As soon as she finished speaking, everyone couldn't help but look solemn and looked at each other with different expressions. For a while, the hall was extremely quiet.
Ulanara's eyebrows were as gentle as usual, and his tone was calm and authentic: "It's July 15th now, and there is still more than a month before leaving the Forbidden City on August 27th. It's appropriate for everyone to pack up and arrange matters in the palace. It’s quite possible.”
She paused, suppressed her smile slightly, and then said with a serious face: "Of course, if you have any difficulties, you can explain it to me privately, but there is no harm in saying it."
Ji Ling sat next to him, and his heart was agitated: Old Summer Palace!
Unexpectedly, in this time and space, I would be lucky enough to see the Old Summer Palace with my own eyes, without being ravaged by war, war, fire, or barbaric plunder.
Ji Ling remembered that before time travel, when she traveled to Beijing, she had read a passage about the Old Summer Palace written by the French writer Hugo on an inscription.
"In a corner of the world, there is a world miracle. This miracle is called the Old Summer Palace... Please build a dream. The materials are marble, jade, bronze, porcelain, and cedar as the beams of this dream..."
Although the words are translated, which inevitably loses some of the natural charm of the mother tongue, from these dreamy descriptions, we can still see how amazing the Old Summer Palace must have been before it was destroyed!
Of course, Hugo's era was different from Yongzheng's, and what he praised was the Old Summer Palace after its prosperity.
After Yongzheng, through Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang... almost every prince and grandson would repair and expand this beautiful garden that Yongzheng loved most.
…
Ulanara looked around at everyone, seeing how everyone had different thoughts and were ready to act, with a hint of disdain in his eyes.
She smiled respectfully, slowly stroking the tortoise shell armor in her hand, and paused deliberately to let a more restless emotion brew in the air. Then she said softly: "Of course, sisters, There’s no need to be impatient! There’s something special about who goes, what batches, and how to go! Arrangements will be made after I and the Emperor have reached an agreement. Everyone...
She paused, picked up the tea cup and took a sip. She turned her eyes and smiled gently: "You...just stay calm!"
As Ji Ling listened, she felt that the idiom "Queen" seemed inappropriate. An Zhiruosu described being able to maintain emotional stability and peace of mind when encountering difficulties, as usual.
This word refers to encountering something bad or bad news.
But now, with this exciting news about going to the Old Summer Palace, how can we be calm?
But no matter what, the queen's intention is to express it. She wants everyone to be more stable and restrained, and not to let their thoughts wander and cause other things.
Ji Ling looked at everyone's expressions and understood why the Queen said this. Among the concubines, some people came to their senses and were twisting in their chairs unable to sit still. Others were whispering to others, whispering to each other.
After all, arriving at the Old Summer Palace with such a big fanfare would not mean staying for a day or two and then coming back. It would take several months at least, maybe half a year, or a year.
Yes, Ji Ling remembered that the book he had read before said: From Yongzheng to Xianfeng, the emperors and their families of the five generations would go to the Old Summer Palace every summer to escape the summer heat.
Usually, they set off before the Lantern Festival and moved from the Forbidden City to the Old Summer Palace. The emperor, queen, princess and others lived in their respective palaces according to their status.
After winter, all members moved from the Old Summer Palace back to the Forbidden City.
Back to the present.
The concubines thought: Over such a long period of time, everyone's residence will be adjusted accordingly in the Forbidden City. Now, the places that are adjacent to the Yangxin Palace, such as Changchun Palace and Yongshou Palace in the West Sixth Palace, may be occupied.
Arrange it to a place far away from the emperor's residence.
Now, those who are more disadvantaged and live in the farthest place from Yangxin Palace may also be adjusted to the place closest to the emperor.
As long as you are favored.
For example, Jingyang Palace.
Many people have thought of this and raised their heads to see how favored the noble Lord Ji Lingji is. They are afraid that except for the empress and several concubines, her residence will be the best in the Old Summer Palace.
Of course, where the concubines will live in the end... in the final analysis, it still depends on the emperor's wishes.
However, the queen is the master of the harem, and as the head of the six palaces, she definitely has some say in front of the emperor.
In other words, those who are favored by the emperor and can be tolerated by the queen will mostly be those who are near the water tower and get the moon first.
Thinking like this, many people looked at Ji Ling with envy and jealousy in their eyes.
Ji Ling lowered her eyelashes to block her thoughts and just ate the tea fruit with her head down. She couldn't help but said in her heart: Queen, didn't you say there is a second thing? You should tell me quickly!
The palace was quietly buzzing for a long time. The eunuch from the outside ceremony had already rushed in, but the royal chariot was strolling towards Kunning Palace. The "second thing" Ulanara wanted to say was interrupted.
After Yin came over, he inevitably took the concubines through another set of rituals during the Ghost Festival. Ji Ling felt like standing, kneeling, worshiping, and kowtowing all day...
My head hurts!
The light of day was noisily submerged in all kinds of complicated rituals, and by the time I could finally take a breath, it was already dusk.
After having a vegetarian meal in the palace, the emperor led everyone to the imperial garden to put out river lanterns.
At this time, Ji Ling finally regained her energy because the scene of floating water and lanterns at night was so moving.
The stars on the water surface are floating in the wind, like a dream.
It is said that during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Emperor Wu of Liang worshiped Buddhism and advocated holding water and land Dharma gatherings. Monks put river lanterns in the life-release pond. Since then, it has become popular and has gradually become a norm.
River lanterns are generally lotus lanterns with candles lit in the base of a boat shaped like a lotus, then put into the water and allowed to float in the rivers, lakes and seas.
Such floating lanterns on flowing water are a must-have ritual during the Hungry Ghost Festival, expressing the memory of the ancestors.
On this day, whether it is ordinary people or the royal family of the imperial city, this ceremony must be held.
Ji Ling followed the concubines and put down the river lantern. Seeing that the light was dim and there were many people in front of and behind her, she remembered that during the Dragon Boat Festival, she shot rice dumplings and arrows in Kunning Palace, which ended up messing up the black hand's affairs for no reason, so she
He bit his lips and stepped back.
Qixi and Bixue, one on the left and one on the right, closely guarded Ji Ling like two great protectors.
Ji Ling stretched out her neck, looking at the lotus lantern that she had been staring at through the backs of the people in front of her, drifting far, far away in the night, until the faint candlelight shone smaller, then smaller.
…
She said nothing, folded her arms and kept staring at the lotus lantern silently.
There were so many people in the crowd that even Qixi and Bixue didn't see them. She had just written a note in the lotus lantern, hoping that her deceased grandmother would be happy and carefree in another world.
…
It suddenly became quiet in front of him, and everyone automatically separated into a lane. Ji Ling raised his head and saw Yin slowly walking towards him from among the concubines.