0p0 Chapter 253: Arriving at the Palace and Being Ridiculed
Chapter 253: Arriving at the Palace and Being Ridiculed
After a short rest, the team set out again. When it was almost dark, they finally arrived at the Rehe Palace.
Shi Nanxi got off the carriage and looked curiously at the Rehe Palace in front of him, which was also the famous Chengde Mountain Resort in his previous life.
What caught my eye was a tall building with a plaque in the middle that read "Summer Resort". Under the building was a red-painted wooden gate, which was very large and wide. At this moment, it was wide open, and a group of people were standing in front of the gate to welcome the emperor.
From behind those people, you can vaguely see various buildings and tall trees of different species. In the remaining glow in the sky, it gives people a feeling of tranquility and elegance.
Shi Nanxi slowly exhaled, feeling relaxed and happy. It was indeed a royal garden and a historical treasure. Just a glimpse of it made him feel that the trip was worthwhile.
"… Madam, this is the Rehe Palace. It is very different from the Forbidden City, and…" Hongying took a deep breath and exclaimed, "It feels like my breath is sweet."
After saying this, he felt that he had made a fuss out of nothing and was ignorant, that he had made a fool of himself and brought shame to the Empress, and his face turned red.
Shi Nanxi did not feel embarrassed about Hongying. At this moment, her brows, which had been furrowed since she started traveling, relaxed. She stroked Xixi's head in her arms and said,
"The natural scenery here is beautiful, the air is fresh, and the quality of the air we breathe is much better than that in Beijing. In a sense, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is sweet."
Hongying originally lowered her head in embarrassment, but she did not expect that the Empress actually agreed with her words. Her face became hot for a moment, but she was no longer embarrassed. She raised her head and looked around happily.
Nanny Yang's serious face also relaxed a little.
In front, Imperial Concubine Nianhulu was about to lead Imperial Concubine Tong and Chen Da Ying to the main gate. She caught a glimpse of Shi Nanxi and his servant, who looked inexperienced, and a trace of contempt suddenly flashed through her heart.
As expected, he grew up in Zhuangzi. Look at his modest appearance. So she deliberately stopped and greeted Shi Nanxi:
"Sister Concubine Xian, you have been staring at the palace, but you like it very much. This is your first time here. I tell you, this palace looks good from the outside, but it is even better inside. There are mountains, lakes, rockeries, pavilions, towers, and temples. There are all kinds of scenery, but the emperor is being welcomed in front, so we should hurry over. There will be plenty of time to see more later."
His words were well-reasoned, as if he was enthusiastically introducing the Rehe Palace to Shi Nanxi, but in fact he was implicitly mocking Shi Nanxi for being narrow-minded and petty.
Shi Nanxi held the handkerchief tightly, without any embarrassment on her face. She was not very experienced to begin with, having grown up in Zhuangzi, and everyone knew that. She glanced at the concubines who were gathering here, and she apologized to Concubine Niu Hulu in a gentle voice:
"Thank you for your reminder, Sister Imperial Concubine. This is my first time in the Rehe Palace. I was so dazzled by this fairyland-like place that I almost made mistakes. I am really rude. Please forgive me, Sister."
In addition to Shi Nanxi, several of the concubines who had gathered here were also here for the first time. When they saw the Rehe Palace just now, they were so shocked that they couldn't recover.
Hearing what Concubine Nianhulu said, he lowered his head with an expression of shame and embarrassment, feeling a burning pain on his face. However, after hearing Concubine Xian's appropriate and frank words, his heart suddenly relaxed, his expression became better, and he was secretly grateful to Concubine Xian.
Concubine Niuhulu looked at Shi Nanxi, then glanced at the expressions of the concubines around her, cursing in her heart, saying that she was really good at pretending. However, on the surface, she acted generous and amiable in front of everyone.
"Sister, you are so polite. This is your first time in Rehe Palace. You will feel better after coming here a few more times."
Then he didn't want to say anything more and said directly:
"Let's reunite with the Emperor."
After that, she led the group towards the gate. Tong Guiren and Chen Da Ying, who followed behind her, quickly bowed to Shi Nanxi and followed.
