Dressed as Su Peisheng

Kangxi 48 years

August [-]th, Old Summer Palace

After noon, Sister Mei took the tools for pruning flower branches and walked to the Peony Pavilion. She was accompanied by Mrs. Wang who had always taken good care of her.

The two walked under the shade of the tree, with the water of the back lake beside them, and the breeze blew by, bringing a little coolness, which made people feel very refreshed.It's just that for some reason, Sister Mei has been lacking energy, and she looks listless.

Mrs. Wang and Sister Mei's family are old friends, they are both old people in Prince Yong's mansion, and they also like Sister Mei very much. This child is hardworking and ingenious, and his ability to take care of flowers and plants is especially valued by the masters .

Therefore, looking at Sister Mei's frequent daze recently, Mrs. Wang was really worried.

"What's the matter with you recently? But there are too many errands these days, are you tired?"

Sister Mei turned her head to look at Mrs. Wang, pursed her lips and forced a smile, "No, it's just that the weather has been too stuffy recently, so I can't sleep well at night..."

"You girl, you keep everything in your heart," Mrs. Wang sighed, but she didn't intend to get to the bottom of it, and changed the subject, "I heard from your mother that the matter between you and Zheng Qi is still dragging on. It's the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it's not too far away from the end of the year. I see that the young masters in the backyard like you, so why don't you ask for a favor and get things done quickly."

Sister Mei shook her hand holding the wooden box, and the small shovel and flower scissors in the box collided into a ball.

Mrs. Wang gave her a strange look, and her heart flashed inexplicably, "Could it be that something happened to Zheng Qi?"

Sister Mei's eyes turned red instantly, but her face was full of disgust, as if recalling some disgusting scene, "Mother-in-law, don't worry, I'm done with Zheng Qi, after the Mid-Autumn Festival, I'll go home and tell my parents , let them entrust someone to accept Zheng Qi's errand, from now on I will take my Yangguan Road, and he will cross his single-plank bridge!"

Mrs. Wang was stunned. When they were in the palace, the two were still inseparable. How could they go their separate ways in a blink of an eye?

"Sister Mei, this matter—"

Mrs. Wang was about to ask again, but suddenly a group of people came to meet her, with jackets and knives, walking hurriedly.

After seeing the leader, Mrs. Wang and Sister Mei hurriedly retreated under the tree, wishing they could hide in the shadows.

Zhao Jia's Enchuo, who led the team, glanced at the two of them coldly and walked straight past.A few servants and women who dared not look up were held in the middle by the guards, trembling as they walked.

"What's the matter?" Seeing the group of people walking away, Mrs. Wang rubbed her arms, "We've already left the palace, why don't these evil spirits in the dark room stop? They drove away a bunch of old people in the mansion, you see What's going on these days?"

"When the people in the dark room move, it's usually not a trivial matter." Sister Mei frowned, and then glanced at the captured servants, "No matter how I look at it, it looks like they are working in the Peony Pavilion." Huh? Aren't you all fine this morning?"

Zhukuolou

Mo Yaqi stood in front of a row of bamboo multi-treasure pavilions, her brows were tightly knit together.

Baosheng had just heard the girls' replies, brought a fruit plate into the room, saw Da Gege's pensive appearance, and cautiously stepped forward and said, "Gege, all the servants of the Peony Pavilion have been locked up, I'm afraid we can't hide this from Fujin gone."

Mo Yaqi took a deep breath, and the handkerchief in his hand was pinched into a ball, "Did Ama send someone to ask?"

"Go, Eunuch Li went there in person." Baosheng pursed his lips and lowered his voice, "In the end, this matter is just a few gossips among slaves. It's better to leave it to Fujin directly. If other people spread the word to Fujin, I don't know what they will think."

Mo Yaqi turned around, hesitating for a moment, it wasn't that she really wanted to overtake Fujin and grab some management power.It was the content of the rumor about the screwdriver that made her think of someone. Ever since that person was imprisoned in the darkroom for no reason, everything in the mansion became strange.

