The little girl hurriedly came in and said, "Someone is in the palace!" Lord Nangong is responding, please come over as soon as possible. ”

Xue Ke didn't care about anything else, so he lifted his skirt and rushed over. As soon as I arrived at Linglong Pavilion, I saw Nangong standing at the door and kept looking, and when I saw Xue Ke coming over, I hurriedly said: "Tang Niangzi, the inner supervisor in the palace is here, and the emperor will announce that you will enter the palace!" Now the people are in front, and the road steward is with them! What to do? ”

"It's coming so fast!" Xue Ke took a deep breath and said, "Then you delay it any longer, let the housekeeper take the inner supervisor to Baopu Courtyard to find me!" ”

"There's a road steward over there, there's no problem with delaying it for half a minute, is there a way to deal with it here? Or do you want Ah Liu to take over? Nangong instructed his subordinates while following Xue Ke in the direction of Baopu Courtyard.

"The seven princes all said that I look like a girl from the Xue family, and Ah Liu replaced me, didn't it increase the emperor's suspicion?"

Nangong nodded in admiration, and said strangely: "It seems that the lady has expected it for a long time, so why did she let the Seventh Prince say such a thing?" ”

Xue Ke glanced at Nangong as he walked quickly. Nangong also reflected it as soon as he pondered it, at that time, he wanted to clear the prince's name but there was no evidence, and he could only start from the prince's heart and hobbies, and the prince's love for Xue Ke was something that the emperor also knew, and bringing up this matter could also increase the emperor's suspicion a little, where could he take care of anything else? Then he worried, "So what should we do now?" ”

"Not how! I'm just a concubine of the East Palace who looks like Miss Xue. The emperor can't kill me just because I look like me! ”

Nangong hurriedly said: "You don't know the temperament of the saint? That's one that would rather be killed by mistake than missed. No, you can't enter the palace! ”

Xue Ke easily rushed to the Baopu Courtyard, a little out of breath, and hurriedly called Mama Zhang and said, "Mama, quickly groom me!" I want to enter the palace!"

Nangong also knew that it was inappropriate for him to hug Pu Courtyard, so he was in a hurry in the courtyard at the moment, and grabbed Ah Liudao: "You go and tell Mama that you must make up differently than usual!" ”

Although Mama Zhang was kept in the dark, she didn't know why the prince hadn't returned to the East Palace for several days, at this time, seeing Xue Ke and the others' expressions, and seeing a foreign man from Nangong also entering the Baopu Courtyard, she also knew that it was not good, but she calmed down and groomed Xue Ke.

Xue Ke said in a deep voice: "I haven't seen the prince in the past few days, my heart is very worried, just make up properly." ”

Mama Zhang nodded, comprehended, and sure enough, she swept the fat powder, and it looked like her face was slightly sallow, and the corners of her eyes were a little red and swollen, which made people pity when she looked at it.

The voice of the road steward came from the courtyard: "Lord Chamberlain, please come here!" Take a sip of hot tea first! The little lady has not thought about tea and dinner in the past few days, and her spirit is not high, so I will go in first to say goodbye. ”

The chamberlain smiled and said, "Steward Lu! You have to hurry, the slave has to go back and talk back!" The saint has been in a very impatient mood lately! ”

"Oops! The old slave understands! Understood! ”

When Steward Lu came in, Xue Ke had already finished dressing, Steward Lu peeked at it, and felt that Xue Ke seemed to be a little different from the past, but he couldn't say it, but the clothes and headdress were much more grand than usual, and the beads on his head were complicated, and he had a crying face, which always looked a little discordant.

Xue Ke moved and said, "Steward Lu, I have never entered the palace!" How good is that? How is it good? Your Majesty, what should I say when I see the Emperor? ”

The housekeeper said loudly: "As long as the little lady is respectful in her heart, the emperor can answer whatever he asks." ”

The road steward invited the waiter out and said, "Everything is in Master Lao!" ”

Xue Keyu hesitated to salute the chamberlain, then turned his head and said, "Steward Lu, won't you accompany me into the palace?" ”

The chamberlain couldn't help but laugh when he saw her timid appearance, pinched the pile of silver tickets he had just received in his sleeve, coughed twice, and said: "The emperor Xuan Xiao Niang, how can other irrelevant people enter the palace?" Seeing Xue Ke's even more panicked face, he said: "But the little lady doesn't need to panic, the saint is the most majestic and loving person in the world, and he won't embarrass the little lady!" We'll take care of it too. ”

Xue Ke looked at Mama Zhang at a loss, then at Steward Lu, and finally said in a low voice: "Then I will listen to the adults." ”

Xue Ke followed the chamberlain step by step, while asking for advice on the etiquette of entering the palace, it was rare for the chamberlain to see people with such a low temperament, but he also told her one by one. Xue Ke's rank was low, and he got out of the carriage as soon as he entered the Forbidden City. followed the waiter and walked a long narrow road, and the fat powder on his face was blown by the cold wind, and he looked red and purple, which was a bit miserable. Xue Ke sniffed and said, "Father-in-law, when will it arrive!" I can't even walk. Why is this palace so big! ”

The waiter laughed and said, "Where is this!" The Forbidden City is huge, let's go to a small corner here! The little lady will never say these words that have not seen the world! ”

"Hey! Thanks to my father-in-law for reminding me! Why did the Holy One summon me? Xue Ke asked tentatively.

