Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Abandoned Wife

In September of the thirteenth year of Jihai, it was located in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and next year was the first year of Qianlong. ——"Drafts of Qing History·Gaozong Benji" It was quiet in Shoukang Palace.The concubines were exhausted from crying for many days, and all the affection and favor of the past were gone with tears.For the rest of the day, I lived in the shadow of wealth, and then there was countless wealth, endless palace separation, loneliness and solitude. The Shoukang Palace where the former concubines lived was as quiet as the tomb of the living dead.Even the late emperor's concubines, who were only in their teens or twenties, were covered in dust, without a trace of vitality.

The Shoukang Palace, located on the west road outside the inner court of the vast Forbidden City, is different from the vivid Six Palaces of the East and the West. It is another world, where the emperor's women lived, and the curtains were tassels and painted with gold and pink paint. The densely woven brocade is also hanging in the palace, and the heavy and dense brocade in the hand is still the best brocade offered as a tribute, and the most auspicious pattern.But the brocade is not a world of joy, people and the moon are round, not full of expectations, waiting in space, but broken hopes, dead thoughts, withered time, even the most self-pitying bleak moonlight is not rare. Enter half a point.

Aunt Fu came in with a plate of peeled grapefruits.After opening the curtain and coming in, I feel that the Shoukang Palace is dark and narrow, not as tall and bright as the palace in the past. Even the faint sandalwood is spreading, and I feel that the place is claustrophobic, and it disappears before it is gone.In addition to the new funeral of the first emperor, the interior layout is also gloomy and only 70% to 80% new, and I can't help but feel sour.Seeing the Empress Dowager sitting cross-legged on the couch, touching a volume of books in a daze, she couldn't help but bear the suffocation, and said with a smile on her face: "The pomelo presented in Fujian is sweet and sour, and it can relieve dryness. The Empress Dowager eats it just right." .”

The queen mother smiled lightly and said: "It's hard for you. After so much effort to peel it off, Ai's family can't eat a few bites." Aunt Fu smiled and said, "It's a blessing to be able to eat a few bites of grapefruit." The queen mother squeezed her arm, and Aunt Fu understood, and immediately stepped forward to beat her shoulder, and said softly: "Today, the emperor ascended the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and you have been with me at the grand ceremony. You have been tired all day. Why don't you settle down early and have a good rest?" .”

The queen mother touched her cheek, "That's right, I became a queen mother all of a sudden. The emperor ascended the throne, and the Ai family's mind was settled. Seeing the emperor looking good today, and the grand ceremony was fine, the Ai family is really happy. It's just I don't feel sleepy at all, I think it's because the days are short and the nights are long, and the long nights are long, so some of them are sleeping." Seeing her expression like this, Aunt Fu looked at the small main hall, hesitated to speak, "It's good that the Queen Mother can feel at ease, these days are a grievance."

"Wronged?" The queen mother took a piece of grapefruit and held it in her hand, "If this piece of grapefruit was thrown out at will, it would be called wronged. Now you put it on a plate with a colorful butterfly pattern, and you already have a place to live. Wronged?" Aunt Fu stood with her face downcast, although her face was submissive, but it was also tinged with worry, "Queen Mother, this pomelo was supposed to be placed in the queen mother's phoenix-patterned dish, and now it will be here. I can’t take everything into consideration, so I can only temporarily use the butterfly patterns used by concubines, isn’t it a grievance?”

The queen mother put the pomelo in her mouth and ate it slowly, Fang Ning said: "Fujia, I ask you, what is this place?" The worry on Aunt Fu's face became more serious, and she also showed a bit of indignation, "This is the Shoukang Palace, where concubines and concubines live. It is the Palace of Compassion and Ning that you should live in. It is grand, bright and magnificent. Over here a hundred times." There was no trace of a smile on the queen mother's face, "Yes. The place where the concubines and concubines live uses the things that the concubines should use."

When Aunt Fu heard this sentence, she unconsciously raised her voice, "Queen Mother!" The Queen Mother said softly, and slightly raised her eyelids, her eyes were as clear and calm as a calm ancient well, "What?" Aunt Fu shuddered, and just happened to see the candle flame on the gilt flower candlestick fluttered by the wind, she quickly stretched out her hand to protect it, and took the small silver scissors to cut off a section of scorched and curled candle wick, before she dared to reply: "The servant made a slip of the tongue, the queen mother forgives me."

