Madam Hou

Chapter 42

After returning to her own palace, Bai Guifei hugged her son, who was almost five months old, and could already learn to sit up by herself, sitting in her mother's arms, always wanting to stand up with her head up.Bai Guipin supported her son's head, and said softly: "My dear son, learn slowly, don't rush."

Bai Guifei's close maid Hong'er looked at her two masters, Bai Guifei and the second prince, and then thought about their opponent Chen Concubine, who originally said that she gave birth to a prince but finally gave birth to a princess, she couldn't help gloating at Bai Gui The concubine said: "My lady, do you think this is retribution? Originally, the empress wanted to record our second prince under the name, but when Chen concubine came, she took away the favor of the empress, and even deceived the empress. The empress changed her original intention and chose to adopt her son, but the one who was conceived in October turned out to be a princess, and she was unable to give birth because of dystocia, do you think this is God's punishment for her?"

Bai Guifei raised her head, glared at Hong'er intentionally, and said loudly: "Presumptuous, you can arrange the empress too?"

Hong'er was startled, she quickly knelt down on the ground, and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, I'm sorry, it's the servant girl who jumped over."

Seeing Hong'er's frightened action, Bai Guibi couldn't help but chuckle, and said to her: "Get up quickly, I'm just kidding you."

Hong'er heard that the master's master was only joking with her, she stood up and said unfairly: "Your Majesty, you scared Hong'er to death, and this slave thinks that your mother really wants to punish Hong'er."

Bai Guifei said: "But I'm also right. There are walls everywhere in this palace. We'd better be careful. It's a serious crime to make up the empress. But you're right. Isn't this Retribution, whoever’s belongings are theirs, and it’s useless to snatch them.” As he spoke, he kissed the head of the son in his arms, as if saying to his son, and also as if talking to himself: “Good son, mother I will help you protect what belongs to you, and the title of son-in-law belongs to you, and mother will definitely fight for it for you."

After speaking, holding the son in his arms, he shook his body, and after a while, he put the child back to the nanny.Concubine Bai Gui said to Hong'er again: "Hong'er, change into my clothes, we will take the Second Prince to greet the Empress later."

Hong'er knelt and said yes.

When Bai Guifei brought the second prince to Fengyi Palace, the empress was holding black pieces in her left hand and white pieces in her right, playing Go with her left hand and right hand.Seeing that Heizi was about to win, Baizi suddenly returned his carbine and crushed Heizi to death in the corner.

Qingzhu introduced Bai Guibi into Fengyi Palace, Bai Guibi bowed her knees and saluted, then looked at the unfinished game of Go on the table, and praised the queen: "Your Majesty is really exquisite, whether it is Heizi or Baizi, every step he takes is so delicate."

The queen smiled lightly and said: "It's just a boring way to pass the time." After finishing speaking, she ordered the maid to put away the chessboard on the table, and asked someone to move a stool for Concubine Bai to sit on.

After Concubine Bai Gui sat down, the queen asked her: "Why did you come here today? Didn't the freezing weather save you from paying your respects at night? You actually brought the second prince here. In such a cold day, you can't bring the child here. What if it gets frozen?"

Bai Guifei smiled and replied: "It's because I miss my mother, that's why I want to come to talk to my mother at night, and our second prince is the same. Although he can't speak yet, he still misses my mother in his heart."

The second prince vomited a bubble in his mouth very cooperatively, and then grinned as if he was smiling.Bai Guifei pointed to the corner of the child's grinning mouth, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, look, the little prince is smiling. He must think that what the concubine said is right. The little prince is usually the same. It's full of energy."

The queen smiled gently, opened her hands and said to Bai Guifei, "Come here and let me give you a hug."

"Yes."

The little prince didn't recognize his birth, looked around curiously in the empress' arms, then stopped his eyes on the empress, and smiled with his mouth open, revealing two rows of pink gums.The queen patted his head, and said to Bai Guibin: "He is a smart child, he should be brought up well, and well-bred, whether it is for the emperor or the royal family, is a great merit."

After the queen finished speaking, she returned the child to Concubine Bai, and then turned to Aunt Du beside her and asked, "Is there still a bolt of red silk in the storeroom? Go get it and take it back to Concubine Bai. It's freezing cold. It happened to make a few more clothes for the second prince to wear. I remember there is also a rattle made of ivory bones, which was also given to the second prince." Then he ordered some other rewards for the second prince.

Listening to this, Bai Guifei felt more and more sad.

Waiting for Concubine Bai to go out with the second prince in her arms, leading Hong'er and a bunch of rewards, outside Fengyi Palace, she happened to see Caitao, Concubine Chen's personal maid, talking with Qingzhu, the maid beside the empress, and said a few words Finally, Caitao and Qingzhu blessed the gift, and then walked towards the side hall.

After Caitao left, Qingzhu also turned around, saw Bai Guifei, and came forward to salute Bai Guifei.The fifth-rank official in front of the prime minister's gate, how could Bai Guifei dare to embarrass the queen's maid, and quickly asked her to get up, and then asked with a smile: "The one who was talking to Miss Qingzhu just now was Caitao, the court lady of Concubine Chen, what are the two of you talking about?" ?”

