Dressed as Su Peisheng

Kangxi 40 years

Siyefu

June is the beginning of summer in the capital, and the heat has not yet transpired, but it has been suffocating heavy rain for several days, and it is stuffy and airless.

In the Xipei courtyard, Mrs. Li was reclined on the couch, with her collar slightly open, holding a round fan with double lotus stems and bamboo handles in her hand.

Xi'er carried the tray into the inner room, her temples were still wet, "My lord, the dining room has brought freshly made sour plum soup, the servants have been chilled on ice for half an hour, you can use some to relieve the heat. "

Mrs. Li sighed, lifted herself up and took it, "It's like knocking people into a steamer today, and I can't hold it for a while after drinking this. You can accompany me to the East Garden for a walk, maybe there Cool off."

"Yes," Xi'er blessed her body.

The east garden is lined with green trees, various flowers are blooming beside the gravel road, willow branches are hanging upside down by the lake, and koi carp occasionally jump out to look for food, which really isolates the irritating heat from the outside world.

Xi'er walked around with Mrs. Li, and her mood gradually eased during the conversation.

"My lord, look," Xi'er's eyes lit up, pointing to the back of the rockery, "that pomegranate tree is growing really well, it's already bearing fruit."

Li frowned, Xi'er trotted over, took one off and handed it to Li, "My lord, the pomegranate has many seeds, which is a good sign."

"Many children?" Mrs. Li said silently, without further words, looking up at the fiery red pomegranate tree.

"Are you tired, my lord?" Xi'er stepped forward, "Let's sit by the lake."

Mrs. Li shook her head, "I remember that there is a lotus pond in the east courtyard, and there is a pavilion beside it. Now that the fourth master is not here, it doesn't matter. Let's go there and rest for a while."

"Yes," Xi'er led Mrs. Li to the East Courtyard.

Zhang Bao, Zhang Qilin, and Li Ying all accompanied the fourth elder brother on the north tour, and the East Courtyard was temporarily watched by Chaoqing and Kukui.Because the masters were away, the two didn't stop Li Gege, and let Li Shi and Xi'er sit by the lotus pond.

"It's really nice here," Xi'er stood beside Li Shi, looking around the uniquely decorated East Courtyard, "It's next to the East Garden and the lotus pond. The weather is not stuffy."

Sitting in the pavilion, Mrs. Li looked at the half-blown lotus pond, and said calmly, "Yes, it's really a good place."

Xi'er pursed her lips, "It's just that Master Belle didn't arrange it well, let a few eunuchs live in such a good place—"

The sound of "dong" interrupted Xi'er's words. Wang Chaoqing and Ku Kui looked over from a distance. It turned out that the pomegranate in Li's hand rolled down the pavilion railing into the lotus pond, splashing a small piece of pomegranate. splash.

"Little master," Xi'er flinched and called softly.

"It's okay." Li Shi stood up with a calm expression on his face, "Let's go back, I've had enough rest."

The heavy rain that had been stuffy in the capital for several days finally poured down at noon one day accompanied by rumbling thunder.Vendors in the market covered their ponchos one after another, pushed carts, and ran home with burdens.Thick dark clouds covered the entire sky tightly, and it was obvious that this long-simmering torrential rain would hardly stop for a while.

Under the dark sky, accompanied by the sound of thunderstorms, several carriages hurried through the empty alley under the dense rain curtain.A wall of wisteria hangs next to a pitch-black gate, and the leaves of the vines curl slightly, enveloping the mist all over the place.A chain hangs on the door, silently covering this mysterious poetry club that has never had an official name.

In July, Luan drove back to Beijing

On the outskirts of Beijing, all the ministers greeted the driver and shouted long live. Su Wei, who was standing in the crowd, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He has been tired, dangerous, and embarrassing since he toured the north with the fourth elder brother more than ten times. Never had such suspense.Fortunately, apart from following the imperial guards along the way, there was nothing else on the surface.

Back in the mansion, Su Wei directed a group of servants to pack their luggage, distribute the rewards to the young masters, and check the expenditures in the mansion for the past two months. When they were so busy, Nanny Li led the little maids to the East Courtyard.

