concubines

Chapter 43 Saying and
Zhou Shuxuan couldn't figure out what the emperor was thinking, he always felt that no matter how he answered this sentence, it would be wrong.

Fortunately, the emperor didn't wait for his answer, he looked around excitedly, and there was no great joy or anger on his face.

Turn around and turn to the main hall.The gifts brought by Zhou Shuxuan are being placed in the hall. He gives gifts in such boxes every year, and the emperor recognizes them.Going over to open the big box with his own hands, he took out a taro and said: "This is good. The things outside are different from those in the palace. It's a pity to eat them. It's a pity that the new year is only once a year. I hope you have these melons and fruits." It’s a whole year to look forward to.”

Only the emperor's voice was heard in the entire hall, and no one dared to speak.Not because of fear, but because of strangeness.The emperor is so abnormal today, it's like a different person.The Fugong doll thought about it carefully, the emperor didn't feel any stimulation today!
Zhou Shuxuan didn't dare to speak. It was the first time in his life that the emperor was so gentle to him, and he was flattered to be in such a place.

Before entering the palace, he guessed that the emperor might have to sing a play, but he didn't expect that the emperor would kick off in such a way, which caught him off guard.He didn't mention what happened before, but talked about his feelings instead.

He can't stand it, but his troupe can make a good role.

"Father, I'm afraid he's tired after wandering around for so long. My son has already asked someone to prepare the chessboard. Why don't you play a few games of chess and rest for a while?"

The emperor glanced back, nodded thoughtfully, then found a seat to sit down, and said with a sigh: "I'm old, I'm really tired, I can't compare to you young people. Is this year or next year?"

Zhou Shuxuan flattered: "Long live my emperor, long live, long live."

"There's no one who can live forever. When the time comes. I'm just a dirt bag. From now on, the world will depend on your brothers." The emperor's words were already on his lips, and Zhou Shuxuan probably knew what he was going to say. Miao Li, who was looking at the chessboard, winked.

Miao Li stood up and said: "Go back to the emperor, everything is ready, shall we start now?"

The emperor looked at Zhou Shuxuan meaningfully, said no more, and turned to Miaoli, "Let's start, you go first."

Today is different from the past, Miaoli can no longer sit on an equal footing with the emperor, but kneels on the ground, holding chess with bare hands, and gently lands a piece.

Zhou Shuxuan sat on the sidelines and watched the battle. He knew the level of the two, and he knew the outcome.He can't focus on the chess game now, he has been speculating on what the emperor said just now.

The world will naturally be in the hands of their brothers in the end, but who will dominate?If he hadn't interrupted, the emperor would probably be able to say in the next moment that he and the king of Qi, Wen and Wu, should help protect the crown prince.It's almost Chinese New Year, he wants to seek a little luck, and he doesn't want to hear those words.

Miao Li knew the emperor's habit and didn't let him on purpose, so the emperor lost again and again.Playing chess with someone who is not as good as you is actually not very interesting, and you still play chess in such a posture.

In the twelfth lunar month of winter, she was kneeling on the icy floor, and the charcoal basin in the house was not very close to her, and the chill penetrated through the cotton-padded clothes to her knees.Miao Li's uncontrollable lips turned pale, and the fingers holding the chess game were trembling.

Zhou Shuxuan noticed that something was wrong with her, and asked someone to quietly move the charcoal basin towards her.The emperor was thinking about the chess game with his head down, and he didn't miss their little moves.

After two more rounds, the emperor glanced at the pale-faced person kneeling on the ground, it was almost done, and the little girl might not be able to stand up anymore.

Zhou Shuxuan looked at Miao Li, who was shaking slightly, and wished to replace it. Why didn't those stupid slaves just know to put a cotton pad under it.

He didn't even realize that he seemed a little excited, caring about things he'd never cared about before.

The emperor raised his head, and he could read the emotion on Zhou Shuxuan's face at a glance, and said mercifully, "Get up. Third child, come and accompany me."

He had wanted to hear this sentence for a long time, so he agreed.Miao Li stood up unsteadily, and Mammy Xi helped her to go out.If it weren't for Mammy Xi to support her, she probably wouldn't be able to take a step now.

Helping her to the side hall, Mammy Xi poured two mothers-in-law soup for her to cover her knees, and lit a pot of warm charcoal fire for her.

