Dreams of Qing surround Yaochi (Empress Xiaoxian and others), 620,000 elephants bid farewell to the old year (middle), let's drink and read books.
In a moment, Yu Pin, Rui Pin, and Ning Gui Ren came to congratulate on the birthday. Hong Li returned to Qianqing Palace Nourishing Heart Hall to work, Yun Zhu as daughter-in-law had to stay in Yung Shou Gong to help with the birthday banquet, while Fu Ling A and Gao Lu Wei were not qualified, holding the pastries given by Xi Fei, they retreated back to Yu Qing Palace.
"Sister, this... dress is really beautiful, it makes you look radiant." Yu Bin looked at Xi Fei's cloak and praised, "Tomorrow, I'll also ask someone to make one for me to wear."
Noble lady Wu smiled and said, "I didn't expect that the fur could be worn like this. Looking at the jacket, it doesn't look like a jacket, and the horse jacket doesn't look like a horse jacket either. It's somewhat like a cloak... I don't know what to call it?" Only the winter court dresses of the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the Imperial Noble Consorts were made of bright yellow silk, with stone-blue collars and sleeves, and had gold dragons, walking dragons, upright dragons, and eight treasures flat water embroidery patterns on the shoulders.
Which of the imperial consorts and ladies-in-waiting dares to wear a cloak with a fur-lined collar?!
The Empress's eyes flashed with a hint of unclear light, and she smiled faintly: "This is a short cloak made by Yunzhu for me, which can be worn both indoors and outdoors, but it's not a cape."
"A short cloak, isn't it just a cloak with a big chunk cut off... Still, sister has good eyesight, she picked out such a clever and skilled daughter-in-law at the selection ceremony." Yu Bin's eyes sparkled as she changed the subject, "I still remember that double carp sachet from back then."
"Ho, Wu Zaku's daughter Hong is a top-notch beauty among the village girls, who doesn't know that? Don't worry, in the future you won't be able to escape your daughter-in-law's filial piety."
The two of them chatted and laughed, unknowingly passing over the hint of resentment and desolation in Madame Wu's eyes. Without any children, she was nothing in this imperial palace, and the Emperor wasn't one to share his love and favor among the harem.
The Empress Ulanara is indeed the mother of the nation and cannot be violated, but as for the prosperity of the imperial palace, apart from Consort Xi and Imperial Concubine Yu, who else is there? Consort Qi Li? She has long since become a thing of the past, and not one of her children has survived. The others, either due to their high or low status or due to their survival in the future, cannot help but flatter them.
The Wu family thought of this, and their heart was filled with sorrow. If they hadn't been too careless when they first entered the palace to serve, they wouldn't have been harmed and lost their child, making it difficult to get pregnant again. But who was it that had harmed them? After all these years of clearing themselves and keeping a low profile, they still couldn't let go of their past obsession. Even if they knew who it was, the emperor wouldn't allow them to reveal the ugly truth within the palace and take revenge. Otherwise, they wouldn't have spent so many years grasping at clues without finding out who was behind it all. However, expecting themselves to grovel at their feet and beg for survival was a fantasy. When the emperor passed away, they would follow soon after, or else they would walk ahead of him...
Her mind was made up, and she became even more calm.
Before the banquet, the empress sent someone to bestow a gift for longevity. Even though she had given birth to a good son, and the emperor gradually gave her more respect and honor, Xi Fei still had to lead the others in thanking him for his kindness.
Immediately afterwards, Qi Fei, who was living in seclusion in the Zhong Su Palace, also sent over a congratulatory gift. As they were both of the same rank as imperial consorts, Xi Fei had no choice but to reciprocate.
The emperor's consorts are really few, the empress dowager is deceased, the position of imperial noble consort is vacant, only two imperial consorts, Qi and Xi, the position of imperial concubine has only Yu and Mao, the position of imperial lady has only Wu and An, and the position of palace maid has only Guo and Zhang. The above are old people who serve in the palace, while new ones selected to enter the palace have only two: Yin was granted the title of Hai Imperial Noble Lady and Su was granted the title of Answering Lady.
Yunzhu secretly sized up these women, feeling that whether it was Empress Ulanara or Consort Xi Nian, Concubine Yu Geng or even the reclusive Consort Qi in Zhuxi Palace, none of them were simple women. The struggles and rivalries within the inner palace had reached this point, sometimes due to luck and coincidence, but more often because of their own personalities - cleverness and weakness - which led them to either yield or make sacrifices to achieve their current status.
