Hongli hurriedly said: "I naturally want to think about you, I will go early and return early on this trip, and I am really not at ease to leave you in the palace." ”

Although this Forbidden City is not a tiger's den and wolf's den, it is a place where capable people eat people, it makes sense for the emperor not to worry, and Hongyan himself understands that he must be careful everywhere during that period, and the door of Yanxi Palace must be closed. Fortunately, Concubine Wen Hui didn't drive with her, so it was a big deal to go to the concubine's side to avoid it, and the situation of one or two months passed quickly.

The emperor repeatedly instructed: "Don't bother with things that have nothing to do with you, I will be back soon." ”

Two days later, the emperor said that this trip was to do serious business, and there was no need to bring too many concubines, so he insisted on leaving Concubine Yu and Concubine Shu to accompany Hongyan. On the contrary, Hongyan sent someone to invite the emperor and patiently persuaded him: "The eighth elder brother and the eleventh elder brother must follow the emperor Ama to open their eyes, the two sisters are now their adoptive mothers, how can they not follow them." The eighth elder brother is still young, and there are already many preferential treatments in the Yanxi Palace for the sake of the concubines, and the emperor cannot ignore the sisterhood that the concubines care about. ”

This matter was discussed back and forth several times, and finally a decision was made, Concubine Yu took the initiative to ask to stay with Hongyan, and Concubine Shu helped to take the child out, the emperor was relieved at this time, but he advanced the schedule, and left after the Lantern Festival in the first month.

In the lunar month and the first month, there are relatives of the emperor in and out of the palace, and Yanxi Palace is overwhelmed, the emperor could have ordered that no one should be disturbed at will, but Hongyan felt that there was no need to be so nervous and deliberate, she just wanted to spend it as ordinary as she gave birth to Xiaoqi. And after a childbirth, I will not be surprised by the changes in myself, and I don't know if I am pregnant with a little brother, this time compared to when I was pregnant with Xiaoqi, I didn't have the morning sickness that searched my stomach and scraped my stomach, and in the first few months, my appetite was surprisingly good. The mothers who served Concubine Ling's birth and childbirth all said that it is different to conceive a man and a girl, and it will bear fruit, and this child must be a royal brother.

As a result, before Hongyan's belly fought, it had already spread throughout the palace that Concubine Ling was going to give birth to a prince this time. But what is incomprehensible, the emperor is not happy about it at all, that day Chang Chang said a word of congratulations in front of the emperor, mentioning that the concubine Niangniang wanted to give birth to the prince, but was blamed by the emperor, and drove out of the Heart Cultivation Hall overnight, and was said as a joke by Bai Guiren and others the next day.

But the news gradually spread, and the people in the palace didn't understand whether the emperor didn't like Concubine Ling to give birth to the emperor's elder brother, or whether he didn't like someone to say such a thing.

In the first month, the queen mother got together with several clan concubines in Ningshou Palace, and the old ladies had been in contact with the queen mother in their early years. Concubine Yu was busy coping with it, waiting to send everyone away, and when she came to the Queen Mother to resume her life, she didn't know when she would call Concubine Xin and Lan again, and she heard the door say: "After going out, you must have eyes, shut up what you shouldn't say, close your eyes when you shouldn't see, and don't make him angry stupidly." Be stupid and you can't go wrong. ”

Concubine Yu smiled bitterly, took a few steps back and waited, and only after Concubine Xin and Lan agreed to come out did she go in to talk again. Lan promised to ask Concubine Xin softly: "Niangniang, did Concubine Yu no longer serve the Queen Mother in Ningshou Palace after giving birth to the fifth elder brother?" ”

Concubine Xin's eyes lit up, she didn't say anything, but she thought in her heart: Is it really that if she gives birth to a son, she can get rid of this old lady?

In the inner hall, Concubine Yu replied to the Queen Mother about several old Fujin in the palace, and she was still as capable as before, and the Queen Mother sighed when she heard it: "In the end, you are stronger, Concubine Xin has been difficult to make me happy, and Lan promised to be even more unable to help them, but I hope that they are young and beautiful and can serve the emperor more." ”

Concubine Yu lowered her head and was silent, and the Queen Mother said, "But I know that you don't want to come to me anymore." ”

"If the queen mother wants a concubine to serve, how can the concubine be unwilling?" Concubine Yu curtled her knees and said, "Queen Mother, whose gossip are you listening to?" ”

The Queen Mother smiled and motioned her to get up: "You have been with me for so many years, I don't know your temperament, and you are not young now, it is strange and tiring to follow me, so you can take care of it." ”

Concubine Yu said gratefully: "Thank you for your concern, the concubine is still very energetic, and it is also due to take care of you." ”

"That's it, you have something you have to be busy with, that is, Yongqi is away from your side, and there is no eighth elder brother, isn't it?" The Queen Mother looked at Concubine Yu with a smile and said, "Do you want to take a look at the children they mentioned today, and see if they are worthy of our Yongqi." ”

Concubine Yu was also moved, and said frankly: "If you arrange it, you can let the concubine take a look at it and have a bottom in her heart, which is Yongqi's blessing." ”

The Queen Mother smiled: "I've seen too much, but I believe in fate." She glanced at Concubine Yu meaningfully, and then said, "But fate is such a thing, and it is not clear, after you gave birth to Yongqi, if the emperor treats you better, maybe Yongqi can also have a younger brother and sister, like the queen, like ...... Concubine Ling. ”

Concubine Yu's eyes shook, she hung her head and was silent, and the Queen Mother really said: "Although the princes and princesses are all brothers and sisters, but the siblings are different after all. ”

"Queen Mother, what do you want to say to your concubines?" Concubine Yu felt uneasy in her heart, and always felt that the old lady had something else in her heart.

