Everyone followed the emperor to sprinkle wine on the ground, and respected the heaven and earth to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country. The emperor raised his glass and said, "Come, drink a cup together."

Everyone raised their glasses and said in unison: "Emperor, Empress, please."

The emperor looked at Empress Zhao, and Empress Zhao smiled gently. The emperor and Empress drank to each other, and the others drank all the wine in the glass.

The emperor raised his chopsticks and ate the first bite of the dish before everyone started to turn on it. The weather was cold, and although the imperial chef tried every means to keep it warm, the dishes were still slightly cool when they were delivered to the table. The dishes were still hot and everyone stopped eating them.

Queen Zhao looked at the dance in the hall and frowned slightly, "It's the same when you jump around, there's no newness at all."

The emperor smiled and said, "Today, all the ministers came with their children. Why would they let them perform their talents?"

"Don't the emperor think it's still too boring?" asked Empress Zhao.

"What are the suggestions for Zi Tong?" the emperor asked with a smile.

Empress Zhao thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, it's better to write two sets of the same numbers, so that the young masters and girls present can draw the same number, and it's a pair. After they prepare for a little, they will perform together for everyone. Which pair of performances will be the best? The emperor will reward them. How can you see?"

"Very good." The emperor agreed happily, "People come, prepare paper and pen, write the numbers, put them in the jade tube, and let the young master and the girls sitting draw lots."

"Twelve months a year, just choose twelve right." Empress Zhao gave a wink to the female official who was serving him. The female official stepped down and arranged the lottery draw. The person who was engaged would not participate. After all, if the person who drew was not his own fiancée, the matter would be more awkward. Shen Danxia gently patted her chest, but fortunately she got engaged and escaped, otherwise she really didn't know what to perform?

"The emperor, let's have fun together, too." Zhao Hou said with a smile.

"Yes, mother." The eldest prince stood up and responded.

Soon the candidates were collected, and the eldest prince drew No. 6, and the woman drew No. 6 was Ma Chulian, the legitimate daughter of Ma Zhengsi, the young minister of Taichang Temple; Zhao Hou laughed and said, "You all go down and prepare first. A quarter of an hour later, the two people drew No. 1 came up to perform and took turns to take them one by one. If you need any musical instruments or vessels, tell Eunuch Lu, Xiaosi, please take them down."

The palace maid standing beside Queen Zhao bowed and said, "Yes, Empress." Xiao Si walked to the eldest prince and bowed and said, "Big Prince, all the young masters, please come with me." He took them out of the main hall.

A quarter of an hour passed quickly. The first pair performed the third son of Xu Sheng, the Minister of Rites, and Peng Xin, the daughter of Peng Xian, the Chief of Jindu Prefecture; Shen Danxia's mouth twitched, is this called the enemy's road narrow?

Xu Sheng and Peng Xin are cousins ​​in terms of etiquette and law. Both of them have learned six arts, one playing the flute and the other playing the piano. Except for the initial part is a bit uncoordinated, the next one is smoother and average. One pair of them goes to the hall to perform, and it is soon the turn of the eldest prince and Ma Chulian to perform.

The eldest prince plays the piano, while Ma Chulian dances. Although girls learn to dance for their beautiful demeanor, few people will perform in public at banquets. A hint of contempt flashed in Queen Zhao's eyes. Small families are small families, and things that are not on the table are just right for that evil son.

The melodious sound of the piano sounded, which was "Autumn Water". When the moon sets deeper, the arms are weaker than the heavy anvil and pestle, and the heart is busy, but I am afraid that the sound of pounding is slow. I am not a businessman's wife, and the merchant trades east and west. I am not a slutty wife, who is lonely and empty room for whom I suffer? I guard the border for the country, and the golden mail crosses the purple horse. I go from Liang for thirty autumns, and die as a temple and a marquis. I am not a bad person in this way, and I am pounding clothes for you every year.

Ma Chulian danced with her hands hanging down, wearing a thin silk shirt and a long silk belt. Perhaps she was nervous. When she started, she stepped on the long silk belt and then she gradually became better. After the song, the dance stopped with the sound, "Papapa..." Zhao Hou was the first to applaud.

