Chapter 15 Chapter 15 A Lost Love Letter

Facing the poem sent by Eunuch Huang, Cha Shuizhang was very shocked. This letter was picked up by an eunuch nicknamed Shatou Huang who shaved the emperor's head on Dongchang Street not far from Jingren Palace.Because he is a person close to the emperor, Chashuizhang is the chief supervisor of the Palace of Mental Cultivation, and he and Chashuizhang have known each other many years ago, and they have a good relationship, so naturally they were handed over to Chashuizhang. Cha Shuizhang shook off the letter paper, sat under the lamp and read it over and over several times. The more he read it, the more he felt that the poem had a lot to say.There are four lines in the poem: Prosperity is like floating clouds, and my body is purified with joy.Siqing often falls into dreams, and a gentleman tears his towel.It looks like five-character quatrains, and also looks like an ancient style. It is not elegantly written, but the rhyme and rhyme are basically in line.There is no indication of who the poem was sent to, nor the inscription of the poet, let alone the date of the poem.

This is clearly a love poem.Regardless of tone or handwriting, most of the poets are men, that is to say, they are love poems written by men to women.After looking for a long time, he finally saw the way. The poem was written on the eight-line paper specially made in the palace. This letter paper has eight lines of vermilion printed in total. Good rice paper hides the Longevity character pattern. This eight-line paper is found in the palace of the Queen except for the emperor and Lafayette. The letter paper in other palaces is hidden with a sketch of pine, bamboo orchid.Therefore, it can basically be judged that the poems were written by men in these palaces.But who is this person? There are hundreds of guards and eunuchs around the emperor alone.

It is impossible to hide the truth from Long Live Lord, it is night, Master Zhen is here to accompany the emperor, of course he can't disturb the emperor at this moment, but at the latest tomorrow morning he has to report the letter to the emperor.Cha Shui Zhang wanted to solve the mystery in the poem before handing it over to the emperor, but after deliberating for a long time, he still found nothing, which made him sweat profusely.He pushed the poetry, stood up from the desk irritably, picked up the folding fan and fanned it vigorously for a while, but still felt that it was too hot, he simply threw the paper fan on the table, and walked to the corridor outside the door of the duty room .

It's cooler outside than inside.The evening breeze blows dry the sweat on his body, and his mind is much clearer.He stood outside for quite a while, and then returned to the office desk. He made up his mind not to study that crooked poem anymore, but when he stood in front of the desk, his eyes couldn’t move him, and he couldn’t help but look again. He looked at the eight-line note on the desktop.This look really shows the name.It so happened that the folded paper fan was placed horizontally on the crooked poem, covering the lower half of the poem impartially, revealing the first character of each line. Connected together, it is clearly the four words Rongqing Sijun.

Cha Shui Zhang stood there in a daze. From the day Rong Qing entered the palace, he knew that Lan Lingchang, who was transferred from Chengde to the palace, was Yin'er's sweetheart, and when Yin'er was about to die, the only person he couldn't let go of was this person.Although Yin'er didn't say anything later, he didn't ask anything, but the two of them knew each other.It was for this reason that from the moment Rong Qing entered the palace, he instinctively felt that something would happen to him and Yin'er sooner or later.Even so, in the face of this sudden incident, he still felt that it happened too fast and made too much noise.

Thinking of Yin'er's series of encounters after entering the palace, Cha Shuizhang felt indescribably puzzled.Can you say that Yin'er is not smart, that she is not careful enough to serve her master in the palace, or that she treats others meanly and is not popular?Obviously neither.Not only is she smart, kind-hearted, but she also treats people honestly. She is usually taciturn and never causes trouble. She is a very conscientious court lady, but she is such a good person that almost all the bad things happen to her. No, Rong Qing was transferred to the palace and became the emperor's bodyguard, which is supposed to be Yin'er's fortune.One is by Master Zhen's side, and the other is by Long Live Lord's side. These two people will always have a chance to meet sooner or later, why should they hand over such a crooked poem?Not to mention the emperor, Master Zhen is a very intelligent person, and she can see through the hidden words in this kind of poems at a glance.It just so happened that this Rong Qing would do such a stupid thing, which not only deceived Yin'er, but also deceived himself.

Early in the morning, before the emperor went to the main hall to shout, Cha Shuizhang rushed to the living room outside Guangxu's bedroom, and handed the poems picked up by Shatou Huang to Guangxu's hand.Guangxu glanced at it, didn't seem to care, put it on the table, and while drinking tea, asked about other things in the palace. After finishing, he was so angry that he threw the letter on the ground, and shouted sharply: This is not bad!Where did you get it? Back to the emperor, the shaved head yellow was picked up in the palace. Well, passing letters and passing letters, Hongye inscribing poems, actually caused trouble in the court.Absurd, too absurd!Guangxu's face was livid, he patted the table and called out, you can check for me, who wrote it, and who was it written for?I will do it according to the family law!

The servant obeys the order!Cha Shui Zhang kowtowed on the ground, then got up from the ground, backed up and retreated out of the hall.When he had just retreated to the door, Guangxu suddenly stopped him and told him to immediately declare to Empress Zhen.As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he suddenly remembered that Concubine Zhen was in his bedroom, and waved to Cha Shui Zhang again. Just as Cha Shui Zhang raised the curtain and left, Concubine Zhen walked out of the bedroom upon hearing the sound.When she heard Guangxu lose his temper, she hurried out of the room and asked Guangxu what happened.

Outrageous, outrageous, outrageous!Guangxu said three outrageous things in a row, and handed the crooked poems on the table to Concubine Zhen. Concubine Zhen picked up the letterhead, read it first, and then read it again.Guangxu kept yelling at the side: "Bullshit doesn't make sense!" Poetry is good poetry.It seems to be a man who misses his wife.Concubine Zhen smiled, and the stone that was pressing on her heart suddenly loosened.She originally thought that something extraordinary happened in the court, but now she saw that it was nothing more than love for children. Who is the man?Who is the wife?Apart from Zhen, can there be other wives in the harem?Guangxu lowered his face and asked the other party.

