Gao Ju hesitated for a long time, but he still couldn't make up his mind after all. He was going to ask his mother, Mrs. Zhang, what she meant.

When I arrived at Mrs. Zhang's place, Mrs. Zhang was looking at the picture scroll sent by the Ministry of Rites. The box containing the scroll was placed haphazardly on the table, and she didn't seem to know what had been in it.

Seeing her son coming, Mrs. Zhang beckoned him to come close with a smile: "Come and take a look at these portraits, which lady do you like?" ”

Gao Ju glanced at the box, stepped forward, glanced at the scroll a few times, and found that these paintings were very finely painted, and the surname and family history of the ladies on the painting were also indicated in the corner of the scroll. He was a little surprised: "These picture scrolls ...... It's not new, is it? ”

Mrs. Zhang sighed: "You can see it too, right?" It's hard to find out how the Ministry of Rites found out. These are all painted by Zhu Lifei when she was choosing a daughter-in-law for her son, and these ladies are a little older, so they went to the side concubine position. Although Zhu Lifei's woman is hateful, her vision is not bad, and the girls she picked are all dignified and beautiful, with good family backgrounds and good character and learning. Although their families are now ruined, and the official positions of their fathers, brothers and uncles are not guaranteed, they have never fallen into exile. Their upbringing is excellent, much better than randomly selecting people from small families outside. Our mother and son are like this now, and there is no need to be picky about other people's family backgrounds, as long as the girl has a good character and knows how to take care of people, it is enough. ”

Gao Ju smiled coldly and pulled out a scroll of paintings: "This one...... Why was it sent by the Ministry of Rites? Didn't they pick it before? ”

When Mrs. Zhang saw the surname and family history of the woman on the painting, it was actually the eldest daughter of the Zhong family, that is, the niece of the late Guangping princess Zhong, and was immediately startled: "How can she be included?" Didn't she promise the Marquis of Shanyin a long time ago? The first emperor has made a decree. ”

Gonggong Huang, who came with Gao Ju, stepped forward to take a look, and replied: "Madam, this woman was originally designated by Zhu Lifei as the side room of the Marquis of Shanyin, and after the Marquis of Shanyin was demoted, the marriage was abandoned, and the third girl of the Fang family was hired. Later, the three girls of the Fang family died, and the Marquis of Shanyin wanted to keep the filial piety of the first emperor, and no one mentioned the marriage. Now that the Zhong family has fallen due to sin, the family has returned to their hometown, and this Zhong family girl seems to have left home and led the practice. I thought it was the negligence of the Ministry of Rites, and seeing that she was a little older, he casually mixed her picture scroll into it. ”

Only then did Mrs. Zhang understand and said with a smile: "I have lived in Yingtai for a long time, and I don't know anything outside." He casually put Zhong Ya's portrait aside. She wouldn't let her son marry a woman who almost became his cousin's concubine. It felt like an insult to her son.

Mrs. Zhang unfolded other picture scrolls for Gao Ju to see, and asked him to carefully pick one that was pleasing to the eye. It doesn't matter how old he is, anyway, he still has to keep his father's filial piety, and it will take two years to get married. In fact, the emperor chose a wife for Gao Ju so much earlier, she was quite surprised, but she did not object.

How could Gao Ju have the heart to look at these? After a casual glance, he ordered all the people who were waiting in the house to go out. Mrs. Zhang was very surprised and smiled, "What is this for?" When a man gets married, what is there to be ashamed of in front of his mother? ”

Gao Ju smiled bitterly: "Mother let them all go down first, my son has something to tell you." ”

Mrs. Zhang looked puzzled, and sent everyone out according to her words, only Gonggong Huang stayed.

Gao Ju said to him, "You go out too." Huang Gonggong was stunned for a moment, bent down, and withdrew.

There were only two mothers and sons left in the house, and Gao Ju took out the letter in his arms to show her in his mother's surprised eyes.

