bastard returns

Thinking of this, the emperor's eyes became a little moist, and he couldn't help stretching out his hand to hug Shu Shi, but Shu Shi obviously felt a lot of vigilance, so he turned away and retreated to a place half a foot away from the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the body of a concubine is a body of guilt. I am afraid that the emperor's jade body will be polluted. Please also ask the emperor not to get too close to the body of the concubine." After finishing speaking, Shu bowed his knees and saluted again, "Today you can It is a lifetime of luck to meet the emperor, this place is remote and desolate, it is really not a place where the emperor should stay, please go back earlier."

The emperor raised his open hand halfway, and then froze because of what Shu Shi said, yes, Shu Shi has already been expelled from the palace, and has no name or status. It is a bit abrupt to do this by himself, and it also damages the majesty of the emperor, but... The emperor pursed his lips, put his hands down, and said: "Because the queen mother made the decision of the matter back then, the verdict was very fast, even if I have doubts, it is irreversible, but these years, I have never believed that Miaomiao you will hurt me."

"Your majesty, do you believe in being a concubine?" Shu raised her head, her eyes filled with tears, "I am serious about being a concubine, and I have never harmed the emperor... Your majesty, you were once the husband of a concubine, how could you be harmed by a concubine?" You..." Nuxuan, who was standing aside, also raised his arms to cover his eyes, although he didn't speak, as if he could empathize with his mother, he began to sob softly.

Seeing the grievances of the two women made the emperor feel like a knife, he nodded hurriedly and said: "Naturally, you and I have been married for many years and gave birth to Xuan'er together. I know exactly what kind of temperament you are. I’m not good, knowing that you have suffered no matter how much you suffer, but I have never sent anyone to look for you..."

Seeing the emperor's remorse at the beginning, Huyan Yuanchen shook his head. He naturally knew how much the emperor liked to have fun with the concubine Yue in the palace. , even if he is also a man, he can't stand this hypocrisy, but.Huyan Yuanchen thought again, the Shu family had uttered all these words that provoked the emperor, so the purpose of their trip was almost achieved.

Sure enough, the emperor immediately said: "Miaomiao, don't worry, I will definitely find a way to get you and Xuan'er back to the palace as soon as possible, and I can't let you continue to suffer outside."

"This, how can this be done!" Shu shook her head vigorously, "I am already a criminal woman, Xuan'er is also a commoner, and the imperial status has been revoked, so there is no reason to return to the palace. That’s all for adding stigma! I’m grateful for the emperor’s grace, it’s rare to see the emperor again, I don’t dare to expect too much, please take back my life!”

"Miaomiao, you are still as sensible and decent as before, but the things I have decided will not change, but before that, I have to go back to the palace to make some arrangements, but don't worry, I won't make you wait too long Long time, Li Yigao!" At this point, the emperor suddenly called the chief eunuch by name.

The chief eunuch had long been stunned by Shu's sudden appearance. He trembled all over when he heard the emperor calling him, and bent down hastily, "The servant is here."

The emperor said: "Arrange some manpower so as to protect the safety of your empress and Your Highness. If there is anything wrong with them, you can come and see them!"

"The slave obeys the order!"

"And you." The emperor looked at the officials who were watching from the beginning to the end. "Today's matter, watch your mouths. If someone gossips outside and spreads to my ears, I will also raise my head to see you!"

"Minister Zunzhi." The emperor's appearance does not look like a joke at all, they can only bow down and say yes, and at the same time, they also acquiesce in their hearts, this Shu Gui who was humiliated in the palace and was finally kicked out Concubine, the time for a comeback is not far away.

The Shu family and Nuxuan were quietly taken back to Huajing City by Li Yigao that night, and placed in a separate courtyard of his own home.Li Yigao was the emperor's confidant, and he was asked by the emperor to protect their mother and son, so he was worried about putting them in other places.The old woman who ran the noodle stall was also taken into the city with Shu Shi. This was Shu Shi's request, saying that the old woman was their savior, and her relationship with her was like that of a mother and daughter, so she couldn't be left alone, but She was just an old lady, so Li Yigao naturally had no reason to refuse, so she was also arranged to be admitted to another hospital.

