Emperor Que Shaohua

It was more than a year ago that official historian Du Heng brought his family to live in Lantai.Except for last year's evaluation by the Ministry of Officials, he was promoted to a higher rank as a rule, so he and his family's life can be said to be calm and unchanged.If you have to find something worth talking about, it is probably because the attention that once surrounded Du Tangli is getting less and less, and finally tends to disappear.

After meeting King Ning in Gu Changshi's mansion and moving to Lantai, Du Tangli once received many invitations from royal ladies and Miss Gongqing.It is rare for His Royal Highness to take care of a woman. This young lady from the Du family is so lucky that she might fly up to a branch.All the female relatives rushed to express their goodwill and win over and make friends as soon as possible.For a month or two, Du Tangli was worried every day about having to go out for appointments.She really doesn't like to be in the eyes of curious and probing eyes. Those wives with royal titles, princesses and county heads in gorgeous clothes, all of them are friendly and kind, some of them are better than Yao Qian'er, but Du Tangli can sense that there are ulterior motives in them The scrutiny, the overtones revealed from time to time, the hostility and disdain hidden behind the enthusiasm.They seemed to never let go of the opportunity to hint: You are not suitable or worthy of the fifth prince at all, so go back to your proper place!

It stands to reason that although Du Heng's rank is not high, he is not considered a small official of sesame and mung bean. If he can get a real vacancy, he will still be able to do a lot if he goes out of Beijing to take a foreign post.However, there are many high-ranking officials and princes in the capital, Mr. Du is of mediocre background, has no real power, no external wealth, and is not good at making connections, and only guards a salary to support his family. Of course, he is not taken seriously.

It is true that Du Tangli never saw King Ning again. He only learned some news intermittently through his father's occasional leaks and the discussions of the female relatives when he was supposed to make an appointment. He should be very busy and even more busy than before. Won reuse, attracted much attention.Du Tangli received fewer and fewer invitations, and every time he had to go out, the reception he received showed signs of indifference and neglect.Sure enough, His Highness the Fifth Highness was just on a whim, otherwise, no matter how busy he was, he wouldn't have expressed it for a long time.

Perhaps only Princess Danyang's attitude remained the same. After the Huangjue Temple incident, Luo Xuening not only sent her servants to bring a lot of valuable clothing materials, but also invited her to the palace to talk and go to the Royal Garden to see the deer together after a while. Blocked a lot of sarcastic remarks.Du Tangli could feel that the princess really took to heart what she had testified for King Ning and intended to help.She also thought of Jing Wang Luo Yuhua time and time again, even though it was just a hasty conversation in the carriage at night, she would never forget it.Around King Ning, there are people who really care and love him.

When the turbulent waves from the outside pass through the high walls of Lantai, and when you are awakened by the drum in the Chonghua Palace in the middle of the night, or when you see the fire in the direction of the Hanzhang Hall in the palace, Du Tangli often feels sad. She hopes that she can Do something, even a little help, but no matter King Jing, King Ning or Princess Danyang, they are all so far away, she is too small, and her strength is too meager.

The only thing Du Tangli could do was to sneak out of the house without telling her father, stand under the arena of the Jingyu Guard Academy, and watch King Ning defeat the Beiliao masters amidst tsunami-like cheers.This little wish can be fulfilled thanks to meeting the black-clothed young man I met with King Jing, otherwise, with her and the servant girl Qin Hua, I wouldn't even be able to squeeze in the school grounds.

As for the two pairs of cloth shoes Luo Pingyuan received, the process was even more accidental.When Du Tangli was invited into the palace for the second time, Luo Xuening was embroidering a pair of insoles and said with a smile that they were made for Brother Wuhuang.At that time, I didn't know whether the princess was on purpose or not, halfway through the refreshments, she suddenly remembered an important matter, she hurriedly got up and went to the main hall to report to Concubine Rong, temporarily leaving the guests behind.Sitting alone in the palace room, Du Tangli was surrounded by no one. She accidentally picked up the exquisite insole that was about to be embroidered, and quickly measured the size with her fingers, her heart pounding.

