Chapter Ten Cuisine Sleeves Leaning on the Wind and Catkins
As if the spring breeze is blowing gently, the spring light is gradually arriving in Shanglin Garden. The peach blossoms are as light as the rain, the willow color is new, and the garden is full of fresh pink and green, bright and picturesque. It is already the beginning of March.
On this day, I took Lingxi and Yuhan to the Empress Dowager to pay my respects. Every winter, the Empress Dowager would suffer from old illnesses, which would gradually get better in the spring. Every time at this time, Aunt Sun would complain, "If I hadn't abolished the Empress,
The Queen Mother will not do the same if she joins forces with Mrs. Yu'e to humiliate her."
When we arrived at the Yin-ning Palace, Hu Zhaoyi had already arrived. She was sitting in front of the Queen Mother holding Emperor Hehu in her arms and talking affectionately. What was even more rare was that the Queen was also there. The Queen Mother never liked the Queen very much and rarely asked her to accompany her. I secretly
Nahan, today is an exception.
Because in the spring, the window screens in the Queen Mother's Palace were replaced with cloud-white gauze. Looking from a distance, the pink and green willows seemed to be melting in the spring water, adding to the misty and rainy scenery of the south of the Yangtze River, and even the palace became more translucent.
.
On the small table with short legs beside the Queen Mother, there are a few fresh winter jasmine flowers, which are kept in clear water in flower cups with deep red and snowy white patterns. The petals of goose yellow are thin, translucent and bright in color.
The Queen Mother smiled happily, enjoyed the flowers, and said, "It's spring, and looking at these flowers makes me feel much better."
Hu Zhaoyi smiled sweetly and said: "If the Queen Mother likes it, I will send someone to pick the freshest ones every day and bring them to the Queen Mother for her enjoyment."
The Queen Mother raised her hands to tuck her temples and said with a smile: "You still have filial piety."
The Queen stretched out her hand to stroke He He's soft hair and said with a smile: "Yunrong is not the only one who has a filial heart. He He smiles so sweetly every time he comes to the Queen Mother. This is also a sign of filial piety."
The Queen Mother twitched the corners of her lips to give a smile, but ignored her. She just turned her head and asked me, "Is Your Majesty still only hanging around An's house these days?"
I quickly stood up and replied, "Not every day, but occasionally at Zhaoyi and other concubines."
The Queen Mother's eyes were slightly lowered, and her tone was light and lazy, as if she was asking about an insignificant matter, "How many times have Shuyuan and Concubine Zhen been there?"
I was a little embarrassed, so I couldn't help but laugh and said, "Shu Yuan is pregnant, and Concubine Zhen is also ill and it's difficult to take care of her. The Emperor often goes there to sit and talk."
The Queen Mother snorted softly and straightened up slowly, "You don't have to cover up for the emperor. Where did Zhengui's illness come from? It's clear to both of you and me. She is the biological mother of the second prince. The emperor should move around more.
Not only did we talk about the relationship between father and son, but it also eased her heart so that she could recover as soon as possible."
The queen poured a cup of white fungus honey soup and brought it to the queen mother, and said with a smile: "The emperor often goes to sit with Concubine Shu, and the third prince is very close to the emperor."
I felt a stab in my heart, and just as I was about to speak, the Queen Mother smiled slightly and said, "This is as it should be. The Emperor only has three sons, so we should get closer to him. It would be better if we could personally guide him in studying, riding, and shooting." She paused and said,
Looking around at everyone, he sighed: "Everyone knows that the heavenly family is rich and noble, but you don't know that you are not as good as an ordinary father and son. You must abide by the rules and maintain the relationship between monarch and minister. You have neglected the relationship between father and son and strayed far away from the moral principles. You guys
Just look at the example of the eldest son of the emperor. When he sees his father, he is like a mouse seeing a cat. He is so pitiful."
The queen hurriedly handed the honey soup in her hand forward and said respectfully: "It's my son's fault. I failed to teach the eldest son of the emperor well."
The Queen Mother did not take it, but pinched a winter jasmine in her hand and said calmly: "Of course it's your fault. The Ai family knows that you only have this adopted son, so it is inevitable that they have too high expectations and feel too distressed. Everyday use
They are all sent to you, but there is no way for a man to stand up for himself; secondly, he reads so many books every day, practices riding and shooting, and goes to bed late at night every day. This is counterproductive and damages the child's foundation." Tremella honey soup is warm.
The hot water vapor floated in front of the Queen Mother, making her face look a little unreal and vain, "You have those skills, why not teach the palace concubine well, so that you can spread the branches and leaves of the royal family and continue to have descendants."
