The winter of this year passed like this in silence. However, this silence was nothing more than waves on the lake. In the past, only the queen could accompany the emperor to the Yunyi Palace during the draft, and the other concubines were not allowed to go. This was also to respect the motherhood of the queen.
The will of the world. However, for this draft, Xuan Ling had informed me in advance that he would accompany me. "The queen sitting there is just a decoration. I still want to listen to what you want."
The queen has been left out for a long time, and all the affairs of the harem are arranged by me. I didn't want to refuse, so I muttered: "The queen will naturally go, but the ancestral system stipulates that the concubines are not allowed to accompany the draft, and the concubine went to speak to the officials if necessary.
It's troublesome, but it's good to be talked about. It's better for the emperor to invite the concubine and sister De Fei to go together. This will not only make the concubine wholeheartedly want to go, but also save the chancellor to only look at the concubine."
Xuan Ling nodded and said with a smile: "That's fine. After all, the queen can just watch and it will be done. There is no need to make any decisions."
I looked at him with interest, "I know that I must first choose a good wife for the eldest son of the emperor, and then a beautiful woman for the emperor."
For the talent show, my concubine, concubine De, and I have been preparing for the draft for a long time. In fact, everyone knows it. Among the younger generation in the palace, there are already five concubines, namely concubine Yian, concubine Rong, concubine Xuan, concubine Gui and concubine Ying, who are equally beautiful.
, this time the important thing is to select the concubine for the emperor's eldest son, so the conditions are particularly strict. The Queen Mother specially called me, Concubine De, and the imperial concubine to repeatedly ask that the draft should be treated with caution, and that the selection must be made for the emperor's eldest son.
A dignified and prudent good woman as his wife. It is also said that when choosing a concubine, one must focus on virtue rather than appearance. It is not just about beauty, but also pay attention to the words and deeds. In addition, you must choose several good family members with both ability and political integrity to serve as the emperor.
People like An Lirong and Fu Ruyin must never be around again.
On this day, Yurao came to the palace to accompany me. While we were chatting, I suddenly remembered something and asked her: "How are the Nine Kings treating you?" Yurao's cheeks turned red and she smiled and covered her face with a ball fan, "Come and go.
You can just ask people these things and you won’t be bothered?"
I chuckled and said, "I'm your sister, what are you afraid of?"
Yurao nodded shyly, "Very good, very good."
Hua Yi couldn't help laughing and said: "Very good is enough. Why does the princess need to say 'very good', for fear that people won't know that the prince loves the princess. In fact, who in the palace doesn't know that every time the princess enters the palace,
The prince personally delivered them to the palace gate, and they always appear in pairs wherever they go."
Yurao covered her face with a smile and said to me: "If my sister doesn't touch this bad girl's mouth, I won't listen to her. She will be annoying with her glib tongue."
I stopped her with a smile and sent Hua Yi out. Fang whispered: "You and the prince have been married for more than half a year. Since we are a loving couple, why haven't there been any news?"
Yurao was stunned for a moment before he realized what I was referring to. He covered his face with a "Ah" sound and said shyly: "How do I know? Didn't Sister Yuyin and Liu Wang make no move either?"
It was inconvenient for me to explain the relationship between Yu Yin and Qing, so I just said, "Just tell her your own story."
Yurao's face was flushed, she twisted her clothes and said, "I really don't know."
I didn't feel comfortable asking anymore, and it was inconvenient to ask again, when Jin Xi came in and said, "Mrs. Zhuang Min is here to visit the empress."
Yurao and I looked at each other, thinking that Yunrong rarely came to my place, and she didn't know the purpose of coming this time, and she didn't want to be negligent, so she stood up and went out to greet me. She smiled from a distance and said: "It's rare for my sister to be so elegant.
.”
Since the queen was left out, Yunrong has been proud of the spring breeze, and has paid more attention to luxury and solemnity in clothing. Today she is wearing a vermilion satin outer dress, embroidered with palace makeup like thousand-leaf gold hibiscus, and the stamens are decorated with bright crystal beads.
