Queen's Development

Chapter 107 The Empress
Yuzhi's sedan chair entered an extremely quiet house directly from the corner gate, and stopped in front of the treasure vase gate in the inner courtyard.

Eunuch Ding led Lin Jia into the Aquarius Gate, and while walking along the green brick corridor, he introduced: "My lord, although this house is small, it has all five internal organs. There are three courtyards in total, and the outermost one is the outer courtyard. Behind the outside is the inner courtyard, and behind the inner courtyard is the back garden!"

Lin Jia glanced at Eunuch Ding with a smile, and said, "I know this is the place where Uncle Huang lived when he first came to Beijing!"

Seeing that Lin Jia knew what Lin Jia knew, Eunuch Ding smiled until his eyes narrowed into a line: "It's good that you know! It's good that you know!"

Yuzhi followed behind, listening to the conversation between Eunuch Ding and Lin Jia.

After walking a little further, a door with hanging flowers appeared on the left hand side.

Eunuch Ding led Lin Jia to the Chuihua Gate, pointed to the plaque above and introduced: "My lord, this is the inner courtyard, and the name of the courtyard above was inscribed by His Majesty himself!"

Yuzhi looked up and found that the plaque was painted with black lacquer, which had been mottled and mottled over the years, but the handwriting was still beautiful and round - "Listen to Songyuan"!
Emperor Yongtai's handwriting is very beautiful, and it is somewhat similar to Lin Jia's handwriting!

Entering the Tingsong Courtyard, Yuzhi found that the courtyard was full of tall and straight pine trees. It was the twelfth lunar month, but the pine trees were still green, adding a little vitality to the quiet courtyard.

Eunuch Ding led Lin Jia in, and explained: "Your Majesty has closed this house for a long time. When the slave came back from Zhao County, His Majesty ordered people to repair and take care of this house!"

Lin Jia felt a little sour for no reason, and he gave a soft "hmm".

Eunuch Ding glanced at Lin Jia and saw that his eyes were wet. Afraid that Lin Jia would be embarrassed, he pretended not to see it and said, "Master, you should know His Majesty's taste. The furnishings in the house look ordinary, but they are actually the best. s material!"

Lin Jia couldn't help laughing, and glanced at Eunuch Ding—I'm also the eldest son of the county prince's mansion, do you think I'm some kind of bumpkin who's never seen anything in the world?

Eunuch Ding also realized his long-windedness, and laughed: "Master, our family is happy to see you, so we only care about it!"

Lin Jia knew that Eunuch Ding was a confidant of Emperor Yongtai. He grew up with Emperor Yongtai and had always been loyal. Money cannot be bought, only sincerity can impress him, so he smiled and said: "Uncle Huang treats me well, and Eunuch treats me as well." Well, of course I know, I won’t think my father-in-law is long-winded!”

Eunuch Ding also laughed when he heard the words.

There are quite a few sons of county kings who have been summoned to Beijing these days, but Lin Jia is the one who resembles His Majesty the most, has the most innocent heart, and is somewhat similar to His Majesty when he was young...

He couldn't help but think of what happened back then, and he didn't speak for a while.

After Lin Jia sat down in the listening room, Eunuch Ding ordered a handsome young man of 21 and [-] years old in charge: "Li Rui, ask all the waiters to come and salute you!"

The steward named Li Rui agreed, stepped back, and soon led everyone to kowtow.

Eunuch Ding smiled and said: "Young master, the people in the house are all arranged by our family. Now there are two servants, two maids, two cooks, and two rough maids. For the time being, my apprentice Li Rui will be in charge." Take care, if you find a suitable candidate, Young Master, let Li Rui return to the palace."

As soon as Lin Jia heard it, he knew that Eunuch Ding wanted to install people, so he didn't arrange many people.

His phoenix eyes narrowed and he smiled: "Thank you, Eunuch Ding, it's very kind! I only have one request!"

Eunuch Ding smiled and said, "Sir, please tell me!"

Lin Jia said with a smile: "I don't have any reliable stewards around me, father-in-law leave Li Rui to me as the housekeeper!"

