Northern Dynasties Imperial Industry

An Guogong Yang Zhong led the army to go on an expedition last year. After defeating the Northern Qi Dynasty, he did not return directly to the court. Instead, he led his troops to Youzhou to pursue the remnants of the Northern Qi soldiers. The year-long journey was a great achievement. It was not until recently that the imperial court appointed Li He as the general manager of Youzhou and Gao Lin as the governor of Youzhou, jointly responsible for local military and political management, that Yang Zhong was able to lead the army back to the court.

Yang Zhong can be said to be the leader of the country's distinguished ministers. He missed a series of founding ceremonies because he was away on military expeditions, but he did not receive any of the rewards he deserved. This time when the master returns to the court, he will naturally receive a series of rewards. The gifts from the court alone fill dozens of carts, which is extremely beautiful.

After Yang Zhong returned home, relatives and friends also came to congratulate him one after another, and guests gathered at home. The Yang family is not an aristocratic family. It is only due to the merits of Yang Zhong that it has become increasingly prominent. The relatives are mainly the children's in-laws, plus colleagues such as Pao Ze, etc., which also form a relatively considerable network of relationships.

Dou Rongding was Yang Zhong's eldest son-in-law. His father-in-law returned to the court in great glory, so he naturally wanted to visit the house immediately to congratulate him and help receive relatives and friends. On the surface, the couple was not affected by the previous incident. They looked respectful, warm and harmonious to each other, and were highly praised and envied by their relatives and friends.

Yang Zhong had been on an expedition for a long time, and he had been nervous and did not dare to relax. This time he finally returned home, and he was in a very happy mood. Hearing the compliments and congratulations from his relatives and friends, he naturally couldn't help but have a drink.

In the middle of the banquet, a servant came to the hall to report that Yin Liuqing came to the door to ask for an audience. Because of his former lord Dugu Xin, Yang Zhong also had a good relationship with the Liu brothers in Hedong. He had no doubt about Liu Qing's arrival, but he also came to congratulate him. He even got up and came out of the hall to greet him without paying attention. The son-in-law Dou Rongding's face suddenly became nervous.

"When I entered the court this morning, I saw that Mr. Liu was missing in court. After asking Yu Zi, I found out that Mr. Liu had gone to Dayin in Ji Nei. I must have a drink when I enter the house today!"

Yang Zhong strode forward and took the arm of Liu Qing, who was holding his hand in greeting. Because he was in a happy mood and drunk at the moment, he treated others with a bit more enthusiasm than usual.

"The Duke of Anguo has returned to the court with a great victory, and his subordinates should rush to greet him, but unfortunately the affairs in the palace are intertwined, so it is difficult to escape. I came to visit today, and I was also affected by the trend of the matter. I really don't dare to be greedy and bother you. If you have free time in the future, I will definitely Go to your mansion again and ask for food and drinks from Duke An."

Liu Qing responded to Yang Zhong, while his eyes searched among the relatives and friends behind him, and finally locked on Dou Rongding, who was standing in the crowd with his head shrinking. At this time, others did not notice any difference, but Yang Jian, the eldest son of Yang Zhong, who was standing next to Dou Rongding, noticed the determination in Liu Qing's eyes and the look of Dou Rongding lowering his head to avoid, and couldn't help but frowned.

"Why does my family need to bother Jingzhao Mansion to visit us?"

Yang Zhong was still a little unresponsive at the moment, so he asked curiously.

Yang Jian quickly stepped forward and said with a smile: "Is it something about the delivery of land in the outskirts of the city? The banquet in the middle hall of the house is in a mess. Please go sit in the side hall first. My father is tired from the journey, and the family affairs are all taken care of by the younger generation, so it is inevitable that there will be some negligence. , I also need some guidance from the Palace Master.”

As he spoke, he led Liu Qing to the side hall. It was not convenient for Liu Qing to declare his intention in front of everyone, otherwise it would be too disrespectful to Yang Zhong, so he bowed to Yang Zhong again. Then he followed Yang Jian to the side hall.

None of the other guests noticed anything unusual. They just sighed in their hearts that Yang Zhong was really powerful. Even the matter of granting land required the Grand Yin of Jingzhao Mansion to come to handle it in person. It was really a great honor.

