Chapter 287 Waiting for the Good Time

Yun Shu immediately took off the silver pendant and put on the jasper pendant. After putting it on, she turned around and asked Yun Zheng, "Sister, does it look good on me?"

Yun Zheng studied her for a moment and said seriously, "It suits you very well."

Xiao Si agreed: "It looks good."

Yun Shu touched the pendant beside her ear, her heart filled with joy, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

She coughed, turned around slowly, walked towards the courtyard, and showed off to the group of young palace maids.

Yun Zheng looked at her like this and smiled helplessly.

Xiao Si opened another handkerchief, revealing a pair of plum blossom earrings with pendant beads. He smiled and pushed them over. "It's different from the jade pendant. The pearl pendant looks gentle. This one suits Auntie."

Yun Zheng heard his gurgling voice and turned to look over. She immediately saw the pendant and said, "Is this... for me?"

She was a little unsure.

Xiao Si gave an affirmative answer: "Yes, Aunt has taken care of Zhou Zhou for a long time and has worked very hard. Zhou Zhou is very grateful to Aunt and will naturally never forget her. Zhou Zhou thought that Aunt is gentle and beautiful, with fair skin, and she would look good in pearls, so he chose earrings with dangling pearls, and Mother also thought they were very suitable."

After taking care of him for so long, Yun Zheng never asked for anything like "remember" or "reward". He was her own little master, whom she raised with her own hands. In her heart, he was almost everything.

Hearing him say this, even though Yun Zheng was strong-willed, the corners of her eyes turned red. "Okay."

Xiao Si tilted his head and said, "Auntie, squat down. I'll put it on you."

Yun Zheng lifted her skirt and squatted down. Xiao Si took off her original earrings and carefully put them on her, praising her sincerely, "You really suit Auntie."

Yun Zheng covered her mouth and laughed.

After giving things to the two aunts, Xiao Si counted the remaining things, "There are also things for the Imperial Grandmother, Aunt Yan, the three imperial brothers, and Brother Yu and Axun. Brother Yu and Axun are also on holiday today, so I'll give them tomorrow. Let's go to the Cining Palace and Wenhua Hall first."

He was very proactive. He found all the things that needed to be delivered and took people with him.

*

Inside the hall.

After Pei Tingyue came back, she drank some pregnancy-maintaining medicine, rinsed her mouth, and then lay down on the bed to rest and sleep.

Xie Chen was half-sitting outside the couch, reading a book.

Hearing the sound of a slight intake of breath, his hand paused, then he closed the book and turned around to hug her.

"Can't sleep?"

When I turned her around, I found tears streaming down her face.

Except for the last conflict because of Zhaoyang, she hadn't cried like this for a long time.

The crying was heartbreaking.

Xie Chen felt a sharp pain in his heart. He felt that the crystal clear tears were very eye-catching. He touched them gently with his fingertips and asked, "Why are you crying?"

Pei Tingyue felt depressed and extremely depressed. She shook her head and said, "Nothing."

Xie Chen first asked in a gentle voice, "Are you feeling well?"

Pei Tingyue said no.

Xie Chen sighed and held her in his arms. He stretched out his hand and gently stroked her back. "That means you miss our Major General."

When Pei Tingyue heard this name, she couldn't hold back her emotions anymore and her tears flowed even more violently.

Xie Chen didn't say anything else. He just touched and soothed her, using intimate actions to comfort her.

Pei Tingyue finally stopped talking after a long time. She played with Xie Chen's fingers and said in a muffled voice, "There has been no news from the other side for a long time. I wonder if they have found Tuantuan."

The last time I sent a letter was three months ago. It was spring, the season when everything began to grow, and Tuantuan had run away from home to find his little female cat.

In the letter, the major general cursed Tuantuan, the rebellious son.

Xie Chen stroked her smooth, satin-like black hair and whispered, "Don't worry, Tingyue. She raised him, so he won't be lost. He will come back after some time. Besides, the Northern Frontier is peaceful now, and there are so many people in the military camp. If someone is determined to find him, they will find him soon."

Pei Tingyue hummed, and after a long silence, he slowly said, "I miss her."

Xie Chen kissed her temples and said, "During the Queen's enthronement ceremony, the frontier will come to congratulate. It was originally supposed to be General Song. If you really want to see her, can I let her come?"

Pei Tingyue felt uncomfortable again. She shook her head, "No..."

Xie Chen touched her delicate little face and asked in confusion, "You've thought about it this way, don't you want to see her?"

Pei Tingyue said in a muffled voice, "I want to see her, and I want her to be free. The Kyoto Imperial Palace is not suitable for her."

Xie Chen fell silent.

Free to follow your heart.

For some reason, this sentence reminded him of the exceptionally bright and lively Ting Yuelai outside the palace, who was completely different from the one inside the palace.

He wanted to ask, if there was a next life, would she still be willing to enter the palace? Would she still be willing to be his queen, his wife?

