FU TU TA / FORBIDDEN LOVE - Chapter 5 : The Closing of the Palace Gates

Slowly to the south, you can see a white flag in the sky from a distance. The funeral was over, and the guards inside and outside the palace were all his people. Now it's time to do business.

Strolling in front of Chengqian Palace, outside the palace gate stood Jin Yiwei dressed in flying fish clothes, spring blades embroidered on their waists, standing on both sides like nails. Concubine Shao came to see. Yan Sun Lang who was originally wandering on the steps outside the main hall hurriedly hugged the shaker and came over to greet him. 

She glanced at the hall door, and could faintly hear Concubine Shao's scolding and crying, "Can't you stop?"

Yan Sun Lang replied, "Even if the imperial concubine cries it is very important to wear mourning clothes for His Imperial Majesty's funeral."

She twitched the corners of her mouth, "Wearing mourning clothes? This Concubine Her Majesty really has deep affection for the Emperor." As he said that, a shadow passed by one side of the wall.

Chengqian Palace has a courtyard with two entrances. This was once the palace of an imperial noble concubine, and its architectural specifications were extremely high. Yellow glazed tiles were located at the peak of the roof, there was a dragon seal and an emperor phoenix under the roof. This place is different from other palaces, with pear blossoms being very famous. No second place in the Forbidden City could match him.

It rained too long this year so the flowering period came too late. Concubine Shao stood under the tree and looked at it for a while. There are some buds on the branches. After three or five days if the air is constantly warm then they will all bloom! It is in full bloom so that the temple that is too austere has a soft decoration that does not look deserted.

Concubine Shao dragged her onto the platform and as soon as she took two steps, she heard Consort Shao destroying the decorations, and her high-pitched voice, “Call Xiao Duo!”

Yan Sun Lang straightened his face and stepped into the doorway, his feet filled with fragile sounds like broken glass. Looking down, the blue and white porcelain plum bottle shattered, and the porcelain slag splashed from the floor covering onto the front of the temple. A man was standing beside a golden curtain. Concubine Shao didn't wear makeup, her eyelids reddened from crying. 

Concubine Shao approached in three steps and asked sternly, "Your Highness has passed away. Why don't you let me see it? At this time, the person in charge of the family has left, and there is no Emperor's Law. How dare you put me under house arrest !"

He just wanted to vent, Xiao Duo listened to him quietly and then said, "This supervisor is acting on orders. Please forgive me."

"Who ordered you? The queen told you to restrain me? Why did she do it? Relying on her as the queen in the past, who is afraid of who now?"

Concubine Shao straightened her chest and looked at the official in front of her. Overseer Xiao, I have always respected you as an intelligent person. I did not expect that with your intelligence you would be mistaken and unwise. His Highness King Rong is my son, but you stand by the Queen's side and obviously don't think highly of me. I urge you to look at the current situation. , help me, and you will benefit from it in the future. If you take advantage of the chaos to bully this orphan and the widowed me, when His Majesty succeeds to the throne, I will definitely make some calculations with you!"

His half threatening words didn't work for Xiao Duo at all and he would probably be more at ease if he spoke softly. Concubine Shao's intelligence was not enough for a court lady as all her thoughts were always on the emperor. He doesn't know how to win over people at the right time and place. 

Queen Shao's protective fence was so tight that even stray dogs couldn't enter. But why is there no one beside him who can help him? Fighting the tiger with one fist and giving him the throne, it would be better if King Rong risked his life.

He was too lazy to take a look, so he chose a clean place to walk, and sat down on the throne on the ground screen. Stroking the beads on her wrist, drooping her eyelashes, "I dare not accept Your Highness the Concubine's words. Your Imperial Highness has passed away, and the garrison in the palace is the most important thing. I am in charge of taking care of the salaries of officials in the royal court so naturally only I have to do my own thing. As for His Majesty King Rong's succession to the throne, I suggest Concubine Shao to say less... Previously Lady Qi once wrote a song called "Spring Song", not only could she not expect her son to save her, but instead, Zhao Wang Ru Yi was killed instead."

