Crossing the East Palace

Cuixianglou naturally knew Xiaotang Luojin's identity.

There are twenty or thirty guards behind him, aged seven or eight years old, with a mole of Guanyin on the center of his eyebrows, serious face, not fond of smiling...

Looking at so many features, who can't guess the identity of His Highness the Crown Prince?

It's just that His Royal Highness didn't say anything, and they naturally didn't say anything in order to please the prince.

Hearing His Highness the Crown Prince's order at this moment, he obediently did it without mentioning it.

It left Ning Jun Chi watching Tang Luojin with itchy teeth.

"Young master often come?"

"Naturally." Tang Luojin was still expressionless, but in a good mood, "Qing Huan and Qing He are both beautiful to watch, Qing Huan's piano and Qing He's dance are even more amazing. But..."

Tang Luojin didn't know what to think of, she took a look at Ning Junchi, and said suddenly, "However, I've already hired them all. If uncle likes, he can find other young ladies, they are all good too."

Ning Junchi: "...Get it? Why don't you redeem them?"

Ning Junchi was deliberately picking on the thorns, but Tang Luojin replied seriously: "I will keep them here, so they don't have to be humiliated by others, and they can go out often. But if I redeem them, I'm afraid it's just a matter of killing them." Close the golden cage tightly and never get out again."

Ning Junchi fell silent.He used to think that Tang Luojin came to Hualou with a child's heart, and the more others didn't want him to do something, the more he wanted to do it.Now, after hearing Tang Luojin's answer like this, I realized that Tang Luojin is really a person with a good heart, and she also has plans for her favorite girl.

But when Tang Luojin's favorite Qing Huan and Qing He came, Ning Junchi didn't think so.

Qing He is dressed in pink and white clothes, as her name suggests, like a lotus in water, fresh and pleasant.

But Qing Huan...is not a woman, but a man.

He was still a young man who was as expressionless as Tang Luojin and liked to sullenly.

Ning Junchi: "..."

Seeing them coming, Tang Luojin asked someone to move the reclining chair, which was covered with a soft bedding. Tang Luojin lay down in it, covered it with another thin quilt, and said, "Let's begin."

Qinghe and Qinghuan salute should be.

Qing Huan sat down cross-legged and began to play the piano, while Qing He danced casually in the spacious private room.

The sound of the piano is as elegant as the wind, as if there is no desire at all, just play wherever it comes to mind; the dancer has no seductive temptation, as if he doesn't care whether someone will dance again, but just dances for himself.

Ning Junchi didn't expect to meet such two people in the flower building. When he was about to say something, he turned his head and saw the little Tang Luojin lying on a soft recliner, already asleep.

Ning Junchi was about to laugh, but when he saw Tang Luojin's quiet face and raised lips, he was slightly startled——

Xiaojing saw that Ning Junchi had seen it, and said in a low voice, "Mr. Xin also saw it? Our prince can only sleep so well by listening to the sound of Qing Huan's piano and watching Qing He's dance. You can laugh happily even when you fall asleep." You know, on weekdays in the palace, His Highness the Crown Prince sleeps with a sullen face, and when others move a little, His Highness the Crown Prince can immediately open his eyes, as if he had never slept very well. Shen general.

"Just because the Crown Prince can sleep well here, the Holy Majesty has to bear the memorials of the censors in the court, and pretends to be indifferent, so that the Crown Prince can have something to be happy about."

Of course, Xiaojing only dared to say the latter words in his heart.

If other people know that the most comfortable place in this world for His Highness the Crown Prince is the study, how will the world think about His Highness the Crown Prince?

Ning Junchi didn't realize that this was the reason why Tang Luojin liked to run to Hualou so much. After a long pause, he realized that the old bustard was bringing other young ladies for him to choose.

Ning Junchi waved his hand slightly irritatedly.

The old bustard left with a sad face, and after a while, brought two thin and slender men back.

Ning Junchi: "..."

The old bustard whispered: "This is the meaning of the seventh son, no matter male or female, we can't let you neglect you. If you are not satisfied with these two, the slave family will continue to find someone for you to stay here with you." Then I don't know what came to mind, and I added, "You know the temper of the seventh son, if you really can't find someone who suits you in this place, the seventh son will explode in our building if he wakes up."

