female concubine

——Censor Zhongcheng House——

Censor Zhongcheng Yanju poked his head out of the study wearing a light green gown at home, then raised his hand and closed the door tightly. There was also a man in casual clothes sitting in front of the tea table.

"How come Shao Zhan is free today?"

Prince Shao Zhanshi took out a small box from his sleeve as a thank you, "Someone Tang came to thank Yushi Zhongcheng."

"Hey, uncle is too polite."

"The current body of the official family..." Prince Shao Zhan Shi narrowed his eyes and said, "You must have seen the court meeting that day."

Censor Zhongcheng nodded again and again, "The officials are sweating coldly and seem to be trying to hold on, and this marriage is going wrong," and he said worriedly: "The body of His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Prince Shao Zhan said with a smile: "Nephew don't have to worry, His Royal Highness is still in his prime, and you will be remembered for your support in the future."

Censor Zhongcheng stood up and cupped his hands and said, "At that time, I hope uncle will support you a lot."

"nature."

A few servants dressed in short brown came out from the back door of Yushi Zhongcheng's house, searched around the alley and turned back, "Master, there is no one."

Prince Shao Zhan then boarded a carriage through the back door, and told the driver, "Go to the newspaper that originally published tabloids."

"Yes."

Zhiyin tabloid's private shop backyard, after being notified by a few guards, the owner of the shop went out to greet him personally, "Your official." He quickly asked someone to serve the best tea, "Look at the news from the tabloid a while ago." Are you satisfied?"

"The small one contacted several shops to print with movable type printing, and the reputation of the eldest daughter of the Cao family was improved overnight..."

"Okay." Prince Shao Zhan said impatiently, "Have those things been destroyed?"

The shopkeeper nodded again and again, "I burned it the first time I received the news from the high officials. Our store's own news has nothing to do with the high officials."

Then Prince Shao Zhan took out a rolled up rice paper from his sleeve, "Reprint it according to this, and make it known to everyone just like before."

The shopkeeper opened it up, stared wide-eyed and said, "Crown Princess?"

"Huh?" Prince Shao Zhanshi turned his head and faced him coldly.

"The little one will go and order someone to print it overnight."

Then Prince Shao Zhan took out a large ingot of gold, "As usual, this is a deposit."

The shopkeeper who received the gold smiled and rolled his eyes, "Don't worry about small things."

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Before the edict for the selection of the crown princess was issued, the news quickly spread from the capital, and within a short period of one month, the people in the entire Tokyo city knew that the eldest daughter of the Cao family was the candidate for the future concubine of the Eastern Palace.

——Roll, Roll—The carriage was stopped in the alley by a middle-aged man in casual clothes and without a beard.

"Girl, someone stopped the car."

Cao Shuyao lifted the curtain of the car, and the man wearing the Futou drove his horse closer.

Seeing his age, Cao Shuyao's face was extremely clean, "Your Excellency is from the Grand Palace?"

"Yes."

Cao Shuyao lowered her head, "Is it for the selection of concubines in the Eastern Palace?"

"The girl is really smart."

"Your Excellency, please."

"The Holy Lord said that if the girl is unwilling, she can refuse. The imperial edict has not been issued yet, and the Holy Lord will not make it difficult or force you."

"Someone in the ban said that the Holy Master is not in good health..." Mrs. Cao grabbed the hand in his sleeve and asked, "May I ask?"

"Inquiring about the body is a taboo sin."

"If your Excellency refuses to speak, I already know the answer. I am not the kind of woman who lives in seclusion. I have read all the decrees of the Holy Lord."

"Miss Cao to Holy Master..." The waiter stared blankly at the woman in the car.

"I don't mean anything else, just admiration and a little bit of incomprehension. Please turn back to the Holy Master for me. You must take good care of your body. Huiran intended to enter, but it was not for yourself, nor for the Cao family, but for, "Cao Shuyao turned her head to look at him, Ling Ran said: "Women of the world."

The servant lowered his head and said with a slight smile, "No wonder the officials say you are a strange woman."

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At the beginning of December in the Qianyuan period, half a year had passed since the death of the crown prince, and the officials of the imperial court rushed to play for the crown prince to accept the concubine again. , and then the Cao family ushered in a lot of old friends to congratulate.

