Yongzheng period

Just together, this is what I heard~"

Hong Zhou's heart sank instantly.

After finally coping with Xiaojiu, who was eager for knowledge, Hongzhou walked out of the room rubbing his sore shoulders, and bumped into Fang Fujin who was carrying a pastry.

"Ah...! Grandpa..." Akton's side Fujin let out a low cry, his face flushed with blush.

Acton was full of joy, but his skills on horseback never fell behind, and he was also good at housekeeping.Her temperament and Hong Zhou are extremely compatible, and the young couple are loving and harmonious, and they are like glue.

"Hmm..." Hong Zhou answered in disbelief, his mind was filled with Xiao Jiu's mention of Fourth Brother to him just now, and his whole body was numb.

"Master, the concubine of the Fifth Princess just went to see her, and the Concubine Jing and Concubine Xuan both sent people to look after her." Acton said softly, looking at her grandfather's exhausted appearance, her heart ached and her heart ached. It was hesitation, hesitatingly said, "...Er Niang asked me to go over to discuss the matter of Fujin..."

Hong Zhou finally had a strong reaction, and his face was rarely cold, "Emiang is so anxious because such a big event just happened in the palace?"

Acton said, "When I went to pay my respects to Er Niang, I bumped into Concubine Duan and Fourth Sister-in-law."

Hong Zhou's eyes dimmed a little: since he was a child, he knew that his fourth brother was very sensitive and had great ambitions; he didn't like reading, and he was a 'fool around' all day long. As a cover; behind his back, the gossip slave laughed at him as an elder brother who was 'not progressing', and it was the fourth brother who taught the slave for him...

It's just that the fourth brother...has never asked him about his wishes: high power or the throne is not what he wants.

Both Erniang and the fourth elder brother hoped that the candidate for the next Fujin would be a woman with a high family status—even though the side Fujin he loved was very good in his heart, she was only the daughter of the fourth grade Dianyi. , Er Niang treated her lightly.At the beginning when he entrusted Zhaoxiang's affairs to her, E Niang was also quite critical.

"...you don't worry..." Qianyan Wanyu turned into gentle consolation when he met Fujin's uneasy eyes on the upper side, Hongzhou said in a low voice, "No one can force me to love Xinjueluo Hongzhou to do what I don't want Everything I do is up to me.”

【94】

As the days approached the midsummer of June, the cicadas sang and the frogs sang.This kind of season makes people feel irritable, and the hot summer is even more difficult because of the epidemic in the palace.Kunning Palace sealed the palace gates, and all affairs in the harem were moved back to Changchun Palace. Daiyu, ignoring the grief of her best friend's death, joined the Queen Mother and brought the concubines to burn incense and pray.

The precious spices burned in the palace disappeared for a while, and the smell of herbs from burning mugwort leaves and atractylodes atractylodes is permeated everywhere. Strong shochu was sprinkled all over the Yongxiang in front of the palace gate, and later even vinegar was placed in every corner of the palace to boil. Repel the epidemic.

Fortunately, the Kun Ning Palace, which was newly infected, was able to control the situation for a while, but unfortunately, the Compassion Ning Palace, which was supposed to be extremely safe, was infected with the disease. The disease started from a sense of injustice. The internal eunuchs of low-ranking maids only have headache and fever at first, and then the neck is swollen, and the hair and cheeks are blocked. The disease of one person affects the whole room, and the disease of one room affects the whole palace.

After the Queen Mother also fell ill due to the epidemic, everyone in the palace was in danger again.

When the emperor arrived at the Palace of Compassion, Yinshuang, the aunt in charge of the Palace of Compassion, was already very anxious, her eyes were red and swollen, and she said, "Yesterday was fine, but this morning, the servant served the Empress Dowager, but she vomited out everything she ate. , People also have a severe fever, and they start talking nonsense at noon."

Yinshuang was sent to the Compassionate Ning Palace by the queen of the Wuya clan, and her wealth and life are in the hands of the Queen Mother.The Empress Dowager is weak and old, and when the relationship with the emperor is not harmonious, they sincerely hope that the Empress Dowager will be safe and sound.

The emperor has been working hard recently, and his body has gradually lost weight under anxiety. At this time, he frowned and said, "What do the people in the Tai Hospital say?"

Yinshuang was almost choked up and unable to speak, sobbing, "...the imperial doctor said that the empress dowager is very old, not as strong as a young man..., it is... already..."

She looked distressed, but Yongzheng was already prepared in his heart, and said slowly, "In that case, it is better to order the Imperial Hospital to step up the development of a prescription for eradicating the epidemic."

Yongzheng glanced through the window, only to see that the curtain was drooping, and the Boshan stove on the table was burning wormwood, and the smoke from the stove was still and faintly lingering.The vitality between the Empress Dowager's brows is like the light wisp of Boshan Mountain, ethereal as if nothing exists.

Yinshuang said in a low voice at the side, "Suddenly such a thing happened, the slaves are already at their wits' end... I hope the emperor will be the master of the Compassionate Ning Palace." With a look of anticipation, his eyes flickered slightly, "...the empress is the one who decides in the palace... If the empress can sit in charge in person—"

"That's not right," Yongzheng seemed worried, thinking, "Concubine Duan Gui is also a concubine with a long history. With her here, I can rest assured."

