==Chapter 174==

East Palace

The February day is still a little cold, and even though the sun is out, it still makes people feel cold.

Under the corridor of a side hall of the Cheng'en Palace, there are several attendants standing outside the palace gate, and there are several imperial doctors dressed in blue clothes and green leather standing on the side, all standing there with bated breath, and one stop is a morning.

Several people from the Pink Makeup Palace were busy coming in and out from time to time with trays of hot water, all of them were sweating profusely, but they didn't dare to make a sound. In the main hall of the hall, Mu Jinting sat there, holding a cup of tea in his hand, if someone paid a little attention to it, he would know that this tea had been in his hand for a while, and he hadn't even changed his hand.

In the inner room separated by a wall, a woman's low cry of pain was heard intermittently, and occasionally there was a woman's reassuring voice. Mu Jinting knew that she must be in extreme pain, otherwise how could she exhale when she seemed to be weak but was actually so strong.

"How long will it take to go in and see?" Mu Jinting turned the wrench on his thumb with an irritable twist and said.

Chang Shun made a look, and a palace person hurriedly went to the delivery room, and came out after a while, and said: "The midwife said that it will take some time, and the fetal position of the princess is fine, and she will be able to give birth to the little emperor and grandson safely." ”

Mu Jinting snorted coldly almost inaudibly, Chang Shun hurriedly waved his hand, and the palace people retreated.

"Doesn't it mean that if you give birth to a child, it will be smoother in the future?"

Jiuniang had a seizure in the middle of the night, and now it has been more than four hours, from midnight to almost noon, no wonder Mu Jinting can't hold his breath.

Imperial Physician Liu on the side smiled bitterly in his heart, and arched his hand and said: "This is also different from person to person, Your Highness don't worry, Niangniang's situation is very good, and those midwives are also veterans in the palace, and they will definitely let Niangniang give birth to a little emperor and grandson safely." ”

Mu Jinting stopped talking, trying to suppress the restlessness in his heart, but his face became colder and colder.

In the Zichen Palace, Mu Mu sat in front of Emperor Chengyuan's dragon couch, his little face was full of gloom, and he was not even interested in taking a look at Ruan Ronghai's favorite pastries in the past.

He glanced at Emperor Chengyuan pitifully and asked, "Grandpa Huang, what do you say is wrong with my mother?" Daddy didn't let me stay in the Cheng'en Palace, and when my grandson came out in the morning, he seemed to hear his mother crying out in pain. ”

Early in the morning, Mu Mu was sent to Zichen Palace, and Jiu Niang had already entered the delivery room at that time. Mu Mu was very strange why he didn't see Ah Niang in the morning, and asked the people who served around him, and the people in the Nurse Palace all looked like they were looking at him. Mu Mu is also a little sensible now, so he secretly looked for it himself, but before he entered the house, he was thrown out by Mu Jinting, who was guarding there, with his collar.

Chang Shun couldn't, thinking that the little master would also go to Zichen Hall later, so he sent Mu Mu over first.

"Your mother is giving you a little brother." Before this kind of words, Emperor Chengyuan would never say it, but now that he has been with Mu Mu for a long time, he has also learned how to talk to Xiao'er.

"Isn't it a little sister? A-Niang said that it was a little sister, and how did A-Niang give birth to a little sister, did you take a stone and smash it open, and there would be a little sister? This statement is Jiuniang's perfunctory son's rhetoric when he always asks how to have a little sister.

Well, this question is a bit profound, with Emperor Chengyuan as the king for many years, I don't know how to answer the little grandson.

"Anyway, you just wait, there will be a little sister in a while." Emperor Chengyuan could only answer like this.

In an instant, he remembered that the fifth daughter-in-law seemed to have been born for a long time, so he summoned Ruan Ronghai: "You find someone to go to the East Palace and ask, what happened to the crown princess?" ”

Mu Mu knew that what the crown princess was talking about was his mother, so he hurriedly stood up from the gums.

"Ruan Neishi, I'll go with you, my grandson wants to go and see A-Niang." In the latter sentence, he said it to Emperor Chengyuan.

Emperor Chengyuan was thinking about how to refuse him.

At this moment, a chamberlain hurriedly walked in from outside the temple, and when he entered, he knelt down.

"Congratulations, congratulations, the crown princess has given birth to a little grandson."

