[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

When Xin Xiuyan found out about this, the Chinese New Year was already in full swing. On the sixth day of the first lunar month, many family members of her natal family came into the palace to greet her with signs.

Fortunately, most of the military officers from Sichuan have rushed back after getting married last year, otherwise those brides would also come.

Xin Xiuyan saw that the weather was fine, and it was warm in high spring, so she enjoyed the banquet in the Imperial Garden. After drinking for three rounds, she asked everyone to take the children to the Baicao Garden and the Bird Garden.But Xin Xiuyan was talking to Mrs. Xing Li, and Mrs. Xing was also by her side.

Mrs. Xing and Li are talking about the princes and princesses who are getting older and want to study in the Shang's study, and the primary school in Cheng'en's mansion can't continue to run now.

It was only then that Xin Xiuyan remembered that the three buns used to have many playmates and classmates, but now there are only three, so they are lonely after all.And the Xing family doesn't have ethnology, so what kind of ethnology does a feather slave run?

Xin Xiuyan smiled and said: "Mother, let my younger brother come to study with his nephew as a companion. The children also grew up together. Pan'er and Shitou all come, so they can form a class."

Mrs. Xing and Li were naturally happy, and said with a smile, "It's just that the primary school in the mansion is vacant."

Xin Xiuyan thought for a while and said with a smile: "Cheng'en Gong's mansion covers an area of ​​three to four hundred acres, there are so many buildings in the courtyard, and there are few masters in the mansion. The primary school is empty and empty. Why don't we set up a girls' school. The saint let Fu The Royal Academy run by the Prince has already made a name for itself, but it doesn’t recruit female students now. We know a lot of talented women, and it would be a good thing if they can pass on their clothes. Only our males are more and more outstanding in civil and martial arts, and the females are more and more talented and virtuous. Why are you afraid of foreign barbarians? It is impossible for the Xing family to be princes for generations, but by running a new-style women's school and passing it down, it can leave a name in history."

Duke Cheng’s mansion covers an area no less than that of the king’s mansion. The emperor was eccentric. Xing Zhong chose the best mansion after he became the duke of the state. Later, because the prince and princess raised it for a long time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Industry expanded Cheng’en’s mansion. It was repaired into a palace villa.Compared with the Grand View Garden, Cheng'en Gong Mansion is even worse. In recent years, it has become a paradise for sisters and children.

It is indeed a pity that such a place is only regarded as a place of luxury.It is impossible for the Xing family to pass on the title, but if they use this to establish the best women's school, then most of the high society ladies and ladies in Dazhou will have such backgrounds in the future, and this is the foundation of the Xing family.Education is the foundation of a century-old plan. If a batch of outstanding women with new ideas can be educated, it will definitely be a good thing for the country.

Upon hearing this, Lishi Xing said with a smile: "If it can be like this, Fu'er will be very happy. She passed by that elementary school a few times recently, and she is very reluctant to part with it."

Xin Xiuyan smiled and said: "Yes, if my sister is not too annoying, let her first draw up a charter for this matter, how to enroll students, and how to arrange courses. Instead, you can learn the three-three system principle of the saint's enrollment, and then set up a bursary or loan for poor families. This matter, um, makes sense!"

Mrs. Xing and Li were about to ask someone to call Su Fuer, who was taking the children to play, but Xin Xiuyan stopped her and said, "Mother, why bother my sister now? It's supposed to be more relaxed in this first month, we can talk later after we have played."

"Your Majesty is right."

"I see that the mother likes that there are so many children in the mansion, right? Or does the mother like that the sisters are all lively in the mansion?"

Xing Li said: "I really can't hide it from my mother, I feel so empty."

Xin Xiuyan chuckled, at this moment Mrs. Xing suddenly interjected: "Your Majesty is merciful, she always has pity for her daughters and children, it reminds me of an incident before Chinese New Year."

Xin Xiuyan wondered, "Where did my aunt hear something interesting?"

