Chapter 120 Chapter 120
[Chapter 120]
When Ruan Jun took the imperial edict in his hand, he was still a little dazed and could not believe what he had just heard.
All the palace ladies in and out of Linxuan Palace were very happy and had delighted expressions on their faces.
Wei Maoyuan's lips widened as he said, "Congratulations to the Imperial Concubine. Congratulations to the Imperial Concubine. These gifts were all selected by the Emperor from his private storehouse. Other ladies can't even see them."
Ruan Yun was still looking at the imperial edict in her hand. After Ying Ning reminded her, Ruan Yun said softly, "Thank you, eunuch."
Ying Ning stuffed the silver bag in her hand into Wei Maoyuan's hand, "My queen is still in confinement, so it's inconvenient for me to go and thank you, father-in-law..."
Wei Maoyuan hurriedly said, "I know, your Majesty, don't worry."
After seeing Wei Maoyuan off, Ruan Jun sat on the beauty's seat and looked at the imperial edict in her hand, with surprise and joy on her face.
Defei has served the emperor for many years. Her eldest son is also the emperor's eldest son. For many years, he has assisted the six palaces and helped the Empress to take care of the affairs of the harem, but his position is nothing more than that of Defei.
But, she actually became the noble concubine among the four concubines.
Ruan Jun sealed the imperial edict in her hand and handed it to Ying Ning, "Put it away."
Since the emperor has given her this position, she will certainly be able to accept it.
…
The news of Ruan Yun's promotion to the position of noble concubine spread quickly throughout the six palaces in the east and west. Everyone knew that the people in front of the emperor had gone to the palace to announce the promotion early in the morning, but the decree was not announced for a long time. Everyone was in suspense. After hearing the news, the concubines were envious and jealous.
Jingzhang Palace
The palace maid ran out of the inner hall crying, but she didn't dare to cry out loud.
Wang Yi saw her and comforted her, saying, "The weather is getting hotter. Your Majesty is in a bad mood. Don't take it to heart."
The maid looked at Wang Yi and whispered, "Your Majesty is in a bad mood, so you want to take it out on us servants?"
Wang Yi frowned, looked towards the inner hall, and said, "You can go back and rest today. You don't have to work anymore."
The maid left sobbing. Wang Yi went in with the bird's nest. Seeing Concubine De propping up her head wearily, she called softly, "Your Majesty."
When Concubine De saw the bird's nest in Wang Yi's hand, she tried her best to restrain herself, but she suddenly stood up, feeling really uncomfortable and aggrieved, and overturned the bowl:
"In the past, blood swallows were sent, but how come they have become bird's nests now? I am the Virtuous Consort! I am the biological mother of the eldest prince, these dogs and slaves!"
Wang Yi knelt down hurriedly, supported Concubine De's knees and said, "Don't be angry, Madam. Be careful not to get angry and hurt yourself."
A fierce look flashed across Concubine De's eyes. "Not angry? How can I not be angry? I have always been by the emperor's side. The emperor has conferred upon me the title of Concubine De. For so many years, I have always been Concubine De. Even though I have the power to assist the six palaces, the empress, that bitch, is still above me! Now, someone named Ruan Yun appears from nowhere. She was born as a lowly servant, but she can actually dominate me."
Wang Yi advised, "The eldest prince was born to the Empress. The Empress has no legitimate son. The eldest prince is the Emperor's eldest son. If there is no legitimate son in this dynasty, the eldest son will be enthroned. No matter what happens, it has nothing to do with the third prince."
Defei shook off Wangyi's hand, stood up, and stood in the center of the inner hall with her back straight:
"What I care about is the position of the Crown Prince? I was born noble, how can I allow a loser to ride on my head? The positions of Noble Consort, Imperial Noble Consort, and Empress all belong to me, no one else can dare to get their hands on them!"
Ruan Yun was lucky to give birth smoothly, but could she be lucky again? How could such a cowardly person sit on the throne of the imperial concubine just by winning the favor of the emperor!
