Yuanqiu Xiu of the Liang State was fifty miles outside the capital city. Departing early in the morning when offering sacrifices to the heavens, it is generally possible to rush back to the capital before dark, which does not hinder anything.
The winter solstice offering sacrifices to the sky is still a bit torturous, not to mention, the weather is terrible.
Everyone set out in the early morning and arrived at Yuanqiu near noon. After a short rest and filling up, the auspicious time for Si Tian's monitoring and calculation also arrived. The emperor led the ministers to the square in front of the altar, and then began to worship the heavens under the auspices of Taichang Temple.
The altar is so high that only the emperor can climb to the top. In addition, it is the Taichang Temple Minister who presides over the sacrificial ceremony. After the sacrificial ceremony, the ministers were led by the emperor to worship three times and nine kowtows.
The entire ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heavens was long and cumbersome, lasting nearly two hours before and after. In such a cold winter wind, standing or worshiping for two hours, let alone some old officials can't bear it, even young and strong people feel almost collapsed after tossing - every sacrifice to the sky is a tossing, but most of such tossing People still like it, because it also represents a kind of value and recognition.
For example, Qi Yang, as a princess, was not qualified to come to offer sacrifices to heaven, and there was never a precedent for a princess to accompany her for a few days. But this time the emperor brought her and his concubine, and their status in the hearts of the ministers would be different.
But Rao knew the benefits of this trip, and the two-hour sacrifice ceremony was enough to toss.
As the concubine, Lu Qipei had been following Qi Yang all the time. Seeing Qi Yang's face flushed from the cold, he couldn't help but feel a little distressed in his heart. So, when the ritual official announced the end of the ceremony, she hurriedly reached out to touch Qi Yang's face and asked, "Is Aning frozen?"
The slender fingers touched the skin, and they were all cold to the bone. Only then did Lu Qipei realize that his hands were freezing cold.
She was a little helpless and wanted to take her hand back, but was pulled by Qi Yang. The little princess looked at her with a smile. She didn't dislike the coldness of her hands at all, and she held her hand as if to warm her up: "It's a little cold, but A Pei's hands are warmer."
Lu Qipei pursed his lips when he heard the words, and the light in his eyes brightened. The hands of the two are actually the same cold, but after the handshake has the body temperature of the other person, it always feels warmer than before, so the heart also warms up with a little temperature on the hands.
A few princes passed by the two with disdain in their eyes, but before they could say anything, Qi Yang pulled Lu Qipei and left.
Qi Yang took her concubine to see the emperor who had just come down from the high platform, she let go of the concubine to touch the emperor's hand, worrying: "Today's cold weather, my son is not very cold standing under the stage, and the wind is even stronger on the high platform. , Father, be careful, don't catch a cold."
The other person dared not act like this with the emperor. The eyes of several princes in the distance were widened, but the emperor was not seen to be angry because of Qi Yang's arrogance. On the contrary, his concern for his daughter was quite useful, and a smile appeared on his majestic face: "Every winter solstice sacrifice to the sky is like this, Huang'er, don't worry, it's your first time here, so you're less prepared."
When the voice fell, Zhang Jian had already handed over two hand stoves from the side. The emperor took it himself, and handed another one to Qi Yang: "Seeing that your face is red from the cold, remember to drink a bowl of ginger soup to ward off the cold."
Qi Yang took the warm stove with a smile, nodded in response, and thanked the emperor.
Zhang Jian winked at the side, and when he saw the concubine was still with him, he handed over another hand stove. In the end, she was pushed by Qi Yang. She took her own stove and used it with Lu Qipei. The young couple looked quite intimate holding hands.
The emperor was a little blind, and once again felt a toothache and a bloated stomach, and waved the person away.
Qi Yang didn't stay long, and after a few words of concern, he took Lu Qipei away. The two held the same hand stove for warmth, and they walked farther and farther, and their backs showed intimacy and sweetness.
The emperor was somewhat relieved that the two of them had a strong relationship. After thinking about it, he laughed and scolded: "This girl came here specially, isn't it just to ask me for a stove?!" He turned his head and left his old father behind. , go so neatly.
Knowing that the emperor's words were a joke, Zhang Jian followed with a reassuring smile and said, "Your Majesty has been worrying too much. Your Highness is concerned about your health before asking." After a short pause, he added, "It must be a matter of the way to ask for a hand stove."
The emperor smiled and shook his head, holding the stove and leaving.
The end of offering sacrifices to heaven was only half-afternoon. As usual, everyone had a rest before returning to Beijing.
This time, however, it seems to be a little different. After the sacrifice to heaven, the emperor ordered people to boil ginger soup to give to the ministers to ward off the cold. Later, no one notified them to leave for Beijing. When all the ministers had almost rested, they asked people to ask. Only then did they learn that the emperor had been blowing the cold wind on the altar for a long time before, and now he felt a little cold and uncomfortable, so I am afraid that he will not be able to return to the capital today.
This is nothing, although Jitian rarely spends the night in Yuanqiu, but there is also a palace near Yuanqiu. The palace is not big, and because the emperor rarely has a place to stay, it is a little simple, but it is enough to accommodate these imperial courtiers.
The ministers followed the emperor's car to the palace, and they were quickly settled, but there were also doubts in their hearts.
