First Concubine

Chapter 113 The true murderer (2)

 Guo Yan and Zhuge Yu glanced at each other, and used this glance to check whether the other's clothes were better than the ones they were wearing, because they were all wearing clothes made by Shui Linglong herself. In the end, the two of them came to the same conclusion: the other person's piece looked better!

"Guo Yan, when are you getting married?" Zhuge Yu asked with a half-smile, and there was a trace of schadenfreude in both his eyes and his tone.

Guo Yan's mouth twitched, and he said with a smile: "At the end of the month!"

Zhuge Yu gritted his teeth and had to endure this guy for so long! He casually picked up a plate of scallops and was about to pour it into the pot, but was stopped by Guo Yan's cross-arm. His eyes flashed, and Guo Yan raised an eyebrow and said, "Linglong can't eat seafood! She'll be allergic!" Finally, he was afraid that it would cause serious allergies. The young couple had a quarrel, so they added, "My godfather told me!"

Shui Hangge, you old fox, why didn’t you tell me? Zhuge Yu was so angry that he blew his beard and stared!

Shui Linglong couldn't help laughing. She had never seen Zhuge Yu lose control of his emotions since the prince's accident.

 Zhuge Yu asked the maid to remove the seafood from the table, then stood up and went over there to choose the barbecue for Linglong.

As soon as he left, Guo Yan's handsome face wrinkled, he tugged on his smooth sleeves, and said pitifully: "My one set of clothes is not enough, and my shoes are also torn, look!"

After saying that, Shui Linglong stretched out his foot, and sure enough, Shui Linglong found a wound on the edge of his right shoe. This trick to deceive Shui Linglong was really childish. Ordinary shoes have burrs when they have holes, but this one was very neat. Then I realized that it was not scratched by grinding, but scratched by a knife. Sometimes Shui Linglong really wants to cut open Guo Yan's head and see what's inside! Why are you becoming more and more childish? More and more...like a poor kid who can't get candy?

 Make it seem like she is his mother!

Shui Linglong was unmoved and just ate the vegetables in the bowl quietly.

 Guo Yan blinked his flickering eyes, made a gesture, and said otherwise: "When I get married, I will be the heir to the head of the Guo family. The two of us can work together!"

"Who wants to collude with you?" Shui Linglong glared at him fiercely, then said after a while, "Pay the deposit first."

Guo Yan chuckled and lowered his voice: "Xun Feng has an unexpected adviser beside him."

"who?"

 “Jinshang Palace.”

Is Jin Shanggong a member of Xun Feng? Shui Linglong put down her chopsticks, which was indeed beyond her expectation. She always thought that Jin Shanggong was just a retired female official hired by Concubine Yu with a lot of money and favors. She had slept with him for so many years, but she didn't even know that Jin Shanggong was his staff! I really don’t know how many things Xun Feng still doesn’t know!

Guo Yan looked at Shui Linglong with a silly smile.

Shui Linglong suppressed the anger in her heart and said without changing her expression: "What size shoes are you wearing?"

Guo Yan gestured with his fingers, and Shui Linglong coughed lightly: "Remember."

After a joyful meal, the maids quickly removed the dining table and set up a long table, covered with smooth silk cloth, and placed a variety of fruits, cakes and tea. The old lady and the female family members chatted about home affairs. Prince An took Guo Yan and Zhuge Yu to have a drink.

 For a time, the garden was filled with autumn colors, laughter and joy.

“Sister-in-law, is there any young lady from the Guo family who has not left the government?” Zhen asked Leng Youru gently.

Leng Youru tucks her dark green silk hair, which is as elegant as a group of auspicious clouds floating from the sky. She has a fairy spirit in her calm expression: "I haven't been out for a long time. I don't know very well. Linglong, do you know?" "Qing Qian's eyes were cast on Shui Linglong.

"Oh, the eldest, second and third young ladies of the Guo family are all married. The fourth young lady, Guo Rong, has arranged a marriage at the Guangping Marquis Mansion. Only the fifth young lady of the second room is left to be married." Shui Linglong answered obediently, using her peripheral vision. Paying attention to the movement around him, he saw a black shadow flashing through the woods and heading towards the main courtyard. Shui Linglong curled her lips, hoping that her hard work was not in vain!

"How old is Miss Guo Wu? What does she look like? What is her personality like..." Zhen asked a series of questions directly at Shui Linglong. Shui Linglong looked back and looked at Dong Jialin, and found that Dong Jialin's face gradually turned pale...

