Empress Zhou was the city where the rebel army entered when the new dynasty was established more than a year ago.
At that time, her heart was still closed, and her whole mind was tied to Lu Zhao alone, not to mention the capital, and she seldom went to other parts of the palace.
Now that the eldest son has been retrieved, the younger son has also gone to the Wenhua Hall for class, and he can let go. At this time, Queen Zhou suddenly remembered that she hadn't come out to take a look for a long time.
Emperor Zhengyuan arranged a bodyguard for her, and specially transferred Qian Sansi to Queen Zhou for a day.
After leaving the palace, Queen Zhou changed into an ordinary soft sedan chair, Qian Sansi inquired about Shiweitian's direction, and the group went to Taibai Street.
At the interface where the carriage and sedan chairs were parked, Queen Zhou came down and asked Qian Sansi, "Shouldn't we go to the British government? Why did we come here?"
Qian Sansi said: "The servant's apprentice is now following His Royal Highness King Lie. I heard from His Highness that the general's wife is not in the mansion, but in the restaurant. If the empress goes to the mansion, she has to ask the general's wife to rush back immediately."
This is where Qian Sansi is right. Queen Zhou specially came out to find Gu Yin and asks Gu Ye's preferences. With her status as a queen, of course, she can go directly to the British government, drink tea and eat snacks, and wait for Gu Yin to return home. But that would be too high.
Qian Sansi saw it, so he took Queen Zhou to Shiweitian's side.
Queen Zhou nodded and said that it should be like this.
The two were talking, and the guards hid. Empress Zhou only had two palace maids by her side, who looked like ordinary female guests.
The famous style of the former dynasty was open, and the new dynasty was even more so. The women on the street were only 20 to 30% less than the men.
But when they were near Shiweitian, there were more female guests.
Many people still knew each other and went in hand in hand while chatting at the door.
Empress Zhou followed behind them and saw that they went up the stairs directly after entering the restaurant, and she followed them up.
At the junction of the second and third floors, Qian Sansi was stopped.
The maid's attitude was very polite and said: "This guest officer, the elegant house on the third floor only serves female guests, please stay."
Qian Sansi looked at Empress Zhou inquiringly, and Empress Zhou said, "Is it an elegant house that only serves female guests? This is a bit new."
Qian Sansi said knowingly: "Then the old slave will not follow the madam. If the madam needs it, she can call the old servant at any time."
Queen Zhou nodded and went all the way to the third floor, where she had her own maid to tie the curtains for her.
After bypassing the big screen, the decorations and furnishings in front of her eyes brightened her eyes.
The light-colored fabric sofa, the small table, and even a small vase and a small plate with ingenuity are all refreshing.
Queen Zhou chose a small table for one person and sat down. Seeing her, Ge Zhuer guessed that she was here for the first time, so she brought the menu in person.
Like many female guests who came to Light Food Ya She for the first time, Queen Zhou didn't know how to order the names of these unfamiliar desserts for a while.
She didn't know that these things were unique to food, and she thought she was ignorant and rather cramped.
Ge Zhuer explained softly: "As soon as Madam comes back, I will introduce myself. Most of the desserts on this menu are made by our owner, and they are not sold in other places. Many guests don't come back for the first time. You know how to order it. Look at this creme brulee, made with sugar and eggs, and it's tender and sweet…”
Ge Zhuer's gentle temperament made people feel like a spring breeze, and Queen Zhou quickly eased from the embarrassment.
"Then get a copy of everything you said." Queen Zhou said with a smile.
Ge Zhuer responded and called the waiter to place the order first, and then explained: "The rest is easy to say, I and the chef in the store can make it, this is the creme brulee, which was newly researched by the owner, and it is very good for the heat. The requirements are very strict, and now only our owner can do it in the store, so please wait a moment."
Queen Zhou nodded understandingly and asked again: "I listen to you, it seems that these desserts were researched by your owner, and then taught you how to make them?"
Ge Zhuer smiled and nodded, "That's it."
Not long after that, Ge Zhuer and the waiter brought up some desserts ordered by Queen Zhou.
It was all introduced by Ge Zhuer. Although there are many varieties, the quantity of each serving is not large. The total amount is just enough for an adult woman to eat. There is no such thing as randomly recommending slaughter people because they are new customers.
This naturally made Queen Zhou's perception of Yashe to a higher level.
Queen Zhou tried the desserts one by one, and they all tasted really good.
There was a sudden burst of laughter next to the adjacent table, lively but not noisy.
Empress Zhou looked at the prestige and saw several young women sitting in one place, holding some pieces of hot silver paper in her hands that she had never seen before. He cupped his hands and begged for mercy with the other women, saying he would admit defeat.
