The story of the Beloved Concubine's Ascension

Chapter 61-70

Chapter 61

Shen Ji opened his eyes dimly, and through a window, he saw the thin night outside, and knew that it was almost time for dinner.

She stretched out her hand and put it on Qing Chen's wrist and stood up slowly: "Your Majesty is coming to Du Yuxuan temporarily. I think you need to have a meal here. You can send someone to the Shangshi Bureau to inform them so that they can prepare it. "

Qing Chen agreed and helped her to the couch before stepping back. As soon as Shen Ji sat down, Qin Yuan stepped in and saw her round belly. Even the loose palace skirt could not cover her pregnant body. His anxious heart was relieved. It was a little quieter.

Seeing His Majesty walk in, Shen Ji consciously did not force himself to stand up and salute. He put his delicate hands on his belly and said softly: "Your Majesty is here."

Qin Yuan hummed, sat next to Shen Ji, and naturally held her warm hand: "Look at her rosy complexion and warm hands. I feel more at ease than anything else."

Shen Ji smiled lightly and said with concern: "February is the end of winter and the beginning of spring. The temperature rises at noon, but it is cold at night. My hands are warm, but your Majesty's hands are cold."

"I heard that there is a severe drought in Suzhou. Your Majesty has been worried about this matter in recent days, but no matter how hard you work, you have to take care of yourself. You are the master of the world and the hope of the people of Suzhou. Only if you take care of yourself can the people survive."

"Qing Tan, the small kitchen has prepared a soup to replenish the body and ward off the cold. I'll give your Majesty a bowl to warm you up."

Qin Yuan saw Qingtan accept the order and retreat, and said warmly: "I am very relieved that you are gentle and sensible. I will also take good care of myself."

"Since your fall, I brought Qingtan and Qingchen to your palace. How are they serving them? Are you still used to them?"

There was no one else in the room, Shen Ji hooked his finger, and his tone became softer, with a hint of coquettishness: "The maid who has been serving your Majesty for a long time is more stable and smarter than anyone else, Susu." I like His Majesty's thoughts very much."

"It's just a pain to Your Majesty. You have such a capable palace maid to give Susu two. Even if you give birth to a child in the future, you won't be able to pay it back."

Every time he comes to Du Yuxuan, whether Shen Ji is gentle and obedient, cute or charming, Qin Yuan can always feel comfortable and comforted.

It seemed that as soon as I saw her, no matter how many worries I had in my heart, they would be eliminated unconsciously by her stunning eyebrows and clear and pleasant voice.

As time went by, the freshness of the first meeting was gone, but my peace of mind and my love for her remained fresh and became more and more profound.

Especially now that Shen Ji is pregnant with their first child, he has too many expectations and high hopes for this unborn child, as if the little family in his heart can be complete only after the child is born.

He raised his hand to caress Shen Ji's smooth cheek, and said in a soft voice: "What I gave you, of course there is no reason to take it back. Qingtan and Qingchen are the maids who have been married to the emperor for several years. They have a calm temperament and are well-informed. Guang, with them by your side to serve you in everything, I can feel more at ease."

"Tomorrow morning I will go out of the palace to pray for rain with the queen. This trip will take at least half a month. By then the harem will be without a master, and the queen mother will guard the palace. I will also order you and Lu Cairen to take care of the pregnancy. With the dragon heir as your top priority, no one will make things difficult for you. In addition, the Queen Mother acts vigorously and resolutely, and people with impure thoughts in the palace will not dare to do anything."

Shen Ji lowered his eyebrows and smiled: "Your Majesty works hard for the country every day, and yet he thinks so thoughtfully about Susu. It is a blessing for Susu and the children."

Qin Yuan sighed softly: "Your pregnancy is not going smoothly, and I am always worried. Fortunately, it is already seven months. By mid-May, you will be able to give birth to full term."

"I promise you that no matter you give birth to a prince or a princess, I will promote you to the position of Shunyi. Only those who are in the fifth rank of Shunyi or above in the palace can raise their children in person. Although you have only been in the palace for a year, you have already been promoted quite quickly. , but you worked so hard to conceive this child, I can't let you lose."

Although Shen Ji had already guessed that she would be promoted to the Jin Dynasty after giving birth to a child, but now that His Majesty could personally promise it, she was still very heartbroken.

She raised her eyes and looked at His Majesty intently, her wet eyes seemed to be able to speak, gathering thousands of words, and finally nodded: "Susu, thank you for Your Majesty's grace."

While he was talking, Qingchen and his maids had already returned from the Shangshi Bureau to get the dinner, and placed the sumptuous dinner on the dining table one by one.

Qin Yuan personally helped Shen Ji get up, and the two walked side by side to the table and sat down facing each other.

After tasting the dishes, Zhang Pu came in to prepare dishes for the two of them. During the meal, Qin Yuan would look at Shen Ji's face from time to time. He looked back and forth and couldn't help but laugh deeply: "When you were not pregnant before, your diet was often light and your appetite was not good. Small. Now that your belly is getting bigger, I wonder if the child in your belly is greedy. I see that your food is much sweeter today and your appetite is larger."

Shen Ji swallowed a chopstick of rice in his mouth, curled his eyes and smiled: "Everyone says that during pregnancy, one person eats and two people take supplements. The child is now seven months old, and my appetite is much better than before. Speaking of which, , this child is quite sensible. I heard from Concubine Zhuang that when she was pregnant, she was extremely ill and felt uncomfortable for several months. She said that Concubine Yi was also swollen during pregnancy. But now, in addition to being bulkier, I have I don't feel too big, I eat and sleep well, and I only have a big belly."

"I would like to thank this child for being so sensible and not letting me become swollen and ugly. If not, Your Majesty would now think that I am edible. If I really become ugly after giving birth, wouldn't it be even worse? His Majesty is disgusted."

Qin Yuan smiled faintly: "You are so sharp-tongued that even I dare to challenge you."

That's all, he added in a warm voice: "I like you to eat more."

-

The next day, His Majesty and the Queen went out of the palace to pray for rain and offer sacrifices in response to the severe drought in Suzhou. The Queen Mother then summoned the concubines to give lectures.

It is said that there is a severe drought in Suzhou and the people are in dire straits. This is a major event related to the country and the livelihood of the people. The previous dynasty sent people and money, and even the emperor and empress went to pray for rain in person. As a concubine in the harem, she could not leave the palace for even half a step, but she still treated the world The example of a person should not be lived in extravagance.

From now on, except for raising children and pregnant concubines, all other concubines must reduce their expenses by half, and use less gold, silver, and jade. The saved silver can be used to relieve disasters.

Furthermore, once every three days, the Queen Mother will take the lead in praying for Suzhou's rain in Baoguang Hall, and pregnant concubines can rest in the palace.

There were more than forty concubines in the palace, and everyone except Shen Ji and Lu Cairen had to participate in this blessing. Shen Ji knew that he could not go because of the emperor's heirs, so he copied Buddhist scriptures in Du Yuxuan and burned them to pray. , it can also be considered as giving your best effort.

One evening, just after praying for blessings in Baoguang Hall, all the concubines in the palace were so tired that their faces were so tired and their knees were weak.

Although there is a soft futon cushion underneath, it is difficult to kneel for a whole day, and the posture and appearance must not be shaken.

Furthermore, although it is once every three days, the knees can be healed in two days. If you insist on doing it two or three times, these concubines who are usually pampered and pampered will naturally not be able to bear it.

But the Queen Mother was older than them all, so the Queen Mother didn't say anything, and no one dared to show a trace of complaint, swallowing all the discomfort.

Concubine Rao couldn't stand the pain in her knees, so she quickly asked her personal maid Xi Ling to support her and asked her to leave. Then she turned around and went out and got on the chariot.

As soon as she walked to the palace road, Concubine Rao gently rubbed her sore and stiff knees and complained: "Your Majesty will have to go for at least fifteen days. I don't know when this blessing will be over. It hurts me to death. This kneeling is all it takes." Throughout the whole day, except for a break at lunch, there was no time for rest. Doesn't a Bodhisattva need to take a break? Lu Cairen is very lucky at the moment. She is pregnant and her expenses are not reduced. There is no need to come and suffer every three days."

Just after muttering a few words, Concubine Rao looked down and saw her empty wrists and the dull and not gorgeous material on her knees. She thought of the gorgeous palace dress in the past and her head full of pearls. Thinking about it now, it is even more... He was so angry that he said, "It's just to pray for rain. It's just a matter of cutting down on expenses. You can't even wear everyday clothes and jewelry. Those who are plain are not as good as civilian girls! Dressing so simply every day, I am in a good mood every day." No, everyone is haggard. If your majesty comes back to see me, my appearance is not as enchanting as before, how can you still love me as much as before?"

She had just walked out of the Baoguang Palace, but she didn't dare to complain like this. Xi Ling comforted her mother-in-law in a low voice: "There is a severe drought in Suzhou, and the women in the harem cannot leave the palace. The Queen Mother also wants to do her best, let alone this It is a matter of people's livelihood, and no one can say no. Otherwise, if word spreads and the Queen Mother and Her Majesty find out about it, it will be really over. The empress is beautiful, even if she is dressed more modestly, she is very elegant. Otherwise, how could your Majesty do it in the first place? Shall I give you the title of Rao? As for your knees, I will give you a good compress after you get back, and then apply some ointment to reduce the swelling. I think it will be better after two days of rest."

Although Concubine Rao is extremely dissatisfied, unfortunately Ling is right. In this matter, she still has to be cautious in her words and deeds to avoid spreading rumors and making His Majesty dissatisfied. He thinks that the Mu family actually despises the common people in this way. Oh no.

She was about to give up the chariot and hurry back to the palace, but a faint laughter came from behind her, saying: "Sister Rao is young and beautiful. Dressing more plainly makes people's eyes brighter and makes her feel unique."

Concubine Rao turned her eyes and saw Concubine Yi sitting on the chariot beside her, quietly eavesdropping on her for who knows how long.

After all, what she just complained about didn't make much sense, and Concubine Yi was a subordinate of Concubine Lin. If Concubine Yi spread her words widely, and the Queen Mother knew about it, she would definitely suffer a loss.

Concubine Rao looked at Concubine Yi warily, with a smile on her face but not a smile on her face: "I have always known Concubine Yi to be gentle, elegant, and docile. Little sister didn't know that she had the habit of eavesdropping on people's conversations."

Concubine Yi smiled and didn't take it seriously: "This is the palace road outside Baoguang Palace. My sister has to go from here when she returns to the palace. How can she be eavesdropping? But don't worry, sister, she didn't hear anything."

Concubine Lin and Concubine Rao were old rivals in the palace. It was common knowledge that they disliked each other. Concubine Lin did not like Concubine Rao because she was charming and charming. She had repeatedly made things difficult for her and did not like her because she admired her. Concubine Lin suddenly became the leader, but Concubine Rao was not an easy person to deal with. Concubine Lin was doing her job reliably, and there was nothing Lin Guifei could do about it.

Although Concubine Rao didn't know how Concubine Yi could be so kind to let her go, she still had some vigilance in her heart and just wanted to be polite to her.

Concubine Yi glanced at the sky and sighed: "It took me a whole day to pray in Baoguang Hall. The sky was bright and the sun was setting before I went back. It was inevitable that my sister would not be able to bear it. But why should my sister worry about His Majesty's favor? You are young and charming, and you have such a capable mother and father, as well as a promising father and brother. You have a bright future in the palace, and you will naturally have no shortage of favors."

"What's more - Lu Cairen is pregnant now. You should take good care of her child. When she is born, the child will still be held in your lap and raised. In this way, she will have beauty, family background, children and sisters, so why worry about flowers? There's no such thing as a hundred-day red."

Concubine Rao was originally in a bad mood and looked worried, and she was at odds with Concubine Yi. But Concubine Yi's words finally spoke to her heart, and she was really relieved.

She raised her hand and caressed a hairpin in her hair. She couldn't hide the pride in her eyes and brows, but her tone was still emotional: "The emperor's eldest son belongs to Concubine Zhuang. There is no legitimate son in the palace, so the eldest son is the most valuable, let alone yours." The second prince is so sensible and smart, and his majesty likes him. Even if I raise Lu Cairen's child, let alone a boy or a girl, even if he is a prince, he will not be very honorable."

"To take a step back and take the two pregnant women in the palace now, His Majesty still cares more about the jade nobles than Lu Cairen."

Concubine Yi smiled and said casually: "Your Majesty Yu's belly is now big, and your Majesty attaches great importance to it and looks at it very strictly. There is no doubt that this child will be born, but it would be better if it is a daughter, but if it is a prince, , but it is indeed a bit troublesome."

"Sister Rao, let's not talk secretly. Sister, I am also a mother. Although the second prince is smart and your Majesty likes him, if Yu Guiren gives birth to a prince who is more interested in your majesty, I will inevitably be anxious. "

After saying that, she sighed softly and said sadly: "If you really give birth to a prince, it would be great if Your Majesty doesn't like it."

Concubine Raogui glanced at Concubine Yi, but did not immediately agree with her.

She has always disliked Concubine Lin, and she also knew that Concubine Yi and Concubine Lin were the same. Concubine Yi obeyed Concubine Lin in everything. When she said these words today, she felt that she had no good intentions. She couldn't really see her crying.

With a sneer, Concubine Rao said: "Sister Yi Fei's own second prince is smart enough to be liked by Your Majesty. Why is he still staring at Yu Guiren's belly? I have never given birth to a child. What I said is not playing the piano to a cow."

"Besides, how did Bancai Nu get demoted and grounded? I don't believe what others believe."

Speaking of Ban Cainu, Concubine Yi looked at her in surprise: "Ban Cainu was jealous of the noble lady Jade and tried to blame Concubine Lin. It was her own fault because of her impure thoughts and she could not blame others."

Originally, he could have said a few words to her, but when he saw that Concubine Yi was pretending to be deaf and dumb, it was meaningless. Concubine Rao was too lazy to entrust her with the virtual snake anymore, and just ordered the people below to leave.

After walking some distance and confirming that no one was around, Xi Ling said: "Concubine Lin is jealous and doesn't like anyone in the palace to be favored, nor does she like concubines who are favored to give birth to children she doesn't like, so she treats Concubine Jade Making things difficult in every possible way, this servant feels that the incident with Bancai Nu may be the same--"

Before she finished speaking, Rao Guibi knew what Xi Ling wanted to say. She turned her head and looked over: "Go on."

Xi Ling nodded and said: "In the short term, in order to avoid His Majesty being suspicious again, Lord Yu cannot take action this time. In this case, having said that, it is not that Concubine Yi couldn't listen at all. "

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, Guiren Yu, this baby will survive. If it's a daughter, that's okay, but if it's a prince, in order for you to raise Lu Cairen's child in the future, it's best if His Majesty doesn't like the prince Yu Guiren gives birth to, isn't that okay? ?"

Concubine Rao frowned slightly: "How can I control your Majesty's thoughts?"

Xi Ling looked at her steadily: "Then the empress will find a way to make His Majesty dislike it, isn't it?"

Chapter 62

After talking to Concubine Rao, Concubine Yi did not go back to the palace directly, but went to Concubine Lin's Yongxin Palace first.

Concubine Lin was lying on the concubine's couch with her eyebrows furrowed, and several palace maids were carefully applying it to her knees. Her skin was fair, and her knees were red and conspicuous. She knew how much the Queen Mother had suffered these past few days when she took the lead in praying, so she Not even Concubine Lin could escape.

Hiiragi carefully applied the ointment carefully and reminded in a low voice: "Empress, Imperial Concubine Yi has arrived."

As soon as she finished speaking, Concubine Yi walked in, bowed her head and saluted respectfully: "I would like to express my regards to the noble concubine."

Concubine Lin had been kneeling all day and her knees were hurting. She was in a bad mood and was too lazy to open her eyes. She hummed and raised her hands: "Sit down."

"I heard that you just had a chat with Concubine Rao in front of the Baoguang Palace. Many people can't bear to kneel like this every two days for three days. You have free time to talk to that little bitch."

Concubine Yi consciously sat on the round stool in front of the imperial concubine instead of the couch, and said softly: "The Queen Mother ordered all the concubines in the palace to pray for blessings, but Yu Gui and Lu Cairen did not. When I saw Rao Gui, I Thinking of Lu Cairen, I sent my greetings and mentioned a few words about Jade Nobleman's fetal image."

She glanced at the maids serving in the palace, waved her hand and motioned for everyone except Hiiragi Mei to go down, and then said: "Although Bancai Nu was demoted and grounded, and the noble lady Yu had a fetal infection, the child was saved in the end, and I knew that I was not finished. I have always felt guilty and uneasy about my queen's expectations, so I wanted to ask about it."

Speaking of this, Concubine Lin finally opened her eyes: "After all calculations, I never expected that Lady Jade would keep this pregnancy. I am angry just thinking about it. Speaking of which, she is also a loyal maid, but she has served her for a long time." He would sacrifice his life to protect her."

Concubine Yi hurriedly lowered her head and said, "I am a useless concubine. I cannot help the empress solve her serious problems."

"Forget it, your method is thorough enough, and it's not all your fault." Concubine Lin was a little impatient, but she finally relaxed, "At least, that little foxy Ban Shi suppressed it, so it's okay." I am angry."

"Your Majesty and the Queen Mother are watching so closely, I'm afraid it will be impossible to take action again, and it will be easy to expose the secret. I have to be more stable these days. It's just that I feel unhappy when I think that Shen Ji can also give birth to a dragon fetus. "

In fact, considering Concubine Lin's status and family background, she is comfortable and noble enough now. Why should she always look down on the low-ranking concubines? She can just enjoy the moment and try to give birth to a prince.

Even if there is a fight, it should be a fight for power and position, as long as His Majesty has no impression of me as a person and has no favor at all.

With qualifications and children, what should I have?

If Concubine Yi is Lin Guifei, then the most important thing for her now is to focus on the queen. Although the current queen is gentle and virtuous, she has no heirs after all. When the prince under her knees grows up and becomes the prince, besides the queen, she will be the only one. Wouldn't it be better if the Queen Mother would live a prosperous life and never have to look at anyone's face again.

Because Concubine Lin cared too much about the love between her children and His Majesty, she was filled with jealousy and His Majesty's favor, so she lost her composure and took risks, putting herself in danger again and again.

