In the bitter heat of summer, after a late snack, Er Qi took two watermelons from the deep well and cut them in half, half of them were given to the palace people who were going to eat at night, and half were packed in blue ice porcelain bowls and placed on the kang table in the east room.

The emperor sat cross-legged under the lamp and made a fold, and Qingcheng stood beside him to study the ink.

In the dead of night, only the sound of ink ingots rubbing against each other made a slight sound. When the time came, the moon had already set in the west, but the emperor still sat motionless, his eyes fixed on the paper, as if he wanted to see through it.

Qingcheng said softly: "Your Majesty." ”

The emperor was frightened, and after a moment, Fang suddenly asked, "What time is it?" ”

Qingcheng glanced at the copper gold-plated water flower water law clock, and said, "It's the end of the time." ”

The emperor snorted, stretched out his legs to get off the kang, and said, "It's so late." There was still a half-stack of folds on the kang table, and Qingcheng watched Wu Shulai clean up, so he asked Hai'an to bring warm water in and wait for the emperor to wash his face and hands.

The crimson gauze rhombic tent hung down, and the two lay next to each other, the thin candle flame reflected the green orange face, and the eyebrows and eyes shimmered, overflowing with indescribable tenderness. The emperor whispered, "What? Still can't sleep? ”

Qingcheng didn't reply, she squeezed into the emperor's arms, and said half-loudly: "I'll sleep right away." ”

The emperor smiled, stroked her cheek, and said, "What are you thinking?" ”

Qingcheng shook his head and said, "I didn't think about anything. ”

The emperor said, "If you have anything on your mind, tell me about it." ”

Qingcheng hesitated for a while, embarrassed to the extreme, and said, "I'm a little scared." ”

The emperor was stunned, leaned sideways on his arm, and asked, "What are you afraid of?" ”

Qingcheng looked at him, his eyes were infinitely sincere, and said: "It stands to reason that the emperor has a lot of favor for me, why don't I get any news in my stomach?" I don't think the Queen Mother likes me very much, if I have an heir, maybe..."

The emperor saw that her face was full of sorrow, her cheeks were red, and he was quite happy in his heart, so he smiled and said: "I am very tired today, I wanted to go to bed earlier, but when I heard you say this, I am a little... It's unbearable. When she said the last few words, she bit her lip more and more, making her face red and red, and she couldn't deal with it for a while. He hooked his lips and smiled, leaning over to hug her.

Qingcheng came back to his senses, half-pushed, half-pushed, and said, "I mean serious, otherwise I will ask the imperial doctor to come over and take a look and pick up two pairs of medicines to eat." ”

The emperor hugged her hard and said, "What medicine to take, take your time, I am not in a hurry." His movements were fast and urgent, Qingcheng gasped, hugged his back, and said, "With a child, I can also have something to rely on." The emperor was on the rise, kissing lightly, and he said, "I am your trust." After a pause, he said: "I'm afraid that you will have nothing to do with medicine, but you will lose your body, and the medicine is poisonous." It's better to follow fate, you have to come, stay for two years, it's really not good, I will think for you again. ”

Qingcheng said angrily: "In two years, I will be old, and the emperor will have a new person, where will he remember me." ”

The emperor exerted his strength, and Qingcheng screamed in pain, biting him on the shoulder.

The emperor said: "What kind of stupid things do you say, I don't like to hear them." The two of them heard Suosuo's whispering, and the palace people who had been on the night listened to the sound, and their hearts were clear, and they hurriedly went out to wait for the hot water futon, and when they called someone inside, they rushed in and waited carefully.

The next day was a hot day with clear skies, and the ground seemed to be on fire, and everyone was scorched.

The emperor summoned the ministers in the Palace of Cultivating Hearts, and did not disperse until noon. There are several large jars of ice bricks in the Xinuan Pavilion, which are as cool as spring, Wu Shulai is wrapped in hot air and drills into it, and suddenly shiveres with cold, he breathes a sigh of relief, and can't help sighing: It's still comfortable in the house.

The emperor was writing, he straightened his clothes a little, and stepped forward respectfully: "Master, the queen is here." ”

The emperor hummed and said, "Let her in." ”

Wu Shu replied: "Yes." After saying that, he stepped back like a step, turned around to the edge of the threshold, and went out of the house, although there was a bamboo curtain under the porch, but he was still overwhelmed by the hot air.

