Forbidden City, Yanxi Palace.
As early as the news of the emperor's serious illness came, the Empress Dowager took the initiative to pray for the emperor, exempted the palace ladies from the minor restrictions, and also lifted Huipin's house arrest.
The eldest prince was away fighting in the northwest, and Huipin was proud but also worried. Not long after, the emperor was diagnosed with malaria. It was said that there was no cure. Although the ban was lifted, she seemed to have suffered a great blow and rarely went out. She spent all day in the small Buddhist temple, looking at the niche, and she would cry from time to time.
There was more than one queen living in the Yanxi Palace. A maid, two concubines, and a court lady had resumed their morning and evening visits since Huipin was released from confinement. No matter what they thought, their eyes reddened when they saw her like this, and they flattered her, "I see how much the queen loves the emperor."
…
The incense was curling, Huipin's fingertips were wrapped in gauze, and her brows were full of coldness: "The letter was delivered without anyone noticing? Did that person say anything?"
"In reply to Her Majesty, I've handed it over." Ying'er said, with a trace of heartache in her eyes. This was a letter written in blood by Her Majesty at the risk of her life.
She racked her brains to think of words to comfort him, and whispered, "Lord Wanyan understands the queen. And the eldest prince has made great contributions, which is not much different from expanding the territory... They have their own calculations. They were able to turn to you and the eldest prince before, and they can do so now."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Hui nodded slightly, exhaled slowly, and her complexion improved a lot.
"Yinzhi has loved martial arts since he was young. His first expedition did not bring shame to the Aixinjueluo clan." She smiled rather reservedly, "It is right for him to be in charge of presenting the captives at the Meridian Gate."
Thinking of the emperor in Rehe, Huipin's eyes became dim again. Her nails dug deep into her flesh. If the prince ascended the throne, she and Yinzhi would not have a good life!
While the Crown Prince was away in Rehe and the army was about to return victorious, she could only muster up her last bit of strength and put all the remaining spies in the palace to give it a try. If she missed this opportunity, there would be no more.
Mingzhu is now holding an idle post in the army, and is 108,000 miles away from the capital. Even if he wants to contact them, he is powerless. In addition to warning the remaining members of the Ming Party with a blood letter, he also tried to win over the vanguard troops around Yinzhi...
Huipin's breathing became heavier. This needs to be done slowly.
The opposite of this is the Cao family.
Ever since the Crown Princess accepted the silver note of two hundred thousand taels, Li felt relieved. She walked out of the palace with lighter steps, as if the clouds had cleared and the sun was shining.
The Crown Prince loves the Crown Princess, and now she is the only one in the backyard. There is no need to worry about whether the Cao family can turn the current deadlock around!
After receiving the confirmation, Cao Yin smiled slightly and said to her, "Thank you for your hard work, Madam."
Many years ago, the couple lived in harmony, but now they can only say that they have to work hard. The smile froze in an instant, and Li's heart was sour and bitter, and she hated it so much that she hurt. She hated the imperial concubine for using such a vicious plan, and hated Wang, that bitch, for disturbing the peace of the family!
She stood there stiffly for a long while. Cao Yin seemed not to notice and whispered, "Send the cards more frequently recently... Don't neglect the Crown Princess."
Li's face changed slightly, as if he had returned to the past and was there in person, and slowly turned blue and white.
"Master..."
"With three palaces and six courtyards, there is no way there can be only one queen! Just do as I say."
"Her Royal Highness is kind and generous. Madam Cao has submitted three requests in five days, and Her Royal Highness has approved them all." Two palace maids who were doing embroidery in the corridor in the main courtyard of Yuqing Palace were talking in a low voice.
"Yesterday, the Queen did not approve of the Duke's wife... She really won her favor..."
"Isn't it?"
Hearing intermittent whispers in his ears, Li lowered his head and lowered his brows, subconsciously slowing down his pace.
The Crown Princess never turned her face away and spoke to her in a very gentle tone. After receiving the banknotes, she became even more open-hearted to her. Whenever she met with her, she would send away the servants and only keep a trusted maid, and they would not hesitate to talk about private matters.
