The struggle of the Nanny of the Red Chamber

Shi asked Tang Chao to make a request, Tang Chao thought about it, and really made one.She said, "Old lady, there is really one thing that I beg you to fulfill."

"Oh, what is it?" Shi was very curious about what kind of request Tang Chao could make.

"It's not a mandarin duck. This girl is not too young. I think I will make an appointment for her after the mother-in-law's visit is over." For the mandarin duck's marriage, my own mother is long gone.The brothers and sisters-in-law who are closest in blood all got to visit the old house in Jinling a few years ago.

In fact, the one who can decide the marriage of the mandarin ducks does not include the godmother of the Tang Dynasty, but only the old lady.Of course, if the old lady doesn't care about the mandarin ducks, when she gets old, she will be pulled out by the Shui family according to the rules of the mansion to be married to a servant, become a daughter-in-law in the courtyard, and continue to be the head of the house and have children.

But with the face of the Tang Dynasty there, neither the Shui family nor the Zhang family will go past her.As for the old lady, even if she had any idea, she would tell Tang Chao.

Tang Chao is a careless and cautious person. She used to be afraid of any changes, so in every word and deed she brought out the matter of finding a good husband's family for Yuanyang.

One sentence today, two sentences tomorrow, on the surface it is making fun of my daughter-in-law, but in fact it is using an established effect that modern people often say to make everyone look at this matter.

Having said this for many years, some Jia family members including the old lady, Mrs. Zhang and others would subconsciously believe that the Tang Dynasty had the right to decide the marriage of mandarin ducks.

This is like saying a lie or a slogan too much and listening too much.will be taken as real.Many unreasonable things, if you do too much, people will take it for granted.

So as long as time goes by, things that are no longer unreasonable will become a matter of course.

Therefore, at this time, when the Tang Dynasty mentioned the marriage of mandarin ducks, Shi Shi did not realize the fact that mandarin ducks were born in a family.

When Yuanyang heard her godmother talking to the old lady, Yuanyang was shocked when she first talked about the garden. She really didn't expect her godmother to keep such a hand.

No wonder when we were in the room just now, the godmother was so confident that it would be fine to visit the relatives. It turned out that her godmother had even built the garden for the relatives in advance.I really don't know what to say to her.

Yuanyang's eyes widened when he heard the content of the godmother's request to the old lady.Her godmother is not sick and confused.For such a trivial matter, there is no need to exchange it with a garden.

Such a big matter is used to clear the official path for her father, and it is estimated that she can be promoted to the sixth rank.

Tang Chao did this on purpose and asked for it. As long as she is not stupid, she will not make any real demands on this matter at this time.What's more, she didn't think about what she wanted when she did all of this.As for the contract of prostitution of the mandarin ducks, Tang Chao never took it seriously.

"Look, old lady, when it comes to getting married, this girl is not shy at all." Before Shi Shi could answer, Tang Chao pointed at the mandarin duck behind Shi Shi and smiled.

Seeing the godmother making fun of her again, Yuanyang blushed and ran away.

Shi smiled and shook his head, she was still a little girl.

"This doesn't count. Yuanyang has served me for so many years, and everything is appropriate. Naturally, I can't treat her badly with her marriage."

"But apart from her, our family has nothing to ask for. You will always help until the end, and when the empress comes back to visit her relatives, ask the empress to praise her more, how to praise her into a flower, how come. With this Once, it is enough for her to use for a lifetime." The girl who has been praised by the current imperial concubine, her upbringing and morality, ordinary people dare not easily underestimate her.In the future, when going out to socialize, no one would dare to say that the mandarin ducks were not born well, or that their education was not good.

The two of them were talking nonsense, so this is the first thing to do.It's just that Shi Shi remembered in his heart that he owed Tang Chao a favor.

"Mandarin duck's marriage, do you have a plan?" After listening to Tang Chao mentioning the mandarin duck's marriage for many months, Shi Shi finally wanted to ask if there was any clue.

Tang Chao nodded, "It's a coincidence that our second aunt went out as a guest a few days ago, and finally found someone's house. She came back and told me, and I think it's good. Recently, our second uncle and Our boss is watching."

That family is also a small official's family in the capital, surnamed Han.The home and the home of the Tang Dynasty are only half an hour away by carriage.He is the only son in the family again, with only one old father.His mother passed away two years ago.This will be filial piety.

It was the son's aunt who said the kiss. Of course, the wife only knew that there was a daughter in their family who was waiting in her boudoir, but she didn't know that she was working in the Rongguo Mansion.So this matter, there is still some grinding.

