As spring and summer come, the heat is getting stronger, and ice is used everywhere in the palace.
The little emperor kicked the quilt in the cold at night, and the night watchman was not alert enough, so he slept naked for most of the night, and the next day he had a fever.
The imperial doctor saw it, and the medicine was temporarily withdrawn, but it didn't take long for it to burn again. Children are most afraid of repeated fever. They are fine during the day and easy to detect, especially at night. If the people around them are not paying attention, the body heat will not go up and down, and it is possible to have a stupid fever.
Jiang Rui was not at ease, afraid that he would burn out, and decided to stay overnight.
"Empress mother, Rui Er is very uncomfortable." The little emperor said pitifully with a red face and a bitter face with a wet towel on his forehead.
Jiang Rui squeezed his fleshy hand, "I'll feel better soon."
She condensed a trace of spiritual energy and injected it into the little emperor's body through the hands of the two of them. She didn't dare to lose too much, for fear that the child's body was too immature and could not bear it.
Just after losing, the little emperor was surprised and said, "Hey, it seems to be really comfortable."
Jiang Rui pinched his face, "I'll see if you dare to kick the quilt in the future, go to sleep while you're comfortable now, and you'll be fine after sleeping."
The little emperor stared at her: "Do you want to sleep with Rui'er?"
"You're so old, are you ashamed?" Jiang Rui joked and added, "Go to sleep, my mother is here to accompany you."
The little emperor fell asleep.
Jiang Rui sat beside the bed for a while, then got up and sat by the table, resting her forehead on her forehead. After a while, she heard a series of gentle footsteps coming from outside the palace, her eyebrows moved slightly, and her eyes were still closed.
Lu Xingzhou made a gesture to let the people accompanying him stay outside and slowly stepped into the hall.
The bedroom is very quiet, only the burning wick emits a subtle beep, the little emperor snores in sleep, and the people at the table seem to be asleep, too. The dim candlelight illuminates half of his jade-white face, with long eyelashes under his eyes. She casts a fan-like shadow, her brows and eyes are peaceful, and her demeanor is demure.
Lu Xingzhou slowed his breathing unconsciously, as if he was afraid of waking up, he stood there for a long time, suddenly regained his senses, and backed out.
"Pick up the cape."
Soon a maid brought the cloak, and he returned to the inner hall, holding his breath and putting the cloak on Jiang Rui's shoulder.
Jiang Rui's eyelashes trembled lightly, and she slowly opened her eyes with a hint of haze in her eyes. After falling on him, she gradually woke up. She was a little surprised. When she found the cape on her body, she nodded again, "Thank you."
Lu Xingzhou took a step back with a smile on his face, "But the minister disturbed the empress?"
"I never slept deeply, and it has nothing to do with my father-in-law." Jiang Rui shook her head.
Lu Xingzhou added: "The maiden has a mother's heart towards Your Majesty, but she should not neglect her own body."
Jiang Rui went to the bed and looked at the little emperor, touched his forehead with her hand, and saw that it was not very hot, and said, "I appreciate the kindness of my father-in-law. The palace gate is probably locked now, is the father-in-law busy again at this time? "
Perhaps the night was too quiet, and the conversation between the two was rarely the same as usual, with a kind of calmness that belonged to the night.
It's hard to hate this kind of atmosphere, and Lu Xingzhou also glanced at the little emperor, "It's just some trivial things, I don't dare to worry about the empress. How is your majesty?"
"It's not burning now, and it should be fine tonight." Jiang Rui picked up the cloth on the little emperor's forehead and wrung it out by himself.
The white and slender fingers were soaked in water, and they looked more and more delicate and clear under the candlelight. The nails were round and the fingertips were reddish.
Lu Xingzhou looked dazed for a moment.
"Father-in-law came to see His Majesty on purpose. If you have nothing else to do, you should leave the palace earlier." Jiang Rui pinched the quilt for the little emperor and turned around.
Lu Xingzhou also felt that he was a little tired tonight, so he shook his head twice in a while, and then said with a smile: "I'm leaving, my maiden, go to bed earlier."
"Father-in-law, walk slowly." Jiang Rui didn't send each other off, her slightly indifferent tone and demeanor were not much different from usual. But when Lu Xingzhou saw her sitting under the lamp, he always felt that something was different.
The next day, the little emperor's fever really subsided, and Jiang Rui asked him to rest for two more days, not in a hurry to study.
The weather is hot, and ice basins are placed in every corner of Chang'an Palace, and there are two worlds inside and outside the house.
Jiang Rui woke up from a nap, was eating a icy watermelon, and came to spread a message with a cigarette.
"Niangniang, the noble concubine is visiting."
"Please come in." She was still leaning on the cool couch.
As soon as Concubine Xiao stepped into the main hall of Chang'an Palace, she noticed the coolness coming to her face, which was cooler and more comfortable than her palace, and she felt unwilling for a while.
