I'm watching the gate in the jail

Hearing that Mr. Xunkan wanted to "catch ghosts", it alarmed the county government and even the neighboring state government.Two or thirty yamen servants came out in full force, expressing their willingness to be pawns and be driven by adults

It's not that they are really brave and not afraid of female ghosts, the main reason is that they have heard of the "prestige" of Wan Zhenfu from Beijing.

This person is a "murderer" who is hated by gods and ghosts, and the lives he has squeezed are said to be counted in "hundreds".

As the saying goes - "Evil ghosts are afraid of evil people".

Not to mention a delicate female ghost, it is estimated that half of the people in Yan Luodian came, and the adults would not pay attention to it.

Follow him, it's safe.

"No, you don't need so many people to go."

Wanda looked at a group of young and old who were eager to fight, and shook his head with an inscrutable expression.

"Only the few of us, catching a female ghost is enough."

"Your Excellency is a relative of the emperor, a body of gold and jade. It's better to bring a few more people, just in case."

County magistrate Luo thought that investigating the case was a minor matter, but keeping uncle Guo's safety was the major issue.

It's nothing more than an archway, a land temple, even if it's all demolished, it's not worth as much as a little finger of the imperial concubine's own brother.

"No, no, no."

Without waiting for Wanda to explain further, Liu Tiechi stepped forward holding his beard and shaking his head.

"Adults are all descended from the stars in the sky, and they are not afraid of ghosts and gods at all. You ordinary people are gone, and it is useless except to cause trouble. It is enough to have me, Liu Tie Chi, as an escort. Moreover, these are men, with too much yang energy. The 'female ghost' was too scared to come out, so it was a waste of time."

When everyone heard Liu Tiechi's remarks, they all nodded in agreement, and gave up their thoughts of going up the mountain together, and just waited for orders at the foot of the mountain.

That night, Wanda didn't bring any extra staff.It's just him, Yang Xiuxian, Qiu Zijin and Gao Hui, plus a stinky Taoist priest.

A group of five people, after dinner, went up the mountain before it got dark, sat in the temple, and waited for the "female ghost" to appear.

The last time I came here was almost a month ago.It was still daytime, and there were people clearing the way in front and behind, and the road was very noisy, so I didn't feel anything.

Now the five of them are sitting in a circle by the small stove in the Earth Temple.

Looking at the small flames jumping on the feeble stove, the statue of the God of the Earth, which was originally blurred by the smoky fire all the year round, was even more distorted, which made Wanda feel a bit like "Hong Kong ghost movies" in the early years.

It's a pity that there is no heroic celestial master "Uncle Ying" here, only an unreliable Liu Tiechi.

In order not to disturb the "female ghost", several of them didn't speak, but sat silently facing each other, looking outside the temple gate from time to time.

Before I knew it, it was the middle of the night.

Although it has been June, but at night on this mountain, the dew is still deeper.

Wanda rubbed her hands, feeling that this stove could not suppress the chill on the mountain.

He turned his head to look at the fully rolled quilt on the couch, and stretched out his hand to hook it.

"This quilt is so dirty, I don't know who slept in it last time. What if there are fleas?"

Seeing this, Yang Xiuxian hurriedly took off his cloak, hung it on him, and tied a knot for him.

Wanda chuckled, put the cloak around her body, and leaned closer to the stove to continue warming up.

Qiu Zijin watched the interaction between the two, and his eyelids twitched for no reason.

Although he knew that the two adults had a good relationship before, looking at it this way, they seem to be closer than brothers... He squinted at Gao Hui who was watching his heart, and he was used to it. look.

And that Liu Tiechi couldn't hold on for a long time, and fell asleep, his head was bit by bit, like a chicken pecking at rice, probably didn't see anything.

Qiu Zijin squeezed his palms, and thought about it secretly, thinking that it really is the "brotherly love" of Jin Yiwei, I must have thought too much.

Qiu Zijin didn't have anyone to hand over the cloak, and he hadn't fully recovered yet, and his body was still weak.

After carrying it for a while, he couldn't bear it anymore, so he got up and walked to the bed.