Fortunately, the Tang Dynasty made preparations in advance.When people asked, they directly said that they were brought up in the yard of the old lady in Rongguo Mansion, and lived in Rongguo Mansion for a long time like her.Because the old lady in the mansion was reluctant, she stayed by her side for the time being.Although these words are a bit untrue, but at least they can help raise their status.

Wait until Yuanchun visits relatives, and then let people say that the imperial concubine also praised her good upbringing.If you think about it, it's not bad at all.As for the dowry, not to mention what the Tang Dynasty prepared for her.Even Yuanyang's own small coffers are full.When it's time to get married, everyone in the house and some close people will add make-up, and I don't want to be afraid that people will say that there is too little talk.

Tang Chao himself was very optimistic about this marriage.The most important thing is that there is no mother-in-law above, and no sister-in-law and sister-in-law below.The elder brother of that family is also a Juren now, and after observing the filial piety, he can go to the examination room to try for gold.And the father-in-law is still a small official in the capital.Such a family status is actually really good.

Uh, Tang Chao thinks that as long as he keeps an eye on Yuanyang's brother and sister-in-law, he won't be afraid of anything anymore.

The two talked a few more words on this topic, and the mandarin duck who had just run out came in again with a tray.Yuanyang reminded the two of them that it was getting late, and then urged them to rest and not mention it.

On the second day, just after breakfast, Shi called the family together.After telling the story about the garden, he took over the 5 taels of silver handed over by Jia Zhen, the patriarch of the Jia clan, and asked Jia Zheng to pay 4 taels, Jia Zhu and his wife 15 taels, and Baoyu and Daiyu [-] taels of silver. In addition, Dafang was asked to pay a total of [-] yuan.Then, she paid [-] taels of silver from her private house.I made up enough [-] taels.

"Didn't you say that the eldest wife loves the empress the most? At the critical moment, she only paid 2 taels. Who will say this in the future, heh." Xing was dissatisfied with their second wife's [-] taels, and the eldest house's only [-] taels. statement.Although she also knew that this was the old lady's eccentric decision.But she couldn't express her dissatisfaction to the old lady, so she could only go to Mrs. Zhang who had been ignoring her.

"If you adopt my mother to the big house, you will pay [-] yuan, and the big family will give you [-] yuan. If you agree, Brother Zhen will be there too. Let's do it together." Shi Shi now feels angry when he sees Xing. Mrs. Xing didn't reply angrily when she said this.

The old lady's arrangement is just to let the empress take care of the second room for the sake of visiting relatives.Even if the knot in my heart can't be untied for a while, I have to try my best to reverse it.It's a pity that no one in the second room can understand her feeling of embarrassment.

When Jia Zheng heard what Shi said, he immediately gave Xing a look, bowed his head and remained silent.

With a daughter who is a concubine, Jia Zheng immediately felt the difference between the past few decades and the present few months.At this time, if the daughter is adopted out because of a little money, then the brain is really flooded.

Jia Zheng, who had been confused for decades, finally woke up in time at this moment.

"Why doesn't Madam Li finish the garden before giving it away?" Xing, who was glared at by Jia Zheng, muttered unhappily.Just happened to be heard by Mrs. Zhang.

He kindly solved the urgent needs of the mansion, but there are still people who are not satisfied, and they are really hungry wolves who can't get enough.

Mrs. Zhang glanced at Jia Zheng and his wife with a half-smile. The couple's frankness had a beginning and an end. "Old lady, now that the garden is in place and the blueprints have been read, the rest is just some furniture, curtains, antique ornaments, and the purchase of actors and tunes. I will teach the servants."

In fact, there are still some places in the garden that need to be changed.It's just that Zhang and others didn't mention it.First of all, it's winter now, so it's not a good time to break ground.On the second day, if you want to change it, you will have to spend another sum of money.

Now the garden can actually be seen.There is no need to invest too much.

Shi Shi nodded, this is very true. "Antique furnishings and furniture are bought from good ones. They should be more delicate. The empress has liked those delicate little things since she was a child. Let the people in the mansion start making the curtains now. The sewing rooms in various places in the mansion, You can transfer people out. If you don’t have enough, you can also go outside or buy or hire. It’s okay to serve people. Our family has some nanny who came out of the palace. Let them help. It’s okay to teach. It’s just This matter of buying actors? Who is better to let it go?"

