"Your Majesty, just listen to the words of the old minister, the banquet that should be set up and the celebration that should be there are all the same, and you can't feel sorry for the cost of a few taels of silver, so you will lose Dayan's face. 【】”

"Is this about Dayan's face?" Aiqing felt a faint pain in her head and asked casually.

"That's natural, if the festival is not done properly, it will make foreign envoys see jokes. The people in this inner court know that the emperor is diligent and thrifty, and sympathetic to the people, but those who don't know still think that the Great Yan Kingdom has made the treasury empty and unable to support it for the sake of a mere war."

In the court, every time Jia Peng spoke, he had a taste of treating the emperor as a junior, or even a grandchild, on the surface, he was upright and straight

Dare to admonish, but in fact it is a little unkind.

And right now, no one dares to choke with Jia Peng, and there are quite a few people on the sidelines.

"Your Majesty, if this happy day cannot be celebrated by the whole world, and it will be done in accordance with the etiquette system, it will indeed be unseemly." The Ministry of Rites Shangshu stepped forward and said repeatedly.

"That'...... Rong Zhen thought about it again. Aiqing waved her hand, a little overwhelmed, "That's the end of today's deliberations, let's retreat." ”

"Your Majesty, every word that the old minister said was for the sake of the emperor, for the sake of the country, and I hope that the emperor will make a decision as soon as possible" Jia Peng still said, his voice like a bell.

After Jia Peng's words were finished, the ministers knelt on the ground and shouted, "Long live my emperor, long live, long live."

Aiqing came to the outside of the Qinzheng Hall and sat on the gilded dragon chariot that she had been waiting for a long time, but she didn't say where to go for a while, just lowered her head and was silent

Sound.

"Your Majesty, but are you going to the imperial study?" Xiao Dezi saw that the emperor's face was not good, so he said flatteringly, "However, the slave heard that the maple leaves in the East Palace are still red, do you want to take a look?" ”

"East Palace?" Aiqing was slightly stunned, she really hadn't been there for some days, so she agreed, "It's okay." ”

Aiqing drove to the East Palace, although it was vacant, it was the same as when he lived as a child. Every tent, every piece of furniture, not even the pen and ink inkstone placed on the desk, has not been moved.

"I miss it so much."

Aiqing is like a bird that has come out of a cage, walking around the halls of the East Palace. In every corner of the place, not only him, but also Rarity's shadow.

I still remember that ten years ago, he brought a brocade bench and put it on the long table, used it as a ladder, and climbed up the beam of the house.

Because Tianyu Tianchen told him that the swallows would build nests on the beams of the house, this action frightened the nurses, grandmothers, and eunuchs

Jing Tingrui saw it, flew up with a whizz, hugged him down, and comforted himself who was crying because he couldn't find the swallow.

Later, Jing Tingrui really helped him find a swallow's nest full of bird eggs, of course, not in the house, but in the garden of the East Palace.

They watched the swallows hatch and chirp for food, and then they all grew up and learned to fly, and then they left with the mother

Go.

Don't be sad, Your Highness, they will be back next year. Jing Tingrui said this at that time. And his words are always right, every one after that

Every year, there are swallows that come to the East Palace Garden to build nests and raise offspring, so it is not lively.

Aiqing followed the good memories all the way outside, and sure enough, the maple leaves were still red.

In the palace, even in winter, there are beautiful landscapes, because there are always seasonal flowers, such as poinsettia tiger thorn plum cyclamen, etc., all of which are in full bloom.

And that's not even counting the strange trees that come from foreign countries, which are not afraid of the cold and are always verdant with branches.

But like now, the red maple that should have withered is still standing proudly in the winter, one after another like a burning cloud, which is really eye-catching and surprising.

"Your Majesty, this red maple is so beautiful, people who have come to see it say that it is an auspicious omen." Xiao Dezi accompanied him and said with a smile, "This is booming, it has brought victory to Dayan, and it has also ushered in the emperor's birthday." ”

"It's auspicious, but it's also hard." Aiqing stretched out her hand and touched the leaf lightly, there was still some frost on it, and it became more and more crystal clear, like a jade carving, and she was very happy in her heart.

"Hard?" Xiao Dezi didn't understand.

"This fertilizer can be applied well to make them withstand the cold wind of these days." Aiqing smiled and said, "Pass the decree and find the gardener, I will be rewarded." ”

"The slave obeys the order" Xiao Dezi took a step back and said something to a eunuch, and the eunuch retreated.

Aiqing walked up the straight corridor with a roundabout view, came to Yifang Pavilion, looked around at the familiar and somewhat unfamiliar scenery, and sat down.

There was no wind, and he didn't feel how cold it was, but despite this, Caiyun and Caixia, the palace maids who accompanied him, immediately served him a hand warmer and placed a charcoal basin next to the table.

and spread out the fur he was wearing and covered Aiqing's legs.

