Xue Hengzhao and Chi Su then went to the Baochao Department to work as paper-cutting maids.
Except for the trivial nature of the work, everything else was fine.
The papyrus in the palace is also divided into three, six or nine grades. The best grade is reserved for the emperor, empress and concubine Rong.
Concubine Rong is the emperor's biological aunt, so her treatment is naturally not comparable to that of ordinary concubines.
Besides, now that the Queen Mother is gone, the Emperor regards her as his mother.
They select these fine papers every day, and then send them to various palaces by the eunuchs who deliver them, and then hand them over to the attendants.
Chi Su raised his head, rubbed his sore neck, and said to Xue Hengzhao: "Isn't your neck sore after you have lowered your head for half a day?"
"You were in a hurry," Xue Hengzhao said, turning over the paper slowly. "After a long time, your neck will not only be sore, but you will also feel dizzy."
"No wonder they say that a country is easy to change, but nature is hard to change." Chi Su said with a self-deprecating smile, "I am so impatient that I can't slow down even if I do anything."
Xue Hengzhao raised his eyebrows at her, shook his head slightly and said, "Just pay for the rest, don't be too hasty."
When Chi Su heard the words, he immediately covered his mouth and looked around. Although there were a few eunuchs, luckily they were all far away, so they probably didn't hear them.
Just now she said, "A country can change easily," which was taboo in the palace.
"I'm really lost." Chi Su slapped himself in annoyance, "If I don't have a long memory, I'm going to get into trouble sooner or later."
Xue Hengzhao smiled and said nothing. Although Chi Su was not shrewd, he could correct his mistakes after he realized them. This was rare.
Chi Su added: "I forgot to tell you when I got up early. I had a dream at night. I dreamed that I was picking flowers. It was such a big garden..."
Just as he was talking, Shi Dianjin ran over happily. He was so busy these days that his feet never touched the ground.
He came to the two of them and said, "Someone from above just said that because the New Year is approaching, the needlework bureau is short of manpower, so the managers discussed transferring some maids from various places.
I said I was borrowing it, but after finishing my work before and after the New Year, I gave it back to its original location.
I specially ordered all of you to enter the palace together. Except for the two who went to Tong'an Palace and the one who was in charge of the Xinxing Department, the rest of them had to go there. "
"Do you want us to go over and do needlework?" Chi Su asked.
"Of course it is. You people are of high birth and you must be good at needlework." Shi Dianjin said, "Although it is a bit tiring, the reward for the work is also high, so it is not a disadvantage at all."
The customs of Daxia have always been like this. No matter how high the family status is, the female relatives must always practice nvhong, just like the men take martial arts and reading as their official duties.
When going on a blind date, you have to look at the needle and thread. This rule has never changed.
If a girl from a house is poor at needlework, she will be ridiculed.
Therefore, even a person with Chi Su's temperament has to spend twenty days a month sewing at home.
Her mother would check on her embroidery work every few days.
The Needlework Bureau belongs to the Eighth Bureau. Among the fifty people who entered the palace together, some of them were assigned here from the beginning, such as Qu Linglong.
When Xue Hengzhao and others arrived, the person in charge of them was a palace maid in her forties, known as Aunt Ma, who was usually responsible for supervising the work.
Their room only contains embroidered purses, which are used by the concubines of the emperors from the first to the fifteenth day of the lunar month to reward people.
There are several palace banquets in the past half month, and all courtiers and family members with sufficient rank and title will enter the palace to attend the banquets.
The masters in the palace will give purses to these people, and those who serve around them will also receive them.
Therefore, these purses are also called blessing purses. They are equipped with various kinds of small gold and silver pins made by the Bank at the end of the year, and each can contain up to four.
The purse is not big, and the gold and silver coins are only one or two, just for the sake of luck.
Just above Aunt Ma is Aunt Hu. She used to be an embroiderer in the palace. Her eyesight became blurry as she got older and she couldn't hold a needle and thread. Fortunately, the road was paved in the past few decades, so she became the steward here. Mammy.
Aunt Ma recognized her as her godmother, which was common in the palace.
"Don't think that this thing is just a plaything, let me tell you, no matter how small it is, there is no room for carelessness." Aunt Hu's eyes were dull and she always squinted, "Don't think so. If you are not from here, you feel normal in your heart. Even if you work under my hand for a day, you have to be in charge of me.
If you do this job well, you will be rewarded. If something goes wrong, carefully count how many layers of skin you have to peel off! "
After Aunt Hu finished her lecture, she couldn't help but cough a few times. Aunt Ma quickly handed her the water jug next to her.
Aunt Hu often had a dry mouth, so she always carried a water pitcher with her. The tea bowl was not enough.
Aunt Hu took two sips of water and raised her chin towards Aunt Ma.
Aunt Ma understood and said to everyone: "From now on, everyone will make at least six purses every day. If you make more, you will be rewarded. If you don't make enough or if you make something bad, you will not be allowed to eat, and you will have to pay compensation."
Each of you has a sample of the shape of the purse in front of you. As for the pattern embroidered on it, there is no prescribed pattern.
But they all have to have auspicious meanings, such as harmony and good luck, peace and wealth, or ten thousand words of happiness and longevity. The more styles, the better. "
Although each purse is no larger than the size of a palm, it requires embroidery and sewing, which is actually quite labor-intensive.
In the past, they used to do needlework at home, and it usually took about three days to complete such a bag.
Now that I have to do six of them in one day, I really can’t think of being idle for a while.
"Don't start doing it in a hurry. Burn your hands with hot water. Wash them well with sweet pea flour, and then apply hand grease." Aunt Ma saw someone reaching out and shouted, "How many months have you been doing this? It’s rough work, and the skin of my hands is very rough. It would be bad if the silk is scratched.”
After hearing this, everyone hurriedly washed their hands.
Aunt Ma lowered her body again and said to Aunt Hu: "You go back and have a rest first! As long as I keep an eye on these hairy girls, it's the same thing if you come over and take a look after you've had enough rest."
When Aunt Hu heard the phlegm in her throat made two sounds, she helped the little palace maid next to her stand up and said: "It's time for me to go back and take medicine. These people have just arrived and are like foals. You have to treat them." Take a good look.
Man is a bitter insect and cannot survive without fighting. If anyone dares to bite the group, he must be punished and punished. "
"You are right, I remember it." Aunt Ma smiled broadly at Aunt Hu, then turned to face everyone. Her face was like an ice skate hanging upside down under the eaves of Sanjiutian, long and cold. .
"Stop acting like a fool in front of me. This job will be completed properly and everyone will be happy. If not, I will discipline your bitch and lighten your bones by two pounds!"
Aunt Hu returned to the room and was about to take medicine when someone called outside the door: "Are you here, Aunt Hu? Manager Zhou invites you to come over and have a word."
After hearing this, Aunt Hu didn't even bother to take the medicine, and quickly responded: "It's easy to talk about, let's go over there."
Manager Zhou is Zhou Hong, the eunuch in charge of the Eighth Bureau. He went out of the palace to do business two months ago and has just returned to the palace.
Aunt Hu only manages one workshop of the Acupuncture Bureau, and Zhou Hong can be regarded as a giant Buddha to her.
It just so happens that Zhou Hong’s nickname is the Smiling Buddha.
