box of hearts

Chapter 186
Indeed, it was uncomfortable for a man—especially a man like him—to live by his hands, but it would make his heart feel comfortable to guard for her.In the conflict between body and mind, for Qi She, there is always no suspense about the winner.

His eyes fell on the small purse that had just been left on the bed, it was embroidered with brocade, and it was embroidered with Bingdi lotus, and the gold tassels were dotted with dense beads.He picked it up and put it in front of his nose to inhale, and he was instantly fascinated by it.This is the smell of Qingtian, or rather, it resembles her smell very much.It is the sweetness of Susu mixed with the hair oil, gouache, floral water, and incense that she uses on a daily basis. The only thing missing is the mysterious aroma from her own skin. The difference between them is like a vivid portraits and living beings themselves.But these are enough for a lovesicker who looks forward to plum blossoms and quenches his thirst.

Qi She extinguished a few sticks of wax in front of the bed by herself, and lay down alone.Before falling asleep, the smile was still on the corner of his mouth.In the wide bed, his longing stretched farther and farther than his empty arms. He embraced his lover from thousands of rivers and mountains, caressed her shattered hair, and fell asleep together.

As for Zhou Dun, who was serving the night outside, he had been snoring a long time ago. He didn't know what method Madam Duan used to make the prince shut up in the room alone, laughing like ghosts, but he knew that there was someone who could make the master so happy, this slave The never-ending care can also temporarily take a nap in a peaceful sleep.

11.
The second day is the second Mid-Autumn Festival in leap August.The Prince Regent’s Mansion, where festivals are banned due to the death of the princess, is still quiet, but the Forbidden City is full of excitement. Just like this day last month, relatives and nobles enter the palace to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival together, and the long opera banquet lasts from sunrise to sunset .

When the banquet was over, the princes, noble relatives, princesses, sons-in-law... who came from all sides of the capital dispersed through the Donghua Gate and Xihua Gate respectively, and poured generous alms from the sedan chairs to the large number of beggars guarding outside the palace gate.The empress dowagers of the two palaces, the concubine of the former dynasty and other harem women and the emperor himself will continue to hold family banquets in the inner court, but before that, there is another extremely important ceremony: worshiping the moon.

The location of the ceremony was in the Imperial Garden. On a long altar table surrounded by a big red table, there were stacks of prison utensils, wine, meat and fruits, and joss stick paper horses. Behind it was a high archway made of colored lights and flowers.The afterglow of the colorful clouds in the western sky has not faded away, while the east is already a gloomy dark blue. A large plate of shining white full moon is rising, shining on the archway with a few famous white chrysanthemums such as snow under the moon and white chrysanthemums. Character.Under the archway, a large censer burned a whole piece of pine knots, and the band played carols.Cigarettes were wrapped around, music was played, and the master of ceremonies began to read the form.After reading, the scroll was put into the box and placed on the altar.Hundreds of eunuchs holding red lanterns sang in harmony. In the center, the Eastern Empress Dowager Wang, Western Empress Xi He and Emperor Qi Hong bowed to the moon and offered fragrant flowers.Afterwards, the old concubine and the female officials followed suit.After the eunuchs finished their chants, some of the offerings on the table were pulled out, and put into the incense burner together with the previous inscriptions, and two altars of wine were poured on them and burned.

The flames rushed out blazingly, several feet high from the mouth of the tripod.The ones closest to the cauldron are still Wang, Xihe and Qi Hong. Both women are in full makeup, and the open-carved golden phoenix on their heads is covered with precious stones and pearls. The dragon robe worn by Qi Hong is full of twelve chapter patterns. Made of peacock feather silk tapestry, these already beautiful costumes burst out dazzling chaotic light under the flames, making the rigid human faces around them look like ghosts.

In the meantime, the noble and mean face of the Eastern Empress Dowager Wang drifted to the right in the flickering halo, her lips barely moved, but her voice came out clearly: "The year when the late emperor passed away. It was a leap year, and that year was the second month of leap, I remember that there were two dragons raised their heads in the palace, Qin Tianjian said that it was a bad year, and it really did."

The Empress Dowager Xihe of the West Palace next to her turned her ears an inch to this side, and her two ring-covered hands clasped in front of her body, holding a bright yellow handkerchief embroidered with double dragons.

Wang-shi tilted her head again, and the strands of beads hanging down distractedly fluttered in front of her eyebrows, "This year's leap is in August, so it's not auspicious, especially if you are in conflict with the dragon."

Hearing this, Xihe knew where the other party was going to lead the topic, but she only showed her expression, her blood red heart was completely covered under the thick white powder on her face. "However, it seems that no one in the palace belongs to Xiaolong."

The nose wing on the right twitched slightly, showing Wang's usual unremarkable sarcasm expression, "My sister forgot, the third master belongs to Xiaolong. Look at him, isn't everything going wrong this year? He's depressed too. At least, I didn't even attend the Mid-Autumn Festival banquets in the palace these two times."

"In the midst of mourning, do not enter the inner court. What's more, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival of reunion. The prince has lost his concubine. He is afraid that the situation will make him fall in love. It is common sense not to come."

