Harem for a living

Chapter 5

"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said, I heard that the Chen family's daughter is graceful, gentle, virtuous, virtuous, polite, gentle, kind, respectful and thrifty. I respectfully enshrine the empress dowager's order and canonize Chen's daughter as the second-rank concubine Chen to show her favor. Immediately enter the palace, serve the palace, and give Zhongcui Palace a residence. I admire you."

"My minister kowtows to thank the emperor." As the head of the family, Mrs. Chen led the family members to kowtow, and then received the imperial decree respectfully. Then, with the support of Chen Huaijin, she stood up and took out a purse stuffed with a smile. In the hands of the Xuanzhi eunuch: "Eunuch Liang, is our family the only one who received the imperial edict today?"

"Mr. Chen is too polite." Eunuch Liang squeezed his purse with a smile, stuffed it into his sleeve, and said, "Before I left the palace, Lord Long Live didn't let anyone else come out to announce the decree. It's not too early now, The imperial edicts for the canonization of concubines are basically completed before noon, and this little one is probably the last one today."

"Thank you, Eunuch Liang. If Eunuch Liang is not in a hurry to return to the palace, please stay and have a cup of tea. I just got a pot of good tea a few days ago. Eunuch Liang, please appreciate it?" Old Master Chen smiled at Eunuch Liang. He made a gesture of invitation, and Eunuch Liang didn't refuse much, and after he answered with a smile, he followed Mrs. Chen into the door.

Mrs. Chen looked back at Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Chen nodded, then turned around and led Chen Manrou to the inner courtyard.When the imperial decree arrived, Chen Manrou was going to enter the palace today, and the things to be brought in had to be checked again.If something strange gets mixed in, and you have to go to the gate of the palace to check it out, then you will fall out of favor before entering the palace.

"I heard that the second daughter of the Duke of England entered the palace the day before yesterday, and was canonized as a second-rank concubine. Eunuch Liang knows that the concubine is now..." Old Master Chen asked Chen Huaijin to bring a cup of tea to Eunuch Liang. Eunuch Liang was very satisfied.

Holding the teacup for a sniff, squinting his eyes to look intoxicated, he took a sip of tea and said: "Master Chen's tea is a good tea, it smells delicate, slightly astringent in the throat, sweet aftertaste, it is indeed good tea. "

"If Eunuch doesn't dislike it, I still have a can of high-ranking unsealed here. Eunuch can take it home with you when you return to the palace." Old Master Chen said while stroking his beard. Eunuch Liang put down the teacup and said something casually: " The concubine de concubine was favored the day she entered the palace, but the concubine was a little uncomfortable yesterday, so the emperor rested in the concubine's Jingren Palace."

She was favored one day, but was robbed by the noble concubine the next day, and her own daughter entered the palace on the third day. It seemed that the concubine De concubine was not particularly favored.

"My girl is still young, and she has always been pampered at home. Some of the rules in this palace may not be noticed. I hope that Eunuch Liang will guide her a lot in the future." Old Master Chen narrowed his eyes, stretched out his hand and clasped fists at Eunuch Liang, With a slip of the hand, another purse was revealed.

Eunuch Liang glanced sideways, and quickly stretched out his hand to help Mrs. Chen's hand, and slipped the purse into his sleeve by the way: "Your Majesty Chen, you are welcome, the Concubine Chen of your mansion looks clever and cute, and there is a lot that is missing in the palace." This is exactly the kind of master and concubine."

There are two business news here and there, while Chen Manrou's side is busy. A few days ago, Mrs. Chen had already finished what she needed to say. Now, I will only explain some common things: "There is a custom in the exchange of favors in this palace. If you don't know, please ask the empress to give you an aunt. However, no matter what you give, don't give food. Even cloth, you should be careful when giving it."

"When the emperor comes to you, you should welcome him well. If you don't go, don't beg. Although the Chen family sent you into the palace, they don't expect you to be favored and bring glory to the family. You just need to protect yourself." , can become the last retreat of the Chen family." Mrs. Chen's eyes were red, how could it be easy to survive in that place in the palace?
Her granddaughter raised her up tenderly, and her family never had any dirty privacy. Although her granddaughter is smart, such things are not something that a smart person can handle.

"Grandmother, I know everything." Chen Manrou put her head on the old lady's shoulder and rubbed her head: "I have entered the palace, grandma and grandfather must take care of their health, although I am only from the second rank now, concubines above the third rank are all I can summon my family, and I will invite my grandmother into the palace every once in a while. And elder brother, grandmother must let him study hard. Our Chen family can't always be a general. The world is peaceful. In the prosperous age, Civil servants are more respected."

The same official rank, civil and military is a different status.

Mrs. Chen nodded, rubbing Chen Manrou's shoulder with her skinny hand, and patted her on the shoulder to get her up after she finished speaking: "It's getting late, you should go too." As she spoke, she turned her head and shouted joyously Xiangyue: "You two should take good care of Miss. In the future, when Miss is well, you will be better. If Miss is unlucky, you will not survive. My Chen family can let you go. You should also know that there is a saying in this world called Kill people to silence the mouth, the dead are the ones with the tightest mouths."

