Nishinomiya.

Tuoba Tao's West Palace is not a palace on the west side of the imperial palace, but a small palace that has to be built in four directions between the imperial city and the capital because the Pingcheng Imperial Palace is too small, and it is divided into four palaces, south, south, and northwest, each of which is only about one-tenth the size of the Pingcheng Imperial Palace.

The West Palace, as a place for banci and rewarding ministers, has the largest area among the four palaces, except for the front hall for banquets, all other places are used by Tuoba Tao Palace.

Even the crowned palace is already extremely spacious compared to Tuoba Tao's harem.

Helian Ding was given to live in the "Astronomical Palace" of the "West Palace", Helian Mingzhu was in the "Jinhua Palace", and Helian stopped the water in the "Bandian", which is said to be the "Palace", but in fact, it is a relatively large courtyard, not much larger than the Plains Mansion that Helian Ding once had.

Originally, Helian Ding didn't feel that he was treated very well by Tuoba Tao, but when he visited the imperial city and went to the southeast, northwest and northwest palaces again, there was only silence.

Nangong can go directly to the Pingcheng market, the position is the highest, climb high and overlook, you can see the panoramic view of Pingcheng. The north palace is to place the old palace people and the officials and maids who entered the palace for sin, there are about more than 1,000 people, although the area is not small, but among them, "more than 1,000 people are servants, weaving silk brocade, selling cloth, making wine, raising pigs and sheep, herding cattle and horses, planting vegetables, and seeking profits", which is used to supply the needs of the palace, more like a rural credit cooperative than the palace.

The East Palace is the "Imperial Palace", Tuoba Tao lived there back then, but the East Palace is "a tile house, four corners of the building, the concubines live, all are earthen houses".

The palace of the prince is still like this, the south palace is the garden, the north palace is the treasury, and the west palace, which is "luxuriously decorated" for the emperor's banquet face, is luxurious.

There are also many concubines in Tuoba Tao's palace who envy Helian Mingzhu for having such a good brother, so he doesn't have to live in a crowded harem. Because Helian Mingzhu has been living in Ci'an Hall and Empress Dowager Dou and Mrs. He, she has gradually become familiar with the princesses, and after she moved out of the harem, half of it is for the palace to breathe, and half for the bereaved Helian Gong, often princesses and clan girls come to the West Palace to visit Helian Mingzhu.

Everyone said that after Helian Ding defeated Western Qin, he directly took the treasury of Western Qin as his own, and he returned a lot of tribute to Wei and returned all of them to Wei, but he was richer than before entering Wei.

There are naturally "chance encounters" with Helian Gong, but it's a pity that Helian Ding is a tyrant in front of women, and he treats women as nothing, and after a long time, these women have lost their curiosity about Helian Ding, but they are curious about Helian Mingzhu's emotional belonging.

Several of Tuobatao's younger sisters even often brush up their favorability in order to make Helian Mingzhu marry Tuobatao, just to be able to say a few words to Tuoba Tao in front of her.

Today, many princesses gathered in the West Palace again, but for nothing else, but many rumors in the palace recently.

"Originally, the palace was crowded, and someone was coming again!" Princess Shiping is old and tall, not inferior to men, so she can't stand the cramped palace.

"When I can get married, it's good that I live in a big mansion alone, wouldn't it be more comfortable than in the palace!"

Hu Nu is generous by nature, and she doesn't twist when it comes to marriage.

Helian Mingzhu already had a residence in a hall without getting married, so he didn't know how to answer for a while, so he could only look at Shiping innocently.

Princess Wuwei on the other side suddenly snickered: "Can't you hear it? She wants to get married! I heard that the imperial brother wants to marry one of us to Huwei General Mulan, she is the oldest, probably married to her, and now she is in a hurry and has not made an order! ”

Princess Wuwei and Helian Mingzhu are of the same age, and they have a lively personality, so Helian Mingzhu has more of the same language as her......

