Tangled

In a blink of an eye, it was October 28, the Empress Dowager's birthday, and the Shoukang Palace held a grand feast. The concubines and concubines of each mansion ordered their wives to bring their family members of three ranks or above into the palace to pay homage.

"This is the list of gifts from the Shangqing Palace this year, please have a look at it." Zhen'er stood beside the imperial concubine's bed and presented the list in her hand.

"You have been with Bengong all these years, and Bengong believes in you." Su Qingwan glanced roughly, but did not take it, then closed her eyes, "Call me later when the time comes."

"Young Madam and Second Miss are here." A little maid stepped forward and said respectfully.

"Please come in quickly." Su Qingwan opened her eyes in surprise. Since entering the palace, she has not seen her family for five years.

A servant girl had already opened the door curtain and led the two of them in.

"See Concubine Shu." Su Yang's Yang Qingliu and Su Qingshu performed the ceremony as usual.

"Get up quickly." Su Qingwan was supported by Zhen'er, and walked to the bed, "After a few years of separation, my sister-in-law's appearance has not changed much."

"Ms. Concubine Shu's complexion is rosy. I think her body has recovered better in recent days." Su Yangqingliu let Su Qingwan hold hands, after all, it is a family, and she is naturally kind when she sees her.

"How is home?" Su Qingwan was a little anxious, leaving home and entering the palace, only letters can slightly relieve the pain of homesickness.

"Everything is fine at home, so don't worry too much about Concubine Shu. My father and my husband went west a few days ago on orders. My mother caught a cold a few days ago, and now she's mostly healed. For the birthday banquet, there will be only me and my younger sister." Yang Qingliu said, "Mother is suffering from the cold, and it's because I, the daughter-in-law, didn't take good care of me. Please forgive me, Concubine Shu."

"My mother is old, and these small pathogens are common occurrences. My sister-in-law takes care of the housework and manages the Su family, so why blame her?" Su Qingwan patted Yang Qingliu's hand, and then looked at Su Qingshu, "I haven't seen you for a few years, Younger sister is already a grown-up girl, do you have a sweetheart? If so, tell elder sister, elder sister has gone to ask the emperor to marry you."

"Sister Wan likes to joke the most, and I don't know who she learned it from." Su Qingshu said, but blushed, and lowered her head to twist the handkerchief in her hand, "I'm only 12 years old now, why would my sweetheart tell me. "

"Look at her." Su Qingwan pursed her lips into a smile, and then looked at Yang Qingliu, "Little sister, please ask sister-in-law to be more considerate."

"That's natural." Yang Qingliu blessed her body, and then said softly, "Qingjuan in Aunt Li's room is already old enough, what Daddy means is that if Madam needs it, I will let you know at any time."

"Why bother?" Su Qingwan shook her head lightly, thinking of what Mu Xiaoxiao said at that time, "Let Daddy find a better family for her to marry, I am like a fish in water in this palace, why should she not?" quiet."

"I would like to follow your mother's orders." Yang Qingliu nodded.

"Let's go, go to Shoukang Palace earlier." Su Qingwan raised her hand to hold Yang Qingliu's arm, "Let my younger sister avoid the birthday banquet later, I don't know what you have in mind for the female family members."

"Yes." Yang Qingliu replied.

·

"It's really lively in the palace today." Mu Xiaoxiao sat in front of the window, listening to the din of people outside the courtyard.

"All the female family members brought their birthday gifts to the palace to meet them. How could they miss such an excellent opportunity." Mu Luoluo responded while checking the birthday gifts of Guanglutang.

"Great opportunity?" Mu Xiaoxiao refused to accept it, after all, she has always been a concubine, and she was not favored, so she seemed out of place with the upper class.

"The empress dowager's birthday banquet, the emperor will definitely come. If you want to dress up your daughter, it is not impossible to enter the palace in the future. Even if you don't want to go to the palace, you can still hold eyes for the children of the right age at home." Mu Luoluo said, although she never Participated in the banquet of the harem, but always participated in the banquet of the big family with the mother.