"The girl is warming up soon, and the emperor really is. It fell for two hours in one fell swoop. It's so cold, it's hard for the girl. Just now we were unprepared and forgot to give the girl something."

"It's okay, I'm not that delicate, thank you Mammy."

It's the same whether it's a pad or not, they must have offended the emperor somewhere, or something that didn't develop according to the emperor's expectations, so they let her play chess with her for so long.After all, under normal circumstances, the emperor would let her sit opposite and play chess.

In the main hall, Zhou Shuxuan was not the emperor's opponent, and he didn't need to play chess with the emperor before, it was very easy to play chess.

It's snowing outside the house, a charcoal fire is burning inside the house, and the father and son are sitting and playing chess facing each other. It's a very harmonious scene.

The emperor lowered his head, his eyes fell on the chess game, and he said inadvertently, "Now that you don't have a princess, do you want to marry another one or what? I think the youngest daughter of Sun Bo's family is not bad, and she has the demeanor of her sister back then." , worthy of you."

Her sister was talking about the princess.It seems that what the eldest princess said is correct, the emperor just wants to make peace with the prince for him, and he still uses various means.

He had no choice but to see the trick, "My son remembers that General Sun's youngest daughter is only getting old this year. My son's current state is not good enough for the princess's younger sister, and I'm afraid it will delay the girl." That would not ease the relationship between him and the prince. On the contrary, there are disadvantages.

The emperor understood what he said and did not reply.

Neither of them spoke any more, and concentrated on playing chess.

It was originally a happy thing for the emperor to come to Qingquan Palace suddenly, but now the whole palace is lifeless, even Miao Li, who came here for the first time, can feel it.

The maids and eunuchs all had a serious face, waiting for the master's order with trepidation.

Naturally, Zhou Shuxuan could also feel these atmospheres. The emperor may have come here on a whim, but he planned to change his relationship with the prince.The emperor really had no other choice, and he didn't hesitate to wrong himself.

The sky is getting darker and darker, and the days in winter are already short, but after a few games of chess, it will be dark.

After thinking about it for a long time, the emperor dropped a son.Zhou Shuxuan put his chess pieces back into the box and said, "My son lost."

The emperor also put the chess pieces back, stood up and exercised his muscles and bones. Today is fine, and there will be no snow in the evening.Concubine Liang liked snow the most during her lifetime. When she first entered the palace, she could be seen playing snowball fights with the little palace maids.The snow is full of laughter and laughter, so happy.

If there is no biased comment, Concubine Liang is definitely the smartest of all his concubines, so he gave birth to the smartest son, who is smart and difficult.

The first queen is his favorite woman, so her son is also his most beloved son. He has protected the crown prince for so many years, and it is not too much to keep him for a few more years.In his heart, is it possible that the current prince is not a talent for the king, but he still remembers that the prince was also a kind boy a long time ago.

His body was deteriorating day by day, and he was about to run out of oil and dry up.The prince has also been the prince for nearly 20 years. If the prince is not the last successor, he always feels weird.

But the prince does have deviations in his current behavior, and Zhou Shuxuan is the best candidate to restrain the prince's behavior.However, the prince took a wrong step before, which made Zhou Shuxuan full of hatred for the prince now, and he had to make the two sons reconcile as before.

He is the emperor and also a father. He has a huge property to be handed over to future generations. If you wrong yourself, you can feel wronged. I only hope that this son can understand his painstaking efforts.

The emperor glanced outside the room, then slowly turned back and said to Zhou Shuxuan: "When the year is over, your mother and concubine will have been gone for ten years. I want to make her a royal concubine and move her tomb to the imperial mausoleum." middle."

Zhou Shuxuan never dreamed that one day he would be able to say these words from the emperor's mouth. He knew how much the emperor hated his mother and concubine for so many years. As long as he mentioned it, he would be a bitch if he opened his mouth and shut up.Now it is more strange than the sun rising from the west to issue an imperial edict and move it back to the imperial mausoleum.

Zhou Shuxuan was happy and sad at the same time. He was happy that his mother and concubine's last wish finally came true, and finally he could be buried with the emperor.The sad thing is that the emperor has paid too much for the prince, and he can force himself to do these things.

