In the warm spring of March, the emperor sent back many fashionable brocades from the south of the Yangtze River in advance. Lan Qi also made a new suit of aqua green clothes, which she wore to Chengqian Palace that day to report all matters in the palace to the imperial concubine.
At that time, the imperial concubine lazily leaned against the heart of the sun. She was dressed in a lotus-colored uniform and half covered with a brocade quilt. She looked back and saw the fresh and beautiful Wu Yalanqi. A smile appeared on her lips: "In spring, this is how you should dress up.
That’s good.”
Lan Qi was blessed, and Qinglian brought a stool for Empress Dowager De to sit on. She was busy serving tea, but she stopped her and said, "I will leave after talking for a while. I don't dare to disturb Empress Dowager's rest."
However, the imperial concubine told Qinglian: "Yesterday's bamboo shoots were very tender. Let's make soup again. Pick the tenderest shoot tip and divide it into two cups for Concubine De and I to use together."
Qinglian hurried down. After hearing what the imperial concubine said, Lan Qi knew that she had something to say to her. The most lively thing in the palace at the moment was the two beauties from the south of the Yangtze River who would soon return to the palace with the emperor.
I don't know whether the emperor informed Liu Gong in advance because he was afraid that the new people in the palace would not be able to accept it suddenly, or whether someone else sent the news to the capital intentionally or unintentionally. What Liu Gong was worried about before departure finally happened.
"Your clothes are made by Jue Chan?" The imperial concubine looked at Lan Qi. Compared with the dignified and beautiful person in front of her, the imperial concubine was only neat and tidy at the moment. She had no intention of dressing up, as if she wanted to save all her energy.
One more day to live is one day to live. These unimportant things are no longer in her eyes. Even if she maintains her dignity and dignity in front of others, she knows in her heart that her days are numbered.
But she is a woman after all, not to mention that the imperial concubine is a beautiful woman. In terms of beauty in this palace, before the appearance of Jue Chan and the little Hesheli, the imperial concubine was the most beautiful woman, so she who was once young and vigorous could not tolerate Jue Chan.
Zen, and later when Ping Guiren appeared charmingly in the Sixth Palace, she had already changed her temper, and it didn't matter to her anymore.
Nowadays, there are wonderful rumors in the palace about how beautiful the two Jiangnan girls are and how they please the emperor. She feels cold in her heart, but she has lost her former competitive temperament and is just disdainful.
"The clothes are made in the sewing room. Although noble Jue Chan is good at craftsmanship, she is not a servant of needlework. It is easy for her to be a concubine. But if others join in the fun, she refuses and says she is cold and unfeeling. If she refuses, she stays up all night and spends all her hard work.
You may not get a thank you from anyone." Lan Qi said with a smile, "I have no shortage of clothes, so why bother her."
The imperial concubine chuckled softly: "I'm still annoyed by your good old temperament. Even if I can find fault with you, I'll feel more comfortable. Are you tired of being so nice all the time?"
Lan Qi smiled and said: "I'm right when I call you empress. I'm often so tired that I don't know what I'm doing."
"Isn't that true?" The imperial concubine glanced at her and snorted, "Everyone bullies the weak and fears the strong. From now on, you have to be tougher to make the decision in the palace."
"Concubine, please remember this."
"The emperor has left for Beijing?" the imperial concubine asked.
"The news was delivered last night. The first day of the new year has left Jiangning. I should have walked a lot in the past two days." Lan Qi responded. Seeing the brocade slipping down a corner, she stretched out her hand to pull it up. The imperial concubine suddenly turned around.
The two of them were very close to each other. Lan Qi felt a little embarrassed. When she sat back down, she heard the imperial concubine say, "You also have two fine lines at the corners of your eyes."
Lan Qi raised her hand to touch her cheek, and smiled nonchalantly: "I slept a little late last night waiting for the news, and it's obvious today, not to mention that I am thirty years younger."
"I heard that the two Han women are both fifteen or sixteen years old." The imperial concubine smiled coldly, "They are older than us at that time, and they are probably mentally mature. I don't know what it will be like to enter the palace. I am
If you don’t want to take a look, what about you?”
Lan Qi smiled leisurely and said: "If I don't want to see it, I won't see it either. It's just a woman. It's not like I haven't seen it before."
The imperial concubine showed a bit of joy on her face and said in surprise: "I thought you would follow the emperor and treat those two women kindly to please him. Seeing that you couldn't get enough materials to make new clothes, didn't you just accept the emperor's kindness?
I thought to myself, you are so worthless, how can you buy it off with just a few pieces of material?"
Lan Qi lowered her eyes, smiled so lightly, and responded: "Don't give up those Jiangnan tribute materials. Concubine and Sister Rong summed it up and used it directly to make a full example. Although the money saved is not much, the accumulated savings
A pagoda of sand is better than nothing. If the palaces insist on fighting for their opinions, and there are no new clothes to wear in spring and summer, just wait for next year."
The imperial concubine sneered: "Concubine Rong is stingy, and if you are stingy, I'm afraid that your mouth will be full of sand every time you eat in the sixth palace."
Lan Qi smiled and said: "There is always enough food."
After a few jokes, the hall suddenly fell silent. Neither of them spoke. They were silent for some unknown reason. Maybe at this moment, both of them had lost their past pride, and they couldn't say they cared about each other, but they could feel each other's feelings towards the upcoming newcomer.
clear.
After a long time, the imperial concubine said softly: "If we hadn't followed him that year, would he have brought someone back?"
Lan Qi shook her head: "I don't know."
