Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Monarch and Subject

The last three words, spit out from Jin Yuyan's bright and burning red lips as lightly as if spitting out melon seeds, pierced deeply in Yan Wan's heart.After fighting so much and begging so much, it turned out to be unworthy in the eyes of others!Without children, would he end up in such a situation?She stared at Yuyan's swollen belly, her fingers trembling uncontrollably.She had never felt that Yuyan's bulging belly was so annoying. Li Xin smiled and said: "Please ask the nobleman to be more careful, don't rub the young master's shoes with heavy hands." Yuyan glanced at Yanwan, raised the toe of the shoe, and saw that it was indeed wiped clean, and then lazily said: "Okay, step back. The upper of this Suzhou embroidery in my palace is more delicate than your fingers." She He raised his toes, pressed his chin, and laughed unscrupulously.

The shoe surface of Suzhou embroidery is as smooth as the skin of a newborn baby, almost breakable by blowing bullets.The fine stitches, the bright colors, the exquisiteness of each stitch, stuck on his chin, but almost wiped out the blood from his heart, Yan Wan stood in front of Yuyan clutching the silk, not daring to move, He didn't dare to retreat, he was as small as a grain of dust.She suddenly felt that with the meager grace she possessed, maybe one day she would be buried under these red bricks and blue tiles, and no one would care about her. Yuyan was having fun, but she saw Li Yu bringing Ling Yunche over, and when she saw her, she hurriedly called her and said, "Mrs.

Yuyan withdrew her feet, corrected her expression and said with a smile: "Where is Eunuch Li going, he is in such a hurry." Li Yudao: "The servant is going to Qixiang Palace to pass the decree, the emperor invites the empress to have dinner together in the Hall of Mental Cultivation." Yuyan hurriedly smiled and said: "I'm in trouble, father-in-law, I can go to the palace." Yuyan glanced at Yanwan, and gave a light snort, as if she was tired of the cat playing with the mouse, and waved away.Yan Wan swayed, Chun Chan hurriedly supported her, and said anxiously: "Little Master, are you okay?" Yan Wan supported her arms and stood up straight, looking at Yu Yan's back, she grabbed her own tightly. palm.

Seeing Yuyan walking away, Ling Yunche hurriedly said to Li Yu: "Eunuch, I know the way to the satin library, I can go by myself. Eunuch is still busy with errands." Li Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, put his hands in his sleeves, and said with a smile: "Alright, Guard Ling, the emperor remembers that you saved the empress, so he must reward you with ten pieces of tribute satin as a compliment. You have a bright future!" The two parted with each other.Yan Wan turned her face away, seeing that it was Ling Yunche, knowing that the embarrassment just now had fallen into his eyes, she felt even more embarrassed, wishing she could get into the gap in the palace wall.Yan Wan glanced sideways, Chun Chan took a few steps back knowingly, Yun Che took out a handkerchief from his bosom and handed it to her: "Wipe it off."

Yan Wan didn't go to pick it up, Yun Che was a little embarrassed, but still smiled: "How can my lord be willing to use the things my servants use?" Yan Wan threw away the Juanzi in her hand, raised her cuff embroidered with white Xiaochun orange flowers and wiped her chin vigorously, turned her face away and said, "I'd rather be seen by the emperor than you." Yun Che was silent for a moment: "The emperor sees it because of pity and emotion, but the humble minister sees it, it is just an old friend's hurt." She smiled wanly, but tears could not help but appear in her eyes: "I thought you had forgotten that we are old friends."

Yun Che turned his face away, his clear face was a little more heroic.Yes, they are no longer thirteen or fourteen-year-old boys, two people who are drifting away, how can they still have old hearts.He whispered: "The little master will try his best to forget, and the little minister will try his best to forget." A bright light flashed in Yan Wan's eyes: "Brother Yunche, what you have to work hard to forget is the hardest thing to forget after all, isn't it?" For a moment, she was stunned, and even Yan Wan herself didn't understand why she asked such a question.In the days of being a concubine, she proudly reminded herself all the time that she was already the supreme king's woman.She has always disdained to mention the past, and restrained thinking of people in the time she disdained, such as Yun Che.So she has been avoiding meeting and talking with her.