Xi Fei endured silently, not revealing her emotions, while Yu Pin chose to stand by Xi Fei's side. However, it was clear that she wasn't without sarcasm as she accepted the Empress Dowager's reward with a humble expression. As for Wu Shi, she was even more cunning, occasionally interjecting with subtle jabs and provocations between them, yet maintaining an air of serenity and avoiding trouble.
As for Consort Song, she was similar to Consort Li in the Zhongxiang Palace, old and faded, without love or favor, no sons or daughters, nothing is more sorrowful than a dead heart, not a bit of vitality left.
Only new people, still accumulating momentum and waiting for an opportunity to strike.
To give Xi Fei a hard time, apart from her status and position, there's only the new person and the Emperor's offspring. Should I take action myself? Hmm, the Emperor's body is gradually recovering, except for the future Qian Pin Liu Shi who will give birth to the tenth son of the Emperor Hong Zhan, maybe he'll even have a few more princes... Hehe, if another Manchu-blooded concubine and imperial son appear, what will Xi Fei do?
Yunzhu thought to herself that she was a bit worried that nothing would go wrong. However, even if they appeared, they wouldn't pose a threat to Hongli, but rather make him work harder and be more diligent in his duties, after all, with pressure comes motivation. As for Xi Fei, with palace struggles and palace affairs keeping her busy, she probably wouldn't have the time to worry about her son's household, even if she did care, she wouldn't have the energy to intervene.
Before the banquet began, Fifth Brother Hong You and Eighth Brother Fu Hui came over with gifts to offer their congratulations.
Xi Fei kindly let them get up, pulled Hong Yu and talked to him for a while. Hong Yu had been raised in front of her for several years. As long as he didn't compete with Hong Li for the throne, she still loved him very much, smiling and scolding him, closer to him than to Hong Li.
Fuhui, who was being ignored, didn't envy this filial scene at all. She stood quietly by the side, her pale face and thin body evoking sympathy from others, but she didn't dare to speak in front of Wu Shi. Wu Shi thought that Nian Shi's son, whom she had managed to protect with great difficulty, had become a helpless young bird after his mother's death, and it was uncertain whether he could survive to adulthood, just like herself, a pitiful person...
Such an idea flashed through her mind, this imperial palace, how many poor people are trapped, who can't break free from these shackles... Who really has the heart of a Bodhisattva to care about others' business? She and Nian Shi had done many things to each other in their early years, vying for favor, framing, and making life difficult.
Furthermore, as the eighth son of the emperor, Fu Hui's status is high. Which imperial concubine has the qualifications to discipline him apart from the empress?!
It's not that no concubine has thought of this, but after weighing the pros and cons, they still gave up. With his frail body getting sick every other day, he might not even live to adulthood, and it's likely to offend the Empress and Consort Xi as well, which is just not worth it.
Only the emperor's consorts can ignore him, but Yunzhu cannot. He is just a weak and young prince who poses no threat to Hongli, so showing affection towards him would only make the emperor feel that she is friendly with his siblings. If she were to treat him lightly like others do, it would not be the consorts' avoidance of suspicion, but rather her coldness, selfishness, and heartlessness.
"Eight younger brother." Yunzhu brought some refreshments and hot soup to Fuhui, seeing him glance at her with a small smile, her heart slightly moved. "Come, have some hot soup and snacks first, just back from the study?"
Fu Hui shook her head, took a sip of the soup, and felt its freshness and warmth spreading through her chest and abdomen: "Ama told me that I don't have to go to the study room every day now. It's okay to just finish the homework assigned by the teacher at home."
"The weather has also cooled down a bit, why don't you wear more clothes when going out?" Yunzhu looked at his crimson-colored imperial attire and slightly furrowed her brow, thinking that the winter robe seemed a bit thin.
Fu Hui was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Ah, Xiao Lu has brought me a cloak."
Yunzhu nodded, "Later, Fourth Aunt will bring you a bowl of porridge, eat more." Almost eight years old, but looking not much bigger than Mingliang.
"Good."
……
As soon as it entered the twelfth lunar month, the imperial palace began to bustle with activity.
Author's note: The content of this chapter involves some Qing Palace New Year materials, which will be placed in the author's note.
