Hanhou

Wei Shao'er gave birth to a full moon, and the child's biological father asked someone to send two bolts of fine cloth, a bucket of millet, and a book of wooden tablets.

Mrs. Wei and all her children were illiterate and couldn't read the wooden slips. It was Wei's eldest son who figured out a way to find an old servant in Pingyang Hou's mansion and give him half a piece of fine cloth to know the contents.

"Maybe my son's surname is Huo?"

After listening to Wei's elder son's report, Wei Shaoer hugged the baby and held the wooden tablet tightly in his hand.

"Amei," Wei's eldest son frowned, and said in a deep voice, "My father doesn't want to raise her, so why don't you take your mother's surname Wei?"

"No." Wei Shaoer shook his head and said, "If you take your mother's surname, you will be a child. His father is a county official, even if he doesn't want to raise him, based on this belief, he can be a common man in the future!"

"It's better to send him away." The eldest son of Wei continued to persuade, "Send him to his father's house. After all, is he his own flesh and blood, can he still abandon his son?"

Wei Shaoer still shook his head.

"I raise it."

"Son!" Aunt Wei listened for a while, and then said, "Leave him, do you know what kind of life you're going to live?"

"I know." Wei Shao'er hugged the baby tightly, shook it slightly, and his tone became more firm, "I gave birth to it, and I will raise it myself. His father always has a conscience, and he allowed my son to have a surname. It depends on this." If you don't want to raise it, I won't say a word!"

Wei Shaoer said, and kissed the baby's little face.

Knowing that persuasion was hopeless, the eldest son Wei left half a can of rice milk, turned and left the room.

Wei Wei looked at her daughter, remembering the second son who was sent to the Zheng family, and finally swallowed the words that came to her lips.Shaking his head and sighing, he took the pot to the stove. After the rice milk was warm, he poured it into a bowl and handed it to his daughter.

The two younger sons approached and were stopped by Mrs. Wei.

"This is your sister's."

Wei Shao'er took the bowl, drank two mouthfuls, held the child in one arm, left the other hand free, and handed most of the rice milk to the two younger brothers.

"Abu, Aguang, come."

The two children first looked up at Aunt Wei, and seeing that the latter did not stop them, they held up the bowls, and you and I drank the rice milk in one gulp.

Wei Wei put away the bowl, her figure seemed to be a lot stooped.

Wei Shao'er was leaning on the couch, and was about to speak when the door opened again, and Wei Ru and Wei Zifu walked in one after another.Wei Ru carried a rattan basket, lifted the cover, and inside were steamed cakes and sugar cakes taken from the banquet.

Wei Zifu is holding a pottery bean, which is full of meat sauce.

"How did you get it?" Wei Wei took the rattan basket and Tao Dou, and looked at the two daughters.

"Today there is a banquet in the mansion, and I'm the singer. I was rewarded for my good singing." Wei Zifu's voice was soft, slightly hoarse, and his voice was mostly used, which hurt a little.

"reward?"

"It was cloth and a hairpin. I went to Mrs. Wang and asked her to help me talk, and replaced the cloth with steamed cakes and sauce." Wei Zifu said as he took out the carefully wrapped silver hairpin and handed it to Mrs. Wei. "Mother let brother exchange millet and salt."

Hearing her daughter's explanation, Wei Wei breathed a sigh of relief.

She was worried that the third daughter would follow the old path of herself and the second daughter, and she was always worried.However, as a slave, what better way out?

After Mrs. Wei took the silver hairpin, Wei Zifu went to the side of the couch, sat down next to Wei Shaoer, and said, "How is sister today? How is nephew?"

"Okay." Wei Shao'er nodded, looked at Wei Zifu with complicated eyes, and said in a low voice after a long time, "Sister, I know you are smart, and I know your spirit, but you and I are family children after all, this is Fate is not something that can be changed just by changing it.”

"I know." Wei Zifu nodded, his long eyelashes drooping, "Don't worry, sister, I have a sense of proportion, and I won't bring trouble to my mother."

Wei Shaoer wanted to say more, but Wei Ru came over at this moment, put down the wooden tray with steamed cakes, and bent over to take the baby in her arms.

"I'll help you hold it, eat it quickly so that you can have milk."

"Sister, eat quickly." Wei Zifu picked up a piece of cake with honey, and said, "It took so much effort to get it, just two pieces, and give both to sister."

The topic was changed, Wei Shaoer didn't say anything more, but he only ate one piece of steamed cake, and did not move the other one.

"To Mom."

Wei Zifu nodded, picked up another piece of wheat cake, broke it apart, handed half to Wei Shaoer, and half to Wei Ru's mouth.After the eldest sister took a bite, she tore it into two pieces and handed them to the two younger brothers.

It was night, Mrs. Wei and the three daughters had their own concerns, and they didn't sleep well.

Although the eldest son of Wei had a hard mouth, he cared about his sister and nephew after all, and discussed with his roommates, if he had an errand to go out of the house in the future, could he help bring some medicine and food.

"I can help. Do you have cloth and money?" A tall and strong boy with a short beard around his mouth asked.

