[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

"Daddy, don't! I don't want to enter the Buddhist hall again! I want to ask His Highness again, Daddy, if I marry His Highness, I will be a princess!" Shi Wan knelt on the ground and begged Shi Li.

Back home in the evening, Shi Song and Shi Li couldn't be kept from Shi Song and Shi Li because such a big event happened today, Shi Li almost fainted.It's fine if the prince values ​​it, Shi Li is not so noble, but this is when he sneaked into the garden while changing clothes, and he bumped into it shamelessly.It's better for all parties to keep this matter a secret, otherwise the daughters of the Shi family will not marry.

"Stop talking nonsense! I give you opportunities again and again. My two aunts have taught you, my wife has taught you, and my mother has taught you now. You have never made progress. It's not that I can't tolerate you, but that you have bad intentions. My heart is fixed, I can't let you ruin the entire Shi family for the sake of my soft heart!"

Shi Li still attached great importance to Baochai's two sons and one daughter, and his youngest daughter, Shi Ning, was very smart and loved by him.

Shi Wan'er went to beg Mrs. Shi Song, who was sitting on the left, and called her grandmother. Mrs. Shi Song felt ashamed because of Shi Li's words "grandmother taught you".Before, she felt that Shi Zhang and Baochai were harsh and cruel to Shi Wan'er after all, and it was because of their sincerity to teach her, this time she was also on the sidelines.

"What did you promise me before you went to Cheng'en Gong's mansion? But what did you do? The matter has come to this point, there is no need to say too much, obeying your father's arrangement, you will not lose your food. If you make trouble again, it will not be good In the Buddhist hall, but go to the temple to become a nun."

Shi Wan'er said: "Grandmother, don't you love Wan'er? Wan'er has no mother, only you are Wan'er's closest person! Why don't you help Wan'er? You help Wan'er to ask His Highness, His Highness is not Wan'er will be rejected. It was the queen who stopped her, it must be, it must be the aunts, grandparents, their mother and daughter who have slandered the queen!"

Shi Song considered himself the head of the family, and he didn't want to intervene in the women's affairs, but today was an eye-opener.Thinking about how handsome he was as the eldest son of Shi Taifu and the eldest son of Shi Taifu when he was young, his brothers also respected him, even if he was relegated for decades later, he still made a difference.How could his granddaughter look like this?

The tea bowl in his hand was thrown at Shi Wan'er, and it shattered on the ground with a thud, everyone present was startled.

"You dare to say one more word, you will kill me!"

Seeing that her grandfather didn't look like she was joking, Shi Wan'er didn't dare to beg anymore, she just sat on the ground and cried loudly. Mrs. Shi Song asked two nuns to drag her to the Buddhist hall and lock her up.

Shi Li thought for a while, and said: "Madam, today Wan'er caused such a thing, you look at it and get ready, go to Cheng'en Gong's mansion to accompany a gift. This incident happened during the wife's birthday banquet in Cheng'en's mansion. Always bad."

Baochai should claim the matter, and Mrs. Shisong said, "Mingyi, blame me for being soft-hearted. Otherwise, this matter would not have happened. I will go there myself."

Shi Li nodded, he was not ignorant of the undercurrent between his mother and his wife, but it would be unfilial for him to help his wife at the current level.I just hope that time will heal the gap between the two.

Mrs. Shi Song hated Shi Wan'er's failure to live up to expectations, but also hated her own luck. Everyone envied her when she married into Shi's eldest son at a young age, but later she fell into trouble.It was hard to get better, but she lived to be 60 years old, and she was not as decent as her daughter-in-law, let alone her younger siblings.

In the evening, Shi Li and Baochai also went back to their own room for dinner, but Baochai didn't set rules with Mrs. Shisong.

Shi Li said to Baochai when there was no one else: "Mother has been in Qiongzhou for many years, and now she is a little bit out of energy and a little confused when she comes back."

Baochai couldn't help her eyes getting wet, but said: "It's all a family, and my mother is also for this family. I just want my brother and sister well, and I don't ask for anything else."

Shi Li held her hand and said, "Thank you Madam."

Apart from the downfall of her natal family, Baochai had nothing bad about her. There was a twelve or thirteen-year age difference between the two of them, and a man would love others the most.The relationship between the two husbands and wives is good, otherwise Shi Li would not have brought Aunt Xue to live in the mansion.

Baochai laughed and said, "Compared with the master, I can't be called hardworking, but it's just a small matter in the backyard."

The more Baochai said that, Shi Li felt more relaxed and trusted her more in his heart. Shi Li then said: "The uncle and grandma should also be thanked, she always stepped forward. It is not a trivial matter to bump into the prince in Cheng'en Gong's mansion, besides There is a girls' school running there, so it's extremely rare for the empress not to send us away."

