Zhang Yuanqing immediately saw vigilance and hostility in the young girl's eyes. This didn't require the abilities of an Illusionist; it was based on his experience with countless people.
Their eyes met, and the young, about fourteen or fifteen-year-old, Chu Meiren suddenly lowered her head, knelt down with a "plop" sound, and loudly proclaimed:
"Welcome, Your Majesty!"
Her voice was childishly charming, but her tone had the imposing manner of Zhang Fei saying, "Me too!"
This isn't the daughter of a hunter; this is Zhang Fei's daughter! Zhang Yuanqing quickly reached out to help her up: "Arise, my dear consort. I came in haste and haven't eaten. It's perfect that I'm here with my beautiful consort."
Before he could finish speaking, Chu Meiren leaned back, avoiding his assistance.
Then, she quickly returned to her seat and loudly proclaimed: "Your concubine will serve Your Majesty."
She pushed several dishes of meat towards Zhang Yuanqing and tore off a chicken leg, trying to shove it into his mouth.
"No need, no need..." Zhang Yuanqing tilted his head to dodge, and said: "Let the servants take care of it. Make yourself comfortable, my beauty."
Chu Meiren nodded, lowered her head, and ate ravenously, her cheeks bulging like a hamster.
Zhang Yuanqing first gave the two guards a look, signaling them to take a few palace maids down to ask questions. Then, with the palace maids serving him, he ate slowly, occasionally turning his head to examine the girl beside him. All rights reserved at 9biqu
This Chu Meiren was wearing a plum-red palace dress with a front opening. Her face was rosy and her features were delicate. Although she was young, she was indeed a rare beauty. She looked about fifteen at most, but her actual age might be even younger.
There's definitely something wrong with her.
First of all, her appetite. No ordinary person could possibly have such an exaggerated appetite. Secondly, her manners. Although she's the daughter of a hunter, having been in the palace for many days, she should have learned some etiquette. But with this eating manner, even Zhang Fei is more refined than her.
Finally, she seemed to be very resistant to physical contact with the Emperor. A favored concubine shouldn't have this attitude.
Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and said:
"I heard that Chu Meiren comes from a family of hunters. I wonder if you have any stories from the mountains to share?"
"No!" Chu Meiren denied it immediately, then quickly added: "Your concubine was young and didn't go hunting with my father, so I don't know."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded, "Since you didn't go hunting with your father, then why did you ride into my hunting grounds that day?"
Chu Meiren didn't answer for a moment, so she simply pretended to be stupid and buried herself in her food.
Chu Meiren doesn't seem very smart. She shouldn't be able to be a spy, right? Zhang Yuanqing continued: "Speaking of which, Chu Meiren has been in the palace for several days. I wonder if you miss your family? I can allow you to leave the palace today."
"I won't go! I don't want to see them." Chu Meiren subconsciously refused, then, seeing His Majesty looking stunned, she quickly changed her words, saying:
"Your concubine wants to stay with Your Majesty and doesn't want to leave the palace."
That's not what you looked like when you were avoiding me just now! Zhang Yuanqing originally thought the little girl wasn't very smart and probably couldn't be a spy, but now he changed his mind again.
This girl is strange. Maybe she really is a spy.
So, Zhang Yuanqing asked several questions indirectly. In order not to arouse Chu Meiren's suspicion, he asked about trivial matters and related hunting experiences.
As he asked, he suddenly realized something was wrong. The girl didn't know anything when asked. If she couldn't answer, she would lower her head and eat, pretending to be stupid.
If you say she's a spy, how can there be such a stupid spy?
If you say she's not a spy, there are problems everywhere. You can find a lot of doubts even with your eyes closed.
Who is Chu Meiren? Zhang Yuanqing's heart stirred, and he had a guess.
The inherited memories were too short, which is why she didn't know anything when asked. In addition, Chu Meiren hardly understood court etiquette. Her sitting posture, eating habits, and language style were all out of sync with this era.
A new question followed. If Chu Meiren is [REDACTED], then who could it be?
Is there such a stupid member in my Returned from the Dead?
Zhang Yuanqing matched all the female members who entered this instance one by one. Xiao Yuan, Guan Ya, and Little Aunt were all ruled out. The remaining ones were Sun Miaomiao, Little Green Tea, and the Queen.
