It has been three months since I realized it. www. It is approaching the New Year, and the palace is becoming more and more festive. More and more monks recite scriptures and praying for blessings day and night in Tongming Hall. On the 25th day of the 12th lunar month, the year-round rewards have been given. Although they are noble people who have been sick for a long time and have no favors, there are still many rewards. With the gifts from Lingrong and Chunchang in Meizhuang, you can have a rich New Year. Although Tangli Palace is deserted, Jinxi and the others are mostly smiling. They are busy cleaning the room, hanging the five blessings and auspicious lamps, and posting the word "Fu".

The heavy snow had fallen for two days, and the chill became stronger and stronger. I stood under the window with a hand warmer, watching the heavy snow falling all over the sky, and the silver covered in the ground all day. Jing Qing walked over and said to me with a smile, "What are you thinking so much? There is a wind leaking under the window, so you can get a headache."

I smiled and said, "I thought that everything is good in our palace, but there were a few plum blossoms and pine and cypress trees missing. In winter, the yard was bare, and there were no flowers or trees, so I could only look at the snow."

Jingqing said: "In the past, when beauties lived, they didn't like flowers and plants the most. They thought flowers were more delicate than people. They especially didn't like plum blossoms. They said that they would bloom in winter, but people were so cold that their hands and feet tightened and their noses were red, making them look even more beautiful than those flowers. They also thought the pine and cypress smell was bad, so they pulled out the original planted ones."

I smiled: "Miss Shi is so interesting!"

Jinxi walked over and glared at Jingqing, saying, "I can't control my mouth anymore! Remember that slaves can't talk about their master behind their backs."

Jingqing stuck out his tongue slightly: "I only talk in this palace and never talk to the outside."

Jinxi said seriously: "If you are used to talking in your palace, you will talk nonsense and cause trouble for the little master for nothing."

I smiled and smoothed out: "During the New Year, don't say she is too heavy." I also told Jingqing: "I have to have a good memory in the future, don't forget what my aunt taught you."

Jinxi walked up to me and said, "The noble man thought the scenery was not good when he saw it, so why not let me cut some window flowers and stick them on it."

I was very excited: "I will do this too. We cut and pasted it together, and I will be more happy to see."

Jinxi responded happily, and soon came with a stack of colored paper and a stack of gold and silver foil. The women in the palace like to pass the time with no time and had nothing to do for a long time, and the palace maids and internal supervisors were also very good at this. Therefore, when they heard that I wanted to cut window flowers, they all gathered together under the warm bed.

After two hours, a bunch of colorful window flowers were added on the table: "Magpie climbs to the plum blossom", "Two dragons play with pearls", "Peacock spreads its tail", "God of the Heavenly Girl Spreads Flowers", "Good and Blessings", "Mixed Two Immortals", "Five Blessings Come to the Gate", and other patterns of plants such as "Lotus, Orchids, Bamboo, Chrysanthemum, Narcissus, Peony, and Three Friends of the Cold Year".

I looked around and praised: "Jinxi's is indeed well-cut, worthy of being an aunt." Jinxi's face turned slightly red and she said modestly: "How can I compare to the noble 'Harmony Immortals', it's simply lifelike."

I smiled and said, "There are no 'harmonious and harmonious immortals' in the world. I just want to cut it casually. It would be a good skill to cut it out exactly the same person."

As soon as he finished speaking, Peier shouted, "Xiao Yunzi can cut a real persona."

Xiao Yunzi immediately turned around and stared at her hard: "Don't talk nonsense in front of the little master, how could this happen?"

Pei'er was dissatisfied: "I just saw Xiao Yunzi cut the little master's portrait with her own eyes, and her sleeves were in her sleeves?"

Xiao Yunzi's face turned red and she whispered: "I dare not be disrespectful to the little master."

I laughed and said, "What's that? I never care about these subtle details. Just take it out and read it."

Xiao Yunzi handed it to me with a embarrassed look on her face. I looked at it and smiled slightly: "It's really exquisite! Xiao Yunzi, you have such a pair of skilled hands."

Xiao Yunzi said, "Thank you for your praise. It's just that the servants are clumsy and cannot cut off the beauty of the noble man."

I smiled and said, "I know how to make me happy when I open my mouth. I have cut me too well and I like it very much."

Liu Zhu asked with a smile: "He is just a clever guy. Why do you think about cutting a noble person's small portrait?"

Xiao Yunzi said seriously: "Since the young master asked Doctor Wen to save his brother's life, both the slave and the brother were grateful to the little master's great kindness, so he specially cut the little master's small statue and went back to offer it, and saluted him day and night."

I said seriously: "I appreciate the feelings between you and your brother. It's just that this is not in accordance with the rules, and it's not good to spread it. It's better to post it in my palace."

