The sedan headed northwest, passing through the palace wall between Zhongcui Palace and Chengqian Palace.
This was Ji Ling's usual path in the past when he went to Kunning Palace to pay his respects to the Queen.
She lowered her head to adjust her cuffs, picked up her collar, and raised her hand to hold the hairpin on her temples.
Before he felt much, the sedan arrived in front of Jinghe's door and stopped in a short while.
Hearing the noise, Ji Ling raised his hand to lift the curtains and looked outside. He saw many sedan chairs parked in a large open space next to Jinghe Gate.
Some are deep and wide in shape and elegantly decorated; others are shabby in appearance and have rough fabrics. Beside the sedans are standing the maids and eunuchs accompanying them from various palaces. Many of them are like Qixi, carrying them on their shoulders or holding them in their hands.
This is a soft item that every master needs to keep close to his body on the road.
At this time, among the eunuchs serving the sedan outside, there was one who looked like a leader. He raised his voice and asked the masters to wait a moment, saying that they had not gathered yet at the Sixth Palace in the West.
As soon as everyone heard this - after waiting for a while, many concubines got out of the sedan chair with the help of their personal maids, stood beside the sedan chair, and started talking and laughing in low voices with acquaintances in twos and threes.
Seeing this, Qixi gently raised the sedan curtain and asked Ji Ling: "Master, do you want to come down and walk around? I'm afraid I'll have to sit in the carriage for a long time on the way!"
Just as Ji Ling was about to speak, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. It was Zhang Guiren who also got off the sedan. She immediately waved softly and shouted: "Shengjian!"
Zhang Guiren turned around and saw her, and immediately hurried over to Ji Ling.
Today she wore a light duck blue flag dress with apricot white trim on the sleeves and hem. There were several pear blossom patterns on the hem, with leaning flower branches, which was fresh and moving.
Zhang Guiren walked to the side of Ji Ling's sedan, put his hands on the window edge of the sedan, and smiled on his face: "Sister Ji!"
Ji Ling asked her bluntly: "Have you had breakfast?"
Zhang Guiren shook his head in embarrassment.
Ji Ling laughed and said, "I knew it!" After saying that, she ordered Qixi to hand a food box filled with fried food to Zhang Guiren.
Zhang Gui held it in his hand and smelled it, his eyes sparkling: "It's fried!"
Ji Ling nodded: "It's fried crab roe. There is hot water in the compartment. Be careful when carrying it. It should not be cold yet. You can't eat it now, for fear of being unruly. You can eat it after you get on the carriage."
Zhang Guiren nodded obediently, then hesitated for a moment, raised his brows and said, "What about you?"
Ji Ling smiled and said: "I also have a box, and each of us has half."
Zhang Guiren then handed the food box to the maid next to him.
There were soft voices and many people chatting and laughing around, but no one paid attention to Ji Ling for a while.
The two chatted for a few words leisurely. Ji Ling saw a pair of crescent-shaped hairpins on Zhang Guiren's head sliding down, so he helped her hold them up and said casually: "These hairpins are so unique!"
Zhang Guiren did not hesitate, raised his hand, pulled out one of the sticks, and put it into Ji Ling's hand: "Here you go!"
Ji Ling was instantly embarrassed: "That's not what I meant."
Zhang Guiren forced it into her hand and whispered: "This is brand new. I don't want to wear it on weekdays. I just opened the box this morning. It's the first time to wear it. Sister Ji, each of us has half!"
The two of them talked for a few more words, then saw a young eunuch running over in a hurry, leaning into the ear of the leader eunuch, and whispered a few words quickly.
The leader eunuch nodded slightly, turned around, looked solemn, and sang loudly: "Get in the sedan——!"
Ji Ling estimated that the concubines from the West Sixth Palace had already arrived, and now both parties were going to the Kunning Palace to wait for the Queen.
Sure enough, just as she thought, people from the East Sixth Palace arrived in front of Kunning Palace in large numbers, and they saw a group of flowers in the West Sixth Palace from a distance, walking towards here.
