Prequel to the Red Chamber: I Am the Second Wife

"Don't worry, leave this matter to me. By the way, ask someone to go home and tell Aunt Zhou to bring in two things I'm missing." Zili's eyes flashed with determination. She had kind thoughts in her heart and felt that Little girls like Baochai and Daiyu are very cute, and they really deserve people's care and love. She will try her best to take care of them, so Zili is trying her best to match Daiyu and Shixiang's marriage, and will also secretly help Baochai to achieve her own goal. Albatron's dream.But this doesn't mean that Zili is a good person and can let others plot.

Baochai's ambition grew after entering the palace, so she came out to teach her the principles of life.

The empress seemed to be really angry. If Zili had entered the palace on the day before, the empress would have summoned her. But this time, the empress did not summon Zili until three days later.Zili took Aunt Zhou and Autumn Equinox to the Queen's side to greet her. It was the first time for Aunt Zhou to enter the palace. Looking at the majestic palace, she didn't know where to go.Qiufen could only pull on Aunt Zhou's sleeve and whispered: "My aunt, you have seen a lot of world with your wife on weekdays, why don't you even walk when you get here?"

"Who am I? Do I still dare to breathe in this place? Why is my wife thinking of telling me to enter the palace? It's better for me, a crude person, to go back to work and feel at ease!" Aunt Zhou's pretty brows frowned, she was indeed pretty, The eyes are full of spring water, and the lips are shining sweetly like roses.

"Don't worry, you have a wife. I will remember what I taught you." Qiufen told Aunt Zhou, saying that she had already arrived at the door of the Queen's bedroom.The nanny around the queen had already greeted her, and Zili took Aunt Zhou inside to greet the queen.Although the queen was angry in her heart, she still didn't show her face. She looked at Zi Lixu who kowtowed to her and stretched out her hand: "Get up, Mrs. Jia has been here for a few days, and I am so busy that I can't spare time to see you. Can you Don't blame me for being rude."

Zili got up, thanked the seat, sat down sideways and said to the queen: "The empress is worried about the affairs of the harem, she should cherish the phoenix body, the concubine is grateful for the royal grace to enter the palace to accompany the princess, what else is there?" Complaints? I heard the crown princess said that the queen wants some exquisite Suzhou embroidery recently, and the concubine here has a few pieces, but I don’t know if they can catch the eyes of the queen.” Aunt Zhou took a plate and knelt down in front of the queen. The plate is raised above the head!

The queen took a look at the embroidery handed over by the maid, and the expression on her face eased a lot: "Take it to heart. These are all very satisfactory. The embroidery is good, and the idea is even more clever. It can be seen that the prefect of Suzhou is a fool." If it’s a problem, just use some rigid things to deceive people.”

"Your Majesty wronged the magistrate of Suzhou. This thing was embroidered by my aunt. She learned embroidery from her mother since she was a child. The appearance was changed by the Crown Princess. If the Crown Princess didn't understand her mind, how could she be like this?" things." Zili pointed to Aunt Zhou and the queen behind her and introduced them.

The queen glanced at Aunt Zhou and was a little stunned. She had never seen such a beauty before, but this was the first time she had seen a woman with a natural charm like Aunt Zhou.A stunner in the world should be like her. "Aunt Zhou is dexterous and smart. The most rare thing is that she is careful. Now that I am getting older, I don't want to care about those trivial matters. Thanks to her serving the master. Now she takes care of all the things in the study outside. It's just her first time today. Seeing Empress Majesty's majesty, I ask Empress Empress to forgive me if I am impolite." Hearing Zili's words, the Empress became more and more suspicious.

This Aunt Zhou was so good-looking and capable, Zili actually sent her to serve Jia Zheng!Isn't this an obvious gesture of giving away her husband?Any man would have devoted all his attention to his concubine and abandoned his wife like old shoes, so here comes the problem, Jia Zheng has no reputation for doting on his concubine at all.Looking at Aunt Zhou's appearance, where is she standing with her eyebrows lowered and pleasing to the eye, how can she be a little coquettish?If she is favored, will she do embroidery honestly?

The queen became a little envious of Zili, her husband still treats her wholeheartedly while guarding such a beautiful concubine.People are more popular than people.

