As soon as Wanying heard this allusion, she knew what Xiao Linzi wanted to say next, and when she thought of this little ghost elf, for the sake of He You'an's affairs, she ignored herself for so long, deliberately pretended not to know, and said complimentally: "There is such an allusion? How I haven't heard of it. ”

Hearing this, Xiao Linzi smiled even more proudly, and said pleasantly: "You haven't heard of this!" According to legend, when the Empress of Heaven ascended the throne, let the "Jade Emperor Flower Book" in the book of the hundred flowers god open in the cold winter, count nine cold days, all the hundred flowers gods, one night to bloom, the queen of heaven is very pleased, only the peony fairy refused to cling to the empress, the empress was angry, the peony was degraded to Luoyang, and then there was a "Luoyang peony in the world" anecdote. ”

Xiao Linzi said with a fluttering eyebrow, and Wanying also pretended to listen with relish, and only said: "What a rare allusion, it's really unheard of." ”

Xiao Linzi saw Wanying praising herself, and she was even more happy, and pulled Wanying to see the lotus flowers in the small pool. Wan Ying saw that the hour was almost up, so she only said: "Xiao Linzi, let's look at Lotus Blossom Ming'er, the Queen Mother is still waiting for us, and it will be later, the Queen Mother is in a hurry." ”

Xiao Linzi suddenly realized: "I patronized my sister to see the flowers, and I forgot about serious things." ”

The two of them walked out of the flower pond and came to the corridor of the main hall of Cining Palace one after the other. Xiao Linzi entered the hall, slipped through the smoke, and said with a heavy cotton curtain in his hand: "The Queen Mother let my sister in." ”

Wan Ying exhaled deeply, straightened the hem of her skirt, and entered the main hall of Cining Palace with lotus steps. Xiao Linzi took Wanying to Xinuan Pavilion. I saw the queen mother dressed in a homely ochre palace dress, without hairpins and decorations, with a turquoise forehead tied to a round bun, sitting cross-legged on the kang. Described as not like the queen mother of a country, but more like an old lady from a rich family.

The last time I saw the Queen Mother, I was in the flower hall of Cining Palace. Wanying entered the Xinuan Pavilion for the first time, and the first time she came in, she had already swept her eyes and afterglow for a week, and she felt infinite emotion in her heart at this glance: The Queen Mother is really too frugal, not only the clothes on her body are simple, but even the room is very simple. The south window of the warm pavilion is a fire kang, and there is a short-legged small table on the kang, because I didn't look carefully, so I couldn't see the material of the small one. The big kang is covered with a dark yellow warm mattress, and a stone blue square pillow is placed on each side. On the north wall opposite the fire kang, there are four calligraphy and paintings, namely "Spring Clouds Emerge", "Summer Peak Breaking Rain", "Autumn Peak Reflection" and "Winter Ridge Show...... On the left of Wanying is a partition carved from yellow rosewood, and on the right are two carved rosewood long tables placed against the wall. There are a few things that are commonly used by the Queen Mother. In addition, it is the bronze beast furnace placed in the middle of the room, but unfortunately there is not even a trace of charcoal fire in it.

Wanying sighed and couldn't stop it: the Queen Mother's warm pavilion is too simple, and even her grandmother's warm pavilion is more luxurious than here.

Wanying sighed, there was already a little palace maid, put a black silk cushion in front of Wanying, Wanying knelt on the ground, kowtowed respectfully, and said: "Wanying, the palace maid of Rongshou Palace, meet the Queen Mother, I wish the Queen Mother a thousand years of happiness and happiness." ”

The Queen Mother said gently: "Get up......"

The little palace maid hurriedly helped Wanying up. The Queen Mother stretched out her hand and said, "Come and ask the mourning family to take a good look at you." ”

Wanying took small steps and walked to the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother took Wanying's hand and groped back and forth, her kind and sharp gaze, like a skinning knife, peeling Wanying clean from top to bottom.

Wanying secretly smacked her tongue in her heart, and said timidly in her heart: The Queen Mother's poisonous eyes, even if the cow ghost and snake god are dressed in human skin, they can't escape this look. How could such a queen mother, who has been kept in the deep palace all the year round and enjoyed all the wealth in the world, have such a fierce gaze?