Then that might be a court lady. This man is too courageous!Guangxu was annoyed by Concubine Zhen's disapproving expression. He was already worried about the affairs of the court, so he raised his voice and yelled at Concubine Zhen, and came to my palace to sing "Romance of the West Chamber". What would the Empress Dowager say?You can't even look down on a few court ladies, let alone four hundred trillion people, eight thousand miles of land, and the queen is not here, you are the head of the harem.I tell you again and again, don't give anyone a handle!Don't we have too much trouble?

Guangxu had never lost such a temper with her, Concubine Zhen was wronged, her eyes were reddened.She was about to act like a baby, but after hearing Guangxu's call, she immediately felt that the situation was serious, she put away the displeasure on her face, and once again picked up the poetry and began to figure it out seriously.Sure enough, as Cha Shui Zhang expected, the clever concubine Zhen saw through the strangeness in the poem at once. Your Majesty, look.Concubine Zhen handed the poem to Guangxu. This is a Tibetan acrobatic poem, and the person who wrote it left a name. who?Guangxu walked up to Concubine Zhen, and seemed to feel that he shouldn't have lost his temper just now, and to express his apology, he kindly moved his head to her ear. The name is hidden in the first word of every sentence in the poem! show me. emperor!Concubine Zhen hid the letter behind her back and looked at Guangxu. However, this man is the emperor's favorite general, so it depends on the emperor's reluctance to kill Ma Di with tears. No matter who he is, he can't let him break the rules of the palace!Guangxu said seriously. Concubine Zhen covered the lower half of the four-line poem with an envelope, revealing the first word of each line.It was the words Rongqing Sijun. Guangxu was stunned for a while, then hesitated for a moment, and suddenly angrily called Chuan Rongqing!Concubine Zhen persuaded Guangxu to think about how to deal with this matter, and it would not be too late to pass on Rong Qing.In a rage, Guangxu disregarded her dissuasion, and immediately passed the tea to Rongqing to the palace. Rong Qing is on duty.Cha Shuizhang entered the duty room and said that he was ordered by the emperor to enter the palace immediately.He followed Chashuizhang all the way to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, thinking that the emperor must have passed on the story of Xiao Huihui to him.He regained his composure and recalled how he interrogated Xiao Huihui that day on the street, and what he should say when he met the emperor. When Rong Qing entered Yangxin Gate, Lan Ling's guard from Daqing Gate took a step forward and took off his saber.Rong Qing was taken aback.Ordinarily, he was also the emperor's personal bodyguard, and he would never use a knife when he came in and out, but what happened now, he was actually searched, he glanced at the tea badge, and his pace obviously slowed down.go wow.Cha Shui Zhang urged him expressionlessly. Rong Qing entered the east study room of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and saw Guangxu standing in front of the desk with a sullen face.Rong Qing knelt down anxiously, and greeted Guangxu.Guangxu looked at him coldly and said: Are you guilty? Back to the emperor.Rong Qing was convicted.The emperor sent Rong Qing to do it, but Rong Qing hadn't found a chance yet.Rong Qing thought that Guangxu was unhappy about Xiao Huihui, and several days passed, and he never replied. In fact, he had long thought of answering the emperor, but he couldn't think of what to say and what not to say. How to put it, how to justify what should not be said, but there is one thing to be sure of, that is, there is absolutely no conspiracy behind the emperor's back between Xiao Huihui and Yin'er.Now they are face to face, he dare not make up words to return to the emperor, in case the other party catches the opening, it will be self-defeating.So he pushed it away and reported it to Guangxu after he had thought about it. Didn't ask you that!See for yourself, what is this?Guangxu patted the desk, and casually dropped the letter that Rongqing asked Xiaohui to send to Yin'er. Rong Qing grabbed the letter paper from the ground, and when he saw that it was written on it was the poem he asked Xiaohui to return to Yin'er, he couldn't believe his eyes.Where did the emperor get it, Xiao Huihui accidentally lost it, or did he find it from Yin'er?It's over!He said to himself in his heart, because no matter what the situation was, he couldn't run away. He knelt on the ground, holding the letter with both hands, and seriously thinking about the unimaginable consequences. explain!Did you write it?Guangxu walked around the room with his hands behind his back, saw Rong Qing kneeling on the ground without making a sound, stood still in front of him, and said! It was written by a slave.Rong Qing replied helplessly. To whom?Guangxu saw that the other party did not speak, and then asked, is the recipient a woman, and she is in the palace? No, she is not in the palace.Rong Qing hastily argued that he was afraid that Yin'er would be involved.Judging from the emperor's questioning, it doesn't look like the letter was found from Yin'er.Yeah?How did the letter fall into the palace?Guangxu sneered. Speaking back to the emperor, it must have been accidentally lost by the slave when he was on duty OK.Since the recipient of the letter is an outsider, I have no time to care about your affairs.Tell me