"It's so cold. It's so cold today. It looks like the first snow in Tanglin will come in a few days!"
The Empress Dowager's Ciyun Palace is full of old people, who are particularly sensitive to changes in the weather. A heater has been installed at this time, and they gather together to enjoy the pleasant morning.
Then, a touch of holy white suddenly passed over their heads. Several people were startled. When they looked up, they heard an exclamation.
"Look, then, is that White Crane?"
I saw the graceful and smooth figure of the white crane with a red crown on its head and fluttering cloud wings, circling and soaring comfortably in the air. Under the sun, a pair of white wings seemed to have a faint halo, and everyone couldn't help but be entranced.
Then an extraordinary cry brought them back to their senses, "Quick, hurry up and tell the Queen Mother that the crane has come to Ciyun Palace. It's a good sign... Oh, why did the crane fly away?"
In an instant, the news about the flying crane in the palace spread like wildfire. Almost all the people in the palace were scrambling to find the mysterious crane. Whoever could catch it and present it to the Queen Mother would be rewarded with a fascinating reward!
"Look, there it is!"
I saw groups of palace people running around the elusive crane. Sometimes it got into the imperial garden, sometimes it soared and circled on the inner lake in the palace, sometimes it swooped down to catch fish in the lake, sometimes it stopped again. Preening one's feathers on duckweed.
At this time, the Queen Mother had been supported by the mothers and came to the lake, and she saw the crane from a distance.
Her eyes lit up and she heard waves of exclamations. The holy figure in the lake spread its wings and flew high again, heading in a certain direction.
"Hurry, it seems to be flying towards Zhaoqing Palace!" Someone shouted, and everyone quickly opened their legs and followed closely.
At this time, the originally closed door of Zhaoqing Palace had been faintly opened, and wisps of misty smoke spread from inside. Everyone only felt a strange fragrance hitting their faces, and soon the elegant courtyard appeared in front of them.
It's strange, the palace people don't feel this way when they pass by Zhaoqing Palace on weekdays.
Why do people now feel as if they have entered a fairy palace by mistake, surrounded by a fairy spirit?
"Look, the crane has gone to Concubine Chen's study!"
A white shadow passed by, and the pedestrians approached the study in great force. The palace people in Zhaoqing Palace knelt down in surprise, and with a voice, "The Queen Mother has arrived -"
Concubine Chen's eyes flashed in the study, and she quickly put down the brush in her hand and came out.
"I, my concubine, meet the Queen Mother."
The Queen Mother had no other thoughts at this time, she just looked around anxiously at the room filled with the aroma of books.
"Where's the crane? Did you see the crane fly in?"
Concubine Chen raised her head in confusion, "I have never seen this before."
did not see it?
How can this be!
With so many pairs of eyes, they all saw the crane flying in!
"Did you hide it?" The Queen Mother was already a little displeased. Her birthday was coming soon, and now the crane that symbolized longevity and auspiciousness flew in. It must be the blessing sent to her by God because of her piety!
"I don't dare!" Concubine Chen leaned down in fear, and then a palace servant pointed at the book case and said, "Look, Queen Mother, isn't that a crane?"
What?
Everyone looked over and saw a picture of a crane celebrating birthdays on the desk. Concubine Chen immediately stood up and carefully held the picture in front of the Queen Mother.
"This is my concubine's birthday gift to the Queen Mother. I have just put the last touch on it. The ink has not dried yet."
There are mountains that are misty in the clouds, layers of fog, and a crane flying high. The red crown on top of its head is exactly the same as the crane everyone saw just now!
"Queen Mother, look!" A sharp-eyed nun pointed at the wings of the crane in question. They were covered with pure white feathers and were trembling gently in the breeze.
"Could it be that the crane flew into the painting?"
Everyone found it incredible, but this was not the first time that an auspicious omen appeared in Dongling. Moreover, they saw Feihe coming to Zhaoqing Palace with their own eyes. If not he entered the painting, where could he go?
Soon, Emperor Dongling came after hearing the news. When he saw the Queen Mother holding the crane picture, he was fascinated. After hearing the reports from the palace people, he immediately smiled.
"Five cranes are coming from the northwest, flying in the sky. May I eat golden grass and live as long as the sky. The crane is in the painting! It must be the filial piety of my beloved concubine that moved the heaven. This crane has come to bring longevity to the Queen Mother!"
Emperor Dongling happily supported Concubine Chen. No one noticed that his hand gently placed on Concubine Chen's abdomen, his eyes filled with endless anticipation.
When everyone heard this, they all knelt down and shouted, "The Queen Mother may live a thousand years and live as long as the heavens!"
The Queen Mother was extremely satisfied, and the joy on her face could not be concealed. She looked at Concubine Chen with kind eyes for the first time, "Okay, Concubine Chen is interested. The Ai family will hang this painting in the palace. This is a tribute to the Ai family." I received the best birthday gift!”
Soon, the generous reward came, but a discordant sound came from outside Zhaoqing Palace.
"The black air pressure is high, this is an ominous sign!"
"Master, are you saying that this ominous sign is in Zhaoqing Palace?"
At this moment, Concubine Xue was blocking the entrance of Zhaoqing Palace with the shaman master who had just entered the palace, completely unaware that the Queen Mother was inside.
She only felt that there was something strange in the palace today. She had just come all the way and didn't see many palace people. But in the blink of an eye, a dark group of people poured out of Zhaoqing Palace.
Everyone looked at them with strange eyes. Concubine Xue didn't know why, but she just hinted at the master beside her with her eyes.
"The Queen Mother's destiny is Jiamu, and Metal overcomes Wood. Any Gengjin girl in Zhaoqing Palace is not allowed to stay in the palace, otherwise it will ruin the Queen Mother's birthday and be very detrimental to the Queen Mother!"
These words reached everyone's ears clearly, and a majestic voice immediately sounded, "Geng Jin?"
Concubine Xue saw Emperor Dongling coming slowly with Concubine Chen, and the Queen Mother was among them. She was confused and didn't think much about it, so she respectfully stepped forward to greet him.
"Your Majesty, the master shaman was watching the stars last night and found that there was a disaster star moving in the palace. It is the Queen Mother's birthday. I am worried about it, so I can only ask the master to come to the palace to resolve it."
"The disaster star is moving. Is this really true?"
The Queen Mother frowned and her tone was a bit calm. If it had been before, her expression would have changed a long time ago.
"The Empress Dowager, I would rather believe that there is something there than that that there is nothing! Why don't we let all the people in Zhaoqing Palace whose horoscope is Gengjin leave the palace for a while." A nun caught Concubine Xue's look and said immediately advised.
"I remember, Concubine Chen was also ordered by Geng Jin..." The young father-in-law who had tipped off the news mentioned it gently.
The surroundings suddenly became quiet, and Concubine Chen clearly felt Concubine Xue's proud gaze looking over her.
Her heart moved and she couldn't help but clenched her hands in her sleeves. The scene of the Queen Mother being disgusted and leaving her in the cold wind appeared in front of her eyes again.
But this time...
"Concubine Chen? It's okay to just let her stay in the palace. The Ai family is protected by cranes." The Queen Mother actually just responded lightly, and Emperor Dongling gave Concubine Xue a meaningful look.
"The Queen Mother is right. Except for Concubine Chen, all other Geng Jin girls will leave the palace for a while!"
