Imperial City

Before the evening break, Wei Qi followed the rules and went to see the chief eunuch Liang Ju.

Prince Liangju followed the master, with a round face, small smiling eyes, fair skin, kind eyebrows and kind eyes, very gentle. He is a servant of the seventh rank, with gold feathers, wearing purple silk and satin clothes. Embroidered patch with quail.

Among the slaves in Xu Fu Palace, this person is of the highest rank, even the teaching mother, Shen Nai, is only from the seventh rank.

The two Liangxi and Liangxing are the eighth-rank eunuch and the ninth-rank eunuch respectively. Wei Qi entered the Xufu Palace and entered the rank after a few days, and he is only the lowest rank-nine eunuch.

Wei Qi knelt down to salute, Liangju didn't bark, but beat a few words with a straight face, but because of his kind face, he didn't look majestic.

He said a word, and Wei Qi respectfully responded, obedient and well-behaved, Liangju almost couldn't stand it.

After the new eunuch has a place to go, according to the rules, he needs to find an old eunuch to worship him as a teacher to learn the technical rules.

Seeing that Liangju is cowardly and cowardly, Wei Qi wants to worship him as his teacher, but Liangju says that he can only decide on this matter when he meets the second-rank leader, father-in-law Baishan, in the palace of the Concubine Defei tomorrow.

It was late, Wei Qi and the two men bowed and retreated.

On the second day at Yinshi, Wei Qi and others got up, and Liangju led the lobby of the main hall of Xufu Hall to greet Liang Guiji.

Concubine Lianggui called out, and the three of them retired from their errands, leaving Liangju and a few maids in the palace to wait on the master for breakfast.

The concubine De, who is in charge of the meeting, has already gone to the Queen's Residence of the Kunning Palace in the Central Palace, and the Queen will lead her to the Shoukang Palace to pay her respects to the Queen Mother.

Afterwards, I have to go back to Kunning Palace to pay my respects to the Empress Empress, and I'm afraid I won't be able to come back in an hour or two.

Concubine Lianggui's status is not high, she is not yet qualified to suffer such hardships, she just needs to pay her respects to Empress Defei.

At the hour of Chen, there was a movement in front of the gate of Chuxiu Palace, Liangxi entered the palace to report, and the moral concubine empress had returned.

Concubine Lianggui got up to tidy up her appearance, waited for half a cup of tea, and then led Liangju, Nanny Shen, first-class maid of honor and Wei Qi to the main hall of Chuxiu Palace.

Wei Qi followed behind Liangju, with his arms close to his sides, and he lowered his head into the middle of the room.

The main hall of Chuxiu Palace is five rooms wide, and the eaves are tall and grand, much more spacious than Xufu Hall.

The back of the main room is carved with nanmu boards and inlaid with a glass cover back. There is a ground platform in front of the cover. Incense tube.

Behind the green gauze cupboard on the west side is the west second room, and from this room to the west is the bedroom. The west second room is partitioned by rosewood carved Wanfu Longshou border inlaid with marble. If you are in the warm pavilion, you can see the second room through the small carved window cut out of the marble Everything, separated but not separated.

The concubine de concubine has packed everything up and is sitting on the golden nanmu rose armchair drinking calming tea.

Concubine Lianggui was blessed, with her hands on her left waist, her upper body straight, and she bowed her eyebrows and lowered her eyes to salute: "My concubine asks the concubine Defei to be well, and the concubine Defei is blessed with good fortune." Afterwards, Nanny Shen and the palace maid followed suit. .

It was Wei Qi's first time seeing Concubine De, so he had to kneel down and worship.

"Slave Liangju/Wei Qi asks the concubine to be safe, and the concubine to be blessed and safe." He and Liangju snapped the sleeves of the horseshoe, and kowtowed three times with both hands on the ground.

"Well, let's all get up." The empress of Defei is about 35 years old, with a silver face, big almond eyes, and a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes. She is wearing a pink satin woven colorful hundred-flower flying saucer brocade robe, combing her airy hair, wearing silver and gold plating Inlaid treasure butterfly hairpin and a light pink velvet flower, the bottom of the flowerpot is not on the feet, but the blue and white style shoes, I think I have changed my outfit just now, even if it is like this, it is already oppressive.

