"Mother was dizzy from the noise of her three children today. The imperial physician examined her and said she needs to rest."
When Liu Zhao came back from the yamen, Gu Jiu pulled him aside to gossip.
"Is mother in critical condition?"
"It's nothing. It's just that the kids are making too much noise and it makes her uncomfortable."
My blood pressure soared, but fortunately I took good care of myself, otherwise I might have had a stroke from the noise.
Gu Jiu added, "I told Madam Fang not to take the child to Chunhe Hall unless absolutely necessary. If they bump into Big Brother or Sister Nian again, there will be another crying scene."
"Has Brother Yu been bullied?" Liu Zhao suddenly asked.
Gu Jiu shook his head. "Why would you think so? That's not the case. The eldest brother was very curious and reached out to poke Yu brother. Children are not careful. Nanny Fang felt sorry for Yu brother. You also know that her face was stern and looked very fierce.
The eldest brother must have been frightened, and he burst into tears. As he started to cry, the two younger ones followed suit. The three children cried together, and the sound was enough to lift the roof off the house. Mother was lucky she didn't faint.
Liu Zhao imagined the scene and a smile appeared on his lips.
In my heart, I was furiously complaining about my own son's lack of courage. He started crying when someone poked him. He is indeed a crybaby. I must discipline him strictly in the future.
He asked, "Did Brother Yu cry for an hour this time?"
Gu Jiu rolled his eyes at him and said, "She only cried for half an hour, then drank the milk and fell asleep."
"You only cried for half an hour. You've made progress." Liu Zhao praised generously.
It's just a compliment that makes people laugh.
"Are you planning to keep the fact that I've been impeached a secret from me?"
Xiao Jiu was about to ask for an explanation, but Liu Zhao cleverly replied, "I was planning to tell you tonight."
Gu Jiu was suspicious. Is it really such a coincidence?
"With so many censors impeaching me, will anything go wrong? What is His Majesty's attitude?"
Liu Zhao said, "Don't worry. Just because you've solved the livelihood problems for tens of thousands of refugees outside the city, the emperor will always protect you. Not to mention, you've added tens of thousands of people to the capital. From the Jingzhao Yin to the Ministry of Revenue to the three provincial governments, everyone values you. Even the Censorate will keep you in check."
These days, an important criterion for evaluating officials is whether the population is increasing or decreasing.
An increase in population means that the weather here is good, the people live and work in peace and contentment, and the officials are competent, so the evaluation will naturally be excellent.
The refugees outside the city all obtained Beijing household registration by buying houses.
This means that the capital city suddenly had tens of thousands more people.
What's this?
This is political achievement!
Without the cooperation of the government, can the project outside the South City Gate be carried out smoothly?
So, while it is true that Gu Jiu solved the livelihood of the refugees, the government’s contribution cannot be erased, right?
Such a great political achievement as the increase in population must of course be recorded in the government’s credit book.
Those censors in the Censorate are pure troublemakers. They are annoying.
But this group of people can't cause any trouble.
Gu Jiu laughed, "This is the first time I know that I am quite popular in the eyes of the three provinces and six departments."
Liu Zhao said: "Because you are not a man, you can bring them achievements without becoming a competitor, so you are so rare."
“How realistic.”
Gu Jiu complained.
Liu Zhao held her hand and said, "Don't worry about official affairs. Just go and do what you want to do. I will bear the ups and downs of officialdom for you."
Gu Jiu laughed. "In this case, I have to increase your official budget. How about increasing it by half a percent?"
"You decide."
…
Ganlu Palace.
Jiang Shuyi knelt in the main hall with a very humble attitude.
Today, she came to apologize to Concubine Xue.
She gave birth to a ghost baby, so it is impossible for her to regain favor.
The emperor would not sleep with a woman who would think of the ghost fetus as soon as they met.
Now, although she is a noble lady, her situation in the harem is extremely dangerous.
Her youth is her asset but also her weakness.
Being too young means lack of accumulation, let alone foundation.
