Don't be a salted fish, the daily life of the concubine in the palace

Li Yuanjing frowned and pulled hard, the thorns broke and a silk thread was hooked out of the robe.

"Your Majesty, are you scratched?" Lu Xuan was startled and asked with concern.

Li Yuanjing said calmly: "No problem."

But I thought to myself that what Weiwei said was right. Roses have many thorns and can easily scratch people.

It is better to plant fewer roses in the palace in the future.

It was dark, and Lu Xuan served Li Yuanjing while he rested.

Lu Xuan personally helped him change his pajamas. When she saw the firm lines of Li Yuanjing's chest and abdomen, her cheeks turned slightly red with shyness.

The emperor is handsome and physically strong.

In the past, every time she made love, Lu Xuan would faint from overwhelm, but at least she was happy.

However, Lu Xuan is pregnant now and cannot sleep with him tonight. Lu Xuan raised her red lips and was about to tell Li Yuanjing about her pregnancy.

When I raised my eyes, I saw Li Yuanjing lying on the bed with his eyes closed, and he had fallen asleep.

"Forget it, let's announce the good news on the Queen Mother's birthday." Lu Xuan thought for a moment and made up her mind to announce the good news on the Queen Mother's birthday.

To add insult to injury, he also received care from the Queen Mother.

Lu Xuan lay on the bed lovingly, her beautiful eyes gazing at the sleeping emperor for a long time, looking at his cold eyebrows, his high nose bridge, and his thin lips.

Lu Xuan watched intently.

She secretly fantasized that it would be great if she could see him by her pillow for the rest of her life.

However, the emperor's heart has gone far away and his love is also fading.

In the past six months, Li Yuanjing came to Lu Xuan's palace to eat, play chess, appreciate flowers, chat, and rest... The process was dull, like a pool of stagnant water without any splashes, boring and tedious.

Lu Xuan stroked her still flat belly, hoping that the baby in her belly could bring some life to her boring days.

...

The moonlight enveloped the Cining Palace.

Shen Wei was enjoying the cool breeze in the pavilion, bringing a refreshing feeling.

Caiping trotted over and told Shen Wei that the emperor was staying overnight at Concubine Shu's place.

Shen Wei was not surprised. Lu Xuan had been the one favored the most in the past two years, so the emperor naturally had some feelings for her.

Cai Ping thought for a moment, and then whispered, "Master. These past two days, I went to the imperial kitchen to look at the menu and found that the meals sent to Concubine Shu's palace had changed. There were fewer greasy and spicy foods, and two nourishing medicinal meals were added. The clothes sent to the laundry bureau from Changxin Palace have not been stained with blood for a month. The Imperial Hospital showed that Concubine Shu's pulse was normal."

Concubine Lu Xuan was cautious in her work, and the eunuchs and palace maids in her Changsheng Palace all kept their mouths shut.

Shen Wei couldn't find out any information inside Changxin Palace, so she could only start from the outside.

As long as Lu Xuan was eating or changing clothes, she could always find clues from the imperial kitchen and the laundry department.

"The pajamas are not bloody, and the food is light." Shen Wei thought for a moment and concluded, "She is pregnant."

After pregnancy, a woman's menstrual flow suddenly decreases, so her clothes will naturally not be stained with blood.

Lu Xuan was cautious and did not announce her pregnancy. Shen Wei guessed that she was waiting for the right time to announce her pregnancy.

Shen Wei continued to speculate that if she were Lu Xuan, she would probably choose to announce the good news on the Queen Mother’s birthday, adding double joy to the happiness.

Cai Ping said, "But the pulse records of the Imperial Hospital did not record that Concubine Shu was pregnant."

Shen Wei smiled and said, "The Concubine Shu has spies in the Imperial Hospital."

This also gave Shen Wei a small warning that the Imperial Hospital must have its own people. Shen Wei wanted to place her own people in the Imperial Hospital and have imperial doctors who were loyal to her.

Let Deshun arrange this matter.

It was late, and Shen Wei walked into the inner hall of the Cining Palace, ready to say goodbye to the Queen Mother. The three children had already rested, and the Queen Mother was still in the huge storehouse, selecting fabrics for Leyou to make new clothes.

"Mother, are you picking fabrics again?" Shen Wei stepped forward and called out.

The Queen Mother pointed to a piece of fine rain-silk cotton and said to Shen Wei with a smile, "The weather is getting warmer. This piece of cloth is breathable, just right for making a cool nightgown for Leyou."

Shen Wei said helplessly: "Mother, Leyou already has too many clothes to wear. You should make more clothes for yourself."

