Jingming

Chapter 151 The Emperor's Spring Festival

On the first day of the first year of Jiajing, there was a grand court meeting.

And at five watch, the sound of firecrackers woke up Zhu Houcong and Lin Qingping.

Sister Lin was a little flustered.

The dragon couch is not wide, and the two are squeezed together.

Zhu Houcong looked at her with a smile and asked, "If you're still in pain, just take a rest."

Lin Qingping gritted her teeth and shook her head: "Servant..."

"Ok?"

"...The concubine still has to serve His Majesty to prepare for the court meeting." Lin Qingping blushed, and sweetness brewed in her heart.

Although he was so much younger than her, but after serving by her side for so long since entering Beijing, she had already gotten used to the natural calmness of the emperor, and always felt that he had more experience than her own.

This is a very strange feeling, not only the little girl's embarrassment when facing an elder, but also feeling his youthful vigor.

Only then did Zhu Houcong move closer, and he was a little bit tongue-in-cheek.

After working so hard for state affairs for so long, I finally tasted the joy of the emperor's forbidden palace for the first time in the Spring Festival.

What kind of love are you talking about?He is the only one in the harem.

Furthermore, with the honor of the emperor, it is indeed what one can ask for.

It's just that although my sister is familiar, she is still a little tighter.As it is physically, so it is mentally.

It can only be said that there is no interest in the defense of etiquette since childhood.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Hearing three faint sounds in front of the main hall door, Zhu Houcong asked suspiciously, "What sound?"

"...It's a thousand pieces of gold." Lin Qingping explained in a low voice, "The door latch fell into the gold paper of firecrackers.

Zhu Houcong could not help but smile.

Since it is going to the court meeting, it is naturally grand to wear it.

After Zhu Houcong was dressed, he said to Lin Qingping: "You also dress better and change your hair bun. When I come back from the court meeting, you will go with me to pay New Year's greetings to my mother. After the wedding, we will be canonized together, and we will be wronged for a while. "

"...The concubine thanked His Majesty for your kindness."

What an honor is this?Now the emperor has no concubines or heirs, so there is no need to accept concubines and princes and grandchildren to salute on the first day of the new year.

But today, this special New Year's Day, there will still be this link?
Before she could think too much, when she saw the emperor and her coming out, Huang Jin had already knelt down with a smile on her face: "I wish your majesty a happy new year! I wish your majesty a long life, peace in the world, and praises from all people. I also wish your majesty a New Year greeting! Huarong will stay forever, and the dragon will be born early."

"Listen to the root of the wall, you." Zhu Houcong scolded with a smile, "I'll reward you when I come back. Let's go to worship and go to the court first. Have you prepared the steamed buns from the previous few days?"

Lin Qingping hadn't adapted to the change of identity yet. Hearing Huang Jin's New Year's greetings and thinking about what this guy heard in his ears last night, she felt hot again.

Huang Jin said with a red face: "Go back to Your Majesty, everything is ready."

Zhu Houcong nodded: "Let's go, you can go to sleep after receiving the reward when you come back. But if you think about it, you won't be able to rest for a while, regardless of the congratulations and banquets, someone in the palace will give you New Year's greetings, right?"

"Changing Yuan today, the slaves are happy and not sleepy."

The standard of the Great Chaohui is a little higher than that of the Synodic Chaohui in ordinary months, or only the Chaohui on Zhengdan, Winter Solstice and Longevity Day are called Dachaohui.

That is to say, on the first day of the first lunar month, the first thing the officials in the capital do is not to pay New Year greetings at home, but to kowtow and congratulate the emperor.Outside the capital, there are also rituals of remote worship.

Heaven and earth are kings, relatives and teachers, after heaven and earth, the emperor is first.

The world is the emperor's business.Before the great court meeting, the emperor had to go to the Taimiao to worship his ancestors and heaven and earth.

During the Great Court Meeting, in addition to courtiers and relatives, foreign envoys also participated.And the married woman will enter the palace to congratulate the empress dowager, empress dowager, and empress.

After the Great Court Meeting, there will be a banquet.

Yesterday Zhu Houcong felt relaxed and happy by himself, while many eunuchs, maids of honor and officials who needed to organize the Great Court Meeting were not allowed to rest: after all, this was the first Great Court Meeting in the first year of Jiajing.