Your Majesty is your Majesty after all. He has only been on the throne for the sixth year now. There are more than forty concubines in the palace, big and small. General elections are held every three years. There are also maids as beautiful as clouds in the palace. There is no shortage of fresh women around your majesty. , and there is no shortage of beauties. If you insist on having a good relationship with His Majesty and your favor will last forever, and you will not allow any woman to be favored by His Majesty, once such an idea persists, what is the difference between going against the will of heaven?

It's a pity that no matter how crazy Concubine Lin is, she is still a concubine. She has a family background like a towering tree and a past friendship with His Majesty. No matter how good Concubine Yi thinks and how clear she is, she is just a woman with a weak family background and has to rely on others to survive. Just people.

Concubine Yi suppressed the injustice in her heart and remained respectful on her face: "Thank you, my concubine, for your consideration."

The pain in her knees was relieved a lot, and the depression in Concubine Lin's heart also dissipated a little: "At least it's not all without gain. Shen's fate is determined, so I will spare the lives of their mother and son first."

After saying that, Concubine Lin glanced sideways at Concubine Yi: "Your brother's errand has been arranged by me. It's what he wants. Don't worry."

Upon hearing the news, Yi Fei's eyes suddenly lit up.

She comes from a humble family, and her father just shamelessly claimed that he was a distant cousin of the Lin family to get a casual job. Her brother is a very talented person, and finding a good job in the court has always been a thorn in the heart of the whole family. Over the past few years, Unblocking it didn't help, but as soon as Lin opened his mouth, it was done so easily!

Concubine Yi squeezed the handkerchief tightly, feeling extremely happy in her heart. She stood up quickly and said, "I would like to thank you, my concubine."

Seeing Concubine Yi's flattering and joyful expression, Concubine Lin couldn't hide her pride. Lin had something at her fingertips that no one else could ask for. This was also the gap between her and others: "Although it's not easy for Shen to do anything, But Ban's life is a disaster after all. Taking care of her before she is lifted from confinement will eliminate another hidden danger. Moreover, Shen is about to give birth, making her suffer during the pregnancy. It would be best if she can die in childbirth and both of them die. Not better."

Speaking of Ban Cainu, Concubine Yi lowered her voice and said, "My Majesty, to tell you the truth, my concubine has actually sent someone to do this, but Ban Cainu has been doing well, so I guess she didn't succeed."

Concubine Lin frowned tightly and opened her eyes: "It didn't work? What's the difficulty? Just bribe the guards to hang her and pretend to commit suicide out of fear of crime. His Majesty has already demoted her and grounded her. I don't usually care enough to investigate, so why didn't it succeed?"

Concubine Yi also frowned slightly, thinking: "I also tried this method, but the two guards on duty at night were incompetent, and the combination of kindness and power didn't work. It was too stubborn, so I gave up. In addition, I thought that Ning Lu and Yun'er would still be with the Queen Mother after all, which would be too conspicuous, so I decided to let her live, which would be inappropriate."

That's right. Although Ning Lu and Yun'er should have been executed, His Majesty didn't know what he thought. He actually spared their lives and sent them to the Longevity Palace for the Queen Mother to die. Although he couldn't guess what the purpose was, he spared them. It's not easy to save their lives.

Especially Concubine Lin sent people to inquire about the two of them early in the morning, but no one had ever seen them. The people in the Longevity Palace were even more strict, and no one said even eight words. The good people seemed to disappear in the palace. Just like here, it still makes people feel uneasy thinking about it.

Concubine Lin thought about it and decided to settle down for a while. Frequent attacks would eventually arouse suspicion. Moreover, Mrs. Lin was also in the period of sexual intercourse recently, so she shouldn't be too public about it: "Well, what you said makes sense, then. Let's leave it like this for now, the country is not stable and His Majesty's thoughts are on that, so it's better not to cause trouble at this time."

"It's exactly what the empress said." Concubine Yi lowered her head, remembering that her brother had finally obtained a position, and still couldn't hide the smile on her lips, "I have already mentioned Raogui concubine. She has been in great glory recently. Let's take a look. What is she capable of?"

-

Seventeen days later, at the beginning of March, the Holy Emperor returned to Luang.

In the spring season, the peach blossoms in Chang'an are in full bloom. Along the way, the country is peaceful and the people are safe. The picturesque scenery is in sharp contrast to Suzhou.

The officials who returned to Chang'an from Suzhou to report on their duties burst into tears every time they described the scene in Suzhou. When Qin Yuan saw the prosperous times of Chang'an on his way back to the palace, he couldn't help but think of the situation in Suzhou, which made him even more depressed and uneasy.

The rain praying ceremony has ended, but Suzhou still hasn't heard any good news about rain. Instead, there are more and more refugees. The manpower and money are allocated, but compared with the huge number of people, it is still a drop in the bucket.

Si Tianjian's stargazer reported that there were differences in the stars, the country's fortunes were sluggish, and the drought might continue for a while. There was no solution for the time being, and Qin Yuan was even more worried.

The day after returning to the palace, the queen summoned the concubines in the harem to discuss matters in Fengyi Palace. After hearing that the queen mother practiced frugality and personally led the concubines to pray in Baoguang Hall, she was deeply touched by the queen mother's kindness and decided to continue this move. Go on until the disaster abates.

In Fengyi Palace, the concubines who had knelt down to pray five times suddenly turned a little pale, and all of them had a little sadness in their eyes.

It's just a matter of cutting down on expenses. At most, it's not as comfortable and luxurious as before, but kneeling down to pray for one day every three days is really torture for women like them who have never suffered hardship since childhood.

I thought that the Holy Spirit would stop after returning to Luan, but the Queen would continue to do this. Although everyone knew that this move was to pray for the drought in Suzhou, how could the knees bear it after working so hard all day long? .

The Queen Mother and the others did not dare to complain, but the Queen had always been soft-tempered and had no heirs. Although most people respected the Queen, they did not obey the Queen as much as they listened to the Queen Mother's words.

Now that the Queen Mother and Your Majesty are not present, Concubine Lin can't sit still and complains: "The Queen has been away with Your Majesty for half a month. She must not know that we are not idle even in the palace. We kneel down every three days. Already After kneeling for five days, my knees were sore and weak, and I had to apply ointment every day to relieve them. I know that there is a severe drought in Suzhou, and Your Majesty is worried about it day and night, but is it useful to just kneel down and pray like this? What if the concubines in the harem are all because of this? After kneeling for a long time, my knees are numb and sore and I cannot serve His Majesty, then who will serve His Majesty?"

"As a concubine in the harem, you should put serving your majesty first in everything. Isn't the queen's move a little careless and careless about the end?"

Concubine Lin and the Queen openly contradicted each other. It was rare for the concubines below to take the position of the concubine, but they did not dare to express their anger.

It's a matter of people's livelihood. If His Majesty finds out, he may be blamed even more. It's better to let the noble concubine do such a provocative thing.

The imperial concubine's voice was stern and her face was full of complaints. The empress was already grieving because of the severe drought in Suzhou. Seeing that she only cared about herself and ignored the overall situation, she was rarely annoyed: "Although the concubines in the harem are just to serve His Majesty and contribute to the royal family. , but he is also fed by the world, with fine clothes and fine food, and is extremely luxurious. I and Your Majesty went here to pray for blessings. On the official road next to Chang'an, you can see refugees all the way. All of them are hungry and have tired faces. Some of them are even worse. If illness arises on the road, life would be worse than death."

"As concubines in the harem, you are a role model for women in the world. How can you only care about your own selfish desires and talk about benevolence, justice and morality to avoid praying for blessings? Even if your share has been reduced by half, and even nine out of ten of you have gone, it is still worse than the lives of the common people. It's many times better, a life they can't even imagine!"

Speaking of the excitement, the queen also became excited and coughed twice: "Even the queen mother has never cried out about hard work. You are all young, but you keep saying that you can't bear it. If I let you hear it again, who will be dissatisfied?" If you work hard and don't want to pray for blessings, then I will deduct one year's salary and donate it all to Suzhou!"

The queen has always been gentle, but for the first time she was so angry. Everyone in the harem was so frightened that everyone in the harem hurriedly stood up and knelt down, saying in unison: "I, my concubines, will obey the queen's teachings, and they will definitely have the world in their hearts and pray for the people."

Concubine Lin was speechless after being told that her face was blue and white. She gritted her teeth and stood for a while before kneeling down.

The queen covered her lips with a veil and softened a bit: "Everyone, get up."

"In the past half month when I went to pray for rain with Your Majesty, I saw too many tragic things happened to the people, and I couldn't bear it. That's why I hope that we can do something practical to the best of our ability. From today on, I will let you The Imperial Medical Office made more ointments to reduce swelling and blood stasis overnight and distributed them to each palace, and the futons in Baoguang Hall will be made softer, but the prayer cannot be interrupted."

"Yes, I would like to follow the Queen's teachings."

The concubines were supported by their respective maids and sat back down in their original positions. Although the atmosphere in the palace had relaxed a bit, it was still somewhat stalemate.

At this time, Concubine Rao smiled and said: "The Empress cares about the common people and is truly a role model for the mother of the country. I admire her in her heart, so naturally she takes the lead in everything. The Empress Dowager once said that the palace expenses should be halved, and every three days Pray for blessings, and I, my concubines, will always remember it and never forget their duties."

She raised her hand and touched her black hair: "No, now I don't even use gold and jade steps anymore, I only use plain hairpins and silk flowers, so that the people can know that the concubines in the harem don't just care about pleasure. For the common people."

The queen's face looked better, and she said warmly: "I remember that in the past, concubine Rao was the most fond of luxury. Now that you have such awareness, I feel very relieved."

Concubine Raogui nodded and said with a smile: "I would like to thank the Queen for the compliment."

"I've just heard too much news from outside, and it's hard to avoid feeling depressed. I have some good news today that I want to share with my sisters. I don't know if it's a coincidence or it's true."

The Queen raised her eyes and looked over, and said softly: "If there is good news, I will also tell it to Your Majesty and the Queen Mother, so that everyone can feel relieved. My concubine, you might as well tell it."

Concubine Rao smiled, looked at the other concubines who were looking over at her, and said, "I have been ordered to take care of Lu Cairen's fetus. Although I have never given birth to a child myself, Your Majesty hopes that both I and Lu Cairen will be very happy." Be careful and never let her go out easily to avoid accidents, but the weather has been better recently, and Lu Cairen has been depressed for a long time and wanted to go out to relax, so I took Lu Cairen to the nearby Qianli Pond."

"It's strange to say. I don't know if it's because the fish are more active in spring or something else. As soon as Lu Cairen stopped at the edge of the koi pond, all the koi that were swimming comfortably in the pond all came to Lu Cairen. We are swimming here, but Lu Cairen has no bait in his hands, and for some unknown reason, the koi are attracted to swim in groups."

Concubine Rao Gui looked at the queen, sighed, and sighed: "I thought it was just a strange sight, but I didn't worry about it. But two days ago, when I was praying in Baoguang Hall, I saw the eminent monk and asked him casually. Unexpectedly, the eminent monk It is said that the koi carps in Qianli Pond have been raised for many years and are quite spiritual. Moreover, koi carps have always been a symbol of good luck and good luck. I wondered if it was an accident. Maybe the child in Lu Cairen's belly was It's really an auspicious sign and full of spirituality."

Such a story can indeed be regarded as first-rate good news during the current severe drought in Suzhou.

There are currently two pregnant women in the palace, one is a noble man from Jade and the other is a talented man from Lu, both of whom are pregnant with dragon heirs.

There is a severe drought in Suzhou now. If the child in Lu Cairen's belly is really a good omen, spreading the news will not only stabilize the people's hearts, but also give His Majesty some relief.

This matter was mysterious, and the concubines below heard it and were also whispering and talking about it. Concubine Lin looked at Concubine Rao's proud and confident look and became very angry.

"According to what the noble concubine said, Lu Cairen was pregnant with a golden cicada. The Buddha's light shone brightly while she was still in Lu Cairen's belly, and the koi fish swam towards her. If it was so powerful, how could it happen when she was just pregnant? Can't you tell, have you discovered it now?"

Concubine Rao knew that Concubine Lin was choking her on purpose, but she was not angry at the moment. She smiled and said, "Everyone in the palace knows that it was winter when Lu Cairen was pregnant. The flowers were withered, the snow was flying, and the fish were hiding in the deep water. I really don't know what Concubine Lin wants to say."

"Besides, I have never said anything like this. I just shared a piece of strange news with the Queen and all the sisters. Why is Concubine Lin so angry?"

I don't know which concubine below said: "It is often very rare for concubines to hear such visions. You can only catch a glimpse of them if you are in a trance. Naturally, they will not appear easily."

As soon as these words came out, many people thought it made sense and echoed: "Yes, the drought in Suzhou is serious now. If Lu Cai is really lucky and can bring rain to Suzhou, His Majesty will definitely be very happy. Then Lu Cai People will be rich."

Concubine Lin sneered coldly: "It would be a good thing if the child in Lu Cairen's belly can really make it rain in Suzhou. If not, I'm afraid it will only have an empty reputation and will be of no use."

The queen said at the right time: "Well, since it is always a good thing to have such an auspicious scene, it is just our guess whether Lu Cairen has a lucky child in his belly. The most important thing right now is to be well prepared." Go to Baoguang Hall to pray."

"After talking for so long today, you must be tired. Go back and rest."

-

The news that Lu Cairen caused a swarm of koi carps to swim by the Thousand Carp Pond quickly spread throughout the palaces, causing everyone to talk about it. Shen Ji naturally also heard about it.

She was sitting in front of the window, tending to a vase of peach blossoms that Qing Chen had just folded. She didn't even raise her head when she heard the words, and said lightly: "Rao Guifei and Lu Cairen are really good at thinking of ways to come up with such a story to impress others." I thought Lu Cairen was carrying a lucky child."

"Previously, because of the inappropriate behavior of Songtao around Lu Cairen, His Majesty was displeased. Lu Cairen was originally supposed to be promoted to a nobleman, but the decree was delayed. Now there is a severe drought in Suzhou, and His Majesty is too busy to enter the harem. It is even less likely that he will be promoted to the throne. Perhaps Lu Cairen was worried that his unborn child would fall out of favor because of this incident, so he deliberately came up with such a story to please His Majesty."

She cut off a peach branch that was stretched too high and said lightly: "But what I can't figure out is that people from Lu can't be granted the title of noble. It's a good thing for the concubine Rao. People from Lu can't be granted the title of noble. Only after giving birth to a child can one be granted the title of noble. If the person is not rich enough to raise the child, then the noble concubine can raise it on his behalf and be half the adoptive mother of the child. However, Lu Cairen was trying to build momentum for his own child. , then it is definitely impossible for Concubine Rao to raise this child."

"Even if Lu Cairen is a subordinate of Raogui concubine, there is no reason why she would not raise her own child under her own hands and would rather let others raise her. Then what does Raogui concubine want? She is not afraid that Lu Cairen will give birth to a child and be separated from her. control?"

Qingtan was originally standing on one side to serve. Hearing the words, he said warmly: "Rao Your Majesty has served your Majesty for three years, and she is considered a favorite, but she has never had a child. I used to often come to the Imperial Medical Office, and I know that many concubines are looking forward to it." There is a child who secretly asked the imperial doctor to prepare a medicine for his pregnancy, but I have never heard of Concubine Rao drinking it."

"If you really want to have a son, Concubine Rao will not run out of ideas."

Shen Ji finally stopped pruning the peach blossom branches and looked over: "Concubine Rao, aren't you in a hurry to have a child?"

"That's strange. In the palace, a mother is more valuable than her child. It is a fact that everyone knows that having children is a guarantee, but concubine Rao is something people can't figure out."

After saying that, she continued to focus on the peach blossoms in her hands. In the bright spring day, the peach blossoms were scorching, which made her feel very good: "I can't guess what Rao Gui concubine is thinking, but Lu Cairen's story about the koi swimming in the water, I'm a little curious."

Yun Xue curled her lips on one side: "Is it really so mysterious? Why don't you believe it? That Lu Cai is gentle and knowledgeable on the outside, but underneath he is a smiling tiger. The son follows the mother. What kind of auspicious child can such a mother give birth to?"

At this time, Qing Chen said quietly: "It is not difficult to make koi fish swim in groups. There are many ways to create such a phenomenon."

"It's just that although we don't believe it, there are many people in the palace who do. Rumors spread, and as time goes by, the auspicious child becomes the auspicious child."

Spring passed quickly. Although the severe drought in Suzhou had been a source of concern both inside and outside the court, the Queen Mother and the Empress were taking care of Shen Ji and Lu Cairen, who were pregnant. People outside were panicked and the atmosphere was solemn, but Du Yuxuan managed to steal a corner of peace. .

The days of raising a baby passed smoothly and peacefully, and in a blink of an eye it was mid-May.

In the past three months, His Majesty has rarely come to the harem. He only visits a few times occasionally, and usually leaves to see a few children and pregnant concubines. The only difference is that in the past, His Majesty visited the Jade Lady more often than Lu Cairen had more times, and as time went by, the two gradually came close to being even.

In addition, the number of times His Majesty asked him to sleep was very few, and even the few times he asked him to sleep, it was always with Ji Gengyi, who was also promoted to Ji Baolin in early May.

The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and Shen Ji's due date is coming soon.

Chapter 63

On May 13th, Chang'an was a sunny day with flowers in full bloom.

As the delivery period was approaching, Shen Ji's belly was round and bulging. She had to be cared for in daily life, and even walking was very inconvenient.

She was originally slim and slender. Even though she was pregnant with a child, her body had never become plump and she still looked like a girl. Although she was still beautiful, the several pounds of belly hanging around her body every day always made her feel uncomfortable. Back pain.

Nearly half a year later, Shuang Ying's body is now much better. Together with Junxue, Qingtan and Qingchen, they serve beside her every day, and they work in pairs every night, for fear that if she doesn't pay attention, she will get pregnant.

She helped Shen Ji slowly move to the rocking chair under the main eaves and sat down, leaning on a soft cushion behind her waist, and the slanting sunlight hit her feet.

Shuangying squatted next to Shen Ji and pinched her legs to soothe her blood, and said warmly: "The baby's birth date happens to be at the end of spring when the flowers are blooming and the butterflies are dancing. The weather is neither too hot nor too cold in the morning and evening. If it's appropriate, you won't suffer too much during confinement."

Shen Ji lay on the rocking chair with her eyes squinted, her body rocking back and forth with Shuang Ying's movements. The fragrance of flowers in the courtyard was intoxicating, and the gentle breeze blew her inky temples.

