Prequel to the Red Chamber: I Am the Second Wife

Since it was Yuan Chun's intention, both Jiamu and Zili agreed, and asked the servant who sent the message to drink tea, while Jiamu and Zili discussed the matter of entering the palace tomorrow. "Since it is a gift from the Crown Princess to Yu'er, you will follow me into the palace to thank you tomorrow. I think that the Crown Princess means thinking about the sisters at home. Since the third girl left, she also wants to take advantage of the fact that the sisters are not yet full. It’s good to see you when you get married. Since that’s the case, let the girls go in together, and the daughter-in-laws also go to greet the princess.” No one objected to Jiamu’s words, Yingchun and Xichun were both engaged, and they were about to get married.Li Jin will also follow Jia Zhu to take office, and there will be fewer opportunities to meet in the future.

Daiyu was naturally happy to be rewarded by Yuanchun, and she was busy asking someone to ask Shixiang about going to the palace with her grandmother and aunt tomorrow.After a while, the girl came in and said: "My uncle said, please ask grandma to follow the old lady and wife into the palace. I want to go home today, and I will get up early tomorrow morning. Why don't I ask the old lady and wife to stay with grandma for a while?" Evening. Uncle has already called for grandma’s things.”

Sister Feng listened and smiled at the side: "Look, it's so considerate! I'm also thinking that sister Lin is weak and I'm afraid you won't be able to rest well in the morning. Ask someone to bring your things over, and beg the old lady and wife to let you stay. Come down. It’s just that when Shixiang goes back tonight, it’s very uncomfortable to be alone. Don’t turn around and complain in your stomach that we beat mandarin ducks with sticks.”

Daiyu blushed, and said angrily to Sister Feng, "You poor-mouthed one, just make fun of me!" Mother Jia put her arms around Daiyu and smiled, "Although girl Feng is joking, the meaning is not bad. We are old. Since Shixiang is alone, why not both of you, husband and wife, stay here. What’s the point of staying overnight at your aunt’s grandparent’s house? Go and tell Shixiang to ask him to stay, I didn’t take it Seeing that his daughter-in-law refuses to return it to him." Yuanyang hurriedly asked a girl to go out to spread the word, and here Zili said to Li Jin: "In the past, Shixiang's house was still there, so I sent a few people to take care of it, and asked someone to clean the house and come out immediately. .”

"Don't worry, ma'am, Shixiang's house was still the same in the past, everything inside was neat and tidy, and some people watched the house be cleaned every day. I will ask someone to clean it up immediately." Li Jin said to the girl beside him: "You Go and ask someone to clean the house, and tell the housekeeper to bring good incense to the house." Li Jin then asked someone to bring out the best bedding for Daiyu and Shixiang.

Sister Feng said to Daiyu, "What do you think? You used to live here before you got married, and today you can relive your old dreams." , spat at Sister Feng: "You are not serious, just take me for fun."

Everyone went to laugh for a while and dispersed, Daiyu followed Zili to the room to talk.Daiyu first looked at the gifts from Yuanchun, which were a few boxes of exquisite snacks from the womb, a box of palace flowers and pearl flowers made of various gemstones, and then there were writing and playing and some bolts of satin and silk. .

Zili picked up Erzi Xichun's purse, and opened it to find a pair of golden fruits in the shape of a pomegranate: "Your big sister really misses you. How are you and Shixiang doing? Does he usually bully you?" ? You have been married for some time, why is there no news yet?" In fact, you can see that Shixiang and Daiyu have a good relationship without asking, but as the elder, Li always has to say what should be said, Wang Ziteng's family They were all in Hangzhou. Before leaving, Wang Ziteng asked Zili to take care of his youngest son and his wife.

"Auntie!" Daiyu cast a coquettish look at Zili, with a slight blush on her face, Zili smiled and said no more: "You, there's nothing to be embarrassed about, if you become a relative, you will naturally have a child. It's human nature. You are a good couple now, and you don't want anyone to disturb your two-person world. Fortunately, your parents are not in the capital, and you can live your life as you please. It's just that no matter how good the relationship between husband and wife is, time You will also feel bored when you grow up. It would be nice to have a child, the child is the two of you, and once you have a child, you will never be able to sever your relationship." Zili said to Daiyu, calling her Take care of your body, it is best to have a child of your own.

