Empress Ma looked at Deng Zhiqiu calmly: "Zhiqiu. Although I have watched you grow up and treat you as my own daughter, I still have to abide by some rules."
Deng Zhiqiu fell on the ground and said, "I don't know what mistake Zhiqiu made. Please tell me clearly."
Queen Ma: "There is an order of hierarchy. The side concubines should abide by the duties of the side concubines. If all the side concubines want to climb over the head concubine, the palace will be in chaos."
Deng Zhiqiu raised his head and looked at Queen Ma: "I have never thought of climbing on the head of the concubine. It's just that His Highness and I have been playing together since we were young, and we were the first to be pointed out to Him. Your Highness talks to me more casually, and more
It’s human nature to get closer.”
She was reminding Queen Ma that they had failed her. She was the original wife.
Empress Ma was so angry that she clenched her hands in her sleeves: "This Deng Zhiqiu has been quite domineering since he was a child. He didn't expect to marry Zhu Xi for so many years, but he still doesn't know how to do it."
Others did not expect that Deng Zhiqiu was so bold and dared to speak directly to Queen Ma like this. They were all frightened and did not dare to express their anger.
The silence in the main hall suddenly became suffocating.
Queen Ma smiled: "You all go back. I'll talk to the two from the second family for a while."
Wang Xiaoyue quickly stood up.
Queen Ma said: "Sit down."
Wang Xiaoyue sat down carefully again.
The others hurriedly saluted and excused themselves.
Deng Zhiqiu was left alone, kneeling on the cold ground.
Empress Ma ignored her and asked the female official next to her: "Is Concubine Sun here?"
The female officer hurriedly said: "I came early. I saw that the empress was talking to the princesses, so I was waiting outside."
Queen Ma nodded: "Ask her to come in."
Concubine Sun knelt down to greet Queen Ma when she came in.
Queen Ma usually skipped the ritual, but today she silently let her do the full set.
Concubine Sun knew that Empress Ma wanted to discipline Deng Zhiqiu, so she saluted with great solemnity today.
One after another, concubines came to say hello, and they all saluted meticulously.
Deng Zhiqiu naturally knew what Queen Ma meant: it was to show her the difference between the empress of the palace and the concubine.
Even people as powerful and favored as Concubine Li Shu and Concubine Sun could only kneel and kowtow!
Although Wang Xiaoyue is younger than Concubine Li Shu and Concubine Sun, she is the principal concubine and can sit down.
Then the female officials from the Sixth Bureau came in one by one to report all matters to Queen Ma.
Groups of people came and went around Deng Zhiqiu.
Deng Zhiqiu did not dare to raise her head, feeling ashamed and angry, thinking that everyone must be looking at her like a monkey.
Concubine Sun and Concubine Li Shu stood beside Queen Ma, recording rewards and punishments one by one, and it took more than an hour to complete them.
A palace maid came in and reported: "Your Majesty, His Highness the King of Qin is outside asking for an audience."
Queen Ma sneered secretly: Are you in such a hurry to save the beauty?
She said gently: "I'm still busy. Please go to the side hall to drink tea while King Qin waits."
The maid went out.
Deng Zhiqiu became even more angry. Empress Ma specifically wanted to ask her to kneel a little longer.
After all the female officials had finished reporting, Empress Ma said to Concubine Li Shu and Concubine Sun: "You two are also tired, go down and rest."
Concubine Li Shu and Concubine Sun bowed politely and left.
Queen Ma then asked people to bring Zhu Ping in.
Just now, Zhu Xiang returned to the palace holding her breath. She originally wanted to ask Deng Zhiqiu if she knew what her uncle had done, but she learned that Deng Zhiqiu had gone to pay respects to the queen in the morning and had not come back yet.
So he came in a hurry.
After entering, he glanced at Deng Zhiqiu.
Deng Zhiqiu glanced at him with red eyes.
