Scattered the court, the internal affairs office carried a few baskets of ice bricks to the heart of the palace to send it, the emperor sat on the kang to support his forehead and listened to Zhang Tingyu talk about the art of Confucius and Mencius, his mouth was closed one by one, his head was full of sweat beads, and the oil was smooth, and the emperor couldn't help but smile when he looked at it. Zhang Tingyu didn't know what the emperor was laughing at, and said in a trembling heart: "If the slave is wrong, please remind the Lord of Long Live to remind me." ”

The emperor deliberately teased him, and said: "Zhang Aiqing, can ice bricks often be used in the house?" ”

Zhang Tingyu didn't know which pot of boiling water the emperor was mentioning, so he said: "It's not as good as in the palace, it's only used to eat." ”

The emperor said, "So you don't want to go?" ”

Zhang Tingyu was stunned for a moment, looked up at the emperor, and didn't know how to reply. The emperor felt more and more interesting, raised his eyebrows, pinched a string of Buddha beads in his hand and fiddled, and said leisurely: "You are full of Confucius and morality, endless, won't it be to rest in the Heart Cultivation Palace?" Also, there are four or five jars of ice cubes in the Heart Cultivation Hall to cool down, and you don't want to leave because of the cold, and I don't blame you. Why don't I reward you with a few more bowls of ice fruits? Ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to send a few baskets of ice bricks to your house? Zhang Tingyu was frightened in his heart, knowing that the emperor was tired of preaching, so he hurriedly bowed down and said: "The slave is kneeling down!" Seeing the emperor waving his sleeves, he trembled and retreated.

After a while, the head of the imperial hospital asked to see him. The scorching sun was hot, and the emperor was also angry, and said angrily: "Can't you let me rest without a moment of stability?" He threw the Buddha beads down to the bottom, and the texture of the white jade was shattered into powder slag. Wu Shulai didn't dare to force his words, but only said in a low voice: "Long live Lord Qi, it's about the dispatch of Imperial Doctor Jian." ”

The emperor was stunned, and then said: "Xuan! ”

The imperial doctor in charge entered the hall, and detailed the words and deeds of the three imperial doctors in the plague land of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and finally said: "Now that the plague is gone, the people can be healthy, all because the emperor is wise and powerful, and there are gods to protect him." After a pause, he said earnestly: "Weichen bowed to the emperor's will and ordered the three imperial doctors to return to the palace on an errand." ”

The emperor bowed his head slightly and said, "They ask for the lives of the people and save the lives of the people, which is the reward." He glanced at Wu Shulai and said, "Spread my will, take three hundred taels of silver from the Internal Affairs Office and send it to the imperial hospital for distribution." After pondering for a long time, he said: "There was a war in the southwest, and there were many casualties among the officers and soldiers. Since there are people in the imperial hospital who are acting outside the palace, it is better to go there together, and it will save me trouble. ”

The imperial doctor in charge hesitated, and secretly glanced at Wu Shulai, who put his right hand on his left wrist, signaling that the emperor was in a bad mood, and told him to talk less and listen to things. The imperial doctor in charge had to say: "Weichen obeys the order." ”

The emperor was too hot, so he asked Feng Chasi to drink the iced tits, and felt a little refreshed, so he got up and paced out, Wu Shulai tiptoed behind, and said in a low voice: "Where do you want to go?" The emperor said, "I'll go and see the third elder brother." ”

Yikun palace is so busy that people turn over on their backs, less than noon, the palace maids and eunuchs are lined up outside the moral hall, and the honor guard palace people are holding spittoons, Buddha's hands, towels and other things to serve, and another eunuch holds up the Ming Huang Hua cover umbrella, posing for the concubine momentum.

Qingcheng is wearing an apricot yellow dragon tuan gown, wearing a long chain of Dongzhu, and the red hairpin is full of hairpins, and the honorable and luxurious Ying Ying stands under the umbrella, looking forward to it. Hai'an was afraid that she would get heated, and said: "Master, the sun is scorching at noon, you go to the porch to hide from the sun, and when the third elder brother comes, the slave will call you again." When Qingcheng thought that he could see the third elder brother anytime and anywhere in the future, his heart was inevitably turbulent and he couldn't calm down. She twisted the handkerchief in her hand, and said with Heyue: "Don't be afraid, I want to carry him into Yikun Palace with my own hands." ”

At the end of the palace street, a bright yellow sedan chair turned out, and the green orange heart suddenly struck, and then looked, knowing that it was a holy car, he was faintly lost. The emperor got off the sedan chair, shouted hot in his mouth, and saw that Qingcheng was in a trance, and he didn't take care of himself, so he couldn't help but regret it secretly, and sighed: "If you have a son, you don't want a father." Er Qi listened, sneered, and was scared half to death, kneeling down and begging for mercy: "The slave and maid are out of order, the slave and maid deserve to die, please forgive the emperor!" The Emperor did not take it to heart, shook his hand, and motioned for her to get up.

