Force a good concubine

Seeing Gu Yuan exiting the palace calmly, the emperor fell on the couch, as if a large piece of his heart had been dug out, leaving him empty.She raised her hand, and suddenly found that the volume of "South China Classic" was still in her hand, the thin silk volume was deformed by herself, and the words "Chen Xue Xiao Tong Gong Jin" on the cover were also crumpled.

Yesterday, Gu Yuan's endorsement inspired the emperor. Avoiding the courtiers is not the way to go. Gu Yuan's literary talent is not inferior to those of the Luan Yi family. If he can win the favor of the courtiers, will it be easier to become a concubine in the future? Woolen cloth?

Xue Xiaotong was the emperor's enlightenment master and a famous Confucianist all over the world.Although Xue Xiaotong was the most opposed to the discussion of ceremonies, and quarreled with the emperor in front of the emperor, but the emperor knew that he was a pure and honest gentleman, who followed the public heart in everything, with a serious face on the surface, but the softest heart on the inside.Xue Xiaotong loves talents, Gu Yuan copied his collection of contemporary essays, and when he came to his copybooks again, he secretly had a half-teacher-student friendship. When he came to ask for advice with Gu Yuan, he would not be kicked out.

However, such painstaking efforts are actually just a joke.The emperor raised his hand, wrote the word "Gu" in the void, and put his hand down in a slumped manner.The worry of that day has now come true. Gu Yuan stayed by her side, but he only wanted to leave in his heart. The getting along with him that made his heart secretly happy was just as ordinary as other palace people in Gu Yuan's view. Even if she tried her best to please her, it would be useless—she didn't like her, everything she gave seemed to be her burden, what else could she do besides doing what she wished and not pestering her anymore?

Even the Supreme Being of the Nine Layers can do only a limited amount of things. The emperor's heart is full of helpless frustrations, but there is nothing he can do about it.People who have become accustomed to self-control will always be inferior to others in terms of love for their children. The emperor can neither learn to be as dexterous as King Sui, nor can he be arrogant and unscrupulous in taking away what King Yu wants. , she will only try her best to give what she can give, hoping to get Gu Yan to be willing, but Gu Yan is clearly indifferent to what she gives, so she is helpless.

At this thought, the emperor's heart ached like a knife.This is the place where she used to fall asleep listening to her voice. The sweetness of the past seems to have become a poison, which can make people feel heartache when rubbed on the heart.The emperor couldn't stay any longer, so he simply got up and passed Si Yi into the palace to change his court clothes, and drove to Zhaoren Hall to handle court affairs.

The emperor has always been very well-behaved in his daily life. Since he was five years old, except for some important ceremonies, the lunch break is almost unstoppable. This is the first time that this has happened. With a flustered face, he asked for instructions with a little anxiety: "Master, did you rest well? Do you want to pass on to the imperial physician? Or, I will ask Gu Xiao again——"

The emperor stopped him, and his voice was so indifferent that there was no trace of anger: "From now on, you can deliver the calming soup at night."

Wei Fengchun shuddered, the emperor was still perceptive, but he didn't care about his little trick, so he didn't dare to say anything, and obediently stepped aside and shut his mouth tightly.

The emperor spent extraordinarily long time dealing with government affairs that day, and even the dinner was served directly in Zhaoren Hall, and it was nearly two o'clock when he returned to Qinghe Hall to rest.The palace maids in the palace were busy as usual: bathing and clothes attendant for the emperor to bathe and change clothes, and the attendant held the imperial clothes box to count and put away the clothes changed by the emperor, and sent them back to the inner four executive treasury for disposal by category. Warm the brocade mattress with Mrs. Tang, exchange benzoin for the censer in the hall, and test the soothing soup sent by the imperial dining room against the prescription of the imperial physician. Si Yi and the others filed out, and it was time for Si She to enter the palace to serve. He turned his face and stared at the people in the room for a moment, and thought for a while: "The errand of Yuqian Tea is about to be replaced, and we still have to do it right now." Let the novice practice more, so that no one will point out the remedy if there is a mistake later. As the saying goes, whether it is a mule or a horse, you have to take it out for a walk, right? Soothing soup, let Li Nushi deliver it!"

The imperial errands have always been ranked according to seniority, since Gu Yan has not yet left the teacher, it is common sense that Li Wanniang should not pass her.Cheng Siniang looked at Yuniang and Gu Yan, and saw one sitting on the edge of the charcoal brazier and dozing off, as if she didn't hear it at all, and the other sitting quietly by the small tea stove fanning the fire, even if she heard it, she didn't seem to hear it, she thought to herself that this is a master and apprentice The two villains, one pretending to be stupid and the other in a daze, why bother to be the leader, also nodded openly: "The two supervisors take care of me, an old bone, and always let newcomers work for me, what can I say?" of?"

