On September 9, the Double Ninth Festival, the palace is full of flowers and a new one.

Empress Dowager Guan wore a new-style dress to accept the congratulations of the ministers, after the ceremony, returned to Fengqi Palace to rest, a group of royal women surrounded by her, praised the new dress in unison for its noble and elegant, and the Queen Mother's temperament was extraordinary.

After all, Empress Dowager Guan is a person from the past, and she doesn't feel any joy for this kind of flattery, and she still has a stiff face.

She was really not very happy, not because of this kind of flattery, but because of the emperor.

Zhang has been worried for the past few days, has not had a serious meal, and does not go to the study to discuss with the ministers.

The cabinet knelt outside the temple every day and begged to see him, but he did not see him.

Empress Dowager Guan thought that he was troubled because of calm things, and she gritted her teeth and hated his shallowness in her heart, until she asked Lord Shoufu that she understood the reason for the matter.

It turned out that they were worried about money, and the princes and nobles could not afford to offend, and the monthly silver was still issued as usual, and they were prosperous, and the number of people increased every year; The taxes of the common people have been reduced by 30 percent, and the tax revenue is insufficient, and now they cannot even pay their military salaries.

Although it was a peaceful and prosperous era and there were no major wars, if the army's salaries were dragged all the time, it would inevitably affect morale, and I was afraid that the disaster would start from within.

But this kind of thing, the Empress Dowager Guan is helpless, she is even more poor and white, and she has no money.

Her mother's family was originally a civilian family in Jiangnan, and the palace she entered by the draft was still in contact two years before she entered the palace, until the death of the ancestor emperor, and their mother and son were demoted to the palace, and they were completely cut off.

She wanted to break her scalp, and there was nothing she could do.

I don't know how long it will take to come up with a way, and where can she be happy?

Seeing the queen mother's expression, all the ladies did not have a happy look on their faces, and they didn't dare to speak anymore, so they sat silently for a while, and then they each made excuses and walked away.

At the banquet at noon, the Empress Dowager Guan said that she was not happy, and she also postponed not participating.

When everyone saw this, they lost their interest, reluctantly sat down at a table, and when the dishes were ready, they all left the table and went back to their respective homes.

It's a good festival, but it's not interesting and annoying.

Because the queen mother was not interested, the concubines in the harem did not dare to be too public, and those who wanted to drink and talk secretly celebrated in their own courtyards, and did not dare to let Fengqi Palace know.

The evening is a family banquet as usual, and the Empress Dowager Guan heard that there was a filial Jiangnan home-cooked food outside the palace on the banquet, so she raised some interest and thought about this home-cooked dish, and her son was about to be a little interested in eating a few bites, so she mustered up interest and came out to Zhang Luo.

There are also more than a dozen concubines in the harem, and when they get together, they are lively, all of them are dressed like fairies descending to earth, and they are wearing Ding Dang, and their skirts are fluttering lightly, and they are also pleasing to the eye at a glance.

Empress Dowager Guan sat on a high seat, looking at this scene, feeling a little relieved, hoping that her son could temporarily forget the troubles of the previous dynasty and have a good meal.

In this pile of saffron and willow green beauties, there is only one disharmony, and when the Empress Dowager Guan saw it, she was unhappy, and she could only treat it as if she didn't see it.

This discord is naturally calm.

This guy has not been quiet since the day he became a concubine, and he has made trouble from time to time, but because his son likes it, the Empress Dowager Guan has nothing to do.

For example, on a day like today, the other concubines are all dressed brightly, but she is wearing a gray face and a dirty face, and the color of the dress looks like an old one. The other concubines all had gold and silver on their heads, but she was good, only pinning a bamboo hairpin in the oblique.

Today is a big day, the wives of the royal family and the wives of the ministers of the court and the central government all enter the palace to congratulate, and her dress is clearly shameless for the emperor!

The more Empress Dowager Guan thought about it, the more angry she became, and she couldn't wait to drive her back to Miaoyin Temple immediately, let her recite the scriptures there for a lifetime, and cure her illness regardless of what prescriptions she offered.

It was already past the time to open the banquet, and the emperor had not yet appeared, and the concubines began to sit still, twisting their bodies to look out of the door, looking through the autumn water, but no one was seen.

Empress Dowager Guan asked people to ask, and came back to say that they were busy, so let them eat first, no need to wait.

What is this called! If he doesn't come, how will others eat?

After a while, the Empress Dowager Guan sent someone to ask again, and after a while, the person who asked came back, with five finger prints on his face and tears in his eyes, and he replied to the previous sentence.

Empress Dowager Guan was furious, and personally went to Pingzhang Hall to see what he was doing, and even dared to refute her face.

Zhang Zheng and a cadre of the household department were looking through the old account books, and when they saw the queen mother walking in with a displeased face, they knew that this time the mistake was not small, so they got up and accompanied the mother with a smile.

"You are the true son of the dragon, and you have the blessing of God if you don't eat or drink, what about them? Are they also iron-clad bodies that can withstand tosses? When is this time, I don't eat, I have to do things, and I have to take care of my body. ”

Empress Dowager Guan stood in the center of the ground and said in a deep voice.

Zhang glanced at the several officials kneeling on the ground, all of them looked tired and tired, and couldn't help but sigh and wave their hands to disperse.

The officials withdrew. Zhang walked up to the Empress Dowager Guan, laughed and apologized twice, and the Empress Dowager Guan was angry, revealing a face full of distress, and sneered at him: "You haven't eaten well for a few days, if you go on like this, the matter has not been resolved, you can get sick first, how can you work so hard, and this is not a desperate thing!" ”

"Queen Mother, don't talk about this, eat, eat, you say that, I really feel hungry." Zhang helped the Empress Dowager Guan towards Fengqi Palace.

