After the lunch break, Brother Ninth did not go directly to the Yamen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but went to the study.
In the afternoon, the study room is occupied by martial arts classes in the open space in front of the Arrow Pavilion on East Road.
Those responsible for teaching the prince archery are all hand-picked inner-class guards.
Just like when Brother Jiu was young, Cao Yin also served as his archery master.
Brother Nine came strolling over, with He Yuzhu holding a blue-green oil paper umbrella beside him, looking at ease.
He was also holding a palm-sized porcelain jar in his hand, which contained sour plum juice that had been poured from the well.
Looking at the sweaty expressions of the younger brothers under the scorching sun, the ninth elder brother raised his eyebrows.
Really energetic.
He stood directly in the shade under the arrow pavilion.
If Shu Shu were there, he would tell him that this arrow pavilion is not that arrow pavilion.
In later generations, the name of this place was not changed. It was still the place where the princes and grandsons performed martial arts. However, it changed from a pavilion with ventilation on all sides to a hall with a width of five rooms.
He enjoyed the fresh air and happily took a sip of the sour plum soup. It was very cold, but not like the ice cream in the ice cream.
He held it in his mouth and swallowed it slowly, feeling that the heat had gone away a lot.
The twelfth elder brother, the thirteenth elder brother, the fourteenth elder brother, the fifteenth elder brother, and the eldest elder brother of Yuqing Palace.
The ninth elder brother looked over, and his eyes fell on the fifteenth elder brother.
The fifteenth elder brother is holding a boy's bow and shooting arrows. The black boy holding a quiver next to him looks familiar. Isn't that his brother-in-law?
When Gangnan was on tour, he went to the study room to see Xiaoliu once.
Maybe it was because we were indoors at the time, so it didn't feel so dark.
He looked at others, and others looked at him.
The fourteenth elder brother just finished shooting a round. When he saw the ninth elder brother, he said something to the archery master next to him, then trotted over and said with a grin: "Ninth elder brother, ninth elder brother, ninth elder brother..."
Brother Jiu plucked his ears and said with disdain, "Okay, what about calling the soul?"
Brother Fourteen smiled and said: "Aren't you happy to see Brother Ninth? We will go to the garden tomorrow and let's go fishing and grilling fish then?"
Brother Jiu hummed softly: "I've been out having fun for half a year, and I still haven't gotten over it. I used to go there to escape the summer heat and study."
The fourteenth elder brother said disapprovingly: "Let's not delay, the world is long now, and idleness is idleness, but let's talk about it, when the time comes, when the ninth brother goes out to play, he will have to take his younger brother with him."
Brother Jiu said: "Then just wait. Even if I go there, it won't be until the end of the month."
"ah?"
The fourteenth elder brother was a little surprised and said: "Didn't I say that all the elder brothers in the palace will go? Why doesn't the ninth elder brother go?"
Brother Jiu said with a bit of pride: "There must always be a proper person in the palace!"
The fourteenth elder brother wanted to speak again, but the ninth elder brother had already looked at him and said: "Don't think about being naughty, the holy driver will be on a northern tour this autumn) be careful not to take you with him then!"
Before the holy driver went on a tour, the Ministry of Internal Affairs had to send people to repair the palace along the way, so Brother Jiu knew the news immediately.
Brother Fourteen almost jumped up and said: "Isn't this just a tour to the south? Are you going to tour the north this year?"
Brother Jiu said: "There is no need to delay."
The fourteenth elder brother immediately said with gratitude: "Thank you, ninth brother. My younger brother must be honest. My younger brother is still thinking about holding the flag and marching around..."
At this moment, Brother Thirteen also came over.
"Brother Ninth."
He was darker, and his body was much stronger. He looked about the same height as Brother Jiu.
Brother Jiu didn't speak in a hurry.
He has been working as a errand for more than half a year now and has learned a lot about human relations.
Even if Zhang Concubine wanted to take care of her, there was no reason for him to step in and she would need Thirteenth Brother, his biological son.
He directly waved his hand to Brother Fourteen and said, "You continue practicing your archery while I talk to Thirteen."
The fourteenth elder brother then realized that the ninth elder brother was here to see the thirteenth elder brother. He was a little unhappy and said: "Is there anything I, my brother, can't hear? You live next to each other, and you are not intimate enough. Now you are not. Whisper?"
"Why are there so many nonsense? Let's go quickly. It's very hot today. I'm still waiting to leave."
Brother Jiu was impatient and asked: "As for whether they are next to each other, what are they? When my brother moves out at the end of the year, if you move to the second house, won't they be next to each other?"
Brother Fourteen reluctantly left.
The thirteenth elder brother looked at the ninth elder brother with a little curiosity and said, "What does the ninth elder brother want to do with his younger brother?"
Brother Jiu thought for a while and said, "Tomorrow you are going to Changchun Garden. It will be cooler there and less ice will be used."
The Thirteenth Brother smiled and said: "Brother Ninth can just use it as the title of Tousuo. I'm not afraid of heat, and I don't like to use ice much now."
Brother Jiu shook his head and said, "It's not like I'm looking for you today, just treat it like you're looking for me."
Brother Thirteen was a little confused listening to these roundabout words.
Brother Jiu said: "What I mean is that if you are not in the palace, the ice on your head will be moved to the concubine. But you can't tell others that I said it. You have to say that you asked me to tell it."
Brother Thirteen understood the relationship, his expression became solemn, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Did... my mother-in-law Duan concubine put the ice on my forehead?"
Brother Jiu shook his head and said: "No, your mother-in-law is not a bun, and you can still be bullied? Your sister-in-law went to the back hall of Yikun Palace in the past few days and said that the wind there was a bit stuffy. She remembered that my concubine lived there. The apse…”
"Please trouble Sister-in-law Ninth and Brother Ninth to think about it."
