[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

Although Mu Engong can't be convicted at this time, he is still a suspect. The third case has not closed the case, and Zhang Xiao and Wang Qing involved in the case still have to wait for the case.

In any case, they were involved in Zhang Dehai's case, even if it had nothing to do with the murder case, they could not escape the crime of fabricating a frame.Since they were responsible for inspecting when they went to Shuofang, they couldn't say that Zhou Tianfu arranged those things. They didn't even verify how Zhang Dehai died just to save trouble. If they didn't verify and investigate, it would be against their own responsibilities.Besides, if Zhang Dehai committed suicide in fear of crime, he would be the only one who died, but there were dozens of people.If they didn't have their status as inspectors of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to finalize the case for the Zhang family, the local parents and officials would not ignore the lives of dozens of people.

At this time, the emperor ordered Jin Yiwei to thoroughly investigate every batch of corruption involved in Zhou Tianfu, and ordered a criminal expert from the Criminal Ministry to track down the whereabouts of the murderer in the Zhang family extermination case and Shen Tuhong.At this time, none of the people in the court did not understand the direction of the wind, and Chao Hui looked at Lin Ruhai in a strange way.Shi Bai is not so eye-catching because of his small official position.However, Xing Zhong, the imperial concubine's father, generally does not need to go to the court because he is not an official of the foreign court, but only needs to go to the Yamen.

The emperor ordered the Ministry of Punishments to submit the files for review one after another. Xing Xiuyan went to the Imperial Study Room of Liangyi Hall, and when he saw the pile of files, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Why so many?"

While taking a memorial, Tu Yuanyi looked at it, his handsome face seemed untainted, and said: "Didn't you say that you want to find clues from the details?"

Xing Xiuyan was sad, seeing his expression, she really wanted to turn into a shrew and grab his calm face.Tu Yuanyi raised his phoenix eyes, revealing an evil smile with a hint of devil: "Everything has a price, is it so easy to be a queen? Anyway, Yang Huaigu is fine, I guess you still have to be a concubine."

Xing Xiuyan grabbed a stack of dossiers, Tu Yuanyi was shocked, pointed at her and said, "Put it down! That's the dossier of the Ministry of Punishment, how dare you use it to smash me? Without the dossier, how can you convict Yang Huaigu? Yang Huaigu can't do it, you Do you still want to be a queen?"

The wise and mighty Emperor Suzong, at this time, is the integrity of the dossier the key point?Isn't it the point of someone's audacity to attack the king and criminal disrespect?

Xing Xiuyan said: "Being a queen or not is the second priority. Damn it, my aunt doesn't like you now, and she wants to be served by family law!"

Tu Yuanyi ran away from the throne and said: "You big bug, you dare to hit me!"

Xing Xiuyan hehe, said: "Aren't I trying, Auntie?"

Tu Yuanyi walked around to the other side of the table and said, "Xiuxiu, why do you want to beat me because you are not going well?"

Xing Xiuyan said: "Why am I not going well? It's not your fault. I don't like to know the same as women in the harem. I'm only interested in 'curing the root cause'."

"You lawless woman, I will punish you for copying "The Female Ring"!"

"I'll give you extra lessons for free, and learn from our modern "Men's Ring"!"

"I don't want to learn!" Tu Yuanyi ran away nimbly again when she rushed forward.

Xing Xiuyan chased for a long time but couldn't catch this old loach with strong martial arts, but he actually smiled and calmed down.

Xing Xiuyan put one hand on her waist and said, "Stop!"

"You tell me to stop and I will stop, where will I put my face?"

The two chased each other for a long time, but Xing Xiuyan still had no choice but to think about it, pretended to sprain her foot, and yelled, Tu Yuanyi was really shocked and went to help her, and wanted to call the imperial doctor.

She grabbed his skirt and said, "I'll see where you're going."

"You cheat!"

"Soldiers never tire of deceit."

"What's the point of you only being a matchmaker at home...a heroine?"