The following is the main body of the text:
In a moment, Yu Pin, Rui Pin, Ning Gui Ren and others came to congratulate on the birthday. Hong Li returned to Qianqing Palace Nanshan Temple to work, Yunzhu as daughter-in-law had to stay in Yungshou Palace to help with the birthday banquet, Fulinga and Gaolüwei were not qualified, holding the pastries given by Xi Fei, they retreated back to Yuqing Palace.
"Sister, this... dress is really beautiful, it makes you look radiant." Yu Bin looked at Xi Fei's cloak and praised, "Tomorrow, I'll also ask someone to make one for me to wear."
Noble Lady Wu smiled and said, "I didn't expect that the fur could be worn like this. Looking at the jacket, it doesn't look like a jacket, and the horse jacket doesn't look like a horse jacket either. It's somewhat like a cloak... I don't know what to call it?" Only the winter court dresses of the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the Imperial Noble Consorts were made of bright yellow silk, with stone-blue collars and sleeves, and had gold dragons, walking dragons, upright dragons, and eight treasures flat water embroidery patterns on the shoulders.
Which of the imperial concubines and wives dares to wear a cloak with a collar?!
The Empress's eyes flashed with a hint of unclear light, and she smiled faintly: "This is a short cloak made by Yunzhu for me, which can be worn both indoors and outdoors, but it's not some kind of cape."
"A short cloak, isn't it just a cloak with a big chunk cut off... Still, sister has good eyesight, she picked out such a clever and skilled daughter-in-law at the selection ceremony." Yu Bin's eyes sparkled as she changed the subject, "I still remember that double carp sachet from back then."
"Hah, Wu Zaku's daughter Hong is a top-notch beauty among the village girls, who doesn't know that? Don't worry, in the future you won't be able to escape your daughter-in-law's filial piety."
The two of them chatted and laughed, unknowingly passing over the hint of resentment and desolation in Madame Wu's eyes. Without any children, she was nothing in this imperial palace, and the Emperor wasn't one to distribute his favor and care among the harem.
The Empress Ulanara is indeed the mother of the nation and cannot be violated, but as for the prosperity of the imperial palace, apart from Consort Xi and Imperial Concubine Yu, who else is there? Consort Qi Li? She has long since become a thing of the past, and not one of her children has survived. The others, either due to their high or low status or due to their survival in the future, cannot help but flatter them.
The Wu family thought of this, and their heart was filled with sorrow. If they hadn't been too careless when they first entered the palace to serve, they wouldn't have been harmed and lost their child, making it difficult to get pregnant again. But who was it that had harmed them? After all these years of clearing themselves and keeping a low profile, they still couldn't let go of their past obsession. Even if they knew who it was, the emperor wouldn't allow them to reveal the ugly truth within the palace or take revenge. Otherwise, they wouldn't have spent so many years grasping at clues without finding out who was behind it all. However, expecting themselves to grovel at their feet and beg for survival was a fantasy. When the emperor passed away, they would follow soon after, unless they went before him...
Her mind was made up, and she became even more calm.
Before the banquet, the Empress Dowager sent someone to bestow longevity gifts. Even though she had given birth to a good son, the Emperor gradually gave her honor and respect, and Xi Fei had to lead the way in thanking him in front of everyone.
Immediately afterwards, Qi Fei, who was living in seclusion in the Zhong Su Palace, also sent over a congratulatory gift. As they were both of the same rank as imperial consorts, Xi Fei had no choice but to return the courtesy.
The emperor's consorts are really few, the empress dowager is deceased, the position of imperial noble consort is vacant, only two imperial consorts, Qi and Xi, the position of imperial concubine has only two people, Yu and Mao, the position of imperial lady has only two people, Wu and An, and the position of palace maid has only two people, Guo and Zhang. The above are old people who have been serving in the palace for a long time, while the newly selected ones are only Yin Shi who was granted the title of Hai Imperial Noble Lady and Su Shi who was granted the title of Answering Lady.
Yunzhu secretly observed these women, feeling that whether it was Empress Ulanara or Consort Xi Nian, Concubine Yu Geng or even the reclusive Consort Qi in Zhuxi Palace, none of them were simple women. The struggles and rivalries within the inner palace had reached this point, sometimes due to luck and coincidence, but more often because of their personalities - cleverness and weakness - which led them to either yield or make sacrifices to achieve their current status.
