The Legend of Zhen Huan: Year after year, we share the spring breeze

Dinner was placed on the terrace on the second floor. The fish caught were made into fish soup and steamed fish. Since the two hottest stars were going to have dinner here, the imperial kitchen sent a lot of good things.

The breeze is blowing gently, it’s so pleasant.

"There is a banquet but no wine, the moon is bright and the wind is clear, what a wonderful night!" An Lingrong sighed!

"This is your territory, who are you asking for wine?" Zhen Huan joked.

An Lingrong said pitifully, "The Imperial Household Department always treats people differently based on their circumstances."

Zhen Huan raised her voice, "Jinxi, go get some wine."

But after a while, the Ministry of Internal Affairs brought the newly brewed lotus wine. This wine is made by adding lotus petals and stamens to rice wine. It has the cool fragrance of lotus and a slightly sweet taste. It is very cool and refreshing to drink in summer, and you won't get drunk even if you drink a few glasses.

The wine was good, the banquet was great, and as everyone toasted each other, they gradually became a little tipsy.

An Lingrong, who was drunk, suddenly stood up, staggered to the railing, held the railing with her hands, and leaned forward as if she was about to fall.

Shen Meizhuang was startled and quickly ran over to support her: "Rong'er, be careful, go back and sit down!"

An Lingrong ignored her and continued to lean on the railing, gazing into the distance with a dazed look in her eyes. She shouted at the lake, "Don't be happy with things, don't be sad with yourself. Oh!"

Her voice echoed on the lake, startling a flock of water birds, which flapped their wings and flew away into the distance.

A loud voice shouted, startling Shen Meizhuang who quickly looked around and was relieved to see that no one was around. "What are you doing!"

An Lingrong tugged at Shen Meizhuang's sleeve, "Sister, you should shout out too, and let out all the anger in your heart. It will make you feel better!"

"I won't go crazy with you."

“Sister, sister, sister.”

Shen Meizhuang has never been able to resist An Lingrong's coquettishness, so she had to hold her breath and shout.

"what!"

It was called shouting, but it was actually just a little louder than talking.

But it is not easy for a lady to achieve such a level. An Lingrong nodded with satisfaction and turned to look at Zhen Huan.

Zhen Huan: “…”

Before he could speak, a man appeared at the stairs and asked, "What are you shouting?"

The three of them looked in the direction of the voice and saluted hurriedly.

"May your Majesty be blessed with peace and prosperity."

Yongzheng walked over to Zhen Huan and helped her up, then turned to talk to Shen Meizhuang: "It's rare to see you so lively!"

After saying that, he looked at her with a smile.

Shen Meizhuang felt relieved. "The scenery here is very beautiful. The three of us are drinking wine in the breeze and feel relaxed. Please forgive us for our impoliteness, Your Majesty."

"You two are in such good spirits." He then looked at An Lingrong, who was playing the fool beside Shen Meizhuang, "It seems like every time I see you, you're being rude!"

Without waiting for An Lingrong to apologize, she asked Shen Meizhuang, "I wonder what Concubine Wen looks like in front of you!"

Shen Meizhuang naturally wanted to protect her: "Rong'er has a lively and smart personality, and I like her very much."

Yongzheng said no more and looked at Zhen Huan: "I went to Bitong Academy, and the servants said you came here. I saw that you were in a good mood."

"The scenery of the Old Summer Palace is picturesque. I like it here." Zhen Huan smiled, which made Yongzheng feel more relaxed and happy.

Yongzheng once fainted from heatstroke in his youth; he was extremely sensitive to heat. Furthermore, the Summer Palace offered relative freedom and privacy, allowing Yongzheng to escape the formalities of the imperial palace. This relatively free environment allowed Yongzheng to better handle state affairs while also enjoying the tranquility and pleasures of personal life.

"Su Peisheng, tell the imperial kitchen to prepare a new banquet and bring two jars of good wine."

"Yes."

After a while, it was daylight, wine was added, lights were turned on and the banquet resumed.

Beautiful women, fine wine, beautiful scenery, the pinnacle moment of life!

"I heard you say, 'Don't be happy with things, don't be sad with yourself.' I wonder what your thoughts are on this?"

