The Moon Over Tang Dynasty

Chapter 129: Such a confidant has no intention of interfering

Opening the six-petal lotus cover inlaid with a bead, a strange fragrance suddenly hit my face. I saw that in this five-inch square gilt silver box with folded branches and lotus leaf patterns, there was a whole box... slightly apricot yellow. face powder.

Liuli stretched out her fingers to dip some in it, and rubbed it slightly with her fingertips. She felt that it was soft and greasy, and the fragrance was extremely fragrant. She raised her head and looked at Yang Sixiniang, who was smiling and silent across from her, but with a rather expectant look in her eyes. , asked uncertainly, "Is this a bath bean?"

Yang Sixiniang immediately smiled and nodded, "Auntie, you really have good eyesight. Even among my sisters, several of them recognized it as red face powder or forehead powder."

Liuli smiled awkwardly. She actually didn't have good eyesight, but she never used anything like red powder or forehead yellow. Among the things she used, bath beans were powdered in a big box. However, compared with the box in front of me, my own bath beans, which are just bean noodles mixed with three spices, are probably only suitable for washing feet.

Yang Sixiniang smiled and said, "This recipe for bath beans was obtained by an elder in the family from Zhenren Sun. I have copied it here. If you think it's okay for you to use it, you can use it in the future." Match it yourself." He handed a piece of paper to Liuli's hand.

When I took Liuli in my hand and took a look, the more I looked at it, the more frightened I became - "Lilac, agarwood, green wood incense, peach blossoms, stalactite powder, pearls, jade shavings, Sichuan water flowers, papaya flowers, three liang each, Naihua, pear blossom, red Four liang each of lotus flower, plum flower, cherry flower, white hollyhock flower, and inula flower, and one baht of musk. Pound the flowers separately, grind the other fragrances separately, grind the pearls and jade shavings into powder, and combine with soybean powder. Qihe, grind it a thousand times, store it tightly and don’t leak it; often wash your face and make up, your face will be like jade in a hundred days..." Grinding so many weird things a thousand times? She would probably do this only if she was idle and crazy!

Looking at the box of powder in front of her, she suddenly felt awe-inspiring. Even a box of gold powder couldn't be more expensive. She couldn't help but sigh and looked at Yang Sixiniang, "Sixteenth Mother, This bath bean is too expensive, Liuli really can’t afford it!”

Yang Sixiniang said hurriedly, "What did you say, aunt? It's just a box of bath beans. It's rare for us to get along. These bath beans were just given to me by someone else. If I don't use them up and keep them for a long time, won't they be spoiled in vain?" She looked at Liuli and smiled, "It's just that my skin is like jade. Could it be that this thing is just useless?"

Liuli could only smile and said, "Sixteenth Mother, please don't make fun of me. I still despise such a good thing. Isn't it unjust? It's just that I have received my sister's love, and I feel guilty." But she became more and more confused in her heart, what exactly did this person want? What to do?

It had only been three days since the Furong Banquet, and now the turmoil was in full swing. Hearing that Cui's mother was ill, Cui went straight back to her family that day, but the eldest princess was also bedridden. Cui's brother and sister-in-law sent her back to serve her. The illness, for some reason, did not stay, so the Cui family announced that their daughter was "stupid by nature and could not be driven." The eldest princess's illness became a little more serious... Now there were rumors outside that she did not even dare to go out. , I thought that Yang Sixiniang would have something important to do when she came to the door, but now she still didn't say anything serious. Could it be that she was just giving a gift and saying nothing before leaving?

When Yang Sixiniang saw Liuli accepting the silver box, she smiled even more joyfully, "What are you talking about, aunt? Who can not love your character? Then Cen Niang of the Cui family is the most cold-tempered and unsociable person. Didn’t we feel like old friends at first sight? And Leng Niang and Li Luo, such talented women, are also heartbroken when they meet Auntie!”

 A drop of cold sweat slipped down the back of Liuli's head, and she didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Yang Sixiniang smiled and changed the topic, "Auntie, I don't seem to like to go out on weekdays. I wonder what you like to do at home?"

Liuli breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "It's just writing and drawing."

Yang Sixiniang raised her eyebrows with interest, "I have long heard that my aunt is good at painting. I wonder if I can give you a reward?"

Liuli hurriedly stood up and said, "What's wrong with this? They're all hung in the study. It's better if you don't mind the clumsy work."

Yang Sixiniang turned around and ordered the two maids, "You clumsy guys, please don't damage the calligraphy and paintings in the aunt's study. Just wait in this room."

