Because the mourning period had passed, the flowers in the Imperial Garden were bright purple and red. Han Qing He looked at the beautiful Imperial Garden and thought about how she had entered the palace as a daughter of a good family to be a candidate. After that, Empress Dowager Wei arranged for her to serve the Emperor. In the blink of an eye, five years had passed. She had become one of the mistresses of this palace.
Occasionally, palace maids and taijian would pass by and bow to her. She enjoyed the feeling of others lowering their heads to her, as though this way, she could forget her lowly birth and the unhappiness of the past. Turning back to look at Feng Zi Jin who was following closely behind her, she gave a satisfied smile: "Strolling through the Imperial Garden, I think of the times I accompanied Ping cairen to the gardens in the wang fu."
Feng Zi Jin didn't speak when she heard this. She looked expressionlessly at Han Qing He before slowly moving her gaze away.
"Looking at Ping cairen's expression, it seems that she doesn't like to accompany me to the gardens?" Han Qing He smiled disdainfully, "Or is it that Ping cairen looks down on me?"
"Liangdi is high above. Pinqie, a little seventh-grade cairen, doesn't dare to look down on her." Feng Zi Jin said coldly, "Pinqie is just listening to liangdi."
Han Qing He was about to speak when she suddenly heard clapping behind her. She was overjoyed and moved a step to the side to kneel.
"Qie greets Emperor," When the dark gold patterned boots walked in front of her, Han Qing He's voice was soft as she bowed her head. But the next second, she saw a pair of gold embroidered shoes appear beside the gold patterned boots. She stilled and then said, "Pinqie greets Empress."
Qu Qing Ju looked at Feng Zi Jin and Han Qing He kneeling on the ground. It was the first time she heard Han Qing He use such a sweet voice to speak. She looked at He Heng who didn't react and opened: "No need for courtesy, stand up."
"Thank you Emperor, thank you Empress," Feng Zi Jin slowly stood. She raised her head to look at the Emperor and found that the Emperor's gaze wasn't even on her and Han Qing He. She lowered her head with a wooden face, not saying a word.
"I didn't think I would encounter Emperor and Empress here," Han Qing He didn't want to give up the chance to show her face in front of the Emperor. Her appearance might not be as beautiful as Feng Zi Jin, but when she smiled, there was a different flavor, "It is pinqie that has disturbed Emperor and Empress's mood."
Qu Qing Ju looked at her smiling face, the corner of her lips curling but she didn't speak.
"Since you know that you have disturbed our mood, why don't you leave?" He Heng's tone was extremely cold. He looked at Han Qing He who was wearing gold and silver, his brow furrowing, "Leave."
The smile on Han Qing He's face froze. She hadn't thought that the Emperor wouldn't care about her feelings at all. She couldn't help but turn to look at the Empress and found that the expression on the Empress' face hadn't changed from beginning to end, as though she had known that she would make a fool of herself. She stood up awkwardly and bowed. "This concubine will take her leave."
Seeing Han Qing He leave, Feng Zi Jin also bowed and left. Before she left, she looked at He Heng and Qu Qing Ju as though it was the first time she knew them.
After the two left, Qu Qing Ju smiled and remarked: "Han liangdi has served Emperor for so many years but her appearance hasn't changed." Han Qing He had started to serve He Heng when she was sixteen. Right now, she was just twenty-one. In her previous life, that would be the prime of her life. In this place, her age was slightly on the older side.
"Really, zhen doesn't remember what she looked like before," He Heng looked in the direction of Fu Shou Palace, "Don't worry about these people. Let's go eat at muhou's place."
Fu Shou Palace had long known that the Emperor and Empress were coming to eat with the Empress Dowager so they had prepared the food early. When the two arrived, Empress Dowager Wei was trimming the branches of a potted flower in the yard. Seeing the two of them, Empress Dowager Wei stood to let the two follow her into the room.
After washing and drying her hands, Empress Dowager Wei said to the two: "Aijia had the little kitchen prepare the dishes you like to eat, eat more later."
"Thank you muhou for your concern," He Heng stood and bowed to Empress Dowager Wei. But his actions were much more casual than when he was outside. It was enough to see that the relationship between mother and son was very harmonious, "More lees and duck feet."
"Alright, your duck feet, erxi's duck tongue, aijia had people prepare them, you won't be lacking," Empress Dowager Wei clearly liked her son's casual attitude in front of her. She sighed, "Even though the mourning period has passed, but aijia's birthday doesn't need to be celebrated. Tomorrow, aijia will send down a decree, stating that there won't be a birthday banquet this year, and won't receive the greetings of the court officials. "
He Heng had come this time to discuss the matter of Empress Dowager Wei's birthday, but he hadn't thought that muhou would be so direct. It was true that it couldn't be a big event, but if they didn't even receive the greetings of the court officials, wouldn't it seem too cold?
"Aijia knows you are filial, but aijia's actions were a decision made after careful consideration," Empress Dowager Wei's expression became stern, "Huang son, you have to remember, if you get the things, you have to get the reputation. Being thorough is the best."
Qu Qing Ju, who was at the side, heard this and agreed. To act, you had to act to the end. Gaining both fame and fortune was the true winner in life. But, when he said these words, he didn't hide it from her, his erxi, was it good?