Emperor Chengyuan nodded with satisfaction, although he didn't treat the prince very much, but the thinness of the royal heir was also obvious to see, and he could have one more grandson, Emperor Chengyuan did not reject it, especially after he had a well-behaved and cute little grandson Mumu who cast his eyes.

"Reward."

"Whoa." Ruan Ronghai responded, and hurriedly went down to make arrangements.

Emperor Chengyuan turned his head to Mu Mu and said, "You have another little brother." ”

"Isn't it a little sister?"

O(╯□╰)o, this kid, why does he keep staring at his little sister?!

Emperor Chengyuan paused for a moment and said perfunctorily: "Your mother will give you a little sister next time." ”

*

Jiuniang originally thought that this fetus would be born relatively quickly.

Because whether it is Mama He or the midwife, they all tell her that when she has the second child, the adults will not suffer too much. I didn't know that she had been born for so long, and she could bear it like her, and in the end, she couldn't hold on.

Feeling the light under her, a baby's cry sounded in her ears, and Jiu Niang fell asleep.

When I woke up again, I saw a man sitting in front of the bed.

It's Mu Jinting.

His face was stinky, as if someone had offended him.

Jiu Niang didn't take it to heart and asked, "What about the child?" Is it a boy or a girl? ”

"Boy."

Jiuniang was stunned for a moment, and then she realized that there was something wrong with the man's expression.

"Your Highness, what's wrong with you?"

"Not really." Mu Jinting adjusted the expression on his face, looked at her and said, "After this is born, I won't give birth in the future." ”

Jiuniang was stunned again, did not speak, but a faint sense of grievance rose in her heart. This sense of grievance became heavier and heavier, and gradually, it made her eyelashes wet.

"Isn't Your Highness upset?"

Mu Jinting did not speak.

Jiu Niang's tears came out at once.

"What's wrong with you? What to cry about! ”

Jiuniang was even more aggrieved, she hadn't seen a woman who had a child, and she was still a boy, and her husband was so unwelcome. Thinking that he said that he wanted a daughter, and remembering that he had never been close to his son, Jiuniang wanted to cry even more.

"You don't want to see me, not even your son." She charged.

"I didn't."

"But you don't want me to give you a baby."

Mu Jinting furrowed her eyebrows, not knowing why she had such thoughts. said that he didn't want to see his son, and nowadays he pays attention to strict fathers and mothers, she spoils her son every day, and he is naturally stricter as a father. As for her saying that she didn't want her to have children, that was even more nonsense.

Well, he did think that way, but it was also because she had been born for too long, and he had thought too much. The woman's birth was a step into the door of the devil, and even if everyone assured him that it would be fine, he couldn't erase the sense of panic that came to his heart when he heard her cry in the heart.

Seeing her tears, thinking that a woman can't cry during confinement, Mu Jinting softened his expression and coaxed softly: "Don't think about it, I don't have this kind of thought......"

At this time, Chang Shun hurriedly walked in and said, "Your Highness, Your Majesty has come to reward you." ”

Mu Jinting nodded and said to Jiu Niang: "Don't cry anymore, you have a good rest and go out alone." ”

After the two left, they waited for the lotus branch not far away before they came over. While helping Jiu Niang tuck the corners of the quilt, he said: "Niangniang, don't be angry with Your Highness, Your Highness is probably too worried about you." You don't know, since you entered the delivery room, Your Highness has been waiting outside for a few hours, and it is useless to even have breakfast and lunch. ”

Jiuniang couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, in fact, she also reacted at this time, Mu Jinting did treat his son not closely, but if he didn't want to see his son, it was really a crime to add to it. It was also that she had just woken up, and his expression was like that, which made her think about it for a while.

But she definitely wouldn't say this to Lianzhi, so she had to nod her head as if she had nothing to do, and said, "What about the child?" Bring me and see. ”

Lianzhi brought a small quilt, handed it to Jiuniang with a smile, and said: "The little emperor's grandson looks good, the same as when the little master was born." ”

Jiuniang took the child over, looked at the red baby face inside, and really didn't understand what the lotus branches said looked good, what was good. But she also knows that newborn babies are like this, and they will look much better in a few days.