"Sister Liang came back earlier today. Sister, please sit down." She stretched out her well-maintained white jade hand and flicked it lightly. The azurite gold-plated ruby ​​​​armor covered the ring finger and little finger of both hands, and the fingers on the ground became more and more green. As slender.

"My concubine thank you for giving me the seat." Concubine Liang Gui gave another blessing, got up and was helped by Liang Yan to sit down on Concubine De, and the maid served tea.

The concubines and concubines below the seventh rank all call themselves slaves, and only those above the seventh rank can be called concubines or concubines.

Concubine Liang Gui took a sip, today she is wearing a royal blue satin embroidered robe with cloud and crane patterns, two combs, and only a white jade hairpin on her head.

According to the etiquette system of the harem, empresses wear bright yellow, imperial concubines wear dark yellow, noble concubines wear gold, and concubines wear pink. The lower the rank, the darker the dress.

"Your Majesty, at noon yesterday, the servants newly assigned to my concubine by the Supervisor of Rituals arrived, and today my concubine specially brought someone to greet you."

"Wei Qi." Concubine Lianggui called, Wei Qi took two steps forward and knelt down.

"Slave Wei Qi, please concubine Defei."

Concubine De put down the teacup, twirled the corner of her mouth with a plain veil, and took a look: "You look pretty, she's a likable one."

Wei Qi didn't dare to answer, everyone in the palace said that the concubine de concubine was gentle and gentle, but he wanted to see that the person in front of him was obviously a high-spirited nobleman, and Wen Wan was probably only facing that one person.

"Your Majesty's flattery is nothing more than a slave." Liang Guiji smiled apologetically, "This slave has just come to work with my concubine, and I haven't found a master yet. Look, Your Majesty...I don't know how the Liangju in my concubine's room is?"

Liangju stepped forward, and Baishan, who was behind Defei Empress, suddenly coughed.

"Baishan, what's the matter? But what's your idea?" Concubine De looked at the father-in-law, the leader of Chuxiu Palace beside her.

"Return to your mother's words." Bai Shan stepped forward, "Speaking of appreciating a teacher, I suddenly remembered that my apprentice Bai Lian had left his teacher last year, and he is short of an apprentice."

Concubine Liang Gui and other people in Xufu Hall changed their expressions slightly, and Concubine De pondered for a moment: "In that case, I will hand over Wei Qi to your apprentice."

"The servant thanked the mother for her kindness on Bailian's behalf." Baishan saluted and thanked her.

After all, Liang Guiji didn't object, she just smiled along with the words: "Your Majesty is lenient, it's a blessing for Wei Qi to worship under Baishan Gonggong's Aitu. Wei Qi, don't hesitate to thank me."

"Slave, Concubine Xie De's grace."

There was a bang of the head, and the dust settled.

The five masters and servants returned to the hall, Liang Guiji went straight to the west side of the main hall with a sullen face, and sat on the imperial concubine couch with her handkerchief thrown.

The second-class court lady Liang Xi saw that the master's expression was not good, knowing that she must have suffered from the concubine De's empress again, she held the tea and handed it over: "Master, let's have a sip of tea."

She bent down and raised the blue and white mountain water tea cup over her head, Liang Guiji took a sip, but she was out of breath and knocked the tea cup heavily on the mahogany kang table.

"No reason!"

Everyone knelt down: "Master, calm down."

"It's really deceiving people too much, even my slave who got it so hard will not let it go! I gave it to Baishan with one sentence, but did you ever put me in your eyes?"

"Master, don't be angry, you've been so angry that you've broken your body. That domineering man didn't happen in just a few days." Nanny Luo advised, looked around, and saw that the door of the palace was closed, and there was a good person guarding outside, so she went again Whispered:

Let's bear with it, she is old and has no children, and it will only take two or three years to get favored.What's more, there are empresses and empresses pressing down on them.

