Chapter 21: Entering the Palace (I)

Inside the Hsien Yang Hall, the Empress is standing in front of the window, fiddling with the two camellias sent by Si Yuan, the layers of big red petals like the summer sun. The Empress leaned over and did not smell the slightest fragrance, so she said to Qian Han: "Put out the incense quickly! I have always been the least favorite incense, good camellia scent are covered up."

Qian Han lifted the lid of the incense burner, and using the copper shears, he pinched out the pieces of incense and blew out the slight fire under the copper burner.

"Slaves greet the empress." The door curtain lifted, and Harem Chief Yellow Door Cai Quan walked in.

"Get up! You have come over early in the morning, what is your business?" The Empress turned around and reclined on the couch of the warm pavilion.

"Back to the words of the empress, the emperor has newly appointed a bit of Cheng Hua, given to live in the Hall of Huanzhang, the slave came to return a report."

"It's been less than half a month since the selection, so how come there's someone else? Do you know who sent them in?" The Empress sipped the tea Qian Han brought up and asked in a deep voice.

"I don't know! I only know that the emperor gave the imperial decree last night, and sent it out of the palace overnight, and asked me to have someone clean up the Hall of Huanzhang, and Hu Chenghua will enter the palace on the day of the second of the double." Cai Quan had a pandering face.

"This palace knows, General Manager Cai has many things to do as well, please return!"

After Cai Quan left, Qian Han stood aside and added some more tea for the Empress.

The empress looked at the window camellia said: "this consort level, in addition to the three Mrs. is nine concubines, women, and then is the imperial female, the emperor's grace, the same batch into the palace of those civilian women actually did not let from the imperial female to start. This woman also do not know who, without selection into the harem, and once in the palace to the concubines, really can not be underestimated!"

"Your Highness is overly concerned, your position in the Middle Palace is not something that a small Cheng Hua can shake!" Qian Han persuaded.

"More people are also good, can share the favor of Yun Guihua and Sima Guiren." The Queen pulled the corner of her mouth with a smile, and sipped her tea, "A little added seven people, this time the harem is more lively."

Zhenghe Hall, Li Chunhua and Chen Chenghua two are playing, two days on the same day into the palace, but also the highest position in the draft, naturally close to some.

"Sister, during this period of time after entering the palace, the Emperor came to the harem twice, once to stay in the Yun Gui Hua Hall, and then one day to stay in your palace, so it's really enviable." Chen Chenghua's eyes were filled with envy.

"Sister has not yet reached maturity, if she reaches maturity on her day, His Majesty will naturally allow you to serve the bed as well." Li Chonghua pushed the tea in front of him to Chen Chenghua and said with a smile.

At this time Chen Shuling has just reached fourteen, not yet reached maturity, not reached maturity will not be able to serve the bed, so Li Chunhua is not a threat, so Li Chunhua's eyes in addition to a sense of superiority and no hostility.

Because Chen Chenghua is the light of the Secretary Chen Cangling's daughter, although there is still a year before the adult, the emperor still gave a few thin face to let it participate in this year's election. But Chen Chenghua, after all, young, more without men and women, heard Li Chunghua said to bedtime, can not help but shy red face.

"Still shy?" Li Chonghua couldn't help but laugh at Chen Chenghua's dilemma.

Chen Chenghua avoided getting himself into an awkward place, so he digressed and said, "I heard that the Emperor has newly appointed a bit of Chenghua, who will be entering the palace soon."

"How could I not know about this?" Li Chonghua was surprised.

"I live in the chenguang hall and hanzhang hall adjoining, this morning saw and palace girl yellow door to hanzhang hall to send decorations, so than sister prophet is also there." Chen Chenghua see Li Chunghua face is not too kind, can see that she is more than a few points of the heart of the unpleasant, so hastily flattered: "His Majesty arranged her in the Chenguang Hall than the remote place thought also is not the heart of the Holy Spirit, which has the sister's Zhenghe Temple good, the emperor out of the style of Qian Hall door will be to the sister's Zhenghe Temple."

"It's close in location, but it's separated by a garden." Li Chonghua really got the better of him.

"Aigoo, my good sister, how can you still not know enough, the emperor arranged you in this palace room next to the imperial garden, it is not because of the emperor's love for sister. You this Zhenghe Palace, I do not know how many people miss?"

"I merely occupy a corner of the garden, the ones who are truly honored are those two in the Hall of Xuan Guang and the Hall of Xuan Cherry." Li Chonghua really didn't know the heights of heaven, a newcomer who had just entered the palace even dared to compare Yun Guihua, who had come out from the royal palace, to Sima Guiren's palace.

"Well, sister, the coming day is long. You look at me again, this cinnabar palace in the last row of the palace, away from the emperor so far, is not to see the emperor can only look up to the light of the stars?"

Li Chonghua was amused by her humor and snorted, saying, "You to really know how to make things up."

On the eve of the day of the double two, the people in the palace know that the emperor has a new Hu's daughter, sealed as Cheng Hua.

On the day of the Festival of Double Two, Cai Quan went to Ronghua Temple with a host of items to receive Yuan Xi into the palace.

Before leaving, although the net dust master teacher more advice, but did not tell the true identity of the woman in the forbidden land to Yuan Xi. The palace is dangerous, about the royal family hidden secrets, the less you know the longer you can go.

On this day, Hu Yuanxi rode in a soft sedan chair and was urged by numerous lackeys to the palace. Yin Ruotang stood in the midst of the crowd of onlookers and looked toward the sedan chair from a distance.

But Yuan Xi sat calmly within the soft sedan chair, and she didn't lift the curtains because she didn't have anyone to tie her down either outside or inside the palace.

The soft sedan chair moved forward, Yin Ruotang chased and chased, until the soft sedan chair and these dozens of palace people entered the Ximing Gate, Yin Ruotang felt that he had emptied his chest. He knew that perhaps he would never be able to meet Yuan Xi again in this life.

Even if they met, she was already the Emperor's concubine, and he would one day become the Emperor's subject. Although he and she are not separated forever, but will always be separated by an invisible line that is like the Milky Way.

Hu Yuanxi in a soft sedan chair from the Ximing Gate was carried into the Yecheng Palace, the palace's main south door called the gate of heaven, this door only civil and military ministers to the court or the emperor's big wedding queen can enter, from the gate of Helu came in, through a white jade paved arched bridge, it will be to the taiji hall, the taiji hall called itself a school, majestic vastness of dealing with the imperial palace before.

Taiji Hall is divided into the main hall, the East Hall and the West Hall, which is naturally the main hall is the place where the emperor handles major events, the New Year's Day Dynasty, the new emperor's succession, the amnesty to the new year, and political decision-making are all carried out here; the East Hall is generally used for the court meetings, banquets and feasts for the ministers, and reception of envoys; and the West Hall is used for sacrifices.

Behind the Taichi Hall is a river about ten meters wide in the east-west longitudinal direction, called Jingwei River, with a bridge over it, and the real Yecheng Harem is considered north of the river bank.

Eunuch Cai guided the palace to the soft sedan chair to the east hall of the Taichi Palace, to the emperor said, "Your Majesty, the slave has Hu Cheng Hua access to the palace."

The emperor did not know what he was selling, did not immediately summon Hu Chenghua, but said:

"Take Chenghua to the Hall of Hanyang first to settle down, then change your clothes and come to the celebration feast for the Feast of the Double Two!"

The voice coming from within the hall was familiar, but Yuan Xi did not recall where he had heard this voice before for a moment.