Jinxi stood up and smiled and said, "There is a custom in the palace to hang your beloved small objects on the branches on New Year's Eve to seek all the best in the coming year. Since the little master likes this statue cut by Xiao Yunzi, it is better to hang it on the branches to pray for blessings, and he also appreciates Xiao Yunzi's great face."

I smiled and said, "This idea is very good." I asked Huanbi to take the lottery to admire Jinxi and Xiao Yunzi.

In the lively moment, someone raised the curtain and came in to pay tribute. It was Baojuan, the palace maid beside Lingrong, who brought two basins of daffodils in and said, "The young master of the Selection Officer planted a few basins of daffodils with his own hands. It blooms today. Let me give it to Gu Ren Wan for fun."

I smiled and said, "It's a coincidence that we just cut the window flowers of the daffodil today. Your little master sent you to send the daffodil. Does the little master Hui have it?"

Baojuan replied: "I have already sent Juqing two pots, and Chunchang has also sent one pot."

I nodded: "Go back and tell you that I like it very much. Then bring the window flowers I cut to you to play with. It's snowing outside, so leave warm and leave before leaving, don't freeze." Baojuan agreed.

New Year's Eve arrived soon. Meizhuang Lingrong and Chunchang were invited to attend the inner court family banquet hosted by the emperor and the queen as usual, so naturally they could not come to see me. I was sick and the queen allowed me to stay in the palace for rest, so I didn't have to go to the banquet. After eating the "New Year's Eve dinner" alone, they stayed with the people below. Pin'er boiled hot water and said with a smile: "My master, the snow outside has stopped, and there are still stars in the sky. It seems that it will clear tomorrow."

"Is that?" I laughed happily, "This is a beautiful view that I have to enjoy!"

Jinxi said happily: "The noble man can hang the small statue on the branches in the yard to pray for blessings."

I said, "What are the dry branches in the yard that are good to hang? Why not see where the plum blossoms are blooming and hang the small image on it."

Xiao Yunzi replied: "The plum blossoms on the southwest corner of Shanglin Garden are very good, and they are also close to our palace courtyard."

I asked, "Is it Bai Mei?"

Xiao Yunzi said: "It's wintersweet, it's very fragrant."

I frowned slightly: "The color of wintersweet is not good, and the fragrance is so strong, like wine. Is there anything else?"

Xiao Yunzibi painted and said, "There are jade-like plum blossoms in the southeast corner of Shanglin Garden, and red flowers bloom like red clouds, making people stunned. It's just a distance away."

On the snowy night, the bright moon reflects the clusters of white plums, and the faint fragrance floats. What a beautiful scenery. I yearn for it. I stood up and put on a silver-white background and emerald brocade cloak, and walked on the hood and said, "Then I'll go there and take a look."

Xiao Yunzi's face turned pale because of anxiety. He immediately knelt down and slapped himself twice and persuaded: "It's all because of the slave. The little master's body is not big and can't feel cold. Besides, Concubine Hua recently told him that the little master should not go out when he is infected. If it is spread to Concubine Hua's ears, it would be a big crime."

I smiled and said, "What are you doing? It's late at night and the concubines are all serving the banquet. I wear this dress specially, which is warm and not conspicuous in the snow. Besides, I have been sick for so long, and going out to relax is beneficial or harmless." Xiao Yunzi wanted to persuade me again. I took two steps outside the door in three steps, and looked back and smiled, "I'm going alone, no one is allowed to follow me. If anyone dares to stop him again, I will punish him to stay in the snow for one night."

After walking out of the Tangli Palace gate, Jinxi and Liuzhu hurriedly chased after him and knocked on An: "I dare not persuade the nobles in depth. I just ask the nobles to take the lights to prevent the snow from going on."

I reached out to take it, but it was a small lantern with horns, light and bright, and not afraid of the wind and snow. So I smiled and said, "You should be careful."

Liu Zhu put a small hand stove in my arms again: "Miss to keep warm."

I smiled and said, "You are so burdened, why don't you move the bed here too?"

Liu Zhu blushed slightly, but his mouth was hard: "Miss is more and more fond of me now. If she continues like this, Liu Zhu will cry."

I smiled and said, "You will talk nonsense. You will become more and more indulgent to the point of not knowing the rules."

Liu Zhu also laughed: "I am not thinking about any rules, what I am thinking about is the safety of the lady." Jinxi also laughed.

I said, "Take it back. I'll come when I go, but I can't freeze me." After that, he turned around and left.