But Yang Zhong was not completely drunk at the moment. He noticed something unusual from his son's eager and attentive attitude, but he did not say anything. Instead, he returned to the hall to sit down with other guests and chatted a few words. Then he found an excuse and went to the side hall.

In the side hall, Liu Qing had already explained his intention to Yang Jian. He chose to come here today not to specifically bring trouble to the Yang family, but because a case involving him was revealed recently. The woman who caused trouble in the street has not yet been brought to justice. Suddenly, her relatives went to Jingzhao Mansion to report the case. It was the woman who was suspected of being murdered.

Liu Qing was originally dissatisfied with the Dou family's perfunctory attitude. Now that his life was at stake, he was worried that if the delay continued, the personnel evidence would be destroyed. After going to the Dou family to search for him but failed, he went directly to Yang Zhong's home to arrest Dou Rong. He was taken to Jingzhao Mansion for careful interrogation.

Dou Rongding knew that he was in the wrong, so he also received Liu Qing here with Yang Jian. When Liu Qing finished describing the case and saw Yang Jian's questioning eyes, he couldn't help but lower his head with guilt.

At this time, Yang Zhong also stepped into the side hall. After understanding the situation, he first glanced at Dou Rongding, who was bowing his head and said nothing, and then glared at Liu Qing and snorted: "Liu Gengxing bullied me? Special pick?" You are here to cause trouble today! Not to mention that the matter has not yet been concluded. Even if the case is indeed confirmed, are you still worried that the criminal will escape from my door? You are not here to be a guest, so get out!"

Of course, Yang Zhong could not agree to Liu Qing's detainment of his son-in-law at the banquet celebrating his return, otherwise everyone would think he was weak and could be bullied, and would despise him in their hearts.

Yang Jian saw that Liu Qing's face had become a little ugly, so he quickly said: "There are many guests in the door today, Liu Dayin also saw them, and there is really no time to care about anything else. Please be convenient for Dayin, I will definitely accompany you tomorrow." Duke Yongfu will go to Jingzhao Mansion together. If there is a breach of contract, Dayin can order a sea arrest!"

Dou Rongding also whispered on the side: "There are still things to deal with in the father-in-law's house today. I will definitely go to Jingzhao Mansion tomorrow to confess the matter frankly."

When Liu Qing saw that they had already stated their stance, he stopped insisting. He knew that he was very unpopular at the moment, so he stood up, apologized to Yang Zhong and then left. When leaving Yang Zhong's house, he ordered two officials from the Jingzhao Prefecture who had come here to guard the door and monitor Dou Rongding's movements in and out.

After sending Liu Qing away, Yang Zhong naturally lost interest in continuing the banquet. He glanced at Dou Rongding and walked out without asking carefully what happened, nor did he discipline Dou Rongding.

His father was so angry that he went back to the inner hall, and Yang Jian had to brace himself up and go to the hall to entertain the guests. He was busy until late at night, sending the guests away or arranging to stay in his guesthouse, so that he had time to greet the guests. The brother-in-law inquired about the inside story.

Although Dou Rongding felt a little ashamed, the matter had reached this point and he could no longer hide it. He could only explain what happened. After hearing this, Yang Jian frowned for a moment, and after a moment of silence, he said: "The matter has come to this, there is no point in worrying about it, brother-in-law should rest first and recuperate before going to Jingzhao Mansion tomorrow morning."

After returning to his bedroom, the banquet of the women in the inner hall had already ended. His wife, Dugu Jialuo, was leaning on the couch with her eyes closed and dozing off. When she heard Yang Jian walking into the room, she quickly stood up to greet her.

"It's already so late at night. There's something going on in the inner hall. Madam, please rest first. Why wait?"

When Yang Jian saw the tired look on his wife's face, he said with some distress, and Dugu Jialuo also enjoyed this pampering. He snuggled next to her husband and walked into the inner room together, saying cheerfully: "Husband, don't you?" Come on, I can’t sleep myself!”

The couple are childhood sweethearts, not much different in age, and their relationship is still sweet even after several years of marriage. The imperial court recently dispatched various household envoys. Yang Jian is now a doctor in the household department. He should have followed the orders, but because he was worried that his wife, who had just given birth, would feel lonely, he asked to stay in the court. He missed a great opportunity to accumulate qualifications. I don’t feel it’s a pity either.

