The next day, I woke up and it was New Year's Eve. Ji Ruoyu got up early and hid under the quilt to secretly prepare rewards for the maids and guards who served her.
After she was ready, she told Qiuyu to bring all the servants in the yard to the room. When everyone was there, they greeted Ji Ruoyu in unison. "Happy New Year, Second Miss!" Even Qiuyu and Dongmei were smiling and saying blessings.
"Come one by one, everyone has one, I wish everyone a better and better new year!" After that, she distributed the rewards one by one.
Everyone said blessings: "Thank you, Second Miss, I wish you continuous blessings!" "I wish you a long life!" "I wish you a life as long as the East Sea and as long as the South Mountain!"
Ji Ruoyu laughed so hard that her eyes almost dried up. At this time, Dongmei suddenly spoke: "How come you have said everything I wanted to say. Then I wish you a happy husband, a happy marriage, and a son soon!"
Ji Ruoyu was embarrassed and annoyed. She pointed at Dongmei and ordered others to say: "Go and beat her!" A group of people rushed up to fight with Dongmei. Dongmei laughed and begged for mercy: "Oh my aunt, please forgive me. I won't dare to do it again next time."
"You dare to do it again next time! I think you are itching for trouble." Even Qiuyu joined in the fight. "Okay, aunts, please forgive her." Ji Ruoyu said, and the others stopped fighting. Obediently received the reward and left.
"You two come here." Ji Ruoyu looked around secretly, and after making sure that there was no one around, she quietly took out two bulging purses from her sleeves.
"One for each person, hide it well and don't say it was given by me." Ji Ruoyu stuffed the purse into the hands of the two people and reminded them. "Thank you, young lady." Dongmei touched the purse excitedly.
"Ayu." Suddenly a voice came, Ji Ruoyu looked at the door and saw that it was Pan Mengqiu. "Sister Mengqiu, why are you here?"
"I just happened to go out and come to wish you a happy new year. I just finished wishing you a happy new year to my uncle and aunt, and I came to find you in the yard." Mengqiu took off her cloak and walked to Ji Ruoyu and sat down.
"That's perfect, Ayu also wishes you a happy new year. I wish sister Mengqiu a happy marriage!" Pan Mengqiu just smiled and didn't say anything, and I didn't know what she was thinking. "Then I also wish Ah Yu peace and happiness every year."
"Sister, what's wrong with you? Are you worried about something?" Pan Mengqiu hesitated for a moment and looked at Qiuyu. They decided to ask: "Nothing. What, your brother hasn't come back yet?"
"Brother... It seems that he will not be back until after the New Year." Ji Ruoyu felt something was wrong after saying that: "No way, sister Mengqiu, you admire my brother?!"
"Hey, keep your voice down." Pan Mengqiu blushed but did not deny it. "When did it happen? How come I don't know?" Ji Ruoyu was shocked and asked questions one by one.
"It's just... I don't know." Pan Mengqiu really couldn't remember when she fell in love with Ji Yuanbo. She only knew that every time she saw Ji Yuanbo, her heart would beat faster.
"Brother, he is really good. It would be even better if sister Mengqiu could be my sister-in-law." Ji Ruoyu thought of her brother's straight man and couldn't help asking.
"Does my brother know?" Pan Mengqiu shook her head. She was also worried about how to tell Ji Yuanbo about her love.
"Don't worry, sister. I'll take care of everything!" Pan Mengqiu looked at Ji Ruoyu and thanked her earnestly. Then she remembered the purpose of her coming here.
"Let's not talk about this. I came here to tell you something." Ji Ruoyu was puzzled: "What is it?" Pan Mengqiu said slowly: "Do you remember the beautiful lady in the palace?"
"I remember, what's wrong?" Ji Ruoyu said. "She is not a beauty now, she is the Empress Zhaoyi."
"What? So fast?" Ji Ruoyu was shocked. How could she be promoted so quickly in just a few days? Pan Mengqiu lowered her voice and said, "I just went to the street and heard some vendors talking about this. I heard that it was Concubine Xian who insulted Concubine Rou first. When His Majesty found out, he not only promoted Concubine Rou twice, but also demoted Concubine Xian by one level... And His Majesty was considerate of everyone, afraid that they would not be used to calling Concubine Xian, so he specially gave her the title of Xian..."
"Ah? Concubine changed to Zhaoyi?" Pan Mengqiu nodded: "Yes, I heard that Prince Ping went to the Yangxin Palace to ask for justice for Zhaoyi Xian, but he couldn't even see His Majesty."
"Only Concubine Shu was not implicated, and Concubine Shu was given the power to manage the six palaces." Ji Ruoyu nodded, thinking that Concubine Shu was also a good person.
But even so, Ji Ruoyu was still puzzled: "But the promotion speed of Concubine Rou is too fast."
"That's not a big deal. I heard that Concubine Rou has been sleeping with you for three consecutive days... Your Majesty has never been to other palaces since she entered the palace." Ji Ruoyu thought for a while and asked, "Will she become the queen?" Pan Mengqiu didn't say anything, just shook her head.
On New Year's Eve, according to the rules of the palace, all concubines and princes and princesses need to go to the Cining Palace to pay New Year's greetings to the queen mother.
The Cining Palace was full of people. The queen mother sat in the main seat, and Teng Chengping sat on the left of the queen mother. Since Teng Chengping did not have a queen, the seat on the right was naturally empty.
"Your son wishes you the best of health, mother. May your virtue last long and your life be blessed with longevity."
"Your concubine wishes you the best of health, empress dowager. May you live a long and prosperous life."
