When a foreign man came in, the girls naturally wanted to avoid the back hall, Jiang Danhua couldn't help but say: "Which guest is this, why did my grandfather call him to the inner courtyard?" "Fifteen or sixteen-year-old boys, when they go to other people's homes, they can't just enter the second door. If it is said that it is a birthday greeting for the daughters of the main family, it is better to say that the old lady Jiang was originally going to meet the guests in the outer courtyard, so she could go outside to let people salute, and there was no need to call in.

No one answered her. Although Jiang Lianhua is the eldest of the sisters, she has always been quiet and silent, not to mention that the two rooms are not harmonious, she will not come out to speak. Jiang Xinghua is not to mention. As for Taohua, she didn't know Mrs. Jiang's friends at all, so she couldn't answer.

Jiang Danhua said a word but no one answered, he couldn't help but be stupid, snorted and turned his head, but listened to the voice of the old lady Jiang in front of him and said with a smile: "Old Ou, you are really here." This is Brother Hang, right? I haven't seen it for a few years, but I've grown so tall. ”

Listening to an old man's voice, he said, "No, it's time to pull out a child in the past few years, and it's getting taller at a glance." Brother Hang, come and kowtow to Grandpa Jiang. ”

Then a young man's voice said: "European Airlines wishes Grandpa Jiang a long life and a prosperous year." ”

The young man seemed to be in the period of voice change, and it sounded a bit like a male duck's voice, Jiang Danhua laughed out loud, quickly covered his mouth, and quietly lifted the door curtain to look out.

Taohua was also a little curious, and then took a look outside, only to see a young man in Tsing Yi standing up from the worship mat. They didn't pay attention to it when they worshiped their birthdays in turn just now, but now they found that the position where the prayer mat was placed happened to be all in their eyes from here.

I saw that this young man had a fair complexion, was born very upright, and there was a trace of restraint between his eyebrows and eyes, standing there looking at his nose and nose, and not looking at the maids next to him.

Old lady Jiang smiled very happily: "What a good boy." Is it going to end now? ”

Old Man Ou's temperament is obviously quite similar to that of Old Lady Jiang, and when he heard this, he smiled and said: "Last year, I ended up in addition to serving, and I was lucky, and I finally won a show." ”

Jiang Jun was on the side, and when he heard the word Xiucai, he couldn't help but look at Jiang Songhua. This European Airlines became a talent at the age of fifteen or sixteen, and Jiang Songhua was older than him, but he was only a child. This year, he is going to try again, and if he can't win again, he will not be allowed to go out again, and he will have to study hard for a year.

Thinking about it, he moved his eyes to the second son Jiang Yuhua, this child is well-read, so it is better to try his hand this year.

He was thinking nonsense here, and the old lady Jiang over there had already gotten up and was going to take the Ou family ancestor and grandson outside. The men of the Jiang family hurriedly followed, but the old lady Jiang quietly pulled Jiang Xi and said in a low voice: "Take a closer look at this child of the Ou family." With that, the leader left.

Jiang Xi was stunned for a moment, and only after a while did he suddenly come back to his senses, and subconsciously glanced at the inner hall. Mrs. Jiang specially called this European Airlines in to salute, could it be that she was picking a son-in-law for Taohua?

With the thoughts of his son-in-law, Jiang Xi was not at ease at this birthday banquet, and half of his attention was on European Airlines.

But he doesn't have to think about anything, the old lady Jiang invited all the old friends today, only the old man Ou brought his grandson, such a young man, of course, the old men couldn't help but ask him a few more words.

European Airlines is in a period of voice change, I don't know if I also feel that my voice is not very good, and I always answer questions very concisely, but the etiquette is thorough and respectful. Jiang Xi wanted to interject and ask him about his knowledge, but before he could speak, Jiang Jun spoke first.