But after Li Yigao took the people away, the old woman immediately took off the cloth towel on her head, and wiped her face with a handkerchief. In an instant, the face of an old woman disappeared and turned into a face of a young woman. , but Tang's.

Ning Yuan was really worried about handing over the affairs of the Shu family to others. After much deliberation, the only option was to let the Tang family disguise themselves. Besides, Ning Yuan knew that if everything went well, the Shu family and Nuxuan would be closely protected by the emperor. Come to think of it, it will be very inconvenient for them to communicate with each other at that time, and with Tang's presence, they can quietly send letters through Xuelihong. take care of.

"Ma'am, my heart is still beating violently." Clutching her chest, Shu Shi said to Tang Shi, "Master Ning Yuan is going to arrest people tonight, nothing will happen, after all, the second prince seems to be careless, the family But the guards are very strict, it is really difficult to quietly capture a big living person..."

"I have confidence in that child, not to mention that he didn't act alone." Tang seemed not nervous at all, but smiled instead: "It's you, it's not the time to relax, if Yuan'er is right, There will be a decree from the palace in a few days, you should prepare first."

****

The next day, the Imperial Palace, Fuyue Hall.

"What did you say? Say it again!?" Concubine Yuegui slapped the copper palace lantern beside her, and looked at a eunuch kneeling in front of her with a distorted expression.

"Yes...it's true..." The eunuch seemed to be very afraid of Yuebi's stern words, but he still tremblingly said: "Slave, this servant also saw that Eunuch Li sent those two people to his other courtyard, so he just After discovering this, the servant will never be wrong, it is indeed, it is undoubtedly the concubine Shu, that's why I rushed into the palace early in the morning to meet the concubine..."

"It's just a waste concubine, don't call me concubine Shu concubine!" Yue concubine took several deep breaths to stabilize her emotions, she grabbed the silk shirt on her chest and walked back and forth in the hall several times, angrily said: " I knew early on that if I didn't get rid of that bitch in time, it would definitely lead to catastrophe in the future. The emperor actually handed them over to Li Yigao? Li Yigao is the emperor's confidant, so the emperor's intention is to get that bitch back !"

"Ma'am, why don't you let the servants inform Li Guang and the others?" the eunuch asked cautiously.

"Idiot, what's the use of notifying these killers now!" Yue Bi finally stopped, sat down on the chair, and clenched her fists tightly on her knees, "I have collected as much money as I am, But they don't even know when the bitch will return to Beijing, a bunch of idiots! Now the bitch is at Li Yigao's place, and there must be many experts arranged by the emperor to guard him. The palace also followed suit!" At this point, the concubine Yue seemed to get more and more angry, "That bitch of the Shu family, who was relegated to a slave and was restless, unexpectedly came back after catching rape and prostitution, how did she hook up with her? Your Majesty, you really have some skills."

"The slave doesn't know the specifics." The little eunuch said, "The people around the emperor are the most popular, and the slave also turned around to inquire about the adults who accompanied the emperor out of the palace, but they seem to have won the emperor's favor." The order was stricter with each mouth, and nothing came out."

"No matter what, I must not just sit back and watch the emperor be bewitched by the slut, and let the surname Shu come back." Yue Concubine stood up and said to the door of the bedroom, "Come here, dress me, I am going to the queen mother Greetings from the palace!"

But when Concubine Yue rushed to the Empress Dowager's Hall, she was stopped outside by a dignified nanny leading two maids.

"Nurse Kang." Yue Bi smiled and stared at the old woman in front of her. "I came here specially to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager, what is your intention of stopping me here?"

"It's rare for your concubine to come here to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager. Since she is a rare visitor, slaves shouldn't stop her. It's just that He Xiangu is preaching the Dharma and praying for the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager is also accompanying her. It's inappropriate for you to go in and disturb her now. You should go first." Please go back." Mother Kang said two or three words without pain or itching, but like two big mouths, she slapped Concubine Yue's face.

Ever since she was promoted to noble concubine, because of her injuries, she was pardoned by the emperor to be exempted from the etiquette of going to court. Therefore, Yue Concubine has never paid attention to the Empress Dowager and Queen every day like other concubines, even if she is now fully injured. Now, she still relied on the emperor's attention, and used the excuse of being too tired to serve the bed as an excuse, fishing for three days and drying the net for two days. She didn't want to be slapped by Madam Kang with a "rare guest", and she suddenly felt ashamed.

