On the third day after Concubine Hui fell ill, the emperor finally went to her side.
Concubine Hui, who was in the hospital bed, heard that the emperor was coming and hurriedly called for the palace servants to come over and help him dress.
As soon as he got out of bed, the emperor came in and said, "No need to be busy. If you are sick, just take good care of yourself and don't bother anymore."
There was no emotion or anger in his voice, but his words had the meaning of "Don't cause any more trouble." Concubine Hui complied and asked the palace servants to bring tea.
"Your Majesty, if your hands are cold in winter, drink a bowl of tea to warm them up first. Is the room too stuffy? Mommy, please open the window for some fresh air!"
The emperor stopped her. Perhaps it was Concubine Hui's thoughtfulness that reminded him of his tenderness in the past, and his voice softened: "I'm here to talk to you. Just lie down properly." He ordered the palace servants, "Why don't you help me go to bed?"
How do you serve me?"
Concubine Hui looked at him movedly and almost shed tears.
"Your Majesty..." She looked at the emperor's face longingly. Although it was not as delicate and beautiful as when she was young, her eyes were still as clear and gentle.
The emperor also relented.
He waved the palace attendant to leave, sat down by the bed, and talked to her: "I know what you are thinking. If the second brother is more ambitious, I will not punish him like this. The decree to seize the title is mine, but
I am the one who is most heartbroken! I only have a few sons. The third one was born after I ascended the throne. I was already too busy to take care of it at that time. The eldest and second son were born in Prince Zhao’s Mansion. I was an idle king at the beginning, and they
We get along more and have deeper feelings."
"Your Majesty..." Concubine Hui cried.
The emperor continued: "I have always had expectations for the second child. I hope that he can assist the elder brother and that the brothers will work together. I don't want them to become more and more separated when they are older. I see it in my eyes and feel so heartbroken. Why have my brothers become so different?"
We are no longer sworn in? Are you resorting to all kinds of despicable tricks just to deal with your brothers? These days, I am also reflecting on myself. It is my father's fault if I don't teach him or not!"
Concubine Hui cried loudly: "No, it's not your Majesty's fault. You have so many important things to do all day long, and there are so many important national affairs to take care of, how can you take care of your children. It's my concubine, it's my concubine who didn't take care of him well! He occasionally comes to me.
I said to my concubine that the eldest prince had such a good master to teach him, but he always wasted his time and did not know how to cherish it. I only scolded him and could not act arbitrarily. I never reasoned with him properly. As a result, he later became more and more serious.
I'm getting more and more extreme and have such thoughts. Your Majesty, it's my concubine's fault for not stopping it in time."
"Okay, okay, don't cry, I understand." The emperor comforted him for a while, and then said, "He is your son and mine. Don't I feel sorry for you? Only deep love can lead to deep responsibility. You
If you want to meet him, then ask him to come. Sending winter clothes is not a big deal, so there is no need to be so cautious. If you want to hand something over in the future, just tell Wan Dabao."
Concubine Hui burst into tears of gratitude. When she thought of thanking her, the emperor pressed her down again.
Concubine Hui could only hold his hand, thank her again and again, and thank Concubine Pei: "Sister Pei came to visit earlier, and I wanted to ask her to ask for a favor from you, but I didn't dare to say it out loud. I didn't know that she was so thoughtful, so I guessed it.
Yes, I took the initiative to tell you about this. Sister Pei is really smart and kind-hearted. It was Chenger who was obviously sorry for her, but she didn't care at all and came to help the concubine. If she hadn't interceded on behalf of the concubine, the concubine would have
I can't tell His Majesty what I'm saying. I'm old, I'm always sick, and I'm so haggard. It's hard to come to His Majesty all the time. With Sister Pei taking care of Your Majesty, I can rest assured."
The emperor's expression was calm and somewhat unfathomable.
Concubine Hui seemed to be in a mood and didn't pay attention. She kept praising Concubine Pei. She said that she had been so kind to everyone in the palace for so many years, and no one in the palace disliked her. Moreover, she was devoted to the emperor, never invited favors, and was indifferent to fame and fortune.
No wonder good deeds are rewarded. They say people are beautiful and kind-hearted, and it is true. He also said that he would like to do some embroidery work to thank Concubine Pei.
The emperor naturally told her not to do it, and that the most important thing was to recover from her illness. It was good if she had this intention.
The two emperors and concubines talked for a while, and then the emperor finally left.
Wen Xiuyi came in from outside the house and asked her: "What are you doing? Your Majesty finally came here. If you don't talk about your own affairs, how can you keep praising the concubine? Inviting favors for her?"
Concubine Hui leaned on the bedside, finished drinking the medicine, slowly wiped the stains on her lips with a handkerchief, and said: "You don't understand. In the palace, you have to give eye drops to a person, and you can't say bad things.
Say something nice."
Wen Xiuyi frowned, not understanding what it meant.
Concubine Hui said slowly: "I told you that our Majesty is both affectionate and ruthless. He is affectionate, but he still has some affection for me, an old and waning concubine. It is said that he is affectionate.
Ruthless, the only thing he loves in his heart is himself. He came to see me, firstly because of the noble concubine's request, and secondly because I am still useful."
"Useful?" Wen Xiuyi was even more confused. She looked her up and down with clear contempt.
Concubine Hui knew it right away and asked with a smile: "You think I have lost my beauty and you can't look down on me, don't you?"
Wen Xiuyi pursed her lips and said nothing, but that was what she meant.
Concubine Hui smiled and said: "Then let me ask you, everyone in the world knows that he loves the imperial concubine to the point of almost doting on her, why does he still promote us unfavored concubines from time to time?"
Without waiting for Wen Xiuyi to answer, she said: "You want to say that he is affectionate, don't you? Hehe, you can feel it whether a person cares about you or not. He has been here for so long, and when he sees that I am so sick, his eyes
Do you feel a little pity for me?"
Concubine Hui's voice turned cold: "Of course, one thing is right. With so many people in the harem, the only one he really loves is the imperial concubine. But this love is not as pure as others think. He has an inexplicable feeling about the imperial concubine.
He seems to be convinced that she will never love him, which makes him always in a state of panic. As an emperor, how can he be swayed by panic? So, he always uses such little tricks unknowingly.
, while pampering her to the extreme, at the same time he is scrutinizing her. Therefore, I, the concubine Hui, have to make an appearance occasionally to make the concubine feel a little bit of a sense of crisis. Always remember to please him."
Wen Xiuyi couldn't understand and said, "Your harem is really complicated."
Concubine Hui smiled and said: "This is the most powerful place in the world, how can it not be complicated? Not only will he not be happy when I praised the concubine like that, he will also be suspicious of her purpose. Everyone praises her, but what about him, the emperor?"
?Where should it be placed?"
Wen Xiuyi was silent for a long time and said: "The imperial concubine is quite good to you. Isn't this a bit of repaying kindness with enmity?"
Concubine Hui said calmly: "Where is there any kindness or affection in this palace? Your Majesty became suspicious of her, so he didn't have the time to remember Cheng'er's fault, right?" (To be continued)