Chapter 13: The Palace Banquet (1)
Gradually approaching the New Year, the Prime Minister's Mansion is busy. Slaves and maids in and out of the house, lanterns are colorful, strings of red lanterns are hung outside the door of the prime minister's mansion, and the door god is pasted on the door, and there is joy everywhere. The little guys cleaned the whole house to a spotless level.
However, there is only one person in the whole house who can't see this jubilant scene, and that is Zhang Yunli. Although Aunt Liu blew the wind on the pillow for the prime minister, after knowing what Zhang Yunli had done, and seeing the old lady's resolute attitude again and again, she still didn't say anything, but educated Aunt Liu. Yu Wei was very happy when she found out. After Zhang Yunli was grounded, she couldn't even get out of the door.
After Yuwei's bedroom was burned, the old lady gave Yuwei a new place in the house, and finally Yuwei decided to move into the Lotus Pavilion closest to the old lady. Although the Lotus Pavilion is not the largest, the view is the best, close to the garden, and you can see a large pond of slim lotus flowers in summer.
Yu Wei is very satisfied with the new house, because it is relatively spacious and empty, and she can decorate the room in the style she likes. Every festive season, Yuwei decorates the room like her modern room, although the materials are different, but you can also ease the feeling of longing.
I didn't expect it to attract everyone.
"Miss, I've never seen such a beautiful room!" Qiu Yue couldn't help but sigh.
"It's going to be more beautiful in the future, and there are still some things to be improved gradually. By the way, there are three open spaces in our yard, and you arrange for them to plant flowers, fruit trees, and vegetables on each of the three open spaces. You can enjoy the idyllic life and be self-sufficient. Yu Wei turned around and ordered.
"No!" Qiuyue thought to herself, since Miss disappeared a few days ago and returned safely from outside, she always felt that Miss was more thoughtful and more down-to-earth. Although the previous young lady was kind, she always looked soft and weak. Everyone prefers the current lady to dare to love and hate, dare to say and do.
Yuwei's 'Closed Moon Shy Flower' business is thriving, and many high-ranking and noble women of appropriate age have even invested blood, in order to be able to get the favor of the fourth prince and the eighth prince at the palace banquet.
The night before the palace banquet, the Guanhe Pavilion was particularly busy, and the old lady asked people to send several sets of decent jewelry, pearl silver jewelry, jade and Tian jade, gemstone gold jewelry, etc. said that Yuwei could have a few more choices.
"Chunhua, you go to the greenhouse in the house to get some fireflies and come back." The greenhouse is used by wealthy families to grow flowers and fruits that are out of season and to breed animals that can be seen in other seasons.
Yu Wei thought, since the palace banquet was in the evening, why not use this benefit.
"Qiuyue, prepare some yarn bags for me."
"Miss, what are you used for?" Qiu Yue looked puzzled.
"Put the fireflies in there, it's useful."
It wasn't until late at night that everything was ready. In the early morning of the second day, Yuwei was still in sweet sleep, and the people in the house had already begun to prepare.
When the sun rose in mid-air, Yuwei woke up from her sweet sleep and rubbed her eyes. Qiu Yue was already preparing to wash on the side, and the old lady also sent someone to spread the word that it was time to get up and prepare to enter the palace. It's just that seeing that Yuwei was so tired last night, she couldn't bear to bother.
"Miss, you are wonderful! It's like a fairy in the sky! Qiuyue looked at Yuwei who had finished washing, and watched her bend her waist to take a slight step, showing her wrists in the light yarn. The eyes are full of spring water, the fragrance is delicate, the beauty is more beautiful than the flowers, the fingers are like cutting the root of the onion, such as containing Zhu Dan, and the smile is moving.
"It's sweet in your mouth!" Looking at himself in the bronze mirror, his face was immature, completely disproportionate to his own mind. The feeling of rejuvenation is actually not bad.
Changed into palace clothes, Yu Wei asked Qiu Yue to go outside the courtyard and fold a bright plum blossom on her head, and only this plum blossom will make her look more fresh and moving.
At the beginning of the lanterns, the carriage entering the palace was already waiting outside the palace. Even the carriage was particularly jubilant, and the carriage was led by four horses, and there was a boxy box on the carriage, and the box was topped with a spire, and a small red lantern hung around it, and the end of the lantern was tied with a bell, and the bell made a crisp sound when the wind blew the bell.
"My good granddaughter is so beautiful today!" The old lady's eyes were full of pampering.
"Grandmother, is there only a granddaughter today? Isn't it so beautiful every day? Yuwei pouted and coquettish.
"Grandmother is wrong, Wei'er is as beautiful as a fairy every day!" provoked the old lady to bloom.
This country of Furong has a large land area, and even if the Prime Minister's Mansion is close to the palace, it took nearly three teas. Those who lived far away set out early in the morning and did not reach the palace gate until dark. As soon as they approached the entrance of the palace, they opened the curtain and saw a long queue of carriages, all of whom had to pass the inspection before they could enter the palace, and the carriage could only stop here, and when they came here, they could only enter on foot. Each carriage is decorated differently and is arranged exactly to the owner's liking.