Mrs. Xing just described the events of Jia Huan, Shen Man, Xi Ren and others in detail. Although her eloquence is not as good as Wang Xifeng's, she is not a gourd at all. She has lived in wealth for many years, but she speaks with air .

When Xin Xiuyan heard that it was their business, she wentssiped a bit and didn't interrupt.But when Mrs. Xing said that Xiren pityed her child, survived in a miserable situation, and asked Mrs. Xing to ask the queen for help, Xin Xiuyan couldn't help raising her eyebrows, noncommittal.

Mrs. Xing said: "I see that Huan'er also intended to let Brother Ran follow the attacker, but the master of the second room and Aunt Zhao are reluctant, and Wang also wants to keep the child. This attacker wants to fight for the child. Where can I get it?" Over the mansion? Then Mrs. Shen might not be able to spare her. She just wanted to beg your mother."

Of course, Xin Xiuyan understood Mrs. Xing's retelling of Xiren's words, and she didn't feel that she was the savior.

"Ask me? It's hard for an upright official to break up family affairs. What can I do? It's about the heirs of foreign ministers. If I intervene rashly, I have to leave people with excuses, saying that I used power to bully others and hinder family relationships. They all thought that this palace owed the second wife of the Jia family something."

Mrs. Xing said with a smile: "Your Majesty is very worried. I just saw that Mrs. Shen is very powerful. Xiren's face was swollen and swollen by her that day, and there are bloodstains. Adding a poor child, it is difficult to feel compassion .”

Xin Xiuyan knew that although Mrs. Xing was not considered a villain, it would be unbelievable for her to say so much in front of her for others, if she had no benefit.But Xin Xiuyan has always been lenient when she treats others without touching the bottom line. She has been in the top position for a long time, and she has also cultivated a kind of demeanor that makes people feel refreshed. Of course, she will not be mean for such things.

Xin Xiuyan smiled and said, "What is this attacking Aunt Xu?"

Mrs. Xing was taken aback, and hurriedly said: "May I ask you to forgive me! My wife didn't have this plan at all, firstly, the attacker repeatedly begged to come to the door, secondly... that day, Mrs. Shen was very rude, and my wife once Accidentally ran into her a few words. The minister's wife did not dare to lie to the empress, if the empress wishes for grace, the attacker will of course have to thank the minister's wife."

Xin Xiuyan smiled and said: "Although this Xiren may not be a good person, she is strong as a mother. She said she would thank you, but she may not be fooling you, and she didn't dare. It's just that my aunt is confused. You have to deal with the Jia family's affairs." I can say a word, but I am an outsider, so I can't say anything. At most, I can say that Shen's family is against women's morals, but I just disbanded the harem. At this time, the turmoil is over. For Jia Huan's attack Not showing any face to Yijun Prince's Mansion and Shunpinghou Mansion at all, the royal family members feel that this palace is harsh again."

Xing Li said: "It's not that serious, is it?"

Xin Xiuyan said: "Why not? The old sage also told Ben Gong that he wanted to find a good marriage for Mrs. Shen at the request of King Yijun. But the Shen family married Mrs. Shen to Jia Huan for some reason."

Mrs. Xing was in awe, and said: "The old saint can show up, that's really amazing."

Xin Xiuyan said: "Therefore, no one in Jia's second house can suppress Shen Shi, only Jia Huan is the husband, but this husband is not righteous, and he chooses selfishness to calm things down."

Mrs. Xing said: "I thought Huan'er was useful, but I didn't expect him to be overwhelmed. Xiren also saw clearly that he had such an idea."

Xin Xiuyan chuckled: "If you stand on a wall, you can be strong without desire. Jia Huan is talented and able to endure hardships, but he has too many desires, and a little eagerness will lead to bad things."

As the son of Jia Zheng, at that time, it was time to establish morality and character, and when word of mouth accumulated to a certain point, there would always be some friends in the officialdom who saw his own value and became close friends with him.

Too much desire, wanting everything at an inappropriate time, isn't it just a slap in the face?When the word spread out, the nobles and nobles would all look down on him.

