[Qing wear] Harem promotion expert

Coming out of Qingxia Hall, Jiang Heng took Cui Jin and Su Momo as circumstantial evidence to go back to the queen.

She just smiled and said: "After some consolation by the minister and concubine, the concubine Nian suddenly realized the value of life. Now the will to survive is very strong, I think it will get better soon."

Although the queen was curious, she thought that she gave the hot potato to the imperial concubine. How she cooled the potato was due to the imperial concubine's own ability and skill, so it was not easy to ask in detail.

Besides, if the imperial concubine had to suffer and be insulted by the Nian family to settle the matter, it would only make her sad if she asked again.

So he only said to Yan: "You have bothered about this matter. This time you helped me with a big event, and I will keep it in mind." Of course, Nian Shi found a big event for her, and he also kept it in mind.

Jiang Heng stood up and said that the empress had spoken too seriously, so he resigned and went back to the empress dowager.

The Empress Dowager didn't have as many scruples as the Empress. Hearing that Nian Shi had completely turned around, she gave Jiang Heng a seat and tea to rest first, and then ordered Cui Jin to go over the matter.

Jiang Heng had already told them when he came out of the Qingxia Hall, it doesn't matter whether the queen mother or the emperor asks, there is no need to say false words, just tell the truth.

Cui Jin just said everything, but if you don't tell lies, it's not wrong to focus on what you say.Cui Jin never wanted to offend the imperial concubine, so he described Nian's ghastly appearance with big scissors when she entered the Qingxia Hall, and her madness of taking out small silver scissors from her sleeve and threatening death.

Aunt Wu Ya was at the side wrapping balls of gold thread, she stopped after hearing the words, let's listen to the story here first.

The queen mother was very satisfied after listening to the whole process, and said to Jiang Heng: "You did a good job."

Jiang Heng got up and replied with a smile: "The concubine also thought of bluffing after hearing the empress's gentle words of persuasion, but the concubine refused to listen. In fact, the concubine was also a little afraid in her heart."

Cui Jin thought to himself: Madam, are you afraid?However, he quickly followed up and said: "That scene, the slave looks scary, not to mention the imperial concubine, there is really no other way."

The queen mother waved her hand and smiled at Jiang Heng: "You just go back and rest, and Nian's safety will have nothing to do with you from now on. The Ai family will take care of you! I will teach the Nian's rules when the Ai family is free. My family is getting old and lazy, and since she entered the palace, she has never been taught well that it is a serious crime for a concubine to commit suicide, but now there is a story about a concubine threatening Ai's family with death, and it is not easy to spread the word. Don't want old face either."

Even if it is not spread to the wives outside, even if the concubines know about it, the empress dowager will feel ashamed in front of her old colleagues.

It is very fortunate that this happened in Yuanmingyuan, and if there is one, there cannot be another.

Jiang Heng heard something ominous.

However, that was something other people reaped melons, and it had nothing to do with her.

Xiuxiu felt dizzy as she walked all the way.

Since she entered the palace, she had been assigned to the Old Summer Palace, and since she entered the Old Summer Palace, she went to Xiyuan to serve as a concubine. Although she had seen some landscapes, she hadn't really seen much of the atmosphere in the palace.

When they arrived at the Tantanshang Hall, Jiang Heng asked Qiu Xue to take her with him: "First give her the monthly rules of the third-class court lady, and you and Qiu Shuang will teach her more on two weekdays. She is still young now, after two years, the palace If someone in the house reaches the age to go out, she will come on top."

Qiuxue nodded: I don’t know how many people are envious of the luck of this little maid. You need to know that the imperial concubine has always been a hot place in the palace. Unfortunately, the Yonghe Palace is always full. Slow cooking is also willing.But the imperial concubine refused to ask for more people.

Nowadays, many court ladies in the palace teach themselves to be literate in private, just so that when the Yonghe Palace needs someone again, they will have more chances to get in if they know how to read.

