Harem for a living

Chapter 178

After the banquet was given at noon, everyone ate lunch, and in the afternoon they started to play small games such as throwing pots and conjunctions. Chen Manrou also deliberately brought a few girls who she thought were similar to the Empress Dowager Ci'an to show her face.

Empress Dowager Ci'an had no choice but to cheer up and ask a few words casually, and then said that she was tired and wanted to go back to rest.Chen Manrou asked Concubine Shu and Concubine Hui to send the Empress Dowager Ci'an back, and left to deal with the aftermath of the banquet.

After returning to Yongshou Palace, Chen Manrou saw Lichun and Lixia guarding the door of the room as soon as she entered. Through the open door, an extremely familiar sky-blue figure was leaning on the couch and reading a book.

"Your Majesty, when did you come here? Why didn't someone call me back?" Chen Manrou hurried in with surprise on her face, saluted quickly, and then sat next to the Emperor.The emperor turned his head to look at Chen Manrou, and stretched out his hand to brush the hair from her cheek: "It's not long since you came here, aren't you busy? How are you doing today?"

"No matter how busy you are, it doesn't matter to the emperor." Chen Manrou pouted, looking at the emperor sadly, the emperor laughed, nodded and said: "Well, when I come back next time, I will let you be informed first."

"Okay." Only then did Chen Manrou put on a smile, hugged the emperor's arm and said: "A total of sixteen girls came here today, four of them are from the clan, and the rest, I have my eyes on six." One is the daughter of Mr. Cao, the censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, one is the granddaughter of Wei Taibao's family, one is the daughter of Mr. Feng's family, the left servant of the household department, one is the second daughter of Xie's family, and there are two, one One is the first-born daughter of the cabinet scholar Wei's family, and the other is the granddaughter of Cheng Jiang's family in the clan's residence."

The Xie family is an aristocratic family. Although the people from their family are not very high-ranking officials, they have deep roots. From the founding of the country to the present, someone from the Xie family has always been an official, and every generation has one who is a Beijing official.This is a real aristocratic family with a profound heritage, which can be compared with the highest official Zuodu Yushi.

"What did the empress mother say?" The emperor recalled the official positions of these people in his head, and asked from the side. Chen Manrou said with some embarrassment: "The empress dowager means to look again, saying that it is the age of the ninth brother. You're still young, so don't rush to worry about these things."

The eldest princess is also 13 years old, and the Ninth Prince is still one year older than the eldest princess.If the Eldest Princess wants to start picking a consort, she must first settle the marriage of the Ninth Prince.What's more, girls have to choose more carefully. It takes two or three years for boys to choose, but it takes four or five years for girls.

The emperor frowned slightly, if the queen mother really worried about the eldest princess, it is impossible not to think about the Ninth Prince.

"I know, I will discuss this matter with the queen mother later." After a while, the emperor nodded and replied, Chen Manrou smiled and pinched the emperor's palm: "Your Majesty, don't worry, there are still two or three years to go. Isn't my younger brother working with the seventh brother now? Let the seventh brother ask what kind of girl the ninth brother likes, and then we can make the ninth brother happy."

"Well, you are a sister-in-law, so you should ask more about this matter." The emperor nodded casually, thought for a while, and then said: "There are only three children in the Seventh Brother's Mansion, and some are too few. You can see if there are any suitable children." Yes, I will pick a side concubine for my seventh brother."

"Your Majesty, choosing a side concubine is a trivial matter, but has your Majesty asked what the seventh brother means?" Chen Manrou asked hesitantly, and she was willing to help Princess An first because of the kindness that Princess An showed to her today. .

The emperor frowned in displeasure: "The elder brother is like a father! Is it possible to listen to him first?"

"I don't mean that, my majesty, listen to my concubine first." Chen Manrou hurriedly comforted the unhappy emperor, brought a teacup over and stuffed it into the emperor's hand: "I remember, apart from Princess An, there is only one side concubine and concubine An in the Seventh Brother's Mansion." A concubine doesn't even have a concubine. When the former empress was still there, she also mentioned that she would find a concubine for the Seventh Prince."

The emperor nodded, but the expression on his face was still very unhappy: "The boy refused later, and the queen also mentioned it later."

"Your Majesty, the seventh brother and the seventh concubine are very affectionate." Chen Manrou sighed, lowered her head and pinched the emperor's finger, played with it for a while, then raised her head and smiled: "Your Majesty, if you put a side concubine for the seventh brother in this way, I'm afraid it will make the seventh brother Not happy. If the side concubine is a dutiful and smart person, then maybe it’s okay, but if the side concubine is big-eyed and empty-minded, extremely stupid, if it goes on for a long time, I’m afraid it will affect the brotherhood between you and the seventh brother emotion."

The emperor kept a dark face and didn't speak. He naturally knew that the pillow of a woman whom a man likes very much is very windy.It's like when the first emperor was back then, Concubine Hui was so loved by the late emperor that she almost surpassed Empress Dowager Ci'an and made the eldest son of Concubine Hui the crown prince.

If his seventh younger brother and seventh concubine are very affectionate, after such a long time, the seventh younger brother must be dissatisfied with his behavior of forcing a side concubine in the past.It might be fine in a short period of time, but after a long time, if the side concubine does something wrong because of jealousy, the seventh brother will naturally be even more unhappy.

