Looking out from the dense tassels embroidered with hipa, one can only see a hazy red light all over the room. It seems to be the burning red candles on the table, shining with streamer light, illuminating the room full of spring.
There was the sound of chaotic footsteps outside, the special thin voice of an internal officer, and the fragrance of the clothes and powder. It was the big girls waiting in the house saluting like a ceremony: "I have seen the prince."
"Get up." The unfamiliar voice was full of honesty, and it seemed to shake in my ears.
The tinkling sound is the emerald jade bracelet on Xi'er's wrist by her side. It has been with her all day. Help her get off the sedan chair, help her step over the brazier, help her kneel down and salute, help her thank the Lord of Heaven and Earth for his kindness, help her enter the palace. Come to the room and sit with her until the evening. The weighing rod was slightly cool, and he gently poked under the hipa, his eyes suddenly lit up, and the sky and the earth were filled with joyful red, and he was standing in the center of the crowd, looking at her.
She quickly lowered her head, but with just a glance, she could already see his eyes, his eyebrows, his full and noble forehead, his resolute and slightly pursed mouth, but the corners of his mouth were slightly curved, it was a smile.
Although she lowered her head deeply, she couldn't help but also pursed her lips and smiled. If mother finds out, it must be a good lesson, how can the bride laugh
Ever since the decree came down, the entire family was more worried than happy, and the mother sighed to her father more than once: "Thousands of choices, why did you settle on our family's wishes?" But the father's face darkened: "This is grace, What nonsense are you talking about?"
Yes, this is a great grace. The queen mother personally decreed that she be married to the regent. The gold book and gold treasure, the glamorous exile, was awarded by the Ministry of Rites, and canonized as Princess Yu. The Prince Regent held a ceremony to welcome his relatives. Along the way, there was a ceremonial guard of honor, the music was played, and the sound of firecrackers was deafening. The people of Nine Cities almost came out in full force, helping the old and the young to block the streets and alleys, watching the Prince Regent "marrying a bride".
While she was sitting in the sedan chair, listening to the noisy voices of people, horseshoes, drums, and firecrackers outside, the sedan chair was moving fast and steadily, and the sedan chair curtain embroidered with gold embroidered with flowers shook slightly, as if rippled with golden ripples. Everything is like a dream. Before the decree came down, he never thought that he would marry the king regent who had all the power in the world.
Because her father was just a hereditary third-class vassal who took an idle errand, there were so many powerful and powerful families in the city, and there were so many outstanding, beautiful and virtuous women that she couldn't count them all. When the decree of marriage came down, the whole family was shocked. Because the Empress Dowager hangs the curtain and Prince Yu is the regent, there are various rumors in the market. It is Prince Yu's confidant, so naturally he will be in trouble. Although it seems that the government and the people are still peaceful, and the monarch and ministers are harmonious, in fact, the vortex under the ice has been surging for a long time.
Last night, according to the old customs in Xichangjing, the married daughter had to sleep with her mother on her last night at her mother's house. The mother took off her evening make-up and combed her long hair with a toothbrush. The bronze mirror reflected her mother There was a faint look of worry in his eyes, and he said: "My child, the palace is no better than the family, not to mention the status of the regent is noble, don't be petty, be cautious in your words and actions, and don't lose your status as a princess." In the end, he just let out a long sigh, "Son, this is fate, and the future will only depend on your own blessing."
Yes, this is life. Since the decree of giving the marriage came down, Xi'er tried to find out every bit of news and told her piecemeal news. It turned out that this marriage also had its own causes and consequences. The Empress Dowager takes a fancy to the daughter of Prince Jing of the West, and intends to consider her a righteous sister and marry the Prince Regent, but the "King Supporting Faction" prefers the daughter of General Yu Ping, and also intends to use marriage as a balance. The two factions had been at a stalemate for a long time, so they had to give in to each other, and randomly picked the most irrelevant person, and that was her, who was registered as Princess Yu.
This is fate, and in the sedan chair, she also felt uneasy for a long time, but she didn't know what kind of person she was going to marry.
But I had all sorts of imaginings, and this night under the red candle, I suddenly saw him, and I was suddenly relieved.
It turned out to be such a person, with clear and handsome eyes, looking at himself with a slight smile.
As soon as my heart warmed up, I felt at ease.
The four bridesmaids poured the wine and cut the red candles. The person in the head bowed and saluted, and said in a low voice, "Please go to bed early." Then he led the servants to retreat silently together with Xi'er. go out. The eunuch who was the last to retreat slammed the door backwards, and there was a soft knock, which shocked her heart again. Yuehe incense was burning in the golden censer, and faint smoke was spewed out from the beast swallow. The candlelight reflected the crimson curtain, as if the plum blossoms were covered with snow, and became more and more red. There was a hint of wine in his brows, he thought he had had a lot of wine during the previous banquet, on such a day, even though he was the regent, he was only a bridegroom. There was also a faint smell of wine on his body, and she suddenly felt her heart pounding. She had never been alone in a room with a strange man since she was a child, let alone a night like this.
After a long time, I heard him ask: "What's your name?"
"Xiangyi," Fang felt impolite when he answered hastily, so he added, "The small characters for ministers and concubines are Xiangyi."
He smiled: "I see."
She was a little embarrassed, standing there not knowing what to do, after a while, she heard him say: "Dingluan."
She blinked her eyes before realizing that he was telling her his name. In fact, she already knew it. As soon as she ascended the throne, she was appointed regent, and her husband—I'm afraid that no one in the world calls him by his name—couldn't help but lower his head and smile again, only listening to his gentle voice: "Is the princess hungry? From morning to now."