Those who come from humble backgrounds will never be able to show up on stage in this life!
Wang Yi knelt and crawled to the side of Concubine De, "Your Majesty is right. You will get whatever you want."
De Fei has now calmed down. After sitting down, she murmured, "Yes, there will always be a way. Just like before, the Queen's health has been getting worse in recent years. It was because she was too sad back then that she developed a root cause of illness."
"Ying Chongrong looks so much like the Empress's sister. If Ying Chongrong were to pass away, the Empress would recall the exact same scene as before, and she would also be gone. This harem would belong to me! I am the most suitable empress to stand beside the Emperor, holding his hand and walking with him."
Wang Yi was kneeling on the ground. When she heard what the empress said, she couldn't help but shudder.
She really couldn't remember when the queen became like this.
Inadvertently looking towards the outer hall, I saw a small figure standing behind the pearl curtain.
Wang Yi was shocked and asked anxiously, "Prince, why are you here at this hour?"
Concubine De quickly turned her head to look at the eldest prince, and was about to stand up with her hands on the table, but she suddenly thought of something and slowly put her hands down.
Wang Yi brought the eldest prince in. Concubine De smiled and asked softly, "Ting'er shouldn't be in school right now. Why are you here at this time?"
The eldest prince pursed his lips and did not answer Concubine De's question. Instead, he asked, "Was mother unhappy just now?"
Wang Yi clenched the handkerchief tightly in her hand, and even her breathing became lighter.
The smile on Concubine De's face froze for a moment, then she took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat off the eldest prince's face. "Look at you, you're in such a hurry that you're sweating. What did Ting'er hear just now? Mother is a little unhappy, but now that I see Ting'er, I feel better."
The eldest prince pursed his lips, looking at Concubine De's expression and not daring to speak out, but under Concubine De's gentle eyes, he said, "My son heard mother talking about the queen mother. Is the queen mother in poor health?"
"And Madam Ying, I heard that Madam Ying gave birth to a prince, who is my third brother."
The smile on Concubine De's lips widened, and she put the handkerchief aside. "Yes, the Empress is not in good health, and Mother is a little worried. As for Concubine Ying...it is true that she gave birth to the third prince."
The eldest prince took a step back and bowed deeply to Concubine De:
"My son came back early today because my teacher told him that he should go and see his third brother. There is more to life in this world than just studying. Only when brothers are friendly and respectful can they go further."
The eldest prince's tutor was personally selected by the emperor. Although he was over fifty years old, he was respected by everyone in the court and was a famous scholar in this dynasty.
Concubine De leaned back, as if thinking about what the eldest prince said, then nodded and said, "Okay, Ting'er, go to Empress Ying's place. Empress Ying is now a noble concubine, and it is common sense that mother should send a gift to Empress Ying."
The eldest prince walked out of the inner hall respectfully, Wang Yi looked at the empress, and Concubine De picked up the teacup and said lightly, "The person guarding outside should be replaced."
Wang Yi understood what Concubine De meant. If the palace servants outside did not do their job well, they should not blame the Empress for punishing them.
After leaving Jingzhang Palace, one can only go to the three offices of the West Six Palaces to do sweeping work. Life will never be as good as in Jingzhang Palace.
She picked up the tea lid with her fingertips and knocked it back onto the teacup. De Fei said, "When Concubine Ying Gui gave birth, I sent her the dress with a pattern of white gauze and soft silk and auspicious clouds. The dress is warm and she has just given birth. It is the best dress for her."
Wang Yi took the order and went to Defei's warehouse. Defei then picked up the teacup and took a sip. Bitterness spread in her mouth and she pursed her lips tightly.
…
When everyone in the palace heard the news that Ruan Yun was promoted to imperial concubine, many of them came to Linxuan Palace, wanting to come in and present the congratulatory gifts in person.