If you didn't look at the swollen belly and just looked at the extremely beautiful and charming face, you would have thought she was a stunning girl who had not yet left the palace.

She opened her mouth softly and said quietly: "After ten months of pregnancy, this child will finally be born."

"Other people say that a mother is more valuable than her child, and I am so happy about it, but no one knows how dangerous it has been for me during the ten months I was pregnant with the child. When the child is born, there are some accounts that need to be settled, and it is time to settle them."

Shuang Ying raised her eyes and asked in a low voice: "Young master, are you talking about your class master?"

"More than that."

Shen Ji opened his beautiful eyes and said, "Lin and Concubine Yi did more than one thing to me. Even Lu Cairen and the others are not economical lamps."

"At least Yuya's confinement was successfully lifted, and she is living a peaceful life."

Shuangying nodded and said: "There is a severe drought in Suzhou, and everyone inside and outside the palace is worried about it. It is a blessing in disguise for us."

"It's just that since the little master was banned, I always feel that she is different from before when I look at her. Although she is still gentle and smiling, the smile in her eyes is always cold and lifeless."

Speaking of Yuya, Shen Ji couldn't help but sigh: "I don't know what you said. That incident must have caused great harm to Yuya, which led to her current state. She is just starting out, how can she be defeated?" Concubine Lin and Concubine Yi, two old foxes who have been immersed in the palace for a long time, even I suffered a lot at her hands."

"After entering the palace for more than a year, the thing I understand most deeply is not about the outside world, but the fact that I was born in the common people. A humble family is not just about my background. It is about my horizons, my knowledge, and how many people I have available under my command. Just like Lin Noble Concubine, there is so much help from her inside and outside the court, it is easy for her to do anything she wants, there are so many people who have to die for her orders, but what do Yuya and I have?"

Shen Ji smiled self-deprecatingly: "I see that Yuya has become calmer, but she is no longer as lively and laughing as the little girl she used to be."

This was said with sadness. Shuangying stood up and gently touched the little master's belly, and said warmly: "Little master, don't worry. In the past, many noble concubines did not die well. Whether the blessing lasts long has never been determined by family background. What's more, you and your family have never been able to decide. The class leader is still young and there is still time to come, and the child you give birth to will be your greatest help in the future."

After chatting for a few days, Shen Ji fell asleep unconsciously.

In the past two months, due to a large belly and discomfort during pregnancy, the little master often couldn't sleep well at night. There was a light blue color under his eyes. At this time, the sun had climbed from the instep to his knees, and the warm light was shining. The little master is tired.

Shuangming took out a thin blanket from the house and covered himself with it to protect himself from the cold. He moved a low stool and sat next to her, guarding her even half a step away.

At dusk, Shen Ji struggled to wake up from a dream.

The dream was about decades later. The face in the dream was no longer as young as it is now, but more like the age of the Queen Mother. She was sitting high in front of everyone, and the young emperor in bright yellow and his concubine saluted her and greeted her, in a trance. In Huang Liang's dream, she became the future queen mother.

Seeing that the child was about to be born, I wonder if she had expectations for this child and would actually have such a sweet dream.

Shen Ji opened his eyes leisurely, held the armrest next to him and prepared to sit up. Unexpectedly, as soon as he moved, his stomach began to hurt.

She frowned slightly and tried to push herself up, but the pain became more and more obvious, and she was afraid she was about to give birth.

Shuangying, who was next to him, noticed something strange about his little master, and hurriedly stood up and asked, "What's wrong with my little master? Is he going to give birth?"

The pain became more and more obvious, and beads of sweat began to appear on Shen Ji's forehead, and he spoke intermittently: "Yes, help me into the house and call Po Wen and the imperial doctor to come back."

Shuangying was surprised and happy. He hurriedly helped her up carefully and shouted: "Come here quickly! The little master has given birth!"

Du Yuxuan immediately became excited at this call.

Ten or twenty people swarmed out, all of them with serious expressions and not showing any signs of laziness. Under the arrangements made by Shuang Xing and others early in the morning, they settled Shen Ji as quickly as possible.

The news of Lady Jade's birth quickly spread throughout the palaces.

When the little eunuch who delivered the news arrived at Fengyi Palace, Qin Yuan was discussing matters with the queen.

Hearing that Lady Jade was about to give birth, the emperor and empress first flashed a hint of joy, but then, a layer of sadness fell over their faces.

After struggling for a few moments, Qin Yuan still couldn't hide his joy when he thought of Shen Ji, and said hurriedly: "The queen and I will go immediately. You go back to the palace and tell Lady Jade that she can give birth in peace, and I will always be by her side."

"His Majesty......"

The queen's eyes were full of sadness, and Rourou called out: "Do you think she will be a noble lady?"

"I really can't bear it."

Qin Yuan looked at the queen steadily, and his voice gradually became colder: "No matter what the outcome is, I will protect the noble lady and my child, and will not allow anyone to take him away."

As early as two months ago, Si Tianjian reported the matter in the morning due to abnormal celestial phenomena.

Si Tianjian, the most virtuous and respected person in Si Tianjian, once said that there are strange things around Ziwei Star, and the misfortunes and blessings are different. It cannot be seen clearly, but from observation, it is more bad than good, and the position of the stars surrounding Ziwei Star is a sub-star, which is generally regarded as a sub-star. Refers to the emperor's heir, and it is believed that the two unborn emperor's heirs in the palace correspond to the horoscopes, and their fortunes and misfortunes are unclear and intertwined.

However, the celestial phenomena were unclear at that time and there was no way to compare them, so we could only ignore them for the time being and wait until the emperor's heir was born to make a judgment.

But when there was a severe drought in Suzhou, there were strange phenomena around Ziweixing, which most likely confirmed that there would be an evil star coming next to the emperor, which would disrupt the country's destiny, and then the sky would bring a great disaster to the people.

The emperor is the son of heaven, and he is granted the emperor's inheritance by heaven. Star maps are spread in the sky, and the stars are an important channel for observing the destiny of the country.

Every dynasty would set up a Tiansi to observe the celestial phenomena and protect the country's destiny. Since the previous dynasty, many celestial predictions have come true. Therefore, Si Tianjian's words were not only taken seriously by the courtiers, but also Qin Yuan. .

But in order to allow Shen Ji and Lu Cairen to raise their children with peace of mind and avoid rumors in the palace, he ordered the news to be sealed and not to be spread outside.

The severe drought in Suzhou is a thorn in Qin Yuan's heart, and it has been stuck for several months without being resolved. He dotes on Lady Jade, and has high hopes for this child. He likes her very much. Even if there is only a 1/2 chance, he does not want to believe that his and her child will be a disaster.

But even though he didn't want to believe it, Si Tianjian's words still rang in his ears. Even if there was only the slightest possibility, he couldn't gamble with the heirs of a state.

During these days, I often visited Yu Gui and Lu Cai, also trying to determine what the mystery of this astrology was and whether I could find any clues. There were vague rumors in the palace that Lu Cairen's child had auspicious signs, which made his heart sink even more.

But regardless of whether Shen Ji gave birth to a misfortune or not, he would not let anyone hurt him.

When His Majesty and the Queen arrived at Du Yuxuan together, it was already dusk, and Ban Cainu arrived first.

Shen Ji's screams of pain could be heard from far away in Duyuxuan. The maids changing the blood and water were in a panic. Po Wen and the imperial doctor were all busy inside, and the atmosphere was very solemn.

Ban Yuya did not sit in the side hall and wait, but stood at the window not far outside the dormitory, looking inside from a distance through the closed window.

When she heard someone shouting that Your Majesty and the Queen were coming, she calmly turned around and walked over, Fu Shen said: "I give you this body, Your Majesty. Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please give me your regards."

It had been five months since I had seen Ban Cainu. She seemed to have changed. She was no longer timid and timid as before, but calm and calm. Her face, as beautiful as water, was less weak and more cold, rather a bit cold. The resemblance to Ji Baolin made him feel a little guilty.

Qin Yuan knew that Yu Gui and Ban Cainu were very close friends and were from the same hometown in the past. There were indeed many doubts about the incident at the time. However, because there were no witnesses or material evidence, he had to give a solution.

But in the beginning, he kept Ning Lu and Yun'er alive just so that she could be redressed one day. It also appeased the sisterly relationship between Yu Gui and her and prevented the people behind the scenes from causing trouble.

In the dormitory, Shen Ji was lying on the bed, and there were bursts of tearing pain in her lower body. She was covered in sweat, and she could not tell whether it was an illusion or reality. She could only listen mechanically to Wen Po saying "harder" and "harder" in front of her. Breathe", repeated again and again, and no one knows how much time has passed.

Giving birth to a child is such a difficult and painful thing. No matter whether the child is a boy or a girl, he will be her darling. But the pain is so painful that she suddenly remembers that her mother was in such pain when she gave birth to her, but she started from the beginning. He doesn't please his mother, he just acts as a tool to fight for favor and power.

Shen Ji has long been used to not being cared about, not liked, not being warmed. She thought she didn't care at all, but now when she gave birth to a child, she realized that it wasn't that she didn't care, but that no one could make her care.

Fortunately, she will have her own child soon. She will definitely be the best mother in the world and give him all her love.

Shen Ji was lying on the bed covered in sweat, her face was very pale, her vision was blurry, and she screamed in pain. After an unknown period of time, with a burst of severe pain, she finally felt light under her body, followed by the sound of the child. cries.

Before she passed out, she heard Po Wen shouting with joy: "Your Majesty Yu has given birth to a little prince, hurry up! Go and congratulate your Majesty!"

Chapter 64

Yunxue, who delivered the good news, cried with joy and ran out crying, "My little master has given birth to the little prince safely!"

Ban Yuya, who had been standing by the window, relaxed and finally smiled happily.

The news that Yu Gui gave birth to a prince was immediately delivered to His Majesty, and everyone smiled with joy.

It is a great joy to have another prince in the palace, and since the noble lady is so favored, His Majesty will definitely be very happy, and will reward them with many awards, so that they can also feel happy!

Qin Yuan and the Queen were sitting in the main hall of Chunlan Palace waiting. They heard someone shouting from a distance. Junxue stumbled over from outside. She quickly wiped her tears and said: "Your Majesty, Queen, my little mistress." A little prince was born!"

Qin Yuan was overjoyed when he heard this. He got up from his seat and was about to visit Shen Ji in the bedroom. Although Junxue was happy that your majesty valued the young master and the young prince, she did not forget the rules and hurriedly stopped him: "Your majesty, don't worry, the young master has just given birth. It's over. The delivery room is bloody. Your Majesty, it's better to go in later. The little prince had a hard time giving birth to his first child, and he lost strength and fainted after giving birth to the little prince. Fortunately, the imperial doctor said there was nothing serious, and he will probably wake up later."

At this time, Po Wen came over with the cleaned little prince in her arms and asked His Majesty and the Queen to take a look at the child. The newborn baby is still a little wrinkled, but you can vaguely see its regular facial features and dark eyes.

Shen Ji's mother and son gave birth to the baby safely, and the big stone in the queen's heart was relieved. But when she saw the baby, she was so happy that she thought of the uncertain future of this little baby, and how difficult it was for Shen Ji to give birth. She couldn't help but feel in her heart. Somewhat sad.

According to common sense, when a child is born in the palace, the name will be chosen by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and His Majesty on the day of the full moon. However, there are exceptions if the child is very fond of it.

For example, when Concubine Zhuang's eldest son was born, His Majesty gave him the name Ziji because he was the first prince. Today, when Yu Gui gave birth to a son, Qin Yuan was overjoyed and wanted to give his and Shen Ji's child a good name. .

Unexpectedly, while he was still thinking, Zhang Pu hurried over, with a serious look on his face and said anxiously: "Your Majesty, Si Tianjian said that he has something urgent to see you and is waiting in Jianzhang Hall."

The prince had just been born, and Si Tianjian came so urgently, what good could happen.

It's dark now and the stars are shining brightly. It seems that Si Tianjian has gained something by looking at the sky. It must be something important, so he came to report in a hurry.

No matter how much Qin Yuan didn't want to believe it, the twins of good fortune and misfortune were probably the twins born to Shen Ji.

When the queen heard this, her brows were stern and her heart was beating fast.

Qin Yuan took a deep look at the infant child who was sleeping with his lips licking his lips, and said in a deep voice: "Take the prince down and take good care of him, otherwise I will only ask you."

The wet nurses, with their blessed status, hurriedly took the little prince down to take care of him. Junxue looked at the expressions of His Majesty and the Queen in confusion, feeling a little confused.

Your Majesty is obviously very happy about the birth of the little prince and wants to name him. Why are your Majesty and the Queen looking so solemn when Si Tianjian comes?

Could something happen?

A bad premonition suddenly arose in Junxue's heart, but His Majesty and the Queen were both here. She subconsciously wanted to find a backer, but found that no one could protect her little master at this time.

In a panic, Junxue silently stepped back, turned around and went to Du Yuxuan Courtyard to tell Ban Cai'er, the Marquis of Zheng, about the matter.

After thinking for a moment, Qin Yuan ordered: "Young Master Yu has given birth and you need me to accompany you here. Zhang Pu, go and bring Si Tianjian in person. I will meet him in the main hall of Chunlan Palace."

Zhang Pu personally took the order to invite people. Not long after the news spread that Lady Yu had given birth to a prince, even the Queen Mother came to visit.

As soon as the Queen Mother arrived, Zhang Pu led Si Tianjian and walked quickly to Chunlan Palace. Si Tianjian walked to the gate of Du Yuxuan. Hearing the noise inside, he knew that the little prince was born here, and then his eyes flashed. He stroked his beard and followed Zhang Pu to the main hall where His Majesty was.

With a solemn look on his face, he bowed and said, "I would like to send my regards to Your Majesty, the Queen Mother, and the Queen."

After saying that, Si Tianjian lifted up his robe and knelt down, banging the ground with a heavy sound, and said sadly: "It's getting late, I shouldn't have entered the inner palace, but the situation is urgent, and for the safety of the country, I have to risk my life." Remonstrance."

Qin Yuan's heart had sunk to the bottom of the valley. Even so, for the sake of the eternal stability of the country and the peace and tranquility of the country, he still said quietly: "Speak."

Si Tianjian kowtowed and said: "The birth of the prince is originally a great joy, but it was twilight when the prince was born. I did not dare to neglect it. I looked at the sky at night and found that when the prince was born, the stars suddenly brightened and the red light was strong. This was a sign of great misfortune. ."

"I am afraid--"

"The prince is the star of disaster that will harm the destiny of the country and may even endanger His Majesty one day."

The prince was the first prince since the emperor ascended the throne, and he was born to a noble lady. She had high hopes. The queen mother could not accept that the good prince would turn out to be a disaster. She scolded in a cold voice: "The prince is the heir of the royal family. , and it is your Majesty's bloodline, how could it be a disaster star! Si Tianjian has always observed the sky to predict the fate of the country, predict calendars, and master astronomy. How could a little baby bring about a drought in Suzhou and become a disaster for the country? If you dare to The emperor will never indulge you with even a hint of falsehood!"

Si Tianjian kowtowed deeply again, his long beard hanging on the ground: "The Queen Mother clearly knows that I dare not lie even half a word."

"During the severe drought in Suzhou, the sky was already abnormal. But at that time, we could only see that the north of the Emperor's Star was not peaceful. There were signs of stars drying up, which corresponded to the severe drought in Suzhou. However, the sub-stars around His Majesty were still looming and had not been revealed. The first signs of the vision began more than two months ago, and the misfortunes and blessings are inextricably intertwined. Although I am shocked, I dare not act rashly, so I can only report it to Your Majesty for further observation."

"After the delivery date of the noble lady was approaching, I have been watching the sky at Si Tianjian without daring to slack off. Finally today, the red light blocked the auspicious omen and was in danger of covering up the sky and the sun. There is a severe drought in Suzhou. It has never been relieved, so many people have been displaced and are in pain, which is just a sign."

He raised his head and looked at His Majesty steadily, with a sad expression on his face: "This disaster brings disaster to the country, and I will risk my life to speak out."

"For the sake of the country, the country, and the well-being of the people, your Majesty, please make an early decision!"

Si Tianjian's voice echoed in everyone's ears, like thunder, and the hall suddenly became silent.

Qin Yuan stared at Si Tianjian for a long time and said solemnly: "Where is the solution?"

Si Tianjian leaned down and said: "The celestial phenomena are destined, and there is no way to break them."

"The prince is my flesh and blood, my son. Do you want me to kill him with my own hands?" Qin Yuan said sternly, "I am the king of a country, and even more so the lord of the world! You want me! Take your own flesh and blood. Do you want to live up to a celestial phenomenon!?"

Si Tianjian's body trembled slightly, but he never let go: "To put the country in danger, if the prince really dies for his country, he will be a meritorious official."

"What nonsense are you talking about?!"

When there was deathly silence in the palace, Ban Yuya quickly pushed the door open from the outside and entered, with a beautiful face full of frost.

She knelt down in front of His Majesty with a plop, raised her head and said loudly: "I wanted to come to the main hall to resign to Your Majesty, but I had no intention of eavesdropping on His Majesty's discussions. However, it is related to the safety of the emperor's heirs. Please be careful and don't listen to one side of the story!"

"I know that when it comes to celestial phenomena, I have always been strict about it. It is related to the destiny of the country. Ordinary people can't see the mystery behind it. However, Si Tianjian, the most respected and respected person in Si Tianjian, has almost all the right to speak. Those with deep qualifications, even You can get a glimpse of the rise and fall of the world from the celestial phenomena."

"But I have always known that the secrets of heaven must not be leaked. Even stargazers can only see the smallest details to deduce to avoid disasters. How come Si Tianjian has such an all-knowing ability? Not only can he see something strange around His Majesty, but he can also do this Accurate, it was seen that an unborn child can bring about a severe drought in Suzhou, and it happened to fall on the newly born prince."

"I dare to ask Si Tianjian, do you have the ability to predict all the disasters or good things that will happen?"

Si Tianjian couldn't help but a few drops of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Matters related to celestial phenomena have always been valued by everyone inside and outside the court. He has been stargazing since he was a child, and he held the highest position in the Tianjian during the late emperor's reign. He was highly regarded by the emperor, and no one would ever dare to question his words and deeds.

His remarks, when it comes to national affairs, are also regarded as truth. Apart from the fact that laymen do not understand it, it is also because he would rather believe it than believe it and no one wants disaster to come true.

