A Collection of Old Sayings by Fourth Sister You

Chapter 4 Forbidden Court (4)
If things are accomplished, life and death are up to her; if things fail, life and death are still up to her. (1)
It was getting late, and the yard was dimly lit.Zonghua stood on the steps to meet him, and soon saw a small yellow door carrying an incense burner into the garden gate, followed by Princess Qintai.There was no pomp and circumstance when traveling, but he brought two maids with him, and when he saw her, he nodded at her from afar.

That princess is very young, according to her appearance, she should be slightly younger than her, and she was well-proportioned and beautiful.Wearing a cloud and goose fine brocade dress, Ruyi moon skirt is tied with a forbidden step. Every time you take a step, jade rings and pearls are intertwined, rustling.When he got close, he raised his face and said with a smile: "I came here uninvited, I hope the eldest princess will forgive me."

Yun Hua said politely: "Where, the honored guest is coming, I am not far away to welcome you. I wanted to change my clothes to visit the princess, but I didn't want the princess to come first." He took a step back and turned around to compare, "Princess, please."

Princess Qintai smiled, her white teeth were slightly brown, and there were tiny dimples at the corners of her mouth, which set off her facial features vividly.Lifting her skirt up the steps, seeing that she was in the wrong place, she put her hand on her wrist, and said softly, "I feel kind to the Eldest Princess when I see her, how old is the Eldest Princess? Let's be about the same size!"

Yan Hua led her to sit down, pulled her sleeves and poured tea for her personally, and said, "I'm probably older, I'm sixteen this year, where's the princess?"

Princess Qintai covered her mouth with a smile and said, "It's very boring for our princess to come and go. My girl's name is Chiying, and I'm fifteen this year. Suiguo and Wurong have always been on good terms. Today I'm destined to meet the eldest princess. If Chang The princess does not give up, let us be sisters. I have never been out of Wurong, and this time I leave my hometown, and I have no idea. If I can get close to the eldest princess, even if I enter the forbidden court, I will not worry about having no one to accompany me."

When women confront each other, soft knives come and go, you should be on guard or you have to be on guard.But seeing her cute and smart, Meng Hua didn't feel disgusted, so he held her hand affectionately and said: "I'm just wishing for it. I'm afraid it will be lonely when no one talks to me after entering the palace. Now that I have a companion, I feel at ease now. I'm ashamed If you grow one year older, sell yourself as an older sister!"

She clapped her hands and said hello, "I also have a few elder sisters in Wujung, and they have a very good relationship with each other. It's just because they are not suitable for age, so they finally chose me to marry." She pressed her voice and whispered in her ear, "To be honest Sister, I don’t want to come here. But my aunt pressed her hard, and I didn’t agree, so she cried beside my bed and said a lot of national righteousness. I had no choice but to bite the bullet and get on the bullock cart. What about my sister? Was it also forced by the family?"

Yun Hua knew in her heart that she came here to find out the bottom line. Since she wanted to fight in the ring, she had to find out the enemy's weight first.It is impossible for her not to know about her situation in Sui country.Became a princess on the way, was rushed to the big axe, and asked if she was willing, wouldn't it be unnecessary?
She smiled, "A woman's marriage is never up to her. Whether she wants it or not is actually not important."

After hearing this, Chiying fell silent, nodded and said: "That's right, since that's the case, I won't talk about it." Changing a brisk tone, he invited the invitation quite proudly, "I brought a lot of gadgets with me, such as shadow puppets and Shuanglu. , and Hege (ancient gambling tool), we will have a place to hang out when we have free time."

She still looks like a child with a temper. With such a character and appearance, she must be very popular with men!Zihua envies her pure nature, but it's a pity that each of them is the master, otherwise they could really be close friends.

Seeing that she was not talking much, Chiying suddenly asked with big eyes: "Sister, what do you do for fun? When I was in Wurong, I was useless, and I was caught alive several times when I was playing horses with Gong'e. Sister is a scholar, she must read and do things every day." Is it female red?"

Yun Hua smiled and said: "Not all of them, occasionally they act in puppet shows, shadow puppets and so on."

"That's great, the two of us can put on a show together!" She smiled happily, because she was petite, and her toes didn't reach the ground when she sat on the official hat chair.Legs swayed and swayed, the skirt didn't go over the instep, and it fluttered across the green bricks.Come closer and ask softly, "Sister, have you heard of the official family before? I don't know how the official family is like."

Naturally, I have heard that the king of a country is rebellious and cruel, and he always has a mean face.She remembered the dream she had in Yanchun Pavilion in the afternoon, the man in the vermilion gauze terrified her until now, maybe Yin Chongyuan looks like that!
She shook her head slowly, "I heard my mother sporadically talk about it, but I don't know what it is."