After the eldest prince and Ma Chulian bowed and left, the seventh pair began the performance. The man was Zhang Fang, the second son of Changning Bo Mansion, and the woman was Deng Ran, the mansion of Jingguo Duke. The two played the piano and zheng together. Their ensemble was "Flowing Spring on the Stone", which was a description of Gao Yi's hermit wandering in the mountains, forests, valleys, enjoying himself and leisurely and relaxed.

The mountains are high and dense, and the forests are dense. From the valley where the air is filled with air, the leisurely singing of the woodcutter is heard. The echo of the valley becomes more and more deep. The sound of the water is looming, and the hanging spring waterfall is from far to near, either quiet and gentle, or turbulent flow.

The two of them worked together as before, and they cooperated perfectly. Everyone was addicted to it and savored it for a long time. The music stopped, and the emperor applauded on the spot, saying, "What a "Flower on the Stone", the sound of the piano is subtle and deep, the sound of the piano is pure and graceful, and the sound of the piano is harmonious and complementary."

After the twelve pairs of men and women finished their performance, the emperor and Empress Zhao discussed it, selected the top three, and then generously gave generous rewards. The lively and festive luncheon ended, and the ministers and their families left the palace and returned home.

The eldest prince sent Empress Zhao back to Qiyi Palace. Empress Zhao took off her heavy phoenix crown and changed into her light clothes before she spoke, "That girl, what do you think?"

"What's wrong?" The eldest prince was puzzled.

"I see you are very compatible. Do you want me to issue an order to marry you?" Zhao Hou asked with a smile.

"My mother, please don't make such jokes." The eldest prince said, Zhengyan.

"I'm not kidding, I'm serious. Men get married when they are old and women get married when they are old. It's time for you to marry and have children, and you'll have a family." Zhao Hou said with a smile.

"Didn't my mother always want me to marry the Zhao daughter, why did she suddenly change her mind?" asked the eldest prince.

"If you don't like it, I can't force you to marry me, right?" Zhao Hou sighed.

"I don't like this girl, I don't like it either. Mother, don't make random assignments." The eldest prince stood up and said.

Empress Zhao's eyes flashed and said, "What kind of girl do you like? Tell the Empress, who will choose for you according to your wishes."

"My mother doesn't have to be so anxious. When I find the girl I like, I will ask my mother to marry me." The eldest prince saluted, "If the mother has nothing to do, please allow the son to surrender."

"Go and go." Zhao Hou waved his hand.

The eldest prince took three steps, turned around, and left with great strides. Empress Zhao stared at his back. The look was definitely not the look of a mother looking at her son. It was full of malice. The palace maid who came in to deliver tea saw it and shook her hands in shock. Empress Zhao heard it and swept her cold eyes, "What a courage, without Xuanzhao, what do you want to do when you come in?"

The palace maid knelt down, placed the tray in front, kowtowed and said, "It was the eldest prince who asked the maid to bring tea in to quench the thirst of the empress."

Empress Zhao calmed down the coldness on her face and said, "Put down the tea and go out."

"Yes, Empress." The palace maid picked up the tray tremblingly, stood up from the ground, and walked towards Zhao Hou.

When Zhao Hou waited for her to approach, he grabbed her arm, "What did you see just now?"

"I saw His Highness the Great Prince's face full of anger. When I went out, I hit me and almost knocked over the tray." The palace maid had already thought of a lie on the short road on the ground. She couldn't let Zhao Hou know that she saw Zhao Hou's ferocious side.

Empress Zhao let go of her hand, leaned back, and said coldly: "Go out."

The palace maid bent her knees, took three steps back, turned around, and left quickly.

The next day, the emperor conveyed his decree to reward the great victory. Yan Jintian was no longer a fifth-rank guard under the name of the Imperial Guard, but a fourth-rank chief minister of the Jindu City Guards. Xu Lang, the deputy envoy of the Imperial Guards who served as the commander of the Guards, was also promoted to half a level and became the chief envoy of the Fifth-rank imperial guards. Everyone else received corresponding rewards, either promoted, remembered military achievements, or obtained property.

In order to thank Xu Lang for his life-saving grace, the eldest prince gave him a farm with 200 acres of fertile land and 100 acres of orchards. Mrs. Xu asked Xu Lang for the land deed, and Xu Lang handed over the land deed, "Grandmother, what do you want this?"

Mrs. Xu turned around and handed over the deed to her confidant nanny Yu, saying, "Put this into the betrothal gift."

"Grandmother, Aunt Tao wants to stay Ninth Sister for one or two more years." Xu Lang reminded her.

