The afternoon sun is as light as a golden veil, and the spring colors are like grape wine, making the heart intoxicating. Looking from a distance through the sunshine, Zhaoyang Palace, reflected in the pink willows and greens, looks particularly solemn and solemn.
Somewhat out of place, like a silent giant beast, watching eagerly, waiting for opportunities to move.
Dozens of maids stood guard in front of the Zhaoyang Palace. The leader, Xiu Xia, saw me getting off the sedan chair. While supporting me diligently, she already held my hand and said, "The Queen has something to ask Hu Zhaoyi, so please stay away for the time being."
."
Hu Yunrong has already been given the title of concubine, but she just needs the gift of concubine. Everyone in the palace calls her "Chang Fei", and now Xiu Xia is only called by her old position. I know it's not good in my heart, so I smiled and said
"I have been appointed by the Emperor to co-manage the Sixth Palace. Now that Hu Zhaoyi has made a mistake on his errand, how dare I not share my worries for the empress? How can I avoid it?"
Xiu Xia hesitated slightly, she could already hear the noise inside. Jian Qiu came out to look at me, and Fang Youyou smiled, "It doesn't matter if Concubine Shu is here. If the empress is speechless, Concubine Shu can do it for me."
I walked in slowly. In March, the spring scenery outside the palace was picturesque, but there was still a heavy atmosphere in the Queen's Palace. Only the sweet fragrance of early spring melons and fruits gave off a touch of light spring.
The Queen sat solemnly on the throne, while Hu Yunrong stood at the foot of the steps. She was dressed in luxurious purple clothes and looked cold and indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with her own business. She only looked leisurely at the red gold armor inlaid with jade beads on her nails. The Queen pinched it in her hand.
Wearing a peacock blue coat, the two of them looked at each other in silence, and there was a faint feeling that a storm was about to come.
My eyes fell on the peacock blue coat, and I already understood in my heart. I smiled to myself, the so-called sisterly relationship is nothing more than that.
I picked up the silk and chuckled, "The spring scenery is so beautiful outside. The queen and Concubine Chang are middle cousins, but they talk about themselves behind closed doors, which makes it seem like they are not in contact with me." After saying this, Yingying knelt down and said, "Queen.
Wish you all the best."
There was a faint smile on the corner of the Queen's mouth, "You are here just in time, and I don't need to tell others about it. Concubine Shu is used to playing both sides, and now she is co-managing the Sixth Palace. She is too cowardly in her heart, and it is easy for others in the palace to overstep her boundaries.
Things are happening right under your nose."
The queen has always been kind to others, but she has never said such harsh words to me. I hurriedly knelt down and said, "I don't know what's going on, please let me know."
The queen didn't say a word, she just threw the clothes in her hand lightly, and the gorgeous outer clothes fell at her feet like a peacock's colorful feathers. I bent down to pick it up and looked at it, and smiled unconsciously: "This material is light, soft and slippery. It's really
It is indeed of the highest quality." I ran my hands over the smooth texture of the clothes, and suddenly I said "Oh!" and frowned: "Why is this colorful embroidery made like a phoenix?" There are always rules for the patterns used on the clothes of concubines.
Extremely strict. For example, only the queen's uniform can be bright yellow, with nine golden dragons or phoenix patterns interspersed with five-color auspicious clouds. The noble concubines of the first to third rank can wear golden uniforms, which are second to the queen. Dragon patterns are not allowed.
If the number is over seven, the Qingluan pattern is allowed. However, concubines and below can only wear fragrant clothes. If the dragon pattern is no more than five, the Qingluan pattern is allowed. Of course, if the concubine uses the phoenix pattern on her clothes, it can only be outlined with silk thread.
Colored threads should not exceed seven colors, and pure gold threads should not be used. The rules for concubines, concubines, and concubines are very strict and must not be wrong. Otherwise, it will be a serious crime and may be punished with death.
Hu Yunrong glanced at me contemptuously and sneered: "They are all the same."
The corners of the queen's lips raised slightly, and she smiled slightly, "So Concubine Shu also knows that this is a phoenix?"
I caressed my chest and smiled, "It turns out that the queen is angry about this. It's because the embroidery workers are bad and clumsy. They embroidered Cai Zhai in such a way that it looked like a phoenix. It really deserves a beating."
I said earnestly in a consultative tone: "I think we should fine each of these embroidery workers three months' worth of monthly silver. Seeing that they are still so impatient in their work."
