[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

Xing Xiuyan was not very happy, Mongolians don't understand the euphemism of Han people, and it's not good to ask her to refuse explicitly.

"Okay." Saying that, she glanced at Qingxuan and Lanjiu, and the second maid ordered the little maids to leave the flower hall.

Seeing that no one else was present, Princess Mingzhu said: "Actually, I know that the emperor likes you, so he doesn't like me, so he refused to marry Horqin."

Xing Xiuyan said: "Do you think it's really good to marry a man who only thinks about the family behind you?"

Princess Mingzhu said: "I really like the emperor. He is an upright hero. Mingzhu thinks that by marrying such a hero, Mingzhu will live up to the love of Changshengtian. It's a pity that the emperor likes a Han woman like you. That day Assassinated in the golden tent, he missed you from the beginning to the end, and always subconsciously protected you, only worried that you would be frightened and comforted you. At that time, I knew that you lied to me back then, no matter how many concubines the emperor has, But I really like you, just like my elder brother Ba/T/Er who only has Qimuge in his eyes, Brother Ba/T/Er always protects Qimuge, afraid that I will bully her."

Xing Xiuyan paused and said, "You will always find someone who suits you."

Mingzhu said: "But I only like the emperor in my heart. I liked him the first time I saw him. Apart from him, there is no one suitable for me!"

Xing Xiuyan thought to herself: Tu Yuanyi is not a young man in the building, if you like it, you can redeem it or wash it up and send it to your house.

If so, the picture is too beautiful to bear to look at.

Xing Xiuyan said helplessly: "I'm afraid there is no way out. It is very rare in this world to be happy with two people. Usually, one person likes it and the other doesn't like it. And after two people are in love, it often happens that one person loses. Another person. We Han people often say that unsatisfactory things in life are seven or eight out of ten. In a long life, you don’t have to be too surprised when you encounter any unsatisfactory things. Although the princess is sincere, but the emperor’s harem is three thousand, The princess who likes him but doesn’t like him must not be the first or the last. Other Han women can overcome difficulties, but the princess is a bold Mongolian woman. Wipe away your tears and move on!"

Hearing a woman's thoughts about love, touches the softness of women, empathizes with her feelings, and overflows with sympathy-Xin Xiuyan is definitely not this kind of woman.She doesn't think it's so pitiful for a woman to fall in love with someone who doesn't love herself, so she must get special care.Because it's just a normal thing!

When she was raped, no one took special care of her, and she didn't need special care or sympathy from others.She always cried under the quilt, then faced it again, and survived by herself.

Mingzhu didn't expect that she would say that, and couldn't help being dumbfounded for a long time.

Mingzhu said, "Are you kidding me?"

Xing Xiuyan shook her head: "No, the princess is sincere, I don't think we should laugh at a person who truly loves."

Mingzhu said: "Then why did you say such cruel words?"

Xing Xiuyan said: "I'm a dumb tongue, not very good at talking, princess, don't be offended."

Mingzhu was silent for a while, and said: "Can't you...can you persuade the emperor? I...I don't want to argue with you, but after all you are not his only concubine, aren't you? I can be friends with you."

Xing Xiuyan was dumbfounded. She twitched the corners of her mouth after a while and said, "Princess, I am also very happy to be friends with you, but what you said is beyond my ability. The emperor really wants to find a woman and he will not listen to other people's arrangements. If he How can you be called a great hero if you can’t even find a woman on your own? In Dazhou, there is only one kind of person who finds a woman and is controlled by someone other than his parents, and that is a person from a humble background. As a Concubine, I would not do such a thing to insult the emperor, otherwise it would be disrespectful."

Princess Mingzhu's face was pale, but Xing Xiuyan brought tea to see off the guests, and found that the other party was a Mongolian who didn't understand, so she said: "Princess, I have been very busy these two days, and I am a little tired at this time, so I am sorry that I can't accompany you any longer." Princess."

Did she look like she was pimping her husband?I heard that in modern times, there are scumbags who control their girlfriends to sell them, and the scumbags are waiting to collect money from their girlfriends.

If she controls Tu Yuanyi to sell herself, no matter what, she should give her the benefits that make her feel tempted.Only if she can surpass the price of her marriage and love, will she let him sell it. So far, she has never encountered such a thing.

……

The sending of the Mongols was mainly entrusted to the Minister of Rites and the King of Xining County. The emperor just came out occasionally. After all, Princess Mingzhu could not see Tu Yuanyi again.

