refuse to be a concubine

Chapter 4
I looked up, and saw a washerwoman hurried into the main hall where the aunts in charge of the laundry bureau were, and the words of the yelling made all the washerwomen start whispering, "Someone has sneaked away again, alas, it seems that someone is going to die again .”

"This is the eighth."

"They're all new laundry girls. They're so naive. Where is the palace? I'm afraid they were arrested as soon as they left the laundry bureau."

"The slaves in our laundry bureau are already suffering more than the slaves in other palaces, but if you escape, you will only die. It is better to suffer here."

I looked at the few washerwomen who were whispering to each other. When they said this, there was sympathy, fear, and self-pity in their eyes. Although I have only been in the laundry bureau for three months, I don’t talk much, but I have heard a lot about many things.

The palace seems to be a place where people often die.

Such a beautiful place, the awe-inspiring palace, it seems that everyone is living in an extremely uneasy life every day.

There was a commotion at the door, and I looked up, and saw three or four father-in-laws escorting a woman from a laundry bureau into the laundry bureau.

"It's Hongxia. Look, she's still carrying a cloth bag. She really escaped." Someone said, and the entire laundry bureau fell silent.

"Who said Hongxia escaped? I sent her out of the palace to run an errand." Aunt Suyan came out from the main hall and looked calmly at the father-in-law who was guarding Hongxia, "What is the father-in-law doing? Why did you arrest me for no reason?" people?"

"Auntie, save me." Hongxia's voice was full of fear.

"Auntie." Those father-in-laws seemed to be quite respectful to Su Yan, "This washerwoman tried to escape from the palace and was captured by us. Please ask Auntie to go to the House of Internal Affairs with us so that we can answer the question."

"As I said," Aunt Suyan said calmly, "I sent Hongxia out of the palace to do business, and Hongxia did not run away."

The three father-in-laws looked at each other, thinking about how to communicate.

"Aunt Su, is this the first time you have lied for the escaped maid?" A cold voice came from behind the three father-in-laws.

Upon hearing this voice, the maids began to whisper to each other again, with a little expectation and shame in their voices.Just as I was wondering, I saw a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy with a jade-like face and as cold as ice walk into the laundry bureau.The feeling of the young man was just like his voice, it was as cold as a thick layer of ice, and his whole body exuded a sense of alienation.

All eyes were on him, ashamed to speak.I am no exception, but my gaze is just looking at him, wondering what will happen to Hongxia.

Release or execute?

Aunt Suyan's usually indifferent eyes revealed a smile, "It's really the servant who sent Hongxia out of the palace to do business."

He glanced coldly at the cloth bag behind Hongxia, "Those who are optimistic about you will not be so lucky next time." With these words, it is obvious that Hongxia is saved.

I saw Aunt Suyan loosen her tightly clenched hands. It turned out that she was also nervous just now.

For the first time, I discovered that this aunt without makeup is actually not as indifferent as she looks.

I breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of my heart. I sat down and was about to bend over to do the laundry when, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the cold young father-in-law looking at me inadvertently.The moment our eyes met, I didn't know how to react, out of habit, I smiled politely.

He glanced at me unintentionally, but when he saw me smiling, his gaze paused for a moment, and then he turned and left.

The cold eyes, the cold person, and the cold figure left an extremely cold impression on me.

On the day of the New Year's Eve, all the maids received a gift - dessert from Yushanfang.It is said that today's empress sympathized with the slaves and specially ordered the imperial dining room to make it as a reward for the New Year.Immediately, the whole palace applauded the empress.

But for me, the best gift I've received this new year is that I don't have to do laundry anymore.Three days ago, Aunt Suyan told me to go to the branch of the Laundry Bureau with two other court ladies. I just need to arrange the washed clothes and send them to the palaces.

It seems that in the palace, as long as you work hard, you can improve.

At night, the starry sky is infinitely bright.

I can’t remember how long, I haven’t eaten cakes and looked at the stars in such a leisurely way. Deep in my memory, it seems that I only had such a beautiful memory when I was a child.

