Out of the sedan chair, stood in the square in front of the end door. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

The early summer morning was not cold, the night had not completely faded, and there were still a few shining stars hanging in the sky.

Taking a breath of cold air, Xu Wan really calmed down, glanced at the surroundings very quickly, and then followed the guidance of Banmei and walked towards Mrs. Zhuang.

It would be two quarters of an hour before the end door opened. In the square in front of this gate, the clothes and temples are full of high-grade ladies and their daughters, this is the gathering of the top noblewomen of the empire.

The crowd in front of the door inadvertently divided into two groups. The boundaries between each other are not clear, but they are clear.

With the help of the morning light, with Xu Wan's really good eyesight, it was easy to distinguish that in front of the direction led by Banmei, the lady in the clothes was familiar with the young lady next to them. I have seen it at the peony flower party, the summer banquet, and the small banquet on the Anguo Mansion, and it is obviously the daughter of the noble group of the Gaomang Dynasty.

On the other side, there were only a few young ladies, whom she had met once or twice, and none of those ladies knew her. I think it should be the daughters of the important ministers of the court.

It turns out that in the DPRK and China, the contradiction between the Wuxun clique and the civilian clique has been laid out on the surface. Xu Wanzhen thought secretly in her heart.

She saluted Mrs. Zhuang, who took her hand and whispered, "Good boy, don't be nervous." When you enter the palace, you will follow me. ”

Mrs. Zhuang's hands were warm and dry, which made Xu Wan's heart warm.

One after another, a sedan chair fell in front of the door, and the ladies and ladies got off the sedan chair and waited quietly, and the occasional conversation also lowered their voices.

When the hour came, the morning drum in front of the Xuanzheng Hall was beaten, and the drum beat was excited, announcing the arrival of a new day.

Amid the sound of drums, the palace guards guarding the door twisted the door chain vigorously, and the two red lacquered brass rivet doors at the end of the door slowly opened in front of the eyes of the ladies.

Everyone has a tacit understanding that they are arranged in two columns according to their grades, one column for the female dependents of martial artists, and one column for the female dependents of civil officials.

On Wuxun's side, at the forefront are the crown princess, Princess Zhaoyang, Princess Qi, Princess Chu, and then the county lord, county lord, and township monarch who Emperor Qinglong personally divided out of the palace, these are all royal relatives, even if the grade is lower, they are in the forefront of the ladies.

Secondly, it is the old lady and lady of the country who are super first-class.

Although there are many people, this has been the rule for many years. Every Hajj, Empress Dowager Xiao's birthday, Empress Cao's Qianqiu, the emperor's holy birthday and other big days, all the women inside and outside the palace will come to the palace to meet the congratulations, there are old rules to follow, busy but not chaotic.

Xu Wanzhen followed behind Mrs. Zhuang, and together with Shi Jingyu and Shi Jingfu, she silently followed everyone forward.

At the door of the people, the subordinates of the Anguo Mansion handed the jade plate issued by the palace to the guards, and after the guards verified their identities, they let a few people in.

When she entered the palace, Shi Jingfu quietly stuck out her tongue and whispered in Xu Wanzhen's ear: "Second sister, every time you enter the palace, you are the most nervous at this time. ”

"Why is that?" Xu Wan said curiously. It's just a few guards guarding the door, and it's not the emperor and queen, why are you nervous?

Shi Jingyu made a silent gesture, and walked away from the palace gate, before she lowered her voice and said: "The second sister doesn't know, she is the most strict when she enters the door, and she only recognizes the jade card and does not recognize people." If the jade plate and the person who entered the palace do not match, no matter which house you are in, how powerful you are, you will not leave any affection. ”

Xu Wanzhen's eyes widened in surprise, and she asked softly, "What will happen if you don't agree?"

"They will be found out on the spot, sent to the palace and imprisoned, and then slowly tried after the Hajj is over. Shi Jingfu interjected.

Shi Jingyu explained: "I heard the grandmother in the house talk about this rule because there was a thief who entered the palace before and intended to assassinate him. At this time, the guards are the most powerful people, and without the jade plate, even the princess can't enter. ”

Xu Wanzhen nodded, and the few people continued to move forward. She thought to herself in her heart, no wonder Mama Zheng said that all the prefectures need to report the people who are going to enter the palace a few days in advance, and no one can be wrong, it turned out to be for this.

In the Gaomang Dynasty, there were no tricks of science and technology, and such security measures were indeed tight enough.

When I arrived at a gate hall in front, a palace maid stood in front of the temple door to greet her, and welcomed all the ladies into it for a short rest. According to the grade, the soft sedan chair in the palace was arranged to pick up all the ladies and ladies.

In such a large palace, these pampered ladies who grew up don't know when they will go by their legs, and their bodies can't bear it.

Therefore, from the time when Empress Dowager Xiao was the queen, she set up the rule of soft sedan chair.

She said, "These noble ladies and ladies have come to the palace as guests, and our hospitality is not to make them tired?"

Empress Dowager Xiao's words have since eliminated the suffering of the legs and feet of the wives, and it has been used to this day.

The distance from the end gate to this resting gate hall is only two quarters of an hour, which is close enough in the imperial city. But even so, there are also delicate and expensive female dependents who can't bear it, enter the door hall, and sit down everywhere.

Looking up, I can't see their embarrassment, the rules and etiquette since childhood have been engraved in their bones, and there is no room for mistakes.

When it was Mrs. Zhuang's turn to get on the soft sedan car, the sky was already bright. The soft sedan chair walked among the palace walls with red walls and blue tiles, and Xu Wanzhen sat quietly in the meantime, as if she smelled the heavy dust of history.

……

In Yanqing Palace, it is rare to be lively.

The concubines in the palace came one after another, and the favored ones had to fight for face, and those who were not favored should also seize this good opportunity to see the sky and show their faces.

The Queen Mother's birthday, according to the customary Qinglong Emperor's resignation, will accompany the Queen Mother throughout the day to show filial piety.

Emperor Qinglong and Empress Cao arrived together, and Tingting knelt down in the hall, and for a while Yingsheng Yan said: "The concubines meet His Majesty the Emperor and the Queen." ”

On such a festive and auspicious day, Emperor Qinglong rarely smiled a little, waved them up, and walked in front of Empress Dowager Xiao with Empress Cao, and was about to salute.

Emperor Qinglong and Empress Cao first folded their hands on the top of their heads, and then slowly knelt on the ground, put their hands flat on the ground, made a standard salute, and said in unison: "Erchen wishes the queen mother a long life and a healthy phoenix." ”

The emperor and queen took the lead in celebrating her birthday, and the concubines who had just gotten up knelt on the ground again, and said: "The concubine wishes the queen mother ten thousand blessings and peace, a thousand years old, a thousand years old, a thousand years old!"

Empress Dowager Xiao sat on the phoenix chair, looking at the children and grandchildren kneeling down, and couldn't help but feel a little moist in her eyes.

How many years have passed, she finally survived, survived the first emperor, and survived until Degeer ascended the throne as the emperor. sat in the position of the queen mother, and enjoyed this supreme glory. As long as the court is stable and the country is firm, her glory will not be shaken.