In the blink of an eye, it has arrived on August 12th, and it seems that the Mid-Autumn Festival is just a few days away. As the trip to the Old Summer Palace is imminent, Queen Ulanara has already given an order—this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival banquet in the palace will be simple.
There is no need to be extravagant.
Although Kunning Palace gave such instructions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not dare to really "simplify" the situation. It just responded to the Queen's wishes and slightly reduced the number of staff.
Everything else was done with the utmost care and attention to detail.
For the Mid-Autumn Festival, the palace also built a temporary small colorful building, flower heads, painting poles, and brocade... Although it is not as lively as the folk music and bamboos and children playing, it still has a different atmosphere.
In the east courtyard of Jingyang Palace, ram's horn lanterns and red gauze palace lanterns were also hung up one by one.
Mid-Autumn Festival is one of Ji Ling's favorite traditional festivals.
When Ji Ling thought about the chocolate and mocha flavored ice cream mooncakes that she would buy every Mid-Autumn Festival before time travel, she felt nostalgic.
Then, she asked Qixi to call Xiao Dazi, and she and Xiao Dazi explained for a long time.
Xiao Dazi bowed his waist and listened very seriously with his head raised.
At the end of hearing it, he finally understood the meaning - what the master wanted to eat was probably a strange kind of ice food wrapped in moon cake skin.
It has to be said that Xiao Dazi is very talented in cooking. He has been busy all day.
In the evening, a plate of "Rose Rock Sugar Ice Snow Ice Yuanzi Mooncake" with the moon palace rabbit shape and words such as blessing, longevity, luck, and celebration engraved on it was actually delivered to Ji Ling. There was still a porcelain plate on the side.
A fine layer of ice water beads.
Each small mooncake is as big as a three- or four-year-old child’s fist.
When you drop a spoonful of it, the soft mooncake skin automatically breaks open, and the snow-white core inside is immediately exposed. The thin dough is wrapped in iced milk and glutinous rice flour, and the filling is brushed with sugar marinade and covered with a layer of snowflakes.
The same hemp chips, spices, and orange shreds are mixed in.
His eyes looked cold.
Because iced food is cold after all, Ji Ling didn’t dare to eat more, so he only tasted a small one. It tasted so good!
She finally satiated her craving and put down the spoon reluctantly.
There is also a plate of "Crystal Bao Bao", which is also a must-have snack for the palace during the Mid-Autumn Festival - minced lean meat, mixed with sugar and stuffing, wrapped into buns and steamed in a pot. They are small and can be eaten one at a time, which is very convenient.
Finally, there is a dish of lotus root starch and "Wan Yue Soup" made from lotus seeds. The lotus root starch in the bowl seems to be frozen. When a spoon breaks it, the whole bowl trembles, and the hot and sweet aroma jumps out.
While Ji Ling was eating, he watched the servants decorate the courtyard - they put a round table in the courtyard, covered with grapes, pomegranates, melons, dates, persimmons, chestnuts, lotus roots and other things, all on August 10th.
Used for worshiping the moon on the fifth day of the month.
Seeing that Ji Ling had finished her meal, Qixi and Bixue carried another armchair and placed a small table under the tree.
Several slaves stood in a row and said with a smile: "Master, please take a look! If there is anything inappropriate or displeasing to your eyes, the slaves will adjust the layout according to the master's instructions."
Ji Ling got up, walked out, sat on the armchair, and looked around carefully. He saw that everywhere in the courtyard was dimly lit, with dim lights and bright lights, which were very beautiful. He nodded and said, "That's good.
.Don’t decorate too densely, otherwise it will look crowded and tacky.”
Seeing that the noble master was satisfied, the several slaves were naturally happy. Qixi wanted to say something else, but saw Ji Ling already leaning on the armchair, closing her eyes and concentrating with a look of leisure and indifference.
Two or three days passed by in a flash, and finally it was August 15th, the Mid-Autumn Festival.
During the Qing Dynasty, the place where emperors worshiped the Moon God was outside the gate of Fucheng. In the evening, Emperor Yongzheng went to the Moon Altar to worship in person.
