At the end of November of the 22nd year of Kangxi's reign, snowflakes were flying in the sky, and the weather was really not good for the return trip. All the concubines and concubines of the palace had to welcome the return of the three giants outside Taihe Gate in the snowy weather.
Wen Xi stood at the head of the concubines, holding a small oval heater with golden enamel and colorful phoenix patterns in her hand, letting the heat slowly leak out through the hollows. She was covered with a snow-white mink fur cloak and fell on it.
The snow was white and it was not easy to detect. Songer stood behind Wenxi and used a silk handkerchief to help Wenxi brush away the snow from time to time. The third wave of messengers had already arrived. Kangxi had already entered Beijing, and it was estimated that there would be more
It takes an hour to reach the Gate of Supreme Harmony.
The concubines had been waiting for more than half an hour. Some of them were wearing thin clothes and their faces were turning blue from the cold. They could only rely on the hand heaters to keep warm.
Concubine Yi suddenly said: "Why didn't Concubine Tong come today?"
Concubine Hui, who was standing on the left side of Concubine Yi, couldn't help but sneered: "It's already like that. If it were me, I wouldn't have the shame to come out!" Na Lashi smiled very proudly. A woman whose appearance is ruined will be ruined in her life.
Got it!
It wasn't that Tong Jia didn't want to come. Why didn't she want to meet Kangxi early so that she could express her grievances and sue Concubine De? It was Wen Ru who secretly asked Gu Chengzong to give Tong Jia his daily medicine.
It was added with the element of resting one's head to sleep, that's why I didn't come. It was always a big deal to welcome someone, and not coming would be disrespectful to the emperor, unless it was someone like Jia's concubine who couldn't get out of bed, and the other concubines who had grown legs were all here.
, including the pregnant Guo family. Even the second princess Rongfei, the third princess Guo family, the third elder brother Yinzhi, the fourth elder brother Yinzhen, and the fifth elder brother Yinzhen are all here!
Concubine Shen held the gold-painted hand stove and said with a smile: "Concubine, I heard that the porcelain in Jingren Palace has been replaced seven or eight times this month! None of the bronze mirrors are left. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is not allowed to give them away. I don't know Concubine Tong.
She didn't even dare to look at what her face looked like!" As she said this, she glanced at Si Age, who was standing alone. The other princes and princesses were all standing with her, but her adoptive mother didn't.
I came here, but I was not close to my birth mother, so I stood alone in the wind and snow, alone.
Concubine Yi said with a smile in her resentful tone: "The expenses of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are huge. We will have to apologize to the Emperor later!"
Wen Xi also Shi Shiran said: "After the emperor left, so many messy things happened in the palace. We should really repay the emperor, especially the matter of Concubine De."
Concubine Yi looked at Wu Ya who was wearing a veil, with a thin body and increasingly wider belts, with a look of sympathy on her face, and said: "We must let the emperor make the decision for sister De Concubine! De Concubine is really pitiful, not only does she not have
Have a child??? I heard that this face is also——"
Concubine De hurriedly coughed twice and said, "My sister is just disabled because of her illness. She will be nursed back to health in the future."
"Really?" Concubine Yi raised her eyebrows, obviously not believing it, "But I seem to have heard that the appearance of Concubine De is almost the same as that of Concubine Tong."
Concubine De was wearing a thick fox fur cloak and holding a heater tightly in her hands. She lowered her head and said, "It's just a rumor, it's not worthy of belief." Concubine De also stayed behind closed doors in Yonghe Palace without leaving the house. Today she came out to greet her.
The driver was also covered with a veil. Wu Yashi lowered her head and coughed twice, saying, "It's just that I caught the cold and was afraid of infecting my sisters, so I wore the veil."
Concubine Yi pursed her lips and smiled: "Concubine De is indeed as virtuous as ever!"
"Sister Yifei, thank you very much."
It is really a torture to wait for people in the snowy day, especially some nobles with low status, who are always here and agree. They are already shivering with cold. Wen Xi then said: "When I came out, I saw that it was really cold today.
Then I asked someone to carry a basket full of red charcoal and put it in the duty room to the west of Taihe Gate. If everyone doesn't mind it, ask the servants to add a few pieces of charcoal. It will keep warm in your hands."
As soon as I said this, the ones who were most touched were the concubines with low status. Their hand stoves were filled with bamboo charcoal, which would not keep them warm for an hour. They could not keep warm as long as red charcoal. They all hurriedly thanked Wen Xi and then
Ask the accompanying maids to add charcoal. People like the noble lady of Song Dynasty are extremely lucky. Concubine Cheng saw that it was not easy for her to raise the princess, so she often evened out her own red charcoal to make a stove for her.
