"The master has arrived at the gate of the house." The mother-in-law, Zhang Zhang, ran in in a panic, and the Wu family was waiting at the middle gate.

A group of people came in surrounded by maids and servants, led by Master Shen, followed by Aunt Gu, Aunt Zhang, Aunt Ding, Aunt Xiao Sun and Sister Tongfangxi, Aunt Zhang was holding Brother Bao in her hand, and Xiao Sun was holding the eldest sister of the hundred days.

Wu saw a group of aunts behind Master Shen as if they had swallowed flies in their hearts, but they saw Master Shen smiling and greeting him, "Master has worked hard all the way." Squatting, Master Shen hurriedly smiled and helped him up, "Madame is working hard in Beijing." ”

"Meet my father." Sister Shen Wanzhen stepped forward and saluted, and said in unison.

"These daughters are even better, and this is all the credit of my wife!" Although Master Shen has been weathered all the way, his spirit is good, his face is shining, his voice is loud, and he looks at his daughters like flowers and jade, like a loving father.

"The lord has won the award, go into the house and say."

Master Shen and Mrs. Shen walked side by side to the hall, followed by a group of people, and entered the hall.

Master Shen and Mrs. Shen took their seats, and Shen Wanzhen saluted again and sat down.

Several aunts stepped forward and saluted, "See Madame." ”

The others were okay, they all bowed their heads, they didn't dare to raise their eyes, Aunt Duzhang glanced up with her eyelids, Wu was patient, pretended not to see it, and didn't pay attention to her in front of the master, and said with a pleasant face: "Get up, it's hard all the way, the wine and food have been prepared, and after a family banquet, you can sleep well tonight." ”

The concubines retreated to the next head and stood up, and the maids and servants came forward in batches to salute, and after the salute, they stood behind their masters with their hands tied.

Aunt Zhang pulled Bao'er from the nurse's hand, deliberately pulled Bao Ge'er to kneel down in the hall, and taught him: "Meet Mrs. quickly." ”

Brother Bao probably Aunt Zhang has been taught at home, and he also kowtows upwards in a big way, "See Mother." ”

Wu looked at Aunt Zhang standing on the side, smiling openly, his heart was blocked for a moment, but the smile on his face did not decrease, "Brother Bao, I haven't seen you for half a year, and I have grown taller." He only said this, and he didn't call him to sit beside him, so he wasn't very close

Mrs. was cold, Aunt Zhang was a little dissatisfied, sneered in her heart, pulled Brother Bao in a sneering manner, stood aside, and looked around.

Seeing Xiao Sun's side at a glance, the nurse was holding the eldest sister in her arms, and she was overjoyed, so she hurriedly stepped forward, pretending to tease the eldest sister, and smiled at Xiao Sun: "Mrs. hasn't seen my sister yet, my sister hugged her and showed her wife, so that Mrs. was also happy." ”

She knew that the little grandson's daughter Wu was uncomfortable, but she deliberately said so, now the lord has a son in Bao'er, and in Bao'er's face, he also gives her three points of face, and she is used to being more arrogant, no one in her eyes, and she is hard in the house, and she is not very respectful to the Wu family.

Wu was disgusted, and his face changed imperceptibly, so he pretended to be happy again, "Bring the eldest sister over, I'll take a look." ”

Xiao Sun listened to his wife's words, so he had to take the child from the nurse's hand, and hugged the eldest sister to his wife, Wu took it, opened the list of covered faces, and saw that the baby girl was blushing, fat, and very healthy, "Good waiting, reward the nurse." ”

The eldest sister's nurse knelt down to receive the reward and thanked the wife.

Wu returned the eldest sister in his arms to Xiao Sun, waved his hand and beckoned the maid, who carried a tray with a golden lock on it, "Reward it to the eldest sister." ”

Xiao Sun handed the child to the nurse, knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "The concubine will reward Mrs. Xie for the eldest sister." ”

Shen Wanzhen got up with a smile, took the opportunity to take out the gold collar, and ordered the maid to hand it to Xiao Sun, "Auntie take it to play with my sister." ”

Shen Xuanyu, who was the first to sit down, also rewarded a pair of gold bracelets, and Xiao Sun happily accepted them and thanked the eldest sister one by one.

