Harem for a living

Chapter 37

As soon as the palace gate was as deep as the sea, Chen Manrou sighed and added later, it was difficult for the family to see each other from then on.It was almost the fifteenth day of the eighth month, and in the past few days, the palace was also bustling with activity. According to the usual practice, every concubine could report to the queen and ask to see her family.

But this custom is also determined by the person.Even the queen can only see her family once a month.What's more, what about their concubines?It may not be three years or two years, and I will not see my family.

It is said that De Fei's reports have all been rejected, and she, a third-rank concubine, does not know if she will have this opportunity.

"Ma'am, you are not too sad. We won't see the old lady this time. We can wait for next year. In the first month of next year, all married women will come to the palace to pay New Year's greetings. Our old lady has a class." Seeing Chen Manrou's face on the moon Feeling unhappy, she brought a cup of hot tea to Chen Manrou.

Chen Manrou sniffed, suppressing the sudden sourness in her heart, raised her head and smiled at Xiangyue: "Although we can't see the old ladies and the others, we can't miss the Mid-Autumn Festival. Come on, let's think about it together, tomorrow we will do something what."

"It's a pity that there is no small kitchen, otherwise, we can make mooncakes by ourselves." Jin said with a smile, while talking, his hands kept busy.When it came to Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather was also cold, and Jinhuan was doing needlework, planning to make two more winter clothes for Chen Manrou.

"We can ask for the ingredients, make them ourselves, and then send them to the imperial dining room for them to bake for us." Chen Manrou shook her head when she suggested to the moon: "This is not possible, we have finished it, can we give it to the queen and the others?" Would you like to send some? If there is a problem with eating, we will be in trouble."

"Then let's sing and make sachets tomorrow?" Jin Huan continued, Chen Manrou shook her head, and raised her head to let Yue Wei Le and the others call them in, and discuss what to do tomorrow.Before they could discuss it, they heard voices outside.

Immediately, Director Ming came over and said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has sent mooncakes, where do you want them to put the mooncakes?"

Moon cakes can be stored for a long time, ten days and half a month is absolutely no problem.The mooncakes sent here are not only for Chen Manrou and the others to eat, but also rewards and gifts for others. There are many messy uses, so the mooncakes sent will definitely not be less than fifty catties. Where is this question.

Chen Manrou thought for a while and asked, "What kind of fillings are there?"

"Here is the list." Director Ming handed over a piece of paper, on which were written mooncakes with more than ten kinds of fillings.After looking at it for a while, Chen Manrou frowned: "Didn't I say that the ice-skinned one costs ten catties? Why is it only five catties? You ask the person who brought the mooncakes to come in and answer."

Snowskin mooncakes are a specialty of Guangdong. Because storage is troublesome, the Ministry of Internal Affairs does not make a lot of them every year. It is a relatively rare item.It's not like Wuren's, which costs thousands of catties every year.

Director Ming responded, turned around and went out. Not long after, he brought a little eunuch in. As soon as the little eunuch came in, he saluted Chen Manrou with a smile. Chen Manrou asked the previous question again.

"Going back to Concubine Chen's words, the House of Internal Affairs only made two hundred catties of ice skin mooncakes. Excluding the rewards from the emperor, there is not much left. They are all made according to the amount predetermined by the empresses of each palace. The imperial concubine said that the one on her side is not enough, and she needs a few more catties..."

Before the little eunuch finished speaking, Chen Manrou asked coldly: "How many catties does she want, so you will send mine here?"

It's not that Chen Manrou is stingy and cares about a few catties of mooncakes.But in fact, these few catties of moon cakes are more of a matter of face.With her small body that is not yet fully developed, can one person eat ten catties of mooncakes?Let her die.

These moon cakes are for rewards, for example, two or three catties for the Chen family, two or three catties for her grandfather's family, and the uncles have already separated, so at least one catty for each family, right?There are also distant relatives who live far away, more than a dozen households cannot be counted.

She still chose the most important two families. Except for the Chen family and the grandfather's family, the other two families could just share two catties equally.

Those people may not care about the snowy mooncakes. The Ministry of Internal Affairs can make them, and they can also make them by hiring a cook from Guangdong.However, even if the ones made at home are more delicious, the ones made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs are definitely more beautiful and worth showing off!
So, don't look at it as a matter of five catties of moon cakes, but if you say it, it's a contest between the Chen family and the Zhang family.Chen Manrou can't wait for Concubine De to be right in front of her right now, so she pounces on her and bites her twice!It's so annoying!This concubine De must have already made a plan.

