At this time of the year, the phoenix flowers in Shanglin Garden were in full bloom. At noon on this day, the concubines were sitting in my palace, looking at the newly appointed concubines, and then went to the east hall to play with some children for a while.
Thinking of An Lirong's fetus, Concubine Jing took a thin slice of honeydew melon and ate it, then asked, "You haven't visited An's family yet, have you?"
I cleaned my hands and said, "I've never had time, and I really don't want to go. She's pregnant and delicate. If something goes wrong, who can afford it?"
Concubine Jing leaned against the beautiful lady near the water in the corridor of the side hall and said: "The queen mother may not be happy if I go. If I don't go, the emperor and queen will be embarrassed. Besides, you are a concubine. The queen is not very responsible now, so she has all the responsibilities."
On you."
At this time, half of the lotus flowers were withered and no longer bright enough. There were red and white koi carps in the pond. The koi carps were swimming and swaying among the green lotus leaves. It was really beautiful. I smiled slightly and said, "I never dare to be alone."
Go and ask sister to accompany me."
Concubine Jing smiled and said, "If you don't want to get into any trouble, wouldn't it be more appropriate to bring the guards with you?"
I thought for a moment, "That's fine."
Concubine Jing and I each took a sedan chair to the Jingchun Palace. It was early afternoon, and all the concubines and maids were taking a nap. Even the white cranes on the roadside were taking a nap under the banana leaves.
The sky is clear and blue, and the sun shines freely from the cloudless sky. The golden light with red light bathes the entire Zi'ao City in a flowing splendor. The Chang'an where An Lirong lives
There are the most willows outside Yang Palace, which hang down like a natural green curtain, making Changyang Palace even more peaceful and cool.
As soon as I entered the Yimen, I heard constant chatter and laughter in the Jingchun Palace. I Shi Shiran went in and said, "I'm late, I'm so busy." When everyone heard my voice, they suddenly became quiet, and I focused my eyes.
At first glance, it turned out that the concubines Wang, Zhao Jieyu, Yu Rongguiren and Zhou Pei were the concubines.
When Li Rong saw me coming, she was about to get up. I held her down and said, "You are a twin now. What are you talking about? It's important to rest quickly."
Then Li Rong timidly lay down and called Baojuan: "Go and get those 'Emei Cui' that I have collected. Sister Shufei must like them."
Noble Yu Rong glanced at me, smiled at Li Rong and said, "Your Majesty, I am so partial. I will give all the good tea to Concubine Shu."
Li Rong smiled lightly, "I always remember how well my sister treats me, so naturally I want to give the best to her. Besides, my sister always uses the best, so how can I only use the inferior ones?
"
Oriole's head was leaning on a soft pillow embroidered with millet jade core and embroidery. Her black hair was not tied into a bun and was hanging loosely beside the pillow. Because she was in bed, she only wore a moon-white butterfly pattern tunic and a blue knot.
The color is Ruyi knot, only a touch of brocade red flower tube top on the chest reveals infinite joy, and the skin is as white as snow, the eyes are like stars, and the red lips have a hint of purple. In front of the bed, two little palace ladies are fanning.
, holding a foot-long rolled silk gauze fan in his hand, fanning it gently on each side, not daring to use too much force, for fear that the strong wind would chill An Lirong.
I smiled and said, "I remember that my sister used to use a soft pillow made of golden branches and flowers. Why is she using this soft pillow today?"
Concubine Jing smiled and said: "I don't know, Concubine Li, but Concubine Li is pregnant now. The soft pillow with golden branches was originally embroidered with gold thread, so it was inevitably a bit rough. In order to let my sister sleep peacefully, the emperor specially ordered it to be made of Su embroidery.
Only use millet jade as the pillow core, which is the most restful."
Zhou Pei sat on the rose chair with sour pear branches and Luan patterns, and said with a smile: "I don't know that gold thread is rough. I have been using a Lianyun brocade red calyx plum blossom pillow. A few days ago, the emperor rewarded me with a gold thread dark flower pillow.
It’s as if I love you too much. In the end, I’m a thick-skinned concubine and not worthy of using good things.”
Everyone's faces looked a little ugly, and Concubine Mu laughed softly, "The concubines only use ordinary soft pillows made of plain flowers. After all, the Emperor loves Concubine Li the most."