Zhu Xi felt a pain in his heart, saluted Queen Ma, and smiled: "Mother, did Zhiqiu do something to make the queen unhappy? If the queen is angry, hit her son a few times, don't make yourself angry like her.
."
Empress Ma sighed softly: "Sigh. You can't manage your harem, so the Queen Mother can only help you manage it."
Zhu Xiang had already prepared for the worst. Empress Ma had already found out about Deng Xi and was punishing Deng Zhiqiu. When Empress Ma said this, his heart beat faster and he knelt down in a hurry: "It is the son who has caused the empress to suffer."
Empress Ma said: "Actually, I don't like to punish people to kneel down the most. I've sacrificed my reputation today not to do it. I punished Zhiqiu by kneeling down for so long. It's really because of a serious illness that requires strong medicine. If you don't keep things in order in your harem, big things will happen in the future.
."
Zhu Feng fell on the ground and said, "My son is unfilial." He knelt down. Queen Ma would definitely not let him kneel with Deng Zhiqiu for too long.
Empress Ma said: "Since you three are here, I will talk about it. When your father and I asked you to marry Wang Xiaoyue as the royal concubine, we not only wanted to recruit General Wang to surrender, but also because Xiaoyue was gentle and kind.
She has the reputation of being the slave of Guanyin, so that she can assist you who has a bad temper. It’s not that Zhiqiu is bad, but she just likes to play tricks since she was a child, so she is not suitable to be a concubine. To put it bluntly, even without Wang Xiaoyue, your father and I would not be the same.
I will not let Zhiqiu be the princess, but will appoint another lady with good character to you, understand? I can’t blame Wang Xiaoyue for this matter."
Wang Xiaoyue lowered her head, feeling more and more on pins and needles.
She was actually the most innocent and helpless one. When she was kidnapped by Zhu Yuanzhang and the others, they said they would hire her as a concubine. She originally wanted to leave a way out for her brother, so she agreed.
Unexpectedly, it was like entering a dragon's pond and a tiger's den, and I couldn't live a comfortable life for a day.
It’s okay if the concubine doesn’t take her seriously all day long.
Zhu Ping, who should have been firmly on her side, also regarded her as an enemy.
Deng Zhiqiu bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes.
Queen Ma's words were more painful than a slap on the ear.
Zhu Xi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, it turned out that this was what he was talking about.
He responded hurriedly: "I know, my mother has taught me a lesson."
Empress Ma saw that he had a good attitude and that Deng Zhiqiu had knelt for a long enough time today, so she said: "Get up. You two go back first. I will say a few more words to His Highness."
Deng Zhiqiu stood up with difficulty, staggered, and almost fell down again.
Zhu Xi wanted to help her, but couldn't reach out, so he could only stand with his fists clenched.
After Wang Xiaoyue and Deng Zhiqiu left, Queen Ma looked at Zhu Xi with sorrowful eyes and said, "You are such a fool. Now Wang Baobao is fighting with us in the west. If you treat Wang Xiaoyue like this, Wang Baobao will not even have the slightest intention to submit."
I was dismissed by you. Can't you bear this moment? Do you know how many more soldiers our Ming Dynasty will die because of your willfulness?"
Zhu Xi lowered his head: "I understand."
In fact, he didn't take it seriously.
There were so many elite soldiers and generals in the Ming Dynasty, but they couldn't defeat just one Wang Baobao?
Do you have to rely on him to please Wang Xiaoyue and recruit her to surrender?
Queen Ma knew that he might not listen, so she could only wave her hand tiredly: "Let's go, let's go. If you suffer a loss because of this one day, don't blame me for not reminding you. Anyway, I did everything I could."
Zhu Fang knew that Queen Ma was also doing her best, and now he felt really guilty. He knelt down and kowtowed before leaving.
-----
When Zhu Xi returned to the palace, he heard that the palace attendants said that Deng Zhiqiu had locked himself in the room as soon as he came back. He panicked and went up to knock on the door and say good things. His mouth was dry and his tongue was dry, but Deng Zhiqiu ignored him.
