Chapter Thirty-Fourth Six Palaces of Pink and Daisy Colors
So Xuan Ling and I sat down and read together. We read for a while, just looking at Basho outside the window in trance.
Xuan Ling saw that I was silent for a long time and said softly: "What are you thinking about? You are so lost in thought?"
I was stunned for a moment, then turned around and looked a little worried, and said: "Sister An is very happy today. I remind you that when I entered the palace, I entered the palace on the same day as Concubine Li and Concubine De.
, and I have always loved my sisters. Unfortunately, my sister De Fei died young, and I no longer have the opportunity to talk about the love between sisters." I said sadly, and tears could not help but fall from my eyes.
Xuan Ling also couldn't bear it, "I didn't treat Concubine De well when she was alive, and I always feel a little uneasy when I think about it."
I pulled his sleeves and said with tears in my eyes: "Now I have been ranked as the fourth concubine, and Sister An has also been named Concubine Oriole." I knelt down and said, "Although my sister was posthumously named Concubine De, her posthumous title is the honorable concubine.
It has not been decided yet. I beg you, the Emperor, for your grace, and give my sister another honor and honor. And my sister Chun, who died young, was still so young when she passed away." Thinking of Chun'er, I couldn't help but burst into tears.
Xuan Ling stroked my shoulder and comforted me: "The deceased have passed away, and the living have nothing much to do for them. Just express my condolences as you said. The Queen is sick, so I will leave this matter to you.
.”
"Yes." I burst into laughter and said, "Now that I have said it, I will be bold enough to ask for another favor. Concubine Cui committed suicide out of fear of crime, and as a rule, she cannot be granted the title. But the eldest son of the emperor is getting older, so he has to
Taking into account his face. At least it is also the face of the queen. After all, the queen is raising the eldest son of the emperor." I said: "The biological mother cannot be posthumously named, and the eldest son of the emperor must be sad."
Xuan Ling stood with his hands behind his hands, pondered for a long time, and said: "Although Mrs. Tang has committed a serious crime, because she is the biological mother of the emperor's eldest son and she has served me wholeheartedly in the past, let's make an exception and grant her a posthumous title." He paused and said again.
: "Since we want to pursue the title, all the deceased concubines should be granted the title together. The only thing is that the former Xian and De concubines will definitely not be able to pursue the title."
My heart skipped a beat, I already understood, and I hurriedly said "yes".
Xuan Ling pulled me up, put his arms around my waist, and said, "I have given you the right to co-manage the Sixth Palace, and you have worked hard."
I lowered my head and smiled, "For the sake of the emperor, I am always willing to do it." I pondered for a moment, "There is a saying, I don't know whether I should say it or not?"
"you say."
I thought for a moment and said, "The emperor just talked to me about the posthumous title. I remembered what the queen said today in Zhaoyang Palace."
"oh?"
"The Empress said, 'There are many concubines in the Sixth Palace,' and I think so too. Among the four concubines, I am the only one, and there are many concubines in the palace who are more senior, more virtuous, and nobler than I am, so I often feel self-conscious about being in a high position.
Uneasy. Sister Duan Fei was the first to enter the palace, but due to poor health she was never promoted to a higher rank. Sometimes she had to be under a concubine during court ceremonies. I am really ashamed of myself."
Xuan Ling said: "Speaking of which, it has been a long time since there was a major seal in the Sixth Palace. If the queen didn't mention it, I would have been negligent."
I said reluctantly: "I think so too. The deceased can be let go, but the sisters who lived together day and night should be promoted to a better position. The stability of the harem will also be helpful to the emperor's previous dynasty."
Xuan Ling said: "It's good, but it's just that there must be a reason for such a big seal. It's impossible for Rong'er to become the Oriole Concubine, and the whole harem will follow Jin's seal. There is no such reason."
I pursed my lips and smiled and said: "Your Majesty, nobles often forget things. When Yu Pei and Yu Han were in harmony for a hundred days, the Emperor once granted a general pardon to the whole world and rewarded hundreds of officials with salaries. He was the only one in the harem who did not have a title. Your Majesty, what are you doing?
I favor one over the other."
Xuan Ling said: "It's hard for you to still remember it. It's just that it's been more than a year since I mentioned this."
