Opposite the entrance hall

This day is going to be hot in June, if the heat doesn't go away during the day, it will be uncomfortable at night, the empress is extremely afraid of heat, so Fengxiao Palace has brought ice cubes and put them in the ice mirror in the room, Wisps of cool air wafted out, making it a bit cooler.

The Empress of Emperor Chengde was surnamed Cao, and her maiden name was Yuhan. She was the younger sister of Cao Weiyuan and the biological mother of His Royal Highness Li Hongyang. She was the side concubine of Emperor Chengde when he was still the crown prince. In the end of the year, one person died, and the other was honored. It makes people sigh that the world is impermanent and good fortune tricks people!

Cao Yuhan has been in charge of the harem since she was conferred the title of Empress, and everything has been taken care of properly. She is dignified, decent, virtuous and virtuous. To her credit.

There was incense in Fengxiao Palace, the wind blowing in from the window sills raised layers of veils, this incense wafted into everyone's noses, with a sweet smell, it smelled very good.

"What kind of fragrance is smoked in the queen's palace? How come I don't feel dizzy after smelling it for a long time, but my body and mind are comfortable and my fatigue has disappeared a lot." A woman wearing a palace skirt said.

Hearing this, Cao Yuhan smiled, put the teacup on the table, and said in a gentle tone, "It's the Qingxin incense that I made myself. It's hot today, and I can't sleep at night. If I have nothing to do, I will take it with the Imperial Hospital." I have prepared the recipe and tried it out, if there are too many and there are leftovers, if Concubine Lan likes it, she might as well try it."

"This……"

Lan Bi was a little embarrassed.

"However, a little fragrance of pure heart is not in the way, let's use it."

Having said all this, she seemed to be a bit ignorant when she declined, so Concubine Lan got up and saluted respectfully: "Concubine thanked the queen."

The concubine Chang at the side said: "The empress is skillful, this fragrance is also very good, but it won't take long after all, the concubine dares to ask the empress for a recipe, I wonder if it will work?"

"It's a prescription from the imperial hospital. Is there anything feasible or not?" Cao Yuhan said, "But this incense is for calming the mind and calming the mind. Could it be that Concubine Chang can't rest well at night these days?"

"It's not the concubine, it's Shunping," Concubine Chang sighed, "I don't know what's wrong with this child. A few days ago, I came to the concubine's palace to chat with the concubine, saying that he was frightened by the nightmare. I often wake up in the middle of the night, and I can't fall asleep after waking up. Seeing that the Queen's medicine works so well, I want to ask for a prescription and go back to make it for her to try."

"I will send someone to send the prescription and incense to Shunping in a while."

"Thank you Queen."

Cao Yuhan smiled and lowered his head to take a sip of tea.

"It's just a few taels of spices, you can go to the imperial hospital to ask for it. As for being so grateful to Dade?" The woman sitting on the side said a little bit strangely.

As soon as the words fell, everyone cast their eyes over one after another, with different expressions on their faces, and only they knew what was going on in their hearts.

"It's just a few taels of spices, it's really not expensive, if Concubine Duan doesn't mind, she can try it."

"No," the woman with a displeased expression pursed her lips and refused with a smile, "I don't dare to use the queen's things, and concubines don't dare to use them. What kind of person is this? You have to use what kind of things. If you don't have the queen's life, you don't have to live like this." Queen's illness, the queen thinks it's justified?"

After saying this, the atmosphere was a little awkward, and all the concubines lowered their eyes and didn't know what to say to ease the atmosphere. Cao Yuhan smiled and said, "Concubine Duan is right."

After finishing speaking, she skipped the topic and turned her head, looked at Concubine Chang and asked, "Shunping is sixteen this year?"

"Yes, it just turned up at the beginning of the year, and it's obviously not young next year, but it still doesn't grow up like a child. It's a headache to watch."

"It's time to choose a good family for her," Cao Yuhan said, "Among all the princesses, Shunping has reached the age of marriage, and the emperor loves her again. There has been no wedding in the palace for a long time, and it will be more lively when the time comes. Everyone is happy."

