Fake concubine, real queen

He Guwan didn't expect that the first time he did something bad, he would be caught by Sister Yu'er. The eldest princess's cry almost made He Xiaohou Ye jump up in fright.

He suppressed the heart that almost jumped out of his throat, turned his head and said with a dry smile: "Uh... I didn't see anything, huh? Sister, this is..."

The eldest princess was wearing a moon-white tunic, and her black hair was half-stained with moisture, and there were faint drops of water on her face and neck, which showed that she had just come out of the bath.

The eldest princess said: "The weather is hot and sweaty, making it difficult to sit during the banquet, so I will go back to Qingyu Palace first and fetch water to take a bath."

He Gu suddenly said: "So that's how it is."

It's just that if Sister Yu'er just took a bath, her body is not steaming, and her complexion is still cold...

...Could it be washed with cold water?

I couldn't help but said: "Although it's hot in summer, I heard that women are naturally afraid of the cold. Sister Yu'er should wash less in cold water in the future. I'm afraid it's not good for your body."

The eldest princess responded, and she walked to the desk. He Gu was stunned for a moment, but saw her suddenly reach out and close the ebony box, and said, "Was Zihuan reading these letters just now?"

He Gu's heart skipped a beat, and then he remembered that he had been caught peeking at someone's letter just now, and was instantly embarrassed, and said, "I...I didn't mean to read it, I just thought Sister Yu'er went to the Queen Ma'am, I'm bored waiting here, so I wanted to find a book to read, but I happened to see this box... just..."

The eldest princess took the ebony box, and this time she did not put it on the desk, but put it back on a high bookshelf beside her, then turned to look at He Gu, and said, "These are the ones sent by the third brother from Jinling. When I came back, the letters to my mother were mostly to report her safety and recent health, nothing to look at."

He Gu scratched his head, and said: "Is that so, just why this letter... will be placed in my sister's palace, and the empress will not keep it?"

The eldest princess paused, and said: "I stayed in the palace and took care of the palace affairs for the queen mother, and all these things are kept here."

When He Gu heard this, he couldn't help being a little surprised, and said sincerely: "Sister is really amazing, she can martial arts, write, play the piano, and is very knowledgeable, and she can even help your mother with the palace affairs. My day is only twelve hours. , Could it be that there are 24 sisters?"

I couldn't help thinking in my heart, with such a powerful sister, it's no wonder that the Third Highness is not bad, which is also good. In the future, when His Highness competes for reserves, there will be a powerful military adviser behind him, and the Third Highness will act with him in the front, so it is not easy to make mistakes .

But he said that Pei Zhaoheng just wanted to get the letter from He Gu, but he started to praise himself for no reason, and he couldn't help laughing, saying: "These... are not difficult at all. I have nothing to do all day long. It doesn’t take much time to do it.”

He Gu heard his words, but his heart couldn't help but think a little more——

I don't know if it was his illusion, but sister Yu'er mentioned it in front of him more than once, saying that she was idle all day.

He Gu told Old General Yan before that if the eldest princess was born as a man, she might become a generation of outstanding people.

This is not He Gu and his grandfather bragging, he thinks so from the bottom of his heart, at least in He Gu's eyes, just comparing with the two princes in Jingzhong, Sister Yu'er's literary talent and martial arts are not inferior to them, Needless to say, the second prince, the prince is just like that, He Gu knows better than anyone else, if he wants to say that the prince really has something that is better than sister Yu'er, then he must be ruthless.

But to be honest... if you want to become an emperor, ruthlessness is still an advantage. At least in the last life, Pei Zhaolin was not ruthless enough, and had never played with the crown prince, and the third highness was not ruthless enough, and had never played with the prince... …

Well, although there are also his factors, but in this life, Sister Yu'er and His Highness the Third Prince, including the empress of Zhiyang Palace, still have such a temperament of indifference to the world. Your Highness is in the top position, but the heart of the Third Highness is really worthy of becoming a great treasure, and I am afraid that he will not be able to sit firmly on the throne under his ass...