Concubine Shao was shocked when she heard her words, “What do you mean? can he compare with me? 

Watching her while talking, he suddenly smiled. "I was thinking of someone like you, which a little money and strength can buy. It seems I underestimated you. Also, the friendship between you and the Queen is incomparable to anyone else's. I heard that you walking in the Queen's bedroom, was like entering an ownerless land. The other eunuchs are looking for a proper meal, apart from choosing among the maids they are also not allowed to have any contact with the concubines. But you are completely different from those eunuchs. You jumped into the embroidered bed of the Empress. Overlord Great Lord!"

Concubine Shao sneered and she naturally felt relieved, but the people next to her heard in cold sweat. There are some things that can't be said. Yet he had sting in his words. You can predict what the next outcome will be.

Xiao Duo's expression didn't change much, he stood up and said, "The Emperor has returned to the heavens. Right now the Empress is grieving and this Overseer knows it. It's just that insulting the Overseer is nothing, but the Queen's reputation must not be tarnished at will."

He interrupted her with a cold snort, “A lowly maid, raising her voice with Ben Gong [1]! The Queen wants to rely on you and treat you as an honored guest but I am not taking you seriously here! miscalculate you? If you spill the soup, with a blink of an eye from Ben Gong then you will lie down on the ground like a dog and lick it clean. So now the emperor's slave came to restrict my actions as soon as the emperor died. You are against the heavens!”

[1] běn gōng (本宫) : Queens and concubines who had private palaces while claiming to be themselves

Yan Sun Lang, who was beside him, was almost trembling. Concubine Shao is tired of living. The women living in the palace had never had the chance to see Xiao Duo's strength. If you've ever heard of him, you must be afraid to be so open and honest. 

Looks like he'll have to prepare another coffin.

Sure enough, Xiao Duo's always-friendly face turned gloomy, and before Concubine Shao's pride faded, she suddenly stretched out her hand and grabbed her neck. Just hearing a click, like breaking a reed, the beautiful sharp mouth finally closed forever. She let go of her hand, and the imperial concubine fell limply to the ground, facing upwards, her eyes wide open, still in extreme fear.

She threw down her hands in disdain and smiled at Yan Sun Lang, “The number of Chaotian maidens is sufficient now. This kind of heart is amazing! I will send someone to dress the concubine in beautiful clothes and escort the concubine to Jinshen Hall for the funeral tomorrow. Once the imperial concubine's last wish is fulfilled, then the funeral will be over." 

She glanced at the palace maids and eunuchs who had been terrified in the hall, and sighed incessantly, "Since all of you have seen it, you cannot stay alive. Send them all down and serve Her Highness Consort!"

He left after saying a few words. Jin Yiwei and the Superintendent Eunuch would take care of the rest. It's just that his hands were dirty, he was a little displeased, rubbed Xiang Yunsha's blouse casually, and looked at it. King Rong was standing under a flower tree on the other side of the terrace. The only bloodline of His Imperial Majesty. He is less than six years old this year. He was full of filial piety and had a stupid face.

Xiao Duo walked over and squatted down to bow to her, "Your Highness, please accompany this Overseer to Kunning Palace. The Empress is waiting for you."

King Rong suddenly looked at her with big eyes, "I'm looking for my mother."

Xiao Duo snorted, "Imperial concubine is dressing up, let's go to Kunning Palace first, then return to Jinshen Hall to guard spirits. Imperial concubine is here."

King Rong thought for a moment, then nodded. He is afraid of falling and having to be held up wherever he goes. Looking at Xiao Duo's slender fingers under his pipe sleeve, he felt quite natural holding it. He had a pair of warm hands, which King Rong did not know, who had just broken his mother's neck. He felt very comfortable, always felt safe in that big house. Because there was his father who was an emperor, and everyone who saw him had to respectfully kneel down and kowtow three times. He stared at the man's face, "Overseer Xiao, they say my father is the emperor Bin Tian, ​​is that Bin Tian?"

