The story of the Beloved Concubine's Ascension

Chapter 41-50

Chapter 41

The emperor came in person, and dozens of people knelt down in front of the chamberlain's door. Shen Ji's eyes were red, and wet tears hung in her eyes. She felt unspeakably aggrieved and pitiful. She carefully covered her stomach with one hand, nodded softly and saluted: "Concubine I would like to pay my respects to Your Majesty."

"Get up."

The imperial chariot stopped steadily in front of everyone. Qin Yuan walked down from the imperial chariot with a sullen face and said in a cold voice: "I just came out of the Xuanzheng Hall to discuss matters. I didn't even have a moment to relax. Someone came and said that the noble lady was kneeling down to serve the provincial gate. forward."

He looked at Concubine Lin coldly: "Did you do something good again?"

"Jade Lady is pregnant. I have repeatedly told the people in the palace to take good care of her and not to hurt her. Concubine Lin, are you turning a deaf ear to my words? Or are all of you, the Lin family, like this? You rely on your favor to give birth to children. Jiao, you forgot your duty."

Concubine Lin opened her eyes in disbelief at such a stern and indifferent question, and subconsciously shook her head.

She had never seen His Majesty speak so harshly in public, especially towards her.

For so many years, His Majesty has always been indulgent, tolerant and doting on her. From the Prince's Palace to the Royal Palace, he has always given her whatever she likes and done whatever she wants.

They have known each other since childhood, and she has always been different from those emotionless women in His Majesty's heart. His Majesty dotes on her, loves her, and respects her. Among all the concubines in the palace, she is the most favored. Even though he likes the queen, he is disrespectful to her. His majesty will only frown slightly and admonish, but never scold.

Not to mention refuting her face in front of so many people, but since she became pregnant with Chang Le, everything has gradually changed.

The Lin family is an extremely prominent family in Chang'an. Because my grandfather was specially appointed as Taifu by the late emperor, he has a very high prestige in the court and has countless disciples. In the huge court, the power of the Lin family is like being buried deep under a big tree. The thick root system of the soil penetrates into every corner.

In the past, when my grandfather was the head of the Lin family, although he was very famous and had a great family, his grandfather was very strict in his administration. The Lin family always followed the rules and was the most capable minister around the emperor.

Since his grandfather no longer interfered with the affairs of the Lin family and lived in seclusion in the suburbs of Chang'an, and his father was in charge of affairs, the Lin family became more and more popular, but his ambitions also grew.

In the past two years, there have been many troubles, but most of them were suppressed by my father. Until last year, some unscrupulous things became more and more troublesome, and finally came to His Majesty.

It was also from that time on that His Majesty no longer doted on her as before.

But even though Lin is like this, although His Majesty does not favor her as much as before, he still has a place for her in his heart and treats her seven times as well as before.

Time passed, and until the newcomer entered the palace, she felt as if she was falling from the clouds.

If it weren't for Shen Ji, how could other women divert so much of His Majesty's attention, and how could she, Lin Xuanji, suffer the consequences again and again!

Concubine Lin's tears fell slowly, and she looked up as if she couldn't believe it: "Your Majesty, you didn't even ask what happened, did you just assume that it was my concubine's fault?"

"My concubine is a bit domineering, but she never punishes anyone for no reason. The noble lady is pregnant, and I never wanted to hurt her child. It was the noble lady who made the rude remarks first, and she is also the noble lady." Making unreasonable demands!"

"I just want to maintain the order of the palace to prevent anyone like the noble lady from taking advantage of her pregnancy to cause trouble. Can a pregnant concubine be arrogant?"

Her tone was extremely sad, and she burst into tears when she spoke, but His Majesty just frowned and said coldly: "I would like to hear what request Mr. Jade made that could make you so angry."

Concubine Lin's body froze for a moment.

Unexpectedly, she had already talked about this. Instead of softening his heart or speaking for her, His Majesty dug into the issue and asked Shen Ji what exactly he said...

Today's farce was really ridiculous. After hearing all the ins and outs, the Queen Mother lost her patience. She glanced at Concubine Lin, put her arm on Mei Ying's arm and sat on the chariot, and said slowly: "Jade Concubine wants to pick it up one day in advance." According to the monthly regulations, Concubine Lin is not happy."

"As a concubine of the harem, and someone who assists the queen in managing the harem, she is mean and jealous, has no tolerance for others, is harmful to the emperor's heirs, and has no regard for the royal family."

"If you are neither virtuous nor virtuous, how can you set an example for other concubines?"

Although the Queen Mother did not say it clearly, the meaning was already stating her position. The people present were all human beings, so they could naturally understand what the Queen Mother meant.

Among the crowd, Shen Ji looked at His Majesty pitifully but said nothing.

Concubine Lin was domineering, which made everyone in the palace dissatisfied, and was even more disliked by the Queen Mother. However, despite this, when His Majesty looked at her, he still hesitated for a moment and was still thinking about it.

She didn't know whether His Majesty was weighing the Lin family, or thinking about his relationship with Concubine Lin, or Princess Changle, but Shen Ji couldn't let His Majesty hesitate.

Now is the best time to reduce Concubine Lin's power. With the public's expectation, she cannot lose this opportunity.

The autumn wind is bleak, and it feels particularly cold on people.

She first knelt for half an hour, and then stood for a while. Her body was already weak and weak, and she had no strength left. Shen Ji lowered his eyes to hide his calculations, swayed, and fell weakly on Shuang Ying.

When everything is quiet, the slightest movement can attract everyone's attention.

The queen noticed Shen Ji's strange behavior and hurriedly turned to look at her and persuaded her softly: "Your Majesty, Queen Mother, Lady Yu is weak and has been kneeling for so long. I'm afraid she's not feeling well. This place is not far from my concubine's Fengyi Palace. , why not help her go to Fengyi Palace to rest for a while, or let the imperial doctor take her pulse and see if there is anything unusual."

After that, she glanced around: "Besides, today is the end of the month, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs is busy. There are many people here, and it is not good to keep them here all the time. The ins and outs of the matter are already clear, as for how to deal with it. , it depends on His Majesty's wishes."

Qin Yuan thought about it for a long time, then gave a faint hum and narrowed his eyes to Concubine Lin: "Go back to the palace and reflect on yourself. I don't want to see you again today."

Concubine Lin's body went limp and she almost fell on top of Hiiragi Mei.

Qin Yuan sat on the imperial chariot and waved his hand lightly. The dragon-head chariot carried by eight people was lifted first, and then the Queen Mother and the empress sat on the chariot one after another and prepared to leave.

Before Shen Ji was helped by Shuang Ying to sit on the chariot, his beautiful eyes looked pitifully at His Majesty before being placed in his position by Shuang Ying.

The Queen Mother glanced at the emperor and said softly: "The Ai family is tired from all the trouble today. It is up to the emperor to decide how to reward and punish him. Just don't wrong the grandson of the Ai family."

As soon as the words fell, the chariot carrying the Queen Mother left from another road and returned to the Longevity Palace.

Shen Ji was placed in the side hall of Fengyi Palace where she had lived before, and lay down on the bed, served by several maids from Fengyi Palace.

The imperial doctor was on her way in. Yun Lan personally poured her a cup of hot tea and said warmly, "My dear master, please drink some to warm yourself up."

Qin Yuan sat on the edge of the bed, held her hand and said warmly: "How are you? Do you feel any discomfort?"

Shen Ji looked at His Majesty with his shining eyes, looking pitifully: "My body is weak, my stomach is cold and uncomfortable, and my knees hurt..."

"It's just a little money. If you have any difficulties, just tell me. Why risk going to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to negotiate with Concubine Lin? If it hurts you and the child, it's not worth the loss." Looking at her weak appearance, Qin Yuan also felt a little distressed and concerned. He was confused, with a hint of blame in his tone, "Don't put your body in danger again in the future."

When his tone became slightly more fierce, Shen Ji's tears rolled down like broken beads, and he choked with sobs: "Your Majesty, I never wanted to put myself in danger. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is the place of the harem, and so is Concubine Lin. Sisters in the harem, I just wanted to take the monthly exam one day in advance, that's all, why does Your Majesty think that I went to see a wolf, tiger, and leopard?"

He had never heard such words before. Qin Yuan was silent for a short moment.

Yes, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is also the place of the harem. Where can the emperor's concubines not go in this harem? He had always known that Lin Xuanji was domineering and domineering for a long time, so he subconsciously excused her and acquiesced in her temperament.

But what did the noble lady do wrong?

Even if she violated the palace rules, it was only a trivial matter after all. Concubine Lin made a fuss out of a molehill, which was clearly due to her selfish motives, so she was punished for getting pregnant.

Shen Ji looked at His Majesty's expression without any trace, still weeping aggrievedly: "Although I heard that Concubine Lin was impatient and difficult to deal with, I never thought that someone whom Your Majesty trusted would be so domineering and unreasonable. It was just a few days ago. Concubine Lin snatched Doctor Su away from Concubine Zhuang's palace, and I was wondering if it was excusable, but when I saw her today..."

She threw herself into His Majesty's arms and sobbed: "Your Majesty, I am really scared."

The fact that Imperial Physician Su was forcibly asked to leave by Changxin Palace was well concealed. Except for some people who knew about it, the news was never spread. Qin Yuan always thought that the eldest prince's difficulty in recovering from the cold was because of the cold weather and the child's young age. Unexpectedly, I found out today that the imperial doctor was taken away while he was practicing medicine. It was hard to guarantee that it was not because the other imperial doctors were not as skilled as Dr. Su.

His expression suddenly darkened.

OK, good.

Concubine Lin herself has Changle and is a mother, but she has such a vicious mind that she doesn't take the rest of the emperor's heirs seriously and often causes trouble!

Not only did he punish his favorite people with excuses, but he was also arrogant and did not take the emperor's heir seriously. If she hadn't come in time today, she would have had to kneel down until she had a miscarriage before she got her wish.

She had made many mistakes in the past, and he had always cared about their friendship and Lin's achievements and indulged her. Who would have thought that today she would be careless and arrogant.

Lin Xuanji is like this, and so is the Lin family!

Qin Yuan's face was extremely dark, and he turned to look at Zhang Pu: "Here, here comes the order."

"The imperial concubine Lin is in a high position but is jealous and unworthy, and has no tolerance for others. She is embarrassed to set an example for other concubines. From today on, she will reduce her power to co-manage the harem, and will stay in seclusion for ten days."

"Tell her that if she can't learn to be virtuous and tolerant, she won't have to see me again in the future."

Chapter 42

With His Majesty here accompanying Mr. Jade, the Queen feels much more at ease.

She looked at Shen Ji on the bed complicatedly, with mixed emotions in her eyes. Concubine Lin had been domineering and willful for many years, but she had no respect for her. She had never been as frustrated as she was today.

Today, she was defeated and her authority to assist the harem was reduced by His Majesty. It relieved the hatred of many people for many years. However, the Queen was worried that Concubine Lin would never let Shen Ji off easily due to her temperament.

Being pregnant was enough to make her dissatisfied, but now that her power was removed, she was even more dissatisfied.

The Queen thought about it, and Fu Shen said to His Majesty: "Since Your Majesty is here, I will not disturb you. My mother is also very angry about what happened today. I will go to the Longevity Palace to visit the Queen Mother, so I will leave first."

Qin Yuan's tone was a little gentler: "The queen has thought carefully, go ahead."

When there was no one in the room, Shen Ji leaned softly on His Majesty's shoulder and said softly: "Now that the imperial concubine has lost the right to co-manage the harem because of my concubine, I'm afraid the empress will resent me."

She touched her belly gently, and the meaning was self-evident.

Qin Yuan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "I reduced her right to assist in managing the harem because she acted improperly and was not worthy of her responsibilities. How can she have the face to blame you?"

"Furthermore, I will protect you and your child and prevent people with ulterior motives from taking advantage of you."

Shen Ji bent his eyes and smiled, and hugged His Majesty's arm: "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty loves me and the child so much, I'm afraid he will give birth to a little princess who will be close to you."

Qin Yuan's expression finally softened, and he smiled lightly and said, "What do you say?"

"Folks often say that a daughter is a caring little cotton-padded jacket for her parents. She knows how cold and hot she is, and she can feel sorry for others. Your Majesty treats her with such care. If she gives birth to a naughty and mischievous prince, wouldn't you let your Majesty down?"

When he said this, Shen Ji's eyebrows were filled with a gentle and calm smile. Qin Yuan held her hand and said warmly: "Both the prince and the princess are fine, I am equally happy."

-

In the Palace of Longevity.

The Queen sat on the side, looked at the Queen Mother respectfully, and said warmly: "Mother, Your Majesty has already made a decision on the matter just now. He said that Concubine Lin's right to co-manage the harem will be reduced, and she will be banned for ten days."

The Queen Mother raised the cup and lifted the lid, took a sip of the hot black tea, and said calmly: "The Ai family has guessed it."

The queen raised her eyes and looked over: "How did the queen know? But did the Lin family make any big mistakes?"

The Queen Mother waved her hand and signaled that only Mei Ying was left in the palace to serve. After all the palace people left, she slowly said: "Lin has been unruly in the past two years, and troubles occur every now and then. The Emperor is not unaware of it."

"If this were not the case, he would not vent his anger on Mrs. Lin, and he would not be as warm to her as before."

She looked at the queen, with deep meaning in her eyes: "Lin's wantonness should have been suppressed long ago, but today's incident, although the Ai family contributed to it, the most important thing is the noble lady."

"Jade noble?"

"That's right," the Queen Mother put the cup down, slowly wiped away a trace of water stains from her mouth, and looked at the Queen, "The Ai family knows that Lady Jade was by your side day and night when you were sick, and they also know that you like her very much. "

"But can you possibly see what she is like?"

The Queen Mother paused deliberately for a moment, then continued: "That girl is extremely smart, and she will never seek trouble for Concubine Lin to show off her troubles. She is pregnant, so what is she going to do in the Ministry of Internal Affairs? Is it true? Are you putting your own safety at risk? If she really lacks this little money, the emperor rewards her so much, it will always be enough."

The Queen hesitated: "Is the Queen Mother saying that Lady Jade did this on purpose, causing Lady Lin to punish her so that she could lose her right to co-manage the harem?"

"I have never thought about this, but how can noble Jade be so sure that your majesty will punish Concubine Lin because of her?"

The Queen Mother said quietly: "This is her cleverness."

"Lin is restless. Everyone in the palace knows that the emperor neglected her. They also know that the Ai family does not like Concubine Lin. She is pregnant with the dragon heir and is favored like this. If we don't gamble now, when will we wait?"

"If Concubine Lin is really allowed to wield great power and make small moves in her clothing, food, housing, and transportation, I'm afraid she will have trouble sleeping day and night as a pregnant woman."

Hearing this, the queen nodded: "I knew she was smart before, but I didn't expect to be so courageous. When she was in Fengyi Palace just now, your majesty was still hesitant, but she timely revealed that Concubine Lin had forcibly hired the imperial doctor from Concubine Zhuang. , causing the eldest prince to become ill again and again, and it was difficult to recover for a long time, so His Majesty finally made up his mind to reduce her power."

