Old things in the Red Chamber

The noble concubine in the palace is ill.

Concubine Jia's Phoenix bath palace began to thank guests behind closed doors. It took a few days for Concubine He to know about it.

Pixiang Palace is also a building complex. Compared with the palace, the scale of the palace is smaller and the structure is more compact. In addition, the one-acre three-point land of Pixiang Palace belongs to Hefei exclusively. If you don't go out, it's like a small world.

This is the first time since she recovered from her illness that she has gone out for activities other than to greet her.Take the eleventh prince to walk the dog in the imperial garden.

The eleventh prince named the dog Wangcai, because he asked the eunuchs around him what the name of the dog they had seen before, and one of them said, "The dog raised by the landlord in the slave's hometown is called Wangcai."

Therefore, the beloved pet of the eleventh prince is also called Wangcai.

When walking the dog, meeting other ladies became a normal thing.When it comes to talking about things in the palaces, the imperial concubine is sick, and the size is also a matter, so it is not taboo to talk about it.

Concubine He didn't take it seriously, and asked Licorice to deliver a gift at the gate of Fengzao Palace, and put this matter behind her, but after half a month, when she went to pay her respects to the Queen Mother, she didn't see her again. When he arrived at Concubine Jia, Concubine He began to pay attention, Fengzao Palace had completely become a cold palace under confinement.

"Licorice, do you think I want to send a message home?"

Licorice thought for a while, "Doesn't the imperial concubine have a way to send a message home? Maybe the Rongguo Mansion already knew about it."

"You're right." Concubine He thought about it, whether it was when she was a court lady or when she became a concubine later, the eldest sister always had a wide range of opportunities.

In Rongguo Mansion, it is true that we often receive letters from the noble concubines in the palace.In the past few days, a eunuch urged Mrs. Wang, "Your Majesty said, if you have money, get 2 taels first, she needs it urgently."

Mrs. Wang never asked the empress where she used the money, so she took all the money from the accountant and embezzled it in various places.He gave the [-] silver coins to the visitor.

What can be embezzled is the family's expenses, but if it is taken away, it must be made up. The rent has not been paid, but there are a lot of things stuffed in the warehouse.In the past few days, she watched people tidy up the warehouse.

The weather is cold, and many people are used to cats, and not many people are willing to go out and walk around. After working for a few days, Mrs. Wang called Wang Xifeng, "I have been caught with wind and cold for the past few days, and I can't take it anymore. Please take care of me for a while." I am cured, thank you."

"Seeing what my wife said, I feel ashamed. If my wife doesn't say anything, I should share her worries. It's just..."

Mrs. Wang frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Our eldest sister is also sick, and I feel uncomfortable in my heart." I wiped the corners of my eyes with a handkerchief, "I'm just this evil, my heart hurts, I'm in a trance, and I can't take things anymore."

Mrs. Wang saw that she was crying pitifully, and waved her to go back. As soon as Wang Xifeng got into the car, she threw the handkerchief into the maid's arms, thinking that she should start living as an object, and there is nothing else to care about.

It is true that the eldest sister is ill. A few days ago, I followed the elder Jia She to climb the mountain. I was sweating all over. When the cold wind blew, I was sick. I drank the medicine and sweated.But Wang Xifeng felt that she couldn't go out and wander around like this. What time is the weather? It's going to snow soon, so she can't go out at this time, so she said to let the elder sister continue to recuperate, and the governor of the province will take her out again .

When she returned home, the women followed her, "The eldest lady said she wanted to eat fried quail, but the kitchen didn't have it. The eldest lady asked you to come back to her."

Wang Xifeng replied "I see." Since returning to her own yard, she has never been intimidated by Mrs. Xing.

Ping'er followed her, "I'm finally back. The weather is gloomy, and I'm afraid it's going to snow. The second master is going to deliver clothes to the elder master."

Wang Xifeng nodded, "Where is Miss Qiao? Are you still playing? Light the lamp for her, don't burn her eyes."

The road was blocked by heavy snow, and in less than an hour, freezing rain sandwiched heavy snow, the ground was covered in silver, and horseshoes slipped on it.

