The sky was dark, and there were little eunuchs trembling into the house to hold the lamp, and dozens of arm-thick red candles were burning together, and the light was rippling, illuminating the room all over the room. The emperor was silent, and the palace people below knelt on the ground, not even daring to raise their eyelids. Concubine Xian, Concubine Gao and the others were sitting precariously, carefully paying attention to the emperor's expression, and did not move.

The huge palace fell into a dead silence.

Qingcheng took another half step forward and snuggled up to the emperor's knee. He turned his face away and stared at the jade pendant in his hand for a long time, his lips were pursed, and his nose was moving, which was daunting. Qingcheng called in a low voice: "Your Majesty." Her voice was soft and angry, like a pebble falling into a deep lake, causing ripples.

Shu Concubine couldn't help but raise her eyes, only to see that the emperor was still silent, and the Queen Mother picked up the fragrant tea in her hand and put on a look of ignorance. Qingcheng tugged at the emperor's dragon robe under her sleeve, and the emperor finally turned his face to look at her, her eyes were as clear as a cut of autumn water, full of ardent expectations. In the end, his heart softened, and he got up and said: "Huang Eniang, I will go to the side hall and say a few words." ”

The Queen Mother said "um" and then tasted tea.

The two walked out of the hall half a step apart, turned into the corridor, and went to the side hall. The hall was dark and unlit, and she followed him in the swarthy house. Wu Shulai took the door and retreated into the distance, everything in the hustle and bustle was separated, and everything around was silent. It was still snowing outside, and she was shivering with cold without a cloak. The emperor sighed softly, took her hand, and said, "It's cold, if you have anything to say, you have to say it alone." ”

Qingcheng squeezed into his arms and said, "Do you believe their words?" ”

The emperor lowered his eyes and examined her face, and said, "Since I don't want me to misunderstand, I shouldn't give Jian Yuheng what I have rewarded." ”

Qingcheng said: "I was going to tell you about this, but I forgot about it for a while, and I didn't think about hiding it from you." She drilled into his arms coldly, and the faint fragrance lingered, adding to the warmth. He said, "Don't think that if you confess to me, I won't be angry. She grabbed his hands, craned her neck and kissed him on the cheek, blushing and saying, "Then I will confess one more thing to you." ”

The emperor's anger suddenly disappeared and asked, "What's the matter?" ”

Qingcheng said softly as water: "Actually, Jian Yuheng is my own brother, my own brother of the same father and mother!" The emperor's mind thundered, his mind twisted and turned, and he was stunned for a while before asking, "How come?" Qingcheng said slowly: "My uncle traveled everywhere when he was young, and only returned to Beijing once in four or five years. Passing through Suzhou that year, his only Lin'er was sick with cold, which was really pitiful, saving people all his life, but not saving his son. My aunt was too thin to have children, and my mother was afraid that my grandmother would be upset, so she passed on my eldest brother to my uncle without telling outsiders. Only the closest relatives in the family knew about it, and even the old grandmother was kept in the dark. ”

The snowflakes are disturbing and falling, the lanterns of the Minghuang Palace under the corridor are swaying in the wind, and the sparse shadows of the dead branches fall on the plain white tulle windows, which are as eternal and beautiful as landscape ink paintings.

The emperor was angry and amused, and said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" If he had told him earlier, he would not have specifically targeted Jian Yuheng, nor would he have sent Jian Yuheng to the dangerous place in Ganchuan, let alone secretly prevent the imperial doctor from treating the imperial hospital.

Qingcheng said: "When I was a child, I lived in my uncle's house for half a month, and once I almost leaked my mouth in front of my ancestors, and I was so angry that my aunt was sick for more than half a year. Uncle's family is now a bit of a face in Shangjing, and my aunt regards my brother as the root of my life, if there are any rumors suddenly, not to mention that the ancestor is old, I'm afraid my aunt won't be able to hold it! After a pause, he suddenly asked: "You tell me the truth, did you deliberately arrange it to ask my brother to go out of the palace last year to do errands?" ”

The emperor's eyebrows jumped slightly, and he immediately retorted: "Arranging for Lord Jian to leave the palace was decided by the head of the imperial hospital, and I was just a quasi-play." The head of the matter said that Master Jian was too young and lacked experience, so he intended to send him out of the palace to study. He walked out with a step, and said, "Don't tell the Queen Mother to wait for a long time, let's go over." ”

Concubine Xian heard the sound of footsteps, and her whole heart hung high in the air. Concubine Shun patted the back of her hand and looked at her deeply, and Concubine Xian calmed down. Shun Guiren was already trembling, she looked at the door with a glimmer of hope, but what she saw was the calm face of the emperor and Yue, and a pain in her chest for no reason, like a thousand arrows in her heart.

