A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City

After the story was finished, the guests dispersed. The lady took up a little hot tea, drank a few throats, and looked up to see that the lady guest who had just paid for her to tell the story had not left.

"Sir." Jiuzhu held a stool and sat in front of the lady.

"What story does the girl want to hear?" The female husband quickly poured herself a few more sips of herbal tea. She was just a layman who worked hard in the world, just for the broken silver to feed her family.

"Don't listen to the story." Jiuzhu noticed that although the lady's cuffs are clean, they are patched with the same color and the stitches are fine. You can see that they are very careful when sewing.

Enduring her distress, she took out another piece of silver and came out: "I want to know, where did the story of the Prince of America come from?"

"It turns out that the girl wants to know about this. It is all trivial." She said that it was trivial, but the cashier moved very quickly. She collected the cash: "A girl gave me a notebook a few days ago and said She did it when she was bored in her free time. As long as I talked about it, she would give me twenty taels of silver."

"Twenty taels?" Jiuzhu was surprised: "I spent so much money just to let you tell the story?"

"Girl, this is the capital. Are there any weird people?" The female gentleman glanced at Jiuzhu. Aren't you the one who made money to change the story?

"Let us storytellers, what we pay attention to is the satisfaction of our customers, and we will be lucky."

Zhou Xiao stood behind Jiuzhu, looking at the storyteller with pity, and I don't know who caused such a vicious trick to involve an innocent female gentleman.

If the story spreads farther and farther, after the palace finds it out, it will be the first one to be unlucky.

"Mother." A little girl in a floral cloth jacket ran out from the side door. She raised her head, glanced at Jiu Zhu and Zhou Xiao timidly, and hid behind the female husband.

"Sorry, the child is small and doesn't understand the rules, please don't mind the two girls." The female gentleman took out a few copper plates and stuffed them into the girl's hand: "Go and buy a snack from the shopkeeper. Mother will come over soon."

The little girl kicked and ran away with a copper plate. Jiuzhu fumbled in her purse, and took out the last piece of silver: "If you believe me, don’t tell the prince of beauty and the evil prince together in the future. The story should be just The story, but the world is suspicious, it will inevitably lead to trouble."

The lady's face changed slightly, and she looked at the silver on the table: "Thank you girl for reminding me that I can't collect this money."

"Mr. Don't misunderstand." Jiuzhu smiled: "Mr.'s story is good. I like the story of the evil lord very much. I will come next time."

"Please rest assured, the girl, tomorrow I will tell the story of the disgusting and good-looking prince, and welcome the girl to listen." The lady accepted the money readily.

"Thank you." Jiuzhu clutched her empty purse. After she walked out of the teahouse, she sighed faintly. No wonder people say that talents are hard to change, and it is very expensive for the storyteller to change the story. After saving for a month, I couldn't bear to spend the money, and I spent it clean today.

"Sister Ming." Zhou Xiao lives in the capital for a long time and has long heard of all kinds of scheming. She has a solemn expression: "It seems that today is not a good day to listen to books. Why don't we go to the rouge shop."

Jiuzhu squeezed her purse, her brows were squeezed together, and she shook her head to reject Zhou Xiao's suggestion to go to the rouge shop: "I have spent all my silver."

Zhou Xiao laughed dumbly, thinking that the Ming family loved her daughter, so she was so generous with her money, but she didn't expect it to be all the money all over her body.

"It's okay, it doesn't cost money to see it." Zhou Xiao took the initiative to take Jiu Zhu's arm: "Go, just accompany me."

The lady's body was soft and fragrant, and Jiuzhu nodded in confusion, and finally she was given a box of rouge by the lady.

When she returned home, she held the rouge in her hand and muttered thoughtfully: "It's no wonder that the master always says that beauty is deceptive, but it turns out to be true."

However, who can refuse the beautiful, gentle and caring young lady?

Zhou Xiao walked into the main courtyard where his parents lived.

"Father, mother." Zhou Xiao offered tea to the two elders: "My daughter and Ming's sister went to the teahouse to listen to a book today, and something happened."

"What's the matter?" Zhou Rui and Madam Zhou showed clear smiles. The elders of the two families have already negotiated the marriage of their daughter and Mingjia Liulang. When Ming Jinghai returns to Beijing, they will arrange for someone to come and hire him.

The daughter has a good relationship with the Ming family girl, and she will be able to get along with her in-laws after marrying.

Zhou Xiao recounted what he had encountered in the teahouse from beginning to end.

How did a little storyteller know about the affairs between King Qi and King Chen? If it weren't for the Ming sister's discovery that something was wrong today, maybe the storyteller would have lost his life because of this story.