The Queen Mother looked at the empress: "As the middle palace, you have no heirs for a long time. In addition, the Lin family is so powerful that it is difficult to survive alone. Although the Ai family does not like Concubine Lin, in the end, they are not doing things out of any preference, but to balance the harem."

"There are not many people in the palace. The Ai family saw that Lady Yu was worthy of a big responsibility, so they wanted her to grow up to assist you. However, she was born in a humble background. How can she serve the public if she has no heirs, so this child will not matter. It must be preserved no matter what, do you understand what Ai Jia means?"

The Queen stood up and knelt in front of the Queen Mother, nodded and said: "I am a useless concubine, let the Queen Mother worry about it."

Seeing her like this, the Queen Mother's tone finally softened a bit: "The queen is always the queen, Mrs. Lin can never get past you."

She lowered her eyes and looked at the queen's belly and said softly: "Although you are not in good health and cannot be pregnant, you are still young after all and can always be nursed back to health. It's just that the emperor only goes to your place on the first and fifteenth day of the month, even if you are fine. , and when and what month can you conceive? The Ai family knows that you are dignified and steady and not good at flattery, but your thoughts are always focused on the emperor. "

"In a few days, the Ai family will secretly invite a miracle doctor from outside the palace to come in and nurse you back to health. It's better to give birth to the palace's legitimate son as soon as possible."

The queen was blessed again and said softly, "Yes, I understand."

After some reminders, the Queen Mother was also a little tired: "As long as the Lin family does not fall, Lin Xuanji will regain power. Concubine Zhuang and Concubine Yi are not suitable to take over. Now you alone have the final say in the harem. You must seize the opportunity." ."

"Aijia is tired, you should go back too."

-

In the evening, I went inside Du Yuxuan.

When Shen Ji sat on the chariot and stopped at the entrance of Chunlan Palace, Junxue was waiting at the door. When she saw that her little master had returned safely, the big stone in her heart finally fell.

The news that Lady Jade was punished by Concubine Lin to kneel down in front of the Chamberlain's Gate had spread widely, and even alarmed His Majesty and the Queen Mother. Everyone in Du Yuxuan was very worried. Seeing that she had come back well, they hurried over to greet her: "My lord, !"

She smiled faintly and was supported by Shuangying and walked down: "Why are you crying? Didn't I come back well?"

Yun Xue's eyes were red, and she followed Shen Ji closely, whispering: "That Concubine Lin is not easy to deal with. Fortunately, you are safe, but this scared the slave girl."

Shen Ji handed her his handkerchief and said warmly: "Wipe it quickly."

Not far away, an old white-haired imperial doctor and his grandmother came forward and saluted: "My humble servant/servant, please pay my respects to my young master."

Junxue hurriedly introduced her: "My lord, this is Imperial Physician Sun. He is an old physician who retired from the Imperial Medical Office. He has superb medical skills, and is especially good at treating women and infants. The Empress Dowager personally invited her to help you with your pregnancy. "

"This is Nanny Wu from the Longevity Palace. She used to serve the Queen Mother and the Dowager Concubine. She is very stable and proper. She was also assigned by the Queen Mother."

Shen Ji was flattered and said with a smile: "Thanks to the Queen Mother's love, I even invited your two elders to come and take care of me. I really don't know what to do."

Dr. Sun's hair was gray and he was already over seventy years old, but he was still in good spirits. He smiled kindly and said, "You don't have to be polite, little master. I will come and check my pulse every three days to ensure the health of my little master. "

Aunt Wu also said happily: "I serve my little master on the order of the Queen Mother. I will leave when my little master is one month old and has given birth to a child."

"It is often said that an old man in a family is like a treasure. I am lucky to have both of you by my side." Shen Ji smiled broadly and looked at Junxue, "Have you prepared a place for Grandma Wu to stay?"

Junxue smiled cheerfully and said: "When I return to the little master, everything is ready. It is a clean and neat room alone, specially for grandma to live in alone."

"That's good," she smiled lightly, took the lead to step forward, and waved, "It's cold outside, let's go to the house and ask Dr. Sun to take my pulse again."

After Shen Ji became pregnant, Chunlan Palace had many more servants to serve her. Although the extra people served her, life became much more comfortable, but outsiders could not be trusted after all, and there were many people in the palace who were jealous of her.

While she was pregnant, she had to pay special attention to everything she drank and ate. Now, with the grace of the Queen Mother, the imperial doctor and the nanny had called in reliable people, which was of great benefit to her and gave her a little peace of mind.

After entering the house, Imperial Physician Sun first checked Shen Ji's pulse carefully. After confirming that there was nothing wrong with her, he then checked her clothes, bedding, rouge, gouache, and even the things she usually used one by one. She found that she was fine so far, and then he breathed a sigh of relief. .

It was getting late, so she asked Shuangying to send the imperial doctor to the palace gate, and gave him a lot of benefits before returning to the palace.

Aunt Wu used to be a member of the Queen Mother's palace, and she was also a confidant second only to Mei Ying. With her here, many people and things that were wrong could be reminded in time, and she felt much more at ease.

"Shuangying," Shen Ji glanced out the window. The palace servants in Duyuxuan were coming in from the palace door with their meals. "There are many more people in the palace now, but I don't believe it. You, Junxue and Zhou Yue are my The confidants in the palace, in this Du Yuxuan, must pay attention to everything for me. If there are people with useful temperament, they will be gathered in, and those with impure thoughts will be found a way to send them away. Everything must be done meticulously, do you understand? ?"

She wiped her belly and said softly: "I have said before that every glory and loss will be a loss. If I can give birth to an emperor safely, why not worry about not having a lifetime of wealth. When the time comes, I will fight for you whatever you want. How are you?"

Shuangying nodded solemnly: "I understand."

Just as he was about to have a meal, Zhou Yue came in from outside the house and announced.

"My lord, your majesty has come to visit you, and he has brought many rewards!"

Chapter 43

Shen Ji smiled lightly, nodded and said, "I know."

She did not go out, but stood on the edge of the door and looked out. She saw His Majesty walking over, followed by six or seven maids in green clothes carrying rewards.

Dusk was setting in the west, and the sun had already sunk into most of the night, leaving only a short arc in the night, dyeing the dark blue sky with a thin layer of orange light.

Every time I see Shen Ji during day and night interactions, she is half-dark and half-conscious, with the lights behind her like daylight, facing the stars in the sky, her face is particularly gentle and charming.

"I send my regards to Your Majesty."

Qin Yuan turned a deaf ear and directly held her hand and led her into the house: "I heard that my mother sent Imperial Physician Sun and Aunt Wu to take care of you. They are both old people in the palace and they do things properly, so I feel relieved. "

After that, he lowered his eyes and looked at Shen Ji, and said a little gently: "In the future, you don't have to bow when you meet me in private. If you are pregnant, these red tapes can be put aside."

Shen Ji smiled coyly: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"What a coincidence, Your Majesty. The dinner has just been brought back. Your Majesty, can you see if it suits your appetite?"

Qin Yuan took her and sat down together, and Fang said: "The dishes in Shangshi Bureau are naturally good. It will be even more delicious when you are with me."

Shen Ji looked at him angrily, and under the round table, he lightly kicked his instep with his toes and said in a soft and soft voice, "Your Majesty has a bad mouth."

This action was both natural and provocative, both intimate and shy, making Qin Yuan's eyes darken.

The Emperor is the Supreme Being, and everyone who sees him must bow down and worship him. No one dares to act arrogantly around him. Even the concubines in the harem can at most act coquettishly and pretend to be gentle and pleasant in front of him. , with a considerate appearance, even the former Concubine Lin was just a little girl who was playful and would not be presumptuous. No one had ever dared to make such a bold move.

The maids serving around him were so ashamed that they lowered their heads consciously. He slowly raised the silver chopsticks and said, "What's wrong?"

Shen Ji put his chin on his hands and leaned close to his ear delicately: "Everywhere is bad."

As soon as they left, she picked up the silver chopsticks with a smile: "The food is almost cold. Your Majesty, if you don't use it quickly, I'm afraid it will ruin the hard work of the Food Bureau."

A smile broke out on Qin Yuan's lips, and he lowered his eyes to look at Shen Ji eating, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

But he didn't say anything, he just ate the meal with Shen Ji in a good-natured manner, as if he acquiesced to what she just said.

The imperial concubine was singing in harmony, and the whole room was full of joy. Not far away, Qiu Lu, the newly appointed palace maid to serve the noble Lord Yu, stared blankly at His Majesty's young and handsome appearance. She blushed and secretly lowered her head when she remembered the appearance she had just gotten along with the noble lady. head.

After the meal, Shen Ji and His Majesty played a few games of Go with high spirits. However, they were not good at the game and were killed without leaving any trace.

As the night grew darker, she coquettishly said that the child was sleepy and wanted to sleep, so Qin Yuan had no choice but to follow her wishes and change clothes before going to bed.

During the pregnancy, the concubine cannot sleep with her in the first three months and the last three months. Shen Ji can only consider it after the fetal gas is stable. Shen Ji is less than three months pregnant now. Even if His Majesty comes, he can only accompany you and cannot be a favor. , so she changed her clothes and went to bed without any burden.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the curtain was pulled down, Qin Yuan's big hand moved from the inner garment to the inside, raised his eyebrows and said, "When we were eating just now, did you say that I was bad at everything?"

Shen Ji never thought that he would not be safe today. He hesitated for a long time with a guilty conscience, and then he hesitated and said: "It has been so long, how come your majesty still remembers that I... I don't recognize my body."

The fingertips of the big hand with clear joints were not as smooth as a woman's because they had been holding pens for a long time. They were a bit rough and the strength was neither light nor heavy, which made her flustered: "Don't recognize it?"

Shen Ji turned around to look at him, touched his belly and hummed softly: "I have been kneeling for such a long time today, and I almost got pregnant. My body is still heavy now. Why do you still have to argue with this little girl? "

After taking out the child, Qin Yuan's movements suddenly stopped. His throat rolled slightly. After a long moment of silence, he breathed a deep sigh of relief. His tone was helpless and unbearable: "It's good to be pregnant, but it's not good either."

He took his hand and lay down on the bed, frowning tightly: "I shouldn't come to see you today."

"Your Majesty, your Majesty will make me sad when you say that," Shen Ji reluctantly climbed onto his waist and chuckled, "It's not impossible to do anything."

The door of the dormitory was closed tightly. Qiu Lu and Zhou Yue stood guard outside the door together, blushing as they listened to the muffled sounds inside.

Qiu Lu blushed and whispered: "Eunuch Zhou, your majesty and my master...is this the case?"

Zhou Yue's face was calm, and he turned his head to look at her: "Your Majesty is young and strong, so it is natural. This is your first time on duty. Remember to be careful in your words and deeds."

"......yes."

After a long time, Qin Yuan casually took out a brocade handkerchief, wiped it, and threw it to the ground: "Do you have any fine print?"

A thin layer of sweat broke out on Shen Ji's body, and he whispered softly: "There are no small characters in my body. I used to be at home, and my mother called me Ah Ji."

As soon as she finished speaking, she hid half of her face in the quilt and said muffledly, "It's not pleasant to speak too hard."

Seeing her reaction, Qin Yuan laughed: "Do you want small print?"

"I'll get one for you."

Only then did Shen Ji get out of the quilt: "Wu Nong in Lingzhou speaks softly. Pampered daughters often have nice little words to show their love. I have no small words since I was a child, which shows that I was not a spoiled child at home."

Her eyes were wet and full of hope: "Your Majesty, do you want to get one for me?"

"Well, I'll get it for you." Qin Yuan laughed dumbly, hugged her waist and muttered for a moment, then said warmly, "The snow falling all over the sky, the rustling sound, takes the meaning of purity, flawlessness and beauty."

"Beauty is like jade, soft and pleasant. It is the perfect match for you, and the sound is the same as the soft sound."

His voice was low and melodious: "How about just calling me Susu?"

Shen Ji silently recited several times: "Susu--"

"Sounds good."

She hugged His Majesty's waist and smiled softly: "Since I have given a small name to my concubine, Your Majesty will pamper Susu for the rest of his life."

Qin Yuan smiled lightly and said warmly: "It's late at night, go to sleep."

-

Concubine Lin was stripped of her right to co-manage the harem because of her punishment of Lady Jade. The Empress Dowager also gave someone a special trip to serve at Du Yuxuan, which shows how favored she is and how precious this child is. Concubine Lin has been proud in the palace for many years, who can shake her in the slightest? This is the first time for this jade noble!

The wind in the palace has always been based on His Majesty's will. Now that Concubine Lin has lost power and been banned, the courtyard of Du Yuxuan is very lively and crowded.

Nowadays, the Jade Lord has the most holy will, and everything with the best food and drink must be delivered there first. The master is so proud that even the servants below him follow him with a bright face, and they are arrogant wherever they go.

Since Lady Jade was promoted to noble status, the number of maids and eunuchs in the palace has doubled. Due to the unreliability of the newcomers, they have all been sent to do rough work and inaccessible jobs. Those who used to serve in Miaoyunwu The rude servant maid was promoted to a close maid.

If the maids around the young master are roughly divided, they can be roughly divided into rough maids, close maids and personal maids.

Like Junxue and Shuangying, they are personal palace maids who can directly serve the mistress, arrange the mistress's bedding and jewelry, comb the mistress' hair, etc. The valets can enter the house to clean, and have access to the mistress's clothes, food, and medicines. Wait, and the maids who serve as maids can only do menial tasks such as sweeping and fetching things.

The hierarchy in the palace is strict. Each time you advance to a higher level, you can control the people below and get more benefits. Therefore, the palace people are working hard to earn a future for themselves.

Early in the morning, Ling Cui got up and began to instruct the rough men in the palace on the cleaning work of the maids, with a smile on her face and a look of pride on her face.

Following the most promising master in the palace, and now becoming a palace maid, her life is comfortable. It has been the first time for her in the palace for so long that she has experienced the feeling of others asking for her help. Naturally, it is like this every day. Full of joy.

"You guys, be sure to clean up the yard early in the morning. Our Du Yuxuan is a very popular place. I won't be sure if any of the mistresses will come over later. If you don't clean it up and lose face, I will definitely tell Eunuch Zhou to punish you!" "

"yes."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shuangying stood in the corridor and looked at her, beckoning: "Ling Cui, the pearls and corals that your majesty rewarded a few days ago are being used to make jewelry for the young master in Si Zhensi. They must have been finished today. You go now." Get it back, don't stay outside too long."

Ling Cui smiled quickly and said, "Hey, I'll go right away."

Errand running is her favorite job. It is rich in salary, respected by people, and she meets many people. Moreover, it is not accessible to palace maids.

She turned her head and pinched the handkerchief and was about to go to Si Zhensi. When she passed the door, she saw Qiu Lu holding a broom and blushing. She was in a daze in front of the door, frowning and scolding: "What are you thinking about? Hurry up and get to work!"

On the way to Si Zhensi, as soon as I passed a corner, I heard someone calling softly: "Sister, Sister Ling Cui."

She quickly turned around and saw a palace maid walking out from behind the wall with a timid smile: "It's me, I'm Yun'er."

Yun'er was a palace maid Ling Cui met when she was in Ye Ting. The two had been friends at that time, but since she was transferred to Miaoyunwu, the two have never seen each other again.

