Since the winter of the 16th year of Yongshuang, on this day, the deafening sound of firecrackers has been heard across the Central Plains. Every house has broken red dust on the ground, women and children are cutting window paper, and men are hanging Spring Festival couplets.
Every house in the capital was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and thousands of red lanterns were hung high on the royal road in the imperial city. The scene was spectacular. When midnight comes today, the fifteen ancient bells outside the city will ring in unison, and can be heard in the three states of Gyeonggi. At that time, the city will be filled with fireworks, as described in the poem "Thousands of flowers bloom on an east wind night". Thousands of ministers in the imperial court, regardless of their rank, will walk along the royal road and enter the palace. His Majesty the Emperor will set up a grand ceremony During the banquet, the entire white jade square was lit up like daylight. There were three thousand singers, dancers, and more than a hundred pipa, konghou, dong, and xiao musicians from the Jiaofang Division. There were also more than a hundred chimes, chimes, pans, and other Huang Zhong Dalu players. There were also beauties who commented that the country was beautiful and fragrant. Women danced with swords, storytellers eloquently clapped their hands on the table, talented actors and actresses took the stage to perform "Four Dreams of Linchuan", the majestic sounds of nature could be heard in the three states, and thousands of people in the temple could see with their own eyes the beauty of the most beautiful woman in the world. . The event was so grand that it was even comparable to the nationwide turmoil that His Majesty the Emperor sent to the Queen a few decades ago.
After dinner early in the morning, Qingxue Taozhi and other maids began to sweep the dust, which means "saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new", sweeping away the bad luck of the new year, and wishing peace and prosperity every year.
Taozhi knelt down on the bed and rolled up the bead curtain. She probably thought it didn't look good, so she spread the curtain and rolled it up again. Several times in a row, her dexterous and delicate hands became more and more messy.
She laughed at herself, "It seems like there are thousands of traces of melancholy. It turns out that seeing things and missing people is the most hurtful thing."
The three maids, who were performing their respective duties in silence, almost simultaneously recalled that at this time last year, the man with hair that had not yet turned white was lying on the couch after a night of hangover, holding his face with one hand and narrowing his drunken eyes. The phoenix eyes softly recited poems, like a heavenly being who forgets his worries.
Is there any man in the world who likes to travel far away alone and never return home?
How can I like a woman who is too lazy to draw her eyebrows or put on makeup or wash herself?
But there happened to be a woman who suddenly saw the willows on the street and regretted teaching her husband to find a prince. There was a woman who had newly embroidered a ruffle and resented the pair of partridges embroidered with gold thread.
Although the maids looked down upon each other during the Chinese New Year in the past, Gui Liu took them out to play, and when they returned home in the evening, they had the New Year's Eve dinner, so the atmosphere was harmonious. But this year he is not here, and the three of them are living their own lives. Probably everyone will be thinking that it is only one year, but nothing will get better.
Jin Zhi was sweeping the dust in the courtyard, absent-mindedly, when she suddenly heard footsteps and looked up to see that the Queen was coming.
Qin Fang walked around and said with a smile: "Why didn't you set off firecrackers?"
Jin Zhi lowered his head and said softly: "Back to the empress, His Highness releases it himself every year. This year..."
She stopped talking. Yeah, who will let go this year? To whom?
"Silly boy." Qin Fang reached out to touch her cheek and said softly: "I just can't see you during the New Year. Once the new year is over, he will be back in three or four days. Look at you, you look like a sad person." My little daughter-in-law sweeps the floor absent-mindedly, so why bother? He won’t spend time with you this year, but mom will spend time with you. Come to mom’s place for dinner at noon, and take you out of the palace to play in the afternoon. "
Jin Zhi nodded and said with a smile: "Mom, you must tell His Highness when he comes back. It is a serious sin not to go home during the New Year."
Qin Fang smiled and shook her head, "You can't help your mother when you grow up. The child who tugged at my clothes every day like a follower has grown up. And you little maids have also become slim and graceful. All these years have passed in a blink of an eye. Mom is getting old too."
At that moment, Jin Zhi suddenly realized that the woman in front of her who had worked so hard to raise her had unknowingly had gray hair and wrinkles. She was no longer a great monk who could live for hundreds of years, she was just an ordinary woman. , soft and weak, without the strength to tie a chicken, they will also get old, sick and die.
Jin Zhi stared at Qin Fang, her eyes red unknowingly.