But Xiuxiu was brought back directly, and became a third-class palace maid without knowing how to read, and her own mother still wanted to train her.

Besides, since Jiang Heng was promoted to imperial concubine, there were four places for first-class court ladies, which happened to be allocated to Qiuxue, Qiushuang, Qiulu, and Qiuwu who followed her from the beginning.

Jiang Heng has been in the palace for more than six years, and in the first few autumns, he has also reached the age of 23 or [-] years old.

Putting it elsewhere, it is the age to be transferred to a idle job, and hand over the work to the maid who is a few years younger-you can leave the palace after one or two years of idle work.

Jiang Heng asked them last year, if anyone wanted to leave the palace, he would hand over the people and affairs in his hands, prepare a generous dowry for them, and send it out properly.

But all four of them expressed their reluctance to leave the palace.

This has nothing to do with the independence of an awakened woman, it is just a very simple human nature: seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and live a good life.

Being in the Yonghe Palace is the happy life they once hoped for: the world is here, and when you go out to marry, you will inevitably serve your husband and in-laws, and go around the stove every day. , get a lot of year-end bonus at the end of the year, go out and go everywhere, everyone will flatter you when you see him?

This choice is easy to make: let alone Qiu Xue and others who are not married and not interested in it, even the wet nurses in the Yonghe Palace who have husbands and children outside have left their homes and businesses to come in to be wet nurses for a few years. I don't want to go back.

After the princess and prince turned four years old, only two wet nurses were left to take care of the daily life, and the rest would be rewarded and returned home.The ones who were let out were all crying—after all, in the palace, they only needed to feed one child in turn to eat and drink a lot of money, but after they went out, they had to serve the whole family day and night. I'm afraid that her husband's family is still thinking about the bounty she got in the palace, and the money will probably be spent within two years. Who would think about not crying these days.

Xiuxiu stood in the yard, very uneasy.

She had heard the palace people in Xiyuan complain before: "There is no idle hair in the west, and you can't see a string of money rewards all year round. It would be great if you could go to serve some empresses in the palace, especially the imperial concubines." Yes, I heard that there are rewards under the Yonghe Palace New Year Festival!" At that time, someone sarcastically said: "The palace servants of the imperial concubine and empress must be able to read and write. One, I don’t know where to dip the brush all my life, and still want to go to the Yonghe Palace?”

Sure enough, when Xiuxiu stood cramped and waited in the yard, she quickly noticed a thin iron plate hanging on the wall of the yard, on which several pages of bamboo paper and linen paper were sucked, with dense words written on it.

All the small inner eunuchs who carried things through the door would pick up the graphite pen in the iron box next to them and draw on the paper.First and second-class court ladies who obviously dressed differently came out to inspect the items carried into the palace, and then wrote something on the paper.

Even the palace servants who want to go out have to write on the paper on the wooden clip hanging at the door.

It wasn't until a little eunuch begged a court lady: "Sister, please help me to look at the time again, I'm always afraid that I may have misidentified a Western clock." Xiuxiu then knew that the palace people of Yonghe Palace had to write down the time and place of entry and exit at the door when they went out.

She became more and more panic-stricken, she couldn't read or write!Does she deserve to stay?

It wasn't until Qiu Xue went out and stood at the bottom of the steps waving to her that Xiuxiu hurried over.Her hair was a little yellow and dry, and because she didn't have enough hair oil, even if she braided it, she still looked rough.

So Xiuxiu who ran over at this time looked like a yellow-haired puppy that was drenched in the rain.

Qiu Xue couldn't help but said gently: "Come on, I'll take you to the back to wash your hair first, and you have to change and wash your body too."

When Xiuxiu came out, someone had already prepared two new long cotton towels for her, and a new set of clothes from inside to outside.