Before Yinshuang could say anything more, the emperor ordered someone to call for the noble concubine.The imperial concubine Qi Jia came here in a hurry, she only wore thin makeup and simple clothes.Because she wants to pray with the concubine, her hair is only tied up loosely, and a white jade dragonfly hairpin is slanted on it. The dragonfly looks like it is about to fly.On the single wrist is a soft bracelet inlaid with gold beads and emerald green, with an emerald ring inlaid in the middle, and in the ring is a gold support with lotus petals, each petal is inlaid with a south bead, and the back of the emerald ring has an octagonal hollow base, which is very delicate.

The bracelet is brilliant, showing the honor of her imperial concubine, and the moon-white palace dress with water patterns and rippling waves makes her look like a calm and fragile rose.Recently, it has been said in the palace that the imperial concubine has been running around because of the epidemic, and has no rest for several days, which should be a model of generosity.

Yongzheng said, "The empress dowager is seriously ill, and the empress cannot get away from her body, so I will entrust the entire palace of compassion to you."

Concubine Duan's heart sank. Kunning and Compassionate Palaces are far apart. How the disease sneaked into the Empress Dowager's Palace is really suspicious. At this sensitive time, Compassionate Palace is a cup of sweet but poisonous wine. fine wine.Had to drink and had nowhere to escape.

A few days ago, the crabapple tree under the corridor of the Palace of Compassion and Ning was still in a state of beauty and beauty, as if to cater to the Empress Dowager's illness, but in her eyes, it looked like strands of flowers and leaves half stretched and half stretched, full of imminent Withered decadent breath.The sultry summer wind blew by, and the flowers began to tremble on the branches. The attitude of wanting to stay but not being able to stay was very similar to the helplessness of dying struggle.

Concubine Duan made up her mind and did not dare to be careless, "As a noble concubine, I should share the worries of the middle palace and be filial to the Queen Mother. It's just that the concubine is short-sighted, so it is inevitable that there will be things beyond my power... Will the emperor... ?”

She hesitated to speak, but the emperor understood it, and turned his gaze back to Yinshuang, "My aunt has always followed the emperor's mother, and she really appreciates it. Who does aunt think can take on this important task as the candidate for the servant?"

Yinshuang concentrated for a moment, "Among the high-ranking concubines, Concubine Yu is docile and respectful; Qian, Xin, and the second concubine are also good-natured people, but I just want to come to Lin and Shen, the young masters, and Wan Chang. The Empress Dowager favors the most."

Yongzheng frowned slightly, obviously disapproving.Shun Fu lowered his eyebrows and walked forward and said, "Lin Guiren and Shen Guiren are both young masters who have just recovered from a serious illness. I'm afraid it's not appropriate to come to serve the sick."

The imperial concubine gave him a flat look, "Wan Chang was frightened not long ago to save the concubine Xi, and there was a scar on his face, it's time to rest."

The emperor's face was a little tired, and he said lightly, "Didn't she just put up the green card again? It's her, Concubine Yu also has experience in assisting palace affairs, ask her to help you."

Concubine Duan became more and more sure that there was a plan between the Zhen family and the Queen Mother, but Concubine Yu was her right ally, how could she just sit back and watch her lose her left hand and right arm?Immediately said, "Sister Concubine Qian has a little bit of medical skills, wouldn't it be better for her to do it?"

Yongzheng then recalled how Concubine Qian had chosen to attach herself to Jingyang Palace but was walking on eggshells, turned her face and said two words softly, "Alright."

At the end of June, the emperor lost both his elder sons to Tian Wenjing, the Henan assistant director, to supervise the construction of water conservancy projects on the Yellow River.Due to Gao's being awarded the title of side Fujin, the relationship between the fourth elder brother Hongli and Concubine Duan has been very gentle recently, and like Hongshi, he is extremely lacking in experience in handling government affairs alone. This observation and study can be regarded as a good opportunity.

What's more, Tian Wenjing can be called the emperor's confidant, and was deeply appreciated and praised by Yongzheng, calling him a "model border official".Hongli has a heart-beating position, so he has to behave well in front of such important officials.

As a result, Hongli inevitably neglected the relationship with Hongzhou.He himself has a cold relationship with his own Fujin, coveting the power of the family behind her, but also deeply dissatisfied with being controlled by others.Hongli even hoped that Hongzhou could get a dignified Fujin, firstly, Hongzhou's mother's family would not be visible, and the noble daughter would increase his worth; secondly, as an ally, it would be enough to add weight to Hongli and help him It competes for storage.

It's just that this kind of future is obviously contrary to Hong Zhou's own vision, especially after Hong Zhou more or less knew about his fourth brother's vicious means to fight for reserves, unknowingly, the relationship between Jingyang and Yonghe two palaces The covenant is no longer as strong as before.

In the early summer, outside the vermilion window sill of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, you can see deep in the green grass where the pomegranate flowers in the palace garden are all in full bloom. The golden sun is like the phoenix flower in full bloom in this season, blooming fiercely in the sky, with occasional wisps of leakage. Passing through the gaps between the branches of the green leaves, it casts a mottled fragment on the smooth pebbles.

"...I found the sachet carrying the epidemic disease on the eunuch who was serving the ninth elder brother who had just contracted the disease." Sun Zhiding kowtowed, "After checking all the patients in Kunning Palace one by one, it has been confirmed that this is the case. The sachet caused the epidemic."

White jade Ruyi sachet with coral peony pattern, the front is hollowed out with "Ruyi" Hetian white jade flower pieces, the back