The queen entered the warm pavilion and saw that the emperor had already sat on the kang, so she stepped forward and bent her knees and said, "The concubine has seen the emperor." ”

The emperor gave him a hand and said, "Get up, don't get heat stroke on a hot day." ”

The queen said gently: "The concubine let Shanrou boil herbal tea, and drank two bowls in the morning." ”

The emperor said, "Do you have something to tell you?" And he said, "Sit down." ”

The queen sat opposite and said: "The concubine is also a last resort, and she really doesn't dare to make the decision - the queen mother gave rice wine to Qing Concubine, but the matter was not clear, and the concubine couldn't stop it, so she had to come to tell the emperor." ”

Jing Tao took the tea and entered the house, seeing that the emperor's face was tense, his eyes were cold, and there was no smile at all, he was bluffed, knowing that he was very angry, and hurriedly put aside the tea cup and retreated. Wu Shulai was waiting under the corridor, and when he saw Jing Tao coming out recklessly, he hurriedly asked in a low voice, "What's going on inside?" ”

Jing Tao lowered her voice and said: "Call people in the meeting, you have to cheer up, if you miss today, I'm afraid you will have to lose half a dog's leg." Wu Shulai showed off his might in front of others, but in front of Jing Tao, he was submissive, obedient, seeing her say this, how could there be anyone who didn't believe it, his expression was grim, and he said: "I know, I have to mention it." ”

Jing Tao didn't say much to him, turned around and went back to the imperial tea room. Wu Shulai lowered his eyebrows and lowered his eyes to guard the threshold, listening to the movement inside, but it was quiet, and he couldn't hear anything. I don't know how long it took before he heard a "bang", which scared him so much that he almost wanted to spit out his heart. Trembling and looking into the crack in the curtain, I saw that the palace people inside were kneeling all over the room, and his legs were weak, and he also knelt down.

The emperor reprimanded: "After checking for several days, I didn't come to a conclusion, and I let the Queen Mother know, what do I want you to do in the Middle Palace?" ”

The queen was horrified, and hurriedly knelt on the ground, tears flowed down her eyes, and said: "The concubine doesn't know how the queen mother knows, the clues provided by the concubine Qing, the concubines have also checked them one by one, but they are either dead, or they can't find anyone, the concubine thinks, if there is really someone behind the instructions, it must be arranged, the concubine..."

When the emperor saw her crying, he said in disgust, "Don't cry." ”

The queen choked and didn't go down, so she had to hold back and swallow it back in her stomach.

The emperor was upset, waved his hand, and said, "Since the Queen Mother has made an order, let's do what the Queen Mother wants." After a pause, he said slowly: "In addition, cut off the power of the noble concubine's assistant and reduce it to a concubine." ”

The queen's eyebrows moved, and she kowtowed: "The concubine obeys the order." ”

The emperor stroked his forehead and said, "Kneel down." ”

Shanrou waited at the bottom of the steps, sweating from the sun, and when she saw the queen coming out, she hurriedly stepped forward to help. The queen barely walked out of the heart cultivation gate, her legs were weak, but she couldn't support it anymore, and she almost collapsed.

Fortunately, the sedan chair was on the side, Shanrou comforted a few words, and helped the queen to get on the sedan chair. When I returned to Changchun Palace, I immediately invited the imperial doctor to come over to diagnose the pulse, and after eating two bowls of maintenance decoction, the queen gradually eased up.

Shanju said: "Although I didn't trip Master Gao, it wasn't a failure, and it wasn't in vain for us to plan a game." In another ten days, the prince will be full of March, and the master will come to the emperor and say, "The dragon's heart will be happy." ”

The queen lay on the rattan chair and pretended to sleep, and said sadly: "A few days ago, when the emperor came to Changchun Palace, I either pushed him away every time, or the little lord next to Xuan came to accompany him. I'm afraid that the emperor will have a dislike in his heart, and he won't be happy to come in the future. ”

Shanrou walked behind her, gently rubbed her temples for the queen, and said softly: "When the dust settles, you can explain to the emperor well, the emperor is a holy monarch, and he must be able to understand the master's painstaking efforts." ”

The queen secretly thought: This can only be the case.

In the evening, Li Yu, the head of the worship room, entered the house with a green head card and said, "Please ask the emperor to turn over the card." ”

The emperor was still angry and shouted: "Get out! ”

If it was plain, Li Yu would definitely run away, where would he dare to talk more, but now there is the Queen Mother's decree, he has to say, so he has to say: "The Queen Mother said that there are still a few newcomers in the palace who have not slept in the palace, and they are all the daughters of the minister's family, so don't treat people badly and make the courtiers feel cold." ”

The emperor glared angrily, snorted slightly, and looked at Li Yu fiercely, as if he was going to cut him with a thousand knives, which frightened Li Yu all over, and almost couldn't even hold the plate.

