On the night of the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month, the imperial dining room went to the water, and the fire guard arrived, and found that it was just a few little eunuchs secretly warming up and roasting sweet potatoes, which accidentally caused smoke, which was a false alarm.

But Lingzhao still rushed to check whether the imperial dining room was damaged, worried that the Chinese New Year's Eve banquet would be affected the next day, and reprimanded several little eunuchs.

But it coincided with the festive season, and they were not beaten and killed, but only punished them for a few days after that, and they were not allowed to take turns until the end of the first month.

On the way back to the palace, Lingzhao thought that the warm sedan chair was too stuffy, she had just moved her liver fire, and she was very impetuous, so she abandoned the sedan chair and walked by herself.

I wanted to blow a cold wind to calm down, but I saw a sedan chair on the palace road.

It was the palanquin of the emperor's harem, Lingzhao was not the first time he had seen it, the Dong family and the Ma Jia family were both lowly palace concubines, and they were not qualified to serve the emperor in their own rooms, they would be sent directly to the warm pavilion of the Qianqing Palace by the eunuchs in the palanquin.

"The slave knocks on Concubine Zhao." The eunuch who led the way saluted Ling Zhao, "The emperor summoned Xingrong Chang to be there tonight, and the slave was ordered to take Rong Chang to go to Qianqing Palace." ”

Ling Zhao got out of the way: "Go, don't delay the hour." ”

But the people in the sedan chair were destined to fall into the sedan chair, and Rong Chang respectfully came to Lingzhao: "Niangniang is here, how dare the concubine go first, please go first." ”

Ling Zhao didn't say anything, and left with his own people, Rong Changzai only waited for the last palace maid to go away, and then straightened up and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Rong Chang is here, you get on the sedan chair, don't freeze." The eunuchs were very attentive, Ji Xin helped the master into the sedan chair, raised his head, looked in the direction where Concubine Zhao left, and said to himself, "It's so late, what is Concubine Zhao doing outside?" ”

After Rong Chang became pregnant, except for Ningshou Palace in Cining Palace, he almost never saw the emperor, and occasionally met on the road, and the emperor would be far away, and he would not look at her more, whether he was favored or not, whether he was liked, Ma Jiashi knew very well in his heart.

"You're getting fatter." When Xuan Ye came, he said with a smile, "It's richer than before." ”

"The concubines are working hard to reduce, don't dislike the emperor." Rong Chang stepped forward with a smile and untied Xuan Ye's wide clothes, trying to get back the feeling he had felt a year ago.

Although she is not the favored one, nor is she the person on the tip of the emperor's heart, but the emperor does not hate her, and the night in the warm pavilion is always relaxed and happy, otherwise, she can't give birth to Chengrui.

"Chengrui's 100 days have not been celebrated, don't mind, the imperial grandmother said that the child is raised quietly, and he has grown up with infinite glory and wealth, but now he wants to be healthy and safe." Xuan Ye said, "Do you like the reward I gave you?" ”

Rong Chang was smiling: "The concubine likes it, thank you to the emperor for remembering." ”

After a while, the eunuchs brought hot water and served the emperor to wash, and Da Lizi followed aside, saying: "Your Majesty, there are people in the imperial dining room who are privately baking a fire to keep warm, and the smoke is filling, and they are mistaken for water, and now the matter has subsided." After the punishment of Concubine Zhao, they were not allowed to rest in shifts until the end of the first month. ”

"Got it." Xuan Ye disagreed.

"No wonder the concubine met Concubine Zhao on the road." Rong Changzai handed the hot handkerchief to the emperor and said, "Niangniang must have gone to the imperial dining room in person, on such a cold day, Niangniang is really hard." ”

Xuan Ye was stunned for a moment, and looked at Da Lizi, who was busy saying: "What Rong Chang is saying is that Concubine Zhao went to go in person. ”

Rong Changzai took back the handkerchief from the emperor's hand, pondered his mood in his heart, quietly looked back, and sure enough, he saw that the emperor was thoughtful.

