[Red Mansions] The big maid struggles daily

Concubine Jia's golden coffin did not stay in the Tiancun Funeral Palace for a long time. Before the full term, she had to go out for a big funeral and be buried in the underground palace of the cemetery.Officials below the third rank and wives who were ordered to send their spirits away.

Fortunately, the weather has warmed up, Zhu Xiu and other female relatives, after the Lingjia set off, had to look around first, and then follow the Lingjia after the Lingjia had gone far.Even though the specifications of the funeral ceremony are not very high, it is still very painful.

Zhu Xiu is strong and strong, but not much.There are elderly people and fat people in the same company. Several wives and wives are squeezed into one frame, how can it be comfortable.

After a while, a lady complained in a low voice: "What's going on with this road?"

"That's right, according to regulations, this road should be paved with loess. There are not many people presenting Concubine Jia, and only one repair is enough. It's shameful to be so sloppy and perfunctory!"

Some people also persuaded: "The auspicious day chosen by Qin Tianjian will be in the next day. This cemetery is not close. We only need to travel for two days, which is already sympathetic."

All the female relatives had to rest for one night on the way, and Concubine Jia's golden coffin had to be parked in the built reed hall at dusk. The next day at sunrise, after the laying ceremony, they set off for the cemetery.

Zhu Xiu has no elders to lead her, and besides, the female relatives are all walking according to the rank of the imperial order. She is only very old, and she is very conspicuous among the middle-aged imperial orders of the fourth and fifth ranks.She was even more cautious in speaking, and refused to speak out easily.The female relatives from the two adjacent cars sat down at the same table, and all of them had dishes on their faces, except Zhu Xiu, who looked energetic. An elderly lady who couldn't stand sitting for a long time stumbled when she got out of the car. With quick eyes and hands, he supported him.

This lady's surname is Huang, and she is the wife of the Shaoqing of the Taipu Temple. She is about forty years old, with kind eyebrows and kind eyes.It was just now that Zhu Xiu listened to someone talking, the lady spoke peacefully, she was the oldest in the frame, but she didn't complain.

"Good boy, thank you." Mrs. Huang laughed softly.

Zhu Xiu pursed her lips and nodded, and sat next to Mrs. Huang.The ministers responsible for the funeral of the Prime Minister arranged it properly, and the place for the female relatives to eat and rest was quiet, and the seats were separated by screens of flowers and plants, and everyone was ordered to eat in silence regardless of whether they were familiar with it or not.

After the meal was over, the tea and fruit were served, and only then did people talk in a low voice.

Taipusi's position of being in charge of chariots and stable herds, and the horse administration of the general country, are somewhat related to the military officer.All the officials and family members of the fourth and fifth ranks present here, Zhu Xiu is closer to Mrs. Huang than the female family members of civil officials.

Mrs. Huang asked her age, children and other things, and Zhu Xiu answered them with a smile.Mrs. Huang liked to say: "I have a little granddaughter, who is about the same age as you. It's just that the family is too spoiled, and because her son-in-law has kept the ancestral filial piety for three years, it has been delayed until now, and she will not go out until October. Go. I will definitely post for you when the time comes.”

Zhu Xiu naturally had to follow the good branches that others stretched out first.Besides, this Mrs. Huang is really a wonderful person. When she mentioned the marriage of her little granddaughter, her face was full of joy, and she didn't shy away from talking about her granddaughter's age.To be able to keep a girl to this age, pamper her as before, and not be afraid of gossip, such a family generally has the same character.

Zhu Xiu thought in her heart, if there is nothing wrong with inquiring about Huang's family after going home, but she can get close to his family and walk around.It is something that the Zhan family has never been in the fourth-rank official position today, so most of the friends they make are similar to the Zhan family. Now it seems that the Zhan family's social circle is somewhat narrow.Just like today, there are no relatives and friends of the same level who can walk with Zhu Xiu. After all, Zhu Xiu is young, so she can't easily get involved in the circle of these older wives.

