Chapter 10 Chapter Ten Concubine Zhe
The night in the Forbidden City seems extraordinarily deep.Ruyi remembers that when he was in the palace, the courtyard was also a large courtyard, and Fujin concubines also had their own courtyards, but the night was shallow, and one could see the other.Standing in his own courtyard, counting silently, a few steps into the courtyard is Hongli's study.The night is boring, and a few steps out of the pavilion is the courtyard of the next concubine's room.Although there are quarrels and fights for favor when meeting, but those are all under the nose.There are always a few who are a little bit better, pouring tea and eating snacks, talking and laughing, and filling the loneliness.Even when Hongli walked into someone's attic, the lights on the balcony of the favored person were brighter, and the bitterness and jealousy could be seen, and there was more hope.
But now, the rules are getting stricter, the palace walls are deep, and under the shadow of the vermilion wall, people have become tiny ants.The long street was deep and deep, even if it was full of palace servants and maidservants, it was still so quiet that it was frighteningly quiet.Many times Ruyi sat in the Nuan Pavilion, listening to the news quietly, thinking that there was no one around, but when she turned her head, she was standing there like puppets made of clay, outside the hall, under the corridor, inside and outside the palace garden. There are more people, but those are people who can't speak.Among the concubines who entered the palace, the only ones who were particularly good were Su Luyun and Keliette's Hailan.They are all peaceful people.In the past, she had a sharp and arrogant personality, and Gao Xiyue and Gao Xiyue had always looked down upon each other.Gao Xiyue has Huang Qiyun and Jin Yuyan by her side, and is even more attached to Fu Chalang, but she just doesn't talk much to them.But now, Su Luyun is immersed in the misery that her son has gone away and her elder brother will not be able to see each other, and every time she sees her, she is just depressed.As for Hailan, Cheng Huan was forgotten by Hongli in the past, and she was ridiculed and looked down upon.Although Ruyi doesn't like Hongli having a new favorite, she can't see that everyone is bullying her. Occasionally, she mentions something in front of Hongli, which fulfills Hailan's identity and has a place to live in the mansion.For this reason, Hailan also likes to follow her all the time, timidly, like a wounded bird looking for shelter under its wings, always with a lovely and pitiful look.Now that Hailan lives with Xiyue, it is inconvenient for her to keep in touch with Hailan all the time, lest Xiyue mind it and make Hailan even more sad.
As a result, Ruyi felt even more lonely.Like an empty candle burning in the hall, she was the only one, burning alone, no matter what, she was only tormenting and burning herself.
The emperor has just ascended the throne, and there are not many days in the harem.Every day the respect room handed over the cards, and only three or four days later turned over a green card, first the queen, and then the concubine Hui, as if they came in order.Ruyi waited and counted, thinking that it would be her turn, but the emperor didn't flip the card for a long time.
Gradually, she also knew that this loneliness was useless.The days in the palace will only get longer day by day, and even the heavy golden animal spines are suppressing the resentment of the women in the palace.
The wind was so strong that night that even the several colored chrysanthemums in the courtyard of Yanxi Palace were blown off and the petals piled up all over the ground.The weather in the capital, after mid-October, is getting colder every day.Ruyi used Yanju's elegant blue silk embroidered five-petal plum pattern shirt for dinner at the end of the dinner. , the stamens of each plum blossom are embroidered with pink and white rice beads the size of rice grains, and against the rolled up black silk, the tourmaline plum blossoms flicker in the candlelight.Several new stoves were added in the ground floor, all of which were filled with high-quality silver flake charcoal, which gave off the fresh air of pine branches.
Ruyi leaned on the couch in the Nuan Pavilion with a volume of palace poems, listening to the wind outside the window sobbing, her eyes were a little tired.She closed her eyes in a bewilderment, and suddenly her hands were empty, as if the scroll in her hand had been taken away by someone.She lazily opened her eyes and said softly, "Ah Ruo, I want to read that book."
