Dress to be a celebrity

King Zhou's wedding was finally scheduled for the tenth day of the first lunar month.Before the wedding is officially held, the princess can also go back to her natal home to stay with her family for a few days, and wait for the ceremony official to come and seal her.

The members of the Huan family were not prosperous, except for Yuan Niang, who had already been appointed as the concubine of Zhou, there was only one concubine who was only ten years old, and she was engaged to the Zhao family of Marquis of Yong'an as her cousin.Fortunately, there are many relatives in the Huan family. Before the wedding, aunts, aunts, aunts, and cousins ​​all came to congratulate and accompany her, which relieved her loneliness and depression these years.

Since Xintai entered the palace for 20 years, the marriage has been postponed again and again. She also heard a lot of gossip in the palace, and even woke up from nightmares several times. To the useless Song Shi.

Although she also heard that Song Shi had some promise, came up with a new printing method, and organized the Fujian Lecture Society, but what's the use of that?They are just chores that have nothing to do with the future. Speaking of which, they can gain a good reputation among literati, but it is better to save these efforts, study hard, and become a Jinshi as soon as possible.

If he was promising, why would grandfather send her into the palace under the name of ruining the marriage?

Huan Yuanniang rubbed her forehead and sighed.The servants around her, especially her parents, cousins, and old friends who came to see her, all came up with concern and asked her what was wrong, and if she wanted to call a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

She is the future princess, and nothing can go wrong before the wedding.

Huan Yuanniang shook her head and said with a smile: "It's just that there is some charcoal fire in the house, which makes people feel dry. The charcoal in the palace is silver carbon without smoke, and there is a fire wall between the walls for warmth. It is really a rare quiet joy to read on the pillow and enjoy the snow.”

When I was in the palace, I only thought that my family was good, and sooner or later I was looking forward to going home for a few days and enjoying the happiness of my family.But now when I really come back home, I see these people's faces full of fame and fortune, listening to them compare their husbands and children, and teach me how to control their husbands and concubines after marriage, but I feel strange.

This kind of family happiness is not as good as reading a book in the palace.

I heard that Zhou Wang also likes to read books, and is gentle and filial, so he will be able to match her temperament.After they get married... When King Zhou comes to the throne in the future, there will be a library belonging to her in the Kunning Palace, and the emperor and empress will "gamble on the books to disappear and splash the fragrance of tea", that will be the real fairy days.

She casually said something about reading, and then a cousin who didn't know where to get her aunt came forward and said courteously: "Little Censor Huan must have brought a lot of new books for the eldest girl when he came back from Fujian, right? My natal family has My relatives are in the south, and I heard that Song's version of "Quotations from the Second Fujian Lecture Conference" is popular in Fujian and Zhejiang. , Miss, have you read this book?"

Song.

Fujian Lecture Conference.

The combination of the two words immediately reminded Huan Yuanniang of the name she least wanted to hear in her life.

She was almost married to this person once, and her direct brother also had a rift with her because of this person, and even chased him to Fujian, ignoring her little sister who was fearful and helpless in the deep palace.

Fujian and the capital are separated by three or four thousand miles, so it is hard to get any news, and her brother, who was relegated from the censor to become the general judge of Xiaozhou Prefecture, has heard a lot of gossip as the future princess.

She often wondered, if her elder brother was still in court and was a censor with a great future, would King Zhou rely on her elder brother early in the morning?Those palace people who gossip behind their backs don't know how to admire her brother's handsome appearance.

Based on her grandfather's status as a concubine, if her elder brother was in Beijing, he would probably have married a wealthy woman long ago.They Huan's family is in the pavilion, and Ma Shangshu, the royal family of King Zhou, is in the Ministry of War. They married a sister-in-law from a high-ranking official's family. King Zhou should have established a crown prince in a stable manner, so why did she wait in the palace for three years?

Her face was a little cold for a moment, and then she suppressed her disgust. She looked up to the concubine and said in a warm voice: "Really, so there are such good books out there. I keep more books brought from the palace by my side. It is enough to pass the time, and there is no need to ask for books outside."

The aunt's failure to be courteous almost offended the future princess. The room was full of winking people, so naturally no one mentioned those new things in Fujian and that famous person.

However, her cousin was still young, so she was brought up by her biological mother to want to please the concubine. The next day, she gave Huan the "Biography of the White-haired Fairy" and two copies of "Fujian Lecture Conference Quotations" that Huan Ling had given to relatives and friends when he came back. Yuan Niang.