When she was threading needles and threads at home, she felt that she was ridiculous, but the needles and threads in her hands could not help but become more and more delicate. She spared the time before going to bed every night and finished two pairs before giving up; The original sugar purse was kept in one place, and I didn't expect it to be sent out.

Du Heng's character is rigorous and a little too old-fashioned. After moving to Lantai, he was particularly strict with the house. He was afraid that the family members would have unreasonable thoughts and inappropriate words and deeds would cause trouble; he also worried that his daughter's hope in vain would end up being hurt.But when his aunt discovered Du Tangli's hidden shoes and told her quietly, Du Heng just sighed deeply and didn't say a word.Not long after, King Ning was about to go to the south of the Yangtze River by order, and Du Tangli found that the cloth shoes she used for reading were missing.She kept silent and searched quietly for several days, only to realize that it was taken away by her father, and she made up a piece of Cheng Yi and sent it to Prince Ning's Mansion.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the fifth prince returned to Beijing to renew the decree. The Du family, which had been quiet for a while, began to have visitors again. Du Tangli also received long-lost invitations from the palace ladies, but the number and enthusiasm were far less than a year ago. It should be mostly a heuristic guess.Du Tangli said that she was unwell, but she declined all of them, and did not go to the appointment once.She thought it was funny, but at the same time she was a little wronged. Ning Wang Mingming let her family live in Lantai temporarily for safety reasons, and he never made any promises other than that. In the end, everyone thought it had some deep meaning, which made her bear the burden in vain. With a false reputation, people will make trouble and watch jokes at every turn.But compared to these small emotions, she was more worried, because even if the news was as closed as the Du family, she still heard the wind intermittently.His Royal Highness King Jing was seriously ill, and the conflict with the emperor became increasingly acute. King Ning also resisted the decree to delay his return, and the air in Los Angeles was filled with tension.

Du Tangli sometimes unconsciously lost her mind, she is just a small person, but because she can't do anything, she is under the wing of protection and can live in peace.However, the princes, princesses, and even the emperor, who are looked up to by everyone, have endless worries and burdens, and are often in danger around them.

Sure enough, the Fifth Highness was reprimanded the next time he returned to Beijing, and asked to resign from Jing Yuwei. It is said that the Holy Majesty was very displeased with his position.Then, there was an uproar in the government and the public. Although Du Heng never mentioned it, his sister-in-law Chen at home would always tell a big piece of the latest rumors when she came back from shopping for vegetables.

For several months, the visitors and invitations related to King Ning have completely disappeared.As the New Year's Eve was approaching, Du Heng called Du Tangli and his aunt to the inner room one night, and solemnly announced his decision: "Living in Lantai is a last resort, and now there is no danger of murdering the murderer. Then choose a day to resign, and the family will go back to the village."

"If you go back to your hometown, you won't be an official anymore?" My aunt was stunned for a moment, and said in embarrassment, "It's fine to go back, but what about Zhong'er, I'm only halfway through school, so don't delay my studies."

"I asked Zhong'er to stay in the same year in Jingzhong, and then return to his hometown to take the exam after completing his studies." Du Heng said firmly, "As a human being, we must know how to advance and retreat. We have received a lot of care, and we should leave voluntarily. "

Du Tangli didn't say anything, and went back to her room silently.After the new year, she is going to die, and there is less than one year left in the three-year filial piety period.She understands her father's painstaking efforts, and if she continues to stay in Beijing, it may be difficult to find a suitable marriage.

Tears slowly filled his eyes. Earlier, although he only sent a thin piece of Cheng Yi, it was his father who gave up his face and tried his best. He didn't belong to that world, so he should put it away. Cranky, back to reality.

