The queen is charming, but powerful ministers lure her to seize power and usurp the throne

"It's too late to like her, so how can she dislike her? Courtesy is light but affection is heavy. Your kindheartedness is the most rare thing."

"As for having a boy or a girl, it is certainly good for the prince, but privately, I still prefer girls."

"If it were a little princess, I can't believe how lively and cute she would be if she looked like my empress." Concubine An said with a smile.

Zhe Sang thought about it for a while, and was looking forward to it in his heart, with a gentle smile overflowing from the corner of his mouth.

"By the way, how about the new people sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs? They are quite smart at what they do. If something doesn't work, just ask the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to come over and you can choose again."

Concubine An saw that the queen looked sincere and spoke softly, treating her like a sister.

Concubine An stood up and knelt down to salute the queen.

"What are you doing? Get up quickly." Zhe Sang asked in shock.

Shui Po stepped forward and stretched out his hand to help her up, but Concubine An refused.

"Thank you very much for taking care of me. If you don't want to repay me, I will allow you to kowtow. From now on, I will always follow my concubine. If there is anything wrong, I must tell you, and I will change it. I just ask you to do it." Bless me one or two.”

In the harem, Concubine An could not rely on the emperor. Fortunately, the same could be said for her on the queen. In fact, the queen seemed safer than the emperor.

"Get up quickly, it's just a little effort, it's your job, but you look like you're doing this." Zhe Sang hurriedly stepped forward to help him up.

Concubine An wiped the corners of her eyes and said, "Your Majesty, I could just sit back and do nothing. Only those who are interested will take action, and those who are not interested will turn a blind eye."

Zhe Sang saw that she was losing her composure, so he waved his hand to order the palace people to retreat.

"I said that as long as you stay calm and don't cause trouble, I will ensure that you live well."

Thinking of what Chongqing said about her pleading for Diao Nu, Zhesang didn't want to say anything at all, but seeing her like this, he said a few more words.

"You are also the Lord of the First Palace, so you don't have to be so careful everywhere. Be ruthless and don't be too soft-hearted. Otherwise, the more tolerant you are, others will think you are weak and can be bullied. If something happens next time, don't just swallow it. ."

"Yes, but I don't dare"

"why?"

Zhe Sang didn't understand why she, a noble concubine, was always restrained.

Concubine An murmured, worried.

Zhe Sang did not embarrass her, "If you don't want to say it, then don't say it."

Concubine An thought that she had just said that she wanted to obey her, and she immediately concealed something. Anyone who heard it would feel uncomfortable.

The queen is her life-saving straw. It's too late to please her, so how dare she make her unhappy.

"I have this miserable life, and now I only rely on my concubine for help. I just hope that my concubine will listen and don't blame me, that's all."

"You didn't make any mistakes, why should I blame you?" Zhe Sang reassured.

Seeing her expression, Concubine An cheered up and whispered, "I am a thin horse from Yangzhou. I was born to play with others for fun. I am even lower than those slaves."

Zhe Sang was secretly surprised. She really didn't expect Ding'an Hou to do this.

But she didn't show anything on her face. She was afraid that Concubine An would think too much, so she took her hand and comforted her, "Everyone is self-respecting, and a hero no matter where he comes from. Now that you have entered the palace and become a concubine, after all the things that happened in the past, you have told me today , let’s take this as a worry.”

"Why don't you dislike me?"

"You are as beautiful as a flower and have a humble character. Why should I dislike you? If it comes to birth, it is not up to you to choose. What can you do if you are a weak woman? Zuo is just a pitiful person. There is nothing to dislike."

"If you really want to despise them, you should also despise those sensual people."

Concubine An shed tears and burst into tears.

She was branded with the word 'humble' when she was born. Even if she stood in the splendid palace, she could not get rid of the mud at her feet.

An Suihuan never thought that when his identity was revealed, he would be respected or even comforted by the queen.

They say people's hearts are unpredictable, and the harem is a place of intrigue.

But at this moment, she thought that even if she was used by the queen, she would be willing to do so.

*
Early in the morning, the winter sun shines on the corners of the eaves, diagonally passing through a row of pointed ice slides. The ice melts quietly and slowly condenses into beads at the tips.

"Mother, the things have been delivered!"

Shui Bo's voice was joyful and he strode towards the inner room, carrying the snow falling from the trees on his shoulders.

Zhe Sang was walking around the room according to her grandma's instructions. It was rare to see her so excited. She smiled and said, "I didn't know this before. Why are you still so excited?"

"I know I know, but I can't help but be excited when such a box is actually delivered. I think the empress will see the same thing later."

Zhe Sang patted the snow off her shoulders and said, "Let's go take a look while we have some free time."

Shui Po nodded and quickly picked up the cloak on the shelf and wrapped it around her.

Zhe Sang laughed, "It's only a few steps from here to the study."

"It's still cold outside, so be careful."

