- Among the several palace maids and eunuchs in Huayang Palace who were in charge of keeping vigil today, none of them spoke up.

Wang Hong, who was already nestled in the quilt, leaned over when he heard the sound and glanced down at Concubine De's gaze, and he quickly understood what was happening. His eyes changed for a moment, and there must be one thing that he couldn't bypass today, and he couldn't help but sigh silently.

The fire fold stalk was also left by Xiaoxing, a woman in a cloth skirt who suddenly appeared in the inner room of the dormitory just now. It was a minor accident. Fortunately, this kind of fire fold is very ordinary. It is not possible to see the traces left by a person's personality from above. However, in order to hide this doubt, there must be a palace slave who has to suffer some grievances tonight.

In the face of everyone's silence, on the couch shrouded in silk tents, the second prince Wang Hong, who was sitting quietly leaning on two soft pillows, suddenly spoke: "It was probably accidentally dropped by the palace maid who was in charge of the lamp just now." It's just a trivial matter, and it's not worth the mother's life and sadness. ”

Although he said it lightly, as long as these words came out of his mouth, Concubine De would never spare the mistake of the palace maid who held the lamp.

There is no need for anyone to identify it, and the arrangement of the palace slaves for the nightly vigil in the dormitory has long been finalized. The second prince was only halfway through his words, and among the palace maids standing on both sides, one of them knelt down with a "bang" and begged for mercy and cried out for mercy. She was guarding the inner room of the dormitory just now, and she was summoned by the second prince. I went to the palace maid who lit the triangular glass lamp.

The second prince, Wang Hong, didn't say anything again, in order to hide the traces of Xiaoxing, he had to do this. As for this lady who seems to have only been elected to Huayang Palace for a short time, the grievances she suffered today. If you want him to compensate. We'll have to talk about it another day.

Seeing that the palace maid kept kowtowing and begging for mercy, as if she had really been wronged, among the several servants of Huayang Palace present, there was an older eunuch who vaguely grasped the intention of the second highness, not only did not help the palace maid speak, but also said meaningfully: "Don't argue anymore, you can review it yourself, when did the second highness wronged which palace servant?" It's all your own rudeness, do you still want to throw the responsibility to Your Highness? ”

Concubine De's last hesitation was also removed by the eunuch's words. Anger grew on her face.

The eunuch was right. The second prince Wang Hong, perhaps because of his poor physical fitness, has developed a gentle temperament since he was a child, and rarely gets angry, so naturally he rarely gets angry with the servants in the palace. And so on. He gradually became a rare good master in the hearts of most palace slaves in the harem.

And as a prince. The wisdom of a gentleman learned. Those who have cultivated are clean, and the generosity and goodness of character are not a problem. It's completely unimaginable to let him do the thing of framing a little palace maid. At this time, if the palace maid denied the matter again, it would be a bit like she was pouring dirt on His Royal Highness the Second Prince.

The palace maid who was kneeling on the ground didn't dare to speak out anymore, and after listening to the eunuch's accusation, although she had some hatred in her heart, she also had some doubts about herself, was it really her negligence just now? The eunuch's words were not all wrong, how could His Royal Highness wronged himself as a little palace maid?

"Doing things so crudely, and refusing to bear the mistakes after committing them, how can the emperor's bedroom be left with such a bad servant." Concubine De, who was silent for a moment, spoke coldly, and at the same time flicked her sleeves, "Let's go to the Huanyi Bureau tonight, you will be more diligent there in the future, and you will not even be able to bear the expectations of this last master." ”

As soon as Concubine De's words were finished, two of the palace maids who surrounded her here stood up, stretched out their hands on the shoulders of the kneeling palace maids, and quickly carried her out.

After saying the words that could almost change the fate of a palace maid just now, Wang Hong, the second prince sitting in the brocade quilt, kept his eyes slightly lowered. He also heard the words of the eunuch, and in fact he was exactly that kind of person, accustomed to treating all those around him gently, and did not like to treat these people who served him carefully as cattle, horses, and livestock, and he would not feel the slightest pleasure in his heart when he saw these people being punished.

What's more, the punishment that this palace maid received at this time was indeed forced on her own head. But of course, he can also understand that the eunuch suddenly spoke, and his help was very appropriate, although that would cause the palace maid to be punished more severely, but he still had to firmly protect Xiaoxing's original intention.

It's just that this is the practice of hurting one person in order to protect another. After all, it made him feel a little sorry.

