Hanhou

In Changle Palace, musicians played new songs, comedians sang and danced, dwarves danced and performed a humorous play.

Listening to the cheerful music, Empress Dowager Dou relaxed and smiled.Chen Jiao sat on the side of the couch, her voice was soft and her laughter was crisp and clear, which made Empress Dowager Dou laugh even more happily.

Princess Guantao was sitting opposite Chen Jiao, her mind was not on enjoying the harmony of music and dance, her smile was a bit forced.The hot soup on the table had turned cold, but she never took a sip, and the wheat cake stuffed with nectar remained untouched.

After a humorous play, comedian and dwarf Voldemort congratulates the Empress Dowager, long live forever.

"Reward." Empress Dowager Dou was in a good mood and gave copper coins and silk.

The comedians thanked each other in unison, and bowed out of the hall under the guidance of the eunuch.

The music stopped for a while, and the palace servants brought meals. In addition to steamed meat cakes, there were also small bowls of soup cakes.

The chefs in the palace are exquisite in craftsmanship. They stretch the noodles into hair-like filaments, boil them and spread them in lacquer bowls, put the stewed beef on top, pour the oily broth, and sprinkle green onion. Not only is the aroma attractive, but it is also pleasing to the eye.

The soup cakes are very suitable for the appetite of the Queen Mother Dou, and I have to use a bowl every day.

The chef racked his brains to make different tricks, and finally concluded that the Queen Mother Dou likes beef soup cakes the most, and some spicy flavor should be added to the broth.

Chen Jiao picked up the small fish that was wrapped in batter, and bit down half of it, it was crispy in the mouth.

Fried fish, like soup cakes, are both from Bianjun.

Because the beef tallow was used, it would become greasy after cooling down, making it difficult to eat. Chen Jiao ignored Princess Guantao's disapproving gaze, and quickly finished the small bowl of fried fish, still feeling unsatisfied.

Empress Dowager Dou couldn't see, but she could guess what was going on in the palace based on her knowledge of Guantao.He just didn't say anything. After eating the soup cake, he used another half of the wheat cake, then put down his chopsticks, picked up the lacquer cup and took a sip.

Chen Jiao often dined with Empress Dowager Dou and stopped chopsticks almost at the same time.

Princess Guantao had something on her mind, so she didn't feel hungry, so she didn't even touch the food.

After the palace servants removed the plates and bowls, seeing that Empress Dowager Dou was in a good mood, Liu Xun was about to speak, but the Shaofu walked into the hall holding a few bamboo slips and interrupted her unspoken words.

"To the Empress Dowager, a letter from Yanmen County."

Shaofu bowed and presented the letter written by Liu Rong.

No outsiders were present, so Empress Dowager Dou ordered Shaofu to read it face to face.Hearing that Liu Rong's daughter, mother and daughter are safe, he couldn't help smiling and said three words "good".

The letter also wrote that Liu Rong sent people out of the fortress with the caravan to reclaim wasteland and open livestock farms in Woyang County. It is not exhaustive, but it is mentioned in every detail without any concealment.

Compared with a letter from home, it is more like a memorial, but in a different form.

After reading the letter, Shaofu put down the bamboo slips, saluted and exited the hall.

Although Empress Dowager Dou couldn't see it, she still picked up a book of bamboo slips and stroked each one carefully, the smile on her face never faded.

"You should tell A Qi to name your granddaughter."

"Mother, should you think about it again?" Liu Xun said, "Arong is a common man after all."

Empress Dowager Dou stopped, and slowly put away her smile.His eyes were opened, the gray pupils had no focus, but they were exerting endless pressure invisibly.

The atmosphere in the hall changed accordingly, and the previous relaxation was no longer there.

The eunuch made a gesture, all the palace people retreated, and the palace door closed softly.

At this point, Empress Dowager Dou said in a deep voice: "A prostitute, when Ah Rong left Chang'an, he went to Tangyi Hou's Mansion to say goodbye, did you see him?"

