In the afternoon, the fireball-like sun hangs high in the air, scorching the earth, and the heat waves are coming. Such hot weather is suitable for hiding at home to cool off, but Song Ruoxi has to make an appointment to travel. Even if there is an ice basin on the carriage, it is still so hot that it is sweating all over.

There are four major scenic buildings in the city, including Taiping in the east, Dazhi in the west, Kuixing in the south, Wenchang in the north. Not everyone can go up to the Jing Building, and ordinary people will not make an appointment to meet here.

Four sword-bearing guards stood at the entrance of Taiping Tower. When they saw Song Ruoxi's master and servant coming over, they held the knife handle in their hands and asked with a vigilant look: "Who is coming?"

"I was invited to come, and I would like to ask the official to inform you." Seeing this large formation, Song Ruoxi became more confused. Who asked her to ask her?

Qinghe presented the post with both hands.

The guard reached out to take the post, but he didn't look at it. He turned around and entered the building. After waiting for half a stick of incense, he came out and said respectfully: "Miss Song, please go to the second floor."

Song Ruoxi walked in, and there were several guards standing on the first floor, as well as two white-faced men with no beard, their eyes flashed slightly, and they climbed up the steps.

There were six girls in palace costumes standing on the second floor. Through the layers of gauze curtains, a beautiful woman in palace costumes could be seen sitting inside. Two palace maids, one on the left and the other on the right, and smiled and said, "Girl, please come in. My lady has been waiting for the girl for a long time."

Song Ruoxi saw the person sitting inside and was stunned for a moment. She never thought that the person who asked her would be Kuoqiu, who had already entered the Nine Palace.

"You all go downstairs and wait." Kuo Chui drove people straight away.

The palace maids bowed downstairs with Xiangxiuqinghe.

"Jingchen, come! Sit!" Tuo smiled and waved.

Song Ruoxi took off the cover, walked over, sat opposite Kuang, and smiled faintly, "I didn't expect it would be you."

"Today is Mrs. Hou's birthday. Now the saint is kind and filial to rule the world. I, as a daughter, will come back to fulfill my filial piety." Kuo Xun brought a pot and poured a cup of tea for Song Ruoxi, "I will take this opportunity to come out to see you."

"Are you okay in the palace?" Song Ruoxi asked with concern.

"It's pretty good. Now I'm Chong Yuan and have a title pill."

When Kuoqiu entered the palace, she only became a fourth-grade beauty. In just two months, she was promoted to the third level and ranked in the third level. It can be seen that she was doing quite well in the palace.

Song Ruoxi picked up the teacup, took a sip, and asked, "Is there anything wrong with you if you want to see me?"

Kuo Chui picked up the red lacquer-inlaid jade brocade box placed beside him, and smiled and handed it over, "I will definitely not be able to attend next month. I will give you this gift to express my feelings."

Song Ruoxi took the brocade box and opened it. It was a phoenix tail hairpin made of green auspicious clouds and gold beads. "This is too expensive."

"My grade is too low, I can only give you this one." Kuo Feng held Song Ruoxi's hand, "If I were a genuine class, I could give you a Phoenix-headed hairpin."

Song Ruoxi smiled, "I will use this golden hairpin at the wedding ceremony."

Kuo smiled, leaned closer, and lowered his voice, "If everything goes well, I should be able to become a virtuous concubine when you get married. At that time, I will give you 100,000 taels of makeup."

Song Ruoxi's eyes flashed slightly, and she didn't dare to explore the profound meaning of her words. She pretended to be relaxed and joked: "Then I'll make a fortune."

"Nothing is reliable in this world, but money is the most reliable." Kuo sighed.

Song Ruoxi smiled and drooped his eyelids and drank tea.

"Jingchen, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Even the concubine in the Six Palaces is not as beautiful as you." Kuo said with a smile.

"The red and white bones are all false, the green and green bamboos are all Dharma bodies, and the lush yellow flowers are nothing more than Prajna." Song Ruoxi put down the teacup and smiled softly, "In life, every reincarnation, you have to change a skin bag. Beauty and ugliness are just transformations."

Kuo Chui leaned back on the brocade mat and asked, "Jingchen, have you ever seen the emperor?"

"No." Song Ruoxi hurriedly denied.

"The Emperor mentioned you in front of me a few days ago."

Song Ruoxi suddenly felt cold. On the hot day, he shivered and asked nervously: "What did he say to me?"

"He said that he could not have thought that the holy monk accepted a lay disciple, and the gods also accepted a lay disciple. It was really a coincidence." Kuo Wei picked up the teacup and sipped it in a small mouthful.

Song Ruoxi waited for a long time, but did not see Kuo talk any more. He blinked his eyes, "Just say all this?"

Kuo nodded.

Song Ruoxi patted his chest, "You scared me to death."

Kuo put down the teacup, held the fan and covered his mouth, and giggled, as if it were silver bells. "Jingchen, your courage is getting smaller and smaller. Don't be afraid. I know you don't want to enter the palace. I have already slandered you in front of the emperor very cleverly. I said that since you worshipped the gods as your teacher, you have been devoted to Buddha, pure and have few desires, and like your senior brother, you are a devout believer, not a person in the world. The Queen Mother believes in Buddhism and likes to listen to Buddhist scriptures and Zen principles, but the emperor is very annoyed. Although you have not been ordained, you are also half a nun in the eyes of the emperor. He will not covet you."

"Jian'er, thank you." Song Ruoxi burst into tears of gratitude.

"You don't have to thank me. I'm selfish in doing this. I'm afraid that you, a stunning beauty, will enter the palace to compete for favor with me." Tuo Chui raised his eyebrows and smiled.