In the Forbidden City, the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet was still held in the Queen's Kunning Palace. All the concubines were dressed up carefully, and their appearance was extremely beautiful.
Because the emperor had not yet arrived, the concubines and concubines were holding the queen under the flowers and trees in the front yard like stars holding the moon.
In the front yard of Kunning Palace, there are dozens of small embroidered tables. On each table is a tray, which contains a plate of exquisite mooncakes, a plate of snow-white milk pastry, cut watermelon, cantaloupe, green
Grape.
This was probably so that the concubines could sit down in the courtyard and enjoy the flowers while filling their bellies with pre-dinner snacks during the waiting time before the palace banquet began.
Ji Ling stared at the mooncakes on the plate in front of her - just by looking at them, she could accurately distinguish them: the mooncakes had milk puff pastry, oil puff pastry, and fragrant puff pastry!
There is a bright red dot on the hot brown dough, and next to it are smaller mooncakes, engraved with begonia and hosta patterns, which are complicated and exquisite. They are served on a crystal clear glass plate. On the glass plate,
It’s also the pattern of the Jade Rabbit and Laurel, which is simply prettier than a work of art!
The maids of honor came in pairs, bringing wash basins and hand towels like dragons, and knelt in front of the concubines to wash their hands. Orange silk floated in the water, exuding a delicate fragrance.
After washing her hands, Ji Ling glanced around and saw that everyone was indeed sitting politely and elegantly. No one moved to take the mooncakes in front of them.
Seeing this, Ulanara smiled and said: "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. The emperor is worshiping the moon at the Moon Altar. It will take some time. Please wait a moment and try the mooncakes in Kunning Palace first. I have already tried them in the morning.
After a few yuan, the taste is pretty decent this year!”
As she spoke, she reached out and picked up a piece, and slowly put it into her mouth. She looked around at everyone with a smile and motioned for everyone to have a taste.
Then all the concubines lowered their heads and tasted it.
Ji Ling took a piece of mooncake and held it in her hands, took a bite, and chewed it intently for a few times.
Then, she ate it out: the mooncake was filled with rose sugar, walnut and white kernels, hazelnuts, melon seeds, almonds, etc. - all nuts, with a lot of sugar, so full that the mooncake skin was only thin.
The layers are almost bursting from the sweet filling!
I don’t like it, but I don’t like it!
Ji Ling took a few bites and felt a little disappointed.
As soon as she put down the mooncakes, the eunuch from Kunning Palace had already trotted in, knelt down in front of Ulanala, and said breathlessly that it was the emperor's chariot who had returned from the Moon Altar outside Fucheng Gate.
At this time, we have just passed Qianqing Palace and are about to arrive at Kunning Palace.
Queen Ulanara nodded after hearing this and stood up calmly.
Mid-Autumn Festival is considered to be the most important festival in the Forbidden City besides the Spring Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival. What she wore today was also a court dress, which was particularly dignified and elegant, making her look graceful and luxurious.
Uranala adjusted her collar a little, then held Hua Rong's hand and walked out, with the concubines quickly following behind her.
Everyone waited in front of Kunning Palace for a while, and sure enough they saw the royal chariot coming in force.
Everyone around them knelt down and worshiped, and whispered softly: "Concubine, concubine, I respectfully welcome the emperor!"
Ji Ling didn't have time to look further and knelt down too.
After hearing the emperor's familiar voice, she raised her head and secretly looked at Yinzhen. She saw that Yinzhen was wearing a moon-white court dress today, with turquoise beads on his chest and a Japanese court dress tied around his waist.
White jade belt with gold square pattern and dragon pattern in the same color tone.
Ji Ling blinked, feeling a little uncomfortable for a moment.
She was used to seeing him wearing bright yellow or solemn dark colors, but this was the first time she saw him wearing such gentle and elegant moon-white court clothes.
But even though he was dressed in the moon-white color of a humble gentleman, he still couldn't hide the cold and fierce aura that emanated from his body.