When he was at Yuehua Tower, Zhang Shou had seen Concubine Yu, the emperor's favorite concubine who seemed to be full of melancholy. At that time, he just felt that people are like hibiscus emerging from clear water, naturally carved and decorated, and they are beautiful women that I feel pity for. Of course.
What impressed him more deeply was that Concubine Yu told him very frankly about the bizarre life experiences of him, Zhu Ying and Princess Yongping who were born in the same year, month and day.
However, meeting someone at Yuehua Tower, with Chu Kuan accompanying him and Ge Yong also by his side, had a completely different meaning than going directly to Concubine Yu's Yonghe Palace. You know, let alone that he and Concubine Yu were completely different.
There is no blood relationship, even the direct son and nephew of Concubine Yu, it is impossible to walk around the harem so aggressively, right?
But Zhu Ying, who was in high spirits...or rather overwhelmed with joy, accompanied him. Another round-faced and kind-hearted female official who chased out also reiterated the Queen Mother's oral instructions, and Zhang Shou had no choice but to believe it - otherwise, what could he do, and go to see the emperor for instructions?
For a moment?
Although he had visited the Sixth Palace of the East and West in his previous life, the situation now was completely different from that then. At that time, there were only tourists, but now there are a lot of formal palace people.
And except for a few palace residents who are older than 23 years old and will stay in the palace, the rest will be released when they reach their age. At the same time, the Sixth Palace Bureau is responsible for marriages and dowries. This means that there are almost no people in the palace.
Most of the older faces have youthful and energetic faces. Even if not everyone is beautiful, they are definitely eye-catching.
But there are too many people who are eye-catching, which also creates a burden. Because after Zhang Shou came out of Qingning Palace and entered the East Sixth Palace, he saw only three, four or even five or six palace people in each palace gate.
She looked at him curiously, and she looked at him openly! Zhu Ying on the side not only didn't take it seriously, but even said proudly: "Ah Shou, they are all looking at us!"
I know they are looking at us... The question is, should the elderly round-faced female official who sent us here from Qingning Palace just ignore it? Just let these palace ladies watch blatantly?
Zhang Shou cursed in his heart, and then heard a laugh from behind: "It's rare for these girls to see such a handsome young man like Dr. Zhang, and he is paired with the eldest lady. He is a talented man and a beautiful woman, so he is a little presumptuous. But Dr. Zhang must be a little presumptuous."
He is a person that all the ladies in the palace are very curious about. They couldn't come out to see it themselves and sent palace officials to check it out. This is understandable."
Zhang Shou almost turned around to see if the round-faced female official was full of narrow-mindedness when she said this, but he didn't bother to pursue it too much for such a trivial matter. As a result, the next moment, he just
Hearing the other party laugh again.
"Originally, the Queen Mother planned to order all the concubines to stay in the palace, so as not to cause the current situation where the palace people gathered to watch Zhang Lang, but after thinking about it, she felt that it would be okay to let people take a look. It was just in time for people to see clearly, and the public was enthusiastic
Is it an exaggeration to argue that Dr. Zhang and the eldest lady are a perfect match because of their talent and looks?"
Zhu Ying also giggled immediately: "Ah Shou, did you hear that? They were all praising me for my good taste, saying that they have never seen a handsome man with such talent as you!"
Zhang Shou was dumbfounded. I didn’t expect you to be such a young lady who cares about what outsiders say!
Seeing Chang Ning, the steward of Yonghe Palace whom he had met once in Yuehua Tower, rushing over to greet him, he threw all the chatter away.
Chang Ning first smiled and said hello to the elderly round-faced female official who sent Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying over, said a few polite words, and then explained the Queen Mother's instructions with a smile, and then went straight to the palace maids who sent them over. After leaving quietly, he breathed a sigh of relief, wiped his forehead, which had no sweat at all, and quickly returned to Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying.
"My Majesty, I am very happy to hear that you two are here. Please invite me soon."
Instinctively feeling that instead of calling Dr. Zhang and Miss Zhang, it would be better to refer to you two directly, Chang Ning gave such a title with a smile on his face. Seeing that Zhu Ying was smiling like a flower, Zhang Shou seemed to also Not disgusted, he immediately led the way. When he entered the gate of Yonghe Palace, he saw Zhang Shou who came in one step behind and glanced at his surroundings, and he coughed.
"The Yonghe Palace is really not as big as outsiders think. There are only a dozen rooms in front and behind it. In fact, it is very cramped. Concubine Yu can't even perform a sword dance. The emperor came over before..." His words were abrupt. He stopped, and then the person yelled, "Ahem, Dr. Zhang, this is not your first time entering the palace. You should have had an idea when you saw Qianqing Palace."