After all, Jiang Jun was born as a jinshi, and after asking a few questions, he praised European Airlines: "Solid learning." Even next year's autumn season is also very promising. ”

Old Man Ou stroked his beard and smiled: "He's still young, so it's just a matter of trying his hand in Qiuqiu, but he can't be hit if he looks at it." He turned his head and praised the Jiang family's men, "All of them are outstanding." "Let the grandson be closer to the Jiang brothers," and only by studying words together can we make progress. ”

Jiang Xi's heart was like twenty-five rats, scratching his heart with a hundred claws. It wasn't until the end of the birthday banquet that the guests were sent out, and then he took the time to ask Mrs. Jiang: "Uncle, this little son of the Ou family-"

Old lady Jiang drank a few glasses of wine, and was also a little drunk, and said with a smile: "What do you see?" ”

Jiang Xi hurriedly said: "Look at the humility and courtesy, and the knowledge is also solid. ”

Old lady Jiang was a little complacent: "Naturally. I have an old friendship with Lao Ou, and when he was in Hanlin Hospital, he had typhoid fever, which was the pulse I diagnosed him, and he has been in contact since then. His family has been passed down for several generations, but unfortunately his only son is weak and unable to study, so he has this grandson, and he has been carefully cultivated. Four years ago, his son died of illness, and the old Ou felt that he was also old, so he simply resigned from the emperor and returned to his hometown - oh, Ou's family is in Fengtian County, very close - guarding his grandson to study. You also heard it, last year, I just got off the field, and I won the show. ”

Jiang Xi heard that Mrs. Ou was Hanlin, but he was a little worried: "I'm afraid that my nephew's status is low......" At this time, he deeply realized why Mrs. Jiang wanted Taohua to stay in the capital. If it is in Wuxi, Taohua is the daughter of a showman, if it is in the capital, it is at least the niece of a five-grade official, the cousin of the concubine in the palace, and the name is much better.

"The Ou family is thin, and if the scholars don't come out of the generation, the savings in front of them are nothing. Although Lao Ou himself is Hanlin, he can't say ...... now"

The scholarly family is different from the noble family. The lord has the convenience of inheriting the knighthood, even if the generation or two generations are not promising, the title cannot run for the time being, and when it comes to the next generation, there will be a capable one, and he can jump up again. But if there is a generation of scholars who have no interest and cannot enter the office, once the ancestors return to old age, their influence will immediately drop a lot.

Old lady Ou herself is Hanlin, although she is noble, she does not have much power. My son was too weak to study, he had resigned, and he had to start all over again when he arrived at European Airlines. Now European Airlines can only say that it is a talent, but it cannot claim to be a child of Hanlin. In this way, Taohua is also worthy of identity.

"The Ou family style is strict, and the ancestors can only accept concubines if they have no children in their forties, although they are passed down from generation to generation, but there is no atmosphere of accepting concubines." For a single person, this style can be described as rare.

"Naturally, Lao Ou only has one grandson, and he has a future, so he has to look at his granddaughter-in-law carefully." Mrs. Ou is willing to bring her grandson here, so she naturally trusts Mrs. Jiang's character, but what the girl is, it is also necessary to see. It's just that he has lost his wife, and his daughter-in-law is widowed, so it's not good to come to someone's house today to pay respects, "The weather will be warmer in a few days, and I will just go to the temple for a walk." ”

The temple is really a good place to offer incense and blind dates. How many people look at each other under the pretext of going to see the Buddha, and they have achieved countless marriages. It's just that widows can't go anywhere else, but it's not inappropriate to go to the temple to burn incense.

Before Jiang Xi and the Li family got married, they had also met in the temple under the pretext of incense, and at this moment, the old lady Jiang naturally understood and nodded again and again.

Old lady Jiang coughed lightly: "The matter has not been done yet, don't say it." "European Airlines was found out by him among his old friends, although he felt that he was very right with Taohua, but he also had to be just in case the other party didn't like it. If you leak the wind early, and the thing doesn't work out in the end, won't it ruin Taohua's reputation?

Jiang Xi naturally agreed again and again, and happily sent the old lady Jiang back to Baicaozhai and transferred back to the East Courtyard by himself. There were no outsiders there, so they dispersed earlier, Jiang Bohua had fallen asleep after playing for most of the day, Taohua was picking up things, and when she saw Jiang Xi with a smile on her face, she said, "Daddy is happy today." ”

Jiang Xi hurriedly put away his smile: "Your uncle and grandfather are healthy, and your father is naturally happy." What are you doing here? ”

Taohua said casually: "Uncle Grandpa's birthday has also passed, and when we enter the palace in the middle of the month, we should also go back, pack up our things first, so as not to lose them when we get them." "The only regret is that the jade carved narcissus is still in the Jinghai Hou Mansion, and I can't think of any way to get it back.

