The mist was shrouded, and Concubine Xian lazily leaned on the bath basin and said: "This incense is made of ylang-ylang and cnidium monnieri with a variety of herbs, and it is not much harm to the body. She closed her eyes tightly, as if she was very tired, and said, "When I have a fetus in my womb, I will never need it again." ”

Luo Qing saw that she looked tired, so she was silent.

On this day, the heavy snow stopped, and the sun was warm but not scorching, bright but mild. In the imperial garden, the flowers are withered, and the false stone pavilions are thick with snow, which is quite decadent. Concubine Lu invited the nobles of Wang and the nobles of Hubei to idle in the stone path, talking about trivial matters and passing the time. Wang Guidao: "The incident ahead is in an uproar, and I don't know what the Long Live Lord thinks in his heart." ”

Concubine Lu gathered the dark red and gold rabbit fur cloak and said, "I heard that for that matter, the palace people in the internal affairs government locked up a few rooms, and I estimate that the long-lived lord still cares about it in his heart, but he can't put it on the surface." He whispered again and said, "These days, Long Live Lord hasn't gone to Yikun Palace, nor has he turned over that brand, but he has cheapened Concubine Shu for nothing, and let her take advantage of the loophole." I also heard people say that Shu Concubine's couch kung fu is very good! After that, he laughed with Wang Guiren.

The nobles were still young and had a shallow face, and when they talked about the things in the boudoir, they blushed. When Concubine Lu saw her appearance, she joked with her: "You are still young, you have to learn from Master Shu to please the Lord Wansui." The nobleman's face became redder and redder, and he said in a low voice: "I haven't seen the emperor for several months, Master Lu laughed." Wang Guidao: "Don't say it's you, the last time I saw the Long Live Lord, I still ran into it once when I went to the Queen Mother's palace to ask for peace." ”

The three of them were talking, and suddenly the sound of jingling bells and laughter came, and said: "The emperor said that Kaichun would take me to Chengde Palace to enjoy the fun, I thought that it was not interesting for me to go alone, so I told the emperor that it would be interesting to have the sisters in the palace go together." ”

Cheng Guiren's eyes were shining, and he asked, "How can the emperor respond to you?" ”

Concubine Shu smiled and said, "The emperor is very happy, and he praises me for being virtuous." The little nobles beside him, Xiao Chang, showed admiration one after another, and sighed. They are all sixteen or seventeen girls, all of them are pure and lively, wearing red and green, walking in the barren white snow, which is more and more eye-catching. Concubine Lu turned the rockery, stepped forward, and said, "Who did I think it was?" It was originally Shu Concubine's sister. Concubine Shu knew that Concubine Lu had the queen as her backer and had deep qualifications, so she didn't dare to offend too much, so she bowed and said, "Sister Lu is good." Concubine Lu hurriedly returned the salute, and the rest of the people also saluted according to their ranks.

Wang Guiren said with a smile: "If you can really go out of the palace with Hu next year, it will be thanks to the blessing of Master Shu." Shu Concubine listened to the face, and said politely: "Sister Wang is an old man in the palace, and the emperor will definitely bring her sister with her because she misses the old feelings." Wang Guiren took the opportunity to say: "When the time comes, I will have to bother Master Shu to say a few more good words in front of the holy driver." ”

Shu Concubine said proudly: "That's nature. ”

Even the royal nobles were stammered, and the others were even more unwilling to miss the opportunity, so they laughed and flattered one after another. Shu Concubine is among them, like a fish in water, and she is very complacent. It was in the midst of laughter and noise that a bright yellow puppy suddenly burst out from the foot of the skirt robe, making everyone scream in fright and avoid it everywhere. Someone in the distance called, "Lion, don't run around, come here!" ”

Following the prestige, I saw a woman wearing a shadow-colored smoke cage palace skirt, covered with an emerald green brocade feather satin cloak, her face was indifferent and quiet, standing alone under the dead wood, looking at it from afar. Everyone was busy curtsied, but Concubine Lu stood still. Qingcheng nodded slightly, neither came nor greeted, just waved his hand and said, "Lion, come here, don't go far." ”