She has been studying with her father and brother since she was a child. She has excellent eyesight, and she can't help falling in love with the upright, dignified, and excellent style of calligraphy on the label.But when she saw the familiar theory of sexuality after Song Shi's name in "Quotations", the faint appreciation in her eyes turned into a sneer.

This is clearly her brother's tone!

That Song Shi's father showed her all the articles that Song Shi wrote when he was studying at her home. He never had his own ideas, and he did whatever his husband taught him.Back then when his father taught him, his articles were in line with his father's. Now when his elder brother goes to Fujian to teach him, when he explains Neo Confucianism, he always speaks in his elder brother's tone...

What kind of future can such a person have, but his elder brother treats him better than his biological younger sister!Didn't she marry King Zhou not for this family, for the future of her grandfather and elder brother?

She returned the book, and specially invited her elder brother to meet alone before the wedding, and said with a gamble: "Little sister is getting married soon, and elder brother has nothing to say to me? Or are you all thinking about Song Shi?" , have you forgotten that I am your sister who is connected by flesh and blood?"

Huan Ling looked dignified and graceful, but was raised by life in the palace as a cold and arrogant younger sister, with a bit of pity and self-blame in his eyes.

There are many words in his heart, but now, it is meaningless to say anything, he can only sigh: "You have become a royal wife, in the future, you must serve the King of Zhou well, honor the Queen Mother, the Holy One, and the concubine Hexian." , after getting married, you must have the bearing of a princess, and take care of the concubines and palace servants for King Zhou..."

He babbled and told his younger sister like an old father, but Huan Yuanniang said impatiently: "I don't want to listen to these clichés, so why doesn't brother have something to tell me the truth? If brother doesn't, I have something to say! "

When their brothers and sisters met, no palace servants were left to serve in the house. Because this house was the residence of her, the future princess, craftsmen from the palace had long ago replaced it with glass doors and windows. The sound insulation is excellent, and no one is afraid of someone listening to the corner.She took a few steps forward, raised her head and said to her brother: "When I enter the palace as a concubine, I will point out a good marriage for my brother. At that time, the three of us will assist King Zhou together—"

Huan Ling's face suddenly turned cold, and he shouted sharply: "Shut up! This is something our family can discuss!"

Huan Yuanniang's face turned pale and red, and she asked with shame and reluctance: "No one else can hear this, so why do you have to teach me like this? Don't you have ambitions..."

Huan Ling glanced at her, and lowered his voice to teach her: "You have been trained by the court since you were young, and you don't know father and son? You are only a concubine when you marry into the palace, not a queen. Don't think about these things that shouldn't be delusional! Although you To be a concubine is an honorable status, but as long as you are still my younger sister, I will not be able to watch you make mistakes as a brother!"

She has been in the palace for three years and hasn't gotten married yet, so she doesn't understand the attitude of the Holy Majesty when looking at this marriage!Don't they think that today is really a foolish king who is extravagant and takes advantage of his eldest son's marriage to make money?

Yuan Niang, a woman whose parents died and had a fiancé, was selected as the imperial concubine because of the claim of the eldest prince's birth mother, the virtuous concubine, and the product of the power exchange between Zhou Wang's family, Ma Shangshu, and their grandfather: Ma Shangshu was not born in the Imperial Academy. He was granted military merits and could no longer join the cabinet, so he relied on his power to recruit Minister Huan to join the cabinet in exchange for a cabinet elder who was loyal to the King of Zhou and could represent his own interests in the cabinet.And Huan Shilang won the position of a bachelor, and married a granddaughter as a princess, fighting for the glory and wealth of the king of Zhou after he ascended the throne.

However, the two families only cared about the prosperity of the new dynasty, but never thought about what such an exchange would look like in today's eyes.

Although the Son of Heaven has always loved the King of Zhou, the court has long regarded him as an invisible prince, but this is not easy forever.As the emperor got older, what he feared most was the collusion between his son and his ministers to steal power, and the two of them were violating the great taboo of the emperor.

Although he couldn't persuade his grandfather, he couldn't let his sister be led astray in a daze!

He analyzed the current situation in the palace with his younger sister, and tried to persuade him: "Back then, you and your grandfather were afraid that I would stop you from entering the palace, so you and your grandfather worked together to hide it from me. .The past can’t be traced... From now on, you just have to be a princess and be a princess, and you can’t do anything out of line.”

He only wished that the small actions of the two families would not involve King Zhou, otherwise how could the Huan family have the face to be courtiers?

Huan Yuanniang's mind went blank, she just wanted to forcefully deny her brother's statement.Her marriage was appointed by the Empress Dowager and the Concubine Xian, and the Holy Majesty even built a library for her. How could this marriage, as my brother said, offend the Emperor?

