The wind outside the hall was extremely cold, if it could erode the bones, Yin Wan stumbled to the bottom of the jade steps, only to feel that the cold sweat was wanton, and the bones were penetrating. Lan Cui panicked and held on tightly: "Little master, don't care. You spent half a day thinking about it, and you braved the cold to send it, and the emperor knows about this painstaking effort. Seeing that there was no one around, she complained in a low voice, "It's all to blame for the concubine, what are you doing, it's just a good thing in the middle of the family!" ”

Yan Wan pinched Lan Cui's arm stiffly, and said in a dumb voice with a sour face: "Don't talk nonsense, it's just that I don't know anything." Xian Guifei's family is in the middle of the road, isn't it also a broken background? She gritted her teeth, held her mouth for a long time, looked back at the brightly lit Heart Cultivation Palace, and said word by word, "Originally, it was the emperor who gave me a glimmer of hope, he smiled at me and told me that I could change the fate of the family by myself, but I didn't know the sweet white glaze, and even the bird's nest was vulgar, but I didn't have a face?" The emperor did not withdraw the will of the nobles of Jinfeng, and he has saved face. ”

Lan Cui said worriedly: "What is the little master going to do?"

Yin Wan pinched Lan Cui's chin, twisted her face to herself, and said in a dumb voice: "Lan Cui, take a closer look, my face is still there?" Am I getting older, am I getting ugly? ”

Lan Cui saw her fierce expression, and her heart jumped suddenly, and she hurriedly smiled: "The little master's face is good, the little master is as beautiful as a flower, and his youth is in full bloom." ”

Yinwan's hand fell down heavily, like unloading a thousand catties of boulder. She touched her face and said sadly:

"Lan Cui, it's not that I don't know why I'm favored. For the emperor's momentary interest, for a man's occasional desire, and even more, my face is a little like the appearance of Xian Guifei when she was young. Don't I even know? ”

Lan Cui hurriedly supported her body and said softly: "Little master, the noble concubine has a noble position, you are like her, it is not your blessing." What's more, although it is a three-point similarity, you are much better than when Xian Guifei was young. ”

Yin Wan struggled to support her body, and her face gradually became calm as cold water. She wrapped her cloaked in a blue cloud satin brocade cloak, and her voice seemed to burst out of her throat through her heart: "Yes. It is naturally my blessing to be favored because I am like a concubine. Even if I am no longer sensible, as long as this face is there, as long as I don't make a big mistake, I won't lie in the cold palace like Concubine Xian did back then. Because when the emperor looks at my young face, he will remember the age of the concubine who was wronged, and he will naturally be extraordinarily generous. And I'm still young, Xian Guifei understands, I learn slowly, and one day I will understand. She won't do it easily, I want to do everything better than her, that's the best plan. ”

After the dinner in the hall has been completed, there are little palace maids waiting to hold tea and rinse their mouths, and a group of people are busy, but they are silent and not chaotic at all. Li Yu saw that everything was done, and Fang came in and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Qilu of the Tai Hospital has something important to see. ”

The emperor's face sank slightly, and Ruyi understood: "The concubine will retire first." ”

The emperor waved his hand and smiled briskly: "No need. Tonight you stay in the Temple of Heart Cultivation. Li Yu went to serve the concubine to bathe. ”

Ruyi turned to leave, only to walk to the apse, she felt that the left ear was empty, and when she touched it, she realized that the white jade pendant she was wearing did not know where to go. Her heart sank slightly, only thinking that this was a love gift from the emperor, and with a little bit of wine, she went straight to Dongnuan Pavilion without thinking too much.

Only then did he walk outside the Dongnuan Pavilion, only to hear Qilu's voice inside: "At noon the day before yesterday, Wei Chang's palace maid Lan Cui came and said that she wanted to prepare a fetal medicine according to this bottle, and it happened that Weichen was on duty in the Tai Hospital, so he asked to stay." Under Weichen's closer look, the fetal pill was exactly the same as the one given by the emperor to the little master of Shu Concubine, thinking that Wei Chang was stealing it from Shu Concubine. Wei Changzai was bent on getting pregnant, so he ......"

