[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

Every five and ten days off, the emperor's officials do not go to the early court.

Tu Yuanyi was able to wake up with Xing Xiuyan to practice martial arts in the morning, but she seemed to be wilting because of yesterday's incident and the aftereffects.

Originally, this sword technique required six sword flowers to be danced, but she couldn't even dance five sword flowers.

Tu Yuanyi shook his head and said, "You're wrong. You can't hold your breath, and you have to be quick. This move has merit and defense. If you practice it well, you can control three people with one move."

Xing Xiuyan danced again, but Tu Yuanyi still felt bad and said, "Compared to ten days ago, it's a step backward."

Xing Xiuyan was in a depressed mood, but he was still too picky, and with a mouthful of resentment, he couldn't help throwing his sword: "No more practice! No more practice!"

Tu Yuanyi withdrew his sword, approached and said, "Didn't you say that you want to become a master and be stronger than Mrs. Nie?"

She had made up her mind that she would never become a burden to men again. Hearing her talk about modern women's self-reliance and self-improvement, his mentality at this time was different from before, and he also felt that it was good to let his beloved woman do what he liked.

Besides, they were A Piaoshi's "teacher and apprentice" for a hundred years. At that time, she was not very enthusiastic about cultivation, but it was like playing.She was originally infatuated, and when she really wanted to do something, she worked very hard, so Tu Yuanyi began to teach her sincerely.

Xing Xiuyan was very irritable in her heart, and said: "You are too wordy! I am wrong about this, and that is wrong, will you teach others?"

Tu Yuanyi's phoenix eyes twinkled, and he said softly, "What happened yesterday is over."

Xing Xiuyan scratched her head like a roaring emperor, and shouted: "Don't mention what happened yesterday! I... I won't practice anymore, let's eat!"

As she said that, she didn't pick up the sword, and walked directly to the Ganlu Hall, but the maid who was waiting rushed to put her in a cloak first.

Tu Yuanyi shook his head and sighed, picked up her sword and put it away, then asked the eunuch to hold the sword back and put it away, and chased after her again.

It was reported that breakfast was something she would love to eat on weekdays.

Two bowls of milk were placed on their tables while it was still hot, and the rich aroma of milk came over. Tu Yuanyi was about to start, but Xing Xiuyan retched.

She quickly covered her mouth, but the nausea couldn't stop, but fortunately the eunuch came to pick it up with a basin.

The court lady Ziyue looked at Xing Xiuyan in surprise, and suddenly remembered that last year when Mrs. An Guo came to the palace to visit the noble concubine, she also retched after smelling the smell of goat milk.

Ziyue said: "Your Majesty, Madam, should I announce to the imperial physician?" Although Ziyue had doubts in her heart, she was a palace maid, so it was better not to speak directly about some things. If not, the emperor would be overjoyed. She is responsible for the booing.

Because Xing Xiuyan is in good health, has spiritual power to protect her body, and has taken the health-preserving medicine given by Tu Yuanyi, so she is so favored that she only asks for her pulse once every half a month, and she herself is impatient with these things.

Tu Yuanyi also had a flash of inspiration at this time, and hurriedly announced the imperial physician.

"Advertise both Li Yizheng and Li Taiyi!" Although both of them are surnamed Li, Li Yizheng's skills are relatively comprehensive, and Li Taiyi is a master of gynecology.

When Li Yizheng and Li Taiyi came to Taiji Palace, Tu Yuanyi and Xing Xiuyan had barely eaten a small bowl of porridge and a light steamed bun.It's not that the palace's fire and food are poor, but that Xing Xiuyan needs to eat this to keep from vomiting.

Xing Xiuyan half leaned on the imperial concubine's couch, and Tu Yuanyi sat beside her, covering her body with the blanket considerately, before he let Imperial Physician Li look at it first.

Doctor Li took the pulse, couldn't help being startled, and after a while, Tu Yuanyi stared at Doctor Li's old face with eyes that could be compared to looking at his sweetheart.

Doctor Li withdrew his hand, did not disappoint Tu Yuanyi, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Congratulations to the emperor! Congratulations to the imperial concubine! The empress has been pregnant for more than two months!"

But Li Yizheng couldn't help but secretly startled, it turned out that he had been the one who regularly asked the concubine for her pulse.If the imperial concubine was two months pregnant, he hadn't diagnosed it more than ten days ago.