After the couple got on the bed and lay next to each other, Dugu Jialuo talked about some things about today's guests and complained a few words. He Ruoshi, the sister-in-law, was showing off her husband's promotion to official position, and couldn't help but yawn again and again, but she couldn't help but Sensitively, he leaned into the taciturn Yang Jian's ear and asked in a low voice: "Is your husband worried about something?"

Yang Jian's mind was in turmoil at the moment. When he heard his wife's question, he whispered about the affairs of his brother-in-law Dou Rongding and his family.

"Dou's brother-in-law usually seems dignified in manners and steady in words and deeds, but he did this kind of thing secretly without wanting to do so. It's really disappointing!"

Women's concerns are somewhat different from men's. After listening to this, Dugu Jialuo first sighed at Dou Rongding's duplicity, and then couldn't help but chuckled: "No wonder I saw Dou's brother-in-law's short and messy beard today. , I think I was cut off by my sister because of this. It was smart for me to force that bitch to kill. If I continue to indulge in this, I don’t know how many ugly things will happen in the family in the future..."

"How could I? You're talking about other family matters, why bother looking for trouble in yourself!"

Seeing that Yang Jian was about to get burned, he shook his head hurriedly, then hugged his wife's delicate body and whispered: "Go to bed quickly, I will accompany my brother-in-law to Jingzhao Mansion tomorrow morning. Now the imperial court enforces the law strictly and deliberately weakens the nobles. Such forbidden arrogance, although this time he just killed a slave with a stick, I don’t know how he will be punished if he is seriously investigated. Ayeza is unfamiliar with the current situation in the court, so it is best not to come forward..."

Dugu Jialuo huddled in her husband's arms, listening to Yang Jian's somewhat troubled words, with a somewhat thoughtful look in his eyes. He rubbed his smooth forehead against the new stubble on his husband's chin, and muttered after a moment. He said: "Even if something similar happens in the future, I can't bear to beat or scold my husband. But I will definitely not let go of that evil maid who flirted with you!"

Yang Jian was particularly irritable when he heard this usually delicate lady talking about this incident. He also felt a chill in his heart or worried about his future life. He couldn't help but whisper: "I remember that there are many people in my father-in-law's house. At the beginning of the year, Her Majesty the Queen also organized palace elections for the Supreme Being..."

"What did you say?"

When Dugu Jialuo heard this, he immediately sat up from the bed, his eyes widened, and he said angrily: "Husband, do you think I am less virtuous than my sister? Who can boast of being the most noble man in the world?" Talent? Neither husband and wife are upper class, but they can stay together forever if they don't dislike each other!"

"I made a mistake, madam, don't be upset!"

Yang Jian also sat up with the smile, apologized in a low voice, and kept pulling on his wife's belt to show comfort. Pulling and pulling, the two young bodies were entangled again, and the brocade was tossed, and the sun was rising. .

When Yang Jian, with dark circles under his eyes and yawning, accompanied his brother-in-law Dou Rongding to Jingzhao Mansion to surrender and explain the case, his well-nourished little wife Dugu Jialuo also started dressing up in the room.

The Yang family was the new founding member of the country. Since Yang Zhong led troops to fight all year round, although the sons were already married, they still lived together in one family to avoid the misery of their mother living alone. Regardless of the glamorous appearance, it was inevitable that there would be people in the house. Some friction.

Yang Zhong's wife, Lu, was whom he married when he was young. Although the couple had a deep relationship and never left each other, as Yang Zhong's status became more and more prominent, his interactions with dignitaries and famous families also increased. When dealing with these interpersonal interactions, Lu was more or less powerless. Although Yang Zhong later took in another concubine named Li, who was born in the Li family of Longxi, she was not his official wife after all, and could not overstep his authority on many occasions.

As the eldest daughter-in-law of the family, Dugu Jialuo was also the daughter of Dugu Xin. After entering the family, even Yang Zhong was gentle to her and did not treat her like an ordinary junior. Naturally, she also assisted her aunt in handling many household affairs.

But this harmony did not last long. As Yang Jian's second brother Yang Zheng and third brother Yang Zan successively married, the situation of Dugu Jialuo, the eldest daughter-in-law, was not as good as before.