The emperor's tone was a little solemn: "Since Wei Changzai wants it so much, you can still give her a copy." I only told her that it was the best fetal medicine, and it was because Concubine Shu was unlucky that she was not pregnant today. ”

Qi Lu said again and again: "When the little master Shu asked about it, Weichen also said that she was weak and cold, and it was not easy to get pregnant. ”

The emperor said lightly: "It's okay." This medicine was originally just to prevent Concubine Shu from being the queen mother, and she was from the Yehenara clan, so I didn't want her to get pregnant easily. You made the medicine, so you know that it will be okay if you stop it one day. Since Wei Changzai has moved this thought, I have so many princes anyway, and the most important thing is to have Yongcong. It is meaningless whether others can give birth or have children. ”

Qi Lu said: "Yes, the emperor is merciful. Then Weichen will do it. ”

The wind pierced the cold and invaded the bones, Ruyi leaned against the wall, only to feel that the strength of her whole body was drained, and a heart was almost about to jump out of her chest suddenly. Her mind was in a state of confusion, just confused.

How so? That's exactly what happened!

Vaguely, it was not the first time she knew such a thing, the decoction taken by Emperor Huixian and Concubine Huixian before her death all aggravated her illness, and Concubine Shu, the emperor was even more resolute. Perhaps, the emperor thought it was merciful, didn't he? He must have thought that he would be sterilized with a bowl of decoction, but he took the trouble to make them just unable to conceive for the time being.

She pressed her abdomen tightly, and her heart felt cold for a while, this is the emperor's family! No matter how much favor you encounter, no matter how deep your favor is, it is just heaven and earth between a thought. She softened under her feet and crouched down with some cringe. It happened that Ling Yunche passed by with someone changing shifts, and saw her huddled underground behind the warm pavilion, and hurriedly said, "Niangniang, Niangniang, what's wrong with you?" ”

Ruyi hurriedly covered her mouth, and also motioned for him to cover it, shaking her head desperately. Yun Che dragged her to the bottom of the apse porch, and said in a low voice, "Isn't Niangniang uncomfortable?" ”

Ruyi stood up strongly: "It's okay, you can go back." She broke away from his hand, although she felt that his ordinary concern at this time made her feel a breath of warmth in the huge shock and confusion, but she understood that such a gaffe could not be seen. She walked to the apse in a daze, and was about to ask her if she had found the earrings, but when she saw her like this, she knew that she could not ask more, so she hurriedly sent someone out and waited for her to bathe alone.

Ruyi immersed her entire body in boiling hot water, and only in this way could she feel a trace of warmth. The water used for bathing is the most exquisite, according to the season, it is boiled with cardamom flowers and bergamot juice, mellow without losing the fresh air, and the chaotic brain gradually quiets down. Ruyi was quiet for a long time, then let out a long sigh, turned his face blankly, and asked woodenly: "Heart, do you think that one day, the emperor will not allow me to give birth to a child?" ”

I didn't know what was going on, so I hurriedly covered Ruyi's mouth and said, "Little master, what nonsense are you talking about?" ”

Ruyi only felt that her face was stiff, so she had to rub her sour cheeks and say, "Yes, I'm talking nonsense." ”

The aroma of cardamom flowers soaked in hot water surrounded Ruyi, and she hesitated in such an intoxicating sweetness, should Concubine Shu know? Perhaps, Concubine Shu loved the emperor, so she made blessing bags in the Baohua Hall every day to pray for blessings on the days when the emperor was seriously ill and could not see each other, but she did not mention her hard work after the emperor recovered from his illness. If she knew, she would be very sad, right? On the contrary, she is such a lonely and proud woman. ”

So, no! You must not let her know! Even if it is a scam, it is better to be deceived in happiness than in the pain of blunt knife stabbing after sobering. She covered her mouth tightly and dipped the whole person.

When she returned to the dormitory after bathing and changing, the emperor also changed into a bright yellow bedrobe and was waiting for her. On the high beams of the dormitory of the Palace of Nourishing Heart, the bright yellow brocade curtains are overwhelming and hanging down, the corner of the Panlong Golden Tripod is burning with high-grade red sandalwood, and the wisps of green smoke gradually spread upwards and fade away, and the whole hall is solemn and quiet. Ruyi's expression had eased the moment she stepped in, and she was gentle as usual.

