Chapter 69 Section sixty-ninth

With the autumn wind, the palace went up and down, and the spirit was particularly vigorous.Empress Dowager Cixi personally delineated Linggui, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, and Xu Tong, minister of the Ministry of Rites, as the principal and deputy envoys of the "Da Zhengli" with a red pen, asking for auspicious words of "Guizi Tongsun". "Da Zheng" is the "Na Zheng" in the six ceremonies, and the dowry should be given.The day was on August 18th, and the dowry was prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the rules of the Kangxi period, it was two hundred taels of gold, ten thousand taels of silver; gold and silver tea pots, silver cups; one thousand horses of satin; and twenty matching saddles. Horse with a bridle.The dowry gift is not considered heavy, but the wealth of the heavenly family is not calculated in terms of money. The 10,000 taels of silver alone are specially cast in the furnace room of the Ministry of Household Bank, fifty taels of large ingots, with dragon and phoenix patterns protruding , The silver light is shining, reflecting the sun.The twenty fine horses are also pure white in color. They are the so-called "alcohol horses" driven by the ancient emperors. Red tassel, the color is extremely bright.For these 20 horses, the Siyuan was reimbursed 80,000 silver, and it took three months to train the horses to be very obedient. Ideas that work with the advocacy.Just this horse team, the old man in his sixties and seventies couldn't help but nodded, saying, "I've lived for so many years, this is the first time I've seen you!"

In addition, gold and silver clothing for the queen's grandfather, parents, and brothers were also sent along with the dowry.When they arrived at the Houdi, the empress' respected brother had already been waiting outside the gate.Sai Shang A came out to thank En Zhezi on the second day after Li Li, and after hitting a wall, he already knew that there were three things that he could not match his son in any case, one was the title of number one scholar; Sanqi's status, so it was very interesting to let Chongqi take the lead, and she knelt under her son's shoulders. Waiting for the envoys and deputy envoys who hold the Festival to welcome them into the gate, there is still a group of people kneeling in front of the main hall to meet them. They are Chongqi's wife, Guerjia, and her sister-in-law and daughter-in-law.The queen was not among them, and she would not show up until the time of Nazheng.

The etiquette of the "Da Zheng" is of course grand, but for the sake of a happy event, naturally it will not be too serious, while arranging the betrothal gift, Linggui and Xu Tong congratulated Chongqi first. At the moment when they were exchanging greetings, the betrothal gifts for Dazheng had already been set up, and there was a table in the middle, enshrining the imperial edict in red satin and gold letters and the dragon festival for the envoys.There are two long tables on the left and right, one is empty, the other is displaying ceremonies, and twenty horses, like the "horses" of Chaoyi, stand facing each other in the yard, staying still.

So the queen came, and from the day the emperor granted Ruyi to be the queen and preached to send her home, Arut and her grandfather, parents, brother-in-law and sister-in-law abolished the family rituals.First of all, the whole family knelt outside the gate to greet her, and she had to pretend to be a queen, and she must not return the same greeting to her kneeling parents, at most nodding.After entering the gate, he was immediately sent to the main room, where he lived alone in the second hall with five rooms. At the same time, there were maids to serve him personally, and guards from the Qianqing Palace class outside to guard the gate. The gate control was extremely strict, especially for young men, no matter how It is difficult for close relatives to enter the door.So for more than half a year, except for offering sacrifices and eating meat, Chongqi's family has almost lost all relatives on weekdays.

Inside, it is not easy for Chongqi to see her daughter, once she sees her in a few days, she will be respectfully dressed.Her mother and sister-in-law met every day, but they entered the palace like a married woman to serve the queen.Twice a day, "Shangshi" is held. The queen occupies the front alone, and the food is sent out from the kitchen.In the first few days, Alut's back was like a thorn, and he couldn't eat. After half a year, he got used to it, but because he couldn't bear to let his mother stand for a long time, he always ate a meal very fast, but there were always 20 or 30 dishes in each meal. The time it takes to send everything to the table is considerable.

Of course, except for the second hall, the queen never left the door, and she only went out of the second hall once in half a year, which was the day when she accepted the lottery.This day is the second time, accompanied by a maid, came out of the hall to receive the imperial edict. After listening to the edict of envoys sent by the imperial court to carry out the grand conquest ceremony, the queen still retreated to the second hall.So Linggui and Xu Tong stood on the east and west sides of the table in the middle, and Chongqi led his whole family down to his father, Sai Shang'a, to kneel in front of the table. , Chongqi knelt down to take over, passed on to the eldest son, holding the long case in the west, and after the assignment and acceptance, Chongqi led the whole family to the northwest direction where the Forbidden Palace is located, and bowed three times and kowtowed nine times to thank him.Then, he hurried to the door and knelt down to see off the envoy.The ceremony is now complete, but there are still many troubles.

The main trouble is for the reward.On the day of accepting the bride price, there was already a lot of trouble.As usual, Nacai gave a banquet to the Hou family, which was jointly organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Guanglu Temple. Four taels of silver, a total of more than two thousand and two hundred taels of silver, the latter must pay another sum as usual.In addition to rewarding deacons and miscellaneous servants, a chief of the House of Internal Affairs who made the whole effort came forward to negotiate and negotiated five thousand taels of silver to "wrap round children".When asked about the handler, he said that the five thousand taels of silver was "wrapped" by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and that he had no control over other yamen, nor did he dare to do so.This was obviously a scam, but the trouble became unbearable, so the Chong family had to swallow their anger and spent another three or four thousand silver to get it done.

Because of the lessons learned this time, the Chong family's "counterhouse" no longer dared to trust the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and decided to separate the expenses. The tent was set up in the Xihua Hall, and many officials were sitting there at this time, begging for advice. The person the Chong family invited to help with general affairs was a donating class leader named Rong Quan, who was on the fourth line. In bustling places like Dazhalan and Zhushikou, there were many city houses with a large amount of rent income every month, and his life was very comfortable. .He is a warm-hearted and good friend, has three teachings and nine streams, and makes friends with everything, so tea houses and taverns are all well-known when they mention "Rong Si Ye".Because he is enthusiastic and likes to be lively, he specializes in helping people organize weddings and weddings, and promotes festive hall parties. Over time, he has become a big expert.Admiring his family, he entrusted others to extend his invitation, and Rong Quan also gladly accepted his order. He consciously helped people organize a lifetime of happy events, and finally managed to make a name for himself. Host, the Queen's House is run by Fourth Master Rong!" It was such a delicious and glorious thing.

