Chapter 2 Princess Return of the Pearl (Part 2)
My Fair Princess (II)
In the Cining Palace, the Queen Mother returned to the inner room to change into her daily clothes. She glanced at Qing'er and didn't see her, so she asked Aunt Gui where Qing'er was.
Aunt Gui smiled and said, "My Lord, Princess Qing was afraid that the little maids would be clumsy and make mistakes, so she went to the carriage to pack your clothes and jewelry. She also said that she would go to the small kitchen to give instructions. How filial she is." As she spoke, she helped the Queen Mother sit down at the kang table. The little maids had already laid out the food.
The Queen Mother ate two pieces of osmanthus cake and drank a small bowl of golden bird's nest, and she couldn't eat anymore. The cakes in the palace were indeed delicious, but it was still very greasy if you ate too much.
Turning to Madam Gui, she said, "For so many years, I have kept Qing'er by my side out of pity. She has grown up so fast and will be married soon. Qing'er is a good girl, but a little naive. I have to make good plans for her. You should discipline the little girls below and make them behave themselves. Don't be like the servants in Shufangzhai, who go crazy with their masters one by one." Madam Gui bowed and said, "I obey your orders. Master, don't worry, the servants in Cining Palace are the most disciplined, and I will discipline them strictly." She looked at the Queen Mother's face and said, "Master, do you think the servants in Shufangzhai should be disciplined?" The Queen Mother waved her hand and said, "Don't worry about Shufangzhai's affairs for the time being. It won't cause any big trouble anyway. The more problems they cause, the more the Emperor will care. Pay attention to them. If the Queen and Xiaoyanzi hadn't made such a mess before, and Yongqi hadn't been in a hurry to find the Emperor for support every time, how could the two princesses have so many opportunities to see the Emperor? "
The Queen Mother fiddled with her nail covers, squinted her eyes and said slowly: "Emotions are all gained from getting along. The Emperor and Xiaoyanzi are fighting against the Queen together, so naturally their relationship is getting better and better. As long as we and the Queen turn a blind eye to the two princesses, they can only make trouble in Shufangzhai and the Imperial Garden. If they dare to run to the Yangxin Palace for no reason, the Emperor will not condone it. Besides, if the palace wants to deal with someone, there are many ways to do it, not just the obvious lesson. "
Gui Mama suddenly realized it. Before, she saw the two princesses being disrespectful to the Queen Mother, and she was naturally angry and wanted to teach them a lesson. Now, after listening to the Queen Mother's words, she also felt that it was very simple to deal with them. Now the Emperor is pampering them. When the Emperor doesn't pay attention to Shufangzhai for a while, she can use any means to make them drink a pot.
The Queen Mother said again: "The Queen is acting more and more confused now. I don't want to lose face for the Queen. You have to remind Rong Mama when you have time. Don't stare at the two princesses all day long. They are just girls. They will be married in two years. They are not worth mentioning. It is more important to teach the twelfth prince well. I will help the Queen to take back the Phoenix Seal in a while. Let them be cautious and clean up their Kunning Palace." After thinking about it, there was nothing to order, so she sent the servants out and said that she wanted to rest for a while and should not be disturbed. The Queen Mother sat on the bed, put down the curtain, and began to meditate and practice. There were always many people around her when she was on the road before, and she never had the opportunity to practice quietly. She closed her eyes and felt it carefully. The suppression of the soul when she came from the main time and space was not too great. She should be able to open the seal of the space after practicing to the foundation-building stage. However, the spiritual energy in the palace is thin, and she can't move around at will with her current identity. She can only come slowly. In Shufangzhai, Yongqi and Erkang were so anxious that they could not help complaining: "I told you to be quiet, but why did you make such a big fuss? The old Buddha must be impressed by you now."
Xiaoyanzi saw Ziwei frowning, and saw Yongqi and Erkang walking around, and said unhappily: "Isn't she just an old lady? Can she eat me? I didn't mean it. I told you not to go, but you made me go."
Yongqi had no choice but to remind the queen mother again and again that she had great power and should not make her angry, hoping that Xiaoyanzi would listen. Erkang also reminded Ziwei on the side, telling her not to be nervous when the old Buddha summoned her, to behave well, and to master the rules while there was still time.
The two did not stay in Shufangzhai for long. The queen mother returned to the palace, and they also had their own things to do.
Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei were very uneasy, and they waited nervously for the queen mother to summon them.
Unexpectedly, the Queen Mother seemed to have forgotten them. No one notified them of the banquet, and they were exempted from paying respects. If it weren't for Concubine Ling no longer allowing them to leave the palace at will and asking them to behave themselves recently, they would have thought that the Queen Mother's return to the palace was a dream.
It was not until Ali Hezhuo brought Princess Hanxiang to the court, the emperor gave a banquet, and held a grand welcoming party that they saw the Queen Mother again.
The Queen Mother sat at a table with the Queen, Concubine Ling and other concubines. Qing'er still sat beside her. The Queen Mother watched the performance on the stage and listened to Qing'er's interesting words from time to time. She always had a loving smile on her face, and people could see at a glance that she loved Qing Gege.
The Queen Mother called the Seventh and Ninth Gege over to talk for a while. Seeing Xiaoyanzi Ziwei at the Gege table, she was pretty, but she looked petty. She looked at them casually and turned her head to continue watching the performance, as if they were just insignificant people. Of course, Xiaoyanzi didn't understand these. Although Ziwei was a little disappointed, she was relieved that she didn't have to face the Queen Mother.