The Queen Mother was also amazed, in just half a cup of tea, what did this pure concubine say, which could make the emperor turn his anger into joy. Qingcheng blessed his body and returned to his place and sat down. The emperor smiled: "Let the emperor wait for a long time." The Queen Mother said: "You hurry up and settle the matter, so that the mourning family can rest." The emperor said, "My son obeys." The smile on his face suddenly stopped, his eyes were cold, he glanced around the hall, and asked, "Who is the medical woman who reported it?" ”

Yun Ling had seen the situation clearly at this time, trembling and kneeling forward, and said: "Your Majesty, it was the servant of the Shun nobles who asked the slave and maid to ask questions, and the slave and maid felt that something was wrong, so they told the Shun nobleman. On the same day, the pure concubine Niangniang did give a jade pendant to Lord Xia, but she asked Lord Xia to transfer it to Lord Jian to ward off evil spirits and suppress shock, and the slave and maid told the Shun nobles the original way, but the Shun nobles forced the slave and the maid to frame the pure concubine Niangniang and Lord Xia for having a personal relationship, otherwise the slave and the maid would be driven out of the imperial hospital, and the slave and maid had no way, the slave and the maid..."

Shungui knelt down, bared his teeth and reprimanded: "Yun Ling is talking nonsense!" The queen mother, the emperor, the concubines were wronged..."

The emperor took two sips of tea slowly, and said lightly: "Shun noble, you have to think clearly, if there is another half of a lie, the crime of bullying the king, what is the consequences, you must understand!" Shun Guiren choked on her breath and almost didn't catch her breath, she was weak, she sat on the ground, tears flowed, and she had nothing to say.

The Queen Mother heard what Yun Ling said, she was so angry that she coughed again and again, Concubine Xian hurriedly got up and stroked her back to help Shunqi, Mama Yan served her throat ginseng soup, and another palace maid held a spittoon and sent it to the Queen Mother. After a long while, the Queen Mother stopped coughing and said gently: "You are arrogant, don't think that the mourning family doesn't know, for the sake of your father, I don't care about you, I always want you to be young and ignorant, and when you are older, you will know what Nei Xiu Huizhong is." The tone changed, and he shouted again: "I don't want you to make mistakes again and again, and you dare to deceive the mourning family, it's really hateful!" ”

Shun Guiren knelt at the feet of the Queen Mother, kowtowed and mourned: "Ask the Queen Mother for forgiveness, I don't dare anymore, I don't dare anymore!" He suddenly raised his head and pointed at Concubine Xian, gritted his teeth and said: "It's her, it's Concubine Xian who asked me to come to Shoukang Palace, it's her..." The Queen Mother knew in her heart that she didn't want to involve Concubine Xian, so she said: "Come on, drag the noble people out and wait for disposal." ”

The emperor knew what the queen mother meant, he glanced at Concubine Xian, put down the teacup, and did not speak.

After the eunuchs dragged Shun Guiren away, Concubine Xian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The emperor asked Yun Ling, "How can the jade pendant be in your hands?" Yun Ling said: "Lord Xia has been waiting in Changchun Palace for several days, and he has not left the palace, this jade pendant he put in the room where he rested in the imperial hospital, and it was Shun Guiren who asked the slave maid to get it." If Lord Xia is still in Changchun Palace, I am afraid that at this time, I am afraid that I will not know that the jade pendant has been lost. ”

The emperor said, "I see. He added: "I remember that you are threatened, so you will be exempted from the death penalty, and you will not be able to stay in the imperial hospital in the future, so go to the teaching hall to sort out the medical classics." ”

Yun Ling was grateful to Dade and kowtowed: "Thank the emperor for forgiveness." ”

After the idle people and others retreated, the emperor said in a deep voice: "The queen is seriously ill and has no time to take care of all the things in the palace. The earth-shattering thunder is nothing more than that, Concubine Xian knelt in the center, and said on the ground: "The concubine violates the holy hope, please ask the emperor to surrender." ”

The emperor took care of the face of the queen mother, and no longer pursued it, he said: "From now on, all the affairs of the six palaces will be managed by Concubine Gao, Concubine Xian, Concubine Shun, Concubine Chun, and Concubine Jia. Concubine Gao hadn't seen the emperor for several months, and she couldn't help but be overjoyed when she suddenly received the grace of the saint. Concubine Jia is a foreigner, she has no reliance in the palace, and she never thought that she could have the right to associate the six palaces, which is also gratifying. There was only green orange, with a pale face, and everyone thanked the Lord Longen together.

