In October, it is the time of the autumn high and cool, the palace began to be busy with the 40th birthday of the Empress Dowager Cixi, everyone is jubilant, the foreign victory, the country is peaceful, the people live and work in peace and contentment, it is a good time, the last time the Empress Dowager was 30 years old, because of the rebellion of Agu Bai, naturally can not be celebrated wantonly, now it is the Haiqing River banquet, the emperor has to do his filial piety, naturally to be solemn and heavy, highlighting the majesty of the Celestial Empire, up and down are the voice of singing praises and virtues, in addition to the thorny imperial historians do not speak, Even the Tobe Shangshu Baojun, who would have been complaining all the time, didn't dare to squeak at this time.

On this day, several of his subordinates, Wai Lang and Lang Zhong, just came to complain, saying that the treasury could not make ends meet, and was scolded back by Baojun, "The queen mother took three million silver from the inner treasury to reward the soldiers of the Northern Expedition, three million!" It was all out of her own pocket, from the treasury of the Internal Affairs Office, needless to say, I could guess what color An Dehai's eunuch's face was at this time, and what else could be said inside and outside the court, naturally they were all happy and surrendered! Although Bao Jun's face was not so convincing, "I also deliberately issued an order to reduce some unnecessary projects, the emperor wants to repair Qingyi Garden, and the work has also been stopped, but it is just the operation of the Holy Birthday Celebration, you are embarrassed to call me poor?" I'm embarrassed to listen to what you say, I'm too embarrassed to say it at the military plane! ”

A few Lang Zhong's faces were flushed, and they were speechless, "Now that this kind of tax money has been collected, if you are still called poor or something, then get out of here as soon as possible, and someone will naturally replace you!" ”

"Zhongtang, it's not that my subordinates refuse to do it," a foreigner said with a bitter face, "You must know the war in the north, this silver is spent like flowing water, although there is a lot of tax and silver now." But the expenditure is far more than the previous dynasty, the big guys are left hand in, right hand out, this silver is just a change of hand, it's really ......"

Bao Jun listened impatiently to this and waved his hand. "Sensei, that's it, the emperor has seen what he means, don't be a fool for me, today's holy birthday celebration has dropped again and again, and when it comes to the previous dynasty, it will be set up at the beginning of the year, so it will be the turn of October to do it? The emperor's Northern Expedition has just won a big victory, and he is bent on serving the Queen Mother and her old man is happy to celebrate her birthday, you must do it for me. Don't poke a basket in a penny! ”

"Why, there are these people complaining in the household department?" Talking about the preparations at the Military Aircraft Department, Prince Gong asked Bao Jun with a smile, and Bao Jun patted his stomach, "These people are used to coveting comfort, and they thought they could escape this celebration this year, but I didn't expect the war in the north to go so smoothly." The emperor naturally wanted to hold a birthday celebration, which made him panic. I dare to say that there is no silver, not to mention the old trick of the past, if there is really no silver, they can't tolerate them tearing down the stage at this time. ”

"It's just celebrating in the palace, it doesn't cost much." Zhu Xueqin said.

"It's okay for this feast, and it doesn't cost you anything to sing and set up scenes." Bao Jun had a bitter face, "The reward of the hundred officials and the Eight Banners is a big head, it's just that, fortunately, the Internal Affairs Office has paid three million, otherwise I would really cry poor." ”

"After the Queen Mother withdrew the curtain and returned to power. Very little political interference," Prince Gong concluded, "This holy birthday must be done well." ”

By the end of September, all but the heinous criminals had been granted amnesty. On the first day of October, the emperor personally went to Shoukang Palace to present the emblem "Kangyi", plus the "Duanyou" of the emblem on the emperor's wedding, and the current Empress Dowager Cixi emblem is: "Kangyi Duanyou Empress Dowager Cixi".

On the second day of the first month of October, Cheng'en Gonghui Zheng, Mrs. Zhending's Fucha family entered the palace to meet and set up a family banquet.

From the third day of October to the fifth day of the first month, the internal and external women met at the palace, and the queen mother was in the palace.

On the sixth day of the first month of October, the Queen Mother went to the Fengxian Hall to worship the ancestors and ancestors.

On the seventh day of the first month of October, the Empress Dowager Imperial Cining Palace, the emperor led hundreds of civil and military officials to kneel three times and bow nine times, wishing the Empress Dowager Cixi a long life. Give a feast, and sing on the big stage of Cining Palace, Shufangzhai and other places are lit up and singing, and sing for ten days and ten nights.

On the 8th day of October, the ambassadors of various countries also entered the palace to congratulate the Queen Mother on her birthday, and the Queen Mother held a banquet to entertain her, during which she talked and laughed with the ambassadors of various countries in English. Even Russian Ambassador Zhugrev, who was very unhappy with the outcome of the signing of the "Sino-Russian Beijing Treaty," had to admit that the Empress Dowager was very courageous.

Endless romance, endless splendid clothes, endless elixir and jade liquid, endless delicacies of the mountains and seas, speaking of which, who does not envy the queen mother? He is talented, respected, respected, respected, loved, very skillful, not deceitful or arrogant, all-encompassing, now only forty years old, is already the happiest woman in the world, and the most important thing is that the emperor is so filial.

The Empress Dowager Cixi is naturally drunk, although she didn't drink much wine in the court clothes, she has already taken off and changed clothes, but this is a psychological effect, a psychological anesthesia, so that she is very happy these days, and her feet are also soft, although the red tape on the daily ceremony in the past few days makes people tired, the Queen Mother took off the stone blue court clothes, revealing the bright yellow embroidered gold dragon and jade phoenix auspicious clothes, sat on the kang and touched her face with a hot towel, in the Shoukang Palace, you can still hear the sound of the bangzi huqin in the Cining Palace in front, "This is really lively." The Queen Mother let out a sigh, "It's been a long time since the palace has been so lively." ”

Anqian poured a bowl of sour plum soup and came up to sober Cixi, "Now is your good day, so naturally it will be more lively." ”

"Isn't it enough for me to be successful here in my life?" Empress Dowager Cixi smiled proudly, "At the age of forty, it seems that the merit has been completed. ”

"The Empress Dowager is blessed and longevity, naturally it is very complete," several palace maids chattered and said words to beg for praise, and the Empress Dowager Cixi laughed and instructed Tang Wufu, "I won't go to Cining Palace, just let the emperor accompany the hundred officials outside." Let's go to Shufangzhai and be happy with ourselves. ”

The Empress Dowager Cixi arrived at Shufangzhai, the banquet of the women was really a lot less restrained, the Empress Dowager ordered people to move many long tables to make a huge rectangular table, everyone sat down, the two Empress Dowagers sat on the top, sat down in turn according to the grade, ordered someone to fold an early blooming white plum, play drumming and pass flowers, whoever is the turn, will perform a show, if there is no program, punish yourself with a cup.

First of all, it was the queen's turn, the queen's poetry and books were heirlooms, but she didn't know what to do well, or the queen mother ordered, "The queen's words are good, write a blessing word, if the writing is not good, then punish the wine." (To be continued.) )