After listening to Zhao Kehan's words, the Queen Mother couldn't help but smile and said: "Yes, Han'er grew up watching the mourning family, and the mourning family owes her too much, so no one can bully Han'er of the mourning family!" ”

One mouth at a time, the call is very close, and I don't know who it is called?

The queen's eyes flashed slightly, smiled, and did not answer.

After a while, noon arrived, and as early as three o'clock, the Queen Mother asked Zhao Kehan to go back to bathe and change clothes, and changed into a more grand and gorgeous dress.

At noon, the Imperial Garden.

The sun is blazing, and in the lotus pond pavilion in the Imperial Garden, the cool breeze blows from the turquoise lake, mixed with the faint fragrance of pink lotus flowers, which is also refreshing and makes people feel happy.

It's not so much a gazebo as a mahogany promenade.

The promenade is carved and painted, and there are emerald green vines climbing around, these vines are grapevines, and bunches of green grapes hang heavily under the vines, and people can pick them as soon as they reach out.

In addition, there are trees around this promenade to shade the sun, and ice cubes are placed under the shade of the trees, but it does not make people feel hot at all.

Shang Kelan entered the corridor surrounded by Jia Zhaoyi and others, and the palace maids immediately presented these ladies with chilled melons and fruits, refreshments, and other utensils such as piano, chess, calligraphy and painting were also displayed on the other side.

Everyone is smiling and laughing, talking and laughing, by the lotus pond, in the corridor, the fragrant wind is bursting, and the beauties are numerous.

After a while, a shrill announcement sounded:

"The Queen Mother has arrived! The Queen Mother has arrived! ”

All the concubines knelt down to pay respects: "The concubines see the queen mother, see the queen mother!" ”

The Queen Mother was dressed together with the morning, and after bathing and changing clothes, she changed into a cloud brocade palace dress embroidered with cloud patterns in crow blue, and wore a small leaf sandalwood Buddha bead necklace around her neck; Zhao Kehan followed her, but changed into a white tulle dress embroidered with red azaleas; The queen is still the same, dressed dignified and gentle.

The Queen Mother and the Queen sat on the main seat prepared by the palace maid, and Zhao Kehan was given a seat by the Queen Mother and sat on the lower side of the Queen Mother.

"It's all exempt, the mourning family sees that Han'er's proposal is right, the lotus flowers in early July are really the most beautiful!"

The Queen Mother said with a smile and raised her hand to everyone.

After the concubines sat back in their seats, they echoed the Queen Mother's words, and the most talkative Jia Zhaoyi picked up these nice words to flatter the Queen Mother and Zhao Kehan, but her tone was sincere, which made people not disgusted at all.

As soon as the Queen Mother was happy, she rewarded Jia Zhaoyi with a hairpin.

Shang Kelan and Zhao Kehan are a little conflicted, her palace clothes today are also mainly white, with silver thread trim, embroidered with turquoise lotus leaves, stepping on colorful embroidered shoes, and holding the rosewood lotus hairpin that Jin Yantang gave her a few days ago, the whole person looks quiet and introverted.

Unlike Concubine Hua, who wore a peach-colored palace dress and was gorgeously dressed, Shang Kelan's dress was very plain.

Everything in the palace is simple, and only the queen mother has the ability to organize a lotus banquet.

The ice cubes used in the entire corridor alone are probably not less than a hundred taels of silver.

If Jin Yantang was here, seeing this, he probably should feel sorry for the silver in the treasury, right?

Thinking about it, Shang Kelan couldn't help but purse her lips and smile.

At this time, a red-winged dragonfly landed on her shoulder, like the finishing touch, adding a lot of beautiful and graceful beauty to Shang Kelan.

Concubine Hua saw it in her eyes, and a look of jealousy flashed in her eyes.

Then she got up and came to the Queen Mother, folded her hands in front of her forehead, and said respectfully to the Queen Mother: "The Queen Mother, since it is a lotus feast, why don't you let the sisters write a poem with the theme of lotus?" As for the reward......"