As soon as Qiu Zijin reached out to the quilt and pulled it down, Gao Hui and Yang Xiuxian rushed out like two bolts of lightning.

Liu Tiechi, who was half asleep and half awake, was startled and almost fell to the ground.

Could it be that "female ghost" appeared?

Qiu Zijin put down the quilt, followed Wanda's footsteps and walked out together.Suddenly hearing the sound of something falling to the ground, he lowered his head, squinted his eyes and looked at the ground...

Yellow paper?

A few pieces of yellow paper that only appeared when offering sacrifices to the dead fell to his feet.

Although Yang Xiuxian and Gao Hui's lightness kung fu was not as fast as Mei Qianzhang's, they were considered masters.

Just now a gray shadow flashed past the temple gate, and the two of them jumped on it almost at the same time.

The two have worked together for many years, and they have a perfect understanding.One is on the left and the other is on the right, sandwiching the gray shadow in the middle.

Unexpectedly, this gray figure was very dexterous, as soon as it was about to be overtaken by the two of them, it turned around and ran towards the forest beside it.

It had just rained on the mountain a few days ago, the road was very muddy, and the trees were tall, but the gray shadow seemed to be completely unaffected, and flew into it like a bird falling into the forest.

Yang Xiuxian was afraid that this was the time to tune the tiger away from the mountain, so the two dared not chase after him.He picked up a sharp stone on the ground, exerted strength with two fingers, and hit the gray figure behind him.

By the moonlight, he saw that the gray figure paused for a while, but soon submerged in the mountains and forests, and disappeared completely.

"Hit?"

Gao Hui stopped and took two deep breaths.

"Hits in the left arm, but not very badly."

Yang Xiuxian clapped his palms and squinted his eyes at the still swaying branches.

"It's a man."

Gao Hui said with certainty.

It was a lean and thin man, short in stature, wearing blue-gray homespun clothes.Although I can't see the specific facial features, it is definitely not a woman.

I don't know why those yamen servants regarded him as a "female ghost".

The two returned to the Earth Temple with doubts, but saw that the door was wide open, and no one greeted them outside.

Yang Xiuxian's heart beat like a drum, and he walked in with big strides.

I saw that the inside was empty, and the faint flame on the stove was almost extinguished, leaving only a few red stars struggling to emit the last bit of light and heat.

Except for the statue of the God of Earth with an ambiguous smile in the tall altar, there is no one in the whole temple...

Wanda, Qiu Zijin, and Liu Tiechi are all gone.

The night wind blew coldly, Yang Xiuxian looked at a piece of yellow paper that was blown to his feet and circled.Heart sank little by little.

"Aunt Qin? This name is so familiar..."

In Zhaode Palace, Wan Zhen'er sent off the nanny and maids to the courtyard to take Wang Zhi and the little prince to bask in the sun, and raised her head to talk to Tan Chang who was standing beside her.

"Aunt Yang next to Empress Dowager Qian told the story in the Punishment Department. Not long after she made lotus root noodles in the small kitchen, Aunt Qin came to visit. Because they were old acquaintances, Aunt Yang told Aunt Qin Two sentences. There were only two sentences before and after, and when Aunt Qin saw that she had something to do, she took the initiative to run away."

The Punishment Department is the "prison" in the imperial palace. The maids and eunuchs made mistakes, but if they were sent in, almost none of them could come out unharmed.

Presumably that Aunt Yang suffered a lot in it, and finally came up with some clues.

"Just talking, nothing else?"

Wan Zhen'er frowned, the more she heard the name, the more familiar she became...

Aunt Qin... seems to have heard of it somewhere.

"Aunt Qin said it was hot, and she wanted some water to drink. It happened that there was half a pot of hot water left when mixing the lotus root noodles, and the kettle was placed next to the bowl of lotus root noodles. Let's just say this. Turn around and get the cold water bottle on the side..."

Qin Chang lowered his head.

If you really want to poison, just turning around is enough.The dew of bergamot lotus is colorless and odorless, and no one can see or smell it when it is melted in lotus root powder.

"Then where is Aunt Qin now? Has anyone caught her?"

