The Biography of Concubine Wen Xi in Qing Palace

Chapter 28 Xiaozhuang
The Compassionate Palace was originally the residence of the concubines, but since the first emperor came to the court, it was changed to the residence of the former concubines.

The roof is in the style of yellow glazed tiles with double eaves and Xieshan. It is seven rooms wide.

There is a platform in front of the hall, three steps on the front, and one step on the left and right. There are four gilt bronze incense burners on the stage.There are card walls on the east and west mountains, each with a vertical flower door, which can lead to the backyard.

When Wan Lai stepped into the threshold of the Palace of Compassion and Ning, the maids and eunuchs who cleaned the vestibule stopped their work and bowed and bowed.

She looked at the entrance of the main hall from a distance. Aunt Su Ma was wearing Mongolian auspicious clothes, which was more noble than when she first saw the court ladies' plain clothes that day.

The old nanny who has served in the palace for a long time is also a celebrity around the empress dowager, so she is different from ordinary servants.

She carried a bucket of colorful phoenix-patterned plates, full of peeled juicy grapes with green skins, each plump and bright.

Just as he was about to enter the main hall, he saw the maid outside the door knelt and made a noise to say hello, she raised her eyes to look at Wanyu, and asked, "Which young master is it?"

"The noble concubine Niu Hulu, thanks to the kindness of the emperor, came to the Palace of Compassion and Ning to thank the Empress Dowager."

"It's still early, and the Empress Dowager is still resting."

Aunt Su Ma's expression was indifferent, she smiled gently, and said respectfully: "It's okay, the concubine is waiting outside the door, please trouble the mother to let the empress dowager know when she wakes up."

Aunt Su Ma nodded her head, raised the curtain and entered the main hall with a cold face and said nothing, while Gu Gu left Wan Lai alone in the vestibule of the Compassionate Ning Palace.

The court ladies and eunuchs, who were still holding on to the etiquette, saw that Wanyu had been rejected by Aunt Su Ma, so they took the courtesy before Wanyu could exit and went off to work.

On the day of the draft, she couldn't see that Madam Su had such a strong temper. How can she say that she is also a decent little master, and her posture like this is really impolite.

In the main hall, the Empress Dowager was sitting cross-legged on a warm seat, her forehead was tied up in the Fengyin Kunshan hairstyle, her long eyebrows were neatly drawn into her temples, and she was carefully reading a Buddhist scripture in front of her.

Aunt Su Ma put the plate of grapes on the table with gentle movements, and said with a cold expression on her face, "This grape is a new tribute from Gaochang this year, the emperor is filial, thinking that the empress dowager likes to eat it, eight hundred Riga was anxious to be sent back to the palace first." Then, he chose a big and juicy one with a silver fork and handed it to the Empress Dowager: "Try it, do you think it suits you?"

"The emperor has a heart." The Empress Dowager kept her eyes on the Buddhist scriptures, she tilted her head and slightly opened her lips and teeth into one, said "Excellent", and then asked with a fixed expression: "Can you leave?"

"It's said that I'm waiting outside, and the slaves don't have much to say."

Aunt Su Ma inserted another fruit, and the Empress Dowager took the silver fork from her hand and put it on the plate: "After reciting this volume of Buddhist scriptures, let her come in."

Aunt Su Ma comprehended the Empress Dowager's intentions, and nodded in response. Seeing that the Empress Dowager raised her arms, she loosened her hands and went forward to knead her: "Your cold syndrome always recurs every time you change seasons. Fortunately, Concubine Hui The empress served well, so she suffered a lot of crimes."

Aunt Su Ma was proficient in kneading skills, and the Empress Dowager nodded with a relaxed expression: "Concubine Du Hui is a concubine who was sent to the palace by Ai's mother's family, so she is naturally more considerate. Those servants in the office winked a little, don't always follow the emperor's wishes, Ma Jiachang is a bit arrogant and indulgent, the emperor should be cold to her, it's good for the Ai family to look at Concubine Hui." She paused, chose a grape to enter, and slowly Caressing the armor inlaid with gold and agate grains in his hand: "Chengrui's birthday is over, so I hang up the green head card that Ma Jia always has, so I can see that she can still get angry."

