The noble concubine's old illness is difficult to heal, sometimes good and sometimes bad, in the middle of the night in early autumn, there was no one on her side at that time, until the second day when the palace maid called her to take medicine, she knew that she would return to bliss. The palace mourns, the corridors and palaces are hung with white yarn, and the palace lamps are also pasted with white paper. The autumn wind was bleak, the air was mixed with the long-lasting smell of bitter medicine, Qingcheng stood at the Xianfu Gate with Yongying in his arms, looking at the endless whiteness, and did not dare to enter.

The emperor mourned, and issued a decree to call the noble concubine the concubine of Emperor Huixian, and on the fifth day of the drop out of the dynasty to show the emperor's grace, and ordered the eldest brother, the third elder brother, the fourth elder brother, and the fifth elder brother to wear filial piety. He also ordered the queen to carry out a funeral ceremony and bury the noble concubine with the etiquette of the imperial concubine.

The queen presided over the funeral for the first time, bowing to her relatives in everything, lest she let people fall behind. The Changchun Palace is lit up day and night, and the eunuchs of the Internal Affairs Office go in and out, always telling the funeral affairs. This year is very cold, summer has just ended, and the north wind is blowing, as if it is late autumn overnight. The drizzle is dashing, adding to the sadness and loneliness. Qingcheng took Yongzhang to finish the salute in Xianfu Palace, and returned to Yikun Palace at nightfall. Er Qi was afraid that the two of them would be cold, so he ordered the palace people to prepare a hot clear soup to serve.

Yongzhang asked: "Why does Gao Niangniang lie in the coffin, and why do we kneel and worship?" Is Gao Niangniang dead? Where did she go when she died? Qingcheng helped him take off his mourning clothes, and saw that his knees were purple and red, so he took the active oil and gently massaged it. She herself was blown white by the autumn wind, and her whole body was sore. Yongzhang asked, he couldn't help but be stunned for a while, and said: "There are some things, you just look at them, you don't have to ask to understand." When you grow up, you'll understand. Then he asked, "Does your knee still hurt?" ”

Although it is not yet winter, Hai'an has prepared a copper hand furnace for Yongzhang to hold.

Yongzhang was trained by the emperor not to cry out for pain, and shook his head and said, "It doesn't hurt." He obediently stuffed the hand stove to Qingcheng and said, "E-Niang's hand is cold, warm it up." E-niang also knelt all day, making you tired. ”

Qingcheng held the copper furnace in both hands, warmed it to the bottom of his heart, leaned over and kissed Yongzhang's little cheek, and smiled: "Do you want to do your homework today?" Yongzhang said: "The teacher said that in the palace for funerals in the past few days, I don't have to write my homework with the eldest brother, the fourth elder brother, and the fifth elder brother." Qingcheng nodded and said, "Ming'er has to get up early, eat a late snack, and have a good rest." ”

Yongzhang responded that "his son knows", so he knelt down on the kang. When he arrived at the door, he suddenly turned around and said, "E-niang, can I invite the eldest brother to stay in the Daode Hall for two nights?" He has to go back to his brother's house every night, and he has to go to Xianfu Palace to pay tribute before dawn, and his nurse is not good, and today I see him having dinner in the side hall of Xianfu Palace, and the food is cold. Eniang, why does the eldest brother's Eniang ignore him? ”

He asked a simple question, but Qingcheng didn't know how to answer.

The eldest brother is the emperor's first son, his biological mother died in the palace, and the concubine position was later posthumously crowned. Yongzhang only thought that everyone was like him, he lived in the elder brother's house when he was a child, and he could still return to his mother to raise him when he grew up. The eldest brother is withdrawn, he has no mother since he was a child, and he doesn't know how to accept favor in front of the emperor.

Qingcheng felt embarrassed and said: "E-Niang can't make the decision on this matter, I have to ask Huang Ama." Yongzhang was afraid of the emperor, so he didn't dare to answer again. Qingcheng knew that he was a loving brother, and he couldn't bear to let him suffer the sophistication of the world too early, so he smiled and said, "Eniang go and talk to Huang Ama." Yongzhang's little face instantly smiled, and said, "Thank you, Eniang." ”

Since the high emperor concubine was ill, the emperor stayed alone in the palace of nourishing the heart every day. Qingcheng went this time, it was inevitable that people would gossip, but she was always favored, and she held ginseng soup and dim sum, in the name of comfort, no one dared to talk blatantly.

Besides, the funeral is the funeral, and there is no shortage of people around the emperor to serve.