"The person has been caught and has been sent to the Punishment Department. But she doesn't admit anything, only that she and Aunt Yang served the Empress Dowager Sun before, so they often walk around and don't admit that she poisoned her. She also has no master. It’s gone, there’s no need to do some nasty things and set yourself on fire.”

Qin Chang frowned in embarrassment.

It's fine if Aunt Qin is a servant in some palace, at least she can pull out some vines.But Aunt Qin was sent to Nei'an Hall to serve the old maid.

Those old maids are all in their dying years, and they cannot be released from the palace, so they are all waiting to die in the imperial city.

Usually I have nothing to do when I have nothing to do, at most, "the white-headed palace maid talks about Xuanzong", talking about the past of the past few majesties and empresses, and has nothing to do with the current masters.

To put it bluntly, a slave without a master is no better than a dog without a master.

"I used to serve Empress Dowager Sun with Aunt Yang...could it be 'her'?"

Wan Zhen'er sat for a while, and suddenly remembered that when she was serving the Empress Dowager Sun when she was young, there was a court lady who was about the same size as her, and her surname was "Qian".

Unlike Wan Zhen'er, who was smart and capable of getting things done, this little court lady surnamed Qian was thick and clumsy, and she didn't really please the Empress Dowager Sun.

When she grew up a little bit, at that time the grand maid in Empress Dowager Sun's palace only put her outside to do some rough work, and didn't come to serve her.

Later, Empress Dowager Sun's mother-in-law, Empress Dowager Zhang, took a fancy to Qian, the daughter of the former minister, when she was choosing a concubine for the former emperor.

Her great-grandfather, Qian Zheng, was an old official who followed Lord Yongle during the Battle of Jingnan. Both her grandfather and father fought with successive emperors on the battlefield, and made great achievements in battle.

The most rare thing is that Mrs. Qian himself is gentle and generous, gentle and obedient, and can be a good match for the late emperor.

So the Empress Dowager took the British official as her envoy and Yang Shiqi from the "Three Yangs" as her deputy envoy, and welcomed Qian into the Forbidden City, becoming the grandson of Empress Zhang, the young queen of Emperor Yingzong who was only 15 years old. .

Because of the queen's surname "Qian", in order to avoid the taboo, Empress Dowager Sun changed the "Qian" in the little maid's name to "Qin", so as not to offend the queen.

"Miss Qian" became "Miss Qin"...

Later, Concubine Zhou was favored, but she lacked people around her.The Empress Dowager Sun didn't like Miss Qin very much at first, so she was sent to serve by Mrs. Zhou's side.

Until His Majesty passed away, "Miss Qin" became "Aunt Qin". Because she was too old, she was not liked by the Zhou family, so she was sent to the Nei'an Hall to serve the old maids.

"Thinking about it this way, he is indeed an old man from the previous dynasty... After all, he is also of the same generation as this palace..."

Thinking of this, Wan Zhen'er sighed.

"I have never offended this 'Aunt Qin', why did she want to kill me?"

Nei'an Music Hall can be said to be the most peaceful place in the entire Forbidden City.

It's just a group of poor people, warming each other together and chatting for the rest of their lives.

Wan Zhen'er thought, if it wasn't for the fact that His Majesty had a deep love for her, he made her a noble concubine and gave birth to a child with her.

Based on her background and her current age, she is probably just one of them.

Counting the days and waiting to die every day, the only pleasure is to see those little maids who have just entered the palace, one day wear the newly cut palace clothes...

"Aunt Qin, in the Anle Hall, serves a Nanny Gui."

Qin Chang lowered his head and smiled.

"According to Eunuch Liu, the Imperial Horse Supervisor, during the reign of Xuande, Eunuch Niu, who was still serving as the long-term follower of the Supervisor of Rites, had a young palace lady named 'Guixiang' who ate with him. After the old lady Guixiang, I live in Nei'an Hall for the elderly. Because I am an old man in the palace, I know the rules the most, and sometimes I am also responsible for training the newcomers in the Longxi Palace."

