The snow has been falling heavily, and it has hardly stopped since the beginning of the year, and the snow in the corners of the pimples can be waist-deep. The eldest brother didn't even announce the warm sedan chair, and ran straight to Changchun Palace after putting on his clothes. The doors of the palace were wide open, the snow was bright, and the eunuchs of the Internal Affairs Office walked quickly in the snow with bundles of white cloth and linen clothes. When they arrived at Changchun Gate, the palace concubines were in the corridor room at the time, and a few elder brothers were pacing left and right in the ear room. When Yongzhang saw the eldest brother coming, he shouted: "Big brother, you are here, why didn't you sit in a sedan chair?" ”

The eldest brother exhaled and said, "I can't wait." ”

He took off his snow coat, it was freezing cold, and his inner robe was soaked with sweat. The ear room didn't burn the earth dragon, only two pots of silver charcoal fire, and there was not much heat at all. Yongzhang stuffed the beast-headed parrot pattern copper furnace in his hand into his arms, and said, "I'm afraid I have to wait, you warm up first." "There are palace people serving hot tea, and the eldest brother poured half a bowl, and his hands and feet are active.

There was a faint cry from the depths of the courtyard, caught in the wind and snow, and it was particularly desolate and cold. For a while, a eunuch dressed in filial piety clothes led the palace concubines into the main hall, and the heavy snow carried snow particles on people's faces, like a knife cut. Qingcheng still remembers that when Prince Duanhui was sick, it was also a snowy day, and it was also cold to the marrow, at that time she was just a little nobleman, hidden behind people, kneeling down, kowtowing, kneeling again, kowtowing again, and didn't even see what the golden coffin looked like.

In the blink of an eye, she has been a concubine with two sons and a daughter, standing at the forefront of the crowd side by side with Concubine Xian.

At the moment, she was most worried about the emperor.

Since the seventh elder brother was seriously ill with pox, for more than ten days in a row, Qingcheng had never seen the emperor. She had also secretly asked Jian Yuheng, only saying that it was just a minor illness and typhoid fever, so she didn't take it to heart. Who knew that in the middle of the night, it suddenly shook, even if it was a dream, the emperor was afraid that he would wake up in pain, not to mention, it was true.

The golden coffin of the seventh son of the emperor stopped in the Buddhist hall, the monk who chanted the scriptures had not yet entered the palace, and only the queen and the eldest princess sat on the bench in front of the golden coffin and mourned. After entering the hall, the emperor came out of the back hall, and he stood in front of the coffin, standing with his back to him, silent for a long time. Qingcheng knelt and kowtowed to the sound of the eunuch's singing, and vaguely saw the emperor turn around, but no one looked at him, and went to the back hall.

Qingcheng's heart hurt and couldn't help crying.

The next day, the emperor issued a decree to give the emperor's seven sons the nickname "Mourning Min Prince", and the funeral specifications were in accordance with the prince's etiquette. He also ordered all the kings, ministers, and Fujin to gather to mourn, read the sacrificial texts, drink wine, and salute. After three days, Fang moved the golden coffin to Cao Balitun outside the city for a while, which was not the end, followed by various major rituals, Sunday ceremonies, ancestral ceremonies, etc., etc., which took more than half a year to rest.

In the days when Yongcong's golden coffin was just carried out of the palace, the emperor was grief-stricken and boycotted the court for five days in a row, neither going to the Qianqing Palace nor the harem, staying in the Yongcong Palace, and disposing of anyone who was not pleasing to the eye. In just ten days, the grandmothers, imperial doctors, palace maids, and eunuchs who served Yongcong were all dealt with, either assigned to the frontier, or executed with a cane, and the most serious was to cut off the head.

scared Wu Shulai.

The queen couldn't afford to be sick, lingering on the bed all day long, and the power of the six palaces fell on Concubine Xian. Qingcheng no longer assists in the harem on the grounds that Jiao'er is young and needs to be taken care of. It didn't take long for the begonia flowers in the courtyard to bloom, and the scarlet white fragments fluttered in the spring breeze, falling red. The emperor has not entered the harem, Yongying followed Yongzhang to the south study to study, Yikun Palace was empty, not lively at all. Fortunately, there are still Jiao'er crying and laughing, otherwise Qingcheng will feel very lonely.

