Anwangfu

The king of Anyang reclined on the couch, and the graceful and low singing voice of a peerless woman in the main hall accompanied by the graceful piano sound, penetrated the house, floated over the green tiles and red walls, and was cool in the winter.

The sound of the piano stopped abruptly, and the woman approached the bed, squatting at Zhao Shijiao's feet, her peach blossom cheeks pressed against his golden cloud robe, "Lord Wang, I have something on my mind." The voice was soft and delicate, like a spring breeze.

Zhao Shijiao's eyes were staring at somewhere, motionless, as if he hadn't heard her words, and the woman looked at him with affectionate eyes.

Zhao Shijiao waved his hand, and the woman called out in a somewhat pitiful voice: "Lord Wang." ”

Zhao Shijiao's eyebrows were a little impatient, "Mrs. Han, please go back." Wang Wengui, the old eunuch who came out of the palace, bowed and said.

When Mrs. Han got up, her delicate body trembled slightly, and she glanced at Zhao Shijiao, but the prince didn't look at her, and she was slightly disappointed.

At this time, a eunuch walked in, "Lord Wang, Gonggong Chen, the head of Kunning Palace, asks to see you." ”

"Let him in!" King Anyang pulled back his eyes and said expressionlessly.

Chen Quan bowed his body, his flat-soled white cloth shoes brushed the ground, and there was no sound, "The slave sees the master of King An." ”

"That's it, get up." King Anyang doesn't seem to be so cold anymore.

Chen Quan got up, bowed down and said respectfully: "The queen mother invites the master of King An to enter the palace." ”

"Is there something wrong with the imperial sister-in-law Xuanben Wang entering the palace?" Zhao Shizhen's tone was flat, her face lines were soft, she stood up and sat upright.

"The queen mother invites the prince to discuss important matters." Chen Quan leaned forward, and under King An's inquiring gaze, he lowered his head a little lower, not daring to make eye contact with King Anyang.

"Prepare for the pick-up" Zhao Shijiao only gave a simple order.

The eunuch outside the gate of Kunning Palace shouted, "The king of Anyang has come to see you." ”

Empress Li straightened her sitting posture, put on a gentle smile, and watched her husband, the third brother, walk up to the main hall, Luo Tuo's demeanor and dazzling face overshadowed the splendid palace. ”

Empress Li smiled softly and hurriedly: "Third brother, don't be polite. ”

"Give the Third Highness a seat." The palace maids on both sides moved the chairs, and Zhao Shijiao untied the crane, handed it to the palace maid beside him, and sat down.

"Third brother, I haven't seen you for a while, but it's good!" Queen Li usually cares for the little uncles, and the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother, especially for the three little uncles, she loves them even more.

Zhao Shijiao clenched his fists, "Hello sister-in-law!" Forgive the courtier's brother for being disrespectful, he should have come to see the imperial sister-in-law a long time ago, but let the imperial sister-in-law worry. "Zhao Shijiao and Empress Li are closer than the imperial brothers, when they were in the palace, Empress Li personally inquired about the diet and daily life of these underage princes and princesses.

Li Houwei smiled before speaking, and said softly: "Third brother, sister-in-law called you here, it is a matter of establishing a concubine, what are you planning?" The Queen Mother values the daughter of Xu Shangshu of the Ministry of War, and the sister-in-law of Miss Xu has seen it, and she is worthy of the third brother, what does the third brother think? ”

After Empress Li finished speaking, Zhao Shijiao said respectfully without thinking: "The queen mother and the imperial sister-in-law will dare to disobey the order, but Miss Xu is a celebrity in the capital, and the younger brother is an unruly person, for fear of disappointing Miss Xu, forgive the younger brother, Miss Xu still chooses the wood to live in, and the younger brother has no blessing." ”

Empress Li was a little surprised, staring at him, as if wondering how much he said how sincere and how much false, the heart, the emperor Mingjian, it seems that he asked, mixed blessings, the good thing is that the king of Anyang does not agree, things are easy to do, even if the queen mother is to blame, it is easy to explain, the worry is that in this way, Miss Xu will be elected to the palace, and she must come up with twelve points of spirit to deal with it.