Liuli's heart moved and she glanced at Ayan, "You guys go and ask the kitchen to make two lotus leaf drinks and bring them over when they're ready." He led Yang Liuniang through the East Room and arrived at the innermost room. study.

In the study, several of Liuli's most satisfying paintings have been framed and hung on the wall. On the east wall is a portrait of Pei Xingjian. There is no background. The figure and folds of clothes are also outlined with simple lines, but the face is borrowed from it. He invented the "ink bone" painting method of the Ming Dynasty, using thick and light ink colors to create three-dimensional shadows, and then adding color to highlight them. In addition, there is a painting of flowers and birds, and a painting of ink bamboo. The most eye-catching one is the meticulous and heavy-color peony painting on the west wall. The red peonies are rendered layer by layer with thick eos red, which is so gorgeous that you can’t take it away. When I opened my eyes, there were two poems written by Pei Xingjian in the blank space: "Last night there was wind and rain, and this morning the dew has opened."

Liuli glanced at this poem and immediately felt guilty. She hurriedly took a look at Yang Sixiniang, but saw that she was just staring at the portrait of Pei Xingjian with a look of surprise on her face. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief: the portraits at this time had smooth lines. , with a vivid expression, but it doesn’t really resemble him, let alone the three-dimensional sense of the face. Pei Xingjian was amazed for a long time after this portrait was painted, let alone outsiders...

Yang Sixiniang was stunned for a long time, and then she came back to her senses. She hurriedly asked Liuli how she could draw this portrait so realistically. Liuli had to choose words that she could understand and explained the painting techniques as simply as possible. He added with a smile, "Actually, this kind of painting is not uncommon in Xizhou, but it's probably rare to see it in Chang'an."

Yang Sixiniang nodded and sighed, "I have never seen such a portrait before. When I entered the door, I felt like I saw Pei Ming's Mansion standing over there!" She looked at the layout of the study carefully and sighed, "Pei Ming's Mansion" You are such a caring person, the utensils in this study are actually more exquisite than those in the main hall, which shows that you feel sorry for him." As he said that, he praised Liuli from head to toe.

Liuli felt cold all over after hearing this, and said with a smile, "Sixteenth Mother, please don't praise me like this. Liuli is just an ordinary person. If there is anything that is slightly better than ordinary people, it is at best luck."

Yang Sixiniang let out a long sigh, "How can luck be so easy to come by in this world? There is no woman in the world who is not willing to be with the one she loves and stay together forever, but the men in this world are the most fond of the new and dislike the old, and they always change their minds when they see the new." . Only the most capable woman can hold them firmly in hand!"

She looked at Liuli and smiled a little sadly, "Auntie is just afraid that she is laughing at me for coming to disturb me when I have nothing to do all day long, but I don't know that a woman like me who has no relationship with a husband can only pass the time by visiting relatives and friends. It’s just a day.” Liuli felt her tongue was a little knotted, and she really didn’t know how to answer these words. She vaguely remembered that Lu Jinniang seemed to have mentioned that this sixteenth mother’s husband had many concubines, but how could she do such a thing? Good rating? He could only smile and said, "I'm bored at home too. It's really a wish for my sister to come see me."

Yang Sixiniang glanced at Liuli sadly and said faintly, "Auntie, I don't know something. Now I don't have a child under my knees. Everyone says that I have a bad temper and can't win over my husband, but they don't know that he is You don't even bother to look at me. You live in the mansion over there, either watching your concubines competing or listening to my sisters-in-law's jokes, so I can only come out to annoy you, and I feel a little better. "

She suddenly looked at Liuli with eager eyes and grabbed Liuli's hand. "Auntie, I often think that I would be half as good as you! It goes without saying that Pei Ming's house treats you well. In such a situation as the Furong Banquet, Cen Niang is not suspicious of you, and the prince is willing to tell you that he has only been here for two or three breaths, so you can see that they treat you differently. Is there any way you can teach me? It’s good for Ken to look at me directly.”

Her fingers tightened tighter and tighter, and she was trembling slightly. Liuli looked at this face that was suddenly filled with anxiety and longing, and felt it was extremely funny, but also a little creepy. She dared others to call her a foxy girl, but she just said it smoothly. It was just a scolding, but the person in front of me truly felt that she was a great fox immortal, and she truly came to ask her for advice on the art of fox charm—I’m afraid this was her idea from the first time she came here as a guest!

Liuli couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Sister, you also know what happened that day. The prince only wanted to help Pei Yushi, so what does it have to do with me?"

