Little Cardamom

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Shangyuan.

This year's Shangyuan was different from the past. A concubine proposed to hold a banquet by the Jinming Pool and invite the royal family members to enjoy the lantern night tour. Emperor Chengkang thought this idea was very good, and discussed it with Empress Zhang early on to make arrangements.

Jiang Xu previously postponed the New Year's Eve palace banquet and the Lantern Festival, and Emperor Chengkang forbade him to postpone it no matter what he said.

Ming Tan originally thought about going on a night tour with her husband at Nanyuhe Street, but this is a good time, it's all in vain.

Thinking of entering the palace and having to deal with the group of concubines who are not safe, she had a severe headache.

This time, the night tour of Jinming Lake was organized by Lan, Concubine Shu and Concubine Rou, who had recently regained her favor. After all, there were many things during the New Year's Eve, and Empress Zhang couldn't take care of these things in the palace alone.

Lan Shu's second concubine Ming Tan is already very familiar with her, but this soft concubine, Ming Tan has entered the palace several times, but she has no impression of her at all.

At the banquet, Ming Tan asked Jiang Xu in a low voice: "Husband, what is the origin of this soft concubine?"

"..."

"This king is not a servant."

"..."

That's right, my husband is planning to regain Rongzhou, so I don't have the time to pay attention to the fact that the concubines in the harem are no longer favored.

Sitting next is the Yujun Wang and his wife, who are well-known childhood sweethearts and young couples in Beijing. Ming Tan and Princess Yujun often enter the palace together, and they often chat.

At this moment, the soft concubine on the opposite side was toasting the emperor and the empress, the concubine of Yujun leaned slightly, and chatted with Ming Tan: "Sister Tan, do you know who this concubine Rou is from?"

Ming Tan shook his head slightly.

Princess Yujun said mysteriously again: "Concubine Rou used to belong to Concubine Yu. After Concubine Yu was imprisoned in the cold palace, she also fell out of favor. My sister also knows what is going on in the palace. A concubine who has no favor and no family background, the days It won't be easy, so in the past two years, Concubine Rou didn't even have the chance to show her face in front of people, and the emperor had already forgotten about her."

Ming Tan gave a questioning look.

Princess Yujun wanted to say more, but King Yujun tugged at the hem of her clothes, signaling her to be more honest.

She pulled back the corner of her clothes from his hand in dissatisfaction, and continued to gossip with Ming Tan: "I heard that she was able to regain favor this time, thanks to the support of Concubine Shu. Isn't Concubine Shu pregnant? It is human nature to want help." It's normal. Concubine Rou's status is not low, and she was drugged long ago under Concubine Yu Guifei, making her unable to have children..."

Princess Yujun held Ming Tan and chattered non-stop. King Yujun had a headache, but he couldn't do anything about her, so he looked at Jiang Xu rather ashamedly.

Jiang Xu didn't think there was anything wrong, picked up the wine that the maid had just poured for Ming Tan, and drank it all in one gulp.

Today is a family banquet, and all the royal family members are here, the rules are looser than usual, and during the meal, there are many low-ranking concubines who are usually unattractive and show their best.

I have to admit that women who can enter the palace still have a few brushes, and they are very good-looking in performing dances and music.

Ming Tan admired it carefully, and whispered to Jiang Xu: "Just now this beauty's music is very nice. Although it is a little worse than mine, this tune is a bit fresh."

"..."

The phrase "a little bit worse than me" is very spiritual.

Jiang Xu glanced at her, noncommittal: "If you want to learn new songs, I'll ask someone to find some scores for you."

"That's no need, I can compose myself." She also emphasized her creative talent by the way.

Jiang Xu: "..."

The bright moon is rising, dancing and music are in full swing, everyone is drinking, talking and laughing, and having a good time.

Empress Zhang said with a gentle smile at the beginning: "Today's banquet was well organized. There are Concubine Lao Shu, Concubine Lan and Sister Rou Concubine."

The three hurriedly got up to give blessings.

Concubine Shu smiled and said modestly: "It is the hardest work for the empress to manage the six palaces. It is the blessing of the concubine and the two younger sisters to share the worries for the empress. Besides, the concubine is pregnant, so it is not cheap. But it’s nothing more than false pretense, and it’s Sister Lan Concubine and Sister Rou Concubine who are serious about it.”

Concubine Lan, as always, said in a calm voice, "The concubine didn't do anything—"

Before she could finish speaking, Concubine Rou took the conversation again with a smile: "Sister Lan Concubine is too modest, how can I know anything, Concubine Shu is pregnant and it is not easy to disturb, Sister Lan Concubine who usually makes up her mind, My sister will not delay this credit."

Ming Tan didn't pay much attention to what they were talking about, and just casually looked at Concubine Shu's stomach for a while.

Concubine Shu seems to be pregnant for more than three months, her winter clothes are thick, and there are no signs of showing signs of pregnancy. She is no better than the noble lady below. It is filled with four big characters of "mother depends on child".

Ming Tan was a little curious, taking advantage of no one's attention, he asked Princess Yujun again: "I heard that Concubine Shu was an old man when she was hiding in the mansion?"

"Well, that's right," Princess Yujun is young, but she knows a lot of things. If you throw her a topic, she can talk a lot without pausing, "Ms. The status is not high, but Shengzai has been with her for more than ten years. Although she has no children, the Holy One still made her the fourth concubine, and also entrusted her to raise the fourth princess, the daughter of Wang Meiren who died prematurely due to dystocia. It can be regarded as a very honorable pet, and now she is pregnant... I think it is only one step away from the position of imperial concubine."