But a woman from the harem, who was still a young woman, dared to poke his spine with every sentence and find faults in his words.

Si Tianjian thought for a while, stood up and said, "I have been stargazing for decades, and I am very experienced. I rarely make mistakes. Moreover, the celestial phenomena are mysterious and unparalleled. I would like to ask Ban Cainu to be careful when speaking."

Ban Yuya sneered: "Although I am a harem woman and came from the common people, I also know that fate is mysterious and cannot be controlled by human power. I just asked Si Tianjian a few questions. Why did Si Tianjian say nothing? Don't mention it, what if I just shut up?"

Ban Cai Nu, who was the most timid and inconspicuous in the past, could press hard for the prince's safety. This shows that she has a deep love for the sisters of Yu Guiren, and she is reasonable in every word. Qin Yuan never thought of these words in his desperation. He was intently watching the confrontation between Ban Cainu and Si Tianjian. While hope arose in his heart, he couldn't help but look at her.

Si Tianjian was forced to do this and looked at His Majesty's dark and stern expression. A layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

At this point, he had no choice but to take a step back and said: "What Ban Cainu said is true. I and other stargazers can infer good and bad luck, but they cannot know destiny like gods."

But then, he added: "Ke Chen, the head of Tianjian, has devoted himself to studying the stars for decades, and is very familiar with the stars. The star map is like a pattern. Every change is a point, and several points are connected to form a line. Being able to point out the answer to sixty-seven out of ten means that it is already sixty-seven out of ten. Is it possible that Bancai Nu is wasting her life in vain?"

Ban Yuya's eyes were cold and she said rudely: "Since you said it was sixty-seven out of ten, it is not entirely true. Isn't it possible that the stars are changing all the time? Your Majesty will punish the prince just by your words, and There is no turning around, Si Tianjian, what are your intentions!"

"What's more, I am a concubine in the harem. It is true that I am the last concubine in the harem. However, no one has told me about my position since I entered the palace. Why do you know so well? Have you already been with the people in the harem? There is some collusion, deliberately taking the opportunity to cause trouble!"

After saying that, Ban Yuya knelt down and said sincerely: "I know that I have made mistakes in my words before the emperor, but I still ask your majesty to put the emperor's heir first and not to listen to one-sided words. Sister Yu was pregnant in ten months and went through all kinds of hardships to give birth to a prince for your majesty." , please Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate Si Tianjian and restore the emperor's heir's innocence!"

There is such a sharp-tongued person in the harem, pushing him into the fire pit with every word.

Si Tianjian usually reports on the celestial phenomena with His Majesty, or comes to the harem to discuss matters with His Majesty for the first time. The women in the harem also dare to speak wild words, and they can't help but regret it.

His long beard trembled, and his voice was trembling: "I have worked hard and thought hard for the imperial court. Everything I say and do is for the destiny of the country. I just guessed my position by looking at my clothes. Mr. Ban How to spit on people."

"Sixty-seven out of ten is accurate enough. Is it possible that we really have to wait until the moment when the evil star affects the country to know for sure!"

"The severe drought in Suzhou is still before our eyes. Even if the harem and the world are at peace, Little Master Ban should not say such things."

He turned to face His Majesty: "Your Majesty, please be clear to me that I am definitely not what I said!"

Qin Yuan looked at him coldly: "I will consider your words, and I will naturally listen to Ban Cainu's words."

"The stars are related to the fate of the country. One person's words are not accurate enough. I will send someone to supervise all the stargazers in Si Tianjian and write down the celestial conditions of the day one by one. I will not be partial to one person. If everyone sees this, I will naturally believe your words. , consider the prince's disposition as appropriate."

"But at the moment, things are unclear. Even if there is only a chance of turning around, I will never gamble with the emperor's heir."

Si Tianjian trembled and said: "Your Majesty! The destiny of the country is of the utmost importance!"

Although Si Tianjian was suspicious, he spoke sincerely. He was also an old minister who had been in charge of Si Tianjian since the late emperor's reign. Most of the horoscopes he observed were effective.

With the fate of the country on one side and his own children on the other, Qin Yuan has never been in such a dilemma.

There has been drought in Suzhou for several months, and the people are in dire straits. As the emperor, he cannot allow the people to be displaced, helpless and only focus on their own desires. However, Shen Ji endured all the hardships for him and gave birth to a prince, who was his biological son.

Faced with a difficult decision, Qin Yuan turned around and waved his sleeves, saying in a cold voice: "Secretly escort Si Tianjian to the Ministry of Punishment for interrogation without making any noise, and secretly investigate the people who have been around him in recent times."

"Ziwei is the emperor star, and Tianfu mostly symbolizes the queen. I remember you said before that Tianfu is the first star in the South Dou, which can prolong life and relieve misfortune. Since Tianfu star is the star of good luck, the prince will be temporarily taken to Fengyi Palace to raise him, regardless of Whether the theory of celestial phenomena is accurate or not, I hope that the prince can have more luck by the queen's side and have no disasters in his life."

After hearing this, Ban Yuya cried with joy.

No matter what, the prince's life was saved at least, and His Majesty still cherished the prince. How could his sister's child be a disaster? There must be someone behind it!

Chapter 65

When Shen Ji woke up weakly, it was already late at night. There was a slightly dancing candlelight on the bed curtains, and the bloody moisture from her childbirth was still lingering on the tip of her nose.

The house was quiet, there was no sound, except for the sound of crickets coming from a quiet corner outside the window, not far or near.

She opened her eyes with difficulty and touched her stomach first. The soreness in her limbs made her gasp, but the originally bulging belly had obviously subsided a little, which she was still not used to.

Yes, she fell into a coma just after giving birth and was no longer pregnant.

Shuang Ying and Jun Xue on the side heard the noise and hurriedly stood up and said: "My little master is awake!"

Shen Ji looked at the two people taking care of her. His originally clear and beautiful voice was hoarse from shouting for too long, but his eyes shone brightly: "Where is the child?"

After that, she took a look at the sky, and was a little annoyed that she was so anxious to see the child that she had forgotten the time. She smiled and said: At this time, the child must have been taken by the wet nurse and is sleeping. It's my fault, I just want to see him. He even forgot the time. "

Qingtan and Qingchen took out a bowl of soup and gruel from the ear room, and said softly: "The young master has given birth not long ago, and is weak. She needs to have a confinement period. This is the postpartum care medicine prescribed by Dr. Sun. Keep it simmering." , you can take a few mouthfuls of porridge and drink it while it's hot."

Shuangying took the bowl of porridge and felt choked up in his heart when he saw the little master was so happy that he couldn't remember anything when he thought of the child.

She was pregnant in ten months and gave birth to a child, but as soon as the child was born, she was sent to Fengyi Palace due to unexpected circumstances.

Although the young master of the class is temporarily safe because of his efforts to turn the tide, the young master is a mother and the biological mother of the third prince. How could he not feel sorry for his child, and how could he face what he was going through today?

She was weak after giving birth, how could she bear such a blow.

Shuangying, Junxue and others discussed it for a long time but came up with no result. They just felt that telling the truth was not the right thing, nor was it not telling the truth, so they had to force a smile and said: "The young master felt sorry for the third prince, and he just woke up and forgot about it. when."

"The imperial doctor said that you are weak and it is not suitable to see the wind during the confinement period, so you must take good care of yourself. When you are out of the moon, you can see the third prince."

"Junxue, Master Ban is squinting in the empty room and said that he would call her when she wakes up. You can go and invite Master Ban here now."

After giving birth, mothers have to confine themselves and it is not advisable to leave the house to expose themselves to the wind, and the newborn is delicate and frail, so it is not advisable to toss around, but Shen Ji wants to see the baby, so he always allows it.

His Majesty had promised her that after giving birth to a child, she would be promoted to the fifth rank, Shunyi, and could raise the child by herself. The third prince was also in Duyuxuan and could always be seen. How come it was only a month later that he could be seen?

Shen Ji was always keen and asked: "Isn't the child not in Du Yuxuan now? Why can I only see it after I'm out of the moon?"

"But your Majesty hasn't promoted me to my position yet?"

"It is a great achievement that my sister gave birth to the third prince. His Majesty Long Yan is so happy that he has not only been promoted to my sister's position, but he has also been promoted to the fourth rank of Wanyi."

Ban Yuya hurriedly pushed the door in from the outside, fearing that the cold air would come in, she immediately closed the door, walked straight to Shen Ji and said, "Sister, the third prince is not in Duyuxuan now, but in Fengyi Palace."

Shen Ji's face suddenly turned pale. He struggled to get up with his body in pain and discomfort, and his voice trembled a little: "What's wrong with the child? Why is he in Fengyi Palace?"

She hurriedly stepped forward and pressed Shen Ji down and let her lie down again: "Sister, don't worry, the child is very good, fat and cute, but some people are determined not to make it easy for us, so they use some cruel methods."

Ban Yuya recounted Si Tianjian's story in detail and comforted her: "There are many doubts about this matter. Si Tianjian must have been bribed with ill intentions. Fortunately, His Majesty feels sorry for his sister and can't bear to part with the child." , did not fully listen to that person's words, not only secretly forced Si Tianjian into the Ministry of Justice for interrogation and investigation, but also allowed Si Tianjian's people to observe the sky again. However, His Majesty could not help but consider the people of Suzhou, so in order to prevent the stars from being true, he had to First, send the third prince to the queen to be raised temporarily, and use the blessings of Tianfu Star to eliminate disasters."

"I originally wanted not to tell my sister, but after thinking about it carefully, someone must be behind this matter. Since it is a conspiracy, it doesn't matter that my sister, as the mother of the third prince, is kept in the dark. Is it possible that she will be on the chopping block? The fish and meat on the table are left to be slaughtered by others. I have understood since the first day of junior high school that there is no use in pretending to be peaceful and escaping in this palace. You will only fall into the abyss. Only by facing those darkness directly can you find a way to restrain yourself."

Shen Ji was stunned for a long time after listening to Ban Yuya's words. After a long while, tears flowed down silently.

How could the child she had worked so hard to conceive for ten months be a disaster for the country and the people? It was simply nonsense.

It was really thoughtful. It had been planned since a few months ago when it was spread that Lu Cairen's fetus had auspicious signs.

At that time, everyone only thought that Lu Cairen spread such rumors in order to regain His Majesty's favor. Unexpectedly, it was not that simple from the beginning.

He took advantage of the drought in Suzhou to warn His Majesty in advance and linked the two together. Instead of targeting him from the beginning, he made it so ambiguous that everyone believed it was true and thought that the twins, one good and one bad, were indeed real. Then he expanded the matter and asked His Majesty to block the news to prevent the people from being upset, and also to prevent himself from hearing the news and coming up with ways to solve it. Finally, on the day of his birth, it was confirmed that the misfortune was born by him, so that His Majesty himself would work for the fate of the country. And had to deal with the third prince.

It's such a vicious and vicious way to think of using the country's fate as an excuse to exclude her children, lest they live a good life for a day!

I'm afraid that the so-called severe drought in Suzhou, the prosperous red light, and the misfortunes and blessings are all fake. They are all taking advantage of the opportunity to create trouble and play on the topic. It is just because I happened to encounter a severe drought that rarely occurs in Suzhou in a century and I am about to give birth, so Some people can't sit still!

Shen Ji tightly grasped the quilt under his hands and pulled out the deep folds of the gorgeous brocade, but it was difficult to calm the hatred in her heart.

Whoever wants to harm them, whether it is Rao Gui's concubine or Lu Cairen, must die.

It's a pity that her child was only one day old and almost suffered such an unreasonable disaster, causing them to be separated from mother and son, and she didn't even have a chance to see him.

The hatred in Shen Ji's heart had reached its peak at this moment, his eyes were red with tears, and he wanted to kill them now.

But the most important thing right now is to resolve the immediate crisis, especially since she has not yet given birth, so she has to keep her hatred in her heart.

She closed her eyes slightly and let her tears fall: "Yuya, thank you for what happened today. If you hadn't been alert, I don't know what would have happened to my child."

Ban Yuya couldn't help but choked up, held her hand and said: "Sister, I have said before that we will stay together in the palace, and I will never abandon you. You are in a coma after giving birth and have no one to rely on. No matter how weak I am, No matter how hard I talk, I won't leave you alone."

"Now Si Tianjian is being taken to the prison of the Ministry of Justice for interrogation by His Majesty's people. The person sent must be someone who is trusted by Your Majesty. I don't think there will be any mistakes in his work. However, Si Tianjian is full of benevolence, justice, morality, and justice in the world. He always thinks of the country. I'm afraid it's not that easy to get him to tell the truth."

"Today I saw that Si Tianjian was in his fifties. Although he was wearing a stargazing suit and had a long beard, his eyes were not honest. He was slick, hypocritical, and pretentious. The sight of such a person makes me sick. I don't I understand the twists and turns in the officialdom, but I have read a lot of books these days, and I have learned one thing from it, that is, when interests are related, officials must protect each other, but only when there is a conflict of interests can a gap be opened."

"It doesn't help that we are from the common people, so I can only ask the Queen for this matter. I have inquired before that the Queen comes from a scholarly family. Although the Queen is not as prosperous as the Lin family in the court, the Wei family has a profound background and a long history. He is very respected by people. Please ask the queen to help investigate Si Tianjian's life preferences and who he has good and bad relationships with. I think you will gain something in the future."

Ban Yuya's eyes were extremely firm, and she held Shen Ji's hand firmly, wanting to give her strength, just like her sister had given her strength that day when she was humiliated in the heavy rain: "Just open a gap and add His Majesty's interrogation." Investigation will reveal who Si Tianjian is colluding with. By then, the celestial phenomenon will be self-defeating. The third prince is His Majesty's biological son, so he will naturally grow up peacefully, and no one will dare to make trouble with the celestial phenomenon in the future."

Shen Ji looked at Ban Yuya blankly, and his cold heart finally warmed up a little.

She was surprised that Yuya, who used to be undecided about everything and always relied on her, would change so much now. After the Honghua incident, she seemed to have grown up a lot overnight, becoming smarter, calmer and more courageous. , even I can try to rely on Yuya now.

The warmth in the palm of her hand soothed her emotions, and Shen Ji quickly recognized the reality.

Si Tianjian has a large number of people, and His Majesty's investigation and interrogation will take time. She can't do anything now, and she can't see her child.

But she couldn't just let it go.

It was difficult for her to give birth, and her child was pitiful. His Majesty would definitely feel extremely guilty for her, so he made an exception again and elevated her to Wanyi's position.

Concubines below Shunyi account for at least half of the number of concubines in the palace, so it is reasonable for His Majesty to favor her more and to be promoted to a higher rank. However, once she reaches the fifth rank, it will not be so easy to be promoted to a higher rank.

Unless she is pregnant and has given birth, has achieved seniority, or has made meritorious deeds in her family, she will not easily be promoted simply because of favor, especially since she has been promoted several times since she was pregnant.

With all the criticism and hardship the third prince has endured since he was born, she will make good use of His Majesty's guilt and love for her.

This deep feeling of guilt could save her life in the future.

-

After Si Tianjian was secretly taken to the Ministry of Punishment for interrogation, everyone in Chunlan Palace was also kept silent. What he saw and heard was not allowed to be disclosed. Si Tianjian discussed the celestial phenomena in the main hall of Chunlan Palace. At that time, only Qin Yuan, The servants outside could not hear these words of the Queen Mother, Queen, Ban Yuya and Zhang Pu. However, for the sake of absolute strictness, all information related to the third prince was blocked by Qin Yuan and no leakage was allowed. Otherwise, it would be a death penalty. .

Externally, it was only said that Yu Wanyi was weak after giving birth and needed careful care, so she was temporarily brought to Fengyi Palace and asked to be raised by the queen for a while.

It concerns the emperor's heir. Once such unconfirmed words spread, it will not only harm the royal family, but also cause chaos among the people. It will also cause great harm to the infant third prince.

Qin Yuan does not allow it and does not want such a thing to happen.

At the entrance of Chunlan Palace, Qin Yuan's chariots stopped neatly on the palace road. He stood alone in front of the arch of Du Yuxuan, but hesitated.

This was the first time that he didn't dare and didn't know how to face a woman.

How much I had been looking forward to the birth of this child, now I feel so guilty when I think of him and Shen Ji.

He once thought that he would be a good father. Unlike his mediocre care for other children, he would watch this child who carried so many of his expectations and fantasies grow up step by step. If he was a prince, he would teach him to read, write, ride horses and archery. , if she is a princess, she will be pampered like a pearl and become the apple of her eye.

But I never imagined that the child would look like this when he was born.

He still remembers that he doted on Shen Ji at first because she was beautiful, well-behaved, and had a temper that he liked. But as time went by, it became more than just doting.

He likes to stay with Shen Ji, he can always sleep well and feel at ease.

Qin Yuan ascended the throne as a young man, and most of the people in the court were veterans of the late emperor's time. State affairs were enough for him to worry about. Over the past few years, although he gradually mastered the key to checks and balances, he could not be careless in the conduct of the court. He knew that young people Being an emperor is always difficult, but it is inevitable that he will be too preoccupied. He will gradually sleep lightly and feel short, and he will feel the cold at high places.

I have used a lot of soothing decoctions and spices, but they are not as sweet as sleeping next to Shen Ji.

In his spare time, he actually thought about the reason, but he couldn't figure it out and didn't delve into it. He just jokingly called it a fate and he would always dote on her from now on.

At that time, he didn't take her too seriously and just regarded her as one of the slightly special concubines.

But now, thinking about the people inside through the door, she felt a dull pain in her heart when she thought that she would be indifferent to the Third Prince because of his heartbreak.

After stopping at the door for a long time, he finally narrowed his eyes and walked in.

Qingtan was the first to see His Majesty coming, and hurriedly came over to salute, saying in a low voice: "My slave, please send your greetings to Your Majesty. Why is it that no one has announced your Majesty's arrival?"

Qin Yuan waved his hand and asked, "Is Yu Wanyi asleep?"

Qingtan nodded and said, "The young master is weak after giving birth. He slept very late last night and just woke up not long ago."

"Yu Wanyi has a hard time giving birth. Everyone in Du Yuxuan must take good care of her without making mistakes." Qin Yuan said a few words in a gentle voice, then walked into the dormitory and walked around the screen. He was the first to see the pair of eyes on Shen Ji's pale face. Cold and resentful eyes.

