Qing Dynasty Secret History

chapter 114
It is said that the farmer's family in Haidian, those village boys and village women, saw the moral clothes of Mrs. Yu, De Ling, and Long Ling, and they almost suspected that heaven and man had descended.The village boy told each other: "This kind of noble lady is going to enter the palace to be a queen."

After hearing this, Mrs. Yu laughed and didn't care about him.After sitting for a while, drank a sip of tea, ate some snacks, got into the sedan chair and set off again.

In an instant, I passed a memorial archway, which was very exquisitely carved.After passing the archway, I can see the palace gate.

They are only a hundred steps away from each other, but there are three palace gates, all hidden in the palace wall.The main entrance is very large, and the two corner doors on the left and right are slightly closed. It is not easy to open because it is not easy for the Empress Dowager to come in and out.

Fifty steps away from the palace gate, there are two houses, full of imperial guards.A dozen or so officials with brilliant feathers stood at the gate of the palace, talking loudly, talking about something.

The sedan chair came to rest at the door at the left corner, when someone entered the door and shouted: "Here we are, we are here.

" After Mrs. Yu got out of the sedan chair, two fourth-class eunuchs came out to greet her, followed by ten young eunuchs, holding yellow silk curtains twenty feet high and ten feet long, and surrounded the sedan chair as a curtain. It was a great honor for the recipient. The two eunuchs were very respectful, and Mrs. Su welcomed Mrs. Yu and others to enter.

Inside the gate is a wide courtyard, paved with white stones, about [-] feet square, with many flower beds and ancient pine trees.There are many birdcages hanging on the pine trees, and various birds are kept in them.Behind it is a red wall, and the three doors are similar to those on the outside.There are twelve corridors on both sides, which are the court rooms.

There are many officials in the Guangyuan, all wearing official uniforms, busy with something.After seeing Mrs. Yu and others, they were immediately silent.The two eunuchs led Mrs. Yu into a twenty-foot-square room. There were mahogany tables and chairs, all of which were covered with red cushions, and silk curtains were hung on the windows.In less than 5 minutes, a gorgeously dressed eunuch came in and said, "The Empress Dowager has an order to call Mrs. Yu and the two young ladies to meet you in the Eastern Palace."

The two eunuchs knelt down and said, "Yes."

The three wives followed the eunuch and entered through the left door to Yiguangyuan.In the north of the courtyard is the Hall of Renshou, and the houses on both sides are also magnificent.In a room on the east side of the eunuch's guide, there are red sandalwood tables and chairs, carved very finely, with blue satin cushions on the top, blue velvet wall coverings hanging on the four walls, and fourteen chiming bells in different styles. .Then two maidservants came out and said: "Lafayette is dressing up, please wait for a while, madam."

Since then, there has been an endless stream of eunuchs, delivering milk and various sundries, about 20 items, all of which were rewarded by the Queen Mother.Then he gave three gold rings inlaid with beads.

For a while, Li Lianying, the chief eunuch, arrived, wearing a second-rank official uniform and a red peacock feather. Although his face was wrinkled and ugly, he behaved very gracefully.Smiling to Mrs. Yu, he said, "Lafayette is about to summon you."

He took out three more jade rings and said: "The Lafayette bestowed on Mrs. Yu and the two young ladies."

My wife has received three bows.As soon as Director Li left, two palace family members approached, both of whom were the daughters of King Qing.When the two princesses saw Mrs. Yu waiting, they asked the eunuch, "Do they speak Chinese?"

The eunuch said: "They are originally Chinese and can speak dialects of several countries. They already know Chinese."

The two princesses were astonished, and said to each other: "It's very strange, how come they can also speak Chinese?"

Then he said, "The Empress Dowager is waiting for you to come in."

Mrs. Yu followed, passed through three courtyards, and arrived at the main hall, which was exquisitely carved.In the corridors on all sides, bright corner lamps are hung. The lamps are covered with red silk, with red tassels hanging down. Under the red tassels, there are precious jade tied.The left and right side halls are exquisitely carved, and the hanging lamps are similar.When he reached the gate of the hall, he met another woman, whose attire was similar to Princess Qing's, but she wore a golden phoenix on her head.This woman had a pleasant smile on her face, she shook hands with Mrs. Yu and others, and was very courteous.After asking others, I found out that it was Empress Dezong.The Queen said: "The Queen Mother specially asked me to come and welcome you!"