"A child's house is not so expensive, let alone a girl's house." Master Shen looked a little cold to Bao'er, and stood up for Aunt Zhang's mother and son.

"Master, if the girl's family is married, she can also glorify her ancestors." Wu pinched the handkerchief in his hand and nodded the corners of his lips, he wanted to say that if the man was not angry, he would be a loser, and save three points of face for Master Shen, but he didn't say it too much.

But everyone understands the meaning, Sister Xi answered with a smile: "No, the queen mother in the palace, the concubine Niangniang, not all of them are good, they are better than raising more than a dozen men!" ”

Aunt Zhang glared at her, thinking, talking here, how can you interject through the room, standing there and not angry, her son Brother Bao is ignored, but this little girl is more popular.

Master Shen glanced at Shen Wanzhen, "The third girl is also married now, why didn't my uncle come, let my father see it." "Master Shen is very satisfied with the marriage of the third girl, he didn't expect her to climb the high gate, and his wife did a good job.

When Shen Wanzhen came, she thought about her words, got up and said: "My husband originally wanted to come to see my father, but I didn't come because I had something to do temporarily. "The relationship between Shen Wanzhen and Zhan Shaoting, I don't want my mother's family to know that this father only cares about his career, and then his heirs.

"Yu'er married into her uncle's family, and it seems that she is doing well." Master Shen said to Aunt Ding again: "At the beginning, you said that you were unwilling to be a concubine, which is not very good. ”

Shen Wanyu's lower abdomen was prominent, her face was filled with a happy smile, and she stood up, "Father Xie is worried, my daughter is very good." ”

Aunt Ding looked at her daughter, and then looked at Shen Wanzhen beside her, she didn't feel good in her heart, seeing her daughter smiling happily, she shook her head secretly, she didn't know the difficulties of being a concubine in the house.

"Yun'er's marriage has been set, the happy date is not far away, has the dowry been placed?" Master Shen turned his head sideways and asked the Wu family, Master Shen still attaches importance to his daughter-in-law in his heart, and the fourth girl married the second son of the Li family in the left capital of the Imperial Court of the Imperial Court as the daughter-in-law.

Wu listened to Master Shen ask the fourth girl, and his heart became happy, and he said with a smile: "The things have been purchased, and the wedding date is specially chosen in April, just waiting for the master to come to Beijing to officiate the marriage." ”

"Zhu'er's candidate draft girl this time, do you believe it?" Master Shen asked Mrs. Wu.

"The people who inquired about the household department said that they would enter the palace in the next two days." Wu held tea to Master Shen, and Master Shen nodded, "Entering the palace to draft a girl, this is also a way out." "Master Shen favors Aunt Zhang, Aunt Zhang often blows the wind in her ears, Master Shen thinks that among these daughters, the fifth girl Shen Wanzhu is the most outstanding, and he is determined to find a good family.

As soon as Aunt Zhang mentioned that her daughter entered the palace draft, she was immediately worth a hundred times, and her chest stood up, "The fifth girl will definitely be able to be selected with such appearance, so the lord will wait for the good news." ”

Shen Xuanzhen thought that this birth and raising her aunt was a short-sightedness, and she sent her daughter to the palace.

It can be seen that when Shen Wanzhu mentioned entering the palace draft girl, her little face was raised, and she looked proud.

Master Shen looked at Shen Wanzhu, and thought to himself, the appearance of the five girls is only afraid that there are few people in the capital who can compare, and said to Wu happily: "Don't be reluctant to spend silver, prepare a few more sets of good clothes, most of the official eunuchs who enter the palace are too shabby and people look down on, and the silver money is prepared separately, and Zhu'er brings more silver on her body, leaving it to be dotted up and down, and she will enter the palace to see the opportunity." ”

Wu Shigan agreed, and the corner of his eyes swept to the mother and daughter, who were overjoyed.

"The old man has a tired journey, so the concubine should go to the back hall to rest first, and there will be a while before leaving the banquet." Wu digressed the subject.

