Mountains and rivers fall into red

Chapter 6: White Toad (5)
The water was glistening like flecks of blizzard, wantonly splashing between their robes and hair.

Concubine Rong watched silently and smiled almost helplessly.The thin mist made her figure fluctuate.She suddenly realized that it was so unnecessary for her to appear at this time.With a flash of mood, she turned back to the other side of the rockery silently, and signaled to the accompanying maid: "Go back, come back another day."

The long skirt was winding, and Xiao Kui's laughter was still faintly echoing in his ears.

Wanton

"You can pick lotus in the south of the Yangtze River, lotus leaves in He Tiantian, fish playing in the lotus leaves. Fish playing in the east of lotus leaves, fish playing in the west of lotus leaves. Fish playing in the south of lotus leaves, fish playing in the north of lotus leaves..."

Juxin Courtyard is located in the backyard of the southwest side of the Prime Minister's Mansion. From the Yeying Pond to the water pavilion, you can see several thick and towering pines and cypresses behind, which are lush and shaded all year round.Across the sea of ​​pine trees, the people on the pavilion could only see the upturned eaves of Suxin Courtyard.

Xiuxiu stood alone on the waterside pavilion, the clear water of the pool was green with half of luxuriant lotus leaves.She silently recited the verses taught to her by the skyline, her gaze resting on the shade of the willows.There were a few swallows perched there, whispering to each other, the words Xixiu couldn't understand, and then they flapped their wings and flew high into the distance.

Don't think about it: can these swallows help her send a message to Tianji, her hometown?
Although I didn't see any bells and lanterns for the ladies of the official family, but they were single-family and had no worries about food and clothing. For Xiuxiu who was used to poverty, this kind of life was already unimaginable luxury in his dreams.However, she was not used to it, and even felt lonely.Yes, she felt like a bird with broken wings, imprisoned in a cage by that Xiangye.

I remember that when I left home, my mother Cao Guizhi did not have the slightest sadness of separation in her eyes, but she seemed to have hope, and her eyes were shining brightly.She said: "Fortunately, the daughter she gave birth to is a lovely person, which is why Xiangye likes it. Hugh, my mother will rely on you in the next life, so fight for me, do you hear me?"

The mother's words were transparent, and Xiuxiu felt as if she had been betrayed, as if her heart had been hollowed out.

Thinking of this, she wet her eyes slightly, and sighed quietly: "Why does he only fancy me?"

"It's you."

With a sudden crash, Xiuxiu trembled and looked back in panic.Shen Buyu stood behind at some point, looking at her deeply.She was horrified, and then she turned her head away, avoiding that gaze that was sharper than a knife.

"You should be satisfied with such a young lady's life."

Shen Buyu walks to Xiuxiu's side, looks at Jietian Lianye and keeps silent.The originally small water pavilion was extremely quiet for a moment, and Xiuxiu seemed to be able to hear her own nervous heartbeat.This person is so close, there is an inexplicable sense of oppression that makes people suffocate.Is this from the bright Panjin Baoxiang golden silk court dress, or is it from his own deterrent power?At this time, his eyebrows were slowly released, and his voice was calm: "It's like her."

Xiuxiu looked up and asked involuntarily, "Who?"

Shen Buyu just coughed vaguely, and talked about other things from left to right: "Accordingly speaking, the lady of the Xiangfu needs to understand "Women's Precepts" and "Women's Training", and is familiar with "Biography of Martyrs", and knows how to cultivate virtue, be respectful, be attentive, and be careful. You just came from the countryside, so you don’t have to force it, but you must strictly abide by the usual rules and etiquette, so as not to be looked down upon by others.”

Seeing Xiuxiu's confused face, he simply said: "What I mean is, the day after tomorrow I will bring you into the palace to meet Concubine Rong, first I will let the nuns in the palace teach you some palace rules and etiquette."

Xiuxiu's head buzzed, and he couldn't speak for a while, his face was like a flower blooming angrily, flushed.Shen Buyu saw it, smiled lightly, and wrote lightly: "Concubine Rong is a relative of the Shen family. Letting you enter the palace is just a family story."

"Don't you want to see the prosperous style of Jiangling? I will make your wish come true." Before leaving, he left a meaningful sentence.

As soon as Shen Buyu left, Xiuxiu stood there in a daze for a long time, until Yanxi looked for her before slowly returning to the yard.When Yan Xi heard that the young lady was going to enter the palace, she clapped her hands with joy and said with a smile: "Young lady is indeed very lucky. I heard that apart from the two wives in the prime minister's mansion, even young master and young lady have never seen the true face of Concubine Rong."

Xiuxiu thought of something on his mind, so he asked Yanxi: "My parents used to be in the prime minister's mansion, one was a plasterer and the other was a maid, have you heard of this?"