The queen looked as usual and said with a smile: "What the mother taught me is that my son will remember it."
Hu Zhaoyi's eyebrows burned and she said with a smile: "The Queen has done it all, didn't she recommend An Zhaoyuan again? My cousin is very happy." She looked at the Queen deeply, "My cousin understands my cousin's feelings best."
It happened that Jianqiu, who was beside the queen, opened the curtain and brought fresh fruits in. She smiled and said: "Empress Zhaoyi's voice is the most beautiful. She is as delicate as an oriole. It makes the slave's bones go numb. She is just a cousin.
, it makes this slave dizzy." She was blessed and said with a smile, "The Emperor is Zhaoyi's cousin. When talking about relatives, doesn't Zhaoyi want to call the Empress the Queen's cousin?"
Hu Zhaoyi glanced sideways at Jianqiu, then changed her smile in a blink of an eye, "How can my cousin be so close to my cousin? We are all a family anyway. Could it be that Jianqiu has caused me to alienate my cousin, the Queen?"
Jian Qiu hurriedly said: "I dare not..."
"Of course she doesn't dare," the Queen Mother suddenly said, cutting off Jianqiu's words, turning to Hu Zhaoyi and saying: "It's just that there are palace rules in the palace. You are a concubine after all. Don't talk about 'cousin, cousin' and call others
I thought Jinkang and Aijia had spoiled you."
Hu Zhaoyi then lowered his head and said "Yes", then smiled coquettishly and said, "I understand, kid."
The Queen Mother glanced at the empress who was standing solemnly, and said slowly: "The Ai family knows that you want to be a virtuous person, but don't be too indulgent to the emperor. Of course you recommend An family to please the emperor, but you should do it about An family."
There is nothing wrong with being sensible and doing what the emperor likes, but more importantly, you should advise him to take good care of himself."
The queen's face turned slightly red, and she hurriedly agreed: "I will take care of myself."
The Queen Mother took a deep look at her, her expression as usual, pointed to the red sandalwood carved chair nearby and said: "Sit down. The Ai family has something to ask you. Concubine Duan and Concubine Jing are old people in front of the emperor, and they will not be promoted.
It’s just a position in the Ai family, after all, she is one of the three concubines. But the position of the third concubine is still vacant, is it meant to be vacant for the An family?"
The queen quickly stood up again and said with a smile: "I don't dare. I recommend the An family so that the emperor can feel at ease for a while. The An family is not lucky enough to be pregnant. Being able to give Zhaoyuan is already a compliment. I will definitely do it."
Watch carefully and don't let her have any inappropriate thoughts."
The Queen Mother nodded, lovingly caressed He He's delicate and plump cheeks with her fingertips, and said, "Yunrong, you are He He's biological mother, and it's time for you to be promoted to the concubine."
Hu Yunrong pursed her lips, lowered her eyes with a smile, and saw only a pair of peach blossom smiles, which seemed to be revealing but not revealing, and seemed to be happy but not joyful. She stood up slowly and said, "Thank you, Queen Mother, for your love."
The Queen Mother smiled tiredly, leaned on the pillow again, and said lazily: "Then, tell Concubine Shu to get ready."
After watching the Queen leave the Yi Ning Palace, Hu Zhaoyi and I also left together. He He was at an age where he was very active and loved to be lively. How could he not like Ling Xi when he met her? He teased his sister curiously and giggled with joy.
With such harmony, it was not good for Hu Zhaoyi and I to part ways immediately. It took a long time to return to the palace, but I had never walked with her like this before. Taking advantage of the first signs of spring, the two of us walked slowly to the Taiye Pond together, occasionally
A few words about raising children.
The south bank of Taiye Lake has the most sunlight, so the willow catkins have become like flying catkins. From a distance, they look like flying flowers chasing snow. Hu Zhaoyi was telling me interesting stories from his childhood in harmony, and when he saw the catkins rising, he couldn't help but stop and turn around.
Want to leave.
I smiled and said, "The sun is just right and the catkins are new. Why doesn't Zhaoyi appreciate it?"
Hu Zhaoyi suddenly became impatient and walked away, "I hate willows the most. Catkins fly around when they have nothing to do. They look like flowers but not flowers, and they look like trees but not trees. They only know how to sway in the wind and have no integrity at all."
I don't know why she suddenly became angry, but a gust of wind happened to blow by, causing catkins to dance in front of her face. Hu Zhaoyi's face suddenly changed. Qiongji exclaimed and hurriedly blocked her in front of her, and put her whole face into his arms, as if
It's like facing a powerful enemy.