"Master, we're going down. We need to change our horseshoes." Xia Zhi jumped off the horse first, took Jia Huan's rein, and helped him down. The heavy snow flew, and several people were covered with a thick layer of snowflakes.

A few people were walking, and even slipped, plus they were leading the horses, and it was freezing rain, and the breath of the few people was so cold that they exhaled cold.

"Why don't you find a teahouse and tavern to sit for a while and have a warm drink." Xia Zhi asked Jia Xuan.

"Just as you said, find a place to rest first."

After walking a few hundred feet, my feet kept slipping, and the wind blew the bones and joints were cold.Looking at the lanterns on the door of a family in the distance, Jia Huan said, "Go to the door to avoid the snow and rain. If we don't go back, the family members will definitely look for us along the road we used to take. They must be Bring thick clothes and a hand warmer."

A few people went to the door of the house first, and the people and the horses huddled together to warm each other. There was a bit more movement, and someone came to open the door. They saw a few people sheltering from the rain and snow in front of the door, and they were not ordinary people in their clothes. Invited them to come in, took a rough porcelain bowl and poured a bowl of hot water for Jia Xuan, and went back to report to the host.

Jia Xun took a sip and asked the regular attendants to share the rest. The old man who was guarding the door just now brought a young boy over. .The old man bowed his back to make amends, and supported him in case he slipped.

Jia Xun looked at the yard and thought to herself, how can such a small family raise such a noble slave?

The young man walked up to him, first he puffed out his stomach, very arrogant, then he saw a person surrounded by a black smoking brazier for warmth, and quickly called flatteringly, "Isn't this Uncle Xun?"

Jia Xun didn't speak, Xia Zhi came forward to communicate with this person, only then did he realize that this was Jia Lian's servant, and Jia Lian, Jia Zhen and his son were drinking here.

Jia Huan knew where this place was when he thought of the problems of the Jia family men, the outer house.

"Master Xi, go to the back. There is a hot kang and hot wine in the back, so these brothers can rest together."

"No need," Jia Xuan stood up, "It's too late, it's too late to go back, my parents are worried." He stood up, Xia Zhi took out a piece of broken silver from his arms, and stuffed it to the old man, "This is carbon money. Seeing that you have a brazier here, we have ordered your charcoal, don’t save that little charcoal in the cold weather, it will cost you money to drink medicine if you have a problem with freezing.”

A group of people led the horses out, but the boy couldn't catch up. He slipped a few times and scolded the porter for not stopping him. Seeing the people lead the horses away, he hurried back to report.

Brother Jia Zhen was sitting in the upper room, together with Jia Zhen's son Jia Rong, and two women were also sitting beside him, instructing Jia Rong to pour wine. Jia Rong called the two women the second aunt and the third aunt.

The little servant came in, nodded and bowed and said to Jia Lian, "Second Master, just now Uncle Xun from Zhongwuhou's Mansion was sheltering from the rain at the door, and the old man who watched the door didn't ask clearly. When I went, Uncle Xun left angrily."

Jia Rong said, "Send that old man away, it's useless, and even relatives will be offended."

The gentler woman sitting next to Jia Lian said, "Brother Rong, please spare him for a while, this is a world of ice and snow, if you send him away, it is still a life for him to freeze to death outside."

Jia Rong heard, "I just listen to my second aunt, and my second aunt is kind."

Jia Zhen asked Jia Lian, "Why did you meet him to take shelter from the rain?" The expression on his face was indescribable.

Jia Lian glanced at him, "He's going from their mansion to the Taipu Temple, isn't it the shortest way in front of the gate?"

Jia Rong and his third aunt threw their chopsticks on the table, "That's the one who made me lose face last time, I want to take a good look at him, pretending to be serious."

Her elder sister gave her a tug, "Don't make trouble, third sister, he doesn't know us well. Besides, I heard that he is a high-ranking young man, so he must have real skills. I heard that he is not the kind of ignorant person. He should Grace and elegance."

