[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

After leaving the Qifeng Palace, the two high-ranking concubines just looked at her, got on the chariot and left.

But seeing Liu Xiaoyi sneered at her: "I knew you would be full of despicable tricks, but don't get complacent too early in life."

Said and walked away.

Shen Xiaoyuan looked at her and said, "I'm tired of serving the sage, and she was born as a slave, that's why I'm so shameless."

Li Fangyi came over and said, "Shen Xiaoyuan, after entering the harem, they are all sisters, how can you say that?"

Seeing Li Fangyi, Xing Xiuyan couldn't help pursing her lips, thinking that this concubine is also a top-quality concubine, thinking that the quality of Tu Yuanyi's harem concubines was really not high many years ago.

Now Xing Xiuyan kind of believes that Jia Yuanchun is really favored, at least among the old people in the past few years, Jia Yuanchun's appearance is outstanding.Poor Tu Yuanyi, who was so magnificent, was slept by so many top-notch women.

Fortunately, many newcomers are entering the palace now, and Xing Xiuyan has also observed the newcomers in the harem, and knows that some of them are outstanding in appearance, otherwise the emperor would be a bit of a failure.It seems that back then he was really a prince who didn't love his father or his mother, and he was able to be the emperor probably because he caught the emperor's mentality of not wanting to delegate power but wanting to recuperate.

This also caused a dark side in his temperament, and he was also known as "mean and ungrateful" when he was an emperor in his previous life.But thinking that the whole world is full of unfriendliness to him, but asking him to love the world, and having never met a bold and generous person since childhood, but letting him have a heroic and benevolent demeanor, that is too "self-taught".

Xing Xiuyan gave a slight blessing to Li Fangyi and Shen Xiaoyuan, and said, "Fangyi, Xiaoyuan, I will take my leave first."

After speaking, he turned around and went back to Luoxia Pavilion accompanied by Su Qing, Zhao Quan and Zi Yue.

……

Tu Yuanyi finished his early morning court, and because it was the time to mix oil with honey, the lingering feeling in his heart became heavier.He moves his martial arts almost every day, and now he wants to go to the Beiyuan Martial Arts Field for activities, but he is thinking of her in his heart and wants to call her to accompany him.

Zhao Gui asked Li Rong to pass it on, and soon Li Rong came back and said, "Talented people don't come."

"what?!"

Li Rong smiled wryly, and said: "Cairen said that she was punished to withdraw her license plate for a month, and she is now being punished, and she is not allowed to drive with her."

Ziyue and Xue Jue were on duty, and when Li Rong came to summon Xing Xiuyan and was rejected, they all thought she was crazy.

Xing Xiuyan was holding a book, leaning on the couch and flipping through it, the two maidservants looked at each other, and Ziyue, who had a sharper mouth, spoke first.

"Tairen, you were withdrawn by the queen, but isn't it an opportunity for the saint to invite you to accompany you? How could you refuse?"

"Yes, Cairen. If you don't go, the sage probably can't understand that you obey the rules. If you act out of your temper, isn't it a talented person who invites other concubines to accompany him and suffers a disadvantage?"

Xing Xiuyan put down the scroll and sighed, "Where is the disadvantage?"

Qingxuan, who was more temperamental, said: "If other concubines are favored, wouldn't the talent be at a disadvantage?"

Xing Xiuyan cut out, and said: "As early as 800 years ago, the saints had wives and concubines in groups. If they were to suffer, they would have suffered. What is the disadvantage now? This is what happens in the harem. Don't take yourself too seriously, and don't take yourself too seriously. If you don’t take it seriously, you can basically get by.”

Ziyue and Qingxuan's three views are ruined, how can there be such a master who has caught a good hand and played it as a bad one?

At this moment, Xie Guiren, Wang Guiren, and Chen Meiren came to see her. Seeing that there were four of them, Xing Xiuyan couldn't help asking Ziyue to take out mahjong.

Mahjong originated very early, and it has existed in this era. It's just that the Mahjong of the Great Zhou Dynasty is slightly different from the modern ones, but they are both puzzles and gambling, and the essence is the same.

"It's rare for you to come here. These days are so boring that you are going to die." Tu Yuanyi has not yet agreed to her writing Tanmei novels, let alone romance novels, and she also thinks that it is interesting to be with Daiyu and the others, in the harem It is unnecessary to show these talents in the movie, and die quickly.