Originally, when she was drafting, she thought Concubine De was a little white flower, but she didn't expect this little white flower to lose her composure not long after entering the palace!It really doesn't have the eternal temperament of Xiao Baihua, it's a pity for Bai Baihua's delicate expression.

The little eunuch bowed obsequiously to Chen Manrou: "Please forgive me, Concubine Chen. You really can't help it. The ice skin mooncakes are just right in size. The slaves really can't help it..."

Chen Manrou gritted her teeth secretly, mother, why don't you detain Concubine Liu as a concubine?If the Emperor of Love doesn't come to my place for a month, all of you will feel that I have fallen out of favor, right?

"Your Majesty, you are a large number of adults, and you are the most lenient and kind. Please don't be offended, my Majesty. The younger ones can't help it. After all, the Defei Empress is one of the four concubines, and the younger ones can't be offended." The little eunuch looked at Chen Manrou. Talked, and continued to speak very flatteringly.

Chen Manrou's thoughts changed sharply. If she kept this little eunuch here and said that she was dissatisfied with the Ministry of Internal Affairs because of a few catties of mooncakes, it would be too cheap.But if this matter is handled lightly like this, it will be easy for the Ministry of Internal Affairs to make mistakes in the future, and they will definitely treat her like a persimmon.

"Okay, don't cry with me here. It's not difficult for the Ministry of Internal Affairs to deal with it. This is beyond my control. All I know is that some time ago, I did report ten catties to it." Chen Manrou sneered, turned her head and ordered: "Daiyue, change the clothes for this palace, let's go to the queen and ask who is in charge of the affairs of the House of Internal Affairs."

After saying that, he got up and walked to the inner room. The little eunuch thought that he could cover up the matter with confidence, but he didn't expect that Chen Manrou actually wanted to stab the queen.

If it really happened to the queen, although Chen Manrou would gain a reputation for being stingy, the Ministry of Internal Affairs would suffer.Thinking about it, the little eunuch became anxious, and after a while, a layer of sweat broke out on his head.

Chen Manrou ignored him, changed her clothes on her own, and went to Yongshou Palace with Wei Le, Hui Yin and Xiao Xizi Xiao Lezi.As for the little eunuch of the House of Internal Affairs, no one greeted him, he was in a dilemma, following Chen Manrou, he would definitely be interrogated when he went to the queen.Don't follow, Chen Manrou never told him to go down before.If Chen Manrou made up his mind to seek justice, he would be charged with leaving now and later.

"Chen Concubine, Chen Concubine, why don't you go and discuss it with De Concubine?" The little eunuch thought for a long time, and seeing that Chen Manrou was already in the sedan chair, he rushed to the side of the sedan chair and said, Chen Manrou turned to face the The little eunuch sneered and got on the sedan chair without saying a word.

Meow meow, do you really think I'm a fool?Let me discuss with Concubine De, why don't you tell me to give the five catties of mooncakes to Concubine De as a tribute?
Chen Manrou has made up her mind, five catties of moon cakes is a trivial matter, the queen might blame her for making a fuss over a molehill, but this tone cannot be tolerated, she is not a soft egg that can be squeezed and rounded!Even if you are not favored, you have to live a good life.

Shame or something, can I eat it?

When they arrived at Yongshou Palace, Chen Manrou asked the maid to go in and report, but she just waited on the side.Not long after, the court lady came out to spread the word, saying that Chen Manrou was to come in.Long before getting out of the sedan chair, Chen Manrou had adjusted her expression—a look of grievance, whether she wanted to cry or not.The image is not good at all, like the expression of a child who didn't ask for candy.

Anyway, she is young, so she is not afraid of shame.If she made the expression perfectly, then she would suffer.

"Empress, please find a way for this concubine." Chen Manrou sobbed twice as soon as she entered, and made a big gift to the queen: "I can't help this concubine. If you don't help this concubine, I will lose my lord."

It's not that I don't have sisters who love to sue Defei for embezzling my mooncakes. I do it for everyone's face!If I am ashamed, it means that the harem is ashamed, and if the harem is ashamed, it means that the empress is ashamed.

"What's going on? Get up and talk slowly." The empress sat on it with a surprised face: "Why are you crying like this? But you were bullied?"

"No, it's my concubine who feels sad when she thinks about being ashamed." Chen Manrou rubbed her eyes vigorously to make the effect better.By the way, take a closer look at the queen, giving the queen a feeling that she is really scared, and she doesn't want to be ashamed at all.

The queen raised her eyebrows and asked again: "You wipe away your tears first, and tell Ben Gong slowly, if you don't just cry, how can Ben Gong help you?"