"That's true, the ten halls of Yan Luo announced the good news at the same time, and each family has its own ghost thoughts." Mu Xiaoxiao pursed her lips and smiled.

"The emperor has spoiled you, and now you speak so freely." Mu Luoluo walked over and flicked Mu Xiaoxiao's forehead lightly, "Everything is packed, let's go."

"Sister is used to making fun of people." Mu Xiaoxiao got up, wearing a rare red dress.

·

The Shoukang Palace was rarely lively. Before the banquet started, there were small groups of female relatives from various families.

"Hi Concubine Shu." Mu Xiaoxiao walked to Su Qingwan's side and blessed her body, "Blessings are the major general's wife."

"Your sister is very polite." Su Qingwan raised her hand falsely.

"Good luck to the noble man." Yang Qingliu returned the salute, and then nodded towards Mu Luoluo, "I haven't seen you for a long time, how are you doing recently? Mother has been thinking about it, and when the noble man entered the palace, she couldn't help her."

"Mrs. Laosu is worried, everything is fine." Mu Luoluo replied while saluting.

Seeing this, Yang Qingliu understood and stopped talking.

"Have you prepared all the birthday gifts?" Su Qingwan asked casually.

"It's already prepared, but the Mu family is humble, so the birthday gifts they prepared are naturally not comparable to Concubine Shu." Mu Xiaoxiao smiled timidly.

"What's the matter with my sister, as long as you have the heart, there is no such thing as precious or not." Su Qingwan patted the back of Mu Xiaoxiao's hand lightly, her eyes met Mu Luoluo's, her mind was clear.

·

The birthday star hadn't taken his seat yet, and the concubines and family members of each palace were seated according to their status, and there was a little chatter among the neighboring seats.

Mu Luoluo stood behind Mu Xiaoxiao, through the noisy observation, all the concubines and concubines were present today, and those who were not healthy enough to avoid the routine worship also attended the ceremony.

It was the first time that Mu Luoluo met the eldest princess' biological mother, He Meiren, who was already in her mid-mature years. After all, she should be the emperor's servant girl.Seemingly noticing Mu Luoluo's gaze, He Meiren nodded slightly. Mu Luoluo blessed her body, which was regarded as a courtesy.

"My princess is here!" Mu Luoluo and Mu Xiaoxiao were both stunned as the father-in-law sang loudly.

"Princess?" Mu Luoluo whispered, isn't the middle palace vacant?

The first princess is about thirteen or fourteen years old, and her mother's face can be vaguely glimpsed in her appearance. She is also gentle and elegant, with a dignified demeanor.

"There is a vacancy in the middle palace, where is the first princess? Besides, she has never seen her before." Wu Meiren, who entered the palace at the same time as Mu Xiaoxiao, asked what the Mu family sisters were thinking.

"Although the middle palace is vacant, before His Majesty ascended the throne, there was a Di Fujin. After His Majesty ascended the throne, he was posthumously conferred the title of Empress Ren Xiaosheng. This Princess Heshuo is naturally also the Di Princess." Ruan Meiren patiently explained, "Your Majesty loves the house and Wu. Princess Shuo is also doted on in every way, the princess was raised in the empress dowager's palace when she was young, but later she felt restricted by the palace, so she went to the palace and seldom came back."

"Speaking of which, Princess Heshuo is also pitiful. She lost her mother since she was a child." Jiang Meiren, who was sitting next to Mu Xiaoxiao, sighed softly, looking at the young but well-mannered Princess Heshuo, her eyes were full of pity, Although I was raised in the Princess Garden, I can still come back to me during the holidays.”

"I think the princesses will be here in a while." Ruan Meiren smiled slightly, a little envious. In this deep palace, even if it is not for fame, it is good to have a son and a half daughter.

The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was interested. Mu Luoluo memorized the words of the two beauties one by one, and became interested in and suspicious of the empress of benevolence and filial piety.

Mu Luoluo raised her head inadvertently, and met Su Qingwan's smiling gaze, and Mu Luoluo also smiled lightly. The only thing left in their eyes was each other, as if everything in the world was just a soft wind.

