Empress Huaishu of the Harem

Chapter 17 Huai Shu's Birthday

As soon as I entered the inner hall, I found that the furnishings were gorgeous and festive. Ding's concubine Xun was sitting on a soft couch, wrapped in a thick brocade robe.Weng Lord Chengyi is sitting on the right. She is actually not very old, she is nearly ten years younger than the queen mother, and she is in her prime. I saw her wearing a cinnamon-colored velvet jacket today, which makes her plump and plump. Bai Yu is like a young woman next door.Xu Changzai is also there, but ranking is the most important thing in the palace, so she just sits on a round stool beside her, talking with Ding Concubine.

Concubine Ding saw that her mother and concubine had arrived, and was about to stand up to greet her, so her mother and concubine hurriedly held her down and said, "My lord, you'd better rest quickly, your body is now the most valuable in the palace, and this palace doesn't stick to formalities." .”

Lord Chengyi also smiled and said: "The concubine is right. When I bid farewell to the queen mother just now, I said that I would come to see the young master. The queen mother specifically asked not to waste your energy by talking too much."

Concubine Ding smiled slightly, and said in her mouth: "How can a concubine be so delicate, I dare not bother the Queen Mother and the Concubine so much."

Xu Changzai said with a smile: "Sister Ding is not delicate, she is indeed blessed. Now the empress dowager and the emperor are so distressed. In a few months, the natal mother will be able to enter the palace to take care of the childbirth. When the prince is born, I don't know what reward I will get Woolen cloth."

Ding concubine took the almond pancakes from the plate and stuffed them into her mouth, feigning anger, she said: "Your mouth just can't stop for a moment, unless you stuff it with snacks, you're going to say these things to make fun of me."

Xu Changzai was not annoyed at all, took advantage of the opportunity to eat a piece of cake, and said vaguely: "I congratulate you like this to make fun of me, then Li Liangdi spoke like that yesterday, she must be guilty of jealousy."

She said it casually, and everyone present was shocked when they heard it.Concubine Ding is older, and she is going to talk about her soon, but Mrs. Chengyi went on to say: "Actually, what Mr. Chang Zai said is also reasonable. I saw Mrs. Xun's family a few days ago. She, she has been reunited." And the little master's sister-in-law is going to enter the palace to take care of your mother and child. You say that you don't feel sorry for the parents of the world."

Concubine Ding was also very touched, but in front of such people, it was probably not easy to say much, she just twisted her handkerchief and said: "The child in my womb is only three months old now, and mother has to wait another half a year. What are you doing in such a hurry? , but please go back and persuade her, Master Weng."

The concubine mother tucked the quilt for her, and said: "Although the young master has a body now, she has not really become a mother after all. When your emperor's son falls to the ground, you will know that the heart of being a mother is meticulous, and I am afraid that I will be wronged a little." children."

Concubine Ding blushed and said: "Concubines are also firstborn, so they don't understand anything." Lord Weng smiled and said, "Women raise their first child, but they don't understand. When I was born to normal, I didn't know what to eat, and when I was born again Just keep it up."

Because the queen mother has something to say, we don't want to stay too long.After a while, I said goodbye.When going out, the mother and concubine said politely: "Is Mrs. Weng in a hurry to leave the palace and go back to the mansion?"

Chengyi Weng said: "No, I am accompanying my mother-in-law Mrs. Rong Guotai to see the Queen Mother this time, and I will stay for a few more days."

Mrs. Rong Guotai is the empress dowager's biological mother Zhen Yun.

Time is easy to throw people away, and soon Zhengzhang's eight years will come to an end.Everywhere in the palace is decorated with joy, and with this atmosphere, I also ushered in my No.14 birthday.On the morning of December 14th, Rujuan, Ruxiu and Xiaoyun had already changed into peach red auspicious clothes. When they saw me get up, they all smiled and congratulated me.When it was time for breakfast, my mother and concubine cooked a bowl of birthday noodles for me, and when I brought it to the table, she said: "Time flies, my son Pei is already [-] years old, you have grown up, mother Old too."

