Chapter 5: The gate of the palace is as deep as the sea (2)

"Go and inquire." I waved, feeling a little sad. I used to be at home, listening to the talks of my father and brothers, I could still know something about the outside world, but now I entered the palace, but it became more and more closed. Today, the fate of his own family is the only concern.
After a while, Haoyue came back: "Miss, I have asked, it was the second young master who triumphed."
I stood up abruptly: "Second brother is back?" A smile appeared on my face, but tears slipped by.
"Niangniang, Director Zhang is here." I was sitting at the mahogany round table tasting Haoyue's newly made sweet-scented osmanthus cake, Yumei ran in in a panic.
Haoyue on the side shouted: "What are you panicking, there are no rules like this."
I smiled carelessly: "Which Chief Zhang?"
"Hui Niangniang is the maid-in-chief next to the emperor." Yumei replied calmly.
"I see, let's go on." I drank a sip of tea and said to Haoyue without rushing: "Haoyue, this oolong should start from the second one, and discard the first one, remember next time. "
"Miss, you never drink oolong at home." Haoyue hurriedly ordered.
"In the palace, it can't be compared with home. However, this oolong is getting more and more fragrant. You should first go and see what's going on with Director Zhang."
After a while, Haoyue held a red lacquer plate in her hand, covered with bright yellow silk, and Yumei also had the same one in her hand behind her. Haoyue said with joy: "Miss, the emperor invites the young lady to come to tonight's banquet."
I stepped forward and uncovered the yellow silk scarf on the tray in Haoyue's hand. It was a set of exquisitely crafted dresses. Haoyue shook aside gently. On the vermilion silk base, the pattern of a hundred birds facing the phoenix was embroidered with gold and silver threads, and various pearls and gems were inlaid in it to make the eyes of a hundred birds.
"It's so beautiful, so beautiful!" Haoyue kept admiring her.
I didn’t speak, I walked to Yumei’s side, and uncovered the silk scarf on the tray in her hand. In an instant, golden light shone in front of my eyes—a phoenix crown, and a golden phoenix bird with an emerald pearl in its mouth, hanging down Three strands of gold silk tape, with rubies on the bottom. The wings of the phoenix bird are full of strings of pearls. In the plate, there are also exquisite ornaments such as tin flowers and golden hairpins.
I can imagine the effect of wearing this outfit, but why is this thing that should belong to me only now?
If today's dinner is not to celebrate the triumph of the second brother, I am afraid I will never see it in my life! I picked up a gold hairpin and compared it on my head. The delicate magnolia carvings matched my shirt with a pale blue embroidered Viola.
I looked in the mirror and put the golden hairpin back on the plate.
"Miss, I will help you dress it?" Haoyue's eyes flashed: "Miss must be more beautiful than those imperial concubines in it."
I shook my head: "Haoyue, you went back to Director Zhang, and said that I was caught in the rain today and felt a little fever, so I can't go. Ask him to report it to the emperor and forgive me for breaking the decree."
"Why Miss?" Haoyue exclaimed: "Don't say anything else, today is a banquet specially set up for the second son triumphantly. The master and the older son will definitely come, the rare opportunity to meet." Haoyue was a little anxious.
"I promised the emperor." I closed my eyes: "You should keep this promise. Go ahead."
Haoyue bit her lip or walked out with Yumei. In fact, I don't want to see my father and elder brother in my heart, but since I have promised him "no contact with anyone", I can't break my promise. What's more, I know that from the bottom of his heart he doesn't want me to go, so why should I bother.
After a while, Haoyue came back, still with that plate in her hand.
"Didn't you let you go back to Director Zhang?" I glanced at it and said with a bit of displeasure.
"Manager Zhang said that the emperor has already ordered that if the lady doesn't go, the clothes and jewelry will be given to the lady." Haoyue said softly.
"Then put it away." I sat back at the table and told Huiju, "Take tea."
Early the next morning, I was changing clothes under the service of Ziying, Xiao Luzi hurriedly ran to announce with joy: "Niang, the emperor is coming up, we are almost at the gate of the palace."
Ziying's hand trembled, and the brocade in that hand shed a soft light.
"Mother, do you want the slave and maidservant to get you a palace outfit again?"
I turned sideways and looked at myself in the mirror. I was dressed in a simple homely dress, with only a gold hairpin stuck in my head. It was not as good as what I was wearing in Ling Mansion.
"Niang Niang." Ziying didn't wait for my answer, so she brought a silk brocade dress of cherry powder, while Hui Ju was busy finding matching jewelry.
I smiled and asked, "What are you up to?" I picked up the silk kerchief on the table: "Haoyue, did everything I told you last night have been done?"
"Miss, don't worry, your piano has been taken to the Yanbo Pavilion on the Jiuqu Promenade." Haoyue smiled and picked up the Yuebai cloak and put it on me: "It's cool in the morning, Miss, be careful." I smiled and fastened it myself. , Walked out in Ziying's surprised eyes.
"Niangniang!" Ziying suddenly walked in front of me: "The emperor is coming, why are Niangniang going out?"
I waved my hand and turned my head to ask her: "Zi Ying, why did the emperor come to Kunning Palace? I can't think of a reason. So..."
I chuckled lightly, looking at the dejected Xiao Luzi who was coming here.
"The emperor is just passing by, he will not come in." I said with a smile.
