That night, Shen Xiyao stayed in Changchun Palace, so he did not wait for dinner, but when Xiao Fuzi informed Zhang Dehai to come by order, I let Huiju put four dishes and one soup on the dining table.

"The old slave greets the empress." Zhang Dehai said aloud with a smile on his face.

I naturally also smiled: "Ms. Zhang, please get up soon. Come here, take a seat."

Zhang Dehai swept his eyes towards the dining table, and said in surprise: "The lady hasn't eaten dinner yet?"

I didn't speak, Hui Ju brought a lamp to Longjing before the rain and said to him: "The emperor has been sharing dinner with the empress for the past few days. The empress thought it was the same today, so she kept waiting." She put the tea cup in Zhang Dehai's hand. Above: "Actually, the slaves and maidservants also said that they were so late, but Niangniang insisted on waiting."

Zhang Dehai said "Ouch", put the tea cup aside, got up and repeatedly accused him: "It's the old slave's fault. The young **** should have been sent to pass the message early."

My smile was gentle: "How can I blame Director Zhang. The Emperor Su Rili always turned the sign here in this palace, and this palace is self-righteous." I didn't wait for him to reply and pointed to the tea ceremony: "This is the rain this year. Before, I remember Mr. Zhang liked this tea the most."

Zhang Dehai squatted his head: "Old slave He Dehe Neng, Lao Niangniang remembers."

My smile is like a pomegranate flower in full bloom in summer, and my voice is soft: "General Zhang has been helping this palace to share worries, can I still bear a little tea?"

Zhang Dehai was stunned and a little puzzled, but after many years of experience in the palace, he reacted very quickly.

"The old slave is dull, if he really does something for the empress, it is the good fortune of the old slave." He lowered his head and took a sip of tea, and said nothing.

I didn't say anything. I looked at Huiju. Huiju nodded slightly and said, "Manager Zhang is really polite. The emperor can't come and send a little **** to pass the message. You can also run by yourself." Her voice was mixed with honey. So sweet.

Zhang Dehai patted his head and said, "Look at the old slave's brain." He stood up and shouted, "Bring things in."

I looked back, and a young **** walked in with a tray covered with red flannel, looking humble.

Zhang Dehai smiled mysteriously: "The emperor said that the empress had a lot of credit for sharing her worries for the emperor, but the ancestors told her that the harem was not allowed to do politics, so she couldn't clearly award the reward, and deliberately searched for this Dendrobium Pearl.

He said that he lifted the red flannel, I took a breath, and my eyes fell on the Huzhu.

This Dendrobium pearl, all crystal clear, round and huge, is contained in the golden Dendrobium inlaid with emerald agate, showing a kind of supreme preciousness. I have only seen this kind of Dongzhu on Shen Xiyao's Chaozhu and Chaoguan. It is the first time that so many have been put together.

But my gaze only stayed for a moment, and the smile on my face was also faint, as if casually sighed: "Nagato hasn't been groomed every day, so why bother with pearls."

Zhang Dehai's smile was a bit sly, but he didn't hear it, and my expression became brighter.

"Thank you, the emperor for your love." I picked up one of them and handed it to Zhang Dehai: "This one is a reward for the visit of Director Zhang himself."

Zhang Dehai waved his hand again and again: "This can't be done, this can't be done."

"There's nothing to do, I will reward you with it, you just hold it." My smile darkened: "In the future, Mr. Zhang will have to help my palace more." After speaking, I sat at the dining table, as if to eat. Up.

Zhang Dehai "Nuo Nuo" took it, and saluted me respectfully: "Thank you, Niang Niang for the reward, the old slave retire."

"Ms. Zhang, please." Huiju led Zhang Dehai out, I gave her a wink, and she nodded lightly.

I half leaned on the chaise couch under the window, beckoning Ziying and Xinlan to take down the meal, Yumei held a bowl of purple rice sweet soup and said softly: "My lady eats so little dinner, so let's get some soup. "

I picked up a small silver spoon and made a peony flower on the purple rice soup with raisins, longan, lotus seeds, and hawthorn pieces. I smiled and put the spoon down, "This flower is so beautiful, I can't bear to eat it anymore."

