[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

Tanchun sent someone to deliver letters to the mansions of several sisters, and then delivered a post to the first-class general's mansion. The next day, Zhuchai went to the first-class general's mansion as a guest.

Tanchun is near and comes early.

The first-class general's mansion is still prosperous, but the maidservants have been changed a long time ago, Tanchun is not familiar with them, and seeing that they behave well and walk steadily, they behave differently from before.In the past, most of the entangled servants were dismissed, and those who did not work were also laid off. Now the master's servants in the mansion are less than a hundred, and the people in Zhuangzi's shop are counted separately.

Ping'er greeted Tanchun and his party at the Chuihua Gate and entered the courtyard where Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng lived. Because it was a reunion after a long absence, Wang Xifeng greeted them out of the house.

I heard it before I spoke, but Wang Xifeng said with a smile: "The magpie was chirping on the branch early in the morning, knowing that the charming guest is coming, so it can be seen that the bird is really a snobbish eye! It is said that the land of Shu is a supporter, and it is said that it is a son of seven. My aunt of eight years, I'm afraid she will be more tender than our Qiaoer at the first sight!"

Sister Qiao has also married, the eldest great-grandson of Grand Master Zhang, who is a very noble family.

Tanchun hurriedly bowed and called his sister-in-law. Tanchun smiled and said, "Sister-in-law still has such a clever mouth, otherwise how could he control big brother Lian!"

The aunts and sisters-in-law brought each other into the house, and when they went to the pit, there were maids who served tea.

Not long after, Yingchun, Xichun, Xiangyun, and Baochai came. As for Su Fuer and Shi Hui, they had no friendship with Tanchun, and it was not easy for Tanchun to send letters, but Daiyu still went south and did not return.

After years of seeing each other again, everyone is in groups of children, and several of them even brought their daughters. The children met each other and gave gifts to each other.

One talk about parting, it was very lively, hearing that Tanchun was actually an official outside, attracted many masters and maids to stare dumbfounded, and it was inevitable to look high.

Wang Xifeng said: "Let's say that the third younger sister is three points stronger than the man, but she never thought that she would really become an official."

Tanchun said: "Sister-in-law, you have misunderstood. How can I be an official? It is just an errand in the tax office. If it is in the capital, it will be said."

The Taxation Department of the SAR is a very large department. The agricultural, industrial and commercial taxes paid by local officials are required to be counted into the treasury, and the taxes of state-owned enterprises are calculated and collected by the Taxation Department.In addition, it is necessary to discuss ways to punish and investigate tax evasion, and a plan to reward large taxpayers.When Tanchun was admitted, the department was insanely short of people.

After talking about my son for a while, I went to see Mrs. Xing again. Mrs. Xing left lunch and listened to an opera in the garden in the afternoon.

Tanchun and Baochai used to be very good friends, sitting together, Baochai suddenly asked her about the marriage customs in Sichuan, Tanchun smiled and said: "Sister Bao's family is only six years old, so it is so early Do you want to find a son-in-law in Sichuan?"

Baochai couldn't help sighing, and said, "Your third sister is really half right, and I really have no other way."

Tanchun was taken aback: "Sister Bao, why worry about marrying a daughter?"

Baochai sighed: "Third sister doesn't know something. My husband has a daughter in front of me. That...well, she is 25 years old now. This year my parents-in-law came to Beijing, and she was pitiful when she was old and unmarried, but she asked me to help her." She's looking for a marriage, won't that make it difficult for me?"

What Tanchun heard from her was very cryptic, it's probably a secret of the Shi family, so I don't want to ask more.

Tanchun said: "In Shuzhong, this age does not mean that you can't get married, but the matter of marriage is the same everywhere, and the family background, talent, virtue, character and age must be the same."

Although the incident in Jiayu Village broke out back then, Xue Pan couldn't hide the fact that he beat someone to death, so he paid a huge amount of silver and fined to save his life, and was dispatched to a border town as a slave.But Xue Baochai is a married woman, and she knows how to be a human being, which is very suitable for Shi Li. Her mother-in-law is not around all the time, and her aunt Shi Zhang is the one who arranges her marriage, so she is naturally good to her.

But it is different when the serious mother-in-law returns to Beijing. Shi Wan'er made a big mistake with vicious thoughts back then, but Shi Wan'er looks pitiful now.People tend to favor the superficially weak, not to mention the choice between granddaughter and daughter-in-law. Mrs. Shi Song is naturally angry when she sees that Baochai has not planned for Shi Wan'er at all in the past ten years.

