The Job of an Imperial Concubine

The next day, Zhuang Luoyan rode a chariot to the Queen's Palace to pay her respects. As soon as she arrived at the gate of the Queen's Palace, several concubines with low status came over. When several people saw Zhuang Luoyan, they came forward to pay their respects one after another, and their attitude was more respectful than before.

"Sisters don't need to be too polite, they are all sisters." Zhuang Luoyan got off the chariot and stretched out her hands to help, making it impossible to see the slightest arrogance, but none of the people present would believe that this Zhao Chongyi really has such so kind.

"Sister Zhao Chongyi loves her younger sisters, and younger sisters must not forget their duty," the woman standing at the front said respectfully.

Zhuang Luoyan glanced at this woman, she was not very old, although she was somewhat pretty, she was really not conspicuous in this harem. There was a bit of flattery in her words, but also a little indescribable meaning.

"I met Zhao Chongyi."

The voice beside her made Zhuang Luoyan understand why the talented person in front of her said these words, she raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and her voice seemed more gentle than usual: "Ma Cairen."

Ma Cairen glanced at the maid she was paying respects to Zhuang Luoyan, and bowed her knees unwillingly to salute. The moment she lowered her head, she seemed to see the sarcasm in the eyes of other women around her, which made her feel even more embarrassed. The woman lowered herself from being a Jieyu to being a talented person, and she had no choice but to endure it.

"Okay, it's getting late, let us sisters go in and greet the empress." Zhuang Luoyan was not so stupid as to give Ma Jieyu a bad face at the gate of the empress palace. She wanted the emperor to think that she was pure-hearted, not Let the emperor feel that she is willful and stupid. Who makes men in this world have a common problem, they don't want women to be too smart and difficult to grasp, and they don't want women to be too stupid and difficult to handle.

Letting the woman beside him pass by with a mocking smile, Ma Cairen stood where he was, letting the cold morning wind hurt his cheeks.

The time for Concubine Shu to arrive at the Queen's Palace is never too early or too late. When she was supporting the maid's hand to walk, the corner of her eye glanced at Ma Cairen standing in the corner, and there was a smile on the corner of her mouth as if she had finished the joke. After entering the gate, he just pretended not to see Ma Cairen's greeting.

After entering the main hall, she took a special look at Zhao Chongyi, who was sitting in the third seat from the right, and after greeting the queen, she sat down in the first seat on the left, and said with a smile, "Sisters are here today. It's early."

No one in the room knew about Concubine Shu's elder brother's impeachment of Zhao Chongyi's mother's family. Concubine Shu's frivolous attitude obviously did not take Zhao Chongyi seriously.

Zhuang Luoyan pretended not to be ignorant of the schemes of the people around her, she lowered her eyelids as if nothing had happened, after all...women in the harem should not interfere in politics.

"It's getting colder and colder today, and my sisters are still getting up so early to greet me, thank you for your hard work, sisters," the queen said softly at this time, "Heyu, serve hot tea."

Concubine Shu sneered in her heart, the queen wanted to watch the fun, but also wanted to see if she was willing to act in this scene, what was a pretentious appearance, the real thousand-year-old fox was sitting at the top.

The tea served by the court lady is the new tea in the palace, and the low-ranking concubines can't even share the last leaves of the tea leaves. The queen uses it to entertain guests.

"Your Majesty, the tea here is truly fragrant." Concubine Xian took a sip of the tea, full of praise.

Zhuang Luoyan blew on the tea foam on the water surface, watched the tea stalks ups and downs in the water, bent the corners of her mouth, Xianfei has always been in the same vein as the queen, this flattery is as true as it sounds, although the tea is expensive , but it's not surprising, is it possible that Xianfei's palace is not successful?

"You have always loved tea, so hurry up and ask Heyu to send you some, so that you won't miss this palace all day long." The queen didn't hide her closeness to the concubine Xian in front of the concubines, but just changed the subject and turned to tea. Zhuang Luoyan.

