atypical prostitute

Chapter 30 Peony Banquet

The peony in front of the court is unqualified, and the lotus on the pool is pure and unfeeling.Only the peony is truly national, and the capital moves when it blooms.

On May [-]th, there was a warm breeze, and there were a lot of fragrant cars outside Weifang Garden in the suburbs of Beijing. All the officials and women who were well-known for their long arrangements gathered here.

Suddenly there was a horse hissing and hissing, the voice was clear and bright. It turned out that the carriage of Fu's family from the north came slowly.

There are two carriages, the carriages are gray and black, and the shape is ordinary, there is nothing presumptuous, and even looks a bit shabby, but the carts are pulled by Dawan good horses, fat and strong, and the market value of each horse is not less than a hundred gold. Dare to underestimate.Goodbye to the accompanying guards, all of them are strong and sturdy, with cold knives on their waists, and they knew that this was indeed Fu Shilang's carriage, and the carriages and horses hurriedly gave up their positions.

The carriage came to a complete stop, and a handsome maidservant in a light blue jacket with pinched edges jumped down from the red sandalwood wooden box, drew it into three steps, put it away, and walked out a woman in a satin jacket with patterns of riches and riches.The servant girl stepped forward, opened the thin bamboo curtain, and together with the mother-in-law, pulled out the dignified lady with a treasured bun and high temples.This woman's face is like a full moon, with a high-set gold comb, set off with eight golden silk inlaid with red treasure-step rocking hairpins, and wearing a veil bestowed by the emperor, she is the eldest wife of the Fu family.

After that, another beautiful woman with rice grains, pearl tassels, and hair combed high in the car was drawn out of the car. She has bright eyes and white teeth, a face like peach blossoms, and a dignified temperament. She is probably the first wife of the Fu family.

The two ladies who came out of the last carriage wore the same color of rouge sprinkled with golden palace satin skirts, half arms painted with silver thread on a pink and yellow background, and concubine-colored silk with cranes and cloud patterns, with double knives and half-up buns, embellished with small red gold flowers. Eighteen flowers.The person on the left is taller, with a charming appearance and affectionate eyes, as if two pills of black mercury have been raised, dazzling and dazzling, like a fairy concubine; the girl on the right is thin and weak, with faint signs of inadequacy, elegant temperament, noble and restrained , has its own elegance.

The steward received the thorns and was about to invite them to rest in the ear room, but saw Pingting, a female official in bearded clothes, coming to invite Mrs. Fu and the three ladies to enter the garden first!
As we all know, for this Peony Fair, non-clan princesses are not allowed to enter the garden in advance. The Fu family has this honor, and the noble ladies who are dressed in gold and silver in carriages, wearing pearls and emeralds all over their bodies, have to wait in the ear room for tea. .

……

……

The female officer led the way from the front, the eldest wife and the first lady walked side by side, Li Ci and Yu Jing followed closely, looking carefully all the way.

Weifang Garden was built for Wei Xianghuan in the former dynasty. "Wei" has the same pronunciation as "Wei", which means "only Xizi is the only one in the past, and peony is the only fragrance in the world".There are hundreds of thousands of famous plants in the garden. At its peak, Li Xie has heavy makeup, apricots are delicate and rainy, orchids are quite and fragrant, tea is elegant, chrysanthemums are proud of frost, plums are clear and bone, four seasons are not thankful, eight festivals of Changchun .After the Liang Kingdom was destroyed, only Fangyuan received the imperial property.In the second year of Du'an, Princess Linchuan came out of the pavilion and bestowed a gift on Weifang Garden.Princess Su Aiqing talks about elegance and wit. After getting the garden, it was repaired extensively to imitate the feelings of ancient times. The inside of the high wall is surrounded by flowers and trees such as roses, wood incense, thorn plums, ditangs, and gorse. , Wrapping branches, shining like a royal screen all year round, and changing scenery step by step, winding paths lead to seclusion.

A few steps into the garden, there are famous flowers and plants competing for splendor.The peach blossoms are burning in the morning sun, the pear blossoms melt into the night moon, the hibiscus is cold and beautiful, and the pomegranate is unparalleled in beauty.The golden lotus rises up the pond, the peonies are more fragrant, the roses and rhododendrons are as beautiful as clouds, and the hydrangea camellias adorn the scenery.Thousands of flowers, ten thousand kinds of fragrance, hundreds of flowers are dazzling, and the fragrance is overwhelming.

There is a quiet path among the flowers, covered with bamboo screens on both sides, and birds are flying in it, singing tactfully.

Walking to the end of the path, there is a large lake. This lake is artificially excavated and formed by diverting water from the Qujiang River. The embankment is widely planted with beautiful trees, hibiscus is planted all over the lake, and more than ten thousand koi are sprinkled.

