Chapter 83 Dragon Boat Festival in the Forbidden City
In the blink of an eye, it's the first day of May, and there are only a few days before the Dragon Boat Festival. The sun is getting redder and brighter, and the fragrance of mugwort and calamus can be smelled everywhere in the Forbidden City.
Since the first year of Yongzheng's reign, Prince Yi has been in charge of the manufacturing office. Every April, Prince Yi will issue an order to have the "grocery shop" in the manufacturing office start making sachets, purses, and fans for the Dragon Boat Festival.
, tablets, medicine, etc. After the production is completed, they will be presented to the emperor as soon as possible.
As an emperor, Yin followed the rules of his ancestors and wore a five-poison purse from the first day of May.
There are commonly used medicines such as Patchouli, Atractylodes, Angelica dahurica, etc., which are donated by the imperial pharmacy every year, and are made by the imperial doctor under the personal command of Sura.
He firmly remembered that when the Qing people entered the customs, the Manchu nobles had the admonition that "the clothes of our dynasty are determined by our ancestors and should never be changed." This was also Emperor Taizong's request for future generations: always abide by the clothes and manners of our ancestors.
It is made and no unauthorized changes are allowed.
But the Manchus have one thing in common with the Han people, that is: they all like to wear purses.
After entering the customs, due to the influence of Han culture, the purses of the Manchu royal family gradually changed from large to small, and the styles were exquisite and compact, sewn from silk and satin, including ingot shapes, cloud roll shapes, chicken heart shapes, plum blossom shapes, gourd shapes, etc.
The shape, color is bright and the color scheme is lively.
And the contents in the purse are no longer dry food, which was the habit of the Manchus when they were still outside the customs.
Starting from the Kangxi Dynasty, the production of purses in the Qing palace became more complicated and luxurious. They usually only contained spices, loose money, dry tobacco, etc. Those containing spices were called "xiang purses" and those containing tobacco were called "cigarette purses."
…
During this period, because it was known that Yin was very busy in the previous dynasty and had no time to take care of the harem, and because there was a new kitchen, there were eunuchs in the kitchen, eunuchs in the kitchen, etc.
Simply the perfect standard for foodies!
Ji Ling then closed the east courtyard door with peace of mind and lived a happy life with three meals a day, afternoon tea and midnight snacks.
And on the first day of May, all the concubines in the harem were wearing five-poison hairpins and mugwort hairpins on their heads. In addition, they were also making exquisitely embroidered purses and sent them to Yangxin Palace as soon as they were finished.
It can also be regarded as a way to remind the emperor: Although you are busy with the previous dynasty, don't forget that I am waiting for you in the harem!
Su Peisheng suddenly had a box full of stuff in his wallet.
Qixi was more anxious: If everyone doesn't send it, it doesn't matter if his master doesn't send it.
But everyone gave it away, except for the noble person in the east courtyard of Jingyang Palace who didn't give it away, which would be very eye-catching.
Jingyang Palace, east side courtyard, inner room of the main room.
Qixi was earnestly advising Ji Ling: "Master, let's make one for the emperor with our own hands. The empresses in other palaces and the nobles are not left behind! I heard that there are beads and emeralds on the purses of Yikun Palace and Yonghe Palace.
, it’s really a lot of effort!”.
At this time, Ji Ling was in Ge You's paralyzed posture, leaning comfortably on the imperial concubine's couch while drinking ice-cold sour plum soup.
The sour plum soup is really well made with a light floral fragrance, and the ratio of sour and sweet is just right: black plum to remove oil and greasiness, osmanthus to remove phlegm and blood stasis, licorice to clear away heat and detoxify, hawthorn to lower fat and blood pressure, and sweet
Sweet rock candy...
Simply a must-have summer drink!
Before time travel, she also liked sour plum soup. Every time her best friend took her to eat hot pot, she would order a large amount of iced sour plum soup. When her tongue was numb and painful from the spicy food, she would quickly drink a cup and drink it down, and she would immediately feel refreshed.
Refreshing.
However, the sour plum soup I drank at that time and the sour plum soup prepared by the royal family of the Qing Dynasty now are completely different in taste.