Because Mu Jinting said that he wanted a daughter before, Jiu Niang thought in her heart that this baby wanted to have a daughter, who would have thought that it would be a son again. However, Jiuniang is also not contradictory, the royal natural male is rarer, especially Mu Jinting is now the crown prince, and he will be the emperor in the future, only Mu Mu has a son.

So for giving birth to another son, Jiuniang is also happy to see it.

After looking at her son for a while, Jiu Niang was tired, and after using a bowl of porridge under the service of the lotus branch, she fell asleep again.

*

Ting Palace

There was a gray patch of gray in the eye, gray walls, gray tiles, and gray people. It's in the palace, but it's like you're in a tomb.

Xiao Shuren couldn't remember how long he had been in the Ting Palace, and he felt that the time seemed to be very short, but it seemed to be as long as a lifetime. When she first arrived, she was angry, roared, complained, and resented, but no amount of affection could withstand the hard work of daily work.

There's a lot of work to be done.

She thought about dying, but just like the old palace man who was in charge of her said, there was no word above, it was not so easy to die, there were many concubines like you who were convicted and came in, which one didn't stay up until they couldn't survive? So let's be obedient and obedient, so as not to ask for hardship.

Therefore, even when she slept, there would be a man in gray who stared at her, old or young, who would change his face every few days, but also had an indifferent face, and a pair of eyes full of numbness.

Xiao Shuren has been stared at for so long that she even has nightmares every night, and there is nothing in her dreams, only a pair of gray eyes looking at her. It's like a demon, a demon made of those who were killed by her.

Here, there are no brocade clothes, no delicacies, no inner palace people, and no one calls her the queen mother anymore. There are only rough clothes, food that even the dogs don't eat, and they have to get up before dawn, but they can't finish their work when it's dark.

Xiao Shuren's hands became rough day by day, and gradually cocoons were born, and in winter, they would be red and swollen from the cold, and covered with disgusting chilblains. Her face was also drying up day by day, full of dry skin and wrinkles, and it had long since lost its fair and smooth appearance. And her hair, dry and yellow, like a handful of straw, fell down one by one, and she didn't even dare to touch it now, for fear of falling into a bald man.

The Queen?

Where's the Queen?

There is no queen mother here, only a Xiao Shu person who doesn't even have a name!

After washing the clothes all morning, by noon, Xiao Shu was already very tired. She felt a pain in her lower back and a sore arm, as if it wasn't her own. She wanted to find a place to lie down and rest, but she knew she couldn't, and if she didn't hurry to go for lunch, she would be hungry for another day.

Once upon a time, she disdained this kind of food that even dogs didn't eat, but after starving more times, she realized that these foods that even dogs didn't eat were so precious.

People who have never starved will never know what it is like to be hungry, and it can break people's hearts!

When I arrived at the place where I received the meal, there were already many people holding bowls and eating, and they all had a numb expression on weekdays, but today they seemed to have a somewhat suspicious expression of joy.

Xiao Shuren was puzzled, and the old palace man who was in charge of cooking under the corridor knocked on the wooden rice bucket with the iron spoon in his hand, and said: "Today, the crown princess is happy to celebrate Lin'er, and His Majesty rewards the palace and the whole palace, so it's cheap for you, let you eat a meal of meat." When you eat, you can remember to be grateful in your heart for the grace of Your Majesty, without Your Majesty's reward, you sinners will not be able to eat such a good thing. ”

In the huge field, in the corners, under the corridors, on the steps, and even on the gray stone floor in the courtyard, there were women sitting on the ground dressed in gray clothes, wearing scarves of the same color, and holding bowls, and they couldn't see their eyebrows clearly. I only heard a low echo in the field, followed by a wolfing sound.

Xiao Shuren's first reaction was that there was meat to eat today. I couldn't help but salivate in my mouth, and hurriedly went to the restaurant under the corridor, and then the words that the old palace man had just said echoed in my mind again.

The crown princess is happy to have a birthday?

When she was sent to the court, the king of Chu had already been crowned the crown prince, and there was no doubt that this princess was naturally Xiao Jiuniang.

Xiao Shuren couldn't help but be stunned on the spot.

Before she had time to think about it, a person hurriedly ran over and bumped into her, and several people came at the same time, all looking in a hurry. These people are all here to eat, and Xiao Shu didn't have time to think about it, so he hurriedly followed. A little later, I'm afraid I won't even be able to eat this meat.

Xiao Shuren served a big bowl of rice, and casually found a corner to sit on the ground.

