Yu Shu stayed in the imperial study for only half an hour, and the queen mother somehow got the letter, so she directly sent the big palace maid around her to Tai'an Hall to beg for help.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager was about to enter the palace with the help of Xuan Yu, and she happened to hear that someone was here, so she asked the slave maid to come and spread the word."

Yu Shu sat on the seat of the imperial gift, holding a light of herbal tea and pretending to be deaf and dumb. It is taboo for the harem to listen to the affairs of the previous dynasty, but Emperor Yan is filial and does not care about Empress Dowager Wei's overstepping.

"Oh? What does the queen mother want to see Yu Qing? Emperor Yan asked curiously. I was a little worried that Jiang Huan hadn't given up yet, and the Queen Mother loved her daughter, so she couldn't help Xue Rui, so she turned to Yu Shu's side.

"If you go back to the emperor, the queen mother should announce Yu Da's mention for the selection of concubines in the harem."

Emperor Yan sighed, turned his head to Yu Shu and said, "Since this is the case, you should go to the harem and listen to the Queen Mother's orders." ”

Only then did Yu Shu stand up and say, "The minister will retire first." ”

She was not afraid that Empress Dowager Wei would find fault, so she followed behind the palace people in a leisurely manner. Less than two months after Dayan moved the capital to Beijing, the harem was empty, and only Empress Dowager Wei and Jiang Huan's mother and daughter lived, and there were no concubines in a row. Emperor Yan had a few concubines when he was in Ningdong City, but none of them were favored, and after entering Beijing, he quietly sealed the beauty and lived in the side hall.

Empress Dowager Wei, as the highest-ranking woman in the harem, of course, lived in Cining Palace. Yu Shu is a frequent visitor to the harem, and she has seen a lot of women in the palace, whether it is Xue Guifei who favored the sixth palace back then, or Queen Rui who has exhausted all her skills, and then Empress Xiajiang who later captured the emperor's heart, as well as Concubine Rui Shu, who is smart herself, putting aside personal grievances, she has a trace of sympathy for these blooming and withering women.

Empress Dowager Wei is an alternative, she has neither experienced the competition for favor nor the succession, she is relying on her son to build the country in exchange for this honor, and can raise a founding emperor, which in itself shows her ability, so even if she doesn't understand the selfish methods of the harem, she is definitely a woman who is not easy to mess with.

Yu Shu set the position for Empress Dowager Wei in his heart, and after entering Cining Palace, his face remained unchanged, and he was brought to Empress Dowager Wei and bowed respectfully.

"Minister Yu Shu knocked to see the Queen Mother."

Empress Dowager Wei reclined on the couch, glanced down at her, and without much embarrassment, she called out, "Give me a seat." "As early as five or six years ago, the two had a relationship, which is interesting, that time was also to choose a concubine for Emperor Yan, but the last time I chose the princess, and this time I chose the concubine.

Yu Shu took two steps back and sat down, put his hands flat on his knees, did not squint, did not look up at the Queen Mother on the seat, and every move made people unable to find fault with each other. In fact, if you really want to talk about the rules in the palace, I'm afraid that even Empress Dowager Wei doesn't know as much as her.

"The mourning family came to you in order to ask you to consult the emperor and choose a concubine. You have also seen it, the harem is such a big place, only the mother and daughter of the mourning family live, it is really pitiful, the emperor has been working hard for state affairs all these years, and has been unintentional about women, and there are no heirs to inherit it until now, the mourning family can no longer sit idly by, it is time to hold a general election, expand the Dayan harem, and more importantly, choose a satisfactory queen for the emperor. ”

Yu Shu thought that Emperor Yan didn't say much when he heard about the selection of concubines in the imperial study, and knew that although he was not enthusiastic and did not resist, he replied: "Don't worry, Niangniang, the minister will start to arrange when he goes back today, and order the Kunling Bureau and the Ministry of Rites to handle this matter." ”

The emperor's selection of concubines has always been jointly handled by the Kunling Bureau and the Ministry of Rites, and Yu Shu, as the chief supervisor of Si Tianjian, only needs her to explain in one sentence, and naturally someone will do their best.

