Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 1242 Postscript 98·Zifeng gets what she wants

As Xie Yan said, he was only responsible for writing letters, regardless of what the court did.

After sending the letter, Xie Yan stayed at home and enjoyed it.

It's winter vacation.

And the weather is cold, so I don’t want to do anything serious.

Well, he doesn't want to do anything serious when the weather is hot.

Two days before the winter solstice, Qingluan prepared the gift list and gave it to the princess and the consort for review.

Zhu Tangxi handed it to Xie Yan directly without looking at it, and said to Qingluan: "Liu Lang is the head of the family. Don't forget it."

"Please remember this," Qingluan said hurriedly.

No matter who is the head of the family, it is necessary to show it to the princess first. Qingluan has to express his attitude. Next time something like this happens, she will present it to the princess first.

The gift list in front of me is a winter solstice gift.

The importance attached to the winter solstice in ancient times can be seen from two things.

First, there are three major court meetings every year, one of which is scheduled for the winter solstice. official attention.

Second, on the winter solstice, children are allowed to play all night long, which is commonly known as "Winter Watching." People pay attention to it.

As far as gift-giving is concerned, the exchange of gifts during the ancient Winter Solstice Festival even took away the ecological niche of New Year gifts.

Xie Yan opened the gift sheet and looked at it.

The first was a gift to the emperor and the queen mother.

Then came the gifts for the princesses (Zhu Tangxi's sisters and nieces).

Next are the gifts given to servants and hired workers. Including the princess's suburban manor and Xie Yan's cement factory, top managers have rewards.

As for nobles and important ministers, Zhu Tangxi did not plan to send anyone to give gifts in order to avoid suspicion.

Xie Yan thought for a while and added more than ten people.

There are the old president, member Li, and academic friends who live in Luoyang. Well, Xie Yan, a famous Luoyang doctor who occasionally communicates with him, also plans to send someone to deliver gifts.

Gifts are not expensive, they are purely expressions of affection.

"Sister, do you think it's appropriate?" Xie Yan handed the revised gift list to the princess.

Zhu Tangxi browsed through it, nodded and said, "Okay."

Qingluan immediately went to make arrangements.

The specific procurement and delivery are naturally carried out by loyal servants.

Xie Yan and the princess got tired of each other for a while, then went to the laboratory and specially called Daiyu.

According to the current study progress, Daiyu will be able to run the laboratory next spring. First, clean the laboratory, assist in experiments, retrieve and store chemicals, etc.

By afternoon, there was nothing to do.

The princess took Xie Yan to the piano room and played for a while to teach him how to play the piano.

Xie Yan studied hard and tried to make the princess happy, but he really had no musical talent.

Zhu Tangxi was very happy, especially when he saw Xie Yan's clumsy appearance.

After pressing Xie Yan in the piano room and suffering for two hours, Zhu Tangxi couldn't laugh or cry: "Forget it, forget it, you can go and do your own thing."

"I can do it. Why don't I learn to read music first?"

"Okay." Zhu Tangxi did not remind him that he was learning to walk before he could crawl.

What Xie Yan learned from the princess was not Gongchi notation, but the special subtraction notation for Guqin. It only records the playing method and pitch, not the note name and rhythm.

It seems abstract at first glance, but quite complicated upon closer inspection.

It cannot be replaced by other musical notation. Even in the 21st century, subtracted notation is still used when learning and playing guqin. However, simplified musical notation, five-line musical notation, etc. can only be used for auxiliary purposes.

The more Xie Yan learned, the more confused he became. There were too many fingering techniques. His mind memorized them very quickly, but his hands didn't obey his orders. Then I discovered that my brain didn’t seem to remember much.

A few specious Chinese characters express what fingering method should be used by the left hand to play which sound, and what fingering method should be used by the right hand to play what sound.

Just like martial arts secrets!

Gradually, Xie Yan became interested.

He had practiced basic fingering before and found it boring. At this time, practicing disassembling each character spectrum while practicing subtraction is like overcoming a series of difficult problems.

Zhu Tangxi was speechless after seeing it.

Let's use cooking as an analogy. Don't talk about turning the pot and spoon to check the heat. Xie Yan doesn't even know whether salt is salty or sugar is sweet.

He started learning how to cook sweet and sour pork, then dismantled each step and learned various common sense in the process.

It can only be said that everyone has his own way of killing pigs and butts.

After learning the piano for an afternoon, Xie Yan felt that his skill had greatly improved, but Zhu Tangxi just thought he was joking.

If her husband wants to play, just play with him, and Zhu Tangxi enjoys it.

Outside the piano room.

Qingluan pulled Zifeng to the corner: "Is it really tonight?"

