Queen's New Clothes

Chapter 24

Su Xi lay in bed for two whole days, her bones were so stiff, the first thing she did when she went to the ground was to change her clothes, and she drove Ting Yan, Ting He and other girls out, so that her muscles and bones were active, and she danced alone in the house After dancing for half an hour, I felt much more comfortable all over.

Tingyan and Tinghe prepared hot water early, and Su Xi came out of the clean room after taking a shower, wearing only a pink and purple shirt, a pair of delicate green gold-woven trousers underneath, and a transparent muscle in her mouth. Wuxiangwan, sitting on the beauty's couch, asked Tingyan to hold her hair, and rub the rose oil on the ends of her hair to nourish her hair.

Su Xi's shiny and smooth hair was maintained by this small bottle of rose oil.

The rose oil is a prescription obtained from Mr. Dong. It is said that Concubine Xu in the palace used this method to maintain her hair. The first emperor's favorite is her seaweed-like black hair.

After Ting Yan finished painting her hair, she took the small painted porcelain jar on the huanghuali wood incense table, slipped Su Xi's trousers above her knees, and asked, while applying Begonia honey ointment on her, "Girl, what are you doing?" Are you really going to attend the Shangyuan Banquet tomorrow?"

Su Xi raised her head from the book, looked at Ting Yan with a smile, "Why, sister Ting Yan doesn't want me to go?"

"How dare a servant be the master of a girl." Ting Yan looked at Su Xi's greasy and flawless calf, and said on the verge of speaking: "The servant just feels that there must be many people on the street on the Lantern Festival, and the girl is That's... probably not safe."

Su Xi didn't think too much about it. She flipped a page of the book in her hand and said, "Isn't there still you? Besides, my second brother will go with me."

When Su Zhi came to visit Su Xi yesterday, he said that he would go out with her on the Lantern Festival.

Only then did Ting Yan feel a little relieved, and didn't speak again.

There are many people on the street, especially when the Shangyuan Festival is so lively, and her girl is so attractive, Ting Yan is really worried that she will not be able to stand alone, and something will happen to Su Xi.

In the evening of the next day, Su Xi changed her clothes and asked Tinghe to tie a simple bun for her. On the bun was a golden silk butterfly and plum blossom hairpin. She stood in front of the mirror and looked at it again, quite satisfied.

Girls usually choose to go out in the evening. The Xiangshui Lake is interesting at night. There are continuous lanterns hanging on both sides of the lake. There are various painting boats parked on the lake, or toasting and drinking on the painting boats, or playing the piano and composing poems. , There will be colorful fireworks lit in the center of the lake, which is much more lively than during the day.

Outside the door, Su Zhi rode a horse and stopped in front of a black-painted flat-topped carriage. He was wearing a navy blue brocade robe with twigs and treasure patterns, with a handsome side face and cold eyes.

Maybe it was because of the long wait, the horse planed its hooves impatiently, but Su Zhi showed no sign of impatience on his face, instead he reached out to support the horse's head to make it quieter.

Su Xi finally came out from the door, took her skirt and went down the steps, walked up to Su Zhi and raised her face and asked, "Second brother, why did you come out so early? Did you keep waiting?"

Su Zhi bent his lips slightly, and comforted him: "It didn't take long, I just went out, get in the carriage quickly, it will be dark in a while."

Su Xi nodded, supported Ting Yan's hand and got into the carriage. Hearing Su Zhi outside the carriage say "Go", the coachman raised his whip and drove towards the shore of Xiangshui Lake.

The shore of Xiangshui Lake is the busiest area in Shangjing. The west side is lined with shops, and the east side is full of lanterns. From a distance, it looks like the night sky hanging down from the sky, dotted with stars one by one.Each of the stars has its own shape, some are like lotus flowers, pagodas, hydrangea, and some are like rabbits, horses, and monkeys.There are all kinds of things, which make people dazzled.

The street was crowded with people, shoulder to shoulder, bustling, and young girls in brocade clothes could be seen everywhere. Normally, there were not so many boudoir daughters, and they would only go out on special occasions like the Shangyuan Festival.

If you want to find a quiet place, I am afraid that the only place is Xiangshui Lake.There are exquisite painting boats parked on the lake, most of which are famous people from Shangjing. Ordinary people can't afford to sit on such painting boats, so they can only watch from a distance, and are lucky enough to listen to the wonderful music flowing from above.