Xie Chen was timid for the first time and he didn't ask.

He suppressed this thought, stroked her hair and said, "If one day, the successor is worthy of the throne, I will take you out for a walk, to see her, and to see this beautiful country."

Pei Tingyue looked up at him, breathing faster, "Really?"

Xie Chen kissed her lips lightly, "I won't lie to you."

Pei Tingyue thought about the scene in her mind, and her lips curled up unconsciously, expectantly saying, "Then I will remember the emperor's words, you can't break your promise."

If she could see him in this life, she would be very satisfied. She is here, waiting for good news.

*

It is mid-June and the heat has not completely subsided, but it is much better than before. I can go out for a walk in the morning and evening.

The seven departments and three courts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were back on track, and Pei Tingyue didn't have much to worry about. When she had free time, she would read storybooks and feed the fish.

Wen Zhaoyuan and several other concubines were afraid that she would be bored, so they often came to Chengning Palace to keep her company.

On this day, Wen Zhaoyuan, Yu Jieyu, Qu Baolin, and Pei Tingyue were playing mahjong in the warm room.

Pei Tingyue had just started learning this thing, but she was very smart and had basically never lost any money.

Qu Baolin, on the other hand, had very bad luck and lost the most, but he was very addicted and always clamored to continue.

She lost half a month's worth of money yesterday, and another half a month's worth today. She took a breath and composed herself, "Let's do it again. This time, I'm sure to win."

These words made Wen Zhaoyuan and Yu Jieyu cover their mouths and laugh.

Wen Zhaoyuan reminded softly, "You've said this three times today, and this time makes it four. I'm keeping it in mind for you."

Qu Baolin blushed: "Empress Zhaoyuan, please stop making fun of me."

Yu Jieyu, who usually kept quiet, also spoke up, "If you want to continue playing, not only will you lose your monthly allowance, but also all the jewelry you're wearing."

Qu Baolin snorted, "Don't underestimate me, Concubine. It's my birthday this month, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs gave me a reward as usual. The Imperial Concubine also gave me a reward. I have a lot of money. What's more, after so many years in the palace, I have saved up some money."

"Then continue playing?"

Qu Baolin said firmly: "Come!"

The few of them shuffled the cards and spread them out again. Pei Tingyue said with a smile, "Baolin's monthly allowance is indeed not enough for you to lose a few games, but the beauty's allowance should allow you to play for a few more days."

Qu Baolin blinked and asked doubtfully, "Beauty?"

Pei Tingyue nodded: "Yes. If I am crowned as the Queen, there will be no more Noble Consorts in the harem, not to mention Noble Consorts, there won't even be a Consort. What's more, the ranks of the concubines in the harem haven't changed for so many years. I have discussed with the Emperor and want to crown the sisters in the harem."

——————————

Qu Baolin couldn't believe it. She asked in surprise, "So, the beauty that the imperial concubine was talking about..."

Pei Tingyue smiled slightly and continued, "This is the position I intend to give you."

The story of Qu Baolin is a long one.

She entered the palace in the third year of Xining and her rank was the seventh-rank Baolin. In the fourth year of Xining, when the new concubine entered the palace, she was included in the grand ceremony and was promoted to the sixth-rank talent.

But the following year, the "Linding Palace" frame-up occurred, and the emperor was furious. She misbehaved in a side hall of Chengming Palace, and was directly demoted to an eighth-rank imperial concubine and confined to her house for half a year.

Later, when the incident was over, Empress Zhangyi saw that she was respectful and issued an edict to restore her to a higher rank. Until now, she still holds the title of Baolin.

Speaking of which, the emperor's anger was related to himself, so Qu Baolin was really in trouble.

Over the years, he has been a well-behaved person and has been very respectful to me without any resentment.

So this time, Pei Tingyue directly promoted her two ranks, from the seventh-rank Baolin to the fifth-rank beauty.

Upon hearing this, Qu Baolin was overjoyed and quickly stood up to express her gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your promotion."

She knew what was going on.

The promotion of rank is mostly decided by the Imperial Concubine. If the Emperor decides, he can only promote her by one rank at most.

Now that she has achieved this level, she is extremely grateful to Pei Tingyue.

However, he was so happy not because his position was higher and his monthly salary was more, but because he had finally done his duty in the government.

During these years in the palace, she had no favor and low status, and had been secretly excluded by others in the mansion. Now that she had been promoted to a beauty, let's see if those villains who flattered the powerful and looked down on the weak can still smile.

Qu Baolin was so happy that he kowtowed several times, which scared the people playing mahjong.

Pei Tingyue was not in a position to stand up, so she gave Yun Shu a look, asking her to help Qu Baolin up. "Hurry up, it will be bad if you get hurt."

Qu Baolin stood up happily, feeling his whole body clear and refreshed.