The Queen Mother looked directly at Concubine Yu, and finally said straight to the point: "The queen's concubine in the middle palace, no one can shake it, and the future is uncertain." But among the children born to the concubines, which one else can surpass our Yongqi now? ”

"We Yongqi", the intimacy deliberately made by the Queen Mother made Concubine Yu feel uncomfortable, but the Queen Mother repeated again and again: "Our Yongqi is the best child among the brothers, there are so many brothers below, no one can compare with him so far, even the concubine of the middle palace may not be as good as him." But I don't know if there will be a child in the future, who is not as talented as him, but the light can overshadow him, from the child's mother, he is an outlier in this palace. ”

Concubine Yu guessed what the Queen Mother was going to say, but when she really heard the Queen Mother say it, she calmly made herself feel strange, and the Queen Mother said: "You are not afraid that Concubine Ling will give birth to a son this time, and there will be nothing to do with us Yongqi from now on?" You know the emperor's temper, you see how he treats Buddha and the little princess, if they are sons, it will be amazing. Besides, the Buddha was not born to the concubine. ”

"Queen Mother, you ...... What do you want to say to your concubines? Concubine Yu's lips and teeth trembled slightly, and she nailed her gaze to the carpet.

"I don't want Wei Hongyan to give birth to a prince." When the Queen Mother's words came, Concubine Yu trembled, and she continued, "What kind of qualifications Yongqi has, you and I know in our hearts, and the emperor also understands that it is enough to have such an excellent son." The emperor has no affection for the current queen, and he is also indifferent to his children, and it is not clear what qualifications the two little guys will have in the future, but in his heart, how good Yongqi is, that is, when Queen Fucha gave birth to a son-in-law again, he did not let him forget Yongqi. But can you guarantee that when Wei Hongyan has a son, the light will overshadow everyone? ”

"Concubines, concubines don't understand." Concubine Yu was a little incoherent, she understood everything in her heart, and the Queen Mother's words seemed to dig out her buried selfishness.

The Queen Mother said coldly: "It doesn't matter if you don't understand, just if I understand." She motioned for Concubine Yu to step forward, and then whispered in her ear, between heaven and earth, only Concubine Yu knew what the Queen Mother was thinking.

After the fifteenth day of the first month, the holy car left Beijing in a mighty way, although he served the queen mother and took the queen and concubines with him, but the emperor left absent-mindedly this time. Early in the morning on the day of departure, he came to Yanxi Palace to visit Hongyan, and was coaxed and persuaded by Hongyan, but later he was in a hurry to leave, and then reluctantly separated. He said that he would go early and return early, not delay the journey, and do the serious things to be done, and return to Beijing immediately.

However, the silence in the Forbidden City made Hongyan feel comfortable, and she was not afraid that the huge imperial city would become empty, but she was more free to go in and out of the place. Every day, I slowly walked to Shoukang Palace to visit Concubine Wen Hui, and then talked to Concubine Yu for a while, rested at noon, and in the afternoon the two of them did some needlework or took out the accounts of the Internal Affairs Office to calculate, and the day of light was passed unconsciously, as if it was more comfortable than when the emperor was around.

Fo'er didn't go with her, she was determined to stay and take care of Eniang and her little sister, Xiaoqi had her sister to take care of, and Hongyan was very relieved. Compared with the more than ten years when she was pregnant with her daughter, she was full of expectations and uneasiness every day, but this time it was much calmer, and if you don't know, you can't see that she is a pregnant person.

On this day, the emperor came back from sending things from outside, and it was only five days after he left, and the Buddha was annoyed, and took the letter of Huang Ama to Eniang, and said: "Huang Ama is really, he sends letters every day, how worried he is about me, and I want to talk to Huang Ama when I come back." ”

Concubine Yu said on the side: "Silly child, Huang Ama is worried about your mother and your little brother, what are you bothered about?" If I don't worry about you, won't I be worried about it? ”

Fo'er smiled: "Why do you also say that you are the little brother, my mother is really going to give birth to the emperor's elder brother?" ”

Concubine Yu's eyes flickered, and when she saw Hongyan touching her belly, she smiled and said: "If it's a girl, if the Buddha gets married in the future, Xiao Qi can still be accompanied by sisters." Naturally, the six princesses and the five princesses are also sisters, but they don't live together, so they are not as intimate as growing up together. ”

Concubine Yu said: "The emperor is afraid that he is looking forward to giving birth to a little brother." ”

"Really?" Hongyan shook his head, "The emperor likes it, and his daughter is also good, he just has to coax and tease him, if he gives birth to a son, he has to worry about future training, he is not happy, I wish everything was on me." ”

Concubine Yu had a lot of thoughts in her heart, and said with a smile: "Yes, not to mention that it's still your son." ”