The autumn is high and cool, the trees are hanging in shade, and the sky is as blue as the sea, reflecting on the top of the majestic imperial city, bright and clear. The sunlight sprinkled fine golden glow through the cracks in the trees, and the musicians babbled and sang on the stage, but the banquet was as quiet as a deep pool. Concubine Gao half-leaned on the throne, smiling shallowly, staring at the queen calmly. The queen had a dignified face and said with a smile: "Concubine Gao was originally a noble concubine, and she was only punished for making a mistake. If she gave birth to a prince and made a contribution to the Qing Dynasty, her mother would be expensive by virtue of her son, and the matter of promotion should be reasonable, and the concubines would also feel appropriate. ”

Concubine Gao helped the palace maid to sit up, squatted down, and said, "Thank you for the grace of the emperor and the queen." The emperor smiled and said, "Sit down, you have a body, you don't have to be formal." He said to everyone again: "Yesterday, the imperial doctor checked the pulse and said that Concubine Gao was two months pregnant. In the future, it will be handed over to the Taidian Palace, and the concubine will be exempted, if there is anything that needs to be returned, it can be passed on by another palace person. ”

It is like a shock, calm on the surface, but turbulent in the dark. Concubine Xian glanced at Concubine Shun uneasily, and Concubine Shun pressed her arm from under the table, signaling that she did not need to panic. Everyone had different thoughts, and they all showed joyful colors, and got up to congratulate the emperor and concubine. Before the banquet was dispersed, the emperor said that he had left in advance. Concubine Shun went to the backyard to change her clothes, and bumped into Wei Wan'er who was quietly following in the corridor. Wan'er blessed her body, looked around at no one, and leaned over to her ear and said, "But beware of Shu Concubine." ”

Concubine Shun asked, "Why?" ”

Wan'er said: "I guessed from the queen's words, saying that Concubine Shu had secretly seen Concubine Chun. ”

Concubine Shun was surprised and said, "Do you know what you said?" ”

Wan'er said: "It's not clear what to say, Yikun Palace can't get into the slightest leak, and the queen can only stare at Concubine Shu." As she spoke, there was a sudden "clang", Concubine Shun was extremely vigilant, looked at the corner door not far away, put her index finger to her lips, and signaled Wan'er not to make a sound. She walked slowly towards the corner door, kicked the door coldly, and sure enough, a goose-yellow figure quickly turned into the patio corridor, but after a moment, it was gone.

Concubine Shun asked, "You came here just now, but did anyone see it?" Wan'er pondered for a while, and said, "When I came, I bumped into the Fu Guiren, the Jin Guiren, and the Yu Concubine. Concubine Shun secretly did not speak, and said: "If there is nothing important, you better not meet me directly, and be careful to let the queen's people know." ”

Wan'er said respectfully: "Yes." ”

At night, the emperor did not stay in Xianfu Palace, but turned over the sign of Shu Concubine. The Xinuan Pavilion is quiet and silent, and the ground is paved with gold bricks an inch wide, smooth and flat, and the light shines brightly. Shu Concubine half-knelt to serve the emperor to bathe his feet, and the emperor lazily leaned on the dark green pillow, the corners of his eyes were narrow and long, and he looked at the woman under his knees lightly. The black green silk comb was neat, one by one softly pulled to the side of the ear, obliquely pulled into a half-moon-shaped bun, and two jade beads wrapped in gold tassel hairpins were pressed on the bun, rippling slightly with her body.

The emperor stretched out his hand to caress her brain, and Concubine Shu raised her head, curled her lips and smiled, extremely charming and moving. The emperor seemed to ask casually, and said, "Have you gone to find Concubine Chun before?" ”

Concubine Shu's hand was sluggish, and she almost knocked over the golden basin. The more gentle and affectionate he was, the more she panicked beyond words. She lowered her head and smiled: "The concubine was in a panic, and she happened to bump into the pure master on the palace street, so she chatted a few words. The emperor seemed to smile and said, "For the sake of Lord Mingzhu, I have been treating you well, so don't lose your sense of proportion." Concubine Shu was so frightened that she trembled, she had countless thoughts in her heart, and for a while she guessed that it was Concubine Chun who sued the emperor, and for a while she felt that she had done something before that the emperor knew, so she didn't care about wiping her hands, so she took half a step back when she was wet, knelt down and said, "The concubine doesn't dare to lose her honor." ”

