[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

Although the men stood a little far away, they also looked at Wang Xifeng curiously, and Jia Huan looked at Tanchun. Although he devoted himself to studying, he also knew what this sister was thinking.Jia Huan used to be resentful in his heart, if it weren't for his weak foundation, just such a sister, who wanted to expand the family network, he would have never wanted to talk to her.

Jia Huan has worked hard in the modern workplace and knows the importance of connections.

But even if he was the number one scholar in high school and Jia Baoyu died suddenly, Rongguo Mansion could not be inherited by his second-best son. Besides, Rongguo Mansion collapsed in the end, and it would be useless for him to come.

He went south for scientific research. Baoyu was so rich that he never thought that brother Youai would give him money.

Jia Huan thought that Jia Lian was not as rich as Jia Baoyu. The original book said that he was "used to not keep money in his hands", so he gave him 50 taels.But they didn't know that this time Jia Huan was beautifying Jia Lian. Jia Lian had some money, but his own small coffers were not rich, and most of the couple's private houses were in the hands of Wang Xifeng.

This is the reason for a reprint. In the original book, it is stated that Baoyu doesn't like to be close to his brothers, but only loves to be close to his sisters.And what he hates the most is official career and economics. Jia Huan is obsessed with fame and fame, and he is very good at reading the four books and five classics, which makes it even more difficult for him to gain a foothold in front of Jia Zheng.Even if Baoyu would hide things for Caiyun in the original book, it would be "respectful of flowers". If he funded Jia Huan's scientific research in the south, it would be tainted. How could he do such a thing?

After all, Jia Huan had read A Dream of Red Mansions in middle school, and there are still conscientious aspects of Jia Lian caring for Jia Huan in the original work.The big house and the second house are fighting for the return, but in the ancient clan society, most of them really couldn't write two Jia characters in one stroke. Jia Huan regarded Jia Lian, who had a conscience and was favored by saints because of Xing Xiuyan, as his future fellow clan helper in his official career. , and Jia Baoyu was listed by him as "no use value".

Therefore, Jia Huan saw through Jia Tanchun's self-seeking nature, but he didn't hate the big room for taking the second room's limelight.

When Jia Huan was thinking about it, the female relatives were mostly joining in the fun.Li Wan, Yingchun, Xichun, and the Li family sisters and Baoqin who just came to Jia's mansion this winter also looked at Wang Xifeng curiously.

Wang Xifeng immediately unwrapped the bag and lifted the cloak, only to see that the big fur of the fire fox was red and shiny, without a trace of stray hairs, and the leather outside the pass was much thicker and smoother than inside the pass.I'm afraid it will take several pieces of leather to make it together, which is really rare.Sometimes even if you have silver, you can't get it. It is more precious than the bird gold fur that Jia Mu gave Baoyu and the duck face fur that Baoqin gave to Baoqin. Everyone admired it.

Tan Chun Qiao said: "Sister-in-law wears this big cloak to go out in the first month, even those princesses and concubines are incomparable."

Sister Qiao surrounded her mother and said, "When I grow up, my mother will let me wear it for a few days."

Xi Chunchi laughed and said, "When you grow up, why don't you have to give you all the good things from Sister Feng?"

Wang Xifeng always likes the bright and beautiful color, so it's not because of the special kindness of the imperial concubine or empress, she also loves this cloak very much.

After she showed it to everyone, she folded it with great care, and asked Ping'er to wrap it up and put it away.

Mrs. Xing moved all the things that Concubine Chen gave to the female relatives back to the East Courtyard first, saying that she would go back and divide them up, and then distribute them to the grandmothers and girls.

Even without Wang Xifeng's invaluable cloak, the gifts from Imperial Concubine Chen were not light.

For example, the things that were rewarded during the Zhoumu Jiayuan Spring Festival were not worth any money, but the fun was the most important thing.The thing in the hands of the really favored concubine is different from the false name that the money piled up.Let's look at when the concubines Yang Guifei and Wan Guifei, who were really favored in history, nearly emptied their families because of their concubines?Only chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

When Mrs. Xing returned to the east courtyard and opened it, she found that Concubine Chen had divided the things up. Each portion was packed in a gift box with her name written on it.

