Mo Dongyang

Xinzheku is located at the bottom of the palace's deformed hierarchy. It is the purgatory where all the harem ladies talk about discoloration, because once they enter Xinzheku, they must endure inhuman hard labor and extremely harsh treatment until they die of illness or old age. , there is no chance to return to their original positions, and no one will care about the life and death of the Xinzheku palace ladies. They are like imps who have been thrown into the eighteenth hell and will not be reborn forever, wandering outside the palace, and Aunt Shen, a cruel official Master all the powers of life and death in Xinzhe Curry.

This is the legendary Xinzheku. Now, I have been living here for nearly three months. As a bystander, I can see the dirty and hard work like home every day, and there are many shady tortures. and ill-treatment, and even witnessed a few times with my own eyes that the eunuchs hadtily wrapped up the corpses that had hanged themselves or were bloody and bloody, and then thrown them into the carriage at the back door and quietly transported them outside the palace. In the graveyard.At first, I couldn't bear these cruel and bloody scenes, but as time went on, I had to accept the dirty and ugly environment I was in.Up to now, I have been used to everything that happened in Xinzhekuli, pinching fingers, chopping fingers, and sewing my mouth... I can even watch and listen to all the tragic events that happened in Xinzheku cabin numbly and indifferently Torture and heart-piercing screams.

Aunt Shen has established her absolute prestige and power in Xinzheku in this way, and now she has long been accustomed to taking such cruel methods as a kind of pastime and fun game, and enjoys it every day. I had to stay and help her clean up the bloody scene left over after the entertainment ended.

As Aunt Shen's subordinate, I am responsible for the supervision and management of Xinzheku, but the work is easier than in Zhilan Hall. Although it is inevitable to experience some bloody scenes, I have also gained a certain degree of Freedom, after finishing my work in the morning, I can go to Zhang Lei at noon, even though Zhang Lei is often busy with official duties and has little time with me, but I can stay in Zhang Lei's hut until after dinner before going back.

A Xing will find time to visit me every month, almost three times a month, and she will bring me some pastries and tea every time she comes. She asks me if I am doing well in Xinzhekuli, and I ask every time Of course, Ah Xing knows about the current situation of her Zhilan Temple, but she will not expose it, and just patiently tell me all the movements of Li Shu these days.

"Since the emperor stopped favoring Master Yan, Master Yan has locked himself in the palace all day long, living in seclusion, and refusing to see guests. Everyone in the harem said that the retribution of the Zhilan Palace has arrived. At first, there would be some cynicism in the palace every day. The concubines pretended to be warm-hearted visits and condolences. What's even worse is that there are many of them who have been given gifts by Master Yan many times. They sit in Zhilan Hall for an hour or two, talking nonsense to Zhilan Hall, pointing at Sang and scolding Huai. , I can’t even look at us as servants anymore, but Master Yan always excuses his illness and refuses to see anyone. Later, they got tired of it and didn’t come here any more. Although Zhilan Hall became as deserted as before , but Biling relied on that she is now the chief executive of the Zhilan Palace, pointing fingers at everyone, and stalking everyone, and now the Zhilan Palace is no longer what it used to be, and it is flying around all day long, and Master Yan just sits idly by, eh, Everyone hopes that Qi Xin can come back, but... hey."

Every time A Xing sees me, she will complain to me about something similar to the above. Although I am worried about Li Shu, I don't want to infect A Xing with my emotions anymore, so I have to raise the topic of A Qing, so that A Xing can be happier. However, this method has been tried and tested every time. When A-Qing is mentioned, A-Xing's cloudy face always clears up in an instant, and it takes a long time to talk non-stop. The arrival of Xing is the happiest day for me in Xinzhekuli.

In the twinkling of an eye, autumn comes quietly without knowing it, October is here, and such happy days are coming to an end.

Later, from October until October 20th, I never saw A Xing appear in Xinzhekuli again. I have been waiting for these [-] days until I became afraid and anxious, restless , and even had the idea of ​​stealing back to Zhilan Palace, until Fu Lu came.

"Where's Ah Xing?"

"A Xing will not come again in the future."

"why?"

"Ah Xing, she...,"

"What's wrong with Ah Xing, what are you talking about!"

"Ah Xing... Ah Xing is dead, and there is A-Qing."

"What... Ah Xing is dead... how is it possible, she was talking and laughing with me here last month, how could it be gone in a blink of an eye, you must have made a mistake, you have made a mistake!"

"Qi Xin, don't worry, don't cry, just listen to my explanation."

"You said it!"

"It's all that bitch Biling, only Ah Xing dares to oppose her in the entire Zhilan Temple, I don't know how that bitch found out about A Xing and A-Qing, the damn thing is that bitch actually took this The incident wanted to take revenge on A Xing, and then... Then A-Qing was also involved."

"You said Bi Ling knew about A Xing and the others!"

"That's right, that bitch didn't report this matter to Master Yan, but went directly to the Ministry of Internal Affairs without authorization. Hey, if Master Yan had been told in advance, Ah Xing and the others wouldn't be like this."

"A Xing was taken away by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, doesn't Li Shu care about it?"

"Master Yan was in charge. She asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to arrest people one day later, saying that it was her own servant who wanted to discipline herself. Then...then that night, both A Xing and A Qing committed suicide by taking poison."

"Where did they get the poison and medicine!"

"It was given by Master Yan, Qi Xin, don't blame Master Yan, she has already done what she can do, she even spent a lot of money to bribe the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, let them buy the cemetery outside the palace A-Xing and A-Qing are buried together, instead of abandoning them to the wilderness."

"I am no longer a member of Zhilan Hall, and I have no position to blame her."

"Master Yan is cruel, but if he doesn't do this, A-Xing and A-Qing will give points to those old eunuchs in the Summer Palace. It's not like you don't know how despicable the methods of those old eunuchs are."

"When did this happen?"

"On the night of October [-]rd."

"Oh, it rained heavily that night, and Axing and Aqing died there, but I was foolishly waiting for Axing to come to see me like a normal person. It's ironic. Why didn't I tell you until now? Everyone is playing me like a monkey, don't they feel very happy!"

"I... am I afraid that you will worry!"

"Worried, huh, but I still know after all."

In October, I don't know how many palace people in the palace died silently like grass, but this time I have to face these deaths that have never been taken seriously, because right beside me, two close relatives friends were involved.Since I was a child, I have no concept of death, even when my mother passed away, I never felt sad. I don’t know if it was because I was too young to know what sadness and death are, or it was my mother’s saying that “everything in the world It’s all going to pass away, it’s nothing special.” It made me think that death is just an inevitable process for mortals to go through once they come to this world.But as my mind and body continued to mature, I had to face up to my mother's words again.Indeed, death is not a big deal, but this is what they say to themselves. To the bystanders, they will really feel that the relatives around them are leaving one by one. Generally, can't it stir up any ripples in my heart?

Obviously, this is not the case.

I still clearly remember the hearty and unscheming smile on A Xing’s face, and I would often be in a trance, thinking that it was yesterday that A Xing came to Xinzheku to visit me with pastries, but I had to accept the reality .

A Xing is no longer there.