From leaving home to the palace, there was red tape along the way, and in the middle of the night, she finally remembered that she hadn't touched a drop of water all day. Concubine... When she left home in the morning, her father saw her off at the front door. Through the sedan chair curtain, she heard her father's last sentence: "Your servant respectfully sends you off to Concubine." It's the princess, and even her biological father has become a courtier.
But when he heard this strange title from his mouth, he somehow felt at ease.
He had already sat down at the table and waved to her. She walked over with great joy and sat opposite him.
Twelve dried fruits, twelve candied fruit, twelve small pastries, a table of exquisite food, he held up the wine cup, and the sleeves embroidered with golden dragon patterns slipped down. Python patterns were used, and the year before last he had issued a special decree in the name of the emperor that the regent's regular clothes could also use dragon patterns. When the special report was sent out, Xiang Yi's father frowned and sighed: "It's so overstepped!" So when she saw it at this moment, she couldn't help thinking that she hadn't figured out what she was thinking, and she had already seen him. The fingers are very thin, not as good as a man's hand, but there are thin calluses between the fingers, which rustle as they rub against the clothes.
He was looking at her, so she also took up the wine cup, and drank it like him. The wine tasted like honey, it tasted very fragrant in the throat, slightly spicy, and made her cough. He stretched out his hand and gently Patting her on the back, she just felt hot in her heart, and she didn't know if it was because of the wine or his hands. For some reason, his hand suddenly rested on her shoulder, and he didn't put it down for a long time. She slowly raised her head, but saw his eyes passing her vacantly, only looking out the window. Today is fifteen, The moonlight is like mercury, like a layer of light veil, enveloping the sky and the earth.
There was a wind blowing, which made the candle flame shake, and she couldn't help calling softly: "My lord."
He finally looked away and smiled at her.
It seems that I only closed my eyes a little, the sky is not yet bright, it is already the first hour, and I have to get up.
The servant girls in the upper room filed in to wash and change their clothes. Prince Yu changed into court clothes. It was the first time she saw him in court clothes, with a golden crown on his hair. The ochre-colored river Hague was almost the red color used by the imperial court. He was wearing a gold-inlaid white jade belt around his waist. . There was a bright lamp in the room, and the surroundings were as bright as day. She was surprised to find that the 27-year-old regent's temples were already slightly stained with weather.
The Zhai gown with embroidered golden pheasants was more complicated and exquisite than yesterday's wedding gown. Four or five maids helped to dress it up layer by layer, and put on the beige. The neck is hung on the chest, and a gold jade pendant hangs from the lower end. A heavy Nine Hui and Four Phoenix crown is inserted in the hair, which is a formal makeup, because I will go to the palace to thank you soon.
Xi'er carefully held the mirror, and the reflections were interlaced in the mirror on the table, showing her the beaded flowers on the back of the bun, but she saw his face from the big bronze mirror, he changed clothes faster than her, so he just smiled at the side Looking at her in full makeup.
There is no shade of thrush, and she suddenly thought of this poem, and couldn't help but feel sweet in her heart.
She rode in a sedan chair while he rode a horse until they arrived at the gate of the palace. From a distance, he saw an inner officer waiting beside him, and said loudly: "There is a decree."
Prince Yu didn't get off the horse, but leaned on the saddle and signaled the internal officials to announce the decree. It turned out that it was the Queen Mother's decree to give the regent princess a chariot in the palace.
This is an honor that can only be enjoyed by concubines in the harem. She felt uneasy, but Prince Yu only said "Thank you for your kindness", and motioned her to get on the chariot, only to hear the footsteps of the eunuch carrying the chariot light and fast , while Prince Yu was still riding the horse, and the crisp sound of hooves sounded in front of her chariot.
This was the first time she entered the palace, and when she passed through the majestic Defu Gate, she could only see layers of resplendent glazed eaves, stretching like a blue sea, and the rising sun reflected on it, so dazzling that one could hardly keep her eyes open. A series of hanging flower gates pass through the straight sky street, and the long palace walls extend far away like two red dragons. Only then did she understand why she had to take a chariot, because she couldn't reach her on foot.
Finally, the chariot was lowered outside the Chuihua Gate, Prince Yu also dismounted, and an inner official came out from the gate, she saw that the clothes were of the third rank, and she knew that this person was Ci Yi, who was called "Nei Xiang" Wang Cong, the eunuch in charge of the palace. Sure enough, the internal official had already stepped down the steps and knelt down to salute: "My servant has seen the prince and concubine." Prince Yu said: "Thank you, my lord."
Wang Cong smiled, his eyes were narrowed, and his face was full of joy: "Your Highness is polite, please come with your servants."
Stepping up the white marble steps, another pair of female officials greeted them with smiles, they turned around and led them into the hall with a salute. The hall is extremely quiet, and the gold bricks are covered with a thick carpet of flowers tributed by Fuzhou. The female officials standing there are all ranks above the sixth rank, and in the quiet hall, only the soft golden crowns of the female officials are drooping and trembling. She heard her long skirt brushing by, rustling lightly, and felt a little flustered for some reason, but he stretched out his hand and held her hand.
On the throne facing south, there is a graceful lady sitting upright. From a distance, only her red Di Yi can be seen, like a streak of clouds in the depths of the sky. The crown of nine dragons and nine phoenixes, with fine tassels hanging down, overflowed like water waves in the depths of the deep and dark palace. She knew that this was the current Empress Dowager Mu.