Story of Yanxi Palace: Red Seal Spring Star

Xiao Quanzi smiled and said: You don't need a confidant, adults are enough.Yingluo knew that it must be because he had heard a lot of things that Pearl said about herself and Fu Heng, so she smiled and said: "Pearl, I will tell you what I said in my room. She never mentions the things between you two, or else , you tell me?Xiao Quanzi immediately muttered: This... this...

Yingluo knew that he was afraid of pearls, so she smiled and said, "Is she really amazing?"Don't let you talk nonsense?Xiao Quanzi said with a smile: Elder sister likes to scold people with a straight face, but she is very kind to me, asking about my health, everything is well prepared, and it is convenient to take advantage of it.Seeing his appearance, Yingluo stretched out her hand, twisted his ear, and said, "You are truly blessed!"Xiao Quanzi immediately said: "This is all because the master is partial to the slave!"

Yingluo said: Is the pearl satisfied with you?

Xiao Quanzi said: You can ask your sister yourself!That day, she said to me, 'Xiao Quanzi, if you also travel far away, no one will warm my bed'.Yingluo laughed loudly, knowing that Xiao Quanzi was teasing herself, to teach herself to be happy, and said: Now she is warming my bed!The two talked for a while, and Xiao Quanzi finally said mysteriously: Master, please don't tell Sister Pearl, if she finds out that I am talking nonsense outside, I will kneel on the washboard.

Yingluo looked at him with a smile, and asked: Xiao Quanzi, are you happy?Xiao Quanzi said: Happy!Thank you master!Be merry too!From my slave's point of view, both the lord and the emperor value you so much, if you are not happy, who will be happy?Concubine Rong, I can't compare to you!What is that place in the palace, don't you know?Yingluo remembered what Concubine Rong said to herself that day, she couldn't help but smile, she nodded to Xiao Quanzi and said: You are the only one who is smart!I felt very warm in my heart, knowing that Xiao Quanzi, like Concubine Rong, was dedicated to making himself happy.

At night, under the lamp, Yingluo took out the thick stack of letters to read again.It was a letter that Fu Heng wrote to him. Fu Heng wrote it every day and saved it for ten days to deliver it, so Yingluo would receive three letters within a month.Just got the first ten.

One letter wrote: Yingluo, after crossing the Yellow River today, the smoke from cooking and farming on both sides reminds me of the rapeseed fields in Liulangzhuang.Are you OK?Does your baby make you feel tired?Fu Heng

One letter wrote: Yingluo, I got up early this morning to dance the sword and heard the crowing of the rooster. I remembered the farmer's family that my sister and I passed by when we went on an outing outside the city.The two of us drank a bowl of hot noodle soup that day. We had never had such a delicious noodle soup. After many years, my sister often mentioned it.Fu Heng

A letter wrote: I have traveled nearly [-] miles today, and I am tired, but I think if I can arrive one day earlier, I can return one day sooner.Miss you, Fu Heng

……

Yingluo has read these letters many times since the day she received them, but now under the lamp, seeing the words "Fu Heng" signed all over the paper, she still can't help but read the name softly.Pearl was embroidering the child's clothes under the lamp. Seeing Yingluo's expression, she smiled and said, "Your Excellency must be more diligent than this in delivering the emperor's military newspaper. You can send it with the military newspaper!"Yingluo put away the letters one by one, and said with a smile: It's not good to use power for personal gain.Then she began to write letters under the lamp. She also wrote letters to Fu Heng every day, and the messenger had already sent ten letters to Fu Heng.

When Fu Heng and his party arrived at the Qing army camp in Yili, Zhaohui greeted them from his tent.Seeing that Fu Heng was busy in the world, he was full of energy, so he hurriedly stepped forward to hug him affectionately, and said: "Long time no see, brother, you are still the same!"Fu Heng smiled and said, "General Zhaohui, are you here all right?"The emperor misses you often.The two talked about Yili's current situation in Zhaohui's tent, and Zhaohui asked Fu Heng to settle down in his own tent.

Fu Heng didn't feel tired, so he changed into his homely clothes and sat in front of the desk to read military books, while Zatiwei and Ah Zheng tidied up his clothes, luggage, and tent.After a while, the messenger delivered the letter from home.Seeing the thick stack of small light blue envelopes sprinkled with gold paper, Fu Heng was so happy that he couldn't bear to unpack and read. He looked at the stack of letters and drank a cup of tea before finally opening the first one. The envelope was also made of light blue Zhilan letter paper, and it read:

Young master, Yingluo dreamed of you wiping Yingluo's tears at night, you must have stayed up all night last night, right?Yingluo woke up after a good night's sleep and felt better, but she still felt very sad when she didn't know when she would see the young master again.The baby is moving a lot in the stomach today, he is also reluctant to let Ama leave, right?