"It's better to tell Ama first," Mo Yaqi lowered his head, "This rumor is too abrupt, it's better for Ama to solve it in person. Fujin, it can be delayed for a while. When Ama gets the news, Should be back soon."

"Big Grid—"

Just as Baosheng was about to meet him, the curtain outside was lifted, and another person came in, it was Fei Jiashi, one of the nuns transferred by Fujin.

"Big Gege, what's going on in this garden? Three or five servant girls are running around outside, what does it look like to outsiders?" Fei Jiashi twisted her face into a ball and straightened her back. "You have not yet reached the age of engagement. You should put the affairs of your boudoir first, and you must behave in a reasonable manner. What's more, you are from the royal family, and every move is related to the face of the royal family. Don't look at those women from ordinary families. You have to learn the ability to run a family, that's the skill of a lowly person. When you get married in the future, there will be more than ten or twenty nuns in charge of the dowry. You don't have to worry about everything. Jing Shuntian's family is enough. You can't be like those housewives who claim to be noble, and keep up with each other all day long. If any ugly words come out, Prince Fujin will be ashamed—"

"Mama's words are breaking the rules." Baosheng raised her eyebrows. She once served a princess, and she hates the preaching that all daughters of the Tian family should become Buddhas immediately. After being brought up, Nanny Li is the nanny of the prince, what do you say, where do you put Nanny Li and the prince? Where do you put us?"

"Yo, you girl has quite a temper," Fei Jiashi didn't pay attention to Baosheng at all. She came out of the palace and raised several princesses. In the Prince's Mansion, sometimes I feel that I have been wronged, "The nanny who teaches elder brother is different from the nanny who teaches Gege. Nanny Li teaches Gege to stand up for himself, and slaves teach Gege to know the rules. Of course, if Gege doesn't like The servant did not dare to force the teaching method of the servant, so I went back to Fujin."

"stop!"

Fei Jia made a gesture to turn around, but Mo Yaqi, who had been silent all this time, suddenly turned cold, "Nurse, you really have a big posture, my small roof really can't accommodate your big Buddha."

Fei Jiashi was a little stunned. Just as he turned around, Da Gege said in a deep voice, "However, you can leave any day, but not today. Without me today, you can't take a step forward!"

"What's the meaning of Big Gege?" Fei Jiashi's eyes widened, "This servant is from the palace, do you think you can lock me up with a single word?"

After finishing speaking, he ignored Mo Yaqi's reaction, turned around and walked out, but he didn't want the gate of the bamboo garden, which was only a few steps away, to be blocked by a few thick and thick women.A tall and thin eunuch behind the door pulled Fei Jiashi's collar and stuffed her mouth tightly when she was about to scream.

Mo Yaqi was sitting on the couch, pressing his temple with one hand, not bothering to look at Fei Jiashi again, he just waved his hand casually, Fu An saluted Mo Yaqi, and dragged Fei Jiashi who was still struggling all the way into the backyard.

When Xiaoyingzi found the fourth elder brother, the fourth elder brother was coming out of Changchun Garden with the thirteenth elder brother.

Li Ying, who just got the news from Da Gege, was also in a panic.His first thought was to inform the master at full speed and tell him to run quickly, but when he was out of the garden, he changed his direction abruptly, the master would not leave the prince alone, so he still had to tell the prince about this matter first.

"The servant greets the lord, and the thirteenth elder brother," Li Ying said calmly when she came to the fourth elder brother.

The thirteenth elder brother nodded amiably.The fourth elder brother raised his hand and cried out. He saw Xiaoyingzi's hidden nervous expression, and knew that something must have happened.

"There are a lot of things going on in the mansion these few days, so the fourth brother will go back first," the fourth elder brother turned to the thirteenth elder brother.

The thirteenth elder brother nodded slightly, and cupped his hands at the fourth elder brother, "fourth elder brother, go slowly."

The two separated and each got into the carriage. Deng Yu, the eunuch accompanying the thirteenth elder brother, looked back at Li Ying who suddenly appeared, and frowned.