Xiuxiu noticed carefully: the maids who came to carry the water and sweep the floor were different from those in Xiyuan, everyone was very clean - it was not easy for the palace maids to take a bath, if there was no fixed festival, they had to pay for it themselves Specially buy water and soap to wash, so except for those who have to go into the master's house to serve up close, most people can deal with it.

The maid wrapped her original clothes with a cloth and said: "Miss, I have to boil these clothes before sending them back. There are elder brothers and princesses in our palace, and the imperial concubine always pays attention to these things, so everything should be extra clean That’s right. For those of us who can’t climb the steps of the main hall, second-class sisters often come to spot check whether the hair and clothes are clean, let alone girls who are going to serve the master in the future.”

Those who can enter the Yonghe Palace, even the maids and inner eunuchs who are rough envoys, are very good at seeing things.This palace lady named Xiuxiu was brought back by the empress herself today, and it was Qiu Xue, the palace maid in charge, who arranged for her, so the rough envoy and the palace staff were very kind to her and answered every question.

After a while, another young court lady called her: "Miss Xiuxiu, come with me, Aunt Qiuxue is waiting for you in your room."

The Old Summer Palace is more open than the palace, and the houses of various colors are also very ample.If they were in the palace, many court ladies could not sleep in the Yonghe Palace at night, but would go to sleep in the collective palace room next to the imperial city, and then come over to be on duty when they are on duty.But it is not necessary in Yuanmingyuan. The open and open pavilion has its own garden behind it, and behind it are rows of palace ladies' houses.

Xiuxiu followed the little maid into one of the rooms.

The third-class palace ladies are four-person room, with four standard single simple wooden beds and a corner cabinet with a lock.Qiuxue has followed Jiang Hengjiu for a long time, and likes to speak by numbers in everything. At this time, she took a piece of paper and said: "The third-class court ladies are allocated two sets of winter and summer quilts, four sheets, two pillows, and four sets of clothes for each season maid..." Qiu Xue After reading the daily necessities quickly, his eyes scanned the things on the bed by the way, and found that they hadn't missed anything.

Then put a stack of papers on top of Xiuxiu's corner cabinet: "When you learn how to read in the future, you can read it yourself. You will be given monthly money, hair oil, candles, needles and threads and other household items. You have to be able to read, write, and count by yourself. Although the rules of the empress are strict, there are very few things in the palace that deceive others and defraud others. But instead of pointing at the conscience of others, it is better to point at your own eyes. ?”

"I remember what my aunt said." Xiuxiu deftly followed the little maid next to her and called her aunt.

Qiu Xue smiled.

The empress brought her out, perhaps because she valued her adaptability, her ability to cope with various situations, and her temperament that she would grasp when she saw hope for a better life.

For Xiuxiu, all the rules of the Yonghe Palace are a brand new experience.

When she was in Xiyuan, she had no backer, so she had no choice but to be honest and timid, accepting that good clothes would not be given to her, good places would not be her turn to live in, and all the dirty and tiring work would be left to her.

Now she has her own piece of paper with what she deserves written down.

Xiuxiu earnestly put the piece of paper that she still can't understand into her purse, looking forward to the day when she can understand it from the bottom of her heart.

Qiuxue took Xiuxiu back from the palace lady's house at the back and taught her to recognize the way.When she got to the back door where the maids were on duty, Qiu Xue said to the two little eunuchs on the door: "Your shift these two days? First recognize her face, and at the latest the day after her And the name tag was made."

As soon as I got back to the main courtyard, I saw Qiushuang coming out of the house, and said with a smile: "Sister Qiuxue is taking her apprentice? Then today is a big opportunity to teach her—the empress said to sleep well, so that no one can go in The empress is also exhausted today, she got up early to visit Concubine Liang, and then went again..." Qiushuang replaced the concubine Nian with a frowning expression, and refused to mention it directly, and continued: "Do you want to have a good rest? If you want to come to the empress, then you have some palace business, and I will not invite you again today."

