For nine consecutive days, Shu E sorted out the collection of books for the emperor in Minghe Hall of Funing Palace.

For nine days in a row, the emperor stayed in the Minghe Hall of the Funing Palace, and did not go to the hall of any concubine, nor did he order any concubine to accompany him in the Funing Palace. Although Minghe Hall is the emperor's study, just like Yong'an Hall is the side hall of Qingshou Palace, Ming He Hall is also a side hall. The dormitory and main room in the hall are all available. In addition to the emperor and the review of the chapters, the emperor spent all his time in this Minghe Hall.

Although Shu E is in the middle of the matter, she is the one who knows the Tao the most. Where the emperor stayed overnight and summoned that concubine, it has never been her concern, and besides, she is a girl's family, and she will not care about these things.

There are many concubines in the harem, but there is only one emperor. There will not be a few women around the emperor at the same time, but there will be dozens of pairs of eyes and dozens of ears.

It's just that when a rumor spreads too much, it doesn't become a rumor. When everyone was preaching, the news became a well-known secret, but the last person to learn was the people of Yong'an Hall. Every day like this is more, the people who hear the news have more anxiety and resentment, and when the words reach Cai Yin's ears, and then Cai Yin quietly tells Lilac and Hua Fu, Shu E has been very unbearable.

None of the people who spread the rumors had seen the scene in Minghe Hall with their own eyes, but when the rumors were about to come out, it seemed that everyone had seen it with their own eyes. Spreading rumors and adding oil and vinegar is an inevitable process, and everyone is willing to add three points of color to their own ordinary things; However, this rumor, there are still people who are kind enough to help reduce it. It's just that what has been reduced is not Shu E's fox charm and sin, but the three big living people, Quan Fu, Fang Suxin and Chang Xiangmo.

So, in Minghe Hall, for nine consecutive days, there were only Cao Shu'e who charmed the emperor with demonic words, and the emperor who was bewitched by Cao Shu'e.

Lilac said hatefully: "If you pull out your tongue like this, someone really dares to say it!" There are no eunuchs or palace maids around the emperor, so there is only Shu E, a person who wears nonsense, and he doesn't know how to think about it? ”

May twenty-five.

Summer solstice.

Early in the morning, after Shu'e got up and washed, she drank the decoction of Huadong Yangkai as usual. After Shu'e drank the decoction, she usually had to go out and take a walk, so that the decoction could be digested a little and she could eat breakfast.

As soon as Shu E walked out of the door of Yong'an Hall, Lilac hurriedly followed, and said with a smile: "I'll go with you." Before Shu E could speak, Hua Fu hurriedly walked over and followed behind Shu E.

Shu E was very uneasy, and said with a smile: "I just go out for a casual walk, and I won't go far." ”

"If you are allowed to walk, we will not be allowed to go for a walk?" Lilac said with a smile. However, the worry in this smile is in the color.

Not far from the harem gate of Qingshou Palace, Shu E saw that there was no one around except for palace maids, eunuchs and other deacons, so she turned around, looked at Hua Fu and Lilac, and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

"I said there was nothing, why don't you believe it?" Lilac took Shu'e's hand and smiled. However, Lilac has always been bad at hypocrisy, and such a smile does not hide anything. Shu E didn't answer Lilac's words, but turned her eyes to Hua Fu, indicating to ask. Even if Lilac followed her for no reason, Hua Fu immediately followed her, but there must be a reason.

Hua Fu glanced at Lilac, and the two exchanged looks. Hua Fu followed to the other side of Shu'e, and the three of them walked slowly side by side. Waffle said slowly, "Today is the Summer Festival. ”

Shu E nodded and said, "I know that as soon as I passed by the small kitchen, I saw that the wontons were being made inside." ”

According to the customs of the palace, every day of the summer solstice, the imperial kitchen will wrap a kind of "summer solstice wonton" for the emperor and concubines to enjoy. The shape of the wonton is like a chicken egg, and the ancients believed that it resembled the chaos of heaven and earth. And "wonton" is homophonic with "chaos". Pangu opened the world, the first division of chaos, and eating wontons can be smart.

"Eat wontons on the summer solstice, and don't boil summer on hot days." Eating wontons on the summer solstice also contains a good wish to pray for a safe summer.

In fact, it is not only the summer solstice festival, but also the 24 solar terms in the palace, which will make wontons for the festival. There is a famous noodle dish in the palace, which is called "24 wontons".