"I know, I know, okay, there's nothing you have to do here, go back to your room and rest." Mrs. Xu drove the people away.

In the evening of that day, the 10-month-old pregnancy was full and the melon was ripe. Yuan Qingyin gave birth to her and Shen Bomi's second son. The little guy weighed six kilograms and six kilograms, so he continued his brother's nickname. The nickname Dow gave to his grandson was six kilograms and six kilograms.

The next day, when Mrs. Xu went to Renyi Bo Mansion, the Shen family happened to send red eggs according to customs. Mrs. Xu took the opportunity to say to Tao's mother: "I remember that Bermi is more than one year younger than my Lang Ge'er. Oh, he has a second son, and my Lang Ge'er has not yet married."

Tao's mother was obedient and naturally understood what she meant. She also knew that Mrs. Xu didn't like Shen's mother, so she would look far away. This is a good marriage that is well-known, and her granddaughter has already reached the end of the world, so there is no need to delay. Tao's mother smiled and said, "It's time to see that it's the end of the year, and I'm afraid this year will not work. Let's start spring next year."

"Then I'll be happy that you can say a few more good things for my Lang Ge'er." Mrs. Xu smiled.

"Don't worry, don't worry." Tao's mother smiled.

Mrs. Xu returned home happily.

Time flies very quickly, and it is soon the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. Empress Zhao summoned the daughters of several fourth-rank officials, Jin Jian. At noon, she even gave a banquet and ordered the palace maid to invite the eldest prince to come over. The eldest prince used the excuse to accompany the emperor to have a meal, but did not go to Qiyi Palace.

On the 12th, Empress Zhao summoned several third-rank officials' daughters to the palace, and gave a banquet at noon and sent someone to invite the emperor and the eldest prince to come for dinner. As soon as the emperor invited him, he came, but the eldest prince left the palace and was not in the palace.

Empress Zhao was not discouraged. On the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth, he summoned several unmarried girls to the palace in succession, and the eldest prince made excuses to not go to Qiyi Palace. The eldest prince avoided his views again and again, making Empress Zhao so angry that he smashed six sets of tea sets. Empress Zhao, who had no choice but to do anything, found two beautiful palace maids and sent them to the eldest prince's bedroom. That night, the eldest prince stayed in Qinzheng Hall.

The next day, the eldest prince ran to the emperor and cried, saying that he had not wanted to marry a wife for the time being and begged his father to save him. Seeing that his son was crying pitifully, the emperor couldn't bear it for a moment, so he went to Qiyi Palace and talked to Empress Zhao for half an hour. Empress Zhao temporarily stopped and the eldest prince gained temporary tranquility.

It was the end of the year. On New Year's Eve, the second and third bedrooms gathered at the old house for New Year's Eve dinner. The situation was similar to that, first went to the ancestral hall to worship ancestors, then had New Year's Eve dinner, and then stayed up with the New Year. On the long night, the men went out to set off fireworks and spent their time. Shen's mother and three daughters-in-law gathered together to play the Leaf Card. Wei Mudan and Zhou Wan'er sat next to Zhou, one left and one right, watching the cards, Yuan Qingyin and Yan Suxin were also serving Tao.

Five girls sat around the kang, rolling dices more than the size. Chen Danxia's gambling luck was good. When he was right at the right time, the small box containing silver croaker, silver peanuts and silver melon seeds was already full; Chen Dan lost the most, and there were only two silver melon seeds left in the small box.

"Sister Jiu, are you cheating? Why do you always win?" Chen Dannian pouted.

Chen Danxia glanced at her, grabbed a handful of people in the box, and handed it to Shiqin, "You have been serving you for so long, thank you for your hard work, just take it away." He told Chen Dannian with his actions that she didn't take this little money seriously, and it was even more impossible for him to cheat for such little money, so that Chen Dannian would not be able to save her a gentleman's ambition for such little money.

Chen Danxun also couldn't see her stingy and shabby, and said, "Twelve sisters, I'm willing to accept the loss."

Chen Dannian rolled his eyes and said, "You didn't lose, of course you can pretend to be generous and sarcastic."

Chen Danxia closed the lid and stood up and said, "It's boring to stop playing. Sister Ten, let's go out to watch the brothers set off fireworks."

"Okay." Chen Danxun responded with a smile. Although the honest and taciturn Chen Danli didn't say anything, she held the small box and followed the two of them. Chen Dan glared at Chen Dan angrily, blaming her for not speaking out.

