Madam Tai thought about the nanny Ma next to Huo Xi.
That nanny Ma was brought from the Huo family. Can the Huo family hire the nanny who retired from the palace?
There are so many nobles in the capital, and as soon as the palace maids leave the palace, nobles from various families rush to pay tribute. Can a fisherman's family hire the maid in the palace?
Are you afraid that you are working as a handyman in the palace and have no place to go when you are old?
Madam Tai was originally worried that her brother and sister would make mistakes in the palace and bring shame to the family, so she asked Aunt Wei to come over and teach them the rules. Unexpectedly, she didn't appreciate it. In addition, Aunt Wei was adding fuel to the fire, so she didn't want to take care of it.
.
She made a mistake and was detained in the house, so as not to embarrass her when she went out.
Early in the morning, the two siblings dressed up and followed the madam out.
When getting into the carriage, the wife looked at the two siblings and saw that they had nothing to do. She was satisfied and got into the carriage at the front.
The siblings got into the carriage behind them.
When they arrived at the palace gate, the young eunuch Hou from the imperial concubine's palace was already there, wanting to lead them in.
"In the palace, you need to be careful in your words and deeds. Don't look around. If you offend the nobles, even the queen will not be able to save you!" the madam warned sternly.
Huo Xi and Huo Nian nodded and followed her into the palace gate.
The leading young eunuch looked at Huo Xi and his brother a few more times. Seeing that they were nervous, he comforted them a few words, "The imperial concubine is a kind and kind person, and you are her nieces and nephews. She has been looking forward to your coming for a long time.
Don’t be afraid.”
"Yes, thank you father-in-law for leading the way." Huo Xi came to his side and quickly stuffed a purse into her sleeve.
The little eunuch touched it and found that it was round and he didn't know if it was a gold or silver bean or a pearl.
He was satisfied that the eldest lady of the Duke's palace was so sensible, and he couldn't help but chat a few more words with the two siblings.
The lady saw Huo Xi's actions and was very surprised.
Seeing her making the little eunuch happy and letting her find out a lot along the way, she couldn't help but look at this granddaughter with admiration.
Looking at Huo Nian next to him, he is not as calm as his sister, and his face is a little nervous, but he looks much better than when he first entered the palace.
I felt relieved and couldn't help but take another look at the two grandchildren.
In Chengqian Palace, Concubine Zhang was closing her eyes to rest after finishing the palace affairs.
Now that there is no queen in the inner palace, and it seems that the emperor has no intention of establishing a new queen, all the affairs of the inner palace are left in the hands of Concubine Zhang.
When the imperial concubine was first registered, Emperor Yongkang said in the inscription that she "...is responsible for governing the palace, so she must have the position of co-promotion", and he also said that she was "philosophical and wise, dignified and honest".
During Empress Xu's lifetime, she was asked to help manage palace affairs. After Empress Xu passed away, the entire harem was handed over to Concubine Zhang, which shows the emperor's trust.
Nowadays, everyone in the harem is led by Concubine Zhang. Apart from having no sons and a half daughters, Concubine Zhang's life is pretty smooth.
In the early years, she had thought of many ways to give birth to a son and a half daughters, and had taken many so-called secret recipes from outside, but now she also took a dim view of it.
Even now that the emperor doesn't come to Chengqian Palace once a month, she doesn't care much.
Her appearance is not as young and beautiful as Concubine Quan, and she is not as gentle as Wang Zhaorong Xiaoyi from Jiangnan. Now she has no children and no favors, and her heart is as light as water.
A palace maid came into the palace to report that the imperial concubine's family had arrived. Concubine Zhang then pulled out her thoughts and sat up straight.
Looking towards the door of the main hall, there was a hint of eagerness in his eyes.
Huo Xi entered the Chengqian Hall, with her head lowered and not looking around. She knelt down and worshiped with the Dowager. After bowing, she heard a pleasant voice calling and stood up.
"This is Sister Ning and Brother Zhong, come on, show them to Auntie."
"I have met the imperial concubine."
"Don't be too polite, come on, come forward."
Huo Xi led Huo Nian two steps forward.
