In the autumn of this year, Li Taoniang, who had just been promoted to the sixth grade of the division, took people to Suzhou and other places to visit secretly, and three months passed, almost in vain, and the news collected was basically similar to Yao Miaoyi's previous rhetoric.

Li Taoniang's color is a little haggard, her face is thin, the three-month visit is very hard, she has stepped on several pairs of shoes, and even the ancestral tomb of the Yao family has been there, but she still can't prove Yao Miaoyi's identity.

“…… It was the incompetence of the minister who lived up to the trust of the queen, and asked the mother to punish her. Li Taoniang knelt down and said.

Queen Ma raised her hand, "Stand down, this matter has been going on for too long, and you have done your best." ”

After Li Taoniang stepped back, Zhu Di said: "How should we plan now?" Please show me the way. Zhu Di understands that only when Queen Guò Ma speaks can he be justified and not be suspicious of his father.

Queen Ma sighed, "Wuzhong Shuangbi Xie, I often went in and out of our Wu Wangfu back then, and the palace was also very close to the two sisters, but it was a pity that the face was thin, in fact, what the men did, they didn't know it, how innocent!" ”

Over the years, Bengong has regarded Zhu Shouqian as his own, and Xu Feng is Shouqian's cousin, even for his sake, Bengong has also helped her reunite with her family. Just ......"

Queen Ma had a headache for this, Li Taoniang couldn't confirm that Yao Miaoyi was Xu Feng back then, in case there was a mistake, singing a farce of changing the prince with a raccoon cat, confusing the flesh and blood of Xu Da, the first hero of the founding of the country, Wei Guogong, wouldn't it be self-defeating?

But knowing that there are so many coincidences, the appearance and the year of disappearance can be correct, if you ignore it due to the lack of solid evidence, it will not be reasonable.

Zhu Di knew that Queen Ma had a quiet temperament and was cautious, not the kind of person who would take care of everything once she was in the supreme position, and could show off and be prestigious.

"Queen Mother, Xie Zaixing rebelled back then, and his crime was unforgivable, but the child was innocent. nephew Zhu Shouqian's parents died, and it was the queen mother who took him into the palace to raise him; After Xu Feng disappeared that year, his father and Wei Guogong also sent people to look for him, hoping that Xu Feng would be safe and sound. Now the queen mother and the child have discovered these coincidences, but unfortunately no conclusive evidence has been found. ”

"The queen mother, the child Jianyi, can first inform Yao Miaoyi, Zhu Shouqian and Wei Guogong of the ins and outs of this matter, there is a blood bond between them, maybe they have some marks that are not known to others, and maybe they can help Yao Miaoyi recall some childhood memories."

"Hmm." Queen Ma nodded slowly, "What you said makes sense. After all, Xu Feng is the Xu family, and it is inconvenient for our royal family to interfere too much, and Yao Miaoyi, this woman is different from ordinary people's daughters, she has made a lot of contributions, and she really has the demeanor of a tiger girl. You arrange, I will meet her in person, and then inform Shouqian and Wei Guogong. ”

"Yes, Queen Mother." Zhu Di was overjoyed in his heart, Queen Ma was willing to come forward, and Yao Miaoyi recognized her ancestors and returned to her ancestors, even if she was finally determined to be not Xu Feng, Yao Miaoyi also had Queen Ma as a backer.

Let's say that Li Taoniang retired, Huang Yan immediately followed, "Li Siji stays." ”

Li Taoniang said coldly: "What's wrong?" Do you want to count my incompetence again? If you don't seize the good opportunity, maybe the six-grade Siji will soon become a seven-grade classic. ”

Huang Yan said with a smile: "Li Si is serious, the queen is a long-term person, you have served in the palace for so long, there is no merit and hard work, how can you not do one thing well, and you will be demoted." ”

Li Taoniang was a little discouraged and sighed: "It's my own incompetence that has failed the value of the queen mother, and I deserve it." ”

She is this kind of upright personality, in her opinion, the rules should be about meritorious deeds and rewards, and punishments, Queen Ma doesn't care about it, but she is uneasy.

Huang Yan looked Li Taoniang up and down, "Li Si has reduced a lot, and the trip to Jiangnan is very hard." ”

On weekdays, Huang Yan likes to sarcastically mock her harshly, and always raises the bar with her, but she is stupid, and she can't say that Huang Yan, who is clever and sharp-toothed, from the palace of Wu Wangfu to the current palace, the two have been bumping and getting along like this for more than 30 years.

