In the first month of the seventh year of Yongzheng's reign, with the afterglow of the New Year still lingering, Empress Dowager Wu Yashi occasionally felt cold.
This time I was really sick, not just pretending.
The Fourteenth Master was imprisoned in the mansion. Although the Empress Dowager Wu Ya enjoyed the glory and wealth, she was still feeling depressed. After being depressed for a long time, how could she not get sick?
The queen was suffering from a serious illness and could not serve her. As a noble concubine, Shu Jin had no shirk in her duties. There were also three concubines, namely Concubine Xi, Concubine Dun and Concubine Mao, who were also ill.
Fortunately, Wu Yashi did not dare to deliberately tease the concubine, but she would not give her eldest son's concubine a good look.
"Queen Mother, the medicine is ready." Concubine Dun, Nian, walked into the inner hall carefully holding the medicine bowl.
Shu Jin, who was standing by the bedside, hurriedly took the bowl of thick black concoction, blew in the hot air, and took a sip himself - ugh, it's so bitter!
This is called "tasting the medicine for yourself", and it is also a necessary process for treating illnesses.
It was Yongzheng's idea to arrange for Little Nian Gao to accompany her to serve the sick. Yongzheng was afraid that Concubine Dun would not be able to cope with the evil mother-in-law, the Queen Mother, so he asked her to take care of her.
Shu Jin changed the spoon and took a spoonful and brought it to Queen Mother Wuya's mouth.
But the Queen Mother frowned and refused to open her mouth.
Shu Jin whispered: "Queen Mother, you need to drink the medicine while it's hot."
Empress Dowager Wuya looked impatient, so she snatched the medicine bowl from her hand, raised her head and drank it all in one gulp. The medicine was really bitter, and the Empress Dowager couldn't help but frown.
Seeing this, Shu Jin hurriedly picked up a plate of candied crabapples from the crescent table behind him and offered it to him.
Empress Dowager Wu Ya quickly grabbed three or five candied fruits and stuffed them into her mouth. Her wrinkled old face felt slightly relieved, "Why is this medicine getting more bitter?"
Shu Jin said with a smile: "Good medicine tastes bitter."
Queen Mother Wu Ya snorted angrily, "But these are just things that treat the symptoms rather than the root cause!"
The Queen Mother's illness is rooted in her heart, but who dares to prescribe this heart medicine?
Shu Jin had no choice but to say: "This is already the best medicine." - The emperor won't give you the medicine you want! What can you do?
Queen Mother Wu Ya took a deep look at Concubine Yu, "The Ai family heard that Ning Guiren in your palace is about to give birth?"
Shu Jin nodded "Yes", "It's full term and may start at any time."
Empress Dowager Wu Ya smiled and said, "If it's my brother, how will you treat me?"
Shu Jin lowered his head and said, "I, my concubine, obey the emperor in everything."
Queen Mother Wuya couldn't help but feel annoyed at these words. The fourth child really chose an obedient concubine!
Concubine Dun on the side suddenly raised her pretty face: "Ning Guiren is young and ignorant. If he gives birth to a brother, the emperor will probably give it to the concubine's sister to raise him."
Shu Jin said calmly: "When you become a mother, you will naturally become sensible." Who cares about her children?
Empress Dowager Wu Ya raised her mean old face and glanced at Concubine Dun: "The Ai family didn't ask you anything, so why are you talking so much?! You have no rules!"
Concubine Dun's pretty face swelled, and she lowered her head angrily, "Concubine... I was reckless."
The relationship between the Queen Mother and Concubine Dun had started as early as the last time she pretended to be ill. This time the Queen Mother was really ill. Although she was not tortured in any way, various scoldings and reprimands were unavoidable.
This feeling of happiness comes from contrast. Xiao Nian Gao was scolded and scolded all day long, and Shu Jin felt a lot more comfortable.
"Queen Mother, please calm down." Shu Jin smiled hurriedly and held up a plate of soft dessert.
Empress Dowager Wu Ya pinched a piece of hibiscus cake and ate it. She still scolded her with an old face: "You are a worthy concubine, but you are too lenient. These concubines below are more disgraceful than the others!"