Yan Xi thought for a while, then shook his head and said, "Cuihong and I both entered the mansion two years ago, so we don't know what happened before. Besides, everyone in the mansion is cautious in words and deeds, and everyone who knows Miss's parents, except the master Ma'am, that is Uncle Fu."

Xiuxiu put aside the matter of her parents for a while, because the things that make her anxious are right in front of her eyes.Thinking that she is just a little girl who has never traveled far, but this time she has to enter the palace to meet the noble empress, it is simply unimaginable.Hearing people describe how majestic and magnificent the imperial palace is, the people in the palace can't make any mistakes in their gestures.The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. At night, she tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep, counting the knocking sounds, and she didn't get dizzy until the middle of the night.

Because Concubine Rong is a relative of the emperor, Xiuxiu is just the new goddaughter of the Prime Minister, but when he arrived at the Prime Minister's mansion, he was treated so favorably, and everyone in the Prime Minister's mansion was surprised.In addition, this new lady has been living alone in seclusion, and the dragon is always in the dark, so people started talking about it in private.

Liu Rulan was enthusiastic, and started to help prepare Xiuxiu's clothes for entering the palace, and even invited the nuns in the palace to explain the palace rules and etiquette to Xiuxiu.Shen Buyu originally wanted to follow Concubine Rong's instructions and deal with this matter in a low-key manner, but he felt unreasonably uneasy, so he followed Liu Rulan's instructions.

That day Liu Rulan got up early in the morning and brought Cuihong to the Juxin Courtyard, and soon after leaving the courtyard, she ran into the eldest wife Li Pinghua.Li Pinghua has always been serious about his speech and smiles. This trip seems to be an accidental meeting, and the lady's words are also casual: "It is really common for a rich family to adopt an adopted son and daughter. Adopted daughters are not a rare thing. Many people who want to be the daughter of the prime minister can't ask for it. What! That Xiuxiu's father just passed away, so he is supposed to be living under someone else's roof, but the master treats him so cautiously, as if he was asking for something from others, it's strange."

Liu Rulan could naturally hear the sourness in her words, and said with a light smile, "My master has always been meticulous in his work, how can we be suspicious as wives and concubines? My sister has seen Xiuxiu before, and she looks a little like Concubine Rong. Besides, Xiuxiu's parents are dutiful people in Mengmata County, and that child is also well-behaved, really likable."

"I don't think she looks like Concubine Rong at all, but rather like her maid Cao Guizhi in the past. She was born with a coquettish look, and she didn't know what she was pretending to be in her head at a young age! Fortunately, she left the Shen family early, otherwise the Shen family would sooner or later... There will be a lot of restlessness."

Liu Rulan still maintained a good demeanor when she heard the words, and said sternly: "Sister, stop cursing me. I think I have no daughter under my knees, and my luck is far less than that of my sister. Now I have recruited such a daughter. Is it possible to raise a charming child?"

"I'm kind enough to remind you. If I'm talking too much, just pretend you didn't hear me."

Li Pinghua got bored and left resentfully.Annoyed by her words, Liu Rulan stood there for a while, then collected her thoughts and continued to walk.

He was woken up when he was resting, and Yan Xi was already standing in front of the bed curtain to serve him.When Liu Rulan entered the room, Xiuxiu had finished washing and was sitting in front of the dressing table with a nervous expression on her face.

Liu Rulan sensed her uneasiness, so she kindly comforted her, and Yan Xi also echoed her.Liu Rulan told them some palace jokes she had heard, and the three of them laughed so hard that they felt much more comfortable.

An old woman put powder on Xiuxiu's face, and painted Xiuxiu's cheeks pink with rouge. Her eyebrows were curved and long, and her lips were dotted with sandalwood leaves. Palace skirt, the peonies on the skirt are huge and bright.Dressed up like this, Xiuxiu stood in front of the bronze mirror, only to see a beautiful woman with a fairy posture and jade color, graceful and graceful.Amidst the admiration of the crowd, even Xiuxiu couldn't recognize herself.

Liu Rulan took her hand, looked at her carefully, and said, "What a beauty! Just wait for Xiangye to come over. Xiangye must like Xiuxiu's pretty appearance."

Yan Xi clapped his palms and said with a smile: "Miss looks like this, I think all the concubines in the palace are being compared."

Xiuxiu let himself be manipulated, thinking: I don't know which foot to take first with my appearance.

Not long after, Shen Buyu came in wearing a dark red official uniform.When he first saw Xiuxiu's outfit, he was surprised. When his eyes fell on Xiuxiu's face, he frowned suddenly, and said, "What's that messy smear on your face? Wipe it off!"

The master lost his temper, everyone panicked, Liu Rulan hurriedly asked Yanxi to bring fresh water again, and the house was in a hurry.

"Also, don't dress colorfully, change your clothes!" Shen Buyu ordered again.