Over the years, I have lived with my mother, and even though the hard times are passable, my temperament is strong and cheerful even though I am not too optimistic. Although my parents have left me one after another, I still feel that the future is full of hope when I look at the twinkling stars in the sky.

I picked off the bamboo leaves beside me, put it in my mouth, and gently played a little tune my mother taught me. With the rustling sound of the bamboo leaves, the crisp little tune became much more beautiful.

"I didn't expect the small bamboo forest, which is always quiet and cold, to be lively tonight."

"aunt?"

I didn't expect Aunt Suyan to come here, I thought I was the only one who would come to this inconspicuous little bamboo forest behind the laundry bureau late at night.

"The minor tune is very nice, does it have a name?" Aunt Suyan's smile under the starlight was much more amiable than during the day.

I shook my head, "This ditty tune was hummed by the maidservant's mother casually, and the maidservant will memorize it after listening to it too much."

"Can you teach me?"

I was stunned, and saw that she had picked off a bamboo leaf and looked at me with a smile, obviously she really wanted to learn, so I nodded.

Although the minor tune is simple, it is very difficult to blow it out with bamboo leaves. It takes a few days to blow it out.

"Auntie, you're a quick learner. When I was a child, it took me two days to learn to blow a few notes." I couldn't hide my surprise, thinking that Aunt Su was extremely smart, and she could memorize hand gestures and lip shapes just by looking at them once.

Aunt Su smiled and said: "Tonight has gained a lot, it's late at night, let's go back, Enen."

Well?It’s been a long time since I’ve heard someone call me En En, and I didn’t feel anything when I called “En En” every day when my mother was here, but now I just feel my nose is slightly sore and my eye sockets are a little wet.

The sadness in my heart made me forget the palace rules, and I just stared at Aunt Su's gentle face in a trance.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

I came back to my senses, hurriedly took a step back, and humbly blessed, "Your servant overstepped for a while, please punish me, aunt."

There are many rules in the palace. From the first day I entered the laundry bureau, I knew that Aunt Su strictly abides by etiquette for herself, and she strictly disciplines us, and no mistakes are allowed.

"It's just you and me here, so you don't need to be so restrained. Usually, I strictly control your behavior, in order to prevent you from going out of the laundry bureau, speaking and acting contemptuously, and offending people without knowing it. You will be beaten, imprisoned, or even killed. "Aunt Su brushed back her hair that was blown away by the night wind, "However, you are serious in your work, don't talk too much at ordinary times, and treat people kindly, so there shouldn't be major negligence or mistakes."

At this moment, the sky was full of brilliance, and then colorful flames shot up into the sky, reflecting the entire sky of the palace red.

It's time to set off fireworks in the palace.

This is the first time I have seen such dazzling fireworks, I couldn't help but be fascinated, and for a moment I forgot that Aunt Suyan was still beside me.It wasn't until I heard hurried footsteps coming from behind that I realized that I was being rude again. Seeing Aunt Su's smile was more teasing, I couldn't help being a little embarrassed, just now Aunt Su praised me for not being negligent or making mistakes .

The one who came was another court lady who was suggested by Aunt Suyan to manage the sub-office three days ago.

"Aunt Suyan, I finally found you." She panted for a while, it seemed that she had been looking for her aunt for some time.

"What happened?"
"Qinghua, Qinghua was taken away by the concubine Ming's maid, claiming that she stole the emerald necklace most cherished by the concubine Ming."

Qing Hua is the No. 3 court lady who was brought up to manage the sub-office. Although I have only known her for three days, I think she is a simple and honest person, stealing things?how could be?

Aunt Suyan's expression became serious, "Go back first, I'll go to Mingfei Palace."

The next day, it snowed again, and this snow was heavier than the previous few days.After a while, the earth was covered with silver and white.

Aunt Suyan didn't return all night.

While folding the clothes in my hands, I looked out of the window, feeling as heavy as a stone in my heart.The other maids also absently folded their clothes and looked out the window.