The carriage drove towards the official road, and the thirteenth elder brother sitting in the carriage suddenly called Deng Yu to get on the carriage, and Deng Yu's heart skipped a beat.

"Do you know something?" Brother Thirteen was holding the teacup steadily in his hand, and he was extremely quiet, "I noticed the way you looked at the eunuch just now. The eunuch appeared strangely. The garden is not far away, if it is not a major event, there is no need to stop at the gate of Changchun Garden."

Deng Yu pursed his dry lips, hesitated for a moment, and told Brother Thirteen exactly what he and Lu Rui heard outside the Nine Classics and Three Events Hall that day.

"What did you say?" The teacup in Thirteenth Brother's hand fell into the carriage, and the tea was spilled all over the ground as the carriage bumped, "Why didn't you tell me about such a big thing?"

"Slave, I thought it was just some gossip, let's forget it after hearing it." Deng Yu shrugged his shoulders and rubbed his hands, "I suddenly saw Eunuch Li Ying today, and for some reason I remembered what happened that day. Maybe it's the slave Thinking wildly, it may not be because of that incident."

"Being spoiled and sycophant, flirting with the inner eunuch..." The thirteenth brother's face turned pale, "I'm afraid the matter between the second brother and the haha ​​bead is still a thorn in Huang Ama's heart. Now it's changed Fourth brother, if Huang Ama finds out about such dirty words—"

Elder Brother Thirteen didn't dare to think about it any further, and put one hand on the window of the car, his veins were exposed, "It must be another poisonous plot by the mynah gang, what an idiot!"

evening,

In the separate torture chamber set up in the Yuanmingyuan, the sound of whips and wailing continued.Li Ying held the roster of all the personnel in the Old Summer Palace, and let these slaves wantonly bite. Even if everyone in the mansion was folded in this time, he still had to find out the source of the rumor!

Inside the Qingyan Pavilion, the fourth elder brother sat behind the desk, propping his forehead with one hand, with his eyes slightly closed.Wan Xiang waited tremblingly at the door. He knew the rumors in the garden, and his body was chilling intermittently, and he didn't have the heart to take the initiative to serve the master.

Fu Nai came back from the outside, and after entering the door, he glanced at Wan Xiang and motioned him to wait outside, Wan Xiang shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the door, his calves began to tremble.

"My lord, the person sent by the servant to inquire is back." Fu Nai stood in the middle of the room, lowering his head slightly, "There are indeed such gossips outside, and it is not clear how widely it has been spread, but it seems that they are mostly playboys. Or idle servants, these people are good at spreading rumors, but now they can say anything. However, everyone's attention seems to be more on Wan Xiang, and not many people mention it from Mr. Su."

The fourth elder brother slowly opened his eyes, his expression was rather calm, "You secretly recruit a few people to look around the farm. Then send someone to the capital to investigate and gather all the miscellaneous rumors to see if you can find anything clue."

"Yes," Fu Nai bowed his head to accept the order, and finally glanced out of the door with a gloomy face, turned his head and lowered his voice and said to the fourth elder brother, "My lord, if someone deliberately arranged this rumor, I'm afraid it will spread to Long Live Lord sooner or later. In his ears. With the lessons learned from the second elder brother, the prince might as well deal with it as soon as possible."

The fourth elder brother lowered his eyes slightly, hiding his expression in the shadows, "I have my own plans for this matter, so you don't have to worry about it. Also, keep a close eye on the farm, and don't let them know what's going on in the garden."

Fu Nai had a delicate mind, so he naturally knew who the "they" mainly referred to, so he bowed his head to accept the order and bowed to leave.

The weather has been sweltering these past few days, and Fujin often suffers from headaches, and he goes to bed early at night.

Something happened to the Peony Pavilion, and the servants in the garden were taken away one by one. The building where the lights were turned off early did not get the news until midnight.