"It's true to touch the scenery, but it's not for the princess. Didn't my sister hear it? The third master didn't go north to escape the summer heat when he left Beijing at the end of May, but went south to Yangzhou to see that 'Mrs. Alas, back then, Emperor Gaozu almost abolished Empress Xiaoci because of a concubine of humble origin. The two brothers Taizu and Taizong turned against each other because of a Tatar princess. After losing the position of the third master's crown prince, and then thinking about the former emperor, he died on the body of that foxy concubine Shu. If you want to talk about the Qi family, they are all passionate seeds!"

Wang's voice was very low and thin, and the whole sentence was breathed out, but Xihe felt as if a thousand big hammers were beating on the heart and lungs.Although she had already known about Qi She's absence during these two grand reunion banquets, she still couldn't control her eyes from secretly looking at his empty box next to the stage, and even sent someone to his mansion to send a message of comfort: " Please, Third Master, mourn and obey."——Bah!She recalled all the excuses Qi She used to prevaricate herself from the beginning to the present, such as being busy, being famous, and being sad, but she clearly couldn't be busy, not famous, and sad, and no excuses could stop another woman. he.She had long since given up on him and had given up completely, but there was still something else alive, and there must be something that made her belly burn with burning flames every time she heard his name, like The huge furnace in front of him was greedy and turned everything into ashes.

Xihe clenched her hands unconsciously, if it wasn't for the golden armor inlaid with turquoise, she might have broken her nails alive. "It's really disrespectful for my sister to talk about the ancestors and emperors so presumptuously."

Wang lowered her eyelids and glanced sideways, overwhelmed with joy.With her status and strength, she has long been unable to make Xihe kneel in front of her for a quarter of an hour, but by releasing every news about the regent and his bitch, she can make Xihe feel the profound humiliation and pain again. humble.This is not only because of her personal likes and dislikes, but for the survival of the family, she must win over this hesitant ally as soon as possible, and "winning" is nothing more than a big stick and gold dollars.I only heard that Mrs. Wang changed to a light and crisp tone like gold coins hitting each other, and poured out the source of good words that were usually stingy: "Hey, I want to say that only our Hong'er under the strict supervision of my sister If you have good moral conduct and righteous learning, you will be a good emperor who is not close to women and diligent in political affairs in the future."

Wang's strategy worked very well, and these words immediately eased Xi He's mood.No, she still has her own biological son!Xi He turned her head to look at Qi Hong, but she didn't see the dignified state of his reigning in the world in her mind, but she seemed to wink flirtatiously with a certain court lady behind her.However, Qi Hong also noticed the attention of the queen mother, and he straightened his head and neck in just a moment, his face was expressionless.The double-dragon handkerchief in Xi He's hand was almost crumpled into a ball, but she could not bear it, she just moved her eyes sideways, and together with Wang Shi beside her, stared blankly at the front in the precious light of golden snake dancing wildly all over her body. The huge incense burner that burned the sacrifices.

The tongue of flames gradually subsided, and white smoke began to rise slowly from the brass furnace cover with exquisite patterns.Wang Shi and Xi He took the lead, followed by Qi Hong, and the courtiers in hundreds of colorful costumes were escorted by nearly a thousand red lights towards the entertainment room in the banquet hall, like a long glowing dragon, winding in the middle. Under the bright moon of the sky.

After a few rounds of the full moon and then a few rounds of missing, the late autumn came to the winter solstice.

In the side hall of the Palace of Compassion and Ning, the diamond-shaped window screened in the sunny light, and the light flowed on the pair of amber heavy pearl earrings under the ears of the Empress Dowager Xihe, magnificent and profound.With a loving smile on her face, she looked at her son on the other side of the kang case.

Qi Hong grew a few inches taller, wearing a dragon robe with persimmon stalks, and he was talking loudly: "Heaven, son, father, mother, and earth, so there are two great sacrifices a year. The southern suburbs of the winter solstice offer sacrifices to the altar of heaven, and the summer solstice of the northern suburbs offer sacrifices to the altar of the earth. "Winter Sacrifice to Yuanqiu" and "Summer Sacrifice to Fangze". In the past, because I was young, the emperor's uncle would perform the sacrifices on his behalf. Yesterday, an emperor's uncle said that my wedding is coming soon, and in order to "be strict with Yue and show Jingcheng', this year I want to worship my relatives."

Something broke into Xihe's heart, but it disappeared in an instant.She took a sip of a cup of brown sugar ginger tea on the table, her tongue was slightly sweet and spicy. "This is the majesty of your uncle establishing the emperor for you. It should be like this. It's just that according to the etiquette, sacrifices must be slaughtered in nine cities and fasted in the palace; those who offer sacrifices must be vegetarian and alcohol-free, no feasts, and fasting alone." Three days in the palace. Can you bear these three days of innocence and idleness?"

Qi Hong hesitated slightly: "That's why I want to tell my queen. My son wants to go hunting in Nanyuan for a few days before Lent. I beg my mother to agree."

(End of this chapter)