The emperor half-lowered his eyelids and said lazily: "There is the smell of bergamot, it smells so good." He stretched out his hand to her, smiling rather than smiling, "Come, come closer, let me smell it carefully, as if there is still the sweet smell of cardamom." ”

Ruyi smiled quietly, walked to the double crane copper candlestick in front of the couch, and was about to blow out the candle, when the panicked and hurried steps outside suddenly sounded, and the sound of knocking on the door was obviously out of proportion, and the emperor frowned and said: "More and more unruly!" Come in and talk back! ”

It was Zhao Yitai beside the queen who rushed open the door and rolled in, his whole face was distorted, and he shouted: "Your Majesty! Oh no! Oh no! The nurse of the seventh elder brother has a pox! The seventh elder brother also followed suit! He's—he's got pox! ”

Ruyi's heart jumped suddenly, and she almost lost her proper beat. The long-standing resentment in her body was like an ant attached to her bones, gnawing silently, and becoming more and more profound with the passage of time. Didn't she never think about what would happen if she had listened to Mo Xin's words at that time? However, the dark thoughts that flashed in her heart broke through the air and came to the world in this thorny and smooth posture. Before she had time to discern whether it was pity or accident in her heart, the emperor had already gotten up and knocked over the double crane copper candlestick beside her, and the flames burned along the bright yellow jasper dragon tent.

The seventh prince Yongcong died four days later, on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth year of Qianlong. It was the night before Chinese New Year's Eve, and his body that came into the world too early could not withstand any seemingly minor illness, let alone a menacing disease like the pox epidemic. Even with the hard work of all the imperial doctors, they failed to survive until the new year.

The queen fainted at the moment she saw her own son die in her arms, and became ill with grief, and it was difficult to get up.

The emperor muttered in grief: "Tomorrow is the thirtieth day of the lunar month, and after tomorrow, Yongcong of Lian will be one year older." In addition to his great compassion, he issued a special decree: "The seventh son of the emperor will be Yongcong." Yucui Middle Palace, sex into a dream.

After two weeks, Qi Ling expressed his differences. Our Lady of the Queen Mother is the most affectionate because she is from a princess, she is very smart and the most loved. I also deeply hope that the establishment of education can be inherited. I don't want to die of pox today, and I am deeply mourned. However, no matter how deep the grief of the living is, how can they exchange the dead child, everything is in vain.

Clothed in the pain of bereavement, this New Year is naturally very bleak. After the first day of the Lunar New Year, the emperor began to solemnly treat the funeral of his beloved son. On the second day of the first lunar month, Yongcong's body was put into the "golden coffin". Kings, ministers, officials, princesses, and fortunes gathered to mourn. On the fourth day of the first month, the "golden coffin" was moved to the outside of the city for a while, and the prince's honor guards were set up along the way. On the sixth day of the first month, he was given the nickname "Prince of Mourning Min". 11. Perform the "first ceremony", with 10,000 gold and silver paper ingots, 10,000 paper money, and 31 feasts. The nobles of the clan and the women of the inner court gathered at the sacrificial place to salute.

Twenty-three, perform the "Great Sacrifice". Emperor Qianlong came to the sacrificial place in person and laid the three lords.

No matter how grand the funeral is, it can't wash away the emperor's mourning. The concubine died young, the queen was seriously ill, and the concubines naturally couldn't help but mourn. Ruyi assisted in the six palaces, and tried his best to take care of the things after Yongcong's death, in order to mourn and glorify to the fullest. In private, I can't help but be suspicious and ask Hailan. Hailan showed her same surprise and shock in a dumbfounded manner, but she clapped her hands and applauded: "It turns out that if we don't do it, God won't let her go!"

This night, Ruyi was going to Changchun Palace to visit the grief-stricken emperor and queen, but on the side of the long street outside the Changchun Palace, with a brief glimpse, she saw the rose concubine in plain clothes and silver ornaments, looking at the Changchun Palace wrapped in sad white, with a graceful smile. Somehow, Ruyi thought of that day, the day Concubine Mei gave birth to that weird child. Such a beautiful smile has not appeared on her face for a long time.

