Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Grace (Part 1)

On the first night of Ruyi's return to the palace, the emperor did not stay in her palace, but summoned Concubine Shu, who was lucky to have the new hexagram as usual, which made many people heave a sigh of relief.On the second day of Dingxing, Ruyi did not dare to be negligent, and went to the Changchun Palace early to meet the queen. The queen gave a few instructions, asked her if she was used to eating and living, and then told everyone to leave.Concubine Chun was naturally happy to see her come out.On the contrary, Concubine Jia and Concubine Hui treated her indifferently and were not affectionate.And Ah Ruo even shunned her and turned a blind eye to her.

Perhaps, this is also good. Three days after Ruyi left the cold palace, the emperor often went to see her, but he didn't invite her, and he didn't stay overnight, but others couldn't understand the favor.This day coincided with Lidong, the palace prepared a family banquet to eat dumplings, except for the empress dowager who was afraid of the cold and refused to leave the Palace of Compassion, the palace had all the concubines. The so-called eating dumplings at family banquets was originally because Lidong was the time when autumn and winter exchanged children, and the concubines in the palace were bored all day long, so each palace made their own dumplings and put together a banquet to please the emperor.Emperor Bai Shili went to the outskirts of Beijing to inspect Nongsang, and when he came back, he was very happy to hear what the queen had said, so he gave a banquet in Changchun Palace.The concubines are naturally ingenious. In addition to the usual vegetable stuffing and meat stuffing, they also made seafood stuffing and sauerkraut stuffing.Empress Dudu and Concubine Shu are the most thoughtful. The empress's dumplings are made of young cabbage leaves that have just been picked in the winter, because everyone in Beijing is used to hoarding cabbage for the winter, and it is also thrifty and fresh. eat.The emperor naturally praised such thoughts.As for the dish made by concubine Shu, the emperor was forced to take a bite, which was so spicy that the emperor burst into tears, and he toasted a glass of wine and poured it all down. Then he smiled frequently and said, "I have eaten such dumplings before. Whatever dumplings the emperor eats in the future, he will never forget his concubines."

The emperor couldn't stop laughing, and clapped his hands: "Empress, look at that hypocritical look, how was Concubine Bihui in the past?" The queen smiled gently, but said nothing.Concubine Hui was full of jealousy and said: "Isn't the emperor just liking concubine Shu's hypocritical appearance? Why compare it with concubines?" When she arrived at Ruyi, she took out a pot of vinegar and said with a smile: "The concubines are inferior to the craftsmanship of the sisters. They can't make dumplings, so I specially made a pot of vinegar with red rose petals. You can't eat dumplings without vinegar. The courtiers and concubines should be a little embellishment."

The emperor's thin smile was unusually warm: "If I eat dumplings, I must be jealous, otherwise I will not be satisfied. Although your things are not the most important, they are the most important." The empress looked at her and said with a smile: "This little embellishment of yours is indispensable. Concubine Xian, it's no wonder the emperor cares about you so much that he insists on letting you out even in the cold palace." Ruyi is neither humble nor overbearing, but only slightly smiled faintly: "There is an empress who is in her arms day and night, and the emperor and the empress are of the same mind, so naturally they are also in love with their concubines." She turned her head, looked at Shen Gui, who was dressed elegantly but looked gloomy, and said humanely : "Ah Ruo, you are the same, aren't you?"

At this time, A Ruo was already the emperor's concubine, and Ruyi was still addressing her by the old address, apparently not paying much attention to her.A trace of anger flashed in Shen Guiren's eyes, he tried his best not to have an attack, but just drank a cup of wine sullenly. The emperor looked at A Ruo, and said with a pleasant smile, "Master Shen should drink to his heart's content. Ruyi is the former owner of Mr. Shen, and Ruyi has escaped from her grievances, and finally let me know that she is not the one who murdered Concubine Yi and Concubine Mei's heirs. Mr. Shengui is Ruyi's old servant, so we should celebrate together."