"It was the lord who didn't let Fujin be disturbed," Shiyao explained painstakingly while serving Fujin to get dressed, "Fujin has been working hard recently, and the lord also knows that when he got the news from Da Gege, he rushed back from Changchun Garden. Now The slaves who spread lies have been locked up in the torture chamber, and En Chuo and the others are being tortured one by one, I believe it will take less than a day to find out the source of the rumors, so Fujin doesn't have to worry too much."

"You said, the slaves in the mansion are the rumored lord and that Wanxiang?" Fujin put on his cloak, turned his head to look at Shiyao, "how is Wanxiang now? Has the lord dealt with him?"

Shi Yao was taken aback for a moment, and the hands that adjusted Fujin's skirts trembled slightly, "No, it seems that he is still serving the prince." After saying this, Shi Yao bit her lips hard again, and said to Fujin in a heavy voice, "Master, don't listen to those slaves talking nonsense. Our prince has just disposed of a group of old eunuchs. How could he have such a habit? The slaves in the mansion are living too peacefully. Wait for this time It's over, Fujin has to train them well!"

"It may not be that slaves are just here to make trouble." Fu Jin frowned, and walked out holding Shiyao's arm, "I have to ask the prince, if someone intentionally framed it, our palace has to come up with a regulation as soon as possible." yes."

The Old Summer Palace was bustling all night. Although the torture chamber found out the source of the rumors, it was of no use.

The rumors came from outside the mansion, and were used by the young master in Beijing and the servants working in various palace gates and mansions as a topic of conversation after dinner.

Originally, since the imperial court banned officials from prostitution, it is not uncommon to see a manly family in Beijing.Some itchy, powerful and powerful family members picked out the beauties in the theater troupe, or simply sent people to the south, looking for delicate and tender, petite and beautiful boys and locked them up in the yard.As long as there is no major incident, everyone will also tacitly understand that the more prestigious the family, the more dirty things like this will be covered up.

However, this kind of topic that everyone is familiar with is suddenly placed on Prince Yong, who has always acted impartially, with a noble style, and a clean house without even rumors of concubines competing for favor. A drop of water was dripped into it, and oil splashed all over in an instant.The more pure and innocent a person is, the more willing everyone is to speculate on his dirty side.

However, although the fourth elder brother expected that the rumor would not be suppressed so easily, the speed of the spread of the rumor still exceeded everyone's imagination.

On the fifteenth day, Lord Kangxi held a banquet in Changchun Garden.

The fourth elder brother walked all the way to his seat, and noticed a lot of strange eyes among the courtiers.

In the middle of the banquet, the tenth elder brother who was in a good mood was already slightly drunk. Taking advantage of Lord Kangxi leaving the banquet halfway, he grabbed a little eunuch who was delivering wine, pointed at the fourth elder brother and said loudly, "Quick, hurry up and give it to my fourth elder brother!" Pour the wine, look at your slick face, you may be the next eunuch in charge of Prince Yong's Mansion on a whim—"

"Brother Ten!" Yin Xiang couldn't help but yelled to stop Yin Ni's nonsensical words and deeds, "This is a court banquet, Brother Ten must be careful when speaking!"

"Hey," Elder Brother Ten narrowed his eyes, raised his chin and looked at Yin Xiang, "What are you? You dare to teach me a lesson! Oh, by the way, you are a dog behind Fourth Brother. Ouch, Look at the waist of our old thirteen, maybe—"

"Brother Ten," Yinti said this time, his voice was not loud, and his tone seemed to be teasing, "If Huang Ama hears this, I'm afraid you will have to live in the clan's mansion again. "

"Old Ten, you are drunk," the eighth elder brother who had been silent all this time glanced at the fourth elder brother's direction, and said in a cold voice, "Let the servant take you down to sober up, don't say something you shouldn't say in a while, and offend the emperor. Amma."

After all, Yinbi still had reason left, seeing that the eighth elder brother also opened his mouth, he babbled twice, supported by the servant, and staggered towards the edge of the pool.

"Yinxiang, don't be surprised," the eighth elder brother saw that Yinji had left, turned around and said to the thirteenth elder brother, "when Yinji drinks, he can't talk in his head. When he wakes up, my elder brother will teach him for you."