This was written by Yingluo on the day Fu Heng left. After Fu Heng read it, his eyes became moist and he thought about Yingluo very much.Then he opened the second envelope and saw that it read:

Young master, last night Pearl slept next to me. I woke up at night and thought you were back, but in the end I was happy for nothing and cried again, but Pearl didn't know.During the day, Sister Hai came to accompany me, I slept on the bed, she sat on the couch, didn't say anything, I was just sad in my heart, but I listened to the young master and tried my best to eat.

The third letter reads:

Master, do you think I don't want to?When you didn't leave, I thought it was okay if you left, but I missed you so much.I had no choice but to tell my baby my thoughts, and I said to him: Your mother really, really, really misses you, Ama.He moved for a long time to respond to me, he misses you as much as I do.

……

Eighth letter:

On a moonlit night, there is a dark dream, and the spring breeze is full of tenderness.Young master, the spring is just right in the courtyard, when you come back, toast to the moon.Fortunately, I can't drink alcohol, I can only play the piano, otherwise I will definitely get drunk, and when I get drunk, I can pretend that you are still at home and I am still in your arms.When you left that day, you pushed me away, I was really sad, although it was unreasonable.

Ninth letter:

Such stars are not last night, for whom the wind and dew will stand at midnight.Young Master, the baby made me sleepless last night, so I got up and went for a walk in the courtyard, and when I walked to the door of your study, he fell asleep soundly.He probably just wants me to go to the study?So I slept on the kang in the study again until dawn.Maybe I should really move back to the study, and he would be happy.

Tenth letter:

After a night of spring rain, the pond in the backyard was flooded, and I saw little dragonflies.If I also have a pair of transparent wings, or like the moon, I can spread my wings and fly, can I fly to the foot of Tianshan Mountain, beside you?Pearl laughed at me again when I wrote this.Laugh, I just miss you and want you to come back soon.Sister Hai never laughed at me. Now she combs my hair. Her gestures are very gentle, but I still prefer you to comb my hair.

The contents of these ten letters are roughly the same. After reading it, Fu Heng felt trembling in his heart. Thinking back to the days when she came back from Nanyuan and approached the long journey, she has been like this all the time. He really did not expect that Yingluo treated him so well. Attachment, and actually write it directly on paper, like a little girl and lover, undisguised, completely different from her appearance of being independent and strong, and feeling her deep affection for him in my heart, I don't feel crazy.

Ah Zheng is a young man in his early twenties. He is in charge of Fu Heng's internal affairs during this trip. He usually knows that the couple are deeply in love. Tie Guanyin, who had already cooled down, said: My lord, why don't you drink it while it's hot?Madam said it must be done while it is hot, the weather here cools down quickly.Before leaving, my wife told me carefully to take good care of my lord.Fu Heng nodded, picked up the cup, only felt his throat choked up, and a smell of medicine came to his nose, and he drank it all in one gulp.Ah Zheng took the cup and said softly: Sir, that morning, Ah Zheng saw that you and your wife were inseparable. Ah Zheng believed that Sir would be able to finish the work as soon as possible and return home as soon as possible.Fu Heng smiled and said: Thank you!must!

Five days later, the emperor arrived at Yujing Garden. Yingluo was surprised to see him with Concubine Rong. Looking at the emperor, the emperor only smiled slightly and said, "Shen Bi wants to come and see you."Concubine Rong stepped forward, and Yingluo wanted to salute her, but Concubine Rong hurriedly stopped her.The three sat and drank tea for a while, Concubine Rong said that she was here for the first time, and she was going to visit the mansion garden, and asked Yingluo to talk with the emperor, and she could just bring Li Yu.So Yingluo called Xiaoquanzi to come and take the two of them there.

After the three of them left, Yingluo asked the emperor: Did Concubine Rong know something?The emperor shook his head.Yingluo nodded, thinking to herself: The emperor thinks that Fu Heng is not here, so it is not good to see her alone. The last time there was Yalhashan, this time she called Concubine Rong. Fu Heng was right.And Concubine Rong is able to figure out what the emperor is thinking, knowing that the emperor and I are talking about the fifth elder brother, so I avoid it, no wonder the emperor is willing to take her with me.So Yingluo shared her opinion with Jingli, but Jingli was not mentioned, and the emperor just listened, and finally said: I will ask Shen Bi to ask Yongqi again, and the matter is settled like this.

