Your Majesty, please do not disturb, the empress only wants to engage in business

Chapter 69 Fighting for favor?

To say that the most well-informed people in the harem are the little eunuchs and little maids in the palace.

In the palace, living in the center is naturally the Qianqing Palace and Kunning Palace for the emperor and empress, then the East and West Six Palaces surrounding these two palaces, and finally the pavilions and pavilions built around the East and West Six Palaces, and the Imperial Palace. Gardens, and well-connected paths.

This area is called the inner palace.

Generally speaking, the concubines' so-called entry into the palace refers to the inner palace. Once a woman enters the harem and becomes the emperor's concubine, it is impossible to leave the scope of the inner palace in this life. One point—going on tour with the emperor or going to the palace is not included in this condition.

And since the imperial city is so big, it is naturally impossible that there is only such a small area as the inner palace.

The first half of this huge city is where the emperor and ministers worked in the previous court, and the second half is the emperor's own backyard, and the servants and servants who serve in this city are not like ordinary people. maid.

The eunuchs who appeared most often in front of the ministers and concubines were the ubiquitous eunuchs in the court.

The Chief of the House of Internal Affairs and the eunuchs are in charge of many matters in the imperial palace. After all, there is a clear distinction between the front and rear of the imperial city, and the ministers work in the front, so they can't talk to the concubines in the back palace.

The eunuchs and maids in the palace are firstly responsible for conveying the emperor’s will during the day, and secondly, they are also responsible for the food, clothing, housing and transportation of the ministers in the offices of the imperial city. The most indispensable institutions have jointly become the last layer of protection for the inner palace.

……

Before dawn, the sound of the watch came from a distance. The sound was muffled, like the sound of a duck exhaling through its trachea before it was about to die.

As soon as Xiao Chizi heard the sound, he rolled out of bed.

His movement of getting out of bed was very quick, but this movement was a little too smooth, causing a momentary tingling pain at the bend of his leg, and his whole leg suddenly stiffened.

But it didn't affect him, he pulled a pill from his sleeve and stuffed it into his mouth, then poured a scoop of cold water into the basin as if nothing had happened, and when he finished washing, the pain in his leg subsided .

I have to say that the medicine made in the Tai Hospital is much better than those doctors who only know three-legged cat medicine. It is said that the injury can be broken for a hundred days, but his injury is only on the flesh, so there is no need for it. Keep it for so long.

With this medicine, it should be fine in another day.

The injury on his leg has actually been going on for some time, three months ago, he was fined three boards because he was a little reckless when picking up Yexiang in the morning and stained a piece of clothing of Song Meiren in Le'an Hall.

At that time, Song Meiren had just entered the palace, and among the newcomers in the palace, she was quite eye-catching, so she was usually very prestigious.

She wanted to punish a eunuch, so naturally no one dared to say anything.

At first, Xiaochizi didn't take it seriously.

Sanbanzi is not a big deal for a young and strong eunuch. If it is hit on the buttocks, the person who does it should be lighter, and the pain will be fine after a morning.

It's just that Song Meiren was angry at that time, and the person who did it was the eunuch next to Song Meiren at that time, so the plank hit him a little harder, and the three planks hit the crook of his leg firmly.

The place is fragile, and the eunuch's men are heavy, so that afternoon, Xiao Chizi couldn't walk, and then his whole body quickly developed a fever. If it wasn't for a fellow villager beside him who talked about Yao Jieyu's compassion, he might I didn't expect there to be a number one person like Yao Jinse.

And Yao Jinse didn't let him down either. When he was in a daze, when he heard about this incident, someone sent him a sum of money.

It was because of this money that Xiao Chizi had the money to hire the imperial doctor to treat his injury. The imperial doctor said at the time, fortunately he asked for it in time, otherwise, this leg would be limping even if it could be cured.

This matter is not a big deal for Yao Jinse. If Yao Jinse didn't count the special accounts in her bedroom every once in a while, she wouldn't even know about it. But for Xiao Chizi, this This matter is a great kindness that saved his life, so he will naturally sacrifice his life to repay it.