The Holy Majesty obviously valued her, valued King Zhou, and King Zhou would definitely be crowned prince smoothly after getting married...

But she lived alone in the palace for three years, and every time she heard a letter from a minister outside, thinking that the wedding was about to take place, but was stopped by the Holy One on the grounds of enriching the private treasury, it was also true.

Can her marriage really be concluded safely?

Huan Yuanniang's heart sank little by little, she looked at her elder brother with a gloomy expression, but refused to bow her head, she gritted her teeth and said, "I have written down everything that elder brother said. But since elder brother once said that he would fulfill my wish, Please don’t forget your old wishes even now.”

Huan Ling took a deep breath from his chest: "You are my only sister, how can I ignore you. But I hope you can tell me when something happens in the future, think about it more, and don't be blinded by the word power. "

Huan Yuanniang bowed her head and agreed, then suddenly remembered something, and asked: "Then my previous marriage with the Song family..."

Huan Ling shook his head wearily: "Junior Brother Song is different from our family. He only has public interests in his eyes and never selfish interests. You never have to worry about him harming you."

Huan Yuanniang suddenly smiled sadly and angrily: "Song Shi is different from our family? In your eyes, my grandfather and I are seeking personal gain, only Song Shi is good at everything, right? But we are so selfish. And for whom? Can Song Shi support our Huan family?"

Not only his grandfather and sister, but even his own self-interest is the most important thing in his heart, which is not as good as Shi Guaner's demeanor of benefiting the country and the people regardless of honor and fame.

Huan Ling closed his eyes slightly, and sighed: "You married the king of Zhou, and you are a member of the royal family from now on. What you should seek is the benefit of all the people in the world. What will the Huan family do with your married daughter in the future? If you can put the interests of the people aside In my heart, as a generation of virtuous queens, our Huan family has a clean and upright family style, and we don't worry about the future prosperity."

There are still differences between him and Yuan Niang, but at least let her know the real situation of her family, don't listen to the temptation of outsiders, and randomly go to the power she dare not touch, so she can be more stable.

At the end of the twelfth twelfth month, the results of the Metropolitan Procuratorate meeting came out. He returned to the Metropolitan Procuratorate and was promoted to the fifth rank, and his uncle was also promoted to the fourth rank, Zuo Tongzheng.The two cousins ​​who were studying in the prison also had an eighth-rank false title in Honglu Temple, and Huan Wen was assigned to study in the Imperial College because he only used his merit as a student.

The entire Huan family had new clothes cut out, and the courtyard was repainted, creating a joyous atmosphere.Only Huan Yuanniang asked her elder brother to point out the crisis behind the happy event, and the joy was not so pure, and with some yearning and apprehension, she slowly made it to the tenth day of the first lunar month.

In the early morning of the tenth day of the first lunar month, Huan Yuanniang put on Yanju crown clothes and went to the ancestors' spirits to worship and sacrifice. Then, under the guidance of the ritual officer, she worshiped her grandfather's teachings and bid farewell to her uncle, aunt, aunt and other elders and the four elders. brother.

When bidding farewell to her elder brother Huan Ling, she rarely showed a little fragility on her face, and his elder brother didn't say anything to teach her a lesson, but just said affectionately: "Yuanniang, take care."

She looked at her brother hard, as if trying to imprint that face that she could rely on at ease into her mind.

When it was time to say goodbye, the old grievances had faded away, leaving only the memories of family affection between siblings.Although my brother was not considerate enough to her, those lessons were for her own good after all, only for her own good, not counting how much benefit she could bring to me in the future...

She changed into Zhai's clothes full of thoughts, and waited for King Zhou to come to welcome him personally.

When the king of Zhou arrived at the door, he had to lay the geese first. She saw the face of her future husband for the first time in the hall.

The king of Zhou also went to see him when he was choosing a concubine before, but she was too nervous at that time and didn't dare to look directly at him. She just remembered that the robes on his body were brightly colored and embroidered, bright as the sun, and he had the air of an emperor. A heart was tied to King Zhou.

Now, as a princess, she can stand in the hall in auspicious clothes and look directly at the king of Zhou who is laying geese in front of the incense table.However, for some reason, the affection that grew quietly from the time of choosing the concubine, and accumulated gradually during the three years of solitary waiting in the empty court, has diminished for some reason.

King Zhou was about the same age as her, he was nineteen years old this year, but he looked a little immature.The figure is still quite tall, but his face and movements are still childish, completely different from the mature and reliable man she imagined as her elder brother...

The author has something to say: fix the bug, let the brother be promoted to Shizhong, and the fifth rank will be adjusted according to the official title after Yongzheng