Chapter 25 second quarter

The Eastern Empress Dowager has no prejudices except for one person, and this person is Concubine Li. "Concubine Li will go with us." The Empress Dowager Dong said in a decisive tone, "She is not in good health, and she is in a bad condition. You need to take care of her more." Naturally, the Empress Dowager Xi didn't like to hear these words, but she absolutely refused to disagree with the Empress Dowager Dong on these trivial matters, so she quickly agreed. "As for the others, I think," the Queen Mother Dong said after a moment of pondering, "ask them yourself, whoever wants to go first can go first."

This is a good idea.So when the meal was finished, he immediately ordered the respect room to inform the palaces, and the reaction he got was beyond the surprise of the queen mothers of the two palaces. No one was willing to leave first, and they answered in unison: "You should serve the two queen mothers and go back together." Beijing." "Then what should we do?" asked the Queen Mother, frowning. "In my opinion, it's not that no one wants to go back first, it's because the time is too hasty." The Queen Mother saw the truth. "Actually, there is no need to be in such a hurry!" The Empress Dowager Dong is the most considerate, and said with a frown, "It's been almost a year since I arrived in Rehe, and this place is like a home, so I can move as soon as I say. Alas... "

Under this long sigh, it meant that he was deeply dissatisfied with someone and refused to speak out.The Queen Mother naturally understood that this person must be Sushun, and she was thinking: You also know that Sushun is hateful, right? However, what she said was the same thing: "Sister, if you think you can let them go later, then you can tell Su Liu and the others tomorrow!" This remark made the Eastern Queen Mother very surprised. Every time you summon the eight ministers, don't you make up your own mind and tell them what to do?Why should someone else say this?I asked the question like this, but couldn't say it, I just looked at her in a daze.

So the Queen Mother said again: "It's not for anything else, I refute him every time, I have been a villain too many times, I am afraid that Su Liu will really contradict me, I have to take care of our identities, and return Can you slap the table with him there? So I have to bear it myself, sister, you can tell him, he will listen to you. " "Sister, what you said is wrong!" The Empress Dowager Dong didn't know where her misunderstanding came from, she just wanted to explain quickly, "What do we share between you and me? Su Liu can listen to me, and of course he can Listen to your words. Even if he wants to bear grudges, he must never remember you alone."

"That's a good word. But they don't think so." "What do you think? I'm thinking, are you deliberately embarrassing them in everything?" The Empress Dowager smiled wryly: "Sister, who is as loyal as you?" "If they really want to think so, I'm going to say a word to them tomorrow. Once I say this, I'll understand everything." "Sister!" The Queen Mother waited for a while, but seeing that she hadn't said anything, she could only ask: "What do you want to say?" Not speaking is naturally hesitant.She wondered if what she wanted to say was too much, and she felt that she should reconsider.But the Empress Dowager couldn't help staring at her with persuasive eyes, and finally said it intact: "I want to tell them that your words are also mine. Aren't the decree and the reply two seals? Of course they are two seals." personal responsibility."

This is an expression of full support for the Queen Mother, she can't help but feel proud that she can get the benefits she wants in exchange for a few words, but she can't help but feel sorry for her for being so honest and easy to be manipulated by others. Therefore, she felt that she should also express something special: "Since my sister said so, I will do as you want. I will tell Su Liu and the others tomorrow.You said, when will you let them go? " "This..." The Queen Mother thought for a while and said, "I don't know when is the right time? Let Shuangxi go to inquire about it. It will take a few days before the luggage can be packed?"

So Shuangxi was ordered to visit various palaces, and at the same time received special instructions to see how Concubine Li was doing.Everywhere I went, I heard complaints. Eunuchs and maids gathered in groups to yell at Su Shun for being unreasonable. When they saw Shuangxi, they knew that she was a celebrity in front of the empress dowagers of the two palaces. In August and a half, it is best to leave in the early twenties. Shuangxi, who was ordered to visit the six palaces, knew the original intentions of the two palaces early on, and she knew it well, so she put on airs and showed her hand, so whenever she was asked to speak to the two palaces and give a deadline, she always replied with a pomp: " Well, I will go back with the two queen mothers.

See if the master rewards me for this face? " So someone always said: "Is there any need to say that? Who doesn't know that you are a famous person who obeys the words of the two empress dowagers? As long as you have a word, you will succeed!" "Then let's wait and see!" In this way, Shuangxi proudly walked from one place to another, and finally arrived at Concubine Li's Palace, quietly.After coughing, a court lady named Fu'er ran out and blurted out, "Shuangxi, who are you looking for? You're not looking for your brother, are you? He's been sent elsewhere, don't you know?" ?”