her name, and I will send someone to her.Knowing that the other party lied to him, Guangxu deliberately pretended to believe it, went to the desk and picked up a pen, urging Rong Qing to tell the other party's name.In this way, Guangxu pushed Rong Qing into the corner at once, leaving him no room to retreat.Rong Qing was so anxious that his face was flushed red, he kowtowed on the ground and said: The slave is ridiculous, the slave should die! Bullying the king is like bullying the sky!Rong Qing, it depends on whether you are honest or not, loyal or not to me! Rong Qing is loyal to the emperor, and is willing to go through fire and water for the emperor, even if he dies. I don't listen to that, tell me the woman's name quickly.Guangxu chased after him. Please be merciful to the emperor, it's really inconvenient for a slave to speak Just as Guangxu was about to lose his temper, Chashuizhang walked in suddenly and handed over the green card that Emperor Guangxu used to summon ministers.Seeing the green head card, Guangxu knew that a minister was going to enter the hall to kowtow.He wanted to say no, but he changed his mind when Cha Shuizhang told him softly that Yuan Shikai, the envoy of Zhili, was waiting outside the palace gate to be summoned.The commander of the new army came to Beijing from Tianjin on the order of Guangxu. The army he led was not only equipped with foreign guns and cannons, but even the uniforms were similar to those of foreigners. Guangxu always regarded the new army trained by Yuan Shikai highly Success is an important guarantee for the implementation of the New Deal, so it is necessary to meet the new army commander in person.Thinking that he couldn't delay his important affairs because of Rong Qing, he immediately asked Cha Shuizhang to pass Yuan Shikai into the palace, and at the same time handed Rong Qing to Cha Shuizhang, asking him to take Rong Qing to the harem compound, strip him naked, and tie his limbs to a door panel. Throw it in the sun and bake it until he admits it. After Chashuizhang took Rong Qing away, Guangxu walked out of the East Study Room and formally received Yuan Shikai, the commander of the new army, in the main hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Guangxu gave Yuan Shikai a very high courtesy.After Yuan Shikai entered the hall and kowtowed, Guangxu immediately gave him a seat and asked about the situation of the other party, whether Yuan Shikai was a Jinshi from the second list, when he would lead the army, and so on.In fact, Guangxu already knew about Yuan Shikai's situation, and he just used this kind of almost polite conversation to make the atmosphere easier. Going back to the emperor's words, the minister was born in the military, and only with the grace of the empress dowager and the emperor, the minister has a future.Yuan Shikai said that during the Jiawu period, he went on an expedition to Koryo with the army, and only made military achievements all the way to the top.Yuan Shikai briefly talked about his experience.According to the rules at that time, all Han people who were officials in the imperial court, regardless of their official position, would call themselves ministers in front of the emperor.And Manchus, no matter how big an official they are, even if they are princes, they all call themselves slaves in front of the emperor and empress dowager. Guangxu mentioned that Yuan Shikai trained the new army in Tianjin and praised him for his good training.When it came to the new army, Yuan Shikai was immediately full of energy. He told Guangxu that their new army used foreign guns and cannons, adopted Western teaching methods, and specially invited military instructors from Germany to teach the drills.From military uniforms to weapons, they are all the same as the armies of Western countries.Guangxu was very happy after hearing this, and he thought that if the entire army of the Qing Dynasty could be like Yuan Shikai's new army, the powers of other countries would not dare to bully the Qing Dynasty casually. Thinking of this, Guangxu decided that there was only one way for the imperial court, and that was to implement the New Deal and carry out reforms, so that the country could be prosperous and strong.But many princes and ministers opposed the New Deal.As he issued an edict to the whole country, Jiangnan and Guangdong, Guangxi and other provinces responded. When the pace of reform had already begun, these people opposed it more and more fiercely.In the past, Cixi had always been ambiguous about this, but in private she also expressed support for his New Deal, but now she is increasingly skeptical of his New Deal.In this way, the ministers who opposed the reform had a backing, running to the Summer Palace all day long, semi-openly holding the banner of Empress Dowager Cixi to oppose his new policies, and even publicly accusing him of abandoning the Dafa of the ancestors.In this regard, on the one hand, he was very angry, on the other hand, he was helpless because of Cixi's obstruction.Especially people like Prince Gong and King Rui not only resolutely opposed him, but also held military power in their hands, so he had to be on guard.In the past, Concubine Zhen reminded him to seize the army, and he always took it seriously, but now he feels more and more urgent in this regard, which is also an important reason why he formally summoned Yuan Shikai, the commander of the new army. Yuan Shikai, I want to ask you a question, Guangxu stared at Yuan Shikai and said. The minister listened attentively.Yuan Shikai