[Qing Chuan] No pet little promise

In the twelfth lunar month, the Forbidden City ushered in the first snow of this winter, and the heavy snow fell on the roof and the ground.

The snow scene is beautiful, but Wei Rong is not in the mood to enjoy the snow.

In this era when there is no thickened down jacket, go out for a couple of laps, and you will be chilled every minute.

So these days, she almost stays in the room without going out.

Put the copper stove on the side of the bed, and the charcoal basin at the other end, work together to make the whole room warm and comfortable.

Originally, Xiao promised that the daily allowance was only ordinary black charcoal, but Wei Rong couldn't take it anymore, so he took 20 taels of silver and got a large basket of silver frost charcoal from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.In addition, Xi concubine gave each of them half a basket of silver frost charcoal from her share.Only Wei Rong could burn such a "local tyrant" here.

Knowing that the charcoal fires of the court ladies were limited, she changed her habit of reading and writing during the day, opened the embroidery frame, and let Yufu and Yulian do needlework here.

Song Qing'er came over to take a look, and brought her own embroidery frame over the next day, rubbing charcoal together.

At first she was a little embarrassed, so she brought half of the charcoal she had allocated.Wei Rong declined, "You have to burn it at night, and I'll ask you for it when I run out of it."

Song Qing'er just took it back, and said with a smile: "Then I'll bring it over when my sister finishes burning. I just don't know how much will be left."

Wei Rong joked: "Didn't you earn some money, and it happened to be spent on money."

"It turns out that my sister has been eyeing this little private money in my hand for a long time." Song Qing'er said with a smile.

Song Qing'er did find a way to make money recently.She is very good at needlework, these days she has started to do needlework quietly, relying on her acquaintances in the House of Internal Affairs to take her out, and she can get some money subsidies for a month.The acquaintance was naturally introduced by Dou Changzai.She has not been favored for more than ten years, and she just relies on this to pass the time and earn some money to subsidize herself.

Several people were gossiping.

Yufu used the tongs to dig into the charcoal basin, and pulled out several black pieces.

Yulian quickly caught it with a shallow white porcelain plate, and then pulled it up with silver chopsticks. The black skin was peeled off, revealing the golden yellow sweet potato flesh.

Song Qing'er laughed: "Sister's place is not only warm, but also delicious. I took advantage of it today."

Wei Rong smiled and said, "What is this? For dozens of dollars, the small kitchen sent two baskets. If you like it, you can take a few back and bake them yourself later."

Not only are sweet potatoes roasted in the charcoal basin, but also chestnuts and taro, all of which are tributes from Huangzhuangzi. The taste is soft, glutinous and sweet.

"It's rare that the chestnuts are still fresh in the cellar." Song Qing'er laughed.

Wei Rong ordered Yufu and the others to share a plate, "Eat together too, don't be restrained."

"Thank you, master, for the reward." Yufu responded with a smile, and first picked out large chestnuts with Yulian and Chuntao, and the white porcelain plates in front of Wei Rong and Song Qing'er were piled up before eating the rest.

Song Qing'er smiled while eating: "I inquired about the silver frost charcoal that Empress Xi concubine favored this year, but it wasn't available in previous years. It's rare to be generous this year."

"Maybe Madam Xi is in a good mood recently." Wei Rong guessed.

As for the reason for being in a good mood, everyone knew it well, but they dared not say it out loud.

Just the day before yesterday, Li Jiachang was moved out. In fact, shortly after being punished to kneel, she developed a high fever. Concubine Xi procrastinated and hired an imperial physician for her, and prescribed a few packs of cold medicine.

Wei Rong reckoned that the effect might not be much better than what the original owner drank before he crossed over.

Li Jiachang's illness naturally didn't get better for a long time. After a few days, the cough became more and more serious.When Concubine Xi said hello in the morning, she announced that Li Jiachang would be moved to the shantang to recuperate.

"Maybe it's tuberculosis, but I can't pass it on to my masters!"

Coming out from the main hall to ask for peace, Wei Rong and the others met Madam Zhou who was ordered to lead someone to help Li Jiachang move the palace, standing at the door and yelling.

Li Jiachang was dragged out by two court ladies, her face was haggard, her face was as white as paper, as if she had aged seven or eight years suddenly.

"She had been wholeheartedly looking forward to moving out of the Changchun Palace before, and now she can get her wish." Song Qing'er sneered.

Shantang is the place where low-rank concubines and maids who suffer from contagious diseases live. Although there are doctors who treat them, they are not dedicated at all. It is this cold season. Li Jia often goes there and never comes back alive. possible.

How can Xi Concubine be unhappy if such a serious trouble has been eliminated?

After eating sweet potatoes and chestnuts, several people resumed embroidery.

What Song Qing'er was going to embroider was a picture of a hundred butterflies wearing flowers. She was very skilled in embroidery, and she was going to use it to make an outer skirt.Comparing the peony flowers on the embroidery frame to the needle and thread, he asked with a smile, "Sister Wei, do you think it's better to use crimson purple or peach pink?"

"It's all good." Wei Rong recovered and said with a smile.

Song Qing'er made repeated comparisons, and still chose the peach powder. "My complexion is yellow and purple, I'm afraid I can't suppress it."

Chun Tao, the maid next to her, jokingly said: "This is a good sign that the peach blossoms are blooming, maybe the master will be favored in the coming year."

Song Qing'er smiled and raised her hand to knock her, "Don't be silly, just embroidering a flower can attract the emperor."