Thinking of the timid little girl behind her husband, Zhou Xiao couldn't help but say: "Many people say that the king of Qi has both virtue and talent, pure jade and gold. With what happened today, my daughter began to wonder if there really is such a perfect person in the world?"

Zhou Rui remained silent, but Mrs. Zhou, who was sitting next to her, smiled and said, "This Ming family girl is rather interesting."

He has a naive personality and has a natural keen response to many unknown crises.

"In the beginning, you didn't even notice that there was something wrong with the story. She just heard a few words and interrupted directly. She didn't show her identity or bullied others, but spent money to make the other party willing to change the content of the story." Zhou The wife sighed: "It is worthy of the Ming family. Even if they are fostered outside, they still have the courage and decisiveness of the Ming family."

No wonder Concubine Su, who has always had a poor relationship with civil servants, likes this future daughter-in-law.

"Really?" Zhou Xiao suspected that his mother might have misunderstood Ming Jiuzhu, and Ming's sister was decisive?

Zhou Xiao was silent when thinking of the other party's pitiful little appearance when he was holding his empty purse and feeling distressed for silver.

If you misunderstand it, you will be embarrassed if you dismantle it on the spot.

It's good for her old man to be happy.

In Mingyue Palace, Concubine Su was taking a self-portrait in the mirror, Xiangjian hurriedly walked to her side with a weird expression: "Manny, there are some rumors related to your Highness outside the palace."

"Do you mean my son is arrogant or domineering, or he is so extravagant and enjoyable?" Concubine Su calmly picked up the eyebrow pencil and traced her eyebrows.

"neither."

"To oppress the poor, to bully others?"

"Nor." Xiangjian coughed dryly: "It is said that His Royal Highness is only fierce on the surface, but it is actually a good person who sees small animals hurt and feels distressed, and shed tears when others suffer."

"What?!" Concubine Su Gui shook her hand, and the eyebrow pencil almost poked her nose: "Are you sure you are talking about my son, not King Qi?"

"It is indeed our Highness." Xiangjuan said: "The rumors also say that there are many cooks in the Chen Palace, but they are actually some seriously injured soldiers. His Highness couldn't bear them losing the ability to live, so he let them do things in the palace."

"His Royal Highness bought the old man's radish with a fierce spirit. Actually, he saw his family's difficulties and found a reason to give him money.

Although she didn't understand why the prince of a mansion would buy carrots by himself, but folk rumors sometimes inevitably caused misunderstandings that "the emperor uses a golden pole" and "the empress puts a lot of oil in pancakes".

After listening to the bizarre stories such as "Send the old man home", "The evil spirits give money to the beggars", "The beauty seduces the beggars to sit without chaos" and other bizarre stories, Concubine Su Gui remained silent for a long time. Is this her son? That is clearly a Bodhisattva.

Rubbing the goose bumps on her arm, Concubine Su interrupted the story that Xiangjian was telling: "Don't tell, don't tell, it's really awkward to listen."

Concubine Su Gui was puzzled: "Where did such outrageous rumors come from?"

XiangJian: "The slave and maidservant didn't know where it came from. It has been spread out inexplicably in the past few days."

"Could it be...what's the conspiracy against my son?" Su Guifei thought for a while, but couldn't figure it out: "But this kind of rumor is good for my son in any way. What is the master behind the scenes?"

Their mother and son are always attractive in the palace. Others gritted their teeth with jealousy behind their backs, burning incense every day to pray for their bad luck. It is impossible to spend so much effort to decorate her beautiful name for her son.

Is this to retaliate with virtue, or to spend money for charity?

The good name is very good, but it is too exaggerated. She is not as embarrassed as a mother-in-law.

"That's what you told me, it's done?!" Concubine Ning listened to the report from her servant, and summoned the maidservant to do the business: "Are you holding the money from the palace, are you doing things for the palace or for Chen? Wang do business?!"

Five hundred taels, exactly five hundred taels, is this the result? !

"The slave and maid did not know what was going on. The other day was fine. I didn't know that the female customers in the teahouse liked the overbearing and gentle prince..." The maid's voice became weaker and weaker: "The lady said, the storyteller People should tell stories that guests like, and they don’t want to continue telling stories we gave to the past."

"If she doesn't want to, she will continue to add money." Ning Fei forcefully resisted her anger: "If she is unwilling to increase money, she can still find someone else. I still need my palace to teach this?"

"Niang Niang..." The palace lady was very embarrassed: "Now the female guests in Beijing don't like the story of the gentleman Qianqian. They all like to listen to the overbearing lord or the arrogant lord."

