Behind the screen, the Queen Mother was gently pulling off a red gold hairpin from her bun. She clasped the tail of the hairpin to the palm of her hand, closed her eyelids and said slowly: "You are the concubine of the Chu family." ”

Chu Huasheng was stunned, then lowered his head deeply, and said yes.

Listening to her small voice, she smiled faintly: "What about the concubine, what about the concubine." Shuhee, you shouldn't feel inferior because of your origins. ”

When Chu Huashang entered the palace, she reported it in the name of her concubine. This kind of thing is not uncommon, and before sending a daughter to the palace or getting married, the concubine is often recorded in the name of the concubine to elevate the status of the girl. But the royal family also knows this situation, no matter how the concubine raises her value, it is not the aunt's belly that crawls out, and she is still laughed at by the concubines when she enters the palace.

But then again, whether it is a concubine like Chu Huashang or a daughter of a small household like Lin Yuan, there are many people who can fight for a place in the harem.

Concubine...... The Queen Mother muttered. As early as three months ago, Eunuch Liu under the Queen Mother found out the identity of Chu Huasheng, and also found out the top and bottom of the Chu family. It's not that the Chu family doesn't have daughters, the eldest daughter, the second daughter, and the fifth daughter are all concubines, but they finally sent a concubine in...... Not to mention the belly in this palace, even if the sisters can turn against each other, they are not afraid that the time will cause trouble and delay the plan? Or does the emperor dislike the identity of a concubine and refuses to give her a good future?

If a person is not ruthless enough, he cannot achieve great things. Since the Chu family is reluctant to suffer from their daughter, the prospects in the future will not be very high...... If there was the stomach of the Shangguan family and the only two daughters, one sent to the palace and the other to the Xianyu Palace, the Chu family would not be just an ordinary family.

The queen mother has always been jealous of concubines with prominent family backgrounds, and if she doesn't suppress them, she will be tolerant, where will she be promoted. But the Chu family sisters are different...... They are not as harmonious as outsiders see, if Chu Huashang gives birth to a child, it is still a question whether this child can return to rhyme and contour, and it is also a question whether Chu Huasheng, a concubine who is not loved by her family, can be wholeheartedly loyal to the family.

Chu Huasheng's value is really a little subtle...... If she is always pressed on her head by her sister, she will not be valued by the Chu family for the rest of her life and will not receive much support, and a good family background is equivalent to a bad family background, so it is very good for her to be a fertility tool. But if something else happens...... As a favorite concubine in a high position, she is obviously more suitable than her sister.

The Queen Mother smiled, forget it, let's stop it. Chu Huashang's life is up to her to choose.

The Queen Mother's words were something that Chu Huashang had never heard since she entered the palace, and it was the first time she had heard it in her life. The word "concubine" carried her sixteen years of pain and sorrow, and in the memories of growing up, what her parents and sisters taught her was to remember her humble identity, and no one had ever told her to be a man with her back upright. She hurriedly and quickly took her sleeve to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and kowtowed to the screen before replying: "Concubine Sansheng is fortunate to have the Queen Mother to carry ......"

"The mourning family is tired, you all retreat." The Queen Mother didn't want to hear her words of gratitude finished.

Although she wanted to pull Chu Huashang, in the heart of the Queen Mother, these concubines were just chess pieces. She didn't want to be deeply acquainted with them.

Chu Huashang exhaled softly, she understood that her path still needed to be walked by herself, and the Queen Mother would not help her too much.

Several people saluted and said, "The concubines and others will retire." ”

The Queen Mother glanced at Lin Yuan and Concubine Wen one last time, and said lightly: "You two should also remember the rules of the palace." Do not overdo anything, and do not be in a hurry. ”

The two nodded their heads and looked up at each other. They are smart people, and they all understand what the Queen Mother means at this time. Don't do too much to say to Lin Yuan, it is to warn her that she is now pampered, and she must not be insatiable; Don't be anxious to say to Concubine Wen, persuade her that although she is not favored now, she should be quiet and carefully planned, and she does not have to be anxious because of the predicament.

Lin Yuan, Concubine Wen and Chu Huashang all deeply felt that the Queen Mother's teachings were very precious and rare, and their posture when they retired and left was much more respectful than usual.

By this time it was already night. Not far away, in the tall palace called Jiao Tai Palace, which is often used as a place for feasts, gorgeous fireworks are flying up one by one. Lin Yuan knew that it was the moon viewing banquet.

But the feast had already begun, and it was too late to pass. Because they came to serve the Queen Mother, the absence from the banquet was justified, so Lin Yuan decided to go back to the palace instead of going to the banquet; Of course, Wu Guiren and the others would never miss any opportunity to see the emperor, and she went hand in hand with Ye Cairen and Xu Ronghua.

Xu Ronghua wanted to pull Concubine Wen before leaving, but Concubine Wen threw up her sleeves and ignored her. Xu Ronghua looked at her arrogant appearance, and his eyes showed disdain, he had already fallen out of favor, and he dared not to put the banquet in his eyes, did he really think that he had the capital to enjoy himself?