It is late spring at this time, with yushu pavilions, green willows, narcissus by the lake with icy muscles and jade bones, lotus flowers in the lake and brocade clouds are blooming, there are boats rowing on the lake, fishing songs are lingering, and laughter is endless.There are three thatched cottages on the shore. Although the houses are covered with grass, they are tall and spacious, with bright windows.

The female official asked the female family members of Fu's family to wait for a while and let them in to report. After a while, the female official invited them to enter.

Li Ci stepped into the thatched cottage carefully, and saw white sandalwood fine wood on the wall, fine grass mixed with gold woven futons, and an ancient painting with a profound artistic conception hanging in the main hall, in which a graceful Taoist nun is sitting and making tea. It is actually an extremely elegant Zen room.

On the left is a gold-plated sandalwood incense burner with a beautiful suet jade base. A refined man is sitting in front of the burner with [-] Buddhist beads wrapped around his hands, inhaling sandalwood incense and reciting the name of the Three Jewels.

After the female official led the four people into the room, she bowed sideways to the man. The man just glanced at him casually, and asked the family members of the Fu family to sit down, then closed his eyes and recited Buddhist scriptures.

Because of the difference between men and women, Li Ci and Yu Jing sat side by side behind Mrs. Fu, half covering their faces with a fan.It's just that he is young, and this man is extremely elegant and noble, and he only had a quick glance just now, seeing him closing his eyes and reciting scriptures, Li Ci couldn't help removing his fan to peek.

But I saw a man in his thirties, with a face like a crown of jade, elegant and casual clothes, a jade belt around his waist, elegant and luxurious, with outstanding demeanor, really elegant and without any blemishes.He sighed secretly in his heart, this person must be the King of Runan known for his "beautiful appearance, good at riding and shooting". No wonder Princess Runan couldn't help but walk out from behind the screen.

Looking at Yu Jing again, her cheeks were flushed as expected.

But Mrs. Fu coughed lightly, only to realize that she was stunned, and quickly restrained herself, showing a serious look.

On the contrary, King Runan opened his eyes when he heard Qingke, and smiled when he saw the naivety of the ladies.His appearance was already extremely beautiful, but his smile now became more and more suave, and even the smile lines on the corners of his mouth had an inimitable charm.

It's a pity that it was embarrassing in the end. The three ladies had to bow their heads while being amazed.King Runan then continued to recite Buddhist scriptures with his eyes closed.

The meditation room was silent, only the sound of boiling water in the cauldron could be heard.

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When the spring boiled for the second time, the eldest princess and Princess Runan came back.

The eldest princess was already extremely beautiful, but today she dressed up skillfully and was extraordinarily graceful.The hair is combed in a spiral bun, decorated with eight treasures, and the plain clothes are even more charming. The breeze is coming, and the jade hands lift the black hair on the temples, just like a fairy descending to the world.Although Princess Runan beside her is not as charming as the eldest princess, she is gentle and amiable, with a graceful figure and classical grace.The two ladies laughed and talked all the way, wearing bells around their rings, and their charm is comparable to that of peonies.

Seeing the eldest princess and the princess entering, Mrs. Fu hurriedly led them to bow down.The King of Runan was naturally concentrating on chanting sutras and ignored it, but the female crown making tea only nodded in salute, so Li Ci couldn't help but look at it a few more times.Seeing her pink face and peach cheeks, she is a rare beauty, her brows are even more naturally noble, and she presumably comes from a wealthy family.

Xu Shi saw that they were familiar with each other, so Princess Runan didn't stick to the etiquette. She didn't wait for the Fu family's family members to get up, and went straight to King Runan, saying: "My lord, I just found out today that the peonies in Weifang Garden are indeed the best in the world. First, I was just walking around looking at the flowers, and my eyes were already dazzled. I thought that the peony blooming period had passed, and although there were many peonies in the courtyard, I expected that there were only some mediocre ones left. Even Er Qiao, Jiao Rong San Bian, and Shi Yang Jin are not uncommon. Moreover, the flowers and trees are more than ten feet high, and the lowest is seven or eight feet."

It was the first time seeing Princess Runan's charming appearance, Li Ci was very surprised.However, King Runan grinned and said softly: "If you don't even have the ability to stay with Qing Emperor temporarily tonight, how dare Ayu hold the peony flower festival at this time?"

His voice is both gentle and majestic, and it is extremely comfortable to listen to. In the words of Li Ci's previous life, he is very magnetic.Princess Runan was pleased with what she heard, and said yes again and again, and looked at the eldest princess with a touch of admiration.

However, the eldest princess saw the first wife of the Fu family staring at a purple sand withered plum vase on the carved table, and asked in surprise: "The first lady likes purple sand vessels?"

"I only know a little about purple sandware. I saw that it is shaped like a dried plum, with a simple style and a dark chestnut color. It looks like ancient and modern iron. I think it is the work of a famous master. But how good it is, I can't tell."