Qin Fang gently helped her wipe away the tears that overflowed from her eyes, and said softly: "Do you know why my mother came to this secular dynasty from the immortal family? Monks pursue the great road, meditate and have few desires, and sit in seclusion for dozens of spring, summer, autumn and winter. , they don’t know what fireworks are, what love between men and women is, what flesh and blood love is, and they are insensitive in their pursuit of the road. So what if they become immortals? Is there anything more boring in the world than being an immortal? If you only have one life, why not look at another one? Scenery? Mom is getting old slowly, watching you grow up slowly. If life is reincarnation as Buddhists say, and we have an afterlife, ending this life may not be a relief. When you killed Yao Tiao that day, you wanted to die. Mom was far away Facing the enemy thousands of miles away, I can only watch you lose twenty years of your life. At that moment, my mother’s heart ached so much. The reason why my mother told you this today is because you are not like Taozhi and Qingxue, Qingxue has a cold heart. Hot, Taozhi is just the opposite of her. On the contrary, you are the weakest and prone to random thoughts. Apart from Gui Qing, the one I worry about the most is you. From now on, I will be happy every day. If I keep putting on a bitter face every day, my mother will be upset. , mother will send you away and find you an old bachelor to marry."
Jin Zhi burst into tears and smiled.
After that, Qin Fang went to Qingxue first and asked her jokingly if she wanted to go to the City God's Temple. Qingxue's answer was quite straightforward, "My queen, don't bother." Although Qin Fang was used to her. His tone was cold, but he was still a little dissatisfied with her inappropriate choice of words. He flicked her eyebrows hard and asked, "What did you call me?"
So Qingxue had no choice but to slow down her tone and said, "Mother."
Qin Fang found Taozhi last.
The beautiful woman in a peach red dress was sitting on the bed. When she saw Qin Fang approaching, she turned away with suspicion of rudeness.
Qin Fang laughed and scolded her as "dead girl", knowing that she was playing a little tantrum.
Walking up to her, Qin Fang narrowed her eyes and said with a smile: "You are such a little maid, why don't you be polite when you see me? How could the prince train a maid like you? When the prince comes back from bathing and changing clothes later, I will be with him Let me tell you all your sins in front of you."
Taozhi blinked for a moment, but the light in his eyes quickly dimmed. She said in an almost confident tone: "When His Highness comes back, I will sue your Majesty."
Qin Fang still smiled and said: "His Royal Highness is taking a bath in the hot spring. He is missing someone to give him a brocade robe in the spring cold outside the curtain. As a personal maid, why don't you hurry up?"
Taozhi curled her lips, "It's not funny at all."
Qin Fang sat down next to her, kissed her on the cheek, and said with a smile: "Xiao Nizi is very jealous. Are you satisfied this time? Remember to come over for lunch at noon. Don't have any more tantrums during the Chinese New Year."
Taozhi hesitated and asked cautiously: "Your Majesty, he..."
"Yes, who will hang the Spring Festival couplets?" Qin Fang thought about it seriously.
"If Your Majesty is not here, let your slaves take care of it." Taozhi said softly.
"Not here?" Qin Fang was stunned and laughed, "How could he not be here? For a man who wants to save face, I won't talk about him kneeling in front of me and crying and apologizing."
Qin Fang smiled happily and said: "It's just one less person this year. It doesn't matter. After the reunion dinner at noon, I will take you out of the palace to walk around and see the flavor of the new year in the capital. You should also prepare for the dance at the banquet of the ministers." , many of the dancers in the first part of the workshop are very dissatisfied with your name."
After meeting the maids in the Prince's East Palace, Qin Fang naturally went to Gui Qing's place to take a look.
As a result, Gui Qing was not seen, only Hu Meizi, wearing a green skirt and fox fur, was admiring the snowman in the yard.
Yes, it's a snowman, but it wasn't there when Qin Fang came yesterday.
Qin Fang gently held her cold and red hands and said softly: "Are you homesick?"
Hu Meizi shook her head, "That's not my home."
Qin Fang said softly: "Even if you don't admit it, he gave birth to your mother after all, and now there is not much time. Anyway, let's go and see her after the year, so that he can die without regrets."
Hu Meizi nodded.
"Where's Guiqing? Why aren't you with me?"
Hu Meizi blinked her moist eyes but did not answer.
There's obviously something fishy.
Qin Fang pointed it out, "Are you going to see Qiuli?"
It turned out that after the battle of Fanke Mountain, six people from the twelve regions were mobilized to capture the defected Qiuli and lock him in the deepest part of the prison.
It is worth mentioning that Yao Tiao played an important role in this process.
Just as Hu Meizi was about to speak, a figure appeared at the end of her sight. Qin Fang smiled and said, "It looks like he's back."
When Guiqing approached, Qin Fang asked with a smile: "Didn't you kill her?"
"I sent some wine and food." Gui Qing said. Seeing the little snowman on the ground, she, who has always been cold-tempered, couldn't help but said: "It's so ugly."