Jiamu, Mrs. Wang, Li Wan, Wang Xifeng, Sanchun, Baochai, Xiangyun, Baoqin, Li Qi, Li Wen, Qiaojie all have them.But Mrs. Xing has always loved property, and Imperial Concubine Chen asked her to distribute it to the female relatives, so she would not hinder it if she looked at it.

So she opened the boxes to look, and found that the items were actually different. The colors of the palace satin materials were not the same, but the pearl strings seemed to be slightly larger than the spring ones, followed by Xiangyun.And the gold hairpins given to her aunt and the old lady Jiamu are more gorgeous and heavier than others, and the real relatives are double-shared for her alone. Even if others have better things, even Jiamu is single. portion.

This made Mrs. Xing very satisfied. She thought to herself that it was her niece. For many years, only this niece was the most caring. Ever since she had a niece who was a concubine, she laughed every day when she slept.

She has learned from Mrs. Wang to worship Buddha, but she does not ask for anything next to the Buddha every day, but only asks for a thousand years for the imperial concubine and empress, who will stay young forever and capture the heart of the saint forever.This is foreign language.

But she said that the hairpins for the girls are the same color, and Sister Feng's hairpin is a little lighter than hers, but the style is gorgeous.For Li Wan and Mrs. Wang, it is more common. Li Wan is a widow and should not be luxurious, but for Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Xing wants to laugh.

Among them, it is different for Yingchun. Not only are the beads the largest and most uniform, but also secretly put things in the box that other girls don't have. Apart from the golden phoenix hairpin, there is also a set of hundred flower bead hairpins.

But now Shi Xiangyun is not in Jia's house, and the empress has prepared her share, and her pearl chain is better than Tanchun, Baoqin and Li's sisters, and slightly better than Xichun and Baochai's. Baby's eyes are always the most vicious, which makes Mrs. Xing strange.

Xing Xiuyan is repaying the people in the original book again. Xing Xiuyan is a commoner woman who lives among a group of noble ladies.Her birthday happened to be on the same day as Jia Baoyu, Xue Baoqin, and Ping'er. No one remembered her birthday, only Shi Xiangyun mentioned it with a bit of chivalry, and let the poor girl celebrate her birthday.

Later generations who studied red studies and liked Daiyu often disliked Xiangyun and hated her for comparing Daiyu to an actor, and said that Xiangyun, a young lady from the Hou family, fawned on a merchant girl and lost the dignity of a proud girl from the Hou family.

But it also shows that in fact she doesn't have any scheming, and she doesn't care too much, otherwise she wouldn't follow Xue Baochai like this.

Xing Xiuyan loves Daiyu the most, but there is no need to hate Baochai and Xiangyun. The gap between them and Daiyu is real, and there is no need to take revenge on anyone, and the future results will naturally be different.

In fact, Daiyu doesn't hate them now, and there is no hatred in the original book. Baoyu is the only one who really hates them.On the contrary, most of the readers of later generations are dissatisfied with her, and hate Baochai and Xiangyun.

Baochai flattered Xing Xiuyan, and the gift she gave was really not light, so she just gave her some face, and at the same time, it was also a repayment for her kindness in the original work.

It is also because Xin Xiuyan cherishes her daughter and knows that people are "good and evil". Even if she is soft-hearted and kind-hearted, she will not let Tu Yuanyi out in the face of the miserable situation of the poor concubine in the harem; Zheng Miaohong's three views are correct, and even now she won't tell Tu Yuanyi that she wants him to respect and love his wife.

It is also her moral stain.

If Tu Yuanyi wanted to be an emperor, of course he was also "good and evil". He had done a lot of murder and oppression.Although he favored the eunuchs, it was not uncommon for him to get rid of the eunuchs.He knew what kind of person Jia Yucun was, but it was useful to him, and he also let him have a prosperous official career for the time being.

Therefore, in terms of ethics and morality, everyone has their own "evil", so she will not be too demanding of "perfection" for people and things, and demanding others' personal/things, selfish/virtue, will only make no one around her. one person.