Mrs. Zhang only read the beginning of the letter, and quickly threw it out, like it was some terrible thing: "Ignore them! Don't take their word for it! None of them are good stuff! ”

Gao Ju hurriedly picked up the letter back: "Mother, take a closer look, my son really doesn't know what to do." ”

"What's there to see?" Mrs. Zhang said coldly, "This kind of thing should be directly handed over to the people guarding outside, and let them present it to the emperor!" She suddenly remembered a question: "Where did this come from?" ”

Gao Ju could only say what Gonggong Huang said, and Mrs. Zhang's face turned pale: "Fang Yishan? Are you talking about the Master Fang who came to us every day to report on the progress of the Ministry of Rites? He turned out to be an accomplice of those people?! The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, and grabbed her son's wrist tightly: "Hurry up and hand over the things!" Let the emperor punish their sins! If the emperor knows about this matter from elsewhere, and we don't mention it, the emperor will definitely blame our mother and son! ”

Gao Ju looked at Mrs. Zhang hesitantly: "Mother, these people are my father's only remaining henchmen, ...... Do you really want to hand them over to the emperor? Then they will have only one dead end! ”

"They should have died a long time ago, and it is their blessing to be alive until now!" Mrs. Zhang didn't have a good impression of these henchmen of her deceased husband at all, she looked at her son vigilantly, "Ju'er, you shouldn't have listened to their rhetoric, right?" What good things can those people be? In the past, when your father was still alive, I was your father's wife, you were your father's eldest son, and you were also the son of the imperial court, but those people never took us seriously. Think about it, every time their people enter the mansion, do they come to see our mother and son? Have you ever seen Tian and her son?! ”

Gao Ju's face changed, and he thought about it. The people under his father, whether they were in the open or in the dark, only regarded his cousin as the future master. As for him, what is the disease? He felt resentment in his heart, and he wanted to lose the letter, but when he thought of what it said, he hesitated.

The desire for freedom haunted him, making him hesitate to give up this glimmer of hope.

Mrs. Zhang looked at her son's expression, and her face changed: "Ju'er, I know you want to go out, but you must not be confused right now!" The emperor's throne is already secure, and you can't do anything when you go out, but what good results can you get out of with those chaotic ministers and thieves? Trapped in Yingtai, although the place is smaller, it is still decent. If you also commit rebellion, you are killing yourself! Mother only has one son, you, what should you do if something happens to your mother? ”

Gao Ju hurriedly said: "Mother don't worry, the son doesn't want to rebel, the son ......" He paused, "The son just wants to take his mother out of here, and when he goes out, the son will naturally subdue those people, go away, and live in a place where no one knows us." ”

Mrs. Zhang shook her head with a wry smile: "Impossible, when you really go out and fall into the hands of those people, you can't help it." What if you don't want to rebel? They did things in your name, and the charges are not to be counted on your head? If you are really caught by the court, you are still a death. She straightened her expression and said solemnly to her son, "Ju'er, you can't trust them. If you really decide to leave with them, I'd rather hang yourself here! It also saves you from watching your head in the future. ”

It is impossible for her to leave, not only because she can't trust King Ying, but also because she still has her mother's family behind her. The Zhang family was not deeply involved in the rebellion, but they lost their official positions, but they saved their lives, and now they are not sad about the low schedule. But if she runs away with her son, or indulges her son to flee alone, she will certainly not be able to escape the responsibility, and the Zhang family will also suffer from the disaster of pond fish. She couldn't do that. The Zhang family gave birth to her and raised her, married her to a prince, and before she really got any benefits from her, she was only despised by others, and she was so burdened that she lost her official position. How could she do anything to hurt them again?

Gao Ju saw that his mother was resolutely unwilling, and hesitated for a long time, but finally obeyed his mother's wishes. He ordered the palace people outside to bring the brazier, and Huang Gonggong personally carried a brazier into it, and saw him hesitantly throw the letter into the brazier.

Gonggong Huang was surprised, looked at Mrs. Zhang again, and saw her satisfied look, so he knew in his heart, so he had to lower his head again.

Mrs. Zhang instructed her son: "Since you refuse to report this matter, then treat it as if it never happened." It's just that Fang Yishan, we can't see him again. Gao Ju nodded, and asked Gonggong Huang to pass the word to the guards, and used Zhong Yazhi's portrait as an excuse, saying that Fang Yishan was sloppy, and asked the Ministry of Rites not to send him again in the future.