Xing Li said: "These two people are a mess. How can anyone have a child outside without telling someone before marriage? That's what he did. Does this man have no idea? How dare he marry someone from the clan?" The daughter of the Hou family who has a relationship? This woman can also have a child with a man without a name, and doesn’t she put herself in a desperate situation? I expect a man to protect her after he gets married in the future. If he really protects her, why not marry her? "

Xin Xiuyan sighed: "She took it for granted."

This is a patriarchal society. It is true that the medium is married and there is still a way to reconcile, but if there are children, most of the children will not be taken away by the woman.What's more, if you have no name and no title, it's easy for the world to throw rotten eggs at attackers. If you want to go into a pigpen, are you still entitled to snatch your child?She is a majestic queen, helping such a woman to snatch a child, and her reputation will be damaged when it spreads out.

Mrs. Xing asked: "So, is there nothing you can do about attacking people?"

Xin Xiuyan said: "She thinks she is smart, and she completely puts herself in a passive position, and then waits for others to judge her fate. She doesn't have a single card in her hand that is enough to protect herself."

This society has always been unfair to women. To expect a man who can't even give a woman a title, to give her status, wealth, and children, all of which are indispensable, is asking for fish from the rafters.In this era, it is impossible for her to want a child without being bound by the rituals and patriarchal laws.

When Xin Xiuyan heard the story of the old man, she felt very far away, at most she had a heart of gossip, and her feelings about the hardships of the world after the story happened.

She looked at Mrs. Xing's appearance, and gave some pointers.

Xin Xiuyan smiled lightly, and said: "It's not impossible if you really want to earn money from Xiren, but you have to grasp the timing and degree."

Mrs. Xing's eyes lit up, and she said: "My wife is stupid, please tell me clearly."

Xin Xiuyan looked at the birds flying in the sky, smiled slightly, and said, "You can help me with a word, but don't show a strong attitude. If you interfere with their housework and determine their future life choices, yes Don't you still have to be responsible for their future? Why bother to confront Shen Shi directly? People can see that you are impatient and want to attack others to thank Yinzi, which is too disrespectful."

Although Mrs. Xing really wanted to make money, she did not dare to disobey the queen's will, saying: "The empress is always ten thousand times better than the ministers and wives, and the ministers listen to the empress."

Xin Xiuyan smiled and said: "If the family decides who will marry the child, and Xiren is willing to come and attach herself to her, it's okay for my aunt to 'pity one or two'. The Hua family has been in business for many years, and they have some money. If you want to go to Sichuan, you have to continue to do business. When you take Jia Huan and replace them, they still have to thank you. It’s good that you spend more than [-] taels of silver a year. With such a calm attitude, outsiders will only feel sorry for you The old people who went out of the house felt sorry for her for giving birth to the Jia family's children, so it doesn't affect your reputation, and Jia Huan can't blame you from the bottom of her heart."

Mrs. Xing was happy when she heard that Jia Huan could be replaced, she thought for a while and said: "But Xiren actually wants someone to make the decision, and wants to return to my good brother."

At this time, Xin Xiuyan shook her head and said, "Whether it's laws, ethics, or power, attackers have no chance of winning. The only thing we can rely on is whether Jia Huan is willing to consider his children and be tough on this matter."

Xing Li said: "If it's not for my brother, how can that girl beg my eldest sister like this?"

Xin Xiuyan said: "It's not just that brother who needs to live a good life, the Hua family is also a big family. Let Shen Shi miss it, and they can ask for peace of mind."

Although they want to create a peaceful world, until modern times, wealthy businessmen still have to do a good job in government relations, let alone such a world.

Mrs. Xing has been taught, and Xin Xiuyan is not at ease.

Jia Huan didn't have a good year. He accompanied Shen Man back to her mother's house to visit relatives, and then went to the Prince's Mansion in Yi County.The prominent relatives and elders of the two governments gave Jia Huan several cold looks, and some people talked about his disgraceful background in private.

