The matter of Qiong Guiren ended like this, and gradually, no one used her as a topic of conversation after dinner. Because the newly favored Jiang family and Li family were equally divided, and they were all favored by Xuan Ling. In contrast,

Next, the charming and gentle Ms. Jiang seems to be favored more than the cheerful and straightforward Mr. Li.

After the incident with Mr. Qiong, Xuan Ling rarely came to my Rouyi Palace. Naturally, with his absence, Rouyi Palace gradually became deserted, with few people visiting. Along with it, Wei Lin

He was also transferred away from me and transferred to serve some low-status Yongxiang concubines. For Wei Lin, who has always been ambitious, the gap brought about by such a change is undoubtedly uncomfortable for him, not to mention that he is innocent and implicated

.

However, no matter how uneven it is, time unfolds slowly like silk, and it is the time of July, when the fire breaks out.

In July, the phoenix flowers bloomed, and there was silence in the palace. The lazy wind in the afternoon blew past the phoenix tree outside the window, and the continuous flowers fell to the ground, making a slight "plop" and "plop" sound.

The silence after falling out of favor is roughly like this.

Even when Lian Longyue came to see me with Concubine De, she also said: "Concubine Shumu, it is rare to have such quietness here. You can even hear the sound of falling flowers."

Concubine De was afraid that I would hear her sadness, so she hurriedly covered Longyue's mouth. After thinking about it, she withdrew her hand and sighed: "When you were born, your mother-in-law's situation was even more pitiful."

When I mentioned the sad things in the past, I just smiled and continued to lie under the vermilion window and watch the sunset over the Red River. The sky was so long, so long, as if it was being stretched endlessly by the chirping of cicadas.

After a long day of silence, Concubine Zhen felt a lot of emotion when she came to visit me, "I never thought that even my sister would be in such a situation."

At that time, I was calm and patted the sleeping Yurun in my arms, kissed his forehead gently, and said with a smile: "Compared to the fall from favor in the past, this time is much better. At least he has enough food and clothing, and has not been grounded."

Even if you lose your freedom, you have not lost the right to raise several children. As for favor, your favor flows eastward like water, and sooner or later you will lose it one day, so it is not worth worrying about."

The clear and watery glow filtered through the Qian screen window, and a few wisps of light smoke slowly floated out of the mouth of the golden beast incense burner, which was the sweet and sweet fragrance of styrax. In the thin light and shadow of the glow, the concubine lowered her head slightly and sat in front of me.

, focusing on embroidering a few stitches of the "Mandarin Ducks Playing in the Water" pattern, with a soft silhouette. She said quietly: "I entered the palace late, and sometimes I see my sister being so favored, and occasionally I wonder, will my sister also fall out of favor? Then

How did my sister survive the lonely time?" She looked at me quietly and asked, "Will my sister blame me and think so viciously?"

"No." I stretched out my hand and pinched a few fresh yellow roses, inserting them into her hair as thin as cicada wings. Her hair was so soft, it made people's hearts feel gentle, "People in the palace

, I will not be pampered for my whole life. If I understand it, I will not be afraid anymore. If you feel tormented by falling out of favor, then your life will also be torturous. If you are calm, your life will also be peaceful. Everything only depends on your state of mind, nothing else.

"

I arranged the various silk threads in the small basket for her, and a piece of light apricot sleeve slid down lightly. The gold armband on her wrist made a sound when it touched the red gold bracelet. Even the sound echoed in the empty palace for a long time.

It's also so lonely.

Concubine Zhen smiled faintly, "The Emperor now has the Jiang family - do you know that Xiaoyuan has been granted a title recently, and even the pregnant concubine Ying no longer has to look after her, which reminds me of the time when I was pregnant."

I smiled lazily, "Now that I don't go out much, Jin Feng deserves to be favored by her. I'd like you to take more care of Concubine Ying. There are too many things in the palace that can't raise children, which is alarming.

.”

Concubine Zhen smiled lightly, "Even if I think about my previous situation, I will take more care of her. Concubine De is also very attentive and pays attention to Yingbi's diet. Yingbi herself is too lazy to go out, so it will make people less worried."

There was a sound of joy coming from afar. I listened for a moment and asked, "What is that sound?"

Concubine Zhen was also curious. She held the window and smiled quietly, "I don't know, is there any happy event happening right now?" She stretched out her hand to call Hua Yi, "Go and see, what is it?"