"Nurse Li," Su Wei went up to meet him with a smile, "You came just in time. The fourth elder brother brought back a lot of good leather from the north. You can help me choose and see which ones are suitable for the little princesses."

Nanny Li curled her lips, stepped forward and touched a few pieces of rabbit fur, "It's really good. This rabbit fur is thick and dense, and it's perfect for hand protection. However, things in the backyard still need to be done." With Fujin as the master, and the little princesses are young, this problem of asking for rewards can't be done."

Su Wei grinned, and Nanny Li rushed into the room, then turned to Su Wei and said, "Is fourth elder brother here?"

"En," Su Wei nodded, "Master is in the study in the main courtyard, what's the matter?"

Nanny Li smiled, "I made an underwear for the fourth elder brother, but it took a long time, and I don't know if the size is suitable. I thought he should rest just after returning home, so I gave it to him to try on." .”

"Then Nanny go into the room and wait," Su Wei raised his hand and said, "Master should be back soon."

"That's fine," Madam Li replied, and followed Su Wei into the main room.

Main courtyard study

Fu Nai, Chang Lai, Shen Tingzheng, Fu Min and others hurried in.

"Master," said Fu Min, clasping his hands, "this time, the slave has been delivering news to Wei Jingguo on behalf of Fu Nai. A few days ago, he wrote to say that the poetry club in Ma's Hutong was closed. The investigation is very strict, and Wei Jingguo's subpoenaing us took a lot of time."

The fourth elder brother frowned slightly, and Fu Nai said from the sidelines, "Master, now it seems that the actions of the emperor during the northern tour are most likely aimed at the prince. I'm afraid we are not the only ones who have noticed the matter in Ma's alley."

"But," Chang Lai interjected puzzledly, "if the emperor knew, why didn't he send someone to investigate the Ma's alley, but what's the use of letting the imperial guards monitor the prince? Suoxiang's family is standing behind the Ma's alley. "

The fourth elder brother pursed the corners of his lips, his eyes were deep, "Whether Huang Ama knows it or not, the matter of Ma's Hutong is temporarily put aside, and Suo'etu will not dare to commit crimes no matter how brave he is. Let Wei Jingguo continue to follow Shao Gan , usually keep yourself safe, don't be found out, just give him whatever he wants."

"Obey," Fu Nai bowed down and took the order.

The fourth elder brother nodded, waved the crowd to retreat, and looked out of the window alone, with a half-rolled Wei Liaozi in his hand, tapping out the rhythm lightly on the table.

East courtyard

Su Wei led Nanny Li to the side hall, poured a cup of tea and served it himself.

Nanny Li took it with a smile, "Don't be too busy, we are all slaves, we don't care about these things. If you are not in a hurry outside, I have something to ask you."

"Sister, please tell me," Su Wei stood aside with his hands tied.

Nanny Li put down the tea bowl, her voice was calm, "You should know about Li Gege on the day of the northern tour. The reason for this unruly dress is too biased."

Su Wei pursed his lips, lowered his head, and did not answer.

Nanny Li glanced at Su Wei and said calmly, "It's not a big deal. The fourth elder brother is a prince, so there's no need to keep looking forward and backward in his own mansion. But, I always feel that the fourth elder brother The style of doing things this time is too abrupt.”

Nanny Li's voice was very low, but she looked at Su Wei sharply. Su Wei raised his head to look at Nanny Li, and subconsciously wanted to lower his head to avoid it, but held back at the moment, and smiled shyly, "Master has been involved in the affairs of the court in recent years. Although he has kept a low profile, he still stands on the cusp of the storm from time to time. During this northern tour, only the crown prince, elder brother, and third elder brother brought concubines. Didn't bring it, the master didn't want to attract attention, so he changed his mind temporarily, and didn't expect Li Gege to be wronged by coming and going in a hurry."

Nanny Li stared at Su Wei all the way to finish speaking, then smiled slightly, "That's the case, that's a matter of course, there's nothing wrong with it. It's getting late, and the fourth elder brother hasn't come back yet, so I won't wait any longer. Put the clothes here, let the fourth elder brother try it on at night, if it doesn't fit, let me know tomorrow."