After using red charcoal to refuel the stove, my hands and body were warm, and I no longer felt uncomfortable waiting. Soon, I saw a large bright yellow canopy, red canopy, and flags in the distance, connected into one, majestic, it was Kangxi
The royal chariot is near!
The concubines hurriedly stood up, headed by Wen Xi, in the second row were Huifei Nala, Yifei Guo Luoluo, Rongfei Ma Jia, Defei Wuya, Chengfei Dai Jia, and in the third row.
The concubine Shen is Hesheli, the concubine Ding is Wanliuha, the concubine An is Li, and the concubine Jia is sick in bed and has never come. The fourth and fifth rows behind are the nobles, Chang Zai promised to be at the end, this group
There was more than one company of little wives greeting the team, which looked very huge!
"Concubines, concubines, concubines, welcome the emperor, the empress dowager, and the empress dowager, long live the emperor! May the empress dowager be safe, may the empress dowager be safe!" All the concubines knelt on the snow to greet them.
Kangxi strode forward, personally supported Wen Xi, the leader, and stroked Wen Xi's warm body. He whispered, "Fortunately, I didn't freeze you." Then, he raised his voice and said, "Everything is fine."
Get up!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" They thanked each other in unison.
Concubine Yi smiled and said: "Thanks to the imperial concubine's carefulness and asking people to prepare red charcoal in advance, the sisters did not get cold!"
Consort Xuan supported the Empress Dowager, and Aunt Sumara supported the Empress Dowager. The two old ladies went out for a tour of the north. They did not suffer from the wind and frost. Maybe it was because they returned to their hometown that they were in good spirits. It’s just that
, the absence of Tumen Baoyin caused Wen Xi to have some doubts.
She smiled warmly and said, "It's snowing today and it's very cold. The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager have noble bodies, so they'd better get up and drive back to the palace as soon as possible. Concubine Yi has already asked people to move Cining Palace and Ning Palace to the palace."
The longevity palace has been heated up, and we are just waiting for the master to return!"
The Queen Mother nodded and praised Concubine Yi in Manchu. Concubine Yi stepped forward and Xuan Bin helped the old man get on the sedan chair. Wen Xi stepped forward and helped Xiaozhuang get on her Feng Luan sedan chair.
When welcoming her, the concubines had a tacit understanding and did not mention the Tong Jia family. Although this matter had been reported to the three giants far away in the Mongolian grasslands, returning home was a happy event.
You can't speak out.
Cining Palace.
Kangxi did not return to Qianqing Palace, but accompanied the Empress Dowager directly to Cining Palace. He also immediately summoned Concubine Rong, Concubine Hui and Concubine Yi who were in charge of the affairs of the harem. It is unknown what Wen Xi said. However,
After summoning the three concubines that day, Ling Pu, the head of the House of Internal Affairs, the chief eunuch in charge of Baohua Palace and several lamas were summoned, and then Chen Gong, the chief eunuch of Yonghe Palace, was summoned.
Wen Xi was in Chengqian Palace, but she was able to find out who was summoned. Xiaoluzi ran over quickly, knelt down and said, "Master, the emperor has gone to Yonghe Palace."
"It was expected." Since Chen Gong was reported to be the eunuch who was the confidant of Concubine De, he would definitely describe the grievances suffered by Concubine Wu Ya in a vivid way. Kangxi naturally wanted to comfort the victim as soon as possible.
The next day, all the concubines and above went to Cining Palace to pay their respects. Originally, today was not the tenth day of the fifth lunar month, but the Empress Dowager sent an order early in the morning, so everyone hurried to go. Concubine Tong still came today.
Even though the concubine was lying in bed, the Empress Dowager did not summon Yongshou Palace at all.
"May the Queen Mother be blessed!" All the concubines kowtowed together, but Xiaozhuang did not scream today.
The Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang usually wears ordinary family clothes, but today she has changed into a dignified Jifu. She wears a smoked mink crown with a red hat weft and a golden phoenix. The top is divided into three layers.
There are layers of golden phoenixes, with five rows of pearls running through them. There are 320 pearls in total. The back is tied with a turquoise knot with a gold title, and the pearls hang down, showing the five elements. On the ears, there are three knives and six holes, and three pairs of golden dragons holding first-class Eastern pearls are set off.
The appearance is not angry and self-prestigious.
Xiaozhuang is wearing a sapphire blue satin embroidered multi-colored cloud and gold dragon court robe. The collar and sleeves are all azure. There are two rows of dragon flowers on the front and back of the lapel. The vertical water pattern on the bottom has both eight treasures, which is called eight treasures standing water.
