fake prince

Chapter 664

It is not until the afternoon when the lanterns are turned on, most of the palaces and palaces are dimly lit.

Although there is no shortage of expensive candles in the queen's palace, in the past ten years, even if a steady stream of good things have been delivered, the queen has never lived in luxury, and the hall will not be lit until dark.

On the bed in the side hall, the brazier next to it emits a little heat, and the incense is lingering. The queen who just woke up from a nap, served by several maids, slowly got up and drank fragrant tea. I feel a little more comfortable in my drowsy head.

Just now she fell into a coma again, as usual, she still didn't dream of the prince.

I don't know if it's because the imperial palace is special. She has thought about it day and night for more than ten years, but the number of times she has dreamed about her son is only a handful.

I can't see it when I wake up, and I can't dream about it when I fall asleep. Only when I look at the portrait alone can I calm my inner pain a little.

The hot tea entered her throat, and the queen's expression was indifferent, neither sad nor happy.

It wasn't until the female officer Zhaoxia came in briskly, followed by two eunuchs carrying a small basket, this unusual trivial matter, the queen looked over in puzzlement.

"What is this?" the queen asked unhurriedly.

The female officer Zhaoxia smiled and said, "Mrs. Hui, this is a frozen pear."

"Frozen pears?" The queen's eyes fell on the small bamboo basket that had been opened. There were almost a hundred frozen pears in a small basket, all of which looked fresh and delicious, although there were not many of them. , but this is the case in the palace. When sending things, it is all about the best quality, not the largest quantity.

Thinking that this was another item sent by the previous emperor, the empress asked casually, "Oh? Who sent it?"

He planned to have someone lift the frozen pears down.

But I heard the female officer in front of me reply: "Go back to your mother, it was sent on behalf of the Duke."

"Duke Dai?" As soon as these words came to my ears, it was different immediately. The faint empress was stunned. Although she didn't have much expression, but Zhaoxia had been with her for many years, and she knew at a glance that the original faint smile was no longer a decoration, but a smile. A joy from the inside out.

"He sent it? This child has a heart." She nodded and said immediately.

Being able to serve the queen, which one is not good at seeing the queen's face?From this point of view, it is clear that the queen is very happy about Dai Guogong sending frozen pears over.

Zhaoxia continued to smile and said, "Not only that, Duke Dai also sent a painting, take a look."

As she said that, she looked behind the two little eunuchs carrying baskets, and the queen also looked over, and found that there were still people following, holding a long brocade box in their hands.

"A painting?" The Queen's heart skipped a beat.

While speaking, Zhaoxia carefully took the painting out of the wooden box with the help of the palace servants, and unfolded it in front of the queen little by little.

Although the light was a little dim at this time, when the painting was unfolded, the people nearby could still see it clearly, and they all held their breath.

The queen just glanced at the content above, and immediately stood up, and came to the painting in a few steps, gently stroked the painting with her fingers, looked at it carefully, and her eyes gradually became moist.

"This child... this child..."

She spoke softly, without blinking her eyes.

I saw that this painting was an ink painting, which showed two men, one big and one small, kneeling in front of a woman, and the woman, looking down at the two, unfolded a piece of clothing at the same time.

There are also a few poems:

"Mother hands line, wandering clothing."

"Departure thick seam, meaning fear of delay in return."

"Whoever says that the heart of an inch of grass will be rewarded with three springs."

It is strange to say that this is an ink painting, and ink painting generally focuses on a kind of artistic conception, and it is not too similar to a real person, but whether it is the queen who is looking at this painting at this time, or the palace who is also looking at this painting People, when seeing this painting, came up with a thought: "It's so similar!"

like who?

Of course he looks like a prince, a Duke of Dai, and a queen!

Even though the appearance and clothing of the three people in this ink and wash painting are outlined in a few strokes and are not realistic at all, they can be recognized immediately. The woman who is unfolding her clothes is the queen, and the adult man kneeling in front of the woman, It is the prince, and the kneeling child is the Duke of Dai.

"It's so vivid." Many people exclaimed in their hearts.

And when such a painting falls in the eyes of the queen, it is not only admiration, but also a thousand thoughts are in the heart.

Thinking that I couldn't even see Aizi easily in my dreams, thinking that Aizi was still worried about me before the moment, thinking of the little grandson who was thrown to death so much that I hadn't seen a few times, thinking of the few people who were intrigued by each other but loved me. However, the wives and concubines of the Prince's Mansion who are respectful and filial, have been sad, painful, and forbearing for more than ten years. When they read "I am afraid that I will return later", they burst into tears.

The queen, who has always paid attention to her image, burst into tears and sobbed while covering her mouth.

Most of the bystanders knew what happened back then, and all the loyal servants had red eyes.

No one persuaded the empress that crying like this may not be a form of venting. The queen who always endures it is too bitter.

They see it in their eyes and it hurts in their hearts.

After a long time, the queen wiped away her tears and asked, "Where is Duke Dai now?"

Since the frozen pears and paintings were sent in, the person should be in the palace.

Zhaoxia replied: "Mrs. Dai, Duke Dai is meeting the emperor right now, and he hasn't left the palace yet."

"Put this painting away first, and put it in the private treasury of the palace for safekeeping."

"Prepare the chariot, I am going to see the emperor."

After the queen said this, she asked the maid to bring hot water, carefully removed the traces of crying on her face with a towel, and put on makeup again.

