Chapter 659: Unprecedented and Unmatched
Chapter 659: Unprecedented and Unmatched
"This lampshade can be made so unique! It's so beautiful!"
"Wow! The carving is so good, it feels like the rabbit is really blinking! The moon is as bright as the one in the sky!"
"What a cute little moon rabbit! It would be nice if I could bring one back home with me."
The cute and exquisite little gadgets instantly attracted the attention of the ladies and ladies from various families.
Although the ministers did not say anything, some of them were actually shocked. They all said that the Queen had been thinking hard for half a month to hold a unique Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, but they did not expect to be so amazed as soon as they entered the palace. They wondered what other surprises were waiting for them in the Imperial Garden.
As you enter the gate of Qianli Lake, you will see a glowing osmanthus tree standing in the middle of the lake. Under the tree sits a fairy wearing a colorful feathered dress and a double flying bun. She is holding a pipa, with an inextricable sorrow between her brows. Her face is as cold and beautiful as the autumn moon. Her bare hands gently stroke the pipa strings, producing a whimpering and condensed sound of music.
From time to time, the fairy looked up at the full moon in the sky, with endless sorrow in her eyes.
Everyone recognized that this was the fairy Chang'e!
A snow-white blanket wraps around the tree, wrapping up the fairy, the moon rabbit, and the cassia twigs. In order to prevent anyone from disturbing the fairies, guardrails are set up around the tree to prevent people from approaching and they can only watch from a distance.
But even without the guardrail, no one dared to approach. The fairy really looked like she had descended from heaven, emitting a fairy aura all over her body. People passing by stopped to watch and were reluctant to leave for a long time.
Go further in and you will reach the pavilion in the center of the lake.
The pavilion in the center of the lake has changed its previous style and turned into a water stage. The red gauze curtain flutters in the wind, and looking through the curtain at the dancing woman inside, there is a hazy beauty. The music and drum sounds echo in the lake, and ripples spread out, beating the hearts of the audience.
The pavilion in the center of the lake and the osmanthus tree are two completely different scenes, but both are very shocking.
There were more than a dozen small boats parked by the lake, with moon-rabbit lanterns used for lighting. The long table across the middle of the boat was filled with delicacies and fine wine. The palace servants smiled as they escorted the guests to the boats, with four people in one boat, so it would not be too crowded nor too lonely.
The boatman rowed the oars and the boat moved slowly in the lake. There was a jade plate in the sky, a beauty in front of you, and good wine in your hands. Happiness was just a momentary feeling.
"The Queen is indeed a talented woman from Shengjing! She can come up with such a perfect idea!"
"Yes! This kind of Mid-Autumn Festival dinner is unprecedented and will never be repeated!"
"No wonder the Emperor is full of praise for the Empress, it turns out she is really talented!"
……
Everyone was amazed by the design of the dinner.
The guests had all boarded the ship, but the emperor and empress had not yet appeared.
Directly opposite the pavilion in the center of the lake is a "dragon boat" parked with a dragon head at the bow and a dragon tail at the stern. The hull is painted with dragon scales, and the dragon's eyes emit two rays of light, making it look lifelike.
For the time being, there were only the Kirin Guards and a dozen palace maids on board.
Just as everyone was looking around for the emperor and empress, the eunuch's voice rang in their ears, and even the melodious music could not cover it up.
"The Emperor has arrived——"
"The Queen has arrived——"
Everyone wanted to stand up and salute, but the four people's movements were inconsistent, and every movement caused the boat to sway. They were frightened and dared not move.
Qin Junyu walked to the lake and saw a funny scene - the ministers who were usually steady and serious were holding their official hats with one hand and the edge of the boat with the other hand to maintain their balance. Some were half-squatting, while others stood up without a foothold, with their arms flapping in the air. Their expressions were dumbfounded and terrified.
"Ahem... ahem..." Qin Junyu tried not to laugh, "My dear ministers, you are 'involuntarily', so let's forget about this ceremony."
Nian Susu pretended to rub her nose, but in fact she used her wide sleeves to cover the corners of her mouth that she couldn't suppress.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." They said in unison.
Nian Susu suppressed his emotions, glanced at the surrounding scenery, nudged Qin Junyu with his elbow, and asked in a low voice: "How is it? Is it okay?"
Qin Junyu praised repeatedly, "This is the most...special Mid-Autumn Festival banquet I've ever had."
She raised her eyebrows and said proudly, "There is nothing I can't do!"
The two of them boarded the boat hand in hand, and the boat took them to the dragon boat in the center of the lake.
With the pavilion in the middle of the lake as the dividing line, on the left are the ministers' boats, and on the right are the boats of the concubines and ladies in the harem, with no obstructions in the middle. Although the division between men and women is not done very well, the Mid-Autumn Festival is all about reunion with family, so no one dares to say anything.
Qin Junyu held Nian Susu's hand and boarded the luxurious dragon boat. The concubines on the right had red eyes. They finally got to see the emperor, but they were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers. However, the queen could watch the moon on the same boat with the emperor. Anyone would be jealous.
Qiu Minjing and Yang Zhitao were on the same boat. They were so busy eating and chatting that they didn't notice what was happening over there. They only found out when they heard from people around them that the emperor and the queen had boarded the boat. They glanced over there disapprovingly and turned their attention back to the food.
Also with them was Ma Chunxi.
Ma Chunxi seemed to be uninterested in anything and didn't touch her food. The hustle and bustle across the street had nothing to do with her and she looked out of place in the entire environment.
Yang Zhitao carefully looked at her several times, thinking that her sullen face meant she was in a bad mood. After hesitating for a while, he asked with concern, "Ma Changzai, are you worried about something? Why do you seem so unhappy?"
"No." Ma Chunxi answered indifferently.
This indifferent attitude undoubtedly poured cold water on the other party. Originally, people thought that Yang Zhitao would retreat in the face of difficulties, but unexpectedly, not only was she not repelled by her own indifference, but she became more and more courageous.
She brought the exquisite snacks in front of her to her hand and told her with a smile: "These snacks are delicious, sweet. Eating sweet will make you feel better."
Ma Chunxi glanced sideways, unable to hide her disgust. It wasn't that she disliked the cakes or the person who gave them to her, but she simply didn't like to eat these things.
But Yang Zhitao did this out of kindness, and no matter how disgusted Ma Chunxi was, he could only say "thank you".
Yang Zhitao looked at her expectantly, as if waiting for her to eat the cakes.
"Zhitao." Qiu Minjing saw the situation clearly and pulled Yang Zhitao. She said gently, "Ma Changzai may not like these cakes, so don't make things difficult for her."
Yang Zhitao instantly wilted. Wouldn't it be a waste if he didn't eat such a delicious snack?
Seeing Yang Zhitao's little thoughts, Qiu Minjing gave her own to Yang Zhitao, "Come, you eat mine."
"Thank you, sister!" Yang Zhitao's expression changed faster than turning the pages of a book.
The warm way they get along made Ma Chunxi dazed for a moment. When she came to her senses, she shifted her gaze to the pavilion in the middle of the lake to hide her embarrassment.
The red gauze fluttered, and you could vaguely see the graceful figure and elegant dance of the person dancing in the pavilion.
Looking again, the man looked very familiar.
Before Ma Chunxi remembered the name, Yang Zhitao said, "Eh? Isn't that Shen Baolin?"
inspire-indiana