But after that, they didn't mention Concubine Zhao to each other all night.

The next day was Chinese New Year's Eve, and there were many people in the palace, and Dong promised to hide in his small courtyard with Rong Changzai, not daring to move around at will for fear of meeting foreign ministers, and only after waiting for a banquet in the Qianqing Palace before going out.

Naturally, there were also people who sent gifts to the courtyard of the two, and the sisters sat on the kang to separate the gifts, talking about the affairs of the palace, and mentioned that Concubine Zhao went to check the fire last night, Dong promised to ask in surprise: "You mentioned it in front of the emperor?" ”

Rong Changzai bowed his head: "I deliberately mentioned it, I know that it is likely to upset the emperor, but it is our duty to respect the concubines on the throne." ”

Dong promised and said softly: "Sister also knows that the emperor doesn't like Concubine Zhao?" ”

Rong agreed: "We are the emperor's pillow people, can't you see this emotion, Concubine Zhao can be decent and noble, but because her mother's family is noble, but also because of her background, the emperor is so jealous." ”

"Then why should my sister mention it, our respect for Niangniang is placed on weekdays." Dong agreed, "It's rare that the emperor has a lot of favor for us, let's cherish it." ”

Rong Chang shook his head: "Silly sister, after tonight, it will be the seventh year of Kangxi, and the emperor should draft again, the further we go, we will only get older and older, and we will get less and less favor." But we still have to live in the palace, even if it's not for myself, I have to think about it for Chengrui. The emperor is favored by us, but it is a night of clouds and rain, we are not qualified to be jealous, we are not qualified to provoke, and we are not even qualified to fight, to survive, we rely on popularity, ability, and the ladies who are in the upper position, and we can put us a yard. ”

Dong promised to ask timidly, "Sister, what's wrong?" ”

Rong Changzai said: "Looking at the emperor's thoughtful appearance last night, I suddenly understood that we are next to his pillow, and it is not just as simple as a woman. ”

I only heard Ji Xin shouting outside the door: "Master, Horqin has sent a gift." ”

The two of them hurriedly went out to greet them, and sure enough, Horqin also had a heart, Rong Chang gave birth to the eldest prince this year, and her gift was heavier than Dong's promise.

The giver added a sentence: "Rong is always here, Dong promised, this is not a gift from Hui Gege, please don't be mistaken." ”

The two looked at each other and asked, "Is that the Empress Dowager, or the Empress Dowager?" ”

These gifts were brought back by Yatu himself, and after the winter, Xuan Ye wrote repeatedly to ask his aunt to go back to the capital to live for a while.

This time, Yatu finally agreed, and discussed with his nephew to surprise his mother on Chinese New Year's Eve.

Xuan Ye and Shu Shu had long discovered that although the imperial grandmother talked and laughed in front of people, she always responded to the troubles of the court and politics with vigor, but when she turned her back on people, she would still be sad and sad, and she would miss her daughter from afar. After the death of her uncle, the imperial grandmother was even more uneasy, thinking about her poor child day and night.

Today, Yatu quietly entered the palace, and even Su Mala was not alarmed, and the first person he saw was the emperor and queen who came to pick him up.

Xuan Ye took the queen's hand and came into the door, happily helped Yatu who was saluting, and introduced: "Auntie, this is Shu Shu." ”

"See the Queen." Yatu wanted to salute, Shu Shu stepped forward and said, "Auntie, don't see outside, how can there be a reason to salute your nephew and daughter-in-law, this is not the Jinluan Palace." ”

Xuan Ye smiled beside him: "Auntie, Shu Shu is still a child, don't take it seriously." ”

I haven't seen her for many years, Xiao Xuanye has grown up, and even my brother has been born, Yatu doesn't remember if she has ever seen the granddaughter of the Sony family, but at this moment, her face is beautiful and generous, and the most important thing is that Xuan Ye's love for her overflows from the corners of her eyes and eyebrows.