"Queen, don't talk about it," Chang Fei sighed, "Shunping has been spoiled by his concubines, he doesn't look like a daughter's house at all, he looks like a little monkey, if he gets married, he might make trouble What's more, what's more, Shunping grew up with His Highness the Crown Prince and King Liang Wangrui, her eyes are high, ordinary young masters may not fall into her eyes."

"The concubine thinks that the young master of Qi Xiang's family is good, and now he is on duty in Dali Temple. If I remember correctly, he and Princess Shunping have known each other since they were young. When they were young, they could see that they were handsome and talented. Qing should be young and promising, and the Qi family is the head of the aristocratic family, so it is not considered wronged by the princess. The important thing is that Princess Shunping is very pleased with him. Look at the double fish pendant that Master Xiaoqi gave you, you can wear it around your waist wherever you go, if you take this opportunity, you can ask the queen to marry her, then wouldn't it be a match made in heaven." Lan Pin laughed.

"But doesn't Master Xiao Qi have a child? Doesn't this dignified princess have to be a stepmother when she gets married, not to mention losing her value, and if anything happens, Shunping will have to be wronged. You must know that being a stepmother is the most difficult and inappropriate. Not right." Another person waved his hand.

"It's normal for this man to have had one or two women. Those concubines and concubines are just playing tricks on the occasion. As long as they wholeheartedly treat Shunping in the future, it will be fine. Besides, the child is only the eldest son and not the first son. No matter how much you make trouble, in the future He can still be the one who is in charge of the house, this concubine is not as good as the eldest son..."

"Boom!"

Before she finished speaking, there was a sudden sound from Concubine Duan, like the sound of teacups being heavily placed on the table. Concubine Lan subconsciously looked over and saw the gloomy expression on the man's face. Then she realized what she had just said, and looked away She kept silent and pretended to drink tea with her head down.

Concubine Chang looked left and right, and quickly took over the conversation to ease the embarrassment, "How can we say this matter accurately, not to mention that Shunping has always had her own opinions, and she doesn't like to interfere in major affairs of her own life. The son of Xinyue Qi Xiangjia is good, but love affairs need to have their own meanings. If Luo Hua intends to flow water and be ruthless, then it is not a perfect match but a resentful spouse. There is a small quarrel in three days, and a big quarrel in five days. How will you live in the future!"

Concubine Chang is the most eloquent person in the palace who knows how to deal with people. After she said something, she turned the matter over and calmed down the tense atmosphere just now. Everyone was talking and laughing like a It's normal.

"Concubine Shu, I heard that King Qin has returned to the capital, why haven't I seen him enter the palace in this period of time? But have I come to see you?" Cao Yuhan said suddenly.

The woman sitting in the farthest corner raised her head cautiously, looked at it timidly, and then lowered her eyes and replied softly: "Kingming has only returned to Beijing not long ago, and his qualifications are stupid. The yamen of the Ministry of Rites cannot get out of the body and enter the palace, so there is no way to come to say hello, and I hope the queen will forgive me."

"It doesn't matter, it's a good thing for His Majesty to let King Qin handle official affairs," Cao Yuhan said with a kind smile, "Please don't ask for peace, but it's okay, but your mother and son have been separated for many years, it's still normal, some mother-child friendship can't be separated. "

"Yes." The woman still responded in a low voice, with her head lowered very low, and the expression on her face was almost invisible.

Cao Yuhan stared at her for a while, with a lot of emotions in his eyes, but he still maintained a dignified and generous attitude on his face. He looked away and scanned the crowd, and said in a gentle tone: "There is another important thing today, and it will be the summer solstice in a while." Well, before the beginning of this year, floods, epidemics, and disasters continue. His Majesty is concerned about all the people and cannot sleep or eat. He plans to hold a ceremony to worship the heavens at the ancestral temple on the day of the summer solstice, to worship the gods and remember the ancestors of the past generations. Fasting and bathing, accompanied by plain shirts, this matter is of great importance to the fate of the Jin Dynasty, there must be no negligence, and I hope the concubines will keep it in mind and make proper arrangements."

