[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

Chen Yi has been a high-ranking official for many years, and Aunt Zhang has to serve and flatter her carefully. Since he is different from before, he can't let go of his dignity no matter what.

When he was young, he was proud and arrogant. He felt that he had ideals and ambitions. The women in the world were vulgar fans.

But after getting married, having a career, when you are tired or lonely, you can't resist the gentle and pleasant offensive of your cousin.There is also an unspeakable mentality, the youth is wild and fearless, but after a long time in the officialdom, he has a kind of fear and anxiety.

In the officialdom, capable people come forth in large numbers, and the self-confident self is actually nothing, he is just a merchant.

In other words, in Sichuan, although he was still in the first echelon of power, the more time passed, the more clearly he saw that his ability was far inferior to that of Duan Zhi, who was at the same level, and his power was not as powerful as the military commanders in charge of the elite troops.

How can the holy family compare with Lin, Xiao, Tan, Shi, Jia, and Jin?How can it compare to the prospects of those imperial examination scholars and those who came from the Royal Academy?

As a businessman, he was better off in Sichuan, or he would be discriminated against if he went to Beijing, and he was not as good as those who were from farmers.

The family thought it was great for the queen's life-saving grace, but it was only the duty and honor of being a subject. The queen has already returned the grace to the Chen family, if there is still dissatisfaction, it is time to fall out of favor.

He didn't know that because he was born in a merchant and was known as smart at home, he thought more than others.He just suffers from a common officialdom disease, and [-]% of officials will have a great desire to climb up and be jealous.There are many men who are sick in the officialdom, if they can be promoted to a higher level, they will sell their mothers. These men are still the ones who have read the sages and sages to get into office.

And all of this is indescribable.

At this time, there is such a woman, in her eyes, he is superior and omnipotent, it is her heaven, and the young and delicate woman lying in his arms obediently is the happiest thing for her.

The man couldn't resist such a thing.Moreover, this is not a sin, but a matter of course, and it is the best reward for mother's kindness, and it is also a major matter of family inheritance.

Chen Yi and Xie Wanying had feelings for each other back then. Although she was 22 years old when she married him, she was still in her prime. The daughter of an aristocratic family and a concubine in the harem, her beauty and talent are by no means comparable to Aunt Zhang.

However, this relationship turned sour due to the enthusiastic girl, the mother's interference and the change of status.

Chen Yi knew that if he disagreed, Xie Wanying might still tell the queen, or ask the Xie family to come forward.He also received a letter from his father, mentioning that the Xie family came to him.The so-called family ugliness should not be publicized, it is really a big deal, his face is damaged, the queen and colleagues don't know what to think of him.

But he was not reconciled and said, "You should think twice."

Xie Wanying said: "Huai'an, now you can't even tell me how much you love me against your will." Huai'an is Chen Yi's name.

Early the next morning, Xie Wanying drew up the reconciliation letter and looked for Chen Yi before he went to the Yamen. Chen Yi said: "Shuang'er and you, I disagree."

"This is when I beg you, please spare her life, she is also your own daughter."

"She is my daughter, will I harm her?"

"How can you know all about the secrets in the back house? Even a daughter can't take on the responsibility of the family."

"You judge others by yourself. Besides, a divorced mother, what good marriage will she have in the future?"

"I will give her a good marriage with my life."

Chen Yi couldn't help but said, "If you want to take Shuang'er away, it's not a divorce, but a divorce letter."

Can the Xie family accept her divorce?Don't the girls of the new generation of the Xie family hate her?

Xie Wanying trembled and said, "Okay."

Xie Wanying just thought about it on the way here, but when she saw her husband again, she realized that after three years of longing and physical and mental torture, his attitude had made her unable to ignite her love for him.Without love, how can we be tolerant?

She knew the queen somewhat, and the queen admired talented and decisive women very much.The queen herself is that kind of person, acting decisively while being compassionate.

If she herself cuts off the retreat and goes to the queen to make a living, the queen will be more sympathetic and appreciative, and she presided over the remarriage, and the queen will feel guilty.

