Concubine Yuan has been in the palace for more than 20 years, and the time of more than 20 years is fleeting, but except for some fine lines crawling at the corners of her eyes, her appearance is still the same as back then. Although the emperor was not fond of her, he would never be snubbed.

Decades of life in the deep palace have made her posture no longer graceful and graceful when she was young, but her every move is still gentle and graceful, there is always a faint smile on her face, but there is always a sorrow in her forest-like eyes.

At this time, in the side hall of Zhaochun Palace, in addition to the concubine, there was another beautiful woman.

"Yan'er has a heart, a few days ago, the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent Yimei...... I just mentioned it casually at the time, and I didn't think he still remembers. ”

While speaking, Concubine Yuan twisted a purple-brown plum and sent it to her lips, there were not many plums in the wooden box on the table, when the day Yimei was sent to Zhaochun Palace, she could see at a glance that this was made by Lingjiang Xinghuazhai, a box of forty plums neatly stacked in the wooden grid, and only such a thing was worth Xi Yan's great trouble to send to Zhaochun Palace.

Mrs. Xi Meng also smiled faintly, she and Concubine Yuan had been sitting in the Zhaochun Palace for nearly two hours, and the parents had already said everything, but Concubine Yuan still had no intention of letting her leave, although she had a lot of thoughts in her heart, Meng Qingyao still maintained her due posture and etiquette.

"He should remember Niangniang, if it weren't for the fact that the foreign ministers were not allowed to enter the harem without an edict, he would also like to come and see Niangniang."

Concubine Yuan smiled very gratefully, the westerly sunlight had already sprinkled on her royal blue palace dress through the window lattice, and the brocades on the gorgeous clothes showed a cold sense of death under the dark golden slanting light.

Raising her eyes and looking at the gradually declining sun outside, she no longer kept her eldest sister-in-law Meng Qingyao.

Like Meng Qingyao, Concubine Yuan didn't understand why Xi Yan asked her to ask her to invite Meng Qingyao to enter the palace on the day when the emperor went out to return to Luan on the outskirts of Beijing. But since Xi Yan carefully and covertly carried the note in that box of plums, she would naturally do it.

For this nephew, Concubine Yuan has always trusted her, even the risky thing during the last spring hunt, Concubine Yuan did it unequivocally. As for today's trivial matter, she will agree even if she doesn't think about it.

Outside the gate of the inner palace, Xi Yan was waiting calmly, today was supposed to be a mid-day holiday, but early in the morning, the palace maid beside Concubine Yuan came to Xi's mansion, saying that Concubine Yuan was ill and wanted his wife to enter the palace to accompany him. Xi Yan showed filial piety, so he naturally accompanied his mother into the palace.

But after all, there is a rule that foreign ministers are not allowed to enter the inner palace, and after Meng Qingyao entered the palace, Xi Yan has been waiting at the palace gate.

When Xi Yan raised his eyes again, Meng Qingyao's figure had already appeared on the long street, and Xi Yan greeted the past and hugged his mother's arm very considerately.

"Mother and aunt have a lot to say?"

Meng Qingyao shook his head slightly, and sighed lightly: "I don't have much to say, it's just that my mother has lived in the palace for a long time, and it is rare to see my mother's family, so I should stay for more meetings." ”

Xi Yan said "um" and said, "Auntie is okay?" ”

"It's not a big deal," Meng Qingyao lovingly stroked his son's shoulder, "It's just that you've been waiting outside for a long time...... Today is a day off, you should have rested at home...... Why bother to stay with me for an afternoon. ”

"Mother doesn't need to say this," Xi Yan said with a smile, "If you can't even wait for your mother, then isn't your son unfilial?" ”

Meng Qingyao also smiled when he heard this, but there was a trace of melancholy in his eyes, as if he was sympathetic and pity.

"I have you by my side, and you Brother Luan...... The mother is pitiful, she has been alone for so many years, and she has no one to rely on in this deep palace. ”

Xi Yan lowered his head slightly, he shouldn't have ...... for his aunt's distress There are also no words.

