Xianyue said in surprise: "I didn't expect that there would be such twists and turns. Now, has Chunbi's family moved to the capital?"
"My family still lives in Baoding Prefecture, but a few days ago I wrote a letter to the family, asking Amma and the others to move to the capital. There are many yamen in the capital, so my brother can try to find one."
"Does the pure concubine have a younger brother? How come I have never heard you mention it?" Hearing Xianyue's words, Mrs. Su smiled slightly and said: "I have never sat alone with my empress to have a meal like this.
"
Xianyue was startled, then chuckled, "That's right. In the past, we would only sit together during the family banquet. But at that time, there were so many people talking, how could we talk quietly like now." After a pause.
After a pause, she asked a few more questions about Su's younger brother, then nodded and said, "With your sister as a queen here, it will be easy to find a job."
Su Shi sighed and said: "If only it were that simple. Although I am in the position of concubine and can barely be regarded as a master, I can still say a few words in front of the emperor, but after all, I am not very good at this kind of thing.
It's easy to speak, but he still has to rely on himself. He hopes to make progress, find a good job, and have a bright future in the future."
Xianyue spat out a fish bone and said: "Actually, I want to tell you that since your brother has some knowledge and a reputation as a scholar, why not let him take the imperial examination route? Not to mention serving the imperial court, at least one of them is really good.
future."
Su said helplessly: "I don't think so, but I failed to pass the provincial examination twice. I really don't have confidence. It's better to just find a job honestly, so as not to waste half my life and achieve nothing."
Xianyue thought for a moment and said: "Actually...why don't you beg the emperor to give your brother a favor?" Before Su Shi could shake her head, she said again: "Do you know why Gao Shi and you are both from the Han Army Banner?
, but she can ascend to the position of the fourth concubine? The difference lies in her mother's family. Although she is a Han, she is a good official in water management. When the late emperor was still there, he appointed him as the second rank of Jiang.
Governor of Nanhe Road; however, none of your family members are officials in the court. Although it is said that the harem and the former court have nothing to do with each other, in fact, they are inextricably related to each other, so how can they really be unrelated.
As long as your brother is still up to par, as a sister, you should find a way to help him, not only for him, but also for yourself, do you understand?"
When she said this, Mrs. Su was really moved, but she didn't show it in front of Xianyue. She bowed in the chair and said, "Thank you very much for your kind words. I'll take note of them, and I'll find a solution first."
I will do some errands and then take part in next year’s provincial examination. As for the rest, I’ll make plans after the results of the provincial examination come out.”
Xianyue nodded slightly, and after dinner, she wiped the corners of her mouth and said, "Chun concubine, are you interested in playing a game of chess with me?"
Mrs. Su stood up and said: "Your Majesty is interested, so I will accompany you. However, I am not good at chess, so I am afraid it will ruin your Majesty's interest."
"It's just for fun, it's okay." With that said, Xianyue ordered people to remove the meal and get the chessboard and chess pieces. She held the black pieces, while Su held the white pieces.
As the crisp sound of falling pieces sounded, the originally empty chessboard was filled with chess pieces one after another, either black or white, and a fight was going on without any smoke.
The silver charcoal was burning in the copper charcoal, making soft "beeping" noises from time to time. After Xianyue took away Bai Zi who was surrounded by her, she said: "Besides complaining about me, what else did Concubine Hui say?
"
She suddenly said this, and Su almost dropped the chess piece where she was looking. After calming down, she moved her hand away a little, and while placing the piece, she said: "The other ones are nothing, but Concubine Hui mentioned the second elder brother.
..." She glanced at Xianyue and said: "It seems that she is very dissatisfied with the second elder brother. She feels that the second elder brother did not see the scene at that time and was lying. However, the second elder brother has a noble status and forgives her for not doing anything.
.”
"It's best!" With these four words, a black stone fell on the chessboard again, forcing Su's situation that he had just rescued to death again. The situation after that was without any surprises, and the white stone was killed seven times.
It's all in pieces and there's no way to recover.
Mrs. Su smiled while wiping the sweat from her palms: "My concubine is really impressed by your superb chess skills. It seems that I will have to study chess well after I return home, otherwise I will never dare to play chess with you again."
Xianyue said with a smile: "I am too modest. In fact, your chess skills are very solid, but there is a lack of variety. But even so, I had to wake up a lot of energy just now to win you. It was not easy at all."
.If you are free in the future, please come over often to play chess or talk with me, so that time will pass faster."
Mrs. Su quickly followed her words and said, "As long as I don't dislike it, I will definitely come here often."
"If you are willing to come over, I am not happy enough. I will not find it objectionable. If it is convenient, I will bring Yongzhang with you. This child is tender and tender, and I like it very much."
After Mrs. Su agreed, she glanced at the Western clock beside her and said, "It's getting late. I'll take my leave first and bring Yongzhang to pay my respects to the empress another day."
Xianyue nodded and said: "Aluo, send the pure concubine out."
A Luo agreed and sent the pure concubine away respectfully. After returning to the side hall, he found Xianyue standing in front of the table, her eyes fixed on the unpacked chessboard, and she quickly said: "My slave, please put the chessboard away now."
Before Aluo's fingers touched the chessboard, Xianyue stopped him and said, "Wait a minute."
It took a whole cup of tea to look at it like this, which made A Luo quite puzzled. She didn't know what was so good about this chessboard. She asked Qi Kuan in a low voice who had been accompanying Xianyue, but the latter also had no idea.
After a long time, Xianyue finally withdrew her gaze and said, "Okay, put away the chessboard."
When Zhichun was ordered to put things away, A Luo whispered: "Master, what were you looking at just now?"
Xianyue sat down holding Qi Kuan's hand and said: "Look at the chess game played by me and the pure concubine."
A Luo frowned and said: "Chess? Hasn't it been played long ago? And you also won, what else is there to see?"
"Win?" Xianyue sneered and said: "I have always said to hide one's strength and bide one's time, but in fact, there is a person who knows better than I do. If it weren't for the many contacts after entering the palace, I would still be kept in the dark.
.”
Qi Kuan said from the side: "Master, do you mean the pure concubine?"
Xianyue said sadly: "Do you understand chess?" After Qi Kuan nodded, he continued to ask: "Then what do you think of Chunbi's game of chess?"
Qi Kuan lowered his head and said: "Actually, I don't know much, I just have a rough grasp of it. As the empress said, the pure concubine's chess skills are solid, but there are not many changes, so she falls behind."