Concubine Huang said she wanted to leave

Chapter 79

After hearing Zhao Kehan's words, the Queen Mother couldn't help laughing and said: "Yes, Han'er was raised by the Ai family. The Ai family owes her too much, so no one can bully the Ai family's Han'er!"

One mouthful and one Han'er, the barking is very close, and I don't know who it is calling for?
The queen's eyes flickered slightly, she smiled, and did not answer.

After a while, noon came, and as early as [-]:[-], the queen mother asked Zhao Kehan ​​to go back to take a bath and change clothes, and changed into a more grand and gorgeous dress.

At noon, the Royal Garden.

The sun is shining brightly, and in the lotus pond pavilion in the Royal Garden, there is a cool breeze blowing from the emerald green lake, mixed with the faint fragrance of pink lotus, which is refreshing and makes people feel refreshed.

It is not so much a gazebo as a mahogany corridor.

The promenade is carved with railings and painted buildings, and emerald green vines are climbing everywhere. These vines are grape vines. Bunches of blue grapes hang heavily under the vines, and people can pick them with one hand.

In addition, the promenade is surrounded by trees for shade, and ice cubes are placed under the shade, but it doesn't make people feel hot at all.

Surrounded by Jia Zhaoyi and others, Shang Kelan entered the corridor, and the palace maids immediately offered iced melons, fruits, and refreshments to these empresses. On the other side, there were also utensils such as piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and they wanted to come to enjoy the lotus banquet later There will be a competition.

Everyone laughed sweetly, talking and laughing happily, beside the lotus pond, in the promenade, there was a burst of fragrant wind, and there were many beauties.

Not long after, a thin notification sounded:
"The empress dowager is here! The empress is here!"

All the concubines knelt down to pay homage: "The concubine sees the Empress Dowager, sees the Empress Dowager!"

The Empress Dowager was dressed the same as in the morning. After bathing and changing, she changed into a cloud brocade court gown of crow blue embroidered with cloud patterns, and a small-leaf sandalwood Buddha bead necklace around her neck; Zhao Kehan ​​followed her, but changed into a white embroidered red azalea The tulle dress; the queen is still the same, dignified and gentle.

The Empress Dowager and the Empress sat on the main seats prepared by the palace servants, Zhao Kehan ​​was given a seat by the Empress Dowager, and sat on the lower side of the Empress Dowager.

"Excuse me, I think Han'er's suggestion is right. The lotus blossoms are really the most beautiful in early July!"

The queen mother said with a smile, raising her hand to everyone.

After all the concubines sat back in their seats, they all echoed the Queen Mother's words. Jia Zhaoyi, who was the most talkative, picked up the nice words to flatter the Queen Mother and Zhao Kehan, but her tone was sincere, which made people not disgusted at all.

When the queen mother was happy, she rewarded Jia Zhaoyi with a hairpin.

Shang Kelan and Zhao Kehan ​​have a bit of a clash of clothes. Her palace clothes today are mainly white, bordered with silver thread, embroidered with emerald green lotus leaves, and she is wearing color-matched embroidered shoes. On her hair is the red sandalwood that Jin Yantang gave her a few days ago The magnolia flower and wooden hairpin make the whole person appear quiet and restrained.

Unlike Concubine Hua who was dressed gorgeously in pink palace gown, Shang Kelan's dress was very simple.

Everything in the palace is kept simple, and only the queen mother has the ability to organize a lotus feast.

The ice cubes used in the entire corridor alone probably cost a hundred taels of silver.

If Jin Yantang was here, after seeing this, he would feel sorry for the treasury's money again, right?

Thinking about it, Shang Kelan couldn't help pursing her lips and smiling.

Just at this time, a red-winged dragonfly landed on her shoulder, like the finishing touch, adding a lot of graceful beauty to Shang Kelan.

Concubine Hua saw it in her eyes, and a look of jealousy flashed in her eyes.

