"Isn't it the newly promoted jade concubine today?" Su Mi asked casually.

"I heard that the emperor originally meant that, but the jade concubine said that she was new to the palace and had not practiced etiquette, so she didn't dare to exceed the rules so much and violate the ancestral rules, so she resigned."

"Hmph, this kind of trick to get away with it, what did the emperor say?"

"The emperor was very happy to hear it, and praised that the jade concubine knew the etiquette and etiquette, and she also ......"

"How's that?" Su Mi asked.

"He also changed the name of the Juhe Palace where Concubine Yun lived on the spot to Weishu Jade Palace, and ordered the Internal Affairs Office to repair it on a certain day, although it was not explicitly stated, but the meaning was ......"

"It seems that this jade concubine is in the limelight enough." Su Mi smiled slightly.

It's already April, the weather is gradually getting warmer, and the dresses of the concubines have gradually changed from the original heavy and rich brocade to the material of silk and light yarn, and the light and light colors reflect the flowers in the palace that are blooming day by day, which is particularly delicate and moving.

In today's palace, if you talk about flowers, the best place to bloom is the peony, and the best place to bloom the peony in the palace is Ni Guifei's Xifu Palace.

A few days ago, when the concubines gathered in Fengyi Palace to say goodbye, the queens talked and laughed about the scenery of each palace. Ni Guifei is not a stingy person, so she immediately set a date and invited the sisters of the harem to go to the Xifu Palace to enjoy the flowers and have a banquet.

So on the sixth day of the lunar month, the birds sang and the flowers were fragrant, the wind sent warmth, and the queen took the lead and brought a group of concubines to the Xifu Palace one after another.

Su Mi got out of the car and looked up.

As the palace room of the concubine, Xifu Palace was originally carved with dragons and phoenixes, and the golden tiles of the Zhubi were originally carved, and the building was magnificent. Ni Guifei has been in the top position for a long time, and she likes luxury, and in the entire Xifu Palace, the utensils and furnishings are a few points better than the queen's Fengyi Palace. The golden-red glazed tiles shimmer in the sunlight and shimmer golden, making it a dazzling sight at first glance.

"My sister came early." A soft and crisp cry came from the side, and Su Mi turned her head to see that Shi Rou'er, who was wearing a lotus-colored embroidered magnolia flower dress, walked over.

She only brought a young palace maid with her, and she didn't even ride in the chariot, and when she saw Su Mi, she greeted her from afar, and asked respectfully, "How is my sister lately?" ”

Now the show girls are all receiving the teaching and training of court etiquette in the palace, and Shi Rouer is also among them, although she still claims to be the usual draft girl, but after all, she has already been titled, so the activities of the concubines in the palace have not pulled her down, and she is completely regarded as a concubine.

Although many concubines criticized this, the queen still specially asked her to attend the banquet, not to mention the usual gatherings, the concubines could only suppress their dissatisfaction in their stomachs. She has a charming appearance, a sharp mouth, and treats the concubines with courtesy, and she has never been favored, and it is difficult to disgust the concubines for a while.

In the face of Shi Rouer's affection, Su Mi responded indifferently, and Su Mi was unwilling to pay attention to this kind of ill-intentioned overture, but the work on the façade was unavoidable.

The palace maid of Xifu Palace in front led them, and the two talked and laughed all the way into the back garden.

As soon as you enter the garden, a strange fragrance comes to your nose, which makes people feel refreshed and intoxicated. At this time, the garden is full of colorful peony flowers, which are delicate and infinite. A group of "painting columns embroidered around the red jade, clouds and brocade clothes trickling green". There are also a few boring kittens and puppies around, playing and playing in the yard.

The palace attendants of Xifu Palace had already placed all kinds of fruit and fragrant tea in the pavilion in the courtyard, placed red sandalwood seats and incense tables, placed soft gold flower cushions on them, and displayed screens inlaid with silver begonia embroidery around them.

The concubines, including Su Mi, entered the pavilion and sat down, and immediately the palace maids brought dishes, wine, fragrant tea and pastries.

As far as the eye can see, the concubines are talking and laughing, looking at the beautiful scenery around them, while tasting the delicacies.