Concubine Lu has always been dissatisfied with Qingcheng, and always felt that she was still a little Chang who was not favored in her palace, and seeing that she had no intention of paying attention to everyone, she thought that she was holding a shelf, so she sneered: "Pretend to be high!" The voice was not loud or small, Qingcheng listened to it clearly, and he was too lazy to care. Concubine Shu echoed: "Plain is like this in front of us, and it is another appearance in front of the emperor. ”

I don't know who sighed and said, "What's the way, the emperor likes it!" ”

There was silence all around, and no one spoke anymore. Shu Concubine turned around abruptly and slapped the person who spoke in the face. Frightened, Xiao Chang was stunned, and squeaked: "Sister Shu..."Shu Concubine said coldly: "What, I just want to beat you, how?" Don't talk nonsense next time! Xiao Changzai was wronged, and his eyes were red, but he didn't dare to cry.

Qingcheng didn't know when she came over, she picked up the lion who was shaving snow under the tree, and said lightly: "The harem concubines have made mistakes, they should be dealt with by the emperor, and they can't be lynched. Shu Concubine was like a firecracker that was lit, and it exploded in an instant, and said, "I can't teach you a lesson!" When Concubine Lu saw the two arguing, she was so happy to stand next to the play and watch the play, how could she dissuade it, the bigger the trouble, the better.

Wang Guiren has always been knowledgeable, and she is also a Han girl, when she heard Shu Concubine's words, she was no longer very pleasant, so she smiled and said: "They are all sisters, and they don't look good when they quarrel." It's getting late, so let's go back to the palace. ”

Concubine Shu was willing to give up, and said angrily: "What is good-looking or not, even if I am wrong, I can't teach her a lesson." What is she? followed the imperial doctor's tugging, and behaved ambiguously, so that everyone in the palace knew it, what face did she have to say about me? ”

Qingcheng is no matter how good her temperament is, she can't hear others say that she misbehaves, so she said: "This matter is just a rumor, not true, the Internal Affairs Office is also investigating, Master Shu must not talk nonsense!" Shu Concubine replied: "Rumors? Investigate? If the emperor believes you, how will he snub you? Besides, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has long since stopped investigating! Everyone in the palace knows in their hearts, and they are talking about it behind their backs, so what can I do? Before the words fell, an angry roar came from behind the tree: "Have you said enough?" ”

Concubine Shu was frightened, and before she could come back to her senses, the emperor was already standing in front of her. He reduced his clothes, wearing a golden dragon robe with Ming Huangjiang silk, his body was long and jade, and his cold face did not have a trace of smile. Everyone hurriedly bent their knees to ask for peace, and Concubine Shu knew that there was a big disaster, so she hurriedly knelt down and said: "The concubine lost her words, please forgive the emperor." With a grim expression, he said with tears in his eyes: "The concubine is also angry, since she was a child, even my great-grandfather never said that I am not at all, and now I was suddenly admonished by the pure master, and I was a little annoyed." "Her great-grandfather was the Lord of Nalan Mingzhu in the former dynasty, who lived in the cabinet for 30 years, and the emperor respected him the most.

She couldn't hide this little bit of caution in front of the emperor. But the emperor did keep the Nalan family's thin face, so he did not pierce her, and said: "The rank of the pure noble concubine is higher than yours, since she admonishes you, you should listen carefully, how can you refute it?" What's even more hateful is that he even spoke disrespectfully! Concubine Shu saw that the emperor was really angry, and she didn't care whether the ground was mud or snow, so she kowtowed and said: "The concubine deserves death, please forgive the emperor!" ”

Concubine Lu sighed secretly, fortunately she didn't talk too much just now, so she was able to escape the catastrophe. The lion felt uncomfortable when he was strangled in his arms, so he twisted his buttocks, broke free, jumped off the ground, and threw himself on the emperor. Qingcheng involuntarily took two steps with it, maybe the action was too hasty, and maybe the ground was a little slippery, her left foot tripped her right foot, and she rushed forward.