The emperor seemed to be very satisfied, nodded, his tone was still half a point or half a point, and said: "It's okay, don't mess with the pure master, I don't bother to care, but the pure master is not something you can mess with." After a pause, he said, "Get up, as long as you uphold the sense of proportion, I will treat you the same as before." Got it? ”

Concubine Shu fully comprehended at this time, and couldn't help but be stunned and stunned, but she didn't dare to hesitate for a moment, let alone slander, she could only obey, and could only say respectfully: "The concubine obeys the order." ”

One day the sun was shining, Qingcheng went to Shoukang Palace early in the morning to ask for peace, the Queen Mother read Yongzhang, and rewarded several sets of elder robes, pullovers, and jackets, Qingcheng thanked him and returned to Yikun Palace on his shoulder. When I arrived at the gate of the palace, I saw a woman wearing a royal blue and yellow-edged soft silk armor standing next to the door, and my heart was suddenly confused, as if I had fallen into a dream, and refused to believe everything in front of me.

The woman was also stunned as if she was stupid, but a young woman next to her said, "Mother, let's quickly say hello to the pure master." The woman answered twice and fell on her knees and bowed to the ground. Qingcheng heard the local sound, tears couldn't help but burst out of her eyes, she ignored her manners, staggered off her shoulders, knelt down in a few steps to the woman, and shouted: "Mother..."

Hai'an was also startled, and immediately came back to his senses, hurriedly picked up Qingcheng, and said, "Don't be rude, master, it's embarrassing for Madame." He also ordered someone to help Mrs. Su up, and respectfully invited her into the house. Mrs. Su grabbed Qingcheng's hand tightly, and said with teary eyes: "It's a pity that your father and second brother can't enter the harem, otherwise our family can be reunited." Then he looked at the wide and deep courtyard and said, "What a big courtyard, who else lives with you?" I asked Yueru to carry two jars of rose paws, both of which were made while hurrying, very fresh, and you gave them to others to taste, which is also your heart. ”

Qingcheng wiped his tears and said with a smile: "I live alone in Yikun Palace." ”

Mrs. Su was taken aback, but did not ask again. He said: "I heard Yuheng say that the third elder brother and the sixth elder brother live with you, why don't you see them?" Qingcheng pointed to the Daode Hall from afar and said, "Yongzhang lives there, and he hasn't come back to study in the study yet." The sixth elder brother lives in Qingyunzhai with me, I'm afraid I'm sleeping at this time, and when he wakes up, I'll let Mama Jiaoyin bring it to you to see. ”

The splendid palace, the lush courtyard of flowers and trees, every eaves of the corridor are given bucket arches, every beam fang is decorated with colorful paintings, into the house, there are screens, incense tables, jade things everywhere, all the same are golden, priceless. Mrs. Su was dazzled, as if Grandma Liu had entered the Grand View Garden, everything was novel and luxurious. Qingcheng helped her sit on the kang, looking at the huge piece of glass in the opposite window, Mrs. Su barely choked and asked, "How much silver does this cost!" ”

Qingcheng asked: "Mother, when did you enter Beijing, and how did you enter the palace?" Why didn't you tell me the slightest news? ”

Mrs. Su held her hand, looked at her carefully for a long time, and said, "Qingcheng..." As soon as she opened her mouth, her eyes wept again, and she said with a smile: "Actually, Suzhou to Shangjing is not as far as I thought, and I arrived after two months." In June and July, the imperial court issued an order, saying that it would summon your father to Shangjing to be the pawn of the Hanlin Academy, and it didn't take long for someone from Shangjing to pick up our family. Your father was so cautious that he packed up his bedding and set out. Your second brother was afraid that my body would not be able to endure it, so he accompanied Ruyue to Shangjing. As he spoke, he said happily: "Look at it, this is your second brother's daughter-in-law, and she can't tell you a word because of the long way away." ”

Ruyue is dressed plainly, with a little rouge on her face, fine skin and tender meat, her eyebrows and eyes are crooked when she laughs, and she speaks naturally with a snort, which is a typical Jiangnan woman's small jasper. She blessed her body and said, "Please say hello to the pure master." Qingcheng looked at his love, so he instructed Hai'an, "I remember that during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the emperor rewarded a pair of jade and jade bracelets, which were extremely transparent, you went and took them, and wrapped them well for Ruyue's sister-in-law." Hai'an was meticulous, and after taking the jade bracelet, he took the initiative and picked a few high-quality satins, as well as two imperial topaz ruyi and several golden hairpins.