However, once you get started, you don't know that this happy event is difficult, not because of its large scale, but because it is fundamentally different from any happy event.What he has to deal with is not the restaurant and bar room, nor is it difficult to serve the famous actors who go out of the court and put on airs and become popular in Nine Cities, but for the masters of the big and small yamen!The people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs tricked the people of the Ministry of Internal Affairs by accepting the betrothal gift, causing Chong's family to spend thousands of silver, smashing his "golden signboard" that "the fourth master of Rong specializes in weddings and weddings" to pieces, and then "take the blame" to the master's family. resignation".The Chong family was very considerate of him, the matter was originally difficult to handle, and he found someone before he could find it, and he found it, with a lot of clues, and he couldn't figure it out for a while.It doesn't matter if you spend more money, it's not important for the wedding ceremony to go wrong, so after repeated comfort and persuasion, Rong Quan had no choice but to resign himself to it.

The name of "Fourth Master Rong" can't be shouted at this time, and it's useless, so there is only soft grinding. He and his assistants separately spoke good words to officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Rites, Honglu Temple, Luan Yiwei, and Shangsi Academy , Grinding from noon to three o'clock in the afternoon, it is considered that the expenses are completed. After this negotiation, Rongquan was exhausted, but he couldn't take a break for two days. Once the big ceremony was over, he had to prepare for the celebration of the big wedding day.Just the queen's dowry entering the palace is no small matter. There are countless jade objects, glass vessels, large and small mirrors, and it is unlucky to break even a little bit. How can I explain to the Chong family?For this reason, Rongquan was worried day and night, and Hunmeng was uneasy!

But officials, big and small, are beaming and relaxed.Although the various yamen are not as leisurely as "Feng Ying" in the future, they are by no means as serious as usual. All official business can be put on hold, and they will be discussed after the big wedding. When friends get together, they always talk about how to meet and find It is a suitable place to see the queen's dowry, or how to enter the palace together. In this way, at the end of August, the officials who were admitted to the palace came to Beijing one after another, and there was another round of entertainment waiting for them. The big and small yamen became more and more deserted. . It was at this time that Peng Yulin arrived in the capital. As soon as he entered Chongwenmen, he first went to the palace gate to pay his respects. On the same day, he rewarded the "Chaoma" and summoned him the next day. The meeting was held in the East Nuan Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Although the emperor had not formally taken charge of the government, he had actually begun to take charge of government affairs.Therefore, the emperor asked a lot of questions on this day. He inquired about the date of departure from Hunan, and reviewed the situation in various places along the Yangtze River. The emperor said: "Your spirit is not bad!" Peng Yulin replied bluntly: "I have a problem with vomiting blood, and I can't sleep well at night. It's hard to overcome trouble." "You have worked very hard on this trip to the Yangtze River. It shows that you are still in good health." "Yes!" Peng Yulin replied, "I don't dare not to follow suit." "That's right! The imperial court depends entirely on your veteran generals." The emperor was a little excited, "Now the foreigners are very arrogant! Peng Yulin, you want to do things for me, organize the Yangtze River Navy, and plan coastal defense for me!" When the emperor said this, Prince Gong, who was leading the class, was quite disturbed.Because coastal defense is another matter, the Beiyang Minister who is also in charge of Zhili Governor and the Nanyang Minister who is also in charge of Liangjiang Governor are responsible respectively, especially the Beiyang Minister Li Hongzhang. In fact, he is in charge of coastal defense affairs, which involves Westernization and Shipping administration has nothing to do with Peng Yulin.If the emperor was young and impulsive, and rashly asked Peng Yulin to plan coastal defense, then he could neither obey the imperial edict, nor should he not. Wouldn't it cause countless troubles? Fortunately, Peng Yulin is very measured, "Jiangfang in the south of the Yangtze River is closely related to Haiphong. Jiangyin and Wusong are two places, and defense is more important. The minister has already guarded the general, so be extra careful." He paused and said: "Everyone Jiangnan, Jiangfang, and various places related to coastal defense, I request that the new admiral of the Yangtze River Navy, Li Chengmou, be ordered to rectify. As for the northern and southern ocean defenses, I have never asked about it, so I really have nothing to offer. I met Li Hongzhang once, and I also heard him talk about Beiyang coastal defense, and he handled it very well. Please ask the emperor to still order Li Hongzhang to step up the process. After a few years, there will be results. " This statement reminded the emperor, he nodded again and again, and stopped mentioning Haiphong, "How is the talent of Li Chengmou you recommended?" "Li Chengmou is Li Chendian's younger brother. He has a good official reputation in Fujian. He is not ostentatious, and he is willing to do things with sincerity. At present, the habits of the Yangtze River Navy are very deep, and there must be