"What is the queen doing?" Zhu Yuanzhang walked into the hall. He wore a gilded crown on his head, a bright yellow embroidered dragon-patterned robe-like gown, and a black robe draped over it, and the four-clawed golden dragon on the gown rose and fell with the swing of his body, looming. He is still the prince, so he wears a four-clawed golden dragon, and when he ascends the throne, he will change into the royal robe of a five-clawed golden dragon.

"Your Majesty, are you going down to court?" Ma Xiuying cheered up and stepped forward to greet him.

"Your Majesty. The palace people in the main hall knelt on the ground.

Zhu Yuanzhang told everyone to get up, and said while untying the big box: "Yes, after being hungry for a day, I hurried over to have a hot meal." ”

"It just so happens that Xun Ying has just prepared dinner, and the concubine is tired for a day, so she doesn't want to move, so let them give you the dishes. Ma Xiuying handed Da Yu to Xun Ying, and called Fan Lotus and Bai Ling to come forward to serve.

Xun Ying plucked up her courage and whispered, "Niangniang hasn't eaten yet, saying that she is too tired and has no appetite." ”

Zhu Yuanzhang pulled Ma Xiuying to sit down, "The queen will accompany me to eat." ”

"Serve a bowl of soup to Hongu. Ma Xiuying glared at Xun Ying, she was not small, and she had sued Zhu Yuanzhang.

He didn't see it, and he quickly filled a bowl of longan lotus seed soup and put it in front of Ma Xiuying.

Ma Xiuying didn't want to brush the mind of this master and servant, took the spoon and gently stirred the lotus seeds in the bowl, and took a shallow sip for a long time.

Zhu Yuanzhang urged: "You eat more." ”

Ma Xiuying really had no appetite, so she symbolically drank a little more and put down the bowl and quietly watched Zhu Yuanzhang eat.

Zhu Yuanzhang feasted heavily, halfway through the meal, as if he remembered something, paused, and said vaguely: "I've worked hard for you for a while, if you are too tired, let Concubine Ning and Concubine Hui share some of it, I see that they took care of the palace well before." ”

Ma Xiuying's eyes flashed slightly, the fingers holding the bowl moved slightly, and she said calmly: "The concubine is wishing that someone would be willing to help the concubine share these trivial matters, and today with the emperor's will, the concubine will be much easier in the future." ”

"Haha, I knew you wanted to be lazy. Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily, and swept away most of the food on the table. "I can't bear to make the queen tired and sick, but fortunately, Concubine Ning and Concubine Hui are sensible, and they know that you are working too hard, so they take the initiative to ask Ying to help you share the affairs. ”

Ma Xiuying smiled faintly, I am afraid that someone will be restless as soon as she moves into the palace. What woman in this world can be completely carefree when she shares her husband with others? Not to mention the harem, a place of power that does not produce and breeds intrigues. Guo Ninglian and Guo Hui helped her take care of the palace before, but that was the power she gave them, and it was a little benefit that she took the initiative to give up, and she could let it but not be robbed.

It's like Zhu Yuanzhang can hand over government affairs to the minister, but if the minister takes the initiative to say, "You're too tired as an emperor, I'll help you share a little", I don't know how Zhu Yuanzhang will feel. This time, the two of them were obviously moved by the great interests of the harem, and wanted to fight for power through Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth, did they think that the holy family could not take themselves as the queen in their eyes? It seems that the three fires of the new official taking office will also have to be burned in the harem.

After Zhu Yuanzhang was full, he had his own palace maid to bring water to rinse his mouth and a silk towel to wipe his hands.

Ma Xiuying knew that he was frugal by nature, and without waiting for him to speak, he ordered Xunying to reward the rest of the meal to the palace people.

Xun Ying thanked him, and then served two more fragrant teas, and then took down the meal with Fan He and the others, and withdrew from the hall together.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked: "The fourth day of the first lunar month is the auspicious day for Liu Ji to ascend the throne, what does the queen think?"

"Mr. Liu's choice of auspicious day must be correct. Ma Xiuying replied absentmindedly, thinking about how to light the first fire in the harem.

Zhu Yuanzhang took her hand, "On that day, you will be my real queen." ”

Ma Xiuying smiled dumbly, and Zhu Yuanzhang's face was full of ambition, clearly waiting for someone to appreciate. She followed Zhu Yuanzhang's wishes and said: "It's really a blessing for a concubine to marry the emperor, and I never thought that one day I would be able to become the mother of a country with my husband, which is all thanks to the emperor's blessing." ”

Zhu Yuanzhang, who was appreciated, smiled with satisfaction and said with emotion: "In the past, the queen once persuaded me to follow the example of Liu Bang, the Taizu of the Han Dynasty, but now I have really become the son of cloth, and the queen has a discerning eye." ”

"The emperor will definitely surpass Han Taizu in the future. Ma Xiuying had something in her heart, and said a few perfunctory words, and the words changed, "The concubine feels that the country has just been established, and the treasury is tight, so she plans to open up sources and reduce expenditure, and send out the idle people in the palace to save some of the expenses." ”

"Idle people?" Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly surprised, the palace people are all newcomers, and many concubines are still shouting that there are not enough people to serve, how can there be idle people?

Ma Xiuying patiently explained, "That's the case, just take the people in the palace who are concubines, except for the two guards who serve dishes and one palace lady who serves vegetables when the emperor eats today, there are four or five palace people waiting in the palace without doing anything." Originally, two or three people could do a good job, but there were eight or nine people to do it, didn't the emperor think it was a waste? Aside from what the emperor saw, there were still many palace people outside the palace who were on call at any time, in fact, the concubine body was still used to calling Xunying and Bai Ling, and these people were invisibly idle by the concubine, so the concubine really thought that there were not too many idle palace people in the palace. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment and said: "In this case, you have someone to check the roster, and tomorrow you will let those redundant palace people leave the palace." ”

"The emperor is wise. Ma Xiuying, who had achieved her goal, smiled, talked to Zhu Yuanzhang again, and urged him to see Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao has been drafted as a prince, and his study and life are much more rigorous than before. Ma Xiuying was worried that his body could not bear such heavy responsibilities, but as a crown prince, these responsibilities must be unavoidable.

Xun Ying helped Ma Xiuying back to the living room and asked in a low voice, "Why didn't the master keep the emperor?"

The corners of Ma Xiuying's mouth hooked up a mocking smile, and she said unhurriedly: "I'm tired and don't have the energy to serve the emperor." Since someone wants to help me share the burden, let them go. ”

"But ......"

Ma Xiuying patted the back of Xunying's hand and smiled meaningfully, "The emperor has promised me to release the idlers in the palace tomorrow, you ask the steward and eunuch to submit the list of people to be sent from each palace, you can watch it." ”

"Huh?" Xun Ying came back to his senses, and the grievances in his stomach suddenly disappeared. The master's hand is really good, and if the palace people are dismissed, the manpower of each palace will inevitably be tight, and the so-called concubines who want the master's mother to share the trivial affairs will not be easy. There are also those palace people who tend to be inflammatory, flattering, and broken-mouthed, be careful, dare not put the master in your eyes, and Ming'er will let you know that it is powerful!