On the thirteenth day of the first month of this year, the emperor left Beijing with the empress dowager, and passed through Zhili and Shandong to Qingkou, Jiangsu. On the eighth day of the first month of February, cross the Yellow River to read the Tianfei Gate, Gaojiayan, the emperor issued an edict to allow Xingxing to repair the dam of Gaojiayan and other places, and then take a boat from the canal to the south, through Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Danyang, Changzhou to Suzhou. In March, the royal car arrived in Hangzhou, visited the Academy, climbed the Chaolou military parade, and visited the famous places of West Lake.

After all, in the middle of June, the scenery of West Lake is not the same as the four seasons. What's more, it is March in the south of the Yangtze River, the willows are green and blue, and the lotus steps move lightly, graceful and colorful; Quiet as a girl alone, curling Tingting. Purple and red, the shade is suitable, just like that, snuggled around the West Lake, smeared, watching the blue water of the West Lake.

The emperor has been yearning for Jiangnan for a long time, and finally fulfilled his long-cherished wish, guarding the West Lake, which is sunny and rainy, and smoky and misty.

In addition to harmonizing with the civil and official poems and wine, Ruyi also accompanied the emperor to taste the newly picked Longjing after the rain, the delicious West Lake Ulva and Song Sister-in-law's vinegar fish, as well as the sweet soup of lotus root powder and osmanthus nectar cake. Although there is a tribute every year, the fresh income is naturally better than the share in the palace. In his spare time, the spring dawn of the Su Causeway, the oriole in the willow waves, the sunset of Leifeng, the clouds of the twin peaks, the evening bell of Nanping, and the moon in the three pools all left the footprints of the emperor's indulgence.

However, the queen emperor also sighed that although it was spring, all things were born, and there was naturally "peach red with rain, and willow green with morning smoke." Drinking wine will be near the spring water, holding the piano and leaning on the beauty of the long pine", but the broken bridge and the remnant snow can not be visited, and the wind and lotus of the Quyuan are also only seen to see the new leaves and green, and the full pool of red and beautiful is not seen.

This night was supposed to be a night banquet in the palace, and the emperor accompanied the queen mother and the princes and concubines to the West Lake. The relatives and nobles naturally carried the blessings and traveled with them; The concubines are also dressed in gorgeous shirts, with bead pendants swaying, and from time to time there are bursts of soft voices. People enter one by one, listing delicacies, white jade rui beast mouth goblet is filled with green mellow elixir, before the mouth, the aroma of wine is pervasive into the heart and spleen. As if they felt that the flowers of this West Lake were not prosperous enough, and they wanted to add another bright branch, the accompanying officials replaced the women they served with girls who were twenty-eight years old, and spoke softly. Although the concubines were born in the Han military banner, they had to be slightly inferior to the softness of the Jiangnan women.

The emperor sighed: "The emperor loves the beautiful scenery of the Qu Courtyard, but the wind and lotus have not opened, only the green leaves are seen for the first time, and I can't help but regret it." ”

The Queen Mother smiled and said: "The mourning family inherits the filial piety of the emperor, and only at the age of sixty days can you still see the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River." The mourning family knows that the emperor loves the spring dawn of Su Causeway the most, but unfortunately we can't stay in Hangzhou until summer, so it is difficult to see the beautiful scenery of Quyuan. It's just that the mourning family thinks that since they are here, the lotus leaves are all seen, why do you have to take a look at the lotus flowers before leaving. ”

After that, the Queen Mother clapped her hands gently, but saw the green lotus leaves and pink lotus flowers slowly drifting on the originally quiet lake. The lotus leaf is also just that, as big as a green lamp, as a pearl shell, as small as a silver coin, I think it is cut with the color of green silk, and the real lotus leaf on the lake is mixed in between, it is difficult to distinguish the real from the fake for a while. And the arrow arrow lotus pierced straight out of the water, dark red and light white, such as rouge, such as pink delicacy, such as snowflakes, lotus leaves and fields, enchanting and enchanting, and the clear waves were red and blue. Occasionally, there are faint smoke waves floating over, reflecting the water lantern waves on the shore, which is the peach in the sky, the delicate apricot in the clouds, and it is difficult to compare with the kind of spring condensation on the water, rippling and colorful.

Two of the lotus flowers are extraordinarily large, almost half a person tall, and gradually open their pink petals after the smoke and waves. On top of the stamens, two women in feather yellow silk robes sat upright, just like the lotus stamens. The two of them fluttered like Feihong lightly, one played the pipa slowly, and the other sang soft songs.

The brightly lit lake gradually quieted down, and in the very light and delicate fragrant breeze, the sound of the pipa murmured, and a soft and soothing female singing voice came, singing an intoxicating melody:

The smoke and water of the West Lake are vast, a hundred acres of wind pools, and ten miles of lotus fragrance. It should rain or shine, and it should be light and heavy. The tail and tail are connected to the boat, and the sound of joy is not a spring. Spring is warm and fragrant, and the year is healthy. There is heaven above Zhennai, and Suzhou and Hangzhou below.

Although the woman's singing voice is not as beautiful as the phoenix crying dew, it is particularly ear-catching with the clear rhyme of the water waves. Moreover, the sound of the pipa is beautiful to the bones, lingering endlessly, only to feel that the bones are fascinated, and I am drunk. It wasn't until a waterfowl swept over the lake and flew into the vast night air that someone woke up and struck first to praise it.