The emperor and Gao Shuyao are a young couple, and the day after the love and sweetness has become fading, it is the most common in the Forbidden City. If she lived in the harem well, the emperor would forget it, but she died, and the tenderness of the old days surged into her heart, guilt, regret, and a little more nostalgia and sorrow.

When Qingcheng entered the Yang Xin Palace, the emperor was approving the folding, and the vermilion ink on the case had been replaced with blue ink, which was a very high specification, and it was the person who the emperor valued very much to get this favor. She put the food box on the desk and said, "Let the kitchen make you your favorite mutton soup and vegetarian dumplings, and eat a bowl while it's hot." ”

The emperor put down his imperial pen and asked, "It's cold, are you tired from the funeral?" ”

Qingcheng smiled lightly: "Compared to the queen's work, I am nothing." Wu Shulai looked at the situation and ordered someone to bring hot water into the hall, Qingcheng waited for the emperor to clean his hands and wipe his face, spread food on the kang table, and the two sat at the table. The emperor had a poor appetite, and only ate half a bowl of dumplings, and then put down the chopsticks. Qingcheng waited for him to rinse his mouth and drink tea, and at eight o'clock, Qingcheng said: "Yongzhang told me that he wanted the eldest brother to stay in the Daode Hall for two nights, and the friendship between the two brothers is deep, so I agreed." ”

The emperor half-leaned on the satin purple moire kang pillow and said, "Since you have agreed, it will be okay to stay for two nights." He looked tired, his eyes were red, and he must not have been able to sleep, and he stayed up all night looking at the excerpts. Qingcheng sat beside him, held his hand, and said, "I know you're sad, but you also have to pay attention to the dragon body." The matter of the imperial concubine is fate, not relief. The Emperor straightened up, grabbed her palm back, and called softly, "Green Orange." ”

Qingcheng snorted and said, "What's wrong?" ”

The emperor stared at her fixedly, her face slightly haggard, her eyebrows and eyes shining, indescribably gentle and supple. The room was very quiet and quiet, except for the sound of the "click" of the Western chiming clock.

He said slowly: "You must live a long life. ”

If she died, he probably wouldn't live long.

Qingcheng smiled and said, "Don't worry, I can't bear you, I can't bear Yongzhang, I can't bear Yongying, I will definitely live a long life." Therefore, you also have to take care of the dragon body, and we will live a long life together. The emperor raised a smile that he had not seen for several days, and said, "Okay, let's live a long life together." The two whispered to each other, and occasionally laughter came out, and Wu Shulai couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. These days, he is serving in front of the emperor with his head up, and every time the emperor frowns, he has to be so frightened that he doesn't have a moment to live.

It was secretly thinking about it, and suddenly a little eunuch rushed to the front as if taking off, crying: "It's not good, it's not good." Wu Shulai slapped the little eunuch on the head and said, "I'm going to die, shouting here, I'm shocking Long Live Lord, you are good-looking." The little eunuch cried more and more, and said, "Ask Gonggong Wu to spread the word, the queen's master has fainted!" ”

It's like a thunderbolt, it's really a wave of unsettled waves.

Wu Shulai bared his teeth and wanted to scold, but he was afraid of delaying things, so he endured his anger and entered the hall, and said: "Long live Lord Qiqi, the queen's master has fainted, please move to Changchun Palace." Qingcheng was busy waiting for the emperor to wear a shoelace crown, and the emperor said, "What's the matter?" Wu Shulai said: "The slave is not clear, it has been announced that the imperial doctor is watching, and no one has come to pass the word yet." ”

The emperor looked at Qingcheng and said, "You go back and rest, Ming'er has to get up early." Qingcheng said: "Let's go the same way, let's go together." The two then sat in a sedan chair and went to the fork in the road between Yikun Palace and Changchun Palace. The imperial doctor greeted the holy driver, knelt down and said: "Your Majesty, the queen's master is fine, he has a pregnant vein." Recently, overwork has caused dizziness and redness, and it is necessary to meditate and nourish the fetus, and no longer work. "The emperor is very happy, and his son-in-law has always been expected by him, but now it has come true, like a dream.

The queen is happy and sad, happy that she is finally pregnant, waiting to give birth to a concubine, and set up a prince, her identity is not the same, even if there are ten pure concubines, high concubines, and concubines, she is not afraid. Worriedly, she took over the power of the harem and cleaned up the concubine's party, but she had to temporarily give it up.

After production, who knows what the situation will be?