"We don't dare to inquire about this. However, the little lady can rest assured that the queen is also in the imperial study, and the queen is a rare good person in the world, and the most sympathetic to the inferior. ”

Xue Ke was overjoyed: "It is said that the queen is a bodhisattva, and I am blessed today!" I couldn't help but ponder, in the winter festival of that year, she asked Ah Liu to enter the palace instead of her, and the queen was murderous, but later she let herself go, presumably it had something to do with King Qin, but what would happen to the queen at this time?

The chamberlain took Xue Ke outside the palace of the imperial study and told her to wait here, so he went in softly and replied. After standing for a while, an older father-in-law came out, first looked at Xue Ke for a while, and then walked over and said, "Is this the little Tang lady of the East Palace?" ”

Xue Ke twisted his hands together and nodded.

"The little lady comes with me."

Xue Ke followed him, and the father-in-law said softly as he walked: "In front of the saint, the little lady remembers the rules, don't look up casually, be respectful." The Holy Heaven is gracious, and it is normal for the little lady to be nervous. ”

Xue Ke's heart moved, and he secretly glanced at his father-in-law beside him, and said yes.

Xue Ke entered the hall, she had been blown by the wind outside the hall for a long time, as soon as she entered the hall, a warmth mixed with incense came to her face, Xue Ke endured it and sniffed. She stumbled and knelt down to salute, and there was a sound of beads shaking, and the emperor couldn't help frowning.

"What's your name? Who are the parents? ”

"Qi, Emperor Qi, I, the slave family's name is Tang San'er, my father is Tang Da Niu, my mother is the Hu family, my father, my mother is no longer there, my father was originally a soldier, I, the slave family has been living with my uncle and aunt, and then my father died in battle, my uncle was sick, and my aunt remarried, I don't know when my father died in battle, and then,"

When the emperor heard what she said, he couldn't help but interrupt: "Okay, how did you get to the East Palace?" ”

"I don't know, it was the prince who picked me up, I didn't know it was the prince, I just thought it was someone my father knew before his death, I later found out that it was the prince, and the prince didn't tell me."

The emperor said impatiently: "I heard that you are quite favored by the prince? The prince snubbed everyone else for you? ”

Xue Ke knelt on the ground, because he was nervous, the hairpin ring on his head trembled: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" The prince pities the slave and the maid, but the slave and the maid dare not be favored, the slave and the slave, the slave and the maid, please the emperor Mingjian! After saying that, he kowtowed heavily.

The emperor sighed and waved his hand. Father-in-law Cao walked up to her and shouted, "Little lady! I saw Xue Ke nervously throwing it on the kowtow, but he didn't hear it, so he couldn't help raising his voice and said, "Little lady, come with our family." ”

When Xue Ke heard this, he paused suddenly, looked up at it, quickly lowered his head, and said blankly: "Where are you going?" ”

Gonggong Cao prompted: "Naturally, I went to pick up His Royal Highness the Prince." ”

"Pick up the prince? That's great! Where is the crown prince? ”

The emperor snorted coldly, watched Xue Ke follow Gonggong Cao out of the imperial study, and said to the queen on the side: "Look, what kind of taste is the prince, he likes such a thing that is not on the table!" ”

"The concubine looks good!"

"The girl of the Xue family is not afraid of heaven and earth, and now this one is just a little similar between her eyebrows and eyes!"

"The crown prince is still young, how can he compare the emperor's ability to see people?" The queen smiled: "Since the emperor has allowed the prince to return to the East Palace, the concubine should go over and give two instructions." ”

"Hmm!" The emperor nodded: "I have a headache during this time, and I don't want to see that rebel, you go to admonish me, I don't pursue it for the sake of the country, let him cultivate himself in the East Palace, and reflect on it." ”

"The concubine is the order." The queen replied solemnly and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gonggong Cao led Xue Ke out of the hall and ordered: "Little Guizi, come here and lead this little lady to Qingyuan Palace." ”

Xue Ke saluted lightly and said, "I have Gonggong Lao to take care of him today, and I will definitely repay him in the future." Gonggong Cao smiled and hummed, Gonggong Gui came over, it was the servant who went to the East Palace to announce the message.

After Xue saw the emperor, his heart was relaxed and he stopped talking. Although Gonggong Gui felt that she was a little different before and after the meeting, when she was frightened by the holy ceremony, she also felt normal in her heart, after all, he had seen that she couldn't stand steadily when she left the palace after the first meeting with His Majesty.

