Chapter 4: The War of Words

My heart tightened, and I knew it was burning again. Looking back, sure enough, it was Ding Muyan who walked slowly with her two personal maids, Wen Jing and Wen Xian. It's about the past two days that I've learned the rules of the palace, and I feel that she walks very slowly and charmingly, with the exquisite makeup and costumes she specially matched today, the whole person looks like a fairy in the sky descending to earth.

"Second Miss Wan'an!" Rulan hurriedly pulled Rufeng to salute Ding Muyan.

Ding Muyan snorted lightly and said, "My sister is really blessed, she is at ease here, it is difficult for us to work so hard for the honor of this family, this leg is sore." Oh, too, my sister has a disabled leg, and it can't be too hard, but when everyone is busy, she also avoids it a little, and she puts on a carefree posture here to make others an eyesore! ”

I know that she doesn't like me, and I also know that if I ridicule each other, I can't clean it up later. So make up your mind, no matter what she says, I won't talk back.

Rulan Rufeng was so angry that her face was red because she heard her say that I was disabled, and she didn't leave room for words, but when she saw that I didn't speak, she didn't dare to speak, and only held my hand trembling slightly.

Ding Muyan saw that I didn't speak, a hint of pride appeared on her face, and she said: "I was also worried about my sister, I think now the eldest sister has been crowned the crown princess, and I ......" She seemed to endure it, and brushed her hair before she said again: "I'm only worried that my sister is looking big, but she can't understand all kinds of piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and she has the appearance of this alluring country and city, I'm afraid that few people will care!" ”

The women of this dynasty value talent more than their appearance, so all the ladies have jointly organized poetry clubs and the like. The eldest lady and the second lady of the Ding family have always been the organizers of the poetry club because of their noble status and true family style, strict education since childhood, proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and have always been the organizers of the poetry club, and there are already many poems that are regarded as classics in circulation, so they all know the two talented women of the Prime Minister's Mansion, especially Ding Muyan. Because these five young ladies basically do not attend such activities, and no one has been educated since childhood, naturally they can't write any decent poems, and it is estimated that no one knows the existence of this fifth young lady is still unknown.

But when she said this, I couldn't take it anymore. Well, even if I was dumped in my previous life, it doesn't necessarily mean that no one wants it in this life, I still make up my mind to find a good husband and godson for the rest of my life. You're using this to curse me?

I fixed my mind, blessed my body, and said: "Presumably, the second sister has already found Ruyi Jun, so if you say it together, it will also make your sister happy for her sister." It's just that the second sister is above the eldest sister, but I don't know what kind of fairy-like character the second brother-in-law is in the future, but I'm afraid that the eldest brother-in-law can't compare, and I can't help but make my sister yearn for it. ”

I deliberately didn't mention the prince, but said that the eldest brother-in-law, in fact, I also knew that the royal family was only going to choose a young lady as the crown princess in the prime minister's mansion at that time, and the second sister was above the eldest sister in appearance, but it was this that came out of this, and in the end, the honor of the princess still fell to the eldest sister. Even I, the fifth lady who doesn't like gossip, knows about this, and Ding Muyan naturally knows it.

Her face turned pale, and she said sharply: "Okay, okay, I didn't know that my good sister was so good at talking, it seems that it is still far from enough to mention you in the words, I will replace your dead mother today to teach you what it means to be orderly!" "After that, he really slapped his hand.

Actually, I regretted it a little after I said it, and I blamed myself for not being able to hold my breath, she and I were both concubines, and I just understood that the prince was by no means my lover, so I never looked forward to it. And she's just a strong sixteen-year-old girl, so there's really no need to be angry with her. So, this time, I also closed my eyes, ready to bear it for life.

As a result, the expected one did not come down, but when he opened his eyes, he saw that the third brother grabbed Ding Muyan's hand. Although the third brother is younger than her, he is more than one head taller than her, and in addition, although the third brother is a concubine, he is the only son of Ding Xiang, and the Xiangye is even more fond of him, and everyone knows that the third young master will inherit the mantle of the Xiangfu in the future, so no one dares to treat him as a concubine. Ding Muyan saw that it was him, and he had already lost half of his momentum, but he was speechless with only one sentence of "you~".

The third brother shook off her hand and said: "The second sister has such a big temper, don't say that you speak with thorns everywhere, even if the fifth sister says something wrong, there will naturally be a father and a mother above, no matter how bad it is, there will be a second mother, how can it not be your turn to be a surrogate mother." I think it's because I've learned to have a big temper with the grandmother in the palace in the past two days, but I don't know, who dares to ask about this kind of temperament? ”

After that, pull me and leave.

Chapter VI Four Highnesses

I peeked at the third brother's expression as I walked, but he never showed any emotion, which made me quite unbelievable. So he timidly pulled his hand and said, "Is it okay to just leave like this?" I think the second sister is so angry, there won't be any sequelae, right? ”

"Sequelae?" He was a little puzzled.

"It's just a bad consequence......" I explained in a low voice.

He was stunned for a moment, and then burst out laughing: "I also said that I really became bolder, daring to contradict the second sister like this, but now I am afraid?" I just saw you ignore it like this, so I also had the courage to go crazy with you, but you wilted first? Okay, then let's go back to the second sister now? ”

He looked at me with a smile on his lips and dark eyes.

