==Chapter 96==

I took off my jacket and put on a spring shirt, and in the blink of an eye, I entered April, and the weather gradually got hotter.

During this period, Guozijian conducted another ten-month examination, and the results of Jiuniang and Cheng Wenjing did not change much from the past, but Ruan Linger was really impressive, and she took the first class.

This is Ruan Ling'er's first first-class examination since she entered the National Prison, and now Ruan Ling'er's father Ruan Chengmao will care about this daughter to some extent, compared with the eldest daughter's excellent results, the younger daughter Ruan Mengling's grades are really miserable, for which Ruan Mengling and Xu have been reprimanded by Ruan Chengmao.

The mother and daughter are jealous and resentful, but they have learned from the past, and they don't dare to make too big moves on the surface, of course, they can't help but sneer or make a little stumbling behind their backs. Ruan Ling'er is not what it used to be, with the influence of Jiuniang and Cheng Wenjing, and the support of Ruan Chengmao, life is not sad.

On this day, Xu returned to his parents' home.

After the former right servant shot Xu Fu to tell the old, he did not return to his hometown, and the Xu Mansion was still in Chang'an. Xu Fu only has such a daughter as Xu, and there are no relatives in his hometown, and Emperor Chengyuan also knows this, so after Xu Fu said goodbye, he rewarded him with a mansion in Chang'an City for him to live for his life.

After Xu saw his mother, Mrs. Xu, he began to complain bitterly, saying that Ruan Ling'er was an eyesore, Ruan Chengmao's wings were hard now, and he was not as considerate to her as before.

Mrs. Xu is now in her sixtieth year, full of white hair, and her face is particularly kind due to her years of pampering and simple and leisurely environment. After hearing her daughter's complaint, she couldn't help frowning, she didn't think there was anything wrong with her son-in-law, but she felt that her daughter was becoming more and more unpleasant now.

"Why is Cheng Mao like this, don't you know? If it weren't for your early years, why would he have to make amends afterwards. The environment in the court is complicated, and it is difficult for him to be an official, so you didn't sweep away his worries, but found a lot of trouble for him. I said a long time ago that you can't do this, it's just a girl, even if it is an eyesore, it can hinder you for a few years, and when the time comes, a dowry will marry it, and it will not be you and Qi'er Lin'er who will benefit? And Lingniang, you have to take care of it, and she is not too young, so arrogant and willful, how to talk about family affairs in the future. bullying the eldest sister, she was refreshed for a while, but the bad thing is not her reputation! ”

Lin'er is the youngest son of the Xu family, his full name is Ruan Junlin, who is eight years old this year and is the second son of the Xu family. At that time, Ruan Chengmao felt the kindness of his father-in-law and promised that if the Xu family gave birth to a male heir, the eldest son would inherit the incense of the Xu family from the surname Xu, so the eldest son of the Xu family, Xu Junqi, was raised in the Xu family since he was a child, and the old couple were under the knees of the old couple.

Xu Fu saw that his son-in-law was so knowledgeable, so he took more care of him, and the Xu family's heirs were thin, so it was not easy to have someone to inherit the incense, even if it was a grandson, that is, the surname Xu, was the child of the Xu family, so he took Xu Junqi with him since he was a child. Xu Junqi is eleven years old this year, he has been sensible and obedient since he was a child, and he doesn't know how much better it is than the son and daughter raised by the Xu family.

Mrs. Xu knows her daughter's character, but the old couple had a daughter in their later years, and they have been spoiled since childhood, and it is also their own sin to develop such a character, so they always take the trouble to persuade Xu. It's just that the Xu family could still listen to it in his early years, but as he got older, he became accustomed to being the master of the house, and gradually he couldn't listen to his mother's words.

At this time, hearing his mother being so oriented towards others, Xu suddenly exploded, "What eldest sister, my Lingniang doesn't have that kind of eldest sister, it's just a cheap embryo." ”

Old Madam Xu suddenly felt a pain in her head, and couldn't help but scold: "Since you can't listen to what Wei Niang said, you will do something when you go home, so you can make trouble with Cheng Mao, and make him Ming'er accept two concubines into the door to see how you are." ”

"How dare he?" Xu screamed.