Xie Wanying smiled and said: "The sisters are all right and left, so they came to see me together. I thought that sister Xing might also be lonely, so she brought everyone here uninvited."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "How can we invite you to the same building next door?"

As they spoke, they greeted Wang Guiren and Chen Meiren to sit down together. They also knew the horse crane, only Xie Wanying was not very good at fighting, but three people taught one person, and Xie Wanying was a smart person, so they understood after a while.

A pair of white marble plates were exquisitely crafted and polished as smooth as a mirror, and the four of them began to build the Great Wall.

There were Jin Yao and others serving tea and fruits, and there were two basins of ice next to the mahjong table. Although this place was small, it was heaven compared to the place where Xie, Wang, and Chen lived.

The four chatted while chatting, Wang Guiren was the daughter of Qingzhou Jiedushi, and Chen Meiren was the daughter of the prefect of Wuchang, and she was also a high-ranking official above the fifth rank. Unexpectedly, there was only one such low-level concubine.Such talents are really wasted.

The four of them played cards while talking about their hometown.

Chen Meiren said: "I grew up in Wuchang since I was a child. When I was just born, my father was the county magistrate. He was promoted to the magistrate step by step, which also benefited one side. I live in the Huguang area. To be honest, I am a little high-spirited, but I have come here. In the palace, I feel that there is a sky beyond the sky, but compared with Xing Cairen, it is far behind."

Xing Xiuyan laughed, touched the cards, took out another cylinder, and said: "Don't praise me, I know a little about piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and if I talk about talent, I just like to eat it. I heard that the Wuchang fish It’s a must in the world, but there is no chance to eat it.”

Chen Meiren said with surprise on her face, "Our fish in Wuchang is really delicious, but I didn't expect Xing Cairen to know it too."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said: "There is a poem saying, 'I only drink Changsha water and eat Wuchang fish. Thousands of miles across the Yangtze River, the sky is as far as the eye can see. Regardless of the wind and rain, it is better than strolling in the garden.'"

Xie Wanying praised: "It's really a good poem, it was written by some famous writer, I have never read it."

Xing Xiuyan was slightly stunned, and then said: "It's a poem I heard in my hometown, written by Anonymous."

But Wang Guiren sighed: "I haven't read so many poems, I'm afraid the sage doesn't like a woman like me."

Xing Xiuyan did not answer this sentence, but it was Chen Meiren who asked: "Xing Cairen, what does the saint like?"

Xing Xiuyan said lightly: "My mother taught me that the concubine of a saint should not be passed on indiscriminately, so as not to cause disaster. Now that all sisters are in positions, I think there will always be a day of favor, so there is no need to worry. The saint is just a government official. I can't find time to get entangled."

Xie, Wang, and Chen's faces paled slightly, and while they were playing cards, the Supervisor of Shangshan brought four kinds of cakes that were just warming up, and the four of them ate the cakes with their hands clean during the intermission.

Walnut cakes, jujube cakes, sour plum cakes, and sweet-scented osmanthus cakes are all Lao Li's specialty snacks.

The women ate very happily, and Wang Guiren and Chen Meiren couldn't help but lament the difference between people. Sure enough, as Xie Guiren said, there is a relationship between favor and relationship.

While talking, he suddenly heard Su Quan's report outside the door: "Eunuch Zhao is here!"

The girls were still thinking about which Eunuch Zhao it was, but they couldn't help being startled when they saw the man coming in wearing the clothes of the chief factory official and supervisor, and they all stood up.

The sage had a decree, and all the young masters and servants present knelt down to listen to the decree.

Zhao Gui flicked his fly whisk, and said in his mouth: "The sage ordered that Xing Cairen serve the meal."

Xing Xiuyan was slightly taken aback, and said, "Eunuch Zhao, I am currently being punished."

Zhao Gui looked at the mahjong on the table, and said, "The empress punished you by removing the sign and not being able to serve you at bedtime, but she didn't stop you from eating, and she didn't say you couldn't serve meals. Just go with the miscellaneous family."

Xing Xiuyan could only nod her head, what Zhao Gui said made sense, the third companion is only forbidden to accompany/sleep, not to eat with him.If it is said that the backer in the palace is of course the emperor, if the emperor says so, then it is fine, he has to be responsible for his own words.

