Prequel to the Red Chamber: I Am the Second Wife

Wang Changchun's gray eyebrows and sideburns still carried the smoke of the battlefield. Wang Dingqian rode a horse and followed his father closely: "Father, let's take a rest. Anyway, we almost beat those Koreans into the sea. They shouldn't They will come to invade the border again. It’s really reckless for a small country to dare to challenge the Communist Party. After one battle, most of the men in their country died. If you want to destroy the country, you can come again.”

"I'm always a little uneasy, and it's serious to go back quickly." Wang Changchun always felt a little unreal when he won the battle but was not as excited and satisfied as he expected.This strange premonition had never happened in his decades of military career.Something must have happened at home!Mr. Wang had a bad premonition, and he wanted to rush back as soon as possible.

Wang Dingqian was a little surprised at his father's uneasiness. He thought about it carefully. He could not be negligent on the battlefield. He had already predicted everything that would happen, and he had made every step ahead. The Koreans were almost dead. Their king Because he was worried that someone would rob the prison car on the road, he simply chopped off his head and put it in a box and brought it to the capital to present to the emperor.The rest of the captives were also well guarded.The enemy army has been besieged in the city for three months, and now they are only dying of hunger, and they will never escape from prison for breakfast.Moreover, the Jurchens had already heard the news and fled, and they would not come to rescue their former allies at all.

Along the way, my father was still preoccupied, urging him to go back to Jinzhou as soon as possible.After a fierce battle, the troops are already very tired, and everyone needs to take a rest slowly.His father also often told him to treat soldiers well and not to be too strict.Why is it that my father is now uncharacteristically only urging the army to move fast? Could it be that there is something that I don't know?While Wang Dingqian was thinking about the reasons for his father's abnormal behavior, Wang Ziteng rode up panting and said, "Father, the seriously injured among the wounded can't keep up with the army. And those prisoners, all of them are hungry and like little devils, Where do you have the strength to go on your way? After being driven and whipped a few times, many of them died. If you followed the grandfather’s way to the capital, they would all die. It’s not good to see your majesty offering prisoners at the afternoon door. Father should persuade grandfather, he Elderly people should also pay attention to their health."

Wang Ding gave his son a blank look and said angrily, "Do you think I don't want to persuade you? I don't know what's wrong. Your grandfather just needs to go back quickly. I think so. Leave a team to guard the prisoners and protect the wounded and walk slowly. The strong sergeant went first. My grandfather asked me to stop him.” Emotions are contagious, and Wang Changchun’s uneasiness was transmitted to Wang Dingqian. His father has experienced decades of ups and downs, from following the emperor’s reckless rebellion to experiencing today’s The Holy Majesty's change of seizing the heir, now he rules over thousands of miles outside the pass, and millions of people's lives, Wang Dingqian knows that compared with his father, his morality is still far behind.Now that his father decides to do it, he will do it.

Wang Ziteng didn't dare to say anything, he said in embarrassment: "But who will stay and lead the team?"

"Why did you come out? If you don't stay for such a thing, who will stay!" Wang Dingqian glanced at his son. After training on the battlefield, Wang Ziteng has grown a lot. Unfortunately, he still hasn't fully understood the usual teachings of his father and grandfather. The reason given to him is that he is a little careless and ignorant when encountering things.The soldiers have been away from home for a long time, who doesn't want to go home quickly and reunite with their married ones, and taking care of the wounded and guarding prisoners of war are both labor-intensive tasks. In Wang Dingqian's view, it is a good opportunity for exercise, and it can also help Wang Ziteng clean up his life. The image of the second generation of officials of the father's generation.Unexpectedly, this kid still foolishly asked who would stay, Wang Ding gave a look, Wang Ziteng immediately understood what was wrong with him, stuck out his tongue and stopped talking.

After being reprimanded by his father, Wang Ziteng rubbed his nose helplessly, let out an oh, and obediently took his orders and left.In Jinzhou City, Zili was leading a group of maids in the Wang family's mansion to tend the flowers and plants.The summer outside the customs is as warm and direct as the winter, as if it has changed from a snow-covered and frozen world to a vibrant green universe overnight.Although there is no beautiful and exquisite landscape in the south of the Yangtze River, the vigorous trees and the flowers and plants drilled out of the black soil are full of wildness and vitality, which makes people feel bright and comfortable when looking at it.

Zili instructed the little girl to put up an airs for the newly grown Chaorong, and Mingqian suddenly came in in a strange manner.She squatted down next to Zili, and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "What, is it true!" Zili almost cried out in surprise.Ming Qian was busy making a silent gesture, looking at those little girls. "Follow the girl's orders, and you will be rewarded if you do well." Ming Qian helped Zili stand up and told the little girl to continue tending the flowers and plants.But Zili didn't wait for Mingqian to support him and had already reached the door of the backyard.

