Cining Palace, where the Queen Mother lives, is located in the northwest of the harem, which is quiet and elegant, and is home to the widowed concubines and concubines.

Because most of the widowed concubines believe in Buddhism, there are the most Buddhist halls in Cining Palace, Jiyun Building, Yixin Hall, and Lotus Room, all of which worship the Buddha when the concubines have nothing to do on weekdays. Even the flowers and trees are mostly sycamores, ginkgo, pines and cypresses, etc., in order to seek tranquility and peace. The Queen Mother herself has always been not very lively, preferring to carefully worship the Buddha, coupled with the long-term physical discomfort, so now the feast in the harem is no longer attended, and even last night's New Year's royal family banquet was only present for a moment before returning to the palace.

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and it is still inevitably lively. According to the rules, the queen needs to bring all the concubines and sisters to come to the queen mother and the concubines to salute the queen mother. The families of the hundreds of officials in the outer court, and the princesses and princesses also have to enter the palace to worship the queen mother to congratulate the New Year.

Come to see the queen mother, although there is no rule that you must wear court clothes, but most of the concubines naturally choose the court dress phoenix crown, after all, the queen mother is not the emperor, and there is no need to rely on her own posture to please flattery, people like her status are more appreciative of the concubine's virtuous and simple virtues. Today's queen mother is known for her wisdom. Two years ago, Qi Long once saw that several buildings in Cining Palace were a little old, and he was afraid that the Queen Mother would not be comfortable living, so he proposed to renovate Cining Palace to show filial piety. was resolutely rejected by the Queen Mother, and said to Qi Long: "...... The foundation of politics is inaction. The work of civil engineering cannot be both. This que was first built, Nanying Cuiwei, had not overdue, Yuhua created. Although it is due to the mountains and waters, it is not without the labor of erection; Loss after loss, quite a lot of labor costs. In the end, he showed his promise to Maots, and he was tired of wood and stone; If you hire people, it is not without the disadvantages of annoyance. It is the food of the palace of the low, the place of the holy lord; Jinwu Yaotai, the proud lord is beautiful. Therefore, there is the king of the way, and the people of Yiyi; The king of the wayless, enjoy the body with pleasure. May Your Majesty make it timely, and its strength will be inexhaustible; Use it to rest, and people will be happy. He believes that "now that the state is busy with military affairs, and troops are used in many places, it is not possible to waste money and food ...... for such trivial matters." As a result, the harem and the people praised the queen mother's frugality and virtue.

Moreover, the Queen Mother is the aunt of the current queen and the sister of the general Wang Hao. Of course, no concubine will steal the limelight from the queen on such an occasion.

The queen took a group of concubines to Cining Palace early in the morning.

On weekdays, the solemn Cining Palace is also rare to celebrate at this time, both the curtains and curtains have been replaced with the big red brocade at the festival time, embroidered with golden peony flowers and ruyi patterns, and even the incense burner, pillars and other things are also pasted with the rich and golden blessing word......

Walking through the 4 double-crossed four-fold rhombic flower maple doors, there were already a group of palace ladies and grandmothers waiting there, lifting the soft felt curtain of red and gold, and all the concubines entered the Cining Palace.

Several charcoal basins burned warmly in the room, and a serene and peaceful aroma slowly emanated from the four gilded copper incense burners in the corners of the room. The room is shrouded in a hazy place, like a fairyland.

On a carved rattan chair in the middle, several dignified old ladies sat upright, one of them had a calm bearing, a good face, and a shadow similar to the queen could be vaguely seen between the eyebrows, which was the queen mother of Daqi today.

As the most noble and prominent woman of the entire Daqi class, the Queen Mother is fifty-two years old this year, and it can be seen from the dress that the Queen Mother, who is known as a virtuous name, is truly thrifty and simple, for the joy and auspiciousness of the New Year, she is wearing a silver-red and broken gold flower placket, dressed in a plain and elegant, with an ordinary bun on her head, and wears a jade hairpin carved into the shape of auspicious clouds, and her brilliance is ordinary. There are no more decorations on his body, only a string of sandalwood Buddha beads around his neck, and his clothes are not as luxurious as the few concubines around him. Perhaps because of her long-term meditation on fasting and reciting Buddha, her face still looks like she is in her forties, and her long-term high position makes her demeanor naturally reveal a noble bearing.

At this time, she saw the queen come in with all the concubines, and a kind smile appeared on her face: "Are they all here?" ”

Several concubines who were talking to her next to her also turned their heads to look at everyone, and their faces couldn't help but show joy. For these concubines who have been closed for a long time, today is an extremely rare time to be lively.

The queen took her concubines to salute the queen mother and the concubines in accordance with the etiquette of the court.

The Queen Mother quietly signaled to calm down, and then, the eunuch who was about to sing loudly to the concubines and concubines.

The concubines bowed their heads in thanksgiving.