Then Yingluo asked: Your Majesty, how are you recently?I heard about Hubei. You haven't slept for several nights, and you were poisoned again in Nanyuan. Are you all better now?The emperor nodded and said: I'm fine.Are you OK?Stay home alone.Yingluo smiled and said: "Why are you alone? There are so many people in this mansion. I don't do anything. I have to trouble Jingli. Thank you for your kindness."I only worry about the difference between theaters and small operas for the emperor, that is, they come back and forth with me when they have something to do, so I'll just take a look.

The emperor nodded and asked again: Did Fu Heng write to you?Yingluo nodded and said: "He's fine, the emperor can rest assured."The emperor looked at her and asked: Do you really not blame me?Yingluo smiled and said: Strange, of course.The emperor said nothing.Yingluo continued, "It's my fault that you value Fu Heng so much, so he stays away all day.The emperor laughed, nodded at her, and said: You will make me happy, this Shen Bi is just like you.Why don't you call me fourth master?

Suddenly Concubine Rong smiled and said: Your Majesty, I will not obey you when you speak ill of Shen Bi in the back.It turned out that she and Li Yu had returned and stood at the door.Yingluo just smiled and said nothing.Afterwards, Concubine Rong happily took the emperor to see the construction site of the theater building, and said to Yingluo before leaving: Mrs. Nalan, I like your garden, the gardenias are so fragrant and beautiful!The emperor's complexion changed slightly.

Yingluo looked at the emperor and said with a smile: This garden was given by the fourth master, and the name was also given by the fourth master. "Yujing" refers to gardenias.Seeing that she called himself "Fourth Master" in front of Concubine Rong, the emperor looked at her in amazement and was speechless for a while.Yingluo raised her eyebrows and looked at him proudly, while Li Yu secretly pursed her lips and smiled.

Concubine Rong just pretended that she didn't hear the word "Four Lords", she stepped forward and put the emperor on her arm, and said with a smile: Your Majesty, you really know how to name children!Shen Bi likes this name!The emperor smiled and went ahead.Yingluo supported Pearl and went to the garden with them.Wu Min was supervising the work. When he saw the emperor coming, he immediately wanted to ask the emperor to show him everything. The emperor waved his hand and said, "You can figure it out."

After the three of them left, Xiao Quanzi said to Yingluo: This Concubine Rong is not only beautiful, but the slave looks at her, she is indeed just like the master, she will please the emperor.Yingluo just smiled and said: She is much more capable than me, she has already lived in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.Xiao Quanzi was shocked when he heard this.

Two days later, Yingluo received another ten letters from home.

First letter:

Yingluo, reading your letter makes me both happy and sad. You must eat well and sleep well.I will be back soon.If the baby is misbehaving, Amma will be upset if you tell him.Fu Heng

Second letter:

Yingluo, it's snowing heavily in Yili today, it's a vast expanse of whiteness, beautiful but cold.Are the gardenias blooming in our garden?You'll pick some and put them on my desk, thank you.Fu Heng

The third letter:

Ying Luo, you asked me if I thought you didn't, and I got angry, how could you doubt me like this?Fu Heng

Fourth letter:

Today I went to see the city defense of Yili, and I was very sad to see many children in ragged clothes.Fu Heng

Fifth letter:

Today's meal is too bitter, if you are by my side, I want you to drink it for me.Fu Heng

Sixth letter:

Every day when I write a letter, I put the sympathy knot you gave aside and look at it.I put it under my pillow when I sleep, just like I do at home.Fu Heng

Seventh letter:

Today, General Zhaohui and General Zhaohui began to arrange the military affairs rules before returning to the camp, and it was almost four o'clock before they fell asleep.Fu Heng

Eighth letter:

Yingluo, I miss you and baby so much too.Fu Heng

Ninth letter:

Go to Sailimu Lake again, the green-blue lake is surrounded by mountains, and the mountains are still so green.The tops of the peaks on the opposite side are completely covered by white clouds and mist, faintly looming, and the clouds and mist flutter with the wind; complement each other.This is simply not a view that can be seen in the world!How happy would you be to be here?Fu Heng

Tenth letter:

Today, the camp entertained princes and set off fireworks. I remembered the first time I watched fireworks with you in the palace that year.Miss you, Fu Heng

She laughed and had tears in her eyes. She knew that he had a lot of things to deal with every day, and he slept less than at home, so the letters he wrote were short, but these words were so warm!She would read all the letters to her unborn baby and put them in a wooden box next to her pillow.

She has slept soundly since burning requiem incense for a while at night.Concubine Rong told her in the letter delivered by Lu Wenhong that the main ingredient in Requiem Fragrance is Tianshan snow lotus.She thought, perhaps because of this reason, she felt that she and Fu Heng were still very close, and she felt at ease.Snow lotus in Tianshan only blooms once every five years, and the flowering period is very short. It takes a lot of snow lotus to make incense, so this incense is very precious. don't know.

