I only cared about the excitement that suddenly appeared to me, and did not listen to her.

"If the young lady returns to the harem, then she will definitely be the only pet again." Haoyue looked at me with harmless eyes.

I shook my head: "There are so many beauties in the harem, and I am no longer who I was." I clasped my hands, as if resting on my stomach unintentionally, watching her smile gently: "Not to mention, Haoyue , Do you think I can go back?"

Haoyue did not speak, but pointed to the food box and said: "Miss, the Governor of the Lakes and Lakes paid tribute to hairy crabs yesterday, and each palace has a lot of them, so I steamed it and brought it to the young lady to try it out." A plate of crabs, a plate of dipping sauce, and a pot of wine.

Her smile was sincere, and her eyes were expectant, and she clearly hoped that I could taste the most delicious hairy crabs like other concubines, so that I would not realize that I was a forgotten person. It's just that she forgot that I haven't been in the prosperous brocade harem for a long time, and I have never longed for or liked such an extravagant but meaningless life. The delicacy in front of me only evokes my memories of the past, and the past is beautiful and more beautiful, but it hurts people like the sharp thorns under the delicate roses.

However, Haoyue had a good intention after all, she would not think so much, nor would she think that I would think so much.

I smiled and laughed at myself. It seems that I have been here for too long and people have become boring to think about it.

"Miss, have a taste." Haoyue laid out the "eighteen crabs" one by one, and the diamonds inlaid on the tools looked out of place on the mottled and shabby table. My eyebrows jumped, and Haoyue's eyes were filled with a gratifying smile, without seeing anything abnormal.

I looked at the bright orange-red steamed crabs. Haoyue was right. This is an authentic Yangcheng Lake hairy crab with blue back, white belly, golden claws and yellow hair. The individual is strong and thick. Haoyue should be simply The crab was steamed in a steamer with ginger. No wonder she came today, this crab is the most delicious when it is fresh.

However, crabs are extremely cold, and people who are pregnant cannot eat it at all. At this moment, I faced Haoyue's sincere eyes, and I didn't know what to do for a while.

"Miss, what's the matter?" Haoyue asked in confusion, seeing that I hadn't done anything, "Doesn't Miss like it?"

I shook my head. Haoyue knew that I like crabs. Although he is not greedy, but when the autumn breeze rises and crab feet are itchy, the third brother will send someone to send the best Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs. Since the emperor usually gave crabs earlier than the emperor, Ling's mansion would hold a small "crab feast" and quietly invite several close relatives and friends to try it out. And every now and then, I will open my stomach and eat a few. At this time she brought crabs, maybe she thought I would love to eat them too.

I sighed, and dipped a little dipping sauce with my finger to taste. It was mixed with chopped green onion, minced ginger, vinegar, and sugar. The crab is the most delicious. On one side, the small silver flagon with carved autumn chrysanthemum inlaid with tiger-eye stones should be filled with chrysanthemum honey stuffed, which is what I always match when I eat crab.

When Haoyue saw me looking at those things, she smiled slightly, picked up the scissors to cut off the two big claws of the crab one by one, and used a hammer to bang around the crab shell, then opened the back shell with a shovel, and then moved the tongs and forks respectively. , Scraping, using needles in turns, or picking, or pinching, or fork, or knocking, respectively take out the golden crab yellow, white crab paste, and fresh crab meat, and then place them one by one in a small dish with a flower pattern on the bucket. Then handed it to me.

I lightly lit the crab meat with a small spoon, although the rain outside the window stopped, but the rain accumulated on the leaves fell one by one, as if there was still rain. The air was full of strong water vapor, and the cold air spread up, I sighed, put the crab meat down, looked at Haoyue and smiled: "This crab is really big, it seems you are very pampered now."

Haoyue's smile condensed slightly on her face, like a thin shard of ice frozen by the severe cold of early winter, and then it seemed to be tanned by the sun, with only a gentle smile like running water.

"Thanks to the young lady's advice. The emperor likes those unique teas very much. I picked up more elegant or distinctive styles in my dress, and I can always get into the eyes of the emperor, and I won't be forgotten." She was a moment. He peeled another crab and took a bite with a pair of silver chopsticks. He smiled helplessly: "Unfortunately, there are so many newcomers around the emperor, and I will never be the one who is most favored.

"Newcomer?" I nodded slightly: "This spring, there should be a lot of beautiful women selected."

"No," Haoyue was a little angrily: "This year the emperor is willing to allow women from the merchant's family to participate in the election. Everyone thought it was just a formality, but they really chose two."

"Oh? What kind of background?" I was a little bit interested, but I actually wanted to guide Haoyue to speak, so that she wouldn't notice that I didn't eat.

"They are all homes of giants." Haoyue also put the plate on the table, sat on the stool and put her cheeks on her own: "The new Huang promised to be from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and his family is the richest man in the two lakes."

I nodded: "Jiangsu and Zhejiang have been the land of wealth since ancient times. If the richest man in the two lakes is at home, it must be extremely delicate."

Haoyue "hummed": "The merchant's house, where is the price no matter how rich it is? I think she doesn't know a single word, but she is good at calculations, which really does not humiliate her family."

"The emperor likes her very much?" I guessed how dissatisfied she was when her tone was full of contempt.

Haoyue nodded: "The emperor thinks she is special."

