There is a thin layer of ice floating on the big wooden basin. It is not hard. Just tap it with your hand and it will break. It is like the ice sculpture of peony placed on the low table of the Kunning Palace in the old days. When the petals are almost finished, they are so thin. A transparent piece, as if it would break into a crystal clear place with a breath. Every time, Huiju gently carried it out and replaced it with a newly made ice lotus to disperse the heat in the palace.

But at this time, I can only use the red and swollen hands that are full of frostbite, and can’t stop trembling because of the cold, knock the ice a few more times, knock it into broken ice and float on the water, and then put the big tub on the right hand side. Soak the clothes inside, wait for the clothes to be soaked, and hold them heavily cold, then rub them around with soap beans, rub them vigorously, and finally rinse them with water. After repeating this process three times, after twisting it to half dryness, put it in the wooden basin on the left hand side, a piece of clothing is considered to be washed, waiting to be dried.

In this process, although you have to use force everywhere, you must be careful to avoid tearing the embroidered patch on the clothes and breaking it. If you are unlucky or your subordinates don’t pay attention, one or two things are really damaged, like the purple beads kneeling in the snow now, the bones of your fingers are split by the splint, and you will continue to wash one piece of clothes in cold water. A lot. And because of her knees kneeling on the ground for a whole month, even walking was tortured at this time.

He sighed, my hands didn't get much warmer because of this. On the contrary, I felt that the place where frostbite was born was very itchy. I resisted grabbing them, but gritted my teeth and reached into the basin. At the moment when his hand entered the water, although he had already made enough psychological preparations, he still couldn't help but shudder.

In fact, after washing two or three pieces of clothes, you will warm up your body and even sweat a little. I don't feel how cold the water is on my hands, but the speed of rubbing clothes is getting slower and slower, and my hands are becoming less and less obedient. The most tormenting thing is that it takes a long time to bend over to work, and it takes a while to straighten the sore and stiff waist at lunch.

Such a day has been expected since the day I entered the coat bureau. It's just that I never thought it would be so difficult.

"Xie Niang, why do we wash more clothes today than the previous two days?" A whisper came from me. It was Xiao Rong who was next to me on the bed. She is only fourteen years old this year, but she has been in this clothing bureau for three years. Up.

"The empress dowager collapsed, and the harem concubine had to wear silver clothes for eighty-one days before she could wear Chinese clothes. Yesterday was the last day, so many mourning clothes were used for cleaning and storage. You didn’t look, we don’t have to wear them on our waists anymore. Wrapped in white cloth?" I smiled and whispered softly: "You like beautiful clothes the most on weekdays, and you won't have to wear these linen clothes from tomorrow."

"That's it." Xiao Rong did not show any joy on her face, glanced sadly at the clothes piled high in her basin, sighed deeply, picked up one, and scrubbed it hard.

It's no wonder that Xiao Rong is worried. At this time, the maidservants in the east wing of the clothing bureau are all sad, and each of them is piled up in the right hand basin. After washing these, we can have lunch. So everyone was doing their best to wash in silence, for fear that there would be no oily meals at a later date.

I sighed and stopped talking to Xiao Rong, it was serious to save some effort to wash those clothes.

By lunch, the clothes on the right hand side were finally finished. I rubbed my hands vigorously, slapped my sore waist, and walked to the dining hall with Xiao Rong.

"Oh..." Xiao Rong looked tired, looked back at the rows of clothes that were already hanging on the side of the yard, and let out a long sigh of relief. She couldn't help but worry: "It's finished, I hope it doesn't happen in the afternoon. Many are better."

I gave her a hand: "Go away, lest there are no more food at the end of the day."

"Whatever if there are no vegetables, it's just those kinds of things, either stewed with radishes, cabbage, or green tofu. I can't bear to even put a bit of salt. Aunt Zhiqiu picked out some meat. It doesn't matter if I don't eat that kind of food." There was dissatisfaction in her tone, but she still complained to me in a low voice: "Aunt Chunxi used to be very good. Everyone has a good meal. Don't worry about having nothing to eat late. I won't let it in winter. We wash clothes with ice water, let alone beat and scold us for trivial matters. It's just a pity..." Xiao Rong said, her eyes reddened: "It's a pity that she got tuberculosis and was moved out. I heard that she is no longer there."

I nodded, and Xiao Rong told me more than once about Aunt Chunxi. Although the work in the clothing bureau was hard and tiring, everyone felt relaxed in their hearts. It's just that when I came, all I could see was Aunt Zhiqiu's gloomy expression all day long, and the scolding sternly scolded Huanyi maidservant.

The only time I saw a smile on her face was on the day Huier sent me to the Coating Bureau.

At lunch that day, we arrived at the dressing bureau. As soon as I entered the door, I heard a woman screaming and cursing: "Little hoof, how dare you eat steamed buns, and see if I will not tear your mouth."

A mournful cry came: "Aunty for mercy, aunty for mercy, I'm really hungry."

"Hungry? You don’t work hard and you eat more than anyone else. I think you’re a lazy bone. Who do you think you are? Miss Qianjin or a mother? I don’t look at my own virtue. Today you Kneel here to wash your clothes, you can't finish this basin, and don't want to eat dinner.

I followed the fame and saw a thin little girl kneeling under the big sun, her face full of saucy, her face seemed to be thin with the big lost eyes. In front of her stood a tall, semi-old woman who looked thin and slender. A gray-white skirt worn by palace ladies during the mourning period seemed to be more and more sallow, with two high cheekbones. Protruding, the eyes are not big, and occasionally a flash of light flashes only to appear mean. With her sharp voice, the whole person feels irritable, indifferent and inhuman.