After the matter of the concubine was discussed, Queen Li put forward several candidates for the side concubine, "The third brother, and the candidate for this side concubine, the queen mother has made it clear that the daughter of the Han scholar is a famous talented woman in the capital, the third brother can be satisfied, and if he is not satisfied, he said to his sister-in-law, pick another one?" ”

Zhao Shijiao flickered his head, his mind drifted away, Queen Li saw that he didn't care, and asked again: "The third brother is not satisfied?" ”

Pulling Zhao Shijiao's thoughts back, after a pause, he said casually: "It's up to my brother and sister-in-law to decide." ”

"On the other side, the concubine candidate, the sister-in-law is optimistic about one, I don't know if the third brother has a favorite in his heart, say it, sister-in-law will help you Zhang Luo."

Empress Li is eager to send all the talented and beautiful people to King An's Mansion, save her own worries, kill two birds with one stone, not only please the Queen Mother, but also eliminate the opponent and invisible.

"The royal sister-in-law is in charge." Zhao Shijiao didn't seem to be much interested.

"The third brother doesn't listen to whose girl it is?" Empress Li was a little puzzled, how could he not be very concerned about the marriage event.

"No need, the imperial sister-in-law will look at it!"

No matter how Empress Li looked at him, he seemed to have something on his mind, and asked tentatively: "Could it be that the third brother has a sweetheart?" ”

A shadow appeared in front of Zhao Shijiao's eyes, he closed his eyes, forcibly suppressed the thoughts that came up in his heart, was silent for a moment, and shook his head.

Queen Li looked at him with a depressed expression, guessing that there must be something on her mind, but she didn't know what kind of woman she was, which made him unhappy, even if he didn't say it, it was inconvenient for her to ask deeply, after all, the sister-in-law was not easy to talk about the matter of the little uncle.

Zhao Shijiao came out of Kunning Palace, and Queen Li said to Mama Kang beside her: "This palace always feels that he is not in the right mood. ”

Mama Kang is an old man in the palace and is familiar with several princes, so she said: "The old slave also feels that King Anyang has something in his heart, and it is inconvenient to say it. ”

"It's hard to say, one thing in this world descends one thing, if there is one, I want to see it."

Zhao Shijiao walked out of Kunning Palace, and Wang Wengui, the personal eunuch, walked over from the palace gate and whispered: "It is a matter for the queen to find the princess to come to the concubine. “

Zhao Shijiao's face was expressionless, "Xu Shangshu's daughter, the imperial sister-in-law tempted me." “

"Can the prince agree?" Wang Wengui looked at his master's face, inexplicably a trace of worry.

Zhao Shijiao shook his head.

"But the Queen Mother, her old man, how can she explain?" Wang Wengui was worried about his master.

"Mother and son will understand."

Zhao Shijiao's eyebrows were raised, and his deep eyes could not see the bottom, and the words blurted out vaguely made people feel something, but only in front of Wang Wengui, the old eunuch who had taken care of him since childhood, he said it vaguely with one or two words in his heart.

Mrs. Fu was called over by Aunt Ying early in the morning, Aunt Ying was not as polite to her as before, and Mrs. Fu ignored her, but after the matter of the red note, she didn't dare to be presumptuous, and even the room of the half master of the red note was beaten when she offended Aunt Ying, not to mention that she was a subordinate.

Aunt Ying looked at the smiling face of the Fu family, she was very proud, and as soon as the Fu family stretched out her hand, she immediately picked up the teacup on the table, touched it with her hand, and said with a smile: "This tea is cold early, wait for the slave to add some heat." Picked up the teapot and refilled it with some heat before handing it to Aunt Ying.

