Shaodi Chunxin

Before noon, someone from the palace sent a message that the Empress Dowager had invited Fu Yuanqing to Renshou Palace.

Fu Yuanqing was reading some idle books, when he heard this, he went to see Fang Jing.

Fang Jing said: "A few days ago, Lord Fan of Taichang Temple visited the Queen Mother in the palace. After letting the Qin Tianjian deduce the time, he will go to the Silkworm Altar to do a silkworm sacrifice in the near future. The Queen Mother invited everyone in the capital today Relatives ordered women to enter the palace to arrange many matters. Now that the business is over, the wives and ladies of various mansions are playing inside."

Fu Yuanqing pondered.

"Godfather, what did the Empress Dowager ask you to do? Are you discussing the silkworm sacrifice?"

"For the silkworm sacrifice, I have already arranged the arrangement with the Shang Palace Supervisor Gao's palm seal. He is familiar with the rules and regulations, so there will be no mistakes." Fu Yuanqing sighed and asked, "Which ladies are there?"

"Seven or eight of the fourteen girls listed in the booklet are here." Fang Jing replied, "They are all here."

Fu Yuanqing stood up: "Forget it, let me go. Change my clothes."

"Godfather, Renshou Palace is full of female relatives now. What is the Empress Dowager calling you at this time?" Fang Jing asked with a frown.

"The queen mother called me because she was dissatisfied with the post-election. It's not a big deal." Fu Yuanqing said.

"Why don't I go with you?" Fang Jing said, "The Empress Dowager started her posture, and it won't stop for a while."

"You've been working in Dongchang for a long time, and you smell a bit bloody. Don't offend the female relatives." Fu Yuanqing said, "Go to Dongchang to do business by yourself."

"I, I'm going to tell the master?"

"The Renshou Palace is full of female relatives now, even if it is His Majesty, it is inconvenient to break in at will. What's more, His Majesty has to worry about everything. Doesn't it seem incompetent for you to admiral Dongchang?"

Fang Jing was speechless: "That, that..."

"It's okay." Fu Yuanqing had already changed into the official uniform, "Just bear with it and it'll be over."

Fu Yuanqing left the chief inspector, entered the Forbidden City, and entered Renshou Palace. When he arrived at the gate of the palace, he saw You Kuan, the eunuch in charge of the palace, waiting for him at the palace gate. He bowed and said, "Old ancestor, you are here."

Fu Yuanqing went down to the bed, and gave him a hand: "You are old, and you need to take care of yourself, so please forgive me."

You Kuan was not too polite, and said directly: "The queen mother is waiting for you inside."

"Okay, I see." Fu Yuanqing said, "Please inform me."

You Kuan replied yes, and quietly entered.

At this time, Gao Qinhai, the Shang Palace Supervisor, had already retreated, and when he saw him coming, he bowed and said: "The ancestor is here."

"Gao Zhangyin, how is the silkworm sacrifice going?"

Gao Qinhai smiled: "The silkworm altar in Xiyuan has been set up, and the offerings, incense, prayer flags, etc. are all ready, and Mr. Fan and Mr. Gang have also agreed on the ranking of sacrifices. Everything is going well, and I am worried about my ancestors. "

"Gao Zhangyin works hard."

"Working on the master's errands, it should be. The ancestor praised me." Gao Qin said politely, "If there is nothing else, the younger one will step down first."

"You walk slowly."

After the two greeted each other, Gao Qin withdrew from Renshou Palace.

Sure enough, the problem wasn't the silkworm sacrifice...it was the empress dowager's other troubles.

There were waves of shy and playful voices from the women inside the palace wall, and after a while, they heard a message from inside: "Please come in with Fu's palm print."

Fu Yuanqing withdrew his gaze, straightened his clothes, and entered the gate of Renshou Palace alone.

The atmosphere in Renshou Palace is peaceful.

Daduan's heirs are already thin, and there are not many princesses and princesses in the capital, so there are more wives from other families who come to the silkworm sacrifice, and some who know that they will go to the palace to pay homage to the queen mother, and bring their own daughters to make them familiar with each other.

Fu Yuanqing lifted his clothes and stepped into the palace gate, and saw several familiar girls.

If I remember correctly, they were all in the post-election list, Quan You and others... were all around the Queen Mother, chatting with the Queen Mother.He glanced again very quickly, but he had decided on the back seat, and Geng Qin was arranged by the window. Although the position was not bad, it was a bit deserted compared to the Queen Mother's side.