Prince Timur was in a carriage when he left, so he didn't come out to greet everyone, but people on both sides of Han and Mongolia knew it well, and there were inevitably smiles in the corners of their eyes.

The king of Xining County also sincerely apologized to the deputy envoy Suhe Baru, saying that when the "three villains" were caught and dealt with, he would definitely send someone to send the good news to Zhungeer, and thanked the Zhungeer Ministry for his great help to Da Zhou. Assist in combating the remnants of the Ma family.

Sukhbaru smiled awkwardly. After watching the Great Zhou parade, and Prince Timur became like this, they also gave up the idea of ​​contacting the Houjin secret envoy.

On the morning of the third day after the Mongols had all left, Yujia set off to return to Beijing, with banners covering the sun and a large number of people. The emperor and concubine rode in a large imperial carriage, the chariots of hundreds of officials, and accompanying personal servants.Jinyiwei, Gongsheng Army, and Forbidden Army added tens of thousands, and tens of thousands of civilians were recruited along the way. They all said that traveling was a waste of money, and it was true in ancient times.

Daiyu and Su Fuer sat in the same carriage, and the two maids, Qingluan and Momei, sat next to each other.Their carriage was more luxurious and comfortable, and the bumps were not too severe, but Su Fuer was always on her mind.

Mo Mei poured a cup of tea for Su Fuer, but Su Fuer was still listless after drinking it.Daiyu is a narrow-mouthed person, so she couldn't help laughing: "Sister Fu'er, brother-in-law Tan just left for three days, so you miss him?"

Tan Qian was appointed as the deputy envoy for negotiating with the Zhou family in Taiwan. He and Jin Shiyue set off for the south three days ago. During this period, time was running out, and they did not go to Kyoto to rest. They were escorted south by one hundred Jinyiwei and twenty guards from the Xining Palace.

Su Fu'er naturally misses him, newlyweds are like glue.

Su Fu'er blushed and said, "Sister, don't laugh at me either, there will be a day when I will laugh back. After the military parade, Prince Xiao will wait outside your courtyard as soon as he finds time. Don't tell me I don't know anything."

Daiyu's face suddenly became embarrassing, their situation would be quite out of the ordinary for a boudoir lady from a scholarly family in the south of the Yangtze River.

But the first time, she ignored him, and he just sat outside the courtyard for a long time without leaving.Later, the nuns turned a blind eye, and she went to see him, and he bought her some things for girls, and said that the gloves she gave him were very nice.

The next day he came and waited for half an hour, she was a little angry, she told him not to come, but he came anyway, he still grabbed her hand and talked, she left immediately angrily.

On the third day, she subconsciously waited, but when it was dusk and before going to bed, he didn't come, and she was a little angry again before going to bed.Why didn't he come.

On the fourth day, he came early in the morning, braving the frosty weather, but she didn't wait long to see him, and was about to have a fit to make her daughter a little bit sexual, but he said that he was on the night shift the day before yesterday and slept for a while during the day I have been on duty all the time, and only changed shifts at that time.At that moment, Daiyu couldn't help but feel distressed again, and couldn't help asking for warmth, but he smiled naively and said, "I'm fine, no matter how tired I can see you, I won't be tired anymore."

Xing Xiuyan has never taught Daiyu "love experience", otherwise she would know that she has been tricked.It was also Xiao Hou who felt that his son was "useless" and taught him some "secrets for picking up girls".

That's what he did when Mrs. Xiaohou didn't pay much attention to him back then, but he was a little more exaggerated, and even kept "three days and three nights" pretending to be pitiful and "falling ill".Mrs. Xiao Hou couldn't help but take care of him, and once she took care of him, it was inevitable that she would become fond of him.His competitors didn't have his thick skin and carefulness, and of course they lost out to him.

Xiao Hou told Xiao Jingyun that even though he is engaged, he still needs to be favored after marriage. If he wants his wife to truly cherish her, he must firmly grasp the woman's heart. This is very important.However, Xiao Jingyun didn't know that although the routine taught by Xiao Hou was profound and he had achieved great tactical victories, it was a way of thinking of "no husband's guide", and he lost completely in terms of strategy.

Daiyu said: "My sister bullied me, I will tell my stepmother when I return to Beijing."

Mo Mei thought of Mrs. Xing and Li, but said: "Madam's son must be confinement now, and Uncle Xiaoguo must have grown up a lot. This servant really wants to see Madam and Uncle Xiaoguo."

