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Bao Chun and I entered the palace as a concubine for Lin Jia for twenty-five years, I was one year older than her, I was twelve years old, she was eleven years old, both were not very knowledgeable, the daughters of the country people.
The biggest difference is that Bao Chun has a beautiful appearance, but I am mediocre and cannot be found in the pile of people.
The first night of entering the palace is the twelfth day of The Twelfth Of May on the Eve of The Thousand Autumn Festivals of His Majesty's Birth.
The palace lights hung high in the night, and the moon streamers, the laughter of the people soared like boiling, and the silence was heavy, to celebrate the fifty-fifth birthday of the king.
What accompanied me to sleep was not the gentle singing of the pear garden, but the cries of Bao Chun's fine cries. I rolled over and took her into my arms, hummed the nursery rhyme of my hometown, and tapped her back with my hand to soothe her to sleep.
The moonlight was transparent and bright, and the cobwebs on the beams were unusually clear, this was a remote palace room, and there was the whistle of the night wind pouring into the broken window paper.
When her mood had calmed down, I closed my eyes. In front of us is still the scene of the Yellow River breaking its banks three months ago, half of the land in Zhongzhou has been flooded, the people have no way to survive, there is no grass on the vast loess soil, and hunger is everywhere.
If it weren't for this, Bao Chun and I wouldn't have been sold into the palace by human teeth and gone thousands of miles away from our hometown.
I grew up with Bao Chun, I was more than a year older than her, and I had deep feelings since I was a child, so I called myself her sister and treated her like a little sister. When she came to homesick at night, I always coaxed her to sleep.
When I was about to fall asleep, I heard Bao Chun's still childish voice ringing out, with a small vibrato: "Sister Chunshan, do you think we can see Shengshang?" ”
I was sleepy, yawned and said vaguely, "Yes." ”
1
I have never loved the prosperity of the palace, the rich and luxurious. The only wish is to return to the countryside to marry when you reach the age of twenty-five and become a country woman.
Vermilion wall glazed tiles, carved beams and paintings are naturally very good, the imperial city is located in the north, the weather is always dry and cool, and the natural scenery is also very good.
Everyone is dressed decently, even those of us who are maids of honor are not short of new clothes at four o'clock.
Before I stepped into the Imperial City, I never knew that the original world could be two black and white extremes, some people selling children and daughters only for tiles can cover themselves or a full meal, some people are born to grow up in the splendid pile, and the pearls are full of luxury.
I am the former, it seems that I am born out of place with the latter, I feel that here is a lively cold, purple and red dust, the heat is rising up, the sky is smoked into a bright warm color, and under the precipitation is a dull ice blue tone, such as those oblique cold eyes, unclear sneers, and cold plates, used to punish the palace people who make mistakes.
I miss more and more the green wheat straw in the vast wilderness of my hometown, the scene of cooking smoke rising, and returning home at dusk, and when I am idle, I only look forward to the arrival of twenty-five years after eight spring and autumn.
Bao Chun's success was something I didn't expect.
The female officials in charge of the affairs were very fond of her, and I made mistakes in doing things, but when she was younger than me, she came out to intercede for me, which often had a miraculous effect.
When she showed me her fingernails that were stained red by the hydrangea flowers, she asked, "Sister Chunshan, how do you look good?" ”
In the September sun, the water-colored red seemed to flow on her armor. Even better than that is Bao Chun's smile, the mild climate has raised her well in recent years, her body is as tall as a pear cloud for bone, the smile on her fair-skinned face is shallow and swirling, and the eyes are full of hope.
Two months ago, because of her particularly good skills in planting peonies, she was transferred to the Huifang Palace of Concubine Rong Guifei of the Holy Family, and played with the red peony of the Sacred Temple's favorite temple.
