The days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the winter solstice was just a few days away, and the entire Forbidden City was enveloped in a biting winter atmosphere.
Ji Ling stood in the ornately carved Chengqian Palace, holding Seventh Brother in his arms, looking out through the window to watch the snow fall.
The wet nurse and the nun were waiting behind her.
Although she was wrapped thickly and tightly, and the seventh prince was almost wrapped into a bun, the chill outside the window still came in waves.
This year's snow seems to be particularly dense and abundant.
Ji Ling was afraid of freezing her little son, so she took a few steps back.
As he retreated, he happened to bump into Qixi who was walking out of the Nuan Pavilion.
Qixi went to get some clothes. She supported her master, raised her hand, and put a blue silk robe with chrysanthemums and longevity patterns on Ji Ling.
This cotton robe is a new batch of styles sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is embroidered on a black ground with colorful chrysanthemums and flat gold with the word Tuan Shou. It is woven with plum blossoms and gold satin. It is lined with moon-white silk and has silk cotton lining inside. It is embellished with copper.
The round buckles are also decorated with jewelry.
In the Qing palace, chrysanthemum decorations were more popular and were matched with other decorations. For example, chrysanthemums matched with the swastika pattern meant "longevity", matched with peonies, meaning "longevity and wealth", etc., and Ji Ling's current status, these patterns
It happens even more often.
Brother Qi curiously stretched out his little hand and began to grab the sparkling coral beads on the buttons on E Niang's chest.
Ji Ling hurriedly said: "Take it off, take it off! Don't bring any loose objects. The seventh brother is still young, so he won't eat it by accident."
She hugged her little son and sat down in the front hall. The chair had already been covered with thick cushions, and the backrest was warm and soft.
The third princess got up late today, and the seventh prince was still old enough to drink milk. Ji Ling sat alone at the dining table and waited for her daughter.
When mother and daughter had breakfast together, Ji Ling watched her daughter lower her head,
A few strands of bangs fell down and dangled between her eyebrows. Ji Ling stretched out her hand, brushed her daughter's hair, and said softly: "Eat slowly."
In the evening, Yinzhen invited her to have a meal with her at Yangxin Hall, and discussed with her that now it was almost possible to build a princess palace for the third princess in Beijing.
Of course, there is no need to elaborate on the purpose of building the Princess Mansion.
After a princess got married in the Qing Dynasty, according to the rules, her husband's parents were not allowed to live together. The Ministry of Internal Affairs chose a place in the capital to build a separate princess palace.
Ji Ling: Fourth Master, are you so impatient...
The Princess Mansion is built in Silver Lion Alley. The map has been presented to Yinzhen a long time ago. It has a good layout in all directions. Other details will be added after the prototype of the Princess Mansion is completed.
The average age at which princesses got married in the Qing Dynasty varied from generation to generation. The princesses of Nurhachi and Huang Taiji all got married when they were around thirteen years old. The Manchus still married at an early age. The higher their status, the earlier they had to marry. The so-called "ten to twenty"
Anyone who gets married above the age of 10 is considered a poor person."
Yinzhen pointed to the map of Kanyu and showed it to her: the princess mansion prepared for Princess Heshuo Duanrou, with a total of about 150 rooms, seven buildings, one platform, and a water supply. The oil paintings on the Yong Road are
Needless to say, in addition to the careful selection of wood, stone, bricks and tiles, Yinzhen has already been responsible for the purchase of other materials. All of them are made of the highest quality materials, and they are as consistent as possible with the styles and colors that his little daughter’s family likes.
There is also a land that needs to be expanded to the side. Fifty-five private rooms were demolished and bought at a discount for more than 1,000 taels of silver.
According to the design, as soon as you enter the Princess Mansion, you will first see a screen wall, then a five-story courtyard, three entrance halls, and a back garden at the back with rockeries, a pavilion in the middle of the lake, etc. The lake is quite large, and a pier has also been built.
You can let the princess take a boat trip in the house.
To be able to do this in the capital city, and so close to the Forbidden City, Yinzhen's fatherly thoughts are really revealed.
Yinzhen pointed to Ji Ling and explained everything in detail. The two of them were under the lamp, one listened and the other spoke, making it seem as if the third princess had already decided on a husband and would leave the Forbidden City after the New Year.
Getting married is normal.
In the end, even Yinzhen himself felt a little sad.
Ji Ling was moved, but she suddenly murmured in her heart: Fourth Master, your plan for the Princess Mansion is very good, but does Xi'er like it or not?
But in the end, it still comes from my father’s wishes.
Ji Ling carefully brought the Kanyu map back.
In the Chengqian Palace, the third princess was not in her thermal pavilion. She was hiding in the dining room, watching Xiao Dazi making spicy cabbage cakes.
Back then, when she was a little baby, standing behind Xiao Dazi, she could barely see the side of the stove, but now she was much taller.
The nuns were with me.
Over the years, probably due to years of working next to the stove, Xiao Dazi's shoulders and back have become a little hunched, and he has also gained a little weight. Fortunately, he has a small frame, and his flesh is not noticeable.
A face that is round and cheerful, a face that is honest, generous, and full of blessings.
While looking at the young master with a smile, he told her the steps for making the spicy cabbage pancake. After hearing this, the third princess tilted her head slightly and said, "Actually, there are not many steps."
Xiao Dazi raised his hands and was about to wipe his sweat when the handy eunuch who was following him saw that he was holding something in both hands and hurriedly came forward and wiped it for him diligently.
Xiao Fenzi smiled and said to the third princess: "There are not many steps. There are only five steps in total. But because there are not many steps, you reach the top in a few steps and there is no room for adjustment, so it is more difficult."
The third princess nodded thoughtfully, and suddenly she heard the nanny behind her say with a smile: "Why is Miss Evian here? It's not here yet..."
Evian smiled and nodded to several nuns, then knelt down to the third princess, and then said: "Princess, the noble concubine asked the princess to come over!"
The third princess stretched out her hand to wipe the flour on her hands and went out.
When they got to Nuange, they saw that the boss had already placed a map on E Niang's desk. Next to it were the dimensions marked in tiny characters. It was clear and black and white, densely packed. On the map, there were all kinds of pavilions, pavilions and waterside pavilions.
The third princess was startled and said, "Is this the palace that Emperor Ama is going to build for us in the Old Summer Palace?"
Ji Ling raised her head, but before she could speak, the third princess sat down slowly and said quietly: "The Old Summer Palace is very beautiful, but I never want to go back."
Ji Ling knew that she was talking about the incident deep in Hongxin Cave.
The third princess lost her mind for a while, and showed a little childishness. She raised her hand to support her chin, reached out to pick up a piece of pastry on the table and put it into her mouth. She leaned back and added: "Besides, in the Old Summer Palace, I also
I have to live in two separate places! It’s better to stay in the Qian Palace, so I can see my mother every day.”
When Ji Ling heard this, her heart ached and she couldn't bear to leave.
She said softly: "Xi'er, come here and take a look. This is the princess palace that your emperor is building for you."