The Self-cultivation of a Salted Fish Concubine

Xie Run was not surprised at all. He just smiled and said, "Go and invite the Sixth Prince in."

"Then bring over his favorite jade milk cake. This cake must be eaten while it's hot; it loses its flavor if it gets a little cold."

As soon as the Sixth Prince came in and saw the jade breast cake on the table, his eyes lit up.

He is handsome, with red lips and white teeth, and a pair of bright eyes. He looks like a naughty and well-behaved child.

"My son pays homage to Concubine Zhao."

Xie Run raised his hand: "Get up quickly."

Seeing that the Sixth Prince's eyes were fixed on the jade breast cake, like a greedy cat, Xie Run said with a smile: "Go wash your hands first."

"The small kitchen has been preparing since early morning, just waiting for you."

The Sixth Prince's eyes sparkled, "Son, I'll go right away!"

Taotao pulled Baozhen, "Baozhen, you have to wash your hands too, otherwise you are not allowed to eat cakes."

Baozhen looked at her brother innocently, and her eyes suddenly turned red.

Tao Tao sighed, "Forget it, brother will take you there."

The third princess beside her whispered, "Fifth brother, I'll go too."

Tao Tao: "Okay."

Taotao didn't mind, holding one of them by each hand, acting like an older brother.

The children were about to return to the main hall when they suddenly saw a little eunuch running in in a hurry.

Concubine Shen had just cut the thread and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "The Queen, the Princess, and the Princes are all here. What if you run away in such a panic and scare someone?!"

"It's been a while since anything major happened in the palace. If you don't explain yourself clearly today, I'll have you skinned alive!"

The young eunuch knelt on the ground with sweat all over his head, and didn't hear a word Concubine Shen said.

He kowtowed repeatedly and said, "Your Highness, great joy, great happiness."

When Xie Run heard these two words, he stood up involuntarily, his heart filled with emotions.

Shen Jieyu also forgot about the embroidery in her hands. She stood up, her legs a little weak. "What's the big news? Why don't you tell me quickly?!"

The young eunuch said, "The Emperor is about to return to the throne. He has sent an urgent letter eight hundred miles away."

"Your Majesty, please prepare to welcome the Emperor back in triumph!"

Xie Run took a deep breath and it took him a while to calm down.

She smiled and said, "It is indeed a happy event."

"Xiao Shu, there's a reward!"

Xiao Shu took out her purse with a smile and generously spent money.

Everyone else in the palace bowed and congratulated him.

Tao Tao stood aside, eyes bright, "Mother, the Emperor is coming back. Does that mean he can come to my son's birthday this year?!"

Xie Run raised his hand and touched his head: "It's natural."

Taotao had grown his hair a long time ago.

He didn't like double buns, so when his hair grew to a certain length, Xie Run would comb it all up and hold it together with a small crown.

The older he got, the more he looked like an emperor, and even at such a young age he already had some of the majesty of a prince.

Xie Run said with emotion: "When Father returns to the palace and sees Tao Tao being so sensible, he will definitely be very happy."

Tao Tao: "Mother...you should call me Cong'er!"

Xie Run sighed and feigned helplessness, "They say a child grows up and becomes independent of his mother. He's only a few years old, and he's not even allowed to be called by his nickname."

Taotao probably had grown old and had developed a sense of shame, so he didn't allow Xie Run to call him by his nickname in front of outsiders.

Xie Run would occasionally forget, and Taotao couldn't help but remind him.

Seeing his mother acting like a spoiled brat, Taotao was helpless.

He put his hands on his hips and reminded, "Mother, forget it this time, but don't call me again next time!"

Xie Run replied nonchalantly, "Okay, okay, Mother will remember."

Taotao then gave up.

Xie Run did not try to stop him, and the news that the emperor was returning to the court spread throughout the six palaces like wings.

Although Concubine Jingshu's Yongning Palace was bustling, Concubine Jingshu was able to keep her composure, so others did not dare to lose their composure.

He just ordered people to renovate the palace and decorate it to make it more festive.

It was not just to welcome the emperor, but Concubine Jingshu also did not want to live a miserable life like a widow anymore.

When the emperor was away from court, although the concubines had no one to supervise them, they did not dare to act too presumptuously.

We must abide by the rules in eating, dressing and other daily necessities.

It's not good for you to dress up in red and green and drink and admire flowers all day long when the emperor is not around?

Sometimes, when she was tired of the orderly life, Concubine Jing Shu looked forward to fighting like before.

At least there is something to do, and life is not stagnant.

But just as she sighed a few words, the palace servants came with news that the seventh prince and the eighth prince had fought over a flower.

Concubine Jing Shu: “…”

Compared with Concubine Jing Shu's composure, Hua Chongyi of Fanghua Palace was so excited that she almost dropped the teacup in her hand.

After walking around his palace for a long time, the excitement was still not gone.

She knelt before the Bodhisattva and muttered to herself, "Amitabha, the Emperor has finally returned safely."

"I'll go to Baohua Temple to fulfill my vow sometime soon, and I'll definitely give the abbot a generous reward!"

After saying that, he stood up and walked quickly towards the storeroom. "The Emperor is coming back, and I can't keep wearing my old clothes. I have to make some new clothes and some jewelry to dress up!"

The maids around her all responded in unison: "Your Majesty has saved up a lot of rouge and cream, and now you can use them all."

Hua Yu waved, "Quick, bring everything up here. I want to try them all out. Don't wait until the Emperor returns and be in such a rush!"

In the same palace, Bai Fu was dressing up in her room.

She stared blankly at the mirror, holding a comb that was broken in two in her hand, and combing her hair numbly.

Hearing the loud noise outside, Caiyue whispered, "Master, I don't know what happened in the palace today. Why is it suddenly so noisy?"

Bai Fu's emotions were like a stagnant pool of water, without any ups or downs.

Caiyue sighed, quietly opened the door and went outside to check for a while.

A moment later, Caiyue ran back excitedly, "Master, great news!"

"The Emperor has returned victorious!"

Caiyue burst into tears and knelt beside Bai Fu, "The emperor has returned, my master, there is still hope for you."

"Our lives won't be this hard forever."

Bai Fu wanted to smile, but she found that she hadn't smiled for a long time and didn't know how to smile anymore.

She twisted her neck stiffly and looked at the mirror. Just as she was about to force a smile, she was frightened by the ghost-like face in the mirror.

She stroked her face in shock, "Is this my face?"

His skin was as pale as a ghost, and he looked completely devoid of any human energy.

There are dark circles under the eyes and wrinkles at the corners of the eyes.

His lips were dry and his eyes were dim and dead.

She was like a flower blooming in a dry well, having not seen the sunlight for too long, and had become dead along with the dry well.

The dry well is not afraid of time, but she is withering away little by little.

Obviously...she is still very young.

But Bai Fu stared at the mirror for a long time, but couldn't see any vitality that a young person should have.

She had even forgotten what she looked like when she entered the palace.

After a long moment, Bai Fu dropped the broken comb in her hand and said with a forced smile, "Caiyue, do you think my face can really earn the Emperor's sympathy?"

Caiyue felt a bitter taste on her tongue and was about to say a few words of comfort.

Bai Fu gritted her teeth and trembled as she said, "Even I don't want to see this face, let alone the Emperor?!"

"How did I end up living like this?!"

"I didn't do anything, but I have to end up like this?!"

It was not until today that Bai Fu discovered it.

The most painful thing in the harem is not struggle, but forgetting.