Mingxiu originally thought she could stay until the Mid-Autumn Festival in August before returning home, but she didn't expect to return so early. Ultimately, it was because Empress Hesheli's younger sister had entered the palace. Consort Tong was now a high-ranking concubine in the palace, so naturally she had to go back to take charge.
Mingxiu's rank was second only to Consort Tong, so she could only return with them. As for the other concubines, since the higher-ups had all gone back, how could they possibly stay here?
So the whole group went back to the palace in a grand procession.
Back at Yonghe Palace, Mingxiu stretched comfortably. Looking at the people gathered around her and the familiar surroundings, she felt all the fatigue from the journey vanish instantly.
"Your Majesty, you're finally back! We servants have been waiting for you to return!" After packing her things, Xiao Xizi stood in front of Mingxiu with the palace servants and greeted them with a smile.
Mingxiu nodded slightly: "You've all worked hard these past few days. Everyone serving at Yonghe Palace will receive an extra two months' salary as a reward from me for your hard work."
"Thank you for your help last time, Your Majesty."
After dismissing everyone, Mingxiu left Xiaoxizi, Yuqingyulan, and Lvzhu in front of her.
After taking a sip of tea and clearing his throat, Ming Xiucai began to speak.
"Tell me, what's been happening in the palace lately?"
She deliberately left Yulan and Xiaoxizi out this time so that they could keep the house tidy and prevent anyone from stuffing random things into the palace while she was away.
Another reason was to gather information about the palace; one couldn't lose all their informants as soon as they left the palace.
"Your Majesty, everything else is fine. We caught a few people who wanted to put dirty things in the palace, but we secretly replaced them without alerting anyone," Xiao Xizi said seriously, his expression turning serious.
"This is outrageous! Your Majesty was right after all," Yu Qing said indignantly.
Mingxiu shook her head. She didn't care. These were all old tricks used in palace intrigue. If she couldn't even guess this, then all the palace dramas she had watched before would have been for nothing.
Is there anything else?
"Also, it's true that Wuya from Chengqian Palace isn't very honest. I've discovered that she's been secretly contacting other people lately, but I haven't been able to find out whose people they are," Yu Lan said with a frown, blaming it all on her incompetence.
Hearing this, Mingxiu frowned. Was the Wuya family really that difficult to deal with? Kangxi had already purged the Imperial Household Department twice. Did the Wuya family still have such great power?
"Forget about her for now. The imperial selection is in a few days, and things won't be peaceful in the palace. The Hesheli family will definitely be attacked. Your main task during this time is to guard the palace well. Be careful when you go out and don't get involved with others," Mingxiu quickly instructed.
Mingxiu didn't know much about this little Hesheli, and didn't know exactly what kind of person she was.
From the time Mingxiu began taking care of Yinreng until she became a concubine, the head of Hesheli's household never gave up contacting her, but Mingxiu always pretended not to know.
Anyway, the emperor will deal with these things in the end.
Now that Empress Hesheli's sister has come to the palace in person, it's probably still for Yinreng's sake.
Mingxiu wasn't worried about anything else, but she was afraid that someone might say something that could harm Yinreng.
well
After dismissing the servants, Mingxiu quietly pondered.
This tiny Forbidden City has truly trapped too many people. One after another, beautiful and youthful women enter this harem, and no matter how they are at the beginning, they will all become unrecognizable in the end.
With a slight twitch of her lips, she thought, "What right does she have to pity other girls? She should mind her own business first."
He instructed Green Bamboo to see when Yinreng was free and to come over.
She needs to see Yinreng's attitude towards this matter first.
In the Qianqing Palace, when Kangxi learned that Mingxiu had asked Yinreng to come over, he didn't pay much attention, since Yinreng had been there too often. But this time, there must be another reason.
Emperor Kangxi sat in his chair, gently turning the thumb ring on his hand as he pondered quietly.
Meanwhile, Mingxiu hadn't yet received Yinreng's arrival, but instead witnessed the palace's commotion. He simply sent a message that he was very busy lately and would arrive in a couple of days.
They will come to have dinner with Consort Ming.
When Mingxiu received the message, she twitched her lips. The child was getting older and more mischievous. He hadn't stopped since returning to the palace. She wondered what he had been busy with lately.
But that's good too; being busy means I don't have time to listen to people talking nonsense.
It seems she should go into the space again when she has time to see if there's any way to contact the system beside Yinreng, as this is just too inconvenient.
The audition was about to begin, and Mingxiu secretly took a look. Every single one of them was a beautiful young woman, a real treat for the eyes.
I took the opportunity to glance at the young Hesheli. She didn't look much like Empress Hesheli, but she was still a pretty and delicate woman. I just didn't know who she took after.
The imperial concubine selection ended quickly. Not many people entered the palace this time; most of them were betrothed to others by the emperor.
Inside the Chuxiu Palace, Empress Xiaohesheli stood outside, gazing at the night sky, silently shedding tears.
Everyone else thought it was an immense blessing, but no one ever considered her feelings.
Seeing her mistress like this, Yuebai couldn't help but say, "Princess, things have already come to this, you should try to be more open-minded."
Little Hesheli gave a bitter smile: "Yes, things have already come to this. What else can we do? We hid for so long, but in the end, we couldn't escape it."
The melancholy and sorrow in Chuxiu Palace were unknown to anyone but the master and servant, while things were quite harmonious in Yonghe Palace.
Mingxiu glanced sideways at Yinreng, who was happily eating, without saying a word. Yinreng, however, smiled, put down his chopsticks, and said, "Mother Ming, don't worry. I know. My elder brother has already analyzed it with me. Besides, even if she is the Empress Dowager's younger sister, I don't care. After all, she is not my biological mother."
Mingxiu pursed her lips, looking at the clear-headed Yinreng. She felt a little sad, but still somewhat clear-headed, and that was enough.
However, Yinreng's next words made Mingxiu somewhat puzzled.
"Don't worry, Mother Consort. My favorite people are Father and you. I don't care what others say. Didn't you say before that a thousand people have a thousand mouths, a thousand Donald Ducks? Everyone is different, and I won't take it to heart."
Did I say that?
"So, Mother Consort, don't look at me like a lonely old woman. I won't fall for it," Yinreng said smugly.
Before Mingxiu could even figure out when she had said that sentence, Yinreng's next sentence completely overwhelmed her.
"Who are you calling a lonely old man?" Mingxiu said slowly, looking at Yinreng, word by word.
Yinreng was stunned for a moment, then immediately got up and ran out.
Mingxiu's exasperated voice rang out from behind.
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