The Royal Merchant of the Red Chamber

The next day is the [-]th of the twelfth lunar month.In Beijing, all those who have titles and patents will wear court clothes according to their ranks.Sitting in chariots, horses and sedan chairs, they entered the palace in order to congratulate them.After a year, the towering and majestic Daming Palace is still solemn and majestic, with patches of red walls and yellow tiles under the heavy snow, which has a kind of frightening charm.

Unlike previous years when they entered the palace with lowered eyebrows and restrained eyes to receive the banquet, this year's Rongning Second Mansion seemed to be more elated and high-spirited.

With the support of Wang Xifeng, Jia Mu, who was riding in a sedan chair for eight people, walked over slowly.Mrs. Xue immediately got the report from the servants, she immediately got off the sedan chair and greeted her, and greeted her, "It's cold and slippery, the old lady just sits in the sedan chair and waits, why did she come out?"

Jia Mu laughed and said, "Even if you are sitting now, can you still enter in a sedan chair later? Although the family members in the palace have the honor of riding in a sedan chair, it must be the Empress of the Central Palace and the respectable concubines in front of the Holy Majesty." Yes. It would be good for our mother to catch up with family visits this year, and no matter what, I dare not expect extravagantly."

Although he said so in his mouth, the vow made by Jia Mu's eyebrows made people feel that he was duplicity.

Xue Pan also got down from the sedan chair, saluted Jia Mu and said, "I have seen the old ancestor."

After not seeing each other for a year, Mother Jia still likes this junior who can make a lot of trouble wherever he goes.Immediately said: "I haven't seen you this year, but you have grown taller. It's just that you have lost a lot of weight. Presumably life in the military camp is not as comfortable as in the capital?"

Xue Pan smiled and replied, "That's natural."

Mother Jia nodded with a smile and said, "You have been in Tianjin Wei for a year, but you don't know much about the things in Beijing. Our relatives' garden has already been built, and the Holy Father has also granted our mother-in-law to come back on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Visiting relatives at home. You also come to join in the celebration when the time comes. "

Xue Pan frowned in some embarrassment, and said, "It's good for the ancestors to be kind. But I'm a foreigner, so I'm afraid it's inappropriate to go?"

Jia Mu shook her head and said: "What's wrong with this, you are also a relative of your own family, aren't you? Besides, you and the imperial concubine have some fate. If you hadn't said a word in front of the Holy One, Baoqin would have died long ago. Maybe today..."

Jia Mu smiled, swallowed the last half of the sentence and did not say it.

Nowadays Xue Pan's decency in front of the Holy Majesty is well known to the world.Although Yuanchun of his own family was conferred the title of Concubine Xiande, the well-informed people in Shenjing knew that the Holy Majesty had not set foot in the harem for more than half a year because of the unrest in the past.And after their family Yuanchun got the title, she never even served her bed.Naturally, Mother Jia knew exactly what methods the second child's family used to secure the concubine position in Yuanchun and Jin Dynasties.And although she didn't speak, she acquiesced.After all, no matter how gentle and pleasant a daughter-in-law who has lost her selfish morality is, she can't compare to the imperial concubine who can make the whole family respectable...

Thinking of this, Mother Jia sighed inexplicably.The most urgent task at the moment is to make the concubine Yuan Chun's name justified. If there is a chance to give birth to an imperial heir, their Jia family will really stand firm in the harem.

And the Jia family has been out of power for many years, so they can't speak in the palace.The only thing she can count on is this cousin who is not far away or not close.

Xue Pan naturally knew what Mother Jia was thinking.But ever since the Rongguo Mansion dared to take human life for the concubine of Yuanchun, Xue Pan no longer planned to pay attention to the affairs of the Rongning Second Mansion.Although it's not enough to be old and dead, but it is more difficult to ask him to say a word or do one thing for the Jia family.

While talking at this moment, I suddenly heard the ceremonial officer in front ordering everyone to stand in line according to their rank.The rules in the palace are strict, so if the ceremonial official said this, everyone could not speak anymore.Xue Pan smiled apologetically at Mother Jia, and followed Xue Zhizhang.