Shu E didn't know what the Lu Dao Summer Festival had to do with them, so she smiled and looked at Hua Fu, and then turned her head to look at Lilac.

"It is a custom in the palace that on the day of the summer festival, those who are familiar with each other among the concubines will walk around each other and give gadgets such as fans to show coolness. Everyone in the palace also went back to greet the Queen Mother, the Emperor and the Empress. ”

Shu E thought for a while and said: "I will go to the Queen Mother every day to say goodbye, and today I will go to the Funing Palace, I have been to the Funing Palace, and then I will go to the Kunning Palace." As for sending fans, don't we have a few sandalwood-handled poly fans in our library [Note 1]? After speaking, he looked at Hua Fu, "Just take this, we have known each other for a long time......"

Before he finished speaking, he saw Hua Fu shaking his head, but his chin was slightly forward. Shu E followed Hua Fu's gaze forward, but saw Qin Meiren holding the hands of Yazheng and another maid and walking from the north. I haven't seen her for more than a month, and Qin Meiren's pregnancy has been more than five months, and her belly is obviously bulging. Kotomito's face seemed to be plump, but her face seemed to be even paler, and the only thing that didn't change was the fragrance on her body.

Shu E immediately stopped talking, pulled Hua Fu and Lilac, stood by the road, bowed and saluted, and asked Qin Meiren to pass first. Because of Xiaoyingzi's matter, Shu E didn't want to meet Qin Meiren, and even avoided going to the back garden, but she didn't want to meet her on this avenue. However, Qin Meiren didn't seem to have any intention of walking, so she walked up to Shu E and stopped.

Shu E and the three of them said "Ten thousand blessings to the Qin Beauty" in unison, but the Qin Beauty didn't say anything or return the courtesy. Just standing opposite Shu'e. Shu E's legs were still half-bent, as if it was the situation in the garden that day. But today's mood for Qin Meiren is by no means different from that day for Shangcairen.

The provocation of the Shangcai people was sudden, but there was still a high-sounding reason, saying that cloves do not distinguish between dignity and inferiority. And Shang Meiren resented her own reasons, as soon as Shu E found out that it was for the third young master, she smiled and passed by, not lingering in her chest at all. But the beauty of the piano met so suddenly, but for no reason, provoked trouble.

"Why did the scar on my sister's face become like this again?" Kotomi leaned forward slightly, as if to take a closer look.

"The slave maid scratched the scar by mistake, and she was in a hurry, so she hurriedly applied the scar removal medicine, but she didn't want the wound to become inflamed." Shu E said.

"Why is my sister so careless?" Qin Meiren held the hand of the palace maid and stood up straight, "The Queen Mother has worked hard to treat your injuries and scars, sister, don't let down the Queen Mother's wishes." ”

Shu E's legs were already sore, but she still tried her best to keep her voice calm: "The slave doesn't dare." ”

"The palace has always paid attention to the order of the elders and the young, and nothing can be done without exceeding the identity, this is the rule." Qin Meiren's voice was quiet and distant, and it sounded a little unreal, "My sister doesn't take care of her appearance like this, and her injury won't heal for a long time, so it can be said that she doesn't obey the will of the Queen Mother." ”

Shu E gritted her teeth lightly and slowly spit out a few words: "The slave doesn't dare." ”

Lilac remembered Hua Fu's words that day, there are not many people in the palace who only denounce people in person, and there are really a few people who are as straightforward and straightforward as Shang Cairen. At the moment, I don't think so, how can a few people always be bumped into by themselves.

Shu'e just wanted to stand up, but she felt that someone was pulling her shirt behind her, and although Shu'e didn't look back, she also realized that it was Huafu standing on her left. Shu E has always been extremely respectful of Hua Fu, and she persuaded herself that it must be reasonable.

After another moment, Qin Meiren said slowly: "It turns out that Sister Shu still knows that there is the word 'rules' in the Lu Dao Palace. With a flick of his sleeve, he said, "Get up." ”

When Shu E heard this, she was very angry in her heart, and when she was about to speak, she felt that Hua Fu pulled herself again, and swallowed back the words that had just come to her mouth.

Qin Meiren glanced at Shu E, then at Hua Fu, sneered, and walked in front of them, Shu E only heard four low and clear words: "Don't measure yourself." ”

[Note 1] Jutou fan: called folding fan in the Song Dynasty.