If you get a little more attention and guilt from the queen, it is much better than the three-point old love of any man. Which woman the queen admires and pity has a bad life.Even if the former slave named Rue Xiang was the director of the Textile Industry Administration Bureau of the Special Economic Zone, if he had a public position, he would have tax-free land concessions and salary at the same level.

Female households in the SAR are not required to have no father, son or husband.It was originally after the White Lotus Rebellion that many women became widows or could not find their relatives for a while, so it was managed expediently.The Ministry of Households also collects taxes based on the number of people and property, and women must register without a male head of household, otherwise there will be a big gap in taxation.

……

Chen Yi's household registration is now in Sichuan, and the Guangxi local government can't control it, but the SAR Organization/Organization Department still has an office here.Chen Yi is a public official, and the organization/organization department has files on his family situation. Now that he can't go back to Sichuan, he can find the organization/organization department to change the situation.

Xie Wanying received the letter of divorce written by Chen Yi angrily, and took it to the office. The clerk was shocked.General Chen wanted to divorce his wife, it was a big deal, he didn't dare to do it for a while.Xie Wanying insisted on asking the staff to change it, saying that it was written in black and white and had to be counted.

The clerk had no choice but to register and stamp her letter of divorce, which was recognized by the organization/organization department.Chen Yi really didn't expect that Xie Wanying would ask the organization/organization department to stamp her now. At that time, she was angry and gave her a divorce letter, but according to the calculations of the businessman, it seems that this matter will be reversed, and she will always regret it, and she can't tolerate it. People have to teach her a lesson.

Xie Wanying took Chen Shuang and followed Xiao's family to Shenglong City, only then did she feel relieved.On the carriage she also said not to call her Mrs. Chen, she was no longer Mrs. Chen, she was divorced, just call her Wanying.

This made Madam Nie and Daiyu dumbfounded, Madam Nie said: "Okay, what's going on?"

Xie Wanying said: "General Chen and I are not suitable."

"Did General Chen bully you?"

Xie Wanying shook her head: "Although he is talented, the habits of the two families are very different. I am not happy being Mrs. Chen, and their family is always dissatisfied with me. I can't say whose fault it is."

But Chen Shuang'er suddenly said: "It's dad who doesn't want us, he has Aunt Zhang, and grandma doesn't like mother."

Mrs. Nie said, "It turns out he's a heartbreaker."

Chen Shuang'er burst into tears and said: "Grandmother always scolds mother and won't let mother eat. Shuang'er doesn't like grandma." What Chen Shuanger saw was to establish rules, and Xie Wanying served the meal during meals, and she was not allowed to sit down to eat.

Lin Daiyu couldn't imagine it, and felt deep sympathy for her. Mrs. Nie hugged Chen Shuang, wiped her tears, and said, "Shuang'er doesn't cry, grandma doesn't love you, grandma Nie loves you."

Chen Shuangfu cried loudly in Madam Nie's arms, and Xie Wanying let out a long sigh.

Daiyu sighed: "The relationship between husband and wife, how can we just let go of it." What she meant was that General Chen was too fickle.

Xie Wanying said: "I also want to change my way of life. Life is too short. I have spent my best ten years like that. Now I have a dowry and twins. I have ended that kind of life, but I feel that the sky is high and the earth is wide. They are all small. I also want to find a place in this era of changing heroes, even if it is just a brick, it is better than before."

Daiyu said, "You do have the ambition of a man."

Daiyu suddenly thought of Baochai, Tanchun and others back then, who all said they had the ambition of a man, but they never acted as decisively as Xie Wanying.If it were them, they would definitely try every means to compete with the concubine for a husband, change the mother-in-law's disgust, or survive the mother-in-law and become a mother-in-law herself.Only Xie Wanying, if you are ruthless, I will rest.

Xie Wanying said with a smile: "At this age, maybe the old man is talking about being a teenager."

Daiyu really admired her being able to talk and laugh, Madam Nie also laughed and said, "If you still say you are old, then I will be buried in the loess."