The concubine mother is only in her early thirties this year. She is in her prime, and occasionally she sighs like this. I always act coquettishly to dilute her sadness, but today I don’t know what happened, but I also feel infinite melancholy along with it, just like It is the saying in ancient books that "the flowers fall helplessly", things change from time to time, people grow older, their appearance is old, and their hearts are blunt.

I said very sadly: "Time is really ruthless, I really don't want to grow up." The concubine mother smiled and said: "My silly daughter, if people don't grow up, the world will be chaotic. Besides, you are the best At my age, I should be carefree."

I seemed to be laughing at myself, don't concubine mother understand that being born in the royal family, even if she is as indifferent to the world as I am, how can she be carefree.For the first time, I lost interest in celebrating my birthday and began to fear getting older.Perhaps, this is growing up again.

As far as this point is concerned, Xue Po is obviously still a child, because she devoted [-]% of her enthusiasm to the birthday party in the afternoon, and even called the third brother who happened to live in the palace.

I said that the small banquet was held in Jihui Pavilion, Xue Po and I arrived early, and Xue Po specially asked the small kitchen of Yining Palace to prepare dishes for me, in addition to four-color noodle dim sum, steamed elbows, fried tea mushrooms, Braised pork ribs, duck, etc. are delicious and elegant.It's just that Brother Sanhuang hasn't arrived yet, so we can only gossip while waiting for him.

Now everyone is generally concerned about Dingfei's belly, and we sisters can't avoid it, chatting on and on.Xue Po sighed: "Although Concubine Ding is not a person to be hated by others, I always think, why not Concubine Maogui is overjoyed, she has a good background, she is generous in doing things, even Concubine Duan praised her for being a concubine when she was young. I always feel where she should be." Xue Po said, pointing to the middle palace with his chopsticks.

I said: This is a personal good fortune, I can't force it, besides, sister, you don't know, we absolutely have no position to criticize that seat. "

Xue Po is also used to my long-winded words, so he just laughed it off.I thought about it, and I still asked my doubts, "By the way, does Dingbi's natal family have friendship with Marquis Weiyuan?"

Xue Po was taken aback, and blurted out: "How did sister know?" Seeing her reaction, I knew I hadn't asked the wrong person.Xue Po knows the most gossip about royal family members inside and outside the palace.It's not because she is good at inquiring about people's right and wrong, but too many people hope that through her, some things that are not good to put on the table will be passed on to the ears of the Queen Mother.

Xue Po flipped the silver bag in his hand, left me a quiet and beautiful side face, and said slowly: "It's been a long time ago, and I also heard about it from Mrs. Chengyi, so I know that when my grandfather was the servant of the Ministry of Officials in the past, he was Ding Concubine's father's immediate boss. The two families had some contacts. Later, my mother's family was exiled to Jiangzhou because of the housekeeper's false accusation, and my relatives and friends avoided it. That Mr. Xun was a little bit virtuous, after all, he sent a glass of water and wine in Changting. In addition, Zu always remembered Master Xun in his later years, and when he passed away, it was still uncle and father who went to suspend it, but the Zhen family keeps a low profile on weekdays, and outsiders don't know about it."

After Xue Po finished speaking, he said again: "It's very good, why did my sister ask that?" I said: "That day I went to congratulate with my concubine mother, and it happened that Mrs. Chengyi was also there, and she also talked about Madam Xun. I think of her dignity , if you don’t have friendship for a long time, how can you go to associate with the young master of the ordinary official family.”

Xue Po nodded and said: "That's right, Fifth Sister observes these things carefully. If it were me, I wouldn't have the heart to stare at her. Even if we meet, I don't know what to call her. It's very embarrassing. But this time she Accompanying grandma to live here, the queen mother is as happy as anything, I am not even ashamed to complain."

I said: "Mrs. Rong Guotai seldom comes to live in the palace. No wonder the Empress Dowager is happy. Fortunately, Su Ling didn't come with her, otherwise you would have been crazy with her to the house, how could you have time to play with me?" "

"Could it be that my sister is jealous?" Xue Po knew that I was joking with him, so he smiled casually, not really caring, but immediately looked weird.Just as I was about to ask, she had already opened her mouth and said, "You can't talk about your younger sister behind your back. Sixth sister, look who's here."

(End of this chapter)