The two went to the secret room of the study and saw that the table was filled with boxes of various sizes, all wrapped in red cloth, which was very festive.

"The shopkeeper said that these should have been delivered earlier, but both places were very busy at the end of the year, so it was delayed until today."

Shui Po asked Zhe Sang to sit down, and she took out the long and short gift boxes and put them aside, "These are from the oil and grain bosses, saying they are New Year gifts."

Xibeilou and Xici made money, and the suppliers they cooperated with drank the soup, so they should honor her, the God of Wealth.

Only the largest box was left on the desk.

Shui Po was excited and said, "Mom, please open it and take a look."

Zhe Sang lifted the red cloth, unlocked the door, and slowly lifted the lid of the box with her delicate hands.

"What a strong smell of copper."

Zhe Sang said strangely, his beautiful apricot eyes sparkling with happiness that he couldn't hide.

The box was not small, and it was full of banknotes, representing the profits of Northwest House and Xici this year.

Zhe Sang touched it and said half-jokingly, "As a queen, I should have gone into business a long time ago. Otherwise, in the past few years, I could have become a small wealthy businessman."

Shui Bo said, "It's not too late to start now. If this momentum continues, it won't be difficult to catch up with Dongnan Zhai."

"I'm lucky. It happened that Mrs. Lin passed away and the Lin family seized power. Otherwise, with their momentum, it wouldn't be difficult to suppress the Northwest Tower. The Northwest Tower wouldn't be able to gain a foothold so smoothly."

"Zhou Siyang wrote a letter saying that his father is ill and will not come to Beijing until the end of the new year. You will set aside the Lin family's dividends and send an escort to the Zhou family."

"Except for the 1000% from the Zhou family, the remaining half will be converted into silver and sent to General Hu. Although it is not much now, it can still be used for some purposes. Send another 500 taels to Mr. Gao. In order to win over people, you can only rely on your words. That’s not possible either. Another 2000 taels will be used as a New Year’s bonus for the steward. The remaining [-] taels will be kept as a spare.”

Zhe Sang arranged it, then looked at the pile of gifts, and said to Shui Po, "Look at these, if you like anything, take it. If you don't like it, sell it, and the money you get will be treated as yours." for all the hard work this year.”

Shui Po smiled and said, "What kind of hard work fee? I received the monthly payment."

Speaking of this, she gesticulated with two fingers, "Two copies! One for the palace and one for the Prime Minister's Mansion!"

Zhe Sang laughed.

"Monthly money is monthly money, this can also be regarded as a New Year's gift. Next year, I will give you all a big seal."

Shui Po's eyes were bright and he was smiling from ear to ear, "Okay, when Chongqing comes back, I will discuss with her how to deal with these things. Everyone in Chongyun Palace has a share!"

Zhe Sang was in a very good mood and took out a banknote. Shui Po found a piece of red paper to wrap it in and stuffed it into the envelope.

"Today is New Year's Eve, and the harem is all keeping watch on the New Year's Eve together. The Prime Minister must be the head of the family, and he must be busy too. Please go to the Prime Minister's Mansion in person and hand this letter to him." Shui Bo took the envelope and said, "There is not a single word on it. I didn’t write it down. What should I say if the Prime Minister asks? Does the Queen want to bring a sentence? "

Zhe Sang felt a little embarrassed when she saw him.

"When you see him, just say 'Happy New Year' to him."

"If I don't tell you this, I will tell you what to say. Is there nothing else?"

"No."

The palace banquet on New Year's Eve is held in Hanxiang Garden, a field of white snow and red plum trees. If you are tired from the banquet, it is very pleasant to go out for a walk.

When Zhe Sang arrived, most of the concubines had arrived early.

When they saw the queen approaching, they all knelt down, saluted, and stepped aside to avoid her.

The peony is naturally the king of flowers, with all the reds and colors bowing their heads.

"Why did the empress leave so early? I wanted to go with the empress, but unexpectedly I left late. I missed the opportunity, so I had to rush over on the back foot."

Concubine An quickly caught up with her people from behind, smiling broadly.

Zhe Sang stopped, turned around and stood there waiting for her.

"I thought it was going to be lively here, so I came here first. Next time you send someone to tell me, I will be waiting for you to go with me."

Concubine An's vitality and blood improved a lot, the timidity in her eyebrows disappeared, and she became more charming and charming.

"Okay, next time I will be early and go to Yong'an Palace to guard it."

Zhe Sang took her hand, a little coldly, and asked the palace maid behind her, "Why don't you prepare a hand stove for the imperial concubine?"

Concubine An knew that the queen was afraid that the palace people would bully her again because of what happened last time, so she hurriedly explained, "It's not their fault. They were prepared. It's because I don't think it's important."

Zhe Sang put his small hand stove into her hand, "This is not heavy, you can warm your hands by holding it."

Then she said to the palace daughter behind her, "The imperial concubine feels uncomfortable using it, so you can go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and choose another one."