The queen rested her hat on her hands, leaned on the rosewood seat carved with red gold nine phoenixes, closed her eyes and said, "Concubine Shu is really good at turning big things into small things, and small things into nothingness."
I took a breath of cold air and said in shock: "Isn't that true? What the Queen means is not that the embroidery work is careless, but that Sister Chang Fei has deliberately transgressed." I paused, and then said in a good voice, "Sin, sin, sister Chang Fei.
But the queen is your cousin, how can this happen between sisters?"
When Hu Yunrong heard this, she smiled deeply. Her smile was like a red plum covered with cold snow, and it was cold and cold. "The Queen and I are just cousins. How can we have such a deep love between Sister Chunyuan and the Queen's biological sisters?"
.Of course, everything in the palace strives for harmony, and I will follow the example of the Queen and have deep feelings for Sister Chunyuan. How can I dare to overstep it so easily?"
The queen was okay at first, but when she heard the word "Chun Yuan", her face changed slightly. After a long time, a deep smile appeared from the corners of her lips, "Chang Fei?" She said lightly, "No need to worry about it.
As far as he is concerned, all you have to do is admit it frankly. This dress is your favorite these days, and you often wear it on your body. If it wasn't intentional, how could you not tell Zhai Feng apart for a long time?" The queen softened her tone and said softly.
: "You are the emperor's cousin, and also my cousin. I should look after you more or less. You are young and ignorant, so how can you know how serious it is to commit transgressions. If you admit it, just learn to be good. Otherwise..." She
His expression calmed down, and Duan Mu said: "You must not stop the arrogance in the palace. If you lose the way of respect and inferiority, I will have no choice but to kill my relatives out of justice."
The queen showed her affection and moved her with reason, but Hu Yunrong just ignored her and said lightly, "I was canonized by the emperor, even if the queen wants to kill her relatives out of justice..." She smiled suddenly, and even her dignified purple color was highlighted by her smile.
De lively and bright, "In terms of marriage, the emperor is both my cousin and husband, so naturally I am closer to the emperor. Is it righteousness? Cousin Queen, ask yourself, do you still have feelings of friendship in your heart? So even if you want to destroy your relationship out of righteousness, it is not the first turn.
Your Majesty."
The queen held her breath for a moment, her gaze passed across my face lightly, and she said: "Yunrong, you are so articulate, it reminds me of Murong Shilan in the past. When she became ignorant, she looked exactly like you now.
."
Hu Yunrong stretched out her hand and pressed the charming red gold phoenix tail agate tassel on her temples, her charming eyes were as silk as silk, "Cousin, we are the closest cousins after all. If you compare me with a treasonous sinner, isn't it an insult to you? Not to mention Murong Shilan.
She has been miserable all her life, and at her most noble, she was just a little first-class lady. Yunrong is not talented, but she is harmonious and has such a good role model as my cousin, how could she look down on a mere first-class lady."
The queen was slightly shocked, and stretched out her slender fingers wearing transparent jade armor to touch her chin. Her expression was as cold as the thin autumn frost, and the watery jadeite reflected in it also gave off a cold chill. Jian Qiu glanced at the queen.
, couldn't help but trembled: "Zhaoyi is bold! Did Zhaoyi actually intend to seize the throne with his words? Or did he dare to curse the queen to die young like Queen Chunyuan? It seems that Zhaoyi does not need to admit it. The embroidery on this dress
What Feng did was an intentional act of transgression, and there is no way to deny it for offending the Queen."
Hu Yunrong smiled scornfully, "Jianqiu, you have been following my cousin for many years. How come you have learned to gossip like this? You have become a villain. What I want to learn from you is naturally your cousin's virtuous character. Why do you think of trying to seize the throne of the queen?"
. Could it be that you have seen and remembered such things too much in your eyes and in your heart?" Jianqiu was tongue-tied for a moment and was about to argue. How could Hu Yunrong allow her to continue? She immediately stopped her and said, "Stupid girl, you don't even have a wink at all.
No. The emperor has decreed that I should be concubine, but you still call me Zhaoyi and look down upon me. So..." Her eyes flicked to the queen, "Is it possible that you also look down on your master, and you still look down on me?
Do you think she is a royal concubine?"
Jian Qiu's face turned red with anger, and she looked at me and said, "Concubine Wan Shu, Concubine Chang is contradicting the queen like this. You are the assistant in charge of the Sixth Palace, and you just watch and don't say a word?"