"Yes." Everyone said in unison.

"That's it for today, let's go back to all the palaces."

"The concubine/concubine resigns."

When people left one after another, the Fengxiao Palace, which was still lively just now, suddenly became deserted. Cao Yuhan rubbed the center of her brows tiredly, and the maid Dan Rui, who was next to her, moved a little closer, rubbing her neck for her. While whispering: "Concubine Duan is full of anger today, I don't know how angry she will be when she goes back."

"She's angry? She's just pretending to show me," Cao Yuhan said, "I don't know where to find some cheap tricks, and I really coaxed the emperor over. I don't know how proud I am, I can't wait to come Show off in front of me."

Danrui lightened her movements and flattered her: "Let her make trouble, all the concubines in this palace will only listen to you, empress, don't mention that empresses in other palaces hate her too much."

Cao Yuhan frowned slightly, her expression was a little dazed, and she didn't know what to think, "The most indispensable thing in this palace is people who follow the wind and change the rudder. They listen to me now, but because I am the master of this harem. The position makes Bengong tremble like walking on thin ice. They are respectful and polite on the surface, and they wish to replace Bengong in their hearts. People like Concubine Duan are not scary. people."

She paused here, and when she spoke again, her tone seemed a little serious, "You have to remember, in this palace, no one can be trusted, the only one who can trust is yourself."

"Can't even His Royal Highness trust you?" Dan Rui asked.

"Yan'an..."

Cao Yuhan closed her eyes, her voice was dragged on for a long time, Danrui waited for a long time, but she didn't hear her finish talking about the flower quilt.

The sound was blocked by many palace gates, it was desolate and sad, withered and corrupt, it was tightly blocked by the vermilion palace wall, and even a lingering sound could not be transmitted.

There is only a wall separating them, outside the wall is the noisy and lively street, and inside the wall is the solemn and solemn Miyagi, one on the left and one on the right, clearly marking freedom and status.

It is lively outside, but that excitement does not belong to everyone inside. They are flowers that are gradually withering, and they have begun to rot before they have seen the breeze and thick fog. From the inside to the outside, they are rotten with the mud inside. together

The mud was smelly, dirty, bloody, and disgusting.

Ji Si took his eyes back from the mud pool in the courtyard, took a sip of the warm tea on the table, and waited for Yang Qin to talk about the matter from beginning to end, then nodded and asked: "So the sacrifice to heaven You will arrange the grand ceremony, right?"

"That's right," Yang Qin said with a mournful face, "How could I do this, I really have no choice but to come to you."

"Aren't Dong Shangshu and Taichang Temple responsible for offering sacrifices and praying to heaven over the years? Why is it your Shangshutai's turn?" Ji Si was a little puzzled.

"Co-author I just said so much, you didn't hear a word, did you?"

"..."

Ji Si took a sip of tea with downcast eyes.

Seeing his appearance, Yang Qin heaved a long sigh, and had to repeat what he said just now, "You can't pass the palace examination, and this autumn is coming soon, and this year I just passed the exam and have to repair the Gongyuan. Son, Dong Shangshu has to be busy preparing for these things, and the emperor's birthday is coming soon, they themselves are too busy, you didn't see, Dong Shangshu came to discuss with my father a few days ago, when I went out, I saw that the back of his head was bald It's very funny, and now this servant has just been transferred from the Imperial Academy, and he hasn't gotten used to it yet. Taichang Temple has always been arranged by the Ministry of Rituals, and it doesn't work if no one is in charge. I don't know if my father is too old. My head was not working, and I suddenly thought that he still has a son who is a minister, Zuo Cheng, and he took over the job without saying a word. The seller Qiurong sent me to the guillotine. Do you know that this is what my own father did? Does he have no idea what his son is like? When I first heard the news, I wanted to ask my mother who my real father is."

After listening to Young Master Yang's rebellious words, Ji Si suddenly understood the difficulties and hard work of being a father, and sighed quietly, "This is the Ministry of Households, not the Ministry of Rites, and I am the servant of the Ministry of Households, not the servant of the Ministry of Rites. It's useless to find me."

