[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

Tu Yuanyi sighed, and said: "I also know that you regard me as your... private property, and you can't control your jealousy, you can't even tolerate a housemate, let alone the high position of having children Concubine."

"I……"

"I know that you have been angry and uneasy. I will pamper you and pity you. If you don't understand me, I don't blame you. Don't be angry and suffer yourself."

Xing Xiuyan twitched the corners of his mouth, his eyes drifted a little, and said, "Well, Qilang, how do you... know 'what's on my mind'?"

"How could I not know? You are a woman who is so small-minded that she doesn't want to marry. You don't want a man to have a chance to be attractive, so you want to raise your face. If you don't want to be hurt, arm yourself with indifference."

Xing Xiuyan really didn't think about the problem from this angle, Tu Yuanyi held her in his arms, and gently stroked her back.

Tu Yuanyi lowered his head and kissed her forehead, and said softly: "The children of the past are also my children after all, I can't just ignore them, Xiuxiu, don't be annoyed. But, the four of them together are not as good as you of."

Xing Xiu was surrounded by smoke for a while, then raised his eyes to look at this man, he is indeed slowly changing, maybe he is still a man with patriarchal thinking, but he is already able to "comfort people" like this.

However, is it comparable to comparing your own daughter-in-law with your own children?

In the end, he may also feel that his seniority is wrong, and said: "Everyone in the harem combined is inferior to you in my heart. Although I don't want to touch the queen, it's not that I like her. Don't think about it and get jealous."

Xing Xiuyan closed her eyes slightly, and said following his comforting words: "I'm jealous, I'm uncomfortable. Qilang, you have so many concubines, and you have children with other people. I'm jealous that you have memories of youth and crystallization of love... ..."

Tu Yuanyi comforted "my child", patted her gently, and coaxed: "I know you are sad, but I am not as you think. You are all in my memory. Xiuxiu, be good, Stop being jealous, I will take you out to play in a few days."

Xing Xiuyan thought about it, men actually like women to be jealous, he is still very patient at this time, so he made another fuss.

"When you got married, you must have been full of expectations for the bride, the bridal chamber, and then you raised your eyebrows, the husband sang and the wife followed, and you had children. Don't lie to me, I can't compare, I can't even compare to the side concubine."

Tu Yuanyi comforted him with great patience, and coaxed him softly: "I have long been worried about those past events, but now I love Xiuxiu with all my heart. When Xiuxiu is good, I love her. When Xiuxiu is not good, I still can't do it after getting angry. Don't like it."

Will you say "love"?

Xing Xiuyan continued for a while.

It is said that work is a bad thing, but sometimes the woman who does it has sweets to eat, and Tu Yuanyi coaxed her to say that Xiumu would take her to ride a horse someday.

……

In the early morning of the next day, Ziyue led the four second-class maidservants to serve Xiuyan to get up. The emperor had to go to court early in the morning. He was a diligent emperor, and no matter how much he loved Xing Xiuyan, he would not miss the early court.

Originally, according to the palace rules, if menstruation came and her body was dirty, she could not serve the emperor, but she lived in the Ganlu Hall, and the queen had no control over it, so Tu Yuanyi stayed here.

After washing, Ziyue dressed her up and said with a smile, "How about wearing a Lingyun bun today, Your Majesty?"

Xing Xiuyan was sitting in front of the mirror of the big dressing table. This tribute-grade dressing table produced in Tu Yuanyi factory was resplendent and resplendent, and a counter was inlaid with golden opals.

Xing Xiuyan said with a smile: "There is also Lao Ziyue's skillful hands."

About a quarter of an hour later, the shape of the Lingyun bun was basically combed, with long pearl and jade tassels inserted on both sides, and a string of beads hanging from the forehead to wipe the forehead.Then there are palace maids presenting water-blue fairy skirts and water-red brocade bedding trimmed with gold, and put them on one by one.Around her neck, she wore a necklace of orchid necklaces and pearls and rubies, and four pairs of bracelets were worn on her hands.

I had bird's nest porridge and steamed buns for breakfast, and when I left the Ganlu Hall, there was already a phoenix chariot waiting for me.

Riding on the chariot all the way, today's chief eunuch Zhao Quan, the chief maids Ziyue and Qingxuan, two young eunuchs and two young maids, who were on duty today meandering towards Qifeng Palace.

She doesn't pay her respects every day, but basically she goes there once every five days. After paying her respects, she will go to the Palace of Kindness and Ci'an, and then come back for lunch. The afternoon is her own.Unless the Supreme Emperor urges her to write some articles on the spot, he will take a look and ask for corrections.