Qingcheng took his hand, smiled lightly, and said, "I'm nervous." ”

The emperor held her slender fingers and said with a smile: "Serving the prince, but it is a great favor, what are you nervous about?" Qingcheng shook his head lightly and said, "I don't know either." He has always been raised by my brother's grandmother, and I am afraid that he will not kiss me. She was delicate and soft, and she went straight to the bottom of the emperor's heart, and he said: "The third elder brother was born to you, how can he not kiss you?" After a pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "If he doesn't kiss you, see if I beat him!" ”

Qingcheng glared at him quietly, smiling and not speaking.

At noon, Mama held the third elder brother from the sedan chair held by the elder brother, turned into Waigong Street, entered from Donghua Gate, passed through several Yongdao palace corridors, and finally arrived at Yikun Gate. The grandmother holding the third elder brother stepped forward and said, "The third elder brother asks the emperor and the concubine to say goodbye." After a pause, he said, "The slave asks the emperor and the pure master to say goodbye." ”

Qingcheng had stretched out her arms, and Mama hurriedly handed them to her, and the third elder brother's black eyes like grapes looked around, babbling in his mouth. Qingcheng kissed his chubby cheek twice and said, "Baby, call my mother quickly." ”

The emperor smiled and teased, grabbed his little hand and kneaded it, and said with a kind face: "Come, call Emperor Ama!" The third elder brother suddenly burst into tears, and shouted in a milky voice: "I want grandma, I want mama..."

Mama was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she said respectfully: "Don't worry, master, the third elder brother is not used to it, and it will be fine in two days." Besides, at noon, the third elder brother has to take a lunch break, and he is having a temper at the moment! Qingcheng hugged the third elder brother and coaxed all the way, all the way inside, and when he arrived at the flower hall of Daode Hall, he cried even more fiercely, Qingcheng was quite discouraged, so he had to hand it over to his grandmother to sleep.

The emperor coaxed Qingcheng like a grandmother coaxing the third elder brother, and said, "Children, it's all like this, don't worry, just wait for him to get used to it." If he doesn't listen to you, I'll send him back to my brother's house!" Qingcheng stomped his feet and said, "He is my blood and flesh, as long as he is not married and has children, he should stay by my side." The emperor hurriedly said: "Okay, good." ”

In the evening, the grandmother of the Daode Hall suddenly came and said, "The third elder brother is crying non-stop, maybe he has a fever, please ask the master Xuan Imperial Doctor to come and take a look." "Qingcheng is now a concubine, and she can also directly summon the imperial doctor. But she was not very relieved, so she waited for the imperial doctor to prescribe a prescription, decocted the decoction, and invited another imperial doctor to take a look, so she dared to give it to the third elder brother. At night, the emperor was lucky, and there were several jars of ice bricks in front of the couch, which was cold and foggy, and it was cold.

Qingcheng said: "The third elder brother has a fever, I am very worried, I don't dare to believe too much in others, can the emperor transfer Imperial Doctor Jian back to the palace on an errand?" The top of the bed was covered with a thin tent of Hunan concubine-colored pomegranate patterns, and the two palace gauze lamps were shining with a rippling luster, and the emperor smoothed the frowning lines on her eyebrows, and said with a smile: "The imperial doctors in the palace are all selected and have excellent medical skills, what can't be trusted?" Qingcheng looked at his face, as if he saw something, and said, "Are you still suspicious of me and Imperial Doctor Jian?" ”

The emperor pursed his lips and smiled, and said slowly: "The whole world is mine, so I won't be careful." ”

Qingcheng Wan'er, propped his head and kissed him on the face, and said, "I know you are Mingjun." He added: "If the plague in Jiangsu and Zhejiang is under control, it is better to announce that the imperial doctors will come back earlier." The emperor's face did not change and said: "Wait for me to find an empty question." Qingcheng snorted, and was about to speak, but the emperor had leaned over and kissed her on the lips, and said vaguely: "I gave the third elder brother back to you, didn't you think about thanksgiving?" He stroked down the smooth and tender neck, and the summer shirt was light and delicate.

Since giving birth to the third elder brother, the emperor only felt that she was more and more delicate and cute, and he couldn't put it down.

