An Lingrong after rebirth

Chapter 243 Choosing a Study Partner

"The number of visits to Louyue Kaiyunguan increased, and the mother and son continued to maintain a harmonious relationship."

"Hong Zhao's birthday is on August 16th. Because it is the day after the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, An Lingrong decided to only set up a few tables at Rugu Hanjin and not hold a grand celebration."

"Although the Queen Mother and the Emperor dote on Hong Zhao, they also know that too much is as bad as too little. Since this is not a big birthday, they will naturally not reject An Lingrong's proposal."

Everyone gave Hongzhao many rare toys as a reward, and the birthday passed like this.

"After packing up that night, An Lingrong leaned against the emperor, thinking about returning to the palace. Suddenly, the emperor said that the queen mentioned Hongzhao's enrollment a few days ago."

"Does Rong'er have a study partner?" An Lingrong turned to look at the emperor and then shook her head slightly. Your Majesty knows that I come from a humble background and there is no one in my family who is suitable to be Zhao'er's study partner."

So Your Majesty still needs to take care of this matter!

"The emperor laughed after hearing this. I knew you were lazy, but this matter concerns Guan Zhaoer's future, so you have to choose the right person yourself."

"I have already selected a few. Tomorrow I will ask Su Peisheng to bring the list to you for your review. You can also take a look at the candidates. If you really can't decide, the Queen is also somewhat concerned about this matter. She knows all this. You can go to her for advice."

"Yes, the Queen loves Hong Zhao and is willing to take the trouble to teach him, which saves me a lot of effort. I will always remember the good things the Queen has done for me."

"An Lingrong's eyes turned slightly, and she responded to the emperor's words. The emperor nodded after hearing it. In the past, the queen always looked superior."

"Now she is so close to Hong Zhao, which is a good thing. I have noticed that she smiles more often recently, which shows that our Zhao'er is a good person at making people happy."

"That's right. Isn't Zhao'er just a sweet-talker who coaxes people everywhere? Not only the Empress, but also the Queen Mother has been coaxed by him. Good things come to me like water!"

"The emperor just found An Lingrong's words funny. I think you are taking advantage of others and still acting cute! How old is Hong Zhao? Aren't the things sent by the empress dowager given to you in the name of Hong Zhao?"

"An Lingrong reached out and held the emperor's hand. The emperor was still saying, 'I have no family background. When Hongzhao grows up, he will need a lot of money to open a government office. I must think more about him now and save more of these good things so that they will have enough to use in the future.'"

"The emperor burst out laughing when he heard this. You little girl are getting better and better at coaxing people. Hongzhao is my son. Can I really make him suffer?"

"Relax, I will give the children everything they deserve when they grow up. Now, can you rest assured, Rong'er?"

"As soon as the emperor finished speaking, An Lingrong immediately showed an expression of extreme admiration, staring at the emperor with her eyes like a deer. Your Majesty must keep his word, then I will not worry about Hong Zhao."

"The two of them laughed non-stop for a while, and Su Peisheng outside turned around and looked at Yan Gui. If there was anyone in the palace who could make the emperor so happy, the only one would be Concubine Shu."

"After hearing this, Yan Gui bowed slightly. Eunuch is right. With the Empress here, the Emperor will not have any other instructions. I have already prepared snacks and tea for you. Why don't you move and take a rest first?"

"Su Peisheng did not refuse. He raised his hand to signal that he should leave first. Whenever I come to the Empress Shufei's place, my job is always the easiest to handle."

The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked towards the ear room. The doorway became quiet, but the voices of the two people in the hall did not stop.

"After chatting for a while, the emperor said, "I heard from Concubine Xian that the children are learning very well, and she has put a lot of effort into it."

"Your Majesty is right. Sister Mei has put in a lot of effort. I feel so tired for her when I see her."

"I think the children are smart, and it is good for them to start learning early, so they can go to school a year earlier. I plan to let Hongzhao, Hongjun and Hongshi go to the Shangshufang to study together next year. What do you think, Rong'er?"

An Lingrong had guessed this long ago, so she was not surprised when she heard it. She nodded and said, "I know that the emperor must care most about the children. If you think it's good, then I think it's good too."

"The emperor smiled after hearing this. For Zhao'er, I searched many times before finally finding a suitable person to be Zhao'er's master."

Although I do not know the officials of the previous dynasty, I am willing to listen. An Lingrong looked at the emperor again, with curiosity in her eyes.

"The emperor reached out and shook the other person's hand, and said: This man's name is Yu Zhen, and he is the new champion of this year's imperial examination. He is upright and not very good at officialdom, but he writes good articles."

"His calligraphy is even more extraordinary. Zhao'er has the Empress as his foundation and Consort Xian's initial instruction. He will surely improve day by day as he follows Yu Zhen."

An Lingrong had never heard of the name Yu Zhen, but the emperor had searched for him for a long time before deciding on him, so he must have been a good person.

"An Lingrong smiled and continued: Your Majesty has taken so much trouble to find this Lord Yu. This person must be excellent. I thank Your Majesty for considering the children."