The emperor called A Ruo a "serious nobleman" in every word and sentence, and only called Ruyi by name, and the closeness and estrangement were already very obvious.A Ruo hated others to mention her as Ruyi's old maid, her face flushed with embarrassment, her hand trembling slightly while holding the wine cup.But the emperor changed the subject and said with a smile: "In order to show your master and servant to celebrate together, I plan to make you Shen concubine, what do you think?" Such a sudden appointment as a concubine was even more unexpected compared to Concubine Shu's immense favor and distinguished background.Moreover, the concubine is the head of the first palace, and her status is precious. There are already Mei concubines in the palace. The Qiandi is Ruyi, a concubine of the Jin Dynasty, whose status is not insignificant.As a result, even the Queen couldn't help but change color, or the Concubine Jia couldn't help but said: "Does the Emperor like Sister Shen so much? Sister Shen lives with the concubine, doesn't it mean that Qixiang Palace has two masters?"

The emperor held the wine cup in his hand, with a handsome smile on his lips, "Naturally. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't personally take the word 'Shen' as the title of Concubine Shen." Concubine Jia bit her lip, Suppressing resentment and anger, the emperor rolled his eyes, but said with a light smile: "Just like your title of concubine Jia, Jia is a beautiful meaning, and I like it very much. Even if the honorable Shen conferred the title of concubine, the master of Qixiang Palace And only you." In this way, the concubine Jia calmed down her jealousy a little, but she gave A Ruo a deep gouging look.A Ruo should have been overjoyed to receive such a reward, but that happiness was also a loss of soldiers, so she had to stand up and salute with cold sweat: "My concubine, thank you for your kindness."

The empress wore light yellow clothes of Tianshui, a pair of coral pendants swayed by her ears, she smiled very softly, and said: "Just now the people from the respect room came and are waiting outside. It seems that the emperor wants to accompany Concubine Shen tonight, there is no need Flip the cards again." The emperor shook the queen's hand and said, "Sure enough, the queen knows what I want." The queen said gently to Ah Ruo: "Then Concubine Shen, you should go back and get ready to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to attend bed." These words just rightly relieved Ah Ruo's embarrassment, and she got up, and the concubine Jia said she wanted to go back to see the fourth elder brother, and also got up to leave.Hailan was inconvenient to be pregnant, so Ruyi went back with her first, leaving only Concubine Shu and Concubine Mei to accompany her, the emperor was very satisfied.

Ruyi supported Hailan and was turning around the long street when she saw Concubine Jia standing in front of Concubine Shen, sneering: "Don't think that being conferred the concubine position means that no one is in your eyes, there is only one main seat in Qixiang Palace, and that is my palace. As a concubine, there are distinctions between high and low. You, Suo Chuo Lun, are only from a minor surname, and no matter how much your Ama has done in water control, you are only serving under the concubine Hui's father, a little magistrate." A Ruo helped the maid's hand, but she didn't back down, she just smiled and said: "My sister is a concubine, and I am also a concubine. I am younger than you, so naturally I should respect you as a sister. As for the others, everyone is a concubine." The emperor's concubines are nothing more than mediocre, who is more noble than anyone else."

Concubine Jia's expression changed drastically with anger, but she also boasted of her status: "Equal? ​​Not to mention that I am the biological mother of the fourth son of the emperor. Although Concubine Mei was born in Nanfu, she has given birth to children anyway, and her award history is higher than yours. Needless to say, Concubine Shu, Yehenala's daughter was also chosen by the Empress Dowager to be bestowed upon the Emperor. If you want to rank seniority, this Palace is naturally the first among concubines, Concubine Mei and Concubine Shu, again, you are just at the bottom of the list. "

