The return of the son-in-law

The capital, the Guo Mansion, is gloomy.

"You brat!" Guo Xiantong, who is now in charge of the Guo family, looked at the eldest son Guo Zhan'an standing in the hall, pointed at him with hatred, and cursed, "I told you a long time ago that even if you become the third prince You must not get too close with the third prince, and this is all right, a good Tanhua Lang, who was relegated to Tonghua County to be the county magistrate. Tonghua County? Where is that? I live I’ve been doing it for decades, and I’ve never heard of it!”

Guo Zhan'an said flatly: "The previous county magistrate of Tonghua County was accused of hiding official money. His Majesty has ordered the craftsmen to be escorted back to Beijing for trial. Now is the opportunity for me to show my ambitions. Why should my father be so angry?"

Guo Xiantong was trembling with anger: "Still showing great ambitions? The third prince was sent to the northwest to graze horses, so he demoted you from a capital official to a local official. If you become a party official, then that's fine. Then Tonghua What is the county? It's a remote village, how do you let me gain a foothold in the court!"

"Oh," Guo Zhan'an sneered, "after all, my father is still doing it for his own face."

When Guo Xiantong heard this, he looked at Guo Zhanan with hatred, and taught his elder son like a strict father: "You have lost all my face! Besides, without my old face, you think you can live in this place?" Get a firm foothold in the capital?"

Guo Zhan'an smiled and said, "Yes, thanks to my father, who is a fifth-rank official, I can gain a firm foothold in this capital."

The meaning of sarcasm in the words has long been overflowing with impatience.

Taking advantage of Guo Xiantong being so angry that he couldn't speak, Guo Zhan'an said: "Your Majesty has ordered me to go to Tonghua County in a few days. If father has nothing to teach his son, please allow him to go down and pack his luggage first."

"That's all." Guo Xiantong supported the armrest of the chair with one hand and his forehead with the other, shaking his head and said, "You have grown up and your wings are stiff, and you are trying to annoy me on purpose."

Guo Zhan'an bowed his head and confessed: "My son dare not."

He lowered his head, so naturally no one saw the disdain on his face.

Guo Zhanan came out from Guo Xiantong, and walked quickly to his independent house.Along the way, I met many servants and maids, and when they saw Guo Zhanan, they all stood aside with fear and restrained smiles, and said respectfully: "Master."

After entering the Moon Cave Gate of his own house, Jia Huan, a close servant guarding the door, came up to welcome him: "Master, you may be considered to be back."

"En," Guo Zhan'an responded, seeing his frowning look, and asked, "What's the matter?"

Jia Huan looked at him, then looked at the ground, and went back and forth three times. Guo Zhanan was completely impatient: "Speak up if you have something to say, what is it like to hesitate?"

Jia Huan immediately looked like he was going to eat people, and his eyes were filled with resentment: "The step-wife came over while the young master was called by the master, and said that the young master is going to Tonghua County to be the magistrate of the county, and will come back in three to five years. If you don’t come, the young master will be 20 years old, and it’s too late to get engaged, so I insist on asking the young master to take Qiuju from her room to Tonghua County, saying that it’s good to have someone who knows the cold and the hot.”

Guo Zhanan glanced at him with a half-smile and said, "This is for me to send someone here. Why are you so angry? Do you also want someone to warm the bed?"

Jia Huan was in a hurry. Seeing that his young master still wanted to make fun of himself, he hurriedly continued: "Young master, don't embarrass me, I'm so angry! What is your status, young master? She just wants to fill in the house with you." ?”

"Okay," Guo Zhan'an patted Jia Huan on the head lightly, and said, "Where's the person?"

"It's in the hut. I'm a soft-spoken person. I can't drive people away, and it's not easy to bring them into your house, right? Isn't that completely inexplicable? So I took them to the maids and let them go." The maid in our yard is watching."

"You're a good guy." Guo Zhan'an took out his purse and threw it to Jia Huan, "This is my reward for you. Send her back and let her come and talk to me if she has anything to say."

"Hey!" Jia Huan responded, and cheerfully went to find Qiu Ju.

