The third princess looked up at the fireworks and couldn't take her eyes away. Ji Ling was afraid that the sound of firecrackers outside would be too loud and frighten her son and daughter, so she ordered the wet nurse to carry them in.
She sat in the yard by herself and stared up at the night sky for a long time.
After a while, Ji Ling felt a slight weight on her shoulders - it was Qixi who went in and got a thick cloak for her to put on.
Qixi whispered: "Master, be careful of catching a cold."
Ji Ling nodded, patted Qixi's hand, and said softly: "Qixi, give everyone the red envelope I asked you to prepare before."
Qixi nodded, turned around, and said, "Master, I'll tell everyone to come over."
Ji Ling raised his hand to stop her and said, "No need, just go and receive the red envelope."
Qixi was stunned for a moment, looked at Ji Ling's expression carefully, and asked softly: "Master...Master, is there something on your mind?"
When she saw that Ji Ling didn't answer, she might have made a mistake, so she comforted her softly: "Master, you are not as good as before. Today is New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve - according to the rules of the emperor, you can't neglect the queen. Tomorrow
My son should be coming to us right now!"
Ji Ling shook his head and said: "Today is New Year's Eve, it is a big day, and it is normal that the emperor will not come over. I am just feeling a little emotional... This year, time flies really fast."
As she spoke, Qixi stared at her master's side face without blinking. She saw her master raise his head and look at the fireworks at night over the Forbidden City.
Qixi whispered: "Master, no matter how many years have passed, this slave will always be with you."
Ji Ling turned her head, reached out and pinched her cheek gently: "According to the rules of the palace, a maid can leave the palace when she is twenty-five years old."
She raised her head and looked at the fireworks in the distance. She was slightly in a trance and said softly: "Looking at it like this, you are not far behind in a few years."
Qixi shook her head resolutely before she could finish her words: "The slave does not leave the palace. The slave serves the master. Wherever the master is, the slave will be there."
Since the 16th year of Kangxi's reign, the Forbidden City has established rules that palace ladies cannot leave the palace until they are thirty years old.
Taking into account the age of marriage for palace maids after leaving the palace, since the first year of Yongzheng, Yinzhen changed this rule to twenty-five years old.
As for whether the palace maid should leave the palace or not, she can actually choose as she wishes.
If a palace maid is over twenty-five years old, wants to leave the palace, and has served the queen, imperial concubine, concubine, or concubine, she will be rewarded by her own master.
Once you leave the Forbidden City, you are no longer allowed to enter the palace.
After the palace maid leaves the palace, she cannot ask someone to deliver a message to the chief eunuch of the palace, let alone come back to visit her master because she misses the friendship with her old master.
But there are also a small number of palace maids who choose to stay with their masters and serve them for the rest of their lives.
These maids will teach the next batch of new maids assigned to serve their masters and teach them a series of rules in the palace.
The new maids call them "aunts".
Ji Ling was stunned when he heard Qixi's words and was speechless for a while.
When she traveled through time, the first person she saw was Qixi. It was Qixi who gave her medicine while wiping her tears and taking care of her.
She knew that this girl was loyal, but she didn't expect that Qixi had already decided not to marry and to serve her in the palace for the rest of her life.
Qixi said softly: "Unless one day, the slave becomes old, unhappy and clumsy, and the master abandons the slave. Otherwise, the slave wants to follow the master all his life!"
Ji Ling sighed, reached out and pinched the tip of her nose, and said, "Silly girl, what are you talking about? Is your master like that?"
She stretched out her hand to support her elbow and said, "Get up, Qixi."
Qixi stood up, but lowered her head and said: "Master, actually this slave also knows that the emperor has always felt that the slave is slow and not sharp enough. If it weren't for the master protecting the slave, the emperor would have replaced the slave long ago.
Already."
Ji Ling shook his head slightly, stared at Qixi, and said in a deep voice: "No, Qixi, you are fine."
Qixi raised her head and looked at Ji Ling.
Ji Ling gently patted the back of Qixi's hand and said softly: "I'm here, don't worry!"
When Qixi heard the words "don't worry", her eyes turned red, and there was a faint watery glow in her eyes.
Ji Ling chuckled, reached out and touched her head, and said softly: "Good Qixi, we are celebrating the New Year today, so don't cry!"
…
After watching the fireworks for a while, it finally became quiet in the night. Ji Ling tightened the cloak around her body and felt a little cold. Qixi supported her and got up and walked into the thermal pavilion.
Ji Ling did not rush to his residence first.
She went to Xinuang Pavilion to take a look at the third princess, and saw that the third princess had fallen asleep in the crib. The wet nurse and the nanny were sitting next to her and watching over her. When Concubine Chen came in, the servants quickly stood up to salute.
Ji Ling was afraid of waking up her daughter, so she immediately made a silent gesture. She walked quietly to the bed, and carefully tucked the quilt under the third princess's chin. Then she saw the third princess.
In his sleep, his little mouth was still pouting and chewing a few more times, as if he was tasting some delicious food.
I’m afraid you won’t be like me when you grow up, and you will also be a foodie.
Ji Ling couldn't help but think so.
She raised her hand and motioned for Nanny Chen to follow her out.
When she arrived in the main hall, she dared to speak out - first she asked the third princess in detail how many times she had used complementary food, how many times had she slept, and how many times had she been relieved?
Grandma Chen answered carefully.
Ji Ling asked her to go back, called the wet nurse out again, and asked the same question again.
The wet nurse gave the same answer as Grandma Chen.
Ji Ling felt relieved and turned back to his Dong Nuan Pavilion.
It was warm in the bathroom, and Qixi took care of her. After she took a bath, she sat down in front of the dressing table.
Qixi took a dry handkerchief and wiped the moisture from her hair from behind.
Ji Ling finished her skin care routine and habitually raised her head to look at Qixi. She felt that Qixi in the mirror was different from when they first met in the second year of Yongzheng's reign - indeed, there was a slight fatigue between the eyebrows and eyes, and there was also some relaxation on both sides of the cheeks.
.
The gift of greetings on New Year's Day was the most important part of celebrating the New Year in the Qing palace.
The congratulatory ceremony in the Forbidden City is usually held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony and starts at midnight.
First, all the officials knelt down to worship, the emperor gave tea, and the bells and drums rang.
Then the emperor wrote a book of blessings in the East Nuan Pavilion of Yangxin Hall.
The so-called Fu calligraphy is to first write the word "Fu" with red ink and give it to the ministers close to you, and then write auspicious words to pray for the prosperity of the country and the peace of the people in the new year.
At this point, it is still not over, and then we have to go to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to prepare for the imperial banquet.
In other words, basically on this night, the fourth master, who was the core figure of all activities, would not have any time to sleep at all - he was busy attending the New Year's Eve banquet in the first half of the night, and busy with the congratulatory ceremony in the second half of the night.
I stayed up all night basically rushing to the venue, and the schedule was full.
Ji Ling was pillowed in a fragrant and soft quilt, and the spacious bed allowed her to turn over and over.
She listened to her son's gentle breathing in the cradle, and her eyelids gradually became heavy.
