After settling the old lady Zhuang and the second master Zhuang, the Zhuang family returned to the third room and only had time to freshen up and change their clothes, and then a maid came outside to say: "The third lady, the fourth young master and the second young lady have come to greet you." ”

Zhuang Shi frowned, and said while putting a step on his bun: "Let them go to the flower hall and wait, I'll go to Mrs. Tai first." After saying that, he hurriedly got up and went out the door.

When he walked to the door, he couldn't help sighing, turned back to the maid and instructed again: "You go and invite the fourth young lady to the flower hall, and let her go to be the companion of the fourth young master and the second young lady." After that, he left again.

When Zhuang went to Funing Hall, Li was sitting on the couch holding a cup of tea, but his eyes were distracted, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

Seeing Zhuang come in, he put down the azure glazed tea bowl in his hand, beckoned to Zhuang, and said, "I knew you would come to me, come here." ”

Zhuang went over and saluted first, and then sat next to Li, and before she could speak, Li had already spoken: "I know what you want to ask when you come here, and I have something to say to you." ”

Zhuang had no choice but to swallow his words and hung his head.

Li Shi stretched out his hand and grabbed Zhuang's hand and put it in his palm to hold it, and then said slowly: "Xianniang, my mother almost watched you grow up, when you were five or six years old, my mother watched you run around in this mansion with San Lang Xianniang, and when you didn't get married, I treated you as half a daughter." ”

Zhuang also shook Li's hand back, her father was the deputy general trusted by the old Guogong, Li and Mrs. Zhuang also walked around diligently, when she was young, she spent half of her time in the Wuguo Mansion, and had a deeper affection for Li than ordinary mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. She looked at Li and said sincerely: "My mother has loved me since I was a child, sometimes I love me more than San Lang, I know it, and I have always kept it in my heart." ”

Li shook his head and said, "Among the three daughters-in-law, the most distressing thing for me is that you are right, but my mother feels that you are the most sorry." You said that I hurt you more than San Lang, San Lang is my own birth, how can I hurt you more than him, in fact, for so many years, I have favored San Lang, I don't know how many times I have wronged you. Back then, your father died in order to save the old man, and the old man accepted this kindness and wanted to recognize you as an adopted daughter. But I think the name of an adopted daughter of the Guogong Mansion is worth something, I like you, it is better to let San Lang marry you, you stay at home, and I will take care of you for the rest of your life, no better than you marrying outside in the name of an adopted daughter of the Guogong Mansion. And I can also see that you are also interested in Saburo.

At that time, I really regarded this as a family matter made in heaven, but I didn't expect San Lang to be so confused, since you entered the door, I didn't talk about you coldly, and I made trouble in the outer room, and I didn't expect to make trouble with the concubine and concubine. Later, you broke off your love when you got cold, and you wanted to reconcile and leave, but San Lang changed his mind, I was reluctant to you at that time, and on the other hand, it was also for San Lang, so I kept persuading you to accept San Lang again. I also know that if you hadn't been thinking of me back then, I'm afraid you would really have broken off with Saburo. These things have always been owed to you by the Lin family. ”

Zhuang shook his head and said: "How can I blame my mother for these things, if I hadn't been interested in San Lang in my heart back then, how could my mother force me to marry into the Lin family." Back then, I said that it was because of you that I was willing to reconcile with Saburo, but in the final analysis, it was because I couldn't let go of Saburo in my heart. ”

Li patted Zhuang's hand, and continued: "I know that you are here for Yuan Yuan, Yuan Yuan is the granddaughter of my in-laws, where am I willing to throw her to that place of eating people." But there is no way, she is the only one in the entire Lin family is suitable, the Lin family has lost too much for the emperor's throne, your eldest brother and eldest nephew who died on the battlefield, my daughter Xianniang, and several uncles and brothers of the family, that is, the grandfather of the old country, why not go after a few years of excessive sadness because of the death of your eldest brother and nephew. The Lin family has paid so much, but they can't make a wedding dress for someone else in the end, so in the end, they can only wronged you and Yuan Yuan again. There is also the crown prince, without his mother's support, but surrounded by wolves, relying on the emperor's fatherly heart for him and relying on it for a few years, he needs a woman who can speak by the emperor's side to speak for him. ”

Zhuang said: "It's not that there is still a ramie girl, I look at the ramie ······"

Li interrupted her and said, "Ramie is not successful, her character is not successful." What's more, Ramie Niang is a concubine, and if she enters the palace, she can only be a concubine. The position of the queen is too important, if the position of the queen cannot fall on the Lin family, who is most likely to go in the end, it is the Wu family. Wu Guifei and the emperor are cousins, and Wu Guifei is an old man who has served the emperor since the time of the palace, and the Wu family also has the merit of being a dragon. If Wu Guifei becomes the queen, the second prince will also rise and become a concubine. The difference between the second prince and the crown prince is only one year old, and if he also becomes a son-in-law, it will be endless trouble for the prince and the Lin family. ”

Zhuang lowered his head and did not speak.

Li continued: "Xian Niang left a message before she died, to choose a girl from her mother's family to enter the harem to take care of the prince, the emperor is still thinking about Xian Niang in his heart, plus the operation of our Lin family, Yuan Yuan is eighty percent sure of being established as the successor." ”

The Zhuang family knew that the matter was now a foregone conclusion, and although he was still worried about his daughter, he didn't say anything more.

After a while, she took a deep breath and turned to other things: "Mother, I came this time, not only for Yuanyuan's business, but also for other things. ”

Li said: "What do you have to say?" ”

Zhuang frowned, and then said, "It's the relationship between Chenggang and the maid." She paused, and then said: "Chenggang and Wu Niang are twins, and now they are sixteen, especially Wan Niang, the girl's family is always not good to marry too late." San Lang means that he has already taken care of a family affair for Chenggang in the northwest, and he is the daughter of his six-grade experience. That experience is very courageous, San Lang is very optimistic about his future, his eldest daughter is fourteen this year, I have been to see, the virtue and speech skills are good, but the appearance is slightly lacking. San Lang is saying that marrying a wife and marrying a virtuous man is not a disadvantage. He meant to wait for a while for the girl to return to Beijing, and the three books and six ceremonies would be held in Beijing, and when the two became married, he would let Chenggang also go to the northwest to experience it. As for the maid, the two of us couldn't pick any good candidates in the northwest, so we asked my mother to palm her eyes and help watch her family. ”

Li said: "San Lang is right, marry a wife and marry a virtuous. As for the maid, don't worry, I'll watch for her. She said and moved, and continued: "In the past few years, I have also seen a few families for her, but the maid's temperament is a little soft, but it is a little difficult to find, she can hold it down, the family background is shallow, I don't think she is very willing, she is a big family, she is afraid that she can't fight other people's eyes, and letting her marry will only hurt her." ”

Zhuang said: "San Lang means that the family background is shallow and not in the way, give her more money to support, as long as the other party's character is trustworthy, and the qualifications will not be too bad." ”