The Moon Over Tang Dynasty

Chapter 47 The sheep enters the tiger's mouth and the tassel trap

 In the gradually darkening dusk, the gate of Shujing Hall is getting closer and closer. Liuli looked at the dark door and the glass cornices that still reflected the green luster on the door. Her heart couldn't help but feel a little drumming, and her steps involuntarily slowed down.

Ah Sheng behind her smiled and said, "Painter Kudi, don't worry. Although Her Royal Highness Shu Fei is a bit impatient, she is very graceful and will definitely not argue with the painter."

Liuli turned back and glanced at Asheng's pleasant smiling face, and couldn't help but smile too. Indeed, no matter how angry Concubine Shu was, she would always maintain her grace in front of the powerful people around Gaozong, and she wouldn't explode on the spot, right?

Speaking of which, she really couldn't understand what Wu Zetian was thinking now. She said she should take care of herself, but first she told herself that Jun Wuxiyan had better go to the imperial study room to do some hard work. Now he gave herself this It was a hard job, and he was told to hand over the skirt to Concubine Shu's people. But if she had any other thoughts, she asked Ah Sheng to arrange herself in the most inconspicuous back compartment of the royal study room. She tried her best to avoid people when she came and went. This time, she even asked Ah Sheng to bring two children in person. A young **** accompanied herself and Aling. She probably didn't want to let herself suffer. So what exactly does she want to do?

She was thinking about it, and the little **** brought by Ah Sheng over there had stepped forward and knocked on the door knocker. The door opened in response. The two little palace maids who opened the door were overjoyed at first when they saw the little eunuch, and then they saw Liuli and the others. He was startled.

Liuli had no choice but to take a step forward and said loudly, "Kudi, the painter of Xianchi Palace, on Zhaoyi's order, presents a moonlight skirt to Her Royal Highness Concubine Shu."

The two little maids were startled when they heard the words "Xianchi Palace". One of them hurriedly said, "Please, please wait a moment." She turned around and rushed off to report the news. The other person stood at the door, neither smiling nor angry. He was awkwardly silent. Suddenly he saw Ah Sheng behind Liuli and was startled. He was even more in a dilemma.

After a while, the sky became darker and darker, and the little palace maid who had gone in to report the news ran back panting. When she saw Liuli, she said, "Your Highness, Concubine Shu, invites you to come in." For some reason, the look in Liuli's eyes seemed to be sympathetic. Originally, she looked at Liuli with some sympathy. The gatekeeper pushed her gently with his elbow and winked. The little palace maid who was running errands recognized Ah Sheng, her expression suddenly changed, and she ran in again without saying a word.

The other one came up and said with a smile, "King's Chamberlain, Painter Kudi, please wait a moment. It's getting dark soon. I'll take a lantern to lead you in." After saying that, he went back to the concierge and tinkered for a while. Sure enough, he came out with a lantern.

Liuli didn't understand why and chanted Buddha's name secretly. Fortunately, she had the amulet A Sheng, otherwise she wouldn't have known what accident would happen. Seeing the little palace maid raising the lantern and making a "please come in" gesture, turning around and leading the way towards the door, she sighed secretly, feeling like a hot meat bun that had just come out of the cage, and the open door in front of her The door to the door is a big hungry mouth, but at this moment, I have no choice but to bite the bullet and walk in, silently praying in my heart that Ah Sheng will be so powerful that he can stop this mouth from swallowing.

The little palace maid led Liuli and the others inside for a while, and then they met the leading little palace maid. The two exchanged glances, and the latter turned around and walked in front, leading Liuli and the others to Shujing Hall. In front of the main hall, the palace maid dressed as a steward led them to the east hall, but the two young eunuchs following Asheng stayed outside the hall.