She excitedly stepped forward to greet her: "Yun'er, which empress are you working for now? Why haven't I seen you for so long?"

Yun'er sighed in frustration: "Wherever I can be, I can just stay in Ye Ting."

"Everything you do in Yeting is menial and tiring. You'd better find a way to leave."

Yun'er held her hand and said nervously: "I came here today just to tell you, is there still a shortage of people in the Jade noble family? I really don't want to live like this anymore. I heard that you are in the noble family. If you have the face, can you say something nice for me and point me over? If we are together, we will take care of each other, right? I will give you all the first year's salary when the time comes. Okay, Ling Cui ?"

Ling Cui felt very comfortable after saying this, but the young master was in hot demand right now. Shuangying and Eunuch Zhou also often taught them to be careful in everything and not to cause trouble to the young master.

She hesitated for a long time, Yun'er kept pleading, and finally couldn't help it, so she relaxed and said: "Sure, if there is a chance, I will recommend you to the young master again, don't worry."

"Now I have to go to Si Zhensi. Let's meet some other time."

-

Inside Du Yuxuan.

The eldest prince had just gone to the Imperial College to study, and Concubine Zhuang went to visit Shen Ji when she had nothing to do. At the gate of Du Yuxuan, several palace maids with beautiful faces were sweeping.

Everyone in Du Yuxuan paid their respects to her, but one of them was stunned and kept absent-minded.

She paid extra attention, went in and said with a gentle smile: "I have nothing to do today and come to see you, won't you disturb me?"

Chapter 44

When Concubine Zhuang came back to visit Yuxuan, Shen Ji naturally wanted to be well received.

In this palace, you can never succeed alone. The more people your Majesty can talk to, the better.

She put down the cup in her hand, stood up and went to the door to greet the guests. She said with a soft smile: "Your Majesty, your Majesty is here. The plum blossoms in Du Yuxuan are shining brightly."

Concubine Zhuang smiled coquettishly: "You are pregnant, why did you come to greet me in person? If you bumped into me, it would be my sister's fault."

The two of them sat down on the sofa affectionately, and Shuangying came over with a smile and served tea: "My young master is very happy that Concubine Zhuang can come. Since the incident at the Ministry of Internal Affairs last time, His Majesty has not allowed children to come. The master has gone out to let her raise the baby in peace, but it has only been a few days and it feels boring, but the mistress is bored."

Concubine Zhuang smiled softly and patted the back of her hand: "Your Majesty is right to feel sorry for you. People who are pregnant are always more valuable. I heard that the Queen Mother values ​​you very much, so I will retire from the Imperial Medical Department, Grand Physician Sun, and the Palace of Longevity Palace." Aunt Wu has come here to help you with your pregnancy, it's always safer to be in your own palace than to go out and walk around."

"The eldest prince only has one day off every ten days, and he usually goes to the Imperial College to study. So in fact, I usually have a lot of free time. I just want to be clean and don't like to go out. If you really want someone to talk with you, , I have nothing to do to see you, let's chat and spend the long hours."

"It's natural for my sister to think about me like this."

Shen Ji responded softly, and seeing that Concubine Zhuang seemed to have something to say, his smile deepened, and he waved his hands and said, "Concubine Zhuang and I will have a few words of respect for each other. You all go down and serve her."

When the people left, Concubine Zhuang sighed softly, hesitated for a long time, and then said: "I heard about the incident between you and Concubine Lin in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Although everyone said that Concubine Lin deserved it for being so domineering, I felt that Concubine Lin deserved it. no."

"During the time when the eldest prince was ill, there were so many people in the palace, and only the queen, you and Ban Yunu cared about her. I know that you are smart and kind-hearted, and you will not easily touch Concubine Lin."

"But have you ever thought that a skinny camel is bigger than a horse? Even if Concubine Lin loses the right to co-manage the harem, she is from the Lin family and has been running the palace for many years. If she wants to harm you, there are many ways."

Shen Ji was silent for a moment: "Your Majesty's worries are not unreasonable, but I have considered these things early in the morning."

"Did the empress know that Qi Gui died in the palace?" Shen Ji said softly, "In the end, it was found out that it was Li's fault, but it was not actually the case."

"It's Concubine Lin. She has hated me since early on and wanted to get rid of her. Now that I am pregnant, she will only hate me even more. No matter whether I do what I did that day or not, she will not let me go. Then Why don't I do it?"

She said softly: "Even if it can make the child in my belly a little safer, it will be worth it."

Concubine Zhuang looked at her for a long time and sighed softly: "You are more courageous than me. Recently I heard that Concubine Lin was furious because of His Majesty's reduction of power. She smashed objects in the palace, beat and scolded the palace people, and she was so angry that she wanted to die. I am a little worried about your situation, but now it seems that I am worrying too much."

Shen Ji smiled: "Your Majesty, I am worried about my body, and I am grateful in my body and mind."

Speaking of this, Concubine Zhuang remembered that she had just met the little palace maid at the door, and said: "After you were promoted to noble status, there were many new people in the palace to serve you. They were all assigned by Ye Ting and the Ministry of Internal Affairs." ?"

"When I just came in, I saw several maids with young faces and beautiful colors in your courtyard. They are pleasing to the eye, but not everyone is working hard."

"In the palace, concubines like Rao and Concubine Lin, the maids who serve in the palace will not choose anyone with too outstanding appearance. Do you know why?"

Shen Ji was stunned for a moment, then raised a pair of beautiful eyes: "Is it to prevent the palace ladies from getting distracted and climbing the dragon's bed?"

Concubine Zhuang nodded solemnly: "Exactly."

"In our palace, there were no concubines who were born as palace maids in the past, or they came from Concubine Lin's palace. Concubine Lin is such a jealous person, and it is a great shame for her that one of her palace maids has an unintended intention to seduce His Majesty. The palace maid was only lucky once or twice, and then she was quietly dealt with by Concubine Lin."

She spoke softly and slowly: "The first time this palace maid was blessed was when Concubine Lin was pregnant with Changle. After this incident, many concubines in the palace sent away the beautiful palace maids for some reason. , in order not to follow Concubine Lin's path. What does it look like when a master and a servant compete for favor, not to mention the many conflicts? "

"The most important thing is that the slaves who have been in the palace for a long time are as good as human beings. Everyone knows the master's taboos. You, the maids of Du Yuxuan, are all as beautiful as flowers. Although they are far inferior to you, you can't be favored while you are pregnant. , His Majesty comes to visit often, so there is no guarantee that nothing will happen. How dare they put such a person into Du Yuxuan, which is now so popular? "

Concubine Zhuang's peaceful face showed a hint of sadness: "There are many things in the palace. You have just entered the palace. Although you are favored and protected by the Queen Mother and Her Majesty, there are many things in this deep palace that you have to stay for a long time to understand." . Of these little girls who have just entered the palace, which one is not self-reliant on their beauty, and which one is not a young girl who is pregnant? Your Majesty is the emperor, holds a high position, is young and handsome, and it is easy to get interested. The person behind this is really thoughtful, If you arrange a beautiful palace maid, just send them out, but it happens to be like this. If you send them all out, I'm afraid you will be jealous and can't tolerate others. But if you keep them, it will be like a thunder stone buried in the palace. ."

"I will remember all the good things you did to me. It is for this reason that I want to remind you a few more words to be careful in everything."

There were many concubines in the palace, but Shen Ji was just a slave and might betray him. He never thought that the palace maids would become an obstacle to his fight for favor, so he subconsciously clenched his handkerchief.

Through the closed door, she seemed to be able to see clearly the faces of the palace people outside through the carved palace door. Thinking of her facing enemies in the open and in the dark, internal and external troubles, it was inevitable that she would feel a little tired in her heart.

But no matter what, there will be endless troubles after entering the palace. Since she wants to achieve what she wants, she must pay some price.

Enemies are hateful, but traitors are even more unforgivable.

People's jealousy should not be underestimated. If a palace girl in Du Yuxuan really had an affair, it would be perfectly reasonable to frame her for favors in the future, and she would never let it go easily.

As for the person behind the scenes, it is really difficult to detect. Is it Concubine Lin, Lu Cairen, or who else?

She lowered her eyelashes and suppressed her complicated thoughts, and said with a warm smile: "I will definitely think carefully about what the concubine said. I would also like to thank you for your trust and being willing to talk to me about this."

"People's hearts are unpredictable, and sincerity in the palace is even more valuable. I will definitely live up to your good intentions."

Concubine Zhuang sighed softly and smiled slowly: "It's best if you understand. It's hard to find a sincere person in the palace, and I understand the principle of reciprocating love in return, and I don't want to see you withering in the palace."

"Calculate the time, the eldest prince has to come back from school for lunch, so I won't bother you to raise your baby."

Shen Ji hurriedly stood up and asked Shuangying to send the person out in person. Suddenly he remembered that he saw Concubine Zhuang and Concubine Yi near Taiye Pond a few days ago, and called Junxue to come in.

Seeing that she was the only one in the room, Junxue lowered her head cautiously: "Little Master, what did you do wrong?"

Shen Ji smiled and tapped the tip of her nose: "You are very nice. I have something to ask you."

"Come here, keep your voice down."

Yun Xue immediately approached with a smile on her face: "Little Master, what's going on?"

"When I went to Taiye Pool a few days ago, I saw that Concubine Yi and Concubine Zhuang seemed to have some friendship in the past, and they got along a little strangely. I asked Shuangying, but she entered the palace late, and I didn't know what was going on. Thinking that you always like to collect news from the palace, you might know something."

"The young master is asking the right person." Junxue was obviously a little excited that the gossip technique that everyone said could come in handy, "I heard that Concubine Yi and Concubine Zhuang were in the boudoir in the past. But as for my good friends, although Concubine Zhuang and Concubine Yi are not from high family backgrounds, Concubine Zhuang is a legitimate daughter, while Concubine Yi is a concubine, and the family relies on the Lin family for survival."

"I heard from the old people in the palace that both Concubine Zhuang and Concubine Yi were selected as Crown Prince Liangdi, and they were ranked under the Queen who was the Crown Princess at the time and Concubine Lin who was the concubine in the past. The first year was considered good, but gradually The two of them separated, and Concubine Yi followed Concubine Lin, while Concubine Zhuang liked to be pure and be alone."

Shen Ji said thoughtfully: "We stopped visiting the prince's house the next year?"

"So how are you getting along now that you've entered the palace?"

Yun Xue tried hard to recall the information in her mind: "Concubine Zhuang and Concubine Yi have always been cold and indifferent since they entered the palace. They are not warm either. Although they are not cold-faced or tense, they are not close to each other. Up there."

"My young master, is there any problem with Concubine Zhuang and Concubine Yi?

Shen Ji smiled faintly and shook his head: "I just feel strange and a little curious."

"Your hobby of collecting information is very useful. If you can inquire more in the future without attracting attention, I will reward you."

"Thank you, little master!"

Yun Xue happily stepped back, and Shen Jicai frowned slightly, recalling the scene when he first saw Yi Fei.

At that time, she looked at Concubine Yi and Concubine Zhuang as if there had been some quarrel in the past. Concubine Zhuang was quite indifferent and indifferent, which was in line with what Junxue said, but Concubine Yi was too sad and regretful, and even She cried in front of her and reminded her to be careful before leaving.

She thought it was a little strange at the time, but now that she heard it, it was a little intriguing.

Did Concubine Yi really value friendship, and the conversation with Concubine Zhuang that day made her sad, or... did she do it for herself on purpose?

But no matter how favored Shen Ji is, she is just a small nobleman. Concubine Yi is the concubine who gave birth to the second prince, so what is the point of making a show for herself?

After thinking about it, Shen Ji still wasn't sure. Could it be that Concubine Yi felt that she was at odds with Concubine Lin and wanted to show her favor and bring down Concubine Lin together in the future.

Yi Fei has a gentle temperament and doesn't fight or fight, but she can't see through or guess.

Shen Ji slowly opened the carved window in front of him, and the busy scene of the palace maids in the courtyard came into view.

Let's not mention Concubine Yi's affairs for now, the most important thing right now is the people around her.

She gently waved her hand to call Shuang Ying and Jun Xue over, whispered a few words, then raised her voice slightly and smiled gently at the maids in the courtyard: "Everyone in the courtyard, come to me."

Chapter 45

Since the young master moved to Duyuxuan, these new palace ladies have been doing menial work and have never been close to the young master, let alone entered the main house to serve him.

Today, Concubine Zhuang had just left, and the young master actually smiled and asked them all to go over. It can be seen that he and Concubine Zhuang had a good chat, and he was in a good mood. Could it be that he was getting a reward?

Several palace maids in the courtyard looked at each other, quickly put down their brooms and kettles, wiped their hands with handkerchiefs, and said with bright smiles, "Hurry up, all of you!"

Qiu Lu had been in a daze, lowering her head and thinking about her own things. She was stunned for a moment when she heard the voice of the little master, and she still didn't understand what happened.

Green Rong, who lives in the same room behind her, saw that she had been distracted today, walked over and bumped her shoulder gently, reminding her in a low voice: "What are you doing standing there, why don't you hurry up and leave! The little master is calling us."

Why did the little master call them? But she has been distracted and was found out. Will the master punish her?

Qiu Lu stepped forward blankly, fell behind several palace maids, and followed the others: "Little Master, what's the matter?"

Shen Ji stood in front of the window and looked at the maids in the courtyard. The newly recruited ones are all young, and although their looks are not as outstanding as those of the concubines, if you look closely, you can see that they are all from a small family, each with their own beauty.

Although the selection of palace maids must be of good character and clean family background, and there will be no ugly people, it is not an easy task to select so many young and lovely palace maids from Ye Ting to be sent to Du Yuxuan.

She scanned the faces of these people one by one and smiled softly and harmlessly: "I was pregnant when you came to Du Yuxuan. I was busy with things in the palace, and His Majesty came often, so I ignored him. you."

"My master has asked all of you newcomers to work as rough messengers in order to be cautious, and I think you can understand it. But in fact, my master knows that many of you are very agile, meticulous in work, and loyal. She is worthy of being a personal palace maid, but she is not useful because she is short by my master's side."

"But as the saying goes, time will tell people's hearts. Just do your job well and don't worry about anything else. As for whether you are reliable and whether you are meticulous in your work, I will naturally have a strong balance in my heart and will not bury you. ."

Although it is an obligation for maids to serve concubines in the palace, everyone wants to plan for their own future. Many palace maids entered the palace at the age of twelve or thirteen and stayed in the palace until they were twenty-five before being released home. No one wanted to take advantage of this time to earn more money to find a way out for themselves after leaving the palace.

When the master is proud, he will reward the people under him when he is happy, and he will receive a monthly amount of money. Therefore, the more he stays with the favored concubine, the more he uses it, the more benefits he will get.

I thought that my mistress was so cautious and did not intend to reuse these new maids. Who knew that my mistress knew that there would be many opportunities in the future!

Several palace maids looked happy and hurriedly knelt down and said, "I will serve my young master wholeheartedly and will never neglect you."

Shen Ji smiled sweetly and said warmly: "There are many people in the palace, and there are many disputes, but I believe that everyone hopes that the people under him will be loyal and behave themselves. This is also the most important thing. Do you understand?"