Jiang Xi heard that this was wrong: "And don't worry. In a few days, we went to the temple to burn incense or something, and we came to the capital, but we haven't been to many places to play. ”

In the end, it is the father and daughter, who have been together for many years, and Jiang Xi is not a deep person in the city, so he said it in a hurry, so Taohua heard that something was wrong: "What are you doing in the temple?" ”

"Huh? It's incense or something. Xingjiao Temple, the capital city god temple, I heard that they are all strange and beautiful. Especially in the Xingjiao Temple, there is Master Xuanzang's relics pagoda, and I always have to go to see it when I come to the capital. ”

Taohua looked at her father suspiciously: "When did you become interested in the temple?" "Jiang Xi didn't go to the temple much when he was in Wuxi.

"Didn't I take you to see it?" Jiang Xi was looked down by his daughter, and hurriedly pretended to be the most serious, "My father has been to those places when he was a child, and he always wants to take you to see them." ”

As soon as I said this, Taohua didn't ask anymore, and it was understandable to revisit the old place or something: "Okay." The weather is warmer, and Bai Ge'er can also take it out. "This kid doesn't have a moment of peace now, after all, the East Courtyard is a little smaller, but it's not easy to run around in other people's homes, so it's good to take him out to play.

Jiang Xi secretly wiped his sweat and quickly changed the topic: "I want to enter the palace with your eldest aunt in a few days, have you learned all the rules in the palace?" ”

Taohua smiled: "Learned." In fact, to put it bluntly, it's just a matter of bowing your head and waist. Anyway, when you go to the palace, you can salute anyone. ”

Jiang Xi was extremely uneasy about his daughter's attitude: "Nonsense ......"

Taohua spread her hands: "That's how the eldest aunt taught." In fact, except to meet the big sister, no one else is estimated to be able to see it. "Xiao's own entry into the palace has only been a few times, except for emphasizing that when you see people, you should salute, don't look around, and be respectful, there is nothing to teach at all.

Jiang Xi had no choice but to nod her daughter's head: "Entering the palace is not a trivial matter, although it is to diagnose your eldest sister's pulse, but of course your father's heart is the most important thing for you, come back safely, don't have an accident!" ”

Taohua agreed with bent eyebrows, and seeing that Jiang Xi's face was still a little red, she urged him to rest: "The sobering soup is boiled, Daddy will drink a bowl and rest." ”

Jiang Xi took the bowl and thought of Mrs. Jiang again: "I should send a bowl to your uncle and grandfather, he went back to Baicaozhai, I don't know if the little guys want to get it." ”

Taohua nodded: "I'll send it." I happened to tell my uncle and grandfather about entering the palace to see what his old man had to say. "Speaking of which, Old Lady Jiang has entered the harem more times than Xiao Xiao's I don't know how much, instead of listening to Xiao Xiao's advice, it is better to ask Old Lady Jiang for advice.

Although the house is lively today, Baicaozhai is still quiet, so that Taohua only walked to the cloister and heard Jing's voice: "Miss Cui's illness has changed several imperial doctors, and Lang Zhong outside has also invited a few, all of them say that the liver qi is in the stomach, and the spleen and stomach are disordered, and such a prescription can be used, but there is still no good ......."

Old lady Jiang said lightly: "Spleen and stomach disorder is not a serious illness, since the imperial doctor has prescribed a prescription, just eat a few more pairs." Frequent substitutions are not necessarily good. ”

"But after taking the medicine, it really doesn't have any effect...... Jing Shi paused, and put his voice more respectfully, "My daughter-in-law thinks, I'm afraid that these people are still not good at medicine." The daughter-in-law remembered that when her father was in the palace in the past, the queen mother also had a weak spleen and stomach, and you prescribed prescriptions to recuperate. Can...... Can you bother your old man to take a look......"

"That's all in the past." Old Lady Jiang's tone was still very indifferent, "What's more, you should also know that our family is no longer a doctor now." ”

"That's not what the first emperor said about his late uncle, not you. Besides, Mrs. Cui has also heard of your medical skills, and wants to quietly invite you to come over to take a look, but she will not publicize it to the public, and she will not be considered practicing medicine......"

