Gongshang Confidante

"In the future, let's do it for ourselves." Zhou Chiyu lifted the curtain and walked out of the pavilion slowly. The snow had stopped, everything was silent, the moonlight poured down like water, and his eyes were miserable white, depressed, and dull.

Xia Ling walked over with her skirt in hand, handed the baked stove to Zhou Chiyu, looked at Xia Sha worriedly, hesitated to speak,

"Tomorrow, you ask Xiao Lizi to arrange for Xia Sha to go out of the palace, so that Aunt Rong can take care of her outside the palace." Zhou Chiyu put his hands in his sleeves and stood in front of the pavilion, with the moonlight shining on his body, cold and lonely.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Xia Ling agreed. Back then, Xia Sha, Xia Hua, Xia Zhi and her were transferred to the Yu Palace to serve the princess for many years.

"Your Highness, this servant wants to guard Xia Sha tonight. It's too cold, and she..." Xia Hua was worried, and begged, "No need, if she is still obsessed with obsession and fails to live up to the expectations of others, it's over. Tonight, I won’t be able to pass the future.” Zhou Chiyu looked at the moonlight that was as thin as a gauze, thinking of the day when the little grasshopper knelt down in front of her, crying, and begged her to promise to save Xia Sha’s life.

The weak-tempered little grasshopper, even if he was hurt by Xia Sha, would give up everything in exchange for her survival.

Zhou Chiyu didn't understand this kind of reckless paranoia, such a deep love that would never regret it until death.

She bent down and sat in the sedan chair, looking at the jade butterfly swimming in the dragon and plum blossoms, the green eaves pavilion hidden in the snow, the copper wind chimes making tinkling sounds, Xia Sha, who was dressed in plain white clothes, knelt on the ground, covering her face and weeping.

The snow-white petals, the green eaves, the tinkling of the hanging copper bells, the knelt in the pavilion, the woman who lost her beloved, covered her face and wept. In the future, it will appear in Zhou Chiyu's mind many times, and every time he thinks about it, he will feel an inexplicable sense of loss from the bottom of his heart.

Zhou Chiyu sat in the sedan chair, straightened his expression, his eyes dispelled a little confusion, and became deep and calm again. Tonight, there are more important things to do.

Condensing Rong Palace, guarded by guards holding spears, is deserted, without the busy maids and eunuchs who used to come and go.

"See Your Highness", the guard saluted Zhou Chiyu, saw her stepping in, and hurriedly said, "The Emperor has an order, tonight... I'm afraid His Highness will be shocked...",

The guards didn't dare to stop, and they refused to move away, showing hesitation, Emperor Jing Hong decreed that Concubine Xue Gui should be killed tonight, if Her Royal Highness was shocked by the tragic situation, he would not be able to bear the crime.

"His Royal Highness is here to see you off at Ningrong Palace." Xia Ling walked aside, motioned for the guards to let her go, and stuffed a piece of silver into his sleeve, "The last general dare not!" Just persuading, "Your Majesty has been emotionally unstable recently, Your Highness should be more careful." Zhou Chiyu nodded slightly, looked at Xiao Suo's Ningrong Hall, and walked in.

The Ningrong Hall was dead silent and deserted, with no one there, the lanterns hanging all over the long corridors were all extinguished, only the cold moonlight, reflecting the snow shadows, illuminated the way to the inner hall.

Xia Ling was leading the way with a lantern in front of her, with swaying gleams of light, there was no burning earth dragon in the inner hall, it was bone-chillingly cold, when she was still outside the hall, she saw the silhouette of Xue Ningrong, dressed in thin crimson clothes, sitting on a branch In front of the open window, I opened my eyes and looked outside, as if waiting for someone.

The cold wind with thin snow brushed her face, but she didn't feel the cold at all. In the pure whiteness of her eyes, her lips were bright red.

The sound of footsteps startled Xue Ningrong, she turned her head to look, and saw Zhou Chiyu wearing a crimson cloud-pattern brocade robe, a cloak inlaid with pure white fox fur, pure blood jade on his forehead, thinly dyed rouge powder, his face was beautiful and noble, his brows and eyes were already She has the graceful and graceful appearance of Concubine Mei.

Xue Ningrong's bun is not as good as it used to be, it's a little sloppy, bright and delicate makeup can't hide the panic in her eyes, her pale face, white silk, poisoned wine and daggers are quietly placed on the table next to her, and the little eunuch is waiting by her side It signifies fate.

"What? Come to see Bengong's joke?" Xue Ningrong sneered, holding her chin, there was tea on the table, a self-playing game of chess,

"Let's all go out," Zhou Chiyu took off his cloak and ordered, the little eunuch followed Xia Ling's eyes, leaving Zhou Chiyu and Xue Ningrong alone.

"Xue Guihe embezzled autumn rations and exchanged armaments privately. He has already been stripped of his official position by his father and thrown into the sky prison. He is waiting to be convicted by the judiciary. It is impossible to expect him to save you!" Zhou Chiyu's voice was colder than ice and snow, crushing Xue Ningrong. The expectation caused cracks to appear on her pretendingly calm expression, her clasped hands trembled slightly, and she moved from the edge of the table to her lap, straightening her back.

Zhou Chiyu took a seat opposite her, and said in a casual tone, "By the way, the third brother has already set off for Xishu." She squinted over and saw Xue Ningrong's pale face. But just look at him, and immediately report back to Shu to join the army."