Xi Fei endured silently, not revealing her emotions, while Yu Pin chose to stand by Xi Fei's side. However, it was clear that she wasn't without sarcasm as she accepted the Empress Dowager's reward with a humble expression. As for Wu Shi, she was even more cunning, occasionally interjecting with subtle jabs and provocations between them, yet maintaining an air of serenity and avoiding trouble.
As for Consort Song, she was similar to Consort Li in the Zhongxiang Palace, old and faded, without love or favor, no sons or daughters, nothing is more sorrowful than a dead heart, not a bit of vitality left.
Only new people, still accumulating momentum and waiting for an opportunity to strike.
To give Xi Fei a hard time, apart from her status and position, there's only the new person and the Emperor's offspring. Should I take action myself? Hmm, the Emperor's body is gradually recovering, except for the future Qian Pin Liu Shi who will give birth to the tenth son of the Emperor, Hong Zhan... Hehe, if another Manchu-blooded concubine and imperial son appear, what will Xi Fei do?
Yunzhu thought to herself that she was a bit worried that nothing would go wrong. However, even if they appeared, they wouldn't pose a threat to Hongli, but rather make him work harder and be more diligent in his duties, after all, with pressure comes motivation. As for Xi Fei, with palace struggles and palace affairs keeping her busy, she probably wouldn't have the energy to care about her son's household, even if she did care.
Before the banquet began, Fifth Brother Hongyou and Eighth Brother Fuhui came over with gifts to offer their congratulations.
Xi Fei kindly let them get up, pulled Hong Yu and talked to him for a while. Hong Yu had been raised in front of her for several years, as long as he didn't compete with Hong Li for the throne, she still loved him very much, smiling and scolding him, closer to him than to Hong Li.
Fuhui, who was standing aside in the cold, didn't envy this scene of maternal love and filial piety at all. She stood obediently beside him, her pale small face and thin body evoking sympathy from those who saw her, but she didn't dare to speak to him in front of others. Madame Wu thought that Nian's son, whom she had managed to save with great difficulty after his mother's death, was now a helpless young bird without any support, and it was uncertain whether he could survive to adulthood, just like herself, a pitiful person...
Such an idea flashed through her mind, this imperial palace, how many pitiful people are there, who can't break free from these shackles... Who really has the heart of a Bodhisattva to care about others' business? She and Nian Shi had done plenty of things to trip each other up, frame and make life difficult for each other in their early years competing for favor.
Furthermore, as the eighth son of the emperor, Fu Hui's status is high. Which imperial concubine has the qualifications to discipline him apart from the empress?!
It's not that no concubine has thought of this, but after weighing the pros and cons, they still gave up. With his frail body getting sick every other day, he might not even live to adulthood, and it's likely to offend the Empress and Consort Xi as well, making it not worth it at all.
Only the emperor's consorts can ignore him, but Yunzhu cannot. He is just a weak and young prince who poses no threat to Hongli, so showing affection towards him would only make the emperor feel that she is friendly and close to her siblings. If she were to treat him with indifference like others do, it would not be the consorts' avoidance of suspicion but rather her coldness, selfishness, and heartlessness.
"Eight younger brother." Yunzhu brought some refreshments and hot soup to Fuhui, seeing him glance at her with a small smile, her heart slightly moved. "Come, have some hot soup and snacks first, just back from the study?"
Fu Hui shook her head, took a sip of the soup, and felt its freshness and warmth spreading through her chest and abdomen: "Ama told me that I don't have to go to the study room every day now. It's okay to just finish the homework assigned by the teacher at home."
"The weather has also cooled down a bit, why don't you add more clothes when going out?" Yunzhu looked at his crimson-colored imperial attire and slightly furrowed her brow, thinking that the winter robe seemed a bit thin.
Fu Hui was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Ah, Xiao Lu has brought me a cloak."
Yunzhu nodded, "Later, Fourth Aunt will bring you a bowl of porridge, eat more." Almost eight years old, but looking not much bigger than Mingliang.
"Good."
……
As soon as it entered the twelfth lunar month, the imperial palace began to bustle with activity.
