Emperor of the Red Chamber

Chapter 80 In the Queen Mother’s Palace
After Yuan Qingbai left Wang Xifeng's room, he went outside Qin Keqing's room. He wanted to listen to what was going on inside first, but it seemed quiet, so Yuan Qingbai stepped in directly.

Qin Keqing was sitting on the kang making a pair of shoes, and Ruizhu was also doing acupuncture. Seeing Yuan Qingbai suddenly come in, the two of them stood up and squatted down: "Greetings to the third master!"

Qin Keqing hurriedly asked Yuan Qingbai to sit on the east side of the kang. He wanted to pour tea for Yuan Qingbai himself, but Yuan Qingbai asked Ruizhu to pour it, and Qin Keqing stood in front of Yuan Qingbai.

Qin Keqing smiled sweetly and asked, "Didn't Third Master go on duty early today? Why are you here?"

Yuan Qingbai responded with a smile: "Come and see."

He looked at the needlework basket on the west side of the kang and asked with a smile, "Are you making shoes?"

Qin Keqing nodded and replied: "It's the third master's birthday in a few days. I don't have anything good to give him as a gift, so I want to make a pair of shoes for him."

In a few days, it will be the second day of November, Yuan Qingbai’s birthday.

At this time, Ruizhu poured a cup of tea, and Yuan Qingbai looked at Qin Keqing up and down with blazing eyes while sipping the tea, feeling refreshed.

I saw Qin Keqing wearing a moon-white cotton-padded jacket, a gold and silver mouse shoulder-length coat, and a light yellow silk cotton skirt. She had bright eyes and white teeth, as graceful and delicate as flowers and jade.

After all, Qin Keqing has been following Yuan Qingbai for a year. She is one year older and more beautiful than she was a year ago.

Qin Keqing was stared at by Yuan Qingbai's burning eyes and could not help but lower her eyebrows and her pretty face turned red.

Ruizhu felt happy and said with a smile: "Third Master is talking to the master, I'm going out."

Qin Keqing's face turned redder and she glanced at Yuan Qingbai.

Yuan Qingbai said: "No need."

Qin Keqing couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Although she is still young, she is not young in this era. She will be in her late teens in two months, but Yuan Qingbai is not in a hurry. He will at least wait until she reaches her prime years before letting her show off.

Yuan Qingbai asked: "Did you go to pay your respects to the Queen Mother and the Empress this morning?"

Qin Keqing said "hmm" and raised her head: "The princess will take us to the Queen Mother to say hello first. The Queen Mother is also there. After saying hello, I will come back with Sister Feng."

Yuan Qingbai asked: "Where are the princess and the concubine?"

Qin Keqing said: "The Queen Mother left two people to wipe the dominoes."

Yuan Qingbai asked: "Did the Queen Mother reward you with tribute today?"

Qin Keqing said: "I rewarded the princess and the concubine."

Yuan Qingbai asked: "You don't have it?"

Qin Keqing smiled and said, "I'm not talented. I have a low status, I'm young, and... I've never been open to others. The Queen Mother and the Empress have all rewarded me with many things."

Yuan Qingbo paused and said: "You have been here with me for a year. Do you have anything to send to your father? If so, I will send someone to help you."

Qin Keqing said hurriedly: "I don't dare bother Third Master, and I don't dare to carry anything."

Although Qin Keqing hasn't shown her face yet, Yuan Qingbai already likes her.

She is indeed very beautiful. In terms of appearance, Yuan Chun, Youshi, and Wang Xifeng are not as good as her.

She is not very old, but she is smart and well-behaved.

She also has the desire to be strong, but she actually knows how to restrain herself. In the one year since she came here, I have never seen her fighting for anything. She accepts the things that are rewarded to her, and she will not complain if they are not rewarded.

She had been here for a year, and the clothes, monthly money and various rewards were worth a lot of money in total. Now Yuan Qingbai asked her if she wanted to send something to her parents' family, but she decisively refused.

