583

March 20 is the emperor's birthday, also known as the birthday festival.

Last year, Wei Yining and the others entered the palace in April, so they missed it.

On the 18th, the county lord of Duanmin brought two companions to greet the queen, and the queen's complexion was not bad, much better than a few days ago.

"The day after tomorrow is the Longevity Festival, according to the old rules, the ladies of the family who have not left the cabinet will select 10,000 grains from the longevity rice paid by various states in the morning, and hand them over to the imperial dining room to make Wanguo jade rice." The queen said slowly: "In the past, it was done by the princesses' companions, and this year is no exception. ”

Wei Yining knew that this Wanguo jade grain rice picture was an auspicious one, and the emperor had to eat such a bowl of rice early on the emperor's birthday, which had been a rule for a long time.

If you can participate in it, it will be a privilege for most people.

"Don't worry, Queen! I'm a veteran of picking up Fomi," Duanmin County Lord said with a grin, "You don't need to ask more. ”

"I know that the two of them are stable, but I am afraid that they are more reliable than you," the queen is always so kind when she speaks to the lord of Duanmin, she is indeed a person who values family affection: "I went to the Queen Mother yesterday to ask for peace, and talked about the Wanshou Festival, the Queen Mother said that although this year is not big, there is no need to be too frugal, after all, this year is His Majesty's fifty-fifth birthday, although it is not a whole number, but it is also a small Jiazi." I also thought that the past two years of the Holy Saint seemed to be a little unfavorable, so I wanted to rush, so I wanted to be more lively. ”

"I heard that the emperor has been safe these days," Wei Lanqi said: "Niangniang can also rest assured." ”

Lord Duanmin hurriedly asked on the side: "The strange thing born on Princess Qinghua's coffin was removed from the emperor's illness, is there really a connection between the two?" If it's a coincidence, it's too much of a coincidence, right? ”

"Hey, how can I say it, I'd rather believe it than not, I'm running out of ideas now." The queen sighed helplessly: "As long as Your Majesty is fine, nothing else matters." ”

The farce in Runzhi Palace two days ago, Wei Yining and others also heard a little. But the queen never told them about the other concubines, so they could only pretend not to know.

But anyway, now that the emperor is sick, and the palace is no longer haunted, it is a good thing.

The queen used this to comfort herself, not thinking about the difference between the emperor treating her and Concubine Zeng Li, and seeing the crown prince and the crown princess respecting each other, she felt even more relieved.

If you think about it, there is nothing unbalanced, men like the new and hate the old, and the emperor is no exception. But since I am the mother of a country, I must always have some mind.

After saying goodbye, the people of Duanmin County Lord went back to fast and bathe for three days before they could collect rice after burning incense and praying on the morning of Halloween.

At that time, these companions in the palace and the princess and county lords were all together, each with a white jade bowl, not talking or laughing, pious and respectful.

After Wei Lanqi saw Sun Mingming, she couldn't help but look at her twice.

Sun Mingming didn't want to make any extraneous branches, so she pretended not to see it. She now disdained to meet Wei Lanqi in general, and it turned out that the Honghu Bird really had nothing to say.

When everyone was picking up rice, there were senior monks next to them singing the Buddha's horn and praying for the emperor.

After picking up the rice, everyone washed their hands again and withdrew.

Wei Lanqi whispered to Wei Yining: "Yining, have you found it?" Sun Mingming is not quite right. ”

"Seems like so." This time, Wei Yining also noticed: "It looks like a winning ticket is in hand." ”

"Is it because she fell in love with Concubine Xu?" Wei Lanqi was not sure.

"It shouldn't be, if Xu Guifei is still the same as before," Wei Yining judged: "It's still possible." ”

At this time, the sky has just brightened, and it is not until the time to go to the emperor to celebrate his birthday, and the lord of Duanmin got up early, so he wanted to go back and make up for sleep.

On the emperor's birthday, the queen must bow down to everything, and she is watching the palace maids and eunuchs arrange the tables and chairs to be used for lunch, and the people in the imperial dining room have returned to Wanguo Jade Grain Rice has been prepared.

This means that the emperor should have breakfast.

The emperor's breakfast today will be used in the Hyde Palace, and he will accept the birthday wishes of all the concubines.

After breakfast, the civil and military ministers entered the hall to congratulate, and then went to the side hall to wait for the banquet to begin.

Then the prince and princess and their companions came in to celebrate their birthdays, and every year was in this order.

The emperor was tortured by illness a few days ago, but fortunately, he suddenly got better in the past few days.

Although I don't know how it was good, the emperor selfishly thought that the credit was on Concubine Zeng Li, but he didn't tell anyone.

The queen came to the Hyde Palace, and the people in the imperial dining room then presented breakfast, and the concubines led by Xu Guifei came to celebrate their birthdays, and everyone deliberately dressed up, not to compete for favor, but it is always good to dress festively on such days.

The emperor was sick and in a good mood, and asked everyone to get up with a pleasant face.

After giving everyone a seat, the emperor began to eat breakfast.

The jade rice was served in a gold-inlaid ice porcelain bowl with a set of bowl lids.

Qu Qing stepped forward with a smile on his face, took off the lid of the bowl, and was about to say that he would invite the emperor to dinner, but when he saw the things in the bowl, he was immediately frightened and changed color, and almost dropped the bowl in his hand to the ground.

"This, what is this?!" The emperor almost jumped up from his chair, pointed to the bowl of rice and said, "Where is the person who delivers the meal?" Let me be clear! ”

When the queen saw it, she hurriedly stepped forward to take a look, and also gasped, the bowl should have been filled with white rice, but now it has become a bowl of black, red, black and red paste, and it exudes an unpleasant smell.

The eunuch who passed the meal had already been so frightened that he had left his position, and he didn't even say that he had done anything, and he hadn't even opened the lid of the bowl.

"Get this thing down! How can it still be placed in front of His Majesty? Seeing that the queen was already frightened, Xu Guifei opened her mouth.

Qu Qing came back to his senses and hurriedly took the bowl away.

The emperor was speechless, and the queen quickly cleaned up her mind and said: "The emperor is angry, and the concubine will order someone to investigate this matter thoroughly." ”

So in just a moment, everyone in the imperial dining room was gathered.

The queen was anxious to get to the bottom of it, so she couldn't help but be more urgent.

But no matter how they beat it, those people were wronged.

"Niangniang, since these people can't be tried, then we must detain all the people who participated in the Wanguo Jade Grain Rice." Qu Qing saw that the queen was at a loss, so he couldn't help but propose, after all, it was still uncertain which link went wrong.

The queen thought that what he said made sense, but it was just a person who tried the imperial dining room, and it would be useless to judge him for a long time if the real murderer was not there.

"Well, then, call the man who transports the rice and the man who picks it up this morning," the queen commanded, "and you must be polite to the princess and her companions. ”