Ning and Wei Wan hurriedly dressed, and followed the visitors to Yanxi Palace to face that the rain had not dried, and Shuning also specially wore satin shoes with wooden pots that were only an inch high to prevent slipping when walking.

Yanxi Palace is far away from Chuxiu Palace, first from the west of a long street through the west gate of Qiongyuan, across the imperial garden after the east gate of Qiongyuan, along the east of the long street of the east straight walk, through the triple palace courtyard, and then turn left, the second courtyard in front is. Along the way, they only saw a few eunuchs and palace maids hurrying by, but they didn't meet anyone else.

The location of Yanxi Palace is actually a bit biased, in terms of the status of the concubine in front of the emperor, I don't know why she lives here, but on the surface, her position is not as good as the fourth concubine of Huirong Deyi, so it is not strange to live here. Shuning heard Mama Cui talk about it before, although the concubine is just an ordinary concubine at present, the emperor respects her very much, and she has the affection of a cousin, presumably it will not take a few years to be promoted.

When approaching Yanxi Palace, due to the slippery ground after the rain, Shuning stumbled slightly, and quickly stood still, only a few steps behind. Just as he was about to catch up, he accidentally caught a glimpse of the corridor next to him, and a palace maid walked out of the side door of Yanxi Palace, and quickly flashed into the side door of Jingren Palace opposite. Although she couldn't see what the other party looked like, the tassel string she was wearing on her head seemed a little familiar.

Shu Ning hesitated, but remembering that there must be many things under the bottom of this palace, it was better not to meddle in things, so she quickly caught up with the palace maid and Wei Wan in front of her, and entered the door of Yanxi Palace.

This palace is also two courtyards before and after, the main hall is five rooms wide, and there are many big trees in the courtyard. Walk into the temple and look around for the utensils. It is not dignified and gorgeous, but it has a homely and warm feeling, which makes people feel much more relaxed.

The concubine had already been waiting in the warm pavilion, smiled and accepted the salute of Shuning and the others, then asked them to sit down, and said: "There are no outsiders here, you are all my sister's children, you don't have to be restrained, just treat it as if you were in your own home." ”

Shuning re-elected that day. Because he was far away and didn't dare to look up blatantly, he didn't see the appearance of the concubine clearly, but now he can look carefully.

She wasn't very old, only in her thirties. But because of good maintenance, she looks like a young woman in her twenties. Rong has a long face, thin curved eyebrows, and a pair of small eyes that are very bright. It's not pretty. But the temperament is very elegant, and the speech is also kind and kind. She wore a simple bun and a simple bun, decorated with only a row of rice beads. There is a small golden phoenix hairpin with a bead diagonally inserted in his hair, Dongzhu earrings in his ears, and a light ochre round-necked robe. I didn't wear any other jewelry. It is far from the image of the gorgeously dressed palace concubine in Shuning's imagination.

She said kindly: "A few days ago, because the Queen Mother was not good. I served the decoction by her old man's side, and I didn't care about you for a while. I heard that you have been wronged these days. Don't take it to heart, you have to tell me something. She asked Shuning again if the foot injury she suffered a few days ago had healed: "I only heard about it later, but I was really negligent, is it still painful?" Concubine Yi was in a bad mood that day, I know you must be scared, don't be afraid, she was angry about something else, not to blame you. ”

Shuning cautiously said that she was not frightened, and the foot injury was almost healed, the concubine nodded with a smile, and said to Wei Wan: "Two days ago, my father came to the palace to see me, mentioned the emperor's grace, and let him meet you. He said that you behaved decently in front of the king, and you didn't bury your family's reputation, which was very gratifying. ”

Wei Guan got up and gave a salute, and said lightly: "Guan'er never dared to forget the teachings of his father, mother and elders. The concubine smiled and nodded, and said: "I know that some ignorant people have blocked you these days, don't pay attention to them, and when the emperor makes a will, those people will know how ridiculous they are." If you want to marry the royal family and the clan, it is not enough to have a family background and appearance. You are all sensible and doing a great job. Shu Ning and Wei Wan both stood up and saluted, and the concubine let them sit down again.