It seemed to be a joke, Zhou Chiyu couldn't restrain his smile, and said, "I underestimated the third brother. In the past, I thought that he was just hiding under the wings of the imperial concubine, and it was difficult to become a big weapon. Unexpectedly, at the critical moment, he knew how to abandon him." Save the car and save yourself a way out!",

Xue Ningrong stood up abruptly, with an angry look on her face, and scolded, "Shut up! You are not allowed to slander Yue'er!" Zhou Chiyu snorted lightly, and said lazily, "Your nobleman forgets things too much, the concubine position has been abolished, and you still think of yourself as a noble concubine What? Shout out to His Highness!",

Xue Ningrong's face turned paler, and her body trembled uncontrollably. She leaned on the edge of the desk, sat down slowly, took a deep breath, raised her hand and brushed her hair behind her ear, and said with a sneer, "Why should I compromise my identity?" , Get angry with you young and ignorant girl.

Even if Xue's decline, so what?Yue'er is a prince. Since ancient times, tigers are poisonous and do not eat their sons. As long as Yue'er makes meritorious deeds in Western Shu, the emperor will definitely grant him a king and land.

But Her Royal Highness has reached the age of marriage, or married into the prince's grandson's mansion, living in the back house, or, in the chaos of Mobei, and going away with relatives, it has nothing to do with the palace. I advise the princess to be a bystander. It’s better to cooperate with less things.”

"A bystander?" Zhou Chiyu chuckled. She took the chess urn on the side, fiddled with the chess pieces inside, and said slowly, "The authorities are confused, but the bystanders are clear. Everything today is in the chess game."

Zhou Chiyu put two fingers together, took a white piece, and said, "The emperor's grandmother once taught me to be far-sighted and considerate, every step of the way, every step is a variable, and the overall situation is always under control",

Zhou Chiyu glanced at Xue Ningrong, slowly dropped the white piece on the chessboard, and said, "Bi'er, this is the first chess piece laid out six years ago."

The white piece landed on the emerald jade chessboard and made a crisp sound. Xue Ningrong seemed to have caught something, fell into deep thought, and remained silent.

Zhou Chiyu didn't look at her, rubbed his fingers over Bai Zi, and said, "You must be very surprised, why Bi'er is still alive? Six years ago, Bi'er was messing with the eunuch, you pulled out her tongue, broke her tendon, and let the eunuch drag her away and bury her." She fell, but I didn't expect that she would survive, it really echoed the old saying, if you want people to know, you have to do nothing!".

Xue Ningrong's eyelids twitched, but the expression on her face remained unchanged. Zhou Chiyu stared at the faint candlelight on the desk and said, "That year, I was eight years old, and it was me who dragged her step by step to hide in the rockery to find the gold-chuang medicine. Stop the bleeding, and then ask the concubine's maid to take her out of the palace and settle down."

If it wasn't for his dedication to the truth about the passing of his mother and concubine and his hard work, the young Zhou Chiyu had tried his best to save him.

"Bi'er woke up and told Aunt Rong the truth, and she asked someone to send a letter to me in the palace, only to find out that you are the murderer who killed my mother and concubine!!" Zhou Chiyu stared at Xue Ningrong with a cold expression, eyes Her eyes were as deep as thick ink that could not be melted away. She had been carrying years of grievances and hatred, and she was finally able to vent it tonight.

Xue Ningrong's eyes panicked, she looked out the window, and said sharply, "Enough! I won't listen to this!! Get out!!!",

Zhou Chiyu's quiet eyes flickered, and he said bluntly, "At that time, I was just a princess whose mother and concubine died young and was not favored by the emperor. Beloved concubine, it is not easy to seek justice for mother and concubine!!",

Xue Ningrong looked at her without guilt, and said, "Sure enough, Bi'er is yours, and all of this is your trick!!",

Zhou Chiyu didn't deny it, but sighed a little, "Bi'er's words alone can't judge your crime. Although the father and concubine are heartbroken by the passing of the mother and concubine, he is the emperor of the Zhou Dynasty. , he will only take care of the overall situation.

I know that I have to avenge my mother and concubine, and I have to wait patiently until I regain my father's favor, until my father hates you, and until the Xue family gradually falls apart..."

Zhou Chiyu took out a sunspot from the chess urn, put it on the chessboard, and said, "There was a severe drought in Fengzhou, and the autumn grain handed over to the imperial court was reduced by four or five tenths. At the same time, a talented person in Fengzhou appeared and dug a canal to divert water to cure the drought... just in time. Good opportunity, it is inevitable that some people will be greedy, starting from Fengzhou, all the way to Beijing, condoning the officials of the Northwest prefecture, prefecture, and county to divide the autumn grain privately, and there must be officials in high positions in the household department who accept bribes, so I know, I waited for six years The opportunity has finally arrived..."

"What the hell did you do?!", Xue Ningrong asked fiercely, her meticulously-modified bright makeup twisted, and she gritted her teeth. She felt an inexplicable panic.

Zhou Chiyu didn't answer her. He took out the second white piece, dropped it lightly on the chessboard, and said, "Actually, with the methods you have used in the harem all these years, my father is already dissatisfied with you. However, nobleman Xi died with hatred. To arouse the pain of father and emperor for the passing of mother and concubine, so that you will be filled, filled, hated, and hated!",

"Nonsense! Master Xi's Buddhist beads were not given by me! The emperor was blinded by grief! When the truth is found out in the future, it will prove my innocence! Don't wrong me, I will never admit that I didn't do it!" What happened!" Concubine Xue Gui said excitedly, she did not deny that she persecuted Concubine Mei, but she never admitted that she had done it to nobleman Xi.

"You're right, Lady Xi is indeed not your victim, because she is my second chess piece!" Zhou Chiyu smiled slowly at Concubine Xue, his eyes as cold as ice.