As the weather gets hotter day by day, the midsummer season of Tianbao's ten years has come, and the stone slabs and trees on Chang'an Avenue have not cooled down at night after a day of roasting, and the residual heat is dispersed into the stuffy air.

But Chang'an people's hearts have added another kind of heat, tomorrow, that is, the first day of June, is the birthday of the concubine Niangniang, the Holy Admiral will hold a grand celebration in the Hibiscus Garden of Qujiang Pond, the Hibiscus Garden was closed for decoration as early as two months ago, it is said that the flowers are made of ayaluo, the gold leaf is the leaf, and the pearl is a fake fruit, which costs millions of yuan, and uses up nearly half of the treasures hidden in the left.

This birthday ceremony, all officials in Beijing and their wives and daughters must participate, which is not only an obligation to celebrate the birthday of the noble concubine, but also an honor.

The invitation was sent down by the Ministry of Internal Service as early as a month ago, and almost all the officials received it, and in order to participate in this grand ceremony, the noble ladies of Chang'an added gold and jade, and the noblewomen of Chang'an added gold and jade, and the clothes were beautiful, and the pearls and emeralds were shining, and the incense powder was applied, and all kinds of precious clothes emerged in an endless stream, and even the most precious light appearance became an ordinary costume.

'Graceful and thinly groomed, the world is wide in costumes. The sleeves are soft and different, and the clothes are light monofilament. ’

The front doors of the major shops in the East Market are like a market, and the Huren jewelry shops are competing for beauty, and Chang'an once again shows its magnificent nature.

Dugu's family is a little different, their family received two invitations, one is an invitation to Dugu Haoran's wife, Mrs. Pei, Mrs. Pei's order is Mrs. Sanpinjun, although Dugu Haoran is not in Chang'an, his wife still has to attend.

The other invitation is more special, it is Yang Guifei who personally sent out the invitation, which is to Li Qingan's fiancée Dugu Mingyue, according to the etiquette system, Li Qingan has not officially married Dugu Mingyue, so Mingyue can not appear as Li Qingan's wife on a formal occasion, but there must be flexibility under the etiquette system, in fact, as long as the parties on both sides do not care, no one will really investigate Mingyue for violating the etiquette system, after all, not many people are willing to do things that offend people, not to mention offending the feudal officials, So Mingyue received an invitation from the Wei family for a happy event last month, that is, an invitation to Li Qingan, and she went on behalf of Li Qingan.

But the etiquette system is not completely meaningless, for example, at this concubine's birthday ceremony, it is extremely strict, not only requires officials above the seventh grade to participate, but also their wives must have an edict to attend together, otherwise it is a violation of the etiquette system and will be held accountable, so according to this strict regulation, Mingyue as Li Qingan's fiancée cannot participate, because she has not yet been edicted, of course, she can also participate as Dugu Haoran's daughter, but the careful Yang Guifei solved this embarrassment for her.

Yang Guifei made a special case under this strict rule, and all invitations sent by her in person were not subject to this restriction, which were her personal friends, and she only wrote a total of seven such invitations, including several of her female companions from girlhood, and then Dugu Mingyue.

At night, the Dugu sisters are trying on clothes in the room, and Mingzhu, as Dugu Haoran's daughter, has also got a place, and she will attend the ceremony with her mother tomorrow.

Their dresses were formulated for them by Mrs. Pei herself, all of them were six floor-mopping skirts, the fabric was high-grade Wu Jin, the bright moon was red, the pearl was green, the Luo skirt was layered, and embroidered with gold thread, and the outside was covered with a fine yarn made of light appearance, as thin as cicada wings.

Mingzhu stood in front of the bronze mirror and looked at her silhouette, her brows furrowed, and she muttered: "Sister, you are tall and tall, and you look good in this kind of mopping skirt, but I wear it a little nondescript, you look at it, it feels like a small horse-drawn cart." ”

In the bronze mirror, Mingzhu's figure is a little petite, and she does look more petite when she wears this six-panel wide skirt, like a doll.

Mingyue saw it on the side and said with a smile: "Do you know why your mother wants you to wear this dress?" ”

"I know, she's afraid I'll lose face by dressing weird."

"That's not exactly, I guess my mother wants to find a suitable person for you at the banquet, and it's time to consider your life's events."

"I don't want it!"

Mingzhu took off her skirt angrily, changed back into her short skirt, and turned around the room, the skirt was flying, she couldn't help but giggle: "It's still comfortable to wear this kind of skirt, I decided, just wear this skirt." ”

"Whatever, if you can convince my mother, I don't care about you."

Mingyue sat in front of the mirror and carefully trimmed her eyebrows, Mingzhu was in a good mood, she hummed a little song to clean up her mopping skirt, but some thoughts came to her heart inexplicably, she suddenly remembered something, her face was a little unhappy, and she said to Mingyue: "Sister, you have to write a letter." ”

"What?" Mingyue stopped her eyebrows, looked at her strangely, and said with a smile: "What kind of letter do you write?" To whom to write? ”

"Of course it's for your husband, last time I told you about it." Mingzhu doesn't have a good airway.

