Chapter 53: Enemy or Friend? Yu Er is not thoughtful enough, Dragon Boat Festival, ...
Xiaozhuang let Xuanye pour her some wine. Then she looked at Xiuyu and asked, "Heating wine isn't a big deal, but why did you put so much thought into it?"
It wasn't Xiu Yu who answered this question, but Xuan Ye: "Ma, just try it and you'll know."
Xiaozhuang nodded, picked up the wine glass and took a sip. After savoring it carefully, a look of surprise flashed in her eyes: "Is this... the smell of gardenia?"
"Madam, you're wise." Xuanye looked at Xiuyu, who happened to be sitting across from him, and said, "She brewed this secretly, not even informing her grandson. I asked her to come and celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival with Madam today, so I brought out this pot of wine."
Xiaozhuang nodded and praised: "Yu'er, good craftsmanship."
"Thank you for your kind words, old ancestor." Since Xiu Yu entered the Cining Palace and saw Nianhulu Yanlan and Tongjia Zifu, she restrained herself. At first glance, people would think that she was a well-behaved and harmless girl.
But Niuhulu Yanlan had fought with Xiuyu before. This princess from outside the Great Wall was not as well behaved as she was today. She was clearly a hot pepper... "Sister Xiuyu brewed the wine herself. It seems that I can't drink the realgar wine I brought today."
Xiu Yu felt a headache. Her gaze on Xuanye clearly said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier that there was someone else here with our ancestor? If you had told me, I definitely wouldn't have come."
As a female chief engineer who had seen significant events, Xiu Yu was naturally not afraid of confrontation. However, concealing one's shortcomings was also a way to protect oneself. So, Xiu Yu said, "Is it Yu'er who was inconsiderate? It's only fitting that we drink realgar wine during the Dragon Boat Festival. Or is it the Empress who was more thoughtful?"
Tong Jia Zifu sat at the side, observing Xiu Yu's words and actions. Seeing that Nianhulu Yanlan had taken the initiative, and the little princess from the Guoluo family had actually retreated, she found it interesting and said, "Drinking realgar wine on Dragon Boat Festival is just a folk custom. In my opinion, our Aisin-Gioro family is immune to all poisons, so whether we drink realgar wine or not is not a big deal. But I'm very interested in Xiu Yu's gardenia-flavored wine."
Xuanye knew too well how much his cousin and Yanlan didn't get along. This was probably related to the fate between people. When two people with incompatible horoscopes meet, even if they say nothing and do nothing, they are incompatible and there is no solution.
Xiaozhuang laughed and said, "Today is a family dinner. One or two pots of wine from you are not enough. In the end, I still need to prepare wine for you."
Xuanye also tried to smooth things over: "Ma'am is right. Come to think of it, it's been quite a while since I last had the kumis cooked by Ma'am Su."
Seeing Xuanye like this, Xiu Yu couldn't help but glare at him secretly.
Tong Jia Zifu saw Xiu Yu's look and raised her round fan to cover her mouth, looking as if she was enjoying a good show. Her cousin had been so powerful in the previous dynasty that even a cough would make the servants kneeling in the hall tremble.
As for the harem, at least before Xiu Yu entered the palace, the ladies all revolved around my cousin. The most they did was act a little spoiled, but none of them dared to glare at my cousin in public, like the princesses from the Guo Luoluo family. Tong Jia Zifu lowered her eyelids, feeling that her cousin had truly met an opponent who could "deal with" him.
"What's that smell? It's so fragrant!" The five people at the table all had their own thoughts. Su Moer had already entered with milk tea: "With such a fragrant smell of alcohol, did I make this milk tea in vain?"
"How could that be?" Empress Xiaozhuang was very pleased with Su Moer, this 'good sister' who was good at predicting things and always showed up at the right time. "Ask Xuanye if he wants to drink both the milk tea and the kumis you made!"
Xuanye immediately replied, "As long as it's cooked by Madam Su, I'll accept any."
"The emperor always says nice things." After Su Moer served the milk tea and a few more dishes, she stood next to Xiaozhuang.
Xiaozhuang squeezed Su Moer's wrist and said, "They are all younger generations. You have been busy for a long time. You don't have to stand and serve. Sit down and eat together!"
"This..." Su Moer refused: "I will just serve the princess."
"If I tell you to sit down, then sit down." Empress Xiaozhuang feigned anger and said, "You are their elder. Ask them to serve you. Do you think any of them dare to say 'no'?"
Su Moer said, "This is really embarrassing for me."
"Sit down!" Seeing Su Moer hesitating, Xiaozhuang simply got angry.
Su Moer had no choice but to sit next to Xiaozhuang: "Since the princess insisted that this servant sit, then this servant dared not to do so."
"You, have a good holiday." Xiaozhuang said, and personally picked up a piece of food for Su Moer with chopsticks.
"Okay." Su Moer naturally knew that her princess really felt that she had worked hard and wanted her to have a good Dragon Boat Festival. She also picked up her chopsticks and picked up a quail egg for Xiaozhuang: "Please try my cooking today."
It was a family dinner, and the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were both present. Even if Nianhulu and Yanlan had to pretend, they had to act like harmonious sisters.
After finally finishing their rice dumplings and drinking tea, Tong Jia Zifu said to Xiu Yu, "You grew up outside the Great Wall. Are you good at riding and shooting?"
Xiu Yu replied: "I can't say I'm very skilled, but I can ride a horse and shoot arrows."
