[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

The phoenix has a noble and pure nature. It does not eat anything other than bamboo, does not live in anything other than a phoenix tree, and does not drink anything other than a sweet spring.

……

The time soon entered the first ten days of May in the Chinese lunar calendar, and all the beautiful girls from all over the world gathered in the capital, which was very lively. In the middle of the month, the primary and secondary elections in the palace officially started.

The first draft of the Chengqian Dynasty was not large. Each province only selected 3-5 daughters of officials to participate in the election in Beijing, and more than half of the officials above the sixth rank in Beijing were exempted from the election.

When the beautiful girls from all over the place gathered in the capital, the primary selection for entering the palace also began.

Xing Xiuyan didn't tell her mother that she would definitely enter the palace, and no one mentioned it by coincidence, because saints don't like talking behind their backs, so it's not a taboo.

But Xing Li saw that Xing Xiuyan had not received the decree of exemption from the election three days before entering the palace, so of course he understood that Xing Li was not an unmarried girl.

Although she had naively thought that the emperor and the empress had forgotten about it before, she was someone who had been there, and the sage showed great kindness to the Xing family, and her daughter had to be summoned by Lishan soon after she came to the capital.Besides, looking at the battles of the maids, maids and eunuchs in her daughter's yard, Mrs. Xing Li just didn't have the confidence to be an official wife, so she delegated power to some people from the court, but she was not stupid.

She also doesn't think that these powerful nuns and stewards are completely subordinate to the three members of the Xing family, and the master behind them is of course a saint.Therefore, the saint is afraid that he has long wanted to accept her as a concubine.At the beginning, she "resigned from the position of adoptive daughter", but now she has become a draft pick and entered the palace.

Two days before the primary election, Xing Xiuyan finally finished studying the rules.Nanny Zhao, who had been with her for two years, took care of her bathing and dressing herself this day.

Seeing that she was preoccupied, he said intentionally or unintentionally: "Young lady doesn't need to be so sad. After entering the palace, the sage will definitely spoil her."

Xing Xiuyan knew that she was the emperor's man, and she almost got angry at her last time because she was dissatisfied with the saint.There is nothing that can be hidden from her these years. Thinking about it, in fact, [-]% of the mansion around her is his people.

He gave her everything, without his protection, she would not be able to protect this family even if she had skills. In this era, the status of a woman means everything.Unless you go to die as an ordinary peasant woman, or you can protect yourself with martial arts.

Xing Xiuyan is actually a "premarital phobia". Although she is not married, she will always be different in the future, and she will be repelled by rebirth.

She grabbed her hand and said, "Nurse, I am grateful to him for respecting him. Why did you say you must enter the palace..."

Zhao Momo took a hairpin and put it in her bun. With a slight smile on her face, she said, "Don't ask why, the saint acts, and as a subject, you don't need to question it. Because no one in this world can reject a saint."

Xing Xiuyan's heart froze, and said: "But he...he was not such a person back then."

Zhao Nanny suddenly said: "Young lady met the saint during the big Jiangnan case, do you understand what is the big Jiangnan case?"

Xing Xiuyan said: "Isn't it illegal annexation of land, corruption, and forming a party for personal gain?"

Zhao Nanny said: "No, in the eyes of the slaves, it is just that some people's heads fell to the ground, and some people made great achievements. The people whose heads fell were those who rejected the saints. Including the big event in Beijing the year before last, those who died had no other reason, all of them were rejections." Saint's man."

Xing Xiuyan also remembered that when he was angry, those phoenix eyes glanced, like ice knives raining down on the person, she couldn't help turning pale, and said: "Why, why is this so, those are traitors and traitors."

Mother Zhao said: "What kind of official are those who reject the sage? Aren't they just traitors and traitors?"

Xing Xiuyan couldn't help lowering her head and frowning, thinking deeply, this is not the fairyland at the beginning, they are not A Piao, just saying that she knows his secret, how could he let her marry someone else.

With his mind, he must understand that if a woman has a husband and children, she must have a heart for them. Since she knows his secrets and some things about future generations, how can an emperor rest assured that her future husband and children will threaten his interests?At this time, she realized that she had an "epiphany".

Could it be that she wants to become a nun, but becoming a nun is as bad as entering the palace, and in a man's eyes, a woman would rather become a nun than commit herself to him, which is the greatest insult to a man.

How could this man be her backer again?Now the splendor has no backing, isn't it white and clean?

It's a pity, it's a pity why she is so stupid and only now understands?

Xing Xiuyan felt unwilling and said, "I am loyal to a saint, but why is there only this way for a woman's loyalty? It's really sad."

Mother Zhao said: "Silly girl, you are already much luckier than other girls, so don't ask why. How many women in this world are proud? Girls only need to follow the wishes of the saints, and use the saint's care for girls and arrangement, it will be noble in the future.”

……

The next day, because she was going to the draft, Xing Xiuyan could only accompany Mrs. Xing Li today. Mrs. Xing Li had many things to explain to her.

It was the same for Xing Zhong. When he came back from the Yamen, he ate at the same table with his wife and daughter as before, except that there were many servant girls around him.

