ordinary people's house

In the afternoon, after Concubine Wan came to ask to see Xin, Yuan Ruheng leaned on the dragon bed and looked at the palace account books. The female official Yuechan came to report, Yuan Ruheng raised her head and said: "Just say that the palace has not woken up for an afternoon nap."

Yuechan said: "My queen, since Concubine Wan..."

Yuan Ruheng glanced at her sideways, and Yuechan immediately shut up and lowered her head.

Yuan Ruheng said indifferently: "What do you want to say? Concubine Wan took the initiative to show her kindness? If she took the initiative to show her kindness to the Palace, she has to continue?"

Yue Chan didn't speak, Yuan Ruheng put the account book on the table, stretched his waist and said to the little eunuch beside him, "Grind ink."

"Yes."

Yuechan retreated silently. Concubine Wan was wearing a big woolen dress and was waiting outside the palace. Yuechan came out of the East Palace and was the head of the maids in Zichen Palace. Concubine Wan asked expectantly: "Dare to ask?" Aunt, the queen, he..."

Yuechan said apologetically, "The queen has not woken up from her afternoon nap, so I ask Dowager Wan to go back to the palace first."

Concubine Wan's face turned gray quickly, but she didn't say much, and said to her maidservant: "Please, Sister Yuechan, please go."

The palace lady understood, stepped forward and squatted down, and stuffed a purse into Yuechan's sleeve. Yuechan smiled, saluted and retreated. They just acquiesced to these, and were even happy for them to take the property of the concubines.After returning to the palace, another court lady whispered: "This is only the first day, and the empress is going to take us under the knife."

Yue Chan pretended not to care and said, "I was wrong."

"Sister Yuechan, even if you misunderstood your meaning, the queen completely disregarded your face and told you not to step down in front of so many people." A delicate-faced court lady curled her lips, "And she said she was a general, why not? Don't you have any courage?"

Yue Chan also found it strange that the new empress had just arrived in the palace, so it could be said that she was not familiar with the place, so shouldn't he please the palace people like himself who have some dignity in front of the emperor?I don't know what the purpose is if I insist on making trouble like this.

After Concubine Wan returned to the palace, she let out a long sigh, and the maid said sadly: "Concubine, the new empress doesn't even see us at all, what can the Second Prince do?"

Concubine Wan smiled wryly and said, "Before this palace, some things I did embarrass the emperor."

"But now we are all living like this, the quota has been reduced, and so many treasures have been donated, not to mention, that matter was not your idea at the time..."

"Shut up!" Dowager Wan sternly said, "You are not allowed to mention that matter again."

"……Yes."

After a while of silence, Concubine Wan said: "Tomorrow morning, let's go see the queen again. If he doesn't see us, we'll just wait."

Concubine Qiu knew that Concubine Wan was going to ask for an audience, and walked around anxiously in the palace, cursing in a low voice: "What is this? Put the King of Qin in Ganquan Palace, and don't call him out, and don't allow him to come out! Isn't this just house arrest? What? It’s the same treatment as King Qi!”

The palace maid whispered: "Otherwise, shall we also go to beg the queen?"

Concubine Qiu hesitated, and the maid said: "Master, His Royal Highness Prince Qin managed to escape, we can't fall back again, if there is a day when you follow the prince to fief the land, it will be considered complete."

Concubine Qiu recalled the past, suddenly burst into tears, covered her face with a handkerchief and said, "My late emperor, my late emperor, why did you give us mother and child so much honor and favor?"

Yuan Ruheng got up early in the morning to look at the account books. When Zhu Xian got up and realized that no one was there, he was shocked. When he went out, he took a careful look at Yuan Ruheng. I won't send it away."

"Oh."

To put it simply, today Zhu Xian will continue to accompany wine and meals, meet ministers, and continue to reward things.He didn't come back until evening, Yuan Ruheng waited for him to eat together, Zhu Xian said: "You have worked hard today, come, eat more."

"The Ministry of Rituals has chosen a good time for the wedding, and now the palace is about to start preparing for the New Year's banquet." Yuan Ruheng smiled and glanced at Zhu Xian, "As for the other things, I won't pay attention to them."

Zhu Xian was pleasantly surprised again. He had been worried that Ruheng would not be able to adapt to the life in the palace where he had to carefully consider every word he said and every step he took. Arrogant, not afraid of all gods and ghosts, live a relaxed life.

Yuan Ruheng said again: "If I can't make myself happy among a group of women, I will spend a few years in the frontier for nothing."

Zhu Xian nodded and smiled, "I understand."

In the early morning of the second day, Concubine Wan really came to ask to see her again. Yuan Ruheng had already got up and practiced sword in the empty room in the palace. For the reason, tell her to go back, and when I am free, I will visit her old man's house."

Yue Chan's eyelids twitched unconsciously. Concubine Wan is obviously a graceful woman, why is she an old man? Thinking of this, she still smiled and saluted: "I know."

"Ah."

After breakfast, Yuan Ruheng drove Zhu Xian, who wanted to stay here, out to critique papers, and asked the chief executive to inquire about the past annual banquets. If there is anything inappropriate, then modify it.

