Kong Shang Palace waited outside the palace gate, and Yingfang Shang Palace entered the door.

"Sister Kong, don't be so outside." Fang Shanggong said kindly: "Originally, it was the same for these things to be sent by others, but I thought that I hadn't seen you for a long time, so I ran here." ”

Kong Shanggong smiled and said, "Look at what you said, it's rare for you to come here, I'm not in a hurry to see you first." ”

Kong Shanggong is a few years older than Fang Shanggong, and he entered the palace earlier than her. However, Kong Shanggong is really old, his head is almost white, and he is wearing a pale green jacket. The jacket is new, but the color is too dim, and when she looked at her face just now, Fang Shanggong didn't dare to recognize her. Kong Shanggong stood there like an old woman, without any vitality on her body.

Seeing her made Fang Shanggong think of a sentence. People often laugh at themselves and say that they "have half of their bodies into the ground", and the current Kongshang Palace, no, not only the Kongshang Palace, but even the atmosphere of the entire East Sixth Palace is lifeless, like a tomb, even the sunlight here looks dim and pale, and the wind blows on the body and the chill is even stronger.

The East Sixth House and the West Sixth House are two different worlds.

There are not even many young palace maids and eunuchs in the Ciyun Palace where Concubine Kang lives, and most of them are people who have served Concubine Kang in the past. The youngest of those who had served the concubines since the time of the first emperor were now in their thirties, and those who walked around and did things had numb expressions on their faces, as if they had no hope for the future, but just wandered here waiting for the day when death came.

Fang Shanggong was very uncomfortable with this atmosphere. Especially from Yong'an Palace, a place that is busy and lively all day long, suddenly came to the East Sixth Palace, this contrast and gap are even more cruel and distinct.

On the one hand, it is full of vitality and prosperity, but on the other hand, it is the sunset of the western mountains.

Kong Shang Palace led the way in front, leading Fang Shang Palace and his party around the main hall and towards the back hall. Bayi says small. As she walked, she explained softly: "The main hall is empty, and there are still some leaks in the roof since the year before last, so I simply locked it up and stopped using it." There are few people here, and the concubine prefers to live in the side hall every day. ”

Fang Shanggong is also an elderly person, and she also understands the reason for this.

First, there are only so many cases of the concubine, and the emperor's concubines always have all kinds of subsidies, and the concubine can only count on that little bit of money to boil up, there is no extra money at all, and the palace has a lot of expenses, which naturally has to be saved, and the life must be harder. And the concubine has no one to support her, and others will be lazy. Take the roof of the main hall as an example, if the house in the West Sixth Palace is damaged, whether it is favored or not, the craftsman will rush to repair it. But the East Sixth Palace...... It is usually difficult for these emperors to think of them, and the people below naturally follow and ignore this place, even if Concubine Kang beats people and says that they want to repair the house, those people procrastinate and push a lot, and they will not repair it for her.

Fang Shanggong could even imagine what kind of faces those people were, and what kind of cool words they would say.

It's nothing more than those who "don't look at their identities, they haven't been sent to the nunnery together, and if they can stay in the palace, they should burn high incense", or "just a few people, how many rooms can they live in?" If you fix it, you don't need to put it on for nothing, so why waste that effort" and so on.

Concubine Kang usually lives and moves in the side hall. She made offerings to the Bodhisattva in the house, and the smell of Buddha incense was also on her body.

Concubine Kang is also old, and after Fang Shanggong has seen Kong Shanggong, she has already been mentally prepared. It was not too surprising to see Concubine Kang with her head full of flowers.

Concubine Kang and the Queen Mother entered the palace one after another, and they are indeed not young. Even when she was the first emperor, she was not favored, lived a silent secluded life, and never offended the queen mother. Therefore, when the first emperor went to the queen mother to clean up the beauties in the harem, she was regarded as holding up a noble hand to Concubine Kang and a few others, allowing them to still live in the palace, and did not drive them out of the palace and send them to the nunnery as if they were matched. Bayi a small net.

Concubine Kang was wearing a gray Taoist robe, and her expression was cold. When she saw Fang Shanggong, her expression did not change, and when she heard Kong Shanggong say that Fang Shanggong came here to give a New Year's gift, she only said lightly: "Let the concubine bother, there is a labor Fang Shanggong who specially went on this trip." There was no word on the side, his eyes narrowed, his hand twisted the Buddha beads one by one, and he recited the scriptures by himself.

Kong Shanggong hurriedly invited Fang Shanggong to her other room to have tea.

Fang Shanggong still remembered what Concubine Kang looked like when she was young. She remembered that Concubine Kang was also very inconspicuous at that time, there were many beauties in the harem of the first emperor, and Concubine Kang was lined with many young and fresh beauties, and the more mediocre she looked. She always wore plain clothes, never spoke in front of people, and the later she went, the less she appeared in front of people.

Kong Shanggong was very satisfied with the things sent by Fang Shanggong and was very grateful.