The emperor's eyes were quick, and he immediately took two big steps and stretched out his arms to hold her in his arms. The lion roared childishly as he circled the two happily. The two hugged each other tightly, and Qingcheng didn't see the emperor for a few days, and his heart couldn't help but pound. The emperor hurriedly helped her up, and said anxiously: "Did you break your foot?" ”

Qingcheng was stunned and said, "Oh, no." Lu Concubine and the others had never seen such a situation, and they thought that this pure noble concubine had some means. The emperor looked back and forth, and the people around him all hung their heads sideways, looking embarrassed.

A subtle smile tugged at the corner of his lips, leaned over to her ear, and whispered, "If you're always like this, they'll think you did it on purpose." Do you always fall in order to seduce ,,,? Last time, and last time..."Qingcheng pushed him away in a panic and said, "No, I just accidentally stepped into the air." ”

The emperor asked, "Why don't you even have anyone around to serve you?" ”

Qingcheng replied: "Originally, Hai'an came with me, but I felt cold again, so I asked her to go back and get the copper stove." She glanced at Shu Concubine who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "Let her get up, she will hurt her knee when she kneels, so that you don't feel distressed again." ”

The emperor pinched the back of her hand and said to Concubine Shu: "Did you hear that, since the pure concubine intercedes for you, I will spare you once, get up." After a pause, he said sharply: "It's just gossip in the palace world, you are the master of the harem, how can you lose your proportion?" In the future, if I hear such gossip again, no matter who it is, I will not be spared! He rarely spoke harshly in front of the concubine, and when everyone heard it, they all trembled and replied "yes" in unison.

Shu Concubine knelt for a while, only to feel a big loss of face, her heart was tumbling like boiling water, but her face was full of deference and humility, and said: "Thank you for your kindness, thank you for your forgiveness." Seeing that Concubine Shu was frustrated, Concubine Lu was simply overjoyed, and stepped forward and said attentively: "This is close to Zhongcui Palace, does the emperor want to go to the palace of his concubines to sit down?" ”

Wang Guiren shook his head lightly, and said in his heart: "Concubine Lu is really a pot that can't be opened!" Sure enough, the emperor said, "I just went to the elder brother's office, and I passed by the imperial garden and saw that you were all there, just to have fun on the way." There was something going on in the previous dynasty, I can't stay for a long time, and I'll go to Zhongcui Palace to see you another day. "That's it, it's a lot of face.

Seeing that the emperor was leaving with the pure concubine, Concubine Shu was so angry that she gritted her teeth, and the honest nobles and others saw that her face was pale and blue, for fear of disaster to herself, so they all looked for a reason to retire.

Hai'an took the white copper stove, walked to the palace street, and saw the emperor returning with green oranges, and hurriedly greeted him to say goodbye. The emperor said: "You are Qingcheng's personal maid, what the master didn't expect, you have to think about it for her." In the future, go out with more palace people, and prepare the things you should take as soon as possible. Don't wait until you know you don't. Hai An said in fear: "Yes, the slave is guilty." ”

Qingcheng said: "I want to be clean and pure, and not let people follow, what do I blame her for?" "The north wind whistled and scraped on people's faces like grit, and it hurt with dryness. The shredded hair on her sideburns flew everywhere, and she couldn't help but sigh and shiver.

The emperor glanced at Wu Shulai, Wu Shulai understood, and hurriedly presented the apricot yellow flat gold embroidered dragon pattern in his hand, the emperor picked up and wrapped it on the green orange, tied the golden silk with his own hands, wiped the broken hair on her face, and said in a low voice: "Treat the slaves, you must have favors, but not too much, and you can control them with grace and power." ”

Qingcheng didn't know what he meant by this, nodded thoughtfully, and said half-loudly: "So you haven't seen me for dozens of days, do you also want to "grace and power"? The emperor was stunned, he naturally didn't want any "grace and power", but he must not admit that he was jealous.

Seeing that he was silent and didn't speak, Qingcheng's eyes were covered with a layer of fog, and he said in a deep voice: "Could it be that you are angry with me because of Imperial Doctor Jian's affairs and the gossip in the palace?" Actually..."She wanted to say that Jian Yuheng was my own brother, but when it came to her mouth, she was afraid that she would not be able to say it clearly. Besides, the matter has been kept strictly hidden at home, and she doesn't want to make it public.

