Yun Xiu's tone was gentle, but there was a hint of sarcasm in her eyes.
The faces of the concubines below all changed. These words aroused the fear they were most familiar with. Concubine Yi had never been a good-tempered person. The Yikun Palace had been peaceful for a long time, and they had really forgotten that this lord was arrogant and ruthless because of his favor!
What political affairs, what hens crowing at dawn... Concubine Yi is implying that the harem should not interfere in government affairs, and is mocking them for being too nosy.
Some people's faces turned pale and blue. If they dared to look for the emperor, why would they appear here? It was undoubtedly putting their faces on the ground.
Even though Rong Fei had a great temperament and self-restraint, her friendly smile faded. Her expression changed in just a moment, and she quickly returned to normal. Her whole body was soaked with Buddhist incense, and her words were filled with the smell of a calm mind. She stood up and bowed with regret: "Your Majesty, it is my fault! I just overstepped the boundaries."
Listen carefully, there is sincerity in his words. For a moment, you can hear the breathing of a pin drop in the main hall.
Rong Fei is one of the most senior concubines in the palace. She was very favored for a period of time in her early years. She is also the mother of the Third Prince and Princess Rongxian. Even if she has no friendship with the Emperor, she still has the affection of their companionship for many years. She has never made a wrong step over the years, and her foundation is not comparable to theirs.
Compared with Concubine Hui, they still remember that the relationship between Concubine Yi and Concubine Rong was far from tense. When Emperor Kangxi returned from his southern tour in the 23rd year of his reign, the two ladies invited each other to enjoy the flowers and had a great time talking. Even if they had different thoughts in their hearts, they always looked tolerable on the surface.
Why is it that even now, Concubine Yi doesn't give him any face at all
But I was a little concerned about the emperor's personal expedition. How did it come to this
Someone immediately glanced at Concubine Rong and started to back out. Before they could take any action, Concubine Yi's reply made them even more terrified.
Yun Xiu just smiled and said lightly, "Since you have crossed the line, should you be punished?"
It had been a long time since Rong Fei encountered such an aggressive scene.
Even the most obtuse person could notice Yun Xiu's unusual attitude, as if whatever she said was wrong and no one took her words seriously.
It reminded her of the time more than ten years ago when she was a concubine and was slaughtered by others, and the slight resentment of being named the last of the four concubines. Rong Fei clenched her handkerchief tightly and breathed heavily.
There was no reason for Concubine Yi to suddenly target her, and now there was only one explanation.
Could it be that Guo Luoluo had noticed her arrangement
As her mind raced, Concubine Rong lowered her eyes and whispered, "I wonder how Your Majesty wants to punish me..."
Yun Xiu looked at her and involuntarily recalled the scene in his dream where the new emperor ascended the throne and those young concubines were very attentive to Concubine De, who was promoted to empress dowager.
The Yonghe Palace was bustling with activity, while the Yikun Palace was filled with the sound of falling leaves.
After the late emperor passed away, she became ill. She was seriously ill, with a high fever and delirium. Apart from the imperial physicians who were invited and the worried Xiao Wu and Xiao Jiu, everyone else in the palace wanted to stay away from her.
Only Zhong Cuigong sent someone to visit her and brought some top-quality medicinal herbs, which was rare at a time when everyone was avoiding suspicion. She kept it all in mind.
It was also the dream given to her by God that predicted the future that made her never doubt Rong Fei's actions, and she lived with her peacefully and kindly over the years.
But she was wrong after all. Gratitude is gratitude, hatred is hatred, the future has changed a lot, how can she expect people to remain unchanged and follow the path of dreams.
—Many years ago, she was not yet Imperial Concubine Yi, and the Emperor ordered three concubines to assist in managing the harem. She still remembered the sharp and mean remarks made by Concubine Rong and Concubine Hui when they were fighting for power. She must have pretended that half of them were just to paralyze others and make it easier to plant nails.
Coming back to her senses, Yunxiu sneered inwardly, perhaps she had never seen Rong Fei clearly.
"I'm a little grumpy after waking up. I was just joking just now. Don't take it to heart, Sister Rongfei." She smiled with her lips curved and said lazily, "... Look at me, I'm tired again."
As he said this, he left Rong Fei aside and repeated, "I don't care about government affairs. I'm looking for the emperor. You can leave now."
Concubine Yi has said so, if you stay and don't leave, you will be ungrateful. The concubines below forced a smile and said yes. After leaving the palace, they hurriedly looked at Concubine Rong who was leading them. At this time, she was standing at the corner. Her face was no longer comfortable and gentle. Her eyes were drooping, and she looked a little cold.
