June 15 is the Empress's birthday.

The birthday of the emperor of the Great Song Dynasty is "Qianyuan Festival", and the birthday of the queen is "Changning Festival". However, because the Queen Mother is still there, the Changning Festival follows the old system and is still the birthday of the Queen Mother. Queen Guo's birthday is not scheduled for the time being.

Shu E got up early to freshen up, still wearing the clothes and jewelry of a five-grade foreign wife. Shu E arrived outside the gate of Gyeongbok Hall and waited to pay homage to the queen.

Early this morning, the queen first went to the hall of respect, worshiped the gods of the ancestors and ancestors, and then went to the Fengzhu Palace to pay homage to the queen mother, and then went to the Jingyang Palace, to pay homage to the emperor, and the last was to accept the worship of the concubines and maids.

Everyone has arrived one after another, and there are no accompanying concubines, and they have all brought female envoys to congratulate. Concubine Rong sent a female envoy to come, Zhu Chongyi said that the illness did not come, and Liu Zhi did not come because of inconvenience, and also sent people to bring gifts. Yu Jieyu brought Lin Zitong and Gu Manchu and others here, but only Qin Meiren still did not appear as usual.

After a while, the queen returned from the Hall of Honor.

Everyone went down in unison and said, "Blessed queen." ”

The queen returned the salute and said with a smile: "Hello sisters." ”

The queen glanced at the place beside Yang Meiren intentionally or unintentionally, and was silent. Zhan Xi understood and said to the queen: "Back to the queen, it's not too early, it's better to go to Fengzhu Palace to worship the queen mother first." The voice was so clear that everyone could hear it clearly.

The queen said, "It doesn't hurt to wait a little longer. There must be everyone complete, and the Queen Mother will be happy when she looks at it. ”

He Cairen stepped forward and said to the queen: "Today is the queen's auspicious day, and there is a time to visit wherever you go." It doesn't matter if others are a little earlier or later, don't miss your moment, it's the most important thing. It's not too early. ”

As he was talking, the sound of shallow footsteps accompanied by the crisp sound of rings colliding with each other sounded not far from everyone.

Qin Meiren hugged left and right, and walked over with four maids. Qin Meiren didn't look at He Cairen, but just said to the queen: "My sister is late, please forgive the queen." ”

He Cairen said with a smile: "Qin Meiren is pregnant, she is already working hard, and she has to serve the emperor in the morning, so she will naturally be slower." ”

Qin Meiren suddenly turned her head, looked at He Cairen with a smile on her face, and sneered slightly: "My body is clumsy, and I dare not serve the emperor." Speaking of which, He Cairen lives in the Qingxin Garden, which is closest to Jingyang Palace, isn't it you who waited for the emperor to get up today? ”

He Cairen seemed to be speechless for a while, but soon said: "I am still young, how to serve the emperor, I have to learn more from Sister Qin." A smile appeared on his face as he spoke: "Didn't the emperor rush from Qingxin Garden to Lutong Qinxin Tower yesterday evening?" ”

Koto sneered and did not answer.

Zhan Xi said with a smile: "Today is a good day for the queen, and the emperor has already gotten up after only five watches." At this moment, I must have already gone down the morning court, and I have been waiting for a long time. ”

The queen smiled and said, "Let's go." ”

Suddenly, Shu E heard the sound of clothes squirming in front of her, and when she looked sideways, it was Mu Xiaoxia, the wooden imperial servant who lived in the White Peony Garden of the Yaoyang Pavilion. Mu Xiaoxia gently covered her mouth with a handkerchief, but the corners of her eyebrows and eyes were all coquettish smiles. A maid beside her gently pushed her behind her back, and Mu Xiaoxia stopped laughing and stood with her head down.

Before coming to Yujin Garden, Shu E had heard Hua Fu say that when the emperor came to the palace every year, he would bring favored or newly favored concubines. Who knew that Liu Zhi did not accompany him this time, but Lu Chungui and Mu Xiaoxia came together.

Everyone followed the queen to the Fengzhu Palace to meet the queen mother, and then to the Bixiao Luan Hall to meet the imperial concubine, to the Jingyang Hall to meet the emperor, and the queen was hugged to the Jingfu Palace.

The queen sat in the middle, and everyone gave the queen a birthday greeting.

