At this time, even the Empress Dowager Ci'an recognized Guan Zhuofan, and she couldn't help but be moved in her heart - in the excerpt he invited His Majesty to see at the beginning, there was certainly such a thing as "once approved, you should take turns as a guard and do your duty", but no matter how you look at it, I think it is just an ordinary official article, where do you think that you really came to stand on duty?

But moved to be moved, at such a time, I can't say anything, and the two of them glanced at each other knowingly, and still got into the sedan chair and went back to the dormitory.

Cixi's thoughts are different from Ci'an's. She originally thought that she would have to wait until Guan Zhuofan asked for training before leaving Beijing before she could see Zaijian, but who knew that it would be a few days before she saw her again. She was naturally moved by this loyalty, but in addition to being moved, there were more surprises.

Guan Zhuofan's excerpt, she also remembered the sentence, sitting in the sedan chair thinking about it, thinking of the word "Su Wei", her heart jumped-Su Wei Su Wei, Su Wei is also a Su Guard, doesn't that mean that when he sleeps, he is guarding outside? He was ordered to walk in the inner court......

The whole Forbidden City, bounded by the Qianqing Gate and the glazed walls on the left and right, is divided into two parts: inside and outside. The outer part is called the "outer court", and the inner part is called the "inner court". In addition to the three palaces in the middle - Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Palace, and Kunning Palace, there are six palaces in the east and six palaces in the west in the two wings.

The Changchun Palace where Cixi lives is in the West Sixth Palace, so the people below call her "the west". The Zhongcui Palace, where the Empress Dowager Ci'an lived, was among the six palaces in the east, so it was called "the east". And the Heart Cultivation Palace, where they usually listen to politics, is on the west side of the Qianqing Gate. It's a little closer to the West Sixth House.

What Cixi thought. Guan Zhuofan naturally thought of it a long time ago. In fact. This envoy of his was specially won when he went to a banquet in the palace of the prince of alcohol two days ago.

The imperial guard, of course, has to be on duty according to the routine, but he is a magistrate who has left Beijing, and the title of this imperial guard has become an "honorary title", of course, there is no need to come to the station. Hence want to come in. I have to find this Commander-in-Chief and the Seventh Prince, who is in charge of scheduling.

When King Alcohol invited him, he didn't invite only one like King Gong, but found a large group of generals from the Beijing camp to accompany him, and the Shenji Battalion, the Forward Battalion, and the Xiaocai Battalion were all among them. Between the staggered plans, the excitement is lively, but it becomes very difficult to find an opportunity to talk in private. Finally, when everyone was almost drunk, when the king went out to come back, he met him at the door of the flower hall.

Wait until Guan Zhuofan tells the request. The Alcohol King hesitated - there was no such precedent.

"Yixuan, you have this loyalty. Afraid it's not haode? It's just ......"

"Yes, as foreign officials, we rely on this to do things faithfully." Guan Zhuofan saw that he was silent, and hurriedly said with a smile, "This is a matter of one sentence in the Seventh Master, and I have to ask the Seventh Master to be extraordinarily fulfilled." ”

The king of alcohol was young, and he had the best face, but he was covered with this high hat, and he had just received his filial piety of 30,000 taels of silver, so he decided to help him with this.

If you want to help, of course you have to help thoroughly. King Alcohol thought to himself, Guan Zhuofan's loyalty, naturally let the two palaces see it, and that would be a success, so he deliberately put his position behind the Palace of Heart Cultivation, only in this way can the Queen Mother be able to see him at a glance when she retreats from the court.

Guan Zhuofan got his wish, stood behind the Heart Cultivation Hall for half a morning, and waited for Cixi and Ci'an in the end. Although he lowered his head and looked at the ground, he secretly looked at it with his spare eyes, and saw the eyes of the two queen mothers sweeping over, knowing that something big had been done.

He, the imperial guard, is of course ordered to "walk in the inner court", but when he walks in the inner court, he can't walk around, let alone go to the East Sixth Palace and the West Sixth Palace - this is where the Queen Mother and the concubines live, and if you walk in, what is it for? Only eunuchs and palace maids can serve in the palace.

Now, as long as he sees himself, he believes that Cixi will definitely want to see him. As far as he is concerned, the two visits at one end and one end are far from enough, and he still has a lot of words to say to the queen mothers in his heart.

*

*

Guan Zhuofan expected it to be true. After the Empress Dowager Cixi's surprise, she opened her mind about how to meet Guan Zhuofan.