sensed something unusual in the emperor's speech, and hurriedly moved his body closer to Guangxu. Once something happens in Beijing, can you raise troops to serve the king?Guangxu tentatively. The emperor didn't understand what the emperor said.Yuan Shikai was shocked at the moment.You are not joking, the other party asked this kind of thing, it is not a joke.Thinking of this, he instinctively pretended to be confused. I just ask if you can?Guangxu obviously sensed the other party's hesitation, and smiled, not wanting to make the atmosphere too tense, but also to give himself some room for maneuver. The emperor is relieved.Yuan Shikai breathed a sigh of relief, and then felt that this was the emperor's temptation to him.He straightened his chest instinctively, and said decisively like a soldier, as long as there is an edict from the emperor, all ministers will obey! What if I let you kill someone?Guangxu gritted his gums and pressed against the opponent. That must be his crime! When will Tianjin send troops to the capital? The new army transports troops by train, and it can arrive at night. Guangxu stared intently at Yuan Shikai, suddenly loosened the tense muscles on his face, and laughed loudly: I was joking. No matter what the emperor says, the minister will treat it as an imperial decree! Guangxu nodded and said yes repeatedly.Apparently he was very satisfied with Yuan Shikai's answer, and he never mentioned the use of troops again, and talked with the other party about ordinary things.Yuan Shikai said that the new army had bought a car from abroad and was going to pay tribute to the emperor. Guangxu happily said yes, and there was already a tacit understanding between the monarch and his ministers.Guangxu immediately sent someone to convey the draft order of the Military Aircraft Department: Yuan Shikai, the inspector of Zhili, supervised the training of the new army and was promoted to the second-rank Jingtang, and he was appointed as a servant.After the eunuch passed the decree and left, Yuan Shikai felt unspeakably happy, but he said that the minister was not talented and learned, and he might not be able to take on the important task, so he declined.Guangxu encouraged him and told him to continue to supervise and train the new army at Tianjin Station.Yuan Shikai heard what Guangxu meant, and before kowtowing to resign, he whispered to Guangxu: Your Majesty, if there is any urgent matter to be entrusted to the minister, it is best to send someone who is close to you. It is best for this person to meet with the minister, preferably an acquaintance. Why?Guangxu looked at Yuan Shikai puzzled. When the minister saw him, he knew that the truth could not be fake!Yuan Shikai smiled slyly. Guangxu pondered for a moment, then suddenly understood what he meant, smiled complacently, nodded and said: "It's very thoughtful." After Yuan Shikai left the main hall, Guangxu leaned on the dragon chair, recalling the conversation he had just had with Yuan Shikai, he couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief.He summoned the leader of the new army from Tianjin today, and confronted him alone for more than an hour. In a sense, he took a great risk. An important figure who opposed the New Deal, if Yuan Shikai leaked the news, not only would his well-intentioned plans come to naught, but it would also arouse the vigilance of the other party. Fortunately, Yuan Shikai did not disappoint him.Especially before leaving, the other party hinted to himself that if there is any emergency, he should send an acquaintance who is by his side and also known by the other party to go directly to him.The meaning of this could not be clearer, Yuan Shikai will stand firmly on his side in this struggle, so he needs Guangxu to send one of the most reliable liaison personnel to contact him on a single line. After much deliberation, Guangxu couldn't think of a candidate for this heavy responsibility.He stepped off the dragon chair, looked at the hot sun outside the hall, and suddenly thought of Rong Qing.He is a guard in the palace, he can come and go more freely than eunuchs, plus he is strong in martial arts, bold and careful, and he is familiar with the situation in Tianjin and Chengde. After thinking about it, the more I think about it, the more I think he is the most suitable candidate. Something happened to him right now, and something big happened. Thinking of Rong Qing's daring to secretly communicate with the maids in the palace and engage in tricks such as Hongye Chuanshu, an unknown fire surged in his heart.It can be said that due to the strict family rules of the Qing Dynasty and the strict rules in the palace, such incidents between men and women rarely occurred in the palace for more than two hundred years.Cha Shuizhang took Rong Qing to the harem for interrogation, in order to block the news from the outside world and prevent outsiders from knowing about it.He is implementing the New Deal in the imperial court, and he is afraid that others will use this to attack him for disrupting the Dafa of his ancestors and disrupting the rules of the palace. He originally wanted to go to the harem to find out the situation himself, to see if Rong Qing had confessed, but he thought that as the lord of the sixth palace, doing so would be a bit of a fuss, so he turned around and entered the side hall, picked up a book from the desk, and pressed his heart Anxious, just turned a few pages, suddenly Zhang Jing and Tan Sitong from the Military Aircraft Department begged to see him.Tan Sitong was a