The Destiny of Going to Hell

Princess Wen Yi’s first birthday banquet will soon arrive. This grand celebration will be held in Jiuzhou Qingyan, the first of the 40 scenes of the Old Summer Palace.

Jiuzhou Qingyan, located on the South Island of the Houhu Scenic Area of ​​the Old Summer Palace, has been the venue for important banquets in the Qing emperor's imperial garden since ancient times. Its noble status is unparalleled.

The three halls in front and behind the central road of this scene are arranged in sequence, namely the Yuanmingyuan Hall, the Fengsanwusi Hall and the Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall. Each of them carries a profound historical and cultural heritage.

A plaque with the words "Yuanmingyuan" written by Emperor Kangxi hangs high in the front hall, shining with gold and highlighting the royal style.

The central hall is used as a sacrificial hall and also as a place for banquets for relatives during the Lantern Festival. It is solemn and sacred.

The rear hall is where the emperor works, and it is called "Jiuzhou Qingyan", which means peace in the world and the coming of all nations.

Jiuzhou Qingyan is actually a large island surrounded by nine small islands, symbolizing the country's territory "Jiuzhou".

The small gardens or scenic spots built on each island have their own characteristics and complement each other, forming beautiful pictures.

The north bank has pleasant scenery with skylight above and below, which is quite similar to the view of Dongting Lake from Yueyang Tower.

A rainbow hangs down over the lake, winding for a hundred feet, with tall railings on either side and a large pavilion in the middle.

The scenery of lakes and mountains is reflected between pavilions and towers. Looking down from the sky, you can see the boundless blue water, which is refreshing.

The open and spacious south bank is very similar to the Yuquan Fish Viewing Pond in Hangzhou, commonly known as the Goldfish Pond.

There is a fish paradise carved out in the pond. Around the pond, there are pavilions and thousands of colorful fish swimming around, which is really a beautiful sight.

Haiyue Kaijin on the east bank is an even more spectacular building.

There is a three-story palace built on a huge circular white marble platform. From a distance it looks like a mirage, mysterious and magnificent.

The entire Jiuzhou Qingyan Scenic Area, both its architecture and scenery, is full of the unique charm and infinite style of royal gardens.

On the day of Princess Wen Yi's first birthday banquet, the entire Jiuzhou Qingyan Scenic Area was immersed in joy and peace.

Court officials and concubines congratulated in unison, and palace maids and eunuchs spoke auspicious words, adding a lot of joy to this grand celebration.

The trees outside Jiuzhou Qingyan were hung with brightly colored silk ribbons, and the ground was covered with brocade. The scene was grand and lively.

Yinzhen and Yixiu were wearing yellow dragon robes and Manchu dresses. They held hands and sat facing each other at the top, with a sense of majesty yet a hint of warmth.

To their left were seats for relatives and female ladies, and down the row were five large rosewood tables, at which sat distinguished guests such as Prince Heng, Prince Dun, Prince Guo, and Beile Shen.

Prince Heng had a round face, long eyebrows, a pale complexion, and an air of wealth and luxury.

The wife beside him was also very beautiful, but it was a pity that she had not given birth in all these years, which made people feel a little regretful for her.

Prince Dun's wife was Abagai Borjigit, the daughter of Prince Wuerjin Galapu. She was not very good-looking and looked weak, without the arrogance of a girl from a noble family.

She just looked at her husband with a smile and didn't speak to anyone else. Her affection and concentration were touching.

Prince Dun was a strong and muscular man with a pair of eyes that often radiated a sharp light like an eagle. His face always had an aloof and cold expression, and he looked very chilling.

He lost his mother when he was young and was not favored by the previous emperor. He was cold-hearted and arrogant, and was well-known for his stubbornness.

However, he was extremely kind and loving to this concubine, almost to the point of obeying her in everything.

For this reason, he was secretly nicknamed "henpecked", but isn't this also a kind of amazing love between husband and wife?

During the banquet, everyone saw that the Emperor was extremely friendly and courteous to Prince Dun and his wife. They all knew that this was because the war in the southwest was tense and that among the close relatives, Prince Dun was the only one they could rely on in the war.

Prince Guo and Prince Shen were not married yet, so they did not bring their families with them.

Prince Guo's seat remained vacant and he was nowhere to be seen until the banquet started.

Yinzhen smiled and joked, "This old Seventeenth must have been attracted by some new thing. He hasn't come yet."

Upon hearing this, Shen Beile smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you know Brother Seventeen well. He is always easygoing and carefree."

Shen Beile is only thirteen years old this year, but he is already a young man with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes and heroic spirit.

The emperor smiled tolerantly and said, "It's just a family dinner. I know he doesn't like this kind of occasion. Just let him be."

