It was originally a very lively New Year, but because of the "Dream of the First Emperor", it added a slightly weird atmosphere. Those high-ranking families have daughters who were born in the fifteenth year of Anping, and they can't help but be a little trembling, and they don't want to risk offending the queen mother to marry the county prince's mansion. And those small officials below the fifth grade are quite impatient, hoping that by marrying their daughters, they may be able to mention their identity.

In these different thoughts, after Chinese New Year's Eve, after the first day of the new year, it was soon in Shangyuan.

Shangyuan is a festival to watch the lanterns, this year the queen mother on the first day of the new year of the foreign wife on the morning greetings, to invite a few young girls to come to the palace to accompany her to watch the lanterns. Although it is to watch the lanterns, in fact, everyone understands in their hearts that the Queen Mother is looking for a princess for King Anjun.

"Jiang Taohua?" The emperor looked at the list handed to him, and lightly swiped his finger on one of the names, "The queen mother wants to summon her into the palace as well?" ”

The queen stared at the emperor's expression tightly, and when she heard the words, she couldn't help but lean forward, and just wanted to speak, she touched the queen mother's gaze and swallowed back the words that came to her mouth.

The Queen Mother sighed slightly: "Has the emperor noticed that every time I summon the Jiang family into the palace, the fourth child always arrives after a while?" ”

"Oh?" The emperor's eyebrows raised slightly, "I didn't pay attention to this. ”

"You've been busy with government affairs all day, so naturally you can't pay attention to this." The Queen Mother thoughtfully patted the emperor's hand, "I didn't notice it at the beginning, and I didn't find out until later." A few days ago, I asked someone to inquire outside, and I learned that the medicinal materials purchased for the Northwest Army were all from the Jiang family. ”

The emperor listened lightly, and waited for the queen mother to finish speaking before saying, "Did the queen mother say that King Anjun himself took a fancy to the Jiang family?" ”

The queen's lips moved, and the queen mother had already said slowly: "Emperor, these days there are so many rumors outside, there are still many people who want to marry King Anjun. ”

This was said meaningfully, and the emperor couldn't help but straighten his face: "Is the queen mother trying to prevent him from sitting big?" ”

"There is still a Dingbei Hou Mansion in the northwest." The Queen Mother raised her hand and nodded in the northwest direction, "If the fourth child is allowed to marry the daughter of a wealthy family, if he has other thoughts in the future, how can it be good?" I know that the emperor is benevolent and still thinks of brotherhood, but when the emperor treats him as a brother, how do you know how he is? ”

When the queen heard this, she suddenly realized. It turns out that this thing can still be done like this, there is no need to go around like her, thinking about the law while clearing herself and pushing the Jiang family out, as long as the emperor sees the benefits, he will naturally make a choice for the sake of the country.

"I have thought carefully about choosing Jiang's." The Queen Mother withdrew her hand, patted the back of the emperor's hand again, and said in that slow tone, "One Jiang is not from a high background, but you just appointed her father as a pharmacist, and you don't kneel when you see the fourth-grade officials, and it is much better to say it than those sixth- and seventh-grade petty officials." Not to mention that there are still people in the Jiang family who are officials in the court, and they have two daughters in the palace.

The second is that Jiang's medical skills are really outstanding - the fourth child's eyes have not always been bad, pointing to Jiang's past, can you still take care of him? I heard that Lantian and Luonan counties are going to set up a shrine for her, saying that it can bless people to turn evil into good fortune - the emperor, you pointed out a living Bodhisattva to him, if he goes to battle again in the future, with her great merit protection, it will be no hindrance. ”

The emperor did not show joy or anger on his face, but listened silently. The Queen Mother coughed lightly and continued: "The Queen Mother knows that it is difficult for you to do it, so the Queen Mother will simply take all the mistakes, and you don't have to worry about it." ”

The emperor raised his eyelids: "What if King Anjun doesn't want to?" ”

The Queen Mother smiled slightly: "Don't worry, I will naturally arrange it." When he said this, he only chose it himself. ”

Only then did the emperor nod: "Since this is the case, please ask the queen mother to bother." "Stand up," I went to look at Zhao Chongyi. ”

In a word, the queen's face that had just smiled turned cloudy again. The Queen Mother watched the emperor go out, turned her head and glared at her: "Zhao Chongyi is pregnant with a dragon fetus, the emperor should visit more, what do you look like?" ”

The queen pursed her lips and didn't speak, and said after a while: "Auntie, what news has come in from the family?" "When the old lady Yu Ge entered the palace during the New Year's greeting, the queen asked her to send a message to the old Yu Ge, but it has been half a month now, and there has been no movement.