In the past, when the late emperor was there, she was more favored than the empress. Although the concubine's ice was determined according to the grade, the chief eunuchs sent the most ice to her palace every year in order to please her. The empress would not dare to say anything even if she knew it. , now it makes her proud.
As she approached, she still saluted and sat down, "My lady is so leisurely, why didn't you go to Chongzheng Hall today?"
"Your Majesty is in good health, let him rest for two more days." Jiang Rui didn't care about her rudeness.
Concubine Xiao smiled lightly: "It turns out that the empress went to Chongzheng Hall to teach your Majesty how to read, I thought..."
Jiang Rui glanced at her and focused on the watermelon in her jade bowl.
Seeing that she didn't answer, Concubine Xiao gritted her teeth secretly, and said, "I heard people say that Eunuch Lu has sent a lot of good things to the Empress's Palace recently. I wonder when Empress Dowager and Eunuch Lu became so good?"
"Really, I don't know who the noble concubine listened to, why don't I know?"
"Why does Niangniang pretend to be confused?" Concubine Xiao leaned closer and lowered her voice: "I didn't know before that Niangniang has such a good ability, and even people like Eunuch Lu can win over people like Eunuch Lu. In front of the emperor, there is nothing to do with me and the other sisters."
Although she didn't say it explicitly, the hint in her words was already obvious.
It is not uncommon for eunuchs and palace maids to eat against each other, even secretly and concubines are not without it. The imperial palace of Nuoda is so bright and beautiful on the surface, there are so many shameful things in secret. I just didn't expect that looking at the dignified and gentle queen mother, she would actually do such a thing.
"If the previous emperor found out, what would the mother say he would think?" Concubine Xiao said faintly.
Jiang Rui finally looked at her, "What if you know, can the dead still jump out of the tomb?"
"You... you are disrespectful!"
"Oh?" Jiang Rui said with a smile, "Then when I meet the late emperor, I will apologize to him."
Empress Xie in the past would never say such a thing, Concubine Xiao looked at her unexpectedly, and said after a while: "The maiden is really different, I was still skeptical at first, but now it seems that you are... willing? "
"Don't get me wrong, noble concubine, I didn't admit anything, why did you say that you have nose and eyes?" Jiang Rui put the jade bowl aside and wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief.
Concubine Xiao sneered: "It's not that everyone is blind. The mother goes to Chongzheng Hall every day these days, saying that she is teaching His Majesty to read, but other people can't see it. Who knows what's going on? Besides, Eunuch Lu has Frequently sending good things to the Empress' Palace, there has never been such a thing before."
In the past, even if she heard about this kind of thing, she would only take it as a joke, but now she looks at the face in front of her, but she thinks it is very possible.
Since Empress Dowager Xie recovered from her serious illness in the first two months, Empress Dowager Xiao felt jealous every time she saw her.
Obviously they are all over 30 years old, and their years have passed away. Why is she the only one who seems to be favored by a fairy and returns to her most beautiful appearance? This face is even more charming than in the past, with both the style of a mature woman and the delicacy of a pure girl.
Concubine Xiao herself is a stunning beauty. She knows that this complex and strange temperament can make a man more difficult to extricate himself than a beautiful face.
Jiang Rui didn't refute any more, she just said casually: "The noble concubine said yes, just ask the concubine to restrain her own people, don't talk nonsense, otherwise, if someone gets angry, I can't stop it."
Although in the eyes of some people, she and Lu Xingzhou already had an established relationship, but Jiang Rui knew very well in her heart that Lu Xingzhou hadn't even thought in that direction. If someone said some gossip and heard him, maybe he would not be shocked. Annoyed and shot.
What she said was to remind Concubine Xiao, but it became a threat in the ears of the other party.
Concubine Xiao sneered: "The maiden is so majestic, and now you are leaning against a big tree to enjoy the shade, who dares to gossip? I'm afraid I won't come to Chang'an Palace in the future."
After she finished speaking, she didn't say quitting, got up and left.
Outside the palace, Lu Xingzhou was in his private house, and in front of him was a whole box of rings and bracelets, all kinds of materials, including rubies, emeralds, opals, pearls, agate, and tourmalines, each of which was more beautiful than the other.
Seeing that he stared at him for a long time without making a sound, Sanqi couldn't help but ask: "Master, is this going to be given to the Empress Dowager?"
Lu Xingzhou nodded slightly, still looking at the brocade box.
"Would you like a little one to run for the Governor?" Sanqi took the initiative to ask Ying.
"No need." Lu Xingzhou clicked on the table and said, "Go buy another box, these are too old."
Sanqi laughed and said boldly: "You don't know, some jewelry is more valuable with age. A few days ago, Erba gave the hairpin left to him by his mother to the palace maid who was eating, and people were moved to tears. These are all intentions. The director has a heart for the niece. Even if the niece doesn’t say it, she will definitely know it. I dare to say something, these days, the niece may not have no intention of the director, but the niece is reserved when she sees it. Courtesy, I never showed it."
He said to himself, he didn't notice the look of his master who was puzzled and then shocked.