Returning to the Zichen Palace, Zhao Chengji took off his crown and changed into regular clothes under the service of the palace servants. It was a black brocade robe with wide sleeves embroidered with dragon patterns.
Rubbing the ring on his finger, Zhao Chengji asked.
"Concubine Chen, are you awake?"
After Ji Wen heard this, he immediately said, "Your Majesty, your Majesty, your Majesty has been up a long time ago and is currently talking to the Queen Mother in Shou'an Palace."
His fingertips paused for a moment, and Zhao Chengji whispered: "Go and send word that I will go over and have dinner with the Queen Mother later."
"Yes, I will go right away..."
Hearing the emperor's words, the eunuch standing aside responded respectfully. Then he bent down and stepped back. Then he turned around and walked out of Zichen Palace, and went to Shou'an Palace to report.
In the palace, the eunuch in charge, Ji Wen, was arranging the emperor's clothes. Not far from him, the palace servant holding a tray was lowering his head slightly.
Cuixia, the maid in charge of the palace, saw that the emperor had picked out the ring and put it on, and she knew what jade pendant she wanted to use to match Long Live Lord's clothes.
Cuixia stretched out her hand to pick out a piece of sapphire from the tray, then stretched out her hand to tie it around the emperor's waist. She did not squint her eyes from beginning to end, and behaved well.
Zhao Chengji glanced at her lightly.
Cuixia is the maid in charge beside him.
If she remembered correctly, she had a good friend who was a guard in the palace, named Muche. In her previous life, she had never noticed that there was still an assassination attempt. He only found out after the guard died. After that, Cuixia did not show up even when she was old.
She married someone in the palace, but continued to stay in the palace. It can be said that she has been an old palace maid all her life.
Thinking of this, Zhao Chengji said calmly, "The one named Mu Che..."
Suddenly hearing the emperor ask this, Cuixia was so frightened that the color drained from her face in an instant. At this moment, her mind was confused and her body was shaking violently.
As a palace maid, having an affair with a guard in private is indiscreet and brings trouble to the palace, and she will be punished by death. Even if she is really innocent with the person she likes, it is a fact that they love each other.
Cuixia and Muche had known each other since they were children. After recognizing each other two years ago, they had an intersection. However, knowing each other's identities was not allowed, so the two could only look at each other in pairs and carefully maintain this relationship.
She never went too far, she just wanted to wait until she was twenty-five years old to leave the palace and marry him.
Without any time to think, Cuixia knelt on the ground with a plop.
"This slave knows his guilt."
Kneeling on the ground, Cuixia didn't dare to quibble.
"It's a slave..."
"It was my fault. I beg Your Majesty to spare Muche. I am willing to die to apologize."
"My subordinate Mu Che wishes to see Your Majesty."
At the entrance of Zichen Palace, the upright voice of the guard came.
Hearing the sound, Zhao Chengji raised his eyes and glanced at the door.
He's quite responsible
Zhao Chengji glanced at the person kneeling on the ground.
"How long have you been serving me?"
After hearing this, Cuixia respectfully replied: "Your Majesty, it has been six years."
When His Majesty was still the crown prince, she served him by his side. After that, he became the maid in charge. It has been six years now.
Zhao Chengji nodded after hearing this.
"It's not that short."
"For the sake of your loyalty, even if you are guilty of death, you will not be able to escape. Each of you will be punished with twenty lashes to serve as a warning. As for your twenty lashes, your husband will lead you."
The punishment is to lie in bed for a few days at most.
For a high-ranking imperial guard who is a military attache, it is worth getting forty lashes in exchange for a wife.
Muche: "Subordinate, thank you Lord for your kindness."
Hearing the voice coming from the door of the palace, Cuixia also bent down and kowtowed respectfully to thank her.
"My slave, thank you Lord for your kindness."
Forty lashes all fell on Mu Che. Thinking about it, Cuixia's eyes turned red. She also wanted to share the lashes for her beloved. But she also knew that even if she wanted to, at this time, she did not dare to speak.
.
To be able to save a life now is already a great blessing from the Emperor.
Complicated feelings.
"Go to Shou'an Palace."
With a wave of his sleeves, Zhao Chengji walked out of the hall.
"Let's drive to Shou'an Palace..."
At the door, Mu Che was kneeling straight there.
"Go and collect your punishment yourself."
"I obey my orders."
Is this considered pain and happiness?
…
Shou'an Palace.
"The Emperor has arrived..."
When Zhao Chengji came to Shou'an Palace, he saw Yu Lan talking to the Queen Mother, and they seemed to get along well with each other.
When they saw the emperor coming, the palace officials bowed and said hello, then respectfully stepped aside and became invisible.
"My son, I send my regards to my mother."
"Your Majesty is here, no courtesy."
"Come and pass the meal."
"yes……"
As an emperor, it is filial for a son to take time out of his busy schedule to come and have meals with his mother. If a son is filial, the Queen Mother will naturally be happy.
"Come, Concubine Chen, come sit next to me." (The Emperor is not dead yet, so the Queen Mother cannot call herself a member of the Ai family. I made a mistake before."
He put his arms around Guo Lan's waist.
"Ahem, Queen Mother, Concubine Chen should sit down with me."
this……
The Queen Mother did not expect that her son would say this.
This is really what her son can say.
He glanced at his son.
The Queen Mother nodded, "That's fine."
Speaking of which, the last time she had a meal with her son was three months ago. Now this is the first time her son has had a meal with her since he returned to the palace.
"Concubine Chen, I specially asked the imperial kitchen to make these for you. Try them to see if they suit your taste."
Hearing what the Queen Mother said, Yu Lan nodded and said, "Thank you, Queen Mother. The food is delicious. I like it very much."
"Okay, as long as you like it."
"Knowing that you are pregnant and can't smell fish, I specifically asked the imperial kitchen not to cook fish."
Yu Lan felt a sense of belonging.
From now on, this palace will be her home.
"Mother, please eat more."
Glancing at the petite figure sitting next to him, Zhao Chengji asked in a low voice: "What do you want to eat? I'll pick it up for you."
Yu Lan was stunned and his face became hot.
Master, the Queen Mother is still here, so you should be more restrained. It's quite embarrassing.
Thinking of this, Yu Lan shook his head hotly, "No, I can just do it myself."
He reached out and took some lotus root slices and put them in her bowl, "Try this."
Knowing that she was pregnant, she ate light food, so the dishes Zhao Chengji brought her were all refreshing and delicious.
"This is good, try it."
"and this."
"Okay, Master, that's enough."
The scene in front of her was beyond the Queen Mother's understanding.
Did you read it wrong?
This is really the son of her family who has no affection.
If you are holding chopsticks, you have forgotten to pick up the food.
It turns out it's not that he's too cold-hearted or that he's not close to women, but that he hasn't met anyone he likes before.
I didn't expect that.
Your Majesty, today is also the case.
She felt better, so the Queen Mother ate more.
Being young is good.
Some people want to be too emperor.
I don’t know where I went in the wild. I haven’t come back yet. A few days have passed without a trace of anyone. But don’t be fascinated by that little goblin and forget about Shu.
After breakfast, Zhao Chengji led Yu Lan out of Shou'an Palace. When he went back, Yu Lan sat next to Zhao Chengji.
The one sitting was Long Chu.
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