In the blink of an eye, the New Year was approaching, and the palace began to prepare for the festival, Zhu Yuanzhang took the minister and prince to the Taimiao Temple to worship the ancestors, and Ma Xiuying arranged for people to decorate the palace. Although she and Zhu Yuanzhang both advocate frugality, these expenses still cannot be saved, after all, the Spring Festival is the most important festival of the year.

Not only are the lights in the palace colorful, but the houses in the market are also dressed in red and green. "Jackdaws are frozen to death" was originally the coldest time, but the hanging lanterns and the lively atmosphere made people not feel the slightest chill.

On the day of Laba, Ma Xiuying decided to give porridge to the people. She did not go through the household appropriation, but took money from her own private treasury to buy grain. As a royal family, it is necessary to carry out some pro-people activities from time to time to maintain the feelings of the royal family and the people. Besides, not for this purpose, Ma Xiuying also wants to communicate more with the people, she doesn't go out of the palace all year round, it's too boring.

When the news broke, hundreds of people came from all over the world, and a long queue with no end in sight formed outside the palace gate, and people came one after another, shoulder to shoulder, very excited.

In recent years, Ma Xiuying's virtuous name has been widely spread, and the Jingshan Hall and the Children's Hall she established at the earliest have been taken over by the government, so the people don't know that she has already done a lot of good and practical things. They only knew that without Ma Xiuying's persuasion of Zhu Yuanzhang, the case of the portrait of a woman with big feet in Huaixi would have made hundreds of people's heads fall to the ground; After that, Ma Xiuying led the harem concubines to embroider and weave to solve the living needs of the lonely and widowed elderly; This time, she personally came out to give porridge to the people, and thinking about her amiable and approachable attitude, everyone felt that this Laba porridge must be more delicious than any other place.

Most of the people waiting to receive the porridge were poor people in rags, but there were also a few rich gentry who were glamorous and decent.

Some of the guards in charge of security and maintaining order knew these rich gentlemen and couldn't help asking, "Do you still lack this bowl of porridge?" Why bother crowding with the people, or it would be better for you to send a small servant than to suffer yourself? ”

The soup was not intended to be given to the poor people, as long as these rich gentry were in order to receive the porridge, their behavior was understandable, so the guards only asked and did not drive them away, but they could not understand the behavior of these rich gentry who were willing to wait in a long line for a bowl of porridge.

The rich gentry carefully avoided the crowd of kowtowers, wiped their sweat, and said mysteriously: "I heard that the queen mother is in charge of the soup porridge herself, and we want to touch the blessings of the queen mother." ”

Everyone suddenly realized that receiving porridge is a small matter, and it is a big deal to be familiar with it in front of the queen.

This was heard by others, and immediately countless people joined the long queue in a steady stream.

"The Queen Mother is out! Chitose Niang! Chitose! Chichitose! As the drums sounded, buckets of steaming laba porridge were transported to the soup kitchen, and the people cheered with joy.

Ma Xiuying walked out with a smile, followed by a group of concubines who were smiling or frowning. She didn't say much, stood in front of the bucket, rolled up her long sleeves and began to scoop porridge.

Soon, a large bucket of laba porridge had bottomed out, and the people who received the porridge consciously walked out, but the number of people in line never decreased.

"It's really the queen mother who is giving porridge!"

"My bowl of porridge was scooped by the queen's mother, and I want to go back to serve it at home quickly."

"Hurry up, hurry up, there will be no porridge in a while."

"Whoever sells me a bowl of the queen's porridge, I will pay a high price!"

One of the rich gentlemen who received the porridge saluted Ma Xiuying and said: "The queen mother is merciful and benevolent, and the grass people are very respectful, and the grass people are willing to follow the queen's mother, donate 50,000 stone of grain to the people, and ask the queen mother to laugh at the grass people." ”

Ma Xiuying stopped serving porridge, looked at the rich gentleman, and said with a smile: "Sir, your surname?" The palace appreciates your kindness very much, and will ask the emperor for a reward for you. ”

The rich gentry was so happy that his eyes narrowed into a slit, "The grass people are surnamed Peng, and it is the blessing of the grass people to share the worries of the emperor and the queen." ”

"Mr. Peng's righteous deeds are kept in mind, and a commendation will be sent to the house later." Ma Xiuying instructed the palace people to register, and began to serve porridge to the next people, and there was a long queue behind them, because it would delay and there was already some commotion.

