Chapter 29 Section VI

The next day is Mid-Autumn Festival.In previous years, during this festive season, the palace was very lively, but when there was a national funeral, and the "hunting tour" was outside, all the red tape etiquette and ingenious entertainment were stopped.Only a few special dishes were added to the dinner. The empress dowagers of the two palaces had just finished eating with the little emperor and the eldest princess. Shi Jinzhong, the chief eunuch newly transferred from Beijing, came to report: "'Taiyin Gong' is placed in Ruyizhou, waiting for the moon Once you come out, please ask the emperor to burn incense and salute."

The Empress Dowager West loves to talk recently, and because the dispute over state affairs with the eight ministers of Gu Ming has come to an end, she also likes to take care of trivial affairs in the palace. After listening to Shi Jinzhong's words, she frowned and said: "As the saying goes, 'men don't Worshiping the moon, women don’t offer sacrifices to the stove.’ I don’t know who made the rule in the palace, and the emperor must go to salute the ‘Taiyin offering’? No way!” The Eastern Empress Dowager thought otherwise, "Why put it in Ruyi Continent? It's far away."

"Playing back with the empress dowager, this is an old rule handed down from Lord Kangxi." As soon as he said this, the little emperor coughed twice, so the Eastern Empress Dowager became more and more worried, and turned to the Western Empress Dowager and said, "I'm coughing, so I can't catch the cold. Ruyi Island is empty and windy, so it's better not to go!" "It doesn't matter if you don't go," the Empress Dowager said casually, "Let Shi Jinzhong go to salute on behalf of the emperor." In the past, only relatives and noble ministers were qualified to salute the emperor on behalf of the emperor. Now the empress dowager made a hasty decision, which became a great honor in Shi Jinzhong. Temple to go.

"Hey, slow down, slow down!" The little emperor yelled loudly in the hall; when Shi Jinzhong turned around and approached, he ordered with a great air: "Bring me a plate of moon cakes, the one that wants a lot, and reward everyone." Princess!" "I want four colors." The eldest princess said again. Shi Jinzhong looked up at the Empress Dowagers of the Two Palaces, and said nothing, "Yes! Get it right away, 'I want the four-color one, the one with many', please order, where should I send it?" The little emperor now also knew a lot of expressions in the palace, understood that "asking for an order" meant asking him, and immediately replied: "Send it here, the princess will make offerings to the moon."

The little emperor is tired of playing crickets, and recently he often plays with the eldest princess. The relationship between the siblings is very good.The eldest princess was the smartest. Hearing the words of the Queen Mother, "men don't worship the moon", she immediately thought that worshiping the moon is a girl's business, so she quietly discussed with her brother and asked for a plate of moon cakes. Reward, and specify a lot. There were thirteen of them, from big to small, stacked like a solid tower, and when they were carried into the palace, the eldest princess was very happy, and turned to her younger brother with a smile: "Thank you, the emperor, for the reward."

The little emperor smiled and asked, "Where are you making offerings to the moon?" The Eldest Princess was very sensible, she didn't dare to come up with random ideas, she just looked at the face of the Empress Dowager West, she was talking with the Empress Dowager East, she didn't realize it at all.So Shuangxi made a proposal: "Go to the backyard to make a confession." The maids hurriedly set up a few cases in the empty courtyard behind the palace, set up worship mats, and offered mooncakes with melons and fruits, but they burned white candles. Another court lady found an incense stick from nowhere. Light it up, the cigarette is lingering, and the atmosphere is suddenly different.

"This looks like August and a half," Shuangxi said with satisfaction, "It's only a rabbit!" This sentence caused trouble. "That's good!" the little emperor said loudly, "I want Master Rabbit. Get it quickly! I want the big one." When Shuangxi heard this, she shouted in her heart: It's broken!Do you want to be a male? "Why? Send more people to look for it." "No matter how many people there are. It has to be found in the capital, hundreds of miles away." "I don't care!" The little emperor stamped his feet and said loudly, "I want it! I have to!"

