On May 28th, at half past time, there were carriages lined up in front of the gate of Bixiaotang's East Street, from the street to the end of the street.
A young maid in Tsing Yi looked at the gate of the East Street, then trotted back to a black-painted flat-topped carriage at the end of the street, bowed to a woman in her forties who was in the carriage, and saluted: " Madam, there are twenty carriages in front of us! Would you like to tell the concierge..." My wife is also General Yao's wife. Three generations of the Yao family have assisted the Zhennan Palace. Even the crown prince should give Madam this face. The Yao family's carriage is advanced to the palace!
"Wait." Mrs. Yao waved her hand, not paying attention.
This is the first time for me to visit the Crown Princess, and I don't know the temperament of the other party, so it is always right to be cautious.
Mrs. Yao waited patiently outside the mansion for a stick of incense and a half before her carriage was ushered into Bixiao Hall.
The carriage stopped in front of Dongyi's gate, Mrs. Yao got out of the carriage with the help of a maid, and a nurse in charge, wearing a royal blue five-shou makeup and flower gown, came up to her, smiling so that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were crowded together.
"I have met Mrs. Yao." The nurse in charge warmly saluted Mrs. Yao.
Mrs. Yao was stunned. She was not surprised that the concubine did not come to welcome the guests. After all, the concubine is now the highest-ranking female family member in the entire southern border, and she is the first-rank princess. No one among today's guests can be so honored. Let the imperial concubine come to welcome her in person.
Mrs. Yao smiled slightly and said politely: "Nurse Lu." Although she hadn't seen her for more than ten years, Mrs. Yao still recognized her.
This Nanny Lu was the powerful nanny next to the former princess Dafang, but since the former princess passed away and the current wife married into the Zhennan Palace, this Nanny Lu disappeared in front of everyone... I didn't expect this to be very strange. After a few years, the other party has gained the respect of the crown prince again. This is really a king and a courtier!
"Mrs. Yao still remembers the servant girl, it's really an honor for the servant girl." Madam Lu smiled even more joyfully. After she was in charge of welcoming guests here, the little maidservant would welcome the guests to Xihong Hall.
But Mrs. Yao is not an ordinary female family member, so Nanny Lu led her there herself.
As soon as she entered Xihong Hall, Mrs. Yao was stunned again. She saw a beautiful young lady about fifteen years old sitting on the host seat, and a familiar little girl sitting on the armchair on her left - Xiao Fei. .
For a moment, various thoughts flashed in Mrs. Yao's mind, but she didn't show any abnormality. She continued to walk forward at a leisurely pace, and then greeted Nangong Yue: "I have seen the concubine."
"Madam Yao doesn't need to be so polite." Nangong Yue signaled with her eyes, and a little maid supported Madam Yao while she was kneeling.
"Thank you, Princess Concubine." Mrs. Yao finished the courtesy, then looked at Xiao Fei, Xiao Fei got up to greet her, and the two exchanged a few words.
Mrs. Yao looked as if nothing had happened on the surface, but in fact, there was already a turbulent sea in her heart.
In the past few days, some mansions in Luoyue City have been rumored that the eldest concubine and Miss Xiao are friends, Madam Yao just took it as a joke and didn't take it seriously, until now she confirmed that it was not groundless.
Mrs. Yao has also heard about Miss Xiao's temperament, that the concubine Shizi gets along so well with this sister-in-law, so there must be a way...
Mrs. Yao looked at Nangong Yue again unobtrusively, and saw that she was wearing a rose-purple two-color gold carved silk knee-length narrow-sleeve gown, and a bun on her head. Because she was not ready yet, only a few red flowers were stuck on her temples. Jade bead flowers, bead flowers seem simple, but red jade is rare, and the whole body is flawless, so delicate that even the pistils are lifelike. The bright dress set off her brilliance. It seemed that she was just a pretty, decent little girl, but seeing that she dealt with it calmly from beginning to end without showing any timidity, Mrs. Yao knew it.