The principle of communication has been the same throughout the ages, either the elders will guide you, or you should be cautious in your words and deeds, and do less and make fewer mistakes.There are those who talk a lot and want to make a big splash, but most of the time, they are ignored and made people laugh, and in the end they only make troubles that make them lose face.She is a young lady who is not yet in her twenties, and she is new to the crowd who can be her mother and grandmother. It is like a drop of oil falling into the water.

Zhu Xiu looked at it, it was like when she was transferred to the big kitchen when she was a child, others seemed to think she was not there, but secretly paid attention to her words and deeds.It's just that at that time I relied on my own craftsmanship, but now I have to rely on my husband's dignity.If Zhan Dong has a bright future, the wives and wives who met her once in the future will naturally look for opportunities to be intimate with her.But you don't have to wrong yourself to be a low-level flatterer and blend in. They are all orders of the same rank, who is inferior to whom.

"Don't pay attention to them, you are such a pretty and lively flower, you can compare the whole room to old bastards, so it's natural to make people angry. I also came here when I was young. We can't know how good we are! My little granddaughter is also like this. She has made a few friends in the boudoir, and when she was born to go outing and poetry, people don't like to go with her. Isn't it because she is afraid that she will look better? .”

Mrs. Huang saw the wives next to her in threes or fours, talking in a low voice, and ignored Zhu Xiu, fearing that she would be embarrassed and embarrassed, so she hurriedly explained her in a low voice.

Zhu Xiu listened to her words, couldn't help lowering her head and holding her mouth, burst out laughing, and hurriedly said: "We good-looking people speak for themselves."

Mrs. Huang was slightly taken aback, and liked it even more. Sure enough, those who fit her eyes are all good boys.

Zhu Xiu had already put on a calm and calm posture, but now that she is familiar with Mrs. Huang, the itinerary for the next two days will be more comfortable.It's just that the wives in the same seat were depressed: I thought that young children couldn't bear the cold treatment, and they had to jump out, so they were overwhelmed.Unexpectedly, this Tai Sui is actually a mountain town, sitting more stable than anyone else, making the whole family angry with neither humble nor overbearing.

No matter how good the room is, it can't compare to the family, not to mention the officials and family members have been pampered for a long time, and the maids arranged in the room are not easy to handle.When I woke up the next day, I felt sleepy and uncomfortable, and my spirit was not as good as the day before.Especially compared with the radiant and tender red embroidery that can pinch water, it is even more difficult to bear.

They just don't know about Zhu Xiu's troubles, how many cotton handkerchiefs they have changed in these two days, if it wasn't for the emerald green bag, they would have been ashamed long ago.A lot of pavilions and courtyards were built along the road leading to the royal cemetery in the capital, and the carriages of the female family members would stop for a quarter of an hour every hour to change clothes and go to the toilet.Zhu Xiu had a lot of milk, so she took this opportunity to take care of her to keep her face.

At the end of the day, Concubine Jia's golden coffin was temporarily enshrined in the side hall of the concubine's garden.The women's relatives held an evening funeral ceremony and were all placed in a separate courtyard five miles away.

When it was time to light the lamps, the female relatives were all absent-minded, and they looked at each other, but did not speak.

Zhu Xiu wondered in her heart, but didn't say anything.It wasn't until they went back to their rooms that someone whispered.

Only then did Zhu Xiu understand why: it turned out that the current emperor's mausoleum had been built a few years ago, and a long-dead concubine had been buried there.Concubine Jia, according to the patriarchal system, she was a noble concubine and died before the emperor, so she should be buried in the underground palace of the emperor's mausoleum.According to the chronological rule of burying the left and right, even the burial position should be respected: the emperor's coffin is in the middle, the queen's position is on the left and right, and the concubines are buried next to each other; It is lower left.

But who would have expected that it would be the concubine's garden next to the emperor's mausoleum.

This kind of situation, the few emperors before Daqing, only happened when the concubines died after the emperor, and the stone gate of the Yuan Palace of the emperor's mausoleum was closed and never opened.In less than a hundred years since the founding of Daqing, there has never been a precedent for a concubine who died first not to be buried in the emperor's tomb.On the other hand, in the previous dynasty, the king was so stupid that he changed his fortune from day to day, and there were things like middle palaces and high-ranking concubines who were not liked by the king, and they were not allowed to be buried in the imperial mausoleum.