In fact, they all know that they can often see each other.When she went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to acknowledge kindness, when she was wrapped in a brocade quilt and carried her naked body from the enclosure into the bedroom of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, she would see his blurred face guarding outside the hall in the deep night.She even wondered if he could hear her sweet and ambiguous smile and moan under the emperor's body if it was a windy night. However, there is a world of difference between the inside of one door and the outside of the other. After so many years of separation, this was the first time she changed back to the old address and called him "Brother Yunche", just like before.

It was as if drops of water fell from a high place coldly, and with a bang, it hit my heart heavily.Countless memories of the past surged into my heart in an instant. The innocent beauty of youth and the noble and delicate beauty of beauty now overlapped each other, and they could not be the same person for a long time. Yun Che looked at her with a trace of unconcealable pity in his eyes: "Yan Wan, is this the way we have worked so hard to find?" Crystal tears welled up in Yan Wan's eyes: "This road is not easy to walk, but it may not be much more difficult than the previous road. I will try my best to make this road easier to walk."

Yun Che tried his best to keep his tone as indifferent as possible, but there was still a trace of warmth that could not be concealed: "Competing with others like this, and being humiliated even after fighting with others. Yan Wan, I just think you are working too hard." "All roads have to go forward, and they are equally hard." Yan Wan's tone is soft and soft like petals blooming quietly, shaking the thin and soft pistils bit by bit, "With your caring words, I am enough. " She bowed and walked away slowly.After a few steps, I met Chunchan who stretched out to support her, with a low voice but firm: "Chunchan, no matter what method I use, I will definitely conceive a child, definitely!"

The days after Empress Xiaoxian passed away, although there were many trivial matters, they passed in an orderly and peaceful manner.Luyun meditated to "recover her illness", almost shutting herself in the palace, eating fast every day, chanting Buddha and praying for her children, hoping to appease the emperor's wrath.Only Yuyan in the palace is more flamboyant, but because she is pregnant and unable to sleep with her, everyone let her in, and Concubine Mei's favor is gradually not as good as before, and Wei Yihuan stands out.In addition, Hailan, Yanwan, Lu Yingluo, Wanyin and Xiu agreed, except for Hailan, they don't need to accept favors, and everyone else will live as usual.And Ruyi, apart from taking care of the affairs of the harem, devoted herself to raising Yongqi.