"The Empress Dowager is Shengming. Although the Empress does not speak, the little lords of the palaces have given her a lot of embarrassment. Even those who are higher than her are not paying attention." Aunt Su Ma's brows sank, Seriously said: "The one from Yikun Palace is also the same."

The Empress Dowager smiled slightly: "Concubine Yi has such a family background, and it is her destiny to depend on blessings and misfortunes. She was also to blame for not being liked by the emperor, and she was not as good as her younger sister. Qianqing Palace, this kind of honor and favor is something that even Ma Jiachang never had."

Aunt Su Ma carefully asked: "So the Queen Mother wants to mention her?"

"Shang Ai's family made some suggestions." The Empress Dowager turned a page back in the Buddhist scriptures: "The empress is the master of the harem. Why is Ai's meddling?"

Wannai waited in the vestibule of the Compassionate Ning Palace for nearly half an hour, seeing that she was about to miss the time to greet the queen, she felt more and more anxious.

Fortunately, when she was worried, Aunt Su Ma lifted the curtain and said solemnly to her: "The Empress Dowager calls you to see me."

Wan Yu didn't dare to slack off, she straightened her body and straightened her collar, and followed Lagu Su Ma into the hall.

When Wanyu entered the hall, the Empress Dowager was sitting on the warm seat, leaning on a thin pillow with seven horns of lotus and gold strands on her back, holding a beeswax Buddhist bead and twirling in her hand.

On the red sandalwood table next to it is a bright half-body hollowed-out lotus-backed incense burner. Aunt Su Ma offered three pillars of sandalwood to replace the burnt one. Living Buddha.

Wannai bowed to the Empress Dowager and bowed to the Empress Dowager, then knelt down and kowtowed three times and kowtowed nine times before she spoke: "My concubine, Niu Hulu, Wannai, to honor the emperor's rain and dew, is here to thank the Empress Dowager in the Palace of Compassion. The Empress Dowager will live in good fortune and longevity, and enjoy peace and health forever."

The Empress Dowager's expression froze, the beads in her hand stopped turning, she looked up at her who was still kneeling on the ground, and said slowly for a long time: "The emperor granted you to stay in the Qianqing Palace, so he also gave you a warm sedan chair, why don't you take the sedan chair? "

Wanyu raised her face and said respectfully: "The emperor loves you, and the concubines don't dare to go beyond the rules. After thinking about entering the palace for a long time, the empress dowager has been ill, and the concubines have never seen each other. It is the first time to see you, and you can't miss it." Courtesy."

Seeing the Empress Dowager's expression was flat, she said cleverly: "During the journey from Qianqing Palace to Mercy Ning Palace, concubines pray every three steps, and pray every five steps. It can be reduced quickly."

The Empress Dowager let out an 'oh', and raised her hand indifferently: "I was too busy talking, but I forgot that you are still in a state of etiquette, so get up first." Then she winked at Lagu Su Ma. Ma Lagu nodded and took a mahogany upright chair with five bats carved on it, and placed it behind Wanyu.

"You know the rules, the emperor likes it, and the Ai family likes it too." Although the voice of the Empress Dowager was soft, the pun in her words was clear: "You can listen to your father's words, and the alertness and calmness you have been taught are not like Yi The concubine has a stronger temper, so I'm not as good as you."

Wan Lai lowered her head and lowered her eyes, with a humble expression: "Concubines can't afford to be empress dowagers, concubines and concubines enter the palace to serve the king, and they hear the emperor's will in their ears. Empress Dowager taught. Apart from this, there is nothing else to listen to."

"It's great that you have such a heart." The Empress Dowager changed her expression and smiled softly: "The Ai family is old, and others don't want to listen to what you say. You just need to remember the emperor's heart."

"The empress dowager is so calm, as the head of the harem, how can she be old? How can someone not listen to you? The concubine thinks, maybe everyone wants to treat you well, you blindly I'm just hiding and don't want to deal with it."

"Remember, the empress is the lord of the harem. The Ai family is just an old man from the previous dynasty, and it is the emperor's filial piety that gave the Ai family this honor."

(End of this chapter)