Hearing this, Yang Qin immediately cried out: "Isn't there really nothing I can do? This ceremony is such a big event. If you make a mistake, you will lose your head. I don't know about those who behave well. Ah Yan, you You're so smart, you must know, just help me this time, and when I understand this, I'll treat you to a drink, as long as you say something later, I'll be there whenever I'm called!"

Ji Si held the tea, sipped it in small sips, and said calmly, "I'm shameless."

"Ah?" Yang Qin was stunned for a while, with a dazed expression on his face. He didn't know why this good Ji Si scolded himself, and he was a little unsure how to answer, so he hesitated for a while and said, "Let's make a living."

This person is really stupid, Ji Si continued angrily: "Bullying men and women, with a deep scheming mind, full of heresy."

The more he talked, the more complicated Yang Qin's expression became.

These words are so familiar!

"It's not a thing at all. You rejected me with righteous words. I'm the one who pestered you so shamelessly." Ji Si finished the last words, raised his eyes to look over, and sneered, "Do these words sound familiar?"

Familiar!

Why not familiar!

Isn't this what he said to Qi Ran?

When did the two get along enough to talk to each other?

Yang Qin looked embarrassed, touched his nose and explained, "You are the one who said this, but we have some kind of shady relationship."

Ji Si was so amused by him that he didn't even bother to say anything.

Seeing this, Yang Qin continued to beg, "Ayan, you really have to help me. If you don't help me, we will die in front of you. Anyway, if there is a mistake in the grand ceremony, we will die sooner or later. It is better to die sooner or later. Just die, at least it won't drag down the family."

"Please." Ji Si smiled at him.

"Hey!" Yang Qin sighed, "Do you think I don't know what my father's intention is? This job is a good job, and the process is not just the same process. I don't want any novelty, just safety. If it's done well, it's indispensable. Appreciation and recognition, from now on everyone will mention that I, Yang Qin, will no longer be the stupid son of Yang Shang Shuling, but a sincere sentence of Master Yang."

Ji Si looked over from the side, and the man hung his head and continued with some sadness: "Which parents don't expect their children to become talents, there are a few truths in what I just said, just want to ask my mother who I am It wasn't born to them, otherwise, why didn't the two of them learn how smart they are, and they can learn all their rotten problems without a teacher. My father wants me to be a talent, but I have been a mediocre talent for more than 20 years, with nothing to do. I don't know what to do for a long time. Our Yang family is the emperor's cronies. We have many enemies on weekdays. There are many people in the court who want my father to fall. He is waiting for me to become a talent. I know that I am not an official. I just don't want to disappoint him."

I just don't want to disappoint him.

Hearing this sentence, Ji Si's thoughts drifted a little far away. After a long while, he took his thoughts back and said lightly: "It will be done!"

"What?" Yang Qin was still immersed in his infinite sadness, and didn't hear what Ji Si was saying at all.

"I'll help you this time," Ji Si said with a smile, "Who made me your father!"

Yang Qin punched him on the shoulder, and said cheerfully: "Sure enough, you're really kind, then I'll go back first, and I'll run away after I tap the Mao, and I have to go back before my father goes to Shangshutai, let's go! "

His footsteps were extremely fast, and he disappeared without a trace. Ji Si rubbed his brows and sighed helplessly.

After going to Xiangzhou for two months, all the official affairs of the household department were piled up together, and other people left one after another. After reading the pile of accounts, it was already dark, and Ji Si came out of the household department yamen, and was just about to bend down to enter the office. In the sedan chair, there was a man standing at the corner in front of him. He looked through the moonlight, stood up straight, rubbed his neck and smiled, "Are you looking for me?"

Du Heng nodded.

"It happens to be a little hungry, how about I treat you to a drink."

The place where Ji Si treats guests is not a restaurant, but a wonton stand for old couples. He seems to come here often, and he doesn't dislike the oil stains on the table after sitting down. He takes out the chopsticks to take the steaming wontons and starts to eat.