If this matter is spread, the women's school in Cheng'en Gong's mansion will not have to do it.

Baochai also agreed warmly, Shi Li hugged her lightly, and said: "You always agree with everything, but I understand in my heart, as you said, it is only for the sake of my brothers and sisters, and I must wrong you." It's not mother's."

Baochai couldn't help crying, and said: "I am not only because of my brothers and sisters. If the master takes pity on me in this life, I will not live in vain."

Shi Li was also very relieved, he was able to continue marrying a stunning young wife, who was as knowledgeable as he was, and she was also virtuous, what more could he ask for.Even if her natal family is worse, she should be more pitiful.

Shi Li said: "Recently, you've been in front of the old lady, but you haven't taken care of your mother-in-law. It's almost Chinese New Year, and you can do what you need to buy. For this family, you don't have to be careful."

Baochai was even more grateful.Lifetime marriage is not perfect, but it will not be bad.

……

However, Chen Yi has been away from home for several years, and the transportation now is not as convenient as that of later generations. If he wants to go back to his hometown to visit his relatives, it will take a few months.

How can an important position be vacant for so long? If possible, it means that he is not an important person.

All the way back, Chen Yi thought about this problem. He is not an indispensable person in the Sichuan system, but a person who can be replaced at any time.

When he was going back to his hometown to visit his relatives, he also sent a young man to report the news earlier, so as soon as he arrived in Hangzhou, the stewards of the Chen family sent a motorcade to the pier to pick him up, Aunt Zhang and brother.Except for the officers who can ride horses, his guard company can only be ranked behind his convoy. They are wearing the uniforms of the new army, and because it is winter, they wear a cape. They look strange and attract passers-by to watch.

The Chen Mansion has been repaired in a very grand style early on, and it is no longer the regulation of a merchant family, because he is an official of the imperial court.

He took Aunt Zhang and his elder brother to greet the old lady.

The old lady was getting older, and she was no longer in charge of things, but she was very happy to see her eldest grandson and great-grandson, because she was a man, and there were sisters-in-law and sisters in the house, so he didn't want to stay too long.

I also want to say hello to my parents. As soon as I entered the main courtyard, I saw Mr. Chen and Mrs. Chen Zhang waiting in the courtyard. When I saw him, I rushed up and called "My son is tired all the way" and "Missing" and so on.

After entering the hall, Aunt Zhang also took her eldest brother to kowtow. Mrs. Zhang seemed to be overjoyed, and hurriedly rewarded her purse.He held his elder brother in his arms again, and cried out his heart and soul.

For a while, no one thought of Mrs. Xie, and Chen Yi didn't tell his family about his wife's divorce. Last time, he got some advice from the queen. He was depressed for a long time, and he didn't tell Aunt Zhang about those things.Chen Yi understood, and told Aunt Zhang that she didn't understand either, let alone being able to help.

Finally, when the kiss was enough for my good grandson, Mrs. Zhang remembered Xie Wanying and asked, "Why didn't Mrs. Xie come? Did you go to Sichuan?"

Chen Yi said: "No. I have divorced her."

Aunt Zhang only knew that Xie Wanying had left, but never knew that Chen Yi had divorced his wife. At this moment, her eyes lit up.

Chen Yi asked Aunt Zhang to take her elder brother down. Aunt Zhang was still wondering if she could be straightened up with the support of her aunt. She couldn't restrain her excitement at the thought of becoming the wife of the second rank.

Father Chen was taken aback by his son, and asked, "What's going on? I didn't tell my family. Now that the magistrate is your brother-in-law, how do the two families get along?"

Mr. Xie is Xie Wanying's elder brother. He was a Jinshi in the sixth year of Qianyuan, and he has a bright future to be a magistrate in his thirties.His father is already the governor, and he will most likely be able to achieve that position in the future. As long as he doesn't make big mistakes, his father will persist for a few more years.

Chen Yi said: "Why do you still communicate, the grievances between the two families have already been settled."

Mrs. Zhang said: "Although Mrs. Xie's reputation is a hindrance, it's been so many years, and you can't just take a break. Where is she now, why don't you go pick someone up and come back."

Chen Yi looked at Mrs. Zhang and said, "Ma'am, why is Xie's reputation troublesome? She was born in the harem, but she was not favored by saints, and the queen decided to remarry. This is to suspect that the royal family lied to us?"

Mrs. Zhang was startled, and said incoherently, "I...how can I...don't have this..."

Chen Yi's eyes were gloomy, and he said: "Back then, the generals were proposing in the capital, and it was beautiful to return to Shu with their concubines, but now only my husband and wife are separated, and the broken mirror can no longer be reconciled."

