Chapter 15: Dinner (Part 1)

This arrow made Ye Huaiyang stay at home for half a month, and she reappeared in the eyes of everyone until the New Year's Eve came and the palace feasted.
Chu Jinglan on the other side also received the order and went out to the palace in the evening. Tang Qingfeng was in charge of driving the car. When he went out, he inadvertently glanced at the night palace.
I haven't heard Lan Lan's scream for a month, and I am really uncomfortable, and it is strange to say that Ye Huaiyang doesn't like walking around Zhongxiao Pavilion the most? After not showing up for such a long time, is it really so overwhelmed by the Bai family...
But he just thought about it, and he would only laugh at him when he talked to Lu Heng. After all, Ye Huaiyang was an enemy in his eyes. How could he lower his guard against her at will?
Tang Qingfeng knew that he was stupid, so he didn't argue with Lu Heng, but he had been in the palace for such a long time anyway. He had the insight of people, and he felt from the bottom of his heart that Ye Huaiyang showed everything in front of them. They were all true, Chu Jinglan and Lu Heng didn't want to believe them. On the one hand, they were cautious, and on the other hand, they might be affected by the obsession in their hearts.
It's no use thinking about it.
The carriage stopped at the Xuande Gate of the Inner Imperial City. Tang Qingfeng straightened his neck and looked inside. Palace lanterns were swaying, singing and dancing, and the sky was faintly illuminated by the brilliance of the vast expanse of light, which was truly extraordinary. Thinking that when the first emperor was still there, he had never hosted such a grand banquet because of his frugality. Now he, the former chief guard, is like a tubao entering the city, which is an eye-opener.
Turning his head, he saw Chu Jinglan walking towards the dark alley. He walked a few steps to catch up and asked inexplicably, "Master, where are you going to go? The Liuguang Temple is on the other side."
"This king will go to Fengwu Palace to have a look."
Tang Qingfeng was stunned, and then silently carried the crystal palace lantern and walked to Chu Jinglan's side. The dim light shone in the grass and gravel, and many small bugs were faintly seen jumping around. I don't know the frost and the cold wind, I don't know the sorrows and joys of the world, just like him.
How could the prince not miss his wife during the reunion festival?
Even if people go to the building, there is still the only place where he can put his grief, he didn't even think of this, and asked him stupidly where he was going, really getting more and more confused!
Tang Qingfeng blamed himself all the way, and arrived in front of Fengwu Palace without paying attention. He quickly pulled back his mind, stepped forward and swept away the vines blocking the way, then gently opened the door, Chu Jinglan walked in sideways and walked to the courtyard. Stopped suddenly.
There are people in the palace!
Tang Qingfeng behind him also noticed the difference, staring around, and finally found a faint candlelight in the corner, but it seemed to be deliberately covered, so it was difficult to see outside.
Chu Jinglan did not speak, but made a quiet gesture. Tang Qingfeng immediately shot into the hall like an arrow. It only took a few seconds from breaking the door to catching someone. When Chu Jinglan walked in, he had already The man came here, looking and dressing is a middle-aged woman.
"Master, caught it."
Chu Jinglan's gaze only stayed on the woman's body and then turned to the lighted place. It turned out that it was a Buddhist altar with a plate of fruits and a few dim sums, and the cauldron above was still burning incense. Exactly three more.
She is worshipping someone.
The behavior of this woman is also very strange. She was still struggling, but after seeing Chu Jinglan, she suddenly relieved her strength and stared at him motionlessly. There was no expression on her face, but her eyes gradually floated. It looks weird. Chu Jinglan squinted her eagle eyes, strode to her face and grabbed a piece of human skin and face.
Tang Qingfeng saw his eyes straight, but he heard Chu Jinglan tremblingly call out, "Aunt Qu..."
The woman’s tears slipped quietly with these three words. Before it could be wiped off, she fell on the ground and bowed her head respectfully, then slowly straightened her back and said: "Master, you are finally back. You can see the servants again in this life. You really are..."
Her throat choked and she couldn't speak anymore, her skinny body was trembling, and Chu Jinglan immediately bent over to support her. When she saw the face that was much older than she remembered, his heart again It was a hard pull.
When the concubine Chen entered the palace, she brought a close-knit maid who was both smart and capable. She has been carrying him every step of the way since Chu Jinglan was born. She is very affectionate, and this person is Qu Fang in front of her. Chu Jinglan remembered clearly that she was five years younger than her mother and concubine, and she should be in her early forties now, but she seemed to be nearly fifty in front of her, so teach him how to not worry?
However, Chu Jinglan's mood quickly stabilized, and she asked about the key things: "Aunt Qu, didn't you all follow your mother and concubine back then..."
"They were indeed executed, only the slave and maidservant survived."
Chu Jinglan stared slightly, and said, "Why is this?"
Huo Fang sighed, her expression sad, still mixed with a trace of sorrow, the past fragments slowly appeared from the mist with her dumb voice, and appeared in front of Chu Jinglan like a scroll.
