Zhao Quanle returned to the imperial study with the food box, carefully took out the purple ginseng pheasant soup inside, and personally delivered it to Zhu Xian. Zhu Xian happened to hold Concubine Li's hand and painted red on a flower-sprinkling stick, and when he caught a glimpse, he casually asked, "Who sent it?" ”

Zhao Quanxian replied respectfully: "If you go back to the emperor, the queen mother personally sent it to you to make up for your body." Seeing that Concubine Li was here, the queen did not come in and had already returned to Kunning Palace. ”

"Well, put it down!" Zhu Xian nodded and said casually. Zhao Quan thought about it, put down the bowl of purple ginseng pheasant soup, and put the stack of quicksand paper aside.

"What is this?" Concubine Li glanced at the stack of quicksand paper full of words, and asked puzzled.

Zhao Quan said with a smile: "It's the prince's homework in the past two days, and the queen mother sent it together, saying that it was for the emperor to read." ”

As soon as he finished speaking, the brush in Concubine Li's hand was crooked, and a good calligraphy was broken. She angrily threw the pen into the water-green ice cracked pen wash on the side, and said, "Don't write, don't write, what is the post of a Danqing master?" It's so hard to describe. ”

Zhu Xian had no choice but to shake his head helplessly and smiled: "Look, it's a petty character again." ”

Concubine Li rubbed her wrists, stomped her feet and said coquettishly: "The concubine is not here to annoy the emperor, so she will retire first." She didn't wait for Zhu Xian to speak, she took her cloak and put it on. The moment the curtain was opened, a gust of cold wind blew the honey-colored cloak that fluttered, like a colorful butterfly flying at a glimpse.

Zhu Xian's eyes slowly narrowed, until Concubine Li walked away, the smile on the corner of his mouth was gone. He suddenly opened his mouth and said, "Zhao Quan, are you guilty?" ”

Zhao Quan was so frightened that he was thrilled. Hurriedly knelt down, kowtowed again and again, and said, "Please forgive the emperor." ”

"Forgiveness?" Zhu Xian sneered and said, "You, the chief manager, are also like being blinded. It turned out to be in vain. ”

Zhao Quan made a bitter face and said: "Forgive the slave and maid for being stupid, and ask the emperor to make it clear." ”

Zhu Xian snorted coldly and said, "Go and check, Ling Xiao Pavilion has been in private dealings with which royal relatives and nobles recently. The report was ascertained. Hmph, there is no one in the harem who can make me feel at ease. It turned out that Zhu Xian still had doubts about Concubine Li's words in his heart.

"Yes." Zhao Quan hurriedly kowtowed.

"And." Zhu Xian casually took the stack of quicksand sticks and flipped through them carefully. He said slowly: "I obviously said that I didn't see anyone, and you actually let Concubine Li in." I can't even keep the door, what's the use of leaving you? ”

A word frightened Zhao Quan, who had just gotten up, into a "plop" and knelt down again.

There was a pause. Zhu Xiancai said: "Keep your head first, and go to the Internal Affairs Office to get twenty boards!" Let's see if there will be an errand in the future. ”

"Yes, thank you, Lord Longen!" Zhao Quan cried and fell to the ground.

Zhao Quan walked out of the courtyard gate of the imperial study. I happened to see Concubine Li's sedan chair being a palace maid. The eunuchs swarmed into the mighty distance. He couldn't help but spit fiercely, and secretly cursed, "Bad luck." ”

The cold wind is cold, the curtain of the door is rattling, and the drizzle is like the tears of the heavens, dripping and dripping, inadvertently slowly eroding the luxurious sedan chair carved by the pearl and jade. The strong eunuch carrying the sedan chair walked forward step by step, and the thick-soled green cloth boots stepped on the bluestone pavement full of stagnant water, making a "creak." creaking".

Concubine Li opened the curtain and glanced out, and Durian Xi, who was waiting by the sedan chair, hurriedly stepped forward. Whispered, "What do you command?" ”

Concubine Li gathered the cloak on her shoulders and said lightly: "Let's go around the red maple forest!" This cold rain and light smoke, coupled with the blood-like red maple must be extremely beautiful, I want to take a look. ”

Durian Xi hurriedly instructed the eunuchs, "Do you hear? The mother wants to go to the red maple forest to enjoy it. ”

"Yes." The strong eunuchs agreed in unison, turned the sedan chair and walked in the direction of the red maple forest.