The emperor was also impressed, and turned sideways to Ruyi and said: "The words are suitable for the occasion, the music is good, and the pipa is also interesting." That's all there is to it, but this song is particularly well chosen. ”

Ruyi lowered her head and smiled: "Most of the lyrics and songs that have been praised by the West Lake are composed by the Han people, but this one "Xianlu Taichang Yin" was written by the Jurchens, and the love words are unique, which is not inferior to his work. ”

The emperor smiled unconsciously: "The queen has always been a good writer and songwriter, and she has also read Odun Zhouqing?" ”

Ruyi gently tilted her head and touched the beads in her ears: "The concubines don't just know that 'the wall immediately looks at each other from afar, and when they see the king, they will break their bowels', but the famous Yuanqu artists such as Odun Zhou Qing still know some." ”

The emperor stretched out his hand and shook her hand at the bottom of his sleeve, which was slightly cooled by the night wind: "I haven't seen you for a long time, and the first play I watched together in the palace was this Bai Pu's "Horse on the Wall". His smile was gentle and deep, like the moonlight breaking through the clouds and volleying in the sky, "I have never forgotten." ”

Ruyi smiled shyly and shook his fingers. Compared with the ingenuity of the young concubine, everything is clear, she is the mother of a country, she can't sing lightly, and she can't dance, she can only stir up the emperor's affection in a quiet place, and protect this body Chang'an.

The Queen Mother turned her head and smiled: "Is the emperor judging with the empress?" How is it? ”

The emperor smiled and raised his glass to salute each other, and said, "Has the emperor prepared a new person for her son?" ”

The Queen Mother smiled and shook her head, beckoning the second daughter in the lotus flower to approach: "The emperor has a look, but is it a newcomer?" Her gaze wandered over Ruyi's face, as if inadvertently, "There are too many newcomers in the palace, I'm afraid that the queen will complain about the mourning family and ignore her hard work as a queen." ”

Ruyi's heart was sudden, but she smiled decently: "With the emperor's mother, how can the sons and daughters work hard?" ”

The Queen Mother smiled noncommittally, just looked at the two women in front of her, it was Concubine Mei who played the pipa, and the one who sang was actually Qing Guiren, who had been in the palace for many years but had not been very favored.

Yuyan raised the wine cup in her hand, pursed her lips and smiled: "Old bottles of new wine, it turns out that this is what it means." ”

The emperor was a little surprised: "Yingluo, why are you?" ”

Lu Yun also smiled: "We all know the pipa of Concubine Mei, except for the previous Concubine Huixian, it belongs to Concubine Mei." But Qing Guiren's singing voice is so good, and it is the first time that our sisters have heard of it. ”

Everyone's eyes only looked at Qing Guiren, but Concubine Mei stood beside Ruyi. Ruyi inadvertently glanced at her, but saw that her face was not very good, and no matter how delicate the fat powder was, it couldn't cover the sallow smell on her face. She was secretly surprised, but she heard the Queen Mother ask gently: "Qingguiren, what year did you serve the emperor?" ”

Qingguiren looked at the emperor with a faint look of resentment in his eyes, and said, "Qianlong four years." ”

The Queen Mother sighed: "Yes, it's been twelve years." The mourners remember that you were fifteen years old when you first served the emperor. ”

Qing Guiren lowered his cowardly face: "Yes." The Queen Mother has a good memory. ”

"The mourning family remembers that when you first served the emperor, you didn't know how to sing."

Qing Guiren glanced at the emperor shyly and timidly, and had a bit of a bent autumn moon and a shy demeanor: "The concubine knows that she is not talented, so the skills of the micro end are also slowly learned in the past twelve years, and they are idle to pass the time." Please also ask the emperor and the queen mother not to laugh. ”

Qing Guiren's words were pitiful. When the emperor heard this, he felt a little pity: "Over the years, I have neglected you a little, so that you have been empty for a long time, lonely and lonely, and you can only sing to pass the time." Not anymore. ”

Yuyan's eyes flowed, and she said with a smile: "The emperor treats our sisters well, and he always lives up to the old love of the new and the old." ”

Concubine Wan also quipped: "Is it difficult for Concubine Jia to say that she is a new love?" Naturally, it's the most unforgettable old love. ”

After gossiping like this for a while, the queen mother felt that it was windy on the lake, so she went back first, leaving only the concubines to accompany the emperor and laugh.

At that time, the moon was in the sky, and the lake was sparkling. There are three or five palace musicians sitting in the flat boats on the lake, or caressing the piano with their bare hands, or opening the flute with red lips. The sound of the flute floated along the warm breeze, slender like mountain spring water, mellow like jade dew elixir, and the silk was like a lingering light smoke and soft waves, lingering in the ears. The colorful lanterns by the lake are all projected in the slightly cool lake water, making people feel as if they are in the bright galaxy.

The emperor and the Qing nobles beside him whispered, and I don't know who called out first: "Is it snowing?" ”

At this time, it was the time of March, the south was warm, and he had never seen snow in March. However, when everyone raised their heads, they saw that there were small white spots slowly scattered, all of which fell on the lake, and they were in a trance.

A palace lady standing near the shore of the lake stretched out his hand to hold it and called, "It's not snowflakes, it's white plum blossoms!" ”

Ruyi was pleasantly surprised: "The world is full of flowers in March, why are there plum blossoms at this time?" ”

Prince Hongday has always liked elegance, so he said: "The imperial sister-in-law doesn't know, the cold plums of the lonely mountain and the Lingfeng bloom late, and there may be late plums to be found." Otherwise, there are still in the mountains nearby. He turned his head and exclaimed: "Hanmei Ruoxue, this person has a little thought." ”

Ruyi was slightly displeased: "The plum blossom is elegant, it is a noble thing, only so easy to throw, if it is a momentary pleasure, it is really a pity." ”

Yuyan held her cheeks and admired, and the gemstone ring on her finger gave off a dazzling light: "The queen mother likes plum blossoms, and she naturally cherishes them, but not everyone has the same mind as the queen mother." Having said that, no matter what you think, the concubine really likes to watch this flying flower. ”