"I remember what my aunt said. In fact, Shixiang has also invited the imperial doctor to take care of my body these days. My aunt knows that my health has finally improved after several years of care. But the imperial doctor said that my foundation is still weak and I need a lot. I often worry about my body when I am free. Although I can take care of daily housework, I am tired if I have too many things. I also make Shixiang suffer." Daiyu frowned, a little sad.

"Don't be sad, it's actually a good thing. People say that husband and wife are birds in the same forest, and they fly separately when disaster strikes. There are many couples in the world who can't share joys and sorrows. Shixiang treats you like this, and he treats you sincerely. I said that as long as you take care of it with peace of mind, you will get better. I think you have just learned to be the head of the family. Although you are not in front of the elders, those family members are the old people of the Wang family. You are a careful person and you don’t want to make a fool of yourself in front of others. It costs extra Thoughts. This is not good. You have to correct your mentality. Most of those servants look at the dishes and want to overwhelm you when you are young. You don’t have to be polite to them, just hit the mountain first, Just convince them. I still have a lot of herbs here, you can take some back to nourish your body. Nissan, you don’t have to stay at home all day, you can go out to relax when you have free time.” Zili gently enlightened Daiyu.

As I was talking, I heard the maids outside reporting that the second and fourth girls were coming, and that Yingchun and Xichun had come in, Zili asked with a smile: "What are you doing here? But I want to talk to Yu'er, so I'll let you go." She goes back." Before she finished speaking, Xiangyun came in with a smile on her face, and she called to Zili, "Ma'am, I'll also come to say hello to my wife." Zili pulled Xiangyun to sit down, and looked at the woman beside her. Child: "Since you are all here, eat here before you go. You go out and spread the word that the master and Zhu'er should follow Shixiang for dinner."

A group of girls looked at each other and smiled when Zili left them to eat, Xichun smiled and said, "We just want to eat with my wife."

There was nothing to talk about at dinner, after everyone washed their hands and rinsed their mouths, the maids brought tea, and Zili led a group of girls to sit outside to drink tea and talk. "Tomorrow you will follow into the palace to meet the princess, don't be nervous, and don't relax too much. Remember not to walk around or talk casually."

"We have written down what my wife told us. We all wish we could not sleep tonight because we want to see Eldest Sister. When Eldest Sister entered the palace, I still vaguely remember it. I don't know if Eldest Sister has changed her appearance now." ?” Xichun suddenly became emotional, since Yuanchun entered the palace, they have never seen each other again.

"Don't say it's you, it's not easy for me as a mother to see her. You came here neatly today, but what's the matter?" Zili pointed at the expressions of several girls secretly, and she felt vaguely in her heart. What's the matter with this girl.

"It's nothing, we all grew up in front of our wife. If there is no wife to protect and love us, we don't know what to do now. The wife is the same as my mother in our hearts. My second sister and I We discussed it for a few days. We are all girls. Once we get married in the future, we will be separated from our wife, and it will be difficult to go home. I want to be filial to my wife, but I can’t. The matter of the third sister and my brother at that time Something happened, how did the wife and the master protect me? Now it is said that there is a mess over there. If the wife left me at that time, I am afraid that I would have died by now. I will repay this kindness no matter what. I It's a girl who can't go out, but some wind still blows in my ears. Sister Bao was kind to everyone when she was here, but she didn't expect that she would even cheat on her wife after entering the palace. Tomorrow, the wife and the old lady Don't stop me, my second sister and I must say everything in front of the Crown Princess. Let the Crown Princess know who she is." Xichun told Zili her plan with a determined face.

"You guys?! I didn't love you for nothing, but don't meddle in those things. Don't talk nonsense when you enter the palace tomorrow. Girl Bao is in the palace, and the things inside are intricate. She is a young talent. Can she really influence other people's affairs if she has some ability? It's just that she has become a pawn in other people's hands, and she can't help herself." Zili's heart felt hot, and he didn't hurt the girls in vain.Don't look at Xichun being deserted and Yingchun reticent on weekdays, but they know who treats them well.