·

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is here!"

"See the emperor, the empress dowager, long live the emperor, long live the empress dowager, and the empress dowager." All the concubines and female relatives stood up to salute.

Watching all the way, when the emperor and empress dowager were seated, just now the father-in-law shouted for peace.All the concubines and female family members thanked En and took their seats, and the maidservants of each family knelt down and waited on them.

"Today is the Empress Dowager's birthday. It's a day of great joy. You don't have to be too restrained." The emperor said in a golden way, but few people can truly be free.

The empress dowager smiled, looking at the audience full of princesses and princes, there were also joyful children and grandchildren.Mu Luoluo watched from afar, recalling that when her mother was alive, she once went to her grandfather's house to celebrate the birthday of the grandma of the Feng family. The banquet was also held like this, but it was more humane. Come to think of it, this is the Tianjiao royal family and ordinary people. difference.

At the very beginning of the banquet, there was a gift offering, and they were counted one by one according to the position.

"Zihua Palace presents a pair of red corals, a pair of white marble paperweights, five pairs of Langhao pens, and a string of sandalwood beads."

"Sister An is indeed from a scholarly family, and the gifts she gives are all so elegant." Concubine Zhang De laughed.

"My sister was joking. I just want the Empress Dowager to worship Buddha, and I often copy Buddhist scriptures on weekdays, so I just offer a good pen." Concubine An Xian nodded slightly.

"They are all good children with a heart." The Empress Dowager nodded, looking quite satisfied.

To be appreciated by the empress dowager is to be favored by the emperor, and the concubine's conjectures about the holy will are also the eight immortals crossing the sea to show their magical powers.Mu Luoluo lowered her head, Guanglutang will be fine.

"Yanqing Palace presents a pair of Hetian jade bracelets, a pair of golden arm bracelets in the form of dragon and phoenix, a pair of pinched gold red agate plates, and a pair of pinched gold white agate plates."

"Compared to Sister An, a concubine who is so rich and silver seems unbearably vulgar." Concubine Song laughed.

"The noble concubine's family is rich and rich, which is unmatched by others." The empress dowager replied with a smile, "This agate plate is really beautiful. When there are lychees in the coming year, the Ai family will use this plate to reward the noble concubine with a plate of lychees."

"Thank you, Empress Dowager!" Concubine Song was overjoyed and got up to thank her.

Concubine Song always liked to eat lychees, but it was not easy to store them. Every year, the imperial palace did not have rich lychees, and it was a great gift for one person to get one. Now the empress dowager said that the lychees in Yanqing Palace in the coming year would be indispensable.

"A pair of large gold silk enamel standing vases, a pair of dot emerald gold step shakers, a pair of red coral bead earrings, and a pair of live elk presented to the Shangqing Palace."

As soon as the eunuch finished speaking, a court lady led two elks to the table. The two female elks were docile and clingy.The elk seemed to understand human nature, gently licking the empress dowager's hand.

"Concubine Shu's gift is quite unique." The emperor cast a complimenting look at Su Qingwan.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your praise." Su Qingwan stood up supported by Zhen'er, blessed her body, "This elk was brought back from the northwest by my brother in the early spring. They were originally two cubs. After a year of feeding, they are quite healthy. Human nature, the empress dowager likes it, and it is also their blessing."

"Qingwan is just like her name, with a quiet and gentle temperament, and considerate." The empress dowager stroked the elk beside her, beaming with joy.

"Thank you Empress Dowager for your kindness." Su Qingwan blessed her body again, and sat down.

The empress dowager liked animals very much, and Mu Luoluo could tell when the maid took the cat away during the routine worship. Su Qingwan's gift really entered the empress dowager's heart.

"Six pairs of blue-and-white porcelain lamps, six octagonal glazed palace lanterns, one South China Sea luminous pearl, two pairs of pearls, two pairs of pressed lapels, and a pair of emerald jade bracelets are presented to Fulin Palace and the side palace of Shangqing Palace."