honest and honest people to rectify it. Therefore, I recommend Li Chengmou." "Hmm, um!" The emperor asked again: "Did you have any contact with Zeng Guoquan when you were in Hunan?" "The minister lives in the tomb of Xianglu, and his footprints do not leave the door. It is rare to meet Zeng Guoquan. But we often exchange letters." "How's his spirits, isn't he fine?" "Yes!" Peng Yulin replied: "Zeng Guoquan has led troops for many years, he is accustomed to hard work, and he is in good spirits." "Since you are in good spirits, you should come out and do things for me." After saying this, Prince Gong muttered in his heart again.Zeng Guoquan was very dissatisfied with him because he participated in the official document, and he was very dissatisfied with him, so he had no possibility of using him for a while.The emperor didn't know about these grievances and grievances. He thought that whoever would use whom would cause many troubles in the future, so how could he understand the obstacles and concerns. "Where's Yang Yuebin? Do you see him often?" the emperor asked again, "You have worked with him for many years, so you must have frequent contacts?" This question also showed that the emperor was not familiar with the past. Both Yang Yuebin and Peng Yulin started as sailors, Yang was in the front and Peng was in the back. Later, Peng Yulin changed his civil service position, so he could control Yang Yuebin, so they had opinions.Even the Empress Dowager Ci'an knew that Yang Peng was at odds. It was because the emperor was ignorant, and asking such a disagreement made people laugh after the meeting. However, Peng Yulin was not funny, but a little confused. He didn't know what the emperor meant by asking this question?Of course, at this time, he could only answer simply, saying that he and Yang Yuebin did not see each other often. The emperor's question was inappropriate, and the Empress Dowager Cixi had already noticed it, and she didn't know what jokes would be made if she continued to ask, so she took the words at this time and comforted Peng Yulin, saying that he is really commendable for his hard work.He also persuaded him to save labor and take care of himself, not to let the court rely on him, and then ordered: "Kneel down!" It was the first time for Peng Yulin to see him, and he had already consulted others, knowing that this was a sign that the summoning was over, so he immediately met with his hat off. And because he had heard the joke about Zuo Zongtang forgetting his big hat in front of the imperial court, he was very careful, and finally successfully completed a major event of "face saint". Back at Songyun Nunnery, where he stayed, several Beijing officials from his hometown were already waiting. After socializing for a while, they sent them off separately.He just changed his official uniform and wanted to rest, so someone came to report: "Master Shen, the military aircraft, is here to pay respects!" Of course, this will not be a general courtesy.When Peng Yulin passed through Tianjin, he already had a very in-depth understanding of the "market" in the court from Li Hongzhang.It seems that Li Hongzao's momentum came strong, and he advocated "orthodox learning" as the emperor's teacher, especially after the death of Woren. ", the results are not the same, so the defenders of the Tao, the ministers of direct admonitions, implicitly regard Li Hongzao as the suzerain.However, this strengthens his position, not increases his power. Li Hongzao got a false name, but his real power is far inferior to that of Shen Guifen.Shen Guifen was recommended by Wenxiang, and Wenxiang's people and Zhengtong were not only trusted by the empress dowagers of the two palaces and relied heavily on by Prince Gong, but also respected by the generals outside and the ministers inside.With this support, Shen Guifen devoted herself to supporting Bao Jun and protecting Dong Xun in the Zongli Yamen. Therefore, in addition to foreign affairs, taking care of military affairs was almost Shen Guifen's sole responsibility, just like Bao Jun was in charge of finance. For this reason, Peng Yulin attaches great importance to the visit of the Minister of Military Aircraft. Please meet Yang Jisheng at the "Admonition Cao Pavilion" where Yan Song was impeached.Although Shen Guifen is from Wujiang, Jiangsu Province, his native place is Wanping, and he grew up in the capital city. With his deep and magnetic Beijing accent, coupled with his elegant appearance, it makes people feel amiable.He is also well-known for his incorruptibility, and his clothes are poor when he is in the court. This is more to Peng Yulin's appetite, so he fell in love with him when he saw it. Shen Guifen first conveyed the meaning of Prince Gong, and wanted to invite him to dinner and have a long talk, but her wedding was coming soon, so she was too busy!I specially asked Shen Guifen to apologize, and after the celebration, I will post a post to invite you to talk freely.Then he said that King Gong respected him very much, so he obeyed all requests. When mentioning this, Peng Yulin was really grateful. Please accept the regulations for the rectification of the Yangtze River Navy, the officials to be impeached, and the candidates to be recommended. Except for Zeng Guofan, the imperial court has not given such face.Of course, there is Shen Guifen's power of mediation in it, and now that I think about it, I just take this time to express my thanks. "It's all thanks to Weng Yucheng." He arched his hands and said, "What a feeling!" "Don't dare, dare not!" Shen Guifen replied calmly, "You're done, the morale of the army will inevitably relax, and the arrogant soldiers will become increasingly difficult to control. The court wants to use Xue Weng Qing's reputation of uprightness to rectify