The weather was extremely pleasant that day. It had been gloomy and rainy since the beginning of summer, and the continuous rainy season lingered on. Facing the continuous rain hitting the red walls every day, this cold and damp smell was really boring to the extreme.
Because of the good weather, the concubines who went to the Queen's Palace to pay their respects arrived extra early. All of them were brightly dressed and had beautiful faces, and they were sitting around the Zhaoyang Palace, making it extremely lively.
Because the morning court ended early, Xuan Ling went to the Queen's Fengyi Palace after court. Seeing Xuan Ling coming, all the concubines' smiles became sweeter and their voices were particularly moving, just like the flowers in full bloom and their graceful postures.
I was still sitting at the foot of the Queen's head. I had met with Xuan Ling and just sat there with a quiet smile, listening to the concubines making witty remarks.
Xuan Ling took my hand and asked a few questions about Han'er and Lingxi's condition, including whether they slept well last night, whether they had a delicious breakfast when they got up early, and asked whether Run'er was still crying.
The queen smiled at the side and said: "The emperor has to see three children every day, and yet he is so uneasy. He really has the feelings of a loving father."
My raised lips outlined a smile line, "Not only the Emperor, but I, a mother like Chen Concubine, will always have endless things to worry about even if she sees several children every day." I smiled at Xu Shurong, "My sister must be too.
If so."
Xu Shurong smiled calmly, "I only have one child. After all, it is my sister who does the hard work."
The queen looked at me for a moment, then smiled lightly and said, "Yes. I feel a little haggard when I see Concubine Shu worrying so much. After all, she is a mother, and she has to think carefully about everything."
I heard that there was a lot of ridicule in the queen's words, but I didn't realize it, and still smiled and said: "The queen is the mother of all the people in the world, and she naturally has more worries and worries than the concubines.
"
Xuan Ling laughed casually and said: "The queen has not been a biological mother for a long time, so naturally she has long forgotten how tedious and tiring it is to take care of young children."
My words were just an insinuation that the Queen was old and waning. Xuan Ling's unintentional words hurt the Queen's wounds greatly. She had not given birth for many years. Even if she had the eldest son of the Emperor to take care of her, then
, after all, they are not her biological flesh and blood.
As expected, the queen's face lost all color for a moment, but she quickly recovered and still smiled peacefully, "That's right. The eldest son of the emperor has grown up."
The queen suddenly stood up, gathered her clothes and bowed steadily. Her posture was dignified and perfect, which made people dazzled for a moment. Xuan Ling was also startled, and unexpectedly said: "Why does the queen, who is so well-behaved, give such a big salute?"
The queen's makeup was as impeccable as her smile, and her voice was calm and slightly joyful, slowly penetrating into the ears of everyone present, "Concubine, congratulations to the emperor, An Zhaoyuan of Jingchun Palace is pregnant, and the imperial doctor has diagnosed her pulse
It has been four months. Concubine, I congratulate the Emperor, there is good news from the harem again."
As soon as the words came out, everyone was shocked.
No wonder An Lingrong had already paid his respects to the Queen for two days, but the Queen only said that she was not feeling well and it turned out that she was pregnant.
I hate it deeply in my heart. The queen hid it so well that she didn't even let the news out. She only waited for An Lingrong to be four months pregnant and the fetus was stable before she revealed it at once. Even if someone wanted to hit Lingrong in the belly again.
It is difficult to easily find an opportunity to act on the idea of flesh and blood.
Xuan Ling was indeed overjoyed, and quickly helped the queen up and asked, "Is it true?"
The queen smiled and said: "Yes. The imperial doctor has already diagnosed the pulse, and it is absolutely true." Everyone hurriedly knelt down to congratulate Xuan Ling.
Concubine Jing took a few steps forward and said with a kind smile: "Congratulations, Your Majesty. It's just that Sister An didn't tell you early that she was pregnant, but it delayed the rejoicing of our sisters for several months. Didn't you say that, Your Majesty?"
Lingrong suddenly became pregnant, like a bolt from the blue. Such an unexpected surprise shocked everyone. Now Concubine Jing's gentle words also revealed the doubts in everyone's hearts.
The queen said calmly: "An Zhaoyuan's body is already weak, and her monthly information is disordered. She didn't even know she was pregnant until she was three months old. Her father was still in prison, and she didn't dare to make it public. This palace also deliberately guarded against it...