"What do you say? Who wants to take a wife? ”

"Huh, you don't know?" Wu Wei leaned over and looked at her hand, and saw that his fingers were not injured, so he breathed a sigh of relief and said: "That General Huwei also somewhere into the eyes of so many nobles, probably because the imperial brother is about to be elected again, I heard that his door is blocked every day by people who have girls in the family, and he wants to visit the parents of the two, he wants to give worship, and he directly asks for marriage, and he has broken the threshold of his family......"

Princess Wuwei shook her head with a smile: "I have also seen that general, he looks average, and his figure is not tall, but he is naturally strong and can fight." I don't know how many people in the world can fight, why do one, two, or three of them regard him as some kind of hero! ”

"Hu Xia rescued the imperial brother in the chaos, and he used Datan to quell the rebellion, why is he not a hero?" Shi Ping glared, "How far do you have to be thrown away like the frustrated prince you admire, and only those who are sick from now on can be considered heroes?" ”

Princess Wuwei was choked and stomped her foot, "I told you not to mention Fuqu Mujian." Who knew it was a wreck! Even now, I am still lying in the embassy, begging to return to China every day! Brother Huang didn't stop him, he just left if he wanted, and we had to send him back! ”

"Didn't you say that he was handsome and burly, and that Prince Beiliang was born noble? According to you, Mulan is not a hero, so he is a hero? ”

Wu Wei rolled his eyes angrily, and shouted straight at Helian Mingzhu: "I know you must be from Mulan's side, but what I said is wrong?" Do you think Mulan is handsome? ”

Helian Mingzhu wished that all the princesses hated Hermulan, and immediately shook his head decisively: "Not only is it not handsome, but it is also extremely boring!" ”

Princess Wuwei showed a "look" expression and clapped her hands happily: "My sister is so beautiful, she married an ugly one, and the child she gave birth to may not be good-looking, so it will be bad!" ”

She was only fifteen years old, and she was pampered, and she spoke without hindrance, even if Helian Mingzhu hoped that they would not pay attention to He Mulan, she frowned when she heard this: "It's just that she is not handsome enough, but she is not ugly......"

"You only know how to look at faces!" Shi Ping scolded with a smile, "It's suitable to be deceived by a 'good person' who has nothing to show for it!" Give birth to children all day long, you just marry in front of me, Mr. Forget the child! ”

Helian Mingzhu was shocked when he heard the news brought by the two of them, and then heard the fight between the two, and looked at the faint smile on the lips of the other princesses or clans, and couldn't help but feel a burst of sadness.

She is just a princess of a dead country, and she can only survive by taking refuge in the Wei country, if she is still the princess of the Xia country, what hero in the world can't marry?

Helian Mingzhu took a closer look at Princess Shiping's appearance, she looked a little like Tuobatao, that is, like the first emperor of Wei, her face was soft, a little resolute, and her skeleton was big, and she was more beautiful than her in terms of appearance and figure.

If it's Mulan, I don't know what he likes.

Judging by his attitude towards himself, he seems to be a bad one.

Helian Mingzhu rubbed his sleeves in some frustration. What she is most proud of now is her brother's strength and her own beauty, but she can't take her brother to force her to marry by relying on her face's hard hair, right?

Where did she do it, everyone said that she was a sister!

"You're all worrying too much. No matter which princess he pointed to, he had to be good, and he had to be happy. It's just the son of a military family, and the house at home was given by the imperial court, and I heard that the family is surrounded by four walls, and even the subordinates can't afford it, and it is hard to marry in the past. ”

A woman from a certain clan said coldly: "It's that Your Majesty is going to have a general election recently, and there will be a large number of daughters in Jingzhong, and there will be more men and fewer women, so it is only right for you to pay more attention to other handsome people in Beijing." ”

As soon as the woman of this clan spoke, the entire palace was silent, and then the atmosphere changed to discuss which better men in Beijing got up.

