Gardenias are placed in Kunning Palace all year round. This is the Queen's favorite flower. This flower is cultivated in a greenhouse and supplied to the Queen's palace all year round.
Queen Ruan coughed twice, and the maid beside her quickly brought her some warm water. This maid had a pretty face, and a mole near her mouth made her look even more pretty.
"Liu Su, are they all here?"
Liusu said unhappily, "Of course they all came, and each of them was eager to replace you."
The queen frowned and shouted unhappily, "Liu Su."
The maid curled her lips and said obediently, "Yes, Madam." But she couldn't help but say, "You sent me to ask Wu Niang how she was doing and whether she wanted to enter the palace. Wu Niang said that how could a younger sister take away her elder sister's beloved? Sisters share the same husband. Even if he is extremely powerful and wealthy, she would not do it."
"These are your true sisters. The two of you have already been engaged, yet you are still eager to sneak into the palace. What is she thinking? She acts as if no one knows."
"You are becoming more and more outrageous. Shut up." Queen Ruan said in a slightly more serious tone.
Seeing Qingfen coming in, Queen Ruan said with a smile, "You should pay more attention to them."
Qingfen and Liusu were both Queen Nguyen's most trusted maids-in-waiting. They had followed her since she entered the palace, and Queen Nguyen trusted them both.
Qingfen is a kind and peaceful person, generous and steady, and is very popular in Kunning Palace. Although Liusu has a quick temper, she is very good at sewing and is quite jealous of evil.
"I have just assigned palace maids to serve them, and both girls asked me to thank the queen!"
Queen Ruan smiled and said, "Look at their personalities. Do they get along well with each other? What do they like?"
This is asking about the personalities of these two people. Qingfen nodded and said, "I think Miss Ruan and Miss Fan are both extremely beautiful, especially Miss Ruan. She has a face like Zhaohua, a body like Concubine Yang, and a voice like an oriole. I'm afraid no one in the world can be as beautiful as her."
"That Miss Fan has a slender figure and is a peerless beauty, especially her ethereal temperament, just like the orchid in the Empress's flower room, unique and timeless."
After listening to Qingfen's description, Queen Ruan formed a general impression of the two people. Ruan Mi Niang was like a peony, and Fan Yuzhen was like an orchid in the valley.
"I will see them after lunch. Please serve them attentively."
"yes."
Mi Niang and Fan Yuzhen lived in the same room, but Fan Yuzhen felt very uncomfortable. In fact, those who could get the main seat and have their own palace in the palace were all those with a rank of Zhaoyi or above. Most of them lived in side halls, and those of lower status were squeezed together.
This is the same as in all professions, only those who reach the top are paid well, otherwise life is not that good.
"Sister Ruan, when do you think we can see the Queen?"
Mi Niang shook her head: "I don't know either. Anyway, we will meet each other eventually, so there is no need to rush."
Fan Yuzhen smiled embarrassedly and said, "You are more patient than me. My legs are still shaking now."
She was really nervous. She was uncertain about the future and was afraid of making a mistake in the palace and becoming a laughing stock, so she was very anxious.
Mi Niang said hurriedly: "Actually, I am also nervous, but since we are here, we should make the best of it. Anyway, we are here and there will always be someone to arrange things for us. Don't you think this makes sense?"
After hearing what Mi Niang said, Fan Yuzhen felt relieved, but she really couldn't read or do other things.
In her previous life, Mi Niang also lived here with Zhou Furou. At that time, she was also very scared and extremely nervous. She could also understand Fan Yuzhen.
She is more calm this time. Fang Weiyan said he would help her. She has experience from her previous life and wants to get out of this situation as much as possible on her own.
Queen Nguyen summoned them after lunch. Fan Yuzhen had to tidy up her clothes several times. Mi Niang was fine. When she stepped into the main hall, although Concubine Cui was as popular as the sun, the status of the queen was still there.
She and Fan Yuzhen, under the guidance of the female officials, saluted Queen Nguyen.
A gentle female voice came: "Everyone stand up, Liusu, give me a seat."
Tassel? Mi Niang looked at the palace maid with a mole on the corner of her mouth and curled her lips.
After Fan Yuzhen and Mi Niang sat down, the Queen asked, "You are all my family members, so you should feel more at ease and treat the palace as your home."
I asked them how old they were, and learned that Fan Yuzhen was fifteen and Mi Niang was thirteen. I felt a little sad that my youth was fleeting.
Fan Yuzhen said hurriedly: "The Queen is in her prime, and she is the mother of the country. We are like grass around her."
Mi Niang also echoed a few words: "Yes, your majesty must not say that."