Ning Junchi knew that Tang Luojin would not be like this, but he felt that there were people coming and going in this private room, so he was afraid of disturbing Tang Luojin, so he ordered one of them that looked quiet, and asked the other to follow the old bustard.

"Be quiet." Seeing that the man was about to speak, Ning Junchi ordered, "Sit there and don't make a sound."

Tang Luojin slept for more than half an hour before waking up.

When he opened his eyes, perhaps because it was daytime and the light was too strong, he squinted his eyes and the corners of his lips were slightly hooked.

"What time is it?" There was a hint of a smile in the soft voice.

Ning Junchi looked over carefully.

"It's noon." Xiao Jing whispered, "Duke Xin Guo has been waiting for you for a long time, and it's time for His Highness to get up for lunch."

"Oh." Tang Luojin seemed to be waking up just now, she closed her eyes slightly, and when she opened them again, her black eyes were full of sobriety, and the smile on her lips also fell, "Why is uncle still waiting here?" ?”

Ning Junchi was wondering about the fact that his little nephew would laugh in the flower building, heard this sentence, and was about to answer, when his little nephew said another sentence, which made him choke.

"It turns out that uncle likes men." Tang Luojin glanced at the young people in the room, and said, "No wonder my mother saw so many daughters for uncle, and uncle didn't agree to any of them."

Ning Junchi: "..." He is just young and doesn't want to get married for the time being.

Moreover, when his mother gave birth to Ning Junyu and Ning Zhen'er, she was poisoned by the family's concubine. Although the mother survived and Junyu and Zhen'er were in good health, the mother's health gradually deteriorated. died of illness.

As long as Ning Junchi thinks of marrying a wife and taking concubines, he fears that his children will also suffer such persecution.

In addition, the daughter of the prefect of Shanxi harmed their family, which made Ning Junchi very afraid of women and unwilling to marry a wife.

"Uncle just wants to find someone he likes." Ning Junchi originally wanted to touch Tang Luojin's forehead, but suddenly thought that Tang Luojin could sleep soundly only in the flower house, so he couldn't continue the conversation with his curled fingers. He just said with a stern face, "Then the two of them will spend their whole lives together and beautifully, there won't be so many intrigues."

After hearing this, Tang Luojin narrated the facts in a flat voice: "Good luck, uncle."

Ning Junchi thought about Tang Luojin's identity, she was destined to be the 72nd concubine of the Sixth Court of the Sangong, and the intrigue would be inevitable. He rubbed Tang Luojin's head and laughed.

Tang Luojin wandered around outside the palace for a while, then ran to meet a scholar who was selling paintings in the market, and then returned to the palace.

Ning Junchi was getting older and was not suitable for living in the palace, but he was also concerned about Tang Luojin's lack of sleep, so he sent Tang Luojin back to the palace all the way.

On the way, he asked casually: "The painting of Juren is only remarkable, and it's not worth the price Xiao Qi gave. But Xiao Qi wants to take care of that person on purpose?"

This was originally a random question, and Ning Junchi only thought that Tang Luojin did it casually, but Tang Luojin said in a serious way: "Just a painting of Juren is indeed not worth the money. However, Zelan's future Husband's paintings are naturally worth that money."

Ze Lan and He Liu, they have taken care of Tang Luojin since he was born, treating him like a family member, and they have never been negligent.Zelan's family became his again, and Heliu even rescued him from the fire and burned his arm because of it, and now there is still a scar on his arm.

If it's the children next to him, maybe they don't have any memory, just point them to two decent houses. But Tang Luojin has a memory, he remembers how these two people took care of him carefully, so that he can't sleep. Sick from being neglected like the other child thrown to the palace.

He Liu and Ze Lan treated him so well, so he naturally had to plan for them.

Zelan's father and brother both became officials, and the younger brother also passed the Juren examination.Shi Yuan, the only second brother who had gone astray, has also become his subordinate, and now he is also waiting for this year's autumn to take the imperial examination to become an official.