Tu Yuanyi laughed out loud, and Li Taiyi just thought of Li Yizheng and asked him to check the pulse again. Li Yizheng cupped his hands modestly, and stepped forward to take the pulse.

Doctor Li is right, but he feels that the communication is fluent, like a trick, which should be smooth, what is it if it is not a happy pulse?

Li Yizheng also hurriedly expressed his congratulations, and apologized to himself, but he didn't find out when he asked for his pulse before.

Doctor Li said: "Your Majesty, it is not uncommon for the pulse to not show in the early stages of pregnancy."

At this time, Tu Yuanyi would not blame him, he just said: "The two of you will go down to discuss the method of confinement for the noble concubine, and then play it to me."

As he spoke, he ordered Zhao Gui to reward the two of them.

Xing Xiuyan was still in the circle, she stared blankly at her lower abdomen in a daze, and she didn't realize that the two imperial physicians surnamed Li had left.

Tu Yuanyi finally realized what was wrong with "more than two months", and while wrapping her in a blanket, he said, "You are also a fool, you didn't even know you had a child."

Xing Xiuyan thought that she hadn't had her period for a long time, but she was in Shuofang before, and Tu Yuanyi happened to be injured, how could she be in the mood to pay attention to that?Occasionally, I feel that I am not acclimatized if I do not have a period.Because she was still very energetic before, eating deliciously, who would have thought of holding a ball in her stomach.

She was not mentally prepared to be a mother at all, and suddenly a child from the magic star came out, what would she do?

Xing Xiuyan blankly pointed to her stomach, and looked at Tu Yuanyi at a loss: "Is it growing inside?"

Tu Yuanyi smiled and said: "I said that there are no parents who can't conceive a child, only parents who don't work hard. Yes, Xiuxiu, we are going to have a child!"

Xing Xiuyan was still dumbfounded, and asked, "Why did it grow inside?"

Tu Yuanyi became a little more serious, and said, "What stupid things are you talking about? You have been in the palace for so long, why can't you get pregnant?"

Xing Xiuyan said: "But I'm only 16 years old, how can I have children? This will make people laugh to death!"

Tu Yuanyi almost vomited blood, but he still knew that she was the key protection target now, so he must not say a word seriously or say a wrong word.

So, patiently, he said softly, "Who would laugh at you? It's too late for others to envy you! Now I'm 16 years old, and I'll be 17 when I give birth next year. It's normal to have a baby at 17."

Xing Xiuyan looked at him aggrievedly, and said, "It's all you! You just picked up a father for nothing, and it's not you who hurt the child!"

Tu Yuanyi: ...

Fortunately, the eunuchs and maids who were close to him were very clever. After the imperial doctors left, they all quietly withdrew, leaving the emperor and concubine to speak, otherwise they would see Tu Yuanyi's embarrassment.

Afterwards, Shuang Li led the Taitai Hospital to work out a method of anti-abortion, including the daily diet and life, and everything was detailed.

The emperor also summoned the imperial physicians overnight for questioning. The imperial physicians said that the symptoms that pregnant women often have, such as depression, boredom, irritability, and emotions of great sadness, joy, and anger, must be resolved.

Tu Yuanyi was secretly shocked: Everything was said to be right, and my imperial hospital is still quite good, so I added a chicken leg to the year-end salary of the imperial doctors.

At the court meeting the next day, after a few small matters were discussed, Tu Yuanyi saw that the court meeting at the end of last year was full of etiquette flattery, among which there was a good story about Concubine Chen angrily beheading two demons, and he listened to it with a smile.

Finally, he announced quite proudly that his daughter-in-law was pregnant, and the year was approaching at this time, so it happened to be such a great joy, so he wanted to pardon the world.

At this time, some courtiers objected. Why was Concubine Chen conferred last year because of the old sage's recovery and grace to the world?Now that the imperial concubine is pregnant, she will pardon the world for being too petty, right?

According to the favored degree of Concubine Chen, the cost of crimes in the world will be too low if they hold each other for the next three years.

The officials of the third department raised objections tactfully, but Tu Yuanyi still understood and was slightly displeased.It was Lin Ruhai who came out and said a fair word, and Tu Yuanyi took a break from the concubine's pregnancy and the idea of ​​amnesty for the world.

After retiring from the imperial court, Tu Yuanyi returned to Ganlu Hall, and Xing Xiuyan was lying on the kang reading the files of Zhou Tianfu's case.

He snatched the case files from her hands and ordered Zhao Gui to move all the files to the Hall of Liangyi for safekeeping.