As for the steamed buns mentioned by Zhu Houcong, they are an important part of the banquet on the Zhengdan Festival.

Mantou, the original name is said to be "mantou".

Zhu Houcong also heard from them that there was an ancient book in the Song Dynasty, which recorded: Zhuge Wuhou conquered Menghuo, and people said: "There are many sorcerers in the barbaric land, you must pray to God, and the fake Yin soldiers will help them."However, barbarians must kill people, and sacrifice their heads to them, and the gods will go to them, which is also a way to send troops. ” Wuhou refused, because he used the meat of mutton and hog, and wrapped it with noodles, like a human head, and used it as a shrine.The gods also went to Yan, and sent troops for it.Later generations thus became steamed buns.

Therefore, steamed buns, as "a must-have for offering sacrifices to gods", are quite sacred.After the court meeting, a banquet was given, and the emperor also ate some steamed buns symbolically.The excess can be rewarded to the ministers, symbolizing glory.

Wrapped in yellow cloth.

After this "steamed bun" is invited home, it has to be offered in a prominent place at home.

Zhu Houcong expressed that he was very shocked, but let's travel as the Romans do.

After the tedious etiquette of the court meeting, when Zhu Houcong returned to Qianqing Palace, Lin Qingping had already put on a festive outfit and changed her hair bun.

According to palace rules, there is no regulation on the color of the clothes of the palace maids.Although Zhu Yuanzhang stipulated that court ladies should wear purple clothes with regimental collars, narrow sleeves, and embroidered sunflowers with folded branches, it was not so strict afterwards.

But at this time, cross-collared short jackets and horse-faced skirts were the general configuration, and female officials also wore black gauze hats, which were different from the exquisite and complicated headdresses of real harem concubines.

Now, although Lin Qingping is still wearing her usual clothes, although she has chosen clothes with a little more color and more exquisite embroidery, her hair is combed in a bun that symbolizes being married.The so-called bun is to wear a hair net made of various materials after the hair is tied up, and it is convenient to wear a hat or decorate other jewelry outside.

At this time, Lin Qingping was just a simple silver hairnet.

Huang Jin has already brought a plate with a very knowing look: "Your Majesty, although the title is not yet determined, if you are going to visit the Queen Mother, you should be more solemn. The slaves have also prepared the Di clothes."

So even with Lin Qingping's understanding of Huang Jin in the past, she couldn't help but look at him more now, with gratitude in her eyes.

On the plate is a piece of Zhai clothing.

The grade of Zhai clothes is determined according to the number of long-tailed mountain pheasants embroidered on it.Two are a pair, the queen is twelve rows, and each row is twelve pairs.

Of the plates Huang Jin was holding, this Zhai garment was naturally the lowest.

According to the rules of the Daming Palace, all the women in the palace who are famous for the emperor are married women.

But not every concubine can wear Zhai clothes as her dress.

So far, in addition to the queen, there are various titles such as imperial concubine, concubine, Zhaorong, nobleman, etc. in the imperial palace, and the women behind the concubine have titles but no canonization ceremony.

Among them, Xuanzong did not have a noble concubine before, and the queen was a concubine.

Regarding the ranks of the harem, Zhu Houcong didn't quite understand the difference between their treasures, titles, and titles, but Lin Qingping knew that to be able to wear Diyi, at least they had to be canonized.

So there is nothing wrong with the lowest level, after all, it has not yet been canonized, and it will be changed after His Majesty decides in the future, right?There is no shortage of clothes in the palace.

After listening to his introduction, Zhu Houcong smiled and patted him on the shoulder: "Okay, you are so smart, go and get some more jewelry."

So after changing into her regular clothes and waiting for Lin Qingping to come out, she looked more graceful and luxurious in front of her eyes, but Zhu Houcong felt that the dress was a bit strange—why was there a pheasant embroidered on the dress?
"...Your Majesty, my concubines wish Your Majesty a blessed life without bounds, peace in the world, and respect from all peoples."

Lin Qingping also knowingly made the only Chinese New Year congratulations. After next year, a group of concubines will be congratulating him.

"Get up..." Seeing her so solemn, Zhu Houcong remembered something, "At this time, the foreign-born woman is still in the Renshou Palace and Qingning Palace. After leaving the palace."

"...The concubine obeys the order."