The Queen Mother doted on Leyou the most. Almost all the delicious food, interesting toys, and fine clothes and fabrics were given to Leyou.

The Queen Mother laughed and said, "I am too old to wear such bright clothes."

Shen Wei touched the fine rain-silk cotton and said deliberately, "The concubine of Changxin Palace is pregnant. When she gives birth to a child, you can pick some cloth to send to her."

The Queen Mother paused while stroking the cloth and glanced at Shen Wei. The news of Concubine Shu's pregnancy had not yet spread in the palace. Obviously, this was news that Shen Wei had found out through her own channels.

The Queen Mother joked, "It's been less than half a month since you returned to the palace, and you have figured out the harem thoroughly."

Shen Wei smiled sweetly: "It's all thanks to my mother's good teaching."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

After the Empress Dowager had selected the fabrics for her three grandchildren to make new clothes, she thought for a while and selected two pieces of Shu brocade and asked Nanny Qian to deliver them to Li Wan'er who lived in Baozhu Palace.

Li Wan'er was the only daughter of the late prince, an orphan, gentle and sensible. The Queen Mother planned to take Li Wan'er to the Cining Palace and raise her until she got married.

Shen Wei helped the empress dowager back to the bedroom and helped her rest.

The old nanny brought the Biluochun tea that the Queen Mother loved to drink.

Shen Wei frowned and tried to stop him, "Mother, drinking tea before bedtime makes it hard to fall asleep. Your body is not as good as it used to be. You need to pay attention to your health."

The Queen Mother smiled and poked Shen Wei's forehead: "You are getting bolder now, and you even care about my affairs."

Although her tone was reprimanding, the smile in her eyes did not diminish. Obviously, Shen Wei's concern made the Queen Mother very happy.

Shen Wei said sincerely: "I hope my mother will live a long life."

Shen Wei helped the Queen Mother to rest.

Shen Wei was about to put down the heavy bed curtains when the Queen Mother suddenly asked, "Yuan Jing has been doting on you lately, but you still come to my place. Are you trying to push him away?"

If it were any other favorite concubine, she would wish the emperor to stay in her own palace every day.

Shen Wei, on the other hand, actually ran directly to the Cining Palace to avoid the emperor's favor.

Shen Wei sighed deeply and rolled up her sleeves. Under the dim candlelight, there were purple marks on Shen Wei's and Bai Xi's wrists.

Shen Wei complained: "Mother, the emperor really doesn't know how to restrain himself...I still want to keep my life."

The Queen Mother was silent for a while and forgot about this matter.

Li Yuanjing learned martial arts since childhood and was a soldier in his youth, so he was strong and healthy. After Li Yuanjing ascended the throne, he still maintained the habit of riding and shooting arrows in the training ground, so he was very strong.

How could a delicate and weak girl withstand the force of a rough man?

"Forget it, at least you know what's going on." The Queen Mother sighed.

Shen Wei let down the bed curtain and tiptoed out of the empress dowager's bedroom.

Before leaving, Shen Wei specially called Madam Qian, who served the Queen Mother, and patiently instructed her:

"The Queen Mother's bedroom should be ventilated for half an hour every day. During the transition from spring to summer, vinegar should be burned at the door every three days to ward off diseases."

"My mother's neck and shoulders are not in good condition. I will ask the maid to bring a soft gold-thread pillow tomorrow. My mother loves to eat sweets. Madam Qian, please persuade her. Eating too much sweets can damage teeth and bones and induce diseases."

Nanny Qian took note of it all.

Madam Qian's eyes were full of praise: "The Empress Chen is truly filial, which is rare."

When the Queen Mother returned to the palace, many concubines in the palace came to please her. They gave her expensive gifts and expressed their concern verbally.

But only Shen Wei cared about the empress dowager's food, clothing, and daily life in every detail.

Shen Wei smiled and said, "Madame Qian has taken care of my mother for many years and has made great contributions. My mother is very lucky to have a female official like you serving by her side."

After exchanging pleasantries, Shen Wei led the palace maids out of the Cining Palace. The moonlight was like water, and the night breeze was cool.

Shen Wei did not take the sedan chair and chose to walk back to Yongning Palace.

It's really comfortable to not have to serve a man at night.

As a couple who are very close to each other, Shen Wei doesn't want to be with Li Yuanjing every day. She wants to be apart from Li Yuanjing occasionally and keep a distance, so that she can feel fresh enough.

If you spend time with them every day, you will get bored after a while.

Cai Lian walked beside Shen Wei and told her, "My Lord, there is news from outside the palace that General Shen is escorting the Yue Kingdom delegation and will arrive in Yanjing City in about two days."