The brown coarse porcelain bowl, a utensil that even the palace people don't use, contains a bowl of yellowish millet rice, two chopsticks with black color and can't tell what it is, and a lot of braised pork. There are about a dozen pieces in shape, and the whole is burnt red, with an attractive aroma.

No wonder the old palace people would say that this was His Majesty's reward, you must know that Xiao Shu people have been in the palace for so long, and they ate a meal of meat during the New Year. There are only a few slices per person, and the boiled fatty meat slices are white in color and have no taste, which cannot even be compared with this braised pork with all the color and fragrance.

Xiao Shuren felt that there was more saliva in his mouth, and he couldn't help but hurriedly put a piece in his mouth and fed it to his mouth.

The meat is very fat, and the mouth is full of oil. Although Xiao Shu people didn't like to eat fatty meat before, they also ate braised pork, and chose the best one, sandwiched with fat and fat, preferably with more than ten layers of pork belly, with the best seasoning, cooked by the imperial kitchen. There were only five or six pieces on a plate, and she usually only ate one piece, and she felt tired of it.

Like this kind of shoddy production, let alone eating in the past, she wouldn't even look at it, but now she feels like the best delicacy in the hands of the imperial chef.

Xiao Shuren felt the oil melt in his mouth, and couldn't help but squint his eyes in enjoyment. Today's sun is very good, shining warmly on her body, and she feels a sense of happiness absurdly. She hurriedly gulped down, gobbling up like the women.

A shrill female voice suddenly rang out.

"Tsk, Xiao Yue, you also have today! Look at you like this, it really makes this palace dirty. ”

Hearing this voice, Xiao Shuren jumped up as if he had been pricked by a needle. She didn't have to look to know who was coming—

Her sworn enemy, the two fought almost all their lives, and in the end they also failed together and were imprisoned in this court Liu Shuren.

Liu Shuren is not in the same yard as her, but when she is working or eating, she will always meet from time to time. She was a sworn enemy with her in the harem, and the same is true when she comes here.

Xiao Shuren always sneered at him, this slut surnamed Liu is used to pretending to be good, and he has been pretending for decades, but he didn't expect to come here, surrounded by vulgar people, and she also revealed her original form.

Xiao Shuren disdains to pay attention to her, her meat hasn't been eaten yet. This kind of big meat, if it is cooled, it will not taste good. With that in mind, she took another bite of the fat, oily piece of meat.

Before she could swallow before she could take a second bite, the bowl in her hand suddenly overturned.

A large bowl of millet rice, mixed with a few blackened vegetable leaves and a few pieces of braised pork left in the bowl, all spilled out, rolling on the ground and covered with dust.

Liu Shuren laughed maliciously.

Xiao Shuren reflexively wanted to pick it up, but unfortunately there were more people who moved faster than her, almost so that she didn't have time to react, and a few gray-clothed women on the side rushed out, pounced on those pieces of meat, picked up the meat and protected it in her arms and retreated, looking at the people who also came to grab the meat with vigilant eyes.

In the Yeting Palace, every meal and every meal will be restricted, everyone is in a state of not having enough to eat every day, and it is normal to stare at the food in other people's bowls. But no one dares to grab someone else's bowl, because there are rules in the Yeting Palace, and everyone is not allowed to grab food from each other, but if it falls on the ground, it is not in the category.

Xiao Shuren watched his meat being robbed, and there were three or four people, each of whom grabbed one or two pieces. She didn't dare to fight with others, so her anger was naturally placed on the culprit.

"Slut surnamed Liu!"

She didn't know how sharp and piercing her howls were, and this kind of vulgar behavior had never been seen in her before. I don't know when, she became like this.

Almost with the voice, Xiao Shuren rushed towards Liu Shuren, not only knocking over the rice bowl in Liu Shuren's hand, but also knocking her to the ground.

Fighting with people, Xiao Shu people have never lived for so many years. Since she came to this Yeting Palace, she has seen a lot and seen a lot, and she knows that if she wants not to be bullied, there is only this method. In the early years, the-for-tat confrontations with unmoving expressions, the instigation, instigation, and framing with no obvious traces are no longer suitable for the present. In this kind of place, no one is more noble than the other, and it is a waste of saliva to talk too much, only the most direct and effective is to do it, and it is pleasant.

