Summer wraps autumn, water keeps wind

Rumors in the capital secretly set off a bloodbath, but the palace didn't seem to be affected in the slightest, and things continued as usual.

Everyone in the palace is very busy. One year ago, preparations were being made for the Empress Dowager in September this year, but the emperor has not yet decided on a candidate, and no one is even sure whether to choose a queen from the palace or another woman from outside the palace.A seasoned senior told everyone that the emperor meant to be a queen, not a grand marriage.The preparations for the emperor's wedding will be even more complicated, but there is no such intention in the Zichen Palace, and naturally the empress in the harem is more likely to get the phoenix position.

Someone asked if there would be another big marriage in the future. The senior said that there has never been such a precedent. If the emperor already had his original concubine when he was buried in the mansion, he would not have to get married again, or the original queen passed away and made a new one. There is no need to get married later.However, if the emperor did not get married before he ascended the throne, it must be a big wedding and a queen.

But today's majesty's will is very strange, it only said to prepare for the establishment of the queen, but not to prepare for the big wedding, that is to say, no matter who is appointed, although the person is the empress but not the emperor's wife in terms of etiquette, this is simply ancient and modern. An anecdote that has never been seen in the world.

Outside the Palace of Mercy Ning, the emperor waited with his hands behind his back, an old eunuch bowed in front of the door, and invited the emperor to enter the inner hall to speak.Passing through the dark inner hall, the emperor saluted and greeted the queen mother who was reclining in the cupboard in front of the bead curtain.

"The emperor is here, go and sit down." The Empress Dowager said lazily, pointing to the couch.

The emperor sat upright on the couch, propped his hands on his knees, and nodded respectfully to Bai Zhe who served the tea.The Empress Dowager came out from the partition with the help of two young maids, twisting nanmu beads in her hands, and wearing a forehead belt with the word bat long life, looked at the emperor casually, and sat on the other side of the couch.

The emperor asked the queen mother about her health one by one according to the etiquette, and the queen mother said nothing.

"Today, the minister came to bother me, and I also have a few important matters to discuss with the queen mother."

"What the emperor said is that the Ai family has not asked about world affairs for a long time, so they can only listen to it." The queen mother gave the emperor a cold look.

Since Concubine Rong's accident, in accordance with the emperor's orders, no concubine dared to pay her respects at will, except for people prostrating during New Years and festivals.But the Queen Mother also didn't want to see those concubines, they were all the daughters of the opposite family, and it was unpleasant to see them.The power of the Zheng family is no longer what it used to be. After a few reshuffles, nothing remains. Not only the emperor suppressed it, but the younger generations really couldn't help it.After such a long time, most of the empress dowager's competitive nature has been worn away, Concubine Rong can't be counted on at all, and the emperor is so jealous of herself, she has completely become a god to be enshrined on the incense table.

The emperor cupped his hands and said: "I have made up my mind about the empress, so let's praise Concubine Ning. Her temperament is quite competent. I don't know what the empress will do."

The Empress Dowager was not surprised, and said: "The emperor thought about it for a year and this is the result. The Ai family thought the emperor would choose someone's child. Concubine Ning was brought up by the Ai family, and the Ai family looked very good." .”

"My son thinks that there is no need to be extravagant. If you choose from outside the palace and you still have to get married, it is better to choose a good one from the palace and make everything simple for the queen."

"But the emperor thinks about it. There has never been a reason for the emperor not to marry." The queen mother said these words with bright eyes.

The emperor said solemnly: "Since he ascended the throne, he has been talking about setting up the middle palace early. I am the emperor, and I do have the duty to give an explanation. Since the world needs a queen who respects the world, I will give it to them. As for whether I Marriage is a small matter, as long as the queen is appointed."

The queen mother shook her head and laughed, and said to the emperor: "Emperor, you still think too simply. You think that the establishment of a queen is an account to the world, and the officials will be less concerned, and the court will be less turbulent. Sad My family tells you that it's useless after all. If you don't get married, they can grab you and say it's not polite, so what can you do?"

"Let's talk about it. If you want to explain to the world, you must also explain to yourself. Since some evil fates have been planted, you can make up for them if you can. Why bother to do evil." The emperor pursed his lips and said with some compassion.

"commit a sin?"

The emperor smiled helplessly and said: "When I was young, I was arrogant and recruited a concubine. I wasted the youth of these women. Now that I think about it, isn't it a crime?"

For so many years, the queen mother has watched the emperor grow up. Although there has always been a gap between the mother and the child in name, she knows the emperor no less than the real mother.

The queen mother smiled and said: "The emperor is still soft-hearted." She twisted the veil and pointed at him: "You think that you are doing them well by supporting them with salaries like officials outside, but now you feel sorry for their loneliness. Xiner Ah, you're more human than ever."

"As you get older, you naturally think differently about some things."

The queen mother took a sip of tea, and said leisurely: "Emperor, no matter how good you are on the surface, you are deceiving yourself and others in the end. There are no heirs in the harem. This old lady of the Ai family doesn't talk about it, and some people will talk about it."

The emperor's face was even more gloomy when he heard these words, as if he had been poked in a sore spot. The history of the respect room hadn't been updated for seven or eight months.He seems to have set an unwritten rule in his heart, no longer put on empty airs, since they are all fake, why put on any more pretense.If it hadn't been for the fact that he had made a decision early on, and he refused to backtrack on the ministers, if it was delayed until this year, I'm afraid he might not have to mention it again.

"Whoever wants to be long-winded can go long-winded, I don't care about it!"

