Shen Lie's eyes became gloomy, he put on his cotton coat and coat, hid several muskets on the table, and walked out of the room quickly.
In the Nuan Pavilion.
Zhang Jingxiu's soft whisper came: "Where are you going?"
Shen Lie stopped and said softly: "Go to Shenjiazhuang...and sleep...it can take two days at the earliest, or three to five days at the earliest. I'll be back as soon as I go."
Although Zhang Jingxiu was puzzled, he complied obediently.
No more words.
Shen Lie opened the door and walked out. Outside, the sky was filled with snow and wind again.
Left the house.
It's not yet dawn.
It was cold and freezing, and not a single person was seen on the road for a long time. Shen Lie led a group of strong horses and braved the wind and snow, hunched his neck and pulled down his bearskin hat.
One path leads straight to Liutiao Hutong where Tian Hong's home is located.
Two days later.
New Year's Eve.
After tonight, after New Year's Eve, it will be the first day of the tenth year of Wanli.
Afternoon.
Cining Palace.
This year's winter is extremely cold, and the ground dragon in the Nuan Pavilion is burning hot. The palace maids and eunuchs have already hung lanterns and posted couplets all over the palace.
Even the withered trees have been carefully decorated.
The Nuan Pavilion is filled with various dishes, and the strong flavor of the New Year dilutes all the worries caused by the serious illness of the first assistant Zhang Juzheng.
No matter how they disagree with each other, the emperor and empress must bring their concubines to the Palace of the Holy Mother and the Empress Dowager to accompany the empress dowager during the New Year.
And at this time.
In laughter.
Empress Dowager Li was smiling happily, teasing a little baby boy in her arms who was only ten days old and whose fetal hair had not yet faded.
The Queen Mother's charm is still there, her bright and pretty face is bright, and even the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes are smiling. It can be seen that she is in a good mood.
After all, this was the first baby boy born to the Ming royal family.
Although his biological mother, the pitiful Wang Guifei, was only a lowly sweeping palace maid, this child was born with a silver spoon in his mouth after all.
It should be the Ming Dynasty Prince.
In laughter.
Although the boss was reluctant, Zhu Yijun had no choice but to hold his nose and acknowledge the Chinese New Year, giving Wang Guifei a smile for the first time.
Who told him not to control his belt when he was drunk?
but.
It was impossible for him to agree to the canonization of the crown prince. His current idea was to delay it as long as he could, until he and Jing'er's son was born.
After a period of joy.
The baby boy may have been hungry, so he cried loudly. Empress Dowager Li hurriedly handed the baby to Wang Guifei and asked her to take the baby to the next room for breastfeeding.
Not long after.
The bustling Nuan Pavilion became quiet, leaving only the mother and son plus the queen, and a few confidant maids waiting on the side.
Empress Dowager Li bowed her head and looked at the emperor's son, who was one year older and had gradually lost his youthfulness, even though she felt unhappy in her heart.
On New Year’s Eve, it all disappeared.
The mother and son were sitting in the warm pavilion chatting about domestic matters, and being accompanied by the dignified and virtuous queen, the Cining Palace had a long-lost warmth.
Another moment passed.
As night falls.
The time has come.
The mother and son stood up at the reminder of the palace maid, walked out of the Nuan Pavilion with Queen Wang, and went to the side hall to have the New Year's Eve dinner.
The New Year's Eve dinner in this palace is very particular. Although the hierarchy is usually very strict, on New Year's Eve, there is a special emphasis on a happy reunion.
As an emperor, you should be exposed to both rain and dew.
All the elders living in this harem, from the empress dowager and empress dowager to empresses and concubines of all ranks, have to gather together to eat.
Only in this way can the emperor's philanthropic mind be demonstrated.
Following the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress, surrounded by palace ladies, entered the palace, and all kinds of women who had been waiting for a long time stood up and bowed down.
The orioles and swallows began to call out sweetly.
"May the Holy and Merciful Queen Mother be blessed and safe."
"Your Majesty, may you be blessed with peace and prosperity."
All these ladies...
From the 50-year-old concubine to the concubine Shuyi who is 14 or 15 years old, everyone is dressed up, making the palace full of the smell of makeup, but also extremely beautiful.
As Zhu Yijun took a step forward, he whispered: "Well, I'll give you a seat."
Hundreds of nobles took their seats according to the arrangement. Of course, the only ones who could sit side by side with the emperor were the queen and the empress dowager.
Wait until the palace becomes quiet.
Zhu Yijun then whispered to Queen Mother Li: "Mother, the time has come."
Queen Mother Li nodded and said seriously: "Have a banquet."
In an instant.
Along with the singing of ritual music, Zhonghe Shao music sounded.
The eunuchs and maids waiting outside the palace walked in like butterflies in flowers and began to fill the tables with meals.
The hot meal is served first, followed by soup, wine, fruit tea, etc.
Then came the toast.
The emperor was the first to raise a glass, signaling to the queen mother to congratulate the new year. After the emperor took the first sip of wine, all the concubines and concubines raised their glasses to drink together.
at this time.
Although it is freezing cold outside the palace.
Keli music sounds.
With the sound of crackling firecrackers, the Forbidden City and the capital of the Ming Dynasty were bathed in silence and peace.
until……
At midnight, the family dinner broke up.
The Queen Mother just left.
All the high-ranking concubines watched eagerly as the emperor stood up, bypassed the queen, turned around, and walked straight towards Zheng Shuyi in the back row.
At this moment.
I don’t know how many lonely women sighed resentfully in their hearts.
But Zhu Yijun didn't care, no matter how happy he was with his beloved concubine, he couldn't bear to be apart for a moment, and even more so they had to spend New Year's Eve together.
Under the resentful gaze of all the concubines.
The emperor and the triumphant Zheng Shuyi left side by side...
The livid queen and the poor maid who had just been promoted to noble concubine were left sitting in silence in the main hall.
Until a moment passed.
From the East Sixth Palace separated by a wall, a heartbreaking sound of a woman crying came from a certain courtyard, which woke up the Queen.
Inside the palace.
The concubines who had not yet left were all astonished, pricking up their ears and listening...
"What happened? Where is the crying coming from?"
"It seems like...it came from Zheng Shuyi's courtyard."
So in whispers.
Changes occur suddenly.
not far away.
Cining Palace.
Queen Mother Li had just returned to the Nuan Pavilion and was preparing to freshen up and go to bed early to prepare for the celebration early tomorrow morning.
She also heard a burst of shrill cries from a woman.
Queen Mother Li's face suddenly fell a little, and she shouted: "Go and ask what happened... Why are you crying during the Chinese New Year?"
The old eunuch standing guard outside the door hurriedly left.
After a while.
The old eunuch came back quickly and stood outside the Nuan Pavilion door and said softly: "Queen Qi Shengci, let me ask you clearly, it is... Zheng Shubin's father died suddenly yesterday."
Empress Dowager Li's beautiful face was stunned, and her slender dark eyebrows wrinkled slightly.
a long time.
Empress Dowager Li said lukewarmly: "How can a person who is so well behaved suddenly die suddenly?"
The old eunuch hurriedly said: "It is said that Wu Zuo has already seen it and died of poisoning."
Queen Mother Li couldn't help but be a little surprised and asked again: "Smoke is poisonous?"
The old eunuch was well-informed and said hurriedly: "Yes...the charcoal has been soaked in the rain for a long time, and the nature has not been exhausted, and the fire is too hot, which can harm people. It can cause dizziness, coma and vomiting...people will die if they are poisoned by this poison."
