Chu Jinyao frowned slowly and looked at Qin Yi suspiciously: "How do you say it?"
Qin Yi was obviously in a good mood. He flipped through the things in his hand and couldn't help laughing: "The Four Books, the Book of Classics, the University Yanyi... Are you reading these all this time?"
Chu Jinyao vaguely felt that something was wrong: "Didn't you say that all the ladies in Beijing would watch this?"
"You also believe what they say." Qin Yi couldn't help laughing, and reached out to rub Chu Jinyao's hair, only to be avoided by Chu Jinyao angrily. Qin Yi was not annoyed, so he bent his fingers and tapped Chu Jinyao's forehead: "Think to yourself, in front of a new crown princess, what would Baoqing and the others say to save face? As for Princess Rong'an's direct descendant Female, she went to school with Duke Wei for a few days when she was a child, and she has been bragging about it since then. What level they are, I still don't know?"
After hearing this, Chu Jinyao was completely stunned: "It turned out to be a fake? I thought that Beijing Zhongxing paid attention to other people's teaching daughters, regardless of etiquette, and let women read the Four Books. For this, I was still reading the book the day before I got married."
Qin Yi burst out laughing, Chu Jinyao glared angrily, Qin Yi restrained a little, and said with a smile: "It's okay, just read more books. You really..."
Qin Yi didn't think of the right words, but when Chu Jinyao heard it, he was unexpectedly dull: "Your Highness, am I much worse than others?"
"what?"
"Every aspect." This thought has been lingering in Chu Jinyao's mind, and he finally said it today, "I was delayed when I was a child, and I only saw the wealth in the world after returning to the Hou's Mansion. I learned it in a hurry. But those things that can be seen on the surface can be learned, and those that can’t be seen? I was not taught when I was a child, and it was far worse than the girls who were looked after by female elders, but later His Highness did not dislike it, Make me the crown princess. I am naturally grateful. I thought that as long as I worked hard, I would make up as much as I missed, but when I came to the capital, I realized that the women here are not as slack as me, their starting point is higher than me, and their kung fu is also better than mine. Shen. Your Highness, if you didn't know me in advance, I wouldn't be able to be a crown princess at all, right? I have to work very hard to not hold you back, but if you change to another woman, I can help you in turn."
Qin Yi was uncomfortable at first listening to it, but after a while, the smile on his face subsided, but he still let Chu Jinyao finish. After Chu Jinyao spit out such a big sentence, she suddenly felt extremely depressed, only to feel that she no longer had a face to face Qin Yi. Chu Jinyao turned her head away, and said in a loud voice, "I'm sorry, Your Highness has been tired all day, and I still say these depressing words. I will go and prepare meals for His Highness..."
When Chu Jinyao said that, she wanted to get up and leave Qin Yi's side. As soon as she stood up, Qin Yi grabbed her wrist.
"I didn't expect that you would feel that way." Qin Yi sighed slightly, pulled Chu Jinyao back to his side, and put it on his lap. Chu Jinyao did not resist, and sat down obediently.
Qin Yi embraced Chu Jinyao with one hand, and instead of continuing what he just said, he suddenly asked, "You also asked this question when I went to Taiyuan. What did I say then?"
"You said let me think for myself."
"You really know how to remember." Qin Yi reluctantly nodded Chu Jinyao's head, "the previous sentence."
Chu Jinyao had no choice but to try her best to recall. She recalled for a moment, then tentatively said, "You said that my personality is quite comfortable. Although my mind is not very smart, I am not stupid, it will save time..."
"Actually, these are pretty words, high-sounding, but they don't have much information."
Chu Jinyao immediately glared at Qin Yi: "Are you saying that you lied to me?"
Qin Yi was blocked for a while, obviously didn't expect Chu Jinyao to notice this kind of place, he sighed, and could only help himself: "It's not a complete cliché, since I can say it, it won't be against my heart. .You were named a crown princess, and I felt inexplicable for a while, but you might as well think about it, why did I do this?"
Yes, why did Qin Yi do this. He would never catch up with himself just to take care of her. If he is dissatisfied with her marriage, he can decree to give her another marriage.
