In late autumn, the trees in the Forbidden City are withered, the wind blows, and the sound of sparse sounds is endless. The emperor stayed in Jingren Palace for several days, and Qingcheng was snubbed for a while, and he was depressed. Even Yongzhang wondered why he couldn't see Huang Ama for a few days. For as long as he could remember, nothing like this had happened. He faintly felt that his E-Niang had fallen out of favor, just like the fourth elder brother's E-Niang Jia Concubine and the fifth elder brother's E-Niang Yu Concubine, he couldn't see the holy car for several months.

Yongzhang never hid something from the eldest brother in his heart, the two of them plotted, and the eldest brother sighed: "In the harem, how can there be any single-mindedness..." The former emperor Ama intended to crown your mother as the queen, and the queen mother lost her temper and fought on a hunger strike. How many people in the previous dynasty looked at the face of the Queen Mother? How many pieces of music flew like snowflakes towards the military planes, and I heard the ministers whispering in the internal music room several times. ”

The eldest brother is now helping the emperor deal with court affairs, and he also understands the subtle connection between the harem and the previous dynasty.

Yongzhang grew up in a honey pot, with an innocent heart, and didn't know what "struggle" was, and said: "What's wrong with my Eniang, why don't they allow my Eniang to be the queen?" As long as Huang Ama likes Eniang, won't it be? The eldest brother carried Yongzhang with one hand and Yongzhang with the other, and said: "You are still young, but when you grow up in the future, you will naturally understand if you see more." After a pause, he said: "Don't worry, Huang Ama is far-sighted, I see that the people in the Internal Affairs Office have not treated Yikun Palace badly, and I still can't let go of Huang Ama if I want to come." "Whoever is favored in the palace and who falls out of favor, the first limelight will always be the nostrils of the Internal Affairs Office.

If the Internal Affairs Office does not dare to slack off, it means that the emperor still remembers it.

The eldest brother returned to the courtyard and almost instinctively turned into the Miza house. Miza waited for him to wash and dress, and the two of them chatted in the wicker chairs. The Miza clan is now a little bolder, and seeing that the eldest brother is thoughtful, he asked softly, "What troubles do you have?" The eldest brother smiled, and casually said that Concubine Chun was snubbed and the emperor lingered in Jingren Palace. Since entering the palace, the Miza clan has been going to Yikun Palace to ask for peace during the New Year's holidays, and in his heart, he regards the pure concubine as the adoptive mother of the eldest brother and his mother-in-law.

She pondered, "I think it's a good thing. ”

The eldest brother was holding tea in his hand to drink, and when he heard her, he couldn't help but be stunned, and he tasted interesting: "What do you say?" Miza said slowly: "Since the queen of Daxing is ill, the emperor treats Yikun Palace more and more differently, and the former also said that he wants to seal the pure master as the queen, making a storm in the whole dynasty, the queen mother is on a hunger strike, and the pure master has given birth to a mustard." There is also the affair between Aunt Erqi and the imperial doctor, who is the queen mother's master, but the emperor not only released the person, but also beat the informant to death. Those who understand the truth know that someone wants to slander the pure master, but those who don't understand the reason always think that the emperor favors the pure master. How is it different from having such a holy favor and putting a pure master on a charcoal fire? What's more, the Queen Mother didn't say anything on the surface, but secretly she didn't know how to hate it..."

This harem struggle is really still a woman's world.

The eldest brother became more and more surprised, and the Miza clan, who didn't want to go out of the door, was as transparent as a mirror. He took two sips of tea and said with a smile: "It's reasonable, Master Ping underestimated you." Miza smiled slightly and said, "Just now, Mongol Gege came to sit down and told me, and the two of us pondered before we understood." The eldest brother bowed his head, raised his eyebrows and said: "In the future, you will also walk around, and you will hear more and see more, so you will naturally know everything." ”

Fujin will enter the palace next year, and he is worried that she will not even be able to protect herself by then, so he always tells her to learn more and watch more. The Miza clan didn't know the eldest brother's mind at all, and guarded the etiquette of the master and servant, and said respectfully: "The slave and maid know." ”

Although the emperor did not go to Yikun Palace, his mind fell on Qingcheng. For example, every day, people will be sent to Yikun Palace to spread the word, either to reward a bird's nest soup, or to pay tribute to the British and Western, and if it doesn't work, just ask a good word. Wu Shulai stood tall and saw far away, and arranged things properly, not only letting Qingcheng know the emperor's intentions, but also making Ni Duan invisible to the outside.

