The emperor remembered that the queen had been with him for many years and mourned for a long time, and ordered Prince Zhuang Yunlu and Prince Hongday to return to Beijing on a slow trip to the Empress Dowager's imperial boat, and he instructed Ruyi and Luyun to preside over the queen's funeral in Texas.

The day after the death of Empress Daxing, the emperor felt bitter in his heart, recalled the pain of losing his son twice, and couldn't help himself in mourning, and wrote a mourning elegy on the Qingque Boat where Empress Daxing lived:

Twenty-two years of kindness, thirteen years of internal governance. Suddenly dreaming of the spring breeze, biased towards the shore of the brigade.

Shengci deeply remembers filial piety, and the palace pot is full of admiration. Endure the recitation of Guan Jushi, Zhu Qin has broken the strings.

Summer and winter nights return to the longitudinal period. Half-born eternal formula, when will it be determined at first sight?

The cotton clothes are shocked, and the blue curtain is still hanging. Back to sit with his thoughts, hold back tears and cherish Jiao'er.

Sorrow and joy are shared, and greetings are unforgettable. Peerless women, widows and concubines.

A woman is sad, and two men die early. Unbearable to reminisce about the past, throw a pen and be sad!

On March 14, the emperor personally escorted Empress Daxing's Zigong to Tianjin. Yonghuang, the eldest son of the emperor who stayed in Beijing, rode a horse overnight to meet him. On March 16, the Empress Zigong went to Beijing and was enshrined in Changchun Palace. Hundreds of civil and military officials and internal and external women knelt down to greet them.

The emperor dropped out of the dynasty for nine days and served for twenty-seven days; Concubines, princes, and princesses wear white cloth filial piety clothes, the prince cuts off his braids, and the prince Fujin cuts his hair; The civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty were all allowed to shave their heads after 100 days; Twenty-seven days of ceasing to marry and rejoice; All the soldiers and civilians in the country, men go to the crown, and women go to the earrings. All the subjects of the world mourn for the death of the mother of the country.

Such a funeral is unprecedented grandeur since the entry of the Qing Dynasty, and this unprecedented grandeur does not stop there. In the past, the concubines and the king's ministers should be given all the appropriate words at the discretion of the scholars, and they should be reprimanded. The emperor ignored the cabinet at all, and issued a decree on his own to make Empress Daxing "Xiaoxian". He also told the Ministry of Rites: "Queen Fucha has been in the middle palace for 13 years. Emperor Coke was filial piety, and the Virgin Mary was deeply loved. Qin Kuanren is caught, and thrift is bowed. In memory of Yi Gui, Liang deeply mourns. It is advisable to add praise, and Zhao Maodian is in the future; Forever Huiyin, sowing the legacy of Fen in Yiji. There is no one who knows his wife like a husband. I gave the queen an elegy yesterday. There is a deep memory of filial piety, and the palace pot is full of virtuous sentences. Thinking about the name of filial piety, it is really the virtue of the queen's life. should be called Empress Xiaoxian. ”

The emperor treated it solemnly, and Ruyi and Lu Yun did not dare to relax in the inner palace, leading the concubines to mourn to the fullest. When she finally got a little free, Hailan came to Yikun Palace to visit Ruyi, and also to visit her son Yongqi, who was already smart and handsome.

Hailan hugged Yongqi for a while, and unconsciously looked at Ruyi's slightly pale complexion that couldn't even be covered by fat powder, and said with concern: "I didn't expect Queen Daxing to pass away, and the emperor is so attentive to the funeral, it's really rare." It's hard work sister. ”

Ruyi leaned on the soft pillow with a peach leaf pattern of brocade silk satin, looked at the book of the funeral of the Internal Affairs Office, and looked tired: "The emperor is so careful, he really repents of Empress Daxing." ”

Hailan coaxed Yongqi to drink the milk in the lotus leaf cup in her hand, and said with a smile: "The tea is cold when people leave, what do you regret?" ”