After a year, Xue Pan saw Tu Zhen for the first time.He was wearing a dragon robe and sitting on the dragon chair.The expression is indifferent and alienated, the whole body is solemn and solemn, and the emperor's aura is directly displayed in every gesture.

Xue Pan stood among the crowd and moved step by step following the voice of the ceremonial official, bowing, kneeling, kowtow, shouting long live, getting up again, kneeling...

After three prostrations and nine prostrations, the banquet in the palace began.

Qi Kuo's majestic ceremony and music suddenly sounded, and the gorgeously dressed and graceful singer danced in the field, with flying skirts and dancing sleeves.The maids dressed in silk and silk shuttled around the banquet with dishes, and the most respectable royal relatives in front of them toasted and complimented the Holy Majesty and the Emperor together.

Different from Tu Zhen's indifference and indifference when he came to the throne in the first year, there were obviously more palace ministers who greeted the Holy One at today's banquet.Even those old ministers who tended to the emperor would not forget to say hello to the emperor after flattering him.

And Tu Zhen, with a perfect mask on his face, circled among the princes and dignitaries, always remembering to take care of the emperor's emotions and flattering words without a trace.The emperor also responded with a loving face. The father is kind and the son is filial and happy. It is really a picture of family happiness.

All the people present at the banquet were not in the mood to eat, and they were busy greeting the ministers who came and went.Because of the fact that the Tianjin Wei Artillery Battalion won the championship in one fell swoop, Xue Pan has also become the main target of the ministers' greetings this year.

Glasses of water and wine, and a sentence of flattery were poured out without money.The words that Xue Pan heard the most today are "young and promising... the young phoenix is ​​as good as the old phoenix... the brilliance of the lintel..."

The banquet didn't end until two hours later.The food and drink on the banquet had long been cold and greasy, and there was no trace of heat.After shouting long live, everyone filed out of the main hall of Qianqing Palace.When he reached the white jade steps, he saw Dai Quan coming out of the Qianqing Palace, and said softly, "By the sage's orders, the eldest son of Zhongxin Hou, the first-class guard with a knife, Xue Pan, will have an audience at the Hall of Mental Cultivation—"

Xue Pan respectfully received the decree to thank him, and then followed Dai Quan into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Among the crowd, everyone looked at Xue Panshi's leaving back eagerly, and there was another burst of discussion.

And the members of the Jia family in the corner are even more determined to win over the Xue family...

After saluting and accepting the banquet, Xue Pan went straight to the Hall of Mental Cultivation in Qianqing Palace under the guidance of the young eunuch.At that time, the Qianqing Palace was brightly lit and the candles were flickering.Xue Pan waited for only a moment, and then Tu Zhen, who was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, strolled over.

Xue Pan tilted his head and looked carefully, only to feel that he hadn't seen him for a year. Tu Zhen's stature was gradually growing, and he was tall and tall.The aura of Huanghuangzhehua lingering around him became more and more intense, his eyes were clear and soft, showing two points of decisiveness.Already a mature king.

Walking up to Xue Pan, Tu Zhen slightly hooked the corners of his mouth.Suddenly all the dignified and solemn feeling disappeared.The Tu Zhen who stood in front of Xue Pan became the fourth master who forced Xue Pan to talk to him many years ago in the plum forest of the Xue family's old house in Jinling.

Xue Pan pulled the corners of his mouth, revealing a row of dazzling white teeth.He bowed and saluted and said: "Fourth Master is well, and Fourth Master has a happy New Year."

Tu Zhen hooked the corner of his mouth, took out a red envelope painted with lacquerwork from his arms, handed it to Xue Pan, and said, "Good boy."

As he spoke, he reached out and stroked Xue Pan's neck.

Xue Pan's face darkened, and he snatched the red envelope from Tu Zhen's hand and opened it on the spot, only to find a small portrait of Tu Zhen standing with his hands behind his back. What?"

Tu Zhen hooked the corners of his mouth in a leisurely manner, and said softly: "Of course it is my portrait, if you miss me, take it out and have a look, so as not to cry."

Xue Pan's face turned livid in an instant, he gave Tu Zhen a vicious look, and said in his heart, "Mensao."

