Linque

On big days like New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, the celebration in the palace is nothing more than endless ceremonies and flowing banquets——29 Taimiao ancestor worship, grand banquets, New Year’s Eve ceremonies, night banquets, Tai Chi on the first day of the new year The hall is congratulated, and there is a banquet for the clan.

For Ling Ye, watching these banquets going on step by step is considered a festive season.In addition to physical fatigue and mental fatigue, he has not experienced the joy and anticipation of others during the Chinese New Year for a long time.

Until this year.

On the morning of New Year's Eve, the palace also had to paste blessing characters in exchange for peach charms. In the past, these things were left to the maids of the Ming Cheng Palace, but this year——

Ling Ye took two steps back, looked at the height of the peach charms on several doors, saw that the left and right were consistent, and then nodded.He reached out his hand to stroke the gold ink on the red paper, and couldn't help but bend his eyes. These four "Fu" characters were written by him and Chu Heng that day, and they were specially pasted in Mingcheng Hall.

Ling Ye smiled slightly, rubbed Qingyan's head, and walked back into the hall.

This is the first year he and Chu Heng have spent together. Ling Ye moved the clan banquet that was supposed to be held on the first day of the new year to the noon of New Year's Eve. After the chores are done together, when Chu Heng comes back tomorrow after the Taiji Hall congratulations, they can close the door and spend the rest of the annual vacation comfortably by themselves.

I didn't think Chinese New Year was any fun before, but now I hope that there will be more days like this.

The clan banquet was arranged at noon, and it was close to Sizheng. Ling Ye was flipping through the scripture book, and by the way, he saw that Yan was playing with Nine Rings underneath. Suddenly, it was reported that Ling Qiran, the king of Shenjun, begged to see him. Ling Ye slightly raised his eyebrows and spoke. Order announced.

No one dared to step on the banquet in the palace, and Ling Qiran obediently entered the palace an hour before the banquet.He was walking in the direction of Linde Hall, but just after he turned the corner, he saw several clan cousins ​​walking ahead, talking and laughing.

Ling Qiran really didn't want to reminisce about the old days with them. He inherited the title of county king early because of his parents' early death, but in the mouths of his sons and cousins, it seemed like a "good thing", and they always liked to ridicule him intentionally or unintentionally. sentence.

He is just an idler with the title of a county king. He is not as capable as these royal cousins, and he can't chat with them. He thought about it, gritted his teeth, turned around, and ran away boldly Come to the Mingcheng Palace.

No matter how fierce your Majesty is, it is better than sitting on pins and needles with these cousins ​​and gossiping for an hour in Linde Hall.

Mingcheng Hall is the emperor's bedroom, and foreign ministers are not allowed to enter unless there are important matters to report.It wasn't until he saw the lacquered gold plaque that Ling Qiran suddenly thought of it, but the servant guarding the gate had already seen him, and it was too late to turn around.

He bit the bullet and entered, bowed his head and knelt on the ground to salute, and then greeted Qing Yan who was sitting on the blanket.

"Well, let's get up." Ling Ye flipped through the script and asked casually, "Why don't you go to Linde Hall and come to see me?"

Ling Qiran got up halfway, and knelt back when he heard the words. He didn't bring the experience of writing the national history, and he didn't have the courage to make up words, so he stumbled and said anxiously: "My brother... come to pay respects to the emperor."

Isn't there enough invitations for the clan banquet? Ling Qiran felt weak when he said this.

Ling Ye moved his eyes away from the notebook, glanced at him, and with a rough idea in his mind, he said softly, "Get up and sit down."

The waiter served sweet tea and snacks, and Ling Qiran was relieved to see the emperor continued to read the book.

The emperor is wearing a red brocade robe today, with dragons and phoenixes embroidered, and gold threads inlaid with silver luster. He seldom wore such bright colors before. There is a faint smile between his brows and eyes, which is noble but not forced. Man, unbelievably handsome.

He was startled when he saw it, no wonder the noble ladies of the aristocratic family wanted to be His Majesty's concubine, even a perfect person like Shen Dai's cousin blushed after seeing His Majesty.Cousin was the candidate chosen by the former emperor for His Majesty. In Ling Qiran's view, she was probably a talented woman, a natural match.