"After you were seriously injured and sent to the North, the eldest prince and the queen wanted to use your empress to coerce you back to the capital to kill you, but the empress refused to submit and wanted to dictate herself with a knife. Who knew Master Ye suddenly sent someone to spread a letter? Coming over, she said that she would try to rescue the maid. The maid mourned the death of her majesty and did not want to drag you and Master Ye, so she wanted to die. Before she died, she asked the messenger to take the slave to the palace, and the slave survived. "
"Master Ye? Which Master Ye is it?" Chu Jinglan was confused for a moment.
"It's Master Ye Zhenye, the former servant of the Ministry of Rites." Huo Fang looked at him suspiciously. "He said that you had saved his daughter. This is to repay his favor. Does the prince have no impression?"
Chu Jinglan seemed to be struck by lightning, unable to speak for a long time.
Thanks to the reminder from the person who climbed the stairs in the middle of the night, he was impressed!
Seeing that he was not speaking, Tang Qingfeng took the conversation and asked, "Why did you enter the palace again, Auntie?"
Qu Fang stretched his eyebrows and said slowly, "This is a long story... After leaving the palace, the slave and maid returned to the hometown for four years, and then Miss Yejia sent someone to the countryside to ask the slave if she would enter the palace for her. The slave and maid accepted her life-saving grace, so she found a craftsman to make a piece of human skin, noodles, and utensils for the slave. Since then, the slave has been working in the cold palace."
"Miss Yejia? But Ye Huaiyang?"
Qu Fang nodded: "Exactly, look at the memory of the servant girl. She was a young lady back then, but now she is the owner of the house."
"What does she ask you to do for her?" Tang Qingfeng asked.
"There are only two things in total, one is to spy on the news of Pingyang Palace, and the other is to secretly take care of Fengwu Palace. These are all things the slaves want to do, so they agreed without hesitation."
"So... are you the informant she planted in the palace?"
Qu Fang acquiesced with a smile.
Tang Qingfeng was shocked when he heard this. He always thought that the things Ye Huaiyang did started after they came back. He didn't expect that she had already made arrangements to control Bai Zhixuan's situation in her hands. What is her purpose for doing this? Is it true that it is for the prince...
He subconsciously looked at Chu Jinglan, and saw the dark tide surging in his eyes, almost venting out, but it disappeared instantly, as if there had never been a slight fluctuation.
"Lord..."
"It's getting late, and it's time to go to the banquet." Chu Jinglan interrupted him, turned his head and said to Qu Fang, "Auntie, I will come to see you again in a while. Be careful about everything."
Qu Fang thought carefully, knowing that he must have his own considerations, so he didn't say more, but blessed his body: "Slaves and maidservants, but I beg the prince himself to be more careful."
Chu Jinglan nodded, glanced at the Buddha's niche, and stepped out of Fengwu Palace with his hands.
Tang Qingfeng followed him closely, and his mood was very complicated. He swallowed after his words reached his lips several times. It was inconvenient to talk about these secrets because of the numerous ears and eyes in the palace, but who would have thought of hovering in the court in a neutral posture. Yejia, who has been in for so many years, has already stood in line! He couldn't help wondering, what would the situation be like if Zhen Zhen really took the shot? Is it to rescue the concubine Chen so that the prince can fight against the emperor, or the failure of the action leaves Yejia in a situation where he cannot be recovered...
All speculations are just fantasy now, time can't go back, and they can't look back.
In a trance, the two have come to the Temple of Flowing Light.
Chu Jinglan was in silence all the way, her face was frozen and she didn't know what she was thinking, but when she reached the hall where hundreds of officials gathered, she lost her gloom, looked calmly up the steps, and sat down after bowing to the emperor. On the side of the sandalwood case below, Yixiang's temples were constantly shuttled in front of his eyes, creating a fragrant breeze. He didn't even look at it, and his eyes drifted into the apse inadvertently.
The Liuguang Temple is divided into a front hall and an apse. The front hall is used for drinking and enjoying of hundreds of officials, and the apex is used to entertain the female family members. There are only a few layers of tulle in the middle. Etiquette, to a certain extent, satisfies their reunion together, but it is a flattering arrangement.
The warm wind hit, a large gap was opened between the undulating white gauze, and Ye Huaiyang, who was sitting in the front row, suddenly ran into Chu Jinglan's eyes.
Today, she is wearing a long dress with hibiscus and butterflies. The color is intense and very dazzling. The makeup is also carefully depicted, with red lips and eyebrows, peach blossoms on the temples, and a lotus petal on the forehead, which is as vivid as her eyes. She was so captivating that all the fateful women and ladies present were robbed of the limelight by her, and even the queen mother could not help but look at her more.
Chu Jinglan had never seen her with heavy make-up, but he felt something was wrong just by looking at her like a dragonfly for a few glances-she usually faces the sky without her face, has she ever flaunted it like this?
What is she hiding...
He raised his eyebrows and thought, but forgot to take his gaze back, and suddenly a sentence came from above: "Emperor brother, what are you looking at?"
Chu Jinglan's chest lightly shook, and all his thoughts returned instantly. He raised his eyes to see that the emperor was leaning on the throne, looking at him with a smile.