The strings and drums raised their sleeves together, Huixue fluttered and danced, Hongli crooked on the couch, watching Shen Bi dancing gracefully on the dance floor. Things in the palace could not be concealed from him. There was a recent rumor that Shen Bi wanted to be friends with Concubine Ling, so he approached her every day.
Beside him, Li Yuqi reported: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has been ordered by the concubine Ling and is cleaning the Shoukang Palace."
Hearing Concubine Ling's name, Shen Bi's spinning toes stepped on the wrong beat.
... It seems that the rumors are not groundless, Hongli asked: "The queen mother is coming back?"
Li Yu: "The servant asked. Concubine Ling only said that today is the tenth day of the fifth month. Tell the emperor and you will understand."
"The tenth day of May?" Hong Li recited it silently, and suddenly realized, "No wonder..."
Li Yu: "Your Majesty?"
Hongli: "Everything should be done according to Concubine Ling's instructions, and it must be properly arranged before the queen mother returns."
Li Yu: "Hey."
As soon as Li Yu left, Shen Bi stood on the ground with her toes, and her whole body danced in a circle in the air, with a bell ringing in the sky, jumped into Hongli's arms, fell on his lap, and looked up at him: "Your Majesty, on the tenth of the fifth lunar month, Is there anything special?"
Hongli: "Every year on the fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month, it is He'an's death anniversary. In the past two years, he has done rituals in Yuanmingyuan. This year, it seems that he is going back to the Forbidden City."
Shen Bi: "He An?"
Hongli stroked her hair and said gently, "My sister, the only palm of the Queen Mother."
Thinking that the empress dowager always dislikes women who are too outrageous, so Hongli takes the trouble and tells her what to do in front of the empress dowager.
Shen Bi didn't want to hear it halfway through: "Okay, okay, I know, I'm going to find Yingluo, and I'm going to learn to walk with her today."
On the road of becoming a concubine, Shen Bi was like a child, and even had to learn to walk from scratch. But Hongli knew that she was not a person who liked to obey the rules, so he shook his head and said, "What are you going to give her today?"
Shen Bi's eyes lit up, she quietly took out a box, and displayed the pearl necklace inside. Like it?"
"I guess not." Hongli laughed.
No matter how precious and beautiful a gift from a rival in love is, Wei Yingluo will probably not like it.
Shen Bi put down the box in disappointment: "Then what does she like? As long as I have it, I will give it to her."
Hongli was silent for a moment, and said, "Then let's send the lamb soup."
Shen Bi tilted her head and looked at him suspiciously: "But Yingluo said she doesn't like to eat this."
"But sheep soup is good for her health." Hongli blurted out, only to feel sloppy after speaking.
It's not that he doesn't care about her taste, but he cares more about her stomach than her taste, so the last time Wei Yingluo came to Baoyuelou, he forced her to bring back a whole can of sheep soup.
Wei Yingluo's lost gaze was vivid in his mind, and he was a little annoyed and a little happy. He just... wanted to see more of her jealous appearance, just like he was always eating Fu Heng's jealousy.
"Your Majesty, you are different from Yingluo, and you are different from everyone else." Shen Bi looked at him and suddenly said such a sentence, then before Hongli could react, she smiled and said, "Okay, sheep soup nourishes the stomach. , I'll send her a jar right now."
Wei Yingluo was not in Yanxi Palace at this time, she was in Shoukang Palace.
The eunuchs and maids went in and out, constantly cleaning the palace, and then took her hand and said: "The queen mother personally pointed you to the ceremony, it's really hard for you, this palace has just seen it, it's really all right, thank you You know the Queen Mother's intentions well, so you can do it so well."
Wei Yingluo: "The Queen's concubine praised me wrongly, the concubine just tried her best to organize, I don't know if the queen mother is satisfied. Since the concubine has read it, why not give some pointers?"
"There's really nothing wrong with the others." His eyes swept to the offering table, "There is only one small Buddha flower left. Burn it in front of the offering table, and the queen mother will be happier."
Wei Yingluo: "Little Buddha flower?"