Old Madam Xu glanced at her, "What would he not dare, your father has already retired now, and some of the connections he cultivated in his early years have all been handed over to Cheng Mao, and the reason why our Xu family has been able to gain a foothold in Chang'an in recent years is because of Cheng Mao's momentum." Do you think it's still the same as before, your father and mother are more than half years old, and they can still live for a few years? It can make you rely on it for a lifetime! Cheng Mao Zhien, so I have always respected you, and I haven't seen anyone in the house for so many years, but people respect you, and you have to be like words, you look at how old you are, and you are still making trouble all day long, and one day the good days will be gone, and you will cry! ”

Mrs. Xu intimidated the Xu family, Xu Fu has always been cautious and cautious as an official for decades, even for her son-in-law, she has never kept a hand. But this Xu has always been an arrogant character, and if she doesn't scare her, how can she know that she has restrained.

Xu Shi was really frightened, thinking about Ruan Chengmao's care and thoughtfulness to him before, and thinking about his changes in the past few years, he couldn't help but feel that his father was not as good as in previous years, and he couldn't use the family anymore, so he became angry. And Ruan Chengmao has always been good to her, and the relationship between the two is also very good, she is reluctant to push her husband out.

"That mother, what do you say about your daughter, your daughter can endure anything, but she can't bear it when she sees that cheap girl." Xu choked back tears and cried.

In fact, how could Mrs. Xu not understand her daughter's mind, then Ruan Ling'er's existence was all about reminding Xu that she was just a continuation, and she was just a husband who robbed people, and it was not an exaggeration to say that it was a thorn in the flesh in her eye, and if she didn't pull it out for a day, she wouldn't be able to live for a day. Back then, Mrs. Xu felt that her daughter was too unkind to do this, but she couldn't resist Xu's grinding, and Xu Fu also had her own plans, so she would turn a blind eye and let her go.

The sin has already been done, and now it's too late to say anything, Mrs. Xu is a lot older, so she has nothing else to ask for, just to ask the old man to be good, grandson, daughter, and family. After worrying about Xu's only daughter for so many years, Mrs. Xu couldn't bear to leave her alone, and she really didn't want to come up with a way to solve this matter.

She frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Don't worry, isn't she about to get married, at this age it's time to say goodbye, set a marriage for her, and marry her out as soon as possible." In this way, you can be out of sight and out of mind, and you can account for the past from the outside. ”

Xu thought about it, and also felt that the method that his mother said was still good, so he nodded and agreed.

There are also many kinds of family affairs, there are those who are sweet and bitter, and there are people who are glorious on the outside and chaff on the inside, if she doesn't do something inside, how can she be worthy of the grievances she and her daughter suffered in Ruan's Mansion for a while!

*

Speaking of marriage, the court has recently been very unquiet because of this 'marriage'.

Without him, it is all because Zhao Wang and others are not young, and it is time to get married.

Since the prince's wedding, the marriage of King Zhao has been mentioned repeatedly, and many officials have been admonishing the matter, but Emperor Chengyuan's attitude has always been evasive.

I thought that in terms of Emperor Chengyuan's temperament, his attitude was obvious enough this time, Emperor Chengyuan was different from the first emperor, and he had always been a relatively strong emperor, if the people below were sensible, this matter should not be mentioned again in a short time. I don't know what went wrong, the courtiers seem to be on the same page as Emperor Chengyuan, and there will be officials at the daily court meeting to mention this matter, until now it is getting more and more intense, causing an uproar in the court.

Emperor Chengyuan took advantage of the fact that several courtiers were attacked, but they still did not suppress it, and the situation in the court became increasingly tense.

