Prequel to the Red Chamber: I Am the Second Wife

Qing Yun stood in front of the door eagerly waiting for Jia Zheng to come back.Unexpectedly, the little girl who inquired about the news came wave after wave, but she still didn't inquire about Jia Zheng's news.Seeing that the little girl who was sent out just now came back, she grabbed her and asked, "What are the master and the second master talking about? Are you not angry?" The little girl said, "We are not allowed to go through the study, I don't know What did the master and the second master say?" You are a fool, whether the master is angry or not.Don't let you go there, you won't wait for the people over there to come out and ask!Qingyun threw the little girl away angrily, she wanted to go and see for herself.

The little girl said helplessly: "My sister told me to run back and forth a few times, and my legs are sore. The second master and the master are talking about business. The wife over there just taught sister Langhuan a lesson. Let's live in peace." Qing Yun spat angrily: "You little hoof dare to talk back to me! See if I don't teach you to be good when I go back—"

"Don't be angry, she's still young and doesn't know what to do. Why bother to make a fuss." Jia Zheng quietly stood aside at some point and watched Qing Yun teach the little girl a lesson.When the little girl saw Jia Zheng came back, she ran away immediately. Qingyun saw Jia Zheng as if she was seeing a baby, and went up to greet him: "Second Master scared us, the wife just sent Lang Huan down, The second master ran out later. Second master should not interrupt casually about the affairs of the master. You have to learn slowly about the affairs of the officialdom. "

Speaking of Qingyun going back with Jia Zheng, the maids hurriedly surrounded him to serve him.Jia Zheng waved his hands to Qing Yun and said, "You go down first, I'll talk to you." After everyone in the room had gone out, Jia Zheng said to Qing Yun seriously: "I can't just live in a muddle at home. I told the master that you must pass the provincial examination. Seeing that there is still about a year left before the provincial examination, I thought about it carefully, and I have a lot of homework to review. It is difficult for me to surround you here. Studying, I want to move to a study outside. You are the only one at home, just take care of the little girls and it will be over."

Qing Yun hurriedly said: "It's good for the second master to be motivated, but we can't follow the outside study room to serve, the boys are clumsy, and they are sneaky and slippery one by one, how can we serve the second master well. Don't say anything else. An old lady and wife will not allow it. When the wife asks why the second master wants to go out, she will definitely say that we are not good at serving. If the second master thinks it is noisy, it is better to cut a few people in the room Ah. Just wait until the second master is in high school and then come back to serve."

Jia Zheng still disagreed, and shook his head stubbornly: "No, tailoring is not good for anyone. It's better for me to go out."

"Second Master has gone out. Uncle and the men in the clan can find him casually. Is Second Master going to socialize with them or to study? Several people in our house are old enough to go out. Second Master I explained to the old lady that they should go out without asking anyone to come in. No one will say that they were kicked out." Qing Yun's words made Jia Zheng think about it, and he nodded: "That's fine, let's do it. Do as you say, I will go and talk to my wife today." Seeing that Jia Zheng agreed, Qing Yun was secretly happy.

Let go of the Jia family's affairs first, and Taisun in the capital has just returned from Fuling in Jinling.The grandson went to see the emperor first, and then came back to see the queen and queen mother.

Coming out of the queen mother's bedroom, Xiao Zhongliang looked at the silent back of the grandson in front of him, and after thinking for a long time, there was still nothing to comfort him.From a child who was cared and loved by several layers of elders to losing his greatest support overnight, he was scrutinized with malicious eyes everywhere.Taisun grew up overnight, and he became silent.There was also a loss of interest in my former favorite pastime.Xiao Zhongliang thought that His Royal Highness Grandson has been sleepy recently, often alone in a daze, and sometimes without reminding, Grandson would forget to eat and drink.

