Chapter 12 Chapter Eleven

The emperor has always been very polite to the people around the empress dowager.Then he said: "Get up." He handed the key to Zhang Sande who was behind him, and greeted the Queen Mother first.The Queen Mother hurriedly called to Nanny Ying: "I don't bring the chairs yet, let your Long Live Lord sit." Someone had brought a chair earlier, and the queen mother said: "The sun is good today, and the flowers are blooming well. Let us talk here." The emperor responded and sat down with the queen mother.Nanny Ying ordered all the maids to disperse, leaving only a few people to wait on them.The queen mother saw that the emperor was only wearing a navy blue silk tapestry gown, so she said, "It's warm now, but it's still a bit cold in the morning and evening. Why do you change into a jacket sooner or later?"

The emperor said: "Because I took a nap and got up, I changed my clothes. My son will add more clothes when he goes back." The queen mother nodded and said: "Those people in the four storehouses are all careless. , although Li Dequan is dedicated, it is limited. When it comes to this, girls are still careful, and there are three or four maids in the Qing Palace who are old enough to be released, right?" Turning to look at Yingmao, Yingmao hurriedly said : "Returning to the Empress Dowager, Concubine Tong Guifei came back to you last time, saying that about the release of the maids in the palaces, there are four people who have reached the age of Qianqing Palace."

The queen mother nodded: "Teach those little girls to learn early, lest the old man be released, and the new one can't be an errand." It’s not bad, she’s doing things well, let’s ask her to go to the Qing Palace from now on, and learn to wait on clothes.” The emperor replied: "The queen mother always thinks about her son. The son can't often be at the knees. This is a capable person around the queen mother. She serves the queen mother for her son, and the son feels more at ease." The queen mother smiled and said: "Just because I look at this child That’s right, I just asked her to go to the Qianqing Palace, and the more mature people around you will be released, this one is young, let her learn to learn, and she can still serve you for a few years.”

Hearing what she said, the emperor had no choice but to say "yes." Nanny Ying hurriedly called Hua Zhu to come forward to thank her. The queen mother saw that day, blue and cloudless, said: "It's so clear." The emperor said: "It's always sunny since the first month, and there was a light snow in early February. There is no rain in Zhili, the barren land is thousands of miles away, and the spring drought is over, if it is sunny again in the next few days, the farming work in this spring will be delayed." The Empress Dowager said: "As a woman, I shouldn't talk too much about important national affairs. It's just that the previous dynasties ordered princes and ministers to pray on their behalf. That's all."

The emperor said: "My son intends to walk to the Temple of Heaven, but he just wants to invite the gods to show mercy and rain down to relieve the suffering of the people. The empress dowager taught his son: All the people in the world support the son, and the son can only treat the people in the world with sincerity." .Walking several miles to the Temple of Heaven to pray for rain is the sincerity of my son.” The queen mother smiled and said: "I can't always say no to you, your words are reasonable, I just don't stop you. But under the sun, you can walk such a long way without riding a horse or taking a sedan chair..."

The emperor smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, the queen mother, my son will be careful." The Son of Heaven prays for rain, the ordinance is a major event, and the ritual note ceremony is naturally a large set of red tape. The most important thing is to choose a good day.Qin Tianjian chose auspicious days, but most of them depended on the sky.It turned out that the emperor went to the Temple of Heaven to pray for rain during the severe drought.The most important thing is that after the emperor sacrifices to the heavens, there must be rain. The most auspicious thing is that there will be rain on the day of praying for rain. Otherwise, God will not give half of the emperor's face. The dignity of the emperor.So Qin Tianjian deliberately waited until the sky was dark and cloudy, and it seemed that a heavy rain was coming soon, so he reported the date he had chosen.

Emperor Jimao went out of the Meridian Gate in person and walked to the Temple of Heaven to pray for rain.Waiting for Yujia to lead the ministers and workers to the Temple of Heaven, there was already a strong wind, and for a long time, there were dark clouds and low clouds, which seemed to destroy the city.By the time Yujia returned to the Forbidden City, it was already the beginning of the Shen Dynasty, and the emperor hadn't had dinner yet.As a rule, the emperor only had two meals. He called his courtiers for breakfast, dinner at noon, and evening wine and snacks in the evening.It is also the rule established by Taizu when he fought on horseback.The emperor had fasted for three days and walked several miles that day, but he was full of energy in his prime, and his appetite was whetted, so he passed the meal in the Qianqing Palace and used two bowls of old rice, which was very delicious.

Lin Langfang brought the tea into the palace, and suddenly the wind blew the window open with a bang, the eunuch hurriedly went to close the window, but the emperor ordered: "No need." He got up and went to the window to look at the sky, only to see dark clouds billowing in the sky , A gust of wind came, carrying thousands of silver threads drifting by.There was a sound of the rain hitting the tiles, and after a while, the rain poured down like a bucket, and misty water vapor rose around the front of the hall. The emperor felt refreshed and said: "Okay." Rain!" Lin Lang bent her knees while holding the tea tray and said, "The slave congratulates the master."

When the emperor turned around and saw that it was her, he asked, "What do you want me to do?" Lin Lang said: "The heavy rain has arrived. It is the joy of the people all over the world who have been looking forward to the rain for a long time. Naturally, it is the joy of the Long Live God." The emperor was happy in his heart, smiled slightly, stretched out his hand to take the tea, and then opened the gaiwan, feeling something different: " what is this?" Lin Lang hurriedly said: "Long live Lord walked a long way today, he must be thirsty on the way, and the dinner was delicious, so this servant is bold and asked the imperial tea room to prepare almond cheese."

