The reborn prince's little palace maid in the apocalypse

Night has come, and the sound of firecrackers is everywhere in the capital. Every household invites gods to receive immortals, and the whole family gathers together to celebrate the festival. Even the poor families have to put a wooden fish on the plate to pray for a surplus every year. good sign. Some wealthy families have already begun to set off fireworks. The gorgeous fireworks bloom in the sky, matching the brilliance of the street lights on the ground, and even lighting up the sky at that moment.

The stars in the sky seem unwilling to be compared with the colorful fireworks under the same sky on this day. I don't know when they have quietly receded. Only thick clouds took up the entire background of the fireworks.

The cold wind of winter followed the clouds, blowing into the capital and into the palace.

The officials, big and small, sitting outside carefully gathered their court uniforms. The outdoor seats were covered with curtains, so they weren't afraid of rain or snow, but they couldn't stop the cold wind.

As the palace guests were having their meals, everyone calmed down a bit. After all, no matter whether it was a first-class seat or a second-class seat, there were two hot pots on each table. Even if they didn't eat, putting them there would allow everyone to get some warmth. meaning.

Also attracted by the palace guests serving the meal was Xiao Ba. Watching the delicacies one after another being placed in front of him, Xiao Ba's eyes never left the table.

In the eyes of outsiders, she sat next to His Highness the Crown Prince with her head bowed and her eyebrows lowered, looking a little timid and dull. That's right, she was just a teenage girl. It was her first time to see so many people in such a noble place, so she must have been frightened.

In fact, Xiaoba was just waiting for Yan Sinian's order to start dinner.

The seats at the banquet are divided into first-class seats and second-class seats. The princes, first- and second-rank ministers, and the foreign envoys sitting in the hall and in the corridors all had first-class seats. Except for the thrones of the emperor and the prince, all other seats were occupied by two people sitting together. There are two hot pots on each table, one plate of mutton slices, one plate of deer tail and venison slices, one roasted lamb leg, four bowls of meat dishes, two steamed food, two oven-cooked food, two side dishes from the snail box, and There is a hot rice dish with shredded pork. These were shared by two people.

Xiaoba is here waiting for dinner.

However, the imperial concubine glanced at Xiaoba from time to time, basically twice and then at the prince. Yan Sinian was expressionless, but he was sitting there casually, playing with the jade token in his hand. After observing for a while, except that the prince brought a palace maid who looked very favored today, there was nothing different from what he saw on weekdays. So all her thoughts and attention were returned to the emperor.

The imperial concubine entered the East Palace at the age of fifteen and has been by Emperor Jingtian's side since then. It can be said that she is constantly favored. At that time, her father was just a minister of the Ministry of household affairs, but now he is the minister of the Ministry of official affairs. As for her position as a concubine, she is the first person under the queen, and she has given birth to three children. To reach this point, the concubine relies on judging the situation and observing the mood. No matter what she does in the harem, she is absolutely I will never disobey the emperor and always look at His Majesty's face when I speak.

She thought she had understood the emperor's thoughts seven or eight points, but now she was a little confused. What did the emperor mean to the prince?

In her opinion, Xiaoba is just a little palace maid who can be crushed to death with one finger. She doesn't care about Xiaoba's clothes at all. Although she looks very irritating, she also sees Understand, that was just the prince's provocation. However, the imperial concubine believed that the prince was provoking His Majesty the Emperor, and he metaphorically compared the people around him, and maybe even his bedfellow, to phoenixes. Doesn't that compare himself to an emperor? In her opinion, it was obvious that the prince wanted to replace the emperor, but even so, the emperor was not angry yet. There are two situations when the emperor is not angry. One is that he likes to agree by default, and the other is that he ignores it. You have to know that when the emperor ignores you, it is more serious than being angry with you.

Concubine Meng was a little hesitant now. If she couldn't figure out the emperor's thoughts, it would be difficult for her to decide whether to go ahead with her next plan. Her original plan was to ruin the prince's reputation tonight, but if His Majesty didn't care about the prince at all, then her current behavior would be a bit unnecessary. Concubine Meng actually didn't believe that the emperor would suddenly favor the prince. You must know that Yan Si was so old, and your majesty didn't spend much thought on him. Even the prince's position was taken over by his elder brother. Just leaked. How could he suddenly become the beloved son of His Majesty the Emperor? This is absolutely impossible. So she felt that the emperor was flattering the prince now, and it didn't matter what you did, there would be a day of reckoning sooner or later. If so, then her plan could please the emperor.