Ze Lan is the person next to him, it is not difficult to marry a good person, but it is not easy to be the wife of a man.

The Juren whom he and Ning Junchi met just now was a classmate of Zelan’s younger brother. His parents passed away one after another. After six years of filial piety, he had to take care of the three younger siblings. I can take the examination.

Tang Luojin had someone check him out. That Juren's parents actually left a lot of property, but that Juren likes to paint, and he is upright and tactful, so he sells a few paintings every month to support his younger siblings and the household of servants.

It's just that this Juren's identity is too weak after all, Tang Luojin has not yet decided whether to marry Ze Lan to him.

As for Heliu... Heliu's family is not as good as Zelan's family, and Heliu doesn't know why he wants to marry an imperial merchant in Chang'an City as his successor, or the third most important successor .

Tang Luojin naturally refused, but he didn't have much resources at hand, so he couldn't pick the right person for a while.

Hearing Tang Luojin's worrying words, Ning Junchi felt it was funny, and said, "What's so difficult about this? These are women's affairs. You are young and a man, how can you understand these things? You tell your mother, Your mother will help you take care of the marriage between the two."

Tang Luojin's brows twitched, and she immediately refused: "How good Zelan and Heliu are in my heart, they are just two palace servants to the outside world. How can I bother the mother? The mother is currently raising the fifth princess by her side, and there are many official duties. I'll take care of these small things by myself." Tang Luojin stopped, looked up at Ning Junchi seriously, "Uncle, don't tell your mother to make her work hard, okay?"

Although Ning Junchi felt strange, but Tang Luojin begged him so much, and thinking that Tang Luojin could only sleep soundly outside the palace, he felt a little uneasy, so he agreed.

So another half a month passed.

In the palaces of the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor and the Empress, there is a golden parrot stand.

The sign made of the parrot stand is light, and has food and water, but there are no birds.

The empress dowager and others were like this, and many adults in the court also put vacant parrots on the porch to enjoy.

After the parrot stands were placed in the homes of the ministers of the DPRK and China, many rich and noble families who went in and out of these ministers' homes also did the same.

In the end, some ordinary people took pride in carrying the vacant parrot stand to play in the streets.

If someone asks curiously: "Why is there no parrot on the parrot stand?"

The man would smile inscrutablely, and then said contemptuously: "This is how the emperor is carrying the empty parrot stand. What is wrong with carrying it like this? What? Are you really saying that I am wrong? But I learned from the emperor. , you say Lao Tzu is wrong? Don’t you mean that the emperor is wrong? You are so brave!..."

After doing this, everyone thinks that carrying an empty parrot stand is a very "fashionable" thing.

Although they don't know what the word "fashionable" means.

When Tang Luojin saw the empty parrot stands all over the street, she knew the time had come.

However, what Tang Luojin didn't expect was that the next morning, before he could speak, someone preempted him.

It was King An's grandson-in-law Han Junma who spoke.

Han Junma does not have a serious official position and rarely goes to court, but this time it is rare to go to the early court, and he came here by kicking the book.

"The Holy Majesty has always been magnanimous. I wait at the feet of the emperor. I am grateful for the emperor's kindness. I wish I could repay it with my body. A few days ago, when I went to Yizhou, I heard that footbinding was flourishing in Yizhou. Suddenly I remembered that the prince scolded me that day. About the wind of foot binding, let the people of Yizhou listen to the prince's original words. I want the people of Yizhou, especially the women in Yizhou, to appreciate the prince's kindness and release their feet from being bound."

After Han Junma finished speaking, he paused for a while, and then said angrily: "I just said what I said, but the people of Yizhou who heard what I said, all looked panic-stricken, and they all knelt down and begged, please. A minister who comes to ask the prince for help, must not do this. It is natural for a woman to obey three virtues and four virtues. A woman obeys her father at home, her husband when she gets married, and her son after her husband dies. It can be seen that the person who obeys the longest in her life is her husband.