"My slave understands."

"very good."

After a round of hard work, Shen Ji's inquiring look fell on them, and he smiled naturally: "Be good, I won't treat you badly. There happens to be a very important thing today, and it needs to be left to one of you to handle." , if it is done well, I will give you a reward."

"A cup of bamboo fungus and old duck soup is simmering in the small kitchen. Now it's brought out and the heat is just right. It's going to be--" She turned her beautiful eyes slightly, staring at the expressions of the others, "and sent it to Jianzhang Palace."

"Originally, I should send the things to His Majesty in person, but Your Majesty told me to raise the baby with peace of mind and not to wander around unless there was nothing wrong. With this in mind, I had to let our palace people deliver it. Shuang Ying and Junxue is about to serve me for lunch, so I can't get away from it. I thought that since you are here and you are still young, it would be a good idea to go to Jianzhang Hall to practice once, just to practice your courage."

Her smile grew wider: "Going to Jianzhang Palace to deliver meals is not an easy task. If you accidentally offend His Majesty, you will lose your head, but if you don't make any mistakes and come back, you will be fine. Why? , who wants to try it?"

Such a good job and a reward are what everyone wants to go to, but Jianzhang Hall is where His Majesty lives and is guarded by countless troops. These little slaves have to come to Du Yuxuan to see the holy face from a distance. Who dares to speak in front of His Majesty?

If you accidentally make a mistake...

Several palace maids looked at each other, hesitating and not daring to raise their heads. They wanted to try, but were worried that they would get into trouble, so they hesitated for a while.

Qiu Lu, who was behind everyone, raised her head.

If we go to Jianzhang Hall, will we be able to see His Majesty--?

Her pupils opened slightly, and there was a trace of struggling desire in her eyes.

In the past few days, she would think of His Majesty and the young master when they were teasing each other every day. She would blush every time, imagining that the person sitting in front of His Majesty was her.

When I think of His Majesty's appearance, I can't eat, I can't keep my mind, and my heart is beating fast.

She had never seen such a handsome man as His Majesty, and she knew that her thoughts were wrong, but she couldn't help it.

I always thought... it would be nice if something could happen with His Majesty.

It is impossible for a good family member in the palace to be of such a humble background and serve His Majesty as a concubine or concubine. Although she is a palace maid, she is also an upright and innocent family. Why should she be the same as the young master and the people in Yeting Xiyuan? ?

Having said that, she is a palace maid after all. If her thoughts are discovered by the young master, she will definitely not get any good results!

Qiu Lu thought this way, struggling and hesitating in her heart for a long time, but her desire finally defeated her fear, and she took the initiative to stand up and said: "My young master, my servant Qiu Lu, is willing to go to Jianzhang Hall to deliver meals."

Shen Ji's eyes fell on Qiu Lu's face, and he saw that she had fair skin and was somewhat pretty. However, her face was slightly red and her eyes were a little erratic. He did not dare to look directly at her, which was indeed suspicious.

So many palace maids were worried that they were incompetent and worried about their lives, but why wasn't she afraid?

Although Concubine Zhuang meant to remind her, she thought it couldn't be groundless. She might have seen some clues before she said such words.

Shen Ji smiled lightly: "Oh?"

"Aren't you afraid that your majesty will be offended by a wrong word and your own life will be lost? The new maids who have just entered the palace are not as stable as the maids who have been in the palace for a long time. They will be afraid not only when they meet your majesty, but also when they meet the queen mother, empress and Concubine Lin. Yes, you're not afraid?"

Qiu Lu hurriedly lowered her head and said, "I'm not afraid of hard work when I work for you."

Shen Ji looked away and said, "In that case, I believe you can handle this matter well."

"Kitchen, go ahead."

"Yes." Qiu Lu hurriedly lowered her head, her lips unable to conceal the joy, but she didn't dare to let anyone notice her little thoughts, so she could only lower her head deeply, and hurried to the small kitchen behind Fu.

After the people left, Shen Ji let the remaining maids disperse and closed the window. Shuang Ying came out from one side and whispered: "Little Master, is this Qiu Lu?"

"I see that the reaction of these palace maids is only wrong with her. Compared with others, she is a little more attentive, but you can't make a conclusion based on just one time. When she comes back, find someone to watch her and tell me every move. Shen Ji looked calm and said calmly, "I will ask Zhang Pu for information in a few days. I will not wrong anyone."

-

Outside Jianzhang Hall.

Qiu Lu carried the food box and walked to the guard door and said softly: "I am Qiu Lu, the palace maid of Du Yuxuan. I am here to deliver the freshly stewed soup to His Majesty on the order of the noble Lord Yu. I also ask the elder brother of the guard to pass the news."

The guards on duty in front of the door naturally knew what the noble lady and the palace maid beside him looked like. The palace maid in front of them was indeed unfamiliar.

He glanced at her up and down: "Wait a moment, I'll go and pass the message."

When the news reached the Jianzhang Hall, Qin Yuan was reviewing the memorial in the imperial study. Hearing the words, he didn't even raise his head. He just said to bring it in and put it down.

Zhang Pu responded and was about to go down, but Qin Yuan suddenly remembered something and stopped him.

"Wait, let her in."

Concubines in the palace who are not of the fifth rank or above are not allowed to come to Jianzhang Hall to see him, let alone deliver meals. Although he had specially granted this right to Shen Ji, not only had she never seen him before, but she had never sent anything to the emperor.

She often goes out because of her pregnancy and asks the palace maids to deliver meals. Is it because she is worried that she will lose favor if she is pregnant and unable to sleep with her?

Thinking of this, Qin Yuan stopped writing, just as the palace maid from Du Yuxuan walked in with a food box and nodded.

Qiu Lu didn't expect that one day she would be able to see His Majesty so close. She subconsciously raised her head and glanced up. Worried that she had overstepped her bounds, she hurriedly lowered her head, but her face turned red with embarrassment. She softly covered her lower body and said, "Slave Qiu." Lu, please give your regards to Your Majesty."

Qin Yuan glanced at her lightly: "Did Lady Jade ask you to come?"

"To reply to Your Majesty, I asked my slave to bring you the fresh bamboo fungus and old duck soup. I said it is nourishing, calms fire, light and delicious, and is suitable for autumn."

Qiu Lu took another peek after standing up, then stood up and placed the food box on the table beside His Majesty, and carefully took out the soup cup from it.

As soon as the lid was opened, a strong fragrance overflowed. The tableware and the translucent sapphire bowl that Qiu Lu took from Du Yuxuan were specially given to the young master by His Majesty. Now they are best used for serving soup.

She carefully scooped out a spoonful and brought it to His Majesty: "Your Majesty, this servant has prepared it. You can have a taste."

Qin Yuan tapped the table and asked her to put it on the table: "Is there anything you want your little master to take with you when he asks you to come?"

Qiu Lu was stunned for a moment, then shook her head: "The young master only said that I wanted my slave to deliver meals to you, but didn't say anything..."

She lowered her head, holding the sapphire bowl in both hands. When she placed it at His Majesty's hand, she cautiously and boldly pretended to touch His Majesty's finger inadvertently, and then retracted it into her sleeves: "The soup should be drunk while it's hot, Your Majesty." Handling government affairs is hard and busy, so you have to take care of yourself."

Qin Yuan slowly raised the soup bowl, but did not eat it. Instead, he looked at Qiu Lu inquiringly, his dark eyes making people a little embarrassed.

"You talk too much."

Chapter 46

The sudden pressure of the emperor shrouded her whole body. She was so frightened that Qiu Lu quickly pulled away her hands and knelt down: "My servant is concerned and confused. I made a mistake for a moment. Please forgive me!"

She had never thought that His Majesty would be so cold, and she couldn't help but be shocked for a moment, and she couldn't stop breaking out in cold sweat.

The last few times I saw His Majesty, they were all in Du Yuxuan. His Majesty always favored and pampered the young master, and never took into account the boldness and slight presumption of the young master.

Whenever the young master was with His Majesty, she would wait on one side and quietly observe. The young master's hands and feet were always restless, and he would often take the initiative to tease His Majesty. She thought...

I thought that the noble lady was so favored, not only because she was beautiful, but also because she acted proactively and was not more reserved than the noble lady, so she was more favored by His Majesty than the other concubines.

Who knew it was not what she thought at all!

Qin Yuan lowered his eyes and looked at Qiu Lu's greedy and fearful look. He was a little bored. He looked coldly and picked up the handkerchief on one side to wipe his fingers: "I have seen many women, whether intentionally or unintentionally. After all, it is you. You have evil intentions and make me unhappy."

"When Noble Jade is pregnant, the people who serve him must be pure in mind and loyal. People who are too thoughtful will be useless if they stay with Noble Jade."

"Assigned to hard labor, there is no need to return to Du Yuxuan."

Zhang Pu glanced at Qiu Lu with pity: "Yes."

Qiu Lu was horrified when she heard that His Majesty was going to send her to hard labor. Once a palace maid was sent to hard labor, it would be a lifelong matter. Unless the master appreciated it and gave her a decree to let her go, she would never do it. No matter how useful it is, once it is gone, there is no hope anymore. Not only being a concubine or a concubine, but also being a maid of a jade nobleman is all wishful thinking!

Qiu Lu was so frightened that she burst into tears and said in a panic: "Your Majesty, forgive me! I really didn't mean it. I know I am humble and just want to do my job well. I don't dare to have any delusions. I will act cautiously in the future." Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

With ulterior motives and clever words, Qin Yuan was too lazy to look at her again: "Pull her down."

There are so many women in the palace, and he can indeed pamper the maids as he pleases. If he likes any of them, he can confer a position and put it aside in the harem.

But a palace maid is a palace maid, not a concubine. The concubine can use some clever tricks to please him, which is reasonable, but the duty of a palace maid is to serve her master loyally.

Qin Yuan always likes to follow his own whims. If he is really interested in a palace maid, he will naturally not tolerate it deliberately, but what he usually dislikes the most is when a woman he is not interested in loses his duty and flatters him, which makes him feel sick.

The imperial guard nodded and took Qiu Lu away. Zhang Pu took a look at it and reminded tentatively: "Your Majesty, Qiu Lu is a maid in the Jade Noble Palace. You sent Qiu Lu to do hard labor today. Although she deserves it, the palace I'm afraid there will be rumors here that will point the finger at Noble Jade, and it is speculated that Noble Jade has made you unhappy."

"Guess?" Qin Yuan then picked up the bowl of soup and took a sip slowly, "Why, do people in the palace always guess my thoughts?"

Zhang Pu lowered his head and answered unclearly: "Jade noble lady's pregnancy is a great joy. Everyone in the palace is watching."

"I sent her as a palace maid, so I won't let her suffer in vain."

Qin Yuan put down the half-drunk bowl of soup: "I'm going to Du Yuxuan in the evening. I don't think there will be anyone else to talk to."

When the father was on the throne, most of the concubines in the harem were not allowed to sleep with them when they were pregnant. However, in order to maintain their favor, many concubines would introduce their own maids to be favored, so as to maintain their favor.

But in fact, most people are not willing to do this kind of favor separation. He once visited the maid next to Lin Guifei, and she was not happy about it.

Shen Ji entered the palace less than a year ago. Although she is pregnant now, she is still doting on her. There is no reason why Qiu Lu came to inherit her favor. She asked the palace maid next to her to bring soup to her for no reason. I guess it was not to consolidate her favor, but to express her favor. Test.

Test Qiu Lu's mind, and also test your own mind.

Qin Yuan tasted it for a long time, then suddenly smiled lightly.

Shen Ji has been obedient and sensible since he entered the palace, but this is the first time he has lost his temper.

It is said that women are overthinking during pregnancy, and presumably she was also afraid that one day she would fall out of favor while pregnant, so she used a palace maid with an impure mind to test his feelings.

He took out a jade pendant from his waist and placed it on the table: "Go and deliver this jade pendant to Lady Jade yourself, and then tell her that I will go to her place for dinner in the evening."

Zhang Pu took a quick look and said with a smile: "This jade pendant has been with you since I was a child. The jade nobleman is really blessed."

"Talk too much."

-

After lunch, Shen Ji did not wait for Qiu Lu to come back, but instead waited for Zhang Pu.

She was a little surprised and ordered Zhang Pu to come in. She smiled and said, "Why bother my father-in-law to come here in person now? But does your Majesty have any orders?"

Zhang Pu saluted, handed the brocade box up with both hands, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty has specially given me a personal jade pendant, and asked my servant to deliver it to you personally."

Shuangying took the brocade box and handed it to Shen Ji. She carefully took out the jade pendant, only to realize that it was the one that His Majesty wore every day.

"This is......"

Zhang Pu guessed what she was going to say and bowed his head: "It's exactly the one your Majesty wears every day."

Shen Ji held it lovingly in his hand, and Rourou looked over: "It's so good, how could your majesty reward me with this jade?"

"This is what I want to say now," Zhang Pu continued, "Qiu Lu, the palace maid of Du Yuxuan, just went to Jianzhang Palace to deliver soup to His Majesty, but she behaved inappropriately and made His Majesty displeased. His Majesty said that such palace maids He had ulterior motives and was not suitable to serve the young master, so he was sent to do hard labor."

"In order to understand your worries, Your Majesty has specially given you this jade pendant, and also asked your servant to go there in person and tell you that you will come to Du Yuxuan for dinner in the evening. Please be patient and prepare yourself well."

Shen Ji accepted the jade pendant well and said with a smile, "I understand your majesty's intention. Thank you for your hard work, my father-in-law, I made a special trip."

Shuangying stepped forward and stuffed a purse into it, smiled and bent his knees: "My father-in-law has been working hard in the imperial palace, so I just treat it like drinking tea."

"Thank you for your kindness, young master. I will go back to Jianzhang Hall now."

Zhang Pu bowed and left Du Yuxuan.

Shen Ji rubbed the jade pendant in his hand and recalled what Zhang Pu said just now.

The reason why she asked Qiu Lu to go to the Imperial Palace was to test her. First, she wanted to see if Qiu Lu had had an affair, and secondly, she wanted to see how His Majesty felt about her pregnancy.

But she really couldn't guess what Qiu Lu did in front of the emperor to make his majesty send her to do hard labor directly.

Although he didn't know the process clearly, two points were confirmed, that is, Qiu Lu was indeed impure, and His Majesty had no intention of Qiu Lu.

The people in her palace were sent away by his majesty when they went to the palace, and there were inevitably rumors in the palace. However, his majesty gave her a jade pendant and wanted to come for dinner. Presumably it was to make her feel at ease. His majesty's attitude meant that Qiu The exposure had not affected her, so naturally no one dared to spread any gossip.

There are more than one palace maid like Qiu Lu who is as ambitious as the sky. If she can find one, there is no guarantee that there will not be another one. But once what happened today, no matter how restless Du Yuxuan is, he will have to weigh his own. Regarding the future, do you want to be the second Qiulu?

They should still understand which one is more important.

His Majesty dealt with such a disloyal servant for her, saving her from having to think of a solution.

Shen Ji put the jade pendant away and told Shuang Ying around him: "You should carefully consider telling the people below about Qiu Lu. You don't have to be too straightforward. Just let them understand."