The roses in the back garden bloomed, and Qingcheng knew that the emperor loved to eat rose dew, so he specially ordered the palace people to pick, wash and boil the dew every morning. The spring day was very strong, and the sun was soft, and Qingcheng gradually got used to the days when the emperor did not come, and had dinner alone, so he moved a rattan chair and sat under the porch to bask in the sun, while watching the palace people clean up the flowers and plants.

She fell asleep, closed her eyes and began to dream.

For a while, I returned to the lake in my hometown in Suzhou to play, and for a while I met the emperor for the first time by the imperial pool, and for a while I actually dreamed that Yongzhang fell into the water and drowned, and hung a white lantern for a funeral, which made her wake up from her dream and sweat finely.

Bai Huahua's sunlight was too strong, and she opened her eyes to see a man standing beside her, and said like a Sanskrit voice: "What, is it a nightmare?" "He still came, he finally came. Qingcheng didn't care about the palace people moving around, so he grabbed his waist by the way, and the gold and white jade belt was on her delicate face, slightly painful.

She almost burst into tears, and muttered, "Hongli..."

When the words fell, she really woke herself up, staring at the round eyes and looking ahead, her mind was as blank as paper in an instant. It turned out that she had a dream in her own dream. But a mellow voice came from overhead, saying, "What did you dream?" I dare to even scream by my name..."Qingcheng suddenly rose from the wicker chair, his legs were sore, and he almost fell headlong into the ground.

She stammered, "You... You..."

Seeing her panicked, the emperor pulled her into the house and said with a smile: "If you call in a dream, I will spare you." He whispered in her ear: "Let the Queen Mother know, see how she cleans you up." Qingcheng stood on the steps, paused, and the emperor couldn't pull it, so he turned around and asked, "What's the matter?" Okay, okay, when it's just you and me, I can just call you, in front of the people below, it's not allowed. When it reached the ears of the Queen Mother, even I had to be taught a lesson. ”

Qingcheng whispered, "I can't be dreaming, right? Are you really here? ”

The Emperor took one of her hands, stood a step above her, and turned to stare at her. The sunlight poured down from the glazed roof, enveloping the two of them, and the petals were flying, as if those palace maids and eunuchs were gone, and the bustling voices around them could not be heard, only the two looked at each other silently. The Emperor burst out laughing from the bottom of his heart, and bent down to lift her up, causing her to exclaim in surprise.

He said, "I assure you, it's certainly not a dream. ”

Yes, even if the sky falls, he will hold on. The Qing Dynasty needs him to support, the people need him to support, and the little woman in front of him also needs him to support. In front of countless palace people, Qingcheng felt embarrassed, buried his face in his chest, and smiled stupidly.

He only came to take a nap, and he didn't even go to the queen's place, but came to her first. The house was quiet, even the incense was not burned, the doors and windows were open, and there was a warm breeze shuttling. Qingcheng didn't dare to mention why she didn't come to see her these days, but just served her wholeheartedly and talked about some trivial things. On the contrary, the emperor himself mentioned it, saying: "Are you complaining in your heart, dreaming about it?" ”

Qingcheng poured a cup of fresh rose dew that had just been made today, presented it to the emperor, bowed his head and said nothing. The emperor took the white-glazed porcelain cup without a pattern, rested it on the kang table, held Qingcheng's hand and let her sit on his lap, and said, "I am afraid, because with Yongcong, I almost forgot about Yonglian." You have Yongzhang Yongying around here, and I'm afraid that sooner or later I'll forget Yongcong, so I don't dare to come. Qingcheng, as a mother, also understood his feelings, she nestled in his arms, held his face with both hands, and said: "Fool, Yonglian and Yongcong will always be your children, whether they are alive or dead, they are like flesh and blood on their bodies, and they cannot be parted." ”

The Emperor hummed softly, pressed his head to her neck, and did not speak for a long time.

The matter of the Holy Driver's Eastern Tour was decided a long time ago, and because of the queen's illness, the emperor has been postponed. By the beginning of the summer, the queen's illness had improved, and the ministers of the court and China once again asked for the eastern tour. The queen also said that she dreamed that Bixia Yuanjun summoned her, and she had made a wish in the dream to pray for blessings and vows to Mount Tai.

In this way, the emperor gave permission to play.