Song Ruoxi glanced at her and asked, "Are you afraid that the emperor would be suspicious when you come out to see me?"

"Not afraid, I've reported it to you, the closed disciple of the Goddess, to teach Buddhist scriptures." Kuo smiled, "You tell me a story about the Buddhist scriptures, and I'll go back and fulfill this lie."

"I suddenly asked me to tell a story about Buddhist scriptures, but I can't tell it. You can make up one by yourself."

"I don't know how to make up stories, I'd better make up one." Tuo Xu grabbed Song Ruoxi's sleeve and pouted, "What Jingchen, just make up one!"

Seeing the appearance of Kuo, Song Ruoxi laughed silently, but she was not Ye Shuhua, and she couldn't remember so many stories about Buddhist scriptures. After thinking for a long time, she came up with one, "There is a young girl with dignified appearance, slim figure, and thick black and beautiful hair... "Now I hear the Dharma, I know the merits of giving, and I am happy to see the Buddha, and I bless you with great blessings. She will be born in the Trayastrimsa Heaven at the end of her life and receive the reward of heaven and man.' Everyone vowed to practice Buddhism and accumulate merit."

Kuo Qi put his hands together and chanted the Buddha's chant, saying, "This story is good. When I go back and tell the Queen Mother to listen to it, I will definitely be able to please her. I can copy less scriptures."

When Song Ruoxi heard this, he vaguely guessed that Kuo Chou could be promoted so quickly, not because he was favored by the emperor but because of the empress dowager.

After listening to the story, it was getting late, so Kuo returned to the palace. Song Ruoxi returned home, went to the main courtyard to meet Ji Yun, and told her about the matter.

Ji Yun looked at the golden hairpin in the brocade box, frowned, her eyes flashed, and she pondered for a long time, and said, "Xi'er, this golden hairpin cannot be used when you are in the hairpin. Lock it in the box."

"Why?" Song Ruoxi was puzzled.

"The previous dynasty and the harem have never existed independently. They are tied up with each other. If there is a slight movement, it can cause an uproar among those who are interested." Ji Yun covered the brocade box and looked directly at Song Ruoxi, "Mom, I don't want you to be involved."

Song Ruoxi was not confident to help Tuo Chou defend her. Tuo Chou’s rank in the palace was enough to show her scheming and means.

Is it really just for the sake of that affection?

Is it really not involved in a power struggle?

Song Ruoxi couldn't answer, so he returned to the room and tied the golden hairpin on the pavilion, leaning on the couch with a depressed look, staring blankly.

"Girl, come and see, Vancao has made a very beautiful dessert." Xiangxiu deliberately made Song Ruoxi happy and shouted exaggeratedly.

Song Ruoxi sat up and looked back. Vanilla walked in with a smile, holding a watermelon carved into the shape of a peony flower.

There was snow-white ice foam piled beside the watermelon, red and white, and it looked sweet and cool. Song Ruoxi smiled and said, "This peony is so beautifully carved, I can't bear to eat it."

"The girl is reluctant to eat watermelon peony, so try the piping watermelon made by Qiaoer!" Qiaoer walked in with a pastel porcelain plate.

Song Ruoxi picked up one of the chopsticks, pulled up a long shredded sugar, put it in his mouth and bit it gently, hot first and then cold. It felt great as the two heavens of ice and fire, just like in the TV series, with fairies floating around, "This shredded watermelon is more delicious than usual."

"Does the girl think this watermelon ball is different from the usual ones?" Qiao'er asked with a smile.

Song Ruoxi picked up another meal, savored it carefully, and asked with a smile: "Did the watermelon be settled in the ice cellar first? Then he added smoothies to the watermelon balls."

"The girl's mouth is so powerful." Qiao'er nodded in praise with a smile.

"You try it too." Song Ruoxi ate three in a row, "Qiao'er, you make another plate and give it to your wife, so that your wife can also taste it."

Qiaoer responded and went out to the kitchen to make a plate and gave it to Ji Yun.

"Miss Seven is filial and has good food to eat. Don't forget to send a portion to your wife." Fucha complimented.

Ji Yun kept smiling and gave Qiaoer a handful of silver beans.

Qiaoer was so happy that she went back with silver beans in her arms. She made up her mind to make more good things for the girl and her wife to eat in the future.

That night, Mrs. Qin, the old lady of Qiao Guogong's Mansion, passed away. The Duke Qiao Guogong's Mansion did not have much contact with the Song family, but Mrs. Ji Er and Mrs. Qin are of the same clan. Besides, Song Lian and Qin Shaowei have a classmate. Song Ruoxi and his sister went to mourn with Song Sui and Ji Yun.

After getting off the carriage, Song Ruoxi and his sister followed their parents in a manner and came to the mourning hall under the guidance of the servants receiving the mansion. The servant leading the way first explained Song Sui's identity to the host who was reporting to the door.

After the people who were celebrating the tribute came out, the master sang loudly, "Mr. Song, the Minister of the Honglu Temple, came to pay tribute with his wife and children!"

The family of five entered the mourning hall without looking sideways. Under the instructions of the celebrating ceremonies in front of the incense table, they kowtowed in an orderly manner in front of the coffin with the tablet of the grandmother.

After the ceremony, Song Sui's wife and children walked to the filial son and grandson who were standing next to the incense table and said in a deep voice: "Please mourn!"

Song Ruoxi looked at Qin Shaowei, his eyes dull and haggard. He definitely couldn't participate in the autumn exam today.
Chapter completed!