The Queen Mother asked: "How to deal with the nobles?" ”

The emperor looked at Qingcheng and said, "Concubine Chun also has the right to co-ordinate, and I want to leave it to her to dispose of." The Queen Mother nodded and said, "It is she who has been wronged, and it is just right to hand it over to her." Then he got up and said, "After talking for most of the day, the mourning family is tired, so you all disperse." All the concubines got up one after another and said, "The concubines have retired." ”

Back at Yikun Palace, the emperor didn't sit down, so he was going to drive to Changchun Palace. Qingcheng was tired, took his hand, and said, "Can you accompany me tonight?" The emperor helped her wipe the snow beads on her sideburns, and said with a smile: "The queen can't leave people, if there are any three long and two short, I will not regret it in the next life." There are many concubines in the palace, Yingying Yanyan, but the most important person in my heart is you. And the queen, she is my wife, I respect her and love her, and I cannot make her wronged. ”

Her hand slowly loosened, a trace of sourness overflowed from the depths of her heart, and she forced a smile: "Then you go, it's dark and slippery, walk carefully." Seeing her little face twisted and smiling, the emperor reached out and pinched her cheek affectionately, kissed her lightly on her eyebrows, and said: "Shun Guiren has returned to Qixiang Palace, I have already ordered someone to watch it, you rest early, and when you are full, think about what to do." After a pause, he said: "The matter of the Sixth Palace, you learn from Concubine Xian and Concubine Shun, if you really don't understand, come and ask me." If you don't care about anything, you'll always be underestimated. ”

Qingcheng understood his intentions, and arranged it for himself everywhere, so he nodded with a smile, sent him to the bottom of the stairs, watched him get on the warm sedan chair, and then turned around to eat a snack, ready to sleep.

The snow was gloomy, and the oranges got up late, so they didn't want to eat breakfast. Er Qi knew that she had a bad appetite, so she ordered the kitchen to make a bowl of somen noodles with the black chicken soup that had been boiled for half a night, accompanied by cold lettuce, rouge lotus root slices, crispy duck breast, and hot and sour pickles, so she persuaded her to eat half a bowl. After the meal, a little eunuch came to tell him and said, "Master Xian, please go to the west of the Taidian to discuss matters." Qingcheng sat idly on the kang and asked, "Why not Jingren Palace?" ”

The little eunuch hung his hands and said respectfully: "Returning to the pure master, the master said that since the five concubines are jointly in charge of the six palaces, if it is not appropriate to discuss the matter in Jingren Palace, he asked for advice from the master of Long Live Lord." Long live the Lord said that the Jiaotai Hall is uninhabited, the place is spacious, it is very convenient to get up and down the sedan car, and it is close to the palaces, which is a good place for discussions. ”

Qingcheng thought for a moment and said, "Go ahead." ”

The little eunuch bowed down, and Hai'an filled a few sticks of vermilion hairpins with a lotus leaf pattern brocade plate for the green oranges to choose, and said, "How does the master plan to deal with the nobles?" Er Qi added silver charcoal to the brazier and said: "There must be a heavy punishment, according to the slave maid, it should be reduced to promise, and then enter the cold palace, in order to relieve the hatred!" ”

Qingcheng glanced at each other and scolded: "Hugh is talking nonsense! ”

Hai'an saw that the green orange had not been picked up for a long time, so he made his own decision and picked the white hosta with eight treasure beads, and said: "The slave maid thinks that Erqi is reasonable, so she will set an example and kill the chicken to show the monkey." She delicately inserted the hairpin into her green orange hair, and said: "If there is no Xian master to make a stalk from it, where will the Shun nobles have the courage to find the queen mother?" A palace maid held up a bronze mirror for Qingcheng to see, Qingcheng looked left and right at the Zhu Hai on his sideburns, and said: "Everyone knows the truth, but even if the noble Shun loses favor, the family background is still there, and the queen mother and the emperor also have to take care of face." said that I would let it be handled, but in the end, I had to look at the situation and not lose my sense of proportion. ”