well-known reformist at the time. Guangxu had just summoned him from Hunan to Beijing to destroy Zhangjing, the military plane with the rank of Sipinqing, so he immediately announced him to the palace.In addition to listening to his memorial, I also want to take this opportunity to order him to visit Yuan Shikai at night so that I can contact him directly in the future. Rong Qing's limbs were stretched apart, facing the scorching sun above his head, lying on the door panel like a big character, the vicious sun biting his skin, like countless cat claws tearing his flesh, stretching out his soft tongue to lick Blood under the flesh.At first, he could still feel the pain on the flesh, but gradually he no longer felt it, and what was replaced was a torment of the limit of survival.All the pores on his body were open, and he was constantly sweating. The sweat soaked the only shorts on his body, and was dried by the hot sun. The underwear became like a hard shell, leaving a layer of white salt stains , Later, the water in his body was squeezed out little by little, and he could no longer sweat, and his body became more and more dry, like a piece of burnt charcoal ashes. water!give me water!It was the only remaining consciousness in his sleepy brain.This is not thirst in the general sense, it is not only the need of a dry mouth and burning skin, it is the most instinctive desire that comes from his whole body and depends on his life.He felt the pain that life was leaving him little by little, and an unspeakable sadness welled up in his heart.He was really unwilling to die like this, he still had a lot of things to do.Just for Yin'er, he has a thousand and ten thousand reasons to live!As long as you give him water, he will say anything.He murmured the word, but the tongue in his mouth couldn't move, unable to spit out the word he needed most at the moment. Suddenly, the dazzling brightness in front of his eyes became dim, like a cloud covering the scorching sun above his head, and then, he felt a piece of cool moisture on his lips.He instinctively opened his mouth and bit the wet object fiercely, refusing to let go.After a while, he struggled to open his eyes, only then did he realize that what he was biting was a wet towel, and the dimness in front of his eyes was because someone was holding an umbrella.Gradually, he saw Cha Shuizhang standing there, holding an umbrella in his hand, and a young eunuch holding a copper basin with water in it, and a long handle of a copper spoon protruding from the edge of the basin. Rong guard!What are you doing?Cha Shuizhang glanced at Rong Qing's scorched face on the door panel, and murmured to persuade the other party, confess first, and there is always a way for the future. water!Give me the water Rongqing finally uttered a weak cry with the moist towel around his mouth, Eunuch Zhang, please. confessed?Cha Shui Zhang approached and asked. Rong Qing nodded.Chashuizhang picked up the spoon from the copper basin, scooped up a spoonful of water and slowly poured it into his mouth.He raised his head, drank it in one gulp, and then begged Chashuizhang to give him another spoonful.Cha Shui Zhang shook his head, saying that the emperor has a decree, and he can only drink the second spoonful after he confesses.Rong Qing glanced at the little eunuch standing beside him holding the copper basin, Cha Shuizhang immediately understood what he meant, not to mention the emperor repeatedly told him that no one in the palace should know about this matter except him.Cha Shui Zhang asked the little eunuch to put down the copper basin, and after the little eunuch left, he asked in a low voice: Come on, there is no one left now, as long as you name that person, you will be released immediately Zhang Gongjian!I beg you, drink a little more to confess that Rong Qing begged for the tea Zhang, the little water just now aroused his survival instinct. In fact, Rong Qing didn't say anything, Cha Shuizhang also knew that this letter was addressed to Yin'er.He felt that Rong Qing was too naive.Because he handed over Yin'er, it didn't save his life, on the contrary, he killed an extra life.But then again, seeing Rong Qing baked like this by the scorching sun is really pitiful.People often say that life is worse than death, and it couldn't be more accurate to apply it to him now.Thinking of this, he scooped up half a spoonful of water from the copper basin, and while feeding him, said in a low voice: Well, I think you are a sensible person.If you tell who that person is, maybe the emperor will spare you.If I can't spare you, you're not bad, this is originally a matter between two people, how can I let you bear it alone? After Chashuizhang's reminder, Rong Qing suddenly woke up. As Chashuizhang said just now, even if he handed over Yin'er, the emperor would not spare him.No, I must not say Yin'er. Rong guard!You think it over, drink the water, tell me, who is that person?Seeing that he rolled his eyes and said nothing, Cha Shui Zhang urged him on purpose. Zhang Gonggong, this poem is indeed written for women outside the palace. I said that I am not afraid of your joke. It was Rong Qing, a firework woman I met in Chengde, who suddenly remembered Yingying, a prostitute in Baoyue Tower in Chengde. The chashuizhang took a long breath in his heart, thinking that this kid was finally interesting enough, so he didn't sell Yin'er.He pondered for a while, then what is the woman's last name, and where does she live in Chengde? She is the Yingying girl from Baoyuelou. Last name? It’s not okay to