On the way back to Chenxiang Pavilion, I was suddenly almost knocked down by a maid who was running over in a hurry. I staggered a few steps but was fortunately supported by Xiao Cui.
The maid then realized that she had bumped into someone, and she quickly stopped running and knelt down to apologize to me.
"What's the rush?" It was rare for a maid in the palace to act so rashly.
"Yes, it was Zhou Baolin who hanged himself in the palace."
"Then get up and get to work!" I said hurriedly. I was shocked. I knew she was grounded and demoted, but it didn't have to be this bad.
I was still worried when I returned to Chenxiang Pavilion. It was not until Xiaotao came back from outside the yard that I learned that Zhou Baolin's father had been found guilty of corruption, bribery and sheltering criminals. The Zhou family was doomed.
I stirred the rice porridge in my bowl. What was this? Was it just a matter of time?
But I felt inexplicably uneasy in my heart. I always felt that everything was happening too quickly and too naturally, so naturally that it made me feel unnatural.
"There's nothing new under the sun," and it's true. Within a few days, the harem was back to normal, like a breeze blowing by, leaving no trace.
Winter is approaching and the weather is getting colder. Xiao Cui has brought the brazier and charcoal fire, and it is getting dark earlier and earlier.
Song Heng has never been to the harem recently. It is only heard that after attending court in the daytime, he goes to the martial arts training ground to supervise the examination, and reviews memorials and reads the candidates' essays at night.
The relationship between the border and the Ryukyu Kingdom is becoming increasingly tense. Fortunately, the alliance arrangements between Qixia and Song Hua are nearing completion. According to the novel, they can lead the expedition as soon as Song Yu returns from Donglin.
A few days later, news spread that Song Heng was ill, reportedly catching a cold. The concubines in the harem took action, sending people to the Imperial Physician's Office to get medicinal food, or to the Imperial Kitchen to make hot soup, and ordering the Silk Embroidery Room to make fur coats...
But Song Heng did not come to the harem. Even when he was sick, he still handled matters of all sizes in Chengqing Palace. The bold concubines had to go there themselves.
"My lady, the emperor is like this, why don't you do anything?" Xiao Tao shook my shoulder with a sad face, she was really becoming more and more disrespectful.
"They have all finished their work, how can it be my turn?" I was flipping through the poems. Since the last time I saw Concubine De holding a scroll, I secretly decided that I should not be too useless. It is always good to have some knowledge.
"I heard that Eunuch Ahfu didn't let any of the concubines in," Xiao Cui arranged the mandarin duck embroidered cloak and hung it on the hanger, "He said that His Majesty needs quiet to recuperate."
It's understandable. There are already so many things to do, so how could there be time for concubines to feed him soup or chat with him?
"But His Majesty isn't recuperating!" Xiao Tao retorted, "I heard that the lights in His Majesty's Chengqing Palace were on all night!"
My hand stopped. He was so absorbed in government affairs that he really ignored his own health.
But I immediately suppressed the emotion that came up, and knew that someone would take care of him.
I closed the poem, feeling a bit tired. Just as I was about to rest, I heard a noise in the courtyard. Xiao Tao hurried out, "Greetings, Master Afu."
I was stunned. I only heard Ah Fu say, "Has Concubine Mu gone to bed?" and then I saw Ah Fu's father-in-law's haggard face.
"Mu Zhaoyi," Eunuch Ahfu said earnestly, "Could you please ask Mu Zhaoyi to go to Chengqing Palace?"
I frowned: "What's wrong?"
"Your Majesty is already suffering from a cold," said Eunuch Ah Fu anxiously, "and he's been working on government affairs day and night, with no time to even take care of three meals a day!"
"I know your majesty cares about the people, but, can you continue like this!" Eunuch Afu: "Please ask Consort Mu to help persuade them!"
My frown deepened as I took the cloak off the hanger and said, "Let's go."
Eunuch Ah Fu was delighted: "Thank you, Zhaoyi Mu!"
When we arrived outside the Chengqing Palace, Eunuch Afu quietly handed me a three-layer food box. He hadn't even had dinner yet.
As I walked up the stairs, I heard uncontrollable coughing in the room. I quickened my pace and went in, only to see Song Heng wearing only his inner clothes, with a navy blue cloak casually draped over his shoulders. He sat with his eyes lowered in front of a long table, on which were piles of paper.
"Your Majesty..." Eunuch Ah Fu stepped forward in a low voice.
"You won't see me even if I tell you to. Go away." Song Heng didn't look up, and the brush in his hand was still writing.
"It's Concubine Mu." Eunuch Afu continued. I held the wooden box and stared at the man in front of me. He had not looked so haggard that day.
His hand holding the pen paused for a moment, then he began writing fluently again, without raising his head. "You also come to persuade me to rest?"
Just as Ah Fu was about to speak, I quickly stepped forward and said, "No."
"Your Majesty, since you are in this position, you must manage the affairs of state." I said in a firm tone, "It is your Majesty's duty to handle government affairs." Eunuch Afu looked at me in surprise.
Song Heng also looked up at me and said, "Then what are you doing here?"
Then he said to Ah Fu, "You step back first." Ah Fu's face was full of worry but he had to step back slowly.
I placed the wooden box on the round wooden table beside me and said calmly, "I am also doing my job and must fulfill my responsibilities!"
He opened his mouth to speak, but started coughing.
I frowned, but my tone remained casual: "Since I am a concubine in the harem, I heard that Your Majesty has not eaten yet, so I can't just ignore it. I must come and bring you a meal!"
As I took out the trays one by one, he said in a hoarse voice, "Have you eaten?"
Oh, I have no appetite today and I didn’t eat anything.
But he caught the moment of hesitation and took down another document: "You sit there and eat first, I'll come later."
I was about to say that I'd be in trouble if I did that, but when I looked up and saw him looking down at me, I swallowed my words.
At least he agreed to come and eat, which is already an improvement.
I looked at the light food in front of me, thinking that he could eat all of them, but the pastry was a bit sweet and he should eat less because of his cough, so I picked up the pastry and took a few bites, and put the other dishes back into the insulated food box.
To be honest, I really didn't have much of an appetite, but adhering to the principle of not wasting food, I chewed slowly and quietly, just wanting to kill some time.
I saw him closing one document and taking another, repeating this process over and over again.
But I didn't expect that when he picked up a new document, he suddenly looked at me and our eyes met.
A faint smile appeared on his pale face, and he immediately opened the document: "Do you know why I personally go to the martial arts training ground during the day and personally review the candidates' essays at night?"
I'd love to know that too! There should be officials responsible for this sort of thing!
He lowered his eyes, his hand gently stroking the paper, the faint aroma of ambergris lingering in the air. "Because I don't want someone who can write a plan to pacify the enemy to be buried in a book about planting trees, nor do I want someone who can wield a long tasseled spear to be forced to carry a broken hoe on his shoulder."
"I don't want the fate of so many people to be revealed just because of a casual flip of my hand—" His tone was calm, but it sounded powerful to me: "
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