Qin Yi is now the crown prince, trusted by the emperor, supported by courtiers, and made military exploits last year, and his voice is also very high among the people. If he is like this, what kind of woman he wants to marry can't marry, why is it her
Chu Jinyao shook her head honestly. It was because she couldn't figure it out that she doubted and felt uneasy again and again. Qin Yi can't always be because of her beauty, right? He is not such a shallow person.
"Alas." Qin Yi sighed, he wrapped one hand around Chu Jinyao's waist, and the other hand tapped her lap three times rhythmically, "Jinyao, let me ask you, in the palace, why do you speculate on your intentions? The person who mixes the best?"
Chu Jinyao vaguely thought of something, Qin Yi did not continue, but smiled lightly and said, "Those people you mentioned, even if they are smart and talkative, how about they have been familiar with poetry and books since childhood, and I have a relationship with me. What's the matter?" Qin Yi reached out and grabbed Chu Jinyao's chin, rubbed against her tender chin, looked directly at Chu Jinyao, and said, "You think."
After Qin Yi said this, he put down Chu Jinyao and left by himself. Chu Jinyao sat silently for a while, and reached out to touch her chin.
She silently slandered, what is wrong with the people in the palace, if there is something they don't know, they have to be guessed.
But after this time, although Chu Jinyao still couldn't understand Qin Yi's mind, at least he understood that Qin Yi did not marry her for some inexplicable reason. After Chu Jinyao learned this, the uneasiness in her heart dissipated a lot. No matter how good the other women are, how can they be articulate and sophisticated, the person Qin Yi married is her, then this is their business and has nothing to do with others.
In fact, it's no wonder that Chu Jinyao can't understand Qin Yi's mind, because Qin Yi himself doesn't know what he wants. Why don't the masters in the palace like to say things too clearly, because sometimes they don't know what they mean. However, the superiors are always in the same position, and it is a big taboo to change the day and night, so they can only vaguely say, let the subordinates speculate, if someone can grasp the master's mind and put the result that the master likes the most, the master will push the boat with the flow. , isn't this a great achievement
Qin Yi is like this now. He didn't know why he did this either. To be honest, Chu Jinyao was not a suitable candidate for the crown princess. Now that he has become more and more powerful, he does not have to rely on the power of his wife's family. The family background of the crown prince has been weakened, but even so, it is not a rational idea to marry a wife whose roots are in other places.
However, Qin Yi was strangely willing to do so. Qin Yi couldn't figure out why he wanted to, so he told Chu Jinyao, "You think about it yourself."
Qin Yi is also looking forward to what results Chu Jinyao can come up with.
Chu Jinyao was busy for a few days, and finally arranged the East Hall to look like she liked. She has nothing to do on weekdays, so she often spends time here. Qin Yi's words reassured Chu Jinyao, Qin Yi never disliked her, and since that's the case, she has to work harder to keep up with Qin Yi's pace.
Chu Jinyao was leaning comfortably and reading in the sun today, when the partition of the study was suddenly knocked.
"Princess."
Chu Jinyao looked up to see the person who came, and smiled clearly. "Nixue, why are you?"
"My servant is here to greet you." Er Xue stood outside the partition and squatted down deeply for Chu Jinyao, "This servant has something to say to the Crown Princess."
Ten days have passed since Chu Jinyao promoted Er Xue. Looking at Er Xue's face, she has not had a good life these ten days.
Chu Jinyao called the person up, closed the book and said, "Come in."
Erxue stood at the door and did not move, her eyes wandered around the people serving around her.
"What's wrong?" Chu Jinyao asked.
"Prince Concubine, this servant has something to say to you alone."
As soon as Er Xue said this, the other maids standing in the room were unhappy and looked at Er Xue with strange eyes. Chu Jinyao raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "You guys go out first."
The palace maids serving in the room all squatted down and quietly withdrew. Er Xue stood at the door, and the maids all glanced at Er Xue secretly when they passed by Er Xue.
Er Xue's expression didn't change, but her heart gradually sank. After this episode, it must be soon that her secret conversation with the Crown Princess will spread throughout the Ciqing Palace. She knew she had no way out.