He muttered, "Wouldn't it be better if there was another one?" ”

Qingcheng didn't know what he meant, and asked, "What's better?" His movements became heavier and heavier, as if he was about to push her... Qingcheng remembered something and said, "The third elder brother is more than a year old, it's time to name him." ”

The emperor was in a critical place, and he simply responded to his requests, and said: "Ming'er will let the Internal Affairs Office draft words." ”

Early the next morning, Qingcheng asked Mama to take the third elder brother for a walk in the back garden. The lion is very human, and treats the third elder brother like an orange, circling around him and licking his little hands. The third elder brother also likes lions, and chases and plays with lions with his little feet. But after half a day's work, the third elder brother became much closer to Qingcheng, and called her "Mother Concubine Niangniang" or "Mother" with milk.

After the third elder brother took a nap, Qingcheng returned to the main hall for dinner. Erqi thought carefully and asked the small kitchen to prepare lotus leaf soup. With the white plum and sandalwood dough, chisel out hundreds of bean-sized patterns of various colors, after cooking, boil a stick of incense in the chicken consommé, and then put the tender lotus leaves that are finely chopped and sprouted into the stirring, and wait for the lotus fragrance to reach the nose, and then you can start the pot.

The green orange was used, and I ate two large bowls of sour bamboo shoots.

After the meal was withdrawn, the palace people waited for the green orange to wash with spittoons, tea and other things. Hai'an presented the lotus seed tea again, and said with a smile: "It is a newly picked lotus seed this year, which was presented by the Internal Affairs Office in the morning, and it is still stained with dew." Qingcheng took two sips and said, "Go and tell the Internal Affairs Office, just say that the lotus seeds are very good, and they are very much in line with my heart." After a pause, he said: "The lotus leaf soup I ate just now tastes good, and it is cool and relieves the heat, you ask Er Qiming'er to get two more pots, and I will send some to the third elder brother to eat." ”

Hai'an agreed to go down and order, but after a while, he lifted the curtain and entered the house, saying, "Master, Master Yu is here, do you see it or not?" Qingcheng thought for a moment and said, "Let her in." Before the words fell, Concubine Yu had already arrived at the bottom of the corridor and said with a smile: "Pure master Wanfu Jin'an." Qingcheng smiled: "It's a hot day, it's hard for you to come to see me." So he invited her to sit on the kang and talked eloquently.

Since Qingcheng drove out of the Circuit Palace, Concubine Yu was busy with the promotion of the seal, and she had not even come to Yikun Palace. She went into the house and looked at the ornaments, and her heart was full of jealousy.

Yikun Palace is the head of the six palaces in the west, and it also has the meaning of "auxiliary". Enter the hall with rosewood flat throne, six imperial green lotus lotus large screens, and sandalwood incense table, palace fan, the window is decorated with 10,000 characters group longevity pattern, the center is inlaid with a huge piece of glass, illuminating the house is several clean and bright, transparent and bright.

Concubine Yu looked around and sneered: "It's better for you to be here, such a large piece of glass, even Changchun Palace is not like this." Qingcheng said: "The queen is the master of the middle palace, and she doesn't dare to compare." She stroked a strand of broken hair between her sideburns, looked at Concubine Yu's smile, and for some reason, she suddenly remembered that the emperor told her to beware of Concubine Yu a long time ago, and couldn't help but pause, and ordered Erqi: "Go and serve a pot of tea." ”

Er Qi responded: "Yesterday, Long live the Lord asked someone to send half a jar of Bozhou Maojian, I heard from the Ministry of Internal Affairs that it was a good tea that was paid on the next head, and there were only two jars in total, only the Queen Mother and the Queen Palace got it." ”

Qingcheng smiled and said, "What's the gossip, just go cook it." Erqi happily replied, "Yes." The girl who was also in charge of the tea bowl took a whole set of white jade and red glazed tea cups and carefully carried them out.

Concubine Yu restrained her thoughts, was as affectionate as ever, and said with a smile: "Sister is blessed to be able to serve the third elder brother personally." is not like us, mother and son are separated, and they are not allowed to see each other. Looking at the string of jade bracelets on the kang table, it was clear and clear, and I didn't know where it was a priceless thing, but it was only thrown away.

She said gloomily: "Since I became pregnant, the emperor rarely summoned me, if one day I can be like my sister, I would raise my fifth elder brother by myself, I would really die ten years early." ”

Qingcheng looked at her, but she was sincere, thinking of her third elder brother, empathizing, and was about to comfort her, but Hai'an opened the curtain and came in, and said, "Master, long live the lord is here." Concubine Yu didn't want to bump into the emperor, so she hurriedly got up to greet her. Qingcheng took off her shoes and crooked them on the kang, and was about to put them on when the emperor walked up to her, waved his hand at her and said, "You are crooked." He sat down where Concubine Yu got up.

