Chapter 76 (1/2)
This night's state banquet was a feast for both the guests and the host.
It wasn't until the second half before the banquet was over.
The courtiers and wives all rushed out of the palace, while the crown prince and concubine Yang personally sent empress Cong back.
They sat in the same chariot, and empress Cong was never warm and cold to her. Yang's heart was chatting, but she kept a proper smile on her face and said, ”today, the night emperor of the South moon is visiting. My father's heart is very happy. I've eaten this banquet for a long time. Is the mother tired?”
”Well!” Cong empress light should sound, eyelid did not lift.
Although she was not at ease in her heart, she still insisted: ”I heard that the state's wife's condition has improved. She will return to Beijing after the new year. Does the younger brother of the seventh emperor go to pick her up in person?”
Empress Cong was born in Dingguo government, and Yang's wife was her biological mother.
”Yes, my mother loves him. Xiao Qi is closer to her grandmother than I am.” Empress Cong answered with emotion. ”The Duke and wife are kind to us, not to mention the seven emperors.” Yang said with a smile. She raised her hand to help empress Cong pinch her shoulder and observed her face. Seeing that she was not impatient, she tried to say: ”the Duke and his wife are still in office. She came back to live alone. The house is very lonely. Does the mother ask Congrong's cousin to come back with her? At any rate, he can be a companion to the old lady. ”
Empress Cong immediately recognized that there was something fishy in this, and she opened her eyes to see it. Yang's heart trembled, but she could not retreat at this time. She just tried to keep her expression unchanged and said in a low voice: ”the seventh emperor's younger brother has already reached the age of finger marriage. In addition, his status is also noble, so that no one can covet the throne of Princess Zhao. Don't the empress of mother think it's good to be married by marriage?”
When is it Yang's turn to tell the story of situ yuan's marriage?
Empress Cong admitted that she was a little moved, but she immediately stiffened her face and said, ”it seems that you spent too much time in the east palace? How can you even worry about it? ”
”Where does the mother say anything, the daughter-in-law is out of order!” Yang did not dare to say more, and quickly dropped his head.
Empress Cong snorted coldly and ignored her.
Yang sent her back to Fengming palace. All the way, she was cold and angry. Yang was beaten down in front of her and became a habit. She just kept silent.
After she got out of the chariot, empress Cong went directly to the door. Doukou, the great maid holding her by her side, glanced back and exchanged a vague look with Yang.
Yang then leaned back to the couch, his face as usual, only languidly waved, ”go, directly out of the palace.”
Empress Cong went back to her bedroom, and Doukou and Lanzhi served her. She took off the complicated imperial dress and the hairpin ring.
After getting up early for a day, empress Cong felt sleepy and sat in front of the dressing table.
Cardamom combed her hair and pressed her scalp to relieve her fatigue. She looked at her expression in the mirror and said, ”is your mother worried about the marriage of your seventh highness?”
Cardamom has served her for seven or eight years. She is skillful in her hand and mouth. She often makes empress Cong happy. In addition, she is really in a dilemma now. Empress Cong doesn't find her fault, but she doesn't say anything.
When Doukou saw that she didn't stop drinking, she took the courage to continue: ”in fact, I think that the proposal just made by the crown prince and concubine is also good. Miss Biao is beautiful and intelligent. She was brought up by her uncle and wife, and she came from the government. She will be close to her mother at that time.”
Cong empress just means unidentified hook the next lip corner, don't think the shake head way: ”you know what!”
It's not that Congrong has anything bad. It's mainly situ yuan. What really bothers Cong empress is actually the lukewarm mother child relationship between her and the child. Doukou thinks that she is the person around her. Seeing that she has no intention of blaming, she goes on to say: ”the seventh Royal Highness is arrogant. Isn't your mother often headache? Because of this, it would be better if your highness could marry Miss Biao to be a princess. If there was Miss Biao in the middle, maybe he would be closer to
Niang. In case your highness marries an outsider and meets another person who has a bad opinion of the wind, isn't he going to add a block to his wife? ”
Empress Cong felt something was wrong when she heard this.
She opened her eyes and turned to look at nutmeg.
Cardamom was startled, and then he took a step back and dropped his head.
At this time, Lanzhi also made a good quilt and came out from the inner hall. She bent her knees and said, ”Niang, the bed is ready. Will you be bathed with water?”
Nutmeg hung his head and did not speak.
Cong empress stares at her to see two eyes only then Chong Lanzhi a nod, ”go!”
”Yes Lanzhi bent her knees and retreated.
Queen Cong's face sank, ”what do you want to say?”
Cardamom quickly knelt down, biting his lips, or faltering, ”maidservant -- slave servant --
” if you have any words, I will forgive you for your innocence. ” Queen Cong said impatiently.
Cardamom seemed to have a little courage and said in a low voice: ”I dare not speak in a disorderly way. It's just that the eldest lady of Yongyi Marquis's house specially went to say those words on her mother's birthday. I don't know if she still remembers them?”That matter, Cong empress naturally will not forget, just looked at her coldly.
Cardamom tried to lower her body and said: ”I didn't believe it, but at today's state banquet, the second lady of Yongyi Marquis's house left the banquet for a long time. I don't know if it's a coincidence. At that time, the seventh Royal Highness just went out.”
”What?” Queen Cong suddenly changed color.