Huang Yan suddenly expressed concern, it was really a weasel greeting the chicken for the New Year, and he was uneasy and kind. Li Taoniang suddenly became vigilant, "What are you going to do?" ”

Huang Yan regained his hippie smile again, "Today is your fortieth birthday, right?" are all people who are more than half of their age, so don't run around outside in the future, and just work as an errand in the palace with peace of mind. I had a good errand recently, and those people didn't get their hands on it, so I got it for you, so I should give it to you as a birthday gift. ”

Li Taoniang forgot about herself, counted the days, and it was really today, so she asked in amazement: "How do you know?" ”

Huang Yan smiled: "I accidentally saw it in the roster of the Shanggong Bureau that day. ”

Returning home, Li Taoniang's heart was empty, secretly thinking that she was forty years old and had not done anything big in her life, it was really ......

"Thank you, Grandpa Huang." Li Taoniang sighed and asked, "I don't know what the errand is?" ”

Huang Yan said in a low voice: "Go and serve the county lord of Xiaozhu in the middle of the lake." ”

"You and I have known each other for many years, although we don't get along happily, but I Li Taoniang thinks that I am a person and does things, and I have never been sorry for you!" Li Taoniang sneered: "Father-in-law Huang, what are your intentions? He secretly made a stumbling block depose me to an errand outside the palace! And the face came to ask for credit? What to say about a birthday gift? ”

Huang Yan pulled the angry Li Taoniang to a secluded corner and explained: "You have been down to the south of the Yangtze River for three months, and you don't know the shape of the palace, the one who is in the middle of the lake. ”

Huang Yan pointed to his lower abdomen and made a gesture with a big belly, "You also know that the emperor attaches the most importance to the heirs, you serve the county lord to give birth, and the melons are ripe and backward, and the emperor will definitely have a heavy reward." When the time is ripe, you will definitely think of taking that and the child to the palace, you follow back to the palace, you have made great contributions, and you know so many royal secrets, a five-grade Shang Palace position is indispensable, how? That's a good errand, isn't it? said that we will support each other and promote, how could I lose you. ”

Li Taoniang suddenly realized, Fang Zhi misunderstood Huang Yan, and said, "I'm sorry, I was too impulsive just now." ”

Huang Yan waved his hand generously and said: "Today's birthday, the birthday star is the biggest, I don't care about it, hehe, if you are promoted in the future, don't forget me......"

At that time, the female officials in the court were reused, and most of the female officials were selected from the people to be knowledgeable and well-born, and they could call themselves "ministers" in front of the emperor at a certain level. However, these high-ranking eunuchs were all castrated officials and slaves, and they could only call themselves "slaves and maids", and the emperor and queen were accustomed to using female officials in the court, not them.

It is only in the hands of eunuchs that need to make efforts to announce orders, arrest rebellious parties, etc., and it is inconvenient to show their heads in the hands of eunuchs, which looks majestic, but in fact, the status in the palace is not as good as that of female officials.

What's more, I heard that the prince of the East Palace doesn't like eunuchs and is used to female officials, so Huang Yan thinks about it in the long run, thinking about paving a way for his future. Although Li Taoniang is a little colder and harder, she is fortunate to have an upright temperament and knows how to repay her kindness, not such a two-faced villain.

Wooing Tao Niang will be of great use in the future.

At noon the next day, the imperial dining room.

Hu Shanwei, the eight-grade woman of the Shangshi Bureau, was recording the emperor's meal today, and when she saw a plate of crabs, she brushed a stroke and said: "Yesterday, I sent the meal list to the Tai Hospital for record, and the doctor said that the emperor and queen have been taking tonic Guyuan ointment recently, and it is not suitable to eat crabs and other hair products, so take this plate down." ”

This solid yuan paste for qi replenishment and health preservation was made by the fifth prince Zhu Hu himself, and was honored to Emperor Hongwu and Queen Ma.

The chef in the imperial dining room was a little embarrassed, "But the emperor wants to eat crabs by name, if you don't send it over, in case...... We can't afford the wrath of thunder. ”

Hu Shanwei said with a smile: "In fact, there are other methods, I heard that the vegetarian food of Jiming Temple is very famous, including a fried vegetarian crab, which is made by chopping gluten yuba, flour, black fungus, sugar and salt, and carrots, etc., and the fragrance and taste are exactly the same as crab meat." ”

"Your imperial chefs are all magical, you can hollow out the meat in the crab, stuff the vegetarian crab into the crab shell, steam it again in the pot, borrow the shell and umami, and use this golden cicada shelling method, not only from the holy will, but also from the doctor's advice of the Tai Hospital, isn't it both?"