The queen mother calmly opened her eyes, stretched out her hand to caress the brocade embroidered with dark green and gold thread on the small red sandalwood table, and said indifferently: "You have been with the Ai family for many years, so naturally there is nothing wrong with your words. It's just that the Ai family asked you, What kind of luck do women in the harem get to the position of empress dowager?" Aunt Fu lowered her voice, pondered and said carefully: "This blessing is either the birth of a new emperor, or the empress of the previous emperor." The empress dowager's sigh was deep and low, like the westerly wind outside the curtain, silently passing through the palace gates that were getting darker, "Fu Jia, the Ai family is not the emperor's own mother-in-law, and has never been canonized as a queen by the late emperor. The blessing is nothing more than being lucky enough to raise the emperor. Aijia, the canonized empress dowager, has a bad name, and if the emperor doesn't take Aijia to heart, there is nothing Aijia can do."

Aunt Fu's brows sank, and she said solemnly: "When the late emperor was here, he claimed that the emperor was your own mother, the empress dowager. The emperor didn't recognize you, so why would he go back to the Rehe Palace to find the bones of the court lady Li Jingui and make him the empress dowager? You are not afraid of the world. What's more, although the first emperor had a queen, it was useless in the past few years, and the affairs of the six palaces were all taken care of by the queen mother. You worked hard to help him ascend to the position of ninety-five supreme. Who else?"

