Empress Huaishu of the Harem

Chapter 8 Empress Dowager Zhen Huan
Because I was only wearing a pink Baihua Zhezhi Ruqun that day, and the outside was a moon-white cloud pattern ruyi shirt, which fit well, and it was indeed too plain for a birthday banquet. Concubine Duanmu sat aside and watched the maid take He took out a neat stack of clothes and stroked them lovingly.Sister Wen Yi married far away and often did not return for many years.Concubine Duanmu has only her adopted daughter, but she has not seen each other for a long time, so she must miss her very much on weekdays.

Just as she was thinking about it, Concubine Duanmu had come to her senses and pulled out a golden palace dress with a bonus of cloud brocade."Try this."

After I put it on, I took a look in the mirror, and it wasn't a perfect fit, but it fit me right after all.And to attend a birthday banquet, such a festive color that is bright on the outside and light on the inside is very suitable for the occasion, but it will not be too eye-catching and overwhelm the guests.

Taking advantage of this gap, Concubine Duan also went to change clothes.She is the head of the empress dowagers, and the empress dowager's birthday is a happy event, so naturally it is not good to be too plain.That's why she wears a Hetian jade-carved lotus flower on her head, and even the hanging tassels are made of jade pendants.The clothes are also the silver-red crane figure palace dress.

For the first time, I felt that Concubine Duanmu was so good-looking. She had obviously aged, but her eyebrows and eyes were still pretty, so delicate that I was even a little jealous.I sighed, "Concubine Duanmu, you are so beautiful."

Concubine Duan was startled, and then said: "This child, how old is Concubine Mu, what's so good about being an old lady." But it can be seen that she is still happy.

I said: "Time flies by, no one can stop it, but good-looking is good-looking, if I can still be like a mother and concubine at this age, I will be content."

Concubine Duanmu said indifferently: "When you reach this age, let's talk about this age. Let's go, Zipei."

The Lingxiaotai rises from the ground and resembles the sky.Looking from the stage, I felt that the vast Purple Austrian City had a panoramic view. I walked slowly on the 27 jade steps with my mother and concubine Duan on my arm.It seems that it really enters the sky like a lotus growing every step of the way.

At the table, Concubine Demu and Concubine Mu have already arrived.Even Uncle Wang and his wife of Pingyang were already sitting upright, and everyone saw Concubine Duan standing up to salute.Concubine Duan's mother was exhausted, she found a seat and sat down after a little gesture, and I also went to her side.

After a while, Concubine Zhen and the second brother, King Jin, came together. Although Yu Pei was unmarried, he had already opened his teeth and built a mansion, so he was not in the palace on weekdays.Concubine Zhen was very happy to see her son, she kept talking and kept smiling.

Concubine Demu watched for a long time, and suddenly sighed, "After King Jin gets married, I'm afraid Yanyi will move to the palace, and the Changshou Palace and Shouqi Palace will be even more deserted."

The concubine mother poured a cup of "Pear Blossom White" for her, and said softly: "Sister, we should be happy for Sister Zhen. Besides, isn't the palace about to enter soon?"

Concubine Demu nodded and said yes, this is, there was a sound of footsteps from the audience, and an inner eunuch came to Concubine Demu and said, "Report to Concubine, Marquis Weiyuan and Lord Chengyi have arrived."

When Concubine Demu heard this, she hurriedly got up to greet her, and a middle-aged couple walked up to her in a flash.The lady next to her was in her early thirties, and it seemed that she was well maintained.They saluted Concubine Demu together, and Concubine Mu thanked her and said, "Master Hou and Lord Weng, please sit down quickly." They are the elder brother Zhen Heng and sister-in-law Chen Shi of the present Empress Dowager Zhen.
Weng Lord Chengyi is the granddaughter of the late Emperor Zhaocheng Empress Dowager. After she got married, she often interacted with concubines, so she was very familiar with Concubine Demu and others.

After a while, an internal supervisor sang: "The queen mother is here, and the emperor is here."

Everyone hurriedly got up and knelt down to worship, shouting long live and thousand live.The Empress Dowager sat down and spoke in dialect.Only then did I see that the queen mother was supported by the emperor's brother and a beautiful woman in palace attire from left to right. The beautiful woman knew without looking that she was Yin Yuejing, who had just been promoted to Wanyi.

The Empress Dowager was wearing a rose-purple satin phoenix robe today, she looked very energetic, she looked around at the people below, and asked with a smile: "Who else hasn't arrived?"

Brother Huang respectfully replied: "Ling Chu is ill, elder brother has already asked for leave, and will accompany elder sister-in-law to take care of her at home."

The queen mother nodded her head and said: "Qi Wang and his wife have always been loving, and they only have one son. It should be so. Did the emperor send someone to heal the son?"