"Let's go." The phoenix carriage was ready, and she naturally couldn't wait for a moment, and wanted to see her grandson immediately.

The afternoon sun shone on the phoenix chariot, and the people sitting on it had calm expressions with a hint of haste.

When passing by a fork in the palace in front, I saw two palace people turning from the side road, seeing the phoenix chariot close in front of me, they hurriedly knelt down by the side of the road, not daring to lift their heads.

Seeing that she was dressed as an ordinary court lady, I don't know if she just came from the front.

The queen withdrew her gaze and didn't pay any attention to it.

The two palace servants cautiously got up after the phoenix chariot passed by, sighed at each other, and continued to walk in the direction of Pixiang Palace.

"It's not easy for the princess to go to the palace now, and I don't know if the empress will be sad knowing that the princess can't come."

"This is something that can't be helped. In the palace gate, slaves like us go in and out and spend some money, but it's not that we won't let them out. But the princess has been grounded by the emperor several times before. Using this incident as an excuse, the people in the palace gate are not It was deliberately blocked."

"Our chief steward of Pixiang Palace asked to see the emperor before, but he was also stopped, saying that the emperor was busy with government affairs and had no time to see him. Hey, slaves like us have nothing to do."

"It looks like the hands and feet of the empress in the palace..."

Do you know what else to do?

Because the concubine Wu they serve has fallen out of favor so far, Princess Xinping has even been deprived of the token to enter the palace, and she can only come once or twice within a few months.

It's almost the empress's birthday. In the past, the emperor would reward Concubine Wu and give some favors, but this year, when this day is approaching, there is no movement in the imperial city. It really fulfills the saying: Only when you are downhearted can you see people's hearts.

In the past, the people who praised Pixiang Palace, not to mention the low-ranking concubine, even the eunuchs and mothers began to be arrogant.

This time they were ordered to go out of the palace to meet Princess Xinping at the Princess Mansion, and found that the Princess has lost a lot of weight compared to before. It seems that since the mother and daughter fell out of favor, life has been difficult.

"It's really not possible, we might as well ask the empress..." A court lady said suddenly, thinking of the phoenix chariot that had just passed by.

Concubine Wu's birthday, Princess Zhun Xinping enters the palace to celebrate, isn't it normal?

If the emperor doesn't see the people in the Fragrance Palace, why can't the empress also see them?

As long as the Empress Empress speaks, the concubines who are jealous of the Empress Dowager's favor in the past and are now making trouble, have to weigh it up, don't they?

But as soon as the words came out, he was immediately reprimanded by his companions: "Don't be stupid! The emperor has made a decree that you are not allowed to disturb the queen with this kind of thing. If the emperor finds out, I am afraid that even our empress will be in trouble." , don’t mention this matter again!”

But there was really nothing else they could do, the two sighed again, with ugly faces and hurried back.

And the phoenix chariot that passed by just now arrived at the front hall soon.

With the support of the female official Zhaoxia, the queen got off the phoenix chariot and walked up the steps step by step, when she heard a faint voice inside, her face relaxed: "It seems that it's not too late, you haven't left yet."

Seeing the eunuch saluting with a smiling face and going in to report, she shook her head at him. The eunuch hesitated for a while, not daring to move, and could only watch helplessly as the queen walked in accompanied by the female officer.

As soon as she entered the inner hall, she heard her grandson laughing apologetically, saying: "Sun Chen likes calligraphy and painting, please change this."

Then came the emperor's laughter and cursing, and he was full of anger: "You boy, you look respectful, but you are actually very tricky! You can change the things bestowed by the emperor? Why do you think it is called Jinkouyuyan?"

Doesn't sound like angry.

At this time, the queen had already walked in, seeing her coming in, both of them were startled when they sat and stood.

The queen seemed puzzled and asked, "What can't be changed?"

"Empress, you are here." Seeing her sudden arrival, the emperor stood up with a smile on his face, stopped her from saluting, and held her hand, looking up and down.

"There is less snow now, but the rain is the coldest. Did you catch the cold when you came here in the rain?"

"The concubine came here on the chariot, but she never caught cold." The queen smiled gently.

Su Ziji came to see the ceremony at this time, the queen accepted it, let him get up, looked at the child with a smile, and asked the emperor: "What were you talking about just now? But what did the emperor reward Dai Guogong?"

The emperor snorted, put his hands behind his back, and said: "I rewarded him with a cabinet of calligraphy and painting earlier, but he still has to make an inch of it. Today, with a few baskets of frozen pears, he eagerly asks to change the original calligraphy and painting, saying that he has appreciated all of them." Now, is it really unreasonable?"

"Tell me, how can there be any reason to bargain for a price when returning the imperial gift?"

The queen covered her mouth with a smile: "So it's because of this? Duke Dai is fond of painting and calligraphy, and even his concubines know it. Since he wants to study, it's a good thing. The emperor will allow it."

"You, you dote on the children too much." The emperor sighed, thinking it was impossible, and said: "However, since you have said something, then do as it is, just hand it over, and I will reward him with another one."

Su Ziji did not expect that the emperor would change his words so quickly, and he was not at all the same as when he was "goldenly speaking".

With a glance, he saw the expression in the emperor's eyes, and couldn't help but think to himself: "Could it be that the old emperor also has the softest place in his heart?"

"But since this is the case, why did you do that to the prince?"

(End of this chapter)