Seeing the grandson's round face turned into a long face, Xiao Zhongliang tentatively said: "The empress dowager is not in good health, the empress is already very busy, her highness should take good care of herself, if you get sick, the empress dowager and the empress dowager How sad should the Crown Princess be? The slaves know that the Grandson is unhappy, but please take care of yourself, and don’t tell your loved ones to hurt your enemies.” Hearing Xiao Zhongliang’s words, the Grandson suddenly stopped, Xiao Zhongliang was almost unprepared hit. "Oh, Your Highness—servant should die!" Xiao Zhongliang hurriedly stabilized his body and begged his grandson for mercy.

"Forget it, you're doing it for my own good. Now I can see clearly how those faces were flattering and flattering back then, and now they run faster than rabbits one by one. I have tasted the cruelty of the world. Even if I die, I can't call those people Come true!" Taisun's eyes became sharp.In the next few days, he tasted all kinds of life.Although it has not been 20 years since I came to the world.But in just a few months, the grandson's mentality was sharpened into an octogenarian who has gone through vicissitudes.Thinking of the sudden loss of his father's protection, Taisun is like a delicate and innocent kitten who has lost all protection and is still in the wilderness, surrounded by prying eyes.

King Wei and Concubine Dong pressed on every step of the way, and those who greeted him with smiles changed their faces overnight, and even those reliable officials who told his father when he was alive were not in a hurry to alienate themselves.Thinking of the scene of meeting the emperor just now, Taisun only felt icy cold, nothing but despair. "You just saw how King Wei treated me at Grandpa Huang's side. Grandpa Huang actually pretended to be deaf and dumb, allowing me to be ridiculed and ridiculed by him. He is still just a vassal king, and I am still the grandson of the emperor! It is true that he is my elder, but it is a felony to despise the grandson!" The grandson clenched his fists angrily, and the veins on his hands bulged.

Xiao Zhongliang looked around to see if there was no one around, and he winked at the following servants, who immediately understood what Xiao Zhongliang meant, and scattered far away, watching not to call anyone over.Xiao Zhongliang said solemnly: "Your Highness is solemnly offering sacrifices to the grandson of heaven, earth and the ancestral temple. King Wei is just your majesty's concubine. Although he is an elder, the courtesies of monarchs and ministers cannot be messed up. King Wei dares to be so presumptuous in front of your majesty. King Wei is powerful, and there are many officials attached to him in the capital and various places. Concubine Dong Gui is deeply favored by His Majesty. Everyone does not want to offend him. Second, it may not be the result of His Majesty's deliberate temptation. Your Highness thinks, what kind of person is Your Majesty, Your Majesty How can ordinary people speculate on the strategy and the city. Your majesty is sad to lose his beloved son, but the crown prince has many ordinary sons. His majesty has personally taught him for decades by his side. The king of Wei can't read as well. The crown prince is even more incompetent. Your majesty loves the king of Wei more because he loves the house and the crow. It is simply the feeling of his father's pampering his young son. But the king of Wei is short-sighted and complacent. The more arrogant and domineering he is now, the more his majesty's heart will be against him More and more vigilant. Your Highness, why don't you be careful and willful, and take this opportunity to sharpen your character. In the past, His Majesty's evaluation of His Highness was more than smart, but not stable enough. Now it is a good opportunity for His Highness to hone himself and gain His Majesty's complete trust. Ah. There was a servant girl who served His Highness to study, and I remember that the book said that the heaven will send a great mission to the people—"

The anger on Taisun's face gradually eased when he heard Xiao Zhongliang's words. He took a deep breath and said helplessly, "I don't know what you said. I just endure it every day. I feel as if I have been soaked in The inside of the yellow lotus juice is bitter. When I looked at King Wei’s face today, all kinds of things from the past suddenly came to my mind, how can you tell me to laugh.”

"Your Highness has been wronged, but for the current plan, we can only try our best to plan for the future. In fact, Your Highness doesn't have to be too pessimistic. Didn't Wang Changchun and others have already advised His Majesty not to overreact the King of Wei, so that the people of the world secretly Guessing is nothing but trivial. The grandson is orthodox, and naturally there are loyal people in the court who will not sit idly by. Look, Your Highness, isn't the Wang family loyal to His Highness?" Seeing the grandson's expression soften, Xiao Zhongliang felt a little bit in his heart Breathe a sigh of relief.

