At three o'clock in the ugly hour, the night sky was dotted with stars and the Forbidden City was completely silent. Except for the palace guards who stood crookedly, secretly covering their mouths and yawning, most people had fallen into a deep sleep. However, inside a room in the main hall of Yikun Palace
The room was still brightly lit.
The elegant and refreshing fragrance overflowed from the pastel green glaze hollow three-legged incense burner placed on the high-legged small round table in the center of the room and filled the entire room.
Wearing snow-green pajamas, Mrs. Niu Hulu sat at the desk, looking through the thick account book presented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in her hand under the bright candlelight. Her fair and tender right hand held an extremely fine wolf-hair brush stained with imperial ink and lowered her hands from time to time.
I started writing and drawing on the rice paper spread out on the table.
The royal ink was rewarded by the emperor half a month ago, but nearly one-third has been consumed now.
The exquisite little two-piece hairpins decorated with silk flowers and pearls during the day have also been carefully untied, washed, and dried by the dressing ladies.
At this time, her long, shiny, silky hair was draped behind her back, and when she got closer, she seemed to be able to smell the faint smell of osmanthus oil.
Cuizhi, the eldest palace maid who was married to the palace, held a small bowl of freshly cooked nourishing ginseng soup. She used her right elbow to push aside the hanging bead curtain and walked into the inner room at an angle. She saw that her mistress was still looking at the complicated things.
After reading the account book, I couldn't help but sigh.
The young master must have a strong temperament and a strong sense of responsibility. No matter how rare this opportunity is to deal with palace affairs, he cannot ignore his health and stay up late every day.
Cuizhi bent down and carefully placed the ginseng soup on the corner of the table, far away from the important account books. She then reached out and took the lampshade that Niu Hulu had taken aside and put it back on the candle in the candlestick. The originally bright candlelight instantly
It became hazy and dim.
Niu Hulu, who was immersed in his account book, was interrupted by Cuizhi's sudden movement. He raised his head in surprise and saw a look of disapproval in the eyes of his confidant, the eldest maid.
"Master, I am not a brave slave, but I have to tell you that it is never too late to deal with this palace affairs. Look at how haggard you have become after only one month in the palace." Cuizhi looked at Niu Hulu with distress and said
.
She is the biological daughter of the young master's wet nurse and the son of Niu Hulu Mansion.
They have grown up together with their master since childhood. The two of them are similar in age. Although they are master and servant, regardless of their status, they can be said to be good sisters.
"You have been in poor health since you were a child. When you entered the palace, I promised that my mother would take good care of you. But look, you are ruining yourself now."
"From my perspective, this body is the capital of a lifetime. If your body collapses at a young age, you will not be able to accomplish anything no matter how big your heart is."
As Cuizhi spoke, she bent down slightly and moved a pile of account books about half a meter high that was piled next to her to the long huanghuali wood table placed under the window sill.
"Look what you said, you're the only one with a good mouth." Niu Hulu said with a smile, pointing at her bold maid.
"I know my body. It has become a fragile crystal doll like you said. If you stay up late, you will get sick."
But it did take a long time to look at the account book, and she did feel a slight pain in her waist and hands, and her eyes felt uncomfortable.
Now that her train of thought had been interrupted by Cuizhi, Concubine Niu Hulu had no choice but to put down the brush in her hand and wiped her hands with a moist white sweat towel embroidered with several slender bamboo leaves on the side.
She pushed the long hair that fell on both sides of her face behind her ears, picked up the small white porcelain bowl, stirred the ginseng soup gently with a spoon, and drank the nourishing food with a frown.
No matter what good food it is, drinking too much will always make people smell it and make them feel bored.
However, her current status is not qualified to set up a small kitchen. This ginseng soup was prepared by Cuizhi with great difficulty using a water boiler and she was not allowed to waste it.
Besides, if I don't drink, I'm afraid this little housekeeper will keep talking non-stop.
When I was young, it was the time when my mother-in-law, Shu Shujue Luo, was the most favored.
At that time, E Niang's heart and eyes were full of Amma, and she couldn't wait to give birth to a boy for her as soon as possible to secure her position next to Fujin.
The person who usually takes care of me the most is my wet nurse.
In her heart, the weight of wet nurse and Cuizhi was similar to that of E Niang and little sister Mingya.
Even the former has a lot more warmth, while the latter is more bound by blood and her responsibility as the eldest daughter of their family of four.
"You always say this, but Da Gege and San Gege are in much better health than you. You can't always think about your family, but you also have to think about yourself."
"You see, Concubine Guo Luoluo, who lives in the East Side Hall, is dressed up beautifully all day long. She is either going to the Qianqing Palace to sleep with her, or she is taking her servants to the Imperial Garden to enjoy the flowers and scenery. How comfortable her life is.
ah."
"Your background is on display here. The gentlemen in your family are all promising, so you really don't have to work so hard."
Listening to Cuizhi's caring tone speaking such a long paragraph, Niu Hulu, who was drinking ginseng soup, paused and put about one-third of the ginseng soup left on the table, slowly
I stood up from the chair because I didn't move for too long. Even if I moved slowly, I could still hear the sound of broken bones.
"Cuizhi, the more you smell the scent of incense in this room, the more you wake up. If you are not sleepy, please accompany me for a walk outside to get some fresh air. Maybe I will fall asleep when you come back."
Mrs. Niu Hulu raised her arms, stretched out a lot, and said to Cuizhi who was standing aside.
"Oh, look at how stupid I am, it turns out that you can't sleep because of the incense."