Jia Rong and his third aunt looked at Jia Zhen and Jia Lian contemptuously, "Sister means that good bamboo shoots come from bad bamboos. I think that even a melon on a vine doesn't say who is better than the other. Just look at these two brothers, and you will know what kind of a litter their Jia family is."

Jia Lian remembered what Jia Gu had said in his ear, put the cup heavily on the table, and lowered his face.Jia Rong and his second aunt tugged on his sister's sleeve and brought Jia Lian a glass of wine, "My sister's mouth has always been a knife mouth, please be more tolerant."

"Sister, don't worry about him. He's pretending to be a gentleman now, and he's afraid people will say it. Not only do I say it, but I also want to scold him. What a bastard, his ancestor..."

Jia Lian patted the table and stood up, and said to Jia Zhen, "Big brother, don't drag your younger brother here from now on. The land in this place is too expensive, and my younger brother can't afford it."

After talking about leaving, Jia Zhen and his son hurriedly stopped her. Jia Rong kept asking her third aunt to serve wine to make amends. Jia Zhen also said, "It's fine to joke a few words in the past, why don't you take it seriously."

Jia Rong also played the side drum, "That's right, Second Auntie has been thinking about Uncle for a long time, and now we meet, and I haven't talked about it yet, why did Uncle leave."

Jia Rong and his second aunt rushed to pull Jia Lian's sleeve, with tears in her eyes, "My sister is this kind of person, and it's not like the second master doesn't know."

Jia Lian broke free from them and called the servant to go out. His servant didn't want to leave, so he dragged on for a while and said with a bitter face, "Second Master, it's still raining outside." Waiting for them to wait for him to open the curtain and leave.

Not long after Jia Xun had left, he met people from Zhongwuhou's mansion riding over on horseback. Seeing their distressed appearance, he laughed loudly. Jia Xun was not angry, and laughed too, because the horses that came had all hooved their hooves. Wrapped up, it is not slippery at all when stepping on the ice.

"During the surprise attack in Dali, the horse's hooves were all wrapped up. It's only been a few years, and I have forgotten that I deserve it for the crime of being cold and hungry."

Watching Xia Zhi wrap his horse's hooves, several people got on the horses, and more than 20 people returned to the Hou's mansion like a strong wind. Jia Gu and Jia She were drinking in the study.

Jia Gu looked at the icicles on his hair, "Go back to the backyard, drink more ginger soup, soak in hot water, just stay behind, don't come here again."

Jia Xun agreed and looked at Jia Amnesty, "It's snowing too much outside, why don't you let uncle stay at our house?"

"You don't need to say, I already sent someone to your uncle's house when it was snowing, and I came back earlier than you. At such an age, I can't let your uncle run around in the snow."

Jia Amnesty waved his hand, "It's not that far away, I came here by carriage, it won't freeze me."

"If I tell you to stay, you will stay. I don't feel at ease if you go back in the middle of the night." Jia Gu waved at Jia Huan, "Go back first."

Seeing Jia Xun turn around and go out, Jia Amnesty said with envy, "Don't look at you only have one son, he is better than I have two sons, Xun'er is capable and filial, this is your blessing."

Jia Gu smiled proudly, "That's right, it would be even better if he could give me another grandson."

Jia She sighed, "Seeing that Qiao'er is getting bigger and bigger, the couple don't know when they will have a son."

Wang Xifeng's chest heaved up and down angrily, "Where else can we go? Our second master got caught by some beauty again."

Jia Lian opened the curtain outside and came in, "Do you act like a jealous jar every day?"

Ping'er hurriedly took off his coat and put on warm clothes for him.

"Second master still said no. An hour and a half ago, there was a letter from the Hou's mansion, saying that the elder should stay there. Where have you been?"

"I went astray with the messenger in the mansion. After I found out about this, the wind and snow on the way back were even worse. I went to the side of the road and drank a few glasses of wine to warm up. Didn't I rush back because the rain and snow were getting lighter? , "Sitting on the kang, he said to Ping'er, "I've drank a lot of wine, and some noodles are served, and I'll eat a bowl."