The maple leaves washed by the rain are becoming more and more bright red, and the eyes are full of color. Concubine Li stood quietly in the red maple forest, her eyes were gradually blurred, and she seemed to have fallen into some kind of memory. Durian Xi didn't dare to disturb, so she had to try her best to hold the fine bamboo bone ink oil paper umbrella in her hand, trying to shelter her from the wind and rain.

Unfortunately, although the rain was not strong, the cold wind was merciless. Seeing that the honey-colored cloak on Concubine Li's body was gradually darkened by the rain, Durian Xi said anxiously: "Niangniang, although this maple leaf is good, when can you not see it!" Now the wind and rain are merciless, be careful of catching a cold! ”

Concubine Li was suddenly stunned, looked ahead in a daze and said, "Look, who is here with a hurried look over there?" ”

Durian Xi followed her gaze, and from a distance, she saw a eunuch in a crimson chief's suit, leading a young man wearing a golden four-clawed python robe and a golden crown of hair on his head hurrying over.

Durian Xi smiled: "Who else can walk in the inner courtyard of this palace except Prince Rui?" I heard that the Queen Mother had a headache after getting up this morning, and she called many doctors to go for consultation. This red maple forest is quite close to the Queen Mother's Cining Palace, presumably Prince Rui wants to take a shortcut to see the Queen Mother. Otherwise, let's avoid it! ”

Concubine Li retracted her gaze and said in surprise: "Hasn't the Queen Mother's head wind disease been committed for a long time?" ”

"Not really!" Durian Xi said smoothly: "After all, the Queen Mother is old, maybe it is caused by the sudden coldness in the past two days and the cold. Previously, the queen also came to the imperial study, but only gave a food box but did not go in. Later, the slave and maid watched from a distance, and Feng Jia seemed to be going to Cining Palace. ”

"Queen, she's used to being tricky! Knowing that she has bad intentions, but he wants to pinch his nose to accept her kindness, which is really disgusting. Concubine Li thought to herself in her heart, a sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she said slowly: "Let's go, let's also ask the Queen Mother to go." ”

Durian was stunned for a moment, she knew her master's temperament, and she couldn't even bear to wait in front of the emperor, let alone deliberately please the queen mother. It is rare to take the initiative to go to the Queen Mother to say goodbye today.

Since the goal is the same, Concubine Li naturally inevitably collided with Zhu Yi at the gate of Cining Palace.

"I've seen Concubine Li."

"Prince Rui is very polite."

Although Zhu Yi has a noble status, he does not dare to walk side by side with the favored concubine. He took a slight step back. Please go first. Concubine Li smiled slightly, and led the durian to walk in front slowly.

After walking a few steps, Concubine Li suddenly turned her head sideways and smiled, "That's right." The palace has not yet congratulated Prince Rui, and finally found a beautiful flower. ”

Zhu Yi's eyes were like a streamer, and he swept over her delicate makeup, smooth and greasy face, and smiled: "Thank you Niangniang for remembering." ”

Concubine Li bowed her head reservedly, looked back and continued to move forward, leaving him with only an elegant and noble back. There is also a faint and beautiful fragrance of orchids.

In Cining Palace, except for Concubine Li, the rest of the four concubines are all present. It's just that they don't dare to go into the dormitory and disturb them. You can only sit in the side hall and wait. Seeing that Concubine Li actually came with Zhu Yi, they all showed a trace of surprise on their faces.

After Zhu Yi greeted them one by one, Fang flashed into the queen mother's bedroom. Concubine Li had already taken a step ahead of him and stepped into the dormitory. A rich fragrance of ocean dew mixed with a hint of medicine. Immediately swooped in.

Although there were many people waiting in the dormitory, there was no sound, and there was not a single cough. The Queen Mother was half-lying on the high bed, her hair was tied with a crow-blue embroidered ink and bamboo pattern forehead, and a brocade quilt embroidered with a hundred birds and phoenix patterns on the red satin surface covered her increasingly weak and aging body.

The Queen Mother was also a harem when she was young, and now she can't help the years and the torture of illness. The corners of her eyebrows and eyes were quietly carved into thin marks. The cheeks that have been washed off the fat powder are even more haggard and gloomy. The white hair that can't be hidden in the green silk is unscrupulously draped on the gorgeous brocade quilt. Raw eye-piercing.

"I've seen the Queen Mother, the Queen Mother." Concubine Li entered the dormitory and immediately saluted respectfully.