Concubine Xi originally wanted to gloat over other people's misfortune, but as she watched, she shuddered suddenly.
"Sister Rongfei, in the Qianqing Palace..." she asked hesitantly.
After a while, Rong Fei walked out of the shadows around the corner and smiled, "I was a little impulsive today. What the Imperial Concubine Yi said is true. As concubines, how can we interfere in government affairs? The Emperor's personal expedition must be a foregone conclusion... It's better to return to the palace."
******
With the Yikun Palace delegation, Rong Fei realized that the situation was out of control. Because of the network of relationships she had secretly cultivated over the years, her heart beat a little faster, but it was far from being uneasy.
After all, the confidence is there.
After returning to the palace, she asked softly, "How is Huipin's place?"
After much thought, the only major flaw was the scent that caused Huipin to go crazy and agitated. The remaining incense was disposed of, but what if the residue from the previous use was still there
Although many months had passed and the possibility of any residue left behind was extremely small, one must be extremely cautious when doing things, and it was unknown whether the chess piece planted in the Yanxi Palace had been fully thought out.
"Please wait a moment, Your Majesty. I will go to the small door to check." The personal maid bowed quickly.
They had their own way of delivering messages, and their whereabouts were secretive and difficult to detect. Half an hour later, the personal maid came to report, but her face was a little pale.
Facing Rong Fei's inquiring gaze, she said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, I can't get in touch with the people in Yanxi Palace!"
…
Bad news came one after another, not only the Yanxi Palace, Chuxiu Palace, Xianfu Palace... those chess pieces seemed to have lost their trace.
The connection with the chess piece was cut off without a trace, without any sign of it. Even though Rong Fei was extremely calm and calculated, she couldn't help but panic for a moment.
She didn't notice the commotion at all, and Rong Fei couldn't sit still. She immediately sent someone to investigate, and heard that Liang Da Zongguan had been ordered to clean up the inner palace to prevent the assassination of the eleventh prince from happening again.
The old story of the assassination of the eleventh prince.
Rong Fei just thought it was ridiculous: "It's been a long time since the past, why are we just starting to clean up now? Didn't the Ministry of Internal Affairs have already sorted it out?"
“My lord, it was Concubine Wen who proposed this idea. She said that this might alert the enemy and we should wait for a while before… then…” The person who reported back hesitated and kept silent with his head down.
Rong Fei was startled and her face suddenly darkened.
How did Concubine Wen have such a keen sense of smell to catch all her people? !
It is not easy to train these chess pieces for many years. Rong Fei's breathing was disordered for a moment, and her heart was bleeding. If she still couldn't see such an obvious calculation, then she would be a fool among fools.
Soon, Rong Fei overturned this idea—
The action of cleaning up the inner palace seemed not just aimed at her.
Not only the Zhongcui Palace, but all the other palaces were in chaos. The concubines who had something to hide were in a state of panic all day long. Rong Fei was very familiar with that expression, which was very similar to her own a few days ago!
"Madam Rong Fei, I am sorry to bother you." When Liang Jiugong came to the door with a smile to apologize, he took away a eunuch who was sweeping the courtyard and a palace servant who was working in the storeroom.
She asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to repair it. Although Rong Fei appeared gentle and showed no flaws, she was actually sweating profusely on her back.
There is another master to whom these two people are loyal, and she deliberately left them there to confuse the public.
Looking at the six palaces, she was not the only one who suffered, so what about Guo Luoluo
The next day, Yunxiu went to pay respects at Cining Palace. The corners of her mouth drooped slightly, and she stroked her sleeves intermittently, looking a little uneasy. Concubine Wen leaned over and said something to her. She frowned slightly and smiled a little reluctantly. Concubine Rong observed her for a long time with her peripheral vision, and her mood gradually calmed down. She slowly lowered her eyelids, and her heart was filled with haze.
Every time she thought about it, she still felt extremely sad. Pulling out these chess pieces almost made her lose her composure, which was no different from cutting off her arms or covering her eyes.
Rong Fei clenched her palms tightly, knowing that she would no longer be able to make plans with ease in the future.
Eleventh Prince!
What is going on
Her eyes were dark, as bottomless as the abyss. The third prince Yinzhi, who came to Zhongcui Palace to pay his respects, called out worriedly, "Mother? Did you not sleep well last night?"
Rong Fei suddenly came back to her senses, rubbed her temples, and regained her kind smile. She said, "Mother is fine. She was just distracted by your father's personal expedition."