Although she looked calm, her red eyes and eyes couldn't deceive anyone.

Whenever she saw herself, she was always happy or angry, with charming eyes. She had never seen Shen Ji looking so cold and distant.

The child was sent to Fengyi Palace as soon as she was born, and she was deeply involved in the news of the misfortune. It was not clear that as a mother, she could not not complain, and Qin Yuan understood it.

But as the king of a country, even if there is only a slight possibility, he must be careful and cannot gamble with the people of Li.

Shuangying stopped feeding the little master porridge and asked for a salute from His Majesty. However, Shen Ji lowered his eyes and said softly: "I am unwell after childbirth and cannot salute Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Qin Yuan's heart was slightly choked, and he was about to step forward and sit down on the edge of the bed. Unexpectedly, Shen Ji slowly stretched out his hands and smoothed out the slightly messy quilt. He didn't even have the slightest intention of letting him get closer: "Postpartum irregularity" , I'm afraid it will stain His Majesty's dragon body."

This is a clear rejection.

Qin Yuan looked at her deeply and said, "Susu, I have no choice but to deal with the child."

Oh, no choice.

How could Shen Ji not know that as the king of a country, he had no choice but to do so.

But Qingpiaopiao said that she had no choice but to do it, didn't she hate it or complain?

Even though she knew that she would want His Majesty's pampering life in the future, right now she wanted to be distant and resentful, and she wanted His Majesty's guilt towards their mother and son to reach its peak, and she would never forgive them easily.

It is easy to make a man happy, but it is useful to make a man heartbroken.

Shen Ji lowered his eyes, covering up the sarcasm in his eyes, and said softly: "Your Majesty always has your Majesty's difficulties."

"But the concubine is the biological mother of the child. She worked hard for ten months to conceive and give birth to the child. Could it be that when others say he is a bad star, he will be a bad star!"

Speaking of excitement, even Shen Ji, who was trying to remain calm, couldn't help but choke with red eyes and looked up at him: "Even now, His Majesty has overstepped his rank and made his concubine Wanyi, and sent the child to Fengyi Palace. Even the Queen's support cannot make up for the sorrow in my concubine's heart."

"When the child was born, I didn't even have time to take a look at him. Now it's even more so because of the unclear future of the celestial phenomena and the uncertainty of life and death. Si Tianjian is investigating, but the results have not come out, so I feel uneasy for a day! Your Majesty, you have It's difficult, but if your majesty comes today, can you ensure that the child is safe?"

"Other people feel uncomfortable and suffer a lot when they are pregnant, but my concubine's child is so obedient while still in the belly and never lets me suffer. How can such a child be a disaster?"

As she spoke, she became emotional and burst into tears, which made Qin Yuan feel uncomfortable.

"There is a severe drought in Suzhou, the weather is abnormal, and the lives of tens of thousands of people are suffering. I have to pay attention to it, but I can promise you that I will never hurt the life of the third prince, and I will definitely let him grow up healthily. ."

"Furthermore, Si Tianjian's matter has not yet been decided. If there is any discrepancy, I will definitely punish him severely."

Shen Ji looked at him with red eyes: "If there is something really strange about Si Tianjian, it is colluding with each other to murder the emperor's heir and deceive the emperor. How does your majesty plan to deal with the people behind him?"

Qin Yuan looked at him steadily: "The crimes of deceiving the emperor and murdering the emperor's heir alone are the death penalty of beheading. If evidence of other major and minor crimes is found, they will be punished for several crimes together. There will be no partiality."

Shen Ji slowly closed his eyes and shed a drop of clear tears: "I hope that Your Majesty will speak eloquently and not let the third prince suffer injustice."

"Don't even chill my concubine's heart."

"I'm tired, Your Majesty, please come back."

Such obvious rejection and alienation made Qin Yuan's heart sting for a moment: "You have worked hard in childbirth. I am not busy with government affairs today, so I can spend more time with you."

"Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, so don't worry about it. My concubine is not energetic and often falls asleep. I'm afraid I won't be able to chat with you."

Shen Ji ignored his desire to stay a little longer and said calmly: "Your Majesty, please come back."

In so many years, this was the first time that Qin Yuan was pushed out by a woman.

It was clearly an act of transgression, but now he only felt guilty and not at all worried.

Zhang Pu saw His Majesty come out of Du Yuxuan reluctantly. He looked at His Majesty's face and guessed it, so he bowed and said: "It is possible that Yu Wanyi is unwell after giving birth and cannot accompany you. Your Majesty, why not let Yu Wanyi has a good rest, and when she recovers, it won't be too late to come visit her in a few days."

Qin Yuan was originally depressed because of Shen Ji's coldness. Hearing his relief, he felt a little better: "What you said makes sense. I'll come back another day."

She was angry with herself now. It was not good to hang around all the time, but it was even worse not to come.

In this case, he would come whenever he could. I thought that as time went by, she would be able to calm down and no longer be so cold.

Zhang Pu waited on His Majesty and sat on the royal chariot, preparing to return to Jianzhang Hall immediately. He looked at His Majesty's face and then inside Du Yuxuan, and couldn't help but sigh to himself.

For more than half a month after that, Qin Yuan went to Yuxuan almost every day, causing rumors in the palace that His Majesty loved Yu Wanyi so much that he couldn't let go of her even in the middle of the month.

But the people around His Majesty knew best what he was like. Sometimes he would be kicked out after sitting for a while, and sometimes he would even avoid being seen. However, His Majesty was not unhappy at all, and seemed to be content as long as he could see people.

Although the two of them seemed very harmonious at first glance, Zhang Pu knew that between His Majesty and the young master, there was a thorn in everyone's heart.

If the thorn is not pulled out for a day, it will not heal.

Zhang Pu looked at the blue sky in Chang'an. There were dark clouds rolling in the distance, as if it was going to rain. While he called on the palace ladies to close the windows of Jianzhang Palace, he sighed to himself, if Suzhou could have a heavy rain at this time. , the urgent need is solved, so there is no need to worry about the celestial phenomena.

As soon as the third prince was born, it rained heavily, which was a good omen. The theory of celestial phenomena was naturally undermined!

-

On the third prince's full moon day, the great court gathered.

The stargazing results of everyone except Si Tianjian have been passed, and they are all similar to what Si Tianjian said. Only the last person's observation results have not yet been submitted.

As soon as the young and unruly stargazer stepped forward, he heard someone galloping on horseback under the jade steps of the Xuanzheng Palace, raising his arms and shouting: "Good news! - It's raining in Suzhou!"

Chapter 66

Suzhou's unusual climate and continuous drought have not been resolved for a long time, and it has become a major concern for the imperial court. For several months in a row, the atmosphere in the court was depressing.

Now that they heard the good news about the rain in Suzhou, everyone's eyes lit up, and they turned to look at the main door with joy: "It's raining in Suzhou, it's a great event!"

"Tens of thousands of people in Li are finally saved!"

The sound of horse hooves came galloping. The messenger quickly got off his horse and walked into the main hall. He knelt down sonorously and saluted with clasped fists. Tears filled his eyes on his dusty face: "Your Majesty, it rains in Suzhou and the people are saved!"

The rain in Suzhou undoubtedly dropped a big stone hanging in his heart. Qin Yuan was so happy that he immediately stood up and laughed loudly: "Good! Very good!"

"The rain in Suzhou has solved the urgent needs of the people, which is really good news. Suzhou is so far away, so I wonder what it is like now?"

The messenger lowered his head and cupped his hands, and said in a very loud voice: "Your Majesty, it was a rainy day when I returned to Chang'an from Suzhou. It started from light rain to pouring rain. In just half a day, the rain was very strong. It is expected to rain for several days. . Moreover, the governor of Suzhou mobilized Feng Shui masters to search for deep water in the ground during the severe drought. He personally led the people to work and dug many deep ditches. Now that heavy rains have fallen continuously, it can not only alleviate the drought, but also store several lakes and rivers. It can alleviate the severe drought!"

In addition to the lack of rainfall for several months, the most fatal factor in the severe drought in Suzhou is the abnormal weather.

Just after winter, it has been hot for days, the ground is cracked, and it is difficult for any grass to grow. Now that the rain has fallen, it can be called a timely rain. In this way, it can alleviate the high temperature, nourish the land, and there is no need to worry about daily drinking.

This is actually the best news in recent times!

In the center of the hall, Duan Xingxuan looked at the person who came to deliver the message. He was not surprised at all. Instead, he raised his eyebrows, as he should have, with a proud and calm expression.

The DPRK had been discussing the issue of rainfall in Suzhou for a long time, and only then did someone pay attention to him.

When Si Tianjian talked about the stars, he was in the court, so the ministers in the court knew that the stars were unclear and blessings and misfortunes were mixed, but they didn't know what Si Tianjian said when he was in Chunlan Palace.

Therefore, as soon as it rained in Suzhou, someone immediately said that today is the full moon of the Third Prince, and news of a severe drought in Suzhou came. Could it be! Is the third prince a lucky star?

The rainfall was linked to the previous celestial phenomena, and the court suddenly became full of people and heated discussions began.

Qin Yuan was sitting on the dragon chair. Thinking of the news of today's rain and what the Third Prince said that day, he knew that what he said was false. He couldn't help but look down. However, all the civil and military officials were bowing their heads, and he was not happy or angry. It depends on the form, but focuses on the stargazer next to the messenger, Duan Xingxuan.

It rained in Suzhou, and the rumors that the third prince was a disaster were self-evidently disproven. But what made Qin Yuan angry was that, except for Duan Xingxuan in front of him, there were nearly thirty stargazers, big and small, all of whom were related to Si Tianjian. The same tongue!

When the late emperor was in power, he valued Si Tianjian and always put him in charge of this department. He had great trust in him. After Qin Yuan came to the throne, Si Tianjian never had any eye-catching events. That was a sign of peace in the world, so everyone They all trusted Si Tianjian's words and treated them with courtesy.

I never thought that over time, even the stargazer would become so rotten!

Qin Yuan looked at Duan Xingxuan and asked in a deep voice: "Are you the last person to oversee the celestial phenomena in Supervisor Si Tian?"

Duan Xingxuan was neither humble nor arrogant, he cupped his hands and said: "Wei Chen is right."

In fact, all the observation results of the stargazers before him were secretly reported to His Majesty. However, he did not fit in with others in Sitianjian and was quite marginalized. Now he is squeezed to the last one. Perhaps he is the last one who will finally be able to observe the astronomical phenomena. It was time to seal the coffin and tell the world, so Duan Xingxuan was notified to come to the court meeting.

So very good.

"Weichen studied under Immortal Taiyi. He observed the sky, reasoned, and learned Bagua from an early age. After the master passed away, he entered the Chang'an Si Tianjian because of his ambition. However, he did not meet his talent. Today is the first time he meets a saint."

It was related to the stars, and Xuanzheng Hall suddenly became quiet.

Qin Yuan stared at him closely and said word by word: "Since he is a famous teacher, he must have real talent and learning. How was the starry situation when you watched the stars last night?"

There was a smile on Duan Xingxuan's lips that was determined to win, and he said confidently: "Folk stargazing is mostly done with the naked eye. Although the method taught by Master can be used to see six to seven points, if you want to see the details, you have to use the armillary sphere in Sitian Prison. Only with the only star concentrator in the world can we see clearly."

"I dare to ask the messenger a question: When will the first rain fall in Suzhou?"

The messenger just thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, the first rain in Suzhou was on the evening of May 13th. It was drizzling at first, and then it rained heavily."

"That's it." Duan Xingxuan is a rebellious man, arrogant and arrogant, and hates the stench of officialdom. Unfortunately, he has been suppressed by Si Tianjian for three years since he entered Chang'an, and he has never been allowed to come into contact with the Star Concentrator. Last night, it was his turn. , no one knows how happy he is.

That old Si Tianjian should have abdicated long ago.

Duan Xingxuan looked at His Majesty and said loudly: "The third prince was born on the night of May 13th."

"The third prince has a noble destiny. He is born with auspiciousness and he is destined to be a noble son. Moreover, he comes from the royal family. In the future-"

Duan Xingxuan paused and then continued: "I will definitely do something in the future. I am His Majesty's right-hand man."

"A few months ago, Wei Chen looked at the stars at night and saw that something was not good. However, it was still unclear whether it was a disaster star, so what Si Tianjian said was not all lies. And as time went by, the red light of the sub-star became stronger, and the Emperor The stars due north are dim, which is a sign of a major disaster. They are related to each other, and it is inevitable that people think that the bad stars are shining brightly and colliding with the national destiny. This is why the disaster in Suzhou continues day by day. But this is only the surface, and it goes deeper. Si Tianjian did not see it. ."

Duan Xingxuan raised his eyebrows and sneered: "Unless you continuously observe and record it, and then use the Eight Diagrams to deduce it carefully, the secret will not be revealed."

"Si Tianjian has been in charge of Si Tianjian for decades. He is highly respected and boasts of his long-standing seniority. He wants everyone in Si Tianjian to look up to him and not disobey him. No one is allowed to use the Star Gathering Instrument except him, and he is often not in Si Tianjian. Whenever he comes back The smell of powder on the body can even be smelled by a humble person like Wei Chen. Since it suppresses the young man from practicing stargazing, and his mind is not on the stars, how can such a person observe all night long and see the secrets hidden inside? ."

"The child star was slightly red at first, and the red light was at its strongest on the day of his birth. But when I looked at it last night, it turned into a slightly bright purple light. The third prince was born in a great disaster. When he came, he brought wind and rain, and when he met water, he turned into a dragon. This is purple energy. Coming from the east is a good omen, the third prince is destined to be extraordinary, and he is a talented general and prime minister."

"Furthermore, the drought in Suzhou is a destined disaster, and after the disaster comes new life. After this incident, Suzhou will surely prosper and reach a higher level."

Duan Xingxuan's words made Qin Yuan's face happy and his blood boiling.

The courtiers bowed and said, "I congratulate Your Majesty on your joyful birth, Lin'er!"

Qin Yuan couldn't hide his joy. If what he said was true, then Shen Ji would give him a good son who is rare in a century!

This Tianjian is fatuous and incompetent. Six years after the death of the late emperor, he indulged in flowers and flowers, neglected them wantonly, and messed with the emperor's heir and the fate of the country. He deserves to die!

When the late emperor met him in the mountains and knew that he had no children, he made him the number one stargazer in Chang'an. Many people respected him, but now that the world is settled, he has become such a mediocre person.

Qin Yuan said in a deep voice: "Come here, take Si Tianjian out of the prison of the Criminal Department. I will punish him in public!"

Not long after, Si Tianjian was tremblingly taken to the palace, looking weak and frightened, but he still looked like the immortal before.

Although he suffered a lot in prison, any person with integrity will remain strong even if he is unjustly imprisoned.

Chang'an is prosperous and prosperous, and Si Tianjian is admired by thousands of people. He is obsessed with love and pleasure every day, and has long forgotten his true heart.

His Majesty's face was solemn. Si Tianjian knew that something was not right. In order to save his life, he hurriedly kowtowed: "Your Majesty, forgive me! I know that my eyesight is dim with old age and my stargazing skills have declined, but I would like to ask Your Majesty to remember that I have served the late emperor for many years. Spare my life!"

Qin Yuan looked at his appearance and said in a deep voice: "You just came out of the prison. How could you know that your eyesight is dim and your stargazing skills have deteriorated? I remember that you were in the prison, but you refused to acknowledge it and said that you were dedicated to serving the country." For your own sake, there is no lie in your words. In this case, you know that there is a lie in your words, and you are just making sophistry in order to survive!"

"If you tell the truth, I can spare you the pain of punishment. If you don't tell the truth, once your details are thoroughly investigated, I will deal with you in accordance with the law without any favoritism."

Si Tianjian followed the late Emperor's glory all his life, and never thought that today would happen. He was so shocked that cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He hesitated for a long time, but his own life was still the most important thing.

At the beginning of that day, there were actually no blessings and misfortunes at all, but only misfortunes and no blessings.

The so-called lucky minister was someone sent by the Lu family to give him a large sum of money, and to do so with kindness and power. If he didn't do this, Mr. Lu would impeach him on behalf of His Majesty for the scandal of his rape and death in Yihong Mansion.

Although Mr. Lu only holds an official position of the fifth rank, he can be ranked as the censor Zhongcheng. He is in charge of inspecting hundreds of buildings, supervising law enforcement, and has the power to impeach hundreds of officials. He is very powerful.

Although his rank is not high, his position is really high and powerful. If he is targeted by the Lu family, he will not be able to hide these things. Once he is jointly impeached, he may not be able to keep his official position. Therefore, as the star said, he is adding fuel to the fire. I told His Majesty.

So at the beginning, the blessing and misfortune were added to the misfortune star, which was vague, and it was also to add a blessing and misfortune to Lu Cairen's child.

Unexpectedly, the disaster star became more and more popular later. He was still hesitating whether to tell His Majesty, but the news somehow reached Mr. Lu's ears again, forcing him to tell the truth.

After thinking about it, he felt that the celestial phenomenon was just like this, so it was okay to tell the truth. Who knew it was not that simple, but that it was actually a sign of great nobleness that risked death for another life.

One mistake was a mistake everywhere, and it was too late for him to regret it now!

If he didn't say it, it would be a dead end, and Lu's life and death would have nothing to do with him.

Si Tianjian hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, his bloody beard hitting the ground with his movements: "Your Majesty, forgive me! I tell you!"

"It is true that I was negligent about the astrological matter and did not observe it carefully, which led to such a disaster. However, from the beginning, I was also coerced by others to inform your Majesty of this matter in such a hurry!"

"Two months ago, Mr. Lu forced me to add the blessings and misfortunes that I mentioned in order to win favor for the child in Mr. Lu's belly. In fact, this was not the case. Later, I I found that the red light was booming and the misfortune hit the country's fate. Although I felt it was inappropriate, I was still thinking about it and didn't know how to report it. It was Mr. Lu who said that this matter was related to the country's fate and should not be neglected, and asked me to report to God in time. In addition, I watched The stars were unclear, which caused a lot of trouble and almost wronged the third prince."

Si Tianjian's life's honors and favors were all destroyed in one day, and he couldn't help but regret it. He burst into tears and said sadly: "I know so much, and I won't hide anything. Your Majesty, please see that I have been working diligently for the country for dozens of years." For the sake of the year, please spare my life."

The matter involves the censor Zhongcheng, which is a collusion between officials and is a taboo for the emperor.

