The chamberlain led Yan Cheng to Concubine Xian's palace.
The eldest maid of the Concubine Xian smiled and saluted him: "Prince Yan, your Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time. Please come in."
Yan Cheng responded and followed her into the next room.
As soon as he entered the room, various aromas like fragrance and medicine lingered in his nose. Yan Cheng raised his head and saw Concubine Xian sitting at the table.
She was dressed simply today, with a half-worn skirt and lace-up sleeves. She was grinding something in a medicine bowl. She looked like an ordinary housewife, which was very different from her glamorous appearance on the Chinese Valentine's Day night.
The eldest palace maid came forward and said, "Your Majesty, Prince Yan is here."
Concubine Xian raised her head and smiled, her eyes falling on Yan Cheng soft and warm.
Yan Cheng knew in his heart that he was a foreign minister, so he didn't dare to look at her. He bowed his head and saluted: "I see you, the worthy concubine."
"No need to be polite." Concubine Xian pointed casually, "Sit down!"
Are you asking him to sit across from you? Yan Cheng replied: "Thank you for your kindness, Madam. This is not very polite. I'd better stand."
Hearing what he said, Concubine Xian was stunned for a moment, but soon she laughed again, with an easy-going tone: "It's okay if you don't sit down, then help me with the work!"
Yan Cheng had no reason to refuse and said yes.
Then two palace maids came up, tied his sleeves, and brought a medicine bowl and placed it opposite Concubine Xian.
Yan Cheng was stunned for a moment and realized that he had to sit still to do the work!
But it's better than just sitting, which is really outrageous.
He calmed down, glanced around, and found all kinds of spices and medicinal materials on the table, so he asked: "Is the empress making incense?"
Concubine Xian nodded: "If you have nothing to do, make some ointment for your own use. Prince Yan won't mind that this is a woman's job, right?"
"How is that possible?" Yan Cheng smiled, "Chen's mother can also mix fragrance and make ointments. The insect repellent incense and facial grease used by our family are all made by Chen's mother, and Chen often helps her at home."
Concubine Xian showed a thoughtful expression: "Sister Dong...she has always been clever and handy. Speaking of which, I learned the art of making incense from her!"
Yan Cheng was taken aback: "Your Majesty and my mother..."
Last time Yan Ling wrote home to ask about Concubine Xian, her mother said that she and Miss Liu were friends with each other when they were in the boudoir. However, Yan Cheng did not know that Concubine Xian was now the fifth in rank and how many years apart they were in age.
Their friendship is also so good.
Concubine Xian smiled and explained: "Your mother lived in Beijing for a long time when she was young, and she grew up with us. It is not an exaggeration to say that she is our sister."
Speaking of this, her eyes showed sadness: "Later, your mother married far away, and I entered the palace on behalf of your sister. We haven't seen each other for almost twenty years."
Yan Cheng was surprised: "My mother sometimes talks about her close friends and misses her very much. But I never knew that my empress is an old friend."
Concubine Xian smiled and said: "Your mother and I are sisters, so naturally we regard you as our nephew. If you don't mind, just call me Fifth Aunt."
Yan Cheng quickly lowered his head and raised his hands: "I don't dare. Your Majesty is the head of a palace, how can I get so high up?"
"It's just a title."
Yan Cheng said sincerely: "Your Majesty expresses your love for me, and I am grateful to you. I can regard you as my aunt in my heart, but if I declare it with my mouth, I am afraid that it will fall on the public tongue and it will be detrimental to my Majesty."
Hearing what he said, Concubine Xian showed an expression of joy and regret.
"Okay." She said softly, "You have considered it so carefully, I will live up to your hard work."
The two of them were grinding the medicine together and mixing the incense with the incense. Concubine Xian gave some advice from time to time and talked about interesting stories about her childhood with Duke Zhao's wife. The whole room was full of joy.
When she saw the meal, Concubine Xian said, "Would you like to stay for lunch? Look, I asked you to come because I wanted to ask about the wedding, but I told you that I forgot."
Yan Cheng hesitated: "This... I'm afraid it's not in line with etiquette."
Concubine Xian said angrily: "You kid, you are good at everything, but you care too much about etiquette."
After saying that, she turned around and told the palace maid: "Go and tell His Majesty that I want to keep Prince Yan down for dinner."
The palace maid took the order and left. After a while, she came back and said: "Back to your Majesty, Your Majesty has given me some dishes. Please entertain Prince Yan well."
Concubine Xian said: "Look, His Majesty agreed."
Yan Cheng lowered his head in embarrassment: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."
While the meal was being prepared, Yan Cheng stopped the palace maid and asked politely: "Sister, I wonder how my brother is doing now? He didn't cause any trouble with His Majesty, did he?"
The palace maid smiled and said: "Don't worry, Prince Yan. Your Majesty is very kind to the Second Young Master Yan. He just called the Prince over and is now having a meal!"
Yan Cheng thanked her, and a hint of amusement flashed in his heart.
Did the emperor send him away because he wanted to provoke their brothers? He even called the prince over, and he really worked hard.
After lunch, Concubine Xian came to the topic.
"Your fiancée is the eldest daughter of the Xie family in Qi County?"
"yes."
Concubine Xian slowly walked through the verandah and said, "I have never seen her before, but I heard that Miss Xie is well-informed, courteous and virtuous. I think she will be a good match for you."
Yan Cheng smiled and replied: "I think so too."
"Have you seen her?" Concubine Xian looked sideways at him and asked curiously.
"I've seen her before." Yan Cheng recalled the blind date scene back then, his eyes softened, "She is a very good girl, I have nothing to dissatisfy with."
Concubine Xian didn't know what he was thinking, and thought he liked him very much, so she nodded happily: "That's good. Marriage, if it is the order of the parents, but it must also be in line with your own wishes. You are so outstanding, I hope you can
If you can match a beautiful woman, everything will go well with you."
Yan Cheng thanked him, a thought flashed through his mind, and he sighed quietly in his heart.
He is not Yan Xiaoer, so how can he really have everything he wants? As the eldest son, he cannot only care about his own preferences, but also consider what benefits it will bring to the Duke of Zhao.
"I have already selected the makeup gift for Miss Xie. Come and see it for yourself. You may like it."
"Your Majesty, you have taken the trouble."
Concubine Xian smiled slightly and led him into the side hall.
When Yan Cheng saw those makeup gifts, he was a little dumbfounded.
The royal marriage was just for the sake of sound. The gifts were not valuable, but only meaningful. But these things in front of me were obviously carefully selected. There were three boxes in total. They were not only precious, but also very suitable.
Yan Cheng suddenly believed that his mother must have been on good terms with Concubine Xian back then, otherwise why would she bother so much? After he came to Beijing, he showered gifts and left no one behind in the harem, so Concubine Xian naturally got the lion's share. But these things in front of him were obvious at first glance.
Carefully selected treasures, the ones he gave me may not be enough.
"How can I bear such great love from my empress?" Yan Cheng said this with great sincerity this time.
Concubine Xian helped him weakly and said softly: "I said that you are my nephew. For such a big event as your marriage, you naturally have to be a competent aunt. This is my aunt's wedding congratulations to you. I hope
You will be healthy, happy and peaceful in the future."