The salt tax issue had just been dealt with, but before Qi Junce could take a breath, the war broke out in the border area again.
As a last resort, there was still one month left in summer, and the emperor and his party had to rush back to Youzhou City.
Baozhu heard the gossip from Yue Nu while having tea in the afternoon. Yue Nu is well-behaved and looks petite and innocent, so she can always find out a lot of information for Bao Zhu.
Baozhu listened silently, his face expressionless, but in fact he was also worried. If Qi Junce had no intention of taking her back, all the efforts would have been wasted.
Just as he was thinking about it, the arrival of an uninvited guest broke the peace.
Liu Guiren led two little people and walked over. Bao Zhu looked at the two little girls beside her, one large and one small, and immediately understood in her heart that these were her daughters.
"Come on, please call Concubine Song." Liu Guiren changed his arrogant attitude, and now he has a lot of good looks towards Baozhu, who has become a party with him.
The two little princesses bowed obediently, and their soft childish voices made Bao Zhu's heart melt. Bao Zhu quickly said that there was no need to be polite and asked Guiren Liu to take a seat. Hai Tang brought delicious cakes and handed them to the two little princesses.
"I have long heard that my sister has two daughters who are as bright as stars in the sky. Now I see that they are well-deserved." Baozhu's words were not a compliment but a genuine love for the little princess.
Upon hearing this, Liu Guiren's beautiful face showed a bit of kindness, and his eyes gently stroked the forehead of the nearest little daughter.
"They are my only hope in this deep palace. The eldest is Qingyang, Xingsan, and the younger one is Qingning, Xingwu." Liu Guiren said softly.
Bao Zhu smiled slightly and nodded, observing that Liu Guiren didn't seem to be looking for trouble, so he took a sip of tea in silence.
"I don't know if my sister is here today, but what's the matter?" Bao Zhu preemptively asked the question.
Liu Guiren said oh, turned to face Baozhu and said: "The Queen asked me to tell you that Your Majesty wants you to go back to Youzhou together."
As soon as these words came out, Baozhu was a little stunned. On the other hand, Haitang Yuenu and the others beside them were so happy that they almost jumped up.
Bao Zhu picked up the tea cup and put it down again at a loss, but she was also cheering in her heart. "Your Majesty, did your Majesty really say that?" Bao Zhu asked in disbelief.
Liu Guiren couldn't help but smile when he looked at the treasure. He took out his handkerchief and covered his mouth and said, "Look at what my sister said. You are so favored now. How can His Majesty let you stay alone in this floating palace?"
Liu Guiren's words seemed to give Bao Zhu a reassurance, and Bao Zhu felt a little melancholy. Who could have imagined how frustrated Bao Zhu was at the beginning, and almost thought he was going to die alone here.
In Youzhou City, the orb will return again.
"Great, then can Qingyang go and play with Lady Song?" The third princess poked her head out and asked curiously.
Bao Zhu looked at the lovely third princess and couldn't help but relax her heart. She stepped forward and held the third princess's little hand and said, "That's natural."
Liu Guiren did not sit there for long. After chatting for a while, he took the two princesses and left. Baozhu liked the princess's cuteness and held her little hand for a long time reluctantly.
Yue Nu snickered and said: "Your concubine likes children so much, I think I will have my own children to love her soon."
Yue Nu's words made Bao Zhu's cheeks turn red with embarrassment, and he poked her angrily. Then Baozhu's expression calmed down, as if he remembered something.
"Yue Nu, you make some white jade cakes. Concubine Rong likes to eat them. We are leaving to see her," Baozhu said.
Yue Nu looked a little embarrassed. These days when she was mingling with other maids, it was inevitable that she would hear a lot of gossip.
The feud between Concubine Rong and the Queen was known to everyone in the palace. The two fought against each other for many years, which finally ended with Concubine Rong's defeat. Baozhu is already a member of the Queen's Party, so it might not be a good idea to go there now.
"My concubine, it would be bad if the Queen knew about it." Yue Nu hesitated and whispered.
Bao Zhu patted her shoulder and said softly: "It doesn't matter, let's go there at night."
Baozhu didn't know why, when he was about to leave, he suddenly felt a lot of reluctance towards Concubine Rong, who had the same problem as him.
Perhaps it was when Baozhu secretly went to Concubine Rong to express his feelings when many Baozhu had something they couldn't say to Yuenu Haitang and the others.
Although Concubine Rong could only eat the cakes stupidly, she would never interrupt Baozhu and would smile blankly at her.
Bao Zhu also felt sorry for her, but there was nothing he could do to save Concubine Rong from the fire and water. We can only send food and warm clothes from time to time to make her life less miserable.
It was late at night, and His Majesty the Fifteenth would stay in the Queen's palace today, so Baozhu dared to boldly walk at night to Youchun Garden.
When Baozhu arrived at the side door of Youchun Garden, which was the hidden place where she and Concubine Rong often met, she found that Concubine Rong was waiting by the door as if she knew Baozhu was coming today.
Concubine Rong smiled stupidly when she saw the orb. "Little girl, you haven't come to see me for a long time." Concubine Rong muttered about the strange orb like a child.
Baozhu smiled apologetically, and Qi Junce's favor seemed to be a prison. People were watching her every move all the time, and she really didn't dare to take such risks.
He could only let Haitang, Azi and the others take turns helping him deliver food to Concubine Rong.
Bao Zhu took out the cakes from the food box, but before she put them on the plate, Concubine Rong reached out through the crack in the door, grabbed the cakes, and stuffed them into her mouth hungrily.
Bao Zhu quickly poured a cup of tea, handed it to Concubine Rong and said, "Eat slowly, be careful not to choke."
