Chapter 1871 Saying farewell to the old and welcoming the new
Chapter 1872 Saying farewell to the old and welcoming the new
He Yuzhu sent the New Year's Eve tray from Qianqing Palace to the west chamber.
Shu Shu and Mrs. Bo looked at each other in confusion.
It's really decent to give her just one portion, but it's not very affordable.
The Shou Sui Plate has two layers in total, both of which are nine-child platters. One layer is filled with candied fruits of various colors, and the other layer is filled with soft pastries of various colors. It is different from the usual combination of hard dough pastries, dried fruits, and fresh fruits.
When He Yuzhu went out and the couple were left alone, the uncle said: "It's not a standard New Year's Eve plate. It should have been specially ordered. It's really decent."
Shu Shu didn't say anything, just picked up a dried apricot and ate it.
Sweet and sour, mouth-watering.
Forget it, if you receive other things from the Qianqing Palace, they will only be registered and stored in the warehouse, and they will be kept separately when the time comes.
Shu Shu looked around in the platter, picked out a honey cherry, brought it to Mrs. Uncle's mouth, and said, "Try this, I heard it's a recipe passed down from the previous dynasty..."
The imperial dining room does not make much here every year, and Shu Shu only ate it twice in Yifei Palace.
Mrs. Bo ate it and said, "It's really good. It's marinated with white honey and honey tips..."
The honey tip is royal jelly. It is still a tribute nowadays and cannot be easily bought outside.
Preserved fruits with honey tips cannot be eaten by children, but they are good for women and the elderly.
Shu Shu thought about her pastry shop, which also had candied fruit, but not such exquisite and high-quality ones.
It's a pity that Yu Shanfang can use his own recipe, but it's hard for him to decipher Yu Shanfang's recipe...
*
Dutong Mansion, main room.
Ni Guzhu sat behind the kang table, leaning on Mrs. Zhang's arms, looking at the several New Year's Eve dishes on the kang table.
Some were given by Baylor's Mansion, some were given by the Duke's Mansion, and some were given by Prince Kang's Mansion, General's Mansion, and the Zhang Family.
Ni Guzhu pointed to one of them and said to Mrs. Zhang: "The one at home..."
This New Year's Eve Plate is a fresh fruit plate, which contains oranges, apples, hawthorns, persimmons, tomatoes and cantaloupe.
Tomatoes and melons are both produced in the greenhouse of Shu Shu's family and are not available outside. Niguzhu saw them at home and took note of them.
Mrs. Zhang looked at it and felt curious about it, and said, "Just look at it, it's fresher than ordinary fruits."
The tomatoes were small, about the size of an egg, so Joroshi shared them with everyone.
Although the taste is not as sweet as apples, it has a different taste and is refreshing to eat.
The cantaloupe was as big as an adult's fist, so Jueluo handed it to the girl and asked her to cut it and put it on the plate.
Qi Xi looked at the eldest granddaughter beside Zhang and said, "Come here, Da Gege, there are good things here in Guo Luomafa."
Ni Guzhu happened to finish a tomato and stopped being greedy. He got up and ran to Qi Xi.
"What is Guolomafa?"
Ni Guzhu said, looking at Qi Xi's hand with expectation.
Qi Xi came from behind holding a brocade box, which was red.
Although she didn't know what was inside, Ni Guzhu smiled when she looked at the brocade box.
Qi Xi opened the brocade box, and inside was a string of eighteen pieces of coral and jasper.
The red is true red, and the jasper is watermelon-rind green, which looks very gorgeous.
"nice……"
Ni Guzhu's eyes immediately lit up.
Qi Xi took out the bracelet and put it in Ni Guzhu's hand.
Ni Guzhu took it with both hands and put it on his wrist like an adult.
But she was so small and the bracelet was so big that she just raised her arm and put it in the crook of her arm.
Jue Luo was nearby and remembered that there was a string of coral beads that matched this bracelet.
This set is Qi Xi's new treasure, and the Chaozhu is for Shu Shu.
"Cackle, cluck..."
Ni Guzhu didn't hide her joy, she was happily holding the Eighteenth Son in her hands.
Xiaoliu came closer and said: "Da Gege likes corals? Uncle Liu will buy them for you later..."
After hearing this, Niguzhu immediately shook his head, clasped his fingers and said, "Enie said, don't ask for things from your fifth uncle, sixth uncle, and seventh uncle. Uncles are so young..."
Xiaoliu couldn't help but pick up Ni Guzhu and said: "Your seventh uncle is still young, but your sixth uncle is not young anymore..."
Ni Guzhu let him hug him and said: "Then... how old is Uncle Six?"
How old are the other uncles? Today, the ones who accompany Ni Guzhu the most are the uncles who have not yet matured.
Xiao Liu puffed up his chest and said, "It will be twelve tomorrow, which means it will be cold. Maybe Uncle Liu can take you to go horse racing!"
He said twelve, which is the virtual age after the year.
The weight of the Nigu Zhu is here, and it is a bit difficult for Xiaoliu to hold it, and his arms are harder.
Xiao Wu was nearby and hurriedly took it over.
The brothers are two years apart, but compared to Xiaoliu who is still a child, Xiaowu already looks like a teenager.
Ni Guzhu also felt much more comfortable. He turned around and said to Xiaoliu: "Uncle Sixth, please don't hug me in the future. I'm heavy..."