The Queen Mother looked at the dozens of concubines who bowed down to Yingying, happily confessed a few words of auspicious celebration, and said: "Now that you are in the harem, you are a royal person, you should pay attention to the harmony of sisters on weekdays, and most of them are royal heirs, don't learn from those country women, compete for the wind and be jealous, and let the emperor worry in vain." Then he turned to the queen and said: "As the head of the six palaces, you must teach strictly, and the royal etiquette must not be abolished." Don't make the harem cause trouble again, make the emperor worried and the people criticize. This is the blessing of Great Qi. ”

The queen bowed her head, and the concubines knew it, and it seemed that the queen mother had also heard about Concubine Yun.

After the ceremony, today's task was completed, and most of the concubines respectfully and calmly retired.

The Queen Mother said: "It's rare to come today, Ning Qiu, you can stay for a while and talk to us old women." "Ning Qiu is the name of the queen. The queen, of course, gladly complied.

Su Mi was also about to withdraw with everyone, when suddenly the Queen Mother asked again, "By the way, which one is Concubine Su?"

Su Mi hurriedly knelt down and said, "The concubine is Su Mi." ”

"Well, you can also keep it for a while, so that my old woman can take a look," the Queen Mother nodded and said.

After a while, the other concubines all withdrew, and only Su Mi and the queen were left in the hall. The clever palace people immediately arranged their seats.

"Child, come here, let the mourning family take a good look." The Queen Mother said to Su Mi with kind eyebrows, like an elder in a family greeting a junior.

Su Mi stepped forward as he said, trying to make his posture more bowed, humble and polite.

The Queen Mother took her hand, looked at it carefully, looked at Su Mi's face, Su Mi bowed her head, she only wore a silver background and emerald placket skirt today, there was not even the slightest decorative pattern on it, and the placket was just an ordinary silk twisted into a butterfly style, without inlaid with popular pearls and jasper. The hair is neatly combed with a jadeite, coiled behind the head, and the appearance is elegant.

The Queen Mother had a satisfied look on her face, nodded and said, "Sure enough, it's a good appearance." Turning to the several concubines around him, he smiled happily: "Looking at their group now, I really know that I am really old." ”

Su Mi was a little flustered, lowered her head timidly, and said: "The Queen Mother is glorious and noble, how can she be compared to the humble appearance of slaves and maids." ”

"The Queen Mother is in her prime, how dare she speak lightly of the old words?" Concubine Mingde, who was beside the Queen Mother, smiled: "If you want to say that, aren't we the ones who want to enter the coffin even more?" ”

The queen also said: "The queen mother is in the prime of life, how can she talk about the old words." ”

The Queen Mother smiled, and between her eyebrows and eyes, she revealed a majesty and shrewdness: "How can people be immortal? Being old is being old, alas, it doesn't matter if you're old, you don't need to get involved in any affairs or spend any thoughts. But I'm just worried about you, you're too young after all, and you have no experience in dealing with things. In case something really happens in the harem. Needless to say, if there are a few more people who are lawless like that Yun Fei, who are arrogant and arrogant, and even dare to poison the emperor's heir, how can it be good! ”

The queen lowered her head, not daring to say anything.

"The Queen Mother is really worried," Concubine Miaoyi, who was under the Queen Mother, said with a smile: "Now that the emperor is filial and virtuous, the queen is knowledgeable, and the six palaces are peaceful and peaceful, where will there be any troubles." Occasionally, there are one or two concubines who don't know how to lift, let alone the queen, even the rules of the emperor and the ancestors can't tolerate her. ”

The Queen Mother didn't have an interface, she smiled at Su Mi again, and said kindly, "You don't have to be so restrained in front of the palace, come here, sit down, today, have a good chat." The little eunuch moved over the soft stool.

Su Mi had no choice but to sit down according to his words and sat down worriedly.

The Queen Mother said to her again: "Although you are young, you have the courage to save the emperor between life and death at such a critical juncture." It's really rare. Speaking of which, even the mourners have to thank you. ”

"As the emperor's concubine, of course the concubine should do her best for the emperor, but it's just a matter of duty, how dare you accept the queen mother's gratitude." Su Mi hurriedly said.

"Well," the Queen Mother nodded, "Although you are young, you also know the name of etiquette, which is very good, now that there are many things in the palace, you must study the precepts of women, cultivate yourself diligently, assist the queen, and share worries for the emperor." ”

Su Mi bowed her head softly and said yes. Several concubines chatted a few more words, and when they saw that the Queen Mother had no intention of letting them go, Su Mi lowered her head and sat down, her demeanor neat. After a while, I saw the little eunuch outside the door come in to report, and the women from inside and outside came to say goodbye.

The Queen Mother said with joy on her face: "Come in." ”

At the opening of the palace gate, many noblewomen in beautiful clothes walked in, all of whom were princes and concubines of Daqi and county women.

Su Mi only felt that he was uncomfortable, according to the rules, although there was no need to shy away from the concubines of the court, but he was in a humble position, and it was inappropriate to sit here and accept many orders from the court.

However, the queen also realized this, and smiled at Su Mi beside her: "You go to the small living room to bring me a cup of tea first." Su Mi just said goodbye.

Out of the main hall, Su Mi waited on the soft couch in the small side hall for a while, and saw the little eunuch returning, and the visit was over, so he returned to the main hall with a tea cup.

