On the sixth day of the first month of May, a coming-of-age ceremony was held in Shifu, Shifu, and Shangshutai Mansions.

The coming-of-age ceremony in Shifu is the most lively. The house is crowded, the cars and horses outside the house gather, and the lights inside and outside the house are colorful. The crown ceremony was to be held in the family temple, so the Shi family paved the road inside and outside the house gate and the road leading to the family temple outside the west wall with big red felt, the red silk on the wall, the red felt on the ground, and the red lantern on the door, which decorated the whole house with joy. At the middle of the morning, many guests had already come to participate in the ceremony, and more than 200 servants and women of the Shi family were wearing new clothes, busy shuttling inside and outside. At the gate of the house, two vermilion lacquer doors are wide open, and there are all kinds of vehicles of all sizes lined up on both sides in front of the house gate: there are standard cars given by the imperial court according to the official title, there are private self-made cars, there are double carriages, three-horse carriages, calf carriages, deer carriages, vermilion wheels, black wheels, white covers, black covers, and so on.

Shi Hui and Shi De, father and son, all wore court clothes and stood in front of the door to greet guests. Suddenly, two carriages came from a distance and stopped in front of the door. It was Jia Gong and Ji Si, who were the two Zhongzheng, and Shi Hui hurriedly lowered the rank to greet each other: "It is an honor for the two Zhongzheng officials to come to the ceremony of crowning the puppy." ”

Jia Gong and Ji Si were also busy giving gifts, "Shi Hou, I congratulate you, Ling Lang won the beauty pageant, and the crowning ceremony is really double happiness, congratulations!" ”

"Rejoice and rejoice." Shi Hui welcomed the two in.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Rong, the secretary of the ministry, led the people of the Langya Wang family to come. Langya Wang was a well-known family at that time, with many clansmen, among which the most famous and outstanding had five brothers, namely: Wang Rong, Wang Yan, Wang Cheng, Wang Dun, and Wang Dao. Among these five people, Wang Rong, Wang Yan, and Wang Cheng are one of the same; Wang Dun and Wang Dao are another one. These five brothers are all outstanding and outstanding. Wang Rong was the eldest, and was awarded the title of Marquis for his meritorious service to Wu Rong, and as Guanglu Xun and concurrently led the Ministry of Shangshu, many courtiers were selected by him, and he had a considerable status in the court. Wang Yanmei is like a Qionglin Yao tree, her skin is the same color as her fat jade, she is articulate, she is the most resourceful, and she is also the least responsible. Wang Cheng is fair-skinned and beautiful, smart and enlightened, and is not worse than his brother Wang Yan in terms of style, but his moral prestige is still light. Wang Dun is an alternative, he has a wild and unrestrained personality, does not pay attention to the appearance of celebrities and gentlemen, and is even far from others in terms of clean talk, but he is the most ambitious and courageous. Among the five brothers, Wang Dao is the youngest, although he is the youngest, he is the most far-sighted and knowledgeable one.

Shi Hui relied on the Langya Wang family a lot in Luoyang, of course, he didn't dare to slack off, so he hurriedly greeted them one by one and took them in.

As soon as I came out again, I saw two calf carts coming, it was the two sons of Xiahoumen and Xun Bao, these two got out of the car, because they were juniors, so Shi Hui did not descend to greet them. Shi De then saluted Shi Hui, Shi Hui returned half a salute, said a few words to Shi De, and invited him into the house.

The people were almost here, and Shi Hui was still looking in front of the door. Shi De asked: "Ah Weng, everyone has arrived, what are you looking for?" ”

Shi Hui didn't answer immediately, but paused for a while before saying, "De'er, what can you see based on the situation of the guests who came today?" ”

"Based on today's visitors?" Shi De didn't quite understand his father's words, "What can you see in this?" All I know is that there are quite a few people here today. ”

Shi Hui snorted twice and said, "There are a lot of people who come, but there is a category of people who come very rarely. ”

"What kind of people?"

"It's the people of our hometown Ruyin and Yuzhou."

"What does it matter if they come or not?"

"It's nothing to do, it's just that in terms of our status in Ruyin, it's very shameless. Do you know that the wedding of Ji Si's son in Ruyin Zhongzheng, seven or eight out of ten people in Ruyin have gone, what is he relying on? In terms of family background and identity, I am not as good as me, why do I have such an appeal, it is just relying on the identity of Zhongzheng. ”

"What do you mean by ......?"

"Hmph, I have my own plans for this matter, so I'll put it aside for now. Do you see that all the people we have invited are here? ”

"Everyone who sent the invitation has arrived."

"Where's the go? Didn't you see an important person who hasn't come yet? ”

"You mean Uncle Shi in the stone waiter, right? I forgot to tell you that he sent a letter to his family some time ago saying that he could not come today. ”

"Can't come, why?"

"Yes, Aweng, because his daughter has the same birthday as me, and it is also a day to celebrate the ceremony, how can he come?"

"Can't it, if the girl makes a promise, she can be fifteen years old, and he still has a daughter of such an age? Besides, with the power of his family, his daughter held a ceremony to add a flute, how could it be a sensation in half of Luoyang City, why was there no movement at all? ”

"I don't know the specific situation, it seems that his daughter is not born to the Shi family. But then again, even if it is the daughter of the Shi family, the girl's gift can only be to invite some female relatives of her own clan, how can foreign men be invited to participate? ”

"Well, no wonder, we won't wait, we'll start our ceremony right away."