Liu Xing glanced at Chen Jiao, who lowered his eyes, looked at his nose, nose and heart, and didn't look at her at all, as if he was in a trance.

"Aunt..."

"Answer, yes or no." Empress Dowager Dou did not deliberately increase her tone, Liu Xun still trembled unconsciously.

"Yes."

"Why don't you see?"

"Arong was taken from the throne and sent to Yanmen to guard the border. He has become a common man."

As soon as Liu Xing finished speaking, a lacquer lamp was suddenly smashed to the ground.

"Already a commoner?" Empress Dowager Dou laughed angrily, "Arong is the Liu family, even if he is no longer a prince, he is also the eldest son of the emperor, my eldest grandson, and your nephew!"

Princess Guantao remained silent, Empress Dowager Dou became more and more angry as she spoke, clapped her hands on the table, and reprimanded: "As an elder, you have made such an unaccompanied act, how do you make the clan and the court think about it?" ?!"

"Jiaojiao marries the crown prince, and she will become the queen in the future. You should think about Jiaojiao's sake if not for yourself!"

Another point, Empress Dowager Dou didn't say it clearly, she thought Liu whoring should understand, but looking at the current situation, Liu whoring's age is useless.

"Because Wang Zhi, among the prince's brothers, the one who should be kissed will not be kissed. When he succeeds to the throne in the future, without the help of his brothers, is he really going to be a lonely family?"

"Ah Qi has Ah Wu, who is the prince?"

"Have you thought about all this?"

Speaking of which, Empress Dowager Dou wished she could pull Liu Xing to her front, pry open her head, and see what was inside.

"The Dou family and the Chen family are both relatives!"

"What days did Aqi live and what did he do after he ascended the throne? You have forgotten all about it? When the princes and kings rebelled, what would have happened without Awu? You have also forgotten?"

Regardless of whether King Liang coveted the throne or not, he always stood firmly on the side of Emperor Jing during the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion.When the situation was most critical, all the eunuchs and palace people of Liang State went to the city wall.

Without Liu Wu's desperate efforts to hold back the rebels, Zhou Yafu might not have been able to calm the chaos calmly.

Empress Dowager Dou knew this, Emperor Jing knew it, and Liu whoring knew it too.

It's a pity that when it comes to the crown prince, Liu Xun chooses to ignore it.

To be honest, she is not stupid, but blinded by interests and too selfish.

"King Guangchuan, King Jiaodong, King Qinghe, and King Changshan were all born by the prince's aunt, and they were raised by Wang Zhi's side. They were supposed to help. But in the end, they drifted away from the prince, and the brothers couldn't even speak a few words. "

Speaking of this, Empress Dowager Dou's tone became darker, her anger was evident, and she was extremely dissatisfied with Queen Wang.

"Ah Rong is kind-hearted and open-minded. Before leaving Chang'an, the prince will have to go to the palace every few days. The two brothers are very speculative."

"A whoring, you are not young anymore, you should understand what you should do and what you should not do. Otherwise, when Ah Qi and I are gone, no one will be able to protect you anymore."

Liu Xun wanted to refute, but didn't know where to start.

Chen Jiao didn't make a sound from the beginning to the end. Seeing Empress Dowager Dou panting slightly, she raised her hand and gently stroked Empress Dowager Dou's chest.

Seeing that Queen Mother Dou was really angry, Liu Xun reflected on what he had done in the past, even if he didn't think it was wrong, he didn't dare to stand up now, and could only follow what Queen Mother Dou said.

"Mom, I know I was wrong."

Liu Xun reflected too quickly, but Empress Dowager Dou didn't believe it.Naihe himself can't figure it out, and it's useless to say more.

Disappointed, Empress Dowager Dou shook her head, determined to hurry up and educate Chen Jiao, and never let her be like Liu whoring. With Emperor Jing intervening in the middle, he would be powerless if he wanted to control it.