"What's more, we don't want to take too much control over this matter. After all, the queen mother is still healthy and healthy." Even if the eldest brother is like a father, no father worries about his son's backyard every day.Those who do this have always been mothers.

The emperor's expression softened a little, he nodded and said: "Forget it, Seventh Brother doesn't need to worry about it."

"Your Majesty, are you hungry right now? Hongxuan will be back soon, and I'm going to order someone to prepare dinner?" Chen Manrou breathed a sigh of relief. The Empress Dowager Ci'an was thinking about Concubine Xian, so she probably didn't have time. Go find a side concubine for your youngest son, Princess An will definitely be able to relax for two days.

After going to the small kitchen to explain, Chen Manrou went back to the room again. Seeing that the emperor was still reading there, she went to get a candle, lit it and put it in the candlestick, and then put the candlestick on the small table, just enough to illuminate the emperor's side. .

She silently moved the sewing basket over, took out a purse and began to struggle.

When the emperor was turning the pages of the book, he would occasionally look at Chen Manrou. The room was quiet, but the atmosphere became more harmonious and warm.The emperor couldn't help but curled his lips into a smile, this successor looked pretty good, he was smart, kind-hearted but had his own ideas, and he said things openly.Perhaps, I can trust her more.

The emperor couldn't help but frown when he thought of Concubine Xian who was still in confinement and secretly trying to get in touch with his mother.Forget it, for the sake of her being the mother's niece, she should be released after a few days.

Otherwise, I don't know what kind of things she will incite the queen mother to do.

Thanks to her thinking, the queen mother asked the queen to release her in front of so many people.Could it be that she thought that what the queen said could change her mind?What a fool!
If Tang Wan'er knew the emperor's thoughts, she must feel very wronged.If the emperor hadn't been so partial to the queen when he first entered the palace, would she have overestimated the queen's status this time?
Underestimating the first time, overestimating the second time, is there anyone more difficult to deal with than the Queen?

"Mother, I'm back." When Xiao Si's voice came from outside, Chen Manrou had just finished embroidering a pole of green bamboo, put down her purse and stood up with a smile: "The voice has arrived before the person arrives, it seems that I am in a good mood today , but was praised by Mister?"

The little four who had just entered the door nodded repeatedly: "My mother guessed right! My husband said that I can write well, so I don't have to do too much homework today."

"Really? Bring it here and let the queen mother take a look." Chen Manrou said happily, there was a coughing sound behind her, Xiao Si stretched her head and looked back, the smile on her face became brighter, walked around Chen Manrou and rushed to the emperor: "Father Are you here, the emperor? Look at what I wrote today."

"Well, it's not bad, but you can't be proud even if you are praised by your husband. Look at this, you can write well at this turning point. Look, the previous ones are well written, but this one is bad. It can be seen I didn’t concentrate on writing.”

The emperor pointed to the words on it and said, Xiao Si looked at it, and obediently bowed his head to admit his mistake: "Father, I was wrong, I will write seriously next time, so I should still write according to yesterday's homework today?"

"It's a good boy to correct it if you know your mistakes." Chen Manrou hurried over and said, "You two will wait until dinner to talk about homework. I guess Xiao Wu is already hungry by now. I'll let someone carry her over first." , Your Majesty, will you take Xiaosi to wash your hands?"

The emperor nodded, Chen Manrou turned around and asked someone to prepare dinner, and at the same time asked someone to carry Xiao Wu over.

A few days passed quickly. Since the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet, the Empress Dowager Ci'an has been very reluctant to see Chen Manrou. When Chen Manrou went to pay her respects, she treated herself as an invisible person, and she would not speak if she could not speak.

Seeing that it was going to be the fifteenth day of August, the Empress Dowager Ci'an became more and more anxious.Chen Manrou thought, if she didn't want to countermeasures, the Empress Dowager Ci'an would probably make trouble, so she was going to think of a way to get the concubine Xian to come out.

However, before she could think of a way, the emperor went to Ci'an Palace, and then announced that he would let Concubine Xian come out, and the confinement was over.

The corners of Chen Manrou's eyes twitched, Lichun and Lixia both looked dissatisfied: "It must be the Empress Dowager Ci'an begging for Concubine Xian!"

"Don't make wild guesses." Chen Manrou hurriedly waved her hand: "The emperor is not someone who can answer everyone's pleadings. It's almost the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people from the Tang family will definitely enter the palace. Still being imprisoned, the embarrassment is not limited to Concubine Xian."

Besides, for the half a year mentioned at the beginning, it is estimated that the emperor did not really plan to close it enough.With such a real mother, the emperor's methods of punishing Concubine Xian must be discounted to be serious.

However, Concubine Xian was released today, so tomorrow, she should come to pay her respects, right?Do you want to give her a blow?It has to be given without the Empress Dowager Ci'an noticing.Or, if you find out, you can't retaliate.

Chen Manrou rubbed her forehead a little tiredly. She didn't know what was going on these days, she always felt very tired, and she became more and more impatient with this harem.Could it be that there is no goal to strive for?
No, my little four hasn't grown up yet, and I haven't become a queen mother yet, so how come I have no motivation?This state is not good, it seems that I have to change my mentality.It would be great if I could leave this breathless palace.

(End of this chapter)