Then he nodded: "Every year on the anniversary of the death, the small Buddha flower is used. The Queen Mother saw with her own eyes that the emperor paid so much attention to the sacrifice of Princess He'an, and the mother and son will be reconciled as before."
Wei Yingluo: "Thank you for reminding the Empress, Yingluo remembers it."
Afterwards, don't have a meaningful smile: "The Queen Mother has not seen Rong Concubine yet, and when that day comes, I will ask Concubine Ling to personally introduce her."
Wei Yingluo was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked at her successor, but saw that the smile on the other side's face deepened, and she couldn't help but shudder.
After another one or two, it was time for dinner. Wei Yingluo resigned first. As soon as she left the Shoukang Palace, her complexion immediately sank. When Mingyu saw her, she couldn't help asking, "Yingluo, what's wrong?"
Wei Yingluo: "The queen is about to start."
Mingyu: "Do it?"
Wei Yingluo nodded: "Rong Concubine - a great disaster is coming."
There are so many people with mixed eyes, Mingyu is not easy to ask more questions. I wanted to ask in detail after returning to the Yanxi Palace. However, as soon as my front foot entered the gate of Yanxi Palace, I heard a tinkling bell, and I knew it without guessing. who is.
Wei Yingluo paused: "...Why are you here again?"
"You're finally back!" Shen Bi smiled and came over to hold her, "I brought sheep soup, which is good for your stomach, but it's already cold, I'll let the kitchen warm it up for you!"
Not only was there sheep soup on the table, but there was also a box of pearls, each of which was enough to buy a yard in Jiangnan. There are many similar treasures in Yanxi Palace, all of which were given by her during this period. But Wei Yingluo was not happy at all, because those rare treasures were given to her by Hongli, and each one reminded Wei Yingluo how much Hongli loved her.
"I don't want to drink it." Wei Yingluo shook her head, "Don't send anything to me in the future. What will others say when they see it?"
Shen Bi didn't care: "What does what others say have anything to do with me? It's only natural for me to give gifts to good friends."
Wei Yingluo: "You and I are not friends."
Shen Bi vowed: "It will definitely be in the future."
This person is like a piece of candy, Wei Yingluo couldn't resist her, so she reluctantly drank the can of goat soup with her. At first, it tasted unpleasant, and the mouth was stinky. When the goat soup entered her stomach, a warm feeling gradually emerged. I mean, my stomach, which is always aching, is so much more comfortable.
Shen Bi served her vegetables and soup at the same time. She was very busy, and when she was not careful, a jade plaque tied to her wrist fell down and thumped into the jar of sheep soup. As soon as Shen Bi raised his hand, the jade card rose up along the red rope on his wrist, dripping with water.
"Mingyu, bring a clean handkerchief." Wei Yingluo asked Mingyu to take the handkerchief, wiped the jade pendant clean, and swept the words on the jade plate out of the corner of his eyes, and was suddenly stunned.
Quiet shadow Shen Bi.
"What's wrong?" Shen Bi noticed her gaze, untied the red rope, and handed her the jade token, "This is given to me by the emperor, but I don't know much about Han poetry, and I can't even read it. Understand."
Wei Yingluo's heart is sour and her expression is cold: "The emperor is complimenting you, like jade in water, perfect."
The sheep soup in his mouth suddenly became bland and tasteless, Wei Yingluo pushed the jade plate back: "I'm tired, I won't teach you the rules today, Mingyu, see you off."
Shen Bi was stunned: "Yingluo, why are you suddenly angry because of this jade card? If you don't like it, I won't wear it again!"
Her voice made Wei Yingluo upset. When Mingyu sent her away, she didn't want to eat again. She dragged her body that seemed to be drained of strength, stumbled back to the bedroom, and then fell on the bed in shock.
Mingyu finished sending Shen Bi and returned to her side, hesitating to say anything.
"Mingyu." Wei Yingluo looked at the ceiling and murmured, "Do you know where Baoyuelou is?"
Mingyu shook her head and sat beside her, holding her cold hand, listening intently, and being her most loyal listener.
