[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

In the evening, Xing Zhong brought his wife and children into the palace to thank him. With such a great grace, Mrs. Xing and Li were already confinement, so naturally they also changed into the super-grade imperial dress with make-up at this time.At this time, Su Fu'er was temporarily living in Xingfu because her husband was away. She also has the rank of county lord, so she could only come here in a small sedan chair.Fortunately, she has passed the dangerous period of three months.

She also came with Xing Xiuyan's younger brother, who was carried by Mrs. Xing Li. She still knew that the emperor's empress liked him very much, and their family entered the palace to thank him, unlike others who only kowtow outside the palace. The empress will definitely meet him .

Sure enough, after kowtowing at the gate of Taiji Palace under the guidance of the eunuch of the ceremony, the eunuch led everyone into the gate of the palace to meet them in the Palace of Manna.

Not to mention that there is a set of standard worship etiquette after seeing the emperor, Tu Yuanyi also makes people stand up.

Xing Xiuyan looked at the fat baby in Xing Li's arms, and said with a smile: "Mother, quickly bring my younger brother to me to see, why hasn't I seen him for half a month, and he seems to have grown up a lot."

Mrs. Xing and Li hurriedly carried the child over, the white and fat doll smiled brazenly when she saw Xing Xiuyan, and then leaned over to beg for a hug.

This made Xing Xiuyan laugh out loud, Xing Xiuyan is now very motherly, unlike the fearful brat she used to be, she hugged him to tease her.

They are really brothers and sisters, the child's eyebrows and eyes are [-]% similar to Xing Xiuyan's, with a pair of black grape-like eyes, clear and innocent, which makes people's hearts melt.

Tu Yuanyi is the person who is most familiar with Xing Xiuyan, he likes her younger brother when he went out of the palace last time, because he looks like his sister at a glance.

Tu Yuanyi also sighed, Xing Zhong has good features, and Xing Li is the daughter of a scholar, she looks very elegant, but all the children born will be tall.Although a stunning beauty like Xing Xiuyan is also due to her spiritual power, it is only because of her good foundation.

Tu Yuanyi sat beside Xing Xiuyan to tease the child, and the child leaned towards Tu Yuanyi again, begging for a hug with his chubby arms.

Tu Yuanyi laughed, and said: "Such a small thing can be flattering, amazing!"

As he spoke, he carried the child over, raised it up and teased it, and the little thing started giggling, very happy.Seeing that Tu Yuanyi was not unhappy, Xing Zhong and his wife felt relieved.

At this time, Tu Yuanyi didn't know that he was holding the head of the "notorious" Eastern Pirate Group in Western historical records, and his part-time job was "Jinghai General" of the Great Zhou Empire, and the general abbreviation "Jinghai" in later Chinese history. Uncle Xing Guo".

When he was a teenager, relying on the favor of many brothers-in-law (including the emperor) and a group of nephews who were not too young, he caused troubles in the Royal Academy of the Great Zhou Empire.

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "The sage said he gave his younger brother a name, have you thought about it?"

Tu Yuanyi smiled and said, "Why don't you give him that cheap name you thought of first?"

Xing Xiuyan said: "Father and mother with a cheap name will think about it, but of course the saint wants to be famous."

Tu Yuanyi thought for a while and said with a smile: "The surname is Xing, how about Xing Cheng?"

"Itinerary?" Xing Xiuyan's jaw dropped, what's the name?I thought he would be very smart.It's a pity that the Xing family is humble, not a rich family, and there is no long-standing genealogy, otherwise she would not let the scholar's grandfather be named Xing Xiuyan.

Tu Yuanyi said: "What's wrong with Xing Cheng?"

Xing Zhong was very happy, and said: "I thank the emperor for giving me the name, my brother is called 'Xing Cheng'."

Tu Yuanyi looked at Xing Xiuyan, a little complacently, and said, "Look, Cheng Engong agreed."

Xing Xiuyan said: "You took it, can dad say it's not good?"