When the word "rule" was mentioned, Qin Chang couldn't help laughing again, "So, when the Crown Prince was selected for the Crown Princess, this Nanny Gui was in charge of teaching the three future concubines in the Longxi Palace. etiquette."

Everyone knows the story after that.

The Wu family stood out and became the queen, and the Wang family and the Bai family were named concubines.However, just one year after the Wu family took charge of Fengyin, he was deprived of Baoyin because he blamed Wanfei, abolished the queen's position, and was imprisoned in the cold palace Yingcui Palace on the other side of Taiye Pool.

That Nanny Gui, because of her lack of training, also suffered a lot.But she was too old to be punished, and she was just deprived of her last job.In the future, it is equivalent to completely staying away from the power struggle in the palace.

Isn't there a wall between Yingcui Hall and Nei'an Le Hall where Empress Wu Fei lives...

Aunt Qin, Nanny Gui, Empress Dowager Zhou, Longxi Hall... After going around such a long circle, through a "Elder Niu" who is now in Nanjing, they finally connected this series of harem forces together.

"It turns out that the Empress Dowager Zhou really did it... She can even do something to her own grandson?"

Wan Zhen'er raised her head and looked in the direction of Ningqing Palace, eyes full of resentment.

Concubine Zhou, Empress Dowager Zhou.

If you hate me, you can just vent your anger on me, why did you attack the emperor?

You are also a woman, a mother, and a grandmother. Tiger poison does not eat children, let alone a dignified queen mother?

"The second year of Xuande... Isn't that what happened nearly 40 years ago? No wonder I don't know at all..."

In Wenhua Hall, Zhu Jianshen listened to the investigation results reported by Wynn with a serious face.

According to Mr. Niu, Miss Guixiang secretly married him back then.Most of the old people who knew about it are gone now.

That is Niu Yu. In her later years, she would often send a little eunuch to visit her and send some clothes, jewelry and the like.

Two years ago, Niu Yu was demoted to Nanjing to guard the tomb, and this last thought stopped.This pair of old mandarin ducks live their twilight years separately.

Except for the Empress Dowager Zhou, almost no one in the palace still remembered the old nun in the Nei An Le Hall.

The Nei'an Le Hall is connected to the Yingcui Hall.Next to Yingcui Hall is Taiye Pool.

Before, they only checked all the medicines, spices, flowers and plants in the east and west palaces, but they forgot that there were many aquatic plants growing in the area beside the Taiye pool.

Bergamot lotus, chamaema chamaejasma, etc., are simply available.

"No wonder, my mother's body is so good, and she is healthier than me on weekdays. How could she suddenly have a headache and recruit all the imperial doctors from the Imperial Hospital to Qingning Palace... Haha, what a 'coincidence' .”

With relaxed words on his mouth, if his eyes could be condensed into ice, Zhu Jianshen's pale amber eyes at this moment might have condensed into two ice lakes long ago.

Fortunately, this time Wang Zhi was witty and saved the eldest son of the emperor.Otherwise, the eldest son of the emperor, the Empress Dowager Qian, and Chief Attendant Wan could kill three people at the same time with this one move... It really is extremely vicious!

"The Yingcui Palace is too deserted. Mrs. Wu may be very lonely living there... Well, don't live in the palace, just live in the side corridor."

Although there is no evidence to prove that this matter is directly related to Wu Shi, Zhu Jianshen does not intend to spare her because of this.

"The queen mother..."

This is the most difficult thing for Zhu Jianshen.

Zhu Jianshen never expected that the empress's hatred for Minister Wan had spread to the next generation.

It is said that the Tian family is ruthless, and it is common for brothers to kill each other.

But she didn't expect that as a grandmother, she would also want to harm her own grandson.

This murder of the eldest son of the emperor is a serious crime of confiscating the family and exterminating the whole family.

But the emperor is an example for the people of the world, and the word "filial piety" is pressed on his head. Even if he knew that this matter was planned by the Queen Mother Zhou, and even sent someone to carry it out, Zhu Jianshen felt helpless.

Not only is there nothing to do, but after that, he has to calm down every morning and evening, greet each other with a smile, say auspicious words, and even entertain relatives with colorful clothes.Just like Zheng Zhuanggong and his mother Jiang Shi, even under the nine springs, they must "have fun".

