peasant young lady

Chapter 303 The Heaven and the Earth Conjoin, A Happy Life

"Are you back?" Shao Chen has been waiting in Leng Cui Xuan, tomorrow is the queen's birthday, he knows that Cheng Xia will not come back.

"En," Cheng Xia responded lightly, pulled up Shao Chen who didn't know why, led him to the door, then pushed him out, closed the door abruptly, fell on the bed and began to sleep.

She tossed back and forth for more than ten days, and she was too tired to die.Just laying down on the bed, she suddenly thought of going to perform tomorrow, but she hasn't tried whether the big red dance dress she bought from Lanyi Pavilion fits well
Hey, Cheng Xia sighed, got up from the bed, took out the clothes from the closet, and tried on.

When I left at the beginning, I thought that my mother would not come back, and I would go to the north and south of the country to be happy and happy. As a result, once I entered the capital, I couldn't help myself, and she could leave wherever she wanted.

Fortunately, the clothes fit very well. Layers of tulle made this dance dress look more elegant, which just neutralized the excessive dignity and charm of the bright red.

Cheng Xia changed the clothes in satisfaction, and then tried on the lake blue dress that Weiyun had chosen for herself. After trying it on, it was also very appropriate. There was nothing else to worry about, so Cheng Xia finally changed into a new one. Lightweight clothes, intending to sleep forever, when to wake up.

Turning over and lying down again, there was another knock on the door, Cheng Xia blocked her ears vigorously, pretending not to hear it.

"Sister, sister?"

An unusually familiar voice sounded outside the door, Cheng Xia closed her eyes hard, suppressed the anger in her heart, took a few steps to the door, and opened the door suddenly, "What's the matter?"

Cheng Xia's cold voice didn't scare Wang Qingwan away, she smiled and was about to squeeze in the door, Cheng Xia put her hand on the door frame to prevent her from moving, "Speak up if you have something to do, don't come close."

Displeasure flashed across Wang Qingwan's face, she pursed her lips and smiled, "It's all my fault, I didn't see the tired look in my sister's eyes, and I just focused on sharing the good news with my sister."

"Say." Cheng Xia didn't want to say any extra words.

Wang Qingwan smiled shyly while holding the handkerchief, raised her eyebrows charmingly and glanced at Cheng Xia, "Sister, the empress has already arranged the sequence of performances, I'm right in front of my sister, we"

"Bang!" Cheng Xia closed the door tightly without any politeness, then lay back on the bed and closed her eyes to rest.

This is good news for your sister, but not bad news.What is there to show off, she hurriedly came to see what was going on as soon as she came back, it was really annoying to death.

Cheng Xia asked Ziyuan to watch for herself, and no one should wake her up, so she slept until the end of tomorrow, which is one o'clock in the afternoon.

Seeing that Cheng Xia finally yawned and wanted to get up, Zi Yuan was so excited that she almost knelt down to Cheng Xia, "I said, aunt, what are you doing here? Why are you so sleepless? I looked at you every other hour, and you were still breathing, I really thought you were gone."

"Bah, who's gone?" Cheng Xia glared at Zi Yuan angrily, and said while putting on her shoes, "Don't curse me, I borrowed 500 years from God." From Ming Dynasty to modern times, isn't it just Is it 500 years away?
"Is there anything to eat, I'm starving to death."

"Yes, yes," Ziyuan hurried to the kitchen and brought over the food that had been stuffy all this time. Seeing Cheng Xia devouring it, she quickly poured a cup of tea and handed it over. Xuan glanced at it, and said that he would come back to pick you up after he left." She tactfully picked up Wang Qingwan and skipped over, "There are only two hours left, you should eat less, or you won't be able to wear the clothes gone."

"I think you are worrying too much," Cheng Xia gave Zi Yuan an angry sideways glance, "Did he say when the banquet in the palace will start?"

"Yes," Ziyuan nodded, "It is said that it starts at the hour of You and ends at the end of Xu."

Cheng Xia did the math, starting at six o'clock in the evening and ending at nine o'clock, in three hours, she had to eat more, or she would starve to death.

In the palace, who dares to eat openly, even if you are given time to eat well, you can't really move your chopsticks, she still understands the proper etiquette.

Shao Chen applied for the end of the hour, and when he arrived at Shao's house, it happened to be a quarter of the unitary hour. He opened the door and called Cheng Xia. When he saw Cheng Xia in a lake blue dress, the amazement in his eyes lingered for a long time. With a light cough, Cheng Xia was led out of the room.

At the gate of Shao Mansion, Wang Qingwan had already boarded the carriage. When Cheng Xia got into the carriage, the surprise and dissatisfaction in Wang Qingwan's eyes were obvious.For this banquet, she visited almost all the famous shops in the capital, and specially asked her grandfather to invite her the best tailor in the capital to personally cut a set of primrose-colored clothes, but she didn't want to lose out to the Changed Cheng Xia's dress.

She thought her clothes were dignified enough, but now that she saw Cheng Xia's lake blue dress with a pinched waist, she felt that her clothes had concealed the playfulness and liveliness that a young woman should have.

She gritted her teeth angrily, but she couldn't express it directly to Cheng Xia, so she smiled, "Where did you buy my sister's clothes?"

Cheng Xia glanced at Shao Chen who was resting with his eyes closed at the moment in the carriage, and shrugged leisurely, "The roadside stall."