Ruyi shook her head: "The emperor and Empress Daxing have had two sons-in-law, although there is a bit of estrangement between Su Ri, but the relationship is different. Now that people are gone, they naturally think more about her benefits. ”

"No matter how good it is, it has nothing to do with us. However, the emperor looked at his sister differently and handed over the funeral to his sister and Concubine Chun to deal with together. I originally thought that Concubine Chun had three princes, and this time she would have to monopolize the power of Queen Daxing's funeral. Seeing that Hailan was half-kneeling on the couch and waiting for Ruyi to pinch her shoulders, and there was a bowl of cold red ginseng and poria soup on the table in front of her, she sighed unconsciously and said: "My sister has worked hard these days, and there are some serious things, and it is time to think about it." ”

Ruyi gently rubbed her forehead, looked at Yongqi's carefree smile, and unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, "I know what you say." But the queen died, and the emperor was sad, and it was not the time to plan for this. ”

Hailan said softly: "Sister doesn't plan, others have already moved this thought." ”

"This thought, from the moment Queen Daxing died, no one in the palace did not move. It's just that at this time, it's better to be still than to be still. ”

Ruyi said, picked up the red ginseng and poria soup in front of her and was about to drink it, Hailan hurriedly stretched out her hand to stop it, and said angrily: "It's all cold, and it hurts my stomach to drink it carefully." She then stood up and took a twin lotus golden silk cup from the luodian round table, "I know my sister is tired, this is the astragalus jade real soup that I boiled in the second half of the night yesterday. Hearing this, Ruyi took her hand and took a sip lightly, and sighed in a low voice: "It's hard for your mind, these things are easy to obtain, but they are the most time-consuming to boil, and you have to grind the astragalus, almonds, licorice, and fennel used in it in advance." You are careful, and you don't worry about others doing it, and these things must be done by yourself. Ruyi looked at the bloodshot eyes under her eyes, really distressed, "I said that your eyes were red when you came in, and you still didn't recognize it." ”

Hailan hung her pink neck slightly, a little embarrassed: "What I can do for my sister is just a little thing." On the cusp of the storm, my sister has to be more careful about her body. She thought about it for a while, and motioned to hug Yongqi in her heart, "I heard that before Empress Daxing died, she recommended Concubine Chun as her successor. Now Concubine Chun has taken advantage of the past few days to lead the concubines to worship, especially showing favor, and even Concubine Jia is following her. ”

Ruyi smiled faintly and teased a string of silver tassel pearl earrings on her ears: "This is as it should be." Now there are only me and her two concubines in the palace, she has an honorable position, many sons, and the recommendation of Queen Daxing before her death, it is inevitable that she will be tempted. ”

Hailan compared the armor with the plain silver wisp of begonia pattern, and scratched her palm for a while: "Her capital is just that she has two biological princes and an adopted son." ”

The shallow smile disappeared in the Ruyi pear vortex, and she was slightly gloomy: "What a good capital!" ”

Hailan sneered, not very concerned: "My sister also has our Yongqi." ”

Ruyi glanced at her, compared a silent action, and was a little disappointed: "Yongqi is naturally good, but in the eyes of others, I am a woman who can't give birth." In this house, the child is grace and dependence. But I don't. ”

Hailan was a little anxious: "Does my sister really not want to?" Except for Empress Daxing and Emperor Huixian, my sister is the person with the highest ranking in the hidden mansion. When she was in the palace, her sister was a side Fujin, Su Luyun was just Gege, her sister was born in the Manchu military banner, and Su Luyun was the Han military banner, which is different. Moreover, you are from a descendant family, and your two aunts are the queens of the first emperor. ”

Ruyi's calm face was a little more melancholy: "Because of this, I don't have the qualifications to take on the rear position." The so-called family background is actually slightly equal to nothing. No children, no family, just born full of military flags, what can this be. ”

Hailan was silent for a moment, then frowned and said, "But sister, don't you want to?" I don't want to live under people anymore, I don't want to look at the colors of others, I don't want to be cautious anymore. You are the lord of the Six Palaces, at the big one, you are the mother of the country, and if you are small, these women in the Six Palaces will not dare to be blatant. ”