Eunuchs and palace maids like to be brothers and sisters, and being brothers and sisters is a long-standing habit.There is a young eunuch in Concubine Li's palace. When she meets Shuangxi, she always flatters and calls her "sister", but Shuangxi doesn't like him.So some people laughed at the little eunuch, "the toad wants to eat swan meat". This word reached Shuangxi's ears, and she was so angry that she didn't eat for a day.Naturally, she also hated people for bringing her together with that little eunuch. Therefore, at this time, hearing Fu'er making a rash joke, she immediately pulled down her pretty face that had been complimented all the way, she glared at her golden corner eyes, and cursed: "What nonsense are you talking about? Look at you!" Don't put this wave in front of me!

I'm not your godbrother, godbrother. " On the one hand, Fu'er knew it was her fault, and on the other hand, she didn't dare to offend Shuangxi, so after being scolded for a while, she could only laugh along with her, and asked embarrassingly, "Then who are you looking for?" "Anyway, I'm not looking for you! You are not worthy! Let me tell you, I have something to tell your master under the order of the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace. If you can bear the burden for your master, I will tell you and leave immediately, so as not to cause trouble." You hate it."

Fu'er's face turned yellow with fright, and she hurriedly begged for mercy: "Sister Shuangxi, please forgive me! I don't dare to talk nonsense with you anymore. If you want to talk again, I will have a boil on my mouth!" " "Hmph! You also know that you are talking nonsense? There are a lot of people talking nonsense here! The master is generous and indulges you like this. Either drinking, gambling, stealing when you lose, or chewing your tongue, making some Ruling people with words that have no shadow!" Shuangxi became more and more angry, and added harshly: "Kang Ming'er simply waited for me to return to the Empress Dowager Ming, kicked them out one by one, and let your master have fewer children. Angry!" After cursing, he ignored Fu'er, just raised the curtain and went into the house, just in time to see Concubine Li coming out from inside, so he made up his mind and greeted Fu'er first, when he looked up, Concubine Li, who hadn't seen her for several days, was getting more and more haggard. "Double Happiness!" Concubine Li asked, "Who are you arguing with?" "It's Fu'er. What you say makes no sense." "Don't pay attention to them." Concubine Li shook her head and said weakly: "You are very busy, you must have something to say when you come today?" "Yes! The Empress Dowager asked me to come and see Concubine Li. I'm afraid the Empress Dowager herself will come later." "Ah, I don't dare to do that. I'll go to the Empress Dowager's place!" He touched his face as he said, as if he was going to redress his makeup. Shuangxi then walked over to uncover the brocade covering the mirror, there was a thin layer of dust on it, one could imagine that Concubine Li hadn't used the mirror for several days. Ever since Emperor Daxing passed away and Concubine Li committed suicide and was rescued, she seemed to be a different person, she could often stay silent all day, and when the court lady asked her, she just gave her a blank look.In the past, she was afraid of hustle and bustle and liked to be quiet, but now she is more and more tired of people in front of her eyes, so the maid listened to her voice and ignored her even if she refused to be called.At this time, I saw Shuangxi outside the window serving them, so I had to rush in to work. When the face was flushed, she helped Concubine Li to sit down. She pointed to a stool next to the dressing table and said to Shuangxi, "You sit too!" "Then there is such a rule?" Shuangxi replied with a smile. "You're a guest, so you're different from them. Sit down and let's talk." While talking, she dragged Shuangxi's clothes. Hearing what she said, Shuangxi greeted her and sat down beside her.Reflecting the light from the north window, he looked at Concubine Li carefully, and cheered in his heart: What a beauty!The skin as delicate as ivory, the hair as black as lacquer, and those eyes that frighten the soul between looking forward, are not something that can be changed by a moment of haggardness.But what's the use of being beautiful?Nothing but envy. Just as she was thinking like this, she suddenly heard the voice of reciting a poem, "Who is it?" She couldn't help asking, "So presumptuous!" A court lady tugged at her sleeves, pointed out the window at a parrot, and imitated Concubine Li's voice and chanted: "It is said that the daughter-in-law married the grandson of the heaven, and she passed the Milky Way to wipe away her tears! My family is thousands of years old, why should I blame Nagato?" With a strange tone and a serious look, Shuangxi laughed: "You little thing, you are getting more and more ghostly! You also know how to recite poems?" While laughing and cursing, Shuangxi turned to look at Concubine Li.The smile faltered at this sight, only to see Concubine Li who had just wiped her face with tears, and the unknown hatred was piled on the tip of her brows. The other court ladies were speechless, but Shuangxi couldn't help persuading: "Why are you sad