It was not until Queen Nguyen asked them what they usually did at home that Mi Niang answered, "I was learning eight-part essays at home, because I just started and I don't know the basics."
"Oh, really?"
Queen Ruan's personality suddenly became dull, and Mi Niang knew why. She didn't like being bound by rules, and yet she was in the position of Queen.
She deliberately spoke of the eight-legged essay to let Queen Ruan know that she was an ambitious person. This way she would be treated coldly by the Queen, who would be displeased. Then it would be natural for her to leave the palace.
Fan Yuzhen was very good at reading people's expressions. Seeing that Queen Ruan didn't like what Mi Niang said, she decided to agree with her and said with a smile, "I often read "Nu Yi" at home, but I can only recognize a few words. I often copy scriptures for my grandmother."
Mi Niang glanced at Fan Yuzhen and said, "Okay, sister, you react quickly enough."
Queen Nguyen couldn't help feeling a little bored. When she was about to say something, she heard a palace maid come to report that Li Shuyuan had died.
"She died in the middle of the night. She heard that Li Shuyuan had someone steal in the palace yesterday. Concubine Cui wanted to arrest her, but she refused and insisted that the maid had not stolen. Concubine Cui used palace punishment and beat her with forty boards. The maid died before she could make it. Li Shuyuan was terrified and passed away in the middle of the night."
Queen Ruan closed her eyes in sorrow. This was not the first time. Concubine Cui was extremely domineering. This was the fate of any person in the palace who was favored.
When she is unreasonable, she will argue, and when she is reasonable, she will be even more unreasonable.
Li Shuyuan was a singer from Yuefu, and she danced the "Green Waist Dance" very well.
She has a very thin waist and is very innocent.
The Emperor named her Shuyuan and visited her frequently recently. Unexpectedly, this caused her to have her eyes opened.
"You guys go down first. I have something else to do here. I'll talk to you later when I'm free."
Mi Niang and Fan Yuzhen hurriedly took their leave.
Only after returning to her room did Fan Yuzhen breathe a sigh of relief. Before, she had only heard that the women in the deep palace were sad and might be buried alive, but she never thought that she might even die just because she had offended Concubine Cui.
In the afternoon, I heard that the Queen personally sent someone to ask Concubine Cui. Concubine Cui said that the stolen goods had been obtained, and that the maid had stolen Li Shuyuan's things. Although Li Shuyuan did not care, she was helping to manage the six palaces, and this was her duty.
The empress had no choice but to ask the emperor to mourn and honor Li Shuyuan after her death. The emperor immediately agreed and conferred the title of Zhaoyi on Li Shuyuan.
But she did not reprimand Concubine Cui. However, the Queen Mother thought that Concubine Cui was too harsh and punished her by making her copy scriptures behind closed doors.
The Queen gave another two hundred taels of silver to Li Shuyuan's family, and when she learned that Li Shuyuan's sister was working as a maid in the palace tea room, she specially transferred her to her side.
She was given the title of being tolerant and kind, and even Fan Yuzhen said, "The Empress is truly worthy of being called a virtuous queen."
Mi Niang exclaimed: "Yes."
In fact, it is useless. Concubine Cui is still in charge of the harem. What if the empress dowager punishes the concubine? The emperor did not mention any punishment.
Although Concubine Cui may have intended to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys and teach Li Shuyuan a lesson, she did not do anything wrong in terms of procedure.
The Queen also placed Li Shuyuan's sister next to her. Doesn't this allow Concubine Cui to target her directly?
But Mi Niang would not say these words, because it had nothing to do with her anyway.
Mi Niang and Fan Yuzhen accompanied the Empress for breakfast. Li Shuyuan's sister was already waiting at the side. Mi Niang glanced at her and recognized her.
The empress treated her like her own sister. When the emperor asked her to serve him in Kunning Palace, she avoided him, which touched the empress. Later, Mi Niang ascended to the throne and not only banished Concubine Cui to the cold palace, but also beat up all those who bullied her in the empress's palace.
It is said that she wanted to avenge the queen so she climbed onto the dragon bed and tried to deal with herself.
This person is indeed a character, but it's a pity that she met me at the beginning and was dealt with early on. Otherwise, she might have been made a noble concubine.
She was particularly good at keeping men hooked. Emperor Yonglong spent day and night with her and didn't even want to go to court.
Of course, when she was favored, she never thought about how to repay the queen.
Fan Yuzhen, however, developed a genuine admiration for the empress. After breakfast, he used his expertise to discuss poetry and songs with the empress.
They waited until the imperial concubines came to pay their respects before Mi Niang and Fan Yuzhen listened in the side room.