Concubine Xian knew that the emperor was going to tour the east, and as soon as her mind changed, she secretly announced that Wei Wan'er had summoned her. Wei Wan'er has not been favored for many years, and she has fallen in a corner of the palace, and the queen does not want to see her, so she finds Concubine Xian as a backer. In the rockery of the imperial garden, Concubine Xian said: "Now that the queen is sick, you used to be her personal maid, and now you should be filial." ”

Wei Wan'er said: "What does the master mean by letting the concubines return to serve the queen?" But the queen doesn't trust the concubines, and she hasn't taken care of the concubines for a long time. Concubine Xian pinched half of the willow branch in her hand and said, "It depends on your ability." After a pause, he said in a low voice: "The holy driver is about to tour the east, so naturally he has to take a large group of people out." I'm in charge of the six houses, and if I want to take anyone with me, it's a breeze. As long as you do what I tell you to do, not only will you have your share in this tour, but I will not treat you badly in the future. ”

After several years in the palace, bullying and humiliation, Wei Wan'er has long had enough, she is no longer a simple and naïve little palace maid who was only a promise, and she will not easily believe in the promises of her masters. She didn't believe in Concubine Xian, but she had no way out, so she could only be ordered by her.

Give it a go, and maybe there's a way out.

Concubine Xian looked at her hesitation, sneered, and said, "If you don't want to, I won't force it, and someone else will do it." With that, he turned around and left. Wei Wan'er knelt down unhurriedly and said calmly: "The concubine is willing to follow the master Xian, although the master is relieved, after all, the concubine has been with the queen for many years, and she knows her habits." As soon as she finished speaking, Concubine Xian hurriedly helped her up, and said with a gentle smile: "The mud in the cave is wet, you kneel down rashly, don't let your knees get cold." ”

Wei Wan'er smiled respectfully and said, "Master Xie Xian cares, and I hope Master Xian will take care of it." ”

Concubine Xian patted her arm and said, "You just put a hundred hearts." ”

Since he is going out of the palace, the pure master of Yikun Palace is the top priority of the Internal Affairs Office. Even Concubine Xian has to share a royal ship with Concubine Shun and Concubine Jia, but the pure master can be on par with the queen and use one alone. Not only the food and clothing that Qingcheng wants to make, but also the things used by Yongzhang, Yongying, and Jiao'er, are really many and miscellaneous. In addition to her several nurses, she also has to prepare ointments and pills commonly used in children, although there is a royal doctor from time to time, but you can't always find everything temporarily, all kinds of things are brought with you, you can't always go wrong.

Besides, the pure master has a whole ship to hold her things, as long as she doesn't move the entire Yikun Palace, she doesn't have to worry about not being able to fit it.

Wang Jinbao sent two eunuchs in charge to count the rosters sent by each palace, and when they were almost sorted out, they began to send people to each palace to pack boxes and arrange the carriages and horses of the eastern tour. Liang Sanye is Wang Jinbao's master, but his official rank is only in charge, and he is suppressed by Wang Jinbao everywhere, and he is really unhappy in his heart. He smiled at Xiao Li Zi with his hands: "The things of the serious master are at the mercy of the people, anyway, you can bring whatever you want, but the concubines and nobles at the bottom, long live the lord has not made it clear who to follow, and whoever is thin will have a headache." ”

Xiao Lizi has only been in the palace for five years, only sixteen years old, and is Wang Jinbao's apprentice. If you talk about seniority, Liang Sanye is his ancestor, but the two of them have the same official rank, and Liang Sanye is really cheeky, so that the disciples and grandchildren below look down on him in their hearts. Xiao Lizi turned his face in person, and said: "In addition to the master and the pure master, the nobles below are always there, long live who the lord loves to bring, just follow it, anyway, there is customization in the case of the branch, no matter how bad it is, it will always be even." ”

Towards the end of spring, Liang Sanye's cheeks were itchy, and he rummaged left and right in the locker of the Internal Affairs Office, Xiao Lizi couldn't look at it, and said with a smile: "Grandpa Liang, those are used to prevent the masters from being in the palace, don't break them..." Find some rose powder for Grandpa to rub. ”

He pulled open a drawer and was about to withdraw it inside, Xiao Lizi silently pressed it with one hand, and said: "Grandpa Liang, it's just the things on the side, this is what Aunt Erqi told the slave a long time ago, and I will come to pick it up after a while, you see..."