Where can it compare to you?Our princess is intelligent and filial, the Holy One is the most sympathetic. "

After hearing this, Liang Guiji thought of her well-behaved daughter, and lost most of her anger for a while.Her status is not high, so her temperament is cowardly, that is, she becomes tougher after losing her son and having a daughter.

Wei Qi retreated with Liangju, and walked to a secluded place behind Xufu Hall, Liangju looked at him and sighed: "When you meet that Bailian tomorrow, be careful yourself, you are still young, he dare not do anything to you .”

Wei Qi suddenly realized that it was like this, and that person had a bad reputation.

"Although he is a bit weird, his massage skills are the true teachings of Mr. Baishan. You should pay attention to learn it. It is always good to have more skills."

Wei Qi responded respectfully.

-------

one year later.

The days passed quickly, and it was another year of snow and severe winter, but Wei Qi no longer walked on thin ice like last year.

He has established himself in Xu Fudian now, and he is doing well.

Concubine Liang Gui thought highly of him, and he was responsible for writing all the bills in the palace, gift lists, and postings to the House of Internal Affairs.

When Wei Qitou wrote back the post, he deliberately wrote the words loosely and ugly, so Liang Guiji asked the concubine Defei for instructions, allowing him to study for an hour in the inner book hall every day.

Since the former dynasty, some civil servants have suggested that the duty of eunuchs is to serve the emperor, and their responsibilities are heavy, and there may be a lot of inconvenience if they cannot read.

However, after studying the books, the eunuchs gradually had their own views on political affairs. The favored imperial eunuch used words to influence the emperor and disturb the imperial court. It was the eunuchs who were trusted by the Ming emperor before his death.

Therefore, an order is issued today that all eunuchs who study books in the inner library are only required to be literate, and they are not allowed to be proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics, and they are not allowed to teach the meaning of the text with a pen. If there is any violation, they must be severely punished.

The eunuchs who study books in the inner study are all about ten years old, a total of 300 people, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs sends pens to teach.

Liang Xi and Liang Xing were already over ten years old when they entered the palace, so Wei Qi was the only one in Xu Fu Palace who could study calligraphy.

Although he knew it was just to practice calligraphy, Wei Qi was already very excited to have the opportunity to touch a pen and practice calligraphy.

It is absolutely impossible to say that two people with good deeds and good morals are not jealous of him, but Wei Qi feels very good, and he is always flattering and flattering when he speaks, and from time to time he will show his palms that are swollen by pen sticks, especially calling that person The two saw it.

In Liangxi's room, he only went to study for an hour a day and he was beaten like this. It is not a good place to come to the inner school, but fortunately they thought that learning calligraphy was easy and did not need to work.

In fact, the two of them didn't know that Wei Qi's injury was caused by hitting the wooden ruler by himself. He beat him twenty or thirty times a day, and he never softened his hand.

Although he doesn't deliberately stand out in the inner school, he doesn't pretend to be stupid. If Mr. Riri reprimands him, isn't it another kind of difference?

For the first three days, he beat himself like this every day, but he stopped doing it on the fourth day, because on the third day, the master called him to inquire about learning books in the inner library.

Even though Wei Qi kept covering up, Liang Guiji still saw the wound on his hand.

Besides, that bastard Youliang hangs around his master every day, he must seize the opportunity to tell his master how stupid he is, and he can't hide it.

It is inevitable to be punished in the first few days, but if you are punished every day, the master will feel that you are careless or too stupid, so it is embarrassing to use.

So after that, Wei Qi never hurt his palm again, but he was more careless to please Liang Xi.

Speaking of the slapping of palms, Wei Qi recalled that day when he met the current crown prince on the path behind the Neishutang.

But that day, after school in Neishutang, he sneaked to the bluestone path behind to beat his palms.This place is surrounded by lush flowers and trees, and because it is close to the Neishutang, few people detour and pass by.

The pen stickers and the eunuchs have all returned to their respective halls to perform their errands. At this time when there is no one around, Wei Qi didn't dare to delay any longer, so he raised the rough wooden ruler he made and slapped it into the heart of his left hand. While beating, he gasped softly.

No wonder he couldn't hold it back, it was really painful, and it was too miserable to beat himself.