I smiled and said that it was beautiful, carefully helping her to remove the remaining flower mud from her nails, and remembering what she said when she first entered the palace, I smiled: "Now that this look is beautiful and shiny, you can be a bridesmaid." ”
Her face immediately turned red and she withdrew her hand, making a gesture to hit me, "How can my sister remember?!" ”
I grabbed her hand first, smiled and said, "It turns out that being a lady is not counted, I still want to be a shanggong in the niangniang palace, and now it seems that only this heart is dead, it is a pity to be alive." ”
But she suddenly calmed down and leaned on my side, her ears were light red, and she whispered, "I saw Shengshang in Rong Niangniang's palace." ”
I straightened the broken hair she had just fallen, looked at her long eyelashes that were fluttering, and asked, "Oh? What kind of person is the Saint? ”
I knew that Bao Chun did not stop the idea of becoming an imperial princess, but at that time, the young man could express his true thoughts directly and declare his true thoughts.
Moreover, Bao Chun has capital, and after we have had the privilege of meeting several bridesmaids who are favored by their beauty, Bao Chun's appearance is not inferior to any of them.
Those ladies and ladies are brocade for clothes, jasper for the jasper, green eyebrows, golden and elegant, and how can she be willing to submit to others?
But when she told me that she had seen the Saint, I was greatly surprised. Palace ladies like us have been doing nothing more than chores assigned by the palaces all year round, and the chances of seeing the holy heavenly face are slim.
It has been five years since I entered the palace, but I know that Saint Shang has been able to reach the point of nearly a flower armor this year, and I have never seen His Majesty Luan driving once.
"Holy on ... It was very good, and he talked to me very kindly, saying that my flowers were well planted. Bao Chun depicts the scene of the first sight of the saint, and the voice behind it is already too low to be heard.
"The Saint is already sixty, and you are only sixteen years old." I said that it has always been a matter of thought as to who to spoil for the Saints.
"And..." I took a deep breath and could hardly say anything, and Bao Chun also raised her eyes to look at me, and there was a nervous light in her eyes, and she was very excited.
"Emperor Beng, concubines are martyred."
The system of martyrdom was established by Emperor Taizu, the founder of the dynasty, and has lasted for a hundred years. Later emperors of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Renzong, reformed it, and if they gave birth to the empress dowager, they would be spared from martyrdom.
This is undoubtedly a cruel black hope, no one does not want to live, especially the difference between what is gained and what is lost. After a hundred years of the king, the birth is to honor the princess, and the death is the ghost of the underground palace.
I advised, "Wait a minute, Bao Chun, when we are twenty-five years old, we will go out of the palace together and go home." Why hang your life on one person, let alone the emperor, the husband of countless women. ”
After a moment, Bao Chun said coldly, "What do you do when you go back?" As soon as there is a natural disaster, they sell their children for a bag of food that is not enough for the whole family to eat? Immediately after saying that, her tears fell.
At that time, I suddenly realized that I had always been a little sister who was a little careless, thinking that she had long forgotten the old things of that year, and it turned out that she remembered them all, but hid them in her heart.
At that young age, she cried her heart out and begged her mother not to sell her poor appearance, and suddenly appeared in my memory.
The atmosphere cooled down for a while, and we both sat still, our eyes dangling from the midday sun.
In the end, Bao Chun broke into laughter, and his eyes that had cried were still red and moving, "It's all a shadowless thing, the saints don't necessarily remember me as a person, I'm really stupid, what is a good cry?" ”
Half a month later, the red hall in Huifang Palace was in full bloom.
There are more than a thousand bushes of peonies on three sides, and the distant view is like a raging fire, like a fire. The Holy Father set up a banquet in the Fang Palace, and invited all the concubines to enjoy it.
I happened to be there that day, looking after the peony flower stand and the azure ru kiln vase for flower arrangement, and finally I could see the holy bow in the distance.
The half-white hair and beard made Shengshang look like a completely old man, with crane hair and chicken skin, and his back was no longer straight, standing side by side with the magnificent Rong Guifei Niangniang, which was really two generations.
It is such a man, but let countless women serve as servants of the past.
Bao Chun appeared at this time, the church played the Pan Lan Boat Song, the song orchestra sound, she wore a rainy and sunny dance dress, fresh as dew, the water sleeves flew lightly, softly twisted her body, and competed with the peony in the flowers.
After qu, Bao Chun obediently knelt down and wished the king a long life.
Lady Rong Guifei lovingly took her hand and led her to the holy front, and drank three cups of wine, not knowing what to say, the three of them were laughing continuously.