It's not to continue the previous relationship - in the strict palace ban, surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids, even if you have such a thought, you can't do it. What's more, she doesn't want to be Wu Zetian, any man puts a headband in the palace, what kind of reputation is that? Can't afford it.

What she worries about is her son's country. Guan Zhuofan came back this time, and she had a lot of things she wanted to ask about at both the military and political ends. The palace is right, limited to the etiquette, there is no way to talk about it calmly, including many things in foreign affairs, Guan Zhuofan is still vague, if there is a chance to let him talk about it face-to-face, it would be good.

In the world, if you are afraid, you are afraid of the word serious. Cixi racked her brains for a long time, and finally let her think of a feasible way out. So she instructed the sedan chair to go to Zhongcui Palace to see the Empress Dowager Ci'an.

This is a rare thing - since the curtain listened to the government, when the two empress dowagers made ideas, Ci'an often listened to Cixi, so whenever there was official business to discuss, Ci'an came to the west, and if it was a private matter, Cixi went to Zhongcui Palace. There are many official affairs and few private affairs, so it is natural that the Empress Dowager Ci'an runs here mostly.

When the imperial sedan chair arrived at Zhongcui Palace, it was reported that it was entered, and the Empress Dowager Ci'an personally greeted her. The two joined hands and sat in the back room of the Empress Dowager Ci'an's bedroom, and Ci'an looked at her and waited for her to speak.

"Sister, did you see that Guan Zhuofan just now?"

"I guessed that you were going to talk about this," Empress Dowager Ci'an smiled, "Naturally, I saw it, and it was difficult for him to be filial." ”

"Who's to say it isn't?" Cixi shrewdly grasped the words, "In these years, there are not many people with such a conscience as him. I wondered what I could do to give him a little favor. ”

"Grace?" The Empress Dowager Ci'an asked puzzledly, "You mean, promote him to an official again?" ”

"The promotion is not successful," Cixi shook her head and said, "He has only been sealed for the third time, and he has not made any new contributions, if you want to say that you are on duty in the palace, it is also a matter for the imperial guards." gave him a promotion for no reason, and other people were not convinced. ”

He also said that he wanted to give favor, and he said that he could not be promoted, so what should he do? Empress Dowager Ci'an looked at her in bewilderment.

"That's right!" Cixi seemed to have an idea and remembered something, "Sister, let's give him a banquet, do you think about it?" ”

The Empress Dowager Ci'an listened and understood.

"That's a good idea!" She said happily, "When the first emperor was here, he often gave banquets to the guards. ”

The custom of the Manchu people regards the guards around the monarch as half of the family, or at least the most personal domestic servants. Speaking of a banquet, that is an elegant name, to put it bluntly, it is to enjoy a meal, and often from the emperor's table, refer to a plate or two plates of dishes, and pass on the rewards to the guards below, in order to show honor.

"Sister, then pass the lunch today to the Fangzhai Hall behind the Heart Cultivation Palace, do you think it's okay?" Cixi said, "Let's use it in the hall and ask them to eat it in the hall." ”

"Okay," this is a lively and festive event, and Ci'an is naturally willing. But after thinking about it, there was another question, "What about the emperor?" ”

The eight-year-old little emperor has always been eating with the two palaces, and it is the Empress Dowager Ci'an who has this question.

"Take him with you." Cixi said quietly.

"Ah...... Is that done? ”

"Sister," Cixi lowered her voice and whispered, "You know, Guan Zhuofan is not an ordinary guard, Duoluo Jin's under Kangxi, and Liu Tongxun under Qianlong's master, are all such people. In the future, under the emperor, he must also be a minister who protects the sky, and there is no harm in letting the emperor see him a few more times. ”

Ci'an understood that Cixi was winning people's hearts for the emperor. Calculating the age, it is really like this, and she can't help but admire Cixi's thoughtfulness.

"Sister, my mind is still not as good as yours," Ci'an also lowered her voice, "not as thoughtful as you think." ”

The matter was settled, and as soon as the decree was transmitted, the eunuchs had their own eunuchs to handle it. There is only one article, since the name used is to appreciate the hard work of the guards and pass on the feast rewards, then it can't just reward Guan Zhuofan alone. So the twelve guards of the Qianqing Gate, led by King Alcohol and serving the Yangxin Palace, also bowed to their prosperity and sat down at the big table inexplicably.

*(To be continued......)