"Ah?" Wang Qingwan opened his mouth in surprise, and then quickly closed his mouth. Cheng Xia answered like this, ignoring her at all.She shouldn't have nothing to say in order to show her kindness and generosity in front of Shao Chen, and she shouldn't make fun of herself, Cheng Xia is just a vulgar country woman, not worth her time and energy .

There was no words all the way, and the awkward atmosphere remained until the carriage stopped in front of Xuanwu Gate.Horse-drawn carriages are not allowed into the palace, they can only walk.Shao Chen got out of the carriage first, and he stretched out his hand to Cheng Xia. Cheng Xia snorted coldly and jumped off the carriage.

Many carriages had already stopped at the entrance of the palace, it seemed that there were quite a few people attending the banquet.

Cheng Xia followed Shao Chen through the small gate next to the Xuanwu Gate, all the way south until Kunning Palace, Cheng Xia just stopped, and found Shao Chen was still going forward, so he quickly followed, and then saw Shao Chen in Kunning The Jiaotai Hall in the south of the palace stopped.

Cheng Xia stared blankly at the three characters of Jiaotai Hall, and then remembered that in the Ming Dynasty, the empress received congratulations from ministers or held banquets on New Year's Day and Qianqiu (the Queen's birthday), all in Jiaotai Hall.

Jiaotai Hall is named after the "Book of Changes", which means "the union of heaven and earth, and a happy life". During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the canonization of queens was also held here.

Seeing Shao Chen smiling and greeting many ministers who came with him, Cheng Xia quietly followed Shao Chen and entered the main hall of Jiaotai Hall together.

The Jiaotai Hall is relatively large, and the word "Wuwei" is written on the front of the hall, which is very solemn.The interior of the hall has been properly arranged, with countless tables and chairs placed on both sides.

Before the emperor and empress came, these ministers began to greet each other, and Cheng Xia followed Shao Chen to say hello to Mrs. Du Shangshu. Suddenly, hearing Liu Jin's sharp voice, Cheng Xia knew that the empress had arrived.

Everyone saluted and greeted in an orderly manner, and then His Majesty gave an order, and each minister and his family members sat in the seats assigned to them according to the eunuch's instructions.

Sitting on the stool, Cheng Xia calmly glanced at the eunuchs and maids who were busy going back and forth, thinking that after all, they are the servants in the Forbidden City, and they have learned the rules well. Although there are a large number of people, there is no disturbance at all. And panic, that is, there is not even a single mistake.

When she entered the palace, the eunuch had already taken the dance dress she brought, and only said that someone would lead her to change at that time.Cheng Xia still remembers Wang Qingwan's astonished eyes when she saw her wearing a dance costume. The disbelief in her eyes seemed to say that she really is a bumpkin from the countryside who doesn't understand anything. people joke.

Cheng Xia doesn't know why this shouldn't be done, if you don't bring it with you if you play Guzheng or something like that, you should, after all, the palace has the best ones, but the clothes are comfortable only if you wear them yourself .

As soon as she sat down, Wang Qingwan gently touched Cheng Xia's arm, and said in a low voice, "The last time my sister said she was going to play the guzheng, I thought she was telling the truth. I never thought that my sister could dance."

"Well," Cheng Xia said calmly, "There's still a lot you don't know." After finishing speaking, she stopped looking at her, and only listened quietly to the emperor and empress.

Finally, after a long prologue, the performance finally started, and Cheng Xia looked at everyone on stage very seriously.

Cheng Xia has to admit that these ladies are really good at everything. There are some who play the guqin, and they play very high-level and nice; There are flute players, whose voices are bright and melodious; there are also singers, Cheng Xia thinks their voices are as beautiful as an oriole, no worse than modern singers
Finally, after the four people had performed before, a court lady came to Wang Qingwan's side and asked her to start preparing.

After a while, Cheng Xia saw two eunuchs moved the guzheng to the center of the hall, Wang Qingwan saluted the emperor and queen directly above, then Shi Shiran sat in front of the guzheng, playing it like flowing clouds and flowing water played.

Cheng Xia snorted almost inaudibly. She really played the Guzheng, and she felt that she played it better than her, so she frustrated her spirit.

Who compares with you.

Shao Chen stared straight ahead, but quietly pushed the pea yellow in his hand in front of Cheng Xia, Cheng Xia only pretended to listen to the music seriously, without any response.

But after a while, the maid from just now came again, this time she stood behind Cheng Xia, and said respectfully, "Madam Shao, the queen has ordered you to go to Kunning Palace to change your clothes now, and the next one should be It's your turn."

Cheng Xia stood up in a regular manner, glanced at the position of the queen in front, met the gaze projected by the queen, Cheng Xia nodded and gave a slight salute, then followed the maids out of the Jiaotai Palace, towards the Kunning Palace behind go.

After changing her clothes, the palace lady also thoughtfully asked Cheng Xia to sit in front of the bronze mirror and prepare her eyebrows for a simple grooming, which she also said was ordered by the empress.

Cheng Xia thought that the queen was really kind to her, and just about to say thank you to this maid, when she saw a little maid running in from outside the palace, whispering in the ear of the maid who painted her eyebrows, and said happily, "I just Seeing that His Royal Highness Xing Wang is back, he just entered the Jiaotai Hall."

(End of this chapter)