Li Huang

The Changchun Palace was built on the far right of the West Sixth Palace, next to the winding entrance of the imperial garden, it is a palace with a second courtyard. The main hall of the front yard is five rooms wide, with yellow colored glaze paved with a Xieshan-style roof, and five beasts on the eaves. Under the eaves, there are five arches and painted Su-style paintings. There are two halls on the left and the east.

Entering the Changchun Palace, I opened the cotton curtain, and a burst of heat rushed into my face. My body, which had been frozen all the way before, seemed to come to life, and it was incredibly comfortable. The main hall has square brick floors, the doors and windows are decorated with bat patterns, and the four characters "Jing Xiu Nei Ze" written by Shen Xiyao hang high above the theme. The east and west side halls are separated by rosewood open-carved blessing brocade flower screens and open-carved ball-shaped brocade peacock screens. Through the gaps between open carved flowers and birds, you can vaguely see the water-red brocade tents inside.

Yi Zhaorong withdrew the other court ladies and eunuchs, and went straight into her dormitory in the Dongfang Palace, while Huier led me to the backyard.

There is also a main hall in the backyard, and two side halls on the left and right. They are also decorated with yellow glazed tiles and decorated with Su style paintings.

In the West Partial Hall in the backyard, there is an embroidery frame, as well as a bamboo stretch for embroidering handkerchiefs and other small objects. The silk threads of various colors are tied together and placed aside, looking colorful.

"Xie Niang, you embroider here. I'll get some tea and snacks." Huier arranged for me to sit under the window and smiled again: "If you want someone to help, let the bell outside the door pick it up."

I nodded, my gaze swept across the colored threads, picked up a bunch of golden threads and looked at it carefully, then turned around and said, "Miss Hui'er, please come here, too."

"Huh?" Seeing my serious expression, Hui'er went out without asking why.

Soon Yi Zhaorong came in. At this time, she had already changed a pair of aqua-colored plackets decorated with butterfly patterns on a treasure tree, with six light blue skirts, which looked as elegant and moving as blue butterflies flying by the water.

"Xie Niang, what's the matter?" Yi Zhaorong said nervously.

I am a blessing: "Manny Zhaorong, this golden thread won't work."

"What?" Yi Zhaorong's face showed shock: "Is it all right?" She quickly stepped forward, pointing to the several gold threads in front of him and said: "No way?"

I nodded, pointed to my purse and said, "Is there any silver light showing through the golden dragon?"

Yi Zhaorong took a closer look and nodded.

I smiled and said: "Yes, if it is ordinary gold thread with bright yellow, no matter how good the embroidery is, it looks tacky. The gold thread on this purse is actually made of two strands of golden silk and one strand of ice silkworm silver. So there is a faint one. The silver light made it seem like a dragon floated in a halo. The gold threads here are all ordinary, and you can see it at a glance."

"Then what do you say?" Yi Zhaorong stared at me and asked.

I pursed my lips, and made up my mind: "Please ask my mother to find a few clever maids to rub the silk thread. I will remove and re-embroider."

"Huh?" Huier who was beside Yi Zhaorong exclaimed: "Take down the re-embroidering? Can you guarantee the same embroidery?"

Yi Zhaorong also looked at me suspiciously.

I took a deep breath: "As long as Empress Zhaorong can trust me."

Yi Zhaorong waved her hand: "Nothing, as long as you can do it right." There was a bit of helplessness in her eyes, but she became serious in a flash: "Just you have to know, if the emperor finds out that the embroidery is different, we Will be severely punished."

I looked at Yi Zhaorong without understanding: "A purse, why the emperor..."

Yi Zhaorong smiled bitterly and said: "This is embroidered by the queen's mother herself. The emperor wears it every day without leaving her body, but it is very important. So you should be aware of the consequences."

I met Yi Zhaorong with oppressive eyes, but didn't care at all in my heart. "Niang Niang, please give Rong Xie Niang a try, and Xie Niang is willing to bear any consequences."

Yi Zhaorong seemed to have made up his mind to break the boat and handed me his purse: "I can only rely on you."

The winter daylight filters in through the windows of the carved lotus flower pattern in the aquarium, and a lotus ink painting is added to the thick sea-blue velvet carpet underfoot. Using the clear sunlight, I carefully split a piece of gold silk into six strands and took two strands, then divided the ice silkworm silver silk into three strands, took one strand, and kneaded it into one strand. Yi Zhaorong asked the maid who was good at needlework in Changchun Palace to prepare silk thread as I did, so I only needed to concentrate on embroidering the exact same golden dragon.

I took a piece of silk thread and passed it through the eye of a tiny needle. Then, I first embroidered the shading of Wanfu and Longevity with Suzhou embroidery, then embroidered the vivid dragon scales with Beijing embroidery, and then embroidered the flying dragon head with Guangdong embroidery. The claws are finally embroidered with black gold stones to make a longan, such a purse.

I used the flying needle to move the thread. Because I embroidered it myself, I am familiar with every warp and weft. In addition, I used to sell embroidery for a living. The embroiderer is already extremely skilled, almost from the deepest part of my memory. It feels like the Panlong is embroidered on Minghuang's purse.

Perhaps the only difference is that state of mind.

While my eyes were slightly sour, and while drinking a sip of tea, I also looked around this delicate and elegant apse of Changchun Palace. Back then, I would sit in the west side hall of Kunning Palace backyard in a quiet afternoon, order a handful of Su Mei incense, and face the sunlight, with a calm heart, slowly and carefully embroider on bright yellow silk. Panlong comes in Izumo.

