Foster son and husband

Chapter 80 The Lantern Festival
On the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the palace is decorated with lanterns and festoons. All kinds of ingenious and beautiful lanterns are hung all over the palace courtyard, full of auspiciousness and joy. Famous poems and lines are written on the lanterns as usual. If the inner and outer wives guess the answer correctly, they will always get a small and exquisite gift as a reward.

Mei Niang was not able to join the lively crowd. She accompanied the queen, sitting in the warm pavilion, and shared the joy and joy of the people amidst the bright lights through the gauze curtain.

Empress Sun Hui Yunzhuang is beautiful, just as Meiniang guessed, her body shape is about the same as hers, but now she is six months pregnant, her waist looks a bit bloated, her physique is too poor, her face is pale and bloodless, but she is in a good mood, Sitting under the window with Mei Niang watching the lanterns, smiling sweetly and comfortably.

When Chen Shi entered the palace to attend the ceremony, the emperor cared about the queen, fearing that she would not be able to bear it if she sat in the palace for too long in full dress, so only the first batch of foreign wives with higher rank were allowed to enter the palace to attend the ceremony as representatives, and the rest were exempted from worship and stayed in the palace. Arrange the palace room to rest.

The queen went back to the harem to change clothes, lay on the soft couch, and met some foreign wives she wanted to see, Meiniang and the queen's sister-in-law, Mrs. Dingguo's wife Pang, Anyuanhou's wife Mei, Ningyuanhou's wife Gan, Changlehou Mrs. Wang went in together, these ladies were known to Mei Niang long ago, they came to see her when she was resurrected, they burned Meilin to eat barbecue, the impression was quite deep.

The servant was leading the way, and when he was walking inside, Mrs. Dingguo's wife, Pang Shi, looked back at Meiniang and said, "You look good, why did you come out to play? See, you're not so petty!"

Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Changlehou, also said: "Exactly! I told you to come and see the flowers, but I always refused to come. Talking is nothing!"

An Yuanhou's wife, Mrs. Mei, said: "My mother-in-law's [-]th birthday specially asked you to come, but Wei Yuanhou came early, so I won't see you!"

Meiniang couldn't argue with her words, she was miserable, so she had to apologize again and again: "Ladies, please forgive Meiniang, it happened that I couldn't go, either I or my child, it was not good a while ago, alas! Offended, I won't dare to go again next time! "

Chang Lehou pointed at her and said: "The peonies in my house are about to bloom, you must come to the flower viewing party, otherwise, I will call to your house!"

Madam An Yuan covered her mouth and smiled: "Madam Wei Yuan, be careful, this one has a bit of punch!"

The wives all laughed, Mei Niang raised her hand and said, "I must go! I must go!"

Mrs. Dingguo said: "There is still my family, you come, I will teach you how to make balsam!"

"Okay, I must visit my sister some other day!"

Several wives said: "Book a date, come together, we also want to learn!"

Mrs. Dingguo said: "Well, when I go back and have a look, I have set a date, and I will call you in the next post!"

Entering the Kunning Palace where the queen lived, she knelt down and saluted in sequence. Seeing that Meiniang didn't ask, and only a quarter of an hour later, the servant said that the queen was about to rest, and ordered the wives to bow and retreat. The maids around her came to lead the ladies out, but said to Meiniang:
"The empress asks Madam Weiyuan to wait a moment, I have a few words to say!"

Mei Niang stayed and sat back in her original seat.

But I heard the queen say in the thin silk golden gauze tent: "Come here!"

A court lady led Meiniang into the gauze tent, only then did Meiniang understand why the queen saw that her own sister-in-law was also covering the gauze curtain. Stretching out her hand, Mei Niang hurriedly walked up, held it lightly, and sat down on the edge of the couch.

The queen smiled and said, "Although you and I have never met, you should have heard of me!"

Mei Niang said: "The concubine is thinking about the empress in her heart!"

The queen shook her head: "Your good friend Lin Runan, who met me in the south since childhood, is my best friend. Later, she went to Beijing, and we never saw each other again."

Meiniang was stunned: Yes, Mama Wang said that Qin Meiniang had a good friend who was also a famous lady, and she invited Meiniang to swim in the lake, but when Xu Junying saw Meiniang, she was astonished, and immediately decided to marry her back home. .

Mei Niang blushed slightly and said: "I am ashamed of myself, I woke up from a serious illness and forgot many things, even my former friends!"

The queen looked at her in amazement: "You really forgot? Marquis Wei Yuan said it, but I still don't believe it. Lin Runan mentioned you in the correspondence with me, and she said that you are very good, beautiful, gentle and virtuous!"

Mei Niang's face was hot: Don't boast, the word "virtuous" is really hard to say!

The queen said: "You don't remember these things, and you probably don't know what happened to Lin Runan later... Sigh! How should I put it, her father, Lin Changqing, was originally a good third-rank official in the capital, but for some reason he partnered with someone to corrupt ink. After finding out the evidence, The whole family was exiled in southern Xinjiang, and all the family property was poured into the national treasury. Poor Lin Runan was dragged down by his father, and now he can't even talk about marriage..."

