[Red Mansions] Minruo Spring Breeze Returns to Dream

No.40 Seven trips back to the palace to see Yuanchun for the first time

Early in the morning of the second day, Jia Min asked someone to boil hot water and sent it to his yard and the north courtyard. After bathing and changing clothes, he changed into court clothes and a court crown, and waited for Lin Daiyu to finish her dressing before taking her into the carriage.Lin Daiyu's clothes were made when she was in Yangzhou, and they were purposely made bigger. Now they fit just right, and the light purple material complements her complexion very well.The pink pearl beads on the head complement the hairpin, and there is also a thin silver chain with eight-leaf peach blossoms around the neck.

When Jia Min and Lin Daiyu arrived, the Empress Dowager was still talking to the Empress and Concubine Wu Gui about releasing a group of palace maids who were old enough to leave the palace this year.Seeing the two people coming in, the Empress Dowager stopped talking and said with a smile: "I hope you are here. Come and give me a seat."

Jia Min led Lin Daiyu to salute the Empress Dowager, Empress and Concubine Wu before sitting down, and said: "Since I went to Beijing to greet the Empress Dowager last time, my concubine has always been thinking about the Empress Dowager's body. I remember that when the empress dowager accompanied the emperor on the southern tour of Yangzhou, she was full of praise for the crab noodle cake, and when I returned to Beijing, I brought some and gave them to Nanny Lu."

"You are the most caring, and you are still thinking about the food that Ai's family loves." The empress dowager smiled, and seeing Lin Daiyu sitting beside Jia Min obediently, she waved to Lin Daiyu, "This is your daughter, come up and give it to me." Look."

Lin Daiyu squeezed the handkerchief, and smiled and bowed to the Empress Dowager: "My daughter, Mrs. Lin, is attending the Empress Dowager, wishing the Empress Dowager good luck and a long life."

"Get up quickly." The Empress Dowager pulled Lin Daiyu to her side, looked her up and down, and said, "Look at how beautiful Master Lin's daughter is, just like you when you were a child!" The last part of the sentence The words were obviously addressed to Jia Min, "I remember you used to look like this when you entered the palace with your mother."

"The empress dowager still remembers it!" Jia Min said with a smile, "I still remember that when I came here, the empress dowager gave me a pair of golden kun beaded peach hairpins."

"I remember that Mrs. Lin was a talkative person in front of my mother. I didn't expect Mrs. Lin to be so smart after so many years." The queen teased, "I haven't seen Mrs. Lin for a long time. Three years ago, it was only a long time ago." I saw you once from afar, and I didn't have the nerve to let you talk."

"The empress is joking." Before Jia Min got married, he and the empress were old acquaintances. Although they only met a few times, they could still say a few words.The empress was a straightforward person before marrying the fifth prince as the concubine, so it was easier to talk to her, "I haven't seen the empress for a long time, and the empress looks better."

"She is pampered and pampered in the palace, what can be wrong?" After talking to Lin Daiyu for a few words, the queen mother turned around and said with a smile, "I like your daughter very much. I really wish I could recognize her as my granddaughter. It's a pity that Lin Daiyu My lord and you are just such a daughter, and the Ai family is not willing to separate you mother and daughter. Mother Lu, bring the three pieces of Shu brocade sent by the Shu Brocade Bureau. The Ai family thinks that the color and pattern will be made for us Yu'er. Clothes are the best."

"Thank you for the reward from the Queen Mother." Lin Daiyu saluted and smiled, "It's just that the Shu brocade is precious, and I'm afraid that the three brocades were embroidered by the embroiderer with a lot of effort and presented to the Queen Mother. The courtiers dare not take them."

"You just accept it if the Ai family gives it to you." Seeing Lin Daiyu's modesty, the queen mother smiled and said, "When you were young, your mother would directly ask the Ai family for a gift, this time it is Aijia is a direct reward."

"Why did the queen mother say that she is not a concubine in front of Yu'er?" Jia Min said.

"It seems that we can't do without some gifts." The queen turned her head and smiled at Concubine Wu.