Compared with the tranquility of the harem, the front court was not very quiet.The aftermath of Empress Xiaoxian's death continued. First, the emperor discovered that the empress' canonization document was translated into Manchu, and mistakenly translated "emperor concubine" as "first empress". "Great disrespect" was punished, and he was pardoned after beheading the prisoner; the Minister of Man and Han of the Ministry of Punishment and the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment were all questioned and dismissed from their posts to stay in office.Also, because the Hanlin Academy drafted the Queen's sacrificial oration, the word "Quantai" was used. The emperor thought that these two words could be used for ordinary people. "How can we add the honor of the queen"?Even important ministers of the three dynasties, including Zhang Tingyu, a scholar, were also punished with fines and salaries. The Ministry of Industry accused the entire hall of being guilty of "rough production" in handling the Queen's Book of Treasures.Because the cakes and table sheets used in Guanglu Temple were "unclean and bright" for the queen's ceremonies, both Guanglu Secretary and Shaoqing were demoted.The clan mansion has also been warned several times.Subsequently, more than 50 Manchu civil and military officials from other provinces went to Beijing to visit the Queen's Palace because they did not have a memorial, or they were downgraded or eliminated military sanctions.A group of officials shaved their hair against the regulations during the queen's funeral, and were punished after investigation.Governor of Liangjiang Yin Jishan, Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang Kaerjishan, Governor of Water Transport Yunzu, Governor of Zhejiang Gu Cong, Governor of Jiangxi Kaitai, Governor of Henan Shuose, etc., were all 53 officials who were highly valued when the late emperor was in power. The second time is also punished again.Zhou Xuejian, governor of Jiangnan River, even shaves his hair without authorization and discovers corruption, so he is ordered to commit suicide.Even Gao Bin, the father of Lian Huixian's imperial concubine, was severely sent for "shaving hair in violation of the regulations", and was reprimanded by the emperor face to face in the court. That's all for others, Zhang Tingyu was an important minister of the three dynasties, and one of the veteran ministers who had always supported Empress Xiaoxian's position in the harem. It was really unexpected that he was convicted because of Empress Xiaoxian's death at this time.What's more, after the death of the imperial concubine Huixian, the emperor remembered it endlessly. Every time it came to the filling day of the imperial concubine's death, he would compose a poem to mourn her, every year.Also, Ama, the imperial concubine of Huixian, was not taken into account. After being punished like this, the emperor was really furious to the extreme. So when Li Yu came to invite Ruyi, his complexion changed, and he wiped the sweat on his forehead anxiously: "Noble Concubine Xian, Lord Gao Bin and Lord Zhang Tingyu were reprimanded in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and the emperor lost his temper." , at this time, I am afraid that only you can go and see it." Ruyi put down the eight-treasure and five-color silk threads she was tidying up, and asked, "Why did the emperor reprimand them again, didn't he already reprimand them in the court two days ago?" Li Yu hurriedly said: "Master Zhang and Lord Gao came here to plead guilty for the last time they were blamed. I don't want the emperor to see them and talk about transporting the big ship Qingquefang where Empress Xiaoxian lived during her east tour back to Beijing. Save it, Mr. Gao didn't dare to refute it, but Mr. Zhang praised the emperor's deep love between husband and wife because he is a veteran minister, and then said that this was inappropriate." "Isn't it right?" Ruyi asked suspiciously, "Qingquefang is the last place where Empress Xiaoxian lived. The emperor just wants to keep this boat, so what's wrong?" Li Yu frowned, and gestured: "The boat is too big, and the city gates are narrow, so you can't enter the city at all. The emperor wants to tear down the gate tower." Ruyi was taken aback, and immediately said, "It's no wonder that Zhang Tingyu objected to such a big event." Li Yu rubbed his hands together and said, "That's not true. That's why the emperor got angry and reprimanded the two adults for being heartless! It's fine for the two adults to reprimand you too early, but it's good for the emperor to be angry and hurt his body." For the funeral of Empress Xiaoxian, the emperor was furious for several days, Ruyi was also a little nervous, so she quickly ordered the sedan chair to follow Li Yu. The Hall of Mental Cultivation was extremely quiet, the maids and eunuchs were all waiting outside, each and every one of them stood silently with their hands down, fearing that the emperor's thunderous wrath would involve them.Ruyi helped Li Yu's men get off the sedan chair, and signaled Ruixin and