Chapter 71: Should drink

Liangguo’s Qiu Xiu was fifty miles outside the eastern outskirts of Beijing. If it was close, it was not far. Departing early in the morning when offering sacrifices to the sky, it is generally possible to rush back to the capital before dark, which does not hinder anything.
Only the winter solstice sacrifice to the sky is still a bit tormenting. If nothing else, the weather is terrible.
Everyone set off in the early morning and arrived at Xiuqiu near noon. After a little rest and filling their stomachs, the auspicious time for Sitian monitoring arrived. The emperor led the officials to the square in front of the altar, and then began to worship the sky under the auspices of Taichang Temple.
The altar is so high that only the emperor can climb to the top. In addition, the Taichang Temple Qing presided over the ceremony. The rest of the clan and officials are only under the high platform. After the ceremony began, the officials led by the emperor to worship three times and nine knocks, while the Taichang Temple Qing chanted rituals and offered sacrifices...
The whole sacrifice ceremony was long and cumbersome, lasting nearly two hours before and after. In such a cold winter wind or stand or worship for two hours, let alone some veterans who cannot bear it, even young and strong people feel almost collapsed after tossing down-every sacrifice to the sky is a toss, but such a tossing Most people are still willing, because it also represents a kind of value and recognition.
Such as Qi Yang, as a princess, she was not qualified to come to worship the sky, and there has never been a case of a princess accompanying a few days. But this time the emperor brought her and the consort, and the status of the two in the hearts of the ministers will be different.
Ke Rao knew the benefits of this trip, and the two-hour sacrifice ceremony was still enough to toss.
Lu Qipei has been following Qi Yang as a consort. Seeing Qi Yang's face flushed from the cold, he couldn't help feeling a little distressed. So when the ceremonial officer announced the end of the ceremony, she hurriedly reached out to touch Qi Yang's face and asked, "Is Aning frozen?"
When his slender fingers touched his skin, they were all chilling, and Lu Qipei realized that his hands were also cold.
She was a little at a loss, trying to withdraw her hand, but Qi Yang held her back. The little princess looked at her with a smile, and did not dislike the coldness of her hands at all, and she shook her hands as if to warm her: "It's a little cold, Ngapoi's hands are warmer."
Lu Qipei pursed his lips when he heard the words, his eyes lit up. The hands of the two were actually the same cold, but after the handshake, the body temperature of the other person felt warmer than before, so the heart warmed up with the slight temperature of the hands.
Several princes passed by the two of them, glancing with disdain, but before they could say anything, Qi Yang pulled Lu Qipei and left.
Qi Yang took her husband to meet the emperor who had just come down from the high platform. She let go of the horse and touched the emperor's hand, worrying: "It's cold today, and the children stand under the platform and the cold is not light. The wind is even stronger on the high platform. , Father, be careful, don’t catch a cold."
Someone else didn't dare to act with the emperor in this way. The eyes of the princes in the distance were wide, but the emperor was not angry because of Qi Yang's overstepping. On the contrary, he cared about his daughter quite well, and smiled on his majestic face: "Every winter solstice sacrifice is like this. Don't worry about the emperor. It's the first time you come, and you lack preparation."
When the voice fell, Zhang Jian had already passed two hand stoves from the side. The emperor personally picked it up, and handed another one to Qi Yang: "Seeing your face is red from the cold, remember to drink a bowl of soup to drive away the cold when you look back."
Qi Yang smiled and accepted the warm hand stove, nodded in response to the warning, and thanked the emperor.
Zhang Jian was quite wink by the side, and when he saw that the consort was still with him, he handed over a hand stove again. In the end, she was pushed by Qi Yang. She took her hand stove and used it with Lu Qipei. The young couple looked very close holding hands.
The emperor didn't look at him, once again he felt a toothache and stomach bloating, and he waved his hand away.
Qi Yang didn't stay long, and after a few words of concern, he also took Lu Qipei away. The two of them held the same hand stove for warmth, and they drifted away, their backs showing intimacy and sweetness.
The emperor was a little pleased that the two of them were very emotional, and when he came back to think about it, he smiled and cursed: "This girl came here specially, isn't it just to ask me for a hand stove?!" Turning his head and leaving his old father behind , Go so simply.
Zhang Jian knew that the emperor’s words were a joke, so he smiled at ease: "Your Majesty has been worrying a lot. His Majesty cares about your body before coming to ask." He paused, and said: "It must be a convenient way to ask for a hand stove."
The emperor smiled and shook his head, holding the stove and leaving.
The end of the festival was only half an afternoon. According to the usual practice, everyone took a break before returning to Beijing.
However, this time seems to be a little different. After the sacrifice to the heavens, the emperor made people boil soup and gave them to the officials to quench the cold. Later, there was no notice to leave for Beijing. When the ministers were about to rest and reorganize, they asked people to ask. Only then did they learn that the emperor had been blowing a cold wind on the altar for a long time. At the moment, he was feeling cold and uncomfortable. Therefore, I am afraid that I cannot return to Beijing today.
It's not a big deal. Although there are few people who spend the night in Yuqiu, there is also a palace near Yuqiu. The palace is not big, because the emperor rarely settled down a bit simple, but it is enough to place these clan courtiers.