……

Going south to follow some troops transporting supplies, as well as militiamen from the villages near the official road, plus people from the Marquis Mansion and the Escort Bureau, the trip was safe and sound.

But seeing the scenery of the southern country, it is different from Jiangnan and Nanjing. Although the weather is very hot, everyone is very curious.

Several children also saw some elephants dancing with excitement.

Some of the people on the southern border of Dazhou knew how to tame elephants. After several wars, Dazhou got many elephants.

When they arrived outside Thang Long City, it was said that the Da Zhou army had just defeated a large-scale counter-offensive by the remnants of Annan.This made the positions of the troops advance fifty miles, and the influence of the new immigrants from various ethnic groups in the vicinity called for half of their labor to help build new positions.

The queen went on inspection, the governor of North Vietnam also went on inspection, and the heads of various departments also went on inspection separately.There are only a few grain and grass officials in the Thang Long City of Nuoda.

When Xiao's family arrived, they welcomed them into the original Annan's palace, and found a house to settle in.

No matter how much Madam Nie has seen, she has never been to a foreign palace. Of course, this is now the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Annan is originally a country deeply influenced by Chinese culture. The architectural style is different from that in China, but the inscriptions on the plaques are all Chinese characters.Here, there are many waterways and many lakes and mountains. After adapting to the temperature here, Mrs. Nie and Daiyu's mother-in-law started to travel.

There are many ruins of Buddhist temples in the city. Originally, Daiyu was still poetic when she saw these places of interest, but when the Han girl guide mentioned that Tianwang Temple harbored spies and killed many people, and was bloodbathed by Miao people afterwards, Daiyu felt gloomy and poetic. It's all gone, so hurry up and take the child away.

Xie Wanying, accompanied by several bodyguards, walked among the people and observed their lives.

After four days, I heard that the queen returned from her tour in the south.Five hundred directly under the guard and some accompanying staff, this can be said to be "light and easy".

Everyone went out of the city to welcome them. After waiting for a long time, they finally saw Shengjia. There were four elephants clearing the way in front, with two warriors on their heads, and a bigger elephant behind them, with a "mahout" sitting on its neck , with a brocade canopy and seat on the back of the elephant, a woman in a white uniform sits on it, with gold buckles and epaulettes shining.Later, there were two elephants, also with canopies, but the color was lighter, and there were two young girls sitting on each of them.There is also a convoy behind to transport some supplies, escorted by infantry.Horses are difficult to use in such a tropical place. Even the horses from Sichuan and Yunnan are easy to use in Guangxi, and they are all elephants pulling carts.

"Meet the empress!"

"Flat body."

The "mahouts" shouted, and the elephants squatted down.

Xiao Xiaoxiao, San'er, and Si'er watched as the older sister got off the elephant and shouted, "I want an elephant too! I want to ride too!"

When Xiao Pan'er saw her family, she couldn't restrain herself any longer, and Ruyan threw herself towards her grandmother and mother.

Daiyu hurriedly pulled her to look, and said, "I've grown taller, and I've also turned dark. Don't you take an umbrella when you go out?"

Xiao Pan'er said, "I'm still white. It doesn't matter if you're a soldier who is black."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "Are you planning to immigrate to North Vietnam? The whole family is here, um, except Shizi Xiao."

Daiyu approached but was stunned for a moment, Xing Xiuyan held her hand again and said, "I haven't seen my sister for almost two years, time flies so fast."

She hasn't seen Tu Yuanyi for a year, and they met him when he went to Sichuan before her expedition to the south.And she also knew that Daiyu and Xiao Jingyun were not a husband and wife who stayed together every day, and it was not uncommon for them not to see each other for half a year.

But there is no way to do it. People will have things they have to do while they are alive.

Daiyu said: "Your Majesty is always a concern. Is everything going well?"

Xing Xiuyan sighed: "War, that's all. I can't stop worrying. I just want to wait until it's over. I also want to go back to the Central Plains."

Xiao Lang said: "Your Majesty opened up the frontier and expanded the land, she will shine in the annals of history."