Ruyi was stunned for a moment, and a hint of fierceness flashed on her plain face: "I think, but what's the use of just thinking?" ”

Hailan showed a little joy: "That's good." As long as my sister wants to, then we are all in one mind. ”

Ruyi shook her head lightly: "I want to think about it, but now it is not suitable." It's not that you don't know that after the death of Empress Daxing, the emperor was extremely sad. Empress Daxing didn't treat her much during her lifetime, but after her death, the emperor was very affectionate. Regardless of whether this affection is superficial or sincere, it means that the emperor has no such thoughts for the time being, so let's be quiet. ”

Hailan smiled at the silk, and the cuffs of the silver-white crane Changchun Su brocade suit on her body flashed a little soft luster: "We want to be quiet, but Concubine Jia's place is the first one to get close to Concubine Chun!" It's no wonder that no matter how favored she is and has a son, in the end, Li Chao is here, and it is difficult to count on the posterior, no wonder she will go against the norm to climb the most hopeful pure concubine. ”

Ruyi said coldly: "Concubine Jia has always had no one in her eyes, and she was only slightly closer to the queen in the past, but now she naturally has to point to the future queen." Let her go, there are some accounts, I haven't settled with her yet! ”

The two were talking, but they saw Sanbao come in and said, "Little master, the eldest brother is here, saying that he is here to greet you." ”

Ruyi was overjoyed, and immediately said, "Don't hurry up and invite in." Also, go and prepare the eldest brother's favorite snack. Hurry up! ”

Hailan covered her mouth and smiled: "My sister raised the eldest brother in the end, and now she loves her so much." These days, it seems that the eldest brother has also come diligently. ”

As he was talking, Yonghuang came in and asked An Dao: "Mother Wanfu, Yu Niangniang Wanfu." ”

Hailan got up and gave a hand, and said with a smile: "Every time the eldest brother comes to Yikun Palace, he still doesn't forget the old name of Xian Guifei, or he still calls him mother." ”

Yonghuang was a little shy: "My son was raised under the name of Chun Niangniang, and I had to call him only 'Xian Niangniang' outside, but inside, my son's heart is still the same as before." ”

Ruyi hurriedly helped him up and ordered him to sit down: "You kid, you don't always learn to be obedient, you call Chun Guifei Chun Niangniang inside and out, and you don't call her a mother, and I'm not afraid that she will eat her heart." ”

Yonghuang smiled shyly, looked into Ruyi's eyes and said, "The son has a mother and a mother. Chun Niangniang has a son of her own, so she won't blame it. ”

When Ruyi heard this, her heart couldn't help but soften, and she said with pity: "These days, you are also tired of leading your younger brothers to follow the funeral." In fact, your Fujin Ilari clan gave birth to Miande for you last year, and you should take care of the house more. Now I can only focus on my mother's funeral. ”

Yonghuang said humbly: "Although the son is the first of the sons of Huang Ama to have a child, it is precisely because of this that the son must fulfill his filial piety, comfort Huang Ama and accompany him all the time. ”

Ruyi nodded and said, "It's hard for you to have a heart." By the way, I remember that today is the birthday of your Imperial Concubine Zhemin. Although it is not appropriate for me to pay tribute to the queen's funeral, but sister, I have asked someone to go to the Baohua Hall to send sacrifices to your mother. ”

Yonghuang heard about his biological mother, and his eyes were full of joy: "Mother's heart, my son has thanked me." It's a pity that Eniang left early, and it's so unclear......"