The mother and son were babbling endless words on the kang, and Mrs. Su saw that the green orange was luxurious and graceful, and the food and clothing were good, and the heart of worry day and night gradually fell halfway. And Qingcheng was also relieved to see that Mrs. Su was healthy and spoke in moderation.

Towards noon, Yongzhang dismissed his school and received a special order from the emperor to allow him to rest for half a day in the afternoon. Qingcheng beckoned him to come forward and said, "Call grandma." Yongzhang was not timid when he met someone, and he shouted generously: "Grandma." Mrs. Su was overjoyed and wanted to twist him into her arms to be intimate, but because of the rules of the palace, she could only hold him on her lap and tease. The sixth elder brother has been sleeping deeply, Mrs. Su didn't want to disturb him, so she looked at him twice, and said, "I haven't seen the emperor, but my eyebrows and eyes are still like you." ”

Qingcheng smiled: "The mouth and nose are like him." He naturally referred to the emperor, and when she saw the scene like this, she blurted out, becoming more and more affectionate and casual, and Mrs. Su's heart fell again. At noon, according to the rules of the palace, Mrs. Su must leave the palace. Qingcheng sent her all the way to Qianqingmen, until she couldn't send it anymore, and Fang said goodbye.

As soon as Mrs. Su left, the emperor drove to Yikun Palace for dinner.

Chicken, duck, fish, and delicacies are self-explanatory, and there are two large tables full of them. Qingcheng intended to treat the emperor, and personally cooked a bowl of boiled cabbage, except for salt, without any seasoning. The emperor was not happy and said, "In order for you to meet Mrs. Su, I have been planning for more than half a year!" He clasped his chopsticks on the jade plate and said, "You want to send me a bowl of cabbage?" ”

Qingcheng smiled, her lips showed a beautiful pear vortex, and said: "This bowl of cabbage is not an ordinary cabbage, this is the first cabbage harvested by my father after he arrived in Beijing." ”

The emperor pursed his lips and said in a low voice: "When I was a child, I often ate cabbage planted by the first emperor, which was bitter and unpalatable, and I don't know how he grew it. When the queen mother was still a concubine, she always had to ask someone to throw away half of it behind her back, and then tell the first emperor that it was all over. The first emperor himself never used chopsticks, and he really thought that the queen mother liked to eat, so he sent them to the palace one by one. Send it over there, throw it on the other side. As he spoke, he laughed first.

Qingcheng put a piece into his bowl and said, "You taste it, it's very sweet." ”

The cabbage is sweet and crisp, the lips and teeth are gently scratched, the juice is overflowing, and the mouth is full of fragrance. The emperor felt that it was not the taste in his memory, and was slightly surprised, and said, "Did you put sugar?" Qingcheng shook his head and said, "I didn't put anything, just a little salt." In fact, cabbage is not the best season yet, and when it snows and frosts, it will be even sweeter. ”

Wu Shulai waited on the side, and since he entered the palace, he knew that the emperor didn't like to eat cabbage, so every time he had a meal, the plate containing the cabbage always had to be put far away. Even if the eunuch put it in the bowl, the emperor never touched the chopsticks. Cabbage has the effect of nourishing the stomach and nourishing the stomach, clearing heat and detoxifying, the queen mother knows that the emperor is a picky eater, and she has been trained many times since she was a child, but there is no effect. Seeing that the emperor ate a lot today, Wu Shulai couldn't help but smile, thinking that the Empress Dowager would ask for a while, and when she talked about it, she would always be rewarded.

After dinner, Yongzhang and Sixth Elder Brother came to ask for peace, and the emperor asked about some homework and said, "Can you finish the homework left by the teacher?" Yongzhang said in a proper manner: "It's already written." The emperor hummed and asked, "Is there anything you don't understand?" ”

Yongzhang said: "My son learned a poem today, which is Luo Bingwang's "Song of the Goose". The emperor said: "The poetry is simple, it is not difficult to understand, you can recite it to me." With a plate of apples on his lap and an enamel knife in his hand, he listened to the father and son and peel the skin. Yongzhang sang: "Goose goose goose, song to the sky, white hair floating in green water, red anthurium plucking clear waves." ”

A smile appeared on the emperor's face and he asked, "What do you not understand?" ”

Yongzhang said: "Back to Emperor Ama, it's not that my son doesn't understand anything, it's just that he hasn't seen a goose, and it's hard to pay attention to the artistic conception." The emperor was very pleased to hear it, smiled at Qingcheng, and said: "Ming'er, you go with him to the imperial pond to have a look, and I ordered some geese to be raised in it." Qingcheng handed the peeled apple to the emperor and said, "Since you want to see the goose, it is better to give him a day off." The emperor glanced at Yongzhang, his little face flushed, and his eyes were full of anticipation.