In addition to the crown princess, the prince of this dynasty can also have two Liangdi, two Liangyuan, and four selected attendants. Concubine Shu was just a good lady when she was in the residence, and her status was indeed not high.

However, being a fourth concubine as an old man in Qiandi is not considered a kind of honor and favor. Concubine Lan still has no children, and the fourth concubine just sits and sits. After all, it is just Jane in the heart of the emperor.

But what Ming Tan is even more curious about is that Concubine Shu should be nearly 30 years old now, how did she suddenly get pregnant when she has been with her for more than ten years without having children?

After the banquet, the moon is empty. The crowd got up together with Empress Chengkang and went out for a night tour along the Jinming Pool with lanterns.

Earlier in the hall, the concubine Rou suggested that it would be better to have something fresh for a night tour. The Holy One and the Empress led the male and female members of the clan to swim around the Jinming Pond separately. Along the way, there was a lantern riddle for ten steps. many.

This proposal was a bit interesting, Cheng Kangdi agreed without thinking too much.

So after leaving the palace where the banquet was held, men and women parted ways.

I have to say that the people who organized this night tour spent a lot of thought. The lanterns along the ten steps along the way are all ingenious, so beautiful that people can't take their eyes off them. There are dazzling blooms on the street, and there are hot tea and snacks not far away. You can sit down and take a rest when you are tired. Lantern riddles are also ingenious. Machine included.

There are many concubines among the concubines who are outstanding in poetry. Even if it is difficult to guess the words and poems, someone will always solve it after staying for a long time, but those who can solve it are very rare.

The machine lantern is very exquisitely made, not as good as the candles lit in other lanterns, it has a luminous pearl inside, and the light reflected on the lamp surface is very soft, and the answer of this lamp is to take out the luminous pearl inside .

Several concubines went up to try it, but they still couldn't untie it. The young princess was curious and fiddled with it for a while, but in the end she pouted and backed away.

Ming Tan was walking with Princess Yu Jun, and he didn't want to show any limelight on this occasion. However, there will always be people who can't forget her.

With a big belly, Mrs. Jia taunted the concubines who tried before without distinction, and did not forget to give Lan Fei hatred: "If you want to talk about talent, we still have to count Sister Lan in the palace, but it's a pity that Sister Lan It is the person who wrote the question, and it is difficult to understand the mechanism. The younger sisters entered the palace not long ago, thinking that they have outstanding intelligence if they have read a few miscellaneous books outside the palace. Learn more from Sister Lanfei."

Lan Fei has always been too lazy to argue with her. Among those concubines, there were some nobles like her, but she had a big belly, and no one wanted to argue with her, so no one refuted her, they just pinched their noses and let her sneer.

Originally, Mrs. Jia said a few words about this lantern riddle and it was over. Hurry up and solve it to be serious, but Concubine Rou then smiled and said: "No one in our palace can solve it, but princesses, princesses and county lords can solve it." The Lord...hasn't stepped forward to look at it yet."

She looked at Ming Tan, saluted lightly, and said in a soft and respectful voice: "I heard from the emperor earlier that Princess Dingbei is extremely intelligent and very good at tricks. Even Master Yunyan's tricks can be solved. Want to give it a try?"

Ming Tan: "..."

When she returned to Beijing, she prepared souvenirs for the acquaintances, and the palace also prepared a copy, but she thought that there was no shortage of anything in the palace, except for some special souvenirs. The caged bird machine was also given away.

Emperor Chengkang admired Master Yunyan's works very much. After he got the prize, he asked Jiang Xu specifically. It was a surprise.

Ming Tan wanted to evade, but nobleman Jia Jia chuckled at the right time: "Princess Dingbei? I only heard that Princess Dingbei likes to eat lychees. When did she become good at explaining things again?"

Ming Tan: "..."

She could bear it without mentioning lychees, but she dared to be so presumptuous in front of her, and this nobleman's status really didn't have a long memory.

Ming Tan glanced at her, and then said nonchalantly: "Mr. Jia has been confined for a long time, so the news is naturally not well-informed."

Hearing the foot restraint, Mrs. Jiagui's expression changed, and she wanted to say something more, but Queen Zhang frowned slightly: "If Mrs. Jiagui is tired, you can go back and rest first."

Mrs. Jia shut up.

Ears were cleansed, Ming Tan stepped forward slowly, and looked at the machine including the lamp.

The cover light of this machine is a bit heavy, she held it in her hand and tried to rotate the bottom, listening carefully to the sound inside.

Click, click... the sound is very regular, and it will be empty every three times.

She turned around twice, and finally confirmed that there should be a groove structure inside. Every time she reached the groove, she could push it up half an inch.

Mrs. Jia, who hadn't shut up for half a moment, felt that she was playing tricks, and couldn't help whispering: "I see that the princess is very embarrassed, and it's a waste of time. Why don't you solve a few other lantern riddles and figure out what the emperor and the others are going to do?" It’s coming too, we’ve only solved so much, don’t lose too badly later.”

No one spoke.

Empress Zhang watched Ming Tan solve the machine intently, but ignored her.

While she felt that it was boring to stay here and no one would talk to her, she wanted to wait to see Mingtan's jokes, and said to herself: "I don't know how long it will take, the dragon fetus in the concubine's stomach can't stand for a long time, even In this case, the concubine should go to the side to rest..."

Before she finished speaking, there was a "click", and the bracket light turned on.

A small door protruded from the side of the lamp automatically, and the huge night pearl was held in the center by the six-claw lamp, shining brightly and shiningly.

Ming Tan's heart relaxed, he couldn't help but bend his lips, and stretched out his hand to take it.

But when her hand touched Ye Mingzhu, she suddenly realized something was wrong——

This night pearl is actually hot.