Manager Huang didn't expect Xia Qing to ask such a question, and looked at her in surprise. The latter's eyes flashed slightly and he said with a smile: "I just asked casually. If Eunuch Huang feels embarrassed, just don't say anything."
Manager Huang smiled and said: "It's nothing difficult, our family is just a little surprised." As he said this, he looked at Xia Qing carefully and said: "Miss Xia has graceful features and is pretty, if she is placed among the beautiful girls. , she must be of middle-class appearance, and she will most likely be chosen as a concubine by the emperor."
His casual words made Xia Qing feel frightened. She stroked her cheek and said, "Eunuch, do you really think this is possible?"
"How could our family lie to Miss Xia?" As soon as Manager Huang finished speaking, Xia Qing said: "But I am already over twenty, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to get into the eyes of the emperor."
Manager Huang was a little surprised and said: "Is Miss Xia already in her early twenties? Our family just thought she was only sixteen or seventeen years old, but we couldn't tell at all."
Xia Qing couldn't help laughing and said: "My father-in-law is really good at making people laugh. You see so many beautiful girls every day, how could you not tell my age?"
Manager Huang said with a serious face: "Our family is not joking. Miss Xia has a fair complexion and beautiful appearance. She really does not show her age. Even if you say you are only fifteen, our family will believe you."
"Thank you for the compliment, father-in-law." Xia Qing smiled and bowed before continuing to go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The moon cakes and jewelry were carefully arranged and prepared a few days ago. Seeing Xia Qing coming, she quickly sent a few Little eunuch, help deliver the things to Zhongcui Palace.
There were not many show girls who were eligible to participate in the election this time, a total of seventy-six. When the girls learned about the reward from the imperial concubine, they were all extremely surprised and came to receive the reward one by one. When it was the turn of one of the show girls, Xia Qing She didn't hand over the hairpin for a long time, but instead said: "Are you also a show girl of this year?" After she nodded, she asked again: "What's your name?"
The beautiful lady didn't know why Xia Qing asked this, but she still said truthfully: "My name is Hu Hanxiu."
"The surname is Hu?" Xia Qing raised her eyebrows and said, "It's the same surname as Empress Yingbin, but..." She didn't go on and just shook her head slightly. Although she didn't say it, Manager Huang and others knew why she shook her head. Hu's appearance is beautiful and charming, even if you look at the harem, she has a superior posture, but looking at this Hu Hanxiu, she has a round face, a broad nose, and a bit of overwhelming power, not to mention charming, not even a trace of delicacy You can't even see it. It's really a thousand miles away from the Hu family.
Xia Qing was about to give her the hairpin, but suddenly she retracted her hand and said, "Go to the end of the line."
Hu Hanxiu said in confusion: "Why, it's obviously my turn."
Xia Qing's eyes were slightly cold and she said: "Anyway, I'll let you go to the end of the queue. Just do as I'm told." Although Hu Hanxiu is a beautiful girl and is called a mistress, she is not a real master. In terms of identity, she is missing. It's better than Xia Qing.
Manager Huang said in Xia Qing's ear: "Miss Xia, what are you doing? Just give her the hairpin."
Xia Qing ignored him, stared at Hu Hanxiu and said, "Hurry up and get over there."
Hu Hanxiu had a hundred and a thousand reluctances in her heart, but she was honest by nature and knew her appearance, so she did not dare to argue with Xia Qing. She came to the end of the team with red eyes. Facing this scene, all the beautiful ladies were They sneered secretly, and only a few people cast sympathetic glances at Hu Hanxiu.
Although Manager Huang was dissatisfied with Xia Qing's behavior, he did not dare to offend her because she was Xianyue's, so he could only keep his dissatisfaction deep in his heart.
One by one, the beautiful women took the pearl hairpins and mooncakes. When it was Hu Hanxiu's turn, the pearl hairpins were gone, and one branch was missing.
The young eunuchs said in surprise: "It's strange. The hairpins are obviously made according to the number of people. How come there is one missing?"
Hu Hanxiu heard this and said timidly: "Then... what should I do?"
Xia Qing ignored her and said directly to the eunuchs: "Does the Ministry of Internal Affairs have any extra hairpins?"
Among them, the young eunuch shook his head and said: "Deputy General Zhou ordered the slaves to make a pearl hairpin for each beautiful girl, so there are only seventy-six hairpins in total, not one more." He rolled his eyes and said: "Otherwise, I will ask
Ask Deputy General Manager Zhou if he can replace it with other pearl flowers."
Xia Qing shook her head and said: "This seems a little bad, and if it reaches the ears of the master, he might blame Deputy General Manager Zhou for not doing things well." After a moment of pause, she asked: "Are you sure it was seventy-six branches when I got it?
?”
The young eunuch affirmed: "Yes, before sending it, we all counted it, no more, no less, exactly seventy-six branches."
Xia Qing bit her lip lightly and said, "It seems that it was accidentally pulled along the way. I will search with you along the way and we should be able to find it. If it doesn't work, let's talk to the master and Deputy General Manager Zhou."
Seeing what she said, the eunuchs would not object. They followed the road they just passed and looked around. After Xia Qing followed them for a while, she quietly left and came to the vicinity of Yangxin Hall.
He took out a beaded flower from his sleeve and threw it into the corner.
This branch of pearl flower was exactly the one they had been looking for just now. It did not fall on the way. Instead, Xia Qing secretly took it into her sleeve while no one was paying attention. As for why she did this, only Xia Qing herself
know.
After throwing away the pearl flowers, Xia Qing hid in a hidden place and quietly looked at the Cultivation Heart Hall not far away. After waiting for an unknown amount of time, she finally saw the door of the hall open, revealing Hong, who was wearing sea-green uniforms with patterns.
Li walked out, followed by Si Xi.
The moment she saw Hongli, Xia Qing's whole body tensed up, she clenched her hands secretly, and then walked out, looking at the ground as she walked, as if looking for something, and slowly walked towards
Approaching from the direction of Hongli.
After Hongli finished approving the papers, he wanted to see the Hu family. Unexpectedly, before he had gone far, he was bumped hard by a figure. Fortunately, he took a step back and stood firm, but the person who bumped into him was
It fell to the ground completely.
Sixi nervously supported Hongli and said, "Your Majesty, how are you? Does it matter?" After Hongli shook his head, he pointed at the man who fell to the ground and couldn't get up and screamed: "Who is so bold?
, you actually dare to bump into the emperor like this, don’t you want to die?”
Xia Qing quickly knelt down and said: "This slave deserves to die! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Hongli heard this voice and frowned slightly: "Xia Qing? Why are you here? Did the imperial concubine send you here?"
Xia Qing lowered her head and said: "If I go back to the emperor, it's not the master who sent the slave here, but the slave...the slave has something to do of her own."
"Yourself?" Hongli said unexpectedly: "What do you want to see me for?"
"No, this slave is not here to see the emperor. Yes... yes..." Xia Qing hesitated and did not continue until Hongli asked, and then she whispered: "This slave accidentally lost a pearl hairpin that the master gave to a beautiful girl.
Yes, because I passed by the Yangxin Hall before, I came here to look for it. I never meant to offend the Emperor, so please forgive me!"
Upon learning that this was the case, Hongli raised his hand and said, "Don't blame those who don't know. Just get up."