In the past few years, the eldest son Xiao Yi has gradually revealed his sharpness. Originally, she thought that the imperial concubine was bestowed by the emperor. Given the emperor's fear of the Zhennan Palace, she might not be at ease. She never thought that the emperor would actually give the eldest son a Alright, look at this eldest concubine, although she is young, she is quite imposing. She is worthy of being the daughter of the Nangong family and the princess of the imperial concubine. She must be very favored. In the future, the son will be in charge of the outside, and the concubine will be in charge of the house. I am afraid that it will not be easy for Mrs. Xiaofang to attack the son.
Thinking of this, Mrs. Yao became more confident, and became more confident about her family's future. That's right, the master has always been a person with a compass in his heart, no wonder he let Hang'er follow the elder son!
After that, other wives came in one after another, and Mrs. Yao was led to the flower hall by a maid.
After walking along the Chaoshou corridor for a while, passing through a Ruyi gate, you will find the flower hall.
At this time, the weather was suitable, and the maids opened all the windows on three sides of the flower hall, and the inside was very bright. At a glance, one could see a pair of large blue and white porcelain vases in the corner, and four screens of nanmu primrose color carved silk, simple but elegant.
In May, the pomegranate flowers are in full bloom, red as fire, dazzling and dazzling. Sitting in the flower hall, you can just see the pomegranate flowers blooming in the small garden, overlooking the sparkling lake, a breeze blows, bringing a burst of light. A burst of floral fragrance, people can not help but relax.
The tea and fruit snacks on the table have already been set up. In addition to the common snacks in southern Xinjiang, some snacks from Wangdu are also mixed in. These snacks are made by the cook Nangong Yue brought from Wangdu, but they are authentic Wangdu flavor. .
A lot of people had already arrived in the flower hall. At first glance, it could be said that it was colorful and full of jewels, and it was indeed very lively.
Mrs. Yao quickly glanced around, feeling a little surprised. There were more people here today than she expected, including Mrs. Hong's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law from Hong Tong's mansion, as well as General Lan, General Jiang, Deputy General Xin and other female relatives in the mansion. are here. The foundation of Shi Ziye in southern Xinjiang is getting deeper and deeper!
Seeing Mrs. Yao coming, a familiar lady immediately stood up and greeted her.
"Mrs. Yao," Mrs. Jiang smiled and pulled Mrs. Yao to sit beside her, and said, "Why didn't your daughter-in-law come?"
When talking about the eldest daughter-in-law, Mrs. Yao couldn't hide the smile on her face, and said: "My eldest daughter-in-law was diagnosed with a happy pulse the day before yesterday, so I can only complain to the concubine."
Mrs. Jiang hurriedly said happily: "Congratulations, Mrs. Yao!"
"She's listless all day long and doesn't want to eat anything. I'm really worried." Mrs. Yao said so, but there was no sadness on her face, and the corners of her mouth were even more crooked.
Her eldest son has been married for five years, and this is still the first child of her daughter-in-law. She is looking forward to it day and night, at least watching the clouds bloom and the moon shine.
Several other wives also congratulated after hearing the words.
There are not many high-ranking families in southern Xinjiang, and these ladies know each other more or less. After exchanging pleasantries, they chatted enthusiastically...
The maids added some tea and snacks from time to time, very obedient.
Gradually, there were more and more people in the flower hall, and Luo Yuecheng, Mrs. Zhilu's wife and Mrs. Ma's wife, the chief envoy, came together. Followed by Mrs. Liu's wife who was comforting envoy, and Mrs. Yun who was inspecting envoy, along with their daughter-in-law and eldest daughter...all came.
Mrs. Yao hadn't seen the female family members of these civil and military officials gathered together for many years, it seemed that the face of the son of the world was really great.