Xiao Duo took her hand and walked out of the Chengqian Gate. The red wall reflects two figures, one tall and one short, an extremely harmonious scene. He said, “Bin Tian means never to be seen again. If Your Majesty has anything to say to the emperor, you must go to the Taimiao Temple [2] and pay your respects to him.”

[2] Tàimiào (太庙) : Imperial Ancestral Temple

"Can father emperor hear me?"

"It will certainly be heard." He looked at her, the child has no father and mother, and it is actually very sad. He softened his voice, "Your Highness will be living alone in Yang Xin's Zai Hall in the future, will you be afraid?"

King Rong bit his lips and thought about it, "I have a great friend and Sun Taiqing will accompany me."

Sun Taiqing had watched over King Rong since he was a child, and he was probably the only one among the eunuchs loyal to King Rong. But where are those people now? It might have floated in a corner of the Taiye Pond [3].

[3] Tài yè (太液): area west of the Forbidden City, now divided into Zhongnanhai and Beihai

"What if your great friend Sun cannot accompany His Highness?" A soft strand of hair fell from under the small crown of hair, and she hooked it with her little finger, "What about Your Highness?"

"Then I won't be staying in Yang Xin's Zai Hall, I'll go to my mother and stay in her bedroom."

A gust of wind blew, and the peach tree branches on the palace wall stretched out, and the leaves rustled above. Xiao Duo lost his senses and muttered, "It's okay... it's okay."

He set up a tent in the temple, and the voices of the priests drifted here, and he led King Rong to the Jinghe Gate.

The Queen is waiting, and when King Rong arrives, she will lead the crowd to mourn. Seeing her enter, he asked in a low voice, "How is she?"

She gave him a smile, "As the Queen said. Everything was done as the Queen ordered."

The Queen has always believed that as long as Xiao Du promises, there is nothing that can't be done. The Queen nodded in satisfaction, and looked at King Rong with complicated eyes, like she was looking at a lost puppy. After all, this kid is still useful. He smiled at her reluctantly, took her hand, and slowly led her forward.

A country couldn't live without a ruler for a day, and His Imperial Majesty didn't leave a will so whoever would become the next emperor had to be cared for by him. Xiao Du is the Overseer of the Interior. He had always handled important state affairs without fail, but right now, the matter of the emperor's funeral was the most important. Funeral, mourning, bathing, food intake, placing the emperor's body in the coffin, and lifting the coffin, all had to be arranged by him one by one. 

As for what happened in front of him, he didn't bother worrying about it, whether it was King Rong or King Fu. King Rong was still young and absolutely not an opponent of King Fu, let alone becoming an emperor. Not bad to be able to save his life. 

King Fu, His Imperial Majesty's brother, he thought of the emperor day and night. The ambition is not small, but the ability is very limited. King Fu had given him grace at the beginning but nothing helped him to ascend the throne. After all, no matter who they were, their position would not be shaken. Dong Chang's roots had long since been firmly entrenched in the blood of the Great Ye Country, and that “Seated Emperor” could not do without him, “Standing Emperor”.

“Emperor Standing,” this is a serious crime! He also admired the person who named him. The official was very eloquent and his intentions weren't very good, but he spoke very clearly. She took off the Buddha beads on her wrist and walked along the path to Qin'an Hall, thinking as she walked, that when the affairs in the palace were finished, it would be time to punish those who wanted to impeach her. With the new emperor, it is even more important to make a good start, so that the lucky beetle facing up can see that Dong Chang is still as good as ever.

When he entered the gate of Jin Tian, ​​Cao Chunang came to greet him, and said softly, "Foster father, that Bu family girl is awake."

He hummed, "Did that person wake up before or after the inspection?"

Cao Chunang smiled and said, "He got up at the right time. The title was just compiled. He got up not long after the book was compiled."

"This is a blessing and a big life." He turned his head and asked, "What will the current cabinet do?"

Cao Chunang said, "I was just about to show it to the adoptive father. According to the cabinet, the set number of chests can no longer be changed. Since even the title has been given, I have to ask another Chaotian girl to die."

Chapter 4 | Summary | Chapter 6