EBE Chapter 367 Cold-faced and warm-hearted
Chapter 367 Cold-faced and warm-hearted
367
Concubine Hua gave Suichu a set of twelve zodiac ornaments made of Hetian jade. They were cute in shape and of moderate size, making them especially suitable for teasing and entertaining Suichu when she was learning to crawl.
Moreover, the size of the twelve zodiac animals is just right for a baby to hold in his hand, but not enough for the baby to swallow.
Noble Lady Fucha looked at the twelve zodiac animals in the gift box and recalled the scene when Concubine Hua brought a group of people to the Yanx Palace at noon.
Concubine Jing asked Ruyi to hand a huge package to Yingtao.
Xin Changzai proudly asked the palace maid to put a pile of new books on the table, but she shrank her neck after receiving Hua Fei's "cut into pieces" look.
Concubine Qi gave Suichu twelve little fat pigs made of solid gold, which were round and shiny with gold.
When you get older, it's better to have some real money.
I hope Suichu can be as easy to raise as a piglet.
Concubine Qi's words were shocking, but Noble Lady Fucha didn't even raise an eyebrow and just accepted it with a smile.
For those who could say "two against one in the palace fight" in their dreams, they were both equally matched and not very smart.
Could someone who can give gold be a bad person?
An Changzai asked Baoque to hand over ten small cotton bellybands and ten small silk bellybands. Each bellyband was embroidered with interesting flowers, birds, fish and insects, which looked unique and interesting.
Noble Lady Fucha looked at the fine stitches and felt so moved that her eyes became hot.
Only Concubine Hua looked at those bellybands, feeling shocked and sighing. Is Concubine An going to take over the infant products market?
If it was as Hua Fei expected, these bellyband patterns of An Lingrong should have been embroidered in duplicate, one for Sui Chu and one taken out of the palace to Sun Miaoqing to expand the market.
An Lingrong: Of course the gift has to be unique, but the pattern on it is indeed embroidered separately.
I heard that many women in the capital are not very good at needlework, so it would be a good idea to buy some ready-made embroidered patterns and sew them directly onto the finished clothes when you go home.
However, whether this is suitable for mass production still needs further research.
Concubine Hua: ...
Chun Changzai took out a pair of jade bracelets from her dressing table and gave them to Fu Cha Guiren. Fu Cha Guiren loved food and had nothing else to spend her money on, so she promised that when Sui Chu grew up, she would provide him with all the candies he wanted.
Noble Lady Fucha: Not really.
Even Concubine Duan, who had been living in seclusion in a quiet corner of the harem to cultivate immortality and not care about worldly affairs, sent Jixiang to give Suichu two gold bracelets and two gold anklets.
Just when Noble Lady Fucha was feeling a little touched, Concubine Hua took out a list from Songzhi, which detailed the money Concubine Hua had spent on hiring a midwife and mobilizing staff for Noble Lady Fucha's delivery.
"All this money has been recorded in your account. Now that you are out of confinement, find a way to pay it back slowly."
The tears flowed back as soon as they were told to.
The touching atmosphere came to an abrupt end.
Noble Lady Fucha took the bill with both hands. She never thought that there was some sincerity in this harem. Even though she was thrown into an abyss of no return, even though the emperor was indifferent and the queen was cold-blooded, the person who handed over the bill still saved her life.
Collecting the debt openly was actually to eliminate the feeling of losing money in Concubine Fu Cha's heart.
Noble Lady Fucha felt that she had never really gotten to know Concubine Hua before.
Cold face and warm heart.
Because Noble Lady Fucha had just been released from house arrest, the concubines came to give her a gift and then left without staying in the Yanx Palace for long.
Before leaving, everyone hugged Xiao Suichu, who had grown a lot fatter.
What was extremely clever was that after Concubine Hua took Xiaosuichu from Concubine Jing's arms, Xiaosuichu actually opened her eyes and clasped Concubine Hua's fingers with her little hands.
My heart melted like a pool of water.
It had never happened before, a soft and boneless baby was lying in my arms, so small, so soft, and knew nothing about this dangerous world, just reaching out to me.
Concubine Hua felt like crying.
Songzhi looked at her queen's condition and felt something was wrong.
How could Hua Fei, who has always been strong-willed, be willing to cry in front of others?
Songzhi hurried over and returned the little princess to the wet nurse.
Hua Fei took this opportunity to sniff and gently wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.
In the evening, Noble Lady Fucha asked Yingtao to count and register the gifts sent by the concubines of various palaces. Only then did she discover that in the afternoon, when Noble Lady Fucha took Suichu for a nap, Concubine Wan also sent Jinxi to deliver a gift, a pair of longevity locks made of Hetian jade with a ruby inlaid in the middle.
The cherries were shown to Noble Lady Fucha for a closer look. After a careful inspection, Noble Lady Fucha found that they were soft to the touch and crystal clear, and were truly good things.
Noble Lady Fucha ordered Cherry to be registered, while she went to the desk and started tinkering with some new things.
