Chapter 366 Warming the Wine: A Great Harvest!
"Fujin, be careful and watch the road."
The Fourth Master's face was not in a good mood, and now his eyes wanted to stick to Wenjiu. She was still young and the baby was not yet firmly seated. If he stepped on her skirt and she fell, the consequences would be disastrous!
I don’t know whether his wife has taken the wrong path or her heart has gone astray.
"Well, I almost fell, but luckily you came to my rescue." Ulanara quickly calmed down and looked at the Fourth Master with tears of gratitude. There was also a hint of panic in her eyes. She had done it so secretly, so no one should have seen it, right?
The Fourth Master looked at Ulanara as if she were a fool. Could it be that this lady didn't understand what he was saying?
When Wenjiu in front heard this, he frowned subconsciously, turned around and looked, and saw the Fourth Master and Ulanara looking at each other, looking like a harmonious couple.
Wen Jiu closed his eyes and immediately turned around: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid that the two masters and Jiu'er will not be able to dine with you today. The Emperor also said that he would have Jiu'er go to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to arrange a meal for him at noon. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I will have to wait until next time to enjoy the meal you have given me."
The smile on Concubine De's face became even more friendly. "What's so regrettable about this? This is a very good thing. You have grown up, and now the Emperor seems to have a good impression of you. Remember, you must be more cautious in your words and actions, and never overstep the boundaries. Always put the Emperor first in everything."
Wenjiu nodded immediately: "I will always keep your Majesty's teachings in mind." Wenjiu listened to Concubine De telling him about precautions without turning his head once.
The Fourteenth Master behind him pushed Ulanara aside and made a face at her: "Bad woman."
Ulanara clenched her fists tightly, but at this moment, she didn't dare to do anything out of line.
If she really went up against the Fourteenth Master, it was obvious who the higher-ups would side with. If the Emperor were present, she might have gotten some advantage, but now it was hard to say.
She really did feel some regret. Why had she tried to trick this little bully back then? Now that she had offended him so much, there was no way she could get back at him.
Furthermore, on ordinary days, the Fourth Master and Concubine De rarely spoke to each other in such a peaceful manner. Whenever the mother and son met, they looked as if they were disgusted with each other.
Therefore, she didn't really care what the Defei said about her. If the relationship between the Fourth Master and the Defei improved in the future, would her life be easier? Thinking of this, her brows furrowed tightly.
After entering Yonghe Palace, Concubine De kindly let them go and wash up, and left the warm wine by her side.
After dismissing everyone around her, Concubine De gave Wen Jiu a heartfelt admonition: "Jiu'er, you are still young, and the Fourth Master has been quite kind to you, but you must not slack off. You should learn some arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Don't be lazy."
Concubine De felt that the reason she had suffered over the years was because she didn't know a few words.
Born a servant, she knew firsthand the hardships of climbing up from the bottom. Even now that she was a concubine, she was still looked down upon in everything, and life was not easy.
Furthermore, the women in the Fourth Prince's backyard, the Li and Song families, were both from scholarly families. Although Ulanara was born out of wedlock, she had been raised by her stepmother and was well-read. The new arrivals were also mostly pampered young ladies, well-informed about matters of refinement.
Jiu'er is different. He has been serving people since he was young. Although he is not bad in terms of etiquette, he is probably far inferior to others in terms of elegance.
"My Lady, why do you want to learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting?" Wen Jiu was stunned for a moment. What's going on? Could this concubine be a talented woman now?
De Fei glared at Wen Jiu with dismay: "Why are you confused again, kid?
I ask you, among the four concubines, who has the best appearance?"
Wen Jiu heard this and said, "Of course it's you, Madam."
This wasn't meant to flatter Consort De. She wasn't as charming as Consort Yi, nor as scholarly as Consort Rong, but she was undoubtedly the most beautiful of the four concubines, with excellent bone structure. Even now, one could still tell she must have been incredibly lively and charming in her youth, with a highly recognizable appearance.
It can be said that Concubine De is proud of her appearance, and she was quite frank in her conversation with Wen Jiu today.
"Let me be frank with you. In the past, I was also favored for a period of time. But now, His Majesty has been coming to Yonghe Palace less and less.
When the emperor visited other concubines, some of them played the zither and the qin with him, while others appreciated poetry and commented on paintings with him.
If you come to me, I can only show the ugly calligraphy to His Majesty. Tell me, is His Majesty still willing to come?"
Wen Jiu blinked twice after hearing this, and suddenly said, "Your Majesty, when you were in the prime of your life, were you also with the Emperor, enjoying the music and appreciating poetry and paintings?"
This question surprised Concubine De. She frowned slightly and said, "At that time, I didn't know many words, so how could I reply to the emperor's words? The emperor only talked to me about trivial matters or taught me how to write a few words."
"That's it." Wen Jiu smiled and massaged Concubine De's shoulders, saying, "Perhaps the Emperor likes your casualness in the palace. Think about it, the Emperor has been busy all day and must be exhausted. He has read all those poems and books countless times, so how can he have the leisure to discuss poetry and books with others? Not to mention playing the piano, he must be exhausted.
If it's wine, I'd like to stay here with the Empress, with a pot of hot wine and some snacks, and we can lean on the couch and chat casually. There are not so many complicated things to do, it's so comfortable."
Concubine De was completely stunned. Yes, when the emperor was in great favor with her, he came to her but did nothing.
But later, she was eager to let the emperor see her progress and was eager to keep the emperor.
She practiced day and night and always liked to show her written words to the emperor.
In order to let the emperor know how hard she worked, she even continued to write until the lights went out.
Gradually, the emperor came less and less...
Wenjiu's words were like a heavy punch, hitting Defei's chest hard. It took a long time for her to come back to her senses.
"Your Highness?" Aunt Wen came into the room at this moment, took the comb from Wen Jiu's hand, and said with a smile, "Your Highness, the Fourth Master has almost finished resting and is waiting outside the door.
The eunuch Liang who serves the emperor has also arrived, saying that he wants to invite the two princes and the young lady over."
De Fei came back to her senses and nodded immediately: "Jiu'er, go ahead."
He warmed the wine and bowed: "I'll come back later to pay my respects to Her Majesty. If there are any delicious foods on the table, I'll send someone to bring them back to Her Majesty."
Concubine De said, "Don't bother. Your pancakes are delicious. I'm full. Please also tell the fourth son that if he's busy, he doesn't need to come back to pay his respects. Go home early. It's dark and the roads are hard to walk on."
Wenjiu responded, turned around and walked out.
Before I took two steps, I suddenly heard a sound in my head.
[Ding~ Received 2 Hearts from Concubine De.]
Suddenly, he got two more hearts. Wenjiu was stunned. Is this the sign of a big harvest?
Outside the door, the Fourth Master, the Fourteenth Master, and the Ulanara clan were all there. Wen Jiu composed himself, lowered his eyes, and stepped forward to salute: "Master, Fourteenth Master, and Concubine."
The Fourth Master reached out and helped Wen Jiu with him, then slowly walked forward with her. After a few steps, he realized that Ulanara was following them.
"Fujin, please stay in Yonghe Palace and have dinner with your mother. It's not appropriate to go to Qianqing Palace.
The smile on Ulanara's face was somewhat forced: "Master, if Sister Wen can go, why can't I, as her wife, go? Speaking of which, I have some knowledge of cooking, so I should go and help her."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