Concubine Wu Gui slightly nodded.As she gets older, the emperor doesn't like to go to her palace anymore. Now she can only rely on the queen of the middle palace, and only hopes that her daughter can make a good family in the future. back to Beijing.So he said: "Chen Qie remembers that Chen Qie got a pair of peach red tourmaline melon-shaped pendants this year, it is the best for Miss Lin."

The queen gave orders to the nanny beside her, and then said to Lin Daiyu: "I didn't bring anything with me, just wait a moment, I ordered someone to go back to the palace to bring it for you."

"The empress doesn't need to be like this, how can the courtiers bother the mothers beside the empress?" Lin Daiyu glanced at Jia Min and said, "The empress has the heart to reward the courtiers, and the ministers are already grateful."

"Based on your words, I must give you something. Such a well-behaved daughter, Bengong also likes it very much." The queen saw the female officer in her palace come in with sharp eyes, and said, "These are all These are the pearl flowers newly brought into the palace, and the twelve flower hairpins representing different months, you keep them and wear them for fun."

Lin Daiyu hastily took the red lacquer brocade box with both hands, and raised her eyes to look at the female officer, only to feel that she looked very familiar.Taking a closer look, it turned out to be the eldest cousin Jia Yuanchun whom I met once three years ago!But he just said "Thank you" softly, and then took the things.

The queen pondered for a while before remembering that the Lin family and the Jia family were still in-laws. She held up the teacup and took a sip of tea, blocking the smile on her lips.That girl Jia Yuanchun is also considered dedicated in her palace, but as she gradually grew up over the years, her thoughts are also revealed. Every time the emperor comes, she makes excuses to shine. Who doesn't know her intentions?But looking at it this time, I'm afraid the two families have no friendship.

There is a time limit for a married woman to visit the Queen Mother. Jia Min looked at the Western clock in the Queen Mother's Palace, saluted the Queen Mother, the Empress, and Concubine Wu, and took Lin Daiyu out of the palace.Lin Daiyu caressed the jade pendant on her waist, and her youngest daughter couldn't help being curious and opened the brocade box, only to see twelve pearl flower hairpins neatly placed inside, all of which were exquisite in workmanship, one could tell it was from Jiangnan Weaving sent good things.

"Mother, have you seen it just now? It's my eldest cousin who gave my daughter something." Lin Daiyu took an orange-red pomegranate hairpin and asked Jia Min to pin it on her bun. But it's not as plain as it is now, with light-colored velvet palace flowers on the hair, and no pearls or emeralds."

"The rules in the palace are like this. Female officials are not allowed to wear makeup, and they can't wear more than three pieces of jewelry on their heads. They can only wear green clothes throughout the year, so it is difficult for female officials to survive in the palace." Jia Min is the concubine's daughter of the Duke's Mansion, so she is very clear about these rules, "It's fine if you get invited by the master above, and if you get a marriage gift, you will be Fengguanxiapei; if you don't, you can only stay until the age of 25." Went out of the palace."

"Then why did the eldest cousin..." Lin Daiyu knew that the Duke's Mansion was considered an aristocratic family, so why did she send her daughter into the palace to serve as a servant?

"That's what your grandmother and second aunt mean, how would I know." Jia Min hooked her lips and said, "It's just that your eldest cousin is already a female official in the Queen's Palace. If we have a chance to enter the palace in the future, You have to distance yourself from her. There are big rules in the palace, and if you accidentally say something wrong, you will be punished."

"My daughter knows." Today Lin Daiyu did see the rules in the palace. Although she only spoke a few words to the queen mother, she had to think carefully about every word. Zhong is how to be careful. "The empress dowager and the empress dowager have good temperaments, but the things that the two masters gave are excellent, and my daughter really dare not use them. Especially the Shu brocade, although the empress dowager said she would make clothes for her daughter, it is too precious... ..."

"That's because the Empress Dowager likes you. When I go back, I will ask Aunt Chen to cut two clothes for you. When I have a chance to enter the palace, I will wear them for the Empress Dowager to see." Jia Min smiled and touched the lotus hairpin on Daiyu's head, " When I was young, I fell in love with the Queen Mother. You are well-behaved. It is normal for the Queen Mother to like you. There is also the Empress Dowager. She has a straightforward temper. I used to know her well. For the sake of the Queen Mother, she gave you these The pearl flower hairpin is also reasonable."