To say it was quiet, it was actually not very quiet. After all, under the influence of this kind of atmosphere, everyone would be slightly drunk.

"Second Master, the eldest son of the governor's mansion has someone to invite you again." Not long after Su Xi and Su Zhi stood on their painting boat, the big hall brother Su Zhen urged him three times.

Su Zhi was worried that Su Xi would not be safe alone, so he did not respond for a long time.

It wasn't until Su Xi saw the painting boat in Duke Qing's mansion that he said to Su Zhi: "Second brother, go there, don't worry about me, I have Ting Yan following me, and besides, there will be Cousin Fu later, nothing will happen. "

The boats of the two families met, and Su Xi boarded the boat of Duke Qing's mansion. Su Zhi watched her walk into the cabin, and then let the boatman leave by rowing the boat.

Su Xi thought that Fu Yi was the only one in the cabin, but unexpectedly, just as she walked to the door of the painting boat, she saw Fu Shaoyun was also inside.Fu Shaoyun was wearing a royal blue brocade suit, and his figure was a bit taller than two years ago. He sat on the warm bed with one leg bent, turned his head sideways, and looked out the window.

"Sister Xi." Fu Yi sat up from the couch and greeted her.

Fu Shaoyun was visibly stiff when he heard the sound, turned his head and looked towards the door, his eyes stopped on Su Xi, and he didn't make a sound for a long time.

In the past two years, Su Xi had intentionally avoided Fu Shaoyun, and hadn't seen him for quite a while, counting the last time he met was more than half a year ago.There was no way to avoid it now, so Su Xi bent her eyes, stood at the door and refused to go in, and called, "Sister Yi, cousin Shaoyun."

The little girl at the door is wearing a sky blue skirt after the rain. The skirt is embroidered with a pattern of a hundred birds. The pattern is exquisite. The skirt sways gently as she walks, and those lifelike birds seem to come to life all of a sudden, fluttering. With its wings, it can also make people smell a little flower fragrance.She was wrapped in a red cloak embroidered with peonies and patterns. The white fox fur surrounded her pink and tender face. The face was like finely polished nephrite jade, her eyebrows were like emerald feathers, her lips were like Zhu Dan, and her skin was like white snow. , so beautiful that people can't move their eyes.

After a long time, Fu Shaoyun said in a low voice, "Youyou."

Fu Yi knew that Su Xi was avoiding her on purpose, but she didn't force her, "Cousin Xi finally came. I couldn't find you before, so I thought you weren't here. Sister Qi and the others are all here, and now I'm waiting for you." You are alone, since you are here, let's go together."

Su Xi nodded and said yes.Fu Yi asked the boatman to change direction, and sailed towards a big painting boat in the middle of the lake, it looked quite gorgeous from a distance, the painting boat belonged to the Princess Mansion, it turned out that Lord Wanping also came today.

Fu Yi told Su Xi about the other people inside, most of them were familiar people, and Su Xi usually knew each other.

Su Xi turned her head and saw Fu Shaoyun staring at her blankly, she tilted her head and smiled, and said, "Cousin Shaoyun doesn't play with friends?"

Fu Shaoyun was stunned, and wanted to say something, but finally said: "I'll go there after Sister Songyi and Cousin Xi leave."

Su Xi didn't ask any more questions.She still remembered that at this time in her previous life, Fu Yi did not invite her to the Shangyuan Banquet. Instead, Fu Shaoyun secretly took her out of the mansion and went to the Jade Building on West Street to have a meal of mutton soup pot. The mutton was delicious and as thin as cicada's wings. Su Xi was quite satisfied after eating, and after returning home, two large blisters appeared on her mouth, which took several days to disappear.

Su Xi has always been unable to figure out why Fu Shaoyun is so keen on collecting delicacies for her?Her mouth is so tricky, does it do him any good?

After thinking about it for two years, Su Xi still didn't understand the problem.

"Here we are." Fu Yi's voice interrupted Su Xi's thoughts.

The two boarded the painting boat of the Princess Mansion together.Mrs. Wanping, wearing an autumn-colored shirt with large sleeves, stood at the entrance of the painting boat, looked at the painting boat of Duke Qing's mansion, and met Fu Shaoyun's eyes, showing a little bit of the tenderness of a little daughter, and said: "Mr. Fu .”