"What's the matter?"

"Don't pretend to be confused, it's that Jiang Wuyi, the last time I saw her, she looked like a fox, which made people angry when they saw it, sister, you must say it." The more Mingzhu spoke, the more angry she became, and the six wide skirts under her hand were crumpled together by her.

Mingyue smiled and ignored her, Mingzhu saw that her sister didn't react, so she stepped forward and snatched her eyebrow pencil, and said angrily: "You, how can you not take it to heart like this, she is still the daughter-in-law of the Cui family, what is it to follow the eldest brother?" And she is also Lee Sang-guk's niece, sister, she will take your seat, aren't you in a hurry? ”

Mingyue saw that she was so anxious that her eyebrows burned, so she shook her head and smiled: "You! If Li Lang likes her and marries him, it will be their fate, what can I do if I am anxious, okay, return the eyebrow pencil to me. ”

"Then at least you have to write a letter to your husband to show your attitude in this matter, you are the main room, you are his wife, and everyone around him must have your consent, how can you be so so-so and ignore nothing?"

Mingyue saw that she was serious, but she was not good at making fun of her, so she said: "Mingzhu, he is alone in Anxi, he always needs someone to take care of him, if Wuyi can take care of him for me, I am also relieved, just like my father, Aunt Qi has been following my father, and my mother is not angry with her!" ”

"It's enough to take care of Brother Li's picturesque sisters, especially poetry, gentle and considerate, and meticulous as hair, so can Jiang Wuyi compare to her? I think she is an Israelite, and the eldest brother was seduced by her. ”

"That's it!"

Mingyue sat down her sister, folded the skirt for her, and said with a smile: "Sister's affairs, I know it in my heart, don't be foolish, it's not early, you go to sleep quickly!"

Mingzhu had no choice but to take her skirt and leave, Mingyue closed the door, and had no intention of putting on makeup, she sat in front of the window, holding her cheeks, looking at the stars in the night sky in a daze, all kinds of tastes poured into her heart together, she sighed, took out a plain note, and wrote a letter to Li Qingan.

'Li Lang, the recent health is good, the concubine heard that although it is hot at noon in Anxi, but the cold is quite severe in the morning and evening, I hope you always pay attention to your body, don't let the concubine worry, Chang'an is plain and bland, the Wei family married in the first half of the year, I sent you an invitation, I arranged a congratulatory ceremony, Ming said that the concubine's birthday, the scale is grand, the concubine has a special invitation to the concubine, will represent you to participate in the ceremony, Chang'an everything, the concubine will be dotted one by one, Li Lang does not have to worry, next month, the middle of the year, is the ancestor of the said, the concubine should go to the Temple of Mercy and Grace, for the king to worship the spirit of the in-laws．．．．．．’

．．．．．．．． In the early morning, the sky has just dawned, the heat on the Vermilion Bird Street has just dissipated, the breeze is blowing, it is the coolest moment in a day, many people in Chang'an have gotten up early, taking advantage of this moment to be cool, busy with a day's livelihood.

Suzaku Street was full of hurried people, from time to time a horse-drawn carriage galloped by, leaving the sound of chariots and horses all the way, under a big tree, an herbal tea stall was set up early, taking advantage of the gap between Jin Wuwei's exchange patrols, selling a few bowls of herbal tea and ice cubes.

A few copper coins jingled, and several porters drank herbal tea, and talked about today's event in a loud voice.

"Damn, I don't want to work today, go home and plough the fields with my mother, and give birth to a delicate little lady early, she became a concubine, Lao Tzu is the national abbot, and the duck butt Lao Tzu of Baiwei Zhai can eat as much as you like."

An old porter next to him 'flutters!' With a sound, he sprayed the herbal tea on the ground, pointed at him and smiled: "Just by your words, you will be a duck butt for the rest of your life." ”

The big man said angrily: "What are you laughing at, aren't you the same? Your three mothers and four mothers, don't you also send them to learn the piano? I don't know what you're thinking about those old tendons? ”

The old porter glanced at him and said disdainfully: "My family's three mothers and four mothers have praised them for their good looks since they were children, and if they learn both color and art, maybe they will have the life of the princess, you forget it!" Your lady's garlic nose gave birth to a little footman. ”

"You!" The big man was furious, rolled up his sleeves and was about to do it, but the stall owner hurriedly persuaded: "Don't fight, which family in Chang'an City doesn't want to give birth to a concubine's daughter, but there is only one concubine, or from Bashu, let's be realistic, what should be drunk, what should be eaten, come!" Drink two more bowls of herbal tea. ”

Everyone was clamoring and shouting, and at this moment, a group of knights rushed in from the Mingde Gate, all of them carrying red leather bags on their backs, and the horses were as fast as galloping, and the horses' hooves were beating on the ground, like thunder.