The emperor naturally didn't admit it, and he said impatiently: "No, no, I've been too busy lately. He said a few words, but he always felt that the reason was not sufficient, and explained: "At the end of the year, the affairs of the foreign court and the border pass are cumbersome, and the dispatch of officials inside and outside the court, as well as the promotion and punishment, must be decided in these days. Again—" He glanced at Qingcheng and said, "You don't understand it." ”

Qingcheng palms held his hands, his hands were large and rough, warm and cool, like two pieces of ancient jade. She said: "Jian Yuheng and I are innocent, and there is no ambiguity. I don't care what others say, and I don't want to care. But you are my pillow person, the only person I can rely on in this life, if you don't believe me, I really can't be loved. The emperor listened carefully to her story, and in his heart, like a drowning man suddenly seeing a life-saving straw, he suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, and densely overflowed with peaceful joy.

He said: "I know that Jian Yuheng is your cousin, and you have lived in his house for a few years, and the friendship between brother and sister makes you behave kindly, which makes people misunderstand. I know all of them, and I believe in you. Qingcheng was stunned, it turned out that he knew everything, he was the emperor, and it was too easy to know something. The tip of her nose was sour, but she was a little moved, and gently snuggled into his arms, as if she could hide from the cold of winter, giving birth to a warm spring sun.

All the way back to the Heart Cultivation Palace, Wu Shulai carefully coveted the emperor's face and did not dare to say more. Although the emperor smiled in front of the pure noble concubine, he turned around, and his face was stiff, and the clouds were thick. The emperor changed his clothes, stood under the window for a long time, and suddenly said, "Summoning the envoy of the Qin Academy." Wu Shulai "chirped" and then withdrew to pass the order. Within a while, an old man came with a crawling belt, knelt down and asked directly, "What's wrong with the emperor's holy body?" ”

The emperor raised his face, Wu Shulai understood, and led the palace people who were waiting in the palace to retreat quietly. The emperor said: "At the beginning of this summer, it rained in Jiangsu for months, and flash floods broke out, and now the rain has stopped, but the plague is raging, and the people are not living." The scarcity of local medicinal materials and the lack of medical skills of doctors made the plague more and more rampant. I intend to send a few imperial doctors from the Imperial Hospital to support, what does Qin Aiqing think? ”

Since it is a major matter for the country and the people, where does the Qin Yuan envoy dare to refute the holy will, he said: "The emperor cares about the people, and the ministers should do their best." The emperor nodded and said, "You are also old, you are tired of traveling, and the plague is very contagious, I am afraid that you will not be able to hold on." ”

The envoy of the Qin Yuan listened to the emperor's mercy, and became more and more grateful to Dai De, and kowtowed: "The emperor is the lord of the world, and he has an order for his ministers. The emperor smiled slightly and said, "I still have a use for you to keep, and I am reluctant to let you go to the soup!" After a pause, he said, "I know that there are several imperial doctors in the imperial hospital who are young, in good health, and have good medical skills, so it is better to send them." If you don't get something dirty, you can always rely on a good foundation and try your best to cure it. ”

The envoy of the Qin court couldn't ask for it, so he said: "What the emperor said is extremely true. After thinking for a moment, he said: "The minister thinks that Huang Yuanjing, Ren Xikun and Jian Yuheng are not bad for the three imperial doctors, they are all young and prosperous, and they are quite senior, and letting them go out to experience and experience is also good for the growth of medical skills in the future." ”

This was exactly what the emperor wanted, so he smiled lightly: "It's so good, it's up to you to arrange it." ”

Yikun Palace was very lively, Er Qi's leg was almost better, sitting under the corridor of the small kitchen staring at Huang Er's cut and washed mutton slices, beef slices, and pork slices. Huang Er smiled and said, "My aunt, it's a cold day, you can go in and bake the fire." I'm staring here, you just have to swallow your heart! Er Qi raised his eyebrows and smiled: "I'm not afraid that you won't do it cleanly, and you don't dare, this is prepared for the Long Live Lord, if there is a little commotion, I can't spare you - I look at you because I think it's interesting, I want to learn from it, and when I reach the age and leave the palace, I can still have a craft, right?" ”