He was so young that his family still had time to build up some connections in the court.
Moreover, she came from a poor family and had no support from her parents.
She was unable to give birth to a son, and had offended several concubines in the harem, and was also at odds with Concubine Li De.
She could die silently in the harem at any time and anywhere.
She didn't want to die, so she struggled.
Zhou Miao gave her some advice. The only option now was to return to Concubine Xue's entourage.
After all, she originally came from Concubine Xue. It wouldn't be difficult for her to surrender again and kneel down in submission.
She also thought it was not a difficult task.
But when she knelt in the main hall of Ganlu Palace, she realized how difficult it was.
After being used to living a life of superiority, how could I kneel down again?
Not only do you have to kneel down, but your posture must also be humble enough.
Jiang Shuyi bit her lip, she wanted to cry.
Why is life in the harem so miserable?
She was clearly the most powerful person before, with everyone in the harem praising her and fawning over her. She was the one who surrounded herself with everything. She could get whatever she wanted just by opening her mouth.
Sometimes, you don't even need to open your mouth. Just a glance and someone will get things done for you.
Even her family's status in the capital's aristocratic circles rose rapidly. Her father and brother were taken out to broaden their horizons, and they looked like the masters and sons of wealthy families.
The whole family was waiting for her to give birth to a little prince and ascend to heaven, but in the end, everything was gone.
Ever since she gave birth to the ghost fetus, the emperor has never set foot in her bedroom.
All the people who had gathered around her to flatter her dispersed.
Those who used to serve her carefully now dare to give her a cold shoulder.
To the outside world, she clearly had a difficult delivery and lost the little prince.
But the way everyone in the harem looked at her, it seemed as if they all knew that she had given birth to a ghost baby and was rejected by the emperor.
In just two or three months, she fell from the clouds to the dust, and truly tasted the warmth and coldness of human nature.
There is no help in times of need, only kicking someone when he is down.
Only Zhou Miao has never left her and has not given up on her.
At this moment, Jiang Shuyi's knees hurt.
She secretly raised her head and looked towards the incense burner.
She had been kneeling there for three incense sticks, nearly half an hour. No wonder her knees hurt so much.
Concubine Xue leaned back on the couch, fiddling with her rouge.
The best rouge is adjusted to be not too bright, but just right.
She is already in her fifties, but fortunately she has taken good care of herself and still looks young.
The hall was quiet, with only the sound of Concubine Xue fiddling with cups and plates.
"Forehead!"
Jiang Shuyi made a slight noise. Her knees were really hurting. To show her sincerity, she didn't even wear knee pads.
My knees suffered.
What hurts even more is her heart.
Her heart was being tortured.
"Oh, who is this? There's a person kneeling here. Why didn't you tell me?"
Concubine Xue acted as if she had suddenly realized something, as if she had just noticed Jiang Shuyi's existence.
The maids pretended to apologize, "This servant deserves death. I didn't want to disturb the Majesty's pleasure, so I didn't report it, and made Jiang Shuyi kneel for a while longer."
Jiang Shuyi knew that this was all Concubine Xue's way of torturing her, but she had no choice but to accept it.
She knelt on the ground, bowed and said, "Don't blame this sister. It was I who didn't let her report. Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
Concubine Xue pursed her lips and smiled, "So it's Jiang Shuyi, you're a rare guest. How come you have time to come to my palace today?"
Concubine Xue didn't let Jiang Shuyi get up, so Jiang Shuyi had to kneel all the time.
"Your Majesty, I was blinded by greed in the past, became arrogant, and did many wrong things. Now I know I was wrong and am willing to repent. Please give me a chance."
After saying this, Jiang Shuyi knelt on the ground, extremely humble. She completely put herself in the dust, to be trampled upon by others.
Concubine Xue sneered, "Oh, you said that, I dare not take your words. Who am I to you? How dare I give you, Empress Shuyi, a chance? Empress Shuyi is His Majesty's most beloved woman. Even if I meet her, I have to be polite. Don't you agree?"
