Hibiscus Tent: The Prime Minister’s palm is reborn

It was late at night and the hall was quiet except for the occasional sound of quiet talking.

Behind the deep curtain, there are two figures, one crouching in front of a table, and the other standing beside it.

"The banquet for the day after tomorrow has been prepared. I have ordered people to check it three times—"

Jinlan paused, and suddenly remembered something very important: "According to the person who reported it, before Zhou left Beijing, she saw Ruizhu talking to Puyang in the palace."

Liang Qian frowned: "Puyang clan?"

Jinlan said, "The Queen Mother forgot that she is the biological mother of Commandant Zhou's son."

Liang Qian suddenly realized that, yes, Danqing picked a child from the Zhou clan and adopted him under the name of Zhou Yun.

The child's biological mother was Puyang.

Jinlan said, "I have checked. After Puyang became a widow and the Taiwei's wife raised Zhou Xiaolang, Puyang has been with her. That day, they entered the palace together, but the Queen Mother only summoned the Taiwei's wife, so Puyang waited alone. The first time Puyang entered the palace, when the palace servants took her to relieve herself, she got lost for some reason. Later, she said she ran into Ruizhu."

Liang Qian narrowed her eyes, somewhat surprised that Ruizhu was someone close to Lu Wanying...

Is it really a coincidence?

Jinlan looked at the silent man and said, "I have ordered someone to investigate Puyang's background in detail."

Liang Qian stared at the document in her hand and nodded: "Okay."

Jinlan then continued, "When you were accompanying the master, Lord Chunyu came and asked me to tell you something. After you left the palace, someone has been watching outside the Changguang Palace for a whole day."

Liang Qian pursed her lips and hummed without raising her eyelids: "Did you mention Prince Changguang?"

Jinlan shook her head: "Never—"

Suddenly, he frowned and said, "Although he didn't mention Prince Changguang, he did say that after noon, Princess Changguang left the mansion and went to Princess Yixing's mansion. Later, Princess Yuzhang also came. About an hour later, they all said goodbye and left one after another."

Princess Yuzhang?

Liang Qian's eyes moved slightly. On the Qianqiu Festival that year, after Gao Qian killed Princess Yuzhang's husband, she no longer had any contact with Princess Lanling, Prince Guangping and others.

Later, I heard that she was practicing Buddhism in the mansion with her hair uncut, eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures all day long. However, this also kept her away from the center of the struggle for imperial power, so after Gao Yu's death, she was not implicated and saved her life.

Liang Qian still remembers the Dragon Boat Festival banquet that year. She followed Yuwen Jue to Princess Yuzhang's mansion for the banquet.

It was at that banquet that she deliberately ruined Feng Qingyue's marriage...

Thinking about the past, Liang Qian sighed silently. If Gao Yi had not fallen that day and ordered people to thoroughly investigate the past affairs of Prince Guangping, even she would have forgotten that there was a Princess Yuzhang, Gao Shanrong, in Da Qi.

She raised her eyelids and asked, "Is Princess Yixing's hemoptysis getting better?"

Jinlan lowered her head: "I don't know that. I only know that Prince Consort Cai often invites Sun Canjun to his house. I think the princess's condition must have improved. Otherwise, how could Prince Consort Cai have the mind to have fun?"

Liang Qian smiled and said, "That's right."

Jinlan added: "I heard that Sun Liangping is proficient in pipa and is good at wielding the lance. Outsiders may think that Cai Hong is hosting a banquet for entertainment, but in fact, it is to relieve Princess Yixing's sorrow and boredom."

Liang Qian lowered her eyes, said nothing more, and concentrated on reading the memorial.

Jinlan glanced at the pile of documents on the desk and said, "It's getting late. Your Majesty, you should go to bed. There are many things to deal with tomorrow."

Liang Qian sighed softly, put down the red pen in her hand, closed the document and put it aside, then took out another one.

"Although this memorial seems to have little substance, it still needs to be approved."

Seeing this, Jinlan had no choice but to pick up the small pot and add some hot water to the cups.

Liang Qian only read four or five lines before she felt her eyes swollen and uncomfortable, so she had to close her eyes for a while, pressing the acupuncture points with her fingers to relieve the pain, and asked, "Did Hulu Qiguang say anything when he left?"