Concubine Zhang took them and looked them up and down, looking excited.
"Okay, I only knew Sister Ning from the descriptions of my father and brother before, but now I finally get to see you. As your grandfather said, you look a bit like your father, with a hint of heroism between your eyebrows. Brother Zhong
…”
After looking at Huo Nian, he smiled and said to Mrs. Zhong: "Brother Zhong is not similar to my eldest brother as my mother said. Except for these eyes, everything else is very similar to my brother when he was young."
The more they look, the more they resemble each other, as if they have returned to the old days when brothers and sisters were fighting.
Pulling Huo Nian and holding on: "Good boy, I've suffered so much for you. Now that I'm back home, everything will be fine."
Huo Nian stared at the aunt curiously. He had never known that he had an aunt in the palace before.
"Brother Zhong is so dumbfounded when he looks at your aunt. Your sister has never told you about your aunt, right?" Concubine Zhang seemed to like Huo Nian very much and held him back.
Huo Nian nodded honestly, "I found out later after my sister told me. My sister said she had never met my aunt."
Concubine Zhang looked at Huo Xi and smiled, "Yes, my aunt left home early, so naturally I have never seen your sister."
Huo Xi saw that although she was smiling, her smile seemed bitter.
Seeing that she was dressed in a graceful and luxurious manner, she was in the prime of her life, and she was the most noble owner of the harem, but she did not have a proud smile on her face, but instead had a pale expression.
I couldn't help but sigh.
Concubine Zhang couldn't help but glance at her, feeling a little touched in her heart.
But she didn't say much, she just asked the two children to sit next to her and asked them about their past in those years.
"I'm sorry for you." She was in the capital but had a home and couldn't go back, just like her. Concubine Zhang held a handkerchief and pressed it at the corner of her eyes.
"Don't be afraid, just go home. My aunt is here."
The madam couldn't help but glance at her daughter. She didn't understand why she started to protect each other after meeting her for the first time.
It was rare for Concubine Zhang to see her family. She had a conversation with Huo Xi and her brother, and then asked Gong'e to take them to the garden to play. She wanted to have a few words with Mrs. Tai.
"Don't go too far. My aunt will ask Yu Kitchen to make delicious food for you to eat."
"Okay." Huo Nian agreed, and he and his sister followed Gong E outside.
The two siblings walked around in the imperial garden. In the spring, the palace walls were still full of flowers, with a pleasant fragrance. Looking around, there were carved dragons and painted phoenixes, and there were beautiful scenery everywhere.
The siblings were stunned.
"Sister, this palace is magnificent, even the tiles on the neck are shining with gold." Huo Nian whispered to Huo Xi.
Huo Xi couldn't help but laugh.
Huo Nian scratched his head in embarrassment, smiled, and pulled Huo Xi's sleeve: "Sister, this aunt seems to be quite nice."
He thought that the people in the palace were very scary, so he had been cautious since he knew he was going to enter the palace, but he didn't expect that this aunt was not what he imagined.
"Do you think people in the palace can eat people? Her surname is also Zhang, and she is his biological sister." Concubine Zhang was friendly to their siblings, which made Huo Xi relieved.
In recent years, I am afraid that Zhang Jie has accompanied the concubine to the palace many times. If the imperial concubine had taken the initiative and sided with Wu and Zhang Jie, it would have been detrimental to their siblings.
In Chengqian Palace, the wife also asked her daughter, "What do you think of their siblings?"
Concubine Zhang smiled and nodded: "They look much better than the two born by Mrs. Wu."
The Dowager Madam was silent. She also knew that what the Imperial Concubine said was true. But Baguio and Zhang Jie had been by her side since childhood, and their feelings were different from others. The Huo Xi siblings who had just returned home could not compare with them.
"Brother Zhong is much better at arts and martial arts than Xie'er. Your brother likes him very much and says he is diligent and practices every day. Even your second and third brothers praise him and say he can keep the family business."
Concubine Zhang smiled and said, "Then why is mother unhappy?"
The madam was silent for a while and said: "Those two children have been raised outside since they were young. I'm afraid they won't be well-raised. They haven't called you eldest brother father yet. Besides, they still remember what I did to Mr. Li back then."
thing……"
Concubine Zhang was silent.
