eurekapd Chapter 246 Expenses
Chapter 246 Expenses
The three of them put down their wine glasses and came to the door to salute: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
"Get up!" Yongzheng responded and sat down at the dining table.
After the ceremony, no one spoke and the atmosphere was a little stagnant.
Seeing Feng Ruozhao beside him, Yongzheng was the first to ask with concern: "I have been very busy recently and haven't visited you for a few days. How are you feeling?"
Feng Ruozhao's expression was as calm as water, and she responded softly: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am fine!"
It doesn’t matter whether you come or not!
Yongzheng then turned to Shen Meizhuang: "How are Sixth Prince and Longyue?"
Shen Meizhuang's voice was cold and calm: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. They are doing well!"
Seeing her somewhat cold attitude, Yongzheng still did not give up the pleasantries: "Well, I see that you seem to have lost some weight, but is it hard to take care of the children?"
Shen Meizhuang replied calmly, "The child has a wet nurse to take care of him, so I won't have to work hard."
Well, we have finished talking about it today!
Yongzheng changed the subject and looked at An Lingrong: "Today is your birthday. Have you received my reward?"
An Lingrong lowered her head slightly, her tone respectful yet cold: "Received. Thank you, Your Majesty."
Yongzheng did not get angry and continued, "A few days ago, Wei Lin reported that the vaccination method has been effective. You have made a great contribution. What reward do you want?"
His eyes were as sharp as torches, locked tightly on An Lingrong, trying to find a hint of surprise in her eyes.
But An Lingrong simply lowered her eyes and said calmly, "I dare not. Thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all blessings from heaven. No matter what the emperor rewards, I am grateful for his kindness."
Yongzheng was met with a soft refusal and could only say, "I have issued an edict to promote your father to the rank of Fourth Rank Cloud Guardian and your mother to the rank of Fourth Rank Imperial Consort."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" An Lingrong bowed again, but her face remained calm.
She was happy in her heart, but she couldn't show it in front of the emperor.
"Today is your birthday, get up quickly, and both of you should sit down and have dinner with me."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The small kitchen of Yonghe Palace started preparing for An Lingrong's birthday today a few days ago. There was a table full of delicious dishes from land and sea, but the three of them felt like chewing wax and could not taste anything.
After the Emperor disappeared, An Lingrong's face quietly blossomed into a smile. Unable to conceal her excitement, she asked, "Sister, what is the rank of Yunhui Envoy?"
Shen Meizhuang's lips curled up into a faint smile. "Yunhuishi is an officer of the Imperial Guard. He is an idle military officer and usually has no important tasks."
Then he added, "Under my father's command."
"Oh!" An Lingrong nodded contentedly. The emperor finally did something that pleased her.
Summer arrived in the blink of an eye, the scorching sun scorching the earth mercilessly. Fields of lotus leaves, like emerald green umbrellas, filled the pond. The lotus blossoms, resplendent in the sunlight, shone with a dazzling brilliance. The chirping of cicadas and croaking of frogs intertwined into a nighttime melody, filling the summer night with vibrant energy.
No matter how the scenery changes, the people in the palace remain the same, and the things remain the same.
It was the annual trip to the Old Summer Palace. A long procession snaked forward, flags fluttering, carriages rumbling, carrying the concubines' anticipation.
The Bitong Academy, which is closest to Yongzheng, has now become Gualiu's residence.
An Lingrong still lived in Shangxia Tianguang. Every blade of grass, every tree, every brick and every tile here was already familiar to her.
But, year after year, my state of mind seems to have changed each year. The feelings of the past haven't completely dissipated, and the thoughts of the new year have added a few more.
Shen Meizhuang is increasingly busy this year, handling palace affairs and taking care of children. An Lingrong is only known as Princess Longyue's mother, and most of the time, Shen Meizhuang is responsible for her food, drink and daily life.
The Sixth Prince was already over one year old and had just learned to walk. He was still curious about having two legs, and every day he had a large group of maids and eunuchs following him.
When An Lingrong arrived at Xianyue Pavilion, the Sixth Prince was in the yard with his arms outstretched, trying hard to keep his balance. His chubby little hands were waving wildly in the air. With every step he took, his little head would shake, and the expression on his face was both nervous and excited.
Occasionally, he would be attracted by the pebbles or other small objects on the road, stop, squat down and study them curiously, and then, at the call of the nanny, he would reluctantly stand up and continue to walk forward crookedly.
The moment he saw An Lingrong, a brilliant smile suddenly bloomed on the Sixth Prince's pink little face, and a few small teeth that had just sprouted were revealed. He took unsteady steps and ran towards An Lingrong, staggering.
An Lingrong quickly squatted down, opened her arms, her eyes full of love. A moment later, the Sixth Prince threw himself into her arms, his little arms tightly wrapped around her neck, and mumbled, "It's so cold... so cold..."
This childish voice seemed to be the most moving note in the world, melting An Lingrong's heart.
"Haha, my Liudan is awesome!"
Princess Longyue was in her wet nurse's arms, looking at the scene in front of her curiously, and smiling brightly from time to time.
An Lingrong played with them for a while, then let the wet nurse hold her and coax her to sleep.
Inside the room, Shen Meizhuang was discussing palace affairs with Zhao Yingjiu. Seeing An Lingrong approach, Zhao Yingjiu quickly bowed and said, "Greetings to the Empress!"
"No need to be polite!"
An Lingrong waved casually and sat beside them, eating snacks and listening to their conversation.
Shen Meizhuang looked at the account book in her hand, a little unhappy: "Why did Concubine Qi spend so much last month?"
Zhao Yingjiu replied cautiously, "Your Majesty, Concubine Qi sent someone to say that the Emperor often summons her to his bedchamber, so we need to prepare. He wants a lot of things."
"The Emperor only summoned her three times, two of which were to the Yangxin Palace. The expenses were naturally charged to the Yangxin Palace. How could they be recorded in the Chuxiu Palace account?"
Seeing Zhao Yingjiu lowered his head and remained silent, Shen Meizhuang did not ask any more questions. "Put the account book here for now. I will take care of it myself."
After he retreated, An Lingrong snorted coldly, "Thinking about taking advantage before you even have a firm foothold, how foolish!"
Shen Meizhuang seemed to be thinking: "I heard that the Queen likes her very much!"
An Lingrong nodded. "The Emperor dotes on her, and with the Empress as her backer, she's naturally carried away by her pride. I heard she always bullies Concubine Xin, who lives with her. It's only because Concubine Xin has a good temper, otherwise she would have caused trouble long ago!"
"Does she need to be beaten?"
"Of course, the Forbidden City doesn't allow such a powerful person to exist!"