"Little Master, I'm not sleepy at all now. When daybreak comes, I'll give you some incense to help you sleep, and keep it so that you won't feel sleepy when you smell it tomorrow."
Mrs. Niu Hulu looked at Cuizhi who hurriedly ran to extinguish the incense with a serious look on her face, chuckled and said nothing.
·
Even though it's spring now, you can still feel the coolness outside at night.
Cuizhi was already wearing thick clothes because she had to keep vigil for her master at night, but the pajamas Niu Hulu wore were still very thin.
She originally wanted to help her master change into warm palace clothes, but before she could turn around, she was stopped by Niu Hulu: "Okay, stop working. I won't stay long, so just take a big one."
Cloak, let's go for a walk in the courtyard outside the main hall and enjoy the night breeze."
Hearing what her master said, Cuizhi quickly nodded in agreement.
After Cuizhi walked out of the inner room door, Niu Hulu took a few steps forward and gently opened the carved wooden window on the right, looking up at the cold and bright waning moon hanging high in the night.
The moonlight was bright, and she couldn't help but have a wry smile on her lips. She couldn't help but recall the way that man smiled and his eyes were sparse, and she felt a faint pain in her heart.
·
Niu Hulu wore a light blue cloak embroidered with large magnolia flowers that Cuizhi brought, and the master and servant walked out of the main hall of Yikun Palace hand in hand.
She waved her hand to reject Cuizhi's offer of support, and stepped firmly on the ground alone in her flowerpot-soled shoes, feeling the slightly cool spring breeze blowing in front of her. Her nose was sour, and she gave up the tears that she wanted to shed.
I held it back hard.
Since we are destined to have no connection with him in this life, the person in Zhilan Yushu will never know that there was a timid concubine back then. She just met him by chance in the house and she was deeply imprinted in her heart.
Now he has a loving wife by his side, and he is trapped in this harem.
Since love is something she cannot have in this life, then power is something she must hold tightly in her hands now.
Niu Hulu pulled the cloak on her body, turned her head and looked in the direction of Kunning Palace to the east for a long time, as if she had completely erased the shadow of that person from her heart, and then turned around to prepare.
Go back to bed.
She swore that this was the last time she would pay attention to him.
No matter what news I hear from him in the future, I will hold on to this heart and will never let it be disturbed and unable to sleep because of him.
From now on, she will be a qualified and capable concubine that the emperor wants.
This is not only good for myself, but also good for him...
·
The next day, it was another comfortable sunny day.
Now the power has been restored and the weather is getting warmer.
She spent so much time lying in bed in the past two months that Qingyan no longer likes to stay in bed. However, this is only at this stage. It is estimated that when the weather turns colder, she will stay in bed.
Before going to bed last night, Qingyan was still thinking that when Yinreng came to Chu Xiu Palace today, she would teach him a lesson about "The cub's butt we spanked together in those years" and "The three things a cub should do to protect its butt".
One Hundred and Sixty-Five Moves".
The teacher Qingyan even carefully prepared the "butt props", but the student Yinreng never arrived...
Bai Lu looked at her master who had finished his breakfast and had to climb to a high place to see the scenery just like he did when he was a child.
Bai Lu, who was helpless to stop her, had no choice but to watch as her little master carried a few handfuls of watermelon seeds in his pocket, tied a thick and soft seat cushion with a long golden whip around his waist, and crawled like an agile monkey.
He climbed up to the only tall ginkgo tree in Chuxiu Palace, and sat on a thick tree branch with the bold posture of a big horse and a golden sword, cracking melon seeds in his mouth, and kicking his two slender long legs in the air.
The servants who were cleaning outside all looked at Concubine Hesheli who was climbing the tree with shock, and then they all lowered their heads and went about their errands.
Although the palace concubine climbing a tree sounds a bit outrageous, but when it comes to the little master Hesheli, it feels weird and believable.
Bai Lu raised her head and looked at the bright pink hidden among the small fan-shaped green leaves of a tree that had just grown. She lowered her head and sighed helplessly. She could say that in addition to this unique hobby, her master also had a very special hobby.
A good habit, no matter how many melon seeds you crush, you will always wrap the melon seed shells in a handkerchief and never throw them away?
Qingyan put the seat cushion under her buttocks and found a comfortable position to sit against the tree trunk.
Qingyan has been obsessed with climbing trees since she started dreaming about things in her previous life due to drowning at the age of seven.
Although she fell down many times and was spanked many times by her mother-in-law, she still firmly mastered this skill. No matter what kind of tree she was, she could climb quickly and well.
It's just that when I was a child, I liked to climb trees and touch bird eggs in Zhuangzi on the outskirts of Beijing, mostly for fun, but now I really just climb trees because I'm bored.
Yes, ever since she recovered her memories of her previous life and learned that there are so many fun things in the world, Qingyan feels that her current life is really boring.
Although what I envied most in my previous life was this kind of life, where I didn't have to work, had no worries about food and drink, and had people to take care of me.
But now that she really lives such a leisurely life without freedom, Qingyan feels that such a life is actually quite empty.
Unexpectedly, Yinreng's little breast dumplings didn't come for a day, and she felt that there was really no fun in this palace.
She leaned back again and looked into the distance, feeling that the scenery at this high place was actually pretty good~
This tree is very close to the east wall of Chuxiu Palace, and Qingyan can see a lot of the imperial garden from this angle.
In order to prevent herself from falling, Qingyan also used supernatural powers to tie the golden whip around her waist to the tree trunk behind her, so that she felt more at ease.