In a vassal country like Korea, in addition to the annual tribute to the court every year, there are also regular tributes on New Year's Day, Wanshou, Winter Solstice, etc. Xuanye worshiped the Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother in his early years, and the Wanshou Festival was rarely celebrated in an extravagant manner, but the vassals
The country's regular tribute is never less, and it is delivered on time every time. Only this year, Korea has delayed its contribution. At that time, the emperor was on his way back to Beijing, and no one in the court cared about it, and the harem was not allowed to interfere easily.
At this time, Lan Qi arrived at Jingyang Palace. The Ministry of Internal Affairs had already sent some cotton silk, mink skin, deerskin, flower mats, silver and horses, etc. Naturally, they would not send them to the harem. These insignificant things would usually be allocated by the emperor.
Some went to the harem for the concubines to share among themselves.
Concubine Rong was saying: "The deerskins sent this year are very good. I will make a mattress for the queen mother's kang in autumn. It will be very comfortable to sit on."
Lan Qi didn't care much about the things she used. On cold days, the house was full of earthworms, and a mattress made of new cotton was comfortable enough. She rarely used these animal skins in her house because the smell always made her feel uncomfortable.
"These few items for the imperial concubine and the concubine must be sent to the concubine's house. I don't want the rest. I'll send someone to ask Concubine Hui and Concubine Yi. If there are any more, I'll let Concubine Xi and Concubine Jing take a look at them themselves. According to their positions,
Let’s give it a share, so as not to say we are unfair again.” Concubine Rong smiled, but took out a small knife from a separate box on the side, and said happily, “I mentioned to the emperor before that Yinzhi wanted a small knife.
Play, I just casually said in front of the emperor that this time the emperor picked the best knife from the tribute and sent it along with these things, so that I could keep it for Yinzhi."
Seeing Sister Rong being so happy, Lan Qi deliberately said sourly: "I don't have anything. These animal skins are rare. Their materials are not as good as ours. They make clothes made of hard materials. Sister, give me a knife as a reward."
Concubine Rong pushed her: "Show me here, and scan your Yonghe Palace. Which item is not a treasure?" After saying that, she sent Jixin to Yikun Palace with a gift list, and sent a message to Changchun Palace while sitting with Lan Qi.
After sitting down to have tea, he said casually, "Do you know why Korea paid so late a tribute this time?"
Lan Qi slightly dismissed it as gossip but didn't understand anything. She only heard Concubine Rong sighing and saying, "It's really the same everywhere. The King of Korea also has many concubines, so it's not peaceful. I heard that a new jubilee was granted this year."
Concubine, this Zhang family was once kicked out of the palace, we wouldn’t dare think of it here.”
Lan Qi smiled nonchalantly: "It can be said that every family has its own difficulty in reciting sutras, but our families are a bit bigger."
Concubine Rong said: "This is not unusual. The Ministry of Internal Affairs just sent something. I casually asked why it was so late this year. They said that the North Korean king was busy with the affairs of the concubines in the palace. His royal concubine April
Li was just kicked out. According to their words, it was abolished. They even sent a paper to the court."
"Abandoned?" Lan Qi was a little surprised. According to the regulations in the Forbidden City, the princess over there is the queen here. Although Lord Shunzhi also abolished the queen for a time, the Empress Dowager has been talking about it all her life.
No matter how easy it was to destroy the main wife.
Concubine Rong sneered and said: "You say that Princess Min is jealous. I think this concubine is very vicious. She is in the concubine position, one step away from the position of princess. People are slaves and others are fish and meat. That Princess Min has no heirs.
, lost favor again, really pitiful.”
Lan Qi brought tea and said softly: "One family doesn't know what's going on, so why should we sigh for people who have nothing to do with it."
Concubine Rong sighed: "The emperor has not appointed a queen for more than ten years. It makes sense when you think about it. It is better to do less than to do more."
Afterwards, Lan Qi left Jingyang Palace and went to Chengqian Palace with the tribute items from North Korea. It happened that the imperial concubine had just woken up and taken medicine and was talking to Si Age. When Yinzhen saw his mother coming, he saluted and stood aside.
Lan Qi put down the things and showed them to the imperial concubine one by one. The imperial concubine waved her hands and smiled: "Who cares about their things? They look pitiful and send them as tribute every year, but the things our court gives back are enough for them. How often have they been treated badly?"
them."
Seeing Yinzhen standing aside and listening to the two people talking, he ordered him to study: "I'm talking to Empress De Fei. It's none of your business. I just need to recite the lessons that Xiao Hezi received today."
There was a smile on Yinzhen's face, which made both mothers happy. After the child left, Lan Qi said that Concubine Rong had received a small sword from the emperor, and asked if she wanted to get one for Yinzhen as well. The concubine said disdainfully:
"You don't care about their knives. The ones sent by Mongolia are the best. Remember to ask the emperor for one next time."
Because the imperial concubine was in good spirits, the two of them chatted. Lan Qi relayed to the imperial concubine the gossip about Korea that she had heard from Concubine Rong. The imperial concubine listened to her quietly for a long time, and suddenly said: "That day I summoned Liu.
The robe worn in the palace is the queen's phoenix robe, right?"
Lan Qi was stunned and silent for a moment, while the imperial concubine continued: "That's not the robe I wear every day. You said you would take it for the noble Jue Chan to change it, and it would make it fit properly, but that's not my robe. This phoenix robe,
Where did you come from?"