Halfway through the feast, the saint left the table early, and bao chun went with him.
I saw her figure disappear into Luan's car, and finally got her wish for safety.
The rut was already far away, I was stunned to break a porcelain bottle, the eunuch immediately came forward to reprimand, I bowed my head without a word, staring at the water in the broken porcelain bottle slowly flowing, wetting my upper.
This time, no one stopped me and interceded for me.
2
Her Royal Highness the Empress is a native of Heluo, Zhongzhou, and has been a mother for nearly thirty years.
Recently, during her illness, the empress was particularly nostalgic for the hometown music, so she wanted to find a palace maid from Heluo to serve around to relieve her homesickness.
This is what The Shōgun Choi clan told me, and Dun Dun warned me how Her Royal Highness the Empress likes, and when I get to Niangniang's side, I must be careful and cautious.
However, the empress dowager is a generous and gentle master, and there is no need to worry too much. I nodded, still feeling that luck had come incredibly, from the miscellaneous servants to the palace women who had recently served beside the empress, the status improvement was very different from the past, but I was far more than the palace maid of Heluo in the palace.
"It was You who was recommended by Wan Meiren to Niangniang." Cui Shanggong turned back to answer my doubts, looked at me meaningfully, and laughed sarcastically, "She is now receiving the grace of the Holy Lord, and it is nothing for Niangniang to sell her a face, but I also look at you honestly, only to choose you, otherwise what is the number of her little beauty." ”
Ruan Baochun, a beautiful woman, is now the most popular concubine in the palace, and she is even more inferior than the original Concubine Rong.
The Saint favored her, and had been staying in her Qingyue Pavilion for more than a month, going in and out at the same moment, like a folk couple.
There are also rumors that Wan Mei is already pregnant, other graces are not to be said, if the birth of the prince can be exempted from martyrdom, do not enter the black and cold terror tomb, so that those concubines who do not have a prince are red-eyed.
I laughed, and Nono said yes, only to see Bao Chun who came to invite Ann in the Queen's Palace.
I really saw Bao Chun after April, when I was quite comfortable doing things around the empress dowager.
As Cui Shanggong said, the empress dowager is a very generous master, rarely angry, and the infiltration of many years has made her have a soft temperament like a pearl jade. Also because the empress is the mother of the country, whether she gives birth to a concubine or not, she will be honored as the empress dowager in the future, so she is particularly relaxed and calm, and a smile is a model for the indoctrination of a woman in a boudoir.
And because I was a fellow countryman, I was even more friendly to me, and I was often ordered to tell her about the customs of my hometown and reward me with many interesting things made in the inner government.
On that day, I waited for the empress dowager to finish the soup medicine, and the queen casually leaned on the embroidery bed and suddenly said, "You and Wan Mei are very different, I heard that your friend was before." ”
I nodded yes, thinking that something had happened to Bao Chun, I was really shocked, and the medicine bowl in my hand almost slipped.
The queen quietly picked up a cup of tea and took a leisurely sip of tea, and smiled with compassion, "I don't know what those children are fighting for, and finally they all enter the imperial tomb." After a pause, he said, "Since you are an old friend of Wanmei, let's go see her for Hongu." ”
3
Before April, Wan Meiren officially reported that she was pregnant, but the fetus was unstable and needed to be rested, and the empress dowager exempted her from asking for peace of night and evening, so that she could rest assured that she would take care of her body and extend the royal bloodline as the most important.
In the middle of winter, the red wall of the moon reflects the snow and cold, but the beautiful Qingyue Pavilion is as strong as wine in spring, and the red plum in front of the pavilion slowly opens, enveloping the clouds, and the elegant taste stains the air along the way.
Wan Mei Nguyen Po Chun lay on the bed near the window, and when her maid politely led me, the emissary of the Empress, into her eyes was Wan Mei's hand hanging from the thick brocade quilt.
A handful of green onion-like white and tender, painted with the best Codan on her fingertips crimson, like a ball of fire burning on her fingertips. I couldn't see the scars left on my hand when I was waiting for the flowers and plants a few months ago.
The maid went over to tell her that someone was coming, and she took the maid's hand and put it on with the quilt in her arms, thin and thin without powder, and her face was cleaner than the snow outside the window.