I took the "Emei Cui" from Baojuan. The tea in the cup was as green as emerald, reflecting the spring-like atmosphere of the tea bowl with colorful spring grass patterns under the glaze. I took a sip and couldn't help but admire, "What a fragrant tea, my palace
It's not even half as good as this one."
Li Rong said hurriedly: "How can my things compare with my sister's? It's okay if my sister doesn't dislike it."
I looked around. In order to block the bright sunlight, translucent silver gauze curtains with "Hehe Erxian" patterns were dropped from top to bottom in Jingchun Hall. The silver threads were shining brightly against the sunlight coming through.
The ground is slightly glowing, filtering out the endless summer heat outside. The light smoke rises from the large gilt lily cauldron, faint and endless. The fragrance is like fresh dewdrops on flowers in spring, nourishing and fragrant to the heart.
I sniffed it gently and was surprised, "Why does my sister still use such heavy fragrances when she is pregnant? You have to be careful." I said in a loud voice, "Especially musk. My sister loves to make fragrances.
Make no mistake."
Oriole lowered his head and smiled, "Sister, I'm serious. The incense is made from flower juice, but the taste is more pure and harmless. It's just something I mixed up casually. How can I use such a precious spice as musk."
I shook my head, stood up and pulled up a piece of silver thread gauze curtain and said: "My sister is still talking about it. This gauze was originally called Yueying gauze. It is a treasure from Western Vietnam. The price of one piece is as much as a hundred gold. It is hung in the house. The sun shines
No matter how full it is, it is only as soft as the moonlight, so it is named Yueying. Just look at these in my sister's palace, which cost tens of thousands of gold." I smiled and said, "Concubine Oriole, tell me yourself, can other people's palaces compare with yours?
It can be seen that the emperor feels sorry for you."
Zhao Jieyu looked at Li Rong with envy, and said with a bit of pride, "That's right. Your Majesty really values Concubine Li's fetus."
Oriole Rongjiao said: "That tea was originally rewarded by the emperor. If sister thinks it is good, I will give it all to her. I hope she will accept it."
I smiled affectionately and said, "How can I take my sister's things for free? Having said that, I am here to congratulate my sister on her pregnancy and congratulate her on her upcoming concubine."
Zhou Pei smiled and said, "Yes. We don't know the status of the other empresses yet. The emperor first appointed the empress as Concubine Oriole, which shows his love for the empress. I heard that Sister Lu had been in the palace for many years and gave birth to the emperor's eldest daughter.
The emperor only gave her the title of Concubine Xin, and she cannot be compared with the empress."
I called Hua Yi, "Bring the things up."
The flowers should be laid out one by one on the table, a gold pot engraved with mandarin ducks and curly grass patterns, two white jade fans, and finally a snow-white plain brocade box with three longan-sized "pigeon blood red" gems inside.
In order to avoid suspicion, I deliberately did not give any food, clothing or materials. I just smiled and said: "The golden pot is for my sister to enjoy. The white jade fan is best for cooling, and it will not generate heat when held in the hand. The ruby is not inlaid.
, just waiting to be embedded in the purple gold crown when my sister gives birth to a son, Mrs. Feng."
Everyone came over to take a look, and couldn't help but admire it. They saw the "pigeon blood red" as bright red as blood, the size of each particle, without any impurities. Under the dim sunlight, it was brilliant and brilliant, like the morning and sunset glow, extremely dazzling.
An Lirong took it and looked at it, then hurriedly declined and said: "How dare you accept such a great gift from your sister."
I shook her slender shoulders and said, "My sister is the most precious thing in the heart of the emperor. How can I be worthy of my sister if she is not like this? If my sister still has me in her heart, please accept it. But..." I asked,
"Is the imperial physician who is here to help my sister have a baby?"
But it was a slender woman who led an old imperial doctor over and said, "Report to Concubine Shu, Imperial Doctor Xu is here." I recognized most of the maids beside An Lirong, but this woman was a bit unfamiliar.
I saw that she was wearing a feather-blue dress with deep purple threads mixed with silver threads and grape patterns. She wore a flat bun with a silver hairpin made of chrysanthemums and a few burnt blue flowers. Her attire did not look like an ordinary palace maid. She had a long face, but she was also very delicate. But
Although the materials used in that outfit were good, it made her look a bit old-fashioned.
