Chapter 2 Chapter 2 People are not far from peach blossoms

After the heavy rain, the next day was a fine day. The blue sky was extremely delicate, and the white clouds were curled up in the air like silk threads. My mother went to my uncle's house early in the morning, and told her: "The peach blossoms are blooming so well this year, I'm afraid they won't bear fruit. Throw out these few peach blossoms." She nodded and agreed, and after her mother left, she spread a large piece of green cloth under the peach blossoms in the yard, and climbed to the tree with a green bamboo branch to harvest the peach blossoms, trying to knock down seven or eight out of ten of the overly dense flowers.The peach petals fell, making her whole body pink, and her whole body seemed to be piled up in a beautiful brocade.

The walls of the house were low, and when the flowers on the tree began to fade, she raised her hand to her forehead and wiped her sweat a little, only to find that someone was standing outside the wall watching her for an unknown amount of time. Seeing that she looked up and saw himself, he only smiled at her. It turned out to be the man from yesterday. Sitting on the peach blossom tree, she was extremely embarrassed, so she could only smile slightly at him. And he stood outside the yard and looked up at her shy and bewildered expression. She was covered in flowers, and in the pink background, it was unexpectedly dazzling for a moment. He didn't know whether it was a person or a flower that was beautiful, but he felt that the light was dazzling and extremely beautiful.

He realized that he couldn't speak, so he simply kept silent and just looked at her. Seeing his eyes fixed on her, she turned around subconsciously, and when she collected herself, she heard him ask: "What's the girl doing for knocking down these peach blossoms?" "The flowers are too dense, and I'm afraid they won't be able to bear fruit. Besides, peach blossoms can cure malaria, edema, abdominal pain, and ulcers. They can be used after drying in the shade," she said slowly. He let out an "oh" and said, "I know. One time... when my younger brother was sleeping, bugs got into his ears. The doctor asked someone to pick a catty of fresh peach blossoms as a pillow, and he slept for an hour. After that, the worms came out by themselves."

"There are also peach blossoms and winter melon kernels that are ground into powder, which can make the face beautiful. If you want to be rosy, use more peach blossoms, and if you want to be fair, use more winter melon kernels." She felt relieved at this moment, and smiled at him. He also smiled slightly. Two people, inside and outside the wall, on the tree and under the tree, looked at each other and smiled. "Rigao is sleepy, and I'm a little thirsty, do you have some tea?" He finally asked. She glanced at the neighbor next door and saw that his two sons were there, so she paused and said, "Please wait a moment."

She shook off the flowers all over her body, carefully climbed down from the tree, opened the courtyard door, invited him to sit under the flower tree, made tea for him, and offered it with both hands. He stretched out his hand to take the tea bowl, and saw that her white wrists were as frosty and snowy, and under the faint sunlight, they were able to shine.It's a pity that due to long-term fatigue, the fingers are a little thicker. Although they are slender, they are not delicate.For some reason, a tinge of pity suddenly rose in his heart, thinking, how could such a beautiful woman be covered in dust and buried here?

Someone suddenly laughed at the door: "Ah, Ayan, do you have guests at home?" Sheng Yan was taken aback, but when she looked back, she was the matchmaker Jiang who often came to the house.She hurriedly stood up and said, "Mother Jiang, why did you come to my house today? Please come in." "What else will I do when I come to your house?" She walked in with a smile, and without waiting for Shengyan to say anything, she sat down on the chair in the middle of the gate without any politeness, and said, "I am also a regular customer, and everything else is fine." Not much to say, a good family wants you today."

Sheng Yan blushed, and said: "Mother Jiang, you can wait until my mother comes back to say this." "You are old and young, so what is there to be embarrassed about? Yo, who is this?" She asked, staring at the person sitting there drinking tea. "I'm a passing visitor, I just want to drink some tea." She said hastily. Jiang's mother looked at him for a long time, and said, "A passer-by? This is not like it. Judging by his appearance, he looks like he came from a wealthy family. Why are you wandering around this kind of mountain village alone?"

He didn't look at her, and said coldly, "It's just a walk once in a while." When he said this, Jiang's mother felt bored, and turned to Sheng Yan and said, "Today is Mr. Ma, the uncle and cousin of Liu Shangshu's family in the Ministry of Industry. He took a photo with you on the street a few days ago, and today I will ask you The matchmaker is here, Ayan, you are very lucky!" "Mr. Ma? When he pestered me on the street that day, didn't the people next to me say that he was already married and had children?" Sheng Yan asked lightly. "Oh, what does it matter? He didn't wrong you to be a girl, but he said he wanted to be your concubine, fourth wife..."

