turmoil

The Empress Dowager is used to being a superior person, and always feels that nothing in the world can escape the control of the Tian family.She thought she had caught Zhang Jingche's weakness, but she never thought that it was a nipple growing in a vital spot.

Zhang Jingche can plot against others, but he cannot be persecuted by others. When the Queen Mother mentioned the word "Marquis of Dingbian", the killing intent he had endured for a long time burst into floods.

"Now is not the time," Zhang Jingche sat alone under the window of the moon hole when he returned to the Tai Chi Hall, and slowly drank a cup of strong tea, "It's easy to take her life, but the time has not come, and I don't need to do it myself."

At this moment, the little eunuch came forward, holding a thick stack of scriptures in his arms, Zhang Jingche raised his hand to take it, only to see the little eunuch slightly bent his knuckles, pressed against the title page and lightly buttoned it.

Zhang Jingche nodded.

The little eunuch then retreated with a low eyebrow, and Zhang Jingche took the story book, carefully reviewing it page by page.This pile of things was inspected when it was brought into the palace, and there was nothing wrong with it. However, what Zhang Jingche inspected was not the paper, but the page numbers of the script.

It was a plaything compiled and printed by a bookstore in the market place, and there were mistakes and omissions in the number of pages marked. Zhang Jingche was very careful, and wrote down the wrong and omission pages one by one, and arranged them in a row in his mind.

That is You Yunwei's unique way of communicating news. The number corresponds to the article agreed in advance, and the hidden message can be deciphered according to the mother book—that is the information that Zhang Jingche wants You Yunwei to investigate. The eunuchs around Emperor Xinglong have Counting one by one, they were all found out.

Yuezhao, the head of the eunuchs, has left the palace at this time. He has served Liu Yanzhao the longest, and has accumulated a lot of family property over the past ten years, and even has several sets of outhouses in Beijing.One of them is located in the Liuye Hutong in the west of the city. The four-way house is very empty.

This place is very clean, the back door is close to the alley, and few people usually pass by.However, this night, as soon as Yuezhao entered the courtyard, the servant who was waiting on him rushed forward, with a look of confusion on his face: "Eunuch Yue, there is a distinguished guest."

Yuezhao paused, and turned her head blankly: "What distinguished guest?"

The little servant handed him a jade tablet: "It is said that it is an old acquaintance of yours before entering the palace, and you don't need someone to wait on you, just waiting in your study."

Moonlight slightly frowned.

The quality of the jade plate may not be very expensive, but it is rare in the Central Plains - knowledgeable people call it Yinshan jade, and the rarest one is pure white.Even rarer than the material is the embossed pattern, which is a prairie wolf showing its fangs. Rich and noble families in central Beijing seldom decorate such fierce things on their belongings.

Yue Zhao didn't know what to think of, she waved her hand to screen off the little servant, picked up the hem of her clothes, and hurried into the backyard.

The study was pitch-black, and the first thing Yuezhao did after entering the room was to light the oil lamp. Before he could turn around, a cold sharp knife quietly pressed against the back of his neck.

Yuezhao froze in place, and said calmly for a while: "I am not your enemy."

The person behind said coldly: "The token."

The voice was quite hoarse, and it was difficult to distinguish male and female for a while.Yuezhao touched her bosom for a moment, then handed over the two identical jade tokens.

The person behind took the jade tablet and found that there was an exquisitely designed notch on each edge, which could fit together perfectly.He calmed down a little, and immediately moved away the sharp knife that was on the back of Yuezhao's neck: "...I offended you."

Yuezhao turned her head, and saw five or six men in black standing behind them, all wearing cloaks, their faces hidden in the hood.He walked to the desk and poured himself a bowl of cold tea: "Tumen is dead, what are you doing in Beijing?"

"Tumen is dead, but you are still alive, and the emperor of the Central Plains is also alive!" the man in black holding a sharp knife said coldly, "Have you forgotten what you promised us?"

"I promised that I would send the heads of the Emperor of the Central Plains and the Marquis of Dingbian to the butcher's knife of the Beile people. I did it, but you didn't seize the opportunity." Desperately, "You guys lost, and that has nothing to do with me."

The man in black with the dagger gritted his teeth: "We are defeated... so we want revenge!"

"You want the emperor of the Central Plains to pay for his life?" Yuezhao shook his head, "This is the capital city, not the grasslands of northern Xinjiang... Even in the territory of wolves, you have not been able to keep Dingbian Marquis, let alone here?"

"But we have you." The man in black holding a dagger seemed to be the leader of the group. When he spoke, everyone remained silent. "You are the nail that the Wolf King planted in Beijing. Even if the Wolf King is dead , you don't even want to get rid of it!"

Yuezhao looked up at him. Considering the figure of the Beile people, the man in black seemed much thinner. Even if he straightened his back, he was only as tall as an eunuch in the palace...or even a little shorter.

Moonlight glanced at his hand holding the dagger and smiled.

"It's true that I can't get rid of the relationship, but it's not without remedies," he said meaningfully, "For example... hand over the noble Bei Le Ke Dun to the court in exchange for the emperor's pardon for me!"