Let's look at who is the most important person in history who has perfect personal morality, and how can the "national scholars" around the important person have perfect personal morality?Just like Han Xin, if he is successful, he will be rampant. If you follow the aesthetic standard of "modest and honest", Han Xin is also extremely immoral.All those who put up the moral archway in their careers and demand that everyone be a "moral sage" don't need to do anything.

Xin Xiuyan feels that her knowledge is limited, and the only one who admires and worships in terms of morality is the great prime minister.

At the beginning, Tu Yuanyi was worried about her soft and sentimental nature, but he could see it more clearly when she was intimate with each other, but he couldn't help sighing that this kind of tolerance for human shortcomings is rare for a woman, and it's no wonder he loves her so much.

It is also her temperament foundation, tempered by experience, that will be able to achieve a legend in the future, this is an outside story.

Mrs. Xing saw that the things were all divided up, she hadn't dared to touch the things that the imperial concubine had divided, and she was also worried that she would be disappointed if the imperial concubine was offended, and she had no big backer, so after seeing it, she was very distressed and wanted to give it away go out.

Yingchun is now raised in the East Courtyard. Madam Xing kept her own share and her share, and sent Wang Shanbao's family and several wives to carry boxes and cages to each courtyard for distribution.

It was first punished by Jiamu, Mrs. Wang, and Sister Feng, and by the way, Tanchun and Xichun who still lived in Baoxia, and then she and Li's sisters were given to Li Wan, and finally arrived at Lixiangyuan. To Baochai and Baoqin.

Wang Shanbao's family swayed all the way, feeling pain and happiness. The pain was because they had walked too much and they were tired. The happiness was because it was a very dignified thing to distribute the gifts from the imperial concubine and empress.Wherever you go, you can't be polite. No matter what Jia Mu thinks in her heart, she has to be respectful on her face.

……

But when Wang Xifeng returned to her room, she asked Ping'er to bring out the big fur that the imperial concubine and empress had rewarded her.

Ping'er said with a smile: "Grandma's fur coat is more precious than the one that the old lady gave to Baoyu! You said that your mother knows so many people, but others don't reward you, but you reward grandma."

Wang Xifeng said with a smile: "Your hoof is making fun of your grandma." But Wang Xifeng was really proud of it, she loved people to praise her the most, and she valued face very much.She used to say that the Wang family was so and so, but Jia Lian told her that the Wang family is actually not that good now. Her uncle, Wang Ziteng, is not highly valued today. If it is important among relatives, it belongs to Uncle Lin.Because so many people had died, Wang Xifeng had heard too much, and even Kuang woke up from a dream in blood.

But in the afternoon, Wang Shanbao's family came to deliver things. Sister Feng was very happy to see it.Think about it, in the end, the empress is kind and will not cheat others. She puts a lot of effort into preparing the gift, and everything pays off.

When Jia Lian returned to the house, she praised Sister Feng again, and Sister Feng also praised Jia Lian. She cast her winking eyes and said, "Second Master Lian, don't talk about me. You are the cousin of the imperial concubine. I can't get past you no matter what."

Jia Lian got her to speak softly, he is busy with business and has no time to spread incense, how can he not be tempted?

It doesn't matter day or night, just hug it and fall on the kang...

……

Although Mrs. Wang deeply hated Xing Xiuyan for becoming a noble concubine, the amount of money her daughter paid was not a waste.But there is no reason for her to refuse a gift, besides, she has paid out of the private treasury to give the gift to Concubine Chen, but it was given by the big house, and she got it for nothing.

But what Wang Shanbao's family said in front of her was quite harsh, and they praised Xing Xiuyan for a while, such as "being born extraordinary", "being favored as soon as you enter the palace at a young age", "wealth and honor are destined, and others can't ask for it" "etc.

Mrs. Wang's face was livid, and she asked Zhou Rui's family to collect the things, and then served tea to see off the guests.

Seeing that Wang Shanbao's family didn't even have a silver reward, they went out of Rongxitang and let out a sigh in their hearts: You are not justified and occupying Rongxitang, let's see how long you can keep it.The wife has the support of the empress, and sooner or later she will enter the Rongxi Hall.Giving birth to a daughter is like bragging about it, and it is so precious and good fortune, what kind of air is there in the palace of old death!