Yinzhi was now fourteen years old. Although he was fascinated by literature and loved reading, all princes of this age yearned for fighting on the battlefield and conquering all over the world.
But the Emperor didn't seem to have any intention of taking him with him.
If you can achieve military merit...
Speaking of his elder brother and the emperor's father, who were about to live together day and night and fight side by side, Yinzhi could not hide his envy, and there was also a little reluctance. He took a deep breath and said, "Mother, it would be great if I were two years older."
Rong Fei closed her eyes and gently stroked her son's braid. After a long while, she looked deep in her eyes and said, "What good is there in fighting in the battlefield? It only makes mother worried. If he can get a position in the logistics department, my son's contribution will not be less than that of the eldest prince."
Didn't she know that her Yinzhi was good at literature but not at martial arts, and was too young to do anything brave and courageous like charging into the front
Hearing this, the Third Prince's eyes lit up, "Mother, are you serious? But..."
"In the past, Emperor Shunzhi ascended the throne at the age of six, and the emperor took the throne at the age of eight. You are now of the right age to get married, so why can't you go?" Rong Fei said softly, "With mother and sister Rongxian here, how can we not make plans for you? Just wait for good news."
******
After the uproarious changes in the inner palace came to an end, the emperor finally decided to lead the army in person. Just as announced in the morning court, the crown prince was left as regent, and the eldest prince followed the army. Perhaps because the princes were too young, the emperor only asked them to study hard and did not arrange any expeditions.
When the Fifth Prince brought his companion Fulu to pay his respects and carefully put forward the latter's request, Yunxiu put down the teacup and almost choked on the water: "Nonsense."
At the age of twelve, Fulu was much taller than his peers. He had bright eyes and a sharp youthful spirit. When he smiled, two small pointed canine teeth were exposed. His cheeks were slightly sunken, like dimples but not really, which made him even more charming.
"Aunt," he blinked, looking pitiful, "I'm not a child anymore, please ask uncle for mercy."
This expression was exactly the same as when he was a child. Yun Xiu's heart softened immediately, and she couldn't help but recall the little ball with a melon-shaped hat and an extremely sweet mouth.
Even though she was soft-hearted, she still said with a straight face: "Swords and knives are blind on the battlefield. You may never come back. Do you want to piss off your father and mother to death?"
"Isn't my father also with the army, aunt?" Fulu continued blinking, "With him protecting me, my nephew has nothing to fear."
Yinqi looked around and muttered to himself, "Don't you need to be afraid? You are like a mouse seeing a cat when you see Uncle Tuyue. If he knew, he would definitely break both of your legs."
Fulu looked eager to try, and Yunxiu became worried as she watched him. She was only twelve years old, and even though he had great martial arts skills, she was really worried about him, yet she couldn't bear to disappoint him.
On second thought, her nephew was very clever, and he might turn the barracks upside down and cause headaches for the commander. That would be fine, but if he got injured, if something unexpected happened...
A mother worries about her son even when he is away from home. As for the aunt, she felt the same way. After convincing herself in a few breaths, Yun Xiu turned cold and drove the two out: "Fulu, you are making trouble. Don't mention this matter anymore. I will never agree to it."
Fulu walked away dejectedly. Seeing that he looked distracted, Yinqi patted his shoulder without any surprise and sighed, "I've already told you that mother will definitely not agree. This is not a question of whether you are strong or not. You are only twelve, and no one can trust you."
Fulu said quietly, "Cousin, aren't you also twelve? I am very confident in you."
Yinqi: You little brat, how can you talk like that
However, the childhood competition - Fulu lifting a large stone, and the repeated crushing in the horse riding and archery classes, cast an incomparable shadow on the Fifth Prince. Over the years, he never dared to put on the airs of a royal prince, fearing that his cousin would slap him on the head, so he could only mutter a few words in his heart and rack his brains to comfort him:
"I don't have to go to war. Isn't this for your own good? Didn't Mencius say, 'When Heaven is about to give a man a great responsibility... He must first make him work hard and deprive him of his wealth'? Age is a test for you! When you are a few years older, the Emperor will be the first one to send you to the army..."
Fulu's head was buzzing. He intuitively felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't hear what was wrong.
Is this how Mencius' words are used
Hearing the words "Emperor Father", Fulu was stunned, then he clapped his hands, his eyebrows flying and said: "Got it!"
The Fifth Prince stopped trying to comfort her, confused: "What?"
Fulu smiled and said, "Cousin, follow me to the Qianqing Palace to meet my uncle."
*******
There is a little secret hidden in the study.