It's not that it's not good to stay aloof from the world, it's just that it's not good to fight. When Pei Zhaoyuan ascends the throne again, the three of them, mother and son, and him, the son-in-law, will have to finish the game. At present, others don't know, but he knows the future. What is the general direction of things, how can I stand by and wait for death?

Thinking of this, Master He Xiaohou couldn't help but feel a little sad. Recently, life has been so comfortable that he almost forgot to help the Third Highness fight for the reserve.

...It seems that this bowl of soft rice is not so easy to eat.

But it’s okay, right now I heard sister Yu’er said that she is an idler, intentionally or not, a few times. It can be seen that her sister is so talented and learned, but she is still unwilling to be trapped in the back house. This is also human nature. The royal family is the descendant of the phoenix and the grandson of the dragon. They are good at martial arts and martial arts, but unfortunately they were born into a woman. It is indeed a grievance.

It's just that, although Sister Yu'er is a woman herself, doesn't she have a biological brother? After all, the Third Highness is also the biological son of His Majesty and the Queen's Empress. If His Highness wins, can the Third Highness not win?

What's more, there is him.

Thinking about this, He Gu felt that the most important thing was to heal his uncle's illness quickly, and then take Yan Zhiya to Jinling to see the doctor for His Highness the Third Highness. Thoughts will also arise.

Then he opened his mouth and said to the eldest princess: "The big inner court can be kept in an orderly manner. My sister may think it is not difficult, but it is because my sister is talented, and it is easy to do it. Look at my stepmother, who only cares about the one acre in my house. One-third of the land can still be managed in a mess, and a good shop can be sold at a loss in her hands, which shows that my sister's ability is still far better than ordinary people. "

Pei Zhaoheng raised his eyes to look at him, frowned and said, "Your stepmother embezzled your mother's dowry and sold it at a loss?"

He Gu thumped in his heart, scolding himself for being talkative, why did he mention such unlucky people and things in front of Sister Yu'er?

Hastily changed the subject and said: "Let's not talk about her... that's right... If the doctor I'm looking for can make His Highness get better, and if he returns to the capital in the future, won't he have to talk to the empress and sister again? Have you exchanged letters?"

Pei Zhaoheng was stunned for a moment, he really didn't expect that since he rejected that day, He Gu would still be thinking about this matter, thinking about the so-called "Third Prince" of Jinling, he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious, and said: " Zihuan...why do you always think about my third brother?"

He Gu was stunned for a moment, and he couldn't help but think in his heart. Sister Yu'er and Empress Empress are both indifferent people who don't like to be competitive. If you tell them now that His Highness will heal his body in the future and fight for the reserve, it will not only It looks abrupt, and it is easy to make people suspicious. He thinks that He Gu is not well-intentioned, and he might want to hold his brother-in-law hostage in the future and become a foreign relative who interferes in politics.

Now is obviously not the time to pierce it, and it is best for His Highness the Third Highness to initiate it himself instead of asking others to push and yell.

If you want to sit on the throne, how can you not be a little ambitious?

He just laughed dryly and said: "The third highness is talented, has a great age, is always lingering on the sick bed, and is separated by such a long distance from the elder sister and the empress. Isn't it a pity that I am now your highness's brother-in-law, so I naturally look forward to it." Hope he gets better soon."

After hearing this, Pei Zhaoheng felt a little touched.

He had just seen his own mind clearly today, and now when he heard He Gu say his true identity, it was the simple words "Third Highness", which seemed to carry a different meaning...

But in his heart, he also clearly knew that this was just his own wishful thinking...

Zihuan didn't know anything, and what he adored now was only "Eldest Princess Pei Zhaoyu", not the third prince Pei Zhaoheng who was a man.

The slender fingers under Pei Zhaoheng's sleeves slowly clenched into fists, and after a long time, they loosened slowly.

