Chapter 1 Well Throwing

One day in the sixth month of the lunar calendar in the year of Gengzi, the sky in Beijing was gloomy, and the streets were bustling with people. The people were really frightened. I heard that the Eight-Nation Alliance came. Those who had money were thinking about escape, and those who had no money were thinking about life.

The palace eunuchs in the Forbidden City were also panicked, and the fast-news eunuchs secretly spread the news that the Eight-Nation Alliance entered Beijing. It is said that foreigners are terrible. At that time, foreign devils went to Beijing to burn, kill and plunder. When you come back, will you rush into the palace?

There is also the old Buddha. The old Buddha must have a way to protect the Qing Dynasty. Thinking of the Empress Dowager Cixi, half of the people's hearts were put into their stomachs.

Speaking of the old Buddha, the Empress Dowager Cixi lay on her side in the quiet of the Chuxiu Palace. In the quiet afternoon, the incense crumbs in the incense burner slowly emitted a deep wood fragrance. For many years in power, she has never had such a sense of panic and embarrassment as today. With her eyes half closed, she was so irritable that she couldn't wait to shout a few words to vent.

The close-fitting girl Xiang Lingzi and He Ronger slowly fanned, and the wind was mixed with the wood fragrance of aloes, which made people drowsy.

Suddenly, the old Buddha sat up. Xianglingzi quickly put down the fan and brought tea. Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager Cixi pushed away Xianglingzi's hand, and the tea almost spilled out. Xiang Lingzi stepped back a few steps in panic.

"You don't have to follow." The Empress Dowager Cixi said.

"Yes." The two maids of honor returned softly, but it was difficult to hide their uneasiness.

The Empress Dowager Cixi strode out of the Chuxiu Palace, without a maid beside her, but called Cui Yugui and Chief Cui to follow, and rushed to Ningshou Palace in a hurry.

In the west courtyard behind Jingqi Pavilion, Zhenfei has nothing to do needlework as usual. After being put into the cold palace for two years, she was used to it. In the past few years in the palace, she has also suffered a lot of grievances. She hid in this small yard and felt much quieter.

With a bang, the door of the outer courtyard seemed to be opened, and she stood up in a panic. During the period of house arrest, daily necessities have always been handed in and out of a small door. Only when there are eunuchs sent by the Empress Dowager Cixi to scold them during the Spring Festival can they be regarded as popular. What's going on today? Is there anything to scold her?

Just as I was about to go to the window to have a look, suddenly the lock of the room was opened. A eunuch came in with a bow. At this time, she saw her nominal mother-in-law.

The Empress Dowager Cixi came in with a very calm and noble and sat down. Concubine Zhen hurriedly knelt down and only shouted, "Give greetings to the old Buddha. I wish you good health." Sweat oozed from her forehead. Although it was summer, she only felt that her hands and feet were cold, and bursts of dizziness forced her tongue to knot.

The Empress Dowager Cixi looked at the daughter-in-law who was kneeling on the ground coldly. After a long time, she said bluntly, "Foreigners are going to enter the city. It's messy outside, and no one can do anything about it. In case of insult, you will lose the royal face and be sorry for the ancestors. You should understand.

After saying that, the Empress Dowager Cixi moved her chin and looked at him slightly.

Concubine Zhen knelt on the ground. Hearing this, she was shocked before she realized that her death was coming. She knew there would be such a day, but she never dreamed that this day would come so quickly.

"I will not lose the face of my ancestors." She said that her heart trembled, thinking about how to ask Cixi to let go of her life.

The Empress Dowager Cixi raised her eyebrows, with a cold face, and said earnestly, "You are still young and easy to cause trouble. We have to go out to avoid it. It's inconvenient to take you away!"

"You can avoid it, but the emperor needs to stay in the capital to maintain the overall situation. The country can't be without a king for a day. Concubine Zhen boldly said what was in her heart.

But these words directly poked the heart of the Empress Dowager Cixi. The Empress Dowager Cixi immediately turned her face and scolded loudly, "You are dying, how dare you talk nonsense?"

I don't know where the courage came from. Concubine Zhen showed her unyielding nature.

"I'm not a damn sin!" Concubine Zhen said.

"Whether you are guilty or not, you will die!" Cixi said angrily! This comes from the bottom of my heart. Come on, throw her into the well!" The Empress Dowager Cixi shouted again.

Cui Yugui immediately walked to Concubine Zhen and picked her up. Concubine Zhen kept struggling and only shouted, "I want to see the emperor!" The emperor didn't let me die!" Her voice was so sharp that she almost cut Cui Yugui's eardrums.

The Empress Dowager Cixi sneered twice and said coldly, "Who he is, I can't protect you now!"

Concubine Zhen kept shouting and struggling, and she couldn't get rid of Cui Yugui's iron pliers that had practiced martial arts.

After a while, Cui Yugui carried Concubine Zhen to a well in the backyard. Zhenfei saw her girl Dongmei also standing by the well. Seeing that Zhenfei was coming, Dongmei knelt down and kowtowed respectfully. Tears only rolled down, and her voice choked and speechless.

