When Brother Jiu came back from the Yamen, he saw the gift list and was reluctant to part with it, saying, "Aren't there any cheaper items?"
Shu Shu said: "That's enough. Anything less will be a slap in the face, so it's better not to go."
Brother Ninth snorted: "Is Longkodo too trusting? All the prince's brothers have sent posts!"
Shu Shu talked about sending people to Sanbeile Mansion, and said: "Who dares to be disrespectful to a serious elder? Let's just follow the crowd and just show up."
Brother Jiu nodded and said reluctantly: "That's it..."
He is not a child now and knows what the situation is.
What everyone used to see was not the Tong family, nor Longkodo himself, but the Qianqing Palace.
*
In the Yuqing Palace, the prince was unhappy. He looked at the gift list and asked the princess, "Are you too prepared?"
He is only the son of a duke, but he is also a duke whose title has been suspended, and he is not the inheritor of the title. Why should Yuqing Palace give a housewarming gift?
Just ask someone to prepare some wine and cakes and go there to make up the number. Why do you need to give away furnishings?
The princess looked at the prince and did not respond.
It would be better if the post was not sent over, but since he was sent over and knew about it, the gift must be given.
Living in the palace has many inconveniences. They cannot leave the palace easily, but they must be polite.
This gift list cannot be changed.
I had already asked someone to bring it to Sanfujin for reference.
"What on earth are you upset about?"
The princess asked with confusion.
Before the Tong family returned to Beijing, the prince had specially asked him to prepare for the housewarming ceremony. After more than half a month, he changed his mind.
The prince was speechless.
He didn't expect Longkodo to be like this.
I thought that I had met Tong Guowei in Shengjing before, and the two families had a tacit understanding.
The Tong family also arranged for the beautiful ladies from Shengjing to enter the capital, which was prepared for Yuqing Palace.
But after Longkodo returned to Beijing, he had no intention of getting close to Yuqing Palace. Instead, he got close to the third elder brother.
He felt a bit slapped in the face and didn't want to give Long Ke more dignity.
Now that the Crown Princess revealed the matter, he felt a little embarrassed and said very rudely: "There is a difference between superiority and inferiority. Yuqing Palace has a lot of property. You are not allowed to show your generosity in exchange for a good reputation!"
The Crown Princess looked at the Prince and didn't want to say anything. She just turned the gift slip over and said calmly: "Then the Lord's instruction is to waive this gift? There is no need to send people over to congratulate?"
"You..." The prince's face had a gloomy look, and he looked very dissatisfied at the princess.
The Crown Princess looked very calm.
If you don't want to send it, you won't send it. It's just that you have to send it to Sanbeile Mansion tomorrow to say something.
The prince's face was dark, and he had already made a decision in his mind.
If he was really slapped in the face like that, his relationship with the Tong family would be ruined and it would be an advantage to other brothers.
"Is the Crown Princess's temper getting worse and worse, and I can't even talk to you anymore?"
The prince looked at the princess and did not hide his displeasure.
The Crown Princess didn't want to say anything anymore. She just looked at the key box on the Baibao Pavilion and said, "If you don't trust me as housekeeper, I'll arrange for someone else to do it."
Instead of coming here to point fingers.
The prince was really annoyed. He stood up and strode out.
It's because Yuqing Palace doesn't have Fu Jin, and the Crown Princess is the only one in charge, but she really can stand shoulder to shoulder with him...
No matter what, Fu Jin must be promoted, otherwise the Crown Princess will become more and more domineering.
*
Sibeile Mansion, study.
Brother Si looked at the two folded pages in front of him. One was a post from Tong Zhai, and the other was a gift list from Sanbeile Mansion.
Now that Si Fujin is still in confinement, Si Age has to prepare the gift list himself.
He was hesitating whether to thicken it.
Considering his relationship with the Tong family, it should be strengthened, but the courtesy of Sanbeile Mansion comes first.