Eunuch Ding laughed, and looked at Li Rui: "A Rui, are you willing to stay with you?"

Li Rui raised his eyes to look at Lin Jia, then looked at Yu Zhi who was standing on the side, lowered his eyes and said, "I am willing."

Eunuch Ding was a nice person, but he was a bit talkative, and he talked a lot with Lin Jia before he got up to leave.

Everyone retreated, only Yuzhi and Lin Jia were left in the room.

Yuzhi looked at Lin Jia, and said with a half-smile: "My lord, when did you confiscate the servant? Why didn't the servant know?"

Lin Jiajun blushed slightly, lowered his eyes and said: "The old concubine wants to release someone into my room, but I don't want to, so I just say that I have already put you..."

On the way from Weishi County to the capital, Yuzhi was thinking about this matter, and she had made a decision at this time, so she smiled and said: "It's okay to let me be your aunt to take care of the inner courtyard for you, but we have to pay for Yueyin. Have a good discussion!"

After Lin Jia heard this, she was ecstatic in her heart, but her face was still very calm, her phoenix eyes looked at Yu Zhi deeply: "How much moon silver do you want?"

Yuzhi smiled and stretched out her fingers to make a sign of ten: "Ten taels of silver a month!"

When Lin Jia heard this, she immediately laughed, and a pair of cute little tiger teeth that are rare to see were also exposed: "I will double it for you, 20 taels of silver a month, but since you are willing to cooperate with me in acting, then Just play it seriously, and still live on the brocade couch in my bedroom at night!"

Yuzhi used to live in Lin Jia's bedroom to wait on her. Knowing that Lin Jia was very shy in such matters, she might as well be bold, but she didn't take it seriously and agreed immediately.

After the negotiation between the two, Lin Jia changed her clothes under Yuzhi's service, got up and took Alan and Aqing out.

In the evening, Lin Jia followed Eunuch Ding into the palace, and went directly to Yutangdian, Emperor Yongtai's bedroom.

Eunuch Ding went in to report, while Lin Jiali waited outside.

Outside the Yutang Hall is a large open space, paved with small white pebbles, and only a straight sycamore tree is planted. Now it is the twelfth lunar month, and the leaves of the sycamore tree have already lighted up, leaving only bare branches reflecting the blue sky. .

Lin Jia felt a little cold, and tightened the dark blue satin black fox cloak on her body, bowed her head in thought.

Eunuch Ding came out soon, and said with a smile: "My lord, please take off your cloak and follow us into the palace!"

The setting sun is still outside, and countless crystal shade lamps have been lit in the Yutang Hall, illuminating the whole palace like daytime, and the earth dragons grow in the hall, warm as a spring day.

Emperor Yongtai sat on the imperial couch, staring at Lin Jia who got up after the salute.

The last time Lin Jia went to Beijing, he was on a tour in the south of the Yangtze River, so he couldn't meet him.

Usually, the information he got about Lin Jia was passed on through several hands.

Lin Jia was wearing a moon-white brocade robe, a black jade belt around her waist, a jade crown on her head, her phoenix eyes were slightly raised, her skin was slightly pale, and she was elegant and tall, almost the same as the information he usually received.

Although he was also a child of the royal family, it was the first time Lin Jia saw Emperor Yongtai.

After paying his respects, he stood up, took a deep breath to make himself less nervous, and then looked at Emperor Yongtai who was sitting on the imperial platform.

Probably because he is a cousin, Emperor Yongtai looks a bit like Lin Jia's father, with beautiful long phoenix eyes and a tall nose, but Emperor Yongtai is much thinner than King Xingping, and his handsome face is full of tiredness. Meaning, the phoenix eyes stared deeply at Lin Jia.

Although it was the first time they met, Lin Jia felt that Emperor Yongtai was very kind for no reason, although Emperor Yongtai didn't have much expression on his face.

Emperor Yongtai asked for a long time: "Ajia, why are you so thin?"