Liuli noticed that the Shujing Palace was filled with brightly colored candles and heavy curtains and embroidered brocades. It was several times brighter and more gorgeous than the Xianchi Palace. The ground was also covered with thick lichen, and the seven-color flowers were very gorgeous, but it felt awkward to step on them. It seems not as soft as the red brocade lichen of Xianchi Palace. When we arrived at the East Hall, there were also layers of draperies hanging down. After passing through two layers of curtains, we saw Concubine Xiao Shu lazily sitting on a couch with four screens behind it. When she saw Liuli, before she could salute, she looked cold and charming. A cold smile appeared on his face, "Painter Kudi, I didn't expect that you would be painting in the imperial study during the day and come here to deliver gifts at night. Now you have become the busiest person in this Tai Chi Palace."

Liuli didn't dare to be careless, and hurriedly bowed and said respectfully, "Your Highness, Concubine Shu, the daughter of the people is just sent by Zhaoyi."

Concubine Xiao Shu looked coldly at Ah Sheng behind Liuli, "I wonder whose mission the king's servant is on?"

Ah Sheng smiled and bowed, "Your Highness, Concubine Shu, because Painter Kudi doesn't understand the rules in the palace, Wu Zhaoyi sent the younger one to give her some advice so that she would not lose etiquette in front of Your Highness again."

Concubine Xiao Shu sneered, "I don't know when it started. Apart from the Holy Emperor, there are others in this palace who can move you!"

Ah Sheng's smile did not change, "Your Highness, Concubine Shu, is joking. The young one is just a lowly slave. Anyone in the palace can dispatch him."

Concubine Shu wanted to say something else, but she thought about it and held it back. Her eyes turned on the moonlight skirt that A Ling was holding, she raised her chin and said, "Open it and take a look."

Kudi Liuli remembered Wu Zetian's instructions and hurriedly turned around and took the skirt from Aling's hand. She unfolded it carefully and lifted it up. Concubine Shu looked at it coldly for a few times and sneered, "Painter Kudi, you have been in the imperial study for two days. "It's really hard." But his eyes suddenly focused on the pair of gold tassel bracelets exposed from Liuli's sleeves. The more he looked at them, the more he became suspicious and angry, and his eyes gradually started to burst into flames. After a while, He said in a cold voice, "Come closer and let me take a good look!"

Liuli felt that Concubine Xiao Shu's voice suddenly became ice-cold to the bone. When she glanced out of the corner of her eye, she saw Concubine Xiao Shu staring at her wrists without blinking, with an expression that she wished her eyes could turn into sulfuric acid. Her heart suddenly sank. Being able to pretend as if nothing had happened took a step closer. Concubine Shu's eyes were still fixed on the pair of bracelets. Liuli was now only two steps away from her. She could clearly see the posture of the Luan bird on the bracelets, the pattern of the flower branches, and even the length and density of the row of tassels! She didn't speak for a while, her eyes gradually turned from hot to cold. Suddenly she leaned back and said calmly, "Bai Zhu, bring this moonlight skirt."

The rectangular-faced middle-aged palace goddess whom Liuli had seen the day she entered the palace came over indifferently. Liuli hurriedly folded her skirt and offered it to her with both hands. She knew that there must be something strange about the pair of bracelets and tried to hide them. However, because she wanted to facilitate painting, she always wore clothes with short and narrow sleeves. As long as her hands moved and her sleeves fell down, the bracelets would inevitably be exposed. Outside, it wasn't until the palace maid of Bai Zhu held up her skirt that Liuli hurriedly lowered her hands and stood up. Seeing Concubine Xiao Shu's expression as cold as ice, she secretly screamed, "Oh no!"

Concubine Xiao Shu's voice was still calm, "Minister of the King, I have something to tell your Majesty, could you please run over first?"

Wang Fusheng was alert and had long noticed that Concubine Xiao Shu's vision was wrong. He followed his gaze and saw only a pair of bracelets. He suddenly remembered that Wu Zhaoyi had specially given her a pair of bracelets before Kudi Liuli came. Knowing that there must be something weird inside, he hurriedly bent over and smiled. , "Since His Highness has received the skirt, the younger ones will leave now, just in time to send a message to His Highness."

