Work overtime

Chapter 690

When Zhenfei heard the news, she was doing housework. The needle pierced her hand and blood immediately gushed out.

Qingying went to get the medicine in a panic. Zhenfei sucked the blood bead calmly. A fishy smell filled her mouth, which reminded her of the smell she smelled in Concubine Yi's palace, and then she remembered the gold bracelet on Jiang Yuebai's hand.

My heart ached suddenly. It turns out that heartache really does hurt.

Qingying quickly comforted her, "Your Highness, please don't be anxious. In order for the eldest prince to become the crown prince, sooner or later, Concubine Yi will turn against Concubine Ning."

Concubine Zhen didn't like what Qingying said. Who would like to hear someone else's son be made the crown prince and become the emperor?

"It's not even a matter of time yet." Zhen Fei touched her belly and snorted coldly. She might not live long like Lie Fei and Xi Fei.

I kept telling myself not to panic and to stay calm.

It is said that having the emperor's favor is enough, but whenever she thinks of the scenes of their sincere confrontation, her heart can't help but ache, just like a rainy day in the south of the Yangtze River that never clears up.

I can't calm down, I can't feel relieved, and I can't let it go.

Jiang Yuebai was really calm. Not only was he calm, he was also genuinely happy for Concubine Yi's promotion to Imperial Concubine.

She brought a large box of gifts with great fanfare, saying that she was congratulating her sister on her promotion to imperial concubine. Not only that, she also stayed for dinner. When the emperor heard about it, he followed her to Jingren Palace and later personally sent her back in a sedan chair.

Jiang Yuebai sent various goodies to Concubine Yi from time to time, and Concubine Yi accepted them all. She took the sedan chair to Jingren Palace more diligently than before, and sat there for most of the day. When she had nothing to do, she played the piano, such as "High Mountains and Flowing Water" and "Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix".
The sound of the zither spread outside the palace, and passers-by all said that Concubine Ning played very beautifully. This made people hate her even more.

Why don't you fight? Concubine Yi, why aren't you angry? Are you blind and can't you see that she and the emperor are wearing an engagement ring?
Do not understand.

Not only that, Concubine Ning Hui even hooked up with the Tartar Concubine An.

With the help of Jiang Changzai, Concubine An and Jiang Yuebai came to thank her with gifts. Jiang Yuebai, who always had a high standard, actually let her in.

Jiang Yuebai took off the Xiuyu Fengyulan hairpin on her head as a gift. Concubine An took off the Tibetan silver carved bracelet on her hand as a gift in return. Concubine An treated the Fengyulan hairpin given by Jiang Yuebai as a treasure and wore it on her head all day. They were so close and warm that it seemed like they had formed an alliance.

The former dynasty and the harem avoided any contact with the Tatars, for fear of being accused of colluding with foreign races to rebel.

Everyone knew that the Tatars were only temporarily truce, not surrender. They might rebel someday. Who dared to joke with their future and family's life?

Jiang Yuebai was nice enough to open the door and welcome the guests.

Everyone was waiting anxiously to see the show.

Who would have thought that Concubine Ning and Imperial Concubine Gui had such a harmonious and close relationship that it was unbelievable, and the Emperor did not take any action to prevent Concubine Ning from having a close relationship with Concubine An.

It was really irrational. People around me shook their heads and said they didn't understand. This shows how important it is to get inside information in advance and understand the policy trends of the top leaders.

In the days that followed, Li Beichen often visited Concubine Yi with the eldest prince in his arms.

The imperial concubine did not hold the child at all, but just watched the emperor play with the child quietly. With Li Beichen's careful company, Concubine Yi actually got better visibly.

This kind of improvement, Jiang Yuebai is like an ostrich, not daring to ask Jiang Xian whether he gave the imperial concubine the antidote. Is the improvement temporary or permanent?

He was still busy peeling pine nuts as usual. After peeling a large handful, he put them in the imperial concubine's hand and asked her to eat one handful at a time, saying that they were good for body health.

Concubine Yi didn't think that being a concubine was any different from before, and she didn't care whether she was the queen or not.

Instead, she hoped that Jiang Yuebai's son would become the emperor. She had no feelings for Concubine Xi, and they were even her enemies. Concubine Xi wanted to kill her.

The imperial concubine secretly thought that it would be more reliable and easier to control the eldest prince by her side.

If Jiang Yuebai doesn't give birth to a son, then we will find a way to transfer the eldest prince to Jiang Yuebai's name.

