Chapter 8 Chapter Eight Names (Part 1)

On this day, everyone went to the Queen's Changchun Palace to pay their respects. Fu Cha ordered someone to reward a basket of tangerines and said with a smile: "The emperor is thinking about our harem, and as soon as the tangerines from the south of the Yangtze River arrive, I will pick a basket first." Here, let’s have a taste together.” Everyone stood up to thank, "Thank you, Empress, for your kindness." The queen asked everyone to sit down, and seeing that Lian Xin and Su Xin divided the tangerines, Fang slowly said: "We sisters served the emperor together when we were hiding in the mansion, and we know each other's temperament. Now we have entered the Forbidden City and become the emperor's servant People, one of the rules must be followed, and the other is not to restrict the sisterhood in the past, it is better to talk and laugh with each other."

Yue Xian stood up and said respectfully: "The empress used to be the sister and master of the concubines, and now she is the mother of the world. The concubines dare not be respectful." The queen smiled lightly and said: "Sister Yue is serious. I am a few years older than you, so naturally I should take good care of you while teaching." Yue led the crowd up, "Thank you, Empress Long En." Ruyi watched the queen and Yueyi sing together, just lowered her head and slowly peeled the tangerines for fun, with a slight smile on her face, and said nothing. The queen was very satisfied with Yue's answer, and nodded with a smile, "You guys sit down and eat some oranges and have a good chat, I'm a little tired, go back to the bedroom to rest first."

She stopped for a while and looked around the crowd, "The emperor has drawn up your positions, and arranged for you to live in palaces. Now the empress dowager has moved to the Ci Ning Palace first. After noon's decree, each of you can move there. Crying for Emperor Daxing these days, living together is also embarrassing for you." Everyone was stunned when they heard the words, and they left one after another as they didn't want to sit down again. Sure enough, at noon, the will of the Emperor's Book of Positioning Points was spread throughout the Six Palaces.Ruyi stood under the eaves of the corridor teasing a pair of blue-feathered parrots, only to hear Ah Ruo muttering with her fingers: "After the empress ceremony, the empress has already chosen Changchun Palace to live in. Changchun Changchun, it's really a good idea. I look forward to the emperor's long-term presence. Su Gege added a third elder brother, who was named a pure concubine, and lived in Zhongcui Palace. Huang Gege named Yigui, and lived in Jingyang Palace. She was quite happy. Originally Well, the emperor doesn't really dote on her, so it would be nice to give her to a nobleman. Jin Gege only conferred the title of nobleman and lived in the Taiji Hall. She was unhappy and dared not speak out, only complaining that the Taiji Hall was too far away from the Emperor's Hall of Mental Cultivation. Jin Gege has always thought that she is superior to others because of her status as a daughter of the Korean clan, but now she is just a noble person, let's see how proud she is."

Ruyi took the bird food and sprinkled it in front of the parrot, "Just say what you say, talk about what others do behind your back." Ah Ruo stuck out her tongue. "Your servant knows. The other is Hailanggege. The emperor only granted her a permanent residence, and didn't say which palace she lived in. She probably doesn't have a high position, so she can live with any lord. But we and Gao Fujin are still there. I don’t know what the decree is.” A Ruo said and looked outside the door, feeling a little anxious, “The sun is almost setting, and the other young masters have all moved into the new palace, why hasn’t there been an imperial decree here?”

Although Ruyi was a little anxious, it was inconvenient to show it in front of A Ruo, so she stirred the water with a small spoon for the parrot.A Ruo hurriedly said: "My lord, our parrots are so clean, they won't drink the water if they stir the water with a spoon." Ruyi was impatient, but she saw Xin leading the eunuch Wang Qin in and two ministers in. Wang Qin slapped a thousand children and said: "My lord, under the imperial decree. The senior scholar, Minister of Rites, Santai, is the envoy, and the cabinet scholar Dai Qi is the deputy envoy, and the canonization ceremony will be performed."

Ruyi hurriedly lowered her head and knelt down, and the people in the yard followed suit. Wang Qin took the imperial decree and read aloud: "I only teach the beginning of the palace, the style is soft and beautiful, the virtues are admired, and the merits of Yu Ziyi's praise. Tin is spoken by Lun. Guangzi Yidian, Ershu Concubine Na La Shi, who is respectful and cautious, has a peaceful nature, and has made orders early. He is always respectful and diligent in his work, and he is always humble and obedient. I hereby honor the empress dowager's benevolence and seal you as a concubine Xian. Erqi is only entrusted with the order of Sunda, and He Qingze comes from Fanglai. Praise Kunyi, and the descendant will rest in Youyong. Qinzai."

