Harem for a living

Chapter 21

Not long after, Wei Le and Xiao Chengzi came back with their baskets in hand, because it was almost noon now, so the phoenix orchid looked a little wilted.With a guilty face on Wei Le's face, he bowed to Jin Huan and said, "Sister Jin Huan, when I arrived at the Imperial Garden, the flowers were already a bit unspirited. Xiao Chengzi and I had to choose for a long time before we picked this flower. How many flowers. If the master doesn’t like it, how about I pick a few more in the afternoon?”

"No need, it's because I didn't think carefully." Jin Huan took the basket with a smile, and handed Wei Le a few silver coins: "This is the hard-earned money for you and Xiao Chengzi, you will keep it for yourself later."

Wei Le was a little surprised, looked at the silver coin, then looked up at Jin Huan, and was a little embarrassed: "Sister Jin Huan, although I am very happy to get the reward, but we haven't done well with this errand today, my lady... ..."

"Don't worry, this is what the empress means. It's a hot day, and I'll let you go for a trip. There is no credit but hard work. Xiao Chengzi, go and tell Manager Ming first, and ask him to change shifts for the two of you in the afternoon. have a good rest."

Jin Huan waved to Xiao Chengzi, and when Xiao Chengzi left, he lowered his head and asked, "For Le, when you went to pick flowers, did you see Xiao Laizi?"

Wei Le had a slight doubt on his face, and after thinking for a while, he shook his head and said: "No, I was only concerned with picking the best flowers for my mother, and I didn't see Xiao Laizi, sister Jinhuan, what's wrong? But Xiao Come out of Zhongcui Palace?"

"Since you didn't see it, then forget it." Jin Huan frowned, didn't say much, was about to let Wei Le go, Wei Le suddenly hesitated, tugged on Jin Huan's sleeve, and looked around.

Jinhuan slightly raised his eyebrows: "What's wrong? Do you have other things?"

"Sister Jinhuan, you said that Xiao Laizi left the Zhongcui Palace, and I suddenly remembered something." Wei Le's face was a little hesitant, and finally, biting his lips and looking at Jin Huan, he said: "Xiao Chengzi originally went all the way. They were all with me, but when I started picking flowers, Xiao Chengzi suddenly said that his stomach hurts and left for a while."

Jin Huan has been staring into Wei Le's eyes, Wei Le's eyes are neither dodging nor flickering, and he can't see any guilt at all.The expression on Jin Huan's face didn't change, he just nodded and said, "Okay, I understand, don't tell me about this later."

As soon as Wei Le answered, he came back with a big meal box after drinking and drinking. Xiao Dingzi followed behind the two of them, saw Jin Huan standing at the door, and hurriedly came over to salute with a smile: "Sister Jin Huan, today All the meals that our empress likes are taken, and the empress will definitely be happy."

"You've got your heart." Jin smiled and nodded, let the meeting drink and Jinjiu send the food box in, and then sent them off.Chen Manrou looked up and saw that Jin Huan was arranging the dishes himself, she smiled and said, "Don't they still have them? If you do everything yourself, you won't be exhausted?"

"My servant is not worried about other people. Besides, my servant is used to serving my mother. Your servant is not happy if you don't let my servant serve you." Jin laughed and said, passing every dish carefully. To smell.

The things that come out of the imperial dining room of the palace are tested for poison first, and only after they are sure that there is no problem will they be brought out.If it is really possible to serve out a plate of poisonous dishes casually, then the emperor will die.

So no one would foolishly put those particularly obvious poisons in the food, and the general poison testing methods would not detect anything at all.Jin Huan did this because he didn't want to know if there was any poison such as crane top red arsenic in the food.

She was looking to see if there was anything extra added to the meal.For example, when a court lady came back with a food box, she saw that the phlox was in full bloom in the imperial garden, so she threw a flower or two into the food.Or, in the imperial dining room, suddenly there was an extra plate of food allocated to Zhong Cui Palace.For example, the empress just drank jujube tea just now, and now there is a plate of dried shrimps in the meal.

After checking them one by one and making sure there is no problem, Jin Huan put the chopsticks up, and then scooped up a bowl of tomato egg drop soup for Chen Manrou: "Young lady, drink this first, the color makes people feel sour, Just appetizing."

"I can eat a bowl without an appetizer." Chen Manrou picked up the spoon with a smile, drank a bowl quickly, and then picked up the rice bowl to eat.A bowl of soup already took up a lot of space, so the remaining six dishes were only moved a little.

"Jinhuan, you and Duiyue eat first, and then pass on the rewards." Chen Manrou sat upright, so as not to weigh her stomach, and eat a little too full.This is all getting used to, so Jin Huan responded, first picked two plates and sent them to Manager Ming, and then he and Dui Yue took the rest.