"How could this be? Although Yu Zhen is good at poetry and literature, he is an expert in martial arts. I have thought about it and decided to let Old Seventeen teach the children martial arts."

But the children are still young, so there is no need to rush. Don't worry, Rong'er, I will arrange everything for Zhao'er.

Yes, with the emperor here, I have nothing to worry about. An Lingrong leaned on the emperor's shoulder, her words full of gratitude.

His heart was churning. Prince Guo was not suitable, but today was obviously not a good time to reject the emperor. After all, the emperor had said that there was no rush for this matter, so he should wait a little longer...

…………

The list of study partners was sent to Ru Gu Han Jin early the next morning.

"An Lingrong was about to go to the Imperial Palace to pay respects to the Queen, so she asked Lian'er to take the book from Su Peisheng's hand, give her the reward, and then boarded the sedan chair to go to the Imperial Palace."

"I don't know any of these people, and the emperor explicitly told me to consult the queen. It would be better for me to go directly to the skylight."

"Ru Gu Han is still some distance away from the light of heaven. An Lingrong flipped through the book and saw that they were all people she didn't know."

But one of them caught her attention, "Na Li"!

"Ulanara, Yixiu's nephew! Could this person be the companion that Yixiu gave to Hongzhao?"

"But secretly, An Lingrong didn't want to get involved with the Ulanara clan too much. For a moment, she was a little hesitant about whether she should hand over the list to the queen."

But before An Lingrong could figure out what was going on, the sedan had already landed steadily. Qiufang reached out to help An Lingrong get off the sedan, and seeing that she looked strange, she said, "Your Majesty, why don't you put the book away first?"

An Lingrong thought for a moment and shook her head. It might be a good idea to take this opportunity to test the Queen's background.

"Guo Luo held the book in one hand and supported Qiu Fang with the other, and then stepped into the door of the upper and lower skylight. An Lingrong didn't come early today, so she sat down and had a cup of tea."

"The concubines in the harem came in twos and threes, even the pregnant Concubine Qin was present. She led everyone to pay their respects to the Queen. An Lingrong stood up and looked towards Concubine Qin."

"I still remember what Qiufang reported last night. I also know that the Queen Mother discovered that she was secretly following me, although it seems that the Queen Mother does not intend to kill Qin Changzai immediately."

"But she saw the sharp move of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Queen Mother has already ordered to quietly replace Qin Changzai's people in the palace."

"Although this move was concealed from the Emperor, and Concubine Qin was not allowed to publicize it on the grounds of the Emperor's succession, An Lingrong has been in the Six Palaces for many years, so naturally she cannot be concealed."

So An Lingrong was very curious about what Concubine Qin was thinking now?

"Just a glance over, I saw Qin Changzai's face was pale, he looked frightened, and he was staring at the ground in front of him in a daze."

Now the abnormality naturally could not be hidden from everyone in the hall, and Yixiu frowned slightly.

"Speak first; Qin Chang came to see you, why do you look so uncomfortable? Is it because of abdominal discomfort? Do you want to call the imperial physician to take a look?"

"The queen suddenly called her name. It was clearly a caring word, but it frightened Qin Changzai so much that she trembled slightly and froze on the spot for a while, without any reaction for a long time."

Seeing this, Mingyan behind him quickly pushed Qin Changzai gently, and the other party finally reacted.

"I quickly stood up and bowed. Your Majesty, please forgive me. Perhaps I was caught in a cold wind when I returned to the palace from the Qinzheng Palace last night. I didn't sleep well last night, so I felt a little sleepy today. I didn't expect to disturb Your Majesty. It's my fault."

"Yi Xiu felt that the other party's behavior was even more strange. But now she was devoted to the two children, Hong Zhao and Hong Jun, so naturally she didn't know what happened?"

The Queen Mother acted in secret, and if it wasn't for coincidence, it would be impossible for Qin Changzai to see her.

But since Concubine Qin had said so, Yixiu naturally had nothing to say. She just nodded and said, "That's it. You are pregnant now, so there is no need to be so polite."

"It's just that it's always like this during pregnancy. It's bound to be bad for your body. If you really feel uncomfortable, you should ask the imperial physician to take a look!"

"The concern in Yixiu's words did not make Qin Changzai feel comfortable. Instead, she wondered if the other party had received the Queen Mother's order to harm her."

With such wild thoughts in mind, naturally, I can't say anything good.

He thanked her hastily, and at Yixiu's signal, sat down and stopped talking.

“Although Yixiu felt it was strange, he was too lazy to pay attention to it. He said a few words to everyone and let them go.”

An Lingrong had made up her mind when she entered the room, so naturally she would not move at this moment.

"He motioned Shen Meizhuang to go first, and he sat steadily in the first seat on the left, lowering his head and rubbing the list in his hand. He finally raised his head until all the concubines in the palace had left."

"Yi Xiu didn't know what An Lingrong meant by this, so she spoke first: What's the matter, Concubine Shu has something else to do? But Hong Zhao doesn't want to practice calligraphy today?"

