princess

Chapter 27

"The princess doesn't like the second princess?" Madam Zheng combed Xiao Yuanmin's loose hair with a comb, and then tied it loosely with a ribbon.

Xiao Yuanmin stood up and looked at himself in the bronze mirror, "No." After a pause, he continued, "I may be...jealous."

As soon as these words came out, Madam Zheng didn't react for a while. After all, the status between the eldest princess of Changping and the second princess should be the jealousy of the second princess.

Only Mother Tang understood, but she didn't say anything. When Xiao Yuanmin sat on the bed, she half-knelt on the ground and changed her sleeping shoes.

Because of Queen Huiyi's death, Xiao Yuanmin has been wearing very plain clothes, and there are not too many flowers on the clothes. Madam Tang feels sorry for Xiao Yuanmin's young age, so she worked hard on these sleeping shoes. Although they are still plain, but the clothes on them The embroidery is extraordinarily delicate.

"Princess, go to bed early." Nanny Tang said softly, "I have to get up early tomorrow."

"En." Xiao Yuanmin responded, "By the way, help me find the painting I drew a few days ago, and I will give it to Master Wang tomorrow."

The Master Wang that Xiao Yuanmin was talking about was Wang Guangjian, and tomorrow was his birthday. Xiao Yuanmin asked people to find out the birthdays of several masters early on, and he would definitely send something on the birthday.

Sometimes it's handwritten words, sometimes paintings, and sometimes I just give you a good pen and ink. They are not precious, but they are very considerate.

Xiao Yuanmin handed over the birthdays of Xiao Yuzuo and his masters to Zhao Yuzuo early, and Zhao Yuzuo would remind Xiao Yuzuo when it was about to arrive.

So the sisters have a good reputation among the courtiers.

"Yes."

Another year passed in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Yuanmin found that there were more and more treasures in his younger brother's palace, and when he saw his younger brother casually throwing a mutton fat jade carving aside, Xiao Yuanmin felt even more strange in his heart.

After telling Nanny Tang and Nanny Zheng what was in her heart, she asked, "The mutton fat jade is the best, and it is rare even in the palace. My brother doesn't seem to care."

Madam Zheng and the others really didn't notice this. Although they often went to the East Palace with the princess, they were servants after all, and it was not easy to look at the objects in the East Palace casually.

Especially as the prince grew up, they all held a certain degree of control when they talked with Zhao Momo and Li Momo. It was not easy to give people the feeling that the princess was inspecting the prince's bedroom in private.

In fact, before entering the palace, the sisters of the Zheng family had learned a lot of insidious methods. At this moment, they also felt strange in their hearts. Mother Zheng hesitated and said, "Actually, if you think about the good, even though the mutton fat jade is a rare However, there are quite a few of them in His Royal Highness, so the Prince does not know how precious they are when he is young."

Xiao Yuanmin looked at Mother Zheng and didn't speak.

"There are only two points. First, the princess doesn't know why there are so many things around the prince. Second, who sent those things." Madam Zheng said slowly, but the words were shocking.

Xiao Yuanmin tightened his grip on Buhuhu.

Madam Zheng looked at the princess's expression and suddenly asked, "Will the princess want to listen?"

"I know Nanny is doing it for my own good." Xiao Yuanmin lowered her head slightly, tears rolled in her eyes, but she held back her tears, "I know..." Her voice was very soft.

Nanny Tang was full of pity, and wanted to go forward to comfort Xiao Yuanmin, but was held back by Nanny Zheng.

"You all go out." Xiao Yuanmin took a deep breath and said, "Let me be quiet for a while."

"Yes."

"Princess, the most important thing is how to deal with it." After Madam Zheng said this, she backed out.

Xiao Yuanmin lay on the bed with Buhuo in his arms, and gently pinched Buhuo's ears with his hands. To make her discover these changes in the East Palace until now, at least three people need to cooperate, the Empress Dowager, Concubine Lin Gui and... Xiao Yuzuo.

Who sent those things, and why she didn't hear anything about it, must have deliberately kept it from her, so the most likely people are the Empress Dowager and Concubine Lin.

Regardless of whether they sent it or not, it can be seen that they are all happy to see the result. The Empress Dowager and Concubine Lin... Could it be that the two joined forces?What about Concubine Zhu?Abandoned?

