The weather cleared up for a few days, the snow melted, and it felt like a mild spring day.
However, this is when the sun is shining at noon; it gets quite cold in the mornings and evenings.
Huan Yue was sunbathing on the platform in front of the Qing'e Palace.
The eunuchs followed her in her tinkering, just like how she messed up the Jixian Pavilion, which gets cold in winter because it doesn't get any sun.
The setting of a throne at this moment is a special occasion; we don't usually pay such attention to such things.
The palace maids were fanning themselves in the back, looking quite elegant. They were dozing off in the sun, wishing they had a place to lean against.
The throne was so large that Huan Yue could lift it with one hand, and she found it very comfortable to lean against.
Di Baose, Guo Bing, Ju Zhaoxun, Ren Zhaoxun, and others all came over.
Ju Zhaoxun, Meng Pingting, and a group of others were busy working on the side. There was a lot of work to be done during the Spring Festival.
Yan Boxuan even planned to embroider.
Huan Yue slapped him and forbade him from taking the needle, especially since his three uncles were still young.
Yan Boxuan was thick-skinned and found other jobs; he was very virtuous.
Xie Fufu was furious at his erratic behavior! Her aunt was going to give him another beating! No amount of beatings from others would help.
When Lady Wang came to the palace to see her grandson and granddaughter, she brought a lot of things with her, so raising a grandson wouldn't be a problem.
Yan Boxuan was very attentive, pulling his grandmother to do chores.
Huan Yue admonished, "Go play by yourself. Your grandmother is a guest."
Lady Wang smiled and went to keep her grandson company. She was quite comfortable in the East Palace, since the guest she was waiting for today wasn't hers.
Xie Fufu was quite happy to be next to her grandmother; it was a blessing for her.
Wang didn't teach her anything. She watched Ju Zhaoxun work and then sewed a piece of clothing for her.
Yan Boxuan sat to one side, drooling.
Wang asked, "What's wrong?"
Meng Pingting laughed and said, "He wanted to embroider, but the Empress beat him."
Never mind, let's pretend she didn't ask. Mrs. Wang didn't think anything would happen to her grandson.
Hearing the commotion, Wang turned around and glanced back. The Song family really had quite the imposing presence!
Song Jun was Xue Song's predecessor as Minister of Rites. He retired at nearly seventy years old and returned to his hometown of Yongzhou, where he has been for more than ten years.
I worked with the Grand Secretary of the Yan family, but we didn't have much of a personal relationship.
Song Jun is most famous not for his political achievements, but for his romantic escapades.
His first wife gave birth to three sons, his second wife gave birth to two sons, and when he was over fifty, his favorite concubine gave birth to a son, which was similar to Dong Xu's situation.
He truly doted on his concubine, and he also doted on his son born in his old age. So, after returning to Yongzhou, when his second wife died, he made his favorite concubine his official wife.
Such cases of promotion to official rank are extremely rare, which is why many people criticize it.
Song Jun had a total of fifteen sons and even more grandsons; he had already conquered Yongzhou, but that wasn't enough.
Several of his grandsons got involved in the affairs of Zichan Mountain area, and they've been caught.
Therefore, it was Zheng, the wife of Song Jun's late-life son, who came.
Wang had overheard some gossip that Zheng had actually inherited the favored concubine's true skills and was extremely formidable.
Didn't Song Jun have many children and grandchildren? Many of his grandsons were older than his late-life sons, so they were all distributed among the family.
In other words, it was the favored concubine and this Zheng woman who managed Song Jun's household.
That favored concubine is probably not even fifty years old, still young?
This Zheng was in her thirties and was very charming, like a spring breeze. She greeted Lady Huan respectfully, and her voice was very pleasant with a smile on it!
Madam Zheng also brought five or six young ladies, all delicate and charming, as if they were competing with the beauties of the Crown Prince's Palace.
Princess Yongning said in a low voice, "Why didn't she start as a concubine and fully inherit her mother-in-law's mantle?"
Wang smiled and continued working. Although she didn't have to rush, she didn't slack off either.
Princess Yongning glanced at her second sister-in-law, who was leaning there without any decorum. No matter how skilled Zheng was, her flattery backfired.
