concubines

Chun Wangfu.

Li Chen pulled Qi Yunruo to sit on the chair, he looked at Qi Niqun, and repeated: "Who is the princess going to arrest? What happens after arrest?"

Mrs. Zhao looked at her daughter nervously, Li Chen said calmly: "Madam, Uncle Ziyang may be in a hurry after you have been out for so long."

Mrs. Zhao didn't want to leave, so she forced a smile and said, "Some family matters will make the prince laugh."

Qi Niqun was dripping with cold sweat, and she tremblingly said: "My lord, you have to understand that if your wife's dowry goes wrong in this way, people will not only laugh at me, but you will also laugh at me! A disgrace to the palace."

Mrs. Zhao nodded, "My lord, you have to understand that there are already countless people in Beijing talking about you, saying that you have mutilated important ministers and plundered military achievements. In the past, there are still rumors that you took your male pet to the war. Now if you take your skirt The dowry was given to this male favorite..."

Li Chen looked at Madam Zhao and interrupted her: "Madam, are you threatening me?"

Mrs. Zhao seemed to be choking, and suddenly lost her words.

Qi Niqun said sharply: "My lord, are you really not afraid of being ridiculed?"

"As long as this king is unwilling, no one dares to comment on the private affairs of Prince Chun's residence, but if this king can't even ask the concubine for the property of the person he loves, what is the use of being a prince!"

Mrs. Zhao's face was pale, she was the one who kept Uncle Ziyang from coming to the palace this time, when they received the letter yesterday, Uncle Ziyang locked himself in the room without even eating, but Mrs Zhao couldn't sit still, hurriedly Hurry to find Qi Yunruo, intending to use his identity to force him to give up this matter, but unexpectedly, not only Qi Yunruo is sharp-tongued, but the prince is also on his side.

Qi Niqun was still in the final struggle, and forced a smile: "My lord, you and I are both prosperous and we are both prosperous and ruined, why do you have to do this for such a..."

"Princess," Li Chen interrupted her, "be careful what you say."

Qi Niqun couldn't say anything for a while, Li Chen stood up and patted Qi Yunruo, Qi Yunruo also stood up and followed behind him, Li Chen said: "Princess, the situation in the palace has been tense these days, if it is not necessary , it’s better not to invite guests to stay longer.”

Qi Yunruo walked behind Li Chen, there were only the two of them on the long water corridor, Qi Yunruo lowered his head, Li Chen's footsteps stopped, Qi Yunruo bumped straight into it.

Li Chen sighed and asked, "Xiao Qi, what are you thinking about?"

"My lord... I'm worried, what you did just now, if Ziyangbo's mansion..." Qi Yunruo touched his forehead.

Qi Yunruo was full of worries, Li Chen just said "Yes", turned around and continued walking.

The lake water lightly hit the wooden corridor, making a melodious sound. Qi Yunruo's footsteps were hidden in the flowing sound. Qi Yunruo saw from a distance that Guanhe Tingzhou was still being expanded, and the craftsmen carried the wood in. The craftsman carved the dowry for Qi Niqun, and the most delicate marigolds were on the food box.

Qi Niqun is the wife that the prince justifiably married, and she is the most qualified person to stand beside the prince. Qi Yunruo looked at the back of Li Chen walking in front, and suddenly laughed, but now, he also wants to be that person, and will always be there. Be by the prince's side, be protected by him, support him, care about him, and love him.

He would be more qualified than Qi Niqun.

Li Chen turned around and waved at Qi Yunruo.

Qi Yunruo smiled, and trotted over. Li Chen stretched out his arms and put them on Qi Yunruo's shoulders, and the two continued walking.

When Madam Zhao returned to Uncle Ziyang's mansion, the servant girl walked over with a very uneasy expression and said softly, "Master has been looking for you for a long time."

Mrs. Zhao froze for a moment, but then she regained her composure. Didn't the master know that she withheld the money back then, and didn't she just let herself do it?The money was not only given to Qi Niqun as a dowry, the master also gave it to Qi Danxia, ​​and even left a portion for Qi Ruxue.

Madam Zhao calmed down, sat on a chair and drank a cup of tea, Qi Suxiao came over, Madam Zhao didn't speak, Qi Suxiao said: "You have been to Prince Chun's Mansion."

Madam Zhao nodded, "So what?"

Qi Suxiao looked at her coldly, "Have you gone to find Qi Yunruo?"

Mrs. Zhao was a little timid under his gaze, but she nodded and said, "Yes."

"What happened after that?" Qi Suxiao sneered, "Did he follow your wishes and obediently not pursue it? Was he afraid of you, or the skirt?"

Mrs. Zhao said: "Master, what do you mean by this? Have you ever stopped me? Didn't the master yesterday be helpless, if I didn't go, what if he really went to find Qu'er? How could Qu'er handle him alone? Back then..." Mrs. Zhao wanted to repeat the old story, but she remembered that the master had reminded her that she was the one who first asked Qi Yunruo to marry him, so she was dumbfounded.

