In the jubilant Shoutang, the emperor led the princes and ministers, and the queen brought the harem concubines, feudal concubines, and court wives one by one to greet the Empress Dowager Rensheng and send congratulatory gifts; After the Empress Dowager Rensheng sat down for a group of high-ranking or high-status figures such as princes and important ministers, and a group of high-status harem concubines stood aside, it was the turn of the prince, the empress, the empress and the empress and others to come forward in order to pay respects.

Princess Gong Jing, who wore light makeup, her hair was finely combed through delicate jade flowers and golden hairpins, and she was wearing a pale red top and a water-green pleated long skirt, holding a picture of the word Shou covered with red cloth, and slowly moved to the hall where the Shou Hall was set up in the long birthday procession, and after waiting for a long time, it was finally her turn to come forward to celebrate her birthday.

The palace master of Gong Jing stepped forward and knelt three times and bowed nine times, and said respectfully: "Gong Jing wishes the Empress Dowager Rensheng blessings like the East China Sea, and her longevity is better than Nanshan." ”

Empress Dowager Rensheng smiled and said, "Okay, get up." ”

"Empress Dowager Xie." Princess Gong Jing stood up, carefully pulled away the red cloth, and showed the picture of the word longevity, "This is a congratulatory gift prepared by Gong Jing for the Queen Mother, I hope the Queen Mother likes it." ”

As soon as this picture came out, the eyes of many people in Shoutang were attracted. The eyes of the Empress Dowager Rensheng were attracted by the birthday star on the picture, and the Empress Dowager Cisheng, who wrote well, was stuck to her gaze by the two lines of cursive golden lines on the picture; And someone in the Shoutang immediately froze when he saw the purple peony on the picture, and then a look of excitement flashed on his face.

The Empress Dowager Rensheng said with great satisfaction: "Gong Jing, your birthday gift is very good!" You must have put a lot of thought into it, right? ”

Empress Dowager Cisheng continued: "It seems that Gong Jing has not only completely inherited her mother's superb embroidery skills, but also is blue. ”

Princess Gong Jing lowered her head embarrassedly and said softly: "Back to the two queen mothers, this longevity picture is not embroidered by Gong Jing. Gong Jing is not proficient in learning and art, and he can't embroider such a fine handmade longevity map, so he specially invited a palace person with outstanding embroidery skills to embroider this longevity picture for the Empress Dowager Rensheng. ”

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a person next to her say: "Princess Gongjing, the person who can embroider such a special longevity picture is not a palace person from the Needlework Bureau?" The person who spoke was a man over fifty years old with a faint smile on his face. He wore a golden silk winged hat on his head, a brocade python pattern round-necked robe with a white background, two temples and three locks of beard with a slight white color, a pair of deep eyes seemed to be unable to set off the slightest wave, and the wrinkles at the corners of the eyes added a bit of wisdom to him. He was the one who was secretly excited when he saw the purple peony, but at this moment, there was no excitement on his face at all.

Princess Gong Jing replied, "Uncle Huiqian, no. The person who embroidered this picture was a eunuch named Xiaobei in the agricultural courtyard. ”

"The eunuch of the Agroenary?"

Princess Gong Jing's answer caused a discussion in the Shoutang. The people who didn't know what the farm was didn't react much, and those who knew what it was were were all surprised. Such a flawless longevity picture was not embroidered by the palace people of the Needlework Bureau, but the little eunuch in the agricultural courtyard? Isn't the farm yard a place dedicated to growing vegetables and washing toilets? When did an embroidery master come out?

While everyone was talking, the man who was called "Uncle Qianwang" by Princess Gongjing leaned back on the chair, touched his beard and said: "Two queen mothers, it seems that everyone is very curious about how a small eunuch of the agricultural academy can embroider such a good longevity picture, why don't you summon him in and let everyone see where he is sacred, how?" ”

A man sitting in the first seat on the left chuckled and said, "Lord Qian, he is just a small eunuch in the agricultural courtyard, why do you use such hard work to mobilize the people?" The man who spoke was a man wearing a black gauze hat and a red official uniform embroidered with a crane pattern on his chest, and his beard and hair were all white.

The Empress Dowager Cisheng, who admired the two lines of golden thread cursive, took over and said: "Zhang Shoufu, the mourning family thinks that Prince Qian's suggestion is good. This eunuch who can embroider a good hand makes the mourning family curious. ”

Hearing the Empress Dowager Cisheng say this, the man dressed as a civil official laughed: "What can make the Empress Dowager feel curious, this eunuch seems to be worth seeing." ”

The young emperor, who was sitting next to the Empress Dowager Rensheng, laughed and said, "Since everyone is so curious," he turned his head and instructed the eunuch standing behind him to wait, "Zhang Cheng, you go and summon the eunuch named Xiaobei in the agricultural courtyard to receive the reward." ”

"Minion Command." Zhang Cheng, who got the emperor's words, bent down and withdrew from Shoutang to find someone.

On the other side of the palace walls, and the magnificence of the main hall are two completely different worlds.

There's jubilant, there's listlessness. A group of eunuchs from the agricultural courtyard kneeling at the back of the spectacular birthday procession, kneeling on the ground for most of the day, had just received two imperial birthday bags each.

Bei Juese picked up a longevity bag and was about to put it in his mouth, but suddenly heard someone shouting: "Is there a person named Xiaobei in the agricultural courtyard?" ”

Looking up, I saw a eunuch in a dark green embroidered robe walking towards me. Not sure if the other party was looking for him, Bei Juese just glanced at the person who came and lowered his head to prepare to eat buns again.

It was Father-in-law Bai, who immediately laughed as if he had seen a gold ingot, and hurriedly greeted him: "Father-in-law Zhang is good." ”

Zhang Cheng ignored his smile and asked directly: "Father-in-law Bai, do you have a eunuch named Xiaobei under your command?" ”

Father-in-law Bai hunched his waist, still smiling flatteringly, pointing at Bei Jue Se and saying, "That is Xiaobei." May I ask what Grandpa Zhang is looking for him? ”

Zhang Cheng ignored Father-in-law Bai, walked up to Bei Juese and asked, "Are you Xiaobei embroidering a longevity picture for Princess Gongjing?" ”

Nod.

After receiving an affirmative answer, Zhang Cheng said: "The emperor has an order to summon you to enter and see." ”

Seeing that Bei Juese was still in place and did not react, Bai Gonggong hurriedly stepped forward and pushed him hard, saying, "Don't go yet!" Then he lowered his voice, "You must be cautious in your words and deeds in front of the emperor and the two queen mothers, don't be rude, you know?" ”

Bei Juese "oh" for a while, and wanted to put the two shou bao that he hadn't had time to eat into his arms, but was snatched by Bai Gonggong and said, "Don't worry about eating!" Just go! After saying that, he stuffed the bun into his mouth three times and two times.

Today's breakfast and lunch are gone.

The depressed Bei Jue Se could only have an empty stomach, and followed Zhang Cheng behind him to face the saint with a nervous mood. He didn't seem to have seen the emperor, and he hadn't done anything earth-shattering recently, at most he had beaten Song Gongbao a few times, so how could the emperor summon him? Could it be that the longevity pictures he embroidered were not liked by the emperor and the queen mother? Or is it something else I don't know?