Fortunately, the emperor had given oral instructions in advance, so Yingning and Tingxu did not meet anyone after accepting the gifts.
On the contrary, Jiang Baolin stood in the outer hall and did not leave. The gift he brought was also an extremely valuable golden Buddha.
Ying Ning had a smile on her face and said softly, "It's not that my queen doesn't want to see you. It's just that the queen has just given birth and the emperor loves her even more. When the queen is better, it won't be too late for you to come again."
Jiang Baolin was blocked by Ying Ning when he wanted to say something. He turned around and looked at the golden Buddha statue and said, "I understand your concern, this is a token of my appreciation."
Ying Ning ordered the palace maid to take over. Seeing Ying Ning was about to leave and the gate of Linxuan Palace was about to close, Jiang Baolin said, "Noble Li did something wrong. I know that the queen is naturally wary of me. But last year in the palace, I really didn't know what Noble Li was planning. I was also deceived. There was another reason why I went to see the noble concubine with Noble Li."
Ying Ning's eyes flashed with surprise, and she said softly, "My lady, I will convey your words to the queen without missing a word. Please be patient. The weather is getting hotter recently, so please take care of yourself."
Jiang Baolin heaved a sigh of relief when he heard Yingning's words.
A golden Buddha statue only costs some money. Now that I can get the forgiveness of the Royal Concubine, it is already the best thing.
Just as Jiang Baolin left, the gate of Linxuan Palace was knocked again.
When Chunqing opened the palace gate and saw that the person standing outside was the eldest prince, his face was filled with surprise.
The eldest prince saluted in a proper manner and said, "I am here to pay my respects to Empress Ying."
Chunqing responded immediately, "Prince, please wait a moment."
Ruan Yun was originally talking to Ji Zhaoyi in the inner hall. When she saw Ying Ning coming in, she seemed to have something to say. Before she could ask, Chun Qing outside said through the screen, "Your Majesty, the eldest prince is here. He said he came to pay his respects to you."
There was doubt in the eyes of Ruan Yun and Ji Zhaoyi. Ruan Yun even raised an eyebrow. Ji Zhaoyi smiled and said, "Sister has rejected concubines all morning. It's just the eldest prince. I'm afraid it will be difficult to reject him."
Ruan Jun glared at her angrily, "You make me angry like this, but you don't even try to help me think of a solution."
That being said, what Ji Zhaoyi said was indeed reasonable. An ordinary concubine could refuse, but the eldest prince was still young, and letting him go back would make her seem petty.
Ruan Yun said in a soft voice, "Let him in."
The eldest prince stepped into the Linxuan Palace for the first time and saw the carved beams and painted rafters, the shark-shaped gauze curtains, the ringing bells hanging from the eaves, the dark-patterned vases and jade items. Even people who didn't understand them would know that they were extremely valuable.
This is indeed different from Jingzhang Palace.
The eldest prince respectfully walked to the screen, greeted Ruan Yun, and said, "I hope your Highness is well."
After saying this, he knelt down and kowtowed crisply, without even looking around.
When Ruan Yun saw the appearance of the eldest prince, although there was some insurmountable hatred between her and Concubine De, it could not be denied that Concubine De had brought up the eldest prince very well.
He is respectful and polite, humble and reserved, yet has the bearing of poetry and calligraphy.
Seeing this, Ruan Yun could not say too much, and only said: "School ended early today? Why did the eldest prince come at this time?"
The eldest prince looked up and could only see Ruan Yun leaning against the beauty through the screen. His voice sounded a little nervous:
"Master told me that Madam Ying gave birth to my third brother and asked me to come and see him so that I can behave like an elder brother."
Ruan Yun curled her lips and smiled faintly, saying, "Move... The Third Prince is in the side hall right now, and I don't know if he has woken up yet. The First Prince can go and check on him."
The eldest prince caught the name Ruan Yun said and asked, "Dongdong? But is that the nickname of my third brother?"