Qi Suxiao said lightly: "What happened after that?"

This time Mrs. Zhao was silent for a long time, before she said with difficulty: "My lord, our good son-in-law, stood by Qi Yunruo's side and told us to hand over the things."

Qi Suxiao's face was calm, and he nodded to show that he knew.

Mrs. Zhao remembered one thing, which was often ignored by her, sometimes even if she remembered it, she was unwilling to think about it, she asked: "Master, you acquiesced in that incident back then... right? Do you think the emperor will, will he..."

"No!" Qi Suxiao said lightly, "Because he is the emperor."

Mrs. Zhao didn't speak any more, Qi Suxiao said: "You don't have to worry about this matter anymore, wait until I see him in person."

"The master wants to go to the palace in person?!"

Qi Suxiao said: "Madam doesn't need to ask about this matter anymore."

For Qi Suxiao, Qi Yunruo is not the one who would anger his children because of the consequences of what happened back then, but he doesn't want to admit Qi Yunruo's existence, so Qi Yunruo, he only has one year after another. Indifference... If there is no Qi Yunruo, the end of that matter will be more satisfactory.

After the death of General Qi Ranqi, the emperor may have thought that Qi Suxiao was just a young man in his weak years, so he took action.But Qi Suxiao got used to seeing life and death in the Northwest for a few years, and sharpened his mind. His eyes are too poisonous. The first time Shui Linglong appeared, Qi Suxiao saw through her and the people behind her.

Qi Suxiao just didn't refuse the beauty's approach, he could even know the emperor's next move through Shui Linglong's behavior, but he hated Shui Linglong, from the beginning to the end, he had countless ways to make Shui Linglong Falling in love with him is like holding a person to the highest point and then letting go of his hands. His eyes are indifferent as he watches Shui Linglong slowly wither until she dies.

This is his revenge.

Qi Niqun sat in the room for a long time, and she also didn't sleep all night. The crying of her youngest daughter in the side room made her upset. Before dawn, she asked someone to prepare clothes and prepare to enter the palace.

Although Qi Niqun didn't understand it very well, she now knew that she couldn't go to the queen. Like last time when she went to beg the queen, the queen made the matter so big that she couldn't end it. Qi Niqun knew that the prince was raised by the queen mother Yes, he will only listen to what the queen mother says.

Qi Niqun asked someone to prepare a car and sedan chair to enter the palace. Of course, she had met the Queen Mother some time ago and greeted the Queen Mother, but for some reason, the Queen Mother was not close to her. Concubine Su is different. After all, King Chun and the Queen Mother should be the closest, but the Queen Mother has the same attitude towards the four princesses, so Qi Niqun feels displeased, and no longer takes the initiative to pay her respects.

Qi Niqun specially dressed very plainly, when Liufang and Liubai put on jewelry for her in the morning, Qi Niqun threw the golden butterfly hairpin on the ground viciously, she looked in the mirror, and it took a long time to calm down, That long hairpin belonged to Mrs. Qi Yunruo!She searched through the jewelry box for a long time, and found an amethyst peony pendant bead walker. This walker is finely crafted, the crystal is clear and flexible, and the amethysts come from the south. It is not suitable for ordinary people to wear. The two pearls were round and plump—Madam Zhao didn't show the brochure to Qi Niqun, and Qi Niqun thought that this kind of pearl would never be something a prostitute could have, so she stuck it on her head.

Qi Niqun was waiting to be summoned outside the Ci'an Palace. She had already thought up her speech along the way. For the sake of her grandson's face, the Empress Dowager Lan would stop him no matter what.

An elderly palace man came out and said, "Princess, the Queen Mother invites you in."

Qi Niqun forced a smile, "Thank you, Auntie."

The Empress Dowager Lan did not ask concubines and princesses to greet her every day. When Qi Niqun entered, the palace was empty, and there were not many maids and eunuchs serving. The Empress Dowager Lan sat on a chair drinking tea and said with a smile: "Come and sit down!" Down."

Qi Niqun collected herself, but did not sit down, she took a few steps forward and knelt in front of the Empress Dowager Lan, bowed her head and said, "My grandson-in-law is here to greet you."

Empress Dowager Lan said gently: "Get up and sit next to Aijia."

Qi Niqun said: "The daughter-in-law is here to beg you, if there is anyone in this world who can persuade the prince, it is only you."

The Empress Dowager Lan calmly took the cup brought by the court lady, fixed her eyes on the jewelry on Qi Ni's skirt, and took a sip of tea.

