Chapter 79 – The Death of a Courtesan

February is the spring equinox, flowers bloom and fall according to the time, not to the time of flowers, temporarily borrowed the skillful hands to plant the soul of spring. The meaning of spring, the soul of spring planted where? It is planted in people’s clothes, those petals fluttering, fluffy stacked in the gold embroidered flowers.

The first day, the Eastern Palace Empress named to the Western embroidery cloth finally into the palace, total do not know how many cloth, but the labor of the palace a lot of eunuchs, outside of the Palace transfer cloth into the Hongzhu, but today, such as the release of such a small thing, such small things that require physical strength, he himself is too lazy to do.

He stayed in the main hall of the East Palace, noticing that the Crown Prince was not there, while fiddling with the brass pieces in the incense burner in a small way, lest the incense burn too fast, while whispering to those palace maids to be more diligent and hurry up to make those three layers of cotton mattresses, because the Empress Dowager was going to read her book in a few moments.

Not long, a fragrant breeze, the inner curtain lifted, eyebrows like di, lips like dan, has a pair of flowing waves of the phoenix eyes of the Queen Mother some sickly came out, reclining on the short couch, drinking a good soaked incense tablets, looking at the book in the hand.

The book was a collection of novels from the Tanyu Bookstore, and although Empress Dowager hated and feared Fan Xian, this Mother of the Nation was not willing to lower the quality of her life in her daily pastimes.

After skimming through a few pages of the book, the Empress’s brows furrowed, not knowing what she was thinking.

Hongzhu at this time is behind the empress for her back pounding, that pair of washed exceptionally clean small fists, light and heavy orderly smashed on the empress’s thin body. The Empress had always liked Hong Zhu’s fun and small-minded, thoughtful service, especially this hand of back hammering, but today she did not close her eyes to enjoy it as usual, but instead stared at the book in front of her and stared blankly.

“What is Your Highness thinking about?” Hong Zhu said with a smile.

The eunuchs and palace maids in the palace were like mole crickets in the dirt compared to these noblemen, so people in general always didn’t dare to utter a single sound when they saw the Empress Mother and other noblemen, and were timid and respectful, wishing to shrink back with all their hands and feet.

But Hongzhu once had Fan Xian teaching, they also feel, these nobles seem to be high power, brocade clothes and jade food, there is nothing not to meet, but …… is that these nobles are prone to feel the palace life is boring, lonely and difficult, like someone to accompany to talk about it.

Hongzhu from the imperial study when the business will be different from the general small eunuchs, he will not always be low-brow, always put out a slave phase …… but respectfully, acting to deal with more than a few silk frankness of the wind.

In fact, this is very simple, the palace nobles also need to talk, and their identity is destined to not have any knowledgable people can communicate. And has been accompanied by the side of the little eunuch if you can not so face obscene, acting twisted can be suspected, their mood will also be much better.

That’s why Hong Zhu was loved by so many nobles, including the Empress.

The empress seems to have gotten used to talking to Hong Zhu, sighed and said, “Just thinking …… about this old in the palace is also too bored, auntie these two days always in vegetarian chanting, this palace does not have many opportunities to see her.”

Hongzhu smiled and said, “Nucai accompany the mother to say a few words is also good.”

The mouth must say slave, but the face can not put on the appearance of a lowly slave, otherwise the master will only have the desire to slap him when he sees the lowly slave, and there is no idea of communicating with him.

“What can you say? Why don’t you tell the same story as the other day, about the days when you wandered outside the palace when you were young?” The Empress said amusingly.

After the Hongzhu family was ruined by corrupt officials, he and his brother fled to Jiaozhou, and during those years, he didn’t know how much suffering he suffered, and how much sorrow and happiness he saw on earth, speaking of experience, since it was much richer than these nobles who grew up in the family of princes and nobles since childhood.

Especially every time he speaks of beggar secrets, small rumors on the rivers and lakes, folk food and fun, fall in the Queen’s ears, seems to be so fresh and interesting.

And today Hongzhu told the year wandering on the road to hear the real jokes, and girls in the brothel, just after all, in the palace, listening to the story of the person is the mother of a country, so Hongzhu told is extraordinarily careful, do not dare to say too many revealing words to.