Before Mrs. Yu could answer, she heard a loud voice from the hall: "Come in and see you, Your Majesty."

Mrs. Yu and her two daughters walked in solemnly. Seeing the Empress Dowager sitting upright, she was busy saying her name and saluting.The queen mother stood up with a smile and shook hands with each other.The Empress Dowager said: "Mrs. Yu, what method do you use to educate your children? What a strange thing, they have lived abroad for a long time, I know, how can they speak the same as me, and they look so pretty?
Mrs. Yu said: "Her father disciplines them very strictly. He teaches them Chinese characters first, and then learns other things, and he is very diligent in supervision." "

The queen mother said: "I really like her upbringing like my father."

Saying that, he took De Ling's hand, looked closely at her face, kissed her cheeks with a smile, and said to Mrs. Yu: "I wish these two children would be with me every morning and evening!"

After hearing this, Deling was very happy.The queen mother asked about the Parisian clothes she was wearing, and De Ling played them one by one.The queen mother said: "I don't see suits very much here, you don't need to change into Chinese clothes, I can often look at them too!"

At this time, beside the Queen Mother, stood a young man with piercing eyes. The Queen Mother said: "I will introduce you to Emperor Guangxu."

Sui pointed to the young man and said, "You call him Long Live Lord, and you call me your ancestor."

Mrs. Yu followed the order and shook hands with Dezong to meet each other.

Although Dezong also entertained with a smile, his demeanor was unavoidably coy.Suddenly I saw Mr. Li kneeling and playing: "I'm ready."

The Empress Dowager smiled and said to Deling: "You all go to court with me!"

After finishing speaking, he walked out of the hall with his steps.They went out together and went to the corridor of the palace, where they saw the Empress Dowager went to Luyu, carried by eight eunuchs, two sedan chair bearers, Mr. Li on the left, and a very decent eunuch on the right.The first four fifth-rank eunuchs and the last twelve sixth-rank eunuchs were all holding clothes, shoes, socks, fat, powder, combs, mirrors, dowry, cigarette bags and other things in their hands.The two old maids and the four maidservants also carried things.The next eunuch is still carrying a yellow chair.Dezong accompanied Yu on the right side, and the empress and all the family members accompanied Yu on the left side.

After a while, I arrived at the court hall. This court hall is very magnificent, with a length of 150 feet and a width of [-] feet.The throne of the emperor is located in the Nuan Pavilion.Nuanjiao is made of sandalwood, carved with a phoenix wearing a peony pattern on the top, it is exquisite and unparalleled, it is twenty feet long and eighteen feet wide.There are two-foot-high low railings on all sides, which are carved very carefully.There are only two doors, which can accommodate one person in and out, and there are six steps in front of the door.Behind the Nuan Pavilion, a small screen is opened.In front of the small screen is the throne.The queen mother is in the middle, and Dezong is on the left.On both sides of the Empress Dowager's throne, there are two bamboos. The lower end is made of ebony, and peacock feathers are inserted on the upper end, forming a fan shape.There is a long table in front of the throne, and all the decorations are made of yellow velvet.Behind the small screen, there is another huge carved wooden screen, twenty feet long and ten feet high, with exquisite carvings.

The Empress Dowager will ascend the throne and ask the Empress and all the officials and family members to stand behind the screen.Among the palace family members is Si Gege, the daughter of King Qing, a young widow, and the Queen Mother loves her very much.

At that moment, Si Gege asked Deling: "You grew up abroad. I heard people say that anyone who goes abroad needs to drink their water. After drinking, he will forget his homeland. You can speak foreign languages ​​because you learned it from them." , or drinking water?"

De Ling said: "Your elder brother Zai Zhen went to London to celebrate the coronation of Emperor Edward, and passed through Paris, I met him before.

At that time, we old people also received invitations, and I could have accompanied them.Later, I met with Yunnan to negotiate an urgent matter, but I didn't arrive. "

Si Ge Ge suddenly asked: "Does England have a master?