"Then my daughter will use it." The daughter's favorite is these beautiful pearl flowers. Lin Daiyu smiled and nestled in Jia Min's arms. The beaded flower fabrics in the palace are exquisite, it would be great if Sister Yao and the others were here, and I can share them with them."

"If you miss them, take advantage of the good weather, and the people from Yangzhou Zhuangzi will go to Beijing in half a month. Then you can write a letter to them and ask them to bring you back to Yangzhou." Jia Min said, "There are a lot of exquisite jewelry in Beijing, which is quite different from the style in Yangzhou. You can ask someone to go to the silver shop outside to order a few boxes of fashionable jewelry in Beijing and send them to them."

"Mother's idea is always the best, so it's decided. Sister Yao likes lotus, Sister Teng likes lily, and Sister Yang likes plum blossom. And Godmother, her favorite is peach blossom. Each of them will make a set for them." For the new head, the money will come from the monthly money my mother saved for me, and it will be a little gift from me to them."

The mother and daughter talked and laughed, and soon returned home.

Ten days later, the empress dowager called Lin Daiyu to come to the palace again, saying that she had got some fashionable palace flowers, and asked Lin Daiyu to go to the palace to choose them together.Because it was not the day when the married woman paid her respects, and the Queen Mother's order did not say that Jia Min should enter the palace, so Lin Daiyu was the only one entering the palace this time.Jia Min, the Shu brocade that the Empress Dowager admired before, asked the needleworker to make a dress of smoke-colored silver thread twisted pearls dyed by lake water, and matched it with the bead flower hairpin given by the Empress.

This time without Jia Min's company, Lin Daiyu was a little more nervous than last time.Fortunately, the Empress Dowager didn't just call her a girl this time. After Lin Daiyu entered the main hall, she saw that there were still several seven or eight-year-old girls there.After hearing the introduction from the nanny who welcomed her in, the one wearing pink is Li Shi, the daughter of Admiral Li of the Nine Gates, the one wearing water blue is Wu Guifei’s younger sister Wu, and the one wearing pomegranate red is from the Empress Dowager’s natal family. girl Wang Shi.These girls have often entered the palace to serve the Empress Dowager these years, so this time they were also summoned to choose palace flowers together.

"The palace flowers here at the Queen Mother are all very beautiful, so Wen'er begged for a favor on behalf of my mother, and this peony flower can be given to Wen'er's mother?" Wang was always impatient, and she didn't wait for the Queen Mother to call Tiao just strode up, took the tray with palace flowers and said with a smile, "This peony flower is the best for the empress."

Lin Daiyu saw that the queen mother's face was dark, so she stepped forward and said: "The orchid is fragrant and elegant, and my servant thinks that the orchid flower is the most suitable for the queen." After speaking, she picked it up and offered her hands to the queen mother, "the queen mother can try it good?"

"You are the best talking child." The Empress Dowager smiled and asked Nanny Lu to put it on for her. "That peach blossom is most suitable for you, Nanny Lu, put it on for Daiyu."

Wang pouted on the side, and did not dare to talk too much after giving Lin Daiyu a glance.She is the empress dowager's distant niece, she should be the empress dowager's favorite, but the empress dowager has always been indifferent to her, but she is very fond of Li Shi and Wu Shi.Today, there is a Lin family who has won the Queen Mother's favor for no reason, what a nuisance!

"Yu'er, Hui'er, this peony, as well as the rose, impatiens and peony, you ask Mother Lu to take you to the queen, and say it was rewarded by Ai's family, and call her Ming'er Put it on the hairpin when you are welcome, and show it to the Ai family." The queen mother asked the maid to put the four pearl flowers she named, and did not notice the expression on Wang's face that turned pale instantly.Maybe she noticed, just didn't care much.Originally thought that the girl from her natal family was good, so she was brought into the palace and told her to stay with her in order to marry a good husband in the future, but she didn't think that her temperament could not be changed no matter what, and all her painstaking efforts were in vain.