The queen mother slowly stroked the silver-embedded emerald-encrusted life armor, "These words are justified. But whether the emperor thinks so in his heart, whether he is thinking of the kindness of Aijia's upbringing, it is hard to say." Aunt Fu asked: "The Ministry of Internal Affairs has also come to invite me several times, saying that the Palace of Compassion and Peace has been cleaned up, please move the palace. But what do you mean..." The Empress Dowager smiled slightly, "It is always necessary to move the palace, but the emperor has to think about it himself, and he can't say it out of Ai's family. So if the emperor doesn't come for a day, ask Ai's family to move the palace to the Palace of Compassion. It's just that the House of Internal Affairs invites Ai's family. The family is too lazy to move." Aunt Fu frowned, and said hesitantly: "The late emperor passed away, and the emperor has just ascended the throne. There are so many things going on outside, and the emperor hasn't come to pay his respects for two days. Even if he came, if the emperor didn't mention it, wouldn't we be frozen here?" The queen mother reached out and used her armor to pick up the scarlet candle tears hanging from the candlestick, "Although there are not many people in the emperor's palace, they came up from the hidden mansion one by one, and none of them seemed to be human. There is always a smart person." Yes, he is more vigilant than others and knows how to do it. The Ai family does not have a biological son to be the emperor, and does not have the identity of the main wife. If the emperor's filial piety and respect and the power of the harem are gone, then there is nothing left .” The new emperor ascended the throne, Qing Ying was also extremely happy.When she first came to Qiandi as a bride, she felt a little aggrieved, because she was not the late emperor's favorite son after all.However, she is also grateful, grateful to her husband for pulling her out of the place of right and wrong.After getting along for a long time, she also gradually discovered that although her husband is cautious, he is extremely ambitious and talented, and he is more patient.Bit by bit, like spring bamboo shoots, it gradually attracted the attention of the late emperor, and gradually gained the attention of the late emperor.His efforts were not in vain, and he finally had the joy and glory of today.That, too, was her joy and glory. During the dinner, Qing Ying couldn't help ordering the kitchen to make two more side dishes that the emperor loved. Although she knew that the emperor would definitely not eat in the harem on such a night, as there were big banquets one after another in the previous dynasty, then It is the joy of the emperor and the joy of the people.But she was also happy looking at the dishes he usually liked, as if her heart was with him, always together. There is nothing wrong with eating.The emperor's thoughts were all on the front court, and he didn't care about the harem, and they didn't have a name yet.Her happy time is also lonely.Qingying can only daydream, thinking of the high spirits of the emperor in the previous dynasty, ranking above ten thousand people.He has ambition, passion, and yearning for the mountains and rivers.She could imagine the great ambition behind the faint smile on his mouth. Thinking like this, the door of the temple was pushed open lightly, A Ruo's thin body flashed in, so lightly that only the green skirt could be seen curling up like a lotus leaf.She whispered a few words in Qingying's ear, Qingying's expression became cold and cold, and she forced herself to calm down: "Who told you?" A Ruo's voice was extremely low, and the words could not be heard, "There is a maid named Xiu'er beside the old master. She is the confidant brought into the palace by the old master. She secretly came to tell the servants that the old master is not good. I must see you." Seeing that Qingying's expression was heavy like rain, she hurriedly persuaded, "Your servant will talk too much to persuade the young master, so it's fine if you don't go." Qingying twirled the enamel cat's eye crystal armor on her finger, and the white streamer of light rippled on the cat's eye crystal, as if she was hesitating.Qingying hesitated and asked: "What?" A Ruo frowned and said, "The old master is the empress dowager's confidant. If the empress dowager finds out, even if it is not the empress dowager, but anyone in the palace knows, it will be a catastrophe for the young master, and it will never be restored. What's more, the old master is right. You are really not good, my lord." She pondered and pondered, and said, "My lord, I respect myself." Qingying, the aunt, really didn't treat Qingying well.However, she was the one who gave her family the glory and comfort, and she was the one who lured her to marry today's husband by mistake.Qing Ying had thousands of reasons not to see her, but in the end, she still hesitated and got up. The night is long, and it is the first time for her to walk in the dark long streets of the Forbidden City.A Ruo was holding a lamp in front, and Qingying was wearing a cloak of deep lotus green inlaid with gold threads and sprinkled with plum blossoms, the dull color was hard to be noticed.If she really found out, she would just think that she was looking at other concubines. At the end of Dongyi Long Street, after passing Jingren Gate, and turning inside the stone screen wall, you will find Jingren Palace.There was a palace maid waiting by the corner door, and when she saw her coming, she just opened the corner door and let her in without asking.Ah Ruo was naturally left outside.Qingying walked into Kuolang's courtyard, looking at the familiar colored paintings of dragons, phoenixes and seals all over the wall, her eyes couldn't help but heat up. This place is already familiar.But coming back now, I feel desolate.The once most honorable woman living here has long since lost her grace and power, and she is like a prisoner.She had thousands of reasons not to step here, but she still came. Because the same blood flowed on their bodies. She hesitated for a moment, then walked in quietly under the full moonlight.Behind him was a pigeon pecking at the rice grains, like a jumping white ghost, only caring about eating, not paying attention to her coming.Not even a trace of fluttering.Or, compared to the people in the palace, they are more like the master of Jingren Palace. Qingying pushed open the heavy carved red lacquered door, and the palace room immediately exuded a dusty smell that hadn't been cleaned for a long time, causing her to cover her mouth and nose. There were not too many candles lit in