A few days later, the emperor arrived at Chengqian Palace, and Nala seemed to be in a good mood to see him.The emperor asked her how she was doing, and Nalashi said she was fine, and thanked him for caring about her. The two chatted for a while, and Nalashi mentioned that the fourth elder brother exchanged haha ​​beads, and said that he was to blame for what happened in Nanyuan Ketu, a slave, was used by others to murder the emperor. As the empress and the fourth elder brother's mother, she didn't realize it. She begged the emperor to forgive her, and then she knelt down.

The emperor hurriedly stopped her and said: I sent Hai Lancha to investigate secretly, and found that his grandfather had been convicted and executed in the Ministry of Internal Affairs before. It seems that my family has enmity with me, and I have issued a secret decree to punish his three clans. The queen can rest assured.But now you need to rest more and take care of your body. You still need to find someone to help you with this mess in the harem, so as to prevent the previous rumors and this incident from happening again.Nala hurriedly said in shame: "Yes, thank the emperor for being considerate of my concubine, for not announcing the matter of Nanyuan, my concubine has reprimanded Yuan Chunwang, as the head of the respect room, he must be responsible, and my concubine fined him fifty boards."Who does the emperor want to find to assist his concubines?The courtiers and concubines listen to the emperor.

The emperor pondered and said: I think Concubine Shu is the only one. She has been in the palace for a long time, and the empress can use her more effectively.Nala had a big accident, she thought the emperor was going to point at Concubine Rong, but she was very happy in her heart, and said: Whoever the emperor says is who he is.Concubine Rong's younger sister helped the emperor draft, I wonder if the emperor is satisfied?The concubine felt that although Concubine Rong was a newcomer, she was sensible and hardworking, so she was lazy.

The author has something to say:

[Historical Origin] Eight Banners Draft and the Ministry of Internal Affairs Draft ([-])

In the second year after Qianlong's regulations were promulgated, Depei, governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, made a memorial, asking Emperor Qianlong to allow his son Hengzhi, who was over 17 years old, to marry the daughter of Martai, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. Haven't participated in the draft girl yet.Emperor Qianlong was greatly annoyed by this matter, and ordered Depei to go to the capital immediately to reprimand him face-to-face. At the same time, he emphasized: "Our court has established a rule that a beautiful girl from the Eight Banners must be selected and married before being married. Anyone who is in the banner should respectfully abide by it." .Recently, there are still unselected beautiful women who have been hired and appointed, and ministers and others who have the responsibility to play things. Brothers and others choose Fujin; if they make marriage promises before they are selected, it is not to abolish the old system, and they are afraid that they will not be responsible for the performance, or those who dare not report. I don’t know about the daughters of Yi and others who have already made promises. It also has a lot to do with other people; and the Eight Banners show girls are selected to watch at the age of thirteen or fourteen, and there is no risk of delay."

Here, Emperor Qianlong said three reasons: First, the draft girls who are selected every three years are also choosing wives for the kings and princes, not just to enrich the harem for themselves; It is also because of the failure to abide by the "customs of our court" and the violation of the law first, which is not the responsibility of the royal family; third, even if it takes three or two years to wait for the draft, the girl who should be drafted is only sixteen or seventeen years old, and her life will not be delayed.In the end, Emperor Qianlong ordered that "the Ministry of Households pass the order to the Eight Banners, and all unselected beautiful girls must not get married privately first, and must follow the rules before getting married and marrying after being selected." In the 20th year of Qianlong (1755), The regulations are added again: for the show girls who should be read, those who privately marry the princes and princes of the clan before they are selected, their mother's family photos will be concealed from the show girls' routine meeting.

People's intuition is that a "show girl" should have the appearance of a fish and a wild goose. However, beautiful appearance is not the main criterion for being selected as a show girl.Looking at the photos of girls who should be drafted in the late Qing Dynasty, it is difficult to connect these faces with any vocabulary that expresses beauty. Not only that, but the nature of girls who love beauty has become an unreasonable idea.The two standards that the rulers of the Qing Dynasty made public, one was character and the other was family status.In the canonization of queens, concubines, and concubines in the Qing Dynasty, there are often benevolence, filial piety, gentleness, and Shushen, "birth and education of famous families", "Xiang Zhonghua family" and so on.Among them, family status plays a more important role.In the 43rd year of Qianlong (1778), Jin Congshan, a student from the county, stopped the imperial driver and implored Emperor Qianlong to issue an imperial edict for reducing the funeral ceremony of the successor Huifanara, which caused Longyan to behead him in anger, but The emperor still did not forget to state that after Nala's clan book "it was not selected for promotion by color", and later fell out of favor, it was also "self-defeating, not because of color decline and love".