Seeing that she didn't speak, He Gu couldn't help being a little puzzled, and asked, "Sister?"

Pei Zhaoheng closed his eyes and said, "How do you know... the third brother is talented, Zihuan has never met him, right?"

His words were just a casual question, but He Xiaohou was startled when he heard it, secretly thought that something was wrong, why every time she was talking nonsense in front of Sister Yu'er, she could catch the loopholes in the words?

Fortunately, every time this kind of critical moment comes, He Gu's little brain turns extraordinarily bright. He suddenly remembered something, and said with a serious face: "I have an estate in my family, which is the dowry left by my mother. I went for a walk on weekdays, and I saw the anthology written by His Highness the Third Highness in Jinling, and I was lucky enough to read it, so I know that His Highness is a good learner."

Pei Zhaoheng was taken aback.

He was a little surprised, because what He Gu said was true.

Over the years, every time he finished reading the book, he occasionally thought of composing and memorizing the book, and waved it away. He usually didn't pay much attention to it after writing, and just put it away casually.

Lan Shu, on the other hand, read it from the sidelines, always saying good things, but it was a pity that such articles were only kept in Qingyu Palace, so they would be dusty, so they took them out and called several Jingzhong Bookstores to compile them into an anthology, so they If she wanted to continue to sell it, she would sell it. Lan Shu felt that it would be good to keep the articles of His Highness the Third Highness for others to read. She could also get a volume of books and bring them back to Qingyu Palace to store for Pei Zhaoheng.

As for these anthologies, the famous... all have only the word Yuqing.

Yuqing is Pei Zhaoheng's nickname.

He is just an unfavored prince who went to Jinling early. Although some people know the name of the watch, but not many people know it. How did Zihuan know that Yuqing is him...?

Could it be that Zihuan has been paying attention to... the third prince of Jinling?

Also... If it is said that after reading the article, they are like-minded, they can be regarded as spiritual friends, as long as Zihuan has the heart, go back and check, it is not difficult to find out who is behind the name.

Zihuan...has been paying attention to him?

……

Of course He Gu knew that it was the name of His Highness the Third Highness.

In his previous life, he met His Highness the Third Highness lately and hit it off right away. Naturally, he inquired about it and found His Highness the Third Highness's article to read.

At this moment, Lord He Xiaohou didn't realize that the "Eldest Princess" on the opposite side had already misunderstood, and he was still praising the Third Highness who was far away in Jinling and had never met before.

Sincerely said: "Looking at the articles of His Highness the Third, one can see that His Highness's talent and learning are really extraordinary! No... More than extraordinary, I thought that His Highness is after all lingering on the sick bed, and his temperament should be gentle and upright. , Criticism of current malpractices, word by word, is my teacher Wang Tinghe, when he was sent to Luoling, he implemented the new policy of measuring farmland and land, which can obviously prevent the aristocrats from annexing farmland, reduce the tax burden of ordinary people, and make money The national treasury's good method, but called these people, and they were scolded bloody. Your Highness's article can ignore the criticism and say that the teacher did the right thing. Just with this vision and integrity, I think it is much better than that in Beijing. People with a lot of money and high official positions are more than a little stronger!"

"If Your Highness is in good health, in the future..." He Gu paused, and changed his rhetoric, "Uh... in the future, he will assist the new king, be a virtuous king, entrust one side, and surely the people under his rule will be well-fed and well-fed , live and work in peace and contentment!"

Pei Zhaoheng: "..."

At the beginning it was He Gu who said he wanted to kiss him before the court, and he only felt a little embarrassed in his heart, but at this moment, caught off guard, hearing such a very violent rainbow fart from He Gu's mouth made his heart beat Suddenly speeding up, fortunately, the lights in the hall are not particularly bright...

Otherwise, Lord He Xiaohou will definitely find out that the eldest princess's white jade-like cheeks already had two blushes that couldn't be hidden.

After all, right now, He Gu is praising the real Pei Zhaoheng, not... Sister Yu'er.