He sighed again, "Unfortunately, at the end of this year, because of the imperial concubine's affairs, the emperor let the singing and dancing be avoided. I heard that the concubine Rong and the concubine Jing recommended several newcomers to the emperor last month, but they were not very embarrassed."

Ever since Shi Changzai and Li Jiagui withdrew from the stage of competing for favor, Kangxi's harem has once again become a place where a hundred flowers compete for beauty.

Song Qing'er, those who are determined to compete for favor, are obviously eager to try.

Wei Rong, on the contrary, felt even more chilled.

Leaving aside, just looking at the present, Li Jiagui and Shi Changzai, whom the emperor doted on, have fallen one after another within three to five months.The news of Shi Chang's death also came last month, Li Jiagui may not have much time left.

She understands the reason why the flowers in the palace do not have a hundred-day success, but the failure of this flower is too tragic!

Especially the matter of Shi Chang's presence made Wei Rong tremble with fear.What she was afraid of was not the viciousness of Concubine Hui and eldest brother, but Kangxi's indifferent attitude.

With Kangxi's control over the court, if she investigates carefully, she will not find any clues.He was deceived because he didn't care at all.

It's a small thing for appreciation, and it's just to replace it with a new one after it dies.

Thinking about it carefully, these people, although they have the status of permanent presence and promise on their heads, they are actually playthings. To be more polite, they belong to the maids of the house. Four concubines and six concubines are serious concubines.

It can be distinguished from the address that the master is in front of the emperor, and they call themselves concubines, while they can only call themselves slaves.

These days, most of the houses of noble families are sent to the servants when they get tired of playing, or they are given away as casual gifts.The emperor's housekeeper, of course, can't be matched with a servant like this.After falling out of favor, he either died, or Dou often lived like a living dead like that.

Compared to Shi Changzai, nobleman Li Jia could already be regarded as a "noble" in Tongfang, after all, his father and brother were both officials in the capital.Therefore, if Xi Consort wants to get rid of her, she needs a serious excuse and layout.

Wei Rong claims that the backstage is not strong enough, the people are not smart enough, and she doesn't have the courage to risk her life for a little favor.

Of course, everyone has their own aspirations, Song Qing'er has this idea, she will not talk too much.

***

In a blink of an eye, it is the New Year's Eve.

The banquet was still held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

This year, Kangxi was worried about the chaos in the frontier Galdan, coupled with the death of Concubine Wen Xi, he had no intention of singing and dancing to celebrate.He only ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to follow the old practice to prepare.

Wei Rong and the others were still feasting in the side hall. The dishes were quite rich, but they were too cold because the side hall was too big, and the imperial dining room was far away. When the dishes were delivered, only the hot dishes were left. hot.

Wei Rong only drank a bowl of white jade soup boiled with fish and fragrant rice, used a few dim sum, and put down the chopsticks.

"I heard that there is a pot over the main hall, you can eat whatever you want hot." Song Qing'er said enviously.

Liu promised with a smile: "There is also a charcoal stove, so you can roast it if you want."

Because she had favored Mrs. Li Jia before, she lived her life cautiously these days.Seeing that Xi Concubine didn't care about it, she gradually relaxed.

On the table next to him were a few little promises from Jingfei Palace, who also came over to talk.

It's nothing more than jewelry and clothes rewarded during the New Year, as well as new things in the palace during this period.

Suddenly a word got into Wei Rong's ears.

"Oh my god, the fourth elder brother is so infatuated! He died for Fujin's death!"

Wei Rong shivered, what's the matter?

Liu Changzai from the Palace of Concubine Jing corrected him: "I haven't officially passed the door yet, so I can't be called a Fujin."

Song Qing'er continued: "Even if the fiancée drowns herself in love for her unmarried wife, it's too..."

"Keep your voice down. It's hard to talk about it on the surface." Liu Changzai lowered his voice.

Wei Rong listened for a long time before he understood the whole story. Just a few days ago, the fourth elder brother Yinzhen fell into the river.It was claimed that the fourth elder brother slipped his foot when crossing the bridge and accidentally fell into the water, but there was a little eunuch passing by nearby, and he swore that the fourth elder brother jumped in on his own initiative.

The fourth elder brother lives in peace and happiness, his mother is a concubine, decent and noble, and the emperor also praised him for his calm and generous personality. If there is anything bad to say, there is only one thing, that is, his fiancée, who was finalized in the spring, died of illness last month.

So there are vague rumors that the fourth elder brother died for his fiancée.

Wei Rong felt that the brain cells were not enough.Isn't the fourth elder brother's Zheng Fujin the Ulanala clan?Thanks to the big dramas of the palace fights in later generations, and the protagonists in the fourth elder brother's harem, she, who is blind to history, can remember them clearly.

In history, the Uranala clan lived a long life, how could he die so early?

She interjected and asked, "What is the cause of Miss Ulanara's death?"

Liu Changzai looked puzzled: "What Ulanara family?"

"Fourth elder brother's fiancee."

"Where did Wei promise to hear it from?" Liu Chang was sneering, "Si elder brother's fiancée is a lady from the Guo Luoluo family. It is said that the lady was born graceful and graceful, but it is a pity that she died because of a cold."

Wei Rong's mouth opened into an O shape, what's wrong?

"Speaking of which, the fourth elder brother must be a wife. This is already the second one." Liu promised in a low voice.

"It's true, last year the emperor appointed the fourth young lady of the Nalan family for him, but she died of illness before getting married. Now this one also..."

Wei Rong became even more messy. Emperor Yongzheng had two fiancées before Ulanala?