night
The sky was a bit dense with dark clouds, covering the stars, and it was completely dark. The main gate of the palace was decorated with colorful lanterns, the largest of which was the Erlong Playing with Pearls lantern, which was reflected brightly.
It is rare to celebrate with the people. All the lanterns with poems and riddles are hung in the corridors of the city. The stars are quite affectionate. The most important thing is that even on the city, because of the earth dragon, the heating is dense, and you can see the lights and the people. Not being out of the cold, some princes or princesses were guessing lantern riddles, admiring the fireworks in the distance, and looking at the streets below.
Every five steps on the wall, there is a guard. Today is a happy day. Although these guards carry knives, they all wear bright red coats and look festive.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
As a white-faced and beardless old eunuch shouted from the front, the sharp voice sounded, and the noisy crowd immediately fell silent.
The eunuch was wearing a big red robe and holding a lantern to lead the way, followed by several young eunuchs holding lanterns. Behind him was the emperor, middle-aged, wearing a golden robe and a red cloak, followed by a dozen guards with swords.
The emperor appeared, and the playful princes, princesses, and princesses all fell silent. The leading concubine stepped forward and said, "See your majesty!"
Everyone in the stadium knelt down and shouted: "Long live, long live, long live!"
"Ping Sheng!" The emperor asked everyone to stand up. Seeing that the time was almost up, he ordered: "Let's start!"
"Honor the decree."
Suddenly three cannons rang out, and the bodyguards in armor clanked and ran out, immediately intercepting them three hundred steps away from the city gate, which was a distance that no crossbow could reach.
Even if you are celebrating with the people, you still have to maintain royal dignity and safety.
Thousands of spectators below fell silent for an instant. They saw a sudden burst of music at the city gate, and the dragon flag came up to the city. It was dazzling to see. The guards were even more majestic in gold helmets and silver armor. The eunuch in the middle was holding Huang The carriage stopped at the city.
The light was bright, and even though he was hundreds of steps away, he could still vaguely see a person under Huang Yu, wearing a beaded crown and a golden dragon robe, smiling slightly. Although he was over fifty, he still looked healthy.
In an instant, the crowd bowed down like a large field of wheat. The mountains roared and the tsunami roared: "Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"
After the ceremony, the emperor waved in return. The city was noisy with gongs, drums and firecrackers. The sky was darkening. The emperor glanced at the prince, princess and concubines and smiled: "You don't have to be formal and have fun by yourself. I'm not surprised today." "
The princes, princesses, and princesses then got up to play. Some young princes who were only five or six years old were arguing with the princess, which was a little more lively and humane than usual.
Looking around the imperial city is a large square. The palace eunuchs and guards are driving bullock carts and carrying fireworks. They can be set off later at the emperor's order.
Rows of streets in the distance are illuminated by red lanterns, lighting up the night view of the capital. You can clearly see the distant streets, lanterns, fireworks, and lively crowds of people coming and going.
Although these are interesting, they are just like this after seeing too much. The emperor only looked around the city for a while, then turned around to admire the lanterns on the city. This year there are many more lantern styles than in previous years, and the lantern riddles are also interesting. The emperor looked at Nodding, the eunuch looked at this scene and smiled.
The emperor walked all the way. He no longer had a queen mother or a queen. At this time, the highest status of a concubine was the concubine who acted as the queen. From time to time, there were concubines who continued to talk. They were not as warm as usual. Just as he was talking happily, the emperor suddenly remembered someone and asked "Where did the eldest princess go?"
A eunuch trembled and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, the eldest princess has led the young princess and the guards outside to enjoy the lanterns. The young one dare not stop her."
After hearing this, the emperor's expression changed: "How can a royal nobleman go to such a lantern festival so easily? If something happens, what should I do? Call him back quickly."
Just after the emperor finished speaking, the voice of the eldest princess came: "Your Majesty, why are you angry? I just went out to go shopping for lanterns and I have already come back."
The eldest princess came with the princess beside her, while the little princess held a lantern and couldn't put it down.
When he saw the eldest princess, the emperor scolded him with a straight face: "Why are you so careless?"
This is her only younger sister. Fu Ma died in the war because of her great cause. She has only one daughter. She is mostly worried. She is not really scolding. The eldest princess said with a smile: "Brother, I am just going out to play. There are guards to protect me. What are you worried about me for?"
"Call Your Majesty!" After hearing what the eldest princess said, the emperor felt helpless and said with a straight face.
My little sister is usually doted on. After getting married, she had a good relationship with Fu Ma. After the death of Fu Ma, this sister's personality has become a bit changeable. She uses her status to do things, add a little money and be extravagant. As long as it doesn't involve big things, she can do everything. Tolerate it, after all, I only have one sister.
"Brother, please don't scare me on this festival." The eldest princess pretended to be frightened. She was already middle-aged and still looked like a little bird.
"There's really nothing we can do about you." The emperor looked at him with a wry smile, not wanting to reprimand him anymore, and turned to ask with a straight face: "Elder Princess, you have gone out and caused enough mischief. What good things can come from coming back so happy?"
"Your Majesty, of course there are good things. Look at what I'm looking for." The eldest princess handed over a volume of manuscript, still smelling of ink. She had just written it. The emperor said, "I found something good and presented it to me."
He took it and started looking at it.
"The laughter fills the air with the fragrance, and the crowd searches for him thousands of times. Suddenly, when I look back, that person is there, in the dimly lit place."