 In the main courtyard, Zhuge Liuyun put down the secret report in his hand solemnly: "Is what you said true?"

Yu Bofu leaned forward and nodded: "It's absolutely true! The young master and Guo Yan had a very happy conversation. Not only did they allow Guo Yan to eat at the same table as their husband and wife, but they also had a great time drinking with Guo Yan. Oh, in addition to drinking, they also It’s arm wrestling.”

The two of them fought when they met when they were children. There was even a fight last time and he forced the Guo family to send Guo Yan to the battlefield. Why are they on such good terms now? If Guo Yan and his son are so good, it will be difficult for him to kill Guo Yan...

Zhuge Liuyun's tone darkened: "Go and call the Crown Prince!"

 …

Guo Yan was so drunk that Mrs. Zhen hurriedly smiled and said: "The prince has been called by the prince. Ming'er, please take General Guo back to the house. Remember to pay your respects to Mrs. Guo, Uncle Guo and Mrs. Guo!"

Zhuge Shu stood up and said arrogantly: "I want to go too!"

Mrs. Zhen scolded her daughter: "It's so late, what are you messing around with? Go back to your room with your mother!"

Zhuge Shu reluctantly stamped his feet and ran back to his room angrily.

Shui Linglong finished washing, but Zhuge Yu still hadn't come back. She picked up the cloth and was thinking about what kind of shoes to make for Guo Yan. At this time, Zhi Fan opened the curtain and came in, holding a bowl of fragrant soup in his hand.

Shui Linglong waved her hand: "I've eaten enough, I can't drink anything."

Zhifan smiled and said: "This is the hot soup that the princess ordered the people in the dining room to stew for each master. The main courtyard also sent a portion to the prince."

Shui Linglong put down the fabric and took the bowl from Zhifan's hand. Zhifan knelt down and helped her organize the embroidery basket: "Miss, what are you going to do this time? I will help you cut the fabric first."

The soup was as dark as concoction. Shui Linglong stirred it with a spoon and sighed slightly: "Making shoes, Ye Maona's soles are strong, please ask her to send two pairs."

"Okay!" Zhi Fan agreed happily, "Did you make it for the prince?"

 “Hmm.” Can we make him jealous first? After the soup was almost cool, Shui Linglong took a spoonful and brought it to her lips. After smelling it, she seemed to find the smell familiar. Although she couldn't pronounce the name, she suddenly thought of the vast battlefield and countless seriously injured soldiers. She He frowned and asked, "Who gave you this soup?"

Zhi Fan has a sensitive personality. When he heard this, he said doubtfully: "Oh, when the banquet was over, Mother Qiao had ordered the servants who were waiting nearby. The servants had to get them by themselves. Is there something wrong with the hot soup?"

 Since it was received from the public, there should be no problem. Shui Linglong didn't dare to drink. Even if she had the slightest suspicion, she couldn't risk her body. Her eyes darkened a bit: "Think about it again, did you meet anyone on the road?"

Zhifan recalled it carefully and then said: "The slave met Miss Dong Jia! Miss Dong Jia came out of the dining room with Xing'er. The slave greeted her, but Xing'er happened to be walking out of the courtyard for some reason. He bumped into the maid in the dining room, and then Myolie accidentally knocked over the tray in the slave's hand. Miss Dong Jia felt guilty, so she gave her bowl of hot soup to the slave, and she took Myolie back again. Get a new one from the kitchen.”

Shui Linglong remembered that she had just shown a little suspicion in the cemetery this morning, and the other party couldn't wait to attack her!

 The action is so fast!

Zhifan looked at Shui Linglong and found that her eyes were getting colder little by little. Zhifan's scalp was numb. If there was really something wrong with this soup, she...she, the person who received the soup, was also involved. ? Will the eldest lady take the opportunity to drive her out of the house?

Zhi Fan fell to his knees on the ground: "Miss! I don't dare! I really don't dare to think about those miscellaneous things anymore! I am innocent, and I have no intention of harming the eldest lady! Please believe me, eldest lady!" !”

Shui Linglong glanced at her and said calmly: "Don't alarm the prince about this yet. I remember that the house has prepared a doctor for my eldest sister. Go and invite him. Just say that I have diarrhea after eating too much."

Zhi Fan felt lucky to have survived the disaster. She stood up, her legs were shaking. God knew just now she really thought that the eldest lady would kick her out of the house.