Yuan Ruheng looked at it, and said with a smile: "The Yuan family has too many seats, so we have reduced them all."

"But the queen, in the past, the queen's family..."

"The first queen's family is also small, so instead of asking some off-branch clans to make up the number, it's better to replace them with promising courtiers."

"Yes."

Yuan Ruheng read the banquet itinerary again, and asked: "In the past, did you also invite concubines to accompany you?"

"After returning to the emperor, the emperor has not had concubines for the past few years, and the female guests who come to the palace to participate in the banquet are accompanied by concubines headed by Concubine Wan."

"Let's skip it this year. In the second half of the year, the concubines just said to be frugal and pray for the late emperor. The annual banquet is so lively. I'm afraid the concubines will not like it. This year, the concubines will hold their own banquets in their own palaces."

The chief steward hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, do you want to discuss this matter with the Emperor?"

Yuan Ruheng smiled and said: "There is no need for the emperor to worry about such a trivial matter, it is all the matter of the harem, and this palace can make the decisions."

He was smiling, but the head manager was terrified, and hurriedly said: "The servant knows."

"Okay, you've arranged it very well. Come on, Mr. Shang Wu is in charge of 100 taels of silver."

"The servant thanked the queen."

Not to mention how many turmoil the dowagers found out about this incident, Zhu Xian was startled when he heard about Yuan Ruheng's arrangement. He wanted to ask, but the words stopped when he got to the point of his mouth, and he smiled helplessly. , since Ruheng said that this is a matter of the harem, it is good for him to support the decision he made.

The Xiao family also started to prepare for the New Year, but it's a pity that this year Xiao Dulang went out of Beijing under the emperor's order.Xiao Yunlang now has seven or eight people staring at him every time he walks, and Lin Yulan can't wait to put his eyes on him. Whenever Xiao Yunlang moves at night, he quickly sits up and asks Xiao Yunlang if he is not feeling well, or if he wants something, is he thirsty? hungry.

Xiao Yunlang had to be fed at least five or six meals a day. He had just finished a bowl of sweet rice porridge that day, and sat looking at his stomach. Lin Yulan put down the bowl and came back, asking, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Yunlang said: "I don't want to eat so much in the future."

"However, you often feel hungry..."

"Hungry if you're hungry, there are still two months left, I'm fat like this now, won't I be like a ball in February next year."

Lin Yulan frowned and said, "I will lose weight in the future."

"A lot of people get fat at this moment, and they will stay fat for the rest of their lives. I don't want it."

Lin Yulan didn't know how to persuade him. At noon, he brought the vegetables and rice back, but Xiao Yunlang still refused to eat it. When Lin Yulan was at a loss, Xiao Yunlang looked at the fragrant rice and said, "Forget it, I'll eat it, I'm going to be hungry broken."

Lin Yulan couldn't help laughing, Xiao Yunlang said: "Let's eat less after giving birth."

"it is good."

After the meal, the two of them put on thick clothes and went out for a walk as usual, and then came back to take a nap, Xiao Yunlang said dissatisfiedly: "Second brother actually went out during the Chinese New Year."

Lin Yulan said: "The emperor's order is hard to break."

"Ah."

Where Xiao Dulang went, only a dozen people knew that the emperor had been dormant for several years, and finally he was about to start collecting the net.

Xiao Yunlang counted the days and said, "I don't know if the second brother, the second sister-in-law and Ah Jing have left, but it's so cold now."

"I don't know either. By the way, I have something to tell you."

"Ok?"

Lin Yulan was a little embarrassed to speak, and said after a while: "Miss Qinglan got engaged a few days ago."

"……Oh."

Lin Yulan patted his head, Xiao Yunlang smiled and said, "This is a good thing."

"I think so too."

After taking a nap, Xiao Yunlang heard the sound of hanging red lanterns and cleaning outside, and said with a smile, "It's been a long time since I celebrate the New Year here."

"If you like, we can come back later."

"No need, we will be one big family in the future, and it's fine in our own home."

"Ah."

In the afternoon of the first day of the new year, Xiao Su brought his wife and his eldest son and husband into the palace for a banquet. Xiao Yunlang was the only one left in Nuo Da's mansion. Xiao Yunlang sighed softly: "The street must be lively now, I really want to go out to watch the lights."

Lin Yulan said: "Wait until next year."

"Second cousin is hosting the annual banquet this year. I don't know what the palace looks like now."

After Mrs. Yuan went to Changchun Palace, she heard a few noble ladies discussing that the concubines were not coming out and Mrs. Du was the most senior here, so she invited her to sit at the head.

Mrs. Du was disrespectful, and there were many flatterers here in Little Yuan's, and even more people's eyes were sad, so Little Yuan heard someone say: "The banquet in the previous dynasty was hosted by Queen Yuan, and the ladies were treated by the queen's grandmother. In Li, the surname is Yuan all the time."

Little Yuan looked over and saw that the person speaking was the Seventh Prince's grandmother, Madam Deqinghou. Madam Liao was not afraid of her, and continued to say to the people around her: "The concubines were crushed to death by the empress, and they have to live in the palace all their lives. Here, let’s be tortured now.”