Fortunately, Gengqin looks similar to her brother, not glamorous, but a little resolute, and doesn't seem to care about being left out.She knocked on the melon seeds absent-mindedly and looked out the window, as if her heart had already flown away.

Adhering to the attitude of not looking at injustice, Fu Yuanqing lowered his eyes, walked to the empress dowager's seat, knelt down and kowtowed: "The slave Fu Yuanqing is here, and the queen mother is safe."

The empress dowager dressed up today was still talking to the woman next to her, and she smiled when she saw him coming, "It's finally here, get up."

"What is the queen mother's request for calling the slaves over?" Fu Yuanqing asked again.

"It's nothing else, that is, today's female relatives all want to see the face of the famous Eunuch Fu in the palace."

The Empress Dowager said: "Quan You was spoiled at home, he was very naughty, and he refused to give up until he saw the real palm print."

The girl beside her, who was holding hands intimately, said coquettishly: "Oh! Fu Zhangyin's name is out, I just want to meet the real person. My aunt really insists on telling me."

The Queen Mother smiled and asked, "Now that I see you, how is it?"

Quan You laughed again: "Going back to the Empress Dowager, Fu Zhangyin looks dignified and gentle, did you hear that he was also a son of a family before? Sure enough, he is different from the eunuchs I have seen before."

A woman next to her asked, "What kind of lady has she seen on weekdays?"

Fu Yuanqing glanced at the ordered woman, she was the official wife of Xu Shaojun, a doctor in the Ministry of Rites, the fifth-rank imperial wife, Yuanshi, with a pleasant title.

Quan You looked around, pointed at You Kuan and said, "Here! Like that, with a stooped figure, old and smelly."

You Kuan, who was standing at the gate of the hall, bowed again, shrinking more humblely.

The wives in the palace covered their mouths and laughed.

Fu Yuanqing stood quietly, as if he didn't hear Quan You's words.

The queen mother said: "You Kuan is the son of the Ai family who has been with him for decades. You mustn't be rude."

Quan You stuck out his tongue: "Well, I was wrong. Don't be angry, Queen Mother, and Eunuch You and I will make amends."

The Empress Dowager nodded, indicating that it was okay, and Hui Lan, the maid beside her, said, "Your Majesty, it's time for you to take some medicine."

"Miss is sick? What's wrong?" Mrs. Yuan asked again.

Quan You said: "I don't have any illnesses, but I have been weak since I was a child, and I took some tonic medicine. Aunt Huilan was brought into the palace by her aunt from home, so naturally she loves me."

"The young lady should also take care of her body." The woman said with a flattering smile.

Just as she was talking, Hui Lan had already taken out a pill from the girl's treasure box at the back, and said to the maid, "Come here, bring me some water."

"Wait a minute." Quan You opened his mouth, "Fu Zhangyin, I heard that there are internal officials in the palace who are used to training servants. The palace eunuchs serving the master are ten thousand times more appropriate than the eunuchs outside. This is true. ?"

"If you are a loyal servant, serving the master with reverence in your heart is the most meticulous. It doesn't matter whether it's inside or outside the palace." Fu Yuanqing replied.

"I don't believe it." Quan You said with a smile, "I just said that the ones inside the palace are better than those outside the palace. Fu Zhangyin, please go and get a bowl of warm water to deliver the medicine to me."

In the Empress Dowager's palace, most of the female officials and maids are used. Now the court ladies are there, and there are nearly twenty court ladies waiting around.

Quan You just pointed at Fu Yuanqing, obviously embarrassing—however, after being deprived of a firm position, his dissatisfaction is palpable now, which can be regarded as human nature.

The Empress Dowager tasted the incense and did not stop her.

Obvious indulgence.

Fu Yuanqing was not angry, and said yes, poured warm water from the hand of the maid next to him, put it on the tray, walked forward a few steps, bent to support it, and said: "Please take some medicine, miss."

Quan You was about to reach out, when the Empress Dowager put down the incense stick in her hand, and said to Hui Lan: "Now all the wives are here, what's the rush. It's not too late, let's use it before lunch."

Hui Lan took the medicine: "My servant remembers."

The queen mother said to the wives again: "You guys continue to play around. Fighting weeds to win money, throwing pots to drink, there is no taboo today."

The hustle and bustle resumed in the hall.

She just forgot to let Fu Yuanqing get up.

The people around did not see him.

After another stick of incense, the plate in his hand was already trembling, and warm water spilled from the tea bowl.

