The Phantom of the Candle
The night was deep, and the palace shrouded in pale moonlight was desolate and solemn. In the Zhangde front hall of the Eastern Han Dynasty palace, a beautiful woman in plain clothes was looking at the empty dragon chair and secretly feeling sad. Suddenly, a black shadow flashed outside the door, and a strange laugh came from the door.
The beautiful woman was startled and shouted: "Who is it?" The black shadow disappeared quickly. At this time, the chamberlain Gao Eunuch hurried over, bowed and asked: "Mother, is that ghost here again?"
At this time, it was the winter of the first year of Yuanxing of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 105), Han and Emperor Liu Not long after Zhao died of illness, the 24-year-old Queen Deng Sui was honored as the Queen Mother and took charge of the affairs of the court. Nowadays, the political situation is not stable, but ghosts and ghosts often appear in the palace. Rumors are everywhere and people are panicked. Therefore Empress Dowager Deng was very unhappy after hearing what Eunuch Gao said, and shouted in a low voice: "What ghosts? The Ai family never believes in the theory of strange powers and chaos!"
Eunuch Gao did not dare to say more, but at this time There was another commotion outside the door, and it turned out that the important minister Zhou Zhang was asking for an audience in the courtyard. When Queen Mother Deng walked out of the palace, Zhou Zhang said: "I see the Queen Mother. The fake ghost who has been disturbing the palace for days has been caught, and it is him!"
Queen Mother Deng looked in the direction of Zhou Zhang's finger and saw several guards. She was escorting a handsome man. She took a closer look and saw that it was Jicheng who was the favorite of Emperor Han He during his lifetime.
Empress Dowager Deng was shocked and ignored Jicheng. She asked Zhou Zhang first: "Master Zhou, how did you get into the palace so late?"
Zhou Zhang smiled slightly: "Empress Dowager, you have forgotten that I am the late emperor's entrusted minister. The privilege of entering the palace at any time."
Empress Dowager Deng sneered. Zhou Zhang was one of the three princes. He had long been dissatisfied with her for making Prince Liu Long the emperor, but she had no choice but to come here now to use Jicheng's identity to cause trouble. ah!
Sure enough, Zhou Zhang continued: "Queen Mother, although Jicheng was your servant before, but now that the late emperor's body is still cold, he pretends to be a ghost and disturbs people's hearts. It is an unforgivable crime!"
Empress Dowager Deng asked: "Mr. Zhou, do you have anything? What evidence?" Zhou Zhang waved his hand, and a guard brought over a package of things. Empress Dowager Deng saw that they were all witchcraft items.
Zhou Zhang said that he had long suspected that the haunting was man-made. He had been guarding the palace for the past few nights, and just now he saw a sneaky black figure going to Jicheng's residence, so he followed him with his guards and caught him. It was Jicheng, and these things were found in his room.
Empress Dowager Deng could not openly favor Jicheng in public at this time, so she had to order Jicheng to be taken to Yeting for interrogation. Seeing Zhou Zhang triumphantly escorting Jicheng away, Empress Dowager Deng whispered to Gao Gonggong: "Send people to keep an eye on Zhou Zhang and the others, and do not torture Jicheng to extract a confession. In addition, it is said that everyone in Cao will enter the palace quickly."
Everyone in Cao It was Empress Dowager Deng's teacher Ban Zhao, who was erudite and talented. He succeeded his late brother Ban Gu and continued to revise the "Book of Han" and became famous throughout the world. Because she was married to Cao Shishu, she was respectfully called the Cao family.
Ban Zhao came to the Empress Dowager Deng's palace, and before she could salute, Empress Dowager Deng grabbed her sleeve: "Hui Ban, Zhou Zhang caught Jicheng, he must want to take this opportunity to deal with me!"
Ban Zhao thought for a moment, Said: "Da ChangqiuZheng Zhong and ZhongchangshiCai Lunaren't they both loyal to you? Let the two of them join and the three halls will judge, so you won't be afraid of Zhou Zhang's mischief."
Empress Dowager Deng nodded in agreement and immediately sent a message Zheng and Cai were ordered to go to Ye Ting to attend the trial, and then they sat with Ban Zhao in the palace waiting for news.