They are not much younger than Queen Zhou, but all of them are in high spirits and very lively. Empress Zhou couldn't help bending her lips when she saw it, and took a second look.
There are a lot of small board games in Shiweitian, but it is still the most popular card game that has endured for a long time. Although the female guests used chips, they did not gamble. The ones who lost the most had to pay the bill and put a note on their face.
Seeing that Queen Zhou came here alone, Madam Lu, who had lost the most, invited her to come and play together.
Empress Zhou waved her hands again and again and said that she would not.
Mrs. Lu said: "This is very simple, it's called fried golden flower, I'll tell you once."
Queen Zhou is not a playful person, but she can't help but listen carefully.
After Mrs. Lu finished speaking, she invited Queen Zhou to take a look. If she was really not interested, they naturally wouldn't force her.
Because the two sides are close together, when the table is put together, everyone can play in one place.
Queen Zhou heard Mrs. Lu explain how to play, and after two more rounds, she already knew how to do it.
Before she left the field, Mrs. Lu said to others, "This lady is a novice. Don't bully others. If she loses, she will be credited to me."
The female guests who often stay in the Yashe are all short of money, and it doesn't matter who pays the bill, but this is a sticker on the face, but it is not allowed to take it off before leaving!
The other person smiled and said: "How does Mrs. Lu keep the accounts? There is no room for you on your face!"
When the others heard it, they couldn't help but burst into laughter, and Queen Zhou also chuckled and said, "No, if I lose, just stick with me."
Mrs. Lu whispered: "You can be careful, these people are cunning! I can't protect myself, and I can't stick my face."
Although it was a petty complaint, it used a voice that everyone could hear, which made everyone laugh for a while.
Although Empress Zhou played it for the first time, the game of "Breaking Golden Flowers" was more like a psychological battle than a lucky game.
One of her strengths is that no matter what card she gets, her face will not change.
Moreover, everyone is not familiar with her, and they can't understand her character. They just look at her face and think she is a real person, but they didn't expect that she would dare to "steal chicken" with a few loose plates!
After a few rounds, Queen Zhou had more and more chips in front of her, while other people had more or less notes on their faces.
Mrs. Lu couldn't laugh, saying that no one should laugh at anyone now.
In the gap between playing cards, everyone must have a chat.
Although the conversations are all about trivial matters, such as whose concubine has been shaking recently, or whose children have been naughty these days, whose mother-in-law is in trouble again...
Queen Zhou didn't say anything about her family, she just listened quietly.
Listening and listening, she couldn't help but think of some old things.
The period when Emperor Zhengyuan accepted Feng Guifei was the worst time for their relationship as husband and wife.
After she was diagnosed with a second pregnancy, she immediately turned away Emperor Zhengyuan, who was still the King of Righteousness at the time. She was about to tell Emperor Zheng Yuan directly that she was still close to him at that time, just to have another child.
Emperor Zhengyuan was not a fool, so he was quite depressed.
At that time, the Rebel Army was already winning, and many people with active hearts took this opportunity and wanted to send their girls to Emperor Zhengyuan.
Emperor Zhengyuan came to ask her and said that if she refused, he would reject those people.
It was she who didn't take it seriously and asked him to accept whoever he liked, and that's why the later Concubine Feng was born.
Feng Guifei was pregnant two months later than her, and there were two more princes of the same age in the palace.
In fact, thinking about it now, it's not all smooth sailing for everyone, and there are more or less troubles.
But these women in front of them, they complained and complained, but they did not lose their will, and they had a sense of freedom and ease that they did not take pleasure in things or grieve for themselves.
As Mrs. Lu said: "Well, how are you living these days? Happiness is one day, sorrow is one day, and sorrow is one day. It only happens once in a lifetime. It’s already difficult, and if you don’t know how to take care of yourself, it’s really no way to survive!”
Queen Zhou was very inspired. Fortunately, the eldest son was back. After her mood changed, she thought about the past, but she felt unfamiliar, as if it happened to someone else, and didn't feel annoyed.
After Gu Yin finished her work and made the caramel patch, Queen Zhou had already played with Mrs. Lu and the others for almost two quarters of an hour.
When she came over to see her, Gu Yin couldn't help being surprised: "Huang... Mrs. Huang, why are you here?"
Empress Zhou also laughed, "I have something to look for you. Qian Sansi heard from Alie that you are usually here. I really did not come here wrong."
Speaking of Queen Zhou, she was also a little embarrassed. She really had something to do, but she had just had so much fun that she almost forgot about her business.
