This is the first time Nian Yun has organized a banquet in the palace, although it is not very grand, but many things have to be understood from the beginning, and there are only ten days, so it is inevitable that it will be very busy.

Xingqing Palace, which had been deserted for decades, had been renovated in ten days. The dilapidated palace chambers have been slightly repaired, lacquer makers and painters have been called to fill in the mottled painted patterns, and the decayed wooden balustrades have been replaced with new ones.

Although there is still no fountain in the dragon pond, the withered grass and dead poplars have been carefully cleaned up, cleaned up that should be cleaned, and pruned that should be pruned.

There were really some things that couldn't be solved in ten days, so I thought of some temporary ways to move potted plants from Daming Palace, so that they didn't look so bleak on the surface.

The old people of Xingqing Palace are very happy, they have been in this cold palace for decades, and finally one day, they can still see the emperor and concubine of Daming Palace with their own eyes, and there can be such a feast, and the talk for the rest of their lives is not only Emperor Xuanzong.

The ingredients and utensils are handled by the Daming Palace, and then transported to the Xingqing Palace, back and forth, the palace road under the city wall is a little narrow, almost insufficient.

Later, the eunuchs who transported things had to leave the palace and go to Xingqing Palace from the streets of the city. There are many things that Nianyun has to do and supervise in person, lest those old oilmen in the palace fool her, the new concubine.

On the tenth day, everything was ready, and the decree had been sent out, just waiting for the evening banquet to be full of guests. Nianyun inspected the left and right courts of Daming Palace again, and then took Xue Qixi, Luluo and other entourages to Xingqing Palace.

Nian Yun originally planned to leave Qixi in Daming Palace in case there was an omission that could be dealt with in time, but Li Chun didn't know why, so he specially issued a message and ordered Qixi to follow the concubine and serve.

Nianyun had no choice but to take Qixi with him and leave fennel in Daming Palace.

Nianyun was dressed in gorgeous clothes and drove to Xingqing Palace early to arrange all kinds of trivial matters.

At this time, Li Chun had not yet come, he had told her in advance that he would be a little late, and there was no need to wait for him, and she also knew that he was busy, so he went to meet the Emperor and Empress Taishang first.

The banquet is in the Nanxun Hall of Xingqing Palace, which is located in the center and spacious, which is very suitable for a large banquet.

Nianyun arrived at the Nanxun Hall only to find that the concubines and concubines of the Xingqing Palace had come very early, and it seemed that they had gathered in the Nanxun Hall early in the morning, waiting for her to come.

Seeing her, there were many surprises, especially the older concubines, as soon as they heard the eunuch report "The concubine Niangniang has arrived-", they hurriedly sorted out their clothes, and the old palace maids behind them were waiting with solemn faces to see what the concubine Niangniang looked like.

Nianyun only felt sad in his heart, how many beautiful flowers in their prime were imprisoned in the deserted Xingqing Palace when the emperor died, and spent the empty years.

No one remembers them, they are just relics of Emperor Daxing, living such a lonely and lonely life day after day, and they can't find any fun.

So on this day when they finally had something to do and something new to see, they put on dusty costumes, for fear of missing a little.

Nianyun couldn't bear to snub them, so he greeted them together.

Some of these concubines are the concubines of Dezong, and some are the concubines of Suzong and Daizong, with withered faces and crazy expressions.

Nian Yun arranged the dinner, and chatted with them when he had time, and most of the questions they asked were things outside the palace, and they also asked about the fashionable makeup and clothing styles outside.

Nianyun patiently perfunctory with them, feeling how cruel time is. Qixi stayed next to her every step of the way, as if he was afraid that Niu Zhaorong's assassination would happen again.

When the dinner was approaching, the guests had almost arrived, and Nian Yun ordered the banquet to begin. The Emperor Taishang and the Empress Taishang are seated, Li Chun and Nianyun's positions are on the right and below, and the seat opposite is Concubine Wei Xian's - now it is time to call Concubine Wei.

I heard that she has been cultivating in the Buddhist hall, and it is rare that she came this time. Although it was a little later than the other concubines, it still came in the end.

If you add Wei Taozhuo's past with her, Nianyun has a grudge with her for about decades. She must have hated Nian Yun, but the face of the people in the palace is excellent, and no matter how deep the hatred is, they are all polite.

Nian Yun saluted her respectfully, and she returned the salute solemnly, and then sat down in silence without saying much.

For some reason, Nianyun always felt that her gaze fell on her with a strange look, like emotion, and like mockery.

The cooks and subordinates were temporarily dispatched from the Daming Palace, and the eunuchs and palace maids who delivered the dishes for a while came in, and the wine and dishes were placed in front of each person's case.

Nian Yun was busy inspecting the preparation of dishes everywhere, and he was about to greet the guests, but he didn't eat a few bites.

Kabuki performances were arranged during the banquet, and the Tang Dynasty folk customs were open, and when the banquet was in full swing, the guests would often go to the center of the hall to dance with the dancers. Everyone drank a lot of wine, and the atmosphere grew stronger.

Nian Yun returned to his seat, ready to fill his stomach a little. At this time, the palace maid held the white jade bottle, which was filled with wine from the Western Regions, red and gorgeous, lined with white jade bottles, and was very beautiful under the reflection of candlelight in the main hall.