"Your servant understands." Jin Huan and Dui Yue came to salute the old lady, each holding a package in his hand, which contained the purse, small clothes and jewelry that Chen Manrou had made in the past few days.The most important purse was placed in Chen Manrou's arms.

A group of people left the gate of Chen Mansion. Chen Manrou looked tearfully at Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Chen, as well as Chen Huaijin who was full of reluctance, and bent down and sat in the sedan chair.With the car curtain lowered, she could only hear voices outside.

"Eunuch Liang, please take care of my granddaughter in the future." Old Master Chen said with a slightly hoarse voice, while Eunuch Liang's voice was very brisk: "Master Chen, don't worry, Concubine Chen has great blessings, but the little one I want to be more blessed by Concubine Chen's blessing."

After finishing speaking, he turned around and ordered: "Get up the sedan chair! But be more careful, be careful not to knock Concubine Chen."

Chen Manrou in the sedan chair closed her eyes, she could imagine the scene outside without looking.Grandfather, grandmother and eldest brother must be standing outside the door looking at the sedan chair. In front of the sedan chair, there is a team of servants holding a sign to clear the way. Next to the sedan chair, there are two maids for him. "dowry".

It's really funny when you think about it, to become a concubine in the palace and still have a dowry.There is a dowry, but not even a ceremony.It is an ordinary family who lifts an aunt and sets up a few tables for banquets, but this one, like a thief, enters the palace quietly and secretly puts the dowry.

From now on, the Chen family will no longer be her own home.Sighing, Chen Manrou suppressed the soreness in her heart. She was never in a mood to hurt the spring and autumn. The matter was a foregone conclusion, so she could only find ways to make her life more comfortable.

From now on, Zhongcui Palace will be his own den. As for the emperor, just treat him as calling for special services.

The sedan chair swayed for about half an hour before it came to a slow stop. Chen Manrou sat without moving, and then heard footsteps outside, followed by Eunuch Liang's voice: "Chen Concubine, you have arrived at Zhongcui Palace, please The concubine gets off the sedan chair."

Chen Manrou continued to sit still. After waiting for a while, she saw a white hand opened the sedan chair curtain. She knew this hand, it was Jinhuan's hand. Give Eunuch Liang a half salute: "Please trouble Eunuch Liang."

"Don't dare to be a small one." Eunuch Liang hurriedly dodged to avoid it. When he was in Chen's mansion, he could hold airs. He didn't dare to be too presumptuous in front of Concubine Chen. Even if Concubine Chen is not favored in the future, their kind The waiter can't be too arrogant.

"Chen Concubine, please come in. The young one will bring the people from Zhongcui Palace to show you. If Chen Concubine is not satisfied, the young one can change it for you now." Eunuch Liang smiled and bent down to ask Chen Manrou went in.

Chen Manrou nodded slightly, and entered Zhongcui Palace with a little embarrassment on her face.This Zhongcui Palace is quite big, it can be regarded as a small courtyard with two entrances. The layout of the front and back palaces is almost the same, with five rooms in the main hall and three rooms in the east and west side halls.The only difference is that the back hall looks a bit small, only two-thirds of the size of the front hall.There is a small garden in the front yard. Although the layout is small, it has mountains, water, flowers and plants.

At this moment, in front of the small garden and behind the palace gate of Zhongcui Palace, there were more than ten people standing in a row, including six court ladies and six eunuchs.There is no nanny. In this palace, those who are beyond the age and have not left the palace to marry are called aunts.

As for Mammy, she was married, so there is still a difference between the two.As for the foster mother, she married after she came out of the palace.For some reason, either the nanny's own livelihood had to come out to work, or it was a guest invited by the virtuous corporal from someone else's family.

Chen Manrou counted the heads, turned her head and asked Eunuch Liang with some embarrassment: "Didn't you say that from the concubines of the second rank, there can only be six court ladies? Here are the items..." Pointing to Jin Huan and Dui Yue , these two followed into the palace, that also accounted for the number of people.

"Concubine Chen, don't worry about it. Generally speaking, there are six, but occasionally there will be a few more. After all, the palace is too big, and there are many people who need to be cleaned." Eunuch Liang explained with a smile, the rules are dead , people are alive, the master of the palace said that he doesn't have enough manpower, how can the queen not give people?Of course, the premise is that you have to be favored, and the emperor agrees to your request.Otherwise, there will always be a bunch of rules blocking you.

"Ah, that's it, I understand." Chen Manrou nodded, and said with a smile: "Thank you, Eunuch Liang, I think they are all good looking, so there is no need to change them. If Eunuch Liang has something to do, go and get busy first." Well, I won't delay Eunuch Liang here."

"That's good, I'll take my leave first." Eunuch Liang nodded inwardly at Chen Manrou's performance. Whether it's really straightforward and cute or pretending, Concubine Chen is indeed cute and romantic like this. Maybe the emperor is will like it.

(End of this chapter)