The next day, Mother Jia waited for her makeup and brought the girls into the palace to greet Yuanchun.Jia Zheng, Jia Zhu and Jia Lian led their families on horseback to escort their sedan chairs into the palace. When they arrived in front of the East Palace, an inner eunuch was already looking around. It's Mrs. Jia, just now the crown princess entered the palace to pay her respects to the queen. She invited the old lady and ladies and ladies to enter the palace to pay her respects to the queen."

Jia Zheng hurriedly got off his horse and bowed his hands to the eunuch who sent the message, "Thank you for the reminder, father-in-law, and please lead the way." The group turned from the gate of the East Palace to the imperial city.

"This is a girl from the Lin family. I heard that she was promised to Shixiang? Tell me to take a look." The queen smiled and looked at Daiyu who greeted her, and Yuan Chun sat beside the queen: "Yes, she is the daughter-in-law's cousin. But She is a nice girl, but Shixiang can afford it. It is also his good fortune. She has been by my mother's side all these years, because the imperial doctor said that her body cannot withstand the cold and damp in the south of the Yangtze River, and she needs a good rest."

The queen pulled Daiyu to look up and down, the more she liked it, she kept praising: "Okay, what a good boy. I used to privately think that Lin Tanhua and his wife were rare symbols. We are like a fairy couple together, what will their child look like? We have met today, how old are you, and how many years have you been married?" The queen ordered someone to move a chair in front of her and asked Daiyu to sit down and ask At her age, what she does at home on weekdays, her illness is cured.Seeing the queen's kind attitude, Daiyu gradually became less nervous, and answered the queen's questions one by one.

"The old lady is very lucky. You have these lovely little granddaughters by your side. It is a blessing that has been cultivated in several lifetimes. I think these girls in your family and the girls of your relatives are rare in the world. I am the third girl in your family. I've seen it before. At the beginning, I thought she was the princess's sister, and her bearing was better than that of ordinary girls. I didn't expect that your granddaughters are also very good. If I knew that you had these children by your side, I should have snatched them up and let them go. Raising them by my side. Seeing them makes me feel better. By the way, I also heard that the old lady has a grandson who was born with jade, and he is a sibling of the princess. What is he doing now?" Queen Ask Baoyu to Jiamu.

"Baoyu is stubborn and can't study well. His father forced him to study at home." When Baoyu was mentioned, Jia's mother was also a little sad.Fortunately, since Tanchun married far away, Baoyu has restrained a lot. Thinking of Baoyu's future in the future, Jia's mother is also a little worried.

Zili was startled when he heard the queen's words, why did the queen mention Baoyu so politely?She glanced at her daughter suspiciously, but Yuan Chun was as steady as a mountain, sitting there with downcast eyes and not speaking.

"Empress, all the concubines in the harem have come to greet the empress." A little maid came in and announced that the concubines in the harem had come to greet the empress.Jiamu and Zili got up hurriedly to say goodbye.Unexpectedly, the queen waved her hand: "You don't have to avoid it, let them come in."

The queen had spoken, so Zili and Jiamu had no choice but to remain silent.At this time Concubine Shu, Concubine Ning, Concubine De and Concubine Xian came in with a group of beautiful concubines.The emperor's harem had a lot of people. Today, a series of concubines came. Baochai followed behind Concubine De. As soon as she came in, she saw Jia's mother, son Li and all the sisters present. She immediately opened her eyes wide and her face was full of surprise.Why are they here today?

Everyone welcome Anbi, Zili and Jiamu didn't dare to sit down, they just stood at the bottom, but the queen waved her hand: "The old lady doesn't need to be like this, this place is narrow after all, why don't we go out for a walk. The peony in my palace The flowers are blooming well. You are here today, why not go outside to enjoy the flowers together, the yard is big, so it is convenient for everyone to talk." The queen stood up while supporting Yuan Chun's hand, she looked at Zili with a smile and said to Yuan Chun: " It's time for you mother and daughter to have a good talk, go and help your mother."