The imperial chef clapped his hands and praised, "Hu Nushi is really Lan Xinhui, this method is good, I'll try to make a plate of vegetarian crabs, Hu Nushi will taste it first, if it passes your mouth, it can be presented to the emperor." ”

Hu Shanwei has been in the palace for almost half a year, and she is a female historian in the Shangshi Bureau, she has an easy-going personality, smart and clever, and has excellent popularity, and she quickly adapted to the life of the court.

The most contact with the Shangshi Bureau is the Imperial Dining Room and the Tai Hospital, Hu Shanwei and Yao Miaoyi are handkerchiefs, and they have some medical science and pharmacology, she is sandwiched between the two sides to mediate and communicate, and the Imperial Kitchen and the Imperial Doctor appreciate this new female official.

Hu Shanwei wrote down the meal, returned to the clerical room of the Shangshi Bureau to copy a few copies, and just picked up the pen, Li Taoniang walked in.

Hu Shanwei put the brush on the porcelain mountain pen holder, stood up and saluted respectfully, "Shanwei has seen Li Siji." ”

This Li Siji once asked her about Yao Miaoyi's life experience, and then disappeared in the palace for a long time, it is said that when she went out to do business, although Hu Shanwei was a little suspicious, but as an outsider, she really couldn't figure out the cause and effect.

Li Siji looked Hu Shanwei up and down, beautiful appearance, a beautiful woman in the south of the Yangtze River, but there is no foxy atmosphere, clear eyes, good posture, this new female official has an excellent reputation in the palace, and her mouth is also strict, and she happens to be from Suzhou, so it should be easier to talk to the lord of Yongping.

So she picked Hu Shanwei and went to the small building in the heart of Bafutang Lake with her to serve the lord of Yongping County.

Once you enter the small building in the middle of the lake, you will inevitably have to tell the true identity of the lord of Yongping, Hu Shanwei knows the royal secrets, a bit similar to the name of the people of the rivers and lakes, from now on she is her own person, and the emperor and queen will pay attention to her.

is young, and in just half a year, he has a chance to rise to the top, which is lucky.

Li Taoniang said: "Clean up, follow me out of the palace to do errands, it may take a year before I return to the palace, don't tell anyone about it." ”

Hu Shanwei was confused, but the rule of survival in the palace is to ask less, talk less, and do more, and pretending to be deaf and dumb is a basic skill. She made a simple little burden and followed Li Taoniang out of the palace in a carriage.

In the carriage, Li Taoniang explained the task in detail and advised: "...... In the future, the county lord will enter the things in qiē, whether it is soup medicine or food, it will pass through your hands, and everything will be important to the emperor's heir, and there must be no mistakes. ”

"Yes." Hu Shanwei, who learned the truth, was shocked in his heart, as a native of Suzhou, he had an inexplicable respect and gratitude for Zhang Shicheng's family, after all, when the war was raging outside, Suzhou was particularly peaceful and prosperous because of Zhang Shicheng.

There is heaven above, and there is Suzhou and Hangzhou below, all of which rely on the grace of Zhang Shicheng's family to keep a happy land.

is about to serve the legendary Yongping County Lord, Hu Shanwei is a little nervous, a little expectant, and at the same time a little sympathetic. With this complicated mind, Hu Shanwei began to become a female official next to the lord of Yongping.

Sure enough, as Li Taoniang expected, Hu Shanwei and the county lord of Yongping said a few words of Suzhou dialect and customs, and soon got closer, and the county lord no longer seemed to be melancholy and full of melancholy, and occasionally smiled.

It's just that the unhealed scar on the right wrist of the county lord of Yongping will remind Li Taoniang to stay awake from time to time.

On this day, the intermittent sleet finally stopped, the weather cleared, no longer gloomy, and looking at the bright sun, I suddenly felt like I saw the light of day again.

Yao Miaoyi came to Xiaozhu in the middle of the lake again to ask the county lord of Yongping for a pulse, and the matter of protecting the dragon heir was under the control of the Tai Hospital, but the county lord of Yongping asked Yao Miaoyi by name, and Li Taoniang couldn't resist her.

This time, Yao Miaoyi finally reunited with the handkerchief Hu Shanwei.