Fu Shaoyun came back to his senses, clasped his fists and saluted, "Wan Ping Lord."

Master Wanping Weng said: "Master Fu, don't worry, after the banquet is over, I will send Sister Yi back in person."

"Then I'll be the Lord." Fu Shaoyun's mind was not on this, until Su Xi entered the painting boat and was no longer seen, then he withdrew his gaze, and his figure was hidden in the night.

There are all familiar faces in the boat, besides Wengzhu Wanping, Yin Qiqi, Yin Pengpeng, Li Anyi, and Yu Baotong are also there.

Before Su Xi came, they were playing Fei Hua Token, and each of them said a poem with "flower". It had been several rounds, and now only Yu Baotong and Yin Qiqi were left on the court.

When it was Yu Baotong's turn, it happened that she was supposed to take the first word.The first words were not difficult, but what was difficult was that after several rounds, all the lines that should be said were said, and she really couldn't remember them, so she thought she was punished and said, "I lost."

The wine on the red sandalwood inlaid mother-of-pearl table was replaced by sweet-scented osmanthus brew. The wine tasted light and sweet, suitable for girls to drink at home.

Yin Qiqi said: "Miss Yu is also very good, but there are few poems with flowery characters in the first word. I took the first opportunity, so I won you."

If you lose, you lose. Yu Baotong is not the kind of person who can't afford to lose, so he smiled and said: "Miss Yin is modest, it's because I'm not very talented."

Seeing Fu Yi and Su Xi coming in, Li Anyi interjected, "Sister Yi is very talented and knowledgeable. If Sister Yi also participates in this round, it's uncertain who will win."

Yin Qiqi regards Fu Yi as her biggest opponent, and has been secretly competing with Fu Yi for the position of "No. [-] Lady". Now that she heard this sentence, her smile faltered, and she immediately said: "That's true, but it's a pity that I couldn't talk to Yi Sister and son compete with each other."

"What's the matter, isn't there still a next round?" Master Wanping said disapprovingly.

After Fu Yi took her seat, Su Xi also took her seat next to Yu Baotong.

Yu Baotong pinched Su Xi's small face, "Think you're not coming today."

Su Xi smiled and said, "Sister Yu is here, why don't I come?"

The mouth is very sweet.

During this period, Fu Yi and Yin Qiqi discussed it together and decided to play the drumming order for the next round.However, this order of drumming and passing flowers has changed the rules, which is quite different from the traditional ones.When the drum beats, people will pass flowers to the people around them one by one during the banquet. After the drum beat stops, whoever hands the flowers land on will ask a question. One drink, if no one answers correctly, then everyone will be fined a drink.

After Fu Yi said, everyone agreed.

Li Anyi said: "But we are on the boat, where did we get the drums, and who are we going to play?"

This is a problem, Lord Wanping thought for a while and said: "My cousin's painting boat happens to be nearby, why don't I have someone call him and let him play the flute for us instead of the drum, what do you think?"

When they heard that Jin Wang Shizi Wei Wei was also there, they couldn't sit still.It would be great if Wei Yan could play the flute for them.

Yin Qiqi bit her lips, looking forward to it and feeling sour. Although Wei Feng rejected her sachet last time, she still yearned for Wei Yan in her heart.

Fu Yi said: "That's good, but will Prince Jin agree?"

Mrs. Wan Ping was not sure, and sometimes she couldn't figure out the temperament of this cousin, but since she had spoken, there was no reason to take it back, so she asked a maid in green clothes beside her.

Not long after, the maid went and came back, and whispered a few words in Weng Master Wanping's ear.

Master Wanping immediately smiled and said: "Cousin said he is willing to help."

After a while, the painting boat of King Jin's Mansion stopped next to the painting boat of Princess Mansion.

Fu Yi took out a bouquet of crabapple flowers from the sweet white porcelain vase on the carved and bright lattice cabinet, and suggested: "Let's use this bunch of crabapple flowers to pass the order, and whoever gets the flowers will ask a question, okay?"

Everyone has no objection.

Master Wanping raised the curtain embroidered with dark patterns of gold, and said to the opposite cabin: "Cousin, we are about to start."