Zhou Shuxuan closed his eyes, tightly grasped the handle of the wheelchair, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Mother, forgive my son for his great unfilial piety, and cannot accept this imperial decree.

As long as he thanked him, it meant that he promised the emperor that he would never fight against the prince again.

Zhou Shuxuan tried to relax as much as possible, and said: "Father, the concubine Liang died disgracefully, and there are still many rumors about her. She cannot bear the honor of the imperial concubine. I am afraid that I will shame the royal family and let the world talk about my father."

When Concubine Liang died, the emperor was only so happy.He even waived taxes for half a year and told all the people in the world that the woman he hated the most died.Now it's being chased again, isn't it slapping yourself in the face?It's no wonder the common people don't talk about it.

Zhou Shuxuan's heart was really firm, the emperor glanced at him, and said after a long time: "I'm reconsidering."

The room fell into an eerie silence again, and the emperor suddenly felt a little helpless.

In the side hall, Miao Li has already recovered.The maids of Qingquan Palace had never seen the big world, the emperor seemed to be in a bad temper today, no one dared to provoke him, so the matter of asking where to set the meal fell on Miaoli again.

"Your Majesty, my lord, are you serving meals here? The imperial dining room has already been prepared."

The emperor endured his nausea and stayed here all afternoon. He didn't want to stay any longer, but what he wanted to do hadn't been done yet.

The emperor walked back and sat down, "Let's serve dinner here."

Miao Li went out after receiving the answer, the emperor looked at her back and had some thoughts in his mind.After coming down several times, Zhou Shuxuan seemed to value this girl very much.Last time, in order to save her, he dared to disobey the imperial decree.

The emperor began to chat intentionally or unintentionally, "I heard that Duke Ding has another son."

Not knowing what trick the emperor was going to set him, Zhou Shuxuan dealt with it carefully, "Duke Ding is almost sixty years old, and it is really not easy to have another son."

The emperor smiled and nodded, "It's really not easy. He has always wanted a daughter. From his 20s to his 50s, he gave birth to more than ten children. It's strange to say that he really doesn't have a daughter."

This is a strange event in the capital, Zhou Shuxuan has heard about Duke Ding wanting a daughter for a long time.Duke Dingguo has more than ten wives and concubines, but none of them gave birth to a daughter, which is extremely evil.It is also heard that Ding Guogong often lamented at home that he committed sins in his previous life, so God sent a group of debt collectors to torture him in this life, and did not give him a caring daughter.

Zhou Shuxuan also said with a smile: "Then after Ding Guogong's family goes out, it will be even more spectacular."

Taking advantage of the good atmosphere, the emperor immediately said: "Actually, I decided to help him and let him recognize a goddaughter."

This seems to have nothing to do with him, Zhou Shuxuan boldly asked: "Which girl does the emperor take a fancy to?"

Facts have proved that he was thinking too much.The emperor didn't say a word of nonsense since he entered the room, and every word was related to him.

"I think the girl you brought into the palace is pretty good. She is smart and good-looking. If Dingguo Palace can let her be her goddaughter, she has a good background. You can want her to be a princess in the future. "

Zhou Shuxuan understood in his heart, and had to admire the emperor's perseverance, he really could think of any way.Don't say that he doesn't have the idea of ​​making Miaoli the princess, she still doesn't want to stay by his side.

"Father, she was taught by Mr. Meng alone. She has her father's arrogance in her body. I'm afraid she won't recognize others as ancestors."

The emperor's complexion became very bad. From the moment he entered the door, he tried his best to make Zhou Shuxuan take a step back, but he refused to accept his softness and was ashamed of his face.

The emperor didn't have any more patience, pointed at Zhou Shuxuan and asked, "You! Do you really want to do this?!"

Zhou Shuxuan pretended not to understand, and asked: "My son is stupid, and I asked my father to enlighten me. I don't know where I offended my father?"

The emperor was so angry that he was almost out of breath, looking up at the ceiling of the palace.Playing stupid again, his head is not for nothing, how could he not understand what he said! "Where did you offend me? You know it well!"

"My son doesn't really understand."

Miao Li led the people from the imperial dining room over, and as soon as she entered the main hall, a teacup exploded at her feet.

The emperor pointed at Zhou Shuxuan angrily, and asked sharply, "What exactly do you want?"

(End of this chapter)