Mountains and rivers pray for peace

At four quarters of noon, the east hall of Zhiyang Hall was full of people.

The Queen of Zhou is honored at the top, occupying the center, with sleeves and robes reaching up to the phoenix crown, making her look graceful and luxurious. Concubine Shu sat on the left. She was not as dignified as the queen. She even drank wine as if no one else was watching. Her red lips were stained with bright wine stains, showing a bit of coquettishness and wildness. The Concubine Xian on the right has a calm face and no emotion at all. Beneath her is the Concubine, who is kneeling and dressed in colorful clothes, showing a rare sense of pride.

The wives of each family sit on both sides of the lower head. They are born with different styles, but the expressions on their faces are exactly the same, they are all respectful and polite. Only Yan Hanxiu looked a little unnatural, whether he was nervous or excited.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Queen Zhou's eyes softened. She first looked around, and finally looked at Concubine Zhen: "Sister, since everyone has arrived, why don't we start the banquet?"

Zhenbi made a smiling expression, slightly tilting her head, and no one noticed the stiffness at the corners of her mouth.

Empress Zhou was also smiling. Her eyes fell on the person at the head of the table, and she said softly: "Today is Concubine Zhen's birthday banquet. All ladies are here to wish concubine Zhen concubine good luck and longevity. Please feel free to relax."

The wives of each family smiled and agreed, but the muscles on their faces and their sitting postures refused to relax even an inch.

Immediately afterwards, Aunt Peng, who was beside the queen, sang loudly: "Let the banquet begin——"

As soon as he finished speaking, the palace maids who had been waiting outside the palace filed in, each holding a bamboo tray to serve the dishes, including goose with five-flavor apricot cheese, sheepskin filigree, rabbit with green onion, green stem porridge, soft date cake... dishes. It's not that complicated and luxurious, it's more homely, but it makes people feel unique.

Put another pot of wine in a long-necked white porcelain pot.

While the maids were pouring wine, Queen Zhou smiled at the people below and said, "The osmanthus wine in this pot was brewed by me personally last year. It was brought out from the ground two days ago. I brought it here specially to mix it with the wine today." Let’s all have fun together.”

At this time, Concubine Shu intervened, rubbed her temples, and smiled sweetly: "I dare to taste a cup first, this wine is very strong."

"Really?" Queen Zhou glanced at her with a smile, and then her eyes fell on Mrs. Wang, the young minister of Dali Temple. "Mrs. Wang, I heard that you are pregnant now. This osmanthus wine has a strong stamina and may be harmful to the fetus in your belly." It was no use, so someone prepared a pot of plum tea."

When Mrs. Wang heard this, she looked slightly happy and accepted the blessing: "Thank you very much, the Queen, for your love."

Queen Zhou waved her hand and the wine had been poured. She took the lead in raising the wine bottle, said a few toasts, and then drank with her sleeves covered. The ladies glanced at each other and followed suit.

At this moment, Concubine Shu's beautiful eyes were directed at the stiff Yan Hanxiu. She wondered: "Everyone has raised their glasses, why is Mrs. Lu so slow to move? Could it be that she despises the Queen?"

The tone seemed to be a joke, and the words were half true and half false, but they were so heart-wrenching that the ladies at the table stopped and looked at Yan Hanxiu.

Yan Hanxiu was touched and subconsciously touched her belly. If frightened, the chick trembled and hurriedly leaned down to apologize: "I never dare to have the intention of despising the Queen... It's just..."

Queen Zhou also paused, but she was not as aggressive as Concubine Shu. She only asked with concern: "Mrs. Lu, what's wrong with your body?" Yan Hanxiu's body was half cold and half hot, and suddenly he remembered what happened in the imperial garden just now. .

Lu Xingping was sent away by a young eunuch, leaving only Songluo, the palace maid in yellow, to take her to the table. The two of them were walking towards Zhiyang Palace, when they met a palace maid in green shirt halfway.

The girl from the Green Shirt Palace was not very eye-catching, but her demeanor looked particularly different. When she came up, she claimed to be someone close to the concubine, and even showed her a talisman to prove her identity. She was wondering why Concubine Zhen sent someone to meet her in private, but the palace maid casually told a story, alluding to the scandal between her and Liu Tiangang.

For a moment, Yan Hanxiu felt that her hands and feet were frozen.

She was just about to pretend to be stupid and use the relationship between Liu Tiangang and Zhen concubine to woo her again when she was desperate. However, the palace maid in green shirt seemed to have anticipated her reaction. She approached her first and whispered: "Mrs. Lu, there is no need." Panic, speaking of which, the child in your belly has to call the concubine, the concubine, cousin. The concubine is not sent here to embarrass you, she just wants to give you a warning."

Yan Hanxiu was unsure of the other party's reaction, so she pursed her lips and said nothing.

But then I heard the palace maid say: "Today's banquet will be celebrated with wine. You are pregnant with a child, so I'm afraid it's not suitable to drink. It's better to claim that you're unwell. Although it's a bit disappointing, the queen has always been generous and will definitely allow this." Please make a request. By the way, today is the birthday banquet of Concubine Zhen, after all. If the Empress decides to give you something else, the first cup should be given to Concubine Zhen as a filial piety. This is not disrespectful."

Yan Hanxiu was originally the daughter of a merchant. After marrying Lu Xingping, because of her young age, Lu Xingping indulged her temper and did not repeatedly ask her to learn the rules. It was her first time entering the palace. Due to the strict palace rules and complicated rules, she was already very nervous. When the palace maid in green shirt mentioned this, her heart suddenly relaxed and she hurriedly stuffed a piece of silver into the palace maid's hand: " Thank you very much for your advice, I will ask my aunt to convey my gratitude to you."

The palace maid was not like those servants in the palace who were jealous of money. She just weighed it and returned the money: "The money is no longer necessary. However, the queen has something on her mind these days. If Mrs. Lu really wants to thank the queen, …”

This is what it means to ask for something. When Yan Hanxiu heard this, the panic in his heart became more real. She is the daughter of a merchant and has seen many kinds of transactions since she was a child.

Before the palace maid could finish her words, she answered: "Auntie, it's okay to say that, as long as it is something within Han Xiu's ability, I will share the worries for the queen."

Seeing that she was interested, the palace maid smiled even more politely: "Actually, it was just Mrs. Lu who raised her hand. My mother-in-law is not feeling well today. She has just lost her child. She is at a fragile time. When she first heard about this , I am very worried, but it is inconvenient to send messages across the palace wall. So after the banquet is over today, the slave will dress up as a maid. Can Madam Lu please take the slave out of the palace and go back to the Liu Mansion to visit, so that the empress can Once you relax your mind, you can think more openly."

This matter is not big or small. Now that Concubine Zhen has the leverage and the advice, how dare she disobey?

Besides, Concubine Zhen is favored now. If she helps this time, she can get into this relationship in the future and find a good future for the child in her belly. Thinking of this, Yan Hanxiu agreed. After the banquet, he made an appointment with the palace maid at the side door of the palace.

In the blink of an eye, Yan Hanxiu's thoughts came back to him, and he replied with sincerity and fear: "The Queen is aware that I have been suffering from liver stagnation and qi stagnation in the past few days, and the doctor told me not to drink alcohol."

The queen understood, and as expected, she did not embarrass her: "In that case, that's all."

Seeing this, Concubine Shu's face became much friendly, and she said kindly: "It turned out that I misunderstood Mrs. Lu. In this case, I also reward Mrs. Lu with a pot of plum tea like Mrs. Wang."