The Biography of Concubine Wen Xi in Qing Palace

Chapter 350
On New Year's Eve, the Forbidden City was filled with jubilation, with the sound of whips and cannons, and the deep palace courtyard, the sky was full of purples and reds.

The palace lanterns in the long streets and corridors of the palace were replaced by red lampshades to show celebration, and red silk was hung all over the palace room, shining brightly and adding joy to the scene.

This year's New Year's Eve is more grand than ever.

There are two reasons, one is the new successor, and the other is the gathering of concubines.

For this reason, the concubines in the palace, from the promise, to the empress dowager, all dressed up carefully.There are many bright colors, painted with fat and powder, with gold and silver hairpins.

At that time, the Qianqing Palace was like a scene in the imperial garden in early spring, with all kinds of purples and reds competing for splendor, gold, silver, jade and emeralds all over the palace, and the flowers were gradually fascinated by people's eyes.

Wan Lai and Rong Yue sat side by side, watching the singing and dancing performances, seeing delicious and delicate dishes, and the fragrance of the wine, she sighed: "It's rare for this palace to be so lively, why doesn't sister bring it with you?" Yinti and Yinzhi going together?"

Rong Yue smiled brightly, and whispered in his ear: "Yin Zhi is so young, today's noisy things will always disturb his rest. The child can't sleep well, always crying at night, and has no energy during the day, watching I always feel distressed. Besides, Yinti is a very sensible child. I called him for a long time before leaving the palace, and he only said that the book that the master gave me has not been recited. How could he have such idle thoughts?" She smiled even more as she spoke, her brows were full of tenderness: "Mothers always have to worry a lot about their children. After all, he is old now and has his own ideas. I can't force them to come."

After hearing this, Wanyan smiled and nodded, her eyes fixed on Yinfeng who was sitting next to the emperor.

Now he is four years old, reading and practicing handwriting with Yinti in Shangshufang every day, the emperor did not choose him wrongly as the crown prince, he is a very smart child, often praised by the emperor.

Just looking at it, seeing other people's little ghosts, he staggered to the side of the two empress dowagers with a teacup, respectfully bowed and said: "Grandson replaces wine with tea, respects the emperor's grandmother, the emperor's grandmother, looks at the emperor's grandmother, the emperor's grandmother Stay healthy and everything is going well.”

The empress dowagers of the two palaces loved Yinreng very much, and after drinking the boji, she ordered someone to move the bench, and left Yinreng to sit between them, and personally fed him with vegetables.

With a sweep of his gaze, he went to the row diagonally behind. Most of the people were unfamiliar faces. The concubines lived in the harem, and they seldom came out when they had nothing to do.In order to avoid suspicion, there is not much intersection with the empress and concubines.

But after all, they are old people in the palace. Although they are all widows, they have benefited from maintenance and their faces are like spring breeze.

Only the last one had gorgeous hair, wrinkles around the corners of the eyes and eyebrows, and the nasolabial folds on the sides of the nose were deeper like ravines, making him look very old.People don't chat with the concubine sitting next to them, but just drink one cup after another.

Rong Yue raised her eyebrows and looked at that person, and said softly to Wanyu: "Is that person Concubine Xin?"

Wan Lai nodded, Rong Yue said in surprise: "I heard that she is only in her early forties, how can she be so old?"

Wanyu lowered her voice and said: "In the past, the late emperor offended the empress dowager when he was here, and he was supposed to be buried with the concubine Zhen. Later, the empress dowager was kind enough to save her from being buried, so she will be kept in the palace forever. It's not that my sister doesn't know how powerful those slaves in the mansion are. We are the emperor's concubines, and we will be looked down upon by them once we lose power, let alone the former emperor's concubine. She has a lot of daily expenses, and there is only one old maid in the palace to serve her. I heard that you often have to do it yourself to boil water, wash clothes, light a fire, and cook food. She lives like a woman outside the palace. What's the point?"

Rong Yue sighed, covered her face with a chopstick of venison and entered, then regretted: "I've never heard of these things, I thought that people in the palace are pampered, but I never imagined that this is not as good as outside the palace." Live freely. Even though she is a concubine, she is worse than the servants in our palace."