Meng Qingyao sighed lightly again and said slowly: "It's a pity...... His Royal Highness the Fifth died early, and Concubine Yuan Niangniang has not come out for many years. Although His Majesty is sorry for Niangniang, no one among the princes has the blood of the Xi family...... This is not much good for your Xi family. ”

Hearing his mother say this, Xi Yan felt a little uncomfortable in his heart, so he hesitated and said, "Mother...... Isn't she also the housewife of the Xi family? ”

Meng Qingyao didn't want to take Xi Yan's words, and said to himself: "The imperial heir is the foundation of his life in the harem, since His Royal Highness the Fifth Highness left, Niangniang has been in no quarrel with the world, although she has no worries about food and clothing, but the supreme honor can no longer be reached." It's just that there is a strong mother family behind him, even if the new emperor ascends the throne in the future, the mother can enjoy wealth in the harem. ”

"I don't think there's anything wrong with that," Xi Yan chuckled and shook his head, his eyes were also extremely moist, "Isn't the Empress Dowager the concubine of the Xie family who entered the palace?" When the Empress Dowager was there, she could persuade Her Majesty for a while, but before the Empress Dowager died, Her Majesty destroyed the Xie family with thunder. On the one hand, it is naturally because the Xie family is too arrogant, but how do you know that there is no reason why His Majesty is jealous? ”

"Also," Meng Qingyao was also from a family, and he naturally understood when he thought about it, "such a powerful relative...... Your Majesty has never been able to rub sand in his eyes. ”

During the conversation between mother and son, Xi Yan and Meng Qingyao were about to walk to the gate of the palace, and were about to pass through the door, when they suddenly saw a jade chariot with a bright blue and yellow top coming towards them.

Xi Yan hurriedly pulled his mother to retreat to the side, and the mother and son saluted together. The emperor saw Meng Qingyao from the jade chariot, and his eyes moved slightly.

"You're in the palace?"

Meng Qingyao bowed and said respectfully: "Back to Your Majesty, the courtiers entered the palace today to greet the queen and the concubine." ”

"Hmm......" The emperor looked thoughtfully into the deep palace and said in a slightly low voice, "Concubine Yuan, she is alone in this palace, should you come to accompany her......

"Courtiers respect the oracle."

After patrolling for most of the day, although the emperor was in good spirits, his face was still a little tired, he leaned on the jade chariot a little lazily, and talked to Meng Qingyao casually, and was about to drive back to the inner palace when suddenly a eunuch trotted from behind the guard of honor.

Seeing the eunuch's panicked appearance, Xi Yan's eyes suddenly jumped.

"Your Majesty, someone in Xuande Gate is knocking."

"Knock?" The emperor frowned, in recent years, the people of Zhao Wufu have been safe, and the official government in various places is still quite clear, how can anyone sue the emperor? Although he was irritable in his heart, the emperor always boasted of himself as a benevolent monarch, so he said patiently, "Do you know what is going on?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, the woman just blindly shouted grievances, and did not say why she was wronged."

Xi Yan and Meng Qingyao saw that the emperor had political affairs, and even if they wanted to retire, they didn't want the emperor to say: "You are in the Criminal Department, stay and listen, let your mother go back first." ”

Xi Yan smiled lightly, he had been demoted to Jin Wuwei by the emperor himself a few days ago, and the emperor was busy with government affairs, so he had already forgotten about this matter...... Although he had thoughts in his heart, he never said anything to remind the emperor.

After Meng Qingyao retreated, Xi Yan drove to the Chengming Hall behind the Taiji Palace. Along the way, the emperor rarely said a few more words to Xi Yan, and asked Xi Luan about his current situation...... For this young but uncaring Huan Guohou, the emperor has always had a concern. Not only because of his title and honor, but also because he once blocked the swords that should have been suffered by the prince in the chaotic army.

In just a few moments, a woman in a silk skirt was brought to the emperor. Her face was stained with mud, a few strands of hair were scattered and stuck to her neck, and there were some blood stains on her forehead, which she knew at a glance that she had knocked out with a strong kowtow.

Seeing her looking depressed and shrunken, the emperor frowned slightly, and said, "What grievances do you have to go to the palace gate to sue the emperor?" Do you know that if the people sue the officials, whatever the reason, they will be punished with fifty ...... according to the law Although he won, he was sentenced to exile. ”

The woman was already frightened, and when she heard the emperor say this, she fell to the ground and trembled, but when she thought of what was behind her, she still tried her best to calm herself, but no matter how she tried to hide it, her voice trembled a little: "The people's woman Yu, Chen Yueze's widow, knock to see Your Majesty." The women of the people should not have disturbed the holy driver, but the grievances are pouring into the sky, and they can only go up to the heavens to listen! ”