"Do you want to go back on your word?" Zifeng felt aggrieved, "His Highness has agreed, but you still keep occupying the husband. How can you be such a sister?"

Qingluan smiled and said, "How about a threesome?"

"What threesome?" Zifeng was confused.

Qingluan explained in a low voice: "Liu Lang said that a threesome means three people together. He heard that His Highness had insomnia in the past few years, and I often slept with His Highness in my arms. Since two people can sleep, so can three people."

Zifeng didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "What is this? The Analects of Confucius can still be used in this way?"

"There are many solutions." Qingluan leaned into Zifeng's ear and whispered.

Zifeng's cheeks flushed when she heard this: "You have learned bad things from following Lang Jun. I don't want a threesome. Even if Liu Lang likes it, I only want two people for the first time. Hehe, the red candle is ready."

Qingluan asked: "I saw you secretly embroidering mandarin ducks a while ago. Are you planning to wear them tonight?"

"I won't tell you." Zifeng said proudly.

She was more and more sure that the prince consort liked big breasts, and he would look at them almost every day.

This gave Zifeng more confidence and she was proud of her breasts.

So she made her own battle suit. When the time comes, she will not wear a tube top but only a half-length white silk red bottom mandarin duck bellyband, which will definitely make the man crazy.

Qingluan said contemptuously: "You little slut, have you been wearing a soft pillow recently?"

"What do you care?" Zifeng did not quibble.

"Soft pillow" is a bra, which is said to be invented by Shen Yourong, the founding queen of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Guoxiang: It has nothing to do with me, don't slander me.

Unfortunately, many women now, especially those who have given birth, don't wear this thing when they go out, because it will make their breasts look firmer and bigger.

Of course, she wears a lot of clothes at home, specifically for her man to see.

Zifeng went to eat dinner on duty, and felt that there was still plenty of time, so she secretly took a bath and changed into a brand new set of clothes.

Qingluan was speechless when she saw him: "Why are you changing clothes? It's still early."

"Is my husband in there?" Zifeng asked.

Qingluan said: "No. Your Highness is a little tired, so he took a walk after dinner and took a rest inside. Liulang is in the study, and Daiyu and Baochai are serving him."

Zifeng said contemptuously: "What do they know about serving people? Don't let my husband down."

Qingluan said: "You go over. I'll be here, Your Highness."

Xie Yan was doing business in the study.

After the Winter Solstice, the Ministry of Rites will summon several chemists to compile new chemistry textbooks for the imperial examination.

Xie Yan was too lazy to show off again, because it was too tiring and would make people jealous.

He only wrote a plan, suggesting what experiments should be used as examples in a certain chapter, and used this to let students master the relevant experimental equipment.

The plan can be submitted for reference, and he will not personally participate in the compilation of the textbook. It doesn't matter if he is not named in the author column of the textbook.

Daiyu stood quietly, ready to add ink to the son-in-law's book at any time, and was also responsible for adjusting the wick of the kerosene lamp.

Baochai stared at the brazier beside her, yawning from time to time, and she felt sleepy when she came to the study.

"Dongdongdong!"

"Come in."

The door opened and closed quickly, but a cold wind still came in.

Zifeng brought in a bowl of hot porridge on a tray.

Daiyu didn't look away.

Baochai looked at Zifeng's chest, then turned her head and curled her lips: This bad woman, her chest is originally big, and she actually uses something to support it higher.

"It's cold, Liulang, drink some porridge to warm your body." Zifeng said.

No mistake, one poem, one post, one content, one 6, one book, one bar, take a look!

"Well, put it aside."

Xie Yan didn't raise his head and continued to work at his desk.

Zifeng stopped talking and stood by and waited. After a few minutes, she picked up the bowl: "Liulang, the porridge is getting cold."

Xie Yan finally put down the pen.

Zifeng quickly scooped up a spoonful, caught it with a bowl, and brought it to Xie Yan's mouth.

Xie Yan was busy with work, so how could he have time to drink slowly? After swallowing the spoonful, he took the bowl and drank the porridge in big mouthfuls.

Zifeng took the opportunity to say: "Qingluan is not feeling well tonight."

Xie Yan thought Qingluan had her period and just hummed without saying anything more.

Zifeng looked shy, lowered her eyebrows and said: "I am willing to warm the bed for you, Liu Lang."

"Ahem!"

Xie Yan choked on the porridge, then looked up at Zifeng.

Well, she was specially made up and dressed up, and Xie Yan felt hot all over when he saw her charming appearance.

The prince consort had to maintain his modest and steady image in front of the two maids, and immediately said indifferently: "Go back to your room and wait."

"Yes!" Zifeng bowed and left.

As soon as she left the house, she cheered and jumped, and even jumped back.

She had her own separate bedroom, and even another room for her personal belongings.