The palace street to Jiaotai Hall had already been cleaned up, and a thick layer of grass ash was pounced. Qingcheng sat in a warm sedan chair until it stopped under the west corridor. Concubine Xian led everyone to wait outside the door, and Ying Ying smiled: "You are pregnant, you shouldn't be tired, but the emperor has a decree, so I have to invite." After that, he personally stretched out his hand to help him, Qingcheng hurriedly took half a step back, and said, "Master Xian is polite." ”

Concubine Gao shuddered and said, "It's too cold outside, let's go inside and talk." Concubine Shun and Concubine Jia agreed, and the five of them entered the palace together. Concubine Xian and Concubine Gao have been favored for the longest time, so they sit on the main seat, Concubine Shun and Concubine Jia sit on the side of Concubine Gao, and Qingcheng sits on the side of Concubine Xian. Qingcheng has never been in charge of palace affairs, many things don't understand well, and she doesn't pretend to understand, Concubine Xian asks what she wants, she will also answer two sentences according to her own meaning, and if she really doesn't know, she will say that she doesn't know.

After most of the hour, he rested.

There was no fire dragon in the Jiaotai Palace, and everyone had two pots of silver charcoal at their feet, which were red and gorgeously burning. The palace people stepped forward with fragrant tea, and the green orange held it with his hands, gently blowing the hot air. Concubine Gao suddenly said: "I'm curious, what does Concubine Chun plan to do with the noble people?" Qingcheng had already calculated in his heart, and said with a smile: "Since the five concubines are jointly assisting in the six palaces, this matter should also be discussed together." ”

Concubine Jia blew open the floating leaves in the tea, but she didn't drink it, and said with a smile: "The pure master thinks properly." ”

Concubine Shun never spoke, she had always been steady, but at this time she was a little impatient and said: "I have an idea, I don't know if it's feasible." Concubine Xian said: "If you have an idea, just say it, it's good to know everything." Concubine Shun said: "I heard that there is a Ganlu Temple outside the palace, since the Ming Dynasty, every year there are palace concubines to pray in the temple. At present, the queen mother is weak and frail, the queen's master is seriously ill for no reason, and the pure master is pregnant with a dragon heir, these three things need the protection of the gods. If you can ask the nobles to go out of the palace to pray for the royal practice, it is really decent and clean. As soon as these words came out, even Qingcheng secretly shouted "good"!

Concubine Gao hooked her lips and smiled, and said, "Concubine Shun is still smart and keen, if I were me, I would not be able to think of such a good idea for half a lifetime." Concubine Xian knew that Concubine Shun was scrupling about the word "Shun" of the nobles, so she smiled and said, "What do you think?" ”

Everyone had no objections, and Concubine Xian went to Shoukang Palace in the afternoon to tell the Queen Mother about the matter, and the Queen Mother also praised her.

In the evening, the emperor took time to go to Yikun Palace to speak. Qingcheng is sitting in the study copying the "Diamond Sutra", her handwriting is beautiful and neat, and the plum blossom Xiaokai boy carefully wrote dozens of pieces. The emperor entered the house lightly, stood by the threshold for a long time, Qingcheng was aware, looked up, her gloomy face was suddenly full of bright smiles, she put down her pen and got up, and said: "If you come, you won't pass it on, so that I can go to Yikun Gate to meet you." ”

The emperor held her hand, stood in front of the desk and looked at her handwriting, and said with a smile: "It's still snowing outside, what are you going out for?" I have a lot of people to serve, can I still wrestle? He added, "Your words are getting more and more charming." Qingcheng didn't want to talk to him about these boring things, so he led him outside and said, "I have nothing to do, and I made a pastry with Erqi, even if you haven't eaten it." She raised her face and instructed the palace people, "Go, bring the plum blossom steamed chestnut powder cake." ”

The palace people promised to go out, and she had something else to order, but the emperor took her in his arms and said, "I'm not hungry, and I don't want to eat." I'm going back to Changchun Palace for a while, I'm just thinking about you. He hugged her from behind, greedily smelled the faint fragrance between her clothes, squinted slightly, and said, "I wronged you yesterday." ”

Qingcheng snuggled in his arms, rubbing his cheek with his backhand, it was obviously a cold weather, but his sentence "You have been wronged" made her heart warm as if it was a deep spring in April.