Yuan Qingbai asked: "How old is your brother this year?" Qin Keqing said: "Five years old."

Yuan Qingbai nodded.

In addition to his adopted daughter Qin Keqing, Qin Ye also has a biological son named Qin Zhong. Qin Zhong is the same age as Jia Baoyu. Qin Ye only gave birth to him when he was in his fifties. It can be said that he comes to his old age.

Yuan Qingbai said: "Today I sent someone to give five hundred taels of silver to your father. Your family is not rich, but with these five hundred taels of silver, you can be more comfortable. It's time for your brother to study hard. Ask your father to invite him." You are a master. Third Master, I know rewards and punishments clearly. You have performed well this year, so you deserve a reward."

There is another sentence in my heart: Wang Xifeng has only been here for half a year and has not performed well. She should be punished and taught a lesson...

Yuan Qingbai is now considered to have a rich net worth, his body is worth tens of thousands of taels of silver, most of which were rewards from his imperial grandfather, Emperor Jing'an. Now as the King of Wu Commandery and a minister in charge of the bodyguard, he has a large salary.

He would not spend money lavishly. This was not only a habit he had developed in his previous life, but also because his material life was already at the top of the world. If he spent money lavishly, Emperor Chengtai and others might not like it.

But he is not stingy, and he will reward those around him as long as their performance satisfies him.

For example, his personal bodyguard Zhao You and his eunuch Lu Qian were not only promoted to official positions on his recommendation, but also received considerable rewards from him.

Qin Keqing did not refuse, and squatted down: "Thank you, Third Master."

She knew that five hundred taels of silver was nothing to his third master, but it could improve the life of her parents' family and asked her father to help her brother hire a knowledgeable tutor.

Yuan Qingbai wanted to chat with Qin Keqing for a while, but suddenly a eunuch came over in a hurry and said to Yuan Qingbai, "Master Bai is here."

Yuan Qingbai recognized this as Peng Xi, the eunuch beside the Empress Dowager, and asked with a smile: "Did the Empress Dowager call me?"

Peng Xi smiled and said: "Exactly, the Queen Mother asked Mr. Bai to go over and said she had something to give you."

Yuan Qingbai nodded and rewarded Peng Xi with twenty taels of silver.

He rewarded eunuchs frequently, and he treated some eunuchs kindly, such as Tao Quan, the eunuch of Emperor Jing'an, Dou Ying, the eunuch of Emperor Chengtai, Peng Xi, the eunuch of the Queen Mother, and Yu Deng, the eunuch of Queen He.

He knows that this is good for him and the opposite may be bad.

……

……

Danbo is the De Palace, which is the residence of the Empress Dowager in the Dangchun Garden.

When Yuan Qingbai walked from Nianfangzhai to Danbo Weide Palace, guards, eunuchs, and maids kept bowing to make way for him.

When he arrived at the main hall of Danbo Weide Palace, Peng Xi went to the open room to ask for instructions. Immediately, two palace maids guarding the door scrambled to build a curtain for him, and they said in unison: "Your Majesty, please come in."

Yuan Qingbai stepped into the Ming Dynasty and found that in addition to the Empress Dowager, Empress He, Yuan Chun, Youshi, and a group of maids and maids, there were also two princesses...

Emperor Chengtai only had four biological daughters, and all four of them were gone.

However, this year after he ascended the throne, he adopted two adopted daughters, which means he has two royal daughters.

One is Yuan Jingshu, the daughter of the deposed prince and the concubine of the deposed prince. She is sixteen years old this year.

One is Yuan Jinghui, the daughter of the former Ninth Prince and now Prince Zhongzhi, born to Prince Zhongzhi’s concubine, and is ten years old this year.

At present, the two princesses adopted by Emperor Chengtai are here.

Seeing Yuan Qingbai walking in, everyone looked at him...

(End of this chapter)