The punishment of the female imperial court

Chapter 263 Regret
The ban is lifted and the case is investigated within a limited time.

The thin sunlight of the last days of winter pierced through the icy ridges at the corners of the eaves, casting fragmented spots of light on the blue brick ground. Yu Qiansi stood in the courtyard clutching the bright yellow brocade imperial edict, looking up at the dead tree in the corner of the courtyard.

The sound of broken jade in Yuli Qiankun, mixed with the clear and deep sound of wind-stained treetops, overlapped with the sound of broken tiles leaking when wandering in the streets in memory.

Yu An Ning leaned against the gate of the courtyard, not daring to make a sound to disturb them, but feeling extremely anxious.

"The imperial edict only states one day. Sister Yu can't stay at home forever."

Qian Shifang said helplessly: "Lord Yu naturally has his own plans. As for you, the people in the palace saw you here just now. If they go back and tell His Majesty, they will accuse you of making trouble again."

Yu An Ning said indifferently: "At most they will detain me in the palace and let me learn more palace rules and etiquette."

Before he finished speaking, there was a sound of skirts at the entrance of the alley. Yu An Ning turned around alertly and saw a woman in plain clothes holding an ebony food box standing at the corner. The woman had faded silver lotus hairpins on her temples, and half of the old but very crisp indigo cotton cloth was exposed at her cuffs.

"May I ask?" Yu An Ning was about to speak when the figure disappeared into the shadows like a frightened deer.

At this moment, Yu Qiansi pushed the door open and walked out. A familiar figure disappeared into the alley. Her pupils shrank suddenly, and she didn't even realize that her red dress was hooked on the wooden door. She chased after him without looking back.

There was a sound of tearing cloth, and the corner of the clothes was suddenly torn off, leaving only a corner of red, leaning dejectedly against the door.

"Mother!" The call that came out of her mouth startled the dead branches and leaves. The back of the woman in the corner of the alley trembled slightly, and a few silver stars between her black hair flickered in the wind. Yu Qiansi chased after her for three steps and then stopped suddenly - Master Jikong's motto twelve years ago was still ringing in her ears: "A lonely star lights up your life, and your family ties are weak."

She thought about how she was in danger and was determined to die, but she never hesitated about what would happen to her mother if she died.

When Feng Niang turned around, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes were filled with a smile as white as melting snow: "I'm sorry, I heard that you were seriously injured, so I asked Madam to use her connections to bring you some old health-preserving prescriptions. I'm glad you're okay, I'll go back first."

She gently placed the food box on the broken stele, revealing the faded five-colored threads on her wrist. "The ointment you gave me is excellent. Every time the weather turns cold, I apply a patch, and my wrist never hurts at night again." The last line of her voice trembled, because she saw the torn corner of her daughter's clothes.

She put down the food box in her hand, walked forward, tied the corner of her clothes into a beautiful knot, and let it hang down again, as if it was specially designed.

Yu Qiansi looked down at the pair of scarred hands, and like a fairy, she twisted a mess of clothes into a flower. The faded five-colored threads appeared and disappeared with her movements.

She remembered those hands, which were originally more beautiful than silk. She also remembered that her mother's wrist injury was caused by washing clothes and carrying a sedan chair in winter.

I also remember the five-colored thread. I had woven it and tied it on her wrist on the Dragon Boat Festival during the first year I came to Beijing.

"Mom, I'm sorry that I'm running around outside and making you worry. If you're really worried, why don't you move back home?"

Feng Niang lowered her eyes, tied the knot, and brushed away the dead leaves that fell on her daughter's shoulder: "How could that be? Mother knows everything. You are doing this for my own good. Master Jikong's predictions are always accurate. I can't help you now. If I stay by your side, I will only be a burden to you."

Her eyes are always filled with tenderness, making people want to nestle in her arms regardless of everything and avoid all the unhappiness in the world.

Sensing the guilt in Yu Qiansi's eyes, she explained in a gentle voice, her voice as intoxicating as the breeze on the lake in early spring: "Mother didn't mean anything else, Ah Si, you don't have to worry, you have protected mother very well. Mother understands that you must always have your own way to go. We are mother and daughter. Even if we don't see each other often, our hearts are always connected. Just be bold and do what you want to do. Mother will always support you." After that, she handed the food box to Yu Qiansi.

Yu Qiansi felt that the familiar warmth was about to leave. She wanted to grab it, but she didn't dare. She could only hold the food box tightly and watch her leave in pain.

At first, when her mother knew the proverb, she asked her what she wanted.

She couldn't answer. She wanted her mother to live a long life without illness or disaster. But she also wanted to be by her side, nestling in her arms, just like when they had nothing and lived on the streets.

But she knew that she couldn't hide in her mother's arms forever and pretend that everything was calm outside.

Feng Niang saw through her hesitation, so she went to see Lin herself and settled down with Lin.

Whenever he missed her, he could only make some ointment and ask the young master to bring it to her. Then he immersed himself in endless busyness, so that he could force himself not to think about it anymore.

Yu An Ning came over after seeing the people leave. Seeing that Yu Qian Si was in a bad mood, he wanted to apologize, but he felt that speaking at this time would make Yu Qian Si even more sad.

I had no choice but to point to the sky: "Sister Yu, time is running out, what are you going to do next? Do you need my help?"

"No need. The body should have been sent to the funeral home. I will go and do the autopsy."

When Yu An Ning heard that they were going to perform an autopsy, she gave up the idea of ​​following. Looking at her running back, she suddenly felt that the red dress seemed to be soaked with the chill of countless long nights.

The stone steps of the charity cemetery were covered with dark green moss. Yu Qiansi knocked on the door with a bag of maltose bought at the street corner, speaking in a few words.

The moment the door creaked open, the strong smell of wormwood wrapped in the chill of the cellar hit me in the face. Zhang Yilun, wearing a gray mouse fur coat, poked his head out, his eyes dark as if he was still drunk: "Master Yu, when someone brought the body here just now, I knew you were okay. By the way, the last time you sent someone to bring it - "

"Let's talk in the inner room." Yu Qiansi closed the door with her backhand, and the sound of the copper lock jarred the spider webs between the beams. She glanced at the newly erected cypress coffin in the corner of the west wall - a few strands of light red silk threads seeped out from the cracks in the coffin lid. It was the coffin she bought when she asked someone to bring Su Niang to Beijing.

The room was as dim as usual, with only a thin, lazy light coming from the window.

Zhang Yilun slowly lit the oil lamp, and the dim flames made his face look even more pale. "The two men brought the coffin and left. I watched for a long time, but there was no trace. So I sent the man to the ghost market."

At this point, he smiled a little, "Suddenly, someone came all the way here with a coffin, saying it was arranged by you. I thought they wanted me to do an autopsy, but when I opened it, it turned out to be a living person. I was really scared to death."

Zhang Yilun walked to the body holding the lamp and put it down, "Master Yu, why did you carry a pregnant woman back in a coffin?"

Is she really a pregnant woman?
Yu Qiansi didn't know why, but she felt relieved.

That night, she bought a coffin at the charity cemetery, gave the two custodians a lot of money and the pass she carried with her, and asked them to send the man to the capital, and to do business everywhere under a new identity, without having to go back.

After that, she used the unclaimed corpses in the charity cemetery to forge Su Niang's body and burned the charity cemetery.