Immediately she got up and came to the Empress Dowager, folded her hands in front of her forehead, and said to the Empress Dowager respectfully: "I would like to inform the Empress Dowager, since it is a lotus feast, how about letting the sisters compose a poem with the theme of the lotus? As for This reward..."

Then, Concubine Hua took off a treasure hairpin from her forehead, and said with a triumphant smile: "Just take a piece of jewelry from the sisters as a reward, and whoever has better poems and songs can take a piece from everyone present." What do you think about the jewelry you like, and the loser can't refuse to play tricks?"

Listening to Concubine Hua's proposal, the Queen Mother glanced at Zhao Kehan.

Zhao Kehan ​​covered his lips with a fragrant handkerchief and smiled: "The proposal of the Empress Dowager Hua is interesting. Empress Dowager, Han'er also wants to compete with all the empresses in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, so that he can live up to today's lotus appreciation feast."

The Queen Mother has always doted on her, and after hearing Zhao Kehan's words, she said with a smile without saying a word: "Okay, okay, as you say."

Before the Queen Mother gave orders, Nanny Chen had already made arrangements.

She first asked everyone to draw lots, and then prepared pens and ink for them in order. Each concubine wrote the poems about lotus flowers that she thought of on paper, and then submitted them to the queen mother for review.

Although the queen mother is a general's wife, when she was still a lady in the boudoir, she also had a little understanding of piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, flower tea and so on.

Fruit wine and herbal tea were placed on the table. Shang Kelan put down the teacup, opened the lottery she had drawn and looked at it, and found that it said "one".

It means that she will write the poem first.

At this time, the dragonfly on her shoulder flew to the lotus beside her.

After the lottery was drawn, Zhao Kehan ​​said with a smile: "The daughter of the people has drawn the last lottery, which lady has drawn the first lottery?"

It is said that the concubines in the palace gather together for the lotus banquet, but in fact concubines below the fifth rank are not eligible to attend the banquet, so a total of 40 people came.

Shang Kelan lightly raised her hand and said, "Miss Zhao, what a coincidence, I got the first lottery."

Zhao Kehan's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile: "Concubine Chen is so lucky, then the folk girl will wait for Concubine Chen's masterpiece!"

After glancing at Zhao Kehan, Shang Kelan suddenly smiled, and after pondering for a moment, raised her eyes to look at the dragonfly in the lake and said: "The spring is silent and caressing the trickle, the shade of the tree shines on the water and the love is soft, and the little lotus only shows its sharp horns. A dragonfly has already stood on its head."

This poem is "Small Pond", which was written by Yang Wanli, a famous poet in the Song Dynasty. The situation and the scene just corresponded to his poem.

In such a banquet, Shang Kelan prefers to stay here quietly and enjoy the lotus. As for the talent competition, she is not very interested.

It's just that as soon as she finished speaking, many concubines in the corridor looked at her in astonishment, staring blankly and speechless.

Concubine Hua curled her lips, and said, "Concubine Chen is quite talented, but this poem from my palace is not bad either!"

As she said that, she was about to chant, but Zhao Kehan ​​stopped her voice: "Concubine Hua, the women think that Concubine Chen's poems are very good. According to the rules, Concubine Chen can choose a piece of jewelry now."

Although Zhao Kehan ​​spoke softly, her hands were secretly twisted together in her sleeves.

A dark light flashed in Zhao Kehan's eyes, she underestimated this concubine Chen, she was not as good as she looked on the surface.

Concubine Hua was interrupted by Zhao Kehan, and subconsciously retorted: "Miss Zhao, whether this poem is good or not, should be judged by the empress dowager!"

As soon as the words came out, the queen mother immediately glanced at her, and immediately, Concubine Hua fell silent and stopped talking.

But Shang Kelan looked at the Queen Mother and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, my concubine sees that the string of Buddhist beads in your hand is not bad, can you give it to my concubine?"

For a moment, there was a bit of silence in the air.

Even Zhao Kehan ​​couldn't understand Shang Kelan.

After a few seconds, others whispered:

"This Concubine Chen is really bold, she dared to ask the Queen Mother for something!"

(End of this chapter)