"Niang, the emperor just took a look and left." Xiao Luzi came in and knelt and said weakly, "The slave is damned, it's a false report."
I asked Haoyue to help him up and said: "I have expected it. However, I don't expect the emperor to come up." After finishing speaking, I walked out of the palace gate.
He came here and took a look, why? Is it because I didn't go to the banquet on an order last night? However, I expected that he would not let me go. He shook his head gently, and a small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. I don't want to, I don't want to.
The Jiuqu promenade was built by the first emperor for his beloved concubine Quan Guifei. At the end is Yanbo Pavilion. The promenade is next to West Lake. The water of West Lake is drawn from the Feilong Pond in front. Lotuses are planted all over the lake. It is a superb view on earth. It is said that the Emperor Xian liked to come here to enjoy lotus with the concubine Quan. But after giving birth to the four princes, the imperial concubine Quan gave up and went west, and the first emperor would never come here again. After the first emperor passed away and the new emperor succeeded to the throne, the magnificent Qifeng Terrace was built on the Feilong Pond. From now on, the Jiuqu promenade will be even less visited. After all, here is located in the depths of the imperial garden. will come.
Today's imperial concubines like to go to Qifeng Terrace, where you can often see the emperor. Gradually, almost no one cleaned the Jiuqu Promenade, and the fallen leaves and flowers were desolate, very cool. Therefore, I chose to play the piano here.
I don't want to break my promise to him, but the small pond behind Kunning Palace really makes me unable to play a higher tune. No one is here, and the scenery is just what I want.
Sitting in the Yanbo Pavilion, I looked at the sparkling blue waves of West Lake and sighed softly.
Haoyue on the side hurriedly stepped forward: "Miss, isn't something bad? I have told Xiao Xizi and Xiao Fuzi to clean them up, but it takes a lot of work to clean them all down."
"No, Haoyue, I just sighed that such a beautiful place was forgotten, or avoided deliberately, how sad and sad it is."
I gently put my hand on the white jade railing, closed my eyes, and let the wind blow my hair, imagining the grand scene here - it must be surrounded by clothes and clouds, a scene of singing and dancing. Only now, because of the departure of a favorite concubine, and because of the indifference of a new emperor, he was ruthlessly forgotten. Some are like myself. After completing the so-called mission, it is forgotten by everyone.
I smiled lightly, turned back to Tingxin, and played a piece of "Xizhou Ferry". Haoyue burned the faint sandalwood, and I was immersed in the sadness of Xizhoudu.
"Miss." It was Haoyue's voice. I raised my head, but my hand did not stop.
"Ms. Isn't she happy?" Haoyue's face was worried.
I responded with a relieved smile: "No. Don't think too much about it." Looking back, continue playing.
After a long time, I played it many times, until I felt a little tired, so I asked Xiaofuzi Xiaoxizi to carry the Qin back to Kunning Palace, leaving Haoyue and Xinlan, and sitting with me in the Yanbo Pavilion to talk Homely, listen to them talk about some interesting anecdotes in the palace.
"Now the favorite in the palace is Concubine Liu." Seeing that I didn't care, Xinlan dared to say something she knew, "I heard that the emperor will only need her to attend bedtime for half a month. It’s an honor."
"Really? That must be a beauty." Haoyue said in surprise.
"The emperor said that she is a weak willow helping the wind. But I haven't seen it before." Xinlan sighed, "I heard that this concubine Liu is the daughter of Master Liu, the servant of Zhongshu."
I opened the mouth and said: "When she didn't enter the palace, she was already famous. I heard that there were no less than a hundred people who raised relatives to Da Liu." I smiled, surprised how I would talk about these mundane things.
"Really? Miss, what you said, I seem to have heard the girls in the mansion talk about it." Haoyue thought for a while, and said: "I also heard that Concubine Liu has made a great poem. Talented girl."
"No wonder the emperor likes her." Xin Lan also nodded, "But Niang Niang, Xin Lan still feels that no matter how beautiful and talented this Concubine Liu is, she must not be as good as yours."
I laughed and didn't speak.
"That's right, miss, who can be better than you? Your literary talent is the best in the world." Haoyue said.
I looked at her, sinking my face and said, "You can't say that, Haoyue."
"Why can't it?" Haoyue asked back, "Miss. Your literary talents even admire the eldest son and the third son, they are all the champions of the gold list."
"That's because my brothers are self-effacing." I finished hurriedly, not wanting to be entangled here, stood up, "Go back. It's almost noon, maybe someone will come, it would be bad to be seen."
Xinlan stepped forward to help me smooth the wrinkles in my dress. Haoyue stretched her hand into her pocket to get something, and suddenly yelled "Yeah".
"What's wrong? What a fuss." I asked back.
"Miss, the Xue Tao signature you wrote yesterday is missing." Haoyue's expression was a little panicked.
"Didn't you put it away?" I looked at her calmly.
"Yesterday I was busy dealing with Huang Jing. There was another imperial decree in the evening, and I put it in my pocket in a mess, but now it's gone." Haoyue hurriedly cried.
"If you lose it, you can lose it, but it's okay to sign a poem one by one, and there is no disrespect, it's okay." I recalled that poem, and there was nothing wrong with it, so I took Haoyue's hand: "Quickly Let's go back."
"But miss..." Haoyue had something else to say, I smiled and motioned that she didn't need to say anything.
However, there was some faint anxiety in my heart, and there was no reason for it.