Huang was doing things neatly, his eyes were still staring at the palace people who were brushing underneath, but he flattered: "Don't hide it from my aunt and grandmother, I will still look at the appearance of you, you will definitely be able to marry a good family in the future, you don't even need to dip a little cold water, just be the main mother and grandmother, and be served by others." ”

Er Qi laughed happily and said, "The mouth is better than me!" ”

Qingcheng stood in the flower hall and watched the palace people fiddling with the dishes and chopsticks, setting the charcoal fire, putting the copper hanger to cook the soup pot, the fragrant juice boiling and tumbling, boiling the bone marrow in the pig's hind leg bones thick and white. As the night gradually closes, dozens of veil palace lamps are lit in the house, and the fragrance of hot pot spreads all over the house, and the smell makes people swallow their saliva. Beef slices, lamb slices, pork slices, mushrooms, mushroom vegetables, green onions, garlic sprouts, and spicy bean sauce are placed on a large table.

The emperor was late, and smiled from afar: "Today is going to feast on your mouth." When he saw the meat on the table, he was stunned: "What? Eating meat again? Qingcheng blessed his body, invited him to take a seat, and said: "Only this once, not an example." The emperor sighed and said, "You are the one who makes the rules, and you are the one who breaks the rules!" ”

Qingcheng said: "It's you who has a good mouth!" ”

The emperor has never been very gluttonous, always eating five or six minutes full, just drinking two sips of sake. But today, I feel that my appetite is great, and even the taste of eating shabu-shabu is different, it is really delicious, and I said with a smile: "What did you ask someone to put in the pot, why does it taste different from that in the imperial dining room?" Qingcheng drank most of the wine with him, his cheeks were as red as a glow, and he said slightly drunk: "Mutton is the same mutton, beef is also the same beef, all the sauces, the steaming process, are in accordance with the rules of the imperial dining room, half a point is not bad." But, but...."She stammered, and the Emperor had to come forward and ask, "But what?" ”

Qingcheng climbed onto the emperor's shoulder, put his lips to his ear, burped, and said in a low voice: "But I have you in my heart, remember you, miss you, and when I prepare a meal, I always think about what you like to eat and what you don't like to eat..." The emperor was very good at drinking, and knowing that she was drunk, he patted her on the back to comfort her. Qingcheng muttered intermittently: "Your Majesty... I have you in my heart... Do you have me in your heart? Still is... Or..."The throat was pantothenic, her stomach was tumbling, and before the emperor could react, she spit it out, making the emperor's hands full of filth.

Hai An was waiting beside him, he was already frightened, and he stepped forward tremblingly, and said, "Your Majesty, slave maid..." Qingcheng closed his eyes as if he had fallen into a dream, and whispered in his ear. He had never seen a woman drunk, and although he vomited all over his body, he did not feel sick. He wanted to hear what she was saying, but her voice was getting lower, lower, like a dream whisper, inaudible.

The palace maids had already brought warm water into the house, and Hai An said: "Your Majesty, let the slaves and maids clean your hands." ”

The emperor said: "You help the pure master to go in and change her clothes, wash her face, and let them serve." He wanted to let go of Qingcheng and let Hai'an hold him, but he didn't want to, Qingcheng suddenly exerted his strength and hugged his neck tightly, but he refused to let go. Hai'an didn't dare to use brute force, he was so anxious that he was sweating profusely on his forehead, and he was afraid of hurting Qingcheng and annoying the emperor.

In the end, the emperor was magnanimous and said, "Forget it, just let her hold it." Hai'an was embarrassed and said: "The emperor's clothes are dirty..."The emperor glanced at it, couldn't help glaring at Qingcheng, and said helplessly: "Your master is good, all the dirty things are spit on me, and her own clothes are very clean." After speaking, let her hang her neck, reach out to unbutton the dragon robe, hurriedly take off her coat, and clean her hands and face.

He took a towel and carefully wiped her face and neck, and carried her to the bed. The two of them lay in each other's arms, and she curled up in his arms like a child, holding her hands tightly, for fear that if she relaxed a little, he would disappear. He let her pilllow on his arm, gently took off the hairpin for her, loosened her bun, she had a faint fragrance on her body, the familiar smell made him feel stable and peaceful, and he also fell asleep quietly and silently.