But Empress Dowager Wei frowned, and said unhappily: "What the mourning family wants is for you to handle it personally, this is the first time the emperor has chosen a concubine since he ascended the throne, how can he be sloppy." The ugly words of the mourning family are ahead, in case the errand is smashed this time, the mourning family is the only one who asks. ”

Seeing this, Yu Shu could no longer see that the Queen Mother was taking the opportunity to make things difficult for her, so she got up and said, "The minister is in charge of the decree." ”

Empress Dowager Wei looked at her without showing the slightest dissatisfaction, and was very calm. She asked Yu Shu not only to choose a concubine, but also to meet Cheng Yanjin, who came out halfway to rob her Chenglong fast son-in-law. The twisted melon is not sweet, she understands this truth, but no one can stop her, a mother, from being angry with her daughter.

Empress Dowager Wei sneered secretly, glanced at Mama Chen, who was standing at the door, and heard a report from outside: "The Shang Palace Bureau has newly trained a few palace people to serve them, do you want the Empress Dowager to take a look?" ”

"Call them over." Empress Dowager Wei nodded, and while asking people to show Yu Shu tea, she was not in a hurry to let her go.

After a while, I listened to the summons outside the hall, and the grandmother guarding the door led a few slender palace maids in, a total of eight people, and knelt down together to salute after taking two steps, lowering their heads and not daring to look around.

Empress Dowager Wei looked at them once, and couldn't see whether they were satisfied or dissatisfied, Chen silently stepped forward and explained: "These few were originally in the palace, and they refused to go out in the last amnesty, so they all stayed, and they were better because they knew the rules, so they sent them over first." ”

Empress Dowager Wei said: "There is no need for such people here in the mourning family, and they don't want to go out of the palace, so they can arrange a place for them to go," she said, as if on a whim, she nodded her head and said: "The two on the left will be sent to the Cheng'en Waiting Mansion, and the two on the right will be sent to General Dai's Mansion, and as for these four people, they will be sent to the Pingwang Mansion to serve together." ”

Yu Shu didn't look at the palace maids on the ground, but when she heard the words, she turned her head to look at the Empress Dowager Wei, and she happened to look over too, and joked to Yu Shu with a smile: "It's a woman's house, otherwise you will be asked to take two back." These beauties are like flowers and jade, but only men know how to pity the fragrance and cherish the jade. ”

Yu Shu pursed the corners of his mouth with a smile, and there was no joy or anger on his face. Empress Dowager Wei knew that she and Xue Rui had a marriage contract, but she still provoked her face like this, these "beauties" were the dismounts that Empress Dowager Wei gave her. This method is not clever, but it can disgust people and make her unhappy.

"Take them all down, dress up well, and send them out of the palace." The Queen Mother spoke, and the palace maids couldn't even say a word "no", so they thanked them obediently, leaned over and withdrew.

Yu Shu didn't look at them much from beginning to end, because she missed the resentful eyes when one of them quietly looked up at her.

"The mourning family is tired, you can also go out of the palace, don't forget to explain your affairs, and draw up the charter." Empress Dowager Wei's purpose was achieved, she closed her eyes and leaned on the pillow, too lazy to say anything.

Yu Shu retreated in a low voice, withdrew from the palace lightly, and when she arrived outside the Cining Palace, she turned her head and saw the group of palace maids who had not gone far, she turned around and walked slowly on the palace road with her hands behind her back, thinking in her heart-

She knew that Empress Dowager Wei was not easy to mess with, but the Empress Dowager didn't know that she was not easy to mess with.

***

Xue Rui took the initiative to hand over the military power, and Emperor Yan not only made him a prince, but also let him receive the post of secretary of the ministry, and concurrently served as a scholar of Wenhua Palace, presiding over the compilation of the Great Yan Law Code, and a series of names were smashed on his head as if he didn't want money, and he couldn't wait to treat him as one of ten.

His Royal Highness King Ping deservedly became the number one celebrity in front of the emperor, which aroused the envy and jealousy of a group of people in the court, and another group of people who wanted to tie their heads up, hoping to be able to get close to him as a backer and enjoy the shade under the big tree.

The officials who were good at drilling camps inquired about King Ping's preferences, thinking that they could do what he liked. It is rumored that His Royal Highness King Ping likes to drink, and some people give their own wine that they have treasured for many years, and some people simply send the recipe for winemaking. It is rumored that His Royal Highness King Ping is not close to women, some people do not believe in this evil, not close to women, it must be that the beauty is not attractive enough, the most important thing in Anling City is all kinds of beautiful women, there is always a heart of iron and stone that can impress King Ping.