an example. That's the holy intention, on the military plane Of course, he strongly approves of its success. The emperor attaches great importance to Xue Weng, and just now he told you that no matter what, you should not go too high. I'm afraid there will be a discovery within a few days." "This...," Peng Yulin asked tentatively, "I don't know what it means, Your Majesty?" "I want to keep Xue Weng to work in Beijing. But there is no suitable vacancy at present, I'm afraid I will wrong Xue Weng." Shen Guifen said: "Today's list of deacons for the big wedding, Xue Weng was sent as a 'palace suppression minister'. There is going to be a ceremony tomorrow, and when we are done, please come and sit on the military plane." Peng Xueqin knew what was missing, and tomorrow would be a foregone conclusion.Judging from this tone, he probably returned to serve as the Minister of the Ministry of War.It was impossible to do it before, and naturally it is even more impossible to do it now, and we will talk about it when the time comes. Early the next morning, officials of all yamen, big and small, rushed into the palace to watch the excitement.On this day, the hall official of the Ministry of Rites led the officers to practice the grand wedding ceremony, and all the officials of the yamen were allowed to look up at the grand ceremony.Peng Yulin also arrived in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony early. The ceremony on this day was mainly about arranging for the shift of hundreds of officials to pay their respects. It was too messy to look at, but Peng Yulin was reluctant to leave. It was the first time in his life that he had come to Beijing, and naturally it was also the first time to pay his respects to the Nine Palaces.Looking up at the two-foot-high hall foundation, the eleven-column-wide and five-column-deep Hall of Supreme Harmony, I have infinite thoughts in my heart, what is it to build a tooth, open a mansion, and live in eight seats?If you don't come here, you don't know what wealth is in the world?Thinking about it like this, the more I feel the insignificance of this body, and the more insignificant my fame is. At this moment, a "Sula" rushed over out of breath. Peng Yulin met yesterday and knew that he was on duty at Longzongmen, and that he was responsible for running errands from the Military Aircraft Department and the South Study Room.It seemed that it was directed at me, so I watched it intently. Sure enough, Nasura came before her, took a long breath, and then said: "Congratulations, Mr. Peng!" Then he greeted her, took out a piece of paper from the boot leaf, and handed it over: "Mr. Shen called me delivered." "Oh, thank you!" Peng Yulin took the paper and looked at it. On it was a copy of an imperial edict: "Peng Yulin will act as the right servant of the Ministry of War, and Tong Hua does not need to act concurrently. According to Peng Yulin's petition, he will return to his hometown after seeing him. Ill, when I was summoned this time, I repeatedly expressed my feelings. Peng Yulin is serious in his work and worthy of praise. Now that he has recovered from his injuries and is in good spirits, he is specially ordered to stay in Beijing to serve as a sign of the imperial court's reliance. Don't insist on resigning!" "Lord Shen is still taking care of me. Please, Master Peng, come to the military plane right now. The sixth prince is waiting to meet you." "Okay, I'll go now." So along the high colorful shed along the way, enter the rear right door from the middle right door, cross the three main halls and enter the Long Zongmen to the military plane, wait for the notification to enter, and immediately send a message: "Master Peng, please sit in the east room." After sitting for half an hour, I saw Prince Gong, and when I met him, I cupped my hands repeatedly: "Offended, offended!" Then he was invited to "raise the kang", with a very modest attitude. Peng Yulin knew that he was very busy, and it was a great honor to take time out of this moment to meet him, so he asked bluntly without being polite, "Your Majesty has summoned you, do you have any orders?" "The meaning of the superior was conveyed by Sheng yesterday, and the edict came down. I wonder if you have seen it?" "Yes!" Peng Yulin said, "Thanks to His Majesty's grace, I'm afraid..." "Xue Weng!" Prince Gong hurriedly said, "You always have to do what you can! It's just that the lack of points is too wronged, let's make do with it first, and after the pro-government ceremony next year, I will definitely find a way to move Xue Weng." "Thank you, my lord, for your cultivation. Just to tell you the truth, I have three difficulties, and I want to ask your lord to be considerate. First, I am not talented enough, and I am weak and sick, so it is difficult to take on important tasks; second, I am stupid by nature and not suitable for going to the temple; I have never been an official in the capital, and I am not familiar with rituals and notes, and I am restrained everywhere. I always ask the prince to make a tactful report on his behalf, and release him to the field. If there is something I can repay in the future, I will die." King Gong listened to his words and kept nodding his head, but his brows were tightly frowned, he paused for a moment, and replied: "I can't talk about it right now. After the celebration, we will discuss it in the long run. But, Xue Weng, the higher-ups have very earnest intentions, you must not disappoint. " "Don't dare!" "Peng Yulin quickly stood up and said: "Only the emperor does not abandon his talents. I dare not talk about being an official, but only about doing things.If it is beneficial to the overall situation, I am willing to go through fire and water, and I don’t need to be a scholar to serve the country! " Prince