In terms of quantity and value alone, it may not be more generous than the gifts prepared by the concubine in the past. But everything is very practical. High-quality charcoal, cotton cloth, new quilts, silk quilts, and leathers are much more affordable than the silk and spices that Concubine Shu sent in previous years. In winter, silk is actually not practical to keep out the cold, and the spices are mostly accumulated goods, and there is not even a little fragrance when burned. In addition, there are also gold, silver and copper coins that must be used during the New Year, which are given without discount. Concubine Kang here, the New Year always has to give the slaves and maids in the palace a reward, originally Kong Shanggong still thought that this expenditure this year and I don't know where to make it, but now the problem is solved.

It can be seen from the things sent here that the concubine is really a real person who can live, and she is very careful and thoughtful. There are some things that others can't think of that she can think of, and what is even more rare is that she not only thought of it, but also made such thoughtful and intimate arrangements, from this point of view, Kong Shanggong felt that she was stronger than Concubine Shu, at least she treated people sincerely, not like Concubine Shu, all kinds of gifts sent here every year were just to cope with errands, and it didn't matter whether those things could be used or not.

"We haven't seen each other for many years, and after Concubine He was gone, I heard that you went to the Needlework Bureau to retire, and I thought that this was the end of your life. I didn't expect you to be working in front of the concubine now. Look at your complexion, say that we are a generation, where can anyone believe it. ”

Kong Shanggong was very emotional in his heart.

Originally, the two of them were in a similar situation, and Fang Shanggong was not as good as her. At least the master she serves is still alive and well, and she has a place to stay. Fang Shanggong can be said to have become a lost dog after Concubine He was gone, and it was good to find a place to retire in the Needlework Bureau. But I didn't expect people's fortunes to be so ups and downs. The process of Fang Shanggong's repetition was actually very accidental, that is, he met twice with the concubine who was still living in the Lingering Fragrance Pavilion at that time, and the concubine at that time was just a talented person who had just accepted the favor. Who would have thought that the little-known Xie Cairen would be transformed into a concubine Xie Guifei who now commanded the Six Palaces? Fang Shanggong's unintentional move has set up a ladder for himself, and his status and power have risen together, and now Fang Shanggong of Yong'an Palace is also a well-known number one person in the palace.

Fang Shanggong was wearing a gray squirrel cotton satin jacket with a dark gray edge, and his spirit and complexion looked very good.

Fang Shanggong tasted a sip of tea, this is this year's tea, but it is not the best grade.

She asked: "How do I remember that you originally said that you wanted to leave the palace, and that you also said that there were a few nephews in your hometown, and you could always have a cup of tea and rice after you went back, why didn't you leave?" ”

Kong Shanggong said with a wry smile: "That's my wishful thinking, I was separated from my brothers when I was young, and my sisters-in-law are like strangers, not to mention my nephews who are separated by a generation." I wrote to my hometown, and they wrote back asking how much I had saved...... Forget it. Yong'an Palace is now in power, and in the future, we in Ciyun Palace are only afraid that there will be something to ask you for, and when the time comes, I still hope that you will look at the old feelings and take care of one or two. Our master has been this kind of character for so many years, he hasn't seen outsiders all these years, he doesn't talk to people, the more he doesn't even recognize his old acquaintances, he doesn't mean to snub you, don't go to your heart. ”

Of course, Fang Shanggong had to be polite: "Where is this, who doesn't know that Concubine Kang is devout to the Buddha?" I think she is now Yueyi, and she naturally doesn't pay attention to the worldly things. ”

After staying in Ciyun Palace for a long time, Fang Shang Palace went to Yujing Palace again after coming out.

There are three masters living in Yujing Palace, one is a concubine Zhang with a serious name, and the other two are also concubines of the first emperor, but they are of low grade and have no favor, and they have always lived dependent on Concubine Zhang. After the emperor ascended the throne, they did not add a seal, and the people in Yujing Palace vaguely called them masters.

However, Yujing Palace is more lively than Ciyun Palace.

The place of Yujing Palace is not as big as Ciyun Palace, but there are many people living there. Usually, Concubine Zhang takes her two companions, and then finds someone to play the game, and she can spend an afternoon fighting cards. Usually, if I'm in the mood, I'll get together for dinner.

Perhaps because of this, Concubine Zhang's spirit and complexion are much stronger than Concubine Kang's, and there are still people talking and laughing when she sees Fang Shanggong. It's the same day of widowhood, they live a better life than Concubine Kang, whether it's playing Chenguang, or having fun in suffering, there is still a trace of fresh air in Yujing Palace, and you can still hear laughter.

Coming out of Yujing Palace, Fang Shanggong stood by the palace wall and stopped for a while, as if he was in a trance.

Qing Yan asked softly, "Is Aunt Fang tired?" Let's go back. ”

Fang Shanggong nodded.

Qing Yan hurriedly and carefully helped her forward. She came out today without trying to show her face and show off her face, just for one thing.

Serve Fang Shanggong well, don't let her old man have anything wrong.

When Qinghe beat her out, she repeatedly told her that she only had to do this one thing well, and she didn't have to worry about anything else.

Qinghe also said: "If Fang Shanggong is willing to teach you a thing or two, you will not be able to enjoy it for the rest of your life." ”