The imperial concubine was secretly planning her next plan there, and one of the princes was also secretly thinking about it.

The eighth prince is 19 years old this year. His wife passed away at the beginning of the year, so he came to this banquet alone. Because he was born into a noble concubine, he sat in the first row with his third brother. The moment he saw Xiaoba take off his cloak, he felt his heart beating fiercely. How could someone be so exquisite? He had often heard people say that he had picturesque features. Now he finally understood the meaning of these four words. He looked at Xiaoba's face and then looked at the other ladies. The Eighth Prince only thought that Xiaoba was like the meticulously crafted beauty painting, while the other women were like freehand landscape paintings, looking at them from a cold perspective, they all seemed blurry. But this woman belongs to the prince. If she were just an ordinary palace maid, she would be able to ask for it from the prince. But now everyone says that the prince loves her very much, so if he opens his mouth, he will be suspected of stealing people's love. He turned his eyes and looked at the third brother beside him. It seemed that if he wanted to legitimately own a beauty, his third brother would need to be in a position of power.

Before this? I just don't know if this little palace maid knows the taste. If she can get close to her, she is not so eager to be fair and aboveboard. The affair has its own flavor, and she can steal the prince's person.

The music and music are abuzz, the slender figures are graceful, and the music is played in the beautiful Qiong Tower. The dancers who performed the dance have returned to the center of the hall, wearing colorful clothes and feathers to celebrate the palace banquet. Afterwards, they laughed and dreamed. As the singing and dancing started, the atmosphere in the hall gradually became warmer. Although no one made a loud noise, the whispers of hundreds of people gave the place a sense of laughter and constant congratulations.

The nobles of the aristocratic families toasted each other, and when their eyes collided with each other, they all revealed some secret joy in their hearts. Previously, His Highness's place could be said to be impervious to wind and rain, and oil and salt could not enter. Even if countless nails were arranged in the East Palace, no one could find any useful handles or opportunities to take advantage of His Highness.

When people like them meet someone, they are not afraid of how powerful that person is, but they are afraid that he has no preferences. Once they have preferences, it will be easier to deal with them. This preference is their rope that shakes the sky and digs holes in the earth. As long as you are a human being, you have preferences, and if you have preferences, they can be corrupted and assimilated by them.

Fortunately, His Highness has brought out a concubine. Although she is still a palace maid, as long as she can talk to the prince and be loved, then this woman is worthy of their attention. If you can't win them over, there are so many similar people in the world, and no one is irreplaceable. These aristocratic families have relied on women's skirts to tie themselves to the royal family throughout the ages. They are used to reaping the benefits of women. As long as they know what type of woman the other party likes, they have countless ways to find one or even raise such a woman.

Unlike the nobles from the aristocratic families, the first and second grade officials from the three provinces and six ministries were sitting in the hall, all frowning in silence. Whether they are powerful ministers, loyal ministers or lonely ministers, nine out of ten of them are literati. The moral integrity and etiquette that literati pay attention to are reflected in the past. Since ancient times, those who favor beauties but do not abide by the law must be kings who will subjugate their country, or even be tyrants.

What is a tyrant? Just don't listen to advice and kill indiscriminately. His Royal Highness is a cold-hearted and cold-faced person who does not listen to advice. Now that he has allowed a palace maid to sit on the royal steps wearing such a dress, he has to add another layer of willfulness to him. Looking at Yan Sinian smiling at the little palace maid on the high platform, many people began to miss the polite and virtuous corporal, the former prince Yan Hongyang who would always ask the opinions of the ministers before doing anything.

There were two groups of people in the main hall. They were allowed to sit in the main hall and have a banquet. The first wave is the two servants of the Menxia Province. They are only the third rank, but because they have intertwined powers with the Zhongshu Province and the Shangshu Province, they are specifically responsible for reviewing the implementation of the decrees issued by the Zhongshu Order and the Shangshu Province. So the two of them sat in the row behind Zhong Shuling and Shangshu Ling. These two people usually keep quiet about everything and don't speak easily.

The other group of people were just the opposite of them. They were the censors and officials at the censorship platform. They were arranged to sit in a corner near the gate. They arranged for the censors to be in the palace in order to show that the court and the emperor could be open-minded. Humility to accept advice and criticism. It is a symbolic existence. But there are people who regard themselves as a dish and insist on putting them in front of their eyes.