"There is fine cloth." Seeing that there is a way, the eldest son of Wei hurriedly said, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine if you have money and cloth." Qi Tong agreed without embarrassing him.

The healthy servant who was supposed to be sound asleep suddenly turned over and said with a chuckle: "Eldest son Wei, please beg me instead of him. I don't want Qianbu, how about allowing your sister to me?"

Household children are the property of nobles without any autonomy, and the same goes for marriage.The so-called "Xu" by Jianfu is by no means a marriage, but another meaning.

The eldest son of Wei burst into anger, and was about to rush forward, but was held down by Qi Tong.

The latter sat up, looked at the healthy servant who was talking, and said in a deep voice: "Don't provoke trouble! The eldest son's third sister is liked by Mrs. Wang, and she may not have a good future in the future. Are you afraid that you will be whipped if you say these words today?"

Jianfu was not convinced, he didn't dare to confront Qi Tong, he snorted coldly, and lay back down again.

Qitong looked at the eldest son of Wei, and said in a low voice: "Be careful too, noble people often come to the mansion these few days, don't bring trouble on yourself!"

"Thank you."

"It's not for you, it's for myself." Qitong lay back on the couch, his eyes were like lightning, "We live in the same room, if you have trouble, I will be implicated too. Put the ugly words first, in the future when the king goes to war, I will It’s for the guards to go to the battlefield to fight for military exploits. Whoever dares to block my way or ruin my business, don’t blame me for being rude!”

The room quickly fell into silence, and the snores of the rider and the servant sounded one after another.

Wei's eldest son was still unable to fall asleep.

He didn't want to be looked down upon by others, he didn't want his mother and younger sisters to be bullied again, and he wanted to change his status as a house boy and no longer be a slave!

What should I do?

In the darkness, the eldest son of Wei was lying on the couch, looking up at the roof, and a fire was burning in his chest, which seemed to burn him to death.

Go to the battlefield, go to the battlefield with the king, this is the only way out!

Jianyuan first year, June

It rained heavily in Chang'an.

Thunder roared, lightning broke the sky, and raindrops as big as beans fell from the sky, turning into a torrential downpour in the blink of an eye.

Liu Che galloped back from the forest garden, and was caught upright by the rain.Seeing that the rain was getting heavier, even mixed with ice particles, as a precaution, I went to the Pingyang Hou Mansion nearby, and drove back to the palace after the rain stopped.

The maidservant reported that Princess Yangxin was overjoyed when she found out that Liu Che had entered the Hou's mansion, and immediately ordered people to prepare hot water and clean clothes, and went to the front yard to meet her in person.

Walking to the front yard, seeing a familiar figure, Yang Xin was about to smile, but found that Han Yan was holding a clean cloth to wipe the rainwater from Liu Che's hair, and his smile couldn't help but stop.

Cao Shi and Gongsun He didn't pay much attention. They took off their leather belts and removed their soaked robes in front of their servants.

Seeing Yang Xin by the door, Gongsun He immediately grabbed his outer robe and put it back on.Cao Shi frowned, and said "Princess" a little coldly.

The voice reminded Yang Xin, he quickly suppressed his complicated thoughts, smiled again, and walked into the room.

"Archer."

For this eldest sister, Liu Che has mixed feelings.

Many things she did made him dissatisfied, but after all, it was his own sister.Immediately glaring at Cao Shi, he smiled at Yang Xin and said, "Why did Sister come here in person?"

Seeing Liu Che's attitude, Yang Xin heaved a sigh of relief and made up his mind.Yan has ordered someone to prepare hot water, so as not to catch a cold, you can take a bath first and change into dry clothes.Followed by some hot soup, followed by meals.

With such a proper preparation, Liu Che would never refuse.

Cao Shi was a little embarrassed, and his attitude towards Yang Xin was much better.

Gongsun He and Han Yan thanked each other solemnly, and led by their servants, they went down to take a shower and change their clothes.

After dispelling the coolness from their bodies, the four of them were invited into the main hall. The servants and servants of the palace had already prepared the short tables, and successively delivered steaming broth, soft steamed cakes, sliced ​​roasted meat and boiled vegetables .

There was also fine wine during the banquet, carefully sifted before serving, the color was still a little cloudy, but it was very soft in the mouth.

Liu Che drank two cups, picked up the wooden chopsticks, and began to eat.

Princess Yangxin signaled to the palace man, who retreated to the door and clapped gently.

A gust of fragrant wind wafted in, and seven or eight girls in colorful clothes entered the room one by one. After saluting, they raised their arms to the music, their sleeves turned up and their skirts spread out like petals.

There are also several singers standing in the corridor, singing melodious tunes with the music, the voices are melodious and clear, and the eloquence is beautiful, just like the sounds of nature.

Looking at the singing and dancing in front of him, Liu Che had a smile on his face, but his eyes became slightly cold.

Unconsciously, Yang Xin saw Liu Che staring at a dancer "without taking his eyes off", thinking he had a plan, and secretly proud of himself.

At the end of the song, the dancers bowed to salute, and according to the order of the palace servants, they each sat down on the lower table, held jade spoons in their bare hands, and poured wine into the cups.