Even so, Qingcheng still doesn't feel good.

Maybe she's gotten too much, and now even if it's just a penny missing, she'll be sad and discouraged. As the sun waned, she sat on the kang and watched the vermilion shadow on the wall rise little by little, until it disappeared, and then she told Er Qi to prepare a late snack as if she was lost. Erqi knew that he was going out of the palace, and he was more diligent than usual, and as soon as Qingcheng gave the order, the cooks set a table full of meals. Qingcheng had no appetite, pulled out a few spoonfuls of porridge, and called for withdrawal.

Er Qi took out a yellow glass jar with red cream in the jar, and said with a smile: "This is the red date and ginger drink that the master ordered yesterday, which is good for treating typhoid fever." ”

Qingcheng really got a little interested, and said, "You did it according to the book?" The color looks good. ”

Er Qi replied: "It's the cream made of brown sugar and red dates, which is good." With the addition of ginger, there is a faint spicy taste. If you have a cold nose or a drenched rain, scoop a spoonful and wash it with boiling water, and drink it while it is hot, it will definitely be comfortable. He smiled again: "Aren't you worried that Banzai Ye will catch a cold at night?" Why don't you let the slave send a jar to the Heart Cultivation Palace? ”

Qingcheng smiled for a moment, and then said, "That's it, someone else is worried about him." ”

In the middle of the night, a strong wind suddenly blew, and the wind chimes under the eaves of the porch tinkled and the dead branches whimpered. The chill is pressing, making the lonely feel more lonely, and the sad feeling more sad. Qingcheng felt cold, but he didn't bother to ask the palace people to add quilts. She lay on her side in a ball, sleeping in a haze, half asleep. There was a faint sound of the curtain lifting, and she thought it was the wind blowing, but she didn't pay attention to it. It wasn't until a warm body approached him that he suddenly realized.

She should have been happy, but her nose was sore, and she froze and didn't move.

Her quilt was cold, and there wasn't much warmth. The emperor frowned, wrapped his arms around her waist, and said, "Why don't you ask someone to add a quilt?" He knew she wasn't asleep, and by listening to her breathing, he knew. Qingcheng closed her eyes tightly and pretended to be asleep. Tears ran down his cheeks and disappeared into his sideburns, wetting a patch.

With him, the bed will soon be warm.

The emperor's face was buried in her neck from behind, and the familiar light fragrance entered his nose, making him feel refreshed. The snot was about to run into her mouth, and she couldn't help but sob. The Emperor then turned her face and looked at her with tears on her face in the dim night light. He said, "Why are you crying? Why did I cry when I came? He leaned down to eat her tears and coaxed, "Don't cry, I've only been hiding for a few days, and it's uncomfortable to be like this?" ”

Watching her cry made him feel a little distressed and a little happy.

The little thing is crying sadly because he was snubbed.

Qingcheng endured crying and said, "Did you deliberately not see me?" The emperor said, "It's not that I didn't see you on purpose, but I didn't see you for the time being." Qingcheng choked back tears and said, "Why? The emperor pinched her nose and said, "Don't ask knowingly, I don't believe you understand." Qingcheng was angry and said, "I just don't understand." ”

The emperor sighed, pecked her lightly on the forehead, and said, "Did I never tell you?" In the past ten years, I have always had only you in my heart, and I have never changed, and I will not change in the future. He didn't explain, but confessed to his face, Qingcheng couldn't restrain it anymore, tears welled up, squeezed tightly in his arms, and said, "You are not allowed to snub me in the future." ”

The matter of the harem in the previous dynasty, Concubine Xian was sick, and the Queen Mother issued a decree, all of which Qingcheng understood very well.

She threw herself into his broad arms, soft and warm, as if the desolation of the autumn wind that she had felt before turned into a pleasant autumn night listening to the wind. The emperor stroked her back, kissed her in the hair, and said, "... I have never snubbed you. ”

For a moment the tabernacle hung low, and whispered.

Jingren Palace didn't turn off the lights until midnight, Luo Qing lifted the curtain and entered the house, knelt on the side and said, "Master, don't wait, the emperor won't come today." Concubine Xian knelt on the couch in a red silk bedrobe and didn't squeak for a while. Luo Qing called again, "Master...", Concubine Xian said in a trance: "Go and extinguish the incense." Luo Qing replied: "The slave knew that the incense was hurtful, so she would have doused it with water a long time ago." ”

Concubine Xian came back to her senses and said vigilantly: "The ashes of the burned grass can be buried, if people know..."