The new year is coming, and the first month is not over yet, the news that His Majesty is planning to marry the fourth prince and the fifth prince has become the focus of attention. When most of the back houses in Los Angeles are inquiring about the news and fighting secretly, Du The house was unusually quiet.Du Heng was busy sorting out and revising the manuscripts that he had been editing for the past two years, and was about to hand in his resignation in March. Du Tangli smiled at the letterhead written by her friend in her boudoir, and was busy helping her aunt count the clothes and tidy up.

She felt that her mind was at peace until one afternoon a few days later, when she was arranging the books she planned to take away in her room, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the door, followed by a "bang", it should be that some decoration was knocked over, Qin Hua Still running along the way and shouting: "Miss, miss!" Finally, he stumbled and pushed open the door.

When did Qin Hua become so unruly?Du Tangli frowned, and was about to say a few words to this girl, but when she saw Qin Hua's face full of disbelief, she almost wept with joy: "Miss, something big happened! King Ning, the Fifth Highness sent someone to post, saying, Said he wanted to see you!"

It was so sudden, Du Tangli stood there in shock, holding a book of Liuhe River in his hand, at first he thought he heard it wrong, and then suspected that Qin Hua was talking in his sleep.But my aunt followed closely into the room, looking equally flustered and excited, and muttered in a loud voice: "Quickly ask Mrs. Chen to buy some snacks, the house has to be cleaned up, so don't be rude! There are also Tangli to wear. clothes..." As he spoke, he began to wipe the corners of his eyes, "My good niece, you are about to come out! When your mother gave birth to you, a big colorful bird flew from the tree outside the room. You don't leave for an hour, and many people in the town have seen it. Auntie knows that you are destined to be a nobleman!"

King Ning, who had never been to the door, asked to see Du Tangli when he was about to choose the future princess. Even a fool could figure out the meaning.

Du Tangli was stunned for a moment, but felt that everything was unreal.It was hard for her to convince herself to let go, to bury the thoughts and hopes of the past forever in her heart, and she also believed that she would be able to be at ease.But the Fifth Highness, who had never taken the initiative to look for her, appeared when his father was about to resign. The resolution he had just made and the calm he had worked so hard to maintain were about to be broken again.And the future, what will happen in the future?Should she really strive for what her aunt called "getting ahead" and enter that world, which everyone envied, was bound to be treacherous and full of scheming?

Since the official visit will inevitably bring some unnecessary troubles, the meeting place between His Royal Highness Ning Wang and Du Tangli is not at Du's house, but at a hexagonal pavilion in the west of Lantai. The location is relatively remote. unobtrusive.The weather was especially cold, for the sake of Miss Du's reputation, tulle was used to block the wind around the pavilion, and a heater was placed in the middle, so that people could be seen indistinctly from a distance.

After the morning court ended, Luo Pingyuan changed into casual clothes, brought only four guards, and entered the Lantai through the side entrance of the palace.Half of his thoughts are still on government affairs, while the other half is still hesitating.Meeting first, King Jing's suggestion is undoubtedly reasonable, but until now, he is still not sure what he wants to say to Du Tangli, and whether he can find the answer in just a short while.

The beginning of spring has just passed, and the pond in the garden is connected to the water vein of Taiye Pond. It has not completely thawed, but the soil on the bank has slightly soaked in moisture, revealing a bit of early spring.It is conceivable that within a few days, the wicker will be green and the peach blossoms will be in bud.

Lantai is a place for compiling history, with a collection of literature and ink, which not only compiles historical materials of previous dynasties, but also records the emperor's daily life and important events in the court and local areas.Walking along the path, passing the government office and several mansions, bypassing the scattered rockery trees, Luo Pingyuan saw a slightly old red-painted hexagonal pavilion, with milky white tulle floating in the wind, wearing a lake-green dress The young girl is waiting in front of the pavilion, like a willow branch blooming in spring.I haven't seen her for more than a year, but she has grown a little taller, and she looks more and more slim, with a beautiful face, and her almond-shaped pupils are as clear as water.

