The scissors clicked, and the gold-red paper kept changing shapes.
When she was halfway through the paper-cutting, a eunuch came running in from outside. Ah Qing went out to check and told the eunuch, "Please ask the virtuous concubine to move to Qiwu Palace."
Gu Yingxia casually picked up a hand warmer and prepared to go out. She had just greeted everyone in the morning, so why did she have to send someone a message now?
Gu Yingxia looked up at the sky. It was gray and it was about to rain.
She deliberately slowed down her pace and fell behind the crowd.
The queen gained weight but not intelligence, and she hurriedly called everyone over, fearing that something serious had happened.
In order to pool their wisdom and help her solve the problem, the concubines of lower rank gathered all their strength and headed towards Qiwu Palace.
Yi Jinzhenrou arrived late, and Gu Yinwei walked out of the Pepper Room slowly. Gu Yingxia teased her, "Long live the Xiang Fei."
Gu Yinwei acted with her, "Long live the virtuous concubine."
Bian Tao looked at the two of them laughing and scolding each other, and thought of Gu Qingrong. If the eldest lady was not so vicious, could she have shared the wealth with the third and second ladies like they did now?
Bian Tao was worried that Gu Yingxia would notice his emotions, so he quickly lowered his head.
The two sisters did not deliberately hurry, nor did they deliberately slow down.
When passing by Baihua Pavilion, I smelled the faint fragrance of plum blossoms. Looking back suddenly, I found that an old tree in the corner was in bloom. According to the older palace maids, the owner of the plum tree was a favorite concubine of the late emperor. The concubine loved plum blossoms very much. Later, the favorite concubine died of dystocia. The late emperor was reminded of her by the plum blossoms, and every time he saw plum blossoms, he thought of his deceased beauty, so he ordered the plum trees to be cut down.
The trunks of the plum trees were sawed into firewood and sent to the stove to be burned into charcoal. The stumps of the plum trees were thrown out and made into root carvings and placed on a high platform.
It has lost its fragrance and its trunk, but its roots are still alive. The wind and frost cannot hit it, and the rain and snow cannot cover it. It survives tenaciously, and the winter plum tree stands proudly in the wind.
Gu Yinwei reached out and pushed aside the broken bricks on the ground, and saw its dark brown roots, which were densely packed and firmly grasped the ground beneath her feet.
Gu Yingxia sighed, "It's really tenacious. If I had its tenacity, I could accomplish anything."
"Second sister, do you want to dig it up and plant it?"
"It grows naturally, unrestrained, and requires no mortal care."
"That's right. If we let it grow freely and then dig it up and turn it into a potted plant, it will lose its character."
Gu Yinwei and her sister were admiring the plum blossoms halfway and deliberately arrived half a quarter of an hour late. The palace maid opened the curtain to lead them in. The concubines of lower rank in the warm room had already arrived, but those above the rank of concubine were late. Unexpectedly, Gu Yinwei and her sister were the first to arrive.
The queen was wearing a pleated skirt sprinkled with gold, and a red phoenix crown on her head. She held Xia Chan's hand and sat in the main seat, her aura fully exuding.
"Zhen Jing Yi Rou, why haven't the four concubines arrived yet?"
Xia Chan nodded timidly: "I will send someone to invite him immediately."
"Why are you inviting me? What are their identities? What is my identity? Close the palace door."
Xia Chan stood up and closed the door. Just as Zhen Fei stepped over the threshold, the other three concubines were a step slower, and the door of Qiwu Palace was closed heavily.
The three men did not dare to leave easily without receiving the imperial edict, and hid in the sedan chair to avoid the wind.
The weather is dreary and it's going to snow soon.
"I have asked you all to come here today because of an important matter."
When the queen spoke, everyone held their breath and sat upright.
"The Empress Dowager wishes to go to Wuliang Mountain to worship Buddha. I will go with the Emperor. Are there any of you willing to accompany us?"
Gu Yingxia was eager to try, but Gu Yinwei shook her head slightly. Gu Yingxia immediately understood that Wuliang's emotional worship of Buddha was a cover.
The four chess partners Zhao, Qian, Sun and Li clamored to go, and Concubine Xian Gui also decided to follow the crowd.
The Queen asked Concubine Zhen, "Concubine Zhen, are you going to Wuliang Mountain?"
Zhen Fei hated the Empress Dowager to the core and was unwilling to go. She excused herself by saying, "I am weak and cannot withstand the fatigue of the journey."
The Queen turned around and asked Gu Yinwei and her sister, "Will you two sisters go with me?"
"Thank you for your kindness, Empress. I once broke my leg climbing a mountain when I was a child, so I won't go. I wish the Emperor, Empress, and Queen Mother a safe journey."
The Queen insisted on dragging the Gu sisters into the water, and said, "Oh, Concubine Xian has an old wound on her leg. Could you please lift up your trouser leg for me to see?"
Gu Yingxia looked embarrassed, and the Queen seemed to have caught her flaw and asked, "Xianfei, why didn't you lift it?"
Gu Yingxia stood up and walked to the Queen's side. "Aunt Xia Chan, please lift up my left trouser leg for me."
Xia Chan gently lifted her trouser leg with both hands and saw a hideous scar.
The queen had nothing to say and waved her hand to let her go back and sit down.
"Xiang Fei, why don't you go?"
"In reply to the Queen, I do not like climbing mountains."
The Queen's eyebrows twitched. Concubine Xian knew how to make excuses for not going to Wuliang Mountain, while Concubine Xiang clearly said that she didn't like climbing mountains.
Who likes climbing mountains?
She didn't like it either, but the Queen Mother insisted on going, and she had no choice.
Xiang Fei is the emperor's treasure, and the emperor is very fond of her. It is not appropriate to confront her head-on at this time. It is better to please the empress dowager first.
"Let's go."
The queen waved her hand, looking very tired.
After leaving the gate of Qiwu Palace, Gu Yingxia lowered her voice and said, "She's getting fatter and fatter. Can she climb the mountain with this body type?"
"Don't gossip about others."
Gu Yingxia closed her mouth and quickly changed the subject: "Third sister, will these concubines who went to Wuliang Mountain never come back?"
"I'm not too sure, but there's a high probability that I won't be able to come back."
"It was a close call. Fortunately, I didn't tell you I was going."
"The Queen's words are full of traps. If she goes to live in the mountains, we won't have to worry about her."
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