According to her temper, if a servant dares to tease her face to face like this, she should have been dragged down and beaten by her long ago, but Madam Kang can't do it. Well, so she could only put on a stiff smile at the corner of her mouth, and said: "It's okay, I will wait here, I guess that Xiangu He's blessing will always come to an end."

Seeing what the concubine Yue said, Mother Kang didn't chase anyone away, and went straight back to the eaves and stood up again.

One cup of tea, two cups of tea, for a quarter of an hour, within two quarters, as the sun gradually rose, the scorching light caused a thin layer of sweat to appear on Concubine Yue's forehead. It was a shady place, but the Empress Dowager's Hall was flat around, and there was no shade under the eaves outside the main entrance. She regretted it so much for coming out in a hurry, and even forgot to ask the maid to hold an umbrella.

After waiting for another two quarters, Concubine Yue was already dizzy from the sun, so she had no choice but to send a court lady behind her to ask if the Queen Mother had time to spare, but the result was obvious, and Mother Kang only dealt with the court lady forcefully. Shaking her head, the maid came back in despair.

Concubine Yue had no choice but to continue to wait, but at this moment, there were two groups of people walking towards this side, and Concubine Yue took a closer look, and it turned out that the emperor came down to court.

Concubine Yue was overjoyed, she called out "The Emperor" and wanted to go up to him, but as soon as she walked in front of the emperor, she didn't know if she had really been exposed to the sun for a long time, or she was just pretending, she staggered and fell into the emperor's arms impartially inside.

The emperor put his arms around her and asked curiously, "Why are you here?"

"The concubine is here to pay her respects to the queen mother." The concubine Yue said in his usual charming tone.

The emperor laughed twice, "That's just right, I'm going to meet the queen mother too, so you can go with me."

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid we won't be able to see the Empress Dowager right now." Concubine Yue said, "Nurse Kang said that that Miss He Xiangu is praying for the Empress Dowager, we don't want to disturb her, so I can only wait outside now. "

"Oh?" The emperor raised his head, and just wanted to ask Nanny Kang for clarification, but Nanny Kang came over on his own initiative and said, "The blessing is over, please go in, Your Majesty."

"Really, then it's a coincidence that I came here." The emperor seemed to be in a good mood, he didn't look at Concubine Yue's face, he even let go of his arm, and strode towards the gate of the Empress Dowager's Hall.

Concubine Yue didn't expect that the emperor would let her go suddenly, she lost her center of gravity and almost fell down, and after listening to Madam Kang's words, she became even more angry, and just now she was holding her to prevent her from entering. In the blink of an eye, it's over when the emperor comes, isn't this deliberately embarrassing her!

But now is not the time to be angry with a servant girl, the concubine Yue glared at Mother Kang, and immediately followed the emperor in.

Compared with the scorching heat outside under the sun, it is really much cooler inside the Empress Dowager's Hall.

There was a scent of sandalwood in the air, the Empress Dowager leaned lightly on the phoenix couch in her thin skirt, He Xiangu still looked like a fairy, and was helping the Empress Dowager to press the corners of her eyes with both hands, while the Empress sat on the side, Holding a bowl of mung bean ice in his hand, he was serving the Queen Mother to eat, while chatting and laughing with her, it seemed that they were chatting speculatively.

"The emperor is here." Seeing the emperor approaching, the empress was overjoyed, she hurriedly put down the bowl in her hand and stood up to salute. He Xiangu also stopped what she was doing and stepped aside respectfully.

"What is the empress talking about with the empress dowager? I'm so happy. I'll listen to it." As soon as the emperor sat down, a court official also presented him with a bowl of mung bean ice. It's really refreshing, the queen must have made it herself."

"The concubine's poor craftsmanship made the emperor laugh." The queen said: "The concubine just saw that the empress dowager's body has become stronger and stronger, and she was boasting about He Xiangu's ability."