When she was young, the Queen Mother said gently: "I look good, or my Yan'er is the most blessed." ”

was so praised by the Queen Mother, Wanying lowered her head in shame and buried her face in her collar.

"Is there enough charcoal in the house? Is it cold at night? Are you used to eating food in the palace? The Queen Mother asked three questions in a row.

Wanying replied unhurriedly: "If you go back to the Queen Mother, there is a charcoal fire in the house, thanks to the blessing of the Queen Mother, and the bedding is also the warmest." ”

Wanying only said charcoal fire and bedding, and she was telling the truth. But the food of the palace maid in the palace is really unpalatable, and she can't lie in front of the discerning queen mother, so she doesn't talk about the food.

The Queen Mother smiled faintly and said calmly: "I have wronged the girl, the cooks in the palace are becoming more and more perfunctory, and even the mourning family feels that it is not good, which really makes the girl feel wronged." ”

"Wanying, thank you for the Queen Mother's mercy." Wanying pondered for a long time, but still didn't call herself a slave, but called herself by her own name. If he calls himself a slave in front of the Queen Mother, it is too inappropriate. So he had the audacity to call himself Wanying.

The Queen Mother smiled and nodded, her face was faintly filled with appreciative relief, and said, "How many brothers and sisters are there in the family, have you ever studied?" ”

Wanying blinked slightly, and said gently: "If you go back to the Queen Mother, there are five Wanying sisters and three brothers in the family. When the sisters were young, they studied with their brothers and brothers for a few days, and learned several books of "Female Rules" and "Female Fan". ”

"The person is neat and well-read, and he is very literate."

Wanying herself has heard a lot of praise, and the Queen Mother's sentence is the most prosaic, but it makes Wanying the happiest. The joy in my heart is as happy as when I was a child, I went out with my grandmother.

"How old is this year? What is it? ”

Wanying nodded and said softly: "Back to the Queen Mother, Wanying is fifteen this year." Rabbit"

"Twenty-eight years old, it is the same age as flowers, and the mourning family really envy you."

Wanying was ashamed and silent, and the Queen Mother pulled Wanying to sit beside her, not chattering like ordinary women, speaking simply and directly, often asking two or three questions in a sentence. Wanying answered honestly what she knew, and explained it humbly if she didn't know.

While talking, Gonggong Wei opened the curtain and came in and said, "If you go back to the Queen Mother, the steward eunuch from the cold palace has come over." ”

"What's the matter?"

"Concubine Xue is dead."

The Queen Mother took Wanying's hand, and Wanying clearly felt the Queen Mother's hand pull her hand, and asked as usual: "When did you die?" How did you die? ”

Father-in-law Wei put the dust in the crook of his arm, and said a little embarrassedly: "Back to the Queen Mother, the father-in-law in charge said that he didn't agree to call for dinner in the morning, and they didn't think much about it. At noon, there was still no sound when he screamed again, so he slammed the door open and saw Xue Guifei hanging on the beams of the room, her body was frozen and hard. ”

The Queen Mother's eyebrows furrowed slightly, let go of Wanying's hand and said, "Have you checked?" ”

"Not yet, it's still in the first month of the year, outside or in the seal, and the officials haven't been notified yet? The person in charge also came to ask the Queen Mother for an idea, what should I do? ”

"The concubine committed suicide, and the sin is unforgivable. Carry it to Anle Hall first, call the official to conduct an autopsy, and return to the mourning home immediately if there is a result? ”

"Minions understand." After Father-in-law Wei finished speaking, he prepared to turn around.

"Come back, you go and ask the queen in person, what were you doing last night? Asked clearly what to say back and forth to the mourning family. ”

"Minions understand." Gonggong Wei slowed down a little this time and didn't leave in a hurry.

"Xue Guifei's matter, you should do it, and find out how to go back and forth to mourn the family. Tell the steward, temporarily block the news. ”

"The minions obey." Grandpa Wei didn't seem to have any instructions to wait for this time, so he got up and left.

Wanying's heart was already full of fright, but she couldn't show it on her face. After Father-in-law Wei left, the Queen Mother continued to talk to Wanying as if she had never heard the news.

"This is the dried cantaloupe that General Yili sent to the mourning family, the sweet teeth are all gone, the mourning family is old, and they don't like these tooth-consuming things, you taste it, if you like it, take it all."

