Chapter two hundred and sixty-eighth official woman
Concubine Zhe secretly breathed a sigh of relief and stood up as she was told. After ordering Xiao Qizi to fill up the sour plum soup, she personally brought it to Mingyu and said diligently: "My dear, please try the sour plum soup made by my own hands."
This time, Mingyu didn't refuse again. After taking a bite, he said with some surprise: "Yes, it's sour and sweet. It's more in line with my taste than the one made in the small kitchen."
Concubine Zhe said with a smile: "If your Majesty likes it, I will bring it to you to drink every day."
"Why bother Concubine Zhe to send it every day?" Faced with Mingyu's words, Concubine Zhe said sincerely: "It is my great honor to be able to honor your empress. Why bother with the word "trouble"? I ask your empress to be merciful and give me this concubine."
Such a blessing.”
Mingyu laughed at what she said, "I can't help you, that's all. If you want to send it, just bring it. It's just right for you to talk to me."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." After Concubine Zhe bowed, she said, "My Majesty, is the second elder brother here? I have also taken on the role of the second elder brother!"
"Yonglian is in his room." After saying this, Mingyu said to Jinqiu who was standing aside: "Go and call the second elder brother."
After a while, Jinqiu came over with Yonglian. Ever since Mingyu forced him to swear that he would never meet Xianyue in secret, Yonglian seemed to be much quieter. Apart from going to the study to study every day, he just stayed in his room.
, I often can’t speak more than a few words a day.
When she saw Yonglian appear, an unusually subtle look flashed across Concubine Zhe's face. She took out a warm and colorful bowl from the food box, scooped out the sour plum soup, brought it to Yonglian, and said warmly: "Two
Brother, try the sour plum soup I made and see if you like it."
Yong Lian responded and took the bowl she handed him. After drinking it all in one breath, he said, "Thank you, Madam. The sour plum soup is delicious."
Concubine Zhe took the empty bowl with a smile and said: "As long as you like it, I will send some here every day from now on, so remember to drink it."
Yong Lian responded in a low voice, and then said to Mingyu: "Your Majesty, I still have some homework to do, please leave first." After Mingyu agreed, he saluted Concubine Zhe again, then turned and left.
.
For a period of time after that, Concubine Zhe would deliver sour plum soup on time every day without interruption. At this time, the three-year draft also gradually kicked off.
In July, the show girls entered Beijing and were placed in Zhongcui Palace. They learned the rules and etiquette of the palace from the nuns, and waited for the draft on August 17. This day will decide whether they will stay or leave. Most of the shows
The girls all hope to stay and become empresses in the palace.
Along with these beautiful ladies, there were a group of women who entered the palace. They were selected from the three banners of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but they were not qualified to participate in the election. After learning the rules for a few days, they were divided into errands in each palace. These people were also called
Official woman.
If these official women are lucky enough to be favored by the emperor, they can fly to the branches and become their masters; if not, they have to wait until they reach the age of twenty-five before they can leave the palace.
Since June, Xianyue has been busy with the draft. She didn't pay much attention to those official women. After a cursory glance at the roster, she handed it over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for arrangements.
The person responsible for arranging the whereabouts of these official women is Zhang Quan, the deputy director of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Although they are all serving people, the closer they are to the emperor, the greater the chance of being favored in the future; on the contrary, it is not said that they are favored by the emperor.
, I was afraid that I would never see the emperor before leaving the palace.
Before entering the palace, those official women had received advice from their families and knew the stakes involved. Therefore, after learning that Zhang Quan would decide their whereabouts, they all quickly handed over the money they had prepared. In this regard,
Naturally, Zhang Quan would not refuse, and arranged for them to go to different places according to the amount of money collected. At the end of the stay, there were still two people left who had no money to pay.
"What are the names of those two people?" Facing Zhang Quan's inquiry, a eunuch named Xiao Anzi hurriedly said: "If I go back to my father-in-law, one is named Wei Jingxuan and the other is Xia Qing. Both of them are very shabby.
I don’t have any decent jewelry on my feet, and even the clothes are old.”
Zhang Quan took out his ears and said: "Since there is nothing to gain, just send them to Xinzheku as an errand, and you can take them there."
Xiao Anzi agreed, came outside the house, waved to two women about twelve or thirteen years old, whose eyebrows had not yet fully grown, and said: "Come with our family."
The two people quickly followed him, and one of them said cautiously: "Father-in-law, where are we going here?"
Xiao Anzi sneered and said, "We'll find out when we get there."
The woman didn't dare to ask any more questions and followed his footsteps. It took as long as a stick of incense. Xiao Anzi just stopped and said, "We're here. Come in with our family."
"Xin Zheku?!" The woman who just spoke couldn't help but exhale softly when she saw the words on the plaque, and then said with a sad face: "Sister, it seems that our days will be very difficult in the future."
She looked at the older woman and comforted her in a low voice: "We may not stay here forever, don't worry too much."
While they were talking, Xiao Anzi had already finished explaining to Nanny Song from Xinzheku. When he passed by them, he said, "Nanny Song is the manager of Xinzheku. You should listen to her carefully, you know?
"
The two of them quickly agreed, and after she left, they came to Grandma Song, knelt down and said, "I have seen Grandma, and she is very lucky."
Aunt Song glanced at them and said coldly: "What are their names?"
The older woman whispered: "If I go back to grandma, my name is Xia Qing."
The woman who had asked Xiao Anzi then said: "My name is Wei Jingxuan."
Nanny Song nodded slightly and said, "There have been a lot of clothes being washed recently. You two will be responsible for washing the clothes first, and then do other errands later."
They are not people who have been imprisoned for crimes, so Nanny Song's attitude towards them is quite decent, and there are no supervisors watching them with whips. Occasionally, when they are tired, they can rest for a while. But even so
, which also made these two women, who were no more than thirteen years old, so tired that they could not stand up straight.
When Wei Jingxuan thought that she would have to live like this in the future, she felt desperate and couldn't even eat. Xia Qing saw her thoughts and took a chopstick of green vegetables into her bowl and said, "Now that you've come, make peace with it, don't leave it there."
I have a sad face."
Wei Jingxuan sighed and said, "It's easy for me to say it, sister. We will have to do this every day from now on. I don't know when it will end. It's a pity that we don't have money to bribe that Eunuch Zhang, otherwise we can let him arrange an easier job."
Xia Qing pointed to the people who were still working outside and said: "Although we are suffering a little bit now, compared with them, we are still much better off, don't you think?" Seeing that Wei Jingxuan didn't speak, she said again: "Okay, don't stop.
I feel depressed now, believe me, the boat will straighten out when it reaches the bridge, and we may leave Xinzheku at some point."