Xie, Wang, and Chen watched the sedan chair pick up Xing Xiuyan from the upper floor of the pavilion, and it was hard not to be jealous at all.After all, being favored or not in the harem is directly related to the quality of life.

……

Of course, the emperor also had rules when eating. The ancients paid attention to not talking when eating and sleeping. It must be difficult for him to keep silent when sleeping.

It is said to be serving meals, but it is just eating together.Tu Yuanyi was frugal, and she realized that he usually spent about the same as her on meals, and his lunch only served four dishes and one soup.It is conceivable what happened to other concubines in the palace. Only high-ranking concubines have small kitchens, and they pay for their own cooking.

Otherwise, this is really a holy place for weight loss, because the meals of ordinary concubines are big pot meals, which are too difficult for those pampered ladies (refer to Jia's Mansion).When eating the big pot meal in the palace, Xing Xiuyan thought that those ladies who lived happily in the past must have doubted life.

Xing Xiuyan had to say that Tu Yuanyi really got his money's worth. He calculated carefully in this regard, and the money he saved was used to support Jin Yiwei, bureaucrats and prepare to invest in basic education.In addition to the queen, Xing Xiuyan spent some of his private house in the palace for his life.

After clearing her mouth, she followed him to the martial field. No matter how favored the palace was, it was impossible for her to share the imperial chariot, so the two walked.

Xing Xiuyan never opened her mouth, but Tu Yuanyi suddenly asked her about the withdrawal of the affidavit, and Xing Xiuyan said indifferently: "The concubine violated the palace rules, so the affidavit was withdrawn."

Tu Yuanyi said: "It doesn't matter to you."

Xing Xiuyan looked at the long palace walls, which were deeper than the courtyard, and couldn't help chuckling slightly: "It's useless for a concubine to say anything."

Tu Yuanyi thought for a while and said, "It's not that you really don't care, it's that you don't care what other people do. That day when Mrs. Liu beat you, you didn't want to take revenge, but you spread all your grievances on me."

He thought that she would ask him to take revenge on Mrs. Liu, and he could tease her, hang her up, and he would have nothing to do with fulfilling her wish, as long as she made him happy, but she never mentioned it once.

After being together for 120 years, he actually also knows her temperament, so it is difficult for her to take things to heart.But once she gets into something, she is extremely focused, such as writing stories and embroidery.

He is an emperor, and women have always been vying to please him, so he just feels that the woman he likes the most should focus on him most mentally and emotionally.She did everything possible to please him, she found him good, looked at him with admiration and enthusiasm, he would be happy, if her expression was plain, he would not like it.

Xing Xiuyan chuckled: "A man should be responsible. I don't blame her husband for what my little wife did. I blame you for being a saint. The kind of man who can shirk his responsibility is a coward. A saint is a fool." big hero."

Tu Yuanyi was so stunned that he couldn't get angry, took a few deep breaths, and finally let out a cold snort, quickened his pace and left her behind.

"Your Majesty, wait for me!"

Tu Yuanyi still slowed down for her to follow. Xing Xiuyan arrived at the path beside the Imperial Garden. The Imperial Garden is larger. Luoxia Pavilion is close to the East Sixth Palace, while this side is close to the West Sixth Palace and Shangyang Palace.

Generally speaking, the layout of the Great Zhou Palace is like this. After the Vermilion Bird Gate, it is the Daming Palace that is only used by the Great Court Meeting and the Great Sacrifice. Of course, there are Qinglong and Baihu Halls for living and activities, but the current emperor does not live there.

Inside is the Taiji Palace sitting in the center, including the main palace groups of Taiji Hall, Liangyi Hall, Wuying Hall, Ganlu Hall and the Sleeping Palace.On both sides of the Taiji Palace are the East and West Sixth Palace, the east of the East Sixth Palace is the Ci’an Palace, and the west of the West Sixth Palace is the Ci’an Palace. It used to be the residence of the Empress Dowager of the two palaces during Zhenzong’s time, but now the Ciren Palace is inhabited by Empress Dowager Liu. An Gong lived with Concubine Zhou Shugui.

To the north of the Taiji Palace is a large imperial garden. Gao Zong likes luxury. He spent a lot of money repairing the garden during his 42 years in office. Like a super grand view garden.