It is not too early for the harem to greet the queen, and the queen is too lazy to deal with it. Anyway, Tu Yuanyi basically does not come to the harem, and now it is rare to come to Qifeng Palace to stay overnight even on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar new year.

Empress Yang was naturally sad, because even if the sage came, he would sit and read the memorial all night, or write and paint about the affairs of the government, and sometimes he would not touch her after sleeping in the same bed.She knew that she was almost 30 years old, and women in the harem usually had no favors at this age.However, he has never touched her since he ascended the throne, for so many years.Last time, she took the initiative and displeased him once. He said that saving her was not for her to ask him to do something for her.

But Empress Yang loved him, how could she not love him?She told herself that it would be ridiculous to use the truth in the harem. If everyone didn't have it, she might be willing, but someone had it.

When Xing Xiuyan stepped into the main hall of Qifeng Palace, Empress Yang was sitting in the middle, Concubine Hui Wu, Concubine Gong and Concubine Min from Qiandi Liangdi, Concubine Wen and Concubine Jing were seated according to rank, four concubines and junior concubines A dozen or so concubines stood at the bottom.

"The concubine sees the empress." Xing Xiu smoked his body.

Empress Yang said indifferently: "Be flat."

As a noble concubine, Xing Xiuyan is naturally under one person and above ten thousand, and all the concubines bow to her.

Empress Yang ordered to sit, and after Xing Xiuyan took the first seat on the left, the atmosphere in the venue changed.

Empress Yang said: "Young concubine and younger sister have worked hard to serve the saint, so you don't have to be so diligent in paying your respects. I'm afraid that the saint will feel distressed when he travels between Taiji Palace and Qifeng Palace like this."

Xing Xiuyan felt that the lower concubines who had never eaten "dragon meat" were resentful, and Xing Xiuyan did not expect that Empress Yang would say that.This is not even pretending to be generous and moderate, it directly increases the hatred value.

Xing Xiuyan said: "Although the empress is sympathetic, but as a concubine, it is my duty to please her."

But everyone thought: If you really have the duty, you won't dominate the emperor.

But at this time, even Concubine Wen and Concubine Jing didn't say a word, it's not just that Concubine Yu Chen will go crazy, and it's not just that she's afraid of the East and West factories, but because yesterday's food didn't suit her taste, she stayed all night last night, Not much effort.It could have been called sick, but lying on the bed was even more uncomfortable, as if lying there waiting to die.

At this time, Aunt Liu, the female historian of Shangyi in Qifeng Palace, came up to pay her respects and said, "Empress, Lady Jia is here to bid farewell."

"Xuan." Queen Yang straightened her sleeves.

Jia Yuanchun was sent out of the palace by the sage yesterday, the matter is irreversible.If I had known this before, why did she not ask for favor once and refused to ask the queen to hold her thigh twice?

No, if she had known this before, why would she enter the palace to gain a future?She will be 30 years old now, where is she going?

Jia Yuanchun cried all night when she went back to her room last night, but she was still quarreled by the eunuch, who reminded her to pack her things so that she could leave the room for her successor.

She told the two eunuchs and two nuns who urged her to say goodbye to the empress, and hoped that there would be a one-in-a-million chance.Maybe the queen thinks of her kindness, so she can support her one or two in the future.But thinking about the future, I'm afraid that it would be best for me to be the mother who educates Miss Da, just like the mother who came to teach her when I was young.

Jia Yuanchun put away his tears, straightened his makeup, entered the main hall of Qifeng Palace, looked at the palace full of concubines, the jewels and emeralds were dazzling, and the room was full of splendor, but he had nothing to do with him, feeling a sense of loss in his heart.

"My servant, Jia Yuanchun, is meeting the Empress!" Jia Yuanchun is an old man in the palace, and his etiquette is not bad.

Looking at the caring female history who has been with her for many years, Empress Yang is actually reluctant to give up. Although she once went to seek refuge with Concubine Wu Hui, how could she find such a rich female history.

"Get up." Queen Yang said lightly.

After Jia Yuanchun got up, he said: "My servant is going home today. I don't know if I will have a chance to see my mother in this life..." Then he wiped away his tears, which were not fake at all.

Empress Yang was also infected, saying: "It's a blessing to be with your parents all the time." As she spoke, she asked the female officials on the left and right to take the rewards and hand them over to Yuanchun.But this idea is really insignificant compared with her more than ten years of expenses.