A silk brocade blouse with overlapping green flowers reveals a hint of spring, reflecting the twelve Jingfu long hairpins of red gold inlaid with vermilion agate on the head. When I move, I hear the sound of the rings, and my whole body seems to be caged in that golden ball.
In the halo of light, people dare not look closely. In comparison, wearing only a hazy purple Wu brocade long dress and a long white jade hairpin, I look like an ordinary concubine below her.
Yunrong took my hand and looked at me carefully. Fang said with a half-smile but not a smile: "Sister is so simple in clothes. No wonder my cousin always praises my sister in front of us for being virtuous and able to run the house. It's not like I just love luxury.
Not worthy of my cousin's attention."
"What woman doesn't love beauty?" Yurao rolled the jade bracelet on her hand and smiled quietly: "Don't say that my eldest sister doesn't dare, even I can't."
Yunrong looked at her with a smile and said: "This is a strange news. One of your sisters is the first-class concubine of the current dynasty, the other is the prince's side concubine, and the fourth lady is the most noble concubine of the Ninth Prince's Palace. How can you even connect with this?
It’s not even possible to dress up.”
Yurao shook his head slightly, glanced outside Weiyang Palace, and whispered: "Sister came back from Ganlu Temple. Isn't there a lot of gossip in the palace? Even we are being watched. People's words are scary.
, we can’t help but be afraid.”
Yunrong's eyes instantly turned towards the direction of Zhaoyang Palace, and she said with a knowing smile: "She is not in my cousin's eyes now. It is inevitable that she is full of displeasure, and some complaints are human nature." She came closer and said: "Shu.
Concubine, what did you hear? Concubine Shu is a virtuous person, but I can’t tolerate disdain in my eyes. I must defend my sister, Concubine Shu."
I shook my head and sighed: "She is such a shrewd and cautious person. How can she say anything unpleasant to make us catch her in pain? It's just irrelevant words coming from the mouths of irrelevant people."
Yun Rong nodded slightly and just said in deep thought, "That's right."
I smiled at her and said, "It's rare for my sister to go out and walk around, so she's in a good mood today."
She smiled "ha--" and asked a woman behind her, "This is Xu Yiren, the adopted daughter of Mrs. Sui Guogong. Sister, do you think she is a lovely person?"
The woman was about fifteen or sixteen years old. She had a charming face and was an outstanding beauty. She greeted me respectfully. I smiled casually and said, "No wonder she is called Yiren. She really makes people feel relaxed and happy at first sight."
.Have you given permission?"
Yunrong turned her head slightly and looked at Xu Yiren as if she was looking at some exquisite and proud thing. "Although Yiren is not the daughter of the duke, the duke's wife has taken her by her side since she was a child and raised her well."
He is as noble as the apple of his eye, how can he be willing to give it to someone at will?"
I vaguely guessed the reason for her visit, I held back my smile for a moment, looked at her Yingying and said, "My sister is the most warm-hearted, but has Miss Xu fallen in love with someone?"
Yun Rong walked to the courtyard, picked off a snow-white fragrant flower, and said: "A good flower must be planted in Sister Shu Fei's palace garden to bloom beautifully. If it is planted casually in some poor family, how can it bloom?"
Is there such a beautiful color? Since my sister thinks it is pleasant and refreshing, why not let this beautiful flower bloom in the palace under my sister's breast, so that everyone who sees it can be happy." I was pondering, and she was already thinking.
He fixed his eyes on my face, "Yi Ren and I have the same temperament, and I also want to have more companions in the palace. If my sister feels that Yi Ren is not worthy of being selected and not suitable to serve the emperor, it is okay to let her serve by my side.
But." After saying that, he just played with the fragrant flowers on his fingertips and didn't look at me again.
Yiren fell in love and prostrated, "I'm stupid, I'm so lucky to be able to serve my wife. How dare I climb so high and be selected to serve the emperor in the palace."