There are three strings of beads on the neck. Two of the strings of coral beads cross each other on the left and right. They are extremely luxurious and solemn, just like the Buddha statues in the temple. They are unsmiling.
Xiaozhuang looked solemnly and glanced at the concubines kneeling below. He didn't say a word, but countless people didn't even dare to breathe. Wenxi was at the forefront, so she naturally bore the brunt of Xiaozhuang's majesty and threw herself at him.
It came up the spine, making people break out in a cold sweat.
After a long time, Xiaozhuang calmed down and said in a solemn voice: "When the Ai family was away from the palace, I think you were too relaxed, and that's why you caused so many unseemly things!"
"I am guilty, please forgive me!" All the concubines asked in unison.
Xiaozhuang's face remained solemn and he said with anger in his voice: "Concubine Hui, Concubine Yi, Concubine Rong, the three of you have been assisting in the palace affairs for some time. Although it is not comprehensive, it is not a big mistake originally, but
It has only been a month since the Ai family left the palace, but so many unsightly things have happened! Are you so reasonable in the Sixth Palace?!"
Xiaozhuang asked sternly, and Concubine Hui, Concubine Yi, and Concubine Rong kowtowed hurriedly, dripping with cold sweat and said: "The Empress Dowager, please calm down!"
Xiaozhuang snorted coldly, looked majestically at the concubines kneeling below, and said: "There are rumors everywhere in the palace. The fire in Baohua Palace was purely due to the negligence of the chief eunuch! You didn't refute the rumors, and you allowed the rumors to spread.
There has been an uproar, and everyone outside the palace knows it! The royal family’s face has been thrown into the trap by you!”
"I will die!" The three concubines were knocked to the ground so hard that they did not dare to raise their heads at all.
Xiaozhuang sighed, frowned deeply, and his old voice became even more majestic: "You are still young, so it is inevitable that you will not handle things well! The Ai family has ordered that all the eunuchs and maids in Baohua Palace be beaten to death! If anyone dares to do so in private,
Any filthy words that are said to be angry with the Buddha will be punished with a stick!!"
"The Empress Dowager is wise!" The concubines kowtowed together, feeling chilled in their hearts. The Baohua Palace is very large, and there are no less than a hundred eunuchs and maids. Now the palace is not going to be stained with blood! The matter of divine punishment is the focus of Wen Xi, and the three concubines
It also contributed to the situation and caused such a big fuss. If Xiaozhuang takes a strong dose of medicine, there will be immediate results.
Xiaozhuang finally regained some of his usual amiable demeanor and said: "Everyone, get up."
"Thank you, Queen Mother!" Wen Xi stroked her knees and finally got up. After kneeling for such a long time, her knees were already numb!
Xiaozhuang looked at Wen Xi with an inquiring look on his face: "This is not the first time that Baohua Palace has had trouble with the palace. Wen Xi also almost burned down in the Imperial Garden. I wonder if it was man-made or an accident?"
Wen Xi hurriedly said: "Of course it was an accident. It was all because of my fault. I was negligent and actually entered the sycamore forest alone. It's just that in the sycamore forest, the eunuch of some palace left a fire that was not extinguished at night.
It will cause Huilu's disaster." She lied and said it without blushing or heartbeat. The incident in Wutong Forest could only be an accident, because only if it was an accident, she would not have the motive to set fire to Baohua Palace!
Xiaozhuang smiled gently, and his face no longer had the solemn expression that had intimidated everyone before, "You are young, so it is inevitable that you are not considerate. Just be careful in the future. You can't be alone anywhere!" As long as you don't touch Xiaozhuang's feelings.
If there is no interest, she will naturally turn a blind eye.
"Thank you, the Empress Dowager, for your concern. I will keep it in mind!" Wen Xi breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether Xiaozhuang believed it or not, as long as he didn't go into details, it would be fine.
Xiaozhuang glanced at the fifth concubine again, then landed on the veiled Concubine De, and said: "Is Concubine De okay?"
Wu Ya's blessed body said softly: "Thank you, the Empress Dowager, for your concern. I'm fine now. It's just that I'm not blessed enough to be able to keep the royal heir in my belly! I'm guilty!" As he said this, his eyes filled with tears.
tears.
Xiaozhuang said with a cold expression: "Tong Jia's murder of the emperor's heir was cruel and ruthless. The crime will not be forgiven. The emperor will naturally give her a break! Just feel free!" There was a cold murderous intention in his words. (Unfinished)
To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
ps: The fifth update is completed, with a total of more than 17,000 words! Yuzi’s fifth update is almost catching up with others’ sixth update! Others strictly limit each chapter to 3,000 words in the fifth update, and the fifth update is 15,000 words.