Xue Rui's Pingwang Mansion is still under repair, and now he temporarily lives in the Dingbo Pavilion, and the gate is surrounded by those gifts and horses all day long, which makes him annoyed, and directly invites the newly appointed Jinwuwei commander to reprimand him, so the next day the door of the Dingbo Pavilion is quiet, and then someone is blocked in front of the door, and they are all arrested and interrogated by the guards who patrol the city as wrongdoers.

In the evening of this day, Xue Rui returned to the Dingbo Pavilion with a thick stack of files, and it was imminent to revise the law, but fortunately, there were already perfect legal texts in the previous dynasty that could be used for reference, otherwise he would have to spend ten or eight years on it, and he would not take on this drudgery.

At the end of summer, when it was much cooler at night, the iceberg in the study was removed, leaving a large blue and white fish tank, and the water hibiscus flowers in the tank bloomed and thanked, and the green leaf bed produced petite and delicate lotus flowers, like jadeite carving.

Xue Rui just took a shower, wearing only a pair of pants on the recliner with his bare chest, playing with the Mujiang fan that Yu Shu gave him, which he usually cherished in the fan cover, and took it wherever he went.

This Mujiang fan made of hundred-year-old peach wood root is worthy of being a treasure to ward off evil spirits, he fought on the battlefield, and there were countless souls under the knife, but he did not lose his mind, and no half of the unjust ghosts dared to come to his dream to harass, mostly because he carried this thing with him.

After a short rest, outside a screen, Uncle Gui was reporting on miscellaneous matters, and he said something urgent. That's right, after Xue Rui returned to Beijing, as soon as he settled down, he went to Nanlin Timber Store to pick up Uncle Gui and let this loyal old servant act as a housekeeper. Uncle Gui looked forward to Xue Rui's safe return day and night, and he didn't refuse.

Xue Rui thinks about it for a long time, he and Yu Shu are both important ministers in the court, and they will have to go in and out together when they become relatives in the future, at least two trustworthy house slaves must be arranged in this house to take care of the affairs of the house instead of them, otherwise they will have to be the master of trivial matters, and they will not be able to live that day.

He chose a noble uncle, and Yu Shu picked another person to come out, and the two sides restrained each other so that one person would not dominate, which could not be safer.

Gui Bo specially put the four beauties rewarded by the queen mother in the palace at the end, and saw the figure lying on the screen sitting up straight all of a sudden, he could imagine the annoyance on his prince's face, day and night, in the end, he couldn't prevent it, this matter will reach the ears of Miss Yu, maybe how can people be angry.

Uncle Gui shook his head secretly, Xue Rui had no choice but to flee back then, only to ask Yu Shu to bring him a message, and the purple jade bat, he had to stay in the capital to guard the master's belongings, and guard the future housewife, because he had long regarded Yu Shu as a hostess, knowing how difficult she had been over the years, and how biased he was in his heart.

"Send it back wherever it was sent." Xue Rui's mood is not smooth, he is waiting for the emperor to give marriage, and the queen mother is making trouble.

Uncle Gui helplessly persuaded: "That's the person rewarded by the Queen Mother, you can't resist the decree." The old slave has sent people to the side courtyard, it won't hinder your eyes, and when the palace is repaired, let's move over, and leave them here, okay? ”

How could he have imagined that this Dingbo Pavilion was originally a territory occupied by Xue Rui in order to please Yu Shu, and he was going to give it to her as a dowry, leaving those women wouldn't be doves occupying the magpie's nest.

"It's not good," Xue Rui lay back down, folded the Mujiang fan in his hand one by one, and said slowly: "You let people inquire, whose family did the Queen Mother send to others, and they also sent these palace maids equally, just say that it is the grace of the Queen Mother, and this king borrowed flowers to offer Buddha." ”

Empress Dowager Wei sent these palace maids not purely to provoke the relationship between him and Ashu, or to test his bottom line, if he accepted them in order to settle the matter, it would be tantamount to succumbing to the majesty of the Empress Dowager and boosting her arrogance, today he took a step back, and she may not force him to take ten steps back in the future.

He respects the Empress Dowager as the emperor's biological mother, if she can be safe, it's fine, if the Empress Dowager can't open her hand to the court, he can't tolerate it.

Uncle Gui has watched Xue Rui grow up since he was a child, and he knows his temper too well, and he seems to be a polite person, but he actually hides a back. In the past, there was an old lady Xue above his head who pressed him not to let him out, and once he jumped over the dragon gate, who could still stop him.