Only then did Zhu Xiu understand the twists and turns inside. In the back building, Jia's mother was already out of breath and passed out.

Mrs. Wang pinched the person fiercely, and then woke her up: "Old lady, what should I do?"

When the imperial concubine's golden coffin was welcomed into the concubine's garden, the eyes of the wives were different. No one expected that His Majesty would not only cut down on the ceremonies, but would not even give the honor of burial to Concubine Jia.How disgusted is His Majesty.It can be seen that Jia Guifei, together with the Jia family, has a high status in the eyes of the king.

Mrs. Wang also heard someone muttering: "If you didn't step down, it should be for Princess Fuyou's sake."

Mother Jia's eyes were glazed, and her hands were trembling uncontrollably. The ministers of the prime minister's funeral would not make decisions without authorization.

Mrs. Jia is the daughter-in-law of Chaopin. Mrs. Xing and Mrs. You are first-rank ladies and third-rank gentlemen, and only Mrs. Wang is fifth-rank pleasant.However, she is the birth mother of a noble concubine, and Youshi has to support and take care of her all the way, and she is already very tired. Now seeing Mrs. Wang crying like tears, she doesn't even have the strength to comfort her.

Because the children and family members of the family are the blood relatives of Concubine Jia, they all come to the funeral, so they are not housed together with the rest of the wives, but they set up another house to live in.The next day was the most solemn burial ceremony among the royal funerals, no matter how unwilling Mother Jia and Mrs. Wang were, it would be difficult to change.

Jia Muyin said: "The emperor's order is hard to violate. Just hope for a way out."

Mrs. Wang heard the ominous situation, and hurriedly cried: "The old lady is very sad, so she ended up like that."

Mother Jia stared at Mrs. Wang with her old eyes: "Your Majesty loves Princess Fuyou very much. The princess has the flesh and blood of our family. I am old and separated by another layer, but you are the princess's grandmother. You will be promoted to the dormitory of the concubine's garden by the empress. Bed niche, you just hand over the sign and invite you to enter the palace to visit the princess!"

Mrs. Wang's eyes were swollen and red, and she said angrily: "I don't know, I have already invited you to see my mother when she stopped at the funeral. It's just that the concubine Ping said that the princess is not yet full moon, so she is afraid of suffering from wind evil, so she is not allowed to see outsiders! "

Mother Jia knocked off Mrs. Wang's hand with a slap, and said angrily, "Concubine Ping can stop you once or twice, and I can stop you again and again. You are the princess's grandmother, so it is not a bad rule to write to see you every day!"

Mrs. Wang was so wronged that she heard Jia's mother say, "Yun girl is healthy and good at giving birth. Don't hold her and Baoyu to her. She is destined to help Baoyu. Maybe she will have it soon."

Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Xing and Mrs. You all looked at Jia Mu, and Jia Mu said: "Before Yun girl came in, I asked someone to tell her fortune and divination. She said that it is good for men, and the child will come quickly. You don't understand what this means?"

Mrs. Wang was thinking about this, but Mrs. Xing said in surprise: "What does the old lady mean, is Baoyu's son Shangzhu?"

"Baoyu gave his sister a nine-month gongfu, this..."

Mrs. Xing thought about it, and her eyes lit up: Baoyu not only has a meritorious service on her body, but the son is still missing, but the second room does not have one, but their first room is just right. Sister Feng gave birth to a son, and asked this child to go to Shang Wouldn't the master be more suitable than the second wife?

Mother Jia gave Mrs. Xing a hard look, what a fool!Look at Mrs. Wang again: "after all, the princess is raised under the knees of others. If she is not close to the mansion, she can't be counted on. For Baoyu's sake, you have to cheer up so that the princess can be close to her family. Since childhood Your affection is stronger than anything else!"

Mrs. Wang is not the kind of person who can swallow her anger, but Mother Jia drew a bright picture of the future, and her heart is alive again, so she has to follow her words.