Knowing that she was here to look for Gu Yin, Mrs. Lu and the others moved their table with discernment, and returned to the seat next to them, no longer disturbing them.
Empress Zhou pointed to the position in front of her and invited Gu Yin to sit down.
"Is this the pudding that lady said?" Queen Zhou picked up the silver spoon, tasted it, and nodded again, "She recommended it well, it is really fragrant and smooth."
When she was talking, Gu Yin was also looking at her quietly.
Empress Zhou wore a lilac-colored brocade-colored robe today, unlike the solemn makeup she wore in the former palace, only lightly covered with powder. The hair was not in a high bun, but a simple woman's bun. Although he was not as young as when he was dressed up solemnly, and showed some years of age, he looked a lot more approachable.
Of course, the biggest change is that Queen Zhou's spirit is completely different, and it is not an exaggeration to say that they are completely different. People don't have to get along with her as carefully as before.
After tasting the pudding, Queen Zhou said frankly and honestly: "I came to ask Mrs. Ali's preferences. Next month is his birthday. I want to do something for this child and give him a surprise."
It was for this reason, Gu Yin smiled and said, "I don't dare to ask you for advice. His Royal Highness King Lie doesn't seem to have any special hobbies. One is that he likes stewing elbows, and the other is that he made a wish when he was younger. , I want to be a hero in white..."
There is also a small story in both of them. First, Gu Ye was alert and clever like a wild cat at that time. Gu Yin and Wang Shi only relied on a bowl of stewed elbows to catch him. The second is even more interesting, just because of that little wish, Gu Ye "abducted" Song Shiliu home.
Gu Yin thought that Empress Zhou would definitely be interested in Gu Ye's past affairs, so before she could ask any further questions, Gu Yin explained both things.
Sure enough, Empress Zhou was engrossed and listened very seriously.
Gu Ye returned to the palace after the new year. For nearly two months, from his mouth, Queen Zhou already knew a lot about the past.
But the child's memory is limited, and his narration is not as interesting as Gu Yin.
Queen Zhou wanted to have a good chat with Gu Yin for a long time, but as a mother, she put herself in Gu Yin's shoes and thought about it. If she adopted a child herself, she would take care of her like a parent for several years, and finally the child was recognized by her family. , became someone else's child, I was afraid that even if the other party was a royal family, being a mother would be somewhat unhappy in my heart.
Therefore, although Queen Zhou had the intention to show goodwill to the British government before, she only sent some things to her from time to time, and there was no other special action.
But Gu Yin was frank, not at all unhappy, making Queen Zhou feel that she was thinking too narrowly.
"I was still thinking in front of me, how can there be such a clever little brat? I found out later..." Gu Yin smiled and said in a low voice: "So he is the child of you and His Majesty, so he is naturally a dragon and a phoenix among people, different from ordinary children. Yes. Like the fried golden flower you played with Madam Lu just now, His Royal Highness King Lie played better than anyone else."
Queen Zhou couldn't help laughing when she heard this, "You brought him up well."
Now Gu Ye is smart and sensible, and he is not domineering and invincible just because he is better than others or his status is nobler than others, but he warms everyone around him with a pure heart.
Ask yourself, even if the eldest son is not lost, Queen Zhou does not think that he can be raised better than now.
A family that can raise such a child is naturally a good family that teaches by precept and example.
Gu Yin couldn't help laughing, "I said that you were born well, and you said that I taught you well. This can't be heard by His Royal Highness King Lie. His Highness is good, but I can't help but boast, knowing that we praise him like this behind our backs. , the tail should be lifted to the sky."
Empress Zhou also laughed, looking at her with her eyes while laughing: "Then this is not up to me, don't be..."
Queen Zhou took the initiative to make a joke, and Gu Yin naturally had to follow up. She pretended to be serious and said, "But I didn't teach it, you can't do this. The good ones follow you, and the bad ones are taught by me."
After talking, Gu Yin couldn't hold it anymore, and smiled again: "There's one thing, I'm not good at teaching."
Empress Zhou looked at her inquiringly, Gu Yin lowered her voice, like a secret, "His Royal Highness is a money fan like me and likes to make money."
Empress Zhou couldn't help but laugh, "Silver is a good thing. We are all ordinary people. We all came from poverty in the past. How can we not need money for food, clothing, housing and transportation? I also like it."
The distance between the two suddenly narrowed a lot.
Both of them were born as peasant girls. At first, they were talking about Gu Ye, and then they talked about things in the village.
Before you know it, a long time has passed.
Gu Yin had eaten the best bird's nest sent by Queen Zhou before, and she wanted to return the gift. It was obviously not enough to chat with her. She also invited Queen Zhou to the massage department downstairs.
