Chapter 713: Face
Although Luo Qinghan was mentally prepared, he still felt suffocated for a moment after seeing the scene in the backyard.
This is called a backyard, but in fact it has become a small manor.
There is a vegetable garden in front of you.
Compared to the vegetable garden in Qingge Palace, the area of the vegetable garden in front has more than three times expanded. Qingsong has already had people sow vegetable seeds in the vegetable garden according to the imperial concubine's instructions, and soon a large area of fresh vegetables will grow here.
Next to the vegetable garden, there is a grape trellis. The ground under the trellis is paved with white marble and covered with wooden tatami. On summer nights, you can lie on the tatami to enjoy the moonlight and the cool breeze, which is very comfortable.
A well was dug next to the grape trellis.
Across the vegetable garden is a fruit orchard.
These fruit trees were transplanted whole from the backyard of Qingge Palace, and some of the orange trees have begun to bear fruit.
Xiao Xixi looked up at the small green-skinned oranges and began to imagine what they would look like when they matured. She couldn't help but drool with emotion.
Going further ahead is a small river.
The river water was diverted from the Imperial River. In order to facilitate irrigation, the craftsmen also specially diverted several ditches from the river. These ditches connected the vegetable fields, orchards, rice fields, and pig pens.
There is a small pavilion by the river, with a wide view, which is a good place to enjoy the scenery.
On the other side of the river is a large rice field, a row of wooden sheds for poultry and livestock, and a small pond.
It is late autumn now, not the planting season. The rice fields are bare and there is nothing in them except a group of chicks and ducklings walking and playing.
Xiao Xixi stood on the edge of the field, stretched out her arms and cheered happily.
"Your Majesty, look! This is the kingdom I built for you!"
Luo Qinghan: “…”
never mind.
You say it is your kingdom, so it is your kingdom.
As long as you are happy.
Qingsong ran over quickly and greeted him respectfully.
"Your Majesty, Imperial Concubine, Imperial Concubine Jing is here."
Luo Qinghan: "What is she doing here?"
Qingsong answered truthfully, "Concubine Jing came with people from the Palace Department, saying that they were here to select someone for the Imperial Concubine."
Now that the reconstruction of Yunxiu Palace has been completed, the next step is to stuff people into it. Such a large palace must require a lot of servants, such as palace maids, eunuchs, nannies, etc. They all have to be prepared quickly.
The Palace Department knew that the Imperial Concubine was very favored by the Emperor, so they naturally did not dare to be careless about the selection of people. But even so, there was no need for Concubine Jing to make this trip in person.
But Concubine Jing chose to come in person, and happened to come at this time.
It goes without saying that she must have known that the emperor was also in Yunxiu Palace at this time, and wanted to take the opportunity to show her presence in front of the emperor.
Luo Qinghan and Xixi returned to the main hall and saw Concubine Jing who was waiting there.
Concubine Jing stepped forward and bowed gracefully with a proper smile on her face.
"I pay my respects to His Majesty and the Imperial Concubine."
Luo Qinghan didn't want to waste time talking to her, so he said directly: "Call the people in for the imperial concubine to choose."
"Yes."
Concubine Jing glanced at Dong Ling beside her.
Dong Ling understood, walked out quickly, and soon brought in ten palace maids.
Concubine Jing smiled and said, "These maids were carefully selected by me at the Palace Department. They are not only of clean family backgrounds, but also of good character, intelligent and sensible. It is no problem for them to be first-class maids. You can choose any one you like."
According to regulations, a royal concubine can have three first-class palace maids around her.
Baoqin took one of the spots, leaving two positions for senior palace maids.
Xiao Xixi didn't move herself, but spoke to Baoqin beside her.
"Why don't you go and have a look to see if there's anything suitable?"
The palace maids chosen were basically to help Baoqin, so naturally they had to be pleasing to Baoqin.
Baoqin didn't hesitate and responded with a "yes". She walked straight to the ten palace maids and began to observe and look at them one by one.
First, she eliminated the three most attractive palace maids.
Was it for the Imperial Concubine to admire them or for the Emperor to admire them?
The second thing is to ask about age, family background, specialties, and which master he has served.
Upon asking, I found out that there was actually a palace maid here who used to serve in the Pepper House. She was a second-class palace maid beside Queen Qin. After Queen Qin passed away, she was sent back to the Palace Province. She endured for two years and now she is qualified to compete for the first-class palace maid.
When you reach the position of noble concubine, you are only one step away from becoming the queen.
Everyone would have some ideas about that position.
If one could have a maid like this who had served the queen by his side, it would be easy to be tempted, both psychologically and in terms of planning for future promotion.
Baoqin was obviously also a little moved.
Her eyes moved around the palace maid several times, but finally she looked away and continued to ask the next palace maid.
After this round of interviews, Baoqin finally picked out two palace maids.
The two palace maids were named Zhezhi and Xiyu.
Neither of them was particularly pretty, but both were pretty.
Zhezhi used to be a maid in charge of the Shangfu Division. She was good at needlework, had some knowledge of poetry, was quiet and introverted, and did not show her true colors on the surface, but she was very thoughtful. Yunxiu Palace needed someone like her to keep things under control.
Xiyu was a palace maid coming out of the imperial kitchen.
She used to be a colleague of Baoqin for a period of time and they had a good relationship.
Baoqin knew that she was lively, efficient, and a good cook.
The key point is that she is proficient in medicinal food and has a lot of experience in conditioning the body, which is just right for a royal concubine.
As for the palace maid who once served Queen Qin, she was naturally eliminated.
She was unwilling to give in, so she mustered up the courage to ask.
"Why didn't Miss Baoqin choose me? Do you think there is something wrong with me?"
When she spoke, Xiao Xixi, who was originally eating fruit with her head down, raised her head and looked at her.
The emperor who was sitting next to her also looked towards the palace maid.
Seeing this, Concubine Jing pursed her lips and smiled.
Before Baoqin could answer, Xiao Xixi spoke first.
"You have a bad face, are too mean, petty, and narrow-minded. I don't like you."
She was telling the truth, but to others it sounded like blatant sarcasm and mockery.
The palace maid's eyes immediately turned red and she almost cried.
But because the emperor was still sitting next to her, she didn't dare to cry. She could only grit her teeth and keep silent, but secretly resented the imperial concubine in her heart.
Luo Qinghan waved his hand.
Eunuch Chang immediately ordered all the palace maids to be taken away, leaving only Zhezhi and Xiyu behind.
The two stood aside silently.
Concubine Jing smiled and said, "I didn't expect that the imperial concubine also knows the art of face reading."
"I know a little bit."
Concubine Jing: "So what do you think of my appearance?"
She didn't believe at all that the imperial concubine knew how to read faces, she said this just to be polite.
It would be fine if the imperial concubine didn't respond, but if the imperial concubine really wanted to read her fortune, then she could take this opportunity to slap the imperial concubine in the face so that the emperor could see with his own eyes how stupid the imperial concubine was.
(End of this chapter)
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