"Your Majesty is absolutely right. Jiang Shuyi is a well-known figure, why would she need to apologize? I'm afraid she's just putting on an act."
The palace maids laughed and ridiculed Jiang Shuyi to their heart's content.
Many of them were Jiang Shuyi's companions at the time, working together as maids in Ganlu Palace.
In just a few years, things have turned upside down again and again.
It’s really hard to explain the circumstances of life.
Jiang Shuyi raised her head and said, "Your Majesty, I truly know I was wrong. Your Majesty has abandoned me, and I have nowhere else to turn to. I beg Your Majesty to help me, considering that I came from Ganlu Palace."
"I dare not accept this. You are Jiang Shuyi, the apple of His Majesty's eye. You should ask your good sister, Concubine Li De, for help. I think she would be happy to help you."
Concubine Xue kept sneering.
She said that young people nowadays are all impatient and too anxious, and sooner or later they will be taught a lesson. Do you really think that you can rest easy just because you are spoiled?
In his life, the women around His Majesty have changed so many times. How many years can he keep his favor? He dared to act arrogantly in front of her.
Now it’s better, the beauty has not faded, but the love has worn off.
No!
Jiang Shuyi has completely fallen out of favor.
A woman who has fallen out of favor is only slightly better off than a woman who has been banished to the cold palace.
Maybe she is worse than a woman banished to the cold palace.
"Please have mercy, Your Majesty. I am of use to you."
Jiang Shuyi was very flustered, but she did not back down.
"I know a lot about Concubine Li De. If Your Majesty wants to deal with her, I can help."
Concubine Xue laughed heartily. "Jiang Shuyi, don't be ridiculous. When will I deal with Concubine Li De? Concubine Li De and I are good sisters. Tomorrow, I will invite her for tea."
Jiang Shuyi's face turned pale. "What do I have to do so that Your Majesty will forgive me?"
Concubine Xue looked at her with a half-smile, "What is your relationship with me? Why should I forgive you?"
Jiang Shuyi's face froze.
Concubine Xue smiled and said, "Can't you tell me? Then please go back. I need to rest."
After saying this, Concubine Xue made a move to stand up and leave the hall.
Jiang Shuyi panicked. This was her only plan and she couldn't give up.
She tore off her own mask fiercely, threw it on the ground, and shouted loudly: "I am a dog of the Majesty. When the Majesty tells me to bark, I dare not not open my mouth. When the Majesty tells me to shut up, I dare not bark. The Majesty is my heaven and my master."
Concubine Xue sat down again, "Tsk tsk tsk! I never thought that the dignified Jiang Shuyi would be willing to be a slave."
"I have been your Majesty's running dog from the beginning to the end." Jiang Shuyi was completely desperate. As long as she could survive.
Concubine Xue smiled and said, "Since you are my lackey, bark a few times for me to hear."
Jiang Shuyi looked up and glanced at everyone's face out of the corner of her eyes, laughing, mocking, gloating... and so on.
As glorious and arrogant as she was in the past, she is now as miserable as she is now.
She flew so high at the beginning, and now she has fallen down, everyone wants to step on her.
“Woof woof…”
She opened her mouth with difficulty.
Concubine Xue shook her head. "Did you hear any noise just now?"
"No."
Jiang Shuyi's face was pale, "Woof woof..."
This time the sound was obviously louder than before.
"Jiang Shuyi, what did you just call? I didn't hear it clearly."
Jiang Shuyi calmed down and reminded herself that she had already taken ninety-nine steps out of a hundred and must not fail at the last moment.
She risked her life and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Woof woof!"
"Good! You shouted well, come and enjoy." Concubine Xue laughed.
No matter how arrogant you were in the past, you might as well kneel down before me and bark like a dog now.
All the palace maids present had expressions of contempt on their faces.
They all secretly cursed Jiang Shuyi for being shameless. In order to climb up the social ladder and find a backer, she even threw away her dignity.
"Thank you for the reward, Madam!"
