Chapter 21 Fireworks

In the Empress Dowager.

The delicate copper furnace exudes a faint fragrance. Empress Dowager Renyu closed her eyes and half leaned against a mahogany carved chair, standing beside several maidservants and old women who were nearly 70 years old.

"Thirty years..." Empress Dowager Renyu's eyes are still closed, but there is unconcealed desolation in her tone. "It's been 30 years..."

Thirty years of memories flowed through the eyes like a flash in the pan:

In the 36th year of Lanyuan, Qi Lan, who was still strong, passed the throne to the concubine prince born by Concubine Rou, Qi Chang, and changed his name to Changyuan the following year.

In the seventh year of Changyuan, Concubine Yu, the current Empress Dowager Renyu, gave birth to a boy for Qi Lan, who had already retired, and was canonized as the King of Xingle. In the same year, another concubine gave birth to a girl for Qi Lan. This woman is Qi Yu's biological mother, Princess Fengran.

The time can be traced back to the fifth year of Changyuan, the deep winter.

That winter, Qi had a rare heavy snowfall for decades, and the whole palace was covered with heavy snow. That is, Qi Chang, who had succeeded to the throne for five years, suddenly fell in love with listening to the play, and he began to summon the world's famous actors to enter the palace to perform for him.

However, Emperor Qi did not like the songs sung by those actors. Later, Emperor Qi dictated the story to the official in charge of etiquette and music, and asked them to arrange the actors to perform according to the story they said.

Concubine Yu clearly remembers that the name of the play is the noble concubine drunk.

The actor in colorful clothes flew lightly in the snow, making her obsessed song echo in the cold air:

Love and hate in an instant, raise your glass and fall in love with the moon, love and hate, and ask you when to fall in love. **Tai's reflection of the bright moon, who knows that my love is cold, drunk in the arms of the king, dreaming back to the love of the Tang Dynasty.

Yufei didn't know that there was such a beautiful song in the world. She watched the actor fall into the snow with tears as if he were drunk. Since then, she has placed all her feelings on the actor. Over time, the actor also seemed to have noticed Yufei, and gradually the two came together.

Until the seventh year of Changyuan, Yufei gave birth to a*. What made Yufei feel lucky was that the child looked very similar to herself, but what scared her still happened. There was a butterfly-shaped birthmark on the back of Xingle Wangdi's neck, which was exactly the same as the actor. If someone found out, it would be a death penalty, so she gave the actor a lot of money. In the end, the actor really disappeared and has never appeared since then.

In the ten years of Changyuan, Emperor Qi Lan passed away.

Because Qi Lan's death made Yufei, who had a little sustenance, suddenly regretted. Why didn't she leave with the actor at the beginning? Did she have to spend the rest of her life in this cold palace?

In the many years since then, she spent a lot of money and energy to find the whereabouts of the actor. In the end, she only heard that the actor had gone to Nanxia, and there was no other news.

......

South Xia, located in the south of Qi, is like spring all year round. In Nanxia, there is a small island called rosefinch. It is said that there is a big bird with fiery red feathers on the island, known as the divine bird guarding Nanxia. Because Zhuque Island is surrounded by the sea, and there are countless fierce sharks and piranhas in the sea, so no one has been to that island, and no one has seen the so-called divine birds. However, the people of Nanxia still believe in the existence of divine birds and still believe that Zhuque Island is the holy island inhabited by divine birds.

Every summer solstice, the monarch of Nanxia will go to Yanzhou, which is the closest to the rosefinch, for a seven-day devout offering to bless the smooth wind and rain of Nanxia and the peace of the country.

Unlike Qi, Cang and Lu, every monarch in Nanxia is a woman, so women have a very high status in Nanxia, which is the opposite of Qi, who has a strict internal and external distinction. In Nanxia, women can get their fame through imperial examinations and go on an official career.

"Xiaobei, it's going to be the summer solstice soon. Why don't you go to Yanzhou with me?" Xia Di, dressed in Rosa's long dress, casually handed an apple on the fruit plate on the stone table to Xiaobei.

Xiaobei took a bite: "It's so sweet, but I can't stay here. I have to go to Cangguo immediately."

"Why?"

"I received a letter from the palace owner the day before yesterday, and he asked me to go to Cangguo immediately."

"If you are not in a hurry for one or two days that night, why don't you stay for a few more days?" Xia Di said, "I beg you."

"This..." Xiaobei said in embarrassment, "Actually, I also want to stay here, but I can't disobey the order of the palace owner. Well, shall I come back in a few days?"

"Well, I won't embarrass you. I'll ask you to prepare something for you tomorrow before you leave. Is that okay?"

"Ye."

Xiaobei didn't notice that there was some reluctance in Emperor Xia's eyes.

"This apple is really delicious, different from Qi."

"Oh? What's the difference?"

"Sweet, the apples of Qi are not so sweet."

"Then eat more." Xia Di handed an apple to Xiaobei, "Xiaobei, what are you going to do in the future?"

"Are you going to?"

"What do you want to do in the future?"

"Follow the Lord of the Palace." Xiaobei said, "As long as you can follow the palace master, by the way, there is also King Jinheng."

"King Jinheng..." Emperor Xia tried to calm down his inner emotions, "King Jinheng, is he all right?"

"Huh? Emperor, do you know King Jinheng?

"Yeah, he came here more than 20 years ago and lived in Xiaguo for a period of time before leaving."

"Oh, that's it. In fact, I like King Jinheng very much. If only King Jinheng were my father. Xiaobei said, "Unfortunately, my status is humble. This idea is simply delusional, but I really hate to like King Jinheng."

"Actually..." Emperor Xia wanted to stop talking. She couldn't tell the truth about the matter in front of her. When she received a letter from Liumu that Xiaobei was coming to Nanxia, she couldn't sleep all night excitedly, but at the same time, Liumu said in the letter that she could not tell Xiaobei the truth. The next time it comes to your mouth, you will be swallowed abruptly.

"Actually, what?"

"Nothing, by the way, I want to give you something." Emperor Xia took a dazzling red gem from his neck and hung it on Xiaobei's neck. "It's for you."

"Your Majesty, this is very valuable. Xiaobei can't take it."

"Receed it, just take it as my gift."

"Thank you, Xiaobei."

"Stupid boy, what else do we need to thank each other?"

At night, dazzling fireworks bloom in the dark night sky, which is a kind of fireworks that can only be found in Nanxia. Because this kind of fireworks will explode if you are not careful, it is strictly controlled. Only the palace has it, and only on the seventh day of the first lunar month will this kind of valuable fireworks.

Xia Di looked at the gorgeous fireworks in the sky: "What a beautiful fireworks."

Zhu Xia, a female official beside her, said, "Your Majesty, tonight and the seventh day of the first lunar month, why are you..."

"Yes, today is not the seventh day of the first lunar month..." Xia Di muttered.

I don't know when, the Xia Emperor will order people to set off fireworks at night every month. I don't know why, but it has never changed for more than 20 years. Therefore, on the seventh day of the first lunar month, the people of the capital will wait to watch the fireworks blooming from the palace to the sky, which has become a habit of the people.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, I just feel a little tired." Xia Di said, "Let's go back. There are still some memorials that have not been approved."