Xing Xiuyan said: "Then shall I go outside and beat others?"

Tu Yuanyi had no choice but to coax: "If Xiuxiu doesn't want to read the dossier, just wait for the news. I will send someone to investigate at the five places. Unless Yang Huaigu is really innocent, otherwise, as long as one breaks through the flaws in the five places, He can no longer pretend to be hypocritical."

Xing Xiuyan asked, "Which five places?"

Tu Yuanyi said: "Who is the direct murderer of the Zhang family extermination case, this is one; whether Zhang Xiao and Wang Qing can return to Beijing alive, and if they return to Beijing, will they be like Zhou Tianfu, or testify against Yang Huaigu, this is two; All the intersecting history between Tianfu and Yang Huaigu, this is three; the case of Shen Tuhong's disappearance, tracing his family and friends, can infer whether he arrived in Kyoto in late May four years ago, this is four."

Xing Xiuyan said in his heart: As expected of the emperor, you are so generous!

Xing Xiuyan said, "What's the other one?"

Tu Yuanyi said: "If Yang Huaigu is a hypocrite, the external affairs can be leaked, but what about the internal? I didn't want to tear myself apart with him before the case was finalized by the third division, but if it is clear that I want to investigate him, Jin Yiwei enters and exits Mu Engong's mansion. Is it possible to interrogate the people in Mu Engong's mansion without finding a trace of doubt? Yang Huaigu has such an IQ, does everyone in the mansion have it? It's just that I don't look good by doing so."

Xing Xiuyan knew that he was teasing her before, and he had made up his mind to run the Yang family. Although he was a "scumbag" who put her concubine in charge, it was not her turn to be a "perfect person" and show his nobility. .

On top of the "little three's wife and scumbags", there is also justice in the world. If the Yang family involves dozens of lives and the Ministry of Internal Affairs covers the sky with one hand, which crime is not more important than those?They are selfish, but more importantly, they are for the sake of the law.

Xing Xiuyan said: "What if Mu Engong is really wronged?"

Tu Yuanyi smiled and said, "That means you don't have the life to be a queen."

Xing Xiuyan raised her brows upside down, Tu Yuanyi looked at her with phoenix eyes and raised her eyebrows: "Will you believe it?"

Xing Xiuyan said: "Of course I don't believe it!"

No matter what, it's important for her to read the dossier. Of course, she wants to be a queen, and she will not be an outsider if she wants to get something.There are not so many Mary Su Potian in this world, and every time she wants something, someone will give it to her—even though this time he will.Women should not settle in the back house, never knowing the outside world, it's not that she looks down on women, but she really has nothing to fight with the back house women.

While she was nestling in the imperial study and reading the files, Zi Yue came to report to her that she was ready to add makeup to Shi Hui, and asked her if she wanted to have a look.

Xing Xiuyan clapped her hands and sighed: "Oh, I almost forgot these days, Xiaohui and Yu'er are going to get married successively!" Readers have to write "long comments" to the old sage.In addition, she also practiced martial arts for three hours every day - because she was assassinated last time, she didn't know martial arts and asked Tu Yuanyi to protect her and stimulated her.She felt that if she learned better martial arts, she would not have to be afraid of snakes, and would not become a burden to men.Mengtu Yuanyi pointed out that he was practicing a set of swordsmanship and eight life-saving moves in unarmed combat, which were a little more complicated than wolf defense.

Xing Xiuyan asked again: "Is the one for Yu'er ready?"

Shi Hui got married on the fourth day, and Lin Daiyu was married on the sixth day. The two sisters didn't have to go to each other's house for a wedding, and the timing was really a coincidence.

Zi Yue smiled and said, "I'm sure I'm ready."

Suddenly, Tu Yuanyi, who was sitting at the top, said in a strange tone: "It is said that women go to their husband's house, so you know how to move my things to her mother's house. This is not enough, just you have more sisters."

Zi Yue was the one who waited nearby, so she naturally knew that the emperor and concubine get along with each other daily, so she just lowered her head and smiled, not daring to interrupt.