Cardamom panicked, and her voice was filled with tears, and she kowtowed: ”it's the maidservant who should die. It's not the right and wrong of the master. It's the maidservant who talks too much, and the mother forgives me!”
Empress Cong pressed her hand on the table top. Her face was so gloomy that she could almost drip water. She almost gnashed her teeth and said, ”what a strict family! Are all these shameless little bitches raised?”
She was so angry that nutmeg lowered her head and stopped talking.
Not long after that, the ancient mother came in from outside the hall. ”Niang --”
before the words fell, empress Cong just let out a roar, ”what's the matter?”
Granny Gu shuddered and quickly knelt down and said, ”it's the list of a life woman to meet tomorrow. I'll show it to her.”
According to the rules of the imperial court, a state banquet is held on New Year's Eve, and then on the early morning of the first day of the new year's day, the emperor receives officials in the former dynasty, and the empress waits for the wife in the back palace to worship.
After the emperor Cong's anger did not decrease, mother Gu presented the post with both hands. Outside, Lanzhi brought people in to send bath water.
Empress Cong was cold and forced to keep her temper from breaking out. After they finished their work, she waved and said, ”mother Gu, stay, you all go down first!”
Cardamom then as if by amnesty, quickly got up, followed Lanzhi a line to retreat out.
Queen Cong reached for the post and clapped it on the table.
Did not have the outsider, the ancient mother just bravely looked up at her, ”Niang, is what the matter?”
Empress Cong thought, her eyes dim slightly moved, and then raised her chin, ”go to check the whereabouts of yuan'er in this period of time for this palace, and see what he is doing.”
Mother Gu had doubts in her heart, but she didn't dare to ask. She just nodded and agreed.
In the next few days, the whole capital was immersed in the festive atmosphere of the new year. Yan Jinning followed Feng's mother and daughter out of the gate several times, and walked around with several families who had a good relationship with each other to pay New Year's greetings one by one. After the fifth day of the first day of the lunar new year, Yan Jinning was still alive. After that, Princess Qinghe sent a post. She went to Zhao Wangfu for a visit. When she came back that day, there was a post from the Ministry of rites, saying that the emperor ordered the prince situchen to invite the night emperor and his party to visit the hot spring palace outside the city, and gave him a grace. He ordered dozens of famous children to go with him.
”The first lady of the post has also received it. It is the grace of your majesty. It is said that more people will make it more lively.” Lingyu handed the post to Yan Jinning.
Yan Jinning took it in his hand and looked at it again and again, but with a smile of interest, ”the selected girls, including royal girls, are no more than 30 in total. I should feel flattered?”
They have a certain status in Yongyi Marquis, but on such occasions, anyone who can speak up to the palace will strive for opportunities. According to the law, it will not be her turn to come to her. Besides, they will go to two of them as soon as they go.
Lingyu is also worried, although reluctant, but also said: ”may be Nankang Princess mansion to dredge the relationship.”
During this period, Yan Jinning has been hiding from Xiao Tingyu, but taking advantage of this moment of the first month, Xiao Tingyu has repeatedly visited the door.
Yan Jinning did not speak.
Lingyu tried to say: ”in such a crowded occasion, it's easy to make right and wrong. Miss, don't you think of a way to push it?”
”Push? How to push it? ” Yan Jinning sneered and threw the post heavily on the table, ”didn't you hear that this is a special honor bestowed by your majesty? Who dares to hit him in the face? ”
She had a deep hatred for the ignorant emperor. When she spoke, the hostility was very obvious.
Lingyu had nothing to say, so she could only hang down her head.
The trip to Beijing was scheduled for the 11th day of the first month. The emperor meant to let night Qinghua go to play for a few days, and then return to Beijing before the Shangyuan Festival. On that day, there would be a royal family dinner in the palace.
Yan Jinhua's injury was not good. Only two girls from Yan's family went there. Feng arranged a large number of escorts to escort the two people.
To be sure, Yan Jinyu and Yan Jinning had to ride in the same carriage in order to make the illusion of sister harmony in front of others.
The carriages of each family gathered outside the gate of the east city and marched in the direction of the palace.
Yan Jinning and Yan Jinyu are tired of each other, so they just keep their eyes closed.
As long as Yan Jinyu saw her now, he could not hide his hatred in his eyes. He had the intention to run two sentences, but he seemed to be in a bad mood, so he gritted his teeth and held back.
The palace was away from the capital, and it was only two hours' drive by carriage. The motorcade arrived at the destination before noon.
The men got off the horse and the ladies were helped out of the car.
Before getting off the bus, Yan Jinning turned around to look at it. However, Yan Jinyu was leaning against Liu Mei's body, frowning and pale.She didn't say anything and got out of the car first.
As soon as his feet landed, Xiao Tingyu, dressed in splendid clothes, quickly turned back from the front of the team.
Yan Jinning's eyebrows were not easy to detect, slightly wrinkled, and waited for him to approach.
Xiao Tingyu walked quickly and showed a smile when he came near. He said, ”the road is bumpy. Are you ok? This time Jinhua recuperates the wound not to be able to come together, these days I am in, you have what matter, can look for me. ”
”I have nothing to do with it.” Yan Jinning was indifferent and indifferent, and his attitude was very alienated.
While speaking, Yan Jinyu also got off the carriage.