Concubine Yu respectfully bent her knees and said, "The emperor is blessed with Jin'an." ”

The emperor motioned for her to sit down, and said to Qingcheng, "I have chosen a name for the third elder brother and brought it to you to see." As he spoke, he glanced at Wu Shulai, Wu Shulai bowed down and handed over a small piece of juan paper, Qingcheng chose to open it and looked at it, and the word "Zhang" was written on the paper with a vermilion royal pen.

Qingcheng curled the tip of his tongue slightly and whispered, "Zhang." ”

The emperor said: "The third elder brother is the character of "Yong", and "Zhang" is a ritual weapon, which is a first-class jade, and I hope that he will have jade-like character and virtue in the future. Qingcheng read again: "Yongzhang." Since the emperor entered the palace, Concubine Yu had not spoken yet, so she smiled and said: "The concubine listens to it well, and the cry is smooth." ”

Qingcheng buckled the piece of paper on the kang table, and smiled at the emperor: "It is the joy of making Zhang, and the meaning is good." In the future, when Yongzhang is sensible and knows Huang Ama's love, he will also feel relieved no matter when and where he is. ”

The emperor smiled: "That's exactly what it means. ”

The two behaved in a friendly manner, and there was no hindrance from the monarch and the minister, Concubine Yu looked at it, and became more and more unwilling, but her face did not show anything, she also wanted to ask for the name of the fifth elder brother, but she was restricted by the status and rank, and she couldn't speak. Qingcheng, as a mother, treated Concubine Yu with a little more pity, and she said: "I want to come to the Internal Affairs Office to draw up a lot of names, so it's better to pick one for the fifth elder brother." Concubine Yu's heart chuckled, and she said softly: "Sister Xie is missing." ”

Erqi took the tea and saluted, the emperor took two sips, felt that there was a fragrance between his teeth, and said with a smile: "Erqi's craftsmanship is getting better and better, and it is mellow." Er Qi smiled happily and said, "Long live Lord Xie's praise." Seeing that the emperor did not answer, Concubine Yu was embarrassed, and she dared not squeak more and more.

The emperor had something to do in the previous dynasty, so he could only sit down slightly, he brushed his sleeves out, and said: "Don't send it, the sun is scorching outside, and there is no heat." When he arrived at the door, Fang seemed to suddenly realize, turned around and said, "Yu Concubine." ”

Concubine Yu hurriedly said respectfully: "The concubine is here." ”

The emperor said with a colorless face: "The elder brothers in the palace are all named after the right age, you are a concubine, you should obey your duty, don't lose your sense of proportion in front of the pure concubine." His reprimand for no reason caught Concubine Yu off guard, her face was suddenly pale, her knees were weak, and she knelt down, clenching her teeth but not knowing what she was wrong, and said in a loud voice: "The concubine is guilty." ”

The emperor nodded and said, "It's good that you know your guilt, you have nothing to do in the future, don't bother Yikun Palace, you are the master of Zhongcui Palace, and you should be a model in the palace." If you are in a hurry, you can copy the scriptures and pray for the queen mother. ”

The tip of Concubine Yu's nose was sour and unbearable, but she didn't dare to cry in front of the emperor, she bowed to the ground and said, "The concubine respectfully obeys the emperor's teachings." The Emperor hummed and went away.

Qingcheng vaguely guessed the emperor's thoughts, helped Yu Concubine with both hands, and said: "It's all my fault, shouldn't be..." She was full of anger, grievances, and grief and had nowhere to vent, and she couldn't express it, so she had to say: "I won't come to see my sister, I will feel at ease when I see you well." So he resigned. Qingcheng didn't keep her, sent her to the bottom of the stairs, and turned back.

In the evening, the emperor went to the Daode Hall to visit the third elder brother, teased for a while, and saw the children crying and crying, so he became tired and pulled Qingcheng back to the main hall to rest. He sat cross-legged on the kang, stretched, and said, "It's still clean here." Qingcheng pursed her lips and smiled: "Just for a while, you can't stand it." ”

The emperor looked at the candle flame on the high table in a daze, and said, "There are really a lot of tricks for small things. ”

Qingcheng asked the palace people to move two palace yarn lamps from the side and put them on the kang table, and asked Hai An to take the sewing box and sit opposite the emperor to cut and fiddle. The emperor said: "Be careful of hurting your eyes, although Yongzhang's things are important, you don't have to do it yourself, they are done, you can pick and choose." Qingcheng kept talking about the warp and weft under the lamp, and said, "Why did you suddenly train Yu Concubine today?" She's going to be mad at me. ”