But the brother was waving his limbs and giggling at Tu Yuanyi. In fact, children are also very handsome. Besides, it is said that children have "psychics" before they are one year old. I'm afraid there is some truth.Tu Yuanyi's face, coupled with the spiritual power on his body, the child doesn't know the reason, but always knows that it is good for him.Moreover, he was not an introverted child who was shy, and Tu Yuanyi radiated kindness towards him.

Tu Yuanyi smiled and said: "I see he likes it very much. You can't call him 'Er Gouzi' with a cheap name, but 'Yu Nu'."

Xing Xiuyan laughed angrily, and said: "It's not very good for a saint to get a big name, but it's not bad to get a low name."

Tu Yuanyi turned his phoenix eyes and said with a smile: "Isn't it much better than the 'two dogs', 'iron pillars' and 'iron eggs' you think?" '; Feather, 'The eagle hits the sky, and the journey is thousands of miles'."

Xing Xiuyan was shocked, but Su Fu'er suppressed her laughter. It was really hard for her to imagine that the empress would give birth to a prince named "Er Gouzi".

Xing Zhong said with a smile: "I would like to thank the Emperor Jinkou for his blessings on behalf of the 'feather slave'!" Xing Zhong has been rich and honored for several years, and has been an official for nearly two years. , who was wearing the duke's boa robe of noble rank, he was not the kind of person who would be too scared to speak when he saw the emperor.

Xing Xiuyan carried the child back again, and smiled at him, "Yu Nu? Yu Nu, call me sister!"

Yu Nu just smiled toothlessly and spit bubbles.

Xing Xiuyan asked Mrs. Xing Li and Su Fuer a few more homework, and let them leave before the palace gate was locked.

……

In the twelfth lunar month, it's not easy to hold a grand banquet, besides, the empress's canonization ceremony will have to wait until next year.

It's just that they invited relatives from a few close families to come to Xing's house for a banquet, but it's enough to squeeze out the Xing's family.And at the end of the year, there were a lot of people giving gifts to Xing's house, and it was really thanks to Su Fu'er that she was pregnant now, and brought an extra team of people to help in the house.

Su Fuer talked with Daiyu, Yingchun, Shi Hui, Xiangyun, Xichun and Qiaojie, and even Baochai and Tanchun came.Xichun came with Mrs. Xing, and Baochai came with Shi Zhang. Although Shi Li's family is different from the Shi family's third house, they are still attached to the Shi family's third house.Baochai regards Shizhang as a mother-in-law. Shizhang's own eldest son and daughter-in-law are not around, and her daughter is married again, which gives her a lot of comfort.And Tanchun is clever, and came here with Wang Xifeng, otherwise, Mrs. Xing would not have taken the second daughter's daughter on purpose.Su Fu'er, who lives in the mansion, only met Tanchun in a hurry before, and she didn't have much friendship, so it was impossible to invite her.

Before the banquet, a group of women gathered together to chat and laugh, Yu Nulai was in Daiyu's arms, maybe she was just a dog, seeing so many beautiful sisters, she couldn't stop giggling.

Shi Hui was also a newlywed, with her hair combed, her face radiant, she shook her wave drum to tease him.

"Yu Nu, Yu Nu, I am your fourth sister!"

Yu Nu kicked his calf, couldn't help but laugh, how could he be so happy, how could he have so many beautiful sisters!

In fact, Daiyu is not very good at holding a child, after all, she has never given birth, and Baochai is also pregnant, and it has been five months, which is the time when motherhood takes off.Baochai came to help Daiyu hold the child, and Daiyu smiled and said, "Sister Bao, you are getting heavy, be careful, Yu slave is making a fuss!"

Baochai laughed and said, "He's so small, how can I not be able to hug him?"

This is Uncle Xiaoguo, who was named by a sage when he was born, wouldn't it be a little joyful to hug him?