The concubines and wives of royal family members understood this clearly. The empress dowager did not like these two princesses from the common people!
In the royal family, the neglect of the queen mother and empress is enough to make a princess feel uncomfortable. After all, the emperor's favor will not last long, but princesses will have to get married sooner or later to live on their own. Without the careful care and guidance of their elders, they will have to live alone. It's out of tune. How will I be in charge of the business in the future? You can't ask for the emperor's support every time. Seeing that the Queen Mother was very fond of Qing Gege, those Fujins whose sons were of suitable age were all thinking about the possibility of becoming their master.
Soon it was time for Hanxiang to perform the dance. The Queen Mother watched the dance carefully and had to admire it. She danced very well. Hanxiang was dressed in white gauze, which fluttered like snow. Among the many men, the unique charm of women was highlighted. It looks outstanding and graceful. Looking at Qianlong again, he was staring at the stage and he was so forgetful. It was really embarrassing!
At this time, Hanxiang finished a fierce dance and fell to the ground facing Qianlong. Qianlong stood up and applauded, and stepped forward to help Hanxiang up personally.
Ali walked up to Qianlong, saluted Qianlong, and said seriously: "Your Majesty! In order to show our respect for the Emperor, if the Emperor likes it, I will dedicate this precious daughter of mine to the Emperor!"
As soon as Ali and Zhuo said these words, the entire audience was silent. Everyone was shocked, and Xiao Yanzi's eyes widened in anger.
The Queen Mother saw Hanxiang looking up with a sad look on her face, and thinking of the farce she was about to bring about, she laughed in the silence and said, "Ali and Zhuo are so polite. Speaking of which, the customs in Xinjiang are very different from our Qing Dynasty. , women can also show their grace like this. In our Qing Dynasty, women were never allowed to get close to foreign men, and dancing could only be appreciated by their own family members. "
When Ali saw the noble empress dowager speaking, he quickly lowered his head and replied a few words about customs. The Queen Mother just stopped when she saw the opportunity. After all, she hardly talked to the ministers, and it would arouse suspicion after that.
Qianlong was overjoyed and was about to designate Hanxiang as Xiangfei. He was stunned when he heard the Queen Mother's words. He thought that just now Hanxiang danced with several men and was looked at by the princes and ministers, and he felt uncomfortable in his heart.
So the original Xiang Fei became a noble person and was still given the opportunity to live in Baoyue Tower. Ali didn't know what Qianlong was thinking, but when he saw that Qianlong had made his daughter a nobleman, although his status was not very high, he came back to Xinjiang to surrender, so he was very happy to take Hanxiang and thank him.
After the Queen Mother returned to Cining Palace with Qing'er, she ordered Aunt Gui to send someone to investigate the details of Hanxiang in front of Qing'er, and sent someone to keep an eye on Baoyue Tower, Yanxi Palace, Xiao Yanzi and others.
Seeing Qing'er's doubts, he explained to her: "Xinjiang has always been restless this time. This time they came here to offer sacrifices to the saint after losing the battle. Who knows if Hanxiang came here voluntarily? After all, we were here before. If we are against each other, there will inevitably be casualties in the war. If she harbors resentment, it will be dangerous to keep her in the palace. Moreover, the Ai family heard that there are many strange medicines in Huijiang, and we have to be on guard against Xiao Yanzi and the others. He always likes to be noisy, so it’s always good to keep an eye on him.”
The Queen Mother took a sip of almond milk and saw that Qing'er was listening seriously, so she continued with a smile: "As for the Yanxi Palace, your concubine has been the favorite concubine in the palace for many years. She has great glory and can climb from a foot-washing maid to the concubine. How could she be as weak and kind as she appears to be in charge of Feng Yin and the Sixth Palace? Now that the emperor is interested in Hanxiang and has given her a palace alone, your concubine will definitely take action in the face of this threat. Not young anymore, the Ai family is already looking out for you, consort. From now on, the Ai family will not avoid you. They usually ask Aunt Gui to tell you the secrets of the harem. When you get married, there will be no regrets. If you are protected by your family, you won’t be bullied.”
When Qing'er heard that the Queen Mother was looking at her consort, she blushed with embarrassment. She also heard that the Queen Mother was so troubled to plan for her. She was deeply touched and determined to study hard. She was brought up by the Queen Mother, and she would not care about anything in the future. The Queen Mother cannot be embarrassed anywhere.
In the evening, the Queen Mother withdrew from the crowd and sat in the bed tent to meditate. After all, her body was old, so the speed of cultivation was much slower than expected. It only served the purpose of strengthening the body. Fortunately, the Queen Mother has a lot of free time and can practice every day at noon and night. However, it is impossible to completely unlock the seal in this life. At most, it can have an ordinary storage function. It is a pity that all the things stored before are placed in the space. The house has been sealed together and cannot be taken out for the time being.
After being instructed by Aunt Gui, Aunt Rong immediately cleaned up Kunning Palace and threw Saiwei Saiguang and some restless little girls out of the wrong place. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that what Aunt Gui said made sense, so she persuaded the queen very carefully.
After all, the queen was not an ignorant girl. She just regarded the emperor as her husband after ascending to the throne and regarded the other concubines as a thorn in her side, so she could not see the situation clearly. Now listening to Grandma Rong's analysis, I know that I lost my sense of proportion and almost caused a catastrophe! I cried bitterly, but since then I have corrected my mentality, acted cautiously, stopped talking about the emperor's affairs, and only focused on teaching my twelfth brother.
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