"My son has ordered Meng Shixin, a physician from the Imperial Hospital, to go."

The Empress Dowager nodded to express her satisfaction, and then asked again: "That's all for King Qi, why didn't Han'er come?"

Xue Po hurriedly said: "Queen, third brother said that he has prepared a big gift for you, and he won't arrive until later."

This is a formal banquet, the seating order is determined by etiquette, so Xue Po sits a little far away from the Queen Mother, so the voice is not low, slightly abrupt.Sure enough, the Empress Dowager said angrily: "If you answer, please answer well, there are some rules for scumbags."

Xue Po didn't dare to make a mistake in front of others, bowed his head and dared not speak.Seeing this, Marquis Weiyuan couldn't help smoothing things over, and said: "The empress dowager calms down, it's okay for Diji to be more lively at this age, and the minister's youngest daughter Suling is almost going to be thrown into the house at home."

The Empress Dowager naturally wouldn't refute her brother's face, and instead said: "Brother is being modest, it's been a long time since Ai's family has seen Zhiping and Suling, why don't you bring them here today?"

Marquis Weiyuan said: "Suling is stubborn, I don't want her to come here to disturb Shengjia. Zhiping is already thirteen, and outsiders have no job, so they can't come in unless they are called."

The emperor smiled gently, and said: "Uncle is too cautious. Zhiping is the only nephew of the mother's family. He should celebrate his birthday." Then he turned to his inner eunuch, "Wu Changqing, don't tell Mr. Zhen to come in."

It took a lot of time to come and go. After the emperor's brother started, everyone offered congratulatory gifts one after another. The empress dowager's honor is the first in the world. It is really not easy to find her rare.Everyone just wanted to be auspicious and beautiful.For example, Concubine Duanmu sent a copy of the "Diamond Sutra" that she copied herself, and the emperor ordered someone to make a pair of eight nanmu screens, which were embroidered with lifelike Eight Immortals of Shanglin, and began with the Queen Mother's favorite crabapple.Naturally, there was a burst of praise.

The queen mother smiled and said: "This child has a heart. I just said a few days ago that I was annoyed by Yueyingsha all day long, but he actually wrote it down for me." Aunt Jinxi also smiled, and said to the palace people behind her: "How about you?" Hurry up and carry it back to Yining Palace so that the Empress Dowager can see the Emperor's filial piety every day."

Brother Huang said with a smile: "Auntie is laughing at me again." I think when he laughed, he was gentle and pure, as if he was the fourth brother who hugged and played with me when he was a child, not a loner on the Dragon Throne who cares about the world.

Taking advantage of this harmonious atmosphere, I also present a congratulatory gift, which is a quilt cover embroidered by my mother and concubine.With Hangzhou silk as the base, the pattern of red lotus is embroidered with fragrant thread.In fact, there is nothing new, just to win a lottery.But I don't know why, when the Empress Dowager saw this embroidery, she lost her mind for a moment, her eyes were also tender, and then she gave me a meaningful look.

Seeing it so plainly made me flustered.The Empress Dowager is really a figure I cannot measure.Although she has taken good care of me since childhood, I always feel oppressed by her side.She is as calm as water, but she is also unpredictable. I don't know what can change your fate afterwards.This feeling was even stronger after Lingxi was sent to Feishuang Palace.

Speaking of that day, I didn't pay attention to me even after a lot of panic, and it was already very late when I came back after tossing.The mother and concubine came back from the Tongming Palace to see that I was disturbed, so she was naturally concerned and asked.But with such a big relationship, I really didn't dare to open my mouth, so I had to prevaricate it by rambling.

Early the next morning, I heard that Eunuch Yun from Yining Palace had come and said that he had something for me.I knew it must have something to do with it, but I didn't expect that it was the snow-flour crimson gauze cloak that I casually threw in the corner.I was so shocked that I didn't even bother to cover it up, and stammered, "Well, how could you do that?"

Eunuch Yun seemed very satisfied with my reaction, and said: "Emperor Concubine, don't panic, it's Chonghua Palace's daring and daring who stole Di Concubine's clothes, Lingxi Concubine Di Concubine can't tolerate such a slave, and now that hoof has been taken away." Send it away, Di Ji is at ease."

I was even more confused by what he said, full of questions but didn't know how to speak.Seeing this, Eunuch Yun saluted and said: "Presumably Di Ji was overly frightened, she should rest well, and the slave will not bother her, so she will leave first."

Since then, this matter has never been followed, but it has become a thorn in my heart. I can't say it, I can't get it out, but I just deal with people and things in the palace more carefully, especially the Queen Mother Zhen Huan.

　Zhen Huan can be regarded as a good aunt, but she must be better for her children
　　
　
(End of this chapter)