Jiang Shuyi felt relieved.
Having broken through her psychological limits, she seemed to become stronger.
Concubine Xue laughed and said, "You are very flexible. You can be both a Shuyi Lady and a running dog."
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty." Jiang Shuyi said seriously.
Concubine Xue raised her eyebrows and smiled, "People like you are rare."
Therefore, she became more wary of Jiang Shuyi.
Anyone who can bend and stretch can accomplish great things.
This Jiang Shuyi is not simple.
Give her a chance, maybe she can get back on her feet.
However, it is impossible for a woman who has given birth to a ghost baby to gain the favor of His Majesty again.
Fortunately, Concubine Xue was willing to give Jiang Shuyi a chance.
If Jiang Shuyi had simply had a difficult labor and given birth to a stillborn baby, Concubine Xue would not even see her.
Concubine Xue smiled softly, "You've been kneeling for so long, get up."
"Thank you, my lady."
Jiang Shuyi got up from the ground, but because she had too many knees, she almost fell down again.
Her legs were shaking, but she insisted on standing up straight.
Concubine Xue smiled coldly.
Even if you stand up straight today, I can still bend your spine.
"Someone, help Jiang Shuyi down and give her some medicine. We'll talk about the rest later."
"Yes, sir."
Jiang Shuyi opened her mouth, swallowed all the words she wanted to say, and finally said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."
Her knee was injured, and the pain of applying medicine almost killed her, not to mention the ridicule and insults from others.
She endured it all!
She dragged her injured leg back to her bedroom, where Zhou Miao had been waiting for a long time.
"How's it going? Is it going well?"
Zhou Miao took her from the palace maid and helped her sit down.
Jiang Shuyi's face was pale and sweaty. "I knelt for almost an hour and even barked like a dog. Finally, I earned Concubine Xue's forgiveness."
"That's not bad."
"You call this good?" Jiang Shuyi glared.
Zhou Miao smiled coldly, "No needles, no whipping, no knife use, no water dungeon, no starvation for three days and three nights.
You just knelt for an hour and barked like a dog twice, and you were forgiven. What else do you want?
Do you want to take a trip to the cold palace and see what it means to be living a life worse than death?
There are so many ways to humiliate people in the palace. Let alone kneeling for an hour, even if you kneel for a whole day, it would be worth it as long as you can get forgiveness."
Zhou Miao unceremoniously broke the web that Jiang Shuyi had woven in her heart and taught her to face reality again.
Jiang Shuyi couldn't accept it for a moment and started crying with her hands covering her face.
"Okay, stop crying. The ending you have now is already pretty good. You didn't have to give in. You died silently that day, so don't blame others."
"Don't say anymore. I understand the reason. I've been prepared for this long time. It's just that I'm still sad and in pain."
"Who in this palace is not suffering?"
Jiang Shuyi wiped away her tears and asked, "What should we do next?"
Zhou Miao rolled his eyes. "Of course you have to obey the Imperial Concubine's orders. If she points east, you must not go west. If she tells you to hit someone, you must not be soft-handed. If she tells you to kill someone, you must hold the knife tightly and do it without hesitation."
Jiang Shuyi gritted her teeth and shuddered subconsciously, "What should I do if she asks me to kill Concubine Li De?"
"Kill him without hesitation. As for whether you can kill him, you can't guarantee it."
Jiang Shuyi nodded, "I understand. But, do I have to rely on Concubine Xue forever?"
"What else?"
"Can Madam Zhao find a solution?"
Zhou Miao sneered, "No matter how capable Madam Zhao is, she can't reach the harem."
"But His Majesty values Madam Zhao very much. If Madam Zhao is willing to say a few good words for me in front of His Majesty..."
"Don't daydream. Foreign officials are not allowed to interfere in the harem, let alone she is the wife of the emperor's grandson. Given her status, if she speaks on your behalf, the issue will escalate into a struggle for the throne. Do you understand? Then you will really die, and His Majesty will personally sentence you to death."
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