Jia Yuanchun also thanked her, but still hoped that Empress Yang would have other arrangements or favors, so that she would be more honorable in the future, and she would be more dignified living outside, but she didn't wait for it.

The last time Xing Xiuyan saw Jia Yuanchun was in the Royal Garden, she came to say hello, and she talked to her once.Taking a closer look, she is very similar to Jia Baoyu, her face is like the moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival, her facial features are delicate and beautiful, but she is not fresh at this age, women in ancient times age quite quickly even in the palace.

Rongguo Mansion is a place where thousands of reds cry and all beauties cry together. The harem is really a "pig slaughterhouse"! .

Perhaps it was because of this kind of resentment that she wanted to harm her, but Tu Yuanyi protected her too well, and the status of the two of them was too disparate, so she could only use that kind of small mind.

In the past, other people's drafts might have helpless people, but Jia Yuanchun missed the general election because of Jia Daishan's filial piety.She was less pitiful and more pathetic.

It was not the harem who did the crime, but her parents and herself.

Jia Yuanchun looked at Xing Xiuyan, who was dressed up to fit the appearance of a concubine who "loves the crown of the harem", and had mixed feelings.

Maybe she went to worship her, and she could give her a favor, but she had done that, but in the end she still couldn't do it. At this time, she went to worship her again, and left the main hall of Qifeng Palace with her head down and tears in her eyes.

Jia Yuanchun always felt that Daiyu helped her tell Xing Xiuyan about that matter, and she felt that even if Xing Xiuyan looked down on her and didn't arrange for her to sleep with her, she could still do her best to please her there.Jia Yuanchun has seen through everything, the sage does not have his own standards of likes and dislikes, or Xing Xiuyan is his standard.If Xing Xiuyan likes people, he will pay more attention to them. For example, her two righteous sisters are both made county lords, or people like Lian's second brother who are incapable of writing and martial arts have all become officials; He doesn't take a second look.Jia Yuanchun felt that as long as she had this opportunity, she might not be able to make one last gamble.Concubine Chen always has menstruation, or she is always going to be pregnant. During these times, people who are liked by Concubine Chen can catch the eyes of saints when they need someone to serve them.She never thought about competing with Concubine Chen for favor. She spent more than ten years in the harem, spending her youth and money on it. How could she give up? If she gave up, what would be waiting for her?

But Imperial Concubine Chen ignored her offer of refuge at all, and never paid any attention to her from the beginning to the end.

The more she is favored, the more she seems to be able to see her own tragedy. She often fantasizes how good she would be, how beautiful and happy she would be if she was the one who won the heart of a saint.She admires the saint, and he is her goal in this palace, and he is wise and powerful, how can she not admire him?

But she should be given a chance, for the sake of her relatives, she was only doing such a small favor to save her miserable life, even Concubine Chen was cold-hearted and unwilling.

Jia Yuanchun actually felt that his tragedies over the past decade were caused by Xing Xiuyan, and cast all his resentment on her.It snowed on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month. After Tingxiang sat in her small seat and left, the "smart" she thought of a complicated method.

Jia Yuanchun has been in the palace for many years, and the first day of the first lunar month when there is snow is also her birthday, so she went to pick plums and cover the remaining snow.And if there is no accident on New Year's Eve, the saint will stay in Qifeng Palace. She, the female historian next to the queen, naturally knows this, and will not harm the saint. She is the only one who passes there on the first day of the first lunar month.

Jia Yuanchun still thinks that no one knows what she did, and she even hides the fact that she is holding the piano.

Xing Xiuyan watched Jia Yuanchun stepping out of the main hall of Qifeng Palace, and secretly sighed: You are a beautiful woman, but you are obsessed with this, and if you have the opportunity to leave the palace as soon as possible, you will waste your life.

Otherwise, looking at it from another angle, if you don't become a concubine and leave the palace as soon as possible, it is the grace of Tu Yuanyi, which can change your fate of dying early and give you a chance for happiness, but you are not sure after all. opportunity ahead.

So, God helps those who help themselves.

Xing Xiuyan originally had a bit of Jia Baoyu's sympathy for her daughter, but at this moment, she suddenly remembered that Jia Yuanchun did not hesitate to betray Qin Keqing in order to pull her up.

When she was chatting with Tu Yuanyi, she asked curiously, and then Tu Yuanyi told her that the version of this life is:

After Jia Yuanchun betrayed Qin Keqing, Tu Yuanyi really "joyed the dragon's face" and rewarded her with 100 taels of silver, and then... of course there was no more.