Mrs. Zhang dragged Cao Ji into the room in the inner courtyard and cursed, "Look, this is good. If you don't let her make the decision, the higher-ups directly came with the imperial decree. Are you satisfied now?"

"This...how did I know that Princess Xiaoyi would suddenly...who knew that the girl from the tabloid newspaper would stare at our house instead of reporting it."

"I heard that the crown prince has been lying in bed for several months."

"The news from the East Palace said that His Highness is fine, but he was overly sad because of the departure of the Crown Princess, but now that the situation in the East Palace is weak, let Huiran enter the East Palace at this time..." Cao Ji suddenly woke up, "Could it be that the star of Tianfu that the real person said ,it is true?"

"What Tianfu star? Do you know what it means to enter that city?" Mrs. Zhang sat down and sobbed as she spoke. I talked about what happened in that city when I was young. At that time, it was still the Dazong Dynasty, and Wu Zong was just a concubine king of Qi. You know that in that deep palace..."

Cao Ji sat down with his wife, raised his hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, "Of course I know." He got up immediately.

Mrs. Zhang grabbed him, "Where are you going?"

"Let His Majesty take it back."

Hearing her husband's words, Mrs. Zhang pulled him back again. Even if she didn't want to, she knew the serious relationship involved, "Officials have always been careful people, and they are also people who never obey the wishes of ministers. , but this time it was just the opposite. This shows that the officials have already sent people to inquire about Huiran. Now is the time when the officials are sick and suspicious. Is it? Officials who act as prime ministers will not only fail to accomplish anything, they will also be reprimanded, this matter can only be solved by Huiran himself."

——Boom boom boom! ——

"Father, mother, can Huiran come in?" Cao Shuyao knocked on the door.

Mrs. Zhang quickly wiped away her tears, "Come in."

Cao Shuyao pushed the door lightly, and walked in very dignifiedly, without a trace of sadness in her eyes, then she went to her parents and said, "All blessings, father, and mother."

"Did you hear the edict just now?"

Cao Shuyao nodded, "Mother doesn't have to blame Dad, the daughter is willing to marry."

Mrs. Zhang raised her eyebrows, "His Royal Highness is married, and his body...your father, who is His Royal Highness's lecturer in the East Palace, also told you."

"My daughter knows."

"why?"

Cao Shuyao bowed her head and thought for a long time, "My daughter wants to meet the official family."

"..." Cao Ji and his wife looked at each other, and Zhang said in a daze, "Your father and I can bring you into the palace if you want to see the official family. If you want to become an official, your father and I will not stop you." .”

Cao Shuyao glanced at her father, "Daddy, my daughter has something to say..."

"I see." Cao Ji stood up and left.

Cao Shuyao immediately approached her mother and shook her head gently: "From government orders, rewards and punishments, as well as civil and martial arts, my daughter already knows what kind of person the official family is. For those civil servants, everything the official family does is against the law. ..." Cao Shuyao lowered her head, "Maybe it wasn't the minister who chose the daughter, but the official's need. The emperor's grandson was young, the princess and concubine passed away, the official's health was not good, and the queen's highness was old. Everything built will likely be burned in the near future."

Mrs. Zhang was a little annoyed immediately, "It's all your father's fault, I'll talk to you about government affairs if I have nothing to do..."

"Mother." Cao Shuyao called to Mrs. Zhang, "It's my daughter who begged my father to talk about political affairs with me every day."

"The official family is for the people of the world, and the people are the real people. In ancient times, all the kings respected etiquette. Only the official family can do this. It is unprecedented, so my daughter is not afraid of that deep palace."

Mrs. Zhang naturally understood Cao Shuyao's meaning, and couldn't help but worry: "You are just an ordinary girl, other women have their own lives, success or failure is uncertain, the official family is... the years are short, what will happen to you after a hundred years?" Why, why did you put yourself in that kind of place?"

Cao Shuyao raised her head, "Forgive my daughter's rebellious words, if everyone thinks like mother, this is the most terrible thing."

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After the edict was issued, the merchants immediately transferred it into a tabloid and spread it to the whole city and all the states. The fact that the Cao family was established as the princess was easy to spread in Tokyo.