Afraid that Queen Zhou would feel uncomfortable for the first time, Gu Yin personally accompanied them. The two washed their hair and massaged together, and then consulted each other, so that the maid who had learned the fashionable makeup of the capital gave them a beautiful makeup again.
In the evening, it was time for Queen Zhou to return to the palace. Now she finally knows why there are so many female guests in this restaurant. It is really comfortable here!
The decoration and decoration are the second most important, the main thing is that the food here is delicious and the service is in place, and from Gu Yin's owner, to the shopkeeper, the waiter, the maid of the massage department, and even the permanent guests like Mrs. Lu, They are all very friendly, giving the overall atmosphere here a rare harmony and relaxation.
"It's a pity that you didn't come here by coincidence. Tickets for the drama on the fifth floor are all sold out today, and there is no room for extra seats." Gu Yin personally sent Queen Zhou out, "I'm really sorry for the poor reception."
Queen Zhou said no, she was the most comfortable this afternoon.
Knowing that Queen Zhou had to go back to take care of Lu Zhao, Gu Yin did not delay her work any longer, so she sent her to the intersection.
Qian Sansi handed over, and then went back to the palace with the group.
When returning to the palace to transfer to the sedan chair, Queen Zhou also politely thanked Qian Sansi, saying that I would have bothered him to run after him and waited downstairs for so long.
Qian Sansi didn't actually feel bothered. Although he did wait for a long time, he didn't want to wait.
Gu Yin saw Queen Zhou coming, and when she asked, she learned that Qian Sansi had come with her.
The day before, Gu Ye had mentioned that he wanted a cook who was good at cooking Huaiyang dishes. Today, he just happened to be recruiting a cook from Huaiyang.
Gu Yin asked shopkeeper Zhou to pass the word, and shopkeeper Zhou introduced the cook to Qian Sansi.
Shopkeeper Zhou was also doing things properly. He didn’t mention that the cook was thinking about Qian Sansi specially, but he just said that a new cook was hired in the store.
When the authentic Huaiyang dishes were delivered to the table, Qian Sansi had tasted the taste of his hometown, and he understood—
A restaurant like Shiweitian can't taste the depth of a chef
And it happened to be the flavor of his hometown, so it is unlikely to be a coincidence.
If he knows his hometown, knows that he misses the flavor of his hometown, and has a connection with Shiweitian, then Gu Ye is naturally the only one.
Qian Sansi stood in the front line because Concubine Feng of Yonghe Palace was too deceiving and did not take eunuchs like them in the eyes.
In comparison, Gu Ye, who is polite to everyone, is more worthy of assistance and trust.
But if you want to talk about true feelings, it must be out of reach. Gu Ye was recognized back in the palace, and that was what happened last month.
But this time, it touched Qian Sansi quite a bit.
Later, the shopkeeper Zhou also asked Qian Sansi if he wanted to take the cook away. Anyway, the cook was just looking for an errand. It made no difference whether he worked at Shiweitian or Qian Sansi's house.
Qian Sansi said no, "This chef is very skilled. Going to my house and cooking for me alone is overkill. Just let him stay here, and I can come over whenever I have time."
Gu Ye has already made a good gesture to him, so he should also get off the donkey along the slope, so that he can get closer and closer to each other every now and then!
Therefore, after Empress Zhou finished speaking, Qian Sansi respectfully said "don't dare", and said, "This is an errand assigned by Your Majesty to the servants, how can the servants dare to work hard? Not only does the mother like it there, but the servant also likes it very much. dishes."
After a pause, Qian Sansi said again: "So this is not a hard job, but a beautiful job! The next time Niangniang goes, you have to remember the old slave."
"Will you go next time?" Empress Zhou stopped, thinking thoughtfully, "Will it be inconvenient for the identity of this palace?"
"How can you do that? Although Niangniang has a high status, but the front..." Qian Sansi looked around, making everyone back away, and then lowered his voice again: "The majesty in front of you still goes out of the palace every now and then to visit His Royal Highness King Lie. There is also the Empress Dowager, who has also gone out to the palace a few times to go to the theatre. Besides, His Royal Highness King Lie is the most pure and filial person, the Empress and the General’s wife are good friends, His Highness must be very happy.”
Queen Zhou recalled seeing Gu Ye in the palace a year later. It was the first time their mother and son met, but Gu Ye was no stranger to Emperor Zhengyuan and the Queen Mother. It must have been seen outside the palace.
And Qian Sansi was right, the eldest son would definitely be happy to see that kind of situation. In the past, it was the eldest son who put himself in her shoes and worked hard for his younger brother. As a mother, she should have done something to make him happy.
