The selection of the Queen Embroidered Mother just ended hastily. Because of some changes, the officials of the Internal Affairs Department did not announce the result on the spot, but everyone took it for granted that Lin Dan would win this round.
Although Meng Si's double-sided embroidery is exquisite, the stitch sequence is a bit messy, and occasionally stitches are skipped, causing the pattern on the other side to appear chaotic. Although she later used plane embroidery stitches to modify and remedy, and hide the messy threads, but as long as you cut the embroidery thread and look at it, you can find these rough spots. In the final analysis, her double-sided embroidery skills are only better than quirky, far less exquisite than they appear on the surface.
However, Lin Dan's double-sided embroidery is based on the improvement of the double-sided Kesi technology. The needles must be embroidered in sequence, the needles must be carefully marked, and the threads should not be messed up or knotted. Thick and clumsy, it is far superior to Meng Si's family embroidery skills.
However, three days later, Du Ruyan walked into the embroidery village and said with righteous indignation: "Indifferent, I just received the news that Li Xiudian took Meng Si to Beijing. Meng Si was designated as the queen embroidery maid, to help the little emperor and his friends. The two empress dowagers embroidered dresses! Obviously you won the selection, why did they do this!"
Lin Dan is holding the needle and thread and carefully repairing the double-faced peacock picture that she had cut off before, without raising his head: "You don't need to be angry, I don't care much about the number of Queen Embroiderers. I can choose the best, but I can't choose. It's okay to go up."
These days, there are many embroiderers who come to learn double-sided embroidery. Lin Dan has also learned dozens of new stitches. Just thinking about and mastering these stitches is enough for her to be busy, and she has no time to go. toss something else. In the final analysis, those false names are just shortcuts to success. If you want to reach the top, you still rely on real strength.
"How do you say this? If you lose, we don't have to go, but the problem is that you won! You won and they let Meng Si replace you. This is obviously bullying!" Du Ruyan was so angry He stomped his feet: "Then Li Xiudian is so shameless, in order to prevent others from gossiping about Meng Si, he secretly took Meng Si to the capital at night, and didn't announce the news at all. Bah, sooner or later, this pair of sons and daughters will be killed. retribution!"
"What's so angry about this?" Du Rusong walked in with a small and cute bamboo basket, and said with a smile: "Dan'er, this is the embroidery thread I bought for you. Do you like it?"
"Thank you, Brother Du." Lin Dan and Du Rusong became more and more familiar with each other, so they changed their names. She focused on checking the embroidery thread, while Du Rusong stared at her intently and smiled: "Dan'er, how about you go to Beijing with me tomorrow? I have already sent a letter to my aunt, asking her to designate you as the queen embroiderer to embroider her phoenix robe. Let Meng Si embroider the dresses of Li Min and the little emperor, we don't care."
Before Lin Dan could speak, Du Ruyan clasped her palms happily: "Okay, this proposal is great! My aunt is now the most honorable woman in the world, and her dress should be embroidered by the best embroiderer in the world! Well, when you embroider the most beautiful phoenix robe, at the enthronement ceremony, I want to see how proud Li Min is!"
After hearing this, Lin Dan finally raised his head and smiled lightly: "Okay, then let's go back and pack our luggage."
For some reason, Du Rusong felt that his sweetheart's smile was a little bit bad and a little cute, so he couldn't help shaking his head and smiling, then pointed at the peacock screen and said, "Tan'er, take this with you too, you can repair it slowly on the boat. , when I arrive in the capital, I will use it to be useful."
"Okay, it will be finished in a few days." Lin Dan nodded and agreed without asking the reason.
A group of people arrived in the capital by sea boat, and they were called into the palace by Empress Dowager Du before they were properly settled.
Compared with the last time, the appearance and temperament of Empress Dowager Du are different. When she had just stabbed her forehead, she was so beautiful and flamboyant, but now, she just sat down on the seat with her eyes down, she was like a high mountain, insurmountable, and like a vast ocean, deeply invisible. end. All the palace servants knelt down at her feet, all expressions of awe on their faces.
In fact, not only these palace servants, but even the civil and military officials were cautious and fearful in front of her. A person who is too gorgeous and too majestic is naturally scary.
But Lin Dan was not affected by her aura at all, saluted without being humble or arrogant, and then sat on the futon. Du Rusong and Du Ruyan sat next to her with solemn expressions.
"Long time no see, Miss Lin doesn't seem to grow taller at all?" Empress Dowager Du poured tea for the little girl herself.
"Cough cough cough!" Lin Dan choked on the tea, his cheeks flushed from coughing. Du Rusong and Du Ruyan hurriedly reached out their hands and patted her on the back lightly.
Seeing that her nephew and niece were taking care of Lin Dan as if they were taking care of a baby, Empress Dowager Du was not annoyed, but laughed softly: "That's right, that's what a little girl looks like. You walked into the hall with a straight face, Ben. Gong also thinks this is the old lady of the house to invite An to come."
