Feng Yi Palace in front of the main hall are paved with lapis lazuli, empty without any grass and trees, alabaster stone steps magnificent atmosphere, just in this quiet afternoon, walking on it gives people a deep sense of depression.
Mu Hanyang followed the eunuch leading the way to the front of the main hall, perhaps the reason for the hot weather, the Empress is not in the hall, but in the corridor put a phoenix couch, two palace maids holding a long-handled peacock fan in the couch behind the slow fan. After the Empress in a colorful gold phoenix dress, sitting on top of the phoenix couch, straight looking at Mu Hanzhang step by step on the jade steps.
"My humble servant has met the mother, mother a thousand years old, a thousand years old, a thousand years old!" Mu Hanzhang calmly walked to the corridor and kneeled down to salute.
The Empress picked up the cup, sipped lightly, and took a handkerchief and elegantly nodded the corners of her mouth, before she said without haste, "Get up, quickly give a seat, this is the heart of King Cheng, in case of kneeling bad the Palace can not afford to compensate."
Mu Hanzhang narrowed his eyes, as if he could not hear the sarcasm in the Empress's words, and thanked her courteously and thoughtfully, sitting on the square stool moved by the palace maid.
See Princess Cheng completely did not expect that kind of panic, let sit on the seat, behavior, etiquette so that people can not pick a trace of fault, but let mention a breath ready to reprimand the Queen, hard swallowed back.
Jing Shao into the south study, underage young emperors have ended the nap, but also did not start the afternoon homework, just all quiet in the house to study homework, waiting for the husband to come. Because the weather is getting hot, Hongzheng Emperor exempted the imperial sons of the afternoon martial arts class, all changed to the literary class.
Standing outside the study, looking at these little children less than ten years old each looking serious as they held the books in their hands, Jing Shao remembered the situation in the southern study when he was a child. At that time, mother was still around, and every day at this time, she would have fresh fruits and melons brought in, not only for him and his brother, but also for his eldest brother and Jing Yu. Jing Yu always feel that the hands of others than his good, relying on their own young often want to change with his brother, brother will not be with him will be changed with him, but it is not used to their own, make too much noise will swing his fist to beat him.
Then the successor came to power, and there were no more melons and fruits to eat in the afternoon. From then on, there was a long period of time when no new prince was born in the palace, and when the eldest prince left the palace to build a residence, only the three of them were left in the study. Jing Yu every day someone will specially send snacks melon and fruit, but they are all unique ......
"Third Imperial Brother!" A milky cry called back Jing Shao's thoughts, and when he looked down, a little fat boy who only reached the base of his leg was tugging at the hem of his coat, it was none other than Seventh Imperial Prince Jing Yi.
Jing Shao reached out and touched his head, calling out "Jing Yi", and the little fatty immediately smiled without seeing his eyes, "Third Emperor Brother, you still recognize me!"
"It's not like we haven't seen each other for a few years, how can we not recognize each other?" Jing Shao cried and laughed as he picked him up, "Have you grown fat again?" Because Jing Yi grew up to be a fat boy, that's why Jing Shao remembers extra clearly, the other younger brothers are not common, so if someone else pulls him, they can only project the ranking based on the age.
"Third Imperial Brother ...... "The few people in the room turned around when they heard the commotion and all followed suit and stood up.
"I'm just stopping by, you guys read." Jing Shao waved his hand for them to sit back down.
"Third Imperial Brother, I heard that you defeated 100,000 Huns, I wanted to hear you talk about how you fought when I saw you in the New Year, but you were sitting at the front and I couldn't get through." Jing Yi was emboldened by being hugged by his royal brother, and did not return to his seat after being put down, tugging at Jing Shao and not letting go of his hand, wanting him to talk about the battlefield exploits. The other emperors didn't say anything, their eyes were also full of expectation.
"Third brother, are all Huns full of beards?"
"Third Imperial Brother, are there wolves in the desert?"
"Third Brother ......"
When Emperor Hongzheng came in, he saw Jing Shao surrounded by several imperial brothers, rarely showing a few moments of being at a loss for words, and couldn't help but ease his face.
"Back to mother, not taking a side consort is the king's intention, I have no knowledge of it." Mu Hanzhang bowed his head slightly in a polite manner, and to the Empress's meaner words than one just answered in a warm voice, not saying a single word.
"You're older than His Majesty, can't you advise me? Seeing that this is about to go to war, there is still no son and a half daughter, if there is an eventuality, such a high Prince title will not have no one to follow in his footsteps? At least you have been a successful candidate, why are you so insensitive?" The Empress slowly fiddled with the tea in her cup with the lid, saying that she only likes men, is it possible that all the concubines in the Chengwang Mansion in the past were just for show? Today in the imperial study, the emperor just mentioned a sentence to let Jing Shao niece as a side room, he said he does not like female color, clearly is to hit her face!
What do you mean there's an eventuality? What do you mean, there's no one left? The most taboo to say these before the expedition! Mu Hanzhang, who has been responding patiently, heard this, slowly clenched his fists hidden in his sleeves: "The Prince's title is not hereditary, even if it's a side child, it can only bear the Zhenguo General ......."
Empress Dowager fiercely knocked her cup on the small table, "What do you mean by this? Is this blaming this palace, blaming the emperor?" The surrounding palace maids heard this and knelt down.
"I don't dare." Mu Hanzhang hurriedly got up and knelt on the ground.
"What else would you not dare to do? As a royal consort, you ostracize your concubines, are jealous and exclusive, and now you don't allow the Prince to keep an heir, so it's really a bold and presumptuous thing to do!" The Empress' words could be described as aggressive, and every word was heartbreaking. Mu Hanzhang just silent not to say anything, now this situation, the queen is obviously annoyed, more said more wrong.