What good would it do for the Empress Dowager?
wrong.Xiao Yuanmin bit her lower lip, she shouldn't have thought this way, the two of them could not join forces, the Empress Dowager would not allow others to divide her power, let alone threaten her family's interests.

This time it was only because they both wanted to deal with themselves and their brother.

In fact, it wasn't that Xiao Yuanmin was sad, but because of such an abnormal situation, Zhao Mama and the others didn't tell her that there was only one possibility, as Xiao Yuzuo had ordered.

Her younger brother was on guard against her and separated from her.

"My queen... what should I do." Xiao Yuanmin murmured, feeling a little helpless, if her younger brother separated from her, what would be the point of her doing so many things and working so hard for so long.

Tears kept flowing from Xiao Yuanmin's eyes. Her fingers were not as white and smooth as other women in the palace. Her hands had calluses from martial arts training. Emperor He praised the gifted princess, and the hardships and efforts involved are beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

When others were reading and resting, she hid in the palace and secretly drew her bow. Her hands were worn out and her arms were so tired that she couldn't lift them.

Even the prince and grand tutor praised her handwriting, but who knows how late she practiced with a heavy weight on her wrist every day.

She sewed those embroideries one by one. How many times the needle stuck into her hand at the beginning and how many times she damaged the cloth. If it weren't for the abundance of good medicines here, the scars on her hands would be scary.

The purpose of all this is to keep her younger brother and herself. My younger brother is the pillar of support for her... But...

Ever since Empress Hui Yi left, Xiao Yuanmin has hardly had a good night's sleep. After all, she had to think about many things and plan for her younger brother and herself. Instead, the most relaxing days were when she had acne. is calm.

How to do?Do you want to be scheming to your younger brother in the future?

Xiao Yuanmin didn't know, she was in a mess right now.

"Brother... the little lantern hurts very much." Xiao Yuanmin's voice was very low, with a little coquettishness, since Xiao Wenbin died, she hadn't spoken like this for a long time.

And Little Lantern is what Xiao Wenbin called his younger sister, because Xiao Yuanmin was chubby when he was a child, and he wore a red padded jacket like a lantern.

It was very painful, Xiao Yuanmin couldn't tell whether it was the pain in the body or the pain in the heart, and he didn't know when he fell asleep. It was just a dream all night. For a moment, his face was pale and his body was wet lying on the bed...

When she woke up in the morning, Xiao Yuanmin felt her head was heavy, but she didn't feel hot when she touched it with her hands. Nanny Tang brought warm water for her to wash up.

After washing and grooming, Madam Xiaozheng just arranged the meals, not many, just some porridge and side dishes, the staple food is tofu skin buns.

Xiao Yuanmin stopped after taking two sips, "Ban Xia, take the things down and share."

Ban Xia wanted to persuade her a few words, but she didn't know how to speak, Little Zheng Mama asked worriedly, "Princess, is it not suitable?"

"No." Xiao Yuanmin wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and then said, "It's okay."

"Then how about this servant serve the princess a bowl of longan lotus seed porridge and yam cake later?" Xiaozheng asked.

Xiao Yuanmin nodded.

The masters would come here only after the next court. Xiao Yuanmin was usually reading and revising his homework at this time, but today he was really not in the mood, so he just glanced at Mother Zheng and Mother Tang.

Little Madam Zheng went to the small kitchen to prepare food. Madam Zheng and Madam Tang followed Xiao Yuanmin to the study. The door of the study was not closed, but even the windows were opened.

"Princess, have you thought about it?" Seeing Xiao Yuanmin frowning unconsciously, Madam Zheng went to the back and gently pressed her head, "Anyway, Princess, please pay attention to your body."

"I dreamed about my brother." Xiao Yuanmin said with his eyes closed.

Nanny Tang turned her head and held back her tears. Back then, the eldest prince had the best relationship with the princess.

"My brother called me Little Lantern." Xiao Yuanmin pursed his lips, and continued, "It doesn't matter whether this matter has something to do with my brother or not. There are some things I won't use on my brother...at night, I Go to the East Palace for dinner, and talk to my younger brother."

Madam Zheng wanted to persuade her, but she didn't know how to say it. If she really wanted to, she was afraid that things would get worse.

"Little brother, I don't know how to watch, what should I do." Xiao Yuanmin opened his eyes, "I have a sense of proportion."