"I understand muhou's intentions," He Heng nodded, "Then when muhou's birthday comes, our family of three will have a good meal together."
"Good," Empress Dowager Wei smiled, her gaze sweeping across her erxi who was sitting obediently at the side, "A family sitting together to have a meal is more comfortable than those useless events." This son of hers, to say such things in front of her, it could be seen that he really cared about Qu shi.
Qu shi didn't have the worries of relatives outside, and was a proper Empress. In the future, when Qu shi gave birth to a child, there would be no fight for the throne. It wasn't a bad thing that the Emperor and Empress were deeply in love.
"Since muhou doesn't want to have a birthday, then erxi's birthday can be saved," Qu Qing Ju's birthday was next month. She furrowed her brow, "In any case, there's no meaning in making a ruckus at the banquet."
"Alright, we don't have to have a birthday, and we don't have to suffer so much." Empress Dowager Wei smiled and said to Ding mama beside her, "It's almost noon. Have the kitchen people serve the dishes."
Ding mama took the order and left. When she came out of the room, Ding mama smiled and shook her head. It was clear that the Empress Dowager and the Empress had different personalities, but as they interacted, they developed feelings. It was rare to have this kind of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship in the Imperial House.
But the Empress was a wonderful person. In front of the Empress Dowager, she could do anything, as though she thought the Empress Dowager was her own mother. Thinking about the Empress' mother who had died early and the evil stepmother, Ding mama sighed. It hadn't been easy for the Empress. She must have really thought of the Empress Dowager as her own mother.
After the meal, the three of them ate happily. Empress Dowager Wei looked at Qu Qing Ju sitting on the chair with a satisfied expression and smiled, commenting: "Eating until you're seventy percent full is the way to preserve health. Eating like this isn't good for your body."
"Muhou, erxi is growing right now. How can I not eat more," Qu Qing Ju chuckled, "How can I grow if I'm not full?"
Empress Dowager Wei was amused by her words. Pointing at Qu Qing Ju, she said: "Right, right, you need to grow. When you grow up, you can give aijia grandchildren to play with." When she finished, even she couldn't help but laugh.
He Heng watched as his mother and wife chatted happily. He silently raised a cup of digestive tea to take a sip. So his wife hadn't grown up yet. His mother was preparing to play with his children. Was this scene really mother-in-law, son and erxi, and not mother-in-law, son-in-law and daughter?
On the second day, the Empress Dowager and the Empress gave out decrees. The main idea was that xiandi had just passed away and they didn't have the heart to entertain themselves. They were grateful for the goodwill of the people of the world.
Instantly, the officials praised Sheng Mu, the Empress Dowager and the Empress as virtuous, loyal and filial, the role models for the women of the world.
He Heng listened to the praise of his mother and wife from the officials and said: "Zhen's mother, the Empress, doesn't have the heart to entertain herself. Zhen is the son of xiandi, I don't have the heart to hold a birthday banquet. This year, zhen's birthday banquet will be canceled. Subjects, you don't have to urge me."
The officials naturally urged again and again. Under the insistence of the Emperor, they had no choice but to give up. In the end, they called out the Emperor's filial piety three times. The officials and ruler were satisfied.
Standing below, He Yuan had a disdainful smile on his face. Wei shi and her son were used to acting. Even at this point, they didn't forget to act to gain a good reputation.
"Chen has a memorial!" After the officials and ruler were in harmony, the Minister of the Right, Wei Wen Guang, took a step forward and said, "Emperor, chen met a thirteen year old beggar on the road a few days ago. Seeing that he was pitiful, I had the intention of taking him in. Who knew that I would hear a shocking matter."
The atmosphere at court instantly became heavy. He Heng's brows furrowed as he urged: "Right Minister Wei, quickly speak."
"Chen heard from the beggar that he had begged all the way from Jiang Nan to Jing. His father was the housekeeper of a certain official in Jiang Nan. Because he found out that this official was colluding with His Highness Rui Wang, he was killed and his entire family was implicated. Luckily, the beggar was mischievous and hid in the cellar of his home so he was able to keep his life." Finishing, he held up an account book with both hands, "This is the account book left behind by the murdered housekeeper. The little beggar suffered on the road and carefully protected this item. Emperor, please take a look."
Once the words came out, the entire court was silent. But no one dared to complain for Rui Wang.
"Bring it up," He Heng looked at He Yuan, "Rui Wang, do you have anything to say?"
He Yuan smiled coldly and raised his hands, replying: "Emperor, chen di was wronged. Right Minister Wei used an unknown little beggar to wrongly accuse chen, and even forged an account book. His intentions are damnable. "
He Heng took the account book from the taijian's hands and casually flipped open a page to take a look. His face was calm as he declared: "The truth, zhen will naturally send someone to investigate. Court dismissed."
The officials didn't know what the Emperor was really thinking. If he believed Rui Wang, then he wouldn't have sent someone to investigate. But if he didn't believe, then he should be furious. Such calmness, it really made people scratch their heads.
But the smart people quickly reacted. The Emperor was going to settle old debts with Rui Wang. In the beginning, the case of Jiang Nan had been suppressed by xiandi. Since the Emperor cared for the people of Jiang Nan, he naturally wouldn't ignore the matter.
Jiang Nan would soon welcome a great purge.
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