The Job of an Imperial Concubine

In people's minds, although peacocks are not as noble and beautiful as phoenixes, they are still considered beautiful. Therefore, although concubines in the harem dare not use phoenix patterns as decorations or clothing uppers, they can use peacocks instead.

The peacock tail presented is very bright in color, although the brushwork is weird, but it gives people a strange sense of surprise, with clear outlines and exaggerated lines, which is very different from other concubines in the palace. The only one who painted with weird techniques was Zhao Xianrong from Xihe Palace.

"Your Majesty, this paper kite peacock tail is painted with the best brocade in Sichuan, and it was promoted after October last year. The concubine has already checked, and there are only eight concubines in the harem of these brocades, except Concubine Rou, Xu Zhaorong, and Concubine Ning." The inside is still left outside, and the other palaces are worn out." The queen watched the peacock's tail appear in front of Concubine Ning calmly, "I can't find anything from the fabric alone."

Everyone came to their senses at this moment, the empress wanted to take advantage of today's situation to investigate the matter, and these concubines were all present, and no one could escape.

The emperor raised his eyebrows, "Since we can't find anything from the fabric, let's start elsewhere." After speaking, he looked at Concubine Ning, "Concubine Ning, take a look at this painting."

"Your Majesty..." Concubine Ning hesitated to pick up the painting, looked at it carefully for a long time, and frowned slightly, wondering: "I really don't know who made this painting, but in terms of brushstrokes, it is not the same as Zhao Xian's appearance." two."

Concubine Shu looked at the peacock tail with a half-smile, "Concubine Ning, do you know what Zhao Xianrong's painting style looks like?"

"During the Shangyuan Festival, Zhao Xianrong painted a palace lantern by himself. The concubine was present that day, so I took a second look." forget?"

Concubine Shu smiled and stopped talking.

"Your Majesty's eyesight and memory are very good, and my concubine's is not as good as this." Zhuang Luoyan reached out and took the peacock's tail, "The paint and fabric used for this peacock's tail are the same as those of my concubine's. If the paper kite was not painted by my concubine, I'm afraid A concubine can't tell the truth from the fake."

"Your Majesty, the person who framed this concubine had ulterior motives. Not only did he kill Ye Guiren, but he also caused my concubine to be wronged for nothing. I ask the emperor to seek justice for this concubine." I'm afraid that the emperor will believe in the plot of the evil-minded person. If so, if so..." At this point, he was so choked up that he couldn't speak.

The emperor stepped forward to hold her slightly cold hand, "I know you, I have had people investigate this matter for several days, and I will not let you suffer this wrong in vain."

Concubine Shu looked at this scene, looked away, the smile on the corner of her mouth faded a little, and she said: "In the past, I only knew that Concubine Ning's painting skills are good, but today I know that Concubine Ning's eyesight is also very good. It is really rare to be able to see Zhao Xianrong's painting style even though the palace lantern is several steps away."

Concubine Ning's face remained unchanged, "I don't know what the concubine empress means."

"This palace is not very interesting." Concubine Shu didn't look at Concubine Ning, she only blessed the emperor, "Your Majesty, I have just lost my status."

"No problem," Feng Jin held Zhuang Luoyan's hand and glanced at Concubine Shu, "You just said words carelessly, there is nothing wrong with that."

"Concubine Shu is just too thoughtful. In the past, Concubine Rou and Concubine Lin also argued a few words because of some unintentional words, but now they are also good sisters." The queen suddenly mentioned Concubine Rou and Concubine Lin, who had been demoted from Concubine Yuan to Concubine, "Concubine Rou, do you think this makes sense?"

Concubine Rou stepped forward to salute, and replied with a smile: "Go back to the empress, my concubine and Concubine Lin are both sisters in the harem, so how can there be any suspicion because of a word. What do you say, Concubine Lin?"

Concubine Lin blessed Fushen with a fake smile, "Concubine Rou is right."

But Feng Jin seemed to remember something, glanced at Concubine Lin, then turned to Concubine Ning: "I remember Concubine Lin used to drink tea and play chess with you often."