This kind of greeting is to wait for the emperor to pick one. Today there is a highlight. The palace maid in Liu Zhaoyi's palace was favored by the emperor and was named a selected concubine.
Today is the fifteenth day of the lunar year. The Emperor is coming to the Empress's palace. As everyone knows, it is just a formality. The Kunning Palace is filled with joy. Qingfen Liusu instructs the servants to sweep the floor again and again.
Fan Yuzhen was also a little nervous. She was actually a sensible person, but perhaps it was the queen's kindness that made her feel that the palace was still a warm place.
"Is the Emperor coming today?" she asked involuntarily.
Mi Niang smiled and shook her head. She also complained, "The palace got up too early. I think the emperor is coming today. I'm afraid the queen won't be free. I'll go first."
In short, it was as if I had really fallen asleep.
The emperor's coming had nothing to do with them, and Queen Ruan never mentioned them from beginning to end.
Mi Niang was unaware of anything. She didn't care whether Fan Yuzhen wanted to stay or not. It was also fine if she didn't stay. When the two of them went out together, others would think they were really accompanying the empress.
But if she really had to choose one of them, Mi Niang certainly didn't want it to be herself.
Queen Nguyen was very satisfied that night and was in high spirits the next day. When Fan Yuzhen and Mi Niang went to pay their respects, the atmosphere was very good.
Liusu laughed: "His Majesty just told the servants not to wake you up and let you sleep a little longer!"
Those who were on the Queen's side were happy for her.
Queen Ruan was probably favored yesterday, so she looked very happy today. Fan Yuzhen was still a virgin and didn't understand all this, but Mi Niang saw it clearly.
Therefore, she would rather sit on the bench than go up and talk. Queen Ruan was also very poetic at home, so she started chatting with Fan Yuzhen. She was afraid of neglecting Mi Niang, so she occasionally talked to Mi Niang.
Mi Niang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please don't worry about me. I can't write poetry. I see that Aunt Liusu is very good at sewing. Can you let Aunt Liusu teach me how to sew?"
The Empress naturally had no objection, but before she could say anything, Liusu said, "Your Majesty, you forgot that I am making a screen for the bed, which requires the most effort. Why not let Qingfen teach you?"
Liusu had a hot temper and was jealous of evil. She looked down upon Mi Niang and Fan Yuzhen, who were about to enter the palace to share the emperor's favor, and of course she was unwilling to teach them.
From then on, Mi Niang asked Qing Fen to do needlework without any disturbance. Fan Yu Zhen looked anxious. She of course thought that Mi Niang was engaged and would definitely leave the palace, but Mi Niang never mentioned her engagement in front of the Queen.
If Mi Niang had suggested it, she could have also supported him and left the palace together. The key point was that Mi Niang said nothing.
To be fair, the queen treated them very well, was very kind and caring.
But the Chinese New Year is only five days away. Does she really have to stay in the palace to celebrate the New Year?
Fan Yuzhen was a little confused. What if Ruan Mi Niang stayed? She would have started to curry favor with the eldest maid in Kunning Palace.
The Empress Dowager treated the new maid, Li Shuyuan's younger sister Zheng Dou Niang, very well and even promised to marry her off out of the palace in the future. Zheng Dou Niang's relationship with the Empress Dowager also improved rapidly and she even became the superior one in the end.
That morning, Mi Niang and Fan Yuzhen came together to pay their respects to the empress, but unexpectedly, Concubine Cui came today.
Everyone could not help but be astonished. It hadn't even been a few days since she had to reflect on herself, but Concubine Cui came out so quickly. It was totally unexpected.
Queen Ruan, who was beaming just now, probably knew that Concubine Cui had regained her favor. Liusu felt sorry for her: "It has only been a few days since Li Shuyuan died. How come Concubine Cui is out now? She has not been punished at all. If this continues, she will be able to get whatever she wants in the harem."
Qingfen suddenly said, "Your Majesty, we still need someone in the harem who can speak with authority in front of the emperor!"
Liusu asked anxiously, "Qingfen, what are you talking about?"
"Liu Su, you can't act on impulse. We all know the queen's health. I'm afraid it will be difficult to have children in the future. You see, the queen mother didn't dare to do anything to Concubine Cui because she has three princes. If the queen holds a prince from the Ruan family, in the future-"
Queen Ruan rarely scolded, "Qingfen, stop talking. Why should I separate other mothers and children? The girls in the harem have a hard life. I just hope they can be safe and sound, and I will be satisfied."
Qingfen really didn't understand. Apart from the Emperor's routine visits to the Imperial Concubine's Palace on the first and fifteenth days of the month, and the occasional visits at other times, the Emperor was with the Imperial Concubine most of the time.