Aunt Ying didn't raise her eyelids to take it, took a small sip, moistened her throat, put on a commanding look, and said: "Annoying mother told the above, I have a Chunxiao girl in this house, and it is not enough, and this charcoal has long been gone, I was frozen yesterday, I didn't sleep all night, and I felt a slight pain in my lower abdomen when I got up early." ”

As he spoke, he pointed to the two plates on the table and ate the leftovers, "Auntie, look at it, this yellow oil is all on it, how can I eat it?" ”

The Fu family looked at the table, the dishes on the plate were cold, condensed the layer of butter on it, looked at the appetite, and said in his heart, who let you indulge the girl in the dishes in the big kitchen, annoying the kitchen girls, can you not think of the law to cure you.

The Fu family thought in his heart, but on the surface, he smiled and echoed: "No, this dish is too greasy, let alone a girl, or the old slave is disgusted to look at and doesn't want to eat it." ”

"Annoying my mother and the above, it's not that I rely on my stomach to make a blessing, I really can't even look at my mother, right?" Aunt Ying beat Zhan Shaoting and promised to straighten out, looked up to herself, and spoke with enough confidence, and called Shen Wanzhen not to be called a housewife, but to be a top, and the Fu family also looked down on her in their hearts, so they didn't do anything, so they took Qiao up first.

But he didn't dare to offend, and asked with a smile on his face: "That's all for the girl, there's nothing to do?" ”

Aunt Ying picked up the teacup, took a sip, and lowered her head to think, "That's all, what do you think of looking for the eldest lady." ”

Listening to the tone of the Fu family, the call of the Fu family came and went, and the Fu family walked out of the door of the west wing, and scolded secretly: I don't look at my identity, I really regard myself as the master.

Just as Yu'er was fetching water, she almost didn't hit it, Yu'er hurriedly dodged with a bucket, and said flatteringly: "Auntie came over so early?" ”

The Fu family stood and looked at her, and took two steps closer, "Is your master okay?" I heard that Jean Ye didn't fight lightly, and I didn't have time to go over, so early in the morning, the Westinghouse came to me to lay out a few things, and I had to run errands for her. ”

When Yu'er saw that her master and servant were beaten, she wilted and whispered: "If the beating is nothing, the master is sad." ”

"But no, the lord's temper comes up, and he doesn't care about feelings." The Fu family said a few words, and was in a hurry to go to the room to return to Aunt Ying's explanation, but he didn't dare to delay, and now he can't afford to provoke him.

"Third aunt and grandmother, Mrs. asked the old slave to tell me that Mrs. took the girls to move to the Shen family's old house, and invited Mrs. Gu and my aunt to come to the house at night." An old woman of the Shen family was ordered by the housemother Wu to come over, first say hello to her aunt and grandmother, and invite her aunt at Mrs. Guo's place.

"Packed?" Shen Wanzhen didn't care seriously, so she casually asked, saying that it sounded good to her mother's family, and if it didn't sound good, it was better to have nothing, and there was no family affection at all.

"I packed it up early in the morning, and the old lady didn't let me go during the New Year, so I stayed for a few more days." This old woman is talking about Mrs. Wu.

"It's okay this way, it saves relatives from staying at their house, it's inconvenient." Shen Wanzhen was gossiping without a match, but her eyes glanced at the sky outside, the snow stopped, the last snow in winter, she couldn't stand on the ground, she rushed to the ground, and it melted away, the snow was thick this winter, and it seemed that it was a good year again.

"That's not the case, it's okay now, when the master comes, and the aunt and brother are here, it will be even more inconvenient." The old woman continued her conversation, and she didn't pay attention to Shen Xuanzhen's distraction.

The old woman suddenly patted her leg and said: "But there is a happy event, the old slave almost forgot, Miss Zhu is also a draft girl this time, the emperor is newly enthroned, there are few concubines in the harem, and Miss Zhu is good-looking, she will definitely be selected, and it is not impossible to be crowned a concubine in the future." ”

Shen Wanzhen pulled her eyes back, and heard her say that Shen Wanzhu was also a draft girl, remembering that day when people from Pingyuan Houfu looked at Shen Wanzhu, it seemed that she didn't believe it, so her mother turned to send her to the palace.