Ruyi took the imperial decree with both hands, "My concubine, thank the emperor for his kindness." Ruyi winked, and hurriedly took three red envelopes from her sleeve, and handed them to the three of them one by one. Wang Qin smiled all over his face, "Thank you, Concubine Xian, for the reward. The emperor said that the Yanxi Palace will be given to the empress to live in. Please move to the Yanxi Palace immediately." Ruyi's heart sank, and she forced a smile and said, "Thank you, Eunuch. Ah Ruo, it's a good luck to send Eunuch and the two adults out."

A Ruo agreed, and Wang Qin cupped his hands and said, "I have to report back to the emperor, my lady, don't forget to put on an auspicious costume and go to Changchun Palace tomorrow morning to thank the emperor and empress." Ruyi nodded and said, "Eunuch Lao reminded me." Everyone in the courtyard still knelt on the ground, kowtowed and said: "Congratulations to the concubine Xian, the empress is safe." Ruyi said: "The palace is exhausted, later A Ruo will reward you with money, then you can pack your things and go to Yanxi Palace." Xin hurriedly followed Ruyi to the inner hall.

Ruyi held her breath and asked, "Is there any news from Yue Fujin?" He whispered in his heart: "I just got the news. Yuefu Jin conferred the title of Concubine Hui, the emperor's oral order, the concubine's relatives, put on a coat, and entered the original Manchurian Banner. Sure enough, the whole family carried the inlaid yellow flag and gave the surname Gao Jia Shi, the imperial concubine has also moved to live in Xianfu Palace." Ruyi sneered, feeling even more annoyed, "Xianfu Palace? Isn't it Fuze Xianju?" Xin softly persuaded: "My lady, don't worry! Although Yanxi Palace is remote, although..." Xin wanted to comfort Ruyi, but also felt that the emperor's kindness was very different, and there was really no way to comfort her.

Ruyi shook her head and said, "Yanxi Palace is remote but not deserted. Next to it is the corridor where palace people come and go. It is noisy and disturbing. Moreover, it has not been repaired for more than 30 years since Lord Kangxi twenty-five years ago. It is one of the six palaces. The most dilapidated palace in the world." Ruyi said anxiously, "Could it be that the empress dowager and the emperor have hated me so far?" He thought to himself: "The emperor and the empress have been in love for many years, it will definitely not be like this. Even the queen mother...doesn't the queen mother say that she doesn't blame the empress?"

