deltrittennovels #111 - Doll Trouble
#111 - Doll Trouble
No one expected Xue Feng to be so efficient.
By the time everyone had finished bathing and returned, the camp tent had been completely transformed.
Several servants had cleaned everything spotlessly, and had neatly arranged new beds, bedding, clothes, and shoes.
They had even thoughtfully set up incense burners.
As the sandalwood incense burned, a refreshing fragrance immediately spread throughout the tent.
"This Xue Feng, his identity is truly not simple!"
Everyone was secretly amazed.
Arranging for servants to bring so many things into the Forbidden Army camp was not an easy task.
Wang Quan came to his new bed, touched the bedding, and couldn't help but exclaim:
"It's not a cotton quilt, it's a silk quilt!"
"Brother Xue, this is too much, thank you so much!"
The warmth of a silk quilt is much better than a cotton quilt, and the price is naturally much higher.
Ordinary soldiers couldn't afford silk quilts.
Now, in the dead of winter, being able to wrap themselves in a silk quilt meant they wouldn't have to suffer from the cold anymore.
The other soldiers also looked at their new bedding and clothes, their faces beaming with joy, and they kept thanking Xue Feng.
Liang Jin didn't care about these things.
He was very wealthy.
He hadn't indulged in luxury before, simply to avoid attracting attention.
Now that he had received this favor from Xue Feng, he naturally thanked him as well, without being impolite.
Xue Feng, however, ignored everyone's thanks.
It was as if he had provided the bedding and clothing for everyone simply to avoid smelling their sweat.
Although he acted aloof, no one would underestimate him, nor would they bother him.
Only Liang Jin looked at him a few more times:
"This Xue Feng, his martial arts are not bad."
Without using [Thousand Mile Tracking], Liang Jin could tell that Xue Feng's strength was at least at the seventh rank of martial artist.
This level was already very rare at his age.
With a good family background and high martial arts skills, he was destined to rise above Wu Huan very quickly.
Night fell quickly.
Everyone began to rest.
However, they didn't sleep soundly that night.
Xue Feng was very unaccustomed to the soldiers snoring in their sleep, and he scolded a few of the loudest snorers.
But it was no use.
After the soldiers fell asleep, the snoring continued one after another.
Seeing that it was useless, Xue Feng had no choice but to leave the camp tent alone and practice martial arts in the training ground.
Early the next morning.
The Forbidden Army quickly assembled and marched towards the palace to change shifts.
For everyone, this was not much different from their usual life in the Forbidden Army.
The biggest difference was that the leader had changed from Wu Huan to Wang Quan.
Wang Quan didn't have much of his own opinion, and he could only arrange things for everyone according to Wu Huan's previous arrangements.
Following the old rules, although there was no innovation or improvement, at least no mistakes would be made.
As for Xue Feng, Wang Quan naturally took extra care of him, taking him to patrol within their jurisdiction.
As for Liang Jin, he also returned to his post.
Today, those busy eunuchs and palace maids were nowhere to be seen.
Obviously, the work to prepare for the Spring Festival was almost done, and all that was left was to wait for the Spring Festival to arrive.
This also gave Liang Jin a lot of peace and quiet.
"Those people are so bad, I've been beaten and scolded so many times these past few days."
"They all嫌I'm stupid and useless."
"I miss the days in the Laundry Bureau, at least Auntie is starting to be nice to me, unlike the Noble Consort who is so fierce..."
Su Lian squatted on the ground, crying non-stop, her eyes red and swollen.
Liang Jin couldn't help but be stunned.
When did Su Lian go to serve some Noble Consort?
He quickly asked:
"Xiao Lian, tell me, what exactly is going on?"
"Weren't you always in the Laundry Bureau? When did you go to the inner palace?"
Su Lian cried as she explained the reason.
It turned out that the results of Steward Hu's recommendation were out.
Su Lian was recommended by her to Changchun Palace to serve Consort Zhang.
For other palace maids, this would naturally be a very rare opportunity.
Consort Zhang had once been favored by the Emperor, and still maintained her status as a Noble Consort, wielding considerable influence in the inner palace.
To go from a Laundry Bureau palace maid to serving a Noble Consort was like ascending to heaven in one step.
Steward Hu's idea was also to repay Su Lian for helping her family.
Su Lian remembered Liang Jin and Zhao Bao's instructions and wanted to refuse.
But things in the palace couldn't be refused so easily.
Su Lian didn't even have the chance to discuss it with Liang Jin before she was directly taken to Changchun Palace to start serving Consort Zhang.
Which of the palace maids and eunuchs who served the Noble Consort in the inner palace wasn't an expert?
When an oddball like Su Lian went there, she naturally seemed out of place.