After a while, there were three soft taps of fingers on the table from the opposite painting boat. It was slow and leisurely, which was regarded as a response.

When the flute sounded, Su Xi heard that Wei Yan was playing "A Journey to Gusu".

Before everyone had time to be intoxicated by the sound of Wei Shizi's flute, the "Drumming and Passing Flowers" had already begun.

The begonia flower started from Fu Yi, Fu Yi passed it to Wanping Wengzhu, Wanping Wengzhu passed it to Li Anyi, and soon passed it to Su Xi.Su Xi handed the crabapple flower to Yu Baotong on the left, and after a circle like this, when the sound of the flute fell, the crabapple flower happened to be in Fu Yi's hand.

Li Anyi booed: "It seems that sister Yi is going to ask the first question."

Fu Yi thought for a while, and said: "Today is the Shangyuan Festival, so I will make a match." Then said: "The water fairy holds the jade hairpin, and blows slowly before the wind."

The Narcissus, Jasper Hairpin, and Slow Voice in the first couplet are all the names of the poems, and at the same time, it depicts a beautiful beauty. It is not easy to match the second couplet.

Everyone in the audience thought hard, but no one could think of the second line.

Li Anyi said: "Sister Yi's pair is too difficult, I have no idea at all. Sister Qi, can you come up with the next couplet?"

Yin Qiqi shook her head in embarrassment.

Just when everyone was about to admit defeat and punished themselves with a cup, Su Xi said slowly, "Poppy wears red embroidered shoes, and Bubujiao is attracted by the moonlight."

Poppy Poppy, Red Embroidered Shoes, and Bubujiao are also the names of ci brands, and this situation is no less than Fu Yi's Shanglian.

After the words fell, Yin Qiqi was stunned for a moment, and then she sincerely praised: "Sister Xi's couplet is wonderful."

Fu Yi glanced at Su Xi in surprise, with a complicated expression, picked up the glazed red wine glass on the table and said, "Sister Xi is right, I will take a glass."

Then continue to the next round, this time the sound of the flute is a little longer, just as Su Xi passed the crabapple flowers to Yu Baotong, the sound of the flute stopped.Yu Baotong pondered and said: "I'll make a lantern riddle—less but not real. The riddle is Xu Feige. Type a two-character word."

Fu Yi pondered for a moment, and quickly came up with the answer: "Small is hope, not real is false, both have the same radical '口', I guess the answer is 'xie'."

Yu Baotong smiled and said, "Miss Fu guessed right."

Seeing Su Xi's eyes drooping, Fu Yi must have guessed the answer.Because of Su Xi's pairing, Fu Yi calmed down a little, maybe she was thinking too much, Su Xi was just trying her luck.

In fact, Su Xi came up with the answer, but she knew that Yu Baotong couldn't drink alcohol, even this kind of osmanthus rice wine with a very light taste could get drunk, so she didn't tell the answer.Sure enough, Yu Baotong's face turned red after the second penalty, but fortunately, he was still conscious and managed to survive a few rounds.

In the next round, Yin Qiqi proposed a topic: "There are three parts of water, four parts of bamboo, and seven parts of bright moon."

No one got it right. Although Fu Yi got two of the lower couplets right, they didn't quite match the upper ones.

Only Su Xi answered calmly: "From the five-step building and the ten-step pavilion, you can look at the Baibu Yangtze River."

After Su Xi answered a few questions correctly in a row, even Li Anyi saw something was wrong, and said, "Sister Xi can match everything."

Fu Yi pursed her lips, her fingers holding the wine glass turned slightly white.

Mrs. Wanping seemed to have discovered something, and said strangely: "All of us took turns, but it was Miss Su's turn." Mrs. Wanping raised the curtain and said, "Cousin, you didn't do it on purpose, did you? "After thinking about it, it was impossible, and Wei Yan couldn't see the situation here.

As if to prove Wengzhu Wanping's words, in the next round of "Drumming and Passing Flowers", as soon as the sound of the flute stopped, the crabapple flowers fell into Su Xi's hands.

Su Xi looked at the flower in her hand, and wondered if Wei Feng did it on purpose, why did Weng Master Wanping just finish saying that, the flower fell into her hand, isn't this arousing suspicion?
Fortunately, everyone knew that Wei Yan couldn't see this side, so it was just a coincidence, so they didn't think too much about it.