Mrs. Zhang said: "If you still miss Mrs. Xie in your heart, so that you can bring him back, mother will not stop you. Why do you say such despondent words?"

Chen Yi knew that there would definitely be spies from Jinyiwei or Dongxi Factory in Hangzhou, and that the empress would know that the Chen family "represented the empress". Madam Zhang said casually that "the name of the Xie family is in the way". .

Chen Yidao: "The Xie family has returned to the capital with the empress, and has nothing to do with my Chen family. Getting married that day was a kindness, but now it has become a 'servant who doubts the emperor'. No kindness, only thunder."

Father Chen was taken aback: "What 'suspect' and 'thunder'? Yi'er, don't scare us."

Chen Yidao: "We keep saying that Xie's reputation is bad. Didn't we say that the sage empress deceived us? This is a blatant resentment against the royal family. How can a courtier be resentful towards the royal family's grace? The fault of the monarch and his ministers is not others, but ourselves .”

"The monarch and his ministers are separated?" Chen's father was even more frightened: "Yi'er, did the empress offend you?"

Chen Yi said: "It would be good if my mother convicts me." One crime is not punished twice, if you convict, you will be exposed. Only if you don't convict, he doesn't know what to do.

Mrs. Zhang said: "Even if the Xie family is divorced, the empress should help us. After all, the relationship is different. How can I stand by the woman of the Xie family? Speaking of which, the Xie family was born as a concubine. The empress would like it when she saw it. ?”

Chen Yi took a deep breath, and said sadly: "Does my wife dare to say that my mother has a different relationship with our family?"

Mrs. Zhang was surprised, and said: "Back then, you rescued your mother who was in trouble, and later entered Shu together, and had some encounters. Isn't this still affectionate?"

Chen Yi was about to shed tears, and said, "Father, I told you repeatedly to be careful, is the family in such a state?"

Father Chen said: "Our family is fine, after all, we are still loyal to the saint and empress."

Chen Yi really wanted to cry, but crying was useless.

Back then, Xie Wanying looked at the Chen family's behavior, and Mrs. Zhang's words were tactful and persuasive, but it made Mrs. Zhang feel that she was throwing money from an official lady, so she also seized on the stain of her harem background to attack.These two contradictions are irreconcilable.

Mrs. Zhang is a very stubborn person, and Xie Wanying, as a daughter-in-law, is suppressed by filial piety, and has no one of her own who is useful around her.It's really a scholar who meets a soldier, and the reason is hard to explain.

Although Father Chen had some knowledge, he was humble and cautious at the beginning, but he saw the difference between an ordinary businessman and the father of a general with a family backed by a queen, tasted the flattery of everyone, and gradually changed.This is also human nature.

Originally, Mrs. Zhang did not fight for power, but Xie Wanying was really in charge of the Chen family's housekeeper, so Mrs. Zhang could listen to advice more. At least the Chen family had dead branches, but they were not rotten to the core, but the direct branch would not be rejected by the queen.But Mrs. Zhang is not the kind of person who can let her daughter-in-law, especially such an unfaithful second-married daughter robbed her proudest son.Xie Wanying's dislike of the merchant's rules was also one of the main reasons for her determination to reconcile.As long as the family style is good, the mother-in-law loves, and the husband respects, only one of the three can be obtained. After all, in ancient times, women would not easily embark on another road of "no home".Xie Wanying didn't have any of them, but there was another opportunity, how could she let it go.She sees too clearly.

Chen Yi said: "Don't say these words again, be careful of disaster."

Mrs. Zhang said: "My son not only saved the empress, but he was loyal to the king for many years and did not return home for several years. What is the trouble? The empress can't tell the difference between a loyal and a traitor?"

Chen Yi smiled wryly: "This time I came back to take care of the family. If I can't take care of the family, I don't have to be an official anymore. If I go, I will die."

Father Chen was about to ask more questions, but he heard the news that the old lady was cooking in the courtyard, so he had to stop asking for a while and go to eat first.

When Chen Yi returned home, he was thinking about how to run the family and where to start. He had to investigate clearly what taboo things had been done in the family in the past few years.

He brought the guards back with him, but although the guards could be used, Chen Yi knew that there must be people from the imperial court in the guard company, and he must not keep his mouth shut. It is really not his wish to get this family matter to this level.He also wondered if it would be much better if Xie Wanying was in charge for those three years.Like their family of officials and eunuchs, it doesn't mean that they have no selfishness, but they don't act arrogantly and violate taboos.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing.

And Aunt Zhang, who heard that Mrs. Xie was divorced, felt very alive, so she went to serve Mrs. Zhang's house early the next morning, and her aunt and nephew spoke heartfelt words.