As soon as she brought it to her, she could already smell the smell of wine. The glow-in-the-dark glass of grape wine really lives up to its name.

Nianyun picked up the wine bottle, and was about to bring it to her lips, Qixi, who had been staring at her, suddenly leaned over, took the wine bottle in her hand, and said, "Niangniang is entangled in affairs today, so it's better not to drink." ”

Nian Yun was a little surprised. It's not that 7-Up doesn't know how much she drinks, and although the wine is sweet in the mouth, it's not very easy to get intoxicated. Not to mention such a small bottle, it is an altar, but I am afraid that it will not get drunk like anything.

She looked up at Qixi, who was just standing to the side with a blank face.

Nianyun took a red bean soup on the dining table and prepared to drink it, Qixi hurriedly took a pear soup next to her and replaced the red bean soup in her hand, and said in a low voice: "It is very hard for Niangniang to run the banquet, it is better to drink Sydney soup to nourish yin and moisten the lungs and dissolve phlegm." ”

Nian Yun reached out and grabbed his sleeve and stared into his eyes: "What are you guys doing?" ”

Qixi did not avoid her gaze, but answered the question: "Niangniang, those guards under the corridor are standing hard, you can give them some wine and hibiscus cakes." ”

Nian Yun knew that something was going to happen at tonight's banquet, and asked in a low voice, "What did Your Majesty tell you?" ”

Qixi said: "Your Majesty ordered Qixi to protect Niangniang." ”

At this time, those invited ministers may not know what happened in Xingqing Palace, and arranging such a banquet, I am afraid that many foreign ministers think that His Majesty is ashamed of the Emperor and the Empress Taishang, so they want to use the banquet to make a lively scene and give them a little comfort.

Therefore, almost none of them made any preparations, and they all came to the banquet happily after the next court, taking advantage of the night.

Even the people in Xingqing Palace, I'm afraid that most of them think that His Majesty is appeasing them.

Nian Yun already knew in her heart that the last time she used bloody means to deal with Niu Zhaorong and Qingjun, it was just a foreshadowing for today.

The concubine Niangniang ordered that today is the birthday banquet of the Empress Taishang, and the Empress Taishang is sympathetic to the people below, and all the palace and guards who listen to the errand today can get a special gift of wine and food.

It was late at night, and at this time, after a dance of neon clothes, another group of palace maids wearing soft armor and holding a wooden sword coated with gold dust walked into the main hall to perform "King Qin's Breaking Array Music".

"King Qin's Breaking Array Music" was created after Emperor Taizong defeated the rebel Liu Wuzhou, and the tune of Qiuzi is mixed in the song, which is tactful and appealing.

The dance is led by a "general", the formation is left circle, right, first deviation, then Wu, Yuli, goose through, Kei Zhang, wing Shu, staggered bending and stretching, head and tail back and forth, back and forth, stabbing back and forth, like the shape of a battle array.

The dance changes three times, each of which becomes four formations, totaling one or twelve formations, corresponding to the song festival. It is accompanied by the sound of a big drum that shakes the sky, and the momentum is majestic. Whenever there is a grand event in the palace, soldiers or servants must be ordered to perform.

Therefore, this is the birthday banquet of Queen Taishang, and there are many women in the palace, so all of them are performed by palace maids.

Nian Yun has also been to palace banquets a few times in the past, and he has seen this "Breaking Array Music", which is also performed by palace maids, but it seems to be a little different from the dance in front of him.

What is different is not clear for a while.

She thought about it for a long time, and suddenly realized that it was the general who led the dance, and it didn't seem quite right. The general was in sturdy shape, and he didn't look like a palace maid.

What's even more strange is that he wears a special mask on his face, on which is painted a smiling face, the corners of his mouth are grinning all the way to the root of his ears, and he smiles very strangely, and is painted with cinnabar, garcinia cambogia, and chalk, which looks a little terrifying.

Nian Yun kept staring at the general, and inexplicably felt that the general's figure seemed to be a little familiar, but he couldn't remember it for a while.

She looked at it for a while, but she didn't see anything, and there was nothing special about the sonorous and agitated tone. She turned her head to look at the others, but this look was startled, and almost all the people in the hall were already drowsy!

"Breaking the Array" is so passionate and generous, and the wine is not very intoxicating, how could those old ministers who drank a lot of alcohol all fall asleep at their desks in such a short time!

Nian Yun stretched his neck again to look at the guards holding swords and halberds outside the main hall, and found that the guards were also staggered one by one, and they couldn't even stand steadily, and the ground had fallen horizontally.

She looked up at Qixi, who nodded lightly at her.

The wine, and the cakes that were given to them, were poisonous!

Li Chun was ready to completely clean the Xingqing Palace at this birthday banquet, but it was difficult to do it because some old ministers in the court and the two hundred guards brought by the Emperor Taishang from the East Palace were not easy to do. What's more, if this matter is publicized, it will really be unreasonable in front of all the people in the world.

Therefore, he planned such a palace banquet, used such an occasion to paralyze everyone's minds, took the opportunity to poison, and solved the problem without a head-on conflict.

And those old ministers can't show it when they go out, after all, this is what happened in front of them and right under their noses!