Although Tu Zhen didn't know what "Men Sao" meant, but seeing Xue Pan's description and behavior, he knew it was not a good word.It's just that it's inconvenient to do anything now while wearing a heavy dragon robe, so he didn't bother with Xue Pan. After ordering Dai Quan to serve tea and cakes, he went to the side hall to change into his regular clothes.

Xue Pan, who was not full at the banquet at that time, sat on the kang in the Nuan Pavilion and ate cakes with milk tea, as well as exquisite beef jerky that Dai Quan specially ordered from the small kitchen.Seeing Tu Zhen standing confidently beside the lantern in royal blue uniform, Xue Pan quickly waved and said, "I don't think the Holy Majesty is full, why don't we eat some together—the banquet in the palace hasn't changed for so many years, and the rules are great." It’s so bad, I can’t wait to stop for half an hour after taking a bite of food. In the end, the food in my mouth is cold and greasy, and I have no appetite at all.”

Seeing Xue Pan's endless complaints, Tu Zhen shook his head and chuckled.I just felt that the alienation and burnout that I had just felt at the banquet were all gone.Immediately with his clothes down, he sat opposite Xue Pan and gave Dai Quan a wink.

Dai Quan immediately bowed and retreated, but after a while, the court ladies with exquisite clothes and pretty faces came in one by one with the dishes just prepared in the small kitchen. retreated.

"Knowing that you must not have enough to eat, I specially ordered the small kitchen to cook some of your favorite dishes and heat them up in the pot. Hurry up and eat!" As he said, Tu Zhen personally served Xue Pan a bowl of Bijou meal.

Xue Pan had long been used to Tu Zhen's erratic behavior from time to time, so he didn't show any flattery at this moment.He took the rice handed over by Tu Zhen very naturally, and took a serving of chopsticks for Tu Zhen to pick up his favorite mutton.He opened his mouth and said: "Although it is Chinese New Year, there is a big banquet in the palace, so you should eat some chicken, duck and fish. But the taste of the Holy One is light, and I am impatient with these meaty things. Why don't you ask them to do 'Four Fours to the End', and the Holy Majesty eats it. Also a lot more comfortable.”

Tu Zhen smiled slightly, and said softly, "Although 'Fourth to the End' is a set of vegetarian dishes, it takes more time and effort to make than these things. Now that the treasury is empty, and the emperor advocates frugality, Naturally, we must pay special attention to food, clothing, housing and transportation.”

Xue Pan curled his lips disapprovingly, and said, "I made the drawings of Qiankun Palace together. Now that my family is in charge of the procurement affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I naturally know the daily expenses of Qiankun Palace. This will My son thought of frugality again."

Tu Zhen frowned, and gave Xue Pan a warning look.

Xue Pan snorted twice unconvinced, bowed his head to eat and stopped talking.Since he got up in the morning, he has been busy with various matters of entering the palace, and he hasn't had a serious meal, so he's already so hungry right now.

Tu Zhen didn't speak, and sat aside to pick up chopsticks for Xue Pan from time to time, but he didn't eat much.But he always eats less, and he doesn't feel hungry.

After three rounds of meals, Xue Pan's feeling of hunger finally improved a lot, so he picked up the brocade handkerchief on the side and wiped the corners of his mouth. Looking at the almost untouched food in front of Tu Zhen, he knew that he was just impatient to eat this, Frowning, he called out, "Dai Quan?"

Dai Quanxian, who didn't know where to hide in the next moment, was in front of the two of them.

"Take me to the small kitchen." Xue Pan said, and got up to go to the ground.

Tu Zhen quickly asked, "Okay, what are you doing in the small kitchen?"

"I'm not full, so I'll go see what else is in the small kitchen." Xue Pan said, waving his hand at Tu Zhen and saying, "Sit here for a while, and I'll be right back."

With that said, Tu Zhen was not allowed to reply, and immediately dragged Dai Quan out.

Tu Zhen sat on the kang, looked at Xue Pan's enthusiastic figure, and shook his head helplessly.

In the other room, Xue Pan followed Dai Quan to the small kitchen, looked at the cooks who were on duty all night and ordered: "Get me some water and flour."

All the cooks looked at each other, and even Dai Quan asked in confusion, "Young Master, is this going to..."

"Don't worry about it, hurry up and do what I say." Xue Pan said, washing his hands with clean water.