"When you're free someday, let's go to the training grounds and compete together," Tong Jia Zi Fu said with a smile. "I don't think you'd be able to stay indoors embroidering all day."
Xiu Yu was amused by Tong Jia Zi Fu: "Yu Er thought that you and I might be the same."
Tong Jia Zifu leaned close to Xiu Yu's ear and said, "My cousin has good taste. If I were your cousin, I would also think of building a golden house and hiding you there."
Xiu Yu was speechless. Is this really the empress in the harem? Aren’t the empresses in the harem fighting in the palace all day long, vying for favor all day long?
Before Xiu Yu could continue thinking, the sound of running was heard outside the warm room.
Xuanye frowned: "Who is so ignorant of the rules that he dares to act rashly in the Cining Palace?"
The one who entered the warm room was Liang Jiugong. He was holding a dark blue cloth bag in his hands. He walked quickly to Xuanye, knelt down and said, "Master, Shang Zhixin has surrendered!"
Xuanye slammed his right hand, which was holding the chopsticks, onto the table with a 'slap' sound. He then untied the cloth bag, took out the memorial inside, and quickly flipped through it. Then he stood up and bowed to Xiaozhuang: "Madam, Guangdong is stable."
Xiaozhuang nodded, held Xuanye's wrist, and said, "It's almost there, it's really almost there this time."
In the face of the great event of the previous dynasty, Niuhulu Yanlan and Tongjia Zifu stood together. They stood up together with Xiuyu and bowed, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
Xuanye exerted great force on the hand holding the memorial. He said in a deep voice, "Seven years. These seven years are really too long..."
"Xuan Ye..." Xiao Zhuang stood up and patted Xuan Ye on the back, saying, "You have survived the most difficult times. Shang Zhixin's surrender was not unexpected."
"Yes, it's to be expected." Xuanye collected his thoughts and sat down again. Then, smiling, he said to Xiuyu and the others, "You all should sit down too! Today is indeed a good day. I will stay here with you all here at the Imperial Madam's place and we won't leave until we are drunk."
Xuanye was the emperor, and an emperor had to stay sober at all times, so he rarely got drunk. Of course, no one in the world dared to force the emperor to drink.
But today, Xuanye drank one cup of wine after another, and Xiaozhuang didn't say a word to stop him.
By the end of the family dinner, Xuanye was naturally drunk. Xiaozhuang ordered the servants to help Xuanye into the warm room to rest. After Xiuyu and the other two knelt to pay their respects, they left the Cining Palace.
Niuhulu Yanlan and Tongjia Zifu did not get along with each other, and Xiuyu was regarded as a thorn in her side, so she walked in front, sat on the sedan chair, and went to Kunning Palace.
Tong Jia Zifu smiled, waving her round fan, and said, "Our future queen is fortunate to have been born into the Niuhulu family. If she had a different surname, who knows what her situation would be like now."
Although Xiu Yu has been in the Forbidden City for some time, she was protected too well by Xuanye in the past. Today she was officially moved to the Yiku Palace and had a meal with the two top ladies in the harem. Only then can she be considered to have officially stepped into the Qing harem.
As a newcomer to the harem, Xiu Yu still had the necessary awareness. She said sweetly, "Your Majesty, please be more straightforward."
"She..." Tong Jia Zi Fu lowered her eyelids. "If she was just a bit more straightforward, that would be fine." She lowered her eyelids and then smiled. "You're from outside the Great Wall. You might not be able to understand what's going on inside for a while. My cousin was indeed a wise monarch in the previous dynasty, but in this harem..." Tong Jia Zi Fu shook her head. "It's better for you to take care of yourself anyway."
Xiu Yu bowed towards Tong Jia Zi Fu and said, "Yu'er thanks the Queen for your guidance."
"I didn't say anything." Tong Jia Zifu helped Xiu Yu up. "Actually, I've always been curious about what kind of princess could be so captivated by someone like my cousin. That day, when you returned to the Forbidden City from the southern suburbs with your cousin, I witnessed your sharp edge. But you're very different today. I guess you've been intentionally toning down your edge."
Xiu Yu smiled and said, "My Lady..."
Tong Jia Zifu said, "I told you that you can call me sister, since you are the princess that my cousin has chosen."
Xiu Yu was a straightforward person. Since Tong Jia Zi Fu had mentioned it twice, she meant it. "In that case, Yu'er will call the Empress Sister. Sister is right. Yu'er is not someone who can be manipulated by others. However, as a newcomer, I should keep my head down for a while, at least until I see things clearly."
"Did you see it clearly?" Tong Jia Zi Fu shook her head: "How can I show you so clearly? But, you are my cousin's person. If there is anything you can't see clearly and want to see it clearly, you can come to Chengqian Palace to find me." As she said that, she patted Xiu Yu's shoulder, turned around and was helped by the servant to get on the sedan chair.
Seeing that Niuhulu Yanlan and Tongjia Zifu had gone far away, Xiuyu and Xiaotao also returned to the gate of Yikun Palace. Xiuyu finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Back when I was practicing horseback archery with my father outside the Great Wall, it was not as tiring as this one."
"You'll get used to it slowly." Xiao Tao looked into her master's bright eyes and said, "I believe you'll soon be able to feel at home here like a fish in water and be at ease."
Xiu Yu didn't say anything. Before entering the warm room, she stopped and asked Xiao Tao, "What do you think? Is it okay to make friends with the emperor's cousin?"
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