In the blink of an eye, on the day of the Lantern Festival, in addition to the fixed ones handed down from the Kangxi Dynasty, the lantern dramas performed also included two more "Ten Thousand Flowers in Prosperity" and "Shengping Baoraf". Just hearing the names, you can tell that it is very lively.
Ji Ling had been bored in Chengqian Palace for many days, and it was time to go out for a walk. Since the lantern show was at night, there was no need to rush.
She had lunch as usual, then took a nap, and didn't get up until the evening. Having the experience of being hungry until midnight at the New Year's Eve banquet, Ji Ling ate in the Chengqian Palace this time.
Two plates of stir-fry, half a bowl of rice, two dumplings, and two pieces of Ruyi Bean Paste Square Cake, and then I started to dress up in auspicious clothes.
After putting on the autumn-scented green lantern-patterned Jifu sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and wrapping it up in a graceful and luxurious Jifu jacket with fur trim, Qixi held out four or five diamonds in different shades of light and dark green for Ji Ling to choose.
.
After all, during the Chinese New Year, Ji Ling chose the one with the richest and most festive colors to wear.
Wearing Dianzi is much easier than wearing Jifuguan, and the weight is at least half reduced. It is not like wearing a pagoda on the head like Jifuguan, and I always feel like I am going to get cervical spondylosis.
In the Qing palace, there was a banquet for foreign vassals on the Lantern Festival, and Yinzhen had to receive the foreign vassals. In comparison, the family banquet in the inner courtyard of the harem was not as grand and formal as the New Year's Eve banquet. When Ji Ling went there, many concubines had already arrived.
Seeing the arrival of Concubine Chen, almost everyone from the outside to the inside stood up, except for Concubine Yu, as well as Concubine Ulanara and Concubine Qi who had not yet arrived.
Qian's concubine and Xi's concubine both smiled and came forward to greet her, and bowed to her. Qian's concubine smiled and praised Ji Ling's beautiful hair today, which echoed the flags and uniforms on her body, especially the lantern pattern, which was walking around.
Sometimes, when I look at Naughty Nana from the side, she is really beautiful.
Ji Ling looked down at her belly and laughed in her heart. She thought to herself, "With a big belly, where can I go?"
Xi Concubine was more cautious. She said a few festive words and talked about the plum blossom appreciation and snow fall a few days ago. Finally, she said with a smile: "It's a pity that sister Chen concubine is not here. On that day of heavy snow, the plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden were
It's really beautiful, especially the cinnabar plum trees, which are as red as blood. I heard from Rong that they are the varieties introduced from the Queen's Kunning Palace!"
When Ji Ling heard her say "Rong promised", he couldn't help but raise his head and glance at her. He saw Xi Bin smile slightly, change the topic, and chatter about other things.
Ji Ling didn't want to talk to her anymore, so she turned around and walked to her seat. Along the way, several noble people, Chang Cheng, promised to give her a deep blessing ceremony.
As soon as she sat down, Concubine Qian came close to her. Looking at the teapot with black bamboo and plum blossoms on the table, she picked it up and poured tea for Ji Ling herself.
Ji Ling stretched out his hand to hold the tea cup to express his gratitude - but did not bring it to his mouth. The dishes at the palace banquet were all very delicious, but the tea was really bad to drink. Some of it tasted very strange, and it was said that they were all of the highest quality.
tea.
Ji Ling tried it a few times and didn't want to touch it anymore. When she was thirsty at banquets, she usually asked Qixi to serve her some soup.
Concubine Qian didn't take it seriously. She leaned forward a little and got closer to Ji Ling. She raised her hand to cover her mouth and glanced at Concubine Xi coldly before saying: "Concubine Chen, don't pay attention to her. I promise to let you go."
How can anything be compared with you?"
Ji Ling said nothing, as if she hadn't heard anything. She turned over the play list in her hand, answered Qian's question, and said with a smile: "What's the first play tonight?"
Concubine Qian opened her mouth and said: "...It should be the lantern of fortune, wealth and longevity!"
Seeing that Concubine Chen obviously didn't want to continue the topic that Rong agreed to, she had no choice but to change the channel and pick up some interesting stories about folk lantern shows.
As she talked, when she mentioned something interesting, she covered her mouth with a veil and smiled. As her eyes moved, she saw many concubines, especially the lower-ranking nobles, looking at her eagerly.
Seeing her talking and laughing at the concubine, everyone gave her various sour looks.
On the other hand, Xibi was sitting alone, aloof, and didn't pay much attention to the people around her. She was quietly drinking tea by herself, as if the whole world was dirty and I was alone in the clear, and everyone was drunk and I was alone in my sobriety.
Concubine Yu glanced at Xibi lightly and thought to herself, if it weren't for Hongli, who would really take Niu Hulu, a clan like you who hasn't been promoted for many years, seriously?
After waiting for a while, the Queen and Concubine Qi finally arrived.
When all the concubines saw the Queen arriving, they stood up one after another and knelt down to say hello.