I said to Oriole: "My sister is pregnant now, so you should be extra careful about everything. Just as the Queen said, don't accidentally miscarry like I did back then. So today, don't say it's me giving things to my sister, or anyone else."
Everything you send must be inspected one by one."
An Lirong flashed her eyelashes and said hurriedly: "Sister said that, it's a scandal. How can I dare to be a sister?" After saying this, he swore, "If my sister has any doubts about her, she will definitely..."
I hurriedly held her mouth and said angrily: "You can talk nonsense without fear of taboos. I did this just for the sake of our friendship as sisters. If there is a villain who wants to do anything, I won't have the opportunity to do anything."
Li Rong still wanted to excuse himself, but there was no doubt in my tone, so I called Wei Lin and said, "This is Imperial Physician Wei. It would be more appropriate to have two imperial physicians inspecting it together." Wei Lin bowed forward and looked carefully with Imperial Physician Xu.
After looking at it for a long time, he replied: "To tell you the truth, there is nothing in these three things that can damage the fetus."
I smiled and nodded, "In this way, my sister and I can feel at ease.
Li Rong was still playing with the rubies in her hands. The color was an extremely pure red, which made her face glow red, making her very charming. Only the center of her lips was slightly purple, but it was especially obvious under this pure red. My heart
Xia was slightly confused and glanced at Wei Lin. He just stood with his hands down, looking respectful.
I sat down next to her with concern. Under my short-sightedness, her skin was as radiant as snow and her complexion was extremely good, which made me suspicious. I unconsciously took her hand and asked her about her pregnancy. The concubines were amused.
You and I talked very lively. I asked her a few words about her care, and then said: "I heard that Dr. Xu's medical skills are very good, and he is on par with Dr. Wen in the past. I am very relieved. I heard that everything about my sister is fine.
Okay, the joy is not obvious, and I feel more at ease. I just think of what happened to Sister Mei in the past, and I always feel sad. Now that you are finally pregnant, you need to take good care of yourself. The Imperial Physician Wei is here today, why not let him go again?
How about taking a pulse? It’s better to have extra insurance.”
Li Rong's slender eyelashes trembled slightly, and there was a gentle smile on her lips, "Thank you for your concern, sister. I should have listened to my sister and asked for a pulse again, but Dr. Xu was recommended by the queen. My sister and I both wanted to
It’s more of a peace of mind, but if the Queen finds out, she might think that we have concluded that Dr. Xu’s medical skills are not good, and the Queen’s face will be unsightly.”
Noble Yu Rong also said: "Actually, it doesn't matter. Why is there a lack of capable people around Concubine Shu? It would be good if she could be better than Dr. Xu."
They were so insistent, but I couldn't say anything anymore, so I ordered Wei Lin to go down and ask how Li Rong's fetus was doing. Doctor Xu replied: "Concubine Li's fetus is very stable. You can tell just by looking at her good complexion.
"
I nodded, and the clear and sweet fragrance in the air was refreshing. I said softly: "Sister, do you still remember the Lily scented incense we made together in the past?"
Li Rong thought carefully, then smiled for a moment and said: "Of course. It's hard to find the ancient recipe. My sister and I have been watching it together for a long time."
I looked soft and said, "My sister is the best at making incense. What is the name of today's incense?"
"It's called Ningluxiang." She smiled softly, "If sister likes it, how about I give her some?" After saying that, she called the woman in blue clothes in front of her, "Yuan Yu'er, go to my spice niche.
Get some condensation incense from inside, wrap it up and give it to your Majesty."
I smiled and said, "My sister was not quick to return the gift, so she gave me tea and started talking about spices. How dare she work the people around her?" I called Hua Yi, "Follow this girl to get the spices. Don't be careless.
Learn from others’ poise.”
Hua Yi agreed to go, and Li Rong was about to stop her, but when she saw that Hua Yi was just looking happy and innocent, she couldn't help but said: "Since Miss Yu Yin came out of the palace, is Hua Yi taking care of my sister? That's right.
Very cute.”
I sighed softly and said, "Yes. Liuzhu passed away early, Yuyin also found a good home, and Jinxi always had a lot of things to do, leaving only Huayi who didn't understand anything. I just felt sorry for her.
