[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

Empress Yang was stunned: "However, in fact, even the daughters of officials and eunuchs in Beijing often have poor looks."

Tu Yuanyi said: "It's unnecessary to stir up the world's turmoil for the talent show. If we continue to make troubles, I'm afraid I will take the blame for those who want to make money."

Empress Yang was very happy at this time, even though she hadn't been favored for many years, as a woman, she didn't want her husband to spoil other women, and the saint was so handsome.

He would come to Qifeng Palace every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, and besides rarely visiting Concubine Ping to see the second prince, he had never recruited concubines.In the past two years, the emperor used the excuse of the emperor to get close to women. Later, he went to the south of the Yangtze River and did not bring anyone to serve him. Then there was a bloodbath in the capital. Concubine Zhen passed away. It was only this year that Empress Dowager Liu recovered.

At the beginning, Prince Lian took the lead in plotting rebellion, in the name of welcoming the imperial court. Anyway, it doesn't matter who wins or loses in this matter, it doesn't matter to her legal aunt.After all, there is no way Tu Yuanyi is so obedient to her. He is the son of Concubine Yu, and he was raised by Concubine Shu for seven years. He only had face affection with Empress Dowager Liu, the third successor of Emperor Qianzheng, and had little contact with him in the past.

Empress Dowager Liu's involvement in the draft is also for the sake of the family. Cheng Engong is the title of the queen's father, which cannot be inherited.Empress Dowager Liu's father is now 70 years old. Of the three brothers, only the second brother has some skills.

Empress Yang was happy in her heart, and she wanted to express it on her lips, saying: "A sage is devoted to state affairs and the people in his heart. He is really a blessing in the world."

Empress Yang thought, this is exactly what Empress Dowager Liu was thinking, and the niece of Empress Dowager Liu's natal family is eligible.

Empress Yang agreed, and then saw him sitting on the couch concentrating on reviewing the memorial, and stopped talking to her.

Empress Yang sat with her until Haishi, but Tu Yuanyi ordered her to rest first. Empress Yang felt bitter in her heart. This was against the rules.

But this has been the norm for several years.It wasn't until Zishi that Tu Yuanyi came to the bedside, took off his outer robe by himself, lay down and closed his eyes to fall asleep.

As a queen, it is impossible for Empress Yang to take the initiative to cling to her husband. She also understands that her husband's heart is not with her, but it is not with her harem either.

He has the appearance of a domineering monarch, so no one dares to ask whether he is bad or not when he is young and close to women.

Empress Yang had a dream in the middle of the night, dreaming that many beautiful women came into the palace, beautiful and beautiful, fat and thin, and finally seduced his heart.She woke up in fright, and found that there were people beside her before dawn.

She felt sore in her heart, and she couldn't help leaning against his back, with a trace of desolate tears streaming down her eyes.

"Xinxin, come here." Empress Yang couldn't help being startled when she heard him say something vaguely, but she couldn't help but feel relieved.Tu Xin was his first child, and he had hugged and pampered her when he was a child. At that time, they were husband and wife respecting each other as guests, and they lived happily ever after.

At that time, he was a very well-behaved young man with a serious and handsome face all day long, and he clearly distinguished his wives and concubines.

……

On the third day of April, Empress Yang issued a decree, and when the news spread, the capital exploded.

At this time, Xing Zhong had already reported to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but he was born as a commoner, and there were many discomforts here. He just listened to his daughter and asked more questions, and he was not afraid that others would look down on him.

He is in charge of the procurement of silk and cloth for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, mostly in cooperation with some imperial merchants.There are a total of three weavers, and Xing Zhong's vacant former boss is about to be promoted, and he has received hints from the factory owner Zhao Gui. He thinks that Xing Zhong and Zhao Gui are probably related, so he knows everything when handing over.There are also a few small officials who perform their duties and take care of some trivial matters.The account books over the years, the list of officials, if you find out one, record it on the form given by your daughter.

Tu Yuanyi was in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for a period of time before he ascended the throne, and he was transferred to a clean department, but he had to deal more with the imperial merchants later on.

If you say that the House of Internal Affairs is a lucrative place, as long as you have a little power, you can get a lot of money. Xing Zhong will be in charge of the purchase of silk and cloth in the future, and those imperial merchants or those who want to be imperial merchants will naturally flatter them.People have already sent greeting cards and gifts to the Xing family one after another, but Li Shi Xing went to ask Shi Zhang Shi what should be accepted and what should not be accepted in the official circle, and Shi Zhang can explain clearly.

Xing Xiuyan asked Su Qing to check the details of those imperial merchants, and to look at the information of the silk and satin companies in the market, and organize them into a book.

With these supplier information databases, and then starting to do product information databases, each firm has its own specialties and characteristic products, which are classified according to cost, appearance, and rarity.In the past, the internal affairs warehouse was directly handed over to the imperial merchants for purchase, and there were too many detours in the middle.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs summoned people from the five-pin weaving house to bring the best samples to the house for questioning every day, including imperial merchants and non-imperial merchants.

Xing Xiuyan spent more than half a month sorting out the materials since that day, even Shi Hui and Daiyu came to the door, or she went to pick up Yingchun and came to stay for a while. Into this "great work".

At the beginning of April, Mrs. Xing and Li quit. She said: "Good Yaner, I know you are making achievements for your father, but you can't be busy with this now."

Xing Xiuyan asked: "Why?"

Mrs. Xing Li said: "It's already April, and April 26 is your birthday, and you're going to be 15 years old. It's your stepmother who reminded me. In the past, our family was poor, but now you are also an official lady. , it’s different, you must have a wedding ceremony, and you should say kiss.”