***
Ever since the day Noble Lady Fucha gave birth, the Empress has been busy as soon as she came out of the Yangxin Palace because of the confessions of little Chenzi and Fuzi.
On the one hand, he had to clear Fu Cha's grievances and give a result that satisfied everyone in the harem, while on the other hand, he could not lose face for the emperor.
Of course, the reasons behind the betrayal of people around Ling Xiang also need to be investigated.
She fell into a deep sleep early in the morning, and Noble Lady Fucha gave birth to a daughter. Concubine Hua pressed her step by step and asked her to go to the Yangxin Palace to plead for Noble Lady Fucha. She didn't want to do that in the first place, but Fucha was disobedient and got pregnant without her permission.
Such people think that their status depends on their sons, so how can they be worthy of their own support?
But given the circumstances that day, I could only be driven by Concubine Hua and entered the Yangxin Palace. Little Chenzi and Fuzi followed closely behind me. I was not going to plead for Noble Lady Fucha. I was afraid that I was just a pawn in this game.
Why would Concubine Hua help Noble Lady Fucha?
The queen thought about it and decided to blame Ling Xiang.
After all, she used Ling Xiang, and Concubine Hua was betrayed by her subordinates, so she naturally had to find a way to take revenge.
With Hua Fei's personality, she would kill even if it meant killing a thousand enemies and losing eight thousand of her own.
It just happened to save Noble Lady Fucha, killing two birds with one stone. Concubine Hua actually used her brain.
The Nian family is now at its peak in the previous dynasty, and I'm afraid they will have a hard time in the days ahead.
And why was I unconscious that day?
The guards guarding the gate of Yanx Palace ostensibly went to ask for the imperial physician, but in fact they went to Jingren Palace to ask for his instructions. Without his permission, the imperial physician naturally did not arrive for a long time.
But Jianqiu said that from the guards to Baojuan and then to Aunt Zhang who was beside Chun Chang, these people came one after another, and Jianqiu also tried to wake herself up, so why did she just not wake up?
Did he really have a headache for half the night, was exhausted, and fell asleep?
Even if she was unconscious, it happened that General Nian had asked all the imperial physicians to leave that night. If Concubine Hua had not come out to take charge, the concubines in the harem would have given birth without the imperial physician to treat them. This would have been a brilliant move.
Wonderful chess...?
A thought flashed through the queen's mind, and she tried to catch it, but it was too late.
"Your Majesty, please eat today's bird's nest while it's hot." Jianqiu took a bowl of bird's nest from Huichun and presented it to her.
"Jianqiu, give the order. Noble Lady Fucha gave birth to a princess and suffered injustice. This palace, considering her hard work, will take out a portion of my share to compensate Noble Lady Fucha according to the share of a concubine." The queen savored today's blood swallow.
"Also, someone from the Imperial Household Department just reported that the amount of blood swallows being offered as tribute this year is relatively small. Noble Concubine Fucha had a difficult birth and her Qi and blood were greatly depleted. Therefore, the blood swallows for the concubines in each palace should be replaced with white swallows. The blood swallows will be used in the Yanxi Palace first."
"Yes, I understand." Jianqiu bowed.
On the day when Noble Lady Fucha gave birth, everything the Empress ate and used was carefully checked, and there was really nothing unusual. Jianqiu also felt unhappy in her heart, wondering why the Empress was unconscious in such an emergency.
Afterwards, Zhang Mi also came to carefully check the Queen's pulse. It was indeed caused by a migraine attack that night and excessive physical exertion. It was normal for her to recover her strength through sleep due to physical fatigue.
A few days ago, Zhang Mi went to the Yangxin Palace and asked for his resignation from the emperor, saying that he was old and lacked energy and wanted to retire and return home. The emperor has agreed.
The Queen had no choice but to accept what the Emperor agreed to.
The Queen was not worried that Zhang Mi would reveal some secrets of the harem after leaving the Imperial Hospital. After so many years and so many things.
We really all rely on Zhang Mi, Doctor Zhang.
If Zhang Mi wants to spend his old age in peace now, I think he will keep his mouth shut.
If we talk about being rigorous, the dead are the most tight-lipped in this world.
But Zhang Mi couldn't move, or rather, he was not as active as Xiao Chenzi or Fuzi.
It is hard not to arouse suspicion when the head of the Imperial Medical Service died suddenly after resigning and returning home.
After weighing the matter for a long time, the queen decided to let Zhang Mi go.
"Your Majesty, you are just too tired to manage the six palaces. There is really no need to worry so much." Jianqiu looked at the queen and felt that others always wanted to harm her. She was wasting her energy and thought it was unnecessary.
"I always feel that things are not that simple." The queen was unwilling to explain anything. From the mansion of Prince Yong to the harem of the Forbidden City, Yixiu was extremely vigilant about every needle and thread, every flower and every tree.
Jianqiu saw that the queen was so nervous that she couldn't persuade her anymore.
After all, the seeds were sown back then, and the fruits will naturally be reaped now.