Baochai and Baoqin were very polite when they saw the gift from Wang Shanbao's family, but Wang Shanbao took the things and opened them. Baochai couldn't help being overjoyed when he saw the good things, thinking that the imperial concubine accepted her offer .

Baochai also saw many things clearly because of Lin Daiyu's cold treatment and alienation from Jia Baoyu because she was a lady of the family last time.

Now I don't want my aunt to marry her to Baoyu right away, I just want Wang Xifeng to pull her up once for the sake of my cousins, so that I can help her meet an official family.Baoyu didn't take the imperial examination, and after Lian Erke attacked the noble, the mansion stopped and there was no favor for Baoyu.

As long as Jia Baoyu's ancestors are gone, he really has nothing but a private house, and he can't stand up for him.When Baochai suffers, he suffers from the man who has no roof and a door in the family. Let's see how Daiyu is honored to have a father?Her brother is like this, and her husband is like Baoyu. What will she do in the future?

Wang Xifeng used to have a normal relationship with her, but she went to her place to get close a few times, and was friendly with sister Qiao and brother Rong, Wang Xifeng was affectionate and sympathetic.

Aunt Xue also prepared a generous gift for this year's festival, and gave it to Wang Xifeng in private, and euphemistically talked about Baochai, and now she only said that she would pay attention to suitable people.

……

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, Lin Zhixiao's family was ordered to send Xiangyun's reward to Bowlinghou's mansion.Shi Xiangxue, the biological daughter of Xiangyun and Mrs. Baolinghou, was accompanying Mrs. Baolinghou to meet Lin Zhixiao's family.

Mrs. Baolinghou asked about the reason for Lin Zhixiao's visit. Lin Zhixiao's family smiled and said: "It's nothing, it's too late to come here yesterday. Yesterday the palace gave rewards, and the imperial concubines and empresses in the palace also gave things to the mansion. Female relatives, let our eldest wife assign everyone. The empress has also heard about the relationship between Miss Shi and "He Yuxian Jun" and the second girl since childhood. She remembers Miss Shi and rewarded her. Our eldest wife Let me deliver it."

Xiangyun also stayed in Jia's mansion a few years ago, and he knew that Lin Daiyu's eldest sister and Yingchun's cousin were the imperial concubines who favored the harem.Xiangyun thought that he had no chance to see his empress, but he didn't expect that sister Lin and second elder sister would still ask her about her. Thinking that he had no father or mother, the imperial concubine and two cousins ​​really treated her, so he couldn't help feeling grateful.

Xiangyun's eyes moved, and he said with a smile: "The imperial concubine is really a kind person, even I can give this grace."

Mrs. Baolinghou also smiled at Lin Zhixiao's family and said, "I'm sorry to trouble Mommy for making this trip."

He also signaled to the mother next to him to reward Lin Zhixiao's family with a tael of silver carcass.

Then someone from Lin Zhixiao's family brought in a small box. Shi Xiangxue stepped forward to open it curiously, and first saw a piece of fine sky blue palace satin, enough to make a robe.There was another small red box, Xiangyun opened it, and it turned out to be a gleaming red gold phoenix hairpin. Goodbye to that string of pearls, the grains were as big as a lady's finger, and the grains were uniform.

Mrs. Baolinghou's eyes lit up when she saw it, and she said, "This is a string of South Sea pearls, the size and quality of this string, I don't know how many pearl divers are needed to get it together."

Shi Xiangxue wondered, "How does mother know?"

Mrs. Baolinghou said: "In the early days, your great-grandfather was still alive. He took care of the tributes from various places. I saw them when I was young. As for the best tributes, even in the palace, I am afraid that they are only the imperial concubine. Only love can be obtained."

Seeing Shi Xiangyun, Shi Xiangxue couldn't help being jealous, she is now the prostitute of Marquis Baoling, and she deserves the good things in the mansion.

Goodbye, there are soap, palace fans, rouge, sachets and other things, all of which are exquisite things from my daughter's family.As for the high-grade scented soap, it costs a tael of silver outside, and the scent of flowers given by the palace is naturally different.

In order to inherit his elder brother's title, Marquis Baoling almost exhausted his family's wealth, so he saved a lot of money in the mansion, which is no better than Jia's mansion living on the grain.