No matter how Shuangxi coaxed her, even the eldest princess helped to persuade her, but the little emperor just refused.When the commotion was raging, the Empress Dowager Xi appeared, stood in the corridor and shouted, "What are you doing?" With this question, the court was silent, the little emperor didn't dare to make a fuss anymore, but he felt infinitely wronged, his mouth shrunk to the point of tears. Shuangxi was shocked, knowing that the Empress Dowager hated the little emperor's appearance the most, and tried to stop it, but it was too late, the little emperor couldn't help crying.In a hurry, Shuangxi reached out her hand to cover his mouth, pulled it away and left.

For the festival's sake, the Empress Dowager Xi didn't say anything, she just went back to the Xinuang Pavilion, felt bored, closed the door early, sat by the window alone, looking at the moonlight bored. The moonlight is the same as what I saw in the Kara Hetun Palace last year. It is still so round, so big, and so bright. It seems that the toad shadow and osmanthus tree can be faintly seen.But at that time, she was not a widow after all. Even though Jun's kindness had declined and her bones were broken, there was hope after all.What about now?As the empress dowager, she actually has nothing. During the long night, besides listening carefully to the twelve tunes played by the eight-tone bell, I don't know how to spend it?And there is still a longer period of time ahead than the present, how can it be?

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel palpitations, and she was eager to find something to do that would allow her to concentrate all her energy, so that she could forget about herself. So he shouted: "Come!" When the maid was summoned, he ordered: "Open a small study!" It was originally said that it was a day off during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I didn't look at official business, but I had to look at official business, but there was only one thing.As usual, unless the festivals are particularly important, there are always few drafts of memorials, and those documents that are taboo, such as the memorials to report the death of ministers, will not be brought up.This day may be a memorial sent by Minister Gu Ming in order to express his congratulations to the Empress Dowagers of the Two Palaces.