The eldest princess said kindly: "This dried plum vase is not rare, but the sand and mud are not easy to come by. Brother Wang got it from an ancient temple when he went to Yangxian last year to ask for a famous pot. The hand-washing mud at the bottom of the tank. The mud is fine and has Buddha nature. Brother Wang worshiped it for several months, and on a night when the moon was shining in the sky, he got it on a whim, and got it by chance."

"I didn't expect this withered plum vase to have such an opportunity."

Hearing this, Li Ci sighed: "Where is the jewel in the world, Yangxian Zisha is the most important thing. But even if Yangxian Xitou clay is equivalent to gold, it is not as good as this Zen master's handwashing clay."

"Si Niangzi is serious."

King Runan's tone was flat, but the Eldest Princess approached him and joked with him: "They dress up in the same way, how do you know who is the second lady and who is the fourth lady? Could it be—"

With a raised voice, he looked at the female officer standing beside him.The female officer smiled and did not answer.

Only Runan King made a gentle rescue: "The second lady is born beautiful, and the fourth lady is noble and restrained. Although they are dressed in the same way, their temperaments are completely different."

He is devout to Buddhism, even if he is laughing and laughing, he never forgets to recite Buddhist scriptures silently.Yu Jing saw that the one hundred and eight bodhi rosary beads in his hand had faded after a long time, and he wore a string of Buddha bone relics on his left wrist, which were crystal clear and full of Buddha spirit, so she said cautiously:
"Buddha said in the Sutra of Counting Beads of Merit and Virtue that those who use iron as counting beads will get five times more blessings by reciting and pinching once. Those who use red copper as counting beads will get ten times more blessings by reciting and pinching once. If real pearls, corals, etc. are used as counting beads, Reciting it once will bring you a hundred times of blessings. The prince uses the bodhi seeds as counting beads. Counting the number of beads will bring immeasurable blessings. I can see that the rosary in the hands of the prince has turned yellowish and white. With such a sincere heart, the accumulated merit must be Countless."

These words were very light and soft, and the intention was just to flatter, who would have thought that the prince would stop reciting silently because of this, clasped a rosary, and said: "Second lady is young, but she also has a heart for Buddha?"

He was originally a man of outstanding demeanor and handsomeness. As he got older, his demeanor did not diminish, and he became more mature and full-bodied.At this time, Yu Jing, who had just opened her heart, was flustered when this nobleman stared at her. She blushed and said in a low voice: "I often serve the old lady, and I have learned a little bit about it."

When King Runan heard this, he couldn't help but look at her more, and the eldest princess beside him said with pity:
"Fu Zhu is a lucky man, and all the daughters he gave birth to are beautiful. I saw the first lady before, and she was already wonderful. I don't want the appearance of the second lady to be better than the first lady."

Princess Runan even praised: "It's a pity that the prince has no children. The eldest princess can think about it."

Yu Jing hurriedly lowered her head shyly, feeling unstoppable excitement in her heart.

The eldest son is of marriageable age, if he can be favored by the eldest princess at the peony flower banquet, there is a high probability that he will be able to marry into the Hou family in the future.Therefore, all the women from aristocratic families who got the invitation this time were all dressed up, even the middle-class family, they also sharpened their heads to ask for invitations based on connections, in a vain attempt to fly out of the phoenix.

If he can get the approval of Princess Runan before the banquet officially starts, the chance of being selected will naturally increase greatly.

It's a pity that before the Eldest Princess could reply, the female crown had already divided the tea. She was a master tea divider, so the tea she brought out was naturally thick and even, and it looked like a celestial girl scattered flowers, which was simply beautiful.

Princess Runan doesn't like tea, so she took the green jade teacup from the female crown and served it to King Runan affectionately.King Runan took it with a smile, Li Ci saw the happy and shy face of Princess Runan, and knew that Princess really loved her husband to death.For some reason, she always felt that the prince's tenderness and consideration were accompanied by a slight alienation.

After drinking the tea, the Shangguan woman sat in the crown and discussed Taoism and Zen with the King of Runan. Both of them were masters of clear talk.

Not long after, the sky was dark and all the guests were present. The female official invited the eldest princess and Princess Runan to move to the Xiyue Pavilion in the center of the lake to preside over the flower viewing.

Note 1: The description of some flowers is based on "The Old Man in the Garden Meets the Fairy in the Evening"

Note 2: Peonies bloom in April and May. After the Dragon Boat Festival in the lunar calendar, theoretically there are no peonies.
Note 3: The allusion of handwashing mud comes from the self-made pot master Gongchun.When I was offering spring books, I accompanied my master to study in Jinsha Temple. The old monk who was good at making pots in Jinsha Temple washed the pottery mud that had settled at the bottom of the vat and made a pot, which is the pot for spring offerings. (I asked a friend who is in the purple sand business. The hand-washing mud is cooked mud waste. It is filtered and precipitated by water. The mud is fine and fine, and it can indeed be used as a pot.)
　The second update, another chapter before [-]:[-] p.m., thanks to my cute master~~~~~Kids~~~~~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)