The palace lady brought the tea, the queen gave way to Mei Niang, took a sip herself, frowned slightly and continued:
"After she went to the south, I went home to visit relatives. I heard about her family from my brother. I didn't dare to mention it to the emperor until a few days ago. I only asked Lin Runan to return to Beijing. The emperor was merciful and pardoned Lin Changqing. His family was allowed to return to Beijing, but from then on he could only be a commoner, and he could no longer be an official, and his descendants would not be able to inherit the shadow of his ancestors, so he had to start from the beginning and work hard to gain fame."

Mei Niang said: "The emperor is generous and kind enough, this is enough!"

The queen nodded and said: "I also dared to ask for this favor because I was pregnant, and the emperor was so kind to me. It was just to let Ru Nan go back to Beijing. At any rate, relying on the relatives and friends I met in the past, I can find a good marriage, and it will be safe and secure. Live forever!"

Mei Niang said emotionally: "Your Majesty, a man with a body, who has worked so hard and still remembers Ru Nan, is really kind and virtuous. He has true love for his friends, and my concubines can't help but sigh!"

The queen smiled: "I must have you come for this reason. I don't care about others. Ru Nan is also a pure and sincere woman, and I can't bear her suffering. I have achieved this step, and I can no longer care about the outside world." , his family has received the pardon, and should have returned to the capital, and all the property has been confiscated. I don't know if there is any place to stay. Just take care of it. If there is any difficulty, I will..."

Mei Niang hurriedly said: "No, there is no difficulty! Since Ru Nan is a mutual friend of the empress empress and the concubine, let the concubine handle the rest of the matter! I will not disappoint the empress, nor teach Ru Nan to suffer any more! "

The queen nodded: "You take care of it first, wait for me to think of a way, at least I can find some reasons, and slowly return a little bit of her family's ancestral property, so as to maintain life!"

Mei Niang said: "From now on, this matter will be handed over to the concubine. The empress doesn't have to worry anymore. She will take good care of her, take care of her body, and wait to give birth to a strong and beautiful baby!"

The Empress and Meiniang talked speculatively, and were in a happy mood. They never saw other wives again, and turned back to the left and right. The two of them were on the soft couch in the inner room of Kunning Palace. Snacks, drinking tea, chatting with each other for a while, Mei Niang taught the Pope Empress based on some pregnancy trivia she had inadvertently learned in her previous life. Niang wrote it down, Mei Niang asked her to drink less tea, she pushed away the tea bowl on the spot, called the maid outside to bring hot boiled water, told her not to lie down all the time, and exercise more, she frowned and said:

"The imperial doctor said to protect the fetus, don't let me move around!"

Mei Niang hurriedly said: "Then listen to the imperial physician, everyone's constitution is different, what the concubine said may not be right!"

The queen sighed, with a worried look on her face: "It was really hard for me to conceive this child, and I felt that I couldn't bear it. At four months, I almost... almost died of illness, thanks to the two The strange man outside the palace has been taking their pills, and he gradually got better, but he still feels weak, and I don't know if he can give birth to him smoothly..."

Mei Niang held her hand and said: "Yes, the empress can! The concubine knows those two strange people, they will not let the empress have any accidents. For the sake of the child, the empress must be strong, brave, don't worry, and give birth to a child." Parenting, you have to pass that test, and you will be fine. When your mother gives birth to this first child, maybe your body will become stronger!"

The queen said with a smile, "It's so late to meet you. It's very easy for me to be with you. You don't have to be formal. I call you by your name, and you can call me by my name too!"

Mei Niang said: "The concubine dare not!"

The queen was not happy: "This is not good!"

Meiniang hurriedly changed her words: "Meiniang is afraid of offending the Empress Empress!"

The queen said: "It's only limited to our private relationship, in front of people, we have to follow the rules!"

Mei Niang then tried to shout: "Hui Yun!"

The queen smiled: "That's it, isn't it difficult? Mei Niang, I heard about you a long time ago, but I just never met each other. We have been friends for a long time!"

Mei Niang was also very happy. She took out the purple sweater she knitted and unfolded it for her to see: "This one, I just knitted it, and I give it to you. It's close to the body, tight and tight, soft and warm, so you don't have to wear too many clothes, and it's inconvenient to move around." .”

The queen was both surprised and delighted. She held it in her hand and stroked it, loving it: "What kind of dress is this? It's so beautiful! It's great! How come I've never seen it before?"

Mei Niang smiled and said: "This is called a sweater. It is made of a single piece of wool. It is light and warm. I don't know anything else, so I learned how to weave this. Spring is here. I will find some more suitable wool and weave you a close-fitting vest." , the weather has become warmer since the baby was born, and when it's winter, I'll prepare a winter sweater for him!"

The queen was very happy, and said repeatedly: "That's great, that's great! Meiniang, your hands are so ingenious! You said it before, you want to knit a few more for me and the baby!"

"I remember! I will weave it for you two with my own hands!"

"Okay! When this comes out of my stomach, you take your son into the palace and teach them to be good friends!"