At this time, Mrs. Hua who was sitting on the other side patted Mrs. Yao's arm lightly, and then motioned her to look at the door, only to see a proud lady and two beautiful girls coming from outside the hall.
There was a moment of silence in the flower hall, and everyone looked at the three of them in unison, with subtle expressions.
Everyone knew this lady, she was the prince's eldest sister, Mrs. Qiao, and the girl on her left was her eldest daughter Qiao Ruolan, and the girl on the right was Xiao Fei, the eldest daughter of the palace.
Xiao Fei calmly led the way: "Aunt, cousin, this way please."
Seeing them coming in, a woman in a lake-colored trousers stood up and greeted them enthusiastically, "Big Sister and Sister Lan, you are here."
Mrs. Qiao nodded gracefully, "Second sister!"
Xiao Fei and Qiao Ruolan also saluted and called "Auntie".
That's right, this lady is Mrs. Qiao and the concubine sister of King Zhennan, who is now married to Mrs. Ji of the Ji Mansion.
"Eldest sister, come and sit with younger sister. My younger sister hasn't talked to elder sister personally for a long time." Mrs. Ji covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled, "I heard that there is an extra person in my sister's house." Sister', big sister is really virtuous, to have such a good wife, brother-in-law is blessed!"
Although Mrs. Ji was smiling, she looked at the eldest sister with cold eyes, not hiding the gloating in her eyes.
She, the eldest sister, used to like to suppress herself everywhere in her boudoir, and finally got married by herself. She thought that she could completely get rid of her in the future, but she didn't expect that the other party would give her husband two enchanting maids after her miscarriage. , and also called it to share the worries for himself, and to carry on the family line for him! And his mother-in-law actually made the decision to accept it!
Thinking of what happened back then, Mrs. Ji was still gnashing her teeth in anger. She endured it for more than ten years, and finally let out a bad breath from her heart.
Recently, Vice General Qiao held a big concubine banquet, and brought the outside house into the mansion. It can be said that everyone in Luoyue City knew it. The day of the concubine banquet was so lively that even the prince went to drink it. a glass of wine.
Such a beautiful concubine feast is really unique in Luoyue City.
Although the ladies who came from other places didn't know the reason, it didn't hinder their imagination and outstanding communication skills, and they learned the story from the ladies who knew the story in a short while.
Mrs. Qiao was already as dark as a pot, and she didn't want to lose her momentum in front of this concubine sister, so she said coldly: "Thank you for your concern, second sister! I heard that brother brother is going to have a father soon, and my aunt also It's time to congratulate... "
These words made people look at each other in blank dismay, thinking: According to what they know, Mrs. Ji's eldest son should not be married yet? Isn't that...
Thinking of this, everyone showed strange expressions.
Now, Mrs. Ji's complexion became ugly. Brother Liang is his eldest son. These days, the servant girl serving in his room is pregnant... Sister Di is really vicious, she wants to ruin brother forgive What about the wedding!
Mrs. Ji said forcefully: "I don't know where Eldest Sister heard about it, but my brother-in-law hasn't said goodbye yet!" But she was thinking in her heart that when she returned home, she would be cruel to pour medicine for that little bitch. That's it!
The few words of the two sisters added a lot of gossip to the people in Luoyue City. Madam Ling, who was the third sister of Mrs. Qiao and Mrs. Ji, drank tea by herself from the beginning to the end, really wishing to be far away from these two sisters. .
After finally Mrs. Qiao sat down, Xiao Fei didn't leave the flower hall after ordering the maids to serve tea.
Girls came to sit next to her one after another.
Xiao Fei has a cold temper and doesn't like excitement, so there are not many opportunities to meet this eldest daughter of the palace. No matter what the purpose is, this opportunity to make friends with Xiao Xiao is really rare.
They smiled and talked around Xiao Fei, and they heard a girl wearing a smoky purple brocade dress with hundreds of flowers and flying butterflies say enthusiastically: "Lian'er still remembers playing chess with Miss Xiao last year, it really benefited a lot, Miss Xiao would like to have a chance Let's play another round with Lian'er."
