The night snow was cold, and the cold wind raged wildly in the darkness like a roaring beast. In the house, the lights are bright and warm, and there are a few red plums in full bloom, and there is a faint fragrance. Seeing that Qingcheng did not speak, the emperor sat down against the threshold of the bed, stretched out his hand to cover her forehead, and found that it was not hot, and breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He turned her body and saw that her eyes were closed, and her cheeks were full of tears, and he couldn't help but be stunned, and said, "Why are you crying?" ”

Qingcheng pulled the quilt over his face, his shoulders shrugged slightly, and he sobbed silently. The emperor patted lightly through the quilt and said with a smile: "Is it that the Queen Mother doesn't want to see you and makes you angry?" She is Lafayette, let's be juniors, we should be more considerate. Qingcheng shook his head and choked up, "No." The emperor thought for a moment and asked, "What is that?" Could it be that there are still people in the palace who dare to bully you? Tell me to hear it, and I'll call the shots for you. Qingcheng still just shook his head.

The emperor said, "Then why are you crying?" ”

Qingcheng stopped crying, but what could she say? Does it mean that Concubine Xian wants to win her over, but she doesn't want to be with Concubine Xian? Or is it that he has three thousand fandels in his harem, and she is afraid that sooner or later she will be snubbed by him? It's because I can't say anything, and I don't know where to start, that I cry. The emperor tore off the quilt, wiped the tears from her face, and said, "Don't be stuffy, it's uncomfortable." ”

He twisted the button around his neck, took off his dragon robe, and quickly drilled into her quilt. She leaned sideways around his waist and touched his back, only to feel cold and wet, and suddenly forgot about her sadness, and said, "Why is your underwear wet?" ”

The emperor said: "It's okay, just get a little wet, I'm tired, I want to rest early." ”

Qingcheng sat up from the quilt and muttered: "Always tell me not to blow the wind, not to get cold, to wear more clothes, to hold the stove, but I don't know at all that I care about the Holy Body, if I am injured or sick, it will be terrible." ”

The emperor raised his eyebrows and smiled, and said: "I know that you are going to be verbose, you should lie down quickly, your body is not good, don't suffer from the cold again." Qingcheng said angrily: "I'm not uncomfortable. As soon as the emperor touched the pillow, he felt drowsy, he closed his eyes, and said in a daze: "Little thing, you have learned to deceive." ”

She got out of the bed, although the room was burned, but it was not as warm as the bed, she couldn't help but shiver, shivered and took the bedding from the cabinet, and climbed back to the bed. In just half a moment, the emperor had already slept loosely. He lay down comfortably, letting Qingcheng dress him loosely and dress, he reached out and lifted his feet according to her instructions, his consciousness sank more and more, and in the end, he didn't know when he fell asleep.

The second day was a sunny day after the snow, and the morning sun reflected the bed through the green gauze window like a golden glow, and the smell of comfort and peace permeated the room, making people more and more tired and lazy.

The emperor hadn't slept so thoroughly for a long time, and he felt that his whole body was crispy and soft, which was really comfortable. There was a tingling itch in the soles of his feet, and he shrank back, and the wet mass came back to him. The emperor couldn't help but smile and said, "Lion, don't lick it, let me sleep again." When the lion heard the emperor call him, he became more and more happy, and rushed towards the emperor even more violently. The emperor was sobered up by the lion, so he crooked on the couch to play with him.

Qingcheng stared at the palace people in the hall for breakfast, and Hai An said, "Master, the emperor is awake." Qingcheng said to Er Qi: "The shrimp ball chicken skin soup is too greasy, so let's withdraw it." Er Qi responded, Qingcheng turned around and walked to the bedroom, and said: "If the Yutian rouge porridge is boiled, let it cool down first, and then come in and put it when the meal is served." ”

The lion saw Qingcheng lift the curtain and enter the house, shook off the emperor, and threw himself at Qingcheng's feet. Qingcheng ignored it, the palace people folded the curtain to both sides and hung it, and she smiled at the emperor and said: "I heard that Wu Shu didn't need to go to the early court today, so I didn't call you." ”

The emperor sat up and said, "It snowed heavily for several days, and the road was muddy, and the ministers were very tired from rushing to the court in the middle of the night, so I gave them a day off. The people of the Si Gong came forward with clothes, deer boots, pearls and other things, and the green orange waited for the emperor to wear it, and rinsed his mouth with green salt, and then moved to the flower hall for breakfast.