ask in that kind of place, you just call it what others call you.Eunuch Zhang, if you don’t believe me, you can send someone over there to check. This English girl is very beautiful. Anyone who goes to Baoyuelou knows who she is. If there is no such person, I will beheaded immediately! OK OK.Cha Shui Zhang interrupted the other party, thinking that your head has long been resting on the emperor's vermilion pen, and you still have the mind to play tricks on yourself, Rong Shiwei!Are you trying to deceive me, or do you want me to stand here and hold a shade for you?It is not enough to talk about the nearby places, but to go so far away!Eunuch Zhang!If you don't believe me, I can't help it.I just ask you to report my words to the emperor, it's life or death. Rong Qing really can't bear to wear this umbrella on his head, so he thought it would be good to talk a little longer.Or die quickly, lest you lie alive on the door panel for a day, and you will become a human being when you die. Rong Qing bit the root of his tongue and refused to say Yin'er, but Cha Shuizhang admired him as a man, it seemed that Yin'er was right.But when things get to this point, it doesn't matter whether it's wrong or not.Thinking of Rong Qing's doomed fate, and thinking that he was Yin'er's sweetheart, he couldn't help feeling compassionate, thinking how could he help her, he would definitely not be able to help her.Maybe there is only one person, and that is the emperor's favorite concubine, Master Zhen. Cha Shuizhang left the harem compound, and heard that the emperor was summoning Tan Sitong at the moment, so he hurried to the Guanyu Pavilion in the east harem.There is a long row of dense grape trellises beside the pavilion, and several large water tanks are placed under the racks, and many precious goldfish are kept in the water tanks. Concubine Zhen was accompanied by Yin'er, feeding the goldfish under the grape trellis. Tea came in a hurry, and when she saw Concubine Zhen bowed her head, she bowed: Master Zhen!My servant Zhang Deshun greets you.Concubine Zhen was startled, thinking that something happened to Guangxu, she hurriedly asked: The emperor called me?Because she had already heard that the emperor had arrested Rong Qing and made him hand over who exactly the letter was written to. what did you say?Cha Shui Zhang deliberately pretended not to hear clearly, but in fact he knew that Master Zhen was impatient, and as long as he could bear his temper, he could tease her to say what she wanted to say first. Get up, is there something else ahead?When Master Zhen saw that he didn't hear her words clearly, she became anxious.There have been a lot of things going on in the court these days, and Rongqing's incident happened again.She tried her best to persuade Guangxu to press down on Rongqing's matter first, and wait until later.Guangxu refused to listen, he had to interrogate Rong Qing in person, whether it was because of the guard, I heard that the emperor wanted to ask him in person. Oh, there is such a thing.Cha Shui Zhang stood there with his hands down and replied. Did he confess? Master Zhen!The servant didn't change the topic in a hurry because of this matter.He was worried that Yin'er would suddenly find out about Rongqing's accident, and if he couldn't hold his breath for a while, he would mess things up. Hunan just paid tribute to Junshan tea, and Master Zhen likes to drink it. The servant specially picked some and brought it for you to taste. Just for this?Concubine Zhen said angrily, you startled me. Minions be damned.Chashuizhang said seriously that Junshan tea must be brewed to taste.The servant has to ask Master Zhen for a favor, so that the servant can tell your court lady. In fact, he wanted to take the opportunity of teaching Yin'er how to make tea, and give Yin'er a breath first.Chashuizhang has always been famous in the palace for making soup and making tea. Concubine Zhen was naturally happy when she heard that he was going to teach the maids how to make tea. Concubine Zhen stayed there and continued to feed the fish.Yin'er followed Chashuizhang into the house, and he put the tea box prepared in advance on the square table to teach her how to make tea, and told her loudly: This tea is different from other teas, it grows in Dongting Lake, on the top of Junshan Mountain , get water vapor and mountain vapor, don't spoil it. While answering, Yin'er felt that there was something else in his eyes. Cha Shuizhang took advantage of the gap between the question and the answer, and told her in a low voice that something happened up front, so she asked her to calm down. No matter what happened, you wouldn't hear it. Don't ask, can you do it?Yin'er asked: What's the matter?Cha Shui Zhang said: Don't ask!Even if the tubes in your lungs are pierced, you can do whatever you want.The two were talking when Concubine Zhen entered the door.Cha Shui Zhang smiled and praised the girl for being clever, and she could learn it as soon as she learned it. Zhang Deshun, is it really calm ahead?When Concubine Zhen thought about Rong Qing's matter, she couldn't help but chase after the door and ask, where's the guard?It's the one who wrote the letter. Did you check it? You mean the guard named Rongqing, right? Yes, it is him. When she heard that something happened to Rong Qing, her mind suddenly went crazy, thinking that someone else must have picked up the letter that Xiao Huihui had lost.Yin'er gritted her teeth and tried her best to restrain herself, only then did she understand why Cha Shuizhang reminded