Wanying didn't refuse, she took a small piece of dried cantaloupe from the plate on the small table, and before she could put it in her mouth, the sweet smell of cantaloupe came to her nose. Don't know why? When Wanying was chewing cantaloupe, she suddenly remembered the hanged Xue Guifei, drooping her head, spitting out her long tongue, her black hair was scattered and hanging down, and occasionally a cold wind blew her clothes and hair back and forth.

Wanying couldn't see Xue Guifei's eyes clearly, and she didn't know if her eyes were closed? Still not closed?

Yesterday, she clearly told the emperor that she didn't go to the cold palace and didn't want to be killed by the queen, which means that she was reluctant to die, how could a person who was unwilling to die hang herself overnight? Thinking of this, Wanying was in a cold sweat and couldn't help but shiver.

"Spring Cicada, go and bring a stove over." The Queen Mother said to the outside.

Wan Ying hurriedly explained: "Queen Mother, Wan Ying is not cold. ”

Wanying really didn't lie, her hand was too * just now, and her shivering was not because of cold, but because of fear. Because she understands that a person who is bent on revenge will not easily commit suicide.

The Queen Mother knew that Wanying was not lying, and said happily: "In the past few days, the mourning family always feels that the house is hot and greasy, so they haven't lit the stove, you are as delicate as your flowers and bones, don't freeze it." ”

Wanying got up and thanked her: "Thank you Queen Mother for your love, yesterday's purple pearl shoulder shawl is very luxurious, thank you Queen Mother for the reward." ”

"Sit down and talk, we are not outsiders, you are the daughter-in-law of the mourning family, and the mourning family should give you that flowing shoulder."

Wanying got up and continued to sit next to the Queen Mother, who looked at Wanying just like her daughter, the more she looked at it, the more she liked it. Wanying was a little shy at first, and talked to the Queen Mother for a long time, feeling that the Queen Mother was the most peaceful woman, and gradually became calm.

The sky was getting dark, and the Queen Mother finally took Wanying's hand and said solemnly: "Today, our mother and son have been talking for a long time, and the mourning family is very comfortable. ”

"Queen Mother, please speak, Wanying will definitely live up to the Queen Mother's entrustment."

"Child, this matter should not be told to the girl, but apart from the girl, the mourning family really can't find a second person to entrust. The mourning family is also gritting their teeth and being ruthless, so they can only ask the girl. ”

Wanying probably knew what the Queen Mother wanted to say, and she had already figured it out, not because she didn't agree, but because Prince Rong didn't agree.

"Queen Mother, please talk about ......"

"It's still your marriage with Yan'er, the Feng and Zhou families have been begging for the mourning family, even if they are concubines, there is no way to mourn the family. Yan'er didn't agree. The mourners can only ask you. ”

Wanying was a little embarrassed, she had already persuaded Prince Rong, but Prince Rong couldn't listen to half a word at all. Wan Ying bit her lip and hesitated, and said in embarrassment: "Wan Ying doesn't dare to deceive the Queen Mother, Aunt Bitong of Rongshou Palace has already told Wan Ying about this matter, and Wan Ying has also tried her best to persuade the prince, but ......"

The Queen Mother nodded approvingly and said, "Good boy, it's hard for you to have this mind." The mourning family didn't hurt you in vain. ”

"Queen Mother, Wanying knows that this matter has embarrassed the Queen Mother, and Wanying has not thought of a good way to persuade the prince now, but if there is, Wanying will definitely spare no effort."

"The mourning family understands your intentions, since the girl is broad-minded, the mourning family will entrust the trust in their hearts to the girl."

"Queen Mother, please talk about ......"

"If the girl doesn't mind, the mourning family will make the decision to let the two young ladies Feng Zhou enter the palace as side concubines."

How could Wan Ying not mind? But the complicated relationship and situation made Wanying have to settle for the next best, as long as she can stay with Prince Rong. It's like Aunt Bitong's saying, 'Only by perfecting others can you fulfill yourself'.

Wanying said that she didn't mind, but even if Wanying was a little reluctant in her heart, she didn't want to look at the people around her. Only by perfecting others can we fulfill ourselves. Wanying is willing. ”