promotion
While the Queen Mother was chatting with the Duke's wife, Zhao Fanghua couldn't help but secretly look at the future Queen.
If it were someone else, having their marriage discussed in front of their elders like this, they would have been more or less shy. However, the little girl named Linlang just lowered her head shyly when she heard the words "enter the palace". But she was mostly calm. She must have been trained to be the queen since she was a child.
Zhao Fanghua was twenty-two years old in her original world. She didn't know the original owner's age, but she estimated that he was around eighteen or nineteen. The emperor was her younger brother, so he was at most seventeen or eighteen. It was impossible to estimate if he was younger than that. However, since the empress dowager didn't rule behind the scenes, he should be at least fourteen or older. He was not suitable for a girl who was only eight years old and a generation younger than her...
Although this kind of thing should have been very common in ancient times, Zhao Fanghua, who has received modern education, still finds it difficult to understand.
But she soon became happy again. At least it meant that there was no queen in the palace for the time being. Then she was no longer second to three people and above ten thousand people, but second to two people and above ten thousand people.
Isn’t this also a kind of “promotion”?
As the sun was setting, the Queen Mother yawned, and the senior palace maid Anxin beside her immediately winked at the Duke's wife. The Duke's wife stood up with great tact and took Linlang to say goodbye to the Queen Mother.
Seeing that the Duke's wife was about to leave, Zhao Fanghua also stood up, not knowing for a moment whether she should follow suit and leave or stay.
Seeing this, the Queen Mother smiled and said, "Alas, my youth is still here. Look at my memory, it's really getting worse and worse. I was so busy chatting with the Duke's wife just now that I forgot to tell you that a batch of the best bayberries has arrived at the palace. They are sour, sweet and juicy, but unfortunately I don't like sour things. You have loved eating these sweet and sour snacks since you were a child. Come with An Xin to the Imperial Household Department to get them and eat them."
Zhao Fanghua bowed and said, "Thank you, Queen Mother, for the reward."
The empress dowager waved her hand, meaning for Zhao Fanghua to leave, and then walked towards the east warm room with the support of two young palace maids.
Zhao Fanghua followed An Xin out of the palace, and Shuyu immediately came to meet them.
An Xin suggested, "Your Highness, Shoukang Palace is quite a long way from the Imperial Household Department. Why don't you let Shuyu accompany me to collect the bayberries while you wait in Shoukang Palace?"
Zhao Fanghua was about to nod, but then she remembered that the Empress Dowager had just mentioned that the hydrangeas in the Imperial Garden were in bloom, and she wanted to go see them. So she asked, "Aunt Anxin, I'd like to take a walk in the Imperial Garden. Could you send someone to show me the way?"
When An Xin heard this, she immediately summoned two palace maids and eunuchs and ordered them, "You two must serve the princess well."
After An Xin finished speaking, she led Shuyu out, and then Zhao Fanghua was led to the imperial garden by the palace maids and eunuchs.
Arriving at the Imperial Garden, Zhao Fanghua was momentarily disappointed. It was very small, not even as big as the school's grove. Fortunately, the garden had everything, including rockery and ponds, and was cleverly arranged with a new scene at every step.
Hydrangea is now called hydrangea, named after its flowers which resemble hydrangeas.
The clusters of purple-blue hydrangeas were particularly beautiful. Zhao Fanghua subconsciously wanted to take out her mobile phone to take pictures, but she found that there were no mobile phones here. Although it was a bit regrettable, it did not prevent Zhao Fanghua from circling around the hydrangeas like a butterfly. The only unpleasant thing was that no matter where Zhao Fanghua went, the two palace maids and eunuchs followed her closely.
"Um...Shoukang Palace is not far from the Imperial Garden. I want to enjoy the flowers alone. If you two have nothing else to do, please leave."
The palace maids and eunuchs looked at each other, said "yes" and left together.
Seeing the two figures disappear at the gate of the Imperial Garden, Zhao Fanghua breathed a sigh of relief. She finally had some time alone that day. Before, at the Princess's Mansion, even if Shuyu left for a short while, there were still two little maids in green standing at the door of the main hall ready to come in and serve her at any time.
Zhao Fanghua came to the edge of the pond, bent down and swept the big rocks by the pond with his hands, then looked around and saw that there was no one around, so he sat down.
The lotus flowers in the pond are in full bloom, and as the breeze blows, bursts of floral fragrance come to the surface. Two fat koi are circling around the roots of a lotus flower.
Zhao Fanghua stared at the two koi in a daze. There was silence all around, only the lotus flowers and leaves swaying gently. For some reason, a feeling of desolation came over him.
She raised her head and blinked her eyes. The warm feeling from under her butt kept reminding her that this was not a dream. She had really come to a strange dynasty that had never existed in history. Here, she was alone, without relatives, teachers or friends.
In fact, she had secretly called out to the "system" countless times in her heart, but unfortunately no one answered. She gradually had a bad premonition in her heart. She might not be able to return to her original world. She even guessed that she might not have traveled through time and space after waking up from a sleep, but rather -
sudden death.
Zhao Fanghua lowered her eyelids. The two fat koi, perhaps tired from playing, gradually disappeared into the depths of the lotus pond, out of Zhao Fanghua's sight. Zhao Fanghua touched the corners of her eyes, and she didn't know when they had become wet.