He Su Hejun, Dugu Nuo, and even a number of the little disciples around Gu Bi were all circled, and finally the inexplicable topic turned to Tuoba Tao.

Helian Mingzhu is extremely complicated for Tuoba Tao. A great man like him must be false if he says he doesn't love him.

But he is an emperor, and there are many wives and concubines in the harem, and she witnessed how he treated the harem women during the time she served him.

What's more, Mrs. He treated her so kindly, and she felt a strong sense of guilt when she faced Tuoba Tao again.

At this time, when he heard the princesses discussing Tuoba Tao without any taboos, Helian Mingzhu's heart became even more uncomfortable.

"I heard that the one from the Buliu lonely family also ran for election this year, crying at home and clamoring to marry Mulan, and finally threatened her brother before she obeyed......"

One clan brought it up as a joke.

"Your Majesty likes plump women the most, this Buliu lonely figure is enchanting, and she can't say that she will be favored as soon as she enters the palace."

"The woman that the imperial brother likes will not change for hundreds of years......," Princess Wuwei laughed and teased: "You should have big eyes, a small face, a long neck, a big chest, a thin waist and a curved buttocks, and it is best to be a little colder." Mrs. Dugu, Wei Chi Zhaoyi, and Mrs. Helai, who is now pregnant again, which one is not like this! ”

"Speaking of this standard, the girl of the Wang family and the girls of the Yuwen family seems to be very suitable? And I heard that she is also proficient in martial arts, did she run for election this year? ”

Shi Ping was deeply impressed by Wang Muyun, who studied martial arts in the Yuwen family, and immediately asked many girls.

A clan girl has a reason with the Yuwen family, and immediately nodded: "I heard that the Wang family is unwilling to marry their daughter into the palace, and they don't dare to take a concubine or a distant family to fill the number, so I let this girl participate in the general election." The Lu family and the Cui family also sent people in, but they were all girls from the side branches, and His Majesty would definitely not look down on them. ”

"Then Wang Muyun is also willing?"

Shi Ping's eyes widened, "Isn't it quite proud?" ”

"I really know that." Another girl interjected, "I heard that the Wang family promised her that if she was willing to run, her father's name would be reclassified into the family tree. I heard that the uncle of the Wang family was out with Yuwen again, but he didn't necessarily know that Wang Muyun was picked up by the Wang family, otherwise he didn't know what would happen again. My family has been talking about this for the past few days, and the Yuwen family doesn't seem to do it! ”

"The Wang family is too, where is the aunt of the Yuwen family not worthy of the Wang family! Those who courted relatives in Pingcheng back then could also line up outside the city......"

Shiping's mother was from the Yuwen family, so she was particularly uneven.

A group of girls gossiped, Helian Mingzhu had something in her heart, and the more she listened, the more irritated she became, and suddenly Shi Ping suddenly mentioned her name:

"Mingzhu, in a few days, your majesty xià 'preferred', we will all go to see the excitement, will you go? If you go, I'll send a chariot to pick you up in the morning!" ”

Helian Mingzhu was about to say no, but Princess Wuwei laughed beside her: "I think you want to see Mulan, right?" Who doesn't know that as long as His Majesty appears in a crowded place, he must be taking Mulan as a guard! ”

Mulan's martial arts have spread all over the four countries, but for sacrifices, hunting, patrols, etc., Tuoba Tao can't resist the requirements of other ministers, and he must take Mulan with him.

Because Mulan has a calm personality and can sometimes refuse Tuoba Tao's nonsense construction, the other close ministers look at Mulan more pleasing to the eye, and they can't wait for her to stick to Tuoba Tao's back when she is in Beijing.

Princess Wuwei said that Mulan was also there, and the tendon in Helian Mingzhu's heart moved, and then looked at Princess Shiping's inquiring eyes, and nodded in a ghostly manner.

Anyone knows that the princesses must be sneaking to see the excitement, they are spying on the emperor because they are princesses, Helian Mingzhu is really unclear when he is caught.

