Firecrackers rumble, plum branches pile up snow, and the pickaxe capital is full of joy. In the fifth year of King Zhou Yi, the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner in the Middle Palace had a particularly special atmosphere.

Because it is a family banquet in the palace, the regiment is full of years, and there are no foreign ministers, only the concubines and princes and princesses in the palace participate, and those beauties are not qualified to attend. Looking at the exquisite New Year's dishes placed on the table in front of them, everyone has different thoughts and faces.

Huang Huan was the happiest, teasing the white fat third prince who had just begun to grow baby teeth in his arms, and was in a very happy mood. In just half a month, her face has become wider, and she is much more cheerful, and she is no longer shrunk from her original appearance. But Berjee, who was sitting next to her, was not in such a good mood as her, frowning, looking like a worried little adult.

Meng Jiang coaxed the second prince Shang's father on his left, and his daughter Zhong Ji in his right hand, and kept coaxing these two children of similar age to eat this and that, and they were very busy. Ji Jiang was still grounded, and King Zhou Yi temporarily entrusted the second prince to take care of her, which can be regarded as well-intentioned.

E Yao's face was as usual, but she looked at Huang Huan and Meng Jiang's children, and her eyes couldn't help but be a little gloomy. As the assistant of the affairs of the six palaces, this palace New Year's banquet is the first time she has independently hosted the banquet, she shuttles and shouts from time to time to urge the food, take care of everyone's appetite for food, but there is no leisure to be sentimental.

A group of palace maids rushed in, each carrying a steaming stove, which was still bubbling hot. Everyone was inexplicably excited, this is the most important dish has come up, which means that the New Year's banquet has reached its climax.

King Zhou Yi smiled and picked up a piece of mutton from the stove with a copper chopstick, dipped it in a small bowl full of sauce, and then gently put it in the Fanji bowl, and persuaded softly: "It's cold, eat mutton tonic, this sauce is specially prepared for you, neither spicy nor cold, and it tastes unique." ”

Fan Ji smiled slightly: "Thank you for your concern." ”

The husband and wife whispered, but no matter how low their voices were, everyone in this hall listened to them sincerely. Except for Huang Huan, who didn't seem to hear it at all, E Yao and Meng Jiang glanced at each other quickly, and then turned their heads back.

The crown prince Ji Hu was also relieved to see that his parents were reconciled and friendly, and quipped: "When the mother gives birth to a young brother, the father is afraid that he will no longer be able to see the child in his eyes." ”

An imperceptible flush flashed across Fanji's face, Ji Xie's heart was happy, and he was not really angry: "You kid, you have been a brother for a long time, and you still talk like this without rules." In the future, you can't be naughty anymore. “

"Alas!" Ji Hu put down the wine jue and sighed: "Speaking of which, every time I add a younger brother or sister, my grandmother will teach me a lesson." This time, it will definitely be even more inescapable! ”

The fairy tale is funny, and the hall laughs. But this happy atmosphere was broken by the second prince's untimely cry, Ji Xie frowned, and looked at Meng Jiang with a displeased face: "What's wrong with Father Shang?" How unlucky it is to cry during the New Year! ”

Meng Jiang stood up at a loss, saluted, and was full of panic: "I don't know what happened these days, Father Shang has been crying endlessly, and he always says that he misses his mother." I heard that my sister is also missing in the Autumn Palace, no wonder it is a mother-son connection after all------"

"Smack-" With a bang, the copper chopsticks in Ji Xie's hand fell heavily on the desk, so frightened that Meng Jiang didn't dare to speak again. Or E Yao stood up and played a round: "The king, Niangniang, I heard that the second concubine Niangniang repented day and night in the Qiuliao Palace, and missed her father again, and she has been sick for several days. Yesterday, a nurturing grandmother sent a message that she wanted to kowtow in front of the king, and also apologize to the queen in person, and I don't know if the king is willing to give this opportunity? If the king refuses, she can only kneel outside the Qiuyu palace until dawn, in order to ask the king for forgiveness! ”

"It's so cold, does she keep kneeling outside?" Ji Xie was a little moved. He glanced at Fanji beside him, and saw that her face was as usual, so he was slightly relieved.

"Yes," replied in a low voice, "I've been kneeling for more than an hour." ”

"Queen, ------what do you see," Ji Xie asked in a low voice, with a hint of pleading in his eyes. Fan Ji sneered in his heart, it was just a bitter trick, but he wanted to see how she did it, so he nodded slightly.

"Then call her to come, and go back after kowtowing! I also forgot my wish. Ji Xie ordered.

Fan Ji thought that his heart was already stagnant, and it would be difficult to make any waves. However, the moment Ji Jiang entered the hall, her hands unconsciously clenched into fists. A big hand was wrapped around the back of her slightly cold hand, as if to transmit the warmth of her hand to her, and Ji Xie held her hand tightly. Fanji understood what he meant, and the two shook hands.

