Resourceful beauty

Chapter 268
Fang Ruxuan didn't take the matter of that day to heart anymore, but Lou Ya's words reminded Fang Ruxuan that the matter of Concubine Ning had to continue.

Thinking of the day when Zheng Ping and Mu Mian were ordered to investigate the relationship between the big families and dignitaries in Shangyang City and the concubines in the palace, Fang Ruxuan knew that it must be Chu Yuan had already warned them.

Now that she is out of confinement, although the New Year's Eve is approaching and there are still a lot of things to worry about in the East Palace, Fang Ruxuan feels that the things over there cannot be delayed, so she immediately asks Sang Ye to call Zheng Pinglai.

Zheng Ping came prepared, leaned over to greet Fang Ruxuan, and then took out a thick booklet from his sleeve, "Master, these are summed up by the servant in recent days, I'm afraid that what I said will be messed up." , You are also confused, so you simply write it down, and read it when you have time, and if you are still unclear, I will report back."

Glancing at Zheng Ping appreciatively, Fang Ruxuan signaled Ding Xiang to reward him with the purse, while she took the brochure and read it.

After reading only a few pages, Fang Ruxuan realized that Zheng Ping's actions really made sense. The relationship between those people in Shangyang City and the harem/concubines is inextricably linked. If Zheng Ping were to say, I'm afraid it will take several days to talk eloquently, and by then, the lips may be thinner.

In this kind of matter, it takes more and more carefulness to find the information you want. Fang Ruxuan was not in a hurry, closed the booklet and put it aside, and asked Zheng Ping, "On weekdays, Eunuch Gu and Dexi are always by His Highness's side. What about you? What does His Highness usually arrange for you to do?"

Knowing that Fang Ruxuan had her own reasons for asking this question, and that if she answered well, there might be a different chance, Zheng Ping didn't dare to be sloppy. When they were in the palace, they were brought in from outside the palace. Therefore, when His Royal Highness goes out of the palace on weekdays, he usually takes Eunuch Gu with him."

"The servant and Dexi were picked by Eunuch Gu from the House of Internal Affairs to accompany His Highness. Before the Crown Princess came, the servant and Dexi were serving in the study. Later, His Highness sent the servant to run errands for the Crown Princess. Dexi Xi is still serving in the Donghua Palace study."

After briefly talking about their respective responsibilities, Zheng Ping respectfully stood aside and did not say another word.

Fang Ruxuan nodded, but secretly calculated in her heart.

About Lu Wu and Lin Ke'er, it was Dexi who tipped off the news several times, which allowed them to enter Donghua Palace smoothly. Fang Ruxuan believed that she could find out such things by herself, and it was impossible for Chu Yuan not to know about them.

Now that he knows about it, but still keeps Dexi by his side, whose heart is Chu Yuan reassuring?
And who can make Chu Yuan know that Dexi is unreliable but still keep it by his side, so that he can feel at ease?

Suddenly a person popped up in her heart, Fang Ruxuan's heart trembled, she didn't dare to think about it anymore, but she asked Zheng Ping, "With His Highness, I see a lot of people and get in touch with a lot of things, just running errands. There are more than mine, do you have any complaints?"

"Slave dare not..."

Not only was there no trace of panic on his face, but he showed a bit of a smile on the contrary. Zheng Ping knelt down and kowtowed his head and said: "The servant is an orphan who enters the palace and earns so much money. When he dies, he will be taken into the coffin. The things outside are beautiful. You are decent, but you are comfortable in the things inside, running errands for the princess, the servant is happy and at ease, without any complaints, if the servant does something wrong, you just punish the servant, don't drive the servant out."

Compared with Dexi's smooth tongue, what Zheng Ping, who has always been gentle and quiet, is more credible. Fang Ruxuan nodded with a smile, "Since that's the case, I will write down what you said. If you make a mistake in the future, you will never forgive me lightly." .”

Zheng Ping knew that after doing this for so long, he finally got Fang Ruxuan's approval, so he knelt down and thanked him.

Seeing that Fang Ruxuan had no more orders, Zheng Ping got up and went out.

Fang Ruxuan withdrew her thoughts, picked up the booklet and read it carefully.

Although the status of concubines in the palace is more related to King Yao's favor, their family background should not be underestimated. There are very few concubines like Concubine Ning who are from a small family and are ranked among the nine concubines because of their favor.

As for the few concubines in the palace today, not to mention Queen Zhou, the Han clan behind Concubine Han Shu controls more than [-]% of Yao Kingdom's military strength, and Concubine Liu Ning's father is a cabinet scholar of Mingyuan Pavilion. Concubine Jing is the latecomer. She has survived from a nobleman at the beginning to one of the four concubines and gave birth to King Rui, but her father and brother are also high-ranking officials in the south.

Only Lu Rufei seemed to have no shadow of a big family behind her, and after she gave birth to the Ninth Princess, she put all her heart on her daughter.She doesn't come out to compete for favor, but there are so many times a month to serve her bed, let's talk about it in the palace, it's not as good as Concubine Han Shu, Concubine Jing, or even Concubine Fang, but if you say it's inconspicuous, no one seems to dare to disapprove her in person. Happily, even Queen Zhou, everyone before and after treated her kindly.

Let me ask, if such a person doesn't have some means, how can he climb to where he is today step by step?
However, when I saw that Lu Rufei's mother's surname was Xing, she was a distant relative of the Marquis of Chang'an. When Concubine Lu was still a daughter, she came to Shangyang City from her hometown and lived in the Marquis of Chang'an for a while before entering the palace to participate in the election. At that time, Fang Ruxuan's heart flashed a strange feeling that she couldn't explain clearly.