Tu Yuanyi probably has a trace of black humor in his bones, and there is really nothing more slapping in the face than that.How much money did Jia Yuanchun spend to sleep in the palace, and he was rewarded 100 taels of silver for showing such a trump card! Does the "stingy emperor" feel that he is very generous!

Well, she doesn't seem qualified to say that he is "stingy". Her small private treasury can't even store anything, so she wants to borrow his small treasury.Come to think of it, he's actually quite generous.

……

However, Mrs. Xing said that this day Mrs. Xing went to wait in front of Jiamu to set the rules. At noon, the old lady fell asleep tiredly, and she was able to come out to see Sister Feng and Yingchun and Xichun who followed Sister Feng to learn housekeeping.

When Sister Feng saw the servant girl coming with Mrs. Xing in her arms, she couldn't help sympathizing with the exhaustion on her face, the old lady was in a bad mood.

Sister Lin and Ji were overjoyed yesterday, and their relatives stayed later. When Lin Ruhai came to say hello to Jia Mu, Jia Mu raised the matter of getting married again.Lin Hai coldly refused, and said: "It's absolutely impossible!"

Why didn't she vent her anger on Mrs. Xing today?Mrs. Xing's rules made her whole body ache, but her heart was full of depression. Knowing that Yingchun was not in the yard, she had to come here to vomit with her daughter and daughter-in-law.

"I don't even have time to drink water!" Mrs. Xing concluded after chirping.

Fortunately, she put two pieces of snacks before going, otherwise she would faint from hunger.The old lady was overstimulated by Lin Ruhai's attitude, and she had the idea that everyone should have a hard time.

Yingchun served attentively at the side, and Sister Feng comforted: "The old lady is always getting old, after two days she will feel tired and will rest."

Mrs. Xing complied, and said: "One bite at a time, one imperial concubine and one concubine embarrassing me."

It turns out that Jia's mother also said that it's a pity that the imperial concubine is not her daughter, and she has limited opportunities to borrow.

Sister Feng hugged Brother Rong and said, "What's wrong with the old lady, you can mention a few words about your mother, it's disrespectful to always mention it."

Mother Jia cried out, "The imperial concubine favors the aunt and makes the daughter-in-law unfilial to her mother-in-law." Mrs. Xing does not want this kind of crime, let alone implicate the reputation of the imperial concubine.What can Mrs. Xing do for an old lady who is somewhat unreasonable?

Mrs. Xing had no choice but to endure her. This filial piety suppressed her, and her parents did not separate the family.

Therefore, with Jia's mother's protection, the general situation inside the Rongfu cannot be changed for a while. Mrs. Wang is still the head wife, but now the servants are more towards Sister Feng.

Although Sister Feng is the housekeeper, she doesn't care much about the property, because none of the housekeepers who harvest the land is hers. What's the use of showing off such a small matter in the inner courtyard?

However, the Jia family has loose rules and is known as lenient, but in fact it has lost control. For example, in the original book, Wu Jinxiao, who is in charge of the farm, talks nonsense to Jia Zhen. Fake.And how good is Rongguo Mansion?Jia Lian now understands these things, but it is useless for Jia Mu to suppress him and Mrs. Wang to prevent him from making a real drastic move.

To be honest, Lin Daiyu's original management of the farm was much better than Jia's.

Mrs. Xing is at home now and no one dares to underestimate her. She can beat Mrs. Wang in the face from time to time, and Mrs. Wang has nothing to do with her, and most of the servants in the house are good at flattering Mrs. Xing.

Mrs. Xing, Sister Feng, Yingchun, and Xichun were talking together, and suddenly they heard Lin Zhixiao's family come to report: "A carriage and two yellow gates came to the gate, saying that it is from the palace to pass the decree."

Mrs. Xing was anxious and asked, "Where is the master?"

Lin Zhixiao's family said: "My family has gone to Dongfu to invite the master." Jia Amnesty is eating, drinking, and playing in Dongfu.

In the evening, when Jia Amnesty came back and changed into court clothes, Jia Zheng was also discussing articles with Qing Ke, and changed into court clothes to receive the order.Jia's mother, Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Xing and Sister Feng put on imperial costumes, and Yingchun, Jia Cong, Xichun, Xue's sisters and Li's sisters were all present in the mansion.

Jia Huan was in the final sprint before the scientific expedition to the Spring Festival. Originally, the Spring Festival started on February [-]th, but the sage felt that it was cold and postponed it to the [-]th.

Today is the thirteenth day, and time is running out.