There are also young concubines who are crying out for the emperor's milk. They are very good at pleasing the emperor. If this continues, when Concubine Cui's son grows up, she, the queen, will probably become a thorn in her side.
Liusu said, "Qingfen, why do you have to find someone else to favor her? Your Majesty is favored by His Majesty, and they used to be very loving. If you really want to do good for Your Majesty, you should think about how to make Her Majesty favor you more."
Qingfen felt that she had given her heart to a fool. She thought the Empress was a good person, but it had been ten years and her health was not very good.
New brides in the palace are popping up like bamboo shoots after rain, and by then, the Emperor might even forget about the Empress.
To put it more seriously, if Concubine Cui's son succeeded to the throne, given Concubine Cui's personality, she would not tolerate the empress. If the emperor of this dynasty is not born to the empress, the biological mother will be named the dowager concubine and the legal mother will be named the empress dowager.
Only when the stepmother is no longer around can the biological mother be named empress dowager.
If it was an honest person like Concubine Guo Jin, it would be fine, but Concubine Cui was extremely domineering. She was still a concubine, but she didn't take the Empress seriously at all.
If one day her prince becomes the crown prince, the queen will feel even more guilty and annoyed.
But Qingfen was just flirting with a blind man, and she felt that she had let down the wife of Duke Cheng'en.
I don’t know what the queen is thinking. Since someone has been sent home, she should have made plans early.
Having been turned down, Qingfen had no choice but to go back in disappointment.
Liusu looked at her back and said, "My lady, I think Qingfen is confused."
The queen sighed: "Yes, they are all daughters of good families, why bother?"
After hearing what the queen said, Zheng Dou Niang admired her even more. She thought the queen was really so kind.
She is so kind and generous to everyone.
Concubine Cui's Guanju Palace was bustling with activity. Apart from reporting to the Empress, the concubines here usually came to flatter Concubine Cui.
You have to know that Li Shuyuan was one of the women that the emperor loved the most. She was frightened to death by Concubine Cui, but it was just a painless task of copying some scriptures. This was enough to show how favored she was.
If they don't curry favor with her, they might die in the future without knowing how.
Therefore, Concubine Cui's place was extremely lively, and some people even took the initiative to tell her the news from the Empress in order to please her.
"I heard that the Empress sent two girls here, both of them are extremely beautiful. Could it be that they are spending the New Year in the palace?"
Concubine Cui was as beautiful as a peach or a plum. The reason why she was favored for so many years was not only because of her beauty, but also because of her very slender waist that was like a broken moon.
But after giving birth to many children in recent years, her waist has become much thicker and she has stretch marks. Fortunately, the emperor and she have an old relationship, and she loves the queen's foolishness and knowledge.
When Concubine Cui heard that the empress had sent two people, she pretended to be surprised and said, "On the fifteenth day, the empress..."
"Oh, my noble concubine, the Empress is not as magnanimous as you. She has been receiving the emperor's grace alone, but Liusu is the one who likes to show off. Everyone in the palace knows about it." said a concubine of low rank.
She had already decided to join Concubine Cui, so of course she couldn't be ambiguous.
Concubine Cui smiled.
In her heart, she couldn't help but think that the empress was really stupid. She was an old helper, but she still dreamed every day that the emperor loved her. Even with the advice from her family, she could still monopolize the emperor's favor.
Moreover, why not send someone to the emperor while she is under house arrest? Now that the Cui family is in charge, they will not allow the empress to pose a threat again.
The Emperor came here with Biluochun, and Concubine Cui asked people to pour it for the concubines here. She couldn't help but think about the next step. The Empress was incompetent and childless, but she had the honor of living in the Central Palace, and even brought Li Shuyuan's sister to her side. What was she trying to do?
Should I break up with her publicly?
"Tomorrow I will go to the palace to pay respects to the Empress. I am a little tired today and need to rest early. Please come, sisters."
The concubines hurriedly said goodbye, and after they had left, they heard a trusted palace maid whisper in their ear: "Your Majesty, the wife of the king's uncle has handed over a sign."
"Didn't they just enter the palace last month? Forget it, just let her in."
When Qingfen returned to her room, she happened to see Mi Niang coming over. She had served in the palace for many years and had long since learned to show her joy without getting angry. Although her son refused to listen to her after giving birth, she did not show it at all.
These days she has been doing needlework with Miss Ruan. She said she was asking for advice, but she actually drew a lot of patterns for her.
There was a lack of such fresh things in the palace. If one could please the masters, it would be a very prominent thing. However, apart from online communication, the two of them did not have such things.