Dai Quan also ordered everyone to prepare water and flour, and Xue Pan asked someone to get some clean carrots, spinach, black rice noodles and eggs.He ordered everyone to squeeze the juice out of carrots and spinach, and make five colored doughs with egg yolks and black rice noodles.

He also ordered everyone to press the dough into sheets one by one, and he stacked the five-color dough sheets together, stuck them with clean water, then cut off the dough sheets with even width with a kitchen knife, and finally killed them with clean dough sheets. The dead press ensures that it will not fall apart when boiled in hot water.Finally, use a fine carving knife to carve beautiful patterns around the dough.This was thrown into the hot soup and boiled.

After adding seasonings and green vegetables according to Tu Zhen's taste, Xue Pan was afraid that his skills would not be good enough, so he specially added some seafood such as shrimp and crab roe to taste.After nesting two more poached eggs in clear water, he returned to the Qianqing Palace with the colored noodles.

This is the only dish that Xue Pan can cook in the past and present life. In the previous life, it was to coax the elders of the female family to give him more pocket money, so he specially learned it from the nanny at home.Just because the colorful noodles look very beautiful, and they taste like refreshing vegetables and the strength of brown rice.It is very popular with the female elders in the family.

As for why he cooked it for Tu Zhen in this life, Xue Pan never thought about it at all.

The blue and white porcelain Timbai bowl containing colorful noodles was placed in front of Tu Zhen.Tu Zhen raised his eyebrows suspiciously, looking at the crystal-clear and colorful noodles in the bowl against the shiny white and tender poached eggs, and the most tender heart part of the green vegetables carefully picked out by Xue Pan, taking advantage of the brightly colored shrimps and so on. The sea objects look more and more beautiful and clear under the illumination of the palace lanterns.

Tu Zhen couldn't help but look up at Xue Pan.

Xue Pan handed over the chopsticks with anticipation, and said, "Try it, I haven't made it for a long time, and my skills are unfamiliar. But most of the seasonings are made by the imperial chefs, so it shouldn't be too unpalatable."

Tu Zhending took a look at Xue Pan, then looked down at the colorful noodles in front of him, and slightly licked the corners of his mouth.

Pick up a noodle and chew it in your mouth. You can only feel the aroma of vegetables and the strength of coarse grains in your mouth. The noodle soup is a seafood soup made by the chefs before. It tastes fresh and mellow, and you can't help your appetite Wide open.

Xue Pan sat opposite Tu Zhen with his cheeks in his hands, and asked impatiently, "How does it taste?"

Tu Zhen nodded and said, "The taste is not bad."

Saying that, he lowered his head and took another bite.

Seeing Tu Zhen eating noodles with a serious attitude towards state affairs, Xue Pan couldn't help laughing softly.

Tu Zhen looked up at Xue Pan, then lowered his head to eat noodles.

In fact, Xue Pan's craftsmanship is not a bit worse than that of the imperial cooks in the palace and those concubines who have been working for a long time.But for some reason, when Tu Zhen ate this bowl of poorly crafted noodles, he just felt that it was more delicious than anything he had eaten before.Tu Zhen, who has always followed the ancestral system of not eating more than three, ate a whole bowl of noodles without saying a word, and even drank up the noodle soup.

He already had a small appetite, and he ate a few mouthfuls of food at the banquet today, so he wasn't really hungry at all.Now after eating a bowl of noodles and soup, I just feel that my stomach is swollen and I feel very uncomfortable.

Xue Pan in the other room was also dumbfounded looking at the clean blue and white porcelain bowl.He knew Tu Zhen's eating habits, at best he could eat half a bowl of noodles, and now he ate up a large bowl of noodles, although his face was expressionless, his body still didn't know how uncomfortable it was!

Shaking his head helplessly at the moment, he said, "I'm a bit full from eating, why don't you accompany me for a walk outside?"

Tu Zhen glanced at Xue Pan and nodded slightly.

The night is deep, and everything is still.A round of clear moon hangs high in the dark night, emitting a soft radiance.I don't know when, the sky is full of snowflakes again.The white snowflakes are flying in the air, against the clear light of the moonlit night, it is extraordinarily quiet and tranquil.