"Yes," Su Wei nodded, took the clothes and put them on the table, and led Nanny Li all the way to the door.

Before going out, Nanny Li turned around and glanced at Su Wei, "That's right, at least he is a sixth-rank eunuch."

Su Wei blinked, smiled dryly, and watched Li Mama leave. After taking a breath, he realized that his back was wet.

"Eunuch Su," Wang Qin appeared behind Su Wei like a ghost, startling Su Wei.

"Why are you here?" Su Wei's eyes widened, and his hair was covered with white sweat.

Wang Qin looked puzzled, holding the account book and shaking it in front of Su Wei, "I'm waiting for you to reconcile the account, I was here before Madam Li came."

"Oh, that's right," Su Wei wiped his forehead, "I forgot, I was just talking to Nanny Li."

Wang Qin smiled, and handed the account book to Su Wei, "Then Madam Li is very scary, she was a stubborn one when she was in Chengqian Palace, you have to be 120 million careful when talking to her."

"Really, you're also afraid of her?" Su Wei thought about the past, "Why do I think you were the scariest at that time?"

Wang Qin turned pale, and glanced at Su Wei, "At the beginning, the empress ordered all the wet nurses around the fourth prince to be withdrawn. Why did you think this Li Nanny stayed? Because she was the only one in the palace who dared to disregard the imperial concubine's will. , ran to beg the Queen Mother privately, and when she came back, she didn't give up on the imperial concubine's legs. That’s really a sight to behold.”

"Really?" Su Wei smiled stiffly and opened the account book, his mind was buzzing.

It was already night when the fourth elder brother returned to the East Courtyard, and Mrs. Su was running around the house frantically.

"What's the matter with you?" The fourth elder brother sat on the couch, kicked off his boots and leaned back, "I already have a headache, but it hurts even more after being turned around by you."

"I think I've failed so badly," Su Wei tugged at the rope of his hat, with a dejected expression on his face, and told the fourth elder brother one by one about the day's events, "Mother Li must have seen it, and Wang Qin said that she judges people." That's right."

The fourth elder brother frowned and meditated, and Su Wei approached in small steps. When it was over, the fourth elder brother also began to worry, and he got into trouble again.

"Well," the fourth elder brother suddenly nodded, "That's a good reason. Did Lao Ba and the others really not bring concubines? I didn't pay attention. But it doesn't matter. It's okay to prevaricate Fujin and the others. It saves you a lot of trouble. .”

Su Wei was stunned for a long while, "Who told you this? What if Mother Li finds out?"

"Hey," the fourth elder brother lay on the couch across the body, "mammy knows what to be afraid of, she is only thinking of me. Like this time, mammy must have helped me deal with it behind my back. Regardless of Fujin's temperament, he must have sent someone to look for me early in the morning. Besides, the master thinks that you have dealt with it well. The mother has stayed in the palace for more than 40 years without defrauding you, which shows that our Eunuch Su is still very smart. Didn't mammy praise you when she left?"

"Really," Su Wei blinked, was that a compliment? "But, at Li Gege's place, I was impulsive..."

"Okay," the fourth elder brother stretched out his hand and hugged Su Wei into his arms, "You only need to pretend to be a master with this narrow-mindedness of yours, and you don't need to worry about the rest."

Su Wei pursed his mouth, took advantage of the time when the fourth prince was distracted, pecked the man's face fiercely, and ran away after getting off the bed.

At the door, Zhang Qilin looked at the food box in his hand, then at the slightly shaking door, and decided to come back two hours later.

It was midsummer in July, and the emperor moved to Changchun Garden to escape the summer heat within a few days after returning to the palace.The fourth elder brother went to visit Fujin in Fujin's courtyard, but Fujin didn't mention any more about his heirs, but he still mentioned Li's grievances more or less.

West Hospital

When the fourth elder brother arrived at Li Gege's yard, there were two plates of bright red pomegranates in the room.