"I heard that Ma Cairen contradicted Zhao Chongyi yesterday and asked the palace to save her half a year's salary. You have always been gentle, so you don't have to lose your status by haggling with a bastard like her." The queen lightly held her handkerchief Wiping the corners of her mouth, she said with a smile again: "Although all of you here are sisters, you cannot avoid the rules that should be followed. It is a big taboo in the harem to commit the following crimes: Ma Cairen's behavior yesterday is absolutely unacceptable. It should be remembered as well.”

Be proud of being favored?

Where does the horse talent come from?

The hearts of all the concubines are like a mirror, the queen's words are not about Ma Cairen, maybe who she is talking about. Although they thought so in their hearts, everyone kept saying yes, no one took a look at the pale Ma Cairen in the corner.

Zhuang Luoyan sighed at the Queen's act of attracting hatred for herself. It was obvious that she was talking about a talented person, but inside she meant to accuse her of being arrogant. As for reminding everyone not to make mistakes, but The benevolent sees the benevolent and the wise sees wisdom. Anyway, the empress is the master of the harem, and no one is above her except the emperor and the empress dowager.

Since the last lightning strike incident, the Empress Dowager rarely showed up in the harem, so as usual, everyone did not pay her respects, so when she came out of the empress palace, the necessary work for a day was finished.

"Sister Zhao Chongyi was wronged yesterday." Concubine Shu supported the maid's hand and said with a smile, "I have a century-old ginseng plant in my palace, and I will send it to you later to replenish your blood."

"Thank you for your pity. With the love of the emperor and the empress, the concubine will not be wronged." Zhuang Luoyan bowed her knees to thank her, and sneered in her heart. I am afraid that the more you eat ginseng in the past century, the more you will get angry.

"It's good to have the emperor's favor," Concubine Shu sighed softly, and sat on the chariot, "It's just that some flowers are like fireworks at night. When they bloom, they are dazzling, but when they wither, they are silent. Sister Zhao Chongyi! Say yes." After speaking, she lightly raised her hand, and raised the chariot steadily, and Concubine Shu closed her eyes not to look at the group of kneeling women behind her.

Zhuang Luoyan supported Tingzhu's hand and stood up straight, looking at the direction of Concubine Shu's departure, looking at the majestic concubine's guard of honor, slightly lowered her eyelids.

Tingzhu looked at his master worriedly, but seeing a smile on the corner of her mouth, his heart felt inexplicably cold.

In the cold season, only withered lotus remains in the lotus pond. Zhuang Luoyan stood by the lotus pond, looked at the stumps in the water, rejected the cloak that Yunxi offered, sat down on the stone bench beside her, and pointed Shui Mian said: "This lotus pond is very beautiful in summer, but it's just as beautiful in winter."

Yun Xi smiled when she heard the words, and then said: "Master, although this lotus can't bloom all the year round, it does become more beautiful every year. Tomorrow, the servant girl will ask someone to clean up the broken leaves and stalks. The next year will definitely bloom better than this year. pretty."

"That's right. Although this flower is beautiful when it's in full bloom, it's fortunate that it's not a delicate flower. It's better not to be too delicate." Zhuang Luoyan sighed in her heart. The delicate flower may not bloom again after blooming in this palace for a season. possible.

"My concubine has seen Zhao Chongyi."

When Zhuang Luoyan heard someone greet her, she looked back, she was a somewhat familiar woman, seeing that she was older than herself, and her dress didn't look like a high-ranking concubine, she felt a little strange, this person came to greet herself specially. What is the intention?

"Kong Cairen doesn't need to be too polite," Yun Xi was very good at observing words and expressions, and she and Ting Zhu were the proud people around Zhao Chongyi, so reaching out to help Kong Cairen showed Zhuang Luoyan's courtesy to her.

