Empress and Empress

Xia Zimo was pruning flower branches that day, Xiaoyu suddenly ran in, "Master, Yuan Cairen is visiting."

Yuan Xingye was still dressed in a strong outfit, the same as before. After entering the door, he stood in front of the door, turned his head and said to Luoyan, "Take out the dried fruit you brought." His tone was also light, and there was no smell .

Luo Yan held a food box in her hand, and opened it to find a plate of almonds and a plate of walnuts.

"Xia Cairen, this was brought in before entering the palace, the general has always been reluctant to eat it."

Xia Zimo watched Luoyan's movements, but did not stop her. After Luoyan was set up, she bowed and retreated. Xiaoyu also stood in the distance knowingly, leaving only the two sitting opposite each other.

"Long time no see." Yuan Xingye spoke first.She picked up a walnut without using pliers, and squeezed it lightly, and the walnut shattered.

"Long time no see." Xia Zimo replied, watching Yuan Xingye pick out the walnut meat and put it on an empty plate.Yuan Xingye didn't say anything else, he just kept pinching the walnuts.

"It seems that your health is fine." It's really a pity to stay in the palace with this kind of kung fu.Xia Zimo closed her eyes. It's not that she doesn't understand Yuan Xingye's thoughts, she does.She didn't blame Yuan Xingye, but --- when she really wanted to do it, she backed down.

"I'll be back." Yuan Xingye said.

Xia Zimo didn't answer, just picked up a walnut and played with it in his hand.

"Now that the dog army is invading, although we have a large number of soldiers in the court, there are indeed very few commanders. The available generals are also stationed in various places and cannot be easily transferred. Youzhou is now in a hurry. Although there are generals in the court, the Northern Army But there is a lack of a coach, and now—”

"What do you think?" Xia Zimo asked after eating a walnut.

Yuan Xingye ate the almonds on the table and didn't reply.Xia Zimo didn't ask any more questions. After a while, Yuan Xingye put all the walnut meat on the plate into an empty plate, and clapped his hands casually. "I'm tired, I'm going back to rest first." She looked at Xia Zimo, was silent for a while before whispering, "Zimo, I believe I will come back."

"You really believe that I will help you?"

Yuan Xingye is also used to coming and going. Although this may be the last time he came to Hanxiang Palace, Xia Zimo did not see her off. Seeing Yuan Xingye leave her, he turned and said to Yu'er, who was bowing to the side, "I want to drink sour plum soup. Get a bowl."

Yu'er leaned forward to leave, but Xia Zimo came to the place where Yuan Xingye was sitting just now, and on the table was a big "soldier" character arranged with almonds.The angle of the pendulum is just right, no one can see it.

Xia Zimo messed up the almonds on the table, and was about to ask someone to clean them up, but suddenly he laughed after thinking about it, but there was a bit of bitterness in his smile.She grabbed all the almonds on the table into her hands, and ate them one by one along with the plate of walnut meat, leaving a little bit in her hand to play with.When Yu'er came back, there were several eunuchs behind her, and the leader was Chen Da, the chief eunuch in the palace. He saluted and said, "Mother Wanan".

"What's the matter?" Xia Zimo had just finished eating the almonds in his hand.Looking at Chen Da with a faint smile, Chen Da only felt that Xia Cairen's mood seemed very special today, neither good nor bad.Although the smile was the same as usual, she just felt that she was not happy.

"Returning to the empress, the emperor said that there are too few people serving in the Hanxiang Hall, so he asked the servants to send some people over.

Xia Zimo looked at the eunuch behind him, and sent four of them. Each of them was holding a brocade box, which contained the treasures bestowed by the emperor. Xia Zimo could see the brilliance inside without getting up.In fact, although there are few people around her, they are enough. Now that she is favored, although her father is involved in it, she has become a thorn in the eyes of everyone in the harem.

Presumably that was also the reason why that person wanted to leave?But she was left here alone.

"Leave two for me, and you can arrange the rest! I don't need so many people here." The emperor's gift can't be avoided, but it can't be too exaggerated.

"Yes." Staying by the side of the favored empress is something every court lady and eunuch thinks about, but now Xia Zimo keeps two of the four, and even if the rest is sent to other concubines, she will only say that she picked the rest Yes, no one will stay.Xia Zimo knew this truth, but she couldn't help it. .

Chen Da quickly left behind two young eunuchs who looked very clever.Xia Zimo was already a little sleepy at this time, she looked at the two of them and waved her hand, "From now on, your name will be Xingren, and your name will be Walnut."

The name was decided like this. Although the little eunuch was distressed, he didn't have any objections and dared not have objections.Emperor He still went to Changchun Palace and Hanxiang Palace the most frequently, but Xia Zimo was cautious and the Xia family was very powerful, so he was safe and sound in the harem.