But Baochai, as the eldest daughter-in-law, has never been filial to her mother-in-law. At this time, her mother-in-law still wants to teach her some rules for some reason.Baochai thought that her mother-in-law would be more satisfied if she married Shi Wan'er, and of course, she would also send away a plague god.

She really couldn't find a suitable family in Kyoto.

Baochai said: "Even the family who has the continuation is very helpful. I think you can live comfortably in Sichuan. Maybe Wan'er will be lucky if she gets married."

Baochai mainly saw that Tanchun made a mistake, but she also fought a turnaround, and did not ask Shi Waner to have her skills, but let her mother-in-law see this example of Tanchun, and her mother-in-law should be able to believe that she is doing it with heart.

Tanchun said, "I haven't even inquired about these things, I'm afraid I can't help you."

I saw everyone talking around Mrs. Xing. It turns out that this year is Mrs. Cheng Engong's [-]th birthday, and the day is in December.

Mrs. Cheng Engong is so prominent that the Duke's Mansion has been broken through the threshold. Mrs. Cheng Engong is a model of "mother is more precious than daughter", even the prince and concubine are not as good as her.Although some people criticize the "Xing Banchao", Cheng En Gong's mansion has an excellent reputation among the people, and it is not uncommon to give porridge and medicine to help students every year.And Cheng'en Gong's Mansion has the No. [-] "noble girls' school" in the entire Dazhou, and those who have girls in the family fight to get in.

Mrs. Xing said: "Sister-in-law originally said that she didn't want to make a big deal, so many guests brought congratulatory gifts, it's always necessary to invite someone to eat at a dinner."

Xiangyun clapped his palms and said with a smile: "The Queen's empress will return to the imperial court soon, there will be more guests here. I have to set up a few more stoves to be able to attend!"

Xichun smiled and said, "Three years ago, Duke Cheng'en had his fiftieth birthday, and the saints, empresses, princes and princesses all came. I heard that the banquet was very crowded."

Yingchun said: "That's why Sister-in-Law Feng kept a hand, and prepared a few more tables of utensils, otherwise there would be people standing on them all."

Hearing Wang Fengxi talk about those scenes again, Tanchun thought to himself: That is the scene of princes and nobles, but I can't go there with my identity. Based on what happened back then, Mrs. Cheng'en might not have a good impression of me. .At most, it's a back-up gift, and I only hope that Mrs. Xing and Sister-in-law Feng's relationship will not give it back.

……

Shi Bai was conferred the title of "Dongge University Bachelor" in the 18th year of Qianyuan, and now lives in the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of War. He is also extremely honored and favored.

In the evening, when Xia Ya came back, Mrs. Shi Zhang set out a meal and asked his servants to go to the East Courtyard to pass on a few grandsons who were studying in Beijing.

After dinner, Shi Bai asked his grandsons to go down to rest after quizzing them on their homework progress.

When Shi Zhang was helping him change his clothes, he asked: "It is said that the empress is about to return to Beijing, but I don't know when it will be. Will she be able to catch up with Mrs. Cheng'en's birthday banquet?"

Shi Bai said: "It will be five or six days."

Shi Zhang said with a smile: "Your Majesty also has a big heart, and she can leave Beijing for a year or two at any time, thanks to the fact that the saint is a lover."

Shi Bai laughed and said: "Would you put ordinary women in your eyes when you have her An/Bang/Tuotu ability?"

Shi Zhang said: "Back then, I still wanted Huier to learn some female virtues from Empress. I didn't expect Empress to be much crazier than Huier. It's no wonder that Huier and others are not happy. If you go to Empress, you will feel good. tight."

Shi Bai sighed: "Actually, there are a lot of voices in the court and the public. I always think of my father's lessons learned, but now I am also a member of the 'Xing Banchao'."

Shi Zhang said: "You don't have to worry about it, the sage doesn't have so many sons, and the third prince's character is also very good..."

The sages have clearly decreed that the eldest prince and the second prince have no right to inherit the throne, and they are only named county kings.

Shi Bai wrote: "The sage is in the prime of his spring and autumn, so it's too early to talk about all these things at this time."

Mrs. Shizhang suddenly talked about the elder brother Shisong's family. They had been in Guangdong and Hai for a long time, and the correspondence between the two families was fine, but after they returned to Beijing, it was not the same.

Some relatives may be more distant than close.

Shi Zhang said: "I don't have anything to do with the other side. This morning, my sister-in-law brought Wan'er over to plead guilty. What kind of arrangement is this?"