"I'm back, I'm back." Several court ladies who had been watching outside rushed in with the maid who was sent out to inquire, and someone asked impatiently, "How is Qinghua? Why hasn't Aunt Su come back?"

The maid's eyes were red, as if she had been crying, her voice was hoarse, "Qinghua is dead, she was beaten to death by people from Concubine Ming's Palace. Concubine Ming also said that Aunt Su was not good at teaching, so she made her kneel outside Concubine Ming's palace for a day and a night as a punishment. "

There was a sudden silence in the room.

In just a short time, a thick layer of snow had accumulated outside the window.

Such a cold day, such a heavy snow, can my aunt bear it?

"Su En, aren't the two pieces of clothes you are folding the clothes of the Concubine Ming?" The maid next to me pointed to the gorgeous clothes I had folded on the table and looked at me with pity.

High-quality silk and satin, exquisite embroidery, with little stamens embroidered on the corners.Aunt Suyan did tell me that the few fancy dresses I folded up today belonged to Concubine Ming, so let me be careful.

"Su En, you have to be careful when you go to Concubine Ming's Palace later."

"That's right, it's best not to run into Concubine Ming."

"Concubine Ming is being favored, and the maids in Concubine Ming's palace are also very arrogant. I have been bullied by them."

"In short, Su En, you have to take care of yourself."

I smiled at them, wrapped up the fancy clothes in my hand, put a piece of oiled paper on the outside, and left. Before leaving the laundry bureau, I went to the kitchen to get some things.

As long as I do things carefully and be careful everywhere, I think nothing will happen.

Along the way, there were maids and eunuchs carefully cleaning the snow on the side of the road.Although the snow was heavy, with them there, it was difficult to see snow on the road.

As soon as I entered the Concubine Ming Palace, I saw Aunt Suyan. In the snow-white yard, her kneeling posture was as upright as walking.

I was eager to get closer, so I took a step, and a mocking voice came from the palace corridor in the courtyard, "Su Yan, if you beg me for mercy, I will go and beg the imperial concubine Ming to forgive you."

I looked for the reputation and saw a woman who was dressed like Aunt Su and about the same age was sitting on the porch looking at Aunt Su coldly.

Aunt Su didn't say anything, she didn't even move.

"Don't say anything?" The man snorted heavily, "Do you believe that I have the ability to make you kneel for three days and three nights?" She suddenly chuckled again, "Yes, I forgot to tell you, Ming Concubine Empress The emerald necklace was found under the bed."

I saw the snow falling from Aunt Suyan's shoulders.

"Still indifferent?" The man walked out of the palace corridor, walked to Aunt Su, knelt down and said something in Aunt Su's ear, and saw Aunt Su suddenly stood up, her clenched fists trembling.

"Yo, angry? I've been targeting you everywhere these years, and I don't see you getting angry at all."

"You actually murdered an innocent person because of the old incident 20 years ago?" Aunt Suyan's voice trembled slightly, obviously extremely angry.

"Old things? It's old things. I just want to let this old things torture you for the rest of your life."

"Mingxiu, you, do you still have a conscience?"

"My conscience was taken away by you when we were sent to be the emperor's bedroom." Mingxiu's eyes were full of hatred, and she laughed again, "I want your conscience to be in your heart." I live my whole life in guilt, and I will never find peace in this life.”

I vaguely understood that Qinghua's death seemed to be related to Aunt Suyan. Seeing Mingxiu leave, I walked quickly to Aunt Suyan, and handed the ginger I was holding tightly in her hand, "Auntie, quickly hold it in your mouth, it can drive away the pain." Take the cold."

Aunt Suyan's complexion was worse than the falling snow on the ground. She slowly looked down at the ginger in her hand for a long time, then looked at me again, and sighed, "I was just like you when I first entered the palace. Dutiful, clean eyes, just smile for the sake of laughing. Enen, you must maintain your current state of mind, and don't be confused by the things in the palace."