The ministers followed the emperor to the palace, and they were quickly settled, but there were also doubts in their hearts.
"I saw that my father was well before, so why did he suddenly catch a cold and feel unwell?" The princes were especially puzzled. Obviously before the emperor had performed a filial piety with Qi Yang under the altar, looking at the spirited appearance at that time, how could he fall ill now? !
Seeing the emperor to no avail, everyone's doubts can only be suppressed.
Qi Yang took another sip of the soup: "Sure enough, the winter solstice festival is still too cold. Drink more soup to keep away the cold." After she finished speaking, she brought the bowl to Lu Qipei's lips and coaxed: "This bowl tastes good. , Ngapoi drink more too."
Lu Qipei disliked it and wanted to avoid it. She didn't like and garlic very much, and she couldn't drink soup. Qi Yang had been forced to drink a bowl before, and he was sweating away from the cold, but now Qi Yang drinks soup as tea, she really can't afford it.
It's a pity that before Lu Qipei escaped, the soup bowl was already on her lips. Reluctantly took a sip, the taste is indeed different. Sugar is added to this bowl, it is spicy and sweet, and there is no taste, but it is not as exciting as before.
Qi Yang looked at Lu Qipei’s disgusting face and wanted to laugh. Lu Qipei was helpless to her, so he turned the topic off: "Your Majesty has a cold and is unwell, why don't Your Majesty look over now?"
Speaking of this, Qi Yang was rather indifferent: "Father is okay, why am I going to make fun of it?"
When the news came out, Qi Yang was still a little surprised and worried, but when she was in the palace, all of her worries were let go. There is no other reason. The preparations for this perennially uninhabited palace are too perfect. Not only has the residence of your majesty been arranged, but even the officials have been properly placed. Such an arrangement can't be done in a moment, because there are few people in the palace, and I'm afraid that temporary sweeping will not be enough.
Since the emperor had made arrangements, catching cold and discomfort was naturally an excuse. And she had already met the emperor before, so if you don't go to the emperor at this time, you won't feel that she is filial and negligent.
The fact is as Qi Yang expected, the emperor left his own ulterior motives, but was impatient to pretend to be sick. Several princes and important officials asked to see him, but at last the important officials retreated. The princes stood by the door to show their filial piety, and he was not half moved.
In the evening, Qi Yang was rewarded by the emperor for a table of wine and food.
A mutton hot pot, a few side dishes that are hard to see in winter, and a small pot of royal wine.
They are not precious foods, but they are just suitable for enjoying the winter solstice.
Qi Yang stared at the warm pot for a while, and couldn't help sighing: "Today's winter solstice, my father must be lonely to eat alone. If it weren't for a few emperors to block the door, you and I accompany him to eat this warm pot, he must be happy ."
In the past, when the prince was in Beijing, the brothers and sisters had to go to the Xuanshi Hall to accompany the emperor during the holidays. Even though the prince is already married and has a wife and children, he has never been alienated from the emperor because of his small family. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that the emperor never suppressed his fear in the face of a young and powerful prince, and had more to maintain his balance.
Qi Yang said with some emotion, but Lu Qipei's heart was a little bit slanderous—seeing how the emperor drove her away today, it seemed that he didn't want to eat with them. Qi Yang went alone.
But then again, those princes are really pitiful in comparison, and they don't feel like their own...
However, when it comes to the fact that the newly married Yaner can be alone with his own husband and wife, Qi Yang is not so eager to be with his old father. With only a few words of emotion, Qi Yang happily pulled Lu Qipei to his seat.
Glancing at the hip flask, Qi Yang was a little moved, but thinking about the reason that the emperor stayed in the palace on purpose today, he was afraid of drinking alcohol. In the end, she could only regretfully put away the unopened pot of royal wine: "I don't know what happened in the past two days, so I won't drink this wine for now, save it for the next time."
Lu Qipei didn't quite understand Qi Yang's regrets. Should the princess also lack a pot of royal bar? But she didn't ask much, nodded cleverly, but said: "Your Majesty and everyone are in the palace. If there is a change, you should be in Beijing."
The emperor had his own plan and would not easily put himself in danger. What's more, he even took Qi Yang with him on this trip, obviously not to drag her into a dangerous situation deliberately, but rather to look after her nearby. So even if something happens, it will not be the palace side, but the capital of the emperor and important officials. I wonder if it can be as peaceful as before?
Qi Yang naturally thought of the key and some doubts, but at this time he didn't want to talk more. She raised her chopsticks and put a piece of mutton into Lu Qipei's bowl, and said with a smile: "Lamb is warm in nature, and it is often eaten to keep out the cold in the winter solstice. You can also taste the craftsmanship of the royal kitchen."
Of course, Lu Qipei did not refuse, and after using it, he and Qiyang served together, and the two took good care of each other.
Eating a hot pot in winter is already hot, not to mention the charcoal fire in the room is full of warmth.
In a moment, fine sweat broke out on their foreheads.
Qi Yang took a sip of tea, then turned to look at Lu Qipei. I saw that her jade-like face was dyed with light scarlet at the moment, adding a three-point color under the swaying lights, which reminded her of the appearance of her once drunk...
In fact, it's time to take out the pot of royal wine and drink it.