Shi Wan'er intentionally killed Shi Hui Naji's wild goose back then, but later Shi Li pleaded guilty and put her under house arrest in the Buddhist hall, and the matter was over.

This brought people to the door, saying it was an apology, but didn't they mean to ask the crime afterwards?Moreover, this kind of pleading is to force people to forgive. If they don't forgive, it's Shi Zhang's fault.

Shi Zhang said: "I was really wrong on the left and on the right. My sister-in-law also said that I took good care of Mingyi's family (Baochai). Doesn't this mean that I robbed her of being a serious mother-in-law?"

Shi Bai frowned and said: "Sister-in-law is getting old, so it's inevitable that she will become confused."

Shi Zhang said: "I also know that our Shi family is the eldest brother and sister-in-law's house owner, and we will not fight. Even Mingyi these years, if we can help, how can we do it?"

Shi Bai said: "You just have to know it in your heart. My sister-in-law is dissatisfied with our house. The family has been separated for decades, but it's just the contacts between relatives in the clan. We can live in peace without picking up her troubles. After a while She is afraid that she will look away from the day and regret it."

Shi Bai belonged to the third house, and now he is the most prominent of the three houses in the Shi family.He himself has been conferred the title of "Dongge Grand Scholar", Shi Rui has been promoted to governor under the age of 40, Shi Cong has also served as the magistrate, and his daughter Shi Hui is the Queen's righteous sister, named "Hemin County Monarch" and married into Qi's family.But the first and second rooms of the Shi family are far inferior.

In the past, Shi Li wanted to renew the string, and the eldest son of the Shi family was far away in Qiongzhou and asked Shi Zhang for help. Both parties were satisfied.Marrying her eldest son to a merchant woman, her elder brother committing crimes, and her mother-in-law actually living in her son's house, how can Mrs. Shi Song feel at ease?

On the other hand, Shi Rui married a daughter of the Li family. Li Xun has now stepped down to become a third master. She is extremely noble. Shi Cong later married a daughter of the Sun family, who was the granddaughter of Sun Yuanwang's younger brother. Noble family.

As for Shi Li, who was old at the time, was a continuation, and his rank in the imperial examination was relatively low, the old lady would selectively ignore it when she got old.Like many stubborn old ladies in modern times, her children and grandchildren are all good, even if she marries a fairy.

As for the difficulty of owning a house in the early years, the fact that the whip is too late, and the land of Qiongzhou is the reality that the short is overthrowing the tall, and the old lady didn't think about it for a while.It is usually a bit difficult for a mother to be willing that her best child is far inferior to that of her sister-in-law.

If he is jealous, unwilling to be self-willed and stubborn, and calculates conspiracy theories, he will become Shi Zhang's face with a kind heart and a poisonous heart. This is to make his son inferior to Shi Zhang's son on purpose.Looking at the identity of Shi Zhang's mother-in-law of the queen in the legend, even now the queen will not easily call Shi Zhang's "beneficiary mother", but it is enough to make Mrs. Shi Song even more troublesome.

Mrs. Shi Song was not satisfied with Baochai.

Originally, Aunt Xue was as comfortable as an old lord in Shaoyin's mansion, and would go to Jia's mansion from time to time to listen to the opera with Mrs. Xing, who helped her collect debts back then.Except for being sad when thinking about her son's distribution as a man slave from time to time, she is also satisfied.

This time when the real old Feng Jun came, Aunt Xue became an embarrassing person, which made Baochai also very embarrassed.Mrs. Shi Song had to set rules for her. Shi Wan'er, who was released from the Buddhist hall, served her grandmother.

Shi Wan'er has suffered for so many years, has no face, is old and unmarried, she hates Shi Hui the most, followed by Xue Baochai.Shi Wan'er insulted Shi Bai in front of her grandmother. Although Mrs. Shi Song felt that her granddaughter's words could not be trusted, it was also in line with her dissatisfaction with the third room, and at most she scolded her granddaughter a few words.

Shi Zhang said: "I'm the most alienated, and I feel sorry for that child Baochai."

Shizhang also had a hard time looking at Baochai. The family background of the merchant was too low, the young man lost his father, his elder brother was misbehaving, and his mother was soft-natured. It's a good year, but now my mother-in-law doesn't like it anymore.

Shizhang actually has the advantages of Baochai, but she doesn't have the shortcomings of her background and family members. Shizhang's own daughter-in-law is not around to do filial piety, so she still likes Baochai very much.