Empress Guo sat next to the bed, holding a bowl of black ink and white smoke in her hand, and was about to feed it to the Queen Mother. Seeing Concubine Li come in, she smiled in surprise: "Didn't Concubine Li accompany the emperor in the imperial study?" Why did you come to Cining Palace? Then he turned his head to the Queen Mother and smiled: "It can be seen that there is a heart." ”

The Queen Mother was in a state of weakness, nodded lightly and said: "Concubine Li does have a heart, but you only need to serve the emperor well, and you don't have to go to the mourning family to deal with it." ”

The Queen Mother obviously didn't plan to receive the favor of Concubine Li, so she directly gave her no face. Empress Guo only lowered her head and slowly scooped the medicinal juice in the bowl. Concubine Li was not used to being a little coaxing, so she simply closed her mouth and stood silently aside as a piece of wood, and the atmosphere in the dormitory suddenly became awkward.

Empress Guo just didn't hear anything, scooped a spoonful of medicinal juice and sent it to the Queen Mother's lips. The Queen Mother raised her eyes and glanced at it, frowned, and said with an unhappy face: "The mourning family already has a bad appetite, drink this bowl of medicine, I'm afraid that the headache will not be good, and the stomach pain will be committed again." ”

Empress Guo was not discouraged, and said with a smile: "The Queen Mother is becoming more and more like a child now, this medicine is bitter, and only after drinking it can it cure the disease." ”

The Queen Mother was not angry, but said with a smile: "I also said that the mourning family is like a child, according to the mourning family, you are the most heartless stupid child." I only know that I am stupid to be filial in front of the mourning family, but I don't know how to take care of the emperor more. You must know that you are the emperor's serious wife, not to mention that he has a lot of opportunities every day, and it is really hard, and the person you should care about the most should be him. ”

Empress Guo lightly glanced at Concubine Li, who was standing on the side with her eyebrows lowered, and said with a smile: "The emperor naturally has someone to serve him, as long as I serve the queen mother well, so that the emperor has no worries, it can be regarded as a complete merit." The Queen Mother dislikes me for not serving well, so she wants to drive me away? ”

The Queen Mother had no choice but to sigh helplessly: "You! You shouldn't say you're smart or stupid! ”

It happened that Zhu Yi entered the dormitory, and Queen Guo smiled and said: "Prince Rui came just in time, and the Queen Mother is refusing to drink medicine." I have no choice but to look at you. As she spoke, she immediately got up and gave up the position next to the bed to Zhu Yi,

The Queen Mother saw that Prince Rui was already smiling so much that she couldn't see her teeth, and she felt a little better when she had a headache, so she immediately greeted: "This autumn rain, why are you here?" Be careful, don't suffer the cold, and sit down next to the mourning family. ”

After Zhu Yi sat down, he took the medicine bowl in Queen Guo's hand and said with a smile: "My son heard that your head stroke has occurred again, and he is really uneasy, so he came to take a look!" He scooped the medicine with his own hands and sent it to the Queen Mother's lips.

"It's not that serious." The Queen Mother naturally would not refuse Zhu Yi's service, she opened her mouth to take the medicinal juice, swallowed it, glanced at Queen Guo again, and said gently: "It's the queen who made a big fuss." I'm afraid that I slept late last night, and I suffered from the wind chill when I got up at night, so I felt a little uncomfortable after waking up in the morning, but I have been much better after using the medicine. ”

Talking. Zhu Yi personally waited for the Queen Mother to drink up the medicinal juice. Empress Guo immediately came over with a small plate of honey-stained cherries and said with a smile: "The Queen Mother, eat one and go to remove the bitterness in your mouth." ”

Drink a bowl of medicine. The Queen Mother felt that her internal organs were soaked with this bitter medicinal juice, so she hurriedly picked up a cherry and put it in her mouth to eat, and slowly felt better. She wanted to reach out and take it again, but Queen Guo took it back, and only smiled: "The Queen Mother just used bitter medicine, and if she eats too many sweets, she will really hurt her appetite." Why don't you use some porridge water later? ”

"That's it. That's it. The Queen Mother said stupidly: "What you say is what it is!" After a pause, she sighed again: "It would be nice if the Zhong Yuan sentence was here, every time the mourning family has a headache." As long as he helps the mourning family with acupuncture and massage, he will be cured without medicine. Where do you need to suffer such suffering? ”

Speaking of this, she glanced at the quiet Concubine Li with dissatisfaction. This is also the main reason why she doesn't like Concubine Li. Zhong Jinchuan went to the prison of the Criminal Department because of Concubine Li, and if the Queen Mother was healthy, disease-free and painless, she naturally didn't care much. But once she got sick. Naturally, Zhong Jinchuan will be remembered.

