When he opened his eyes, there were already seven or eight maids surrounding the bed in Xufu Hall.
Princess Mingkang rubbed her eyes and looked confused at the note handed over by the maid. It turned out that it was already the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. She tilted her head and looked at these smiling maids, but she still didn't understand what they wanted to do.
One of them came forward gently and said, "Your Highness, the Empress has ordered us to wear Sanhua brocade clothes and go to the Queen Mother of the West today. Could it be that Your Highness has fallen asleep?"
Princess Mingkang was reminded that this was the case.
At the same time, her mother seemed to appear in front of her and said to her in previous years, "It's time for you to go to the Xianyi Hall."
That was the last place she wanted to go.
So she lay on the bed cowardly, no matter who begged her, she wouldn't get up.
Seeing her distressed look, Mammy enlightened her and said, "Your Highness has changed his temper today. In previous years, he admired and loved the Queen Mother of the West the most. He longed to see her. What happened today?"
Princess Mingkang sat up and wanted to complain that she didn't like going to the gloomy old lady's palace.
When he opened his mouth, he seemed to remember that he couldn't speak.
It's really strange, this body today seems to be different from my own.
"Go, Your Highness, the Queen Mother is looking forward to you! The Queen Mother has prepared the tributes for you, and Zhu Lian picked them up when you went out."
The tribute the wet nurse was talking about was a food box placed in the main hall, which contained sweet sand chestnuts and jujubes brought by the uncle from outside the customs. These foods were all made by the queen herself.
On the food box is a Buddhist scripture handwritten by the queen mother, who took her four or five days and nights to copy it.
Everyone in the palace knew that Princess Mingkang was noble, and the one who was more noble than Princess Mingkang was the Queen. Apart from these two, she was the Queen Mother Xuanhua, but there was one queen whose mother would ask Mingkang to pay special New Year greetings at this time every year.
Mingkang didn't understand when he was a child, but when he grew up, he realized that the Queen Mother of the West turned out to be His Majesty's biological mother.
Only then could she understand why her mother had to send her and those sweets to Sufu Palace every year.
Your Majesty has many children, but none of them went to pay New Year's greetings to the Queen Mother of the West.
Princess Mingkang angrily slid off the bed and stepped on the ground with her bare feet. As soon as she landed, she stepped on a corner without a blanket. She was immediately aroused by the cold air and put her feet in her shoes.
It made seven or eight maids laugh.
"Mom, look at Your Highness, it's really strange today. She usually refuses to wear shoes when I ask her to. In the cold winter three years ago, she dared to run around barefoot in the outer hall, but this year she has learned better." The maids laughed. Dress her.
Seeing that she was still unhappy, Aunt Liu coaxed her and said that she was the princess specially chosen by His Majesty. The princess was a direct bloodline, and her birthday was September 9th. She had a yang-hot horoscope and was very noble! When the Queen Mother of the West meets the princess every year, all her illnesses are cured.
She was wearing clothes here, and she knew that her mother was waiting for her in the outer hall. Her mother never liked her disheveled appearance and childish look. One thing she always said was, you are the legitimate princess, how could you be like this!
While the maid was cleaning her hands, the nanny went to the outer hall to accompany her mother.
Mingkang deliberately turned his head and listened to their conversation.
She heard her mother-in-law telling her mother not to let the princess go this year. The Yin Qi in Xufu Palace was too strong, and the prince was asked to go there every year to get rid of the evil spirits. How could a child resist it? Besides, the princess was weak.
The Queen Mother sighed and said, "Your Majesty will carry a good boy over to him when he is five years old. It is not up to me to make the final decision."
The time has come to set off.
The palace chariot has been waiting at the door for a long time. There is a large purple velvet seat inside. Sitting on it feels like sitting on cotton.
This is the palace chariot of the Queen Mother of the West. Even the Queen Mother has never sat in it, but she is the only one who can sit in it.
Before leaving, Princess Mingkang dilly-dallyed, trying to delay time.
The queen mother was usually unable to speak to coax her, so she went to call her brother. The brother first took her off the palace chariot in the cold wind, patted her back and said that he would tell her when he came back that he met his uncle when he went out to fight. The interesting thing is that he will sneak her out of the palace to play in a few years.
The elder brother was impatient, but he always became very gentle in front of her. He asked the palace people to take more detours and make a big circle before going to Sufu Palace.
Princess Mingkang was finally put into the palace carriage together with the food box and sent to Sufu Palace. She really hoped that the carriage would run forever and never hit the ground.
As soon as the sedan carriage arrived outside Xufu Palace, Princess Mingkang's face began to darken. The nanny raised her head to look at her. She knew what the little princess was thinking.
He whispered, "Your Highness, please don't look sad, otherwise the Queen will be unhappy. If Your Majesty finds out, the Queen will be angry."
The gate of Sufu Palace was closed tightly, and the steps were very high. Because no one had walked around for a long time, thin grass had grown in front of the steps. Mammy caught a glimpse of the figure not far away, and recognized it as the eunuch beside His Majesty, and reminded her , "Your Majesty is here too, please pay attention to your manners."
There is a big locust tree in Xufu Palace, with its leafless branches stretched out under the dry and cold sky. The old bird settled on it and made a breathtaking cry.
Princess Mingkang wanted to turn around and leave, but Grandma held her arm and said, "Princess, don't be willful. Your Majesty will ask you something later. Do you know what to say?"
Princess Mingkang raised her head, as if she had forgotten her father a long time ago. After thinking for a long time, she remembered that he had not said a word to her for half a month. He always rested with Qing Meiren or Cen Liangdi. I didn't come to Jiaofang Hall many times, and even when I came, I only had a few words with my mother, and left before my stool was warm.
As soon as they entered, His Majesty was indeed there. He was talking to the Queen Mother about something worthy of happiness. She stood aside blankly, waiting for her father to call her over.
They were talking about their elder brother, saying that he was a brave man and good at fighting. He followed General Xia in the north and south, and made many military exploits. When he was old enough, they would give him the title of king and give him territory.
They also said that their brother had a man named Li Xiuning who was very skilled in martial arts and military skills. It was said that the arrow he shot penetrated the target and was nailed to the tree, and three or four people couldn't pull it out even if they worked together. He shot and killed countless enemy generals on the battlefield. He was an extraordinary figure.
In fact, his father didn't seem to have much preference for his mother's relatives, but was more afraid of them. He only took a liking to his elder brother.
My father was still talking to the Queen Mother of the West, and I heard that the man named Li Xiuning was handsome and handsome, with a radiant appearance. A rare person in the world.
Princess Mingkang looked down at her shoes, feeling sleepy.
The father mentioned his brother several times, and also talked about which family's daughter in the court, and this attitude was probably to grant a marriage.
Princess Mingkang's head is lowered. I don't know if my brother likes Xu. Even if he doesn't, he must like her.
After waiting for a while, the girl waiting beside the Queen Mother said that the little princess had arrived.
She had been waiting here for a long time. When these people saw her, they just pretended not to see her. It was really annoying.
The girl picked up the cotton door curtain and took her into the house. Mingkang greeted the Queen Mother and gave her a big salute. She couldn't speak, and she couldn't say those congratulations either.
She bowed to His Majesty first, and then to the Queen Mother. All this has been practiced repeatedly in Jiaofang Hall in advance. An must be generous and natural in her invitation, and must not be pretentious, but must be straight and upright.
The eyes should be soft and kind, and the gestures should be correct.
His Majesty looked at Ming Kang's salute seriously, his clear and stern face full of majesty and arrogance.
Mingkang is particularly tired of these tormenting red tape today.
(End of chapter)