0p0 Chapter 820 [Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace 10]
Chapter 820 [Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace 10]
It was a sunny day with a gentle breeze. The court painter Lang Shining brought his exquisite painting tools to the inner hall of the palace, preparing to paint an exquisite portrait of Hongli and Fucha Langhuan. The palace was magnificent and filled with a faint scent of sandalwood. Everything looked solemn and elegant.
Lang Shining observed Hongli and Fucha Langhuan's facial features, demeanor and behavior with great concentration, and the brush in his hand danced lightly, with smooth and natural lines and bright colors. Hongli was dressed in a dragon robe, majestic and imposing; Fucha Langhuan was dressed in a phoenix crown and bridal robe, dignified and beautiful. They stood side by side, like a perfect couple made in heaven.
As time passed, the painting gradually took shape, showing the elegance and charm of Hongli and Fucha Langhuan. Everyone gathered around to admire this masterpiece that was about to be completed, and the sound of praise was endless.
The next morning, Mrs. Fucha dressed up carefully and entered the palace. The purpose of her visit was to visit her daughter, Fucha Langhuan. After entering the palace, the mother and daughter first asked about each other's well-being, and then the topic gradually turned to the complicated interpersonal relationships in the palace.
Madam Fucha reminded Fucha Langhuan with a serious look: "Langhuan, now that you are the queen, you must always be on guard against Noble Concubine Zhao, Noble Concubine Hui, and Ruyi. They are eyeing your position covetously, and they may bring you trouble if you are not careful, even though the three of them don't have any children yet." Fucha Langhuan nodded slightly, indicating that she understood her mother's concerns.
Then, Madam Fucha continued, "As the legal wife, you don't have to do some things yourself to avoid dirtying your hands. You should be good at using the servants under you and let them work for you. As long as you control them properly, these servants can become your right-hand men."
Fu Cha Lang Huan nodded in agreement and said, "Mother, what you said is absolutely right. I will definitely keep it in mind."
Before they parted, Madam Fucha cast her eyes on Su Lian, the maidservant beside the queen, and gently advised: "Miss Su Lian, the queen is kind-hearted, and there are some things she can't help but do. But in this harem, if you are not decisive, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to gain a foothold. In the future, I hope you can worry more about the queen and act boldly."
Su Lian quickly bowed and saluted, and replied respectfully: "Madam, rest assured, I will do my best to assist the Queen."
At the same time, Ruyi heard that Lang Shining was painting in Ruyi Pavilion, and she was very curious, so she went to watch with her personal maid. She saw Lang Shining concentrating on painting the picture, and every stroke was full of artistic charm.
Ruyi stood quietly by, watching Lang Shining's free and easy movements, and couldn't help but admire him.
When Lang Shining paused for a moment, Ruyi could not help but ask, "Lord Lang, I heard that you are from the West. I wonder what the marriage relationship between men and women is like in your country?"
Lang Shining smiled and explained: "In reply to your Majesty, in our Western countries, a man can usually only marry one wife. And if the relationship between the husband and wife breaks down and they no longer love each other, both men and women have the right to choose to leave each other and start a new life."
The maidservant beside Ruyi opened her mouth in surprise and blurted out: "This is simply too ridiculous! How can it be so casual?"
However, Ruyi fell into deep thought, as if these words touched some thoughts deep in her heart.
After returning to the Yanxi Palace, Ruyi sat in front of the window, gazing at the scenery outside for a long time, and her mind kept echoing with Lang Shining's words about the Western marriage system. She thought of the various twists and turns she had experienced since entering the palace, and she couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Perhaps this concept of free and equal marriage really has its unique appeal...
On this day, the sun was shining brightly and the breeze was not dry. Ruyi walked lightly to where Hongli was. Her beautiful eyes moved, her red lips parted, and she asked Hongli, "Your Majesty, if there was a man in the world who only had one wife and no concubines, what would happen?"
Upon hearing this, Hongli frowned slightly and said in a deep voice: "Ruyi, such thoughts are nothing but empty fantasies and have no practical significance at all."