"Yes."

Nanny Tang and Nanny Zheng didn't say anything anymore, Xiao Yuanmin ordered, "Let Banxia go to the East Palace and say something."

"I'm going now, servant girl." After saluting, Madam Tang stepped back, leaving only Madam Zheng.

"Mommy, I know you're doing it for my own good." Xiao Yuanmin's voice was a little low, and only Nanny Zheng who was behind her could hear it. Telling the side she thought about made her have to think about it, but she knew better that Madam Zheng really cared about her.

She is the eldest princess, but her younger brother is the prince. To be honest, Mother Zheng should try to curry favor with the prince and let her treat the prince better instead of letting her learn to be defensive.

"It's just, besides my brother... what else do I have?" Xiao Yuanmin looked at the room full of things, and picked up the white jade paperweight casually, "These may be very valuable in the eyes of others, and they think I have a lot of things. I only have a younger brother... When I was young, I had a very bad temper, and when I got angry, I even beat my brother, and once, because my brother didn't accompany me, I threw things around and smashed his head."

"But my brother has never been angry, or even blamed me. My brother has done a lot for me." Xiao Yuanmin said with a little smile on his lips, "My brother said, I am his younger sister, and the queen mother is gone. If my brother is still... afraid will do better than me..."

Madam Zheng covered Xiao Yuanmin's eyes with her hands, she felt her palms were moist, but she didn't say anything, just looked outside.

Xiao Yuanmin's class today was Uncle Liu, a doctor of Guozixue. When he came, Madam Zheng had already brought water for Xiao Yuanmin to freshen up, but the slightly swollen eyes could not be covered. He was old, didn't notice, or pretended not to notice, no matter what it was, Xiao Yuanmin breathed a sigh of relief.

It's just that Uncle Liu, who likes to assign a lot of homework on weekdays, rarely missed five big characters today.

At the same time, Xiao Yuzuo in the East Palace also finished his class and was talking to Murong Xi, "My sister hasn't been with me for a long time."

Murong Xi put down the book in his hand, glanced at the prince, and said, "Didn't I see you during the riding and archery class in the afternoon?"

"It's not the same." Xiao Yuzuo retorted.

"His Highness the eldest princess is very busy." Murong Xi said, "Why don't you go directly to the eldest princess?"

"No." Xiao Yuzuo directly refused, "You said... Is it like what those people said, sister..."

Murong Xi naturally understood the meaning of Xiao Yuzuo's words. The two of them had nothing to do that day, so Xiao Yuzuo took him to Fengyang Pavilion to find the eldest princess. Who knew that he heard a few court ladies whispering on the way.

He didn't say anything else, what he was talking about was that the eldest princess painted a picture and gave it to someone recently. Last time, the eldest princess watched fish in the garden and rewarded her with pastries. The eldest princess is very nice.

It was nothing at all, but who knew that those people changed the subject and mentioned how the first eldest prince, Xiao Wenbin, who was crowned prince after his death, was so talented in civil and military affairs, how good the eldest princess was with him, and even the eldest princess ate delicious food The cakes had to be kept to eat with the First Prince.

When the Eldest Princess sewed a purse for the Eldest Prince, she pricked her hands and bled. Even though she simply sewed two pieces of cloth crookedly together, the Eldest Prince cherished it very much. Even when the Eldest Prince died, the purse was still with the Eldest Prince. The prince was buried at once.

I don't know which sentence stimulated Xiao Yuzuo, that day Xiao Yuzuo directly took him back to the East Palace, and didn't mention the matter of looking for the eldest princess again.

"Actually, don't you think the timing of those palace people speaking is too coincidental?" Murong Xi asked.

Xiao Yuzuo pursed his lips, "I know, but I have inquired about those things with Zhao Mama, and they are all true."

In fact, Xiao Yuzuo's thoughts are easy to guess. Although Xiao Wenbin is a compatriot brother, he has never met him at all, so he has no feelings for him. He heard many things about Xiao Wenbin from Xiao Yuanmin.

In Xiao Yuanmin's mouth, Xiao Wenbin is a very powerful person. Xiao Yuzuo's admiration at the beginning, and later depression, he felt very sad, because he was inferior to Xiao Wenbin in the eyes of everyone, even his sister.