Then, Concubine Hua took off a treasure hairpin from her forehead and said with a smug smile: "Just take a piece of jewelry on the sisters as a reward, whoever has better poetry and songs can take a piece of jewelry from everyone present, and the person who loses can't excuse himself, what do you think?" ”

The Queen Mother listened to Concubine Hua's proposal and glanced at Zhao Kehan.

Zhao Kehan covered his lips with a champa and smiled: "Concubine Hua's proposal is interesting, the Queen Mother, Han'er also wants to compete with all the ladies in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, so as to live up to today's lotus feast." ”

The Queen Mother has always doted on her, and after listening to Zhao Kehan's words, she said with a smile without saying a word: "Okay, good, just according to what you say." ”

Without waiting for the Queen Mother's orders, Mama Chen had already arranged it.

She first asked everyone to draw lots, and then prepared pen and ink for them in order, and each palace concubine wrote the poems about lotus flowers she thought of on paper, and then handed them over to the queen mother for review.

Although the Queen Mother is the wife of the general, when she was still a boudoir lady, she also knew a little about piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, poetry, wine, tea, etc.

With fruit wine and herbal tea on the table, Shang Kelan put down the teacup, opened the lottery she drew and looked at it, and found that it said "One".

It means that she will compose the poem first.

At this moment, the dragonfly that stopped on her shoulder flew to the lotus flower on the side.

After the draw was completed, Zhao Kehan said with a smile: "The people's girl drew the last lot, dare to ask which lady drew the first lot?" ”

It is said that it is a lotus banquet where the concubines in the palace gather together, but in fact, the concubines below the fifth grade are not qualified to attend the banquet, so a total of forty people came.

Shang Kelan raised her hand lightly and said, "Miss Zhao, it's really a coincidence, this palace drew the first lottery." ”

Zhao Kehan's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile: "Concubine Chen's luck is so good, then the folk girl is waiting for Concubine Chen's masterpiece!" ”

After Shang Kelan glanced at Zhao Kehan, she suddenly hooked her lips and smiled, and after a moment of silence, she raised her eyes to look at the dragonfly in the lake and said: "The spring is silent and cherishes the trickle, the shade of the tree shines on the water and loves the sunshine, the little lotus shows its sharp corners, and there are dragonflies standing on its head." ”

This poem is "Little Pond", which was written by the famous poet Yang Wanli in the Song Dynasty.

In such a banquet, Shang Kelan prefers to stay here quietly and enjoy the lotus, but as for talent competitions or something, she is not very interested.

It's just that as soon as her voice fell, in the corridor, many concubines looked at her in surprise, and their eyes were stunned and speechless.

Concubine Hua pursed her lips and said, "Concubine Chen is a little talented, but this poem in this palace is not bad!" ”

As she spoke, she was about to recite, but Zhao Kehan stopped her voice: "Concubine Hua, the folk girl thinks that Concubine Chen's poems are very good, according to the rules, Concubine Chen can choose any piece of jewelry now." ”

Although Zhao Kehan said softly, her hands were secretly twisted together in her sleeves.

A dark glint flashed in Zhao Kehan's eyes, she underestimated this concubine, and it was really not as vase as it seemed on the surface.

Concubine Hua was interrupted by Zhao Kehan, and subconsciously retorted: "Miss Zhao, whether this poem is good or not should be evaluated by the Queen Mother!" ”

As soon as these words came out, the Queen Mother immediately glanced at her, and suddenly, Concubine Hua was silent and stopped speaking.

Shang Kelan looked at the Queen Mother and said with a smile: "Queen Mother, the concubine looks at the string of Buddha beads in your hand, can you reward the concubine?" ”

For a moment, there was a few moments of silence in the air.

Even Zhao Kehan couldn't understand Shang Kelan anymore.

After a few seconds, the others whispered:

"This Concubine Chen is really bold, she dares to ask the Queen Mother for something!"