Because in front of the Queen's Kunning Palace, the concubines could no longer sit in sedan chairs to show their respect for the palace.
Everyone got off the sedan, divided into east and west sides, and stood waiting for the queen.
After quietly lowering his head and waiting for a while, Ji Ling felt that his legs were a little sore.
The sun is rising.
The sunlight is projected from the east and just reflects on the bright yellow glazed tiles opposite, diffusing a ray of light.
She was stabbed so hard that she couldn't open her eyes, and when she was slightly distracted, the eunuch in charge suddenly sang loudly: "Kneel down!"
Zhang Guiren tugged on Ji Ling's sleeve, and Ji Ling knelt down with everyone. After a while, no one heard any movement. Then someone raised his head and took a peek. He happened to see Ulanara, who was dressed in auspicious clothes, surrounded by everyone.
Then, he walked slowly out from the main entrance of Kunning Palace.
The queen's carriage is stopping at your highness's side.
The upper level of the bright yellow sedan chair is octagonal, and the lower level is square. There is a golden phoenix standing on each corner, and the phoenixes guard the golden domed crown decorated with cloud patterns. There is also a bright yellow satin eaves, all embroidered on the satin.
The golden phoenix pattern.
The queen rode on a phoenix chariot, and all the concubines followed on foot. The eunuchs carrying the empty sedans from each palace followed behind.
When we arrived at Qianqing Gate, we waited for a stick of incense before the emperor's chariot left.
In a bright yellow queue, everyone was holding flags, tokens, ritual utensils and other items. Only when Ji Ling saw the queue did he know what "infinite majesty and majesty of the emperor" meant.
After passing the Qianqing Gate, we have already left the inner palace. It is not easy for the concubines to show their faces anymore, so they get on the sedan again here and arrive at the square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The bronze turtle and bronze crane in front of the hall exhale the fragrance of sinking water, and the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony is filled with smoke.
Ji Ling was sitting in the sedan chair and looked outside. He saw that the emperor's support team, Fajia Lubu, had formed a figure-eight shape and extended from the front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony to the Gate of Supreme Harmony.
After the ceremony passed the Jinshui Bridge, the concubines' sedans stopped quietly at the Meridian Gate. Ji Ling was helped out of the sedan by Qixi. In front of her, rows of beautifully decorated carriages were waiting.
First the concubines got on the bus, then the concubines.
Then there are the noble people.
Among the nobles, Ji Ling was the first to be invited to the carriage. Qixi supported her, and several eunuchs rushed to place the horse stool for their feet. Ji Ling staggered into the carriage with her flowerpot-soled shoes.
.
This carriage is so tall!
She sat down on the seat covered with thick brocade and felt relieved.
Qixi and Bixue also came in carrying large and small bags.
The three masters and servants all sat down. Qixi and Bixue looked at each other with uncontrollable excitement on their faces.
Ji Ling looked at the two of them with a smile.
Her mood was not much calmer either - ever since she traveled to this time and space, she had been living under the red walls and yellow tiles of the Forbidden City, never taking a single step out.
If Yinzhen hadn't taken her out of the inner palace occasionally, she wouldn't even know what the outer palace of the Forbidden City looked like in this era.
The carriage paused for a moment, and the three people in the carriage swayed. Then they heard the eunuch's low orders from outside. The horses pulled the carriage and slowly followed the large team forward.
The carriage started moving and slowly walked out of the Meridian Gate.
Out of the palace!
Ji Ling's heart pounded.
She turned her head suddenly and looked back through the curtains of the carriage blown by the wind. Through the countless carriages and horses, she looked at the outline of the majestic imperial city, which gradually became distant behind her.
Ji Ling slowly raised his face and looked at the sky outside the carriage.
The sunlight is so dazzling that people cannot see everything around them.
It's like a future that is completely unknown, but also contains infinite possibilities.