Qiuxue nodded: "I was going to pick up things from the building office, since that's the case, I might as well take Xiuxiu today and teach her to recognize her everywhere. Besides, when she comes, she will talk to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Office of Respect. Let me just say, we can't have an extra third-class maid in our palace, I don't know about these two places, and the monthly rules won't be able to be allocated."

To Xiuxiu, the open and open pavilion is a brand new and bright place, like a dream.It's just that before she stood still in the sweet dream, she was already dizzy and was led by Qiu Xue to find the door everywhere.

Qiu Xue planned the route and took her to the nearest respect room first.

The respect room in Yuanmingyuan is also brighter than that in the palace, and there is even a very spacious main room, which can accommodate hundreds of people.

It just so happened that Zhang Yuzhu was here to give lectures to the little eunuchs. When he saw Qiu Xue coming in, he hurriedly abandoned the group of little eunuchs and came over to talk to Qiu Xue: "Why did the girl come here in person? But what is the imperial concubine's order?"

Hearing Qiuxue talk about Xiuxiu and other things, Zhang Yuzhu stomped his feet twice: "What do you mean? Miss Qiuxue needs to go to this matter by herself? Just ask someone to talk about it and it's over?" Then he was on the spot Take out the list of people from Xiyuan Palace and change it.

If the respect room is like the personnel office of ordinary palace people, then the Ministry of Internal Affairs is more like the distribution office of various high-level talents.Every time Jiang Heng was promoted, Zhang Yuzhu brought ordinary palace people to fill her vacancy.However, nurses, nurses, midwives, etc. are all trained and assigned by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the training of maids entering the palace is also here.

So Qiuxue took Xiuxiu to the door of the House of Internal Affairs again, and said that from now on this maid will return to the Yonghe Palace, not the Nian concubine.

The deputy head of the House of Internal Affairs who received Qiu Xue was also very enthusiastic, and immediately went through the archives of the maids who entered the palace two years ago, taking out the original list and noting it.

After getting out of the House of Internal Affairs, Qiu Xue saw that Xiuxiu was devastated and did not keep up with her, so she couldn't help asking: "What's wrong? Could it be that the new shoes and socks are worn out?"

"Ah, no, no." Xiuxiu hurriedly ran two steps to keep up, and said blushingly, "I just haven't seen the adults in the Respect Room and the Ministry of Internal Affairs smile on their faces."

Qiu Xueyuan wanted to laugh, but had to sigh.

Xiuxiu's simple child's words broke the coldness of the world in the palace.The palace servants who want to come to Xiyuan go to various places to get their orders and things, and they should see cold eyes, especially a little palace maid like Xiuxiu who has no background. Refusing to give her something to make her go again, even scolding her to vent her anger.

So she encouraged her and said, "You study hard and do errands, and you will see many smiling faces in the future!"

"En!" Xiuxiu nodded vigorously, and then quietly said to Qiu Xue that when the palace celebrates the Buddha's birthday, she would also take the opportunity to pay respects quickly: "I just beg the Buddha, as long as I can eat enough and wear warmth for the rest of my life, others will see you." It’s enough for me to be willing to talk kindly! Auntie, I will definitely learn the rules and characters!”

Qiuxue couldn't help touching the top of her head - although this child is 15 years old, she looks like she is only thirteen or fourteen years old. I think he didn't eat well before coming here, but he can make up for it when he enters the Yonghe Palace. Make up.

So Qiuxue said: "Let's go, follow my aunt to the building office. First, the cup that the empress ordered for the fourth princess is ready, and I need to go to the palace for inspection and take it back. Second, I will also bring you a set of eating utensils." , you will know when you have dinner tonight, our Yonghe Palace will definitely fill you up."

Xiuxiu became confused: utensils for eating?Don't maids of honor eat two bowls for servants from the kitchen, one is used to hold a bowl of well water in the urn, and the other is used to hold rice?As for the vegetables, it depends on what the older maids have left for her to eat.