Ruyi was quite dissatisfied when she heard his words, and immediately interrupted: "When you come to the palace, have you gone to see Concubine Chun first?" If she neglected etiquette, she would inevitably be unhappy. ”

Yonghuang hurriedly woke up and said: "My son has already been to Zhongcui Palace, but I heard from the palace people that Chun Niangniang went to the Queen Mother's Palace, and I am afraid that I will not be able to come back for a while." ”

Hailan was slightly surprised: "Does Concubine Chun often go to the Queen Mother these days?" ”

Yonghuang said: "Yes." Huang Ama has only the son and the third brother Yongzhang the longest, and he has to be busy with the funeral, so Chun Niangniang always took the sixth brother to the Queen Mother's palace to say hello, and the Queen Mother also likes the sixth brother and Chun Niangniang to accompany her more than before. ”

Hailan's face sank slightly, and then smiled: "The middle palace is gone, the queen mother is inevitably depressed, and it is naturally good to have the filial piety of the pure concubine, but we didn't expect it." ”

Yonghuang sat down slightly, then got up and took his leave. Ruyi knew that he was the eldest son, and he was inseparable from him in many funerals, so he was very important to the emperor, so he did not keep him, and instructed: "You are the eldest son of your emperor Ama, how many eyes are looking at you, be careful yourself." ”

Yonghuang was a little proud: "My son knows." At this moment, it is the time for the eldest son to be used inside and outside the palace, and the son must be very dedicated. ”

Ruyi saw that his words were quite impressive, and she wanted to give a few more words, but she couldn't say it. But after he left, Hailan said: "Now I see that Yonghuang is different from before, and I often put the word eldest son on my lips." ”

Ruyi sighed lightly: "No wonder he." After being cautious for so many years, the emperor only thought about establishing a successor, and his eldest son was never taken seriously. Now that he can be relied on by the emperor like this, he is naturally happy. ”

Hailan smiled a little meaningfully: "In ancient times, the prince was established, either he was a grandson or a long, and then he was a virtuous." Among all the emperor's sons, only Yonghuang became an adult, and gave birth to a son to make the emperor a father, which took advantage of the time and place. After that, Hailan and Ruyi looked at the time, and also prepared to change their clothes and go to the Changchun Palace to mourn.

The Ning Palace was as quiet as a pool of blue waves sinking into the water, and even the light and shadow were swaying, becoming a translucent shadow of water ripples. Fu Jia put down the dark silver black gold tuanshou soft curtain and quietly bowed down to the queen mother's side. The Queen Mother closed her eyes and meditated: "Sent away?" ”

Fu Jia said: "Yes." ”

The Queen Mother smiled lightly and sighed: "I didn't see a pure concubine before, and I always felt that she was stupid and quiet and didn't talk much, and she was also a virtuous person." Now that I have come to Cining Palace a lot, I get along carefully, I am really a little stupid, and I am a little tired to talk to her. ”

Fujia lit a jade-inlaid gold-spouted hookah and sent it to the Queen Mother, and said with a smile: "The palace is full of smart people, and it's rare to have a stupid one." Just dealing with smart people, stupid people like slaves and maids listen to brains. ”

The Queen Mother sneered, glanced at her and said, "Do you think such a person is good?" ”

Fu Jia said: "The Queen Mother Shengming, everything is expected by the Queen Mother. It's just that Concubine Xian is also a filial piety, but these days, the Queen Mother is indifferent and doesn't pay much attention to her. ”

The Queen Mother took a puff of hookah and said silently for a moment: "Queen Daxing is from a big family, so it is difficult to grasp." Concubine Xian's temperament is stronger than that of Queen Daxing, and she is full of intelligence. She was born in the Ulanala clan, and with how filial she was and obedient, when she thought of the future Empress Rengong, the mourning family did not want her to become the future queen. She slowed down and smiled bitterly, "Fujia, is the mourning family too cautious after all?" ”

Fujia said with a smile: "Who doesn't have a hurdle in their hearts that they can't get over? Although the pure concubine is from a lower background, she has a good temperament. The most important thing is that the pure concubine has many heirs, even if she puts aside the fact that the eldest brother does not have a biological mother, and then it will be her biological third elder brother according to her age. Those who have sons are different. Besides, Queen Daxing personally recommended her to the emperor as the queen before she died. ”