Zhang Shou smiled noncommittally, but he was thinking in his heart that when he visited the Forbidden City later in life, he felt that although the layout of this square and square building conformed to any adjective such as majestic, majestic and majestic, in terms of livability, it was so It’s really haha.
These palaces are just that. The small imperial garden is so small that it is hard to believe that this is where the emperor comes to relax. If nothing else, if there is really a group of concubines and palace people who plan to have a chance encounter here, , that would simply fill up this small place! As for the Xiyuan, although the legendary garden was gone in later generations, he knew that it was not something that people from the Concubine Palace could just go to.
Therefore, the concubines look noble, but in fact they are no different from the women in the palaces of wealthy families. Compared with this cramped palace, there are folk gardens. Walking in them can really make people feel refreshed and open-minded.
Therefore, facing the small Yonghe Palace of Concubine Yu, Zhang Shou could only refuse to comment. Even Zhu Ying, who was always straightforward, just sighed and rarely made any comments.
While they were talking for a while, Princess Yongping had already hurried out. She was dressed in a green dress, which looked elegant and decent, which perfectly matched her hibiscus-like appearance and natural demeanor, but at this time her appearance The expression on his face was not as calm as before.
"Zhu Ying, why did you bring Zhang Shou to Yonghe Palace!" After she blurted out one sentence, she frowned when she saw that no one from Qingning Palace came to escort her, "Even if the Queen Mother speaks, you can still talk to Zhang Shou." Shou declined it politely, isn't this an opportunity for you to make irresponsible remarks?"
"Why are you afraid of making irresponsible remarks? What do you care about what the Queen Mother said in person?" Zhu Ying raised her eyebrows, then stepped forward and grabbed Princess Yongping without any explanation, "You are just too thoughtful and timid all the time! I have something to tell you... Well, Chang Ning, take Ah Shou to see Concubine Yu, while Yong Ping and I go to discuss something!"
Seeing Zhu Ying dragging Princess Yongping away forcefully as she spoke, Chang Ning, who had known Zhu Ying's temper, could only laugh and said: "The eldest lady comes and goes often, not to mention that she is just quarreling with the princess now." There are quite a few times when I get red in the face and rough in the neck... Hey, why am I talking about this? Dr. Zhang, will you follow me to see Concubine Yu?"
As for Chang Ning, the steward of Yonghe Palace, Zhang Shou had already learned about it when he was at Yuehua Tower last time, so he just laughed it off. When he entered the main hall of Yonghe Palace, he only saw the middle
No one was seen on the throne, only a pleasant voice came from the east room.
"Chang Ning, please bring Zhang Shou in."
When Zhang Shou followed Chang Ning into the East Room, he discovered that there were no partitions between the two huge rooms. Three of the walls were filled with large bookshelves that towered from the sky. Countless books were piled one on top of the other. It was like a vast sea of books.
The feeling. There are huge scroll vats in two corners, with about a dozen scrolls inserted diagonally in them.
In the center is a large rosewood desk, with more than a dozen pens of various sizes hanging on the pen holder above. In an inkstone, more than half of the ink is soaking in a pen. As the pen tip is soaked in thick ink, it leaves the inkstone.
A hand as white as jade holds this light and fluttering pen, and the pen is just like a dragon and a snake, splashing ink on the long scroll in the hand.
The owner of the jade hand was concentrating on the pen, as if he didn't know anyone came in.
But Zhang Shou knew that this was just his illusion. Because just now Concubine Yu had clearly told Chang Ning to bring him in. He took two steps forward and realized that Chang Ning had not followed. When he turned around, he saw only
The man had bowed his head and left the door, as if he was not afraid of anyone's words, so he simply turned around and walked straight to the big bookcase.
Taking a closer look, he saw that Yu Fei was not writing as he imagined, but drawing an ink landscape painting of both shades. With his poor appreciation, he couldn't say what her level was.
Now, just based on the picture, it looks like Liu Zongyuan's "A lone boat and a man with a coir raincoat fishing alone in the cold snow in the cold river".
At this moment, he saw Yu Fei's beautiful hand finally put down the pen in his hand, and then raised his head to look at him. Just when he thought that Yu Fei would ask him how his painting was going, he didn't.
Thinking of that face that he remembered was always full of melancholy, a faint smile actually appeared.
"You and Yingying are about to have a good relationship, and I won't be able to leave the palace to congratulate you at that time. I'll give you two paintings then." Seeing Zhang Shou's astonished face, Concubine Yu said with a half-smile, "Of course, it's not me.