At dawn, Eunuch Gao hurried over and said that he had been guarding Yeting. When he learned that Jicheng had confessed, he hurried back to report the news.
Empress Dowager Deng frowned and said, "Didn't you ask me to look at Zhou Zhang and the others and not torture them to extract a confession?" Eunuch Gao said that there was no punishment at all, and Ji Cheng was very happy to do it, admitting that he had hidden all the witchcraft and the phantom that appeared in the palace recently was also disguised by him.
"Huh?" Queen Mother Deng and Ban Zhao looked at each other, both stunned.
"Bench" Love Empress Dowager Deng was born into a wealthy family in Nanyang . Her grandfather was the Taifu Deng Yu who had followed Emperor Guangwu in rebellion.When she was a little girl, one day her father Deng Xun brought a girl home and told little Deng Sui that from now on, this girl Ban Zhao will be your teacher, and you must learn from her literary talents and moral character.
The sensible and precocious Deng Sui did not despise this young teacher who was only a few years older than her. Their similar age and similar temperament made them close friends. Deng Sui personally made two small and exquisite pure gold bench pendants to commemorate her and Ban Zhao's "Bench (Ban Deng)" sisterhood.
The person closest to them at that time was Jicheng, a handsome and handsome young man. Although he was just a servant of the Deng family, Deng Sui and Ban Zhao regarded him as their best friend. The years they spent studying and playing together in Deng's house were their happiest times.
Things are unpredictable. After Deng Sui entered the palace and was named a nobleman, she fell ill. Emperor He, who loved her in every possible way, made an exception and allowed relatives of the Deng family to visit her in the palace, and Jicheng was also among them.
When Emperor He saw the success, he was astonished and accepted him as his male favorite. Deng Sui missed his old friendship and always took good care of Jicheng in the palace. Unexpectedly, Jicheng would engage in such a witchcraft and ghost thing just after Emperor He died. No wonder Queen Mother Deng and Ban Zhao were surprised and confused.
The things that surprised Empress Dowager Deng and Ban Zhao had just begun. Later, Cai Lun, the imperial minister, who invented papermaking technology, met the Empress Dowager to report the results of the interrogation. However, he looked at Ban Zhao next to him and hesitated to speak.
Empress Dowager Deng asked Cai Lun to speak frankly, but Cai Lun reluctantly said: "Jicheng just recruited the people behind his pretense, and they are... the Cao family!"
Empress Dowager Deng was shocked and said angrily: "It's nonsense! This Ji Cheng Are you crazy?"
Ban Zhao thought that Queen Mother Deng had asked her to participate in politics many times after she came to the court. Zhou Zhang had always been hostile to her. Now that the Jicheng case was found out that she was involved, Zhou Zhang himself did not report it, but he allowed her to participate in politics. Cai Lun, who was loyal to the Queen Mother, came to report, and his scheming was really deep.
Cai Lun glanced at Ban Zhao and hesitated: "Master Zhou means...all the suspects in this case should be taken to Yeting for interrogation..."
Ban Zhao saw that Empress Dowager Deng was getting angry again, and said quickly: "Do this That’s right. I hope the trial at Ye Ting can clear my name.”
Empress Dowager Deng had no choice but to let Cai Lun take Ban Zhao away. Seeing Ban Zhao smile meaningfully at her before leaving, she seemed to understand something.
Ban Zhao was taken to Yeting, and faced with the interrogation of Zhou Zhang, Zheng Zhong and Cai Lun, he denied that he had anything to do with Jicheng's pretending to be a ghost, and actively asked to confront Jicheng face to face.
Zhou Zhang was about to order someone to take Jicheng away when he saw Ye Tingling arrive in a hurry, saying that the house where Jicheng was imprisoned suddenly caught fire. The fire was so fierce that it burned the whole house to ashes in a short time. When the fire was extinguished, Jicheng inside was already there. He was burned into a charred corpse!
Everyone was stunned, and Ban Zhao felt heartbroken but also felt a deep chill: Jicheng's testimony against her was originally a solitary evidence and not credible, but now the solitary evidence has become a death certificate. Doesn't it mean that there is no corroborating evidence? Who else can clear her grievances now?