In fact, it is conceivable that the age of Zhao Wang and the others is not young. According to the custom, the prince generally needs to be married at the age of seventeen or eighteen, and he must be married before the coronation ceremony. But now King Zhao is twenty-one, King Cheng is twenty, King Qi is nineteen, and the marriage of several people is still far away, which is why it will cause a lot of criticism. Of course, it is conceivable that there are people secretly fueling the troubles.

King Zhao and others were anxious, Empress Xiao and Concubine Liu were also anxious, needless to say, the officials of the faction under them were not to mention, and there were also many courtiers who cared about the country, so they converged into a torrent.

Chu Wangfu

In the study, the king of Chu sat behind the book, and Hu Yingrong, the secretary of the criminal department, stood at the head of the next place. He looks like he is in his forties, with a slender face, deep wrinkles and nasolabial folds on his forehead, and at first glance he looks like a person who is not smiling and very strict on weekdays.

It is true that Hu Yingrong has been an official for many years, and everyone knows his character at a glance, but he is very serious in his daily life, and he also knows how to adapt, and he is not as rigid and old-fashioned as he appears on the surface. Since the establishment of the Chu Palace, he has been serving as the head of the palace, taking care of the foreign affairs of the Chu Palace, and is very loyal to the King of Chu.

However, the King of Chu has always been thoughtful, has his own ideas about things and things, and has been with this His Royal Highness for a long time, and Hu Yingrong also knows that the King of Chu is a person with great wisdom.

There was silence in the study.

Just now Hu Yingrong mentioned the previous court about the marriage of several princes, and the attitude of the King of Chu and his family has always been to stay out of the matter, not to participate or interfere. It's just that Hu Yingrong feels that this attitude should not be at this time, after all, the prince's wedding and the king of Chu are also beneficial, so why not just do it together.

Although the king of Chu is not very old, he is known to be majestic in front of his subordinates, and after Hu Yingrong finished speaking, he stood with his hands in fists and waited for the reply of the king of Chu. But King Chu kept silent, the atmosphere in the room gradually stagnated, Hu Yingrong was a lot older, and the scenes he had seen were not small, and at this time he also broke out in a cold sweat.

"I wonder what Your Highness thinks?" Hu Yingrong broke the silence again.

The King of Chu leaned back in a wheelchair, his slender index finger pointed at the book case in front of him, and muttered: "We should not be involved in this matter, but-"

Hu Yingrong raised his head and stared at the King of Chu tightly, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

"We can add a fire to him."

"This-" After Hu Yingrong groaned, he had doubts: "What does His Highness mean-"

After a pause, he added: "This matter is actually beneficial to several princes, if His Royal Highness is interested, finding a powerful wife is the top priority......"

The rest of the words, in the dark eyes of the king of Chu, gradually disappeared.

Hu Yingrong pounced and knelt down: "The subordinates are in vain." ”

Hu Yingrong has always been deeply impressed by the King of Chu, how powerful the King of Chu is, Hu Yingrong as a confidant is very clear, and these are all on the surface, as for the shadows, from Hu Yingrong's observation in recent years, the forces in the dark are also not small. You must know that the king of Chu has only been building a mansion for a few years, and he is not as good as King Zhao or Cheng, but he can compete with the two families and be undefeated.

In Hu Yingrong's view, the king of Chu is the most suitable candidate to be the next prince, but the situation in the court is weird, and this kind of thing can never be sued, not even thought about.

But as an official in the court, who doesn't covet the merits of the dragon, not to mention that the king of Chu has a problem with his legs, and he himself has never expressed that he has that kind of thought, Hu Yingrong's various thoughts can only be hidden in his heart. It's just that after observing for a long time, Hu Yingrong can also see a little, after all, as a confidant, the trajectory of King Chu's actions is also traceable.

The secret has been suppressed for a long time, and he always can't help but test one or two, but it's a pity that the king of Chu never takes his stubble.

As for the problem of the king of Chu's leg disease, Hu Yingrong got along with the king of Chu a lot, and he never saw in him the sense of decadence due to his disability, and he seemed to have always been calm. This attitude is ambiguous, many things in the court and the court cannot be seen on the surface, there are too many wits in the secret, and many things are not as presented on the surface, Hu Yingrong also understands this truth.