Ji Zhaoyi was sitting beside him, beaming with joy. Ruan Yun could only say, "Yes, Prince, do you think this name sounds nice? It was chosen by Empress Ying, but your father doesn't like it."
The eldest prince repeated the name twice in his mind and felt that it was a little different. But with such a name, although he had never seen the third brother, he felt that the third brother must be as cute as sister Xin'er.
But my father said it was not good...
The eldest prince said: "Father said no, so it should be...no."
Ruan Yun did not expect the eldest prince to be so serious. She sighed and said, "Forget it, eldest prince, please go over. The little princess is also there. You can see her."
When the eldest prince heard Empress Ying's sigh, he wanted to say directly that he liked this nickname very much, but thinking of his father, he swallowed his words back.
Ji Zhaoyi was already beaming with joy, "Sister Ying, do you want to see when the eldest prince will let this slip?"
Ruan Yun's eyes widened in anger, "You are the only one who knows how to make fun of me."
The eldest prince had already heard everything, so what else could she say? Just let it go.
"The eldest prince is very serious and mature despite his young age."
Ji Zhaoyi glanced outside, the smile on her face still not fading, "Empress Defei comes from a famous family, so the prince she taught is naturally different."
Ruan Yun had no interest in how Concubine De taught the eldest prince. Suddenly she remembered that Yingning had something to say, so she looked at her inquiringly.
"But what happened?"
Ying Ning then remembered what happened outside the palace gate just now, and nodded and said, "Yes, Jiang Baolin came and sent a very precious golden Buddha statue. I couldn't refuse it, so I have put it in the warehouse. Your Majesty will take a look and ask me to send it back to Jiang Baolin later."
Then he told Ruan Yun everything Jiang Baolin said, without missing a single word.
"From what I heard from Jiang Baolin, she seems to know something about the past of Noble Li."
Ruan Jun touched the jade ruyi on the side of her body and looked at Ji Zhaoyi.
"Mrs. Li did a poor job, and I could easily see the difference, not to mention Consort De who did everything behind the scenes."
Ji Zhaoyi said softly, "Could it be that from the very beginning, Mr. Li did not want to pin the witchcraft on my sister, nor did he want to force her to accept the silver hairpin?"
Ruan Yun immediately responded, "You mean, all she did was just to stir up my emotions?"
And then after saying this, everything makes sense.
No wonder everything Mr. Li did and said was so revealing.
Defei knew that the silver hairpin belonged to Chen Lu, but she had no evidence. If she lost her balance and said something revealing, the emperor would know the truth. Even if the emperor said nothing, the empress dowager was still present.
If she was stable, she couldn't help but think about it while she was pregnant. Once there were signs of premature birth, it would be extremely dangerous. For Concubine De, this matter had only benefits and no harm. It was really a very good thing.
Ji Zhaoyi also thought of this, and her voice turned cold, "If Concubine De doesn't succeed this time, she will definitely not let it go."
Ruan Yun thought for a moment, "Since we know it's Concubine De, let's just take it one step at a time. Since she knows how to do it, she will reveal her flaws one day."
Ji Zhaoyi nodded and agreed with Ruan Yun's statement.
The atmosphere in the inner palace was heavy. Seeing that Ruan Yun still looked a little tired, Ji Zhaoyi said, "Sister, do you know that this year the emperor has made an exception and held a dragon boat banquet. People from all the military camps will participate in the competition. We can also go out of the palace to watch it."
Ruan Jun was counting the days in her mind, and that was exactly a few days after she finished her confinement.
Ji Zhaoyi covered her lips with a handkerchief and smiled, "The emperor really cares about my sister. Dragon boat races have not been held since the reign of the previous emperor. The emperor wants to hold a dragon boat race this time. It is self-evident what he is thinking."
Ruan Yun pretended to be angry, bit her red lips, and said, "If you say that again, you will not be allowed to enter the gate of Linxuan Palace in the future."
