Covered by heavy curtains, the furnishings are well-proportioned. The palace maids are wearing new clothes, and each one of them is wearing a small velvet flower that can be worn at their level. They are all wearing flat soft shoes, their steps are light, their eyes are bright, their teeth are bright, and their eyes are full of light.
After many years of silence, they finally got a new life. After all, who doesn’t know that the emperor respects the queen the most now?
No matter how favored those concubines were, they could only be favored for a while, but the masters they followed could be favored continuously. Now their grandchildren are also great-grandsons, and the good days are yet to come.
No, at this moment, several princesses and princesses in the side hall, especially the dozen or so imperial wives, had just finished asking for an audience. Seeing that it was getting late, they said goodbye and left the palace as soon as possible. This was not considered bustling, but also deserted.
Who can disrespect the dual effects of the emperor and the grandson?
At this time, two young chamberlains who were staying outside the palace were basking in the sun and talking. From a distance, they saw a group of people coming towards them. The two of them carried a delicate small basket, and at once they carried more than a dozen baskets.
"Ouch, something has arrived again!" a little waiter said cheerfully.
Another one said: "Don't be happy, I'll go report the news, you wait here!"
At least half of their job as gatekeepers here is to receive these royal gifts.
Food, daily necessities, decorations, and even some flowers, powders, and exquisite jewelry are always delivered here in a steady stream from the front.
They had long been used to it, but no matter how accustomed they were, they still felt sincerely happy every time they saw it. They felt that the reconciliation between the emperor and the empress was the best thing.
If the emperor and empress reconcile, then slaves like myself can live a good life, right?
The little chamberlain who ran in whispered this matter to the empress's side, the trusted female officer Zhaoxia. As soon as Zhaoxia heard this, she smiled, pursed her lips and saluted the queen, then stepped back and said: "Okay,
I’ll go out and take a look right now.”
After saying this, I went out, and there were already more than a dozen baskets of fruits handed over outside. Although it was a delicate small basket, this basket could hold at least dozens of apples. A total of more than a dozen kinds of fruits were delivered in more than a dozen baskets, and the big ones were
Such as honeydew melon, small ones such as grapes and lychees.
Many of them are not meant to be eaten in this season, but the emperor is rich all over the world. If he really likes some fruits, the people below will work hard to toss them. It is not impossible to eat more than a dozen fruits in the spring season.
possible.
In particular, Wei Shizu opened up sea transportation, and there is an island in the south. It is said that it is evergreen like summer all year round, so a special orchard was built for the emperor.
For example, lychees are even closer than their origin in Lingnan. They are also easy to transport. There is no need for fast horses. Ships can sail day and night and reach the capital very quickly.
Even so, such luxury was not easy for the emperor, and it was almost impossible for his favored concubines and courtiers to enjoy it.
Now that the emperor has sent so much directly, is it because he values the empress?
"They need to be classified, weighed, registered, and rewarded as soon as possible."
Zhaoxia looked at the state of the dozen or so baskets of fruits and pointed, "Divide each into 20%. Clean some and I'll send them inside. The rest will be put into storage temporarily."
"yes!"
Zhaoxia took several palace maids and servants, holding some on silver platters, to the palace.
In the side hall, the queen was sitting and reading a book. When she heard footsteps, she said without raising her head: "Why is there so much noise outside?"
Zhaoxia smiled and said, "My dear, I sent over a dozen baskets of fruits from the front, one basket of each kind, including lychees and grapes!"
"This is not the kind of food we should have in this season, but we have it, and it is brought to us. It shows that this is really the only one in the palace. I asked about it and said that no other concubine has it, so it is only given to us here."
Here’s a portion like this!”
Zhaoxia boasted that her income was the only one in the palace. After hearing this, the queen's hand turned over the pages of the book.
She raised her head, and a complex look appeared on her face, which could still see traces of her youthful beauty despite the weather.
The queen's mood is a bit complicated now. After all, she and the emperor were really a loving couple more than 20 years ago. Not only did they have a good relationship, but they also experienced disputes. They joined hands and supported each other in the storm, and they even gave birth to such a child.
Excellent child.
Even if the emperor has other concubines, as the king of a country, she was mentally prepared when she married him as the prince, and this was considered acceptable.
The most important thing is that after he ascended the throne, the emperor respected and loved her very much and did not favor any concubine. He was impeccable. If not for what happened later, she and he would have been able to grow old together.
"But why are you so suspicious that you just listened to a few rumors and indiscriminately killed Fu'er and the people in Manfu?"
But such a tragic thing happened. As a mother and a grandmother, she could not forgive a person who killed her son, grandson and the whole family of the prince.
Especially when it was later proven that her child was innocent and had been wronged, she could not accept it or forgive her in any way.
However, even though he retired to a side palace and gave up his power, the emperor never abolished her. Although the treatment he gave her every year was not as good as now, it was not that good.
"well……"
With just an inaudible sigh, a eunuch came in. This was Zhou Zhong, who was a close confidant. Seeing the situation, he didn't say anything. He hesitated and stood to one side.
Just listen to Zhaoxia ask: "These fruits are hard-earned, are they given to the Taisun Mansion?"
"My servant has prepared 20%."
"Also, several empresses and princesses in the palace have come to pay homage to the empress. Do they want some rewards? Do the ladies of the foreign dynasty also want some rewards? Please let me know."
"Your idea is good, let's allocate it like this!" the queen said with satisfaction.
"Yes, that slave will leave." Zhaoxia stepped back with a wink, and after a moment of silence, Zhou Zhong glanced at the queen and replied directly.
"Empress, after Wang Jinzhong was beaten to death, our people were pushed up. Although there were twists and turns in the process, the result was as expected."
"It's just that since Wang Jinzhong was beaten and killed, his position has been subject to some restrictions. Our people are now mainly responsible for handling the relationship between the palace and the outside world, and they are limited to buying meals. We can't get involved in anything else."
"It's good to have stable access to the palace." This was the emperor's habitual precaution, and it may not be directed at anyone. The queen was not dissatisfied with this. She took a breath and asked again: "Is there no problem with communications and the like?
"
Since he had promoted his own people, the emperor was very suspicious and would not completely trust the new people. Therefore, he must be more cautious in his contacts with the outside world in a short period of time.
Zhou Zhong thought for a while and then replied: "Please rest assured, Madam, although the person who arranged the appointment was our eunuch, the person who specifically passed on the news was a young eunuch who was subdued by this person later. He has nothing to do with us at all, and has no connection from the beginning to the end.
It doesn’t matter, it was even more inconspicuous in the past.”
"Moreover, the person we pushed up had to turn around a few times before being pushed up by others. Even though the Emperor was worried about him, he didn't immediately become suspicious of us."