"It's not that I want to remember it, but I think that the harem is a place where the emperor can feel comfortable and happy. If the sisters in the harem live in harmony, the emperor can also feel at ease." I put away my smile and said solemnly, "I just want to
Your Majesty is the same. No matter how you are promoted to the other sisters, I only ask that Your Majesty make Duan Concubine and Sister Duan Concubine the most respected ones and put them above the concubines. Otherwise, the concubines will be in trouble in the end."
Xuan Ling said: "Concubine Duan has been in the palace for the longest time, and she deserves the position of concubine. It's just that in my heart, I always prefer you."
I said softly: "Your Majesty attaches great importance to me. I know it very well and don't want to care about my reputation."
Xuan Ling felt a little emotional, caressed my cheek and said, "That's good. I will name Concubine Duan as Concubine Duan, ranking first among the four concubines." He thought about it, "I have wronged Concubine Jing a lot in the past.
She has a gentle nature, so she should be named the Concubine of Virtue."
I Yingying knelt down and said, "I have thanked the emperor on behalf of several of my sisters. But the emperor still remembers that there was a big fuss over the invention of the divine bird pattern on Concubine Min's clothes that was similar to the phoenix. Since the invention belongs to the position of the Eastern Noble Concubine,
, Now that Concubine Duan's sister has become a noble concubine, I wonder if Concubine Min will be unhappy?"
Xuan Ling frowned, slightly displeased, "She is still young and has a long life ahead of her."
I felt relieved and said: "Shuhe Diji is the eldest daughter of the emperor, and Xu Shurong is the biological mother of the emperor's second son. The status of these two should be different from others. I think I should give the concubine the title."
Xuan Ling helped me and said, "That's true. It's just that the three concubines are Concubine Xin, Concubine Zhen, Concubine Li and Concubine Min." He smiled bitterly and said, "Concubine Min is young and energetic, and she has never been happy.
My son, I have lost a lot of temper today. If I get along with Oriole tomorrow, I don’t know how many troubles will arise."
I stroked my cheek and smiled, "Yunrong is younger and more pampered, so let's forget about the gift."
"Yunrong is my cousin after all. I cannot treat her lightly. I give her the title of first-class lady and give her the word 'zhuang', so that she can remember that she is a concubine and her words and deeds must be solemn." Xuan Ling concentrated for a moment, "
But who will be the first of the three concubines, Concubine Xin or Concubine Zhen, will take some planning."
I smiled and said, "Both Concubine Xin and Concubine Zhen have given birth to children. Concubine Xin has been in the palace for a long time and has seniority, while Concubine Zhen is loyal and has given birth to a prince. It is really difficult to decide."
Xuan Ling pondered slightly, "Concubine Zhen is junior after all, so let's call Concubine Xin the first of the three concubines. There is another concubine. There was only one concubine left among the four nobles Fu Qi and Xiangrui in the past. She is the most honest and honest one.
You give her the position of noble concubine, firstly, to be considerate, and secondly, to let others know that I value people who keep their own integrity."
A smile spread across my cheeks, "After all, the emperor is thoughtful, I can't think of that."
Xuan Ling raised my chin and chuckled: "You are not thinking carefully, you are just waiting for me to say something. You should also think about it again, and make a list for me if you want to be promoted together.
After that, just leave it to the Etiquette Department." I thanked Concubine Xin again, and Xuan Ling said to me with a smile, "You ask so much for others, and you thank others for others, but you don't ask for any favor for yourself.
"
I threw myself into his arms and said with a smile: "My concubine has the emperor's favor, which is the greatest grace. I don't ask for anything else."
He stretched out his hand and held me in his arms. The homely Ningbo silk gown had the fragrance of ink stains. The warm breeze rustled the bamboo leaves behind the palace, and against the steady afternoon sun, it almost made me fall asleep.
After a good night's sleep, I woke up and summoned the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Etiquette to arrange the ceremony for the promotion of the Sixth Palace. The Ministry of Rites also followed the old rules and determined the positions of the people to be promoted to the throne.
, waiting to be sent for viewing.
I was so busy until dusk that I could see anything. I was so tired that I said to Jinxi, "I will invite Concubine Duan and Concubine Jing to come over tomorrow and ask them to see what's wrong with the concubines' new positions." Jinxi
Xi hugged a large bouquet of newly folded hibiscus flowers, which were pink, white and bright red, with straight branches and leaves. They were very cute. She inserted the flowers into the large porcelain vase on the table near the window, lowered her hands and smiled and said: "The news that the emperor is going to seal the Sixth Palace is a big surprise.
