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

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When Shen Wei left the Women's Medical Office, it started snowing heavily from the sky, and a thin layer of snow accumulated on the ground. The entire imperial city was shrouded in white snow.

The weather is getting colder and the wind cutting my face feels like a knife.

Shen Wei shrank her neck because of the cold.

Cai Lian hurriedly wrapped Shen Wei in a thick cloak. The lining of the cloak was white fox armpit fur, which was warm and comfortable. The outer satin was red Shu brocade, and the embroiderer embroidered silver plum blossoms on the satin with silver thread.

"Master, the snow is heavy. I will accompany you back to Yongning Palace." Cai Lian said softly.

Shen Wei held the hot water bottle and quickened her pace.

Passing by the Imperial Garden, Shen Wei saw clusters of red plum trees in full bloom. The red plums were as beautiful as the white snow.

Shen Wei immediately became interested. She called Cai Lian, "Bring the scissors, trim two flowers and take them back to put in the vase."

Cai Lian said, "I will do the cutting, Master, you don't have to do it yourself."

Shen Wei picked up the scissors and cut off two beautiful red plum blossoms.

She gave the two red plum blossoms to the eunuch Jixiang who was accompanying her, and told him, "Send them to the Chang'an Palace where the emperor reads memorials, and place them in the pink-colored moon-shaped plum blossom vase on the table. Say that these are the red plum blossoms I cut myself, and tell the emperor not to throw them away."

Jixiang took Hongmei and left quickly.

Shen Wei picked up the scissors again and continued to cut five or six red plum blossoms, preparing to take them back to Yongning Palace and put them in the warm room to add color.

Shen Wei was cutting hair very enthusiastically when she caught a glimpse of a snow-white figure in a pavilion not far away.

No need to guess, you know it’s Liu Ruyan.

In winter, when the plum blossoms are in bloom, Liu Ruyan always likes to brave the cold wind and admire the noble beauty of the plum blossoms in the imperial garden. In the cold winter wind, Liu Ruyan's snow-white clothes sway in the wind, almost blending in with the white snow.

Shen Wei could see her, so she naturally saw Shen Wei as well.

There is a hierarchy in the palace, and Shen Wei now has the highest status in the harem. Logically, Liu Ruyan should come over and pay her respects to Shen Wei.

But Liu Ruyan did not move at all, her eyes and eyebrows were cold and calm, like an ice sculpture.

Shen Wei held Hongmei in her arms and admired Liu Ruyan's stunning beauty from a distance for a while.

Shen Wei finished her appreciation and hugged Hongmei: "Let's go back to Yongning Palace."

Snow fluttered, and Shen Wei's blushing back gradually disappeared in the snow. In the pavilion of the Imperial Garden, Liu Ruyan stood still, her beautiful eyes watching Shen Wei's departing back.

Snowy day, red plum blossoms, and beautiful women, the scene is like a beautiful painting.

Liu Ruyan had never realized before that Shen Wei was so beautiful. In the snow, holding red plums in her hands, she smiled freely and lively.

On such a freezing winter day, the world seemed to be warmed up by the bright red color of Shen Wei.

"It's freezing cold, why can she still smile so happily?" Liu Ruyan lowered her eyes.

The palace is dull and boring, and everyone is like dead wood, except Shen Wei, who is full of vitality.

How can a person live like this?

Liu Ruyan didn't understand and felt sad.

Liu Ruyan's personal maid Xuemei stood quietly aside.

Xuemei did not dissuade Liu Ruyan from returning to the palace. She stood there expressionless, wearing thick gloves on her hands and a felt scarf wrapped around her neck.

"What are you wearing on your hand?" Liu Ruyan frowned.

Xuemei replied: "The cotton gloves issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs to each palace are used to protect the hands."

The cotton gloves are not good-looking, they are round, dark gray, and a bit ugly, but they are very warm.

Liu Ruyan said unhappily, "It's really ugly."

Xuemei replied: "It is very warm for me to wear."

Liu Ruyan stared at Xuemei, her tone containing a hint of dissatisfaction: "Xuemei, you have been very disobedient recently and have been disobedient in everything."