She is just helpless outside the palace, I didn't expect her to do anything."
Concubine Jing smiled and said: "Hua Yi can just make things fun for you. Didn't you see that those wooden and mud bodies in my palace don't even groan when they get a needle? How boring they are."
I said: "The girl who just invited the imperial doctor to come out is very neat. I have never seen you bring her out before. Who is she?"
Li Rong frowned slightly, then smiled as usual, "She's just a rough girl. I saw that she looks good, so I stayed with her."
Hua Yi happened to come out and said with a smile: "I saw a lot of spices in Concubine Li's niche. I thought if they all took a bath, I wouldn't have to worry about the flower powder."
Everyone couldn't help but laugh when they heard this. Yu Ronggui said: "What a naive girl. The spices don't have a strong fragrance at all, so they have to be mixed with several kinds before they can be used."
Everyone laughed and then dispersed. After a few steps out of Changyang Palace, I remembered that I had to tell Li Rong not to go to the palaces of several high-ranking concubines to pay my respects, so I turned back again, and then I went to Yimen and listened.
The little palace maid serving the soup inside cursed at people: "What the hell! Aren't Sisters Baoying and Baojuan here? They dragged the imperial doctor out as if to please her, and she wanted to climb a high branch."
I knew he was scolding Yuan Yu'er, but I couldn't hear it more clearly, and it would be inconvenient to go in. I still didn't mention it when I returned to the palace.
There was thick shade on the ground in Shanglin Garden. I was impatient to sit in the sedan chair, so I just asked Wei Lin, "Can you see anything wrong?"
Wei Lin said: "I can't see anything at the moment. But Wei Chen is a little confused, but he's not sure yet. He has to go back and make a decision before coming back to the empress."
I waved my hand, "You go ahead."
He bowed and said goodbye. Hua Yi whispered in my ear: "I just went to get the dew incense. I saw several incense boxes placed on the top of the high shelf, saying that Concubine Oriu wanted to put them away and no longer wanted to use them.
But the slave girl saw that the box was the most exquisitely drawn, and it didn’t look like something that was no longer needed. When Yuan Yu wasn’t paying attention, she used a white fungus needle to pry it open and took out one, which seemed to be some fragrant honey. Do you want to see it, Madam?”
She originally kept it in her sachet, but took it out for me to see. It was a pink scented bait. The scent was very strange, and she didn't know what it was. She said, "Just keep it under my dressing table." I said.
He whispered, "That Yuan Yu'er is a little weird. Go and find out what her background is."
She nodded in agreement, and the concubine Jing sighed: "Her fragrance is naturally a good thing. I went to Jingchun Palace today and saw a lot of good things. Now that she is just pregnant, the emperor and empress rewarded her with so many things.
You are frivolous. When I give birth to a son and a half daughter someday, I don’t know how it will hurt.”
The concubine Jing's sigh was like a stream of ice water pouring down her heart. The interests of the concubines in the palace were involved, and they just hoped that Li Rong would not be born; but I, with old and new grudges, and my life was at stake, must not let her give birth.
Having made up my mind, I put a little force on my fingers and picked out a sprig of fragrant flower. The bright green juice stained my white fingers, like slippery and dirty water snakes. I was disgusted in my heart, so I threw it on the ground and said with a smile.
: "This flower is not good, sister, let's go see the newly bloomed jasmine."
At night, after I had gone out of the bath to wash myself, Hua Yi combed my long hair and whispered in my ear: "I have gone to check. That Yuan Yu was originally the maid who was bathing beside Concubine Li. In those days, Concubine Li fell out of favor.
For some reason, the emperor once fell in love with Yuan Yu, and even though he was lucky enough to do so, he did not give her any status. Now that Concubine Li was pregnant and could not take care of her, it was this girl who kept the emperor overnight. There were a few people around the emperor who were so unclear.
It’s been months.”
I closed my eyes and said, "Yuan Yu has no status, so of course Concubine Li is unwilling to do so. She can fool her in front of the emperor. Those little maids dare to scold her, which shows that the girl has a hard time in Jingchun Palace." I thought about it.
After a moment, "You try to get closer to her so that she can come to Rouyi Palace once."