Maybe the legs of the King of Chu are not as strict as everyone thinks, this is Hu Yingrong's guess. In fact, he is not the only one, there are many people who speculate secretly, but this kind of speculation is not suitable for the surface.

King Chu glanced at him darkly, "It's good that you understand, this king's affairs have his own opinions!" ”

"Yes."

"This matter is left to you, and we are neutral and do not participate or interfere. But since they are so impatient, why not add a fire to them? ”

There are many meanings in the words of the King of Chu, and Hu Yingrong silently pondered back and forth in his heart. On the face, he immediately responded, and after waving his hand, the king of Chu retreated.

After Hu Yingrong stepped back, Chang Shun, who had been standing aside, spoke up.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid Hu Changshi has some doubts." Chang Shun is a tentative remark against Fang Cai Hu Yingrong.

The king of Chu knocked on the case, "If he can doubt, it also shows that he is not stupid." By the way, how are things going over there? ”

"The whereabouts of the poisonous girl have been found, but this person has always been clever and cunning, and he knows how to hide, and he has not caught the other party for the time being, but Changfeng and the others have already touched the line, and it will be done soon."

"Let them speed up, and send them to Chang'an as soon as they get them."

The hand that the king of Chu put on his lap couldn't help but touch his thigh, although it was appropriate for him to show his cripple in front of people at this time, but if this matter was done, he could also let go of a matter of heart.

"Yes."

*

On this day, Emperor Chengyuan came down.

On the way back to Zichen Palace, his face was tense, his lips were tightly pursed, the corners of his mouth were pulled down, and his body was full of extremely suppressed anger.

After entering the Zichen Palace, he sat down after going to the dragon case, and an attendant came up with tea. Ruan Ronghai stood not far below his right side, his head was eager to be stuck in the crotch of his pants, and there was a depressing atmosphere in the hall, and everyone knew that Emperor Chengyuan was angry, and he was not lightly angry.

In Jiangshan Sheji, Emperor Chengyuan can be regarded as a Ming monarch, but in terms of personality, he has a strange temper and is violent. Waiting by his side, it is common for one to accidentally lose his life, so the slaves and maids serving in Zichen Hall today are all tense, for fear that one will be accidentally dragged down and killed.

During this period of time, Zichen Hall has repeatedly had people in the palace who have been dragged out with a cane, causing everyone to be tense and behave as a person.

The sound of a tea cup smashing on the ground sounded, and all the attendants in the hall knelt down, including Ruan Ronghai.

"They dare to force me, they dare to ......"

Emperor Chengyuan smashed the teacup and didn't count, and everything on the dragon case was also swept to the ground, crackling and shattering. After a long time, there was a burst of almost devouring gaze in his eyes, "Get out of here!" ”

All the attendants retreated with their heads bowed and chests, with a cold sweat on their foreheads, and they were glad that they had escaped again. This does not include Ruan Ronghai, as Emperor Chengyuan's personal attendant, everyone can retreat, but he can't, even at this moment he wants to 'get out'.

He stood aside with bated breath, trying not to provoke the attention of Emperor Chengyuan, with his status by Emperor Chengyuan's side today, it would not be possible to be angry and killed, but no one wanted to challenge the limit of his life.

It's a pity that the idea he made today fell through, and Emperor Chengyuan's sharp gaze fell on him.

"Ruan Ronghai, what do they want to do, I am not dead now, I am so forced!"

Ruan Ronghai complained again and again in his heart, but his face was cautious: "Maybe, maybe it may be that several highnesses are a little anxious." He spoke very vaguely, but the meaning of his voice was audible.

Nowadays, people who are a little discerning know that the situation above the court is a little weird, and the trouble is so big, if there is no one behind it, it is definitely impossible.

As for who it is, it goes without saying that it must be those princes who are eager to get married.