Thinking like this, I couldn't stand the repeated urging of the three treasures around me: "Niangniang, the excess affairs of the Baohua Hall are still waiting for you to preside." She shook her head and left.

On the fourth day of the second month of the thirteenth year of Qianlong, the emperor was the empress dowager and wanted to take the concubine to the east to tour the land of Qidilu. The Qin Emperor and the Han Dynasty all had the move of the Eastern Tour, especially the Mount Tai Feng Zen. The emperor ascended the throne for thirteen years, thinking that the country was stable, the people were rich, and looking at the four seas, the only thing that was not enough was the matter of his son-in-law, but he was trapped in the palace, and he was just sad, so he moved to follow the emperor's intention to tour the east.

Since Yongcong's untimely death, most of the queen's heart has been exhausted. For a month after the New Year, she lay in bed like a ghost, and she could no longer see anything bright in her eyes except tears and despair.

And the news brought by the Imperial Doctor made her lose the will to support her.

Qi Lu shook his head after taking the pulse of the queen and said: "Queen Mother, back then, you were bent on urging pregnancy, you were too anxious, and you were weak at an advanced age to urge the prince, so the prince was born prematurely and was born weak. And you are also very injured, Weichen and colleagues in the hospital have been diagnosed and treated, Niangniang wants to have another child, but I am afraid that I can't. ”

When she heard this, the queen's eyes were only dry. A faint wry smile looked particularly sad at the corners of her weak and drooping mouth, she just stared at the plain melon roof and said slowly: "There is Imperial Doctor Lao." ”

Too much grief and despair finally destroyed her body like a wood-eating termite. The queen suddenly became as old as a forty-something, and at a glance she was no different from the queen mother who was still in her prime. Su Xin combed the green silk winding on the pillow for her little by little, and the white hair that night was as shocking as the decay of autumn grass. Su Xin tried to cover her white hair with black hair while combing her, but she couldn't cover it no matter how she covered it. Su Xin was in a hurry, and couldn't help but cry silently. The queen lay on the bed sideways, looked at the hair in Su Xin's hand, and didn't feel any anxiety or sorrow, but said lightly: "What is there to cry about?" I'm already old. ”

This is the first time that the queen has called herself "I" since the canonization, and Su Xin has known the word "Bengong" that the queen cherishes her reserved identity since the queen's name was corrected. Su Xin was shocked to realize how bad the heart of the woman she had served for many years had become.

The queen leaned sideways, and made a slight squirming sound, her voice sounded extremely tired: "A queen who can no longer have children and cannot pass on heirs is old and dead, what does it matter?" What's more, it's just a few strands of green silk. ”

Su Xin looked at each other with tears, and her hands trembled a little: "Don't be anxious, the queen doesn't have to be anxious, you accumulate blessings and virtues, God has mercy, there will definitely be a prince!" ”

The queen leaned on the pillow, her expression as calm as a person about to die. She was silent for a long time, and then suddenly she laughed softly, and that laughter sounded too much desolation and panic in the quiet of the abyss-like palace.

"No, my body can't anymore. Su Xin, my Yonglian and Yongcong can't be saved, are they all retribution? ”

Su Xin knelt in front of the queen's bed, shook her head desperately and said, "Queen Mother, no, no. You are only guarding against the people who should be defended, and you have not killed them, what retribution is there and not retribution? ”

A faint cry sounded outside the hall, and the queen listened intently for a moment: "Who is crying?" Why did you cry for me early? ”

Su Xin hurriedly said: "Queen Mother, it's the third princess outside." She kept wanting to come in to see you, but thought you were asleep and didn't dare to come in. The princess has been waiting for a long time. ”

The queen sighed lightly: "Then let her in."

Princess Hejing's step did not make the queen react much, she was still quietly lying in the pile of splendid quilts, like a dead leaf that had been drained of water, or a dried fish that had been out of the water for too long.

After He Jing entered the hall, she obviously restrained her cries and tears, tried her best to show a little smile, and deeply blessed the queen who turned her back to her: "The emperor's mother is safe."

The queen closed her eyes for a moment, and her tone was indifferent: "You are the only princess of the emperor, standing in front of Changchun Palace and crying, it is too unruly."