Although Sun Miaomiao is a bit silly, she is actually very clever and a scheming Keyboard Warrior. Not to mention Little Green Tea, she has more tricks than adult women.
The Queen is also very experienced.
It seems that there isn't such a stupid member in my Returned from the Dead. Did a member of the White Tiger Army come in with me? That shouldn't be. With Xiao Fu's EQ, she wouldn't bring strangers into a game with acquaintances.
Zhang Yuanqing's mind was active, and he kept thinking. Unfortunately, he couldn't expose the information. Although the instance didn't explicitly state what the punishment would be for "exposure", in such a high-difficulty instance, you'd better follow the instance's mechanics.
Otherwise, a small mistake could lead to the collapse of the entire team and a team wipe.
After all, his character is a fatuous ruler, and the name of the instance is The Downfall of a Monarch. His mistakes are different from the mistakes of ordinary characters.
After drinking a bowl of mutton soup, he had a guess in his mind. He looked at Chu Meiren beside him and smiled:
"My beauty, at your age, you should learn the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and learn to read and write. Tomorrow, I will have a Grand Scholar come to teach you."
Chu Meiren's delicate face stiffened, and she reflexively said loudly: "I don't want to study, I don't want to study!"
The next second, her eyes changed slightly, and she pinched her voice and said: "It's not that your concubine doesn't love to study, it's that I think studying will distract my energy, causing me not to be able to take good care of Your Majesty."
Zhang Yuanqing said "Oh" and asked in a relaxed tone: "My beauty, I forgot your name."
Chu Meiren was stunned, as if she didn't understand.
"What's your name?" Zhang Yuanqing asked in colloquial language.
"Your concubine is called Chu Xiao'ao." Chu Meiren replied.
Zhang Yuanqing stopped talking and continued to eat. Chu Meiren on the side was sitting bolt upright, her face full of nervousness. The food in her mouth didn't taste good anymore, and her eyes occasionally glanced at His Majesty the Emperor, looking like a guilty thief.
Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing asked: "What's your father's name?"
"Jiang..." Chu Meiren's body shook, and she answered reflexively, but stopped abruptly. Her face changed drastically, and she picked up a piece of ginger and stuffed it into her mouth, smiling foolishly:
"Ginger is really delicious, Your Majesty. My father is called Chu Lao Si, and he is the fourth child in the family."
How did she get into the instance? Why didn't Fu Qingyang tell me in advance! Zhang Yuanqing's face showed no abnormality, but he was extremely excited in his heart. He already knew who Chu Meiren was.
Jiang Jingwei!
If Chu Meiren is Jiang Jingwei, everything unreasonable becomes reasonable, and everything stupid becomes self-evident.
The age also matches.
With Jingwei here, even if I don't find the spy today, I won't become a fish on the chopping block. Hmm, I can't reveal my identity... Zhang Yuanqing got up with a flushed face and said:
"I'm done eating. Chu Meiren is intelligent and pure of heart. I like her very much. Come to serve me tonight!"
After speaking, in Chu Meiren's astonished gaze, he ordered his attendants:
"Bring my Chu Meiren another roast lamb."
Under the pulling and suggestive looks of the palace maids beside her, Chu Meiren hurriedly knelt down and said happily: "Thank, thank you, Your Majesty..."
Leaving the three-story pavilion, Zhang Yuanqing got into the deer cart and continued on his way. On the way, he listened to the feedback from the guards. There was no problem with Chu Meiren's residence. At least they didn't find any suspicious points. The palace maids and eunuchs didn't see anything abnormal about her, except that she wasn't very smart and didn't understand etiquette.
The next target is Wan Meiren.
That's the woman who was wailing in the flower bushes in the middle of the night.
The deer cart traveled for half an hour in the royal residence, which was like a fairy palace, and stopped in front of a slightly simple building. It was two stories high, and although it was also carved with beams and painted with pillars, it wasn't exquisite enough. The flowers and plants in the courtyard were also sparse and ordinary.
Zhang Yuanqing lifted the curtain and, with the support of the accompanying eunuch, landed on the ground and led a group of people into the small courtyard.
There were only a few palace maids and eunuchs in the courtyard, and the former's appearance was also ordinary.
Wan Meiren doesn't seem to be favored. Zhang Yuanqing was thinking when he saw an eunuch shout loudly:
"His Majesty has arrived!"
