Harem for a living

Chapter 78

After solving the personnel problem of Zhong Cui Palace, Chen Manrou leaned back and took a sip of water with her teacup.After a pause, he turned his head to look at the wine: "You went and invited Concubine Liu over, and said that I have something to discuss with her."

Jinhuan and Duiyue don't care about other things, the two of them are the most trusted people of Chen Manrou, and Chen Manrou may be pregnant at the moment, the two of them only need to keep close to protect Chen Manrou's safety. Following Chen Manrou, one stared at the kitchen with all her heart.As for the incense clothes, they were handed over to Aunt Bai.Although Aunt Bai never gave birth to a child, she still knows these things very well after staying in the harem for so many years.

Huai Xin also followed Chen Manrou, but her role was to help out with some ideas, to see how Chen Manrou handled affairs, and she didn't have much work.

Concubine Liu came very quickly, the cup stopped and hurriedly brought tea and snacks over, Concubine Liu glanced at the teacup in Chen Manrou's hand, and smiled in surprise: "Sister, I didn't say, you Zhongcui Palace, you should Some good tea, right? Why do you just drink some plain water?"

"Of course there is good tea, but didn't you drink a lot of wine yesterday? Today, the taste in your mouth is very tasteless, and you feel that the tea is bitter, so you drink plain water. Sister Concubine Liu, don't worry, I won't just give it to you. Serve a glass of boiled water." Chen Manrou smiled and pushed the teacup towards Concubine Liu.

Concubine Liu reached out to lift the lid, picked it up and smelled it, and said with a smile: "This tea is really good, it smells like a fragrance. Only a person like my younger sister who is as sweet as I am can brew the taste of Biluochun."

Chen Manrou only raised her eyebrows and smiled, but did not answer.After Concubine Liu drank half a cup of tea, she put down the teacup in her hand and said, "My sister invited me here today to ask her some questions. My sister is young and has not been in the palace for many days. Some things I just saw But I have never been in contact with it, so I ask Sister Concubine Liu to enlighten me."

"Tell me, as long as I know, I promise to tell you without reservation." Concubine Liu waved her hand boldly and said, Chen Manrou immediately burst into smiles, and pushed the snack plate towards Concubine Liu: " Then I would like to thank Sister Concubine Liu."

Seeing Concubine Liu make a piece of snack, Chen Manrou continued: "Actually, the empress has arranged things in the palace very well before, and there are old rules to follow. I just waited for support in the past , whoever wants to withdraw something, or deploy any manpower, as long as they have an idea in mind. However, there is one thing, I didn't find the old rule, so I had to ask Sister Liu Concubine for an idea."

"What's the matter?" Concubine Liu asked with some doubts.Chen Manrou smiled and stretched out a hand to gesture: "Empress Dowager Ci'an, this year will be her [-]th birthday."

Concubine Liu frowned immediately after hearing this. This matter is really difficult to handle.Speaking of which, Empress Dowager Ci Ning and Empress Dowager Ci'an are only two years apart. The year before last, Empress Dowager Ci Ning lived her fiftieth birthday.However, Empress Dowager Ci Ning's birthday is in March.In April, they went to the national filial piety, and in May they were drafted, so no one mentioned this matter. The emperor and the queen played dumb, and Ci'an didn't say a word.

And the past two years are not a whole birthday. Every birthday of Ci Ning and Ci An passed smoothly. At most, the emperor and empress led the concubines to congratulate them, and then called the Tai Le Department to send a new edition. The singing and dancing troupe came in to offer their hands, or they called the troupe and juggling troupe to come in and perform, and then received some congratulatory gifts from the royal family's imperial court order, and that was the end of the matter.

There is really no precedent for this year's release.

"De Concubine..." Liu Concubine thought for a while, looked at Chen Manrou and asked, Chen Manrou sighed: "De Concubine did not ask anyone to discuss this matter with me, I originally planned to ask the Empress about it. It's just that, the Empress just said to leave the matter to me and Concubine De, so I went over to ask for an idea, wouldn't that make it clear that the Empress has no vision and found me such a useless person?"

Concubine Liu raised her eyebrows invisibly, and Chen Manrou continued: "So I thought, first discuss it with Sister Concubine Liu, let's make a charter, and then take it to the empress to have a look. The regulations come, if it doesn’t work, I can ask the empress to give her an idea.”

"Originally, since you asked, my sister should give you an idea and a solution to this matter, but after all, the empress did tell you that you and Concubine De were in charge of palace affairs together, so it might not be good for this matter to pass over her. Bar?"

Concubine Liu said slowly, Chen Manrou thought for a while, then nodded: "My sister is right, so shall I invite Concubine De to come?"

"You are stupid, if you invite Concubine De to come over, is it you or her who is the good idea?" Concubine Liu reached out and tapped Chen Manrou's forehead, and Chen Manrou rubbed her forehead with a confused face: "But sister, are you not Say……"

"I said it's not good to go over Concubine De, but I didn't tell you to invite her here!" Concubine Liu hated iron for steel, so Chen Manrou became even more confused.Concubine Liu deeply felt that Chen Manrou had a lumpy head, so she had to explain to her carefully at this moment: "I mean, say hello to Concubine De and see how she reacts, if her reaction can please the emperor If the queen likes it, you should hurry up and tell the empress first, and say that this idea is yours. If not, then let's work it out."