 In less than two quarters of an hour, Dr. Hu arrived at Mohe Courtyard. Shui Linglong gave him the bowl of hot soup to check. Doctor Hu frowned after checking it: "Why is there Aconitum in it?"

 No wonder Shui Linglong thought of seriously injured soldiers. Aconitum is an important medicine for dispelling cold and analgesic. It can dispel the cold in the meridians and dispel the cold in the internal organs. Soldiers occasionally use it. However, it is highly poisonous and must be prepared before it can be taken orally, especially not with alcohol. Guo Yan brought her daughter Hong tonight, and everyone drank a little bit of alcohol.

Shui Linglong gave Dr. Hu some money and asked him to keep the matter a secret.

After Doctor Hu left, Zhi Fan closed the door and frowned: "Why did Miss Dong Jia give you a bowl of soup with aconite in it?"

Shui Linglong sneered: "If I die or get sick, do you think Zhuge Xi and Yao Cheng's wedding will be postponed?"

Zhifan didn't understand why the eldest lady asked like this, but she still answered according to her own understanding: "If something happens to you, something will happen to the prince. If something happens to the prince, the palace will be in chaos, and no one will be in the mood to get married. ”

Shui Linglong said plausibly: "Yes, if Zhuge Xi doesn't leave, Dong Jialin can continue to stay in the palace. This is the obvious reason, and the other unknown reason is that I suspected Dong Jialin was responsible for Leng Wei's death this morning. The real murderer behind the scenes.”

 How can you still distinguish between the apparent and covert reasons? Zhifan was confused and couldn't keep up with Shui Linglong's rhythm: "Then what should we do now?"

Shui Linglong twitched the corners of her lips, her eyes stern: "Of course I'm going to report to the princess and ask her to expel Dong Jialin from the palace!"

Leng Youru has often been with Zhuge Liuyun since she moved out of the Buddhist hall, but she still goes back to her quiet courtyard to rest at night. From Shui Linglong's point of view, Zhuge Liuyun loved Leng Youru deeply. Even though Leng Youru spent most of the year in the Buddhist temple, Zhuge Liuyun never talked about trying to make his concubines or aunts quarrel with her. As for whether the old lady has any objections to this, Shui Linglong can't guarantee it, but it doesn't matter if she does. Leng Youru can give birth to a son and a daughter.

There are some camellias and lilacs planted in the front yard of Qingyouyuan, and the backyard is full of jasmine and poinsettia, all in red and white, enchanting yet fresh.

The night wind blew by, the flowers were fragrant, and the water was flowing onto the soft grass, and my breathing slowed down unconsciously.

"You bitch! You can't even wash clothes! How can you work in the princess's yard like this? I raised you for nothing!" In the hall with wicker chairs and low tables, Mother Qiao was putting one hand on her hips and the other hand. He grabbed a little maid's spine and reprimanded her fiercely, "How many times have I told you? This is not a pig farm in the country! Everyone, please work hard! Otherwise, mom, I won't be able to spare you!"

The little maid was so frightened that her face burst into tears, and she said tremblingly: "Mother Qiao, I was wrong. I forgot to cut my nails this morning, so I accidentally scratched the princess's clothes."

Mama Qiao gave a cold look: "Humph! Careless? If you two are careless, can you still do things in the yard well?"

The little maid was shaking all over: "I...I...will definitely pay attention next time..."

"Next time? And next time?" Qiao's mother screamed loudly, so harshly that she almost burst her eardrums, "You just say that when you make a mistake! What's the use of saying that? Why didn't you do it better when you did it? Humph! There is no regret in the world! Why don’t I chop off your hands today?”

The little maid was so frightened that she backed away. Mother Qiao was approaching step by step. The little maid panicked. Suddenly, she gritted her teeth and shouted loudly: "Princess, please forgive me! Princess, please forgive me! I didn't mean this! Please forgive me, Princess... um..."

Mother Qiao covered her mouth and yelled sternly, but at a very low volume: "You **** who wants to die! If you dare to disturb the princess from resting, I will chop off your head!"

The little maid finally surprised the princess. Cen'er came out and told the princess what she said: "Mother Qiao, the princess said she is just a ten-year-old maid. If she doesn't know anything, she needs more teaching."

The corners of Qiao’s mother’s mouth twitched, and her smile was uglier than crying: “In that case, I will take her down first to discipline her!”

Cen'er nodded and looked in the direction of the hanging flower door. Shui Linglong and Zhifan had been waiting for a long time. Cen'er was very surprised: "The Crown Princess is here! I'm here to say hello to the Crown Princess!"