The concubine's maid, Li Xin, was also very eloquent, and immediately said: "I haven't congratulated Concubine Shen yet, the emperor only rewarded you as a concubine because of your former concubine Xian's concubine, and he kept mentioning you The master-servant relationship with Concubine Xian. In fact, it’s not right to think about it. Back then, you exposed Concubine Xian’s poisoning of Concubine Mei and Concubine Yi’s heirs. Today, the emperor said that Concubine Xian was wronged. From the perspective of slaves, this reward Your concubine is actually slapping your ears." A Ruo supported the maid Xin Yan's hand, couldn't help trembling all over, stretched out her hand and slapped Li Xin's cheek.She wore sterling silver tortoise shell armor on her hand, and that palm was so hard that it left two bloodstains on Lixin's white and tender cheeks. Li Xin was a little scared after all, even though her eyes were full of tears, Zhong Neng covered her face and dared not speak out.Ruyi looked at him coldly, and said with a smile, "It's windy here, do you want to go back first?" Hailan rubbed her belly and said, "Such a beautiful show, the child in my belly should watch more. When he grows up, he won't suffer too much from others." Ruyi straightened her hood for her, and the two smiled at each other, then stood still in the dark. The concubine Jia looked at Li Xin being beaten, but she changed into a pleasant smile, and said softly: "Oh, Mei Xiang begs you - they are all slaves, why bother to beat up your own people. Li Xin, at any rate, they have already made it through." Little master, you just accept her palm, you should be taught, and learn how she climbed the emperor's dragon bed day and night." Li Xin covered her face and said: "Slaves don't dare to secretly seduce the emperor behind their master's back so shameless, let alone betray their master and frame him. No matter how many slaps you get from Concubine Shen, slaves won't learn to be so vile. It's up to you." Concubine Jia nodded and smiled again and again, then suddenly stretched out her hand and slapped Ah Ruo across the face.This slap went fast and hard, beyond A Ruo's expectation, she couldn't stand it at all.The concubine Jia smiled leisurely and contentedly: "This palm is to teach you to be good, to be humble and to be at ease. Don't think that if you get the status and the emperor's favor, others will forget how you used all the means to seduce the emperor. , even the slaves can’t look down on them!” Concubine Jia's triumphant chuckle was especially loud in the wind, and she was surrounded by the palace people and swaggered away.A Ruo stroked her cheeks slowly, and said with a self-deprecating smile: "Xinyan, you see, everyone looks down on me. Even if I become a concubine, in their eyes, I am nothing more than a slave and will always be a slave." A servant who can't get on the stage." Xinyan hurriedly supported her, and said in a good voice: "My lord, don't take it to heart. The concubine Jia is just relying on herself to give birth to a prince. She herself is nothing more than a tribute girl from a different race. My lord is pure and pure." As for her Manchu blood, if she gave birth to a son and a half daughter in the future, wouldn't she be more noble than her. Originally, you have no children, and the emperor loves you so much." A Ruo's laughter tinged with tears: "You also think the emperor dotes on me?" Xin Yan wondered: "My lord, what's the matter with you? The emperor often turns over your brand, and the rewards are the most. Even if concubine Shu is favored by the new nobles, the emperor has not forgotten you. You see, no matter how arrogant and mean concubine Jia is, I'm just jealous of you." A Ruo looked distressed, and nodded again and again: "Yes, they are all jealous of me, they are all jealous of me. But who brought me to this place where everyone is jealous and mean. I have been favored all these years Except for the Queen and Concubine Hui, I have hardly seen other people's good looks, and even Concubine Hui is occasionally sarcastic. Who the hell brought me to this place where everyone is an enemy?" Her mouth became more and more serious. Sadness: "The emperor turned over my cards the most, but who knows..." When she said this, she covered her mouth and didn't dare to make a sound. She just looked around in fear and shed tears. Xinyan didn't understand what he meant, so she said: "My lord, don't be sad, today is a good day for you to become a concubine, and you will have to go to bed later. This servant will accompany you back to the palace and rub your face with eggs. Don't let the emperor see it, it's not good." After saying that, he walked away with A Ruo with his arms. Ruyi was a little puzzled when she heard this, so she asked, "The Emperor has read A Ruo's cards the most, is there something wrong?" Hailan was also full of doubts: "These years, Ah Ruo has been favored and favored deeply. The emperor has treated her quite favorably, and she has been promoted and rewarded many times. What could be wrong? But listening to what she said today, I am afraid that there is some reason in it. That's