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "I still have a younger brother." In the cold winter, Xing Xiuyan was afraid that Mrs. Xing and Li would get up early and bring her younger brother into the palace to be tired. look at brother.Besides, the two daughters Dai and Hui got married, and there was news that Su Fu'er was pregnant, so the Xing family was also busy at this time.

Tu Yuanyi said: "I don't know if your younger brother will be as naughty as you."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said: "I used to be very good." When I first came here, I didn't dare to mess around in ancient times, so I studied poetry and books with Miaoyu.

Tu Yuanyi glanced at her and made eye contact: so you only harm me.

Xing Xiuyan ignored him, got up and said he was going to take a look, Tu Yuanyi said: "You took away my good horse to send off to my sister, but the girl from the Shi family doesn't have one."

Xing Xiuyan sighed: "Xiaohui didn't go to Shuofang, even if she didn't, she also understands the reason, besides, the sisters don't care so much, Xiaohui is not this kind of person."

Tu Yuanyi thought about the Shi family and the Qi family of the baron of Xiangyang, and said: "From now on, the three of you will raise horses together, but she doesn't have one. There is nothing, and I'm afraid there will be."

The status of the husband is already a little bit worse than that of the sisters. If these things are different, I don't care if I am young, but as I get older, the disappointment in my heart will always come up.

Xing Xiuyan was originally confident in Shi Hui's character, she thought: Although the Shi Zhang family is kind and generous, shrewd and sophisticated, but Shi Hui still has the heart of a child.

But after hearing what Tu Yuanyi said, she also judged others by herself: If she was such a big-hearted woman, she might not look good when she changed places, and she would think about it later, how could she let Shi Hui Don't you want to?What I don't think in my heart is not a mortal.

Although she loves Arabian ponies, especially Ajin who is kept in Beiyuan, and she visits them every other day, girls are more important.

"I'll give Ah Jin to Sister Hui."

"Are you willing?"

"There's nothing to be reluctant about."

"Yes, after you send your sister away, how can I miss you?"

Xing Xiuyan couldn't help smiling: "What do you think, the saint?"

……

On the second day of December, Qi Zhicheng, the eldest son of the Baron of Xiangyang, took a group of princes and sons to Shifu to urge makeup.At this time, the Shifu was full of guests. After Qi Zhicheng wrote four poems in succession, the Shifu brought out 98 dowries, and the close Lin, Xing, Zhang, and Li families each added makeup, and even in 120 Lifting, many guests were secretly dumbfounded.Although the Shi family was demoted back then, why is it still so rich?

The Shi family has caravans in three directions: Qiongzhou, Fuzhou, and Yunnan, and their daily life is not as extravagant as Jia's. They have indeed accumulated a lot of family wealth in the past 20 years.And the Qi family hired a huge sum of 12 taels, of course the Shi family married a daughter without a dowry. 12 taels is definitely something that even the imperial family and princess would envy, and ten taels of silver is enough to support a family in the countryside.

When the eunuch came to pass the decree, everyone was not surprised that the imperial concubine would add makeup to the righteous sister, but the emperor actually added a rare thing that attracted people's eyes in addition to the four makeups prepared by the imperial concubine.

Everyone saw a eunuch leading a black pony, with a big red flower tied on its head, very naive and very cute.Moreover, it has slender limbs and raised tail from time to time, which is very different from Central Plains horses and Mongolian horses.

After setting up an incense case to receive the order to thank him, Jia Lian stood beside Shi Bai and Shi Cong and said, "This is a BMW from the Western Regions that can't be bought with a thousand dollars! It was bought by General Yili from Persia as a tribute to improve my middle-earth horses." There are no more than [-] foals in total, and only the imperial concubine has such face. Cousin is really blessed!"

All the guests couldn't help being envious when they heard this, and Shi Bai couldn't help but panic, for generations of the Shi family's tutors have always insisted on moderation.

