In the harems of the Yan, Chen and Chu dynasties, the rules were relatively loose. Especially in the Yan and Chen dynasties, the empress dowager, empress, and palace masters above the concubine level could, as long as they reported to the emperor, they could behave themselves and go out to play or return home. Visit relatives at home, or go to the garden as a team to escape the summer heat, or go to the villa to enjoy the hot springs.
When he arrived in Dachu, Emperor Chengyuan, as the first emperor, inherited the pre-Yan-Chen system and still treated the harem favorably. However, her mother, the Empress Dowager Rong'an, did not like to travel, and she followed the example of others. From then on, the concubines in the harem rarely left the palace.
Over time, this unwritten rule became that concubines could invite family members to the palace to meet them.
Empress Qin had been estranged from the Qin family since she was a child, and all her affection for her natal family was placed on her eldest sister and youngest son.
After Sheng Xiangxun was three years old and before nine years old, he spent half of his time in Manfu Palace. Even after he was nine years old, he was taken to the palace every ten days. It was not until he was fifteen or sixteen years old that it was changed to around festivals. He went to the palace to pay homage to his aunt, even though he was able to meet Empress Qin more than ten times a year.
Especially on the eve of Queen Qianqiu and the Chinese New Year, Queen Qin would always specially summon him in the Yongping Hall in front, so that the aunt and nephew could have a good talk. After all, when the official day comes, the Queen will have to meet with too many imperial ministers and it will be difficult to talk to him too much.
It was the same this time. Sheng Xiangxun entered the palace on the afternoon of the 28th, and when he entered the palace, he specially brought the memorial that Mrs. Shi had asked for.
According to his previous experience, every time he entered the palace to meet his aunt, the emperor would meet him in the name of his elder.
Although he was often summoned by the emperor when he was in the Hanlin Academy, such summons were always different.
Although Sheng Xiangxun was tired, he was not ungrateful.
Just like every time he entered the palace before, he left in a hurry.
However, what was different from every time he left the palace before was that he did not come back happily as usual. Instead, he entered the house wilted like a child who had made a mistake and was left behind by an adult.
Mrs. Zheng was startled when she saw him like this. After a quick thought, she guessed that it might not be the reason for the memorial, and she couldn't help but feel nervous.
Sheng Xiangxun saw her expression of shock and her hands and feet were a little at a loss. She could no longer care about her depression and hurriedly comforted her: "Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid! It's just a matter of asking my aunt to scratch her ears and say a few words. It's no big deal. When I was a child, I was very naughty in the palace, and my aunt even hit me on the hand with her own hands!"
"..." Ms. Zheng was still a little guilty at first, but hearing his words like this, she couldn't help but laugh and cry. How could this be the same!
"Don't worry, I have sent Mrs. Shi's memorial to the emperor, and the emperor was not dissatisfied after seeing it.
But my aunt thought it was not good for me to be like this, so she educated me for most of an hour and even let the prince read the joke! "
Sheng Xiangxun became very depressed when he thought of the ridicule of the petty prince: "My aunt was so angry that she even forgot to reward me!"
"..." Mrs. Zheng, who had not been comforted just now, now really believes that it is not a big deal. This man is still thinking about it now. It can be seen that the queen is just scolding her junior.
Zheng was relieved and couldn't help but wonder why the emperor was not dissatisfied, but Empress Qin cared so much about the memorial. She had an intuition that what Empress Qin was dissatisfied with was not the memorial, but the person who had entrusted it to the emperor.
Sheng Xiangxun never knew how to hide in front of the Zheng family. Hearing her question, he was about to answer immediately, but at this moment, Empress Qin and Qian'er's most powerful Aunt Qi came to the door.
"Greetings to the Third Master and the Third Young Madam, the Queen has sent a slave to give gifts to Sister An and Sister Yuan." Aunt Qi saluted with a smile and handed over the gift list.
Sheng Xiangxun was displeased when he laid eyes on her: "Aunt, this is obviously a reward given to me by my aunt every year, but how come it's Sister An and Sister Yuan this year!"
Aunt Qi's smile remained unchanged and she said, "Oh! Is that so? But this is how the Queen orders her slaves! Why do you think this is?"
Her words were gentle, but her eyes and face were shaking with one meaning: Why are you so confused?
Sheng Xiangxun didn't feel guilty about this. He turned around and pointed at his ear and said, "Aunt, look, aunt made my ears turn red! I've been beaten and scolded, so why should I be punished?" The prince just made a special trip to laugh at me!"
He was so childish in his complaining manner that even Zheng was embarrassed to look at him standing next to him.
However, Aunt Qi looked like she was used to it, so she really cooperated and took a look.
Mrs. Zheng saw that she could greet her even with ears that were neither red nor swollen, and she couldn't help but update her understanding of her husband's favor in front of the queen for the dozens of times.
"The empress said, if you can listen to that lesson, stay as far away as you should, and I will give you a red envelope when I meet you in a few days." Aunt Qi conveyed Empress Qin's meaning kindly.
When she said this, Zheng's heart suddenly shivered.
She heard that Empress Qin was asking someone to beat her.
"Aunt, it's not the third master's fault. It's because I reunited with an old friend and couldn't bear her pleading, so I gave in to the third master. Who would have thought... I didn't think carefully enough, and I won't do this again."
"How can I rely on you! Although you couldn't bear it before, you never agreed to it. Mrs. Shi asked me!"
Sheng Xiangxun was afraid that his aunt would be dissatisfied with Zheng, so he hurriedly told Aunt Qi, "You know, if I don't like my temper, who can force me?"
Aunt Qi saw that he was protecting the Zheng family and seemed to be a family member, and she couldn't help but feel happy and sighing.
She turned her head and smiled at Mrs. Zheng: "Don't be nervous, young lady. The Queen has said that it is normal for the female family members in the palace not to know the details of these external matters. If there is any fault, it cannot be blamed on the female family members.
If it's wrong, it's all the Third Master's fault. You should be very careful when entering the palace and handing the memorial to the emperor. How could you take it over without asking clearly?
Although His Majesty is wise and generous, and His Majesty can take care of him, sometimes the matters are very important and the various relationships are complicated. What should the Third Master do if he gets involved in things that he shouldn't get involved with? "
Mrs. Zheng quickly said that she had been taught a lesson: "What the Empress taught me is that I will never dare to take over everything without asking why."
When Sheng Xiangxun saw his wife saying this, he nodded hastily: "Yes, yes. If you want to take care of her again in the future, you must first inquire clearly."
Aunt Qi saw that it was almost done, so she said goodbye and left.
Sheng Xiangxun looked at the gift list, sighed, flicked his fingers, and asked someone to distribute the boxes of gifts to the two girls.
He waved the maid away with his own hand, followed Zheng and coaxed in a low voice: "Don't mind, my aunt is still angry with me, but she has hurt you."
Mrs. Zheng glanced at him and said to herself: How can the queen be willing to be angry with you? This is obviously blaming me for dragging you down!
Fortunately, she was sensible and took the initiative to admit her mistake when she heard the knocking, which is why Aunt Qi said these words; if she really hid behind him and pretended to be dumbfounded, the Queen Mother might really have a grudge in her heart.
Thinking of this, Madam Zheng sighed, feeling glad that she had always been clear-headed and never felt complacent about her husband's importance in the Queen's heart. The queen treated her nephew as a pain in the ass, but she didn't necessarily take her nephew's wife seriously. The reason why she valued her more was just for her nephew's sake.
Mrs. Zheng silently sorted it out in her mind, and her little depression had almost dissipated. Now she was particularly curious, why did her friend's memorial make the queen feel like she was facing a formidable enemy?
