Midsummer is about to pass, but the weather is still hot. In the east courtyard of the Prime Minister's Mansion in Quanguifang, there are cicadas neighing hidden in the towering old trees. In the pond behind the house, dormant frogs are waiting for nightfall. The lotus leaves are motionless, and there is no trace of them.
There was no wind. All the windows on all sides of the room were closed, and the curtains were lowered to block the heat from outside. There were large urns in the four corners with ice cubes in them, so the room was not very hot.
Behind the rosewood screen is an exquisite embroidered bed, with all kinds of beautiful sachets, tassels and silk ribbons hung on the bed. A little person sleeps in the lotus-colored hibiscus tent, and a maid kneels beside the bed, giving
She fanned the door and opened it with a creak, and another pretty maid walked in, holding a fruit plate with four lychees frozen in ice.
The maid who was kneeling in front of the bed stood up, walked over and said softly: "Lychee? It must be from the eldest lady?"
The maid carrying the fruit plate smiled and said: "Yes, Xiaoxue, the eldest lady just called me over, why should I take it seriously? It turns out that Prince Yu's palace got the lychees in the palace, and our prince specially sent them to the eldest lady.
I mean well, but I don’t know that the eldest lady doesn’t like lychees, but our ancestor loves them very much, so I brought them all four.”
Xiaoxue pursed her lips and smiled, and whispered: "Keep it down, don't let her hear. I just kept shouting about the heat, and finally I coaxed her to fall asleep. I put it in the urn first, and then I gave it to her when she woke up."
Shuang'er put the fruit plate into the urn and walked to the bed to take a look. The little man on the bed was sleeping soundly, but he was still frowning. The beads of sweat on his forehead must be that he felt hot in his dream.
Then he also brought a fan and fanned it with Xiaoxue.
She woke up within half an hour, and the two of them hurriedly opened the curtains and dressed her. The little girl with pink makeup looked even more adorable with her sleepy eyes. She rubbed her eyes with her little hands like glutinous rice dumplings.
He yawned and said, "I really can't live with it. It's still so hot today."
Shuang'er helped her get dressed and said, "Miss, get up and wash your face. I have something good for you!"
"What good stuff?" After getting dressed, she took the towel from Xiaoxue and wiped her face. Then she saw Shuang'er coming with a fruit plate with four lychees in it. The ice cubes had melted. She couldn't help but laugh.
Said: "It is indeed a good thing."
Shuang'er peeled it off for her and put it in her mouth. She tasted it carefully and said with a smile: "I thought it was gone now! Who knows if there is more or where it came from?"
Shuang'er told her story. She nodded with a smile and said, "It seems that this future brother-in-law is pretty good to my sister! It's hard for him to get such a rare thing. It's just that my sister doesn't like it, so I get the advantage."
Just as he was talking, he heard the lady's voice outside the window: "A-Huan, are you awake?"
Ah Huan jumped out of bed, ran to the door with a smile and opened the door: "Mom, I'm awake. It's such a big sun. Why do you have to go there? If you have anything to do, just ask the girl to tell you."
Mrs. Shen came in, pinched Ah Huan's hair lovingly, and said with a smile: "I'll bring you new clothes. Today is your aunt's birthday. A dinner was held in the palace, and Xiaoxue and Shuang'er gave you a bath and changed clothes.
I’ll take you into the palace with me.”
Ah Huan tilted her head and asked: "I wanted to enter the palace in the past, but my mother said there was no call and I had no rank, so she didn't even take me there. Can I go today?"
Mrs. Shen smiled and said: "Today is the emperor's pardon. He said that your aunt's family can come to the palace to celebrate her birthday, so it will be easier for you."
Ah Huan pouted and said, "I won't go. The rules in the palace are so scary that I'm used to them."
Mrs. Shen pretended to be angry and said: "You also know that you have no rules! If you get an advantage, be good. Stop talking nonsense and go take a shower."