It stands to reason that the prince's marriage is a common thing, after all, the ethics are common, and it is not an unsightly thing to want to get married when you are old. But this is mixed with the prince and Emperor Chengyuan's vague thoughts, which is a bit taboo.

Ruan Ronghai didn't want to get involved in this kind of thing, but when Emperor Chengyuan asked, he didn't dare not say it, so he could only say a word or two vaguely.

In other words, he can pretend to be confused, but he has served by Emperor Chengyuan's side for a long time, and he knows something about some obscure things. To say or not to say, how to say it, to tell the truth or to tell a lie, is a science. And Ruan Ronghai obviously decided to tell the truth, after all, Emperor Chengyuan was his master, and he didn't want to anger the other party.

"Even you can see that they deserve to die!"

Ruan Ronghai knelt down, "Your Majesty should never talk about this, Your Majesty will be able to live long live, long live, long live." ”

The sycophant is a little too obvious, but it's good for someone to take it, no one wants to die, let alone Emperor Chengyuan, who is the Ninth Five-Year Emperor.

Emperor Chengyuan's face eased down, he didn't know what to think, and in an instant, he was dyed again, "The crown princess is really not angry, and it has been half a year since she got married, but there is still no movement." ”

If there was a movement early, why would he fight against the entire court, but he couldn't afford to take this risk, and Emperor Chengyuan didn't want to give up the crown prince until he had to.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "What did the hospital say?" ”

Ruan Ronghai's face froze, lowered his head, and whispered: "Several imperial doctors said that the crown princess has no physical problems, maybe the time is not ripe." ”

That means that the reason why I can't conceive is all because of the prince?!

Another object smashed down and shattered on the ground, and Ruan Ronghai shrank his neck and pierced his head even lower.

"Doctor Hu didn't say that if you take medicine according to that prescription, you can do it. Now my son Prince is weak, but it is still useless, what use do you want him! ”

The unlucky Imperial Doctor Hu was angry again. However, since this Imperial Doctor Hu helped the prince 'recuperate' his body, he has been repeatedly angered, and he is still alive to this day, which is really lucky.

In fact, it can't be regarded as luck, Imperial Doctor Hu has old qualifications in Tai Hospital, high medical skills, and the prince's body has always been recuperated by him, even if Emperor Chengyuan is angry, he is reluctant to kill him for a while. But looking at the current situation, I really don't know how long Imperial Doctor Hu can last.

"Imperial Physician Hu said that His Royal Highness the Prince's body is now almost recuperated, and it stands to reason that he can conceive ......" Ruan Ronghai's voice was like a mosquito.

He lowered his head and listened to the sound of pacing back and forth from the top of the head, the footsteps were urgent and heavy, which was enough to prove the impatience in the heart of Emperor Chengyuan.

These days, Emperor Chengyuan's temper has become more and more violent, and he can still control himself in his early years, but since the prince's wedding, he has gradually lost his due composure and calmness. In fact, how can you calm down, after hesitating for so long, Emperor Chengyuan has already broken the cauldron this time, but it turns out that the effect of this cauldron is not good.

"The group of people sent to the East Palace, can the prince use it?" After a slight pause, Emperor Chengyuan asked.

Ruan Ronghai shook his head, "No, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has no intention, the Crown Princess, the Crown Princess, ......"

"What's wrong with the crown princess?"

Ruan Ronghai lowered his head suddenly, "The crown princess made a fuss twice because of this......"

"The Wang family has a good daughter, but she is not useful, but she is jealous. Spread my words, Crown Princess—"

Halfway through the words, Emperor Chengyuan didn't know what to think of, and stopped again.

"That's it, Yuan Zhang's body is not good, and now it is still not suitable to make trouble for him. This Wang Yan'er really made the wrong choice, it seems that I have to think of a way to set up another concubine for the prince, so that the name can be justified, and she will not be ...... trouble."