The emperor asked, "How many others are there who have not been served?" ”

Li Yu replied: "There are also the Cheng nobles of Yanxi Palace, the nobles of E, and the Wu Chang of Yonghe Palace. ”

The emperor shook his head for a moment, glanced at the lacquer plate, and flipped over the brand of the nobleman.

Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief, knelt down, and bowed down.

Qingcheng was afraid that the emperor would be bored with eating porridge, so he kneaded the dough in the kitchen and personally wrapped two drawers of cabbage dumplings with Hai'an. In the evening, the sun was setting, and it gradually became a little cooler, Qingcheng pulled his hair in a bun and said, "Hai'an, let's go to Yikun Gate to welcome the emperor." ”

Hai An said: "The emperor has always been uncertain, watching the sun go down outside, but it is still very hot, the master is waiting in the house, and when someone comes to pass the word, it will be too late for us to welcome it." ”

Qingcheng smiled, his front foot had already reached the bottom of the corridor, and said: "The emperor told me yesterday, and he came over early today..." ”

The little eunuch was indeed a person from the front of the emperor, he snorted for a long time, and said: "Master Su, the emperor asked the servants to come over to spread the word, there are many things to do today, so I won't come, let you sleep well, don't burn your eyes for needlework." ”

Qingcheng was stunned, his heart was cold, and he gradually sank.

The emperor used a snack for dinner, and the people in the worship room had carried the nobles to the back room. She was wrapped in a quilt, green silk on her shoulders, and her face was pink. The emperor was still watching the recital in the outhouse, and for a while, a little eunuch replied, saying: "Long live the return, the slave has already communicated with Master Su." ”

The emperor snorted, his hand paused slightly, and said, "What did she say?" ”

The little eunuch said: "Master Su said, please go to bed soon, don't get tired." Master Su also said that she wrapped two drawers of dumplings today, and asked the servants to fill two bowls and make supper for the emperor. ”

The emperor's eyebrows stretched, and the corners of his lips overflowed with a faint smile, and said, "Present it." ”

The little eunuch retreated, and another person from the imperial kitchen entered in order with a vermilion lacquer food box, and the eunuch in the dining room arranged the pastries, which were tasted by the eunuchs one by one, and Fang Song invited the emperor.

Wu Shulai said respectfully: "The emperor wants to use wine?" ”

The emperor rolled up his sleeves and said, "I can just eat dumplings." ”

The eunuch in the dining room hurriedly put half a bowl of dumplings on it, and filled a small white enamel dish with a sauce soaked in black oil, and said: "The slave feels that the taste is a little light, if the emperor doesn't like it, the servant will go to change the mushroom meat dumplings made in the imperial dining room." ”

The emperor said, "What you eat, what I eat, it's not bad." ”

He seemed to be smiling, so frightened that the face of the eunuch in the dining room turned pale, and he didn't dare to talk more, and stood quietly with a shush. It's just cabbage dumplings, not fishy at all, the emperor actually ate a bowl and a half with the sauce, Wu Shulai saw that the emperor ate well, and gave the eunuch in the dining room a look, and asked him to present the rest, but the emperor said: "The rest is left for Ming'er to make snacks before breakfast." With that, he waved his hand and withdrew.

The eunuch in the dining room looked embarrassed, and he couldn't say much, so when he got to the porch, he pestered Wu Shulai and said: "Brother Wu, you said, on a hot day, anything will be broken if it is left overnight!" Besides, the overnight dumplings have changed their taste. Can you say a few good words for me in front of the Long Live Lord, this thing looks small, but it is really difficult to do..."

Wu Shulai snorted and said, "You don't say anything in front of you, just pinch me, long live the blame, you run faster than anyone else." Don't make noise in front of me, I know you have a lot of ideas, don't think about being lazy. ”

The eunuch in the dining room drooped his face and said with a smile: "Brother, what I said is the truth, you..." With that, he lifted the curtain and went into the house.

The nobles of Hubei newly inherited the rain and dew, dressed up early in the morning, and went to Changchun Palace to ask for peace. The queen's fetal veins gradually stabilized, and it was a newcomer to see her, so she applied three points of thin noodles and asked her to wait in the hall. At one time, there were concubines, concubines, concubines, and Jin nobles who came to ask for peace, and everyone laughed and laughed, flattering and ingenious, and they were all very complacent.