Ruyi was troubled, "I'm afraid what I said was just talk. Forget it, at this moment, I can't argue about anything. Let's pack up and go to Yanxi Palace." It was already night time to live in Yanxi Palace.Fortunately, although the Yanxi Palace is close to the corridor where the palace people enter and exit, it is still quiet after the gate is closed.Although the palace is not newly renovated, there are five main halls in the front and back courtyards, and three side halls in the east and west, which are quite spacious.Ruyi is a person who likes cleanliness. After the palace people cleaned it carefully, they felt that the interior was simple and simple, and it was not very simple. Ruyi took a look around the Yanxi Palace, and said happily, "You guys cleaned carefully, so it's not too bad after all." A Ruo curled her lips and said: "Your Majesty is too content. Among the six palaces in the east and west, which one is better than the Palace of Yanxi Palace? The slaves looked at the Palace of Chengqian and the Palace of Yikun, all of them were the best, and the scenery was beautiful. The Emperor's Hall of Mental Cultivation is very close. I don't know how sooner or later the Emperor only comes here once I live here." Ruyi glanced at her, only looked at the carvings on the beam and sighed. Xin smiled and pulled Ah Ruo back and said, "Good girl. If the emperor is willing to come, he won't think the distance is too far; if he refuses to come, even if he lives in the enclosure at the back of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, it won't help." A Ruo was about to retort, when Ruyi said calmly, "Those who are willing to come don't care about the distance, and they don't have to talk when they are full of thoughts. A Ruo, don't you think so?" A Ruo was a little discouraged, and said nonchalantly: "Fortunately, after the empress moved here, the emperor also rewarded many things to supplement the decorations in the palace. The emperor always has the empress in his heart." Ruyi nodded and said, "The emperor will be staying at the Changchun Palace tonight, and we'll arrange it earlier. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep soundly in the new place." Turning her eyes, she said with a smile: "I'm afraid that the empress will not feel comfortable sleeping in a different place. The slaves have already lit incense in the dormitory." Ruyi nodded approvingly, but Ah Ruo just curled her lips secretly, and stood behind with her hands down. The three masters and servants were about to go to the bedroom, when the little eunuch guarding outside came in and said, "I want to report to Madam, Hai Chang is here to say hello to Madam." Ruyi was not surprised, "Why did Hailan come to pay her respects at this time? Please come in." Ruyifang walked to Xinuan Pavilion and sat down, Hailan had already entered with her maid Ye Xin. Ruyi smiled and said, "Why did you come to say hello so late? But can't you sleep through the long night?" Hailan is not as usual, but reserved.He poured out some tea and said humbly, "Hai Chang is here to invite you to have some tea." Hailan didn't drink tea either, just stared at Ruyi in silence. Ruyi wondered secretly, then smiled and said, "Your sister, feel free to tell me anything. By the way, when the imperial decree arrives today, I don't know which palace my sister lives in. I wonder if the empress can arrange it?" Hailan's eyes turned red slightly, and she lowered her head and said, "Concubines are soft-spoken, so naturally the queen can arrange it wherever she pleases." Ruyi wondered, "What place is it? Isn't it good?" Ye Xin couldn't help but said: "The Empress said that Concubine Hui's Xianfu Palace is spacious and magnificent, so she pointed the young master to go to Xianfu Palace. This is nothing, but the Xianfu Palace has always been tolerant. Now that the flag is raised, then It's even more serious. For example, Lady Yi was the maid who used to serve the empress. With Concubine Hui, there used to be a girl who served the emperor when she was inconvenient, but she thought of a way to kick her out." Ruyi interrupted softly, "This is what happened in the past. Now that she is a noble concubine, she is naturally gentler than before." Ye Xin said angrily: "Our little master is good-natured, and he is always bullied. When we arrived in Xianfu Palace, we first listened to Concubine Hui's training, and then we were assigned to live in a Xishai room." Ruyi frowned when she heard this, "Where is the place where people live? It is exposed to the sun in summer and freezing cold in winter. Even ordinary servants don't live there, but they just keep things that don't matter on weekdays. Concubine Hui is not afraid of the emperor." see that?" Hai Lan sobbed slightly, "The emperor has always seldom visited concubines, and now that he is under the nose of Concubine Hui, it is even more impossible. Concubine Hui also said today that if the emperor really asks, she will only say that concubines love living there. , she still can't persuade her. Concubines... In fact, how can the emperor care about concubines?" Ruyi couldn't bear it in her heart, "Since she treats you like this, she won't shy away from you coming out like this?" Hailan wept and said: "What can she be taboo about? It's so lively in the Xianfu Palace at the moment, everyone is adoring her to be a noble concubine, and even raise the flag." Ruyi pondered for a moment and said, "Then what are your plans?" Hailan looked at Ruyi with tears in her eyes, "The concubine only dares to ask for the grace of the concubine Xian, and hopes to live with the empress, then she is satisfied." Ruyi hurriedly said: "You used to only call me sister, but now you still call me sister. You keep saying 'mother and concubine', which is wrong." Hailan nodded timidly, "Yes." Ruyi thought for a while and said, "It's not impossible if you want to come and live, as long as I report back to the empress..." Ruyi didn't finish her sentence, she stepped forward and said, "Madam, the tea is cold, I will change another cup for you." Ruyi was nodding her head, but she saw that Xin gave herself a deep look, and she knew it well, so she could only sigh secretly: "It's