The triennial draft of the girl, the general officials do not want the girl to enter the palace, all play some silver, buy through the household, for various reasons at the beginning of the draft, so that you can marry at will, if you are selected by the household, sent to the palace layer by layer selection, the most rear, screening out the essence, by the emperor himself canonized. Or give marriage to the prince.

While chatting, the second room steward Fu came up, asked An Bi, and replied: "Miss Ying asked the slave to return to the young lady, saying that she was not good enough, and the charcoal was not easy to burn, and the food was all meaty and could not be swallowed." ”

told Aunt Ying about the three things that Aunt Ying was looking for her, and didn't say anything else, she stood respectfully, waiting for her master to speak.

"The maid is not enough, there are cases, that's it, don't limit the little girl to lend her money, and when she finishes giving birth, she is coming back, and she is still doing the original work, the charcoal is not good to burn, the master and slave in the house over the years have sub-cases, unchanged, she has more, it is difficult for the concubines in other rooms to pass the room and the same as the master, that is not impossible, but the young lady is in charge of the house, let her go back to the young lady to add some fees, or give her the master's evenness, there are many examples of the lady in this house, see if the lady's is given to her."

The Fu family listened to the young lady's tone, and didn't dare to answer, bowed down to listen, Shen Wanzhen took a breath, "The food is not delicious, ask the girl to tell the big kitchen, if you are not satisfied with the big kitchen, let her come back and forth to me, I will ask why?" These masters in the house, the big kitchen is not easy, I can do it every day without bothering the big kitchen, it is difficult for the subordinate, a meal is divided into several dishes, pick up the favorite food and eat a few bites, and the slave who doesn't like to eat will be rewarded. ”

After Shen Wanzhen finished speaking, the Fu family's master didn't say anything for a long time, and only then did he dare to reply, "The young lady understands, can the young lady send the fat girl over to wait for Miss Ying?" ”

Xiuju was on the side, and she made a happy sound, and when she saw Shen Wanzhen glancing at her, she hurriedly covered her mouth and lowered her head.

"It's fine, it's only a few months anyway." Shen Wanzhen thought to herself, she could think of it at a loss, and give the stupid girl to Aunt Ying, this Fu family is really slippery, ask yourself, even if Aunt Ying is not satisfied, she can't be blamed, the Fu family has come to please herself, and secondly, it has also made Aunt Ying unhappy.

As soon as the Fu family left, Mrs. Qian said: "But I forgot to tell the young lady, yesterday at night, the master rested, forgot to go back, Mrs. I don't know where to invite an aunt, asked someone to bring the second room, to Qiaohui girl and Ying girl to see each other, to see whether to give birth to a boy or a girl, the aunt pretended to be a good woman for a while, and finally said, Miss Ying is pregnant with a man, Qiaohui girl is a woman, Mrs. is so happy that she hurriedly let go back to the second master, the second master specially came to see Miss Ying, and explained that Chunxiao is a good waiter. ”

"I'll just say, 'Why is it different today?'" Qiao Shan muttered, this Aunt Ying is embarrassed and arrogant.

"Xiuju, you go and ask the girl on the red note to go to a place with me." Shen Wanzhen commanded.

Xiuju said: "Where is the master going?" ”

"Go see Shang Xiang, but don't tell her."

Hongjian heard Xiuju say that the second young lady took her to a place, and she was confused, and asked suspiciously: "Does the second young lady ask the concubine to go alone, or do you want to go with a few peonies?" ”

"The red girl is alone, and the second young lady didn't say anything."

Embroidered chrysanthemum and red note out of the side courtyard, from the wall gate through the main courtyard, along the east chamber to the upper room, turn past the main room, Shen Wanzhen just stepped out of the door of the upper room, red note and embroidered chrysanthemum walked a few steps, red note stepped forward, "Young lady." ”

Shen Wanzhen nodded at her, but she didn't speak, and Mrs. Qian helped her down the steps, followed by Hongjian and Xiuju.