For a while, the wine shop and the tea house were discussing with each other, Dr. Cha welcomed a noble young man wearing a fur head into the private room of Fan Lou, "Xiao Ya Nei, please come here, the younger one has picked a good place for you on the second floor .”

Xiao Yangui followed Dr. Cha up the escalator to the second floor. In a T-sized seat separated by a curtain, several scholars in T-shirts were drinking and talking.

"If you want to say that you are ruthless, the Tian family is the worst. The wife of the East Palace has passed away less than a year ago."

"Isn't the grand ceremony scheduled for next year's Changxia? At that time, Crown Princess Xiaoxiang of Xiaoyi will also pass by. Men can remarry, and women can remarry. This is not heartless."

"I heard that the eldest daughter of the Cao family is the princess concubine to please His Highness the Crown Prince."

"It's a pity that the eldest daughter of the Cao family will only reach the age of Ji this year."

"What's the joy, what's the background of the Cao family, the East Palace is weak, if you win the Cao family..."

When Xiao Yangui heard the eldest daughter of the Cao family, she suddenly turned her head and stepped forward angrily, putting her hands on the table of a scholar with red lips and white teeth, "What did you just say? What Miss Cao, what Crown Princess?"

The scholar looked at his attire, "Don't worry, petty official. Today's imperial decree has been issued that the eldest daughter of Cao Ji, the servant of the family, will be the crown princess. The news has already spread."

Xiao Yangui stared at her eyes, then turned around and ran downstairs in a hurry.

"Hey, sir, are you not drinking anymore?"

"Tell Brother Lin and Brother Chen to eat well by themselves, and put it on my account." Xiao Yangui raised her hand and waved.

"okay."

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When the edict was issued, it also brought rewards, most of which were jewelry, as well as pearls from the South China Sea. The female envoy knelt before Cao Shuyao's knees.

"You pick some jewelry that you like. These are rewards from the Ouchi, enough for half your life to find a good family to marry, or buy a yard to live well."

"If the slave doesn't leave, the slave will follow wherever the girl goes." The envoy named Ah Ci immediately cried with red and swollen eyes.

"Once you enter the palace gate, you can't get out again. No one is an exception. My journey here is not an ordinary one. You are still so young, there is no need to follow me for the rest of your life."

Ah Ci knelt on the side of Cao Shuyao's legs and raised her wet red eyes, "I don't understand why the girl is willing to marry into the East Palace. It is said that His Highness the Crown Prince is an evil upper body, and marrying you is just for joy."

"Someone lights a torch in the dark, but there is no such thing as eternal light. The superior dominates the common people, but he is also fettered by power. If he goes against the wind and cannot continue smoothly, he will suffer endless backlash. If he wants a truly prosperous world, he must Someone came forward and sacrificed for it." Cao Shuyao patted the shoulder of the female envoy lightly, "Everyone should live under the sun and receive equal treatment."

"The girl said that, but because of the government's decree, the girl's willingness to marry into the East Palace has something to do with the government?"

Cao Shuyao nodded and shook his head again, "In my opinion, the official family is different from all emperors, even if they are more or less influenced by Her Royal Highness the Empress, to be able to do this, apart from the power in their hands is the courage in the heart, selfishness is everyone It is inevitable, but at least officials deserve women's respect."

Cao Shuyao got up from her seat and sat down in front of the mirror stand, "People say that the family is unlucky, the king is unloving, and the crown prince is sick because of the princess..." Cao Shuyao squinted his deep eyes, "It's really unusual."

"The prince is overly saddened by the passing of the concubine, so you don't have to worry about His Highness the crown prince's treatment of you in the future..."

"I hope he will be indifferent, just treat each other as a guest."

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——Dianshuai Mansion——

Xiao Yangui was tied up by several guards in red coats, and she glared at her father with a domineering face, "If your lord hadn't insisted on waiting until the so-called auspicious day for the crown, how could Miss Cao be chosen as the crown prince?" Concubine, let me go, I'm going to find my aunt."

"Shut him up in the mansion in the west courtyard. During this time, he is not allowed to step out of the room."

"Yes."

"Why do you treat me like this, I'm not a child anymore!" Xiao Yangui struggled.

"take away."

"Mother!" Xiao Yangui turned her head while being held up by someone and said, "You are helping my son to persuade my father."

"Da Lang, just listen to your father and stay at home with peace of mind during this time."