Mrs. Xing and Li are still very good to Mo Mei, the maid next to Yuan Miaoyu who has known her for ten years, and they belonged to poor friends back then.Back then Miaoyu was a local tyrant and the Xing family was poor, so Miaoyu often sent Mo Mei to give Xing Xiuyan some things she "don't want".

Qingluan said with a smile: "Sister Momei is not thinking that Mrs. An Guo is out of confinement, so she can find you a home?"

Mo Mei didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "You little hoof, you crawled on my head! Miss Lin, don't worry about her!"

Daiyu smiled and said, "You are all sharp-tongued, don't talk about anyone." Suddenly remembered that Mrs. Sun is also pregnant, and it would be best to have a younger brother for herself in the future, so that her father's wish for many years will be fulfilled .

Su Fu'er covered her lower abdomen, she didn't change her clothes this month, but she wasn't sure if she had it, she wanted to see a doctor, but when Tan Qian was suddenly ordered to go south to negotiate, she delayed again.

Not long after the holy car arrived in Kyoto, everyone from the clan to the ordinary dignitaries, from the cabinet ministers to the seventh-rank officials of the capital, went ten miles north of the city to wait for the holy car to return to Beijing.

The etiquette should be red tape and not detailed.

In the imperial palace, the empress, concubines, princesses and other masters, big and small, all went to the Suzaku Gate to greet them. The emperor got off the royal carriage and made all the concubines die.

The emperor didn't warm up to the queen, and didn't even say "The queen has worked hard".

Not to mention the etiquette, the emperor took the lead to enter the Suzaku gate, the queen followed after her, and imperial concubine Chen was also behind her at this time.Empress Yang paused, looked at Xing Xiuyan, and said, "The noble concubine drove all the way north to serve her, but it was hard work."

Xing Xiuyan smiled lightly, and said: "Serving the saint is within his duty, and the concubines don't find it hard."

The concubines and concubines felt even more distressed when they heard that, the imperial concubine Chen was the only one doting on the pepper room, causing all the women in the harem to stay alone in the empty room, the pain in it cannot be described in words.

At this time, most of them wished to tear apart the concubine Chen and light up the sky lanterns, but they didn't know that many years later, only the legendary "Xiaozhen, Jingyu, Ruide, Fuxian, Shengji... Queen Xing" rescued most of them. people.

——I didn’t list the full number of words in her title. Suzong or Emperor Shengwu reigned for decades. If there were major national events, he would feel that he was idle. Anyway, the Ministry of Rites had to be busy, so he gave the title to the queen by the way. Add a word.Who dares to say that such a long posthumous title, I will spank him!

This is also one of the unreasonable and absurd deeds of Emperor Shengwu when he was in power.The most absurd thing is that he is afraid of internal affairs. Empress Xing almost married off all his concubines.For this reason, he didn't dare to object, and only "sorrowed and felt sorry for himself" in the bedroom. The queen went to comfort him. He dragged the queen into the bedroom and closed the door of the bedroom. He didn't come out for three days, and he didn't go to court.

Afterwards, the censors directly admonished this matter one by one, and the emperor said: "Your wife didn't send all your concubines to marry, so it won't hurt your back to talk while standing."

Then, some officials said that the empress is not virtuous if she is so jealous, the emperor laughed and said, "It seems that your wife is not jealous, she is virtuous."

The emperor bestowed two beautiful and noble concubines on the officer who "understood the Sacred Heart", causing chaos in the backyard of his house.

Didn't he say that he was sad because the queen married his concubine?The emperor is just making trouble for no reason!

Afterwards, the wives in the backyard of the civil and military officials did not allow their husbands to admonish the queen for being jealous.

Even the TV programs of later generations have made special programs to ridicule this emperor through the ages that historians love to study, especially his absurd events are as famous as his sage and domineering.

Having said that, the emperor simply didn't care about whether the girls in the harem were wasting their youth in their lives.Throughout the ages, how many women have spent in the harem, in the eyes of standard feudal emperors, this is nothing more than normal, just like eating and drinking water.Only people like Xing Xiuyan, who are sometimes decisive and sometimes cock-possessed and have a little pity for a woman whose fate is involuntary, would think of it.

The two princes Tu Hui and Tu Xian followed behind. Although Empress Yang loved her son, the first step of her attention was still on the emperor and Xing Xiuyan.