"Your grandson wishes you the best of health, empress grandma. May you be healthy and live a long and prosperous life."
The empress dowager's eyes narrowed into a line with laughter, and she kept muttering, "Okay, get up, children."
After everyone took their seats, the empress dowager began to speak, "I feel much more energetic when I got up this morning, and my complexion looks rosy." The empress dowager is Teng Chengping's biological mother, and he is the one who hopes the empress dowager is healthy the most.
"Your son also feels that as long as your mother is healthy, you will be satisfied." Teng Chengping said. Seeing this, Concubine Xian also wanted to interject, after all, the empress dowager has always been very good to her.
"I pray for the Queen Mother day and night and dare not neglect it. Now it seems that God really favors me." Concubine Xian was waiting for the Queen Mother to praise her, but the Queen Mother's face darkened as soon as she spoke.
"What? My recovery is the credit of you, Concubine Xian?" Concubine Xian was so scared that her face turned pale. She knelt down hurriedly to defend herself: "No, I mean..."
She stuttered and could not speak. She could only look at Teng Chengping, hoping that he could speak for her, but she was disappointed. Teng Chengping was so disgusted with her now that he would not speak for her. He didn't even want to look at her.
The Queen Mother rolled her eyes at her and didn't want to pay any more attention. Instead, she asked Teng Chengping about Concubine Rou who had just entered the palace. "Emperor, where is the new Concubine Rou who just entered the palace? I always feel that my recovery is inseparable from her."
"Concubine Rou, come to the front." Teng Chengping looked at Chu Zijing who was sitting not far away and waved to her.
Under the expectant gaze of the Queen Mother, Chu Zijing walked to the Queen Mother step by step and knelt down: "My concubine greets the Queen Mother."
Teng Chengping also kept introducing Chu Zijing to the Queen Mother: "Mother, she is Consort Rou. Her surname is Chu and her name is Zijing."
"Good child, get up quickly." The Queen Mother looked at Chu Zijing kindly and even pulled her up.
"Good child, you are a blessed person. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to recover so quickly. Good child..." The Queen Mother kept holding Chu Zijing's hand and didn't want to let go. Chu Zijing looked at Teng Chengping for help. Teng Chengping saw her embarrassment and said: "Mother, let her go first, don't scare her."
"Yes, yes, yes..." After the Queen Mother let go of Chu Zijing, her eyes kept following her. She even took off the bracelet on her hand and put it on Chu Zijing's hand.
It was an imperial green jadeite bracelet. "Queen Mother..." Chu Zijing saw the expensiveness of the bracelet and refused to accept it. "Good boy, just take it..." After the Queen Mother said that, Teng Chengping also said, "Zi Jing, just accept it."
Seeing that the two were so persistent, Chu Zi Jing no longer refused and accepted it obediently.
After seeing Chu Zi Jing accept it, the Queen Mother smiled with satisfaction. After letting Chu Zi Jing sit back, she waved to let Princess Ping come over.
"You have to take good care of this baby. This baby is my grandson, the eldest grandson of the emperor." Liu Ying looked at the Queen Mother gratefully and nodded vigorously. Then the Queen Mother said in a roundabout way: "If anyone wants to stuff a woman into the Ping Wang Mansion, just come and tell me, I will make the decision for you."
"Thank you, Queen Mother." The Queen Mother's words touched Liu Ying's heart. This matter bothered her most every day and night.
Xian Zhaoyi was hit hard in the face, and she kept her head down and dared not speak. The Queen Mother thought of something again, looked at Princess Jing and said: "And you, why is your stomach still not moving? If you have time to care about others, you might as well take care of your own business."
"Yes..." Princess Jing's face was full of embarrassment and slight anger. She knew that the Queen Mother was talking about her in a roundabout way... But what could she do? It was not her decision to have a child.
King Jing was embarrassed, but he could only keep silent.
Teng Haojue saw this scene and was secretly happy in his heart. He was finally not urged to get married this year. But what annoyed her more was the matter of Rou Zhaoyi. Could it really be such a coincidence... She was full of doubts in her heart and could only digest it silently in her heart.
Chu Zijing didn't understand why the Queen Mother showed kindness when she saw her. Could it be Chu Yunfeng's people? !
Chu Zijing kept thinking about it until the way back to Chenghuan Palace. It seems that she has to find a time to test it.
Chu Zijing was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the person behind her approaching her step by step.
"Chu Zijing!!" Chu Zijing was not frightened by the roar. She turned around and saw that it was Concubine Xian glaring at her angrily.
Seeing that there was no one around, Chu Zijing stopped pretending: "Hey, isn't this Xian Zhaoyi? What? Do you want me to pay you a big gift?"
Xian Zhaoyi felt that her anger had reached the top of her head, and she cursed Chu Zijing without caring whether anyone heard it or not: "You bitch! You caused me to be demoted! It's all because of you, bitch!"
Chu Zijing was not angry, she said calmly: "I'm a bitch, so what? His Majesty loves me, what can you do to me?"
Xian Zhaoyi was so angry that she laughed: "Why are you so arrogant? Don't forget, even if I am demoted, I still have the eldest prince as my own son, and it won't be long before my grandson will be born. When His Majesty dies, I will be the empress dowager!"
Xian Zhaoyi's words reminded Chu Zijing that she should have a child to rely on. Thinking of this, Chu Zijing said: "Oh? I'm so scared." After saying that, she rolled her eyes at Xian Zhaoyi and turned away.
Only Concubine Xian was left standing there, she was so angry that she exploded: "You bitch, just wait for me. One day I will definitely trample you under my feet!" After scolding Concubine Xian, she returned to Yonghe Palace angrily.