118. Good news

The day of Yong'an Palace always starts early.

The sky has not yet dawned, and the bell that has just been shaken after the fifth watch, the slow and long 'world is peaceful', and the tail note has just dissipated. There was movement outside the Yong'an Palace, and the palace ladies who lived in the direction of the Yong'an Palace, next to the palace wall, quietly entered the palace gate, and the eunuchs who went out of the imperial city to stay every night also packed up and slowly paced into the palace from the Xuanwu Gate - the high-grade eunuchs were unhurried, but the little yellow gate that had just entered the palace was eager to trot, so as not to miss the time, and should be complained by the palace maids.

What are you doing so early? Mainly to bring hot water to and serve breakfast. are so clean, and even the sisters and sisters in the palace are also a little clean, and there are not a few hot water consumed every morning. Do you have to rely on one or two furnaces in the small tea room in the palace to burn out? It was a small family living, and the concubines in the palace did not do this.

The hot water in the palace is prepared by the mixed hall division, sometimes it is well water, sometimes the amount is too large, and if it is too late to lift the water, it also uses the water stored in the fireproof vat stored in the palace. themselves have never used the kind of hot water prepared by the Mixed Hall Division, no matter which courtyard she was in, several grandmothers arranged for the palace ladies to fetch water from a nearby well and use a small tea stove to boil it. The prevention is that when people used to speak softly, they inadvertently used old water, and it would be bad if the illness passed.

Now, as a, the hot water sent by the mixed hall must be fresh, but the habit has been formed, this big palace maid who comes to duty every morning has to take two apprentices to the sweet water well in the backyard of Yong'an Palace, watch the two buckets of water, take it back and boil it, one pot for the to wash, and one pot for the to make tea.

The labor in the palace is worthless, the identity of the, Yong'an Palace will not be less called, just boiling water has to have two people, and the grandeur of breakfast is even greater. This is all a rule, thought about what to eat the night before, for example, yesterday I remembered to eat 'tender salted tofu brain, sprinkled with some sesame seeds, and the squeaky bite was also strong. Pair it with two crispy and hot biscuits.'

This morning, the palace gate has just opened, and someone is about to go to the imperial dining room to spread the word: "Concubine Niangniang of Yong'an Palace said that this morning you will use salted tofu brain, sprinkle hot sesame seeds on it, and pair it with crispy and hot small baked cakes." ”

The people who pass the meal have always been eunuchs, don't look at the errand work, this lack is still very popular. He didn't just leave, but stood on the side, and the master chef in charge of making crispy and salty snacks in the imperial dining room accosted him, "I don't know if our master Xu, do you want to use vegetarian or meat today?" ”

The one who passed the meal didn't speak at first, and when the master pleaded for good words, he moved his eyebrows and said lightly, "You will be tired to make a few more, salty and light--the master loves vegetarian stuffing in the morning, but he can't keep it all because he wants to eat ham stuffing today." There should be no fat in it, and the mother never eats this. ”

Only then did the master settle down, and took out a star of broken silver from his arms and presented it to the little middle-aged man, "Thank you for your father-in-law's advice." ”

This little middle-aged man didn't accept it, and scolded him, saying. "Our Yong'an Palace is not this kind of thing!"

As he spoke, he squinted at the small yellow door of Xianyang Palace, which was also coming to pass breakfast. The other party pursed his lips and complained in a low voice, "Virtue!" ”

There is no lieutenant who doesn't love money, these imperial chefs are all rich, they serve in the palace, and the apprentices and grandchildren open restaurants outside, which one is not full of money? The master who can cook for the emperor and the ladies is still as poor as those men who generally cook for the palace maids? Pointing out a few words, so that the masters are satisfied, and the benefits will naturally be his. What's wrong with taking a little filial piety? Up and down Yong'an Palace, it's this style that makes people a little uncomfortable.