Gong nodded again: "I understand what you mean!" Then, Prince Gong told Peng Yulin that the mission of "repressing ministers at the palace gate" was entirely for the convenience of him watching the ceremony.If you are mentally ill, you don't need to be on errands.He also said that the big wedding ceremony is a rare event in a hundred years, and it coincides with its grand occasion, so it should not be missed.The words were warm and kind, and when Peng Yulin said goodbye, he delivered them to the hall door in person, and he did not see the arrogance of the relatives and nobles at all, which reminded Peng Yulin of the indiscriminate arrogance of those naval and army generals. Fu, the more I feel disgusted. When we returned to Songyun Nunnery, an official came to pay homage immediately. He was a popular person in front of Cixi in recent years.Peng Yulin had heard his name for a long time, so he naturally wanted to meet him. He came out and was very surprised. Rong Lu seemed to be less than thirty years old, and he was born like a jade tree facing the wind. Enviable. Rong Lu, who was smiling and staring at Peng Yulin, first made a bow to greet Peng Yulin, greeted him at the door, and gave way to a promotion. When he formally greeted him, he invited a very beautiful Ann, called the host "old senior", and exchanged respectful greetings. Only then did he explain why he came, saying that he had received a notice from the Ministry of Internal Affairs that Peng Yulin was the "Minister of the Palace Suppression", and he was responsible for the suppression of the wedding ceremony and the maintenance of order, so he "specially came to serve the old seniors on errands". "Don't dare, dare not!" Peng Yulin was also very straightforward, telling Rong Lu the original intention of being sent on this mission. "The superiors are sympathetic to the seniors, but to be honest, Wansheng wants to borrow the prestige of the seniors." Rong Lu looked very earnest, "The wedding ceremony has long been a sensation everywhere, and this month, there will always be more people in the capital. Two or three hundred thousand people were recruited, and teahouses, wine shops, and inns, big and small, all made a big profit. Of course, some of them took this opportunity to find extra money. Yesterday, hundreds of pickpockets were caught. The so-called "gold, leather, Cai, hang', three teachings and nine streams, heroes from all walks of life, I don’t know how many have come! Everything else is easy to handle, but there are some stragglers who are late-born and can’t be provoked!” "What's the matter?" Peng Yulin asked strangely, "Scattered soldiers are provoking trouble, even if they are arrested and brought to justice. Why do you say they can't be provoked?" "To tell you the truth, old man, like this morning at the ceremony, there was a noble fellow from the same village, wearing a shabby rented flowered dress with a red hat on his head, he rushed into the palace in a daze. Those who have been rewarded with the second-rank Dingdai." Rong Lu said with full sympathy and helplessness, "Please think about it, seniors, they are all people who have done their best for the imperial court and made meritorious deeds. What can I do? Naturally, I can only use good words to perfunctory, and that’s all. I’m afraid that some complainers will become more and more drunk, and make a scene in front of the palace gate, in full view of everyone. Wouldn’t it be a disgrace?” "So that's how it is!" Peng Yulin thought to himself, the abolished Hunan Army has a lot of people with grievances, if they abuse the common people, I have to ask, otherwise I don't have to meddle in this nosy matter, but since Rong Lu is humbly asking for advice, it seems inconvenient Rejection.After pondering like this for a while, he came up with an idea, "Brother Zhonghua," he said, "Since I realize that those people have made great efforts and achievements, I should also realize that they are now destitute and full of complaints. I heard that this big wedding cost 10 to 20 million silver, and those who profited from it don't know how many people, so why not think about other people's sufferings, make some arrangements in advance, and calm them down, wouldn't it be an invisible disaster best policy?" "Yes, yes!" Rong Lu was reminded, and he bowed his hands again and again to express his gratitude: "The old man has taught you very well, and he is very grateful. The late student will immediately send someone to do it separately, so as to comfort him. However, I have to rely on the old man these days. His prestige, sit at the gate of the palace." In the end, this was also his own errand, Peng Yulin readily agreed to resign because it was inconvenient for him to resign. So Rong Lu expressed his deep gratitude and said goodbye to Yamen.On the one hand, they selected officers from the Shenji Battalion who were used to scouting things, and went to the small inns in Xiheyan, Grinding Factory, etc. to inquire about the poor and boring Hunan Army and Huai Army who came to blackmail and seek trouble. People, eat out, make friends, send a sum of money, and buy peace.On the one hand, he sent an infantry academy under the banner of the Han army to lead sixteen soldiers to Songyun nunnery for Peng Yulin's dispatch. The next day is the day when the queen’s dowry enters the palace. According to Manchurian weddings, the dowry is distributed on the day before the auspicious date. There are only 360 pieces of dowry for the queen, and they are distributed for four consecutive days, so it starts early.This day is the Double Ninth Festival, but there is no wind or rain, after eating flower cakes, they don't choose high places to climb, they all crowded into the street to see the first dowry in the world.Naturally, the