Behind the Scenes Conspiracy
Empress Dowager Deng was also shocked when she heard the news about the burning of Yeting, and immediately drove to the scene of the fire. She looked at the charred corpse, and her grief gradually calmed down. She whispered a few words to the accompanying Eunuch Gao. Eunuch Gao squatted down and used the whisk in his hand to pull the charred corpse twice. He turned back to look at Empress Dowager Deng and shook his head.
Empress Dowager Deng breathed a long sigh of relief and said calmly: "After all, Jicheng was favored by the late emperor. The deceased is the most important, so let him be buried generously!"
Returning to the palace, Empress Dowager Deng thought of Ban Zhao who was imprisoned in the court, and the bizarre and unexpected things. Fire, thinking about the unfathomable shady secrets and conspiracy behind this incident, I couldn't help but shudder and couldn't sleep.
Early on the next morning, Empress Dowager Deng fell ill. She decreed that the three princes headed by Zhou Zhang would temporarily serve as regents, and then she hid in the palace and never made a sound again.
Ban Zhao's husband, Cao Shishu, saw his wife in jail and anxiously entered the palace to see Empress Dowager Deng. Eunuch Gao said that the Empress Dowager was in disharmony and that she should rest in peace and recuperate without seeing anyone.
Cao Shishu thought to himself, as Ban Zhao's good sister, Queen Mother Deng avoided seeing her at such a critical time. It seemed that the situation was not good.He thought for a while, then went straight to Yeting, stuffed a lot of money into Yetingling, and just wanted to see Ban Zhao.
Ye Tingling collected the money and asked Cao Shishu to wait while he went to make arrangements. At this time, Ban Zhao was on trial. Zhou Zhangyan said: "Master Cao, I have always admired your talent, learning and moral character. I believe that there must be a reason for this case. As long as you tell the truth, I can keep you safe."
Ban Zhao said calmly: "Master Zhou "The Queen Mother has ordered three courts to interrogate this case. Why are you the only one interrogating now? Where are Lord Zheng and Lord Cai?"
Zhou Zhang smiled slightly: "The Queen Mother suddenly claimed to be ill and ignored the government affairs. The officials were very busy, so I asked them to help handle it?" The memorial is here."
Ban Zhao then took over what Zhou Zhang had just said: "I wonder what truth Lord Zhou wants me to tell?"
Zhou Zhang said: "Everyone in Cao still remembers the case of Queen Xiaoyin's witchcraft, right? Because of this matter, the late emperor would not abolish Empress Yin and appoint Deng Gui as the empress."
Ban Zhaojian Zhou Zhang's topic suddenly jumped from the Jicheng witchcraft case to the time when Empress Xiaoyin's private possession of witchcraft objects was abolished. When the public case came up, he was very vigilant: "Huiban is stupid, I don't know what Mr. Zhou means by this?"
Zhou Zhang didn't have the patience to talk in circles: "Let's put it bluntly, Queen Xiaoyin was framed back then, and the mastermind was the nobleman Deng Sui. ! She was not satisfied with becoming the queen through conspiracy. She did not appoint the eight-year-old prince Liu Sheng as the emperor after the death of the late emperor, but ignored the objections of the ministers and established Liu Long, who had just been a hundred days old. Wasn't it just to keep the dictatorial power for a long time? "
Ban Zhao felt a chill in his heart: Although she and Zhou Zhang were the only two people in the interrogation room at this time, since Zhou Zhang had said these words to her, if he did not agree to be complicit, he would inevitably be silenced. Ban Zhao simply kept silent, and Zhou Zhang was not in a hurry and asked someone to take her back to the cell. He had to let them "think about" such a big matter.
At this time, Ye Tingling came in and said that Uncle Cao Shi wanted to see his wife. He also gave her a lot of money and took out the money. Zhou Zhang smiled slightly: "You keep the money. You pretended to hide it from me and secretly arranged for the couple to meet. This will be beneficial to us."
