In the main hall of Xianyang Hall, Luo Qingzhi was waiting for news. She hoped that Luo Chen would understand what she meant.
The door opened and Gao Zhen, dressed as a eunuch, walked in. He lowered his head, but Luo Qingzhi didn't notice it for a moment.
Gao Zhen opened the food box, took out the pastries and handed them to Luo Qingzhi.
"Princess, please have some cakes."
Gao Zhen spoke out, and Luo Qingzhi looked at him. Gao Zhen raised his head, with an expression of joy between his four eyes.
Luo Qingzhi looked at the people around her and said, "You all go down," she looked at Gao Zhen and said, "You, stay here and wait."
"yes."
Just when Gao Zhen wanted to speak out, Luo Qingzhi made a "shush" gesture. She listened to the movement outside the hall, was silent for a while, looked at Gao Zhen, and mouthed: "Someone is watching."
Gao Zhen nodded repeatedly and wrote on the table with tea.
"There is no unusual movement between the Imperial College and the Zhou Mansion."
Luo Qingzhi wiped away the water stains and continued to write, "Who is being punished?"
Gao Zhen wrote: "Huang Si."
Luo Qingzhi suddenly frowned, looking at Gao Zhen in disbelief.
Gao Zhen nodded solemnly.
"Go check what happened before Huang Si entered the palace." Luo Qingzhi wrote.
Gao Zhen nodded again.
In order to prevent everyone from suspecting, Gao Zhen only stayed for a while and then came out. He followed the accompanying eunuch to the base of the city wall. He handed him the pills in his arms and said, "This is today's antidote. Be obedient.
When this matter is over, I will help you detoxify."
Gao Zhen climbed out of the dog hole and hurried to the princess's mansion.
Seeing Gao Zhen return safely, Fan Li breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Have you seen the princess?"
"I saw it." Gao Zhen nodded, "Aluo said, let's go check on Huang Si."
"Okay, I'll go give the orders right away."
After Gao Zhen handed over the news about Luo Qingzhi, he was about to leave. Fan Li called him and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Xingbu." Gao Zhen replied.
Fan Li shook his head, "What identity do you use to go to the Criminal Department? You are not the official in charge."
Gao Zhen stopped and thought for a moment, "Then I'll go to Tiger Hill."
"Looking for Mrs. Xia?" Fan Li asked back.
Gao Zhen explained: "If there is anyone else whom Lord Xia Ji cares about, I think it is only Mrs. Xia."
A spring rain came gently, and the raindrops made a ticking sound on the eaves, interrupting Fan Li's thinking.
"Master, I have a sense of propriety. We can't let Aluo stand in front of us in everything."
Gao Zhen also mentioned Fan Li's pain. He hesitated but nodded in agreement.
"You must come back before the city gate is locked." Fan Li confessed.
"yes."
In the front hall of Xianyang Hall, Luo Qingzhi learned from Gao Zhen that it was Huang Si who was punished. She was very surprised. She remembered that Huang Si had been with Gao Yan since she was a child. After Gao Yan ascended the throne,
I also have great trust in him.
Huang Si has no reason to betray Gao Yan.
Without more information, Luo Qingzhi couldn't guess the key. She could only wait for Gao Zhen outside the palace to find out what information.
"Dong-dong-dong-dong!"
Someone knocked on the door. Luo Qingzhi reacted for a while and said, "Please come in."
An old nun entered the room, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your Highness, the Queen Mother has invited you."
"Queen Mother?"
Luo Qingzhi was a little surprised. She had never seen the Empress Dowager Sun again since the palace change ten years ago. She was not even present at the family dinner, but now she wanted to see her.
"Your Majesty agrees?" Luo Qingzhi asked.
Mammy said: "Your Majesty will never disobey the Queen Mother."
The Empress Dowager Sun was the mother of Gao Yan and the late emperor, but she had doted on the eldest son more than the younger son since he was a child. After the palace coup ten years ago, Gao Yan ascended the throne as emperor, and the Empress Dowager Sun lived in seclusion in the palace without seeing anyone.
After following the grandmother through a bamboo forest, we came to the residence of the Queen Mother. Once we entered the courtyard, we saw that the building was simple and elegant.
Cool.
Mammy knocked on the door three times, and after receiving permission, she opened the palace door, faced Luo Qingzhi and said, "Princess, please."
Luo Qingzhi approached the house, and there was a strong scent of osmanthus in the orchid and sandalwood that hit her nostrils.
After taking a few steps closer, he was blocked by a wooden screen, and the woman's figure was reflected on the screen.
Luo Qingzhi stopped and bowed her hands in salute, "Your Majesty, Luo Qingzhi, is here to see the Queen Mother."
After waiting for a while, a steady voice came from the screen, "Come in."
Luo Qingzhi waited for a while, then looked across the screen and saw Queen Mother Sun sitting on the chair at a glance. Although the Queen Mother was old, her face was kind and there was no sense of distance at all.
Queen Mother Sun smiled tenderly, "When you were young, the Ai family saw you and hugged you."
Luo Qingzhi did not remember such a thing at all, so she could only answer sincerely: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, but I have a poor memory and have forgotten such a thing."
Empress Dowager Sun smiled and said, "No problem."
The palace maid came into the palace to serve tea, which also gave Luo Qingzhi time to think. She thought, "The Queen Mother is kind and kind, and she doesn't seem to have any attacks, but why did she suddenly find her."
Empress Dowager Sun asked: "My princess has been back in Beijing for a month, but she is still used to it."
"Everything is fine."
Queen Mother Sun took a leisurely sip of tea and said, "I heard that the princess is in trouble."