Mrs. Xing received Jiamu's supercilious look, but she was still happy. According to her thinking, the efforts made by the second room this time may really make their eldest room cheaper.Thinking that Sister Feng hadn't brought the child home yet, she was very dissatisfied. She decided to ask Sister Feng to bring her brother back when she went back tomorrow, and she wanted to raise the grandson herself.The old lady is right in saying that she has been raised since she was a child, so she gets close to her!

Hearing these words, Mrs. You felt fantastic. The princess was not yet full moon, and the old lady and the ladies were looking forward to the matter of the Lord—the current difficulties are difficult to overcome, so why talk about things that will happen more than ten years later?

It's not that Jia's mother doesn't know, but she thought to herself that Princess Fuyou is the best amulet at the moment. If Wang's paste it, it may be because of the princess's sake that she will cover up the past and not mention it.Unlike Mrs. Wang, whose vision is only in the backyard and on the stairs, Jia's mother often advises Jia Zheng behind Jia's affairs, whether it is about Ping'an Prefecture, or the tricks of the Nan'an County Palace and An Nanguo. Everyone in the Jia family has a shadow of Jia's mother.Just looking at the attitude of the imperial concubine's death in the harem this month, Mother Jia knew that His Majesty must know the inside story.

In Jia's mother's mind, Mrs. Wang is just a brick to knock on the palace door. If the attitude of the palace is as cold and rigid as before, it is possible to make Mrs. Wang sick, and she can turn the page of asking to see her.If he could see the little princess, then the Jia family would have a bright future, and the Wang family did not waste their time.If it is the former unfortunately, it is natural to hide and smuggle some of the belongings out quickly, and divide another batch under the pretext of giving Daiyu a gift. , there is no other way.Lin Yatou is still soft-hearted, she can't ignore her grandmother and uncle's family...

Jia's mother thought of a hundred ways in her mind, pasting up as much as possible, and grabbing whatever could be used to prevent disasters.

"The son-in-law of girl Zhuxiu has been promoted to the fourth grade? Did I see her in a daze today?" Mother Jia asked with her eyes closed.

Mrs. Wang curled her lips, fortunately she didn't have to stand with the wives today, otherwise, her former master would have been pushed to the back by a slave.

"If you go to find her, just say that I am too sad, and you go to her to comfort me."

After hearing this, Mrs. Wang was reluctant to take any action.

Jia Mu said angrily: "It's the season, are you still putting on airs of your wife? Her son-in-law is capable, and the grandfather she recognizes is a powerful official. If you catch her, it will be convenient for you to see the princess in the future! How many things are waiting for us, I say, you just do it!"

Mrs. Wang wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, and lamented: "Times have changed, how can she still pay attention to my wife now?"

Mother Jia snorted and spat: "It's because she is a fourth-rank imperial order that she doesn't want others to know that she is a girl from our family. You still don't understand the truth! You just ask her to comfort you. She's afraid If you say something else, don’t dare not come!”

Youshi heard it, his teeth were cold for a while, and he couldn't help but move further away from Jiamu.

Mrs. Wang had no choice but to stand up, and asked Mrs. Xing to go with her.

Mrs. Xing scoffed: "One is that the old lady can't leave people here, and the other is that when I go, it seems that people are overwhelmed by the class of supplies, so I don't have to complain in my heart." She stretched her court clothes, Yunxia Zhaiwen stabbed Mrs. Wang's eyes sorely.

The servant girls in the room were all waiting outside the building. When they saw Mrs. Wang coming out, they rushed to see her.Mrs. Wang looked at it coldly, but she was very polite, because she asked the fourth grade to order Zhan Zhu's house.

The maids also didn't expect that Jia Guifei's natal family would come to visit in this situation, they were all very surprised, and immediately reported to the steward.The steward was actually an inner eunuch, Mrs. Wang saw that it was a eunuch, her knees were already half-softened, she became more polite and called her lord inner minister.

The eunuch was kind, asked the reason, and said with a smile: "Wang Yiren was joking, the old matriarch's daughter-in-law, nephew and granddaughter-in-law are all accompanying her, why should outsiders come to persuade her?"