Chen Manrou was shocked: "Isn't this the idea of ​​forcibly occupying Concubine De?"

"Who told her not to think of this matter one step ahead? You sent someone to inquire as soon as possible. It is a good time to say it when you go to pay your respects to the empress in a few days." Concubine Liu hurriedly said, Chen Manrou Looking secretly at Concubine Liu's expression from the corner of her eyes, she saw a hint of excitement in her eyes, and felt very depressed. Could it be that I pretended to be so successful before that everyone thought her a fool?

"Think about it, if Concubine De concubine has a good idea, go tell the empress, the empress may think you are more capable than Concubine De when she is happy." Concubine Liu continued, Chen Manrou shook her head: "No, I can't do such a thing. Although I am not as talented as Yang Guifei, I also know that a gentleman cannot do such a thing."

"How can we be a gentleman?" Concubine Liu burst out laughing, and squinted at Chen Manrou: "We are just little girls. In this harem, there are two empress dowagers, the emperor and queen, and a favored Yang Concubine, if you want to live a better life, you have to please all these people. Anyway, Sister Fa put it here for you, whether you use it or not is up to you."

Seeing that Chen Manrou didn't care, Concubine Liu went on to say: "You ask me about this matter, for the sake of this face, I have to give you a good idea. But to tell you the truth, whether it is the whole of Empress Dowager Ci Ning Longevity, or the whole life of Empress Dowager Ci'an, I have never seen it before, I have done my best, and I have served the emperor for less than ten years, you really did not ask the right person about this matter."

The time Concubine Liu served the emperor was about the same as that of Concubine Yang Gui and the others. Concubine Liu had never seen the whole life of the Empress Dowagers of the two palaces, and Concubine Yang and Concubine Shu had never seen it.The queen might have seen it, but at that time Ci'an was just a Concubine Shu, so her birthday couldn't be called a birthday yet.

"Since my sister doesn't have any good ideas, I have to think about it myself." Chen Manrou forced a smile, then lowered her head and didn't speak.Concubine Liu only drank tea and ate snacks, and took the purse handkerchief from the sewing basket and asked about needlework, Chen Manrou dealt with it listlessly.

After a while, Concubine Liu sighed: "Oh, you're sure I'll treat you as my own sister!"

"After I entered the palace, it was my sister who took care of me. If I didn't rely on my sister, who would I rely on?" Chen Manrou's face immediately brightened, and she moved to Concubine Liu's side: "Then sister has a good idea right now?"

"There is no good way! However, I can find you one of the old rules!" Concubine Liu gave her an annoyed look, then sat down on Chen Manrou's right, touched her nails, and said after thinking for a while: "You know that Emperor Shizu Queen Mother, Queen Wen Zhaomin, right?"

Chen Manrou nodded, and Concubine Liu continued, "Isn't her [-]th birthday an old practice?"

"I know, I know, but I don't know the details of what kind of process it is. Can my sister tell me?" Chen Manrou hurriedly grabbed Liu Fei's arm and asked, Liu Fei smiled: "That's all, good man Do it to the end, then sister, I will give you a good talk today."

"The birthday banquet of Queen Wang is very grand. Early in the morning, the emperor Shizu and the queen accompanied the queen to the ancestral temple to worship, and then went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to accept the congratulations from all the officials. After that, the queen of the harem brought all the concubines The imperial concubine and the clan congratulate, and then the commanding wife congratulates, and at noon, the queen gives all the officials a meal in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and she takes the harem to eat behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony."

"After lunch, Emperor Shizu summoned Qinghe's troupe to sing Magu's birthday to the queen, and performed various juggling performances. In the evening, the princes and princesses paid birthday wishes, and the queen brought everyone presents for birthdays."

Concubine Liu finished speaking in one breath, and drank half a glass of water with her teacup: "That's it. There are things to do all day long, and it's very lively and grand. All civil and military officials have come to worship. It is said that the Queen is very happy. Even Emperor Zan Shizu and the empress are very filial."

Chen Manrou bowed her head and said nothing, Concubine Liu flicked her clothes, stood up and said, "Sister, it's getting late, I still have some things to deal with in the palace, so I won't delay you here. As for the solution, my sister can only think of this Duo, if you think this is not enough later, then sister has no other choice."

"How could it be, I think, after listening to my sister's words, I remembered a lot of things. Today, I would like to thank my sister for giving me advice." Chen Manrou also got up and sent Concubine Liu outside before turning around and leaning on the soft cushion .

After a while, someone called for fun: "Go, tell Concubine Yang Guifei and Concubine De about the whole life of Empress Dowager Ci'an, as well as the birthday banquet of Queen Wang that Concubine Liu said today, also tell it. .”

After Wei Le went out, Chen Manrou called Huai Xin to come in to serve.On the Queen's side, this speed is a bit difficult to grasp. She is worried, so she can only play in person.

(End of this chapter)