Chi Ying took a sip of the teacup, and his eyes waved from the top of the bowl.After moistening his throat, he put the lamp back on the incense table, "I heard that officials don't like to talk. I often think about how a person who doesn't like to talk governs the country. How can he refute when the officials contradict him? Do you write it down? Is it?"

Yun Hua laughed and said: "It's just that he doesn't like to talk, and he's not dumb. If someone scolds him, he still doesn't know how to reply! I think Dayue became very prosperous under his rule, so he must be a great person."

Chiying looked at her with a smile, "Sister, do you like people like the official family? Who do you think the official family will choose as the queen?"

She didn't take a turn, and when she asked Yun Hua, she said vaguely: "It's hard to say who will be the queen. If the official canonize my younger sister, I will have to rely more on my younger sister to take care of me in the future."

Chiying waved his hands again and again, "It's definitely not mine. I think the officials will take a fancy to my sister. How beautiful my sister is. I have never seen such a beautiful person since I was a child. When I was in Wurong Everyone said I was good-looking, which made me believe it. But today I saw my sister, and I realized that I am not feminine at all. My sister is sitting here like a painting, and the officials must like you. Just now, my sister I have to say it again, if my sister holds the phoenix seal, you must take care of me. If I have any shortcomings, sister don't be angry with me, I am young and ignorant, sister can just teach me."

It can be seen that they are on par, at least in her eyes, she can be regarded as a strong enemy, otherwise she would not have spoken so smoothly.When women are together, if they want to appear polite, they have to flatter each other, and it is only reasonable to have exchanges.She praised you, you suffered, this is your gaffe.You must praise it back, and both are appropriate, so that everyone can be happy.

Yun Hua just looked at her, the young girl's skin was smooth and clean, she opened her face before embarking on the road of marriage, all the fine down and fine hairs were cleaned, she looked more and more like a beautiful jade dusted, so glamorous that it touched people's hearts.

"The palace is a dull place, and once you enter it, you will be trapped in the Sifang City. My sister is naturally natural, and I feel very comfortable with you. The official family was busy with state affairs in the previous dynasty, and they must be willing to relax when they return to the Forbidden Court. If I were him, why wouldn't I choose you?" She pursed her lips and smiled, then patted her hand and said, "Let's stop guessing, the palace has its own considerations. The officials are benevolent and filial, and there is a queen mother on top, we plan to No matter how good you are, you have to listen to what others want.”

Chi Ying nodded, "Sister is very right. Anyway, there is nothing wrong with paying attention to every step. I have always been used to being loud, and I am worried that I will offend the Queen Mother and the officials after entering the palace. If sister finds something is wrong, don't hesitate to mention it I point."

Yun Hua dealt with her for a long time, talking about meaningless scenes, which also made his mouth dry.Just as she was about to ask her if she was eating here, the female officer beside her came in and said a blessing, and whispered something in her ear.She jumped off the official hat chair and sighed: "I have been bothering sister for a long time, I should go back. These days, the road is bumpy and I can't sleep well, so I asked the medical officer to prescribe a prescription, and I have to drink two bowls every morning and evening. It's miserable. We will enter the palace together tomorrow, and when we meet again, I will say goodbye today." She went out and went down the steps, turned around and waved her hand, "Sister, stay here and rest early, otherwise there will be blue shadows in front of you tomorrow, It's not pretty."

Zihua saw her off with a smile, and turned back to the house after seeing her leave the Chuihua Gate.At this time, food boxes came in one after another from Huangmen, Aunt Jin helped her to sit down, and said in a low voice: "This princess is not simple, she can talk at such a young age, the eldest princess should be careful, and you must not have a heart-to-heart relationship with her."

She said oh, "How does Sister Jin see that she is not simple?"

Aunt Jin wiped the silver chopsticks with a towel and handed them to her, "We meet a lot of people in the palace, and we can guess seven or eight points just by looking at their faces. Princess Qintai's eyes are shining, unlike the eldest princess who is calm and unhurried. This kind of person is too Lively, even if there is no crooked mind, it is on the edge of bad and not bad, and it is difficult to have sincerity."

Yung Hua smiled and said, "I see, you are turning a corner and saying that I have good eyesight, and I can make a hole in someone's gaze."

Several female officials giggled when they heard the words, the strings were too tight, and it was rare for them to relax.

She used a few chopsticks of ginger and soy sauce, asked someone to look through the almanac, and murmured: "It's been 57 days from Jian'an to here, sir should have arrived..." Turning her head, she asked Brother Fo, "Is anyone coming to the Sifang Pavilion?" Ask me?"