Concubine Lu saw that the queen was in a good mood, wearing a luxurious tribute satin phoenix embroidered gold robe, combing her double hair, and two huge peonies, lined with a ruddy complexion, so she smiled and said: "The queen has been recuperating for a few days, and she is a little rounder, and her complexion is good." ”

Concubine Xian's face froze, with a slight trance, and then she smiled: "Isn't it." He added, "A few days ago, I asked someone to collect all the roses in the yard and make some rose dew, which are of excellent color, but who wants them?" ”

Concubine Shun smiled: "How many do you have there, can you withstand such a send?" ”

Concubine Xian said: "There are as many as you want, just send as much as you want." ”

The nobles couldn't speak, and when they saw that Concubine Xian was a good match, they smiled and said, "Master Xian, I want a can." ”

She spoke softly and softly, and there was a bit of courage in her shyness, Jin Guiren knew that she was only favored yesterday, and said with a smile: "The master is generous, don't say one can, you can give you two, but you have to tell us something." ”

Jin Guiren deliberately made a gesture, and suddenly stopped and did not speak. Everyone looked at her, and even the nobles couldn't help asking, "What's the matter?" ”

Jin Guiren himself sneered first and said, "You have to tell us, what did the emperor say to you yesterday?" ”

When the queen heard this, she couldn't help laughing, and pretended to reprimand: "You are an old man in the palace, so you are not serious." He said to the nobleman again: "Don't pay attention to the noble Jin, she loves to mess around." ”

The noble man looked embarrassed, and said with a sour smile: "The emperor doesn't seem to like me very much, and he didn't say anything to me." ”

Concubine Shun saw that she looked depressed, so she comforted: "Don't take it to heart, the emperor is busy with government affairs, and I think I'm tired." E Guidao: "Why don't I think like this, but the emperor treats Su Guiren, but I remember it very much, yesterday I went to bed, and I asked someone to go to Yikun Palace..."

After all, it is a matter of Fang Yan, and it can't be said too openly, the queen interrupted: "Su Guiren has been favored for a long time, and it is common for the emperor to remember it, and if you are favored in the future, the emperor will naturally treat you like this." Seeing Concubine Xian suddenly get up, she asked, "Where are you going?" ”

Concubine Xian said: "A few days ago, I heard that Niangniang was sick, I have not been able to come to ask for peace, and when I came today, I asked someone to make two dishes of yam and red date cake to replenish qi and blood, since they are all here, it is better to taste them together." As he spoke, he personally carried the food box from outside the curtain into the house, handed it to Shanrou, and said, "I will share one point for labor and kindness." ”

Jin Guiren echoed: "I happen to have red on my body, and I want to eat some red date cakes, and the master can think about it thoroughly." ”

Shanrou glanced at the queen, and the words had come to this, and the queen couldn't shirk it anymore, so she nodded.

Shanrou instructed the palace people to put it in a small plate and share it with everyone, and it happened that each person had one piece, and there was no more. Concubine Lu took a bite and felt that it was not sweet and sour, but it was not good to refute Concubine Xian's face, so she secretly hid it in her sleeve pocket and said that she had finished eating.

The queen ate to her heart's content, and ate the whole piece.

The sun was so fierce that the heavens and the earth seemed to be still, there was no wind, not even the leaves of the trees were moving, only the cicadas were torn apart. Qingcheng wore a homely green forged dark flower silver silk robe, combed a square bun, and pressed a Dongzhu gold hairpin on the bun.

She stood under the window to practice calligraphy, Er Qi waited for the pen and ink on the side, and when she saw Qingcheng finish writing a painting, she smiled and said: "The master's handwriting is really beautiful, exactly the same as the one hanging on the wall." ”

Qingcheng put down the pen, twisted his wrist slightly, and said, "Talking nonsense again." ”

Er Qi happily put the calligraphy and painting on the window sill to dry, pressed it with a white jade inkstone, and said: "What the slave and maid said is the truth, every time the Long Live Lord sees it, he has to praise two sentences, is it that what the Long Live Lord said is also nonsense?" ”

Hai'an filled a plate of watermelons with a yellow-glazed solid color plate and entered the house, and said with a smile from afar: "Don't let people outside hear it, you still think that you treat your master with disrespect!" Er Qi was not afraid of green oranges, but was a little afraid of Hai'an, so he hurriedly restrained his smile and packed up his pen and inkstone to wash.