Xue Pan and Tu Zhen strolled in the plum garden in the harem of Qianqing Palace. The clusters of red plums bloomed in the snow and frost, which were particularly eye-catching.A burst of fragrance lingered in the nose, and the two of them made a "creaking" sound as they stepped on the thick snow, but other than that, no one heard it.

Walking and walking, it seems that there is only each other left in the world, walking side by side quietly.

Tu Zhen stretched out his hands from under the black fox fur cloak and inserted them into Xue Pan's white fox fur cloak. He went down the arm and held Xue Pan's hand straight down. His fingers were interlocked and his palms were pressed against each other. Post up.

Xue Pan looked up at Tu Zhen, but Tu Zhen remained silent.Xue Pan looked at Tu Zhen who felt a little relieved because he stretched out his arms, and the cold wind blew into the cloak along the gap, Xue Pan frowned and said, "Aren't you cold?"

Tu Zhen looked ahead and replied solemnly: "It's not cold."

Xue Pan: "..."

The two walked two more steps in such a silent manner, Xue Pan looked at Tu Zhen, whose face was quite pale due to the cold wind soaking in, and under the moonlight, his eyebrows became more refined and his complexion more elegant.Just like the red plums in this garden, they are clear and cold, with a proud demeanor, but they are red and fiery in their hearts.

Xue Pan sighed slightly, stopped and asked, "Do you really want to touch me?"

Tu Zhen also stopped, turned around and looked at Xue Pan quietly.

Xue Pan only felt his temples beating slightly, and immediately reached out to block Tu Zhen's hand holding him.A look of sadness flashed in Tu Zhen's eyes, and he lowered his arms obediently and put them into the cloak.Before he could feel lost in the future, he felt warm in his arms. It was actually Xue Pan who hugged his waist and buried his face in his arms. The fox fur cloak on his body was also carefully wrapped around his chest. All exposed gaps are covered.

Tu Zhen only felt a warmth in his chest, and when he came to his senses, he had firmly wrapped his arms around Xue Pan's slender waist.The soft touch made Tu Zhen couldn't help closing his arms and hugging Xue Pan tightly.The two of them just stood still, hugging each other, in the plum grove full of red plums, the cold moonlight was covered with a layer of silver light and shone on the two of them.Large flakes of snowflakes flew down from the sky, but within a short while they were covered with snowflakes.

The world is so big, only you and me are left.

Xue Pan raised his head, stood on tiptoe, leaned forward and kissed Tu Zhen lightly.Said softly: "Have I told you that if possible, I hope to be with you for the rest of my life."

A gleam of light flashed in Tu Zhen's eyes, and his forehead was lightly pressed against Xue Pan's, with the tip of his nose facing the tip of his nose. The breath he exhaled could easily be transferred to another person, and the temperature of the other person's breath was also the same. Respond warmly.The curvature of Tu Zhen's lips gradually deepened, exuding a hint of happiness.He said softly, "I've never said that I like you."

It's me, not me.

Pan'er, I want you to know that the one who wants to be with you has always been me, not me.So no matter how hard it is in the future, I will never give up on you for anything.Because I have a lot of things.And I have nothing but you.

At this moment, Xue Pan looked at Tu Zhen firmly, and seemed to be able to see what he was thinking from his clear and soft eyes.The cold snowflakes fell on the face and body, turning into snow water and icy cold.Xue Pan only felt sober and calm like never before. He slowly moved up with his arms around Tu Zhen's waist until they wrapped around his neck, and then pressed down Tu Zhen's head with a little force.

Looking at Tu Zhen who was staring at him firmly, he said firmly, "I love you."

Tu Zhen only felt his heart skip a beat, and then stopped for an unknown amount of time before beating violently as if it was about to pop out.He hugged Xue Pan tightly in his arms, buried his head in Xue Pan's crest, and took several breaths.I just felt that my head was blank, and indescribable joy spread all over my body in an instant.At this moment, Tu Zhen actually had the urge to put this huge country in front of Xue Pan, and just begged him not to forget this sentence.

Xue Pan stuck to Tu Zhen's body, and naturally felt Tu Zhen's real emotion and joy.Happily stretching his brows and eyes, Xue Pan raised his head, and gently kissed Tu Zhen's lips.

Feeling unacceptable, going deeper.