The queen looked left and right and said: "Sister Guifei is ingenious, and even the splendid scenery of a courtyard is so beautiful, I don't know how many times more exquisite than the back garden of my Fengyi Palace." ”

"The queen has won the award," today is Ni Guifei's host, and her words are also a lot more polite: "The style in Fengyi Palace is elegant and fresh, how can I compare with a layman?" ”

"This spring is really fast, I remember that not long ago it was still winter snow and dead branches all over the ground, and now it is immediately purple and red, and flowers are blooming." Concubine Li Xian looked at the surrounding scenery and smiled.

Shi Rouer was holding Su Mi's hand, walked into the pavilion, heard Concubine Li Xian's words from a distance, and said with a smile: "Presumably the flowers in the garden know that you are going to come to watch today, and I thought to myself, I can't lose my color in front of all the beauties, so I work extra hard." But I don't know how beautiful they are, and where can they compare to the national beauty and fragrance of your mothers? ”

Who doesn't like to hear compliments? The concubines' faces eased a lot when they heard this, Su Mi smiled faintly, Shi Rou'er's words were just right.

Seeing Shi Rou'er and Su Mi next to her, Concubine Wen smiled with a little coolness: "It's really enviable to see the two sisters so close." ”

"Niangniang said that she laughed, the concubine has always admired Sister Jieyu, and she can't find time to get close." As he spoke, the two of them sat down. Shi Rouer was sitting beside Su Mi.

After sitting down, Shi Rouer looked up and looked around, and her eyes couldn't help but flash with admiration. "The scenery here is really like a fairyland."

As he spoke, he stood up, looked around, and then approached the small jasper incense burner resting on the railing behind him, "This fragrance is so raw and mellow, like drinking fine wine, sweet and greasy, I don't know what kind of incense Niangniang uses here?" ”

"It's some sesame oil that the people in the family got from the East, all of which are things that turn into wild people, and they can't be on the big stage," Ni Guifei looked indifferent, but there was still a trace of smugness in her eyes: "It's just that the palace saw that the fragrance was quite clear, so I let the palace people light it." ”

"Isn't the sesame oil of the East the kind of spice commonly known as 'Guanqunfang' in the legend?" Shi Rouer asked with a little surprise.

"That's the kind of thing that has such an elegant name in the Toyo?" Ni Guifei smiled: "Those barbarians directly call what potpourri is this." ”

It is said that this sesame oil is the stamens of twelve kinds of flowers, such as nightshade, jasmine, sea branch, snow lotus, rosemary, and magnolia, mixed with other kinds of oil, according to a certain amount, and the secret method is refined, and only two or three drops can be extracted from every ten catties of stamens. We in the Central Plains don't know how to make it, and only when overseas merchants come to our Central Plains to buy and sell goods, can we bring it from afar. Concubine Li Xian couldn't help but say.

"It's just a barbarian's strange and ingenious skills, it's not worth mentioning, since Sister Jade likes it, you might as well take some back later, it's not a rare thing." Ni Guifei smiled dispensably.

"Don't dare, don't dare," Shi Rou'er waved her hand again and again: "I heard that the mountains and rivers in the East are far away, and it is difficult to cross the ocean, even if it is the most experienced business travel, it is only a round trip once a year, and the spices transported over there in the East Ocean are all worth gold, and there is no market, this kind of crown and group fragrance is extremely valuable, and the concubine can not afford to enjoy it." ”

"Isn't Yongzhou the place where trade with the East is most prosperous? In addition to the concubine Niangniang, who else can come up with such spices? Concubine Wen delicately twisted a fruit into her mouth, and said with a smile: "Sister Yu doesn't have to refuse. ”

Shi Rou'er waved her hand again and again and said with a smile: "Only such a rich and luxurious place as the noble concubine Niangniang makes such precious spices, if I bring it back, wouldn't it be a waste." ”

"Why should Sister Jade be humble? I heard that the emperor has ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to renovate the Jade Palace and decorate it with beautiful jade crystals, so I can move in after my sister is favored. Ni Guifei heard Shi Rou'er's admiration, and said without being salty: "My sister looks like jade, in the eyes of the emperor, the pearl and jade can only be used as a foil for my sister, not to mention these few drops of sesame oil." ”