Since the story of the overbearing evil king's gentle heart has flourished, countless storytellers have followed suit to make up such stories. No one likes to listen to the old routine stories of other young scholars and General Fox Fairy.

"Are these people sick?" Concubine Ning couldn't help but asked, "Why is there a prince like Yun Duqing?"

Seeing that Concubine Ning was so angry, the palace lady hurriedly spoke to comfort: "Manny, what they like is not the king of Chen, but the invented character."

Just don't know what's going on, there are already many women who equate Chen Wang with the domineering prince in the story.

She dared not tell Concubine Ning about this, for fear of being punished by Concubine Ning who was angry.

"Get off!" Concubine Ning kicked her lower abdomen: "Useless things!"

The maid clutched her abdomen: "Please calm down your anger, and the maidservant resigns."

She staggered out of the inner room, and the little palace lady reached out to support her: "Aunt Bai Peony, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." The palace lady endured the severe pain in her lower abdomen, pushed her hand away, and cold sweat fell down her forehead: "The lady is not in a good mood today, you are waiting carefully."

The little palace lady's complexion changed suddenly. She looked at Bai Peony with concern. Bai Peony just clutched her lower abdomen, walked to the door step by step, and fell to the ground when she crossed the door.

"Auntie." The little girl did not dare to yell, she ran to the white peony: "I will help you back."

"Don't make trouble." White peony said weakly: "Are you going to die?"

"My mother is in a bad mood, how can I allow you to leave without authorization." Bai Shao helped the door frame to stand up: "I'm fine, you go back quickly."

The entire Lanxu Palace knew that Concubine Ning most hated the disrespect of her servants. It is said that before she entered the residence of His Majesty, due to her low birth mother status, as a concubine, she was often treated coldly and humiliated by her subordinates, so after her Majesty became the throne, she did not like disobedient subordinates.

However, this is just a rumor of secret exchanges between people in Lanxu Palace, and no one dares to seek the truth or falsehood. What's more, the relationship between Niang Niang and Pingyuan Hou Mansion in recent years is very close, not like being coldly treated.

"Aunt White Peony." A little **** chased it out: "The empress asked you to ask Dianzhongsheng when the new tea will be delivered. Your Royal Highness's wedding is coming soon. Empress said that all the objects in the palace should be changed."

"I see." Bai Peony loosened her hand covering her belly: "I'll go to the temple for a trip."

The little **** looked at the pale white peony, but he didn't dare to say anything. Finally, he whispered: "Auntie, please take care of your body."

"Miss Ming, over there is the inner palace set up in the palace, and is responsible for some of the expenses of the concubines in the harem." Xiangjian pointed to a small house not far away: "This is after your majesty became the throne. Degree, a specially set inner palace."

When the first emperor was reigning, the unfavored concubines often ate leftovers and drank cold water and rotten tea, and their life was worse than the others.

Xiangjian glanced at Jiuzhu and found that Miss Ming was very curious about everything, as if there was nothing in the world that she could not find fun. These days, the empress enters the palace from Sancha Wuzhao Ming. The two get together to appreciate paintings and chat. From time to time, they give some small suggestions to the scriptures copied by the concubines and get along very happily.

The only ones who are not happy are those concubines who have a sincere heart and "persisted" on copying the scriptures.

The empress called the little girl into the palace, and worried that she would be bored, so she told her to take Miss Ming to walk around. Now the entire palace, except for the sleeping quarters of your majesty and ladies, is about to be visited by them.

Next time Miss Ming enters the palace, she doesn't know where else to take her.

"Aunt Xiangjuan." Jiuzhu pulled the sleeve of Xiangjuan: "I'll go ahead and have a look."

"What's the matter?" Xiangjian looked at Jiuzhu puzzledly, and saw her walking under a plum tree.

The white peony was curled up, with his back leaning against the tree trunk, cold sweat permeated his back. She half-opened her eyes weakly and looked up at the gray sky. The pain in the lower abdomen was like a knife cutting, reminding her that she was still alive.

The pain in the abdomen seemed to spread all over the body, and even the brain was clamoring to explode because of the endless pain.

"are you fine?"

She tried to open her eyes wide, looking at the girl who appeared in front of her.

The girl was wearing a red cloak, and her sideburns were shining, and even the gray sky was illuminated.

"Aunt Xiangjuan, she seems to be fainting."

Before Bai Shao passed out, she saw the girl take off her cloak and put it on her body.

...

"Your Majesty." Liu Zhongbao handed a secret letter to Emperor Longfeng: "At the Qianqiu Banquet of the Imperial Concubine Empress, the envoy behind the scenes whose intention was to send the embroidered picture to the Empress has been found out."