Mr. Lu was shocked when he heard this. He never thought that Si Tianjian actually said his order. He immediately said sternly: "You are talking nonsense and trying to slander me. What are your intentions? You said that I bribed you." You threaten with words, but what evidence do you have?"

Si Tianjian had long ago spent all the money he had given to the Lu family on Hualiu Lane, without any personal or material evidence. He was at a loss for words and didn't know how to answer: "I didn't say anything false. At this time, Mr. Lu is doing it for himself." What my daughter did!"

When the stalemate reached a stalemate, Zhang Pu quietly came in from the back hall, handed a tray to Qin Yuan, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, this is the evidence that Wei Langjun and Commander Liu in front of the emperor just sent up, saying that they were with Si Tianjian and It's related to Mr. Lu."

Qin Yuan glanced at the two highnesses lightly and unfolded the evidence presented one by one.

The stuff here is really exciting.

On Si Tianjian's side, there was Hualiuxiang's confession, the brothel woman's letter of grievance, and the joint names of everyone in Si Tianjian. On the Lu family's side, a family letter from Lu Cairen was found.

Gradually, the evidence came down, and it turned out that he had made dozens of mistakes that were not allowed by law.

The crime of bullying the people, disregarding human life, colluding with the former dynasty and the harem, abusing power, murdering the emperor's heirs, and deceiving the emperor are punishable by multiple crimes, which is enough to be beheaded.

Qin Yuan sneered and threw the paper in the tray to His Highness. The white paper and ink marks were scattered in the solemn Xuanzheng Hall.

"This is how you become my good ministers!"

"Come here! Si Tianjian took the lives of others, exploited his colleagues, colluded with ministers, and deceived the king. Three days later, he was paraded through the streets and beheaded in front of the Zhengde Gate to serve as a warning to others."

Qin Yuan looked at Mr. Lu, and then remembered that Mr. Lu had the idea of ​​using his children to win favor, and couldn't help but be even more angry: "Ms. Lu was uneasy, colluded with the concubines, framed the emperor's heirs, confused the emperor, and almost caused a big mistake. The crime of deceiving the emperor!"

"As the censor Zhongcheng, in charge of supervising hundreds of officials, you need to be upright, but you have ignored my trust! You actually joined forces with Lu Cairen to coerce and induce Si Tianjian to do things for you. From today on, Lu will be removed from his official position , the whole family was exiled to Nandi to perform hard labor, and they were not allowed to return to Chang'an for life."

When the matter was exposed, Mrs. Lu never thought that His Majesty had already suspected him and secretly went to the mansion to investigate. She couldn't help but turn pale.

He just wanted his daughter's life in the harem to be better. He never thought that Si Tianjian was not only a coward and a coward, but also a fool who had misjudged the celestial phenomena!

Lu shouted for mercy and was dragged down by the imperial guards. Only then was it finally over.

The celestial crisis was lifted, it rained in Suzhou, and Qin Yuan's long-depressed mood finally became clear.

At the court meeting, he commended the officials who had contributed to the drought in Suzhou and the people who had been involved in the astronomical phenomena. He named Duan Xingxuan the new Si Tianjian. He also ordered Suzhou's taxes to be halved within three years to appease the people. He was busy until noon before going down to court. .

On the way back to Jianzhang Palace, the weather was clear. Qin Yuan couldn't hide his joy when he thought that the drought in Suzhou was over and that the third prince was the son of a noble noble.

He ordered Zhang Pu: "The Wei family did a good job in what happened today. It must have been the Queen who asked him to do it."

"The queen has always liked Yu Wanyi. Her brother can contribute to this matter, which must be comforting to the queen. I remember that the queen has not seen her family for a long time. When the affairs in the court are completely settled, I will choose a good day to let Wei Langjun come in. Let's meet the queen."

Zhang Pu nodded in agreement: "Wei Langjun has never been an official in the court, and he has never thought of doing things so beautifully. I believe the Queen will be pleased."

"The Third Prince is currently under the care of the Empress in Fengyi Palace. Now that the sky is broken, Your Majesty, would you like someone to send the Third Prince back to Chunlan Palace immediately?"

Qin Yuan hummed and said, "This is natural. Please pass on the decree and immediately send the third prince back to Chunlan Palace to be raised by Yu Wanyi herself. Then, give Yu Wanyi a good reward. She has meritorious service in giving birth to a son, and the third prince has been wronged. That's right." I feel wronged to her."

"As for Lu Cairen, she has an impure mind. She used the emperor's heir to invite favors, and colluded with her mother's clan to confuse the emperor's hearing. Because she was pregnant with the dragon heir, she was demoted to a daughter-in-law. She was temporarily confined to Qiuwu Pavilion to wait for the birth of the child. After the emperor's heir, he was relegated to the cold palace."

"I originally thought that Mrs. Lu was quite law-abiding and talented. Who would have thought that she got pregnant overnight and actually forgot about her duty."

After saying that, Qin Yuan added: "Today is the full moon of the third prince. We should have made good preparations, but because of the celestial phenomena, we couldn't make good preparations. Please go and inform the queen quickly that there will be a small party at Fengyi Palace tonight." Family banquet to celebrate the third prince's full moon ceremony."

Zhang Pu bowed his head and retreated after receiving the order. Qin Yuan replied: "Go to Du Yuxuan, I will go and see Yu Wanyi."

Although important events in the court spread quickly, they did not reach Shen Ji's ears right after the court meeting.

So when Qin Yuan went to Du Yuxuan to see Shen Ji, he must have been cold-eyed at first.

But when he thought of the third prince's celestial phenomena having such a big reversal, Shen Ji would definitely be happy after hearing this, and maybe he would be a little more enthusiastic towards him.

Qin Yuan leaned on the dragon chariot, seeing that he was getting closer and closer to Du Yuxuan, and his fingers unconsciously tapped on the armrest, revealing the anxiety in his heart.

The coldness and alienation he had felt from Shen Ji these days, the guilt and heartache in Qin Yuan's heart, all made him feel strange and tormented, palpitating and unexpected.

It started over a long period of time and came to my understanding of a celestial phenomenon.

She just quietly left a unique shadow in his heart.

The menacing attack made Qin Yuan's heart inevitably rise with anticipation.

There are many good-looking people in the harem, and there are also many people who are attracted by him for a while, but she has been one of the exceptions since then.

-

Inside Du Yuxuan.

It was lunch time, and the palace people in the side hall were busy preparing dishes for her. The carved doors and windows were open, and the shadows of the well-dressed people in the room could be vaguely seen.

At the window on the other side, Shen Ji was just out of confinement. Although his face was a little rosy, he still looked weak and cold. He was leaning on the window sill with a languid expression on his face.

Qin Yuan skipped the singing ceremony at the door and walked in alone.

"I have just finished lunch, and I have never had lunch. If Yu Wanyi doesn't mind, how many bites can I have at Du Yuxuan?" Qin Yuan lifted the bead curtain, looked at Shen Ji and smiled, " Su, I have good news for you."

After hearing the good news, Shen Ji lightly raised his eyes, stood up from his position and saluted, "Concubine, please give your regards to your majesty."

Seeing her still looking so distant, Qin Yuan couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

If an ordinary concubine treated him like this, he would have walked away long ago, but he would not blame Shen Ji for doing this.

Qin Yuan took her hand, helped her up, looked firmly into Shen Ji's eyes and said, "Susu, the good news I want to tell you today is about our child."

Shen Ji immediately raised his eyes.

Seeing that she was finally no longer alienated, cold and lifeless, Qin Yuan finally felt better. He held her hand and sat down together: "I know that you have been worried about your child and have troubles day and night. But today at the court meeting, the celestial phenomena have changed. Damn it, our child is not only not a bad luck star, but also has a noble destiny and has the talents of a general and minister."

"Don't worry, I have already dealt with the collusion between Si Tianjian and the Lu family. Si Tianjian was beheaded three days later, the Lu family was exiled to Nandi, and Lu Cairen was demoted to a prostitute, and was thrown into the cold palace after giving birth. Our child I will immediately send him back to you to raise him."

"Whatever I owe you, I will make it up to you one by one in the future."

Shen Ji finally heard the good news she had been waiting for day and night. Shen Ji couldn't help but burst into tears when she thought that her child could finally return to her: "Is what your Majesty said true?"

Seeing that her beautiful eyes finally lit up, Qin Yuan felt warm in his heart and said comfortingly: "You are not joking, it is true. I think the person who went to pick up the child will arrive in a short while."

"This child encountered changes when he was just born. Now things have turned around and the clouds have cleared and the sun has appeared, and I am also happy. I plan to name him Zizhao. Since the word "Zi" means "bright", what do you think?"

The matter was finally settled and the child's life was safe, and Shen Ji felt relieved.

She knew that His Majesty had been cold for too long during this period. No matter how patient the man was, if he refused to let go after the matter was settled, he would only waste away the heartache and pity. She now has a child, so she must hurry up. Give your children and yourself everything you deserve.

Fortunately, His Majesty was very concerned about the child. He finally found out the truth of the matter, saved the child, and dealt with those who had ulterior motives.

Yuan Si Tianjian was executed swiftly, and the Lu family was exiled to Nandi. Not to mention the high mountains and long roads, Nandi was wild and barbaric. The snakes, insects, ants and miasma would kill people if they went wrong. Most of them A person dies before he has made it all the way. Although he is not dead, it is more painful than death.

Lu Cairen was imprisoned in Qiuwuxie. He heard the news that his family members were being exiled every day. He was so desperate that he gave birth to a child and went to the cold palace. He just didn't know why Concubine Rao was fine.

The reason is not yet clear, but by handling it this way, Shen Ji can finally relieve the hatred in his heart.

She looked at His Majesty intently, with a beautiful face, biting her lower lip, and slightly red eyes. She looked pitiful and heart-wrenching.

Shen Ji's tears fell like pearls, and he grabbed the corner of His Majesty's clothes repressed and restrained: "Your Majesty."

"In the future, never let Susu and the children be put in danger again."

Chapter 67

After a month, Qin Yuan finally saw Shen Ji not being so repulsive towards him again.

The beauty was as beautiful as water, and her eyes were full of tears. The guilt in his heart suddenly reached its peak, and his heart felt so soft.

Self-blame and joy, guilt and love were intertwined into an indescribable softness. Qin Yuan was very emotional and took her into his arms and held her tightly.

It was obviously not the first time he hugged her, but the scene today made him particularly touched by the feeling of regaining something.

At Qingtan's signal, all the palace attendants in the palace retreated to the side of the dining table, separated by a layer of bead curtains, leaving His Majesty and the young master a piece of pure heaven and earth.

From the day the third prince was born until today, the young master has been cold and indifferent to his majesty, unwilling to get close to him at all. Although everyone guessed that it was because of the child, no one could say anything.

His Majesty brought good news today. The people below saw that His Majesty and the young master were able to reconcile, and they were very happy in their hearts. As for the lunch, which was already hot, there was no harm in leaving it for a while.

The two hugged each other for a while, and when their skin touched each other, it seemed that the diaphragm caused by the child had faded a bit.

At this time, Zhou Yue came in from outside and said that the wet nurse was back holding the third prince.

Shen Ji was overjoyed when he heard this and immediately ran outside to see her child.

Four wet nurses came in from the outside with Zizhao in their arms. When they saw Yu Wanyi running out to greet the child, the wet nurses couldn't help but be moved.

They paid their respects to the young master and showed the infant Third Prince to Yu Wanyi with a smile.

The little baby was wrapped in a thin brocade quilt. It was white, tender and cute, and was not afraid of life at all. It looked at Shen Ji with a pair of dark eyes, and it seemed that it was still smiling.

Such a small child, probably just half her arm length, was born of her through all kinds of hardships, her own flesh and blood.

The more Shen Ji looked at the child, the more he liked him. He carefully picked him up and held him in his arms, fearing that he would be crushed if he applied any force.

The wet nurse said with a smile: "Look, little master, blood is indeed thicker than water. The third prince smiled when he saw you, his eyes were crooked and happy."

Shen Ji hugged him and burst into tears: "I see that the child is being raised very well now, and the mothers are caring. Don't worry, as long as you raise the third prince well, I will never deprive you of the rewards he deserves."

The nuns who served the third prince hurriedly said: "The third prince was raised by the empress in Fengyi Palace until he was a full moon. The empress was very attentive. Even at night, she often got up to check on the child, for fear of being a little neglected. The servants are taking care of him. The servants of the Third Prince dare not make any mistakes."

Shen Ji looked at the baby in his arms lovingly, and even forgot about the time. He was completely unaware that Qin Yuan was standing at the door of the room, looking at her and the child from a distance, with infinite warmth in his eyes.

This scene had only appeared in his imagination before, but he had never thought that it would actually come into reality now.

The courtyard is neither big nor small, surrounded by servants, and a family of three is enjoying themselves happily.

From being stunned at first glance to feeling at ease for a long time, it seemed that he easily found the feeling of home mentioned in the book in Shen Ji.

It's not that we are in the cold at high places, nor that we try to please each other through intrigues, nor is it that we treat each other as guests, weighing and calculating.

This feeling is very good.

Qin Yuan took Shen Ji to the side hall of Du Yuxuan and took care of him until he fell asleep before leaving.

Lunch was already a little cold at this time, but fortunately the small kitchen was open every day, boiling medicine and stewing medicinal food for Shen Ji, and it heated up quickly.

After lunch, Qin Yuan stayed with Shen Ji in Du Yuxuan for a while, then reluctantly left and returned to Xuanzheng Hall to handle government affairs.

Zhang Pu came back and reported that His Majesty's decree had been issued to all the palaces and settled down.

It's sad to say that Lu Cai's pregnancy was originally a happy event, but she was restless and wanted to use the dragon fetus to compete for favor. As a result, she failed to steal the chicken but lost the rice. Now she is imprisoned in Qiu Wuxie.

When she first heard the news, she struggled very much at first and refused to believe it was true. Later, after Zhang Pu explained it to her, she saw the reality clearly and realized that her matter had created such a big mess.

Lu Cainu was in trouble, but Concubine Rao could see clearly. When she heard the news, she didn't speak for Lu Cainu at all. Instead, she frowned and had her locked up quickly, then turned around and entered the main hall.

In the past, this noble concubine promoted Lu Cainu in everything, but now that Lu Cainu has been convicted, she can ignore her.

But Zhang Pu naturally couldn't say these words in front of His Majesty. He only dared to think about it himself. After all, he couldn't afford to be charged with making irresponsible remarks about concubines.

Thinking of the full moon banquet that was about to be prepared tonight at Fengyi Palace, Zhang Pu asked for instructions: "Your Majesty, the Queen has already ordered people to prepare for tonight's full moon banquet, but since it is said to be a small event, it must not be able to accommodate all the concubines in the palace. But who to invite over, the Queen said it is up to you to decide."

Qin Yuan put down the book in his hand and muttered: "Although there is too little time to make big plans, we can't lack what we should have. The Queen Mother is definitely coming, and then there are me, the Queen and Yu Wanyi, and the rest are The concubines of the throne. Ban Cainu has made a great contribution to this matter. She and Yu Wanyi are sisters, so they also called her here, so others don't need to."

"yes."

-

When the news reached Yihua Palace, Concubine Rao was sitting at the table, concentrating on reading a letter from home.

When Zhang Pu came today, she had only heard some rumors and had an ominous premonition in her heart, but when this book arrived, she was really scared.

The paper detailed what happened at today's court meeting. The cause and effect were clear, and she was so shocked that she was still in a daze.

Concubine Yi's words reminded her at the beginning, and she indeed called Mrs. Lu to discuss the matter when she returned to the palace. But at that time, she knew that the matter was big or small, and it related to their two royal heirs. safe.

In addition, Lu's father was an official in the court and was the censor Zhongcheng. Many things were powerful and easy to deal with. Her family's wealth was in Qizhou, which was under the control of her father, so she only came up with an idea and did not interfere.

Who knew that the Lu family would be self-defeating and lead to a big mistake. Now not only has she been demoted and imprisoned, and will soon go to the cold palace, even the Lu family has been exiled to Nandi.

It's not a matter of just a harem, but it got mixed up with the national destiny!

Concubine Rao Gui felt anxious and unlucky at the same time. She hurriedly crumpled the letter into a ball and told the confidants around her. Her beautiful face was full of uneasiness: "Hurry up and burn it, don't be discovered."

Now she was glad that she had done nothing to let His Majesty find out, otherwise, it would have affected the mother clan even more.

Xi Ling came over with a cup of tea and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, now that Mrs. Lu has been convicted, it will not be good in our palace. Your Majesty hates Mrs. Lu, and he certainly doesn't like her unborn child. I'm afraid there will be consequences in the future." If I alienate you, I won't even come to Yihua Palace."

"What should I do?"

Concubine Rao glanced outside and frowned in disgust: "Since she is grounded now, our people should stay away from her and don't get involved with her. She is already the daughter of a guilty minister, so she might have to find ways to quarrel with her. I plead for her and tell everyone in the palace that no one is allowed to say a word to her people!"

"She will go into the cold palace after giving birth to a child. After these few months, we can live in peace and contentment. Don't be too picky. After this period, Your Majesty will forget about this and try to find a way to regain his favor."

Xi Lingfu said, "What you said is absolutely true. This matter caused a lot of discussion in the government and the public. Lu and Si Tianjian were convicted. Everyone in Chang'an knew about it and was all watching this matter. In addition, the third prince is the son of a great nobleman and is very favored by His Majesty. At this time, we must cut ties with the Lu family and not get angry."

"Right now, Yu Wanyi is favored, and the Third Prince is also favored by His Majesty. I'm afraid it will become more popular in the future. Since the Empress has lost Mrs. Lu and the child in her belly, it's better to survive this period and make other plans."

Concubine Raogui nodded, feeling a headache.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to take a rest, he heard someone announcing in front of the Yihua Palace that Zhang Pu was here.

Concubine Rao Gui had just finished reading the letter from her family, and she was panicking. When she heard that Zhang Pu was coming, she subconsciously clenched the cup in her hand.

"Go and invite Eunuch Zhang in."

Zhang Pu came in from outside and glanced at Qiuwu Pavilion where Lu Cainu was from a distance before entering the main hall.

He bowed and saluted Raogui Concubine, and said politely: "I would like to pay my regards to Raogui Concubine."

