073 “Drunken Bones (Guyan 1v1 High H)” Mid-Autumn Festival

In the Yaochi Hall, the eaves are high and the brackets are carved. The Qiong Tower and Jade Houses look even more resplendent under the afterglow of the setting sun. The candles in the hall are brightly lit, the glass is bright, and the sound of music comes from behind the bead curtain, just like a fairyland.

In the hall, brocade curtains were laid out, and the embroidered screens were slowly separated to separate the male and female family members on the left and right sides. Only the shadowy figures on the opposite side could be seen.The table was filled with gold cups and silver cups, and the faces of the courtiers and ladies who came to the banquet could not conceal their joy. They looked around one after another, and there was a lot of music and music.

Queen Yan Zhaozhao went to the Yaochi Palace early in the morning to take care of everything. Prince Regent Xie Ciyan also sat on the right side in advance. He drank a few glasses of wine with a lazy expression, as if he was not interested in this Mid-Autumn Palace banquet.Before the banquet, the emperor and his concubine Yan Zhiyi attended the palace banquet together. A figure in bright yellow slowly walked to the dragon chair, lifted up her robe and sat in it.

The Queen Mother followed closely behind and took the seat next to the Emperor.

Everyone has gathered, and the musicians stop playing at the right time.The emperor raised his hand and took the lead in drinking a glass of sake. The eunuch in charge shouted loudly, “Let’s have a banquet——”

A burst of music suddenly started to play high and high, with the ancient melodious sound of the zither and the clear and clear sound of the flute. A group of dancers filed in and danced gracefully in the hall, their golden sleeves flying, and every move they made was as graceful as a swimming dragon, like water pouring out silver.

After the dance ended, the emperor took the lead in picking up the exquisite gold wine cup and toasted to the Queen Mother, “Mother, tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival. My son, I wish you a reunion under the full moon, happiness, longevity and good health.”

Hearing this, the Queen Mother instantly smiled and narrowed her eyes. She picked up the wine cup and took a sip of wine, “Okay, the emperor is interested.”

The concubines, court officials, and all the noble ladies all picked up the wine cups to bless themselves, and said in unison: “May the Emperor and the Queen Mother be reunited in the moon, and may they be blessed and safe.”

When the emperor saw everyone kneeling respectfully towards him, his eyebrows relaxed a little. From the corner of his eyes, he glanced at Xie Ciyan’s figure on the right, and saw that he was also bowing to him like the courtiers, and the depression in his heart dissipated a lot.He drank a glass of sake in a good mood, and immediately raised his hand to let everyone get up.”Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, dear friends, you don’t have to be so restrained.”

After a while of greetings, Qian often walked slowly to the center of the palace, facing the emperor who was looking up to him, and said in a soft voice, “Your Majesty, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. I have prepared a song to dedicate to the Emperor and the Queen Mother to cheer up.”

The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is also an excellent opportunity for the concubines to express themselves.If the performance is successful and the emperor’s favor is gained, the emperor’s favor can be regained.At that time, Qian Chang came back from the painting boat with the emperor and was favored for a while. At that time, the emperor still had the habit of playing with two girls. She and Li often played the pipa and danced together. When their love was strong, the emperor would favor them both at the same time.

But within a few days, Li Changzai, who was good at dancing, quickly surpassed her in the limelight. The emperor only summoned Li Changzai every day, but within a few days, he promoted her to a noble lady, and she was in the limelight for a while.The emperor seemed to have completely forgotten her. He never called her to his bed again. Even Qiu Wei kept her in the palace, thinking about her day and night.Now that Lady Li has fallen, and the emperor only favors Chun concubine, she really can’t wait any longer. If the emperor really forgets her completely, what’s the difference between her and being in the cold palace?She no longer wanted to eat only scraps of cold rice for three meals a day, and she no longer wanted to be bullied and humiliated by her servants because she was unloved.

Qian Chang had a flash of determination in her eyes. This time she performed at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, she must make the emperor remember her and favor her again!

The emperor glanced at her and paused slightly, as if he was thinking about who the woman in front of him was.After a long while, he did not refuse, and agreed with his forehead, “Yes.”

Qian Chang was so happy that she took a fine pipa from the musician’s hand, twisted her slender waist and saluted the emperor.

She calmly held the pipa in her palm, and her slender white fingers gently drew a graceful arc on the strings.The gentle music sounded slowly, as sweet as the sound of clear running water from a cold spring. The courtiers present could not help but close their eyes and quietly appreciate the beautiful pipa music.

Suddenly, the sound of the piano stopped, and a high-pitched string was played.Qian often raised her arms, playing with the strings and raising the pipa high. She raised her chin and looked at the emperor from a distance with her charming eyes. Although she couldn’t see the emotions in his eyes clearly, she raised her legs confidently and charmingly, and her wide skirt flew around in a circle.

Everyone obviously didn’t expect that Qian Changzai could dance while playing the pipa, and every move caught the attention of everyone present.Even Yan Zhaozhao, who had always disliked watching such performances, became a little more interested, and the Queen Mother also had a smile on her lips.Only the emperor’s eyes did not fall on the woman who was performing hard, but on Yan Zhiyi who was concentrating on watching the performance from time to time.

Xie Ciyan didn’t seem to be interested in any of this. He only raised his eyes for a glance, and then looked away without interest. He was playing with the straight wine cup in his hand, and his eyes seemed to be inadvertently drifting in the direction of Yan Zhaozhao.

After the song ended, Qian Chang bowed gracefully with her pipa in her arms.Ringing applause could be heard in her ears, as well as compliments to her from time to time.Qian Chang enjoyed this moment very much. She narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at the emperor, hoping that he would also praise her and favor her again.

