"Look at Xiurong's appearance. Did he win another battle today?"
Nan Zhi smiled and brought two plates of fresh fruits, making a joke.
The one who went with them today was Huiyue, who also smiled, "We are very good at Xiurong, so we are the ones who will win. You haven't seen Yi Xiuyuan and Fang Xiuyuan, they are very bad-mouthed."
"What they are talking about is just mocking the fact that I'm not pregnant. They worry about nothing every day. If I were really pregnant, they would be so anxious that they would be unable to sleep." Ye Jun rolled his eyes.
The women in the harem are not very good at talking. Apart from the two things about being spoiled and unable to have children, they can never come up with anything new to say.
She was tired of hearing it.
"Have you noticed that Fang Xiuyuan has been more active recently? Although she was slightly favored before, she never participated in the bickering between concubines, but now she always likes to interfere."
Ye Jun picked up a piece of watermelon with a silver fork and put it in his mouth, his words a little unclear.
Huiyue nodded, "I've noticed it too. I guess I can't sit still anymore."
"I always feel that she targets me more, but logically, Yi Xiuyuan is the biggest threat to her." Ye Jun said.
Nan Zhi thought for a moment and said, "I guess it's because we broke up with her. Didn't her maidservant who came with her as a dowry take the blame for her? The new one was named Nianwen, and the previous one was named Qiwen. It's still pronounced the same way."
"It must have been her that time, but she acted carefully and tried to clear herself of the crime once it was exposed. The Emperor also took into consideration her life-saving grace, and Yi Xiuyuan did not have a miscarriage, so she escaped the disaster."
Ye Jun narrowed his eyes slightly, still feeling uncomfortable when he thought of the false accusation that time.
In the end, Yao only lost a maid, so it was still a good deal for her.
If the plan had succeeded, I would have been the one to die, not Yao's maid.
"A dog that doesn't bark is more likely to bite. Fang Xiuyuan and I have a grudge against each other. She is very cunning. I just need to be more careful in the future."
Huiyue and Nanzhi nodded.
Having stayed in the palace for a long time, I have seen a lot of private matters and now I am very careful.
As for these monsters and demons, they will inevitably come and Ye Jun is not a coward, so he will deal with them all when they come.
For the next few days, the wind direction in the harem was very strange.
It can’t be said to be weird, it’s just an unprecedented rule.
Ning Chen strictly followed the Empress Dowager's request of treating all concubines equally and visited one concubine for one day.
Whether it was sleeping with the emperor or having meals with him, he would go to see her every other day.
Starting from the Queen, they are Concubine Shu, Concubine Jing, Wang Xiuyi, Fang Xiuyuan, Yi Xiuyuan, Concubine Xia, and Cui Baolin.
Yes, just picked out Ye Jun and Chen Jieyu.
The reason is that these two have already been seen.
After all the operations, half a month had passed and the Double Ninth Festival would be held in one day.
On the eighth day of September, the emperor went nowhere.
However, he did say that he would return to the palace after the Double Ninth Festival, and would probably leave on September 15th.
I have been away for several months to escape the summer heat, and it would be a shame to stay away for too long without going back.
Perhaps because the Mid-Autumn Festival was such a lively occasion and another banquet was held less than a month later, people’s enthusiasm was not as high.
At the banquet, Ning Chen mostly talked to the ministers and paid little attention to the concubines in the harem.
However, this could not stop the enthusiasm of the women in the harem.
Yi Xiuyuan came on stage and played a piece of music on the piano, and Cui Baolin danced.
Concubine Shu continued to use her usual method of letting her daughter compete for favor, and pushed the child to recite a poem to Ning Chen.
During the festive season, Ning Chen was in a good mood and was very considerate in giving rewards.
As for Ye Jun, she didn't prepare anything, but she was fighting enthusiastically with the crabs on the plate on the table.
The crabs in September are plump and the kitchen prepares several flavors of crabs including spicy, steamed, and braised, which are really delicious.
Ning Chen's eyes drifted over from time to time, always wanting to say something.
But Ye Jun was too conspicuous at the last Mid-Autumn State Banquet. If he were to be mentioned again at this moment, it would inevitably seem like too much favor.
The emperor can favor his concubines, but if he favors them too much, his ministers will always have something to say.
He felt annoyed when he heard this, and what was worse was that it would inevitably implicate Ye Jun.
Yes, now Ning Chen has begun to think more about her involuntarily.
The banquet was going smoothly, the Queen Mother suddenly said.
"I haven't seen the princes and princesses for a long time. Today is a festive day. Bring them all to me. I am old now and always like to see my children and grandchildren. Look at how beautiful the eldest princess is. She can even recite poems. Time flies. I am old."
"If mother wants to see it, just ask them to bring it here." Ning Chen said obediently.
The grandmother wants to see her grandchildren, why stop her
The queen carefully warned, "The wind is cool at night, and the garden is cold. When you bring the children here, keep them safe and don't let them get cold."
Only the older princess was present at the banquet; the other children were not brought along and were staying in their respective residences.
The Queen Mother looked at her, smiled, took her daughter-in-law's hand and patted it, "The Queen is thoughtful. Although she has no children, she is very good at taking care of them."
It was hard to tell whether this was a compliment or an insult.
But when the elders speak, praise is also insult, and insult is also praise, and the queen has to bear it.
"This is what a daughter-in-law should do. As the legitimate mother, all the children in the harem are my children. I should take good care of them." The queen sounded very gentle.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law look like a loving couple.
In less than half an hour, several princes and princesses were brought in.
These kids are still young, but they were woken up by the servants and are now more energetic.
Of course, the eldest prince must be eliminated here.
The child looked sickly. Although his complexion was fine, his eyes seemed unable to open and he looked weak.
The almost two-year-old child looks the same age as the second princess, who is half a year younger than him.
The empress dowager was obviously prepared. After looking at each child, she rewarded each one with a jade pendant engraved with the words "happiness" and "longevity".
"No wonder the Queen looks a little tired. It's because she took such good care of the eldest prince." The Queen Mother said, and waved her hand again, "Tell the eldest prince to come forward and hug him."
The wet nurse understood, bent down, put the child down, and coaxed him to walk forward.
Nanny Fu immediately stepped forward to protect her.
The eldest prince walked over slowly, still a little unsteadily, and called the stranger in front of him "Imperial Grandmother" in a baby voice.
"Oh, good boy, let the Empress Dowager hug you." The Queen Mother responded with a smile.
Pick up your grandson and sit him on your lap.
The eldest prince is thin and small, so he really doesn't need to exert any effort.
"Emperor, the Queen has been taking care of this child for a long time. It is inevitable that she is tired. There are many affairs in the harem that require the Queen to take care of. She just had a miscarriage and needs to be taken care of. I am lonely in the Cining Palace alone. Why not take the eldest prince to me to take care of him? It will also help the Queen to recover and get pregnant again soon and give birth to a legitimate son."
At this point, everyone saw what was going on.
This was definitely not a sudden idea of the Queen Mother. She must have had this thought for a long time and just took the opportunity to say it out loud today.