When the concubines saw Allah coming, they all widened their eyes, and with twelve points of spirit, they knelt down and greeted him, hoping that this Allah would look at them more.

Zhang's eyes only stayed on calm.

"Today, there are home-cooked dishes from the south of the Yangtze River, fried three fresh, five-spice kohlrabi or something, all of which you love to eat, and I asked people to brand a few sesame pancakes, roll kohlrabi, the most sweet, you loved to eat this when you were a child."

After the emperor sat down and the concubines got up, Empress Dowager Guan said to her son with a smile.

Zhang perfunctory her, and his eyes still fell on the calm beside him.

Calmly hung his head, knocking the pumpkin seeds on the plate as if no one was around.

Seeing that there were not many pumpkin seeds left on the plate, Zhang picked up the one in front of him and poured it into the plate in front of her.

Calmly raised his eyes to look at him, grinned, continued to bow his head, and his whole body was lazily shrunk on the chair, without any grooming posture.

Empress Dowager Guan looked angry, and paused the teacup on the table heavily, making a "bang" sound.

Zhang turned his head to look at her, reached out and took the pancake, rolled it with kohlrabi, and handed it to her mouth.

Empress Dowager Guan took it, ate it in one bite, and glared at him fiercely.

Guan Rong had already rolled one up and handed it to the chapter obediently.

Zhang smiled at her, and when she took it, Guan Rong's face turned red, and she asked shyly: "Your Majesty, the concubine added an extra spoonful of sweet sauce to this kohlrabi, how do you taste it?" ”

The chapter "oh" was an answer, beckoning everyone to eat together.

Only then did everyone get bold and move up.

After the meal, the concubines left, and Guan Rong and Zhang sat with the Empress Dowager Guan to chat and eat.

Guan Rong ordered the palace maid to bring the night pearl and dedicated it to the Empress Dowager Guan.

When Empress Dowager Guan saw it, she was really happy, and hurriedly ordered Mama Liu to take it into the inner room and put it away, and took off the jade wrench finger in her hand and rewarded it to Guan Rong.

Guan Rong put away his fingers, came over to rub the shoulders of the Empress Dowager Guan, and said with a smile: "The queen mother likes it, then even if I am filial, even if I spend more money and think more, my daughter-in-law is willing." ”

"How much money did it cost?" Zhang's face instantly darkened, and he asked in a cold voice.

Empress Dowager Guan glanced at him and said with a smile: "It's just a bead, how much silver can be used, although you get angry when you hear the silver, Rong'er is just flattering me, even you are serious, really." ”

Guan Rong glanced at Zhang in fear, and explained in a trembling voice: "Back to the emperor, no, not much silver." ”

"How much silver is not much?" Zhang's voice grew colder.

"The concubine doesn't know." Guan Rong fell to his knees with a thud and replied crying.

"Okay, I know the origin of this bead, it was not bought with money, it is the treasure of the family heirloom of the slave, when I was outside the palace, I heard the wife of the slave mention this family heirloom bead." Empress Dowager Guan said busily again, and her face sank.

Seeing that the queen mother was angry, Zhang stopped talking, drank a few sips of tea, said that there was something, and said goodbye and left.

Guan Rong sent him out, and when he came back, the pear blossoms that cried brought rain and couldn't help himself.

"That's enough, don't make trouble, the emperor is also unhappy, so he will be like this." Empress Dowager Guan comforted her.

"Queen Mother, did the concubine do something wrong, the emperor, why do you always pinch the fault of the concubine?" Guan Rong cried.

"You didn't give this thing at the right time. You are a kid too, I don't know the heat, when is this, and you still show that your family has money, isn't it unpleasant to find. ”

Empress Dowager Guan got up, walked towards the inner room, and coughed a few times.

Guan Rong caught up, helped her, and said: "Queen Mother, the concubines asked them to go out and buy some high-quality blood bird's nest back, let the chef boil it, and send it to you, it will be good for your cough." ”

Empress Dowager Guan frowned and sighed: "Rong'er, you are the wife of the emperor, you should think more about him, when is it now, you are still spending money so recklessly?" Is there anyone who does not provoke him to anger? ”

"Queen Mother, this is my own money, and I didn't use it in the palace." Guan Rong said with an aggrieved face.

Empress Dowager Guan glanced at her and shook her head.

This child grew up in a honey tank since she was a child, where does she know the pain of not having money, and she can't be blamed.

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Zhang left Fengqi Palace, and wanted to go back to Pingzhang Hall to continue checking the accounts, but he took two steps, but he sighed again and turned around and walked towards the back.

Nanyou was about to close the temple door, when he saw Zhang coming alone, he was startled, hurriedly ran down the steps, knelt down, raised the lantern, and lit it for him.

Zhang stretched out his hand to help her up and asked, "Where is your master?" ”

Nan You pointed inside, and said with a smile: "I just borrowed a guzheng from the Lile Division and came back, and I was playing in the backyard, the emperor waited a little, and the slave asked her to go." ”

"No, I'm going to find her." Zhang took the lantern from Nanyou and walked towards the garden behind the temple.

As I was walking, I heard a sonorous song from behind: the sea laughed, the tide on both sides of the strait, the ups and downs with the waves, only remember the present day, the sky laughed, the tide in the world, who loses and who wins, God knows。。。。。

This singing voice was accompanied by the sound of the guzheng, which made Zhang's mood turbulent for a while, and his eyes were wet.

The sound of the guzheng stopped suddenly, and Zhang Yi was stunned, and rushed over, shouting: "What's wrong?" ”

The calm who was fiddling with the strings looked up at him, and said in a faint voice: "The emperor is here?" It's okay, one string is broken, but unfortunately, the song hasn't been played yet. ”