Wei Qi endured tears, and exhaled deeply, and was about to strike again, when he suddenly heard a clear male voice coming from behind him.

"What are you doing to beat yourself up?"

Surprised, Wei Qi hid the wooden ruler and turned around, only to see a tall and slender man standing two or three feet behind him.

The man wears a purple straight gown with a gold silk spider pattern belt tied around his waist. His long hair hangs high behind his head and is fixed with a jade-encrusted gold crown. His left hand is behind his back, and his right arm is placed flat on his abdomen. Each wears a large and small white jade and jade ring finger.

The man rubbed his fingers and approached in a few steps, the gold inlaid turquoise palace sash worn around his waist collided with the white jade Pisces jade pendant, making a jingle.

The two young eunuchs behind him wanted to follow up, the man slightly raised his hand, and the two had no choice but to stop and wait.

Wei Qi knelt down with a plop, not daring to answer without authorization.This kind of luxuriously dressed person with jade hanging around his waist should be some prince or nobleman even if he is not a descendant of a dragon or a phoenix.

The footsteps gradually approached, and the man stopped a foot away from Wei Qi.

"Which servant in the palace is so ignorant of the rules. The master asked questions, but he didn't answer quickly." The eunuch behind him scolded.

How to answer this, is it possible to tell the truth?It's a trivial matter, the master may just ask it casually.

Wei Qi hadn't learned the rules very well at this time, and he was inevitably curious when he urinated. He knelt on the cold stone bricks and raised his eyes quietly to look at his master not far away.

This master is very handsome, about twenty years old, with sword eyebrows and starry eyes, straight nose, thin lips slightly pursed, not angry and majestic.

His back is straight and strong, like a martial artist, but with a pendant around his waist, he looks like a scribe.Wei Qiyi couldn't guess the origin of this person at the moment, but he could come and go freely in the palace in casual clothes, which prince should it be.

He glanced at Wei Qi, it was clearly just a light glance, but Wei Qi suddenly felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, making people breathless, his eyes were too fixed, bottomless.

He hastily lowered his head: "Responding to the master's words, the slave Chuxiu Palace mopped up the eunuch Wei Qi, and he just left the inner school for school.

Today, the slave's naughtiness made the master angry, so he was beaten several times.The servant thought that he was also beaten on the left and right, so he couldn't beat him in vain. If he beat him harder, he would let the servant return to Chuxiu Palace and not have to work as an errand. "

"Heh." There was a chuckle from above, or they felt that the child's words were immature and ridiculous, or they felt that although the slave's lies were clumsy, they were considered smart.

Wei Qi didn't know whether his master believed it or not, but he didn't know that it didn't matter, the important thing was that the words had already pleased the person in front of him.

As for the truth and falsehood in what he said, no one would care why he hit himself and why he lied.

The pendant ring jingles, the sound is clear and clear, gradually approaching.

Wei Qi knelt down on the ground and his heart was beating like thunder. Clear satin powder-soled boots passed beside him. They had square toes and long tubes, black satin, white soles, and four-clawed python patterns embroidered on them. They were extremely expensive.

Wei Qi trembled all over, his eyes were about to burst.

The man passed by, and the two eunuchs followed, leaving Wei Qi kneeling on the ground alone.

With five claws as a dragon and four claws as a python, he is actually a prince!

Wei Qi raised his head and looked at the back of the man. He was in his twenties, with a large figure. He was clearly a martial arts practitioner. Who else but the prince!

I didn't expect that the dignified prince would wander around the inner study hall in casual clothes, and he hadn't put on his clothes yet, leaving only two eunuchs to accompany him.

Stupid.

Several people walked away, Wei Qi got up.

Chaotic thief.

Pooh!

He clearly didn't spit out any saliva, but he still pretended to be angrily and slapped at the end of the trail in the distance.

If the servants in the palace disdain someone, they will spit like this once when they gossip behind their backs.

Since he entered the palace, apart from these many rules, the one he learned the best is this bah, Wei Qi felt that it was very resentful, and it was much more straightforward than those who used to care about mothers and maids.