However, the Empress listening to this story, eyes flow waves slightly moving, a slight smile, but the heart felt some fun, hurriedly yawned to cover up the past. She was in front of Hongzhu, Hongzhu naturally could not see, he just felt that the Empress actually did not stop herself from continuing, some surprise.

After all, he is young, how to know, even if it is again how sacrosanct the nobleman, in fact, what is in the head, and the marketplace women are not very different.

After the story was told, the Empress sighed and said, “The children of the people do live quite a hard life, but they can also see some different things.”

Hongzhu laughed nervously and said, “Bitter, what kind of person is the Empress, since childhood …….”

This naturally brought the topic to the Empress’ childhood life. The Empress was a little lost in thought for a moment, thinking of today’s Emperor’s Majesty, in his own early childhood, or that unsmiling cousin, seems to have occasional happy times together, just how …… did it turn out to be like this later on?

She immediately thought of the price her family had paid during that bloody night in Kyoto, and her emotions began to destabilize, gradually adding a few more hints of grief.

Hong Zhu carefully controlled the proportion of his speech, using his afterglow to note the frequency of the Empress Mother’s eyelash blinking, and again delving his speech into those little playthings of the Empress in her childhood.

The Empress was warning herself in her mind at this time, and it was also impossible to talk too much about herself with a lackey, when she heard him change the topic, her heart was relieved, and she counted them as if they were her family’s favorites.

Anyway do not know how many turns, Hongzhu finally succeeded, without a trace to let the Empress remember a jade jade ring, a year from her mother’s family to bring into the palace jade ring.

The empress compared the size of that jade jade ring, said with a smile: ”The quality and color of that piece of jade is good, of course, not as good as the tribute stored in the Great Eastern Mountain, but in the general princes and lords of the family is also considered a rare quality …… By the way, that is the first emperor gave to the mother’s family of this palace, so the carving of the above is the emperor’s system, and it is impossible to Take it outside to wear it, it’s always been stowed away in the garment.”

The Empress intentionally or unintentionally pointed to her own chest, although wearing a thick winter coat, but that finger is still sunk into the abundance.

Hong Zhu gently swallowed his saliva and said in a small voice with a smile, “It seems like I haven’t seen the Empress wearing it in the palace.”

“Although that jade penannular ring is quite warm and moist, but that water Qing’er is too shallow …… back when the girl’s family wore it from time to time, and now this palace will not be suitable.”

Hongzhu said curtly, “Your Majesty’s heavenly beauty, bright and charming, and the girl’s family what is the difference …… again shallow water Qing’er are suitable.”

The queen’s eyes flashed a hint of sternness, lowered her voice and drank: “Speaking more and more wanton!”

Hong Zhu’s face was shocked, hurriedly and heavily palmed his own mouth for a moment, but still did not notice the Empress’ lips corner of the silk satisfied smile, and eye waves in the increasingly thick meaning.

The queen yesterday knew the news of embroidered cloth into the palace, this kind of small matter she naturally does not worry much, naturally, there is the palace rules, to send to the various palaces. The empress dowager’s side is naturally the first family, as well as those who are famous in the palace of the mother of a person to send some of the last turn to the Princess where the Guangxin Palace. Although the Empress has not been much like this sister-in-law, but for their own son, also have to strive to tighten.

At this time of year, the East Palace compartment is busy in the distribution of embroidered cloth things, Hong Zhu served the Queen, there is no specific thing, he has nothing to do, he stood outside the door and stared at the body of those slim palace maids are busy, the eyes of the palace maids in those plump and slightly arched buttocks swept.

Suddenly felt a pain in the waist, turned his head to look, only to see a brow and eyes in all the flirtatious strength of the courtesan is hatefully looking at their own.

He couldn’t help but scold in a low voice: ”Xiu’er you’re crazy! There are so many people, this is in the palace!”

This little courtesan who was so bold as to dare to pinch the chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace was the Xiu’er that Fan Xian had once heard of, and a companion that Hong Zhu had found in the midst of his loneliness in the deep palace.

Xiu’er bit her lower lip and muttered, “Where are your eyes looking? Do you also know that this is in the palace?”

Hongzhu laughed twice, coaxed two sentences, thinking that he is a eunuch, but also had to use his eyes and fingers to get over the dryness, is it worth being jealous? He did not think of it, just suddenly thought of something, curiously asked, “What did you come here for?”