One of the censors at the censorship station, His Highness's censor named Tu Mingli Fei, probably drank two glasses of wine and stood out without saying hello to his superior, the censor doctor.

He came to the imperial steps, knelt down, and reported to the emperor above: "Master Cao, the minister of Zhongshu, is strict in running his family. The female relatives in his family follow the instructions, restrain themselves and observe etiquette. His virtue and merit are worthy of his reputation. A model. Qi Qi is his wife. As a second-class wife canonized by the imperial court, she still regards her husband as her top priority. As long as Mr. Cao returns home, she will go out to greet him, no matter how bad the weather. When Mr. Cao eats, she She also holds chopsticks and cloth to show respect for her husband, and is a role model for women."

The censor's role is not only to complain, but also to tell the emperor if there is any good or good deed happening in the world, or if there is any auspiciousness or the like. Like this New Year, when everyone is in high spirits, it is normal for them to find a few good things to boast about and make the emperor happy.

Mr. Cao was shocked when he saw the censor mentioning him. Later, when he heard that it was a compliment to his own family, he touched his beard and felt that his face was very bright after being praised by him. Still wondering if this censor is his disciple or relative? To be able to praise him so much to His Majesty at such a banquet, I must promote him later. At the women's banquet, his wife was also very proud of herself, and the legitimate daughters in the family were equally proud.

Just when everyone was nodding their heads, Tu Yushi suddenly changed the topic and said sternly: "The wife of Lord Cao's family can do this even if she is a second-grade imperial concubine. But next to His Royal Highness, a little palace maid actually dares to do this to the emperor." Sitting on the steps, there is a slave who does not know the superiority and inferiority, and does not abide by the etiquette. He is simply treasonous and immoral. He should be dragged out and beaten to death with sticks."

Yan Sinian and Xiaoba were watching Yajia cooking meat in a hot pot. Mutton was put in one pot and venison was put in the other pot. Because of the cold weather and these dishes were all shipped from the imperial kitchen, Yan Sinian did not let Xiaoba eat the dishes directly on the table. Instead, he thought about letting Xiaoba eat some hot-boiled meat first to warm his stomach.

Xiaoba had eaten roasted venison and venison stuffed dumplings before, but he had never eaten them before, so he ate them in a rinse. So her eyes kept staring at the chopsticks in Yajia's hand, ready to catch the meat with the plate in her hand.

Rengu heated two wine glasses, filled them with the wine flask on the table, and placed them in front of Yan Sinian and the others. Yan Sinian picked up the wine glass and took a sip. He found that it was pear blossom white and the wine was a bit cold. He brought the glass in front of Xiaoba in front of him and asked Ren Gu to get some flower nectar.

Just then, when he heard the censor saying that he was going to beat Xiaoba to death with a stick, the handsome face that was smiling gently at Xiaoba suddenly turned gloomy as he looked at the people below.

He sneered: "This one? The imperial censor in the palace." Yan Sinian is the prince, and a small censor is not worthy of being remembered by him. Although he doesn't know people, he can read the court uniforms. : "You are right, Mr. Cao is really good at running his family and has rigorous upbringing. He can be said to be the heirloom of loyalty and filial piety."

Hearing the prince praising himself in this way, Mr. Cao was a little lost. He wanted to rise to the next level. Just when he was thinking about whether to go out and kneel down to thank the prince for his praise, he heard the prince say.

"I heard that in his hometown, the locals only know Mr. Cao, but they don't know that there is an emperor, or even the local magistrate where his family is. The annual assessment depends on how many gifts are given to him, and whether the articles he writes are satisfactory. He has the final say on who can be an official there, and when the Ministry of Personnel dispatches, you have to ask for his opinion. Come and talk to me about the officials in his hometown , is he an official of the imperial court, or an official of his family, Mr. Cao?"

The prince's few words made Tu Yushi dare not say another word. He shrank his neck and knelt on the ground in front of the imperial steps again.

And Mr. Cao, whose name was called, was even more frightened and knelt down directly. A dignified second-grade official, he spent decades climbing to this position and was a prominent figure in the court. But now his body was like chaff, trembling into a ball. His wife and daughter also turned pale with fear and knelt down at the same time.