again? Concubine Li, don't look at it, don't look at it, for the sake of the queen mother, the queen mother will worry when she mentions it, afraid that she will The old concubine is so sad, because she is not in good health." It’s okay if I don’t talk about it, but when I said it, it aroused her sadness, "It’s also for the Queen Mother, if it wasn’t for..." Halfway through the sentence, she couldn’t go on anymore, and covered her face with a hot towel, and it took a long time to take it off. Although it has stopped, the eye circles are very red. The white parrot was chanting again: "Yinhai is actually jealous of her daughter Jin, and Nanshan is still imprisoning Mrs. Shen; the king has his own life contract, and the only way to go here is to be courteous." This time, Shuangxi had already made up her mind, so she hurriedly interrupted and asked, "What poem are you reading?" Concubine Li shook her head, and then said: "When I'm free, I'll tell you slowly. Actually, I don't quite understand, these are all poems that Emperor Daxing likes to read when he is around." "I see. Emperor Daxing often reads it. Does this little thing understand?" "I didn't learn it from Emperor Daxing." A court lady interjected. But these are the two poems that Concubine Li often read recently, and they always have some meaning, so what are they?Shuangxi became curious, thinking that she must find someone to explain these two poems to her. The white parrot is also strange, I don't know why it can remember so many poems, but now it is reading again: "The top of the cardamom is red in February, and it entered the Wannian Palace at the beginning of the thirteenth year...." Just a few words, Shuangxi caught a glimpse of Concubine Li looking sad again, so she stood up suddenly, clapped her hands, and shouted: "Duh!" interrupting the parrot's "elegant spirit", then turned around and comforted Concubine Li. She was shaking her hands, but before she could speak, a loud voice announced from outside: "Mother, Empress Dowager is here!" So Concubine Li hastily wiped away her tears, got up, and said anxiously: "Hey! How can I look so unkempt?" Shuangxi moved nimbly, took a boxwood comb, and first smoothed her hair, but before she could put on the "two bums", the Empress Dowager had already stepped in. Concubine Li first greeted her face to face, and then offered the Empress Dowager a seat and waited for the big ceremony. "No, no!" Empress Dowager East pointed to Concubine Li's bedroom and said, "I'll sit in your room!" When Shuangxi heard this, she rushed over and drew the curtains. As soon as the Eastern Empress Dowager entered the room, she sat down on the "Western shuttle chair" under the north window where the Emperor Daxing used to sit, and Dowager Li followed in to kowtow. , let her stop. "What about Double Happiness?" "The servant is here to serve you!" Shuangxi agreed delicately outside the door, and then lifted the curtain and entered the room. "It's good for you! Let you go out to do some business, and once you go there, you won't be seen." Shuangxi wanted to show that she was favored by the Empress Dowager Dong, so she smiled indifferently and said, "I am serving Concubine Li, and I am going to pay my respects when I get dressed, but who knows that you, the old man, can't wait and come here instead. " "It's not that I can't wait." The Empress Dowager Dong looked at Concubine Li and said: "I think it's better not to let you go to my place, so as not to meet someone, and someone will be upset and show you a cold face. There are two sentences Well, let me tell you myself." This refers to the Empress Dowager West, when she sees Concubine Li, she always ignores her coldly.The Empress Dowager was so sympathetic, she was both grateful and sad, and she suppressed tears and replied: "The Empress Dowager's kindness is as high as heaven and earth, I am afraid that I will not be able to repay it in this life!" "Don't say that." The Queen Mother's tone was very calm, "I'm not particularly nice to you. I can only keep it in my heart when I'm nice to you. There are so many people in the palace, so people can't say that I'm partial. It's just Daxing Before the emperor died, he repeatedly asked me to take good care of you. You should also think that he will not trust you after death, and take care of your own body. Like the day you died, you had such a stupid idea. I think it's too late, I can't catch it all at once, but you have earned the reputation of being a martyr, how can I have the face to meet Emperor Daxing in the future?" This rebuke was very severe, Concubine Li was very frightened, she knelt down on her knees, blushed and said: "The queen mother taught me the lesson. From now on, I will always remember what the queen mother said." "By the way, you understand this, get up!" The Queen Mother said with great satisfaction, "I'll tell you something else, you will bring Da Gege back to the city with me on September 23. This trip back , it’s the same as when you came here, and the road is not as comfortable as going there. You can take care of your body as soon as possible, so that you can eat this hard trip.” "Yes!" Concubine Li stood up and asked: "What does the queen mother drink? I still have a little good 'Biluochun' left here, brew it for you to taste." "No need! I have to