Jia Huan was also a hard-working student in rural areas. It was common for him to stay up late and study hard for college entrance examinations. He is very aware of the reality. In this era, he can't hold on to anything without fame.It would not be so easy to go to the military for a doctorate. He doesn't know martial arts. Practicing martial arts and killing people is more difficult for him than studying.Fortunately, Jia Zheng attaches great importance to him now, and Jia Zheng also bets the second room's hopes on him. If there is a prodigy Jinshi, he can raise a prodigy, which is enough to make him famous all over the world.

Jia Huan was very curious, what kind of imperial decree could be passed on now, anyone who has seen the Red Chamber would know that the one who came to deliver the decree was related to Jia Yuanchun.

Did Jia Yuanchun become a concubine?But I think there is nothing wrong with the emperor, so many girls don't want to find a 30-year-old woman.Besides, isn't Xin Xiuyan very favored, and she is backed by the "reborn hero" Lin Ruhai.

Jia Huan guessed that Lin Ruhai is the protagonist here, and those modern things may have been seen by Lin Ruhai in later generations or told to him by Xin Xiuyan.

When Jia Huan was unconstrained, he followed his elder brothers and sisters to bow down. At this time, the eunuch who delivered the decree shook his whisk and stepped forward and said in a sharp voice: "The sage said in a sharp voice, that Jia Yuanchun, a female official from the Phoenix Palace, returned home to serve the old lady. Tianlun."

What? !The kneeling masters and servants were all stunned, and Jia Zheng was almost paralyzed.

It took a long while before Jia She took the whole family to kowtow to thank him.

The eunuch said: "General Jia, Mrs. Jia, Miss Jia is in the carriage outside the mansion. You can send a sedan chair to pick her up."

The eunuch knew that Mrs. Xing was the aunt of the imperial concubine, so she smiled politely when she spoke.

Jia Amnesty bowed respectfully and said, "My father-in-law is here. But the eldest niece is the daughter of my second brother. Let my second brother arrange someone to pick her up."

However, when Jia Shishi stood up, the words "return to the family with kindness" and "enjoy the family in peace" were still ringing in her mind. When she stood up, her eyes became black for a while, and she couldn't hold on and passed out.

"old lady!"

There was a panic in Jia's residence, and the younger generation surrounded her.Only Jia Amnesty knew how to socialize. Seeing that no one cared about it, he had no choice but to order his servants to send a soft sedan chair to pick Jia Yuanchun into the Rongqing Hall. As for what happened after entering, he didn't care.

Jia She gave money to the eunuch, but they didn't keep any more, so they left first.

Everyone is concerned about the fainting of Jia Mu. Mrs. Xing will be a filial daughter-in-law at this time, and Sister Feng will follow her mother-in-law closely, let alone Sanchun sisters.

Jia Huan had nothing to do with himself, he wanted to go back to his yard for dinner, and then read and write articles to practice writing.Only Baoyu and Mrs. Wang are concerned about Jia Yuanchun's return to the mansion.

Although Baoyu is Tom Su and Phoenix Egg, it's hard to say how much evil he has.

Many juniors were nervous about the old lady who passed out, but after a while, a green cloth soft sedan chair, accompanied by two nuns, carried Jia Yuanchun into the Chuihua Gate, and the old maid could only walk with her piano in her arms.

Since entering the palace, the mother, daughter, brother and sister have not seen each other for more than ten years. The three of them burst into tears when they saw each other.

However, since Jia Yuanchun came out of the palace in the morning, she hadn't been to the latrine, she kept holding back, and when she arrived at the gate of Rongguo Mansion, the eunuch had to deliver the decree first, and the person who took her into the mansion was long overdue.

After crying for a while, she went into the room to change clothes.

Mrs. Wang was deeply affected by Jia Yuanchun's return to the mansion but barely supported her. If she ignored this daughter, there would be no place for her.

But Baoyu said there: "The eldest sister has finally returned from that shady place. From now on, the sisters will all be together, and it is best to be harmonious and beautiful."

It was like a steel knife piercing Mrs. Wang's heart. Mrs. Wang looked at her innocent son who didn't want to grow up, and said, "Baoyu, you should be sensible."

Their second room, now Jia Yuanchun has no hope, no dignity, the old aunt is alone at home; Jia Huanwan will not really respect her even if she gets rich, she will not help Baoyu; Jia Lan is still young; Jia Tanchun is also a child of a concubine, now Flattering Sister Feng and getting involved with Jia Huan.If Baoyu doesn't stand up to bear the family budget and family hope, what will happen in the future?