Zhu Houcong didn't care what she was thinking: "Before the canonization ceremony, you are still living in the Qianqing Palace, and we will arrange it in the future."

Lin Qingping was overjoyed again, and agreed.

Seeing Huang Jin turning her head and winking at her when leaving with His Majesty, Lin Qingping stopped thinking about it.

Your Majesty is very considerate, she dresses so solemnly to visit the Empress Dowager, won't the wives spread the word to the capital immediately after seeing her?The most important thing is for His Majesty to accept her congratulations.

Although I never thought about the status after "teaching" His Majesty, but last night I heard that His Majesty seemed to have other plans, which was a turning point in Lin Qingping's fate.

Feng Fengyi had been living in Qianqing Palace before... The possibility of her giving birth to the eldest son of the emperor is much higher than others.

But she became worried again: Your Majesty is planning so that the eldest son will not come out of the middle palace, so don't you really need to worry about future disputes?

……

The emperor's Spring Festival had too much etiquette work, and some of the steamed buns were distributed to the ministers of national policy, Guo Xun, Xia Yan and other officials who "worked well" last year, not all of them.

In the next few days, people of various identities will meet and give banquets.

For Zhu Houcong, the very special thing is that every time he passes through a gate of the palace, he must light firecrackers.

Lively is lively enough.

In the relaxed Spring Festival life, Lin Qingping, who is already in her twenties, has a ruddy complexion visible to the naked eye.

The Empress Dowager Jiang already knew about her, but when the Sun Wang family brought Sun Ming to meet alone on the fifth day of the fifth day, the Empress Dowager Jiang still smiled and called her son, who did not have to deal with state affairs, as if nothing had happened.

This was the first time Zhu Houcong saw Sun Ming with his own eyes.

His stature is surprisingly slender. I heard that he is one year younger than him, but he is almost... over 1.6 meters, right?In this day and age, it's tall.

But it looks really thin.The clothes are loose, and she can't see anything else, but she lowered her head awkwardly, her quiet and bookish look is obvious.

Sun Wang hurriedly took her to meet Zhu Houcong.

The emperor is the emperor, and the mother-in-law has to salute when she sees it, not to mention that there is no official wedding yet?

Zhu Houcong asked them to get up very affectionately, and then said: "Father never forgets it when he was alive. When I see you today, I can comfort my father, and I like it very much. You don't have to be so restrained. I will call you Ming'er. Although I already have parents The fate of the matchmaker and the words of the matchmaker also determine the person, but you still have to see that I like it. If you hadn’t had this fate in the hidden mansion, you would not be able to see each other before the big wedding now. You secretly peeped at me No?"

The 15-year-old Sun Ming was completely at a loss for a real girl in a boudoir. After hearing Zhu Houcong’s words, she hid half of her body behind Sun Wang’s with blushing cheeks and replied in a low voice: "...Minister...have a bold look at it. It's..."

Zhu Houcong laughed, is this called bold?

She has no status herself, so it's okay to call herself a civilian girl.

It was also the first time that Sun Wang saw the emperor himself, and at this moment, he only felt that he was generous, especially heroic.

"Before Ming'er entered the palace, I was afraid that this would be against etiquette. Now hearing what His Majesty said, my wife is no longer afraid. Ming'er, stand aside..."

Sun Ming was pulled by her sleeves, lowered her head and moved two steps to the side, then finally raised her head and took a bold look at Zhu Houcong.

This time he was as startled as a deer, and then quickly lowered his head, his face turned even redder.

Zhu Houcong glanced at her in shock, only feeling that her eyes were very clear.

Looking at her posture again, I thought to myself: In Daming, where the etiquette system has stricter and stricter requirements on women, the daughter of a high-ranking minister like Sun Ming probably has this kind of personality, right?
Or at least that's how it was when we first came into contact.

I heard from Empress Dowager Jiang that this queen-to-be usually stays at home at home, and her daily pastime is nothing more than playing the piano and painting, reading poems or playing chess with her father and elder brother.

Typical ladies.

"I grew up with my sisters and sisters, but usually I only talk to Huang Ban and a baby brother. Now that Huang Ban is still with me, Lu Bingzhen sent him to learn his skills. After becoming emperor, the state affairs are complicated. Huang Ban has become a big lady in the palace, and I can't say anything like I used to." Zhu Houcong looked at Sun Ming who was probably pinching his fingers in his sleeves unscrupulously, "Discussing state affairs with elders and ministers all day long, I often forget that I am still young. Ming'er can enter the palace from time to time, and besides learning palace rules and etiquette, I also want to meet and talk to you more often."