The palace daughter hurriedly responded.

Concubine An returned the stove and said, "Your Majesty is still pregnant."

"Don't refuse, take it quickly." Zhe Sang came closer to her and complained softly, "If you touch it, my palms will be so hot that they will sweat. Those people are staring closely at me and they have to wear eight pieces of clothing for me inside and outside."

Concubine An touched the palm of her hand and found that it was real. She couldn't help but feel funny, so she held the hand stove with peace of mind.

Just as he was talking, another group of people came from a distance. The person at the head of the group was very eye-catching in white clothes.

In a slender state, frost and snow fall from the sky.

Concubine Shu does not seem to be attending a palace banquet, but more like rushing to a poetry festival.

Concubine An praised in a low voice, "Concubine Shu is so cold and pure."

After finishing speaking, he consciously made a mistake and looked at the queen's expression, fearing that she would be displeased.

There is no reason to praise other concubines in front of the Queen.

Zhe Sang was not displeased, but instead laughed and chatted with her, "Shu Fei's cold face looks more natural than her smiling face. Her temperament is harmonious, which makes her even more beautiful."

Just as he was speaking, Concubine Shu had already walked forward, her voice calm and calm, just like the two of them saluting.

"I have met the Queen and the Imperial Concubine."

"Get up."

Zhe Sang spared her courtesy and took Concubine An inside. Although the scenery was beautiful, there was still a cold wind.

There was no change in Concubine Shu's expression, and she went to enjoy the plum blossoms in the snow.

Feng Huan's death was just the beginning. The emperor supported Gao Hong, and Gao Hong was persecuted by Xibo Mansion.

No matter how beautiful the emperor's words were, Xibohou was increasingly squeezed by the court.

Even the original covenant does not dare to be mentioned easily again.

Concubine Shu's mother wrote letters frequently, asking her to please the emperor more. Concubine Shu did as they told her, but she couldn't even see the emperor's face.

Sometimes, she felt depressed and couldn't help but talk to her mother, but her mother scolded her for showing off her temper in a critical moment.

She and the Xibohou Mansion are one and the same, and they both prosper and suffer. The Xibohou Mansion is currently in a dire situation, and she should put more thought into turning the situation around in the harem.

Concubine Shu knew that her mother was right, but she always felt sad.

The longer she stayed in the palace, the sadder she felt.

Her father, who had been an official for decades, could not solve the problem. So what could she, an unpopular concubine, do?

After hitting the wall again and again, the poems and books on plants and trees became her last comfort.

Since it can't be changed, why not just let it go.

In the old days, Wang Xietang flew into the homes of ordinary people.

The fate of success and failure has already been determined, so why should she suffer from self-restraint?

It's better to have fun with this shallow comfort.

"My wife is wearing thin clothes, so why not go in and take shelter from the wind." The maid next to her advised her carefully.

The emperor will also come on New Year's Eve. The master of the palace will not be dressed in rich clothes, with clouds and temples, and is bright and beautiful.

Concubine Pian Shu refused. She insisted on wearing this simple white dress and didn't even want to insert more hairpins.

Concubine Shu strolled forward, walking through the plum forest.

"If the wind is not cold, how can plum blossoms be proud?"

The cold wind was biting, and Concubine Shu found pleasure in the biting coldness, as if she and Han Mei were being baptized by the wind.

Seeing that she had no intention of going back, the palace maid just walked silently behind her.

Concubine Shu picked up the red plums that had fallen in the white snow and smiled to herself, "Plums without snow are not spiritual, snow without poetry is vulgar. I look at cold plums but have no poetry, so I am considered a vulgar person."

"I knew it wasn't snow from afar, because there was a faint fragrance." A voice sounded from behind the rockery.

Concubine Shu followed the sound and saw a young man coming out from behind the mountain. He had an inconspicuous appearance but a pure temperament.

When the man saw Concubine Shu, he was shocked at first, but he didn't know how to avoid it and stared at her blankly.

The palace maid stood in front of Concubine Shu and said coldly, "Who are you? How can you stare at Concubine Shu like that?"

The man came back to his senses, slightly flustered and embarrassed, and hurriedly knelt down and saluted, "I, Li Jianming, work as an errand in the library. I have no intention of offending my Majesty, please forgive me."

Concubine Shu frowned and asked, "Li Jianming, why does this sound familiar to me? Have we met before?"

She felt like she had heard the name somewhere, but the face in front of her was clearly unfamiliar to Concubine Shu, and she was confused for a moment.

Li Jianming was silent for a moment, "No."

Concubine Shu didn't take it seriously and said, "Get up. Since you are on duty in the library, why are you here?"

Li Jianming stood up, but did not dare to look at her again. He lowered his head and only looked at the snow on the ground. He explained, "Miss Chongqing from Yong'an Palace left something behind. I came over to deliver it and was about to go back. I accidentally disturbed the empress." (This chapter) over)