"He seems to be a quiet person. I like quiet and honest women. You have worked hard and go out to drink tea. Give her two bolts of this year's new satin." The queen asked someone to take Aunt Zhou out to drink tea.

Only Zili and the Empress were left, and the Empress didn't have to hide anything, and asked Zili directly: "Your niece is doing well in the palace now, why don't you go and see her?"

"She lives well because of the grace of the emperor and the empress. Although I am her aunt, it is different now, and the rules in the palace still have to be followed. In fact, it doesn't matter what you see or not. Doing your best in front of the empress is her respect for the elders." I have done my filial piety. What the concubine cares most about is the princess. In fact, fame, wealth, glory, wealth and honor are all vain, and only children are real. The most important thing is that the family can enjoy family happiness together .” Zili said that he had nothing else on his mind, only thinking about her daughter’s safety.

Although the queen has no heart, but she has experienced many things in the deep palace for many years, and she can still listen to the undertones.She sighed, and said to Zili: "What my wife said is that I only hope that the crown prince will be well, and the crown princess will give birth to the grandson of the emperor smoothly. Those kind of favors are already a dream for me. "

"The concubine thinks the same as the empress. Now that she is getting old, she looks down on the past romances. Life is too short, so what can you do to make yourself unhappy? The queen's efforts are all on the prince, and the concubine's life's efforts are also on the two children. Even if I eat fast and chant Buddha, I still ask the Bodhisattva to bless my two children." Zili wiped the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief and sighed.

The queen is relieved, Xue Baochai is not the layout of the Wang family and Jia's family, Yuan Chun is Zili's biological daughter, she is a princess, and she is about to give birth to a grandson, and her status will be more stable. Invite pets in front of the emperor.I was really confused, and I blamed the Jia family and Yuan Chun.

Thinking of the guilty look on the queen's face, Zili's attitude towards Zili became more and more gentle, and Zili accepted the queen's apology without hesitation.Women's topics are the same, from maintenance and clothes to the concubine, the queen sighed: "I think your aunt is a sensible one, she is so good-looking, she must be favored, but it is rare to serve you attentively. Compared with Ben Gong is really a failure. Although he is a queen and is in the main palace, those who have received a little bit of favor dare to make troubles. Originally, I wanted to deal with it according to the palace rules, but I can only bear it because of the emperor's face. .Speaking of which, your niece is quite sensible, and her etiquette is not bad."

"Actually, filial piety is not about this. What you say is good may not be what you think in your heart. Didn't you say that Zhou Gong was afraid of slander, and Wang Mang was a corporal? Listen to his words and watch his actions. But Xue Xuanshi is very understanding A well-behaved person, she will not be rude in front of the empress. She did not disobey the words of her elders when she was at home, so during the time she came here, everyone from the old lady to the girl and woman said she was good, just Even the little girl likes to play with her on weekdays."

The queen listened to Zili's words thoughtfully, at this moment the little maid came in to announce, "Servant Xue Xuan is here to greet the queen."

"It just so happens that I don't need to ask for a special order to see her." Zili laughed beside her.

The empress felt more and more unhappy, Xue Baochai was very well informed, her bedroom was far away from her, why did she come to pay her respects when Zili just arrived? "Announce her to come in." The queen's face could not be seen any waves, Zili heard a rustle, and saw an elegant beauty coming in, although she was familiar with it for a long time, she still felt strange.Baochai is more charming than when she was in Jia's house, she is no longer a young girl, but a little more charming of a young woman.Baochai bowed down respectfully to the queen: "Greetings to the emperor's empress."

The queen stretched out her hand: "Get up, it's a coincidence that you came here. Your aunt just happened to come over. Before you entered the palace, you lived in her house. You haven't seen each other for a few months. You can be regarded as a family reunion." Baochai was busy. Greetings to Zili: "Auntie is well, I feel relieved that I haven't seen Auntie looking good for a long time." Zili hurriedly stood up and even said he didn't dare: "How dare you ask the nobleman to greet me, I'm so upset."