Hua Yi pouted and said angrily, "What's the matter? The fuss so early in the morning is too much." She paused and finally dared not say it, "It's Jiang Xiaoyuan who is pregnant."

Concubine Zhen stopped her sewing, glanced at me, and said softly, "Oh." I said, "She is a lucky person. She is pregnant again just as she is being pampered, and her future will be even brighter."

Hua Yi didn't dare to speak, and handed over several colored desserts, including gold fragrant medicine, perilla fenugreek, pine nuts, poria cakes, cinnabar dumplings and two cups of lotus seed soup, all of which were the snacks that Zhen Fei Su and I had on a daily basis. Zhen Fei picked them

I ate a few things I liked, and wondered: "Why doesn't sister eat it?"

I looked at it carefully, but I really didn’t have any appetite, so I had to laugh and said: “Maybe I eat catkins, so I don’t have any appetite.” I called Huayi, “Let’s go make a bowl of sour plum soup.”

Concubine Zhen said: "Sister, I don't like eating sour food very much."

"It's not that I like to eat, I just drink it in summer to relieve the heat."

Concubine Zhen nodded and said with a smile: "That's right. When I return to the palace, I will ask someone to make some for Concubine Ying. She may not be happy knowing what happened today, and I have to go back early to accompany her."

I smiled and said, "Okay. I'd like to thank you for your trouble." I pondered for a moment and called Jinxi, "Jiang's family is pregnant and it's so lively. We can't pretend not to know. You brought the one that the Governor of Dizhou sent last time."

Send the picture 'Send Son Guanyin' to her to express your feelings."

Jin Xi agreed and went. Concubine Zhen had some snacks and then left.

The weather is as hot as fire, but I like the bright sunshine very much. In my spare time, I would sort out the yellowed books with Concubine Zhen in the library of the side hall, and put them in the hot sun to prevent the mildew from infecting the elegant ink.

fragrant.

On this day, I was immersed in books, when I heard Jinxi calling me softly, "Your Majesty."

I walked out and asked, "What's wrong?"

She frowned and said, "Jiang Xiaoyuan has been complaining of abdominal pain in the afternoon. She has been complaining for a long time and ended up having a miscarriage."

"Miscarriage?" I raised my eyebrows and asked.

"Yes." Jin Xi replied: "Mr. Jiang is really unlucky. The imperial doctor suspected that the child was only two months old and was harmed by musk, so the emperor became angry and ordered a strict investigation."

"There should be a strict investigation." I washed my hands with water, "So many children died in the palace for no apparent reason. A strict investigation should have been carried out long ago."

"But……"

The twilight of dusk fell on his delicate face, adding a layer of anxiety for no reason. Before Jin Xi finished speaking, Jian Qiu had already stepped through the door, and she said with a half-smile, "I have to trouble my queen to walk again."

Concubine Zhen saw something moving inside and hurriedly came out and said, "What's going on?"

Jian Qiu greeted her with a smile, "Concubine Zhen is here too. Concubine Shu is having a bad time, and it is always related to some unlucky things. This slave is also ordered to take Concubine Shu to ask questions."

There was a worried light in Concubine Zhen's eyes, and she straightened her clothes a little, "I happen to be free. Please wait a moment, Aunt Jianqiu, while I go with Concubine Shu." She refused with a polite expression on her lips.

With a retreating smile, "Lest I be questioned by humble concubines like Concubine Shu like last time."

Jianqiu still smiled, "On such an occasion, I would like to advise you that it is not advisable for Concubine Zhen to go."

Concubine Zhen did not answer, but stretched out her hand to take mine, "The road is difficult to travel at dusk, so I will go with you."

It was rare for a concubine to be so determined, so she didn’t dare to stop Jianqiu, so she had to let her go. I didn’t know what was causing the turmoil, but because of my magnanimity, I prepared the chariot and sedan chair, washed myself, and dressed up before leaving.

.

No matter how I fall out of favor, I will still be a concubine after all.

Qiwangxuan, where Jiang Xiaoyuan lives, is located in the south of Shanglinyuan. The climate here is warm in winter and cool in summer. In midsummer, the flowers and trees are still sparse. Puffs of snow-white orange blossoms are like white stars adorning the green jade wisterias, reflecting against the south wall.

The fiery red sky above, one cold and one hot, filters out a lot of the heat and makes the Qiwangxuan even more beautiful. Among the lush flowers and leaves, there are strange rocks protruding from Taihu Lake, and the meandering water is not like the gorgeous scene in the palace, but it is quite beautiful.

