The Virtuous Concubine

But this is Malu's overthinking. How can the position of concubine be so easy to obtain? After the two of them finished their meal, Bai Xia presented the emperor and his concubine with light tea for rinsing their mouths. Seeing this, Kangxi simply asked Liang Jiugong to help him wash and bathe, change into ordinary clothes, and not leave today.

He had originally thought of visiting other concubines after seeing Malu, after all, the last incident at the Palace of Heavenly Purity had left a big shadow on Kangxi. Even though Malu took all the blame, he still felt a little uncomfortable.

What if she wants me again later? It's not a good idea for me to refuse, and a pregnant woman can't be sad.

He didn't expect that once he came in, he would feel so comfortable no matter how he looked at this room, how lovely this beauty was no matter how he looked at her, and how happy he was no matter how he ate this meal. He changed his mind again and thought, forget it, he was very tired today and decided not to move. Staying in Yonghe Palace would also make Malu look bad.

Completely ignoring Liang Jiugong's miserable face - the emperor had originally summoned Concubine Zhang to have sex with him today, and now he had to be the ugly one to tell others about it. However, Liang Jiugong quickly put down his psychological burden, took the emperor's clothes and went to help the emperor bathe.

Let's leave the job of informing Concubine Zhang to the young Wei Zhu! The emperor can't do without me. What does it mean to let Concubine Wu Ya serve you? The bathroom is slippery, who can bear the guilt if someone falls or bumps into something?

Seeing Kangxi had gone to bathe, Malu quietly went to put on some powder before thinking about writing a few words to kill time. When Kangxi came out, he saw her standing in front of the desk, frowning and thinking. Kangxi did not want anyone to disturb her, and walked over to take a look. There were two couplets of poetry written on it, which were quite interesting.

"I have sat under the flowers and played the flute many times, the Milky Way and the red walls are far away. The stars are not the same as last night, for whom am I standing in the wind and dew in the middle of the night? Why did my beloved say such lonely and sad words?"

Malu was slightly startled when she heard Kangxi's voice, and the pen in her hand almost slipped. She turned around and saw Kangxi had finished his bath, his hair was still a little wet, and he was standing behind her, looking at the poem she wrote with a gentle look.

"Your Majesty, I was just writing casually to kill time." Malu shook her head.

Kangxi picked up the calligraphy and praised it with a hint of concern: "Your calligraphy has improved again, and it has a bit of the elegance of the wind and snow. This poem is also good, but it is too sad. You are at the age of blooming flowers, and it is not suitable for you."

She knew that her poem might have been misunderstood by Kangxi. She quickly explained: "Your Majesty, I just wrote it on impulse, without any other intention. Everything is fine in the palace. Besides, I only know a few strokes of the pen and only have a vague understanding of poetry. How could I write such a masterpiece?"

After thinking for a while, she added: "It is said that this was written by a scholar named Huang. I just heard the bookstore owner talk about it at home, and I don't want to make the emperor worry. It's really a sin."

Kangxi immediately became upset and said in a cold voice: "Have you seen this scholar? Did he write this poem for you?"

Malu smiled mischievously: "Although I think I am as beautiful as a flower, there is no way I could charm a scholar who can write such a sentimental poem when I was four years old, right?"

"You really deserve to be beaten, girl! You even tease me." Kangxi was amused by his own thoughts. "However, I am curious about who this Huang Juzi is. You actually remember the poems you heard occasionally when you were four years old. Maybe you are a talented poet. How about learning from him?"

Ma Lu was relieved to see Kangxi's expression ease. She had never thought that her whim could really change people's fate! Ma Lu didn't know the author of this poem, Huang Jingren, at present. She only knew that he was famous for his poetry when he was young, but he was depressed all his life. Later, he was appointed as a county magistrate, but he died in poverty and illness in a foreign land before he could take up the position.

So Ma Lu continued, "Your Majesty, I have only heard of this Huang Juzi, but have never seen him. I even heard this poem by chance, and I thought it was beautiful, so I wrote it down. But being an official and writing poetry are probably different, right?"

Kangxi's eyes flashed with deep thought when he heard this. He nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with Malu's words. "My beloved concubine is right. The way to be an official is to apply knowledge to the world and protect the people. Poetry is more about expressing one's feelings. If this person is really talented, I will naturally not bury him, but I also need to see if he is suitable for officialdom."

She was relieved and continued, "Your Majesty is wise and can identify talents. This is a blessing for the Qing Dynasty. I believe that with your discerning eye, if Mr. Huang is really talented, he will not be buried."

After hearing this, Kangxi smiled with satisfaction. He stroked Malu's hand and said, "I didn't expect you to have such insights."

Malu said softly, "Your Majesty, although I am fortunate enough to know a few words, I spend most of my time spinning needles at the stove. I know that the lives of the common people are not easy, and I feel even more that Your Majesty is working hard for the people, just to ensure that the people of the world have something to eat. How hard it is."

Kangxi was deeply touched by Malu's words. He felt that he had found a treasure today. Malu's beauty and talent were no longer the most attractive thing about her. Malu not only had rare insights among the women in the palace, but also knew the sufferings of the people and her own ambitions!

His eyes showed admiration and emotion. He hugged Malu tightly, and his beloved concubine stopped crying.

"Malu...Malu...you understand me!" At this moment, Kangxi felt that he had found a confidant.

Malu felt the warmth from Kangxi and felt relieved. If she chose a local official who only knew about romance because of her whim, she would really let down many people!

She stroked Kangxi's back slowly as if comforting a child, and continued, "Your Majesty is too kind. I just said what was in my heart. Your Majesty's wisdom and diligence are witnessed by everyone in the world. I am lucky to meet a wise ruler in this deep palace."

The moonlight by the window was like silk, draped over the shoulders of the emperor and his concubine, adding a touch of tenderness and haziness to this quiet night.

"Malu, I hope you can always stay like this and maintain your innocence and kindness." Kangxi's tone was firm, as if he was making an eternal promise, "Don't change, just stay like this." His words revealed his nostalgia for the moment, and he hoped that this tranquility would last forever.

Ma Lu leaned on Emperor Kangxi's shoulder and looked up at him with a look of gratitude and dependence. She whispered, "I will remember your kindness and serve you wholeheartedly and live up to your high expectations."

The two of them spent some time together, and Kangxi picked up the piece of paper with the poem "Standing in the Wind and Dew in the Midnight" written on it, and tore it off with a flick of his finger. He walked to the desk, picked up the brush and dipped it in ink, and wrote a couplet of words with his imperial hand: "Compared to all the flowers, it is so bright, and my heart is as pure as ice, and the morning breeze blows" and gave it to Malu.

He just happened to have the same idea as Malu, and felt that there was still something missing in this room. He had written this poem himself! It was originally about the freshness and elegance of the magnolia. What happened today made him feel that it was most appropriate to describe a woman like Malu. However, he did not tell Malu, and just watched Malu happily ask Bai Fu to take the calligraphy to Ruyi Pavilion to frame it and hang it up.

The two chatted for a while before getting ready to sleep at Bai Xia's tactful reminder. Bai Xia didn't care about the sweet and sour poems. She just thought that her mistress was pregnant. Why was the emperor so inconsiderate and kept chatting with her mistress?

Can’t you see that your master is tired!