After everyone left, Er Xue fell to her knees with a plop, put her hands on the ground, and resolutely kowtowed her head on her hands: "This servant is guilty, please forgive me."
Chu Jinyao didn't answer, but asked, "What does this mean? What's your guilt?"
Er Xue gritted her teeth and said, "The slave servant was originally ordered by the Empress to come to the side of the Crown Princess to monitor the actions of the Crown Princess and His Royal Highness. The slave servant has been in the East Palace for so many days, seeing that the Crown Princess is virtuous and fair, and the slave servant I am ashamed and can no longer bear to use such tricks and tricks, so I came to confess my guilt to the Crown Princess and ask the Crown Princess to convict me."
Er Xue said decisively, and she waited for Chu Jinyao's movements with awe, no matter whether Chu Jinyao was happy or pretended to be angry, she was ready. However, after waiting for a long time, she still did not see any response from Chu Jinyao.
Er Xue couldn't hold back, she quietly raised her eyes to look at Chu Jinyao: "Prince Concubine?"
Chu Jinyao was drinking tea slowly, the new tea was a little hot, she took a sip several times before taking a sip. Hearing Er Xue's voice, Chu Jinyao closed the tea cup and said "Oh" indifferently.
Er Xue was shocked, what was the reaction? She said such serious news, even if Chu Jinyao pretended to be unbelievable, or offered both kindness and prestige, how could it be over with a flat "oh"
"Prince Concubine, the words of this servant are sincere, and I will never dare to deceive you. If you take what the servant said just now as a joke, then the servant will be wronged."
"Oh, otherwise what should I do?" Chu Jinyao looked at Er Xue leisurely and calmly, "Is it happy to accept your not-so-sincere surrender, or just go to the queen's concubine and expose your provocation, trying to please both sides?"
Er Xue's heart sank fiercely, and her whole body felt cold. She came today with the intention of procrastinating and neglecting to some extent. The Crown Princess suddenly held her in high regard, as if she was roasting Er Xue on the fire, making her not a human being inside or outside. The feeling of being targeted by everyone is really bad, Er Xue thought about it for a few days and felt that she had to do something. She prided herself on being a smart person, and because of this smartness, she was somewhat contemptuous when she came here today.
She tried to justify herself: "Prince concubine, slaves are not, slaves would never dare to have such thoughts..."
"You dare not." Chu Jinyao smiled lightly, put down the tea cup, and continued to open her book, "I think you dare to do a lot."
Chu Jinyao read the book calmly and completely ignored Er Xue. Er Xue was lying on the ground, many thoughts turned in her mind, and her body was trembling slightly. In the bright and elegant study, only Chu Jinyao's faint sound of flipping the book could be heard. Chu Jinyao didn't seem to care about the other person in the room at all, and continued to do his own business. Erxue knelt on the ground and spent the longest period of time in her life, cold sweat broke out layer after layer, almost soaking the clothes on her back.
Chu Jinyao was reading a book, and suddenly the voices of two nurturing maids came from outside the window, as if they were reprimanding some maids. Noise is forbidden in the palace, and if the palace maids and eunuchs are not of high status, they would not even dare to make a sound while walking. But these two maids were so flamboyant that their scolding voices could even be heard in the palace.
Er Xue knelt on the ground, and naturally heard it clearly. She lowered her head even more and did not dare to let out the air. When she was nervous, Chu Jinyao sighed softly and closed the book in her hand.
"It's really troublesome." Chu Jinyao sighed and cast a fluttering look at Erxue, "Go out."
Er Xue couldn't ask for it, and immediately kowtowed and stepped back. In fact, Chu Jinyao hadn't decided whether to accept Er Xue's surrender or not, but Er Xue didn't dare to ask anyway.
Er Xue went outside and was blown by the cold wind, only to find that her back was sweating profusely. In the short time of a stick of incense, Er Xue's mentality was completely different. She was in a rush in her heart, and she was really afraid of the gentle, beautiful, and beautiful princess in the hall, who looked like she came out of a painting. She ran into two majestic grandmothers head-on, and the maids saw her and stopped to talk to her with a smile. Er Xue's eyes swept across these two majestic grandma, and an unknown meaning flashed in her eyes. She gave the two maids a blessing and hurriedly walked away with her head down.