Gradually, Li became much bolder and her smile became more genuine, just like today. Hearing the palace maid's words, a hint of joy flashed across her eyes, and the uneasiness in her heart slowly disappeared.
Entering the spacious and bright main room, she bowed towards the seat of honor and said, "Greetings, Her Majesty the Crown Princess."
Without waiting to be called, Li kowtowed and said very respectfully, "The Cao family is willing to share the worries of the Crown Princess."
Jingchu sat up slightly, her eyebrows slightly raised, making it difficult to see her expression. After a few breaths, she asked in a gentle voice, "What should I worry about?"
"This 'worry' is naturally about the concubines and the backyard... The Cao family is willing to go through fire and water for the queen, and serve her at her side." Li said solemnly, gradually lowering her voice, "Two illegitimate girls with good looks in the family will be selected soon. If the queen is willing, their lives and property will be in your hands. If you tell them to go west, they will never dare to go east... They can also be the queen's helpers, right?"
How could Jingchu not understand after hearing this
It’s not enough for the cornucopia to give out money, now it’s giving out people.
Her eyes suddenly turned cold, and her intention to act suddenly disappeared without a trace. All kinds of ugly things were sent to Yuqing Palace. Did they think she was the compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva
The Emperor is about to recover, and Yi'er Niang will return to the palace soon, so she follows the method she discussed with Yinreng - to keep the Cao family hanging and take all their wealth. Now, there is no more wealth coming to her door, and she is asked to pay for the support of others, and she is even more out of her mind...
The calculation is beautiful.
Thinking of this, I felt a wave of discomfort in my chest.
Jingchu's face slowly darkened, and that aura was enough to make people tremble with fear.
Li was completely unaware, half crouching and smiling, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. These two concubines have no opinions of their own, they are just thick-skinned and docile, you can manipulate them however you want. Although they are serving the Crown Prince, their hearts are always with you..."
Which mistress wouldn't like such a concubine? Not to mention the dignified and virtuous crown princess and the queen who is the mother of the country.
Before he finished speaking, a cold male voice suddenly rang out: "Serve me? Why, instead of sending a beauty to the Emperor, you're thinking about my backyard? This is Yuqing Palace, not your Cao family's brothel!"
Li's voice stopped abruptly.
Her smile faded and she turned pale in an instant. She began to tremble all over. She no longer had the strength to kneel and fell completely to the ground.
Who else in the palace can be called "Gu" if not the crown prince
It's over. He had heard all these shameful plots.
There was only one thought in my mind: when did the prince return to the palace? Why didn't the servant guarding outside the door report it? !
Jingchu's hands trembled, and her eyes showed surprise and joy. She was a little out of control, looking up in disbelief. Didn't he say he would be back in two or three days? Why did he come back today
Could it be that Yi'er Niang has also returned to the palace
"Master..." She immediately wanted to stand up and greet him.
Unexpectedly, the moment she stood up, her stomach suddenly felt churning. Jingchu's face changed and she leaned down with the help of the nanny. Soon she vomited all her breakfast.
"Her Majesty the Crown Princess!" The nanny was horrified, and even more horrified than her was the Crown Prince.
The anger in her eyes had not yet dissipated, but turned into deep heartache and worry, as well as a hint of joy hidden under the worry. The prince took two steps forward, hugged her and said in a deep voice: "Li is just talking nonsense. When will I marry Cao's concubine? Don't get angry and get sick."
After saying that, he gently wiped her face with a handkerchief.
After vomiting, Jingchu felt much better. He moved his lips and was about to say something, but then he frowned, leaned over and started retching again.
The prince looked grimly at Li, who was lying limp on the ground, and wanted to cut her into pieces.
Jing Chu is thinking of him all the time, just like Yi E'niang's heart and eyes are full of the emperor. How can she bear the stimulation of the Cao family sending a beauty
"Imperial Physician, call the Imperial Physician!"
******
The prince escorted the third prince back to the palace, which was a major event that shook the Forbidden City. The third prince's right face had not yet been undressed, and he still needed to rest. The prince escorted him to the prince's residence, then went to pay respects to the two empresses dowagers, and then went straight to Yuqing Palace, blocking all prying eyes.