The Queen Mother sighed softly. That's right, the queen is her niece, and they all have the surname Yu.

"Your father said to wait first, and now there can't be any conflict with the Zhao family." The Queen Mother said, and couldn't help but sigh again. To be honest, don't say that the queen doesn't want Zhao Chongyi to be born this time, she also feels the same way.

The queen twisted the handkerchief in her hand fiercely, almost screwing the thin silk handkerchief: "But if she gives birth to a prince—"

"Who can be blamed for this? It's not your own fault! The Queen Mother scolded in a low voice, "Anyway, you stay honest with me at this time, and you are not allowed to do anything!" ”

The queen gritted her teeth and whispered. When the Queen Mother saw her like this, she felt pain in her temples on both sides, raised her hand and pressed it and said in a deep voice: "You are more steady." In the early years, I looked at you finely, but now I am getting more and more frizzy. How can everything be as good as possible in this world? Just after dealing with the Jiang family's affairs, you are thinking about Chunhua Hall again? One by one, do you want to force the emperor to turn against you? ”

The queen endured not to speak, but finally couldn't help but say: "Even if there are no such things, the emperor also complains about me in his heart!" He hates me for taking the position of the Xia family, and he doesn't want me to be this queen at all! ”

The Queen Mother's face changed: "Nonsense! I think you're dizzy, what does this have to do with the Xia family! Her own life is thin, and without this blessing, what does it have to do with others! ”

When the queen said a word, she also felt speechless. Xia's matter is a taboo in the palace, no one mentions it, and she was depressed for a while before she said it. But this thought had really been held in her heart for many years, and sometimes she felt that she was going crazy when she faced the emperor's smiling but indifferent eyes.

The Queen Mother pressed her forehead and said for a long time: "You are also tired, go back and have a good rest, don't think nonsense." Your father will naturally have an idea about the affairs of the Zhao family. ”

The queen left without saying a word, Qingyu gently rubbed her temples for the queen mother, and said in a low voice: "Why doesn't Niangniang make it clear to the queen?" "The military department is old, and he is about to give office, and now the two waiters in the military department have the qualifications to be promoted, but the left waiter who is older is not in the party, and it takes a little effort to promote the right waiter to go above him, and at this time the party can't catch fire in the backyard.

"What if you say that?" The Queen Mother also felt tired, "She can only see the harem in her eyes." I really shouldn't have been in such a hurry......"

Qingyu said in a low voice: "The queen mother has no children for ten years, and she is also bitter ......in her heart" The middle palace has no children, although it is not like ordinary women who have to worry about being divorced without children, but it is related to the fate of the entire family, and the pressure is greater. The queen doesn't know how many tonic and home remedies she has taken over the years, especially in the past few years, the entire Fengyi Palace was filled with the smell of medicine all day long, and even the palace people in the palace could smell it when they went out.

"She's as miserable as me......" The Queen Mother sighed softly. At the beginning, she was also childless, if she hadn't decided to let a palace person serve the first emperor, I don't know what the situation would be now.

"That's it, you go pick out some medicinal materials to soothe the liver and calm the body, and send them to her in a while." In this harem, their aunts and nephews always have the same disease.

The queen really needs some medicine to soothe the liver and calm her qi, and these days she often feels chest pain, and the more unwell she is, the worse her temper will naturally become. Needless to say, Eunuch Li has fallen out of favor now, even the newly favored Eunuch Chen, sometimes he has to be scolded a few times.

The warm sedan chair went to the palace gate, and the palace man whispered outside the sedan chair: "Niangniang, Wu Cairen has come to ask for peace again." ”

"Nope." The queen said coldly, "Come in quickly, let her stand here if she wants to!" ”

The warm sedan chair went straight past Wu Cairen, who was already standing cold, seeing the sedan chair disappear into the palace gate, and the palace gate was slowly closed, and then he turned around and walked back.

