Yan Cigui

As Prince Li Shao was released from confinement and ascended the small throne, the impetuous atmosphere in the court gradually calmed down.

Your Majesty's attitude is here. The old accounts have become "old". It is obviously not a wise move to continue to make a fuss about His Highness before the Crown Prince causes other troubles.

 When the former dynasty rests, the harem naturally also rests.

In Cuihua Palace, the imperial concubine was the most deeply touched.

On the first day of November, a group of concubines came to say hello. They seemed friendly and less provocative.

This made the imperial concubine feel comfortable.

After everyone had dispersed, grandma gave her some tea and said with a slight smile: "You are in a good mood recently."

The imperial concubine also laughed.

 It’s more relaxed, who doesn’t like it?

Li Shao came to greet her on the day he was released from prison. He also asked her to say a few nice words in front of the Holy One.

The imperial concubine laughed heartily when she heard this.

 Kind words?

His Royal Highness, still need others to speak kindly in front of the Holy One? The prince himself is better than anything else if he doesn't do stupid things.

 She is really afraid of Li Shao.

Li Shao was honest, and her life was very easy. But Li Shao was seeking his own death, and she had to be involved.

 What is there to write?

 She has no son!

 She just wants to live a happy life.

In the past half month, the situation in the harem was calm, the emperor was not agitated, and he did not want to come to Cuihua Palace to relax. She did not even need to pick up the emperor, and lived a fairy life.

Of course, the imperial concubine cannot completely ignore the Lord.

After thinking for a while, she asked: "Have you picked out all the dowries for Princess Ning'an?"

Mammy said: "Everything is ready according to your wishes. It will be sent to Uncle Chengyi's house in a few days."

 The imperial concubine nodded, adjusted the pillow, lay down and closed her eyes to rest.

 She had had a good rest in the past few days, and she was not sleepy at all. Perhaps it was the incense that calmed her mind, and she gradually became sleepy, as her dreams changed.

 When I opened my eyes again, three quarters of an hour had passed.

The imperial concubine woke up and recalled those few dream fragments, her long eyelashes trembling.

 “Mom.” She spoke, her voice was hoarse.

Mammy thought her throat was dry from sleeping, so she quickly offered her a bowl of honey tea: "Moisten it."

The imperial concubine took a sip, and when she spoke again, her tone was the same as usual: "I originally had a handkerchief embroidered with green bamboo, do you still remember it?"

Mammy frowned and recalled: "I can't remember it."

“I remember that I brought the things in my boudoir to Qian Mansion, and also brought them when I entered the palace,” the imperial concubine said, “I haven’t used them in these years, I just don’t remember where I put them.”

Mammy is confused.

  In the boudoir?

That was twenty years ago.

Your Majesty is so tidy, what are you doing with an old veil?

"Look carefully," the imperial concubine did not explain, only asked, "Look for it as soon as possible."

 Grandma agreed.

The imperial concubine has lived in Cuihua Palace for a long time. After so many years, the palace has a lot of things.

Fortunately, the people below take care of it carefully. For a while, even if they are not sure where they will be stored, they can accurately list a few "where they will not be stored". After eliminating many places, the remaining ones are not. There are few, but there can still be a priority.

Mammy led people to search for it for three days, and finally found the handkerchief among a pile of old clothes in a camphor wood box.

The imperial concubine didn't bother with the veil, but instead missed the old clothes.

Some are in the boudoir, and some have just entered the Qianfu. They even keep the clothes they wore when they were newly crowned imperial concubines. After so many years, they must not be able to wear them anymore, but women love to be pretty, and they must look in the mirror and make gestures to reminisce. .

“I used to be so lively when I was young. How could I dare to wear this pink color before?”

 “The waist is so thin? Did I eat anything at that time?”

 “It was really hard to think about it before.”

Mammy stood aside and listened to her chatter. Thinking of the changes and experiences of the imperial concubine over the years, she really had a lot to say in her heart, but she didn't say anything in the end.

 What do those people do? The empress herself looked away.

The imperial concubine took her mind back from the old clothes and picked up the square veil again.

After all, it has been too many years. Even if it has been kept well, the veil cannot be new, and the green bamboo embroidered on the corner has also lost some color.

He stroked the bamboo leaves with his fingertips. The imperial concubine sat quietly for a while before folding the handkerchief neatly.

“Put it in the makeup list,” she said. “Get a box and put it in it.”

Mammy was surprised.

In fact, the imperial concubine and Princess Ning'an didn't have much friendship. They only wanted to pay their respects to the princess during the holidays.

When the princess comes out of the cabinet, it only depends on the relationship between her and the imperial concubine. The imperial concubine does not need to add makeup. It is only the empress who takes charge of the harem, so she has to add makeup to show her grace.

