Chapter 966: The Palace
Northwest of the imperial city, Anle Hall.
This place was originally used to house old, low-ranking and helpless eunuchs. Since the 31st year of Jianping, the struggle for succession intensified, and many concubines and slaves in the harem were involved. They had nowhere to be placed for a while, so they were sent to Anle Hall for imprisonment.
In the 36th year of Jianping, although Emperor Guangde officially ascended the throne, the emperor still held great power and dared not change any of the state affairs, let alone such a small detail.
So this Anle Hall was officially turned into the cold palace.
Over the next ten years, more than a hundred women were thrown into the fold, pushing the old eunuchs aside.
Clang~
Crash...
"Come in!"
Several young palace maids in white and mourning clothes stepped over the threshold tremblingly amid impatient shouts. Before they could take a good look at their surroundings, there was another muffled sound behind them.
Snap!
Crash...
As the iron chain outside the door fell, the women's hearts, hanging in their throats, also fell into the bottomless abyss.
In just a moment, sobbing began.
Although the leading maid also looked ashen, she was older after all and had held some positions before, so she pinched her sleeves and forced herself to remain calm.
But just as she was about to say a few words to comfort the sisters around her, she suddenly felt something was wrong. She raised her eyes and looked around, but was unexpectedly met with more than a dozen pairs of cold gazes.
The older maid knew that the visitor had bad intentions, so she forced out a humble smile, took a few quick steps, and bowed deeply: "Changshou Palace Bingrui, greetings to all the sisters."
After a pause, seeing no reaction from the other side, she smiled sweetly and said, "My sister has just gone through the 'rules', and there is nothing around me that can honor you sisters. Fortunately, there are a few close sisters in the Changshou Palace. Every three or five days, I will definitely have something to offer."
It was still deathly silent.
However, the greed and malice in his eyes were covered with a layer of jealousy and resentment.
Bingrui was stared at and felt nervous. She didn't know what to do. Then she saw the east door curtain lifted and a tall and thin woman came out. She looked at Bingrui with her peach blossom eyes and said loudly, "She looks like a knowledgeable and interesting person. Well, take her over to learn some etiquette first."
"This sister..."
Seeing that someone who seemed to be in charge had arrived, Bingrui quickly put on a flattering look on her face and bowed to be about to say something, but she didn't expect that after the tall and thin woman finished speaking, she walked into the house without even looking back.
The door curtain was still fluttering when the dozen or so women in the corridor gathered around, trapping Bingrui and several hesitant palace maids in the middle.
"Come on."
One of the women sneered and gave an order, then led everyone to the southwest corner.
When you are under someone's roof, how can you not bow your head?
Bingrui and several palace maids had no choice but to follow her anxiously.
Normally, this courtyard is only about a hundred steps long from east to west. In this deep palace with tall buildings and crisscrossing paths, it is so short that it is not worth mentioning.
But Bingrui and the others were all exhausted both physically and mentally.
This was because along the way, there were countless disgusting gazes that were crawling out from the door cracks and window frames, "wriggling" on the bodies of several palace maids in a hideous manner, as if they wanted to drill deep into their skin and bite their intestines and livers.
"arrive."
In a trance, a voice full of gloating pulled Bingrui's soul back into her body.
At the same time, a foul smell penetrated into her nasal cavity, tormenting her spleen and stomach.
Bingrui subconsciously covered her mouth and nose, but felt a little relieved in her heart, because it was a common practice in the palace to let new palace maids or slaves who had made mistakes clean the toilets.
If the rules were just like this, it wouldn't be a big deal to just put up with it.
However, the relief in her heart only lasted for a brief moment - after walking around the screen wall in front of the toilet, several white figures immediately came into everyone's sight.
"Take off your clothes and kneel over there."
The voice of gloating also sounded again at the right time.
In an instant, all the blood in her body rushed to Bingrui's head and neck.
Anger, fear, despair...
At one point, she even felt like she was in a nightmare. Otherwise, how could she see such a scene and encounter such humiliation? !
In the filthy mud, several young palace maids knelt on the ground, trembling, and let the maggots with long tails and about to shed their skins crawl on their sheep-like bodies...
