After returning to Zhaohe Palace, Concubine Li could finally sit down for breakfast.
She brought a bowl of bird's nest porridge, and after taking only two sips, she dropped it heavily on the table. The expensive bird's nest porridge spilled half of the table. Aunt Shi, who was waiting while watching, quickly straightened the bowl in distress and said, "Your Majesty, why don't you, slave? Calling King An? According to the current time, King An may not have left the palace yet."
Concubine Li fell down on the chair as if frustrated, closed her eyes forcefully, and said, "No need."
Aunt Shi carefully advised: "My dear, King An is indeed quite old and it's time for him to marry. There are so many famous ladies in the capital, you can pick one out for him even with your eyes closed!"
Choose with your eyes closed?
If he doesn't like a bad one, she will be told that her mother doesn't love her son, so why should she?
Besides, the emperor hasn’t spoken yet.
The master didn't say anything, so Aunt Shi continued: "Empress, King An is your son just like King Wu. You..."
"Shi Lu!" Concubine Li suddenly opened her eyes and said in a stern tone: "Don't say this again in the future. How can he... compare with my Xiaojiu?"
Shi Lu is the real name of Aunt Shi. She is an old man who accompanied Concubine Li to the palace. She has been serving Concubine Li when she was a girl. It has been more than thirty years now. For so many years, as a confidant, she knew everything about Concubine Li, so when she saw Concubine Li's attitude, although she dared not speak out, she felt a little distressed in her heart. They are both the biological children of Concubine Li, but while one Concubine Li is a treasure, the other is worse than grass.
What an injustice!
However, she could only whisper: "Yes, I have overstepped my bounds."
Concubine Li gave a soft "hmm" and was about to say it was okay, but when the words came to her lips, she swallowed them back.
How could it be okay. One is her shame, the other is the guarantee of her happiness. How to compare?
But at this moment, someone vigorously opened the hanging bead curtain on the door and walked in. With a dragon-like and tiger-like stride and a dignified appearance, he came close and half-crouched at Li Guifei's feet, and held Li Guifei's hand hard: "Mother Concubine! You How can you be so confused? Seventh brother and I are from the same mother, we are both the sons of the mother-in-law. Even if the mother-in-law favors her son, she must not go too far towards the seventh brother!"
The visitor is Concubine Li’s second son, the Ninth Prince Wu Wang Zhao Yu.
Seeing her beloved son, Concubine Li's grievances she suffered early in the morning disappeared immediately. She pulled Zhao Yu to help him up: "A Yu, why are you here now? What did you eat for breakfast? You came in a hurry to go to court. If you haven’t eaten yet, let’s use some more at my concubine’s place!”
Zhao Yu was already about to get up, but after hearing Concubine Li's words, he squatted back again.
"A Yu?" Concubine Li was surprised.
"Mother!" Zhao Yu's tone became more serious, "Did you hear what your son said?"
Concubine Li then slowly calmed down her eagerness to see her beloved son and said calmly: "Ah Yu, don't worry about these things. Listen to mother, live a good life with your princess. If your life is good, mother will be satisfied. .”
As a prince, nine out of ten people would not think about taking a step forward. The only one who didn't think about it was simply because he had no chance. Zhao Yu's mother-in-law had favored him for twenty years, and the emperor also loved him very much. In addition, the family of the principal concubine and concubine in his palace were very powerful. Under such circumstances, it was impossible for him not to miss the position above him.
But it was obvious that Concubine Li didn't want him to think about it, otherwise she wouldn't have reminded him again and again to keep to himself.
Zhao Yu was silent for a moment and chose not to say: "But my concubine, the seventh brother is my son's biological brother! When you treat him like this, have you ever thought about the relationship between your son and him? You can't survive alone. Concubine, you are harming us by being too partial." Emotions, if one day my son is in trouble and Brother Qi doesn’t reach out, who else do you think will?"
Concubine Li blurted out: "How can you be in trouble? Even if my mother-in-law gave her life, she would still protect you! Besides, your main concubine and side concubine are all carefully selected by your mother-in-law. If you are If something happens, how can they get away with it? If they get into trouble, their natal family will also be implicated, so their natal family will definitely warn them and help them as soon as possible."