The emperor said: "I want to take advantage of the New Year's Festival, you are pregnant again, and give you the grace of raising the flag." Qingcheng's heart moved slightly, and she was about to speak, when she suddenly heard the sound of stepping in the distance, she broke away from the emperor's arms, and smiled at him: "Eat something first." ”

In Erqi's hand, she used an elegant bean-green glass chrysanthemum saucer to hold four small plum blossom-like snacks. She made a double peace salute and said, "This is made by boiling new chestnuts, kneading dough with glutinous rice flour, and steaming melon kernels, pine nuts and tender plum blossoms picked in the morning. There are chestnut aromas, fruity aromas and floral aromas, please try it. ”

Qingcheng took the plate and said, "You all go down." Er Qi responded with "yes" and led the palace people in the house to retreat. The emperor picked up the plum blossom steamed chestnut powder cake, ate half of it, and said with a smile: "The taste is really novel." Qingcheng said: "I suddenly thought about it last night, or Er Qi is clever, she can do whatever I want." ”

The emperor said: "It is you who are well educated." ”

The two sat on the kang on their knees, Qingcheng took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, wiped the cake crushed from the corner of the emperor's mouth, and said: "Carrying the flag is not a trivial matter, and those who have always carried the flag have been ministers and generals with great military achievements. You are because I have been wronged and pity me that you will carry the flag for me. Actually, it doesn't have to be this way, I'm fine. She whispered softly, not happy, not resigned, she was just content.

She was satisfied with this grace.

The emperor grabbed her hand, shook his head, and said, "That's not the case. ”

Qingcheng turned around a thousand times, but he couldn't think of what he meant. She looked at him in a daze, looked at his eagle-like sharp and bright eyes, and said, "Why is that?" The emperor tightened the soft palm of his hand and said slowly: "I really like you, Qingcheng." Therefore, I don't want to be ignored all the time because of your Han identity, and I don't want you to always stand behind the concubines and concubines of the same rank. You are the woman I love, and I have long said that I can give you whatever you want, except for the posterior. ”

He suddenly appealed to the chief of affection, which caught her off guard.

Tears poured down, and she covered her face with her hands, but the tears still overflowed from her fingers like a thin spray of hot blood, crossed her jaw, and fell drop by drop in his palm. He laughed softly and said, "Why is it always like a child, I love to cry and cry." Qingcheng whimpered, "Who told you to make me cry." ”

The emperor straightened up, took her in his arms, patted her on the back softly, and said, "Okay, don't cry, be careful that the baby knows, and then be sad." Qingcheng rubbed tears on his shoulder, the dragon robe was embroidered with gold silk on the dragon body and dragon claws, and the hard corners of the material made her face hurt, this pain was also the brand on his body, half a ring, she stopped crying, wiped away her tears, and said: "Who said I was sad?" Choked up and asked, "Have you eaten a late snack before leaving?" ”

It was dark outside the window, and the eunuch with the lamp stood under the porch and did not dare to enter the house. There was no light in the room, and a faint mist shrouded in the silence, he couldn't see her expression clearly, but his heart was very stable, and said, "If you don't eat it, the queen really can't leave people." ”

He got up and put on his shoes, and Qingcheng wanted to serve, but the emperor brushed his hand and said, "Don't bend down, lest you hurt the baby." He added: "These days, most of the affairs of the court are handled in Changchun Palace, I originally planned to take you to live in the garden outside for a few months after the New Year, looking at the queen's body, I am afraid that I will not be able to go." ”

Qingcheng helped him smooth the wrinkles on his back, sent him to the door, and said, "If you can't go, you can't go, it's nothing, the queen's illness is critical." She was about to be sent outside, but the emperor stopped her and said, "Don't send it, your body is also important, the queen has already broken my heart, you should be honest, don't trouble me again." In the deliberations of the Jiaotai Palace, you don't have to go before the year, and when the spring begins, the road is good to go, and then talk about it. I will send someone to inform Concubine Xian, you don't have to worry about it. ”

Wu Shulai had already come in with a Xuanhu end mask and put it on for the emperor, and Fang raised his voice under the corridor: "Long live the lord!" ”

Hai'an saw that the circles under the blue orange were red, and exclaimed, "Master, what's wrong with you?" Qingcheng smiled and said, "I'm fine, you go and tell Erqi, you don't need snacks tonight." Her thoughts were confused, her joy was too great, her body was fluttering as if she was flying in the air, and she just wanted to lie down on the bed early, and savor every word and sentence that the Emperor Shicai said.