Seeing that the emperor's mind was a little turbulent, the queen mother put on a kind look and said: "Xin'er, it's okay to dote on men, your father still loves that general, the one you call master, look, don't delay Give birth to your children." After saying this, the Empress Dowager couldn't help covering her mouth with a veil and laughed contemptuously.

The emperor's face was ashen, seeing that the queen mother did not give him any face, and even his father's privacy was going to be publicized, he said tremblingly: "The queen mother respects herself."

"Self-respect? What else can the Ai family respect? The emperor has the final say on choosing a concubine. Concubine Ning is in charge of the harem. The Ai family is so relaxed, what are you afraid of?" The queen mother sneered.

The emperor closed his eyes, gritted his teeth to calm himself, calmed down and said to the Empress Dowager: "I know that Qingyang is the only thing on my mother's mind, so I will naturally take care of it for my mother."

"You?" The Empress Dowager's complexion changed drastically, and the emperor's body trembled as she pointed her hand at it.

"What are you going to do to Qingyang? She is your biological sister, and you want to make a fuss about her!"

The emperor said with a half-smile: "The queen mother is too worried. Of course, I know that she is my sister, so I must marry her to her beloved."

"It's nonsense, Qing Yang was raised in the deep palace, how could he have a beloved?" The Empress Dowager's eyelids couldn't stop twitching, she covered her chest not knowing what the emperor was going to say.

The emperor looked at the empress dowager's anxious look, and seemed to be unable to bear to speak, and said with some regret: "You should know that Liu Liang is the minister's attendant, Concubine Ning's nephew, Duke Wu's grandson, he and Qing Yang They fall in love with each other, and they have already decided for life, if Erchen does not marry Qingyang to him, I am afraid that Qingyang will force him to die."

The empress dowager's expression was distorted to the extreme, pointing at the emperor and cursing: "Are you crazy?"

The emperor ignored the empress dowager's anger, and said lightly: "I think October will be very good."

"Then Liu Liang is Concubine Ning's nephew. Speaking of which, Qingyang and Liu Liang are aunts and nephews. You are breaking the rules!"

"The two of them are not related by blood. Concubine Ning will become a queen in the future, and Liu Liang's status will be even more valuable. Why would I bother breaking up this good marriage?" The emperor slapped his thigh and laughed.

"They are inferior in seniority. The Ai family remembers that the one surnamed Liu is younger than Qingyang, how can you make Qingyang hold his head up in the future?" The queen mother frowned and leaned to one side, and a few young palace servants supported her.

The Empress Dowager was startled and regretted, she wondered why she hadn't heard any news, she complained, "You blocked the news."

The emperor stared at the Empress Dowager and said: "Qingyang is my younger sister. If she likes her, I am willing to help her. Unlike you who only want fame and power, she will not be happy if you marry her into the Yi family."

"Love is unreliable. If you don't have power, you will only be trampled under your feet!"

The queen mother stood up and grabbed the emperor's skirt, looking at him with an indescribable expression, resentment and pity, she twisted her face and said: "You can't get the one you love, so take Qingyang as your shadow, you Why is it so shameful!"

The emperor turned his face away, and said coldly: "There is no one that my son can't get, I am the emperor."

The empress dowager's face trembled, and then she couldn't stop laughing wildly. She let go of the emperor and pushed the maid who came up to help him, and taunted the emperor: "You have been orthodox since you were a child. He is your own brother. You can't get over that hurdle." Son."

The emperor also replied coldly: "He has produced five clothes, so he is not my younger brother for a long time, and I have no kinship relationship with him in name."

The queen mother smiled and shook her head, covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled, as if she heard something extremely ridiculous, and said: "But your blood relationship cannot be broken, you will always be brothers, forever!"

The emperor didn't reply, but just sat there with a frosty face, and didn't look at the queen mother, as if he couldn't see through him.

The queen mother sneered and finally fell back on the couch. She was tired and couldn't laugh any more. She had no bargaining chips to fight with the emperor.After fighting for so many years, everything she once had was gone in the end, and she was really just a poor widow.

The queen mother said weakly: "Yes, apart from Qingyang, the Ai family cares most about honor and position in this life. But the Ai family watched you grow up. Although they used you to fight for some positions, they never harmed you. When you were young, you were still playing in the palace with you in your arms, and I really regarded you as a half-brother. But why, why do you treat Aijia like this, even refusing to give the last bit of dignity?" He said and wiped the veil Tears come.

"Then I have to ask the Queen Mother. How did your mother die back then, and what role did you play in it? It is a sin to stand on the sidelines, it is a sin to fall into a well, it is a sin to ignore death, and it is a sin to step on the bones of others to ascend to the throne." Disgusting!" The emperor sneered coldly: "What a praying mantis catching cicadas and orioles are behind."

"So it's because of this? The matter of the former empress was not the hands of the Ai family. This lady is empty-handed and does not fight, but others will fight. The harem is so cruel. If she wants to be a virtuous queen, others will become ambitious concubines." concubine."

The emperor stared at the innocent sighing woman and said: "Are your hands really that clean? What you have done, God has seen it. I keep your seat because I still care about the love between mother and child."

The queen mother couldn't pretend anymore, she held Yu Ruyi in her hands, lowered her head, her expression was dull, and she didn't say anything to struggle.She stayed there for a while, raised her head, forced a smile, stroked the emperor's forehead with a handkerchief and said, "Xin'er has grown up, the queen mother is very pleased."

The emperor frowned, stood up and bowed to leave.

"While there is still a chance, do something that really makes you happy. Don't be like me. When it's over, everything is gone."

The emperor turned around and glanced at the woman. She had just reached middle age, the happiest age in life, but she was even more desolate and miserable than the old man.He paused, sighed softly and left the Compassionate Ning Palace.