Looking at the table full of ginseng soup, the emperor smiled and said, "In such a cold weather, it is best to eat shabu-shabu." Qingcheng said: "Let the cook prepare the dinner, as you wish." The emperor looked at her, saw that her eyes were slightly red and swollen, remembered the incident of last night, and asked, "Tell me why you cried yesterday?" also told Li Yu that he was sick and couldn't sleep, which was a crime of bullying. ”

Qingcheng sandwiched a piece of steamed duck slices into his bowl, stared at him and said, "I forgot myself, what do you still remember?" The emperor smiled lightly and said, "It's okay." After a pause, he said: "There are many people in the palace, and it is inevitable that you will be wronged, so don't always take it to heart." Besides, it doesn't make sense to sulk like yesterday and refuse to tell me. Qingcheng opened his mouth, but he didn't say anything, just lowered his head and ate. When the emperor saw that she wanted to speak and stopped, he didn't want to ask any more questions, so he turned the page as if he had nothing to do.

After eating, Wu Shulai came into the house to ask for a drive, although he did not go to court today, but a few ministers handed over the sign, since there was something to play, the emperor could not sit idly by. Qingcheng waited for him to put on a brown Xuanhu end mask, and when he went to the bottom of the corridor, the emperor saw that the court was covered with snow, the ice under the corridor hung low, and the sun was warm and dazzling, and suddenly said: "You go and change into thick clothes, and follow me to clean the door." ”

In the heavenly street of Qianqingmen, he said that he took her to see the snow every year.

Qingcheng was afraid of the cold, and really changed into a thick cotton coat, so bloated that it was difficult to stretch out his hands and feet. The emperor looked at it and jokingly said, "Are you fat again?" Qingcheng glanced at him and said, "It's not fat, it's just that I'm wearing more." The emperor muttered: "Well, it's not fat, it's that I'm wearing too much." He didn't even dislike her, but even a smile overflowed from the corners of his eyes.

The sky street is still far-reaching and wide, and the momentum is magnificent. The emperor led the green orange to stand on the platform of the Qianqing Gate, looking at the three halls of Baohe, Zhonghe and Taihe from afar, the golden morning sun was sprinkled like a bright pearl, reflected on the faintly exposed glazed tiles, illuminating the ten colors of orange, yellow, purple and blue. The cold wind wrenched the robes of the two of them together, and Qingcheng turned his face to look at the emperor, his shoulders were broad, his posture was majestic, and his face was angular. Her hand was in his palm, warm and moist, which made her feel at ease.

She called softly and said, "Your Majesty." The Emperor sighed and did not ask. She leaned over him, leaned her face on his shoulder, and whispered, "I cried yesterday because I was afraid. ”

The emperor looked at her with a lowered face and said, "Didn't I tell you?" Don't be afraid, I won't snub you. "How could he not understand her idea when she thought carefully? He took her in the crook of his arm and listened to her cry: "But there are so many women in the palace, as well as the draft, and the women from the foreign tribute, who are easy to grow old, how can I not be worried or afraid." The emperor smiled and said, "Then you hurry up and give birth to a few more children for me, so that I can't let you go if I want to." ”

He printed a kiss on her forehead and said with a smile: "I have written a bunch of contracts with you, and there is a jade seal stamped, what are you afraid of?" I am the Son of Heaven, and I am a man of my word. Qingcheng wrapped her hands around his waist and pressed her face against his chest, the sound of the wind in her ears, and the sound of his powerful heartbeat, she closed her eyes and listened, her mind gradually empty, nothing.

Concubine Xian originally went to Shoukang Palace every day to ask for an attendant, but the Queen Mother saw that she was tired, so she allowed her to rest in her bedroom for a day. After breakfast, Concubine Xian wrapped in an emerald green fox fur cloak and stood under the eaves of the porch to bask in the sun and watch the snow. She was stunned and stunned, and was shocked to find that she had nothing to rely on except the Queen Mother.

Luo Qing saw that Concubine Xian had been standing outside for a long time, so she took the white copper hand stove, put it in Concubine Xian's hand, and said respectfully: "Master, don't stand for a long time, although it is a sunny day, it is still cold in the end." Concubine Xian waved her hand back from the palace people on the four sides, helped Luo Qing to walk slowly, and said, "Do we have eyeliner in Yikun Palace?" Luo Qing was stunned for a moment, and said: "When the pure master in front was pregnant, the Internal Affairs Office screened all the minions in the Yikun Palace, and the pure master in the back was promoted, and the people who made up for it were all made up by the emperor himself, so there was really no way to place them." Then he wondered: "Isn't the master trying to win over the pure master?" How..."