After disposing of the palace maid, Concubine De let out a long breath, as if she had not completely relieved her hatred. After calming down a little, Concubine De turned her gaze and looked at Wang Hong through a layer of foggy silk tent, and said helplessly in her tone: "When the concubine first came over, she was still wondering, why did all the people in your palace stand at the gate, and now it can be seen that these palace slaves are not serving well, so they were driven out by you." But you don't know. Slaves are not good to use. It's useless to just drive away. You have to replace it. The concubine has told you many times, it's all for your good, why don't you want to do it? ”

Wang Hong was silent for a moment, it was really not good to help Concubine De be angry again. The servants in his palace suffered a lot, so he said softly: "The slaves and maids in Huayang Palace are usually very conscientious in serving their sons, and occasionally there are some negligence, which is not a big deal. ”

"Teach them to abide by the rules of the palace, and naturally there are grandmothers and female officials in the palace doing it. You are a dignified son, and you must not be entangled in these trivial matters, and you should really take on the big things. If you have to worry about these things, will those grandmothers and female officials who are full-time discipline the new palace maids and eunuchs have a leisurely meal? Concubine De said. The anger on her face became heavier, and after a slight pause in the middle of the conversation, her eyes were slightly sharp, and she said sentence by sentence: "No, the mother concubine still doesn't worry about you." Gai Ming'er, the mother concubine summoned a few more grandmothers to come over, and check you, the slave in Huayang Palace, to see who is not careful enough. Slaves who are not qualified to stay here will all have to be changed in this palace! ”

As soon as Concubine De's words were finished, all the palace maids and eunuchs present were so frightened that their hearts trembled, including the few servants who served Concubine De who came here with Concubine De, and their eyes couldn't help but flash a trace of panic. Today's check is Huayang Palace, maybe tomorrow it will be the turn of your own Xiaohuai Palace. And Xiaohuai Palace is not protected by a good-natured master like His Royal Highness, if it is really investigated. I'm afraid that the palace slaves in Xiaohuai Palace will be even more desolate.

And the second prince Wang Hong was suddenly taken aback after listening to Concubine De's words. If Concubine De wanted to check his palace maids on the grounds of eliminating bad slaves, her father would definitely agree. He didn't know what Concubine De's review criteria for palace maids and eunuchs were, but depending on the two people she disposed of today, once she really started to investigate, the palace servants who were already familiar with each other in her bedroom would definitely be excluded, and then some new people would be filled.

This will greatly disrupt his camp in the palace, and no one knows if Concubine De arranges new palace servants to serve by his side, whether these newcomers will be her henchmen. Since then. If you want to get out of the palace quietly. I'm afraid it's even harder. And if you want to check the reason for the death of Concubine Ye's virtuous concubine back then, it will also take more time because it is not easy to get out of the palace.

In addition, once there are such newcomers among the servants of Huayang Palace. The chances of Xiaoxing coming back will become even slimmer. The man who hid behind the screen of the head of the dormitory. I can't stay here anymore.

But he happened to be unable to show his refusal to Concubine De at this time.

In the past, when Xiaoxing was still a maid in Huayang Palace, Wang Hong sent her to secretly supervise the palace where Concubine De lived, and he had already discovered it at that time. Concubine De is not a simple-minded woman. She has cultivated a few powerful personal maids, but she usually does not show the slightest appearance, and only acts as an ordinary palace maid. Wang Hong believes that Concubine De's nurturing and loving love for him can contain true feelings, but this does not mean that she does not have any other thoughts.

Could it be that she had also noticed something strange in Huayang Palace?

If this is the case, his refusal at this time, no matter how tactful the wording, will arouse her greater suspicion.

Can...... Is that acceptable?

After frowning slightly and thinking for a while, Wang Hong still did not refute Concubine De's decision, he slowly opened his mouth and just instructed the eunuch who was in charge of the lantern palace maid just now: "Ajia, this palace is thirsty." ”

"Your Highness, wait a minute." The eunuch who was called Aja hurriedly answered and went out with a palace maid.

The main hall of Huayang Palace inside and outside is equipped with a small water room, and the fire is continuous all night, and boiling water is available at any time. Aja soon came in with a crane-beak kettle, and when the palace maid he took out came back, she already had an extra tray in her hand, and on the tray was a set of bone china tea sets, a teapot, and only a tea cup.