Xiao Na looked at his strange appearance, snorted contemptuously, and ignored this person. Standing aside and waiting for a while, the assistant cook came over with a plate of dim sum, and said with a smile, "These are all new snacks that we tried a while ago, my father-in-law tried a few, and changed the ......."

Qian Xiaona didn't dare to accept it, but eating a few snacks was nothing taboo. Xiao Na sat down at the square table, and ate a stomach of dim sum with a pot of tea, and the master here also made the breakfast of the: seven or eight flavors of dim sum, three or four kinds of porridge water, and five flavors of noodles. Of course, the taste is not bad, but what is really processed here is naturally the tofu brain and small baked cakes that wanted.

As soon as the small baked cake got out of the pot, it was hot and fragrant, Xiao Na didn't dare to delay, picked out these two things, and walked to Yong'an Palace as soon as the food box was covered. He has practiced kung fu since he was a child, and his steps under his legs are fast, but the tray food box does not tremble at all, and the baked cakes do not even shake off the puff pastry.

That's it, it doesn't take a cup of tea, the baked cakes are still hot, and the little one will bring breakfast to the upper room. He had a good time, had just washed up, and they used the three-course tea for health preservation that had been up too early - first drink a cup of cooked water, then a cup of honey tea, and zuihou drank a cup of ginseng tea made from Korean ginseng. Then according to the health boxing routine taught by the female history in the palace, he danced his hands and feet, and it was the time when he was sweating, his appetite was great, and he was ready to eat breakfast. sat at the table and praised with a smile, "I'm a little hungry, and you're really here." ”

There is a sentence, Xiao Na'er's sweat has not fallen in vain, he smiled and raised the food box above his head, "Niangniang uses it well, that is, the filial piety of the slave and maid has arrived." ”

used two spoons of tofu brains, and the rest of the snacks in the imperial dining room were delivered, but they only had a glimpse, and shook their heads with little interest. "Leave me a bite of cold cheese, and you can divide the rest."

Eating' 'leftovers' is the face of the big palace maids and eunuchs, and Xiao Na has not mixed it up yet, and he has no intention of mixing it up. He lay on the ground again and kowtowed to the—the first time they met in a day, the eunuchs were all about to bow to their masters—and they withdrew from the main hall.

After eating a stomach of snacks, and running this way, it was indeed a little thirsty, and Xiao Na was not willing to do things for the time being, so he went to the pantry to ask for water to eat - at this time, the pantry was also lively, and the palace maids who had just changed down to rest at night had many of them mixed in the pantry to eat some snacks and then went back to rest.

But as soon as I entered the pantry, I felt that the atmosphere was a little wrong - Sister Hong and Sister Hua, two palace maids who had served for a few years, were sitting by the door, not eating, not drinking tea, humming on their faces, and they could see that they were unhappy at a glance.

"It's the mother's life, morning and evening, I use well water, and I open a small tea room by myself. At that time, do you still need to say hello? It should be yours, and someone will send it. ”

"Our mother didn't survive from Taisun Jieyu, at that time there was a well in the whole hospital, Taisun Concubine Niangniang ran out, Taisun Concubine Niangniang used it, Taisun Concubine Niangniang ran out, our Niangniang was humble, and I asked He Niangniang to bring water first, let's lift it again, burn it again, and use it again." Hua'er pursed her lips, "Isn't it just that I served the emperor for a few nights, and this is flying." Our mother's water is poured down, the emperor's things are made of gold, don't you have to □ if you stab into your nobles, □ you go to your house? Do you have to respect you as much as you respect the emperor? There are no rules, which really makes people look down on them from the bottom of their hearts. The two nobles who live in the backyard don't serve more than your master? I haven't seen them pour water from our master. It's really worthy of the palace girl who followed your master, so frivolous, tsk, did you float up when you blew your breath? ”

When Xiao Na heard this, his heart was stunned, and when he saw a little palace maid standing in the pantry with her head and shoulders shrunk, and a tea tray in her hand, he immediately recognized it: Ying'er, the palace maid next to Zhao Zhaorong.