The emperor reprimanded softly: "You are a person who has given birth, why don't you even know that you are pregnant?" The royal doctor said that the baby was more than two months old. The queen half leaned on the gold silk embroidered grape pattern Hang forging soft pillow, and said: "It is the concubine who was negligent, please forgive the emperor." ”

After the last miscarriage, her menstrual period was short and irregular, and she saw red on her lower body yesterday, she only thought it was normal, and she didn't take it to heart at all. If it weren't for fainting today and asking the imperial doctor to check the pulse, the consequences would be really worrying.

The emperor was not angry, put the armpit quilt on her armpits, and said: "The affairs of the palace, don't interfere in it from now on, stay in Changchun Palace and take care of your body." You are weak and you must be on guard at all times. Hearing his words of concern and thoughtfulness, the queen couldn't help but feel a deep sense of happiness in her heart, and said with a light smile: "Emperor Xie cares, and the concubines know." He also said: "I don't know about the funeral of the Emperor Gao's concubine, who does the emperor want to hand over the overall situation?" The emperor said, "You don't have to worry about this matter, I have my own arrangements." After speaking, he got up and said, "It's late at night, you can rest, and I'll come to see you tomorrow." ”

After the holy car left, Shanrou and Dongling led the palace people of Changchun Palace into the palace to say hello to the queen, and the queen was also beaming, so Shanrou took a handful of silver horns from the cabinet to reward people, asking for good luck.

The queen was tired in the end, and after a while, she ordered everyone to retreat.

Shanrou served the queen to sleep peacefully, and said: "I don't know which concubine will let the master rule the six palaces, according to the slave maid, no one in the palace can take on the big responsibility as the master, and the concubine is snubbed, and it is impossible to regain power for this reason, it is estimated that it is still assisted by the three concubines of Jia, Chun, and Shun." The queen felt justified and said, "That's all it takes." ”

Before dawn the next day, the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent a message to the six palaces, and at the behest of the emperor, the pure concubine was in charge of the affairs of the six palaces.

Not only the queen, but even Qingcheng himself is unbelievable. She even handed over most of the affairs of Yikun Palace to Hai'an, and when the fifth concubine assisted the sixth palace, she was almost a decoration, and it was the concubine Xian who made the decision. Only when he was in the palace, he was in charge of things a little, but it was limited to the apse. Everyone else was jealous, but she panicked and just wanted to shirk the matter.

The sky was gray and bright, the fog was deep, and the cold was pressing. Qingcheng listened to the will, his mind was confused, and he was going to take a sedan chair to the Yangxin Palace to resign to the emperor, and he didn't want the eunuchs in charge of the Internal Affairs Office to rush to Yikun Palace one by one, and he had been waiting in the corridor for a long time, so he was waiting for Qingcheng to summon him. When it came to the end, there was no way, so Qingcheng had to reluctantly receive it first. Fortunately, the queen's past has laid a good foundation, and almost all matters have old precedents to follow.

was busy until noon, Yongzhang took the eldest brother back to Yikun Palace for dinner.

The eldest brother is ten years old, with a figure like an emperor, tall and thin, with red lips and white teeth, and an extremely beautiful face. He knelt down and saluted Qingcheng in an orderly manner, and said, "Yonghuang asks Chun Niangniang for peace, and causes trouble to Chun Niangniang." ”

Qingcheng said with a smile: "Big brother doesn't have to be restrained, how Yongzhang behaves in Yikun Palace, you can be the same as him." He also asked the grandmothers of the elder brother to bring their clothes and so on, and ordered Hai'an to serve and clean their hands and faces, and prepare for dinner.

Er Qi specially asked Mama and Big Brother what they like to eat, but Mama couldn't answer, and said vaguely: "Big Brother is never a picky eater, he eats whatever he is given." Er Qi estimated that the eldest brother had no one to support him, and the grandmothers had no oil and water to fish, so he neglected the eldest brother. So he made the meal prepared for Yongzhang and Yongying, and prepared more than ten kinds of pastries with different tastes, which was a treat. The eldest brother was a little timid when he saw that he had set up two tables to eat and wanted to sit at the same table with Concubine Chun.

The people of the Sishan Palace spread the dishes and chopsticks and quietly retreated.

Qingcheng smiled: "Big brother, you're welcome, please take a seat." Yongzhang gave up the position of Qingcheng's right hand to the eldest brother and said, "Big brother, please take a seat." The eldest brother clasped his fist at Qingcheng and said, "Chun Niangniang, please take a seat first." Qingcheng smiled and was about to sit down, but saw Hai'an enter the room with the curtain and said, "Master, the emperor is here." The eldest brother's finally calm heart jumped to the door of his throat, Yongzhang was also afraid of the emperor, but he had not yet reached the point of the eldest brother.