The moment I made eye contact with her, my heart suddenly sank, and I felt that something was constantly passing away from Baochun's life.
She got it all. She was unhappy.
Her eyes lit up when she saw it was me.
I gave the queen's reward gift to the maid, Bao Chunping withdrew all the maids, told me to go to the front and sit down, held my left arm, affectionately called my name, first asked me about the latest situation, "Sister Chunshan, you are here, is the empress dowager good to you?" ”
I put the slipped quilt back on her, and the afterglow glimpsed her slightly bulging belly, which was the greatest guarantee for the continuation of her young life.
I don't know how to say it when I have a complicated mind.
My sister never took care of her, but her little sister took care of me all the time.
Eventually, I laughed and said, "I'm fine, what about you, Lady Wan?" ”
Bao Chun laughed and pulled me to see the gifts given by the saints and the palace ladies, and when her eyes touched a dingyao child's pillow, she was discolored and asked the maid loudly, "Who sent this thing?" ”
The maid did not know, so she knelt down and trembled, "It was sent from the palace of Concubine Rong Guifei." ”
As soon as these words came out, I immediately felt Bao Chun's body shaking very badly, helped her to lie down on the bed again, and fed her hot tea.
She didn't drink a mouthful, turned over and supported the bed with morning sickness very badly, and told the maid to retreat.
After vomiting, she quietly lay back again, and among the dark pupils seemed to be a thousand heavy snows, and the tears were like large drops in the pillow.
No matter how I called her, she shouldn't have heard me.
I looked back at the place where I had just put my things, and the baby pillow had been put away by the maid, empty.
Rong Guifei?
In an instant, an incredible thought rose almost irrepressibly in my heart.
"You're going to give this child to Concubine Rong, aren't you?" I almost shouted out.
Bao Chun didn't speak, and the whole person cried even more violently and trembled into a ball.
Snow outside the window.
Many of the things I didn't want to think about before, that moment made clear.
Rong Guifei has been favored for many years, beautiful and childless. And the saint is getting older, her hopes are fading, and she wants to have children only to raise other people's children.
Otherwise, what position would she have to introduce to the Saint a concubine who would share her favors? And the powerless and young and beautiful palace girl is the most suitable object to pinch.
"So," I struggled to get my voice back, "the saint also agreed?" ”
Bao Chun was quiet at that moment, unusually calm, and said, "Otherwise, her brother is a great general who pacified Western Liaoning, and is currently fighting against the enemy country on the front line." How could His Majesty ever again make him uneasy on the battlefield? What am I? A woman from a palace maid is dead. ”
The blood in my whole body began to chill, and I stood up and couldn't help but say, "You're crazy!" ”
She jerked up and took my hand, her long hair scattered like a ghost, crying and laughing, "What can I do?" What can I do? They had already discussed it, I was stupid! ”
Tears hit the back of my hand and almost burned my skin.
4
Six months later, Wan Meiren successfully gave birth to a baby boy, and in the same month, the liaoxi battlefield was reported one after another, and Rong Guifei's brother had to add the title of prince taibao and ranked as the third orphan.
Because Ofe's weak health after giving birth, the Saint ordered the Prince to temporarily raise the Crown Princess.
This time the empress still sent me to see the beautiful people after the birth, it was early summer, I had sweated a little along the way, but Baochun's house was as cold as an ice cellar.
She was like a fish whose bones had been plucked out, all she had left was shallow breathing, and her face was pale.
Before I could speak, tears were already coming out of my eyes, and I choked up, "Niangniang must take care of her body, even if it is for the little prince." ”
She woke up tired and smiled quietly at me, tired like a lotus after the rain, "Sister, why don't you always come to see me?" I was so scared. ”
I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, which were so thin that they were a little narrower, trying to give her some comfort, "I'm here, I'm here." ”
"I want to see my mother." Bao Chun said stupidly.
My eyes were black from crying, and I just wanted to fulfill all her wishes, "I went to ask the empress dowager for mercy." ”
"Not necessarily. They starved to death in twenty-seven years, and after I entered the palace, my mother, father, and brother all died. ”
She spoke in a tone that did not improve a little, as if she were just saying something that had nothing to do with her.