When Yun Xi opened his mouth, Zhuang Luoyan remembered who this Kong Cairen was. The night the third prince disappeared, this Kong Cairen begged hard for most of the night, but he didn't see the third prince for the last time. Kneeling for three hours, she remembered that when he left that night, the Kongcai man's eyes were terribly silent, but at this moment, he couldn't see the madness of that night at all, and he looked extremely docile.

"Xie Zhao Chongyi." Kong Cairen is only in his twenties, and in later generations he is still at the right age. Even now, he is only about the same age as Concubine Shu, but Zhuang Luoyan, in her eyes, Not a bit of vitality can be seen, dull and pale.

Kong Cairen stood up and said: "My concubine thought no one would come to this pool of dried lotus, and never wanted to disturb Zhao Chongyi's elegance."

"Even withered lotus has its unique beauty. Kong Cairen is an elegant person, but I spared your interest." Zhuang Luoyan smiled nonchalantly, indicating that Kong Cairen was sitting on another stone bench. Up and down.

Kong Cairen sat down on the padded stone bench, and his gaze swept across the face of Zhao Chongyi, who had a gentle smile. She wanted to be favored again, not even the concubine Yan Gui who was in the limelight. She heard that Zhao Chongyi was beautiful and lost his favor because of his arrogance, but now it seems that the rumors are not true.

"Zhao Chongyi knows that the withered lotus is also beautiful, and my concubine thinks that Zhao Chongyi is also an elegant person." Kong Cairen's eyes fluttered and fell on the dead leaves on the water, "My concubine is a layman, but my sister likes the cold What, the concubine is just watching for her."

Zhuang Luoyan never thought that Kong Cairen would suddenly mention her sister, and was slightly surprised: "You sisters have a very good relationship."

Kongcai smiled when he heard the words, "Concubine and elder sister have the same mother. When the emperor was still a prince, he was sent to the mansion by his father. The mother was born in a humble family and was a concubine. The emperor took pity on the concubines and sisters. Only then can I enter the clan tomb..." She paused, as if thinking of something, smiled wryly, "The concubine is disrespectful and said this in front of Zhao Chongyi."

Thinking of the emperor's indifference to Kong Cairen that night, Zhuang Luoyan understood the meaning of Kong Cairen's wry smile, and smiled: "It's okay, it's not impolite to say something personal between sisters."

The woman in front of him smiled dignifiedly, with an indescribably bewitching beauty. Kong Cai's heart trembled. With such a gesture, it was no wonder that he had regained the favor. He wanted to speak when he heard a voice not far away. Three claps.

Holy ride? !

Kong Cairen was startled, got up quickly and knelt down neatly, not even daring to lift her head, as the footsteps got closer, she saw a pair of bright yellow shoes parked not far to her left.

"Why is Concubine Tianhan here? What should I do if I catch cold?" The emperor's voice was very gentle, so gentle that it was unreal. Even when she first entered the mansion to accept the emperor's favor, she had never heard the emperor Speak to her in that tone.

"Where is the concubine so delicate? Could it be possible that the emperor regards the concubine as that untouchable beauty?"

"My beloved concubine has the appearance of a delicate flower, but she doesn't have the appearance of a delicate flower. I am very pleased with it."

It turned out that the emperor was so easy-going, and how many concubines dared to talk to the emperor like this. Is this Zhao Chongyi really ignorant or just forgetting his duty by relying on holy favor.

"Since you like lotus, I have a jade-carved lotus. Let Gao Dezhong take it to Xihe Palace, so that you won't have to sit stupidly facing the withered lotus in cold weather." Feng Jin stretched out his hand to hold a pair of catkins in front of him, feeling the cool body temperature He frowned, but he didn't let go. He turned to look at Kong Cairen who was bowing to the side, and said in a flat tone, "You step back, I have Zhao Chongyi here to serve me."

"Concubine, leave." Kong Cairen bowed his head and stepped back, walked to a rockery, and through the gap of the rockery, she saw the high-ranking emperor being pulled off his sleeve by Zhao Chongyi, and the tassels on the emperor's crown shook because of this action .