At this time, a palace maid who was nearly thirty years old came in from outside, smiled and asked the concubine to say goodbye, and then saluted the two of them: "Say hello to the two cousins, the slave maid Ruixi, is the person brought by the mother from the house, I have heard the names of the two cousins for a long time, and when I see them today, it is really worthy of the two aunts' own young ladies, and they are no worse than a few little ladies." ”

Shuning listened to it and knew that she must be an old person from the former mansion, but for some reason, her name starts with the word "Rui" like those in Zhong Cui Palace? She returned the salute with Wei Guan, and then heard Ruixi say to the concubine: "The imperial dining room has already sent fresh meat and vegetables, and they are cleaning up, so let me ask Niangniang, what dishes are you going to make?" ”

The concubine asked Shuning what they liked to eat and what they didn't like to eat, but Shuning was not a picky eater, only Wei Wan said lightly that he didn't like beef. The concubine was stunned, smiled, and hurriedly instructed Ruixi to prepare a meal, before turning back to Shuning and Wei Guan and saying, "Since you entered the palace, you have eaten all the food cooked in the big kitchen, right?" Those imperial chefs make local things, and it means to eat them once or twice, and it is too greasy to eat them every day. I'm all making my own floors in the kitchenette here, it's much more refreshing, and you can try it too. ”

Shuning recalled the meals she ate these days, and it was indeed easy to get tired of it, although it was a hot day, although there were many

It's not a problem to eat stews every day.

The concubine asked them about their life in the palace, what they were not used to, whether they had enough food and clothing, and said: "If you want anything, just send someone to tell me that I still have this bit of decency." ”

Hearing this, Shuning didn't have anything, so Wei Wan proposed first, since she entered the palace, she had read all the books she had brought a few times, and wanted to borrow a few books that she hadn't read to go back. The concubine smiled dumbly: "I heard that your child loves books, but I didn't expect to love it to this extent." Maybe if it's somewhere else, you'll say it in vain, but there happens to be a small study in my palace, and there are a few books in it, but I don't know if you can see it. If you want to, take it back, just remember to return it, after all, it's all from the palace. ”

Wei Wan smiled on his face, thanked him solemnly, and then followed the palace maid to the small study next to him. Shuning stayed to talk to the concubine. After chatting for a while, the concubine suddenly smiled and said, "I see that your words and actions are very similar to your Eniang when you were young, but you are more graceful than her." ”

Shuning smiled at her tone: "It turns out that Niangniang is also familiar with my mother? It's just that Niangniang is much younger than her, and Shuning thought that Niangniang didn't see much with my mother when she was at home. ”

The concubine smiled: "She and my sister are very good. Play in one place every now and then. I was still young at the time, and I would only follow my sister, and sometimes I listened to my sister talk to your mother, and I couldn't understand what they said, until I entered the palace, I understood something. Your mother has had ideas since she was a child, and she is indeed a smart person. When she said the back, her face was a little lonely, and then she suddenly perked up. Zhengse said to Shuning: "Since you are so similar to your Eniang, and you are not young, I have something to say to you." You should be able to understand it too. ”

Shuning was stunned, sat up straight and lowered her head and responded: "Niangniang, please speak." The concubine nodded and said, "Previously, your mother seemed to intend to let you lose the election, and there are many parents who have such thoughts." If it weren't for the grace of the Queen Mother, I would have been willing to help. It's just that now that you've been chosen, you have to come up with an idea. ”

Shuning looked at her and listened quietly.