The emperor asked: "Is this something from Huizi?" Lin Lang replied softly, "Yes." The emperor took a sip, and the almond cheese was soaked in hot water with sweet almonds from the capital, added a pinch of furnace ash, poured into the water, let it cool, and it was ready Squeeze and peel off the skin, rinse with clean water, then add in clean water, mix it with glutinous rice, and grind it into a very fine powder like grinding tofu with water.Squeeze the juice with a silk bag to remove the dregs, add the juice, cook it, mix it with milk, and finally add Western snowflakes and foreign sugar. It is sweet and soft, and the emperor only feels the fragrance of the teeth and cheeks, which is extremely sweet.Said: "This is very good, the almonds can moisten the lungs, you are very thoughtful." Ask: "Are you ready?"

Lin Lang replied: "There is more." The emperor said: "Send some to the Empress Dowager." Lin Lang took out the decree, took out a suitcase and filled a large bowl of cheese, ordered the little eunuch to open an umbrella, and carried it by herself. Pick up the box and go to the Empress Dowager in the Palace of Compassion, When the Empress Dowager heard that the emperor had sent someone to bring cheese, she asked Lin Lang to go in.But I saw the Empress Dowager sitting on the kang, wearing a homely crimson gauze and embroidered magnolia jacket, with only two or three kinds of pure pearls and emeralds on her head, dignified and kind, faintly but extremely majestic, dazzling. After entering the hall and saluting respectfully, she stood there. The Empress Dowager was all smiles and she was very happy: "It's hard for the emperor to think of me in everything, and a bowl of cheese was sent to come in the rain." Seeing that Lin Lang's clothes were half wet, slightly Lianyi asked, "What's your name?" Lin Lang replied: "In the words of the Empress Dowager, the slave is called Lin Lang." The Empress Dowager smiled and said: "That's a good name, such a refreshing child, I haven't seen you before, how long have you been working in Qianqing Palace?" Linlang said: "The servant has been working in front of the imperial court for a month." The empress dowager nodded and asked, "Is the emperor in good spirits when he returns today?" Linlang replied, "Long live Lord is in excellent spirits. Still in good spirits." The Empress Dowager asked again: "What did you have for dinner? Is it delicious?" Lin Lang answered one by one, and the Empress Dowager said: "Go back and work hard, tell your master, he cherishes his body, that is to say, he is filial to me." Lin Lang replied "Yes." Seeing that the Empress Dowager had nothing to say, she kowtowed and withdrew, and went back to Qianqing Palace as usual. The rain was heavier than when it came, and only the sound of "squeaking" water was heard all around.Under the foundation of the temple, the heads of water-controlling dragons on all sides let the rapid rain flow, which is magnificent.The rain was rapid, and after a distance of ten steps, there were only clouds of water vapor, and the palace with red walls and glazed tiles was completely covered in the misty heavy rain.The wind carried the rain more vigorously, and it rushed towards the person.Although Lin Lang was holding an umbrella, the rain still got caught under the umbrella from time to time, and when she returned to Qianqing Palace, most of her clothes were already wet.I had to straighten my half-wet hair on the temples and go into the hall to see the driver. The emperor usually should have a lecture in the afternoon, but he did not attend the lecture on the day of praying for rain.So the emperor changed his clothes, checked the papers in a leisurely manner, and asked the eunuch to fetch the "Zhi Fang Wai Ji".Fang read two or three pages, suddenly a very faint fragrance approached, and he couldn't help raising his head. Lin Lang invited Ann, and said: "Going back to the Lord Long Live, the Empress Dowager was very happy to see you, asked about the emperor's daily life, and said to the servant, Lord Long Live, you cherish your body, that is, you are filial to the Empress Dowager. " When the emperor heard her repeat the words of the empress dowager, he stood up and listened quietly. After she finished speaking, Fang felt that the fragrance was lingering, endless, as if it wanted to penetrate into the bone marrow of a person.He couldn't help but stare, he saw the jet-black temple hair on the side of the white jade-like face, and the tips of the hair still had crystal clear drops of water, falling clearly.But there was a drop of rainwater that slowly slid down, along the lotus blue collar, it fell and disappeared for a moment, because the clothes were completely wet, it outlined the graceful figure, but it was very charming.The rain was wet and the clothes were extremely cold. Lin Lang felt his nose itching unbearably, and she only had time to take out the handkerchief to cover it, and couldn't help but sneezed. This was a disgrace before the imperial court, and she hurriedly stepped back two steps, saying: "Slave I'm sorry." In the panic, the handkerchief slipped down again, and landed lightly and soundlessly. Not picking it up, not even picking it up, I was in a hurry, a slight blush appeared on my cheeks, reminding the emperor to think of the hibiscus dew reflected in the white jade pear flower cup of Khotan, but unknowingly bent down to pick it up Handkerchief, reach out to her.It's not even if she picks it up, and it's even more wrong if she doesn't pick it up.The cheeks are flushed like a drunken glow.But at this moment Li Dequan came in with painted beads and a waistcoat, Li Dequan was the most alert, he couldn't help but shrink back when he saw it.The emperor had already heard the sound of footsteps, but he tucked the handkerchief into his sleeve when he returned his hand.