Guo Zhanan shook his head helplessly, this stepmother is indeed the cousin of Concubine Hua Gui, she is really an idiot with nothing but beauty.

He entered the house without being waited on, poured himself a cup of tea, took a few sips, and thought about who he would leave and who he would bring with him.

He spread out another piece of paper and wrote a few strokes on it, but felt something was wrong, crumpled it up and put it aside.

Guo Zhanan had more and more balls of paper at hand, but his eyebrows and eyes could not be opened.In the end, he set up a brazier and burned all the paper balls.

In the winter of the 23rd year of Changwen, the current emperor Li Chonghao issued an edict to send Li Shaojun, the eldest son of the Zhonggong Palace, together with his attendant Jiang Yannian, to herd horses in the northwest. On the surface, it was to show the importance he attached to the Northwest Racecourse, but secretly, many people said that This is a sign that the emperor has completely given up on this unfavored son.

It is true that the emperor is a literati emperor, and he has always paid little attention to generals, and even neglected them.Even the northern barbarians harassed the border several times a year, and the emperor didn't like to hear it. He even embezzled the food funds allocated to the northern army to celebrate the birthday of his beloved Concubine Hua.

Although it was made up later, food in the north was out of food for two days. Many generals and soldiers were dissatisfied with their current visits, but they were unable to attack that's all.

As for the other attendant of the third prince Li Shaojun, Guo Zhanan, the eldest son of the Guo family, was sent by Li Chonghao to Tonghua County as the county magistrate.

Speaking of the only son of the middle palace, he is also a hard-working person.Although he is the eldest son of Zhonggong, Empress Jiang passed away more than ten years ago. The only younger brother, because he was very favored by his father, was taken on a tour when he was two years old, but disappeared mysteriously on the way.

The emperor was furious because of this, and interrogated all the people who served the little prince one by one. Later, the little prince's nanny committed suicide by taking poison. Before she died, she confessed that she thought the little prince was too noisy. Thinking of being suffocated to death, and afraid of being scolded by the emperor, he secretly threw the little prince's body away, and fabricated a lie that the villain stole the little prince.

The emperor was so angry that he ordered the killing of the nanny and the three clans, but he didn't understand the hatred. He ordered people to crush the nanny who had committed suicide by taking poison, and then spread his anger on Jiang Hou's head.In front of many palace people, Li Chonghao sternly scolded Empress Jiang for being ignorant of people, and for finding such a vicious nanny.

How can you manage the harem if you don't even know the background and character of a nanny?

Empress Jiang originally dragged her sick body out of the palace, but after returning to the palace, her condition worsened, and finally she left Li Shaojun after more than a month of lingering sickness.

With Queen Jiang falling out of favor, Concubine Hua rose again.

Concubine Hua Liu Pianpian was immediately favored after being elected to the palace for three years, and she gave birth to the fourth prince Li Shaojin one month after Empress Jiang gave birth to Li Shaojun.

It is said that a son is more precious than his mother. Before the sixth prince Li Shaoyu was born, Li Shaojin could be said to be Li Chonghao's favorite son.

It's a pity that the good times didn't last long. Six years later, Empress Jiang gave birth to the sixth prince, Li Shaoyu, who was loved by the empress dowager and the emperor because he looked exactly like his grandfather.If it hadn't been for Queen Jiang's insistence on refusing, the Queen Mother would have wanted to take Li Shaoyu into her palace to raise him.

As a result, this favor only lasted for two years, and disappeared because of Li Shaoyu's death on the southern tour road.

After the death of Empress Jiang, Concubine Hua was granted the title of Concubine Hua and took charge of the harem.If it weren't for the fact that there is Li Shaojun, the son of the middle palace, and Concubine Hua has her own fourth prince, Li Shaojin, and the former ministers strongly opposed it, otherwise Concubine Hua would have become her successor long ago, and she would have taken Fengyin into her pocket .

But now there is no Empress Jiang, although the Empress Dowager is the emperor's biological mother, she can't stop the emperor from doting on anyone.Although she does not have the title of Empress, Concubine Hua Guifei's daily decorations and utensils are no different from those of Empress.