Xing Zhong likes wine, but fortunately he is not lustful. Now that he is rich, it does not mean that he has never wanted to take a concubine, but his daughter is obviously not happy with him taking a concubine.

Although he misunderstood that Lin Ruhai and Shi Bai recommended him to become an official, but he realized that this kind of wealth also comes from his daughter. Of course, her daughter is related to her mother. When.

But which man doesn't want to be an official?In the past, Xing Zhong nodded and bowed to flatter him when he saw the small officials in the yamen, and the county magistrate of the seventh rank was even more powerful.

Xing Zhong said: "Yan'er's appearance will definitely attract the eyes of saints, but the draft for the palace still needs to be done everywhere, so don't suffer losses there. I know Li Rong's father-in-law next to Mr. Zhao Changgong, Li Rong Father-in-law is also working in Tai Chi Palace, and he is very kind to his father, I think I should ask him to take care of Yan'er a little bit."

After hearing this, Mrs. Xing Li also said that she would take out the silver. Xing Xiuyan gave the silver she had obtained to Mrs. Xing and Li, and asked a few servants to buy some land.According to Xing Zhong's current grade, he can also have a thousand acres of tax-free land. Xing Li also asked people to set up two shops. She wanted to recruit embroiderers, sell embroidery, and open a silk and satin shop.Now that I know so many silk and satin merchants, I don’t have to worry about finding a good supplier, and their status can get good fabrics at a low price. It is really a loss not to do this business.

Mrs. Xing Li has no other skills, but she has supported her family by embroidery for more than ten years, and is Xing Xiuyan's mother-in-law, so she still has an eye for embroidery and clothing.

Xing Xiuyan originally said that she needs to be taken care of, if the sage really wants her to enter the palace, Zhao Gui will definitely look at it now.But I also thought, if I have to enter the palace inevitably, such a lofty appearance is still annoying, and my father knows someone, so it is a normal performance of a beautiful girl to go and check it out.

"It's good that my father has this relationship. I was worried at first. Zhao Neixiang is someone close to the saint, and his confidantes will give face to everyone in the palace. We will prepare some Jiangnan specialties, so I ask the father-in-laws to take care of me." Second, it’s the same thing whether you can be selected or not, so please be safe.”

Mrs. Xing Li said: "Yan'er will definitely be chosen. I have also seen many daughters' families. Only sisters Dai and Hui are comparable to Yan'er in our family."

……

Jia Baoyu came back to the room angrily, knocking over a bottle of Ru Kiln, Hua Zhenzhu or Xiren's eyes flashed slightly, she really didn't like this ancestor.

He is her girlfriend/friend, the kind who gives a lot of money, but her wealth and life are still tied to him.

But Jia Huan is now going to the south of the Yangtze River for a scientific examination. He wants to come back to Beijing after obtaining his identity as a Juren.Xiren was very unfortunate, because she was a slave in ancient times and was broken by Jia Baoyu. Jia Huan still disliked her a little. If she hadn't been able to steal Jia Baoyu's silver and give it to Jia Huan secretly, maybe Jia Huan would not have accepted her.

Xiren finally persuaded Jia Huan that Jia Huan can marry someone else in the future, but she will be a very tacit partner. After he becomes an official in the future, he will always buy property. She can take care of the family business better .And she is a modern woman, and she has never been a mother. In fact, she regards money as more important than a man, a child, and the status of the main wife.

Jia Huan thought it was reasonable, and the two reached a consensus that she would be his second wife in the future, and after he passed the examination, the Hua family would redeem the attacker.After Jia Huan marries the main wife, he will marry her as the second concubine.

Xiren is not the kind of person who naively sings that there will be a couple for a lifetime, nor is it a lowly person who is rushing to be a concubine. She understands the hardships of living in ancient times.With her status, she has no innocence, so if she doesn't marry Jia Huan, is it true that she will marry a chess official, who is also from a humble background?Will you make a living by singing in the future?Or marry a farmer and work as a farmer's wife for a lifetime, just like Grandma Liu's family?

And even if you marry a rich family, you can't be the main wife. If you are also a concubine, you might as well follow Jia Baoyu.Because at least Jia Baoyu is not her favorite except for her round face and figure, she is still very beautiful.But Xiren would not want to be with someone like Jia Baoyu who would be miserable in the second half of his life, and Jia Huan was her best choice.

Xiren didn't ask him to live up to his heart because of the relationship in modern times. Xiren didn't think that Zhao Jiahuan would be such a lover. How could Jia Huan marry someone of her background after entering the official career?

Now she still has to deal with Jia Baoyu, so she couldn't help saying softly: "Good second master, what's wrong with you?"

Jia Baoyu said angrily: "It's not enough to send the eldest sister to that shameful place. Now I have to send the second, third, and fourth sisters to the draft. The daughter's house, which is so clean in the world, why doesn't it always end up?" good."

But Xiren murmured in his heart: If I can go to the draft, I will go to the draft. What good is it with you.It's the same as being a concubine, and being a concubine to the emperor is still of high grade, maybe you can be the queen mother.