So Helian Mingzhu regretted it after agreeing, but how could these extra people be bold and let her quit? One by one, the immediate packing tickets must come early to pick up, and they must be done seamlessly.

While speaking, someone outside reported that Helian Gong had returned to the palace.

For a moment, the atmosphere, which was still full of pink bubbles, suddenly stiffened.

"I think there are still some things in the palace, I have to go first."

"Half of the belt I knitted for the royal brother is still unfinished, and I'm going to give it to him when he is elected, so I'd better go back......"

"That...... I've been bothering a lot of people today......"

One by one, the girls stood up one after another, and the Jinhua Palace, which was still lively just now, was suddenly dispersed, and the female officials and eunuchs who were waiting outside carried the chariots, and the horses were led by the horses, and when Helian Ding walked into the Jinhua Palace, only people were left to walk the scene of tea and cooling.

Helian Ding didn't seem to be in a good mood, as soon as he entered the room, he sat down cross-legged, glanced at his sister and raised his eyebrows: "Someone came to visit again today?" ”

"Yes."

Helian Mingzhu glared at his brother coquettishly.

"Look at your black face, no wonder so many princesses and county lords talk about you, and they run away all of a sudden when they hear you come back!"

"What do you have to say to these little girls......" Helian is in his thirties, and when he mentions a group of teenage princesses, he naturally considers himself an "adult". "It's good to go, let's go clean, let's just talk."

Helian Mingzhu had just agreed to mess around with a group of "little girls", and her heart was empty, and when she heard Helian Ding's words, she asked uncomfortably: "What did you say?" ”

Helian Ding stretched his waist, leaned on the thick cushion left by a certain princess, and dropped a sentence that was enough to scare Helian Mingzhu to death: "I went to ask Mulan to kiss in the morning." I looked left and right, and only he was the most suitable to be my brother-in-law of Helian Ding. ”

Helian Mingzhu covered his mouth and exclaimed: "Impossible! ”

Helian Ding frowned when he heard this: "What's impossible?" What can't I be as my brother-in-law of Helianding? If it weren't for the fact that the Xia Kingdom had been attached to the Wei Kingdom, you would be a dignified princess, and anyone in the world could marry, let alone Mulan, who was born recklessly? What's more, I also moved most of the fine products of the Western Qin treasury to the past......"

Helian Mingzhu's face turned even paler.

Helian Ding saw that his sister's face had changed, and asked puzzledly, "What, are you unhappy?" ”

Helian Mingzhu casually picked up a beauty fist and threw it at his brother, almost crying: "You are suing the world, I am a gift of gifts?" If you want something, you have to marry your sister, I'm so low, I have to marry like this? ”

Where did Helian Ding know the careful thoughts of these daughters' families, and stared at him with his neck: "Which princess doesn't have a rich dowry?" I'm just afraid that he thinks that if the Xia Kingdom is ruined, you won't have much money! In a poor family like him, you can only live by marrying with your possessions, why do you blame me? ”

"You don't even ask me! What if I don't want to get married! What if he doesn't like me? "Helian Mingzhu hammered his brother, and he almost didn't fight hard.

After Helian Ding was politely declined by He Mulan before, he guessed in his heart that there must have been something between the two, and it was probably related to Tuoba Tao.

Her sister has been a personal eunuch by Tuoba Tao's side for a few months, and it is said that she is the one who changes clothes, washes and goes to the toilet, and the woman is easy to be emotional, maybe there was something at that time.

Now she said that she didn't want to marry, probably because she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to compete with the concubines in the palace and wouldn't be favored, if that was the case, he would have to change his mind.

So Helian Ding pretended to be very frustrated and nodded: "That's true, Mulan has already rejected me." ”

Helian Mingzhu covered her face with her palm, and fell back with a wail, not wanting to see her brother again.

