Pingpin did the most disdainful thing to win favor in the past. She was originally nervous, but the moment she saw the emperor, all her nervousness and shyness disappeared into thin air, and her heart and eyes were filled with the man in front of her.
She specially put on the plain white gauze skirt that had been in the bottom of her closet for a long time. It was a treasure made by a dozen embroiderers when she was in the boudoir. It was also a birthday gift when she entered the palace. It was elegant and unique, with the charm of Jiangnan Hanfu.
In order to meet the emperor and wash away the bad impressions of the past, Pingpin was willing to endure the severe winter cold. She was so cold that her teeth were chattering. She was looking forward to seeing the surprise in Kangxi's eyes, but she didn't see it.
The emperor not only spoke coldly to her, but also ridiculed her for not dressing properly...
Hearing this, her face turned pale, and she knelt down with her lips moving: "Your Majesty!"
Perhaps because he was afraid of being tormented, Kangxi felt annoyed when he saw these evil women.
Why did you come to the Imperial Garden in such a cold weather and dressed like this? Did you think he didn't know
Kangxi had always been relatively tolerant of his concubines. But after witnessing their schemes, experiencing disappointment again and again, and recognizing their "true colors," his heart hardened.
Unconsciously, her previous mild temper was gone, and in Liang Jiugong's eyes, she could be said to be moody - except when facing Master Yi, of course.
In the past, when concubines came to the imperial garden to seek favor, the emperor would at most just laugh it off. When he was in a good mood, he would even show some mercy. But now...
My mood for appreciating the plum blossoms was completely ruined.
He stared at Pingpin with an unpredictable look, and said solemnly: "Is the Ministry of Internal Affairs short of food or clothes for you? How can you behave like this as the head of a palace? Liang Jiugong, go and convey my order to supply Chuxiu Palace with thick winter clothes. They don't need to be bright and colorful, just focus on keeping warm."
Liang Jiugong almost couldn't hold back his laughter, pinched himself hard, then lowered his head and agreed.
This time, the expenses have increased for no reason, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs has complaints against Concubine Ping.
This is not the end. "No need for bright colors, but focus on keeping warm", doesn't His Majesty mean that dyeing and embroidery are not allowed, and only gray clothes are provided for Pingpin to wear
It's no wonder that this master ran into trouble. Soetu made such a big mistake, and his niece is still not at peace. The last time she sued Concubine Yi, His Majesty still remembers it.
Glancing at Pingpin's incredulous expression, followed by tears in her eyes and her body limp as she sobbed, Kangxi sneered and walked away.
"It's the end of the year, and I don't want to punish you for spying on the emperor. Go back and reflect on yourself." After saying that, he narrowed his eyes, and his words seemed to be mixed with ice. "Liang Jiugong, go and drag out that traitorous servant and teach him a lesson."
Liang Jiugong was stunned for a moment, then replied with a smile.
Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes. The servants in the Palace of Heavenly Purity are also divided into several factions. Liang Jiugong served Emperor Kangxi personally every day, so he was naturally the one with the highest prestige and the greatest power. However, there were also deputy chief stewards who were eyeing to replace him, and Liu Qin was one of them.
To be honest, who among those working in the Palace of Heavenly Purity has not been bribed by the empresses and concubines to reveal a few "emperor's traces"? Liang Jiugong used to turn a blind eye, but after many times of being embarrassed, he realized his mistake and from then on strictly ordered his servants to have no contact with people in the harem.
If we want to interact, we should interact with Yikun Palace.
The Grand Eunuch admired Concubine Yi from the bottom of his heart.
Kangxi put ten layers of filters on Yunxiu on his own, but in Liang Jiugong's opinion, how could she be a long-lasting favorite concubine just by relying on her top-notch looks and personality
Schemes and tactics are indispensable, and Yizhuzi is the best among them. Look, in just one year, there have been so many storms in the harem, and Yizhuzi not only stood firm, but her position in the emperor's heart became more and more important.
Liang Jiugong came to his senses and snorted, further strengthening his inner bias. If the servant who accepted Pingpin's bribe was Liu Qin's subordinate, then let's see how that old man will end up!
*****
On the 21st day of the twelfth lunar month, after many days of long journey, the Tu Yue family finally arrived in the capital. Ten-year-old Yaertan and five-year-old Fulu both followed their father and mother into the capital.
Officials who returned to the capital to report on their work were originally required to stay at the post station, and wait for a written summons from above, go to the Ministry of Personnel to complete the formalities, or have the honor of seeing the emperor before they could move into their own residences.
Before Tu Yue could unload his bag, the clerk in charge of reception came to greet him with a smile on his face: "Your humble servant greets Lord Guo Luoluo. The higher-ups have given orders long ago that you can skip the cumbersome formalities and stay here for one night. Tomorrow morning, someone will lead you to the palace to make a speech. Recently, you are the only one who has the honor of meeting the emperor!"
Tu Yue and Guaerjia looked at each other, and surprise flashed in their eyes.
The clerk respectfully led them into the residence, his expression unable to hide his envy. Then, the handsome young man standing by said with a smile: "There are also madam, young lady and young master, please follow the Lord into the palace. Concubine Yi asked the Lord for mercy, saying that she had not seen her sister-in-law for a long time and missed her very much. She wanted to take good care of her niece and the future study companion of the Fifth Prince."