The garden is ready-made, which saves a lot of trouble.At that moment, several people divided their work. Jia Zhu supervised the making of furniture, Jia Lian went south to buy small opera actors, and Shui Shi took care of the cloth and curtains, while everyone's clothing and jewelry belonged to Sister Feng.

As for antiques, the Zhang family recommended their own man, Jia She, without shying away from relatives.

She believed in her man's ability, so she would definitely not buy fakes.

The idea of ​​Shi and everyone is to finish all these before the year before, and then invite Yuan Chun to go home to visit relatives on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the coming year.

Li Ning's dowry has already been laid out, and the carpenter that was provided by the family was also recommended by the Tang Dynasty to the Rongguo Mansion.Because the ladies of every family are selecting sites and building gardens.Therefore, the carpenters and all kinds of craftsmen are idle.

Therefore, it was easy for the Jia family to find all the staff and work overtime.

And all of this, when Yuan Chun met Shi Shi and Zhang Shi in the palace, he knew about it one by one.I am even more grateful for Tang Chao's intentions.

"A while ago, the family took 5 taels, and the old lady asked the family to raise some more. Her old man took 15, the second house took 15, and our eldest house only took [-]. We raised [-] to purchase gardens and The various expenses of visiting relatives. After careful calculation by the minister's wife, [-] yuan is more than enough, so she didn't add any more to it.

When I came to the palace today, your uncle and your brother asked me to bring another 3 taels of silver bills.The empress also needs expenses in the palace.It's better than throwing all the money in the garden.Your uncle also said that you were raised expensively since you were a child, and the palace spent a lot of money, so you must not be wronged by your size.Body bones are more important than anything else.If you stay in the palace well, our whole family can stay outside with peace of mind. After Zhang finished speaking, she took out a small cloth bag from her sleeve pocket, opened it, and found that it was all small bank notes.

"Knowing that it is not so convenient for my mother to do everything in the palace, the ministers brought in loose ones. It is also cheap to use. This is 7000 taels of silver bills. The extra silver bills were given by Li Ning's mother." Yours, it’s your Zhuangzi’s income over the years. She said that it’s more than that, but at the beginning of spring this year, she bought a big Zhuangzi in the south, and that’s all. She also said that in the future, the queen’s income outside the palace , at the end of each year, the money is exchanged and sent to the empress. I will never wrong the empress."

Tang Chao always remembered that in the original book, a eunuch Xia would come out of the palace every now and then to ask for money.No matter whether Yuanchun sent people to ask for the money or not, Tang Chao believed that the current Rongguo Mansion was not so easy to reach out for.Not to mention the stingy Xing family and Sister Feng who plucked her hair.

It is better to ask for others than to ask for yourself, and it is better to rely on yourself than to rely on the sky and the earth.Therefore, the Tang Dynasty carefully managed Yuanchun's dowry left outside.The silver money earned every year is either collected and saved, or bought land and shops, so that money can make money.After a few years, the other Tang Dynasty dare not say it, but with the Zhuangzi she bought this year, the annual income of 1 taels can be guaranteed.

It's just that he didn't know that Yuan Chunming didn't understand his intentions.In Tang Chao's heart, she didn't think that if Yuan Chun really stretched out his hand, no one knew whether it would become a conflict between Yuan Chun and the Zhang family over time and more times.

Tang Chao didn't know much, but she also knew that a concubine could not do without the support of her natal family.And Yuanchun couldn't do without these promising cousins ​​from Rongguo Mansion.The two are complementary and multiplicative.

And all she can do is deal with these little things.

Speaking of which, Tang Chao is Zhang's in-laws, and her daughter is his daughter-in-law.So at this time, it is natural to speak for the Tang Dynasty.

Yuan Chun smiled slightly after hearing Zhang's words, "It doesn't matter. I have already told the queen mother and the emperor, and the emperor agrees that I will go out of the palace to visit relatives on the New Year's Lantern Festival."

When Shi and Zhang heard this, they laughed. "Your Majesty, where is the Queen Empress?"

Yuan Chun's face was a little cold, and there was a flash of unease in his eyes, but the words he opened his mouth were still gentle and soft, "These days after entering the palace, the empress and the other empresses are not acclimatized. While recuperating, the big and small things in the palace are still handled by the Empress Dowager and Zhen Tai Guifei."

Shi's and Zhang's faces were startled, and they immediately came back to their senses, looking at Yuan Chun, they were a little worried.

Yuan Chun nodded, "Don't worry about the old lady and auntie. I do my own job, but I never get involved in those things." She always knew what she wanted. I will not be this Concubine Shu.