"Chong Wang, how old is this year?"

Zhu Jianshen asked suddenly.

Wynn was taken aback.

King Chong, Zhu Jianze, is the younger brother of Zhu Jianshen with the same father and mother.

In the sixth year of Jingtai, he was born in Nangong, where Yingzong was under house arrest at that time.

She grew up with the Queen Mother Zhou since childhood, and she has deep feelings for her, and she still lives in the palace's Xiefang Hall.Children in their teens live a carefree life under the Empress Dowager Zhou's lap every day.

Xiefang Hall is located between Wenhua Hall and Wuying Hall where Zhu Jianshen works daily...

Compared with myself, the son who grew up under the knee of his mother-in-law, the Empress Dowager Sun, who had hardly met a few times.His Royal Highness, King Chong, is the real heart and soul of the Empress Dowager Zhou, her eyes, and her precious fruit.

Wynn rolled his eyes and immediately understood what the little emperor meant.

If he couldn't embarrass his mother, he couldn't embarrass his brother?

"Back to Your Majesty, counting it, His Majesty Chong Wang is already 12 years old this year."

According to the rules of the ancestors, the prince became a vassal at the age of 14.

Except for the prince who can stay in the palace and be trained as the future prince, all the princes will go to the fief when they reach the age, and they are not allowed to enter the capital for nothing.

Emperor Yong Le, also known as Zhu Di, the King of Yan at that time, was originally in Beijing.After the Battle of Jingnan, he approached Nanjing, the capital at that time, and seized the throne.

Since then, the Zhu family has become more and more vigilant against the vassals.When the prince becomes a vassal, it often means a farewell to everything in the capital.

"12 years old, not too young. It's time to prepare, let's start at the end of the year."

Zhu Jianshen opened his eyes and spoke nonsense.

Although it is said that the prince should be a vassal when he is old, the princes who have been favored in the past, especially the youngest sons, are old and still mix under the knees of their father and queen.When they were in their 20s, they had a bunch of sons and daughters, and there were not a few people who just went to land fiefs because they couldn't drag it on any longer.

"Now draw up an edict for me. Tomorrow, the elders in the cabinet will read it, and go to the Qingning Palace to 'report the good news' to the queen mother. After the feudal clan, you can arrange someone to choose a concubine for King Chong. When the time comes, you will start to grow outside." Sanye, the queen mother will be happy."

Zhu Jianshen narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the golden glazed tiles outside Wenhua Hall, he seemed to see his younger brother who was reading and playing in Xiefang Hall...

He was so disappointed in his mother.

Due to the circumstances, Zhu Jianshen's suspicious heart since he was a child has even begun to doubt...

If one day, like his father, he encountered all kinds of disasters, would the Empress Dowager Zhou not hesitate to skip over him and Wan Shichang's eldest son, and make his younger brother Chongwang the emperor?

By that time, will Minister Wan still be alive?

The absence of Chief Servant Wan means that Uncle Xiao Lang's family has been overturned?

If it is said that the Empress Dowager Sun at that time, for the sake of Daming and the stability of the capital, she refused Yexian's blackmail and promoted Emperor Jingtai.

Then the Empress Dowager Zhou, at that time, may be out of her own selfishness.

"After King Chong becomes the vassal...send someone to watch. If any of my princes or members of the Wan family are in the way..."

Zhu Jianshen didn't say the following words.

What he meant couldn't be more clear.

If my mother, Minister Wan has endured any pain, I will "repay" my younger brother with the same father and mother several times.

Lord Xunkan and Wan Zhenfu are missing!

When County Magistrate Luo heard the news, his whole body softened like noodles thrown into a hot water pot, and he fell directly on the ground.

Although the magistrate is better than him, it's just the difference between kneeling and lying down.

"Imperial concubine... Lord Wan, Lord Xun Ya... Wuwuwu, what crime have I committed?"

County magistrate Luo was crying with snot and tears, and the hatred for the Ding and Guo families in his heart was like a prairie fire, raging and unstoppable.