The rations of the first-class maids are different from those of the second-class maids. Jinhuan and the others ate what was left by Chen Manrou, and they had their own leftovers, so they simply gave it to Wei Le, but it was better for them to let Wei Le take care of it for a while. Happy.

After everyone finished their meal, Chen Manrou asked Jin Jiu to hug a small mattress and spread it on the beauty's couch, and just took a nap with the windows open.As for Jinhuan and Tuiyue, they had to do their best to find spies in Zhongcui Palace.

The one who called Jinhuan was Xiao Laizi, and the one who called Yue Yue was Cup Stop.The two chose a place each, and began to ask about the roads they traveled today, the people they met, whether their companions had left, who they talked to, and so on.

After three days of tossing back and forth without repetition, he finally found out the details of Zhong Cui Gong and the others.At night, Jinhuan took the initiative to ask for a vigil, and when everyone fell asleep, he approached Chen Manrou softly and said, "Your Majesty, we have already found out."

"How many nails does our Zhongcui Palace have?" Chen Manrou didn't sleep either, she was waiting for the news, when she heard what Jinhuan said, she immediately turned over and asked, staring at Jinhuan with shining eyes in the moonlight outside.

"Director Ming has been in the palace for five years. He used to be the sweeping eunuch of Qianqing Palace. After the emperor ascended the throne, all the people in Qianqing Palace were replaced. Manager Ming was assigned to Zhongcui Palace. The servants have not seen him these days. Who to contact."

Once the emperor and the courtiers, the old emperor died, and the eunuchs he left behind for the new emperor would never be used.Because everyone knows that when the emperor is close to someone, he wants to install a spy. The concubines want to know who the emperor is going to, the princes want to know what the emperor is planning, the clan wants to know what the emperor is doing recently, and the ministers want to know what the emperor is doing. what mood.

Even before the emperor ascended the throne, he did this kind of thing.Although most people would not be successful in the arrangement, there is no guarantee that anyone will be able to succeed. Therefore, the slaves of the Qianqing Palace must not be left behind.

But, anyway, these people have served the late emperor.The people around the elders, the juniors have to show some face, and they can't let people say that they are out of tea, so the eunuchs who were sent out went to other palaces, and their status should be relatively high, at least above the third class .

Chen Manrou had a good eye, and immediately offered the position of manager.However, because of the position of the manager, Chen Manrou is also in trouble now.She did give face to the late emperor, but who knows who that Chief Ming belongs to.

It's fine if it's a clan. As a concubine, I have nothing to do with the clan.But if there is a prince or concubine or something, it will be a bad thing.But let's change it now, there is no way to change it, Mr. Renming is smart and capable, and he hasn't made any mistakes until now, so why should she change him?
"What else?" After thinking about it for a long time, she had no idea how to solve it. Chen Manrou simply put the matter aside. Anyway, Director Ming didn't show who he wanted to contact.Besides, the emperor has already ascended the throne, if Xiao Mingzi is smart, he should know how to choose.No matter how beautiful the concubine was before, can she compare with the concubine?
She should believe that Xiao Mingzi is a real smart person, not a fool who is smart on the surface but commits crimes on the inside.

"Weile has a compatriot from the same country who is working in Concubine Yang's palace now, but that compatriot also has a distant cousin who is working at Concubine Shu's." Jinhuan continued: "Several people will enter the palace together for the symposium. My little sisters, right now, there is one with Empress Dowager Ci Ning, one with Empress Dowager Ci'an, one with Concubine Yang Gui, and one with Wang Xiuyi. However, I don't see them walking around very often."

"Before the cup was stopped, I was working in the Taile Department. Later, I made a mistake and was sent to the miscellaneous room for reassignment." After a pause, he said, "She broke an instrument in the Taile Department. The wine was originally in the handyman's room, and I haven't heard of any sisters who are friends with each other."

"Hong Mei Qing Xing was originally left by Zhong Cui Palace. She was a rough envoy before. Xiao Xizi and Xiao Lezi just entered the palace this year. The two of them didn't know each other at first. sent in."

While thinking about it, Jin Huan summarized to Chen Manrou. Chen Manrou's head was also spinning quickly, judging who the people in Zhongcui Palace belonged to.There is a relationship on the surface, but not necessarily a master.On the surface, it seems that there should be no master, and it doesn't necessarily mean that she, Chen Manrou, is regarded as the master.

It's like talking about red plums and green apricots. The last owner of Zhongcui Palace was Concubine De who is still alive, and Concubine De has no children.But it doesn't mean that red plums and green apricots can be used. Who knows if they have been favored by other concubines, maybe one day they will be able to frame Chen Manrou or something.

The more she thinks about the relationship, the more responsible she becomes. Chen Manrou is not in a hurry. Anyway, she doesn't plan to compete for favor, and she doesn't plan to be too prominent. Even if she finds out the masters behind these people, she can't do anything, so just take it slowly.

(End of this chapter)