The Red Mansions

Chapter 1723 Aunt Xue: Our family is still the descendant of Ziwei Sheren...

Godly City, Ningguo Mansion

Grand View Garden, Hengwu Garden——

It was afternoon, and the bright red sunlight was shining into the courtyard outside the window, while the branches and leaves of a banana tree were emerald green, as if it were a clear blue sky.

Perhaps it was a spring rain last night. Raindrops could be seen rolling on the banana leaves, and under the reflection of the spring sunlight, dewdrops were also rolling, making the green more eye-catching.

The maids came and went under the eaves, most of them with joy on their faces.

Aunt Xue asked as she packed her clothes, "My dear, how come the imperial edict named you the Imperial Noble Consort, one of the five empresses in the Five Palaces, but not one of us? You are Heng'er's concurrent wife, so to speak."

Baochai frowned her beautiful eyebrows and said, "Mom, whether it's Princess Xianning or Princess Qinghe, they are of noble blood, honorable birth, and are the empress of the fifth palace. How can we compare with them?"

The status of the Fifth Palace Queen is so high that it cannot be compared to anyone else.

Aunt Xue was not convinced: "Our ancestors are descendants of Ziwei Sheren, and have been a royal merchant family for generations. How can we not compare?"

However, when Aunt Xue said this, she clearly lacked confidence.

Baochai's eyes were soft and moist under her emerald eyebrows. She said, "Mom, don't talk about this. I have to go to the palace later."

Aunt Xue saw that Baochai looked unhappy, so she smiled and said, "Okay, then I won't say any more. You can go to the palace first."

In the future, she will understand that many things are beyond her control.

Ying'er's face, which was somewhat shrewd and innocent, also showed a hint of joy.

The girl is now the Imperial Consort, but her... status is still uncertain.

Ying'er still did not win Jia Heng's favor. As she grew older and less attractive, she gradually lost hope.

Instead, he wanted to help Baochai and push her son Su Zhuo to the position of crown prince.

Baochai looked at Ying'er and Aunt Xue and said solemnly, "There are some things that you should not say after you enter the palace. There are many people in the palace and it may get to someone's ears and cause trouble."

Upon hearing this, Ying'er also nodded, indicating that she would keep Baochai's advice in mind.

Baochai asked, "Mom, how is brother doing lately?"

Aunt Xue said softly, "Your brother is not like that yet. Your sister-in-law is pregnant recently and is staying at home to take care of the baby."

Baochai said, "Now that my brother has a son, he will be able to settle down a little bit."

Aunt Xue nodded and said softly, "Yes, it's been several years, and we finally have a child."

Baochai exhorted, "Teach him well in the future, and he will be able to establish himself as a householder and bring honor to the family."

At this moment, Baochai was thinking that she must never develop the rude and rude behavior that her brother had in the past.

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "That's not true. Now your brother is also the emperor's uncle."

Baochai thought for a moment and then warned, "Tell your brother that when you are working outside, you must not be arrogant and do not let others say anything. The Xue family relies on Concubine Xue's power, and then they will bring disaster to me and Zhuo'er."

Aunt Xue also said solemnly, "Don't worry, Bao girl. It won't be like this."

Baochai nodded but said nothing.

……

……

Grand View Garden, Xiaoxiang Pavilion——

Zijuan and Xiren were also discussing the previous title of consort, saying, "Our girl is now the Imperial Noble Consort, and previously, there was no talk of her being named Queen or anything like that."

At this moment, Daiyu, holding her own daughter Jia Ru, came up quickly and said, "Everyone in the palace has a respected status. How can I compare with them?"

Xiren said softly, "Miss, what you said is true. Your father is the Prime Minister of the current cabinet."

Zijuan said: "Yes, in terms of status, our girl can also have the position of queen."

Daiyu's eyes sparkled and shimmered under her eyebrows that looked like willow branches curling and uncurling. She said, "What are you talking about? If outsiders hear it, they will laugh at you."

Zijuan raised her eyebrows, her beautiful eyes were as soft as water, and said, "Miss, I didn't say anything, it's just about the imperial concubine appointment in the palace."

Daiyu's eyes were as bright as rainbows, and her eyebrows were as round as willows. She kept flashing with curiosity and asked, "What's the story about the imperial concubine in the palace?"

Xiren looked surprised and asked, "Don't you know, young lady?"

Daiyu's eyebrows were as slender as willows, and her sparkling eyes were full of curiosity. She was surprised for a moment and asked, "So, who was enthroned before?"

Xiren said softly, "Miss, the emperor in the palace seems to have appointed five queens."

As he spoke, he listed one by one all the concubines that Jia Heng had appointed during the day.