The two brothers got up and went out to greet each other with Qingcheng behind him.

When the emperor saw the eldest brother, he was slightly stunned, and immediately remembered what Qingcheng said yesterday, so he said: "Big brother, is Yikun Palace good?" Although it was the first time for the eldest brother to come to Yikun Palace, he saw that Qingcheng was gentle and kind, and Yongzhang was respectful and kind, so he liked it in his heart, so he said: "Erchen thinks that Chun Niangniang is good, and Yongzhang is also good." The emperor had already entered the house, sat in the position of the green orange, picked up the chopsticks and picked up a piece of jade bamboo, and said while chewing: "Erqi, give me a bowl of rice, I am very hungry." ”

Erqi agreed.

Hai'an smiled and twisted the towel and handed it to Qingcheng, Qingcheng waited for the emperor to clean his hands and face, and said angrily: "I don't pay attention in front of the prince, no matter how hungry you are, you should wash your face and hands first." She said casually, and the emperor was not only not angry, but was at her mercy, not at all. The eldest brother looked at it carefully, and was secretly surprised in his heart: it turned out that Huang Ama also had such a gentle time.

The emperor ordered Qingcheng to sit on the lower right, the eldest brother to sit on the lower left, and Yongzhang to sit on the right of the eldest brother. There are four people at a table, and there are people from the Sishan Palace behind them. The emperor drank half a bowl of soup and said to the eldest brother: "Since Yikun Palace is good, how about you live in the Daode Hall with Yongzhang?" "The eldest brother was born at the mercy of others, he never did everything according to his own wishes, and no one asked him, and the emperor didn't even have the opportunity to talk to him kindly. When I asked today, I looked at Qingcheng with some anxiety.

Qingcheng was also surprised, she just responded to Yongzhang's wishes and let the eldest brother live for two days, so as not to trouble the elder brother back and forth, and didn't want the emperor to deliberately let the eldest elder brother live with her, she took care of Yongzhang and Yongying and felt trivial and tired, and then came to the eldest brother - if something happened, how could she be born? The eldest brother seemed to see what Qingcheng thought, and bowed his head and said: "Erchen is used to living in Elder Brother, so he doesn't dare to disturb Chun Niangniang." Without waiting for the emperor to speak, Yongzhang opened his mouth and begged: "Eniang, is it good for you to leave the eldest brother, the eldest brother is very good at arithmetic, if we live together, he can teach me arithmetic every day." ”

The emperor sometimes felt that Yongzhang was like a little girl, and sometimes he felt that he was quite broad-minded, so he said to Yongzhang: "You don't have to agree, Huang Ama is in charge, and he will order someone to bring the clothes of the eldest brother after a while." ”

Yongzhang was overjoyed, and the royal front shouted: "Long live the emperor!" was glared at by the emperor, and he was so frightened that he lowered his head and picked up the rice. The eldest brother was flattered, and hurriedly got up to thank Lord Longen. Qingcheng saw that Yongzhang was happy, thinking that his multiple companions were indeed good, so he smiled and said: "Big brother knows etiquette, Yongzhang, you have to learn more in the future." He also ordered Hai'an to help the eldest brother and serve the emperor for dinner.

After finishing the meal, the eldest brother and Yongzhang went to the moral hall to rest, and Qingcheng and the emperor tasted tea in the hall.

For a while, a eunuch from the Internal Affairs Office came to pay tribute, Qingcheng gave a few instructions, sent someone away, and said: "Just let me take care of the affairs of the Sixth Palace, and the eldest brother is here again, I will be busy in the future." ”

The emperor scooped her into his arms and said, "Last night, I dreamed of Concubine Zhe, and she kept complaining in my dream that I had treated the eldest brother badly, and I felt uncomfortable in my heart. He also said: "The eldest brother is the prince, you raised him, and he will also be your support in the future." Seeing Qingcheng's tired face, he rubbed her shoulders and said, "Endure it for two more days, and the funeral will be fine as soon as it is over." ”

Qingcheng asked, "Why don't you let the third concubine do the same with the harem?" The queen is just pregnant and needs to recuperate, and she hasn't made a mistake, how can she let me take charge of the harem alone? It is not reasonable or emotional. The emperor smiled and glanced at her, pinched her cheek and said, "I let you take the picture, you will take the picture, there is a lot of nonsense." I don't want you to be subservient to anyone else except the Queen. Qingcheng understood his intentions, and said in a soothing tone: "Concubine Shun has assisted the queen and Concubine Xian in handling all matters in the harem, and I want to ask her to help me." ”