"Everything she used around her was collected and burned to remove any bad luck and to alert the people below."

Just as Shuang Ying Fu Shen was about to retreat, Shen Ji added, "This month, the Moon Palace people's money will be increased by 20%. It's a combination of kindness and power, so go ahead."

"yes."

As soon as Shuangying left, Junxue walked in and said that the young master of the class was here.

The cotton curtain that blocked the wind was opened, and Shen Ji opened his eyes and saw Ban Yuya walking in from the outside.

"Sister Yu," Ban Yuya walked in with a smile and rubbed her hands, "It's autumn, and it's still so cold outside despite the sun. But it's warm in my sister's house. Please keep me warm too."

Shen Ji curled his eyes and asked her to come and sit down: "Autumn is prone to illness. The sun is shining today, but it is still windy outside. You keep coming here to look for me. What if you freeze yourself."

Ban Yuya smiled shyly: "Sister, are you not welcoming me? I won't listen."

Shen Ji smiled and said, "I'm making bamboo fungus and duck soup for Your Majesty today. There's still a lot left in the small kitchen, and there are a lot of supplements in it. You can have a bowl too."

After a while, Junxue came over and placed a bowl of hot soup in front of Ban Yuya, with a smile on her face: "Du Yuxuan's small kitchen is open for the first time. Mr. Ban is so lucky."

The soup given to His Majesty was naturally soft and delicious, and the fragrance was overflowing. Ban Yuya nodded repeatedly and said while drinking the soup: "When I came in, I saw that Shuangying seemed to be busy in the maid's room, but what happened? "

Shen Ji smiled: "There is a maid in Du Yuxuan who has a dirty mind and was dealt with by His Majesty. I asked Shuang Ying to keep an eye on her and pack her things."

"How dare the people in my sister's palace dare to be so presumptuous? But they have just arrived not long ago," Ban Yuya was a little surprised. She took a sip of soup, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Ning Lu still beside her. She put down her spoon and pushed Ning Lu away. Then he said, "I remember that half of the servants in my sister's palace were hired by the Jin nobles. Could it be that someone is deliberately causing trouble behind my back?"

Shen Ji pinched her face: "You are right. It shows that there has been a lot of progress in recent days."

While the two were talking, Shuang Ying opened the curtain and came in with a very solemn expression and a troubled look on his face: "Little Master."

Shen Ji frowned for a moment, raised his hand to signal the remaining irrelevant people to go out, and then asked: "What happened?"

Shuangying then unfolded the thing wrapped in the handkerchief in his hand, moved away from it, and said: "Little Master, I found this in Qiu Lu's bedding. Several slaves who saw this thing have been ordered to stop them from saying anything. , but I think I still have to let you know."

What could be so cautious? Although Shuang Ying was young, she was the most stable palace maid around her. What could make her so taboo? What else had Qiu Lu done that was not allowed in the world?

Shen Ji frowned slightly and glanced at the handkerchief she held in both hands. It didn't matter. When he found out what it was, he immediately frowned and almost felt like retching.

Ban Yuya didn't know what it was. She looked forward and saw that the thing on it was a light pink handkerchief with a delicate orchid embroidered in the corner.

But there were a lot of white spots on it, which had dried completely, turning the originally soft handkerchief into lumps.

This is......

Ban Yuya seemed to have thought of something and almost screamed out. She hurriedly covered her lips with a handkerchief. She lowered her voice and asked: "This... this is..."

Shen Ji frowned and nodded: "It's exactly what you were thinking of."

This Qiu Lu dared to hide His Majesty's handkerchief in her own bedding. She was really filthy and bold.

On the day when Your Majesty took the small letters for herself, it happened to be that Qiu Lu was on duty at the door. When she got up the next morning, she went to clean the water. There were many people in the palace. No one could have guessed that she would eat such a thing as a bear's heart and a leopard's courage.

Even the palace maids need to have face. For an innocent girl to do such a shameless thing behind her back, I think His Majesty saw that she was too greedy, so he punished her. It's really disgusting.

Unexpectedly, Ban Yuya could not imagine that the palace maid of Du Yuxuan would do such a thing, and she was immediately disgusted: "Get it and burn it quickly, don't stay in my sister's palace."

Shen Ji glanced at the thing and said, "Shuangying, go and burn it yourself. Don't make any further misunderstandings because of this thing."

"Fortunately, His Majesty has dealt with her. Otherwise, it would be really troublesome for such a person to stay with my sister day and night."

After Shuangming wrapped up his things and left the house, Ban Yuya stroked her heart and spoke softly.

Shen Ji took tea to suppress the turmoil in his stomach, and whispered: "People's hearts are separated from each other. Who can know what the people around you are thinking? We are from the common people and can still serve His Majesty. The maids are also greedy and want to be in power. Yes, today's incident is a lesson."

"If this person continues to stay in my palace, there is no guarantee that he will not harm me in the future. This is enough to show how important it is for the servants around you to be loyal and clean."

Ban Yuya nodded in shock and said softly: "What my sister is saying is that with our ability, it is really difficult to find a group of slaves who are only loyal to us in this huge harem, so we have to do it on our own." Be careful."

As the sun went down, the two of them spoke again.

But after something like this happened, Shen Ji felt uneasy, and Ban Yuya was also worried. Shuangying cleaned up the filth, washed his hands and came over and said, "My lord, it's time for dinner in half an hour." , Your Majesty is coming tonight, and I'm afraid there will be a lot of things, so I will take the people there with me."

Shen Ji nodded, but remembering that His Majesty was coming tonight, she looked at Ban Yuya in front of her and thought for a moment, then said warmly: "Yuya, His Majesty is having dinner at Du Yuxuan tonight, why don't you stay too? I think His Majesty is also willing."

Ban Yuya was stunned for a moment, then stood up quickly and said, "What are you talking about? It's a good thing that your majesty wants to see your sister. What's the point of me staying? Isn't it delaying your majesty's relationship with my sister?"

"I'm pregnant. Even if I'm well-loved, I can't sleep with you. Every time your majesty comes, it's less. There are so many things that can change after a few months of pregnancy. Someone must be favored." Shen Ji said softly, "Compared to others , I prefer it to be you."

Ban Yuya stood up and hesitated for a while, then shook her head: "Although it makes sense, I still don't want to do this. When my sister really can't sleep with her, then I won't be able to think of anything else. I want my sister to do everything for me."

After that, she was afraid that Shen Ji would regret it, so she picked up her skirt and hurriedly left Du Yuxuan, with Ning Lu following closely behind.

On the way back to Yuhe Hall, Ban Yuya was always preoccupied and did not speak. Ning Lu, who was beside her, observed for a long time and pursed her lips and said: "I heard that Your Majesty will stay at Du Yuxuan for dinner tonight, why don't you, young master?" Stay together, you and Lady Yu are so close, she cannot be favored while she is pregnant, so it is most appropriate to push His Majesty to you, why did you return to the palace instead?"

She didn't know the conversation between the two people in the room, so she followed behind and continued: "Actually, it is reasonable if the noble lady is unwilling. Your majesty's favor, even good sisters are not willing to give it away..."

Before she finished speaking, Ning Lu's voice was silenced by a loud slap. With a "pop!", her face suddenly became hot, and a clear red mark appeared on her face.

Ning Lu covered her face and looked at her mistress in disbelief. She had never thought that a timid and timid person like Ban Yunv would slap her.

Ban Yuya looked at Ning Lu coldly: "Have you said enough?"

Chapter 47

Ning Lu was stunned for a long time, and then she came to her senses and hurriedly said: "I'm too talkative, my little master, please forgive me!"

Ban Yuya came from a humble background. Although Ning Lu was her personal palace maid, she had no respect for her from the beginning. In Ning Lu's view, Ban Yuya's favor now was just because of the little charity from the noble lady. .

She has a timid temperament and has no ideas of her own, let alone scheming. If it hadn't been for the promotion of Lady Jade, she might still be unknown in Ye Ting!

She secretly complained in her heart and was very dissatisfied, but the master was the master. Even if Ning Lu was dissatisfied, she did not dare to express it, for fear that Ban Yunv would report to the queen and transfer her away, which would really be a serious matter that would cost her life.

Ban Yuya looked at her coldly, and her tone had never been so cold: "Am I usually too tolerant and too kind to you, so that you have the courage to talk about Sister Yu behind your back?"

Ning Lu had been with Ban Yunv for several months, and this was the first time she saw her with such an indifferent expression, as if she had changed. She looked at her eyes without any affection or trust, only with inquiry.

She was worried that the young master would lose trust in her from now on, so she hurriedly knelt down and said: "The young master clearly knows that this servant did not mean to talk about the noble lady, but I really don't understand. You and the noble lady are as close as sisters, how could she not do it for you?" I plan to have you with me for so long, and you know best what I mean to you. I sincerely hope that my mistress will be well, and I am not deliberately trying to sow discord. Please forgive me!"

Ban Yuya lowered her eyes coldly and looked at Ning Lu: "For my own good?"

"That's right. The favor of the young master in the palace is inseparable from His Majesty's favor. I only said this to plan for the future of the young master."

"So, you are loyal to me, even worrying about my future in the harem." Ning Lu was eloquent, and Ban Yuya had long known that something was wrong with her, so naturally it was impossible to believe what she said.

But even if she knew that Ning Lu had an impure mind and was planted by someone else, but the person behind it was not found out, it would still be useful for her to keep Ning Lu. If she acts too fearful, Ning Lu will be more cautious in her actions, making it even more difficult for people to guard against, and maybe one day it will come back to bite her.

She wanted to show herself to be cowardly, defenseless, and devoid of scheming, and gain Ning Lu's trust in return, so that Ning Lu would be more bold in obeying the orders of the person behind her, and let herself get the advantage.

Ning Lu cried and said: "I have always followed my duties diligently by my master's side and never dared to show any slightness. I also ask my master to forgive me for being so quick-tongued. I will definitely be more careful in the future."

Ban Yuya sighed softly and helped her up: "Okay, don't cry. It was because I was anxious that I beat you."

"Actually, I don't know what you are saying, but the favor belongs to Sister Yu, so what can I do? You have been with me for so long. I don't believe others, but you and I should believe it."

Ning Lu was stunned for a moment, and was helped up by Ban Yuya in a daze. Seeing that she relaxed, thinking that she believed her own words, she wiped her tears pitifully: "My little master believes in you, this slave will feel more at ease."

"You are my personal palace maid, and everything you say and do represents what I mean. Although I believe in you, you must also remember to be careful in your words and deeds, and don't be picked on by outsiders. Do you understand?" Ban Yuya Rourou? A handkerchief was placed on Ning Lu's red and swollen cheek, "Your face is swollen. When you get back, I will give you some ointment to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. You can have a good rest tonight and don't have to serve me personally."

Ning Lu then smiled, nodded and said, "Thank you, little master."

-

The days were calm until mid-November, and winter had arrived.

When the first ray of morning light broke through the dark night, it was snowing in Chang'an.

Goose-feather heavy snow fell all over the palace, and everywhere you looked was shrouded in a thick layer of silver-white snow. The red walls and golden tiles reflected the falling snow. When you stepped out, you didn't feel very cold. You stepped on the snow with your feet. A crunching sound.

In Du Yuxuan's yard, a few red plum trees were transplanted at His Majesty's order a few days ago. Now they are in full bloom in the face of snow. The dark brown branches are covered with rustling snowflakes. They are bright and dazzling in the sun, crystal clear and very beautiful.

Today is the fifteenth day of the winter lunar month, which is the day when I go to Fengyi Palace to pay my respects. The palace ladies in Duyuxuan all put on thick cotton clothes, and everyone swept the snow in the yard with a smile. From time to time, the palace maids heard the silver bells. He laughed like a child, secretly holding a snow dumpling and throwing it at someone.

The silver charcoal fire in Du Yuxuan continues day and night. When it snows, the temperature outside becomes higher. There is a charcoal fire in the house, which makes people sweat slightly.

Shen Ji sat in front of the dressing table, letting Nanny Wu and Shuang Ying comb her hair. The carved window in front of her was half opened to let in some air.

The courtyard is covered with white snow and red plum blossoms. It is a pure white area. The elegant courtyard and the falling snow are a grand scene that I have never seen in Lingzhou before.

Yunxue was originally watching a few young eunuchs smashing icicles under the eaves, but when she saw the young master looking out, she popped her head out of the window with a smile: "Little master, isn't the snow beautiful? I didn't lie to you at first. Bar?"

Shen Ji smiled softly: "It is very beautiful. You are right."

The maids in the courtyard were sweeping the snow, and they were having a lot of fun while sweeping. They chased me and had a snowball fight, and bursts of laughter floated far away.

After a while, it was time to leave Chunlan Palace and go to the morning and dusk zone. They didn't clear the snow properly and what should they do if they missed the time? Shuangying was worried about causing trouble and whispered: "Little master, I will go and scold them." "

Shen Ji's tone rose slightly, and he stopped her with an eh, tilted his head and said with a smile: "It's rare for it to snow. They are all happy, and so am I. Let them play."

"My young master is really good-tempered. No wonder both His Majesty and the Queen Mother like you." Aunt Wu smiled kindly, and neatly tied up a flowing bun for her with her hands and feet. Ah, it just lacks some freshness. I have been with the Queen Mother for a long time, and I have not heard such good laughter for many years."

"The Queen Mother is majestic. Everyone in the Longevity Palace is well behaved. She is no younger than the people in my palace, and she only likes to play." Shen Ji held up his black hair and smiled softly, "I thought Shuangying had already combed his hair. It's very good, but since grandma came, I have become more and more picky. I always feel that grandma's combing is satisfactory. You are old and you shouldn't take care of me like this. It's really hard for grandma."

Aunt Wu smiled and said: "I am lucky to be able to serve a little master like you. Now that the New Year is approaching, it snowed again today. I remember that you asked Si Zhensi to make some of the ingredients that His Majesty rewarded you a while ago. The snow-fallen red plum hairpin is perfect for wearing today."

"You all listen to grandma."

Wearing the exquisite and gorgeous hairpin into her black hair, Shen Ji, who was already beautiful, became even more radiant. She is now four months pregnant. After the initial discomfort passed, her body gradually became plump. , compared with the previous pure and charming, it has a bit more soft and graceful charm, but it is even more eye-catching.

Since then, although she has been pregnant for more than three months, His Majesty has been very careful for fear of affecting the fetus in her belly, so although she often visits, he has not allowed her to sleep with her.

They also asked people to remove the name certificate and put it back after the birth.

In the past month or so, Ji Xuanyi, who was moved out of Yeting by His Majesty as an exception on the day of the Double Ninth Night Banquet, also accepted the good fortune and was granted the position of changing clothes from the eighth rank. Although the eighth rank is inconspicuous, Ji Gengyi is the only one. For the first time, she was awarded the title of Liangjiazi, which surpassed that of Cainu and Yunv, which shows that His Majesty likes her.

Among the rest, Lu Caihe and Ban Yunu slept with the most concubines, and some of the other concubines were also slightly favored. However, it is worth noting that His Majesty has never been to Concubine Lin's Changxin Palace again.

Since Concubine Lin's right to co-administer the harem was removed by His Majesty, even though the ten-day confinement has long passed, she has never left the palace, and she has made excuses not to go there in the morning and dusk. She loves His Majesty, and such a move is probably because of His deep feelings. Resentful and unwilling to see others.