At this time, half of the noble ladies in the main hall had already retired, and only a few were left behind by the Queen Mother, talking affectionately about homely things. Sitting at the top is the wife of Daqi's first-class edict Mrs. Anguo, the hereditary first-class Anguo Duke and the wife of the general Wang Hao, that is, the queen's biological mother. She was about forty years old, and wore a royal blue dress with a small jacket with a green vine pattern. With a soft fox fur shawl on her shoulders, her silhouette is a little as round and elegant as a queen, and she is also a rare beauty when she looks young. It's just that compared with the queen's charm, it is less elegant, and it is more rich and noble. At this time, he was whispering something to the Queen Mother, with a somewhat humble and respectful smile on his face.

When several noble women saw Su Mi walking in, their demeanor was not like that of ordinary girls, and they naturally knew that it was the concubine that the queen was carrying, so they hurriedly got up and saluted. Knowing that these people in front of him were all powerful and powerful nobles of the Great Qi, Su Mi also respectfully returned the salute and sat back in his seat.

Several ladies were talking about homely interesting things to make the Queen Mother happy, Su Mi listened to it very boring, especially when she didn't sleep all night last night, and at this time she was even more tired, her eyes were dry, but she knew that she couldn't be rude and supported herself.

But I don't know if it's an illusion, she always feels that there are a few meaningful eyes constantly lingering on her body, which makes her feel uneasy all the time. Are you too sensitive? Perhaps these ladies were just a natural curiosity about the emperor's new favorite concubine.

A prince and princess talked about an interesting story at home and brought out a joke, which made everyone in the palace laugh, and the queen mother laughed a few times, and suddenly coughed.

Mrs. Dingguo said: "The Queen Mother's condition is not good? ”

"It's an old problem, what's so good." The Queen Mother smiled and said.

"My grandson is going to send someone to the south to find a famous doctor after the Chinese New Year." Mrs. Dingguo said that she was talking about the queen mother's younger brother, the prince of Dingguo. As the highest guarantee of the power of the Wang family, the Queen Mother is the hardest backer of the Wang family, so she naturally cares about it.

"Why bother to find any miracle doctor, the imperial doctor in the palace is the best, even the disease that can't be cured in the palace, how can there be outsiders to heal it, according to me, don't waste this labor," the queen mother said: "I'm not a serious illness." Why bother to put so much thought into it. ”

"The imperial doctor in the palace is not necessarily the best, how can the real famous doctor Yinyi be rare in the palace of these rich and vain texts, such as the world is full of rumors that the Xuanji divine doctor Su Weiming, if he can be found, how can the queen mother's illness be worried?" Mrs. Dingguo laughed.

Doctor Xuanji!!

This salutation was light and ordinary, but when it entered Su Mi's ears, it was like a thunderbolt, her body couldn't help but tremble, she raised her head quickly, glanced at it quietly, and saw that no one was paying attention to her, so she lowered her head with a little relief.

"I heard that Xuanji Divine Doctor has great medical skills, as long as he has a shot, there is no disease that cannot be cured, and there are people who can't be saved." The other lady next to her laughed.

"Where is there such a doctor, wouldn't he become a fairy-like figure? I'm afraid it's just an exaggeration and boasting by some ignorant people in the folk rivers and lakes. The Queen Mother smiled: "Those people, where have you seen anything." ”

"What the Queen Mother said is, but there are many strange people among the people," a prince and princess said: "I have also heard of the name of this Xuanji Divine Doctor, who was a strange person who shocked the world back then, and there were many incurable diseases that were solved by him, and it would be a good thing if he could invite him." ”

Concubine Miaoyi said: "Since there are such rumors among the people, I am afraid that there are some real skills, if you can invite them, it is also good, not to mention, even if the Queen Mother's illness is not beneficial, it can also show our desire to seek talents." ”

"Miaoyi has a point." The Queen Mother nodded.

"It's just that the whereabouts of this Xuanji Divine Doctor are clear?" The princess asked, "I heard that he retired twenty years ago and stopped asking about the world." There are also many people who have tried to find it, but there is no clue. ”

"If you are not a little sure, where do you dare to come to the Queen Mother and your old man to show off," Mrs. Dingguo smiled with a bit of smugness: "Recently, I got reliable news, it is said that the divine doctor is living in seclusion in the Wanzhou area. This is also the news that the grandson got from a person in the rivers and lakes. ”

"Wanzhou, isn't that the original area of the country?" Several concubines and ladies were discussing.

Su Mi lowered her head silently, expressing her suppleness and shallowness. In fact, her heart set off a monstrous wave at this time. Who broke the news of his stepfather? The news that his stepfather is living in seclusion in the mountains is an extreme secret, and who else knows about it in the world except his own family?

However, it doesn't matter anymore.

A mocking sneer overflowed from the corner of his mouth, his father-in-law had died when he was thirteen years old. If they turn the whole of Wanzhou over, they are doomed to be busy in vain.

After talking for a while, the Queen Mother began to show tiredness, and several edicts and concubines got up to say goodbye. Only the queen was left to speak by the queen mother, and Su Mi also got up and left.