Ma Xiuying is still a little worried that Zhu Yuanzhang will ask about asking about Yan assassinating Guo Hui, after all, no matter how big or small the movements in the palace are, Zhu Yuanzhang basically can't be hidden, she only hopes that Dao Yan has left the capital, so even if Zhu Yuanzhang wants to make trouble, he can't find anyone.

Fortunately, Zhu Yuanzhang did not mention this matter, and his focus was on the court. In addition, Zhao Cheng, who was the most loyal to him, was not in the palace for the time being, and Liang Min, the great eunuch who replaced Zhao Cheng's position, was busy consolidating his power, and he heard that the affairs of Jingyang Palace were related to the queen, Chengmu Guifei, and Huifei, and he didn't want to offend so many high-powered women, so he didn't tell Zhu Yuanzhang about it.

The matter of Jingyang Palace came to an end in the thunder and rain, no matter how outsiders knocked on the side, the palace people who participated in the incident that day were silent, and the concubines who couldn't see the excitement gradually put their minds on the festival.

During the Spring Festival, there will be a procession on the street, people dressed in new clothes, holding flowers, smiling, singing and dancing, even through the thick palace walls, the people in the palace can hear the cheers and gongs and drums outside.

On the day of the Chinese New Year's Eve, all civil and military officials entered the palace to meet the emperor, and high-ranking ladies also entered the palace to congratulate the empress. This year is the first New Year after Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne, and a feast was held in the Forbidden City, and the ministers enjoyed together.

Xiao Zhang, who had not seen him for a long time, was specially taken into the palace, the old lady was wearing a brand-new brocade jacket, her face was full of joy, and she smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum, and she was going to visit when she saw Ma Xiuying.

Ma Xiuying hurriedly supported her, "Mother-in-law, don't bother your daughter." ”

"You're the queen now. Xiao Zhang gave Ma Xiuying a big gift before standing up, squinting her eyes and looking at Ma Xiuying from head to toe, and from foot to head, looking at it, tears accumulated in her eyes, and she choked up: "Seeing that the mother is doing well, the old woman can finally rest assured." ”

Ma Xiuying also looked at Xiao Zhang over and over again.

Although Guo Zixing later did not like Zhu Yuanzhang and even excluded and suppressed Zhu Yuanzhang, in order to show that he was not an ungrateful person, Zhu Yuanzhang still posthumously crowned Guo Zixing as the king of Chuyang after he became emperor, and ordered the relevant departments to build a temple for him, use the prison to worship, exempt the Guo family's neighbor You's from taxes and servitude, and let You's family guard the tomb of Chuyang King for generations.

At the same time, at Ma Xiuying's request, Zhu Yuanzhang was exempted from the glory of the princess that should be enjoyed by the Da Zhang family, and named the Xiao Zhang family as the wife of Cong Yipin, enjoying the court's wealth.

It is said that Xiao Zhang is only in her early fifties, and she has someone to take care of her life, but she looks like an old woman in her seventies, with silver threads clearly visible in her meticulously combed bun, her eye sockets are slightly sunken, and uneven wrinkles crawl all over her fair skin.

Ma Xiuying couldn't help but sink her face and asked, "Why is my stepmother so thin, but her subordinates can't take care of her?"

Xiao Zhang wiped his eyes and said, "Don't worry, Niangniang, the subordinates take good care of it, but the old woman often misses the prince......"

Ma Xiuying was silent, since Guo Zixing's death, Xiao Zhang's family and Guo Tianjue returned to Dingyuan to live in a single mansion, Guo Tianjue is a son who does not know filial piety, in such an environment, Xiao Zhang's family is still inferior to the suffering of widowhood even if he has fine clothes and jade food. But Ma Xiuying couldn't encourage Xiao Zhang's to remarry, after all, women in this era are used to staying widowed for their husbands. She sighed and asked, "Is Tianjue good to you now?"