"During the Yongzheng Dynasty, the Empress Dowager was still Concubine Xi, and she gave birth to eleven grids, but the princess was frail and sickly since she was a child. The shaman's wife at that time chose Baoyuelou, saying that the feng shui here is good, and Concubine Xi, for her daughter, gave birth to Do everything possible to persuade the late emperor to rebuild the Baoyue Building and want to bring his daughter to live in it! The project is about to start, but Empress Xiaojingxian categorically vetoed it, saying that there has never been such a precedent in the Qing Dynasty." Wei Yingluo sighed, "The result is small. Gege died just after her first birthday, and the Queen Mother has been brooding over the years."
Mingyu suddenly realized: "So, the queen wants to use the queen mother? But the queen mother has always been wrong with her..."
"Since she can work with me, why can't she work with the Queen Mother? In this harem, there are only eternal interests and no permanent friends." When the word friend was mentioned, Shen Bi's face appeared in front of her eyes again, Wei Yingluo sat up irritably, He said coldly, "The emperor is a man, and he is careless in this regard. The queen mother may not have cared about it before, but with the queen, she will soon feel that... Rong Concubine living in Baoyuelou is equivalent to occupying a magpie's nest!"
Mingyu was silent for a moment, and suddenly said softly: "...Isn't this very good? If the queen's plan can be successfully implemented, it will remove the thorn in your side. In my opinion, you should not know anything, okay?"
Wei Yingluo was stunned when she heard the words.
Just as Mingyu said, she just needs to close her eyes, pretend she doesn't see anything, sit back and watch everything happen, and then the fisherman will benefit. If the queen is successful, she will be less thorns in her eyes, if not, she will have nothing to lose.
It's just... Is she really going to do this
Days are like fallen leaves in autumn, turning over one leaf after another, Shen Bi still comes to play with her every day, every time she doesn't come empty-handed, or a box of gems, or a leaf with unique veins, or a string of exotic waists. Ling, Shen Bi gave her everything to please her.
Each gift is different, and there is only one can of sheep soup every day.
Seeing her innocent smile, Wei Yingluo became more and more taciturn.
Until May 15th.
Shen Bi rarely changed her dance dress, dressed in a very formal flag outfit, stepped on the bottom of a pair of flower pots crookedly, pushed the maid away, walked a few steps by herself, finally found the balance, and smiled happily. : "Yingluo, I can walk by myself."
Her maid glanced at Wei Yingluo and snorted softly, "You can't go well with the bottom of your flowerpot. If you fall, wouldn't it be embarrassing? Concubine Ling, look, you have taught me for so long, my master. There's not even a way to go."
Hearing the irony in her words, before Wei Yingluo could speak, Shen Bi had already scolded: "It's not about Concubine Ling, I'm not used to it! In the future, you are not allowed to speak ill of her! Retreat!"
The maid closed her mouth in grievance, and Shen Bi twisted and walked for a while, her foot crooked, and she almost fell to the ground. Wei Yingluo hurriedly stretched out her hand to support her. , but the shoes are still what you are used to wearing."
Shen Bi didn't listen to the maid's words, but she was willing to listen, and smiled sweetly: "Okay."
She put on the shoes she used to wear and walked briskly a few steps, as light as a deer jumping by the water.
"Niangniang, it's time for us to go." The maid reminded, "This is the first time the Queen Mother called you to Shoukang Palace, you can't be late."
Shen Bi nodded, turned back and said to Wei Yingluo, "I'll take a step first, and come back to play with you. You have to wait for me, don't eat too much, I'll bring the sheep soup, and we'll eat together."
She left with a smile, but she didn't know that she might never come back or eat the last mouthful of sheep soup.
"Yingluo..." Mingyu looked at Wei Yingluo worriedly.
"Mingyu, I'm sorry." Wei Yingluo raised her hand and touched the tears on her cheek, "I... don't want to be the person I hate the most."
Shen Bi had already reached the gate of Shoukang Palace.
Just as he was about to enter, he heard hurried footsteps behind him.
A hand suddenly stretched out from behind her, grabbed her and left.
"Yingluo?" Shen Bi was staggered all the way, and looked at the person in surprise, "What are you doing?"
Wei Yingluo said solemnly, "Save your life!"