Hearing this, Jinlan quickly put down the purple clay teapot and knelt down to admit her fault: "Please forgive me, Queen Mother. Although I acted out of desperation, I did falsely convey your order."

Liang Qian put down the document, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then said, "It's okay for outsiders not to know the inside story, but everyone on duty in the East Hall of Taiji Palace and those serving in Hanguang Palace know it. If I don't punish you this time, won't everyone follow suit next time?"

Jinlan knelt respectfully, her forehead touching the ground: "Yes, I did not do what the Queen Mother asked me to do. It is my fault. I am willing to accept the punishment."

Liang Qian opened her eyes and looked at the ground: "I will be punished, but there is no rush."

She changed the subject: "How did you know Hulu Qiguang was coming?"

Jinlan raised her eyes slightly, their eyes met for a moment, then she immediately lowered her head and bit her lip: "Yes... Ao Rubin told me."

Liang Qian pursed her lips and smiled, supporting her head with one hand and looking at her with interest: "He is sincere to you."

Jinlan was startled and quickly shook her head to explain: "Queen Dowager, although I am from the same hometown as him, we did not have much friendship in the past, and we have never met in private. If it were not for the assassination of the Queen Dowager on the way back from the winter hunt, and you sent me to give rewards to those who have performed meritorious service in protecting the Queen, I would not have known about the encounter with him-"

Liang Qian waved her hand, interrupting her defense: "Jinlan, I'm not suspicious of you."

Jinlan knew very well that the Queen Mother really did not doubt anything when she said she had no doubts.

Otherwise, why would they keep her alive and let her continue to work for them?

Liang Qian sighed: "If you think he is not bad, I will issue an edict to grant you marriage."

"Empress Dowager—" Jinlan tilted her head back and widened her eyes, her face flushed, not sure whether she was embarrassed or anxious.

Liang Qian just looked at her: "Just tell me what you really think."

Jinlan stared back blankly at those calm black eyes, her heart feeling as if it had fallen into a whirlpool.

She opened her mouth, unable to guess the true intentions of the person in front of her.

"The Queen Mother knows that he is..."

Liang Qian met her gaze and smiled: "I don't care who he belongs to now, but as long as you are willing, I can make him yours from now on."

As she spoke, she tilted her head to look at the multiple lamps in the corner and said calmly, "This marriage can be said to be a reward for your dedication, or a punishment for your false conveyance of the emperor's will."

Jinlan seemed to understand something, lowered her eyes and thought for a while, then bowed to the ground again: "I will leave it to the Queen Mother to decide."

Liang Qian stood up from the cushion and helped the man up: "If you want to regret it at any time, you can tell me at any time."

Jinlan pursed her lips and nodded, "Yes."

Liang Qian turned her head and glanced at the documents on the table. "Forget it, let's leave it at that for today."

Jinlan lowered her head and said, "Yes."

As he said this, he was about to summon the palace maids and eunuchs outside to prepare for bed.

Liang Qian waved her hand to stop him.

"There's no need to alarm so many people."

After saying this, he walked around the golden pillar and went straight into the inner room.

The gauze curtain was hanging low. Liang Qian lifted it and went inside. Unexpectedly, she saw someone sleeping on the edge of the bed.

Jinlan followed in and was shocked when she saw the scene. She took a few steps forward and patted and shook the person to wake him up.

"You are such a fool. Don't you see that this is also a place where you can fall asleep and take a nap?"

The person lying on the edge of the bed rubbed his eyes in a daze, and suddenly saw the two people in front of him. He woke up immediately and knelt down quickly: "This slave deserves death, please forgive me, Queen Mother!"

Liang Qian frowned: "Are you the palace maid who has been waiting for me in the snow outside the cold palace?"

The palace maid was so frightened that she broke out in a sweat. "It is this maidservant. The Queen Mother ordered this maidservant to deliver the imperial edict."

Liang Qian understood and took a look at the jade plate on the bed, where the big banner was neatly folded.

"Now that you've delivered it, why don't you leave?"

The palace maid looked at Jinlan timidly, then at Liang Qian.