Chapter 21: Beauty Pageant

Empress Dowager Xu didn't expect her son to reward Xie Xiangcun with the biggest and most beautiful Huadian. But in front of everyone, he couldn't reprimand the son of the supreme status, so he had to pretend that he didn't see anything. Fortunately, Xie Xiangcun's performance was indeed beautiful, and in the applause of the room, it was not too abrupt for his son to give a generous reward, so he said to all the ladies present: "Ladies and gentlemen, the mourning family looks at you all like flowers and jade, and my Wu Yueguo is really a place where beautiful women come out." And I've heard that many of you are well-known and talented women. Why don't you show it and make the mourning family happy. ”

Empress Dowager Xu had already seen a young lady behind her, a palace maid holding a pipa for her, and the fan card on the small square table where she was written with the surname Wu. In Wu Yueguo, Wu is a big surname, this woman is the descendant of Wu Renbi, a master in the world of Wu Yueguo, although no one in her family is an official, but she is a famous scholarly family in Wu Yueguo. Then he said: "Miss Wu, the mourning family heard that your pipa is the best Wu Yue, can you play a song for the mourning family?" ”

Mrs. Wu and Miss Wu immediately got up to congratulate the Queen Mother on her birthday, and then began to play the pipa, which was played smoothly and remarkably. After the performance, Empress Dowager Xu looked at Qian Hongzuo, and Qian Hongzuo immediately understood, picked out a flower from the brocade box, handed it to the palace maid next to her, and said, "Enjoy the flower garden." ”

Miss Wu took Hua Tian from the palace maid who gave Hua Tian with both hands, and said, "Thank you for the holy reward." ”

Later, a young lady gave a poem on the spot, and another young lady presented a flute song, and Qian Hongzuo rewarded them all.

The daughter of Dasi Nong Zhen Fu is called Zhen Jinshu, and she is the loudest among the ladies. From the Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, it was the golden age of women's education, and at that time, there was no concept of 'women are virtuous if they are not talented', and aristocratic girls were mostly ashamed of their lack of talent. Zhen Fu is the great Confucian of Wu Yueguo, he has no children under his knees, and Zhen Jinshu is his only daughter. Zhen Fu taught his daughter his talents, and asked a famous teacher to teach her painting. Zhen Jinshu has not yet been out of the cabinet, and his paintings have been selected by Wu Yueguo as a gift to the imperial court, so that the beautiful talk of "it is difficult to find brocade calligraphy and painting" has been widely spread among the people. But also because the Zhen couple cherished their daughter too much, so that Zhen Jinshu was over 19 years old, but he was never able to choose a good partner, and he was still waiting for the boudoir.

Empress Dowager Xu looked for the fan with the name of Zhen's mansion written on it, and saw Zhen Jinshu sitting in front of the fan, with a dignified demeanor, gentle and elegant, very likable, so she looked at her and said: "Miss Zhen, I heard that your paintings have become a national treasure of Wu Yueguo." Why don't you improvise today, let us all see and learn. ”

The crowd echoed and chimed in.

Mrs. Zhen and Zhen Jinshu both stood up, walked to the front of the Queen Mother's seat, and saluted to celebrate her birthday. After celebrating his birthday, Zhen Jinshu said: "The Queen Mother is wrong to love, I really dare not be." Originally, the queen mother was hand-picked, and the courtiers should obey. It's just that this painting is inevitably slow, and I'm afraid that it will suffocate the Queen Mother, the Holy Lord, the elders and the sisters. ”

Empress Dowager Xu saw that Zhen Jinshu spoke in all aspects, and there was no common mania in famous people, so she felt that it was even rarer, so she said: "It's okay, the mourning family has people set up a case for you to paint alone." When you painted, I asked the servants of Pear Villa to perform, and we waited for your paintings while enjoying the singing and dancing. ”

Zhen Jinshu bowed down and said yes. In a moment, the bookcase with paintbrushes, rice paper, scales, and paints was carried into the flower hall and placed under the window, and Zhen Jinshu walked to the table to paint.

The second program of the imitation pear villa is presented, the second program is also very thoughtful, is a team of people dressed as fairies holding the fairy peach made by the juan and dancing, the dance posture is graceful and neat, it is the rich style of song and dance in the Tang Dynasty, implying the meaning of the immortals to celebrate the birthday of the queen mother with the peach, which is very suitable for the theme of the birthday banquet.

When everyone appreciated, the chief merchant ordered the dishes to be changed, and another batch of dishes based on preserved fruits and flowers were distributed to each table by the palace maids, and the original dishes were removed.

Empress Dowager Xu waved her hand and summoned the chief merchant to ask, "Didn't the saint recommend Qu Liuyu to come and perform?" You go and tell the owner of Fangli Mountain Villa that in the next show, arrange Qu Liuyu to take the stage. ”

Mr. Shang: "Qu Liuyu has already performed at the beginning, didn't the Queen Mother notice it?" ”

Empress Dowager Xu's impression of Qu Liuyu is still stuck in the white-clothed Xiushi ten years ago, the last time Qu Liuyu went to the palace to play music for Qian Hongzuo who bathed, in fact, the two had been in the same room for a short time in the Xixin Hall, but at that time, Empress Dowager Xu was worried about Qian Hongzuo's assassination, and she didn't see Qu Liuyu who was blocked by everyone.