Especially the second sister-in-law, He Ruoshi, is also sharp-tongued and has a strong personality. She wants to be the first in everything in the family. She also gave birth to the eldest grandson of the Yang family before Dugu Jialuo, which made her aunt Lu happy. Not long ago, Yang Zheng was promoted to a high official position due to his contribution to the destruction of Qi. This made He Ruo's wife become more arrogant at home and bossed around Dugu Jialuo because of her husband's status.

Dugu Jialuo was good at dealing with such complicated interpersonal relationships and was impatient. Apart from saying hello day and night, he rarely walked around the house, stayed in his own courtyard, or went out to visit relatives and friends. But deep down in his heart, he still wanted to regain some ground in front of his aunt and sisters-in-law, but unfortunately he didn't encounter any good opportunities.

After finishing dressing up, she first went to the inner hall to say hello to her Aunt Lu. However, when she arrived at the inner hall, she saw that everyone had frowned eyebrows, looked worried, and looked gloomy. I found out that it was still Dou's family affairs. A slave of the Dou family was arrested by the Jingzhao Mansion and confessed. The mistress Yang forced the master to kill the other concubine, so the Jingzhao Mansion sent someone to bring the Yang family into the mansion early in the morning.

"My poor son..."

Yang Zhong's wife lay on the table and cried non-stop. Dugu Jialuo stepped forward to comfort her, but his sister-in-law He Ruoshi provoked her fault again: "Sister-in-law, you are so noble and forgiving. Such a big thing happened at home. The whole family was disturbed, but my sister-in-law did not disturb her daily life and kept her peace."

Dugu Jialuo couldn't help but blush after hearing this. She and her husband were full of energy and had fun in the middle of the night. They were indeed sleepy and tired early in the morning and got up a little late. At this time, they were too lazy to refute. They just stepped forward and said to Lu: "Auntie, don't be overly sad. In the final analysis, it's not my sister's fault. The Jingzhao Mansion must have brought the person there just to inquire about the matter. After the inquiry is clear, they will naturally send the person back."

However, Mrs. Lu loved her daughter very much, and Dugu Jialuo's consolation did not have much effect. She pondered for a while before speaking: "If Agu is still not relieved, why don't I go to Dauchi to see Her Majesty the Queen and ask... …”

"Does the bride really mean what she said? It would be great if she could ask for mercy from Her Majesty the Queen! Her Majesty the Queen is also a female, so she must be able to understand the feelings of such an accident in the family. I hope you can forgive my son!"

After Mrs. Lu heard this, she immediately stopped crying, stood up, and firmly grabbed her daughter-in-law's arm and said repeatedly.

Dugu Jialuo's original intention was to enter the palace to find out how this matter would be handled, but he did not want his mother-in-law to beg her to rescue her sister. For a moment, she could not help but regret that she had come forward, but it was not good in front of everyone. If he refused, he could only nod and agree, and then bravely prepared to enter the palace under the eager eyes of his mother-in-law and the envious gaze of his sister-in-law.

Although Queen Dugu Miaoyin's status is different now, she doesn't just sit in the palace. She often invites women from outside the family to meet in the palace, or play in the garden. Her life is rich and comfortable.

As the queen's younger sister, Dugu Jialuo's visit to the palace was naturally smooth, and she was soon led to the Yanjia Palace where the queen lived and managed the affairs of the harem.

On the palace road that was still some distance away from the Yanjia Palace, Dugu Jialuo saw several eunuchs pulling a woman out of the palace and leading her away to the west of the palace. The woman seemed to have been forced away and was still struggling. posture, you can even vaguely hear his cry for mercy.

Seeing this scene, Dugu Jialuo couldn't help but feel a sudden shock in her heart. She didn't dare to peek too much into the forbidden privacy. She lowered her head and walked behind several palace maids who were guiding her. She didn't look up until she reached Yanjia Hall and looked up at the person sitting in the hall. The queen leaned over to greet her and said with a smile: "Sister, I'm here to disturb you again!"

Dugu Miaoyin's biological mother died early, and her father was away from home all year round. When she was young, she was raised by her stepmother Cui. They had a deep affection for each other. Now they naturally love Wujiwu and care for the little sister Cui gave birth to. When she heard the lady's laughter, she He also smiled and joked: "Of course I know that I am a bad guest who disturbs people's peace. Why don't I see you bringing generous gifts to the master?"