The emperor hugged her and fell on the kang with her clothes on her side, and said lazily: "Concubine Shun can't do it." Qingcheng said: "Why? The emperor said: "Concubine Shun has her own loyal master, and she will not listen to your orders." He squinted his eyes and whispered in her ear, "I Ming'er sent someone to use it for you." ”

Qingcheng was puzzled and asked, "Who?" ”

But the emperor was silent, and gradually his breathing became thicker and thicker, and in less than half an hour he fell asleep. Qingcheng tiptoed down the kang, took a woolen blanket with a Tuan Shou pattern, and covered the emperor. She didn't even have time to take a nap now, and she had to read all kinds of account books sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There are too many things you don't understand, and you have to carefully learn the old rules in front of you.

Li Yu had not handed the sign to the emperor for a few days, and when he was idle, he soaked in a pot of aged Longjing, went to the imperial dining room to ask for two plates of osmanthus glutinous rice cakes, and sat in the lower room to eat leisurely.

Wu Shulai kicked him on the recliner so hard that he almost made Li Yu turn over. Before Li Yu could start scolding, Wu Shulai reprimanded: "You are still in the spirit, if you don't do errands, you are not afraid of losing your head?" ”

Li Yu was the eunuch in charge of the Jingshi room, but in front of Wu Shulai, he still couldn't mention it, he nodded and said with a smile: "Grandpa Wu, you also know that the long-lived master hasn't turned over the cards recently." Wu Shulai said: "If you don't turn it recently, you won't turn it today?" Hurry up and go in with the green card. Li Yu was about to speak, but Wu Shulai was sideways, and he hurriedly cowered and hugged the teapot and pastries into the room to clean up.

The emperor was a little leisurely, sitting cross-legged on the kang and reading. Li Yu entered the hall, knelt down and said, "Long live the lord, please turn over the brand." The emperor did not move, and after a while, he put down the book and said, "The nobles of Xuan'e came to serve the pen and ink." ”

Noble people?!

Li Yu was stunned, the daughter of a criminal minister who had not slept for hundreds of years, why did the emperor suddenly want to be lucky again? He couldn't understand his stupid brain, thinking that it was the illness of the emperor's concubine, and the emperor remembered the old ones. Wu Shulai heard it outside, and he also felt strange, he had previously figured out that the emperor should be able to turn over Shu Concubine, Yu Concubine or Fu Guiren.

Not long after, the nobles came in a warm sedan chair. Because during the mourning period, she didn't dare to dress too brightly, so she applied a thin layer of rouge, and then put two white jasmine hairpins on her sideburns, which was also fresh and pleasant. The emperor had a cold face and didn't look at it. The nobles were already panicked, and when they saw the emperor's expression, they became more and more at a loss and restless.

When the bell struck the eleventh moment, the emperor said, "Do you know why I announced you?" The nobles thought about it a thousand times, but they still didn't know what to mean, and said respectfully: "The concubines don't know, please make it clear to the emperor." The emperor threw the book, and the snapping sound was like patting the chest of the nobleman, and she trembled with fright.

The emperor said: "Your father violated the law, and the ministers said that they would punish the nine clans, but no one dared to intercede, but Concubine Chun told me that a crime should not involve the family, and it is also a matter of treating you." That's why I spared your mother and brother. ”

The nobles are most afraid of others talking about her father's crimes, let alone the emperor. She fell to her knees with her knees weak, but she couldn't even say the words of thanksgiving. The emperor continued: "You should understand that it was Concubine Chun who saved your family. In the future, you will only rely on the pure concubine, and it is your way out to be loyal to her. After a pause, he said: "From tomorrow, you will go to Yikun Palace to help Concubine Chun assist in the affairs of the Six Palaces, and you are not a stupid person, you should understand." ”

His words were very clear, but the nobles were still confused. She said: "The concubine is just a nobleman, I'm afraid she won't be able to help the pure master." The emperor said: "It doesn't matter if the position of the nobleman is right, you have slept today, and I will ask the Internal Affairs Office to give you the will to be promoted to concubine at night." You know what I mean? ”

Hearing that the emperor said that he wanted to promote her to concubine, he was simply happy to descend from heaven, what else could not be promised, besides, the pure master was indeed kind to her, and she was not ungrateful.

Egui said: "The concubine understands that in the future, she should do her best to assist the pure master and rely on her." ”

When the Emperor heard this, he nodded approvingly and said, "Remember what you said tonight." The nobles of E's mind were repeated, as if they had a new vision in life, full of hope, and said: "The concubine obeys the decree and will live up to the grace of the saint." ”