Qi Niqun said: "Speaking of it, it's all the grievances of the previous generation. We have a concubine in the palace, who is the younger brother of the granddaughter-in-law. The prince loves him very much. The queen mother should have heard of it. A few days ago, the prince was away. Because he caused gossip. The granddaughter-in-law's parents were afraid that the granddaughter-in-law would marry into the royal family, and the dowry would be ridiculed by others, so they added a few things left by the grandson's concubine's biological mother to the dowry... Now the grandson's concubine is blackmailing the granddaughter-in-law My parents want us to hand over these belongings, my granddaughter-in-law is not stingy with money, but I am afraid that if something happens, people will look at me, and the prince and Prince Chun's house will lose face, so my granddaughter-in-law can only come to beg you."

The Queen Mother Lan only looked at the amethyst on her head, and said slowly: "What does your prince say?"

Qi Niqun lowered her head, and began to hesitate between words, "The lord... the lord was confused by the grandson's daughter-in-law, and now he can't listen to the grandson-in-law's words. Now in the palace, only the grandson-in-law wants to maintain his glory, and the grandson's brother-in-law only knows that he wants to be honored." Money needs things, regardless of the difficult situation that the prince is in now, he can't stand the turmoil at all. A few days ago, the prince even moved the eldest and young master to the front yard, and lived in the same room with his grandson-in-law and concubine brother..."

"En." The Queen Mother Lan nodded.

Qi Niqun gritted her teeth and said: "Queen Mother, my grandson really has no choice but to beg you to make the decision. When the matter is settled, my grandson is willing to hand over all the dowry, but now..."

The old aunt beside the Queen Mother Lan, Yunping suddenly said: "Isn't this the purple peony step that the Queen Mother used to wear back then?"

Qi Niqun was stunned suddenly, her eyes widened in disbelief.

Aunt Yunping smiled and said: "Just now, this old servant thinks it looks like it. It must be true. This old servant remembers that the peony is still worn on the empress's head. The emperor saw it and asked you to go, but he didn't see the peony. It was worn on the head of which empress... Could it be that the emperor gave it to Uncle Ziyang?"

The Empress Dowager Lan didn't answer, she just smiled lightly.

Qi Niqun's eyes wandered aimlessly, she seemed to understand that yesterday's mother and Qi Yunruo that little bitch said that Shui Linglong was sent by the emperor, could it be that the emperor gave Shui Linglong this step?Qi Niqun said: "The Empress Dowager..."

Empress Dowager Lan said: "In the final analysis, these are all your family affairs. If there is anything you can't talk about between husband and wife, I'm afraid it will make me, an old woman, talk more and more chaotically. Your prince is not an unreasonable person, um...afternoon The Ai family announced that he would come into the palace to ask questions."

Qi Niqun's heart was already in a mess, she felt that the steps on her temples were slapping her face, she twisted the handkerchief, regretting that she had worn it out, and was afraid that the prince would be angry if he found out, she wanted to tear it off now Qi Yunruo, he did all of this!Why did the lord want to help him!I am the prince's wife, shouldn't the prince help me?

Empress Dowager Lan didn't intend to continue talking, Qi Niqun had no choice but to stand up, saluted and said: "The granddaughter-in-law is now stepping down."

Empress Dowager Lan nodded, Qi Niqun left, Aunt Yunping sent her back, and sighed softly, Empress Dowager Lan's expression was somewhat amused: "Could it be that Chen'er really fell in love with someone?"

Aunt Yunping frowned and said: "However, if there is any scandal about the dowry at this time, I'm afraid it will really be detrimental to His Royal Highness Chun Wang."

"Hey," Empress Dowager Lan waved her hand, "Chen'er knows a lot."

After Qi Niqun returned home, she entered Dongmei Courtyard and closed the courtyard door tightly. She heard her little daughter Ying'er start crying again from a distance, and shouted: "What is nurse doing!"

Yan'er, who was already walking quickly, took her younger sister Chu'er's hand and walked over slowly to greet her. Qi Niqun rubbed her forehead with a headache, and said in a low voice, "Girls! Dongmei Courtyard is full of girls!"

If she had a son, who would dare to be rude to her? King Chun is the eldest son of the emperor, and his own son is also the eldest son of King Chun... Now who in the capital would dare to be disrespectful to the queen!Who dares to be disrespectful to Queen Mother Lan!Because their husband is the emperor, one of their sons is already the emperor, and the other is the hottest prince.

"Where's the medicine?" Qi Niqun asked out of breath.

Yan'er asked childishly, "Mother, are you sick?"

Qi Niqun picked up the medicine bowl brought up by the maidservants, and gave her a cold look, Yan'er was trembling at the sight, and the maidservants hurriedly took the two young ladies out.

Qi Niqun finished the bowl of bitter medicine, Liufang sighed, "This is already the third doctor's prescription."

Qi Niqun rubbed her lower abdomen, "As long as I can give birth to a son, I will try any doctor."

