proud wife and concubine

It was more than a month after Li Ke got married, and Zhao Xu, who was thousands of miles away, heard the news of his return trip.

It's not too late at the moment, but as winter is about to enter, the afternoon sun is getting worse day by day, and the lackluster daylight adds a bit of bleakness and paleness.And because of the strong wind, the doors and windows were tightly closed, so the lights in the house were lit early.

"It's about to come back. There hasn't been any news, which makes people worry." Xiao Xueqiong said while nibbling pine nuts. She tilted her head and looked at Li Yuerong who was sitting next to her. After the other party told her the news about Zhao Xu, she picked up another A stack of letter paper was read carefully under the light, but she didn't reply to her words.

It seemed that the bright color of the candlelight carried warmth, and Xiao Xueqiong felt warm all over her body.What a warm moment... Xiao Xueqiong sighed silently in her heart, of course, it would be even better if her elder sister Yuerong could pay attention to her at this warm moment.

"I don't know when the general will arrive in Beijing? It's almost winter, so I have to arrive before the snow falls..." Xiao Xueqiong said to herself.

Li Yuerong raised her eyebrows, looked at her with a half-smile, and joked: "I didn't know that you miss Zhao Xu so much?"

"It's natural," Xiao Xueqiong said solemnly, "I didn't say that, the general is really a rare good man in the world. You see, I hooked up with the wife he is marrying, and put on such a big green hat for him, and he is still so kind to me." , shouldn't I care about him?"

"Pfft!" Li Yuerong couldn't hold back, and couldn't stop laughing at this argument.

"Why, am I wrong?" Xiao Xueqiong couldn't hold back anymore, and asked with a smile.

"Yes~ yes! You are so right. I should be ashamed. Zhao Xu has suffered such a big "wrongedness". I will also care about him as much as you do in the future."

Xiao Xueqiong was not happy, and waved her hands again and again: "Then no need, you care too much about him, I will be jealous!"

Li Yuerong smiled and said: "This is unreasonable, why are you allowed to miss him? Don't tell me I won't be jealous?"

Xiao Xueqiong pouted her small mouth slightly, and replied quite dissatisfied: "Then how can it be the same? As for you, he and he are a serious couple. According to the folk saying, it is a fate that has been practiced for several generations. I still have to live in a tomb. I am different, I am a concubine. I care about the general because of my gratitude to the generous master. If you miss him, it is a deep love between husband and wife."

Li Yuerong didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said helplessly: "Your reasoning is so crooked to Jiangzhou!"

"Why Jiangzhou?" Xiao Xueqiong has special skills in finding key points.

"Because I'm reading a letter from Jiangzhou." Li Yuerong raised the letter in his hand, then put it down again, two slender jade fingers tapped on the paper, making a slight and rhythmic sound.

"Is it my second sister's father-in-law?" Xiao Xueqiong asked.

"That's right, but this time it's your second sister's husband-in-law. How did you guess it?"

Xiao Xueqiong pursed her lips: "Their family sent generous gifts to our mansion when they had nothing to do. This Jiangzhou is far away from the capital. They wouldn't show their courtesy for me, the concubine of the concubine's mansion, right? Think about it, you know. I need you and the general."

"Oh, and His Highness King Qin." Xiao Xueqiong added.

Li Yuerong pondered for a moment: "It's not as simple as asking me, they want to find a safe backer in the court. Among the most favored princes, the Liang family is behind the third prince, and the Liang family and your sister The Jiangzhou Qi family you married to is notoriously hostile. When your father was in power, they stabbed each other for power and profit. As for the fifth prince, he has some skills, but his biological mother's background can't be used as a counterfeit. Not to mention, a bunch of poor relatives and friends have to rely on his hind legs."

Xiao Xueqiong stroked her chin and continued: "So, our Royal Highness King Qin has both civil and military skills, and his mother's family is dignified, and he has no feud with them, so it's no wonder they want to report this thigh. So painstakingly trying to please my sister, is it because I want my sister to be a bridge?"

"Half right, half wrong." Li Yuerong said with a smile, but did not continue to explain what was right and what was wrong.Recently, she has become more and more unscrupulous about talking about these troublesome things with Xiao Xueqiong, and even finds something interesting in it.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Xueqiong really asked.

"It's true that they have taken a fancy to Ake, but they don't need me to make a match. In fact, they have already met Ake through Ning Cixin's brother. The Qi family is a tyrant in the southeast, and Ake also intends to form an alliance with them, but It’s because of me that I haven’t expressed my position to that side. The Qi family has been unable to fulfill their wish for a long time, and the people around A Ke, or maybe he himself, revealed that the crux of the problem is me, and that’s why I have this kind of "sincerity". "."

"Oh...so that's the case. Because of the second sister, I also heard people in the palace talk about the Qi family, which is a prominent family in the east of the Yangtze River and has a high position for generations. What's more commendable is that the children of the family are Yun Wen Yun Wu, which is very different from the Qi family. Ordinarily a noble family. Like Ci Bing’s family, it’s a general. Another example is our Zhao family, who was born as a general, and all of them are educated and admitted to official positions, but there is such a heresy as the general.”

"You're right, it's true." Li Yuerong encouraged her to continue.