The proposed emblems of the empress dowagers of the two palaces, the first character is "ci", the empress dowager is "ci'an", and the empress dowager is "cixi." "Cixi, Cixi!" The Western Empress Dowager recited it twice, quite satisfied, so she took the memorial to Dongnuan Pavilion to see "Empress Ci'an." In the East Nuan Pavilion, there were only two court ladies watching the room quietly. When they saw the Empress Dowager Xi, they greeted the Empress Dowager together, and the older one said, "Mother, the Empress Dowager is in the backyard." "Ugh! What's your master doing?" "I'm teasing the emperor and the eldest princess." The maid asked again: "Please Yizhi, but you want to invite the mother, the empress dowager?" "No need. I'll go myself!" So the Empress Dowager walked around the corridor by herself and walked to the back of the East Nuan Pavilion.The empty court is full of moons, full of laughter, the little emperor is sitting on a big rosewood chair, listening to the Queen Mother telling fairy stories, he is like the big princess leaning on the queen mother, it should be time to go to bed , but they all played happily. The Empress Dowager stopped her feet, she couldn't help being touched, and also a little jealous.Why are the children happy to get close to the Queen Mother? Are you being too strict?Thinking about it this way, I asked myself: Should I be strict?Girls might as well be more easy-going, she thought of an idiom: "If a jade is not polished, it will not be a weapon." You must be strict with your son! So she moved her steps again and walked into the place illuminated by the moonlight. The maid who was serving on the corridor greeted her and shouted loudly: "The Queen Mother is here!" This shout interrupted the Empress Dowager Dong. The first one was the little emperor, who quickly slipped down from the chair and stood at the side with his hands down, and then the eldest princess also stood upright.When she walked in front of her, the Empress Dowager Dong was afraid that she would say something that would disappoint her children, so she first pointed to the eldest princess beside her and said, "It's a festival today, and the moon is so beautiful, let them play for a while longer!" The Empress Dowager Xi nodded, sat down on the chair where the emperor used to sit, turned to her son and asked, "Didn't you go to school today?" "It's a holiday!" The little emperor replied eloquently, "Master told me to leave school." "What about tomorrow?" The little emperor stopped ringing, and an expression of infinite distress and grievance suddenly appeared on his face. The Empress Dowager Dong couldn't bear it, so she said: "I slept late today, and I'm afraid I won't be able to wake up tomorrow. Let's rest for another day." Hearing this, the little emperor cheered up again. The Empress Dowager Xi saw it, and said to the little emperor with a slight sneer: "The emperor's mother has promised you, and I will let you play for another day. Don't take it as a rule! " Hearing this, she felt that it was the Empress Dowager who was disappointing, but she didn't show it on the surface, "It's getting late," she said, "Go play for a while, and go to sleep!" Saying this, she turned to Shuangxi who was standing nearby. took a look. After Shuangxi led the young lady and brother to the other side to play, the Empress Dowager Xi raised the folder in her hand: "Look!" "What is it?" The Empress Dowager East asked while taking the notebook.The moonlight is very bright, and she can see clearly without taking out lamps and candles. She doesn't understand the words of praise. Well, it is difficult to write, not as convenient as my word 'An'." Hearing her two words, the Empress Dowager Xi felt unimaginable. If she behaved like this, let alone listening to the government behind a curtain, she would still be bullied by her courtiers just like Wu Zetian was a female emperor.But my heart is meager, and I don't say a word of ridicule, either because I dare not or because I don't want to let her know what she said, mother-in-law, I don't know how to be polite. "Let her go!" The Queen Mother said in her heart, "Let her be ignorant for the rest of her life." "We already have a name." The Queen Mother East said again, "Where is the Emperor Daxing's?" The Queen Mother knew that she was referring to the temple title and posthumous title of Emperor Daxing.A few days ago, the cabinet had drawn up six characters each. Please choose them for the memorial. The empress dowagers of the two palaces unanimously agreed to use the word "Wen" for the temple name and "Xian" for the posthumous posthumous title. It has not been issued yet, because when Zi Gong returns to the capital, all the etiquettes have yet to be drawn up, and it is more appropriate to issue an order together when everything is ready.This was also agreed by the Queen Mother. But the Eastern Empress Dowager didn't know, because she felt a little uncomfortable on the day of discussing this matter with the eight officials of Gu Ming. Hearing her mention it now, I felt a little uneasy, so I had to explain the process in an apologetic tone. The loyal Queen Mother nodded and said, "As long as you know!" Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager Xi felt that her uneasiness was superfluous.She warned herself, don't be too naive, even if you do something wrong in the future, look at her attitude first, don't rush to admit your mistake. "I have something else to discuss with you. Please see Su Shunzuo that day. I don't know what he means?" What do you mean, that Sushun intends to divide the concubine!When this matter was brought up, the Empress Dowager Xi wished she could arrest Sushun, kneel down in front of her, and ask the eunuch to slap his mouth hard!Ang Lu Bi  Qiu Φ Collapse  strike down gown League De Sae Kang Gong Huang and leech  阒 liquid scar  League Prayer  盩 Que Pa Molong! ? "That's what I'm afraid of." The Queen Mother said, "Let's meet them together." The Empress Dowager Xi pondered for a while, feeling that this was a good opportunity to test Sushun's heart, so she replied, "It doesn't have to be like this. If he wants to break up, let's break up and listen to what he has to say in front of you. " "I will be obedient. I'm afraid they will ask me something." "That's easy. If you can tell them, tell them. If you can't, just say it. I'll think about it before I say it." "Hmm." The Queen Mother thought about it before and after, and still felt that something was wrong. "If it's something important, they want me to make up my mind right then. So what?" This is indeed a question, the Empress Dowager West was stunned, but it took only a moment, and she immediately thought of a solution. This method can not only solve the empress dowager East's problem, but also establish a prestige for herself. This is fine, if they really want to force you to agree, you must agree. But you must tell them: the two stamps of "Imperial Appreciation" and "Tongdaotang" are used instead of the vermilion pen. Another one. In this way, they have to tell me, if I can do it, I will naturally do it, if I can’t, I will reject it for them. Without two stamps, it is not considered Zhubi’s personal approval, and they dare not publish it. go down." "Are you stunned?" "That's false preaching of the imperial decree." The Empress Dowager said in a very forceful voice, "It's the crime of beheading." "Okay. I see." "Sister!" The Empress Dowager Xi approached her and said, "Anyway, as long as we are of the same mind, we won't be afraid of their mischief. You are a good person, and I am a bad person. I am responsible for everything!" "Okay!" The Empress Dowager Dong happily replied, "That's all." The Eastern Empress Dowager never imagined that she was playing with her "sister" in the palm of her hand. On the contrary, she felt that the Western Empress Dowager lived up to the sincerity of the "Tongdaotang" stamp bestowed by the late emperor, and she could indeed help each other. blessing.