Brother Fo said no, "Does the princess have an old acquaintance in Bianliang?"

Yanhua said: "It's not an old acquaintance, but my teacher when I was at home. He made an appointment with me. If someone calls himself Cui Zhuzhen in the future, he will find a way to inform me. He is wise and can help me a lot."

Foge said yes, he just waited on her and took a rest early.

Early the next morning, there was a lot of people outside the Sifang Guild Hall, and the guard of honor dispatched by the palace arrived, and all kinds of precious fans and canopy blacks were lined up far away.After finishing dressing and going out, the servant wearing a red embroidered shirt set up a Yunwen barrier and sent her to Yandi (the car that the empress, concubine, and princess took).She tucked up her sleeves and boarded the car. She seemed to be aware of it the moment she entered the curtain. Looking at the buildings in the distance, there was a person standing with his back to the morning sun in front of the hooked railing, and there was a lot of brilliance behind him.She paused for a moment, and recognized that figure at a glance, it was Cui Zhuzi.It seemed that he had arrived a long time ago, and it was out of caution that he didn't come to her right away, after all, she had just arrived in Dayue, and her words and deeds attracted a lot of attention.

The originally suspended heart was relieved, as long as he was there, no matter how far or near, she felt that she had a solid foundation.She breathed a sigh of relief, turned her eyes back into the car, and turned her head to look when she was seated. Princess Qintai's red gauze barrier also came out from the door of the hall. away from the city.

Seeing that it was time to tell the truth, she straightened her body and sat upright, her fists clenched tightly in her big sleeves.Maybe I can see Yin Chongyuan today, but unfortunately I can't do anything to him for the time being.You are not allowed to bring weapons when you enter the palace, you have to settle down first so that you can deal with it.In fact, she was very anxious, and it was best to solve it immediately.But the killing of the king is in the public eye, and Da Sui cannot escape the responsibility.Let the successor king take this as an excuse to send troops to the south, Gao Fei's throne is not yet hot, and he is afraid that he will not be capable enough to fight hastily.

She felt flustered for a moment, it was not easy for people to dispel their guard, she entered the Forbidden Court to act as Emperor Yue's harem, which of the women in the palace was not in his hands?In case of being lucky, how would she deal with it?

Pressing her neckline, she heard her heart pounding in her chest.In fact, when she saw the empress, she had already thought about it. At that time, she was so cruel that she couldn't bear the child not being able to trap the wolf.But when the real thing came to an end, I felt that my foot was empty.No matter how assertive she is, she is still a young girl. Whether her future is bright or full of thorns, she can no longer tell.

The imperial city of Yue Kingdom is different from Sui. Sui is built on a mountain.The battleaxes are different, the plains are vast, and craftsmen can use their endless imagination.They are the princesses of neighboring countries, they enter the palace as queens and concubines, and they can go to Xuandemen.Zonghua had never seen such a magnificent gate control, the red gates were decorated with golden nails, the gate coupons were deep, and even the roof tiles were made of copper with dragons, phoenixes and heavenly horses engraved on them.The national strength of the two countries can be glimpsed from the subtleties, the more so, the more enlightened, reminding her that she must cheer up.There is no room for mistakes in this palace, if you make a slight mistake, you may not be able to get close to Yin Chongyuan, and your bones will be gone.

The Forbidden Court of Yue Kingdom is especially famous for its large number of servants. When you enter Xuande Gate, you will see yellow gates standing on both sides of the royal road. From the appearance of clothes, everyone knows that they have them.As she walked, people bowed their heads and saluted along the way.When the former court was approaching, a courtier stepped forward and bowed his hands, "Princess, please come with me. The queen mother has been waiting in Baoci Palace for a long time. When the two princesses enter the inner court, they can first perform the family ceremony and then the state ceremony. The official family is watching in the Zichen Palace at this moment. Chao, Chaosan will come together, the eldest princess please first."

She nodded her head in thanks, and stepped into the left Changqing gate without slowing down.

She doesn't know how much of the outside world's speculation about Jinshang is true, but there is probably some basis for fulfilling the filial piety of the Son of Man.The Empress Dowager's Baoci Palace is only slightly inferior to the Zichen Palace in the previous dynasty in terms of specifications. The foundation of the platform is very high, and there are more than 20 levels from Tianjie to Danchi.Such grandeur and prosperity are considered unique in this vast harem.