Ju Zhaoxun was too lazy to care. With dozens of grandchildren in one family looking for food and occupying farmland, it would be strange if the Empress were pleased.
Have you forgotten how the twenty-eight great-grandchildren of the Qi family in Qibu Township and An Village were dealt with?
Ju Zhaoxun felt that the Empress would definitely have a way to help the Song family with a bunch of hungry great-grandchildren.
Even if they have dozens of grandchildren, or hundreds of family members, how could they be starving?
Huan Yue leaned back on his throne, feeling quite pleased.
Looking at the carefully selected beauties, Di Baose realized they were indeed presentable. It seemed the Song family couldn't afford to raise them anymore and was selling their daughter.
Could Song Jun possibly remember all his granddaughters and great-granddaughters? Impossible.
Huan Yue waved his hand.
The lady-in-waiting asked Madam Zheng to get up and offered her a small stool.
Although the late-life son was favored, he was neither good at literature nor martial arts, and the fact that he had promoted his concubine to the position of official wife was not a good reputation. Therefore, Song Jun worked hard for many years before the late-life son finally obtained a sixth-rank official position.
Zheng followed her husband, so she was a sixth-rank Anren (a low-ranking official).
It wasn't exactly low, but it was clearly not enough in front of the Crown Princess.
Her inappropriate laughter is bordering on lewd and impolite.
Female officials like Chaoyun and Huiqing were all of the sixth rank.
Those beauties weren't even worthy of sitting on small stools; they could only stand behind Zheng.
This isn't a good start.
Zheng was unfazed, and smiled especially sweetly: "I met Your Highness when I visited Sheng'an a few years ago. I never imagined that it would happen so quickly..."
Di Baose said, "The noble lady has turned into a country bumpkin."
Ren Zhaoxun chimed in, "Although she has been made a concubine, there are always people who feel that the title is not legitimate!"
Many people hold this view, or are simply trying to find fault with Consort Huan, and the Song family is among them.
Guo Bing spoke, her voice as cold as ice: "Whether it's a noble lady or a village girl, it's all just a name. The Emperor's bestowal of a marriage is based on the person! You can't even understand such a simple truth, you bunch of good-for-nothings!"
Di Baose supported: "The Pei family is a poor, destitute family. Do you think the Emperor would take a fancy to them? No matter what her status is, Consort Huan is destined for us! Others can stop wasting their time."
Fang Tang was also bold: "Which one isn't good enough, Di Liangdi or Guo Liangdi? A bunch of daydreamers!"
That is to say, Lady Huan has the destiny of a phoenix.
Otherwise, the Crown Princess could be either Di Baose or Guo Bing.
Is Miss Song trying to snag a bargain?
It wasn't explicitly stated, but Fang Tang observed that the women of the Song family were all incredibly shameless.
Huan Yue spoke up: "Alright. You can stop chattering all the time."
She didn't say anything about the Song family.
The lady-in-waiting asked from the side, "What brings you here, Madam Zheng?"
Madam Zheng remained composed and recited her poem with perfect grace: "Look, I had completely forgotten about this!" She presented the gift, saying, "This was something I acquired by chance."
Di Baose looked at it; another crystal ball?
Everyone was a little suspicious. Did the Song family know about the crystal ball? Or did they think it wasn't important?
This amethyst crystal ball looks quite nice.
Miss Song couldn't help but remind her, "Your Highness, please turn around and look."
Huan Yue kept turning and turning...
Even those who didn't know could see that the complete crystal ball had turned into complete powder.
One of the maids asked naively, "Is this a fake?"
Di Baose said, "Don't talk nonsense."
Miss Song's eyes widened!
Zheng's perfect technique was completely broken.
Huan Yue remained remarkably calm, and a palace maid wiped her hands.
The lady-in-waiting calmly asked, "Is there anything else, Madam Zheng?"
A female official came to report: "Her Highness Consort De wishes to ask when Consort Huan is available?"
Huan Yue said, "Wait a moment."
A moment later, another eunuch came to report: "The reward has been delivered to the Ni family. The old lady of the Ni family said that General Lü will be fifteen after the New Year, and she requests Your Majesty to grant him a marriage."
Lu Wenren’s surname is Jing.
The old lady from the Ni family was being polite.
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