"I said sisters." He entered the house with a hippie smile and greeted Hong'er and Hua'er, "What's the matter, I'm so angry early in the morning, I'm scared when I hear it." ”

Xiao Na is diligent and fast-working, although he is illiterate, he has a bright heart and bright eyes, and his popularity has always been good. And Hong'er and Hua'er all half-jokingly recognized their relatives, and the two palace maids saw him come in, and they all eased their colors, and Hua'er said, "Brother, you don't know, Niangniang got up early and drank three glasses of water, which is health, and only drank tea seriously after breakfast, and the well water was clarified three times, and the first West Lake Longjing that was soaked in the lightest and lightest water bubble was boiled, and it was sent for a short time to suit Niangniang's taste." Lan'er served the mother with food, let the two of us watch, and then turned her head, the thief's hooves walked in, and the water that had just been boiled was picked up and poured, and it couldn't be stopped! ”

Saying that, he became annoyed again, turned his head and scolded Ying'er, "Where did you learn the thief head and thief brain, the palace has been throwing this and that recently, and I turned around and sued Gong Zhengsi to search your house!" I think you want to go to the bell! ”

Ying'er was young, she couldn't help it, she almost couldn't hold the tea tray, tears burst out of the corners of her eyes, and she said with a crying voice, "Good sister, spare me this time." It's that I don't have long eyes...... Me, I slap myself! ”

As he spoke, he held the tea tray with one hand, and slapped his two mouths with the other, and his delicate face suddenly turned red.

When Hong'er and Hua'er saw it, they were no longer angry, and Hong'er got up and said, "If the mother drinks it wrong, you just wait and see!" ”

As he spoke, he took a pot of tea and walked away with the flowers. Xiao Na sighed, stepped forward and took the tea tray in Ying'er's hand, and said softly, "Miss Ying, you have suffered today." Listen to my advice: This palace is not a home, there are many rules. Although Zhao Guiren is the master, as long as he still lives in this Yong'an Palace, he can't go past Concubine Zhuang. I don't know the rules, but it's big or small, it's your blessing to be able to finish things like this now - don't cry, the master is in the next room, how frustrating this cry is! Wipe your tears and I'll bring you the tea. ”

Ying'er wanted to cry, but she didn't dare, she covered her face and sobbed silently for a while, then calmed down, wiped her big eyes that were red and swollen like peaches, and forced a smile, "I...... I...... Thank you father-in-law, I don't dare to ask my father-in-law to help me! ”

As he spoke, he pulled the tea tray over again and ran out of the pantry by himself.

Xiao Na stood on the ground for a while, and couldn't help but sigh. As soon as he turned around, he saw Zhao Lun, who was originally looking at the pantry, staggering in, and said with a smile, "You have a big heart, how much food is there in this pantry, so you dare to walk away like this." ”

"People have three urgencies." Zhao Lun glanced outside the door, "Besides, Mama Zhao said before that this place is not as good as before, and people come and go very messily, so I have changed the place to collect the things that my mother eats." ”

He picked up the copper kettle from the tea stove, refilled the teapot with hot water, and poured a cup for Xiao Na, "It's all scattered?" ”

"Scattered." Xiao Na thought of Yingzi's trembling shoulders, and was a little unbearable, "My sisters are not very good today, but she was unlucky to bump into it." ”

"What hits, it's deliberately waiting." Zhao Lun corrected Xiao Na disdainfully, looked left and right, and lowered his voice again, "That lord is proud now, and he usually let the two nobles in the second floor, but now in her heart, in addition to Concubine Zhuang Niangniang in Yong'an Palace, isn't it her?" I can come to the pantry ten times a day, not to do that. The sisters didn't feel happy when they saw her for a long time, but now they are grabbing the pigtails and giving her a look at the face. - You just send food to our mother, don't care about anything else, haven't heard of it, yesterday I sent someone to send a message to my mother, saying that I want to eat a bowl of stewed goose meat for lunch, please bother! ”

When the little one heard this, he gasped, and the teacup almost didn't catch it. "But there's such a thing—does the mother know?"