Xiren has a good memory, or as an expert in palace fighting, she has a natural sensitivity to the rankings of these women in the harem.

Daiyu said in an inexplicable tone, "Five Queens, five Imperial Noble Consorts, and the other twenty Noble Consorts, it's really... a harem full of concubines."

Big Brother Heng really has too many women. Just listening to them makes her feel that... there are so many beautiful girls, too many to count.

As she spoke, Daiyu turned her long black hair around and looked at Zijuan and Xiren, saying, "Would you two also be given the title of concubine?"

Zijuan said, "Miss, she has been given a title of concubine in the palace."

Daiyu smiled and said jokingly, "Your status will be different from now on, and you don't have to come and serve me so often."

Zijuan said, "What are you talking about, young lady? From now on, I will serve you and stay by your side."

Daiyu's eyes sparkled as she frowned and said, "You have almost packed everything, let's go to the palace together."

Jia Ru, the daughter in her arms, stretched out her two soft, white and slender hands and said, "Mom, I miss Daddy~"

Daiyu said, "Your father is still in the palace now."

My daughter's beautiful eyes and eyebrows are full of tenderness and gentleness, and she is indeed a bit like herself when she was a child.

Xiren smiled and said, "After a while, you should be able to be crowned a princess."

Daiyu turned her head with long black hair, looked at her lovely daughter with sparkling eyes, and said softly, "She is so young, it is better not to seal her up first."

Zijuan smiled and said, "Miss, your period has not come these days. Doctor Zhang from the Imperial Hospital will be here in the next few days."

In fact, Zijuan and the maids in Xiaoxiang Pavilion were all looking forward to Daiyu getting pregnant again.

After a while, a pretty and beautiful maid quickly entered the room and said with a hint of joy in her voice, "Madam, Imperial Doctor Zhang is here."

The doctor who came was none other than Zhang Youshi. He had a majestic face, was vigorous, and had sharp eyes. While he was speaking, he walked quickly up to her and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Daiyu handed her daughter to Zijuan, and then sat down on a soft couch covered with a mattress in the inner room.

On this side, Doctor Zhang finished feeling Daiyu's pulse, raised his eyes, looked at Daiyu gently, smiled, and said, "The queen is pregnant."

Daiyu, who was concentrating on the matter, slowly stood up, looked at Doctor Zhang, and said, "Really?"

Doctor Zhang's grayish eyebrows flickered with old, cloudy eyes, and he said, "Madam, judging from this pulse, it is undoubtedly a happy pulse."

Daiyu asked, "Doctor Zhang, do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

Zhang Youshi twisted a few strands of his gray beard and said softly, "I can't really tell you right now."

Zhang Youshi said, "Your Majesty has experience in giving birth, so you should be extra careful in the next period of time. I will prescribe two more doses of pregnancy-preserving medicine, and you can use them first when the time comes."

At this moment, a military general at the side handed over a small medicine box and helped Zhang Youshi write a prescription.

Daiyu looked at Zijuan who was standing beside her and said, "Zijuan, go and see Mr. Zhang off."

Zijuan nodded, stood up and saw Zhang Youshi out of the house.

While Xiren was talking, she came behind Daiyu, gently kneaded Daiyu's shoulders, and said, "Your Highness has just become pregnant, so you should rest more recently."

Daiyu hummed and said, "Send someone to inform Brother Heng. Let's see when His Majesty will come."

As Daiyu spoke, she realized that this address lacked respect, and she quickly changed her words.

But immediately, she felt a little ashamed and annoyed deep in her heart. When had she ever been afraid of these things?

Xiren said, "My lady, I have sent someone to inform you."

Daiyu said softly, "Now that you will be a concubine in the palace, you can let others do the work of the servants."

Xiren said: "It is my duty to serve the Majesty."

Daiyu smiled, her eyes twinkling with light under her smoky eyebrows, and she said jokingly in a coquettish tone, "You will be an empress in the future, too."

When Xiren heard this, her expression changed slightly. She turned her pretty and bright face and bowed to Daiyu, saying softly, "Madam."

Daiyu saw this and said quickly, "Why are you kneeling down for no reason? Get up quickly."

However, she couldn't help but feel shocked in her heart. Entering the Heavenly Palace, life was indeed different from before. She had to carefully consider every word she said, lest her subordinates would think too much.

In fact, Daiyu was not a harsh person, and what she said just now was more of a joke.

If these words fell into the ears of someone as thoughtful as Xiren, it would become a kind of "warning" with inexplicable meaning.

Daiyu's eyes sparkled brightly under her slender eyebrows. Her voice was inevitably a little soft as she said, "Okay, get up."