Emperor Longfeng opened the secret letter, read the name on it, and gently placed the secret letter on the table: "Liu Zhongbao, how many years have I been in the throne?"

"Your Majesty, this year is the thirteenth year of Longfeng."

"I remember that Du Qing was locked up in a dark room with me. He was less than eight years old." He sighed, "It's been so many years in a blink of an eye."

"Put the Qingfeng Pavilion."

An unpleasant medicinal smell permeated the Qingfeng Pavilion, and the woman lying on the bed wrapped herself tightly with brocade, coughing heartbreakingly.

Footsteps came from outside the gauze tent, and she lifted the gauze tent with difficulty, first with joy, then panic.

She tried to struggle to get up, but finally lay back weakly on the bed.

"Lie down." Emperor Longfeng didn't get close to the bed. He looked at the haggard woman with no joy or anger in his eyes.

"Your Majesty came today, did you come to see me, or come to seek justice for the woman Su Meidai?" She coughed a few times: "My Majesty and I knew each other when they were young, but in the end they were no better than a merchant girl. It is ridiculous."

"Your Majesty!" She looked at Emperor Longfeng unwillingly: "Are the other women and children in the harem not human except for Su Meidai and Yun Duqing?"

"Since the beginning of the dynasty, no emperor has been more generous to my concubine." Emperor Longfeng sighed: "Clan Yang, you shouldn't use the methods on my concubine."

"Ai Concubine? Ha ha ha ha ha, E Concubine?" Yang asked sternly: "Only Su Meidai, who counts as your woman?"

Seeing Yang's hatred towards Concubine Su, Emperor Longfeng said, "I have known about the thirty years of showing virtue."

Yang was stunned. After a long time, she seemed to cry and laugh: "That's it, that's it..."

The room was quiet. After a long time, she struggled to sit up, looked at the empty room, laughed with tears, and muttered to herself: "Your Majesty is right, you are indeed a generous emperor."

That year, His Majesty was imprisoned in the palace, and the woman in the back house chose to betray her husband for the future and glory of the family.

Later, the plan failed and the prince ascended the throne. She thought this matter had become a secret that His Majesty would never know.

She was wrong. In this imperial city, how could there be a secret that will never be known.

"Hahahaha..."

Yang burst into tears, and the other women in the harem laughed at her from the top on weekdays. They didn't know that what they had done had already fallen into the eyes of His Majesty.

How ridiculous, how ridiculous they are.

Jiuzhu got up in the morning and found that all the red lanterns in the corridor of the house had been removed.

"Sister Vernal Equinox, why are all the lanterns changed?" Jiuzhu looked up at the blue lantern, feeling a little awkward.

"Yang Niangniang in the palace died of illness. The master is a third-ranking member of the Ritual Department. It is not advisable to hang red lanterns within nine days." The spring equinox put a plain cloak on Jiuzhu: "Later, Madam may take you to the palace to condole you Just stay with Madam."

Jiuzhu was stunned. No wonder my sister at the equinox specially picked plain clothes for her today, and even her hairpins were all plain silver.

"Which empress is Yang Bi?"

The equinox lowered her voice: "She is the daughter of a criminal minister. Her father and brother had conspired with the anti-king to force the palace more than ten years ago. After his majesty became the throne, he pityed her without knowing and did not anger her..."

"Jiuzhu." Shen walked into the yard and waved to Jiuzhu.

Jiuzhu ran to the Shen family: "Mother, are we going to enter the palace now?"

"I already told you about the equinox?"

Jiuzhu nodded.

Shen looked at his daughter's body, confirmed that there was nothing wrong, and took her out.

Wang Chen was wearing a plain suit, and when he was walking on the palace road, he found that some of the palace ladies looked at him with some irritation.

Seeing that a maid almost fell and slammed into his arms, he dodged and asked Fugui suspiciously: "What's the matter with this maid, the road is not stable, how can I be an errand in the palace?"

Fukui looked at the palace lady who had fallen into disrepair, and thought to herself, maybe this palace lady also heard the bizarre story of "The Overbearing Lord and Pretty Palace Lady"?

Wang Chen didn't even look at the young palace lady who was lying on the ground, tears about to fall, and said impatiently to the two eunuchs: "Hurry up and help the man back. I don't know, I thought it was my king who pushed her down."

As soon as the voice fell, Jiuzhu's voice calling him came from behind.

"Your Highness!"

Jiuzhu ran to the king of Chen. She looked at the court lady who was kneeling on the ground, and then at the king of Chen, her face was puzzled: "Your Highness?"