But that day at the eldest princess's birthday banquet, when he mentioned his cousin, His Majesty obviously didn't want to talk about it. He didn't announce his cousin until he drove off, and even the eldest princess didn't comment on it.

In recent days, in Marquis Wenxin's mansion, cousin Shen Yingbo, uncle and aunt have been thinking about this matter.

Ling Qiran thought wildly for a while, looked at the emperor, and wanted to ask His Majesty's opinion for his cousin, but he had been scolded last time, and now he dared not speak rashly again.

He sat idle for a while, seeing Qingyan scratching his head and fiddle with Jiu Lianhuan, he simply sat down on the blanket.

There were no disturbing things in Ming Cheng Palace, time passed quickly.

After Ling Ye finished flipping through the rest of the book, he took a look at Kelou, and it was already noon.Ling Qiran, a half-sized boy, and Qingyan, a milk dumpling, were having fun together. Seeing this, Ling Ye didn't know what to say about him. He shook his head and put down the book, saying, "Qiran, wait until the new year begins. , Shen Yingbai will stay in the imperial capital, how about you, are you planning to go back to Gyeongju?"

Ling Qiran heard the emperor's question and quickly put down Jiu Lianhuan.Most of the children of the royal family enjoy the salary of the town and do not govern the military affairs of this side. They can also stay in Beijing and join the court in the town.Ling Qiran's food town is very close to Yanhe City in Qingzhou. Although he has his own county prince's mansion, he has always lived in Yanhe Shen's grandfather's mansion. According to his own ideas, he naturally wants to go back.

Ling Qiran raised his head and glanced at the emperor quickly, but hesitated and didn't respond.

Ling Ye knew it in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face, he just said calmly: "If I don't think about it, then I will give you an idea."

Ling Qiran hurriedly said: "Brother Huang——"

"Huh?" Ling Ye looked at him sideways.

The latter immediately became hoarse, and did not dare to say anything, so he lowered his head.

Didn't Ling Ye know what he was thinking?A look stopped his words, sighed and frowned: "Look at your lack of ambition! Do you want to be protected by your mother's family all the time? Before the banquet, you knew that you would come to me to hide here, so why didn't you think about how to let others shut up?"

Ling Qiran lowered his eyebrows and kept his eyes shut, but didn't speak.

Ling Ye didn't want to reprimand him for the New Year's Eve, so he slowed down his tone, and only ordered: "Don't go back to Qingzhou, I will find something for you to do after the next year, you can't always let the Shen family protect you when you grow up. , you have to stand up by yourself."

Ling Qiran Nuonuo should be.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Ling Ye took Qing Yan and Prince Shen off to Linde Hall.The royal family members have all arrived, and the queen mother has already taken her seat. Seeing the emperor's arrival, they all greeted him with big gifts.

Clan banquets have always been arranged on New Year's Day. The emperor suddenly changed it to New Year's Eve this year. It's not that it's bad, but everyone is a little confused.

Today is different from the past. In the last New Year, when all the clansmen in the town returned to Beijing, the queen mother still had the final say on family affairs and state affairs, and the emperor only had the name of emperor for nothing.Now that three years have passed, the course has changed, and the empress dowager's son, Prince Jing, has to kneel down under the throne and kowtow to the emperor.

It's just that I don't know how long this scene of loving mother, filial son, brother and friend can last for three years.

King Jing glanced at the smiling emperor during the toast, and it could be seen that he, the emperor brother, was in a good mood at the moment, and he would not refuse the clansmen who came to toast, and it seemed to be the same at the grand banquet in the Zichen Palace yesterday.King Jing recalled what happened recently. From Qiannuo Tower to Lishan Mountain, he thought of the figure standing next to the prince when he worshiped the ancestors in the Taimiao, and couldn't help but squeeze the wine glass tightly.

Chu Heng, what kind of weight is he in Lishan Mountain?