Baochai hugged and teased her for a while, but she actually urinated, which made all the girls laugh, and hurriedly asked the nanny to bring the diapers.

Su Fu'er was learning to take care of the children herself, and the sisters were also curious, and actually watched the model Yu Nu changing diapers.He has been naked in front of his sisters since he was a child, so that it will be difficult to pretend to be in front of his sisters in the future.

Yingchun smiled and said: "Yu Nu looks very much like the Empress Empress!"

Shi Hui said with a smile: "Apart from the adoptive father and adoptive mother, Sister Fu'er has the most say in this matter. The empress knew Sister Fu'er when she was less than three years old."

After changing the diaper, Su Fu'er hugged her younger brother, and said with a smile: "The Empress, how could Yu Nu be so noisy at that time? My sisters don't know, Yu Nu just likes to be lively now, or when he is awake, the nanny will Walking around the garden with him in my arms, and being so picky, the nanny almost doesn't want to drink any milk."

Su Fuer was only seven years old when she met Xing Xiuyan, just when she needed playmates for children, but there was no one around her except the maids.Xing Xiuyan, on the other hand, is beautiful and cute, petite and petite, wearing an old coat that has been washed white, which is cute and cute.

The original Miaoyu was not hypocritical at the beginning, but gradually grew up and understood a lot of things, and only after she understood the helpless life she was about to face would she become like the one in the original book.At least, in the first few years when Miaoyu and Xing Xiuyan met, she was just a relatively proud girl, after all, her age was there.

Yingchun said, "Didn't my aunt make trouble for him?"

Su Fuer said: "Is there any way to cook it! You can't starve him."

Xiangyun laughed and said, "Uncle Guo is getting closer to his mother, which is a good thing!"

Daiyu spoke sharply, and said with a smile: "That's not good, the one in Sister Xiangyun's stomach will be very close to her mother in the future."

Xiangyun smiled and said: "Sister Lin, don't laugh at me, you will have one day. But I have called Sister Lin my sister for the rest of my life. Sister Lin's son will call me brother or sister when he sees my son or daughter!"

What a coincidence, Xiangyun is also three and a half months pregnant.

At this time, Yingchun murmured: "There are so many children, and I still feel that I am not very old."

The twelve golden hairpins present, Baochai, Yingchun, Xiangyun, and Su Fuer are all pregnant. If Xing Xiuyan is added, there will be at least five children of the same age next year.

Shi Hui added: "My eldest brother sent a letter from Huguang, saying that my sister-in-law is also pregnant."

Suddenly Wang Xifeng walked into the room, and said with a sneer: "You guys will be idle, each of you is already the wife of the emperor, and you are ganging up to bully me alone!"

Xiangyun pouted slightly, and said, "Sister Feng, where did you say that? When did we bully you?"

Wang Xifeng said: "I was alone with two aunts to help manage the affairs. Today, many guests came to give gifts. How can my aunt handle it? There is a reason why Fu'er brought Yu slaves and is still alive, but you are also ashamed Just as lazy as when I was a girl."

Yingchun said with a smile: "Second sister-in-law, we also...have a body..." She was a little embarrassed when she said that.

There was a lot of laughter in the room, Wang Xifeng was dumbfounded, and said: "In the past, you were precious unmarried daughters who bullied me alone, but now you are married and have other reasons. I am the only one who dares to love."

Shi Hui quickly went to hold Wang Xifeng's hand, and said: "Okay, cousin sister-in-law calm down, I will go with you to help."

Sister Qiao ran over and said, "I'm going to help mother too."

Wang Xifeng's always flamboyant temperament can't be changed, and now that she has sons and daughters, Jia Lian won't tell her that having a future is the most important thing.She is indeed a top duo, Xing and Li's abilities are far worse than hers, if she can help, Xing and Li will not refuse.

But when Wang Xifeng helps, she will find out that the younger sisters are also grown up, and it's not like when they were not married before, why is she still tired all by herself?