Pei Zhaoheng was silent for a moment, and said, "You really... really think so?"

He Gu said seriously: "Naturally, how have I ever lied to my sister?"

Pei Zhaoheng's heart was still beating faster, but when he suddenly said "sister", he felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured on his head. He was silent for a moment, and suddenly said: "From now on... don't call me sister again."

He Gu was at a loss: "Huh?"

Then turned pale with shock.

Could it be that he just said something wrong and angered Sister Yu'er? ?

In fact, Pei Zhaoheng's head became hot, and he regretted slightly when he said this sentence.

In just one day, he couldn't control himself, lost his composure frequently in front of Zihuan, and said things he shouldn't have said several times...

Or even though I have bathed and relieved with cold water just now, my body is still somewhat affected by the alcohol.

He told himself so.

Just as he was about to explain to He Gu that he had said something wrong just now, He Gu blushed suddenly and whispered, "Could it be... Could it be that sister wants me to be called a lady?"

Pei Zhaoheng: "..."

?

-------

Pei and He slept at the head of the bed and at the end of the bed on the night of their wedding in Qingyu Palace. He Gu slept with his clothes on, but the eldest princess only wore her coat.

If it was in the past, He Gu would probably have to worry about it, but today the hall is dimly lit, he can't see anything clearly, and in addition to the banquets and dinners during the day, he is already very tired, so when his head touches the pillow, he feels heavy went to sleep.

After waking up the next day, after washing and grooming, he and the eldest princess went to Zhiyang Palace to greet the queen, then left the palace and went back to the princess mansion.

He Gu originally planned to go back to the Princess Mansion, so he asked Sister Yu'er to take him to write today's "Preface to the River", but as soon as he arrived at the mansion, he learned that someone was looking for him.

The person who came was actually the newly appointed steward of the Marquis of Changyang.

This manager is also a chicken thief. He knew that he would come to He Gu at this time. If it was normal, he would have been shut down like the people sent by Master He, but today He Gu and the eldest princess were blocked before they entered the mansion. He blocked it.

The steward said with a bitter face: "My lord, if it wasn't for something important, I wouldn't dare to bother you now, but...there are some shops in Beijing, I have some questions, so I have to ask you."

He Gu was stunned, and said, "My mother's shop?"

The steward nodded, and said: "A few days ago, the son-in-law asked me to count and hand it over to you. It's just that I'm new to taking over these affairs, and I'm still a little unfamiliar. The shopkeepers and accountants of those shops are all from I've been disciplined by Madam, there are a lot of things I can't explain, I'm afraid I have to ask my son-in-law to look over it."

He Gu scratched his head, turned around and glanced at the eldest princess, but saw her nodding slightly to him, and said, "Let's deal with it."

Then he took Lan Shu and a group of servants back to the main courtyard.

He Gu brought the steward into the teahouse of the Princess Mansion, and the steward was followed by two servants, each holding a large stack of thick ledgers in their arms, stacked up to a foot high, and He Gu sat first in the teahouse. Looking at the steward, he asked, "What's going on?"

When Lan Xiao saw the son-in-law brought the guests back, she was also very winking, and quickly ordered the servant girl to ask the steward and the two servants to sit down, and served them tea. With a bitter face, he said: "To tell you the truth, although I was in charge of a few shops in the past, it was still beneficial to take care of them, but because I didn't get along well with the previous manager Wang, I couldn't reuse them."

He Gu said: "It is precisely because you did not deal with them that Lord Hou will bring you up now."

The steward nodded again and again, and said: "Of course the villain knows, it's the reason, but because of this, now I have been asked to take over those shops. They used to be obedient under the hands of Mrs. Wang and steward Wang. Now steward Wang has sent them The officer and the wife don't see anyone, and I don't know what kind of crime they committed. They even turned against me. These days, the business of the shop has been unclear, not to mention the business of the shop. If you want to be correct about the account books, if you take a closer look, they are all...all..."