The pothos clothes that accompanied her were not as thick as she was wearing, and she was shivering from the cold, and her speech was a little incoherent: "Cairen, let's be like this, is it useful?" ”

Wu Cairen sighed: "What if not?" ”

Green pothos looked around and said softly: "Talented people come like this often, Zhao Chongyi is afraid that he will be unhappy." ”

Wu Cairen lived in the side hall of Chunhua Hall when he was still Baolin, and later moved to a small Xuan next to Chunhua Palace, although it was considered to be out of Chunhua Palace, but after all, it was still next to each other, so every day to Fengyi Palace to offer courtesy, how could Zhao Chongyi not know?

"Yi Nu said, Zhao Chongyi may also have great achievements in the future...... "There are always other palace servants in Xiaoxuan, but it is not as convenient as the master and servant walking on the empty palace road to talk."

"You mean, switch to Zhao Chongyi?" When he lived in Chunhua Palace, Wu Cairen also intended to please Zhao Chongyi, but Zhao Chongyi didn't pay much attention to her, and later promoted to talent and moved out, the relationship became even more estranged, and it was difficult to get up at this time.

"Yes, if Zhao Chongyi gives birth to a prince, it will be great." The green vine is really afraid of the cold weather, standing at the gate of Fengyi Palace like this. No matter how many pairs of socks she wore or how much felt wool she lined her shoes, she felt cold and painful from her knees down at night.

Wu Cairen did not speak. Zhao Chongyi does seem to have an unlimited future now, but she still thinks that the Yu family is more reliable, and Zhao Chongyi's baby may not be able to give birth, the question is only what means the Yu family will use.

"The emperor watches the Chunhua Palace very closely, and whoever wants to do it can't ......," Luluo whispered. Xiao Xuan was next to the Chunhua Palace, of course she could see it.

Wu Cairen's eyes flashed, and he suddenly had an idea: "You're right." Since the queen doesn't accept me here, I always have to find another backer......"

The news that Taohua Shangyuan Festival was also going to be called into the palace also set off a small wave in the Jiang family. Xiaoshi couldn't sleep at night, so she whispered to her husband: "What did the Queen Mother do to summon Sister Tao into the palace, could it be that she was also the king of Anjun...... "Sister Tao can still be the princess of the county?"

Jiang Jun also felt that this was impossible: "It's probably because I'm unwell, so I'll call Sister Tao into the palace to check the pulse, right?" It's not good to call the doctor during the New Year's Festival, so I used the excuse of watching the lanterns to call Sister Tao over. "It's not the first month yet, and it's very unlucky to call the imperial doctor.

Xiao Shi looked at the top of the gauze tent with wide eyes, and couldn't sleep at all: "Sister Xing'er has been in the palace for a few months, and I heard that the emperor has not summoned her so far." And except for going to Fengyi Palace to ask for peace, Jiang Xinghua almost shrank in the Qunxiang Hall to talk to Wang Chongyuan, and did not set foot in Jiang Meihua's Yuhui Pavilion at all.

"Useless stuff." Jiang Jun also felt annoyed at this point. He didn't like this concubine, because Chunhui took advantage of him to get drunk and climbed into bed, which made the family restless, and Xiao's had a cold war with him for several days. In fact, he didn't have that idea about Chunhui in the first place, but he felt that drunken immorality had become a stain on him, but he was disgusted with Chunhui, so that although Chunhui's death was a little strange, he didn't bother to investigate.

Since he hates his biological mother and naturally doesn't have much love for his daughter, Jiang Xinghua is almost equivalent to non-existence in Jiang Jun's eyes. It's easy to enter the palace this time, and it doesn't work at all, how can you not make Jiang Jun annoyed.

Xiaoshi is also worried. Originally, Jiang Xinghua went in to help Jiang Meihua, but now she not only didn't help, but also avoided Jiang Meihua, isn't this a bamboo basket for water? I knew that it was better to leave her behind, and who else could I entrap - for example, if I could marry her to Liu Hanlin, wouldn't it be useful?