His voice was a little thin, and then he revealed his identity. He was Shuangxi, the apprentice trained by Zhang Youde, the general manager of Yikun Palace. He came here to pass on a message to his master, so that the queen's brother could rest assured.
Hearing this, Tu Yue's mood could no longer be described as surprise.
Yaertan could still contain her joy, as she was a young girl, she was bound to feel timid about entering the palace. As for Fulu, his eyes were sparkling with excitement and agitation, revealing his complete longing for the future life of companionship.
He had never seen his two aunts since he was born. He heard that the elder aunt was beautiful and the younger aunt was gentle. Hey, how beautiful was Concubine Yi
After Tu Yue sent Shuangxi away with many thanks, he turned around and saw his son's longing look. He was immediately furious and subconsciously wanted to find a thin wooden stick. Then he found sadly that this was not Shengjing, but an inn far away in the capital.
Madam is a noble lady of the Guarjia clan, her manners are ingrained in her bones, and the daughter she taught is impeccable in manners. But this brat… He was so worried that his eyebrows were about to fall off, and the study room could not stand his torment.
If he leads the Fifth Prince astray, His Majesty will not punish him for failing to educate his children properly, right
Tu Yue thought worriedly that he should ask his wife to talk to the Empress and ask her not to let Fulu be his companion in study. He couldn't bear it.
******
Fulu ignored his father's intimidating look, he didn't feel scared at all!
Before setting off, he carefully searched his bag and found neither thin wooden sticks nor the frightening feather duster inside. He immediately became braver.
How does the saying go? A phoenix without feathers is no better than a chicken (?). Without the right tools, Ama is like a pheasant. What can be done about him
After a long journey, the family fell asleep quickly after extinguishing the candles. Before falling asleep, Fulu opened his eyes wide, thinking about Mafa and Mama who were far away in Shengjing, and then fell asleep happily.
Early the next morning, before daybreak, Fulu got up in high spirits, put on his favorite red coat and a fluffy melon-shaped hat. He looked round and festive.
The person who was supposed to pick them up soon arrived at the post station. The carriage passed through the busy city and secluded places. After almost an hour, it stopped at the majestic palace gate.
Liang Jiugong sent Xiao Lizi and a group of eunuchs to wait early. Half of them took Tu Yue to meet the emperor, and the other half took Guaerjia and the two children to the Yiku Palace.
Walking on the long palace road, compared to Yaertan who didn't dare to look too much and just smiled with surprise in his eyes, Fulu was much bolder.
He looked left and right, and seemed not to be at all shy. He kept calling the eunuch "eunuch" in a very sweet way, which made the leading eunuch smile and feel very happy.
Everyone knew that this was the nephew of Concubine Yi, and that he would be the fifth prince's study companion. The chief eunuch was secretly surprised. In all his years in the palace, he had never seen such a child, who was eloquent, full of energy, and did not look down on eunuchs at all.
Not to mention Master Yi, the Emperor will definitely like it too.
He smiled and said to Guarjia: "Madam, you are so lucky, Madam, you are so lucky!"
Guarjia: “…”
She secretly glared at her son, signaling him to restrain himself. The Forbidden City is not like Shengjing. Even if her aunt is still favored by the emperor, there are still things she cannot take care of. How can she withstand Fulu's pretense
What if he gets put in a sack and he doesn’t even know who did it!
After being glared at by his mother, Fulu scratched his head and immediately became well-behaved. The group soon arrived at Yiku Palace.
In Yiku Palace, Yun Xiu looked outside from time to time, waiting anxiously; Concubine Le was just as restless as her, with an expectant look on her face.
Soon, one adult and two children walked into the hall in the morning light. Nanny Dong, who came out to greet them, smiled and said, "Madam, the noble, they are here."
Yinqi was hiding in a corner. Hearing this, he looked over curiously and saw his aunt, whose temperament was somewhat similar to his mother's, as well as his slim and pretty cousin... and his little cousin who was as round as a ball.
Yun Xiu had not allowed him to come at first, but he could not resist the Fifth Prince's insistence and insisted on meeting his future study partner. He said with tears in his eyes, "Mother, the Queen Mother has agreed! I will hide in the corner and will not disturb you from reminiscing about the past."
Yun Xiu: “…”
She had no choice but to agree to her eldest son's request, wondering who taught him this? Why did he always feel wronged
As for the Fifth Prince, he has been curious about Fulu for a long time.
I heard from my mother that Guo Luomafa mentioned many times in his letters that my cousin is a good material for learning martial arts. If he goes to the upper study room to study, after three to five years, he may be able to fight with the eldest prince!
Yinqi looked at it with wide eyes, thinking that he was bragging. Even the second brother couldn't compare to his elder brother in horseback archery. The power of a single battle? Just this ball in front of him
On the other side, when the three aunts and sisters-in-law met, Yun Xiu's eyes became a little red.
Guaerjia greeted solemnly, winked, and laughed heartily. Just as she was about to speak, her son spoke first.
As soon as Fulu entered the hall, he stared straight ahead, forgetting to move his bright black eyes. After finally coming to his senses, he straightened his melon-shaped hat, sighed, and said enviously: "Uncle Emperor is so lucky."
Yinqi: “…”
His mother: “…”