Sheng Yan said in a low voice: "I see, Mama Jiang, please take this trip. I will discuss it with my mother." "The Ma family is really powerful and powerful, don't miss this great opportunity!" Matchmaker Jiang grabbed her hand and patted her a few times, and said, "This family is top-notch, if you really marry into his family , that is even more blessed than the empress of the palace!" He sneered at the side, but didn't say anything. Sheng Yan sent her out of the door and looked back at him, he was still drinking tea leisurely. The tea is not good, of course he also knows that the tea outside is definitely not as good as his own, so without saying anything, he drank half a cup slowly, seeing that the girl with a bright face is delicate, he put it down to help her clean up the mat on the floor green cloth.They spread the peach blossoms on the blue cloth, their hands touched together in a soft pink.His hands are slender, with well-proportioned joints, much better-looking than hers.

She retracted her hand unconsciously, trying to hide it, but he flipped his hand and held her hand in his palm, watching carefully. She was ashamed and annoyed, but he held it so tightly that she couldn't pull it back no matter what.There was a thin callus from the horse's rein in his palm, and the touch on the back of her hand burned hotly. "Your hands are exactly the same as my mother's." He looked carefully and said in a low voice, "My mother was not from a noble family, she used to do odd jobs at... my father's house, and my father saw her one time, and casually I wanted her, but she had me just because of this time. But what's the use, she had a son and an identity, but she was still looked down upon by others, even I was looked down upon like her. When I was nine years old, she died. Do you know what she said to me before she died?"