Xiren said, "Thank you, madam."

Daiyu said, "Go and see how the preparations are going outside."

Xiren hesitated for a moment and said, "Does the Madam need someone to take care of her?"

Daiyu picked up a cup of blue and white porcelain tea and said, "Xueyan is taking care of me here."

Xiren bowed and then quickly walked out of the hall.

Under Daiyu's frowning brows, her pair of bright eyes sparkled brightly. She looked towards the scorching sunlight that had already shone onto the steps in the courtyard. For a moment, Daiyu was actually a little dazed and absent-minded.

As the story goes, once you enter the palace, it is like entering a deep sea.

At this moment, Zijuan walked quickly into the palace, and under her beautiful eyebrows, she said, "Madam, Doctor Zhang has been sent out, and someone has been sent to get medicine. The young lady is finally pregnant again, so you must take good care of her."

Daiyu's eyes sparkled like dew under her smoky eyebrows. She asked, "How are the other rooms packing? Have you counted and loaded all the things?"

Some of Daiyu's rooms are filled with things that she has kept since she was a child.

Zijuan said, "My Lady, it's all packed."

Daiyu said, "Now that everything is packed, let's go."

Zijuan said softly, "Your Majesty, the palace servants from the Ministry of Internal Affairs said that they will send some teaching maids and concubines to instruct us on palace etiquette."

Daiyu's eyes sparkled as she looked at him, her eyebrows curled and relaxed. She said, "I have never been taught etiquette when I went to the palace to pay my respects."

Zijuan smiled and said softly, "In the past, you were congratulating the nobles, but now you are accepting the greetings of the ladies in the court. Your Majesty will be the Imperial Consort in the future. Your every move will be full of royal dignity and bearing. There are many things you need to pay attention to."

Daiyu thought for a moment and said, "Zijuan, I heard that there have been many creepy things in the harem throughout the dynasties."

Zijuan said, "Miss, don't worry. I heard that after entering the palace, the Eastern Palace Queen's Princess Le'an will be in charge of palace affairs. There shouldn't be any sneaky things. Besides, His Majesty is very clear-headed and will not care about these things."

Daiyu's eyes sparkled and twinkled under her smoky eyebrows. She was confused and absent-minded as she said, "I hope so. I've noticed that the atmosphere in the backyard has not been right in the past two years. Everyone wants to have a boy, as if they are chasing after something."

Even she seemed to be caught up in this kind of "comparison" and couldn't help wanting to have a boy.

It can be said that all the women in Jia Heng’s harem are now caught in an arms race to give birth to sons.

Zijuan said, "Miss, these people in the palace are all thinking about the fact that the queen has no legitimate son, and now they are all eyeing that position eagerly."

Daiyu was silent for a moment, then said, "If it weren't for the establishment of the Fifth Palace Empress, it wouldn't be your turn."

Zijuan lowered her voice and said, "That's not necessarily true. People often say that the heir should be a virtuous one. Besides, the emperor is wise and will definitely choose a virtuous and capable person to inherit the throne in the future."

Daiyu thought about it, and her snow-white face seemed surprised. She said softly, "That makes sense. Hmm, but the Holy Candlelight? What do you mean by that?"

Even if the Holy Lord is shining, you still have to... serve her with a humble attitude, right?
Daiyu's mind was in a mess. Under her furrowed brows, there seemed to be a hint of shame and anger in her sparkling eyes.

The unforgettable memories of her youth also made Daiyu blush.

……

……

In addition to Chai and Dai, other golden hairpins in the Grand View Garden were also directing the servants to move.

Grand View Garden, Zhuijin Tower——

Yingchun sat down on the wooden railing next to the window, leaning against the railing and looking out. Her face, as white as snow, clearly showed some reluctance to leave.

While Siqi was talking, she quickly walked over and said, "Miss, the palace maids outside have been waiting for a while."

Yingchun seemed to be a little slow to react, and said in a stammering voice, "You're already entering the palace? The roses in the courtyard have just bloomed, and I haven't seen them yet."

Siqi chuckled and said softly, "Your Highness is now the Imperial Concubine, so you must live in the palace."

If I had not followed King Wei back then, how could I have had such good fortune?

Yingchun said, "People say that the palace is extremely deserted. It may not be as convenient as living in the garden."

Siqi raised her beautiful eyebrows and said softly, "Miss, the girls in the garden are all here now."

Just then, Tanchun, Xichun, Xiangyun and Baoqin entered the hall with a group of maids, talking and laughing.

Accompanied by the jingling of bells and the rich scent of musk.