Speaking of his son, Xiao Zhang's face couldn't help but show a smile, "Tianjue married a daughter-in-law the year before last, and she is the daughter of Dingyuan County Order, and now your nephew is one year old." ”

"Why don't you bring the child into the palace for me to see?" Ma Xiuying said angrily, and hurriedly asked Xun Ying to take a long-life lock made of gold.

"Tianjue and his daughter-in-law were waiting for the old woman at the inn, and his husband and wife were all white dings, and they could not enter the palace without a purpose. Xiao Zhang said hesitantly: "Tianjue is much more sensible now, and the old woman cheekily asks Niangniang if she can arrange an errand for Tianjue?"

"Isn't Tianjue's character and stepmother still unclear?, but Tianjue asked you to intercede?" Ma Xiuying frowned.

Although Guo Zixing was posthumously named the king of Chuyang, Zhu Yuanzhang's reward was only on him, so Guo Tianjue, as his only descendant, was not eligible to inherit the throne. But even so, Guo Tianjue's life will not be very bad, but this person is still inadequate, and he wants to ask for an official position.

It's not that Ma Xiuying doesn't miss the old love, but Guo Tianjue has been killed and raised by the Da Zhang family, and he can't do anything, he is greedy for money and lustful. At the beginning, Zhu Yuanzhang was still a small Guogong, so he dared to rely on himself as Zhu Yuanzhang's brother-in-law to run rampant and domineering in Yingtianfu, and also colluded with Guo Hui to use the name of Guogong Mansion to do business outside and bully and coax outsiders. was so angry that Zhu Yuanzhang ordered that he was not allowed to enter the house again, and he did not recognize this brother-in-law, so he had to return to Dingyuan in disgrace.

In the past few years, Guo Tianjue's mind has become restless again, his brother-in-law is the emperor, his sister is the imperial concubine, and his righteous sister is the queen.

If he is not the son of Xiao Zhang, Ma Xiuying will not even give him a rich life, let alone give him an official position. So Ma Xiuying directly refused: "Tianjue is overwhelmed, don't worry about him, raise Tianjue's child well, if this child has a future in the future, you can take him into the palace to see me." ”

Xiao Zhang's face turned red, and he said embarrassedly: "The old woman just asks casually, don't take it to heart." She felt a little uncomfortable, it would take many years for her grandson to grow up and be promising, so how could the current interests be important. Ma Xiuying, as the mother of a country, is not even willing to give Tianjue an official position, in the end it is not her own.

Ma Xiu persuaded earnestly in English: "Stepmother, you see that Guo Tianxu has been fighting for a lifetime, what is the end of the fight, I would rather Tianjue be an idle rich man and live a peaceful life, rather than he will lose his way for fame and fortune and finally get into trouble." ”

Xiao Zhang's face turned from red to white, "Thank you for the queen's teachings, the old woman will persuade Tianjue when she goes back, and the old woman still wants to go to see Concubine Hui, please ask the queen for permission." ”

This is obviously separated from Ma Xiuying. Ma Xiuying was unhappy, but it was not good to deal with Xiao Zhang's family, Xiao Zhang's doting on Guo Tianjue was not a day or two, and he could do anything for Guo Tianjue, not to mention just helping his son seek officials. It doesn't work here for her, and she probably wants to give it a try at Guo Hui. It's just that Guo Hui doesn't treat Guo Tianjue as his younger brother.

Sure enough, Xunying led Xiao Zhang to Jingyang Palace to ask for a meeting, Guo Huitui said that she needed to recuperate when she was pregnant, so she sent Xiao Zhang away without even seeing her. Her own mother is still under house arrest in Tangfu, and the little Zhang who is in the mood to see the big Zhang family who has taken away all the glory of the big Zhang family.

Xiao Zhang's family was so ashamed that he was embarrassed to participate in the banquet, so he found an excuse for being old and uncomfortable, and left the palace unhappy.