It's a pity that he became a prisoner, and he couldn't relieve the pain of the Queen Mother as he went. Then the illness and torture suffered by the Queen Mother will turn into resentment and vent to the head of Concubine Li, who was originally a victim. Of course, she also had a trace of dissatisfaction with the other culprit, Zhu Xian.

However, Queen Guo didn't dare to answer these words. At the beginning, she appointed Zhong Jinchuan to protect Concubine Li's fetus, but there was a major mistake. Now I'm afraid that the emperor still remembers it! Empress Guo could only do her best to leave Zhong Jinchuan aside.

While speaking, the eunuch's unique sharp report came from outside: "The emperor has arrived" Not long after, Zhu Xianminghuang's figure appeared at the door of the dormitory.

Immediately the room was full of people kneeling down and saluting. "Get up." Zhu Xian said casually. The room was full of people, but he only caught a glimpse of Concubine Li, who was almost hidden in the crowd, and couldn't help but smile with satisfaction: "Concubine Li is in such a hurry." It turned out that he came to Cining Palace to say goodbye to the Queen Mother. Concubine Li pursed her lips and smiled, but did not speak.

The queen mother saw that he only had Concubine Li in his eyes, but he didn't even put the queen in his eyes, and felt dissatisfied in his heart, so she snorted coldly and restrained the smile on her face.

"The Queen Mother is better." Zhu Xian sat beside the Queen Mother with a smile and inquired earnestly. After a pause, he said to Empress Guo, who was standing in front of the bed, with some dissatisfaction: "The Queen Mother is unwell, why didn't the Queen send someone to inform me earlier?" ”

Before Empress Guo could speak, the Queen Mother immediately spoke up: "It's the mourning family who doesn't let the queen say it, if you want to blame, please ask the emperor to blame the mourning family." The palace counts you as the latest, that's all, and you have to scare people when you come. That's it, go for yourself! Don't come to this Cining Palace. ”

Zhu Xian was blamed by the Queen Mother as soon as he came, and his face was a little unpleasant. Zhu Yi hurriedly smiled: "The queen mother is joking again, she was still talking about the emperor's daily management, it is too hard, and she wants the queen to take care of her on weekdays." Why did the emperor come, but you didn't let go. In the end, the queen mother avoided the identity of the emperor, and finally endured it and did not continue to express dissatisfaction.

Zhu Xian sat for a while and chatted with the Queen Mother for a few more words. Suddenly, he smiled and said to Empress Guo: "By the way, the heir has been trained in the Criminal Department for so long, and he is experienced and diligent, I feel very satisfied." Now there are several vacancies in the military department, and several old generals are old because of their old age, so they are on the old man's fold together. I thought it would be better for him to go back to the army and show his strengths, what do you think? ”

When the Queen Mother heard this, she also nodded and smiled: "The child is good, and the mourning family looks like a person who can do things." ”

Although Empress Guo was overjoyed in her heart, she still maintained a reserved smile on her face, and said, "How did the concubine know this? If the emperor thinks that he can still do things, he can just call him. I believe that whether it is in the criminal department or in the army, the heir will do his best to do his best for the emperor. ”

Empress Guo originally wanted Guo Chengsi to enter the military department, but she didn't expect Zhu Xian to intentionally let him return to serve in the army, which was a huge surprise to her. Although it is now the rule of peace, the imperial court also emphasizes literature and light military force in governance. But the source of power of the Zhenguo Mansion, as well as the power of connections, all come from the army. Only by holding military power can the glory of the Zhenguo Mansion be continued, and the position of the prince can be as stable as Mount Tai.

Looking at Empress Guo's eyes as bright as stars and full of joy, a trace of sarcastic coldness flashed in Zhu Xian's eyes. It's a pity that it was fleeting, except for the concubine who was staring at him, no one else noticed. He quickly reined in his essence and said with a smile: "Since the queen has no opinion, I will make the will in two days."

After sitting for a while, seeing that it was not too early, Zhu Xian patted his thigh and stood up, and said to Zhu Yi with a smile: "Since you have entered the palace, you will accompany the Queen Mother to talk more, and then leave after dinner!" ”

"Yes." Zhu Yi respectfully agreed.

Zhu Xian smiled with satisfaction, stretched out his hand to Concubine Li, and said gently: "Don't disturb the Queen Mother's rest here, I will accompany you back." (To be continued......)