"I've consulted with your maternal uncle. Your father's official titles are only average, and the clan is sufficient, if you don't mind suffering some grievances in your name. There are still vacancies for several princes and elder brothers. But I heard that the emperor is there. Someone has already spoken. That Bei Ziye ......" She paused, sighed, and said, "I know that he is very familiar with the latest chapter of the online game. His character is also good, but although he is Prince Jane's son-in-law, he has an eldest brother above, and the throne will not fall to him. On weekdays, he only did errands in the six departments, but because he had some attainments in painting, he won the lottery in front of the emperor. Now it seems that although his status is precious, he is afraid that he will not have a future. On the emperor's side, he has never had a word about this marriage, but I'm afraid it won't be enough, not to mention that there are others who have taken a fancy to him. Your maternal uncle means that he has taken a fancy to a Belle Lord in Prince Xian's Mansion, as well as a son of Xinjun Wangdi, both of whom are optimistic about the future. What do you think? ”

Shuning listened all the way, inhaling the cold air all the way, thinking that in the eyes of outsiders, Tongying is this kind of person who has no interest in life? However, she is an insider, so she naturally knows in her heart, and she may hope that Tongying really has no "future". But now that she has made up her mind, although she was uneasy after hearing the concubine's words, she still declined politely: "Thank you for your grace." It's just that Ama and Eniang hoped that Shuning would lose the election, because they were afraid that Shuning would be pointed out to someone who didn't know the details. Since Niangniang said that Tongying Beizi had handed over the words, he already knew the roots, presumably Ama and Eniang would not object. ”

The concubine frowned and said, "If you are just worried about this, it's nothing, your maternal uncle is measured, and he likes all trustworthy candidates." Otherwise, there is still a vacancy in the side room of the fourth elder brother, and he knows the roots. ”

Shuning lowered her head, covered her face with some black lines, and said softly: "Niangniang and maternal uncle take a fancy to the local people, so they are naturally good land." It's just that Shuning and Cousin Guan are running for election together, and Cousin Guan has both good looks and appearances, and she is outstanding in learning, so she must have made a great difference. Shu Ning asked himself if his family background and talent were only mediocre, how could the emperor Shengming point out a person like Shu Ning to a high-ranking person together with his cousin Guan? This is just a little thought of Shuning, please check it out. ”

The concubine was silent, and only after a moment did she smile: "I listened to you, but I felt like I was listening to Sister Luan." Shuning bowed her head and was silent, and after a while she heard her say, "Well, your concerns are also justified." In fact...... The future is poor, and it's not without benefits......"

Shu Ning breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to change the topic, lest this lady have any more strange thoughts, but at this time, Wei Wan came back, took two books, and saluted and thanked the concubine. The concubine looked at the cover of the book, and then talked to her with a smile, without mentioning anything else.

After a while, Ruixi came in with a basket of fruits and said, "The concubine Niangniang of the West Side Hall heard that Niangniang had a guest here, so she sent someone to send the fruit. When the concubine saw it, she smiled at Wei Wan and Shuning: "Just invite her over for dinner." Coincidentally, the concubine in my palace is also a person who doesn't like beef, and

I also love to flip books. Wei Wan lowered his head and smiled lightly.

However, Concubine Cheng just came over and said a few words, and did not stay to eat, because she was praying for the Queen Mother, and she was going to eat fast these days, so she specially sent two delicious vegetarian dishes. Shu Ning looked at it, only felt that her round face was very kind, and when she heard that Wei Wan loved to read, she chatted happily with her, and only then did she leave until it was time to eat.

Dinner was quite enjoyable. The concubine is not a person who pays attention to rules and etiquette, and she also laughed a few words from time to time at the dinner table to persuade them to eat more. Although Wei Wan is a little unaccustomed. I also accepted her kindness. Shuning felt that the concubine seemed to be a little cold to her, but she didn't expect the other party to like her, so she didn't take it to heart.

After dinner, I drank tea and chatted for a while, and it was already late. The concubine sent a palace maid with a lantern to send them back to Chuxiu Palace, and said before leaving: "This year's draft, natural disasters and man-made disasters, have dragged on for a long time, and I don't know when it will be over." It's just that I know your future. Don't worry. Then he specially said to Shuning: "The previous incident depends on the emperor's intentions, so you can wait for the will with peace of mind." ”

Shuning knew that when she said this, she meant that she would not interfere. After a blessing, he thanked him, and went back with Wei Guan.