He even pointed out the mulberry tree, scolded the locust tree and dropped the small rice cakes.
Seeing Concubine Dun's face swollen, Shu Jin could only laugh and laugh, "I am just a concubine."
I'm not a queen, how lenient can I be?
Empress Dowager Wuya, who had eaten two pieces of cake, was still cursing, "The emperor's harem doesn't have many decent concubines! He didn't choose a good show, but he pampered something that won't make it to the stage! It's embarrassing!"
Still scolding the little rice cake...
But, if we look at it from a more serious perspective, she was once a Bao Yiqi, and she could be considered one of the concubines who "couldn't get on the stage".
It's just that... the Queen Mother was once a maid.
This guy, once he turned around, he forgot his roots.
But Concubine Dun was filled with resentment and anger, her eye circles were red with anger, and tears were welling up in her eyes, but she was holding on and refused to fall.
Seeing Nian's appearance like this, Empress Dowager Wu Ya felt a little relieved, and waved her hands like flies: "Okay, the Ai family will be annoyed when they see you, so please leave!"
Well, today’s service is finally over.
After exiting Wanfang Anhe, Concubine Dun couldn't help but cry bitterly. She didn't even say goodbye to her, but just strode away. It was obvious that she was very angry.
Shu Jin had no intention of coaxing her, as she still had to go back to deal with palace affairs. Fortunately, she no longer had to wait for the sick every day. Tomorrow it would be Concubine Mao and Concubine Xi's turn.
Today the Queen Mother took her anger out on the little rice cake, and tomorrow Concubine Xi and Concubine Mao will be less scolded.
Returning to Danning Hall, Shu Jin hurriedly stamped the seal, and Zhang Shoufa came to report that the emperor had gone to Fuchun Hall.
Okay, little rice cake, just blow the pillow wind as hard as you can.
In the Fuchun Hall, candlelight flickered.
Concubine Dun lay in the emperor's arms, sobbing, "Your Majesty, I've been sick for a few days, isn't it enough?"
Yinzhen was also a little helpless, "The Queen Mother didn't beat you or punish you, she just scolded you a few times. Just pretend you didn't hear me."
Concubine Dun was extremely aggrieved, "I did not offend the Queen Mother today! It was the Queen Mother who asked about Guiren Ning, and I replied, saying that the heir in Ning Guiren's belly should be raised by the concubine's sister, which is in line with the rules.
The Queen Mother reprimanded the concubine with all her face! The concubine did not say anything wrong..."
Yinzhen frowned: "Why does the Queen Mother suddenly care about Ning Guiren?" - Yinzhen instinctively began to doubt his own mother.
Concubine Dun muttered in a low voice: "The Queen Mother also asked the Concubine how she would be treated if she were the prince! The Concubine sister was modest and said that she would listen to the Emperor in everything. But the Queen Mother... seemed to have other ideas."
Yinzhen's face became a little darker.
Seeing this, Concubine Dun said: "Although I have always been looking forward to raising a prince, I also know that I am weak and incompetent and cannot hold a big position. Ning Guiren is so ignorant. If she is a princess, it is fine. If she is a prince, she should do it anyway."
It is only appropriate to be raised by a master."
"Oh?" Yinzhen looked at the weak and pitiful concubine in his arms, his expression softened a lot, "You are more sensible now."
Concubine Dun lowered her head tenderly and asked cautiously: "I wonder what the emperor's plan is?"
Yinzhen was silent for a moment, "Let's talk about it after giving birth."
You always have to ask Mr. Geng about this kind of thing. Mr. Geng's temperament is, at best, unambitious, and at worst, lazy.
"By the way, why did you suddenly say a good word for Mr. Geng?" Yinzhen suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Concubine Dun said hurriedly: "These days, in front of the Queen Mother, the concubine sister has always been very protective of me, and I feel very grateful for her."
Yinzhen said "Huh", maybe he still had some disgust for Ning Guiren...
That's all, I don't expect Mr. Nian to be really virtuous.
Concubine Dun breathed a sigh of relief and lay softly in the emperor's arms, her pretty eyes shining with calculation.