The emperor paused and said slowly, "Okay. Yongzhang stretched out his arms towards the sky, and couldn't help grinning "ah", and was lightly glanced at by the emperor, so frightened that he hurriedly lowered his head and hugged his fists, and said, "Thank you for the grace of Emperor Amma." The emperor was not angry, but said, "Go." Yongzhang was about to kneel, but Qingcheng beckoned and said, "Yongzhang, come and eat the apple and go back." ”

Yongzhang stole a glance at the emperor, who had already opened the book with a bite of the apple, and seemed to have not paid attention to him at all. Qingcheng knew that he was restrained in front of the emperor, so he said, "Let Mama take it, and you can go back to your house to eat." Yongzhang sighed and said, "Yes." He knelt down and kowtowed again, and Fang led the mammies to retreat.

Qingcheng got up and said, "It's time to go to the Hongde Hall to speak, and I'll go and bring water to clean your face." ”

The emperor leisurely flipped through the pages and said, "Don't worry, I have something to tell you." He patted the cushion on his side again, and motioned for Qingcheng to sit down. Qingcheng half-leaned on him and said, "What words?" Broken hair fell from her shoulders, and he reached out to brush it, and said, "I'm afraid the matter of carrying the flag will be shelved." The Queen Mother didn't nod her head, and I couldn't force it. Second, the palace of the sixth elder brother is about to be completed, and the Yikun Palace is being fortified, and there have been rumors in the court for a long time, I don't want to put you on the cusp of the wind and waves. ”

Qingcheng was prepared in his heart, and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter to me whether I carry the flag or not." ”

The emperor said, "I am very pleased that you can think so. Don't worry, when this period is over, I will still carry the flag for you. Suddenly, he took her in his arms and asked, "Do you know why I like you?" Qingcheng didn't know that the emperor was talking about the conversation between himself and Shu Concubine that day, so he replied: "Because I don't count you." ”

The emperor squeezed his face into her neck from behind, and the fragrance overflowed from her neckline and into her nose, making people intoxicated. He laughed, shook his head, and said, "Not really." ”

Qingcheng asked, "Why is that?" ”

The emperor did not answer, but asked, "Then do you love me?" "He has a lot of women, dignity and power, you come and go, he never thought to ask, but at the moment he wants to know her answer.

Qingcheng thought about it, and said indifferently unexpectedly: "Of course it's love." ”

Her categorical and ordinary tone made the emperor feel happy and happy in his heart, and he wanted to ask more and more about what he understood, and said, "Why? Qingcheng said: "Because you are my husband." The emperor was stunned and said, "Listen to what you mean, whoever is your husband, you will love whomever you want, right?" ”

Qingcheng nodded and said, "It should be so." ”

The emperor's hand was loose, and he inexplicably ate his own vinegar, and said angrily: "I am the emperor, the lord of the Qing Dynasty, and the women of the world will love me no matter who is used to being pampered by me!" Qingcheng saw Wu Shulai probing his brain at the door, and knew that he was here to ask for a driver, so he got up, waited for the emperor to put on his shoes, and said: "Whether you are the emperor or not, first of all, you are my husband, and I will love you." The Emperor put on her clothes and asked, "If I am not your husband, will you still love me?" ”

Qingcheng half-knelt and smoothed the wrinkles on the corners of the dragon robe, straightened up and said, "Naturally not." ”

The emperor was suddenly furious, pacing left and right in anger, Wu Shulai looked at the momentum, and hurriedly retreated. The emperor said: "Is it because I am not handsome enough, not powerful enough, not enough to reign over the world, so you only love your husband, but not me?" ”

Qingcheng was confused by him, and suddenly didn't know how to answer him.

