The three hugging houses where the head of the Internal Affairs Office Cao lived suddenly became lively for a while, and there were often palace maids or servants who came to grovel and greet him for flattery or filial piety, and he couldn't help but be very surprised.

Xiao Guizi beside him reminded: "Master, Mingqing of Jingxi Palace is married, there is a vacancy among the palace maids, and Concubine Ying has always had face in front of the emperor, and the slaves guessed that they must be thinking about this Qiaozong'er." ”

When Mr. Cao heard this, he patted his head and suddenly realized, and said, "Yes, yes, you are right, those servant women have daughters in their families." So he settled down, just postponed, and waited until those people had given enough things, and then slowly selected them with cold eyes.

On this day, Mr. Cao had just eaten dinner and was standing at the door to pick his teeth, when a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl came over timidly, made a salute, and said, "Manager Cao is fine." The slave maid heard that Jingxi Palace was going to add a palace maid, and wanted to ask her father-in-law to deign to see if the slave maid was suitable. ”

Manager Cao looked down with his eyelids, and saw that the girl was beautiful and slender, and she was quite beautiful, and asked slowly, "What's your name?" Where are you on an errand? ”

The girl hurriedly said: "The slave maid is called Ruoxi, and now she is on an errand in the weaving bureau." ”

Mr. Cao raised his eyes to the sky and said arrogantly: "He looks quite delicate, but..."

Ruoxi saw that there was no one around, stepped forward, and whispered: "Manager Cao, if you recommend me, the slave maid has some heart here..."

Ruoxi saw that Mr. Cao looked straight, so he stuffed the pipe into his hand and said, "This is the ancestral heirloom of the slave maid's family, please accept it and help the slave and maid dredge it." ”

Manager Cao looked at the things in his hand, smiled, and said, "You little girl is quite smart, then I'll try it." Ruoxi left with a thousand thanks.

Three days later, Ruoxi was recommended by Chief Manager Cao to the top of Jingxi Palace, because he was a newcomer, and only some chores were arranged.

One day, Lu Yuan sat down with Concubine Xian and came back, and when she passed by the small kitchen, she saw Cai Ping loudly reprimanding a girl, who lowered her head and said nothing, looking pitiful.

Lu Yuan couldn't see it, so he walked over and said to Cai Ping: "I always want you to be lenient to others on weekdays, do you only take my words as a deaf ear?" You all left your family and came to the palace, you want to get along in harmony, do I usually do the same to you? ”

Lu Yuan had never spoken so harshly to the people below, Cai Ping knew that she was really angry, and hurriedly knelt down and said: "It's the slave maid who is not good, I forgot the master's usual teachings for a while, please forgive the master." ”

Lu Yuan asked her to get up and didn't say anything, she looked at the girl who was being trained, and felt that her face was raw, so she asked, "Are you new here?" ”

The girl curtsied and bowed, and said crisply: "The slave is called Ruoxi, and it was just arranged by Chief Manager Cao to serve the master a few days ago." ”

"Ruoxi?" Lu Yuan repeated: "If the beauty is like a beauty, I look forward to being displaced. The red dust does not go, and the countryside is self-proclaimed. The name is good, it looks good, and it deserves the name. Are you from a scholarly family? ”

Ruoxi said: "The slave maid has been dead since she was a child, her parents died, she was helpless, and she entered the palace as an errand at the age of eleven. ”

Lu Yuan saw that her eyes were full of tears, she was pitiful, and she was unconsciously moved by compassion: "You don't have to do these chores in the future, just follow me." ”

Ruoxi hurriedly knelt down to thank him, and Cai Ping stood next to him, smiling on his face, but his heart was sour.

Ruoxi is very clever and diligent, serving tea and water, dressing up, and learning everything quickly.

Lu Yuan asked Biluo to take out several batches of materials from the small warehouse, made clothes for the maids up and down the Jingxi Palace, and made two more clothes for Ruoxi.

On this day, Concubine Shun came, and the two sat in the side hall drinking tea and talking.

Concubine Shun saw that the maidservants of Jingxi Palace were all wearing new clothes, so she smiled and said: "You are also good for these people who are waiting, and they are dressed like the young lady of the small portal." ”

Lu Yuan said with a smile: "Isn't it good for my sister to know how to paint Yingqin, I always think that most of them are daughters of poor families, and they came to this deep palace at a young age to leave their parents and do the work of waiting for people, which is very pitiful, and I should be better for them." ”

Concubine Shun smiled and said in a low voice: "Even if they are all pitiful, they should be lenient and strict, I see that the new girl has a little shrewdness in the corners of her eyes, but she is not like an ordinary girl." ”

Lu Yuan said with a smile: "Sister is too careful, Ruoxi is an orphan, her parents died when she was young, and her life was miserable." I've been serving by my side for a few days, and I'm very diligent and well-behaved. ”

Concubine Shun took a sip of tea and said, "I hope I'm too careful, but I've already been out of the Mingqing incident, so it's better to be more prepared." What are you going to do with the good concubine? ”

Lu Yuan pondered: "She must have understood that we already know her details, but we didn't tear our faces on the face, we just circled like this." At that time, the Queen Mother was seriously ill, and she volunteered to go to Tangquan Palace to serve the sick, her filial piety was commendable, and she didn't want to be now... really disappointed the Queen Mother's heart for her. ”

Concubine Shun put down the cup, seemed to smile, and said, "If it weren't for that, how could we be completely unwary of her." ”

Lu Yuan stood up, slowly walked to the window of the moon cave, teased the red-billed parrot on the shelf, and said: "I never thought that the good concubine would take refuge in the queen and be my enemy. So, now I can only wait and see what happens. ”

Concubine Shun also said: "Compared with Concubine Rong and Concubine Shu, Concubine Liang is more thoughtful, acts more thoroughly, hides deeply, and is easy not to show her feet, we must be careful to guard against her." ”

Lu Yuan nodded silently, and the two talked for a while before they dispersed.