He thought about it and decided to take care of his elders and follow the crowd...
*
Two days passed in a hurry, and this day was September 25th. It was the day to pay respects to the palace and the day for the Tong family to entertain guests.
On this day, there was one less carriage going to the imperial city here in Beigongfang.
Bafujin will not go to the palace for the next few months due to facial treatment.
Under Brother Jiu's glare, Shi Fujin still squeezed into Shu Shu's carriage.
She said with a bit of excitement: "Sister-in-law Jiu, my brother has arrived in Beijing and brought a lot of food. In addition to pickled apricots, there are also wild jam, dried mushrooms and chive flowers..."
Shu Shu felt like her teeth were falling apart when she heard "pickled mountain apricot".
When I had morning sickness last year, I ate a lot.
Right now, she was thinking more about the chive flowers.
Thinking that there were sheep brought from outside the village and the meat was more tender, Shu Shu said: "Tomorrow, ask someone to send two sheep over. You and your tenth brother come over. Let's eat hand meat and grilled lamb chops..."
Shifu Jin immediately said: "The braised rice is also delicious."
This is not what Mongolia does. Mongolian people don’t eat rice, and their staple food is mostly noodles and fruits.
It was Shu Shu who made mutton stewed rice based on northwest methods. Shi Fujin fell in love with it after eating it.
The rice, which has been soaked with mutton soup, is oily and translucent, and tastes meaty and fragrant.
Shu Shu also wanted to eat. Thinking of the banquet in the afternoon, she felt a little unmotivated and said, "It's probably the swallow-wing banquet..."
Who knows that this is popular in Beijing now? It is also expensive and looks respectable.
When Shi Fujin heard this, the corners of his mouth drooped.
It’s okay if you haven’t eaten it. After eating it three times, it’s almost enough.
She touched her belly and said, "No wonder eating bird's nests and shark's fins is not popular in Mongolia. People still prefer meat. Just try eating these."
Shu Shu said: "Then let's just deal with one bite and eat well tomorrow."
She was already hesitating whether to send someone to Baiweiju to reserve two tables and deliver them to her and the Tenth Prince's residence in the evening.
But look at Shi Fujin’s stature, it’s better not to bother Shi Fujin to lose weight.
Shi Fujin got greedy and said, "How about making another pot for mutton vermicelli? Would it be delicious to dip pancakes in it?"
Shu Shu said: "Just order whatever you want to eat. I'll ask the kitchen to make a full mutton banquet tomorrow."
Shi Fujin's eyes gleamed when he heard his heartbeat, and he said, "Can you fill it with blood sausage and meat sausage? It's not popular in Beijing to eat like this, so I thought about it."
Some of the mutton intestines from the capital were placed in the mutton soup.
The sheep blood is cooked and then stewed into soup.
Hearing what Shi Fujin said, Shu Shu also wanted to eat sheep intestines. She nodded and said, "Then ask people to send two more sheep, fill them with more blood sausages, and go to Ningshou Palace to pay tribute to the Queen Mother and the two concubines." Try it too.”
The last time I had this was during my Northern Tour in 1937.
Shifujin became interested and remembered something and said: "Sister-in-law Jiu, our Abahai sheep are no worse than the sheep outside our mouths. To be honest, the meat is more tender. This year it is too late. Next year the ministry will have people to take turns." , let them bring some sheep too."
Shu Shu thought about the distance from Aba Haibu to the capital, and it was okay.
She said: "Then I will order more when the time comes, and I will add sheep to my family's holiday next year."
Shi Fujin smiled and said: "Then I will also add sheep."
The two sisters arrived at the Shenwu Gate while talking.
After entering the palace, the two sisters were temporarily separated.
Normally, Young Master Shu Shu would have had to take out his pocket watch and check the time, waiting here for the Five Fortunes and Jins to meet up.