……

After drinking for three rounds, Ling Ye took Qing Yan back to Ming Cheng Hall.After the clan banquet was over, the queen mother left King Jing and Princess Jing in the Cihe Palace. Near the evening, she announced that the concubines in King Jing's mansion, who had received the imperial family's jade certificate, would enter the palace.

Ling Ye was not surprised by this, King Jing lived in the city, and he could only return to Beijing for three years without edict or purpose. After a long wait, how could the Empress Dowager easily let go of this opportunity of mother and child reunion.

While listening to the report from the shadow guard, Ling Ye remembered some old things.

On New Year's Eve, it should be a family banquet in the whole palace. In the past, the queen mother was in power, and the "72 concubines in the Six Courts of the Three Palaces" was not the emperor, but King Qi and Yingying Yanyan from King Jing's mansion. On New Year's Eve, King Qi Jingwang Bringing family members to the banquet, the Queen Mother hosted the banquet, and he, the master of Jiuzhong Que, seemed to be accompanying him.After the banquet, a group of people lived in the palace to watch the year. If there were not hundreds of officials and censors watching, they would probably want to live in Jiuchong Que forever.

This was the queen mother's favorite thing in the past. When King Qi was gone, she would not mention the family banquet anymore, and instead closed the door for each festival.

Ling Ye was in a good mood today, so he didn't bother to argue with her, he turned a blind eye, and didn't bring her up with King Jing. According to her previous example, another Laoshizi family banquet would be held.

At the beginning of the Xu Dynasty, the Ji Zhongqing drum of Jiuchong Que sounded for the second time, and the dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner were all served, and the dumplings in the dining room of Ming Cheng Palace were also put into the pot.

After setting off the firecrackers together with the maids and servants, Qing Yan ran up to Ling Ye, knelt on the ground and kowtowed, and said in a childlike voice, "I wish my father and emperor a long live." Then he looked forward to outstretched his hand.

Ling Ye smiled lightly, rubbed the dumpling's head, grabbed some candy from the eight treasure box next to him, put it in the dumpling's hand, and handed him a purse.The dumpling took it happily, and sat on the blanket to count the candies and the New Year's money.

After appreciating the servants in the palace of Ming Cheng, the hot dumplings were brought up, Ling Ye called Qing Yan to wash his hands, and come over for the New Year's Eve dinner.

Presumably at this hour, Chu Heng had almost eaten dumplings in Zhongpinghou's mansion.

……

This year's New Year's flavor seems to be particularly strong. The sound of fireworks and firecrackers in the inner and outer cities of the imperial capital resounded one after another, resounding through the sky, and sweet soup and New Year's Eve wine were warmed on the red clay stove in Mingcheng Hall.

On New Year's Eve, the key is released at the end of the palace gate.At two o'clock in Xuzheng, Ling Qi, the leader of the emperor's shadow guard, stood on the tower, watching from afar the several cars of King Jing's mansion driving out of the palace from Jianfu Gate, before going back to Mingcheng Hall to report to the emperor.

Ling Ye knew that the Empress Dowager did not dare to make an inch and keep King Jing in the palace to watch the year, but Ling Qi was not at ease, and Ling Ye couldn't resist if he insisted on waiting for King Jing to leave before returning home.

After inspecting the big guard again, Ji Zhongqing's drum in Jiuchong Que was about to start ringing for the fourth time.Ling Ye grabbed the golden melon seeds and crispy candies and handed them to him as a lucky gift for the new year, and finally sent the commander who "must worry about every festive season" out of the palace.

Unexpectedly, within half an hour, Ling Qi turned back again.

When he heard the pass, Ling Ye was stunned for a moment. It was already Haishi, the palace gates were locked, and the leader of the Emperor's Shadow Guard had an imperial gold medal in his hand that could open all the palace gates in Zhongzhou. It's just that after so many years, Ling Ye The number of times it has been enabled can be counted on the fingers of the fingers.

Ling Ye's heart sank, he frowned, and walked out quickly, "What happened..."

His voice suddenly stopped——

Under the light of Rong Rong's lamp, Chu Heng stood in the courtyard covered in frost.