I spread my hands and said with a smile: "This is strange. The queen was generous and didn't say anything, but you talked back to Concubine Chang in Jianqiu. If I really want to stop you with words, I can't protect you for violating the throne. And
Concubine Chang's sister has always been used to talking nonsense in front of the Emperor and the Queen Mother. If the Queen Mother and the Emperor don't speak to each other, how can I speak to her?"
The queen looked coldly for a moment, stood up slowly, and said in a deep voice: "Zhaoyi is brave! Concubine Shu is cowardly and is watching the fire from across the bank. I can't control you. It seems -" I heard the words "watching the fire from the other bank" and already knelt down. Her figure
He looked particularly quiet under the overlapping gold-patterned robes, and said loudly, "Go and invite the emperor——"
There was no one in the six palaces who had poor ears and eyes. When they heard that the queen was angry, that Concubine Chang had trespassed, and that Concubine Shu was implicated, they all rushed to Zhaoyang Palace. When Xuan Ling came, all the concubines in the harem except Mei Zhuang, who was pregnant, were gone.
When everyone arrived, they saw that I couldn't kneel down, so they all knelt down in a hurry, and the place was completely silent. Only Hu Zhaoyi's petite figure stood proudly and independently, like a narcissus blooming in the cold.
Behind Xuan Ling was Ye Lanyi, who was about to be canonized as Xiaoyi. As soon as Xuan Ling entered the palace gate, he saw Crow Crow kneeling on the ground. He frowned and said, "Why are you kneeling down?" After saying that, he came to help him.
Me, "You too. Even though it's March, the ground is very damp and it hurts me to kneel down. What can I do?"
I refused to get up, and continued to kneel, and said softly: "I am co-managing the Sixth Palace by the Emperor's decree. I thought I could share the Queen's worries, but I didn't know that I was useless and made the Queen angry. I should have knelt down to apologize to the Queen."
Seeing that I refused to get up, Xuan Ling said to the queen: "Concubine Shu's position is second only to yours. If you hadn't been angry, she wouldn't have knelt here forever."
Xuan Ling's words were slightly reproachful. At this time, Ye Lanyi did not kneel down with the others, but sat down on his own seat. He picked up the tea cup and took a slight sniff. "This tea is good." After saying that, he drank leisurely.
He took a sip and said, "I heard that when Concubine Hua punished Concubine Shu, she told her to kneel under the poisonous sun. Your Majesty, the Queen is much more kind than Concubine Hua in the past."
Ye Lanyi had always gone her own way, so everyone was uneasy after hearing this. On the other hand, Lady Yu Rong, Rong Chishao, who was kneeling at the end, glanced at her and immediately lowered her head.
"Everyone, get up." The queen sighed softly, "Your Majesty, I have been married to you for many years. Is it possible that I am easily angered and will indiscriminately anger the Sixth Palace?"
Xuan Ling pondered for a moment, then put on a faint smile, and asked He Yan: "The queen has always been generous, what is it that makes you so angry?"
The queen sighed lowly, pointed at Hu Yunrong's back and said: "The emperor has always loved Yunrong, and my concubine was a little more pity and tolerant because she was young and cute. Now it seems that she has actually harmed her. Yunrong
Rong is so lawless, not only the concubine Shu cannot and dare not restrain her, but the concubines are also helpless and can only work for the emperor." She paused, sighed helplessly, and said, "The emperor can ask her himself."
Since Xuan Ling entered the palace, Hu Yunrong remained silent and turned her back to him. When Xuan Ling called out two or three times, Fang slowly turned around, her cold and arrogant expression changed, her face was already covered with tears, and she said "Wow"
She threw herself into Xuan Ling's arms, crying so hard that she choked with tears. In this case, it was hard for Xuan Ling to ask. The queen raised her eyebrows. Someone from the palace had already brought the clothes to Xuan Ling, and Xuan Ling casually
After turning the page, Chi Fei became angry and shouted: "Yunrong, why are you so confused? No wonder the queen is angry."
Jianqiu said: "It's not about the clothes. The queen wanted to ask her kindly and let the queen admit her mistake. But the queen contradicted her and made the queen's head hurt." She stretched out her hand to rub the queen's forehead.
"Your Majesty, your health is better. You must not get angry. You are the mother of the country. What can you do if you get angry? I will go and get peppermint oil for you to rub again."
The queen shook off Jianqiu's hand and scolded: "You have been by my side for many years, and you are still so talkative."