..." As she said that, the queen's gaze swept across my face intentionally or unintentionally, with a sharp thorn, "In the past, Concubine Tian and Concubine Shu had miscarriages, which was due to poor precautions, and the traitor succeeded.
.These are all lessons. Now that there are several princes and concubines in the palace, I have to be on guard in case any concubine makes the wrong decision and goes the same way as the cowardly concubine."
There was a profound meaning in the Queen's words, so naturally everyone heard it, and their eyes fell on me and Xu Shurong involuntarily. When she mentioned concubines, she meant several concubines with princes, and those with princes here are just me and
There are two people, Xu Shurong.
I was filled with hatred. The Queen was very vicious and had pointed the finger at me early on. If anything happened to An Lingrong's fetus in the future, I would be the first to be implicated.
I suppressed the anger in my heart, maintained the most decent smile and said politely: "That's exactly what the queen said, the emperor's heir is the most important thing, you must do it carefully, and you can't be careless at all. Concubine
I have been ordered to assist in the management of the Sixth Palace, and I will do my best to assist the Queen and protect An Zhaoyuan’s dragon fetus."
Xuan Ling shook my hand, as if he was pleased with what I just said.
The Queen said: "It's great that Concubine Shu understands the general idea like this." She turned to Xuan Ling and said, "Your Majesty, now that An Zhaoyuan is pregnant, according to the ancestral system, she needs to be promoted to the first level, so she should be promoted to the second-level concubine.
Already."
Xuan Ling caught a glimpse of Yun Rong's hateful face beside him, pondered for a moment, and said: "Now that we are the second and third concubines, I'm afraid it won't be good to enter the concubine position again."
The queen said: "The third concubine already has Concubine Duan, Concubine Jing, and Concubine Min. It's good. It's just that the ancestral system determines the title of Jin. It doesn't matter if the third concubine makes an exception and adds another concubine. What's more, although the second concubine Duanjing has no chance of becoming a first-class lady,
, but she enjoys the gift of a wife. If she is not granted the title of An, I am afraid that the Sixth Palace will start talking about her being implicated by her father, which will make Zhaoyuan even more sad. How can we still have an abortion?"
I was shocked and angry. The number of second-grade concubines was already enough. It was too much to make an exception and add An Lingrong. What was even more frightening was that to bring up her father and the matter of having a fetus was to protect the emperor's heir and to forgive Lingrong.
, I’m afraid An Bihuai’s bribery will be written off in the near future. If Ling Rong gives birth to a prince, then the queen will have two princes in her hands, and she will be more sure. No matter which one is established as the prince, Yu Han and I will
There will be no burial place for Yurun. My heart was up and down, and I had thousands of thoughts at once, but I still smiled slightly on my face and said: "It's okay that the queen has made up her mind. In the past, sister An's title was only based on her surname.
Now that you are pregnant and your status is valuable, it is time for the Ministry of Internal Affairs to carefully draft a title and choose it, so that you can be serious about it."
When the Queen saw me saying this, she was a little surprised. She looked me over and said, "Let the Ministry of Internal Affairs handle it. Concubine Shu is interested." The Queen seemed to sigh, "Nowadays, there are many concubines in the Sixth Palace, and there are many concubines in the second rank.
It is also a blessing for the four of you to have all four corners of your position."
In this way, everyone dispersed.
When I returned to the palace, I let go of the smile I had maintained all the way. Hua Yi and Xiao Yunzi saw that my complexion was different from before, so they didn't dare to ask more questions. A smart little palace maid had already come forward to care for me, pinching my shoulders and beating my legs.
Jin Xi smiled and served the tea, "Your Majesty, I went to the Queen's Palace to pay my respects. Even though there was a carriage back and forth, it was still hard work. This jasmine tea was brewed early in the morning and cooled. It tastes the best when you drink it now. Your Majesty,
Let’s have a taste.”
At that time, wisps of clear light were flying like thousands of soft silks. In the back garden of the inner palace where I lived, the newly bloomed gardenias were as white as new snow. The half-opened or budded flowers were bright and bright, hidden among the green branches and leaves.
It's beautiful. Even the entire Rouyi Hall is dyed with such a light fragrance. I have no intention of admiring such a beautiful scenery.
