Da Suining

Chapter 138 A Concubine
Moon Festival.

The palace rewarded moon cakes and sweet-scented osmanthus wine.

Moon cakes and sweet-scented osmanthus wine are often available. They are not rare items at all, but because they are rewarded by the palace, they are extraordinarily beautiful.

The ministers got moon cakes and sweet-scented osmanthus wine. The emperor was very kind, and also rewarded a box of Xiangjia Palace flowers and a long hairpin inlaid with gold and amber.

After all, it is something that is rewarded by the palace. The palace flowers and long hairpins are all packed in a big red brocade box.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is full moon, which is exactly the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.Xuanguo also called Mid-Autumn Festival as Yuexi, Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Chasing the Moon Festival. On this day, everyone worships the moon, admires the moon, worships the moon, eats moon cakes, and enjoys sweet-scented osmanthus.

On August [-]th, Qingcheng people have various ways to play, and there are special customs such as setting off sky lanterns, walking on the moon, burning incense sticks, and dancing fire dragons.

Most of what everyone looks forward to is "the reunion of two people and one month, and a thousand miles together."

During the folk Mid-Autumn Festival, a family first sacrifices to the moon, sets up a big incense table, puts moon cakes, watermelon, apples, red dates, grapes and other sacrifices, puts the whole moon cakes, cuts the watermelon into a lotus shape, faces the direction of the moon, and lights a red fire. Candles, the whole family worships once from male to female.

After worshiping the moon and packing up the sacrifices, the family sits around eating moon cakes, drinking sweet wine, and setting up a table of meals. The meaning of reunion is here.

The Mid-Autumn Festival in the palace is more grand.

There are such legends circulating in the palace.

It is said that there was an ugly girl in ancient times who worshiped the moon devoutly when she was young. When she grew up, she had outstanding moral character and was selected into the palace.

Although he entered the palace, he was never favored by the emperor. One year, on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, when he was admiring the moon, the emperor climbed up and looked into the distance. He saw a woman praying silently with her hands folded under the moonlight. She was bright and warm under the moonlight. She had an indifferent and detached temperament Attracted the emperor, and pampered her that night.

Later, she became a queen, and worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival has flourished.

Everyone says that there is a beautiful fairy Chang'e in the middle of the moon, and women worshiping the moon can "look like Chang'e, with a face like a bright moon."

The women in the palace take the emperor as the key link, and the emperor's three palaces and six courtyards, it is difficult for unknown women to stand out in the palace. Most of the time, it is just "the white-headed palace lady is here, sitting around and talking about Xuanzong."

No one wants to be a white-headed palace lady.

So on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, the women in the palace draw their eyebrows and temples, their black hair hangs down, put on the best clothes, and place pearls and flower hairpins all over the place, worship the moon devoutly, and hope that the fairy Chang'e will bless them and make them more beautiful Eye-catching, can also win the emperor's favor earlier.

During festivals, the royal family also has the custom of giving rewards.

Such as several major festivals, Spring Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, the royal family, or rewarding silver or objects, it also means comforting.

As an official in the court, the big ones can get fiefdoms, and the general ones can get some gold and silver, or silk, satin and cloth according to their grades.

This Mid-Autumn Festival, Xiang Daying, as a serious second-rank official, got 40 taels of silver, two boxes of moon cakes, and a jar of sweet-scented osmanthus wine.

Of course, this is standard.

These are available every year, and other low-ranking officials can also get 20 or [-] taels of silver, and at least a box of moon cakes.This is the norm, not surprising.

But Gonghua and Jinzan are the first ones, and they have never had such honors before.

Even those high-ranking imperial wives, or noble ladies of the Hou family, did not receive such treatment.

Moon cakes and silver ingots are enshrined on the lacquer table. Opposite the lacquer bank is the tablet and family tree of the Xiang family's ancestors.

The things bestowed by the emperor must be brought to the ancestors first, and let the ancestors look at and taste them.After the ancestors, the whole family can enjoy it.

The osmanthus wine is sweet and sweet, and the strong osmanthus flavor is long and lingering.

The moon cakes are carved with patterns of petals, and there are also auspicious patterns of magpies climbing on the branches and enjoying the full moon.

These things are just for fun.

Xiang Yan ate the moon cake, and looked through the silver ingots that were rewarded by the palace, because it was official silver, ten taels to an ingot, and each ingot was marked with a seal.

The Xiangfu is not short of money.

It's just that those two brocade boxes are too attractive.

Xiangyan opened one of the brocade boxes, which contained newly made palace flowers.

The palace flower is made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is made of tulle. The name of the tulle is smoked gauze.

Because it is something in the palace, there is no cutting corners, so these dozens of layers of smoke cage gauze are stacked together, and the buds are very plump. When you hold it lightly with your hand, it becomes the size of a leaf. Let go of your hand. The palace flower bloomed in the palm of the hand, as if by some magic, it grew out of the air.