The third prince Yinzhi liked books of sages, but he was somewhat indifferent to Fulu, the fifth prince's study companion and the nephew of Concubine Yi. The two were of close age but disliked each other.
One was good at literary criticism, the other was good at riding and shooting, originally they had nothing to do with each other. Once when the emperor was inspecting, little Fulu sweetly called him "uncle", and Kangxi rubbed his head lovingly, which was clearly heard by the third prince beside him.
While no one was paying attention, the Third Prince pulled Fulu aside and asked unhappily, "Yi'er Niang is not the Emperor's legitimate wife, how can you call the Emperor your uncle?"
Fulu didn't think there was anything wrong with this title: "Then what should I call my uncle?"
"You should abide by the etiquette, call yourself a servant, and call him the emperor or Your Highness." The Third Prince stared at him and said, "As for Yi'e Niang, you can't call her aunt, but call her Empress. And Fifth Brother, you call me cousin all the time, what's the point of... "
Fulu didn't listen to him, but interrupted quietly, "That's a wrong idea. The emperor tacitly allowed me to call it that."
The Third Prince was furious, and when he saw that he did not repent and still called him aunt and uncle, he became even more unhappy. When the eldest prince and the crown prince successively came to the court to discuss politics, within three years, no one could steal the limelight from Fulu in the riding and archery class, including the oldest Third Prince, and the two had a grudge since then.
Fulu was strong behind the scenes, and the Third Prince could not do anything to him. He felt ashamed and kept his anger to himself, not telling anyone. Rong Fei and Princess Rongxian did not know. It was just a conflict between children, and it was not very glorious to mention it.
However, when the night was quiet, the Third Prince occasionally had a reluctant thought that the Emperor's kindness towards Fulu was genuine.
He is not as good as his elder brother.
He is not even as good as his second brother. If he continues like this, he won't even be able to compare to a person from another family!
…
In fact, these were all things that happened a long time ago. Fulu knew clearly in his heart that the Third Prince disliked him very much, so could he be grateful and thank him for his kindness
He always talked about etiquette and lectured him in a high-sounding manner, but his eyes made people disrespect him.
No matter how big the rules are, can they be bigger than the emperor? This person is so pedantic!
He hurriedly dragged the Fifth Prince to the Qianqing Palace. The person waiting in front of him had a very familiar head. A word suddenly flashed through Fulu's mind: Enemies often meet on a narrow road.
"Eunuch Liang, what is this?"
"Oh, Master Fulu, I'm honored to meet the Fifth Prince and Master Fulu." After hearing the eunuch's report, Liang Jiugong came out cheerfully, "Well, the Emperor has an important matter to summon the Third Prince, and you two have come at the right time... The Emperor said that you and the Fifth Prince will come together to see the Emperor."
Fulu raised his eyebrows and glanced at the slightly changed Third Prince, smiling sweetly with dimples faintly visible on his cheeks: "Thank you, eunuch. It took you a lot of effort to pass on the message."
Liang Jiugong was very pleased and smiled like a flower, and said hurriedly: "No, no, please."
The imperial study is filled with a faint scent of ambergris, which makes people feel calm just by smelling it.
Kangxi closed the memorial and saw the three boys standing in a row, straight as poplars, and he felt instantly relieved.
"Yinzhi." The emperor first pointed out the name of the third prince and said gently, "Your mother told me that Rongxian and the prince of the Balin tribe are a good match in age, but she has not seen him in person, so she is a little worried. This time the army will go through the south of the desert and will be stationed for a while. Why not take a look for your sister? If nothing unexpected happens, he will be your future brother-in-law."
Does this mean that he should join the army
As his wish came true, the Third Prince suppressed his excitement and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Father!"
The Fifth Prince widened his eyes slightly. Third brother is going too
Fulu stared at Yinzhi's back, feeling a surge of jealousy in his heart that he couldn't stop. He took a step forward, clasped his hands and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I will also go to the battlefield to kill the enemy."
To show his determination, he stopped even calling him uncle.
"Nonsense." Kangxi frowned and scolded subconsciously, but his tone was neither light nor heavy, "How old are you? Don't make your aunt worry."
"Since ancient times, talented people have emerged from youth. Third prince can be called a talented person. I admire him very much." Fulu looked around secretly and thought with disgust, wouldn't it be a joke for a man with skinny arms and legs to go into battle and kill the enemy
Who would rush to make a fool of themselves
He said righteously, "Your Majesty, the Third Prince is weak as a chicken, but he is as loyal to the emperor and patriotic as anyone. He is not afraid of swords and knives, so am I afraid of them?!"