February 14 is the 43-year-old Qianqiu Festival of the Empress Dowager Kangci, the internal and external women are ordered to Cining Palace in batches to ask for a birthday, Emperor Xianfeng and issued an order, in the east side of the Chonghua Palace Shufangzhai to set up a family banquet, ordered several of their brothers to take Fujin into the palace to accompany the Empress Dowager to serve the joy of family, for the arrangement of this matter, although Xingzhen did not work anything, but was also annoyed by the internal affairs office that talked back and forth every day, so he had to pull the concubine to suffer together.

On the same day, the temples and Taoist temples inside and outside Beijing rang the bell to pray for the empress dowager, the Xianfeng Emperor Zhu Bi pardoned several prisoners who were not considered a major crime, and the internal affairs office outside the Dongzhi Gate set up a porridge stall to give alms to the poor.

At about four or five o'clock in the afternoon, the sky was faintly gray, Xiao Xiazi and Xiao Zhuzi lit the palace lamp, Chuxiu Palace, Xingzhen finished dressing up, wore a stone blue satin embroidered colorful cloud five-claw golden dragon eight tuan gown, put on flower pot bottom shoes, and asked Tang Wufu, who had just entered the inner room, "Did the emperor come out there?" ”

"In addition to the Heart Cultivation Palace, the emperor has arrived at Cining Palace."

"Have all the kings arrived?"

"There is news from the other end of Shufangzhai, except for the seventh master, the other princes have not yet arrived." The brothers of the emperors are called according to the common name outside, Prince Gong is called the sixth master, and the seventh master in Tang Wufu's mouth is the seventh brother of Emperor Xianfeng, the seventh uncle of Emperor Tongzhi, the biological father of Emperor Guangxu, and Puyi's grandfather - Aixinjue Luo Yiyun.

"Then let's go to Shufangzhai first, now I don't know much about your princes, and now it's a family, there's nothing wrong with getting acquainted with each other."

"Yes."

The first place behind Chuxiu Palace is Shufangzhai, Xingzhen slowly walked to the front of Qianqiu Pavilion, and a group of people hurriedly came behind her, Xingzhen stopped, turned around, and saw a fourteen or fifteen years old, with a long face, tall figure, slender eyes, and the outline is somewhat similar to the emperor, looking at the clothing pendant is the prince should bring, Xingzhen knew that it was a certain brother of the emperor who arrived, thinking that Yang Wufu had just said that the king of alcohol had not yet arrived, so he smiled at the young nobleman who was standing still: "This is the seventh master, right?" ”

"The younger brother asked the queen mother to say goodbye, and the younger brother came late in a hurry, so please forgive the mother." Wang Yiyun of Alcohol County made a thousand cleanly, and his heart was uneasy, this first family banquet in the palace was late, I don't know if this queen's sister-in-law will be blamed.

"The seventh master is not late, the emperor is now accompanying the queen mother in Cining Palace, the royal driver has not yet left Cining Palace, it is a family banquet, why should the seventh master be restrained."

"Yes." Yi Xun stood up.

"The seventh master will go to Shufangzhai with the palace."

"Don't dare, please go first." Xingzhen smiled and walked ahead, Yiyun followed behind, Xingzhen rolled her eyes, and asked, "How old is the seventh master this year?" ”

"Brother Chen, I'm fifteen years old this year."

"Oh, fifteen, wouldn't that be a kiss? Tell me, do you have any favorite girls? Xingzhen turned her head and happened to see Yiyun with a somewhat shy expression.

Yi Xun smiled and said: "The younger brother is still young now, and I haven't seen much of the women in the Eight Banners."

"Then when did you take a fancy to which lady, come over and say to this palace, this husband and wife, if the two are happy, it is naturally the best, and it is much better than the finger marriage of blind marriage and dumb marriage."

"Sissy kindness."

"If you have time, you can also go into the palace to visit my Chuxiu Palace, I don't have anything to eat here, but there are still a few cups of this good tea. After today's dinner, you have time to go and see the imperial concubine, I haven't seen you for many days, and your mother told me last time, I miss you. "Zhuangshun Imperial Concubine Wu Yashi is Yiyun's biological mother and now lives in Shoukang Palace.

"Yes." Yi Xun replied meekly, Xingzhen asked some things he usually likes to do, and after chatting for a while, he arrived at Shufangzhai, a few walked into the apse, only to see a number of people wearing gold and silver standing in twos and threes chatting, the eunuchs who were waiting at the palace gate had sharp eyes, and when they saw the corners of Xingzhen's clothes, they hurriedly shouted: "The queen has arrived!" ”

Everyone in the hall saluted one after another, Xingzhen saw the crowd of people, bowing his head but still heroic Prince Gong, the woman in flag dress next to him is estimated to be his concubine Fujin, Xingzhen opened her mouth and smiled: "Why should your relatives be polite, everyone hurry up." Prince Gong glanced at the queen and stood up straight, "Everyone sit down and wait, the queen mother and the emperor will be here in a while, seventh master, help introduce the palace." Xingzhen walked into the court, Yi Xun introduced one by one on the side, a fat and smiling young man of about twenty years is Dunjun Wang Aixin Jueluo Yicheng, he is the fifth son of Emperor Daoguang, and he was succeeded to the prince Miankai of the county, as the king of the county, and the mother of the concubine Niu Hulu. Born on the 15th day of June in the 11th year of Daoguang, he was born only six days later than Emperor Xianfeng, and a petite and lovely woman beside him was his Fujin.

Yi Xun was introducing Yi, "This is the sixth brother of the minister's brother, Prince Gong." Xingzhen pretended to meet for the first time, and smiled and blessed, "The sixth master is polite." ”

Yi hurriedly returned the salute, "Don't dare, my brother will meet the queen." This is the title of seniority, in fact, Yi is two years older than Cixi, and now he is twenty-two years old.

"Sixth Master, where is your Fujin? In the past, it was all the foreign women who met together, and the palace was clumsy, and the warbler Yanyan was dazzled, and she couldn't tell which one it was, but she had to see her well today. ”

"The concubine Guerjia clan visited the queen mother, and the queen mother was blessed with Jin'an." A young woman with a beaded hair came out from behind Prince Gong, and Tingting bowed down.

Xingzhen picked up the Guerjia clan with her own hands, and said with a smile: "Why should Liufujin be polite, we are concubines, so we don't have to see each other like this." The gentle Guerjia clan hurriedly responded, Prince Gong saw that the two women were talking happily, and just as he wanted to say something, Yang Qingxi's voice came from outside.

"The Queen Mother has arrived! The emperor has arrived! ”

Everyone saluted to the entrance of the temple and said hello. The emperor's clear voice came from the door: "Get up, today is a family banquet, so you don't have to be polite." The emperor wore a purple robe, the queen mother wore a silver-gray embroidered purple cloud orchid flag dress, the emperor held the arm of the queen mother, and the other side was supported by Deling, although the emperor said that there was no need to be polite today, but everyone was still standing behind their positions, waiting for the queen mother and the emperor to sit down, and then pay a big salute to worship, wishing the queen mother a thousand years of happiness and longevity.

The queen mother's complexion today is particularly good, and the golden silk and phoenix hairpin on her bun shine under the bright candlelight in the hall. Empress Dowager Kangci nodded, said yes in a loud voice, and said to Emperor Xianfeng next to her: "Now that this family is reunited, the old woman is really happy in her heart." ”