Time flies, and it is already early March.
The date set by the Ministry of Rites in February is that this year's draft will begin on March 12 and last for one month.
So in early March, Kyoto was already very lively.
Beautiful girls from all over the country gathered together, and it was said that all the major jewelry and clothing shops were crowded every day.
If we were to say what was the most humane thing about Nanqi, it would be that the selection of women was voluntary and there was no requirement for daughters from official families to force themselves to participate.
Otherwise, Ye Lian, who just reached the age this year, would not be able to escape.
Ning Chen has been very busy these past two days and has not been to the harem for half a month. The harem, which had been a little quieter because of his absence, became lively at the beginning of the month because of the upcoming talent show.
It was also a greeting, the Queen suddenly brought it up.
"The list of the beauties entering the palace this year has been handed in. I've taken a look and found that they are all talented and pretty girls. You should all be friendly to the newcomers and don't bully them. It's rare to have a few new faces in the palace, and it's also a good opportunity for the emperor to have more branches and leaves."
"Oh, Your Majesty, you should just talk to Ming Xiurong alone about this. We are the kind of people who would bully others. The one who should control his temper the most is Ming Xiurong." Concubine Shu said sarcastically.
Ye Jun glanced at her, and then a sneer appeared on his lips.
"I have had this temper since I was a child. I have been in the palace for three years and I have never changed. But I always believe in keeping my distance. If you don't provoke me, I won't bother to pay attention to you."
Then his eyes turned and looked towards the main seat again.
"But if someone breaks the palace rules first, I won't let them do whatever they want, Queen, don't you think?"
This is very clear.
I won't offend anyone unless they offend me, but if anyone dares to provoke me, I will not be polite to them.
Changing your temper? Forget about it in this lifetime.
The queen lowered her eyes, chuckled and shook her head, "You, you, no wonder the emperor likes you. You always have this childish mentality, very straightforward. The palace has always been clear about rewards and punishments. Ming Xiurong himself should also pay attention to it."
"Thank you for your reminder, Your Majesty. I will definitely abide by the palace rules." Ye Jun curled her lips and nodded slightly.
The beating here was almost over, and the queen turned her attention to the other side.
"De Fei, how is the Second Prince doing these days? I haven't seen the child for a while."
"In reply to your Majesty, the Second Prince is in good health and growing very fast. He can now walk steadily and speak. He called me mother yesterday, which made me very happy."
When she said this, Concubine Jingde became gentle, and the smile in her eyes was warm and sincere.
Looking at her appearance, she treats the Second Prince as her own son.
However, her expression full of maternal love was very painful to the Queen's eyes.
She also had a miscarriage, but she still has no children. However, Concubine De has the second prince. How can she feel comfortable when the path she originally prepared for herself is taken away by someone else
But even so, the queen could only suppress the reluctance in her heart and smile, acting generous and virtuous.
"That's good. Concubine De, you have never given birth before. This is your first time raising a child, so you have to be more careful. Although the Second Prince is not your biological son, raising him is still a great favor."
Hearing this, the smile on Concubine Jingde's face gradually faded.
"Thank you for your concern, Madam. I am not so lucky to have the relationship with the Second Prince as a mother and son. It is really the mercy of the Emperor. I am not as good as you, Madam, who can give birth to a child yourself."
The queen's eyes turned cold and she narrowed her eyes. Although she was still smiling, her voice became deeper.
"I am the queen. All the princes and princesses are my children. Whether they have children or not, I have children."
"Of course." Concubine Jingde nodded with a smile.
Everyone was listening quietly nearby and noticed subtle changes in Concubine De.
In the past, Concubine Jingde was always a good person. She never argued with anyone easily and was respectful to her superiors and tolerant to her subordinates. But today, she and the Queen exchanged some sarcastic words in words and deeds.
This didn't happen before.
As expected, people change. With the second prince as her child and herself promoted to one of the four first-rank concubines, Concubine Jingde gradually gained more confidence.
Afterwards, the Queen no longer focused on Concubine De alone, but asked about the recent situation of several other princes and princesses.
Also, the third prince is going to hold his first birthday party this month.
Yi Shunrong could handle everything on her own. The Queen intended to interfere, but Yi Shunrong was favored, had a family, and had a son. She was very confident and didn't let her interfere.
The queen couldn't force him, so she had to give up in the end.
After the greetings, the Queen left Zhang Wanrong alone.
Concubine Shu was so angry, but there was nothing she could do.
Last year, Zhang went to the Queen's side without her knowledge, and she was ridiculed a lot during those days. However, the Queen protected Zhang, and she was unable to vent her anger on Zhang.
Now she could only secretly be thankful that Zhang had no leverage over her. She had only lost face, and had not suffered any other losses.
Yuxiu Pavilion.
Ye Jun came back on foot.
In early March, the flowers were in full bloom. I picked some beautiful ones on my way back, thinking of putting them in a vase.
Not long after she arrived at Yuxiu Pavilion, someone from Jiuchen Palace came to tell her that the emperor had summoned her to serve lunch at noon.
It's still early now. Lunch will take at least two hours.
Since there was plenty of time, Ye Jun was no longer in a hurry. He sent the people away and started to do his own things.
A few days ago, I suddenly had the idea of making bookmarks. Today, I happened to pick some flowers and make them into dried flower bookmarks. They will definitely look beautiful.
Huiyue and Nanzhi helped her, finding thick white paper and wooden boards for pressing things down, and the group of people were busy and having a lot of fun.
I waited until the time was almost up before changing my clothes and preparing to go to Jiuchen Palace.
She had deliberately set out a little earlier and was planning to walk there.
Nowadays, she spends more time sitting, doesn’t exercise on weekdays, and eats well. After the new year, she really feels that she has gained a little weight.
If I don't find opportunities to exercise more, I'm afraid I'll have to use the word "plump" to describe my appearance.
As Ye Jun walked forward, Nian Gao followed her happily, as if he was paving the way.
Bai Zhu wanted to take it back, but the dog was smart. When it saw Bai Zhu approaching, it rushed out like a little cannonball, stood far away, and waited for someone to come over.
Get closer, and do it again.
It seems like a joke.
In the end, Ye Jun was amused and decided to take him along.
So, Huai'an, who was guarding outside the Jiuchen Palace, saw from a distance that Ming Xiurong was coming with Huiyue, Bai Shu, and a big white dog.
Everyone knows that Ming Xiurong has a dog, which was given to her by the emperor, but why did she bring the dog with her when she came to see the emperor
Ye Jun was calm. When he walked outside, he smiled and said, "Please tell the eunuch that I will accompany the emperor for lunch."
"Xiu Rong, please go in quickly. The emperor is waiting. Lunch will be served soon." Huai'an hurriedly bent over to open the door.
But as soon as the door opened, Nian Gao jumped in first.
Huai'an was horrified and rushed in to see, only to see that Nian Gao had already run to the desk, wagging his tail and circling around the emperor.