I shook my head anxiously: "I'm not going, it's already like this anyway, it's a big deal to be punished by Erniang." ”

He suddenly said solemnly: "Erniang often punishes you? Why didn't you tell me? ”

I defended: "No, it's just that the second sister is a little cold, the second mother treats me well, and she is dedicated to the Buddha, twelve hours a day out of twelve hours in the Buddha hall, not much at all, how can I have time to punish me?" ”

He sighed and said, "I also knew they couldn't see you, but I didn't expect it to be so obvious." Anyway, I'll go to my father tomorrow to let you and me be together, and my aunt will take care of them. The eldest lady is from everyone, and she is also generous. Besides, I'm just your sister, and it's only natural that we're in the same place......"

I shook my head and said, "Why bother, it's only going to offend both sides." You are an only son, of course the eldest mother has to be good to you, but I may not go. Moreover, Dad must have had his considerations for doing this, and it has been so many years that there is really no need to break this balance. Moreover, I am also getting older day by day, and in two years, I will not need anything from Erniang. ”

"But......" he wanted to persuade again.

"By the way, I heard that the second sister is so confident today, could it be that she really empathized from the prince to others so quickly? I really hope she gets married soon......" I quickly interrupted him.

"She? I'm afraid she's just wishful thinking. Because the eldest sister entered the palace last time to ask the queen mother for peace, the second mother begged the eldest mother for a long time and asked her to accompany the eldest sister. As a result, it was said that Concubine Ruan admired her talent and invited her to the palace to talk, but she met the Fourth Highness, and the Fourth Highness praised her twice. After coming back, the second sister was more diligent in learning etiquette rules, and listened to her father, Erniang went to find her father, and wanted her father to inquire about the situation of His Royal Highness, and then wanted to find her father's teacher, when the court's Li Taishi was the matchmaker, and her father was worried about this matter. ”

"The emperor may not agree." I pondered for a while and said slowly: "Now my father is already a role under one person in the court and above ten thousand people. And the canonization of the crown princess this time is already a great grace, and the current power of the Ding family is unprecedentedly expanded. Now the emperor must think of checks and balances and suppression. It is very unlikely that the daughter of the Ding family will remarry the royal family. Moreover, I am afraid that the Fourth Highness will not be willing. I heard that Ruan Guifei, the biological mother of the Fourth Highness, is the most favored, and the crown prince's biological mother, Empress Liu, has passed away for many years, and the throne is vacant. The emperor favors His Royal Highness, but he is afraid that the prince will be weak, and he wants to balance the two sides, so he will agree to the eldest sister marrying into the royal family. In this way, although His Royal Highness has the help of his maternal ancestor Ruan's family, the crown prince will not be completely disadvantaged. But in this way, His Royal Highness may marry a woman from any family, but it will never be the daughter of my Ding family. ”

After I finished speaking, there was silence, and when I raised my eyes to see the third brother's expression, I suddenly realized that I had said too much.

"You...... Are you still my fifth sister? Although I know that you are actually very smart about poetry, piano skills, and self-knowledge, I didn't expect you to be so clear about the affairs of the court, and analyze it so thoroughly. It's hard for the second sister to be called the first talented woman in Beijing, and her knowledge is less than half of yours......" The third brother stammered a little, and his eyes became more and more heavy when he looked at me.

"I, I haven't heard of it yet. The last time I asked my father to say goodbye, I happened to hear him talking to the housekeeper, and I accidentally mentioned the matter of the Ruan family, and then, and then ......, "I tried to explain."

The third brother's eyes were even more suspicious: "How could my father tell the housekeeper this?" ”

"Oops, I don't remember where I heard about it anyway." I couldn't explain it, so I had to play tricks.

What I didn't tell the third brother was Ding's attitude towards his daughter. Four years ago, I suddenly started reading, in fact, Ding Xiang knew. I still remember the first time he called me and asked me how to read, I said that I hit my head after an accident, and when I woke up, it was like an enlightenment, but he was not surprised, he only told me that I could read all the books in the library, and at the same time recommended me two books, which were actually "Shang Tan Lu" and "Prehistory". The Records of the Talks of the Present Dynasty is a book that records the speeches of the founding emperors of the present dynasty. The founding emperor of this dynasty, Jiang Qianlin, was a generation of Ming Jun, and ascended to the top of the former prime minister with a weak crown at the age of 20. Jiang Tianyang, the emperor of this dynasty, is his grandchild. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Jiang Qianlin made great efforts to make the country prosperous, and both economy and culture were unprecedentedly developed. At the same time, he also used his super personality charm to make Hu Man in the north bow down to the Ming Dynasty. The "Pre-History" records the process of the prosperity and decline of the previous dynasties, and objectively analyzes many problems in the governance of the previous dynasties. There are many books related to politics and strategy that I read. If I were a man, I would have doubted that Ding had ideas about this world. But I'm a woman, I don't understand, although women in the current era value talent, but the court is still a man's world, and "the back 0 palace is not allowed to interfere in politics" is still a clear order.

What I didn't tell the third brother was that Ding Xiang now has to see me a few days a month, at first he asked me a lot of questions like taking a homework, and later, he even discussed things in the court with me. Although it was very subtle, I knew from the subsequent events that he had taken many of my suggestions, although I still can't figure out why he trusted my judgment so much, and why he didn't cultivate and trust his only son.

What I didn't tell the third brother was that our father, Ding Xiang, had no ambition to be more than just a prime minister above 10,000 people under one person.