An annoyed look appeared on Yumei's face: "It's the slave and maidservant."

I shook my head: "It has nothing to do with you." I glanced at the soup, and still barely took a spoonful and sent it to my mouth. The fragrance of purple rice, the moderate sweetness and sourness of grape hawthorn, and the sweetness of longan and lotus seeds are indeed a good bowl.

"Very good," I took another bite and put down the bowl: "My palace has a bad appetite recently, and the country is in danger. Go and order the small kitchen to reduce the daily dishes by two more dishes."

Yumei takes care of the meal item, and she hurriedly said: "The mother now has no more than four dishes a day, including pickles, porridge, soup, and snacks, but only ten items, and two more dishes..." She hesitated. I said, "If you cut down two more, even the lowest dressing ration is not as good as that, right?" I didn't mind: "My house has a bad appetite, and it's just a waste of doing so much. Now that the country is at risk, my house must lead by example. ."

"The mother cares about the country. The amount of money in the quota is halved, and the ration is only enough. It is really..." She wiped her eyes to clean up the dishes and went back.

As soon as she walked out of the west hall with her front feet, Huiju came in with her back feet. I saw a smile on her face, and I knew she was done.

"What did he say?" I asked Huiju taking an apple from the colorful colored glass lotus leaf tray.

"The slave maid only clicked a little bit, and Manager Zhang made it clear. Although he didn't say anything, but there was a little worry in his eyes. The slave maid saw clearly." Hui Ju took the apple and said.

"Well, it's not good to force him, after all, it's different now." I took out another Dongzhu from the Dendrobium on the table: "This one rewards you."

"Niang, the slaves dare not take it." Huiju knelt down and kowtow: "Doing things for the mistresses is what the slaves should do, not to mention that the mistress always treats the slaves well and treats the slaves' family members. The slaves can't repay the mistress even as a cow or a horse. Kindness."

"Look at what you said!" I smiled and said, "How would I come back without you?"

"The maid is a phoenix in her life, and she can come back if she has a slave or not." Huiju lowered her head: "But without a maid, the slave would have died long ago."

My heart beat, just looking at her.

"At the time when the empress left the palace, although it was said that she went to Pengdao Yaotai, the emperor did not go, and her relatives were not allowed to visit. The people in Kunning Palace were bullied by others." She raised her head: "Li When the concubine was the most favored, she named her servant to serve, and the emperor responded. The servant had offended Li Fei first, knowing that she would definitely be killed by her mistake, but there was no way." Hui Ju wiped her tears: "The key is At that moment, Mr. Huang told Mr. Zhang that the queen mother hoped that everything in Kunning Palace would be the same when the queen came back from her illness. Mr. Zhang reported to the emperor, and the slave servant was lucky enough to stay. , He only said that he was entrusted."

I nodded silently: "I didn't expect Mr. Huang to really put my trust in my heart." I pulled Huiju up: "Get up, I'm just afraid of hurting you, what kind of kindness is this." smiled Said: "What about Mr. Huang now?"

"After the death of the Empress Dowager, General Huang asked to guard the mausoleum for the Queen Mother and left the palace." Huiju said with emotion: "General Huang is in the position of General Manager just like General Zhang. The emperor wants General Huang to go to the palace to take charge of affairs, although It's not as prominent as the Queen Mother, but it's also a good place. I don't want Mr. Huang to take care of him..." Hui Ju sighed: "A place like the imperial tomb is so solemn and silent, how can it be compared with the palace."

I was silent for a while and said lightly: "The emperor is doing something wrong." After that, I said to Huiju: "Tomorrow you will go out of the palace to see Mr. Huang and just ask him if he still wants to return to the palace."

Huiju's eyes lit up: "What does the empress mean?"

My smile contained deep meaning: "The deployment of the palace lady **** is too fat, and he won't refuse it if he wants to come."

