Records of the King of Xin'an County

Time flies, it seems that it is just a blink of an eye, and it is the time of the New Year again.Under the auspices of Zhang Fu's mother, the cold and lonely Prince Pu's mansion was decorated inside and out, adding a lot of joy.Even Li Hui's sleeping hall was no exception. The quilts were all replaced by curtains, and almost everywhere were covered with fiery red, reflecting the red light on the faces of King Xin'an and Prince Xian.

Whenever he was half asleep and half awake, in a trance, Li Hui had an inexplicable illusion that the two of them were newly married.Of course, Wang Zixian also felt the same, so the two became more tender.After all, in recent days, it is rare that the city of Chang'an seems to be peaceful, and it is also appropriate to occasionally get away from the heavy official duties and blend in with each other to the fullest.

In addition, they were also a little bit uneasy about Princess Pu Yan who was about to return to Chang'an from Luoyang.After Yan Shi presided over Prince Pu's Mansion, the two of them might not be able to get along as casually as they are now, and now they should take good care of their happy time.

As a son, Li Hui hadn't figured out how to face his mother's reproach and sadness. He just felt that it was not easy to persuade his mother to accept the offering between him and the prince, so he simply stopped thinking about it for the time being.But Wang Zixian wanted to honor this "mother (mother-in-law)" well, but he also felt that he should not do anything. Although he secretly planned for a long time, he still had no clue.

Looking back on this year, not only have there been many ups and downs since the beginning, there have been various incidents such as tribute examination, selection, Yao Yuyi, etc., and later lost the Yuewang family unexpectedly.Li Hui suddenly felt that his luck seemed to need to be changed.Therefore, he donated a lot of sesame oil money to Ci'en Temple, Yinchan Temple and other temples inside and outside Beijing. In addition, he personally copied scriptures for his grandfather and grandmother and enshrined them in front of the Buddha.After Princess Changning and Princess Yong'an heard about it, they imitated their example and set up a dojo for their grandfather and grandmother in the Temple of Mercy.

On New Year's Eve, Li Hui bid farewell to Prince Xian early.One took Mr. Song and He Chengdu to the royal family, prepared to sacrifice their ancestors, and celebrated the festive season together; the other still entered the palace and came to Anren Hall to chat with Empress Du.

Not long after, Concubine Yang Xian and Concubine Yuan Shu led their concubines to visit him one after another.Among the group of Yingying and Yanyan, Yang Meiren and Yuan Cairen, whose abdomens were already swollen, looked particularly eye-catching.The two seemed to be respectful to Empress Du and the high-ranking concubines, and they did not dare to overstep, but when they caressed their abdomen inadvertently, they inevitably showed a little complacency.

Looking at the scene in front of him, Li Hui had a vague feeling of being in the middle of the battlefield.The cleverness in the words of the concubines in the harem is actually no less than the sharp words of the previous dynasty.What they can influence is not only their own status, but also the power in the court.Because what they are fighting for is not only the favor of the saint, but more importantly, the position of the crown prince of the Eastern Palace.With a group of such ambitious concubines, the seemingly "harmonious" scene in front of them may become extremely bloody in an instant.

Perhaps, the transformation of the pattern, and the beginning of everything, will come from the birth of a new little prince in the palace.Right now, I don't know how many people are staring at the bellies of Yang Meiren and Yuan Cairen, trying to find the most suitable opportunity to seek benefits for themselves.Queen Du was also waiting patiently and silently.

After all, the king of Xin'an County is a young man, and it is not suitable for him to stay among his concubines for a long time.So, Princess Changning took Princess Yong'an by the hand, and led him away far away.The three cousins ​​came to the plum forest that was slowly exhaling the cold fragrance, wandered around, and admired the red plums in full bloom.Princess Yong'an was even more busy picking plum branches and blowing fresh snow, her immature face was full of smiles.

Seeing that there was no one around, Princess Changning couldn't help but sneered and said, "Brother, did you see it? I don't know if it's a man or a woman, so everyone turned around them. Those new concubines know that after they give birth They will be promoted to Ninth Concubine, how can anyone dare to steal their edge? Even Concubine Yuan Shu and Concubine Yang Xian dare not act rashly, lest the other party will take advantage of them, and the gain is not worth the loss. Even A Niang treated them very well, almost responding to every request. "

"Little Yang is just a beauty now, and she already lives alone in the same hall, and she is very wary of Concubine Yang Xian and Pei Cairen. Little Yuan was afraid that she would be killed by Concubine Yuan Shu just after giving birth, so she fell on purpose two days ago. She almost met Hong, and A Niang had to transfer two medical girls from Shang Yao Bureau to serve her specially. If there are medical girls who pay attention to her medicine and diet, she will not be easily 'excused' by Concubine Yuan Shu."

"Why is Yue Niang angry?" Li Hui raised his eyebrows, "As a queen, my aunt is in charge of the affairs of the harem, so it is her duty to take care of them, isn't it? Besides, it is just to help them keep their children as much as possible at their request. It's all about my own life, and it doesn't take much effort. What's more, if my aunt helps at the right time, maybe I can get a little gratitude from them, and it may be useful in the future?"

"...I..." Princess Changning bit her lip, "I just feel sorry for Auntie. I always feel that no matter what Auntie does, it's just making wedding clothes for others. When they give birth to the prince, how can they agree? Give the child to A Niang to raise? Maybe you will hate A Niang, forget all the little kindness of today, and want to fight for the queen's position in your heart, and snatch the child back."