Luo Qingzhi also took a sip of tea, "There is some."
Empress Dowager Sun did not continue to speak, and Luo Qingzhi did not continue to answer. There was a strong atmosphere of testing between the two.
Grandma walked into the room, holding a brocade box.
"Your Majesty, the things are here."
Empress Dowager Sun nodded, pointed, and said, "Princess, open it and take a look."
Luo Qingzhi hesitated for a while, then reached out and opened the brocade box. Inside the box was a white jade flute.
"This is your mother's thing, and now it returns to its original owner." Queen Mother Sun explained.
When Luo Qingzhi's mother was mentioned, she became very soft. She touched the flute gently, imagining that her mother had touched her like this.
Luo Qingzhi said in a respectful tone, "May I ask the Queen Mother why my mother's things are here with you."
Queen Mother Sun replied slowly, "The Ai family can't remember clearly the past and future."
Luo Qingzhi felt that the Queen Mother Sun was unwilling to explain, but she did not want to ask any more questions. She closed the brocade box and said, "Well, thank you, Queen Mother, I have not seen my mother since I was born. It is rare to have something belonging to my mother. I am very happy."
gratitude."
Queen Mother Sun drank tea again and said softly: "You're welcome, I will come to the palace often from now on. If you have anything, the Ai family can help you."
Luo Qingzhi heard Empress Dowager Sun's promise, but she didn't take it seriously. She counted the time and prepared to say goodbye.
Empress Dowager Sun didn't show any intention of staying as a guest. She nodded and asked her to see her off.
When he walked out of the Queen Mother's palace, he ran into Gao Yan head-on. He had some anger on his face, but after seeing his grandmother, he suppressed it.
"Let me go in and pay my respects to the Queen Mother."
Mammy bowed her head and saluted, and said calmly: "Your Majesty, please don't embarrass me. As you know, the Queen Mother doesn't want to see you."
As soon as these words came out, Luo Qingzhi could clearly feel Gao Yan's loss.
Heavy rain came, and the palace maids and eunuchs were panicking and holding umbrellas for Gao Yan and Luo Qingzhi.
Gao Yan bowed silently outside the palace, ignored Luo Qingzhi, turned around and left, while the eunuch holding an umbrella behind him walked in a hurry.
Luo Qingzhi stayed for a while, and the nanny said: "The rain is getting heavier and heavier. Princess, please return to the palace quickly."
"Okay, thank you, mama." Luo Qingzhi thanked her and left slowly.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier. Even though she had an umbrella, Luo Qingzhi's dress was still wet. Gao Zhen, who had left earlier, could no longer be seen. She asked the maid on the side.
"Is there any unused palace nearby where I can take shelter from the rain?"
The little palace maid thought for a while, looked around, pointed to the left and said, "Ahead is Concubine Shu's palace, where you can take shelter from the rain."
"Okay, lead the way."
Entering Concubine Shu and Gao
In the palace where Zhen lived, Luo Qingzhi walked into the corridor and looked at the dilapidated surroundings, feeling a little sad for Gao Zhen's life.
The little palace maid squatted down and used the handkerchief she carried with her to help Luo Qingzhi wipe her dress.
"No need, it's already very wet." Luo Qingzhi said softly.
The little palace maid asked: "I'm going to find a clean dress for you. Please wait a moment."
Before Luo Qingzhi could say "no need", the little palace maid ran out holding an umbrella.
Luo Qingzhi stood in the corridor, took out the white jade flute from the brocade box, put it to her lips, and played the only tune she knew.
The melodious sound of the flute accompanied the gentle drizzle.
Gao Yan, who was worried about coming back to look for Luo Qingzhi, happened to hear this song.
Gao Yan stopped and remembered that this piece of music was taught by Luo Huaiyi. He smiled silently and thought to himself, "Those years in Prince Pingbei's Mansion, life was indeed enjoyable."
The eunuch serving behind him was Huang Si's apprentice. After Huang Si was punished, he was transferred to Gao Yan. Seeing His Majesty the Emperor standing in the rain for a long time, he thought about it and reminded him, "Your Majesty, your trousers are already wet.
, why don’t you go in and take shelter from the rain.”
Gao Yan did not answer, nor did he take any action.
After the song ended, the sound of rain gradually became louder, and Gao Yan said softly: "Go back to Xianyang Palace."
Luo Qingzhi, who stopped playing the flute in the corridor, naturally didn't know that Gao Yan had turned back to look for her.
In the sound of the flute, she also thought of her childhood life. Even though ten years had passed, sometimes she couldn't help but miss the past days.
The little palace maid who went back to look for dresses happened to come back and brought back a light yellow dress. Luo Qingzhi took it, walked into the palace, and changed out of her original clothes.
The little palace maid took her old clothes and said, "I will wash them and return them to the princess tomorrow."
Luo Qingzhi asked: "I didn't have time to ask you, what is your name?"
"My name is Fu'er."
"Okay." Luo Qingzhi smiled, "Then, I'll trouble you first."
"This is what a slave should do." Fu'er said.
The rain became lighter, and Luo Qingzhi said, "Let's go back while the rain eases."
"yes."
Luo Qingzhi returned to Xianyang Hall and was still taken into the banquet hall. Gao Yan still had no intention of summoning her.
She held the jade flute, obviously worried, but she also felt a little relaxed. She hoped that there would be good news tomorrow.
Gao Zhen, who came back before the city gate was locked, returned to the Princess's Mansion very anxiously and found Fan Li with a serious and anxious tone.
"The person who helps the Imperial College students with lectures is not Xia Ji."