Mrs. Wang hurriedly said: "The inner picture does not know the details. This Zhan family has been raised by the old lady of my family for several years. The old lady is just like a granddaughter. Now that the mother has passed away, the old man can't stand it, but the granddaughters have to comfort her." It's a good job."

In the house, Mother Jia was also talking to Mrs. Xing about her granddaughters, and she ordered: "In two days, someone will be sent to pick up the second girl's house for a few days. I will ask Baoyu to pick up the third girl in person. The empress has gone, and their sisters should be together." Come back and visit."

Mrs. Xing was thinking about the Lord's words, and she wanted to make peace. Jia's mother had already closed her eyes, her heart turned sharply, and she was thinking about the way forward.

Mrs. Xing was making a fuss, and she was lazy and unwilling to move, and Youshi was also thinking about things like a soft ladder.

After a while, Mrs. Wang came back, followed by a row of girls carrying basins and water. Jia Mu took a look and knew that Wang's work was not going to happen. She became more and more annoyed and panicked.

It wasn't until after washing and the outsiders withdrew that Mrs. Wang said: "It's useless, the person in charge is very strict, saying that no matter who the old lady thinks of, just ask her to go in her own home, but in this other hotel, there is nothing to do." No. If you break the rules, you will be punished."

He also told Jia's mother: "It is the prince of Beijing who is in charge of the funeral. I don't know if the prince has summoned the master."

Tears came from the corners of Jia's mother's eyes. A few years ago, the prince of Beijing treated his family with courtesy, and he treated Baoyu even more closely, but now the situation is such that he avoids showing his face.

In the other hall where the officials and family were temporarily staying, the eunuch in charge not only stopped Mrs. Wang, but also quietly planted maggots on the King of Beijing and Jia's family.Let the maidservant Xiaoyao take good care of the door, no matter who's wife or wife, she is not allowed to rush around, so she changed her smile and took the two little yellow doors to greet Zhu Xiu in person.

Zhu Xiu was having tea with Mrs. Huang and chatting a few gossips when she suddenly saw these people coming and was wondering, the eunuch in charge had already said hello quickly: "You don't know me, Lu Zhengshi in the respect room is my godfather... "

When Zhu Xiu heard this, she got up and gave a light blessing.This Lu Zhengshi was his grandfather's apprentice, he was filial and took good care of his family. When Zhu Xiu got married, he had to give a box of pearls the size of a thumb as a gift.

Seeing that they had something to say, Mrs. Huang excused herself and went back to the house.The two rooms are adjacent to each other. When Mrs. Huang went out, she heard that the eunuch was attentively inquiring about food, daily life, etc. She knew that this young Mrs. Zhan was very special.The internal officials in the palace, with the glory of the royal family, have eyes on their foreheads.Not to mention the orders of the fourth rank, even the senior officials of the third rank, these people may not be willing to pay attention to them, but now they are here to please this little respectful person.

"... Don't worry, they can't make big waves. Besides, Tena is too careless. She dares to talk nonsense outside. She thinks that people can't hear them after closing the door. I'm afraid that before they return to the capital, those big The words of Ni will reach the ears of the master and empress."

"You stay, stay!" After saying a few words, several internal officials left, and Zhu Xiu sent her out, only to see the wives and wives in the neighboring rooms opening the doors and windows inadvertently, looking at her warm face Very polite.

Zhu Xiu smiled and nodded, not taking the opportunity to be polite.

Back in the house, the two assigned servants were also more respectful and served him very appropriately.It wasn't until the tent was put down that Zhu Xiu looked at the top of the tent alone, and then sighed: knowing that His Majesty valued the princess, but still rushing to make plans, I don't know what to think.Could it be that the jar was broken and the matter was over quickly?

Zhu Xiu compares his heart with his heart, if anyone counts his brother Ji like this, he will never finish counting unless he beats him.

This is the case in my own family, not to mention the one and only emperor.This man was on the edge of his horn, and couldn't see the road more and more clearly. He blindfolded and covered his ears and just rushed into the gutter. No one could save him.