Moreover, she lived in the same courtyard as Qingluan, and she often went there to eavesdrop.

Zifeng took out two red candles from the drawer and carefully inserted them into the candlesticks. She also brought out a small stove to boil wine, and estimated the time to heat the wine and drink the wedding cup.

She also lit the brazier to warm the room.

She washed her hands again, and then took off her clothes and put on the mandarin duck bellyband.

After waiting for a long time, the prince consort had not come. Zifeng gradually became a little anxious, and looked into the yard through the crack of the door from time to time.

Finally, footsteps were heard in the yard.

A maid holding a lantern sent the prince consort here.

"You go back and rest."

"Yes!"

Zifeng stood behind the door and unbolted the door.

Xie Yan pushed the door open.

Zifeng waited for him to come in, and quickly closed the door, and helped him take off his cloak and hang it on the hanger.

"I went to the princess. Have you been waiting for a long time?" Xie Yan asked.

Zifeng said enthusiastically: "It's worth waiting for you to be loved by me."

Although Xie Yan saw Zifeng every day, they had never had in-depth exchanges, only a few daily conversations occasionally.

A very familiar stranger.

"This red candle is very beautiful." Xie Yan made small talk.

Zifeng smiled and said: "I asked for leave to go out and buy it. I picked several stores. The price is not cheap."

Xie Yan lit the red candle himself and chatted casually: "Is your family okay?"

Zifeng went to pour hot wine and said: "My parents and brothers are all here. I send them some money every year."

"I call Qingluan "young mother" in private. What should I call you?" Xie Yan asked.

Zifeng smiled and said: "Whatever Liulang likes to call you is fine."

Xie Yan said: "How about calling you Xiaofeng'er?"

"It sounds nice." Zifeng was very happy. This was a nickname that belonged to her.

Xie Yan pulled her to sit in his arms: "Xiaofeng'er is a native of Luoyang?"

Zifeng said: "I am from Henei, Huaizhou, and was selected to enter the palace."

Selection means selecting concubines, basically to be slightly higher-level palace maids.

As for the palace maids who specialize in miscellaneous work, they are directly recruited in Luoyang. It is enough that their family members have no criminal record, and the requirements for appearance are not high.

The requirements for the concubines are higher, and they are selected once every five years.

It does not require a large number of people. The local government will post a notice, and the people will send their daughters to register. If the family members have no criminal record, they are not disabled, the age meets the requirements, and the appearance is dignified and beautiful, they can be selected.

Each prefecture and county has only a few quotas for concubines, and they are sent to the Luoyang Palace for training.

Most of the concubines are actually workers, but their wages are higher than those of the lower-level palace maids. There are still a few days every year when they can send money to their families and receive letters from their families.

But they were not allowed to write to their families, so as not to leak information from the palace.

Including the training time, they usually stayed in the palace for five and a half years, and then were sent out to marry. Such beautiful girls who returned home were very popular when it came to marriage.

Even when they had just left the palace and had not left Luoyang, matchmakers came to contact them.

After an unknown amount of time, they had already drunk the wedding wine, took off their outer clothes and hugged each other in the quilt, and Zifeng told them about her past.

"My family runs a small shop," Zifeng said, "It's not a formal shop, just a stall in the town to sell tea. One day, an official came to the town to post notices. Seeing that I was pretty, he joked to my father: The official wants to select concubines, and your girl is not bad. Maybe she can become a concubine in the future. Even if she can't become a concubine, she can earn some money for the family and marry a good family in the future."

Xie Yan reached out and grabbed the big white rabbit, feeling the amazing touch: "Just entered the palace like this?"

"Yes," Zifeng said, "I didn't know anything at the time, and I followed my father to register at the government office. When I arrived at the palace, I learned the rules for another half a year. Because I knew a few words at home, I learned to read and write faster in the palace, so I was chosen to be with the princess. It must be God's will. God chose me to enter the palace just to get to know Liu Lang."

"You are so devoted to me, aren't you jealous?" Xie Yan wanted to know what the maids thought.

Zifeng would never tell the truth, she would definitely say something nice: "Liu Lang is a star descended to the earth, a rare good man in the world. I am a humble person, but I am blessed to be favored by Liu Lang. I am not jealous, I am satisfied to have sex with Liu Lang once a month."

"What a little fool." Xie Yan was too lazy to think about it.

He just needed to enjoy himself, the sisters at home must be simple and kind women.

Zifeng continued to please: "I want to be Liu Lang's little fool for the rest of my life."

"Do you know how to kiss?" Xie Yan asked with a smile.

Zifeng looked innocent and ignorant, but she rubbed her chest against Xie Yan: "I don't know anything, please teach me patiently."

"Little devil!"

Xie Laoliu was very beastly.