route has been inquired a long time ago. The queen's dowry enters the Daqing Gate, exits the left gate of Chang'an, turns east and goes north, enters the Dong'an Gate, and then enters the palace through the Donghua Gate.The Daqing Gate with empty eaves and wings is the main gate of the imperial city. The open space in front of the gate is square, surrounded by stone railings, shaped like a chessboard, so it is called Qipan Street, also known as Tianjie.At this time, it is the first good place to watch the excitement. Early in the morning, the infantry commanded the Yamen, the Three Banners Guarding Army Battalion and the Xiaoqi Battalion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs belonging to the Imperial Army, as well as the inlaid white flag in the Chaoyang Gate and the Zhenglan Banner in the Chongwen Gate in the area under its control. To maintain order, the guards in Daxing and Wanping counties, of course, did not dare to neglect.It’s just that you can hold a whip on weekdays and try your best to intimidate, and if you are disobedient, you can also whip two whips, but this time is a big happy event.Therefore, those servants who wore brand-new blue satin gowns, thin-soled quick boots, and red tasseled caps had a hard time.Trying my best to push back the turbulent crowd as much as possible, shouting in my mouth: "Excuse me, excuse me!" Everyone hoarse their throats and sweat profusely from exhaustion before they can vacate two squares in the center of Tianjie. A passage that is ten feet wide. It was almost mid-day, and finally heard the sound of drum music, but saw the endless stretches of yellow satin, meandering, the jewelry, Wenwan, clothes, boots and hats in the colorful pavilion, I couldn't see clearly, the good-looking ones were still The guard of honor, the school captain carrying the dowry, and the red satin embroidered jacket are as bright as clouds.Only then did everyone know why the weaving yamen in Jiangning and Suzhou cost millions of dollars? After fifty or sixty yellow satin colored pavilions, there are dozens of wooden utensils.This is the difference between Ruilin, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and Chongli, the supervisor of the Guangdong Customs. The tables and chairs are all made of red sandalwood, polished and smooth, without lacquer. .It's just that among the wooden utensils, only one bed is missing. Some people can't help but be disappointed, because there has long been a legend that the queen's dowry is an eight-treasure ivory bed, and there is nothing wrong with it.But the empress and the emperor get together, don't they even need a bed? Of course there were beds, and at the moment when the dowry was being distributed, the four specially selected "marriage wives" were laying out the wedding beds in the East Nuan Pavilion of Kunning Palace.The bed was installed long ago when the palace was built. It was installed between two large vermilion pillars that embrace each other. Everything you need inside can be hidden inside.The tents were originally made of yellow satin, but now they are replaced with red. That "bed" could also be called a couch room, so there was no bed top, only a carved lintel, and a plaque with black characters on a red background hung with four big characters "Sun rises and moon perseveres".Under the large vermilion pillar on the west side, there is a large cloisonne smoker. Beside the pillar on the east side, there is a snow-white powder wall, with a large banner hanging "upright to the sky", depicting peonies "full of gold and jade".There is a red sandalwood tea table under it, and a pair of oil lamps on it, and honey is added to the oil, hoping that the emperor and queen will be as good as "honey mixed with oil". The four wives who "make the bed" are headed by the wife of Belle Yikuang who, like Ronglu, has only become popular in the past one or two years. Follow the story.The four wives each stood in a corner, laying out layers of brand-new brocade mattresses neatly, and then took four inlaid jade ruyis from the female officer, and pressed them on the corners of the four beds.Then, the four female officials brought in a "Dragon and Phoenix Harmony" gown, a red satin hijab with the pattern of "Hundred Sons and Nine Phoenixes" on one side, and pearl and jade headdresses in the shape of dragon and phoenix, double happiness, and wishful thinking, all wrapped neatly with square embroidered phoenix and yellow bundles Neat and tidy, this is to be sent to the Houdi, and the queen will be dressed in Shangfengyu on the auspicious day.The etiquette of the four wives making their beds came to an end.On the thirteenth day, after the dowry is distributed, the queen has to prepare to be a bride.Although the auspicious date was selected on the fifteenth day of the ninth month, the ceremony started at midnight on the thirteenth day. In front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, there was a full set of halogen booklets.At the beginning of the Fourteenth Yin Dynasty, the emperor’s royal palace read the treasures in person, and the imperial edict for the canonization of the empress was written by the cabinet. A majestic four or six characters were cast into gold characters and affixed to the jade plate, which was contracted by the Ministry of Industry. , Reimbursed more than a thousand taels of gold. The "Queen's Treasure" is also cast in red gold, four inches four inches high, one inch two inches square, handed in Longniu, Manchu and Chinese, under the order of the Ministry of Rites, and reimbursed more than one thousand taels of gold. The canonized envoys were still Linggui and Xu Tong, who had already been on standby in the east of Danchi. After hearing the announcement from the Honglu Temple's praise officer, they ascended the hall from