"Yes." Chen Manrou twitched again, and then said: "A few days ago, the empress graciously allowed my concubine to send someone from the palace to pass on the message to the family. The concubine sent someone to the Chen residence to pass on the message..." Said Then, Chen Manrou blushed, very embarrassed, rubbed the handkerchief vigorously, and continued to peek at the queen.

The queen didn't speak, and Chen Manrou lowered her head and murmured: "I told the people in the Chen family that this year, I will reward them with a lot of snowy mooncakes, and each family said a few catties. The mooncakes given to the House of Internal Affairs are also very good. As for the sake of face, the people in the Chen residence are also very happy..."

The queen was stunned at first, and then couldn't help but burst out laughing. This Chen Manrou is too ignorant, right?Isn't it just a matter of a few catties of mooncakes?Is it worth her to go home and show off?However, this Chen Manrou grew up in Zhending Mansion, maybe she has never seen the prosperity of this capital.The Chen family is not a wealthy family, and it is normal to have shallow eyelids.

"But I didn't expect that the number of ice-skin mooncakes sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs is not enough today. I have already ordered them, and everyone in the capital knows about them, but suddenly this kind of thing happened, and I lost all face. .”

As Chen Manrou said, she pumped twice more vigorously, wiped the veil on her face, and tears flowed down her face.When I cried, I really didn't have the slightest sense of beauty, but it couldn't be compared with Concubine Yang Guifei's pear blossoms with rain.

However, it's not the kind of snot and tears that look particularly nauseous.She just acted like a child, although she was crying, it didn't have any other meaning.

The empress couldn't help but sigh in her heart, the Chen family didn't know how to raise children, making Concubine Chen so childish, isn't it just a few catties of moon cakes?It's worth her crying like this!
"Empress, you must help this concubine. If this concubine does not deliver the mooncakes as she said earlier this year, I will be ashamed to see people in the future. The House of Internal Affairs is too careless. Such a big House of Internal Affairs would still be with my concubine." This little concubine cares about it!"

Chen Manrou went on to say, behind the House of Internal Affairs is the royal family, and the royal family confiscated a concubine's moon cakes. If word spread, it would not only embarrass Chen Manrou alone.

The queen froze and didn't want to see a good show anymore, she frowned and said: "Don't cry, I will find a way for you about this matter, how much do you need?"

"It's five catties short, half of it!" Chen Manrou muttered, the queen was a little dumbfounded, she waved her hand and said: "You go back first, and I will send you a little more later, you can double it and send it to Chen's residence. "

According to what the emperor said, the Chen family is still of great use, and the rewards to the Chen family should not be too thin, and the Chen family must know that their girls have not been wronged in the palace.

"Empress, you are really a good person, I know, you must have a solution." Chen Manrou happily got up to salute the queen, and then rubbed the handkerchief with some hesitation: "Empress, the person from the Ministry of Internal Affairs is waiting outside. Come on, do you want to meet?"

"Let's meet." The queen thought for a while and said, and asked someone to announce the little eunuch outside.Chen Manrou looked sideways at the door, and when she saw the little eunuch coming in, she lifted her chin proudly and made a contemptuous expression.

The corner of the Queen's eyes caught Chen Manrou's face, she paused with her teacup hand, then turned to look at the little eunuch, the little eunuch's reply was the same as before, saying that Concubine De asked for a few more catties of mooncakes. I deducted some from Chen Manrou.

"Don't you think I'm easy to bully? Why didn't you confiscate the concubine?" Chen Manrou muttered in a low voice, the queen glanced at her again, feeling uncomfortable, why didn't she concubine concubine?Isn't it because Concubine Yang is behind Concubine Cheng?Concubine Cheng's family is hooking up with Concubine Yang's family now, and these two families have a strong momentum in the capital.

As for Concubine De, what she did was indeed too tasteless.Everyone has reported how much they want early on, so why does your Concubine De have to ask for a few catties more?Don't you just believe that your status is relatively high, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will try its best to make up enough money for you?

The queen's eyebrows and eyes turned cold, didn't she just stay in bed for five or six days?Do you really think you are the biggest in this harem?
"I know, if this happens in the House of Internal Affairs in the future, let me know first." The queen didn't mention the punishment in front of Chen Manrou's face, she just looked at the eunuch and said indifferently: "The steward of the House of Internal Affairs Could it be that this palace does not exist?"

The little eunuch knelt down with a thud, and begged for mercy. The queen just waved her hand and asked someone to gag him, and then said: "You go back and get twenty boards, and by the way, let the head of the House of Internal Affairs come to see me. Chen Concubine, you should go back too, it's just that you did not do things properly, and this royal family's affairs are not for you to talk about, you should go back and reflect on yourself."

(End of this chapter)