Naturally, everyone was present when receiving the imperial decree. Shi Hui would only leave the house tomorrow, and naturally she saw the things that the saint and the noble concubine came to add.But Zi Ling and other maidservants led her to look at the pony, Shi Huiyuan saw that she was so in love with her, she immediately shed tears.

Zi Ling said: "The maidservant and Jin Sha went to the Lin Mansion earlier to send gifts back, and I heard the maid next to Second Miss talk about this horse. I heard that it is as famous as the legendary bloody horse in the Western Regions."

Shi Hui said: "Your Majesty, this is too intentional to spend money on me like this."

Jin Sha smiled and said: "Your Majesty always loves girls, so my sister naturally loves her more."

Suddenly saw Shi Wan'er approaching, Baochai was also helping Shi Zhang to greet relatives, friends and family members today, and she couldn't control her, so she slipped out.

At the beginning, Shi Wan'er naturally disliked her new mother who was not a few years older than her, but within less than a month after Baochai married Shi Li, she completely captured Shi Li's heart.But when she complained, it was Shi Li who scolded her severely, and Baochai was able to help and protect her. After many times, although Shi Waner couldn't change her habits, Baochai could listen to what she said.

Shi Wan'er looked at the dowry that could not be piled up in the yard, and the scene where the eunuchs came to announce the reward just now, and the host and guests lined up to listen respectfully, and the glory of the emperor's empress adding makeup, and those treasures that she had never seen before, she couldn't help red eyes.

Shi Wan'er said: "Little aunt, my mother loves you so much, when will you introduce me too."

Shi Hui has been preparing for the wedding recently, embroidering the wedding gown, and since she has Baochai as the wife of the hall, she can still treat this niece to three points, and she has become much cleaner.

Shi Hui said: "Your Majesty doesn't want to meet everyone, she will only see you if she has read well and learned the rules well. Why don't Wan'er study hard with her sister-in-law. When you learn well, your Majesty will naturally meet you."

Shi Wan'er said: "You are just making excuses, if you have benefits, you can keep them yourself, and you will not see me well."

Today is a big day for putting on makeup. Shi Hui has no mood to argue with her, let alone educate this niece. Zhang Nanny next to her catches up and reminds: "Miss Wan, what are you talking about? I'm so happy today!" Days, hurry up and stop making trouble, or Master Li will not spare you."

Shi Hui took the opportunity to be surrounded by the maids and went back to the house. There were people guarding outside the house to prevent Shi Wan'er from coming in. They could excuse that Shi Hui was busy and it was inconvenient to entertain her.

Shi Wan'er looked at Shi Hui and couldn't help but want to smash the handkerchief, she was the new wife, and the empress sent someone to give her something through her uncle and grandmother, but the empress didn't know who she was.The new wife was actually very happy when she got the reward, and father also valued her more.Although the new wife would give her something, she wanted the Western Region agate bead string that her mother gave her, but the new wife refused to give it.

Each of them has many treasures, and everyone is decent, so she bullied a motherless girl. She looked at the red silk festivals in the courtyard, and the resentment in her heart made her want to burn them all.It is best for a little girl to marry into the Qi family and her husband will not like her.

Shi Wan'er found that all the guests had gone to see the BMW of the Western Regions that the sage personally added makeup to her little aunt, and even the female relatives and the servant girls in the mansion stretched their necks to look around.

Shi Wan'er looked at the pair of live geese given by the Qi family at the time of Nazheng in the lobby. Since then, there have been maids in Shi's mansion who have carefully taken care of them. This is what Shi Hui will take to her husband's house when she goes out tomorrow.

Seeing that no one was paying attention now, Shi Wan'er walked over quietly. Although the pair of wild geese were tied up with their wings and feet bound, they were still in high spirits.

Shi Wan'er stared at her with venom in her eyes, remembering that her uncle's family had humiliated her so much that she would not give her anything, and that her aunt would not introduce her to the imperial concubine, which prevented her from getting the good things and respect that others had.

You don't have a conscience, you can't blame me!