He Gu frowned and said, "How? Could it be that they dare to fool you with bad debts?"

The steward said: "It's not a bad account, it's just not a bad account, but these account books are complicated and messy. At first glance, they seem to be sloppy, but when you think about it carefully, it's clearly wrong. If there is something wrong No, the business of our few shops is not bad on weekdays, how can we lose so much?"

He shyly said: "After all, the villain's ability is limited, and I really can't see where the problem is, so I can't help it. I thought about bringing rescue soldiers with my son-in-law."

He Gu said helplessly: "I only know superficiality when it comes to calculations and accounting. It's okay to listen to the teacher's lectures. If you let me see, how can I see it?"

Having said that, I still asked the two young servants to look at the account books.

It's just that He Gu is really self-aware, after only reading two pages, he felt that the sky was dark and his head was as big as a bucket.

I don't know if this account book is written like this on purpose, the notes are always blurred, and the font is even more flamboyant, even if you understand a line, it will cost Master He Xiaohou half his life, let alone There are also many complicated numbers mixed in, and he can't see any clue at all.

This is how to do?

He Gu raised his head and thought to himself, it seems that it is necessary to dig corners to see which shopkeepers and accountants in the capital are capable.

otherwise……

He paused, his face turned cold, and he said: "Since they want to play tricks, they can just quit all these shopkeepers and accountants, and let's find someone to take care of them again. I don't care about the losses in the past. We can't let these people continue to harm the shop."

The steward put down his teacup, and said helplessly, "Master, how did it get so simple, these shopkeepers, bookkeepers, and clerks have all worked in the shop for at least eight or nine years, and they know best how the shop makes a living. You have to start all over again, which is tantamount to reopening a store."

He Gu said: "If you reopen it, you can reopen it, maybe I can't afford to lose this little money..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Lan Xiao who was beside him suddenly said: "My son-in-law, this account book... is not without a problem."

He Gu was stunned for a moment, and then turned to notice Lan Xiao, only to see that she was staring at the account book that He Gu had thrown on the desk next to her, frowning slightly, thoughtfully.

He Gu was a little surprised, and said, "Can you understand?"

Lan Xiao changed her usual weak and timid appearance, not daring to speak loudly, she raised her head, her eyes sparkled slightly, she pointed to a place on the account book, and said to He Gu: "Master, look here , with the previous page, here..."

"Although the small item is correct, there is a difference of 760 and 430 compared with the total number of the latter. And here, this item, I remember buying new books from Wenxin Bookstore in Huizhou Prefecture, which cost a total of [-], but later... "

The more Lan Xiao talked, the more excited she became. I don't know if it was He Gu's illusion. Right now, Lan Xiao, who is staring at the account book without taking her eyes off it, with her slender index finger sliding slightly on the account book, seems to be... completely different from her in the past.

As she was talking, the steward from the Hou's Mansion couldn't help but also stepped forward, listening to Lan Xiao's words, while looking at the account books, as if suddenly enlightened, and nodded repeatedly.

Lan Xiao talked about half a cup of tea, and was finally tired. She felt her mouth was dry, and she handed over a cup of tea. Without thinking about it, she raised her hand and took a sip. Xiaozheng felt that her throat was much more comfortable, when she suddenly remembered something, turned her head to look, only to find that the one who handed her the tea was actually the son-in-law with sparkling eyes.

Lan Xiao: "..."

My God, she got carried away for a moment and asked the son-in-law to pass her tea, how could she deserve it?

Lan Xiao hurriedly put down the teacup, even though she was about to bow and retreat, she saluted He Gu and said yes, but He Gu stopped her.

He Gu said sincerely: "You have this ability, why didn't you say it earlier!"

I really found a treasure!

Seeing that his admiration was beyond words, Lan Xiao was slightly embarrassed, and said in a low voice, "Slave... this is just a trivial skill. In the past... this slave worked in Zhang Guiren's palace and took care of the nobleman's food and clothing. Monthly salary, after a long time, you can understand some superficial accounts..."