When I had time to come over and take a look, they gathered together to chat and laugh, just like before, if there is any difference, it is that now they can fight babies, and each of them is about to give birth to babies.

The seats in the main courtyard of the Xing family were all relatives and sisters, but male and female guests were also separated.

The female guests are from the older generation. In addition to Xing Li's current Mrs. Cheng Engong, there are also Mrs. Li Xun, Mrs. Lin Ruhai, Mrs. Sun, Mrs. Xing, and Shi Zhang, the Minister of the Ministry of Officials.It was a small banquet in Xing's mansion years ago, and the guests were all relatives who already had relatives.

Wei Ruolan and Feng Ziying were good friends, but when they came back to Xing Mansion for the first time, it was because the wives had relatives, and the wives wanted to come for a reunion, so they had to be told by their families to come together.

I couldn't help talking about Xiao Jingyun. Although Feng Ziying is now the son of Marquis of Shenwu, he has no fame and was recruited by Feng Tang into the forbidden army camp for training.Wei Ruolan's parents also died. Although his grandfather had a title, he may not inherit it in the future. The second uncle's family is all staring at the title.The Wei family had faded out of the military circle at this time, and he couldn't help regretting that he didn't seek fame.

Now the promotion system for military attachés of the Imperial Army is becoming more and more standardized.Either Wu Jinshi becomes a scholar, and then promoted according to seniority and ability, or promoted according to military merit.Ordinary soldiers also depended on their military merits to become military officers. The emperor did not allow honorable children to serve as named military officers in the Imperial Army.Besides, without experience and skills, the emperor now often conducts military drills, which makes it difficult for honorable children who do not understand military affairs to earn their living wages.

Fortunately, Wei Ruolan is still young and not ready yet, and it won't be too late for the next martial arts examination.

Wei Ruolan and Feng Ziying were discussing Xiao Jingyun's business trip to Ping'an Prefecture, Wei Ruolan said: "I just heard from Uncle Xiao that Lord Chunyu and Ouyang Lord have already rushed to Ping'an Prefecture to help, and the stall over there may not be small. "

As Feng Tang's son, Feng Ziying was still in the mainstream of power, and said: "Now the Ministry of War is about to come up with the charter."

Wei Ruolan smiled and said, "Will you transfer uncle to assist in countering the rebellion?" Originally, the matter of Ping'an Prefecture was a military secret, and no one without a job would know about it, but that day the Yang family was publicly tried, and the issue of Ping'an Prefecture It's no longer a secret.

Feng Ziying said: "Father has thought about it, but the army is mobilized for a long distance, and naturally a lot of money and food will be wasted. Besides, the ice and snow in the twelfth lunar month are not good for long-distance marches. If it is not a last resort, the emperor probably does not want to mobilize the imperial guards from Kyoto to go out of Tongguan during the ice and snow. Ping An Prefecture."

It is absolutely uneconomical for large troops to go to Ping'an Prefecture to suppress the rebellion.The Ministry of War is considering transferring Qingzhou and Yuzhou Jiedu envoys to counter the rebellion, but the emperor doesn't want too many innocent people killed or injured.

There are also many low-level officers and soldiers in Ping'an Prefecture who do not agree with the dirty things done by their Jiedu Envoys. Otherwise, the situation like Tu Yuanyi in the previous life would have put down the Ping'an Prefecture Rebellion in the end.It is best to treat leg diseases, rather than doing arthropods too aggressively.That's why he let Xiao Jingyun and others go over to take down the governor of Ping'an Province, and then stabilize the morale of the army, so as not to affect too much.

Because of Feng Ziying's simple words, Wei Ruolan sensitively realized that not only was she far from Xiao Jingyun, but she was also a step behind in seeing things compared to Feng Ziying.After all, he has Feng Tang as his father, and his grandfather is only Kong Jue now. They understand the important affairs of the court and the world, but his knowledge can't help being ridiculous.