At that time, under the guardianship of Shen Xiyao, what was most concerned about every day was how to embroider this golden dragon out of dignity, out of vulgarity, and embroidered with an attitude of arrogance and contempt for all beings. In this way, it was worthy of that country. Jun, the Lord of common people. And because there is no other important thing, only the embroiderer has worked hard to embroider to the extreme. And every step, I personally do it, no one can touch it.

The embroidering process is long, with only a few stitches a day, but each stitch is left after careful consideration. I only vaguely remembered that a peach blossom outside the west hall had its first leaves, new flowers bloomed, branches multiplied, and its branches fell. But that evening, when I handed it to Shen Xiyao, his eyes were lighter than the whole Kun. All the lights in Ning Palace were even more brilliant, and the joy on his face was like a blooming firework, the light was beyond your eyes. It seems that this purse is the most difficult treasure in the world. I will never forget, he whispered in my ear in a deep and affectionate tone: "Vil, you gave me such a good thing, I am very happy."

Now, I am sitting in his new favorite magnificent palace, looking at the silk thread in my hand, watching the golden dragon that is gradually taking shape, the happiness that was once has long since disappeared. He would still wear it on his body, and was carefully tied to the jade belt by another pair of slender hands. Or, under a pair of red candles, the two commented on the embroiderer of the purse and laughed. And I, after tonight, will return to the narrow bed in the coat bureau, waiting for me tomorrow, as if the clothes that will never be washed, silently count how many more days I can go out of the palace.

A cold smile slowly floated on my lips, but fortunately, it was covered by a veil and would not be noticed. The corners of his eyes were slightly cold, and at some point, there was a teardrop hanging there. I gently raised my hand and wiped away the tears at will, as if brushing off a little dust on my clothes.

Yi Zhaorong went back to the dormitory after I finished removing my purse, leaving only a few court ladies to help. Hui Er proudly said to me: "Just now Father-in-law Zhang came and said that the emperor would eat at the Changchun Palace in the evening." Then she frowned and looked at my purse, smashed her mouth and said: "Xie Niang, you have to hurry up. Embroidery must be done before the emperor comes."

I didn't say a word, leaving all the chaotic thoughts behind, but my subordinates got up faster, just single-mindedly, embroidering the purse into exactly the same shape.

When the golden dragon was half formed, Yi Zhaorong came over. I just thought she was here to see the progress, and didn't want her to take the silk thread from the maid's hand as soon as she entered the door, and sit aside and rub it.

"Manny, let the servants do these tasks." Hui Er said hurriedly.

"You do yours, I can be faster." Yi Zhaorong's smile is like a spring pear flower, soft and intoxicating.

Since she said so, naturally there was no objection, but everyone was becoming more and more facilitating.

Huier brought tea, and by the way filled my tea cup. Yi Zhaorong glanced at the purse in my hand casually, eyes full of shock and surprise.

"Xie Niang, you embroider really well." She applauded: "I didn't expect that you can embroider exactly the same after just looking at it." After that, she added annoyingly: "I am here embroidering. Shang really has no talent, so I can only do pen and ink."

I smiled lightly and said, "This is the cost of making a living, how can I do it badly. The empress is an official daughter, and now she is the emperor's favorite concubine. Naturally, these little things don't need to be handled." I paused and said: "Besides, this kind of embroidery is very time-consuming, and the empress must always be with the emperor, so naturally there is no time."

Yi Zhaorong was not relieved by what I said. She sighed faintly and said: "But the empress has a higher background, the only daughter of the prime minister, and the sister of the important minister. I am afraid that the princess will not be able to match the days before entering the palace, but it is the same thing. Top-notch things."

Her eyes dimmed, and there was inferiority in her voice: "This purse was embroidered by the empress. I also heard that she stroked a good piano, made a good poem, and danced a good dance. The emperor did to her. She never forgets her lotus cheese, and her taste in dressing and makeup is still imitated by palace people."

"I think maybe it's because the empress doesn't do this anymore, that's why everyone thinks it is precious, plus her original identity, it is even more rare. That's why the evaluation is so high." There is no wave in my tone. , As if just saying that the weather is good.

Yi Zhaorong shook his head: "No matter what, she is truly unmatched. Now she is seriously ill, and the emperor doesn't say anything, but I know he is very worried. Alas..." Yi Zhaorong sighed deeply. , Jiaohao’s face appeared grief that the concubine shouldn’t have: "We people, no matter how much we love, how much weight can we have in the heart of the emperor? I’m afraid, even one-tenth of a millionth of the empress’s empress."

"The empress is so spoiled now, the position in the emperor's heart is naturally unmatched. Moreover, if the emperor doesn't have a little bit of the empress in his heart, how can he spoil the empress like this?" I tried to make my tone relaxed: "I listen. Girl Hui'er said that the emperor summoned the most lucky empresses, and even Concubine Liu and Concubine Li could not compare."

"What am I?" Yi Zhaorong waved his hand: "In the beginning, the emperor would eat at the queen's wife every day, and he was accompanied by the queen almost every night." Yi Zhaorong suddenly laughed at herself: "Look. I actually started talking nonsense. How can I compare with the empress? If the emperor hears it, he will surely anger me."

"Just mentioning the empress, will you get angry too?" I asked inexplicably.

Yi Zhaorong nodded: "I heard people say that I am afraid that the Queen Empress will not be able to survive the spring. The emperor values ​​the Empress Empress the most, and will think of this when he mentions it. Therefore, we dare not say it in front of him. What's more, Don’t say I’m a little Zhaorong, even the Princess Liu who gave birth to the princess, the noble concubine, and the concubine, in the heart of the emperor, what qualifications do you have to compare with the empress empress?” Yi Zhaorong took out the silk and wiped it. Wiping his eyes, put on a helpless smile.