The Jiangnan courtyard is elegant and charming.

As soon as she entered the palace, Concubine Zhen was very satisfied. She nodded slightly and said, "This house is quite elegantly tidied, which shows that Jiang Xiaoyuan is quite good."

I laughed, "If you are a secular person, you may not be able to win the favor of the emperor like this."

The curve of Concubine Zhen's lips narrowed slightly, "So Chi Shao always seems to be an exception. I heard that her Yongcui Pavilion is only made of gold and jade, which is very gaudy."

I secretly sighed. My liking for wealth may not necessarily be because I have never owned it. I am afraid that it is more because I am greedy for fear of losing it.

Li Chang heard the sound and came out, opened the bamboo curtain of Concubine Xiang and said: "Concubine Shu is here, the emperor is already waiting for you."

In the past few months, Li Chang's face has become more sad. Although he is still the emperor's close eunuch and the general manager of Ziao City, due to his relationship with Rouyi Palace, these days, Mingli

There were no shortage of petty grievances hidden behind the scenes. He welcomed me in, quietly made a gesture of "be kind and cherish yourself", and then stood next to Xuan Ling with his fly whisk in hand.

The atmosphere in the room was a bit dull, perhaps because of the suffocating feeling unique to dusk at this time of year. Jiang Xiaoyuan huddled in the corner of the couch, her cheeks were sallow, her eyes were red, no makeup was applied, and her cloud-like hair was scattered on her shoulders.

Wearing only a homely moon-white embroidered pajamas, she looked very pitiful. Her narrow and charming eyes were carefully lowered, and the sad and frightened grievance on her lips had not faded away. Xuan Ling was sitting in front of the couch, talking to her

Whispering whispers are so comforting.

I knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, may blessings and blessings be upon you."

Xuan Ling casually called me up and asked: "Usually when summer comes, you are unable to eat and lose weight. Is it still the same this year?"

I didn't want him to bother calling me here, but he spoke with such tender words. I was surprised and had to answer truthfully, "I still can't eat as usual, but I'll get better once I get used to it."

Xuan Ling nodded, "I see you have lost weight too."

After Concubine Zhen saluted, she smiled slightly and said, "I see Concubine Shu every day, so I don't think that she is that much. Maybe the Emperor hasn't seen Concubine Shu for a long time, so he feels that she looks thin even more."

Xuan Ling did not comment, but Jiang Xiaoyuan, who was shrinking on the couch, cried "Wow", "Your Majesty, my concubine's child is gone like this. I am not willing to accept it! I am not willing to accept it!"

Such shrill cries rushed left and right in the small attic, heartbreaking. I only felt a headache and suffocating heat, and layers of sweat broke out on my back. I thought in a daze, what is it like in such a bitter and hot day?

When will it be over?

Xuan Ling looked pitiful, patted her vest comfortingly, and said softly: "I will definitely give you justice."

Ms. Jiang stopped her heart-rending crying and just sobbed softly. The continuous sobs were like a needle slowly pushing into the bone marrow. Even I felt sad. I said seriously: "Xiaoyuan is so sad."

, it seems that the child was indeed lost unexpectedly, and the emperor has no choice but to give justice to Xiaoyuan."

"Since Concubine Shu said so," Xuan Ling restrained his tenderness and called Jianqiu coldly, "You can show it to Concubine Shu."

Jian Qiu answered "yes" and slowly opened a scroll on the yellow pear wood table. There were red sandalwood scrolls on both ends. The scroll had exquisite brushwork, lifelike faces, and every detail of the folds and textures of the clothes were clearly visible. It was exactly what I gave to Jiang Xiaoyuan.

Picture of "Avalokitesvara Sends a Child".

"What's wrong with this painting?" I asked.

A woman's figure slowly stood up behind the aqua-blue beaded curtain, "This painting is from the hands of a famous artist at first glance. It seems to be the hands of Shen Ping, a painter from the former painting academy. Shen Ping is the best at painting images of Guanyin. Naturally, there will be no such thing."

What's wrong?" The woman behind the curtain smiled beautifully, it was Rongbi Chishao. She patted Mrs. Jiang's hand comfortingly, looked at me a few times, "Xiaoyuan is in pain of losing her son, and the empress is still dressed up in front of her.
To be continued...