"Then why doesn't my sister look after the Qi family?" Xiao Xueqiong asked.

"It's time to talk about the situation when my father raised his troops. It wasn't long before your father was murdered." Speaking of this, Li Yuerong paused unnaturally, seeing that Xiao Xueqiong didn't look sad before continuing: "It's just that the four directions are mobilizing, but all the powerful families who have some power don't want to take advantage of the chaos to gain the position of supremacy. But the problem is that although the family is high or low, and the power is strong or weak, even if it is the strongest one. He is also not sure about conquering all potential opponents one by one. Taking action rashly is tantamount to taking chestnuts out of the fire. This is why this idiot Yuan Tuo can still dream of being an emperor for several days after he kills the king."

Although Xiao Xueqiong had never thought about this, but Li Yuerong said slowly, she was not difficult to understand.

"When everyone is hesitating, the Li family marched all the way to the east, but they reached the capital within a few months, why do you think it's so easy?" Li Yuerong asked Xiao Xueqiong.

"Hmm..." Xiao Xueqiong thought for a while, and replied: "Because my sister's family is the most powerful, although they have the urge to compete, but they dare not act rashly."

"That's right, that's a reason." Li Yuerong nodded, "But more importantly, the Li family had already received the support of several families before raising troops, and the Jiangzhou Qi family was one of them. Jiangzhou City was destroyed without attacking." , the Qi family who is in charge of the southeast garrison has contributed a lot to the new dynasty."

"Ah?" Xiao Xueqiong was taken aback, and immediately felt relieved, but then she became a little confused: "What does this have to do with my sister's disdain for the Qi family? My sister doesn't think they are not loyal enough, right?"

"Dislike it? How is it possible." Li Yuerong smiled, "Isn't our Li family the least loyal and most rebellious?"

"Shh..." Xiao Xueqiong was a little nervous, "Although you are a princess, you can't talk nonsense, you can't be taken advantage of by someone with a heart, that would be bad." Xiao Xueqiong grew up in the palace since she was a child, " Misfortune comes out of your mouth." She has a good understanding of this truth.

"Don't worry, I don't dare to say anything else, but I can still talk with peace of mind in this room." Li Yuerong comforted, and then cast a meaningful look, "How else would I dare to sing with you every night?"

"Cough," Xiao Xueqiong was choked.Under such a serious topic, someone can also get involved in this matter, Xiao Xueqiong said a little angrily: "I'm afraid you're used to talking at home, and you won't be able to keep your mouth shut when you go out!"

"How is it possible?" Li Yuerong didn't care, and continued, "Have you ever thought about why the Qi family supports my father?"

"This... probably because I know that my own strength is not enough to fight for hegemony, so I support you instead. After my sister's family gains power, they will be rewarded for their merits, which will naturally be of great benefit to them." Xiao Xueqiong analyzed.

"That's right," Li Yuerong nodded, "The other families have the same thoughts. It can be said that the Li family got the throne, but they didn't really get the world. Because as early as when they raised their troops, they chose to compromise with other forces in order to win Get support. So you see, most of the dignitaries in the previous dynasty are still dignified, and the local wealthy families still support their troops. I often think that the current Dazhou and the Xiao Dynasty when your father was in power, apart from the difference in royal surnames, what else is there? What's different? In a few days, the Xiao Dynasty can fall apart, so what about the Zhou Dynasty?"

Xiao Xueqiong seemed to say something, but she didn't know what to say.But now she understands why Sister Yuerong is always so busy, why she always complains that there are too many troubles, because she has to consider these things that she would never have thought about when she was a princess, and she is sure that her sisters Nor will it.

"Think about it, I have such worries, won't my father?" Li Yuerong pinched Xiao Xueqiong's little face and asked.

"So what does my sister mean... the Qi family will suffer sooner or later, afraid of implicating His Highness King Qin?" Xiao Xueqiong finally came to her senses.

"That's right." Li Yuerong nodded, "When the cunning rabbit dies, the lackey cooks; when the birds die, the good bow hides. This is an eternal truth."

"But..." Xiao Xueqiong hesitated for a while and asked, "As my sister said, the forces of all parties still exist, and they have not diminished but increased. In addition, the new dynasty has just established and its foundation is not solid. Even if Your Majesty has this intention, so what Execution? Will those people be slaughtered?"

"That's why Ake doesn't mind taking over the Qi family," Li Yuerong explained patiently, "With Ake's intelligence, he naturally knows that the Qi family will suffer sooner or later, but no one knows when the father will make a move." , but not now. As for how to implement it, no one knows. It may be devouring, but it is more likely to be encroaching. According to A Ke's prediction, at least until the crown prince establishes and erects absolute prestige, these aristocratic families will not Suffering the disaster of being overwhelmed. Before the establishment of the crown prince, the aristocratic family must choose the "lord" to place a bet in order to continue to move closer to the center of power. When the princes fight, they must win the support of all parties as a bargaining chip. This point, No matter whether it is A Ke himself, or Li Yan and Li Zhen, there is no exception. Therefore, A Ke believes that although conflicts will inevitably occur in the future, at least the current Qi family can be used."

"Hmm..." Xiao Xueqiong rubbed her chin and thought for a while, then said weakly, "I think His Royal Highness is right..."