A eldest daughter like Shi Xiangxue who was born on the same day only had three decent sets of clothes, and two sets of clothes on the fourth day of the month. In addition, the mother gave some rouge money, and other fine things were hard to come by. She herself often did needlework in the house.

But Shi Xiangyun said that he would give the palace satin to Shi Xiangxue and the gold hairpin to Mrs. Baolinghou. What Shi Xiangxue wanted was the string of beads, but Shi Xiangyun never mentioned it.But Mrs. Baolinghou is not greedy for Shi Xiangyun now.In fact, everything about Shi Xiangyun's parents was inherited by Marquis Baoling. That was a fortune of millions plus titles, nothing compared to these things.

It's just that Fan's mother is always unhappy that other people's daughters surpass her own daughter, and Shi Xiangyun is not very close to her, so she is not very happy.

……

The outside of the palace was full of joy and preparations for the new year, and the festivals and rewards were endless. Jia Yuanchun was also very busy arranging various things because he was the queen's palace.

It didn't stop until the 28th of the twelfth lunar month.

On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, she rested in her room when she was not on duty.In the afternoon, she was sitting on the kang doing some needlework, but a big court lady next to the queen came to listen to the incense, and the servant who held the piano served tea, and the three of them ate tea and chatted together.

Ting Xiang and Jia Yuanchun have known each other for several years, and she was also in awe because she was the granddaughter of Rong Guogong.Ting Xiang is 25 years old. She entered the palace at the age of six and has never been outside the palace. I don't know if she has any relatives outside the palace.But another year will come, and one year older, as a woman, I also lament that the age is easy to grow old, and there is nothing I can do.

Yuanchun's master and servant couldn't help feeling sad after hearing Tingxiang's words.

There was a strong wind outside, and it snowed at dusk. The border of Kyoto was very cold in winter. As a female historian, she also waited on people, so there was not enough charcoal fire in winter.

Yuan Chun naturally had silver envoys in his hands, so he used exceptional charcoal.

Ting Xiang talked about the affairs in the palace, and said: "The concubine de concubine is seriously ill again, but this time it is worse than the last one. In the morning, the empress asked me to lead someone to deliver some medicinal materials and supplements. The concubine de concubine can't get up anymore, and the second princess is also secretly wiping tears in the room. It's really pitiful."

Yuan Chun said: "It's really pitiful, but the Cui family is not in the capital now, otherwise the family members of Empress Defei can come to the palace to see her, she also has a comfort."

Ting Xiang said in a low voice again: "The empress is kind-hearted, and sent Eunuch He to the Taiji Palace to invite the saint, but the saint was also unmoved, and never even took a look at her."

Yuan Chun couldn't help but feel chilled by the emperor's hard-heartedness. There was a newcomer in the Taiji Palace, and Concubine Chen had completely wooed Sacred Heart.Otherwise, she risked letting her cousin spread the word that day, and there is no news today, even if she is really just an ordinary court lady.

It is getting more and more difficult for Yuan Chun to work for the empress, because she once flattered Concubine Wu Hui, and the empress also has a knot in her heart. She lost her original favor and spent more money.

After hearing this, Yuan Chun said calmly: "The sage is busy with government affairs, so he can't get away from him."

Hearing Yuan Chun say this, Xiangxiang gave a look of "you understand, I understand". Now that the pen is closed at the end of the year, how can the government be busy?

At this time, Baoqin refilled Tingxiang's tea, Tingxiang smiled and said: "I actually drank up my sister's pot of good tea, but it was a waste."

Yuan Chun only smiled slightly, and said, "It's just ordinary tea, a pot of well water."

Ting Xiang looked out of the window and said, "It's snowing again. I remember that three years ago, my sister picked the snow from the plum blossoms to seal up after the snow. Later, she made tea for the empress. The empress liked it very much. My sister later returned Give me a drink."

Baoqin smiled and said, "That was a lot of work. Now we don't have any here anymore. If sister Tingxiang wants to drink, she can pick snow by herself."

Ting Xiang smiled and said, "I'll be on duty night after day, how can I be so energetic during the day?"

I can only talk about it, let alone mention it.