"He obviously has so many women..." The tip of the imperial concubine's nose turned red, and half of her words were stuck in her throat, but she didn't say it out.
When Lan Qi left Chengqian Palace, her heart was heavy. She didn't want to show her jealousy towards the two newcomers in front of others, but she revealed her feelings to the imperial concubine for no reason. In the past few days, Concubine Rong and the concubines had gathered together to joke.
At that time, she always looked calm and relaxed, always talking about the difference between those who came from the draft and those who came from Jiangnan, and there were always new people in the palace, but as the imperial concubine said, she was really tired from saying those words.
"It's better to be the imperial concubine. She lives a candid life at all times. Even if she is not lovable, she is worthy of herself." Lan Qi said this to Huan Chun with a wry smile. Huan Chun didn't know what the two empresses said in the room.
, I was a little confused when I heard it. The only thing I understood was that the emperor was bringing a new couple back to the palace. The acrimony in the palace these days was also felt by his master.
After walking a few steps, I heard laughter and turned around to see Dai Gui and Wan Changzai coming from behind. Seeing Concubine De here, they hurried over to salute. Lan Qi asked them where they were going and found out that they were going to her brother's house together.
Look, the seventh elder brother is nowhere to be seen in the study. It might as well be for Dai Guiren to tidy up the elder brother's house, saying that it's spring and it's time to change the bedding. I wonder if the slaves there are not doing their best.
"I went to Ningshou Palace with Concubine Rong this morning to say hello, and the Queen Mother agreed." Dai Guiren smiled slightly. Seeing her peaceful appearance, Lan Qi was inexplicably envious, and heard Wan Chang say, "If the empress is idle,
, why not go together, Aunt Sumala should also miss you."
It's true that she hasn't seen her grandma for a few days. She doesn't know what she is busy with. She is probably unhappy about the emperor's affairs in Jiangnan. She has been lazy these days and has nothing else to do at the moment. She wants to think about them for a while.
When she saw her grandma mentioning her, she might be worried about her, so she simply followed her.
The concubines gathered together these days, and Zuo only talked about the new couple from Jiangnan. However, these two didn't mention a word about it the whole way. They were very happy to see the child. Lan Qi couldn't help but think of Wu Yalan in the past.
Qi, it seems that it has been this simple before.
Nowadays, Grandma Sumala is in charge of everything in the elder brother’s office. Under Lan Qi’s instructions, the people in the elder brother’s office intentionally or unintentionally entrusted the twelfth elder brother to the care of Grandma Sumala.
The 6-year-old child has become attached to her grandma and wants no one else. It is said that with a child pestering her every day, her grandma's energy is much better than last year. In this way, Xuan Ye and Lan Qi's efforts were not in vain.
When they arrived at Grandma, Dai Guiren and Wan Chang greeted each other a few times, and Grandma asked Wan Chang to lead the twelfth brother to play. Dai Guiren also followed. Grandma watched the three ladies walk away.
He smiled at Lan Qi and said, "These two are really quiet-tempered. I remember Dai Guiren. It was the lady who took her away from An Guiren."
"It's all old news." Lan Qi smiled slightly and helped her to sit under the sun. The palace maid came to serve tea. She asked a few questions about her diet and daily life. Knowing that everything was fine, she said guiltily, "This
I haven't come to see you for a few days. I feel lazy in the spring and don't want to move when I have free time."
But the mama did not beat around the bush and said with a smile: "Is your Majesty not feeling well?"
Lan Qi nodded softly, leaned on her grandma's shoulder and said, "I feel so worried."
Auntie said: "There must always be new people in the palace."
Lan Qi responded: "I understand, didn't I come here because of new people? I can't tolerate new people, I just can't tolerate the old self. But even though I say this, I still feel so worried that I can't let go."
"When I met the emperor later, did the empress say the same thing?"
"What else can I say? I have no idea when I see him. It's embarrassing to show off my little potential." After saying this, Lan Qi blushed, pursed her lips and was about to cry. Her mother felt distressed.
He coaxed, "It would be a joke if people saw it. Your Majesty is no longer a little girl."
Lan Qi nodded, choking with grievance: "I know."
Mammy sighed deeply and asked: "Do you know what the emperor is doing in Jiangnan this time?"
She nodded and calmed down for a while before saying: "He told me personally that he needed to figure out the farming economy in Jiangnan and estimate how much money he could get back to the court in the past few years to replenish the treasury. Galdan is so ambitious that sooner or later he will be dealt with.
You can't fight without money."
Grandma smiled happily and said, "Long live my Lord, I'll give you some air before I go out."
Lan Qi looked at her mother puzzledly, and Sumala hugged her and said: "Good lady, listen to my words. No matter how hard you feel, don't be separated from the emperor. You will have a few smiling faces when you come back."
Xiangying, if everyone bullies those two, where will the emperor's face go?"
Lan Qi shook her head: "Then I don't want to be the one who is taken advantage of. The other sisters will also exclude me and look down on me."
Mammy actually laughed out loud and said: "It's rare for everyone in the palace to be so united. I can't laugh or cry if I live to see this day."
After laughing, he took a breath and said slowly: "Although these two people are of low status, their reason for entering the palace is probably the same as that of the noble ones. Why was the queen originally a Hesheli family and not someone else? Later, the empress Zhao Fei
Why did she also become the queen? In the early years, the emperor used in-laws to win over powerful ministers to consolidate his throne. Now the emperor wants money to fight in the land of fish and rice in the south of the Yangtze River. There is real gold and silver everywhere. The emperor doesn't ask them for it, but who wants it? "