But Emperor Chengyuan also knew the embarrassment of this matter, and the court was already in a uproar because of the wedding of several princes. Emperor Chengyuan has always been arbitrary and independent, but he also has scruples, he needs to consider the stability of the country, and he has to consider not pushing the prince to the forefront again, which is really difficult.

After a moment of silence, Emperor Chengyuan pursed his thin lips, and gradually had an idea in his heart.

Since you are all in such a hurry, you can simply wait for the fulfillment, even if you give the marriage edict, it is impossible for you to get married for a while, but it can be delayed for a while.

He pondered in his mind for a moment before he sat down after going to the dragon case.

"Go and shoot the left servant."

*

That time, Jiuniang saw Meng Changxi's shadow behind her, so she has always been wary of this person.

Unexpectedly, after the investigation of the matter, this person has not moved, and even has a pleasant face several times to intersect with Jiu Niang. But Jiu Niang was very taboo about this person, and she was a little uninterested in her, so her face was always lukewarm, and after eating a few soft nails, Meng Changxi never came again.

Gradually, rumors of discord between Meng Changxi and Xiao Jiuniang began to circulate in Tai Academy.

Meng Changxi is beautiful, has a good family background, treats people gently on weekdays, and has excellent popularity, so it is inevitable that there will be female students who will target and isolate Jiuniang intentionally or unintentionally.

However, Jiu Niang is not a vegetarian, and the targets on the surface have all fought back, as for isolation, she never put it in her eyes, she is quite invulnerable, and for a while, Meng Changxi has nothing to do with her.

After that incident, Xiao Liuniang and Xiao Qiniang fell silent, and they were very quiet in school, and they didn't dare to provoke Jiuniang. As for the uproar caused by Xiao Ru, due to the passage of time, it gradually faded down. Although everyone still dislikes it, it will not be as intense as it was at the beginning.

In fact, everything in the world is nothing more than this, and nothing can withstand the elimination of time. The reputation is bad, and the bad influence is just hidden in the shadows, if you don't care about it on the surface, it won't play a role at all, just like Jiuniang's last life.

Xiao Ru has a kind of 'let the wind blow and the waves blow, I will walk in my own leisure', and it can be seen that his heart is also extremely good. So it's all an illusion to say that she is weak, don't look at her always crying and crying and looking extremely pitiful, if it is really as it appears on the surface, it is estimated that she will not be able to bear it for a long time to hang herself by hanging the beam.

Cheng Wenjing has been in a bad mood these days, Jiuniang has long seen it in her eyes, but she didn't ask.

After all, the mood is always up and down, and it can last for so long, so it can be seen that something is wrong.

On this day, after the class, a few people went to the canteen to eat together.

During this time, Jiuniang mentioned this matter, Cheng Wenjing didn't answer at first, and then she couldn't hold it back, and explained the reason why she was in a bad mood.

"You mean you haven't seen your Shiro brother in a long time?" Jiuniang raised her eyebrows and asked.

Cheng Wenjing was wilting, and she could see a little weakness in her eating movements, "Yes." ”

Ruan Ling'er couldn't help laughing: "What a big deal, I just finished the exam a while ago, Brother Wang is studying in Guozi, and his homework has always been heavier than that of other colleges, there must be a lot of things to be busy with, just for this you have been reluctant to give up all day, Wenjing, I really obeyed you." ”

"What's the matter, I know he's busy, but I went to Guozi to study a few times, but I didn't see others, and his Tongyan said that he didn't know what he was busy with for a while." Cheng Wenjing gagged and complained, and said, "Okay, okay, don't laugh at me, I know I'm making a little fuss, eat and eat." ”

Cheng Wenjing was very indifferent, but Jiu Niang always felt that things were strange.

Without him, Wang Shilang really hasn't shown up much these days, it stands to reason that he has that kind of mind about himself, and he has been persevering, it shouldn't be like this.

It's not that Jiuniang is narcissistic, but she tastes a little weird from it. But she couldn't figure out what this weirdness was, but Wang Shilang was very happy to be able to bother her less, so she put the matter behind for the time being.