Cui Chengxiu smiled at her: "Si Niangzi is an old man in front of the imperial court, and she knows the general situation best. It's true, it will snow again in two days, and I will treat you to a pheasant pot." He turned around and handed the foreign paint tray to Li Wanniang. , commanded solemnly, "Young master has no rest at noon today, and he is so busy at this time, he must be very tired. The imperial doctor ordered that the Anshen soup should not be used if it can be used. You put the soup bowl on the charcoal basin cover first. Find a way to chat with the young master, if the young master really can't sleep, then enter the soothing soup - remember?"

Li Wanniang bowed to Cui Chengxiu, her face was full of gratitude: "The chief manager has worked so hard, I will remember."

Cui Chengxiu took the position of the manager, watched Li Wanniang enter the hall, glanced at Wei Fengchun who had mixed feelings beside her, and snorted secretly in her heart.Speaking of which, he has not been very fond of Gu Yan in recent days, and most of them are watching from the sidelines. One is because Wei Fengchun is watching closely and it is not easy to win him over. The memory is still fresh——is Miss Gu so easy to calculate?Her horoscope doesn't match with Yuqian's, so don't be self-defeating and get yourself into trouble if you try so hard to send her up!With such a mentality, Cui Chengxiu simply put down his hands and stood on the dry shore. Sure enough, in less than ten days, the emperor changed his attitude, and Wei Fengchun made a mess. A note of incense.Seeing that there was no abnormal movement in the hall, Wei Fengchun's expression was even more mournful. Cui Chengxiu stood leisurely and contentedly with her shoulders on the corridor of the duty room, her eyes glanced over from time to time, her heart was almost filled with joy, and she secretly decided that this night's injection of incense would last forever As the saying goes, there are three drums for writing and three shifts for martial arts. I'm afraid it's the same for incense, right?

Ordinarily, according to the emperor's habit, after resting or staying overnight, there will always be a resolution at the middle of the night, but this time Li Wanniang's serving time is particularly long. Seeing that it was halfway through the middle of the night, the candles in the hall were still on, and the room was full of people. Everyone murmured in their hearts, Wei Fengchun was the first to attack, squinted at Cui Chengxiu and sneered: "Could it be that Li Nushi only focused on talking to the young master and forgot to serve the soothing soup? If you are so tired, the young master can't rest. In the ears of the empress dowager, none of us will get better!"

"What are you making so much noise about?" Cui Chengxiu was already suspicious in his heart, but he still insisted on the manager's demeanor, "It must be because the government affairs are busy today, and the young master can't rest. You," he pointed to Yuniang and the others, "you don't have to suffer like this It's over, leave the person on duty, and the rest should be on duty, so as not to delay tomorrow's errand."

Seeing the crowd disperse, Cui Chengxiu entered the copper samovar room, poured himself a cup of strong tea, drank it grinningly, and came out to look in the direction of Qinghe Hall. Suddenly seeing the lights in the hall turned off, he let out a sigh of relief.But he waited for a stick of incense, but he didn't see Li Wanniang exiting the hall. The Qinghe Hall was dark and quiet, and nothing seemed unusual, but Cui Chengxiu opened her mouth wide in shock—could it be that everyone lost their eyes this time, it was actually This Li Nushi took the lead, chatting and chatting on the dragon bed?

When Li Wanniang stepped into the palace gate, the emperor was sitting behind the imperial case reading the scriptures and ignored her.She put the calming soup in a copper cup, carefully stood aside, and peeked at the emperor.Poor thing, I have stayed in the palace for seven or eight years, and it is the first time I have seen Tianyan after coming to Yuqian for more than half a month.As the nuns in the Ningshou Palace said, the emperor was born with the first class and the first class, and now he is wearing casual clothes, with only a small golden crown on his head, covered with azure satin and golden hair, The waist is amber and gold belt, and the feet are white satin inner-like official boots, which set off the good looks with red lips and white teeth. Although the expression is indifferent and others are regarded as empty, the eyebrows and eyes are still heart-wrenching.

"My lord," the emperor didn't even lift his eyelids, Li Wanniang waited for a moment, and could only speak by herself, "My servant Li Wanniang, kowtow to my lord."

The emperor still did not raise his eyes, and only responded, "Bring the soup."

"Boss Cui's order, if you don't need the Anshen Tang, I don't need it, or," Li Wanniang said boldly, "The maidservant will serve the young master to take off his clothes first?"