Xing Xiuyan said: "I'm afraid it will be a bad smell for thousands of years." This sentence is not her lie, occupying a new living space, expelling the original Annan people, and killing millions of people.

But she also knew that she had no way out. With so many people following her, retreating would be an abyss. She had to fight for the interests of those who followed her.

Tu Yuanyuan said: "It's not the queen mother."

Mrs. Nie said with a smile: "The princess is also a big girl, and I don't know which husband is lucky enough to be a son-in-law."

Tu Yuanyuan blushed, and said: "Madam bullies the small with the big, and often says that she is a heroine and a good woman."

At this time, Xie Wanying also brought her daughter to visit, Xing Xiuyan was surprised: "Mrs. Xie, why are you here?"

"I haven't seen the governor for many years, and I miss him very much."

It was the banquet held by the former imperial palace of Yesheng Longcheng, and it was also an acquaintance from another country. They took the wine stored by the former king and burned a lot of local aquatic products.

Speaking of other things, everyone feels happy.The money raised by charity organizations in Kyoto is now used to support the Southern Expedition and the Northern War, and Xing Xiuyan is also full of emotion.People in the Central Plains are not warlike, but if they are offended, the people still hope that their own country's army will beat them back.

Xing Xiuyan looked at Xiao Pan'er again, and said: "In the future, when the war is over, Pan'er will return to Beijing. You must honor your father well. You and your father went north and south, but the whole family went south, leaving your father alone. .”

Xiao Paner said: "Daddy is so pitiful. Paner will treat Daddy well."

……

Xing Xiuyan is still very busy. After the new round of war, some wounded soldiers will be transferred back to Shenglong City to recuperate, and she will visit them too.Duan Zhi is still on the front line, and she has to handle many government affairs in North Vietnam Province herself.Daiyu came and planned to go back to Guangxi with her, and these days, she would hand over the accounts and budget to her.Daiyu's temperament is unyielding, and seeing that Yijie is really tired and needs help, she does not refuse. She is unfamiliar at first, but then she is handy, and if she has any doubts, she will go down and see for herself.When Beiyue Province was first established, many political rules were not so strict. Everyone knew that she was the righteous sister of the queen and the daughter of Lord Pingzhang, so they didn't dare to comment too much.

With Xueba Daiyu helping to share the burden, Xing Xiuyan finally slept in for two days. On the third day, when he was having dinner with his precious daughter who had gotten up early and practiced the sword for a whole hour, the guard came to report: Mrs. Xie came to pay her respects.

Xing Xiuyan ate Champa rice and fragrant rice, served with pickles and fried eggs.

After the visit, Xing Xiuyan smiled and asked, "Have you had breakfast for coming so early?"

"I just used it. But I thought that if it wasn't for this time, the governor would have to go out, so he came here."

Seeing Chen Shuang's beauty, Xing Xiuyan waved at her and poured her a cup of coconut juice. Chen Shuang looked at Xie Wanying.

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said, "Look what your mother is doing? I gave it to you, but your mother won't tell you."

Chen Shuang hurriedly said, "Thank you, Madam, for your kindness."

Xing Xiuyan smiled and said: "After so many years, Shuang'er doesn't remember me either."

Chen Shuang said: "Shuang'er remembers my mother, who is the mother who gave Shuang'er a cloth tiger." Chen Shuang is a tiger. When she was one year old, she was in Sichuan, and she gave her a cloth tiger.And she was only three years old when she left Sichuan for Hangzhou, and she could already speak.

Xing Xiuyan wondered, "You have a good memory."

Xing Xiuyan asked what books she had read, and she said, "My mother just taught "The Analects of Confucius" and "Sound and Rhyme."

This was taught by the children after Sanbaiqian and Disciple Gui. It was remarkable that they could recognize so many characters at such an age, and she couldn't help boasting.

Xie Wanying suddenly mentioned that she wanted to help Lin Daiyu again, Xing Xiuyan also smiled and said: "You just go, one person counts the disadvantages, two people count the long, I wait for you to finish the matter, and I can easily prepare to return .”