But Yang Sixiniang shook her head resolutely, "Auntie, please don't coax me. I saw clearly what happened that day. Not to mention the prince, even Pei Yushi looked at you differently. Auntie, others don't know, but I I know that you were willing to help Shun Niang when you first met her. She became...favored within a few days after she met you. Later, when you entered the palace and helped Zhaoyi like that, the Lord never went anywhere else. , why can't you help me today? No matter how Shun Niang and Zhao Yi treat you, I will never be even half worse than them in the future!"

Liuli was really dumbfounded this time. Isn't this man's imagination too rich? But can you say this nonsense? She had suffered a lot because she helped Wu Zetian make clothes. As Yang Liuniang's cousin of the Wu family, if these words were to spread... Liuli quickly held her arm with her backhand, "Sister, be gentler. There is really no way to talk about these things, and Liuli cannot bear these words. It would be an unforeseen disaster if someone hears them! If my sister asks Liuli to help with something else, Liuli will never refuse, but..."

Yang Sixiniang's eyes suddenly shone with light, "As long as you are willing to help me! Don't worry, if you helped me today, how could I say these things to others? Wouldn't I be ruining my own path?"

 What she means is that if she doesn’t help her today, she will say something? How could he get into such paranoia? Now that she has spoken like this, it seems that if she doesn't deal with her, there will be real troubles. Liuli's mind changed quickly and she sighed, "It's not that I don't want to help you! Logically speaking, my sister is the first one to come see me after I got married, and she takes good care of me in every way, but this matter is really a bit difficult. , not everyone can do it.”

A smile immediately appeared on Yang Sixiniang's face, "Of course I know this won't be easy. If you tell me, I will try my best to do it. If I can't do it, it's because I am unlucky. Is it possible that I can still do it?" Blame you?"

Liuli was silent, but in her mind she was thinking about how to come up with an impossible way to win favor. She accidentally scanned the portrait of Pei Xingjian, and she had an idea and pointed at the portrait: "Sister, I also felt that the portrait was different from other people's. Is it different?"

Yang Sixiniang turned her head and looked around, with a look of sudden realization on her face: "Auntie, I mean, that portrait..."

Liuli nodded solemnly, "Exactly. Every day at noon, put a peach blossom in front of the portrait in spring, a white lotus in summer, chrysanthemums in autumn, and winter plums in winter, and pray silently, the more the portrait will look like. The more lifelike it is, the more effective it is. If it's not, the effect is hard to tell. "It's impossible for her to paint her husband, and it's probably not easy for her to find a painter who can create such a portrait, right?"

 Seeing that Yang Sixiniang's face was filled with joy, she grabbed Liuli's hand and shook it, "Good girl, thank you very much for teaching me today. You are a great kindness and kindness. I will never forget it forever!"

Liuli hurriedly lowered her voice, "It doesn't matter if I repay you or not, you must not let others know about this."

Yang Liuniang hurriedly swore and thanked her profusely, then she went away satisfied. Liuli sent her to the screen door and watched her go away. She couldn't help but shake her head and couldn't laugh or cry. When she turned around, she saw A Ni and Xiao Tan. Both of them had expressions of suppressing laughter. Xiaotan laughed and said, "I just realized today that my wife never blinks when she lies!"

Liuli was taken aback for a moment, then deliberately turned down her face and said, "You two are so brave!"

Ayan hurriedly smiled and said, "Madam, don't blame them. It turns out that I thought this Yang Sixiniang was too weird, so I asked them to go to the back window to listen, so as not to cause any trouble and make Madam suffer, but I didn't expect that. What a confused person!”

Liuli returned to the house, thinking about how Yang Sixiniang would "do it" after she returned. The more she thought about it, the happier she became. When Pei Xingjian came back, she wanted to tell him the joke, but Pei Xingjian walked in and said, "Go quickly Pick a few gifts, we will go back to your home early tomorrow morning."

p.s. Bath beans are an ancient "soap" mixed with bean flour and spices. It is in powder form (there is a joke in the Southern and Northern Dynasties about someone going to the toilet in a wealthy family, and the maid brought bath beans and hot water. The man smelled it. It smells delicious, so I poured the bath beans into the water, and then, um, drank it.) The recipe of the bath beans here comes from Sun Simiao's "Qian Jin Yifang" - Sun Lao Shenxian is really one expert and versatile!

Thank you dear classmate Gu Xiaoyan. Every time I receive the Heshi Bi, I feel very scared. Thank you nana0310, Zhengdu Zhengdu, Mo Yue Lingxi, bwlli and Le Youyang. (Everyone is so loving, Alan is getting more and more embarrassed to stop updating...)

 (End of this chapter)