Hu Meizi's eyes immediately filled with tears, she grabbed her arm and said tremblingly: "I did it."
"I know." After being silent for a while, Guiqing said softly: "I mean, compared to the snowman you built, the snowman he built is so ugly."
During the noon reunion dinner, a large table was filled with people.
Qin Fang made dumplings three days in advance, and the whole table was filled with beef stuffing, which Gei Qiguiliu and his son liked to eat, green pepper stuffing that Taozhi liked to eat, and celery stuffing that Qingxue and Jin Zhi liked to eat.
Platefuls of dumplings, crystal clear as jade, are like stars holding the moon in the copper hot pot. The boiling water is scalding and steaming white. Seeing this, Qin Fang started to put meat inside.
The place is not big, but it is full of families, and the feeling of the New Year is immediately felt. Taozhi and Hu Meizi had a good impression, and they both asked and answered questions. Taozhi became very playful and asked a series of tricky questions like a vixen. The silly answer made everyone present laugh.
Qin Fang gave each daughter some meat and told them not to be picky eaters. When it was Gui Qi's turn, she deliberately put a large piece of cooked vegetables in the hot pot and said with a smile: "Didn't Your Majesty say that eating meat is tasteless? Try the meat that I put for you."
Gui Qi smiled stiffly and said a few words.
Everyone drank, and Hu Meizi was so drunk that her face turned crimson and became even more charming. Jin Zhi didn't drink well either, and she felt a little dizzy. Apart from Gui Qi, only Qingxue did not cover her face with her sleeves when drinking. She seemed to be indescribably feminine, so Gui Qi smiled and said, "You are worthy of being the general of my armored pagoda!"
Gui Qing, who had the best capacity for drinking, was even more bold than the other men. She directly picked up the wine flask and drank from it.
Letting the drunken Hu Meizi lean on her shoulder, Gui Qing said, "If he doesn't come back, it will be a waste of time for Jiannan Shaochun."
Qin Fang smiled and said: "It saves me making extra dumplings. Making dumplings for three days in a row is really exhausting."
Hu Meizi was drunk and said charmingly: "Who is he? Don't even think of taking away my Qing'er."
Hearing this, Gui Qing's face suddenly turned cold.
Taozhi took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "It's good to have His Highness away from time to time. At least I can have a good sleep. Last year, after His Highness came back drunk from attending a banquet, he insisted on dragging me to the bank of the Yao River to enjoy chrysanthemums. It's such a cold winter. Chrysanthemums? I told him, but he still didn’t believe it, insisting that it was autumn now. I asked him why it was autumn, and he said because it was very hot. After saying this, His Highness thought about it for a long time, and finally changed his mind. Said it was summer.”
As soon as these words came out, both Leng Ruguiqing and Qingxue smiled. Guiqi laughed even more, "You also said that your father lost his temper after drinking. You stupid boy is even more outrageous than me."
Jin Zhi said calmly: "It's a good thing that Your Highness is not coming back. In the past, the slaves were urged to sew new clothes every day during the New Year. Last year, when I just put on new clothes, in the blink of an eye, a woman would stick to them and touch them. This year is good, out of sight, out of mind." .”
Taozhi smiled and said: "How can you call it random touching? His Highness's chest is as hard as a boulder, and his heart is pounding and powerful. Sister Jin Zhi has never felt it, right?"
Qin Fang smiled and said nothing, hoping to kill someone with one move.
Unconsciously, only Gui Qi and Qingxue remained silent.
Seeing that he was just immersed in eating meat, Qin Fang was a little angry and kicked him under the table.
Gui Qi gulped down the meat quickly, waved his chopsticks, and said with an aura like a thousand troops marching on him, "It's great that the brat doesn't come back. No one will compete with me to eat the meat!"
Finally, everyone quietly turned their attention to Qingxue.
I saw Qingxue put down the wine glass, thought for a moment, and said, "The days when His Highness is away are much cleaner."
She breathed out the breath of alcohol and couldn't help but said: "But I still want him to come back."
The wine table that was originally full of laughter and laughter became quiet, and everyone stopped talking.
Suddenly, Gui Qing clenched her fist fiercely, her eyes were red and her red lips were trembling.
Qin Fang and Gui Qi looked at each other, had their daughter ever been so rude?
Suddenly a voice drifted in leisurely from outside the door, "You are annoying me, how about I leave?"
A man stepped across the threshold, wearing a golden crown and white clothes, smiling with beautiful golden red phoenix eyes, looking like an immortal.
Traveling thousands of miles, from the beginning of winter in the fifteenth year of Yongshuang to the beginning of spring in the sixteenth year of Yongshuang, this is the end of my journey southward with a guilty conscience.