Another girl in the brocade haze red jacquard beanie hurriedly echoed: "I was also very impressed with that game. I even memorized the game record and played it several times after that..."
"Why don't we hold a chess club one day, how about making friends with chess?"
"..."
The girls talked to each other, and it was so lively.
If it was in the past, Xiao Fei would probably feel that being polite to others was too philistine and not noble enough, but now, she responded one by one with a smile, and entertained these girls properly.
Qiao Ruolan, who was on the side, was accidentally left out. Annoyance flashed in her eyes, and she could only hold back and not show herself, and sat beside Mrs. Qiao in a dignified manner.
"His concubine is safe."
Outside the flower hall came the greetings from the maids, and everyone couldn't help but follow the sound, only to see the crown prince Nan Gongyue walking in accompanied by two female relatives. One of them is an old lady in her fifties, wearing a royal blue beige with ten kinds of brocade makeup, her gray hair neatly tied up in a bun, and a jade hairpin inserted; Her wife was in her thirties, she wore a lilac-colored twig silk beanie, and her round face looked very kind.
It's Mrs. Tian and Mrs. Tian from General Tian's Mansion!
All the wives quickly exchanged glances with the friends next to them, and they were all moved. When Mrs. Qiao came just now, Xiao Fei accompanied her, but Old Mrs. Tian was accompanied by the concubine Shi Zi. The closeness between Mrs. Tian and Mrs. Qiao is clear at a glance.
As soon as Nangong Yue entered the flower hall, all the female relatives stood up and saluted again.
Nangong Yue signaled them to be excused, and then said with a smile: "It's almost time, let's all sit down together."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a clear female voice say: "Biao sister-in-law, why didn't you see your aunt today? Could it be that your aunt hasn't taken care of herself yet?"
The one who spoke was Qiao Ruolan, who was sitting next to Mrs. Qiao. She looked dignified and virtuous, as if she was really just asking this out of curiosity. However, these few words reveal a lot, meaning that Xiao Fang has been ill for a long time, logically speaking, Xiao Fang is a mother-in-law, if she is sick, the concubine should serve the illness instead of entertaining her here; If Xiao Fang recovered from his illness, why didn't he come? Is it because the concubine didn't invite, or Xiao Fang didn't want to come
Not to mention the inside story, everyone knows that there is an undercurrent in Zhennan Palace...
There was silence in the flower hall, and everyone was waiting to see how the imperial concubine from the capital would react, and also wanted to see the temperament of the imperial concubine, so that they would know how to respond in the future.
Nangong Yue smiled faintly, and said with a stern voice: "Mother has been quiet recently, if my cousin wants to see her, why not visit her after lunch."
Xiao Fei frowned slightly, and without waiting for Qiao Ruolan to speak, she followed and said, "Cousin Lan, since mother came back from Mingqing Temple, she devoted herself to the Buddha and lived in seclusion. Cousin is so caring. Mother will be very happy to see her later. "
Xiao Fei is Xiao Fang's legitimate daughter, she came forward to make things happen for the eldest concubine, and no one had anything to say. What's more, Xiao Fei's words can't be wrong. Since Xiao Fang returned to the palace from the Ming and Qing Temple, she really lived in seclusion and never participated in other banquets... But everyone knew that Xiao Fang's reason was because of being forced to leave. I got rid of the imperial order, so I didn't want to come out to the banquet.
Thinking about it this way, the reason why Xiao Fang didn't come to this small banquet today is somewhat ambiguous. It is possible whether it is because of her discord with the Crown Princess, or because she is unwilling to come out to meet guests.
Qiao Ruolan's eyes flickered, and she said with a little embarrassment on her face, "It's Lan'er Menglang."