Yao Jieyu and him were neither relatives nor relatives, and they were willing to help him save his life with money, so shouldn't it be right for him to help Yao Jieyu with small things within his ability?
Picking up the coarse cloth at hand and wiping his face, Xiao Chizi stood up, glanced at his fellow countryman who was still soundly asleep, and walked out lightly.

Today is his turn to be on duty.

There are seven or eight little eunuchs in the palace who pull Yexiang every morning, and each has its own path. Xiaochizi changed his path with someone last night. In this case, he will be able to pass through Yuxiu Palace.

Although he knew that Yao Jieyu might not need her help for a long time and would not send any information outside the palace, Xiaochizi was still willing to prepare.

But just taking two extra steps every morning is not a problem for him.

All the way to Yuxiu Palace.

The maids and eunuchs in the inner court usually get up earlier than the little eunuchs. Although they usually serve the master with arrogance, but when it comes to the time of serving in the morning and evening, they are longer than the eunuchs and maids who do rough work. .

So, when Xiao Chizi went to carry the bucket, a figure in pink came over not far away.

"Eunuch Xiaochi," Baitao walked closer before speaking. She deliberately lowered her voice so that her words would not sound so clear, "My lord, please do one thing."

Xiaochizi didn't even raise his head, just stood where he was, listening to Baitao's words while working, and nodded after a while.

"I see."

He has never been a talkative person, but what he does is always reassuring. Baitao does not doubt that he is there, so she turns around and leaves.

Xiaochizi finished collecting his things, pulled the cart to the next house and continued to work until the sun completely jumped out from the other side of the mountain, and his work for today was considered complete.

The Yexiang Bureau has always been different from other places in the palace. After all, this place is considered an unlucky place in people's eyes, so everyone is reluctant to come.

But if you don't care about the smell that comes from dealing with night incense for a long time, which can't be removed even if you cover it with heavy incense, the work here is still very leisurely. Except for the special use of the big shots, the others don't need to be cleaned up so carefully.

Once you are proficient, you can do it even faster.

In summer, it is collected once in the morning, at noon and at night, and in winter, there are only two times in the morning and evening. The Forbidden City is not very hot all year round. There are [-] or [-] eunuchs in the Yexiang Bureau, and there are always enough people.

Of course, most of the palace eunuchs in the Ministry of Internal Affairs are scattered in places where labor is needed, such as the Clothes Bureau and the Imperial Dining Room, and such lucrative tasks as going out to the palace to buy goods have never fallen on them.

But after all, they still have an advantage of being able to leave the palace.

These night fragrances in the palace can't just be piled up in the Forbidden City like this, there has to be a special person to send them out almost every two days. .

Only this time, Yao Jieyu's task was not to help her send letters outside the palace, but to let Xiao Chizi help collect some information inside the palace.

This made Xiaochi a little bit difficult.

His popularity in the palace can't be said to be very good, but it's not bad, but because of this job, no one is usually willing to take the initiative to approach him.

Not to mention that someone came over to share with him the secrets of the palace after learning about them.

"What's the matter? You have a sad face early in the morning, and your legs still hurt?"

Xiao Chizi was thinking and working at the same time, and he did not delay the two, but the expression on his face showed that he was absent-minded at a glance. The fellow countryman who lived in the same house with him originally entered the palace with him. We've known each other since we were young, so we can naturally tell that Xiaochizi is not in shape.

"Stool, you're up."

The name Xiaosengzi was given to the man in front of him by his mother when he was young. She said it was a cheap name and easy to raise. This name is quite unique. It has not been changed in the palace, and it has been used like this.

"You guys are outside, the commotion is so loud, it's hard not to wake up, let alone at this time, it's time to go to the imperial dining room to get today's meal."

The implication is to let Xiao Chizi make this trip.

It's not that he's bullying, because if Xiaochizi leaves, someone will be doing the work here, and he can only be the candidate.

The matter of running to the imperial dining room to carry food, because Yexiang Bureau has a cart, it is naturally easier than constantly bending and straightening legs here.