Although Concubine Rao knew that this matter had nothing to do with her rise, it was her idea after all. She still felt a little guilty at this moment. She cleared her throat and her beautiful eyebrows moved to one side unnaturally: " What kind of wind brought Eunuch Zhang here?"

Zhang Pu said with a smile: "Your Majesty asked your servant to come and tell you that today is the third prince's full moon banquet, and he asked you to go too."

"Isn't it true that the third prince's full moon banquet will not be held? If it is to be held, it will be a happy event with the participation of the entire palace. Why did I hear the letter so late?"

Zhang Pu lowered his head and smiled: "Your Majesty values ​​the third prince. Today at the court meeting, the new Si Tianjian also said that the third prince's destiny is to be a noble one. Your Majesty is very happy for such a noble son. This full moon ceremony cannot be done. Few. Even if there is no time to make a big deal, it can't be missed. Then I asked the Queen to handle it in Fengyi Palace. The servant followed the road to Yihua Palace first, and later he had to go to Yifei and his wife. Where is Concubine Zhuang?"

Hearing this, Concubine Rao lowered her eyes and laughed dryly, pretending to be calm and said: "If he is the son of a great noble, it will be a really happy event. No wonder Your Majesty is so concerned about it. Today is a happy day for Yu Wanyi and the third prince. I Of course I have to go to the palace, so I'd like to ask you to take the trouble to make the trip."

Zhang Pu said politely and left the Yihua Palace with the people in charge. Xi Lingfang asked: "Empress, are we going to the full moon banquet tonight? If we go, I don't think your majesty will give you a good look. , you are being offended for nothing, but if you don't go..."

Concubine Rao Gui put the cup in her hand on the table, took a deep breath, and calmed down: "Go, of course I have to go."

"Not only are we going, we also have to prepare a generous gift to let everyone know that I have no knowledge of this and that I am truly happy for the third prince's full moon. This may make His Majesty less disgusted with my involvement."

"The more Your Majesty values ​​the Third Prince, the more I have to comply with His Majesty's wishes. If I refuse to go away because of my illness today, it will not only appear that I am too arrogant, but will also cause His Majesty's dissatisfaction. It is really not worth it."

Xi Ling looked in the direction of Qiu Wuxie: "Mother, that person over there..."

"Since it is a lockdown, no one is allowed in or out. You can only bring food in. Anyone who wants to enter Qiu Wuxie in the future must ask me first."

Concubine Raogui said coldly: "Xiling, I don't want her to be able to speak again after the limelight passes in two months."

Chapter 68

When the lanterns were first lit and it was getting dark, Shen Ji got on the chariot and prepared to go to Fengyi Palace.

The third prince has just turned one full moon, and it is not appropriate to go back and forth, so His Majesty specially showed grace and allowed the third prince to rest in the palace without having to attend his full moon banquet.

In Shen Ji's view, the so-called full moon banquet was actually a lie. It was just to let everyone know how much the third prince was loved and valued by His Majesty.

Although this is a good thing and indispensable, in her eyes, this is the first day she and her child have met. She is so happy that she can't see enough. If she has time to go out for a banquet, she might as well be in the palace. It is practical to spend time with your children.

The charioteers serving Shen Ji have all been carefully selected and replaced. Now even sitting is much more stable than before. The lantern maid beside her illuminates her guard of honor clearly, which can be seen from a distance. People come here.

The shadowy floating lanterns made the fragrant brocade on Shen Ji's body shine brightly, making it luxurious and elegant.

When the maids and eunuchs on the palace road saw that Yu Wanyi was coming, no one dared to show any signs of neglect. They hurriedly retreated to both sides and bowed, allowing her to pass leisurely.

After the ceremonial guard was five meters away, the little palace maids, who were bowing their heads, stood up and looked at the crowd going away, talking quietly.

"Yu Wanyi was favored to begin with, and it became even more amazing after she gave birth to the third prince. It was simply the most honorable favor. Did you see the satin on Yu Wanyi's body? It was a fragrant brocade, and only three or five of them were given to the palace in a year. match."

"I heard that except for the two queens, the rest were all given to Yu Wanyi by His Majesty. Yu Wanyi was born as a commoner. She only joined the service for more than a year and was promoted to the fourth rank. She also has the emperor's heir beside her. Not only The blessings are so profound that they really fly to the branches."

"Yes, such good fortune is really enviable. It's a pity that we don't have Yu Wanyi's good looks that turn all living beings upside down, nor do we have her good fortune. I've heard people say that giving birth to a child has some impact on the body. , like Empress Yi Fei, when she gave birth to the second prince, it took her half a year to regain her figure. But Yu Wanyi's body was as graceful as a girl's as soon as she was just out of confinement, without any trace. With such a good fortune, our humble bodies are No matter how you compare, you'd better work hard."

...

On the way to Fengyi Palace through the pear forest, it was obviously a beautiful day, but Shen Ji kept leaning on his forehead, absent-minded.

Shuangming asked softly: "Little Master, why do you seem to have no energy, but you are always thinking about the third prince?"

Shen Ji came back to his senses and looked at her, smiled, and said warmly: "This is the first day I have seen Zi Zhao after I gave birth to him. I always worry about whether he is hungry, whether he is hot, and whether the mothers are taking care of him. Good for him. Being a first-time mother always seems to be extra clumsy and new, and I always want to be by his side all the time."

Shuangying smiled and said: "It was not easy for you to give birth. The mother and child were separated for a month just after the child was born. Now that he has just been brought back to you to raise him, it is inevitable that he will be more intimate."

"My servant is very moved today when I see how you and Your Majesty have reconciled as before and are visiting the Third Prince together."

Shen Ji lowered his eyes lightly and chuckled: "Your Majesty is Zizhao's father, and I am his mother-in-law. Naturally, we must reconcile as before."

"In the palace, a mother is more valuable than her son, but it is not true that a son is more valuable than his mother. Zizhao and I are both prosperous and deprived of each other. At least we are at peace now. I can't complain too much about Your Majesty."

When she entered the palace, she wanted to become a master, enjoy glory and wealth, and change her despised origin. Now that she has given birth to a child, this will not change.

In the harem, honor and favor are always inseparable from His Majesty's favor, so the children of concubines who have to be favored will also be favored more than others.

She knew this all too well.

I heard that at tonight's banquet in Fengyi Palace, apart from the relevant people and Yuya, His Majesty only invited the Queen Mother and a few principals, and I think Concubine Rao is also coming.

In the past, she and Lu Cainu worked together and supported Lu Cainu's rise to power overtly and covertly. Now that Lu Cainu has fallen, there is no chance of a comeback, and she doesn't know how Concubine Rao will deal with herself.

As Tian Xiang said, although the Lu family was behind it, and the Lu family's children were proud of it, there was no guarantee that Concubine Rao had done nothing.

It was still unknown why the Lu family suddenly surrendered to Raogui concubine, and now that she thinks about it, Raogui concubine is also a mystery.

There is really no simple woman in this palace.

Before arriving at the gate of Fengyi Palace, I saw from a distance that groups of people inside were very busy. Although the banquet was held in a hurry, the people below did not dare to cope with it. From the meals, decorations to the items required for the full moon ceremony, Everything was sent in, which shows how caring His Majesty is.

After the chariot fell, Shen Ji was supported by Shuang Ying and walked into the palace. The Queen was already waiting in the palace, and Concubine Zhuang was also there. She stepped forward to salute the two principals, and the Queen asked her to sit down quickly, and then asked warmly: "You have just given birth, how are you doing?"

Shen Ji knew that the empress cared about him, and the matter of the third prince could be solved smoothly this time. I heard that Wei Langjun also contributed a lot. If it weren't for her, the empress would not have to get involved in this matter, so he was very grateful to the empress. : "Meng Meng is concerned about me. I have taken good care of my concubine in the month, and she has never had any diseases."

Concubine Zhuang said with a smile: "You are still young, and taking good care of your body is the most important thing. Now that you have given birth to a prince for the first time, and you are of noble fate, you have established a firm foothold in the palace. When you nurse yourself back to health, you will be able to continue to work in the future." There will be more children who will be happy to have you."

"Thank you, Sister Zhuang Fei."

While we were talking for a while, people came to see her one after another, but Concubine Lin was nowhere to be seen.

Qin Yuan asked quietly: "Why hasn't Concubine Lin arrived?"

The queen said: "Concubine Lin just sent someone to report that Princess Changle is unwell and cannot travel."

By mid-June, the weather was already very hot. Changle was just over a year old, so it was common for him to be unable to withstand the heat.

It's just that today is the third prince's full moon ceremony, and Qin Yuan feels happy and joyful. She can't help but be a little disappointed because she doesn't come for some reason.

"Let Dr. Su go over and have a look. Changle loves to cry, and the heat is severe. Please take care of yourself."

The Queen Mother was sitting at the top, and she didn't speak at first. It wasn't until she heard that Concubine Lin was not coming for some reason that she slowly opened her eyes.

She lowered her eyes and looked at Shen Ji's expression. After a long while, she said: "Chang Le is weak and will inevitably be more delicate at this time of year. The emperor often goes to Du Yuxuan to see the third prince, so Concubine Lin will take care of Princess Chang Le peacefully, and there is no need to wait for him for the time being. I'm going to bed with my bed partner so that I won't let the third prince get over his illness."

"Queen, please take down Concubine Lin's name certificate. When Princess Changle is well, it won't be too late to let her serve the emperor."

The Queen frowned and nodded in agreement.

Shen Ji knew that the Queen Mother didn't like Concubine Lin very much. In addition to her being domineering and eye-catching, there was also the fact that the Lin family was now very restless and fearful.

However, Concubine Lin is not here today just because of Changle. Although she does not know whether it is true or not, it is reasonable and reasonable. There is no need for the Queen Mother to give Concubine Lin's name in public at Zizhao's full moon banquet.

At first glance, it seems that the Queen Mother was unhappy because Lin Guifei did not attend Zizhao's full moon banquet. She thought that Lin Guifei did not pay attention to the third prince, so she was angry with her.

Tianxiang said that Zizhao was destined to be a noble person, and His Majesty favored him so much. Even when he was imprisoned in Yuezi, many people went to Duyuxuan every three days to deliver rewards, not to mention that after the Tianxiang incident was over today, many people The person who congratulated him was about to cross the threshold of Du Yuxuan.

It was good for her and Zizhao to be favored, but they were already on the cusp of the limelight, and their every move was being watched. Concubine Lin had always regarded her as a thorn in her side, so it was reasonable for her not to want to come. What could be wrong with the Queen Mother being like this? intention.

Concubine Yi glanced at Shen Ji without any trace, and said with a smile: "The Queen Mother knows that the third prince has just turned one month old and is weak, so she is afraid that Princess Changle's illness will be transmitted to the third prince through her majesty. She really feels for the third prince."

"I met the Third Prince at the Queen's house a few days ago. He is fair, tender and cute. Even I like him."

Qin Yuan smiled lightly and said: "Originally there were only two princes, Zi Ji and Zi Rong, in the palace. Now that there is Zi Zhao, there is another brother. Zi Rong was raised by Concubine Yi to be very smart and cute. I hope that they can both He will grow into a pillar of strength and will share my worries in the future."

After that, he looked at Ban Cai Nu at the end, considered for a moment, and said: "Yu Wanyi has done a great job in giving birth to a son, and Ban Cai Nu has also done a great job in protecting the third prince. The previous dynasty had clear rewards and punishments, and rewards are based on merit. The same goes for the harem. I plan to promote Ban Cai Nu." For Baolin's position, he was given the title Yi."

"Yi means peace, but it also means destruction. Eliminating disasters and gaining peace is my reward for you. It is both a reward and a compensation."

Ban Yuya smiled faintly, stood up and said thanks, "I would like to thank your majesty for your kindness."

Half a year ago, Yuya was greatly hit by the red pollen incident and her temperament changed. If she can regain her strength now, Shen Ji would be very happy.

Some people are happy and some are sad, but something is wrong with Concubine Yi.

Your Majesty just said that it is both a reward and compensation.

His Majesty did not block the news after the story of the celestial phenomena ended, so anyone who was interested in the cause and effect could find out the news. She also knew that Yi Baolin had made a contribution on the day the third prince was born, but what was the compensation?

Could it be that it was the time His Majesty punished Yi Baolin on the first day of the Lunar New Year? His Majesty never really believed the outcome of that incident from beginning to end, and only punished Yi Baolin as a last resort...

If so, what happened to Ning Lu and Yun'er, who had been in the Queen Mother's Palace but had no news, and what did they say?

In the past, she had been attached to Concubine Lin, and with her at the forefront, everyone knew that she was an uncontrollable puppet, and would only shift the blame to Concubine Lin, and would not suspect Concubine Yi.

But if this matter has not been completely resolved after half a year, she will always worry about whether she and Rong'er will be implicated.

What's more, the Queen Mother issued an ultimatum to Concubine Lin today in public, maybe it was also because of this incident.

I don't know what the Queen Mother wants to do.

During this period from now on, she must protect herself wisely and stay away from Concubine Lin...

Anyway, she did nothing about this matter from beginning to end, she just gave Lin Guifei a few words.

No one can blame themselves for things without evidence.

Concubine Yi smiled gently as usual: "Congratulations to my sister for being promoted to Yi Baolin."

Chapter 69

That incident not only failed to cause Shen Ji to have a miscarriage, but also failed to completely eliminate Yi Baolin. Instead, it allowed her to jump three levels from the position of picking girls to Baolin.

Although she was still a low-level concubine, she was not something to be afraid of, and it would not be possible for her to be involved in her in the future. Concubine Yi was still a little frightened.

In fact, that matter has been done perfectly, not to mention that His Majesty rarely paid attention to the concubines in the harem in the past. Most of the matters in the palace were handled by the Queen.

Unexpectedly, this time His Majesty not only didn't believe it, but also wanted to compensate Yi Baolin for Yu Wanyi's kindness.

She knew from the beginning that Shen Ji was not mediocre, but she didn't expect that she underestimated him.

It is pleasing to see that the third prince has a noble destiny, but he is neither a direct descendant nor a eldest son. Apart from the theory of celestial phenomena, it is difficult to guarantee that he did not have the credit for being favored by his biological mother.

Now that she has given birth to a prince just over a year after joining the palace, she is ranked fourth in rank. It is not unusual for her to become the lord of the first palace and be given the title of concubine in the future.

This Yu Wanyi, she must not confront her head-on right now.

Everything must be planned slowly.

Facing the real or fake congratulations on the court, Ban Yuya smiled on her face, but she was just calm in her heart.

From the moment she truly woke up, she was no longer as ecstatic about these favors and rewards as she was at the beginning. Mistakes are made when traveling in the palace, and every step is taken care of. Gains and losses are only temporary. Being able to laugh for a long time is what you are capable of. She lowered her eyelashes and smiled lightly: "Thank you, Concubine Yi."

Your Majesty values ​​the third prince, and the gifts from each palace are very generous. One by one, rare treasures are sent to Fengyi Palace, so that people know that they share the same mind and heart with your majesty, and they all like the third prince.

Although Shen Ji is not the leader now, his status in the palace is already much higher than that of the concubines who entered the palace in the same year.

A full-moon banquet was held around the emperor's heirs, chatting and laughing, and the moonlight was getting late.

Before leaving, Aunt Mei Ying, who was beside the Queen Mother, told her that the gifts given to Yu Wanyi and the third prince by the Queen Mother were in the Longevity Palace, and that she should carry the Third Prince to the Longevity Palace tomorrow to pick them up.

Shen Ji sat on the chariot and smiled politely, saying that he would definitely take Zizhao to pay his respects to the Queen Mother tomorrow, and hoped that the Queen Mother would not dislike him.

After Bu Chai stood up, Shen Ji felt a little strange.

If the Queen Mother is really giving something as a reward to show her supreme honor, she can send Aunt Meiying to deliver it in person. Aunt Meiying represents the Queen Mother's face, so she is already extremely gracious, so why let her hold it in her arms? Zizhao went to the longevity palace in person.

I'm afraid that sending congratulatory gifts is just a name, and having something to say to her is more serious.

Since she was pregnant with Zizhao last year until now, she has seldom gone out, and rarely goes to the Longevity Palace to pay respects to His Majesty. She only occasionally hears a few words of advice from the Queen Mother from Nanny Sun. Counting it, it lasts for one year. I have never had a good conversation with the Queen Mother.

Zizhao is already one month old, and Grandma Sun has to go back to Changshou Palace to serve the Queen Mother. She doesn't know what instructions she will receive.

Is it the suppression of Concubine Lin tonight, or is it related to the third prince, or is it because of the two maids who were dialed into the Longevity Palace half a year ago?

-

Early the next morning, Shen Ji remembered Aunt Mei Ying's instructions, and after having breakfast, he carried Zizhao to the longevity palace.

People in the Longevity Palace had known for a long time that the third prince and Yu Wanyi were coming. Someone was waiting at the door early in the morning to welcome her in personally.

After a long time, Shen Ji entered the Longevity Palace again. He seemed to be no longer as cautious and uneasy as when he first came last year, but was much more calm.

This calmness was brought to her by experience, and it was also given to her by Zizhao in her arms.

She carefully handed Zizhao in her arms to the wet nurse behind her, and entered the main hall of Changshou Palace first, where the Queen Mother was sitting on top looking at her.

"Concubine, please give your regards to the Queen Mother."

"The Third Prince sends his regards to the Queen Mother."

Seeing the mother and son coming from below, the Queen Mother smiled faintly: "Come, bring the third prince over and show it to the Ai family. Yu Wanyi, you can sit down too."

The wet nurse came forward with the third prince in her arms. The white and tender baby wrapped in brocade quilt was sticking out its little tongue and looking at the queen mother curiously, not recognizing the baby at all.

Most babies who are just one month old love to cry, sleep and make trouble. But strangely enough, the third prince seems to have seldom cried and made trouble since he was born. He is not afraid of people. He smiles wherever he goes and looks at him with a pair of dark eyes. Outside.

It is said that you can see how old you are at the age of three. This child is just one month old and you can already see his unique nature.

"Look at the third prince. He is fair and cute. He is smiling at the Ai family. No wonder Si Tianjian said that the third prince has an aristocratic appearance. Seeing that this child is not afraid of life not long after he was born and is calm in times of trouble. He is really lucky." The Queen Mother. After taking off his armor, he held him in his arms, coaxed him a few times, and heard Zizhao giggling, which made the Queen Mother very happy.