Xing Xiuyan said: "What is the saint doing?"

Tu Yuanyi said earnestly: "The imperial physicians have said that you want to have a safe pregnancy, and you can't think too much."

Xing Xiuyan said: "I didn't think much about it, you let me just lie there and do nothing, it's very boring."

Tu Yuanyi said: "Thinking about it now, you have had no taboos in the past two months, which is really unattractive. Fortunately, the little prince is still fine, otherwise it will be too late for you to regret!"

Xing Xiuyan stroked her lower abdomen subconsciously, she was not used to how she became pregnant.

"You know it's the prince? What if it's the princess?"

Tu Yuanyi also went to caress her lower abdomen and said, "I had a dream last night, it was the prince."

Xing Xiuyan's emotions came as soon as she said it, and when she got annoyed, she moved at will, unable to control it at all, and even hit him.The on-duty Xue Jue and Jin Yao hurriedly led the maids and eunuchs who were standing there out of the house.The less you know about some things, the better, and they are also doing it for the sake of the little maids and eunuchs.

"You are backward feudal chauvinism! I gave birth to a daughter and you are going to abandon our mother and daughter, right? Our mother and son are in the way of you, aren't you? You see, if I didn't give birth to a prince, you have a reason to recruit a new one." Now, it’s easy to spread the branches and leaves, don’t think I don’t know! Our mother and daughter live alone, and I will never let my daughter call someone else’s mother... Wow..."

She cried as soon as she said she wanted to, but Tu Yuanyi was slapped a few times and was dumbfounded.

Xing Xiuyan cried miserably. Tu Yuanyi knew that it was a normal emotion of a pregnant woman, so he quickly swore to the sky: "Who said I have this intention? Whether it's a prince or a princess, I like everything Xiuxiu has."

Xing Xiuyan is still dissatisfied: "What's 'I like everything?' Besides sons and daughters, what else can I give birth to? Would I still give birth to civet cats? Even if I give birth to civet cats, it's because your seed is not good, and it's none of my business! "

Dare to say that the emperor's breed is not good, Tu Yuanyi accepted the normal reaction of the pregnant woman with the greatest temper, and never got angry.

Tu Yuanyi said: "Okay, everything that grows is my seed."

Xing Xiuyan said: "You mean that I have no credit for giving birth? Is it because your seed has credit?"

Tu Yuanyi knelt down completely, so everything he said was wrong, right?

Only when he hugged his wife into his arms and screamed heartily, did the strong emotions of this wave of pregnant women gradually pass.

Xing Xiuyan snuggled into his arms, the warmth of his body and the breath of a man gave her peace, and she gradually stopped crying.

Tu Yuanyi thought to himself: It's really not easy for this child to come, Xiuxiu will be in this state for seven months, it will be hard for me.When the child grows up, he must be filial to me, otherwise he will be spanked.Who said men don't have to work hard to have children?I absolutely disagree with this statement.However, who let his own wife give birth to his own child?

After feeling overwhelmed, Xing Xiuyan remembered the business and said, "I have read Zhou Tianfu's file and some materials of Yang Huaigu. Although it is not convincing evidence, there are still many suspicious points."

Tu Yuanyi said: "Leave this to the Ministry of Punishment and Jin Yiwei, Xiuxiu don't think too much about it."

Xing Xiuyan said: "I also need to use my brain. In the future, your daughter or son will also be smarter."

Tu Yuanyi knew that he had to follow the pregnant woman, so he nodded: "Okay, you can do whatever you want."

Xing Xiuyan called Jin Yao and asked her to lead someone to bring in some of her blackboards. Tu Yuanyi looked at some of the points she briefly listed. She first drew each point of the file into a mind map information tree, so that on the blackboard you can It is clear at a glance.

The first blackboard is his personal information and resume, with some special markings; the second blackboard is his family members and people in the mansion; the third is his professional relationship and social relations; the fourth is his Property classification, quantity, and date of addition; the fifth piece is Zhang Zhi's account book evidence of his corruption over the years.

While the eunuchs and maids put away their things, Xing Xiuyan waved them down, and the emperor and concubine had a private conversation.

Tu Yuanyi couldn't help being surprised: "You have read so many files, and all of them are drawn like this?"

Xing Xiuyan said, "Isn't it much clearer looking at it this way?"

Tu Yuanyi smiled: "Indeed."