There is no need for it today, because Concubine Yi gave orders, and Wu Fujin went to confinement, presumably waiting until the Queen Mother's birthday before entering the palace.
She went to Yikun Palace alone.
Peilan always waits at the entrance of the main hall, but today is abnormal. He waits at the Yikun Gate with a heavier look on his face.
Shu Shu saw something was wrong, but did not speak first. She only slowed down and looked at Peilan.
Peilan whispered: "The mother-in-law who was on shift this morning came to send a message, saying that Sister Xianglan died last night..."
Shu Shu heard this and said in surprise: "Is it an emergency?"
Peilan said: "It was a premature birth. I had a hemorrhage after giving birth to a baby..."
Shu Shu couldn't help but feel scared after hearing this.
I had known that the time of childbirth would be difficult. Both Xiaosong and Xiaotang's biological mothers were missing during childbirth, but that was something they had not seen before, and they were different from people like Xianglan.
Here at Xianglan, Concubine Yi also revealed that she wanted to arrange for Xianglan to go to the Prince's Mansion as an errand.
In a few years, when Xianglan gave birth to a child, she went into the house to be a nanny, teaching the rules to her elder brother and Princess, which was fine.
Shu Shu was also unhappy.
I didn't expect that fate wouldn't exist.
Every time I see Concubine Yi, she always looks energetic and beautifully dressed.
At the moment, Yifei is a little lethargic and her eye circles are a little red.
Inside and outside Yikun Palace, there was a bit more silence.
Neither the seventeenth elder brother nor the eighteenth elder brother is here.
Shu Shu stepped forward to say hello.
Yifei sighed, motioned Shu Shu to sit by the kang, and said: "I have been working as an errand by my side since I was ten years old. I have been with me for more than ten years. I never thought that it would end like this."
In the loneliness of the deep palace, the master and servant get along day and night, and their love exceeds that of flesh and blood.
Shu Shu didn't know how to comfort her, so she just said: "I thought that before Ni Guzhu was enlightened, my aunt would be able to work in the government as an errand, but I never thought that would be the case."
Yi Fei smiled bitterly and said, "If I had known she was in this danger, I wouldn't have let her out no matter what I said."
Shu Shu couldn't help but worry about Xiao Chun.
terrible.
You should always give more advice when you go back, and you should be more careful when giving birth for the first time.
Concubine Yi also thought of this, looked at Shu Shu and said: "I don't dare to think about it. I really don't dare to think about it. It's scary to think about it. Fortunately, you and your fifth sister-in-law are safe."
Shu Shu couldn't say anything about Xianglan's poor fortune, so she only said: "My aunt is looking for a new wife. Is that man trustworthy? Are there any other elders or relatives?"
There is no one in Xianglan's family, and the man who brought her daughter-in-law is her cousin.
She had been a palace maid for more than ten years, and later she was still the eldest daughter of the palace concubine, with a generous dowry.
Shu Shu was warm-hearted and was afraid that her child would suffer. After all, if there is a stepmother in this world, there will be a stepfather, so she asked one more question.
After hearing this, Concubine Yi's eyes became even redder, and she said, "Xianglan's life is hard. She lost her husband, so she had a premature birth..."
Only then did Shu Shu understand why Concubine Yi showed her emotions, but Xianglan's situation was a bit miserable.
The children left behind became orphans.
Concubine Yi looked at Shu Shu, hesitated, and said, "I sent the lady in charge to take care of the child temporarily, but it's not a long-term solution. I want to leave it to you..."
Shu Shu said: "Don't worry, Madam, I will send someone to pick them up today. There are many empty rooms in the mansion. Just arrange for someone to take care of them. When I grow up, I will work with Fengsheng and the others as an errand..."
If Xianglan had not died of a metrorrhagia, and when the child was older and became an errand in the government, the arrangements would probably be like this...
*
It's the end of the month, so I'm asking for a monthly ticket.
(End of chapter)