Xuemei said, "If the master is not pleased, you can banish this servant from Yuxiu Palace."

Liu Ruyan's face showed no sadness or joy. She would not argue with a servant and she never took the trivial matters in life to heart.

The cold wind blew, and the red plum blossoms in the imperial garden swayed slightly. Liu Ruyan tilted her head, staring at the red plum blossoms, and murmured to herself: "The emperor used to accompany me to appreciate the plum blossoms."

Xuemei did not agree.

Winter is coming, and spring is not far away. When the next spring comes, Xuemei will be 25 years old, and she will finally be able to leave the palace and end her nightmare-like working life.

Xuemei rubbed her hands silently, looking forward to the arrival of spring.

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...

It was snowing outside, but it was warm inside the Chang'an Palace.

The charcoal stove was burning hot, Li Yuanjing was reviewing memorials, and the young Li Chengtai was sitting next to him.

Li Chengtai was also reading the memorial.

One big and one small, their expressions and actions are very similar.

Li Chengtai was wearing a dark-colored dragon robe and a cute tiger-head hat. He held the memorial reviewed by his father in his hands, and frowned, "Father, your comments are too frivolous."

Li Yuanjing tilted his head: "Which sentence?"

Li Chengtai spread out the memorial and pointed to this vermilion comment: "General Ye of Lingnan has submitted a memorial. He knows that you often compete with the soldiers in the training ground. He is worried that you will be injured, so he asked you to compete with the soldiers less. Father, take a look at what you have replied."

Li Yuanjing replied in red ink on the memorial:

[I am just this kind of man! This is my character! Don’t worry about it! ]

Li Chengtai had a stern face. His father's comments were too lifelike.

Not serious at all!

Not dignified at all!

Li Chengtai was recently summoned by his father to the Chang'an Palace to accompany him in reading memorials. In Li Chengtai's mind, it was a solemn thing for the emperor to review memorials, but he saw that his father reviewed the memorials and gave a variety of replies to his ministers.

Li Chengtai was a little disappointed.

Li Yuanjing patted his son's head and said in a proud tone: "I am the emperor, I can respond however I want."

Li Chengtai curled his lips, and his little hand touched another new memorial and continued to read it.

After a while, Eunuch Deshun walked in with light footsteps, carefully holding a gaudy pink moon-shaped plum vase in his hand. In the vase were two red plum blossoms, and more than a dozen red plum blossoms were in full bloom, bright and eye-catching.

Eunuch Deshun put the vase next to the table.

Li Yuanjing glanced at it casually, and raised his eyebrows: "A pink bottle with red plums, how vulgar it is."

Li Chengtai held the memorial in one hand and covered his nose with the other: "Red Plum smells like glutinous rice wine, it's not nice, take it away quickly."

Both father and son despised it.

Eunuch Deshun smiled awkwardly and reported truthfully: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, it snowed heavily today. Imperial Concubine Chen braved the snow to trim two branches of red plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden. Imperial Concubine Chen instructed that they must be placed in front of the Emperor's desk and must not be thrown away."

There was a moment of silence in the hall.

Li Yuanjing took a closer look at the red plum blossoms. The petals were delicate and cinnabar-colored, and the cold fragrance after being touched by the snow was even better. There is an old saying: Occasionally, it is a small red peach apricot color, leisurely and elegant, and still has a lonely and thin snow and frost appearance.

Placing red plum blossoms on the table on a snowy day is really elegant.

Li Yuanjing's eyebrows relaxed, and he said with satisfaction: "The flowers are gorgeous, very good, and they will add luster to the desk."

Li Chengtai also said happily: "The plum blossom cakes that my mother asked the kitchen to make last year were delicious. They must be made with red plums."

The father and son were very satisfied.

A pink and white moon-plum vase was placed on the table, with two red plum blossoms in full bloom.

The father and son continued to read the memorials.

The heavy snow outside slowly stopped. The tiger guard entered the palace and presented a letter with both hands: "Your Majesty, this is the letter from Nanchu. The paper has been checked inside and out and there is no toxic residue. You can read it with confidence."