Back in the East Palace, Jing Zhi, the personal maid next to the Crown Princess, was standing in front of the palace gate with a sad face, the grandson looked at her in surprise, and lowered his face: "Why don't you go in to serve?"

Jing Zhi said helplessly: "The Zhen family members just left, and the servants came out to see them off at the order of the Crown Princess." Did Zhen Ningshan go to the palace to accompany the Crown Princess?In Taisun's mind, Ning Shan always had a gentle smile on his face. He has experienced too much coldness and darkness. He needs warmth and light more than ever.

"Miss Zhen's family has entered the palace to accompany her mother. It's okay, she is gentle and considerate, and it's best to be with her mother. It would be even better if Zili is here. She is more lively and can be easily coaxed." Mother is happy." Taisun felt a little disappointed when he remembered that he would have to observe filial piety for three years.But Zili and Zhen Ningshan can often enter the palace, so it is not difficult.

"Reporting to Your Highness, the girl from the Zhen family didn't come, and the girl from the Zhen family is ill, and I'm afraid she won't be able to enter the palace again." Jing Zhi's words were like a basin of cold water, and the fire of hope that had just been ignited by the grandson was instantly extinguished. up.He had hesitated before as to which of the two girls, Ning Shan and Zili, would be his main wife, but Zili was indeed cuter.But Ning Shan's gentleness and honesty seemed to be more attractive to him. In the end, the grandson decided in his heart to call Zili a good concubine. He still felt a little guilty when he saw Ning Shan the next day.Facing Ning Shan's gentle smiling face, Taisun even secretly decided to compensate her more in the future.But now Taisun only has cold teeth and disdain.This woman is nothing but a villain with a virtuous appearance and a treacherous inside!

Xiao Zhongliang didn't expect the Zhen family to be so snobbish, and he was busy comforting His Royal Highness: "Your Highness, hurry up and go in. The Crown Princess is waiting for you." The corners of his mouth turned up with a smile: "Yes, hurry up and go in." Said grandson went to see his mother.

When the grandson entered, the tears on the princess's face were still there. Seeing her son coming in, the princess forced a smile and looked at her son: "Da Lang is here. You have worked hard, so what are you doing here?" The Zi Palace has been safely buried in the mausoleum, and the crown princess returned to the capital a few days earlier than the grandson.The situation in the court is critical, and she is powerless as a woman.The princess can only think about her relatives, and she hopes that the Zhen family can help her.As a result, the wife of the Zhen family entered the palace with a sad face.He kept trying to persuade her not to be sad.But when the crown princess mentioned Zhen Ningshan's marriage to the grandson, the wife of the Zhen family immediately talked about him and pretended to be confused.

Seeing her son's haggard face, the princess felt distressed and pulled her son to sit down: "The slaves around you are still at peace, you can see the situation in front of you. It's really people who are leaving the tea, and even your own family can't be relied on." "

"Mother, don't be sad, the son must work hard to honor his mother. Those villains don't need to worry about them. I will make my mother enjoy the honor and not be bullied by others." Taisun secretly made up his mind, before hearing the news of Zhen Ningshan, Taisun is still a little confused about the future. Although he knows that he can't give up and can't back down, he wants to compete with King Wei.But as for how to fight, Taisun has no idea.Now he has a clear vision of the future.He has reached a critical juncture in his life.If he took a step back, not only would he not be able to protect himself, but even his mother and those close to him would fall into the abyss of eternal doom.

The crown princess looked at her son's eyes that became strange overnight.This is the baby she has cared for for more than ten years, "My son, I have dragged you down." The princess hugged her son and couldn't help but feel sad and desolate, and cried in her arms.