Old lady Jiang was unmoved: "I haven't diagnosed people's pulses for more than ten years, and my hands are raw." This is a major matter related to human life and should not be neglected. The imperial doctors in the palace have their own good ones, and the girl of the Cui family is the future princess of the county, and it is not difficult to invite a few good imperial doctors. After a pause, he said lightly, "Although Mao Sui's self-recommendation is good, it depends on what it is." ”

Jing's face froze suddenly. She just said that Mrs. Cui wanted to invite Mrs. Jiang over, but it was not true at all, but she took the initiative to mention it to Mrs. Cui when she went to visit Miss Cui. Now that Mrs. Jiang said Mao Sui's self-recommendation, it was obvious that she had already exposed her lies. Since she married into the Jiang family, she has never been humiliated like this by her father-in-law, and she couldn't say anything for a while, so she choked for a while before she said dryly: "My daughter-in-law also looks at a good girl who is thin like that, and I can't bear it...... Our family has practiced medicine for generations, and benevolence and benevolence ......" looked at Mrs. Jiang indifferently but seemed to be able to see a clear gaze, and couldn't go on.

"Benevolence and benevolence......" Old Lady Jiang repeated slowly, suddenly smiled again, and waved his hand directly, "I'm tired, you can go back." The second child has been running errands hard these days, so you have to worry a lot. Lian Yatou and Brother Nan are good, and they are good at teaching, and it will be your blessing in the future. ”

Jing's withdrew, Taohua hurriedly hid, and waited for her to walk out of the courtyard before calling outside the door: "Uncle? ”

"Come in." Old lady Jiang saw Taohua take the sobering soup, and smiled slightly, "The licorice has been prepared, and you still have to run." ”

"I'm afraid that they will send it over inadvertently, since my uncle and grandfather have already used it, of course it is the best." Taohua put the soup bowl back in the food box, "I also want to ask my uncle and grandfather, if there are any special rules or taboos when you enter the palace in a few days, so as not to lose your honor in the palace and offend the nobles." ”

Old lady Jiang sighed: "I shouldn't have asked you to go, it's just a big girl-alas, after all, there is no reliable person to look at, and I still don't feel at ease." ”

"Aren't all elders like this...... "Taohua smiled, "The big sister is far away, so you are naturally worried." ”

Old lady Jiang shook her head: "The big girl has a big heart, just like her father--that's it, I'll tell you about the rules of the palace, and I'll go like this......"

The imperial palace of this dynasty is not as square as the Forbidden City of later generations, but has an irregular oval shape according to the topography, but its grandeur and ornate architecture are no less impressive.

Taohua was dragged up from the quilt early in the morning, only ate a few pieces of dim sum, and followed Xiao's to the Chenghua Gate in the west without even letting him drink water, which is the closest place to the harem.

Outside the Chenghua Gate, there was not only a carriage of the Jiang family, but also a more gorgeous and wide carriage parked in front, Xiao Shi lifted the curtain and looked at it, and said in a low voice: "It's Yuan Shufei's mother's car." ”

Taohua has been educated by Xiao's science about the knowledge in the palace during this time, and now there is probably a number. Concubine Yuan, who entered the East Palace when she was still the prince, and later ascended the throne, she became one of the four concubines from the prince Liangyuan, and she was second only to the queen in the harem.

Concubine Yuan Shufei is in her twenties, not a young newcomer, but she is still quite favored by the emperor. It is said that the emperor did not go to the harem much, but he always went to Yuan Shufei's Zhongxiu Palace for three or four days a month, and sometimes he didn't have time at night, so he picked up the daytime to see or eat together.

Don't think that three or four days is nothing, in the case of more than a dozen beauties in the harem, this number is quite considerable, sometimes even the queen only has the fifteenth day of the first month of the month, and it is not as good as Concubine Yuan Shu. But it's a pity that although Concubine Yuan Shufei has been pregnant twice, she has all had miscarriages, because of this, the emperor wanted to give Concubine Yuan Shufei a position several times, but the queen pressed down under the excuse of "failing to protect the dragon species, not only did it not work but had it", and even the Yuan family was suppressed by the Yu family in the court, and they are not very proud so far.

Concubine Yuan Shu's position is far above Jiang Meihua, and when her mother's family enters the palace, the carriage naturally has to line up in front of the Jiang family, and there is a small sedan chair to take when entering the palace. As for the Jiang family, they had to walk.