Liang Sanye was angry, and shouted in a rough voice: "Erqi, that girl is the one I look at, several generations younger than me, what is it to honor me with some rose powder." ”

Xiao Lizi's head was covered with beads of sweat, for fear that Liang Sanye would be strong, so he hurriedly curryed favor and said: "Grandpa Liang, you are an old man in the palace, you are in a high position, and everyone under us respects you." Aunt Erqi naturally deserves to honor you, but you also know that Long Live Lord's favorite place to go is Yikun Palace, if there is a flaw on the face of the palace people, they can't face the saint, for fear of polluting the holy eye. Aunt Erqi is very effective in serving the Long Live Lord's meal, so she can't be told that she can't serve the Long Live Lord because of the moss on her face, right? After a pause, he put on a high hat for Liang Sanye, and said: "Everyone in the palace knows that you are the most loyal to Long Live Lord, and you must not be confused in such subsections." ”

Liang Sanye heard that it was reasonable, touched his smooth braids and said, "This is reasonable." ”

Xiao Lizi secretly scolded in his heart: "If you grab it, look at Aunt Erqi's trouble, where will your face go." An old face, pressed by the disciples and grandchildren, and dares to be arrogant, too self-aware...", but with a smile on his face: "You have a lot. ”

When it was time to take a nap, the masters had rested, and Er Qi found time to go to the Internal Affairs Office to get rose powder. Xiao Lizi flattered himself in every possible way, and said with a smile: "If it is less, just tell the minion." Er Qi smiled: "It's not for me, there is a vegetable chopping girl in the kitchen with red and itchy cheeks, I heard that the rose powder is good to rub, so I told Wang Chenda, I don't want the internal affairs government to really have it." ”

Xiao Lizi nodded and sent Erqi out of the Internal Affairs Mansion, and sent a hundred meters to the palace street, and said with a smile: "To be honest, others won't give me what they want." Erqi smiled: "Thank you." He added, "Say hello to your master for me." Xiao Lizi agreed several times, and when he reached the corner, he watched Erqi walk out of the small half-mile road before he happily returned to the house.

Er Qi returned to Yikun Palace, and the courtyard was quiet, and there was not even a palace person walking. When they arrived at the door of the main hall, there were two palace maids on duty, and when they saw Erqi, they were blessed and did not speak. You are not allowed to speak in the presence of your master, especially during naptime. Erqi gestured, and the palace maid saw this and followed her into the corner of the ear.

The palace maid asked, "What does my aunt command?" ”

Er Qi said: "Long live the master, why is it gone?" She didn't see the guard of honor, and she wondered. The palace maid replied: "Just now, Grandpa Wu's apprentice came from the Heart Cultivation Palace, muttered a few words, and called Long Live Lord away. Erqi asked, "When did you leave?" Did the master follow? The palace maid said: "It's been two quarters of an hour, the master didn't get up, and the long-lived lord left quietly." ”

After asking clearly, Erqi asked the palace maid to go back and send rose powder to the kitchen by herself.

The people in the kitchen have already started to make a fire to prepare a snack, chicken, duck, fish, pastry soup, and set up four or five long tables. The stove room was stuffy and hot, and Erqi only stood outside shouting.

Huang Erben was napping, and when he heard Er Qi's voice, he sat up from the rattan chair as if he was beating a fish, and said with a smile: "What does my aunt command?" Erqi smiled: "You are older than me and older than me, don't call me aunt." Huang Er said: "It is Huang Er's blessing to be able to accept his aunt, and those people in the imperial dining room can't accept it if they want to." He smiled again: "What does my aunt command?" ”

Er Qi said: "The little cabbage in front of me said that there was moss on his face, and he begged me to ask for rose powder, so don't you send it to her." Huang Er flattered from the bottom of his heart and said, "My aunt is really kind-hearted. Er Qi smiled and said: "Don't be flamboyant, you will be out of the palace in a few days, and you must prepare all the snacks and dried fruits you can prepare." Huang Er looked at him and said seriously: "Auntie just put her heart in her stomach." ”

At one point, the little cabbage came out, followed by five or six lively girls, they chirped and saluted, and asked gossipily: "Aunt Erqi, I heard that Long Live Lord is on a tour of the East, and the pure master wants to take people out from the kitchen?" "Aunt Erqi, how many people do you want to bring...""I heard that I will also climb Mount Tai to worship the Confucian Temple...""Auntie, can you take me there?"

Er Qiban turned his face and said: "Who to take or who to take, the master has his own arrangements, don't fool around." She handed the rose powder to the cabbage and turned away. When I returned to the courtyard, I saw Wu Shulai guarding under the porch, and heard a faint sound coming from the house, and knew that it was Long Live Lord who had turned back, so he made a pot of high-grade Longjing in the tea room, put it in a small plum blossom plate, and presented it to him.