As she said that, she did not forget her youngest uncle, and said to Xiao Qi: "Uncle, don't hug me, just hold me and walk. I am an older child."
Xiao Qi looked at her niece, who was a bit older than herself, and said honestly: "I can't hold her!"
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Ni Guzhu immediately said righteously: "Then you go and hold my little brother. I, Enie, have given birth to a younger brother. We can all hold him..."
Xiao Qi nodded and said: "Then let's go hug him!"
Ni Guzhu shook his head and said: "We can't hug him now. My little brother needs to sleep. He needs to be older before he can hug him..."
The uncle and nephew are one year apart, and the whole house is full of excitement.
Zhang looked at it and still found it novel.
I have long known that Manchu customs are different from Han customs, from daily life to Chinese New Year, they are completely different.
There are many Manchu customs and various particularities, but there is less alienation between family members.
She was a little reserved before. Qi Xi and his wife also knew that the Han family paid more attention to the defense of men and women, so they tried their best to take care of Zhang in their actions.
With the niguzhu in hand these two days, Madam Zhang felt a lot more relaxed. At least she had the courage to take the initiative to mention to Madam Jueluo that she didn't need to separate tables and could eat at the same table with everyone else.
She is a bride, and she has rarely seen anyone else, and she usually avoids her. The brothers-in-law keep a respectful distance from her sister-in-law without saying anything, and they are all polite and distant.
In the past two days, because of Ni Guzhu, the uncles and sister-in-law got along more, and they were a little less polite and a little more close...
*
In the Qianqing Palace, Kangxi was watching the New Year with his concubines.
Such a happy reunion for the concubines of the Sixth Palace only happens once a year.
On weekdays, the concubines live in separate palaces, and the ones you see every day are the principal and concubines of the palace.
Those who are eligible to go to Ningshou Palace to pay their respects are only concubines above the noble rank.
Like Chang Zai and his concubines, many of them only know their surnames.
Only on New Year's Eve can everyone see all the concubines.
The main concubine has a single seat, and the seats are the same as those used to greet guests in Ningshou Palace.
The chief minister in the east is Concubine Hui, and the chief minister in the west is Concubine Yi.
Concubine De is the second seat in the east, and Concubine Xianfu is in the second seat in the west.
The last concubine is Concubine Tong.
Opposite her are the first concubine and the concubine.
Then there are the good concubines and the smart concubines, and the first among the nobles is Wang Guiren.
Kangxi looked at it, looking past Concubine Tong.
Earlier, he did have the intention to promote Concubine Tong. In addition to promoting the Tong family, he also mainly wanted to check and balance the four concubines.
But now he has already changed his mind.
To be able to tolerate Concubine Tong still being a concubine and living in Yongshou Palace is already his greatest kindness.
Looking at Concubine Tong like this, he could not help but think of his uncle who was "old but not dead", and he felt irritable in his heart.
It was only after seeing her once a year that he could bear it, otherwise he would have moved Concubine Tong out of the palace long ago.
Although he is an emperor, he is also a human being and has preferences.
He looked at the calendar in front of him, which contained oranges and bergamot.
This is the annual tribute between the governor of Guangdong and the governor of Shandong.
Kangxi turned around and whispered to Liang Jiugong, "Go and pack two plates to enjoy the Zhongcui Palace."
Liang Jiugong agreed in a low voice and went down to the fruit room of the imperial dining room.
The eunuch in charge heard that he was rewarded by Zhongcui Palace and wondered: "This is the second time I rewarded you. Last time I rewarded half a barrel of oranges. Just like Yikun Palace, Chengqian Palace only rewarded two plates... "
The oranges were an annual tribute from the governor of Guangdong, and they were transported thousands of miles to the capital, with only ten barrels in total.
At that time, three barrels were sent to Ningshou Palace, two barrels to Yuqing Palace, and only five barrels were received from the fruit warehouse of Qianqing Palace.
I also got a round of rewards.
Only Zhongcuigong has this second round.
Has this person fallen out of favor or not?
In the early years before Zhongcui Palace was closed, it did not have this dignity.
Liang Jiugong glanced at the eunuch and said, "What are you talking about? I have been working as a sergeant for many years and I still don't understand the rules!"
The eunuch in charge immediately became honest.
Liang Jiugong had served Kangxi for more than forty years and knew that his master missed his old love.
Especially after the death of the concubine Xi, the emperor personally saw the relationship between the third concubine and the concubine Rong.
As for the later concubines, concubines, kings and nobles, they are not as good as those old masters.
It was a relationship that lasted for more than thirty years. It was no different from an ordinary couple, but it was not the same weight as these young concubines who wanted to relieve their boredom.
Besides, there are also princes.
This is another constant drag of shearing.
The days when Zhongcui Palace was closed down should be coming to an end soon.
Throughout the year, Empress Zhongcui's palace rewarded her according to the concubine's rules, which was no different from Concubine Hui or Concubine Yi.
As for being rewarded with oranges twice...
Liang Jiugong made a somewhat disrespectful guess that the emperor might have forgotten the reward he received last time.
Otherwise, there would be no special instructions for observing the new year's plate today, and the others would not be used, except for two plates of oranges.
As soon as tonight is over, the emperor will be fifty years old.
Liang Jiugong was a few years older than the emperor, and he could clearly feel the changes in his body.
In his early years, he was on duty beside the emperor. It was common for him to stand for four or five hours, and he did not feel tired.
Now it's been four or five hours, and he feels uncomfortable...