bookcurios Chapter 1109: Master Xingchen from Fatu Temple was summoned to the palace (108 million reward)
Chapter 1109: Master Xingchen from Fatu Temple was summoned to the palace (108 million reward)
"No need for permission to enter the Yangxin Palace?"
Concubine Kang paused slightly for a moment as she used the silver scissors to trim the branches.
She slowly put down the scissors, picked up a silk handkerchief and wiped her hands, her face still showing that impeccable gentleness.
But deep in my eyes, a stone was thrown into the calm lake, causing a faint ripple.
It was surprise and understanding, but also a hint of indescribable bitterness.
The emperor's heart is ultimately biased and unreasonable...
She looked at the sickly Fifth Prince, sighed softly, and suppressed the slight ripple in her heart.
Xuanpin's eyes were filled with admiration and pure joy: "Sister Guifei Chen is really amazing! His Majesty treats sister so well!"
She held the pipa, her eyes sparkling with stars, and felt that it was only natural for her sister, Concubine Chen, to receive such unique favor.
She is proud of it!
The speed at which Concubine Zhuang twisted the Buddhist beads in the small Buddhist hall seemed to increase for a moment, and then returned to normal.
She bowed deeply to the Buddha statue and whispered, "Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine Chen is blessed with great fortune. This is the blessing of the Buddha."
The tone was pious, without any unnecessary emotion.
Wangpin's reaction was the most direct.
She was trying on her new riding suit when she heard the report from her confidant, Odano. The carefully painted makeup on her face could not hide the distortion and hatred at that moment.
"what?!"
"No need to pass on the message?!"
Wangpin's voice was a little sharp, but she immediately lowered it when she realized her mistake. However, her chest was rising and falling violently, and her eyes were burning with unwilling flames.
"Shen Zhinian... Why does she do that? Why?!"
This grace, like a poisonous thorn, pierced deeply into her heart!
The lower-ranking concubines who were unable to accompany the emperor were even more shocked: "Oh my God! The Yangxin Palace is where His Majesty handles government affairs and receives court officials. The concubines can go in directly without being summoned? This... This is really unheard of!"
"The favor of the Imperial Concubine Chen is truly at its peak, no one can match it!"
"Wouldn't it be as convenient for Concubine Chen to go to His Majesty's place as to go back to her own palace?"
"Hush! Be careful with your words! Is this something we can discuss? However... Your Majesty really treats Concubine Chen very..."
The man's next words turned into a sigh filled with awe and envy.
This privilege made them realize more clearly that there was a huge difference between Concubine Chen and them...
……
The thin sunlight in the late autumn afternoon slanted through the long carved windows of Zhongcui Palace, casting several long streaks of light on the smooth gold bricks.
The hall was extremely quiet, with only the occasional rustling sound of pearls and jade colliding as Fuqiu stood a little distance away, arranging her dressing box.
The palace door was silently pushed open a crack, and Xiao Mingzi's clever face poked in with a hint of barely perceptible solemnity.
His footsteps were as light as a cat's. He quietly slid to the couch, bowed and lowered his voice: "My Lady."
Shen Zhinian's eyes did not move, he just responded lazily from his throat: "Hmm?"
Xiao Mingzi said respectfully: "I just received a letter that the person in the Cining Palace is in worse health."
"Several highly skilled doctors from the Imperial Hospital took turns to check the patient's pulse and poured her medicine into her body, but the Empress Dowager's health did not improve at all. Instead, her condition became worse day by day."
"Early this morning, the Empress Dowager issued an imperial decree to summon Master Xingchen from the Fatu Temple to the palace. She said that an altar would be set up in the Cining Palace to chant sutras and pray for the Empress Dowager for 49 days, asking for the Buddha's blessing!"
Shen Zhinian slowly opened his eyes: "Master Xingchen?"
She knew in her previous life that there was a palace concubine suspected of having an affair with Master Xingchen, and he was eventually ordered by the emperor to be torn into pieces by five horses.
Shen Zhinian has been asking Xiao Mingzi to keep an eye on this matter, but Master Xingchen has not entered the palace again.
The next morning, everyone will follow the emperor to Mulan Paddock. Master Xingchen will enter the palace at this time and pray for the empress dowager for 49 days...
This timing is really delicate...
Shen Zhinian sat up straight, the wide sleeves of her Tianshuibi dress slipped down, revealing her white wrist as white as snow: "He is finally going to enter the palace..."
Xiao Mingzi was so smart that he immediately sensed the coming storm from the seemingly calm tone of the empress. He bent his waist even lower and held his breath.
"Master Xingchen was summoned by the Queen Mother to the palace to pray for blessings. He must be very proficient in Buddhism."
Shen Zhinian's tone did not reveal any emotion, and he said, "It's just that in this heavily guarded palace, there's suddenly an outsider..."
"Xiao Mingzi."
Xiao Mingzi's heart trembled, and he immediately responded: "The servant is here!"
Shen Zhinian's eyes fell on Xiao Mingzi. At this moment, there was only a sharp cold light in those charming fox eyes that saw through everything: "Pick a few smart and inconspicuous ones with the tightest mouths, and keep a close eye on them for me!"
"Master Xingchen recited scriptures, rested, walked along the palace roads every day, met people, said what... Even if he just glanced at the dry grass in the corner for a few more seconds, I have recorded everything in detail!"
Shen Zhinian paused, and lightly tapped the soft couch's smooth armrest with his fingertips, making a soft thud, like a gavel falling: "Especially... keep a close eye on those palace concubines who are usually very active and love to go to the Buddhist temple.
"If there are any signs of abnormality..."
At this point, her voice suddenly turned deep, with an unquestionable iron-blooded pressure: "Report immediately!"
Xiao Mingzi did not dare to neglect it, and bowed deeply, saying in a firm voice: "I obey your order!"
"Please rest assured, Madam. Even if a fly flies over Master Xingchen's head, I will let it leave a wing mark!"
Shen Zhinian nodded slightly, leaned back on the pillow and closed his eyes, as if he had just given an order for a trivial matter.
Xiao Mingzi immediately understood and retreated silently, his figure disappearing in the heavy shadow of the palace door.
Silence returned to the hall, with only the last wisp of smoke escaping from the incense burner, curling and dissipating in the slightly cool afternoon air.
……
Dark as ink.
Deep in the backyard of the Lu Mansion, the inconspicuous window of the west wing was pushed open a crack.
A black shadow slid in like a ghost and landed silently.
The air was filled with the bleak chill unique to late autumn, mixed with the faint scent of incense in the room.
Shen Nanqiao almost pounced forward, crashing into the embrace filled with the chill of night dew, greedily absorbing the familiar and intoxicating breath.
"Shuro!"
Her voice was very low, with a cry-like tone of dependence and grievance of waiting for a long time. Her arms tightly wrapped around the waist of the visitor, as if a drowning person grabbed the only driftwood: "You are finally here!"
Liu Shixiu let Shen Nanqiao hold him for a while before he gently patted her slightly trembling back with a soothing gesture.
Then, he took a step back and, with the thin moonlight coming in from the window, his eyes fell on Shen Nanqiao's face, which was flushed with excitement.