"I didn't let my mother know at all, so Mama Qian gave it back and said, 'There is no reason for this, the nobles want to eat, and they go to the imperial dining room to spread the word'." Zhao Lun pursed his lips, "That one really sent someone away!" ”

When Xu Xun used to be the grandson Jieyu, because he was not in the same courtyard as the princess, the three of them all ate at their own expense. Now that he is the master of Yong'an Palace, he is no longer in charge of himself and his subordinates. For example, the breakfast that was delivered this morning, except for the tofu brain and the small baked cakes, which were specially supplied, the rest were divided into several portions and sent to the backyard for beauties and Zhaorong. There is only one meal in one house, and there is no reason to eat separately. Therefore, if Zhao Zhaorong wants to eat stewed goose, she must have Xu Xun here to order, and she went to the imperial dining room by herself and said that it must be unruly.

Xiao Na was very curious, "Did the imperial dining room really give it away?" ”

"Delivered." Zhao Lun said, "They still dare to reply?" ――I can't figure out what the twists and turns are going on here, but it's not just what it's called. You didn't see that bowl of oily goose meat when you set the table last night? ”

Xiao Na then remembered, inhaled cold air and said, "Ouch-I remember when you say it, when I go out, Niangniang still asked." ”

"That's it." Xu Xun's words and deeds in Yong'an Palace, how can he hide from people's eyes and ears? Zhao Lun is more like witnessing it at the scene. "The mother also said, 'How did you make a bowl of stewed goose from such a village?' , Mama Qian was on the side, so she said the reason, "It turns out that Zhao Zhaorong really sent someone to order food in the imperial kitchen." ”

Xiao Na asked in surprise as if he was not on his side, "What about the mother--what about the mother-"

Zhao Lun glanced at Xiao Na and sighed, "Xiao Na, it's not my brother who said you, you have to be eye-catching." Why didn't you stick up your ears and listen for a while? ”

After hanging Xiao Na's appetite enough, he □ to scratch his ears and cheeks, and then Zhao Lun continued, "--After Niangniang heard about it, she didn't say anything, she just sneered. ”

Xiao Na shook his head and said dejectedly, "I said it! Why are the two sisters so prickly today, it turns out that the mother is angry! ”

Concubine Zhuang is well-known for her good nature, not to mention that in front of the emperor, she gets along with her subordinates, she is all kind and angry, and she always laughs. Isn't this, as for the sneer? It's just that the mother is virtuous and virtuous, even if she is angry, she doesn't say anything about it, and she doesn't care about Zhao Zhaorong.

However, the mother doesn't care, but the grandmothers and sisters seem to have other opinions, and now Ying'er was forced to slap herself, and the pain on her was not fake, but it was the favored Zhaorong who lived in the small pavilion by the pool......

Xiao Na still wanted to gossip with Zhao Lun again, but he could only hear the ringing outside the house, but the two of them didn't dare to talk anymore: Today is the day of three days to ask for peace, and after breakfast, are going to pass the shoulder and go to Kunning Palace.

The whole courtyard was holding their breath, sending off the master, and they were all busy again. Tidy up the house, clean the yard, change incense, feed the cats and dogs, and bring new flowers to replace the potted flowers that are not so haode. Liu Chang paced to the courtyard with his hands behind his back and stood, looking around in the courtyard with a pair of eyes, no one in the courtyard dared to slack off and be lazy, and they were all in a hurry to do the work before Niangniang came back from Kunning Palace.

Xiao Na is in charge of passing the meal in Yong'an Palace, and he has nothing to do with anything else, and he still wants the cat to gossip with Zhao Lun in the pantry, Zhao Lun didn't dare to keep him, so he shushed him out of the house, and made a new cup of tea with respectful boiling water, and brought it out to Liu Zhien. "Master Liu, you use tea."