He raised his head, looked into her eyes, and said word by word: "She said, mother is sorry for you." She saw the fierce resentment in this person's eyes unconsciously, and she was startled. She thought, there might be a lot of hatred lurking in this person's heart. "Others hope that I will marry a woman with a noble family background, but I don't want to. I want to marry a woman who I like, even if it is a low-status woman." He leaned into her ear and whispered: "Will you marry me?" Me?" you marry me. These unheard five words were like a thunderbolt in her ears. She froze for a moment, loosened the corner of the cloth she held in her hand, and all the peach blossoms were scattered in the air lightly and powerlessly. He stared at her panicked expression, and narrowed his eyes slightly to look at her. There was something blurred in his eyes that made her heart ache. She raised her head in a daze, and said in a trembling voice: "I...my father died in a foreign country, and now I am with my mother, and I am not tolerated by the tribe. You...you should find someone better." "No one is better than you." He stepped on the fallen peach blossoms and walked up to her, looking at her drooping face and slender shoulders, trembling slightly.He sighed softly and said, "Aren't you and I just right? If you can marry me with high eyebrows, I can also make those old bastards in the court vomit blood and die." "And," he stretched out his hand and gently put his arms around her shoulders, "and I... will definitely give you happiness." Sending him out, walking and stopping all the way under the peach blossoms, until she reached the Temple of Flowers, she was still dazed and in a trance. She didn't know his identity, nor his past. This sudden marriage proposal made her not know what to say to him. Next to the temple is a small pond with clear water. He saw the stone carvings beside the pond and asked, "Is this pond called Sansheng Pond?" She nodded and said: "It is said that the figures reflected in the pool at the same time can be destined for three lives." He actually pulled her to the edge of the pool like a child, and said with a smile: "Then we will take care of it?" He had always restrained his smile before, but now he looked very good-looking, with a faint dimple on his left cheek.The whole person suddenly became alive. Sheng Yan moved her eyes slightly to the side, not daring to look directly at it. The water in the pool is clear, reflecting the appearance of two people under the blue sky.The slight ripples in the wind twisted and twisted the shadows of the two people turbulently, stretched, twisted, and stretched again. It only takes a few evenings to ruin a lifetime of haggardness. In the sparse shadows of apricot blossoms, play the flute until dawn. Sheng Yan was silent and speechless, looking at the people around her in the reflection, the Sansheng Pond next to the Huashen Temple, reflecting the fate and destiny of the Three Lives. "I'm going to pay homage to my father tomorrow. No matter who comes to propose marriage, you don't have to worry about it, and you don't have to be surprised. Just agree, you know?" he asked. Sheng Yan silently nodded, she also knew that he must not be an ordinary person, no matter what, she just said: "Don't worry, I'll just wait for you." Hearing this, his heart felt hot, and he couldn't help taking her hand and holding it in his palm.The two stood very close, Sheng Yan heard his breathing, as if it was right next to her ear, and her heart couldn't help beating. After a long time, he took off a jade pendant around his waist and said, "This is what I have carried with me since I was a child. Please accept it. Remember that I have a national surname." She took it in her hand and clenched her palm tightly.No matter who this person is, at least this encounter will not be worse than dying of old age in this country, nor will it be worse than being someone else's fourth wife. He bowed his head and kissed the corner of her lips gently, softly and warmly. The wind blew over, and the leaves around Sansheng Pond rattled and swayed non-stop. This small sound seemed to be the only existence in the entire silent world.He touched Shengyan's lips, which were as soft as flowers, blooming gently at the corner of his mouth, and the touch meandered down from the tip of his tongue, and gradually spread to his heart. All the wind stopped, all the time stopped, only their fingers intertwined and lingering kisses. This is often the case in the world, a heavy rain completes an encounter, and a tree of peach blossoms completes a love. There was a voice next to her, and she seemed to be frightened, and gently pushed him away. He said goodbye to her and turned to leave.And she tightly held the jade pendant he gave her, and watched him leave.Those who had come with him were waiting for him outside the forest.Seeing him coming, he led the horse out. Dozens of hula las riding furious horses in brocade clothes rolled over Pinggang and disappeared into the peach blossom forest.Sheng Yan felt as if she was in a dream, she shuffled back home in a daze, closed the courtyard door, leaned behind the door, and took a long time to remember to pick up the jade pendant to have a look. The jade pendant is the shape of nine dragons intertwined together. Although the shape is only as big as the mouth of a cup, the scales, claws, beards and eyes of the nine dragons are all delicate and lifelike.They twisted and twisted together, as if there was a terrifying aura blowing towards our faces. He has the surname of the country, the same surname as the current emperor, and this surname is extremely rare among the people. He said, no matter who comes to propose marriage, you don't have to be afraid or surprised, just agree. He gave her the Nine Dragon Pendant, which can only be owned by an emperor. When her mother came back, she wanted to tell her about him, but she felt ashamed to think about it.Besides, he would ask someone to propose a marriage, so he just pretended he didn't know anything. "I heard people say today that the emperor and the empress dowager are going to the imperial mausoleum tomorrow. It must be a lively scene tomorrow." The mother casually talked to her about the outside affairs. He said that he was going to worship his father tomorrow.Sheng Yan was silent, she just lowered her head and picked out the peony stamens on the wedding dress one by one for others.The flowers are vibrantly colored and almost scented when the wind blows. She held