Thinking of the cozy atmosphere of Qingshi Yashe again, Queen Zhou couldn't help bending her lips again, "Bengong knows."
…
Later, Gu Yin and Gu Ye went back to the British government.
When they met, Gu Ye asked, "I heard that the Empress has left the palace today, is she coming to our house?"
Gu Yin said in surprise: "You are well informed."
Queen Zhou said that she came here because she wanted to surprise Gu Ye, so she would definitely not tell him.
"It's not that I'm well-informed. I sent Lu Zhao back after school first. I didn't see her until I asked the palace servants to find out that she was out of the palace." Gu Ye analyzed while drinking tea: "The Empress is in the capital again. No one else I know, who else can I go to other than ours? Could it be that I guessed wrong?"
This little brat's head is getting brighter and brighter. Gu Yin didn't want to lie to him, but she couldn't tell Empress Zhou's intentions, she just nodded and answered vaguely.
Gu Ye got his answer, and asked nervously: "Then... Then how are you getting along?"
"It's fine." Gu Yin gave him a suspicious look, "What are you worried about?"
Gu Ye scratched his head and blushed slightly, "I'm not worried that the two of you will pinch me for me."
Gu Yin couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Gu Ye's face turned even redder from her smile, "Why are you laughing! I am such a good child, but I have two mothers. Isn't it normal for you to be jealous because of me?"
Seeing that he was going to be annoyed by the laughter, Gu Yin held back her smile and said, "The lady is very kind, and it didn't happen as you expected. I think there must be a good child who handled it well in the front, so That's what happens."
Gu Ye raised his chin proudly, "That's for sure."
Although Queen Zhou is a biological mother and has a natural sense of closeness to him, Gu Ye's memory of the time before he went missing has been completely blurred. He does not blame his biological mother for losing him, but of course he is still with Gu who raised him. Yin is closer.
But he knew that if he showed that he only knew the foster mother and forgot her own mother, it would definitely make Queen Zhou uncomfortable, and Gu Yin might be blamed.
So in the past period, in front of Queen Zhou, Gu Ye would not talk about "my mother" as before.
He is also sincere in cultivating the mother-son relationship with Queen Zhou, just like Gu Yin taught him to exchange sincerity for sincerity, so he has the best of both worlds.
"But still my mother has the ability, good craftsmanship, good personality, and can get along well with anyone." Gu Ye turned on the sweet mouth mode as usual.
Gu Yin gave him a funny look, but she knew very well in her heart that what happened now had nothing to do with her ability.
But Queen Zhou came here with kindness from the very beginning.
Just like the first time the Queen Mother and the Wang family met in the palace, because the Queen Mother approached the Wang family with kindness, they were able to see each other as they were.
If people like Feng Guifei and Qin Shi were full of malice towards them before they knew each other, it would be impossible for them to get along with each other no matter how much they liked each other.
But one yardage is one yardage. Although Gu Ye was happy that they were getting along well, he was still a little disappointed.
Later, when he had used the morning meal and finished his homework, he washed up and rested in his room.
After tossing and turning on the bed for a long time, he got up and touched his mother's house.
Gu Yin was already lying down, and suddenly there was a small bulge in the bed next to her, and she was not surprised.
Gu Ye twisted his fingers, buried his head in Gu Yin's ear, and asked softly, "How can you not be unhappy at all? Am I not your baby boy? Like I know that one day in the future, mother will have other things. Child, I'm still not happy to love others as much as I do... I have an extra mother! Maybe one day I'll be closer to others than to you... "
He rambled on for a long time, Gu Yin was about to fall asleep, but after listening to his words, she laughed again.
"Then it's okay if I'm not happy? Do you have to pinch me and the Empress like a cockfight?"
"That's not what I meant, that is... Even my mother can be a little unhappy. A little bit, a little more is fine, but I'm afraid of causing trouble for you and our family."
Gu Yin stretched out his hand and stroked his chubby little back, "Okay, I won't tease you. I'm not unhappy, it's not because I don't treasure you. It's Xiaoye, you must know that everyone is a separate individual. You It's not my accessory, my possessions. To love someone is not to impose one's will on him, but to see him happy, to see him happy... It's like you recognize your biological parents, I see You came out happier than before. When I look at you like this, of course I am only happy for you…”
After some words, Gu Ye didn't respond. Gu Yin thought he was asleep, and she really felt sleepy, so she tucked the other small quilt next to him, then tucked him in the quilt and closed it again. Eye.
When Gu Yin fell asleep, Gu Ye raised his head with red eyes.
"How can mother be so good?" Gu Ye murmured in a nasal voice, and like a puppy, he rubbed her cheek affectionately.