He Jing's nose was sour: "Huang Eniang, the son is worried about you." ”

The queen's expression was cold and warm, and she said in a tone of admonition: "You are the princess of the Qing Dynasty, and at any time, don't forget your identity." Besides, your brother is dead, what's the use of crying? ”

He Jing's tears were in an uproar: "Although Huang Eniang, Yongcong and the second brother have all left Huang Eniang, Huang Eniang still has a daughter." Your daughter will also be your dependence and will give you a fight. ”

When the queen heard this, she opened her eyes, struggled to stand up, sat up straight, and looked He Jing up and down. He Jing had never seen the queen look at him with such eyes, and he was not shocked, and was forced by the queen's gaze, and gradually lowered his forehead.

The queen sneered coldly: "Daughter? What's the use of a daughter? With a son, the daughter is the icing on the cake; Without a son, the daughter can't even compare to the charcoal fire in the snow. But it's better than nothing. ”

Although the queen cherishes her daughter far less than the prince, she has never said such a piercing word. He Jing's heart is very high, He has ever heard such words, and he was forced to tears: "Huang Eniang, do you look down on your daughter like this?" ”

The queen shook her head abruptly, stretched out her hand and slowly stroked her daughter's face, but the gesture did not have much warmth, but with a hint of exploration: "It's not that the emperor looks down on her daughter, but on herself." Eniang, who can't even keep her son like me, no wonder your emperor Ama is sad and sad, and these days are gradually not coming. ”

He Jing was originally self-harming, and when he heard the queen's words, he unconsciously raised his eyes angrily, clenched his fists and said: "Yongcong has been dead for less than a month, and Huang Ama has been lingering in the palace of Concubine Chun and Concubine Jia these days.

After all, they are just concubines, why don't you let Huang Ama come to comfort and accompany you? ”

The queen stroked her haggard face, the dry and loose touch, even her own tentacles were frightened. She smiled bitterly and said, "If your emperor Ama doesn't come by himself, neither can others." Eniang is old and yellow, and she doesn't even have a son. Of course, your emperor Ama likes a young and delicate woman who has a son. Your emperor Ama is accompanied by other princes, and he will soon forget about Eniang and Yongcong. ”

He Jing couldn't help crying: "Why is the emperor's mother so depressed? You are the queen, the only main chamber of the emperor! What if you were discouraged yourself, what would you teach your daughter? Huang Ama has Concubine Jia, a pure concubine, a concubine, and other elder brothers, but the daughter is only you! She turned her face sadly, "Huang Eniang is sick like this, I don't know yet, Huang Ama has planned to tour the east, and he wants to take the concubines of the six palaces led by Xian Guifei and Chun Guifei to the land of Qilu, and they will go to worship Mount Tai and Confucius Temple." This was the first time that Emperor Ama had toured the east in the thirteen years since he ascended the throne. You are the mother of the world, how can you not go? The queen was at a loss for a moment, and then she was deeply shocked and puzzled, she looked at Su Xin and said, "What is the Eastern Tour, why doesn't the palace know?" ”

Su Xin was a little timid: "Actually, the emperor has always hoped that the queen mother can go to the east, but he is worried that you will be too sad, your illness has not healed, and you can't stand the fatigue ......of the car, so I haven't said anything to you."

There were two lines of tears welling up from the queen's eyes: "Bengong hasn't followed Yongcong yet, so they all treat Bengong as dead?"

He Jing looked at the queen's grief and anger, and unconsciously smiled: "Of course not!" The emperor can ask like this, and the sons are really happy for the emperor! She held the queen's hands tightly and knelt in front of the queen, "Huang Eniang, it doesn't matter, even if the second brother and Yongcong are gone, you are the queen or the unshakable queen."

Although Erchen is useless, but it is the only daughter of Huang Ama and you, Erchen will definitely hold on to the Emperor Eniang, our mother and daughter, will definitely go very well. Rest assured! ”

All the will of the queen was stimulated by the perseverance and refusal to admit defeat in Hejing's eyes at this moment, and she couldn't help but reach out and brush her unkempt sideburns, and said in a deep voice: "Su Xin, go and pass on Imperial Doctor Qi, the palace wants to ask him to take a good look." ”