The two were chatting, when Concubine Hui Nala Yuwen and Concubine Rong Ma Jiaxiuyan had brought their cups to them.

Wan Lai and Rong Yue raised their glasses to touch each other, and after being polite, they drank the wine.

Xiuyan wiped off the wine stains on her lips, and then carefully said to Rong Yue: "Imperial Concubine, why don't you see Yinti and Yinzhi today?"

Although Yuwen didn't say anything, anyone could see the expectation on his face.

Rong Yue smiled calmly and said: "Yinti is obsessed with books and doesn't want to come. Yinzhi is still young, and I am always worried that we will make noise for him and make him sleepless at night. If the two sisters miss their children, they will ask the queen to ask for help tomorrow morning. Your Majesty has invited Ann, how about going back to the palace with me for a visit?"

Hearing Rong Yue's words, the two thanked each other happily, and returned to their seats with happy faces.

The emperor glanced at Wanyu and Rongyue, raised his glass from a distance and said: "You two just toasted with the two empress dowagers, and drank three rounds with the empress, and even drank the wine of Concubine Rong, Concubine Hui, and Concubine Duan Why are you ignoring me?"

With a peaceful smile, Wanyou raised her wine glass and walked up to the emperor with Rong Yue: "Always remember that the emperor told the concubine that day that he would not give up until he was drunk. The concubine is afraid of the emperor, Naturally, we have to hide as far away as possible."

The emperor reached out and patted Wanyu's waist, and when they clinked glasses, he drank the full cup of fine wine and joked, "I forgot if you didn't mention this." As he spoke, he picked up his own jug to serve Wanyu. After filling up the wine, Wan'er hurriedly evaded the wine, Rong Yue poured the wine from her wine cup into her own cup, clinked the glass with the emperor, drank it and said: "The emperor only cares about talking with Wan'er, he doesn't care about it at all. Lichen concubine?"

Wan Lai smiled coquettishly, stuck out her tongue at the emperor and Rong Yue, and said with a blessing: "The concubine is too strong to drink, so I went out to blow some air to sober up, the emperor made sister Rong Yue jealous, so I have to coax her well. "

After saying that, he bid farewell to the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces and Yide, and walked out of Qianqing Palace with Yun Chan.

Leaving from the gate of the hall, the cold wind in the courtyard instantly made Wanyu wake up a lot.

Walking in the snow with Yun Chan, she said on the spur of the moment, "How did you listen to the opera "Romance of the West Chamber" just now?"

Yun Chan said with a smile: "Your servant only listens to the sound, how can you hear many ways?"

Wanyu looked around and saw that there was no one in the corner, so she lowered her voice and said, "Before I and Eldest Sister entered the palace, they liked to sing a few songs when they were free in the mansion, but these things in the palace After all, he was not popular. Later, he only played the qin for fun, and he hadn’t opened his voice for a long time. Just now, I watched the opera singer’s singing sound like a warbler’s song, but people sing songs every day, so naturally they lost the artistic conception. Skill is more than emotion, but it’s a bit overwhelming .”

She said, cleared her throat, and sang:

"The other millet is lili, the seedling of the other millet. The walking is sloppy, and the center is shaking."

"Those who know me say that I am worried; those who don't know me say what I want. Who is this?"

After the song was over, Yun Chan didn't bother to boast, but heard a man's voice behind him: "The song of Concubine Wan, I seem to be used to it."

The master and servant were startled, and when they looked back suddenly, it was Shen Ye leaning against the wall, smiling at Wan Yu and cupping his hands: "My minister Shen Ye, I have seen Concubine Wan."

　Remarks ①: Concubine Zhen of Emperor Shunzhi of Qing Dynasty, Dong E family, daughter of first-class Adahaha Panbadu, sister of Empress Xiaoxian.On the seventh day of the first month of the 18th year of Shunzhi (1661), he died as a martyr for his ancestors.Emperor Kangxi posthumously conferred the title of Concubine Huang Kaozhen.It was originally buried at the foot of Huanghua Mountain in Ji County, and moved to Xiaodong Mausoleum in Kangxi 57.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)