Ji Jiang has lost weight and is much haggard, and his outfit is no longer as ostentatious as he was at the beginning, with only a white hosta on his head, and no other jewelry. With tears in her eyes, she shook three times in one step, walked to the middle of the hall, knelt down, kowtowed three times in a row, and her voice was clear: "The concubine kowtows to the king, please forgive the king." May the great kingdom be prosperous forever, and the heirs will last. ”

She lay on the ground for a long time before she heard Ji Xie say, "Okay, I know!" You're done kowtowing, it's time to go back to the palace! ”

Ji Jiang raised her head in disbelief, she thought that she could win at least a little bit of King Zhou's mercy with this move, but she didn't expect to be so cold. As soon as she looked up, she saw Ji Xie and Fanji's hands tightly clasped tightly on the desk, and suddenly the jealousy and resentment in her heart were almost about to erupt like a volcanic eruption.

Now that King Zhou has decreed, no matter how nostalgic Ji Jiang is, he can't stay in the palace. She stared at Fanji hatefully, and then looked at her son Shang's father with nostalgia, the two-and-a-half-year-old Xiao Douding didn't seem to recognize her at all, and she didn't pounce on her to play a "mother-son love" drama. Meng Jiang saw that the situation was not good, and he didn't dare to make other moves, just like that, Ji Jiang's kowtow was just a discordant episode of the palace New Year's banquet, and it was over, and no one mentioned it again.

After the sound of the time, Fan Ji was a little tired and got up to leave. King Zhou Yi was very concerned: "Prince, send your queen mother back to the apse to rest." When the loneliness is over, it will pass. ”

"Congratulations to the mother! Congratulations to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! ”

Under the eager gaze of King Zhou Yi and the complicated eyes of the palace concubines, Ji Hu helped his mother walk along the path towards the apse. Under the palace lamp, seeing that Fanji was silent, Ji Hu thought that she was still worried about what happened just now, so she persuaded: "The queen mother doesn't have to worry, the son saw that his father saw that Ji Jiang, and there was not much pity in his expression." Presumably just to appease Ji Hou's heart, now that his father's heart is here with the queen mother, it will never be wrong. ”

Fan Ji was indifferent: "I'm not for this." Shicai was just thinking, why did Meng Jiang speak for Ji Jiang? Haven't their sisters always been at odds? "There is also Eyao, whose behavior is also quite suspicious------

"After all, they are sisters, one with glory and one with loss. Although Ji Jiang treats her badly on weekdays, if she really falls, I am afraid that Meng Jiang will also be difficult to gain a foothold. According to Erchen, Meng Jiang Niangniang is an understanding person, and she doesn't know how much better than Yiji. Ji Hu said slowly.

These words surprised Fanji, she stopped and looked directly at her son: "Hu'er, unconsciously, you have grown up, and the queen mother can no longer treat you as a child." ”

On Chinese New Year's Eve, not only the royal palace, but also the princes and nobles in the capital city, as well as the common people, every household closed their doors to observe the New Year, and the group ate the New Year's meal. But there are always some lonely ghosts, and when it comes to the reunion of thousands of families, they can only hug each other for warmth.

As a generation of ministers of the Zhou Dynasty, Duke Yu has his own mansion in the city, but he stays in the East Palace a lot during the day, and only comes back to sleep at night after the palace door is keyed, and it is just a hotel.

At this time, most of the people in the mansion also went home to watch the New Year, and few people walked around. But there was a staggered sound in the main hall, mixed with the roar of a man loudly guessing the boxing and drinking order.

Yu Gong has drunk a lot, and he has a big tongue when he speaks, he is a straight person, and this time he will be drunk, and there is no taboo in speaking. He put one hand on the young man's shoulder, rubbed his tongue and said, "Ziliang, you ------ your kid is either following behind Prince ------ all day long, or ------ pestering Zhaozi Mu, like a shadow." How? Why did you come to me ------ me today? ”

Kui Duoyou raised his eyebrows, and his words were desolate: "The prince wants to reunite with the king and queen tonight, and Zimu also has a home." Only I'm a lonely ghost, so I came to you, could it be that the grandfather of the country dislikes it? ”

Before the eldest father could speak, Wei Gongzihe took over the conversation: "Brother Ziliang's words are wrong, which of the three people here is not in decline, you are not alone!" ”

"Yes, yes, yes!" Elder Father Yu echoed: "They are all left alone when the family is reunited, and everyone is the same!" Drink! ”

"Where is the same? It's not the same! Kui Duoyou stood up and shook his body, pointed to the two and said, "One of you has a wife and children in the kingdom of Yu, and the other has a father and mother in the country of Wei, only me." I'm the only one who is truly a lonely ghost! ”

He suddenly sat down and muttered, "I'll go back to the grassland tomorrow and go find my home!" ”

Elder Father Yu and Wei He were both drunk, and they didn't hear what he said at all------

Just after the child's time, Ji Xie hurried straight to the back bedroom, and Fan Ji had already gone to bed. He stretched out his hand to lightly touch the curtain of the bed, and saw that half of the dark cloud-like hair was exposed in the splendid pile, but the whole body was buried invisible, and a white arm like a lotus root was exposed horizontally.

He chuckled, and carefully picked up his arm to put it in the quilt. turned around and went to the clean room, and after washing, he changed into a satin underwear and returned to the bed, but saw that Fanji had woken up and was leaning on the pillow, looking at him with his eyes open.

Fanji shook his head and frowned: "It's not the king, it's him kicking me." ”