Concubine Xian sighed, looked around, and said, "It's good that you know this in your heart, but don't say it." Luo Qing hurriedly stopped talking and said, "The slave and maid lost their words, please forgive the master." Concubine Xian remembered what Qingcheng said yesterday: "I know that the emperor is unreliable... But I still want to rely on him! There was a sense of awe in my heart.

She sighed: "I can't say, the pure noble concubine can fly higher than we imagined." ”

Luo Qing knew that the pure noble concubine was favored and was a thorn in the side of everyone in the palace, so she couldn't help but laugh and said: "The pure master is favored, but after all, she is a Han person, besides, the queen mother may not let her fly high." ”

Speaking of the queen, Concubine Xian crossed her eyes with a trace of resentment, and said: "What is the queen, she is also a person who has fallen out of favor, I want to see how long she can sit as queen." Then he said fiercely: "She has harmed my child, and I will make her pay for it with blood." She brushed her hair from her sideburns, lowered her voice and said, "Ming'er, you make a little eunuch, go to Shanrou and nag a few words, don't say too much, just say that you vaguely saw the people from the imperial hospital sneaking around in the Yikun Palace." ”

Luo Qing was puzzled and asked, "This is not clear..."

Concubine Xian smiled: "It's good to be unclear, and Shanrou will believe it." When she told the queen, the queen would take advantage of it. Since Concubine Chun doesn't want to stand with me, I can't let her stand with the queen. Luo Qing still doesn't understand much, but she knows that her master is ambitious and knows people, if she weren't a woman, she would definitely be able to make a big career. She respectfully listened to the order and immediately set about it.

Erqi received the moon in the Internal Affairs Office, and was about to return to Yikun Palace happily, and walked to the corner of the eaves, there was a small ear room for palace people to drink tea and roast the fire, and there was a gurgling sound of laughter in it, and vaguely heard the words "Lord Jane", and Erqi unconsciously stopped.

There was a voice of eunuchs who were neither men nor women, and said: "The queen master has asked me to go to Yikun Palace several times to spread the word, and I have seen Lord Jian here. Someone chimed in: "Yes, yes, I have also bumped into it on the palace street, Lord Jian is not ordinary, the pure master actually sent him out in person, if it is my master, even the imperial doctor's diagnosis and safety pulse are separated by the curtain, I am afraid that others will spread rumors..."

Suddenly, I heard a "shhhh Even the Xian master and the high master treated her politely, I also heard..."He suppressed his voice again, and said: "The emperor also said that when the pure master is crowned a concubine, he will take the third elder brother to Yikun Palace for upbringing!" This is a grand favor that even the queen's master has never had! ”

Another palace maid said indifferently: "She herself wants to be sneaky with the imperial doctor, not clear or innocent, and we are not allowed to talk about it..."

Erqi kicked the door open, startling the people inside. The little eunuch at the beginning rolled his eyes, hurriedly moved his place from the stove, and said with a sneer: "Aunt Erqi, it's cold outside, you come to my side to roast your hands, the queen master has not done what he told me, I have to go quickly." With that, he rolled away.

Several palace maids next to him were also in charge of the main halls of each palace, and when they saw Er Qi, they were jealous and hateful in their hearts, and they looked at each other, and they were silent. Er Qi said: "Who was talking nonsense here just now, and those who have the courage to go to my aunt and grandmother to talk about it." There was a woman from the Li Dynasty named Meiyan in the Jiafei Palace, she claimed to be a tribute to the foreign courts, and she was one level higher than others, so she sneered: "Isn't there an old saying in the Qing Dynasty? Don't let anyone know unless you do! ”

Erqi had never read a book, but she understood the meaning of her words. She said angrily: "What kind of bastard are you talking about, Lord Jane is a righteous man and a gentleman, and he is innocent with my master, if I hear your nonsense again, be careful that I'm not welcome!" The other palace maids didn't want to get into trouble, and it was better to have more than one thing, so they all smiled and said: "Aunt Erqi, don't be angry, let's just talk about it casually, since there is no matter, we won't talk about it in the past." ”

Meiyan said: "If you want others to shut up, it's better to persuade and persuade your master, don't let people grab the handle." What do we say two words, I'm afraid that it will only reach the emperor's ears. She paused for a moment and said with a smile: "Besides, if your master behaves appropriately and abides by women's virtues, how can there be rumors?" It's not unfounded..."

Before she finished speaking, Er Qi was already trembling with anger, she rushed forward, grabbed Meiyan's collar, and said, "You have only been in the palace for a few days, what do you know?" Don't think you're from outside, I'm afraid of you! ”

Mi-yeon had a provocative smile on her lips and said, "What, you still want to beat people?" My master's rank is higher than that of the pure master, and my rank is higher than yours. Erqi didn't care about this, and hit her head on the forehead. Meiyan's brain was dizzy, and when she came back to her senses, she was angry and reached out to grab Erqi's head.