"Aunt Zhiqiu, what are you doing?" Hui Er frowned, dissatisfied.

"Oh, isn't this girl Hui'er, which wind brought you here?" Zhiqiu's voice suddenly became gentle and enthusiastic, and his face was full of smiles, three steps in parallel. Come. However, maybe she hadn't smiled for a long time, and that smile was stiff and artificial, which made people feel uncomfortable.

"My mother sent someone to talk about it before, do you remember?" Hui'er covered her nose with her veil, reluctant to look at her.

"Why don't I remember what the mother told me?" Zhiqiu nodded repeatedly and looked at me. I only felt as if I was being stared at by a poisonous snake, and I trembled.

"Aunt Zhiqiu, my servant is called Xie Niang." I gave a gentle salute and said humbly.

Hui'er glanced at Zhiqiu and said lightly: "Xie Niang is a grace given by the emperor, so you should take good care of it."

"Yes, yes, the maidservant knows, knows." Zhiqiu smiled flatteringly, and looked at me, but I felt a chill in it.

"It's just..." Her smile paused, and she whispered: "I don't know where Xie Niang came from, but I hope Miss Huier will give me some advice."

Hui Er "hum": "Why, the grace given by the emperor, the one sent by the empress, don't you worry about it?"

"Why girl Hui'er. How dare I?" Zhiqiu's smile became more kind, but she didn't let it go: "It's just that girl Hui'er knows that our position in the clothing bureau is underground, and the master just kicks it. I can step on it to death. I am afraid, I am afraid..." She hesitated as if she didn't know what to say.

Hui Er waved his hand impatiently: "Don't worry, Niang Xie was not punished for making a mistake. She is a slave girl brought by Empress Zhao Rong from her natal family. She doesn't want to accidentally ruin her face and can't wait close." He paused and said: "You also know that the palace people around Niang Niang are generally not allowed to leave the palace. But the coat bureau can be released after the 25th. Therefore, Niang Niang begged the emperor to put Xie Niang here."

Zhiqiu nodded again and again: "It's true, it's hard not to go out until the 25th." She looked at me deeply: "Just, is the injury on this face severe? Wearing a veil every day affects work!"

"What is the relationship between washing clothes and the veil?" Hui Er finally couldn't bear Zhi Qiu's "cross-examination", "The emperor didn't say anything, don't you doubt the empress and the emperor?"

This charge is serious, "The slave girl dare not, the slave girl dare not." Zhi Qiu knelt on the ground in fright.

I quickly helped her up, with helplessness and sadness in my voice: "Aunt Zhiqiu don't dislike it. If it wasn't for the water walk, which girl would be willing to hide her face for a lifetime? But my scar is really horrible. If aunt doesn't mind, thank you Mother doesn't need to wear a veil." As I said, I lifted one side of the veil to reveal the "scars" that I had painstakingly made on my face the night before.

Zhiqiu was bluffed after only one glance, and Hui'er looked at her with extreme dissatisfaction from the side, so she naturally did not dare to come forward and touch her to tell the truth.

"Hurry up and put it on, it's really scary." Zhiqiu touched his chest and said: "You can wear it all in the future, don't interfere with your work."

I smiled softly and deeply bowed: "Thank you aunt for your understanding."

Zhiqiu kindly gave me a hand, and then asked carefully: "Miss Huier, I have to trouble you to give me the order from the House of Internal Affairs."

Hui'er was startled, the arrogance that had always been on her face quietly faded, and her voice was softer: "I haven't got this tone yet."

"Huh?" Zhiqiu's voice suddenly became more emboldened: "There is no order? Then look back and find it, but I blamed it."

Hui'er curled her lips helplessly: "It's not that she didn't, but she hasn't picked it up yet. The empress dowager collapsed recently, and she was busy everywhere. How can we take care of such trivial matters? The emperor Xie Niang personally agreed to my family How can something happen to the empress? After the national funeral, it will be delivered." Wheeler paused, and his voice was serious: "Could it be that you want to make the emperor and empress unhappy about such trivial matters?"

"Don't dare." Zhiqiu nodded, turning to me and said: "Then you will stay first." She turned her head and smiled like a chrysanthemum: "Miss Huier, do you have any other orders?"

Huier shook her head and looked at me: "My mother asked me to ask you to take good care of yourself."

I nodded: "Thank you Niang Niang for your kindness."

Huier left after speaking, and Zhiqiu's smile collapsed at the moment Huier's figure disappeared outside the door.

She looked at me coldly: "Here. Now that you are here, don't be lazy and take tricks because you have nothing to do with you. If you can't finish the job, the punishment is still essential." Her voice was clear. Fierce, he took a look at me and said: "Remember it clearly, I am the master here, you have to listen to me in everything."

I don't even want to mess with Lian Nuo Nuo, just hope that there will be no disturbances in the days of this coat of arms.

"Hey hey, are you finished? After eating, you will all come out to work." Zhiqiu stood with his arms akimbo and yelled outside a large room, and there was a quizzical voice from inside, and then the young court ladies filed After coming out, all of them looked tired, as if they were expressionless as puppets. They were all gray sackcloth, and the only thing that showed a little anger was the corners of the clothes blowing in the wind and the sound of walking.

These palace ladies walked to the yard on the other side, and soon there was a sound of "shabu-shabu".

"I'll take you to the place to sleep first, put your things away, change your clothes, and go and learn." Zhiqiu said coldly when he saw me looking over there.