Shen Shuzhao smiled coldly in her heart, it seemed that the eldest lady was going to suppress herself to the end.

A woman who constantly suppressed her children in her previous life, watched the fire from afar when she became a victim of the Queen Mother's struggle, but sat back and enjoyed her success, would not be so stupid.

So Shen Shuzhao cried and said: "The eldest sister is very beautiful and beautiful, the third sister is virtuous and filial, the queen mother will love it when she sees it, Shuzhao is stupid and afraid that she can't enter the eyes of the queen mother, so she can only concentrate on serving her grandmother and eldest lady." ”

The old lady's gaze froze slightly, she thought for a moment, held Shen Shuzhao's hand and said, "Silly boy, for the queen mother, as long as you have this intention, you can follow the eldest lady into the palace tomorrow." ”

Shen Xiaozhao on the side was so angry that he secretly pinched Xiupa.

At this time, the eldest lady looked at Shen Shuzhao, who was wearing pear blossoms and rain, although the eldest lady had a kind smile on her face, there was a silent sneer in her eyes.

Shen Shuzhao, who was holding her hands tightly by the old lady, took out one hand and wiped the moist corners of her eyes with Juan Pa, her face was worried, but she smiled softly in her heart.

After getting along in the past few years, she knows best what the old lady is thinking. As long as she pokes the worry in the old lady's heart, she will definitely be able to do it.

And what the old lady is most afraid of is the queen mother.

But the old lady's fear is not fear, but more of a fear mixed with guilt.

That was the weakness of her heart.

And this matter was also known to Shen Shuzhao after serving the Queen Mother for many years.

The eldest lady had no choice but to ask: "This is better, then we just have to wait for a good day." ”

In this way, this matter is also finalized.

The chatter was similar, and the old lady sent them away one by one, and sat alone in the empty bedroom, only Mother Zhang, who was behind her, held a rhino horn jasper comb and gently combed her with a full of white hair.

The room that used to be full of laughter is now very empty. At this time, the old lady suddenly said gloomily: "You say, is she still hating me?" ”

The combing of her hair stopped slightly, and after a while, Zhang's mother comforted: "Madam, it has been so long, and it will only increase the sadness if you mention it again." ”

"How could she not hate......" The old lady looked at her guilty sorrow in the bronze mirror, and then said: "I sent Qingwan to the palace when she was the queen, how could she not blame me." ”

Mother Zhang sighed, when the Queen Mother was first crowned queen, because the old lady sent her daughter into the palace, the knot with the old lady was entangled in her heart like a thousand spider webs, and others could not untie and comfort her.

The old lady continued slowly: "Thirty years ago, I sent my two daughters to the palace, and now the daughter who once hated me for sending my own daughter to the palace wants my three granddaughters to enter the palace, alas, you say...... Whether this qiē is all sin. ”

Hearing this, Zhang's mother was also sour: "That year, Miss Qingwan, who was appointed by the first emperor, entered the palace, and there is no way for you, old lady." ”

While talking, the old lady reached out and took out a snow-white brocade box from the drawer, and the old hand caressed it lovingly, as if caressing her beloved daughter's cheek.

"This morning I saw the eldest lady's demeanor, as if I saw myself at the beginning. She wanted Zhuang Zhao to be the palace concubine, but she didn't know that the emperor's Empress Xiao heard that she was vicious and jealous, so that there were few concubines and princes in the palace, and everyone was afraid of her, and the force behind her was the powerful Prime Minister Xiao Cheng. Zhuang Zhao and Xiaozhao have lived a life of fine clothes and food since they were children, not to mention the identity of the queen mother's niece, where can they withstand the calculations of those people in the harem...... Those petty methods in the Shen Mansion are not worth mentioning at all when they come to the harem. ”

After listening to the old lady's words and pondering for a moment, Zhang's mother still asked the doubts in her heart: "Madame doesn't want the eldest lady to send her daughter into this ink vat, why do you want to bring the third lady in?" ”

"You know," the old lady shook her head, "Shuzhao, this child is kind-hearted, everyone outside praises her bodhisattva heart, and her fame overshadows her eldest sister, Zhuang Zhao is the eldest daughter of the eldest lady, the eldest lady doesn't like her, and my old bones are not unfeeling, if one day I let go, Shuzhao is only afraid that this child will be sad in the future." She is so kind, the Queen Mother will definitely like it, it is better to let her follow the Queen Mother first, I don't ask her to marry the royal family, as long as I can have a good husband, I will be happy to be a main room. ”

For Shen Shuzhao's future, if she loses her protection, this poor girl will either be a famous concubine, or an ordinary official's stepfamily, and the old lady has done her best to think about her.

However, as long as she thought of the eldest lady's secret joy today, the old lady frowned, in the eyes of the old man, it was also a kind of uneasy to be too eager to climb the emperor's honor.

"Ugh."

So a sigh rang out in the old lady's room for a long time, and it never dispersed.

The crowd that dispersed at the gate of the old lady's courtyard, the eldest lady led her two daughters and a group of servants, without raising her eyelids, and walked directly in front of Shen Shuzhao, who only had two maidservants and gave a gentle salute.