The emperor sat cross-legged on the kang, knocked the walnuts with a small silver hammer, and Qingcheng sat leaning across from him, and said, "Why is the Queen Mother in a hurry to find you?" The emperor peeled the walnut flesh, handed it to the green orange first, and said, "Ask me who I will take with me." ”

Qingcheng calmly ate the walnut meat he peeled and asked, "Who are you going to bring?" She didn't think much of it, she just asked, really just asked. She was already prepared in her heart, and she couldn't take her alone for the big fanfare.

When the emperor heard this, he thought she was jealous, raised his eyebrows, and said with relief: "You have to bring everything you can bring, and the courtiers and servants on the road see their daughters, and they can be regarded as the emperor's grace and enjoy a family life." He threw away the silver hammer again, stretched out his hand to let Qingcheng sit beside him, wrapped his arms around her waist, and said, "This time I will go to the east, and the next time I will go south, and when I get to Suzhou, I will accompany you home to see the old man." ”

Qingcheng fed an almond in his mouth and said, "It's decided." ”

The emperor nodded, and said as he chewed, "It's decided." ”

There was no talk today, the emperor danced his sword to the cloth storehouse, practiced wrestling with Fu Heng, and waited for the evening to bathe and change clothes to deal with political affairs. Li Yu, the eunuch in charge of the worship room, did not show up in front of the emperor for a long time, and at this time he was pacing around with a plate of green-headed cards under the porch, but he didn't dare to enter. Last time, he was reckless and broke in, the emperor happened to go to Yikun Palace, he was cheap, and the emperor couldn't help but ask him: "What, the queen mother announced your lecture again?" ”

Li Yu knelt on the ground, holding the plate high and didn't dare to move, and said: "Long live the Lord Qiyu, the Queen Mother, her old man..." After finishing speaking, it didn't matter whether Li Yu was kneeling or standing, he drove away. Li Yu knelt for half an hour before he dared to get up, his legs, feet and arms were numb like ants gnawing on tree holes, and his knees were bruised and red.

I finally saw Wu Shulai coming out of it, and was about to go over to ask, but before he could speak, Wu Shulai made a look and asked him to get out of here. As soon as I raised my eyes, I saw Long Live Lord change into a casual robe and walk under the corridor, waiting for Wu Shu to call his shoulders.

Qingcheng sat in the study guarding Yongzhang and Yongcong to write, and when the emperor came, he first checked the homework of the two brothers, taught them a lesson in vain, and ordered a few articles for them to memorize. It hurt the heads of the two brothers to droop, and they just wanted to find space and leave quickly. It's not very late, Mama hugged Jiao'er to ask for peace, the green orange is so sore that the milk hurts, and she must be fed once a day in the morning and evening.

The emperor did not evade, and sat on the kang with a golden knife, his eyes were looking at the red candle under the window, and the afterglow was still on Qingcheng. After feeding, the grandmothers left with Jiao'er, and the emperor pounced on Qingcheng, pulled the brocade buckle on his chest, and said, "Did you leave me two mouthfuls?" Qingcheng wanted to cover his mouth with his hand, but he didn't have the strength, and after a few tosses, he disarmed and surrendered.

Before the eastern tour, the queen mother summoned the concubines above the noble position in Shoukang Palace, and on the surface it was a summons, but in fact it was a lecture. The queen didn't have the spirit to take care of the affairs of the six palaces, although Concubine Xian had the right to control, she had no name in the end, and it was not good to say it lightly or seriously. At such a critical time, the queen mother still has to go out to ease the relationship with the harem.

The Queen Mother was amiable, set up three tables, and gave each concubine a meal before saying: "This tour is related to the fortune of the country, visiting the ancestors' tombs, comforting the officials and the people, and observing the people's feelings, is to show the people that we love Xinjueluo's royal bearing. After a pause, he said sharply: "If anyone dares to make any trouble at this juncture, the mourning family will not be soft." ”

Everyone got up hurriedly and said in unison: "The concubines follow the teachings of the Queen Mother." ”

The emperor didn't know that the queen mother had set up a banquet in Shoukang Palace, and according to the rules, she came to ask for peace after dispersing the court, and when she saw a room full of concubines, she was stunned, and Fang smiled: "It's a coincidence." The Queen Mother knew that he was coming, so she had asked Mama Yan to prepare a seat and invited him to sit down, before she said: "The queen doesn't care about affairs, and Concubine Xian has no reputation, so she has to call my old woman out." ”