"No!"
Bing Rui suddenly screamed hysterically: "We are just being taken out on others. We will be able to return to Changshou Palace in a few days! You...you are treating people like this, aren't you afraid of retribution?!"
"Retribution? Hahaha..."
The sharp voice was still echoing, but the sarcastic prisoner laughed out loud: "Do you really think you are someone important? To tell you the truth, everyone who comes in these days will die, and don't even think about getting out alive for the rest of your life!"
"No! I am the confidant of Concubine Xi. Concubine Xi will definitely save me, she will definitely..."
Bingrui was still screaming.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and pour some water on her to wake her up!"
The convict woman yelled impatiently, and someone next to her immediately pushed Bingrui under the screen wall. Then someone else took a shit spoon, scooped up some mud and urine from the spot, and was ready to pour it all over her head.
"ah!!!"
Bingrui screamed in despair, and the palace maids who came with her also screamed desperately, but they were completely powerless to stop the evil woman.
"Wait a moment!"
At this moment, someone suddenly shouted.
The evil woman holding the spoon trembled and almost splashed the feces on her feet. She was so angry that her features shifted and she cursed, "Who dares to interfere..."
But she swallowed the words back halfway through.
Then, a charming lady appeared in the west corridor, and raised her voice along the nose and mouth, saying, "Who is Xi Fei's man? Come over and talk."
When Bingrui saw the woman, she felt as if she had been pardoned. She stumbled towards the man, and the dozen or so female prisoners around her did not try to stop her.
When she got closer, Bingrui immediately knelt down and banged her head on the ground: "Please, Madam Rong Fei, save this slave, please, Madam Rong Fei, save this slave!"
It turned out that the woman in the corridor was Rong Fei, who was banished to the cold palace in the winter of the 13th year of Guangde.
But when Concubine Rong saw her approaching, she immediately covered her nose in disgust and asked in a muffled voice, "Since you are someone close to Concubine Xi, do you know what changes have taken place in Jingren Palace recently?"
She asked in a muffled voice, and Bingrui was in a state of panic and joy at having survived a disaster, so she didn't hear her for a moment and kept kowtowing and begging for help.
Rong Fei was immediately annoyed. She raised her foot and tapped her arm, shouting, "Look up and answer!"
Bingrui finally came to her senses and quickly raised her head, her eyes passing over the two plumpest breasts that were unrivaled among all the other women, and fell hopefully on Rong Fei's face.
"Is there any movement over at Jingren Palace?"
"this……"
When Bingrui heard this, she knew that she was asking about the situation of Concubine De Jia Yuanchun.
But let alone her, even Concubine Xi would find it difficult to extend her tentacles into Jingren Palace.
Therefore, he could only stammer, "This... I haven't heard of any changes."
"Useless stuff!"
Rong Fei scolded and turned back into the house without saying a word.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty Rong Fei!"
Bingrui suddenly became anxious. Just as she was about to get up and chase after them, two evil women had already pounced on her from behind, grabbed her legs and dragged her into the mud and dirt.
"No, no, don't! Empress Rong, save me! Empress Rong, save me!"
Bing Rui struggled hard, but several people surrounded her. Soon her cry for help turned into a heart-wrenching cry...
at the same time.
In the east room, the tall and thin woman withdrew her gaze and turned around and said, "That noble man has been a little jumpy lately."
" Um."
In front of the Buddhist shrine on the west wall, a pretty young woman was kneeling with her hands folded. Upon hearing this, she only responded slightly.
The tall and thin woman was not discouraged. She moved closer and whispered, "That's fine, but she keeps asking about the news of Jingren Palace. I'm afraid she is a person who will never let go of any grudge."
The young woman still just said "hmm".
"If she really turns over..."
The tall and thin woman smacked her lips and lowered her voice again: "Should we nip this evil in the bud?"
As he spoke, he stroked the slender neck with his hand.
The young woman was silent for a long while, then she sighed, "Amitabha."
The tall and thin woman immediately straightened up, her eyes full of fierceness.
When Concubine Rong was first sent to Anle Hall, because of her noble status and the fact that she was the emperor's favorite concubine, no one could guarantee that she would ever be able to turn things around, so she was treated with courtesy by these prison bullies.