In Shi Wan'er's heart, she stretched out her hand to grab a wild goose's neck. Although the wild goose was bound by the rope and couldn't fly, it was still able to flop. Because of the sound it made, Shi Wan'er became even more ruthless under her nervousness. Twist your head tightly.

"What are you doing?!" Suddenly there was a scolding sound, Dong Xue, the second-class maid of the Shifu, was in charge of tea today. At this time, there were some tea bowls used by distinguished guests in the lobby, and she was bringing two little maids to clean them up. At the door, I saw Shi Wan'er alone in the hall, holding a goose.

"Blood!" Suddenly a little maid exclaimed: "Miss Wan killed Yanzi!"

Shi Wan'er originally wanted to do it quietly, she was not greedy, she killed one and then sneaked away, but she didn't expect to be caught by someone.The dead geese fell from her hands, and she saw a few servant girls staring at her in horror, turned around and ran away in fright.

But how could the maids let her go, Dongxue hurriedly called the maids who had stayed in the lobby, and they all went to see the BMWs of the Western Regions and reward them with make-up.Those servants were shocked, they didn't look at the prison, but took part in the battle outside for a while, which is also against the rules, and now they let people kill the geese, which is unlucky, and they must be implicated.

Dong Xue immediately went to the inner courtyard to report to Mrs. Shi Zhang, and when she arrived at the house, only Wang Xifeng and Baochai were left to assist the housekeeper.Shi Rui has brought his new wife, Li Tong, and released him as county magistrate. Shi Cong is not yet married, and they are the closest among the junior daughters-in-law in Kyoto.

Dong Xue described it vividly, and emphasized that they were already a step too late at that time, and it was too late to stop Shi Wan'er before Yanzi died.

When Shi Zhang heard about it, she felt her head ache, and Baochai was about to faint, so she asked Yinger to tell Shi Li, and Wen Xing took two nuns to bring Shi Waner in for questioning. .

Wang Xifeng secretly thought that something was wrong, but she had many years of experience in managing households. She helped Mrs. Shi and Zhang to sit down, and persuaded: "Auntie, it is only right to make amends first at this time."

But Shi Zhang couldn't care about so much for a while, she only hated it from her heart, and cried: "I can't let her down, Huier can't let her down, she wants to hurt us like this!"

Baochai knelt down and said, "Auntie, I know it would be futile for me to say I'm sorry at this time. Anyway, it's our Wan'er's fault. I didn't teach her well!"

Shi Zhang knew Shi Wan'er well, she had learned the lesson earlier, although she hated it now, seeing Baochai's attitude, how can she be blamed?Baochai is a person, and no one in the mother-in-law's generation would dislike her. Since she married Shi Li, Shi Zhang is very satisfied with her.

Shi Zhang said: "Get up, it's not your fault."

Shi Hui couldn't hide this matter from Shi Hui, when she found out, even though she was an extremely strong and determined person, she couldn't help feeling bitter.But this matter had to be kept a secret from outsiders and guests, even Zi Ling was the only one around her who knew about it.

Shi Hui quietly rushed to the back hall, there was no outsider here at this time, but she saw Shi Wan'er in the room kneeling on the ground crying into tears, claiming that she didn't do it on purpose.

Shi Hui walked in, and said coldly: "It wasn't on purpose, what are you doing to catch that goose?"

Seeing her coming, Shi Wan'er couldn't help being startled, but said: "How do I know that goose will die just by touching it? I'm afraid it won't live long..."

Shi Zhang yelled angrily: "Shut up!"

Shi Cong took the dead goose, looked at it, and said, "The goose's head and neck bones are broken, and there is still bleeding. It wasn't caused by a light touch in your mouth." The goose was twisted to death.

Shi Wan'er stared at Shi Cong, and couldn't help shrinking. This cousin didn't treat her well in Fujian, but at that time he was also living in Erfang Shi Feng's house, and Shi Wan'er's eyes were not on him, and there were not many interactions.It was only when she arrived in Kyoto that she became resentful towards the uncles and aunts of the third-bedroom uncle's family.