right, it's inevitable to attract complaints if you collect a whole body of love. However, her foundation is not strong enough, so naturally anyone can show her face." Ruyi said coldly: "The glory and wealth are what she asks for. Naturally, this kind of humiliation and bullying is also what she asks for. What is there to complain about?" She held Hailan's hand: "I see you I used so much for dinner, but it’s just a few dumplings, so it’s so appetizing? Don’t hold back, let the doctor Jiang come and have a look.” Hailan returned to the palace and drank a cup of Xiaoshi tea, said with a smile, "I just drank the Xiaoshi tea, and I feel a little hungry again. Ye Xin, go and see, what can I eat in the small kitchen?" Ye Xin agreed to go, Ruyi said: "Although I said that your appetite will improve after four months, but you are also more than six months pregnant, why do you still have such an appetite, eat a lot, nothing else, but you are more serious. See fat." Hailan smiled wryly and said, "What else can I do, I can't see people on the left and right, if I don't eat some more, I'm afraid I will lose the child in my stomach, and it won't be worth it." While talking, Ye Xin brought up a package of You Neng tofu skin buns and a bowl of shrimp wontons.Hailan had just finished eating when Jiang Yubin came in and invited An Dao: "All blessings, Concubine Xian, and Haigui." Ruyi smiled and waved her hands and said, "I have nothing to ask you to come and see. Look at Mr. Hai, who eats a lot of meals a day while pregnant, and his appetite is so good that it makes people afraid. What's wrong?" Jiang Yubin took the pulse, looked at the empty plate on the table and said, "Your Hai has a big appetite, it's okay. But looking at it, it's more round than a few days ago." Just as he was talking, Lu Hen brought up a cup of medicine and said, "The anti-fetal medicine is ready, please drink it quickly, nobleman." Hailan picked up the bowl and was about to drink it, when Jiang Yubin suddenly stopped and said, "Did you drink it according to the anti-abortion medicine prescribed by Weichen?" Hailan was immediately alert and put down the medicine bowl: "What? Is there something wrong?" "The taste doesn't seem right?" Jiang Yubin immediately took the medicine bowl and took a sniff, and immediately ordered Luhen: "Bring me the remaining medicine residue." Green Mark knew what was going on, and went immediately, but after a while, he put a handful of medicinal residues on a plate.Jiang Yubin picked up the dregs of the medicine, sniffed it again and again, picked up a little bit, put it in his mouth and chewed it carefully, and said strangely, "It's strange, although the taste is wrong, but the medicine added is not harmful." Ruyi asked anxiously, "What the hell is that?" Jiang Yubin said: "Weichen definitely can't make a mistake. The anti-abortion medicine prescribed by Weichen has been filled with other things, but this thing is not a bad thing, it is a good medicine for appetizing, but it is indeed not Weichen. It's in the formula." Ruyi changed her mind and said: "A good medicine for appetizing? Does it mean that if you take it, you will have a great appetite, keep eating, and then gain weight. Once you gain weight..." Jiang Yubin said: "It's common to gain weight during pregnancy. It's just that Haigui people gain weight faster than ordinary people. It's probably related to this medicine. Pregnant women gain weight quickly, and the skin on their bodies can't bear it, so it's easy to crack and form lines." Hai Lan already understood, and her eyes were full of sorrow and resentment: "And this kind of lines, even after giving birth, can't be removed, and they stick to the body for life, people can't bear to see it, right?" Jiang Yubin was dumbfounded: "The nobleman said so, could it be..." Hailan held her arms tightly, and said in a hateful voice, "It's already born on my body, and it can't be eradicated." Jiang Yubin said awe-inspiringly: "Your Majesty, don't worry, I will do my best to study the properties of medicine for you, and strive to get rid of it." Hailan clenched her fists tightly, and said with tears in her eyes, "You have intentions. It's just that Luhen has been taking care of my medicines. Luhen is a trustworthy person. How did these appetizing medicines be added?" Lu Hen hurriedly knelt down in a panic and said: "Master Mingjian, my servant, I was very careful when I received the medicine from the imperial hospital, and no one else interfered with the decoction until it was brought to the young master. The servant is even more careful." Knowing what medicinal materials can whet the appetite, I definitely dare not add them in without authorization." Jiang Yubin murmured, "Weichen wrote the prescription, and the medicinal materials were caught by people from the Tai Hospital. It's okay for Wei Chen to look at it after it's prepared. But the Tai Hospital has a lot of people, and before it was handed over to Miss Lvhen, they were handed over." It's not known if people have moved their hands and feet. After the minister returns, he will definitely investigate carefully." Hai Lan held back