It has been spread all over the world, and the queen mentioned that Concubine Li will be granted the title of concubine in the Sixth Palace, all because she is grateful to the empress."
I smiled and said, "I don't want to make it easier for her to be a good person by herself. She wants to promote An Lingrong..." I laughed "It's An Lirong now, why don't I just go with the flow and share the benefits with everyone."
"I took a pair of small silver scissors and slowly trimmed off the excess branches and leaves of the hibiscus. I said without raising my head, "Is there any news from Jingchun Palace?"
Jin Xi said: "I heard that An Zhaoyuan got the word 'Li', so I didn't dare to get angry or feel aggrieved. I just asked, saying that the Ministry of Internal Affairs chose the word 'Li' very well, why not use it."
I just focused on pruning the flower branches, "Why not use it? This is a ridiculous question. She should send her to a private school teacher to give her a lecture. Why not use the word '俪'... The beggar should find a way to convey this to the Queen's Palace.
Go inside."
I'm afraid that if the Queen finds out, the headache will get worse.
I said, "Have you heard anything else?"
"The few secretaries of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who planned to give Concubine Li a title were blamed for some unknown reason. Chief Li took the junior eunuchs and gave them a severe beating with a cane, and then sent them to the 'violation chamber'." She said cautiously.
, "I heard it was the emperor's will."
I said "Oh" lightly, "Maybe I was rushing to curry favor with our newly crowned Oriole Concubine, but I didn't go far enough in currying favor with her."
A smile appeared at the corner of Jin Xi's lips, "In the eyes of others, this thing seems to be like this. The internal supervisors of the Ministry of Internal Affairs tried to curry favor with Concubine Li, but in the end they were beaten by the emperor."
I chose a pink hibiscus flower that bloomed the best and tied it to the edge of Jinxi's bun, and said calmly: "It's not like this originally, it's just that the two things are superimposed and they look like the same thing."
Jin Xi subconsciously touched the flowers on her temples and said, "Thank you, Madam."
"Then, does anyone dare to flatter Concubine Oriole casually anymore?" I smiled slightly and carefully arranged the flower branches in my hands one by one until they reached the desired posture. After I inserted them, I just looked at them with a smile.
"If you want what I want, cut off what I think is superfluous. Pruning flowers and branches is actually the same as tidying up the harem. I understand this, and the Queen understands it even more."
Jin Xi smiled lightly and said, "This flower has been cut very nicely."
I just smiled and said nothing.
Hua Yi lifted the bamboo curtain of Concubine Xiang and came in, saying: "Lu Zhaorong is here, do you want to see me?"
I smiled and said, "She came too soon." I ordered the maid to bring a gold basin and a towel to clean her hands, and said to Hua Yi, "Please come in, Lu Zhaorong."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Zhaorong came in like a gust of wind, with a smile on his brows and eyes, and said: "An Lirong! Anli Rong! Your Majesty is so resourceful, it is really pleasing to the heart."
I asked her to sit down with a smile and said to Huayi: "Go get Zhaorong's favorite honey bird's nest."
Lu Zhaorong thanked her and said, "Your Majesty, you are so polite."
I smiled and said, "It's already time for snacks. If Zhao Rong has any happy events, please tell me slowly."
Lu Zhaorong laughed so hard that his eyebrows flew up high, and he finally couldn't hold back his hands with a "Puch" sound, and said: "Your Majesty must know, Concubine Oriole? The emperor actually gave her the word 'Oriole', which really made me laugh to death."
"
I slowly peeled a grape and ate it, and then said, "What's so funny about this? Concubine Oriole? The emperor loves her with a voice like an oriole, and praises her for being as gentle as an oriole."
After I finished speaking, I only smiled faintly, and Lu Zhaorong chuckled and said: "No matter how well she said it, it was a compliment to her. Although we sisters don't read much, we understand the literal meaning, Concubine Li.
, even her name was changed to An Lirong, isn’t it just the oriole bird? Besides, she can no longer sing, it’s really mean to say that her voice is like an oriole.” She couldn’t stop laughing, and with great difficulty she covered her lips with silk.
, "Since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty, such a title has never been given to concubines. It is novel, but it also makes people laugh. And once the name is changed, the word 'Oriole' can no longer be regarded as a title." She expressed her mood.