Ping'er turned around to give instructions, Wang Xifeng saw that his face was normal, and it was really raining and snowing today, so she believed it in her heart.Po laughed and said, "I don't know me yet, and I'm also afraid that I will be caught somewhere. It's cold and rainy and snowy in the middle of the night, and I'm afraid that I will freeze and starve."

Jia Lian snorted.Wang Xifeng quickly stood up and poured him a cup of hot tea, "Warm your hands first, and I'll be here after the meeting. There are fried quails today, let them pick two good ones and bring them some side dishes to accompany the noodles. Eat with Grandpa."

"It is said that the auspicious snow heralds a good year," Jia Gu poured Jia She a glass of wine, "but in this weather, many people in Beijing will freeze to death."

Jia Amnesty thought to himself that it had nothing to do with us, but then he thought, the governor of Shuntian Mansion is Gu Yun, and he should be held accountable for this kind of freezing to death, so he didn't say any inappropriate words.

"Look, old brother, when will the heavy snow stop?"

"I'm not a god in charge of rain and snow, nor an old farmer who has been there for many years. How do I know? It's the Chinese New Year. With this kind of weather, those beggars on the street must have a hard time."

A boy bundled up like a bear came in outside the door, "Master Gu, Fourth Master Gu sent someone to borrow a pair of cotton boots from Mr. Gu. They said he was patrolling the street right now, and he stepped on it just now. In the snow pit, the cotton boots are wet, and it is too late to send someone home now, saying that Gu Siye's legs are like ice, and I am afraid that the root cause of the disease will be left later."

"Go and tell the backyard, bring out a pair of new ones, bring them the ginger soup boiled in the kitchen, and send it with the pot." Seeing the boy leave, Jia Gu also said, "Look, Guaner It’s not easy to be. It’s better for you to be at ease, and you won’t be hungry if you don’t work.”

The two had a drink, and Jia She knew himself, "In the first 20 years, I relied on the grandfather of the first country, and in the middle 20 years, it was also because of the meritorious deeds of my ancestors. In the past few years, I relied on my younger brother. In the future, I will rely on the prince. gone."

To be honest, Jia Gu was quite envious of him. "You have to take care of yourself. The more you accumulate virtue, the more blessings you will have in the future."

Jia She felt that what he said was quite awkward, "Why do you say that?"

Jia Gu motioned him to lie closer, "Old Liu Ge, I can't go to the Golden Palace to congratulate you during the Chinese New Year."

"sick?"

Jia Gu shook his head.

"Get ginseng? Are you dismissed?"

"Although I didn't guess it, but it's about the same." Jia Gu moved to his side, "If you talk about Mr. Liu Ge, when he was young, his family was poor, and later he became famous all over the world. It's a marriage family. When he was an official in the local area, he raised some girls from small families, who he said were the children of his brother's family. He played with great proficiency and sent six beauties to the palace. The incident happened to the empress in the palace, and someone in the palace reported him."

"What are you suing him for? Taking money? Buying and selling officials?"

"Fornication with Prince Zhong's mansion, the prince will be abolished first if framed." The emperor is about to attack Prince Zhong.

Jia Amnesty gasped, no matter who it was, if it happened to them, it would be death.Abolishing the prince is a taboo that cannot be mentioned in front of the Supreme Emperor.

Jia Amnesty did not dare to ask other words. "You said, the Supreme Emperor will let me in, and ask about the case back then?" I shook my head, "No, I didn't participate in the whole process." Jia She lowered his head in pain, "If it wasn't for this, I would also stand in the case." In the Golden Palace, he has become a confused minister."

On the second day, the sky was sunny and the sun shone on the ground, reflecting the golden light, making people dizzy.

Jia Amnesty was going home by car, but the car stopped halfway, Jia Amnesty asked, "Why don't you go?"

The boy outside said, "My cousin is in front."

Jia Amnesty lifted the curtain of the car, and Gu Yun rode over, the cotton coat on his body was wrinkled, presumably he had been exhausted all night.

Speaking of which, Jia She is a citizen, so he should avoid officials, but he has a long seniority, and Gu Yun should come to greet him, so his servant hesitated just now, stopped the carriage, and Gu Yun bowed his hand to greet him immediately.