In the eyes of the empress, this Xiangu He was presented by her son Sikongyue, the more the empress dowager favored Xianguhe, the greater the contribution of Sikongyue, so naturally she had to praise her vigorously.

"The empress is too famous." He Xiangu bowed her head very humbly. During this period of time, she has perfected the demeanor of an outsider, even when facing the three most powerful people in the entire Zhou Dynasty. , and can not reveal the truth at all, "It is also a villain's blessing to serve the health of the empress dowager."

"Xiangnu is indeed capable. Yesterday on the Nine Suns Festival, you asked me to go out to let go of my anger. You really did the right thing." The emperor didn't shy away from it. The idea of ​​letting the Queen Mother nod to let Shu Shi return to the palace naturally went straight to the point after a short exchange of pleasantries.

Naturally, as the king of a country, he can return to the palace as long as there is an imperial decree, but if the matter is explained in detail, the matter of Shu's return to the palace is the matter of the harem, and the matter of the harem, one is the queen mother, the other is the harem. With the queen, if he made a decision on his own, it would make people feel that he was acting as a substitute, and it would also make the empress dowager feel uncomfortable, so even if the Shu family came back, life would not be easy.

More importantly, it was the Empress Dowager's decree to let Mrs. Shu leave the palace at the beginning. The so-called untie the bell must be bound by the person who tied the bell. The emperor felt that the best decree for Mrs. Shu to return to the palace was to ask the dowager to do it later, so as to appear filial. Secondly, it will not make the Queen Mother feel offended by her majesty, and thirdly, it can also stop the chattering mouths of those ministers in the court.

"Emperor, don't you want to say, who did you meet when you were venting your anger in the foreign affairs office yesterday?" But the queen mother suddenly said such a sentence, but the emperor was stunned on the spot.

"...How could the Queen Mother know?"

"It turned out to be so, it seems that He Xiangu's hexagram is really correct." The Queen Mother snorted softly, "Queen, come and talk to the Emperor."

The queen nodded, and then said: "The emperor doesn't know something. After you left the palace yesterday, He Xiangu made a divination in the palace, saying that the emperor will have a fateful encounter when he goes out this time. If the emperor grasps this encounter, It can make the five elements in the palace peaceful, instead of the yang and yin deficiency as it is now, so the queen mother and the concubines have been wondering whether the hexagrams of Xiangu are implying that the emperor will meet some peerless beauty, Add another sister to the harem."

Hearing what the queen said, the concubine Yue, who had followed the emperor all the way in, felt a thump in her heart.

"There is such a thing?" The emperor looked at He Xiangu strangely, "How can you even figure this out?"

"The villain just got a glimpse of one or two from the hexagrams." He Xiangu said very modestly, "Nowadays the five elements in the palace lack water, and the five corners are not aligned, so there are many troubles, and the emperor's encounter this time is not the same as One hit is related to a woman with six waters, if this woman can enter the palace, the five elements and five horns in the palace can be truly complete, and it will be of great benefit to the emperor, empress dowager, or Sheji Guozuo."

"This is true!" The emperor said pleasantly: "Xiangu is really clever, I did have a chance outside the palace yesterday, but whether that woman can enter the palace depends on the Queen Mother's will."

"If you want to accept a concubine, you can directly hand it over to the queen. The Ai family is old, so how can you manage so much." The queen mother laughed, "as long as it is the daughter of a legitimate family, and dignified and decent, the queen will order her to accept her." Come into the palace, and make a girl picker."

"This is what I want to discuss with the Empress Dowager." The emperor said with a smile, "That woman is none other than Shu Miaomiao who left the palace a few years ago."

As soon as the emperor's words came out, the empress dowager's face immediately changed, and she scolded, "Nonsense! Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there has never been a precedent for an abolished concubine to return to the palace. It is really unreasonable!"

The emperor had expected the Queen Mother's reaction in this way, so he was not surprised. Originally, he wanted to beg the Queen Mother to agree, but after hearing what Xiangu He Xiangu said just now, he became more confident, After the crime of disrespect left the palace, I also had several long talks with the Queen Mother. In fact, the Queen Mother also knew that there were many doubts about what happened back then, and she didn't entangle too much because it was done. Now that I meet her unexpectedly, I know her The pain I have suffered in the past few years from the palace has really moved me, and what Xiangu said just now, in recent years, the queen mother has often been unwell, and the world has been plagued by disasters. How could it not be caused by the five elements in the palace after Miaomiao left the palace? And that child Xuan'er."