Very good, she spoke very fast, her bright eyes looked left and right, and the red gold pearl pendant in her ears dazzled with her movements.
I smiled slightly, savoring the sweet and sour taste of the grapes between my lips and teeth, "Sister, what you said is wrong. Since the name has been changed to Li Rong, the character Li cannot be banned."
Lu Zhaorong smiled and said yes, and then asked: "The emperor wants to make her the Oriole Concubine, has the empress thought about what to give as a gift?"
I pointed to a picture of "Guanyin Avalokitesvara" on the mahogany table and said: "She doesn't have anything good there, and I don't have anything good either. This picture is just for her to have a baby."
Lu Zhaorong said: "I think so. The emperor is doting on her right now, so she still needs to do some showmanship." After saying that, he called his personal maid Chanjuan and pointed to a handful of white jade Ruyi in her hand, "I chose
This is enough to give her a pillow." He couldn't help but smile and said, "Look, Madam, it's just Ruyi. It took me a lot of effort to put Ruyi's box in it."
I was curious for a moment, so I took it and took a look. Unexpectedly, a smile appeared on my face and I said, "You are so thoughtful."
It turns out that the box Lu Zhaorong kept Ruyi in was a colorful box with a picture of two orioles on a pine tree. The box was very delicate, woven with thirteen layers of colors, and the colors matched each other. In the middle of the ring, on the branches of the forest, were two orioles, with their heads spread out and their wings spread.
The expression is gentle, and the fruits and flowers on the outer circle are also painted smoothly and pleasingly.
Lu Zhaorong smiled so much that she bent over and said, "Such a box is suitable for our Concubine Oriole. Your Majesty, look at how lifelike these two orioles are. I led the palace maid to rummage through the warehouse for a long time before I found them."
I covered my lips and smiled and said, "I used to hear people say that I would give up the pearls after I met a good box like you."
She was quite flattered, "When Concubine Li saw this box, she must have forgotten that there is a jade Ruyi."
"Be careful not to cause her to have fetal convulsions."
"Don't worry, the empress, she will never be angry. The title of Concubine Li was given by the emperor. If she is angry, wouldn't she be angry with the emperor? She won't." Lu Zhaorong smiled with determination, and there was a lot of certainty in that.
Very disdainful.
The corners of my lips slightly raised, and I said, "That's true. I have one more nice thing to say for you. Your Majesty can praise our Concubine Oriole for her gentle temperament and being a polite and righteous person." After that, I flicked my nails and smiled coldly.
"Righteous person? Is she worthy? Not to mention the years when the empress was not here. She plotted openly and secretly, and how many concubines suffered losses in her hands." Lu Zhaorong said: "No wonder the empress is angry, the emperor is like this
Praise her."
Lu Zhaorong didn't study much, so he naturally didn't expect that Jin Xi knew the key. He raised his sleeves to cover his lips, giggling until his face turned red.
Lu Zhaorong seemed puzzled, so I laughed and said, "Jinxi is very sophisticated, but there are times when she is not serious and she still doesn't tell Zhaorong."
Seeing that there was no one else around, Jin Xi smiled and lowered her eyebrows and said, "This was what Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty once praised Zhao Feiyan. The original words are, 'Zhao Jieyu is as rich as she is, as soft as if she has no bones, she is humble and fearless in the roundabout way, and as far as she is near.
, a polite and righteous person."
Lu Zhaorong listened carefully, thought for a moment and said, "These words sound familiar." His face turned slightly red as he spoke, "But it didn't sound like a good thing to say."
I leaned over, got close to her ear, and whispered in a very low voice: "Sister, I had a copy of "The Interesting History of Zhaoyang" in the palace before, and I only wanted to go here. Why did I forget it myself?"
Lu Zhaorong was startled, and blushed on his face. He hurriedly looked around, but when he saw no one, he smiled sheepishly and said: "Why did Concubine Shu talk about this? This was the time when the emperor was just here.
We didn’t understand anything, so a few old palace people came looking for us. Later, the emperor didn’t come for a long time, but he only looked at it occasionally when he was bored. Ever since the last time the queen made a fuss about Cui Shangyi and Eunuch Li, I was so scared.
Hell, anyone who had any slight dissatisfaction would ask the personal palace maid to set the whole thing on fire.