Lin Jia knew that there was no way to hide this, so she said honestly, "I want to report to Uncle Huang, my nephew was poisoned many times when he was young, and his body is a little weak. Now he is asking a famous doctor to take care of him!"

After finishing speaking, Lin Jia lowered her eyes, and her long eyelashes covered her eyes.

Emperor Yongtai would not be willing to choose an heir who was in poor health, but if he didn't say anything at this time, it would become his excuse in the future.

Lin Jia had already made a decision, and he would do his best, but if he lost the election, he would continue to be his magistrate, step by step in his official career, and his future would be bright.

After not hearing Emperor Yongtai's voice for a long time, Lin Jia looked up, only to find that Emperor Yongtai's eyes seemed to flicker.

He hurriedly lowered his head, full of doubts in his heart—could it be that His Majesty's eyes are wet?

Emperor Yongtai said in a hoarse voice: "Ajia, if someone asks about your body in the future, you can say that you just look sick and weak!"

Lin Jia was puzzled, and answered "yes" respectfully.

When Emperor Yongtai saw Lin Jia's body was extremely thin, standing there thinly, he felt sore, sighed, and said: "The Queen lives in Funing Palace, I will take you to see the Queen!"

Lin Jia was half a step behind and followed Emperor Yongtai to leave Yutang Hall.

At this time, the night had fallen, and exquisite palace lanterns were hung everywhere in the palace, reflecting the pavilions and pavilions as if they were heavenly pavilions, extremely gorgeous.

Arriving outside the Hall of Funing, Emperor Yongtai stretched out his hand to hold Lin Jia's hand, and found that Lin Jia's hand was cold, he quickly looked at Lin Jia and asked, "Is it cold?"

Lin Jia let out a "huh".

Emperor Yongtai looked back at Eunuch Ding.

Eunuch Ding nodded immediately, and quietly ordered people to prepare.

Hearing that Emperor Yongtai brought Lin Jia to come, Empress Zhu came out surrounded by all the female officials, bowed her knees with a smile and saluted: "Your Majesty, my concubine is far away to welcome you!"

Emperor Yongtai helped Empress Zhu up, held Empress Zhu's hand, and smiled warmly: "Empress, I brought Ajia to see you!"

Empress Zhu looked at Lin Jia with a smile, and saw that he was really as thin as the old concubine of the Xingping County Prince's Mansion said, thin and thin, with an appearance of being so weak that his clothes could be blown down by a gust of wind, she couldn't help but rejoice, and the smile on her face deepened, Looking at Lin Jia: "It really looks like the Xingping County King, and he looks handsome!"

Emperor Yongtai's expression froze for a moment, and immediately returned to his amiable appearance: "A child of the Lin family, how can there be ugly ones!"

The emperor and queen entered the hall hand in hand.

Lin Jia naturally followed in.

Emperor Yongtai and Empress Zhu sat side by side on the rosewood couch.

Lin Jia sat down on the brocade bench beside her.

Empress Zhu asked Lin Jia a few words with a pleasant smile, and she looked amiable.

Lin Jia got up to say goodbye after eating the imperial banquet that was unwilling to be relished.

Emperor Yongtai glanced at Empress Zhu, and said with a smile: "Ajia, I have already told Han Li that starting from tomorrow, he will go to Yanqingfang Mansion to teach you to read from Chenshi to Sishi every morning!"

Lin Jia was shocked when he heard this—Han Li is 76 years old this year. He is a first-rank prince and Taifu and Minister of Rites. He heard that he had asked for an official position a long time ago, but he never thought that he would be sent by Emperor Yongtai to be his teacher!

When Empress Zhu heard this, her face with perfect makeup was a little stiff, she smiled and said: "Your Majesty, Mr. Han is so busy and old, how can he have the energy to teach Ajia every day!"

Emperor Yongtai squinted at her with phoenix eyes, and said, "Han Li has resigned from the Ministry of Rites and devoted himself to teaching Ajia. He is in good health and should be able to do it!" "

Lin Jia witnessed the mutual hatred between the emperor and empress, and her heart was shocked. She thanked her and retired with Eunuch Ding.

(End of this chapter)