You must know that this imperial recipe was prepared by people from the imperial pharmacy and the imperial tea house. They carefully compared it and determined the proportions of various condiments before sending it to the dining eunuchs of each palace in the Forbidden City.
After hearing Qixi's words, Ji Ling, who was drinking sour plum soup, spread his hands and said helplessly: "But I... can't do it!".
Bixue moved a small Xiudun to sit behind the imperial concubine's couch and helped Ji Ling comb her hair. At this time, she chuckled and said: "Master! Why don't you do it yourself? The slaves have already done a dozen
I have a purse, just waiting for the master to choose. The slaves will send whichever one you like to the master to the Palace of Cultivation of the Heart."
Ji Ling thought for a while, but before she spoke, Qixi shook her head.
She said with a bitter face: "Master, I think this method is not working. I am already familiar with Bixue's needlework, but the master is new to it, so I sent him to the Hall of Cultivation of the Heart like this... What if the emperor has a whim one day and wants to do it?
If you watch your master doing needlework in front of him, wouldn't he be guilty of deceiving the emperor? Even if it is not so serious, the emperor will definitely think that his master is a liar... This is always not good."
Bixue stopped the comb in her hand and said disapprovingly: "Sister Qixi, you should be a little more cautious. Do you think that the purses sent by Yikun Palace and Yonghe Palace were made by the ladies themselves? That's not necessarily true.
! The servants below did the work for most of the purse, leaving the last few needles and threads for the ladies to close up. Then it is considered to have passed through the hands of the queen, and was made 'personally' by the queen!"
Ji Ling wiped a handful of ice beads on the side of the cup, turned the cup of sour plum soup back and forth a few times in his hand, and thought about it.
If she did what Bixue said, pick a purse made by a slave and send it to Yin, that would indeed be the easiest way, and she would not make a fool of herself because of her poor embroidery skills, but as Qixi said, there is no guarantee
It won't be exposed later.
But if she was really allowed to do it by herself...this needlework skill can't be mastered in a day or two. Even if she learns and does it now, I'm afraid it won't look good!
Ji Ling frowned and thought for a while, then murmured to himself, "Yongzheng...Yongzhengchao...".
She suddenly thought of the porcelain from the Yongzheng Dynasty that she had seen in the Forbidden City before. It was free of decoration, elegant in color, dignified and steady in style, generous and simple, elegant and gentle, simple and smooth, which was very consistent with the fourth master's obsessive-compulsive and perfectionist character.
"Yes." Ji Ling raised his head and his eyes flashed.
"I know what to do.", she said to herself. Qixi and Bixue looked at each other, both looking at their master with hope.
…
Dongnuan Pavilion, Yangxin Hall.
Although there are still a few days before the official Dragon Boat Festival, the atmosphere of the Dragon Boat Festival has already begun in Dongnuan Pavilion: dragon boats are hung on the walls, auspicious tapestry screens are hung, large green gourds and musical clocks are placed on the tables, and five blessings and five auspicious flowers are inserted in the bottles.
.
Since the first year of Yongzheng's reign, the Qing palace has begun to make pills for medicine every Dragon Boat Festival. It is now the third year.
After the pills were made, painters were asked to paint them, attach silk threads, braid tassels, and some were decorated with mother-of-pearl. This also required a lot of effort from the royal pharmacy. Therefore, in addition to being used in the palace, it also had an important function.
The purpose is to reward ministers.
Yongzheng sent many troops to the northwest. In order to appease the morale of the garrisoned officers and boost morale, Yin often rewarded the Qing palace with pills and pills in large quantities during the Dragon Boat Festival.
At this time, he stood in front of the royal case with his hands behind his hands. When he saw three generals from the Chahanlir military camp kowtow to him and thank him, Su Peisheng unfolded the bright yellow gift sheet and recited loudly and unhurriedly:
"The emperor bestows thirty-five packs of purple gold ingots, thirty-five packs of toad suspense ingots, thirty-five packs of palace ingots, ninety-two packs of salt water ingots, fourteen packs of metaphorical ingots, two hundred and forty hanging spike ingots, and peace.
Six thousand one hundred pills, ten kilograms of men and horses are safe..."