Mei Ying smiled in front of her and said: "The Queen Mother feels sorry for Yu Wanyi, and even the third prince born by Yu Wanyi also fell in love with the Queen Mother. It is really a family relationship that is thicker than water. The child who is only one month old is so cute, even a slave. I love it."

The newly born child was soft and had to be taken care of carefully. The Queen Mother held and coaxed the child for a while and then asked the wet nurse to take the child down and take good care of it: "The third prince was born with auspiciousness, which made the government and the public very happy. He was born cute, and I don't blame the emperor." I like it, even the Ai family likes it."

"Zi Ji is calm and Zirong is smart. You, my child, don't need to be inferior to them."

Shen Ji bowed and said, "Concubine and the third prince, thank the Queen Mother for the compliment."

She waved her hand, indicating that no one in the palace except Mei Ying was required, and then said: "Yu Wanyi, do you know why the Ai family called you here today?"

After the warmth, it was time to get down to business. Shen Ji looked serious, nodded and said, "I'd like to report to the Queen Mother, I'm stupid, I don't know what the Queen Mother means by calling me here."

The Queen Mother smiled faintly: "The Ai family remembers that when the emperor promoted you last year, you also asked the Ai family for guidance. The Ai family gave you some guidance, and you are doing very well now. You have been in the palace for more than a year and have been in the palace since then. Fourth grade, I am so lucky to have a good son by my side."

"Besides, the Ai family has also heard that His Majesty is very fond of you now. Before you were born, you went to Du Yuxuan almost every day. None of your concubines went anywhere. On the day of the full moon, you were given generous rewards."

After saying that, the Queen Mother looked at Shen Ji and smiled slowly: "The Ai family asked you to establish a firm foothold and make yourself unable to be easily replaced. You did it, and the Ai family is very happy."

"But don't forget what the Aijia once taught you."

Shen Ji never forgot the fact that one should not touch the heirs in the harem, and the other should not monopolize the emperor's favor.

She bowed and said respectfully: "The Queen Mother taught me that concubines never dare to forget, let alone indulge in pampering and forget their duties."

"Very good," the Queen Mother said slowly, "There are many pregnant people in the palace, but the Ai family has never been particularly concerned about any concubine's child. Except for you, Imperial Physician Sun and Aunt Wu's personal service, You are the only one in this palace, do you know why?"

Shen Ji guessed: "The Queen Mother hopes that by giving birth to this child, she will have a child to take care of."

"Yes, but it's always difficult for children in the palace to survive. They all have their own destiny after being born. Can you still guess why the Ai family only hopes that you will give birth to a child and establish a foothold?"

The Queen Mother was the one who had the last laugh during the late Emperor's reign. Even if His Majesty promoted her, the Queen Mother taught her that it would not be out of pure kindness. However, the Queen Mother at that time did not say it clearly, and she never really asked her to do anything. But whenever something happens, she always favors her a little more, and always suppresses Concubine Lin.

When she was pregnant, Aunt Sun also revealed some of the Queen Mother's thoughts to her. However, even though Shen Ji was pregnant at that time, she was only a noble person. The child had not yet been matured, and she did not know the gender. She was still a lowly person. Even though Shen Ji had a vague feeling in his heart. An answer, but I dare not really think so.

Now that Zizhao was born, she suddenly became the most proud of the new concubines. She even surpassed the status of many old concubines and finally stood in front of others.

I wonder if she passed the test in the Queen Mother's heart, and then new teachings were given to her.

But whether she could guess it or not, she couldn't say that she had guessed it. She could only lower her head obediently and said, "I don't know, please enlighten me."

The Queen Mother raised the glass and took a sip, and said leisurely: "If someone else is pregnant, the Ai family may not be willing to take it seriously. By treating you like this, I hope you can become pregnant one day."

"You can tell the situation in the palace without even thinking about it. The middle palace is weak and Lin Guifei is strong. Except for Rao Guifei, the rest of the principal positions are newly promoted, and the rest are insignificant after all. Although In the past two years, I have been deliberately trying to suppress Concubine Lin's arrogance, and you newcomers also share her favor after entering the palace, but it doesn't help."

She looked at Shen Ji and said softly: "The Ai family needs someone to stand up and help the queen control Lin in the harem, as well as the other concubines. Not to mention overstepping, they must be able to fight against each other. The harem is peaceful, and the front court He will also be able to act upon the wind, and the emperor's empire will be more stable."

"You are the person chosen by the Ai family, and you have lived up to the expectations of the Ai family and have come this far, which is enough to prove that you are a good candidate. Moreover, you are close to the queen and have a good relationship. There is no one as suitable as you. "

"The orthodoxy of the Central Palace cannot be replaced by anyone. You already have this ability. As long as you are willing, remember the words of the Ai family and do not have any delusions. The Ai family can guarantee your prosperity for the rest of your life."

Sometimes, although the affairs of the harem are said to be only between women, the harem of the former dynasty is closely related, and the harem has always been the center of power struggles.

Concubine Lin has been showing off her power in the palace for many years with the support of the Lin family. She is obviously vicious and domineering, but because of her past friendship with His Majesty and the Lin family, she has to forgive her for many unclear things. Even she has never respected the queen. , act recklessly.

If there is no one in the palace who can check and balance, if she treats the harem like Lin's back garden, there will definitely be trouble. Only someone can suppress her arrogance, fight against her, stabilize the situation in the harem, Concubine Lin's arrogance can suppress her. After coming down, Lin knew His Majesty's thoughts, so he would naturally feel more at ease.

Shen Ji and the Queen were both gracious and friends, like sisters, and like family members. She and the Queen had long had an emotional connection, not just the relationship between the Queen and her concubines.

Ever since she entered the palace, what she wanted was status, glory and wealth. If the Queen Mother could afford it, she had no reason to refuse.

In the palace, it is much better to have the Queen Mother and the Empress by her side than to fight alone. Moreover, there is a deep hatred between Concubine Lin and her, and she will not let it go easily.

Regardless of emotion or reason, Shen Ji will only benefit.

She stood up and knelt down without hesitation, and saluted the Queen Mother: "I am willing to assist the Queen Mother to stabilize the palace."

The Queen Mother nodded with satisfaction and said slowly: "Very good. Since you are smart, the Ai family will give you the full moon gift given by the third prince yesterday."

"Mei Ying, bring Ning Lu and Yun'er up."

Chapter 70

Ning Lu and Yun'er were the important people who used the red pollen incident to harm Yuya on the first day of the new year.

They should have been executed for their crimes, but His Majesty cared about her sisterly relationship with Yuya and spared their lives. He sent them to the Longevity Palace, which gave the matter a chance to turn around. .

If not, if these two people are really executed directly and all the witnesses and material evidence are gone, then Yuya is really the one who took the blame for this matter, and Concubine Lin and Concubine Yi are also responsible for it without any burden. I got out of this thing.

At that time, she was mainly doing fetal motility to maintain her health and rarely went out, so the matter had to be put on hold for the time being. Now that the child is one month old, it is indeed time to end the matter.

Aunt Mei Ying brought Ning Lu and Yun'er in from outside. She saw that the two of them had become much thinner, their eyebrows were lowered and their expressions were respectful. In just six months, they were completely different from before.

The Queen Mother slowly sipped the tea and said: "Since these two palace ladies entered the Longevity Palace, the Ai family has never let them go out. They clean and dump ashes in the Buddhist hall every day. During these days, there are many people outside asking. Both of them."

"Although there are many maids in the palace, not all of them can enter the palace to serve them. Everyone who comes in must have a good appearance and a clean family background, and they must be checked clearly. Firstly, to guard against people with impure minds; secondly, In order to have some restraint outside the palace, so that they will not have any wrong thoughts, so as not to harm their families. Therefore, ordinary palace maids mostly work conscientiously and serve their masters in the palace, and do not dare to have wrong thoughts. At most, they are greedy. Silver taels."

"So the Ai family doesn't understand. Yi Baolin was just a palace maid and a commoner. How could she use two palace maids who have been in the palace for many years to frame you when you are pregnant? How could she have the audacity to rely on Lin to marry you?" On the imperial concubine."

She took a leisurely glance and said, "Let them tell you themselves."

Ning Lu, who was on the left, immediately knelt down and kowtowed, crying: "My little master, it was Tiao Mei who was beside Concubine Lin who secretly found the slave, gave her a large amount of silver, and asked her to be the maid in charge of Yi Baolin." This is to prevent her from being favored one day, and secondly, to sow discord and deliver news to Concubine Lin."

"Later, when you became pregnant, Concubine Lin was very dissatisfied, so she asked your slave to cooperate in a play. She knew that this matter was very involved, and she was unwilling to agree. However, Concubine Lin threatened her parents and family members who were far away in Anzhou, so she could not. No, but I only know what I should do, the causes and consequences, and who else, I didn't know at the time."

Immediately afterwards, Yun'er also said: "My little master, Aunt Hiiragi also found the slave at the beginning and gave the slave some silver. But at the beginning, he only said that he wanted the slave to work peacefully in Du Yuxuan and that all he had to do was hide the red pollen. The slave was also deceived by the lard, thinking that he could still get some money without harming anyone, so he agreed in a moment of confusion. The slave did not mean to harm you and Yi Baolin, please spare the slave's life!"

The Queen Mother put down the cup, and the fine white glazed porcelain made a crisp sound: "They refused to tell at first, until the Ai family ordered people to investigate the details of them, and then they told them honestly."

"Concubine Lin doesn't like you to be favored, and she doesn't like you to give birth to the third prince, so she is deliberately trying to harm you. Now that you are getting better, she will never let you go in the future." She lowered her eyes and looked at Shen Ji calmly, but she said something unexpected. Turning around, he said, "Did you know that the Ai family withdrew Concubine Lin's ultimatum in public yesterday, and it was also for you?"

Shen Ji nodded and said humbly: "I don't understand what the Queen Mother means, please give me some advice."

"The purpose of punishing Concubine Lin is to appease you. I also hope that you can put this matter aside temporarily at this time and don't hold on to it." The Queen Mother slowly moved the beads on her hand and said softly, "If the Ai family knows, it will be punished. Concubine Lin, it is not enough for you to relieve your hatred, but now is not the time."

"Not to mention that half a year has passed since this incident. Now it is a bit rash to punish Concubine Lin because the testimony of the two palace maids has changed. Even the Lin family will not recognize this result."

Speaking of this, the Queen Mother looked at Shen Ji closely and said calmly: "What Concubine Lin relies on the most is the Lin family's support. Her grandfather was Taifu Lin, and even the late emperor was his student. During the three dynasties, The elder was an incorruptible man, and everyone had to respect him. But his favorite was Concubine Lin, his direct granddaughter. Originally, Mrs. Lin had lived in seclusion on the outskirts of Chang'an and did not care about family affairs, but the Lin family had been restless in recent years. The Ai family heard that Mrs. Lin Fu has returned to Lin Mansion to reorganize the Lin family's atmosphere."

"At this juncture, it is not appropriate to punish Concubine Lin in such a unclear manner. Therefore, the Ai family took advantage of Chang Le's illness and issued her an ultimatum, not only to give you a sigh of relief, but also to let the people in the palace see. The Aijia is now facing you."

"Concubine Lin wants to move. It should be after the decline of the Lin family. If she moves, she will be involved all over the body, and she will be able to dig clean. It is not painful or itchy but only scares the snake. It is not worth it. Since you want to climb high enough, earn money for you and the child. If you have a bright future, you should know that a little impatience will mess up a big plan, and fighting for a moment is useless."

"So Ning Lu, Yun'er, and the Ai family will be handed over to you today. Whether it's beating or killing, it's up to you. Once you get out of this bad mood and leave the longevity palace today, this matter will be rotten in your stomach. Here, don't mention it again until Lin's death."

Shen Ji raised his head and looked at the Queen Mother blankly. The emotions in her heart were so complicated that they clung to her heart, making it difficult for her to breathe.

But she knew that the Queen Mother was right.

In the palace, people with a high enough family background like Concubine Lin always have a life-saving talisman. As long as her family status does not fall, no matter how big a mistake she makes, as long as she does not step on the bottom line of the country, she can be saved.

If you want to completely get rid of Concubine Lin, the Lin family must fall. How can the emperor's bed allow a tiger to sleep soundly? Even His Majesty is patient and waiting for the opportunity to act. Shen Ji has no reason to ruin the overall situation just for a moment of anger.

She knelt down deeply and obeyed: "The Queen Mother has thought deeply about everything, and she has done everything for the sake of the overall situation and the concubine. I am grateful for the Queen Mother's kindness and dare not be unyielding because of my own selfish desires. I will definitely cultivate myself and reflect on myself in order to repay the favor in the future." , repay the Queen Mother's kindness."

What the Queen Mother values ​​most about Shen Ji is that although she is from a commoner background, she is smart and knowledgeable, understands everything, and is not too obsessed with the present. Since she has said everything that needs to be said, there is no need to hold her back: "The age of the Ai family Not as young as you, I am really exhausted after talking so much today. After you deal with them, you can take the Third Prince and go back to rest."

"yes."

Mei Ying personally helped Shen Ji get up from the ground, then turned to look at Ning Lu and Yun'er.

She looked very calm and did not take their begging for mercy into consideration at all. Her voice was as cold as winter ice and snow: "Yun'er and Ning Lu behaved inappropriately in the longevity palace. If they commit the crime, they will be punished with a hundred canes and their bodies will be thrown into a mass grave. "

After that, she said: "The Queen Mother is tired of teaching my concubines today. I hope the Queen Mother will take care of herself and have a good rest. I will bring the third prince to pay my respects another day."

The palace attendants of the Longevity Palace immediately dragged Yun'er and Ning Lu down and executed them in the street on the huge palace road. After screaming, their mouths were blocked and they could only let out horrifying sobs.

The blood penetrated the clothes, stained the benches red, and then flowed onto the flat and white gravel road of the palace. It was shocking to see a large area from a distance.

There are countless palace people coming and going in front of the longevity palace every day, and the hundred-spine staff was seen by many people and spread far away.

When the passing maids saw this scene, their faces turned pale with fright, they covered their eyes and walked away, terrified again and again.

The spine cane is different from the buttock cane. Thirty spine canes can kill a person. Now, if the spine cane is one hundred, it will beat the life into a pulp. It is really too cruel!

Although it was stated that Ning Lu and Yun'er had offended the Queen Mother because of their lower-level crimes, no discerning person would know that these two people were sent to the Queen Mother's Palace by His Majesty's decree and were suspected of murdering Yu Wanyi's pregnant heir and the Queen Mother. Putting the blame on Concubine Lin.

After half a year, Yu Wanyi had just left the Longevity Palace, and the Queen Mother beat them to death. This was clearly a warning to some people, not to take the opportunity to cause trouble, and to stay safe!

This support and warning was the full moon gift given by the Queen Mother to Yu Wanyi and the third prince.

The news that the Queen Mother beat Yun'er and Ning Lu to death with a cane in front of the Longevity Palace soon spread throughout the palaces. Concubine Lin Guifei, who had been given an ultimatum and could only take care of Chang Le in the palace, naturally heard the news.

As soon as she heard this, she threw several expensive vases to vent her anger, which scared the palace attendants in Changxin Palace to the point where they knelt down. But when she calmed down and thought about it, even she had to tighten her grip at this moment. The tail is a man.

Ning Lu and Yun'er were beaten to death in the street. The Queen Mother must have guessed something, so she deliberately punished them to alert the palaces and herself. She must have vented their anger on Shen Ji and Ban Yuya. Yesterday, she issued her own ultimatum. Not being allowed to serve His Majesty was clearly aimed at her.

If it had been in the past, even if the Queen Mother disliked her, she would not have reached this point. After all, it was because of her father's bad management of the Lin family that many troubles arose.

Although she was embarrassed and annoyed, she also knew that this was not the time to be troubled, because both His Majesty and the Queen Mother were suspicious about what happened on the first day of the new year. Although they were beaten to death and there was no evidence, they were still keeping an eye on her at this time. Don't like her.

If she still wants to go back to the past and regain His Majesty's favor, she still has to wait for her grandfather to take care of the Lin family, and wait for a while to make His Majesty forget these disasters and remember her good talents.

-

In the following months, everything in the palace was calm and there was no trouble.

Mrs. Lu silently gave birth to a princess in Qiu Wuxie, but she was thrown into the cold palace that day. It was only after entering the cold palace that anyone noticed that Mrs. Lu was mute.

Concubine Rao said perfunctorily that her voice was broken by crying day and night. She was an abandoned woman and no one cared about her life and death, so the matter passed lightly.

The second princess was born weak and weak, and died before the moon came out. After being buried with the ceremony of a princess, everything returned to peace.

It seems that the peaceful days always pass very quickly. Time flies and it is the snowy day of the twelfth lunar month.

During this period of time, Yu Wanyi was favored the most, followed by Yi Baolin and Ji Baolin. Although the other concubines were not eye-catching, over the course of a few months, they were more or less favored.

The only thing that is different is that Liu Changzai, who was good friends with An Chongyi in the past, quietly gained favor and has been promoted to a talented person in the past two days. Concubine Lin also regained her favor because of the Lin family. Although it's just mediocre, it's still alarming enough.

The scenery in the snow is always beautiful. Shen Ji was sitting on the chariot on the way back to Yuxuan from the plum forest. There were clusters of red plum trees along the way, and the scenery was pleasant.

As soon as I turned a corner, I saw Liu Cairen leading his maid to fold plum blossom branches without looking away. There was also an anxious concubine standing beside him.

An Chongyi, who was also an acquaintance, had lost his grace due to gastrointestinal discomfort and could never see Tianyan again.

I still remember that in the past, there were four people selected as servants in Dongyuan. Apart from the late Qi Guiren, the Lu family who had been in the cold palace were Liu Cai and An Chongyi.

At first, Liu Cairen and An Chongyi were colluding and were very good friends. An Chongyi was favored by Concubine Lin, and Liu Cairen followed An Chongyi and fawned over him every day.

Now times have changed and things have turned upside down.

Shen Ji sat on the chariot and looked over from a distance, his expression indifferent.

It is said that Liu Cairen fell into His Majesty's eyes when she danced in the plum forest on the first snow day. No wonder she likes plum blossoms so much now. It was Baba who used these plum blossoms to invite his favor.

"When I was favored, I took you with me everywhere, and I often asked you to be favored by His Majesty. Why don't you agree now? I gave you so much silver, and you promised well, but now you are deliberately lying. mine?!"