Moreover, women's appearance for those who please themselves is originally a matter for women.If a woman is suspected of misconduct, she should use the life of the Shen family to prove her innocence; to show her future husband's family that she is willing to abide by the three virtues and four virtues, she is willing to stay out of the door and never step in, and she is willing to abide by women's morals all her life, so as to bind her feet , Living at home, speaking well of the in-law's family, making the mother's family feel at ease and proud, satisfying the husband's family, and making the husband happy, this is what should be done. Why did the prince say that there is no filial piety?The love of parents for their children should be far-reaching.Although women's foot binding is painful at the beginning, once it is bound, it can be said to be good to her husband's family. Since parents love their daughters, they should plan far-reaching, foot binding is the right way. "

Emperor Tianyuan looked at Han Junma expressionlessly and said nothing.

Han Junma jumped headlong at the sight of Emperor Tianyuan, and looked sideways at Crown Prince Tang Luojin. Seeing that Tang Luojin had the same expression, he was a little flustered, and his tone of voice was a little unreasonable and angry.

"Cough cough!"

Fortunately, Han Junma heard the sound of Wang An clenched his fist and coughed, and then came back to his senses, and continued: "The prince said that day, the wind of foot binding should be banned, because foot binding is an act of unfilial, unkind, and unfaithful. But The words of the people in Yizhou made me feel that footbinding is not a matter of filial piety. As for the theory of unkindness, it is even more nonsense. The prince is young and has lived in a deep palace since he was a child. He will never know about a woman giving birth. After arriving in Yizhou, Tete searched for a village and compared the number of children born to women with their feet bound and women without their feet bound. The results of the comparison did not match what the prince said. more children."

When Han Junma first spoke, everyone didn't react too much, but when Han Junma talked about having children, everyone was shocked and their eyes began to wander.

——This is not the time to encourage fewer children. Taitang has always used population size as a criterion for prosperity. Hearing that women's footbinding can bring more children, everyone is shaken.

Leaving aside what is unfilial and unkind, if it is really because of the large population of Datang, it seems that it is not unacceptable for women to bind their feet.

Tang Luojin's eyes were slightly cold.

The expression on Emperor Tianyuan's face remained unchanged, his fingers were slightly bent, and he tapped the table slowly.

Tang Luojin glanced at King An, and then at Duke Xin, who also came to court today.

Because of his grandson's death in battle, King An was still divided by five horses, and he had already been with the Ning family forever.

This time, Wang An asked his grandson-in-law Han Junma to come forward, probably because he still hated the Ning family deeply, and by the way, he also hated him, the "son" of the Ning family.

Tang Luojin thought of the reason, but felt that she was unlucky.

Han Junma's defense is not finished: "...His Royal Highness said last time that women's footbinding is infidelity. I was born in Chang'an and grew up in Chang'an. I have been to few places, but only for the people of Yizhou. It is said that although there are still men who are conscripted into the army, the local women with bound feet are living well, and like other women with natural feet, they support the whole family, work in the fields, serve their parents-in-law, and raise children. Do it all."

"Although I am not as good as the crown prince with the ability to never forget, he is born with seven apertures in his heart and has both blessings and wisdom, but the strings are moving, and the leaves will know the autumn. Just look at the things in Yizhou. Women in Yizhou often have their feet bound, and women with bound feet, Being able to speak well about the in-laws’ family, making parents and elder brothers honorable, is regarded as great filial piety; being able to breed more children than natural-footed women is regarded as great filial piety to parents-in-law and love for their children; after the husband is conscripted, even Being able to support a family is regarded as great loyalty to Datang. In this way, although I am not sensitive, I also know that the feet bound women in Yizhou are not as inappropriate as His Royal Highness said. It's not the same, I'm dull, and I can't tell whether footbinding is what Datang should do. However, women in Yizhou have bound their feet for many years, and they have long regarded footbinding as a top priority for being able to marry a good family. This time, I went to Yizhou According to the words of the crown prince, women in Yizhou were deeply unwilling to remove footbinding. Therefore, women in Yizhou asked their father, brother, husband, and son to write a petition for thousands of people. Benefit!"

Han Junma said, knelt down, and took out a long roll of cloth from his arms.

