mtl008 Chapter 388: More wrinkles than chrysanthemums
Chapter 388: More wrinkles than chrysanthemums
"Master, guess who I met in the Shangshufang?"
Before the Baoge people stepped into the hall, a smiling voice was heard.
Baoque, who was serving in the room, gave her a sidelong glance and said angrily, "Baoge, are you itching for trouble again? How can you rely on your master's kindness and disobey the rules?"
An Lingrong raised her hand to block Baoque's scolding.
"Bao Que, I think Bao Ge must have brought good news. Why don't we let her talk first?"
The two personal maids she brought into the palace were both extremely loyal.
Seeing that she was in a bad mood in the morning, I tried to find ways to cheer her up.
"Your Majesty still loves your servant."
Bao Ge stamped his feet in dissatisfaction and glanced at Bao Que triumphantly.
"Master, I had just entered the prince's residence when I ran into the Sixth Prince resting. The Sixth Prince majestically led the Haha Pearls to the pavilion to enjoy some snacks, and Master Chengle was among the group."
"This is so great!"
When An Lingrong submitted the gift list to the emperor, she said that a large family had invited Cheng Le to study in the family school with their children.
She was afraid that those families would corrupt Cheng Le's upbringing or use her name to make money, so she did not agree.
At that time, the emperor did not say a word, and An Lingrong thought that the matter of letting Chengle enter the palace to accompany Hongzhan to study was over.
Unexpectedly, the emperor, who had not leaked a single word of the secret, gave her such a big surprise.
"Bao Que, pass on my order. Today, the Sixth Prince is studying in the Shangshufang. I am very happy. All the servants in Yongshou Palace will receive an extra month's salary in September."
The An family and Concubine Hua jointly opened Zhuyanlou, a shop selling cosmetics. Lin said that she had many children and insisted on giving her 40% of the profits shared by the An family.
She had previously made a large sum of money by selling white linen during the empress dowager's mourning period. After returning from Ganlu Temple, An Lingrong was not idle. She used the spare money and opened Nishangfang, a clothing store, and Linlangge, a jewelry store.
In her previous life, An Lingrong climbed to the position of concubine and had seen a lot of good things.
From time to time, she would pass on the patterns of clothing and jewelry she remembered to the outside world. These seemingly unrelated shops had both become profitable in just six months.
An Lingrong owns three large shops that generate a lot of money, so she is not so scrupulous when it comes to rewarding people.
After receiving Baoque's notification, the palace maids came to the outside of the hall to express their gratitude.
"This servant (slave) thanks the queen for her generous reward!"
Bao'e, who was mixed in with the palace maids, looked at Concubine Shu who gently asked everyone to "stand up", with a conflicted look in her eyes.
She was in a daze, and a palace maid beside her shared her thoughts with a smile.
"Bao'e, it's a blessing from our ancestors that we were able to be assigned to the palace of Consort Shu. The money I have saved is enough for my retirement after leaving the palace."
"Hey! Why do you look unhappy to me? And your stepmother has asked you for money to support your younger brother?"
Bao'e nodded in agreement and walked towards his residence with his head lowered.
What she didn't see was that the palace maid who had just spoken to her looked at her thoughtfully for several times.
The palace maids in Yongshou Palace were tactful and knew that their master liked quietness, so they left after thanking him for his kindness.
An Lingrong calmly gave Baoque a wink, asking her to keep a close eye on Baoe.
No one in the palace is simple. This ambush has been going on for several years, and Bao E doesn’t know which side they are from?
Queen Mother?
emperor?
Prince Guo?
Or other concubines?
An Lingrong couldn't be sure, so she had to pick the person up and observe him under her nose.
"Bao Ge, do you know anything about Hongzhan's other Haha beads?"
Bao Ge, with a proper attitude, hurried forward.
"My Lord, the Emperor has chosen ten concubines for the Sixth Prince. In addition to Young Master Chengle, there are Master Machi's grandson Fu Wen'an and nephew Fu Le'an, Master Ortai's youngest son Eji, Master Tian Wenjing's grandson Tian Yunbo, and Master Li Wei's youngest son Li Xingfu. The remaining four are royal family members selected from the clan, with similar ages. They are..."
An Lingrong listened to Bao Ge's detailed account and tapped her knees silently.
Even if she knew little about the previous dynasty, she knew that Ortai, Tian Wenjing and Li Wei were the emperor's confidants, and Ma Qi was the minister of state left by the late emperor.
Ma Qi is a mediocre person. The emperor's three trusted ministers each have their own plans, and it is said that they seem to be at odds with each other.
She submitted the gift list to the emperor in order to eliminate some unsatisfactory candidates.
I just didn't expect it to turn out like this.
No matter what the emperor's purpose is, An Lingrong can only express her gratitude.
"Bao Ge, the Emperor arranged for the young master to enter the palace as a study companion to show his appreciation for the An family. Please go to the small kitchen and make some cakes that the Emperor usually prepares. I will go to the Yangxin Palace to express my gratitude later."
Thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all grace from the emperor. The emperor is thinking about the An family, so it is no big deal for her to send some snacks.
When An Lingrong got up from her break, the food boxes containing snacks were already packed.
"Bao Ge, you've been busy since this morning. Go and take a break. This time, Bao Que will accompany me to the Yangxin Palace."
"Thank you for your consideration, Madam. I am not tired and can serve you..."
Baoque pulled Baoge hard and winked at her, reminding her to pay attention to Baoge.
Su Peisheng saw An Lingrong and her men entering the Yangxin Gate from afar, and came towards them with a smile on his face like a flower.
"Your servant pays respects to Her Majesty Shu Guifei."
"Eunuch Su, please stand up. Is the Emperor busy?"
It was the first time that An Lingrong saw the unbelievably attentive Su Peisheng. She nodded towards Baoque and stuffed a bulging purse into Su Peisheng's hand.
He replied quietly after thanking her.
"Your Highness, the Emperor has just finished reviewing memorials and is currently reading inside. I will go and report this to you."
"Then I'll have to trouble Eunuch Su."
After a while, Su Peisheng invited An Lingrong to go in directly.
Xiao Dongzi, who was sitting in the corner, saw that his master was acting abnormally today, and turned back curiously and whispered to Xiao Xiazi.
"What do you think happened to our master? Did he see winter coming and try to show his affection to the Imperial Concubine before I did?"
Xiao Xiazi noticed the shadow getting closer and closer and retorted with a serious face.
"Master has always been wise. Do you think everyone is as obsessed with the food in Yongshou Palace as you are?"
"No idle chats while on duty. This will not happen again."
Xiao Xiazi said this in a stern tone, and when she turned around, she seemed to see Su Peisheng, and greeted him in surprise.
"Hello, master!"
Xiao Dongzi waved his hand and his expression changed instantly.
"Xia Zi, you're so good! Why don't you answer Brother Dong's question properly? Instead, you're trying to scare someone with a serious face."
"Master is busy fawning over the Imperial Concubine, so how could he have the time to eavesdrop here?"
"Just now I saw that his face had more wrinkles than chrysanthemums."