……

But he said that Shi Li was busy in the office early in the morning, and Baochai went to serve her mother-in-law for dinner early in the morning, and also helped her cheap daughter in the meantime.Shi Wan'er stretched out her foot and gave her a kick, and she almost fell, but Mrs. Shi Song didn't see it, and Baochai didn't want to quarrel this early in the morning, and when she made it clear to a rascal, she could only say that she was not careful.

After serving the mother-in-law and the children for breakfast, she had to go to serve her before she had eaten two bites, and she was so hungry that she was dizzy.There was still a woman in charge who drew up a list of gifts to ask Baochai, which was the gift for Cheng'en Gong's mansion.

Mrs. Shi Song became interested and asked: "This is Mrs. Cheng'en's birthday, are you going too?"

Baochai replied: "Thanks to the support of General Jia's wife and Cousin Feng, my daughter-in-law has also been to the Duke's mansion several times. Three years ago, the Duke's birthday, I also went. This time the gift must not be missed."

Mrs. Shi Song remembered that General Jia was the husband of the deceased sister-in-law, the new wife Xing was the aunt of Empress Xing, and Wang Xifeng was the wife of her nephew Jia Lian.It seems that they are all related, but she is new to the capital and has not opened up the social situation, and her rank is low, so it is difficult to get a good seat when the scene goes.

Mrs. Shi Song thought that Mrs. Shi and Zhang would go together, and the seat must be ahead of her, and felt uncomfortable, but if they didn't go, the eldest family of the Shi family would lose the chance to meet people.

Mrs. Shi Song looked at the gift list and saw that it was very expensive. Even if the Shi family was not short of money, it still made her feel pained. Coral trees, Korean ginseng, and Jade Guanyin were all heavy enough.

Mrs. Shi Song said: "The precious coral tree, I remember it was sent from Qiongzhou when Mingyi got married, right? But your second uncle got it from Guangzhou with great difficulty. It is completely red and nearly six feet high."

Baochai smiled and said: "Mother's reminder, the daughter-in-law also feels a little inappropriate. There are several coral decorations in the Duke's mansion, including the main hall, flower hall, and the living room of the Duke's wife. In the 11th year of Qianyuan, the eldest prince fell mischievously. A coral ornament more than seven feet high, but the uncle of the country admitted it, and the grandfather was annoyed and beat the uncle of the country. Later, the sage learned about this, so he paid for a nine-foot-high coral ornament. Let the eldest prince admit his mistake. I'm afraid it's inappropriate for us to send a coral ornament that is less than six feet high, but the daughter-in-law and the people under his command are relatively low, and the mother has to make a decision on her behalf. "

Baochai bears it, but she has a scheming heart, she will not let others get the excuse of losing her filial piety, and she will not engage in unnecessary quarrels with Shi Waner who have lost her dignity.

Mrs. Shi Song was at a loss for words, but thinking about her son and grandson, she couldn't turn against her daughter-in-law.Although this daughter-in-law's natal family is dead, she can still be somewhat respectable in the eyes of Mrs. Cheng Engong.And she is good at communication, and brought enough contacts to help Shi Li. I heard from her son that she is also a member of the "Great Zhou Jockey Club" and "Great Zhou Charity Club". Ordinary people can't get in.

When she thought about it, isn't the Shizhang family the closest to Mrs. Cheng Engong?From this point of view, Mrs. Shi Zhang still took Mrs. Xue to socialize. Although the daughter-in-law said that Mrs. Jia's grandma was supporting her, she was probably avoiding Mrs. Shi on purpose.

Mrs. Shi Song couldn't help being annoyed when she thought that her daughter-in-law saw through her little thoughts, but she couldn't help it, for fear that it would be even more embarrassing.

Mrs. Shi Song said: "You are Mingyi's daughter-in-law. I am old, so you should decide these matters. But Sister Wan is also at this age. How many families have you picked out?"

Baochai was also in a dilemma, saying: "My daughter-in-law is really incompetent. I can't pick and choose a few people. They are all successors, and I don't have an official position. I am afraid that Waner will be wronged, so I dare not mention it to my mother."

When Shi Wan'er heard this, she felt resentful and nervous, and she should have avoided it, but she is no longer old, and there is no outsider here.

Shi Wan'er suddenly said: "Grandmother, you can take Wan'er to the birthday banquet of Duke Cheng'en's Mansion, and you can also see and see, so as not to save Wan'er's pettiness from embarrassing the Shi family in the future."