If it weren't for these two families insisting on making trouble, the governor would pass by here, eat a few meals, and listen to two plays, and it would be over. How could such a big man just say nothing and disappear...

"Have you searched the whole village? What about the nearby mountain streams and creeks?"

Yang Xiuxian and Gao Hui almost turned the mountain over the Earth Temple upside down yesterday, but got nothing at all.

Early this morning, when they went down the mountain, they thought it was a bit of a fluke, maybe Wanda and the others had already returned to the county seat, but they didn't expect that no one came back, whether it was the county government office or the inn where they were staying.

The county magistrate Luo and the magistrate next door arrived in a hurry, and when they heard that Lord Xiaowan and the inspector were missing, they hurriedly dispatched all the horses, plus the warriors from Jinyiwei, to search the entire She County.

It was almost noon now, and people gradually came in to report, but they didn't hear any good news.

As time passed, County Magistrate Luo could almost feel the murderous intent burning on the body of the Lord Qianhu of Jinyiwei standing beside him.

Magistrate Luo burst into tears with a "Wow".

He doesn't want to be the soul of Jin Yiwei...

"Summon all the males over the age of 12 in Dingjiazhuang and Guojiazhuang to the government office."

Yang Xiuxian crossed his arms and took a deep breath, "I want to check one by one."

The disappearance of Xinghai and the others should be related to the so-called "female ghost".Although it was a man they met on the mountain yesterday, maybe he knew the secret of that "female ghost".

Find that man, and you should be able to know the whereabouts of Xinghai and the others.

The county magistrate Luo heard this, and sent out the yamen servants to get people.

As long as the two adults can be found, let alone all the men in Dingjiazhuang and Guojiazhuang.Even if you bring all the men in She County, plus roosters, ducks, and boars, it will do.

Half an hour later, about 100 men slowly approached the county government under the scolding of the government servants.

The two leaders were Master Ding and Yuanwai Guo. When they heard that a government servant came to arrest him, the two old men were shocked, thinking that the children of the clan had committed a crime.

Unexpectedly, it was because of the disappearance of the two adults, and all the men were taken to the yamen for questioning.This frightened the two old men even more.

If only one of the clan's children committed a crime, it would be a big deal to seal the door and drive them out of the clan.If something happens to these two Beijing officials in their village.Others don't mention it, just talk about the younger brother of Concubine Wan Gui...

I don't want this land anymore!

The two masters thought in unison.

The main hall of the county government office is too small to accommodate so many people. These people have no choice but to stand in the yard outside the government office under the scorching sun.

Looking at the county government officials standing on both sides like wolves like tigers, and the guards in brocade clothes brought by the adults from Beijing, each holding steel knives, glaring angrily, completely frightened these villagers who had never seen anything in the world.

Yang Xiuxian walked to the steps, turned around and asked County Magistrate Luo, "Have all the men arrived?"

"Yes, except for the twenty or so young men who are currently detained in the county jail because of the fire and fighting yesterday, the rest of the Ding and Guo families, the youngest is 12 years old and the oldest is 88, are all here."

Magistrate Luo pointed to the old man who was being carried on a stretcher in the corner and said.

"Everyone, listen to my order..."

Yang Xiuxian narrowed his eyes and shouted loudly, "Take off your clothes!"

The author has something to say: King Chong in history became a vassal in the tenth year of Chenghua.At that time, the little prince was already 20 years old... It can be seen how doting the Queen Mother Zhou is.

In the eighth year of Hongzhi, the Empress Dowager Zhou felt that she was going to die, and wanted to see her beloved youngest son before she died. Although Comrade Zhu Youtang, the emperor at the time, agreed, she was stopped by the Minister of Rites at that time.So until her death, the Queen Mother Zhou did not achieve her wish.

This old lady, in this life, she wants to get wind and rain, and the Empress Dowager Qian is forced to have nowhere to go. This matter of depression and joy may be the most embarrassing time in her life.

Let's make this happen earlier

The story of Zheng Zhuanggong in the article comes from Duan Yuyan of Zheng Boke in "Zuo Zhuan".It is also the source of the idiom "Qi Le Rong Rong".