I still had a smile when I read it at first, but when I thought of the crowd searching for him thousands of times, I suddenly frowned - I met the queen by chance when I was a boy, the warmth of serving with bare hands, the delicate hands of serving soup, sometimes reviewing documents, suddenly I came back to my senses. Come, I found that the queen was still sitting embroidering, looking at her with tenderness...
For a moment, the emperor was infatuated and stunned... It seemed that the queen's voice and appearance seemed like yesterday. He remembered that when he was determined to rebel, she looked calm and said with a low eyebrow: "How can I interrupt the important matter decided by my husband? If my husband can succeed, I will do it." Just follow and enjoy the blessings. If it doesn't work, I will naturally have no choice but to follow you."
Everything fell to that drizzly evening in the blink of an eye, her last reluctant gaze... Five years have passed in the blink of an eye. These distressing past events - he deliberately forgot them, but as soon as he was reminded, they were so clear and vivid that he immediately Tears oozed out, and she quickly wiped them away and turned around: "Eldest Princess, let's go shopping alone!"
The old eunuch stepped forward: "Your Majesty, you can't."
The emperor said with a straight face: "I can't even talk to the eldest princess alone. Is there someone else here to assassinate me?"
The imperial concubine was on one side, looking at the eldest princess with an inexplicable expression. The emperor's indulgence and respect for the eldest princess were really enviable. Looking at the scroll she brought up, the emperor's expression was the same as in the dream just now, which frightened her. Jump.
After walking a few steps, the emperor held up the scroll and asked, "Whose work was it?"
"Yingzhou Jieyuan Pei Ziyun." The eldest princess responded softly. The emperor's look back in confusion just now fell into her eyes, and she knew that these words had touched the emperor's heart. I don't know why, there was no joy at all, but a little distress. Emperor In fact, it was love, but it seemed too luxurious for the profession of emperor.
"Pei Ziyun, Pei Ziyun, is this Pei Ziyun who is going to drink in Yingzhou?" The emperor thought for a while before he remembered, and he had also heard of Pei Ziyun's name.
"Yes, it is this person. I met this person just now and pointed to the lantern riddle and asked him to guess it. He guessed it after a while. Then he pointed to the dimly lit place and asked him to compose a poem. After three steps, he ended up like this. Ci, I also seem to see Sadao, this man is really smart and quick." The eldest princess said.
"Since this person is so talented, and he rushed to the capital before spring, he must have come to take the imperial examination, and not to beg the eldest princess to take a shortcut. In fact, based on this word alone, I have to win, and a Sanding is indispensable. A." The emperor said something that seemed to be true and false. The expression on his face was unclear. Just from the tone of his voice, he seemed to be in a good mood, but also seemed to be in a bad mood.
"Gee, I'm afraid your Majesty you won't be able to get it. This son has already entered the Taoist sect. He came here to ask me to do something, but it's not about the imperial examination..." The eldest princess said openly without covering up.
The emperor glanced around when he heard this. When he talked about this, he was no longer in love just now. He interrupted the conversation and pondered for a while and said: "Tell me after the banquet. Now is the lantern festival. Let's have fun and not talk about things."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The eldest princess saluted.
With the emperor's order, fireworks bloomed in the square, and the entire imperial city gate turned into a sea of fireworks. Red, yellow, blue, and purple, beautiful fireworks filled the entire sky.
A little princess was held in the arms of a concubine. She looked at the fireworks in the distance and murmured: "It's so beautiful. I really want to see it every day."
An older prince replied: "Sister, the lights only come on once a year, so we have to wait until next year."
"Mother, I don't, I don't, I want to watch it every day." The princess grabbed the concubine's clothes and acted like a baby, and the concubine helplessly touched and coaxed her.
The Lantern Festival is an annual grand spectacle. As fireworks rise in front of the Imperial City in the capital, the crowds who were originally admiring the lanterns all look to the sky.
Pei Ziyun was walking back along the street, looking up at the fireworks in the sky as he returned to the earth. He was speechless. After a long time, he shook his head: "Since the eldest princess has agreed, a thousand taels of gold must be delivered tomorrow morning, and I also have to present a hundred taels of gold to Minister Ji."
"Let's exchange all the remaining gold for silver notes." Thinking of this, Pei Ziyun left behind his inexplicable melancholy and headed home.
After the fireworks were lit, the eunuch came forward and said: "Your Majesty, I hope your Majesty will move to have a banquet."
As the ceremonial music played, the emperor got up and everyone got up and entered the palace.
At this time, the palace maids and eunuchs all took turns serving the dishes and keeping the temperature to prevent them from getting cold.
The eldest princess followed the emperor and led the little princess to sit together. The banquet was held as ordered by the emperor. It was lively and festive. From time to time, the emperor would assess the adult prince, write poems, and write articles. It was just casual, and he would not criticize if he was wrong. , and you will be rewarded if you answer well.
After the banquet, the emperor drove off and entered the imperial study. Later, a young eunuch handed him sobering soup. The emperor entered the desk. A stack of Pei Ziyun's documents were piled on the desk. He picked it up and read it. Later he said: " Princess Xuan Chang comes in."
"Xuan, the eldest princess is here to see you." The little eunuch at the door shouted loudly, and then a eunuch led the eldest princess into the royal study.
(End of chapter)