A few seconds later, heavy footsteps came from inside the building. A moment later, the lattice door was pushed open with great force, and a woman with a broad back and a round waist, about one meter seventy-five in height, rushed out.
This woman had a round face, eyes like copper bells, thick eyebrows and thick lips, and a masculine physique. She was truly a good fellow who could run a horse on her arms and stand a person on her fists.
Zhang Yuanqing was so shocked that he retreated again and again.
The good fellow stopped nearby, gave a graceful salute, and said in a muffled voice: "Your Majesty..."
"Wan, Wan Meiren?!" Zhang Yuanqing's lips were trembling. He thought that her eyebrows were newly painted like moons, her hair was like clouds, and she was surprisingly beautiful. Who wrote the daily records? I want to cut off his head.
"Your Majesty, your concubine has been looking forward to you day and night, and finally you have arrived." Wan Meiren grabbed Zhang Yuanqing's hand.
Zhang Yuanqing struggled, but couldn't break free. He struggled again, but still couldn't break free, and shouted in fear: "Help! Come and save me!"
Two guards and three eunuchs pounced on her and pinned Wan Meiren to the ground.
Zhang Yuanqing, under the cover of two palace maids, escaped back to the deer cart like a fleeing rabbit.
The wheels rumbled, and the deer cried out. Zhang Yuanqing learned about the situation during his escape. It turned out that there were two Wan Meirens in the harem. One of them was recently singing in the flower bushes and was favored by Zhao Shun. After being favored, she was named Wan Meiren.
And this Wan Meiren was the good fellow who, two years ago when Zhao Shun was boating on the lake and accidentally fell into the water, jumped into the water in a moment of crisis, as fast as a swimming fish, and rescued His Majesty the Emperor before all the guards.
Zhao Shun had no advantages, but he was grateful. His reward for women was to confer titles.
So he conferred the title of Wan Meiren on this good fellow, hoping that she could protect the harem in peace.
It turned out to be a misunderstanding. I knew it. Zhao Shun's character is not good, and his aesthetics cannot be blasphemed. Zhang Yuanqing was thinking when he suddenly saw the male deer pulling the cart cry out urgently, and then speed up its pace, rushing towards a pavilion not far away in a rapid clatter.
Zhang Yuanqing fixed his eyes and saw a few tender green branches inserted outside the pavilion, with water on the branches.
The male deer couldn't wait to rush over and chew on them.
Zhang Yuanqing sniffed and smelled a faint salty taste emanating from the branches.
Saltwater? He was even more curious about that Wan Meiren.
At this moment, a beautiful and ethereal voice came from the second floor. Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw a figure in a light-colored palace dress sitting next to the beauty, wearing a gorgeous headdress.
After lunch, Fu Qingyang inspected the city defense equipment and supplies, surveyed the terrain around the city walls, checked the official granaries, and hurried back to the marshal's barracks.
He saw five teammates sitting silently in the room, their faces not looking good.
Seeing him return, Tianxia Guihuo said worriedly: "I just searched around and there are no women in the army. The female Saints and Rulers from Returned from the Dead should all be in the capital."
Xiahou Aotian's face was solemn: "There is also worse news. Hongji Ge is not in the army."
Ling Jun sighed and concluded: "Those without brains are all there, and those without strength are also there."
Fu Qingyang thought for a while and said: "Actually, Jiang Jingwei is also here. I didn't expect this to be a character instance."
Demon Eye Heavenly King slammed the table and stood up: "Immediately retreat to the capital."
"Don't panic. As long as we defend Linxia, the capital will not be in danger." Zhao Chenghuang comforted.
After saying that, a soldier hurried over, stopped at the door, and said loudly:
"Marshal, there is a secret report."
Fu Qingyang strode forward, took the folded paper from the soldier's hand, unfolded it, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
He looked at his companions and frowned:
"The secret report says that the Northern Dynasty has sent an assassination squad to infiltrate the capital. In addition, there may be spies lurking in the palace. Their goal is to assassinate the Southern Dynasty Emperor."
The Demon Eye Heavenly King, who had just sat down, slammed the table and stood up again: "Immediately retreat to the capital."
After saying that, another soldier hurried over:
"Marshal, the soldiers in the army suddenly have diarrhea and vomiting, suspected of being poisoned."
Before Fu Qingyang could respond, the sound of drums came from the city wall, as well as a faint shout:
"Poisonous insects, all poisonous insects..."
(End of this chapter)