Climbing a relationship, referring to the marriage of the emperor and the Saint.

In such a situation, adding makeup is just a formality. It does not need to be rich. It is enough to choose a few gold, expensive and beautiful things to show the royal demeanor and blessings.

Carrying boxes one by one to Uncle Chengyi's Mansion is a matter for Cining Palace, and it is not Cuihua Palace's turn to take the limelight.

Therefore, a veil, or an old veil, is really out of place in the makeup book.

　What virtue and ability are there?

What is this veil for?

Mammy was muttering in her heart, but when she saw that the imperial concubine still had no intention of explaining, she did as she was told.

She chose a rosewood box of a suitable size. The box had a pattern of asparagus bone inlaid on the surface, which matched the handkerchief. There was a piece of red brocade cloth on the inside of the box, and the white handkerchief was very conspicuous when placed on it.

Of course, in Mammy’s words, this box is not worth many square veils, not to mention that the veil is still an old thing.

The box was shown to the imperial concubine, and when she nodded, the nanny was curious and asked tentatively: "Why did you prepare such a handkerchief for the princess?"

The imperial concubine was silent for a while, seeming to be thinking about something, and then said: "I just remembered it suddenly, but I didn't have any extra thoughts."

 with with the concubine.

 The first half of November went very fast.

 As the wedding day approaches, both the Duke of Fuguo and the Prince of Chengyi are very busy.

 On the seventeenth day, the sky was gloomy all afternoon. After dark, snow began to fall, and it fell slowly until dawn.

 This is the first snow this winter. It doesn’t accumulate much, but it makes the capital a lot colder.

 In the court room, charcoal basins have also been placed in the court room a few days ago, not only for Xu Jian, but also for several elderly adults.

 But after leaving the court room, the road to Jinluan Hall was freezing.

 The trail has been cleared and there is no snow left, but the floor tiles are slippery and not easy to walk on.

It wasn’t until we entered the main hall that it felt a little warmer.

There are also charcoal in the main hall, but unfortunately it is too empty and there are not many displays, so it can only be regarded as better than nothing.

An Yibo was absent-minded today, looking at Xu Jian from time to time, paying special attention to Xu Jian's standing posture.

 Obviously, Xu Jian was very uncomfortable.

 An Yibo sighed in his heart. What did Xu Jian tell him that day?

 “It’s already recovering, the problem is not big and it won’t delay things.”

“If I delay the wedding ceremony in the end, I’m afraid the princess will be so angry that she will throw the hijab directly on me.”

 Xu Jian has already said that, how can An Yibo still have the nerve to continue to persuade?

Now that I think about it, I should have given a few more words of advice at that time.

If he can't persuade him on his own, he should ask Uncle Cheng to come forward. Mr. Taishan's face will always be given to Xu Jian, right?

Now…

　　We are getting married in ten days. It is not appropriate to say that we need to take a break now.

 The main thing is that His Royal Highness is not suitable.

In any case, during this month, His Highness followed the Holy Father to the court, and then followed the Sangu after the court. It was very peaceful and practical.

An Yibo was still thinking to himself. It wasn't until Eunuch Cao shouted "Retreat from the court" that he came to his senses and sent him off respectfully.

 When the Holy Driver left, An Yibo hurriedly walked towards Xu Jian: "How is your injury? It's cold today. I think you're not feeling well."

 Xu Jian moved his right leg and said in a calm tone: "Same as usual, I'm passable."

An Yibo's words rolled over several times before he finally swallowed them all.

"Compared to my leg injury," Xu Jian said as he walked, "Uncle, I'd better worry about Yi Cheng."

"There will be no mistakes," An Yibo laughed, "for such an important matter as getting married, it must be in order. Speaking of which, Cining Palace will be decorated today."

Xu Jian nodded: "The imperial concubine also has a copy."

"She is indeed the apple of the Empress Dowager's eye," An Yibo stroked his beard, "I am really lucky to be able to marry the princess."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and patted Xu Jian on the shoulder.

Xu Jian laughed and raised the corners of his lips slightly: "Yes, you are blessed."

 The capital is particularly lively today.

 Huge gifts of makeup and gifts were sent out from the West Palace Gate and sent across the street to Uncle Chengyi's Mansion.

Grandpa Yu was sitting in the sedan chair, raising the curtain and listening to the discussions among the people watching, and he felt quite emotional for a while.

He also went to the uncle's house to announce the imperial decree granting marriage. It seemed like it was not long ago, but he didn't expect that the wedding would be coming in the blink of an eye.

Think about it again, and think of the several conversations between the princess and the Duke of Fu in Cining Palace...

This blink may be a little too slow.

Hey, lovers, not seeing each other for one day is like three autumns.

 The door to Uncle Chengyi's Mansion opens.