Speaking of the title of Concubine Shu, Yuan Chun himself begged for it from today's Queen Mother.She entered the palace to serve the current empress dowager when she was a teenager, so she felt that it was unusual.

At the beginning, in order to respond to the new emperor and Rongguo Mansion, Concubine Zhen deliberately showed that she was very congenial with Yuan Chun, and then suggested that the Supreme Emperor give the eldest daughter of Rongguo Mansion to the new emperor.

The Zhen family only thought that the Jia family and the Zhen family were old relatives, but they were unwilling to step into the battle for the throne. The neutral faction who helped her, did not know that many years ago, the Zhang family had quietly surrendered to His Highness the King of Yue.

Therefore, although the starting point is not very good, Yuan Chun's concubine status is not as unsatisfactory as Zhen's thought.

It's just that there are some disputes about the title.

"My maidservant's surname is Jia. Adding a surname to even the best titles will become an antonym. Well, this maidservant feels that among these titles, there is only the word 'Shu'. Adding a surname in front of it can make sense. "When Yuan Chun said that, the empress dowager and the emperor laughed for a while.

There is already a 'true' imperial concubine in the palace, so what's the point of having more 'false' ones.

But the two of you think that now is not the right time, and wait until you have fully grasped the real power before stimulating the Supreme Emperor and Zhen Shi.

So at this time, everyone including Tuo Yuanchun didn't know how Yuanchun's future imperial concubine came about.

Back to the present, Yuan Chun hasn’t seen his family members for many years, so during this meeting, he asked a lot about family members, and when he heard that Li Ningding was given to Jia Cong, he shook his head and smiled, “I still remember the first time Cong’er met When I saw Sister Ning, Cong'er opened her mouth and asked me, 'Big sister, where did the big rabbit come from'."

Shi's and Zhang's, and even a few confidantes in Yuanchun Palace laughed.

"No wonder, Cong'er always said that rabbits don't eat grass, and even stared at the meat. At that time, I was thinking that there was something wrong with this child. So it should be here." Zhang thought of her son all these years How many rabbit fur products are given to Li Ning is a bit funny.

"That's right. At that time, Sister Ning had her deciduous teeth removed. Cong'er specially asked the kitchen to steam a plate of carrots. She insisted on feeding Sister Ning. She insisted that it was the mother who said that rabbits should eat this. In the end, she made Sister Ning cry. After that, for a long time, Sister Ning looked aggrieved when she saw the radish." Although it has been a long time, in Yuan Chun's memory, those memories of girlhood are still so clear.

"...This pair of friends, the older they are, the more reassuring they are. My two Yu'er are just too young." Shi Shi thought of Jia Cong and Li Ning whose wedding was scheduled for next year, and felt in his heart Don't worry.But thinking of the pair of Baoyu and Daiyu, I feel a little powerless.

"The old lady doesn't need to be so worried, they are still young. Besides, both Wu Baoyu and Sister Lin are sensible children. They will be better when they are older in a few years." Regarding the marriage that the younger brother made, and It was a matter of getting married early, and Yuan Chun felt a little uncomfortable.But whether it was then or now, she could only watch.But hearing what the old lady said, Yuan Chun also said some comforting words in a very sensible way.

"I think so too. Fortunately, there is your aunt here. I can rest assured about the normal upbringing. And Lin girl grew up in our house, and she is familiar with her temper. Even the upbringing is ours. I was well-trained by my family. I am relieved about this. I don’t have to worry about these two Yu’er when I go in the future.” Shi felt a little emotional.

"Look at what the old lady said, the days are getting better and better now. The better days in the future are still long. Stop talking about this." Yuan Chun felt sad when he heard the old grandmother's words, but he also knew that the palace could not Anywhere, quickly persuaded, and asked Baoqin to exchange for new tea.

After a while, after the three of them had used the new tea and snacks, Mrs. Zhang brought up the matter again.

"...Your Majesty, you can enter the palace on the [-]nd and [-]th of every month. If you don't let the second wife enter the palace to see you next time, or else your reputation will be hindered."

Mrs. Zhang is not very kind, but she just feels that these things should always be mentioned in her capacity.When the decree was announced earlier, it was said that family members and female relatives could enter the palace to meet each other on the [-]th.Unexpectedly, afterward, the eunuch in Yuanchun Palace spread the word that the second wife was in charge of the housework and could not come, so the old lady and her were only invited into the palace.

Yuan Chun pouted, looked at Mrs. Zhang coquettishly and said, "...then let's talk about it."