Seeing this scene, Concubine De suddenly remembered something, and immediately questioned: "It's time to fall asleep, and you are still preparing to serve tea?" ”

The eunuch Ajia has been in Huayang Palace for several years, and he has a long history and experience. In the face of Concubine De's questioning, she was also able to calm her mind. After a little consideration, he explained: "Niangniang is angry, please listen to the cheap slave explain, this is the habit of His Royal Highness the Second Prince, and the water must be warm before entering the mouth." ”

"Oh?" Concubine De was surprised.

The eunuch Aja ordered the maid to put the tray on the table, and then only the teapot was removed, and the nine teacups were still placed in the tray in two rows. Then he carried the big iron kettle in his hand, and moved it up and down, and there was half a cup of boiling water in the nine tea cups in the tray.

This pouring of water is fast and smooth. There is hardly a single drop of excess hot water spilled on the outside of the tray.

Followed by. The maid lifted the lid of the teapot that had been removed from the tray before. Then she shook the boiling water from the nine teacups in turn, poured it into the teapot, and then put the nine bone china teacups that had been scalded with boiling water back into the tray in turn, still in two rows up and down.

The eunuch Aja once again carried the crane's beak boiling kettle in his hand. This time he didn't move up and down, but filled just one cup.

The palace maid approached the table again, and did not shake the cup of boiling water again, but poured it into the teapot on the side, but started with that cup of boiling water, and poured the deepest part of the chief circle of love from the nine bone china cups in turn.

When it was her turn to pour into the last bone china cup, she picked up the cup of boiling water, which was no longer steaming, and paused lightly on a soft velvet handkerchief in the tray to wipe off the starry water stains at the bottom of the cup. Finally, he walked to the couch with the glass of water.

There were already two astute palace maids, one left and one right, who reached out and lifted a corner of the silk tent.

"Your Highness, the water is warm, you can moisten your mouth." The palace maid with the cup stood on the edge of the couch, and did not dare to sit on it, but leaned her upper body. He passed the cup with both hands.

As soon as the second prince Wang Hong took the cup, he heard the eunuch Ajia ask softly: "Your Highness, do you need a wheat pipe?" ”

Wang Hong shook his head slightly, raised his hand holding the teacup higher, first took a shallow sip, and then drank the warm water in the cup into his stomach in three or two sips. He exhaled comfortably as he handed back the empty cup.

Concubine De had been watching this scene silently, and several doubts had already risen in her heart, and it was only at this time that she looked at the eunuch Ajia and asked, "What is the 'wheat pipe' you just said?" ”

"It's a kind of tubule." As he spoke, the eunuch Aja reached out and took a small long box that had been placed in the tray a long time ago, opened the lid of the box, and bowed down and passed it to her forehead with both hands, so that Concubine De could see the contents of the box, and then he went on to explain: "This is taken from the rod of ripe wheat, and each one is carefully inspected and cleaned by the slaves, and sometimes when His Highness is thirsty at night, he uses this straw, so that he can drink water without sitting up, and he will not choke." ”

Concubine De listened to his explanation, and a look of novelty appeared in her eyes.

In the early years, she lived with Wang Chi in the north, where wheat was the longest crop sown by the peasants. Wheat in the north resists the windy climate, and because of some geographical and soil conditions, it generally grows with thick stems and large ears. But at this time, Concubine De saw that although the box held by the eunuch Ajia was indeed wheat straw, it obviously looked like southern wheat.

"How did you get this thing?" Concubine De stretched out her fingers and picked up a wheat pipe, looked up and down at the section of the nozzle at both ends, and said, "Is this thing safe?" ”

The eunuch Ajia lowered his eyebrows and said, "This kind of wheat pipe has been refined by a special process designed by Kyoto merchants, and is used in many teahouses. However, the batch of purchases into the palace is made by the Hu Workshop's independent work area, and there should be no problems. ”

"Hu's Workshop?" Concubine De raised her eyebrows slightly, "That's a big factory ranked fourth among the five major workshops in Kyoto, how could they make such a gadget?" ”

"Because this batch of wheat pipes is for the use of His Royal Highness the Second Prince, in addition, the palace people on the eldest princess's side also have to purchase some, so they will be appointed to the Hu Workshop to make them. The production and processing technology of wheat pipes is not complicated, and small workshops can generally make them, but only those produced by Hu's workshop can be purchased and used by the lowly slaves. When Aja said this, he seemed to remember another thing, and after a slight pause, he hurriedly added: "However, the Hu Workshop's errand is not without any income. ”――

(To be continued......)