After Er Xue went out, Linglong came in and whispered: "Prince Concubine, the two old ladies were scolding people outside again. They are both loud, I wonder if they have disturbed the Crown Princess?"
"Knowing that I'm in the palace, how dare you make such a loud noise." Chu Jinyao laughed and said, "Sure enough, it's arrogant."
"Prince Princess, shall we continue to hold them, or is it time to teach them a lesson?"
"To reprimand them in the palace is nothing more than saying that they are indecent and embarrassing them. Since it is necessary to rectify, then a big one will come."
Linglong lowered her head and did not speak. After Chu Jinyao finished speaking, she thought for a while, and suddenly said, "The end of the year, both the folk and the New Year, are all lively and lively."
Linglong didn't know why, so she just thought that Chu Jinyao was really looking forward to the New Year, so she smiled and said, "That's not it, the palace is really lively these days. Usually the palace is always orderly, only the At this time, it can reveal a little liveliness."
Chu Jinyao replied with a smile: "Yes, once the New Year is over, no one is willing to wrong him."
It's New Year's Eve, and Madam Liu is also eager to get her some good wine to try. However, the palace is a place that eats people without spitting out bones. No matter what you have, you have no money, and you can't say anything.
Thinking of this, Madam Liu felt bitter. Others only saw that the Crown Princess was generous to the two maids, and the rewards flowed down like flowing water. However, these are things like jade hairpins, silk and satin. Although they look good, they You can't be a silver messenger. But the eunuchs up and down all felt that she was quite wealthy, and they all wanted to trap her. Madam Liu was praised for nothing, and the more she was touted, the more she refused to give up her share.
Gradually, the money in Madam Liu's hand was not enough, and Chu Jinyao's reward could not be realized. Madam Liu seemed to have a flash of inspiration, secretly took the reward, went to Dongzhimen to ask someone to sell it, and then exchanged it for her in cash.
The first time or two, Madam Liu was frightened, for fear of being discovered. Later, when she found out that no one knew about it, she became more and more courageous. At first, she sold the rewards she got, and gradually, she was fascinated by silver, so she decided to focus on the decorations in the palace.
Of course she didn't dare to touch the things in the East Palace, the furnishings here are all fixed. But there are so many palaces in the palace, and not all of them live there. Pick up some antiques and furnishings in the abandoned palace, and secretly pick up one or two pieces, and no one finds it at all.
Madam Liu had nothing to do all day, and no one noticed when she ran around outside, but her movements could not be concealed from Madam Hong, who lived in the same room. Mammy Hong felt that Mammy Liu was going crazy, and when she saw Mammy Liu going back to take the money in packs, she was actually moved.
The two of them came from Kunning Palace. It turned out that they were just ordinary nanny in Kunning Palace, and they didn't have the face to talk to the Empress. Later, when I heard that the Empress was going to Taiyuan to select candidates, Mammy Hong suddenly realized that this might be a chance for her to succeed. She spent the pension book to buy the manpower, so she got this shortfall.
Subsequent developments told Mammy Hong that her prediction was correct. The new prince concubine's family is not tough enough, and she always has scruples towards them. Later, the matter of the prince confirmed this. The prince concubine did not dare to offend them, because to offend them is to offend the queen.
Because of this reliance in their hearts, the two maids became more and more bold in their actions. The servants in the East Palace bowed their heads obediently when they saw them, and they could reprimand anyone they wanted. Even Linglong, who was the most reliant on the princess' side, had to bow his head to avoid them when he saw the two of them. The two gradually set up the spectrum of the prince concubine's upbringing, and at one end of the shelf, they were never willing to let it go. This illusion made Hong mama feel that no matter what she did, no one would dare to punish her.
Mammy Hong was just like Zhongxie. At sunset, she secretly followed Mammy Liu to Dongzhimen.