The young emperor stayed on the bed, passed Fang Jing who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "Change clothes for me."

Everyone in the Hall of Mental Cultivation was stunned for a moment.

"Master, you can't go." Cao Ban'an, who was on duty today, hurriedly persuaded him.

The young emperor frowned: "Your ancestor is now being dragged into the Renshou Palace by the Queen Mother to suffer, you are so calm. Cao Ban'an, what are you thinking about?! I wish he was tortured to death, are you the supervisor of ceremonies?"

Cao Ban'an knelt down and kowtowed: "Master, this servant definitely doesn't have such intentions. It's just that you really can't go, and that's what the old ancestor said to Fang Jing just now. If you don't believe in your servant, you have to listen to your ancestor's advice."

The young emperor stared at him with a livid face.

"The Renshou Palace is full of wives and ladies who have never become monks. If you show up, it will damage the reputation of all the ladies. At that time, will those ladies who are not in the list also be included in the harem?" Cao Ban'an asked, "What's more, even if you are going to enter the palace in the future. Now that the paper has not been released, you go, and it is not right. The ministers will criticize you for not guarding against men and women. You are fatuous and greedy."

"What should I do?"

Cao Ban'an kowtowed and said: "The Empress Dowager pampers her, she likes to see her servants bowing and begging for mercy. Although the ancestors are polite, they don't know how to do this. Let the servants go, and the ancestors will be taken out properly."

"you?"

"Yes."

Let Cao Ban'an get too close to Fu Yuanqing, the young emperor was a little reluctant.

However, Fu Yuanqing's safety made him even more anxious. After a while, he said: "You go now! If someone comes out and is injured, you can come and see him."

Cao Ban'an replied: "Yes, if the slaves hurt the ancestors, they will raise their heads and feed them to the dogs."

In the main hall of Renshou Palace, Gengqin from a distance came over at some unknown time, passed Fu Yuanqing, and said to the Queen Mother: "Queen Mother, my little girl has just read about the silkworm sacrifices, and I would like to inquire about one of them."

The Queen Mother said: "Please speak."

"According to the rules of the ancestors, sacrifice the silkworm god in March, and choose auspicious time. To sacrifice to you, after the festival, sacrifice to the god of Xiling at the silkworm altar, and perform six su, three kneeling, and three bowing ceremonies. After that, the queen and all noble concubines bow Sang. If there is no queen, the queen mother will do it."

The Queen Mother nodded: "Indeed. What else does Qin'er want to ask?"

Gengqin said: "When bowing to the mulberry, you must sing the song of picking mulberry. The little girl is not good at singing, and she is afraid that she will make a fool of herself. I have just practiced, and I want to ask the Queen Mother for advice."

The queen mother smiled: "You have a heart, let's sing and listen."

"Yes." Geng Qin cleared her throat and began to sing a short song.

——The sun is high and the silkworms are creeping.Silkworms can clothe the world, but not less protect themselves.

Her voice is crisp and sweet, which is unique to girls, and there is a bit of coldness of independent cranes in it. Her voice is melodious and melodious, with a special charm.After she finished singing, she casually picked up the cup of cold tea on Fu Yuanqing's tray and drank it down in one gulp.

Quan You froze for a moment: "You—"

Gengqin pinched the cup, and then seemed to be a little sober: "Ah, I was so engrossed in singing just now, I forgot it was Miss Quan's tea for a moment. I came from a small family. I am not well-educated and I have lost my manners. Please forgive me, Miss."

Quan You's face darkened, and he wanted to make trouble.

Fu Yuanqing straightened up slowly, put down the tray, and said to Quan You: "Miss, there is no need to wait, Your Majesty will not come."

Quan You was immediately diverted by him: "What did Fu Zhangyin say?"

Fu Yuanqing clasped his fists and bowed: "Empress Dowager, Ms. Quan, ladies and gentlemen. You all dressed up here, just to make your Majesty come to meet us in a lively way. When you enter the palace, His Majesty can also have an impression."

Fu Yuanqing looked up at the Empress Dowager: "It would be better if some young lady catches His Majesty's eyes, and saves those who come and go after entering the palace."

The empress dowager's calm face was also a little dark, but Fu Yuanqing said again: "The empress dowager is painstaking, and the servants save it. It's just... here are all foreign wives and female relatives. After all, your majesty is a man, so it is inconvenient to come here."