"Mom, you are worrying too much. I think those two children are sensible and sensible children. If you are not angry in your heart, it is enough to just destroy our family outside and secretly avenge your mother's murder. Why bother returning to the family?"
"They know the importance of their family to them, so they naturally have a reputation in their hearts and weigh their own considerations. Compared to Zhang Jie, I think Brother Zhong is more suitable."
"But how could Mrs. Wu be so willing? I'm afraid that there will be chaos in the family." The wife was worried when she thought that her peaceful days would be broken.
"She is unwilling to give in. The blessings that the Wu family enjoys now have been stolen from heaven. If you ask me, my mother is really indecisive."
"It's not because I'm indecisive. In addition to understanding my son, I also have to take care of Baguio in the Prince's Palace. If it is rumored that her mother is in trouble, how can she gain a foothold in the Prince's Palace?"
"Why can't that be established? People outside are looking at my eldest brother, not the Wu family. Concubine Guo in the Prince's Mansion is still a concubine, so she is favored. She also gave birth to a son, and now I heard that she is pregnant again. So I said
How many people are there in your Majesty's palace with a prominent family background like mine? Who is not more favored than me?"
The words were full of sadness, which made Wang's heart ache.
The family's authority protected her daughter, but at the same time harmed her.
At the same time, she also thought about the granddaughter of the Prince's Palace. As long as the British government does not collapse, Baguio will be safe and stable. However, if there are children in the future, they will not be favored. If there are favors, there will be no children. Maybe she will be like her aunt, with nothing.
Only respect remains.
Who allowed her father to command hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, and her two uncles also held important positions in the army.
The madam's heart ached.
"Mother, don't think too much, it's all her life. The Wu family harmed her, and also harmed Zhang Jie. She has been doting on Jie'er all these years, making him unable to become a civilized or military man."
The madam suddenly said: "Isn't this better? Just keep the family property."
Concubine Zhang naturally knew what she was talking about.
"If he is more mediocre, the palace will naturally have less fear, but can he keep the family property? Now the palace is a first-class palace, and my mother has to watch it become a second-rate or third-rate palace. In the end, the family property cannot be saved and is taken back by the emperor.
Title certificate?"
Wang shuddered.
If the hereditary certificate was taken back by the royal family due to Sun Pingping, how could her family gain a foothold in the capital? Without being eaten alive by other nobles?
cannot.
"Mom, I think Brother Zhong is quite good. He is neither arrogant nor impetuous, and has a pure and kind nature. I really like him. From now on, you should listen to my elder brother."
The madam was stunned and said nothing.
The mother and daughter were talking when they heard the palace maid came to report that the emperor was coming to have dinner with them. Both the Tai Madam and Concubine Zhang were surprised.
Hurry and get people ready.
"Why did the emperor think of coming to Chengqian Palace for dinner?"
"I'm afraid I also want to see Sister Ning and Brother Zhong." After Concubine Zhang finished speaking, she ordered someone to call sister and brother Huo Xi.
When Huo Xi and her brother hurried back from the imperial garden, the emperor also arrived holding Mu Jie.
The two siblings knelt down and saluted.
Emperor Yongkang exclaimed with a smile and looked at the two siblings.
"Ha, you can't believe it!" Mu Jie said hello to the imperial concubine and the dowager, and rushed over to hug Huo Nian.
Then he shook his head proudly at Huo Xi, "I'm familiar with this palace. I'll take Sister Xi and Brother Nian for a nice stroll later!"
"You didn't go to the Imperial College either?" Huo Nian was naturally happy to see familiar people in the palace.
"I knew that Brother Nian was going to the palace, so I also went to the palace to see my imperial grandfather coming!"
"Oh, it turns out you didn't come to see me specifically, you just took a look at it?" Emperor Yongkang looked at Mu Jie with dissatisfaction.
"No, no. I just came to see the emperor's grandfather. Then I stopped by to see Sister Xi and Brother Nian. This palace is so big, I'm afraid they will get lost."
"Is it possible that there are no eunuchs or concubines in my grandfather's palace to lead the way?"
