清晨的陽光尚未灑滿庭院,袁府的婢女們早已開始了一天的忙碌。霧氣繚繞,竹林間泛著微濕的清涼氣息,遠處幾聲鵲鳴輕響,彷彿在為這座深宅大院的靜謐點綴一些熱鬧。15Please respect copyright.PENANAuW8AdeiVJu
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大喬與小喬早早起身,整理儀容,穿著一襲素婢衣裝,行動沉靜而俐落。15Please respect copyright.PENANAuzMpBpKEPC
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「蓮兒啊,過來幫我梳個妝罷,總覺得鬢角亂了些。」劉夫人坐在妝臺前,聲音溫柔,嘴角仍舊帶著親切的笑意。15Please respect copyright.PENANAcuBgtyAtWA
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「是,夫人。」大喬謹慎地應聲,上前輕手拿起木梳,將那一頭青絲細細理順。15Please respect copyright.PENANAaIhWaXAfyd
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「唉,年紀增長,總覺得臉色有些發黃。容兒啊,妳是不是也這麼覺得?我昨兒照鏡子,還嚇了自己一跳呢。」她語氣半真半玩笑,斜眼望著銅鏡中的自己。15Please respect copyright.PENANAihUB50lDmy
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小喬掩嘴輕笑,俯身行禮:「夫人日日都好氣色,是鏡子老了,不會照人。」15Please respect copyright.PENANAN9KC0HFHwM
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劉夫人笑聲清脆:「哎喲,妳這小嘴兒真會說話。」15Please respect copyright.PENANAX80cS6lcEy
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隨即她語氣一轉,柔聲道:「容兒,府裡西側那幾間空房許久沒人住,府裡人手又忙得很,不妨妳去替我看看,簡單打點一下。那近牆邊的地方最容易落灰積塵,也容易招蚊蟲。往後若能讓賓客安心歇息也好。」15Please respect copyright.PENANASNR5DSTRzs
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「奴婢知道了,這就過去。」小喬應聲,輕一欠身後退下,轉身時偷偷與大喬交換一個眼神。15Please respect copyright.PENANAfixeV9W2rX
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這正是她們計劃中的一步:盡忠職守,換取信任,順勢探索袁府佈局與動靜。15Please respect copyright.PENANACh5j3u26B6
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踏出房門,小喬沿著青石鋪就的小徑往西廂而去。此刻晨霧漸退,露珠在葉片上閃動,陽光從竹林間篩落,將她的身影拖得細長。15Please respect copyright.PENANAaowtolLIvB
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袁府西廂地勢稍高,距主屋稍遠,院牆邊緣幾間偏廂久未有人居,屋門緊閉,四周有些枯葉與蛛網,看來確已數日無人清理。15Please respect copyright.PENANARoDEflG0wI
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小喬推開其中一間房門,灰塵撲面而來,她掩口咳了兩聲,快步走入屋內,打開窗戶讓光透進來,隨即動手收拾。15Please respect copyright.PENANAlJJSfz5UHU
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她的動作輕巧,不一會便打掃得井然有序。可當她正在床榻邊鋪平被褥時,忽見一根銀白色的髮簪半陷在床下,閃著微光。15Please respect copyright.PENANAaa3gviL8Yj
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「這麼精緻……是誰落的?」她低聲自語,蹲下身去伸手想將髮簪撿出,卻發現簪子掉得極深,幾乎靠近床底最裡面。15Please respect copyright.PENANApcvALKbCm9
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她更深入地探手,指尖卻忽然觸到一個金屬質感的突起——像是某種拉環。15Please respect copyright.PENANA7TLT0cRPBy
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「咦?」小喬心中微警,退後一步,起身將床榻微往旁邊推動。15Please respect copyright.PENANA96XQP12B4B
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待床榻移開後,微微的日光照在地上,露出一塊連著拉環的木板。15Please respect copyright.PENANA8haiIx6aYz
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小喬心中一震,在確定四下無人,便伸手拉起那拉環。隨著一聲細響,木板緩緩掀起,一道幽深的通道赫然出現,幽暗中似有寒風自地下吹來,帶著一絲陰涼與潮濕。15Please respect copyright.PENANAnrpl2cfyVb
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她屏住呼吸,猶豫片刻後仍壓抑不住好奇,點燃了一旁案上燭台的殘燭,小心翼翼地踏入那密道。15Please respect copyright.PENANAzgrTg15Mtw
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階梯向下蜿蜒,通道狹窄,空氣潮濕,牆上斑駁石痕間散發著微弱冷光。她每一步都帶著警戒,壓抑的呼吸聲在空間中低低迴盪。15Please respect copyright.PENANACJVgImXa56
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終於來到底部,一個低矮的地下空間展現在眼前,牆上嵌著青石燈盞,早已熄滅。15Please respect copyright.PENANATndry9Bczj
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小喬抬起燭火照明,瞳孔微縮——五塊約一人高的長方形石體,並排而列,靜靜臥於地窖中央。15Please respect copyright.PENANAaw3DJK2Nk0
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「這是……石棺?」15Please respect copyright.PENANAq3F5UNxYP3
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她的心跳急促起來,喉間泛起一絲寒意。她遲疑著向其中一具石棺靠近,試探性地伸手輕輕碰了碰。15Please respect copyright.PENANAGPEnEzDon0
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可就在指尖觸到冰冷的石面的剎那,一股細微的刺痛從掌心傳來,像被什麼尖刺刺破,隨即是一陣惡寒自體內湧起。15Please respect copyright.PENANAEDfZoxzbIt
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「這石棺上……有毒!」她心裡大驚,但還未能仔細思考,眼前便是一陣模糊,四周景象搖晃,地面彷彿在旋轉。15Please respect copyright.PENANABfY4slnBIS
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小喬強撐著往後退了一步,卻站立不穩,身形晃了晃,終究支撐不住,倒在冰冷的石地之上。15Please respect copyright.PENANAL0XsnBagDH
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燭火在地上翻滾,火光映照著那五具石棺的輪廓,也映照著她蒼白的臉色與緊閉的雙眼。15Please respect copyright.PENANAQ5pcXIXPoV
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這時,密道中突然響起一陣腳步聲。15Please respect copyright.PENANAG3Xq0xxFI1
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「唉呀……我就知道,這麼個冰雪聰明的姑娘,一定會發現這個地窖。」15Please respect copyright.PENANAeyyRYEKEuF
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劉夫人緩步走下階梯,手中燭台搖曳,火光將她的笑容映得忽明忽暗。她那聲音依舊柔和,甚至帶著幾分惋惜,但在這空曠陰濕的地窖裡,聽起來卻比風還冷。15Please respect copyright.PENANA8r0GJ2Ch9s
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「果然啊,生得太美就是會犯錯——跟袁公那些愚蠢的妾室一樣。」