Ah-Han was led by Xiaoxue and Shuang'er to the bathing pool at the back. After soaking for a while, she got up and put on new clothes. Then she went to her mother's room. Her sister was also there. She smiled at her when she saw him. Ah-Han behaved obediently. Sit down next to my sister
Mrs. Shen nodded and said with a smile: "That's good, she looks like everyone's young lady. When you enter the palace later, you are not allowed to mess around."
Ah Huan muttered: "When have I ever done such nonsense?"
Shen Yuan looked at her and smiled again and again, and asked: "Are lychees delicious?"
Ah Hu said: "That's it."
Shen Yuan smiled and said: "Hey, you are becoming more and more extraordinary now. Is such a rare thing like that?"
Ah Hu raised her head and made a face at her sister and said, "I know it was sent by my brother-in-law. You haven't entered the house yet. It's time to learn how to speak for others!" She emphasized the word "brother-in-law" specially. As expected, Shen Yuan blushed, and Ah Wan smiled proudly.
Mrs. Shen shook her head helplessly and muttered: "You two!"
A'Han burst out laughing, and Shen Yuan looked away helplessly. Although she was ten years older than her younger sister, there was really nothing she could do to her. Everyone in the family loved her. Although she had a weird temper because of this, she never made any mistakes. She was sometimes very sweet-mouthed when it came to outrageous things, and the adults really couldn't let go of her temper, so they let her go freely. She couldn't talk or hit her, so Shen Yuan had no choice but to close her mouth and ignore her.
Guessing that the time was almost up, Mrs. Shen and her two daughters got on the carriage. The carriage drove leisurely to the palace. Mrs. Shen warned Ah Hu not to do wrong things or say wrong words and other things to pay attention to. As soon as I answered, I kept fanning myself because it was too hot.
It's almost evening, but it's still so hot. My aunt was born in such weather, so no wonder she has such a bad temper. But her nickname is the word "soft". Thinking of this, a strange smile appeared on Ah Hu's lips.
When they arrived at the palace gate, they heard the interrogation of the guards, and then they continued to move forward. When they reached the second palace gate, the carriage could not go any further in. They had to get out of the carriage and walk into the inner courtyard of the palace. So, the three of them walked all the way. , I don’t know how long I walked and how many palace gates I passed before I entered the harem. I arrived at the palace where the concubines lived. After walking around a few places, I finally arrived at the Yuping Palace where my aunt lived.
After the announcement, a palace maid in palace clothes came out to greet her with a smile and led the three of them into the palace. Ah Hu finally saw her aunt Rou Fei.
"The women of the common people meet the Concubine Rou." Mrs. Shen and her two daughters knelt down to say goodbye.
"Come on, come on, we are all from our family." Concubine Rou said with a smile. When she saw the petite Shen Huan, she waved to her and said with a smile, "Huan is already so old. When I went back to visit my relatives the year before last, she Just a little bit”
Ah Wu walked to Rou Fei and sweetly called: "Auntie"
"Good!" Concubine Rou seemed to like it very much. She pinched Ah Hu's cheek and turned around and said to the palace maid, "Go and see what Xi Jin is doing. If nothing happens, call her over to see his cousin."
"yes"
The palace maid took the order, and Ah Wu thought to herself, Xijin is her cousin. He is the eighth son of the emperor and his aunt. It is said that he is a very gentle and kind person, and he really wants to meet this cousin.
Not long after, the Eighth Prince came out to meet the guests. When Ah Huan looked back, she saw a very handsome boy walking over. The Eighth Prince was only ten years old this year. He was wearing an extremely soft gown and had a jade-encrusted bandage on his forehead.
Wiping the forehead, with a small braid on the top of the head, the face is like a crown jade, and the eyes are like stars.
Ah Hu liked him very much when she saw him, and couldn't help but smile at him, but he was stunned by his smile, and his white jade-like face actually turned red.