Even in the majestic Forbidden City, there are many private doors, and there are many daring maids who take advantage of their duties to steal the things in the palace, and then entrust them to the eunuchs who have been handed in, and let them sell them outside the palace. The maids were not allowed to leave the palace, but the eunuchs in charge of purchasing could.
Today, Mama Liu went to the place agreed with her acquaintance as usual, and also brought Mama Hong. Mammy Hong looked around worriedly: "Won't anyone find out?"
"No, I've been walking for several days. It's said that unfamiliar life is prone to accidents. This is the road I'm familiar with, so how could there be any mistakes." Madam Liu winked at Madam Hong, "Okay. Now, I will share 10% of the money sold this time."
Mammy Hong entrusted Mammy Liu's doorway, and naturally wanted to benefit Mama Liu, but even so, Mammy Hong still gritted her teeth after hearing it. However, this time, for some unknown reason, Madam Liu's acquaintance had not arrived for a long time, and the more she waited, the more frightened she became, and she couldn't help but say, "It's getting late today, why don't we go back first, and we'll talk about the sale next time."
"What next time, it's almost New Year's Eve, the prices outside are very high these days, don't take advantage of this opportunity to make a fortune, what are you waiting for. Look at your guts, these eunuchs have errands and come here occasionally It's late, so what are you afraid of?"
Mammy Hong's heart pounded: "But I always feel uneasy..."
Before he could finish speaking, a voice suddenly interjected behind him: "Mammy Hong, what's wrong with you?"
The two maids were startled, and the things in their hands fell straight to the ground.
Chu Jinyao was watching the New Year's Eve in the room, and after a while, Linglong walked in lightly, with a slight smile, and said in a low voice, "Prince Concubine, the palace mammy took someone to take those two mammys. caught."
When Chu Jinyao heard it, she raised her eyes and closed the New Year's Eve list with a snap.
In fact, Chu Jinyao was not surprised by this result at all. She had been preparing for this day for a long time. She deliberately did not give Liu Mammy cash, and led Mammy Liu to Dongzhimen to resell. Chu Jinyao also saw the contact between Mammy Liu and the eunuchs outside. If it wasn't for the other Mammy Hong, why would she endure it until now.
"Where are they?"
"I was caught by Mama Gong and I got all the stolen goods. Now I'm kneeling outside, waiting for my hair to fall."
Chu Jinyao stood up and said, "Prepare chairs. Also, call everyone in the palace and wait in the atrium."
Many people have seen the matter of the two maids brought back by the palace maids, but due to the face of the crown princess, no one dared to ask. After a while, they heard the summons, saying that the Crown Princess summoned everyone to go to the atrium.
Although everyone didn't know why, they still let go of their lives. When they reached the atrium of the apse, the maids stood on the west side, and the eunuchs stood on the east side, all standing with their heads bowed.
In the open space in front of everyone, the two maids were pushed and knelt in the middle, with their packages in front of them. Mammy Liu and Mammy Hong didn't dare to let out the air, and both lowered their heads and waited for Chu Jinyao's appearance.
In the center of the hall, Linglong moved a mahogany chair early, facing the palace eunuchs outside across the hall door. This is the status of the Crown Princess, even the interrogation servants are separated by the door, Chu Jinyao is sitting in the hall, and they are standing outside the hall.
Chu Jinyao walked over to the East Hall calmly, and sat on the armchair with the support of Kikyo. With one hand bent, her knuckles rested on the wooden ring, her back and body were straight.
As soon as Chu Jinyao appeared, it was obvious that the palace was quiet. Everyone saluted Chu Jinyao in unison: "Prince Concubine Wanfu."
Mammy Liu and Mammy Hong knelt on the ground and kowtowed: "Please be safe to the Crown Princess! Crown Princess, this old slave has been wronged, please investigate the Crown Princess."
Chu Jinyao looked at the pile of things in front of them, and smiled lightly: "You guys are decent. I treated you kindly because of old affection, but you are the first to ignore me as a princess."
As soon as Chu Jinyao said these words, the other palace servants standing in the yard knelt down, lowered their heads, and said carefully, "Prince Concubine, calm down."