Brother Thirteen's face was still a little pale, but his expression was still calm. He raised his glass and said to Brother Eighth, "Yinxiang won't be as familiar with drunk people, thank you Brother Eighth."

The eighth elder brother lowered his head and had a drink with the thirteenth elder brother. When he turned around, he glanced lightly at the ninth elder brother who had been silent all this time, and the smile on the corner of his mouth gradually disappeared.

At midnight, the full moon hung high in the sky, and the banquet in Changchun Garden slowly dispersed.

The fourth elder brother who drank a lot of wine, but his mind was exceptionally sober, he looked up at the moon in the sky, and he missed the people who were not around at this time.

"My lord, I will help you back to the Old Summer Palace." Fu Nai stared at Wan Xiang, who had shrunk his shoulders all day long and didn't even see that the fourth elder brother was unsteady, and stepped forward to support the fourth elder brother himself.

A few people slowly walked out of the crowd, Fu Nai lowered his voice and said, "The people my subordinate sent to Beijing in the past two days reported that the rumors spread very quickly, and it seems that someone is deliberately fueling the flames. Let's see what Elder Brother Ten said today. , this subordinate probably has something to do with Brother Eight and his gang."

The fourth elder brother didn't speak, just walked with his head down, not knowing if he heard it or not.

"My lord, please stay." Two eunuchs carrying lanterns stopped the fourth elder brother and his party. The chief eunuch Wei Zhu bowed slightly to the fourth elder brother and said, "My lord, Long Live is waiting for you at Qingxi Bookstore."

Both Wan Xiang's and Fu Nai's expressions changed, Wan Xiang's legs went limp, and he almost fell down.

The fourth elder brother could hold his breath, and told Fu Nai to wait on the spot, and brought Wan Xiang, who could barely walk, and followed Wei Zhu to Qingxi Bookstore in a stumbling manner.

midnight farmstead

Su Wei, who had been lying on the bed for more than an hour, couldn't fall asleep for some reason. There seemed to be a fire in his chest, which made his whole body extremely hot.

"What's going on?" Su Wei pushed away the quilt on his body, turned over and sat up, thought for a while, put on another coat, kicked off his boots, opened the door and walked into the courtyard.

On the treetop not far away, the branches made rustling sounds. Su Wei looked in that direction, but he couldn't see anything clearly because of the dark lights, so he moved a small horse and sat under the lantern.

"Why did Eunuch Su come out?" The following guard hid behind a tree, he did not dare to be sloppy with this legendary eunuch.

"It's probably because the weather is too hot," the man squatting on the tree whispered. "It's fine to come out. If there is news tonight, we might take people out of Beijing overnight."

Qingxi Bookstore

When the fourth elder brother walked into the inner hall, Lord Kangxi was sitting behind the dragon case, the cinnabar brush in his hand had not been put down, and several red candles were burning in the room, which was very bright.

"My son pays respects to Huang Ama," the fourth elder brother knelt down and saluted, "It's getting late, and today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, why doesn't Huang Ama rest earlier?"

Lord Kangxi raised his head to look at the fourth elder brother, with horns hooked on his face and crystal glasses, his expression was calm, and no emotion could be seen in his eyes, he just skipped the fourth elder brother's face, and waved behind his back.

The fourth elder brother froze, and suddenly heard a series of footsteps behind him, followed by Wan Xiang's scream and the prince who had just called halfway for help.

"Huang Ama!" The fourth elder brother suddenly raised his head, his eyes seemed to be very urgent, "Please raise your hand high, Wan Xiang can't kill him!"

The room fell into a sudden silence, and Wei Zhu, who was waiting by the side of Long Live Lord, began to doubt her ears.

Wan Xiang, who was gagged outside the door, rolled his eyes, passed out, and was dragged all the way down the steps.

Master Kangxi looked at the fourth elder brother quietly, the indifference and calmness in his eyes gradually degenerated into a pool of cold and stagnant water without waves.