The emperor seemed to have suddenly come to his senses at this moment. After glancing at her, he said: “It is simply embarrassing to bring these inferior things to perform in front of the emperor.”

Qian Changzai did not expect that the emperor would say such words, and the smile on his face froze, looking extremely ugly.But the emperor did not show any pity for her, and continued: “Recognize your identity clearly. You are a palace concubine, not a singer on a painted boat.”

The woman’s face paled inch by inch, and disbelief seemed to flash in her eyes.How could it be…how could the result be like this.

Not only did Qian Changzai not receive a reward, but she also received a burst of ridicule. At this time, she felt like a clown, and everyone looked at her with ridicule.Her limbs were cold, and she had no memory of how she got back to her position in the end.

Qian Changzai was not the only one who was shocked by the emperor’s words.Is there any courtier or concubine present who doesn’t know that the emperor is romantic and loves beautiful women, but now he actually rejected such a beauty in public, which is unprecedented in history.Even the Queen Mother looked at the Emperor with a bit of surprise in her eyes, as if she had never seen him look like this before.

The emperor didn’t think there was anything wrong, and his eyes with some tenderness fell on Yan Zhiyi again, and then he said, “It is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I remember that the palace seems to have not been busy for a long time.”Yes.”He paused for a moment, and his voice was not as cold as usual, “It is my decree that the Chun concubine, a well-known Shuyuan family, has a gentle and polite heart. I am now the concubine of Chun, and she is the head of Guanju Palace.”

After saying this, the whole court was in an uproar.

The courtiers below all looked at each other in confusion, and some whispered to each other from time to time, looking enviously at Prime Minister Zuo Yanhuai who was drinking calmly.

When Yanhuai heard this decree, she was surprised for a moment, but then she calmed down and drank naturally, enjoying the looks of the courtiers looking at him.This is the first concubine title awarded by the emperor after he ascended the throne, and it is also the only concubine title so far.

The position of concubine means that she has the qualifications to raise the emperor’s heirs.

It was not difficult for everyone to think of this, and there was a little more meaning in their eyes. The emperor intended for Concubine Chun to give birth to a prince.

No matter what the courtiers below speculated, the emperor seemed to ignore it and said softly to the somewhat flattered woman, “Yu’er, you still don’t accept the order?”

Yanzhiyan seemed to have just reacted suddenly. She blushed and stepped forward shyly, with a soft voice, “I, my concubine, thank you for your grace.”

Preparations for the canonization ceremony began after the Mid-Autumn Festival. This was the first time for the emperor to confer a concubine. The eunuchs did not dare to slack off and showed more respect for the newly promoted concubine Chun.

The Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet also quietly came to an end after this canonization.

Yan Zhaozhao got on the Queen’s guard of honor and was about to drive back to Fengyi Palace. Aunt Yu Min, who was beside the Queen Mother, walked to the guard of honor and saluted her, “The Queen Mother stayed behind. The road is not easy to walk in the dead of night. The Queen Mother specially ordered the servants to come and invite the Queen Mother to go back with her and be a companion on the way.”

When the Queen Mother spoke, Yan Zhaozhao had no choice but to have people turn around the ceremonial guard and return it to the Queen Mother’s ceremonial guard.The Queen Mother gently closed her eyes, keeping the string of Buddhist beads coiled in her palms. She opened her eyes only after seeing her guard of honor coming to her side.”Coming.”

Before the ceremony stopped, Yan Zhaozhao could only sit upright on the guard of honor and respectfully called out, “Mother, be safe.”

The Queen Mother raised her eyebrows and asked directly without beating around the bush: “Today the Emperor promoted the title of Concubine Chun. What does the Queen think of it?”

Yan Zhaozhao was stunned, obviously she didn’t expect that the Queen Mother specially called her to ask about this matter.”After returning to my mother, there has never been a concubine above the concubine rank in the palace. Now that there is one, it should be a happy event.”

The Queen Mother frowned lightly, “The Queen is a smart person, and she should know the emperor’s intention of doing this.” She did not give Yan Zhaozhao a chance to answer, and continued directly, “The emperor has some true feelings for Concubine Chun, but Concubine Chun is not a good person. The Ai family does not want the eldest son of the emperor to crawl out of her belly, let alone the next prince to be the son of Concubine Chun. Do you understand?”

The Queen Mother’s words came out completely, and Yan Zhaozhao also understood at this moment that the Queen Mother did not like the emperor’s new favorite, Chun Fei.She pretended to be in a difficult position, “But…the emperor already has his heart set on his own. This is not what I can do…”

Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by the Queen Mother.”The Aijia knows what you are worried about.” A glimmer of light flashed in the Queen Mother’s eyes, “Don’t worry, you will return to Shoukang Palace with the Aijia now. The Aijia will ask the emperor to come over later. The Aijia will definitely ask the emperor to come to your palace tonight.”

As soon as these words came out, Yan Zhaozhao suddenly raised his head, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and the evening wind was also biting with coldness.She opened her mouth and said, “Concubine…”

The Queen Mother has decided that no one will be allowed to refute her and say, “This matter has been decided.”

Yan Zhaozhao clenched her fists, secretly worrying about what she would do if the emperor did go to Shoukang Palace and agreed to what the Queen Mother said.She couldn’t even think about that scene. If it really happened, how could she refuse the emperor.

The thoughts in her mind were like a mess.Suddenly, the palace maids and eunuchs who were accompanying the ceremonial guard behind them made bursts of strange noises and suddenly became a mess.

They all looked at the dark roof, looking horrified, and suddenly shouted.”Ghost, ghost—”

“There is, there is a ghost——”