Qiu Xueyuan is also the most ordinary little palace lady, knowing what life Xiuxiu is living in, she doesn't explain it at this time, and just brings her to the building office.

The head of the manufacturing office has already prepared boxes of cups.

Before Minmin went out with the emperor, Jiang Heng specially asked the manufacturing office to do this.Following the shape of modern disposable paper cups, let the manufacturing office make a stack of ten cylindrical silver cups that can be stacked.

Time was tight at the time, so I made a batch and took it to Minmin. This is the second batch.Just wait for the emperor to send the letter back and take it back.

Jiang Heng told Minmin's wet nurse two important things: one is that the water for her daughter must be boiled and let it cool down, and the princess is not allowed to drink raw water from the well no matter how thirsty she is.Although the Tuchao people are well-known internationally for their love of drinking hot water, in fact, this has not existed since ancient times. It was in the 70s that the entire population was mobilized to drink hot water in order to fight against the germ warfare in certain countries.

In ancient times, there was no such condition. Having the occupation of firewood means that firewood can be sold for money. If you travel to ordinary farmers, even if you know that drinking hot water can prevent some diseases, the economy will not allow it.

But conditions in the palace allowed it. Jiang Heng only gave the children boiled water to drink, and the cups, plates, and chopsticks were all boiled. There was no ultraviolet disinfection and had to be sterilized at high temperature.

The second is not to mix any cups and tableware with others. Minmin is not the emperor, and has a special bright yellow porcelain, so it is impossible to mix it with others.The teacups used by princes, princesses and lords are all of the same type. If you take them down and wash them in the tea room, you will inevitably get mixed up.

Jiang Heng ordered people to make many stackable 'silver cups' and silver plates, specially for Minmin.This kind of disposable paper cup is easy to carry without taking up space. Even if you don’t have time to wash it with hot water during the journey, one set is enough for a day.

In order to prevent his daughter from being burned by the silver cup, Jiang Heng also asked the manufacturing office to make several wooden cup holders and brought them with her.

Qiuxue inspected the cups and there was no problem, and said to the people in the manufacturing office: "Do you still have the custom-made lunch boxes for the palace people before the Yonghe Palace? Actually, there are still some in the warehouse of the palace, but I didn't bring them when I was born in Yuanmingyuan."

The staff from the manufacturing office hurriedly said with a smile: "Yes, there are, so I will bring a set for Miss Qiuxue."

In recent years, Yonghe Palace has provided standard lunch boxes for the palace residents. Every newcomer to Yonghe Palace has an exclusive copper lunch box divided into four compartments. Chopsticks and spoons are also for personal use.

Qiu Xue directly asked the people from the manufacturing office to help carve a word "show" on the top of a new set of tableware: "From now on, this will be yours, and you can't mix it with others. Since the palace began to use personal lunch boxes, it is There has never been a case of diarrhea, and the rest have followed suit."

Xiuxiu was at a loss but fondled her own tableware lovingly.

"Nowadays, the small kitchens in the palace basically cook and eat by themselves. You just take this lunch box to pick it up for dinner."

Let's say that the meals of all the palace people in Yonghe Palace are similar.There is a special room in the small kitchen for big pot rice. Every day, two meat dishes, three vegetables, and five pot dishes are cooked for the palace people, and they serve them by themselves until they are full.The only requirement is not to waste. If people find waste, they will be punished without food.

In addition to this basic boxed lunch, first-class court ladies such as Qiu Xue can have the privilege of cooking a small stove to eat fried food, second-class court ladies are provided with two snacks a day, and third-class court ladies are given one snack.

It not only ensures that everyone can have enough food, but also motivates people to be promoted.

After all, after entering the Yonghe Palace for a month, the palace people who couldn't get enough to eat before were all fed.At that time, desserts such as dim sum were the pursuit. Who would not want to have their own portion of sweet snacks every day?