Qingzhu replied with a smile: "Back to your concubine, she was talking about the little princess. Sister Caitao said that the little princess can laugh now. Every day when she opens her eyes, everyone is smiling. She is so cute. She asked me again, When the Empress is free, Empress Chen is almost in good health, and wants to hug the little princess to greet Empress Empress. I told her that Empress Empress is the most considerate person, and Empress Chen must cultivate her body first. Once you’ve cultivated well, you can come anytime.”

Bai Guifei didn't expect Qingzhu to tell the truth, and after listening to a bunch of messy and useless things, she became more and more useless to listen.Lifting the child in his arms, he said to Qing Zhu: "Speaking of which, after Concubine Chen gave birth, I rarely visited her for fear of disturbing her cultivation. When Concubine Chen is in better health, I will go to the side hall to see Look at her. Now, I will carry the little prince back first."

Qingzhu said: "Yes, send your concubine respectfully, so that the empress can go."

When she was far away from Fengyi Palace and ensured that the maids and servants of Fengyi Palace could not hear their voices, Hong'er looked at the queen's reward held by the maid next to her, and couldn't help but happily said to Bai Guifei: " Empress, you can see how much the queen likes our little prince, and has rewarded us with so many things."

Sitting on her shoulders, Bai Guifei snorted and said: "Who is the queen? Even if she sends a beggar, she can leak some good things. Didn't you listen to her, let me raise the prince well. I don't understand. Concubine Chen is no longer able to give birth, there is another one in this palace who is more suitable for her to be raised than my emperor's son."

Hong'er's voice also dimmed after hearing this: "Your Majesty, what shall we do?"

Bai Guifei frowned irritably, and then asked Hong'er, "I heard that my brother has been promoted recently, right?"

Hong'er became happy again, and replied: "Yes, the head of the household department who has been promoted to the sixth rank, the master and wife of the family are probably celebrating the young master's promotion."

"Find a way to help me deliver a message to my brother."

"Yes, ma'am."

In Fengyi Palace, after Concubine Bai Gui left, Aunt Du walked up to the queen and advised her, "Your Majesty, you should also listen to Madam Shizi's words, and choose another woman to help your concubine give birth to a child. All right, but what good is it if you can’t reproduce.”

The Empress touched a Ru Kiln powder porcelain cup on the table, and asked Aunt Du, "Gu Gu, what do you think of the Second Prince?"

Aunt Du thought that the queen was planning to adopt the second prince, so she hurriedly persuaded her: "Madam, no, Concubine Bai Gui's heart is too big, and there are promising brothers in the family."

The queen said: "Yes, your concubine's heart is too big, but there are few people in this world who are not so big. There are too few people like Concubine Chen who are smart, knowledgeable and knowledgeable about current affairs, and have no brothers to help them at home. I really can't find a better candidate than her."

"But ma'am, Concubine Chen can't give birth after all."

"Honggu, it's been almost 12 years since you followed me all the way from the palace to the palace, right? These 12 years, big and small, counting how much we've gone through, can't you really see that this time Concubine Chen gave birth to a child?" People have plotted. I'm afraid our Fengyi Palace has also mixed in a lot of blue-faced ghosts. These people, when I free up my hands, I should clean them up."

"But don't be afraid of [-], just in case, in case this Concubine Chen really can't give birth, there will be a draft in the spring of next year. I'm afraid many of the people who will be selected this time are noble daughters from aristocratic families. The status of the heir is high, if the child adopted by the mother is too low, in the future... I am afraid that the chances of winning will be even smaller." Although Aunt Du did not say those two words, the queen also knew that she was talking about future succession.

The queen said: "Concubine Chen is a smart person. If the situation was really so bad, she would not have tried this palace again and again. Instead, she would have knelt down in front of me to seek my protection. Let's see again." Anyway, the names of the eldest and the second child have been taken by others, it doesn't matter if it is the third, the fourth or the fifth, not to mention that the palace is the last thing to be treated as the elders and concubines. Give Concubine Chen some time, half a year , I still have the patience to wait."

The queen has already said this, so Aunt Du can only say yes.

When Caitao returned to the side hall, Yanniang was sitting on the bed hugging the little princess and teasing her.Babies who have just opened their eyes to see the world are curious about everything, and their eyes often keep turning.Yanniang took her daughter's hand clenched into a fist, put it on her lips and kissed it lightly.When Caitao came back, he hugged the little princess to the nanny, and asked Caitao, "How is it? Can you find out clearly?"

Caitao replied: "Yes, Sister Qingzhu told me personally that the concubine Bai Gui frequently went to the empress's place these few days, and she brought the second prince with her every time, and the empress often rewarded the second prince with things, so that Bai Gui My concubine educates the second prince well."

Yan Niang nodded.

Cai Tao asked again: "My lady, the empress has no intention of adopting the second prince, does it mean that the empress has not given up on her?"

Yanniang said: "I'm not sure what the empress means. Continue to inquire about the situation on the empress's side in the future. Be careful not to hide when you inquire. Just ask the maids and servants who are serving the empress. If they are not willing As you said, don’t force yourself to inquire about it.”

Painted pottery said: "Yes, ma'am."

"Besides, I wrote a prescription, you show the prescription to the queen, beg the queen to prepare all the medicinal materials, and then fry it yourself and serve it to me every day." After finishing speaking, it seemed to be muttering to herself He muttered to himself, "I have to get my body back to normal as soon as possible."

(End of this chapter)