Luo Qing hurriedly said: "Don't worry, the master has all the arrangements for the slave and maid, and the slave and maid have buried them themselves every time." ”

Concubine Xian hummed, nodded, and said, "Fortunately, there are still you by my side, and I don't believe anyone else." Luo Qing didn't dare to exceed half a point, and said, "Thank you for your grace." He also said: "The people in the respectful room said that the long live Lord did not turn over the cards today, and Xu was too tired to sleep alone in the Palace of Nourishing Hearts." Concubine Xian smiled coldly on her lips and said, "You don't have to coax me, I know what the emperor thinks and who he is thinking." What I need now is the dragon heir, and the emperor's favor is nothing. ”

Luo Qing saw that she was sad and depressed, and comforted: "Long live the master himself, otherwise how could he be nostalgic for the master for a few days?" Even the pure master was put aside, and the people in the palace talked about it, saying that the pure master had fallen out of favor. ”

Concubine Xian lay down on her side, Luo Qing got up and pulled the quilt to cover her, and said: "Master, you just have to take care of your body, and when you give birth to a dragon heir, and then have the support of the queen mother, you will be the only one in the middle palace." Concubine Xian smiled and said, "This is the truth." He also said: "Ming'er, you go and call Wei Wan'er to come here, I haven't seen her for too long, I'm afraid she will have a different heart." ”

Luo Qing blew out the wall veil palace lamp in the house, leaving only two bean candles at the head of the bed, and said: "It's just a small promise, the master doesn't have to worry about it." Concubine Xian closed her eyes and said, "Don't underestimate her, you are ruthless in your heart..."

The sound fell, and there was no other word.

The emperor's overnight stay made Yikun Palace return to its former liveliness and joy. The Queen Mother knew that blindly forcing the emperor to favor Concubine Xian would only backfire and make the emperor annoyed. She summoned Concubine Xian to speak in Shoukang Palace, and said: "It is your creation to be favored or not, and it is in the people to make things happen, and it is in the sky to make things happen." Concubine Xian half-knelt by the pedal, pounding the enamel white jade snuffbox in her hand, waiting for the Queen Mother to smoke hookah. Her eyes were lowered, and she couldn't see her expression clearly in the smoke, and said, "The concubine knows, Empress Dowager Xie is attentive." ”

The Queen Mother nodded and said, "Good boy, the mourning family tells you a word, no matter what, don't be discouraged." I want to mourn the family and enter the emperor's mansion back then, and his position is low, but he is a character. has no relatives, and is not favored by the first emperor, where can he fight the queen's concubine? Thanks to Hongli's intelligence and agility, he ascended the throne and became the emperor, so that the mourning family is honored today. He patted the back of Concubine Xian's hand lightly and said, "You pay more attention and learn how to behave and speak as a pure concubine, the emperor likes that kind of temperament and makeup, and you can learn three points." Spare your noble status, and don't feel humiliated, everything is important to the emperor's heir. ”

Concubine Xian didn't dare to show disgust on her face, and said softly: "The queen mother mentioned it, and the concubine wrote it down." ”

Qingcheng made a new robe, with a base of light blue satin from the lake, and embroidered pink and white lotus flowers on the cuffs and skirts. Don't have a tortoiseshell bead buckle on the chest, and there is no color in the empty one. At the beginning, the sleeve robe is fluttering, the flowers are blooming, plain and not monotonous, gorgeous but dignified, very decent. The emperor finally saw that she was wearing a new dress, praised her for a long time, and became interested for a while, and asked Wu Shulai to go to the Internal Affairs Office to get two boxes of Zhu Hai Bu and shake them to match the green oranges.