The two scuffled together, the flag head was crooked, and the silk flower also fell. The timid palace maid secretly dodged, and the few bold ones were left, so they stepped forward to persuade them. But where can I persuade it, after a while, someone hurriedly went to the front to tell Wang Jinbao, the head of the Internal Affairs Office, Wang Jinbao led four or five eunuchs into the house, and pulled the two apart.

Wang Jinbao was very clear in his heart, the pure master was being favored, and Master Jia was pregnant and a concubine, and no one could afford to offend, so he asked Meiyan and Er Qi to be tied up in Yanxi Palace to be disposed of by Concubine Jia according to the rules, and ordered someone to tell Qingcheng, so that he himself was completely wiped out.

Qingcheng was teasing the lion in the room, and when he heard Hai'an's communication, he hurriedly changed his clothes and went to Yanxi Palace in a warm sedan chair. When she entered the palace gate, she heard the sound of mourning from afar, and she felt a little bit in her heart, and she couldn't care more and more about the cold and slippery road, so she almost trotted in. Erqi was tied to a bench at the bottom of the stairs, and two eunuchs grabbed her hands and feet, while the other eunuch raised a thick stick high and fell heavily on her thigh. Qingcheng jumped and couldn't help shouting, "Stop! ”

Er Qi lay on the stool, saw Qingcheng coming, and the tears that he couldn't hold back suddenly welled up all over his face, and said sadly: "Master... Rescue... Slave and maid..."The eunuchs who were tortured looked at each other, and when they were afraid, they all stopped together. Er Qi was beaten with a few rods, and the hot pain in her leg was like charcoal, and she said, "Master, you want to be the master of the slave and maid." ”

Qingcheng saw her dirty face, trembling all over, worried, and said in a low voice: "Don't worry, I won't let you be wronged in vain." The palace people waiting under the corridor had already spread the word inside, and Concubine Jia leaned on the kang and said leisurely: "Let the pure noble concubine come in." Qingcheng entered the hall, saluted according to the rules, and said: "Master Jia is pregnant, I have always wanted to visit." ”

Concubine Jia smiled and said, "The pure master is polite." After a pause, he said, "Since you are here for the people below, you might as well have something to say." I am not an unreasonable person, and the affairs of the slaves and maids are also done according to the rules. Qingcheng said: "Although I don't know what happened, but since it is a quarrel between the two, it will not be all one person's fault, I..." ”

Qingcheng and the others hurriedly got up, and the queen looked kind and happy, and said, "Concubine Jia's body is good?" Concubine Jia gave up her seat and asked Qingcheng to say goodbye, Fang smiled and said: "The concubine is in good health, I didn't go to greet you, but let you come over, it's really rude." The queen said quietly: "You all sit down, I vaguely heard outside that there are palace maids making trouble, what is the situation?" ”

Concubine Jia glanced at Qingcheng, and said in short: "Today, the Internal Affairs Office sent a moon, and the slave maid Meiyan in my palace and the slave Erqi of the pure master fought in the Internal Affairs Mansion and were tied up to me for disposal. Meiyan's official rank is higher than Erqi, Erqi is offended, and it is a crime committed by the following, and the concubine is the master and rewards Erqi with ten rods. The queen nodded and said, "The punishment is not heavy, it is reasonable, and you have handled it well." He looked at Qingcheng again and said: "If the servant is punished, you must feel uncomfortable, but there are rules in the palace, and after you take it back, it is right to teach carefully." ”

Qingcheng said: "Although the rules are rules, but you have to be reasonable, Er Qi has been serving the concubine for two years, and has never quarreled with anyone, and now suddenly had a dispute with the palace maid of Master Jia, if she is the only one who is at fault, the concubine will never believe it." The queen chuckled lightly and said, "Listen to what you mean, you have to find out what is right and wrong." ”

Concubine Jia said coldly: "I advise the pure master not to pursue it, speaking of which, it will damage your reputation." Qingcheng listened to what she said, but she didn't know what it meant, she was open in her heart, and she was not afraid of gossip, so she said: "I sit upright, and there is no taboo." The palace people brought the refreshments, and Concubine Jia casually rested on the case, and said contemptuously: "In this case, it is better to ask the queen to preside over the overall situation, let the two slaves and maids confront each other in the court, and the queen will be punished if they want to be beaten." ”

The eunuchs quickly led Erqi and Meiyan to the palace and knelt down, Meiyan said: "The slave and maid were gossiping with several other palace sisters in the ear room, but Erqi rushed into the door and insulted the slave and maid without saying anything, and it was her hand that moved first, and the slave and maid returned the hand." Er Qi's face was pale, almost kneeling, and said weakly: "She is gossiping about pure masters behind her back, and she also spreads rumors that ... Say..."