There was a dull swelling pain in his chest again. Xiao Shi raised his hand and rubbed it, only to feel a slight tingling pain in his armpits. Since Jiang Xi told her face to face about her illness, she was embarrassed to see Lang Zhong for this matter, so she only asked the maid to go to the street clinic to report her illness, take some pills and a few plasters and come back. At first, it seemed to be better, but these days are heavier, and I can't even sleep a little at night.

"I heard that Liu Hanlin went to Lantian a few years ago," thinking of Liu Zhijing, Xiao Shi said casually, "I don't know how the errand went." ”

Jiang Jun is very satisfied with Liu Zhijing's approach: "He is down-to-earth. This is a bad thing, but the emperor has always paid attention to the epidemic, and as long as he thinks about it in the future, it will be his opportunity. ”

The so-called errand is an errand with no oil and water to fish, otherwise it would not be Liu Zhijing's turn. But it's also an opportunity, just see if anyone can see through it. Now that Liu Zhijing has seen through it, it can be seen that he has something extraordinary, but his background is too low and he can't get ahead for a while.

Jiang Jun was thinking about how to make the emperor remember this matter when the seal was opened after the year, so he listened to his wife: "I don't know when the Liu family will be hired, why don't you ask Brother Yu to go and find out?" ”

"That's it." Jiang Jun also doesn't see rabbits and eagles, although he has already been Najib, but in the end, he still has to be hired to be a real certainty.

It was not practical for Jiang Yuhua to go to Liu's house, Liu Zhijing was already in a hurry, and it was easy to hold back the fifth day of the new year, so he asked Jiang Yuhua to come out and go to the teahouse to sit down and talk.

Jiang Yuhua had already received Xiao's orders, he was familiar with Liu Zhijing, and he didn't have to beat around the bush, so he smiled after a few words: "When will Brother Liu come to be hired?" Years ago, the matchmaker was in such a hurry, my mother was afraid that it would be too late to prepare the dowry, so she urged my third aunt. ”

Liu Zhijing was eager to mention this, and hurriedly said: "I came here today for this matter." I was not at home a few years ago, and my mother was anxious, and the etiquette was a little slow. I thought about preparing a gift for my father-in-law and mother-in-law and everyone in the family, but I didn't know what to prepare, so I had to ask you. ”

Jiang Yuhua smiled: "How can Brother Liu say it so politely, we will be relatives soon-by the way, now I call you Brother Liu, but when you become a relative, you will become my brother-in-law, this is really unexpected......" said and laughed.

Liu Zhijing had to laugh with him. Jiang Yuhua laughed for a while, and said: "My third uncle and three aunts are all kind people, and there is nothing difficult to prepare for etiquette, and my third sister - you know as you know, she was cured of the epidemic in Lantian Luonan - it was originally the daughter left by the third aunt in front of me, so you should be careful in preparing the gift." ”

When Liu Zhijing heard the second half of his words, he chuckled in his heart. At this point, he had confirmed that the Jiang family had never thought that he was going to marry Jiang Taohua, instead of using other people's Geng posts to fool him, otherwise Jiang Yuhua would not mention Jiang Taohua so calmly.

The problem could only be with the picture he had drawn. Liu Zhijing quickly thought about it in his heart, and asked tentatively: "It turns out that your third sister who is fighting the epidemic is also the daughter of your third uncle?" Isn't that just—"

Jiang Yuhua smiled: "It's Sister Yan's sister." She was left by the first three aunts, and Sister Yan was born to the third aunt now. ”

Liu Zhijing's heart was even cooler, and he pretended to be casual and said, "I see." Speaking of which, didn't your third sister lose her mother when she was very young? ”

Jiang Yuhua replied casually: "Not really." The third sister lost her mother when she was six years old, and the third uncle felt sorry for her and was afraid that she would be wronged, so he dragged her to the age of ten before remarrying the current third aunt. ”

Liu Zhijing seemed to have been poured a basin of cold water on his head, and he was cold from head to foot: "Then Jiang Yanhua, she is not your third uncle's daughter!" "Jiang Taohua didn't marry Jiang Xi until he was ten years old, but Jiang Yanhua was only a little younger than Jiang Taohua, how could she be Jiang Xi's daughter.