A small episode passed in a flash, and the maids led them to the table one by one
The old lady and the wives were welcomed into the open hall to have a seat with the concubine, while the girls sat with them in the side hall, and Xiao Fei seated with them, entertaining them as the host.
After everyone sat down, maids in emerald dresses slid into the flower hall with water soaked in pomegranate petals, and cleaned the hands of the female relatives, followed by another wave of maids in peach-colored dresses, serving hot tea, fine wine, Traditional dishes enter the flower hall one after another, and there are a lot of fine nectar and jade liquid, delicacies from mountains and seas.
These maidservants all lowered their eyebrows and were pleasing to the eyes, but they were flexible and behaved decently, and the female relatives secretly exchanged glances, showing admiration in their eyes.
Mrs. Tian felt a little complicated for a while, life was impermanent, thinking back then, the eldest son Xiao Yi was left in the capital as a hostage, everyone thought the princess, no, the wife's second wife might overwhelm the original spouse's, who would have thought Holding a bad hand of cards, Shi Zi Ye abruptly turned his disadvantage into an advantage, and now he has such an aura that even the prince can't suppress it.
In the future, southern Xinjiang will still have to rely on the son of the world to support it.
Nangong Yue said with a smile: "Some rough tea and light rice, please feel free to use some."
With her words, the meeting is considered open.
Mrs. Li, who was sitting diagonally across from Nangong Yue, complimented courteously: "Your Highness, Your Concubine! I think the dishes on this table are really rich. I have never seen many dishes. The dishes in Wangdu are as expected. Southern Xinjiang is different, it is very delicate and exquisite.”
"Mrs. Li is absurd." Nangong Yue said with a polite smile, "Wangdu and Nanjiang have one north and one south. Naturally, the dishes are very different. The dishes in Wangdu are exquisite and have a heavier taste. It is fresh and tender, fragrant and sweet, and pays attention to the original flavor and original flavor, each has its own merits."
"What the concubine Shizi said is true." Mrs. Zhang hurriedly agreed, "Although the concubine Shizi has only come to southern Xinjiang not long ago, she has explained the essence of our southern Xinjiang cuisine."
Everyone complimented her a few more times, and there were many compliments around Nangong Yue, and the atmosphere quickly heated up.
The meal was lively and lively for more than half an hour. Both the host and the guests were happy. After the table was dismissed, the maids served hot tea for everyone. Everyone moved to the garden to watch the play, and said with a smile: "Shi Zifei, ladies and gentlemen, the gong will start after one stick of incense."
The female guests got up one after another, talking and laughing and walking towards the garden.
The stage is set up by the lake in the garden. The lake is full of sparkling water and the lotus leaves are in fields. Whether it is viewing the scenery or enjoying the opera, it is good.
The guests were led to the Linshui Pavilion in the small garden, and then went up to the second floor. Tables and chairs were already set up on the veranda for everyone to lean on the railing to watch the play.
At this moment, the direction music of the stage sounded, and the actors with heavy makeup appeared on the stage one by one, babbling and singing on the high stage. Among the water, light and flowers, the actors sang and danced, with a leisurely and elegant atmosphere.
Que'er came over with an opera brochure, Fushen said: "Please order some operas."
In a banquet like today, listening to the opera is just to liven up the atmosphere, so when ordering the opera, they order some excerpts from the opera. If it is a well-known repertoire, each guest can almost watch the whole opera by ordering a section.
Nangong Yue already knew what dramas were on the playbook, so she didn't open it, so she randomly clicked on a paragraph: "Just the last fold of "Flowers in the Mirror"."
Afterwards, she handed the playbook to Mrs. Tian, but Mrs. Tian said politely: "I am old and my eyesight is blurred, so the concubine can order whatever she wants."
Seeing this, Mrs. Qiao's face on the other side turned dark. She is an aunt and an elder, but this concubine let Mrs. Tian play first, obviously to save her own face!
