Queen Sun

Chapter 72: Twilight Drum (1)
Opening his eyes, the room was still dark and dim. Ruoshui looked down at the arms wrapped around his waist and smiled faintly. From the day after returning to the palace, every day when he woke up, he would feel a strange feeling. There is no distance, but the heart is not as easy to be warmed as imagined, maybe it is a complete memory, maybe it is the four years of quiet life in the mountains.At this time, it should be the time of the morning court. I closed my eyes gently. After a while, the man beside me moved, then carefully took his hand away from her, and finally got up almost without a sound, and stood up for myself. After tucking in the quilt, I left the bedroom.

When the slight sound of closing the door sounded, Ruoshui opened his eyes again. In fact, Li Shimin has never been a gentle man, but that is also natural. The survival of the fittest in history is doomed. If you want to become a great monarch, you must put it first. He is a man with great talent, foresight, and even bears the burden of humiliation. If he is only talking about a man, his heroism, domineering, and noble background are naturally destined to stand out in the flames of war in troubled times and be invincible.Gentleness and thoughtfulness, these are never the qualities that a Mingjun admires, but when facing himself, perhaps even he himself is not aware of it, always with a surprising meticulousness, and inadvertently I was touched, he loved me, but whether this love can be the beginning of happiness is still an unknown answer... After all, my return is not for him, but for their children.

Spring has not yet passed, and the early morning sky is still slightly chilly. The habit formed when living alone makes Ruoshui almost no longer lethargic.It's been a while since I came back, but when Guangyue was dressing Ruoshui every day, she couldn't help but have reddened eyes, and always felt that everything was not real.

Ruoshui looked at the faint morning mist outside the window without distraction, and heard the footsteps that seemed to be light clouds outside the door, so she turned her head leisurely and asked, "Isn't today the day that the harem concubines came to my place to pay their respects?"

While carrying the breakfast, Danyun replied: "Yes, it was agreed that today, a maid came to report that several empresses are already waiting at the door."

"Let them wait in the outer hall. It's foggy outside, so it's not advisable to stand for a long time." Ruoshui's eyes were calm, neither happy nor angry.

Guangyue smiled and said: "Fortunately, Mingxia is still in the East Palace, otherwise, according to her temperament, she would have to mutter for a long time."

The corner of Ruoshui's mouth curled up slightly: "Speaking of the East Palace, you have been really busy these years. I originally thought that Concubine Wei Gui would take over the harem."

Dan Yun said: "Miss, I think Your Majesty has done the right thing. First, once a concubine takes over the power and responsibility of the queen, it is very easy for those who are interested to think of a new queen. Moreover, the crown prince A concubine is not a concubine in the harem, so when it comes to doing things, it is naturally more fair, as for us, this is originally our duty."

"What?" Ruoshui heard some clues, "Hasn't the palace been peaceful these years?"

Guangyue hesitated for a moment: "Miss, that's not true, but since the 11th year of Zhenguan, when many young and beautiful women from aristocratic families entered the palace, the competition among the palaces has become more and more unscrupulous. That kind of thing, Your Majesty Regardless, the Crown Princess is naturally not good at interfering, so..."

"There hasn't been any major trouble yet?" Ruoshui still couldn't hear the expression of joy or anger in his voice.

"There are no big ones. After all, His Majesty's favor for any concubine is only two months long, let alone short ones." Guangyue lowered her eyes and said.

Ruoshui was silent for a while: "Two months is really not too short, but why has there been no heirs born in the harem so far?"

"Because every time after going to bed, no matter who it is, they have to drink Bizi's decoction, and there has never been an exception."

Ruoshui smiled mockingly: "That's really hard enough."

Guangyue and Danyun's eyes met for a while, but they didn't understand who the words were referring to, and then, the young lady sat down in front of the desk: "By the way, let me bring those recent rosters of imperial concubines. Look, I've been so busy with Chengqian's affairs these days that I almost forgot about it."

"Miss, why are you so anxious?" Guangyue couldn't help but said, "I've been tired for so long, I should rest for a while."