I remembered that our Queen Mother is the master of the world, Britain should no longer have a master!

"Si Gege's elder sister is the queen's sister-in-law, she is very intelligent, she couldn't help laughing after hearing Naimei's wonderful theory. The queen couldn't hear it, so she said to Si Gege: "Why are you so stupid!

I know that all foreign countries have masters, and several countries are still republics, and the United States is one of the republics.He is also very friendly to our country.It's a pity that the Chinese who go to the United States are from the lower society. They only think that all Chinese are like this. 'I wish the nobles and Manchurians would go to them and let them know our truth. "

While speaking, the queen mother has already retreated.The queen mother said: "The court affairs are over, let's go to the theater! The weather is fine today, let's go on foot!"

So the queen mother walked alone in front, and everyone followed behind, this is the rule in the palace.On the way, the Empress Dowager showed her favorite places and things to her family members, and asked De Ling and others to walk side by side. This was very special.

The things the Empress Dowager loves are nothing more than flowers, grass, birds, dogs, horses and the like.The queen mother loves a dog very much. The dog's name is Sea Otter, and it is very docile.Not far from the court hall, there is a wide courtyard. On both sides of the courtyard, there are two large flower baskets, which are successfully woven with natural wood plants. They are [-] feet high and covered with wisteria flowers.The basket is extremely beautifully woven, and the Empress Dowager loves it very much. When the flowers are in bud, everyone will surely appreciate them.From Guangyuan to Xunlang, along the hillside, winding and winding, after walking for a long time, we arrive at the theater.The building of the theater is very strange. It has five floors and faces an empty field.There are three floors of the stage, which go up successively. The third floor is dedicated to the storage of Bazi's costumes.

The first floor is like an ordinary stage, and the second floor is like a temple, which specializes in ghost dramas.On both sides of the theater, there are long houses on the wings and a long corridor on the outside. This is the place where the ministers are called to listen to the play.Opposite the theater, there are three houses specially prepared for the queen mother to listen to the opera.The flat forehead is hung high, and the three characters "Yi Le Dian" are written in the book. The house is about ten feet high, which is as high as the stage.There are movable glass windows outside, and green gauze curtains are replaced in summer, and the two rooms are prepared for sitting.The one on the right is for rest.There is a long couch in the lounge, where you can sit or lie down.All the family members followed the queen mother into the lounge, and the play began.The first one was "Peach Blossom Meeting", which was very lively, but the song was sung in Bangzi tune.There is a poem from later generations that sighed: "The performance of the prostitutes in the cold is to promote peace, and the new opening of Nanfu is completed."

It's not the sad partner at the end of the song, it seems that Qin's voice is too aggressive.

The Empress Dowager sat on the couch, and all the family members stood on both sides.The Empress Dowager asked De Ling, "Do you know the plot in the play?"

De Ling replied that he knew it, and the queen mother was very happy.Because he also instructed the scenes in the play to be ingenious, thought of a way, and asked the eunuch to paint them.After talking for a while, I suddenly said: "You guys are here today. I was so happy, and I forgot to ask them for dinner. Are you hungry? When you were in a foreign country, did you have any Chinese food? Do you feel homesick? I have been away from the country for such a long time, I have long been homesick! But you are abroad, so you can’t blame you, because I sent Yu Geng to Paris as an envoy, and now I don’t regret it. Think about it , you can help me a lot now, and let foreigners know that among the Manchu women, there are also some who can speak Spanish like them."

When the Empress Dowager was speaking, the eunuchs had already moved the three long tables to the Empress Dowager, covering them with a beautiful white tablecloth.And there are many eunuchs, each carrying a food box, waiting in the courtyard.The food boxes are all wooden, painted yellow, and each box can hold four small plates.

The table is set, and the eunuchs in the courtyard are lined up in double rows until they stand outside the small door over there to form a passageway. The food boxes are brought in, handed over to each other, and delivered directly to the door of the room. There are four eunuchs with clean clothes and shoes in the room. , then put it on the case.The plates are all yellow, covered with a silver cover, and there are also paintings of green dragons and longevity characters.There are 150 kinds of food in total, listed in three long rows.