Although the queen was behind, she was sitting on Fengluan and taking the official road, but she entered the Qingyuan Hall one step ahead of Xue Ke. Qingyuan Hall was originally the place where the emperor and the prince contemplated and bathed and fasted before the sacrifice, so the whole hall was arranged quite simple and elegant, and there was no superfluous decoration.

The prince was flipping through a book in the hall, and when he heard the movement outside, he raised his head. Hearing the voice of the queen outside the hall, she said slowly: "Those who have nothing to do with it should retreat first." Gonggong Gui also brought people here, and the palace just took Tang Niangzi to go. ”

Gonggong Gui smiled all over his face, bowed down and said, "Then the slave will go back to her life." ”

The queen nodded. Seeing that there was no one else in the courtyard, he turned to look at Xue Ke, looked at it and said coldly: "You are not small!" ”

"The mother praises, the concubine is terrified!" Xue Ke said lightly.

The prince heard Xue Ke's voice in the palace, and in a hurry, he opened the door of the palace and rushed out: "Why are you here?" ”

The queen frowned at the prince's somewhat rude behavior, and said, "The emperor ordered you not to leave the palace, why don't you even ignore the emperor's words now?" ”

The prince took a closer look at Xue Ke, although he saw that she was dressed differently than usual, but fortunately, there was no damage. Xue Ke used his eyes to signal him not to be impatient, and the prince settled down and saluted the queen: "I don't know what Niangniang's will is here?" ”

Although the queen was unhappy, her face was still full of manners, and she said: "On reasoning, this palace is your mother, and you are also your aunt, seeing you like this, this palace can't bear it, and has pleaded with your father and emperor many times." Today, the emperor opened the holy grace and asked you to go back to the East Palace for reflection. ”

Although the prince has also received fragmentary news in the past few days, and he has expected it in his heart, but he has been detained for a few days, and he still sounds a little trance, and he glanced at Xue Ke, Xue Ke nodded lightly to him, and his heart was a little calmer, but he had always been expressionless, and bowed and saluted: "The minister is grateful for the grace of heaven." Thank you, mother. ”

The queen smiled kindly and said: "Your father asked the palace to admonish and admonish you, and the palace thought that you had been thinking about it for the past few days, and the admonition was waived." It's just that this time you're doing ridiculous! After speaking, there was an incredible disgusted expression on his face, he looked at Xue Ke again, picked up the handkerchief in his hand and nodded his lips, and sighed: "Concubine Hua is your father's concubine, you have this idea is a big unfilial piety, and there is this kind of bestiality, hey, this palace is also a poor sister who went early, you have been used to it in the East Palace since you were a child, and no one has disciplined you well." ”

Before the queen could continue, although the prince was angry in his heart, his face was still calm. Xue Ke chuckled on the side and said, "The queen mother's words are wrong! Now rumors are rife in the capital, the emperor asked His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to run errands in the palace before, and now in order to quell the rumors, let His Royal Highness go back to the East Palace, isn't it? Why did what Niangniang said be the same as what she heard on the streets, but it was a rumor that spread to the palace? Or did it come out of the palace? The concubine was puzzled. ”

There was a faint layer of anger on the queen's face, she knew that no matter how difficult she was today, she still had to let go of the prince, but she had already had murderous intentions towards Xue Ke, and the last time she heard the report that King Qin had been snubbing the women in the palace for this woman, she was even more hateful. At this time, he laughed angrily and said: "Rong Ruo, this palace is talking, where did this thing come from that does not know the rules and barks?" ”

Rong Ruo stepped forward and saluted: "Qi Yu Niangniang, this is an unnamed concubine of His Royal Highness the Prince, and the emperor just said that it is a thing that is not on the stage." ”

"Hmm!" The queen took a good look at her nails and said: "The master of the East Palace itself has no rules, and it is not strange to raise such a woman, Rong Ruo, since the prince did not teach her the rules, you can teach her." ”

"Yes, slave and maid." Rong Ruo took two steps forward and walked in front of Xue Ke, and was about to raise his hand, when the prince stepped forward unhurriedly, Rong Ruo was startled, and quickly withdrew his hand, his nails scratched the prince's coat.

"Aunt Rong Ruo, is this going to teach Lonely?" The prince asked mockingly.

"Slaves don't dare." Rong Ruo hurriedly took a step back and knelt down to plead guilty.

"What? Is the prince going to protect her? The queen was happy in her heart, wouldn't it be better if she could use Xue Kesheng to do something: "This palace can't teach a cheap maid a lesson?" Or does the prince no longer have me as the queen mother in his eyes? ”

"Niangniang's words are serious, Tang is a person from the East Palace, and she is also the concubine of the minister, and she dare not shirk the responsibility of the minister's education, she must teach her well when she goes back, and she will not bother Niangniang."