But later, when the second prince was born, the discussion of changing the crown prince became more and more popular. Even the women imprisoned here believed that today's Defei would be the future Dowager Concubine.
As a result, his attitude towards Concubine Rong became worse and worse.
A few days ago, this tall and thin woman even found an excuse to humiliate her severely.
But who would have thought that the situation would change so suddenly. The second prince died of illness suddenly, and even the concubine dowager passed away as well.
It is said that this Rong Fei once had a relationship with the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future...
No wonder the tall and thin woman couldn't help but take the first step!
But seeing that the young woman was still worshiping Buddha, the tall and thin woman quietly retreated to the door, called a few of her subordinates over, and just as she gave them a few instructions, she suddenly heard the sound of iron chains rattling outside the door again.
"Oh, there are quite a lot of chicks here today!"
The tall and thin woman pursed her lips and smiled, and was about to take her people into the house to hide in order to repeat the scene just now, but she never expected that several eunuchs had already barged in with brazenness.
"Where is Concubine Rong? Please ask Concubine Rong to come out and receive the order!"
The tall and thin woman's heart was pounding and she looked at the eunuch in panic. It was not until the subordinates beside her reminded her that she quickly knelt on the ground.
Soon, Rong Fei also heard the news and came out, kneeling before the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict.
"Your Majesty has issued an oral order: Concubine De has become ill due to worry, and Jingren Palace cannot be left without a master for a day. I have specially ordered Concubine Rong to return to Jingren Palace and temporarily take over Concubine De's duties."
After the oral order was read out, the eunuch immediately softened his spine, knelt on the ground servilely, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, there is no time to lose, shall we set off now?"
“Ha…ha…hahahahahaha…”
What responded to him was Rong Fei's laughter, which went from low to high, from existence to nothingness, and finally to an almost crazy laugh!
Amidst the laughter, the tall and thin woman felt a chill on her back, climbing up her spine and neck.
Then the cold neck suddenly tightened again!
But he was grabbed by the neck and thrown heavily onto the bluestone slab!
Bang!
Severe pain, dizziness...
The tall and thin woman with blood all over her face suddenly had a thought in her mind: This Concubine Rong is a person who will not let her grudges end overnight!
Just as she was in a daze, someone suddenly grabbed the back of her neck, dragged forward for a dozen steps like a dead dog, and then thrown heavily to the ground.
"Congratulations, Madam! Congratulations, Madam!"
Then a familiar voice came into the ears of the tall and thin woman.
She turned around in surprise and saw the young woman who was worshiping Buddha in the house just now kneeling humbly in front of Concubine Rong - the person who had just attacked the tall and thin woman was obviously her!
Are you going to use yourself as a scapegoat? !
There was a flash of resentment and grief in the tall and thin woman's eyes, and she was about to shout out the conspiracy just now, but when the words came to her lips, she was suddenly stunned.
because……
The young woman just now only said one word from beginning to end: "Amitabha"!
It turned out that she had already...
At this time, Rong Fei finally stopped her crazy laughter, and with a cold and beautiful face, she gathered her sleeves, looked at the young woman with contempt and asked calmly, "What do you mean?"
The young woman bowed her head to the ground and said respectfully, "This lowly servant offended the queen that day and should be severely punished."
"how?"
Rong Fei's expression became even colder: "Jing Fei, do you think you can get yourself out of this by doing this?"
"I don't dare."
Jingpin still said respectfully: "I have no other strengths, but I have some experience in teaching criminal women. If your majesty can use me, I am willing to work like a cow and a horse by your side to atone for my sins."
Rong Fei's face finally changed color. She looked at her steadily, and after a moment she smiled: "Good, good, good, no wonder you can be the king here - but this little bug is probably not enough to be a token of your loyalty."
Jingpin prostrated herself on the ground: "Don't worry, Madam, I will make sure this place is quiet and peaceful in three to five days."
“Ha…hahahahaha…”
Rong Fei couldn't help laughing so hard that her heart was shaking. However, her heart had already flown to Jingren Palace...