After Ulanara raised his hand and asked everyone to sit down, everyone looked up and saw a young woman standing next to Ulanara. She had an oval face, was gentle and approachable, and had beautiful features. She was dressed as promised and was wearing a pink winter flag suit.
, with a small circle of white fur on his cuffs, and a pink flower hairpin on his head, standing next to Ulanara.
Facing the crowd, she seemed a little reluctant, never daring to raise her eyes - if it wasn't the newly favored Rong Yaosheng, then who was it?
Li Guiren immediately turned his head and winked at Ma Chang, but suddenly he heard the eunuch singing the ceremony outside the palace raise his voice and sing: "The Emperor has arrived——!"
The queen looked solemn, stood up, and took the lead to go out. Yinzhen, dressed in bright yellow with a black cloak on the outside, walked in neatly. Su Peisheng and others trotted behind, and they were dressed in a black cloak.
chill.
Ulanala motioned for Rong to follow, then stepped forward with a smile and said: "I respectfully welcome the emperor, I wish you peace, may your Majesty be blessed with peace and happiness!" As she said this, she saw Yinzhen raising his hand to take off his cloak, and she quickly
He stepped forward and said, "Let me come!"
Yinzhen had just come down from the banquet of the foreign vassal. He still smelled slightly of alcohol. He looked around the crowd and saw that all the concubines were squatting down to say hello. Ji Ling was among them. He walked over.
As soon as he reached out, he held her elbow, his eyes turned on her fur collar, and he raised his hand to close her collar.
He was really drunk, and held Ji Ling's hand without letting go. Ji Ling was embarrassed for a moment, gently supported Yinzhen and said, "Your Majesty!" He glanced at Su Peisheng again, and Su Peisheng came forward.
Interrupted and invited the emperor to go to the main table where the Shangyuan Banquet was hosted.
Everyone took their seats.
After the banquet, it was time for the lantern show to be performed, and the emperor, empress, and concubines moved to watch the show.
The place where the lantern show is performed is behind the Chuxiu Palace and next to the Imperial Garden. The theater floor has three rooms each wide and deep. It forms an independent courtyard with the main hall and the east and west auxiliary halls in the north. The small courtyard is surrounded by corridors.
It is convenient for walking, and the concubines can sit or stand, and they can also change their seats when watching a play, so that they can communicate with each other freely.
The Qing palace had an agency specifically in charge of acting. Every time there was a performance in the palace, the Ministry of Internal Affairs had to allocate silver in advance, and the lantern show was no exception.
There are nine plays in total this night. The troupes usually do not bring any costumes when they enter the palace to perform, but only bring their costume boxes, so as not to drag around a bunch of miscellaneous things and look out of place. They also have to check for a long time when entering the palace.
A lot of effort was wasted. When they came, they carried colorful boxes and props, and when they left, they carried silver rewards. Because it was the middle of the first month, they were all wrapped in red and gold-sprinkled paper, which was very festive.
Ji Ling followed the Queen and others to the stage. Everyone's seat had already been marked with their names. Ji Ling's position was in the middle of the second row, basically looking at the back of the Queen's head. Fortunately, there was a gap between each row.
All are huge.
She sat down, and Concubine Qian's seat was next to her.
The stage was already in full swing, with loud gongs and drums and melodious music and music.
The stage is three feet high and is surrounded by a circle of green railings. A gold-lettered plaque on the green space hangs on the front, with the four-character regular script "Sheng Ping Ye Qing" written on it.
Ji Ling sat down, and not long after the cakes and fruits for watching the opera were served, a young eunuch from the Yangxin Palace came behind him, saying that it was the emperor's intention - he was afraid that the concubine Chen had not seen many operas before, but suddenly there were so many performances.
Once you come up, there must be something you don't understand, so let him explain the whole process to the queen.
Concubine Qian was nearby, peeling off a Nan Guozi, and laughed when she heard this.
After a while, the actors in colorful clothes, holding colored lanterns, lined up in formation to the beat of the music board, and slowly came on stage.
Sure enough, there is a professional commentator, but it is different. There are many details - such as the auspicious patterns of blue ground and white clouds painted on the top of the stage. This is for the actors playing the role of gods to descend to the earth on the auspicious clouds during the heavenly palace opera, and the sages celebrate the New Year.
The world is at peace. The eunuch explained everything to Ji Ling.
Yinzhen watched the first scene, thought for a while, then stood up and left the seat. He went to deal with the affairs of the previous court. After everyone respectfully sent the emperor away, he suddenly felt a lot more relaxed. Even a few Chang Zai picked up the melon seeds.
, and started eating the pastries.
This is a rare lively time of the year in the palace.
The first few scenes were lively fairy tales, and then there were several classic plays with ups and downs and thousands of twists and turns.
Ji Ling was looking at it interestingly, when he suddenly turned his head and saw Rong Yingcheng coming over quietly, holding a tea cup in his hand, and whispered: "My dear concubine, my maid is here to serve you tea!"
