On the third day of February, at the gate of Chengqian Palace, Ji Ling held Sixth Brother in his arms to see the door god.
In the Forbidden City, Spring Festival couplets are hung every year on the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, starting from Qianqing Gate, Qianqing Palace, etc., and are spread out in sequence, and the palace gardens of the concubines are no exception.
It lasted for more than a month, and it was not until the third day of February that the couplets were removed.
The Spring Festival couplets in the palace are all drawn and dimensioned by the Ministry of Industry, then the manufacturing warehouse is responsible for providing materials and consumables, and finally the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Manufacturing Office handles the production.
Such a procedure is complicated and costs a lot every year.
In order to save money, the Spring Festival couplets removed this year from the Eastern and Western Zodiacs will be stored in the manufacturing warehouse until they can be hung again next year.
Contrary to what Ji Ling thought, the Spring Festival couplets were not posted on the door, because there were door nails of different numbers and sizes on the palace doors, so they could only be "hanged".
And what surprised her the most was: these Spring Festival couplets were actually on a white background!
If placed in modern times, on a white background, it would be...
But if you think about it again, it's not difficult to understand - after all, the Qing palace traditionally valued white, which was regarded as clean and noble, symbolizing good luck and good fortune. In their view, white was a noble color.
The Spring Festival couplets in the palace are all written on white silk with ink pens, and then the frames are made and hung on the vermilion pillars of the palace.
It is said that the business cards of the ancients were made of white paper. It was not until the Ming Dynasty that the business cards were changed to red background.
Ji Ling was here looking at the door god, and the sixth brother stretched out his little hand to express that he wanted to take the door god to play.
Ji Ling: This is not for fun...
She ordered her slaves to pack the door gods into boxes and give them directly to the people who made the warehouse when they came to collect them.
Seeing the disappointment on Brother Six's face, little Yoko immediately took out the flat drum to make his little master happy.
The so-called Pinggu is also called Niangu. "Ping" means peace in the world and peace in the world.
From the twelfth lunar month to the first month of the following year, for a total of dozens of days, as long as the New Year celebrations continue in the Forbidden City, the sound of peace drums will continue.
A metal ring hangs under the handle of the drum, which can make a clear sound when danced. You can also sing "Taiping Lyrics" while playing.
In the Chengqian Palace, Ji Ling banned all dangerous entertainment, such as lighting firecrackers and setting off fireworks, for fear of hurting his son and daughter.
There are only games like making snow lions and playing Taiping drums.
As expected, the sixth brother's attention was attracted by the peace drum, and he stretched out his hand and said "Ah! Ah!"
Little Yoko gave him the peace drum.
However, the handle of the drum was thick and the sixth brother's little hand could not hold it firmly. Ji Ling took her son's chubby little hand, wrapped his hand in hers, and helped him hold it together.
The sixth brother closed his hands and finally caught the Taiping drum. Then, he broke away from his mother's arms and stumbled happily in the courtyard of Chengqian Palace.
A group of palace maids, eunuchs, nuns, and wet nurses followed behind.
Ji Ling worriedly said from behind: "Xin'er, slow down!" and urged the slave: "Follow me quickly!"
When Brother Six rushed to the door, his hand slipped and the drum fell to the ground - and it slipped a few steps away.
He looked forward and saw a pair of dragon-patterned boots, spotless.
Looking further up, Brother Six saw Huang Ama's face, a face with a solemn expression, yet still gentle when looking at him.
Su Peisheng immediately came forward and picked up the peace drum for the sixth elder brother. He held it in his hands and wiped and blew it on the floor to clean it up. Then he lowered his waist and held it up to the sixth elder brother with both hands.
The servants behind him knelt on the ground to pay their respects to the emperor, and the nanny stepped forward to support the sixth elder brother's little hand, and gently touched his shoulder and back with her other hand, urging him to salute the emperor.
The sixth brother glanced at Huang Ama a few more times, then pushed his little head forward, and then there was a furry and warm touch on his face - Huang Ama had already reached out and hugged him.
Mammy had no choice but to kneel down and say: "Brother Six, please pay your respects to the Emperor! May the Emperor be blessed with peace and prosperity!"
Ji Ling came forward and saw that Yinzhen was wearing a bright yellow silk and black fox fur end cap today. The upper part was made of black fox fur, and the sleeves and lower body were connected with mink fur. The tips of the mink fur were white, like silver needles shining with snow.
Excellent "sweeping ferrets" - she also has two "sweeping ferrets" rewarded by Yinzhen.
Yinzhen hugged his sixth brother and raised his hand, revealing the bright yellow and dark Longjiang silk lining inside the end shield, decorated with gilt copper and chiseled flower buttons.
The end cap is a type of formal dress, and the emperor usually wears it during major ceremonies such as sacrifices and court meetings. Ji Ling thought hard and couldn't figure out what day the third day of February is today.
As for Yinzhen, it was obvious that he had finished his work in the previous period and had not even had time to change his clothes, so he came to Chengqian Palace.
"Huang Ama!" The sixth elder brother hugged Yinzhen's neck and shouted loudly.
Unlike his sister's milky and soft voice, Hongxin's voice was much stronger.
While he was calling Huang Ama, he did not forget to shake the peace drum in his hand to show Huang Ama. He spun the colorful small drum vigorously and made various strange sounds in his mouth excitedly:
"Ha! Phew!"
It seemed that instead of holding a peace drum, he had a flower gun or something in his hand. Several times, the tassel of the drum dangled into the corner of Yinzhen's eyes.
Ji Ling reached out and touched her son's little head and said, "Xin'er, be good and stay safe for a while!"
Yinzhen saw that she was wearing thin clothes and said, "Go in."
Ji Ling obeyed and took a few steps forward. When she turned around and saw Yinzhen holding her sixth brother, walking behind her, she took a step back. When Yinzhen walked past her, he reached out to hold her hand.
The two of them entered the temple together.
After coming in, Ji Ling naturally picked up Brother Six and held him in his arms.
The sixth brother was over a year old and already quite heavy. He was lying on her shoulder, waving his hands and feet wildly. After Ji Ling hugged him for a while, he felt his arms were sore.
Yinzhen looked at it and said, "Sit down too."
Ji Ling sat down with his sixth brother in his arms, and the sixth brother turned over and climbed up on E Niang's lap, reaching for Yinzhen - asking Huang Ama to hug him.
He hasn't been hugged enough yet!
Su Peisheng stood at the door and quietly looked at the laughter and laughter inside. The father was kind and the son was filial. He couldn't help but think: Chengqian Palace is not just an ordinary favor. Just looking at the intimacy between the young master and Huang Ama, the palace
There are few princesses who can compare to the elder brother in the past.
But just because children are so pitiable, we can’t tell what we will be like when we grow up.
Yinzhen sat in the inner hall for a while, but did not see the third princess. He looked around and asked, "Where is Xi'er?"
The third princess is in the dining room.
Ever since her last success with glutinous rice balls, this little girl has had a fascination with making pastries and snacks. She followed Xiao Dazi all day long, pestering this "master".
Ji Ling once thought: If it were in modern times, she would probably have to send her daughter to a baking class.
After all, it is dangerous in the dining room. Ji Ling strictly enforces the rules: you are not allowed to go where there is a stove. When making cakes, you can only knead the dough, leave the dough, carve the flowers by hand, and spend time on the platter. In addition, you must ensure that there is someone watching next to you.
No shortage of people is allowed.
She also asked Qixi to make three or four very cute little bibs and hats for the third princess to wear when making pastries.