She seemed to have been slapped by someone on her face, she was startled, and suddenly opened her eyes, only to see the emperor leaning in front of him with a smile, shaking the book in his hand and saying: "You still talk about reading, you've become a sleepy cat. "
Ruyi hurriedly got up to bless her, and said angrily, "The emperor didn't tell anyone when he came, he just came to see the jokes of his concubines."
The emperor smiled and rubbed his hands, sat down on the couch, and was about to drink the tea on the red sandalwood table.Ruyi hurriedly stopped her and said, "This tea is already cold, my concubine can change the emperor's cup for a hot one."
The emperor waved his hand and said: "That's all. I originally went to the Palace of Compassion and Ning to greet the Empress Dowager. The people from the House of Internal Affairs came back at noon, explaining that it might be very cold, and the Empress Dowager is too old to bear the cold. Look, let the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs quickly warm up the earth dragon, so as not to freeze the queen mother. The cold was unbearable this way, and I thought you must have hot tea here, so I came to have a cup, but you still refused. "
Ruyi snatched the teacup and said with a bluff, "I won't drink it. It's okay to feel cold now, after drinking it, I feel sick to my stomach, and I should blame my concubine again." She turned around and saw the man who was guarding the room. None of the palace attendants were there, thinking it was the emperor who came in, they hurriedly retreated.Ruyi called "A Ruo" out of the window, and A Ruo responded, and brought in hot tea, and poured a cup into the golden thread green lotus teacup.
The emperor took a sip and asked, "Is it Qiyun melon slices?"
A Ruo smiled coquettishly, and said wittily: "Qiyun melon slices are the best in Lu'an tea. At this time, the servant guessed that the emperor had just eaten dinner, and it was inevitable to use more meat when the weather was cold. This tea eliminates dirt and greasy, and removes stagnation. it's the best."
The emperor smiled at Ruyi: "You are the one who is very clever and careful, and you trained him."
A Ruo smiled dimpled: "What can this servant understand? The young master said these words upside down every day, thinking about what the emperor used and whether he used it well. The servant just said it casually because he was familiar with it." After saying that, she bowed and left.
The emperor shook Ruyi's hand and led her to sit down together: "No wonder I miss your tea, so you miss me too."
Ruyi lowered her head and said with a smile, "The emperor is just thinking about tea. Tomorrow, the concubines will distribute the tea to the various palaces, so as to attract the emperor to sit in every palace."
The emperor held her hand tightly: "When it's cold, my hands and feet are cold. I don't know what's wrong with me, so I don't wear more clothes." He saw a lake-colored white wisteria flower embroidered with pink on the couch. With a pipa lapel and a mandarin jacket, he stretched out his hand to put it on Ruyi, sighed and continued, "This is an act of anger." He spread out the book Ruyi had just read, and read word by word, "."
Ruyi's face was red, and she hurried to grab the book: "You are not allowed to read it. You can only read this word, but you are not allowed to read it."
The emperor returned the book to her: "I can't read it, and I feel sad once I read it."
Ruyi wondered: "The palace words are written about women, why is the emperor so sad?"
The emperor said quietly: "I sit in court in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, discuss matters with ministers in the Palace of Qianqing, and review memorials in the study of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. You think of me, don't you think of me? Are you in' Locked golden beasts are chained and cold, water drops and copper dragons are long, and I am also listening to Gengru dealing with state affairs; when you are "comb the cloud bun and return to the mirror, and the clothes want to change and add fragrance", I am thinking about your life in Yanxi Palace, is everything going well?"
Ruyi moved, and leaned on the emperor's shoulder, feeling his warm breath.There was a faint fragrance on the emperor's body, which was the special ambergris for the emperor's family.The fragrance is sombre with a touch of bitterness, but it is delicate and appropriate, which makes people feel calm.In the warm pavilion stood a pair of red copper lamp stands with cranes in their mouths. The red candles on the stands were covered with a milky white gauze like cicada wings, and the light that came out turned into the moonlight of eighteen or nineteen, as clear as porcelain, but dimly yellow. warmth.The emperor stood with his back to the light, and there was such a halo behind him, Ruyi only felt that he was calm and stable, and there was nothing to worry about.