The queen smiled: "Every year's birthday, these false gifts are waived." As he spoke, everyone bowed down. Qin Meiren was inconvenient, the queen glanced at Zhan Xi, and just when Qin Mei was about to worship, Zhan Xi stepped forward and hugged her.

The crowd bowed four times, and the queen stood and returned the salute. After the birthday prayer, everyone sat down in order. The queen ordered Shu'e to sit under Shang Cairen, and the following were Lu, Dong, Liao, and Mu.

The queen's maids offered refreshments to everyone, and everyone tasted tea and chatted.

Concubine Rong Li practiced in the Taiqing Palace in Luoyang to pray for blessings, so she sent a maid to congratulate her.

Below the queen, Concubine Rong is the most respectful, and the maid came on behalf of Concubine Rong, so the seats were arranged above the Yan family. But the maid didn't dare to sit down, so she only left a vacant seat and stood next to the seat.

The queen sat upright, pinched her fingers and calculated, and smiled at the maid: "Your lady has arrived in Taiqing Palace, and the time has come." ”

The maid hurriedly saluted and said: "Back to the queen, Mrs. Li is in the palace on July 11, and there are still 26 days before the two-year period." The lady said that the queen's good day should have been congratulated in person, but since she made a grand wish in front of the emperor and the queen, if she left easily, her previous practice would inevitably be abandoned. The lady sent a slave to kowtow to the queen to apologize. As he spoke, he bowed down.

Qin Meiren sneered: "Although Concubine Rong is not a monk, she is a vow to practice after all. I heard that the emperor didn't reward her with a Taoist name, what is it called 'Qingyou Yuanshi', isn't it? ”

The maid who was kneeling on the ground bowed halfway, straightened up, and looked at Kotomi stunned and at a loss.

The queen smiled at Qin Meiren and said, "Sister Qin has a good memory. I remember the day when the emperor gave Concubine Rong the title, you were not there. ”

Qin Meiren laughed coldly and briskly, gently stroked her lower abdomen with her hand, and continued: "Since you have a title, this is the honorable envoy who keeps using the old name, Concubine Li Niangzi, but it is the most respected title of the concubine back then." It's still like this in front of us, and I don't know how Lu Dao shouted when he was far away in Luoyang. ”

The maid was so frightened that her face was like earth, and she said worriedly: "The slave and the maid don't dare, the slave and the maid don't dare." It was in front of all the concubines and concubines that the slaves and maids used the old names, but in the Taiqing Palace, there was no such thing. ”

The qin beauty just smiled and didn't say anything, and the maid just knelt on the ground in panic and didn't know what to do.

The queen smiled and said, "You get up, I said 'Li Niangzi' first." The Queen's face was calm and serene, with a shallow smile, and her eyes swept over the faces of the beautiful and the maid, as if an elder was watching two naughty children quarrel.

The queen smiled, "What's your name?" Hurry up. ”

The maid kowtowed and replied, "The slave's name is Yao Yilan." After speaking, he stood up flat.

The queen asked the queen about the situation in the palace, and after a while, a eunuch came in and reported: "Back to the queen, the emperor said that after half an hour, the banquet will be held in the smoke on the Bibo Lake." Please take the ladies with you. ”

The queen nodded and said, "In this case, please loosen your clothes, on such a hot day, you should not be asked to dress like this to the banquet." Then he smiled at Shu E: "You also go, but you are not allowed to escape." Shu'e agreed.

Everyone said goodbye and went back to change clothes. When I got up, I only heard Yang Meiren's "oops", and she stood up halfway, but sat down again. The queen hurriedly asked, "What's wrong with my sister?" ”

Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Yang Meiren hurriedly stood up with Qian Tao's hand and said with a smile: "I feel a little hungry when I get up early, and my legs are weak for a while, so it doesn't matter." ”

Qin Meiren smiled: "Before the banquet started, my sister felt that she was going to be hungry, and for a while, there was no music made by my sister on the table, but it was too much fun." ”

Yu Shi also smiled: "Even so, everyone quickly change their clothes and go to the banquet together, don't starve Chunxi." ”

The crowd laughed and dispersed.

Shu E took a few steps back and asked, "Sister Yang, is there really nothing wrong?" ”

Yang Meiren said with a moved expression: "It's still my sister who cares about me the most." Don't worry, I'm fine. ”