If Jiang Yuebai gave birth to a son, she would try every means to make the eldest prince a little stupider, or make some mistakes on her own initiative to lower her status.

Jiang Yuebai can become the queen mother no matter what.

It was this desire to repay Jiang Yuebai and help Jiang Yuebai live a peaceful life for the rest of his life, as well as Li Beichen's company, that made Concubine Yi get better day by day. It was not like what Jiang Yuebai and Li Beichen thought, that the eldest prince diverted her attention and gave her comfort.

How can pain be transferred?

Cannot transfer.

In her dreams at midnight, she would still touch her belly, cry bitterly for the lost baby, and blame herself for her poor health.

She knew that she would lose the child sooner or later, but she couldn't help but think about it often.

She couldn't forgive herself.

The palace servants told Li Beichen all this. Li Beichen pretended not to know. Because no one else could comfort him. The same was true for him.

There is probably a law in this world called the law of conservation of pain. Everyone suffers, either in this way or that way. There is no one who has never suffered.

Instead of forcing comfort, it is better to leave it to time.

On the Yesizha side, the imperial concubine's sister, Princess Taiping, became pregnant, and the palace maid Lixia became a favorite concubine. In the future, he planned to implement a new ethnic policy, and Li Beichen began to show special favor to Concubine An.

In addition to sending her various rewards, he frequently summoned Concubine An to dine with him. He even favored Concubine An for two consecutive nights in the Qianqing Palace. It was reported that those two days were auspicious days for Concubine An to conceive.

Suddenly, everyone's jealousy was directed at Concubine An. After all, the emperor had not summoned anyone to sleep with him for a long time, and Concubine An was stepping on everyone's faces. Everyone was wondering why Concubine An not only did not suffer bad luck but was favored instead.

This analysis is remarkable.

Could it be that because Concubine An's bold speech at the morning meeting showed her "desire dissatisfaction" and "curiosity"? Did the emperor personally answer her questions?

The more people thought about it, the angrier they became, and the more they thought about it, the more disgusted they became.

Jiang Yuebai couldn't stop laughing when he heard this. The only word that came to his mind was "duck", but he felt sad and in awe.

Essentially, they are the same type of people, all workaholics. They will weigh the pros and cons rationally and regard the overall situation as more important than their own feelings. For the sake of the overall situation, they are willing to sacrifice their lives, not to mention their health. Although they are not unscrupulous, they are much more cold-blooded and decisive than ordinary people.

She raised her eyes and asked Shen Ximo who was standing in front of her, "Have you checked the bracelet?"

Shen Ximo is the younger sister of Imperial Physician Shen. In order to find out the truth behind her sister's amnesia, she sneaks into the palace as a palace maid.

She bribed the Ministry of Internal Affairs to enter Yonghe Palace, but was discovered by Jiang Yuebai and signed a labor contract. After that, Jiang Yuebai treated her with courtesy and asked her to concentrate on the research of spices.

The secret spices in the Hetian jade sachet given to Li Beichen were made by Shen Ximo.

At this time, Shen Ximo held the bracelet in his hand and answered confidently, "Madam, I have just checked it. There is nothing unusual about this bracelet. It has not been soaked in drugs. I don't recognize the Mongolian characters on it. I don't know if there is anything special about it."

Jiang Yuebai pondered for a moment, then ordered Shen Ximo to copy the words and have Xiao Luozi deliver them to the emperor.

Anyway, whether it is delivered or not, as long as she asks someone to investigate, the emperor will know. It is better to be open and honest.

The emperor asked someone to take a look and found that the words on it were "Yaruo", the name of a Mongolian woman. Jiang Yuebai did not explain his intention. Li Beichen was busy at the time, so he asked Liang Xiaobao to send someone to reply without asking any more questions.

Jiang Yuebai was particularly impressed by the name of the Tatar princess, because it was Naren, which means sun, which means that her father Huanhuanqier had extremely high expectations for her.

Ye Sizha actually dared to openly deceive the emperor and sent not the eldest princess, but a fake one.

Who is she then? Could she be another half princess?

What purpose did Concubine An want to achieve by giving her this bracelet to make her aware of her identity?
Jiang Yuebai thought about these things in his mind and didn't say anything.

"But there's something wrong with this bracelet?" Lichun asked doubtfully, "Will Concubine An use your hairpin to frame someone else?"