At this moment, Shi Li rushed over upon hearing the sound, and Shi Wan'er howled and cried, calling for her mother, where could Shi Li take care of her, and knelt down in front of Shi Zhang to make amends.

Shi Zhang said: "This is the end of the matter, Mingyi, you don't need to say more. You can't write two stone characters with one stroke, so we used to treat Wan'er as our junior, even if we were unhappy, we would feel that She is still young, she has been tolerant and taught her, and can't bear to give up on her easily. But she can do such a thing, which shows that the resentment towards us is probably beyond your imagination. I just don't understand, what we owe her Is it? She is going to curse Huier for the rest of her life!"

Shi Hui wiped away her tears, which girl has no expectations for her wedding?The death of this wild goose is considered auspicious, modern people are taboo, let alone the ancients?

It was Wang Xifeng who dealt with the common affairs for a while, then came into the inner room again, and after hearing what Mrs. Shi Zhang said, she suddenly had an idea and said, "Auntie doesn't have to think so. Today, saints and empresses have a lot of makeup. Things are not going well, but there are great auspiciousness, great fortune, and great wealth. Before the empress entered the palace, I used to joke with her, saying that she had too much fortune in the future, and she had to be oppressed in the future to be able to bear it. Now the empress is not Is good luck and prosperity unparalleled? Cousin, you are also relieved."

Wang Xifeng really had a clever mouth, Shi Zhang and Shi Hui really felt much better after saying this.

Shi Cong also comforted him a few words, and said, "I'll go to the shop to see if I can find geese to make up for it."

Shi Cong secretly asked Jia Lian about this matter. Shi Cong knew that Jia Lian had been with the prince and grandson of the capital. He had a lot of connections with the country gentry and was familiar with the market. He definitely had better connections than a noble Jinshi like Shi Cong.Time is running out, asking him has a higher success rate than running up and down by yourself.

Jia Lian was taken aback at first, thought for a while and said, "If you talk about this goose, it's really hard to find it when you go elsewhere in the winter. I know that Jin Haoren, the nephew of the king of Xining County, loves to raise birds. This time he I didn’t bring much with me when I came to Kyoto for a long stay, just some beautiful and clever birds, I’m afraid there are also geese.”

Jin Shiyue received an imperial errand, and if he did well, he would live in Kyoto as an official, and Jin Shiyue knew that Xiao Kai would live in Kyoto forever, so he, Hu Hansan, was coming back again.His son Jin Haoren is only 15 years old this year, and he and his wife also intend to find a good marriage in Kyoto. After all, Shuofang has more choices than Kyoto.

Shi Cong smiled wryly: "The Jin family is rich, we have no friendship, how can we open our mouths?" Originally he wanted to buy a pair, but the Jin family is rich, so there is no need to sell geese for some money.

Jia Lian laughed and said, "I'll go with my cousin and ask if he can cut off his love."

Jia Lian brought Shi Cong to the Prince's Mansion of Xining County, but Jin Haochang, the eldest son of the Prince of Xining County, and his cousin Jin Haoren met him together.Jin Haochang is the "three auspicious treasures" - the classmates of the three princes. They all "graduated and assigned to work".After the New Year's Eve, he should go to the Forbidden Army of the capital to practice, after all, he is the next king of Xining County.

Jia Shi and the two explained their intentions, although Jin Haoren was reluctant, but Jia Lian always wanted to give some face when he opened his mouth.

So he gave Shi Cong a pair of snow geese raised in the Bird Garden. Shi Cong thanked him a lot and took a pair of snow geese back.

The Qi family didn't care that the pair of geese were not the same pair as when they were in Nazheng. They knew that the bride had a lot of background and was the daughter of a scholarly family, so they happily married into the bride.

The Baron of Xiangyang was originally a second- and third-rate nobleman, but marrying such a bride at this time made many families of the same nobles envy, let alone count them.