I still don’t know what happened, but I looked around and saw catkins fluttering, which was really beautiful. After a while, the catkins were blown away by the wind, and Qiongji felt relieved, and stroked Hu Zhaoyi’s shoulder and said: “Miss, it’s okay.
alright."
Hu Zhaoyi raised her head in shock and was about to speak. Unexpectedly, a few catkins that had been blown by the wind suddenly fell down. Hu Zhaoyi breathed deeply in panic and saw a few catkins on the tip of her nose.
As soon as she turned around, her face suddenly turned white, and immediately turned blue and purple. Her breathing was rapid and unbearable, and her chest heaved violently, as if her breathing was blocked.
Something unexpected happened to me, and Lingxi in my arms was frightened by Hu Zhaoyi's appearance and burst into tears. I quickly put her into my mother's arms, supported Hu Zhaoyi, who was unsteady, and asked in surprise: "What's wrong with Zhaoyi?"
Hu Zhaoyi was out of breath, and the breath was hanging in his nose, and he could hardly breathe. Agar was so frightened that his face turned pale, but he was still somewhat calm, and he hurriedly took it from Hu Zhaoyi's belt and ring.
The next small Yuanyang Ruyi purse was handed to the tip of Hu Zhaoyi's nose, and she said hurriedly: "Miss, take two deep breaths."
I vaguely smelled the cool breath of mint, and a little bit of the aroma of herbs. Hu Zhaoyi took two deep breaths, and her expression improved slightly. Qiongji hurriedly asked two strong maids to help the chariot, and hurried to the Yanxi Palace.
I couldn't feel relieved, so I quickly asked my mother-in-law to take Lingxi back, and asked the sedan chariot to follow her to the Yanxi Palace.
The Yanxi Palace is located in a beautiful place in the Shanglin Garden. The surrounding area is sparse and clear. There are only half a willow tree, albizia, sycamore and other trees that are easy to fly inside and outside the palace. There is only a clear spring flowing around the palace garden, which is elegant and quiet.
Peonies, peonies and other wealthy flowers are planted all over the outside of the palace. The main hall is tall and far-reaching, and its splendor is no less magnificent than the Mixiu Palace of the concubines of that day. On the third step into the deep hall, under the flower stand in front, some new flowers and plants are planted sparsely. There are two rows of Phalaenopsis.
Mixed with a few rows of tobacco and milfoil, they bloom like colorful butterflies flying in the mist, which is quite lively.
Hu Zhaoyi returned in embarrassment. Someone from the palace had already greeted him from afar and helped him into the palace to sit down. Outside, Agar-agar was already urging: "Bring in the bat soup!" Before he finished speaking, he saw a bowl of hot and slightly spicy soup.
The earthy-smelling decoction was brought up, and there was a faint smell of meat in the concoction. The agar quickly served Hu Zhaoyi, who was pale in beauty, to drink it, and then took out two black pills from the small drawer under the dressing table and took them together.
, asked the little palace maid to order peppermint oil and drop it into the incense burner. Agargar commanded it in a measured and orderly manner, as if she had done it very well. After a while, Hu Zhaoyi had already calmed down, and his expression was not as good as before.
It was so difficult to breathe, and Jing Ruliang, the imperial doctor who usually served Hu Zhaoyi, also arrived. He hurriedly gave me a blessing and checked Hu Zhaoyi's pulse before he breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "Thanks to my aunt's vigilance and care, my queen is fine."
Already."
A smile slowly appeared on Agar's face, and she stroked her chest and said, "Thanks to Dr. Jing's good pulse, the new prescription is very effective."
Doctor Jing said: "It's quite good. You have to find this medicine in the cold palace, so it's not too difficult. It's just that in this season, the empress needs to take good care of herself."
I groaned and smiled, "I'm so frightened to see this. Fortunately, Zhaoyi is fine. I just don't know what the disease is? It can be so severe."
Agar was deeply blessed, with a smile on her face, "Thank you, Concubine Shu, for your concern. If I hadn't been there today, I'm afraid it wouldn't have been so convenient to send the young lady back. The young lady's condition was originally a frailty brought about in the womb, an old disease that she has had since she was a child.
I'm used to serving you as a servant, so I'm not afraid."
I knew that Qiongjia didn’t want to say more, and Jing Ruliang didn’t mention a word. At that moment, he just smiled and comforted: “Originally, the old illness has recurred, and I shouldn’t come here to cause trouble. I just can’t bear to stand by and watch. Since Zhaoyi is fine, I
You can leave in peace. Zhaoyi, just have a good rest."
Qiongjia thanked her with a smile, casually took a plain gold Qingluan outer garment from the shelf, put it on Hu Zhaoyi, and helped her in.