I was already crying so hard that I couldn't imagine how Bao Chun would persevere after he knew, but there was nothing I could do.
Her gaze followed her to the beam, where the carved beams and paintings were far better than the cobwebs of the burrows of the past, the richest place in the world.
"Sister, I'm so stupid." She laughed.
It was in the empress's mouth that I learned the news that Rong Guifei's brother had been sent to prison.
"Hongu said well, how could the unsupportable Ah Dou be so powerful this time, and won several battles in a row." It turned out that it was a good and false report of good deeds. The queen said with a faint sarcasm, and happily ate half a piece of hibiscus crisp.
As soon as the truth of this matter came out, there was an uproar in the government and the public, and the saint was furious, and Yu snatched all his titles, and the first to bear the brunt of the suffering was Rong Guifei.
I found a gap to personally tell Bao Chun about this matter, so that she could be relieved, "The child will return to you soon, don't worry." ”
Bao Chun was not as happy as I imagined, she was bathed in the sunset photos, the person became a black silhouette, and said lightly: "I also sold my child for a rich and glorious person." I hate them, but I'm them again, how ridiculous. ”
My smile froze at the corners of my mouth, and I only hated myself for being abrupt.
When the palace door fell locked, Cui Shanggong walked in in a panic to report to the empress, and Rong Guifei hanged herself. In the last sentence, she said half a day later, "There is also a young prince of a beautiful life who also died together." ”
The empress slammed the table and became angry in a rare way, "Concubine Rong, this woman is really dead and unsettled, even if she dies herself, she will still mutilate the crown prince." ”
Looking up at me again, I said helplessly, "You go down first, and when you see Wanmei, you can comfort her a few words." ”
This time, I did not go to Baochun again. Everywhere I went, there seemed to be a cry of mourning.
I only hate the flooding of the Yellow River many years ago, and my flesh and bones are fluent.
Only hate Bao Chun did not reincarnate the Liang family, if then she will be taken care of to grow up, the best time of the year there is a noble scholar husband jun of the right age, a lifetime of raising eyebrows, giving birth to two or three well-behaved children, and not knowing me as a country girl for a lifetime.
The saint's apology for Bao Chun's compensation exceeded everyone's imagination, and he promoted her from a seven-pin beauty to a noble concubine, and the grace was even greater than before.
When the empress dowager knew about this, she only said, "That child's life is bitter." ”
5
Bao Chun soon had a pregnancy again, sweeping away the old haze of the court.
People soon forgot about Rong Guifei and the little prince who died early.
Begin to wait single-mindedly for the birth of a new imperial heir.
I am sincerely happy for Bao Chun, fortunately, everything is finally bitter.
She was a noble concubine, the birth mother of the imperial heir, a future princess, and one of the most honored women in the imperial dynasty.
Just because I couldn't always find time to see her, Cui Shanggong told the old man to return to his hometown some time ago, and I sincerely took over her shanggong post with trepidation, and I only felt that I couldn't do anything well. Fortunately, the empress dowager was generous and did not say anything.
Three months after Bao Chun gave birth to the crown prince, she took the child to the Empress Palace to ask for peace. I took the break from the child and smiled at her, "Congratulations, congratulations." ”
Her face has returned to its former appearance, and with the slight abundance after childbirth, a little powder has become amazingly beautiful.
Because the empress dowager was in front, she only looked at me with disgust, and the streamer was gentle.
I held the child in my arms to the empress dowager, the child was white and fat and cute and sucked his fingers with relish, and everyone laughed and took turns to come up and hug him.
I sent Bao Chun back to the palace and advised, "The previous things have passed, and Niangniang cherishes what is in front of her." ”
"I know, I know." Bao Chun seemed impatient with me.
Turned his head and smiled at me.
"You." I shook my head and smiled.
6
The lamentation of the death of the holy lord sounded in the night, and the sound was long and spread throughout the palace. But it is not sudden, after all, he has been sick for more than a month, and it is difficult to return to the disease day by day.
The emperor collapsed, the concubines were martyred, and those concubines who had no heirs probably could not survive tonight, and the cries in the harem had gradually sounded, getting louder and louder.