Chen Danxia took Chen Danxun and Shen Danli to the outside for a walk, and tried to set off a few fireworks himself. When the cold wind blew, he sneezed. Shen Bomi drove her away, "It's wind blowing, go back to the house."

Chen Danxia had to take his two sisters back to the house, not wanting to play dice anymore, so he found five round pebbles and grabbed stones. The sound of the clock came faintly, and Chen Muzai led his family to pick up the gods, ate the dumplings, and went back to his room to rest. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Chen Muke and Tao entered the palace to congratulate. When they were about to come back, after lunch, the second and third rooms went home.

On the second day of the lunar month, Chen Danxia followed his parents, brothers and sisters-in-law to Renyi Bo Mansion to pay New Year greetings to his grandfather, grandmother, uncle and aunt. Tao Qing and Tao Jie also brought his husband and children to pay New Year greetings to his grandfather, grandmother, father and mother.

In the third year of junior high school, Shen Bomi took his eldest son to accompany Yuan Qingyin to his parents' home, and Shen Boyu accompanied Yan Suxin to his parents' home.

On the eighth day of the lunar month, the streets and alleys of Jindu were decorated with lights, warming up for the Shangyuan Festival. On the 14th day of the first lunar month, Chen Danxia received a set of faces from Xu Lang and a flower note. The flower note read, "On the day of the Yuan Dynasty, the lights are like day, and the magpie bridge is waiting for the beauty. Langjun."

Chen Danxia laughed and replied to a flower note that said: "The moon rises to the willows, and after dusk, I will meet a good man on the magpie bridge."

The next day on the Lantern Festival, Chen Danxia begged Tao for a long time, and Tao promised to let her go out to watch the lights, but he made a request, "Sit in the carriage and watch, and come back early."

Chen Danxia responded obediently. In the evening, he took out the set of decorations made of blood jade made of Xu Lang sent someone yesterday, such as hairpins, earrings, bracelets, arms, collars, forehead pendants, and jade pendants. They were red like blood, without any impurities, and the workmanship was also very exquisite, beautiful and charming.

Chen Danxia wore a moon-white embroidered red plum with her collar and jacket, a water-red long skirt, a concentric bun, a blood jade ornament sent by Xu Lang, and a snow fox fur, taking Mo Shi and Mo Wu Xiang, Mo Li and Mo Qi went out to the streets.

The carriage stopped beside the Magpie Bridge. Chen Danxia got off the carriage and looked around. He didn't see Xu Lang. He looked up at the Magpie Bridge and smiled. On the bridge, there was a man wearing a moon-white bamboo-embroidered brocade robe. He was waiting for her there. Chen Danxia climbed up the steps and walked towards him step by step.

Xu Lang stared at the girl walking towards him, with obvious stunning eyes. The hairpin was heavy, the lotus bun was slanted, and the lotus steps were particularly beautiful. Chen Danxia walked up to him and looked at him with his eyes as bright as water. He asked with a smile: "Is it good?"

"It's unparalleled." Xu Lang praised.

Chen Danxia had curved eyebrows and eyes, and then asked, "Is it my beauty or a beauty in decoration?"

"If there is no Jiuer, this jewelry can only be placed on the shelf and covered with dust. When I saw it, I knew that only you could make it beautiful to the extreme." Xu Lang said seriously.

Chen Danxia's lips raised, her bright eyes flowed, and her smile was like a flower. When she saw the lantern rack under the bridge, she said, "Brother Lang, let's stop standing here, go guess the riddle."

"Okay." Xu Lang stretched out his hand at her.

Chen Danxia put his little hand in his palm, his fingers were linked, and he walked under the bridge. Standing in front of the lantern rack, Xu Lang asked, "Where do you like?"

Chen Danxia looked at the tallest lantern painted with the scattered flowers on the shelf, "Can I want that?"

Xu Lang pointed to the lantern and said to the stall owner: "Get down that lantern."

The stall owner took down the lantern, held it in both hands and handed it to Xu Lang; Xu Lang took the lantern and asked, "How much?"

"This lamp was used by the villain to support the storefront, a monday of silver, but if the young master can guess the riddle, there will be thirty copper plates." The stall owner smiled.

"Please ask for a puzzle." Xu Lang said calmly.
To be continued...