Jiang Yuebai shook his head. "She won't do that. It's too stupid. In order to win over Yesizha, the emperor will continue to favor Concubine An as long as Yesizha doesn't rebel and Concubine An doesn't make any big mistakes. What's more, Princess Taiping is already pregnant. In return, the emperor will definitely find a way to make Concubine An pregnant."

Lichun was puzzled, "So she came here specially to give the bracelet just to show her favor to the queen? After all, she is a princess who is married to a foreign country and is isolated and helpless. It is always beneficial to take sides."

Jiang Yuebai thought for a moment. Even if Concubine An was a fake and not the real Naren, unless she was prepared to take the opportunity to turn against her and start a war, the fake one would be the real one. The Ming Dynasty only wanted the identity of the eldest princess of the Tatars and Yesizha's position and attitude.

Is she standing in line to show her good will, or is she asking for something from me, or is she letting others misunderstand their relationship? Or is she teaming up with others to set up a trap in advance?

I've been thinking about it over and over again, but I still can't figure it out.

"Put the bracelet away. Whatever the purpose, it will eventually be revealed."

Jiang Yuebai looked indifferent, no longer thinking about it, and started reading a book. In Jingyang Palace, Qi Wanyi was staring at the candlelight with a sad face, holding her cheek.

"The Emperor went to Concubine An's palace again?"

Grape fanned herself at the side and answered cautiously, "Yes."

Shi Liu came in with a bowl of medicinal soup and gently placed it on the table. A pungent bitter smell wafted out.

Qi Wanyi's brows furrowed even more.

"Mother, it's time to take medicine."

"It's too bitter." Qi Wanyi cried. But she still drank it patiently, without leaving any residue. After drinking it, she felt like a big bitter gourd.

It's so bitter. Only those who drink it know.

"Your Majesty, please have some candied fruit." Grape coaxed softly.

Qi Wanyi ate the candied fruit, rinsed her mouth three or four times, and said in distress, "I've been drinking this prescription for a month, but there's no sign of pregnancy. Now that the emperor isn't coming, how can I get pregnant?"

Last time, the emperor finally stayed at her place. Who knew that after an hour of tossing and turning, she still didn't come out. I really don't know whether to sigh that the emperor is in good health or sigh that she is useless.

Grape hurriedly comforted her, "Your Majesty has the prince by her side, the emperor will come sooner or later."

Qi Wanyi said bitterly, "That bitch Concubine An spoke so bluntly, it turns out she was trying to seduce the emperor. She really wants to gain favor, she doesn't care about her dignity at all."

Grape advised carefully, "Your Majesty, please calm down. No matter how favored Concubine An is, she is still a foreigner. The Emperor will only be interested in her for a few days. She is not worthy of being on the stage."

Qi Wanyi stood up, walked to the door, leaned against the door frame, looked at the moon in the sky, and said distressedly, "In two days, Concubine Ning Hui and Concubine Zhen will be crowned as concubines. When will I be able to become a concubine? Why can others get the title after serving once or twice, but I have served so many times and still have nothing."

It is so easy for others to become a concubine, why is it so difficult for her?

Just like a child.

She had clearly served him many times, so why did others have it but she didn't?
sad.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. You will be promoted to a consort sooner or later, and you will have children." Grape tried to make her tone sound lighter.

Qi Wanyi stared at the moon in a daze and murmured, "Maybe it's retribution."

The grapes and pomegranates lowered their heads in tacit understanding.

Compared to Concubine Yi who adopted the eldest prince, and Concubine Ning Hui who had a disability, Qi Wanyi envied Concubine Yu more.

Why is Concubine Yu so lucky?

Grape suggested cautiously, "Why don't we stop sending Huanhua grass to Qingya Pavilion and Fanghua Residence? Your Majesty is in charge of palace affairs now. If they get pregnant, the Emperor will definitely let you raise them."

"But I already have Bartel with me."

Grape lowered her voice and leaned close to Qi Wanyi's ear and said, "The queen who can raise a child is either pregnant or has an heir. Your Majesty is in charge of palace affairs now, and they all live alone, with no one to take care of them. Your Majesty can just win them over. Especially Qin and Wei, who are soft-tempered, are much easier to control than Concubine Xiao."

Qi Wanyi thought about it, turned the bracelet on her hand, felt that it made sense, and agreed.

Qin Changzai used to be Xi Fei's person, Wei Changzai and Lan Ying'er were both Lie Fei's people. Now they all live in their own small courtyards. They have no affiliation with other high-ranking concubines.