It's just a daughter. If she is of no use, it will only bring trouble. People can just abandon this daughter.
Zhao Yu did not say these words, he said: "What kind of love can be deeper than brotherly love? Mother concubine, if you really love your son and are really good for your son, then you can be nicer to your seventh brother, okay?"
For Concubine Li, these words were a bit heartbreaking.
Shock and hurt suddenly appeared on her face: "Ayu, you..."
Zhao Yu, however, did not wait for her to finish speaking before he bowed and saluted, saying: "Mother and concubine, my son has something to do, so I'll leave first."
He quickly exited and walked to the center of the courtyard. Zhao Yu still heard the sound of broken dishes in the room. He paused and sighed heavily, but did not turn back, even though he knew that what he just said had hurt Concubine Li.
But he couldn't help it. His mother and concubine were ill-considered, so he had to think about himself!
Zhao Yu still remembered that when he was young, when he first discovered that his mother-in-law loved him more than his seventh brother, he was proud of it and even went to show off to his seventh brother countless times. That was the stupidity of a child. As I grow older and look back, I realize that because of his stupidity, my only brother has drifted further and further away from him. But even so, when he was bullied by other brothers when his mother and concubine didn't know about it since he was a child, it was his seventh brother who protected him overtly and covertly.
The pride slowly turned into guilt, and into complaining about the seventh brother.
More importantly, he thought that in that position, who else could reassure him more than his brother?
After leaving the palace, he walked around the yamen he belonged to. Seeing that there was nothing to deal with, Zhao Yu left the yamen in advance. He went straight to the biggest and best restaurant in the city, ordered two jars of sweet-scented osmanthus wine, and took it all the way to Prince An's Mansion.
~
Zhao Ting has not returned to the mansion yet, and Zhao Yu is his younger brother, so he is naturally qualified to enter the mansion and wait for others.
Qin Yuan, the steward of Prince An's Mansion, was found by Zhao Ting himself after he left the palace and opened the mansion. Although he was not an eunuch, he was considered a servant after all and was not qualified to accompany guests. Therefore, Zhao Yu was left to sit in the flower hall of the main courtyard, and he could only ask Yuqiu to take someone to tea.
Zhao Yu often came to Prince An's Mansion, and Yuqiu followed the old rules and served him a pot of Biluochun.
The tea in Prince An's mansion is not as good as the tea in his own mansion, but this is something he must never say, so Zhao Yu only took a few sips casually, saw Yuqiu on one side, and asked, "Why are you the only one today? Brother Qi is here." Isn’t there another maid?”
A flash of annoyance quickly flashed in Yuqiu's eyes, but she replied respectfully: "In reply to the prince, sister Yuyao is ill."
Firstly, because he had nothing to do, and secondly, because he knew that Zhao Ting was interested in another maid, Zhao Yu asked casually: "Are you sick? What kind of disease? Have you asked an imperial doctor to see you?"
Yuqiu blurted out: "Your Majesty is joking, how can we, the humble ones, be qualified to ask an imperial doctor to see us?"
There are still seventh-rank officials in front of the prime minister. They are nobles. If the servants they care about are sick, please ask the imperial doctor to see what's wrong. Zhao Yu looked solemn and ignored Yuqiu. He only told his personal eunuch on his side: "Go and ask Dr. Wu from the Imperial Hospital to come and take a look at Miss Yuyao."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The eunuch agreed, turned around and trotted away.
Zhao Yu also stood up and said to Yuqiu: "Take me over and have a look."
Yuqiu's face changed completely, and she stammered: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, isn't this... this not good..."
She just said casually, why did King Wu go to see Yuyao?
My master already cares about Yuyao, is there another person who wants to raise Yuyao's worth?
From now on, in Prince An's Mansion, where can she find a place for Yuqiu to stand?
Zhao Yu had no intention of speaking at all, and only glanced at her. She did not dare to say anything and could only lead the way.