Xing Xiuyan guided him to look at the first mind map of the information tree, and said: "Look at his resume, it is said that the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, except those who come from the family of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, are the support of relevant people, and the greater grace is like my father. That's how he got the grace of the saint. This week Tianfu was obviously not promoted by the old saint himself, nor was he from a family in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He was originally a boy from Weinan County. Entered the Imperial Horse Farm in Kyoto, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and became a petty official. A boy in the country is nothing more than an ordinary student, and he can't even be called a scholar. Royal servant? In this era, everyone is vying to be a royal servant, not to mention that you don’t need to be a eunuch.”

Tu Yuanyi squinted his eyes: "Of course someone has supported him."

Xing Xiuyan's eyes lit up, pointing to his resume mind map, and said: "It also depends on his direct superior at the time, why he accepted him as a small official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There is no such information in the file, so we have to check it. Then 31 Years ago, he was actually promoted to be the chief executive. This is from a seventh-rank official, not an official. This promotion speed is second only to my father. Looking at the second picture, he was originally from a farming and studying family, and his grandfather was a scholar. But his father is just a farmer, and his mother is also a farm girl. Without money or power, who will support him? Why should he support him?"

Tu Yuanyi frowned. The Archives Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs went through the water more than ten years ago, and many materials are gone, so the information on this aspect of the file is incomplete.

Tu Yuanyi said: "Although it is a bit troublesome, it is always possible to find out who was his superior and his level more than [-] years ago."

Xing Xiuyan pointed to the basic situation of his birth and said: "Let's look at his maternal ancestral home, but because he was far away in Shuofang in 30, his surviving cousin said that he hadn't contacted him for decades, and he didn't even know that he was a child. Fourth-rank official. And the old village head of his hometown said that he almost can’t remember this person. He has never returned to his hometown to worship his ancestors. They all say that "wealth and honor do not return to the hometown, it is like walking in brocade clothes at night." Weinan is not far away, even if He was in Shuofang a few years ago, but after the Zhang Zhi case, he was brought up to be the head of the Fourth Academy, and he was in the capital, why did he never return to his hometown?"

Tu Yuanyi thought for a while and said, "He doesn't want to say anything."

Xing Xiuyan asked: "Why don't you want to say something?"

Tu Yuanyi squinted his eyes and said, "He has a secret that he doesn't want outsiders to know. If he wants to hide the secret, he must try to avoid complications."

Xing Xiuyan smiled: "That's right, but we don't know what the secret is. Of course, there is another situation where the emperor forgot."

Tu Yuanyi's phoenix eyes flashed: "What's the situation?"

Xing Xiuyan said: "For example, he was threatened by others. After all, according to the Chinese tradition, ancestors are very important, even modern people have to worship ancestors and repair genealogy. In short, it is so close to my hometown, but I never go back to my hometown to worship my ancestors. It doesn't make sense."

Tu Yuanyi nodded appreciatively: "Starting from these two doubtful points, we can also get rid of cocoons."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said: "Let's not look at his workplace relationship first, the information on his superiors and subordinates in the file is not very complete. Let's look at his family."

Tu Yuanyi wondered, "What do you see?"

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "How about the sage see for himself?"

Tu Yuanyi looked at it for a long time, and saw that on the family relationship map, Xing Xiuyan marked "two daughters married far away without a son", and said in surprise: "He has no son?!"

Xing Xiuyan said: "That's right. You ancients valued sons over daughters. If you don't have a son, you will be called the last child. The incense of offspring is the most important thing. Don't you just think about me giving you a son?"

Seeing her last complaint, Tu Yuanyi couldn't help laughing and said, "I swear, if you give birth to a daughter, I'll be just as happy."

Xing Xiuyan pursed her lips, some women have to be hypocritical with their husbands once they are pregnant, they are the kind that people hate, the more their husbands dote on them, the more hypocritical she is, and Xing Xiuyan is not immune.

He held her palm, looked at her tenderly, and Xing Xiuyan was proud, so he said: "He is an official of the fourth grade, and now he is nearly sixty years old, and he has no son. Since he has two daughters, he could have recruited a son-in-law. It is also the plan to pass on the incense, how can anyone marry two daughters far away?"

Tu Yuanyi couldn't help frowning, and said, "Maybe it's the few people who don't value offspring, but only themselves?"

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "I don't rule out this kind of person, but it's still unreasonable."

Tu Yuanyi smiled and asked, "What's unreasonable?"