Hearing a "choke", the accompanying man in black pulled out his saber, and his hood fell down, revealing the fierce and ferocious face of the Beile people.At the same time, the leader man in black was silent for a moment, raised his hand and took off the hood, hiding a woman's face underneath, the moment he raised his head, it seemed like a pure white flower blooming in the quiet night.

"If you do that," said the vicious Beile Guard, "I'll kill you right now!"

Yuezhao spread her hands: "Kill me, but no one will help you take the life of the emperor of the Central Plains!"

Bei Le's personal guard stared at him suspiciously. The cunning and changeable nature of the people in the Central Plains made the man from the grassland confused. He couldn't tell which of Yuezhao's words was true and which was false, so he could only cast his eyes on the man in the middle. woman.

Su Rina was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "My husband told me that you are the one who serves the emperor of the Central Plains and is the closest confidant to him."

Yuezhao smiled: "As you can see."

"My husband also told me that the Emperor of the Central Plains killed your father and family members. You hated him to the bone and wanted him to experience the same thing." Su Rina's tone was sharp, "On this point, we have the same target, but I will not be the knife in your hand."

This night, none of the people in the same capital could fall asleep. Zhang Jingche stayed up until the third watch just sorting out the information sent by You Yunwei. By the time I wrote down all the information, there was already thin skylight outside the window.

The rules in the palace are strict, and the concubines have to get up and make up when they are not in Mao, and go to the Palace of Compassion and Zhaoyang to say hello.But Zhang Jingche was not restricted by this rule, and slept with peace of mind until the sun was high. He didn't get up lazily until the little eunuch who served him came to wake him up.

Liu Yanzhao was probably furious, he didn't come here all day yesterday, Zhang Jingche washed up by himself, and when he walked to the side hall, there was already a sumptuous breakfast on the table.After these years of wandering in the rivers and lakes, he has broadened his mind, his body and appetite have improved a lot, and he has used a lot to pick up his favorite food.

"I remember Yuan Zhou said that he has been guarding the northern border for many years, and nothing else, but the hibiscus cakes and candied fruit in Beijing, you might as well bring some to him later," Zhang Jingche thought vaguely, "Actually, What's so delicious about his dim sum? It's so sweet and cloying...Kan Ming'er took him to try Jiangnan's dim sum, that's called exquisiteness."

He lowered the corners of his eyes affectionately, and recalled the barbecue in the Northwest in the deep palace forbidden courtyard. He obviously didn't think it was delicious at the time, but now that he thought about it, he couldn't help talking, and wanted to ask someone to send a copy.

However, Zhang Jingche gave up his thoughts. He is not in the northwest where the sky is high and the earth is far away. Even if it is the same food, he still can't taste the same food.

At this moment, the eunuch quietly walked into the side hall. They all knew Zhang Jingche's temper. Although he was polite and friendly, he didn't like being disturbed by others when he was alone.The servant's footsteps were very light, but Zhang Jingche seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, without raising his head, he asked, "What's the matter?"

The little eunuch hurriedly stood still, held his breath and said concentratingly: "Respond to Mr. Zhang's words... Your concubine Xian is here to see you."

Zhang Jingche put down his chopsticks and wiped his hands unhurriedly.

Since Concubine Shu and Concubine Xian passed away one after another, Liu Yanzhao seldom favored his concubines, the huge harem was useless, and there were very few new concubines—Concubine Xian was one of them.

Zhang Jingche and Concubine Xian had met face to face. The first time they met was at the gate of Qinzheng Hall. One was full of arrogance, sneering and disdainful towards the emperor's favor, while the other had a resentful expression, worrying about gains and losses because of the emperor's unreasonable neglect.

Zhang Jingche had no prejudice against Concubine Xian, because this woman's favor was not unrelated to him, he even held a somewhat veiled apology.From Concubine Xian, he saw the shadow of concubine Shu in the past, just as helpless and helpless.

"My Lady Xian," Zhang Jingche bowed and saluted, "This is not the place you should come."

Concubine Xian looked at him with a complex expression, and recognized deja vu from the facial features of the man in front of her. At that moment, the uneasiness and suspicion lingering in her heart were confirmed, as if a basin of ice water was poured over her head, cooling people from the inside out.

"Master Zhang..." Concubine Xian reluctantly said, "I'm sorry to interrupt you."

Liu Yanzhao never mentioned the existence of Zhang Jingche to Concubine Xian, but this did not prevent Concubine Xian from learning about the old things from the word of mouth of the palace people.In those vivid legends, Liu Yanzhao's frivolity and indifference have become traceable. It is not that the emperor has no desire for love in the world, but the people who moved him are not stingy with words to him, even at the way of death from his side. escape.

Even the Ninth Five-Year Supreme has no ability to bring the dead back to life, he can only find the old friendship from the similar faces.

Zhang Jingche's expression was gentle. He knew the intention of Concubine Xian's visit, but he was not displeased at all: "Concubine Xian came here suddenly, but what are your orders?"