After a long time, Ruyi cuddled up to the emperor and said softly: "When my concubine first married the emperor, she was really worried. She didn't know what kind of man she would entrust her life to. I am very grateful. Now the emperor has a heavy responsibility in the world, although he is thinking about the feelings of the harem, he still forbears to put the country first, and the concubines admire him very much."
The emperor's voice was deep and deep: "What I tolerate is the affair between my son and daughter, but only for a while. And you have to be the same as me. If you have any grievances, endure it first. I know that after entering the palace, your life will be difficult, but it can't be easier , Thinking about me, I should bear with everything. I have just ascended the throne, and everything is complicated, and you are in the harem, so don't make things difficult for me anymore."
Ruyi opened her eyes for a moment, and said, "What did the emperor hear?"
The emperor said: "I am the emperor, and there are voices from all directions in my ears, which can be heard, but not necessarily in my heart. But I know that living in Yanxi Palace is wronging you, and just giving you the concubine position is also wronging you."
Ruyi said: "Yanxi Palace is adjacent to Cangzhen Gate, which is the only gate for maids and eunuchs to enter and exit the harem. There are many people entering and exiting, and the security is difficult to tighten. Naturally, it is not good. But where is there no one in the palace? The courtiers and concubines are only there. It’s all about taking a quiet place amidst the chaos. As for status, with the emperor’s words, the ministers and concubines have no grievances.”
The emperor let go of her slightly: "With your words, I know that I did not make a mistake." He paused and called out, "Wang Qin, bring it in."
Wang Qin agreed from outside, brought two young eunuchs in with a picture, and greeted Ruyi with a smile: "Greetings to Concubine Xian."
Ruyi smiled and nodded: "Get up."
Wang Qin agreed, and ordered the little eunuch to unfold the calligraphy, but it turned out to be the four characters of Douda - Shen Zan Huiyin.
The emperor smiled and said, "I wrote it for you myself, how about it?"
As soon as Ruyi's heart became hot, she wanted to bow her body: "My concubine, thank you, Your Majesty."
The emperor hurriedly helped her up, and said softly: "It is said in Chinese that 'Da Si Si's Huiyin, then Bai Sinan'. Huiyin is a good reputation, and the word 'Shen' tells you that only by being cautious can you get a good reputation. In the middle of the day, I will give you these four words first."
Ruyi understood the deep meaning of the emperor's words, and murmured, "Then the concubine asked the people in the House of Internal Affairs to make a plaque with the emperor's words and put it in the main hall of Yanxi Palace, okay?"
The emperor put his arms around her shoulders: "You and I understand each other's meaning, that's the best."
In the days to come, the emperor rested overnight in each palace according to his status, which is called "rain and dew are all covered".Afterwards, the emperor casually flipped through the signboards and counted them down. Concubine Hui and concubines always spent the most time in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.In addition to the new moon of every month, the emperor also likes to sit in the queen's palace and gossip about family affairs.When Ruyi's favor was no longer in the mansion, it fell silent along with Concubine Chun, Yigui and Hai Changzai.
After several snowfalls, the Forbidden City entered winter.The Ministry of Internal Affairs was busy with the affairs of the various palaces, and gradually became lazy with the Yanxi Palace.In the afternoon of this day, Ruyi was sitting and drawing flowers with Hailan when she heard Aruo lift the curtain and come in and said, "The Ministry of Internal Affairs is more and more able to bully people by looking at their faces. Withered vines were made into sachets, which were said to be due to the high humidity in the palace, and wearing them could dispel wind and dampness, dredge collaterals and relieve pain. The servant girl opened it and found that the plum blossom powder stuffed inside was all second-rate goods, and wanted to tell the House of Internal Affairs again Yes, they said that these are the ones sent by the imperial hospital, there is nothing better. The servants thought, how dare they send such to Concubine Hui? Even the sachets are loose and loose, and the stitches are not in a good shape..."