The Crown Princess' illness was a big deal, and one could tell from He Zhuer's anxious expression. The invitation to the imperial physician from Yuqing Palace was a big deal, but now, no one, whether it was the court officials, the empress, or the palace maids, had the energy to pay attention to that.
The palace gates were wide open, and the imperial procession marched in. Liang Jiugong, wearing a patched robe, shouted solemnly, "The Emperor is back, the Imperial Concubine is back—"
The sound of silent whips rang out, spreading continuously into the inner court, like a thunderclap that struck the sky above the Forbidden City without any warning.
"The emperor took the magic medicine presented by the prince and is now safe..."
When the news reached the Yanx Palace, Concubine Hui stood up suddenly, accidentally broke the teacup, and fell heavily on the couch.
Two shoulders carried the emperor and the imperial concubine, who were moving slowly forward, almost touching each other from a distance. The emperor had a ruddy face and a majestic look, and his slightly thin body was hidden under his dragon robe, and there was no trace of illness; the imperial concubine had bright eyes and a bright look, and she protected her lower abdomen with one hand and occasionally lowered her eyes, showing her gentleness like water.
"The old ancestor and the empress dowager have been waiting for the Cining Palace for a long time, and finally the emperor and the imperial concubine have arrived." The carriage stopped in front of the Cining Palace. Su Malagu wiped the tears from her eyes and greeted them happily, "Please follow me in."
Kangxi nodded slightly, called Su Ma, and said in a low voice with emotion: "It is my fault for keeping the old ancestor and the Empress waiting for so long."
When entering the palace, he turned his head from time to time to glance at the people around him. Su Malagu knew what was going on at a glance and felt sad. After all, the Imperial Noble Concubine had entered the Emperor's heart.
How could the old ancestor not be moved? Yesterday, she told her in person that it was reasonable for Xuanye to favor the Imperial Noble Consort more.
In just a moment, they arrived at the inner hall. The Empress Dowager, with tears in her eyes, pulled Kangxi up and down and looked him over. She held Yunxiu's hand tightly and could not speak for a long time. She only asked her in a trembling voice: "Child...are you healthy?"
Yunxiu pursed her lips and smiled as she nodded. The Queen Mother let out a long breath and said lovingly, "Okay, okay. Yinqi asks me about mother every day, and I can finally give him an explanation."
Speak of the devil, and here he comes. As soon as the Queen Mother finished her words, a young eunuch came breathlessly to report: "… The Fifth Prince, the Ninth Prince, the Tenth Prince, and the Eleventh Prince want to see you!"
There was actually a person named Yin'e who sneaked in.
The next moment, another eunuch hurried into the hall and said, "I saw it wrong. The Fourth Prince, Prince Rong, the Seventh Prince, and the Eighth Prince are following behind the Eleventh Prince..."
"Spread it." Kangxi felt a throbbing pain in his temples. These little bastards were too well-informed.
On second thought, that's not right. Today is neither the New Year nor a holiday. Did the upper study allow me to take a day off
When the emperor met those pairs of red rabbit eyes, his heart softened into a puddle of water and he no longer remembered whether to skip classes or not.
On the other side, seeing Yunxiu was safe and sound, Yinzhen finally let out a sigh of relief.
With tears in his eyes, he saw the opportunity and took a step forward to rush over. Kangxi frowned and quickly stretched out his hands to stop and lift him. The Ninth Prince was suspended in the air, his legs flapping non-stop.
After recuperating for many days, the emperor's arms were no longer weak.
Kangxi held Yinzhen in his arms, and the emotion he felt in his heart disappeared without a trace. He frowned and said, "Your mother can't stand the fuss. How shameful."
Being stared at by seven pairs of red rabbit eyes, Yinzhen almost fainted from his breath: "..."
This is not the end yet.
After a few breaths, another young eunuch rushed in in a hurry, kowtowing repeatedly, saying, "Your Highness, the upper... The masters in the upper study room were kneeling outside, saying that the Ninth Prince took the lead in instigating the other princes to skip school. If this trend is encouraged, they will not be able to face their ancestors!"