the east steps, performed the big ceremony of kneeling three times and knocking nine times. Listen to the propaganda system and the official transmission system.Any imperial envoy must be called "the minister" in the imperial edict, and only such an envoy should be called very politely: "Qing and others canonize with rites."When envoy Linggui and deputy envoy Xu Tong were ordered to come down to the palace, the Longting, where the jade books and gold treasures were enshrined, was carried out of the Taihe Gate by the advocacy, followed by the canonized special envoy, and then followed by the school captain. The two horses had to go outside the gate of the Qing Dynasty, so that the special envoy could ride them, and they went straight to Hou Jiachong's house. At this time, the lights inside and outside were bright, and the voices outside the door were loud. Chief Manager Rong Quan rushed in and out, sweating profusely.As soon as the chief and deputy envoys entered the alley, he announced, "Please drive by the queen!" Of course, Chongqi had already led his father and nephews, waiting at the door, amidst the noise of drumming, the Cebaolong Pavilion stopped, The envoys and deputy envoys, one with a book and one with a treasure, walked slowly into the gate. At the main gate, Chongqi led the whole family and knelt to meet them. In the middle of the second gate, Mrs. Chongqi led the children and women to kneel to meet them. After the book treasure was placed in the hall, the queen came out and knelt down in the middle to the north, listening to Xu Tong. Read the booklet.Parallel, Four Li, and Six articles mostly use allusions from the "Shangshu", and there are so many places to look up, it seems to be very difficult, so that Xu Tong recited non-stop sentences, and also read several other characters, which took a lot of effort. finish reading. So Linggui handed the jade book to the lady on the left, took it on her knees, and passed it on to the queen, who took it from the left and handed it out to the right, another lady took it and put it on the table.Jinbao also has such a set of procedures for granting and accepting.The grand ceremony was set up, and it was completed here. Linggui and Xu Tong returned to the palace immediately to return to their orders. This is the time to be flattered.After lunch, all civil and military officials entered the palace one after another, and were arranged according to their ranks in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.At the beginning of the Shen Dynasty, the emperor came to the palace, first received congratulations from all the officials, and then issued an order to send Fengyu, which was displayed inside the Duanmen Gate and outside the Meridian Gate, to welcome the queen.The special envoys to please are two Fujin and eight life wives.The two Fujins are the emperor's aunts, King Dun and King Gong Fujin, and the eight wives should all be first-rank wives, but they have to have hair and children, and they must not be too old, so they have to use second-rank wives to make up the number. When dispatching Fengyu, there is another very important ritual note.The rituals of the big wedding were originally Manchu and Han joint participation, but the most important of the "six rituals" is the personal welcome. Compared with the heaven and the earth, the emperor and the empress are also enemies.But if you really welcome them in person, not only will there be troubles that cannot be compromised in terms of rituals, but the emperor and empress are different after all. When you come to the imperial court, the empress who has just become a bride has to kneel to receive her. Naturally, there is no such reason in the world, so I came up with a alternative. This method is to use a dragon-shaped Ruyi instead. When King Dun and King Gong’s Fujin led the eight wives to welcome the queen, they knelt into the Zhubi, and the emperor wrote the word "Dragon" in the middle of Ruyi, and then put the handle If you put Ruyi on the sedan chair in Fengyu, it is a sign of "as if I am here in person", as a substitute for a personal welcome. The etiquette of welcome is mainly based on the customs of Manchuria.Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, between the white mountains and the black waters, Manchurians, men, women, young and old, all knew how to ride horses. The same was true for wedding receptions. The bride rode a horse to her husband's house.Naturally, the empress could not enter the palace on horseback, but the two Fujin and the eighth-life wives who greeted their relatives had to ride horses, as was the case during the Kangxi period.At that time, it was not long after entering the customs, and the old customs were not abolished. It was not surprising that the princes and their families rode back and forth. After two hundred years, the nobles and wives of Fujin and their wives all sat in sedan chairs, especially Prince Gong Fujin, who followed her long-term governor's father. Guiliang, from east to west, lives in a daily life, just like a Han lady, not to mention riding a horse, and has never even touched the saddle.At this time, he suddenly said that he wanted to ride a horse, and he was ostentatiously passing through the market under the watchful eyes of thousands of people in the empty alley. Neither of these requirements can be fulfilled.At the grand wedding ceremony, the envoys sent by the empress dowagers of the two palaces are still a great grace, and they have to be ignorant of flattery and ask for an exemption.If it is said to change the old rules, not only the ritual system has been established earlier, but it cannot be changed, even if it is possible, King Gong would not do it, because it will cause ridicule, and even participate in the impeachment at the speech officer meeting, and install a "favoritism and disorder of the law" The charges, maybe they will be disgraced again. Extremely helpless, I had no choice but to learn now.Fortunately, her eldest son, Zaichen, is the best at riding and shooting among young relatives. Two Fujins and eight wives learned to ride, and he taught them all.Zai Cheng personally selected ten of the most tame bay red horses in the Shangsi Courtyard, and asked his cousin Zai Yi and others to help him. He taught his mother for a whole month in the back garden of Prince Kung's Mansion. Dare to be at ease and bold, riding on the street. 