Yuan Chun stepped forward to support Zili: "Mother, don't refuse the Queen's kindness." Seeing Yuan Chun's calm expression, Zili felt confident.

The peonies in the imperial palace are really different from those in other places. The queen has been fond of gardening flowers and plants all these years. The gardeners in the imperial garden have chosen what they like, and officials from all over the country have also tried their best to present some precious flowers.Therefore, the queen's backyard gathered the most beautiful flowers in the world.

Everyone admired the peony flowers for a while, and Concubine Xian smiled and said, "You can only see such flowers in the empress's palace. I like the purple one the most."

"It's the Wei Zi presented by Luoyang. If you like it, you can move a few trees to your palace." The queen is very generous, and the concubine Xian is also an old man in the palace. The concubine's luck was not good, and she had a good time for a few years, but was soon overshadowed by the new faces later.However, the emperor is not a scumbag, he is quite kind to the concubine Xian, he sealed her as a concubine, and treats her very well in daily life.She was drafted into the palace together with the queen, no one dared to belittle her no matter what her qualifications were.

"The empress's favorite thing, my concubine, dare not make mistakes, but looking at all the younger sisters today, they are all gorgeous, and they are more beautiful than real peonies. What are you looking at, Concubine Ning?" Concubine Xian saw that Concubine Ning was in a daze , reached out and pulled her sleeve.

"I was looking at Concubine Shu and Mrs. Jia. Concubine Xian just said that people are more beautiful than flowers, but I found that Mrs. Jia and Concubine Shu seem to be sisters. You can see that their eyebrows and eyes are [-] to [-]% similar, especially when they smile. It looks even more similar." Concubine Ning looked at Concubine Shu and Zili meaningfully, she seemed to deliberately lower her voice to talk to Concubine Xian, but the queen and everyone present heard every word.Zili couldn't help frowning secretly when she heard Concubine Ning's words, she dislikes Concubine Ning the least among the four concubines.Although Zili and Concubine Ning have nothing to do with each other, Concubine Ning has a beautiful and mean face, and she is very calculating in her actions and words, and she, Concubine Ning, is also calculating in the same way.Today she brought up that she and Concubine Shu look alike, obviously because the drunkard doesn't care about drinking.

Concubine De didn't wait for the queen to speak, and said first: "What's so strange about this? Concubine Shu is a beautiful woman. When she was young, she was the sixth palace. I think Mrs. Jia was also a beautiful figure when she was young. Look at her children. You know. Beauties all look alike, and they look alike when they get old."

"Concubine De is right. The girls from Jia's family are all here today. You can see that the girls in their family are all neat and tidy." The queen looked at Jia's mother and said what's the matter, her genetics are good, and the family is not ugly. people.

"I don't dare to brag about myself, but I think so. They are all from the family, and they have been spoiled since they were young. Although they dare not compare with the palace, they are held by the maids and old women every day, and they don't need to be exposed to the wind and the sun. , doing work. The children are naturally tidy, and they are well-dressed. Naturally, they look imaginative. In fact, it is only my family. If you find a good family in the capital, those children are all very neat. I have a disability on my face. Suddenly they all look alike. If my second wife is similar to Concubine Shu, it is probably the same reason. My sons are all married and start a career, so they can relax in life. They have a big heart and a fat body, so they look natural They are similar." Jia Mu immediately said that the living environment of Fugui Family is the same, and their natural temperament is similar.

Concubine Ning saw that she didn't take advantage of it, her eyes flashed with displeasure, Concubine Shu's favor was gradually declining, Concubine Shu was always the head among the four concubines before, now she finally has a chance to be the first.How could Concubine Ning give up?She lowered her head without thinking for a moment, then looked up at Baochai.

Concubine Ning and Baochai's eyebrow and eye lawsuits all fell into Zili's eyes, it seems that Concubine Ning wants to make trouble today.I just don't know what she meant by winking at Baochai?

"Old lady, madam. It's been a long time since I saw you. The old lady still says you're so tough." Baochai came to the queen and greeted Jiamu and Zili with a smile on her face.