Xiaochizi has nothing to accept about Xiaosengzi's kindness to him. The two of them were stabbed and "sent" to the palace by their family because they could no longer live outside. Being able to take care of each other, wouldn't it be so miserable that there is no one to talk to?

It is always more convenient to have someone by your side. If the little stool hadn't thought of Yao Jinse before, he might not be able to have this life now, let alone go to the imperial dining room to get food.

But... the imperial dining room is not a place where you can eat.

This is the most well-informed place in the entire palace. After all, food, clothing, housing and transportation are the four major things that people cannot get around. Clothes in the palace are regulated, and living and transportation are strictly restricted. item, it has been paid more attention to by everyone.

Except for the palace with its own small kitchen, the rest of the concubines, whether they are palace servants or not, all eat in the imperial dining room.

It is said that eaters have a short mouth, and whether they can eat something good depends on their face, so the master chefs in the imperial dining room have never had a bad life. As long as they have good cooking skills, Nature is a fat difference.

Not to mention, the masters come from all corners of the country, and the news they know also comes from all corners of the country.

Naturally, Xiao Chizi had nothing to do with these master chefs, and he could only have a few words with the little eunuch who passed the dishes when they were getting the dishes.

But when he was picking up the food, he happened to bump into Eunuch Cui from the imperial concubine's palace coming to pick up the food. He saw a master chef respectfully deliver him to the door, and conveniently stuffed a meat bun for the little eunuch over there.

Xiaochizi's heart suddenly understood.

……

"In this way, the imperial dining room treats the concubine as usual, which means that this matter has not caused any faults for the concubine, and the reason why the emperor ignores the concubine's lost right to assist the six palaces may be considered a conspiracy Something new."

Yao Jinse pulled a piece of cloth, tied her hair in the middle, and then slowly turned it up, finally making it into a bun that looks very fresh in the palace.

"My servant thinks it may not be so." Bai Tan was thoughtful, and always thought more when thinking about things: "Maybe the people in the dining room are afraid of the power of the imperial concubine, so it may not be known that they dare not offend the concubine."

"Not to be offended is not to be offended, but the way of handling it can also reflect many things,"

Baitao doesn't understand, isn't it just an ordinary dish, how can it have so many meanings?
"When people come, they can pretend to be busy without any reason, and no one will say anything, but it is definitely not a simple reason to let the chief eunuch of the imperial dining room put down their work and come out."

The only reason is that the imperial concubine has not fallen out of favor.

In this palace, what right is not right? What really matters is the emperor's favor. As long as there is an emperor, what can't be done?
"The imperial concubine seems to have lost the right to assist the Sixth Palace, but in fact she has gained more. In order to compensate her, the emperor will definitely find some treasures from the warehouse and send them over. With the emperor as an example in front, it is difficult for others to pay her back. Are you afraid to do it?"

As for the noble concubine, as long as she can make this man's heart firmly attached to her, she is already content.

"The so-called assistant manager's power in the Sixth Palace is nothing more than a word from the emperor. If the empress took such a lot of effort to remove it today, the emperor can add it back to her in a word tomorrow."

The style of the imperial concubine's six-house assistant is very inconsistent with the empress's gentle style, so there are some differences between the two, and these differences are naturally seen by the emperor.

"Since the imperial concubine has not fallen out of favor, the next thing we can do will be much easier,"

The next step is of course to go to Chengqian Palace to pay my respects.

Naturally, the imperial concubine's illness cannot be cured by medicine, and the effect can only be seen after a period of recuperation - that's what the imperial physician at the time said.

"It's just that the little master knows what to do?

Baitao asked again: "No matter what the imperial concubine looks like, haven't you been tied to the imperial concubine long ago, my lord?"

"Being tied together doesn't mean they can't be untied for the rest of my life. There will be some rifts between Concubine Yi and the imperial concubine at that time. Naturally, I want to take this opportunity to make the imperial concubine value me more."

Otherwise, many things will be too troublesome to do.

(End of this chapter)