Jian Qiu looked aggrieved and said angrily: "My queen, you are just too kind, so..." After saying that, he glanced at Hu Yunrong and did not dare to say anything more.
I watched the master and servant singing in harmony with a cold eye, and I just wondered why this matter came to light so easily. It was really strange.
Hu Yunrong's face was still stained with tears, and she said with cold eyes: "Having been with the queen for many years, Jian Qiu naturally won't talk too much easily. It's just someone asking her to talk too much. Otherwise, she will look arrogant and unruly."
Xuan Ling's eyes were piercing, he pushed away Yunrong's hand holding his sleeve, and scolded: "You have committed transgression and still don't repent. I have spoiled you all the time. Kneel down." Yunrong raised her eyes slightly and fell silent immediately.
, I was wondering why she didn't say a word to defend herself, when Xuan Ling's tone became even more angry, "Kneel down!"
Hu Yunrong didn't say a word and knelt down coldly. She only heard Zhao Jieyu saying quietly: "Zhaoyi just knelt down to apologize early on. Why do you have to make the emperor angry?"
"Zhaoyi?"
Xuan Ling said lightly, "Hmm", "Concubine Ceremony..." He pondered for a moment, then looked at the Queen.
Before Xuan Ling could say anything, the queen had already stood up, bowed her knees and saluted, "I am incompetent and cannot restrain the Hu family, but please tell me how should I control the Sixth Palace?"
As soon as the Queen said this, the people in the Sixth Palace looked at each other and hurriedly knelt down, bowing their heads and saying: "The Queen's words are serious, and I, my concubines, are guilty."
The Queen took a breath and said, "In terms of closeness, Yunrong is my cousin, so I should take care of her more. In theory, Yunrong is the biological mother of Emperor Ji and has made great contributions to the country, so I have always been kind and tolerant to her."
"However, the conduct of the harem is related to the peace of the country. I have been walking on thin ice for more than ten years, and I am afraid that I will not be able to maintain peace." She raised her eyes and looked at Xuan Ling, and said with an emotional expression, "In order to uphold the conduct of the harem, the concubine Gan and the concubine Miao were killed. Therefore,
Please ask the Emperor to judge today’s matter.”
There was a deep gloom in Xuan Ling's eyes, and he was silent for a moment, and said: "Hu's arrogance and offending the Queen cannot be tolerated. I remember that she is the biological mother of Emperor Hehu, and she was young and pampered, so she was demoted to Liangdi, and Emperor Hehu
It is not appropriate for her to raise her personally and move her to the Queen's palace."
Hu Yunrong listened quietly until she heard the last sentence. She suddenly raised her head, her eyes as cold and sharp as swords, wanting to pierce people. Seeing her in such a state, Qi Concubine hurriedly patted her shoulder and said with a smile: "Hu Liangdi, please don't anger the emperor again."
, you are the emperor’s cousin and the apple of the eye of Princess Jinkang. When the emperor regains his breath, I will be able to return to my throne if I pray for you again. Today’s punishment is just the emperor’s temporary anger.”
This kind of punishment is not that severe compared to what I used to do back then. But only a few people know that my departure from the palace back then was truly voluntary and not a severe punishment. So what Hu Yunrong is going through today is just as embarrassing as what happened to me back then. She didn't care.
Ci, with a cold expression that was innately awe-inspiring for a noble family, glanced sideways at Qi Concubine's hand on Yujing's shoulder, and said with obvious contempt: "Who are you? How dare you touch me?
?”
Qi Bin felt slightly embarrassed, clasped her bracelet and retracted her hand, then smiled and said, "Yes. Liangdi."
She deliberately emphasizes the word "Liang Di" with a hint of gloating, reminding her that the reversal of superiority and inferiority is no longer the past.
The queen shook her head gently, as if she was very tired, "A moment of anger? Will the order be changed overnight? If so, I would rather not blame the Hu family so much today, lest people think that the laws in the palace are just child's play."
"Queen, do you want me to explain it clearly?"
The queen's expression was as calm as a bright mirror. She lowered her head for a moment, called out Ling Rong in the crowd, pursed her lips and smiled, "Thanks to Zhaoyuan's carefulness, Hu Liangdi came to visit her when she was sick two days ago, and I happened to discover this incident."
Lingrong was slightly startled, but soon lost the unexpected surprise, and gently lowered his head, "I don't dare."
The queen seemed unaware of the resentment towards the mausoleum from the people around her.