King Ning was in a trance for a short time, vaguely, as if time went back to the beginning, and he saw Qingluan who was only 17 years old again.

When he got close, Du Tangli bowed his knees and saluted: "I have seen His Highness the Fifth Highness." He suddenly came back to his senses: "There is no need to be formal, I am late. Why don't you go in to keep warm?"

"The minister's daughter has just arrived." Du Tangli said softly.In fact, she had stood there for quite a while, but it was really embarrassing to sit alone in the pavilion with fluttering white sand, she would rather wait outside.

The girl's fair melon-seeded face was slightly drooping, and there was a little shyness in her eyes, which was still as clear and unpretentious as when she first saw her, and Luo Pingyuan felt sourness and a trace of apology in her heart. Xingyantong, the woman who accompanied him when he was most lonely and helpless has been buried in the south of the Yangtze River forever, and Du Tangli in front of him, she is not the helpless Qingluan, not the lifeless Pei Suxue, who brought her to her by himself. Into the disputes between right and wrong, but always hesitant and alienated, if there is no brother Huang and Xue Ning to look after, I am afraid that I will suffer a lot of grievances.

The two climbed up the stairs together and sat down in the pavilion.Du Tangli felt that King Ning seemed to be different from before, and as if nothing had changed, he was still tall and handsome, with a compelling demeanor, but the unique sharpness of him seemed to have subsided at some point , like a treasured sword box, it is no longer easy to get out of its sheath.

"I heard that His Highness has been working hard and rarely resting. You need to take care of your health." She said in a low voice.

"I'm fine." Luo Pingyuan smiled, looked at her slightly cramped and concerned expression, and suddenly felt a little embarrassed, "However, when I went to Jiangnan, I brought two pairs of cloth shoes, and now they are worn out , I thought there would be new ones, but I haven’t been able to wait so far.”

Du Tangli blushed, how could His Royal Highness be short of shoes?Once again, she secretly blamed her father for making his own decisions, but for some reason, she felt a little sweet in her heart.

"If Your Highness likes it, my ministers can still sew." She summoned up her courage and said, "But in Luo City, there are not many ladies from high families who are ingenious and willing to serve. It's nothing but the crowd. Does His Highness really care about the few pairs of cloth shoes that Tangli gave away?"

Luo Pingyuan was silent for a moment, and then slowly said: "If you don't care at all, why should I come?"

Memories flowed through my heart one after another like water, Qingluan who wept helplessly and Du Tangli now, the Buddhist hall in Huangjue Temple filled with blood, Tianyuan was desolate with wind and rain, and the intertwined past included the past of myself and my brother.This situation, as if fate had returned to the starting point, he actually had mixed feelings.

"Tangli," he said, "after leaving Beijing last year, many things happened in the south of the Yangtze River. Would you like to hear me tell a story?"

When King Ning and Du Tangli met alone, the Du family's aunt and the maid Qin Hua were both happy and worried. They dared not approach and kept watching from afar.

The two people in the booth were sitting sideways, neither very close nor far away, almost an hour passed, but the conversation was not over yet.

"Madam, the situation is not right, the lady seems to be crying!" Qin Hua became anxious, "The Fifth Highness must have bullied the lady, what should I do, the lady looks very sad!"

Looking from their position, Du Tangli lowered her head and was wiping her tears with a handkerchief.My aunt was in a state of confusion. Could it be that His Highness the Fifth Highness did not come here for the purpose of getting married, but to say goodbye in person?Or did your niece say something wrong and upset His Highness?She didn't expect Du Tangli to be the main concubine, but it seems that even a side concubine is a luxury.

"You little girl, how can you speak in a frivolous manner." She tried her best to hold her breath, "Your Highness and Tangli have an old relationship, even if we can't afford it, we won't cause trouble! The Du family is innocent, at worst, we can go home as planned In the villages and towns, they are still decent people!"