Even Consort Zhang didn't like Su Lian very much, which led to Su Lian becoming the target of bullying by a group of eunuchs and palace maids.
Steward Hu probably didn't expect that her good intentions would ultimately turn into a bad thing.
This was also because Steward Hu lacked understanding of Su Lian, which led to such a result.
Liang Jin frowned after listening.
He didn't expect that the thing he was worried about would ultimately happen.
Outsiders only saw the three thousand beauties in the inner palace.
But they didn't know that the inner palace was truly a dangerous place of right and wrong.
Seeing Su Lian crying so sadly, a coldness rose in Liang Jin's eyes:
"These bastards!"
Su Lian wasn't the type of person who would cry easily.
She had been working in the palace since she was a child, and her personality was already very strong.
Even when she suffered in the Laundry Bureau before, she had never cried.
Now that she could cry so sadly, it was clear that her situation was even more serious than Liang Jin had imagined.
He regarded Su Lian as his own sister, and he wouldn't allow others to bully her like this.
Not even the Noble Consort!
"Wait!"
"Changchun Palace, Consort Zhang?"
Liang Jin suddenly thought of something.
Wasn't the Consort Zhang that Su Lian served the daughter of Earl Ruian?
And the Consort Han that Zhao Bao served was the daughter of Han Guozhang.
The two sides had always been at odds, and their two daughters were also fighting openly and secretly in the inner palace.
The Senluo Sect was backed by Han Guozhang, while the Guiyi Sect was backed by Earl Ruian.
These two martial arts sects were also constantly fighting in Qingzhou.
Most importantly...
The intelligence that Liang Jin obtained after completing his sentry duty yesterday was also related to Consort Zhang.
He quickly checked the panel, which still showed yesterday's intelligence:
[Intelligence 1: Concubine Li secretly buried a paulownia wood doll in the flower bed in the southeast corner of Changchun Palace one quarter of an hour ago.]
Liang Jin thought thoughtfully when he saw this.
Originally, he hadn't paid attention to this piece of intelligence, feeling that it had nothing to do with him.
But now it seemed that it might be able to help Su Lian.
The use of paulownia wood dolls was often related to a type of witchcraft used by folk wizards to harm people.
Specifically, it was to carve the image of an enemy out of paulownia wood to make a doll, then insert iron needles into the paulownia wood man, then bury it underground, and finally curse it with evil words, which was said to have the effect of harming the enemy.
Concubine Li secretly buried the paulownia wood doll in Changchun Palace, probably with ill intentions.
Liang Jin wasn't clear about the specific details of the palace intrigue.
But he knew that if this paulownia wood doll was discovered by outsiders, Consort Zhang would probably suffer an unexpected disaster.
After all, witchcraft was very taboo in the palace.
"Take the opportunity to ruin that Consort Zhang?"
Liang Jin had this thought in his mind.
If he contacted Zhao Bao to cooperate, using the discord between Consort Han and Consort Zhang to allow this paulownia wood doll to play the role of cleaning up Consort Zhang.
But he quickly gave up this idea.
Now Su Lian had already become Consort Zhang's person.
As long as she was still serving Consort Zhang for one day, then she would be tied to Consort Zhang for one day.
If Consort Zhang was finished, Su Lian would also be implicated.
"Forget it, let Consort Zhang avoid this disaster for now."
"When there is a chance in the future, I will slowly clean her up."
Liang Jin made up his mind.
Immediately, Liang Jin comforted Su Lian.
Then Liang Jin asked:
"Xiao Lian, from yesterday to today, have any outsiders searched Changchun Palace?"
Su Lian shook her head, indicating that no such thing had happened.
As soon as Liang Jin heard this, he knew that Concubine Li, who had buried the paulownia wood head, hadn't taken action yet.
Then all of this was still in time.
So Liang Jin looked around and whispered to Su Lian:
"Xiao Lian, I have a way to make Consort Zhang look at you in a new light."
"But you must learn to act!"
"Now that you have entered the inner palace to serve the Noble Consort, the dangers around you are completely incomparable to the days of the Laundry Bureau."
"You must mature quickly, and you must learn to act."
"Especially, this matter must not be known to others, otherwise you and I will be in big trouble."
Seeing that Liang Jin said it seriously, Su Lian quickly wiped her tears and nodded.
She didn't quite understand what Liang Jin was saying, but she knew that listening to Liang Jin was definitely right.
Immediately.
Liang Jin whispered in Su Lian's ear for a while.
He even had Su Lian rehearse in front of him several times until Liang Jin was satisfied.
Finally, Liang Jin explained some details, and after confirming that Su Lian had remembered them, Liang Jin let Su Lian leave.
Looking at Su Lian's departing back, Liang Jin was full of worry.
Hopefully everything was still in time.
And may Su Lian be able to get out of her predicament smoothly.