But in Weifu, he and his wife were out of tune with their second uncle.If it wasn't that he hasn't stood up yet, why would he want to listen to the second uncle and the others?After all, he is a young man with vigor, and he is not willing to go on like this.

Today's sage is wise and powerful, so a good man can naturally find a piece of the sky. Xiao Yun is only less than two years older than him, not only accompanying him on the northern tour, but now the sage has let him play the leading role.

At Shen Shi, the banquet in the Xing Mansion dispersed, and Wei Ruolan took Xiangyun into the carriage.Originally, he was a man, and this court still paid attention to riding and shooting. Even a man like Jia Lian who was not well-educated and a martial artist always rode horses when he traveled. Only men like Baoyu liked to ride with his sisters, but he often rode horses when he went out.But now that Xiangyun is pregnant, she must be more careful, and Wei Ruolan will accompany her.

In the car, Wei Ruolan mentioned that he was going to practice in the Eastern Army, Xiangyun was taken aback: "Why did my husband go to suffer so much?"

Wei Ruolan said: "I'm not good at stereotypes, I'm afraid it will be hard to get out of Jinshi, but I learned some martial arts from my grandfather. Madam also understands that the title of our family may not fall on my head, and now the court wants to Put an end to donating official favors."

In fact, the imperial court was not unrestrained. After all, since the Ming Dynasty, non-Hanlin officials were not allowed to join the cabinet.Xiangyun also couldn't help thinking of Jia Zhu, the Rongguo Mansion was not so down and down at that time, as the eldest son of the second household, he still had to devote himself to scientific research, and his husband is not like this now.

But when they went to Moli of the Imperial Army, the couple could not be together every day. The military camp was in the suburbs, and they could only return home when it was their turn to rest.

Xiangyun rubbed his belly and said, "Can't you wait until the baby is born?"

Wei Ruolan smiled and said, "Isn't it just to earn him a better future?"

Xiangyun bowed his head and said, "Grandmother even gave you plum fragrance and orchid fragrance..." She meant that he might not be all for her and the child, and there will be other people's children in the future.She can't serve her husband in her current body, so her grandmother asked them to share the room.

Although Wei Ruolan's stereotypes are not very good, but her poems and books are very good, otherwise she would not be known as a "talented and handsome man".And Xiangyun's talents are as famous as Dai and Chai in Lianshi's urgent talent.There is no harm if there is no comparison, how can Wei Ruolan like the two girls?

Wei Ruolan said with a smile: "As long as you are paranoid, I will go and talk to grandma in a few days."

Xiangyun said: "Don't, isn't it a joke?"

Wei Ruolan said: "What's the joke? When I entered Duke Cheng'en's mansion today, what did I see and hear? In the past, some people thought that the Empress Empress came from a humble family background, but this mansion is extremely quiet of."

When a group of young men came to the mansion, the maids who served tea and snacks were quite calm and never glanced around, which was quite different from Pingnanhou's mansion.

Xiangyun was active among the women's relatives, so of course he also had eyes and ears, and said, "It seems that Duke Cheng'en's mansion... has no concubine."

Wei Ruolan said: "It's not just Cheng'en Gong's mansion, Jing Yun's mansion has never had such things."

Thinking of Mrs. Dingzhonghou and Daiyu who "has been secretly helping her speak well in front of the queen", Xiangyun couldn't help laughing, and said, "Dingzhonghou doesn't dare, and it's hard to find Mrs. Bihou." Strong. Xiao Shizi can't find anyone stronger than my sister Lin. Sister Lin is even proud of me, saying that there is no one in the world who is stronger than her queen sister, so the emperor loves him so much."

Wei Ruolan said: "Then is it the empress who is stronger, or Mrs. Dingzhonghou and your elder sister Lin?"

Only then did Xiang Yun realize that this was contradictory, and said with a smile: "This is incomparable!"

Wei Ruolan smiled and said: "I understand. In the early years, I also heard Brother Feng say that all the relatives and sisters in Jia's house are excellent, and girls from other families are hard to match."