Hailan stopped her hands, with a hint of worry in her eyes: "My sister is like this here, let alone mine."
Ruyi raised her head and looked at A Ruo: "It's inferior, but it's better than nothing. Let's put it aside for now."
Hailan said: "That's right, it's going to snow outside, so you don't have to go back and forth. How about this, Ah Ruo, you send all these sachets to me first, and I will sew all the stitches for my sister, so that you don't need to use it." scattered."
Ruyi said: "It's all about teaching them to do these trivial things, why do you have to be so tired yourself."
Hailan smiled quietly: "Sister forgot. I'm idle, and I know these things best. Just pass the time for me."
It was snowing all morning, and Wang Qin, the great eunuch next to the emperor, came over in person.That Wang Qin was originally the eunuch who was the chief eunuch of the first emperor, because the emperor was diligent and efficient when he was the prince, so after the emperor ascended the throne, he stayed by his side as the deputy chief eunuch of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.Because the position of chief eunuch was always vacant, and he served the emperor closely, even the empress in the palace treated him extra politely.
When Wang Qin came in, the queen was wearing a lotus-colored satin embroidered peony long-shou pattern gown, and a small sable waistcoat of gold satin woven with blue and blue bamboo patterns on a moon-white background, and a hand stove with painted enamel flowers and birds was caged. Wintersweet came to bottle.
When Wang Qin saw the queen, he saluted respectfully and said, "My servant Wang Qin pays respects to the queen."
The queen smiled and said: "It has just snowed outside and the ground is slippery, why did the emperor send you here? But what's the matter?" Then she ordered Lian Xin to serve tea.
Wang Qinnuo thanked you, and said, "Thank you, Empress, for the reward. I really don't dare to go beyond it. After finishing talking, I'm still waiting for other errands." He said, "The emperor ordered, tomorrow is fifteen, I want to have dinner at the Changchun Palace of the empress, and I will also stay in the Changchun Palace, please be ready to pick me up."
There was a slight smile between the Queen's eyebrows, but her face was faint: "Got it. It's frosty and snowy at night, and you tell the little eunuchs who carry the sedan chair to step carefully. Also, put a few more lanterns to light the way for the emperor." .”
Wang Qin hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, the servant dare not not pay attention."
The queen nodded slightly, raised her face, and said "reward".Lian Xin immediately took out ten taels of silver from the drawer and quietly placed it in Wang Qin's palm.
Wang Qin expressed his gratitude, but his eyes glanced at Lian Xin's face, Lian Xin blushed, and quickly stepped back.Wang Qin said again: "There is one more thing. It snowed all night last night. The emperor thought of the elder brother's biological mother who died in the hidden mansion last year, and said a few words 'it's a pity'."
The queen said regretfully: "Zhuying is the sister of the Fucha family in this palace, and she has served the emperor for a long time. Who knows that she was ill last year, but she went away well, and she didn't enjoy the blessing of this palace for a day." After finishing speaking, he pressed the corners of his eyes with a silk cloth, and continued to speak slowly, "Zhu Ying is the biological mother of eldest elder brother. Back then, she was just a princess in the hidden mansion, and her status was not high. Now she has passed away despite her poor fortune. , but the emperor can't help but give her a grace, set a title, and give her a nobleman or a concubine, it's also to take care of the big brother's face."
Wang Qin respectfully said: "The empress is kind, the emperor said last night that he wants to posthumously concubine Zhe, and the posthumous ceremony will take place in two days, and a great ceremony will be held in Baohua Hall, and the empress is also invited Get ready."
The queen was startled for a moment, and then said with a gentle smile: "The emperor was more considerate and thought of it first. Then you go and report to the emperor, Concubine Zhe and the sisters of this palace, and they are the sisters of this palace. The palace will order someone to preside over it properly."
Wang Qin smiled and said, "Yes. That servant will leave first."
Seeing Wang Qin go out, the queen smiled slowly at the corner of her mouth, like a condensed frost flower, faintly bursting with cold air.