Liu Zhien snorted, and took a sip of Zhao Lun's hand, "This morning, I heard that I had an awkward quarrel with Zhao Guiren's envoy palace maid?" ”

The pantry is Zhao Lun's territory, and when he is asked, Zhao Lun doesn't dare to say that he doesn't know, so he carefully explained the ins and outs to Liu Zhien. Liu Zhien listened, frowned, "I'm afraid that Niangniang doesn't know about this matter, right?" ”

The people at the bottom do things, what can the mother know? Even if you tell her everything, she can't listen to her. Zhao Lun shook his head, "The two sisters don't seem to be angry with their mothers. ”

"Got it." Liu Zhien didn't raise his eyelids, "No matter how big it is, I can't be surprised." This matter is that Zhao Guiren has no rules. ”

Zhao Lun sighed, and wanted to talk to Liu Zhien, "It's also been a few months, and it's become popular all of a sudden......"

In the past few months, the four new concubines have indeed been very popular, and every month, that is, the queen and Xu Xunneng can divide a few nights, and the rest of the summons are to find the four show girls who have newly entered the palace, Sun Guifei, He Huifei and the four beauties from the old palace maids, all of whom can only stand on the dry shore and watch and drool. Among them, Zhao Zhaorong is the most favored, and the days of serving are the most among the four show girls.

What kind of character is Zhao Zhaorong, who lives in a palace, can you not know? Zhao Lun also wondered in his heart: The emperor doesn't look like such an unpicky person? Besides, if you want to say that Zhao Zhaorong is favored, but it's been a few months - it's July now, and Zhao Zhaorong has been sleeping for three months, and he has been rewarded twice, and the rewards are all ordinary things. Back then, when were still Taisun Jieyu, they were rewarded once they went to bed, and now, every now and then, the Qianqing Palace still sent things to Niangniang.

That is, because the cronies in the first palace feel that Zhao Zhaorong is favored with mystery and moisture, Hong'er and Hua'er will maintain Concubine Zhuang's face so fiercely. Zhao Lun is the descendant of Concubine Zhuang's mother, who served all the way up from the Taisun Palace, of course, he didn't have a good impression of a frivolous vixen like Zhao Zhaorong, he talked to Liu Zhien like this, which was a bit of a temptation - I wanted to understand what the emperor liked about Zhao Zhaorong.

It's just that although Liu Ye has a confident face, as if he understands everything, he is obviously unwilling to share his wisdom with Zhao Lun. He took another sip of tea from Zhao Lun's hand, and because it wasn't so hot, he took the tea bowl and casually ordered, "Niangniang should use bird's nest today, boil it, right?" Don't delay the fire. ”

Zhao Lun was immediately sent away, and he didn't even dare to let out more farts. Liu Zhien stood in the courtyard, drinking tea while supervising the work of the eunuchs and palace maids, and he was also thinking about Zhao Zhaorong's affairs in his heart.

Zhao Zhaorong's eyes are a little shallow, if Ying'er knows what's going on, it's okay, if Ying'er is not sensible, she still passed on the words of a few palace maids, and the grudge between the two sides is over.

With such a thought, Liu Zhien walked to the backyard with a tea bowl, and only then did he walk through the middle road, and saw a little palace maid covering one cheek, running out of the small building by the water, shrugging her shoulders, and running all the way to the side door.

This......

Liu Zhien's eyes were sharp, although it was only a glance, he also understood: there were red marks on the face that the little palace maid was not covering, but it was swollen purple. It should have been the mark of her own palm just now.

As for the other side of the face, I still have to cover it, it should be a few slaps in the face.

He shook his head and sighed silently: This Ying'er also has no rules, the palace maid is beaten when she makes a mistake, and she is never allowed to cry, let alone run away. This psychological quality, if it had been placed in previous years, would not have been able to serve Zhaorong at all. That is, in the past few years, there has been a lack of people to call and training, and it has become the current virtue.