After this incident, the game of leaf cards could no longer be played. Pei Tingyue stood up from the table, sat down on the warm couch, and looked at the other two. "Your positions have not been promoted for a long time, and I am willing to give you a promotion. However, if you two are promoted again, it will be a change in the main position. I need to think carefully about which position to give you. So, don't worry, you will get it."

Wen Zhaoyuan and Yu Jieyu exchanged a glance and bowed together, "Your humble concubines thank you very much, Your Majesty."

"Get up." Pei Tingyue raised her hand slightly, pointing to the pile of silver on the table, and said with a smile, "The emperor is busy with government affairs today, and he won't be here until the evening. Let's have lunch together today. Ask the palace servants to take this silver to the imperial kitchen and prepare a few more dishes."

Several people were naturally willing, and they all smiled and thanked her, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

We had lunch together, and after digesting the food, we opened some Leaf brand cigarettes.

This thing is a good thing to kill time.

Before we knew it, the sun was setting in the west and the sky was filled with clouds.

It was getting late, and when they saw that Pei Tingyue looked a little tired, they quickly stood up and said goodbye.

After seeing off a few people, Yun Shu asked, "My Lady, it's quite cool outside now. Shall we go out for a walk?"

Pei Tingyue nodded and asked her to go out with the fish food, "Let's go feed the koi."

As soon as he stood by the white jade bridge, more than a dozen red koi fish surrounded him.

This is a reaction that has accumulated over the years.

If someone stops by the water, it means there is something to eat.

Sure enough, the next moment, a lot of food floated on the water and many koi rushed over.

Pei Tingyue watched the fat koi fighting for food with a faint smile.

When she first saw them, she was curious whether they could be eaten. But after feeding them for a long time and growing them into such plump fish, she couldn't bear to give them up.

Every evening when I have nothing to do, I come to the bridge to look at the clouds and feed them, and I feel much better.

Pei Tingyue looked at it for a while and his mind became much clearer.

She was thinking in her mind what positions to give to the concubines.

According to the old palace rules, there can be two imperial concubines, four concubines and nine imperial concubines.

Wen Zhaoyuan's family background was not good, so she could not be granted the title of imperial concubine. If nothing unexpected happened, she would have only been a second-rank concubine. Xie Xiuyi was behind her, so it was even more impossible for her to become an imperial concubine.

Now I am only worried about what position to give them among the virtuous and good, or in other words, what position to give them among the virtuous and good.

The position of Concubine De cannot be given away. Not only did she feel uncomfortable about it, but that person was the first one to disagree.

Wen Zhaoyuan must be in the first place. Pei Tingyue thought about it and decided to give her the position of virtuous concubine.

As for Xie Xiuyi's position, Pei Tingyue couldn't make up his mind for a moment. Those who had previously occupied this position, Concubine Liang and Concubine Shu, had all ended up badly.

Pei Tingyue thought about it and decided to give her the position of Concubine Liang. After all, compared with the two, Concubine Jiang Shu committed the serious crime of regicide and treason.

As for the bottom, it’s easy to give.

Yu Jieyu and Huang Jieyu were both former members of the Eastern Palace, and both were given the rank of Nine Concubines. Yu was in the front and was given the rank of Chongyi, while Huang was given the rank of Chongyuan, which was quite good.

However, Pei Tingyue had a little selfish motive here. Yu Shi was doing her duty and often came to entertain her. She was willing to give Yu Shi this respect.

Next up are Qu Baolin and Xu Baolin, one a Jin beauty and the other a Jin talent according to the rules.

There is another special one - Qin Baolin and Qin Yan.

After so many years, she seems to have become really stupid, following the Queen Mother around stupidly. She has a good relationship with Xiao Si. When she left the palace a few days ago, she got a share of all the gifts Xiao Si bought for her.

When a person becomes like this, all the grudges will gradually fade away with the passage of time, and Pei Tingyue is not intolerant of her.

Queen Mother Qin treated her and Xiao Si well, and she was willing to repay Queen Mother Qin. Taking this opportunity, she restored Qin Yan's position as Concubine.

Although it made no difference to her, it was good news for the Qin family outside the palace.

After deciding this, Pei Tingyue let out a deep breath. She asked Yun Shu, "Has there been no movement in the harem these days?"

Having held power for so long, she has spies everywhere, not only in the Imperial Household Department, but also in the Imperial Hospital, the six palaces in the east and west, and even in the princes' residences. This is the basis for her to live in peace in the palace.

Yun Shu shook his head and replied, "Everywhere is very quiet."

Pei Tingyue narrowed her eyes and asked, "Where is Xie Xiuyi in Yichun Palace?"

This woman gave her a feeling of being uneasy and ready to make trouble.

But over the years, she has done nothing honestly and there is no evidence to hold against her.

Pei Tingyue had been waiting for an opportunity in secret, eager for her to take action so that he could bring her down completely.