Chen Yi blamed his mother as soon as he came back, and he also felt that he couldn't explain clearly to his mother, and he didn't open up the conversation yesterday.Mrs. Zhang was upset, and with Aunt Zhang's caring, she could ease her mood a bit.

Aunt Zhang said that because he is a concubine, Chen Yi has no social relations with the women in the mansion even when he is an official outside, which also hinders his official career.

Mrs. Zhang said: "I heard from Yi'er yesterday that Mrs. Xie is quite respectable with the empress. I reckon he wants to bring Mrs. Xie back. Although Mrs. Xie is of such a background, since he is with the empress I can't refute those who are decent. You, just serve Yi'er well, and add a few more good grandchildren."

Aunt Zhang couldn't help being disappointed, and said: "Auntie, if Mrs. Xie relies on her dignity, why don't you let her climb on top of you?"

Mrs. Zhang said: "Hmph, I'm sorry she can't, I have plenty of ways to cure her!"

Aunt Zhang has nothing to do when she sees that things won't work out. Mrs. Zhang is her biggest backer, and even this backer has no plans to help her right now.

After a few days, the guards under Chen Yi gradually handed over the files one by one to his desk, and he wanted to faint when he saw it.His brothers, members of the clan, members of the mother clan, and servants of the Chen family were all involved. Occupying fields, buying and selling by force, and champering lawsuits were commonplace.

For example, a person who sells goods from the north has a good business, and the Chen family stepped in, saying that it was a cooperation, buying goods from him cheaply, and then selling them.In fact, it is still "consignment" in other people's stores, which is a free commission.Some shops were unbearable to be bullied and sued to the yamen, but the Chen family was the queen's savior, and everyone in Hangzhou knew it.Who dares to bring down the Chen family?When the current magistrate Xie came, he was also worried about how there would be such an in-law. Although there were a few suppressed things, the higher-ups didn't say anything, and he didn't dare to touch the Chen family. He knew the power of the empress.Although Zhifu Xie was born in a family, he is also a practical person.

Chen Yi saw that her mother had used his father's name card to do something among them, and took the money.

Father Chen's name card is worthless, everyone is looking at his name, or Mother Chen typed it on behalf of the empress.

These are capital crimes!In Sichuan, the head is always beheaded.

Chen Yi was trembling all over. This was the Queen's way of employing people. He would not be moved in the first two years. He had to use it in logistics transfers to create conditions that were most beneficial to the overall situation of Annan's war.Now that the war has ceased, Ma Fang Nanshan, even if he is missing, the overall situation will not be ruined if there is a shortage of supplies.

The matter of Xie Wanying was more like an introduction. I don't know whether Xie Wanying took refuge in her or fell into her arms.Your heart is unpredictable, thunder, rain and dew are all your kindness.

How can the guards have such a strong investigative ability? With such detailed files in the past few days, I am afraid that some of them have come into contact with the local Jinyiwei and people from Dongchang.

There are many people involved in the Chen family, and the only way to save their lives at this time is for a strong man to cut off his wrists.What the Queen meant was to do it thoroughly, otherwise he wouldn't be given half a year.

The foundation of his Chen family in the south of the Yangtze River is also over, and he may be able to return to Sichuan to be his official with peace of mind, just like those people from mud-legged backgrounds.It didn't have to be like this, he had a family, he had saved the queen's life, and he had an old man's family. His starting point was not only a little higher than others.

He looked at Zhao Sifeng, the company commander of the guards. He still had no superfluous expression on his face. Chen Yi said: "Let's start with the incident of a few housekeepers encroaching on the fertile land. Then you organize some people from outside to arrest Chen Xiao, Zhou Wei, and Zhu Yi." Let's take it to the officials, and copy all their wealth and count it so that it can be used to compensate the suffering people."

Zhao Sifeng said: "What if someone stops it?"

Chen Yi looked at Zhao Sifeng, hooked the corner of his mouth coolly, and said, "Who are you afraid to stop?"

Zhao Sifeng was speechless, sometimes when a wise person is confused, once the demons of confusion are over, he can see clearly than anyone else.

Zhao Sifeng immediately organized a manpower, in addition to the guards who came along, he also recruited some "righteous men" from the people to copy the slave's house in the name of the owner Chen Yi, and no one could say anything wrong.Hundreds of people took down almost all the families of the three Haonu families in a hurry, and ransacked their homes to the bottom, and gathered countless financial resources.At this time, they have to get some benefits, and they will not report each other, no matter how bullying and kind, the queen will not care about such trivial matters.

The family members of the three noble slaves working in the Chen residence went to see Mrs. Zhang. Mrs. Zhang was horrified when she heard that Chen Yi's guards had done it, and hurriedly sent someone to invite Chen Yi.