After the eighth day of the first lunar month, there was no movement in Jiuchen Palace again.
I heard that something small happened in the previous dynasty and he didn't have time to enter the harem.
However, the concubines still paid their respects as usual.
The Queen can really hold on.
From the end of last year to the first month of this year, she has not had a single day of rest. Seeing her eyes becoming more and more haggard and tired, I am really afraid that she will suddenly faint one day.
And today the Queen also told everyone some surprising news.
Sun Xiurong of Hanluxuan died.
Sun has been forgotten by everyone for a long time, but at least she was seen when Yang Wanrong gave birth last year. However, she passed away within a month or two.
Think about it, she was once favored, but she ended up with such a tragic fate.
But there weren't many sympathizers.
When Sun was in favor, she offended many people, and everyone just sighed.
There were also some who said harsh words, saying that it was unlucky for her to die in the first month of the lunar year.
This is the reality. If you are not favored in the palace and your family background is not good enough, your life will be worthless.
Sun was relatively lucky, at least better off than Liu who fell to her death for no reason. After all, she was one of the nine concubines, and her father was a third-rank official, so her funeral was not too shabby.
But because her death happened in the first month of the lunar calendar, which was indeed unlucky, the Imperial Household Department did not handle the matter very carefully. They only asked the servants in her palace to wear mourning clothes, and were not allowed to cry at the coffin.
The emperor issued an edict to posthumously confer the title on Xiuyi, and still gave her the title of Yan.
When a person dies, his position is restored to its original state.
No matter how worthless the posthumous title is now, the honor has been received.
The Queen was in a bad mood, so as usual she sent everyone away after saying a few words of gossip, leaving only Concubine Zhao behind.
Zhao is now helping the Queen manage palace affairs.
After all, she was born into a legitimate family of an official, so she was better at handling things than the servants and could share some of the responsibilities.
Yang is totally incapable of this. He simply can't do it.
On the other side, Ye Jun was walking back and met Lady Xia.
Xia seemed to be in a good mood, with a faint smile on her face, which was obviously from the heart.
When they met, they would greet each other politely, "Your humble servant greets Concubine Ming."
"No need for formalities, my beauty. Why are you coming here? Why don't you go back to your residence?" Ye Jun asked.
Look at the direction it's heading, it seems like it's going to the Imperial Garden.
"I have been feeling depressed for a long time, and I want to let it go today. I want to go out for some fresh air, take a walk, and then go back." Xia said with a smile.
But I wasn't too shy about it.
Ye Jun glanced at her and smiled, "It's rare that you are in a good mood. Go away, my beauty. I won't bother you anymore."
Lady Xia bowed again, and the two of them dispersed.
Walking back slowly, Ye Jun suddenly thought of something.
"Tell me, is Sun's death related to Lady Xia?"
The one following today was Huiyue, who was stunned at first, and then whispered, "No way, Lady Xia looks cowardly and doesn't seem like she would do it. Besides, Sun was already seriously ill due to the plague."
Ye Jun narrowed her eyes and shook her head slightly, "She was timid in the past. Don't you think her personality has changed since she lost her child?"
"So what does Jieyu mean by checking it out?" Huiyue frowned.
"Well, let's investigate secretly, and don't alert anyone."
In Ye Jun's opinion, Xia has always been favored, and her thoughts are not necessarily less thoughtful than others.
The reason they can coexist peacefully now is because their positions are not high and there is no point in fighting, but what about the future
It's always good to have more information in hand.
She is relatively free and comfortable here and can still take care of other things, but it is not so good in Fengqi Palace.
As soon as the concubines left, the queen was helped back to the inner room to rest on the soft couch.
After taking off all the jewelry on her head and changing into loose and soft casual clothes, she finally felt a little more comfortable.
Nanny Ding helped her drink some pregnancy-preserving medicine, and only then did she have the strength to talk to Concubine Zhao.
"Luckily you can help me, otherwise I would not be able to hold on."
"It is my blessing to be able to share Her Majesty's worries, but Her Majesty is not feeling well. It would be better for her not to take care of the chores for now and just take good care of the pregnancy." Zhao looked worried.
This is not entirely fake.
After all, she is from the Queen's lineage, and she knows that it is impossible for her to be favored suddenly. The only one she can rely on in this life is the Queen. Only when the Queen is well, can she be well.
No matter what, Zhao hoped that the queen would give birth to this baby safely.
"I want to take good care of my pregnancy, but look at Concubine Wende. I'm afraid she is coveting my position as empress. First there were rumors in the palace, and then there was a New Year's Eve banquet to invite her to my favor. How can I let her help manage the affairs of the six palaces?"
"She has the Emperor's eldest son, so it's inevitable that she might have some inappropriate thoughts. I will never let her have her way!"
When Concubine Wende was mentioned, the Queen's expression darkened.
"Your Majesty, calm down. In my opinion, the eldest prince is weak and sickly. It is still unclear whether he can be raised. You should give birth to this baby first. Whether it is a prince or a princess, he will always be a support."
Concubine Zhao advised.
What she said makes sense. Having a princess is better than having no children at all.
The queen listened anyway.
"You are loyal to me, and I will not treat you badly. When new people enter the palace next year, the emperor will definitely promote the old people. By then, my baby will be born, and I will definitely guarantee you a concubine position. Based on your seniority, you deserve it."
"I thank the Queen for promoting you. I will serve you without hesitation!"
Concubine Zhao looked very happy and quickly stood up and knelt to express her gratitude.
I helped look at the account books in Fengqi Palace for half a day before going back.
However, the Queen specifically asked her to go and see Yang Wanrong on her behalf.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Yang had just moved out of Fengqi Palace. She was no longer under anyone's supervision, so it was inevitable that she would be watched more closely.
After leaving Fengqi Palace, Zhao's maid pouted.
"Jieyu helped the Queen with all the work, but she didn't even have a lunch with her. It's too..."
"Shut up!" Concubine Zhao scolded, "You don't think you can talk about the Queen so casually. Be careful about this in the future. If you can't speak, don't follow me."
"I know. I just feel bad for Concubine Jieyu. Lin Xiurong didn't do anything, but she was just Xiurong. When she entered the palace, she was the same as Concubine Jieyu. After so many years, if the Queen really wants to help you, why can't she just give you a concubine?"
"Okay, you don't have to say anything more, I know what's going on." Concubine Zhao frowned.
Although he didn't show it on his face, he still took it in to some extent.
Yes, if there are new people entering the palace next year, I'm afraid there will be many nine concubines in the first batch. Even if she enters, what does it matter
Things like qualifications also depend on what position you have achieved.
No one knew what Zhao was thinking, but she was still very obedient and serving the queen.
From then until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Ning Chen did not enter the harem. He even just sat for a while at the family dinner on the fifteenth day and then left.
It was also at this time that news came from the harem that there was a snowstorm in the south.
We were busy with this matter before, but Kyoto is in the north and the two places are far apart, so we sent ministers to the south to investigate, and the information has only been reported back now.
It is said that the situation is not optimistic.