He Gu said in his heart, this is not an insignificant little skill, you know, like the new steward of the Hou Mansion who came today, he has worked in the account room for many years, and he would be ashamed when he saw these account books, Lan Xiao If you really just look at Zhang Guiren's food, clothing and monthly salary, you can develop such a skill...

It can only be said that he is really talented!

The steward also admired beside him: "It turns out that the girl is a noble person in the palace, and she came out of her side. No wonder she has such good skills. Just now I heard the girl say, where is the problem with the account book, and it becomes clear at once. It's really good." With vicious eyesight, even a villain must be convinced."

Lan Xiao's face suddenly became redder, and she was about to be more modest, but He Gu suddenly said: "Lan Xiao, do you want to be a shopkeeper in the future, and be able to manage one... or even ten or hundreds of shops?"

Lan Xiao was stunned for a moment, and turned to look at the son-in-law, but saw that his expression was solemn, and he didn't seem to be fake.

He Gu seriously said: "Well, Manager Liu, today I will bring Miss Lan Xiao, you follow, let's go to this... this..."

He looked down at the name of the account book, then raised his head and said: "...Wensheng Bookstore, let's go to court with that accountant, Lan Xiao, don't be afraid if you see any problems, ask him in front of him, It is best to ask him that he is speechless. I will explain him later. If you are willing, I will let you take care of this bookstore in the future. If you can manage it well, you will take care of all the shops in my hand in the future. "

Lan Xiao was suddenly dumbfounded.

Although in the past, she often had the idea of ​​making a living, after all, she had seen the rich life of the nobles, so she was naturally not reconciled to sending her back home and continuing to be the daughter of an ordinary family when the time limit came.

Those who went out of the palace, even though an old court lady like her can marry better than the daughters of ordinary people, but no matter how good they are, they are only from families with average wealth. If you want to go up, it will be difficult. , unless you are willing to be concubines for those petty officials.

That's why Lan Xiao came up with the idea of ​​concubine. If she wants to live a good life, she must be a concubine. Instead of doing it for those bad old men, the son-in-law is young and well-born. She is not stupid, so she naturally knows which concubine Fragrant.

But at this moment, He Gu's words suddenly pointed out a new path for Lan Xiao.

A road never thought of.

----

Pei Zhaoheng went back to the main courtyard, sat idle in the study, only flipped through a few pages of the book, and felt a little uneasy for some reason. Lan Shu still stood aside and bowed his head in silence. He was silent for a while, and suddenly said: " Go and ask, what is the son-in-law doing?"

Lan Shu responded, turned around and went out to send a servant girl to ask, and when she came back, she said, "Your maidservant has already sent someone to ask."

Pei Zhaoheng let out a "hmm", then absently flipped through two pages of the book.

For some reason, he liked this travel note very much a few days ago, but today he finds it boring.

All he could think about was thinking, why didn't the maid who went to ask questions come back?

After waiting for a long time, the maid still didn't come, Pei Zhaoheng finally couldn't help it, and was about to throw the book on the table, stood up, and wanted to ask Lan Shu to go to the side courtyard with him——

The little maid who went to ask questions just now came back with small steps.

Seeing her coming back, Lan Shu frowned and said, "Why have you been gone for so long?"

The servant girl bowed to Pei Zhaoheng in the hall of the study, and then said: "If you go back to Miss Lanshu, the slave girl just went to the side courtyard, but I couldn't find anyone. After asking for a long time, I found out that the son-in-law had left the house half an hour ago. went."

Pei Zhaoheng was taken aback for a moment, and said, "Going out?"

The servant girl replied: "Yes, the son-in-law took Miss Lan Xiao by his side and went out."

Pei Zhaoheng: "..."

"...With Lan Xiao?"

He didn't realize it himself, but the poor travel book he held in his hand had already been squeezed so hard that it deformed.