Emperor Tianyuan glanced at Xu Youwei expressionlessly, and Xu Youwei immediately led the little eunuch to help unfold the long roll of cloth, which was indeed written by countless people.

It not only wrote the writer's birthplace and life, but also wrote a petition, asking only for the wind of footbinding to continue, and asking His Royal Highness not to embarrass weak women and so on.

The ministers of the DPRK and China read the "petition", and they all talked about it.

Emperor Tianyuan and Tang Luojin never looked at each other, but their faces darkened as they grew older and younger.

The person who started this incident was the First Prince.Tang Luojin knew about this matter through his companion Yan Qingsong, and Emperor Tianyuan also knew about it.Both of them used this matter as an excuse to get rid of foot binding, but they never mentioned it to the First Prince directly.

Unexpectedly, seeing that things were getting worse, the eldest prince actually went to find King An.

King An's grandson Tang Luojing was dismembered on the battlefield and blamed the Ning family for it.It's really not surprising that he will make a move this time.

What the father and son did not expect was that this time the petition was not written in the name of the man, but in the name of the foot-bound woman herself.

"It's nothing else." Some of the veterans in the court inevitably said, "But whether a country is strong or not, the population is the most important thing. Only when the population is large, can Datang have more people to grow food and have more people. The soldiers protect the family and defend the country. The old minister thinks that if this woman's footbinding can really bring more children, then not only the Holy Majesty can't stop this matter, but also make the footbinding more popular."

"Although what the boss said is very true. After all, the prince is young and his knowledge is not long-term, so he said the words of "unfilial, unkind and unfaithful" in the foot-binding society that day, but Han Junma took Yizhou as an example, so it can be seen that the so-called "unfilial and unfaithful" The words "benevolence and disloyalty" never existed. Not only did the prince not say that women with bound feet in Yizhou would marry better and have more children, and it did not prevent them from working in the fields with women with natural feet, honoring their parents-in-law, The matter of raising children shows that foot binding does not need to be prohibited."

"I also think so. Han Junma said that this thousand-person petition was written by the fathers, brothers, husbands and sons of those foot-bound women. Since it is a ghost-writer, it means that the wish is the wishes of the foot-bound women themselves. Willingness. Although foot binding will cause women to suffer the pain of broken bones, but the pain of broken bones is nothing compared to the filial piety to parents, in-laws, love to children, and loyalty to Datang? The woman herself has a righteous heart and is willing to use the pain of footbinding in exchange for the love of her husband and the sympathy of her parents and in-laws, so why should we not do it? Let her go free and make her free to bind her feet?"

"My minister agrees."

"My minister agrees."

……

Tang Luojin didn't say a word from the beginning to the end of the morning court.

Emperor Tianyuan listened to everyone's second opinion with a dark face, then waved his hand and said: "This matter is not urgent, we will discuss it later. Now, the envoys of Tubo have sent him, what do you love?"

After the early court, Emperor Tianyuan wanted to talk to Tang Luojin about foot binding, but unexpectedly the ministers in the court could let the young Tang Luojin go, but they refused to let Emperor Tianyuan go. Emperor Tianyuan spoke in private.

Tang Luojin walked out quickly.

Ning Jun followed for a while, and stopped when he saw that Tang Luojin went directly to the harem.

King An did not hesitate to oppose the crown prince Tang Luojin because of the Ning family's affairs, and Ning Junchi was also surprised.However, the matter had already happened, and Ning Junchi could only find a way to solve this matter.

He stood there and waited for a while, watching Tang Luojin's small back disappear before leaving.

But Tang Luojin didn't act as a sister, and went straight to Changle Palace.

Arriving at Changle Palace, after Tang Luojin saluted, she was about to throw herself into the arms of the Empress Dowager when she suddenly saw a ten-year-old girl next to Princess Ningyang. Holding the girl's hand, she threw herself into the arms of Princess Ningyang.

"My aunt loves me so much, please marry my cousin to me!"

When Tang Luojin said this, Princess Ningyang was surprised at first, and then overjoyed.

The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager looked at each other and felt that this matter was not impossible.

Only the queen almost broke the veil and swallowed back the phrase "this is not allowed" in her throat.