And when Xie Xiangcun performed the "Flower Shadow" program just now, Qu Liuzhen was outside the door of the Flower Cherishing Hall, playing the piano and singing. Empress Dowager Xu looked at him from afar, but did not recognize him.

The general manager explained in detail: "He was the leader of the first program and the person who sang the key and wordless treble at the end. ”

Empress Dowager Xu sighed: "No wonder the song pierces through the clouds and the sun, although there are no words, it is endless, it turns out to be from Qu Liuyu." He came to help his beloved apprentice today, and he must be very happy to see his apprentice's superb skills, after all, he has cultivated it with many years of hard work. ”

Qian Hongzuo said solemnly to Empress Dowager Xu: "Just now, Xiao Xie has personally agreed to enter the forbidden army on an errand. Today is the only day he appears, and Qu Liuzhen is afraid that he will be happy and sad. ”

Empress Dowager Xu nodded and said sadly: "Ten years have passed, people are not yesterday, it is an unprovoked disaster, but it has caused a lot of hardships and sighs." ”

Empress Dowager Xu was in a trance, and casually became a new word, Qian Hongzuo and the general manager were very surprised, Qian Hongzuo said thoughtfully: "Queen Mother, let Qu Liuyu play and sing a song for you alone." ”

Empress Dowager Xu shook her head and said briefly with a sigh: "That's it." ”

Qian Hongzuo is not good at saying anything. Chief Shang secretly pondered for a moment, and bowed down without a word.

The peach birthday dance has ended, the participating servants knelt on the ground, and retreated in unison to the Empress Dowager Xu's birthday, Zhen Jinshu's painting has not been painted, but it was only cold for a moment, and there was an unaccompanied singing voice outside the window. When the song sounded, the originally noisy room immediately fell silent. The song is like a heavenly sound, maybe only the legendary merman of the sea, who turned tears into pearls, can have this kind of singing. Just listen to the singing:

"The spring in the deep palace sprouts, but I am afraid of the wind and rain. The cold and the summer come and go, and the twilight and the morning are together. Grace does not ask for anything in return, and love is extremely tireless. But it is just like the river flowing slowly, and it does not flow back to the east. Nurture the heavenly tree and protect the people. ”

The singing voice is compassionate, sad but not sad, just like the Empress Dowager Xu. Qian Hongzuo was touched by a lot of feelings, and the scenes of his mother's gentle care for him came to mind. Qian Hongzuo respectfully picked up the wine glass, stared at his mother, Empress Dowager Xu also picked up the wine glass, Qian Hongzuo touched the glass in his hand and touched the lower edge of his mother's wine glass, and Empress Dowager Xu drank the wine in the cup without a word.

The singing ended leisurely, and the owner of the imitation Pear Villa walked up to the front and said: "The Queen Mother, the Enlightened Saint, the Imitation Pear Villa Lingren Qu Liuyu just sang a song, wishing the Queen Mother a long and blessed life, he was ashamed to see the nobles because of his disability, so he sang through the window, and Weichen celebrated his birthday on his behalf." ”

Empress Dowager Xu owes herself; "You thank him on behalf of the mourners. Just said: Listen to a song of Jun today, but comfort my heart is like ginger. ”

After the owner of the imitation Lishan Villa retreated, Zhen Jinshu led the two palace maids who were holding the painting paper at one end to come forward and said to the Empress Dowager Xu and Qian Hongzuo: "This is a painting made of the courtiers, and I also ask the Empress Dowager and the Holy Lord for advice." ”

Not only Qian Hongzuo's mother and son, but also many other ladies and ladies also stood up to look at the painting, and the painting read: "Spring and Autumn is in full bloom" four words, it is a portrait painting, and it is the Empress Dowager Xu who paints it. Not only is the painting vivid, but also the demeanor is graceful and dignified, quite expressive.

Empress Dowager Xu said happily: "No wonder it is said that it is difficult to find a thousand dollars, it turns out that it is such a big deal." I'll give this painting to the mourning family, I will definitely collect it. ”

Zhen Jinshu bowed and said: "Qi Yu Queen Mother, this painting only draws lines, because the time is in a hurry, it has not been colored, and after I color and frame, I will present it to the Queen Mother, and please accept it at that time." ”

Empress Dowager Xu even said that she was good, personally chose a Huadian, and handed it to Zhen Jinshu, who respectfully accepted it and returned to his original seat. Zhen Jinshu has long been famous, and it is common for her paintings to be praised by others, so she herself is not very proud, but many sour eyes have shot at her from the eyes of many famous ladies.

Empress Dowager Xu's eyes turned to Dai Yun's daughter Hoopoe Nan, the secret purpose of this birthday banquet.