the flowers in front of her eyes for a long time, and asked: "It is said that the emperor's mother was the maidservant of the empress dowager, and she was occasionally taken by the late emperor?" She laughed and said, "But fate is nothing. She gave birth to the emperor, and she died early. The emperor passed on to the empress, who is now the empress dowager. It belongs to her, and it is still hers after all." Feeling touched in the mother's heart, she sighed in a low voice: "Life is given to you by God, and it is a luxury to ask for more than one cent." Sheng Yan's heart shuddered slightly, thinking of the resentment he held back when he mentioned his mother.She suddenly felt pity that his life was actually not happy. It was difficult to fall asleep all night, and the moonlight outside shone through her simple room. first quarter moon. She sat up and looked at the moon, the sky was blue and the moon was pale. She suddenly remembered that he still had an umbrella with her, and she forgot to return it to him last time. Get up lightly, get out of bed, Sheng Yan opened the door to the woodshed, and saw the umbrella there. She picked up the umbrella, stretched it open, and looked at the fine golden silk umbrella above the towers and high gardens, straight into the sky.Beautiful and cool.It's too cold to be high. I don't know what is waiting for her? She searched carefully, and finally found the pattern she expected in the middle of the gathering of bamboo threads on the top of the umbrella handle - the printing of the royal last game. Many years ago, before she was born, when her father was still favored, the first emperor gave her father an ink ingot, and the family still treasures it to this day, taking it out to worship during Chinese New Year. The same is printed on the ink ingot, which is something from the palace. Is this good luck or bad luck? Standing under the dim light of the oil lamp, she shed tears in a daze. A girl with no foundation and no family background, if she wants to go to a place full of smart and beautiful women, and many people together to please a husband, even... just a single word or one wrong step, she will be like her. Like my father, he disappeared into this world in obscurity amidst grief and desolation. For so long, she finally found the one she was so excited about. Why is it such a person? Holding the umbrella alone, she sat in the messy and dilapidated woodshed, crying depressively.The wind came in the middle of the night, and I heard the sound of the wind shaking the peach blossom trees.I don't know how many pet Liu Jiaohua will wither this night. Early the next morning, her mother got up with her, just as she opened the courtyard door, she saw several people in palace uniforms walking over.Her mother was startled and was in a state of panic, but found that among those few people was the old patriarch of the Sheng family. As soon as the patriarch saw them, he rushed over, passed his mother, rushed to hold Sheng Yan's hand, and burst into tears : "Ayan, your child can be regarded as a glorious ancestor..." Sheng Yan tossed and turned insomnia all night, woke up early today to clean the courtyard with her mother, still a little not sober, asked: "Grandpa, what's wrong?" "The emperor blesses, the Holy Grail, our Sheng family is overjoyed..." He held Sheng Yan's hand, his beard trembling unceasingly, and he burst into tears. Those palace people in the back held scrolls in their hands and said: "Last night, the queen mother had a dream. She dreamed that the late emperor told her that when the emperor was born, he gave you a name, and said that this pair of children were born on the same day. It is destined. The queen mother I think that the palace is currently selecting ladies from famous families to enter the palace to learn etiquette in order to be selected by the emperor. The girl’s father was a scholar of Tianzhang Pavilion, and the previous emperor entrusted him with a dream to show it, so the empress dowager hastily ordered the palace envoy to order you before leaving for the mausoleum Entering the palace, the other ladies have been in the palace for several days, please enter the palace immediately after accepting Yi's decree." Sheng Yan's mother froze there for a moment, stammering and asking: "Why...why does the Queen Mother suddenly...remember, think of my family..." The palace envoy said again: "The Queen Mother also said that the girl is the same age as the Holy Majesty, if she has already betrothed to someone else, it depends on her own will." The mother and daughter took Yizhi and read it, and it was indeed the case.The village's ground guards hastily prepared drinks to meet the royal family.The whole yard was noisy, only the mother and daughter sat down in the house, relatively silent. "It's better to go back. Let's just say that you have betrothed someone else. The palace gate is as deep as the sea, so it may not be a good place to go." The mother whispered. She was silent, thinking of those eyes that looked deeply into her heart. He said, I just want to marry a woman I like. Even if you return the piece of jade that was a pledge of love, how can you return the kiss on the Three Lives Pond? She said in a low voice: "Mother, I..." She wanted to say that she and him had met twice before, but how would a shy girl say the momentary encounter in the rain, the staring up and down of the flowers and trees? "Ayan," my mother frowned, took her hand, and said in a low voice: "You know, this is by no means a good thing, everyone there is a master with a background, you are helpless, how can you be in that crack living?" Sheng Yan bit her lower lip and said softly, "Mother, I know it myself." She thought that he had been unhappy.Thinking of him smiling like a child, with a faint dimple on his left cheek. "I... Anyway, I'm at home, and I won't be able to marry a good man, so I might as well try my luck." Sheng Yan held her hand tightly, tears streaming down her face. Seeing how stubborn she was, the mother had no choice but to shake her hand, turned around and went out to toast the palace envoy: "The officials have worked hard, please take this trip, my daughter thanks the Queen Mother for her kindness, and will leave tomorrow according to the order .” "In this way, everyone congratulates the girl on her bright future in the palace and her great fortune." All the palace emissaries said with a smile. Sheng Yan and her mother thanked her at the gate, and several old people in the village sent the palace