Anyway, as long as she abides by the rules in formal occasions, and she is more extravagant and more disciplined in the harem, who can control it?

Although there are many high walls separating the former court and the rear palace, the news seems to have grown wings, but it flew from the front court to the rear palace after a while.

Concubine Hua was very happy to hear the report from her confidant. She lay lazily on the concubine's couch, picked and picked a piece of candied fruit with a small silver fork, put it in her mouth, chewed it carefully, and then asked slowly: "What's the news?" But really?"

"Of course it is." The confidant lady Xia He was obedient, following Concubine Hua's thoughts and said slowly, "The news that came earlier is that Wang Shiren, who has been greatly favored by the empress, specially sent his little apprentice to tell me , that’s right.”

"That's it." Concubine Hua Guifei threw the small silver fork back into the plate, pointed to her leg, and said, "Come here and give me a tap."

Xia He stepped forward obediently, fisted with both hands, and carefully tapped Concubine Hua Gui's calf, trying to figure out Concubine Hua Gui's thoughts, and flatteringly said: "This can be regarded as fulfilling my mother's wish."

Concubine Hua Guifei first pretended to curse: "The matter of the previous dynasty involved the prince, and you have the right to talk about it?"

"Yes, yes, what the empress taught you." Xia He followed Concubine Hua for a long time, and naturally she could tell whether she was really angry or fake. Knowing that Concubine Hua was very happy, she said, "It's just that the third prince has gone. In the northwest, where the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, there is only the fourth prince under His Majesty's knees who will fulfill his filial piety."

A smug smile appeared on the corner of Concubine Hua's mouth, she just said: "It's not just Jin'er who stays in the palace, there are also old and young."

Xia He chuckled, then hurriedly silenced, and said: "Those two princes are still so young, don't talk about being filial, just don't make trouble everywhere."

Concubine Hua's pointed nails tapped Xia He's forehead: "Smelly girl, you are the only one with a sweet mouth. But speaking of the old seven and the eighth, although I am not their aunt, I am still their mother and concubine. Winter is the time when it is easy to catch wind and cold, pass on an order for me to let people take good care of the Seventh Prince and Eighth Prince, but don’t catch the wind and cold. Children are weak, and even minor illnesses and disasters are not easy.”

Xia He naturally understood, and said: "Your Majesty is really a bodhisattva, I will tell you later, I believe the Seventh and Eighth Princes will also be grateful for your motherly kindness."

"I'm not in a hurry for such a moment, but there is something else, you have to do it for me." Concubine Hua stopped her smile, waved her hand, and signaled Xia He to come closer.

She lowered her voice, and said the matter slowly: "Isn't Guo Zhan'an going to Tonghua County? I heard that he doesn't even want maids to serve you. You can arrange it and find a way to arrange a few clever and loyal girls to come to him .”

Xia He agreed, and asked again: "What about the Third Prince and Third Young Master Jiang?"

Concubine Hua waved her hand and said, "Then Li Shaojun and Jiang Yannian went to the northwest to graze horses, and they followed the people from the Ministry of War. We can't put people in there. However, if we can put our own people around Guo Zhan'an, it will be a big gain. Then Guo Zhan'an is Li Shaojun's right-hand man, if he controls him, it will cut off one of Li Shaojun's arms."

"Your Majesty is smart." Xia He saw the opportunity and quickly flattered her. "This is probably what the book says about planning for a rainy day. If I were to see that the third prince was punished by His Majesty to herd horses in the northwest, I would never have thought of such a thing." one move."

"Little girl has a sweet mouth." Concubine Hua couldn't help feeling complacent, "That's why I can be this concubine, and you can only be the girl next to her."

Xia He didn't stop her hands for a moment, and replied with a smile: "Being able to be a court lady next to the empress is also a blessing that I, a servant, have cultivated for the third time."

Concubine Hua pursed her lips and smiled in satisfaction, then thought of something, and told Xia He: "Do as I tell you, but don't tell my father."

Although Xia He didn't understand, she responded to what Concubine Hua Gui said, and immediately responded one by one.