Xing Xiuyan naturally knew about this, but she couldn't take the initiative to bring up Jiji's matter. Besides, their family was too poor, and their father was not from a Jinshi background. No matter whether they were civil, military or military generals, there were not many people in the honorable clan who valued them.

If it wasn't for the fact that the Xing family was rich now, and Xing Zhong was friendly with the Lin and Shi families, Mrs. Xing finally found out that her natal family was not worthless, nor was it so close. This is very realistic.

But Xing Xiuyan is the kind of person who can put himself in the shoes of others, and he doesn't blame Mrs. Xing for being snobbish. There are too few people in this world who are not snobbish, and half of those who claim to be not snobbish are not only snobbish but also hypocritically pretending not to be snobbish.Mrs. Xing is too scheming. In the original book, Mrs. Xing asked Xing Xiuyan, who lives in Rongguo Mansion, to give one or two months of money to her parents, causing her to pawn clothes.

This is to show Mrs. Xing's indignity and indifference, but in the eyes of Xin Xiuyan, a modern person, it is nothing more than normal, and it is much better than others.In modern times, whose aunt would take in her niece to live at home, and this poor relative who lived for free in the autumn would lose face in front of her mother-in-law and wives.What's more, if you take it in, the family will pay you another monthly fee?

If Xin Xiuyan didn't have to rent a house when she was working in Dacheng, she would be very grateful to have such an aunt to take her in.In modern times, brothers have to pay back hundreds of dollars they borrowed.My family has no money, I don't live on my own, and I blame my aunt for not treating her as warmly as spring when I go to someone else's house to live and eat for free. I think she is mean, which is not in line with Xin Xiuyan's three views.At least in modern times, apart from her parents, no relatives have ever treated her so well.

Of course, the above is a bit far-fetched, Xing Xiuyan still has to face Jiji's matter, and then talk about marriage.At this time, Xing Xiuyan still doesn't know the imperial edict issued by the queen a few days ago. The Xing family has no foundation and the news is not good.But Tu Yuanyi's people in the mansion coincidentally did not mention this matter at the first time.

Xing Xiuyan said: "Mother, I'm still young, and I don't want to marry." Yingchun was two years older than her, and Baochai was also older.At this time, she still harbors the fantasy of asking Tu Yuanyi to find her a good husband, of course, because she can't be a princess and can't raise a face, so she chooses the next best.

Xing Li said: "What nonsense are you talking about, how can there be a girl who doesn't marry?"

In this way, Xing Xiuyan is sad, but where can Xing Li find someone who suits her heart?Speaking of which, she still believed in the vision of the emperor's uncle. After all, he was reborn and knew a lot about the future.He also knows the character of many people, it depends on whether he is willing to make decisions for her.Mrs. Xing Li was really in a hurry, so he had to flatter him more.

Shi Hui and Daiyu came again today, enjoying the spring in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, Xing Xiuyan sighed, Daiyu wondered what happened, so Xing Xiuyan told about it.

"It's really difficult to deal with Jiji. When we first came to Kyoto, we didn't know anyone. It's hard to even invite a lucky guest." It's impossible for officials and eunuchs to invite civilian merchants, and civilian merchants are not so particular.Shi Zhang is a good person, but she has the name of adoptive mother, so she is not considered a "guest", and the Shi family has undergone major changes due to the incident of Prince Yizhong, which is unlucky.

But Shi Hui said: "I can ask my mother, my mother always knows more people."

After all, the Shizhang family has more connections than the Lin and Xing families. The Lin family has been passed down for generations, and Lin Daiyu is an orphan.

Xing Xiuyan thought for a while and said, "I think my mother can only discuss with the step-mother and aunt in the end, and the step-mother is more reliable. I can only trouble the step-mother, but you and the step-mother said that you don't care about your status, you just want to be safe." Elders who are smoother are fine."

Shi Hui nodded, but Xing Xiuyan still couldn't help sighing: "It's really troublesome, 15 years old is still very young, why do you say you married someone yourself?"

Shi Hui looked at her strangely, and couldn't help but say for a while: "The foster mother wants to marry the eldest sister? How is it possible?"

Xing Xiuyan wiped her face, she doesn't wear makeup on weekdays, so naturally she doesn't worry about her face being stained, she held her cheeks and said: "I don't want to get married, I want to make money..."

Lin Daiyu knew her financial situation best, and said, "You are not short of money."

Xing Xiuyan said: "After all, I owe others. What I want is to make money and spend it myself."

Daiyu said: "The business of our shop is not bad, isn't the capital also preparing?"

Xing Xiuyan was a little lonely, and said: "I am different from you. You are really good ladies. It will be such a process in the future. I thought about getting married before, but it was because I wanted a backer. If there is no backer, like me In the past, I had such a good craft, but I couldn’t get a good result. Now that I have a backer, I don’t want to marry.” Although there is a backer, the order of parents and the words of matchmakers are the current rules. Back then, she She even persuaded Daiyu with Cui Yingying's story, but it was difficult for her.

Daiyu stared at her, remembering her father's sudden hint a few days ago that she was a delicate heart, so she guessed a little bit, but she was just a girl, so there were some things that she couldn't mention.

At this time, Xing Xiuyan took the initiative to chat, but she couldn't help but asked when she saw no outsiders: "Isn't Eldest Sister... the one who... wants to marry you... the backer?" She dared not call her "uncle".

Xing Xiuyan opened her eyes wide and said in astonishment, "What did you say?"