I don't quite understand what my aunt means. Although the palace is beautiful, all I want is what I earn through hard work.

I had nowhere to go, and I chose to enter the palace under a false name in order to get food and clothing and a place to live.

I am a maid in a small laundry bureau, what can I be confused by?
After passing the palace corridor, it is the main hall of Mingfei Palace.As soon as he entered the main hall, the heating came oncoming, and the three maids guarding the outer door didn't look at people directly, and talked on their own.

"The servant girl is Su En from the Laundry Bureau. The lady's fine clothes have been cleaned, where should I put them?"

"Why did you just bring it now? Your Majesty is waiting to use it, come with me."

Entering the main hall, there are four fireplaces standing at the four corners, and the charcoal fire is blazing.

Concubine Ming is dressed in a gorgeous dress, and is cutting the bonsai around the carved columns with the company of the maid.

As a palace servant, I can't look directly at my master. Even though I just took a quick glance when I first entered the palace, it was enough to see Concubine Qingming's peerless elegance and graceful figure.

"Your Majesty, the servants from the laundry bureau have delivered the clothes." The maid who came in together reported.

"Why did you just bring it now? Didn't I ask you to bring it earlier?" Concubine Ming suddenly threw the cut branches in front of me, walked slowly, and a pair of delicate and beautiful embroidered shoes suddenly appeared in front of my eyes.

There are so many palace maids waiting around, why did the empress throw flower branches in front of me?Do you want me to pick it up?I am the maid of the Laundry Bureau, and I will spare no effort when my clothes are torn and dirty.

I was still humble and knelt with my clothes in my hands, even though Concubine Ming was in front of me, I didn't make any movements.

"Are you new here?" Concubine Ming's voice was a little light, with some contempt.

"The slave has been in the palace for five months."

"It's been five months, why don't you understand the rules in the palace?" Concubine Ming moved lightly, and Concubine Ming sat on the warm couch, drinking the tea brought by the maid, "Is this how Aunt Su taught you?"

Just as I was about to reply, I heard a voice from outside the hall: "Mother, Miss Su, please see me." As soon as the words fell, the maid next to Concubine Ming said, "This Miss Su is real. Didn't the mother punish her to kneel for a day and a night? Why did you do it without authorization?" How about kneeling?"

Concubine Ming put down the teacup in her hand, raised her hand without changing her expression, "Let her in."

When the thick cloth curtain was lifted, it brought a gust of cool wind.

Aunt Su came in with a slight bow, without looking sideways.

I saw the snow on her hair and shoulders melting in the warm temperature of the temple.

"Your Majesty, this servant suddenly remembered that the washerwoman who came to Concubine Ming's Palace to deliver clothes has just entered the palace not long ago. She didn't know the rules, and she was afraid that she would offend her, so she had the courage to leave and punish her without permission. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me." on the ground.

"Your courage is really getting bigger and bigger." Concubine Ming snorted coldly, "Could it be that you still thought you were the bedside secretary next to the emperor ten years ago?"

What is a sleeping place?This is the second time I have heard these two words today.

"Come here, give me a slap." Following the heavy release of the teacup in Concubine Ming's hand, my heart also jumped violently, but the maid who rushed over gave a slender and loud "The emperor is coming--" In a panic, he retreated to one side and knelt on the ground.

No one can stand upright under these four words, and Concubine Ming is no exception.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Bright yellow is the color of the emperor's family and a taboo color among the people.

Only the emperor can have the pattern of Panlong.

My slightly drooping eyes looked at the ground in a regular manner, and I could still see the pair of shoes embroidered with dragons passing by from the corner of my eye.

The emperor is as high as a god in my heart.

"The servants have seen the emperor."

"The concubine has seen the emperor."

"Get up." The emperor's voice was cool, half-cold, with a touch of oppression.

As I got up, my body stiffened for an instant, and the fine clothes in my hand fell to the ground, the soft sound of landing was like thunder in the main hall.

(End of this chapter)