"...The daughter of the people complies with the order."

"Mother, you are all watching here, it seems a bit too solemn. Where are Qingyuan and Qingyi? The four of us are playing leaf games together, and I will go to court again tomorrow."

Sun Mingdun was terrified: Why do you have to play cards when you meet for the first time?She only knows this leaf play, but she doesn't play it very much!

Sun Wang didn't care so much, she kept releasing encouraging eyes.

After her daughter followed the emperor to the apse where the two eldest princesses lived, Sun Wang smiled and asked Queen Mother Jiang: "It turns out that Your Majesty also likes Ye Zixi..."

Empress Dowager Jiang was full of doubts: "I haven't seen the emperor's play with leaves..."

She didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in her son's gourd, and she was bored sitting here: "Let's go and see together."

So when he got there, Sun Ming felt relieved when he saw his mother was there.

Zhu Houcong was indeed just playing relaxedly.

Among the four young people, perhaps only Sun Ming has a string in his heart.

But after playing game after game, listening to the dispute between the emperor and the two eldest princesses, Sun Ming watched him more and more, feeling a little more in his heart that "he is also a man of flesh and blood".

At least not like the majestic and intelligent emperor that my father said.

When the emperor watched her with a smile and waited for her to play a card, Sun Ming finally pursed his lips and smiled slightly infected by his smile.

Do you want to get close to him first?With this smile, she also had a clear face in her heart.

And after she and her mother left the palace before nightfall, she heard her mother sigh again: "Ming'er, although the marriage has been decided before we meet, your majesty wants to get closer to you. In the future, you and your majesty will be more in the harem Some friendship. Even if you marry into another family, you will probably be like a mother, and you will know what your father looks like only after you get married."

Sun Ming recalled the emperor's openness and kindness, and felt a little more lucky in his heart.

In the palace, Empress Dowager Jiang was asking Zhu Houcong suspiciously: "My lord, when did you like Ye Zixi?"

"You can't just come and see her and leave? What if you misunderstand that your son doesn't like her? Besides, your son also needs to change his mind. He thinks too much about state affairs, and sometimes he can't help but want to do something."

Empress Dowager Jiang pulled him over and asked again in a low voice: "Tell the truth to Empress Mother. Since she proposed marriage to Mr. Sun Ge and has not yet married, if Qingping is pregnant first..."

Zhu Houcong replied calmly: "The son has been on the throne for more than eight months, and he has been very restrained in female sex. Since the Xiao Temple, the royal heirs have been in hardship. If a prince is born, it is really a blessing for the country. From ancient times to the present, it is common for the eldest son of the emperor to be born out of line. Don't worry."

Empress Dowager Jiang sighed slightly: "Mr. Zhongde is gone, I thought the emperor wanted to rely heavily on Elder Sun Ge..."

Zhu Houcong shook his head: "What my son has done in the past few months is not in vain. Now, how can the son rely on which ministers? The son wants to hire the daughter of Mr. Sun Ge as his queen, and he is lucky enough to have Qingping. There is indeed a plan. This plan is related to the great plan of the dynasty, and in the future, the empress will understand."

After he finished speaking, he smiled and said: "Besides, the number of concubines selected to enter the palace this time is probably only around fifteen. My son wants to stabilize the country as soon as possible, so how can he be too scruples? Qingping is very good."

Empress Dowager Jiang had a weird face.

You're very nice, don't you mean anything else?

How do you know so much at your age?
Could it be that Qingping had other ideas, and taught her that older people are better at giving birth?
After nightfall, if Lin Qingping knew that the Queen Mother was thinking about her in this way, she would definitely be wronged.

Where does he need someone to teach?
The servant who serves the Queen Mother to learn your Yizhi even a little bit is not as good as he is!
But Lin Qingping also thinks that the emperor is very good.

She has lived in the palace for more than twenty years without thinking about it, and she has only known what it is like to be a woman in the past few days.

I don't know if it's because His Majesty is running, or because he is too vigorous now.

Sometimes it feels like dying.

——Zhu Houcong spent his first "Spring Festival" as emperor in such a relaxed and refreshing manner.

(End of this chapter)