"Yes." Lin Daiyu replied, and seeing Li Shi also answered, she took the brocade box and walked out together with Li Shi.

"My name is Li Hui, where is my sister?" Li Hui and Lin Daiyu walked through the imperial garden together and asked.

"My surname is Lin, and my parents call me Daiyu." Lin Daiyu replied with a smile, "My sister can just call me Yu'er or Daiyu."

"Alright." Li Hui is not talkative. She is nine years old this year. Because her mother is the younger sister of the Empress Dowager, she is lucky enough to often enter the palace to serve the Empress Dowager and the Empress. She has developed a cautious temperament, "You You probably don’t know, Sister Wu is the direct sister of Concubine Wu Guifei in the palace, her nickname is Xuanrong, and everyone calls her Xuan’er on weekdays; Sister Wang’s name is Wang Wen, she is the youngest, if you say something wrong, you can take it as your fault. Just didn’t hear it.”

"Thank you for your suggestion, sister, I understand."

When I arrived at the Queen's Fengyi Palace, I saw Jia Yuanchun waiting at the door with low eyebrows.With Jia Min's instruction, Lin Daiyu walked past Jia Yuanchun without turning her eyes. Smelling the faint fragrance of flowers on her body, Lin Daiyu frowned slightly, and thought to herself: Isn't it a rule for this female official not to wear makeup?However, the eldest cousin has a faint smell of makeup and powder on her body, and she is not afraid of the queen's empress.

Nanny Lu actually came to tell the queen something important, so Lin Daiyu and Li Hui left after putting down their things.The queen's eyes flashed, and she asked Jia Yuanchun to send the two girls out.

After walking a few steps, Jia Yuanchun said, "Cousin Lin, wait a minute."

Li Hui was a little surprised, but quickly restrained his expression, signaled that he was waiting for her in front, and went to the koi pond in front to wait.

"Is the female officer okay?" Lin Daiyu wiped the sweat from her chin with a handkerchief, and said with a smile, "I have to go back and return to the Queen Mother."

Jia Yuanchun choked for a moment, and only opened the corners of his mouth to smile: "I saw my cousin in the queen mother's palace that day, so I wanted to ask her to do me a favor. I heard that the elder brother is gone, how are the ancestors and mother?" I have been in the palace all these years and have not been able to come out to see them. It is strange to miss them. I have a few purses I made by myself, please ask my cousin to give them to my ancestors and some younger siblings for me."

"I heard from my mother that the female officials in the palace have a day to rest and take a bath." Lin Daiyu smiled and looked directly at Jia Yuanchun, "When you rest and take a bath, you can go to the palace gate to meet and even talk with your family. The female official's sister, He Chou, didn't see her. When is the second aunt and grandmother? Besides, it’s inconvenient for me to go out often, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do what Lady Jia asked me to do. Sister Li is still waiting for me, I have to go back.” After finishing speaking, he nodded, Turn around and join Li Hui.

On the way back to the Empress Dowager's palace, the two also met Wu Xuanrong, knowing that the Empress Dowager had also ordered her to deliver something to Concubine Wu, the three of them gathered together and went back to return to the Empress Dowager's life, and left the palace with the Queen Mother's reward.

Back in the mansion, Lin Daiyu hastily cleaned up, and then recounted to Jia Min what Jia Yuanchun said to her today.Jia Min pondered for a moment before saying: "You answered very well. The most taboo thing in the palace is giving and receiving privately. Jia Yuanchun is a female official next to the queen, and she should have obeyed the palace rules more. It's just that she entrusted you like this. It's because you don't take the palace rules to heart. You don't often enter the palace, so if you see her again in the future, just treat her according to the attitude you have today."

"My daughter knows." Fu told Jia Min about the three girls beside the Queen Mother, and Lin Daiyu returned to the North Courtyard.She was going to enter the palace this morning, so the study time was postponed to the afternoon, and Master Guan was already waiting in the study room of the north courtyard.

Jia Min stroked the jade bracelet on his wrist, and could only feel that the palace is indeed a place that can change people's hearts.