For a moment, she even thought rebelliously - is the prince so important?Why is she, the eldest princess, far better than the two younger brothers, but Grandpa still wants to have a son, and wants Grandpa to teach an equally outstanding prince?When it comes to patriarchal clan, she is the eldest; when it comes to talent, she is more confident than most people.However, because she is a woman, she has never been able to truly protect her mother and sister.The fate of the mother and daughter is still in the hands of the grandfather and the future prince, and they cannot control themselves.

However, she couldn't tell anyone about these inner feelings.A Niang is a daughter of an aristocratic family who obeys patriarchal etiquette, and her younger sister is still young... Even my brother dare not say it. After all, he is a man. I am afraid that he cannot understand her panic, and the state of mind that she is powerless to watch the enemy grow stronger. .

"Before competing for the position of empress, Yang Meiren must get rid of Concubine Yang Xian, and Yuan Cairen must get rid of Concubine Yuan Shu, and they are busy." Li Hui noticed that her mood was changing, and smiled soothingly, "Yue Niang, If you are concerned about it, you will be in chaos. If my aunt makes Concubine Yang Xian and Concubine Yuan Shu powerful, she will be in danger in the future. It is better to find some enemies for them, so that they are all battling and have no time to look around. As for Yang Meiren and Yuan Cairen, they want to threaten their aunt It’s still very early. Concubine Yang Xian and Concubine Yuan Shu will never sit back and watch them continue to advance safely and unharmed.”

Concubine Yang Xian has no favor, but she has the eldest son and eldest son, King Qi; Concubine Yuan Shu has no children, but she has the favor of a saint and the love of companionship for more than ten years.What do Yang Meiren and Yuan Cairen have?Even if both of them gave birth to a prince and were unwilling to be handed over to Empress Du for his upbringing, it would be nothing more than the addition of the third and fourth princes born out of concubines.If they can't fight Concubine Yang Xian and Concubine Yuan Shu, it will be difficult for them to stand out, let alone make progress.

Hearing this, Princess Changning's expression turned pale, and the uneasiness and worry in her heart eased a lot.She blinked her eyes, and suddenly asked: "Brother, why do you know so much about the harem?" It is clear that even the wife has never married, and it is probably impossible to separate from Wang Zixian in the future. Women's fights are well known, but it is really strange.

Li Hui could hear the joke in her words, and couldn't help laughing: "Don't you think this harem is very similar to the court?"

"……do not think so."

"Look, the left and right servants of Shang Shuxing are just like Concubine Yang Xian and Concubine Yuan Shu. If the six ministers below want to go further, they have to give up their positions. Although there are many prime ministers, there are those who are well-known and those who are not. The difference. Even if the 'Tong Zhong Shu Men Xia Ping Zhang Shi' is sealed, it is not as desirable as the left and right servants who have gained real power. This is the difference between having a favor and a status, and having a favor and no status."

"However, what should I do if my uncle thinks that the servants on the left and right are high in power, always against him, and can't move easily? Then it will be like my aunt accepting concubines, nurturing newcomers to be favored, and separating Concubine Yuan Shu and Concubine Yuan. Concubine Yang Xian's favor and prestige are so great. Promote her cronies, frequently add "Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi", divide the power of the left and right servants, and ensure that they are under my control. Look, isn't it very similar ?”

"..." For a moment, Princess Changning was speechless.

At the same time, the left servant, Wu Guogong Qin An, and the right servant, Jian Guogong Xu Ye, who were about to enter the palace to attend the New Year's Eve banquet, sneezed in unison.Both of them are elderly people in their sixties, not to mention sneezing, even coughing twice is a big deal.Therefore, Duke Wu's Mansion and Duke Jian's Mansion immediately invited the imperial physician to take pulse.After repeatedly confirming that both of them are fine, they drove away from the mansion and headed towards the palace.

Before the banquet officially started, Li Hui sat alone at the table, looked up at the unfamiliar but familiar face opposite him, and was slightly taken aback.He couldn't help recalling the grand occasion when the crowd flocked to the Yue Palace last year, feeling a little sad and a little disappointed.It has been three months since the people from the Liyue Palace left Chang'an. Have they arrived in Lingnan safely?

At that time, the private soldiers that Li Heng had handed over to him had already been sent out by him to secretly protect the safety of everyone in the Yue Palace.However, there were only 30 to [-] people, and he was still worried, so he sent some more songs presented by the prince, gathered nearly a hundred people, and divided into two teams to follow in turn.After all, with Princess Anxing's madness, perhaps they would not easily let the three of them go, and there would be no big mistake if they were careful.

"Xuan Qi..." Sitting across from him was the new King Jiang Xia who had just entered the capital.

This young county king in his twenties was tall and thin, his face was extremely pale, he had to cover his lips and cough a few times from time to time, even when he spoke, his voice was weak and short of breath, obviously he was seriously ill.The sage specially arranged for him to attend to the imperial doctor to see a doctor, and took pity on his frailty, so he gave him a idle job to support him.It is also because he is so weak that the clan's children who love polo hunting hardly have any contact with him, and he also stays behind closed doors all year round.

"How is the clan brother?" Li Hui smiled kindly at him.He is busy with official duties and doesn't often meet with Jiangxia County King.However, if they occasionally meet at a banquet, the two will chat a few words.

Of course, he never forgot that it is very likely that the Jiangxia County King still has his father's military connections in his hands, so he will always test it out inadvertently.However, the Jiangxia County King has never revealed any flaws, and has never interacted with the Princess Anxing, and has no objection to the saint's frequent transfer of the former Jiangxia County King's subordinates.

Wang Zixian judged like this: If this person is not loyal, he is a traitor.

After all, anyone would be somewhat annoyed that the saint had weakened the military power of the Prince Jiangxia lineage in such a way that he wanted to completely take it back for his own use.However, the young county king didn't seem to know the seriousness of the matter, and he still only cared about recovering from his illness, which was quite confusing.