After a while, the emperor himself figured it out, and said with a smile: "It's okay, anyway, I am your husband, and I can't change in this life." After speaking, he couldn't help but kiss her, and said in a low voice: "I really want to take off your clothes right now and carry you to the bed..." ”

Gradually, the cold rain lingered and bleak, the lion loved to run around, Qingcheng was afraid that he would catch a cold, so he went to the warehouse to find some old satin, and then dismantled two cotton clothes that he did not wear, and planned to sew two dog robes for the lion. Yongzhang likes lions very much, he has to go to the south study every day to read and practice calligraphy, the emperor takes care of his homework closely, almost let him have no spare time, only when Qingyunzhai and the lion are playing, can relax the meeting. Qingcheng understands that he will occasionally allow him to take the lion back to the moral hall for an afternoon.

On this day, Yongzhang got up after taking a nap and found that the lion had escaped, and the grandmothers did not dare to tell Qingcheng, so they secretly sent someone out to find it first. In the evening, he couldn't hide it anymore, so he instigated Yongzhang to tell him. Qingcheng didn't care about finding out who was right and who was wrong, so he was busy looking around with people up and down the Yikun Palace.

The palace had not yet burned the earth dragon, but because Concubine Gao was pregnant, the queen mother made a decree and opened the earth dragon of Xianfu Palace first. The hall was warm, and Concubine Gao wore a summer dress made of soft silk tulle, and leaned on the rattan chair to pretend to sleep. A palace man turned the screen and said in a low voice: "Master, the queen sent Fu Guiren and Wei to come over and invite you to Changchun Palace to play the finch card." ”

If it is plain, the queen Xuanren, send a eunuch palace maid to pass it on, and now I have sent a noble person and promised to invite, so it naturally has the meaning of "respectfully invited".

The corners of Concubine Gao's lips smiled proudly, now that she is pregnant with a dragon heir, the emperor has opened the golden mouth to promote her to the position of concubine, what the queen and Concubine Xian are thinking, she understands very well. But since the queen came to invite with great fanfare, she wanted to establish a virtuous name in front of the six palaces, if she didn't go, others would say that she didn't know the etiquette. She helped the palace people to sit up and said, "Serve and dress!" ”

Jin Ling, the personal servant, said: "The queen has a plan, why don't the master simply resign, so as not to cause extraneous branches." ”

Concubine Gao smiled: "Don't be afraid, everyone in the palace knows that I am going to the queen's appointment, how can the queen ask me to give birth to three long and two short?" After a pause, he said, "I'm going to walk today to see what she can do." "Concubine Gao wants to walk, and Fu Guiren and Wei Wan'er have to accompany each other. The three of them talked and laughed, and they seemed to be intimate, and there was no gap.

Walking to the secluded corridor, Fu Guiren turned around and smiled with Wei Wan'er: "Although your position is lower, but you have been an errand in front of the queen, and you have been an errand in front of the emperor, and you know much more things than me..." Fortunately, there was a palace wall behind it, and it was blocked by Pingbai, so that Concubine Gao would not fall to the ground.

Wan'er recognized the lion, but pretended to be surprised and said: "There is no taboo for palace people to raise dogs, it's really hateful!" ”

Fu Guiren didn't know the twists and turns, she was really shocked and frightened, if she hadn't been quick to shoot just now, she deflected to the side when she pounced on Concubine Gao, and she really didn't know what the consequences would be! Seeing Concubine Gao's face full of gloom, she couldn't help but be annoyed and embarrassed and said angrily: "Listen to me, catch that dog, just beat it to death, and give Master Gao a vent!" ”

Concubine Gao also recognized it as the dog of Yikun Palace, but did not speak.

The lion jumped up and down so lively, and the Fugui people ordered people to block the surrounding corner gates and both ends of the road, and then let the eunuchs pick up stones and tiles and smash them at the lion, and whoever hit it will receive the reward. After all, the lion is just a pocket puppy, where can the enemy beat dozens of people to close the door and beat, and finally the foot was smashed by a stone, and it was so painful that it turned in a circle and screamed.

In the end, some palace people recognized that it was a pet raised by Concubine Chun, so they stopped and stepped forward and said: "Blessed master, the slave looks at this dog as if it is a lion of Yikun Palace." Fu Guiren had heard of the reputation, and he was shocked, and reprimanded: "Why do you say it now? The palace man lowered his eyebrows and lowered his eyes, and said, "The slave also just saw it." ”

Fu Guiren was anxious, and said to Concubine Gao: "Master Gao, what do you say I should do?" ”

Concubine Gao said: "That dog cub scurried around and hit me, and he should be punished." You didn't do anything wrong, what are you afraid of, just straighten up and reason. Concubine Gao was in a high position, and Fu Guiren thought that she was going to support herself, so she immediately smiled and said: "Master Gao is right. ”