"Has the niece and son-in-law been busy all night?"

"Yes, the whole city was checked, and those who were found sleeping in the snow were sent to the temple. At least they could have a sip of hot soup and shelter from the wind and rain. Fortunately, the snow did not freeze to death, and I hope that there will be less freezing this year. Let's die a few."

Without a word, the two separated and left.

When Jia Amnesty arrived at home, Mrs. Xing faltered and came forward, saying that his younger brother was coming to join him.Jia Amnesty didn't take it seriously, so just come, since he doesn't live in his own home anyway.

Mrs. Xing said, "My niece is also a good child, why not let her live in the garden."

Jia Amnesty never cared about such things. Back then, his own daughter didn't even worry about where she lived, let alone someone else's daughter. "You can figure it out."

Mrs. Xing went down happily, and she seemed to be going to Shi Taijun's place.

Jia Amnesty drank too much and slept too late yesterday, so today he wants to catch up on sleep.I don't want Jia Lian to come over beaming, "Master, it's a happy event. Qiaoer's mother is happy."

"Really?" Jia Amnesty looked happier than Jia Lian, "Isn't my grandson coming?" When he was happy, he went to his storeroom and rummaged for a while, picked out a few things he didn't like very much and gave them to Jia Lian, " This is the one thing that makes me the happiest, master, so I reward you."

Jia Lian took the things, "My son has to go talk to the old lady."

"Sure, let's go."

Seeing Jia Lian go away, Jia She slapped his head and went back to the backyard. Several concubines at home came out to follow, Jia She drove them all away, went back to the bedroom and said to the girl, "I will wake up in the afternoon, by the way, Let the people in the front yard prepare some good wine, and I will go to drink with my brother at night, "

The members of the Jia family always want to get together when they are free, and now that they have a happy event, they want to celebrate it.

Shi Taijun didn't call Wang Xifeng to him, "That's what I said, take good care of yourself these few months, give birth to a chubby brother, and don't interfere with other things. I also told Lian'er that if he dares to play tricks You are gone, I will clean him up."

Then he said to Mrs. Xing, "Girl Feng has my great-grandson in her belly, so naturally she is close to her. If anyone in your yard provokes her, I will just ask you to talk."

Mrs. Xing was uneasy, and being stared at severely by Shi Taijun, she showed a petty air.

For the first time, Shi Taijun regretted finding such a stuffed house for his eldest son.Looking at her up and down, she felt that it would be impossible to ask Madam Xing to enter the palace every month to pay her respects to Concubine He.

"For matters in the palace, girl Feng, don't go for the time being. Your body is important. I will tell Lin girl personally to let her pay attention to the affairs in the palace. By the way, let her tell the good news to the ladies. Our family , I haven’t added any imports for several years.”

Everyone else flattered her, and Mrs. Xing also said, "That's in Lian's daughter-in-law's belly, but the prince's first cousin."

Shi Taijun gave her a blank look, "Brother Xin is the real cousin of the princes."

Mrs. Xing knew that she had said something wrong again, so she didn't dare to say it, and Shi Taijun felt regret again, it's fine if you can't get on the stage, and you can't speak, you shouldn't add two "direct relatives" Character.

Fortunately, they were all from his own family, so Wang Xifeng was sent back, and because he was afraid that the road would be slippery, Shi Taijun sent Madam Xing away with him.Seeing that there was no one in front of her, Mrs. Wang said to Shi Taijun, "My daughter-in-law has been sick for the past few days, and the housekeeper can't do what she wants. It's better to work on the old lady for a few days."

Shi Taijun rolled his eyelids, "I'm old, just sit at home, you are also a person who has a daughter-in-law, Lan'er and her mother are all right, the third girl and the fourth girl are not young anymore, and it's time to learn how to be a housekeeper. Put the matter in their hands first, and you can rest assured to recuperate."

Mrs. Wang said in her heart that the old lady is really old and mature, and whoever is in charge of the house will subsidize the money in the private house. Since this road will not work, Mrs. Wang intends to grit her teeth and persevere.He did not entrust the housekeeping to his daughter-in-law and concubine.