The emperor lowered his voice when he said this, "Xuan'er was smart and smart since he was a child, but he is a prince but he lives among the people and does all the work of chopping firewood and carrying water for his servants. I am really saddened."

The queen mother stared blankly at the emperor, and for a moment she didn't know how to refute. She knew that the emperor was right, and she also admitted that she was too hasty when she denounced the Shu family's Yi decree. There is no reason to go back if you make a mistake, otherwise you are slapping yourself in the face. Concubine Shu Gui, who was kicked out for the crime of disrespect, will be brought back again now. Where will she put the empress dowager's face?

The Empress Dowager believed that without He Xiangu's divination, she would not have agreed to let a sinful woman return to the palace even if the emperor broke her throat, but He Xiangu's divination was always accurate. If fate can really make up for the lack of the five elements in the palace, and make yourself or the whole palace safe and sound...

For a while, the Queen Mother didn't know how to make a choice.

Concubine Yuegui was itching in her heart, she really wanted to ask the Queen Mother not to agree to such absurd request casually, but she also knew that she couldn't look at the mouth, seeing that the emperor was obviously seduced by the Shu family, and she wanted to let her When she returned to the palace, if she spoke against her, she would only annoy the emperor and lose her favor. Therefore, besides silently hoping that the queen mother would refuse, she turned her attention to the queen.

The empress used to be favored by the Shu family, and she always disliked her. Besides, Sikong Xuan was liked by the emperor in the past, and he would threaten the position of the first prince to some extent. After the Shu family, no matter what, he should jump out and try his best to resist.

In fact, the empress did speak, but what she said almost made Concubine Yue's face crooked, "Empress Dowager, it's rare that the emperor has a loving heart, so you should agree."

"Empress, even you think it is feasible to let the criminal woman return to the palace?" The Empress Dowager looked at the Empress in amazement.

"The emperor just said that there are many doubts about what happened back then. Whether sister Shu can be crowned as a criminal woman is still open to discussion. What's more, with the emperor's wisdom, if my sister returns to the palace, she will naturally have an upright name and method, but It won't make the queen mother feel ashamed at all." After a pause, the queen gave the emperor another affectionate look, and then said: "And the concubine, really moved by the emperor's heart, the emperor asked the younger sister to come back. The palace is not for selfish reasons, but also for the filial piety of the empress dowager's body, the worry for the great Zhou's fortune, and the loving father's heart for the safe growth of Ah Xuan's child. This is what moved the concubines the most. .”

"Empress." The emperor looked at the empress with emotion, and there was a lump in his throat.

"Forget it, even the empress said so, what else can the Ai family say, after all, the real master of the harem is the empress, not the Ai family." Seeing this scene, the queen mother could only shake her head helplessly, "But you have to find a name." , you must not be ridiculed by the officials of the court and the people of the world for a woman, otherwise this edict to drive people out of the palace, if the Ai family can do it for the first time, they can do it for the second time, the emperor, do you understand?"

"The empress mother is divinely intelligent, I naturally understand." The emperor originally thought that it would take a lot of talking, and even took a long time to get the empress dowager to nod. Unexpectedly, it went so smoothly. For a moment, she was so overjoyed that she even forgot the honorific title "Queen Dowager", and instead called her Empress Mother affectionately.

Seeing that Shu's return to the palace was settled so quickly, Concubine Yue couldn't stop cursing in her heart, but she just kept telling herself, it's okay, it's okay, That woman of the Shu family was a soft persimmon in the past, come back as soon as she comes back, she doesn't believe how much threat a person who was kicked out of the palace can pose to her!

But three days later, when the emperor and empress jointly issued a decree to the Six Palaces, the concubine Yue was so angry that she almost smashed all the things that could be smashed in Fuyue Palace.

"Concubine Shu Hui...It turned out to be Concubine Shu Hui..." She looked at the edict in her hand tremblingly, and then threw it out, "That bitch is also worthy! The position of Concubine Hui is mine! Mine!"