In the deep palace, Concubine Jia and Concubine Shu are still grounded, they are not even allowed to participate in the Mid-Autumn Festival, and they naturally don't have to show up on this Double Ninth Festival today. The concubines of the six palaces dispersed with the emperor and queen in the morning after asking for peace in Ningshou Palace, and at this moment, only Concubine Yu took the fifth elder brother and Princess Hejing together with the queen mother to accompany several concubines to talk to the old Fujin of the prince's mansion.

Yongqi is smart and cute, which makes the ancestors very happy, and they all praise Yu Concubine for her well-educated manner, and Yu Concubine is happy in her heart, so she personally went to the pantry to make tea for the concubines and concubines. Just as he was waiting for the palace maids to open a jar of spring water, he turned around and saw He Jing follow.

The relationship between Yu Concubine and He Jing is not bad, the princess is not willing to deal with other concubines on weekdays, just because they are often in front of the Queen Mother, and the queen is also very polite to her, the princess can look at her eyes and talk to her, this time deliberately came over to talk to her, and sure enough, He Jing avoided the palace maids and asked her: "Today is Wei Changzai's birthday, Yu Concubine Niangniang and her are very close, you know, right?" ”

Concubine Yu smiled: "Yes, it turns out that the princess also knows?" ”

He Jing said embarrassedly: "There have been so many things happening every year in the past, I should know if I don't know." ”

Concubine Yu saw that the little girl wanted to speak and stopped, she asked gently: "The princess mentioned this, do I have anything to help you." ”

He Jing was a little embarrassed, and hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Did Niangniang prepare a congratulatory gift, did you send it?" ”

Concubine Yu bowed: "Ready, I embroidered a pair of sleeve cages, which are easy to use when it's cold." She thought about it for a moment and said with a smile, "Does the princess also prepare something, why don't we send it over together?" ”

He Jing was said to be thoughtful, and he couldn't help but be a little happy that he didn't have to open his mouth, but he showed a little helplessness and said: "I can't leave here, I don't know when the imperial grandmother will look for us." ”

"Yes, but if it's very ...... after lunch," Concubine Yu wanted to say that when the emperor returned in the afternoon, he would definitely go to Yanxi Palace in person to celebrate his beloved's birthday, and it would be even more inconvenient for them to go, but this was a little inappropriate for the princess, she explained, "There are still guests coming in the afternoon, and I have to deal with a few young Fujin, so it is better to be more leisurely at this moment." ”

"If we weren't here, Grandmother would be strange." He Jing suddenly stuffed a purse into Concubine Yu and said softly, "I originally wanted Qianya to send it for me, but she accompanied Eniang out of the palace, and I also knew that the afternoon was not suitable, Concubine Yu Niangniang, why don't you go, the imperial grandmother has me here." ”

"That's okay, if the Queen Mother is looking for me, she will say that I will go back to Jingyang Palace to get clothes for Yongqi." It is rare for Concubine Yu to be entrusted by the princess with anything, not that she has to beg this child, but the queen treats her very well, so she is naturally willing to take more care and respect, and gently agrees, to be at ease.

Concubine Yu left Ningshou Palace, first went back to Jingyang Palace to get the gift for Hongyan, and then bypassed in front of Shu Concubine to see Hongyan, Yanxi Palace obviously had some arrangement, saying that it was the first time to celebrate Wei Changzai's birthday here, and it was the palace maid eunuch who scraped together money to celebrate the master.

Yu Concubine and Cherry smiled: "Silly girl, what is the matter with you on such a good day?" ”

When she entered the door, Hongyan came out and said apologetically: "I was trying on a new dress, but I didn't have time to go out to greet my mother, and I asked my mother to forgive me." ”

"So polite, but let me see what kind of new clothes?" Concubine Yu entered the door with her, and what she said was naturally a joke, and she flipped through Hongyan's new clothes, and gave her two gifts, saying, "Princess Hejing gave this purse, and she didn't say how the purse came from or what it contained, you can look back and see for yourself, if you don't understand, just ask her." This pomegranate flower sleeve cage is sewn by myself, don't dislike the rough craftsmanship, you are not rare to give you gold, silver and jade, or manual work has affection. But when I am born, you still give me gold and silver, I have a son there, and when you have a little brother, I will give you something valuable. ”

Hongyan was flattered when she heard that He Jing also gave her a gift, and Concubine Yu saw that she was so happy, and said with a smile: "If that child knows that you are so rare with her gifts, she will definitely be very happy." Today is a good day for you, I should have asked you to invite me to a glass of wine and a bowl of noodles, but the Queen Mother couldn't do without people, so I took the time to sneak out. Tomorrow, you prepare good wine and food, and I will hold Yongqi to congratulate you again. ”

Hongyan said suddenly: "If you are free today, come too, the queen mother has rewarded twenty catties of silver silk noodles, where can I finish eating." ”

Concubine Yu shook her head again and again: "I'll come tomorrow, you keep it for me." I wanted to say something to tease her, but I was afraid that Hongyan would not be able to stand it and add embarrassment, but Concubine Yu took the distance from each other very well, and she was about to leave.

Sending off the guests, Hongyan couldn't wait to come back to see the purse that Hejing gave her, it was not an uncommon thing, and the style of embroidery was also from the palace needlework room, Hongyan knew that the princess didn't like needlework, but no matter where this purse came from, it was Hejing's heart.