Helian Ding continued as if he hadn't stimulated Helian Mingzhu enough: "Hua Mulan said that Emperor Wei told him that he loves you like crazy, and he has the momentum to win. ”

"As a courtier, he must not have an affair with the woman whom the king likes, otherwise he will have the reputation of 'the king taking the wife of the courtier' or 'giving and receiving it privately', and the reputation of the country and the king will be damaged. You also know Mulan's temperament, he is not a liar, since he said so, it shows that His Majesty is really affectionate to you......"

Helian Ding lowered his head and looked at his sister: "What the hell is going on?" Although I respect your choice, if you have made a lifelong agreement with that majesty, you should not hide it from me! ”

"I didn't! It was he himself who was talking about 'inevitable', and said that I was responsible for him......" Helian Mingzhu was frightened by his brother's terrible eyes and was incoherent, "I, I, I was so scared that I didn't refuse, but I didn't think I had to enter his harem!" ”

"Huh? That's what ever were? ”

"Nope!"

Helian Ding was troubled by his sister's attitude of "saying no, but in fact, not knowing whether to do it", so he simply stood up and shook his head again and again.

"I don't force you, you have to feel that Your Majesty is not good, just don't regret it in the future. From a man's point of view, Mulan is indeed a good match, but it's a pity that he is too low-born, and he is a pure minister, so he has too many concerns. If Emperor Wei takes a fancy to you, then you will definitely not be able to marry in Wei. ”

"Can't you take me with you when you go back to the fiefdom?" Helian Mingzhu's eyes were full of tears, "I don't want to get married, can't I take care of your housework?" ”

"Okay. If you and your new sister-in-law get along well, you will get along best, and if you don't get along well, you will be sent to the end. Helianding stood up and replied casually.

Helian Mingzhu was shocked when he heard this: "Brother wants to marry a wife?" ”

"If you don't marry a wife, will you always be a widower and live in the west palace of this majesty?" Helian Ding showed an irritated expression: "I'm only thirty-six, and I'm not sixty-three, sixty-three can continue the strings, why can't I?" It's just that it's hard to find candidates now, and I don't want to make do with it......"

Helian Mingzhu was dumbfounded.

"What kind of brother are you looking for?"

"I'm afraid that if I don't find another one, My Majesty will give me a random woman. If I want to leave the West Palace justifiably, I must leave in the name of becoming a relative. It's just that I don't go out in the palace, how do I know which lady is better? Now I happen to meet His Majesty's wedding, all the weddings have stopped, and I don't know how long I will stay here......"

Helian Ding really didn't want to stay, first, the people in the West Palace were all Tuoba Tao's people, he was very unfree, and secondly, he always felt like he was under the fence. The "West Palace" of Xia Kingdom is for the queen to live, and every time he hears others say that the West Palace is cloudy, he feels blocked in his heart and uncomfortable.

The better Tuoba Tao treats him, the more he worries that he is defending himself. Only when he is really let out of the palace will he get rid of this feeling of being dominated.

So far, he has felt that Tuoba Tao's personality and statecraft are quite appealing to him, and before the two become suspicious because of some external forces, Helian must want to keep a certain distance.

Not to mention that there is still his sister between the two......

No, he wants to go into the palace to meet the Buddha and ask him what he thinks.

If his sister doesn't want to marry, but gives this majesty the wrong message, it will really be a mistake!

***

General Huwei's Mansion.

He Mulan finally sent Helian Ding away, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. She sent Helian Ding far away, and then remembered that Liduoduo had disturbed the neighbors left and right recently, so she scavenged a lot of gifts from home, and took Chen Jie and Gai Wu, one by one, to personally apologize.

This is easy to apologize, but she is now a celebrity in Pingcheng, and no one can help but stay for a while, even if there are four or five families in Changping Fang, but because they are divided into several alleys, He Mulan was stunned until dark before he was able to return home.

He Mulan's stomach was already rumbling with hunger, and when the doorman saw her, she was about to pass on something, and he also gave her a sentence of "I'll report it after dinner", and raised his foot and stepped over the side door, and went straight to the banquet hall.

