Perhaps due to the busy affairs of the previous dynasty, Ning Chen hardly left Jingqian Palace after the Double Ninth Festival, let alone summoned concubines to sleep with him.
There were some rumors, and I heard that they were busy with the affairs of the imperial merchants.
Although Ning Chen trusts the Chu family, he will not let the Chu family dominate the market. Not only him, but others will not agree with that either.
So during this time, we were very busy trying to improve the imperial merchant system.
However, the process of returning to the palace was not delayed and was still scheduled for September 15th.
As usual, just like when we came, we left early in the morning in the dark.
Although it's September, it's still a bit hot.
They arrived at the destination at noon, and this time Ye Jun slept comfortably in the carriage.
The configuration of the concubine position is better. Although Xiurong and Jieyu are only one level apart in rank, the situation is different after crossing the watershed. The carriage is much more spacious.
The queen was considerate of everyone and ordered the carriage to go directly into the palace. If it could be delivered to a certain place, it would be the best. If it couldn't be delivered, it would be sent to a closer place to save the trouble of walking.
After all, the palace is not like a garden, where there are shade trees everywhere.
There is a small road in front of Yuxiu Pavilion, and the carriage cannot pass through it, so it can only stop at a distance.
However, Lumei and Luhe, who stayed behind in the palace, were ready early in the morning and had a sedan chair waiting for them.
Nor did he ask her to leave on her own.
When I entered Yuxiu Pavilion, I found that the configuration of the courtyard had been changed a lot.
They are all based on her preferences and aesthetics.
"Xiurong has been promoted. The Ministry of Internal Affairs sent the goods several days ago. All the things that should be arranged according to the regulations have been replaced with new ones. Does Xiurong like it?" Lumei said with a smile.
When they heard in the palace that their master had been promoted to the ninth concubine, they were extremely happy.
She was promoted to concubine even before she gave birth or made any achievements. This was real favor.
Ye Jun looked around, was quite satisfied, and nodded.
"You two have worked hard to stay in the palace and guard Yuxiu Pavilion. Today I come back and give you a reward, the same as the others who went with them, twenty taels of silver each. The rest will get ten taels."
For a moment, everyone in Yuxiu Pavilion was filled with joy, and all of them were expressing their gratitude by saying auspicious words.
It was lunch time, and I didn't have time to say anything else. The kitchen delivered the meal without any delay.
Everyone was in a hurry when they just came back. Not many people could have lunch on time, and Ye Jun was one of them.
Fang Xiuyi of Weiruixuan, as well as Lady Xia, Cui Baolin, and even Concubine Chen were all half an hour late.
Of course, Ye Jun doesn’t care about all this, as long as he has something to eat.
After lunch, while drinking digestive tea, he called Lumei and Luhe in for questioning.
I have not been in the palace for so long, so I need to familiarize myself with the situation.
"Did Concubine Su reveal her pregnancy herself, or did the Queen Mother reveal it after she found out?"
Lu He answered first, "Xiu Rong, do you remember Zheng Baolin who entered the palace with you? She lived in Fuyuan Pavilion, next to Su Jieyu's Feihong Pavilion. It was Zheng Baolin's personal maid Feicui who had an argument with Baicao who was beside Su Jieyu. Baicao was quick to speak and let the news slip. However, before the news spread widely, Su Jieyu invited the imperial physician that day and then said that she was pregnant."
"Well, the imperial physician also said that Concubine Su was angered by Zheng Baolin's maid and had a miscarriage. For this, the empress dowager fined Zheng Baolin one month's salary and confined him to his room for one month." Lumei added.
Ye Jun lowered her eyes slightly, "So, Concubine Su and Zheng Baolin are not on good terms?"
Lu Mei nodded, "I later found out that they were not on good terms from the beginning. When Concubine Su first entered the palace, Zheng Baolin tried to make friends with her, but was humiliated. Since then, the two have never gotten along well. Originally, neither of them was favored. Although Concubine Su was in a higher position, she was unable to do anything to Zheng Baolin. Now that the difference is apparent, she always likes to secretly make things difficult for him."
During this period, many places had deliberately withheld funds from Fuyuan Pavilion at the instigation of Concubine Su.
Zheng Baolin was already out of favor, and he was fined monthly wages and confined to his home by the empress dowager, which made his life very difficult.
"I remember that Zheng Baolin also came from a military family, but his father was only a fifth-rank official sent to a remote place, so he was not very prominent." Huiyue said.
Because Ye Yun was not selected to enter the palace, she did not have the opportunity to interact with the concubines in advance.
Therefore, Huiyue and Nanzhi, under the instruction of Ye Yun's mother, Chu, learned a lot of information, including the details of the newcomers who entered the palace at the same time.
After hearing this, Ye Jun thought about it and said.
"Let's invite Lady Zhou to have lunch tomorrow. I haven't seen her for a long time."
Zhou was selected through a formal talent show, in the same batch as Zheng. They had to live together for nearly a month, and since they were together day and night, she should know more.
Everyone in the harem now knows that Concubine Su and Fang Xiuyuan are close, and Ye Jun has completely broken off relations with the Yao family. If someone can be arranged to keep an eye on Su, it will always be possible to better grasp the enemy's situation.
Judging from the verbal abuses Yao had given her in recent times, she didn't think Yao was just trying to piss her off.
After all, Qiwen, the maid who grew up with Yao, lost her life at Ye Jun's hands.
After asking about Concubine Su, Lumei also mentioned something else.
Lin Xiurong is not feeling well and feels like he won’t survive the winter.
"She has been ill since I entered the palace. I'm afraid she is too ill now. The emperor has been taking care of her and giving her a lot of good medicine. I guess she is really weak."
Ye Jun sighed a little, thinking that this was probably due to the miscarriage she had that year, and it hadn't healed in all these years.
Gynecological diseases are the most harmful to the body.
But it can be said that Lin Xiurong was also very powerful and was not someone who would swallow his anger. The first time he took action, he touched the empress dowager's niece, causing Chen to be stripped of her title, which has not been restored to this day. Later, he single-handedly brought down Zhao Jieyushi, who was a capable woman beside the empress.
This record is pretty good. If she were in good health, the fight might be even more exciting.
In one afternoon, Ye Jun heard a lot of big and small things in the palace.
But except for the first two, the rest are not very useful.
When she was bored, she ordered the servants to move the furnishings in the room slightly and rearrange them according to her wishes.
After all, the palace is hotter than Lingxi Garden. After finishing all these, I broke out in a thin layer of sweat.
So he simply ordered people to prepare water for bathing. After bathing, he rested for a while and it was just in time for dinner.
While I was washing, someone came outside.
The servants were also surprised, wondering why the emperor had come.
When he came in and saw no one, Ning Chen asked, "Are you guys getting your makeup done?"
"In reply to Your Majesty, I am feeling uncomfortable due to sweating after grooming. I am taking a shower now. I think I will be fine in another stick of incense. Your Majesty, please come in and sit down first?" Nan Zhi said.
"Yeah." Ning Chen nodded and went into the house and sat down.
Nan Zhi immediately served tea and snacks, then turned around and went to the bathroom to pass the message.
Huiyue was serving as the bathing attendant inside. When they heard that the emperor was coming, both the master and the servant were stunned.
Ye Jun was washing her hair and couldn't be in a hurry, so she asked Nan Zhi to go out first.
After an incense stick of time, he came out of the bathroom wearing pajamas.