Ji Zhaoyi snorted and laughed: "Sister Ying, just don't find it boring."
That being said, Ruan Yun was indeed happy. She had stayed in the palace for too long during her pregnancy, and had to stay stuck for another month after giving birth. It was really boring. If there was a dragon boat race to watch, and the one involved was the son of a military general, it would certainly be a great spectacle.
…
Tingxu led the eldest prince to the side hall. The little princess' childish voice came out from inside. Tingxu smiled and said, "The little princess is also inside. The eldest prince can go in directly."
The eldest prince nodded and said to the eunuchs following him, "You all wait outside. There is no need to follow me in."
Everyone stopped in their tracks, and the eldest prince followed the rules in every move as he headed towards the side hall.
The third prince was awake at this moment, and the little princess was standing on tiptoe beside the cradle to watch. After a while, she asked a question that made everyone in the palace laugh.
Seeing the eldest prince, the little princess saluted obediently, "Big brother, are you here to see my third brother too?"
The eldest prince nodded, "How are your studies going lately?"
The little princess immediately frowned and said, "Big brother is so annoying."
The eldest prince had an embarrassed look on his face. The little princess poked the third prince with her finger and ignored the eldest prince. Only the eldest prince was left standing there.
The wet nurse who was serving the little princess smiled and said, "The eldest prince is asking the little princess if there is anything she doesn't understand."
The little princess raised her head and said, "Of course not! Even if you don't understand, mother will teach you, and there is also father!"
The eldest prince's eyes flashed with disappointment. Seeing the little princess and the ignorant third prince, he lowered his head and said, "Aunt, I'm done. I'm leaving now."
Ting Xu asked in surprise, "Would the eldest prince like a cup of tea? The cakes in our palace are delicious. Would the eldest prince like to have some?"
The eldest prince's eyes fell on the table and saw the delicate nod above. His eyes stayed for a moment and then quickly moved away. He straightened his back and said, "No need."
Seeing this, Tingxu did not force it, "I will take you out."
The eldest prince silently agreed to Tingxu's action, but he never expected that before he reached the door, Yan Shiyu came down from the imperial carriage, and Wei Maoyuan was saying something beside him.
The eldest prince paused, and a light appeared in his eyes.
However, Yan Shiyu's mind was obviously not on the eldest prince. Wei Maoyuan spotted the eldest prince and said quickly, "Your Majesty, the eldest prince is here too."
Yan Shiyu then followed Wei Maoyuan's line of sight and said in a deep voice, "Ting'er is here too?"
The eldest prince stepped forward quickly, bowed and said, "Master said that my third brother was born, and he allowed me to come and see him."
Yan Shiyu put his hands behind his back and said, "Learn well from your master."
The eldest prince's eyes sparkled with light because of Yan Shiyu's words, and he said, "My son has made great progress in riding and shooting recently. If your father is free someday..."
But before he could finish his words, the little princess jumped out from the side hall:
"Father, my third brother cries every day, it's really too noisy."
The eldest prince looked at Yan Shiyu expectantly, but because of the little princess's words, his father did not look at him, so the eldest prince had to stand aside.
Wei Maoyuan said quickly: "Hey little princess, please go slower."
Yan Shiyu's lips curled up into a smile, and he held the little princess in his arms, "Ah Niang is here to talk to Madam Ying?"
The little princess nodded and said, "Xin'er is also accompanying her third brother."
Yan Shiyu didn't say much. He was about to leave with the little princess in his arms when he thought of the eldest prince standing beside him and said, "Your teacher is very knowledgeable. You should work hard every day and learn more from him."
The eldest prince lowered his head and responded to Yan Shiyu's words. Wei Maoyuan took the emperor's gaze and ordered people to send the eldest prince back properly.
Several people in the inner hall had already heard the little princess' voice outside. Ji Zhaoyi shook his head helplessly, "What a naughty child."
Ruan Yun's eyes fell on Ji Zhaoyi's face and she said softly, "With you by her side, the little princess is much better than before."