Su Xi had no choice but to come up with a question. She looked at the bright moon hanging high outside the painting boat, and then lowered her eyes to look at the reflection of the moon on the lake. She had an idea: "The moon at the bottom of the water is the moon in the sky."

Could it be that this question confused everyone present, Fu Yi and Yin Qiqi thought about it for a while, but they had no idea at all.

In this room, Wei Yan sat behind the red sandalwood carved table, with his eyes lowered, carelessly whirling the mahogany flute in his hand, as if thinking.

Yin Qiqi couldn't think of the second line, so she conceded, "We are willing to drink a glass of wine as a fine, so Cousin Xi can tell you what the second line is."

Li Anyi doubted: "Is there really a second line to this question? Don't let Sister Xi just say it casually to fool us."

"Of course there is a second line." Su Xi was about to reveal the answer, when a beautiful maid in a satin skirt with green makeup came in at the door, and said: "My son has a second line, I want to ask Miss Su if the answer is correct."

Su Xi was startled, "Please tell me."

The maid said: "My lord's second line is: the person in your eyes is the person in front of you."

Su Xi blinked, a little surprised that Wei Yan's second couplet was exactly what she thought in her mind, she bent her lips and said with a smile, "Exactly."

The maid went back, Su Xi picked up the wine glass on the table and said, "I will accept punishment for this glass of wine."

Yin Qiqi said: "This couplet was made by Prince Wei, not by all of us here. Cousin Xi doesn't have to be fined for drinking, it's up to us to be fined." She drank the wine in her glass.

Fu Yi picked up the wine glass and forced a smile: "Sister Qi is right, this glass of wine should be punished by us."

The order of beating the drum to pass the flowers was still to be continued. Su Xi saw that Yu Baotong was too drunk and her face was flushed, so she knew she couldn't drink any more, so she stood up and bid farewell to everyone: "Sister Yu can't play any more, I'll send her back first."

Su Xi took Ting Yan and Ting He to send Yu Baotong back to the painting boat in Rongguo Duke's mansion.

Yu Baotong was just dizzy, but his mind was still clear. He rubbed his brows and said, "There are servants here to serve you, Xiaoyou, you can go back and leave me alone."

Su Xi said: "Sister Yu lay down and rested for a while, and I just wanted to come out for a walk, because the boat is too stuffy."

After Yu Baotong was settled, Su Xi stood at the bow of the boat and felt the wind blowing for a while, but she was not in a hurry to go back.She stepped off the boat, walked a few steps along the shore, and saw that the lights were brightly lit in front of her, so she had already reached Lantern Street without knowing it.Su Xi tightened her cloak and walked towards the brightly lit place.

Ting Yan and Ting He followed closely.

There are lanterns on both sides of the street, with different shapes, and there are many riddles guessing lanterns. A group of people surround the lanterns.

Su Xi looked slowly along the street. She glanced at some lantern riddles and guessed the answer in her heart, but she didn't say it. She continued to walk to the next house with great interest, and almost forgot about returning to the painting boat.

I saw a revolving lantern hanging in front of a pavement. The four lamps painted the scenery of the four seasons, spring rain, summer, autumn wind, and winter snow. The wonderful thing is that under the reflection of the candlelight, the drizzle in spring and the snowflakes in winter seem to fly out of the painting.

Su Xi fell in love with this lantern at a glance, but this lantern is not for sale, only if he guesses the answer to the riddle, he will give it away.

Su Xi picked up the riddle under the lantern and looked at it. It read "Boundless Falling Trees - Type a word".

It's so difficult, no wonder no one took it away.

Su Xi thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure it out. He just liked this lamp. He stood in front of the lamp and thought hard, as if he would not give up until he got the lantern.

Xiao Xiao refers to the "Qi Dynasty" and "Liang Dynasty" in the dynasties, Xiao Xiao called it "Chen Dynasty". But there was a person who stood there and said unhurriedly: "The answer to the riddle is the day."

The stall owner took down the lantern with a smile, gave a thumbs up and said, "This lamp has been hanging here for a long time, and finally someone guessed it right, you have a good brain."

The stall owner handed the lantern to Wei Feng, turned around and went about his own business.

Wei Yan held the Four Seasons lantern, his eyes drooped, and he looked at Su Xi, who was looking depressed.

(End of this chapter)