Liu Fang didn't continue to speak. Ever since the third lady was born, the princess has sent someone out to find a doctor to take care of her body. She must give birth to a son for her next child. She drank the bitter medicine for several months, but the prince has not yet returned to Dongmei after returning from the expedition. How can the princess conceive a child if she has stayed in the hospital?

Qi Niqun said: "Chu'er is the concubine's daughter and the imperial concubine's princess. They have different identities. What is the identity of Yan'er's mother! We will raise them separately in the future!" Qi Niqun said displeasedly, "Concubine daughters should have The appearance of a concubine, she should salute when she sees Chu'er in the future, she always makes no distinction between superiority and inferiority, making people laugh."

"Yes."

In the afternoon Li Chen went into the palace in response to the imperial edict, while Qi Yunruo waited for Fang Ge who had been away for two days.

Fang Ge said: "That is a nunnery in the suburbs of Beijing, named Miaoxin Nunnery. Mrs. Si enshrined a lamp for a young girl named Si Yuer who died young."

"Mrs. Si must hate the mother and daughter of the Zhu family so much. How could she light lamps for the children of the Zhu family? And... Madam Si has been eating vegetarian food and praying to Buddha for so many years. There must be some reason." Qi Yunruo pondered.

Fang Ge smiled, "The lower official asked an old nun in the nunnery to make sure that the ever-burning lamp was indeed lit for this Si Yuer a few years ago, but in recent years, Mrs. Si changed the lamp."

"What do you mean?"

Fang Ge said: "At first Mrs. Si lit an ever-burning lamp with [-] catties of lamp oil per year, asking the Bodhisattva to bless the child who died prematurely to have a good pregnancy. But a few years ago, Mrs. Si changed to another show. She didn't say the name, and only let the nun Chant, pray for this person, and wish him all the best."

Qi Yunruo frowned and said, "Could it really be for Si De?"

Fang Ge laughed again, and said: "The matter is not over yet, my lord. One year, Mrs. Si went to offer incense to the Bodhisattva, and personally added oil to the ever-burning lamp. The nun heard Mrs. Si say that she begged the Bodhisattva to bless a woman who gave birth to a child smoothly. .”

Qi Yunruo's eyes widened, "That child, Si Yuer, she is not dead!"

Qi Yunruo sat down, sighed first, and then said: "If I guessed correctly, Mrs. Si wanted to harm this girl, and she always thought that this child was indeed dead, but later found out that she was still alive for some reason, and married someone... ...This girl should be Si De's only child."

Fang Ge nodded, "But now we don't know who this woman is."

Qi Yunruo stood up and walked around the room a few times before saying, "Let's go see Zierniang again."

When Zierniang heard Si Yuer's name, her face changed.

Qi Yunruo looked directly into her eyes, paused every word, "Did Mrs. Si murder that child back then?"

Zi'erniang said sharply: "That bitch asked for it!"

Qi Yunruo looked at her silently.

Zierniang calmed down, and said lightly: "Madam finally couldn't bear it anymore. When the master was going out, Madam took the opportunity to throw the child out on a snowy night... It was all asked for by that bitch. She hugged him all day. The child dangled in front of the madam, satirizing the madam for not being able to give birth to a child, and showing off the master's love for her all day... The child was gone, and she couldn't show it anymore. The madam threw the dagger in front of the master, saying that if the master wanted her life, Just stab her to death with a dagger, and she will pay for that child's life."

"...Afterwards, General Si went to the northwest and didn't come back for decades." Qi Yunruo said.

Zi'erniang mourned, "Lady, she was in great pain later. She was dressed in Jingchai cloth and became a vegetarian for half her life."

Qi Yunruo sighed softly: "That girl didn't die, she survived, married and had children."

Zierniang's eyes widened and her breathing was short, Qi Yunruo said, "You don't know about this?"

Zierniang shook her head, Qi Yunruo said: "I suspect that General Si intended to kill King Chun because of this girl who betrayed the imperial court, and it is very likely that Mrs. Si committed suicide because of this girl."

Zierniang suddenly let out a howl. She threw herself on the ground and beat the ground angrily, "Mr. Zhu! Mrs. Zhu! It was you who killed Madam! You will die!"

Si Yu'er was pregnant four years ago, four years ago... the dignitaries in the capital, who gave birth to a child... Qi Yunruo, with a messy head, was walking back to the Molian Courtyard when he suddenly had a flash of inspiration, the gift book!The congratulatory gifts sent from the palace are also recorded!The person Si Yuer marries must be of high status, most likely they are some of the princes in Beijing... Qi Yunruo ran to Su Ge and said anxiously: "Gift list! Find out all the gift lists for celebrating children's full moon and birthday all these years! "

Su Ge nodded, and immediately sent people out to find those gift books.

Qi Yunruo sat down wearily, and finally found a clue among the messy lines.