But didn't my sister let me pretend to be a slow learner?Didn't the mother specially write a pamphlet for herself to hide?
Sometimes he would think, he only has a sister, but the sister still has a brother in her heart, if Xiao Wenbin was still around, would the sister tell him everything about the booklet?
My sister never embroidered or painted anything for him.

The more I think about it, the more sad I feel. In addition, Xiao Yuanmin has ignored Xiao Yuzuo because of various things during this time, but Concubine Zhu and Concubine Lin Gui have sent a lot of good things. Every time I see him, I am very concerned about him, so I feel angry. Since my sister If he likes the dead brother more, then some people like him, and he sternly ordered not to tell his sister what happened in the palace.

More importantly, Xiao Yuzuo wanted to wait for his sister to find out by herself, and then care about him more.

To put it simply, it is a child who desperately wants to be valued by his relatives, but is too awkward to speak directly.

Murong Xi glanced at Xiao Yuzuo, "Just don't get yourself caught in the fire."

Xiao Yuzuo looked at Murongxi suspiciously, and Murongxi pointed to the things on the table, Babao Pavilion.

"They like to give it away." Xiao Yuzuo snorted, "Can you control other people's money?"

Murong Xi shook his head and didn't know what to say, he was the prince's companion, so of course he preferred the prince to be in power in the end, so sometimes he would mention a few words without breaking the rules.

"These are all good things." Xiao Yuzuo muttered thinking of the ones stored in the warehouse, "I want to keep them for my sister, and I will add makeup to my sister in the future."

Murong Xi couldn't laugh or cry for a while, "Who knew that the princess was going to get married, I was sad for a long time, why are you thinking about adding makeup now."

"I'm still very reluctant." Because there were no outsiders, Xiao Yuzuo spoke a lot more easily. He knew that a mediocre person would not be followed by others. It was also written in those pamphlets that if you want to win over a companion, you must be outsiders. In front of you, companions are not considered outsiders. At the beginning, Queen Huiyi even estimated several families who would be companions, and even wrote down which ones to win over and which to alienate. Among them, the Murong family is the most important thing to win over. .

"It's just that my sister and I don't have a mother or brother. Although the Ministry of Internal Affairs will prepare a dowry for my sister according to the rules, and the emperor will also give a dowry to my sister, I still think it's better to have more dowry." Xiao Yuzuo rested his cheeks, "After all, my sister wants I went out of the palace to live in other people's homes, so I am good at everything in the palace, but my sister is different, so I want more good things for my sister."

Murong Xi laughed, and felt that although Xiao Yuzuo was the crown prince, his life was not as good as his. Thinking of Xiao Yuzuo's appearance in front of his master, he sighed in his heart. When he was so old, he only wanted to show off and be praised by his grandfather.

And the prince...although there is an order from the eldest princess, it is not easy for the prince to be obedient and hold back.

He naturally told his grandfather about these things, and the grandfather was silent for a long time before he said, "You are the prince's companion, so you are naturally loyal to the prince, and I am your majesty's servant, so you are naturally loyal to your majesty. From now on, don't tell me about the prince. gone."

"It would be great if my sister could stay in the palace after getting married." Xiao Yuzuo said.

"You might as well say that the eldest princess is not allowed to marry."

"No." Xiao Yuzuo retorted, "Li Nanny and Zhao Nanny both said that the happiest thing for a woman is to marry someone, and marry a good person, and then have her mother's family as the backer. The elder sister must be the happiest."

Murong Xi opened his mouth, but said nothing.

Xiao Yuzuo glared at Murongxi after finishing speaking, and then said quietly, "Sister hasn't come to see me for a long time."

"Miss Zhu Concubine and Concubine Xiang are coming soon." Murong Xi looked at the sky outside and said.

Concubine Xiang was the birth mother of the third prince, but unfortunately the third prince died before the full moon. It is said that she had contracted smallpox. Concubine Xiang also injured her body because of that time, and it is impossible to conceive again.

"Well, my sister likes jade. I heard that there is a good piece of warm jade in the dowry of Concubine Zhu." Xiao Yuzuo narrowed his eyes. It was when the empress dowager was talking with Concubine Zhu. The jade was Concubine Zhu's biological mother. Something in the dowry.

Murong Xi just pretended not to hear.

(End of this chapter)