Mrs. Zhang was very satisfied, but seeing that her son had no intention of choosing a portrait, she asked him to go back to his room to rest. She didn't expect that as soon as she got out of the house, Gao Ju called Huang Gonggong: "Don't be busy passing the word first, wait for me...... Wait for me to write a letter. ”

Huang Gonggong's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly lowered his voice and asked, "Is the son trying to hide from his wife?" ”

Gao Ju shook his head: "If my mother doesn't agree, it's impossible for me to leave my mother alone." You...... You just do what I just said, if Fang Yishan comes to make amends, you will quietly give him the letter and let them leave the capital quickly, don't think about anything else, so as not to mislead others and yourself. If he doesn't come, you can assume that I haven't said anything! ”

A trace of disappointment flashed in Gonggong Huang's eyes, and he bowed his head in response.

Less than two hours after the words spread, Fang Yishan really came over to make amends. He didn't really want to come, he hated to be able to come, but his boss scolded him and ordered him to come over to apologize, and he could only comply. Mrs. Zhang naturally didn't see him, and Gao Ju didn't see him either, but when Gonggong Huang came out to speak, he quietly stuffed something into his hand, which made his heart tremble.

Hurriedly out of the palace, he hid in the carriage, and only then did he dare to take out the thing and see, it turned out to be a paper ball. On it is Gao Ju's handwriting, and what he said is just to let his deceased father's old family leave the capital as soon as possible, and let them dispose of their property and finances, as a reward for their years of hard work, and live a good life in the future, and don't mention the things mentioned in the letter again, Yunyun.

Fang Yishan re-clumped the paper into a ball and smiled bitterly. King Ying is really glad that he is a detached master, but can such an answer satisfy those people?

When he got home, he carefully hid the paper ball in the secret compartment of the study, and he didn't know how to contact the dead soldiers of King Ying, but he couldn't carry this thing to the yamen every day, right? He just left the study with a worried heart.

How did he know that that that night, the contents of this ball of paper were presented to the emperor. The emperor looked at it and smiled: "Aunt Wang really understands the righteousness, understands the general situation, and takes the overall situation into account. With her disciplining my brother, I can rest assured. But he ordered people to tighten the defense around Yingtai in case of emergency.

Time passed day by day, and Mrs. Zhang and Gao Ju felt a little relieved when they saw that no one sent any more letters. On the other hand, Fang Yishan has not been able to wait for his old friend to appear, but his heart has become more and more restless. In a blink of an eye, it was the day when Fang Huizhu, the eldest girl of the Fang family, made a decision, and the Fang family's mansion was full of lights, full of joy. Fang Yishan listened to the noise in the house next door, and only felt bored.

Fang Huizhu made up her mind that there was nothing to do with Zhao Xiu. But the Fang family and his wife were grateful for Zhao Xiu's kindness, and saw that she was friendly with their youngest daughter, so Mrs. Fang came forward and invited Zhao Xiu over for tea.

Zhao Xiu had just finished his grandfather's ritual and had just taken a breath. The old county prince's sacrificial day was originally intended to be a little bigger because of the 100-day ceremony, but when the Shanxi earthquake occurred, Zhang discussed with his grandchildren and grandchildren, so he allocated half of the silver to the outer city to give medicine and porridge to do good deeds, and accumulate yin virtue for the old county prince. The poor people who received Zhou Ji talked about the good of building the Nanhou Mansion in their hearts, and praised the exploits of the old county prince during his lifetime, and the Zhang family was satisfied when he heard it. On the day of the ceremony, the father and son of King Guangping were in the palace, and they could not attend in person, but they sent the newly appointed governor Shi and the head of the palace to worship together, and she was also very grateful. Now she is in the small Buddha hall specially set up for the old county prince, son and daughter-in-law in her courtyard, chanting scriptures and praying every day.

Zhao Xiu was busy and idle. She really didn't want to be called by her grandmother to copy the scriptures and recite the Buddha together, thinking that she hadn't seen Fang Renzhu for a few days, and when Fang Renzhu went to her father's office with her mother, she didn't know what year and month she could see again, so she should take advantage of the fact that she was in Beijing now and saw her more, so she told her grandmother, and said hello to her brother, and prepared a congratulatory gift meaningfully.