I made up my mind in an instant, and smiled unconsciously, "My sister is a straight-hearted person, which is the most rare thing. Yiren has the same temperament as my sister, and is the apple of the eye of the Duke of Sui. I think on the day of the election,
I will definitely get the Emperor's attention." He slowly stepped forward and broke off a pink fragrant flower and pinned it between the pleasant clouds of blue hair. "My sister, with such a colorful and fragrant flower, will definitely be loved by His Majesty. Since my sister is close to Mrs. Zhuang Min,
, just to get close to me, it would be good to come to Rouyi Hall more often when you have time."
The corners of Hu Yunrong's lips were slightly raised, and her eyebrows were bright and spring-like, "With Concubine Shu's words, I can feel at ease." She looked up and looked at the golden sun, "It's getting late, I have to go to pay my respects to the Queen Mother, so I'll take my leave first.
Already."
I walked to the door of the ceremony eagerly, and Fang and Yurao came in hand in hand. Yurao gave me a cup of tea, cupped her cheek and said: "The election has not even started yet, and she is in a hurry to recruit her own people in the palace."
I blew on the tea and said, "Even women are afraid of old age and beauty. How can we not make arrangements for ourselves?" I put down the tea cup and reached out to touch the corners of my eyes. "Even I wake up every morning and feel the same."
She found that her appearance this morning was older than yesterday. In the palace, fading appearance is a sign of love. It is no wonder that she had to prepare for a rainy day. What's more, in this palace, it is not enough to guard against others. You must have your own people, although this may not be your own people.
Believe me, there will even be a day when you turn against me. But it’s always good to have an extra pair of eyes and an extra mouth to help. The Queen is like this, I am like this, and she is like this, it’s all the same.”
Yurao stood next to me and said affectionately: "Who said that my sister is old? I can't see a single wrinkle even if she is so close."
I pulled up a strand of hair and took a closer look, "The hair is not white yet, the mood is old, it's all the same."
She leaned on my arm and frowned and said: "Sister is not afraid of old age, only anxious people are afraid of old age. She is not just preparing for her own future. The Queen has been out of favor for a long time, and as a cousin, she will inevitably have to look forward to Shu. Now that my sister is in a high position, if
She really wants to compete for the throne, but she has to guard against it, for fear that she will regard her sister as a stumbling block to ascending to the throne in the future."
I sensed her worry, patted her arm and said happily: "Being a princess has made me more careful and understanding. You don't have to worry about me."
She nodded, "Fortunately, she has a straight mind and doesn't beat around the bush so much. It's just that Xu Yiren seems to have a very clever mind, otherwise Hu Yunrong wouldn't have to go through this and must allow her to enter the palace." She
He added, "Today's matter about Xu Yiren, my sister doesn't have to agree to her, or maybe it's the emperor's decision."
I took a sip of tea and said, "People who are straight-minded in the palace will naturally suffer more, but she is different. The more direct she is about her identity, the more willing the emperor will accept it, and there will be no disadvantage. If I didn't agree just now, she would naturally be direct.
Although it is a bit against the rules to bring Xu Yiren to see the emperor, she may not be able to do it. What's more, the emperor is open to beauties and refuses to mess with her face."
Yu Yin's toes touched a pot of blooming pearl red rhododendrons on the ground. The fine petals reflected her crimson gold butterfly cloud shoes, and the color was bright and springy. She said in her mouth: "She could have brought Xu Yiren with her, so why bother?"
Want sister to help her? Now that she has agreed, Xu Yiren will definitely come in to be her arm on the day of the election."
"What time is it now? Although the queen has lost power, she has never been defeated. Why does she need to wink like this to attract criticism? Xu Yiren is tired of attracting attention, and may not be favored for long." The fragrance of tea filled the lips and teeth,
The lingering fragrance filled my mouth, "Good tea." I suddenly smiled brightly, "Besides, what did I promise her just now?"