Large plates come first, followed by plates, followed by small plates.After the arrangement was completed, two palace officials came in with a yellow box each, and the eunuch moved two small tables in front of the Empress Dowager, put the food boxes on them, and removed the lid. Kinds of candies: candied lotus seeds, walnut kernels, and all kinds of timely melons and fruits.The Empress Dowager ate the candy first, and then gave it to Mrs. Yu and others, asking them to eat more, it tastes very good.

After eating, the family members put away the food box.Two more eunuchs came in, the first one was holding a white jade teacup with a gold lid and a gold saucer under the cup.The one behind holds a silver basin with two jade cups inside, one containing honeysuckle and the other containing roses.The two eunuchs walked up to the queen mother and knelt down together.The Queen Mother took off the lid of the gold tea, took three or five honeysuckle flowers, put them in the tea, and drank slowly.While drinking, tell Mrs. Yu: how do I love flowers, how beautiful the smell of flowers is in tea, try it, I know you will like it too.Call the eunuch to give tea and Mrs. Yu and so on.After tea, eat immediately.The eunuch took off the lid of the vegetable bowl early, and asked Mrs. Yu to stand beside him to accompany the food.The Empress Dowager said: "Usually when I go to the theater, the emperor always eats with me. Today, because there are new guests here, the emperor is shy. I won't ask him to be here anymore, so you can eat with me!"

Mrs. Yu kowtowed to thank her, and then took the silver chopsticks to eat.The Empress Dowager said: "You eat standing up, I am very sorry in my heart. But I can't disobey the rules of my ancestors, even the emperor can't sit in front of me! I know that foreigners will definitely criticize me if they know about it. So there are rules in the palace, and I really don't want foreigners to know. You see, my behavior is very different in front of foreigners, and I really don't want them to know our truth."

When the meal was over, the Empress Dowager stood up and said, "Let's go over there and sit down, so that the Empress and the palace family can wait to eat. They always eat after I eat."

So Mrs. Yu waited, followed the Queen Mother to the center, and continued to listen to the opera.De Ling stood at the door, watching the queen waiting for dinner.It's just that everyone stood around the case without making a sound.

At this time, the Queen Mother fell asleep, and when she woke up, it was already evening.The queen mother waited for Mrs. Yu: "It's getting late, you still have a long way to go to the city, so I won't keep you."

The eunuch followed the order and took out the gift, but it was eight yellow boxes, and the things inside were nothing more than cakes, baits and fruits.The Empress Dowager said: "Mrs. Yu, go and tell Yu Geng to take a good rest. I told him to take the medicine I gave him. It doesn't matter. Tell him to eat the fruit cake in the box."

Mrs. Yu and her two daughters hurriedly knelt down and thanked each other.The Empress Dowager said: "Mrs. Yu, I love you two young ladies very much, and I would like them to enter the palace to be my family members."

After hearing this, the three mothers knelt down and thanked each other again.The queen mother said: "When will you come? When you come, you only need to bring a few sets of clothes. The rest should be prepared for you one by one. I will guide you to look at the room first. I think I will let you live in Renshou Palace." In the three rooms on the right. I live in Renshou Palace, so our mother will be closer."

When Mrs. Yu followed the Empress Dowager to the three rooms, she was indeed very splendid, with Ku Liejian flat forehead hanging outwards, and the letter "Dayuan Baojing" Siyu, but it was the Empress Dowager's imperial pen.There are several vertical scrolls hanging on the four walls, and the words "dragon, tiger, pine and crane" are written, which are also imperial pens.There is a poem from later generations: Kujian slips on the wat and the book in the nest, and the dragon and the tiger take the momentum and roll it comfortably.

At the end of the court, the Buddha was rebuilt, and the big round mirror reflected the carvings.

The queen mother said: "Is it okay to make the room here?"

Mrs. Yu waited and said yes.

The queen mother said: "You moved here in two days, can you be named?"

Mrs. Yu said that she complied with the order.So farewell to the empress dowager, the queen and the family members of the palace, and returned in a sedan chair.If you want to know what's going on after you go home, let's see the breakdown in the next chapter.

(End of this chapter)