The Shi family's wealth is much greater than that of the Shi family, but the coming-of-age ceremony in the Shi Mansion is unusually simple, only Zhixin, Mrs. Shi Chong, several concubines, Chunlan, Peony and other maids, not only did not have guests, but even Shi Chong did not see them.

It turned out that Zhixin knew that she was only the goddaughter of Shi Chong and his wife, not her own, she knew that the old lady really loved herself and treated herself as her own daughter, but except for the old lady, others didn't necessarily like it. So when she was in convenience, she secretly said to the old lady: "Mother, if you have to hold a ceremony for me, it is fine, but I beg not to let my father invite guests and friends all over the world, my father is so busy serving the king every day, if I work hard for my business for a few days, I will not be happy with my daughter." I think my ritual doesn't need to go to the family temple, just in this peony garden, there are you, plus Chunlan, peony and others are enough, wouldn't it be better for a few of us to complete the ritual unrestrained and simply? ”

The old lady also knew that although she doted on this daughter, she was not born to the Shi family after all, and it was really inappropriate to give a big salute to a goddaughter, so she agreed to Zhixin's request.

Although there were no guests, there were a lot of clothes and utensils for the ceremony, and they were all quite exquisite and abnormal, which is rare in the world. The girl's ceremony was not so important compared to the boy's crown ceremony, but the old lady attached great importance to it. Men's crown ceremonies require the preparation of three sets of crown and hat dresses, the so-called "three pluses". Shimu also imitated the "three plus" ceremony of the men's crown ceremony, and also prepared three sets of corresponding headdresses, clothes, etc., as well as necessary ritual utensils. These things are neatly placed in a clean room on the east side of the peony garden: there are plum blossoms reflecting snow-white jade, hibiscus out of the water jade hairpin, a hundred birds shaking towards the phoenix, three kinds of headdresses; Tianxiang white silk shirt, green Luo pleated skirt, red silk deep coat, three sets of clothes; There are also ivory combs, gold plates, glass cups and other utensils.

The ceremony was held in the peony garden. The maidservants had cleared up a vacant lot in the garden, and placed a mat in the middle, and a delicate couch and a few beds beside it.

Early in the morning, Chunlan and Peony were preparing the bath soup for Zhixin before the ceremony, as well as Zhu Ling, bath beans, spices and other things. Shi Mu was dressed and walked around surrounded by a group of concubines and maidservants.

Zhixin hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Mother, you came so early." ”

Shi Mu smiled: "Yes, my daughter is such an important day, how can I not come early?" ”

Shi Chong is an important member of the court, and he was also named the marquis of the township, and his wife is honored, so his wife's dress is also graded.

Because Shi Chong did not come, and there were no other guests, Zhixin, Chunlan, Peony and other concubines and maidservants felt very comfortable, and they didn't have to be so restrained.

"Mother, didn't we say okay, just a few of us can do it simply, why do you still prepare so many expensive headdresses and clothes for me, it's too extravagant."

"Good daughter, what is it worth? Do you know that your father rewarded those dancing girls in the Golden Valley Garden, and I don't know how many buckets I need every year! ”

"Huh? Cheng Dou's orb, so extravagant, really? ”

"Of course it's true. Silly boy, how do you know my suffering. Although I am your father's wife, and your brother, I have not listened to them when they are doing mischief outside. Thou hast had many concubines in thy house, and hast built a garden of golden valley outside, in which thou hast made friends and have fun all day long. Although the Shi family business is big, I am always worried that one day, the tree will attract ......" The old lady sighed, "Although I have a husband and children, where are they willing to accompany me for a moment, I don't even have a person to talk to." Although you are not my biological daughter, but since I saw you, I feel that I am destined, just like my own daughter, I hold a ceremony for my daughter, how can I not use dim sum? ”

Shi Mu pointed to the headdress clothes in the clean room and said: "Women's etiquette, 'three plus' all have their own particularities: one plus, to reflect the natural beauty of women, two plus to reflect the mature beauty of women, three plus to reflect the noble beauty of women." Let's just follow this principle, and we don't come according to the formal etiquette, I think what you wear looks good, I will prepare it for you. ”

"Thank you mother for bothering."

Chunlan walked out of the bathroom and said that the bath soup was boiled and she could take a bath. Zhixin nodded, first asked her mother to sit on the couch, and walked into the bathroom by herself, Chunlan and Peony relaxed her clothes. Zhixin stepped into the tub and felt a fragrant aroma, which was bustling and comfortable, so she asked, "What kind of smell is this, so fragrant?" ”

Chunlan replied: "This is a rare spice from the Western Regions, which the emperor rewarded the head of the family, and today it was specially given to the master mother, and the master mother brought it to the girl." ”

"My daughter's ceremony, when the father doesn't come to participate, what's the use of sending so many precious spices?"

"You're talking nonsense again, be careful that the old lady hears it."

"Both doors are closed, and where you can hear them."

"It's better if the prince doesn't come, we are happy, his temper will kill people at every turn!"

Zhixin sat peacefully in the bathtub, listening to Chunlan and Peony talking, and let the two of them wait. Now she is used to the transformation from a poor girl to a wealthy woman. When she first entered the house, Chunlan brought her washing water in the morning, and she was busy getting up to thank her; At night, Peony gave her a wide dress to sleep, and she was still embarrassed.

But she is not happy with this kind of life of fine clothes and fine food, slaves and maids. She just wants to live with him the days of plowing the fields and weaving by herself, even if she eats green vegetables and corn every day, and wears linen clothes and grass ....... She stroked the plum scar on her left shoulder - it was also his twentieth birthday, what was he doing? Did anyone celebrate a crown for him?

……