Some carriages are surrounded by all kinds of flowers, and this must be a lively and cheerful master. I saw a little girl about twelve years old get down from the carriage, she was wrapped in a pale pink dress, covered with a white mink fur, the skirt just reached the edge of the shoes, three thousand green silk coiled up a side of a Hetian white jade spider plant step shaking, the head of the butterfly hairpin, a wisp of green silk hanging on the chest, thin powder, only add color, the faint red sense of the cheeks creates a pure skin like petals delicate and lovely, the whole person is like a butterfly flying with the wind, and like a clear and transparent ice and snow, a face is immature and lovely. She is Nanmen Yaoxue, the daughter of Nanmen Luoqi (Congyipin), the general of Nanmen, and she is looking for companions everywhere as soon as she gets off the carriage, and she loves to go to lively places.
Behind Yaoxue at the South Gate is a simple carriage, the horse workshop is made of bamboo, and it can be seen that the person who loves bamboo must be a person who is indifferent to fame and fortune and yearns for a quiet life. Sure enough, out of the carriage was a snow-skinned woman, about sixteen years old, dressed in a white palace dress, with a wide skirt behind her, elegant and luxurious. The black jade-like green silk is simply rolled into a flying fairy bun, and a few full and round pearls are embellished in the hair at will, making the cloud-like hair more soft and moisturized. The beautiful eyes are full of brilliance, and there is a light smile between the red lips. From every gesture, he can show a good upbringing, not arrogant or impatient. She is the daughter of Lord Situ (Zheng Erpin) Wei Chi Qiming, Wei Chi Peishan, she doesn't like to join in the fun, her father specially explained before going out, this banquet does not seek to be too sharp, just keep yourself alone.
In the carriage in front of Yuwei, several fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls, dressed in gorgeous clothes and wearing ornaments, gathered around to scratch their heads and make gestures as soon as they got off the carriage, secretly considering each other's clothes in their hearts. From a distance, it looks like a walking jewelry box, and I can't wait to put all my headwear on my head, as long as they pass by, there is a 'fragrance' that can't be dispersed for a long time.
"Nalan Ruoyan, I heard that you were grounded for a month, why did you come out so quickly?" The one who spoke was the Imperial Doctor (Zheng Sipin)
Ouyang Feng's daughter Ouyang Xi.
Nalan Ruoyan is the daughter of Dongfang Uji, a counselor (Zheng Sipin), and she is not a master to be messed with, so she shot back: "Sister Xi is really free, and she is so concerned about my affairs. Oh! I don't remember, some time ago, Sister Xi's Zheng Meiren just added a younger brother to you, it seems that there is nothing to do with you in the house! ”
"You..." Ouyang Xi originally wanted to expose Nalan Ruoyan's shortcomings, but he suffered a dumb loss.
"Why are the two sisters angry here? Today, the emperor intends to choose a princess for the fourth prince and the eighth prince, if you really want to compete, how about a competition at the banquet tonight? "Nanmen Yaoxue dares to say and do, not only is it not annoying, but on the contrary, it is very endearing.
"Good! Wait tonight, who can win the heart of the prince is not certain! "Come on, who's afraid of whom!" The two shouted at each other.
A group of people followed the palace people who led the way through the outer gate, the middle gate, and arrived at the middle hall. The palace people also specially instructed us not to talk nonsense and not to walk around, the nave is a place to greet internal and external guests, and the inner hall is the place where the emperor and the concubine live, and ordinary people are not allowed to enter without being summoned. The ladies present all kept in mind, after all, they represent a family, and doing something wrong will bring disaster to the family. Just silently followed behind the palace people.
On the throne of the golden lacquer carved dragon in the hall, there is a king who looks down on the world. Below, singing and dancing are leveling, and the sleeves are fluttering; The bell rings and the chime is struck, and the music is melodious. The sandalwood lit on the pedestal was smoky. Deep palace, erosion and drunkenness, the decay of human nature.
Passing through the middle gate, you will see a huge garden, this is an indoor garden, into the house, it feels particularly warm, the design of this house is like the design of a conservatory, the wind outside does not blow in, warm in winter and cool in summer, colorful flowers compete to open, a lot of what has not been seen, there are peonies, azaleas, lilies, junzi orchids, plum blossoms, osmanthus, and tulips, lavenders, roses, hyacinths from foreign tributes. Butterflies and bees can be seen everywhere, like a paradise.
The lights on both sides are bright, and in front of it is a white wall built on the water, about two meters high, covered with black tiles, and the head of the wall is built into undulating waves, and the red lacquer gate of the moon hole in the middle is hidden, and the sound of piano and music is faintly heard.
In the center of the garden is a beautiful pavilion with a small bridge and flowing water. No one would have thought that such an exquisite scenery had been hidden in the past few years, which made Yuwei can't help but chant the poems of six or seven pavilions and eighty or ninety flowers. Everyone sat next to each other in their father's official position, with the high official sitting close to the emperor, and the slightly lower official sitting in the back. As soon as they took their seats, the palace people came up with plates of exquisite fruits, and of course, glow-in-the-dark glasses of fine wine. Amber wine, jasper, golden foot bottle, jade plate, food is picturesque, wine is like a spring, the guqin is rippling, and the bell is dingdong. The main hall is decorated with inverted bell-like flowers, the calyxes are white, the bone china is translucent, and the top of the petals is a circle of different shades of lilac, which seems to be dyed naturally.
The emperor took the queen's hand and slowly walked to the upper seat, followed by the four concubines, Concubine Shu, Concubine De, Concubine Xian, and Concubine Ling, who sat under the queen.
"Participate in the emperor, may my emperor live long live long live!" A group of people gave a big gift to the emperor.
"Flat! You don't have to be restrained today, you can just be in your own house. Lone people prepared delicious wine and food, singing and dancing, and the Qing family did not return home if they were not drunk! ”
"No! Xie Wuhuang! ”