"Hey, the old slave will arrange it." Uncle Gui swallowed the words into his stomach, turned his head to the front yard, sent two eye-to-eye tips out to investigate, and replied after a meal, it turned out that the Queen Mother sent people to the Dingbo Pavilion this time, but also sent people to the Chengenhou and General Dai's mansion.

This Chengen Hou Wei Xihan, is the cousin of the Empress Dowager Wei, Emperor Yan in Ningdongcheng after the establishment of the emperor, belongs to the first group of positive response to the former dynasty officials, originally just a thousand households in Suzhou, tied to the nepotism of the Empress Dowager Wei, in the troubled times to share a few percent of the military merits, this person is not good at fighting, but the luck is excellent, if it is not for the Empress Dowager Wei's mother's family really has no one to support, and it is not his turn to enjoy the light.

As for General Dai, it was the former robe brother of the old King of Dongjing, and he could claim to be an elder in front of the emperor. As the saying goes, a tiger father has no dogs, and the son of General Dai is also a fierce general, this person has a bold temperament, and he is a few years older than Xue Ruixu, but he has some friendship.

Uncle Gui placed the four palace maids in the guest room that night, and the next morning, he asked them to be dressed and ready to send them away. Pity these beauties who dreamed of flying on the branches and becoming phoenixes last night, until they were sent to the back door of the Dingbo Pavilion to sit in the carriage, they didn't realize that something was wrong, and they cried immediately, but they refused to leave. How many of these women from the palace are really stupid, stay here, they are still the palace maids given by the Queen Mother, they can hold the shelf, and when they go out of this door, they will become women that King Ping does not want, and they really want to become playthings.

"We are all out of the palace to serve the prince by the order of the Queen Mother, and after eating your ambitious leopard guts, don't let us get off quickly! Aren't you afraid that it will spread out and affect His Royal Highness King Ping? ”

One of the women was veiled and shouted outside the carriage amid the crying of the other three, and when the uncle heard it, he walked to the side of the carriage with a calm face, and said inside: "The people who came out of the palace don't understand the humility of the upper and lower levels, and the prince is also something that you slaves and maids can climb casually?" Whoever says a word of nonsense again will cut off her tongue, so as not to chew the root of her tongue outside and corrupt the virtue of the Queen Mother. ”

The crying in the car stopped abruptly, only the strong palace maid refused to stop, and said inwardly: "I want to see the prince, otherwise I would rather bite my tongue and kill myself now, see how you explain to the queen mother!" ”

Uncle Gui didn't think that there was a thorn in the head, and he would have to praise her for having backbone on another occasion, but if she really had backbone, she should have bitten her tongue and committed suicide when she was sent out of the palace, and she didn't wait until now to take Qiao, and she didn't covet the glory and wealth of their prince, so she was reluctant to leave.

"Then you will break it here," the uncle choked her, and then ordered his subordinates: "Come on, go and prepare a mat, and collect the body later." ”

As soon as the words fell, I heard a "bang" in the car, as if someone had hit it head-on, and then a scream sounded - "Niangniang!" Don't want it! ”

Uncle Gui turned his head suddenly, his ears were not deaf, but just now he heard someone shouting "Niangniang". He hurriedly commanded the guards to open the car door, and when he saw the situation inside, a palace maid was crying with another fainting in his arms, and he listened closer, but didn't he call the ground "Niangniang".

This thing is not a joke, Uncle Gui didn't dare to have a heart of slackness, and immediately sent a few women in the car back from the back door, after some interrogation, the truth was revealed, it turned out that this fainted "Niangniang" was a concubine in the harem of Emperor Chongzhen in the previous dynasty!

This matter is not trivial, and Uncle Gui hurriedly sent someone to Donghua Gate to report to Xue Rui and ask him to go back to the house to get an idea. At the same time, a holy decree also arrived outside the gate of the Dingbo Pavilion, and along with the Si Tianjian who was ordered to announce the decree.

Yu Shu went out today to ride a high-headed horse, specially changed into a purple and red brocade robe, holding a crown of crane feathers on his neck, green silk boots under his feet, the fireworks at the center of his eyebrows were carefully depicted with cinnabar paste, and the two sword eyebrows flew obliquely into the temples, not a woman is weak and charming, but a hundred times more handsome than a man.

Behind her, she followed two teams of guards with knives, swaggered through the city, and set up a battle to stand in front of the Dingbo Pavilion, and she didn't know that she was only going to the door to provoke.

"This seat is ordered to pass on the decree, and quickly tell the king to come and listen to the decree." R1152