Several people went their own way.

Chu Huashang walked the most urgently, and her direction was Jiaotai Palace. Because Chu Huaxin had already prepared piano music to perform for the emperor at the moon appreciation banquet, Chu Huashang needed to recite poems with her tunes. She didn't expect that the Queen Mother would let them kneel in the Buddha hall for two hours, and she didn't know if it would be too late to rush over at this time. If she delays her sister's affairs, she can't afford to be guilty......

While thinking about Chu Huaxin's domineering face, she walked more and more anxiously.

***

After Lin Yuan returned to the palace, he passed the dinner as usual, and then took out the silver from the treasury and distributed it to the palace people of all sizes in the Mirror Moon Pavilion as a reward for the festival. The people of the first palace all had a good Mid-Autumn Festival with a smile on their faces.

In the middle of the night, Xiao Chengzi came in and told Lin Yuan that the emperor had ordered Yun Xiu to sleep tonight.

Lin Yuan smiled: "I thought that the emperor didn't like her very much anymore, but now I have watched her sleep a lot of times." ”

"The emperor really doesn't favor her." Xiao Chengzi answered: "These days, the little master, you are the most sacred, although Yun Xiu Rong can be divided into two or three days, the slave heard that the emperor originally turned over Tian Shuji's brand, and Tian Shuji persuaded the emperor to go to Yun Xiu's house......"

"Really? And the same is true today? ”

"Exactly. The servant inquired about the Jiaotai Palace, and heard that the emperor praised Tian Shuji's literary brilliance at the banquet, but did not appreciate Yun Xiu's appearance. Concubine Xiang Niangniang also said at the banquet that the emperor has long been tired of listening to string music such as pipa and guqin, and she should perform for the emperor with her heart in the future, so as not to let the emperor feel bored...... Later, the emperor went to Xianfu Palace, and I don't know whether he went to Shuji or Xiu Rong first, but then there were palace people who broke their mouths, and it was privately rumored that Shu Ji Xiao Zhu had broken his arm and could not serve the emperor, so he persuaded the emperor to go to Xiu Niangniang......

Lin Yuan nodded, sat quietly and pondered for a moment, and said to Chu Xue: "Change my clothes, I'm going to go outside." ”

***

Near Xianfu Palace, there are people like Lin Yuan who don't sleep in the middle of the night and blow the wind outside the palace.

Chu Huashang sat in the small pavilion by the Taiye Pool, looking through the heavy halls to the main hall of Xianfu Palace, a luxurious palace that was still brightly lit in the middle of the night due to the presence of the emperor.

She thought that if she didn't have a sister-in-law, so many glorious nights that had been turned over should be enjoyed by her, and the emperor should have given her more power and wealth. She even greedily thought that if she was a concubine, she would be able to use the Chu family's money, power and connections arranged in the palace, with that kind of support, she would definitely climb to a high position quickly, instead of being an unpopular lady, and she would look at her sister's horse head in everything...... Why is he a concubine, why......

Thinking like this, the night wind in the autumn was blowing colder and colder, and the wound on her arm was throbbing and aching by the wind, but her brain was blown more sober. She stood up suddenly, bit her lip and said in a low voice: "What about the concubine, what about the concubine!" ”

Over the years, she has always envied the daughters in the mansion, and always complained to the heavens about her identity as a concubine. Now that she finally understands her past mistakes, why feel sorry for herself if she can't choose? She envies her eldest sister's background, is her biological mother bad! Although her mother is a concubine, she is the best person in the world to herself, if she dislikes her identity, isn't it unfilial......

Chu Huashang finally glanced at it, and no longer looked at the eldest sister's bedroom with envy.

At this moment, she saw a vague figure on the other shore of the Taiye Pond from a distance. The figure was slowly pacing towards this direction.

Chu Huashang was stunned for a moment, who would stroll here at such a late hour, the few unfavored concubines in Xianfu Palace except for their sisters were all mediocre and honest people, and they would never leave the palace in the middle of the night to cause trouble. I really can't sleep today......

The figure became clearer and clearer, and finally, Chu Huashang was able to see clearly. She leaned over to say goodbye, with a bit of precaution and doubt in her voice: "I don't know why the little lord is here late at night......

Lin Yuan was looking up at the moonlight. She remembered that it was not so long ago that late at night, she nearly lost her life in the icy waters of the lake. The difference was that the moon was dim and the clouds were all over the sky, but today the moon was as bright as a bronze mirror in the sun, and all the stars around it were obscured. Mid-Autumn Festival, what a good sign......

She raised her head and looked at it for a long time, before she turned her face sideways to look at Chu Huasheng.

She smiled at her and smiled sincerely: "I'm here to admire the moon!" You don't have to bow to me, we're all in the throne, and I'm just in the first place. ”

Admire the moon, so why not go to the moon feast, but come out in the middle of the night...... Chu Huashang pondered silently, but did not ask a word of doubt. She understood very well that Lin Yuan didn't mean this, so there was no need to ask her about admiring the moon.