Xing Xiuyan touched his lapel with his hand, and said with a light smile: "Louis XV of France... If there is no mistake, he is almost in power now. There is a famous saying of him in later generations: 'After I die, don't care about the flood! "The court life in the later period of his administration was rotten. If you don't value the name of the future generations and the incense of your heirs, you must enjoy it. Zhou Tianfu is not a heavy enjoyment. You see, he only has one wife and one concubine, which are the children of his two daughters. Birth mother. There is also a situation, assuming that he does not value his name or enjoyment, but instead he is a miser Grandet, then it is unreasonable to look at his property information."

There was no one else in the room, and it didn't matter that she was quoting Louis XV.

Tu Yuanyi looked at the place she circled with red chalk, and said, "Is there anything wrong with the 50 taels of silver notes?"

Xing Xiuyan picked up the tea and took a sip, then said with a smile, "See more clearly."

Tu Yuanyi said: "50 taels... a bank note from Fusheng Bank? Is there any problem?"

After all, Tu Yuanyi was born in the royal family. In his hundred years of memory, he was either A Piao or an emperor. It is difficult for him to change his thinking angle into that of ordinary people and subjects in a short time.

Xing Xiuyan laughed jokingly and said: "Back then...how did uncle plunder all the tributes and gold and silver treasures from corrupt officials' families, but I didn't see you snatching the silver notes?"

Tu Yuanyi smiled and said: "In our situation at the time, what's the use of grabbing bank notes? After hundreds of years, if the bank is gone, it's not waste paper..."

Tu Yuanyi came back to his senses and said in surprise: "Yes, if you are a person who loves money, of course silver is better than banknotes."

Xing Xiuyan rolled his eyes and said with a faint smile: "But silver tickets are indeed more convenient than silver. But there is still a problem here. According to the account book presented by Zhang Zhi, Zhou Tianfu only deducted money from various aspects of the racecourse in Shuofang. The banknotes of the Fusheng Bank are nearly 20 taels. But the bank notes of Fusheng Bank are more than 50 taels. That is to say, he not only exchanged all the silver coins accumulated in the royal racecourse for the bank notes of Fusheng Bank, but also corrupted money from other places. Du's silver taels were also exchanged for bank notes from Fusheng Bank. It is said that 'eggs cannot be put in one basket'. Fusheng Bank is not a modern state-owned bank. How good is its reputation? In this world, among Dongsheng Bank, Limin Bank, and Fuyuan Bank, which of the centuries-old brands is not bigger than Fusheng Bank? Why are they all Fusheng Bank? Why have they been greedy for decades and replaced them with bank notes? Haven’t used it yet? The ancient land is the foundation, and the land under Zhou Tianfu’s name is only about 7000 hectares, which is very small for a fourth-rank official. My natal family has bought about 3000 hectares in the past few years Tian. Zhou Tianfu can obviously turn money into land and shops, and there will be income every year, but your ancient money houses cost money to exchange money. Even if my righteous sister Su Fuer was in distress, and her family property was converted into bank notes, it would be the same. There are a total of seven or eight bank notes with the best reputation, and none of them will be released. Zhou Tianfu has very few other bank notes, only [-] taels in total, and [-] taels of cash in his home. Two more."

Xing Xiuyan said while pointing to the property classification mind map on the blackboard, Tu Yuanyi squinted his eyes.

Tu Yuanyi looked at Xing Xiuyan, smiled and said, "Xiuxiu is really smart."

Xing Xiuyan had a determined expression, and said with a smile: "This is a very general inference, based on the amount of reading of the files, and you can see the doubts if you think with the way of thinking of a person who seeks money."

Tu Yuanyi said: "There are so many unreasonable doubts. As long as you investigate, you can always find the reason. Finding the reason is the time to solve the mystery."

Xing Xiuyan thought for a while, and said: "Now let's send Jinyiwei to control Fusheng Bank in the name of cooperating with the investigation, and ask their shopkeeper to make a confession, and see if the other party is a person or a ghost. In case you finally copied a game family, pointing to a small sum of money made before the Chinese New Year, but in the end the money turned into waste paper, it’s a bit unfair.”

Tu Yuanyi half-jokingly said: "Naturally it should be so. Now I not only raise Xiuxiu, but also have a son, uh, or daughter to raise, so I should save some private money."

Xing Xiuyan heard the private money and remembered the many tributes he gave during the Chinese New Year last year. She couldn't help laughing and said, "What gift did you give me for the Chinese New Year this year?"

Tu Yuanyi smiled and said, "I gave you a child, isn't it the best gift?"