Ruyi disagreed and argued: "I just had a sudden thought. Has Your Majesty never thought about it?" The two argued endlessly and the atmosphere gradually became tense. In the end, Ruyi turned away in anger, leaving Hongli standing there alone, thinking about something.
On the other hand, the well-informed Fu Cha Lang Huan soon heard about the dispute between Hongli and Ruyi. She thought about it and came up with a plan. She quickly told the maids around her to pass on the message and ask the other concubines to serve Hongli more. However, to everyone's surprise, facing these concubines who took the initiative to come and show their courtesy, Hongli's attitude was extremely cold and even a little impatient.
Not long after, Hongli went straight to Chengqian Palace to visit Youyou, regardless of everyone's surprised looks. In the following days, although Ruyi was still upset about the quarrel that day, she couldn't help but miss him and decided to go to see Hongli again.
When Ruyi entered Hongli's bedroom, she saw Hongli greet her with a smile and handed her a scroll. Ruyi happily unfolded it and found that it was a painting Hongli had made for her. At this moment, Ruyi shyly took out a scroll from her bosom and slowly unfolded it, which turned out to be a lifelike portrait of Hongli.
Seeing this, Hongli couldn't help but burst into laughter, and took out the handkerchief that Ruyi had given him during the house arrest to wipe the sweat on his forehead. Ruyi was sharp-eyed and saw at a glance that the familiar handkerchief was carried by Hongli, and a warm current suddenly surged in her heart. So, the two smiled at each other, and the previous unhappiness disappeared in an instant, and they reconciled.
A few days later, Hongli went to the Empress Dowager's palace to pay his respects as usual. Seeing that he seemed to be inseparable from Ruyi recently, the Empress Dowager reminded him earnestly: "Emperor, as the ruler of a country, you should treat everyone equally, so as to maintain the harmony and peace of the harem. You must not favor one person alone, so as not to cause dissatisfaction among the concubines."
Hongli knew that what the empress dowager said was reasonable, so he had to nod in agreement. In the following days, although he was reluctant, he still had to visit the residences of the concubines with higher positions one by one to show his favor.
It was midwinter, with biting cold winds and white snow. The concubines, dressed in gorgeous brocade robes, filed into Kunning Palace to pay their respects to Fucha Langhuan.
Fu Cha Lang Huan sat upright on the phoenix chair, her eyes sweeping across the crowd below, thinking to herself: the extravagant trend in the palace is getting worse and worse, which is really inappropriate. She opened her red lips and said slowly: "Sisters, I have observed recently that the expenses in the palace are quite extravagant. If this continues, it may not be a blessing for the country. Therefore, I have decided to set an example and save money in the palace."
Before she finished speaking, Youyou leaned forward slightly and said softly, "Empress, I have a different opinion. The money for daily expenses is limited, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs often deducts money, so there is not much left for the palaces. This is really unfair to those sisters who are not favored by the emperor."
Upon hearing this, Fu Cha Lang Huan frowned slightly, showing displeasure on her face, and said in a deep voice: "Oh? What does Concubine Zhao mean by this? Are you dissatisfied with my decision?"
Youyou quickly shook her head and explained, "Of course not. How dare I offend the Queen? I was just thinking that instead of saving money in other areas, why not replace the porcelain and other things we usually use with things that are not easily broken? This way, we can save a lot of money."
At this moment, Hongli came walking over and happened to hear Youyou's advice. Before Fucha Langhuan could respond, he spoke first: "I think what Concubine Zhao said is very much in line with my wishes! Let's do as Concubine Zhao said."
Seeing this, Fu Cha Lang Huan had no choice but to respond, "Yes, Your Majesty. Since Your Majesty has made the decision, I will obey your orders."
"Your servants and concubines will obey the orders of the Emperor and Empress." The beautiful and graceful concubines responded in unison, their voices clear and melodious, like the sound of a yellow oriole singing in a valley. They bowed slightly, their movements in unison, showing the beauty of court etiquette.
Hongli, who was standing at the head, glanced at everyone and spoke slowly: "I will go to Chengqian Palace for dinner." As soon as these words came out, different expressions flashed across the faces of the concubines, but they all quickly returned to normal.