When Tu Hui saw the rivalry between his mother's mother and Xing Xiuyan's eyes, he couldn't help but have mixed feelings, but he didn't want either of them to be unhappy.

Tu Hui stepped forward and said, "Mother, my son has been away for more than two months and has not fulfilled his filial piety. How are you doing?"

Only then did Empress Yang put away her emotions towards Xing Xiuyan, looked at her son with a slight smile, and said, "Hui'er has lost a lot of weight, but did you suffer in Shuofang?"

Tu Hui said: "My son and minister have never suffered much, but the queen mother is tired of taking charge of the harem and needs to take care of the phoenix's body."

Tu Xian said from the side: "Empress, brother was bitten by a poisonous snake in the paddock."

Empress Yang was startled, she held her son's arms and touched them, and said, "Hui'er, why are you so careless?"

Tu Hui frowned, looked at Tu Xian, and said: "Mother, this is an accident, my son is already well, so don't worry."

Empress Yang said: "Don't go to those dangerous places in the future. If you have a third...what will you do to your mother?"

Tu Hui said with a smile: "My son already knows, he will be careful about everything."

Empress Yang slowed down to talk to Tu Hui, the other concubines naturally also slowed down, because Empress Yang was so respected that no concubine could walk ahead of her.

Naturally, Xing Xiuyan couldn't break the rules at this time, so he delayed for a while.When she was under the eyes of everyone, she saw Concubine Jing Shen Man again, but she was wearing a blue silk palace dress and a light pink cloak, she was almost too weak, and her face was a little pale, which was different from the previous airy look .

Seeing the daughter of the county lord who had a "shameful illness" at the beginning, Xing Xiuyan couldn't help thinking that she was not willing to be rampant just last year, but now she is honest.She couldn't help thinking of Concubine Wen Liu Jingru again, but she saw that she was wearing a rose red silk palace gown and a snow blue cloak, she had also lost a little weight, as if she had lost baby fat.

When Liu Jingru noticed Xing Xiuyan's gaze, she couldn't help shrinking her shoulders slightly. At this moment, she was more afraid than unwilling.

It was Concubine Wu Hui who smiled and said: "Empress Empress, let's talk later, Imperial Concubine Chen is returning to the palace for the first time, and she must go back to Lingbo Hall to rest."

……

The emperor and concubine returned to the palace, and went to Shangyang Palace to pay their respects that night. I have to say that Emperor Gaozong's life was tough enough. He was in good health at this time, and was very happy to see the concubine.The emperor also asked Dai Quan to show Xing Xiuyan the manuscripts he had written over the past two months and some Hanlin scholars, with a somewhat smug expression on his face.

This stimulated Tu Yuanyi. He thought of what Lin Daiyu said after solving the problem when Prince Burigude of the Khalkha tribe set up a test question in Shuofang.It has been nearly a hundred years since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but apart from a "History of Ming Dynasty", there is really nothing that can be sold.

Tu Yuanyi knew that even if he didn't take care of his father, he could actually live for 11 years, but later he fell ill.And if he acts with a little filial piety, it will be no problem for the father to be able to walk and move around for fifteen or sixteen years. What will the old man do in these fifteen or sixteen years.Tu Yuanyi was an elder, so as long as his power is not hindered, he will be a true filial son.

Gaozong was very interested in writing books because of Xing Xiuyan's writing. He suffered a serious illness and failed in the power struggle. Gaozong was not too keen on the luxury enjoyment in the past.

Tu Yuanyi did not know that human spiritual needs are sometimes more fascinating than material desires. Modern Chinese web articles can cure the "drug/addiction" of American youths. The elderly, of course, are more likely to be addicted to spiritual food.

Compared with ordinary old people who love to listen to operas, the retired emperor who has a very high level of education and has been planning his life, of course, novel literary works are more attractive to him.Just like many corrupt/officials in modern times are "elegant/greedy", they have excellent calligraphy in large characters, and their attainments in literature, calligraphy, painting and stone are beyond the reach of ordinary people. This is the reason for human spiritual desires.

Tu Yuanyi said sincerely: "My father's painstaking work, when the time comes, my son will have it published so that it can be handed down to the world."

Hearing this, the old sage became even more open-minded, and said modestly: "The purpose of my random graffiti is to compete with Concubine Chen. The emperor is too serious in doing this. Don't make the world laugh That's good."