The mother and son cried for a while, and finally calmed down.There was a gloomy and ruthless look in the princess's eyes, she winked at the servants around her, and immediately all the servants in the palace quietly left. "You also know about the Zhen family. I really didn't expect them to be villains who would be greedy for profit. Fortunately, I was still thinking about my mother's family infatuatedly, and I wanted to value Ning Shan as the grandson Liangdi! Hmph, really Heaven has eyes to tell them to show their villainous faces. If they really marry such a thing, they will be so disgusting. Da Lang, don’t take that little maidservant to heart, I will choose a better one for you.”

"Mother, don't be angry because of that villain. It's not uncommon to be angry. From my point of view, the Wang family is the most loyal and loyal, and they can be called the mainstay. Mother knows that Wang Changchun has contacted many people to go to the emperor's grandfather. .Although Grandpa Huang didn’t say anything and didn’t express his opinion, but if some people stand up, more officials and scholars in the world will stand up and uphold justice.” The grandson comforted his mother, because he was the one who talked with the prince before. The concubine acted like a baby, but now he is protecting his mother like an adult.

"It's really grown up. I'm a woman and I don't know what's going on in the court. But I only want to tell you one thing, don't play childish in front of the emperor. The king of Wei is very powerful. Although you are still a grandson, you are on the verge of collapse. There are many snobs in the court, and there are very few honest and upright people like the Wang family. You should restrain your temper and be patient. Your grandpa is a very assertive person. Will the king of Wei be able to sit as the prince in the future? It is not known whether he will be able to sit firmly after taking the position of prince. Now let him be proud for a few days. After all, it is your uncle, so you can only bear with it."But she has been married for decades, and she still understands the emperor.How her husband was trembling in the crown prince, balancing the delicate balance between the officials and the emperor, she saw it in her eyes and kept it in her heart.King Wei is arrogant, even if he takes the position of prince, he will be rejected sooner or later because of the conflict between the crown prince and the imperial power.

"I will remember what my mother said." Taisun nodded, expressing that he had remembered.The concubine took her son and said some confidential words: "It is inevitable that there are some villains around you, you should get rid of them as soon as possible." The grandson nodded: "Mother is right, I have Tell Xiao Zhongliang to stare at them secretly. I haven't found anything yet, that is, the little eunuch who was killed was called from Concubine Dong Gui, and I have quietly sent someone away."

After the grandson left, the princess's eyes flashed a gloomy look, she clapped her hands, and a few confidant servants came in to listen to her instructions: "How are those goblins now?" concubine.

"They are all guarded, and their food is handed in through the hole in the corner. These days, they have become more honest, and they don't dare to make noise anymore." The crown prince's nanny, Yang Nai, brought the crown prince a cup of tea.The situation of the prince’s accident appeared before the princess’s eyes again. The prince is middle-aged, but he likes to immerse himself in the gentle village. In recent years, the prince’s side is served by some beautiful concubines. To add to the fun in the room, the prince even started Take the elixir.

"Everyone is gone, why does your mother still want to hold on to it and make herself sad for nothing. Those lowly maidservants are not worth your mother's trouble. Send them all over there and tell them to continue to serve His Royal Highness." Yang Nanny Make a hard stroke.

"I'm very puzzled. Although the elixir will damage the body, but the crown prince is in the prime of his life, how can he be so good--I'm suspicious. Go and torture those lowly maidservants, and how many years have passed before the prince? Those who serve around me must be strictly interrogated, and I always suspect that the sudden death of the crown prince has something to do with them." The crown princess waved to Madam Yang and asked her to come over, the two masters and servants were discussing something in a low voice.

The grandson returned to his bedroom, and a little girl came over to help him change his clothes. The little girl's clumsy and nervous movements annoyed the grandson, and he yelled with a dark face: "Get out!" The little girl was so scared that she knelt on the ground and kowtowed beg for mercy. "Your Highness, there is good news. General Wang has won the battle!" Xiao Zhongliang entered with a happy face, and the atmosphere in the hall that was about to stagnate suddenly eased.