Hai An bent his knees and said, "Master, eat some watermelon to relieve the heat." ”

Qingcheng cleaned his hands, went to the West House to change his clothes, and said casually: "Put it on the kang table, I will eat it." ”

Hai'an followed behind him, waited for Qingcheng to wear, and said: "The slave maid heard that the queen is sick, and several masters in the palace have gone to Changchun Palace to ask for peace, do you want to go too?" Qingcheng snorted and said, "When the sun goes down, let's go through the motions..." ”

Qingcheng got dressed, sat down on the kang in the east house, and asked, "What's the matter?" ”

Er Qi said: "Master Qing, he died." ”

Qingcheng was taken aback and said, "What's the matter!" ”

Er Qi lowered his voice and said: "Although it is said that the upper authorities have framed the high master to commit suicide in fear of sin, the palace people have quietly spread that it was the Queen Mother who gave poisoned wine. He added: "The high master was also punished, not only cutting off the power of the assistant, but also reducing it to a concubine." ”

The changes in the palace have always spread quickly, but Qingcheng is not familiar with the world, and when the news reaches her, it is already known to everyone in the palace.

When Haian heard this, he felt very strange, but he couldn't tell what was strange. Qingcheng sat silently, didn't speak for half a sound, she still remembered that the master of the celebration was wet and kneeling in the hall to plead to the emperor, his face was full of tears, and he was choking with tears, but who knew that he would end up like this.

She was stunned and asked, "Does the emperor have a speech?" ”

Er Qi said: "The slave and maid also listened to the people in the porter, and they didn't know very well. Vaguely, the queen mother did not like the master's lack of wind and waves, and gave her rice wine. The queen couldn't make up her mind, so she went to ask the Lord Banzai to decide. Long live the pure and filial piety, in the end it is to listen to the Queen Mother. ”

Hai'an picked up a piece of watermelon and handed it to the green orange, and said in a low voice: "No matter what, it won't affect us." ”

Qingcheng tasted it slightly, put it down again, felt depressed in his heart, and said, "Hai'an, you help me out for a walk." ”

Hai An said: "It's a big day outside..."

Qingcheng had already stepped out and said, "Just walk along the palace corridor, I am really bored in my heart." ”

Hai'an had no choice but to respond, picked up a white jade round-handled fan with a green yarn peony pattern, and fluttered in the wind.

When he arrived at a secluded place, Hai An said: "Don't be sad, master, the emperor treats you with care." ”

Qingcheng's mood fluctuated, his mind was chaotic, and the weather was hot, and he felt more and more bored. She said: "He is attentive to me now, he used to be attentive to the high master, and he will also be attentive to others in the future." He sighed again and said, "What can I count, a Han woman, in the final analysis, it's not as good as Hai Chang." ”

Hai An was relieved: "You are the person in the emperor's heart, how can you not be as good as Hai Chang?" The slave maid was the personal maid of Concubine Zhe when she was in the palace, she was still Gege at that time, and the emperor also favored her, otherwise she would not have given birth to the emperor's eldest son. The emperor has a lot of favors, gold and silver, silk and satin, when he loves it, he holds people on the tip of his heart, but when he doesn't love it, he will be upset if he even looks at it more. After a pause, he said: "But the emperor treats the master, but he is not." There is no gold and silver, and there is no silk and satin, he is willing to spend time with you, afraid that you will be hated, and deliberately snub you, it can be seen that he has put you in his heart. Besides, throughout the ages, how many concubines have been able to enter and leave the palace alone with the emperor? Our Qing Dynasty, I'm afraid you are still the first. ”

Qingcheng felt a little warm in his heart, and a faint smile rose at the corner of his mouth, and said: "Having said that, I heard that Master Qing was suddenly gone, and I always felt uncomfortable, but it was really sad that the rabbit died and the fox died." ”

Hai An smiled and said, "You are still young, when you have a prince, what else is there to be afraid of?" Qing Master just didn't get the prince to suffer. ”

Qingcheng said: "I have a lot of holy favors, but for some reason I have never heard from them. ”

Hai An said: "It's better to ask the imperial doctor to come and take a look." ”

Qingcheng thought for a moment, paused for a moment, and said: "Ming'er, you secretly went to the Imperial Hospital to find Master Jian, just say that I am not feeling well, let him come and ask for peace pulse, don't say much about the side." ”