Lin Dan's cheeks turned even redder, and there was some rare shyness on his face. Du Rusong and Du Ruyan both put their heads away and couldn't help laughing.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly became active, causing the palace servants who were serving them to look sideways frequently. They had never seen Queen Dowager Du so kindly, let alone smiling so cheerfully. She is beautiful, but she is like the sun in the sky, but there is a danger of being burned from a distance. But now, she seems to have fallen from a high sky and has become an ordinary, flesh-and-blood person.
It can be seen how much she values and dotes on the three people in front of her. Du Rusong and Du Ruyan are her relatives, which is understandable, but who is that girl Lin, who can make Empress Dowager Du treat her like a junior and take good care of her
When the palace servants were thinking wildly, Empress Dowager Du backed away and asked Lin Dan to measure the size for herself. Du Rusong went to the outer hall to wait, while Du Ruyan held a small notebook to record the data.
"The waist is one foot seven, the hip circumference is two feet four..." Lin Dan counted while measuring.
"Auntie, you are in such a good shape!" Du Ruyan sighed.
Empress Du smiled without saying a word, turned around, asked Lin Dan to measure her shoulder width, and said casually, "Listen to Rusong, you were almost forced to become pirates?"
"Yeah! Someone hid zhemu and bright yellow silk and satin in our embroidery village, and framed us! Tan didn't panic at all at the time, but I was almost scared to death!" Du Ruyan slapped her chest in fear.
Lin Dan's tone was very calm: "People are being pushed in a hurry, what can't they do? In the end, survival is the most important thing. As long as you live, you are not afraid to start all over again."
Empress Du's eyes dimmed slightly, she nodded and said, "That's right, as long as people are alive, they're not afraid to come back. I always have one thing in my heart, but I don't know if I should do it or not, Dan'er, you go out for this palace. How about coming up with an idea?" Inexplicably, she liked and trusted the little girl in front of her very much.
Lin Dan didn't lift his head and said, "You know what you shouldn't do, but you keep pressing it in your heart, so it can be seen that you want to do it. Is there a sentence you haven't heard before?"
"What?" Empress Dowager Du looked down at her with an unpredictable expression.
"Everything in the world can't be done, but how do you improve yourself?" Lin Dan raised his head and looked at her, saying word by word.
This proverb comes from Zhu Xi, a Confucian master, "Anthology of Zhu Zi: Answers to Xu Shunzhi".
Empress Dowager Du was stunned for a moment, and then smiled slowly again: "Okay, there is nothing that can be done in the world." She pondered for a moment, and then folded her palm again, she was actually relieved and worried.
Du Ruyan quietly pulled on Lin Dan's sleeve and asked silently, "What's wrong with my aunt?"
Lin Dan shook his head and didn't speak. After measuring the size and leaving the Qiwu Palace, he whispered to Du Rusong, "I see Aunt Du's appearance, as if I want to be a female emperor."
Du Rusong was about to help her into the car, when he heard this, his face changed suddenly. Du Ruyan, who had already climbed halfway, immediately fell off the hood, squatted on his butt, and cried out in pain.
Du Rusong didn't care about his sister at all, just rubbed the top of his sweetheart's hair lightly, and explained carefully: "I can't say this again in the future, just bury it in my heart. No matter what my aunt wants to do, it has nothing to do with you. After you embroider the dress, I will I'll take you back to Lin'an Mansion, and try not to come back if you have nothing to do."
"I want to stay in the capital," Lin Dan said with a longing expression for the first time, and said in a low voice, "I want to see how far Aunt Du can go." This is the first time she has such a strong interest in a person's fate. interest of. It is undoubtedly a miracle to break through a world in a patriarchal society and even reach the top.
"Do you think you're watching a play?" Du Rusong's nervous mood instantly dissipated, and he tapped his sweetheart on the head angrily and hilariously.
Du Ruyan, who was so frightened, had already climbed up from the ground, slapped the skirt and whispered: "Listening to what Tan said, I'm not afraid at all, but very excited. Brother, what are you talking about? What's the matter?" If the aunt's success is failing, this time, she and her brother are not as simple as being assigned to the Lin'an Mansion, and they are more likely to be executed by Ling Chi. However, if Auntie succeeds, the Great Zhou Kingdom will usher in the first female emperor in history, and all the civil and military officials will crawl under her feet, shouting long live... As long as you think about the magnificent scene, Du Ruyan will be excited and emotional agitated.
"If you have something to say, go back. It's not as simple as you think." Du Rusong held Lin Dan in one hand and his sister's collar in the other, stuffed them into the carriage, and then looked in the direction of the imperial city, very distressed. Rubbed his eyebrows.
If what Dan'er said is true, then he has to find a way to transfer back to the capital as soon as possible so that he can help his aunt. Even Dan'er has never been afraid, let alone avoided the relationship, so what else is he worried about? It might sound like a fantasy for a woman to be the emperor, but he knew that his aunt had the courage and the ability.