Naturally, it doesn't mean that Zhao Zhaorong is very well-behaved, palace women make mistakes, they can be reprimanded, they can be punished, and slapping them with their own hands is the most unorthodox punishment, so how is it different from a village woman? Besides, the concubines of the national dynasty pay attention to dignity and gentleness, and they are prone to corporal punishment, which is also a loss of female morality.

After discussing with Niangniang, if you should report to the palace Zhengji, you still have to report to the palace Zhengji, Liu Zhien made a decision in her heart, turned around and went back to the front yard - calculate the time, Niangniang should come back about the time.

Of course, Liu Zhien's time was also very accurate, and the entered the courtyard after a while, with a smile on her face, and she smiled when she saw Liu Zhien. "What are you doing standing in the yard?"

Liu Zhien quietly bent □ and saluted the, "The slave and maid watched them sweep the floor - the mother is back." ”

The last sentence was a bit of an inquiry, and the heard it, she hummed and laughed, "Let's go into the house and talk." ”

Liu Zhien followed behind the and entered the back room, and the grandmothers and Qian Mama on duty also just watched the sanitation done, and the women in their palace were familiar with the concubines, and they didn't salute when they met, but they just came up to help the remove the bun on their heads, and the were smiling in the mirror, and even the two grandmothers could see that something was wrong. "What's the joy of today? Empress? ”

"Who's to say it isn't." snorted and smiled happily again, "But it's a great event that you can't guess again-"

The three of them were busy listening, and the were reserved for a while before they smiled and said, "Sister Hu has found a happy pulse, you say, is it a happy event?" ”

"Ah-" The people in the room didn't expect it to be this news, but they were all stunned for a while-although the queen is still of childbearing age, and the last time she gave birth was a few years ago, but indeed, no one in the palace could have imagined that the queen could conceive another child.

Xu Xun's eyes collided with Liu Zhien's in the mirror, and she smiled and said to the mirror, "I think, if the eldest brother knows, he will definitely be so surprised that he can't speak." ”

Yingying's smile and brisk tone couldn't stop the little ridicule in her eyes, and Liu Zhien couldn't help but smile at the mirror: although they didn't say it explicitly, the two of them tacitly agreed. The emperor has frequently favored newcomers in the past few months, and excluded Sun Guifei, He Huifei, Wu Meiren, Liu Meiren, Wang Meiren, and Li Meiren, isn't it because they have either taken the Shunzi soup, or they are sick and are not suitable for pregnancy?

Xu Xun can accept favor because she is healthy, and no one can say what the queen is for, but Liu Zhien and Xu Xun are sure: the emperor has almost given up the hope of having a son with the queen. also went to Kunning Palace, just to take care of the queen's face, his treasure is still bet on these newcomers who have not been in the palace for a long time and are still very healthy.

I'm about to be thirty years old, but I don't have a son under my knees, and the emperor is also an ordinary person, can you not be in a hurry? is so anxious that he doesn't even do a trace of superficial effort, and it is clear that he is asking for an heir...... Under such a guiding ideology, the rights and interests of the old people will inevitably be greatly affected, but after so many months, the first to come out of the good news is the weak queen......

The world is unpredictable, fate makes people, Liu Zhien also has a sense of absurdity in his heart, but he didn't learn from and exposed them, but just thought leisurely: In this way, the master in the backyard should also stop a little.

Just thinking like this, I heard sigh, "Amitabha, this little Langjun has finally been born, so that in the next few months, we can live a leisurely life in the palace behind closed doors." At the very least, that one won't want to eat the goose anymore. ”

The eyes of the two touched in the mirror again, and this time, they both showed a teasing smile.

Mama Sun didn't seem to catch the humor in Xu Xun's words, she sighed softly and muttered, "I just hope that the little prince can bring his younger brothers and give birth to them in his mother's belly, then it's good......"

The smile on Xu Xun's face had just bloomed, and it was restrained by Grandma Sun's words - the atmosphere in the room had just relaxed for a while, and then there was a trace of indescribable depression.