Xia Lan was dressed in the costume of an earthy blue rough envoy palace maid, standing under the cloister of the Ruyi Hall and stomping her feet vigorously. Large snowflakes fell on her slightly low head, shoulders, and placket.

The wind blew in through the fabric of her thin jacket, piercing through her delicate skin and into the cracks of her bones.

She shrugged her shoulders and put her frostbitten hand in front of her mouth and whispered, trying to absorb a little warmth with the handful of white air coming out of her mouth.

But when the snow was sleet and the wind fell, and when it fell on her hands that were red from the cold, there was no temperature at all.

Xia Lan was not as lucky as Xia Qing and Xia Tong, she was able to follow the side of the five princes, and was taken by Concubine Yu to the Ruyi Palace to continue to live the life of a first-class palace maid.

After she returned to the Yeting Palace, she was sent to the miscellaneous room, where she was responsible for washing the clothes of the inferior palace people.

The clothes of the people in the lower palaces are often the worst materials, the dirtiest, and the most difficult to wash. After a month, Xia Lan's hand had been soaked in ice water, and blood kept oozing out of the mouth. But that's it, she still has to wash several large basins of clothes every day, and if she does something wrong, she will be beaten and punished.

Xia Lan had a hard time, but her situation was quite good among all the rough servants in the Lingyan Palace, there were two third-class little palace maids, and after returning to the Yeting Palace, they were directly sent by the head to brush the Gong bucket, which was really dirty and tired, and she couldn't even eat comfortably.

Xia Lan came to the Ruyi Hall today, the purpose was to beg Concubine Yu to have mercy on her. Even if she is allowed to be the most inferior rough palace maid in the Ruyi Palace, it is better than washing clothes in the miscellaneous room.

Xia Lan stood in the cold wind and arched her already thin body, her face was blue from the cold, and her lips were purple, but her eyes were burning with hope, hoping that Yizhi, who went in to inform her, would bring her good news.

'Squeak', the small door in the middle of the Ruyi Hall opened. Xia Lan squeezed out a slightly stiff smile on her blue face, and asked Yizhi who came out in a trembling voice, "Miss Yizhi, can you agree with me?" ”

Yizhi didn't answer Xia Lan's words, but stood on the cloister and said loudly to a few little eunuchs who were clearing the snow in the courtyard, "Xiao Xinzi, Xiao Shengzi, Niang Niang has a will, blast out this lowly palace maid who ran in the wrong place!" ”

Xia Lan's smile completely froze on her face, and she said to Yizhi in disbelief, "Miss Yizhi, did you hear it wrong?" In the past, the relationship between Yu Concubine Niangniang and my mother's mother was so good......"

Yizhi made a face, frowned and said, "Xiao Xinzi, Xiao Shengzi, you don't do it, let her talk nonsense here and provoke right and wrong!" ”

Although Xiao Xinzi and Xiao Shengzi didn't know which play they were singing, they obediently put down the broom in their hands to sweep the snow, picked up the wooden stick placed under the tree and walked towards Xia Lan.

Xia Lan watched Xiao Shengzi and Xiao Xinzi walk towards her and stepped back again and again, pleading and looking at Yizhi, "Yizhi, Yizhi girl......"

Yizhi saw Xia Lan looking at Xia Lan like this, stomped his feet, and said fiercely, "You guys don't fight quickly!" ”

Xiao Xinzi and Xiao Shengzi immediately raised the wooden stick in their hands and smashed it at Xia Lan regardless of their minds.

Xia Lan was in pain but didn't dare to shout in the Ruyi Palace, and the earthy blue figure ran out of the Ruyi Hall like a smoke.

Yizhi instructed Xiao Xinzi Xiaoshengzi, who was still holding a stick, "Keep fighting, and keep hitting the Ruyi Palace!" Hit Qingle Palace! ”

In the heavy snowfall, Yizhi watched Xiao Shengzi and Xiao Xinzi get out of the courtyard gate of the Ruyi Palace, and then turned around and went back to the side.

After taking the chicken feather list and ordering the snow star on his body, Yi Zhi walked into the inner hall and said to Concubine Yu who was eating tea, "Niangniang, I have already beaten out the sticks according to your orders." ”

Yu Concubine hummed and put the tea cup in her hand on the table. The teacup touched the tabletop and made a 'bang'.

"What a useless one! How could Concubine Ying teach such a dull minion! ”

Pan'er gave Yizhi a look, and Yizhi Fuli retreated.

"That Xia Lan, I heard that I have suffered a lot ......"

"Bitter?" Yu Concubine raised her eyebrows, "She feels that she is suffering now because she has never suffered before!" It's all because the concubines are too accustomed to these palace maids in her palace, so they can't stand the slightest grievance. ”

Pan'er echoed, "It's a person who can't stand the grievances, otherwise he wouldn't have come to the Ruyi Hall during the day." ”

Concubine Yu didn't want to mention Xia Lan more, so she raised her hand and interrupted Pan'er's words.

Concubine Yu raised her hand to take off all the beaded jade hairpins on the bun and put them on the table, and then reached out and scattered the complicated Ruyi bun, letting the black hair hang down on her shoulders. She climbed onto the kang, put the kang pillow under her armpit, frowned and said, "Pan'er, you help me think about it, I'm in a mess now." ”

Hairpins are scattered, this is a habit that Yu Concubine has done since she was a child. Whenever she was stuck in something and couldn't figure it out, she would spread her hair out to relax her nerves to the greatest extent.

Pan'er took the jewelry box, put away the beads and jade hairpins one by one, and said after a while, "Niangniang, it is impossible for you to protect the five princes in this situation. The queen is the queen after all, and who can stop what she has made up her mind to do? If you protect it tightly, you are the enemy of the queen......"