The emperor has given me many calligraphy and paintings of these crude works, including paintings by Zhan Ziqian and Song Huizong, as well as calligraphy by Zhang Xu, Liu Zongyuan, Huang Tingjian and Mi Fu. If you were asked to choose, who would you choose?"
After Zhang Shou was stunned for a moment, he asked thoughtfully: "Are these six people the only ones who have the paintings and calligraphy collected by Concubine Yu?"
"Oh, six people are not enough? Who else do you want?" Concubine Yu suddenly asked with great interest, "If there is one in the palace, I can help you get it."
"I like Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface", Yan Zhenqing's "Yan's Confession", Zhan Ziqian's "Spring Outing", Song Huizong's "Auspicious Crane"... In fact, I just like those pictures at first glance.
It is a masterpiece handed down from generation to generation that makes you feel happy and amazed. But instead of keeping such a masterpiece at the bottom of the box in my house, it would be better to leave it to someone like you, Empress Yu, who truly knows how to appreciate it."
Concubine Yu didn't expect that Zhang Shou would use such words to decline her kindness. She was stunned for a moment, and then smiled with relief: "In that case, then you can tell me directly what you want me as an elder to do for you and Yingying.
Wedding gift?”
"Well..."
Considering that Concubine Yu looked like a cold beauty with a sad look on her face, but she was actually a strong-willed woman, it would be too hypocritical to talk around others. Zhang Shou simply said bluntly, "Although I would rather see the old lady as my late mother."
I know, Yingying, the elder who respects and loves her like a mother, you can come in person to attend. But if it is too difficult..."
He paused again, and then said with a smile: "Can your Majesty, can you give us a pair of red braids? Yingying said, you and my future mother-in-law were close friends in the past. Not only were you good at swordsmanship, but you were also very good at it.
Are you good at knitting these small things? When Yingying and I have a great day, if you can give us a pair of red and festive braids, it will be more valuable than any rare treasure."
Chang Ning outside the door almost stared out of her eyes after hearing this. Others may not know how rich Concubine Yu's family is, but he knows it best.
The emperor's favored concubine was met with mediocre favor at first, but later she became extremely favored. The emperor knew that Concubine Yu did not like jewelry, so the things he rewarded Concubine Yu in the past were often very general: an ancient book, an ancient painting, and calligraphy.
A picture...and so on and so on.
However, the so-called ancient books are long out-of-print Song books and even Tang books and Sui books, and there are even precious manuscripts of celebrities. The so-called ancient paintings are authentic works of great masters from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties. As for
Not to mention calligraphy, the palace collected a lot of famous people's calligraphy that people spent a lot of money to see but could not get.
Most of them were collected by Emperor Taizu. In the end, these things were not buried in the mausoleum, but were placed in the royal treasury. In the words of Emperor Taizu, the things he had seen countless times in his life were more valuable than the things he had seen countless times in his life.
Accompanying him in the dark tomb is better than leaving it to future generations. Whether he is rewarded or lost and scattered, that is fate.
But no matter what, these paintings and calligraphy from Concubine Yu’s family are treasures in the palace treasury. Two paintings may be worth tens of thousands of gold!
Zhang Shou, as a doctor of Guozi, could not have known it, but he actually refused. He only wanted the luozi made by the two concubines himself. Of course, it would be a great honor to tell people about it, but how much is it worth?
However, after hearing this, Concubine Yu looked at Zhang Shou with more relief and satisfaction than at first. She nodded happily, and then asked with a smile: "Well, the Queen Mother will let you and Ying
Yinglai, you might as well tell me what happened."
Zhang Shou did not hesitate, and directly told the story of the Queen Mother's interview with the Hong family today. Concubine Yu inside listened calmly, but Chang Ning outside wanted to break in several times, telling Zhang Shou never to believe Hong's kind
A woman who looks like a talented woman.
As for asking him how he knew, haha, when he was young, his wife Yu Fei was famous for being both civilized and military, and Princess Yongping was even more famous as the most talented woman in the capital, but both of them were actually very scheming.
Woman. And both mother and daughter are at least beautiful women with outstanding looks. Since the Hong family does not have this most important point, then their scheming may be ten times better!
But at this time, Chang Ning only heard Concubine Utoma Yu say with a faint smile: "If we really want to open a girls' school like the reopening of Jiuzhang Hall, it will be a blessing for all women in the world. Mingyue, this girl, can't do anything else, in terms of knowledge and ability
, but that’s top-notch, and he will definitely be able to do the job!”