"Mr. Cui, I beg you, for the sake of helping you in the past. The emperor is not kind to you. You can't kill his woman with your own hands. Besides, how long can the old Buddha live? Sooner or later, the world will be the emperor's. At that time, aren't you afraid of the emperor's fault? Concubine Zhen cried and persuaded her.

Suddenly, Cui Yugui moved and wanted to put her down. Concubine Zhen knew that he must have stuffed himself into the well, crying harder, and only pleading bitterly.

Hearing the sound of "Puffong", Zhenfei felt that she was finished.

One day a few years ago, when she woke up from her sleep, she accidentally found that she had crossed into a concubine. I thought this was just the plot of the novel, but it happened to me vividly. She failed the history exam since she was a child, and she was not used to the days when she first started to be a concubine. Fortunately, her husband, Emperor Guangxu, spoiled her very much. After a long time, she also felt that this man was worthy of sympathy.

Although he is the king of a country, he is constrained everywhere. The Empress Dowager Cixi alone made him unable to stand it, and the conservatives in the court were even more stubborn and amazing.

The Wuxu transformation began, and she found that Kang Youwei and others did not have the ability to exploit Ronglu's rights. Really, it was only three months. One morning, the Empress Dowager Cixi returned to the palace angrily from the Summer Palace. Wuxu's change failed. Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao hid, executed Tan Sitong, and put Emperor Guangxu under house arrest. She was scolded and went into the cold palace.

After the Empress Dowager Cixi heard the sound of "Puffing" in the yard, she felt at ease. His face returned to the former tranquility, slowly stood up, and left here with a stiff neck. Behind her, a touch of Jiaoyang was left behind.

In the morning of the next day, it was circulating in the palace, and the soldiers of the Eight-Nation Alliance had entered the city, making everyone panicked.

As soon as she arrived, Li Lianying came in with a small bag of blue cloth. He Ronger opened the bag, which contained a set of Han Chinese clothes. She was shocked and hurriedly helped the Empress Dowager Cixi change it.

Less than an hour before and after, Empress Dowager Cixi, Emperor Guangxu, Empress, Lord Jin, plus the two attendants, Cui Yugui and Li Lianying, hurriedly left the Forbidden City.

There was no owner in the palace, and it was chaotic. Several imperial concubines couldn't suppress the restlessness of the people. Taking advantage of the chaos, a small eunuch followed Cui Yugui's apprentice Xiao Dezhang out of the Forbidden City.

Xiaode Zhang was not in a hurry to go home and casually found a seemingly clean inn. When there was no one, Xiao Dezhang suddenly knelt down to the little eunuch.

"Speaking to the little master." Xiao Dezhang said.

Concubine Zhen took off her hat and showed her thick and long braids. She helped Xiao Dezhang stand up, gratefully, and only said, "Good brother, why do you have to say this? If it hadn't been for you two masters and apprentices, I would have no place to die today. As he spoke, tears rolled down.

But he said that on that day, Cui Yugui carried Zhenfei to the well. Cui Yugui let her down. Zhenfei thought it was over this time. Unexpectedly, Cui Yugui covered her mouth with a big hand, and Zhenfei suddenly heard a "bang" in surprise. It turned out that it was Dongmei who jumped into the well and saved her life.

Cui Yugui was not in a hurry to explain, but only let the princess hide it. After a long time, Xiao Dezhang found the princess and handed over a set of eunuch clothes. Princess Zhen changed into one, pretended to be a little eunuch, and followed Xiao Dezhang into a room for the eunuch to rest. When Cixi fled, Xiao Dezhang took the princess to take advantage of the chaos.

"Xiao Dezhang, what should I do next?" Concubine Zhen was thinking about this problem that night. Although she survived, everyone only thought she was dead. What should she do after that?

Xiaode Zhang smiled and said respectfully, "To the little master's words, someone will come to pick up the little master tonight. At that time, the little master will understand. Concubine Zhen nodded and sighed a long sigh.

Cui Yugui is obviously a celebrity around the empress dowager. Why did he want to save her? Is there any secret that can't be told here? Are you going to sell her to a brothel?

Concubine Zhen thought that she didn't sleep last night. Today, when she arrived at the inn where cockroaches crawled on the floor, she felt much more secure. After a while, she was drowsy.

Seeing that Concubine Zhen was asleep, Xiaode Zhang hurried out and closed the door.

When she woke up, the sky had gradually darkened. Concubine Zhen suddenly wanted to solve it. She sat up in a hurry and was about to ask Dongmei to prepare. Suddenly, she remembered that this was not in the palace.

There was a toilet hidden behind the bed. She went over and picked up the lid and looked at it. She brushed the lid on the toilet with an anxious face. Her hands seemed to be burned. She only felt dirty and didn't know where to rub it clean.

There should be a lot of clean inn shops in the capital. Why do you choose such a one with poor sanitary conditions? If she still has the opportunity to come back to the emperor's side, she must check who is in charge of the sanitation in the capital.

At this time, a voice suddenly came from outside.

"Is the little master up?" The voice asked.

Concubine Zhen was stunned. It was not the shrill voice of Xiaode Zhang, but a strong and magnetic voice.

"Who is it?" Concubine Zhen couldn't help asking.

"Can I come in?" The man said.