Shi Nanxi glanced at the three people and paused at the last one, Chen Da Ying. Chen Da Ying seemed to sense something and subconsciously looked back, just in time to meet Shi Nanxi's gaze. Shi Nanxi didn't realize at all that she was caught and peeped at.
Facing Chen Da Ying who was looking up, she pursed her lips and smiled, looking gentle and kind.
Chen Da Ying suddenly clenched her handkerchief, turned around, took two steps, thought of something, stopped, and hurriedly bowed to Shi Nanxi.
"Empress?" Hongying saw that the Empress was not leaving and reminded her softly.
Shi Nanxi slowly withdrew her gaze and walked towards the door.
After all the concubines gathered, they followed the emperor into the palace as everyone knelt to greet him.
The Rehe Palace is almost eight times larger than the Forbidden City. It is quiet and elegant. It has the dignity and luxury of the Qing royal family, and incorporates the characteristics of the Jiangnan water towns and the northern grasslands. Now in late autumn, the falling maple leaves are poetic and picturesque, like a fairyland on earth, it is beautiful beyond words.
According to the arrangement made in advance, everyone went to their respective temporary palaces. Shi Nanxi did not live with the other concubines in the inner palace complex, but lived with Kangxi in Yanbo Zhishuang Palace, which was also Kangxi's exclusive palace.
The main hall of Yanbo Zhishuang Hall is three rooms wide, with two side halls in the east and west, and two small courtyards connected to the back. Shi Nanxi lives in the east courtyard.
After she arrived, she looked around the east wing, then sat on a chair with Xixi in her arms to rest. Hongying and Nanny Yang took Qing'er and others to pack their luggage.
Just then, Xiao Ruzi came in with Xiao Fuzi who served in front of the emperor.
"Your Majesty, the eunuch Xiao Fuzi in front of the emperor is here."
Shi Nanxi looked up at the person who came, and it was indeed Xiao Fuzi. Behind him were two little eunuchs, each holding a tray with an exquisite vase on it.
"Greetings to Her Majesty Empress Xian, may Her Majesty be blessed with good health." Little Fuzi had a respectful yet flattering smile on his face, and he bowed neatly as soon as he came in.
Shi Nanxi touched Xixi's back and said, "Uncle Xiao Fuzi, get up quickly. What's wrong with you?" When she saw the vase, she knew what was going on, but she looked puzzled.
Xiao Fuzi stood up with a smile and said, "Your Majesty, I am here to bring you a vase under the order of the Emperor."
As he spoke, he turned sideways and asked the two young eunuchs behind him to step forward. At the same time, the vases they were holding moved closer so that they could be seen more clearly.
I saw a vase with a lipped mouth, a long neck, sloping shoulders, a bulging belly and a ring foot. It was shaped like an olive and looked beautiful and elegant. The color was pink and the porcelain was white and exquisite, with a soft texture. It was so delicate and beautiful that people fell in love with it at first sight.
"Your Highness, the Emperor knows that you want to grow begonias, so he specially ordered me to bring you these two olive vases with pink bat peach patterns for you to grow flowers. Your Highness, these two olive vases are his favorites, and now he has asked me to give them to you to arrange flowers, which shows how much he loves you. Congratulations, Your Highness."
Xiao Fuzi nodded and bowed with an enthusiastic attitude, and was also amazed in her heart that Empress Xian was really favored.
Shi Nanxi naturally liked such a precious and beautiful thing, and more importantly, it was Kangxi's intention. She showed a surprised expression and said happily:
"Hongying, Qing'er, quickly put away the olive bottle. This is a gift from the Emperor. Be careful. And Nanny Yang, quickly fetch the bunch of begonias. I will put them in the vase myself and wait for the Emperor to come and admire them together."
You should accept gifts from others with joy. The more you show that you appreciate and love the gift, the happier the person giving the gift will be, and he or she will be more likely to give you something good next time.
When Xiao Fuzi heard this, the smile on her face deepened.
"As long as your majesty likes it, the emperor is currently discussing matters with his court officials. He asked me to pass on a message saying that you have been exhausted from the journey and that you should take a rest first. When he is done, he will accompany you to enjoy the hot spring."
Shi Nanxi was surprised again, and was so happy that she asked someone to give Xiao Fuzi a big reward.