Seeing this, the rest of the rich gentry hated that they didn't have Peng Fushen's brains to turn fast, and with the royal award, it was like an extra talisman, and the government would take a look at it, and immediately expressed their willingness to donate food and materials to Ma Xiuying.

Ma Xiuying promised that every rich gentleman who donated materials would be rewarded, and asked them to register with a smile so as not to affect the normal soup kitchen.

The people who were waiting to receive the porridge heard that the progress was delayed because of the donation of grain by the rich gentry, and they all expressed their understanding, and the team quickly returned to its normal order. However, many people joined the team, some curious about what had just happened, others just to see the queen's face.

The concubines were also giving porridge, but there were few people in line, and more people crowded to Ma Xiuying's line. For them, Ma Xiuying is not just a queen, she has done many good things for the people, and the people love her from the bottom of their hearts, and they all think that she is the reincarnation of the merciful Guanyin, and how lucky it should be to be blessed by this virtuous queen.

Seeing the embarrassed concubines, Ma Xiuying was a little embarrassed, and told Xunying to let the concubines finish the porridge in front of them, and the other porridge was brought to her.

Xun Ying said distressedly: "Master, you have been busy all morning, take a rest, and the slave will give you porridge on your behalf." ”

Ma Xiuying's arm was indeed very sore, but looking at the people with eager eyes, she still smiled and continued to give porridge.

Xun Ying couldn't help but shout at the team: "If you really love the queen mother, don't let the queen mother be so tired!" ”

The guards also began to drive away the crowd, "Go, go, go to other teams, the porridge is the same, all crowded here!" ”

"Let the queen rest!" The people either took the initiative or reluctantly went to other teams.

Ma Xiuying was finally able to relax for a while, she picked up a bowl of laba porridge and tasted it, the thick glutinous and sweet taste penetrated the spleen and stomach, relieving the fatigue of the body. She specially asked someone to buy the high-quality rice, and instructed the imperial dining room to boil it carefully, and Fu Fu supervised it, so that the imperial dining room would not be shoddy and mess up this good deed.

A bowl of porridge in her stomach, Ma Xiuying's whole body was warm and comfortable, she was about to tell Xunying and other palace people to eat some porridge to fill her stomach, suddenly a dirty child knelt in front of her with a broken bowl and begged: "Queen Mother, please give the villain a bowl of porridge." ”

"Go, go, I said go to other queues." The guards hurriedly came to catch up with the child, didn't you see that the queen had rested, this kid really didn't have long eyes.

The child struggled and cried out with tears in his eyes: "Queen Mother, please, please, the villain only needs a bowl of porridge." ”

"Wait!" Ma Xiuying waved away the guards and asked, "Why do you have to give porridge in this palace, other imperial concubines are also giving porridge?" This porridge is all the same. ”

"They all say that the queen mother is the reincarnation of Guanyin, and the porridge can eliminate disasters and disasters. The villain's mother is sick, and the villain begs for a bowl of porridge, and the mother will not get sick after eating. The child said as he wiped his eyes with his dirty sleeves.

"Okay, this palace will give you porridge." Ma Xiuying was sad when she heard this, and ordered someone to take a delicate food box, filled it with a big bowl, handed it to the child in person, and said kindly: "Don't worry, your mother will be fine." ”

"Thank you, Queen!" The child couldn't wipe his tears anymore and happily ran away with the food box in his hand.

Ma Xiuying gave Xun Ying a look, and Xun Ying understood, and immediately sent a guard far behind the child. There are so many unfortunate things in the world, Ma Xiuying can't take care of them all, but if she bumps into them, she can't bear to stand by.