Everyone in the capital knows that the second wife of Jia's family is outrageous and rejected by saints. It turns out that there is always a prodigy son, and the young Jinshi is different from his father.

just now:

——Sure enough, he is the son of the "hypocrites"!

——I didn't expect that it was gold and jade, but there was talent but no virtue.

- Mrs. Wang, the second wife of Jia's family, is greedy, but this little woman doesn't raise much better. How can such a thing happen to a decent family.

Shen Man and the head of the family complained about their grievances, but they were married and stayed at her mother's house for a few days, so Jia Huan still had to pick her up and go back to Jia's house.

When Jia Huan and Shen Man returned home, they received a report from a girl saying that there was dinner in Rongqingtang, and that Jia Zheng, Mrs. Wang, and Aunt Zhao had all gone.

Mother Jia likes to be lively, Jia Baoyu is at home, and Mrs. Jia Zhengwang is out of prison. This year, she is quite happy and her spirit is much better.Jia Baoyu is going to participate in the spring festival in February. Before the spring festival, he only studies hard at home and doesn't go to the academy anymore.She didn't pay much attention to Jia Huan's matter, and everyone kept it from her.

At the banquet, men and women sat at separate tables, and the extravagance of Jia's mansion did not diminish in the first month. Not only did the big house now turn the tide of decline, there was no concubine, but the Haonu's house was stolen and owed money.

Shen Man is still satisfied with the ostentation in the Rong Mansion, which is completely different from the second bedroom in the East Courtyard.

After the meal, the female relatives talked together.

Wang Xifeng and Wang Xiyan talked about their return to their natal family, and when it came to Wang Xiluan's new marriage, the Wang family was very satisfied with the new son-in-law.Most of the generals and officers in Sichuan have already gone back, and Duan Zhi is one of the few who stayed in Beijing temporarily to assist the queen in handling the official affairs sent by Sichuan.In March, I should go back to the south again with the empress.

Wang Xiyan took this opportunity to flatter Mrs. Xing, and said with a smile: "Brother-in-law is a general brought out by the empress, but he is different from the others. He is both civil and military."

Mrs. Xing said with a smile, "It's your sister who has eyes."

Wang Xiyan said: "To tell you the truth, this person was also chosen by my father. How can my sister know someone? My father and brother-in-law can talk all day about leading troops to fight, and we can also talk about calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine and tea with Baoyu. Baoyu is also fond of it." I like my brother-in-law very much.”

Jia Mu was very happy to hear this, and knew that no successor of the Wang family had survived the crisis, so she said, "Baoyu is naturally a good fortune, so that in the future, their brothers and sisters will be more intimate."

Shen Man was shocked when she heard that the new son-in-law of the Wang family was the one that Xing Xiuyan carefully selected for her.

Shen Man said: "After all, he came from a humble family and is in his 30s. Is it that good?"

There was a moment of silence among the people present, and Wang Xiyan said: "Brother-in-law used to be a family heirloom in farming and studying. After passing the examination as a scholar, he missed the Qiu Wei twice because of his parents' filial piety. Then Sichuan was in chaos and was involved in the refugees. After that, brother-in-law met Empress, they led an army of 300 to more than 3000 in half a year. After recruiting, they trained the new army while fighting. There were 30 elite soldiers under their hands, and [-] of the "reclamation corps". This is still the present , Two years earlier, he was a soldier of a million."

Wang Xiyan heard about it from Wang Xiluan. Wang Xiluan is a concubine's daughter, so of course she doesn't want to marry worse than a concubine's daughter, because she can brag to some extent, and don't let her concubine see jokes.

Shen Man felt angry and said, "He's not the governor, isn't he the Queen's man?"

Wang Xiyan said: "Brother-in-law is a military adviser, and now he has been promoted to General Guide from the third rank. In Sichuan, he is also the No. 1 under the empress's empress. In other provinces, he would also be a governor. Look at who can do it at this age Such an official?"