Ji Zhaoyi also said quietly, "So, I will naturally not let anyone take Xin'er away."
Ruan Yun now has a vague guess that the relationship between the emperor and the empress dowager should be related to the emperor's childhood.
Although the Emperor does not appear to be close to the Empress Dowager, everything he does is to get closer to her.
Shen Chongyi made wrong things again and again. I'm afraid she herself couldn't even remember how many times she had taken advantage of the little princess, but the emperor remembered.
Therefore, the emperor would not care about the fact that Shen Chongyi was the little princess's biological mother, and would let Ji Zhaoyi raise the little princess.
But this is also Ji Zhaoyi's plan, so that's good.
Ruan Yun secretly rejoiced. When she was still a palace maid, she had wanted to rescue the little princess to attract the emperor's attention. Now it seems that her risky move turned out to be the right one.
Yan Shiyu carried the little princess into the palace, and the little princess immediately kicked her legs to get out of her father's arms:
"Mother!"
Ji Zhaoyi said gently, "Xin'er, go slower."
After helping the little princess to stabilize her condition, Ji Zhaoyi greeted the emperor, "May your majesty be well and healthy."
Yan Shiyu raised his chin and motioned Ji Zhaoyi to stand up. Ji Zhaoyi held the little princess and said, "It's getting late. I have disturbed you for a long time. Now that the emperor is here, I will take the little princess away first."
Ji Zhaoyi touched the little princess's head, and the little princess obediently saluted her father and Ruan Yun.
Watching Ji Zhaoyi and the little princess leave, Ruan Jun smiled and asked, "Your Majesty, are you holding a dragon boat race this year?"
Yan Shiyu's face darkened and he tapped her forehead. "You haven't shown any gratitude for your promotion, but you are particularly interested in this kind of thing."
Ruan Yun put her arms around the emperor's waist and said in a sweet voice, "I am just expressing my gratitude. Your Majesty, don't you think so? It's clear on your face that you are interested in holding the dragon boat race."
Yan Shiyu sneered, scanning her unruly behavior, "I don't know when I'll be so grateful."
Ruan Jun spoke quickly, and stood up by holding the emperor's thin thighs, "If the emperor does not feel sorry for me, I can naturally get out of bed to thank you, but it will take me a long time to recover, but serving you in bed..."
Only after the words came out of her mouth did Ruan Yun realize what she had said.
The handkerchief was pulled over and suddenly placed on her face. Ruan Jun felt secretly annoyed, thinking that she must have been with the emperor for too long that she could say anything.
Yan Shiyu wanted to put his arm around her shoulders, but he didn't know where he touched, and Ruan Yun's face tightened.
His dark eyes suddenly darkened and fell on Ruan Yun's delicate snow-white peaks. His voice was hoarse, "Uncomfortable?"
It was natural that she felt uncomfortable after giving birth. Ruan Jun was too embarrassed to say that she could not sleep every night because of the pain.
The maids would massage her every day, but it had no effect at all. When she woke up in the morning, her clothes were wet.
Ruan Yun pushed Yan Shiyu, stood up and said, "I have heard that if a mother breastfeeds her baby, the child's health will be much better."
Yan Shiyu's dark eyes were dark, with a hint of amusement in his expression, "I remember that I found three wet nurses for the child."
Ruan Yun was embarrassed and said directly: "It's just that I feel uncomfortable. If I breastfeed, it will be much better?"
Yan Shiyu grabbed Ruan Yun's little face, pinched her earlobe and said, "You named your child Dongdong, I should punish you."
Ruan Jun's eyes widened immediately, "Your Majesty heard it from hearsay, I don't have it."
But the emperor's eyes saw through everything. Ruan Jun lowered her head weakly, not knowing how it came to be about moving.
Yan Shiyu looked at Ruan Yun and whispered in her ear:
"Isn't it uncomfortable for me to stay tonight? I will help you?"
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