The spring day inside the hall was not as bright as outside. A gust of wind passed through the hall. I made a mistake and saw in a daze that her peacock blue coat was blown up by the wind. She was embroidered with colorful silk threads in seven colors. The colorful embroidery clusters looked like a
Phoenix was stunned for a moment. Qiongji turned around to see me paying attention, frowned slightly, and then said with a smile: "Jin'er, what a blessing to concubine Shu."
I held Huanbi's hand and left Yanxi Palace, ordered the sedan chair to go back first, and chose a quiet place along the way, thinking as I walked.
At that time, the spring scenery was beautiful, and the leaves were green, which was particularly calming. I was in a trance when I suddenly saw someone walking out in front of me, and I was startled. When I looked up, I saw an unfamiliar man. He was young and well-dressed.
Below, his young and bright face had a slightly cold look that was inconsistent with his age. After careful identification, his outline and eyebrows were almost similar to Xuan Ling and Xuan Qing. He was none other than the late emperor's youngest son, Pingyang Wang Xuanfen. He held his hands and said quietly
: "Shu Fei."
Because of his friendship with Xuan Qing, I felt close to him and said kindly, "Hello, Ninth Brother."
I called him "Nineth Brother", and it was so familiar and kind. It was completely the tone of my sister, not the polite "Nineth King". When he sensed my gentleness and kindness, his eyes instantly brightened, and his smile showed a pure white color.
His teeth are one by one. For such a cold young man, his smile is like a trickle of warmth and sunshine. He wears a bright blue gingham cocoon silk gown, and the prince has the handsomeness of a young man.
Heroic.
He clasped his hands again, took a breath, and said, "Sister-in-law, Concubine Shu."
I laughed: "Ninth brother is the emperor's biological brother. I don't want to follow the common etiquette and call him ninth brother." I looked at him and said with a smile: "The weather is still cold, why is ninth brother dressed like this?
It’s too thin, so I should add some clothes.”
He said warmly: "Thank you for your concern, Concubine Shu. Concubine Mother also reminded me just now. It's just that Fen feels that being too full and warm will make people weak-willed, so he chose thinner clothes to wear."
I nodded in admiration: "Too much wealth often makes people fall. It's good for my ninth brother to be so vigilant. But the body is also important. If the body is broken, what's the use of being strong-willed?"
He said sincerely: "Thank you, sister-in-law, for your concern."
When he smiled, his eyes twinkled like cold stars. My heart moved, and I thought to myself that Xuan Fen's eyes looked like a pair of bright and beautiful eyes.
I knew that he had come to the palace to pay his respects to Concubine Zhuang Hede, so I asked how the concubine was doing. In the midst of the catkins, I saw a girl in a yellow silk dress running toward me with a smile.
It seemed to catch the sunlight, and even the laughter was as light as the April wind carrying the fragrance of flowers, which made people happy to hear it. She ran to me, took my hand and said, "Sister, call me hello."
Look, Han'er will cry if we don't go back."
When Xuan Fen saw an outsider coming, he quickly took a step away, bowed his head and said: "I have never seen this young master before, so I don't know..." Seeing him like this, I knew that he suspected that Yu Rao was a new concubine of Xuan Ling's side.
Unconsciously he laughed, and pulled Yurao over and said, "Ninth brother, you don't need to see me outside. She is my natal sister, who is temporarily staying with me in the palace. My sister is young and ignorant, and doesn't go out easily. No wonder Ninth brother feels blind."
Yurao was always smart, but she didn't know what Xuanfen was guessing. She blushed, stamped her feet and sneered: "Is it possible that anyone with a flat head and a straight face will marry your imperial brother? I am not the one."
Xuanfen had probably never seen palace family members speak so openly. He raised his head in surprise, and his eyes fell on Yu Rao's beautiful face. He was startled, then his face turned red, and he lowered his head hurriedly.
I hurriedly pulled Yurao's hand and said angrily: "Girls don't even say a word about whether to marry or not." After saying that, I smiled at Xuanfen and said, "My little sister grew up in Sichuan.
, it’s inevitable that he doesn’t understand the rules in the palace, so Ninth Brother should not laugh at me.” He then urged Yurao: “I haven’t met the Ninth King yet.”
Yurao had always annoyed Xuan Ling. Even in the Weiyang Palace, she stayed away from Yuyao and never met Xuan Ling. At this time, she was still angry and could not help but anger Xuan Fen, who was Xuan Ling's younger brother. She gave a hasty salute.
Suddenly he said with a smile: "No wonder the prince mistakenly recognized me.