For example, Xiuxiu now, when she heard that she could have a plate of snacks every day, her eyes lit up immediately.

The last place Xiuxiu followed was Tai Hospital.

The Tai Hospital is different from other places where palace people are busy coming in and out. It is very quiet here.

And before entering the door, Xiuxiu smelled the fragrance of various medicines, and felt the solemnity of the place, and couldn't help but slow down her steps when entering the door.

Because the imperial hospital is full of men who are not eunuchs, Qiu Xue didn't go in directly like going to other places, so she stayed in the lobby and waited for the eunuch to invite someone.

Physician Liu came out and saw that it was Qiu Xue, and couldn't help being surprised: "Why is the girl here? Could it be that the imperial concubine is not feeling well?"

Qiu Xue shook her head: "Don't worry, Imperial Physician Liu, I'm just passing by. Since I'm going there, I'll bring back some herbal tea that Imperial Physician Liu is good at."

Physician Liu often mixes some mild herbal tea with Jiang Heng according to the season and pulse condition.

Compared with the weak and cold women of all colors in the palace, Jiang Heng's physique is hotter. If he is greedy at night and eats more spicy and delicious dishes, if he doesn't drink some hot tea quickly, his throat will probably be sore at night. It hurts, and I get angry the next day.

Imperial Physician Liu said with a smile: "Yesterday I went to take the pulse of Ping'an, and the pulse of the empress is fine. But there are many things in this palace in a day, I have heard that, today..." The Tai Hospital is a place where gossip is concentrated, Liu The imperial doctor is good at messing around again, so why didn't he know that the concubine Nian was "looking for death and life" these two days, the empress got up early and went there, and the imperial concubine went there again.

It is about Concubine Nian, Imperial Physician Liu still has something to say to Qiu Xue.But seeing a very face-faced little palace maid behind her, she couldn't help asking what was going on with her.

Qiu Xue also saw that Imperial Physician Liu had something to say, so she said along the way: "This is the maid who my mother just asked to come to her side, and I want to trouble the female doctors and doctors of the Imperial Hospital to take a look."

To enter the Yonghe Palace, physical fitness is a very important part. For example, the palace people must not have contagious boils, lung diseases and other diseases.After all, the princesses in the palace are still young, so they must stay away from the source of infection.Therefore, people in Yonghe Palace often have medical women and young medical officers from the imperial hospital to check their bodies.If one is sick, even if the Yonghe Palace does not keep anyone, it will definitely give money to help treat the illness, which can be regarded as a kind of medical insurance.

Xiuxiu was taken to do the 'entry medical examination', where Imperial Physician Liu quietly told Qiu Xue that the maids in Concubine Xi's palace had come to see Imperial Physician Dong, and Imperial Physician Dong secretly went to find the young imperial physician in charge of Xiyuan, and copied For some years, my concubine's pulse case.

To say that when the princess was first born, Imperial Physician Liu felt that he was half of the Yonghe Palace, but after a few years, he felt that he was already the entire Yonghe Palace.

Both the fourth princess and the sixth elder brother have been diagnosed by him since childhood. If the sixth elder brother in the future... his Liu family is also a family that has been admitted to the imperial hospital for generations, but he has not yet passed a court sentence, maybe he is waiting for him It's taking off!Physician Liu has even started to continue to refine his medical skills, so as not to be said to be unworthy when he is sentenced by the hospital in the future.

It can be said that his career planning is farther ahead than that of Jiang Heng.

So when he saw the little move at Concubine Xi's place, he immediately reported it.

Qiu Xue wrote down the matter, and took the 'physical examination' to complete, except that Xiuxiu, who was a little too thin, had no problem with her bones, and returned to the Tantan Pavilion.

It took Qiu Xue nearly two hours to make this big circle around the Old Summer Palace.

When she came back, Jiang Heng had just woken up.

Qiuxue went in and relayed what Imperial Physician Liu had said.