After receiving the handkerchief handed over by the palace maid, she wiped her tea-stained hands, glanced at Mu Hanzhang kneeling on the ground, and sighed lightly, "This palace doesn't want to make things difficult for you, but since you married into the royal family, you have to think about it for the sake of the royal family. This way, you go to kneel on that jade step platform, when you think about it, when to get up again."
Mu Hanzhang heard, can not help but secretly bitter smile, want to understand? The Empress didn't say anything about letting him reflect on anything, so why did she say she wanted to understand?
Jade steps platform is the jade steps in front of the temple above the piece of flat land, alabaster stone in the hot sun exposure for several hours, has been sunburned like charcoal. Mu Hanzhang elegantly light lifting hem, rules and regulations kneeling in the center of a stone plate. Summer afternoon is the time when the sunlight is the strongest, baking □ outside the skin, can soon feel the pain.
The queen let the palace people get up, over a cup of freshly brewed tea, slowly and methodically drank up, leaving Cheng Wangfei alone kneeling to be punished. She would like to see, this Cheng Wang and Cheng Wangfei in the end how much "love than gold".
Miaoxi stood behind a row of courtesans secretly anxious, but had no chance to leave.
Sweat along the handsome face slides over the graceful line of the chin, dripping down on the hem of the purple court dress, Mu Hanzhang drooped his eyes, without any trace of shrinking his hand into the sleeve. The sun is in the south, only sunlight can get to his spine, not so much as to sunburn his skin, just suffering from the court dress is more than one layer, soon to be drenched in sweat, hot slate will be hot bit by bit seeped into his body.
Mu Hanzhang pondered the Empress's purpose in singing this today, in order to divert her attention and alleviate her body's perception of pain. Today, Jing Shao directly refuted the matter of the side room, the Emperor did not force, the Empress consciously embarrassed, she wanted to use this way to let the people know that the matter of the inner house of the Harem, or her say; also knocked Jing Shao, do not talk nonsense.
When the Empress drank the second tea, she finally could not help but get up to go to the toilet.
Sweat hanging on the slender eyelashes, the scene in front of him was suddenly tinted with a seven-colored halo, Mu Hanzhang thought with bittersweet joy that perhaps the Empress merely wanted to vent her anger, and she herself didn't know how she was going to end it. Unfortunately, he is a man, not those blood deficiency and shortness of breath concubines, I guess the sun until the sun goes down can not be out of the sun. Should I pretend to faint so that I can find a step for her?
Miaoxi took the opportunity to follow the water room to change the tea of the courtesan back away, turned the corridor quickly flashed to the side, when no one noticed, quickly ran out. The road in the palace, which she had traveled every day since she was a child, had long been familiar to her, but today the road leading to the South Study seemed extraordinarily long. Miaoxi was sweating with anxiety, but did not dare to run too fast for fear of being suspected by the guards. That kind of gentle as jade modest gentleman, the king usually can not even say a word of heavy words, but in this hot sun kneeling on the stone plate, the king knows will not be heartbroken to death!
"My son is bent on stabilizing the four directions for my father, as for the heir royal grandchildren, there are two royal brothers, what's more, the fourth royal brother is going to get married next month," Jing Shao saw that his father was in a good mood today, and remembering first that Jun Qing was still in the Feng Yi Palace, he put on a loyal and honest face, "My son has been married to the crown princess for less than four months. Now really still like tight, really don't want to accept a newcomer."
"Hahahaha ......" the third son who only knows to lead soldiers and fight wars, now even know the taste of love, Hongzheng emperor heard this, can't help but openly laugh.
"Your Majesty! Master Wang!" Miaoxi stumbled in and was stopped by the guards in front of the study door.
Jing Shao and Emperor Hongzheng both turned their heads to look at the words.
"Miaoxi!" Jing Shao knew something had happened to Jun Qing when he saw the expression on the visitor's face, and immediately changed his color.
"What's going on?" Emperor Hongzheng frowned and signaled the guards to let her in.
"Slave girl kowtow to Your Majesty!" Seeing that Emperor Hongzheng was there, Miao Ruoxi flung herself to her knees, kowtowed and burst into tears, "Please Emperor, save the Wangfei! The Wangfei is being punished for kneeling in front of the Feng Yi Palace, and has already been kneeling under the hot sun for an hour!"
"Your Highness, that maidservant from King Cheng's residence has disappeared," Duolu looked around and quietly whispered in the Empress Dowager's ear, "The slave girl has just heard that King Cheng has also come into the palace, and is in the South Study Room."
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly, "With her going, this Palace would like to see how capable he, King Cheng, is!"
Mu Hanzhang kneeling is not far, naturally the words of the Empress heard clearly, can not help but secretly anxious, if Jing Shao regardless of breaking into the Feng Yi Palace to, this crime can be big!
"Your servant ＼ slave girl has met Your Majesty, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor!" The guards and palace maids at the bottom of the Jade Steps suddenly knelt down in unison and called out three times for long live.
When the stepchildren sniffed, their hands shook, and the green jade tealight slid to the ground with a crisp sound.
"Jun Qing!" Jing Shao excused himself from his father and rushed up the jade steps in three or two steps.
When Mu Hanzhang heard the sound, his face, which had been lowered, lightly hooked up a cold smile, since the Emperor had come, he would do neither, and simply make a big deal out of it. So, weakly raised his head, glanced at the ever-approaching Jing Shao, and with a hoarse voice lightly called out, "Your Majesty ......", then his eyes closed, and he softly fell backward!