The movements are delicate, gentle, and extremely fast, and they don't get in the way at all. On the contrary, Aiqing felt embarrassed and said, "Your daughter's family is not afraid of the cold, why do I need to wrap it so tightly?" ”

"The emperor is the body of ten thousand gold, the root of the Great Yan, how can it be compared with the slave maid." Caiyun bowed his head and said respectfully, "It's cold in winter, but it's still important to have a dragon body." ”

"You, but you're ...... than a nurse and mother" Aiqing smiled and wanted to say something, but saw an old eunuch in the distance hurrying over.

"Your Majesty, this is the old eunuch who takes care of the garden, called Zhou Fuquan." Xiao Dezi whispered.

The old eunuch knelt down in fear outside the pavilion, buried his head so that he couldn't see his face, and kowtowed vigorously and said, "Slave Zhou Fuquan knocks on the emperor, the emperor is blessed, the emperor is long live."

"Father-in-law Zhou, I've worked hard for you, I have to take care of this large area of gardens."

"This is the duty of a minion, not tired." The old eunuch still bowed his head and replied, and then took out a booklet from his sleeve and handed it to Xiao Dezi.

Xiao Dezi took it over and inspected it before handing it over to Aiqing.

Ai Qing opened it quite curiously and saw that it was a long list of names, what Xiao Anzi, Liu Mama, the palace maid surnamed Song and the palace maid surnamed Zhu, and couldn't help but ask in confusion, "What is this?" ”

"Back to the emperor, the servant has received your will to find a gardener to take care of this maple forest. Although the slave is the leader, he does not dare to monopolize the credit, there are little eunuchs who go out of the palace to buy fertilizer, there are old grandmothers who water the leaves to remove insects, and there are those who wipe the leaves and sweep the dust, this work is fine, and it is all done by the palace maids......"

"Wait, dare to love the thirty or so people on this list, just care about this maple forest?" Aiqing asked with some surprise.

He grew up in the palace, and he has long been accustomed to the beautiful and luxurious scenery, and he didn't care about how many palace people there were behind him, and he took care of it day and night.

"Back to the emperor, not counting the seven porters who dredged and carried water, the rest are complete." The old eunuch didn't dare to raise his head, and replied in awe.

Aiqing's surprise was beyond words, he flipped through the list repeatedly, and then put it down, "Everyone on this list will be rewarded with copper coins, go down." ”

"Thank the Emperor for His Grace"

The old eunuch was overjoyed, and kowtowed again and again. This money is secondary, and glory is first-class, so he bent over, retreated step by step, and walked a long way before he dared to turn around and move forward.

"Your Majesty, hot tea."

The sharp-eyed little Dezi saw that Aiqing was actually not happy, and hurriedly changed the topic.

When the old eunuch came, the eunuch of the imperial tea room came, and brought a pot of fine white tea roasted in a small celadon carved dragon stove, as well as a fine food box filled with lacquer flowers, from which he took out fragrant cakes, walnut cakes, honey walnuts and other tea tasting snacks one by one.

Aiqing still looked at the maple forest, thinking silently in her heart, if it costs so much manpower and financial resources, it is better to let it wither naturally.

But he couldn't say this, so as not to cause trouble to those eunuchs and palace maids.

"Your Majesty, Prince Yonghe asks to see you." Xiao Dezi said again.

"Please." Aiqing had a smile on her face, and she poured a cup of fragrant hot tea with her own hands.

"Brother knock to see the emperor" Yan only knelt down, Aiqing got up and grabbed him, "This is the East Palace, we are just like when we were children, don't see the outside like that." ”

"Yes." Yan nodded, smiled very handsomely, and sat down beside Aiqing.

The two brothers took a sip of tea, and Yan Cai continued, "The younger brother has something to do today, and he couldn't go to the court, I heard that the prime minister has a new proposal?" ”

"It's just about celebrating my birthday, and I almost didn't quarrel." Aiqing was less helpless in front of Yan, more straightforward, he held his cheek with his hand, and muttered dissatisfiedly, "I'm only seventeen years old, why do you want to be so excited?" When I celebrate my 60th birthday, it's never too late to do it. ”

"Hehe, that's what I said, but after all, you are the emperor, and nothing can be done." In Yan's opinion, it is Aiqing who has a birthday, no matter what he does, it is not too much, if he can, he wants to take off the moon in the sky and give it to the imperial brother, so that he is the most exaggerated one.

"I said that we should work together from top to bottom, advocate frugality, and fill the treasury. This good atmosphere has just begun, and it is necessary to celebrate the birthday festival in Chongqing, which is not a child's play. Aiqing frowned and said stubbornly.

"Brother ......" Yan was about to speak, Qin Kui came, his face was full of spirit, and he even walked with a tiger, which made people notice him quickly.

Of course, Qin Kui didn't dare to rush straight in front of the emperor, so he still bowed his head outside the pavilion and waited.

Xiao Dezi was about to pass the word, but Ai Qing smiled and said, "I have seen General Qin, let him in." ”

Xiao Dezi bowed down to receive the order and let Qin Kui come to the pavilion.

"The last general will knock on the emperor, long live long live, long live, long live Prince Yonghe, long live" Qin Kui knelt down suddenly, his tone revealing irrepressible excitement.

"What's the good news to report?" Aiqing smiled and said, "Look at you." ”