到了奉迎的这一刻，恭王福晋才知道这一个月的苦头，真没有白吃。出午门上马，等龙亭前导，凤舆后随，她便与她五嫂并驾齐驱，让载澂最得力的一个“马把式”，穿上銮仪卫校尉的服饰，牵着马款款而行，由端门经天安门，通过天街，安安稳稳地直出大清门，只见夹道聚观的百姓，指指点点，相顾惊异，心里非常得意地在想：这一趟风头可是出足了！ 到了后邸，崇绮全家依然有一番跪接的仪注，等把凤舆在大堂安置好，十位福晋命妇到正屋谒见皇后，然后伺候梳妆。事先早已约定，这个差使归崇厚的夫人承担，她也刻意要把这个差使当好，有几样东西是外间从未用过的。崇厚出使法国带回来的脂粉，粉是水粉，与江南的鹅蛋粉不同，抹在脸上，片刻就干，又白又光又匀。然后梳头，梳的是双凤髻，一边插一枝双喜如意碧玉簪。 里面静悄悄地在梳妆，外面却又有报喜的到了。这是崇绮自长女贵为皇后后，第三次蒙受恩荣。最初是封三等承恩公，公爵照例该有一份内廷行走，或者扈从仪驾的差使，所以第二次被授为散秩大臣，这是闲散宗室例授的职衔，无俸无禄，亦不须当差，好听的就是“大臣”二字。 此刻第三次加恩，对崇绮来说，相当实惠，内阁所奉的上谕是：“委散秩大臣三等承恩公崇绮以内阁学士候补。”他原来是翰林院侍讲，五品官儿，这一下连升三级，内阁学士是二品，等一补实，照例还可以兼礼部侍郎，外放必是巡抚，如果当京官，则在各部转来转去，都是“堂官”。这一道恩旨，相当于十年的经历，崇绮自然感激天恩。 除了崇绮，还有凤秀，在同一道恩旨上，以四品京堂候补，转眼也在“小九卿”之列，可以参与“廷议”了。他家此时的热闹，亦不输于崇家。但盈门贺客，想法大不相同，一种是因为他家也是满洲世家，上两辈子的交情在，纯粹照世俗礼法行事，属于普通的应酬。一种是因为凤秀的女儿，本该正位中宫，却委屈地降级为妃，此刻特地来庆贺，兼有安慰道恼的意思。再有一种目光锐利，从夹缝中看出慧妃这位妃子，非比等闲，一则是慈禧太后所看中的，而慈禧太后即使撤帘归政，对亲生儿子的皇帝，一定仍旧有“怎么说便得怎么依”的力量，而慧妃又在慈禧太后面前说得动话，这样就是一条很好的门路。再则，慧妃的艳丽，谁都不能不承认非皇后所及，皇帝目前听了慈安太后的话，立了阿鲁特氏为后，但将来得宠的必是慧妃。如果蒙古皇后天年不永，慧妃自然继位中宫，凤秀也还有封公爵的时候，等那时再来巴结，可就晚了。 但是，尽管慧妃也是钦派大臣为正使、副使、持节册封的，奉迎的典礼，却是不可同日而语。慧妃不过八对宫灯、一顶黄轿，由东华门抬进宫去，而皇后进宫，光是宫灯就有三百对，由身穿红缎绣花褂子的校尉持着，照耀得亮如白昼，以致九月十四将满的月亮，黯然失色。 凤舆是子初一刻出后邸的，“导子”早就在戌时便已出发，全副皇后的仪仗，旌旗宫扇，平金绣凤，在三百对宫灯和无数喜字灯笼中，闪耀出令人眩目的异彩，然后便是御前侍卫扶着轿杠的凤舆，后面跟着无数马匹，两福晋八命妇之后，是扈从的王公大臣。整个肃静的行列中，也只有这一部分马蹄历乱，偶尔夹杂着马嘶和喷鼻的声音，正如“鸟鸣山更幽”的境界一样，有了这些声音，反更显得奉迎仪仗的庄严肃穆。 在这万民如醉，目眩神迷的当儿，皇帝却在乾清宫闲得发慌，也许是等得不耐烦，也许是跟天下做新郎的人一样，必有这种忐忑不安的心情。反正皇帝只觉得时间过得太慢。 “什么时候了？”他问小李。 小李还未及回答，只听自鸣钟已响起宽宏悠扬的声音，看一看，长短针相交在正中，小李便笑嘻嘻地跪下，高声说道：“这会儿正交子正。九月十五，万岁爷的大喜吉期！” 在殿外待命的八名少年亲贵，以载澂为首，正也因为时交九月十五的正日，进殿叩贺，同时报告一个消息，说慧妃已经进宫，安置在长春宫后面的咸福宫。 皇帝没有说什么，依然是关注着皇后进宫的时刻，正想发问时，只听午门楼上——五凤楼的钟鼓齐鸣，这表示母仪天下的皇后，已由大清门进宫了。 “是时候了！”载澂请个安说：“请旨启驾。” “好，走吧！”皇帝点点头说。 于是传旨领侍卫内大臣伯彦讷谟诂，准备启驾到坤宁宫，作为迎候皇后的表示。在御用的软轿前面，由那八名少年亲贵执着宫灯引导，御前大臣和御前侍卫扈从着，在礼部堂官照料之下。皇帝出乾清门，再折回东一长街，入景和门，进坤宁宫，在大婚洞房的东暖阁前殿休息。 这时皇后的凤舆，已经由御道到了乾清门，抬过一盆极旺的炭火，四平八稳地停好，皇后在两福晋、八命妇及女官护持着，跨出轿门，只见她一手拿一个苹果，随即有女官接了过去，同时惇王福晋捧着一个红绸封口的金漆木瓶，交到皇后手里，里面盛着特铸的“同治通宝”的金银线和小金银锭、金玉小如意、红宝石，以及杂粮米谷，称为“宝瓶”。 等皇后捧稳了“宝瓶”，奉册宝的龙亭方始再走，沿着御道经过乾清宫与昭仁殿之间的通路，进入乾、坤两宫之间的交泰殿。这个殿不住人，只有两项用处，一项是“天地交泰”为帝后大婚行礼之地，一项是储藏御宝。这天晚上，两项用处都有。礼部堂官先奉皇后册宝入藏，然后在殿门前另作了一番布置，横放朱漆马鞍一个，鞍下放两颗苹果——就是从皇后手里取来的那两个，上面再铺一条红毯。 六对藏香提炉，引导着皇后跨过“平平安安”的苹果马鞍，被引导到西首站定，这就到了拜天地的时刻。皇帝这面也是算好了时刻的，等皇后刚刚站好位置，皇帝也由坤宁宫到了，站向东首与皇后相对而立，在繁密无比的鼓吹声中，一起下拜，九叩礼毕，成为“结发”。 拜了天地拜寿星，拜完寿星拜灶君。灶君在坤宁宫正殿，而坤宁宫的正殿，就仿佛缸瓦市“沙锅居”的厨房，每天都要煮两头猪。这里不但是厨房，而且还是宰牲口的屠场，一进门便是一张包铁皮的大木案，地上铺着承受血污的油布，桌后就是称为“坎”的一个长方形深坑，坑中砌着大灶，灶上两口极大的铁锅，每口锅都可整煮一头猪，锅中的汤，自砌灶以来，就未曾换过，还保存着两百多年前的余味。 这是皇家保存着满洲“祭必于内寝”的遗风，在所有的宫殿中，只有坤宁宫的规制，与前代完全不同，是照太祖天命年间，盛京清宁宫的式样重建的。在俎案锅灶以外，神龛就设在殿西与殿北两面，殿西的神龛悬黄幔，所供的神是关圣帝君，享受朝祭，殿北的神龛悬青幔，所供的神，尊名叫“穆哩罕”，享受夕祭。 照规矩说，无论朝祭、夕祭，都应该皇帝皇后亲临行礼，但日子一久，成为虚文，除了大祭以外，日祭都由太监奉行故事，执事太监分为司香、司俎、司祝，杀猪就是司俎的职司。 无分晴雨寒暑，每天半夜里必有一辆青布围得极严的骡车，停在东华门外。门一开，首先进宫的就是这辆车，到了坤宁宫前，卸下两头猪来，经过一番仪式，杀猪拔毛、洗剥干净，放在那两口老汤锅中去煮，只加香料不加盐，煮熟了祭神。除非是二月初一，赐王公大臣吃肉，在平常日子，这些福胙照例归乾清门侍卫享受。 坤宁宫是皇后的正寝，而主持中馈是主妇的天职，因此，拜灶君亦只有皇后行礼。同时礼部和鸿胪寺等等外廷的执事，恭襄大礼，到此作一结束。坤宁宫以内的繁文缛节，与这些人无涉，可以退下了。 三叩礼拜了灶君，皇帝皇后在坤宁宫东暖阁行坐帐礼，吃名为“子孙饽饽”的饺子。煮饺子的是礼王福晋，一下锅就得捞起来，呈上帝后，饺子还是生的，但不能说生，咬一口吐出来，藏在床褥下面，说是这样就可以早“生”皇子。 于是皇帝暂时到前殿休息，等候福晋命妇为皇后上头。这仍然是崇厚夫人的职司，在满洲人，叫做“开脸”，用棉线绞尽了脸上的汗毛和短发，然后用煮熟的鸡子剥了壳，在脸上推过，立刻便出现了容光焕发的妇人的颜色。这一样功夫，讲究肤发之间黑白分明，截然如利刃所切，称为“四鬓刃裁”。 然后是重新梳头。双凤髻只是及笄之年的少女装束，此刻改梳为扁平后垂，无碍枕上转侧的“燕尾”，仍旧插戴双喜如意簪，另外插一朵红绒所制的福字喜花。这样打扮好了，方始抬进膳桌来开宫里称做“团圆膳”的合卺宴。 这时的皇帝，只有太监照料了。小李引入御驾，两福晋和八命妇一起请安迎接，皇帝不知是喜气还是腼腆，脸红得厉害，向两位福晋虚扶一扶，带些窘意地笑着道乏。 “五婶、六婶，这阵子把你们累着了。” “借皇上的喜气，一点儿都不累。”惇王福晋看一看她弟妇说：“咱们跪安吧！” 惇王福晋两妯娌，领着崇厚夫人她们跪安退出，却不曾走远，在殿前遥遥凝视。不久，看到太监和女官亦都退了出来，东暖阁的槅扇，轻轻地被合上了。 于是一对结发侍卫在殿前廊上，击着檀板用满洲语高唱“合卺歌”。那对“蜜里调油”的“百子双喜香油灯”，在雪白的窗户纸上，荡漾出腻人的霞光，然后听得皇后仿佛也在唱着什么。 “你听！”惇王福晋诧异地，“干什么来着？” 恭王福晋凝神静听，恰好那对“结发侍卫”唱完了“合卺歌”，一静下来，皇后的声音便很清楚了。 “……王侯第宅皆新主，文武衣冠异昔时；直北关山金鼓振，征西车马羽书迟。鱼龙寂寞秋江冷，故国平居有所思！”稍停一停，又听得清越的长吟：“蓬莱宫阙对南山，承露金茎霄汉间，……”恭王福晋不知道那是杜甫的“秋兴八首”，但是在吟诗是听得出来的，便掩口笑着，推了她五嫂一把，轻轻说道：“皇上在考皇后呢！” 这一说大家都懂了，“亏得是状元家的小姐！”惇王福晋指指西面，也放轻了声音，“换了那面的那一位，洞房花烛可就要出乖露丑了！” 这是指慧妃而言。只为当初输了一着，这天的光彩，尽为“状元小姐”所夺，在她自然觉得委屈，不过她倒也想得开，比起崇家的另一位小姐——皇后的姑姑，她觉得应该满足了。尤其使她感到安慰，甚至可以说是得意的是，她比皇后先见到“婆婆”。 这位“婆婆”自然是慈禧太后。照当年满汉合参的大婚仪礼，皇后入宫，拜罢天地，即是合卺礼，第二天才谒庙谒太后，与民间新妇入门就拜见翁姑，完全不同。但妃嫔就没有这些讲究了，因此，慈禧太后等慧妃进宫，赐过喜筵，随即传懿旨召见。 不过，她这样做，却并不是因为礼法上并无明文规定，可以变通行事，这样做有好几个原因，独独不曾想到合不合礼法！为了安慰慧妃，也为了喜爱慧妃，当然迫不及待地要想看一看她，而最主要的，还是要跟慈安太后赌一口气，也是为她自己西宫出身争一口气。 因此，当盛装的慧妃刚开始行三叩九拜的大礼时，她便特假词色，“行了，行了！光磕一个头好了。”接着又吩咐宫女：“你们搀慧妃起来！” 等搀了起来，慧妃又请个安，感激地说：“太后的天恩，叫奴才报答不过来！” “好了，不必再行礼了。你过来，我看看你！” 慧妃很稳重地走到慈禧太后身旁，肃然侍立。慈禧太后便伸出手来握着她，偏着头，含着笑，尽自打量，真是慈祥的婆婆的样子。 看了半天，慈禧太后忽然转脸问道：“看秦祥在那儿？” 秦祥是长春宫的老太监，一直替慈禧太后管理银钱帐目，人最安分谨慎，一天到晚守着帐簿银柜，闲下来便是数着佛珠念佛，为“主子”祈福。 等把秦祥找了来，慈禧太后问道：“秦祥，你看慧妃象谁？” 跪在地上的秦祥，抬起头来，神情严肃地瞻望着慧妃，看了一会，他磕头答道：“奴才不敢说。” “不要紧！怕什么？” “那，奴才就斗胆了！”秦祥答道，“慧妃跟主子当年有点儿象。” 听这一说，慧妃赶紧跪了下来，“奴才怎么敢跟主子比！” 她惶恐地说。 这次是慈禧太后亲手把慧妃扶了起来，教拿个矮凳给她坐，又不教她谢恩，她也无法行礼，因为一只手一直被慈禧太后握着。等矮凳来了，便紧挨着宝座坐下，恰是“依依膝下”的样子。 慈禧太后没有说话，望着里里外外的灯彩，心里浮起一片没来由的凄凉，想起儿子，仿佛隔得非常非常远，只看到一个模糊的影子。而那个模糊的影子，还带走了她的权力！如今两手空空，还有什么？ 转到这个念头，把慧妃的手握得更紧了。慧妃却害了怕，直勾勾的两眼，一手心的汗，太后是怎么了？ 就这迟疑不定之际，再凝神看时，慈禧太后的脸色又变过了，变得很平静地，放松了她的手，看着她问道：“你阿玛当过外官没有？” “回太后的话，奴才的父亲一直在京里当差。” “怪不得！”慈禧太后说，“你的京话，一点都没有变样儿。” 这是夸奖的话，慧妃不知道该怎么样回答，但在家已经被教导过，皇太后皇帝说话，不能不答，只好低着头轻轻回一声：“是！” 接着，慈禧太后便问她有没有弟兄之类的话，絮絮不断地，让慧妃感到惊奇，不知她何以有这么大的兴致来闲聊？尤其让慧妃迷惘的是，东面的鼓吹喧阗，不断随风飘来，这样的大喜事，竟象跟她毫不相干似的，岂不可怪？ 筹备三年，动用一两千万银子的大婚盛典，终于告成。论功行赏，普沛恩施，由惇王赏紫禁城内坐四人轿、恭王恢复了“世袭罔替”、醇王晋封亲王，到抬轿的校尉赏给银两，不论大小官员吏役，只要跟大婚二字沾上点边的，无不被恩。甚至象张之洞那样，以翰林院编修，撰拟乐章的份内之事，也赏加了“侍读”的衔。不过对皇帝来说，最好的是，他借可以召见载澂，赏了“御前行走”的差使。 皆大欢喜之余，各衙门慢慢都恢复了常态。皇帝也把丢了好些日子的书本翻了开来，弘德殿的功课照旧，即使在明年正月二十六亲政以后，也仍旧得上书房，这是已奉了明发懿旨的。