She knew that the stakes were very high, and as soon as she opened her mouth, she would inevitably spread it all over the Sixth Palace, although she knew that her master was innocent, but she didn't dare to say it out rashly. Qingcheng vaguely guessed something, and when she saw that she couldn't speak, she said, "You don't have to avoid anything." ”

The queen said majestically: "Now that you have come to this, you can't hide it." ”

Erqi continued: "They said... said that the pure master and Master Jane of the Imperial Hospital behaved ambiguously and misbehaved... It was they who spread rumors first, and the slaves and maids were reckless. ”

The queen took a sip of the teacup and said, "Is this true?" Slandering harem concubines is a felony! ”

Meiyan was a little afraid, and kowtowed: "The slave maid also heard from other palace people in the Internal Affairs Office, everyone said this, and the slave and maid were not the only ones. The queen glanced at Qingcheng and said, "Pure noble concubine, how do you explain?" ”

But seeing Qingcheng smiled indifferently, he said: "It's really nonsense, Lord Jian has been diagnosing the pulse of his concubines since he entered the palace, and it is common to deal with them more, please let the queen know it." He also said, "Erqi is faithful to the Lord, and there is nothing wrong with him in disputes." The concubine thought that if someone talked about the queen and Master Jia behind her back, the slaves and maids around Niangniang would be as reckless as Erqi. ”

She looked at Meiyan coldly, and said fiercely: "But those who chew the root of their tongue behind the master's back and stir up waves should be punished well, so that the harem can be harmonious and peaceful." When the queen heard this, she slapped it on the kang table and shouted: "Bold and pure concubine! Listen to what you mean, do you blame me for not being able to control the six palaces? ”

Qingcheng was speechless for a while, got up and knelt on the ground, and said: "The concubine is practical, and she has no intention of offending, please forgive the queen." The lion followed Qingcheng out of the door, and followed him all the way, when he suddenly saw Qingcheng kneeling, he was so anxious that he screamed.

The queen became more and more upset, and ordered again and again: "Take this beast out quickly!" "The lion is used to being arrogant in Yikun Palace, where is it willing to obediently obey, one moment to the east, another time to the west, it was frightened by a large group of people who pounced, even the green orange called it, it was also unheard. The hall became more and more chaotic, and Concubine Jia was about to avoid the dormitory, so she got up, but the lion suddenly jumped down from the high table and pounced on her.

Concubine Jia screamed in shock, and as soon as her feet were weak, she fell to the ground, crying out "oops" in pain. The queen was shocked and roared urgently: "Shanrou, go and ask the imperial doctor." Then he ordered Concubine Jia to be carried to the bed, and ordered: "Close the door, catch the beast, and beat me to death with a stick." "After all, the lion is a dog, it can bite and run, and it bites the eunuch who closed the door, and escapes through the crack in the door while it is in chaos. Its little short legs ran extremely fast, drilling here and jumping there, so that dozens of people did not catch up, but made chickens and dogs jump everywhere.

The little thing ran all the way to the Palace of Nourishing Hearts, and the emperor was in the front hall to meet Zhang Tingyu, Ortai and others, and suddenly heard the barking of dogs, and as soon as he turned around, the lion threw himself on his lap. The ministers were startled, and dozens of imperial guards rushed in outside the door, waiting for their orders. The emperor waved his sleeves and motioned for them to stand back, and Fang stroked the lion's head and said, "Did you come with your master?" The lion barked a few times, jumped to the ground, took two steps to the door, and looked back at the emperor.

The emperor shouted outwards and said, "Wu Shulai, what's the matter?" ”

Wu Shulai asked the eunuch who was chasing outside, and knew a rough idea, he entered the hall respectfully, leaned over and whispered in the emperor's ear, seeing that the smile on the emperor's lips gradually faded, his eyes became cold, and his heart was like beating a small drum. Zhang Tingyu and others were very good at observing words and feelings, and knew that the emperor was angry, so they hurriedly looked for an excuse and knelt down and retreated.

The emperor didn't even change his dragon robe, and took a warm sedan chair to Yanxi Palace. Dozens of honor guards lingered, and the lion refused to run anymore, crooked at the emperor's feet, squinting and yawning.