"An Lingrong smiled and shook her head. Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. Ever since the children started practicing calligraphy with you, they have not wanted to stop for a single day. There is no time when they would not want to practice calligraphy."

"After saying that, I stood up and presented the list with both hands. Today, the emperor has sent a list to select a companion for Hongzhao. Your Majesty knows that I don't know what's going on in the capital, so I would like to ask your Majesty to help me take a look!"

"Yi Xiu's eyes flashed with surprise after hearing this. She didn't expect that An Lingrong would actually be willing to let her intervene in the selection of a study partner!"

"There is some relaxation in her expression, and her voice is not as cold as before. Since Concubine Shu has such a heart, how can I shirk my responsibility, Jianqiu!"

"Jianqiu bent her knees, stepped forward and took the list from An Lingrong, then turned around and handed it to Yixiu. The other took it, glanced at it for only two seconds, and then her expression froze."

I looked up at An Lingrong and said, "Concubine Shu, was this list really arranged by the Emperor?"

"An Lingrong was slightly stunned after hearing this, not knowing what Yixiu meant by asking this. But she nodded immediately. I just said this, I don't know anything about the people in the capital."

If it weren't for the emperor's decision, how could I have come up with so many candidates?

"Yi Xiu looked a little strange, and lowered her head after hearing this. She didn't know whose name she was scratching with her fingertips, and after a long while she spoke: "I think this Fu Cha Fu Heng is a good candidate."

"Although he is only two years older than Hong Zhao, he is very smart in studying. I have also heard from others that he is a good candidate."

"Also, although his father Li Rongbao was dismissed in the 51st year of Emperor Kangxi's reign and never returned to his original position, his uncle Fu Cha Ma Qi was the Minister of War, an important official of the first rank."

"I feel that only someone with such a family background is worthy of the title of Hong Zhao, Concubine Shu, what do you think?"

"Ever since Yixiu mentioned the candidate from the Fucha clan, An Lingrong has been a little bit incredulous. It was not until the other party stopped talking that An Lingrong could not help but look up at Yixiu."

"The two people's eyes met in the air. Yixiu looked at An Lingrong for a moment, as if she understood what the other person was thinking. She handed the list to Jianqiu and smiled."

She said: "Is Concubine Shu wondering why I didn't allow Ulanara's daughter Nali to be Hongzhao's companion in study?"

"An Lingrong twitched her lips, wanting to say no, but unable to speak. After a long silence, she finally said: "I am stupid, could you please enlighten me, Queen?"

But Yixiu didn't seem to want to explain and signaled Jianqiu to return the list to An Lingrong.

"She suddenly stood up and said, "You don't need to know why. You just need to understand that I have never wanted to hurt Hong Zhao."

Well, it’s getting late. The Emperor must still be waiting for Concubine Shu’s reply. You should go back.

"After Yixiu finished speaking, she supported Jianqiu and turned to go to the inner hall. An Lingrong had no choice but to stand up and kneel. "Yes, I will take my leave."

"Full of doubts, An Lingrong raised her hands to cover her eyes and looked up at the sky. Qiufang, do you think the Queen has really changed her temper?"

"Why don't I believe it? Qiufang heard An Lingrong's voice clearly, but it's not something a servant like her can answer directly."

"Wei Yisi Fu Qiufang helped An Lingrong get on the sedan chair and replied in a low voice; Your Majesty, the person chosen by the Queen must be very good. Your Majesty, why don't you ask the Emperor to take a look."

"An Lingrong asked this question without expecting anyone to answer her. She let go of Qiufang's hand, got into the sedan chair, and went to meet Ru Gu and Han Jin."

"An Lingrong left. Jianqiu in the palace helped Yixiu sit down and asked Huichun to prepare breakfast. Then he walked to Yixiu and took off her armor for her."

Your Majesty, you take so much care of the Sixth Prince, why does Concubine Shu seem to be ungrateful?

"Yixiu didn't speak immediately after hearing this. It was not until breakfast was served that Yixiu picked up her chopsticks and spoke. "I don't care about Concubine Shu, but the emperor asked her to bring the book here, which must be a test."

Jianqiu was puzzled after hearing this, "Empress?"

You didn't realize that Nali's name was written on the list...

Yixiu's words made Jianqiu even more confused. "My queen, if you can let the young prince be the sixth prince's study companion, wouldn't it be a closer relationship? How can my queen choose someone from the Fucha family?"

"Yi Xiu smiled helplessly. Didn't you hear what Concubine Shu said? The emperor specifically asked her to ask me about this book. If I choose someone from the Ulanara clan, will the emperor be suspicious of me and have thoughts that he shouldn't have?"

"And ever since I started teaching Hongzhao calligraphy, the emperor has mentioned several times that he wants to choose a companion and a teacher for Hongzhao. You tell me, I am not Hongzhao's biological mother. Why would the emperor be so provocative about such a matter?"

It's nothing more than that you're worried that I want to kill the mother and keep the son, so I want to do something to Concubine Shu.