Tu Yuanyi said: "Father's words are wrong! Just imagine the people who wrote the story books "Journey to the West" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in the Ming Dynasty. People passed it on to each other, and compiled countless operas. If my father wrote books and passed them on to the people, it would be good for the people to see that the books of my Great Zhou Dynasty may not be inferior to those of the previous Ming Dynasty. People may not know in detail how well the father is the emperor, but it is easy to read the book of the father."

The old sage was pretending to refuse, but at this moment he heard it very well, and Tu Yuanyi changed his mind and brought up the matter of Da Zhou Xiu's library, referring to the "Yongle Dadian" handed down from the previous Ming Dynasty.

"My son thought to himself, seeing that the father is still in good health, why not try his best to help his son, so he took command and presided over the compilation of a grand library ceremony of our dynasty. But I think that although the "Yongle Canon" is a collection of the great achievements of the previous Ming Dynasty, after Yongle and to this dynasty, How many treasures left over from the sea have been lost to the people. This revision of the book is done in the contemporary era, and it will benefit me for the future of China. If it can be done in the past, why can’t it be done in our dynasty? If the father can compile a "Ceremony of Qianzheng", it will surpass the past. Ming Chengzu."

The old sage's year title is "Qianzheng", although it is now November of the sixth year of "Qianyuan", if he really cultivates the grand ceremony of the Cheng Dynasty, Tu Yuanyi has no desire to dispute the name.

The old sage couldn't help shivering, his eyes lit up, and he asked, "Emperor, do you really want to study?"

Tu Yuanyi said: "If the father is willing to preside over this matter, the ministers will definitely support it with all their strength, there is no lie."

The old sage patted his thigh lightly and said, "I have to think about this..."

The old sage looked at Xing Xiuyan who was standing beside him, holding his manuscript in his hand, and suddenly asked, "What do you think?"

Xing Xiuyan felt great when he heard Tu Yuanyi say this, and said: "Since ancient times, sages have handed down scriptures, just as the sages said, the merits of the present age will benefit the future. If the father is willing to preside over this matter , it’s a great thing.”

Gaozong has been the emperor for 43 years, and now he does not preside over the affairs of the government, so the ability to preside over the ceremony of repairing the Ministry is more than enough.

The old sage said: "Let's discuss this matter in detail some other day!"

The two of them left Shangyang Palace, but they didn't pay respects to the Empress Dowagers of the Two Palaces that day. The whole day of red tape made them very tired.

Early the next morning, Tu Yuanyi held a court meeting, while Xing Xiuyan went to the Empress Dowager Zhou to pay her respects.

Xing Xiuyan greeted her with greetings, and the Empress Dowager Zhou said with a smile: "They are all from my own family, and the imperial concubine is so polite."

Princess Hedechang didn't go to class today, and the classes of their princesses are also closed every five days, but the classes of the princes are not so relaxed.

After saluting with De, Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "I haven't seen you for more than two months, my sister seems to have grown taller."

The Empress Dowager Zhou laughed and said, "That's right, it's time to grow taller. The clothes I made last year will be smaller this year."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "Although the sage advocates frugality, why does the dignified Princess of Zhou have to wear last year's old clothes? This makes people think that the sage is treating my sister harshly!"

Princess Hede blushed and said, "Emperor's sister-in-law is here to tease me again. The queen mother is just using this to say that I have grown taller."

Speaking of height, it is Xing Xiuyan’s pain. She has calculated that her height stays at around 1.6 meters/four, and has never exceeded 1.6 meters/five. Xin Xiuyan was also 1.6 meters/four in her previous life, which is not far from her ideal 1.6 meters distance.

Xing Xiuyan asked the accompanying maids to present the special products brought by Shuofang, fur, dried meat, cheese and exotic jewelry from the Western Regions and Northern Desert.

The Empress Dowager Zhou was also very happy to see it, but said with a smile: "Why did you treat me like a kind man?"

Xing Xiuyan said: "The empress dowager is already young! The jewelry from the Western Regions and Shuofang that I picked are not worth much, but they are interesting. I also wear them occasionally, and the sage said they look pretty good!"

Princess Hede said with a smile: "Sister-in-law Huang is pretty, so naturally everything she wears looks good."

Xing Xiuyan said: "Look at this sweet talker, the Empress Dowager is also lucky to have such a lovely daughter."

Xing Xiuyan chatted with Empress Dowager Zhou and Princess Hede for a while, then said goodbye and said that she still wanted to greet Empress Dowager Liu, no matter what, she was a mother-in-law in terms of etiquette.