On those faces, which had the gentle and graceful temperament of a wife, there was a smile as she said, "Second sister, it's time to go to the palace."

Yingchun's graceful and charming eyes were also filled with smiles. She said, "Yes, I have been in this garden for more than 20 years."

It has been nearly fifteen years since the fourteenth year of Chongping, and Yingchun is now twenty-six or twenty-seven years old.

Tanchun smiled softly under her brows which were full of a bit of elegance and beauty, and said, "After we enter the palace, we will all be together, and we will have many opportunities to interact with each other."

The Four Virtuous and Gracious Consorts, Brother Heng is really good at giving titles.

The eldest sister was Concubine Xian, she was Concubine De, the second sister was Concubine Shu, and the fourth sister was Concubine Zhuang.

Yingchun asked, "Third sister, what did Pu'er say?"

Tanchun had been with Jia Heng for several years, and in the seventh year of Qiande, she gave birth to a son for Jia Heng, who is now a few months old.

It can be said that as time passed, all the women in Jia Heng's harem gradually gave birth to Jia Heng's children.

Jia Heng also truly achieved the goal of having many sons and grandsons and a prosperous clan.

Tanchun's beautiful, crystal-clear eyes were soft and moist beneath her heroic and bright eyebrows. She said in a gentle voice, "At the moment, the nanny has taken care of her."

While they were talking, Tanchun took a few quick steps and came close to Yingchun, smiling and saying, "We can still play chess in the palace."

Yingchun hummed and said, "I can't sit and play chess for long now."

As she spoke, the beauty stretched out a slender hand and gently stroked her bulging belly. Her face, which was as rosy as new lychees, had a hint of plump blush on both sides.

Tanchun's eyes were as clear as rainbows and showed some concern. She asked, "Second sister, how is the baby in your belly?"

Yingchun turned her face, which was as white as jade and had a nose as greasy as goose fat, and said in a sweet voice, "Fetus, I'm doing well recently. I can basically eat and sleep well."

Tanchun smiled and said jokingly, "Take good care of your pregnancy and try to give birth to a big fat boy for Brother Heng."

Min Tanchun from that time is now quite old, and her eyes and eyebrows are increasingly showing a heroic and capable look.

When Yingchun heard this, her snow-white face flushed red as fire and she said, "Third sister, please stop talking."

Tanchun smiled and said jokingly, "It's been a long time since we got married, and you still don't let people talk about it."

Yingchun's snow-white and rosy face blushed like a rosy cloud, and she didn't know what to say.

Xiangyun said, "People say that the women in the palace are scheming against each other and using all kinds of tricks to harm people."

Tanchun smiled and said, "We sisters grew up together, so it would never be like this."

However, I couldn't help feeling a bit gloomy in my heart. Sister Qin didn't have a son, and I was afraid that there would be a lot of competition for him in the harem in the future.

If Qin Keqing's son was the eldest legitimate son, just like Zhu Biao to Zhu Yuanzhang, it would still be somewhat convincing, but which of the sons born to the other queens could be considered the legitimate son?

In fact, Jia Heng had already thought of a solution to this matter, which was the law of enfeoffment and succession to the throne.

Baoqin said, "Third sister, we should set off soon. Don't let the eunuchs outside wait anxiously."

Tanchun said, "Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go into the palace first."

While they were talking, Tanchun gently took Yingchun's slender hand and walked quickly out.

……

Grand View Garden, Longcui Temple——

In the courtyard between the front and back doors of the house, there is a plum tree with twisted branches. When the summer breeze blows gently, the leaves of the plum tree can be seen fluttering and falling to the ground.

Miaoyu, wearing a light blue wide-sleeved pleated long skirt, sat on a soft couch covered with a quilt in Longcui Temple. She looked up at Xing Xiuyan and asked, "What do you mean?"

Xing Xiuyan said, "Just now, the eunuch in the palace said that they were planning to confer the title of Chen Fei on you. This title should please you."

Jia Heng obviously understood Miaoyu and put some thought into the name of her title.

Miaoyu nodded and whispered, "It took some thought."

Xing Xiuyan said softly, "I will be moving into the palace in the next two days."

Miaoyu nodded and said, "The palace is no more comfortable than the outside world, so the rules are inevitably a bit stricter."

Xing Xiuyan's eyes seemed to be full of tenderness and gentleness, and she said softly, "If you like a quieter place, there is a place like this in the palace."

Miaoyu turned her head to look at her daughter and son who were standing quietly not far away, and a feeling of joy and satisfaction welled up in her heart.

Now that I have both sons and daughters, I hope they will live a rich and safe life in the future, which means that my life is complete.

……

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