Unknowingly, the sky was getting darker, and the wives had already had their dinner. The Kunning Palace had to follow the doctor's orders to eat according to the time. When the dinner came in, it was already dark outside. With the sound of a cannon, all the lanterns were lit. In an instant, the entire palace courtyard was reflected brilliantly, like a fairyland, Meiniang was so dazed that she forgot to eat.

The queen said apologetically: "If you are tired, you can't go outside to enjoy it. The wind is strong. The emperor asked me to follow the doctor's advice and try to go out as little as possible. Today, the emperor will give New Year's wine, and the emperor will drink it with the ministers. Later, I will order the women to enjoy it. I also go to watch the lanterns, he can't accompany me, without you, my life today will be meaningless!"

Mei Niang said with a smile: "It's better to see it from a distance than to see it up close. You may not be able to see such a beautiful scenery when you get close, don't you think so? I am entering the palace today, and it is my honor to be able to accompany the queen. Knowing Ru Nan, I will It's what you should do as a friend. If you're bored in the future and want to talk to me, just call me and I'll come!"

The queen's brows and eyes widened, and she giggled: "You will come as soon as you call? Can you fly?"

The maids put the dining table under the window of the Nuan Pavilion, and the two talked and watched the lanterns and the scenery while eating slowly. Meiniang pointed and commented on the shape of the lanterns and speculated on the meaning. Agreed, some said they could not accept it, the two had discussions and disputes, but it was fun.

Unexpectedly, before the monarchs and ministers visited the garden and enjoyed the lanterns together, the emperor went up to the warm pavilion to visit the queen. Meiniang met the emperor for the first time and was a little nervous. She knelt behind the queen to welcome the emperor. The emperor smiled and supported the queen, looking Then he swept towards Mei Niang and said:

"Qin Meiniang, save yourself!"

Meiniang was startled for a moment, the emperor called her by her first name, not "Mrs. Weiyuanhou".

The queen said with a smile: "Meiniang doesn't seem to remember the emperor anymore. Marquis Wei Yuan said that she forgot a lot of things during that illness!"

The emperor said: "How dare you forget me? Without me, how would you marry Xu Junying?"

Meiniang had already stood up, but when she heard the words, she was blessed again, and said: "How dare the concubine forget the emperor? The concubine thanked the emperor for his kindness that day!"

The emperor smiled and said: "Well, good! You are still so beautiful, well-behaved and docile. Why did Xu Junying say that you came back from an illness and you were a little dazed? I don't think so!"

Mei Niang felt very helpless: If this Xu Junying was born in modern times, he would probably be able to do things like calling a normal person schizophrenic.

The emperor asked the queen what she had eaten and whether she had eaten well, and the queen replied that with Mei Niang by her side, she was in a happy mood and ate more than ever.The emperor said hello again and again, sat with them for a while, took a chopstick dish for each of the two women, and found that Mei Niang was secretly looking at him, so he said with a smile:
"It seems that you have really forgotten me. You saw me by the lake that day! How do you think my appearance is okay? Is it comparable to your Xu Junying?"

Meiniang burst out laughing, and the queen laughed too: "Your Majesty, how can you talk to your wife like this?"

The emperor looked around: "There is no one else here, just us, there is no harm in joking. Xu Junying and I are best friends in life and death, so you don't have to be polite with Mei Niang, right?"

Mei Niang nodded: "The emperor is the most beautiful, wise, and hearty thing I have ever seen..."

She found that she couldn't continue. Could it be that "the emperor is the most beautiful, wise, and hearty emperor that my concubines have ever seen"?My God, that's watching a series in modern times. Well, Qin Meiniang is seventeen or eighteen years old in this dynasty. How many emperors can she meet?

The emperor and empress waited hard for the second half of her sentence, the emperor glared at her, and Meiniang had no choice but to say: "The most hearty young man!"

The emperor laughed: "Very well, another sycophant came out, much more interesting than Xu Junying!"

Being called a sycophant, Meiniang couldn't help but pouted slightly, the emperor found it even more funny, and teased her a few more times, then turned to the queen and said:

"It's a pity that it's very windy outside. Otherwise, if I take you out, Mei Niang and Junying can enjoy the lanterns together. It must be very fun!"

The queen stroked her stomach tenderly and said: "Next year, let's bear with it this year, and next year we will take our children out to enjoy!"

The emperor put his hand on the queen's hand, nodded and said: "Okay, next year our family will enjoy the lanterns with Junying and his family!"

The queen thought of something, raised her head and said to the emperor: "The queen mother..."

The emperor smiled at her: "The Queen Mother accompanied King Qi, but King Qi refused to come out. You just have to be good, and you don't need to worry too much."

Mei Niang sat quietly at the side, looking at them with a smile. The rare couple in the Emperor's family were very affectionate, which made her envious and jealous for a while.

The emperor comforted Mei Niang again: "Junying accompanied all the ministers in the hall on my behalf. After I go down, let him pick you up. You husband and wife can enjoy the lanterns before returning!"

Mei Niang blessed her body and said: "My concubine, thank the emperor for your concern!"

(End of this chapter)