When the eldest lady and her party returned to the main hall of their courtyard, Shen Xiaozhao directly took the eldest lady's hand and said happily: "Mother, can you see the emperor at the queen mother's birthday banquet?" ”

The eldest lady reclined on the rosewood chair, her posture was a little more casual than before, and she said calmly: "That's natural, although it will be a royal banquet next month, you must keep the word 'Deli' in mind, and your behavior should be more careful than usual." ”

"Of course my daughter understands," Shen Xiaozhao smiled happily, his expression was full of pride, and he suddenly seemed to remember something, and his eyes became angry again in an instant, "My daughter doesn't understand...... Why does the old grandmother like Shen Shuzhao so much? If the Queen Mother didn't say that she wanted all the young ladies of the right age to enter the palace, how could it be her turn to go to the palace city for a banquet. ”

The eldest lady took a sip of tea, and when she mentioned Shen Shuzhao, her eyes became a little colder, and she said, "Good daughter, you have to remember that it is a little fox who can sell well." ”

will behave well, that is because Shen Shuzhao will only call herself a mother in front of the old lady.

However, when the eldest lady looked at Shen Zhuangzhao who was sitting on the side, her eyes instantly softened: "What can she do even if she is clever and can enter the palace?" Always the most beautiful ...... It's still my Zhuang Zhao. ”

Shen Zhuangzhao sat on the ebony wooden chair beside him, brushing his long hair, and showed a faint arrogant smile when he heard this.

Her delicate side face is not powdered, but it is already as red as the morning glow, and her pretty little face is like the willow eyebrows of spring in April, the rippling eyes of the stream in May, and the intoxicating pear vortex of flowers in June.

"The people all say that the Xizi of the world is the eldest princess of Kunyi in Kyoto, if Zhuang Zhao appears in the nine-fold phoenix que above ten thousand people, will the world still say 'There is no first in the world except Kunyi'?"

The eldest lady gently held Shen Zhuangzhao's jade hand as smooth as condensed fat, she had always believed that with her daughter's appearance, she should not succumb to an ordinary family, but she didn't notice that the eyes of the third daughter Shen Xiaozhao behind her gradually dimmed.

"Mother, what if the Queen Mother doesn't choose us as the emperor's concubine?"

The beauty Shen Zhuangzhao lightly opened her lips at this time, and said the softness of her worries in her heart, her brows were slightly wrinkled, and she looked unique.

For her, she only needs to think about whether the queen mother will or not, and she has not and does not have to think about whether the emperor will or not.

"How could the Queen Mother not want to?" The eldest lady clenched her daughter's hand, "She only has your two nieces and nieces, not to mention why the emperor didn't choose a concubine when he ascended the throne a few years ago, but asked the young lady of the Shen family who had not left the cabinet to enter the palace at the age when you could get married?" The Queen Mother has always been thrifty, and the birthday banquet has always been simple, do you think she really just wants her family to enter the palace for the banquet on a whim? When your father comes back, he will definitely bring accurate news about the concubine. ”

The more they said this, the more shy and bright Shen Zhuangzhao's eyes became.

However, unlike the reaction of the eldest lady and their side of throwing stones to stir up a thousand waves, Shen Shuzhao's side was still calm and quiet, as if there was no lake blown by a little wind.

Standing in front of the sea of flowers in the courtyard at sunset, Shen Shuzhao took two personal maids to walk slowly, smelling the refreshing fragrance all the way, and couldn't help but relax a little physically and mentally.

Looking at the indifferent expression of the second lady who was still leisurely, Han Yan couldn't help but ask after her: "Miss, I will enter the palace to meet the queen mother soon, this afternoon the slave maid saw that the eldest lady was leading people to Yuya Pavilion to choose jewelry and clothes, why didn't the young lady make some preparations at all?" ”

"Ready?" Shen Shuzhao repeated lightly, and then smiled vaguely, "What else do I need to prepare, isn't it already obvious who the Queen Mother is going to choose?" ”

Han Yan was very surprised, although the eldest lady was really beautiful, but the deeds of the master's virtue and filial piety are also famous, if you want to talk about being the imperial concubine, it is also qualified.

So she said: "Second Miss, don't be discouraged, maybe the Queen Mother prefers virtuous people, and maybe they will be selected." ”

Shen Shuzhao's hand stroked the most beautiful blooming light peach violet, and said softly: "If the queen mother is to choose a concubine for the emperor, then the eldest sister is naturally the first choice, and I don't have to prepare." ”

Then she gently took off the indigo beads between her black hair, hung down a few loose strands of green silk, and said slowly: "If it is to choose a henchman who will give advice, then this position needs to be considered between the three of us, and I will prepare it for my own use." ”

Hearing this, Han Yan couldn't help but admire her even more.

"The slave doesn't understand, doesn't the second lady want to be a concubine?"

Hearing Han Yan's doubts, Shen Shuzhao smiled lightly and folded the pink flower and put it in her hair, turned his head to her and said, "Is this flower beautiful?" ”

Looking at Han Yan's stunned nodding, Shen Shuzhao smiled unconsciously: "This flower is the most beautiful of all flowers, but if you compare the eldest sister with it, the □□ in the garden may not be able to win." I'm just a willow, how dare I hope to win the eldest sister to be a concubine? ”

After that, she let out a long sigh: "Do you know why the Queen Mother didn't choose a concubine for a long time, and only chose a concubine for the emperor this year?" ”

Hanyan looked back at the surroundings, and then approached and wondered, "The slave doesn't know." ”

Shen Shuzhao smiled and nodded her head with her fingers, and didn't answer much, only said, "You'll know when you enter the palace and see the Queen Mother." ”

After speaking, she raised her head and looked at the sunset in the distance, in this boxy courtyard, but a courtyard of the Shen Mansion, which was full of battles between mansions. And the Shen Mansion is only a corner of Luoyang City, and I don't know how many people in this land are fighting for the palace.

And the nine-fold palace city located in the center of Luoyang City, there has never been a shortage of women who have calculated against it, whether it is inside or outside the palace, this palace city will always stand solemnly, welcoming generations of masters.