From the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, the imperial palace began to prepare for the New Year. This included a thorough cleaning, preparing firecrackers and lanterns, making various traditional snacks, preparing lucky money for children, offering sacrifices, buying new clothes, replacing old decorations... and so on. Fortunately, Yunzhu only needed to worry about the two areas of Qianxi Second House and Yuqing Palace, and since Qianxi Second House was a new residence, Gu Yiniang and Su Wenling took care of it without needing her attention.
Yunzhu personally went over to Rongqing Palace, although after the New Year they would be moving to Qianxi Second House, but for now she still lived with Hongli's two gege and two shiqie, so she said what needed to be said and rewarded those who deserved it, then left Ye Nainai and Shang Nainai in charge of affairs here.
Gaoliuwei did not dare to go against the rules and handed over the power of palace affairs. Firstly, she already knew that Shang Ayi and Ye Ayi were people of Xi Fei Huanghou. Secondly, this was originally the work of the Di Fu Jun, and as the New Year approached, everyone was watching, and the rules were stricter than usual. If she handed over the palace affairs to be handled by Gege and the servant girls, it would not be justified.
After the Laba Festival, the New Year's atmosphere became more intense. After the Imperial Observatory chose an auspicious day to "seal", a grand ceremony was held in the Temple of Heaven. Facing the offerings on the altar, including wine, fruit and incense, the Emperor offered incense and paid homage. The official responsible for managing the imperial seal took out the treasure seal from the hall, washed it at the gate of the Qianqing Palace, then brought it back into the hall to be sealed and stored. It would not be opened again until the first month of next year when an auspicious day was chosen. After that, all government offices stopped work and began celebrating the New Year.
Unlike the "Sealing" ceremony, Yunzhu participated in the Xiaonian Festival's Zao ritual on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month.
The ceremony of worshiping the Kitchen God was held in the Kun Ning Palace, one of the three palaces behind. The Kun Ning Palace is rectangular in shape with a double-eave gable and hip roof, which was originally the palace of the empress during the Ming Dynasty. It was rebuilt in the 12th year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty. Two rooms on the east side were partitioned off as a warm pavilion for living quarters, while four rooms on the west side had kang (heated brick beds) on three sides for holding Shamanist rituals. The ceremony of worshiping the Kitchen God was held in the western hall of the palace, with an offering table, a tablet for the god, incense and candles, and offerings displayed.
Unlike the folk custom of not worshipping Zao Jun, the Qing palace's worship ritual began with the emperor first offering incense and paying respects in front of the Buddha statue, the ancestral shrine, and the stove god at Kun Ning Palace. After the emperor finished his rituals and returned to the palace, the empress would then perform her own worship ceremony. For some reason, during New Year's banquets and ceremonies attended by the empress, Yongzheng always had her wear a cloud-shaped hairpin, so she was lucky enough to see these events. She even idly counted the offerings on the altar, totaling thirty-three varieties.
The next day, the palace hung lanterns and longevity lamps, with lights shining all night until dawn.
On the twenty-sixth of the twelfth lunar month, all the palaces hung out the prepared spring couplets, door gods and palace training charts, a festive atmosphere. In the next few days before New Year's Eve, the palace will also hold traditional sacrificial rituals such as "obtaining fortune" and "beating ghosts" presided over by lamas. Those shamans and lamas who saw Yunzhu treated her with unexpectedly respectful attitudes, making her almost think she was a goddess descending to the world... Fortunately, her acting skills were top-notch, and she smiled silently, unable to say anything.
The emperor went to the Temple of Heaven to worship his ancestors and welcome the arrival of the new year. This New Year, Hongli was also caught up in many rituals and activities.
除夕 is the real start of the celebration. Around midnight, the emperor would get up to burn incense and pay respects at various palaces, inviting gods and Buddhas from all directions to come to the palace for New Year's celebrations. And in the places where they walked, sesame seeds and pomelos were scattered "treading on years" to take the auspicious meaning of "step by step high" and bid farewell to the old year.
At noon, the emperor held a grand banquet in Baohedian, one of the three main halls, to entertain Mongolian kings and nobles who came to pay homage.
After the banquet, there will be a family dinner for the emperor in the palace. Originally, if the Empress Dowager was still alive, the emperor and empress would also have to go to the Empress Dowager's palace separately to bid her farewell for the new year and eat niangao... Now it's spared. However, the empress leading the palace staff to Nourishing Heart Palace to bid the emperor farewell for the new year and the palace staff going to Jingren Palace to bid the empress farewell for the new year is still necessary.