He was indeed hungry, half of a bowl of wonton was gone in the blink of an eye, he ate very quickly, his hands and mouth cooperated very well, he didn't stop from the beginning to the end, but he didn't look embarrassed at all, and didn't spill a drop of soup , Waiting for the bottom of the bowl, when I looked up, I saw the motionless person on the opposite side, a little puzzled, "Aren't you hungry?"

"Ate."

"Then I'll eat it for you, don't waste it." Then he lifted the bowl of wonton opposite to his face, and began to bury his head in eating again.

Du Heng frowned, hesitated for a while before saying, "Ji Da..."

Before he finished speaking, he was suddenly interrupted by Ji Si raising his hand. He swallowed the food in his mouth before raising his eyes and said: "I don't say a word, Cun Xiao can call me Ah Yan."

Although he said this, Du Heng couldn't call out, but asked, "When you were in Xiangzhou, you said that the people of Xiangzhou were bewitched by others and feared troubles. You and Master Qi couldn't get away, so you asked me to go to Longxi to command Did the envoy find someone on purpose?"

"They were indeed bewitched by others, and troubles did happen. I was injured and I couldn't get out of Ziheng's town. Where did I say it on purpose?" Ji Si raised his eyebrows and said.

"During the isolation shed, the two of you handed over all the affairs of the isolation shed to me, and picked them up by yourself, in order to live up to my reputation of disregarding life and death for the people of Xiangzhou, and even more for the petition of the people, including those on the road. The intentional delay is also to let Cui Hao's booklet be sent to Lin'an first, am I right?"

Ji Si buried her head in her food and didn't make a sound.

Du Heng stared coldly, and asked in a cold voice: "I'm just a mediocre person, what do you mean by pushing me to the position of Yushi Zhongcheng every step of the way?"

Ji Si still didn't speak.

"I won't be this official," Du Heng frowned and said, "It's not what I want, it's not what I can, and it's not what I did."

"Oh," Ji Si put down his chopsticks and sighed, "Do you know why Yan Huaizheng, the second-best candidate, can enter the Fifth Temple as Shaoqing, while you can only be a seventh-rank censor?"

Du Heng pursed his lips tightly and made no sound.

Ji Si continued: "Because they are the children of a wealthy family, and you were born in a humble family, even people like me can overwhelm you. You have talents and ways of being a man. Why can't you be an official? You can only be a seventh-rank censor, why can't you be Fang Qingrong? Du Cunxiao, dare you say you haven't thought about it that way?"

"..."

"The world is not fair, and the situation is like this. You and I know it in our hearts but we are still unwilling. Even if it is the rules set by our ancestors, who can guarantee that it must be right. Everything is changing and it is difficult to move forward. Although I can't decide Born, but you can decide who you are, keep filial piety, look at Dou Yuanliang, he once had ambitions, was full of enthusiasm, and disregarded life and death for the sake of the people and the Great Jin. With a warm heart and blood, there are countless children from poor families like him, and there are also countless mediocre talents like Cao Weiyuan who are blessed by the family."

"What do you mean?" Du Heng asked in a deep voice.

"Cunxiao, even if a person is full of talent and learning, if he has nowhere to display it, it will be in vain," Ji Siyu said earnestly, "You are just angry now that I pushed you to this position and let you walk in front of everyone. I respect you." As a friend, I respect you more as a person, and I don’t want you to be so rotten in your stomach with your talents, learning and ambitions, you should go down in history and achieve a great cause, and serve as a good minister!”

Du Heng looked up at him, with a calm expression on his face, and said softly: "I'm just a mediocre person, and I can't afford your praise."

"No," Ji Si shook his head, pointed at him with soup-stained chopsticks, and said in a deep voice, "You are the next Fang Jinxing."

Maybe it was because the night wind felt a little comfortable on his face, or because the eyes of the person on the other side were too sincere, or maybe he said something he didn't dare to say.

Suddenly, Du Heng seemed to really believe that he was the next Fang Jinxing.

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ps: Wow, almost missed the update!dried up