The three of them exchanged a quick glance, and Zhen Huan spoke first, "Not being affected by material things, even when good things happen, one won't be overly happy. Even when faced with setbacks or difficulties, one can maintain inner peace and not be overly sad. This is a state of mind that transcends the world and remains unmoved by praise or criticism."

Yongzheng nodded. She is indeed the woman I like, considerate and open-minded. Then he looked at Shen Meizhuang.

"At all times, you must adhere to your principles and not be influenced by the outside world. If your mind is enslaved by material things, you will lose yourself in pessimism for most of your life, and life will no longer be joyful."

Yongzheng continued to nod. As expected, she was the woman I valued. She was calm, reserved, and proud. Then he looked at An Lingrong.

An Lingrong complained silently, "You old Bidden, don't you know that who in the whole palace can "not be happy with things, not be sad with yourself"? It's all you, aren't you, "happy with you, sad with you"!

"When Fan Zhongyan wrote this article, he was exiled to Dengzhou, Henan, and Teng Zijing was exiled to Yuezhou. This sentence was Fan Zhongyan's encouragement to Teng Zijing, and also to himself."

"So, you're very dissatisfied?"

"I dare not. I am only an ordinary person. I cannot help but feel happy when things happen to me, and sad when I am alone."

"Oh?"

"Take this afternoon for example. I was fishing by the lake. When I caught a fish, I was very happy. When I didn't, I was very anxious. The whole afternoon was spent tossing and turning between happiness and anxiety. One fish made me so unstable, let alone other important things!"

Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang laughed, and couldn't help but imagine An Lingrong scratching her ears and cheeks.

Yongzheng nodded again. As expected of the woman who was often disrespectful to him, she was quirky and passionate.

However, it is precisely this difference that makes their friendship so special and precious. Perhaps it is because of their mutual complementarity and support that they are able to come together and become good friends who can talk about anything?

"You three have different personalities, so it's hard for you to get along well."

You are not a fish, you know the happiness of fish.

Shen Meizhuang replied with a smile, "It is precisely because we have different personalities, complement each other and support each other, that we are able to stand together through thick and thin, and accompany each other!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the three of them looked at each other with affection.

Yongzheng: Are the lilies in my hometown blooming?

"Your servants toast the emperor!" the three of them spoke in unison.

"it is good."

An Lingrong took a sip of the wine, her eyes brightening. "May I ask Your Majesty, what kind of wine is this?"

Yongzheng waved his hand casually, and Su Peisheng took a half step forward and replied, "My lady, this is Yuquan wine."

Yuquan wine is brewed with water from Yuquan Mountain. The imperial court not only drank Yuquan water but also used it to make wine. Yuquan wine is typically brewed in spring and autumn by the Guanglu Temple's brewing office. Its main ingredients include glutinous rice, koji, Sichuan peppercorns, yeast, bamboo leaves, and sesame seeds.

Yongzheng asked, "Do you like it?"

"This wine has a rich aroma, a mellow and sweet taste, and a longer aftertaste than ordinary wines." It means it has a high alcohol content.

"You know a lot about wine, Su Peisheng. Go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and see how much Yuquan wine is left. Shang Wenchang is always there."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yongzheng was in a very good mood, and both the host and the guests enjoyed the meal very much. Zhen Huan accompanied Yongzheng back to the Qinzheng Palace.

An Lingrong was already eight parts drunk. After being fed a bellyful of sobering soup, she pulled Shen Meizhuang to sleep with her. Shen Meizhuang had no choice but to take a shower, change clothes, and lie down with her on the second floor.

Open the window and the breeze blows on your face, making you feel cool and comfortable.

"Sister, let me sing a song for you!" An Lingrong was still in high spirits. She hugged Shen Meizhuang's arm and started singing softly without waiting for her to answer:

"Let us be companions in this world, live carefree and unrestrained, gallop on horseback, and share the prosperity of the world. Let us drink and sing, sing out the joy of life, live vigorously, and seize the youth."

The girl's soft and gentle voice sounded in her ears, warm and free and easy. Shen Meizhuang was stunned for a moment.

Such a beautiful singing voice is far better than the "Mrs. Miaoyin" of that day, but she has never revealed it to anyone.

Rong'er, how many surprises do you have that I don't know about?