Xia Zimo got up early in the morning, and Yu'er washed her up. She chose the most common blue long dress, on which only the outline of a lotus flower was embroidered with gold thread, which was elegant.There is also a simple golden step rocker inserted in the head.

"Master, isn't it impolite to go to greet the queen?" Xiaoyu asked worriedly.Xia Zimo shook his head, the queen has not been favored for a long time, if she is dressed in fancy clothes, she will inevitably be suspected of being ostentatious.She didn't explain to Xiaoyu any more, but just told Xiaoyu to take the Jade Buddha that she was going to give to the queen.

The Central Palace is not far from the Hanxiang Hall, and Xia Zimo didn't feel too anxious. He just walked slowly, stopping after a few steps, and then continued walking.

Xiaoyu's hand holding the Jade Buddha had already turned sour, and only then did he see the shadow of Taiye Pool, and at this time he was still halfway away from the Central Palace.Beside Taiye Pond, the two saw Yuan Xingye who was admiring the flowers with the emperor.Yuan Xingye was still in simple attire, his hair was simply combed into a ponytail, and he only wore a jade bracelet on his hand.It seems that the dress of the court ladies is better than hers.

The ordinary dark purple robe was embroidered with golden lotus flowers. Standing beside He Di who was dressed in bright yellow, Xia Zimo suddenly felt that this person's bearing was not in vain compared to He Di.

"See the emperor, long live my emperor." Xia Zimo bowed.

"Concubine Ai is here. I am looking at the lotus with Concubine Yuan. Come and enjoy it when you come." Emperor He laughed.

Still here at this time, that is, he didn't go to the early court, Xia Zimo wisely kept his mouth shut, and accompanied the two of them to look at the lotus.

"Although the lotus is good, it also depends on the person accompanying it. Today, I think the lotus is extraordinarily beautiful." Xia Zimo smiled and covered his mouth with the silk in his hand.

"Of course lotus flowers are beautiful, but my younger sister is the real beauty." Yuan Xingye said. "Your majesty, don't you think this lotus is much inferior to Xia Cairen?"

"The two beloved concubines are both nationally beautiful, how can a mere lotus compare to them?" He Di was in a good mood, treating his concubines, especially his favorite concubine, He Di was always generous with smiles, gentleness and rewards.

"I'm far behind my sister. The emperor came here with my sister today." Xia Zimo bowed to Emperor He. "Your Majesty, I heard that the Empress was not feeling well yesterday, so I wanted to visit the Empress today. Please allow this concubine to leave first."

"It's rare that you have a heart." He Di nodded.

Xia Zimo got up and left, walked a few steps and Yu'er asked in a low voice. "Cairen, why don't you accompany the emperor to continue looking at flowers?"

Xia Zimo smiled faintly, and quickened his pace to go to the queen's bedroom.She used to come back to the queen's bedroom only to pay her respects. The first time she came here, she thought it was magnificent, but every time since then, she only felt that there was boundless loneliness under the glazed tiles.

The queen has always been a very gentle person. This is what her father told her. It was the current queen mother who chose Hedi, who was still the prince at that time, as a relative. After so many years, the Qi family who was canonized with the queen back then has been executed. Turned into a wisp of dust in the Taiming Palace, but the empress' position has always been stable.

The Wu family is the elder of the three dynasties and has always been loyal.Although Emperor He seldom came to the queen's place, he still respected the queen very much. With such a huge harem, without the queen, it would have been a mess.

"The empress is a thousand years old." The empress is in poor health, so naturally many people came to say hello.Xia Zimo saw that only Concubine De was there, and three of the nine concubines, presumably concubines who were closer to the queen.

Seeing Xia Zimo, the queen's eyes flashed with surprise.Although her status is stable, everyone in the palace knows that the noble concubine Li Bei is the real No. 1 in the harem, and few concubines come to her on their own initiative.What's more, Xia Zimo has been in the palace for a year.

"Show Xia Cairen a seat."

Xia Zimo chatted with the queen and the four concubines until noon, and had lunch in the queen's palace.In the next few days, Xia Zimo would go to the queen's palace if he had nothing to do, chatting or playing the piano with them.

Generally, concubines with a little bit of status would choose their own camp. Although Xia Zimo didn't say anything, everyone knew that she chose the empress line.Later, when people thought about it, it made sense. The Xia family and the Wu family were family friends, so Xia Zimo naturally needed to choose his own camp if he wanted to settle down in the harem.

The day after Xia Zimo chose the Queen's camp, people in the palace rumored that Yuan Xingye had visited Concubine Li Gui.