"Aunt Fen, I drew a pattern today. You can give it to the Queen."
Qingfen took it and took a look. It was a painting of two loving couples playing in the water. She smiled and said, "Thank you very much."
"Why thank me? Actually, I wanted to give it to Aunt Fen. The queen has everything. It would be such a wonderful thing if a girl like us could find a loving partner!" Mi Niang observed Qingfen for several days. When she knew Qingfen in her previous life, she was already dying. Later, Mi Niang accidentally learned that Qingfen had seduced the emperor and made the queen sick. Zheng Dou Niang took ruthless action and put ten times the amount of croton seeds in the pot.
Of course, even without the knowledge from her previous life, she would still choose Qingfen.
Even if a person doesn't say what he likes, his actions and expressions can move your heart.
Like her flowers, Qingfen prefers lotus flowers with twin stems and magpies on plum blossoms that grow in pairs.
It's obvious that she can't stand the loneliness and starts to have sexual thoughts.
But the queen was really something. She actually arranged for Zheng Dou Niang to get married in the future without even considering Qing Fen.
After all, Qingfen was the one who served her since she entered the palace.
Qingfen blushed when she heard what Mi Niang said: "Why are you teasing us like this, young lady? We are destined to be servants for life."
Mi Niang laughed and said, "No, I heard that the Queen wanted to marry Dou Niang to an official family outside as a concubine. She is only from the imperial palace. If her sister is not the Queen, she is just Shuyuan. You are the head maid of the Queen's family. I'm afraid you will marry better. Why are you hiding it from me?"
Qingfen smiled bitterly: "How dare I hide this from you, girl?"
"No, for people like us out there, it's too late to get married at the age of eleven or twelve. My sister is already twenty years old. Doesn't the queen have any plans for you?" Mi Niang pretended to be surprised.
Qingfen was a little upset when she heard this: "We are slaves, and everything is up to our master. How dare we think about our own affairs? Our master has the final say on what happens to us."
Mi Niang twisted the thread and couldn't help but said: "Aunt Fen still has to think about herself. You know my mother can still talk to Mrs. Ruan. If my sister trusts me, if I can go home during the Chinese New Year, I will ask my mother to tell my grandmother during the Chinese New Year that someone wants to marry my sister. It is better than staying in the palace."
"This..." Although Qingfen wanted to find a way out for herself, she was not familiar with Mi Niang and was afraid that she would end up losing the gain.
So she shook her head and said no need.
Then Mi Niang said, "You are still waiting for the Queen to arrange you. To tell you the truth, if you go out now, you can still marry a first-time bride. In a few years, you will become a concubine. If I didn't have something to ask of my aunt, I would never risk telling you so much."
Is there an exchange of interests? Qingfen felt that it was a bit reliable. Only when there is an exchange of interests between people can you feel at ease. Otherwise, others will not help you in vain.
She was instantly shocked: "What do you want me to do, young lady? I won't do anything that would harm you."
Mi Niang smiled and said, "Of course I am doing this for my own business. You can see that I am engaged and I entered the palace just to accompany the prince to study. Now that Concubine Cui is so powerful, I don't want to stay in the palace. I don't think the Empress will promote anyone else. Even if I really follow the advice of Lady Cheng'en, I will offend the Empress and be tortured by Concubine Cui. I don't want to get involved in this mess."
Qingfen understood: "Does the girl want to leave the palace?"
Mi Niang nodded: "Of course, but don't worry, Aunt Fen, as long as I go back, I will naturally take care of your affairs. I will stay for another year, and it will just be a little later to leave the palace. But I don't want to wade into the muddy water, but you can't wait at your age."
Qingfen felt that she had really touched her heart.
She had no reason not to agree, but Miss Ruan and Miss Fan could not respond at the same time, otherwise Lady Cheng En would probably cause trouble for her.
"Since you are thinking about me, I will do my best for you. But I am afraid that my influence will not be strong enough in front of Miss Fan. If she goes back, I will not be able to explain to Lady Cheng'en."
Mi Niang said regretfully, "There's nothing we can do about it."
Qingfen felt instantly relieved.
Mi Niang walked back to the courtyard. She thought that she would probably never be the kind of person that the empress said women should help each other and women must sympathize with each other.
Not to mention women, even if a man gets in her way, she will throw him away.
Therefore, she could do nothing to help Fan Yuzhen. Moreover, Fan Yuzhen and the empress were too close, and she could not tell Fan Yuzhen that she was undermining the empress.
I won't be stupid enough to be like her and wait for the Queen to make arrangements.
Maybe she is very selfish, but there is nothing she can do. Just like in her previous life, she can only protect herself.
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