Seeing that I didn't want to look at it, Hua Yi said, "If your Majesty doesn't like these gardenias, the flower house just sent us a few pots of hydrangeas. They are so beautiful and tight."
I was impatient and waved my hand to let them all go down, leaving only Jin Xi beside me.
I slowly took a sip of jasmine tea, feeling moist and sweet from my throat to my heart and lungs, and then I said word by word, "An Lingrong is pregnant. It's been four months."
Jin Xi was startled and almost spilled the water in her hand, "Didn't she take the Xiji Pill before? How could she still be pregnant?!"
I frowned and said irritably, "Although this thing is harmful to the body, it may not be sterilizing."
Jin Xi said: "There are only three new princes in the palace, but one year An Zhaoyuan also became pregnant. The emperor must be very happy."
I said "Yeah": "I'm more than happy, even the queen has personally offered to give her the title of second-grade concubine. It's really an honor."
Seeing that I was only holding the tea cup, Jin Xi muttered: "It's been four months. I'm afraid I can't do anything. It's too risky." Suddenly she smiled and said, "It took me four months to say it. It shows that they are very careful."
The corner of my mouth raised slightly, "No. Seeing the Queen mentioning the grandness of this happy event today, I know how important An Lingrong's pregnancy is to her."
Jinxi understood very well, "After all, the eldest son of the emperor has mediocre qualifications. No matter how many learned scholars the queen hired to train her carefully, there was still no great improvement. Now there are four princes in the palace, and the eldest son of the emperor is no longer the only one.
Years have passed. Furthermore, An’s family has been neglected for a long time. If she wants to turn herself around and save her father, everything depends on this child.”
Ling Rong's sudden pregnancy brought about so many changes and waves that caught people off guard. The fate of many people was going to be affected by the fetus in her belly.
I thought for a moment and said, "Tell Hua Yi to go and find out if the emperor is in her Jingchun Palace now?"
Jinxi responded and went out. After a while, Hua Yi followed him in and replied: "The emperor and the queen are both in Jingchun Palace. You can hear the chatter and laughter inside from a distance."
I fiddled with the pearl pendant on my armor with a sullen face, and said quietly: "I know. Ask someone to spread these words to the ears of Sixth Palace, especially the last sentence. The more lively it is, the better."
Hua Yi took the order and went out. I took another sip of tea, turned to Jinxi and asked, "This tea is very good, is there anything else?"
Jin Xi smiled and said: "I know your Majesty likes it, so I have prepared a lot of it."
"It's good to have it. Prepare it carefully. There will be guests coming over later, so you can treat them to a good taste." After saying that, he got up and went to the east hall to see the three children.
Within an hour, Xiao Yunzi came in to report that Concubine Duan, Concubine Jing and Lu Zhaorong had come together. I straightened my clothes and went out. The three of them were already in Rouyi Hall. When they saw me coming out, they stood up to salute. I quickly stopped and said:
"Why are we sisters so polite? What's more, it's already this time, why are we making such fuss?" So he invited the three of them to sit down and told Jin Xi: "Go get jasmine tea. Come all the way, don't get caught in the heat."
That's great." After saying this, he couldn't help but be surprised, "Sister Duan Fei rarely goes out, so she's here today?"
Lu Zhaorong was impatient and said: "Sister Duan Concubine has the most seniority in the palace. If something like this happened today, we must invite her here." Concubine Duan smiled lightly but remained silent.
Concubine Jing and others took the tea cup and had no intention of drinking it. They only took a sip and said with worry on their brows: "The tea is certainly good, but it's a pity that I don't have the intention to taste it properly now."
Lu Zhaorong couldn't hold back his anger the most. After holding it in for a moment, he slapped the table with a "bang" sound, and the pearls on his head also jingled, "Sisters, you are troubled in your heart but don't talk about it, but I am a person who can't rub the dirt in my eyes. An
The lintel of the mausoleum is low, the person is charming, and he specializes in slander. He has already sealed Zhaoyuan, but he is still greedy, and suddenly he comes out and says that he has a child, and he wants to make her a concubine."
I said softly: "Sister, keep your voice down, are you afraid that people won't know that you are annoyed with her? She is in the mood, why are you causing all this trouble for nothing? After all, you are also Shuhe Diji's biological mother, no one dares to touch you."