Serving the emperor to change clothes before going to bed is the duty of the division.This time, the emperor gave her a cold glance: "I have hands and feet myself, so I don't need others to do this." She stood up and entered the warm pavilion with her hands behind her back. After a while, there was another voice from the warm pavilion: " come in."

The clothes had already been placed on the tables outside the imperial tent, and Li Wanniang packed them up one by one, secretly speculating in her heart: Could it be that the same happened to Gu Yuan a few days ago? If she is in such a cold state, it is not difficult to explain why Rejected, but why are the two managers so tight in curry favor?Could it be that the more indifferent the emperor is to someone, the more he actually values ​​it in his heart?

There were rustling voices in the tent, the emperor seemed to be tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep, Li Wanniang didn't dare to think about it anymore, she lowered her voice and asked the emperor: "Master, what do you want?"

"You—" the emperor pondered for a while, "Qinqi, calligraphy and painting, which one do you like?"

Li Wanniang was born in a bad family, she entered the palace from a lowly maid, she learned the rules and practiced her skills, even in the palace, she was punished by her aunt for taking an extra step, all of these things were perfunctory to drive the ducks to the shelves after she was in bed. After studying for a while, she felt anxious, and after careful consideration for a while, she chose the one that was rumored to be the closest to the emperor's hobby: "Slaves like calligraphy."

"Calligraphy?" The emperor's voice was still cold, "Whose calligraphy do you like?"

At the beginning, the mothers mentioned that the emperor once liked the calligraphy of the second king.Li Wanniang answered without hesitation this time: "My servant likes the words of the second king."

"The words of the second king?" The emperor sneered slightly, and continued to test calmly, "It's rare that someone likes it as much as I do. I like "Stomach Pain Post" the most, do you also like it?"

"Master's taste is naturally incomparable. "Stomach Pain Post" is very well written, and the slaves also like it—"

Before Li Wanniang could finish her sentence, the curtain of the imperial tent was pulled open, and the emperor looked at her coldly: ""Tummy Pain Post" is written by Zhang Xu, don't you like the words written by the second king?"

The ridicule and disgust in the girl's eyebrows made Li Wanniang terrified, and she couldn't help but kowtow desperately to beg for mercy: "Young Master Mingjian, slave girl, slave girl, slave girl just wants to please the young master, not intentionally to deceive the king. The slave girl was born in a poor family, and she didn't read any books. No one can live up to it," she choked and fell down, "Three years ago, the flood and plague wiped out all the people in the village, leaving me alone, I beg you, for the sake of slaves having nowhere else to go—"

"The plague three years ago? The whole village is gone?" The emperor rolled over and sat up in the tent, his voice filled with shock and anger, "Where?!"

"The servant girl is from Changle Prefecture, Haizhou."

"Haizhou?" The emperor got up and got off the imperial couch, and glanced at Li Wanniang, "You follow me."

As if falling into a dream, Li Wanniang followed the emperor out of the warm pavilion in a daze, and served him until the fourth watch.The emperor was sitting behind the imperial case in only his middle coat, holding the memorial in one hand, while the barometer and palace report fell from the other hand of the emperor, and landed on the felt blanket soundlessly.

Li Wanniang looked at the sleeping face on the throne that still contained worry and anger, and felt amused and desolate at the same time: she had tried her best to please the emperor, but nothing caught the emperor's eyes, but this really unpleasant life experience, but It allowed the emperor to stay up most of the night to check the map and turn over the book.

In fact, it's a bit embarrassing to put this job of sleeping in the Empress's place.The servants in the palace pay attention to having future blessings, and they want sesame seeds to bloom and rise steadily. Seeing that it is impossible to have an imperial heir, and it is impossible to be upright and upright, they have nothing but to count on the emperor's favor. Not so enviable.In fact, she was just risking everything to seek a proud fortune. People who have nothing, what else can they worry about?

However, when he arrived at the Imperial Palace, it was completely different from what he thought.She lightly extinguished the candle, and sat down in the corner: as long as she stays in this hall overnight, her value will be different immediately. After a while, you may not be able to notice this little trick, right?

On the second day, Cui Chengxiu met her face to face, and as expected, her smile turned into a flower: "Little lady, you have worked hard!"

Li Wanniang smiled softly: "I just spent the night with Your Majesty. Speaking of which, Your Majesty has worked much harder than me. What kind of tiredness am I?"

She bowed to Cui Chengxiu neither humble nor overbearing, and got off the platform.Cui Chengxiu stared at her back and thought for a long time, then suddenly touched her chin and smiled slightly: "Interesting, it really is a piece of material!"

Most of the people in the palace who can be favored for a long time are due to scheming and carefulness. They may not be the emperor's favorite, but this one is just like that. Does it seem that they may have a bright future?