06 Past: Yanshu and Family Banquet
The second brother ordered the bell to take my cloak, the snow white looked like a mourning dress, I endured it and didn't make a sound, let him tie me a belt, until he took me into the carriage and went out of the palace gate, I still silently thought, this kind of smooth flow, it seems, I have done a lot before.
The carriage ran over the bluestone avenue, turned into the downtown area, and could hear the lively shouts in the market, I sat in my position reservedly, pretending not to feel the eyes of the second brother all the way.
"Second brother, where are we going?"
He leaned back on the cushion, with his own elegance, and there was no restraint at all when he was caught.
"Go to a place that we used to go to a lot." When he said this, the tail of his eyes was raised, there was a sense of provocation, I was afraid to laugh in my heart, such a big person, it was really naΓ―ve.
I lifted the curtain to look outside, the ancient market was lively, the people were simple, and the stalls and interesting gadgets that could be seen everywhere were interesting to me, and I also cut off the inquisitive eyes next to me.
After a while, the carriage finally stopped, the second brother jumped out of the carriage first, and then reached out to pick me up, I was angry with his exploration just now, so I ignored him, jumped directly from the carriage, and bluffed him and the doorman for a moment.
"Yo, my temper is still bigger."
I still ignored him, looked at this place, it looked like it should be a theater, there were large lotus flowers planted in the low wall, across the bamboo bridge were a few low buildings, and opera music came from afar.
The second brother didn't care about me, he walked forward with steps, and seeing that he was about to cross the bridge, I was a little anxious, so I hurriedly followed him and walked beside him. He stopped and squinted at me, then said nothing.
The waiter led us to sit under the table, a tree above our heads, pruned into the shape of an umbrella, like a canopy covering our heads, one after another people served tea and snacks, I watched while eating, secretly thought, the snacks here are not bad, no wonder so many guests.
On the stage, a Tsing Yi Hua Dan was babbling and singing the opera, she didn't hear what she was singing, she only felt that her voice was tactful, and her little face was sharpened under the heavy ink.
"It's supposed to be a beauty." I said so, turned my head to look at the second brother, he looked at the stage silently and was very fascinated, I twisted another piece of pastry, thoughtful "oh".
After a while, there was a play of a fierce girl throwing herself into the river, the performance was lively, and I couldn't help but applaud when I got excited, there was a person sitting next to me, I turned my head to look, and saw the color of the clothes and the sharpened little face, not the beauty who had just sung a little song.
I didn't know what was going on, so I went to see my second brother, and he drank tea in a disguised manner and didn't speak.
"It seems that the rumors are true, but the princess really doesn't remember anything?"
I froze, the voice, though still crisp and pleasant, was clearly a man's voice, and I looked at his neck and could no longer speak.
"What's wrong with her." The beauty poured a cup of tea, turned her head and asked the second brother: "Is it difficult, it's so stupid!" β
I was still in a daze, I didn't see the second brother's expression, I just felt that his voice was full of impatience.
"Yanshu, pay attention to your wording, she is my sister."
Yan Shu smiled, trembling like a delicate peony flower, he wiped away the tears from laughter, and said lightly: "I didn't know that you were so good to her." β
I vaguely feel that Yanshu is very hostile to me, but why is this? Could it be that he treats me as an imaginary enemy? I held the teacup and smiled secretly, how can I be virtuous.
"The princess won't really break her head."
I laughed and didn't answer, this time the answer is the most unpleasant, should I answer yes or no, as if neither of them can work.
When we left, Yan Shu sent us to the door, he stood aside and talked to the second brother, I was by the carriage, looking at the theater seriously, only then did I see the three big characters "Jiang Bi Lou" at the door, my heart jumped.
The plaque is very ordinary, but I lived in the palace for a few days, and I probably know that the wood is agarwood, and the three words "Jiang Yan Lou" on the plaque are hidden, the head and tail are hidden, the pen and ink are even, and the momentum of a spray is in it.
It happened that the second brother came back from talking, so I got into the carriage with him, I looked back, Yanshu only left me with a beautiful and cold back, I shrugged my shoulders, and jumped into the carriage indifferently.
On the way back, the second brother kept his eyes closed, as if he was really tired, and I hesitated to think about whether I should ask him.
"What do you want to ask, hurry up, you're going to the palace gate soon, you are running out of time."