"Yes, what my aunt said is true." Qin Hua nodded quickly, but twisted the handkerchief nervously.Du Tangli has a soft and tough personality, always has her own opinions, even if she is wronged, she seldom sheds tears.Qin Hua felt that it was not her own vanity, but that the young lady really liked His Royal Highness Ning Wang. If she made a mistake, she would be sad for a long time; moreover, she was really unwilling to accept so much ridicule, and really wanted to ruthlessly Slap a few slaps on the faces of those arrogant ladies!

After waiting for another moment, Luo Pingyuan and Du Tangli stood up, Qin Hua saw that the young lady was blessed, and His Highness the Fifth Prince seemed to have explained something before turning around and leaving the Liujiao Pavilion.The guards who were scattered around immediately gathered and followed him away.

"Tangli!" "Miss!" Aunt and Qin Hua rushed forward in two steps.Du Tangli walked out of the pavilion slowly, the tears on her face had been wiped away, but her eyes were red, obviously she had cried, and she looked distracted, her feet slipped when she stepped down the steps, she almost staggered. null.

"What exactly happened?" Aunt was frightened and panicked, her voice was trembling, "Niece, you are talking! How could you offend His Highness the Fifth Highness if you behaved so well? If you don't make it clear, I... how will your father try to remedy it?" ?" Du Tangli came to her senses, looked at her aunt who had no master, and realized that she had been distracted.

"Nothing happened." She comforted softly, "Your Highness is not angry at all, and in a few days, maybe he will visit father."

"Then...then..." The aunt understood the meaning of her words, as if she had risen from the bottom of the valley to the sky, but she couldn't believe it right away, and stammered, "Your Highness, he really wants to..."

"Let's go home first." Du Tangli said.Her thoughts were still immersed in what she had just heard, but she felt a sense of sadness filled her heart, and she couldn't feel the joy of her family at all.Of course, Luo Pingyuan couldn't tell everything about the trip to the south of the Yangtze River, but only told about Qingluan.From the disappearance of a close maid in the Changning Palace ten years ago, which led to a misunderstanding of the emperor's brother, to the suicide of Qingluan in Hangzhou City, she finally made a big mistake without knowing the truth.He believed that Du Tangli would not speak out, what's more, the endless pain that Brother Huang and Qingluan had endured was not bad for the outside world to know.

For Du Tangli, who lived a peaceful life since she was a child, the truth of this story from King Ning's mouth is too heavy. Behind the gorgeous palace curtains, people's hearts are cruel and sinister. The shock and pain are even more indescribable.

Du Heng specially asked for leave today, did not go to the official office, and has been waiting for news in the study.Seeing his daughter coming back, he immediately turned back to others and asked about the meeting.

"The Fifth Highness said that there are two arrangements he can make at the moment," Du Tangli said quietly, watching his father's self-possessed and anxious expression. The second is to ask the Holy Majesty to marry through the noble concubine, enter the Ning Palace, and ask me which one I would like to choose."

She paused: "Your Highness also said that we don't have to worry about it. We can give an answer after thinking about it. No matter what we decide, he will do his best to fulfill it."

There was a storm in Du Heng's heart. From what he heard, the two paths were far better than resigning and returning home. He never expected that King Ning would give such a big leeway in consideration of his affection.He is over 40 years old, buried in history for many years, and has no expectations for his official career. What he values ​​most is the safety and success of his son and daughter.If Du Tangli married into Prince Ning's Mansion, his poor family would certainly have a backer, but the Duke's house is as deep as the sea, not to mention the palace, where the daughter is a side concubine, even if the rich clothes and jade can eat people's prestige, there must be some With a concubine under pressure, and complicated personnel and affairs around her, who can predict whether it will be a blessing or a curse in the future?

If Luo Pingyuan made a direct statement that the marriage should be confirmed, the Du family would be happy to accept it; but at present there is another obviously good choice, Mr. Du will inevitably worry about gains and losses, and become hesitant.He thought for a while, then hesitated and said, "So, what do you think?"