Yun Hua walked up with her skirt, taking every step carefully.There are many eyes in the palace, and they, outsiders, have to go through a series of inspections and screenings before they are formally granted the title.As big as character and knowledge, as small as talking and sitting, there is no standard of measurement.So be careful, be steady, the queen mother is the first hurdle to the throne in the central palace, only by winning her favor and walking in the harem can you have more confidence.

The dragon and phoenix pattern on the stone steps faded out of sight, she climbed step by step, and when she reached the top, her eyes suddenly opened up.On both sides of the main hall of Baoci Palace stands a huge gold-lacquered green dragon and eight-orifice incense tripod. In the tripod, cigarettes curl up, and a scent of sandalwood fills the universe.Gong'e led her into the hall, where the acacia square pattern floor was polished to a shining light.She looked down at the reflection on the ground, as if looking at the Crystal Palace through the waves of light. The two sides were exquisitely arranged, and they were slightly rippling along the way, which was very interesting.A few steps forward, I saw a person sitting on the throne of the screen, wearing Di clothes and temples, a grand attire.

She calmed down and stood still, raising her hands to pay respects, "Princess Da Sui Cheng, I respectfully invite the Empress Dowager to enjoy endless joy."

She is wearing a palace gown of flowing colorful dark flowers and cloud brocade. Although she is slender, she can bear the complicated brocade all over her body.The Empress Dowager looked carefully from top to bottom, all the women in the palace, who are more beautiful, always have a seductive air, she is an exception.Her beauty is clear and elegant, with her unique posture.It reminded her of a former painter who was good at painting peonies with gold and jade. With just a few strokes, she could outline a different kind of charm and high spirits.

There was a smile in the queen mother's voice, and she ordered the left and right to help her up, and said kindly: "The eldest princess came from a long way, and the journey was hard. I have heard the name of the eldest princess, and when I saw it today, it was really extraordinary. I met your mother 20 years ago. I met you once, but I haven't seen you for a long time, how is Queen Mother Guo?"

She respectfully replied, "Thank you Queen Mother for your inquiry, everything is fine with my mother. When Zi Hua left Jian'an, Your Majesty asked me to greet the Queen Mother, and prepared a small gift, and ordered me to pass it on to the Queen Mother."

The two brocade boxes were quite exquisite, and the maid offered them up. The Empress Dowager took a look at them and said with a smile, "Your mother is caring. She is old and healthy, so I will miss you."

Just as he was talking, Princess Qintai also arrived. Jishou saluted and presented him with the same courtesy.Her Majesty looked very happy, with a smile on her face all the time.Raising his hands, he gave the princesses their seats, and said, "Today is an auspicious day. Two golden phoenixes flew into the Forbidden Court at once, which is my blessing. The two princesses have just arrived, but don't be cautious. Here It’s the same as in my own family, so be more casual.” After looking again and again, she nodded and said, “Princesses are all good-looking, what kind of mountains and rivers can breed such beauties. I only have a son from an official family, and I have never Having had a daughter, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law get along like mother and daughter in the future, and I am very complete."

The empress dowager's mother's surname was Wang, and she was named a noble concubine during the reign of Emperor Min. She was not as high as Yunguan's biological mother, but she was high enough to make the beauties of the harem look up to her.Two months after Yun Guan's death, his mother died in the Qingshou Palace.It is not known whether she was overly sad or was murdered.Anyway, it was Yin Chongyuan's mother and son who benefited, so it can be seen that the queen mother is kind on the surface, but she may not be simple in private-but who is simple in this court?It's nothing to look at, they are both good at dancing, and no one is cleaner than the other.

Chi Ying is really a lively person, she is not afraid of life, she smiled at Yan Yan and said: "Since that's the case, my sister and I will follow the official family and call you your mother. Do you believe in Buddhism or faith?"

The queen mother raised her eyebrows, and asked her deliberately: "Dao Zenben's family, how about believing in Buddhism?"

She thought for a while and said, "It's good to believe in Buddhism, isn't the Dharma boundless?"

"Then what about faith?"

"Whether you believe in faith, the way of Taoism is natural." She laughed, "My mother believed in Taoism and admired Lao Zhuang very much. She often ordered me to copy books-cleanness is the source of turbidity, and movement is the foundation of tranquility. People can always be quiet, Heaven and earth return."

After hearing this, the Queen Mother became more kind, and put her hands together and said, "Very well, I am the same as your mother. But this way is not the other way, and there is still a difference between Taoism and Taoism. Your children should learn more about Taoism, so that they can cultivate their minds and nature. This There are too many open and secret fights in the palace, and it is in your hands. Hope to live in harmony. Peace is peaceful, and peace is maintained by a saint. After I moved to Baoci Palace, I rebuilt the steps. How many steps did you pass when you came?"

(End of this chapter)