Upon hearing this, Youyou, who was sitting nearby, suddenly broke into a happy smile on her pretty face. She quickly stood up and replied, "Yes, I will ask the small kitchen to carefully prepare the dishes that the emperor likes." Her voice was as gentle as water, which made people feel pity for her.
It was a sunny day with a gentle breeze. Fucha Langhuan ordered people to carefully make exquisite sachets with the white flower dan and sea vines awarded to each palace, and personally distributed them to the concubines. However, when Ruyi got her own sachet, she keenly discovered that the quality of this sachet was obviously inferior to that of the other sisters. It was a defective product. Although she was a little unhappy in her heart, she did not show it on her face. She just lightly told the maid beside her to put it away and put it at the bottom of the box.
At the same time, while walking in the palace, Suo Xin accidentally met Doctor Jiang, whom she had known since childhood. When the two met, they naturally exchanged greetings. Doctor Jiang confided to Suo Xin about his difficult situation in the Imperial Hospital, lamenting that he had neither a prominent family background nor a famous teacher to teach him medical skills, and lacked sufficient qualifications and experience, so it was not easy for him to stand out in the Imperial Hospital full of talents.
After hearing this, Suo Xin comforted and encouraged him softly, "In this deep palace, only real ability can help you survive. As long as you have excellent medical skills, you will be appreciated and reused one day."
Doctor Jiang nodded gratefully and said that he would work hard to study medicine and live up to Su Xin's expectations.
On the same day, Hongli summoned the Pipa musicians from the Southern Palace to play music in the Yangxin Palace. Youyou was also invited to accompany him and enjoy the music. The melodious sound of the Pipa echoed in the palace, sometimes passionate and high-pitched, sometimes gentle and low, which was intoxicating.
Suddenly, Hongli frowned slightly, keenly aware that one of the notes was played wrong. A palace servant hurriedly stood up, knelt down in fear and admitted his mistake, saying that he had played the wrong note due to negligence.
However, this palace maid was very clever and intelligent. She cleverly compared the emperor to Zhou Yu during the Three Kingdoms period, praising him for not only being proficient in both civil and military tactics, but also for his extraordinary attainments in music. This flattering remark was just right, which greatly pleased Hongli.
Youyou couldn't help laughing at the scene in front of her, and quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief, fearing that her laughter would disturb others. She thought to herself: Isn't this the usual way for the concubines in the harem to win favor? Only the current emperor would have a special liking for such tricks!
At this time, Hongli cast his eyes towards the woman and said softly, "Come, come to me."
When the woman came closer, Hongli asked with a smile: "Tell me, what is your name?"
Only the woman's gentle voice was heard: "My slave, Bai Ruiji."
Hongli looked the woman up and down, his eyes showing admiration, and he praised her: "Well, you have such a slender and graceful figure, and you look so lovely and charming. Even your name is so pleasant to the ear."
Hearing the emperor's praise, Bai Ruiji looked shy and lowered her head slightly, like a flower bud about to bloom.
At this moment, Youyou Yingying, who had been standing by, stepped forward, bowed and said, "Since the emperor already has a beautiful woman by his side, I will take my leave first. I have been listening to music this morning and now I feel really sleepy. I want to go back to the palace to take a nap."
After hearing this, Hongli thought for a moment and responded, "If you, Wanyin, feel tired, you may go to the East Side Hall of the Yangxin Palace to rest for a while. Come back in the evening to enjoy dinner with me. As for Bai Ruiji..." At this point, he turned to look at Bai Ruiji and continued, "You can leave for now."
Bai Ruiji was unwilling but helpless, so she could only respond, "Yes." Then she slowly turned and left, her back looking somewhat lonely.
Seeing this, Youyou hurriedly expressed her gratitude and said, "Then I will respectfully obey your command. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your sympathy and concern." After saying that, she bowed to Hongli again, then walked lightly with lotus steps towards the direction of the east side hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Hongli waved his hand and instructed: "Okay, go quickly. I still have many memorials that need to be reviewed and processed." After that, he refocused his attention on the mountain of memorials on the desk.