go." The Empress Dowager stood up and said, "I'll leave Shuangxi here and let her talk with you to relieve boredom." This is the Empress Dowager's convincing people with virtue.Concubine Li sent her back, she couldn't help sighing, her heart, which was as dry as wood and ashes, gradually sprouted a little bit of life, she left Shuangxi to eat there.All the concubines in the palace have their own small kitchens, silver and rice food, and set a distribution, which is paid on a monthly or daily basis. Concubine Li has a big advantage because the distribution of the imperial daughter is second only to the prince. Expenditure, quite ample.Moreover, during the day when the Emperor Daxing was in the Imperial Dining Room, apart from the main meals being served by the Imperial Dining Room, he would often serve here for snacks and drinks.This day, in order to curry favor with Double Happiness, a few delicious dishes were prepared in the small kitchen, cooked in a small pot, and served as soon as it was removed from the fire. This alone is beyond the reach of the imperial dining room, which has a large and ostentatious dish. Therefore, As a guest, Shuangxi broke free from restraint and ate a good meal. After eating too much, she had to drink strong Pu'er tea with ginger to digest her food. She only drank a bowl. When the key was laid at the palace gate, it was rare for Taifei Li, who had been silent for too long, to have such a cheerful day to talk with her. So when she heard that Shuangxi was leaving, she suddenly felt sad, and timidly looked at her with a pair of eyes that seemed to be full of parting thoughts. Shuangxi was originally reluctant to leave, but when she saw her expression again, she felt that she couldn't bear it, so she broke her heart and said, "Anyway, I have obeyed the order, so it doesn't matter if I don't go back today. Just go back with the Queen Mother!" " After saying this, Concubine Li frowns, she immediately called an eunuch to report to Yanbo Zhishuang Hall, saying that Shuangxi was accompanying Concubine Li under Yi's order, and she would not be able to go back until tomorrow morning. Maids of honor stayed with the concubines at night in their bedroom, and as usual they would make a bed in front of the bed. Concubine Li refused to wrong Shuangxi and wanted her to sleep in the same bed. Emperor Daxing once slept on this seven-foot-wide carved mahogany bed inlaid with snails, and Shuangxi did not dare to overstep it, so he moved another rattan couch, spread out the bedding, and closed the door. Concubine Li and Shuangxi They all took off their makeup, but still refused to go to bed, sitting and chatting. With a bright light and two hearts, Concubine Li revealed her infinite hatred sadly.Shuangxi couldn't comfort her, and she never hoped to get any comfort from Shuangxi. It was very rare for her to have someone who could listen to her details with a sympathetic attitude.She has long seen that the most snobbish place in the world is the deep palace. When she was favored by grace, no one praised her like a phoenix. , unless there is power, and the power is now in the hands of the "West Side", if it is not for the Queen Mother to take care of it, I am afraid that the fate will be even more tragic. "Alas!" Shuangxi sighed with a gloomy expression, "After all, it would be great if Emperor Daxing died so early!" "Here are the two lines of the poem: 'But the heavenly family will live for thousands of years, so why blame Nagato for this body?'" As soon as this was mentioned, Shuangxi's doubts were touched, and he asked, "Concubine Li, don't you want to marry me?" Tell me about those two poems? What's the matter? You're so obsessed that even a parrot can understand it!" "I don't know what's going on, but I just think that reading those poems makes me feel better." Dowager Li said again, "Emperor Daxing taught me, and I understand it vaguely, but if you ask me to Tell me, I can't talk about it." "Tell me a general idea!" Concubine Li thought for a while and replied: "There are six poems in total. The title is "Ancient Ideas". They were written by a talented man surnamed Wu in the south of the Yangtze River when we first entered the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Daxing told me, These six poems probably refer to an abolished empress of Lord Shunzhi, who intentionally set such a title out of fear of taboo." "What can the poem say?" "Then what else is there? It's nothing more than the four words of beauty and life." Speaking of this, Shuangxi still hasn't figured out what's going on, but the reason why Dowager Li likes to read these poems is clear. It must be the meaning in these poems, which is exactly the same as what she feels in her heart. Use it to tell your own suffering. However, that is a disused queen, and this is a favored concubine, how can one say anything?Shuangxi became more and more confused, and after thinking about it, there seemed to be some similarities, so he asked, "Did Shunzhi die at a young age just like Emperor Daxing?" "yes!" "What a pity!" Shuangxi suddenly felt emotional, "It's a natural blessing to be an emperor, but after a few years in the world, I just let go. It's really meaningless to think about it." "That's it! So," Dowager Li suddenly asked, "Shuangxi, how old are you this year?" "nineteen." "That's