It's a pity that Liu Che didn't even look at the beauties, and he was so absorbed in eating that he never touched the wine cup.

Realizing that the situation was different from what he expected, the smile on Yang Xin's face gradually changed.Glancing at Liu Che, and then at Cao Shi, who had finished eating the steamed pancakes, with a mocking face, he clenched his fingers slightly.

After the meal was finished, the servants removed the bowls and chopsticks, and the dancers and singers were also waved away.

Liu Che took a sip of honey water and said, "Sister, don't worry."

Yang Xin felt uneasy, and looked at Liu Che, not sure if the other party meant something.

After all, it was his eldest sister. Liu Che glanced at Cao Shi and the three of them, and seeing that they understood, he lowered his voice: "Sister, it's only been a year since the father passed away."

The words were like a heavy hammer, and Yang Xin's face turned pale instantly.

"Why did the father see the second sister, but not the elder sister?" Liu Che stared at Yang Xin, and said word by word, "Elder sister, can you understand now?"

"I..." Facing Liu Che's cold eyes, Yang Xin's lips trembled and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Unfilial!

Liu Che was accusing her of being unfilial!

Historically, Wei Zifu was lucky enough to enter the palace from Pingyang Houfu in the second year of Jianyuan.Now it is only the first year of Jianyuan, and the relationship between Yang Xin and Liu Che is not necessarily harmonious.

If Yang Xin didn't do anything unnecessary, based on her earlier performance, she might not be able to ease the relationship with Liu Che.

Blame her for being too impatient.

Just a year after Emperor Jing's death, she was anxious to present a beauty to Liu Chejin, no doubt she made a foolish trick, stealing chickens without losing money, self-defeating, and deepening the rift between sisters and brothers.

After the rain stopped, Liu Che didn't stay in the Hou's mansion, but got up and drove back to the palace soon.

Cao Shi stayed in the mansion, but did not go to the princess's house, but chose to stay alone.

The dancers and singers who had served at the banquet returned to the residence with flushed cheeks, both excited and a little frightened.Especially the dancer who served Liu Che was tossing and turning, regretting that she didn't perform well enough.If it is better, and can be favored by the emperor, wouldn't it be a step up to the sky!

Wei Zifu was unable to serve at the banquet due to his throat injury.

Compared with other singers and dancers who were not selected, her performance was surprisingly calm.

When several singers asked the dancers how the emperor was so brave, Wei Zifu walked out of the house, stood in the cool wind after the rain, and looked into the distance. It was the study of the Hou's mansion, and it was also the most common place for Pingyang Hou Cao to stay. The place.

What happened in the Marquis of Pingyang cannot be hidden from the palace.

Compared to the Queen Mother who was angry and startled and wanted to call Yang Xin into the palace that day, Queen Dowager Dou just shook her head, treating it as a joke and not taking it to heart.

When Chen Jiao returned to Jiaofang Hall, she still had a bit of girlishness in her mind, she pictured Yang Xin's expression at that time in her mind, she couldn't hold back, she just fell down on the couch laughing.

When Liu Che walked into the hall, he saw Chen Jiao's temple hair was slightly loose, her cheeks were flushed, and she couldn't help laughing.

"Sister Jiao, what's the matter?" Probably affected by the atmosphere, Liu Che couldn't help but smile, and called him affectionately.

"Your Majesty is here." Chen Jiao sat up, she didn't say that she was laughing because of Yang Xin, she just said that she heard an interesting story beside Empress Dowager Dou, the more she thought about it, the happier she was, so she couldn't help it.

"Can't you tell me?"

"No." Chen Jiao shook her head, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.Not wanting to be questioned any more, I tried to change the subject and mentioned the frontier soldiers entering Beijing.

Sure enough, when Wei Yue, Zhao Jia and others were mentioned, Liu Che's attention was turned away, and the conversation became more intense.

"If you count the days, it should be here soon." Liu Che said with a smile.

"I heard from my aunt that there will be a martial arts performance at that time, can we watch it together?"

Facing Chen Jiao who was full of anticipation, Liu Che couldn't help laughing. He took her into his arms and said, "When the performance is over, I'll talk to Sister Jiao."

Chen Jiao nodded, leaned against Liu Che's arms, and did not make another sound.

At the end of June in the first year of Jianyuan, the team that set off from Yunzhong finally arrived in Chang'an as scheduled.

Seeing the whole body in black armor, deliberately slowing down, still astonishing, like a torrent of cavalry, the young cavalry who came specially to greet them couldn't help but tremble.

The distance is getting closer, and the evil spirit blowing towards the face seems to be tangible.

The mount was keenly aware and began to snort irritably.

There were more than a hundred steps away from the city gate, Wei Yue and Li Danghu held the reins and raised their right arms.The team of nearly 4000 people stopped almost at the same time, and their movements were uniform.

The flag fluttered in the wind.

Zhao Jiace immediately stepped forward, looking at the majestic city wall in the distance, feeling inexplicably hot in his heart.

In front of you is the capital of the Western Han Dynasty, Chang'an!