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Almost every restaurant and tea shop in the market will have a few tabloids for guests to read while drinking and drinking tea. The waiter walked into a roast meat shop and said, "Miss Qin, there are two hare meats as before, and the meat needs to be chopped finely. "

"okay."

The servant was standing in front of the roasting rack with his hands in his hands, a gust of cold wind came from the door, blowing away a few tabloids beside the rack, and the words "Prince and Concubine" came into view.

The servant bent forward and picked up the tabloid, and the woman cut the rabbit meat and said: "The tabloid just came out today, and the imperial court's documents have not yet been dispatched to the prefectures and counties. The tabloids in Beijing are overwhelming. These few points were delivered to the door by others, and a copper coin was confiscated, and I don’t know why.”

Less than an hour after the decree was issued, the merchant printed the tabloid and ordered his staff to send it to famous shops at the corners of alleys for nothing. In a short time, everyone in Tokyo knew about it.

The waiter looked at the content of the tabloid, "The great-great-grandson of Cao Yun of Shangzhu Kingdom..."

"Could it be that the petty official recognizes it?" The woman wrapped the cut rabbit meat, "That's right, the petty official is from the big house, and what kind of nobleman doesn't recognize it."

The servant didn't reply, but just took out a few more copper coins, "Miss Qin, I bought this tabloid from you."

"No, if the petty official wants it, just take it. I can't read a few words, lady." The woman tied the two packs of meat with a rope, "here."

"Thank you."

The servant took the hare meat out of the shop and stepped into the carriage, urging the coachman to drive back to the princess house.

Princess Yiguo ran out of the yard when she heard the sound of horseshoes, "Yanchuan, have you bought the rabbit meat for today?"

The servant brought two packages of rabbit meat wrapped in greased paper, "Princess." Then he handed over the tabloid, "The government ordered the selection of a concubine for His Royal Highness, and Cao Shuyao, the eldest daughter of the Cao family in Chunmingfang, has been appointed."

Princess Yiguo picked up a bamboo stick, "Crown Princess?"

The servant nodded, "It's the imperial decree issued this morning. I'm afraid it's a certainty when this tabloid comes out."

Princess Yiguo put down the rabbit meat, then took the tabloid and flipped through a few pages, "But the former empress and concubine passed away not long ago, why is daddy in such a hurry to accept concubine for brother?"

"It means the courtier."

"So they chose the Cao family?"

"Yes, they said that the Cao family is virtuous and dignified, and is favored by many big ladies among the courtiers' wives, so the courtiers reached a consensus to elect the Cao family when recommending."

Princess Yiguo put down the tabloid, twisted up the bamboo stick again and put a piece of rabbit meat into her mouth, "Courtiers, courtiers, they are all interested in interests, sister-in-law's bones are still cold and she encourages brother to continue, don't think I don't know what they are planning, daddy's body If it’s not good, they will all focus on Donggong, a group of stubborn old people with ulterior motives.”

The servant stepped forward and bowed and said, "Forgive me for speaking bluntly, the civil and military forces of the Manchu dynasty are now planning for the future. I understand, the princess was suspected of competing for the crown before, but no one in the court dared to discuss it because of the protection of the officials. How about you?"

The servant immediately knelt down, "The villain has a conjecture of disobedience. Is it possible that the prince is pretending to be sick in order to win the pity of the officials? All the forbearance of His Royal Highness has now been exchanged for the hearts of the subjects. After the death of His Highness the Crown Prince, the name of the concubine was rectified, so that the accusations would not fall on His Royal Highness, and it would help the East Palace. Really kind, but after the new king, where will the princess go?"

The servant looked up at Princess Yiguo, "The courtiers please use the royal face to choose a son-in-law for the princess. If the princess refuses, your majesty will let the princess blame the ministers instead. Will the heir-lord do the same in the future?"

"I know," Princess Yiguo lowered her hand, "Big Brother is different from Dad, the one who should plan for himself the most should be himself."

"The villain heard that in addition to the reputation of being virtuous, Cao's temperament is less calm, and she is able to walk in the rich and powerful's house without being surprised. She is an unusual woman. Some people say that she was born to be a star."

"What is a fate star?" Princess Yiguo stared at her servant and then sneered, "I never believed in that."