Although it was good to be calm, Shen Ji felt that Concubine Lin was just hiding her power and biding her time. How could she let it go when her power was reduced? It was just because Du Yuxuan was now imprisoned and she had only been punished, so she was waiting for a suitable opportunity. That's all.

The new year is approaching, and I don't know if other things will happen.

-

The chariot carrying Shen Ji stopped steadily at the entrance of Fengyi Palace. Shuang Ying helped her walk into the palace. When she raised her eyes, she saw that Concubine Lin was here today and was sitting in the first place under the phoenix throne.

When Concubine Lin heard the palace servant's salute to Shen Ji, she turned around and glanced at her coldly, the temperature in her eyes seemed to be colder than snowflakes.

Shen Ji's expression did not change. He let go of Shuang Ying's hand and stepped forward. He saluted and said, "I would like to express my regards to the Queen, my regards to Concubine Lin, and my regards to all my sisters."

She looked at the Queen and smiled softly: "I see that the Queen's complexion seems to be much better today. I wonder if the Queen has slept well recently?"

The queen looked at Shen Ji in the palace and immediately noticed the red plum hairpin in her bun. She smiled softly and said, "My health has been much better recently and I have slept more deeply. I can't help but remember it."

"The red plum hairpin in your hair is very unique, but was it given by His Majesty? It matches your skin color very well. You are pregnant, please sit down quickly."

Shen Ji lowered his eyebrows and nodded: "Thank you, Queen."

As soon as she sat down, a concubine next to her raised her voice and said: "In the palace now, you can only see the new ones smiling but not the old ones crying. The Jade Lady is so favored with her pregnant body, which is something we can't even envy. "

"It's natural for the noble lady to be favored when she's pregnant, but recently, if we talk about the most favored one, it has to be Ji Gengyi."

Shen Ji turned his head to the right and looked over, and saw Ji Yufu's face was pale. She sat in her position and didn't tell him what she said, as if she wasn't talking about her.

When the concubine who spoke saw that her provocation was in vain, Ji Gengyi acted like a normal person and said sarcastically: "Every day she looks down on others."

Concubine Lin glanced at Ji Changyi coldly, and then looked at the speaker: "The noise makes me upset. Today is the time of dawn and dusk, is it your turn to talk nonsense here?"

The reprimanded concubine opened her mouth to say something, but when she thought that the person in front of her was Concubine Lin, even if she lost power, she was not someone to be trifled with, so she shut her mouth angrily.

What are you pretending to be at this time? In the past, when you were sleeping in the morning and dusk, you were the one who danced the highest!

As if someone heard her thoughts, Concubine Rao sneered and supported Fubu charmingly: "The concubine no longer has the right to assist in managing the harem. The empress is here, why does the concubine still have to overstep her authority?"

"If His Majesty knew about it, I'm afraid he would be angry with you again. He has not been to Changxin Palace for the past two months."

Concubine Lin's anger was suddenly ignited. She slapped the table beside her and gritted her teeth and said, "Mu Miaochun, can you say it again?"

Today is different from the past. Concubine Rao has hated Concubine Lin for a long time, so she is not afraid of her stern voice: "Isn't it right, my concubine? The concubine was reprimanded by your majesty because of her incompetence. It's not easy for her to have a morning and dusk review today." , don't you know what the consequences will be if you continue to show off your prestige and spread it to His Majesty's ears?"

She could ignore everyone in the palace, but His Majesty's attitude was the one she cared about the most.

Because of Shen Ji's frame-up, not only did she lose the right to co-manage the harem, but His Majesty has not been to Changxin Palace in the past two months.

She had naively thought that His Majesty was so angry because Shen Ji was punished for being pregnant. She thought that His Majesty would always come to comfort her after he calmed down, just like before.

But day after day passed, and even for the sake of thinking about Changle, His Majesty never came again.

She insisted not to leave the palace and was angry with His Majesty, but His Majesty always turned a blind eye. There were one new love after another around her. Only then did she realize that this time was different from every time before.

Is it because His Majesty doesn't like her being domineering?

Since His Majesty won't come, she can always make him come back to her. His Majesty's heart can only belong to her, Lin Xuanji, and the other women can only be used as playthings, and no one can take him away.

At the moment, although the words of this bitch, Raogui Concubine, are unpleasant, they still make some sense. Concubine Lin was so angry that her chest could not help but rise and fall. She thought about it for a while, and finally swallowed her anger. She sneered and said, "When will it be your turn to comment on the matter between me and His Majesty?"

Concubine Lin almost broke off her nails. One day, I will skin and cramp all of you and feed them to the dogs!

They had to quarrel every time they had a good morning and evening routine, and the queen was very helpless. She said, "Okay, don't talk anymore."

"Today is the fifteenth day of the winter lunar month, and in a month and a half it will be New Year's Eve. The New Year is approaching, and your respective palaces should slowly prepare for it." The queen explained some matters as usual, and said to Shen Ji, "I remember There is one missing maid in your palace, and the Queen Mother wants to choose two good ones to make up for you. Now in winter, it is necessary to clear snow, add carbon and boil water, and there is more work in the palace than usual. You are pregnant with The body is in need of people to take care of it, and lack of manpower will inevitably lead to neglect."

Shen Ji stood up from his position and said, "Thank you to the Queen Mother and the Empress for your concern. Aunt Wu has taken good care of her at Du Yuxuan. The rest of the palace staff are also very dedicated, so I don't need to bother you anymore."

After hearing this, Concubine Lin's indifferent expression became a little loose, as if she had remembered something. She looked at her and sneered, "The Queen Mother cares so much that she even dismissed Aunt Wu from the Longevity Palace, so why should the Queen bother."

"The servants in the palace have always acted according to the changing circumstances. If the noble lady is pregnant, the people she wants to serve will be like a crucian carp crossing the river, and there will be too much hair. If the noble lady really feels that there are not enough servants to serve her, why does she need the queen's arrangement? With just a finger, who dares not to go?"

Chapter 48

Concubine Lin hates herself, she has known it for a long time.

Therefore, Shen Ji only glanced at Concubine Lin and did not want to argue on such a matter. Fu Shen said: "There are rules in the palace. I am not a spoiled person, so I will not fight. You wantonly misappropriated the servants in the palace while pregnant."

"If there is a real shortage of people in the palace, I will tell the truth to the Queen. Thank you for your kindness."

She had said so, and the queen would naturally not force anyone to do anything, so she nodded and said, "In that case, I won't force you to do anything. If necessary, I can come back to Fengyi Palace to report."

Shen Ji returned to his seat, and Concubine Rao said with a smile: "I just heard from Concubine Yu that there is a saying about pampering that makes you spoiled. The most important thing for concubines in the harem is to assess the situation and abide by the palace rules. Is there any People never knew what this meant, so they ended up like this."

After that, she uttered an ouch, lazily stood up and said goodbye to the queen: "The first snow is so good today, if there is nothing else, I will leave."

"It's not cold today, and the snow scenery is beautiful. If the queen is in good health, it would be good for her body and mind to go out more often."

The queen smiled and said warmly: "Now that the New Year is approaching, you have a good idea of ​​what each palace should do, so I won't be nagging you anymore. Falling snow warms and melts cold snow. When you go out to enjoy the scenery, remember not to be playful, so as not to get hurt. body."

The concubines stood up and said, "Thank you very much for your concern, Queen. I will take my leave."

Concubine Lin stood up, raised her chin, and glanced at Concubine Yi coldly before walking out of Fengyi Palace. Concubine Yi understood what she meant, lowered her eyebrows and lowered her long eyelashes, and followed out silently.

People in Fengyi Palace left one after another, and Shen Jiluo was the last to leave. He glanced at the Queen from afar, who was sitting on the throne with a slightly tired look on her face.

During this period of time, Concubine Lin's power has been reduced, and all palace affairs have fallen on the shoulders of the Queen. She has monopolized the power. Someone else might be happy, but Shen Ji knows that the Queen has never been a person who is greedy for power.

Concubine Lin is so domineering. If the Queen really didn't like her because of her provocations, given the respect between emperors and queens, she could have told His Majesty directly or used other means, but the Queen had neither.

She is a good queen who is pure and kind, and has compassion for everyone in the harem. Therefore, for her, such a supreme position and such great rights may not only be responsibilities, but also more of a burden that she has to bear. .

Concubine Lin's deprivation of power was something Shen Ji wanted to see, but the queen was in poor health, and it took a lot of effort to see some rosy blood on her face today. She couldn't bear it if she collapsed from exhaustion due to the complicated palace affairs near the end of the year.

After thinking about it, she stepped forward to salute the Queen and said softly: "The Queen."

"But what do you want to tell me about?"

The queen looked at her face, waved her hand and said, "You guys go down first, and I will have a talk with Mr. Yu."

When there was no one around, Shen Ji's tone became intimate: "Since I became pregnant, I only see you once in the morning and dusk. I haven't spoken to you properly like this for a long time."

"You handle palace affairs alone, and there are so many things to worry about, but you must be careful."

The queen's eyebrows were soft, and she nodded slowly and said: "You are pregnant, so it is natural for you to take good care of the baby. When it comes to palace affairs, it is indeed difficult for me to handle it alone."

"Before Concubine Lin reduced her power, although she had a domineering temperament, she did things neatly and neatly without any sloppiness. She handled the trivial matters in the palace in an orderly manner. Now that I am the only one left, it is inevitable that I will be a little tired."

Shen Ji's heart trembled, and he gently held the queen's hand: "Can the queen blame me?"

Her eyebrows were clear and moving, but when she looked at herself, they were as clear as a stream. The queen was slightly startled, looking at Shen Ji's eyebrows, a little surprised at her frankness in front of her.

When Concubine Lin was reduced from power, she went to see the Queen Mother and naturally knew that Shen Ji had done this to protect herself. But it stands to reason that Shen Ji didn't know that she knew about it. She was taking the initiative to open her heart to her by speaking out like this.

People in the palace were mixed, and the queen was very touched that Shen Ji could do this.

She shook her head and her tone was as gentle as before: "Concubine Lin has been domineering for a long time. There have been complaints in the palace for a long time. It is common sense for you to have a child and plan for yourself. How can I blame you? Besides, it is His Majesty who has reduced power. It shows that this decision was made after His Majesty's careful consideration and has nothing to do with you or me."

"It's just that I can't bear to suffer all the trouble for you." Shen Ji couldn't help but his eyes were slightly red. "I know that your Majesty has never been greedy for glory and power. She is the best in the palace and the most comfortable with me." The person I like, but now you are affected by my selfish actions, I feel guilty in my body and mind."

The queen patted her hand and reassured her: "It is the queen's duty to handle palace affairs. Since I am in this position, I must complete my duties and work tirelessly. The queen is the mother of all people in the world. Respected by all the people and supported by the people, I must lead by example and be benevolent in every move I make. This is my responsibility and obligation."

She smiled lightly: "You are the only person in the entire harem who would say such things to me. I am very happy."

"But saints also have seven emotions and six desires. Just like your Majesty, who is busy with everything, there are also times when you are happy and relieved. What about the empress?" Shen Ji looked at the queen steadily, "What does the empress like? What do you like to do to express your feelings when you are not happy?"

"I?"

She seemed to have never thought about this question.

The queen was silent for a while, smiled softly, and shook her head: "I used to like reading books, but since marrying His Majesty, I have so many things to do every day, and I can only take a few moments to read a few pages during my busy schedule."

Looking at the queen's gentle expression, she somehow felt deep sadness.

From the first time she saw the queen, she felt the queen's gentleness and virtue. But every time she got closer and got to know her better, Shen Ji always felt that the queen had never been truly happy.

Even though she and the Queen were two completely different people from the beginning, this never affected Shen Ji from secretly treating the Queen as his sister, the only person in the palace who gave her pure warmth.

After getting along with her for this period of time, although the queen had always been so dignified and gentle, and her every move was so comforting, Shen Ji could feel that beneath her gentle appearance, there seemed to be a lonely and boundless heart.

Before and after the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the two of them got along in private, she didn't know how many times she had seen the queen in a daze, with empty eyebrows. A kind and compassionate person like the queen was not born to belong to the harem, but she had been educated and disciplined since she was a child, using the words "dignified and virtuous" to describe her. I have been trapped in this deep palace all my life, tied to the position of queen, and I have never been truly happy for a day.

Madam, entering the palace and being favored is what I want. I want glory, wealth and power, so I am willing to intrigue and trap myself in the palace. What about you?

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, she once asked the Queen what she would like to wish for if she could make a wish. At that time, Yuya was bullied by An Chongyi. She didn't have time to ask in detail. She only heard the empress saying that her wish was destined to not come true. So did the empress know from the beginning that what all these deep palaces had brought to her was Endless shackles.

The tip of Shen Ji's nose suddenly became sour, and he burst into tears: "There are thousands of ancient books in the palace library. You can read whatever you like. If you are too busy with things, why not ask your Majesty to recommend someone you trust to help. Don't let yourself Too hard."

In fact, she should have said these words a long time ago, but she was always worried about whether it would be overstepping and inappropriate, so after many hesitations, she did not say it until today.

She had been cold and cold since she was a child, and had hardly experienced any love. To Shen Ji, the queen was warm, kind, and had a peace of mind that no one else could give her.

She hoped that the queen could be happy for a long time, even though it was too difficult in such a deep palace.

The queen looked at Shen Ji deeply for a long time, her dry eyes couldn't help but become moist, and said softly: "Okay."

For a long time after Shen Ji and Shuang Ying left Fengyi Palace together, the Queen sat in trance watching her leave.

When she came to her senses, the window in the palace was pushed open a small crack, and the sky was filled with snow outside.

Lan Ying came in with a goose-necked white jade vase filled with red plums. She bent her eyes and smiled softly and said: "Your Majesty, before you leave, the noble lady instructs your servant to fold a bouquet of flowers and place them in front of you every day. Look at what's going on today." The red plum blossoms are blooming just right?"

The queen looked at the red plum for a long time, and finally smiled lightly.

"is very good."

-

In the Imperial Garden.

Concubine Lin and Concubine Yi stood in a corner pavilion talking, while all the palace people stood waiting a few meters away.

It's snowing heavily today. The eaves and corners of the pavilion, the dead branches and the ground are covered with snow. Although it's not as cold as before, it's still ice and snow. Counting the two palace guards, there are a total of ten or twenty, all in the heavy snow. Standing there, within a short while my body was covered with snowflakes, just like a group of ice sculptures.

Concubine Yi knew that Concubine Lin was unhappy, but in such weather, it was always too harsh to let the palace people freeze outside. Furthermore, this was the imperial garden, and there were too many palace people coming and going. If someone found out, it would be too harsh. After going out, His Majesty had to blame him again. After thinking about it, Concubine Yi carefully reminded: "My Lady, it's snowing really hard right now. Why don't you only let two personal maids come in and let the rest go back to the palace."

In the ice and snow, even the air was cold. Concubine Lin looked at her coldly and said nothing. Concubine Yi also held her breath and did not dare to say anything more.