Mu Jie blinked his eyes, "They are them, and I am me. I just happened to catch up, so I just have to do my best and do my best."
Emperor Yongkang couldn't help but laugh and slapped his little head. Even the imperial concubine looked at him and smiled.
"The Emperor didn't inform you in advance that he was coming to have dinner, which made me very confused."
"It's my fault, I'm just in time." After saying that, he glanced at Mu Jie.
Mu Jie's eyes widened, the emperor's grandfather actually imitated him in speaking!
The strange appearance made everyone laugh again.
Huo Nian couldn't help but go to see Emperor Yongkang secretly. This was the first time he had seen the emperor. He was not the one mentioned in books or performed on the stage. He was the real emperor. He couldn't help but go and take a look out of curiosity.
When Emperor Yongkang looked at him, he looked away in panic.
This made Emperor Yongkang laugh loudly, "This is your first time seeing me. Tell me what you think."
Huo Nian swallowed nervously: "The Emperor is so majestic that people dare not look directly at him, and it is different from what is said outside."
"Oh, how did it spread outside?"
"It is said outside that the emperor is brave and good at fighting, and that he is a civilized and military strategist. He conquered foreign tribes in the north without fear of life and death, and that is why he has achieved this prosperous age. This kid thinks that the emperor is superior..."
"Hahaha……"
Concubine Zhang also laughed, "This child probably thinks that the emperor is full of blood and looks scary, so he is not easy to get close to."
"My imperial grandfather is doing well!"
Mu Jie hurriedly added, which made Emperor Yongkang laugh heartily. He personally recruited the two children beside him, and sat one on the left and one on the right to accompany him to eat.
The meal was finished happily. I don't know if the food in the imperial dining room tasted particularly good or something, but everyone used it too much.
It was rare for Emperor Yongkang to have such leisure time, and he was in a good mood with his two children enjoying himself.
Thinking of the travelogue written by Huo Nian, "I heard that you can memorize the letter of advice written by Queen Wen?"
Huo Nian glanced at his sister, Huo Xi smiled at him, and he nodded to the emperor, "I can carry it."
"I can carry it too!" Mu Jie echoed loudly from the side.
"Okay, then you will also carry it."
In Chengqian Hall, it was very quiet, except for the cadence of the voices of two children endorsing.
Emperor Yongkang squinted his eyes and leaned on the couch, tapping his fingers on his thighs. It was not until the two children finished memorizing the contents of the book of exhortations to charity that Emperor Yongkang opened his eyes, with nostalgia in his eyes.
"This book of exhortations to good deeds was originally written by Empress Wen, instructing her children and grandchildren to cultivate virtue, promote good deeds, and practice righteousness. Later, after she passed away, I had this book widely praised in the mansions of nobles and nobles, as well as in various places in the capital.
Fu Xue..."
I don’t know how many people still remember the Queen’s book of advice.
Looking at Huo Nian and Mu Jie, "You are very good. I will reward you in a while!"
Mu Jie's eyes widened and he rushed over, "Grandfather, what do you want to reward Jie'er?"
Emperor Yongkang was in a good mood, so he hugged him and lifted him up twice, "You are a monkey, now that you are well, you still want to enter the palace to search for my treasures."
Emperor Yongkang had few heirs, and the youngest Princess Chang Ning passed away early, leaving only Mu Jie. Although he was heartbroken, he loved his grandson very much and often called him into the palace.
Huo Xi looked at the two of them as if they were ordinary grandparents, and smiled.
When Emperor Yongkang saw it, he nodded secretly. This Huo Xi raised her brother very well. If the British Duke's family was handed over to Huo Nian, he would become the prince's arm in the future.
He gave Mu Jie and Huo Xi siblings heavy rewards before leaving.
When the siblings left the palace, they not only took with them the reward from the imperial concubine, but also the generous reward from Emperor Yongkang.
Returning to the mansion, everyone was envious.
Zhang Jie ran to Wu's courtyard and cried. Wu learned that the imperial concubine had a friendly attitude towards those two scoundrels, rewarded them with many things, and even led them to see the emperor, which really irritated her again.