Concubine Shu furrowed her eyebrows and said calmly, "This is very important, so you should pass it on first before speaking. Could it be that Zhaoyi's instructions are just instructions, but mine are not?"

Ah Sheng's thoughts were racing in his mind, and he knew that this matter might not go well, so he hurriedly smiled and said, "It's not that Ah Sheng is being lazy, in fact, His Majesty has also ordered me to reply as soon as I finish this errand. Anyway, how many of us are there?" They all have to go back, and one trip will not delay His Highness. If His Highness is really in a hurry, the younger one will let A Dong who is waiting outside the palace come in. His legs and feet are the most convenient, and the younger one is far behind him." He said and turned around. He raised his voice and shouted, "A Dong..." This A Dong is the most alert little **** in Xianchi Palace. Before he came, he quietly told himself that if Concubine Xiao Shu looked wrong, she would immediately shout his name and he would Will move reinforcements. It seems that Wu Zhaoyi has already planned what happened today! Thinking of Wu Zhaoyi's methods, Wang Fusheng's heart was already high.

When the two young eunuchs outside the palace heard this, they looked at each other, and one of them walked in. The two palace ladies at the door hurriedly stopped him, "The chambermaids are not allowed to enter without being summoned by Concubine Shu." The other quietly retreated. In the shadows outside the hall, while no one was paying attention, he slumped down and ran out as quickly as a civet cat.

"No need!" Xiao Shufei's voice was cold, and the suspicion in her heart became more and more certain, and her nails dug into her flesh. One or two **** in this palace are stepping on her to climb up. If she hadn't let out such a bad breath today, she would have been a concubine in vain! After making up her mind, she sneered and said, "Well, just wait a moment. I'm going to put on this skirt and try it on now. Painter Kudi, since you made this skirt, can you please come in and help me" I'll take a look!"

Listening to Concubine Xiao Shu's cold tone, Liuli knew something was wrong. She nodded with a smile on her face and took two steps forward. Suddenly she fell to the ground with an ouch, her face full of pain, and she stretched out her hands to rub her ankles. He obviously looked like he had a sprained foot. Concubine Xiao Shu's furious and cold eyes immediately froze on her.

Liuli smiled bitterly and said, "Your Highness, Concubine Shu, please forgive me. Liuli is not used to wearing the cloud-head shoes in this palace and has lost his manners in front of Your Highness."

Aling hurriedly caught up a few steps and squatted down, "Auntie, are you okay?" He said and pressed a few times on her ankles.

Concubine Shu looked at Liuli, and a cold smile slowly appeared on her face, "Bai Zhu, you have also been a female doctor, why not show it to Painter Kudi!"

Bai Zhu said "yes" and took two steps, but Aling raised his head and said with a smile, "I don't know where this prisoner studied at that time? I have studied under the massage doctor of the Imperial Medical Office for five years, specializing in massage and bone setting. My slave, I think Painter Kudi just sprained his foot, it’s nothing serious, so there’s no need to trouble the prisoner.”

Liuli glanced at A Ling in surprise, and saw Bai Zhu walking over as if he hadn't heard anything. She quickly raised her head and said, "That's right. Liuli doesn't dare to bother Ah Jian."

There was still no expression on Bai Zhu's face. He knelt down without saying a word and stretched out one hand to hold Liuli's foot firmly. The hand was cold and hard, like an iron hoop. The index finger of the other hand But he started to bend, and together with his thumb, he pressed hard against the joint of Liuli's ankle.

In the silent night, a shrill scream could be heard far away. Several crows that had just fallen asleep on the big trees outside the window of the east hall of Shujing Hall were so frightened that they flew up and croaked into the night sky.

p.s. Thank you to my dear Lanwindy and Soen for the pink tickets, thank you to the students on both sides of the river for the peace charms, and to the classmates at Dawn in the Dark Night for the rewards of, uh, little yellow chicken... My coding speed is so miserable, I will add 20 votes tomorrow. Will definitely serve it in the morning. thanks for your support.

 (End of this chapter)