a few years away. Still, maybe." "Concubine Li," Shuangxi couldn't help but rush to ask, "What are you talking about?" "I mean, how soon can I let you out of the palace?" Concubine Li held her hand and said earnestly: "The Queen Mother loves you and is the most considerate person, she will definitely not delay your youth, Let you out of the palace early, and most likely will 'point out marriage' for you. At that time, you can make up your mind, don't covet rich and noble people, you would rather be poor, the most important thing is to choose someone who is young and healthy. Painless, monogamous, forever, better than anything else." Shuangxi knew that these were words from the heart of Concubine Li's personal experience, so she didn't care about being shy, blushed, and said gratefully: "Princess Li, these few words you gave me are really more precious than gold! Ask me, what kind of family do you want to choose?" "What do you say?" Shuangxi lowered her head and replied: "I don't want to say, the queen mother forced me to say something, so I said, can you still choose a daughter of a wrapping family?" There are also a lot of children, it all depends on whether there is anyone to take care of them. The queen mother said, if you think the status of the coat is low, I will point you to a "shangsanqi". Very, if you are willing, I will pick one for you. As long as you are willing to make progress, and you will be released as a "general" for ten or eight years, then you will sit side by side with the governor. If you are greedy for immediate comfort, I will The mansion will look for it for you, and send one or two other good errands, that's fine. You can say it yourself!" "What do you say?" Shuangxi raised her head and asked back, "What do you think?" Shuangxi also has a competitive personality, so it goes without saying that she wants to assign a third-class "shrimp" who is "upper three banners" - a third-class bodyguard, who may or may not become a prime minister in the future, so that she can be granted the title of first-rank. So Concubine Li thought about it, and advised her like this: "'Water flows to low places, people climb to high places', I can't say that your plan is wrong. But I always have this idea: Marriage must always match. Whoever Feeling wronged, or overwhelmed, there is a knot in my heart, sooner or later something will happen and the relationship between husband and wife will be twisted, that is a heart disease that even gods can't save, and in the end, it is the woman who suffers." Shuangxi pondered her words very carefully and quite understood.Say you feel wronged, such as a handsome and talented nobleman marrying an ugly wife, or a young and beautiful rich lady marrying a humble man with no outstanding talents. It's a resentment.But if you say that you feel that you have climbed high, you will feel a lump in your heart, and others will not see it.Thinking about it carefully, after I married a famous family of "Shangsanqi", I always remembered that I couldn't get married with others, but because the queen mother pointed out the marriage, I put the duck on the shelf. , this way, I must always feel like I owe someone something, so I still have a comfortable day to live? "Hey!" Shuangxi said in a joyous tone that he was glad that he hadn't made a mistake: "Thanks to your few words, I finally figured it out." This kind of demeanor and language comforted and encouraged Concubine Li, making her realize that her own existence was of some use to others.So he smiled and asked, "How do you understand? Tell me!" Shuangxi's idea is actually very simple, it is the word "matching" that Concubine Li said. A person who is willing to make progress.It's just that I'm too embarrassed to elaborate on this thought, so I just blushed and smiled and replied: "Anyway, I understand it myself." She added: "I don't intend to ask for the Queen Mother's grace." With such an expression, it is not difficult to see the attitude she holds in her heart. Concubine Li is not only relieved, but also deeply moved, saying that "unfortunately born in the emperor's family" but not knowing to marry into the emperor's family is even more unfortunate. Both of them were thinking about many things in their hearts, one was recalling the past, the other was looking forward to the future, so the expressions on their faces were quite different, and it was not until the soft popping of the candles that they woke up from their contemplation. "It's getting late! Concubine Li, please settle down!" Concubine Li shook her head: "If you're sleepy, go to bed first! I'll sit still for a while." "Then I'll chat with you for a while." "No!" Concubine Li said, "Leave me alone, I am like this every day, sometimes I just sit all night long." Shuangxi was startled, "How can I just sit all night long?" She said again solemnly: "Concubine Li, you must not spoil yourself anymore!" Be sad, and everyone will be sad for you except one person." These words moved her, and she thought that although she could not fight, and she had no intention of fighting "this person", in any case, she could not make "this person" secretly happy and make many others sad!So she encouraged herself once again to live a good life. "Then go to sleep!" she said, "I'll try and see if I can calm my mind down?"