She calmly averted her eyes and stood on the edge of the pavilion with her back to Concubine Yi. The snowflakes falling on her face fell on her face, and the cold air poured into her chest. It seemed that her anger had calmed down, and the irritating turbid air in her heart had dissipated a little.

Not far away, a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the palace ladies waiting in the snow. Even the palace maid's eyelashes were covered with snow, and she was covered with snow specks. However, there was no mercy in Concubine Lin's eyes. Looking at their suffering looks, there was a sense of superiority over others. He glanced at Concubine Yi with his peripheral vision and said, "Isn't I outside? I don't feel cold at all. They, the slaves, are worse than Concubine Yi. This palace is too delicate."

Concubine Yi glanced at her worriedly: "The bodies of the slaves are naturally not as delicate as yours, but if the palace ladies are all sick, I'm afraid they won't be able to serve you well."

"There are many people in the Royal Garden, and it's rare for Your Majesty to come here today to calm down. She always has to take His Majesty's views into account."

Concubine Lin's expression turned cold: "Now do you even dare to influence me?"

Concubine Yi was startled and hurriedly knelt down and said, "I don't dare, my concubine."

"When Shen Ji was pregnant, I couldn't tolerate her, so I temporarily spared her life because of your advice. She said that she wanted to divert the trouble to the east and kill people with a borrowed knife, so as not to dirty her own hands." Lin Guifei's eyes were as sharp as a knife, and she was determined. Looking at Concubine Yi, "What do I get now?"

"She has been well maintained for four months, and my right to co-administer the harem has been reduced because of her. Please tell me, what have you done? What are your plans?"

Concubine Lin bent down and grabbed the collar of Concubine Yi's cloak. She pulled it suddenly, and the cold wind rushed into her body: "I tell you, don't think about playing any tricks on me. You, the Song family, can't do anything." He is a dog that belongs to the Lin family. Even you have to be blessed by me to become the second prince and concubine. If you work well for me and make suggestions, I will naturally not be stingy in giving you meat, but if you I have a different intention and want to secretly use my little thoughts. I can kill those women in the past, just like I can kill you and the second prince."

"I just lost the right to co-manage the harem. I can get it back given time. Why, do you think it will be your turn if you don't have me?"

"What a joke."

There was no warmth in her eyes, she curled her lips and let go of her hand, but there was no smile on her face: "Song Shiwen, remember your duty and don't have any unwanted thoughts."

Concubine Yi lost her strength and fell to the ground. The elegant and gorgeous blue palace dress on her body was suddenly stained with mud. She looked so embarrassed. The high-ranking concubine was reduced to such a state. She was waiting on one side in the snow. The palace maids couldn't stand it anymore.

Concubine Lin was not smart enough, but Concubine Yi knew her ruthlessness better than anyone else. Her eyes widened in horror, and she kept gasping for air. However, her first reaction was to stand up in a hurry, bend her knees and said: "The empress has learned the truth, I am a concubine. There was absolutely no second-guessing in her life. When Lady Jade was pregnant, it was the right time for the whole palace to be jealous. Many people in the palace were dissatisfied with her being so favored. During these days, the concubines were also provoking things everywhere, which was quite effective. It's just that I never thought that that noble lady from a humble background would dare to put herself in danger and would not hesitate to use her own body as a bargaining chip to frame you. I am also very surprised, my dearest lady."

"Although you have lost the right to co-manage the harem now, as long as His Majesty calms down, you can always come back again at another opportunity. The friendship between you and His Majesty as a childhood sweetheart, and the friendship between Taifu Lin and His Majesty as a teacher and student cannot be lost because of trivial matters. Just wipe it out. The reason why Your Majesty is so angry is probably not because of the noble Jade Master, but because Lin has made His Majesty unhappy recently, so he is doing this deliberately."

"Although Lady Jade is safe and sound now, the child hasn't been born yet, right?"

Yi Fei said so much in one breath, her whole body was trembling, and she kept breathing deeply. She was frightened, her eyes were red from crying, and she said: "Your Majesty, please calm down, I am a concubine with a low status and it is not pity, but you It's a golden branch and jade leaf. If you get angry, your health will be bad. I have a way to solve the problem of the noble man Jade, but I just need the power of the empress. Du Yuxuan is now strictly guarded, and there are people removed by the Queen Mother. It can't be done overnight. Disintegrate, please trust me!"

Concubine Lin lowered her eyes and looked at Concubine Yi calmly: "Oh?"

"Do you really have a way to get rid of the noble lady and the child in her belly?"

Concubine Yi didn't dare to hide it, so she lowered her head and said, "I don't dare to speak so fully, but I'm 80% sure."

Concubine Lin stared at her for a long time, then a smile suddenly broke out on her lips, and she raised her hand to help her up: "I have been bored in Changxin Palace for two months, and my mood is inevitably depressed, so I spoke to you in a more serious tone. , I have always known your loyalty, so why would I really embarrass you and the second prince?"

"As long as you can get rid of Noble Jade for me, I will let my father promote your brother. In this way, the pressure I want to put on you at home can be relaxed, right?"

Concubine Yi lowered her head with red eyes: "I would like to thank my empress for the promotion on behalf of my brother."

"Okay, look at you. You have mud marks all over your body. What does it look like to be seen by the servants? Fortunately, the Imperial Garden is not far from your Tangli Palace. You can go back and change your clothes. Come back to Changxin Palace later. I."

Concubine Lin was wearing a scarlet palace dress, with her snow-stained neck raised high and her expression arrogant, as fierce as a ball of fire in the heavy snow. She picked up the hem of her dress and stepped on the snowflakes as she walked towards Changxin Palace, her body motionless like a popsicle. Only then did ordinary palace maids dare to move their steps and follow her away.

Concubine Yi stared blankly at her going away. A pair of jade hands dug out blood in her sleeves, and her whole body was trembling. Wen Shu looked at his mother-in-law's appearance, feeling angry and distressed at the same time. The title of concubine was actually given to Lin. It is too much to treat the imperial concubine like this!

However, Concubine Lin was no longer domineering. No matter how angry Wen Shu was, he had no choice but to say in a low voice: "Empress, please stop looking. Let's go back to the palace."

Concubine Yi shed two lines of clear tears, raised her hand to take off the dirty cloak from her body, and gritted her teeth: "Take it and burn it, I don't want to see this dress again."

"Mother, if you take it off now, you will catch a cold!"

"Go and burn it!"

Concubine Yi burst into tears and swallowed hard, with undisguised hatred in her eyes.

She turned around and walked towards Bixia Palace, her voice swallowed up in the heavy snow by the wind.

"One day, I will return these humiliations to you one by one."

-

Inside Du Yuxuan.

When Shen Ji stepped off the chariot, Chunlan Palace had already cleared a spacious path for people to walk around.

But because the snow was falling so hard, another layer of fluffy snow soon accumulated. There were young eunuchs in various side halls carrying ladders and smashing icicles on them. The ten palace people in Duyuxuan were actually Few people are idle.

Junxue turned around when she heard the voice, patted the snowflakes on her body, and walked over with a smile: "The little master is back!"

She watched Shen Ji's eyes move to the eunuchs and explained: "It's winter now, and the snow is heavy. It's easy for ice pillars to grow under the eaves. Although the ice pillars won't fall down easily, once they do fall down, Something big is going to happen, and Grandma Wu is worried that it will affect your safety, so she told us to knock down all these ice pillars, so that we don't have to worry anymore."

Shen Ji nodded, smiled lightly and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

She thought for a long time, then tilted her head and asked Shuangying: "I see this snow, there are more palace affairs in our palace, and it seems that there are not enough people. I don't usually think so. Du Yuxuan's work can be arranged now." Open?"

Shuangying recalled everyone's work and calculated: "There are eleven people in our palace without Grandma Sun. If it doesn't snow, we will sweep, wipe ashes, burn charcoal, boil hot water, boil medicine, Laundry, cleaning, tidying up the toilet, running errands for renovation, and working at night... These tasks can be divided into separate calculations, and they can also be scheduled for rest. But this time it snows, the palace people's work has become heavier, and it is indeed a bit tight. "

"But the young master is now a nobleman. In fact, there are already many palace servants around him. Concubines with lower status than you, such as imperial concubines and Chongyi, have fewer palace servants around them. They still have to do the same work. ."

"It's just a matter of how much or how little is distributed to each person."

Not far away, Ling Cui, who was supervising the young eunuch knocking on the ice pillars, heard the conversation between the young master and Shuang Ying, and knew that Qiu Lu in the palace had been sent away by His Majesty, and that Du Yuxuan was short of a palace maid.

She thought of Yun'er's pleading and hospitality to her in the past few days. After thinking about it, she wiped her hands and decided to come over and give it a try. She lowered her body, raised her eyes and said carefully: "Little Master, this slave knows that our palace is now One palace maid is missing... When I was in Ye Ting, I had a good sister named Yun'er. She was very peaceful and honest, and her hands and feet were nimble. I wonder if the young master is willing to..."

"Would you like to let Yun'er come to Du Yuxuan to serve you?"

Shen Ji lowered his eyes and looked at Ling Cui and asked, "Yun'er?"

Seeing that the young master did not refuse, Ling Cui also felt hope in her heart and said hurriedly: "That's right, Yun'er entered the palace in the same year as the slave. When she was in Ye Ting, she used to live in the left and right beds. Yun'er is not that kind of person." A person with an impure mind, she has always been timid and talks little, and is also diligent in her work, so she will never cause any trouble to the young master."

Shen Ji looked at Ling Cui inquiringly, and after a while, he smiled faintly: "Okay, since you said so, let her come to Du Yuxuan to serve her."

Chapter 49

When Ling Cui saw that the young master agreed, she couldn't hide the joy on her face. She quickly bowed her head and said, "Thank you for your trust, young master. I will definitely serve you well!"

Shen Ji smiled lightly and hummed, not intending to talk to Ling Cui. He raised his slender jade hand and placed it on Shuang Xing's wrist before entering Du Yuxuan's house.

Shuangying used a handkerchief to sweep away the fallen snow on the young master's body. Aunt Wu in front of the door glanced at Ling Cui, then looked at Yu Guiren's calm expression, and said: "Du Yuxuan looks calm on the surface, but in fact it is a place of right and wrong. , you just sent away Qiulu, if another one whose background is unknown comes, I'm afraid it would be inappropriate."

"Mommy, don't worry," she smiled and walked to the charcoal fire and stretched out her hand to warm herself up. The chill brought in from outside was instantly dissipated by the heat, and her whole body was warm.

"What good thing can it be to have someone in Chaodu Yuxuan at this moment? Naturally, I don't trust her. But if she is not allowed in, the people behind her will definitely continue to think of other ways to harm me. The enemy is plotting against me." Zaiming, instead of doing this, it's better to let her in, and I'd better be on guard at all times to see what she wants to do."

Aunt Wu smiled and said: "It's best if you can be prepared, little master. You are already four months old now. Although the fetal pressure has stabilized, you can't take it lightly before the baby is born."

"Since you have an idea, then find a reliable person in the palace to keep an eye on her day and night. If she can be caught on the spot for deliberately framing her, and then find out the person behind it, then the young master will really feel at ease."

While warming himself by the fire, Shen Ji raised his eyes and looked at Nanny Wu inquiringly: "Nanny seems to be very familiar with the person behind her, but do you know anything?"

Shuang Xing took a look at the very discerning palace maid who was dusting off the dust in the palace. Aunt Wu said very naturally: "I have been in the palace for a long time, so naturally I have seen a lot of nasty things. In this palace There are endless ways to compete for favor, but not everyone has evil intentions."

"Actually, His Majesty has a very deep connection with his children, but there are not many children in the palace. It's not that the concubines are unhappy, but that some people can't see through it and are using tricks behind their backs."

Having said that, Aunt Wu stopped talking. Instead, she nodded politely and said respectfully: "This slave is just talking casually. The young master only needs to listen."

Shen Ji immediately understood: "Mommy and I were casually chatting about some household matters. Of course I wouldn't take it to heart."

Aunt Wu was an old person in the palace when the late Emperor was in power. She used to serve the Queen Mother, and she was like a human spirit in this palace. Besides, the Queen Mother has great eyes and hands, and most things in the palace cannot escape her observation. She just hears about some things between the concubines, and I am afraid that some clues can be drawn from them.

She said that there were quite a few concubines in the palace who had been pregnant, but there were only a few who gave birth. Doesn't that mean that some people used tricks to kill the children?

Now the person in the palace who most wanted her to be unable to have a child was Concubine Lin. Aunt Wu was reminding her that Yun'er might be someone sent by Concubine Lin. If she could find Concubine Lin, she would no longer have to worry.

This also told Shen Ji that Concubine Lin had killed more than one child in the past.

But even so, there is no evidence at the moment, how could Aunt Wu tell her this?

She is one of the most senior maids in the palace. She has been immersed in this palace for decades and knows best what to say and what not to say.

Shen Ji asked himself that his relationship with Aunt Wu was not yet strong enough for her to be loyal to her, so there must be another reason behind her subtle hints about Concubine Lin today.

Could it be that the Queen Mother hopes that Shen Ji can overthrow Concubine Lin?

She used a trick to make Concubine Lin lose her right to co-manage the harem and even put herself at risk. She could only do it with the right time, place, people and talent. It would be so easy to overthrow her and avoid future troubles.

Besides, there were constant disputes in the palace, and even without Concubine Lin, she would not be able to sit back and relax.

The most important thing now is to give birth to the child smoothly.

The snow outside gradually became lighter, and the laughter of the palace people outside could be clearly heard in the house.

Shen Ji sat on the sofa to keep warm and read a book. Shuangming brought a thin silk quilt and wrapped her tightly. He said softly: "Please put some cushion under your waist, little master. You have already shown your pregnancy now. Always." If you lean on it like this, your back will hurt when there is nothing behind you."

"Yunxue is lively and smart, you are careful and steady. With you two reliable people by my side, I finally have someone trustworthy in this palace." Shen Ji smiled sweetly, with reassurance in his eyes, "Take a look at our Chunlan Palace. There have been so many cases of betrayal and impure thoughts among the palace people, but now that there are only two of them, I know that having more people around me is important."

She stood up slightly, let Shuang Ying place a soft pillow under her waist, and sighed softly: "Although there are not as many people in our palace as the main queen, the eleven or two people are not too many to say the least, and not too many to say the least. You are the maid in charge around me. You must control them well, with both strength and softness, kindness and power. It is best to gather a few loyal ones. Only in this way can we ensure that things around us are not in danger, and the pressure from the three of you can also be reduced. Lighter."

"I come from a civilian background, so without any support from my family, everything is difficult. How easy it is to start from scratch. Every step I take, I have to be cautious. Like Concubine Lin, I know that she has tried to harm me several times, but now I We can only take advantage of them, and have no power to counterattack."

Shuangming understood the concerns of the young master, and also knew that it was not easy for her to move forward. But in the palace, if she had no power, she would take advantage of it. She said softly: "Although the young master is from the common people and has no power, Concubine Lin's only enemy may not be One person. Doesn't my little master always say that the enemy of my enemy is my friend?"

Shen Ji looked at her thoughtfully: "You mean, using other people's power to deal with Concubine Lin?"

It's not impossible to kill someone with a borrowed knife, it's just that you have to find a suitable person who can make her and Concubine Lin fight to the death, and then you have to slowly figure it out before they can reach a united front.