Concubine Xi and Concubine Lie are gone. Sooner or later, they will definitely take sides and rely on one of the high-ranking concubines.

Isn't it that I am the first to see the moon because I am close to the water?

Thinking of this, Qi Wanyi felt a little relieved, but still unhappy.

Fanghuaju.

Wei Changzai and Lan Ding couldn't fall asleep even though they were lying down.

Wei Chang's mind was filled with the scene of the emperor bullying her, and then the night when Concubine Lie had a miscarriage and the emperor was distraught, drunk and even in tears. She felt so sorry for the emperor.

Lan Da Ying was thinking about how to hook up with the emperor and get into his bed. After thinking it over, she realized that the emperor still had feelings for Wei Changzai, at least in that aspect. She decided to get along well with Wei Changzai.

The next day, I asked Wei Changzai to play mahjong.

Wei Changzai is a quiet person who doesn't like fighting, but her maid Xiaohe is ambitious, lively and likes to be lively.

In her heart, Xiao He looked down on her master, thinking that she was cowardly and stupid. But after all, she was favored, so she always comforted herself that if she endured, she might get through it one day.

Xiao He persuaded his master to agree, saying that they were from the same palace and they should have a good relationship.

Wei Changzai doesn't know how to play cards. She has social anxiety and doesn't like activities with so many people. She feels uncomfortable all over, but she has to agree to it because she is afraid of offending others.

Lan agreed to teach Wei Changzai very excitedly, and it was a bit of a show-off.

In order to please Lan Da Ying, Xiao He unconsciously followed Lan Da Ying's maid to flatter Lan Da Ying, which seemed to reverse the positions of the two masters.

Wei Changzai was unaware of all this. She stared blankly at the cards in her hand, not knowing what to do.

"Just go out as you please!" Lan agreed loudly.

Wei Changzai just played a card at random, and naturally Lan Da Ying won again.

"I don't want to play anymore. I'm too stupid and can't learn it." Wei Changzai said awkwardly, rubbing his hands.

"Oh, you'll get it if you play a few more times. You'll win the next round," Lan Da Ying was having a great time, winking and smiling, "What if the emperor wants to play mahjong someday, and you say you don't know how to play, wouldn't that be a big letdown?"

"The emperor doesn't know how to play mahjong." Wei Changzai blurted out.

The emperor is so busy and diligent, how could he like playing cards?

"Who said it right? If you practice playing card games, you can learn it in a few days. If you hide in your room and study chess manuals, you will never learn it in your life."

After his secret was exposed, Wei Changzai was so embarrassed that his face turned red like a cooked crayfish. He stood up and said, "I..."

"Oh. Listen to me and play a few more rounds." Lan agreed and pulled Wei Changzai's sleeve and asked her to sit down.

After a while, the young eunuch came in with some herbal tea made in the kitchen and poured it into the cups of the two ladies.

"My two ladies, please have some cold tea to cool down." The young eunuch said with a smile.

Wei Changzai reluctantly stayed, feeling very uncomfortable. He took a sip of the tea and asked subconsciously, "Why does it taste wrong today? It's a little sweet. It used to be bitter."

"I heard that the ladies can't stand the bitter taste, so the imperial kitchen is researching a new recipe for relieving the heat." said the eunuch who brought the tea.

"Is that so? People in my hometown say that we have to eat and drink hardship in summer." Wei Changzai couldn't help but sigh.

Those who are born into a wealthy and powerful family are precious.

Lan agreed and glanced at Wei Changzai, then put down the cards with a smile, "Sister Wei is tired, so let's not play today. We can play another day."

Wei Changzai felt relieved after hearing this and drank the herbal tea in the cup in one breath. It tasted sweet and quite delicious, but it was not the same as the one advertised, so the effect of clearing internal heat would probably be a little worse.

It’s great that I don’t have to play cards or socialize anymore.

"Continued Cup."

"Okay." The young eunuch quickly filled Wei Changzai's glass with a smile on his face.

Wei Changzai drank a little too hastily and choked.

Lan Ying played with the cup but didn't drink it. She stared at Wei Changzai thoughtfully.

She suspected that there was something wrong with the herbal tea, and it looked like someone had put something in it. This Wei Changzai was really careless.

At this moment, a eunuch suddenly came to report, "My Lady Wei, listen up, the Emperor has ordered you to serve in the Qinzheng Palace."