"Can Manager Zhang be there?" Hui Ju was a little worried.

"He has a double heart and wants him to know who is truly worthy of allegiance." I took a slice of orange and ate it and said, "I said that today is different from the past. If there is one more help, it will be convenient to do things in the future. ."

"The maidservant will go early in the morning." Huiju helped me get up: "Does the maidservant want to embroider or paint? The maidservant will prepare."

I waved my hand and said, "Follow me tomorrow. I'm looking for Manager Huang, the day after tomorrow. I feel tired these days, so I go straight to the bedroom."

"Niangniang has been very worried recently. The servants go to cook barley soup to soothe Niangniang." Hui Ju said.

"It's not busy." I walked towards the East Side Hall: "Get the quilt I want."

"It has been prepared according to the mother's order. A bed of rose-red imprinted burl flowers in full bloom, and a bed of azure imprinted with flying silk and dancing snow.

"Are they all made of silk satin?" I asked, sitting slowly on the phoenix bed, pulling the quilt over my body.

"They are all the best silk satin." Huiju has a pity in his eyes: "The silk satin weaving this year in Suzhou is not as good as in previous years, and the lady has to choose the best quilt for Li Fei."

"Do you feel bad?" I teased.

"Yeah." Huiju was honest.

"Go and fetch them, I have a look at this palace." I picked up a book by the bedside and flipped through it.

Soon Huiju took the quilt. It was indeed made of high-quality silk satin, and the printing was also very exquisite. It is estimated that Li Fei would only cover it when she was favored. My hand gently stroked the silky satin of the blanket, like the delicate skin of a baby.

"The cotton wool inside is also a good choice." Hui Ju explained to the side: "I don't have to be so caring about what I can do for myself."

"My things, it's enough to have your heart." I touched her small nose: "Do you still use myself to bother?"

Huiju covered her mouth and laughed: "What the lady said is that if the lady is bothered, then we are all embarrassed to stay here." She hesitated and said again: "It's just that the servant doesn't understand."

I motioned to her to put away the quilt, but did not answer.

"Just put it over there. We will go there early tomorrow morning." I raised my head and pointed to the couch under the window, where Huiju was placed.

"Tonight is Xinlan's vigil, do you want the slave and maid to change with her?" Huiju asked.

"No, you should rest early, and come here early tomorrow morning." I turned and sat back on the bed: "Tell Xinlan, send a lotus seed soup, and stay outside without my instructions." I opened the book and said, "You Go down."

Huiju went down lightly. Soon Xinlan sent Lianzi Geng, which I took a few sips and let her take it away. After that, there was silence in the sleeping hall.

I flipped through two pages of the book, but actually didn't read what was written in the book. Seeing Xinlan's shadow disappearing outside the closed door, I blew out the candle and lay on the bed with my eyes open. About a quarter of an hour later, the eunuch's footsteps and Xinlan's whispering voice came from outside the door. When everything was calm again, I got up and walked on the ground barefoot.

There is still carpet in the bedroom of Kunning Palace. Although it is not as heavy as winter, it can resist the cold of sapphire floor. The long hem of the moonlight robe draped on the dark blue carpet, like an unknown shadow, slowly flowing across the ground. The shadow stopped on the couch under the window, where moonlight was sprinkled on the exquisite quilt through the half-open window, and the unique luster of the silk satin was more transparent under the moonlight.

My hands trembled slightly and I sweated slightly. When the fingertips glided over the sharp blade, the heart calmed down.

I removed the stitches of the quilt, took out a dagger from my sleeve, touched the thickest part of the quilt and stuffed it in. After that, it was sewn as is, and then I lay back on the bed and couldn't sleep for a long time.

Early the next morning, Huiju stood outside the door, and when I was there, she came in and waited for me to wash and groom.

"Which one is the empress going to wear today?" She evened her face for me, and said again: "Going to places like Fanshi, does the empress want to wear the blue double carp and the lotus or the blue and white peony?"