Hongyan opened the purse, it was empty, it seemed that Hejing didn't put anything in it, but even if he gave her a hand-picked flower, it was worth Hongyan to be happy for a whole year, and even looked forward to the next birthday coming soon.

However, inadvertently, Hongyan touched a round and protruding thing like a bead under the purse, she quickly opened the purse again and reached out to touch it, and sure enough, she took out a bead, and when she saw the bead, Hongyan was stunned.

Cherry came back from outside the door, saw the master in a daze, so he came up and asked what's wrong, saw the beads in Hongyan's hand, and hurriedly said: "This is a lapis lazuli bead, this size and color look at ......" She hurriedly pulled up Hongyan's wrist, compared the beads with the bracelet, and sure enough, the size is the same and the color is the same.

Hongyan choked: "It's in the purse that the princess gave me." ”

"Could it be that the princess picked it up in the imperial garden and kept it for you?" Although the lapis lazuli bracelet is not a very rare thing, if the princess finds another bead to send it, it will be different, but this bead is exactly the same, and Cherry can only think of this one possibility.

"I can't find it anywhere else but there." Hongyan burst into tears, this little bead has been hidden by He Jing for so many years, the soil in the imperial garden has long been renovated, and the trees and flowers are not known how many new plants have been planted, it must be that after she had a dispute with Jia Concubine, He Jing found it there, but at that time He Jing obviously hated her so much.

"Sister, don't cry, isn't this a good thing, let's go and play with the princess tomorrow, I think the princess is a great person." Although Cherry was beaten by the princess, the princess let her go to move the rescuers, and she was full of reverence for the princess from then on. Now a small bead, the princess has silently collected it for so many years, and she really cares more about that affection than they imagined.

In the afternoon, the emperor returned, went to Ningshou Palace to see the queen mother, and after separating from the queen, he did not immediately enter the Yanxi Palace as everyone imagined, he went back to the Yangxin Palace to meet a few ministers, dealt with a few important things, only when the meal card was presented, he turned over Wei Changzai's green head card as usual, and entered the harem generously before sunset.

Although there were preparations for taking over in the Yanxi Palace, the emperor suddenly came and did not let anyone report, and Cherry was not in a hurry to tell Hongyan when he saw it, and went straight to the West Side Hall by the emperor. Hongyan couldn't see Hongli because she waited left and right, and guessed that she was going to wait until night, so she took advantage of the fact that it was not too late, dismantled the bracelet, and put the one that He Jing gave her on.

When Hongli quietly walked behind her, he saw her stringing her bracelet without distraction, and the emperor only thought that Hongyan was cherishing what he sent, and said with a smile: "I know that I don't have to prepare anything for you, you are rare this string anyway." ”

Hongyan found out that the emperor was coming, she was too attentive and careful just now, for fear of rolling the beads off if she missed, so she was not in a hurry to come down and salute at this moment, and hurriedly said: "The emperor will sit first, and the concubines will be strung soon." ”

"You can rest assured, don't accidentally spill it, blame it on my head." The emperor smiled and sat down opposite, Cherry came to serve tea, and asked the emperor when he would eat, and Hongli asked them to prepare it according to the hour. After drinking tea, Hongyan also picked it up, and saw that he was carefully wearing it on his hand and touched it again, Hongli asked, "Are you afraid that the hand rope will not be strong if it is finely sharpened, so you have to change it from time to time?" ”

Hongyan shook her head: "I only changed it a few days ago, and today it's because of ......" She was warm in her heart, and said that she was respectful, and the emperor was stunned when she heard it, and said with emotion, "She hated you so much at that time, but she picked up your beads and collected them for you for so many years." ”

"The concubine went to look for it a few times later, and the princess probably heard from the people in the garden, maybe the princess didn't know that it was sent by you." Hongyan said, and couldn't help worrying, "If the princess knows, will she ......?"

"She must have known that it was sent by me, wasn't it so legendary for everyone in the palace at that time? Don't worry, I won't find out now, and then turn my face with you. Hongli soothed, "In the future, I will be with Hejing generously, my daughter will not stay for long, and the days before the marriage will make her more happy, I only have this one daughter, I can't wait to give her the whole world, and she likes you very much." ”

Hongyan touched her bracelet again, nodded and said, "The concubine also likes the princess." ”

Hongli is in a very good mood and everything is going well today. Recalling what happened on this day, every time it brought pain to Hongyan, he tried his best to surprise her on Hongyan's birthday and make her happy, but he forced Hongyan out of the Forbidden City on that day. For today's birthday, the emperor once wanted to prepare a surprise for her, but after calming down, he felt that maybe spending this day in an ordinary way could spend every birthday in the future.

The only special thing today is that the night banquet was canceled, but it was not he who brought it up, but the Queen Mother said that the Mid-Autumn Festival was so extravagant, and everything was simple during the Double Ninth Festival. Maybe it was his mother's special intention, but no matter what, the emperor was satisfied to be able to sit and talk with Hongyan so peacefully.

"Have you ever eaten Shou Mein?" Hongli asked.

"Not yet, I want to wait for the emperor to come up and eat together." Hongyan is now interested in celebrating her birthday, although the biggest surprise today is the gift from Hejing, but the emperor has no special arrangements for her birthday, Hongyan understands that he cares about himself more than before.

"I'll eat with you." Hongli smiled, took her hand with the bracelet, and kissed the back of her hand lightly, "I hope you are safe and healthy, and you will have a good time." ”