But she quickly calmed down. At least she still had her arms and legs, and she could eat the tribute bayberries. Thinking of this, she became happy again.
She walked happily to the gate of the Imperial Garden, ready to go back to Shoukang Palace to eat bayberries. However, she didn't know whether to go left or right. She waited for a long time but didn't meet any palace maids or eunuchs. In the end, she had to go according to her memory.
But the longer Zhao Fanghua walked, the quieter the area became. At first, he could see palace maids and eunuchs hurrying by, but later, there was not a single soul in sight. As darkness approached, Zhao Fanghua stamped his foot and was about to turn back when he saw a dilapidated palace door nearby, surprisingly open. With the mentality of giving it a last-ditch effort, Zhao Fanghua cautiously stepped inside.
"Is anyone there..."
What came into view was a dilapidated and desolate courtyard with wild weeds growing wildly. The vermilion walls of the palace had faded and peeled, and there was even a tuft of weeds growing on the eaves.
A figure stood in front of the palace gate, with an upright posture and wearing crimson clothes. Zhao Fanghua could only see the figure's tall ponytail.
Zhao Fanghua was just about to go forward and start a conversation when a gust of wind blew past and he heard a whimpering sound like crying in his ears.
Zhao Fanghua's heart skipped a beat, and he was wondering if he had encountered a supernatural event. But when he looked down, he saw the man's long shadow cast by the afterglow of the sun. Zhao Fanghua breathed a sigh of relief. If there was a shadow, it meant there was a person.
"Why are you hiding here and crying alone? Did something sad happen to you?" Zhao Fanghua stepped forward and leaned half of his body forward, asking tentatively.
The man did not answer.
Zhao Fanghua stood up straight and said pretentiously, "If you have any grievances, you can tell me. Do you know who I am? I am the eldest princess!"
The man seemed to react to these words, his body moved and turned slightly to the side.
The sun had set at some point, leaving only a faint red afterglow in the sky. The man was standing in the shadow, and Zhao Fanghua couldn't see his face clearly.
Seeing this, Zhao Fanghua straightened her back and began to talk nonsense: "Since you are in the palace, Princess, you know that you are the only daughter of the Queen Mother and the only sister of the current emperor. Looking at the entire Dasheng, you can be said to be second to none and above ten thousand people. So if you have any grievances, just tell me and I can help you solve them!"
The man just looked at her quietly, but still didn't speak.
Zhao Fanghua felt a little uneasy, but still said with a stiff upper lip: "Are you crying because you miss your hometown after entering the palace? Or is it because you have no relatives or friends here? We are all experienced people and we all understand, so there is no need for you to cry here secretly. If you want to cry, just cry out loud. Anyway, you are here, so you might as well make the best of it. After crying, do what you should do, eat and drink, and don't worry about anything. Think about it, although there are rules everywhere here, and you are restricted in what you say and do, at least you don't have to worry about food and drink, or your future prospects and work, and you still have power and influence and people to serve you. We should think positively about everything, otherwise life would be so uncomfortable!"
Zhao Fanghua might not even know it herself, but under the pretext of comforting others, she poured out all her innermost thoughts.
The man just looked at her quietly without saying anything.
Zhao Fanghua felt a little discouraged for a moment. Her mouth was dry after hearing what she had said. She began to think about the tribute bayberries that the empress dowager had mentioned. Thinking of the bayberries, Zhao Fanghua swallowed her saliva and asked dejectedly, "Can you tell me how to get back to Shoukang Palace? I'm lost..."
The man finally responded. He stretched out his slender left arm and pointed in the direction of the palace gate. "Turn right when you get out of here, then turn left again, then turn right again, and keep going straight ahead."
His voice was a little hoarse, but one could also hear the coldness and aloofness in the underlying tone.
Zhao Fanghua was slightly stunned. It didn't sound like the shrill voice of a eunuch. Was there another man in the palace?
Zhao Fanghua slapped his forehead and said, "What a pig brain! There are so many guards here."
But finally knowing how to get back, Zhao Fanghua couldn't help but beam with joy. She picked up her skirt and quickly took two steps forward, but then felt something was wrong and took a step back. "Then... thank you very much!"
Zhao Fanghua grabbed her skirt and ran out, but stopped just before she crossed the palace gate. She tilted her head to look at the lonely man in the courtyard, hesitated for a moment, and said, "What I just said is true. If you have any trouble, you can come to me! I come to Shoukang Palace to pay my respects every first and fifteenth day of the month."
After saying that, he ran out without looking back.
Another gust of wind blew, and the whimpering sound rang out again.
The man turned his head and looked at the dilapidated window frame. The cotton paper pasted on the window had long been torn, and made a whimpering sound when the wind blew.
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, palace lanterns lit ablaze, ambergris burned in a bronze crane censer. Behind a rosewood dragon-shaped table sat a young man, his complexion as white as jade, his hair as thick as black ink, his features deep and graceful. His shadow, cast by the lanterns on the screen on the back wall, resembled a dormant giant beast.
There was a person standing below, who bowed slightly. It was Zhang Yuanpan from the Imperial Hospital.
The man propped his chin on one hand, and lightly tapped the case on the imperial hospital's desk with the other hand, saying with a playful smile, "Soul separation syndrome? Interesting."
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