the hall, and a few candle stubs were burning awkwardly on the candlesticks covered with putty, and the fire was faltering, as if it would go out at any moment.With a ray of faint moonlight shining in, she recognized the figure sitting on the phoenix seat for a moment, which seemed to be her aunt. She called softly, "Auntie." The man stood up slowly, approaching her like a shadow, and said grimly, "So you're still willing to come?" Qing Ying nodded heavily, "Cut the flesh, break the bones, the blood that my aunt and I are bleeding is from Ulanara." The man smiled, his voice hoarse and deep like a night owl, "Okay. No matter what happened in the past, with your words, I was right to call you here." Qingying was shuddered by her laughter, she looked at the person in front of her carefully, her heart was filled with countless sorrows and emotions, and she whispered: "Auntie, you are getting old. These years, I have caused you to suffer .” Isn't it old?Although the Ulanara family was not considered first-class in beauty back then, it was also the lord of the six palaces who were dignified and prosperous. Ulanara laughed flatly, and said coldly, "Although I am old, you are still young, and that is the most important thing." Qingying hesitated for a moment, before saying: "Aunt, the one who ascends the throne today is Hongli, the empress dowager's adopted son." Ulanara looked up to the sky and smiled for a moment, until tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. "Congratulations, congratulations, you have fulfilled your wish, and you have achieved good results." Her face suddenly turned cold, and her expression was a little stern, "Whoever ascends the throne will be the emperor, whoever will be the empress dowager and who will be a prisoner, you don't need to talk about it. Niu Hulu came to see me today, and she told me that the new emperor will chase after my sister, and that Fujin, who preceded the previous emperor, will be the empress of filial piety, and all the virtues I have done in my life will be remembered on her. According to the wish of the first emperor, my sister died, and she was only considered alive. As for me, I will not be included in the annals of history, and will not be attached to the imperial temple. In the future, I will be buried as a concubine of the late emperor without a name. I became a piece of dust and smoke in the harem, and the wind blows and it disperses without leaving any traces. Okay, okay, the vicious Niu Hulu family! Such vicious, Qingying, you have to learn it!" Qingying was so startled that the hairs on her back stood up, she froze in place, she felt cold sweat dripping down her face, like tiny bugs slowly crawling past, and there was another burst of shock when they passed by. Ulanara glanced at her contemptuously, "It's useless, I wasted my time calling you here. It seems that you are still the same as before, impatient and not a big deal." Qingying came back to her senses, and said calmly: "Whether I can become a master or not, I am able to have what I am today, thanks to my aunt." Wu Lanara took a look at Qingying, and said slowly: "Credit? Back then, the third elder brother Hongshi was confused for a moment, and refused to marry you as Fujin, and let you be humiliated. Naturally, you are not angry. I want you to endure the humiliation for a while, and first come The position of Ge Ge is on the side, and you will think that you are humiliated, and you will not give in." Qing Ying was silent for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "Although they are all concubines, the third elder brother has no intention of being interested in me. He only fell in love with the late emperor's nobleman Ying, which caused a catastrophe. It was my luck that I never married the third elder brother. For the fourth elder brother, I have never regretted it." Ulanara didn't even raise her eyelids, "But are you satisfied with marrying Hongli as a side Fujin? After all, whether it's a side Fujin or Ge Ge, they are just concubines." Thinking of Hongli, Qingying felt that all kinds of knots were loosened, leaving only the sweetness like honey. "The emperor loves me quite a lot, and the third elder brother just treats me like nothing. Qing Ying naturally knows how to distinguish between the serious and the serious." Ulanara smiled, with a sour tone. "Isn't it ridiculous to talk about affection in the emperor's house?" Seeing that Qing Ying was just disapproving, she unconsciously sighed, "at your age, of course you can't understand. It's okay, if you don't understand, there will always be something you don't understand." It’s just that Qing Ying... From now on, you are no longer the side Fujin of the palace, and the deep garden of the palace is not comparable to a mere palace?" Thinking of the past few days, Qingying frowned unknowingly.Wu Lanara looked at her expression, and said lightly: "What? You just entered the palace, and your name has not yet been determined, so the waves suddenly arise?" Qing Ying looked at Ulanara, held her breath, and bowed solemnly, "Qing Ying is stupid, please enlighten me." Ulanara sneered, "It's rare that I, a defeated general, an abandoned woman who was despised by the late emperor to death, still have someone come to ask me for advice." Qing Ying leaned over, "Although my aunt has no children and no favours, the position of empress has not fallen for many years. If it is not because of the queen mother, you may be on the Phoenix seat today. Even if you are trapped in the deep palace today, there must be Qing Ying who is hard to reach place." Ulanara turned her head away, "Back then you had a discordant marriage and became a laughing stock in the palace. You couldn't help but hate me? Now you are Niu Hulu's daughter-in-law, why should I teach you?" Qingying pondered for a moment, and looked at Ulanara's family sincerely, "Because my aunt and I are both daughters of Ulanara's family." Ulanara looked out the window, under the dark sky, she could only see her dejected face.Ulanara's voice was slightly hoarse, "Now, I am not the mother of the Qing Dynasty, nor the queen of the first emperor, nor anyone's mother-in-law. The only identity I have left is the daughter of Ulanara." She paused , said in a deep voice, "Empress Dowager Xiao Gongren told me back then that Ulanara's daughter must be in the middle palace, and now I will tell you the same sentence. Do you dare?" The shock in her heart suddenly rose, she was so startled that she took a few steps back, she couldn't help feeling a little timid, and said in a low voice: "Qingying dare not ask for the queen's position, but only asks for the emperor's love for a long time, just to