"Your majesty still remembers the little things about my concubines," Concubine Ning said with a smile, "Concubine Lin used to live in the Ruan Ming Palace where there were crabapple flowers that my concubine liked, so I went there to sit more in my free time. Concubine Lin is good at chess. , My concubine played chess with her, and I lost nine out of ten games."

"Indeed, Concubine Lin's chess skills are even inferior to mine," Feng Jin pulled Zhuang Luoyan to sit aside, but focused on Concubine Ning and Concubine Lin. My wife has played chess."

Concubine Ning smiled, "The concubine has been helping the empress with the palace affairs recently, and I haven't played chess with my sister Concubine Lin for quite a while."

Zhuang Luoyan listened to Concubine Ning and the emperor reminiscing about the past, lowered her head and looked at the hand held by the emperor, and then controlled the hand to tremble slightly, and the emperor tightened his grip on her.

The turning point of the matter became a little strange. Why did Cha Peacock Tail become a memory of the past again?

Concubine Shu looked at this scene with cold eyes. Concubine Ning has always been so considerate in front of the emperor, so the emperor also loves to talk to Concubine Ning. As for whether Concubine Ning is really as considerate and indifferent as she appears on the face, it is only herself. knew.

Ever since Concubine Lin was demoted, the emperor has never turned over her sign. Now that the emperor suddenly pays attention to her, there is a gleam of joy on her face. Just looking at the person being led by the emperor, the joy on her face is full of joy. Disappear. No concubine would like an opponent related to her demotion.

Zhuang Luoyan noticed Lin Bin's gaze, and smiled at Lin Bin with the corners of her mouth bent, then looked away, as if she didn't see the gloom in Lin Bin's eyes.

"Talking with Concubine Ning is always relaxing." Feng Jin patted Zhuang Luoyan's hand with a smile, as if to stop talking with Concubine Ning, "I also like to talk to you more on weekdays."

"It's my concubine's luck to make the emperor feel relaxed and happy," Concubine Ning smiled.

"I thought so too, that's why I told you a lot of things, such as some tricks I saw when I was young, such as... using phosphorus to ignite a blue fire, or telling you that the paper kite that flew away was made by Zhao Xianrong himself. Drawing." Feng Jin calmly let go of Zhuang Luoyan's hand, picked up the tea on the table and took a sip, "Now, I feel that talking to you is not an easy task."

"Your Majesty," Concubine Ning's expression changed, "Are you suspicious of my concubine?"

Feng Jin didn't look at Concubine Ning, put down the teacup and said, "Come here, bring Lu Yi up."

After Lu Yi was half dragged and brought up, Feng Jin said expressionlessly: "I remember that Concubine Ning once pleaded for mercy for a court lady who offended me, but this person?"

"Your Majesty, the incident is so long ago that I really can't remember it," Concubine Ning looked at the emperor with a calm expression, "If the Emperor doubts my concubine, I have nothing to say, but please don't give my concubine any trouble because of a court lady who I don't remember." conviction."

"Concubine Ning is good at painting, all the paints and brushes in your palace are the best, even the paints in your palace are specially reserved for you by the Dianzhong Province," Feng Jin raised his eyebrows and looked at Concubine Ning, "If it wasn't for all the concubines painting together today, I wouldn't remember this matter. Since you are innocent, let someone test it, and you will be cleared." After finishing speaking, wait for Concubine Ning to refute, and let someone pass it on Painter to identify.

The paint from Concubine Ning's Palace was brought over and put together with the peacock's tail. Soon the painter came to the conclusion that the paint on the peacock's tail was the same as that in Concubine Ning's Palace.

Concubine Ning opened her eyes wide in disbelief, "Your Majesty, I don't know about this, the concubine in the palace didn't deliberately collect the paint, someone must have deliberately stolen my paint to do this..."

"Even you don't know that these paints are specially prepared for you, so how can others know?" Feng Jin lowered his voice, "You are on good terms with Concubine Lin, Concubine Lin and Concubine Rou have always had a rift, Concubine Lin I have old grievances with Zhao Xianrong, so that's why Rixihe and the maid in the lotus pond outside the palace are from Concubine Rou's palace!"