"I saw my father and I was fine before, why did I suddenly catch a cold again?" Several princes were particularly puzzled. Before the Ming Dynasty, the emperor still performed a filial piety with Qi Yang under the altar. He looked so energetic at that time, how could he fall ill now? !
But asking to see the emperor was fruitless, and everyone's doubts could only be suppressed.
Qi Yang took another sip of the ginger soup: "Sure enough, it's still too cold to worship the sky during the winter solstice, so drink more ginger soup to ward off the cold." After she finished speaking, she brought the bowl to Lu Qipei's lips and coaxed: "This bowl tastes pretty good. , Apei also drink more."
Lu Qipei disliked it and wanted to avoid it. She didn't like ginger garlic very much, and she couldn't drink ginger soup. She had been forced to drink a bowl by Qi Yang before, and she was also sweating away from the cold, but now Qi Yang is drinking ginger soup as tea, and she really can't afford to accompany her.
It's a pity that before Lu Qipei could dodge, the soup bowl was already on her lips. I had no choice but to take a sip, the taste was indeed different. Sugar is added to this bowl, and it is spicy and sweet, and it doesn't really taste like it, but it's not as exciting as before.
Qi Yang only wanted to laugh when he saw Lu Qipei's face full of disgust. Lu Qipei was doting on her and helpless, so he had to change the subject: "Your Majesty has a cold and is not feeling well, so why don't Your Highness come to see her now?"
Speaking of this, Qi Yang was a little careless: "Father, the emperor is fine, why am I going to join in the fun?"
When the news first came out, Qi Yang was still a little surprised and worried, but when she got to the palace, all her worries were put down. There is no other reason. The preparation of this palace, which is uninhabited all year round, is too perfect. Not only has the residence of His Majesty been arranged, but even the ministers have been placed properly. Such an arrangement cannot be accomplished in an instant. There are few people in the palace, and it is not enough for a temporary sweep.
Since the emperor had already made arrangements, the discomfort of catching a cold is naturally an excuse. Moreover, she had met the emperor before, so if she didn't go to the emperor at this time, she would not feel that she was unfilial and neglected, and it was easy to understand that she had seen it through.
The fact is also as Qi Yang expected, the emperor left his own intentions, and he was impatient to pretend to be sick. Several princes and important ministers asked to see him, but he did not see him. In the end, the important ministers retired. The princes guarded the door and looked filial, but they did not see him even a little moved.
But in the evening, Qi Yang was given a table of wine and food by the emperor instead.
A mutton hot pot, a few side dishes that are hard to see in winter, and a small pot of imperial wine.
It is not a precious food, but it is just right for the winter solstice, making people feel warm when they see it.
Qi Yang stared at the hot pot for a while, and couldn't help sighing: "Today's winter solstice, it would be lonely for my father to eat alone. If it wasn't for a few royal brothers blocking the door, you and I would accompany him to eat this hot pot, he would be happy. ."
In the past, when the Crown Prince was in Beijing, both brothers and sisters would go to Xuan Shi Hall to accompany the emperor during the festivals. Even though the crown prince is now married and has a wife and children, he has never been estranged from the emperor because of his small family. Perhaps it is precisely because of this that the emperor did not suppress fear in the face of the young and powerful prince, and there was more to maintain in addition to balance.
Qi Yang said with some emotion, but Lu Qipei rarely felt a little bit of slander in his heart - looking at the appearance of the emperor urging her to leave today, it seems that he didn't want to dine with them, and Qi Yang was more or less the same to go alone.
But then again, those princes are really pitiful in comparison, they don't feel like their own...
However, in the final analysis, the newly married Yaner can be alone with his consort, and Qi Yang is not so eager to accompany his old father. With only a sigh of relief, Qi Yang happily pulled Lu Qipei and sat down.
Glancing at the jug, Qi Yang was very moved, but he thought that there must be a reason for the emperor to stay in the palace today, and he was afraid of drinking alcohol. In the end, she could only regretfully put away the unopened pot of imperial wine: "I don't know what happened in the past two days, so I won't drink this wine for now, and save it for the next time."
Lu Qipei didn't quite understand Qi Yang's regret. Her Royal Highness should also have a pot of Imperial Bar? But she didn't ask much, nodded obediently, but said: "Your Majesty and everyone are in the palace, if something changes, it should be in the capital."
The emperor has his own plans and will not easily put himself in danger. What's more, he even brought Qi Yang on this trip, obviously not to drag her into danger, but to take care of her nearby. So even if something were to happen, it would not be on the side of the palace, but on the capital where the emperor and important officials were separated. I wonder if it will be as peaceful as before
Qi Yang naturally thought of the key, and had some doubts, but at this time, he didn't want to talk about it. She raised her chopsticks and took a piece of mutton into Lu Qipei's bowl, and said with a smile, "Mutton is warm in nature, eat more food to keep out the cold in the winter solstice, and you can also try the chef's craftsmanship."
Of course Lu Qipei did not refuse, and after using it, he also arranged dishes with Qiyang, and the two took care of each other well.
Eating a hot pot in winter is already hot, not to mention that the charcoal fire in the room is complete and warm.
After a while, sweat broke out on the foreheads of the two of them.
Qi Yang took a sip of the tea, then turned to look at Lu Qipei. She saw that her jade-like face was dyed with pale red at the moment, and it added a third of color under the flickering lights, which reminded her of her drunken appearance in a trance...
In fact, it was time to take out the pot of imperial wine and drink it.