Mrs. Li wore a Xiangfei-colored pomegranate-wrapped sparrow-patterned jacket and skirt, bowing gracefully to the fourth elder brother, "My concubine pays my respects to Lord Belle."

"Get up," the fourth elder brother sat on the couch, "Do you like all the furs that I asked them to give you? I only got two silver fox fur seals this time, and only you and Fujin have them."

Mrs. Li nodded slightly, "Thank you for the reward, I like it very much. It's just that the fox fur is precious, I think, I will use it when I make a fur coat for Ilha later."

"Hey," the fourth elder brother waved his hand, "I'll give you everything at Ilha's place, you can make your own."

"Yes," Mrs. Li responded, stepped forward to break open a pomegranate, and handed it to the fourth elder brother, "Master, this is a pomegranate from the East Garden. I think it looks good, and I picked a lot. You can taste it." taste."

"En," the fourth elder brother took it and put a few grains in his mouth, "Not bad, very sweet."

Mrs. Li pursed her lips and smiled, "Pomegranate has many seeds, so the omen is good." The fourth elder brother paused slightly, and Mrs. Li continued, "It's rare for me to come to this concubine once, so don't leave tonight. Back then Fujin asked Ge Ge Following you on the northern tour is also to spread the branches and leaves for our family. Although I did not live up to my expectations and failed to go through this journey with my master, it is the same now..."

"Okay," the fourth elder brother put down the pomegranate, got up and went to bed, "I'm busy with things recently, so I don't have the time to think about these things, you should take a good rest."

Li's face froze, and his voice raised slightly, "Don't you think about yourself, and don't you think about Eunuch Su?"

The fourth elder brother paused, and Mrs. Li walked up to the fourth elder brother step by step, "I have been married to the master for ten years, and Ilha has grown up. The concubine does not ask for anything else, but for the master to be safe. Bao Yierha I was rich and happy. But now, the family's heirs are weak, and the palace is asking questions one after another. Fujin has Hong Hui to rely on, but our mother and daughter are only you. Therefore, even if you make the master hate you all your life, even if you lose money My own life, I have to fight this time."

The fourth elder brother turned his head to look at Li Shi, his eyes were as cold as ice.

Li Gege tightened his body, took two steps forward, and stretched out his hand to undo the collar button of the fourth elder brother. The white undershirt was exposed around his neck, and a red mark came into view impressively.Li froze in place, the next moment, he was pushed away by the palm of the fourth elder brother, and his body hit the wall heavily.

"Threat me? Who gave you the guts!" The fourth elder brother stretched out his hand to strangle Li Shi's neck, "You don't want your own life, even your family's life?"

Li's body froze, tears slid down her face, "Master!" Xi'er, who had just stepped through the door, smashed the tray with a bang.

"Master, I was wrong," Shi Li tremblingly held the hand of the fourth elder brother, "I don't dare anymore, Lord, let me go."

"Master Belle," Xi'er knelt down with a plop, walked up to the fourth elder brother, and kept kowtowing, "Master Belle, calm down, let the young master go, and if you want to punish the servants, let the young master go."

When the fourth elder brother came out of the West Secondary Courtyard, his face was so cold that it could freeze. Zhang Bao voluntarily stopped the other followers, and followed the fourth elder brother back to the East Courtyard two meters away.

In the main room, Su Wei sat behind the fourth elder brother's desk, trying on the brushes one by one. Hearing the fourth elder brother's footsteps, he didn't raise his head and said, "This brush is all flying, and you don't need it in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I'll go to Wenfangzhai to buy it for you later, you don't know that old master now—"

Su Wei muttered and raised his head, but was stunned by Si Age's murderous face, "Master, what's wrong with you?"

Fourth elder brother didn't speak, just stared at Su Wei.

Su Wei swallowed his saliva, stood up slowly, tentatively put his arms around the neck of the fourth elder brother, touched the back of the fourth elder brother's head with one hand, and looked at each other. Just as the fourth elder brother was about to tilt his head forward, Eunuch Su began to say "snoring Hulu Mao, don't be scared, Hulu Hulu Xiner, be scared for a while..."