Facing the Wanshou Festival issue, Ji Ling was really in a bit of a dilemma.
Over the past year, Yinzhen has treated her really well, and she wanted to give him a meaningful gift.
But what kind of gift can be worthy of the word "meaningful"?
Besides, as the emperor, the Fourth Master has control over the world, what is there that he has never seen or owned?
Ji Ling sat in the natural painting and racked her brains to think about it, but she had no clue. However, the servants around her had already gone out and ran around asking questions for their master.
The news reported back was similar to Ji Ling's estimate: the concubines had prepared embroidery, calligraphy, painting, antiques and the like. It was said that several nobles also carefully practiced and prepared piano music, intending to present music to the emperor at the Wanshou Festival banquet.
She didn't know the news, but after hearing this, Ji Ling felt even more stressed - everyone else was playing chess, calligraphy and painting on the floor, and she felt even more ashamed and felt that she couldn't give her any worthy gifts.
She thought of the little Dragon Boat Festival purse she gave to Fourth Master during the Dragon Boat Festival. He still wears it to this day, which shows how much he cherishes her thoughts.
People change people's hearts, and the more he treats her like this, the more she can't deal with it.
"If that doesn't work, can Master give the Emperor a jade pendant?" Qixi was at the side giving her advice.
Bixue nodded beside her. She also felt that the master should give the emperor a gift that he could carry with him every day. When he saw it, he would be reminded of the gift from the master. How cute!
As for the jade pendant... Ji Ling asked Qixi and Bixue to look through the warehouse based on the registration book.
I really don’t know if I don’t look at it, but I’m shocked when I look at it – it’s only been a year, and I have nine jade pendants here alone.
These jade pendants are all of high quality and elegant in style. They are all gifts given to her by Yinzhen on a daily basis.
Except for Yinzhen's thumb ring around her neck, Ji Ling actually doesn't have many of these things hanging on her body.
As long as there was such a reward, she would always thank her, and then let Qixi put it away. Gradually, she accumulated so much without even realizing it.
But taking the gift given to me by the fourth master and giving it back to him - this is a bit unreasonable, right?
Or just tie a concentric knot and give it to the fourth master? - "A painting of spring mountain eyebrows is as good as a spring mountain eyebrow, and a hundred years of knotting is concentric." What a beautiful poem!
The love and deep affection of the ancients are all entangled in this knot of hearts.
But this is the Longevity Festival that is celebrated by the whole world. Isn’t it a little too shabby to tie the same knot?
Besides, this thing is indeed not expensive, but it has a profound meaning. If you take it out, it might hit Ulanara's eyes.
After a few days of thinking and calculating like this, I still couldn't come up with a solid idea.
When Yinzhen came to see her, she was half acting coquettishly, half complaining, and told the fourth master all about it, like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube.
Her original intention was to hear Yinzhen's thoughts - if he could express his thoughts directly, she would be better prepared.
Besides, don't guess what Long Live Lord is thinking - even if you really want to guess, you have to guess so that he doesn't notice.
This is a difficult technical job.
At least in the harem, Ji Ling felt that the only one who could do this easily was Su Peisheng, the chief steward.
So she chose another path - just asked.
Don't guess, just ask.
The longer they spent together, the more Ji Ling discovered that Fourth Master's favorite harem style was: taking the initiative to report and honestly explain everything, no matter how big or small.
In a word: honesty is the key.
In the past, Ji Ling wouldn't have dared to do this - just imagine, she couldn't see the fourth master and say, "This morning, Xiao Dazi made a new flavor of rice dumplings, which are particularly delicious..."
Qixi, Bixue and the others received the new winter clothes for the palace maids made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I think they look pretty good overall, but the color of the trim is a bit too old-fashioned..."
Qixi and Bixue could sit in front of her and listen to her chatter all day long while being female celebrities.
But facing Emperor Yongzheng, would she dare?
However, as time passed, Ji Ling covered her face and realized that Fourth Master was not disgusted with what she said.
It's not that he is interested in these trivial things, but he likes her to open up her heart to him unreservedly, trusting and being kind.
As soon as she mentioned the clueless thing about preparing a birthday gift, Yinzhen listened and laughed.
"Having a fat baby for me is the best gift!"
He touched her head and said, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Lingling is usually confused, but she is actually very attentive to herself.
He held her hand, looked at her swollen belly, and warned carefully: "Now that you have a body, don't worry about it. I have made an agreement with you today. You don't need to bother preparing for the birthday ceremony."
Ji Ling blinked and whispered, "How about I paint a picture for the emperor?"
Yinzhen originally wanted to deny this plan, but seeing her eyes shining brightly and her face filled with anticipation, he couldn't bear to go against her wishes, so he nodded.
Jilin suddenly felt that a problem had been solved. She let out a breath and heard Yinzhen suddenly say: "Lingling, your birthday is not many days away."
Ji Ling almost choked - when was the original owner's birthday? She really didn't know.
Fortunately, Qilin woke up at this time, shook his four short legs, and got out of the cage in a daze.
It glanced at Yinzhen, and was very interested in not disturbing him. He lay down in another corner of the room, holding his own little pillow in his mouth, pushing it with the tip of his black and wet little nose, and then using his paws to pull it away.
Holding that pillow.
When Yinzhen saw Qilin, he was slightly startled. Ji Ling was the first to explain: "It's cold now. I was afraid that Qilin would freeze in the wing, so I asked someone to move it into my room."
She grabbed his hand: "Qilin is very well-behaved. He knows that I am inconvenient and never makes a fuss. He stays in that small cage all day long. Sometimes I feel pitiful when he looks at it!"
Yinzhen hugged her, gently placed a sticker on her forehead, and said softly: "Lingling is the most kind-hearted, how could I not know? I won't say much about trivial matters."
As soon as Ji Ling was happy, she immediately wanted to thank Yinzhen, but Yinzhen stopped her, thinking that such a trivial matter was nothing, he was really a little fool.
…
Seeing the Longevity Festival approaching day by day, and because the emperor celebrated his birthday in the Old Summer Palace for the first time this year, everything inside and outside the garden was filled with joy.
Three days before the Longevity Festival, it is the flower dressing period.
The so-called Flower Clothes Period is an important etiquette system in the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty, which stipulates that officials should wear "flower clothes" during the Wanshou Festival.
What is a floral robe? It’s actually a python robe.
The python robe was a special gift in the Ming Dynasty. It was only in the Qing Dynasty that the conditions began to be relaxed. However, there was a difference in the number of pythons. In terms of etiquette, the python robe at this time was an auspicious garment and was used for celebrations.
Because it was only the third year of Yongzheng's reign, Yinzhen made a special decree that there was no need to celebrate the Wanshou Festival on a large scale, and it would not be too late to celebrate it again four years later, and it was not necessary to wear colorful clothes.
Although the emperor said this, after all, Wanshou Festival is a festive day, and unlucky things are taboo, so the court has ignored the punishment for three days.
