The scorching weather has already swept through the capital at the end of July, and is even more sweltering in August. Generally speaking, the capital is densely populated, with rows of streets and alleys, making the heat even more intense.
Dazheng has good sea and water transportation, so boatloads of watermelons, bamboo fans, cattail mats, summer pillows, honeysuckle and other summer delicacies arrived. As soon as they arrived at the dock, they were immediately sold out.
As for the big households, those who have the financial resources have prepared ice early, and the consumption in this period alone is an astonishing figure.
In addition to the palace where the emperor and the queen are located, the concubines in other palaces also receive summer ice cubes according to their duties.
In previous years, Concubine Wu's palace was also a prosperous scene. The people below did not need to say anything at all, and the people below had already delivered the good ice.
But this year, because Concubine Wu fell out of favor, she has now been grounded and closed up to reflect on her past. The emperor has never been to Pixiang Palace again, and the attitude of the people below towards Pixiang Palace has gradually changed.
Either this thing lacks the portion, or that thing is a defective product. Even the ice cubes only meet the portion quantity, and there is no extra one.
If you want more, you have to spend more money than other masters to buy it.
It was a really frustrating day.
However, Concubine Wu ordered the people in Pixiang Palace not to leak the news to Princess Xinping, lest Princess Xinping go to the emperor again and make a fuss, which would cause trouble.
But Concubine Wu didn't want her daughter to get into trouble again. Some people who were jealous of their mother and daughter being favored in the past were happy to see them continue to be unlucky and secretly spread the news.
No, Princess Xinping came forward to see her again, causing the emperor who was reviewing the memorial to frown slightly.
"Let her go back!"
It's not that he doesn't love his daughter, it's just that when he sees her, he can immediately think of the events of that day, Su Ziji, and then remember that he ordered the death of the prince's family more than ten years ago, which makes the emperor unhappy.
As the supreme ruler of a country, the emperor certainly has enough rights to be willful in such private matters. Even if he is angry with the daughter he once loved, it is natural in the eyes of others. It must be the princess who acted absurdly and finally angered His Majesty.
.
Eunuch Zhao, who was waiting in front of the emperor, immediately responded respectfully, slowly exited, left the imperial study, and walked quickly outside. Once outside the outer hall, he looked at Xinping, whose face was red under the scorching sun.
Princess, Eunuch Zhao did not show contempt like some eunuchs, but bowed respectfully. There was nothing to criticize in his attitude.
"Your Highness, Princess, Your Majesty is busy with government affairs and really doesn't have time to see you. How about you come back after a while?" he advised carefully.
"You old slave!"
Princess Xinping had been rejected several times in the past, and she felt extremely aggrieved. She did not believe that her father, who had always loved her, refused to see her for several months. It must be because these slaves did not try their best to spread the message.
Thinking like this, she raised her chin slightly and said coldly: "You must have not mentioned to your father who came to see him, right?"
"You people always like to flatter the superior and suppress the inferior. I will not be fooled by you! Get out of my way! I want to go in to see my father!"
"Oh, my princess!" Seeing that Princess Xinping was about to break through the door, Eunuch Zhao had no choice but to stop him and persuaded in a low voice: "You, you'd better go back first. To tell you the truth, your majesty is here now.
In fact, I am still angry with you, and I will probably wait until my anger subsides before I see you. You said that you insist on breaking in to see His Majesty now, isn't this adding fuel to the fire?"
"You are His Majesty's beloved daughter. Of course you will not be punished for whatever you do, but you should also think about Concubine Wu!"
Concubine Wu has fallen out of favor because of you. If she causes trouble again because of you and is demoted to the concubine, she will be very happy.
Princess Xinping's action was a pause. She came here in a rage this time because she learned that her mother-in-law was still banned and she couldn't go in to visit. However, the things given to Pixiang Palace were withheld. This news spread to
The Princess Mansion naturally made Princess Xinping very angry and came to complain to her father.
But if the complaint fails, and instead causes trouble for the mother and concubine... Princess Xinping put on a cold face, was silent for a moment, and said: "Since you said so, Eunuch Zhao, I will accept your love from this old slave. What you said
Yes, I need to think more about my mother and concubine."
Then he really turned around and left.
This time Princess Xinping actually listened to the advice, which made Eunuch Zhao slightly surprised.
"Sure enough, adversity can make people grow."
Secretly sighing, he calmed down his expression again, returned to the Imperial Study Room, and reported to the emperor what happened outside without any embarrassment.
After picking up the pen and reviewing another memorial, he put the pen aside. The emperor rubbed his wrist and fell silent for a moment after hearing these words.
"If Xinping really understands my painstaking efforts and can live in peace during this period, please pass on my oral instructions and let Pixiang Palace lift the ban." He casually ordered.
"Yes, I have remembered it."
Eunuch Zhao responded, but secretly thinking that he had not disrespected Princess Xinping before, so he made the right move. Although His Majesty seemed to have really annoyed Princess Xinping and Concubine Wu before, his love for Princess Xinping,
Obviously there still is.
At this time, there were footsteps again from outside, and a eunuch came in holding a newly delivered memorial.
There are three copies, all tightly folded and packed in small boxes.
"Are they all from Shun'an Mansion?" The emperor was a little surprised when he looked at the seals affixed by the inspection department on the small boxes one after another.
"Your Majesty, let me drive it."
Eunuch Zhao hurriedly walked over and carefully opened the three boxes one by one. For secret folders sent from such a place, the key, except for the person who sent the folder, was held by the emperor or someone close to him and could be opened.
This is also to prevent someone from dropping the bag midway.
"Hmph, one thing means three things!"
"I have a lot of things to do every day, and I have to write tens of thousands of letters. Sometimes I am so tired that I can't even eat, and I have to watch them argue."
Looking at the memorials that were taken out and placed in front of him one by one, he opened three of them and glanced at them casually. The emperor immediately threw the memorials on the table and sneered.
Eunuch Zhao had just opened the small box and had already stepped aside, bending down and lowering his eyes, waiting respectfully. At this time, he heard the emperor's sneer and said nothing.
Because there was obviously no need for him to talk about this matter.
The emperor first sneered and took out another copy. He looked at it carefully first. After reading the first memorial, he immediately frowned slightly. He took the second copy and the third copy. He read them carefully and finished them all.
But fell silent.
There was a long silence, only the shallow breathing of the people in the study, which was even more nervous than the previous sneer.
At least Eunuch Zhao, who was standing with his head bowed, felt nervous.
But even though he didn't want to get involved in this kind of thing, he still had to kneel on the ground with the emperor's soft call.
"Dexi, come and take a look at these three folds." Throwing the three folds directly at Eunuch Zhao's feet, the emperor sighed: "Tell me, what do you think?"