be a favorite concubine. " The corners of Ulanara's lips raised into a sneer, "A beloved concubine? What else is there besides being loved? The biggest advantage of a favorite concubine is to be favored. A woman who is favored and then falls out of favor will only live a life worse than death." Ulanara said coldly Sweeping her eyes coldly, "How can we Wulanara have such a short-sighted person like you?" Qingying's face felt like it was burning, and she stood with her hands down awkwardly, not daring to speak. Ulanara said: "When your beauty is old and your motivation is exhausted, what else can you fight for favor? Aunt asked you, favor is face, power is face, which one do you want?" Favor and power are the most amazing flowers that bloom on the tip of the heart, any one of them can brighten the floating life and shock the world.Qing Ying pondered for a moment, then secretly made up her mind, "Qing Ying is greedy, so naturally she hopes to have both. But if she can't, it is naturally the most important thing." Ulanara nodded, "There is something to be said for this. The gate of the Renyun Palace is as deep as the sea, and it is difficult to gain a foothold. What's more, you are my niece, and it will be even more difficult to gain a foothold in the harem." Qing Ying lowered her head even more when she was told about the central matter.After a while, she raised her head and said loudly: "Although it is difficult, Qing Ying has no way out, and can only move forward." Ulanara's eyes flashed, and he finally showed a somewhat gratified expression. He slowly stretched out his hand to support Qingying, "To gain a foothold in the harem, favor and prince are of course indispensable. But Qingying, you have to be patient, and even more Be ruthless. Cut the weeds and eradicate the roots, leaving no future troubles. Clean and neat, leaving no excuses. You have to climb higher, not just a little higher. If you are a little taller, everyone will envy you and murder you; but when you win more than others, If you plan farther, then in addition to yielding and admiring them, they will be even more afraid and dare not harm you again." Qing Ying was a little ignorant, Ulanara looked at her, ignored her, and continued: "In the harem, everyone wants to gain and doesn't want to lose. But Qing Ying, you have to understand, what is it like to be a person?" The time when she can give up everything is the time when she is truly fearless." Ulanara was quite embarrassed, "My mistake was that I cared too much about the later position and the love of the first emperor, so I came to this point. " Qing Ying seemed to realize something, "Auntie said that you can be strong without desire?" Ulanara nodded slightly, and said coldly: "That's all I can teach you. Listen to the scraps of defeated generals if you think they are useful, and forget them when they are useless. It's not too early, you Let's go, if you attract attention, the Ming Dynasty may be dead." Qingying got up and said goodbye, "Qingying will go first, if it is convenient in the future, I will come to visit my aunt again." Ulanara said indifferently: "No need, goodbye is bothering each other." Qing Ying was speechless, "The Empress Dowager didn't say how to deal with my aunt. Let's talk about it after a while when my aunt can stay away in peace." Ulanara raised her jaw and said proudly: "I am the empress who walked in from the Great Qing Dynasty. Do you still have to listen to her? You should ask for more blessings yourself." Qingying bid farewell silently and went out alone.When approaching the gate of the hall, Ulanara suddenly called out, "Qingying." The voice seemed a bit stern, Qingying's heart trembled, and she immediately turned her head away, Ulanara was about to cry, "Ulanara Shi has already given birth to an abandoned wife, and there will be no second abandoned wife! You..." Those are the words of a woman who cried blood all her life! Qing Ying held back her tears and said solemnly, "Qing Ying understands." Immediately, Ulanara was as indifferent as usual, slowly walked up to the phoenix seat, sat on it, and said quietly: "You must always remember that you are the daughter of Ulanara." Qingying's nose was sour, and she felt infinitely relieved.The Ulanala clan on the throne has long since withered, but still looks graceful, not diminishing the demeanor of the mother of the country.Qing Ying couldn't help bowing down, kowtowed three times, then turned her head and left. Ah Ruo waited in the depths of the long street, and was as anxious as a cat scratching her heart. When she saw Qingying come out, she breathed a sigh of relief, "My lord, you finally came out." Qing Ying hurriedly asked: "No one saw it?" Ah Ruo nodded, "No one." She hurriedly put her cloak around Qing Ying, held Qing Ying's hand and walked forward. The two walked hurriedly, and they didn't know how far they had walked, and then they felt that the heart they were holding was slightly relieved.Ah Ruo dared to ask: "The old master suddenly wants to see the young master, what is it?" The night wind is faint, blowing the flying cloak, like a butterfly looking for a branch to roost.Qingying slowed down and saw the faint glow of cold stars in the deep cold sky from a distance, feeling endlessly sad, and said in a low voice: "This...is probably the last time my aunt and I will see each other." Ah Ruo was shocked, "Old master, she..." With tears in her eyes, Qingying said: "My aunt's temperament is not willing to be inferior to others, and she is the one who humiliates herself. She would rather break the jade than destroy it." She looked at the black sky in the narrow long street, looking far away, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony in front of her were still very lively, and colorful fireworks were flying brilliantly in the endless dark night sky of the Forbidden City. The night sky was almost as bright as day, and even the bright moon was overshadowed.A jackdaw came from nowhere, probably startled by the gorgeous fireworks, flapped its dark wings, and flew away. Qingying couldn't help crying, she bent her body down, and bowed deeply in the direction of Jingren Palace.A Ruo was taken aback by her actions, and quickly supported her, "My lord, the bricks on the ground are cold, please be careful." Qing Ying helped her hand and stood up abruptly, without looking back. A Ruo quietly looked at Qingying, and saw that her expression was as cold as frost, and there was no trace of tears on her face.The brilliant and colorful brilliance of the fireworks in the sky shone through the red palace walls, and reflected on her face thousands of times, making her complexion as snowy and calm as ice.