By this time it was already dark, and they walked all the way back. I didn't meet anyone, except for the lantern in the hand of the leading palace maid, which was the light that came through the surrounding palace courtyards. Jingren Palace and Chengqian Palace, which passed, did not have a host to stay a few days ago. The Kunning Palace had been empty for many years, and it wasn't until they approached the Zhongcui Palace that they heard some human voices.

On the road. Shu Ning thought carefully about the concubine's words. I think the other party probably just doesn't know the truth. Tong Ying made a great contribution at the beginning. I was hiding from people, and now I am on an errand in the military department. Although the people in the military department know about it, because it involves military secrets, it is natural that the whole world will shout, so Guowei and the concubine will misunderstand Tongying. Although the emperor didn't give the right word, with Tongying's temper, he would not give up, and he would not stop until he got his will. She herself is not a fragrant bait, will anyone stop her? However, who will be the so-called "crush on him"? Shuning unconsciously tightened her veil: If someone comes to rob me......

She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips and bent the corners of her mouth.

"Ouch." Wei Wan let out an exclamation, which made her wake up. Only then did she realize that her roommate seemed to have tripped over a stone on the gravel road, twisted his foot, and was breaking out in a cold sweat in pain.

Looking up, I saw that I had already walked to the Imperial Garden. The palace maid glanced around, and then worked together with Shu Ning to help Wei Wan to sit on the stone bench by the nearby pool. Shuning checked Wei Wandi's ankle, and it seemed that it was not clear, and it seemed that it was not possible to walk back to Chuxiu Palace. After thinking about it, she said: "I still have some medicine for foot injuries in the house, and the crutches I used before are still there, this is not far from Chuxiu Palace, so I'll go back and get it, so let's go back to the house first." ”

Wei Wan was right to think about it, so he endured the pain and said, "I'm so tired of you." Shuning smiled, and asked the palace maid to take care of Wei Wan, and walked quickly to Chuxiu Palace. Luckily, there were some lights around so she wouldn't lose sight of the road.

When she arrived at Chuxiu Palace, she quickly went back to the room to get the medicine and crutches, then walked back, and bumped into Wanning and Chang Lu at the door, the latter asked, "Sister Shu, are you back?" What is this going to do? Shuning only hurriedly replied: "Sister Guan turned her foot on the way back, and I am here to send her medicine." Then he went out of the palace gate.

She thought back to the road she had just passed, and only then did she pass a rockery, and saw the palace maid who had led the way before coming over with a lantern, and hurriedly asked, "Why did the palace maid sister come, where is Sister Guan?" The palace maid said: "The little master saw that you have not returned, and I am afraid that you will not recognize the way, so I will send me to pick you up." ”

As he was talking, he heard a sound of water in the distance, as if something heavy had fallen into the water. Both of them were stunned, and then they heard Wei Wandi's faint cry for help. Shuning had a bad heart, and hurriedly pulled the palace maid forward. The palace maid ran and ran to the front first, and then shouted: "It's not good, the little master of Dongguan has fallen into the water!" Then he shouted around, "Come on! Someone overboard! ”

Shuning saw Wei Wan fluttering in the water, and he couldn't support it anymore, and he didn't know how deep the pool was, so he panicked, and inadvertently saw the crutches in his hand, and hurriedly took one to the center of the pool, and shouted: "Catch this!" ”

Wei Wan was also clever, and hurriedly reached out to grab it, Shu Ning dragged it back, and the palace maid hurriedly came over to help when she saw this. finally pulled Wei Wan to the edge of the pool, but unexpectedly, the soil by the pool had been washed away by the rain for several days, and it had softened, and the whole collapsed, Shu Ning and Wei Wan both fell into the pool, and even the palace maid fell half of her body.

At this time, the eunuchs and palace maids from other places arrived and pulled the three of them up with all hands and feet. Shuning breathed a sigh of relief, but suddenly felt a piercing pain in her right ankle.

Her wounds were wounded again.