The Queen Mother sighed like a faint wind: "Don't blame the mourning family for being eccentric." In the final analysis, Xian Guifei also suffered from having no children. Look at the appearance of Yonglian and Empress Daxing after Yongcong's untimely death, you know how important it is to have a biological son in the palace. The mourning family suffers from this, so when they are old, they have to bother to take precautions. ”

Fujia hurriedly said: "Queen Daxing passed away, and the emperor only cared about sadness. When the position is decided, the Queen Mother can also put half of her heart at ease. ”

The Queen Mother nodded and said, "I hope so." The emperor is already smart and capable enough, if the queen is still a clever person, the mourning family will have to suffer, it is better to be obedient and stupid. And how sincerely do you think Queen Daxing recommends Concubine Chun, but it's just for that. ”

When Ruyi arrived at the Changchun Palace, Lu Yun had already led the wives to stand in class order, and everything was in order. A group of concubines and women surrounded the stars of Luyun and held the moon, and Luyun was also extraordinarily graceful, just like a deputy queen. At that time, Yuyan was pregnant with her third child. Since giving birth to Yongxuan in July of the eleventh year of Qianlong, it has only been more than a year now, and she has been pregnant for more than five months, which shows that the saint is in full swing. But Rao is like this, she is by Lu Yun's side, with a flattering smile on her face, and she is very humble: "Fortunately, everything is taken care of by the pure concubine, so it is proper, and there is nothing wrong." If you change people, it will not work. ”

One of the women said: "Concubine Jia is right. Isn't the Queen Mother also full of praise for the pure concubine? Looking at the third elder brother's steady and polite, at a glance, he knew that he was a pure concubine and taught well. ”

Yuyan was pregnant and had a lazy posture, so when she heard the words, she leaned on her waist and smiled: "Isn't it?" The third elder brother was born to the sister of the concubine, so it goes without saying that he is the eldest brother, who has to be raised by the sister of the concubine, and he is also very capable of training! ”

Another Chang said: "The eldest brother is the eldest son of the emperor, so naturally he has to bear more." It's also a loss to the pure concubine Niangniang who has taken care of her for many years. ”

Hailan and Ruyi listened to them talking, but they looked at each other and smiled, then stood in their seats and knelt down to toast towards the spiritual seat of Empress Daxing. Ruyi and Lu Yun knelt side by side, Lu Yun finished toasting, and whispered to Ruyi: "I heard that Fang Cai Yonghuang went to see his sister again?" ”

"Sit down and leave, where can you talk about it and see it again?"

Lu Yun seemed to smile: "In the end, my sister raised Yonghuang, no wonder Yonghuang is so worried." I'm different, I've been raised for so many years, I know how cold and hot I am, I'm afraid that people gossip won't hurt Yonghuang, and I'm more concerned about my brother than I am. It's been a long time, but it's still not as good as my sister. ”

Ruyi's tone was extremely gentle, with a bit of humility, and said: "I only raised Yonghuang for a while, and Yonghuang remembered, don't say that sister, you are so attentive to Yonghuang." Yonghuang is a filial person, and my sister can rest assured. ”

Lu Yun was wearing a light silver and rose gold thread Yunjin palace dress, the skirt had a dark silver thread and a dark silk thread densely embroidered with a group of longevity patterns, and the white pearl beads and tassels were like cold light rippling, under the light in the hall, it was even more deserted, just in line with her estranged and distrustful tone at this time: "Yonghuang has filial piety, sure enough, the concubine knows more." I, as an adoptive mother, am in vain distressed. She let out a long sigh, "It's just that there is no son of her own, so don't count on the place where Queen Daxing walks down." There are three unfilial pieties, and no queen is great. Didn't Queen Daxing also die because of this shame? ”

Ruyi looked back and saw Yonghuang and Yongzhang standing side by side, leading the elder brothers to fulfill their filial piety in front of the spirit, and they were the demeanor of the eldest brothers, which was very eye-catching. Even Yonghuang's Fujin Ilari clan is also very decent, leading the Fujin of all his peers, advancing and retreating appropriately.