"Has the mansion been cleaned up?" Empress Dowager Dou changed the subject and brought up the investigation of the servants.

"Everything that needs to be cleared is cleared up." When this matter was brought up, Liu Xing felt unlucky.

The beauty who was finally found was found out to be a spy.It's not the Xiongnu behind it, but pointing faintly at the Jiaofang Palace.This made Liu Xun feel even more angry and felt completely fooled.It's not that Marquis Tangyi stopped him, maybe he would have a fight with Wang Zhi.

Who would have thought that Wang Zhi would have such a means to send people here quietly.

If it weren't for the incidents in Bianjun County that caused too much trouble, and the governments were worried about being stuck in a nail, they would not have found any clues if they tried their best to investigate thoroughly.

"Have learned the lesson, you should have some snacks in the future." Empress Dowager Dou leaned back on the couch, stroked the top of Chen Jiao's hair with one hand, and said in a deep voice, "Until the prince gets married, there will be no more family members in the palace. Acura dancer, get rid of everything you can. As an aunt, you still want to send a beauty to your nephew? You won’t be afraid of being laughed at if you say it.”

Liu Xing's face was embarrassing, the corners of Chen Jiao's lips curled up slightly, and a hint of sarcasm slipped in her eyes.

"Mum, I didn't mean that." Liu Xun argued.

It's one thing to send a beauty to a brother, quite another to a nephew.

The most important thing is that Chen Jiao is her own daughter, even if the relationship between mother and daughter is not as close as before, she will not be so stupid as to give Liu Che a gift.She was still looking forward to Chen Jiao giving birth to the eldest son of the emperor and consolidating her position in the palace, how could she be so confused!

On the other hand, Yang Xin married into the Pingyang Marquis's Mansion, and his actions were not small, which effectively imitated her face-to-face posture.In order to inquire about the news, Liu Xun specially arranged for someone to sneak in.But just like Tangyihou's Mansion, during this investigation, all news was lost.

"Mother, Yang Xin has a lot of thoughts." Liu Xun said.

"No matter how big the idea is, it depends on whether it can be done." Empress Dowager Dou sneered, "You and A Qi have been good since childhood, Yang Xin and the prince..."

What happened next, Empress Dowager Dou didn't say clearly, Liu Xing is not stupid, she can always guess a point or two, and she can't help showing complacency.

No, Empress Dowager Dou suddenly poured a basin of cold water on her.

"Remember, no matter what the crown prince's attitude towards Jiaofangdian is, you'd better not provoke Wang Yan. You are not her opponent, if you go, you will be used. You will be disgusted by the crown prince for no reason, and you may even burden Jiaojiao."

"Mother, you also said that the crown prince is estranged from Jiaofangdian." Liu Xing was not reconciled.Wang Zhi used her before, and nailed the Tangyi Hou's mansion again, she always wanted to win back the city.

"No matter how far apart you are, you are still close to mother and child!" Empress Dowager Dou insisted, "Before Cheng Ji was humiliated, what did King Lu, King Jiangdu, and King Jiaoxi do? ?”

Liu Xing stopped talking, Empress Dowager Dou reluctantly breathed a sigh of relief, it was better to be able to listen to what was said than not to listen.

"One more thing." Empress Dowager Dou held Chen Jiao's hand, her tone relaxed, "Ah Qi discussed with me, intending to let the prince get married next year."

"Ming Sui?" Liu Xing was taken aback, "So soon?"

"Not fast." Empress Dowager Dou had no intention of explaining, she held Chen Jiao's hand a little harder, and said firmly, "This matter has been settled. Two months before the wedding, Jiaojiao will return to Tangyihou's Mansion."

Liu Xun wanted to say something else, when the words came to his lips, a thought suddenly flashed in his mind, his face turned pale, and his voice trembled slightly: "Mum, it's the body of the emperor..."

"Shut up!" Empress Dowager Dou sternly sat up from the couch.

Liu Xun hurriedly shut his mouth, becoming more and more sure of what he was thinking, and fell silent for a while.