"I know you are the most humble person, but it is right for her to greet you. You are also an upright first-rank lady. Xue Xuanshi is a low-ranking servant, so she should salute you. What is Xue Xuanshi doing at this time? Something?" The queen glanced at Baochai with a half-smile and pointed to a chair a little farther away, telling her to sit down.In fact, the queen's words were half true and half false. According to her rank, Xue Baochai would naturally greet Zili, but Xue Baochai is now the emperor's new favorite, and Zili would not entrust her to accept the gift.The meaning of beating in the queen's words is obvious, how could someone as smart as Baochai not hear it. "Empress Shengming, the concubine really heard Mrs. Cheng'en coming to the palace to accompany the princess, and wanted to see her and ask about the situation of the mother at home, so she came to have a look. The concubine did not dare to hide her little thoughts." Baochai's telling the truth is more likable than making up an excuse.She knew that she would feel uncomfortable being spoiled by others, and she could only rely on the queen because her foundation was not stable, so Baochai always had a pleasant face in front of the queen, and she did not hide her thoughts.She knew that the more she concealed her flattery, the more the queen would hate her.She is still young, and she will have plenty of time in the future.

Sure enough, the queen's tone towards Baochai softened a little, and she said to Zili: "Thinking about it, they are pitiful, and it's hard to see the family again after they come in. If this is the case, your aunt and niece should talk about it yourself." Let's go." The queen asked someone to bring Zili and Xue Baochai to the Nuang Pavilion to talk.

After entering the Nuan Pavilion, Zili looked Xi Baochai up and down and said with a gratified tone: "Seeing that the nobleman is doing better than before, I think your mother should be relieved. I also hope that the nobleman will cherish his body in the future and serve the emperor wholeheartedly. You have relatives to help you with the matter. Pan'er now knows how to make progress. A few days ago, he set off to the south to learn how to do the raw silk business. With his uncle taking care of him, everything will be fine. Don't worry about everything at home." Zili measured He handled it well, with the concern of the elders, but also scruples about the superiority and inferiority.

Baochai's eyes turned red when he heard Zili's words: "Thank you aunt for taking care of me. I think my family has been taken care of by my aunt all these years, especially these days in the capital. If it weren't for my aunt, I don't know what my family is like now." Well. I was lucky to be able to flatter my aunt during those few days, and I learned a lot from my aunt. I didn’t think it before, but after entering the palace, I found out that what my aunt taught us on weekdays was all good words. Thanks to my aunt's advice for being able to survive for a few days."

Wait, what are these words?Hearing Baochai's words, Zili seemed to be thanking her for helping the Xue family, but why did it sound so awkward?This place—oh, so it is.She said these "heart-wrenching" words to Zili in the queen's bedroom, as if she thought that Zili had already planned to train her niece to enter the palace to compete for favor.Partition walls have ears, not to mention it's still on the Queen's territory.What did she mean, that the queen thought that Zili was too ambitious and stretched his arms too far, daring to plant nails beside the emperor.She, Xue Baochai, was an undercover agent taught by Zili?

At that time, the queen would have a grudge against Zili and even the entire Jia family and Yuanchun. At that time, the prince was caught between his mother and his wife, and the East Palace faction would start to fight among themselves.Fortresses are conquered from the inside. Baochai has youth and time to wait for the balance of forces to change.If she gave birth to a prince, she might be able to give birth to a storm of abolishing the queen and abolishing the prince.

Zili would not be so stupid as to accept Baochai's words, so she deliberately laughed: "This is a ridiculous statement. Although your mother and I are not a mother, we are still a father after all. She and I are married far away, you Father took your whole family all over the world to do business, and you haven’t seen each other for many years. Later, your uncle settled down when he arrived in the capital. But your family is still in Jinling. Later, you came up because you were going to be selected. We The sisters haven't seen each other for many years, so it's natural that they are affectionate. In fact, when your family went to Beijing, you wanted to live in your uncle's house. However, he had a lot of things to do, and he had to go to Hangzhou to take up a post, so he could only be wronged by me. Speaking of how I can teach you, That also made me blush. You have been sensible since you were a child. There are so many sisters in the family together, all of whom are raised by my side. But they were all taken care of by my side at a very young age. If you say that, wouldn’t it be a compliment to them! You don’t need to belittle yourself because the nobles are extremely talented. As elders, they naturally hope for the best of their children. The family is blessed. We are relatives, too.” Zili sighed and talked about the situation of the sisters in the family, the interesting stories of the sisters together in the past, and then the topic changed to Baoyu. Baochai complained that Baoyu didn't like reading, and Jia Zheng wanted to teach him a lesson when he was reprimanded by Jia's mother.