"Mother, why don't your daughter-in-law come and order for you." Mrs. Tian generously took over the play excerpt from Mrs. Tian, and ordered a section of "Drunken and Beating the Golden Branch".
She closed the playbook and handed it back to Baihui, and then it was Mrs. Qiao's turn to order plays.
Mrs. Qiao was so angry that she almost turned her face and didn't accept the show, but after thinking about it, she had an idea again, and a gleam flashed in her eyes.
She picked up the playbook and glanced at it casually, and said with a half-smile: "Then let's come to the third chapter of "The Story of the Cold Kiln"."
When they heard the title of the play, the female relatives already looked at each other in blank dismay. The play "Cold Kiln Tale" is quite famous in Dayu, and there are many women who like it. The problem is that this is a bitter drama, and since it is a bitter drama, it is unavoidable To cry and cry.
Today's banquet is the first time for Zhennan Wang Shifei to entertain guests. It stands to reason that some happy songs should be ordered, and more martial arts should be entertained.
But no one dared to say anything about Mrs. Qiao, and the joke continued to be passed down...
After three verses were sung on the stage, it was Mrs. Qiao's turn to order "The Story of the Cold Kiln".
Suddenly, the style of painting on the stage changed suddenly, and a sad and bitter drama was sung.
"The Story of the Cold Kiln" tells that Lu, the daughter of the prime minister, disregarded the words of her parents, married Li Yuzhong, a poor escort, and cut off contact with her parents. Later, when Li Yuzhong joined the army, the Lu family stayed alone in the cold kiln for ten years before returning to Li Yuzhong, who became a general. Li Yuzhong came to fetch Mrs. Lu to the General's Mansion with a big red sedan chair, but at that time the Lu family had already been confiscated, and Mrs. Lu's parents were destitute and needed Mrs. Lu's help. Mrs. Lu felt that her natal family was in decline and she was young again. No longer, ashamed of myself, not worthy of Li Yuzhong, just refused to get on the sedan chair, and insisted on reconciling and letting her husband marry another beautiful woman of the same family. In the end, Li Yuzhong was deeply moved, and married Shangfeng's daughter as his equal wife. From then on, the two daughters served one husband together, creating a good story of a virtuous woman!
The passage sung on the stage at this moment is that Mrs. Lu sadly recalled the past, and cried and begged her husband to marry another...
Others may not know what Mrs. Qiao means, but Nangong Yue knows it well. This aunt is mocking herself for being jealous and not forgiving!
Nangong Yue couldn't help laughing, it was just a play, if she cared about such little things, she would have vomited blood and died of anger.
Mrs. Qiao is probably judging others by herself.
Some ladies also faintly guessed what Mrs. Qiao was supposed to be implying, they were all whispering among each other, and the atmosphere in the flower hall gradually became a little weird.
"Ah… "
At this time, Xiao Fei chuckled softly. Although her voice was not loud, some people around heard it, especially Qiao Ruolan, who was sitting beside her, couldn't help turning her head to look at Xiao Fei.
I saw Xiao Fei staring at the stage intently, seeing her engrossed, obviously laughing because of the play.
But isn't this playing a bitter drama
Qiao Ruolan couldn't help but glanced at the stage again, the actor playing the Lu family on the stage was singing to the point of sadness, euphemistically and sadly, several female relatives were crying when they heard it, but the smile in Xiao Fei's eyes became stronger .
Qiao Ruolan almost thought that Xiao Fei and her were not watching the same play, she couldn't help asking: "Cousin Fei, what's so funny about this play?" Surely Xiao Fei couldn't be taking pleasure in other people's suffering
This doesn't look like Xiao Fei's temperament either...
-off topic-
A chapter of 7,000 words per day.
I just didn't divide it into 2,000-word chapters like others, and then said that there are three or four updates a day...
Looking at the whole site, the update is more stable than mine, and there are more than me, and there are not many sincerely who can guarantee the quality.