The Empress Dowager glanced at him from top to bottom, and said indifferently: "It's so powerless to hold a bowl of water with palm prints. No wonder the slaves and servants in the palace are doing too much recently. It turns out that they are tired from top to bottom."

"Fu Yuanqing is guilty," he said.

The queen mother smiled and said: "I heard that Liu Jiu offended His Majesty a few days ago, and Fu Zhangyin rewarded Liu Jiu ten times. Is there such a thing?"

"There is a matter."

"So, Ai's family will also punish you with ten slaps, and you will be punished for being tired of doing hard work... how about it?" the queen mother asked him.

Punishment with sticks.

In fact, it is very slight. After the spanking, the buttocks are red and swollen, which does not hinder the next work.

The people in the palace can't wait for this.

The buttocks were pumped with bamboo sticks, and the sound crackled, and the sound could be heard outside several palaces.

The last time Liu Jiu was punished, he used bamboo sticks instead, which saved Liu Jiu's life.Now at this moment, the Empress Dowager asked him to receive ten strips, which was a naked humiliation.

"The servant girl should be punished for repeating the Queen Mother's wishes." Fu Yuanqing said.

Speaking of this, You Kuan entered the hall and said, "Your Majesty, Cao Bingbi is here."

The Queen Mother hummed, "Let him in."

Cao Ban'an wore the blue-gray clothes from the previous day and walked straight in. He has a gentle and honest face, and his behavior has always been low-key. Even in the harem, he can be regarded as a pleasing type.

Even Aunt Huilan would soften a little when she saw him.

He knelt down and asked the queen mother to be safe.

The Empress Dowager asked: "The Supervisor of Rituals seems to be a leisurely yamen, and his palm prints are waiting here, and Bingbi has also come over."

"There is no middle palace in the palace, and the empress dowager personally sacrificed to the first silkworms on behalf of the master, and now she is bothering all the wives to worry about the silkworm sacrifices together. This is the top priority of the chief supervisor. How can palm prints and servants Don’t go to Renshou Palace.” Cao Ban’an smiled, “Your Majesty heard that you are all in Renshou Palace, so he sent some newly made jewelry from Shangbaojian, and asked the Queen Mother to taste it with all your wives. I came here from the Hall of Mental Cultivation to do this errand."

After he said this, he asked the accompanying palace people to bring in many small jewelry ornaments, and put them in front of the wives and ladies, one for each of them.Another very luxurious phoenix crown was brought up by Cao Ban'an.

He knelt down beside Fu Yuanqing, climbed two steps, and handed the tray to the Empress Dowager's hand: "The Empress Dowager please appreciate it."

As a result, the atmosphere in the hall eased up.

Even Quan You could no longer find a way to blame him.

"The emperor has a heart." The queen mother looked at the ornament and sighed.

"The master is very pleased to hear the queen mother's praise." Cao Ban'an said again, bowing his knees and laughing, "Our palm prints are not good, and we want to do our best for the queen mother, but we can't do it. The servant is young, what's the matter with the queen mother , you ask your slaves to do it. You must do the errands properly."

"You are better at talking than your Fu Zhangyin."

"The servants are telling the truth, and they are the words from their hearts." Cao Ban'an said, "As long as the Empress Dowager is healthy and happy, the servants will feel relieved."

The Queen Mother nodded: "What else?"

"Today is in time for the vernal equinox. All of us below want to change into new spring clothes so that we can serve in front of the masters. Clothes in the palace are distributed to the Shangyi Supervisor, who are still waiting for the palm print inspection. So are the slaves When I was in a hurry, I dared to come over and disturb the Empress Dowager's banquet, so I asked my servants to go back to the Supervisor of Rituals."

The queen mother was silent for a while, and finally said: "Go down."

Quan You was taken aback for a moment: "Auntie, that's it..."

The queen mother waved her hand: "You guys should leave too, I'm tired."

"Yes." Cao Ban'an got the order, and quickly helped Fu Yuanqing out of Renshou Palace. When he passed Gengqin, Fu Yuanqing saluted slightly, and then his face turned pale, and he was limped by Cao Banan's arm, and walked out.

The voices of the wives asking to leave were heard behind them.

As soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, he saw Fang Jing looking at him with tears in his eyes: "Godfather is suffering."

"I told you not to disturb His Majesty, you won't listen." Fu Yuanqing sighed softly, "And even brought Ban'an in."

"Otherwise, master and son can't enter Renshou Palace." Fang Jing said aggrievedly.

Cao Ban'an laughed: "The old ancestor also