"Your Majesty, have you noticed?" Lan Qi felt a little embarrassed and couldn't help but lower her eyes.
The imperial concubine sighed: "I don't think you have the courage to do such a thing. Although it is only a subtle difference, the queen is the queen, and the imperial concubine is the emperor..."
"It's the emperor's wish. The phoenix robe is newly made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I also heard the Zen nobleman say that the specifications of this robe are not quite right, and then I found out that it is the color of the queen's dress." Lan Qi explained seriously, "I don't dare to
I didn't dare to cause any trouble to you, so I asked the emperor specifically, but the emperor just nodded and said, "Take those clothes for the imperial concubine to wear," so I let the noble concubine Jue Chan change it with confidence."
The imperial concubine looked at her blankly. She thought about it for several days. She always felt that the people below did not dare to do that kind of thing. She was a person whose life was short-lived. What was the point of being charged with such a crime? She didn't care about other things.
She didn't want to implicate the fourth elder brother because of this. Fortunately, no one mentioned it. It seemed that she hadn't seen how the queen dressed for more than ten years, and no one could seriously see the difference. She thought, might it be Xuan Ye
You have such a good intention, so why do you do such a thing?
"It's a pity that it's just a robe." The imperial concubine turned her face away and moved slightly to try to change her position. Lan Qi came to help her, and when she touched her arm, the fear that had lasted eleven years came back into her heart.
The same was true for Queen Niu Hulu, who was so sick that she became as thin as a stick.
The imperial concubine found a comfortable position to lean on. After taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and rested softly. Lan Qi sat aside, thinking that she was going to sleep. She was thinking about whether to leave, but she heard the imperial concubine say: "What do you mean, Feng Qi?"
Wu Luan stops bamboo, I don’t hope so much in my heart. My aunt’s queen was posthumously named by the emperor. Our Tong family has never produced a serious queen. From the first day I entered the palace, I have been looking forward to living in Kunning Palace.
, but now it’s too late for him to be willing to wear a phoenix robe for me.”
"Does the empress really care about status?" Lan Qi asked, "If the emperor does this, doesn't it mean that in his heart, you are the only one worthy of being in the middle palace?"
The imperial concubine chuckled: "You are so easy to coax. After all, you are held in high regard, and you think about things so naively." She paused, and then sighed, "What kind of robe should I wear? What will happen to Yinzhen's future?"
What influence? Only with a different status above my head can I be able to shelter him for a long time. The queen and the imperial concubine are, after all, the difference between wives and concubines. You don't care, I care."
They are indeed different. Lan Qi is the daughter of a small family. From being a palace maid to becoming a concubine, she herself feels that she has reached the top in her life and does not dare to expect a higher status. She even thinks that it will suppress her happiness.
. But the imperial concubine is different. The daughter of a royal family member, from the first day she entered the palace, she considered herself to be the perfect candidate for the master of Kunning Palace. However, she missed it that year. After the death of Empress Niu Hulu, although the emperor
She was given the highest status as a concubine in the harem, but she was never allowed to become the master of the central palace.
The imperial concubine said with a smile: "It's a pity that there is no suitable girl in our family anymore. I always wanted to have a decent queen in our family. I originally planned to choose a daughter-in-law for Yinzhen in the clan, but in the end, after several years of indifferent selection, there was no one."
What I am interested in is this child Yuxi. I like her no matter how I look at her. I hope she can be a good husband and wife in the future and take care of Yinzhen for me."
Listening to the words before and after them, Lan Qi knew better than to answer them. The imperial concubine meant that the daughter-in-law she chose for her son would be a queen in the future. Such words, the imperial concubine said this now,
She couldn't just talk about it casually. Although in her heart, she didn't think it was too rebellious. Who knew what would happen in the future.
"Let Yuxi come to the palace to see me tomorrow. I want to see the child." The imperial concubine told Lan Qi, "Tell her at home that I will keep her for a few days. It's boring for me to keep patients here. Yinzhen needs to grow up."
Sorry for the inconvenience, I will take you to stay there for two days and just come and see me during the day."
Lan Qi promised: "I will make arrangements right away."
After talking for a while, Yinzhen looked at them worriedly. Just as Lan Qi was about to leave, the imperial concubine suddenly called her and said seriously: "You don't need to convey what I just said.
If I want to say something, I will naturally tell him, but I don’t want him to give me charity just because of your face.”
Yinzhen felt a little nervous after hearing the nonsense. He didn't want his adoptive mother and biological mother to be at odds with each other, but Lan Qi smiled and agreed, patted Yinzhen on the shoulder and said, "Go and rub E Niang's legs.
She has been lying there with suffocated blood."
"Yes." The fourth elder brother agreed, sent Lan Qi away, and returned to the imperial concubine's bed. Seeing that E Niang was in a good mood, she smiled and held his hand and said, "Are you happy that Yu Xi will enter the palace tomorrow?"
Fourth elder brother likes Yuxi, and of course he is happy to know that she can enter the palace. But now he knows better than anyone why Yuxi has entered the palace. He is sad and feels uneasy all night. The next day, he sees Chuan in front of the Chengqian Palace.
Dressed in summer lotus-colored brocade, Yu Xi was as slim and pretty as a lotus. Although her eyes lit up, the sadness that immediately surfaced made Yu Xi nervous.
She saluted gently and said, "Brother Si, long time no see."