I smiled slightly, Shen Xiyao didn't have any kind of women in the harem, but most of them were the daughters of officials and officials, and even the maids were chosen by people with innocent wealth. Merchants are not taken seriously in Daxi, but because they are rich, they don’t want to send their daughters to the palace to do errands to wait on others. In addition, the selected maids also try not to choose merchant women. Therefore, there will be no women in the palace. Of a woman from this background.

Therefore, Huang of the Merchant's House agreed to enter the palace, naturally showing his difference from others. If Haoyue said again, the calculations that the imperial concubines were not good at would naturally be more distinctive.

"One month after she entered the palace, the emperor called fortune three times in a row, and then agreed from the selection of servants, which is considered quick." Haoyue continued: "She is shrewd, and every palace sends gifts as soon as she comes in, thinking Want to curry favor with Concubine Liu. It is a pity that Concubine Liu Qinggao never paid attention to her, so she climbed onto Concubine Li."

I thought about it, and there are only Li Fei's temperament in the palace, who can be willing or able to accept a woman from the merchant's house.

"You said, there are two, how about one more?" I asked. But I know who that one is in my heart.

"The other one." Haoyue's tone was obviously relaxed, and there was even a hint of gloating. She said in a disdainful tone: "When Ms. Li entered the palace, she did not change her clothes or choose the waiter according to her ancestors. She was named an eighth class lady. Although she was not high in rank, she still caused her in the harem. sensation."

She poured two glasses of wine from the jug, handed one to me, and took a sip by herself: "Actually, she is better than Huang Ying in terms of her background. After all, Huang Ying's family is the richest man in the two lakes, and Lady Li is just the richest man in Anyang City. In terms of looks, she is indeed prettier than Huang promised, but she is much worse than Yi Zhaorong. In terms of knowledge, she has read a little book, but how can she compare to the talent of Concubine Liu So when the emperor directly gave her the grade of a lady, the palace was shocked."

"What's next?" Seeing Haoyue's expression relaxed and a faint smile in her eyes, I knew that Lady Li, whom we had a relationship with in Anyang City, must not be favored at this time.

Haoyue smiled mysteriously at me, leaned close to her body, and said with a hint of a smile: "This is a miracle."

I raised my eyebrows, remembering that Shen Xiyao once asked Li about the whereabouts of my embroidery, and I felt bad.

"What's the wonder?" I asked calmly.

"Then Lady Li waited for the bed twice, and she said everywhere that the emperor praised her for her beautiful skin and how the emperor loved her."

I smiled softly: "Stupid woman."

Haoyue nodded: "No, so, she dug the grave herself before other people gave her color."

I looked at her curiously: "Digging my own grave? The concubines in the palace naturally don't want to hear her boasting, but you said they didn't move."

Haoyue nodded, took another sip and smiled, "I blame her for being too self-righteous."

She glanced at me, her eyes a little unclear. "Speaking of it, it's still related to you, Miss."

I was taken aback. Is it related to me? Was it angered because of the clothes? However, Shen Xiyao knew it early in the morning, if he wanted to anger, he wouldn't get angry after giving favor. What's more, there is also one of Wu's daughter who was selected at the same time.

Seeing my face full of puzzlement, Haoyue became excited when she said it, so she didn't wait for me to ask any more, and said it all.

"I don't know from whom she heard that Miss, your skin is as smooth and delicate as the finest mutton white jade, and she said that Miss you are loved by the emperor. As a result, the next time she is called to bedtime, she doesn't know who gave her a gift. I don’t know how bold the emperor is, and ask the emperor whether she or you, whose skin is more beautiful."

I was shocked, Shen Xiyao should have been very disgusted with me, and I am considered abolished here. He would definitely not want anyone to mention me or see anything that would make him think of me. And that Lady Li comparing herself to me would definitely arouse Shen Xiyao's disgust. She asked that, she would definitely not have a good result, she was really reckless.

"What's the result?" My expression was calm, as if I didn't care that others angered Shen Xiyao because of me.

"It is said that at that time the emperor ordered her to be demoted as a maidservant in Huanyi. Later, she angrily reprimanded that she was also worthy of you. People have been carrying it for a long time. The emperor also picked up an ancient vase in the Xinghua Spring Pavilion. Very angry."

Haoyue said that I stared at my eyes: "Miss, in the heart of the emperor, your weight is really unmatched."

I shook my head: "The emperor will naturally not show disgust with me when he is out there. And if I bear the name of the queen, no woman can mention it with me. This is presumptuous. So it is normal for the emperor to be angry."

Haoyue tilted her head slightly, thoughtful, but for a moment she thought of something funny, and said to me: "There is still a strange thing here."

I looked at her, but I faintly guessed what it was.

"Every time the emperor asks her to wait in bed, it is said that she is required to wear a piece of clothing brought from home." Haoyue took the silk kerchief and pressed the powder on her nose: "Generally, concubines have to wear palace clothes and they are brought from home. All of her clothes are to be sent out. But she made an exception and was specifically requested by the emperor. Everyone thought that the dress outside the palace was more vivid and fresher than the palace dress, so now the harem also popularized the civilian dress gown outside the palace. Style."

"It's not the weird thing you said." I took a sip of clear water.

"Well, the emperor was angry and dismissed her when she was in the dressing bureau, so she naturally wore that dress. But it is said that when she went to the dressing bureau, the clothes she wore was a palace costume."

"So what?" I tried my best to convince Haoyue and also convince myself that it had nothing to do with the dress. "The emperor is furious, so naturally he won't give her a chance to go out again, but the waiters will definitely wear indecent clothes. When those servants take her away, they will definitely find a dress for her to wear."