There was no comment from Jingren Palace.
Naturally, the Queen's use of her own share to subsidize Noble Lady Fucha was quickly announced to the six palaces.
Of course, the notice of salary reduction for replacing blood swallows with white swallows also reached everyone's ears.
Broken Yuxuan.
Huanbi looked at the cold stare Peier received from the Imperial Household Department, angrily threw down the feather duster in her hand, and complained with a drooping mouth: "It's just that I gave birth to a princess, but now she has the upper hand and can even deprive the blood swallows!"
"Please talk less." Liu Zhu pushed Pei'er and asked Pei'er to take Baiyan, who was obstructing Huanbi's eyes, into the small kitchen.
"Now everyone in the palace is rushing to curry favor with the Yanx Palace, but don't let those who want to please you find something to blame you for." Liu Zhu said.
"The emperor hasn't been here for a long time, and I've been feeling depressed. The Suiyuxuan used to be so lively." Huanbi pouted dejectedly.
"Not only did the Emperor not go into the Suiyuxuan, I saw that he didn't visit the concubines in the other palaces either." Liu Zhu said comfortingly.
"Oh..." Huanbi sighed.
Ling Changzai is not a good person, but she is good at using the self-torture trick. My own young lady is soft-hearted, and now she has suffered a great loss because of her softness and kindness. It's a pity that Ling Xiang is still a court lady, and the emperor has not banished her to the cold palace.
If she gave birth to a prince someday, would Ling Xiang have a chance to turn things around?
Huanbi became even more angry when she thought about it.
However, after the young lady learned the truth from Eunuch Su that day, her expression remained indifferent. Not only did she not seek revenge on the woman from Lingguan, but she also asked Liuzhu to deliver a gift to Noble Lady Fucha.
If she were to say, Noble Lady Fucha is just a noble lady. Even though there were some misunderstandings between the two palaces due to Ling Xiang's instigation, now that the truth is out, it was not the young lady's original wish to put Noble Lady Fucha under house arrest. Is it necessary for us to show goodwill first?
Huanbi ran to the back angrily, and Liuzhu looked at her helplessly.
Suiyuxuan has been having a really bad time these days.
***
Yikun Palace.
Songzhi lifted the lid of the bowl and saw that Lanzhi was not serving blood swallows. She put the lid down and asked, "What's going on?"
Before Lanzhi could reply, Hua Fei's voice came from the inner room: "Songzhi? What's going on outside?"
At this moment, Concubine Hua was leaning leisurely on the soft pillow, reading the notebook that Concubine Xin had been holding back for ten days. Her stomach was empty.
Songzhi walked in.
"Your Majesty, for some reason, the imperial kitchen sent us something other than blood swallows today."
"Bring it here for me to see."
Lanzhi responded and walked in.
"Why isn't it the usual blood swallow?" Concubine Hua lifted the lid of the bowl, took a quick look, and then put it down.
Lanzhi could only explain the news that the eunuch from the imperial kitchen had just brought.
"Hmph." Concubine Hua curled her lips and smiled, "The Queen always makes a fuss about Qiao over these trivial matters."
"Sacrificing the entire harem to support Noble Lady Fucha. This is just a princess. What would everyone think if it was a prince? This is really for the good of Noble Lady Fucha."
"The Queen insisted on making such a big fuss about it, as if no one in the palace knew that Noble Lady Fucha had been wronged except her."
"The Queen is just petty." Songzhi stepped forward to comfort Concubine Hua, "Don't be angry, Your Majesty. Fortunately, the most abundant thing in our Yikun Palace's warehouse is blood swallows."
"Songzhi, go divide the blood swallows in the palace into several portions and send them to the masters of each palace for nourishment."
"These are all women who will bear children for the Emperor. They are all precious to him. If they don't take good care of themselves, how can they bear an heir?"
Songzhi received the order and happily agreed.
As for the broken white swallows in the bowl, they ended up being eaten by Zhou Ninghai.
The Queen made a big fuss about cutting down the blood swallows of the concubines in each palace, and Concubine Hua followed closely behind and replenished them with her own private treasury.
The whole palace was filled with the sound of such a good play that the Empress Dowager could not help but sigh when she heard these fragments while worshiping Buddha in Shoukang Palace.
This queen of the Ulanara family is really too petty.
Now the emperor does not trust the queen very much, otherwise why would he not tell her about the plan that night and just carry it out directly?
If I hadn't taken action myself, things would have been a complete mess.
The emperor, he is sometimes too cruel.
If you plot against your own child once, there will be a second time.
Now that Zhang Mi has left the Imperial Hospital, taking with him a bunch of unclear secrets, the matter has come to an end.
"Don't sigh, Queen Mother. Your children and grandchildren will have their own blessings." Zhu Xi accompanied the Queen Mother to burn incense, and this was the only way he could comfort her.
Although Concubine Hua is domineering now, she knows her limits and will never hesitate to step forward in important matters. It is understandable that the Empress Dowager is biased towards Concubine Hua because of these things.