Xie Wanying lowered her head, and Xing Xiuyan realized something was different. She knew that Xie Wanying was probably doing something unsaid later, otherwise, with Xie Wanying's ability and her status as a queen, she would not let her see it.

"Is something wrong with you?"

Xie Wanying knelt down and said: "Wanying begs for the grace of my mother, let Wanying follow her, Wanying is willing to be a cow or a horse."

Xing Xiuyan couldn't help frowning: "Did you quarrel with Chen Yi?" She knew a little about Chen Yi's affairs, but not much, after all, even if the queen was free, she couldn't take care of other people's family affairs.

Xie Wanying raised her head and said, "He has divorced me, and I have nothing to do with him."

"What? Chen Huai'an is simply ridiculous!"

"I don't blame him, it's Wanying's fault. Wanying isn't good enough for him. It's fine if I get divorced, we'll be happy together."

Xing Xiuyan couldn't help looking at her suspiciously, Xie Wanying of course understood that the queen was not someone who would trust just a few words, sitting in this position there was no doubting it.The queen is a human being, and she is very tolerant if you tell her frankly, but if you want to play tricks on her, and want to use the queen as a gun to fight against the concubine, then go for the cooler one.

So, she didn't hide her thoughts, and said: "Mother, General Chen and I were still husband and wife in Sichuan, but my mother-in-law said that I was sick and asked me to return to my hometown to take care of the sick, so the husband and wife separated. To be disrespectful, my mother-in-law didn't care. It’s a big problem. When I went to Hangzhou, I was held back by filial piety. My mother-in-law said that General Chen was alone in Sichuan, and no one knew how well he was warm. The eldest son of a concubine. Although I used to be in the harem, I was also married by a Ming matchmaker. I was born in a noble family, and I really can't get used to the rules of this merchant's mother-in-law. I was able to escape from Hangzhou this time because my elder brother became the prefect of Hangzhou. These are also It doesn't matter, but when I see General Chen again, the relationship between husband and wife is no longer there, and I can't love him with all my heart like before, and he also thinks that the problem is that I have no tolerance This kind of marriage is worthless to me. I don’t care if I don’t want it. But I have been living for more than ten years, and my heart is not dead. The second is to strive for a better future for Shuang'er. Please help me!"

Xing Xiuyan believed [-]% of what she said, because a person of her background really gave people eye drops, that would not be caught, but reserved.If she really said that, she was directly stating the stain of her moral character in front of others.

Xing Xiuyan thumped the table with her fists and said, "Get up."

"Thank you, ma'am." Xie Wanying didn't dare to say "my majesty doesn't agree, I won't be able to kneel forever", nor is she so pitiful. She has met the empress several times. prostitute.What she likes is a woman who dares to love and hate, has a distinct personality, but is strong and assertive.The queen will not feel sorry for a woman because of her strength, on the contrary, she pities and understands the pain more, and is more willing to help such a woman.

Xing Xiuyan took a deep breath and said, "You have really decided."

"Once I get the divorce letter, I'll ask the organization/organization department to stamp it. A broken mirror can't be rounded, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless time and space go back, there is no Aunt Zhang and the eldest son, General Chen, don't show a side that I can't accept."

Xing Xiuyan chuckled, and said: "I don't care about your family affairs, but if you are sincere and divorced, you can still do it without people coming to disturb you."

"Wuanying thank you for your success."

Xing Xiuyan said: "My mother gave birth to a younger brother at the age of 38, you are still young."

Xie Wanying could not help but blush when she heard what she meant, that she wanted to marry again after a long time.

Xing Xiuyan said: "Don't think too much about the past. There are some mothers-in-law in this world who simply can't please, and it's useless to show their sincerity. Otherwise, where did "The Peacock Flies to the Southeast" come from? Besides, you have the heart to be Liu Lanzhi, and the other party Without Jiao Zhongqing's affection, what can I do?"

These few words touched Xie Wanying's heart.