Er Qi brewed two bowls of red dates and ginger drink, presented himself into the house and blessed his body, and said with a smile: "Please try the freshly boiled tea, it was boiled by the pure master himself." ”

The emperor saw that the color was red, took a small sip, felt spicy, comfortable in the cold weather, and said with a smile: "It's good to drink in this late autumn and early winter, ginger drives away cold, red dates strengthen the spleen and stomach, and eat health." ”

Er Qi smiled and said, "It's still Long Live Lord Shengming, you will know what to make it with when you take a sip." ”

The emperor drank tea and suddenly asked, "How many days do you have to leave the palace?" Er Qi said respectfully: "Long live the lord, the day after tomorrow is the day when the slave and maid leave the palace." The emperor snorted, glanced at Qingcheng, and saw that her face was sad, so he said: "You are diligent in your work, loyal to your master, and when you leave, Yikun Palace is like missing your left arm and right arm." ”

Erqi didn't know what the emperor meant, so he stood silently and listened to the holy words silently. The emperor continued: "The matter between you and Jian Yuheng, I ordered someone to check, everything that should be known is known, and what should not be known, I can guess eight or nine points." As soon as these words came out, Er Qi trembled in shock, and his knees weakened, so he leaned down and knelt down, kowtowed, and said: "It's all wishful thinking on the part of slaves and maids, and it has nothing to do with Lord Jane." Long live the lord wants to punish, just punish the slave and the maid, if you want to kill or beat, the slave and the maid have no complaints. ”

The emperor played with the teacup and said, "Why do you fight and kill at every turn, am I very fierce?" After a pause, he said: "If you want to marry Jian Yuheng as a blessing, just die as soon as possible." Even if Qingcheng agrees, I won't agree. Jian Yuheng's Fujin must be the daughter of the ministers above the third rank in the DPRK, so as not to lose the identity of Qingcheng. ”

Erqi's brain rumbled, his lips and teeth trembled, and he said, "Slave... The slave did not dare to ask for it. ”

Qingcheng didn't want the emperor to suddenly talk about this, and whispered: "What is my identity? I can't let my brother commensurate me, and if he wants to, I will never stop him. The emperor glanced at her, slammed the teacup on the table, and said: "Those who should be supported should be supported, those who should be married should be married, the harem and the previous dynasty, everything is complicated, not as simple as you think." Besides, the marriage of children is already in the parents, your uncle and aunt can let Jian Yuheng marry a concubine and return to the house as a blessing? ”

The emperor's words are reasonable, and Qingcheng can't refute them.

These people are moral, and Er Qi also understands them. She was already uneasy in her heart, and when she was poked by the emperor, she had nowhere to hide. It's obviously her marriage, it's obviously her future, but she doesn't even have the qualifications to intervene.

Qingcheng sighed slightly, looked at Er Qi with pity in his eyes, and said, "Don't kneel, get up first." ”

Erqi answered "yes" and was about to get up. The emperor said suddenly: "Get up, I have finished speaking." Bludler's half-bent knees hurriedly knelt down again, nodded his forehead to the ground, and listened to the training in silence.

The emperor said slowly: "Fujin can't do it, but the side room can still be done." Er Qi was surprised, looked up at the emperor, and after a while, he realized that he had lost his honor, and hurriedly kowtowed. Qingcheng also smiled and said, "You have already planned it, haven't you?" The emperor glared at her, meaning, "I have a serious lecture, don't interject, how much shame you will lose!" Then he said to Erqi: "You go out of the palace first, at most after the New Year, and when the spring of next year begins, I will give Jian Yuheng a marriage, and when the time comes, you will marry with the new Fujin, but there is one..."

Erqi almost blurted out "what", but he couldn't lose his honor in front of the holy driver, so he gritted his teeth and didn't speak.

The emperor said in a deep voice: "After you get married, you must still go back to the palace to serve the pure master, and you will be allowed to leave the palace for two days every ten days." "Such grace is the first thing in the entire harem of the Qing Dynasty. Erqi was grateful to Dade, rolling with tears on his face, and all the previous uneasiness seemed to be blown away by the wind at this time, without a trace.

She understands very well that with the emperor's dictation, the matter will be completed.

Er Qi kowtowed again and again, and said: "Slave and maid, thank you Lord Longen, long live the emperor, long live, long live." ”

The emperor also smiled and said, "This matter must not be publicized, lest others still chew the root of their tongues for the matter of ruehuang." Er Qi didn't understand anything, and choked up: "The slave obeys the order." "Hai'an is the only one in the house to serve, she has already opened the palace people in the outer hall, even if it is overheard, it doesn't matter, since Yun Huang was beaten to death, the palace people of Yikun Palace have their teeth tightly closed, and they can't pry it open.