Xiangyun asked: "How does the Feng family's cousin-in-law know?"

Wei Ruolan said: "He has a good relationship with Baoyu, and Baoyu mentioned it."

Speaking of Baoyu, Xiangyun couldn't help being startled. She had a very good relationship with Baoyu when she was a child, but since Daiyu entered Jia's house, they were always closer.When she was young, she was jealous of Daiyu because of this, but after Daiyun returned from the South, she rarely went to Jia's mansion.In the original book, most of the people who enter Jia's mansion to play are because Jia's mansion borrows the concubine Yuan and the flowers are in full bloom. Without this kind of prosperity, many opportunities will be lost.

Xiangyun sighed, "I don't know how Cousin Baoyu is doing now."

……

Mrs. Xing and Wang Xifeng brought Erchun and Qiaojie back home, and went to Rongqingtang to pay their respects before dinner.I have to say that Jia's mother's strong body and bones were so troublesome in the past, but she is still tough now.

The maid opened the curtain, and a group of female relatives entered. Jia Mu had slept for a while at noon, and now she was in good spirits, and she played cards with Yuan Chun, Ping'er, and Yuanyang.When they came back, Mother Jia stopped for a while.

Mrs. Xing, Wang Xifeng and others invited Ann, Wang Xifeng smiled and said: "How is the old ancestor's luck today?"

Mother Jia sighed: "How can you be so lucky? All the girls are making money from me!"

Ping'er said: "The old ancestor was teasing grandma, she has always drawn good cards, but I lost all my monthly money this month, grandma, you have to take pity on me."

Yuanyang smiled and said: "Isn't it just seeing the backer come back, so I hurried to curry favor."

All the masters and slaves followed suit with a smile.

Mrs. Xing thought about it, and said: "Old Ancestor, we went to Cheng'en Gong's Mansion to have a banquet, but the sage empress also gave me cakes. Would you like to try it too?"

Speaking of Wang Shanbao's family coming forward with a food box, Jia's mother said: "Seeing that the meal is about to be served, why eat this now?"

Mrs. Xing was here to show off, they used to be known as the Duke's Mansion, she came from a humble background, and everyone looked down on her in the mansion.Now her natal family is the real Duke's mansion, while Jia's is just the third-class general's mansion.Now she is not the aunt of the imperial concubine, but the aunt of the empress.

Mrs. Xing said with a smile: "The old ancestor doesn't want it. The daughter-in-law will just take it home and give Cong'er a few points. The children will also be blessed with the Queen's Empress."

Jia Mu said, "Since it's your wish, let's stay."

Jia Mu was thinking about the things in the palace again, she was afraid that there would be some good luck, which would happen to be eaten by Baoyu.Now he studies hard, but Zheng'er, the evil star, tortured Baoyu every day.It was her mother who said nothing would work.Mother Jia is a contradictory person. She hates Xing Xiuyan deeply. This is a kind of gap, and she has a mentality of hatred even if there is no hatred.

As a daughter-in-law, Mrs. Xing couldn't refuse, it was just to show off, she didn't taste much herself, it was all about taking advantage of others, she felt a little bit reluctant in her heart.Mrs. Xing can't do big evil things. Her biggest problem is that she is greedy for money, mean-spirited and indifferent.The big problem now is showing off. This is the same as many upstarts in modern times. When they suddenly become rich, they immediately wear gold and silver. People can do it.

Jia's mother served dinner in the back hall, and many female relatives ate together.Mother Jia was feeling unhappy, so she naturally asked Mrs. Xing, the daughter-in-law, and Wang Xifeng, the grandson-in-law, to serve the meal.This is the ancient rule of filial piety, even if it is stabbed in front of the emperor, Jia's mother cannot be blamed, Mrs. Xing and Wang Xifeng have to serve carefully.

After finishing the meal in silence, after tossing about two proud people, Jia's mother was a little smoother.