It was not far from Chenghua Gate to Jiang Meihua's residence, and the problem was that those who entered the palace had to go to the Queen Mother and the Empress to pay their respects first—after all, these two were the lords of the harem—before they could see the people they wanted to see.

The sedan chair carrying the Yuan family quickly went away on the shoulders of several powerful chamberlains, while Xiao Shi and Taohua followed the little chamberlain who led the way and walked behind. Taohua didn't care much, although the sun had risen at this time, but the harem was not like the previous dynasty, for fear of assassins, even the trees were not planted, and the huge square would be hot in the summer. The building of the harem is closer to the garden, the rockery is flowing water, the flowers and trees are sparse, and I only feel that the air is fresh and pleasant to walk in.

Xiao Shi glanced at Taohua out of the corner of his eye. This is the third time she has entered the palace, but she is still a little trembling, and she can't help but be nervous when she walks on the road, for fear that she will lose her manners when she meets any concubine.

Speaking of which, the queen is the master of the harem, but the queen mother is the most noble woman in the harem, and at this time, the queen is generally in the queen mother's palace, so the little chamberlain directly took people to Shouxian Palace.

When she got there, Taohua saw the sedan chair parked outside the palace gate at a glance, but there was a middle-aged woman standing at the palace gate, followed by a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl.

"It's Mrs. Yuan." Xiao Shi whispered, a little hesitant under his feet.

Concubine Yuan Shu was harassed by the queen in the palace, and her mother's family naturally did not have any good treatment when she entered the palace. Xiao Shi had long heard that every time Mrs. Yuan came to see the Queen Mother and the Empress, she was either in Shouxian Palace or Fengyi Palace, and she always had to receive some cold reception.

Speaking of foreign women entering the palace, they only ask to see the queen mother and the queen, these two women with the most valuable status in the harem do not have to meet each other, as long as they let people pay a salute in the palace. However, when Mrs. Yuan entered the palace, she would always wait for half a day in the two palaces before being accepted in to salute. For example, now, she is much faster than the Jiang family in a sedan chair, but now that Xiaoshi and Taohua have arrived, she is still standing outside the palace gate.

The inner supervisor guarding the door greeted Xiao Shi with a smile and said, "Mrs. Jiang, the Queen Mother and the Queen Mother are talking to people inside, Mrs. Jiang will wait." ”

Xiao Shi sighed secretly. She never expected to see the Queen Mother and the Queen Mother, if these two were willing to make it convenient, just let her go in and salute, and then she could go directly to see Jiang Meihua. When Jiang Meihua was pregnant, Yu said that they were too anxious, and she was a little dissatisfied with her mother-in-law's words at that time, but she didn't expect that now it has been verified, and she and Mrs. Yuan are probably the same treatment.

Momoka stood calmly to the side. Shouxian Palace is full of green trees, even if you stand outside the palace gate, you are not afraid of the sun, as far as the eye can see, you can also see a few blooming magnolia flowers in the door, which is very pleasing to the eye. In that case, stand for a while.

However, it seems that Mrs. Yuan and the girl beside her don't seem to be so well-deformed, both of them are moving their centers of gravity from time to time, obviously standing with sore feet.

Taohua's eyes slipped under the skirts of the two. This dynasty said that it was inherited from the Tang Dynasty, but in fact, many places were still influenced by the Song Dynasty, for example, many families like to wrap their daughters' feet. Although this kind of foot binding has been started since the age of three or five, it is not as perverted as breaking the toes that Taohua had heard before, but after all, the woman with the bound feet is inconvenient to walk and is not easy to stand for a long time.

Mrs. Yuan wore a heavier skirt, which hung down to the ground, and she couldn't see anything clearly. But the girl was wearing a swivel skirt that had recently risen from time to time, with a slit at the back, so Taohua could just see it when she stood there, and the embroidered shoes under her skirt were narrow and small, clearly wrapped around her feet, no wonder she couldn't stand.

Suddenly there was a voice from the Shouxian Palace, and someone walked out of the main hall. Hearing the voice, even Taohua was a little refreshed, and looked up - although she was not afraid to stand, it was really boring to stand like this.

It's a pity that what walked into everyone's sight was not the chamberlain who came out to summon, but a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, who was followed by an attendant, but obviously not to pass on anything, but to say vigorously: "Second son, go slowly, go slowly." ”