There are many types of palace flowers, including gardenia, hibiscus, rose, and crabapple. There are at least a dozen categories in a brocade box.

Every flower has its own color, which is pink, also divided into light pink, mist pink, and red pink like morning glow.

Xiangyan picked out a peony flower for Tang Xiaoniang to wear, and Tang Xiaoniang smiled immediately: "It is said that the peony flower is worn by the wife of the master, I am a concubine, can I wear this?"

Saying this, Tang Xiaoniang looked at the bronze mirror handed over by the maid, the peony was as red as soaked in blood, even the most ardent peony blooms in spring, it has never had such a color.

"This is not suitable for me, it is not suitable for me to wear." Tang Xiaoniang pushed the palace flower to her hair, and then pointed it to Xiang Daying: "Master, how is it? Does this flower suit me?"

Xiangyan has already opened the brocade box containing the hairpin, and compared the hairpin with her left and right. The yellow amber is pure in color, exuding a faint crystal yellow. This yellow is inlaid on the golden hairpin, which is carved into a hollow flower shape. , Amber floats on the flower, precious and magnificent.

After all, it was made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This amber hairpin is worth at least 30 taels of silver.

Such pure amber is hard to find in Qingcheng.

Xiangyan's maid Chunyu has already lifted the bronze mirror to her face: "Miss, put it on quickly and have a look, such an expensive hairpin is rewarded by the palace, so it is most suitable for you to wear it."

Xiangyan inserted the hairpin into her hair, and looked at the mirror, her skin was as snowy as snow, her skin was translucent, above her eyebrows, the hairpin was golden, and her white skin was illuminated by the amber on the hairpin, making her whole body transparent.

Her black hair hangs down her shoulders, her eyes are pitch black, in terms of looks, Xiang Yan has never been inferior.

Wearing this hairpin naturally complements each other, Xiangyan's voice is joyful, as if a hundred sparrows are about to fly out of her throat: "Father, mother, look, I wear it just right, I am so big, the first Once I wore an amber hairpin, I didn’t expect it to be so good-looking, but I thought it would look good-looking, and it would look good on anything.”

Tang Xiaoniang naturally loves this little beauty carved from ice and jade to the bottom of her heart. She picked a pink palace flower and gave it to Xiang Yan as a hairpin on her temples: "My girl in Qingcheng is one of the most beautiful. The amber hairpin is precious, and the palace flower is bright and beautiful. Wearing the two together makes them stand out even more. Everyone says that Chang'e in the Moon Palace is beautiful, and in my opinion, my Yan'er is not inferior to that Chang'e at all."

Xiangyan pushed herself into Tang Xiaoniang's arms shyly: "Mother, I'm so ashamed."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, beauty is beauty, and mother is not talking nonsense."

"The palace flower on my mother's head is also very beautiful. It seems that my mother is several years younger. The things that come out of this palace are good."

"Yan'er got such a precious hairpin, so she must make a suit of clothes to complement each other. I'll go to Liuyunfang in two days to see if there is any good material, let's make a pullover skirt."

"Didn't mother always want to make a pink shirt? Why don't we do it together when the time comes."

"Isn't the pink color a bit too showy?"

"How could it be that no matter how bright the pink color is, it can surpass my mother? My mother is wearing a palace flower, and some people believe her when she says she is 20 years old."

The mother and daughter blew each other up.

Mrs. Xiang couldn't stand it anymore.

He said he wanted her to come and see what the royal family had given her, and drink some sweet-scented osmanthus wine, but Tang Xiaoniang and Xiang Yan were so stingy, the sweet-scented osmanthus wine didn't taste good anymore.

Mrs. Xiang got up and was about to go back.

Xiang Daying hurriedly said: "Mother, don't you sit down for a while?"

"No."

"This palace flower is very beautiful, otherwise mother also has a hairpin?"

"Suining hasn't come back yet, wait for her, I haven't seen anything in the world, this little thing doesn't catch my eye yet."

Tang Xiaoniang blushed.

Mrs. Xiang's words obviously meant that she was out of style.

Anyway, it's out of style, and I don't care about it for a while.

Tang Xiaoniang picked up a dark purple palace flower and wanted to insert it into Mrs. Xiang's hair bun: "Old lady, wear it fresh and fresh. After a while, the beautiful ones will be picked away. The old lady wants to wear it, but it will be gone."

"Picked away by who?"

"Grandmother, the palace flowers and hairpins are rewards to our family members in the palace. Of course, they are first come, first served. Whoever chooses first will get it."

outrageous.

Royal rewards have always been based on merit. For example, generals and soldiers returning from victorious battles, and emperors reward titles or mansions. They are all ranked according to merit.

Even if some small rewards are sometimes random, for example, if the maids and eunuchs do something that the master likes, they will reward some small things casually, but it is not a random reward, after all, whoever pleases the master will be rewarded.