After Erqi retreated, Qingcheng looked at the emperor with a smile and said, "It's really hard for you to even think of Erqi." ”

The emperor took a few more sips of tea and said, "I'm afraid that there will be another Yunhuang in Yikun Palace!" Besides, you have a bitter face, and you can't bear it, how can I bear it? Qingcheng got up, took the emperor's hand, and said with a smile: "I've always been worried about Erqi and my brother, and I don't know how to deal with it." I don't want you, but I solved it easily, it's amazing! ”

She spoke honestly, without the slightest flattery.

The emperor was accustomed to hearing "Emperor Shengming" and "Emperor Wise", and suddenly heard Qingcheng praise the sentence "Amazing", which was very useful, and said with a smile: "What is this... You've never seen anything more powerful. Pacify Dzungaria, return to the ministry, fight the Jinchuan tribes, and make the people of the world surrender, that is called powerful. This idea of a child's affection is really... I couldn't find the right words to describe it for a while, and after a pause, I said, "It's really not enough to worry about." ”

Qingcheng held his face, leaned over and said, "I know you are the Holy Monarch!" He smiled again: "Erqi's matter is solved, and I have gone to a big stone in my heart." Seeing that I'm in a good mood, can I cook boiled cabbage for you myself? ”

The emperor pinched her fingers and said, "Forget it, it's too cold, I don't want you to go into the water." He smiled again and said, "I have made a few sets of Hanfu in the embroidery room, and I will ask them to send them over, let's try it." Qingcheng was stunned, wearing Hanfu in the harem, and when it was rumored that it would make people gossip.

She asked, "How do you think of wearing Hanfu?" ”

The emperor said quietly: "The ministers always talk about you being a Han girl, and I have been annoyed after listening to it for more than ten years." Blindly mentioning your position and promoting your family, it is better to openly and openly criticize you as a Han girl. I want them to know that no matter whether the pure concubine is Han or Manchu, in my heart, there will be no difference. Qingcheng was moved, his black eyes were full of tears, and he wrapped his ten fingers, and said: "With your heart, Su Qingcheng will be satisfied for the rest of his life." ”

In the blink of an eye, two lines of tears rolled down like pearls.

The emperor sat cross-legged on the kang, and she stood in front of him. The light dimmed, burying him in her shadow. The emperor raised his hand to brush away her tears, and said softly, "What are you crying for?" I don't like you to cry. “

Qingcheng said: "It's not that I'm sad to cry, but I'm too happy." ”

The emperor pinched her cheek and said, "Don't cry, give me another bowl of red dates and ginger tea, I drink it well." Qingcheng wiped away his tears, smiled again, and said, "I'll add two more longan meat to you to replenish your qi." The Emperor nodded and said, "Very good." ”

In the evening, Yongzhang returned to the palace from the south study to greet Qingcheng, and saw that the emperor was also there, the atmosphere in the room was as usual, and he put a heart at ease, and even the emperor asked about his homework and felt that it was not a big deal. The next day, he talked about it with the eldest brother and said with a smile: "It's me who worries about it in vain." The eldest brother said: "Imperial power, you and I are far behind." Yongzhang said childishly: "If it's far away, it's far away, in the future, I just want to be a rich and noble prince, and I will hand it over to the eldest brother to study hard." ”

He was half joking and half serious, and the big brother was moved.

On the day Er Qi left the palace, Qingcheng prepared two hundred taels of silver and two sets of silk flower jewelry. knew that she would return to the palace, but she was reluctant at this time. Qingcheng was sent directly to the door of Xihua, and after carefully admonishing a few words, Er Qi kowtowed, and left. Jian Yuheng took a day off and stayed outside the palace gate, and when he saw Erqi coming out, he didn't know what to say as if he was in a dream. Only in the middle of the ring did he order the servant to take the luggage in the eunuch's hand, load it into the carriage, and send Er Qi back to the residence he arranged in Shangjing.

On the first night out of the palace, the two stayed together.

The house was newly purchased by Jian Yuheng, a small courtyard house, all furniture and supplies, and two mothers-in-law, two servants and a cook were hired to do everything. Two ten-year-old osmanthus trees are planted in the patio, which are as elegant as a cover and full of fragrance. The two sat in the wicker chair with the window open, wrapped the two together with a wool blanket, and didn't say anything, just smelling the fragrance of osmanthus and watching the bright moon fall in the sky. When it was late at night, Jian Yuheng's wine came to his heart, so he hugged Erqi into the bed, took the mosquito net, and accepted the gift of Hehuan.