The teacup in Shen Man's hand almost fell, feeling depressed in his heart.No matter how the Ren family tried to persuade her before, she was determined to marry Jia Huan, and when she was making trouble at home, she only liked him because he was young and handsome, a teenager in high school, and because she was afraid of being caught first, the Shen family sent people to test him out after the charity meeting.She thought that the queen would harm her, so she made up her mind not to choose someone the queen chose for her.

Was she really the kind person chosen for her?Is she that kind?Shen Man could hardly accept this fact.

Shen Man was full of depression, and before going to bed at night, she inevitably complained about Jia Huan, and talked about his eldest son and Xiren, saying that he was sorry for her and delayed her for the rest of her life.

Jia Huan was furious when he heard this, but he had been beaten at his father-in-law's house before, and there was no bad word, so he had no choice but to leave the house.

Jia Huan went to Tongfang's girl, but no one dared to keep him. They either persuaded him, or complained of illness, and one of them didn't open the door.He had no choice but to go to the study, but he thought of his son again, so he went to visit him, but his son had contracted a cold. During the day, the doctor prescribed medicine, but he vomited half of it after feeding him, and the fever still persisted.

Jia Huan hugged his son and put him to sleep, resentful and miserable in his heart, he felt that the world was so unfair, why did other men enjoy wealth and beauty after becoming an official, but he was put on such a tigress.She was so broken that she lost her reputation as a virtuous woman.

Looking at his son's thin cheeks, thinking of Jia Huan, Mrs. Wang even claimed to be a kind and virtuous woman, and let him suffer so much. How could this Shen family really treat the eldest son well?

Suddenly Xiaosi Xi'er came over and hurriedly said: "Third Master, go and have a look quickly, Third Mistress needs to pack her things and said she will go back to her mother's house overnight!"

Jia Huan was taken aback, he only brought him back today, what was he trying to do?

Jia Huan recalled the scorn and beatings he received from the two houses in the past few days, and he had no choice but to let the nurse hold the son and tell her to take good care of him.He hurried back to the bedroom by himself.

The maidservants in the room had helped Shen Man get dressed, and it was just a matter of redressing, Jia Huan let the maids go down.

Shen Man smiled bluntly, and said: "I haven't even dressed yet, how can they go down?"

Jia Huan said: "What kind of make-up do you wear at night? What are you going to do? You are already married, and you should abide by women's morals. If you do this, you don't want to think about whether your sisters in the Shen family will marry or not? "

Shen Man said: "How can I control other people? You are still capable, and you threaten me with this? You won't come into my house, right? I'll go back to my mother's house, and you go find some sluts."

Jia Huan said angrily: "You are simply unreasonable! You can't stay in your mother's house for the rest of your life!"

Shen Man sneered: "My natal family is indispensable for me to eat. Whoever is unreasonable and shameless when this matter is revealed, everyone has eyes! I am in my natal family, who will host the media for you and communicate with officials and family? If you want to make peace with me, who would dare to marry you after reconciliation?"

Jia Huan was so angry that his chest heaved, Shen Man walked over, raised his red lips, looked at him and said: "I tell you, since I came into the house in eight sedan chairs, there is no room for sand in my eyes. You'd better live your life honestly and avoid those extravagances. You are just a concubine. If I hadn't entered the palace by mistake, would you be able to marry me based on your status? Even if I had entered the palace, I would still marry innocently. You, my grandfather is still somewhat respectable in the clan, how can you humiliate me?"

Jia Huan said: "You are so jealous and intolerable, the Hou's mansion is a good education!"

Shen Man twisted his face, and scolded: "That's better than you! Who in the official family had an illegitimate child before they got married? Who didn't get rid of the housemate before they got married? You are still born in the imperial examination, and the concubine who is born is a concubine Raw, without background, beyond gold and jade, it's so presumptuous!"

A feeling of inferiority and humiliation welled up in his heart. He wanted to break through all this, but found that he was tied up.For his official career, he wants face, and he can't offend his wife and family who he thought he could borrow.Be patient, just like back then, but he will remember all the humiliation he got from this woman.