Fang Ruxuan summoned Mulberry, "Now in the palace, the old people who are at the same time as Concubine Ning are probably Queen Zhou, Concubine Han Shu, Concubine Liu Ning and Concubine Lu Ru? Any other sources?"

Mulberry is only in her early 20s now. When Concubine Ning died of injustice in the palace, she was still ignorant and ignorant. However, she is a native of Yao Country and has been with Chu Yuan for many years. It's much better than having your own eyes blacked out.

Sure enough, Sangshen didn't refuse in a hurry, but lowered her head and began to think.

After a while, she raised her head and replied: "Maybe the master can think of ideas from the concubines in the palace. As far as the servants know, when the concubine Ning was alive, she was very kind to Concubine Xi. To hide it, she likes Concubine Ning very much, and the two must have been mother and daughter in their previous lives."

"Concubine Xi?"

Fang Ruxuan didn't know anything about the person Sangshen mentioned.

Sangsan also shook her head regretfully, "My servant only knows this, and I heard it from other people. I don't know anything else. If the master needs it, will this servant go to inquire about it in the next few days?"

Fang Ruxuan nodded, "The sooner the better."

Even Lou Ya has already guessed about her old affairs with Concubine Ning. I am afraid that it will not be long before everyone in the palace knows about it. By that time, if someone with a heart intervenes, I am afraid that I will lose any useful information. Not anymore.

After Mulberry retreated, Fang Ruxuan looked at the booklet again, and her eyes couldn't help but stop at the words Chang'an Hou Fu.

Originally, she was full of curiosity about Xing Zhuo, but now that Concubine Lu Rufei has become involved with the Marquis of Chang'an, Fang Ruxuan just felt that she was in a hazy mist, maybe the next step would be the way out, Perhaps, one foot will step into the land of eternal doom.

After thinking wildly for a while, she ordered Ding Xiang to put away the booklet, and Fang Ruxuan took out the affairs booklet in the palace and read it again.

Now it is the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month, and in two or three days, King Yao will seal the seal, and everyone in the palace will be preparing for the New Year. If you can sort out the things at hand earlier, then you will be able to spend more time with Chu Yuan Free time together.

Thinking this way, Fang Ruxuan was extra careful when handling these trivial matters, and she didn't even know when Chu Yuan entered the inner hall.

"You're back?"

When it was dark, Fang Ruxuan raised her head, and saw Chu Yuan sitting directly opposite with a book, talking with a smile, Fang Ruxuan closed the booklet in front of her.

After talking for a while, it was time for dinner. As usual, it was the day when Hu Moyan and the others came to pay their respects.

Ever since Fang Ruxuan was confinement, the women in the East Palace seemed to have formed a tacit understanding, they came to greet Chu Yuan and Fang Ruxuan every five days, and in the evening, they could accompany Chu Yuan and Fang Ruxuan for dinner.

Although it didn't look much better than before, Lin Ke'er and the three of them were also very happy. Every time it came to the day of Anne, they dressed up extravagantly, making Hu Moyan more and more indifferent and alienated.

After the meal, Hu Moyan and the others got up to leave, Chu Yuan took Fang Ruxuan's hand and took a walk in the courtyard.

"I heard from Zheng Ping that Xing Zhuo is considered a lone minister in the court, but he has some friendship with you in private. How did you know each other?"

Holding Chu Yuan's arm, Fang Ruxuan chatted and asked.

Chu Yuan smiled, took a breath of cool air, and said in a clear voice: "When I knew him, I was five years old and he was thirteen. At that time, his position in the Marquis of Chang'an was quite embarrassing."

She didn't expect the relationship between the two to be so long. Fang Ruxuan knew that there must be another long story among them, so she cuddled up with Chu Yuan and remained silent.

"His mother is the concubine of Marquis Chang'an. Xing Zhuo was already ten years old when Mrs. Marquis of Chang'an found out that there was a concubine's eldest son outside. Whether it was pretending to be virtuous or for other reasons, Mrs. Marquis of Chang'an told the old Marquis of Chang'an, He was taken back to the Marquis of Chang'an and put on the Zongdi, but his mother was always outside."

"Later, his mother's health gradually became ill. Xing Zhuo said that he wanted to serve the left and right sides, but how could the people in the Marquis of Chang'an agree? Therefore, Xing Zhuo always sneaked out of the school to see his mother, and finally one day , at the gate of the house outside, I saw Madam Chang'an's carriage."

"His mother was an arrogant woman. She didn't want to enter the Marquis of Chang'an as a concubine. She raised Xing Zhuo by herself. In the end, she couldn't even keep her son by her side, and even died for it. When Xing Zhuo knew about it, , threatened to be ashamed to be born as a member of the Xing family, and this incident caused a lot of trouble back then, and finally, Xing Zhuo was expelled from the family and set up his own family."

In the night, it was Chu Yuan's voice slowly speaking, as if thinking of the acquaintance with Xing Zhuo back then, Chu Yuan's face was gentle, "In the two years before he was expelled from Chang'an Marquis, he often entered the palace with Chang'an Marquis , we have known each other for two years. At that time, I was often bullied by King Yong and others. At first, he looked down on me very much, but later, he began to teach me how to fight back. In a blink of an eye, it has been two years."

"Later, I was sent to Da Yuan as a hostage, and he was expelled from the Marquis of Chang'an. But after all these years, we have not broken contact. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be able to get into the reserve position so smoothly."

The night was cold, but at this moment, Chu Yuan had a little warmth on his body. He was no longer the indifferent person who had a gentle smile but made people feel distant.

(End of this chapter)