The emperor stretched out his hand to play with her sewing box at will, he was rarely idle, and watched her thread under the lamp without distraction, and his heart was as quiet as a clear pool, rippling with the wind. He said: "I always feel that Concubine Yu has a lot of worries, and sometimes I can't see through her, which is really annoying. Besides—" He paused, and added, "I used to see that she had saved you, and then I waited for her to look the other way. But since she was pregnant, gave birth to her third elder brother, and was promoted to the position of concubine, she was not very happy with her words and deeds. You should also beware of her, she is close to you, how can she be innocent? ”

Qingcheng asked him to find the silver thread in the box and handed it to her, "I know what you like?" Shu Concubine is always wrong, young, well-behaved, and when she speaks, she rings like a bell, and I like it when she listens to it. ”

She glanced at him and said, "I wasn't favored at that time, only Concubine Yu in Zhongcui Palace paid attention to me, how can I say that there is no reason?" The emperor still stopped at Shu Concubine's words and said, "I don't like jingling bells." He leaned on the kang table with his face propped up, stared straight at Qingcheng, and said, "I like to be quiet." ”

The night is as dark as ink, there is no moon and no stars, most of the lights in the Yikun Palace are extinguished, and only the house is bright and brilliant. The two of them whispered, they were not people who talked a lot on weekdays, but they could talk about the time when the rooster crowed. The lamp was dim and warm, and the emperor's voice came out like nothing, saying: "Don't keep worrying about making clothes for Yongzhang, you have to turn over and over again, and you are not afraid of being disgusted." ”

Qingcheng said: "Who said it was for Yongzhang?" ”

The emperor suddenly remembered that she used gold and silver threads when sewing, but it was not like making them for children, so he smiled and said: "There are dozens of palace people on the needlework in front of the emperor, as long as you eat well and dress well." Qingcheng's voice became more and more inaudible, and said, "I just want to do it for you." The emperor said: "You are my favorite concubine, so you should not touch the spring water with your fingers..."

At the end of the day, no one can hear it.

The sky had just dawned, and when the palace door was unlocked, Concubine Shu couldn't wait for a while, and announced Jiaoyu and went straight to Concubine Xian's bedroom to talk. Concubine Xian was in charge of the six palaces, and she always got up early, but when she saw Concubine Shu coming violently, she was stunned. Concubine Shun went to Concubine Xian's palace for breakfast every day, and knew that Concubine Shu wanted to see her, so she avoided behind the curtain.

Concubine Shu asked for peace according to the courtesy, and she didn't sit down, and said: "I have something to say to the master." Concubine Xian didn't know what was going on with her, so she waved her hand to let the palace people retreat. Shu Concubine said bluntly: "Although I am young, I also know how to do things. She took out the white porcelain jar from her cuff, slammed it on the case, and said, "Master Xian, what does this mean?" Otherwise, let me use mi incense for the emperor? If he likes me, I'll be happy. If he doesn't like me, I won't use such clumsy and despicable means. ”

Concubine Xian was calm, sat down on the kang, took two sips of Qingxin tea, calmed down, and said, "Clumsy? Vile? Don't forget, who asked someone to pour oil in front of Yikun Gate to make the pure concubine who had been pregnant for several months fall? ”

Shu Concubine retorted: "I was angry, I just wanted her to fall and feel uncomfortable, but I didn't want to harm her life. You let me use incense, once I am convicted, it is a capital crime! After a brief pause, he said: "I will not do anything harmful to the emperor." You can rest assured that I will rot in my heart about this matter, and I will not open my mouth when I die. ”

After finishing his words, he got up and took his leave.

After she left, Concubine Shun turned out from behind the curtain and said with a smile: "I can see that Concubine Shu is still a little sincere when she treats the emperor." Concubine Xian smiled coldly and said, "Really? At her age, who wasn't sincere? ”

Concubine Shun said: "She is still young, and one day she will understand, and sooner or later she will still listen to you." She picked up the white porcelain jar on the case and said, "I want to persuade you, what Concubine Shu said is not unreasonable." It's better to be unfavored than to be sent to the cold palace after an incident. If the Queen Mother knows that you use incense, I am afraid that the first one will dispose of you. ”

Concubine Xian seemed to have suddenly lost all her strength, frowned and sighed: "You don't know, he broke my heart." "He, naturally, refers to the emperor. When you are young, you love and have a thousand fingers, but you will never be covered with water. Concubine Shun listened to her mournful voice and felt the same way, but she could only be silent.