It was already past dusk when they returned to the palace. Tong Xiaoye and Xuan Jinmo broke up in front of the palace gate and walked slowly back to the Queen's courtyard along the familiar road. The candlelight flickered slightly and the red lantern swayed in the wind at the door.
The shaking sign indicates that the Emperor is here.
It just so happened that she also drank a few glasses of wine and felt slightly dizzy. She just happened to take advantage of the opportunity of the emperor to rest here and rest early. As long as the emperor was here, the Queen would let her rest early and no longer sit with her in the lamplight.
Chatting under the candle.
I walked back to my house and heard the emperor's angry voice coming from the queen's room: "This hateful girl, she must put me in an unkind and unjust position before she can do it?! I am too used to it all the time."
She's gone! Get out!——"
The voice was extremely angry, and Tong Xiaoye immediately thought that it must be related to today's selection of the consort. Will Xuan Jinxiu or Xuan Jincheng win today?
Seeing someone coming out of the room, Tong Xiaoye immediately ducked and hid behind a pillar. It was Lady Xu, with tears on her face. She was supported by two slaves, her steps were hurried and her face was pale.
What happened, that Lady Xu is still here so late and makes the emperor so angry?
"Come here!" The emperor's angry voice sounded loudly.
Someone closed the door and the sound was muffled in the room. Tong Xiaoye immediately took this opportunity to sneak back to his room, stood in front of the dark window, and quietly watched what was going on outside.
After a while, Eunuch Xi hurriedly walked out of the courtyard. To be precise, he trotted away from the courtyard. He didn't know where he went. Then the courtyard became quiet. After waiting for a long time, there was no more movement. Tong Xiaoye closed the door.
Out of curiosity, I simply washed up in the dark and lay down on the bed to rest. Maybe I was tired and fell asleep soon after.
At this time in the morning, Tong Xiaoye woke up early, washed up, ate some snacks to stave off hunger, walked to the courtyard, and waited in front of the queen's door. Eunuch Xi stood energetically, saw Tong Xiaoye, and smiled reluctantly.
He smiled, his voice slightly hoarse, "Good morning, little girl."
"Happy father-in-law, good morning."
Although Tong Xiaoye was curious, she knew that the more things she knew in the palace, the more dangerous it would be. Moreover, with the character of Eunuch Xi, she would never reveal anything, so she pretended not to know what happened yesterday and stood waiting submissively.
The emperor and the empress came out from breakfast.
Soon, the emperor came out accompanied by the queen, looking serious and preparing to go to court.
Walking to the door, he suddenly stopped and said to Eunuch Xi: "Go and tell Tianxiang that she must choose who she wants to marry today. Otherwise, I will tell her not to have any more thoughts."
Eunuch Xi said respectfully: "Princess Tianxiang was just making a little joke. Those servants recognized the wrong person and caused the incident. Fortunately, the eldest son of the Xuan family was not seriously injured and will be fine in a few days."
It sounds a bit forced.
Tong Xiaoye was a little puzzled. What could be so big of a problem than writing a poem with calligraphy? It would also get hurt? It would make the emperor so angry.
"Hmph, if this spreads out, wouldn't it be a joke for the world to see? It's really an insult to our country, Wumeng.
Qingyu!" The emperor said dissatisfiedly, "Let the queen come forward and make it clear to them mother and daughter, stop your delusions! Xuan Jinmo will definitely not be able to marry, she can only choose between Xuan Jinxiu and Xuan Jincheng!"
Turning around and leaving, the eunuchs and slaves followed the emperor with solemn voices.
The Empress sighed softly and said helplessly: "Xiaoye, accompany me to the prison. Now Princess Tianxiang is locked up in there."
Eunuch Xi looked helpless, lowered his head and said nothing.
Tong Xiaoye couldn't hide the astonishment on her face. She looked at the empress with a melancholy expression in surprise. She didn't dare to ask. She helped the empress slowly walk out of the courtyard and got on the carriage in front of the door. Listening to the sound of the carriage, she slowly walked out of the courtyard.
Walk on the clean stone road.
"This girl is really too stubborn." The Empress sighed, and she didn't know whether she was talking to herself or to Tong Xiaoye, "To think that something like this happened."
Tong Xiaoye just listened quietly, knowing that she must not ask at this time.
The Empress looked helpless as she looked at the pattern on the car curtain in front of her. The car curtain swayed slightly in the wind, and there was a faint autumn breeze blowing in, making it slightly cool.
In the westernmost corner of the palace, there is a cell similar to the Cold Palace, which is specially used to imprison some of the concubines and princes and princesses who have made mistakes. The walls are made of stone, and there are no flowers, plants or trees. The cells are small and small.
The window has strong bars, not even a finger can be stretched out, and the door is even more solid, not even an ant can crawl in.
There is only one well in the courtyard. The wellhead is the size of a person and is covered with stone slabs. The ground is covered with bluestone slabs. There are gaps in the courtyard so clean that no stains can be found. There are several serious-looking middle-aged eunuchs and slaves, wearing blue t-shirts.
Yi, his face slightly pale, and he kept his head down and said nothing.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, Tong Xiaoye immediately felt chilled all over, especially the well and the Ruan people. How she looked at it made her hair stand on end.
Seeing the emperor's gold medal presented by Eunuch Xi, someone stepped forward to open the door of a cell, then turned and left, guarding it from a distance.
The cell was not big, with a bed and a table. Princess Tianxiang was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. She was tied to the foot of the bed with a haggard expression, half-sitting on the cold and damp ground, with her mouth stuffed and speechless.
Her bed was covered with black cloth so she couldn't see anything. Even when she heard someone coming in, she couldn't move even a little bit.
What happened? Tong Xiaoye even breathed very lightly.
Eunuch Xi stepped forward and took out the thing from Princess Tianxiang's mouth, and then opened the black cloth around her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Princess Tianxiang." Eunuch Xi took these things and retreated to the door.
"What are you doing here?!" Princess Tianxiang shouted hoarsely, staring at the Queen and Tong Xiaoye, "Is that idiot dead?!"
"Princess Tianxiang, please keep your voice down. This is the Royal Prison. You are Princess Tianxiang outside. You are just an unnamed prisoner here. If you break the rules here, you will only die." Eunuch Xi said with a slight threat, "These
The thing is something that the Queen Mother took pity on you and asked for. If you speak louder, the father-in-law here can throw you directly into the well in the courtyard without having to report it to the emperor.
The death well is a tool used by the royal prison to punish those who disobey."
Tong Xiaoye shuddered, no wonder Najing looked at the evil door.
"Tianxiang, this is the last chance your father gives you. Don't continue to be willful. Your mother is now imprisoned in the cold palace. If you still insist on going your own way, you two will definitely die." The Queen sighed and said.
, "There is no shortage of princesses in this palace. If you refuse to marry, you will only tell the outside world that Princess Tianxiang died suddenly. I will choose another princess for the two brothers, and you mother and daughter will have to accompany you on the road to hell."