 Everyone in the house is ready and happily welcomes the gifts.

Eunuch Xiao announced the empress dowager’s oral instructions, read out the gift list, and then handed the list into Lin Yunyan’s hand: “Princess, the empress is reading it every day!”

Lin Yunyan smiled.

The grace from Cining Palace has just left, and the congratulatory gift from Cuihua Palace has also arrived.

The round-faced grandma was beaming with joy, and all she spoke was auspicious words. The gift booklet she gave contained only a thin piece of paper, but everything was exquisite and luxurious. The only thing that sounded simple was "a square of green bamboo handkerchief."

 In the atmosphere of harmony and excitement, no one cared about what kind of veil it was.

 After everyone in the palace left, Mrs. Chen helped Lin Yunyan sort out all the makeup, move it into the warehouse, and wait for the makeup to be delivered to the Duke Fuguo's Mansion.

It was during this process that Lin Yunyan saw the veil.

 The "old" can be seen at a glance, but it is packed in a delicate box, which makes people confused.

Lin Yunfang came over, turned the handkerchief over and over, and then gave Lin Yunyan a very puzzled look.

 The cloth is naturally good, but no matter how expensive it is, it is not expensive.

The embroidery is not bad, but it is definitely not done by everyone. If we really compete, their eldest sister’s embroidery work is better.

Why did the imperial concubine send such a veil?

“Could it be that the empress used it when she was young?” Lin Yunfang guessed.

Lin Yunyan shook her head.

 She had not seen this veil, nor had she ever seen it before.

 In other words, she has not had much interaction with the imperial concubine.

She also couldn't understand the imperial concubine's idea of ​​sending this square veil, but her intuition told her that there should be a reason.

Taking the handkerchief from Lin Yunfang's hand, Lin Yunyan looked over it again and again. She really couldn't see any clues. With a thought in her mind, she took the handkerchief and asked Lin Yunjing.

Lin Yunjing was outside on the corridor, talking to Mrs. Huang with a smile. The mother and daughter were very happy when they talked about something that got them excited.

 “Sister.” Lin Yunyan called her.

Lin Yunjing spoke to Mr. Huang and walked to Lin Yunyan: "What's wrong?"

“Sister, please help me look at this veil,” Lin Yunyan asked. “The imperial concubine sent it, but I can’t understand it.”

Lin Yunjing responded, looking around and frowning.

 It couldn't be seen on the fabric, she was more focused on the embroidery.

 This is what Lin Yunjing is good at, so she looks at it very carefully.

"It can be seen that it has been practiced," she said, "but it is not that outstanding, just above average, but the silk thread used is very good. Although it is old and faded, it is very even. It can be used with this cloth, This person, not only must be from the palace, but also from a family like ours..."

Lin Yunjing paused. She even raised the veil, looked at the sun and examined it carefully, and then said, "I think I've seen it before."

Lin Yunyan blinked, slightly surprised: "Have you seen it before?"

"I'm talking about the embroidery skills. This handkerchief may be older than me," Lin Yunjing frowned, "I'm not impressed, I can't remember it for a while."

Lin Yunyan understood what she meant.

Lin Yunjing may have seen other things embroidered by the person who embroidered the veil.

“Then please help me recall more memories, elder sister,” Lin Yunyan said with a smile, “If you think of anything, you must tell me.”

Lin Yunjing nodded.

Then, as if she thought of something, she raised her hand and tapped Lin Yunyan's nose gently.

"There are still things I want to recall for you," Lin Yunjing winked playfully, "I didn't tell you last time, but I seemed to think that my second brother-in-law's voice sounded familiar, so I had to think of it and tell you."

At the word "Second brother-in-law," Lin Yunyan didn't laugh yet. Lin Yunfang, who followed her out, laughed first.

Seeing the sisters laughing non-stop, Lin Yunyan couldn't help laughing.

"Think about it, think about it quickly!" She knew her sisters were teasing her, so she was not embarrassed. She raised her chin and said, "You can't let me worry so much that I don't even think about getting married."

Uncle Chengyi was laughing and chatting in Yan Yan's house, and on the street, there were countless people watching who were talking about it with great interest.

 In a private room of a teahouse, Xu Jian drank tea in silence.

 After waiting for almost a quarter of an hour, Xuan Su came in from outside.

“Sir,” he said respectfully in a low voice, “there is one at the entrance of Diagon Alley, and there is another sitting in the lobby below, the same people who have been following me for the past two days.”

 Xu Jian nodded slightly.

 He knew that he was being followed for more than ten days.

 His fingertips tapped his right leg twice, Xu Jian looked very calm.

No matter whose manpower it is, what the other party is most interested in is definitely not his whereabouts, but his leg injury... (End of this chapter)