Cao Shishu met Ban Zhao and asked her what happened. Ban Zhao sighed: "You shouldn't have come. Originally, I was the only one who knew about Zhou Zhang's conspiracy. Now that we have met, no matter whether I tell you or not, you are suspected of knowing it. Even though I am not afraid of death, We can't bring down the whole Cao family, Zhou Zhang's move is really brilliant!"
Cao Shishu was confused after hearing this. Ban Zhao simply told the whole story of the incident, and he was shocked when he heard it.
A sudden change occurred in the palace.
Early the next morning, Zhou Zhang went into the palace to meet the Queen Mother. Eunuch Gao still said the same thing: The Queen Mother's phoenix body is against harmony, so she should rest in peace and not see anyone.
Zhou Zhang sneered, waved his hand, and the guards behind him rushed into the inner room of the palace. Eunuch Gao was shocked and shouted: "Are you going to rebel?"
Unexpectedly, the guards searched the palace, but Queen Mother Deng was nowhere to be found. traces. Zhou Zhang became suspicious and had Eunuch Gao arrested. He wanted to interrogate him personally.
Eunuch Gao was taken to Yeting, but he refused to tell the whereabouts of Queen Mother Deng. Zhou Zhang was annoyed and was about to order the execution when Ban Zhao came in and said to Zhou Zhang: "Master Zhou, I know where the Queen Mother has gone. She is looking for Jicheng."
Zhou Zhang was stunned: "Didn't Jicheng be burned to death? "
Ban Zhao smiled slightly: "Master Zhou, I have agreed to cooperate with you, we are our own people, why do you still want to hide it from me? Let me ask you, there is a little one on that burnt corpse. A golden pendant in the shape of a bench?"
Zhou Zhang asked doubtfully: "Master Cao, if you have anything to say, just say it."
Ban Zhao said: "The Queen Mother made two of them herself in order to commemorate the sisterhood between me and her. One gold pendant for each of us. Later, after Jicheng was summoned to the palace by the late emperor, he became seriously ill, and the Queen Mother gave him the gold pendant to ward him off. Jicheng cherished it and never left it. Real gold is not afraid of fire. If there is no gold pendant on the charred corpse, the Queen Mother will not believe that it is auspicious."
Zhou Zhang recalled that Empress Dowager Deng was setting fire to the scene, and indeed ordered Eunuch Gao to pull on the charred corpse a few times. It seemed that she was looking for the golden pendant. He couldn't help but frowned: "Even if Jicheng is not dead, it is mine. Li Daitao tried his best, but the world is so big, where can she find Jicheng?
Ban Zhao said: "There is a beautiful Emerald Valley in the east of the city. It was a good place for us to study and play together. We also built two thatched houses with our own hands. Ji Cheng was hiding there in all likelihood. I believe the Queen Mother also You can imagine.
Zhou Zhang was shocked: "It would be terrible if she found Ji!" " He quickly ordered his men to rush to Feicui Valley to kill Jicheng and capture Queen Mother Deng alive. Seeing this, Eunuch Gao couldn't help but cursed angrily: "Ban Huiban, it is in vain that the Queen Mother treats you like a teacher, a friend, and a sister. You actually colluded with the traitor to kill her. Damn it, the Queen Mother really misjudged the person! "
Ban Zhao sighed: "Eunuch Gao, I am also helpless. I can't use the entire Cao family to bury the Queen Mother with her! "
Above the Golden Palace, the ministers looked at the hundred-day emperor Liu Long who was sitting on the dragon throne and was talking in a low voice. Zhou Zhang came in with Ban Zhao and his guards.
Zhou Zhang waved his hand: "My lords, I believe you are also interested in this little one. Is the baby emperor dissatisfied? This is all due to Empress Dowager Deng's selfish motives. She wants to be the dictator of power and become the uncrowned empress! "
Hundreds of officials were shocked when they heard this. Cai Lun couldn't help but stepped forward and accused Zhou Zhang of being treasonous. Zhou Zhang sneered and said: "I have witnesses. The Queen Mother's teacher Cao Jian can prove that Queen Mother Deng framed and falsely accused Queen Xiaoyin of practicing witchcraft in order to become the queen. The art of Gu, she made this hundred-day-old baby the emperor after the late emperor's funeral, she also wanted to have arbitrary power!