"Spread out!" Immediately the knights roared so loudly that the pedestrians on the road stumbled and fled in both directions, and a group of knights rushed past the tea stall at a gallop, and in a moment they became a few small black dots.

A group of porters were dumbfounded, and the old porters sighed and said: "See, when the national ruler is in Chang'an, he is eating fresh lychees that have just come down from the tree, not eating any duck butts." ”

Several porters seemed to wilt, listlessly drinking herbal tea, at this time, the big man slammed the bowl on the table, and said in a rough voice: "No, today Lao Tzu must find a way to enter Qujiang Pond to take a look, what does the concubine look like?" ”

Today is Yang Guifei's birthday, and the formal celebration will not start until dusk to avoid the scorching sun, but the palace maids and eunuchs of Daming Palace will get up before dawn and be busy, and all kinds of rituals for holding the birthday banquet must be brought from the palace, gold plates and jade bowls, agate jars and jade basins must be sent to the top ten restaurants in Chang'an that host the birthday banquet early in the morning, as well as the pineapple wood couch, the white jade screen of the red sandalwood frame, and all kinds of fine porcelain, precious tea from all over the world, Anxi's tribute wine, and fish fat candles, Palace lanterns adorned with night pearls, etc., etc., all the necessary things have to be brought.

Of course, if it was only today, it would be too late, in fact, what they brought was only spare parts, and all kinds of utensils needed for the banquet had already been sent first.

In Yang Yuhuan's bedroom, more than a hundred palace maids who were waiting for her makeup were waiting quietly, and the noble concubine was eating lychees, and no one dared to disturb her at this time.

Yang Yuhuan is in a good mood these days, the saint promised her, after this birthday, she will move back to Xingqing Palace again, Daming Palace will never set foot in it, which means that a little unhappiness between them some time ago has disappeared, but Yang Yuhuan also made a little concession, that is, if Li Longji wants to be lucky with which concubine, he can take Xingqing Palace, after Yang Huahua's incident, she suddenly figured out a truth, the more she wants to tie the saint to her side, the more she will lose, only the combination of width and tightness is the way to last.

Lu Taiyi, the little eunuch who served her to eat lychees, skillfully opened a lychee, handed it to her, and looked at the crystal and delicate lychee meat, Lu Taiyi frowned and said: "This lychee is not good, it is a little old." ”

Yang Yuhuan's cherry lips sucked a mouthful of the sweet juice on the lychee, and a fragrant and sweet taste slipped into her mouth, and she couldn't help laughing: "This lychee is very good!" How can you say it's old? ”

Mrs. Lu blinked, and suddenly realized: "I know, it's Niangniang's skin that is too delicate, and it seems to be very dry." ”

Yang Yuhuan laughed so hard that he took a breath for a while, pointed at him and scolded with a smile: "You are really a sycophant!" ”

"Who's a sycophant?"

Li Longji's voice came from the outhouse, and he strode in and said with a smile: "Who is filming my lady's ass?" ”

Lu Taiyi was so frightened that he knelt down, and he didn't dare to say anything, Yang Yuhuan got up and saluted Li Longji, and said with a smile: "This little eunuch of the concubine said that today's lychee is Chen, but I think it's okay, he said that it was because the concubine's skin was too delicate, and it seemed that the lychee was Chen, San Lang listen, isn't this sycophant?" ”

Li Longji looked at Yang Yuhuan, then at a peeled lychee, and said with a smile: "He is not a sycophant, what he said is the truth, how can this lychee be too far from my concubine!" Far from it! ”

He smiled at Mrs. Lu again: "Get up!" So understanding, I must reward you with something, what do you want? ”

"Slaves don't dare, it's the duty of slaves to serve their mothers."

"The duty is the duty, and the reward is still to be given."

Li Longji thought about it for a while, and then smiled: "Isn't your family growing lychees in Lingnan?" I also have a big Huangzhuang in Lingnan that grows lychees, I will make you the envoy of Lingnan Grange, reward the whitebait bag, and you will return to your hometown to give me some Huangzhuang in Lingnan! ”

Lu Taiyi was ecstatic in his heart, the saint's Huangzhuang in Lingnan is full of 10,000 hectares, and there are tens of thousands of slaves, let him take care of the Huangzhuang and reward the silverfish bag, then isn't he the emperor of Lingnan?

He kowtowed, "Thank you for the reward, the slave must do his best for His Majesty." ”

Yang Yuhuan frowned, and said with some displeasure: "You sent him away, who will serve me to eat lychees?" ”

"Serving my concubine to eat lychees, of course, is my business."

Li Longji peeled a lychee with a smile.

(To be continued)