When Xiuxiu returned to her old appearance, she was only wearing a light-colored lake crepe skirt. This kind of material looked extremely elegant, and the dark-patterned stamens only appeared in the sunlight, which was extremely elegant and plain.She stood in front of Shen Buyu anxiously, waiting for his satisfactory answer.Shen Buyu just glanced at her, walked outside without saying a word.

Liu Rulan just nodded and gave her a wink.Xiuxiu understood, so he had no choice but to follow suit.

The sky is full of colorful clouds in the east, and there is a trace of coolness in the air. A red-painted and painted carriage with curtains is rolling on the street leading to the palace.

Xiuxiu didn't know what she would encounter during this trip, she silently recited the newly learned complicated etiquette, and naively thought that this was just her only trip to the palace in her life.

Birds chirp outside the window, and it will be another long day.Concubine Rong sat for a long time, her mood became more restless, she went to look outside the hall for a while, then turned back to the inner hall.Going back and forth like this a few times, even I was amazed that I was so restless, so I simply called the maidservant to set up the cicada-wing screen window.

The maidservant just opened the window and shouted in surprise: "Your Majesty, the Third Prince is here."

Concubine Rong's heart skipped a beat, and she regained her energy.In a blink of an eye, Xiao Kui lifted the curtain and rushed in, dressed in emerald yellow, dazzling, a gust of wind blew up in his robe, and even the letterhead and inkstone paper on the case table trembled slightly as if affected. With the wind.

It's finally here.

Concubine Rong half-closed her eyes and looked at it with a smile.The pair of long gowns are decorated with gold trim on the neck, the cuffs are embroidered with Zhai patterns with gold thread, the waist is inlaid with a ruby ​​jade belt hook, and eight clusters of emerald dragons are tied with gold inlaid with east bead belts. Lips are like fat, and eyebrows are bright.This is his precious son - Xiao Kui.Concubine Rong admired in her heart, and her pride in appreciating it was beyond words.

She held back her son immediately, and said angrily, "Have you not seen Concubine Mother for a few days?"

Xiao Kui didn't speak, he let go of his mother's hand, lifted his satin robe, turned around and fell down on the imperial concubine's couch.Concubine Rong went over to look carefully, her son's brows were furrowed, his cheeks puffed out, his face was more hazy than usual, and his heart skipped a beat.She asked carefully: "Little ancestor, what's the matter today?"

Xiao Kui turned around, looking straight at his mother, as if he was getting angry: "What did the concubine mother say to the emperor?"

"No, I haven't seen your father recently." Concubine Rong was surprised, "Ku'er, what happened?"

"Isn't it a matter of choosing a concubine?" Xiao Kui almost gritted his teeth, "I just went to my father's place, and my father didn't mention it sooner or later, but I mentioned it when I was greeting you today. I heard that someone from the court read a book. Hmph, It must be Shen Buyu's bad idea."

Seeing that his mother was wide open and silent, Xiao Kui sneered and said darkly, "That guy came here two days ago, right?"

Concubine Rong was really angry, and pushed her son: "The words are so ugly, there are no rules. He was your teacher at least, and you respected Mr. Shen when you were four or five years old. How come the older you are, the better you are? You know him Come, why don't you come to see us?"

"I don't want to see him." Xiao Kui's eyes glowed with disgust, and he twisted his body, as if lying down was more comfortable.

Seeing that her son hadn't left yet, Concubine Rong quickly motioned for the maid to serve her.A maidservant knelt beside Xiao Kui, a gold-painted tray contained evenly sliced ​​honeydew melons, the maid poked a piece with a wooden stick, and carefully delivered it to Xiao Kui's slightly opened mouth.Xiao Kui smiled evilly, looked sideways at the maidservant's face, raised her finger and lightly scratched her pink cheek, opened and closed her lips, and blew into her face.The maid was extremely itchy and blushed, but she didn't panic and shy as if she was used to it, she just continued to feed him as if nothing had happened.

Normally, Concubine Rong would stop the frivolous behavior between her son and her maid.Today, he drank the Biluochun in the cup almost as if he didn't hear anything, and listened attentively to the movements in the outer hall.Xiao Kui waited for the maid to wipe the corners of his mouth clean, then slowly sat up straight, and said leisurely: "Brother Hao must have entered the palace."

Concubine Rong asked nervously, "Are you leaving?"

Xiao Kui was about to stand up, but the maid was still kneeling and motionless.He grabbed the maidservant with one hand and lifted it vigorously, and the maidservant sat on his lap.Xiao Kui held the corner of his mouth, his expression was half a smile, his whole face was almost leaning on her full front.The servant girl blushed, but secretly looked at him happily, with one arm hanging firmly around Xiao Kui's neck.

Concubine Rong couldn't help turning her head away, staring out of the window, her internal organs seemed to be roasted, and the palm of the hand holding the teacup was already sweating.

(End of this chapter)