He was suddenly startled and lowered his voice, “Don’t want you to go to the palaces to send embroidered cloth?”

Xiu’er curiously looked at his nervous look, slightly stunned, said, “Not …… don’t know what’s going on today, the Queen suddenly remembered a small object that hasn’t been used for a long time, and asked me to go into the compartment to look for it.”

Hongzhu mood slightly relaxed, carefully asked, “What is the object?”

“A light green jade pennant.” Xiu’er beamed and said, “I don’t know who is talking too much, let the empress remember this thing to …… This is something that hasn’t been used for how many years, how can I find it in a moment? If we can’t find it, how can we explain to the empress?”

Hong Zhu’s heart was overjoyed, knowing that what he had said earlier had finally worked, the Empress Mother had finally remembered to look for that jade jade ring.

Right at this moment, a palace maid covered her mouth and smiled as she walked past the two of them.

Xiu’er annoyingly snapped, “What are you laughing at?”

The courtesan spat out her tongue and said, “I can’t laugh because you guys are laughing?”

Qing’s palace, in fact, is not as bright as the people imagined, but also not as dark as those novelists fictionalized general horror, especially in the East Palace, the Empress is aware of their own vulnerability and helplessness, so deliberately in these subtle efforts, for the palace maids and eunuchs are more gentle, the Royal Palace is not how harsh, the existence of a wide range of goodwill meaning.

And Hongzhu is also a habitual small cautious characters, even now became the chief eunuch, for the following these people are also not very commanding, so that the courtesan dared to joke about the two of them.

“Where is this going?” Hong Zhu smiled as he looked at the palace maid, and the little eunuch behind her holding two rolls of fine embroidered cloth.

The palace maid smiled and bowed, saying, “This is being sent to Guangxin Palace.”

Hong Zhu smiled and nodded, letting her go.

That palace maid was called Wang Lian’er, and the fact that she could have a family name meant that she was still a relatively favored figure in the Eastern Palace. She brought two small eunuchs to the outside of Guangxin Palace, knowing the habits of Her Highness the Eldest Princess, she waved her hand and told the two small eunuchs to wait outside, she went in alone laboriously carrying the embroidered cloth.

The palace naturally had the palace maids of the Eldest Princess picking it up. Since it was the person who came over on behalf of the Empress, the eldest princess naturally also casually said a few words to that palace maid, asked the Empress how she was doing, and then sent her out.

When Guangxin Palace was quiet and unoccupied, only then did the eldest princess turn behind the screen, looking at the Prince of Qing Guo who was full of happy looks, smiling gently, she said, “Have you memorized the three strategies for ruling the country yet?”

The Crown Prince looked at her with fascination, nodded, gently held the Princess’s soft and boneless hand, like holding a fragile and fragile jade, held it to his face, rubbed it, and said softly, “Qian’er has memorized it well.”

The Princess gently used her finger to point between his eyebrows, looking at the Prince’s eyebrows between the familiar traces, somehow, the heart of a mournful and then soft, with both hands holding his face, eyes slightly moving, softly said: “Good girl, memorize it to auntie.”

In the middle of the East Palace, the Empress is losing her temper, because the palace maidens have searched for a long time, and still haven’t found that piece of water Qing’er’s jade jade pennant, which puts the Empress in a very bad mood.

Xiu’er stood beside the Empress in fear and trembling, thinking in her heart, why did this master choose to work on that jade jade jade piece today? How did she know that the Empress was touched by Hong Zhu’s words and wanted to forage for some of the tail of the halcyon days many years ago.

“Give this palace a careful search!” The Empress was very angry, just occasionally moved to find something, but in the end, she was unable to find it. Her own royal generosity, these lackeys actually overturned the sky! She had also vaguely heard that there were some unclean guys in the palace, but she didn’t expect that someone would actually dare to be bold enough to reach out in the Eastern Palace.

Thinking of their own isolation in the palace, and now actually bullied by these dog lackeys to the head, the Empress angry lips straight trembling, kneeling in front of a row of eunuchs and palace maidens chillingly said: “Treasury can not be found, in the various rooms to search!”

The bottom of the kneeling row of people face extremely ugly, have in mind, this is not ready to copy the palace. Right below the three small eunuchs is scared face pale, the heart horrified incomparable, because the East Palace of those old unused small objects are basically stolen by them out of the palace to sell, previously the Queen said that the jade jade ring is also in it.