The red note didn't know what the young lady meant, and she didn't dare to ask, she was apprehensive in her heart, and followed closely behind.

The group came to the backyard of the Bofu, turned a few corners along the road, and saw the red wall behind the Bofu, Shen Wanzhen stopped in front of an empty wing door, and there was a big lock on the door of the wing room, "Go, find the mother-in-law who cares about it." Shen Wanzhen was displeased, the old woman who was guarding the door didn't know where to go at this moment.

Xiuju hurriedly looked around, not much effort, an old woman ran over, left Xiuju behind, went to Shen Wanzhen, knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "The master went around the old slave, the old slave walked away for a while, and the second young lady came, the old slave usually dedicated, the conscience of heaven and earth, just go away for this meeting." ”

Shen Wanzhen didn't have time to take care of her, "Open the door." ”

The old woman quickly got up, took out the key pinned to her belt, tried a few, and unlocked the door.

"Red Maiden come in with me." Shen Wanzhen spoke, raised her feet and entered the door, and Mrs. Qian and Xiuju were waiting at the door.

Although this wing room is dilapidated, it is still warm, and it is an inside and outside room, Shen Wanzhen entered the room, the red note followed in, looked into the house, stunned for a moment, Shang Xiang climbed down the kang, knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Shen Wanzhen twice, "The slave maid, please young lady An." ”

Kneeling and not daring to get up, Shen Wanzhen had no place to sit, stood in the middle of the room, looked at Shang Xiang at his feet and said: "I have a few words, if you answer me honestly, I will let you go." ”

Shang Xiang saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes, and hurriedly kowtowed; "Slaves don't dare to lie."

"The first few days you said that Miss Ying's pregnancy was fake, she took a medicine surnamed Hu, which seems to be pregnant, but this is true."

Shang Xiang kowtowed upwards again, and swore an oath: "If the slave and maid lie, they will not die well, and they will not be able to get out of this door." ”

lest Shen Wanzhen not believe it, he said: "If the young lady doesn't believe it, go to the town to find Hu San, and if you inquire about it, you will know that he will say anything, Hu San specializes in this business and deceives many people." ”

"When did Aunt Ying stop taking the medicine?" Shen Wanzhen asked.

"Jiexia vomited a lot, thinking that the medicine was bad, so the slave went to Hu San, and Hu San said, this medicine can't be taken all the time, and it will stop when you come back." Shang Xiang said it clearly and clearly, and it didn't look like a lie when he heard it.

"So the medicine has been off for a while?" Shen Wanzhen felt that her judgment was right, in fact, Aunt Ying was already pregnant, but she didn't know what to do.

Shang Xiang nodded and said affirmatively: "The medicine given by Hu San was taken to the back of the house and buried, if the young lady doesn't believe it, the slave and maid will take you to dig it out." ”

Shen Wan smiled at the corner of his mouth, and said sarcastically: "The imperial doctor in the palace came yesterday and confirmed that Miss Ying has a body." ”

Shang Xiang was stunned, couldn't believe it, and stared at him speechless for a long time.

"Miss Ying stopped the medicine and pretended to have a miscarriage to blame the concubine, but she didn't know that she was really pregnant, so cruel and vicious." The red note said coldly behind Shen Xuanzhen.

Shang Xiang muttered, "This slave doesn't know. ”

Shen Wanzhen smiled lightly, turned around and walked out, Shang Xiang was anxious, knelt and crawled to Shen Wanzhen's feet, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and begged: "The young lady is gracious, although the slave maid helped her deceive, but it is really a last resort, the slave and maid said everything, and begged the young lady to let the slave and maid go." ”

Shen Guanzhen pushed open the door, raised her legs and walked out, and ordered, "Shang Xiang asked her family to take it back." Shen Guanzhen and the others walked into the courtyard, and heard the thud of Shang Xiang's head on the bluestone floor tiles behind him, and the trilling sound of excitement, "Slave beer will not forget the young lady's great grace until death." ”