her tears, her face gradually calmed down, and said in a deep voice, "It's just a matter of finding out who it is, and there's no need to say anything." Jiang Yubin was full of doubts, and Ruyi sighed with hatred: "If it were me, I would never believe that this medicine was added for no reason for your own good. But the person who came up with this idea, with the harmless It's really terrible and hateful to act insidiously. But even if this matter is publicized, the emperor will only think that the person did it unintentionally or even with good intentions, and it has become our villain's heart. Let's not say it Whatever." Hailan clenched her fists tightly, and the veins on the back of her hands protruded like little blue snakes, spitting out their cores hissingly: "It's really amazing to be able to plot people like this! I remember it, just treat it as my own. Let's learn a lot of wisdom. It's just Doctor Jiang, I have to trouble you more in the future." Jiang Yubin said embarrassingly: "Concubine Xian is in the cold palace. I will inevitably be distracted and can't cover everything. In other words, I have neglected my duty. In the future, I will be extra careful. In addition, after the nobleman gives birth, I will The minister will also prepare ointment and smear the body of the nobleman in order to eliminate the lines." Hailan quietly looked at the dark sky outside, as if she was looking at the road ahead that she couldn't even see.Tears flashed in her eyes, but she finally held back and said softly: "Sister, I only have you and the child." Ruyi patted her comfortingly, and leaned on her tightly.Their shadows fell on the wall, like a thin silhouette, if any gust of wind blows stronger, they will be blown away together. With her naked body, Ah Ruo worked her way up from under the quilt.Under the dark quilt, she could feel the emperor's young body beside her, exuding a warm aura through the thin silk pajamas.She poked her head out of the quilt familiarly, looking at the bright yellow palace-like lintel, densely embroidered with dragons and auspicious clouds, and the candlelight outside the tent shone on it, mixing with the jade-gold patterns painted on the tent, the colorful Like the colored glaze of the seven treasures, it is dazzling and pierces directly into the heart. She hugged the emperor tightly, trying to undo the first button of his pajamas.The emperor didn't move, just sneered, with a cold lingering sound, A Ruo quickly withdrew his hand in fright. The emperor's tone was so calm that there was no wave: "What are you doing?" She mustered up the courage to raise her face, looked at the emperor's dazzling face like a blooming Kangdi, and pleaded softly: "The emperor allows the slaves to sleep, slaves... the slaves are here to serve the emperor." The emperor's eyes were filled with a smile as thin as ice, and he casually shook out the red-twisted gold dragon-pattern quilt, glanced at it casually and said, "Oh. It's completely taken off, and I'm here to serve you." A Ruo blushed: "The rules are like this, slaves and servants are just following the ancestral system." The emperor smiled slightly: "You also know that you are a slave. You have been serving the bed for three years, and you have naturally learned how to serve the bed. Do you still have to follow the rules of the respect room?" On the dark red satin quilt, there was a ferocious five-clawed dragon embroidered with black silk thread. The dragon's claws were embroidered with gold thread, sharp and sharp as if they were alive, as if each claw would be scratched into her flesh and blood. .Ah Ruo couldn't care less about being shy.Attached to the emperor with his fresh body, wanting to warm him with his own hotness, he begged softly: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please treat this servant. The servant has been in bed for three years, and only the first This time... the first time you have been served by a servant. It has been so long, let this servant serve you again!" The emperor leaned on his arm, carelessly brushing her body with one hand. Although there was such a lazy smile on his face, there was only a cold and cold look in his eyes: "Really? This is the first time I have allowed you to sleep in bed, It is you who seek benevolence and benevolence, and only want to be my woman. When I promised you, I also told you that since you have served me all your life, you will be born as a person in the Forbidden City and die as a ghost of the Forbidden City. I won't go for half a step. But every time I turn over your sign, call you to sleep, and reward you, give you honor and status, but I never touch you again, don't you know why?" Ah Ruo was embarrassed and ashamed, ashamed and resentful, but she said nothing: "This servant is stupid." The emperor's face gradually turned cold: "Since you know that you are just a slave, not a concubine, don't try to lie by my side." Ah Ruo's face was purple, and there were no clothes for her in the hall, so she had to pull off the thin blanket on the bed and hurriedly put it on. The emperor said indifferently: "It's still an old rule to serve me overnight."