Ruoshui shook his head: "Some things are better done early than late. If you delay for a long time, people's hearts will become different."

Sishi, Lizheng Hall.

The outer hall was already full of concubines who came to pay their respects one after another. All the concubines who entered the palace ten years ago stood in silence according to their respective ranks, and those after that were all less than twenty-eight years old. The women were anxiously exchanging the news they had heard from each other. Except for Xu Hui, who was already the third rank, no one else had seen the appearance of the queen, but this Jieyu, who had always been gentle and gentle, was silent at this moment. Standing still, there is deep sadness hidden in the eyes with lowered eyelids.

"Miss doesn't wear court clothes?" Danyun asked a little strangely.

Ruoshui didn't seem to care and said: "It's not a formal banquet, so don't bother. Could it be that if I don't wear that dress, I won't be a queen?"

Danyun couldn't help laughing, and finally heard such dumbfounding words again, the memory of the last time seems to be far away.

"In the inner room at the back of the palace, are the tea sets and snacks ready?"

"Everything is ready."

"Well, you and Guangyue also remember the few people I ticked off in the roster, right?" Ruoshui frowned.

Dan Yun cautiously replied: "Yes, miss, but just now the maids of the Qing En Palace said that Concubine Yang Xian is not feeling well, and she will come to apologize to the queen some other day."

Ruoshui nodded, stopped talking, crossed the last threshold, and the front hall of the Lizheng Hall was ahead. There was a hint of indifference in her gentle eyes, and she knelt solemnly and straightly on the upper seat. All the concubines knelt down and saluted to say hello.She raised her hand and shouted with a smile, and began to take charge of the huge harem again, and from that moment on, she really returned to the phoenix seat of the mother's world.

When an hour was approaching, Ruoshui slightly lowered his head towards Danyun, and then said: "When I was recuperating from illness, I heard that there were many new women with both ability and political integrity in the palace. I saw them today, as expected. In the days, you should take care of each other and follow the palace rules..." After finishing speaking, he left the hall while kneeling again.

After waiting in the inner room for a while, Concubine Wei Gui, Concubine Yan De, Concubine Yang Shu and Xu Jieyu walked in with some unsteady gait. Danyun and Guangyue saw Ruoshui's eyes, closed the door, and retreated respectfully.

"Sit down." Ruo Shui glanced at their faces and smiled lightly.

They all knelt and sat on both sides with some restraint, raised their eyes slightly, and saw the queen sitting upright, concentrating on the tea leaves and tea sets in her hands. After a series of smooth and elegant movements, the five celadon tea cups on the desk were covered with He poured the fragrant tea: "Would you like to try Ben Gong's tea ceremony?"

The four of them were flattered and thanked En carefully for taking it, and after seeing the Queen took a sip, they began to savor it carefully.Xu Hui's eyes were dazed, and the words Wei Guifei said after making a pot of tea involuntarily appeared in his mind, which seemed to be the opposite situation.

Ruoshui smiled calmly at Wei Gui and said, "Sister Wei has worked so hard for the past four years, let me express my gratitude with a cup of tea."

Wei Gui hurriedly bowed down and replied humbly: "The empress doesn't know something. In the past few years, the crown princess has been working on the affairs of the harem, and the concubine has never made any contribution."

"Sister Wei is too modest." Ruoshui said in a warm voice, "The crown princess is still young, if there is no noble concubine to support her, how can she ensure that everything is in order and there will be no disputes?"

Wei Gui's expression changed slightly, and before he could speak, he heard Yang Qian suddenly smiled softly at the side: "I see, the queen's words are too modest. The princess stayed by your side for so long before the wedding. If it is dyed, it will naturally manage the harem in an orderly manner, and even His Majesty is full of praise." As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly gave Xu Hui a slanted glance and said, "The newcomers in the palace are getting more and more picky these days." , Xu Jieyu is not exactly the leader among them, speaking of age, she is much younger than the Crown Princess."