Mother Qiao and the little maid also hurriedly turned around and saluted Shui Linglong, with a somewhat embarrassed expression on their faces: "My maid, come and see the Crown Princess!"

Shui Linglong raised her hand indifferently and said in the same tone as usual: "Sit down, I'm here to see the princess. I don't know if the princess has rested."

Mother Qiao retreated with the little maid, and Cen'er raised a gentle smile: "No, the princess will go to change the prince's dressing later, and she is reading in the room now."

So Zhuge Yu hasn't left the main courtyard yet. I really don't know what the father and son have been talking about for so long, just because of Guo Yan? Shui Linglong shook her head and followed Cen'er into the inner courtyard.

Zhifan followed and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "The princess is very kind and never beats or scolds the servants. Even if the servants make mistakes, the princess will always deal with them leniently, but that mother Qiao always relies on her She is the concubine of the princess, and she has taken care of the second young master. She is domineering in the palace, but even the prince turns a blind eye to her, and the servants are becoming more and more afraid of her. "

The second young master Zhi Fan mentioned was not Prince An, but Zhuge Yu's younger brother Zhuge Yan. Zhuge Yan died at the age of three. The strange thing is that no one in the house dared to mention the cause of his death, even though Zhi Fan tried his best. Still haven't found out any news.

 In fact, it is normal not to be able to find out. When Zhuge Yan died at an early age, Zhuge Liuyun was not the king of Zhenbei. Their family all lived in Kashgar. Except for a few confidants, none of the servants here were from Kashgar.

Shui Linglong gently touched her lips and said, "You did well. I'll go back to Mother Zhong to receive the reward."

 Zhifan almost thought he heard it wrong! The eldest lady praised her, and she no longer has to worry about being kicked out of the palace?

 The stone in Zhi Fan's heart fell to the ground, and he happily followed Shui Linglong into the princess's room.

Leng Youru's room is very elegant and unique. It has a pear wood landscape screen, next to it is a Duobao box with various jade articles and a small golden Qingluan incense burner infused with sandalwood. On the other side of the screen are several dark incense burners. The red carved wooden chair is covered with thin cushions and a wooden mat. There is a blue and white porcelain vase standing on the coffee table, with white and fragrant jasmine blooming, and water drops hanging on the petals.

 “Mother concubine.” Shui Linglong bowed politely.

Leng Youru smiled slightly and said: "Sit down, why did you think of coming to my room today?"

Shui Linglong sat down as she was told, and Cen'er presented her with a cup of rose tea that Shui Linglong loved to drink, and a plate of four-color fruits, including grapes, pears, tangerines and honeydew melons. Shui Linglong looked around, and Leng Youru ordered Cen'er: "Go and see if the prince's plaster is ready?"

Cen'er blessed his body: "Yes!"

As soon as Cen'er left, Zhi Fan also followed. Shui Linglong told everything about the incident: "...Concubine, look, is Xing'er walking so short-sighted? Why did she just bump into someone?" He must have knocked over my hot pot on purpose so that Dong Jialin would have an excuse to give me hers! If I hadn’t learned some medical skills from the doctor in Zhuangzi in my early years, I wouldn’t have been able to smell the aconitum at all. ! In that case, I will be killed by her!"

Leng Youru's expression changed when she heard this, and her tone was no longer indifferent, but mixed with a hint of coldness: "Miss Dong Jia is someone close to Xiao Xi. If you don't have solid evidence, it will be difficult for me to get your money back for you." justice."

Shui Linglong did not back down immediately after hearing Leng Youru's words: "Mother, concubine, what happened tonight is really mysterious! If my husband had not been called to the main courtyard by his father, this bowl of aconite soup containing aconite would have Maybe it got into my husband’s stomach too…”

"Do you usually eat...so indiscriminately?" Leng Youru's voice suddenly rose to a decibel, and his eyes became a few points sharper. He clearly didn't like people coming close to him and would not share tableware with others...

Shui Linglong lowered her head, her cheeks turned red in embarrassment: "I...we..." She looked so embarrassed to speak! The princess was so excited before she told the details. If she told the princess that Zhuge Yu could shamelessly roll the glutinous rice **** she put into her mouth with his tongue, would the princess vomit blood?

Soon, Leng Youru calmed down and said, "Even though we are husband and wife, don't be too arrogant! There is a difference between a direct wife and a concubine after all."

 (End of this chapter)