herself repeatedly that no matter what happened, she had to hold her breath.When she heard Tea Zhang said that Rong Qing was lying on the door panel with his hands and feet tied to the poles and baked in the sun, she felt an indescribable pain in her heart. Did he recruit? If recruited, will the emperor be angry? What is this person like? The servant never talks to the guards, but let the servant say, this kid is too heartless!Think about it, the emperor just rewarded him with a pistol.Dare to compete with the emperor for the sake of a girl, is it worth it?Chashuizhang knew that Concubine Zhen was a very emotional person, so he twisted it deliberately, trying to arouse her sympathy, and at the same time passed a message to Yin'er, so that she could be prepared in case something unexpected happened. Alas, fame and rein are not as big as love!Concubine Zhen glanced at the tea badge with a moved heart, thinking that you people are useless people, so naturally you don't understand the truth between men and women, especially thinking of the deep love between Guangxu and herself.The greater the pressure on Cixi, the deeper the love between the two of them, which probably Cixi and Longyu will never understand.Guangxu told her in private more than once that as long as he could be with Concubine Zhen freely, he would rather not be emperor and it would be worth it.Although it was a joke, only she could understand the true meaning of the joke. The slave has to go back.Cha Shui Zhang saw that Master Zhen was moved, logically it seemed that he should continue to persuade him, but he did not.Because he is well aware of Master Zhen's temper, the more calm you are, the less calm she will be. This is why she is no match for Lafayette. Zhang Deshun!Concubine Zhen wanted to call him to stop, but she didn't hear him, so forget it.Unexpectedly, Yin'er was in a hurry, and yelled loudly after catching up: Zhang Jian Gong!Master is calling you! Minions are here.Hearing Yin'er calling himself, Cha Shuizhang walked to the door, turned around and stopped again. Concubine Zhen looked at Yin'er, then at the tea chapter, and sighed, as if she was talking to Yin'er and the tea chapter, but also said to herself: It's a pity, this silly boy is a talent, the emperor valued him a lot, but he took the risk. Come out with this stuff! Master, save him!Yin'er blurted out. What, you know him?Concubine Zhen stared at Yin'er, with a trace of doubt in her heart. The slaves don't know each other!Yin'er knew she had made a slip of the tongue, and stood there blushing. What kind of human relationship do you mean?Concubine Zhen, who is so smart, suddenly remembered that she was investigating the matter between Yin'er and eunuch Xiao Huihui. Yin'er once confessed to herself that she had a sweetheart, and that person was her lifeblood, so she begged herself not to ask any more questions.With this thought, she suddenly became enlightened.A woman here would rather die than tell the man's name, and a man over there also refuses to reveal the source of this woman. Could it be that they are just a couple? After Cha Shuizhang left, Concubine Zhen wanted to ask Yin'er about Rong Qing in private, but she held back after thinking about it.She thought about it for a while, and decided not to expose this relationship for the time being, fearing that there would be insufficient evidence, and Yin'er would be very embarrassed if she made a mistake; And kicked out of the palace, it was still up to the two of them to tease love secretly.Obviously this is not a good way.Not to mention, if this matter gets out and Cixi finds out, the other party is worried that she will not be able to seize the opportunity to attack the emperor's new policy, and will definitely use this matter to launch a massive attack. Since he is not related to you, and you don't know him, why do you intercede for him?Concubine Zhen deliberately pretended to be ignorant and asked Yin'er. Yin'er's heart was thumping, she didn't dare to touch this topic again, she was afraid that if she couldn't control her emotions and blurted out what he and she shouldn't and couldn't say like just now, it wouldn't save Rong Qing if she didn't say it, or make trouble. It will hurt him instead.But when he thought of Rong Qing being left to dry fish in the sun, he might die of heatstroke at any moment, he endured it for a long time, and finally he mustered up the courage to say to Concubine Zhen: Didn't the master say that the emperor valued him a lot? That's a pity for such a talent.Judging from Yin'er's nervousness that she was trying to restrain, Concubine Zhen dared to assert that her doubts were not far from each other. She looked at Yin'er calmly, and signaled him to continue talking with encouraging eyes. master!Yin'er knew that only Master Zhen could save Rong Qing, and felt that if she didn't say anything else, she would have no chance, so she hesitated for a moment, and said bravely, the servants heard: Thousands of soldiers are easy to get, but one general is hard to find.If the emperor can be kind to him, this kind of person will definitely be loyal to the emperor! But he shouldn't let the emperor get off the stage just because of a girl!Talking and listening to the sound, listening to the gongs and drums, to Concubine Zhen, the meaning of Yin'er's words could not be more clear.Although the other party desperately wanted to say good things for Rong Qing out of selfishness, she couldn't say that her words were unreasonable.Seeing that Master Zhen was silent, Yin'er felt indescribably