Concubine Ning's feet softened, and she knocked over the paint in front of her. The paint was colorful and poured all over her body, but she looked at the emperor as if she didn't know, "Has the emperor found the concubine guilty just based on this guess?"

"Did you do it? I think you know better than me," the emperor looked at Concubine Ning's distressed appearance, with no superfluous expression on his face, "Concubine Shu said well, who else in the harem can surpass you in the imitation method? ?”

Hearing the emperor's words, Concubine Ning suddenly laughed, she raised her head, with tears of embarrassment on her face, "Yes, who else in the harem has better paintings than me, but even so, the emperor still leaves Look at Zhao Xianrong's unworthy palace lantern!"

Zhuang Luoyan seemed to be frightened by Concubine Ning's roar, and her hand shook again. Seeing this, Feng Jin stretched out his hand to hold her hand again, "There are quite a few palace lanterns left at my place, and it's not just Zhao Xianrong. of."

"The emperor naturally has not only the palace lanterns of Zhao Xianrong, but also those of Concubine Shu, Concubine Rou, and many, many concubines," Concubine Ning laughed while crying, "The emperor also mentioned many people in front of concubines, Concubine Shu, Concubine Rou, Concubine Rou, Su Xiuyi, Concubine Yangui, Zhao Xianrong and even Qiangui, they are younger and fresher than each other. The concubine looks at the emperor, you favor one woman after another, and looks forward to your emperor's blessing day after day. Come, but you are here, and you are talking about other women."

Listening to these words, Zhuang Luoyan sighed in her heart. Concubine Ning chose to go the way of confidant sister, maybe she really had feelings for the emperor, so she would be jealous, angry, and finally hated, so she framed herself , framed concubine Rou, and even plotted against the queen.

A woman who was originally fresh and elegant will also be jealous because of her feelings. After all, no one is a saint.

When Lu Yi recognized Concubine Lin, Zhuang Luoyan felt a little puzzled. Concubine Lin used to be a noble concubine, but now she is only a small concubine. In a place like the harem, how many people are there for a concubine? Willing to work for her?

It's no secret that Concubine Lin and Concubine Rou had a bad relationship back then, so it makes sense that the people in Concubine Rou's palace were in the lotus pond, but it was impossible for her to throw a corpse into the lotus pond without relying on Lu Yi alone. Discover. So even if it was related to Concubine Lin at this time, she would not do it alone, at least the person who did it had a very high status in the harem.

As for the later incident of the kite, it was even more suspicious. Ordinary concubines who can send someone to find Ye Guiren with all their eyes and eyes have not been found. Even if Ye Guiren is despised by the emperor, there is still a queen dowager above him. Others did not hear the slightest news. So the only ones who can do this are those who manage palace affairs.

The empress would not shoot herself in the foot. Concubine Xian and the empress are on the same side for the time being, so it is unlikely that concubine Ning and concubine Shu are the only ones left. It's just that if the matter was done by Concubine Shu, she would naturally restrain Su Xiuyi and not allow her to publicly humiliate people in Xihe Palace in the future to attract suspicion. So in the end, it was Concubine Ning who was peaceful and easy to get along with. In addition, Concubine Ning was good at painting, so she had even more doubts in her heart.

Originally, she would not doubt Concubine Ning easily, until she passed Ruan Ming Palace a few days ago and found that there were many crabapples in bloom there, and she remembered that Concubine Ning once said that she liked crabapple at the flower viewing banquet, so her doubts became more and more serious. obvious.

Now that Concubine Ning and Concubine Lin are definitely conspiring, Zhuang Luoyan doesn't think there is anything to celebrate. In this harem, you plot against me, and I plot against you. If you don't reach the highest position, you will never be able to relax. Concubine Ning couldn't escape a word of love when she did such a thing. A seemingly transparent person did the most irrational thing.

Concubine Ning looked at Zhuang Luoyan and Concubine Shu, and suddenly smiled and said: "You don't have to be complacent, even if you are favored today, there will be someone who is more favored to replace you tomorrow. A frustrated person like me should have been reconciled long ago. I was wrong, wrong..."

Originally Feng Jin was still listening calmly, but at this moment he suddenly broke out: "Come here, take Concubine Ning down and take care of it, and I will deal with it later."