Now that Father and Mother Hua are in the house, she knows that the two elders will not have dinner until she comes back. If you are hungry, you will be small, and if you are hungry, the whole family will be big.

He Mulan went straight into the banquet hall, rubbed his eyes as soon as he entered, turned around and walked out and walked back, pointed to the front and said to Gai Wu:

"Gai Wu, am I looking at it wrong?"

"Haha, my aunt's surname is Yuan, and my surname is Yuan, maybe we are our family. Where are my aunts and grandparents? Judging by your temperament, you should be from a big family, right? General Hua is literate, which is rare in Xianbei military households! ”

The young man with a rounder face who smiled sat next to Yuan, coaxing Yuan's happiness while waiting for the meal to start.

Yuan Fang, who is not a lotus flower, which one else can there be?

Yuan is just a woman in the countryside, but her father and brother are literate and willing to teach her, so they know some commonly used words, but it is her uncle and brother who really teach Mulan to write, where can it have anything to do with Yuan in Chen County?

I don't even dare to think about it.

But this "temperament" Yunyun really made Yuan's heart bloom, holding Yuan Fang's hand and unwilling to let go, even staring at Father Hua.

"Ouch, you little lang is really good at talking, my Mulan can write because she is studious herself, I don't dare to take credit. Since you will work under Mulan in the future, you will simply live in ...... like Na Luo Hun and them."

"Mother!"

When He Mulan heard this, his face changed greatly, and he led Chen Jie and Gai Wu into the hall.

When Yuan Fang heard that He Mulan was coming, he immediately stood up with a smile and bowed to He Mulan.

"I've seen the lord."

"What's going on?" He Mulan frowned and looked at Yuan, and then at Yuan Fang. "Shouldn't you be in prison? How did you get to my house? And Grandma, why did you let everyone in? ”

"It's not me, he took the imperial order in the palace, and someone from the palace sent it, but you weren't at home, so your grandfather and I had to welcome people first, and waited for you to come back......"

Where had Yuan had ever seen such a strict daughter, and pointed at Yuan Fang with some grievances.

"He called you lord......"

He Mullan stretched out his hand.

"What imperial order?"

Yuan Fang saw He Mulan asking him, so he put away his usual smiling face, took out a silk silk from his arms, and explained while handing it to He Mulan.

His Majesty said that it would take a few years for the policy of that day to be implemented, but His Majesty loved me and could not bear to suffer in prison, so he released me. But I'm guilty now, and I can't run around even when I'm out of prison......"

He saw that the more He Mulan looked at the imperial decree, the more ugly his face became, and in the end he even shouted "nonsense", couldn't help scratching his nose, and looked at the sky:

"So His Majesty asked me to come to your mansion and make a master book for you."

After reading the nonsense imperial decree, He Mulan was about to curse in his heart, and then listened to Yuan Fang's triumphant tone, and immediately rolled his eyes.

"Your Majesty said that you are so poor and pitiful that you won't even buy an acre of land, let me give you ......"

Yuan Fang said indifferently in Yuan's "I see" expression.

"Earn some money to support your family."

The author has something to say: Hello everyone, I'm the manuscript box, the owner took his son to play again, and the second watch was in the afternoon to the evening.

Small Theatre:

Tuobatao: Hahaha, I'm really happy that my rival is Mulan! Mulan is beautifully done! What should I reward her?

Su Hejun: ...... Mulan is poor.

Tuobatao: (dumbfounded) But I'm also very poor, and I'm going to have my ears pulled out if you reward the ancient servants!

Su Hejun: ...... Don't look at me, I can't be the master of my family.

Tuoba Tao: (pondering) It's also a waste for Yuan to be locked up in prison, and I'm afraid of provoking other people's attention and causing trouble to him now, forget it, send a golden rooster that can lay eggs to Mulan!

Yuan Fang: (excited gibberish) Big brother? Each large? the egg?