After coming to the Yeting Palace, Xiao Shuren has fought several times with others, after all, she has been pampered for many years, and she has lost more and won less. But gradually, no one dared to bully her again, or say anything sour in her ear. Because people will find soft persimmons to pinch, these pinching can't move, or there are thorns on the body, they will naturally be placed in the back.

Liu Shuren didn't guard against the fact that his rival would be such a shrew, and he also underestimated the status of those pieces of meat in Xiao Shuren's mind, and was caught off guard. A handful of hair was pulled off, and there were several blows to the face.

"You slut, you actually beat people!"

Liu Shuren was not to be outdone, and also went back, but unfortunately she was seized of the opportunity, and she had a great time back.

"You slut, you slut, my meat, my flesh ......"

The two women here were fighting frantically, but the people next to them were grabbing the meat that Liu Shuren had fallen to the ground, and they didn't even look at them. After grabbing each of them, they retreated to the corner of the wall, patted the dust on it, and stuffed it into their mouths impatiently.

If you grab what you have, it is safest to eat it in your stomach.

A few palace people dressed in green clothes hurriedly came when they heard the movement. Most of them are stout, not only tall, but also with thick hands and feet, and when they come up, they separate Xiao Shu and Liu Shu like chickens.

"Who told you to fight in public?" The leading palace man shouted.

The scarf on Xiao Shuren's head fell off at this time, his hair was messy, his eyes were blue, and the corners of his mouth were blue. But what is even worse than her is Liu Shuren, her dry yellow face is red and swollen, and her sideburns are also bald.

"She knocked over my job!" Xiao Shuren charged, with a cry in his voice.

"Not only did she knock over my food, but she also pounced on me and hit me!" Liu Shuren said sharply, covering his painful sideburns, hysterical.

The leading palace man looked at the old palace man who was in charge of cooking under the corridor, and the old palace man nodded, she was watching the play from beginning to end, and she didn't lift her eyelids. The leader palace man looked at the messy ground again, and suddenly realized in his heart.

"I see that you are all full, in this case, you will save the food today and tomorrow. Punish you to go to the firewood room now to chop wood, and you are not allowed to sleep until you have enough ten loads. ”

It's not a difficult thing to chop wood, at most, it's more hard for a woman, but it's enough to chop ten loads, I'm afraid I won't be able to finish chopping until tomorrow morning. And tomorrow there is still work to be done tomorrow, no sleep, no food, and such heavy work, this punishment is not heavy.

It's just that Xiao Shuren and Liu Shuren didn't dare to say a word, and they all knew that if they dared to object, the next punishment would be heavier.

Xiao Shuren was pushed away, and while walking, he looked back at the bowl of rice he had dropped on the ground. The bowl of rice was no longer visible now, and it was trampled on beyond recognition and pasted on the ground.

She didn't see the rice, but the meat that should have been there, but had already been snatched away.

Her meat, she remembered that there were seven more pieces!

*

Jiuniang was asleep in a daze, when she heard Mu Mu's voice.

Mu Mu was talking to Lianzhi, pointing to the small bag next to his mother and asked, "Aunt Lianzhi, is this the little brother?" ”

Lianzhi nodded.

"Why is he so red, his face is wrinkled, it's so ugly."

Lianzhi smiled and coaxed him, saying that children were like this when they were first born, and so was he back then, but it would be fine for a long time.

"I was like that back then? But I'm so white, he's so red! ”

Mu Mu was stunned, and there was surprise on Chubby's face.

Jiuniang lay in the quilt and laughed, Mu Mu heard the movement, hurriedly came over, and called A-Niang.

Jiu Niang sat up with the support of the lotus branch.

"Why are you here?" He asked Lianzhi again, "When is it?" ”

Lianzhi replied: "Back to Niangniang's words, it's two o'clock." ”

Oh, it turned out that it was dark, no wonder my son came back. Jiu Niang thought.

"I came to see A-Niang and my little brother, and Mu Mu came back in the afternoon, but my father said that A-Niang was sleeping and wouldn't let me in." The little chubby face was a little aggrieved.

Jiuniang smiled and touched her son's face: "Then you sneaked in?" ”

Mu Mu nodded suddenly, and told Jiu Niang: "Auntie, don't tell your father, I came secretly." ”

"Why don't you tell Lone?"

With the words, Mu Jinting walked in.