Walking out of Changle Palace, Liu Xun was full of worries, and returned to Tangyihou's Mansion, always fidgeting.

When Chen Wu returned home, just as he got off his horse, a servant girl came to report that Liu Xing wanted to see him.

Marquis Tangyi and Princess Guantao have been married for many years, but they always seem to be separated by something.After Chen Jiao was designated as the crown princess and Chen Wu was ordered to supervise the manufacture of harnesses, the estrangement further deepened. Even though they lived in the same mansion, the number of times they met was very few, and the days when they shared the same room were even rarer.

"The princess wants to see me?" Chen Wu walked into the room and saw Liu Xun standing in front of the screen with a scorched face, he couldn't help showing surprise.

"It's really not easy to meet the prince!" Liu Xun was anxious, and his tone was naturally bad.

Chen Wu's expression paused, and he said firmly: "That's all the princess wants to say?"

"I...not!" Thinking of Queen Mother Dou's words, Liu Xun suppressed his anger, took a step forward, and said in a low voice, "My dear, I have something to say to you."

Seeing that Liu Xun showed signs of giving in, and his attitude was so solemn, Chen Wu turned around and said, "What's the matter?"

"About the palace."

Liu Xing ordered his loyal servants to guard the door, took Chen Wu behind the screen, whispered what Empress Dowager Dou had said, and expressed his own guesses.

Hearing that the prince will get married next year, Chen Wu's expression also changed.

"Princess, let me think about it."

The incident was so sudden that Chen Wu didn't care about etiquette, so he sat directly beside the screen, frowned and thought deeply, and connected the incidents one by one.

The former king of Linjiang committed a crime and seized the title, so he asked himself to guard the border, but the Changle Palace was not far away, but instead rewarded him several times, gold, silver and silk were endless, and he even gave dozens of riding boys;

A few days ago, the Son of Heaven bestowed banquets on all the ministers, but only the marquises with knives and daggers;

The two surnames of the later family, Tian Fu was demoted, and Wang Xin was promoted. It is reported that the emperor intends to make Wang Xin his lord;

Princess Yangxin married Pingyanghou;

The princes are crowned kings, and they are all in the country;

The prince will get married next year...

After trying to understand everything, Chen Wu's heart trembled. He looked at Princess Guan Tao and nodded slightly, confirming her guess.

Liu Xing's face turned pale, and all kinds of complicated emotions surged up at the same time.

She desperately tried to lose Empress Dowager Dou's favor, just so that Chen Jiao could become a queen.But the goal was about to be achieved, but she felt uneasy and panic lingering in her heart.

In Chang'an City, the cool wind gradually picked up, and a light rain fell.The counties in the frontier fortress are enjoying the crisp autumn, and the waves of valleys are rolling in the fields, ushering in the harvest season.

After the service was over, the soldiers returned home one after another.

Before leaving, Zhao Jia deliberately slaughtered cattle and sheep, moved the millet to the school grounds, and handed out rewards to everyone in person.The pawns holding wooden signs stepped forward one after another, carrying bags of millet on their backs, their bodies brimming with joy.

Long before the end of the service period, the county sent someone to ask for the list of the best pawns.

Originally, these pawns were candidates for Zhao Jia's own soldiers, but he couldn't refuse the big shots in the county.Fortunately, the prefect Wei didn't have many people to go, so it was still more than enough to choose his own soldiers from the remaining 400 people.

After seeing off the pawns, Zhao Jia left the barracks and started busying at both ends of the Guansi livestock farm.

After finally resting for a day, he suddenly met someone from the county, saying that something happened to the northbound caravan, and the cavalry who left the fortress lost news. Wei Taishou summoned Zhao Jia to the city to discuss matters.

After hearing Feiqi's words, Zhao Jia's head buzzed suddenly.Before he had time to think about it, he hurriedly gave orders to Uncle Hu and Uncle Xiong, and immediately jumped on his horse and rushed towards the city at high speed.