The upper room was filled with a tense and dull atmosphere. Mrs. Tang was leaning on the couch with a dark face. The maids in the room wanted to bury their heads on their chests and find a crack in the floor.Zili felt the dark aura emanating from Mrs. Tang when she was still at the door, and the goosebumps on her arms suddenly stood up.It looks like something really happened.The second girl is here.When the little girl saw Zili, it was as if she had seen a savior, so she hurriedly informed her.Mrs. Tang frowned slightly, looked at her daughter and said, "Why are you here?"

"I came to see my mother, and I don't know when my grandfather and father will come back. My little niece is still waiting for my grandfather and father to come back and name me. How is mother planning to hold a hundred-day banquet for my niece?" Zili observed the mother's expression, My heart sank, it seemed that what Ming Qian said was true.Wang Ziteng's wife, Mrs. Zhang, gave birth to a little girl. Although she was not the grandson she expected, it was the first child of the grandchild after all. Mrs. Tang was very happy for a while.Although there were no relatives outside the pass, the families of the officers and men in the city also came to congratulate her. Mrs. Tang still organized a lively full moon banquet for her little granddaughter.Not long after, good news spread frequently from the front, and Wang Changchun won a big victory, so everyone in the Wang family regarded the baby as a lucky star.Zili was very fond of Zhang's baby, and often went to help the babysitters and wet nurses with the baby, and even ordered a lot of needlework and things to send to Zhang.Even though Mrs. Zhang gave birth alone, she was not wronged with the care of Zili and her mother-in-law.

"Let's put down the little girl's hundred days first. She is a girl who has no luck. Your father and grandfather are still outside. Come here and I will ask you something." Mrs. Tang made a gesture to the girls around her. With a wink, Zili saw that his mother was about to sit up, and hurriedly fetched a pillow to help her mother's back, and sat down on the edge of the couch.

Mrs. Tang looked at Zili solemnly, and suddenly asked, "You are with your elder sister, but have you ever heard that she has something on her mind?"

Zili's heart moved, and he hurriedly said: "Why did Mom think of asking this, we sisters are in the same place, but we each have our own house, and usually we just spend the morning and evening together, learning the rules and sewing with the gentlemen. I don't know what my sister did for the rest of the matter. But the girl next to her knows better. My sister is doing well in the capital, why did my mother ask this? Did something happen in the capital?"

"It's all the sins of the previous life. How did I give birth to Ziqian? I shouldn't have said this to you, a girl who didn't come out of the cabinet. But I really have no one to rely on. Your father and grandfather are still there." Outside, their men are the most distracted when they are silent on the battlefield. If you hear this, your father does not know what to do. Your grandfather is an elderly man, and he especially likes grandchildren. If you know What should I do? The old lady is already sick with anger." Mrs. Tang thought about the old lady and Ziqian in the capital, except for Wang Ziji, every man who made up his mind, she was angry and anxious, what happened to Ziqian Disgraceful, once the reputation of the Wang family is spread, it will be over.Zili's marriage is a trivial matter, and she has two daughters who are about to get married, so she will be implicated as well.

"Is the old lady sick? Does it matter? Mother still asks someone to go back and have a look-" Zili didn't finish talking, and Mrs. Tang interrupted Zili's words: "It's your shameless eldest sister who has an accident. Pissed off."

The matter started a month ago, when the old lady of the Wang family specially called Ziqian's nanny to ask the eldest lady if she was worried.Ziqian's nanny surnamed Zhou was also a servant of the Wang family for several lifetimes, because she nursed the eldest girl, according to the rules, she belonged to the Wang family, but if the children of the family who had nursed older brothers and sisters could go out, they would be released except for the crossbow. Find an errand.If you don't want to go out, it's better to work in the mansion than others, and wait for the brothers and sisters to grow up and the nanny to go out to take care of them.

Nanny Zhou's son was released to serve as a soldier with the old man of the Wang family. She stayed at home alone to look after her grandson and help her daughter-in-law with housework.One day, I suddenly heard the old lady want to chat with some old people, and asked her to go in. The nurse Zhou didn't think about anything else, she tidied up her head and face, changed her clothes, told her daughter-in-law to go out.

When we arrived at the old lady's room, many of the former old family members couldn't make fun of it.Everyone said that Mr. Wang is going well in the battle ahead, and that the second girl must enter the palace to be the master. In the future, the family business will prosper, Wang Ziteng's daughter-in-law will be pregnant, and Wang Ziji's marriage will also be finalized. Double happiness.Everyone coaxed the old lady to be happy, talked and laughed for a while and then dispersed.Only Zhou's mother was left behind. The old lady restrained her smile and asked: "The eldest girl is always in poor health. You also watched her grow up. Why don't you go in and see her. When the family moved to Hangzhou, the girl The people around me are all grown up, so let's send them all out. Don't say that the new girls around you are not serving well."

Zhou's mother smiled and said: "The girl has a weird temper. She makes up her own mind about everything. Girls don't dare to ask a question."