Concubine Yu gritted her teeth, "I just can't figure it out, why is she still struggling with each other." The fifth prince is a prince after all, isn't she afraid that the emperor will know that she can't tolerate her? ”

"The queen must have done this for a reason we don't know......"

Concubine Yu closed her eyes and sighed, "I also know that there must be something I don't know, what can make her jealous of Concubine Ying to such a point?" ”

Pan'er also sighed, "It's a pity that Weiyang Palace is watching closely, otherwise you will definitely be able to find out something by sending people out." ”

Concubine Yu closed her eyes and lay on the kang and stopped talking, her breathing was balanced, as if she was asleep.

Pan'er was afraid that Concubine Yu would freeze, so she took a blanket and gently covered Concubine Yu's body.

Concubine Yu was silent for a while, and suddenly opened her eyes, and said to Pan'er with bright eyes, "I accept this softness!" ”

Pan'er was stunned for a moment, not understanding the meaning of Yu Concubine's words.

Concubine Yu turned over and sat up, and suddenly smiled brightly, "Queen, doesn't she want to take the five princes to Weiyang Palace to raise?" Then the palace will fulfill her! Bengong wants to see how she wants to beg Bengong to bring the five princes back! ”

Pan'er also smiled brightly and said, "Niangniang has thought of a way?" ”

"Of course!" Concubine Yu let out a sneer from her chest, "I want Empress Zhu to know what it's like to make a mistake!" ”

On November 12 of the seventh year of Yong'an, the fifth prince Li Lingyi moved to Weiyang Palace, except for the two nurses who followed, Xia Qing and Xia Tong, the palace maids who had been serving the five princes, all stayed in the Ruyi Palace.

Xia Qing listened to the cry of the five princes when they were taken away, and fainted in the east side of the Ruyi Hall without mentioning it in one breath.

By the time Xia Qing woke up, she had already been sent back to her residence. Xia Tong was sitting in front of her bed, shedding tears vigorously, and her eyes were swollen to the size of walnuts.

Xia Tong saw Xia Qing wake up, and cried to Xia Qing in a hoarse voice, "You woke up, you scared me." Wiping the tears on his face and said, "Thanks to our mother's trust in Concubine Yu, Baba sent the fifth prince to her for foster care." It's only been a few days, and Concubine Yu handed over the five princes to the queen to invite her to pet......"

"Smack!"

Xia Qing heard Xia Tong say such rebellious words, slapped Xia Tong with all his strength, gritted his teeth and said, "If you talk nonsense like this again, I will kill you now, saving you from causing trouble for the mother and the five princes!" ”

Xia Tong's ears buzzed when he was beaten by Xia Qing, and he didn't react for a long time. When he reacted, he cried even more, "Why did you hit me?" Am I wrong? The fifth prince has already been taken away, can't I even say it? Saying that, Xia Tong lowered his head to face Xia Qing, and said while pushing up, "You kill me, you kill me now." If I didn't protect the five princes, I'm ashamed of my mother, I don't want to live......"

Xia Qing raised his hand and slapped again, and shouted angrily with red eyes, "Do you have to make trouble at this time?!" ”

Xia Tong covered his face and cried bitterly, "I just want to make trouble, I just want to make trouble." ”

Yizhi pushed the door from the outside and walked in, looked at the two of them and said loudly, "What is this going on?" It's going to turn the sky upside down! ”

Xia Qing saw that it was Yi Zhi, and after pushing Xia Tong aside, he looked directly at Yi Zhi and said, "I didn't make any trouble, it's just that Xia Tong's heart is a little uncomfortable." ”

Yizhi is the big palace maid by Concubine Yu's side, although she is not always by her concubine's side like Pan'er, she is also Concubine Yu's confidant.

Yizhi sat on the dark red square table next to the bed, raised her eyebrows and asked, "Just Xia Tong is uncomfortable?" You don't feel bad at all? ”

Xia Qing looked at Yi Zhi's meaningful expression, and his heart suddenly became clear. She covered her face and cried bitterly, "How can I not feel bad in my heart? The fifth prince was raised by me since I was a child......"

Seeing Xia Qing crying sadly, Yizhi covered his mouth with a handkerchief, and said sadly, "Sadness is also human nature, after all, it is the love of master and servant for several years." ”

After saying that, he got up and went out, without even closing the door.

Xia Tong was already sad, but when he saw Xia Qing crying bitterly, his tears came down again.

Xia Qing stood up suddenly, wiped her tears and pulled Xia Tong out of the house.

Xia Tong was puzzled, Xia Qing choked up and said, "Aren't you going to make trouble?" I'll go with you to make trouble, and go to the door of the Ruyi Hall to make trouble......"

Xia Tong was dumbfounded, "I'll just talk about it casually......"

Xia Qing didn't care what Xia Tong said, pulled Xia Tong to the door of the Ruyi Palace, sat on the snow and started crying, and didn't say anything, crying until the sky was dark, the sun and the moon were dark.

When Yizhi told Concubine Yu the news that Xia Qing and Xia Tong were crying at the gate of the Ruyi Palace, Concubine Yu smiled and said, "This is what Concubine Ying has trained me to do, I know how to advance and retreat, and I will understand it at a point." ”

Yi Zhi bowed, "That Xia Qing is indeed an extremely smart person. ”

Concubine Yu stretched out her fair-skinned and delicate right hand, took the teacup handed to her by Pan'er and took a bite, put it down and instructed Yizhi, "One person, one ruler, learn the rules." Call more female eunuchs to watch, so that people can know the severity of the beating......"