Sitting at the first seat on the right were Concubine Hui, who was pregnant, and Concubine Cao, the biological mother of Princess Wen Yi.

Today's banquet is to celebrate Princess Wen Yi's first birthday and also to celebrate Concubine Hui's pregnancy.

Since Princess Wen Yi was still young, Concubine Hui and Concubine Cao became the real protagonists of the day and attracted much attention.

Shen Meizhuang was wearing a scarlet Manchu dress, and her accessories were all gold ornaments inlaid with gems of the same color.

The most eye-catching thing is the red gold Hehe Ruyi hairpin on her bun given by the Empress Dowager.

The pearls, emeralds and red gold on it sparkled, highlighting Shen Meizhuang's unparalleled nobility, making her radiant and energetic.

Concubine Cao wore a purple top with a turquoise blue Manchu dress and her hair was adorned with pearls and jade, which was equally gorgeous and eye-catching, causing great admiration.

Behind them were a large group of palace maids, constantly filling their glasses with wine, making them the most flattered focus at the banquet.

Cao Qinmo's eyes inadvertently turned a little cold. For the sake of the future, she could only swallow her anger temporarily and let Shen Meizhuang show off in front of her daughter.

At the birthday banquet, the first things served are various exquisite snacks such as birthday peaches and birthday cakes, each of which contains auspicious meanings.

Fuling had a special liking for these things. She happily picked up a longevity peach, took a bite, and her face was filled with a satisfied smile.

An Lingrong looked at Sister Fuling's smile, felt the gentle breeze blowing around her, and listened to the gurgling sound of water. She couldn't help but feel much happier.

“It’s a cool and elegant place, a perfect place!”

Jingpin heard this and said with a smile, "Yes, it's surrounded by water, so it's naturally cooler than other places. It's a great place to escape the summer heat."

When the banquet was about to start, Concubine Duan came in and bowed tremblingly with the help of the palace maids.

Yinzhen said with concern, "The sun is so scorching outside, and you came all the way here. It's actually not a big deal."

Concubine Duan forced a smile on her pale face and responded softly.

"Princess Wen Yi's first birthday is a big deal. How can I not come to congratulate her? Besides, I haven't seen Wen Yi for a long time and I miss her very much."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Cao quickly asked the wet nurse to bring Princess Wen Yi to Concubine Duan.

In this hot weather, Princess Wen Yi only wore a colorful silk red bellyband, which made her look very pink and cute.

Concubine Duan looked at Princess Wen Yi with extremely gentle and kind eyes. She reached out to hug her, but for some reason she abruptly withdrew her hand.

She stared at Princess Wen Yi, and after a long while she gave a faint bitter smile.

"I wanted to hug Wen Yi, but I was afraid that I would drop her instead. I really have no way to do it."

As she spoke, she turned to the maid Jixiang who was supporting her and ordered, "Jixiang, bring me my golden lock and golden eight-treasure pearl necklace."

Upon hearing this, Jixiang quickly presented a gold lock and a gold-threaded eight-treasure pearl necklace to Concubine Cao.

The gold lock was fine, but the thumb-sized emerald in the middle of the necklace was particularly eye-catching. It was so watery and green that anyone with a discerning eye could tell it was a good thing.

It was obviously Concubine Duan's favorite thing for many years.

The emperor couldn't help but sigh when he saw this.

"This collar looks very familiar. It seems to be your dowry."

"Wen Yi is still a child, why give her such a valuable thing."

Concubine Duan leaned to one side and coughed a few times, her face flushed unusually due to coughing.

When her coughing eased a little, she smiled and said, "Your Majesty has a really good memory. This collar was indeed my dowry when I entered the palace."

"It's just that I've been ill for many years, and it's a pity to leave such a good thing with me. Wen Yi is so beautiful and lovely, it's just right to give it to her, and it can be regarded as making the best use of it."

Concubine Cao obviously didn't expect Concubine Duan to give such a generous gift, and she was surprised and happy.

She hurriedly thanked Concubine Duan on behalf of Wen Yi.

"Thank you for the generous reward, Concubine Duan. Wen Yi will definitely like it very much."

I have been busy all this time just to give Wen Yi a good life, but now it is really an unexpected surprise.

Concubine Duan gently stroked Princess Wen Yi's cheek, feeling deeply moved.

"The last time I saw her she was still one month old. Now she has grown so big. With such beautiful features, she will definitely be a stunning beauty when she grows up."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Cao smiled and declined.

"Your Majesty, thank you for your compliment. Please take your seat quickly. Don't stand and tire yourself out."

After standing and talking for this period of time, Concubine Duan was already panting and sweating profusely.

Upon seeing this, the palace maids rushed forward to support her and carefully helped her sit down.