Hearing Zhou's mother's words, the old lady's eyes flashed, and she suddenly became fierce: "The imperial doctor said that Ziqian had a heart disease, and her mother and I gave the child to you without worry, but you said this. Are you doing something in her room?" What to eat, what is the girl's own decision?! She belongs to a girl's family, what idea does she take? Tell me, who did she haunt with when she was in Hangzhou. Don't look at me as I am old, Ziqian's Mother hurriedly ignored you and acted blind in front of us. When she entered the palace to meet the queen and empress dowager, was it your idea that she plotted against her sister?"

Zhou's mother was suddenly frightened, how could she sit still? !She slipped out and knelt on the ground.He kept kowtowing upwards, and said: "Madam, please forgive me, what happened to the eldest girl. Isn't she already much better!" Listening to Zhou's mother's words, the old lady immediately realized that there must be something inside, and forced her to say: "Are you still trying to hide it from me?"

Zhou's mother kowtowed on the ground: "It's the old slave who has lost his mind. When I was in Hangzhou, the eldest girl fell in love with someone quietly. I tried to persuade him in private for a long time, and broke the truth with the girl. A few layers of skin fell off her mouth. The eldest girl has come to her senses, so she put it down. Who knows why she is confused again!"

Under the pressure of the old lady, Zhou's mother told the whole story.It turned out that Mrs. Tang took Ziqian to the prefect's home in Hangzhou to congratulate the prefect's mother's birthday. Ziqian fell in love with a guest in the prefect's house.Zhou's mother has been by Ziqian's side all the time, so she naturally noticed the strangeness of raising a child since childhood.Waiting to come back, she first looked at Ziqian's behavior with cold eyes, and found that Ziqian had become more and more weird all along.She used to concentrate on sewing, but now she would suddenly become dazed while doing it.Those biographies of women who read every day don't read anything anymore.Instead, she took the Book of Songs and repeated sentences that Zhou's mother didn't understand.When Zhou's mother asked, Ziqian would be impatient and perfunctory.The sisters came to play with Ziqian, but she wasn't interested either. Both Zili and Zimeng were aware of Ziqian's indifference, and they gradually stopped coming.

Zhou's mother suddenly became anxious. She finally forced her to find out that Ziqian had taken a fancy to Hu Qizhong's son Hu Liangren who was visiting the magistrate's house that day.The two unexpectedly met behind the stage in the back garden. Hu Liangren also fell in love with Ziqian at first sight. In just a few minutes, they swore to each other and made a private decision for life.Mother Zhou begged Ziqian desperately to give up that idea. She was worried that Mrs. Tang and the old lady would find out that she was involved, so she asked Ziqian not to show any flaws.Although the girls around Ziqian sensed something in a daze, they were coaxed by Zhou's mother and Ziqian, and they didn't dare to speak.

"She's still thinking about that Hu Liangren!" The old lady was so angry that she almost fainted. Zhou's mother lowered her head and didn't dare to look at the old lady. Later I heard that Hu Liangren’s father was Hu Qizhong who had just been promoted to Hangzhou Weaving. The eldest girl may not still think about him now, but the eldest girl felt a little uncomfortable seeing the second girl getting a good family. The girl is the most important thing, the second girl doesn't show off the mountain, who knows that the younger sister took the lead overnight, so the eldest girl is naturally uncomfortable. It's okay to tell the eldest girl to vent her anger according to the wishes of the slaves."

"Shut up, I really misread you. Go out, if you dare to say a word about those things, I will immediately kill your whole family without a place to bury you." The old lady drove away Zhou's mother. The family's reputation and Zili's future, the old lady could only sulk silently.She didn't move because she told the maids around Ziqian to keep an eye on her, while thinking about how to deal with it.Ziqian has already been betrothed to someone else, and the publicity of this scandal will not only ruin the reputation of the Wang family, but also affect Zili's future and Wang Changchun Wang Dinggan's career.All she could do was try her best to cover up the matter so as not to make a big fuss.

Unexpectedly, the old lady's anger hadn't calmed down yet, the girl next to Ziqian came over in a panic and reported: "The eldest girl and Wu Zhong's family at the back door of Kanyuanzi are muttering, as if they want to let someone in."

The old lady's eyes darkened when she heard the girl's words. After all, she was a person who had experienced wind and rain. The old lady calmed down quickly. Hu Liangren was caught straight.Hu Liangren confessed everything when he saw the incident was exposed, but Ziqian didn't show any shame on his face, instead he calmly waited for the elder's punishment.Hu Liangren is the only son of Hu Qizhong, loved by the Hu family like an eyeball, Hu Qizhong got the news and hurried over to ask for someone, and even used the power of King Wei to suppress the Wang family, the old lady is an elderly person, after a few attacks, Get angry and get sick.The poor Wang family had only Wang Ziji and his widowed mother left in the capital, so they had no choice but to write to Wang Changchun and Wang Dingqian for help.