianfang left for the housekeeper Lin Zhong when he entered the palace that night.

An hour later, the lights in the Lin Mansion were quietly turned on, and people were looking longingly. All the people in the Lin Mansion were sobbing and lamenting in low voices. They were panicking and calmly gathering up their belongings, setting up a carriage in the backyard, and driving out of the back door.

.

The old housekeeper Lin Zhong was in a particularly heavy and sad mood.

Judging from what the master said tonight, the Lin family will be in great trouble!

For three years, the old housekeeper didn't know what kind of trouble the master had gotten into, but during the three years of waiting for this trouble, he had been praying that it was just a false alarm and that the truth could be concealed.

He only knew that this disaster was related to the fire at a time-honored "Phoenix Bookstore" in Beijing more than three years ago.

The fire destroyed 13 houses, 47 families, and 182 people, all of whom were killed.

The person who has full authority to handle this incident is Lin Tianfang.

Lin Tianfang was also promoted to minister because of this case.

What is supposed to come has finally come!

This is God's will.

The ancients all believed in destiny and destiny.

The three carriages of the Lin family carried seventeen members of the Lin family's immediate family.

But just as we drove out of the alleyway at the back door, we were stopped at the intersection.

Lin Zhong jumped off the carriage and walked over. After taking a closer look, he felt a little uneasy.

What stopped them was not the officers and soldiers as expected, but an extremely tall Taoist priest with a big beard and a very strange appearance, like the judge from hell.

"Lin Zhong, where are you going? Escape from the capital? There is no place in the world other than the royal land. Pindao has calculated the fate of your master. He has three years left to live. In three years, the Lin Mansion will be rewarded by the imperial court. The three members of the Lin family will

Every son has a wealthy father."

Lin Zhong walked forward with some hesitation. Under the dim light, he gradually recognized this person's appearance. He couldn't help but bend down and bowed in surprise: "It turns out to be Master Yan. You are here. Our Lin family is saved."

!”

…………

In Chuxiu Palace, the Queen Mother's study.

Lin Tian lay silent, his face almost touching the cold floor, and he even felt an inexplicable coldness on his neck.
Chapter completed!