The snow in Chang Street and Yongxiang in the palace has been cleaned up by the palace people, but the road is a little slippery, so you must be careful when walking. It is late at night, and the concubines are all having a banquet with the emperor and empress in the main hall, and the palace maids and internal supervisors in each palace are also guarding their own palaces and are afraid of the cold. Occasionally, the Yulin guards and internal supervisors who are patrolling the night are less energetic than usual and are very easy to avoid. The road to Yimei Garden is a bit far away, but fortunately the night wind is not strong, and although the cold is so strong that they can stand it. It has been around for about half an hour.

Before entering the garden, I could smell a fragrance from afar, lingering around, as if there were nothing, and it only brought people closer. The closer it was, the more refreshing it became. No one had swept away the snow in the plum garden. It had just stopped the snow and was not frozen tightly. The embroidered warm boots in the lambskin made a slight creaking sound when they stepped on the snow. The garden was silent, and I could only hear the sound of me walking on the snow. The red plums in the garden were blooming in a rich and unrestrained manner, like clouds and clouds under the clear starlight flowing down like mercury, red as if they were about to burn. There was still a little white snow on the petals, crystal clear, reflecting the topaz like stamens, and the flowers like rubies complemented each other, adding to the pride of beauty. I don’t know if it was snow that set off the plum or the plum that held the snow. It was really a fairy realm of "sparse shadows slanted across the water, and the faint fragrance floated on the moon at dusk."

I couldn't help but walk two steps closer. The clear plum fragrance seemed to turn the bone marrow into a pure and pure piece. I loved it very much. I picked a plum branch with the most blooming flowers and hung it on it. I didn't care about the snow and ice on the ground and put down the wind lamp and knelt down sincerely, and prayed silently in my heart:

Zhen Huan wishes her parents good health and her brother and sister peace;

Two wishes to be able to live a peaceful life in the palace for a lifetime; when I think of this, I feel sad and want to avoid getting involved in the right and wrong in the palace to protect myself. I have to continue to be sick in this life, bury this body in this deep palace, and become a white-headed palace maid, not even talking about the past of Xuanzong.

This third wish is to "want to be one-hearted and never leave each other" and is even more delusional and unstoppable. Thinking of this, no matter how long I have understood that this body is about to be buried in the palace and no longer see the light of the sky, I can't help but feel sad and unable to say anything. I sighed and said, "It's like resolving the mind against the wind, and it's easy to destroy it." 2

As soon as I finished speaking, a low-melt male voice suddenly rang out after the flower tree from afar: "Who is there?" I was shocked. There was someone else in the garden! And it was a man! I immediately fell silent, "huh" and blew out the wind lights, flashing behind a plum tree. The man stopped and asked, "Who is it?"

Everything around was quiet, and only the wind was blowing down the snow on the branches, and no one responded for a while. I wrapped my body tightly with feather satin. The starlight was faint, the snow was white, and the shadows of flowers and trees were mixed together, like the chaotic shadows of countless coral branches. It was not easy to find me. I held my breath, slowly stepped down and walked out, flashing, for fear that the snow would make a sound.

However, the man's footsteps gradually approached, and the stone-blue blue dragon-shaped boots were vaguely visible. They stopped through several clumps of plum trees and then silenced. His tone was quite stern: "If you don't make a sound, I'll let someone turn the entire Yimei Garden over."

I stood still, curled up with my hands, and felt my whole body freezing a little frozen. Through the shadow of the flower, I saw a silver-gray horn of the horns not far from me. The dense dragon patterns on it were vaguely visible, and I was even more shocked. I suddenly turned around and saw a green palace maid's clothing flashing behind the small door of the garden. I had an idea and said, "I am a palace maid from the plum garden. I came out to pray for blessings. I don't want to disturb the emperor. Please forgive me."

The man asked again, "Have you studied? What's your name?" I couldn't help but feel panic in my heart, and calmed down and said, "I'm afraid that the servant will be awesome to the Lord."

He heard him take a few steps closer and said anxiously: "Don't come over - my shoes and socks are wet, I'm changing." The man stopped and could not hear him speak for a long time. After a moment, he heard his footsteps and gradually looked elsewhere and there was no movement. Then he came back to his senses. His heart was beating wildly as if he was about to jump out of his mouth. He quickly picked up the wind lamp and ran out in a hurry, as if someone was chasing him after him, and ran back to Tangli Palace on the broken ice all the way through the long Yongxiang.

When Jinxi and Huanbi saw me coming in unconsciously, they ran away so that their bead hairpins were loose and their hair was messy. They couldn't help but look at each other in shock and asked repeatedly: "What's wrong with the little master?"

Huanbi poured tea quickly with quick eyes and hands. I drank it in one sip before I took a breath and said, "There are two cats nesting beside the snow stack in Yongxiang. I don't know who raised them. They rushed onto me at once. It was really scary!"