Lingzhi to wait at the foot of the steps.She had just stepped up the white marble steps when she heard the emperor's furious voice: "Empress Xiaoxian is the mother of the world, so what if I tear down a city wall for the mother of the world? How can you understand the pain of a wife? It’s all heartless things, and then you talk about benevolence and morality. Get out!” Ruyi was waiting outside the hall, and saw the two old ministers looking at each other, and retreated in embarrassment. When they saw Ruyi, they bowed to pay their respects: "Blessings, Concubine Xian, Your Majesty." Ruyi nodded slightly, not caring about their disrespectful attitude towards her.That's right, she has fought openly and secretly with Empress Xiaoxian and Imperial Concubine Huixian for half her life, Zhang Tingyu has always protected the Empress, Gao Bin is the biological father of the Imperial Concubine, why should she be respectful to herself.She looked at the backs of the two of them, and smiled meaningfully, showing respect and respect, which hadn't happened for a while. She walked into the hall slowly. It was afternoon, and the warm wind in April was cut off by the closed window sash, and the sunlight became a thin shadow reflected on the window, ethereal and helpless.The emperor lay on the cold chair with his head raised, his face tired. Ruyi smiled and said: "It's good for the emperor to lie on his back like this. People always only look at the road under their feet, but rarely look at what is above their heads. Even the dark clouds cover the top without knowing it, and they are still in a hurry." There was a touch of tiredness in the emperor's voice: "You are here. Then you heard me lose my temper. Are you afraid of people?" Ruyi approached him: "A gentleman is angry, the whole world is trembling, and my concubine is of course afraid. Not only my concubine is afraid, just now the two adults, Zhang Tingyu and Gao Bin, walked out, trembling, as if struck by lightning. The concubine thought, They really are If they are afraid, and they are the only ones who are afraid, the whole court will respect the emperor, and no longer regard the emperor as a young monarch who has just come to rule the world." The emperor breathed a sigh of relief, and put his hand on his forehead: "Ruyi, I'm already thirty-seven years old." Ruyi hugged the emperor from behind, feeling a lot of emotion: "Yes, this concubine has been with the emperor for seventeen years. In these seventeen years, this concubine has never seen the emperor so furious." She took the enamel painting from the press Rub some of the peppermint oil in the flower bowl, dip it on your fingertips, and gently rub your forehead on behalf of the emperor, "It's all right for the emperor to lose his temper at outsiders, but don't really get angry and hurt your liver and body. Concubine Yichen Look, what the emperor did today was a happy thing." The emperor closed his eyes and groaned deeply: "Why are you so happy?" Ruyi Mingchun smiled: "These days, outsiders look at the emperor very angry. But the people punished by the emperor are either the elders of the three dynasties, or the old ministers of the former emperor, or the concubine's mother's family. They can't get rid of the tail, and they rely on the old to sell the old in the previous dynasty. Those who hinder the emperor, take this opportunity to get rid of them, it is justified, and it is an act of the emperor's affection, which will never be criticized by others." There was a calm smile on the corner of the emperor's mouth, he reached out to grab her hand and said, "Ruyi, why are you so smart?" Ruyi stretched out her slender fingers and firmly grasped the emperor: "It's not that the concubine is smart, it's that the concubine and the emperor have one heart." The emperor pressed his cheek tightly against the back of her smooth hand: "I like you saying this word, Yixin." Ruyi smiled gently, a little touched, but also a little puzzled.Perhaps in the eyes of outsiders, the emperor's remembrance of the empress is also a man's heart.Perhaps the so-called one-heartedness is originally a flowery and colorful flower in the eyes of others, but it is full of holes inside.Who knows? After a moment of silence, Ruyi still asked: "Although the emperor reprimanded Zhang Tingyu and Gao Bin, the emperor must have a plan in mind for moving the Qingque boat, right?" The emperor nodded and said: "Haiwang, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, came up with a method for me to transport ships into the city, that is, to build a wooden frame and pass through the crenels of the city wall. The wooden rails of roommates are placed on the wooden frame, and the wooden rails are covered with fresh vegetables. At that time, more than a thousand workers will be pushed, supported, and pulled, and the imperial boat can be smoothly transported into the city, which can not only keep the tower, but also save a lot of manpower and financial resources. After thinking about it, Empress Xiaoxian died outside the palace. The place where the last breath is left is Qingquefang, so I