Xu Hui was slightly embarrassed, lowered her head, not knowing what to say.After a moment of silence, only the empress's clear voice said: "Not to mention Weixi, Jieyu entered the palace at the age of 11, and she is not as old as Mingyao, but she seems to be much more sensible than that girl."

Concubine Yan De then said: "To be honest, the empress was only thirteen years old when she married His Majesty. Now who can be half as good as the empress?"

Yang Qian's face turned cold, she lowered her head and said, "The concubine is confused."

"I heard that Xu Jieyu's talent is quite high, especially in poetry, which is quite similar to Concubine De." Ruoshui said with a smile, "You don't have to be restrained, I'm calling you here today , but it’s just gossip, after all, I’ve been away from the palace for four years, and many people and things are a little unfamiliar.”

After talking for a while, Ruoshui looked at Wei Yu meaningfully, and asked calmly: "Sister Wei, not long ago, Princess Hepu often entered the palace and stayed for a whole day. ?"

Wei Gui replied with some fear: "The concubine only knows that Li Lian does often enter the palace, but she spends very little time in the Anle Hall, and seems to go to Concubine Yang Xian most of the time."

Yang Qian vaguely sensed something was wrong. According to Yang Rui, the queen and His Majesty should have known about the old incident in the eighth year of Zhenguan, but because the queen was seriously ill and passed away, she didn't pursue it any further.But today, first Yang Rui claimed that he was not yet sick, and the Queen spoke in a mysterious way. Even though she has been indifferent to the affairs of the palace all these years, but now it seems that Yang Rui must have done something that the Queen can't tolerate Come.

Ruoshui nodded, with a plain expression that made it impossible to see any clues, and said: "The child lost his mother at birth, and was raised by sister Wei. I thought he was an educated person like Meng Jiang. The princess of Dali. But I heard that after she got married, not only did she fail to be filial to her in-laws, but instead disturbed the Fang family, I wonder if Sister Wei has heard of it?"

Wei Gui didn't expect that the queen would mention this matter in person, and his face turned pale: "It's my concubine who can't teach her daughter well. I ask the queen to take the blame."

Ruoshui lowered his tone: "I don't mean to blame Sister Wei, but since she is a princess, she should look like a princess. If she continues to be arrogant and self-willed for such a long time, won't there be a catastrophe? Sister Wei is her after all." Mother and concubine, there are some things that can only be effective if the mother and daughter talk in private."

Wei Gui thought about it for a while, and seemed to understand a little: "The empress is wise, my concubine immediately sent someone to call Li Lian into the palace, please rest assured."

The corners of Ruoshui's mouth curled up in a dignified arc, and he said slowly: "That's very good, I have thanked Sister Wei for His Majesty."

When the voice fell to the ground, all four people were silent, and the hearts of all four were shocked. This harem might be about to change again.

After leaving the Lizheng Hall, Concubine Shu and Concubine Yan walked to their respective palaces without stopping at all, while Concubine Wei and Xu Jieyu walked hand in hand. Xu Hui sighed softly: "This is not the first time you have seen the queen, isn't it? Why are you even more stunned?"

Xu Hui raised his eyes slightly, hesitated for a while and said, "Your Majesty, is it true that the Empress is only three years younger than Your Majesty?"

Wei Gui smiled lightly: "I think you have been thinking about what, the Queen married Her Majesty at the age of 13 at the age of [-], it doesn't seem to be a secret, does it?"

"However, the queen looks only about the same age as the princess, no matter how good she is, it's impossible to be so..."

"That's because you haven't seen the queen for a long time." Wei Gui's voice was tinged with astringency, "After a long time, you will understand that there is such a woman in this world: immortal face, supreme status, noble Her kindness, the emperor's exclusive love, almost everything is a dream that other people can't reach, but God gave her all the blessings, do you understand?"

Xu Hui looked back at the distant palace subconsciously: "Doesn't the queen have any unsatisfactory moments?"

"Unsatisfactory?" Wei Gui murmured, "If I can have all those things, even if I have to pay some price, what's the problem?"

(End of this chapter)