Fortunately, at this time, everyone was extremely frightened by the Empress’s sharp and harsh reprimand, their faces were not very good, so the inner drum of these three little eunuchs was not detected by the others.

The empress slapped her right hand heavily on the case, the emerald wrench on the middle finger of her right hand was shattered with a snap, and said angrily, “Find out who has unclean hands and feet, and don’t need to come back to me, directly give me a death to go!”

Hongzhu lowered his head to look at the case on the ground of those emerald fragments, thought with a bitter smile, this piece of trigger finger can be more valuable than that jade jade ring, but he is clear that the empress is to even a thought, the inner annoyance, through which to set up a power clear the palace, is not good to say anything, slightly owed his life, led the order, then led some of the top eunuchs and women searched up in the palace.

A time in the back of the East Palace compartment courtyard footsteps, rummage box sound, as is a copy of the general, indescribable palpitations.

Those palace maids and eunuchs who honestly waited outside the door for the order to command did not worry much, even those three small eunuchs who handled the matter were not afraid, because this kind of thing has been done more, who would not be stupid enough to hide those taboo-breaking loot in their own room.

However.

It seems that someone is indeed so stupid.

The three little eunuchs were dumbfounded, while the courtesan who was originally looking at the crowd with a proud color abruptly turned pale and said in a shrill voice, “This is not mine! This is not mine!”

Hong Zhu did not personally go in to search in order to avoid suspicion, but when he saw a eunuch searching out the jade pennant from under the courtesan’s bed, he couldn’t help but sigh and looked at the courtesan and shook his head.

This palace maid is exactly the one who sent the embroidered cloth to Guangxin Palace earlier, her face was pale and her eyes were in a state of confusion, she snapped and knelt in front of Hong Zhu, shaking her voice and said: ”Little Eunuch Hong …… is not my business, it is not my business… . it’s none of my business ……”

The three eunuchs who really stole this jade pennant looked at each other in dismay, thinking that this jade pennant hadn’t already been sold out of the palace, so how could it suddenly appear in the Eastern Palace again, in the hands of that palace maid? The three eunuchs’ backs broke out in a sweat, because the stolen goods appeared, who knows what will be tried out later.

Hong Zhu frowned at the palace maid kneeling in front of him, sighed, and said, “Tie it up, and wait for her majesty’s judgment.”

A few strong eunuchs came forward and flipped that palace maid to the ground, tied up solidly with twine, that palace maid was already scared out of her wits, and could only keep crying out miserably for wrongdoing, saying that she had never seen this jade jade ring before.

Hong Zhu shook his head, went to the front palace to resume orders, the three eunuchs looked at each other, by a bold more follow up, followed in the wake of Hong Zhu lowered his voice and said: “Eunuch, the Queen’s previous meaning is to find something directly to the offender to death,…… at this time and the Queen’s say, I’m afraid that the Queen’s heart will be not pain, and it’s not good to involve eunuch.”

Hongzhu stopped his feet to think, said: “This matter is too big, or wait to let the masters speak, we do these lackeys, don’t have too much to do.”

The eunuch’s eyes flashed a color of disappointment, he originally thought to borrow Hong Zhu’s hand, directly to the courtesan caning, that no matter how that piece of jade jade pennant is again into the palace, as long as the person has died, the jade pennant is back, how will not be investigated to their own body, did not think that Hong Zhu even still want to go to ask the queen’s life.

“How things are so simple.” Hongzhu coldly smiled, chillingly looked at him, said: “She a person where so big courage to steal things in the palace, there must be another helper to help her cover up, even if there is no helper …… but where does this thing come from, stay and let the people of the inner court to carefully try, must be able to try out the source. ”

That eunuch heart chills, thinking that this source …… if really try to go on, still not have to pull out their own three people, but he is no matter how also dare not to Hongzhu frankly admitted this matter, just tentatively asked, “I do not know how the mother will be disposed of.”

“Really find out the scourge of this palace …… messy cane to death is good, I am afraid to throw to the heavenly prison to be tossed by the gang of perverts in the Supervisory Yuan.” Hong Zhu sighed.