can also express my condolences for moving Qingquefang to the capital." She bowed her head: "The emperor has a sincere heart for the empress, and my concubine respects her." The emperor slowly moved the jade wrench on his finger: "The death of Empress Xiaoxian is irreversible. No matter how sad I am, it is just an external matter. But if I use this incident to clean up the court, Then those old stubborn people really think that I am still the emperor who has just ascended the throne." Ruyi smiled slightly: "The courtiers and concubines don't understand the affairs of the court. The ministers and concubines only know that once the emperor and the courtiers are promoted by themselves, they will be truly grateful and have no half-hearted intentions." The emperor smiled knowingly: "I'm not afraid that they have second thoughts, and they don't dare! Just don't always think that you have something you can rely on, and pretend to be an old minister. I like obedient ministers, and those who like to point fingers, you can retreat and rest." rest." Ruyi's heart moved, and she wanted to say something, but in the end she felt that it was inappropriate, so she changed her unintentional tone and said, "What the emperor said is true. It's just outsiders. After all, Yonghuang and Yongzhang are your own children. Are you angry?" Forget it after passing. Yonghuang has been sick since then, and he dare not see anyone, and Yongzhang is always downcast, it's so pitiful." The emperor glanced at her, and said coldly: "Is a woman's mind so gentle and delicate, can't be put on the big table? Or, Ruyi, you have always been the most intelligent and transparent, why do you ignore it when it falls on your children?" clear." Ruyi was startled.But he could only turn this astonishment into a slightly stern expression: "The concubine is just a little girl with short-sightedness. It is just a fluke to occasionally guess what the emperor is thinking. How can I really be as bright-sighted as the emperor?" The emperor smiled in relief: "Forget it. You have been living in the harem, and the world you see is just a sky in the Forbidden City. No wonder many things are covered." The emperor clasped his fingers on the red sandalwood table, and there was a dull sound: "In the matter of Yonghuang and Yongzhang, there are certainly some unfilial aspects of them, but I also understand that their unfilial piety is also due to the fault of Empress Xiaoxian herself. Inside, no wonder there are two children." Seeing that the emperor's tone was a little loose, Ruyi was very relieved for Yonghuang, and hurriedly said: "What the emperor said is that children are young, and there are some frizz." The emperor's tone was sharp and sharp. He stood under the closed window sash, and the prints carved by the sun on the long window were like faint ink marks, covering the emperor's face with a light layer of shadow, making him more and more unpredictable. : "But what I care about the most is that as my eldest son and third son, they actually covet the position of crown prince. Since they kept their filial piety for Empress Xiaoxian, can I not see them? One claims to be the eldest son, and the other Claiming to have a biological mother to rely on to fight for favor. Do these actions mean that I am dead?" Ruyi saw that although the emperor's tone was calm, there was a coldness underneath, like sharp ice rushing under a raging river, which could stab people to death at any time.She hurriedly lowered her body and said: "The emperor calms down. You are in your prime. Brothers dare not think like this. Especially Yonghuang, the noble concubine Zhemin passed away early, and he has never been taught by his biological mother. The only thing he can rely on is you, the emperor." , he dared not have such a presumptuous heart." The emperor snorted coldly: "Don't dare, he has already moved such thoughts. The holy ancestor Kangxi has many heirs, and the eldest son Yunti has the intention of seizing the heir, and has been imprisoned to death. How can I not be chilled by the lessons learned from the past? Not to mention my son , You must listen to my words and obey my will. How dare they not be sad when I am sad, and disagree with me in front of concubines and nobles, how can I bear it?" Oh, this is the real meaning.Husband and wife of the Tian family, father and son of the royal family, in the final analysis, are just like monarchs and ministers, they can only obey.No, even courtiers sometimes speak up and remonstrate, but people like them can't.Only low eyebrows, only obedience, only forbearance. They, like them, have never been a group of people who can have their own opinions and ideas. Ruyi keeps silent, and in her silence, she also understands the sad fate of Yonghuang and Yongzhang.Maybe Hailan is right, she is outside of grace, so she can see clearly and hit the target.She pushed open the window, and there was a thin wind outside pushing the golden sunlight to pour in, and there was an overly sweet floral fragrance in the air, almost intoxicating.That drunkenness is also the drunkenness of oneself.