Yuyan knelt behind Lu Yun, heard the whispered words of the two, and saw that the concubines below the concubine position had retreated far away, and unconsciously stroked her high bulging belly and smiled lazily: "Isn't Concubine Xian still raising Yongqi?" Why are you so greedy to look at the children of others, even the adopted son of the pure concubine is good for you to look at. In fact, you are not afraid, but it is only after the thirty-first birthday, and it is not difficult to have one. In the end, it's better that the child is still biological! ”

Ruyi heard Yuyan's sourness, so she said lightly: "Yes." Without being reminded by Concubine Jia, I always forgot that I was over 30 years old. In fact, if you think about it, our sisters are all about the same. Isn't Concubine Jia also thirty-six years old, so pregnant like this, and having to perform sacrifices according to the rules, it's really hard. ”

Yuyan and Luyun are both born in the fifty-second year of Kangxi, and Ruyi is five years older. If you want to talk about age in detail, they naturally can't talk about Ruyi. Hailan followed behind Ruyi and smiled softly and gently: "Actually, in detail, we are all older than Sister Xian, but Sister Xian's status is higher than me and Concubine Jia, so we all have to call Sister Sister." In the palace, it's always about position first, and then age. ”

Hailan is a person who is soft-spoken, and it is reasonable to say it, although Yuyan is not angry, she can't refute it. Coincidentally, Yi Huan Jingxiang stepped forward, heard the words of a few people, and his delicate eyebrows flew obliquely: "Actually, Concubine Xian is polite." When it comes to the position in the Qiandi, the pure concubine is Gege, and the Xian concubine is the side Fujin, although they are all concubines now, but in the end there is still a different foundation. Xian Guifei is called a sister by the pure concubine, although it is because of her younger age, but the position is there. ”

Lu Yunya was not as smart as she wanted, but now when she heard her set off the old things, she had to be silent. Wan Yin, who was still born in the submarine mansion together, said in a round game: "Where is the pure concubine and the Xian concubine more accountable than this." The concubine remembered that when she first entered the Forbidden City, the third elder brother of the pure concubine suddenly wanted to be taken to the elder brother to raise, and the pure concubine became sad, and the first person she looked for overnight was the concubine Xian. The two concubines are so close, what is the name of a half-sentence sister? ”

Ruyi was in a trance for a moment. That kind of closeness was many years ago, right? She and Lu Yun are not close friends, but among the people in the hidden mansion, except for Hailan, they are close to her. Back then, they could still rely on each other in embarrassment, but now everyone is a concubine, but they can't be compatible with each other? She looked at the ebony lacquered coffin of Empress Xiaoxian, for so many years, she had been so childless that she had no children, and the blood circulating in her body carried the smell of Lingling incense that she had carefully arranged, so that she couldn't be a mother and a complete woman. Langhuan tried to force herself to death again and again, really, she hated for so many years, and even Ruyi herself felt that such hatred had become a deep habit, deep in her bones and blood.

But at this moment, Lang Huan was wearing a neat and gorgeous queen's crown dress, lying quietly in the coffin, accepting the sorrow and memories of the subjects of the world.

Yes, Gao Xiyue is dead, and Langhuan is dead. The women who made her vigilant have become a pinch of loess, red and boneless. But she couldn't breathe a sigh of relief, new people kept appearing, and old people refused to relax at all. The dark tide before the queen's death was turbulent, and the harmony finally fell apart with her death, even the timid Su Luyun can sneer at her, with bare eyebrows and white eyes, the position of the queen is vacant in the future, and I don't know what kind of incident will happen?

And she Ullanala Ruyi, what is she? It's just a woman who has no children, no family, and can only survive by relying on a meager pamper. And this favor is so slim, as if the dazzling candle flame beating in front of Lang Huan's spirit, a gentle wind, can be extinguished wantonly.

She knows "grace" too well. From Ah Ji's death, Xiyue's death, to Langhuan's death today, all of them have been favored by the emperor, and it seems that they are still enjoying such favor behind them.

She just knows too much. Because I understand, it's cold to the bone.