After thinking for a long time, she deliberately explained to Shuang Ying: "After Yun'er and Ling Cui arrive, you find someone trustworthy to keep an eye on her day and night. Tell me everything you meet and who you come into contact with every time."

Shuangying nodded: "This will make those who come to Du Yuxuan have impure thoughts, and I understand."

-

Since the first snowfall, the days have been getting shorter and shorter.

The bulge of Shen Ji's abdomen became more and more obvious. Even the loose palace skirt could not hide her round belly. Her body became bulky and she loved to sleep. She often felt that it was getting dark before lunch.

It has been snowing outside for two or three times, and the weather is getting colder and colder. Even if you go out wearing a fur cloak, the cold wind will make your bones hurt.

It is now the New Year's Eve in a few days, and she has been pregnant for five and a half months. In a few days, when New Year's Eve passes, it will be the sixth year of Cheng'an.

Although the days passed peacefully, Shen Ji's heart was still uneasy.

Strange to say, the palace maid Yun'er has been very honest since she entered Du Yuxuan. She found someone to keep an eye on her, but they never found anything wrong with her.

Yun'er is timid and rarely talks. She always works behind Ling Cui. For more than a month, she has been so honest that even Shen Ji wonders if his judgment is wrong. Is Yun'er really... They are just Ling Cui's friends, and they just want to find a good way out for themselves.

But the timing of her arrival was so lucky, even if nothing happened at the moment, she didn't dare to take it lightly. Pregnancy is hard, and her child will be born in a few months, so she cannot be merciful to outsiders.

Concubine Lin was watching her with eager eyes, and there were countless pairs of eyes watching her secretly. It would be wrong to do anything wrong, so it was better to keep a closer look.

It was snowing lightly outside. Yun'er and Ling Cui were passing by the courtyard carrying hot water. Shen Ji stood in front of the half-open window and moved his eyes from the two of them to the sky.

The thin moon hangs high and light snow falls,

Every evening, Duyuxuan is brightly lit, and the sky is filled with a layer of dark blue light.

The clarity and ambiguity are extremely intertwined. The red plum blossoms in the courtyard are in full bloom and the branches are covered with snow. It is most beautiful.

Shen Ji stared at it for a while, staring at the moon in a daze. Shuang Xing opened the curtain from outside and came in. He smiled and said, "What are you looking at, little master? Your Majesty will be here soon."

"That girl Junxue is taking people to the Shangshi Bureau to get dinner for today. I don't know if she can do it."

Shen Ji closed the window, slowly walked back to the couch, stretched out his hand to warm his hands on the silver charcoal basin, and said with a smile: "Although she is not more stable than you, she is also smart and capable. We can't always let you do the things in the palace. If you do it yourself, she should also learn to share the burden for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, word came from outside that His Majesty had arrived.

When others heard that His Majesty was coming, they hurriedly went to greet him, but Shen Ji just sat down and his buttocks were not warm yet, so he was too lazy to get up.

Besides, His Majesty had already promised that she would not be polite in private without asking for greetings, so she did not move her body today and watched Qin Yuan walk in from the outside.

The door of the room opened wide, and a sudden burst of cold air blew in. Qin Yuan walked in, covered with snowflakes, and was being served by Zhang Pu, taking off his cloak and wiping off the snow.

He turned his head and glanced at Shen Ji. She was sitting leisurely, stretched out a pair of thin white catkins to warm her hands on the charcoal basin, and said slowly: "I came to see you carrying the wind and snow. You are very comfortable."

"Your Majesty, what you said is stingy," Shen Ji lowered his eyebrows and smiled, "The child in the belly just moved, and Susu can't move."

Qin Yuan smiled lightly, walked to Shen Ji's side, first stretched out his hands to warm them, and then gently placed them on her bulging belly through her clothes: "Let me touch it too, is the child in her belly really like this?" Trick or treat."

The palace lanterns are bright, the painted screens are elegant, and the red plum carving windows are used as the scenery. Her gentle and low-brow smile makes Qin Yuan's heart slightly moved, which is really beautiful and moving.

For the first time in so many years, he was looking forward to the birth of a child.

Perhaps it was because Shen Ji had given him so many unique feelings. It was also the first time that he experienced different feelings between men and women in a woman, except for the temporary freshness and desire.

Du Yuxuan is a small area of ​​heaven and earth, not like a corner of a palace, but more like a small paradise. Whenever he comes here, he can feel happy physically and mentally and sleep peacefully.

He gently caressed Shen Ji's belly and said warmly: "When you give birth to a child next year, I will definitely promote you to a better position."

Chapter 50

Shen Ji raised his eyes and looked at him, but did not respond directly. Instead, he whispered softly: "I understand your Majesty's wishes, but I just hope that the child can be born smoothly. The status is not important."

There were constant disputes in the palace, and Qin Yuan knew what she was worried about, and immediately felt pity for her.

"Only those who are above the fifth rank in the palace can personally raise children. Although you have only been in the service for a short time, and you may be criticized by the government and the public for being promoted too quickly, it is a great achievement for you to give birth to the emperor. I don't think those old ministers will say anything more. ."

Qin Yuan took her hand and walked to the table filled with meals: "Just give birth to the child with peace of mind, I will consider the rest for you."

"New Year's Eve will be here in a few days. When spring is over next year, this child will be ready."

-

A few days later, with a heavy snowfall, New Year's Eve arrived.

New Year's Eve is the most important festival in the court. There will be many rewards in the palace, and even the lowest servants can have a warm meal of dumplings today.

Early in the morning, palace officials set off stacks of red paper firecrackers in the palace to celebrate the new year. As soon as the crackling firecrackers were set off, broken red paper fell all over the snow, and a strong smell of sulfur spread along the palace road. , it seems that the flavor of the new year has come out.

Bright red lanterns were hung in front of the palace doors, and window grilles were posted on the palace doors. After a busy year, it was easy to relax for a day, and there was laughter and laughter everywhere.

Although today is New Year's Eve, there is no need to go to Fengyi Palace to settle the matter in the morning and dusk. She only needs to wait to attend the New Year's Eve family banquet in the evening. Shen Ji got up early in the morning and cut the window grilles with the palace people at Du Yuxuan.

The main room has enough silver charcoal and is not cold at all, with only half a small window open for ventilation.

It is rare to have such a happy day today, and it has been a year since she entered the palace. Everyone in the palace is very happy, saying that they will keep the New Year together.

Shen Ji asked his trusted palace maids and eunuchs to come into the room and sit down to warm themselves. He also opened the small kitchen and asked the palace maids to cook some food for them to share.

Junxue took a handful of snow from the plum branches and went into the house, saying that she would cook snow and make tea as shown in the book. Several people gathered around the warm stove and waited to drink tea, enjoying themselves happily.

Shuangying went to the chamberlain's department a few days in advance to get a stack of gold paper and came back. He wrapped the silver in red paper and gold paper and asked them to draw lots. If they draw gold, it will be big, if they draw red, it will be small.

Seeing everyone below him smiling heartily, Shen Ji suddenly felt a little emotional.

The Chinese New Year at home has never been so enjoyable before. Being able to keep warm and buy new clothes is a rare occasion, let alone having money to reward my servants so generously.

Every time during the New Year, there is either a shortage of money or a lack of charcoal, or the person is calculating the price of a pound of pork every day and cannot afford it anymore. There is never any worry about food and drink, and the family gathers together to have a happy time.

At that time, she was thinking that she must not live like this again in the future. She wanted to be rich, well-fed and well-clothed. Even though she has never reached a position that satisfies her, every item in Duyuxuan that His Majesty has rewarded has a value that her family could not even imagine before, and it can be considered extremely wealthy.

There are green tea leaves lying at the bottom of the white porcelain cup, exuding the fragrance of tea mixed with a wisp of plum fragrance, which is very elegant.

Not long after, someone came in from outside and announced that Eunuch Zhang from Zhang Pu had come in person, seemingly with a courtesy. Shen Ji smiled and said, "Please come in quickly."

She gently touched her belly and leaned against the pillow. Her black hair was wavy and her hairpins were shiny.

Zhang Pu bowed and came in. When he saw that there were so many palaces and jade ladies in the same palace, it seemed very harmonious. There was a clear distinction between hierarchy and hierarchy in the palace. Many concubines who were born as noble girls were not only considerate of the servants, but also could It's a blessing to have the most basic attitude. I've never seen someone so tolerant to others and able to drink tea and chat with the master in the house.

He was also born as a slave. Zhang Pu was used to seeing things in this palace and could understand the slave's mood best. He couldn't help but think highly of him and said respectfully: "My slave, I would like to pay my respects to Lord Jade."

He raised his head and said with a smile: "Some time ago, I paid tribute to you with some skins. The fur color is very good. Your Majesty ordered them to be made into big cloaks. I just rushed out the work today. One black fox skin, two white fox skins, black fox skin for Queen Mother, you and the Queen each have one piece of this white fox skin. Such a rare thing is given to you, but Your Majesty always has my mistress in mind. Didn't you ask your slave to bring it to you as soon as it was finished? "

Zhang Pu clapped his hands, and the little eunuch behind him immediately came forward with a tray, lifted the lid of the box, revealing a soft and smooth white fox cloak.

"Look, it's rare to see such good fox skins."

Shen Ji took one look at it, curved his lips and smiled: "It is indeed an excellent material, the hair is soft and fluffy, and there is no trace of color. Your Majesty is so interested, please ask my father-in-law to thank Your Majesty for me."

"It's natural," Zhang Pu finished his errand and said with a smile, "Now that the things have been delivered, I will go back to Jianzhang Hall to serve."

Shen Ji looked at Shuangying, and she immediately took out a piece of gold paper from her sleeve and wrapped a heavy amount of silver: "Today is New Year's Eve, and my father-in-law is also going to celebrate the New Year."

Zhang Pu nodded and smiled, saying thank you to the young master for his kindness, and then led the people in front of him away.

After all the people in front of the emperor left, the palace people in the room gathered around to see the leather that His Majesty had rewarded, and marveled: "The good things in the palace have always been with the Queen and Concubine Lin, now it is our little master's turn. Got it!"

"Such a beautiful cloak, it shows that His Majesty really dotes on my little master."

Yun Xue came over and said with a smile: "The little master is so favored by His Majesty. If he gives birth to a little prince or princess in the future, he will definitely be the apple of his eye."

She smiled and said: "Little Master, I said before that I would cook mutton dumplings for you on New Year's Eve and make them with Aunt Wu. I would give you some money. You are going to have a palace banquet on New Year's Eve today, so... you still want to eat them?" Don't want to eat?"

Shen Ji scratched the tip of her nose: "Then I'll keep some in my belly and use some when I get back. You guys can share a portion of it for yourself, so you don't have to save it for me."

-

In the evening, when he was about to leave for the New Year's Eve palace banquet, Shuangying carefully tied the white fox cloak that His Majesty had only given to Shen Jizai during the day.

As soon as this white fox cloak is wrapped around me, the wind and snow are completely blocked. Even if there is heavy snow outside, I don't feel very cold anymore.

Today's New Year's Eve palace banquet is a big occasion. As a nobleman, Shen Ji must be surrounded by four people as usual.

Before leaving, she deliberately left Junxue in the palace and told her to keep an eye on Yun'er before setting off for Liangyi Palace.

The road was blocked by heavy snow and the ground was slippery. It took Shen Ji's chariot nearly twice as long as before to reach the gate of Liangyi Palace.

When they arrived at the foot of the jade steps, Yu Ya happened to be there. She heard Shen Ji calling, turned around with a smile, and said, "Sister Yu!"

Shuangying helped Shen Ji get off the chariot. She smiled and said, "What a coincidence. Let's go up together."

Ban Yuya looked at Shen Ji's cloak under the palace lantern, and said with a smile: "I have never seen the white fox fur cloak on my sister before, but is it a new gift from your majesty? My sister is pregnant now, Ji Gengyi and Lu Cairen Even if she has favor, it can be seen that she is not as good as my sister."

She gently touched Shen Ji's belly and teased shyly: "Especially since my sister still has a baby like a golden bump in her belly. When he is born, my sister will really have a bright future."

Shen Ji raised his hand to touch his swollen belly. Although there was a smile on his face, his eyes could not hide his worry, especially when he thought that Yun'er had not made any move until now, which was not at all what she had expected at first. Likewise, it is inevitable to worry.

"I also hope everything goes well, I hope so."

Seeing Sister Yu's worried but forced smile, Ban Yuya knew what she was worried about, but water far away could not save the fire nearby. After all, those people's target was not her, and the smile on her face dropped unconsciously. .

Since entering the palace for so long, Sister Yu has been leading her forward, showing her the way, and giving her everything she has now. It would be great if she could also help her.

The two of them walked into the palace side by side. At this time, there were already many concubines in the Liangyi Palace. Concubine Lin had also arrived early and was holding Princess Changle and playing with her. When everyone saw Shen Ji and Ban Yuya coming in, their eyes changed. It fell on the white fox cloak on her body.

Concubine Lin also looked over.

Shen Ji and Ban Yuya paid their respects to Concubine Lin. Tiao Mei, who was beside Concubine Lin, said, "My Lady, this seems to be the white fox fur cloak that Your Majesty gave to Concubine Jade today."

"My servant heard that there are only two pieces of white fox fur. One was given to the Queen, and the other was given to the Jade Noble. How could such a lowly person like the Jade Noble be worthy of such a good cloak? In the past, good things were not always given to empresses. It was all her deliberate frame-up."

Looking at the cloak, Concubine Lin's expression suddenly turned cold, but she hugged Chang Le and held back even if she was angry. She could not scare her daughter, so she could only sneer: "Sooner or later, I will make her see her clearly. How can she be worthy of competing with me for status? Without that piece of meat in her belly, how can she still be so arrogant?"

Half an hour later, the interior of Liangyi Hall was gradually filled with people. The Queen Mother arrived first, followed by Her Majesty and the Queen.

The whole palace is celebrating New Year's Eve together. Today, Liangyi Palace is decorated in a particularly rich and festive manner. Even the palace music and group dances played at the beginning are in a cheerful and lively tone.

The royal children and concubines gathered together, each holding the prince and princess in their arms, with smiles on everyone's faces.

Qin Yuan raised a glass of wine, stood up and saluted loudly: "Today is New Year's Eve. My family is gathering together to enjoy singing, dancing, and tasting delicious food. It should be lively and lively, and there is no need to be restrained."

After that, he drank all the wine in the cup. Seeing this, everyone in the palace also raised their wine glasses and said in unison: "Let's spend the New Year's Eve family banquet with His Majesty."

After the wine glass was put down, the people around Lu Cairen exclaimed in surprise and asked, "Why is it that Jade Lady is pregnant and shouldn't drink alcohol, but Lu Cairen doesn't drink either? It's rare for everyone to be happy today. If you don't drink, it will be a disappointment."

The voice was loud and attracted many people to look at Lu Cairen.

Lu Cairen glanced at her, with a faint but hint of pride on his elegant face. He stood up and walked to the middle of the hall and said: "Your Majesty, it's not that I mean to disappoint you, but that I have already If you are more than one month pregnant, you should not drink alcohol."