"Don't be sad, Auntie. It would be better if brother Bao grows up a little longer. My brother is not like this. He's much better now that he's older." Baochai comforted Zili with some excuses before leaving.

Waiting for Zili to come out of the Nuan Pavilion, the girl next to the queen came over and said to Zili, "Mrs. Jia, please stay a while. The empress has something to say to you."

The queen was tending flowers and plants in the small garden behind the bedroom. When Zili came, she put down the scissors and turned around with a smile, "The queen mother asked me to adopt Concubine Shu's princess, but I declined. I am a dull person. I am too busy to do anything, the prince alone told me to take care of myself, don't spoil other people's children. At that time, people will not say that I have no ability, but will say that I have hidden traitors in my heart. So I told the queen mother directly, the queen mother I didn't care about it and passed it. Mrs. Jia is the kind of person who really has kind thoughts in her heart. I heard that you raised a lot of girls and masters in your family. No wonder you brought Mrs. Lin's daughter in that day. That girl has an extraordinary bearing, she is really kind. But I advise you, just do your best for other people's children, don't try hard to please, people's hearts are unpredictable. "

The conversation between Zili and Baochai had already reached the Queen's ears. After listening to the Queen's words, the misunderstanding of her was resolved.Zili bowed and said: "The concubine would like to follow the teachings of the empress. In fact, the concubine has always been dull, so what can she teach? It's just that the old lady likes her grandchildren to have fun in front of her. She is getting old, and I don't want my children to suffer. Please take care of your grievances. Ms. Lin is because of the old lady and her mother, who got along well with me when she was not married, and wrote to ask to take care of her. Naturally, I should take care of her more. In fact, it depends on the child's own conduct. Miss Lin is smart and attractive, and she has a simple mind. Naturally, I am a little biased." Zili said that she likes simple children, and Baochai's natural personality has nothing to do with her.

After returning from the Queen's side, Yuan Chun asked Zili to go over and talk. Seeing her mother's face relaxed, she breathed a sigh of relief. When talking about the situation in the Queen's bedroom today, Yuan Chun's eyes darkened, and he said faintly: "I absolutely never thought that she would be like this." Scheming, the queen is my mother-in-law, it is vicious enough to instigate our mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to quarrel. Was she fascinated by the world of flowers in the palace? Thinking about the East Palace department fighting on their own, at that time Concubine Shu and Ning The concubine took the opportunity to make a move, and it was a repeat of the battle for the heirloom decades ago. She will be the fisherman at that time! Baochai is young, so there are countless possibilities and opportunities. Mother, our sincerity has really been fed to the dog." Yuan Chun has been in the deep palace for a long time, and he is more sensitive to certain things than Zili.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry. The most important thing for you right now is to take good care of your body. Giving birth to a child is a laborious task. Fortunately, the queen is not confused. Although she doesn't have much scheming, she can see things clearly. Just rest assured, the empress will no longer be suspicious Our family is over, and you are still her most important daughter-in-law. In fact, the queen is also a poor person. The prince is just a child. If you are free, you should talk to the queen more. People are mutual, and she is not the kind of unreasonable mother-in-law. If you treat her well, she will treat you like her own daughter." Zili patted Yuan Chun's hand to comfort her.

Yuan Chun's clenched teeth slowly loosened, and she leaned on the cushion and squinted her eyes and suddenly said: "It would be great if she had no hope, sometimes she will forget when she has too many chips." After discovering his true strength, he began to feel swayed." Hearing Yuan Chun's words, Zili's heart moved, what Yuan Chun meant was——

"Now is not the time to talk about that, we don't need to worry about this matter." Zili immediately stopped Yuan Chun's next words, saying this taboo to the unborn child.

While Zili was with Yuanchun in the palace, Jia Zheng was heartbroken because of Baoyu.In a moment of anger, he pressed Baoyu on the bench and beat him up!