That eunuch’s eyes turned, swallowed a mouthful of fear, said, “After all, it is a matter of the palace, if we let the inner court and the people of the inspection court check, I’m afraid that …… the empress will also lose face, or …… we will check it ourselves first? ”

Hong Zhu seems to be said by this some heart, with the afterglow of a glance, just happened to see that the eunuch in the eyes of a smear of murderous intent, smiled, then nodded, commanded: “Trial by heart.”

And wait until the front palace of the bedchamber, Hongzhu is changed another face, first will have found out the news told the empress, but also sincere and unparalleled to persuade the empress to leniency disposition, after all, the empress these days in the vegetarian, if out of human life, I’m afraid that the old man does not like.

Empress was very angry, but was persuaded by Hongzhu, also gradually subsided, holding that piece of water Qinger’s jade jade pennant slowly caress, frowned and said: “reasonable, but the death penalty can be forgiven, living sins are difficult to be spared, commanded to go down, give me a heavy beating!”

Hong Zhu led the order is ready to go to the back, the queen but called him again, said: “What do you go? Command down on good …… you stay in this palace, always heard you boast of handiness, weave a gold silk complex, so that this jade jade ring tie up.”

Empress’s expression is calm, can’t hear any emotion. Hong Zhu, however, was secretly happy, thinking that if he was allowed to preside over the interrogation, who knows if he would be implicated.

I don’t know how much longer it took, but a eunuch knelt outside the palace with an ugly face. Hong Zhu frowned and went over to listen to his two voices, his face was also ugly.

He came over to the Empress’ ear and whispered two words.

The queen’s e brow wrinkled, disgusted, said: “really unlucky …… can not eat the beatings also let it go, finally have two points of shame, know to commit suicide to seek a clean …… “This mother of the country casually said : “Let the net music hall dragged to burn.”

Hong Zhu’s heart trembled slightly, but he knew clearly, in the eyes of these nobles, they are only the object of these lackeys to be instructed to play with, human life is not as bad as ants, he silently owed his body, and then went to arrange for the aftermath of that courtesan.

He knew that the death of the palace maid must not be as simple as suicide, it must be the eunuch …… who had previously arranged for himself to interrogate her in order to silence her, in order to save his own honor, wealth, life and property and secretly poisoned.

But this is originally Hong Zhu arranged things, so he is not how surprised, just to that innocent courtesan born a trace of guilt.

The palace of the Qing Kingdom was extremely expansive, occupying a quarter of the area of Kyoto, and inside it lived the most honorable men and women in the world, as well as the most despicable women and misogynists under the heavens. In this cool and refreshing palace, there was no telling how many stories would take place every day, no telling how many lowly people would strangely or silently disappear and die without anyone remembering that they had ever existed in the palace.

Although the royal family of Qing was not known for its harshness, yet this tight barrier between classes doomed the palace to always be a place where people ate people.

So the death of an ordinary palace maid in the Eastern Palace didn’t attract much attention, it was just one more body on the burning field of the Jingle Hall, and there was a maid in the Embroidered Clothes Bureau who was lucky enough to get the chance to enter the Eastern Palace to serve the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager still listened to Hong Zhu tell jokes every day, the Empress Dowager still ate vegetarian every day, the Crown Prince still studied the way of ruling the country every day, and then went to Guang Xin Palace to ask the eldest princess for advice.

Everything was as usual.

“But all big families and households, such as someone attacking from the outside, always a moment will not be overthrown, because its bottom is thick enough …… However, if it is a problem within the family, and their own people start to do it, suspicion, tipping this kind of thing to form a trend, then the day from death is not far away. ”

On the newly built earth and stone embankment in Yingzhou, Fan Xian looked down at the river rolling east below the embankment and said thoughtfully, “A dike of a thousand miles is destroyed by an ant’s hole, and a clan of a thousand years is destroyed by a single thought.”

He turned back to the dark-faced Yang Wanli and said, “I’m not just talking about the river embankment you built, nor am I just talking about the Specified Family, but also this world.”

Fan Xian did not make his words clear, he counted the time, today should be the time of that courtesan’s death, in a few more days, when the rumor mill got up and the emperor noticed the strange death of the courtesan of the Eastern Palace, with his suspicious mind, he would surely notice a lot of problems.

The apparent calmness and harmony of the imperial family might just create turmoil that people wouldn’t expect because of that palace maid’s death.