I was shocked, he could also know this, and he was really a god, so I didn't bother anymore, and asked directly: "Yanshu hates me, why?" β
The second brother opened his eyes, the light forced me to be stunned, he blinked, his eyes softened again, but there was still no trace of temperature, he rubbed his forehead, and said: "The third horse used to be the son of the Jiangbian Building. β
β¦β¦
"Princess, your hair is so good."
Back in my palace, after bathing, the bell dried my hair, smeared a layer of hair oil, and combed it slowly, I looked at myself in the mirror, full of doubts. What does the second brother's sentence mean, the third horse? and what he does.
Early in the morning of the second day, the sky was still blue, I had been pulled out of the bed by the bell, a few maids surrounded me to dress and freshen up, I was like a soulless puppet doll, at their mercy, the last bowl of bird's nest belly, the whole body warmed up to have a trace of energy.
Today is the day of the family banquet, the so-called family banquet is a meal eaten together by the whole family, and it is undoubtedly a little apprehensive and nervous to think that I am about to see all the family members of Qingjiang.
When I arrived at Xiwu Palace, there were already a room of people slowly sitting, I stepped into the door with a slight smile, everyone was looking at me, I pinched the sweat in my palm, and the smile was even worse.
Sitting next to Concubine Mu is naturally the third princess, and next to the third princess must be the fourth princess, who looks very similar to her mother, but her eyebrows and eyes are softer than the third princess.
My mother and the second brother sat on the other side, and next to the second brother sat a tall young man, wearing a moon-white robe, bowing his head and playing with the jade cup in his hand, without even looking at me, this is the fifth brother of Qingjiang.
There were two people sitting on the main seat looking at me with smiles, everyone was dressed in formal clothes very luxuriously, I was relieved, fortunately I listened to the bell in the morning and wore this blue bandeau dress.
"Qingjiang to the imperial grandmother, father and queen mother, Concubine Mu to say goodbye."
The Queen Mother beckoned to me, and I walked up to her, and she took my hand and looked at her lovingly.
"How are you doing?"
I lowered my head and replied, "Grandmother Xie Huang cares, except for the fact that she can't remember much, it's all right." β
She touched my hand and said, "Why is it so cold, I didn't take a cloak when I came out, the girl in your palace is really not good." β
The Queen Mother's hands are very warm, soft and slippery, and at this moment I really feel like my grandmother, although she does not look old at all, she is still very young, without the vicissitudes of the elderly.
"Imperial grandmother, it's Qingjiang who is in a hurry to see you earlier."
I said sincerely, the queen mother looked very happy, and took my hand and asked for warmth, at this time, Concubine Mu said a word, which made the whole scene cold.
"Why hasn't this eldest princess come yet?"
I don't think there's anything wrong with this sentence, and I'm surprised how Concubine Mu is so considerate and cares about my eldest sister, I secretly looked, and my father's face was also very bad.
The Queen Mother stood up, I hurriedly stood to the side, she pulled me, and said with a calm face: "Let's go to the dining room." β
The Queen Mother pulled me, and a group of people walked behind us, she was in a hurry, and I had to hold her and follow closely. Turning the corner of the corridor, a beautiful figure waited in the distance. When she got closer, she called "Imperial Grandmother" crisply, and I knew that this was my eldest sister.
Following the Queen Mother, they all stopped, I don't know what happened but I can feel it, the Queen Mother doesn't seem to be very happy to see the eldest princess?
The queen mother walked up from behind, took the queen mother's other hand and held it, and said with a smile: "Since the accident, Qingjiang has not been in good health, and he is always hungry. β
I received the signal from the Queen Mother, and when the Queen Mother turned around, she put on a sad face.
"That is, I have an illness, my appetite is good, I am always hungry, the queen mother also set up a small kitchen in my palace, and dialed two dim sum masters to me, saying that Qingjiang is hungry, grandmother, let's go to dinner quickly, you are also hungry, right?"
My queen mother, who used the trick of being sick, was really amazing, and the queen mother softened when she heard it, and bypassed the eldest sister to pull me away. I winked at the eldest sister, and she smiled faintly, like a peony flower in the morning light, blooming with dew.
I looked back, the second brother smiled and said something to the eldest sister, she feigned anger and punched the second brother, he was not annoyed, the fifth brother held his arms and watched the joke on the side.
Since then, whenever I think of that scene, I still feel very beautiful, like a picture that spreads out forever, and the happiness lasts forever.