Concubine Xian was at a loss for words, she actually didn't know why she came here, she just heard the private rumors from the palace people, for a moment, she really wanted to see this rumored former commander of Jinyiwei with her own eyes.

Zhang Jingche saw through her uneasiness, but didn't point it out. He still said gently, "Since you're here, do you want to go in and have a cup of tea?"

Concubine Xian nodded subconsciously.

The Taiji Hall was taken care of by Emperor Xinglong himself, and the food and clothing expenses were no different from those of the Qinzheng Hall. The tea was the Dahongpao tribute from Wuyi, which was sweet and mellow, with its own fragrance of flowers.

Concubine Xian skimmed off the foam with the lid, but she put down the teacup after she touched her lips slightly. She calmed down her impetuous thoughts in the hot air, and showed the confident and graceful smile of the female family members in the palace: "If you want to bother me today, please don't bother me, Mr. Zhang." Strange."

"Your Majesty is serious," Zhang Jingche said with a smile, "I'm bored when I'm idle. It's rare that Your Majesty comes to the Tai Chi Hall, and finally someone has something to talk to."

His identity is unknown at the moment, the foreign minister is not the foreign minister, and the white clothes are not white clothes. To be honest, he is just an unknown "domestic favorite", but it is a bit presumptuous to speak like this.But Concubine Xian didn't care about it, it was really hard to be seriously angry with such a face, regardless of gender.

"Could Mr. Zhang be making fun of me?" Concubine Xian smiled wryly, "Who doesn't know that Mr. Zhang is the one on the Holy One's heart, even you complain about being lonely, how are we going to live?"

Zhang Jingche frowned slightly.

"I vaguely heard that Mrs. Xian is the daughter of Mrs. Cai Yun, the head of the Ministry of War." Zhang Jingche picked up the teapot and poured some tea into the cup, as if he was just chatting casually, "Mrs. Cai is a good tutor, you can tell by her demeanor two."

Concubine Xian is not Cai Yun's biological daughter, but an adopted daughter. This is no secret in the harem.The head of the Ministry of War is not a high-ranking official, and the concubine Xian is an adopted daughter. Compared with concubines from famous families, she is invisibly shorter.

Concubine Xian suspected that Zhang Jingche was alluding to herself, but when she looked at his expression, she felt that it didn't look like it, so she simply avoided the importance and said lightly: "Your Excellency is ridiculous."

Zhang Jingche smiled and took the initiative to expose the window paper: "To tell you the truth, I was adopted by my mother. At first, the neighbors in the neighborhood said that I was a little bastard that no one wanted. My mother would chase me out whenever she heard someone scolding me like that." Fighting with others, over time, no one dares to talk about my background..."

Concubine Xian was in a trance for a moment, showing a not-so-obvious envy: "Master Zhang is so lucky to have a adoptive mother who loves you so much."

Zhang Jingche said at the right time: "I heard that the concubine Xian is the jewel in Mrs. Cai's palm. Doesn't he treat you with ordinary love?"

Concubine Xian smiled wryly: "Father really treats me kindly, it's just..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she swallowed hastily, and smiled a little uncomfortably.

The reason why Zhang Jingche asked this question was of course not aimless. He was attracted to Concubine Xian from the first time he saw her—Liu Yanzhao had not been close to women for many years, but someone took the trouble to find a woman who looked similar to him, and introduced him to Xinglong God, as expected, he got the grace.

I can't think about this matter carefully, the more I think about it, the more strange it becomes.

Soon, You Yunwei, who was pretending to be an eunuch, sent back a message.

"Ms. Xian's real name is Cai Yunxian, and she was indeed adopted by Mr. Cai Yun," You Yunwei bowed his hands, standing in the same posture as an eunuch who had been in the palace for a long time, but barely audible words came from between his lips. Yi Yi, "The master probably heard that the relationship with the queen mother has been bad all these years. The queen mother wanted to ease the relationship between mother and child, so she often stuffed people in the harem. This Miss Cai went through some channels. Fortunately, she was favored by the queen mother and stayed behind. After teaching in the Compassionate Ning Palace for a few months, I personally recommended it to the Holy Majesty..."

Zhang Jingche rested his chin on one hand, and tapped his fingers rhythmically on the chopping board: "How old is Concubine Xian this year? And when did you enter the Cai Mansion?"

You Yunwei thought for a while: "My concubine Xian is only eighteen or nineteen years old this year. As for when she entered the mansion... I vaguely remember that it was either Taiping's 18th or 19th year!"

Zhang Jingche was taken aback: "Taiping 19 years?"

He subconsciously felt that this year was very familiar, but he couldn't remember where he heard it.After a moment of silence, he simply stood up, took two steps on the spot, and suddenly glanced at the thick stack of scriptures.

In an instant, Zhang Jingche was so blessed that he blurted out: "Taiping 19 years... Zhongyong uncle Duan Hongshi was convicted and sent to prison in 19 years of Taiping. Within three months, the whole family ransacked and beheaded!"