After being a widow for half my life, I found out that my husband was not dead.

Concubine Li's death was ultimately attributed to accidental drowning. The young concubine fell ill due to excessive blood loss due to a miscarriage. The queen was reprimanded for not managing the harem properly, and she lost the right to control the harem. The emperor was furious because the fourth prince failed to answer questions about political affairs when he went to the study and immediately fined him fifty bucks.

The case ended in a mess, but it was in line with the emperor's wishes. The person who made the mistake was punished, and it was not too deeply implicated.

Liu Yunxiang also knew in his heart that if he wanted to trip up Jin You, he had to uproot the forces behind her.

But with her little power, it was really difficult.

Since that night, Yan Mu hasn't been here for a long time.

It snowed again last night and it got colder and colder. The emperor sent someone to deliver two mink velvet cloaks, and the Queen Mother ordered Liu Yunxiang and Wanyi to send one to Princess Heshuo.

Princess Heshuo did not live in the East and West Sixth Palace, but in the inner city outside the palace. From the hanging flower gate in the West Back Garden, she walked through a long corridor to Rumeng Pavilion where she lived.

Because Princess Heshuo had no status, it was against the rules to live in the palace, but she had a valuable status and was favored by the emperor. Therefore, a small door was opened in the West Back Garden and she was placed in the quiet Rumeng Pavilion.

"But why didn't the emperor make Heshuo the eldest princess?" Wan Yi asked puzzledly.

Liu Yunxiang thought for a while, "Perhaps Princess Heshuo is unwilling?"

"why?"

Liu Yunxiang shook her head, but she thought that it would be a pity for such a beautiful, gentle, and kind-hearted person to really become a concubine of the emperor.

After passing through the corridor and entering through the corner door at the end, they arrived at Rumeng Pavilion. A maid led them inside.

This Rumeng Pavilion is full of winter plums, and this is the season of blooming. The flowers are blooming in clusters. Especially yesterday, it snowed, covering the sky and the ground. The snow and the plum blossoms complement each other. The snow is whiter and the plum blossoms are more delicate.

At this time, the wind blows, and the snow falls, which is confusing to people's eyes, but the scent of flowers is even fresher in the nose.

This road is not long, and it seems to come to an end very quickly, but when it turns a corner, there is another world. It was as if I was walking in a plum blossom formation, spinning around in a daze, and then I suddenly found myself in front of the courtyard gate.

Entering the courtyard, you can still see two plum blossoms, but they are different from the beautiful red plum blossoms outside. These two plum blossoms are plain plum blossoms, with white petals that blend with the snow last night.

"Wait a moment, you two. I'll go in and report." Then leave Liu Yunxiang and the others in front of the door.

As the maid opened the door, Liu Yunxiang heard the clanging sound of wooden fish. In the quietness, he suddenly seemed to be outside the world, transcendent between heaven and earth.

After a while, the sound of the wooden fish stopped, and the maid came out.

"Our master invites you two to come into the house."

Liu Yunxiang and Wanyi entered the house. Although the brazier was burning, it was really cold. There is no furniture or furnishings. There is a Buddha statue hanging in the main hall, with a confession table below and Buddhist incense burning on the table.

Princess Heshuo knelt on the futon and was supported by her maid to stand up. Maybe she had been kneeling for a long time, and her legs felt weak when she got up.

"The Queen Mother has forgotten about it." Her voice was very soft, with a warm smile, "I also have something for the Queen Mother, so I'll ask you two to take it back."

As the eldest princess walked towards the west room, Liu Yunxiang and the others also followed in. The back room was very warm, with a warm bed, an Arhat bed, a dowry, a few paintings hanging on the wall, and men's clothes hanging on the screen.

Princess Heshuo picked up the scroll from the desk and said, "This is the Diamond Sutra that I copied with gold ink for the Queen Mother. Please give it to the Queen Mother on my behalf."

Wanyi stepped forward to take it. Princess Heshuo thought of something and walked out again, "By the way, you can take some plum blossoms back to the Queen Mother."

When Princess Heshuo walked out, her legs and feet were not very neat, and her brows furrowed with every step she took. She came outside and stood on tiptoe to fold plum blossom branches.

"This branch is blooming well."

Seeing that she was struggling, Liu Yunxiang stepped forward to help, "This branch is blooming well."

Princess Heshuo tilted her head and glanced at her, "Do you like these plum blossoms?"

"like."

Princess Heshuo broke off a few branches and said, "I'll give these to you."

Returning to Luohan Palace, the Queen Mother looked at the "Diamond Sutra" and the few plum blossoms, and said with a smile: "She has a heart."

Liu Yunxiang mentioned Princess Heshuo's leg pain again, and the Queen Mother sighed: "According to her, it's an old problem. You go to Zhou Lihuai and ask him to prepare a box of ointment. You can send it to Rumeng Pavilion later."

Liu Yunxiang nodded, "Yes."

The next day, Liu Yunxiang went to Tai Hospital to pick up ointment and sent it to Rumeng Pavilion.

The small door of Rumeng Pavilion was open, and there was no gatekeeper. Liu Yunxiang thought for a while and went in. He walked along the path in the plum forest, going around and around, and after a while he couldn't tell the difference between east, west and north.

At this time, there was a noise in front of him. Liu Yunxiang thought it was a servant, so he hurriedly ran over for a few steps. When he turned a corner, he saw the emperor coming with his guards and eunuchs. She hurriedly bent down and stepped aside.

The emperor was already a little drunk after drinking wine. He walked unsteadily and muttered something as he walked.

"She liked plum blossoms, so I planted a garden full of plum blossoms for her, but she didn't appreciate it and hung herself on the plum blossom tree. I buried her with my own hands. I originally wanted to burn the Rumeng Pavilion, but I couldn't bear to part with it. Now I finally have it. I have a new master. Haha, I don’t have to do it with her, no, never!”

Fortunately, the emperor did not pay attention to the palace maid who retreated to the side and left talking drunkenly.

Liu Yunxiang exhaled and thought, who is this 'her'?

She continued to walk forward, but because she was thinking about something, she wandered off as she walked. When she came back to her senses, she found that she had reached a small road, surrounded by red plum blossoms in full bloom, and she couldn't see them at all. road.

In this cold weather, she didn't want to be trapped and die here. She quickly walked back, but soon reached the fork in the road. She hesitated for a long time, then gritted her teeth and walked to the right.

The plum forest is very dense, and the delicate plum blossoms are crowded one by one. When you walk by, a few petals will be blown off by the slightest breath. It seemed that he was walking deeper and deeper. Liu Yunxiang was thinking about whether to go in another direction when he seemed to see something through the layers of plum blossoms.

She lowered her body and got inside. When she looked up, she saw a grave.

The tomb was first covered with a layer of snow, and then covered with bright red plum petals. In front of it stood a stone tablet with the four words "Yanyan's Tomb" engraved on it.

Yanyan?

It should be a woman, and it's her nickname.

Liu Yunxiang thought of the two drunken words he heard from the emperor just now. This woman named Yanyan should be the original mistress of Rumeng Pavilion. Because she liked plum blossoms, the emperor planted a garden full of plum blossoms for her.

It's just that this woman hanged herself...

Liu Yunxiang looked at the tombstone and suddenly had an idea, but he didn't dare to think about it in detail. Just thinking about it made him feel chills all over his body.

At this time, a gust of wind blew up, and the plum blossoms rustled down along with the snow. Liu Yunxiang raised his head and looked ahead, seeing a high wall.

She looked at the tomb again and thought that this woman had been imprisoned here for many, many years. Even if she died, she could not escape.