Cai Lun was startled, glanced at Ban Zhao with disdain, and said, "Aren't you the people behind the Jicheng witchcraft case?" How can we believe her testimony!
Zhou Zhang smiled slightly and said, "The case of everyone Cao has been found out. She was framed and framed by Jicheng." Now that Jicheng is dead, the case has been closed. Now we are talking about deposing the Queen Mother and establishing a new monarch! "
As soon as this statement came out, all the officials were in an uproar. This is going to change! Cai Lun saw that some of the ministers had already sided with Zhou Zhang. Knowing that they had been bribed by him, he had no choice but to cling to the Jicheng witchcraft case. Said: "Since Jicheng is dead, how can we prove that everyone Cao was wronged? If the Cao family cannot prove their innocence, they are not qualified to prove the Queen Mother's retrograde behavior!
Zhou Zhangyi frowned: "Jicheng confessed and framed him before he was burned to death. Do you want me to go to the underworld to find him now?"
Suddenly heard a sneer: "Don't bother Mr. Zhou to go to the underworld, I'll do it myself!" "The officials turned around and saw that it was Jicheng who had walked into the golden palace, and it was Queen Mother Deng Sui who came behind him.
Sentiment and Resentment
Everything was revealed: Zhou Zhang bribed Jicheng to pretend to be a ghost in order to bring down Queen Mother Deng. The trick of witchcraft was to draw Ban Zhao into his camp. He replaced Jicheng with a death row and was burned to death. After Jicheng escaped, he actually went to Emerald Valley.
Ban Zhao had a message for Queen Mother Deng before being taken to Yeting. With a deep smile, Empress Dowager Deng recalled that when her teacher told the allusion of "Hongmen Banquet", she answered "Xiangzhuang's sword dance, with the intention of Pei Gong". Ban Zhao also smiled like this, and she understood the reason why Jicheng framed Ban Zhao. The purpose was to deal with herself, the Queen Mother, so she pretended to be sick and not see anyone, so that she could leave the palace to find Jicheng.
When Queen Mother Deng found Jicheng in the Emerald Valley, the killer sent by Zhou Zhang also arrived. Killing him to silence him, he subdued the killer together with the confidants brought by the Queen Mother, and followed her back to the palace to deal with Zhou Zhang.
Only then did Zhou Zhang suddenly realize that Ban Zhao's surrender was an act, and she deliberately told Jicheng and Queen Mother Deng. His purpose was to lure him to pursue Jicheng, so that Jicheng could betray him.
Zhou Zhang made a mistake and was defeated by Empress Dowager Deng. Empress Dowager Deng announced that Zhou Zhang would be imprisoned in Yeting to await trial. As for other people involved in this conspiracy. As long as the officials involved in the case are willing to surrender and repent, they will not be punished.
On the mountain road outside the city, Jicheng said to Ban Zhao who came to see him off: "Thank you Queen Mother for your forgiveness, but I have no face to face you again in this life. I will wander forever and never see you again.Please help me return this to her! "As he spoke, he took off a chain from his neck, and the golden bench pendant on it shone in the sun.
Jicheng got on the carriage and drove away. Ban Zhao looked at the golden bench in his hand and sighed in his heart: The reason why Jicheng did this He was bribed by Zhou Zhang because he hated Empress Dowager Deng. From the time when the three of them were studying and playing together in Deng's mansion, Ban Zhao noticed Jicheng's love for Deng Sui. Although he could not be with the woman he loved in this life, he did not want to be a man's favorite. Instead, Deng Sui persuaded Jicheng to enter the palace to serve Emperor He, which filled his heart with resentment and was revealed by Zhou Zhang. Bewitched and used.
But in the Emerald Valley, facing Deng Sui who came to find him, Jicheng's heart softened. No matter how great the hatred was, there was no deep love. In addition, Zhou Zhang sent people to hunt him down, which made him feel sad. Determined to help his favorite woman return to the palace and regain her power.
Shanfeng Liexie, Ban Zhao murmured: "My heart is full of regrets and regrets. It’s rare to see this in this life, so cherish it along the way! ”#人世故事#