I knelt before the Holy Spirit with the Empress and listened to the elders of the Cabinet read out the edicts.
Every word in the middle is related to the country's grand plan, solemn and unspeakable, and after reading it, it is read again the list of concubines and concubines.
"Noble Concubine Nguyen..."
I looked up in shock and unruly, staring in disbelief at the elder who was talking. The empress dowager looked at me with dissatisfaction and said, "Back off." ”
The bitter wind hung over my face, and the pain seemed to cut out the blood marks of the Dao, and I sucked in a mouthful, and my throat was full of the smell of rust.
I kept running to the Qingyue Pavilion, already full of tears, and gave Bai Aya's inner official.
The finest white satin, soft and shiny in texture, must have been beautiful when made into clothes, but now it is used as a murder weapon to end a woman's life.
In the shadows of the dim candlelight at night, the light and dark are staggered, fighting each other, Bao Chunduan sits on the head very calmly, the makeup is beautiful and incomprehensible, and the noble concubines are dressed neatly, and it seems that they have been waiting for this moment.
Seeing me come in, she turned her head stiffly to look at me, pulling out a smile, like a puppet, extremely weird.
"Lady Concubine, please." The Uchiha who was holding the white aya said coldly.
I rushed up to block Bao Chun's body and angrily said, "Princess Wan Guifei is the birth mother of the Eighth Prince, how dare you!" ”
The internal official recognized me as the new Shanggong beside the empress, and said with a somewhat sad attitude: "This is the will of Emperor Daxing, and the subordinate official is only acting according to the order." ”
"Impossible!" I shouted, wanting to scold him for falsely preaching the Holy Will.
"Lady Concubine." The inner officer looked behind me.
I looked back, and Bao Chun slowly stood up on the table, posture gracefully stopping my hysteria, "It's true. ”
She looked at me deeply, "Your Majesty summoned me last night to serve me, and he told me personally. He said that he did not want me to stay alone in this world, and that he loved me too much to take me away. ”
The sound of babies crying was heard in the distance, too far away, not real, as if there were none.
She smiled, with the color of the country, and was indifferent after the hope was completely shattered, "Sister Chunshan, the child is still too young, and there are no parents, you have to take good care of him, this is the last thing I asked you to do." ”
I rushed up to tear it up and get the white aya, but I resisted. Bao Chun swept a glance, and immediately two internal officials came up and grabbed me.
She walked past me and sighed, "My life." ”
She hung her long white neck and slipped it into the knotted white silk.
Bowed his head to her devastated life.
End
Saint Shang died, and the name was Zhuang.
The crown prince ascended the throne, reigned for thirty-one years and collapsed, childless.
Emperor Zhuangzong's eighth son, King Jingshizi, was elected crown prince and succeeded to the throne.
Since the death of the Empress Dowager a few years ago, I have moved to the Anle Hall, a special residence in the palace for the elderly palace people.
Bao Chun's son, Su'er, also went to fengguo at the age of fifteen to take up the domain, and I have not seen him since.
Until one day, a group of people suddenly welcomed me to the Taiji Hall where the Saint lived, and I saw that Su'er's appearance in the dragon robe had not changed at all, and I looked at my eyes and worried: "Su'er, how do you wear the clothes of the Saint?" Take it off, it's not a joke. ”
Everyone around me was smiling, and Su'er came over and stood straight in front of me, and I didn't feel like him anymore.
"Old Shanggong, I am the grandson of Emperor Duanyi's concubine and the son of King Jing. You are an old friend of your grandmother's, and your father mentioned you many times during his lifetime. ”
Duanyi Imperial Concubine was a posthumous title posthumously given by Bao Chun.
I suddenly realized that the child had the same eyes as Bao Chun.
Large and clear, deer-like, he looked at me, as if Bao Chun had been watching me for more than thirty years.
Her bloodline continued, becoming the heir to the imperial power that had killed her.
The following year, the new emperor changed his name to Yuan Kanghe and posthumously honored his grandmother Duanyi Emperor Guifei as Empress Xiaoxian.
Throughout our lives, Bao Chun and I have not reached the other shore where we want to go. (Author: Mei An)