not impossible if you want to come and live, as long as I report back to the empress. It's just that you know me In today's situation, firstly, I can't ask the queen for anything like before, and secondly, if I really beg, the queen may not agree. I'm afraid I will blame you for restlessness. If Concubine Hui is angry with you because of this, your future will be ruined It's even worse." Xin added tea for Hai Lan, pretending to be unintentional and said: "Actually, the young master Hai Lan lived in the pavilion next to our empress when she was hiding in the mansion. It is reasonable to say that she will live with us in the Yanxi Palace. I really don't know why they are so far apart." Hai Lan's eyes were clouded with tears, she lowered her head and thought for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I was confused, why should I embarrass my sister." Ruyi felt sorry, "In the past, I would have no reason not to help you. But now, if you look at my Palace of Yanxi Palace, you will know that I really have no room to speak. And you moved to a remote place like Palace of Yanxi Palace, It may not be a good thing either. It would be even worse if I was implicated and fell out of favor with the emperor." Hailan looked around the Palace of Yanxi Palace, and unconsciously sighed, "My sister was the first person in the Jin Dynasty when she was in the residence, and she has never lived in such a wronged place." Ruyi patted her hand, "Whether you are wronged or not, it doesn't depend on a moment. You and I are both fine, so are you afraid that something will happen in the future?" Hailan wiped away the tears with a silk cloth, and said, "Sister said yes." She smiled slightly, "I was bullied when I was a maid in the embroidery room of the hidden mansion. It was my sister who saw me occasionally and pityed me, and advised me to fight for it. .Later, I presented the boots I embroidered to the emperor, so that the emperor favored me and gave me a title. I remember in my heart that my sister helped me." Ruyi said gently: "Okay. You have your patience, and I have mine. Let's bear with it, and it will pass." Hailan just got up, and Yiyi said: "It's getting late, my sister will leave first, and my sister should rest early." Ruyi sent her to the eaves of the corridor, feeling a little uneasy, "If Concubine Hui really makes things difficult for you, you still have to tell me. No matter how bad it is, I can always share some of it with you." Hailan said gratefully: "Thank you sister, I remember everything." Ruyi saw Hai Lan and Ye Xin go out, and only saw the moonlight covering the ground like clear frost in the courtyard, which added a bit of coldness and desolation, and unconsciously sighed. Xin took out the cloak and put it on Ruyi's shoulders, before she knelt down and said, "Your Majesty sighs, but it's because of the servants who dissuade you just now?" Ruyi shook her head and said, "You did the right thing. I can't protect myself, so why implicate Hailan." He thought to himself: "When I was in the Qian Mansion before, Concubine Hui was not so arrogant, but she was often gentle and pleasant, why did she become like this as soon as she entered the palace?" Ruyi looked at the shadows of the branches swaying on the green bricks in the courtyard, and her mind was unavoidably messy, so she just said patiently: "It is human nature to be arrogant when you are proud, and humble when you are frustrated. If you can be humble and accept your body when you are proud, treat others with gentleness , is the real cultivation.” Heart pondered and said: "The emperor has always praised the empress Hui Xinlan nature, and praised the demure and gentle concubine Hui. How come today the title given to the empress is Xian, but Hui is Hui instead?" Ruyi tightened her cloak, and said lightly: "The emperor has no deep meaning in doing things, let's stop speculating." The bright paper windows in the study room of the Hall of Mental Cultivation are so densely pasted that not even a breath of wind can get in. Only the shadows of the trees outside the hall are slowly reflected on the window rails, like a painting of light ink and wash. The emperor just lowered his head to approve the scriptures, Wang Qin quietly put tea on the table, and rubbed the ink for the emperor, Fang whispered: "The emperor has read the scriptures for an hour, drink some tea and rest." The emperor let out a "huh" without looking up.Wang Qin said again: "Your Majesty, Mr. Zhang Tingyu is here, and he is waiting outside the hall." The emperor stopped writing and said loudly: "Please come in quickly." Hearing this sentence, Wang Qin knew that the emperor treated Zhang Tingyu kindly, so he hurriedly invited Zhang Tingyu in respectfully.As soon as Zhang Tingyu entered the gate of the palace, he bowed forward from a long distance, and bowed upright, "My humble minister, please bow to me." The emperor smiled and said, "Wang Qin, quickly help Mr. Zhang up and give him a seat." Wang Qin helped Zhang Tingyu get up, Li Yu, the deputy director of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, had brought a pear wood chair over, and Zhang Tingyu dared to sit down. The emperor said with concern: "Tingyu, you are over sixty years old, and you are a veteran of the three dynasties. You have taken care of my life according to the last emperor's decree. You don't have to salute like this when you come to me." Zhang Tingyu looked humble, "The emperor is kind to you, but I dare not lose the etiquette of a courtier. The late emperor valued it, and the humble minister must be diligent and diligent, and dare not live up to the late emperor's entrustment." The emperor nodded and said: "At this time, why do you still enter the palace to ask to see me?" Zhang Tingyu leaned forward and said: "It is a great honor for the emperor to confer the title of Concubine Hui, and to raise the flag and bestow the surname. This minister just came back from drinking congratulatory wine at the mansion of Concubine Hui's mother's scholar Gao Bin." The emperor said "oh", and said lightly: "This is the honor of Concubine Hui, and also the honor of the Gao family. Even you are congratulated, and all the officials in the court must have gone." Zhang Tingyu said without hesitation: "The emperor's kindness is great, and the Gaofu is full of guests, and I can't handle it." Zhang Tingyu looked at the emperor's expression and said cautiously, "Originally, Ertai was joking with the humble minister, saying that so many people might trample Gao to death. The threshold of the mansion, I think the scholar Gao is thoughtful and well-informed, so I ordered someone to change the threshold of red sandalwood early in the morning." The emperor smiled slightly, and seemed not to take it seriously, "Although red sandalwood is expensive, it is not a rare thing." Zhang Tingyu smiled more and more, "I think so too, but today I was chatting with Mr. Lang, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Mr. Lang said that there has been a shortage of red sandalwood in the past two years. Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan have nothing to produce. Only the small country in Nanyang has contributed a little. It costs more than ten thousand gold to come across the sea. What is even more rare is the red sandalwood used in the scholar's mansion, which does not sink in the water. The scholar Gao is very proud of it, and he invited all the officials to share the reward, which is also an eye-opener for the minister." The emperor smiled and took a sip of tea, called Wang Qin and said, "I remember, the red sandalwood used in Gao Bin's residence..." The emperor seemed to be thinking, and only glanced at Wang Qin. Wang Qin was stunned, but before he could react, Li Yu, the little eunuch who was waiting in the corner of the palace, rushed to say: "If you go back to the emperor, the red sandalwood used in Mr. Gao's house was rewarded by the emperor two days ago. Because of the many things, the emperor I told the prince, and the prince asked the servant to go to the House of Internal Affairs to do it." Wang Qin came to his senses and patted his head quickly. "Your Majesty, look at this servant's memory, I have completely forgotten it." Wang Qin quickly knelt down and said, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty." The emperor didn't look at him, but said: "You have just entered the palace as an official. There are many things left behind by Emperor Daxing, and there are some things that you have forgotten. Get up." Wang Qin heaved a sigh of relief, quickly got up from Xie En, and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Zhang Tingyu smiled and said: "So it was rewarded by the emperor. This is a great grace. Naturally, all officials should celebrate together." He thought for a while, "Since the queen was canonized, I have not greeted the queen, and I feel ashamed. I still look forward to the New Year's Eve." When all the officials come to congratulate, they can personally greet the empress." The emperor said: "What's the problem? Then I promise you to greet the queen personally." Zhang Tingyu bowed again, "I thank the emperor for his kindness. The empress is the emperor's concubine Fujin who was bestowed by the first emperor. The empress was born in a famous eunuch family and has been wearing tassels for generations. The Fucha family is also one of the eight surnames in Manchuria. Construct meritorious deeds. I admire your empress for her kindness, generosity, and outstanding talents. It is my greatest honor to be allowed by the emperor to personally greet my empress." The emperor looked serious, "I understand what you mean. The empress is the lord of the harem, in charge of the phoenix seal. I naturally respect and love the empress, and I will not be partial to favors." Zhang Tingyu said solemnly: "I heard that the harem of the former Ming Dynasty was in chaos, and the behavior of favoring concubines happened frequently, which led to the loss of discipline in the harem and affected the stability of the former court. The emperor is wise, and I am very pleased." Zhang Tingyu looked at the thick and thick of the emperor's case. A stack of memorials said with concern, "The late emperor was diligent in government affairs during his time, and he spent no less than seven hours a day criticizing papers. The emperor has the style of the late emperor. Although the government affairs are important, the emperor must take good care of the dragon's body and do not hurt himself." The emperor expressed a little gratitude, "Ting Yu treats me both as a subject and as a teacher. My princes in the future will also ask you to be their teacher, so that I can teach them well." Zhang Tingyu was terrified, "Thank you my majesty for your love. It's getting late, so I'll take my leave first." The emperor said: "Li Yu, it's good luck to send Mr. Zhang out." Li Yu hurriedly followed Zhang Tingyu out. There was still a faint smile on the corner of the emperor's mouth, very gentle, but there was no smile in his eyes. He took the brush and dipped it in ink, and said in his mouth: "Wang Qin, you are the chief eunuch in front of me. You have to take care of everything, big or small. Clearly, there are always omissions. There are some errands, you can leave it to Li Yu to handle more." Wang Qin's heart turned cold, his knees were a little weak, and he only supported himself and said: "The servant obeys the order." The emperor buried his head and sent a letter, "Go out, you don't need to be in front of me anymore." Wang Qinnuo pushed out, his footsteps were very light, for fear of disturbing the emperor again.After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Wang Qin realized that the back of his neck was covered in cold sweat, his soles softened, and he sat down on the white marble steps. The little eunuch at the door hurriedly came over to help him and said, "Boss, get up quickly, the stones are cold in autumn night, and you will be guilty if you catch cold." Wang Qin shook off the little eunuch's hand abruptly, saw Li Yu sending Zhang Tingyu back from afar, and scolded the little eunuch bitterly, "Baby bastard, you dare to come to me to play tricks!" Before he finished speaking, the emperor's voice came from inside, "Go to Changchun Palace." Wang Qin stood up, exhausted all the strength in his throat, and said loudly: "The emperor is driving--".