envoy to the entrance of the village. When the figure disappeared, everyone talked about the girl's luck, but a dream of the Queen Mother came true. During the discussion, I suddenly saw a group of envoys dressed in brocade and purple, holding brocade mattresses, bonuses, and boxes of various colors, walking towards the entrance of the village. While being surprised, the leader was quite polite, jumped off his horse and asked them: "I am the ceremonial officer of Prince Rui's Mansion. I brought a birthday copybook today, and I am here to say hello to the girl from the Sheng family here on behalf of my master. I want to hire her as Princess Rui. I wonder where the Sheng family is?" Those old people were extremely astonished, looked at each other, and said: "There is only one Sheng family in our village, and the mother lives with her daughter." The ceremonial officer said, "That's right. Dare I ask where her home is?" "Just now the queen mother's order came from the palace, and she has already entered the palace according to the order." Everyone in Prince Rui's Mansion showed surprise. When they got the hut door of her house, those people looked at this simple house with low mud walls, and could only whisper in astonishment. At this time, her house was crowded with people, and the neighbors on the left knew that she was going to enter the palace, and all of them came to congratulate her. Light".The matchmaker Jiang spattered even more: "I usually try to match her up, but it always fails. I also see how those little bits and pieces are worthy of the Empress Sheng? No, God just made her wait until today. This is a blessing, isn't it?" Sheng Yan and her mother listened to what they said, looked at each other, but tears fell down, they both knew that parting was imminent, and they didn't know when they would be able to get together again, and they couldn't say anything for a while. The people who sent officials to see the courtyard said so, and discussed with each other.It is extremely inappropriate for the women who have already entered the palace under the edict to explain their intentions. Moreover, King Rui has also gone to the imperial tomb. After a while, there is no time to catch up with them, so they can only leave first. Besides, even if you have already entered the palace, you may not be able to ask the emperor to bestow King Rui. So a group of people turned their heads and left, but they didn't even step into Sheng Yan's house.Seeing that there were more and more people gathered around, the elderly in the village could not squeeze in, so they had no choice but to disperse and go home. Tomorrow will enter the palace, the departure is very hasty, the Sheng family has nothing to pack, and it is too late to make clothes, it is all money given by the clan, mother took her to the store in a hurry to find some good materials ready-to-wear.The upper body is all brand new, and it doesn't fit very well.Mother frowned unavoidably, thinking that it was a temporary purchase, but she had no choice but to let it go. That night Sheng Yan slept with her mother on the same bed, and she couldn't sleep all night.There will be no more time like this in the future. Daughters who are married can still go home to visit relatives, but daughters who enter the palace may not necessarily have a day in their early years, not to mention that even if they survive in their early years, they may not have a chance to visit relatives. Sheng Yan felt sorry for her mother and felt so guilty that she couldn't sleep no matter what.I just felt that my mother was holding her hair all night, and combing her hair gently with her fingers. Both of them had a sleepless night. The car that came to pick her up from the palace arrived at the door the next day.Sheng Yan and her mother calmed down. After Sheng Yan said goodbye and left, the mother stood at the door and watched her daughter walk towards the palace.She was stunned for a moment, feeling that she was in her twenties, watching her husband go to the court at the door, that time, she only waited for the news that her husband was going to prison. The court was full of ups and downs, and the court was unpredictable. Her husband had been buried in it, but now even her daughter was involved in it. She watched her daughter leave with tears streaming down her face. The carriage entered through the side gate near Qinglong Gate, and Sheng Yan was placed in Chongfu Palace at the back of Miyagi. Chongfu Palace is a small courtyard.When she went in, she found that there were already many women inside, some were reading, some were painting, some were embroidering, some were playing the piano.Everyone saw her being brought in, but no one looked at her directly, and each of them concentrated on doing their own things, as if they had nothing else to do. Such indifference made Sheng Yan feel relieved. She was taken to a small room facing west, and the palace man who brought her said: "Miss, please sit down first, Wu Zhaoshen will come to see you later." Zhaoshen is the name of a female official in the palace. She thanked the palace servant, and after sitting in the room for a while, a female official in her forties or fifties came over.She knew it must be Wu Zhaoshen, so she hurriedly stood up and met him. Wu Zhaoshen is very polite. She has gone through three dynasties since she entered the palace. Yuxian Dynasty was granted the title of Zhaoshen. She has read countless people in the palace. She knows that every woman in the palace will have a day of luck, so she is polite and helpful to everyone. . She apologized first, and then asked Sheng Yan to change her clothes. After helping her change her clothes, Wu Zhaoshen carefully looked at her whole body, including breasts, armpits, shoulders, waist, hands and feet, and even the shape of her belly button.And asked about her previous physical condition. After she got dressed, she poured tea with a smile on her face, sat down and talked with her, carefully watched her expression, ears, teeth, bridge of nose, eyes, eyebrows, and listened attentively to her voice. Sheng Yan felt uncomfortable all over, this is not entering a palace, it is like entering a place where animals are bought and sold. Wu Zhaoshen is used to observing words and expressions, and smiled at her, "It's all like this. The emperor is a man of gold, and there are golden branches and jade leaves around him, so there can be no mistakes." Sheng Yan quickly nodded with a smile, and said, "I know, please trouble Zhaoshen."