Liu Zhu smiled and said, "Miss has been afraid of cats since she was a child. She saw two of them all at once, so she would be frightened." He then called out, "Peer, boil a dose of thick ginger soup to relieve the wind and suppress the fear of the noble people." Peier responded repeatedly.

Jinxi said: "The female family in the palace has always loved to raise cats. Those cats are wild. You should be careful when you have precious bodies." He asked again: "Can you make a wish?"

I nodded: "I promised three. I wonder if the gods and Buddhas in the sky blame me for being greedy?"

Jin Xi gave a big gift with a straight face and said with a smile: "Congratulations to the little master, as the saying goes, 'Cats bring good luck'. After making a wish, the little master bumped into two cats. It's not a good omen that his wish will definitely be fulfilled."

I smiled slightly: "What's wrong with you is good. If you really can do these wishes, what's wrong with being scared by it?" As he said that, Jingqing took the water, put my bun on me again, changed my clothes and sat down to make a horse hanging.

I felt a little bit nervous, and I couldn't help but feel suspicious. Today, the night banquet in the harem did not invite foreign ministers and relatives. No other man could enter and exit the harem except the emperor. The pair of stone-blue blue dragon-shaped boots suddenly appeared in my mind...the corners of silver-gray ball-shaped dragon-shaped clothes. I was shocked suddenly. The ball-shaped dragon-shaped pattern was the pattern used for use, and the prince should not use it at any time. Could it be the person in the plum garden? Fortunately, I escaped quickly, otherwise this trick since I entered the palace would have been in vain. Jinxi and Xiao Yunzi observed the words and expressions, and saw that I was a little lazy, so they deliberately lost several times to make me happy. I pushed and said that I was a little unhappy, so I went back to the room first. Jinxi followed me in and took off my makeup.

I asked casually: "Today's night banquet in the harem, has the emperor and the queen invited someone else?"

Jinxi said: "According to the convention, several princes will come." I said softly, "Oh".

The prince mentioned by Jinxi is the eldest prince of the late emperor, the eldest prince of Qishan, the third prince Xuanji, the king of Runan, the sixth prince Xuanqing, the king of Qinghe, and the ninth prince Xuanfen. The seventh prince and the two daughters of the late emperor, the second prince, the fifth prince, the seventh prince and the eighth prince died early.

Emperor Xuanling ranked fourth, and was both born by the current empress dowager, as well as the second emperor, Princess Zhenning.

The King of Qishan, Xuan Xun, was born by Concubine Yi, now the current Concubine Qinren. Although he is the eldest son, he has a cowardly personality and is mediocre, and only wants to be a prince who enjoys glory.

The King of Xiangcheng Xuan Ji was born by Mrs. Yu'e. Mrs. Yu'e was the young girl of the Marquis of Boling. In the tenth year of Longqing, Mrs. Yu'e was deeply implicated and died of depression. Xuan Ji was born with extraordinary arm strength, brave and good at fighting, but his personality was introverted and was not favored by the Emperor. It was not until the Emperor died that he was awarded the title of King Xiangcheng. Now he has fought south and north, and has made many military achievements, which is highly valued by Xuan Ling.

The King of Qinghe, Xuanqing, was smart and wise. Because of his mother, Concubine Shu, he was loved by the emperor since childhood. He made him the crown prince several times. However, because Concubine Shu's background was really criticized by the world, and all the ministers opposed it, so he had to leave it alone. After the death of the late emperor, Concubine Shu asked to become a monk. Xuanqing was raised by Concubine Lin, who had always been friends with Concubine Shu, who was the current empress dowager. He was like the same mother as Xuanling, and had a deep relationship. Xuanqing was idle and wild crane, and was proficient in six arts, but he did not love politics. He was accompanied by poetry and books all day long, and he was accompanied by instruments and music. The sound of flutes was even more unique in the capital, and he was known as the "Prince Zizai".

Pingyang King Xuanfen is the youngest son of the late emperor, and now he is only thirteen years old. His biological mother, Enpin, was a humble man and was once a palace maid in needlework in the embroidery courtyard. Although the late emperor passed away, he was granted the title of Concubine Shunchen, King Pingyang was raised by the fifth prince's mother Zhuang and Concubine since childhood.

I listened silently, and my heart was always as restless as if something was missing, so I had to sleep first. Everyone also scattered. I slept in a daze until midnight. I suddenly sat up in shock, and the airflow brought by my body suddenly stirred up the brocade tent. I thought of something that made me uneasy - the little statue!

Notes:

1 From "The white-headed palace maid is here, sitting idle talking to Xuanzong". It describes the miserable years of the women in the palace.

2 From "Plum Blossoms" by Cui Daorong of the Tang Dynasty
Chapter completed!