"Niangniang, how is the emperor treating you?" Yatu laughed, "When he was a child, he was bad-tempered, stubborn and stubborn, and he was not easy to serve. ”

Shu Shu glanced at Xuan Ye proudly, and in his "threatening" gaze, he said with a smile: "The emperor treats me well, auntie, are you tired on the road?" ”

Year after year, the children grew up, wrinkles crept up on Yatu's eyes, and after the loss of her husband, she was devastated and grief-stricken. This time she wanted to go back to Beijing to see her mother, Yatu was very nervous, for fear that she would look older than her mother, and it was not terrible to grow old, but she didn't want her mother to be sad and sad for herself.

"The Queen." Yatu said, "At the moment in the capital, what kind of hair accessories and clothes are fashionable, I want to wear back flag clothes and dress up more energetically." ”

Shu Shu said: "Auntie, the emperor and I have been prepared for a long time, but if you don't mention it, I don't dare to mention it." Auntie, everything is ready in Kunning Palace, you can take my sedan chair over. ”

In the evening, there was a big banquet in the Qianqing Palace, and Yu'er took her daughter-in-law to the banquet surrounded by the emperor and queen to accept the congratulations of the ministers.

From Shengjing to the Forbidden City, every year and every year, there are countless big feasts and small banquets, in fact, any delicacies, drums, songs, dances and dances have long been unable to arouse Yu'er's interest, but they are just lively with the children.

As she gets older, she is afraid of loneliness on the one hand, and noisy on the other, but her status makes her have to force her face to laugh year after year.

At the end of the song, the imperial dining room served food, and hundreds of palace maids entered.

The exquisite dishes were delivered to the eyes, only to see Ling Zhao get up and say to the Empress Dowager and the emperor: "This plate of dragon and phoenix is auspicious, and the eel silk and chicken shreds are cooked together, and the freshness of water and land is created by the new imperial kitchen in the imperial dining room." He is from Jiangnan, and his dishes are exquisite and novel, and the concubines specially chose him as the chef of this Chinese New Year's Eve banquet, wanting to give the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager a fresh taste. ”

Yu'er said with a smile: "No wonder this year's dishes are very fresh, Concubine Zhao has a heart." ”

Xuan Ye said on the side: "In order for the imperial grandmother to be able to eat a bite of food with the spleen and stomach, Concubine Zhao must bow down to everything, and bother day and night, imperial grandmother, what reward do you have." ”

Ling Zhao hurriedly bowed down and said: "It is a blessing for the concubines to be able to serve the Empress Dowager, and the concubines dare not ask for rewards." ”

Yu'er said: "You must reward it, but the gold, silver and jade are too cheesy, and I can't think of a good one for a while, so let me think about it, sit down first." ”

"Yes." Ling Zhao returned to the banquet and raised her eyes to see her father and grandmother looking at her with gorgeous eyes, but she looked away indifferently and arrogantly.

"It's delicious." After Yu'er tasted it, she said to everyone, "Let's taste it all, it's our concubine Zhao's mind." ”

"Empress Dowager Xie, Concubine Xie Zhao." After the princes and ministers and their ladies thanked them, they moved their chopsticks one after another, and it was not a comfortable thing to enter the palace to enjoy the banquet.

Just as everyone praised the delicious new dishes, the eunuchs outside the palace sang loudly: "The eldest princess of Yongmu has arrived in ......"

Yu'er's heart tightened, her eyes suddenly heated, and she almost couldn't believe her ears.

But the palace maids hugged her Yatu, and walked slowly from outside the palace gate, she was wearing a palace robe embroidered with crimson embroidered gold thread, a golden hairpin and jade ring, rich and graceful, and slowly walked towards herself step by step.

Everyone got up one after another, Yatu went to the front of the palace, and saluted his mother weekly: "The son knocks to see the empress dowager." ”