Sir, can you marry me?

Chapter 207

They were talking here, and not long after, the heavy vermilion lacquered door opened to the inside, and a middle-aged eunuch wearing a blue eunuch uniform announced the time in a shrill voice, and shouted for the wives to enter the palace to meet the empress.All the wives lined up according to their ranks, waiting for the five first-rank ladies standing in the front row to lead them into the palace.Xiao Wenqing knew quite a few court wives, and among the many wives who were dressed in similar clothes, she found two third-grade gentlemen, and she felt that she would go to them.

"Mrs. Ling Fourth, this way." A middle-aged woman with a kind face smiled and said in a low voice, calling Xiao Wenqing to stand beside her.Being an official also requires seniority. Most of the high-ranking wives are over [-] years old, and there are not two third-rank wives as young as Xiao Wenqing.Of the four handsome men in the capital praised by the emperor, currently only Xiao Wenqing's husband-in-law is in a high position and holds real power. It can even be said that her husband-in-law stands out among the young officials.

"Thank you, Mrs. Guan." Xiao Wenqing walked up to the lady calmly and dignifiedly, and nodded his thanks.This is the wife of Lord Guan, the envoy of the administration, and the mother of the housekeeper girl who is very close to the girls of the Cui family.Miss Guan is still in her boudoir, if her future husband-in-law's official position is less than the fifth rank, the housekeeper girl is just like Cai Jiayu, and she is not qualified to enter the palace to pay homage to the empress.

When walking among the third-rank wives, Xiao Wenqing passed the fifth-rank wives who had the largest number of people, and saw a very familiar figure in the crowd, Mrs. He.Mrs. He was born in a noble family, and when Xiao Wenqing left He's house, she was still a third-class lady.Her husband-in-law, He Changqing, was demoted by the emperor to be a doctor in the Department of Household Affairs because of the crime of dereliction of duty.The husband honors the wife and the wife is noble, the husband is demoted, and the wife's rank will also be lowered.Today's Mrs. He is only a pleasant person of fifth rank, the same rank as her eldest daughter-in-law.

Mrs. He accidentally collided with Xiao Wenqing's eyes, and the old face immediately showed a slight embarrassment.She knew that Xiao Wenqing was Chunxi, and since she was married by the prime minister's son, she had been avoiding meeting her daughter-in-law's former dowry maid.It's just that the capital is so big, no matter how much she escaped, she still met Xiao Wenqing.She is now glad that she did not do anything to Xiao Wenqing before, and Xiao Wenqing did not deliberately walk in front of her to show off.She wants to salute this former maid, can she still see people with her old face?

When Xiao Wenqing saw Mrs. He, she had no intention of talking to her, and only sighed in her heart that the world was impermanent.The most noble and extravagant hostess of He Yushi's mansion who used to be aloof, is now lost among all the wives.Mrs. He's rank was downgraded because of her husband's crime, so even though she is a fifth-rank wife, she sometimes has to be despised by the sixth- and seventh-rank wives who are not as good as her. Life is not going well.It is estimated that Mrs. He also knows that her husband-in-law's official career is over, and the emperor's grace is already great if he doesn't pursue it. Now she only hopes that her son can get rid of his father's influence and be reused by the emperor and promoted to an official position.Women follow their husbands and sons, and if both husband and son are court officials, the women's imperial titles are from the highest.

Thinking of He Junhua, the eldest son, Xiao Wenqing shook his head in his heart. This person is just a descendant of his father's generation, and his own ability is not high or low. In the eyes of ordinary people, he can be regarded as a handsome young hero, but in front of his peers, he is just a mediocre person.

All the wives lined up according to their status and rank, and followed the eunuch who led the way through several palace gates to Zhaoyang Palace.The main hall of Zhaoyang Palace is decorated with carved railings, bright yellow curtains with red pillars, eunuchs bowing their heads, court ladies with dignified and solemn faces, and half-person-high gilt dragon and phoenix incense burners on both sides of the jade steps covered with red carpets. wave.The phoenix spreading its wings was covered with golden nanmu seats covered with yellow brocade upholstery, and there was no one there at the moment.

All the wives entered the main hall, stood on the left and right according to the previous order, and waited for the empress to come out.Xiao Wenqing stared closely at the three rank Shu people in the front, back, left and right, walking and standing like them, not daring to make any unnecessary movements.

Not long after, a eunuch screamed from the back of the main hall: "The empress is here—"

The wives immediately turned to face the direction of the voice.A large group of eunuchs cleared the way, and many court ladies with whisks, washbasins, spittoons, and incense boxes came slowly, surrounded by the empress, who wore a golden crown with three dragons and six phoenixes, a court gown with large yellow sleeves, and a golden cloud and dragon pattern.The Empress supported the hand of a court lady in Chinese clothes and sat on the Phoenix Throne, with her hands flat on her chest, looking extremely graceful and luxurious.

"The concubine kowtows to the empress, and the empress is a thousand years old." All the wives waited for the queen to sit on the phoenix throne, and they all knelt down and saluted the empress.

Sitting high on the queen's throne, the empress empress had a gentle and friendly smile on her white face. After all the wives knelt down and worshiped, she said, "Ladies, you are free from courtesy."

"Thank you, empress." All the wives kowtowed and stood up.The young wives moved quickly, and it was difficult for the sixty-seventy-year-olds, like the prime minister's wife, Mrs. Bingbu Shangshu, to get up.

"Come here, sit down for the first-rank wives and second-rank wives." The queen ordered upon seeing this.The wives of the first and second grades are all the wives of veteran ministers and ministers in the court, and there are very few young people.

As soon as she finished speaking, the maids who were prepared behind the main hall filed in one after another, placing the round brocade stools with waists in their hands in left and right order.

"Thank you, Empress, for your kindness." The ladies of the first and second rank got up and sat down according to their old habits.

Women don't discuss government affairs. It is an honor for women to pay respects to the queen on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar new year. They get together to talk about some family matters.

The prime minister's wife stood up and played to the queen. Today her fourth daughter-in-law, Xiao Shi, came to the palace to pay homage to the queen.Because she was unwell a while ago, she didn't go to the palace to thank the empress empress immediately after she was conferred, and asked the empress empress to forgive her for being rude.

As soon as Xiao Wenqing lifted his foot, the wife of the Tongzheng envoy beside her gently arched Xiao Wenqing's arm with her hands, and her lips twitched: Come forward and bow down.

Xiao Wenqing knew that she was kindly reminding herself, nodded slightly, walked out of the third-rank wives at a leisurely pace, cupped her hands and said to the empress: "My concubine, Xiao Shi, the wife of Ling Yuxuan, the commander of the Dragon Scale Guard, kowtows to the queen. Your Majesty, Your Majesty is a thousand years old, a thousand years old." When she said it, her movements were so calm and skillful that no one could be picky and knelt down and kowtowed.

(End of this chapter)