Jiang Yuhua looked at him in surprise: "Brother Liu, don't you know?" Sister Yan was brought by the third aunt now, and her original surname was Chen. However, since she followed, she changed her surname to Jiang and entered the household registration of the third uncle. ”

Liu Zhijing was not splashed with cold water, but was smothered. After a long time, not only did she not marry Jiang Taohua, but she didn't even marry a real Jiang family girl! He looked at Jiang Yuhua's surprised expression, and couldn't wait to go up and pinch his neck and shake it, and asked him why he didn't say it earlier.

Jiang Yuhua didn't expect that Liu Zhijing didn't even know how many daughters Jiang Xi had. Speaking of which, he is only a half-grown child, and he has never thought of inquiring into other people's homes, so how can he know that the affairs of other people's backhouses are not something that can be known by asking. Therefore, his surprise was completely true - after all, Liu Zhijing even put Jiang Yanhua's back into the painting, and he thought that he had fulfilled a marriage like a poem of red leaves, how did he know that Liu Zhijing was actually cheated by Jiang Bohua?

Liu Zhijing sat stiffly, wanting to overturn the table, but after all, he was a person who could quickly calm down and assess the situation at any time, and this moment was no exception. The letter of appointment has been issued, and the Liu family is in a hurry to ask the matchmaker to come out. At first, he painted Jiang Yanhua's back by himself, and he couldn't blame the Jiang family anyway, even if he wanted to withdraw from his relatives, he had nothing to say. And most importantly, if he quits, what will happen to him?

First of all, it is certain that he has offended the Jiang family, not only will it be impossible to get the help of the Jiang family again, but he will make a feud. Secondly, if he quits his relatives for no reason, his reputation will definitely be affected, and he is afraid that it will be difficult to marry a wife again. Moreover, Jiang Taohua frequently goes in and out of the palace, if she offends her, it is difficult to say whether he will say a few bad things about him in front of the emperor, and then the trouble will be really big.

quickly calculated in his mind, and Liu Zhijing's anger that had just risen was suppressed by himself again. He squeezed out a smile a little reluctantly: "That day, I saw a back at your house, but I don't know which one is your third sister?" Thinking of this, it was a bit rude, and hurriedly added, "This time I went to Lantian Luonan County, and I learned that even the ancestral hall was built for her, which really made me ashamed......

Jiang Yuhua is familiar with him, and thinking that they will be a family soon, he doesn't shy away from anything: "You said that day-the third sister wore red, and she loved to wear red." ”

Liu Zhijing completely understood when he heard this-it was indeed he who recognized the wrong person. On that day, he climbed the wall with Jiang Bohua in his arms, and did see three people in front of him turning the corridor, one of the tallest was wearing a red coat, and the girl under the osmanthus tree was wearing a lake blue jacket. It's just that Jiang Bohua called the girl in blue sister at that time, and he completely misled him.

"Before, I really didn't know that your third uncle had two daughters ......" The last two words were almost squeezed out of between his teeth, what kind of daughter is Jiang Yanhua, she is obviously an impostor!

Jiang Yuhua opened his mouth, Hao Xuan didn't say anything that Jiang Yanhua didn't look down on in his family, so he never mentioned it to the public. Fortunately, his brain was still there, so he only laughed dryly and said: "Sister Yan has a quiet temperament, she has never liked to go out, and she is not as capable as my third sister, and she also has a reputation outside." He hurriedly added, "But Sister Yan is good at needlework, and she is also literate." She is filial and filial, and my third uncle also treats her as his own daughter. ”

As soon as he said this, Liu Zhijing remembered that Jiang Taohua had seen Cheng Enbo about the illness, and after hearing it, he also dispelled the idea of marrying her, but he had to pick up the old question again because of the lack of conspiracy. Now that I think about it, even though Jiang Yanhua is not Jiang Xi's biological son, at least now she also bears the surname of the Jiang family, if she can really treat Jiang Xi as her own daughter as Jiang Yuhua said, it will be enough.

At least she is an innocent woman, there are benefits of not going out, and her chaste and filial piety is the blessing of the family. Liu Zhijing comforted himself like this, and smiled dryly at Jiang Yuhua: "When the first month comes, the Han family will come to the door to hire." ”