Brother Thirteen showed gratitude on his face.
Brother Jiu waved his hand and said, "Just don't think we are nosy."
In fact, although the Thirteenth Prince is a minor prince, it is still appropriate for him to come forward to honor his biological mother, because he has no other adoptive mother, and this filial piety is enough.
The Thirteenth Prince is smart and understands why the Ninth Prince said those roundabout things.
Ninth Prince is now in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He is like a big housekeeper, and he must be fair and just.
Besides, he was not born to Zhang Bin, nor was he raised by Zhang Bin. Even if he wanted to show filial piety to his elders, he would not be able to honor Zhang Bin. The adult prince still had to keep a distance from the harem. It would be more appropriate for Thirteenth Prince, his biological son, to take care of him.
Brother Thirteen said with shame, "I was so confused that I didn't even think about my mother's side."
Brother Ninth Brother said: "What's the point? If your Ninth Sister-in-law hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have thought that the back hall of the East and West Sixth Palace is different from the front hall."
He came just for this instruction, and left after saying that.
But before leaving, he went to the target, touched the shoulder of the fifteenth elder brother, patted Xiaoliu's forehead, and said hello to the twelfth elder brother and the eldest elder brother of Yuqing Palace. He went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The fourteenth brother immediately pulled the thirteenth brother aside and whispered: "What does the ninth brother want from you?"
Brother Thirteen said: "I have something to do with Brother Ninth. We didn't meet him yesterday, so Brother Ninth came over to ask me."
The fourteenth elder brother immediately swallowed his saliva and said: "Is there anything delicious in the second dining room? We will share half of it when we meet, and you can't eat alone!"
Brother Thirteen shook his head and said, "No, it's Bing's job."
After that, he mentioned that he would go to the garden with his retinue tomorrow and wanted to stick the ice from his head to the back hall of Changchun Palace.
Brother Fourteen was very disappointed.
However, he has always been generous and not stingy, so he said: "Is your share enough? If it's not enough, I still have more. Anyway, the rich have asked people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to do favors, so if you want to use it, use it."
Brother Thirteen said: "It's enough, my mother-in-law also has a share."
The fourteenth elder brother didn't say much and said: "It's a pity that the ninth brother and the ninth sister-in-law will go there later. It's boring..."
*
When Brother Jiu arrived at the Yamen of the House of Internal Affairs, he told Gao Bin: "Take my sign and go to the Ambassador of Guanjiao to tell him that starting tomorrow, the ice from Ganxi Head Office will be posted to the back hall of Changchun Palace."
Gao Bin responded.
Brother Jiu sat on the chair, a little sad.
The list of concubines accompanying the palace has been submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and carriages must be prepared according to their grades.
The concubine on the imperial concubine's throne is the concubine, and then there are the nobles Wang, Guarjia, and the four promises from the Qianqing Palace.
There is no Zhang concubine.
Even though he didn't inquire specifically, he listened to a few words and found out that noble Wang and noble Guarjia came from behind and became the concubines with the most companions at present.
Zhang Bin was silent.
*
The next day, the second day of June.
There were carriages lined up outside Shenwu Gate.
Shu Shu also arrived at Ningshou Palace early to see the Queen Mother out of the palace to escape the summer heat.
The Queen Mother didn't say anything else, but said lovingly: "I know you are afraid of the heat, so I asked someone to provide the second house with four pieces of ice a day. If it's not enough, you can ask Lao Jiu to come over again."
Ningshou Palace has its own ice cellar, which contains 5,000 pieces of ice, which is supplied to Ningshou Palace.
Shu Shu was not polite and said with gratitude: "Thank you for thinking about it. My granddaughter-in-law just told Master Jiu about this yesterday, and she was thinking about moving Brother Ten and the others directly."
The Queen Mother said: "How can they be rich? Come here to get it and use the leftover every year. Just put it in the outer room, not the inner room. It will be too wet."
"Uh-huh·"
Shu Shu responded obediently and helped the Queen Mother get into the chariot.
Then she and Aunt Bai walked beside him until they were sent to the door of Shenwu Gate.
Concubine Hui and Concubine Rong followed behind in a chariot.
After the carriages of the Holy Driver and the Queen Mother left, the group entered the palace gate.
Seeing the girl next to Shu Shu holding an umbrella, Concubine Hui nodded, but still said: "You don't need to be so reserved on weekdays. Ask Lao Jiu to prepare a shoulder chariot for you."
Shu Shu said: "There are only a few steps in total. No need. When the time comes to ask for grace later, my daughter-in-law won't be polite."
At that time, the other princes, Fujin, all came on their legs.
Even after being ennobled, only Dafujin and Sanfujin had chariots.
From Sifu to Jin, no one was asked to prepare.
Concubine Hui mentioned it but said nothing.
Concubine Rong, who was rare to be kind, said: "Don't stay here, old cat. Later I will send someone to invite you, and come to the East Sixth Palace to recognize the door. ³ Knife."
Shu Shu just thought she was being polite and listened with a smile.
*
The back hall of Changchun Palace, East Room.
There were two pieces of ice placed in the large ceramic vat.
Zhang Bin sat on the south Kang, looking at the ice cubes, her eyes moist.
The nun next to me is very young, but she is in her early twenties. She is a palace maid who has reached her age and has not gone out. She has directly made up for her job as a wife. Now she also has red eyes and prays: "Ms., please think about my elder brother. I want to." I miss you two princesses..."
Zhang Bin looked dull, without the freshness of last year, like a half-withered flower.
She said with a wry smile: "The emperor is the most compassionate towards the weak. If I go like this, my brother and the princesses will not be able to take better care of me."