Concubine Rong laughed innocently again, but her eating movements were much gentler.
Baozhu squatted outside the door separated by a wall from her, brushed away Concubine Rong's messy hair with his hands, and said somewhat unbearably: "Concubine Rong, actually, Baozhu is here to say goodbye to you today."
Concubine Rong's eyes were distracted, and she might not have heard what Baozhu said at all.
Bao Zhu sighed helplessly and told Concubine Rong everything about how she turned from an abandoned concubine to a beloved concubine, and why Qi Junce decided to leave the palace a month early due to state affairs.
Concubine Rong was still concentrating on eating the cakes, while Bao Zhu looked at her with mixed emotions.
Finally, Baozhu said to himself like coaxing a child: "But don't worry, I have taken care of the guards and maids, and they will take good care of you on my behalf in the future."
Concubine Rong lowered her head to eat. Seeing that the plate of pastries was about to be finished, Bao Zhu also started to put away her things and prepare to leave.
Just as Baozhu put away the tea cup, Concubine Rong suddenly grabbed her hand, her eyes shining with joy.
"Little girl, it's your birthday, isn't it?" Concubine Rong asked happily.
Baozhu listened helplessly to Concubine Rong's inconsistent words, and could only coax her into saying yes, yes.
Concubine Rong wiped the remains of the cake from the corner of her mouth with her dirty sleeves, and quickly stood up, "Wait a minute, I'll give you a gift, give you a gift!"
After saying that, Concubine Rong ran back into the house quickly. Baozhu and Yuenu looked at each other, neither understanding what she was going to do.
After a while, Concubine Rong ran back with something in her arms. After vigorously opening the crack in the door, which was not wide enough, Bao Zhu and she handed it out after using up all the strength of the boss.
Only then did Baozhu realize that what Concubine Rong had given her was an exquisite snail makeup box. Rubbing the orb, warmth surged in my heart.
"Thank you, Concubine Rong." Baozhu said sincerely.
Concubine Rong nodded with satisfaction and waved her hand to say no thank you.
Bao Zhu packed up her things and turned to leave, not daring to look at Concubine Rong again, as if she didn't want to face her own incompetence.
The team left the palace in a mighty manner just as they had come to the palace. The moment they left the palace, Baozhu couldn't help but lift the curtain and take a deep look at the floating scale palace.
Baozhu silently warned herself in her heart not to repeat the same mistakes of the past.
Yue Nu was so excited that she couldn't fall asleep all night, and she was still chatting with Haitang Azi enthusiastically.
"My dear concubine, I heard that the palace is staggeringly large. It is said that a palace official has to open the windows one by one from dawn."
Yue Nu said excitedly, as if he was immersed in the scene.
"After I open them all, it's getting dark, and I have to start closing them one by one until it's dawn again!"
Baozhu listened to Yue Nu's words and smiled lightly without saying anything.
"Sister Haitang, you came from the palace before, don't you think so?!" Yue Nu then asked Haitang, and Azi also looked at Haitang with a mysterious look on her face with expectation.
Haitang lowered her voice and said proudly: "What's this? There are still treasures in the treasure house that we won't be able to spend in ten lifetimes!"
Yue Nu and A Zi let out a "wow" sound at the same time, looking forward to their future life. After the treasure leaves the palace, it can be said that one person has achieved enlightenment and ascended to heaven, and everyone in Lanyue Pavilion can go back together.
Just talking and laughing all the way, the carriage stopped in front of the palace gate.
Yue Nu led Baozhu out of the carriage, and a small sedan stopped in front of Baozhu. The leader was Ma Dong, who was beside Qi Junce.
Ma Dong always smiled in front of others, and then he motioned to Baozhu to get on the sedan. "My dear concubine, this is the sedan chair gifted by Your Majesty. I'm afraid it will be hard for you to walk. The sun is still shining brightly now, so please go ahead."
Bao Zhu smiled knowingly and said, "Thank you, father-in-law." Then he sat on it.
As the sedan chair swayed through the palaces carrying the orbs, Yue Nu asked Ma Dong curiously, "Excuse me, Ma Neiguan, where does our noble concubine live?"
Bao Zhu also had some doubts in his heart. Bao Zhu was thrown into the palace without even confirming where he would live. Where can he live now?
Ma Dong chuckled and answered Yue Nu's question: "Your Majesty has given me a residence in Weiyang Palace, which is just behind His Majesty's Palace of Eternal Life."
After hearing this, Yue Nu looked at Baozhu on the sedan chair with great joy. Baozhu still seemed calm and looking forward to his residence.
In Weiyang Palace, Qi Junce personally wrote the inscription. Baozhu and his party walked to the palace and smelled a sweet fragrance before they even reached the door.
The decoration inside the palace is full of the customs of the Mianyuan Kingdom. It is gorgeous yet elegant, and even the curtains are made of first-class moon gauze.
"It smells so good." Azi sniffed and couldn't help but praise.
Ma Dong flicked his fly whisk and said, "Your Majesty bestows upon your concubine the favor of Jiao Fang. This is the unique aroma of Jiao Fang."
Haitang helped Baozhu sit down, the smile on her face almost overflowing. "Jiao Fang means more children and more blessings. Your Majesty is so kind to our concubines."
Baozhu's cheeks felt a little hot, and he realized that the table was also piled with all kinds of gold and silver jewelry and clothes.
Baozhu's eyes signaled to Yue Nu, who took out an ingot of gold, put it into Ma Dong's hand, and invited the official to drink tea.
Ma Dong smiled so brightly that his teeth came out, thanked him repeatedly, and then said: "His Majesty will come over tonight, please prepare early, concubine!"
Bao Zhu nodded, immersed in this joy.
