"Madame Rong, don't forget to go to the Confucian Temple to give money to my mother and brother. Also give my new pair of boots to my brother."
"Always observe the movements in the palace, write down any situation, and tell me as soon as I return."
Shen Wei issued orders in an orderly manner, explaining in detail the work that each person needed to do, and finally let everyone go down to prepare the things needed for the business trip to Dongshan.
Time flies, and the next morning, Shen Wei followed King Yan and boarded the royal carriage to Dongshan Hunting Ground.
Traveling back to ancient times, this was Shen Wei's first time traveling far away. Sitting in the spacious and luxurious carriage, Shen Wei felt very novel.
The carriage left the inner city of Yanjing and drove out of the city. There were already dozens of carriages of all sizes waiting outside the city.
The convoy of the Royal Guards led the way, escorting the royal carriages and carriages of dignitaries, and they set out from the official road in a mighty procession towards Dongshan.
Chen Wei secretly lifted the dark curtain and saw a long convoy on the official road. Black flags with the word "Celebration" were flying in the wind. In the distance were rolling green hills. The breeze brought the fragrance of unknown flowers and plants.
After staying in the palace for a long time, looking at the famous mountains and rivers is also a different and novel experience.
Shen Wei also saw another luxurious carriage behind the carriage of Prince Yan's Mansion. There was a flag of [Zhaoyang] on the carriage. It was Princess Zhaoyang's carriage. She didn't expect that Princess Zhaoyang would also come to Dongshan to hunt.
At the Spring Banquet, Chen Wei saved Princess Zhaoyang's life. I wonder if this noble princess still remembers this small favor.
King Yan looked at Shen Wei's charming look as she looked around, and couldn't help but raise his thin lips: "It will take another three hours to reach Dongshan, take a rest first."
Shen Wei lowered the curtain, sat obediently beside King Yan, and poured him a cup of cool mint tea: "I don't have much time to leave the house, and it's very novel to see such a grand scene."
Having said that, the carriage was shaking and Shen Wei gradually felt sleepy. Her head slowly tilted and fell on King Yan's knees, and she actually slept all the way.
If it were any other concubine, who would dare to sleep on Prince Yan's lap?
But Shen Wei dared.
She wanted to cross that line step by step and bit by bit, and slowly increase King Yan's tolerance towards her.
King Yan lowered his head and looked at Shen Wei who was sleeping soundly. The little face, which is as big as a palm, is round and fair, with slightly curled eyelashes. It looks like a sleeping child, very cute.
A faint smile flashed across his thin lips, and he put a thin shirt on Shen Wei, then opened the file presented by the official and read it with full concentration.
...
While Shen Wei was heading to Dongshan, a major event happened in Prince Yan's Mansion.
The princess was drinking tea leisurely in the yard, and the little maid was carefully massaging her shoulders. The incense and candles in the Buddhist shrine burned slowly, and the rich scent of sandalwood filled the entire courtyard.
There were rustling sounds of footsteps outside the house, and Nanny Liu came trotting over.
"Princess, there's something wrong with Zhang Yue in the woodshed." Nanny Liu spoke in a hurried tone. She ran so fast that hot sweat oozed from her forehead.
The princess put down her teacup and said, "What? Zhang Yue was beaten to death? No problem. Wrap her up in a straw mat and throw her into the mass grave."
Every year, in the royal palace's backyard, concubines would commit suicide because they could not bear the loneliness. The princess is already adept at handling this kind of matter.
Madam Liu didn't bother to wipe the sweat off her forehead. She told the princess, "Ms. Zhang claims to be pregnant. I just asked a doctor to check her pulse and found that she is indeed one month pregnant."
The princess was stunned for a moment before she reacted.
After thinking for a moment, the princess sneered: "Zhang is lucky. With this child, her life can be saved."
Shen Wei was favored by King Yan, but after several months, there was still no movement in her belly.
Zhang Yue had only received the prince's favor a few times, but she was lucky enough to get pregnant. This is the first child born in the palace in two years. If Prince Yan knew about this, he would definitely be happy.
Madam Liu asked cautiously, "Princess, how should we deal with Zhang?"
The princess smiled and said calmly, "Stop her daily caning for now and send her back to the Rose Garden to recuperate. Send a doctor to treat her. When the prince returns from Dongshan, I will ask the prince to make the decision."
Madam Liu: "I will do it right away."
Nanny Liu hurried over to take care of the pregnant Zhang Yue. The princess walked slowly into the Buddhist hall and took the three incense sticks handed to her by the maid.
The white jade statue of Guanyin in the temple is pure and noble, with a pair of eyes looking at the believers with compassion.
The princess offered three sticks of incense devoutly: "May the Buddha bless you."
The queen in the palace has always been dissatisfied with the princess, blaming her for not having children for the prince of Yan. Now that Zhang is pregnant, I think she can shut the Queen up.
The news of Zhang Yue's pregnancy quickly spread throughout the palace and naturally reached the ears of Liuli Pavilion.
Cai Ping was so anxious that she was spinning around. She grabbed Rong Mama and said, "Mama, Zhang Yue is so lucky! With this child, she will be able to run rampant in the palace in the future. What should our master do?"
Rong Mama was dressed luxuriously and was about to go out to the Confucian Temple to give money to Shen's mother and Shen Xiuming, and by the way, she severely "ridiculed and belittled" them.
Rong Mama smiled faintly and comforted Caiping: "There are many concubines in the palace who have children. Do you think they are favored? And Zhang's pregnancy is really strange. She is weak and the prince has visited her no more than three times. How could she get pregnant so quickly?"
Caiping thought about it and realized that the courtyards of the concubines and illegitimate concubines in the palace who had children were cold and the prince rarely set foot there.
Rong Mama has been in the palace for many years, so she naturally sees everything: "It can be seen that having a child does not necessarily mean favor. Zhang Yue has no right to raise a child even if she gives birth to one, she is just making wedding clothes for the princess."
Among the four classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, women merchants have the lowest status. Zhang Yue was born into a merchant family, so even if she gave birth to a child, it would be unlikely for her to be promoted.
To put it bluntly, Zhang Yue was a concubine all her life.
On the contrary, Madam Rong felt that Shen Wei’s choice was smarter. Shen Wei urged her younger brother Shen Xiuming to study hard. If he could pass the imperial examination next spring, Shen Wei would definitely be promoted to a concubine, or even a side concubine in the future.
Cai Ping looked around and told Rong Mama in a low voice, "Mama, I heard a piece of gossip. The princess carefully selected a beautiful and talented merchant girl from Jiangnan. She is almost in Yanjing."
Madam Rong narrowed her eyes and said, "Try to find out the background of that Jiangnan woman. The more detailed the better. When our Master Shen returns, she will have countermeasures."
Compared to the pregnant Zhang Yue, Rong Mama was more afraid of the new concubine who came from Jiangnan.
Cai Ping nodded and said proudly, "Don't worry, Ma'am. I have a lot of connections in the palace."
The gossip expert Cai Ping has many channels for eating melons. Under Shen Wei's instructions, Cai Ping has already set up a small channel network in the palace.
Aunt Rong left the palace quietly and went to the Confucian Temple to do some work. Caiping stayed in the Liuli Pavilion, sweeping the dust everywhere with a feather duster in her hand.
While she was busy, there was a noise outside the Liuli Pavilion. Someone called Caiping softly: "Sister Caiping, Sister Caiping~"
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