Lu Zhaorong was stunned for a moment, and then said sadly: "I am no longer useful. I am too old, and the holy family is not grand. If it weren't for Shuhe, the emperor would have forgotten me. Back then, the head of the nine concubines was given to me.
I chose Hu Yunrong, who was younger than me, so that was fine. Who said she was the daughter of Lord Jinkang and had a distinguished status? I couldn’t say anything about it. Later, An Lingrong and I were both the ninth concubine, and Zhaoyuan, and I
Zhaorong is still behind her. Now she suddenly wants to be named a concubine, and after giving birth to a wife who will at least be named a first-class concubine, it will be a huge burden on me, as well as the stable life of Shuhe and I.
What?"
Lu Zhaorong has always disliked An Lingrong, and there were many discords between the two of them. Originally, Lingrong was quite favored by the saints and had a delicate mind, but Lu Zhaorong was always at a disadvantage. If An Lingrong was to be superior to her in the future, it would be difficult to protect her and Shu.
He and Di Ji didn't have to suffer much. No wonder he was so angry.
Concubine Jing heard that what she said was true, and her eyebrows were furrowed, "Her father was imprisoned for bribery and has not yet been released. With such a family background, one cannot be granted the title of concubine, and the ninth concubine is considered to be extremely favored. Originally, she was a concubine."
Even if you are pregnant, it doesn't matter if you don't get promoted."
Lu Zhaorong's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said happily: "The three empresses are either currently in charge of the Sixth Palace, or they were in charge in the past. Let's think about it carefully, are there any examples of rejection among the ancestors' precedents?"
Concubine Jing shook her head and said: "The Queen has said that this is a special exception. I have also checked that Liang, the concubine of Taizu, was originally the daughter of a butcher, and she was made a concubine because she was pregnant. This is a ready-made exception, and the Queen can use it
Gossips that clog up the Sixth Palace."
Concubine Duan held the tea cup, gently closed the tea lid, and said for a moment: "Although Liang was granted the title of concubine, she was deposed from the palace and passed away too early. How can she be as lucky as An? I heard that the emperor is now
So I comforted her in her palace."
I heard the sadness in her words and couldn't help but feel a little sad. So I glanced at Hua Yi and knew that her words had already had an effect.
Concubine Duan gradually became involved in court affairs after the death of her former concubine Murong Shilan, and she also took charge of the Sixth Palace for two years. However, she was not in good health, so she had to shirk the responsibility. She did not expect that after her health improved slightly, Xuan Fei
Ling Ye felt pity for her, and even though he rarely had sex with her, he often visited her. Now that he thought of An Lingrong, who had been favored by her for many years, and now had a child, it was inevitable that he would hurt his own life.
Concubine Jing and Lu Zhaorong looked at each other in shock. Lu Zhaorong finally couldn't help it and spat hard: "Funny!"
I slowly touched the string of coral beads on my wrist and said sincerely: "Forget about others. Sister Duan Fei was the first to enter the palace to serve the emperor. In terms of qualifications, she is two years earlier than the current queen. This
No one in the palace can match her. Sister Jing Fei once served as the queen's assistant in charge of the Sixth Palace, and she also made great contributions. Sister Lu's Shuhe Emperor is the oldest among the emperors, so she naturally has a noble status. Although the An family is favored,
After all, her qualifications are not as good as those of the three elder sisters. But now that the Queen has mentioned it personally, it is clear that An Lingrong has won the Queen's pity with such a big face. Come to think of it, she, Zhaoyuan, has only been granted a new title for a year."
Concubine Duan casually plucked an emerald brooch from her lapel and said nonchalantly: "Over the years, the queen has shown a lot of favor to her, both overtly and secretly."
Lu Zhaorong said: "No. Empress Duan Fei has been in this position for at least twenty years, and she has never been promoted to another title. It's really a joke. Empress Jing Fei's position was still in the spring of the fourteenth year of Qianyuan.
It has been seven or eight years since I was granted the title of Jin Dynasty. The queen has never mentioned a word about rewarding me. I don’t need to mention it. I have never seen the queen reward me with this kind of kindness."
Concubine Jing shook her head repeatedly: "That's all, we don't ask for any favors from her."
I sighed: "I have wronged several sisters. I am the assistant manager of Six