Du Tangli raised her head, her face was slightly red, but her black pupils shone brighter than ever before: "It is a matter of life, you should obey your father's wishes; but if you ask yourself what you think, since the Fifth Highness wants Tangli to be with you , my daughter is willing to enter Prince Ning's Mansion."

She paused, "No matter what the future holds, I have no regrets!"

While sitting in the pavilion listening to the past, for some reason, Du Tangli once again recalled the only scene when he saw King Jing, the quiet smile of the eldest son of the emperor like the moonlight shining on the flowing water, and the moment when he saw himself, the brief sighs and melancholy.Why did King Ning, who had just met after a long absence, make a special trip to talk about Qingluan, whom he had never met before?Just like Yao Qian'er, they were clearly strangers to each other, and had no grievances or enmities, so why did they choose to go to Huangjue Temple with them?Dependent origin and extinction, everything is because of Qingluan?

In the dark, there seems to be an invisible clue pulling fate, leading her to Ning Wang Luo Pingyuan.

Whether the decision at this moment is right or wrong, Du Tangli is not sure, but the desire in her heart is so strong that she cannot be violated.After today, she could no longer pretend to be calm, and could no longer let herself go as if nothing had happened.Even though she is at a loss and afraid of the future, she still just wants to stay, even if she can only give a little company, a little comfort, she will be satisfied.

Du Heng was in a complicated mood, but he was not surprised: "If you take this step, there is no turning back. If something happens in the future, Dad will not be able to protect you."

"Don't worry, dad, I know how to measure it." Du Tangli tried her best to suppress her sour emotions, took her father's hand and shook it, "Besides, even if you marry someone else, can you guarantee that you will be free from illness and disaster for a lifetime, and everything will be satisfactory As one wishes?"

Du Heng sighed, but he couldn't tell whether it was joy or worry, but at the same time he was not without relief.The daughter has really grown up, now that she has made up her mind, what else can she say?

Two days after receiving the reply from Du's residence, Luo Pingyuan came to Lantai again to pay a visit to Du Shiguan.At this time, the news that King Ning favored Miss Du's family spread like wildfire and spread all over the capital.However, just like Lord Du, all the officials who heard the news believed that Du Tangli was at best a side concubine.His Highness the Fifth Highness valued love and righteousness, and couldn't bear to abandon it, so he married by the way; while the position of the main concubine was still vacant, no matter what, she had to leave it to the daughter of an important minister in the three provinces and six departments, or the daughter of a minister. Hope is still there, and everyone will continue to work hard. Never give up on reaching your goal.

What everyone didn't know was that from the very beginning, King Ning had no intention of accepting a side concubine.In the eyes of the emperor, the most important thing is that the fourth and fifth princes agree to get married as soon as possible. As for the choice of the girl, on the premise of good conduct and in line with the etiquette, it is better not to involve important court officials or aristocratic families, so as to avoid as much as possible. Abandoned princes usually form a party, or their relatives will monopolize power in the future, disrupting the court.In addition, the emperor didn't bother to ask whoever the two rebellious sons wanted to marry, so as to avoid further twists and turns.

On February 23th, the [-]rd year of Tianyi, the emperor issued a decree, gladly saying:

Gu Yun, the third daughter of Gu Hongzhe compiled by the Imperial Academy, is beautiful, intelligent, gentle and elegant, and can be a good match. Today, she married the fourth prince, Luo Linpian, as the side concubine of King Yun.The Ministry of Rites chooses an auspicious day, and it is advisable to get married early.

Du Tangli, the daughter of the official historian Du Heng, has made great contributions to the court in the past, and is also sincere, filial, gentle and modest, and graceful and dignified. Today, she is married to the fifth prince Luo Pingyuan, who is the concubine of King Ning. The Ministry of Rites chooses an auspicious date, and it is better to get married early.