Like August [-]th or New Year's Day rewards to ministers and their families, most of them vary from person to person, some are given to ministers, and some are given to their family members.Generally, when the rewards come down, these people also take them one by one according to the size of their positions.

Never heard of, first come, first served, whoever picks who goes first.

It's not like buying sweet potatoes at the market, how can it be so casual.

Isn't this a mess?

It's really a joke to say it, the dignified second-rank official mansion is so ignorant.

Xiangyan has always been out of the ordinary, mostly because Tang Xiaoniang and Xiang Daying are used to it.

Mrs. Xiang's half of her body was buried in the ground, and those who opened their eyes and closed their eyes didn't care too much about them.

But it’s cheap, so it’s cheap, and it’s still chattering like a starling who just got out of the nest, Mrs. Xiang was a little displeased: "Forget about the palace flower, isn't the amber hairpin given to the second girl?"

Xiang Yan's expression changed immediately, this grandmother was not close at all.

Xiangyan grabbed the handkerchief aggrievedly and said, "Originally, my father only said that it was rewarded by the palace, so why did grandma say it was given to the second girl? Since grandma thinks so, why should I still wear it? Why don't I take it off and give it to you?" The second girl is ready."

Even so, I was reluctant to take it off.

Just dawdling, just refused to do it.

Xiang Suining returned home at this time.

Before the carriage came to a complete stop, Xiang Yan was heard crying.

A few servants at the door looked in, and seeing Prime Minister Suining came back, they hurriedly said to Qian'er, "Second Miss is back, there are rewards in the palace, Second Miss, go and have a look."

Appreciating things is a festive event.

Why is Xiangyan still howling?

Every abnormality must have a demon.

Seeing the empty brocade box and the amber hairpin on Xiangyan's temple, Xiang Suining understood everything.

This is clearly because there are more wolves and less meat.

It seems that Xiangyan is fighting against nothing again.

It fits her character.

The emperor was probably idle and bored rewarding people with things again.

This amber hairpin looks like a palace system.

It's been a long time since I bickered with Xiangyan, and I don't have time now.

Let her wear it.

Xiang Suining planned to go back to his room.

Xiangyan wept and grabbed Xiang Suining's sleeve and said to Xiang Daying, "Father, grandma is partial—"

"If you say I'm eccentric, just say I'm eccentric. What are you doing with the second girl? She just came back and doesn't know anything." Mrs. Xiang snorted.

Women just can't live in peace with each other.

You see, isn't it good to receive a good reward and happily receive it?
We have to make a fuss about this.

Xiang Daying didn't give Xiang Suining a good look: "A girl's family, running out all day, the juggling on the overpass is so beautiful? I can't get enough of it all day long? Which family's ladies are as wild as you?"

Ok.

Xiang Daying felt sorry for Xiang Yan, and had been sneaking Xiang Suining out to suffer.

Xiang Suining rolled his eyes, bent his knees copiously, and clasped his hands by his waist: "Father, I was wrong."

"There are rewards in the palace, you are ready to enter the palace to thank you."

Enter the palace to thank you?

The emperor wants her to enter the palace to thank her?
She didn't even touch the reward.

Not only did he not touch anything, but he also ate a melon for no reason.

I know it's not good.

Xiang Suining felt helpless.

Tang Xiaoniang wiped away Xiang Yan's tears, and pushed her in front of Xiang Daying: "The master said, is this reward for Yan'er, or for the second girl?"

Xiang Daying is also hard to say.

The emperor just said, "Reward your daughter with something."

But Xiangyan and Xiang Suining are both daughters.

Xiang Daying believed in his heart that the emperor wanted to reward Xiang Suining.

After all, Xiangyan is a concubine, and she has never experienced those scenes in the palace. The emperor may not know who she is, so how could he reward her?
But the hairpin Xiangyan has been wearing for a long time to show off, and if she is asked to take it off at this time, Tang Xiaoniang will probably explode, right?

At that time, Xiangyan will cry again.

The less trouble, the better.

It's just a small matter of a hairpin and a box of palace flowers.

It's better to give it to Xiang Yan, anyway, Xiang Suining's daughter is always easy to deal with.

After making up his mind, Xiang Daying murmured: "Since the hairpin looks good on Yan'er, let's wear it. Didn't the emperor reward the second girl with some hairpins last year? How many hairpins can you wear on each head? This amber one is Returning to Yan'er. The palace flowers in the box are also rare, you can pick one and wear it, and I will take you into the palace to thank you later."

"Yes, father." Xiang Suining picked up a palace flower and put it in his hair as if he was dealing with it.

His hands trembled, but he didn't wear it properly.

Maybe it was too tired from running outside.How can I have the time to deal with the palace flower.

This palace flower is worn like a matchmaker.

Xiang Daying snorted: "every lady, you have to look good, wear the palace flower well."

Xiang Suining touched the palace flower in his hair, and adjusted his position.

(End of this chapter)