Seeing Wang Qin go out, the queen smiled slowly at the corner of her mouth, like a condensed frost flower, faintly bursting with cold air.
Su Xin knew what the queen was thinking, so she hurriedly brought a cup of tea, and said softly: "It's cold, it's inevitable that you will get angry. The white chrysanthemum that entered the palace from the south of the Yangtze River was rewarded by the emperor. It is said to be the most heat-clearing and fire-removing. Your majesty, try it." .”
The queen took the teacup but didn't drink it, she just said slowly: "I am the queen, the lord of the six palaces, what's there to be angry about?"
Su Xin glanced at the queen, and said softly: "Your Majesty said yes. In fact, the emperor gave Concubine Zhe some face because he looked at Empress Empress. If Concubine Zhe and Concubine Zhe were not of the same clan, they were both daughters of the Fucha family. What is it after giving birth to an elder brother? Isn’t the emperor only giving her a concubine when a pure concubine gave birth to a third elder brother?”
The queen smiled faintly: "Concubine Zhe is of the same clan as this palace, but she has served the emperor for a long time, and she has some affection with the emperor anyway, so she is also the husband of the elder brother."
The queen sighed deeply, looking at the pile of carefully embroidered children's clothes sent by the House of Internal Affairs on the couch: "I feel a little sad when I think about this incident. Back then, I married the emperor as a concubine Fujin, but the emperor always I often only go to the rooms of Ruyi and Xiyue. After a long time, my favor is thin and my knees are hopeless. Before I am in a hurry, my mother's house is in a hurry, and Zhu Ying is forced to come in , said that she is a member of Bengong's clan, if she is lucky enough to give birth to a child, it will be equivalent to Bengong's child."
Su Xin said with emotion: "Your Majesty has been wronged in this matter."
"As a result, as soon as Zhu Ying entered the mansion, she became pregnant with Eldest Brother within a few months. Although I was relieved, I was even more sad. Fortunately, the emperor had eyes, and the emperor cared more and more for me. Elder brother." The queen caressed those children's clothes, and said sadly, "It's just that the eldest son is not the eldest son, so he has lost the face of the palace."
Su Xin said: "Although they are all from the Fucha clan, Concubine Zhe's status is not comparable to that of your empress. No matter what, she is just a scumbag when she is in the residence."
The queen shook her head and frowned slightly: "Not to mention her identity, the emperor now has to make her a concubine, so he has to be careful. It is the family law of the ancestors that the mother is valuable according to the son, and the son is precious according to the mother. Now Concubine Hui and Xian The concubine has nothing to do, and the status of a pure concubine is slightly lower. Except for the second elder brother of the palace, the eldest elder brother has the most respected status. In ancient times, when a prince was established, he was either established as the first son or the eldest son. It would be better if Yong Lian was the eldest son gone."
Su Xin hurriedly persuaded her: "No matter what, Concubine Zhe is gone. No matter how hard Eldest Elder Brother strives, how can a motherless child survive? The Empress is the Queen of the Palace."
The queen took a sip of tea and pondered: "I hope everything is perfect. I have already made concubine Zhe less fortunate, but I can't let elder brother be less blessed. Remember, there must be more people to take care of elder brother, and you must not treat him badly." This motherless child."
Su Xin was a little puzzled: "Your Majesty? Is it like treating the third elder brother kindly?"
The queen smiled slightly, with a calm expression: "The queen mother and the emperor have always praised me as a good queen, so I naturally want to be worthy of these two words. But the third elder brother is still young, and he has been pampered since he was a baby, so he can naturally calm down The eldest elder brother has grown up, and the emperor personally taught him for a while when he was in the mansion, and now he pampers and protects him, and letting him be naughty, isn't it betraying the emperor's thoughts? Fu Bo's mother is the most Will give birth to a child with poor blessings, even if there are many people to take care of it, it will not help. There are too many people to be in a hurry."
Su Xin understood, immediately smiled and said: "Your maidservant knows."
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