anxious.At such a critical moment, even Cha Shui Zhang deliberately came here to report the news regardless of the risk, so she couldn't just let her die.Thinking of this, her heart beat even faster, and said to Concubine Zhen desperately: master!If a person can't even protect the person he loves, how can he protect the emperor? As soon as Yin'er's words fell to the ground, Concubine Zhen's heart trembled.Guangxu once said something similar to this to her.Someone reported to Cixi that the emperor favored concubine Zhen. Cixi was very dissatisfied with this, so she went to talk to Guangxu. That day he returned from Chuxiu Palace to Yangxin Palace, and that night he went to Jingren Palace as usual.For his own good, Concubine Zhen persuaded him not to come to her these few days. Guangxu immediately lowered his face and said: I can't even be with the person I love, so I deserve to be in the country? 珍妃猶豫片刻，連忙回到書房，給光緒寫了一封短信，讓吟兒帶上立即送到養心殿，吩咐她務必親手交到皇上手中。 東側殿與後宮大院緊連著，吟兒急急穿過側門向前殿走去，多遠就看見榮慶光著上身，躺在門板上任由烈日的煎烤，兩名小太監遠遠站在迴廊下監視著，一見這情景，吟兒渾身激起一層雞皮疙瘩，兩腿不由自主地發抖。想到她跟榮慶之間一年多來的苦苦相思，沒想竟會在這種情況下見到他。她想走過去看一眼，見小太監在場監視，想去又不敢去，不去又不甘心。她站在迴廊下猶豫著，不知該怎麼辦？ 吟兒！你來這兒作什麼？突然她身後響起一個嚴厲的聲音，吟兒回頭一看，茶水章繃著臉站在那兒。 Uncle Zhang!珍主子讓我送信給皇上她心慌意亂地說。 珍主子有心要幫他？he asks. yes.She nodded. 那你還愣在這兒幹什麼？他催她。 我我剛巧路過她心慌意亂。 Hurry up!It will be too late.He glared at her. 吟兒嚇得慌忙轉身向前殿跑去。一邊跑一邊想，從來沒見章叔發這麼大脾氣，今兒是怎麼了，為什麼對自己惡聲惡氣的。等她一跑到養心殿正殿，光緒剛剛接見過譚嗣同，正在為茶水章沒有從榮慶嘴裡問出情況而生氣。 吟兒磕了頭，趕忙將珍主子的信遞上。 光緒接過信封，從中取出信箋，見信箋上寫著珍妃的筆跡，八個大字，撲進他的眼簾：人心宜用，一將難求。光緒苦笑笑，心想她也來說情了。 go.光緒揮揮衣袖，讓吟兒回去。 其實為了榮慶的事，已經有不少人前來說情。榮慶二舅恩海是大清門侍衛首領，他首先聽到風聲，急得跑到軍機處找瑞王。瑞王兼宮中禁軍統領，按名份榮慶也屬於他管轄範圍，聽恩海說他不知為什麼事得罪了皇上，頓時急得像熱鍋上的螞蟻。首先榮慶是他保薦進宮的，萬一他惹了大禍，自己逃脫不了干係。其次他與傻兒子是把兄弟，他不能見死不救，他借這叫起的機會，求皇上饒了榮慶。沒想他一說情，光緒更加生氣，將他臭罵一通趕出宮外。 瑞王回到軍機處朝房，對榮慶二舅連連搖頭，說沒轍了，讓他趕緊回去通知他們家人準備後事。恩海一聽眼都綠了，問還有沒有其他辦法。瑞王連聲說這事兒到頭了，再也沒救了。除非老佛爺出面，但這是不可能的。榮慶究竟為什麼事得罪皇上，瑞王心裡一直沒底，唯恐因為承德犒賞三軍的事識穿了，皇上借罰榮慶為名，矛頭衝著他來就麻煩了。 兩人正憂心忡忡，養心殿的首領太監茶水章突然來了。章宮宮當即對瑞王傳下皇上的口諭：說榮慶事出有因，查無實據，鑒於宮中禁軍統領瑞王的保舉，特開恩免於追查。榮慶舅老爺一聽高興得差點流下眼淚。瑞王張著那張大嘴半天說不出話，整個兒雲裡霧裡鬧不清怎麼回事。剛才光緒將他臭罵一通從養心殿趕了出來，這會兒怎麼又說是因為他竭力說情才饒了榮慶。 傍晚，光緒回到寢宮，告訴珍妃說：好你個人心宜用，一將難求。我誰的勸都沒聽，合著就把面子留給你了。 我夠遭恨的了，對外頭，您得說是別人的面子！ 我早就想到這一層，誰專門搞鬼就讓誰擔這個名份。我現在讓瑞王擔了面子，看他將來在皇太后那邊怎麼挑撥。 good idea!珍妃對光緒這一著棋深為佩服。 原來光緒決定饒了榮慶，除了珍妃的字條外，還有另一層更深的考慮。袁世凱離開養心殿之際，特意要求光緒派一位直接聯繫人，光緒本打算讓譚嗣同擔任這個角色，考慮到他身為軍機處章京，也就是軍機處祕書，俗稱小軍機，這身分太惹人注目，萬一有情況對方會盯住他，加上他出入宮中也不像太監和衛士們那樣自由，要擔當這一角色顯然有難處。相反，榮慶是個普通七品侍衛，出入宮中比較方便，也不惹人注意。另外，榮慶是瑞王推舉的人，對方不會懷疑他，特別這次他受處罰，別人更以為他與自己不一條心。就在這時，珍妃送上來的便條一下子提醒了他，才毅然決定施重恩而圖後報。饒了榮慶，讓他戴罪立功。為了避嫌，特意將珍妃的面子給了瑞王，令對方瞠目結舌，百思不得其解。 瑞王這個草包，做夢也沒想到朕給了他天大的面子！光緒得意地說，心想他饒了榮慶，給了愛妃面子，迷惑了瑞王等人，同時找了一位與袁世凱最合適聯繫的人，這才叫一石三鳥。 瑞王好對付。珍妃提醒光緒：就怕太后知道了這事兒，她可不像瑞王。 How would she know?就算聽說了，也不過捕風捉影。光緒不以為然地說。 emperor!我總覺著，老佛爺雖然去了頤和園，可她的眼睛和耳朵仍留在宮裡呢！珍妃湊到光緒身邊，壓低聲音說。 What's the meaning?光緒警覺地抬起臉。 不知為什麼，我對皇上身邊的人總有些不放心 Who are you referring to?光緒追問。 珍妃猶豫片刻，用手蘸茶杯裡的水，在桌面上寫下一個章字，光緒心裡一驚，半天沒有說話。 西鐵門總管值房大院的東廂房裡，茶水章正與李蓮英進行一場艱難而微妙的談話。 李蓮英一聽說養心殿的侍衛榮慶出了事，連夜從頤和園趕回宮中，神不知鬼不覺地在宮中待了一夜，第二天一大早讓小回回以敬事房的名義，通知各宮來這兒領夏季瓜果費為由，將茶水章叫到西鐵門，向他打探詳細情況。 李蓮英像往常一樣，與茶水章閒聊了一陣子，然後才轉彎抹角地繞到了榮慶出事的問題上。 章德順，你跟我說實話，萬歲爺身邊的榮侍衛到底出了什麼事？ 不瞞老叔，這事兒是萬歲爺親自過問的，詳細情況我也不太清楚。茶水章心裡一愣，心想前天宮中發生的事，他人在大老遠的頤和園裡陪老佛爺，居然這麼快就知道了。他沉吟片刻，避重就輕地將榮慶的事兒簡單說了一遍。 榮慶寫的信你見到了？上頭寫了些什麼？ 是剃頭黃撿到的，我沒敢看就交給皇上了。茶水章說他沒看信中的內容，也沒敢告訴對方，這封信是由景仁宮不遠處的東長街撿到的。 不會吧，你身為宮監首領太監，信沒看過？李蓮英眨巴著一雙小眼，顯然對茶水章的話非常懷疑。他告訴茶水章，說信上的四句詩他都知道了。 茶水章一聽當即傻了，半天說不出話。由此看來，養心殿這邊發生的一切都在他的掌股之中，說得不好聽，這邊放個屁，他在頤和園那邊也能聞出味兒來。想到這兒，他心裡不寒而慄，禁不住替皇上和珍妃擔心。 Brother!李蓮英親熱地叫著茶水章，唇邊掛著狡黠的笑容，您說真話，皇上真的因為瑞王爺說情才饒了榮慶？ 是呀，皇上讓我傳的口諭，假不了。 我看不像，這裡頭一定有別的原因，這不過是萬歲爺的藉口。你想想，真要追著榮慶刨根究底，萬一查出什麼事來，他是皇上身邊的侍衛，皇上臉面往哪兒擱？ 這茶水章看一眼對方，不知他葫蘆裡賣的什麼藥。 我看來你心裡還是向著萬歲爺！ Uncle!別人不知道你還不知道，我能是那種人？這些年來老佛爺對奴才恩重如山，我怎麼敢偏心眼兒 那你為什麼從不跟我說起萬歲爺身邊的事？實話跟你說了，好多事兒我都是從別處聽說的，事後問起你，你才吱吱唔唔地告訴我。 老叔，您誤會了。茶水章滿臉通紅。 萬歲爺身邊出了這麼大的事，你怎麼也該通報我一聲。你想想，我是內廷總管，就是你我沒這種交情，也該告訴我。萬一老佛爺那邊怪罪下來，我也好幫你說話啊！ Uncle!茶水章急了，捶著自己腦袋說，都怨我都怨我心笨口拙，凡事只往實處想，一碰到拐彎就摸不著頭腦了我是準備向你報告的，只是一時找不到人捎話 敬事房天天有人，你跟誰招呼一聲不行？還有小回回，也常往宮裡跑。李蓮英不動聲色地笑笑：我看你是裝糊塗。 Uncle!我我可以對天起誓。要是我對老佛爺和你有半點外心，天打五雷轟！茶水章臉憋得通紅，嗑嗑巴巴地說。 李蓮英盯著茶水章不說話。茶水章面對李蓮英滿腹狐疑，就是有幾張嘴也說不清楚，何況他確實沒有向對方報告，他深知李蓮英非常精明，想騙他是騙不了的，思忖了半天，唯有跟他說實話。 Uncle!跟你說句掏心話、老佛爺對我的好，對我的恩，無時無刻不記在心裡，做夢也不敢忘記的，我生就是老佛爺的一條狗。老佛爺讓我咬誰我都不在乎！只是只是有時張大嘴巴咬不下去。不是不肯，也不是不敢，是因為一張嘴，發現滿嘴的牙全沒了。真的，您別笑話。我我是個沒用的奴才，是一條沒長牙的狗啊！茶水章心想慈禧與光緒都是主子，他不過是個奴才，按理說主子間鬧得不和睦，他這個當奴才的不應該在中間傳播是非，而李總管偏要逼自己去做他不想做、不該做和不能做的事，不做反倒有了錯。話說到這種份上，他心裡湧出說不出的酸楚，伸手往自己臉上打了幾個耳光。 Brother!別別別李蓮英慌忙攔住茶水章，你千萬別誤會，我沒有埋怨你的意思，不管榮衛士的信到底怎麼回事兒，你處置得挺好！ 茶水章不明所以地望著對方，不敢接對方話茬。 Brother!I'm telling the truth.說到底，不過是男女私情一類的事兒，何必太認真？再說萬歲爺既然給了瑞王面子，保住了榮衛士，顧全了萬歲爺的面子，也顧全了宮中的面子，對大家都好。right? Brother!你你罵我？茶水章瞪著兩眼，不知李蓮英究竟什麼意思，是想用這種辦法掏他的話，還是故意嘲弄他。 How can it?你我多年的老兄弟，都是主子的奴才，罵你等於罵我李蓮英壓低聲音，眼下時局紛亂，萬歲爺要搞維新，明面上老佛爺交了權，其實她人在頤和園裡，心卻無時無刻不留神著外面的動靜再往後，誰也不知道會出什麼事啊！ 那那可就苦了我們這些當奴才的。 yes!李蓮英點點頭說，你說的對。不論怎麼說，老佛爺跟萬歲爺終究是一家人無論是萬歲爺從此掌上實權，還是新政搞不下去，由老佛爺出面收拾殘局，總之他們娘兒倆個是不會動真刀真槍的。相反，要是你我這些當奴才的跟在後面鬧騰，掉腦袋的準是我們這些人我仔細想過，老佛爺這邊由我替你擋著，萬歲爺那邊你也得替我說說話，這樣無論將來出什麼事兒，你我好歹總算有個照應。 茶水章倒抽一口冷氣，張大嘴巴半天說不出話。 李蓮英的意思再明白不過，要茶水章和他一起串通好，各人在各人主子面前替對方打馬虎眼，其實李蓮英並非一時興起，信口說出這番話。最近一年來，他一直在思索慈禧與光緒之間的矛盾。特別這些天，光緒擺出一副大幹的架勢，而慈禧私下拚命搞小動作，表面上卻依著對方，究竟是老佛爺老了，真的不想管事了；還是皇上靠著新黨，加上南方各省的支持，漸漸在朝廷中佔了上風？不論哪一種結果，都不能不令他擔心，就算老佛爺目前仍然佔上風，畢竟她上了年紀，萬一有一天撒手人寰，天下始終是皇上的。到了那時，光緒想收拾自己，那比弄死一隻螞蟻還容易，為此，他不得不替自己留一條後路，而茶水章便是他最好的後路。皇上坐大，茶水章能證明自己不想藉著慈禧的勢力與皇上作對；相反，要是老佛爺捲土重來，他也可以證明茶水章沒有辜負老佛爺，這就是他所設想的互相有個照應。 老叔，我聽你的。 Brother!我這邊你放心，可你得留神一個人！李蓮英深知玩這種遊戲，光靠練嘴皮子是不行的，他得拿出點真東西給茶水章，讓他在皇上面前邀功買好才行，否則人家憑什麼信你？ who? 崔玉貴。 崔回事？茶水章皺起眉心。說起這位身高馬大的崔玉貴，宮中老人沒有不知道的。他原先是敬事房回事太監，兩年前提為敬事房二總管，在內廷中地位僅次於李蓮英，此人三十好幾，爭強好勝，頗有野心，在慈禧與光緒的矛盾中公開站在老佛爺一邊，因此深得慈禧重用，大有取李總管而代之的勢頭。 我在頤和園，他留在宮中，榮慶的事就是他昨兒傳給老佛爺的。你得當心，宮中各處都有他的人。我趁他這會兒在園子裡，特意昨晚上偷偷趕回來，就是來給你提個醒。 Uncle!您苦心我明白了。想起那年少氣盛的崔玉貴，茶水章立即明白了李蓮英的意思。有了對方這些話，他心裡也有底了，往後在皇上面前該說什麼，不該說什麼，心裡自然更有數了。