"My sister is a respected and wealthy woman, yet she still wants to covet some personal things from my little sister. It's too much!"

Dugu Jialuo walked to the seat next to him with a smile, and looked at the gorgeous dress on the queen's body. He couldn't help but admired: "The colors of this brocade are so beautiful, and it makes my sister even more beautiful like an immortal!"

Queen Dugu was already beautiful and beautiful. Now that she is more noble and lives a harmonious and comfortable life, she naturally becomes more charming. When she heard the little sister's somewhat exaggerated admiration, she pointed at her dress and smiled and said, "This brocade is There are not many new gifts woven in Shu. When you, Duke An, return to the court, you will receive a lot of gifts from the inner treasury. You can ask for them when you return home, so don’t come here to get them!"

The two sisters chatted and joked for a while. When Dugu Jialuo saw the queen's bright smile, he couldn't help but asked in a low voice: "I just saw a woman being expelled from the palace. Why did I offend my sister?"

After hearing this, the queen's smile faded slightly and she sighed: "It's Yu Cairen who came to beg for forgiveness for his father Yong Guogong. When we met at the beginning of the year, I saw that this woman was also demure and admirable, but she didn't expect that after entering the palace So I don’t know what to say. This woman went to the palace to ask for something out of proportion, so I kept her in Ye Ting to see the consequences. If she still doesn’t repent, she needs to be released back to her residence!”

"My sister is really strict in disciplining palace affairs!"

After hearing this, Dugu Jialuo couldn't help but sigh, and then he said a little shyly: "I think it is filial piety for a talented person to worry about his relatives. It is enough to reprimand him for not asking about the affairs of the foreign court, but It doesn’t have to be so harsh.”

After hearing the words, the queen shook her head and said: "The heroes of the Yongguo Kingdom have outstanding achievements and their ups and downs have their own reasons. How can they be honored and favored because of the service of a woman? This woman made such remarks, which shows that she has a rash temperament and lacks knowledge. In general. It is human nature to care for your relatives, but if you think that you can act without any taboos, you will be arrogant and harm your relatives, so you are warned!

"Sister is right!"

Dugu Jialuo had something in his mind. Hearing what the queen said, he immediately nodded and said.

"Your grandson has recently returned to the court, and his family and friends are here to congratulate him. He must be very busy. If you are not at home to help grandma entertain the guests, why do you have time to come to the palace to watch me grind your teeth for entertainment?"

After the queen ignored the matter, she looked at her girl curiously and asked.

"I-I'm fine!"

Dugu Jialuo heard that Yucai was punished for interceding for his father. When he heard the question, he quickly shook his head and said, not daring to express his purpose.

But seeing the queen still looking directly at her with disbelief, she lowered her head with guilt, and was worried that she would not be able to explain to her family after leaving like this, so she bit the bullet and said: "I'll tell you, sister. Don't be angry, okay? Even if what I ask for is inappropriate, just teach me, okay?"

"Do you think I am such a domineering and evil woman who doesn't care about right or wrong? If you have done nothing wrong, why should I reprimand you? But if you think you have made a mistake, why should you make a mistake?"

After hearing these words, the Queen's face darkened and her tone became serious.

Dugu Jialuo became more and more embarrassed by the serious eyes of my sister. He lowered his head and whispered: "Not everyone is as happy as my sister, and the family members can be friendly and considerate to each other. I, I am really helpless. My family Aunt..."

After listening to the girl's story, the queen frowned even deeper, and after pondering for a moment, she said: "I can't agree to this matter. I'm not talking about those things that don't interfere with public affairs for personal reasons, but I have to ask yourself, what should you do at home? What role does it play?

You are the eldest daughter-in-law in the family. In the past, you were expected to take charge of the family affairs and correct the family tradition, but now you have to go against the rules for personal gain. Even if you settle the matter based on this friendship, your family respects you not because of your virtue, but because of your virtue. I envy you this favor, and I envy you for not following the rules.

If you ask for something in the future, it will definitely be for selfish convenience. Should you do it or not? If everything goes down, it will just kill my sisterhood. If something is not done right, all previous relationships will be ruined. In the final analysis, this is not the attitude you should have when dealing with others, especially when managing family affairs! "