Master Shen sat in the sedan chair for a few hours, and he also felt a little tired, so he went to the back hall with his wife to rest.

The sisters of the Shen family went to the east to gossip and play, and Aunt Ding finally looked forward to the departure of the master and his wife, so she pulled Shen Wanyu and walked to the ear room, and as soon as the door was closed, she asked, "How are you doing in the Wu Mansion, how is your son-in-law treating you?" Is my uncle good to you? Is it difficult for the young lady for you? ”

Shen Wanyu has passed the stage of morning sickness, the amount of food has been long, the eyes are plump, and the complexion is very good, and she didn't know how to answer the sentence first when asked by her aunt, she lowered her head and looked satisfied, "My cousin is good to me, Mrs. is good to my daughter, and the young lady is polite." ”

and whispered heartlessly: "Zhen is jealous and sour, jealous of my cousin's spoiling me, snubbing her, being kind in front of people, and talking coldly behind people's backs, and being known by my cousin, I am even more lazy to go to her house, and stay with my daughter when I see the sky." ”

Aunt Ding is relieved, Shen Wanyu married an aunt, she only felt that the sky was about to fall, there was no way to live, she was a concubine, she gave birth to a daughter and gave birth to a concubine, listening to Shen Wanyu's words, her heart was a little calm, and she saw her daughter's lower abdomen bulging slightly, and now she can't change the fact that she has anything else, and she is looking forward to her giving birth to a man, not being angry, just fine clothes and jade food.

He also told her to be respectful to Zhen in front of Wu Jinglan, Wu Jinglan likes her to be sensible, and will love her even more, Zhen can't take the mistake, even if she is jealous, she is helpless.

Shen Wanzhu was pulled by her aunt to the east room, Shen Wanzhen sat on the kang against the east wallboard, and vaguely listened to Aunt Zhang's teaching her daughter how to please the emperor and seduce the emperor, all of which were small tricks of aunts and concubines who could not be on the table, Shen Wanzhen shook her head, if Shen Wanzhu really listened to her aunt, I was afraid that there would be no good fruit to eat, and my mother would not be kind enough to let her do what palace concubines, the palace garden is deep, the palace fight is not as good as the house fight, one wrong step, I don't know how to die.

"Cousin Xue and the two cousins of Wu Mansion are here." The maid at the door said crisply, and the girls of the Shen Mansion stood up,

"It's all here, so I said it must be lively today." As soon as I entered the door, I heard Xue Jin laughing.

It's not a sunny day outside today, and the light in the room is a little dark, but as soon as Xue Jin appears, it makes people's eyes shine, she is gorgeously dressed and radiant, "Sister Zhu, Sister Zhu." Xue Jin raised his voice and looked around.

"In the middle room with her aunt." Shen Wanyun said, and immediately shouted towards the east room: "Fifth sister, Miss Xue is here." ”

When Shen Wanzhu heard it, she immediately lifted the curtain and came out, followed by Aunt Zhang, "Hello girl." Aunt Zhang saw that Xue Jin was extremely enthusiastic, leaving the two girls in Wu Mansion and ignoring them, and only rushed to scold Xue Jin, "The girl sits, it's not cold outside, wait for me to call the maid brazier to add carbon, and the girl will warm her hands first." ”

The sisters greeted each other.

Shen Wanyun saw Wu Ailian following behind to see the salute, silent, busy holding her hand, asking long and short questions, Wu Ailian didn't talk much, just answered simply, Ren Shen Wanyun said, she didn't mention the conversation, and the contrast was very great, no arrogance, but a little inferiority, eyes dodged, dare not look at people, after the divorce, the door did not come out, this time it was her mother who forced her to come.

The chubby Wu Huilian entered the house and looked for the eighth girl, Shen Wanxin, and the two of them saw each other very happily and played speculatively.

Xue Jin gave Shen Wanzhen a little blessing, and after seeing the ceremony, Shen Wanzhen returned the courtesy, "I heard that my sister is going to enter the palace?" ”

Xue Jin couldn't wait for someone to ask, so he deliberately said loudly, "Yesterday, I received a message from the household department, and tomorrow is an alternative to enter the palace, has Sister Zhu received the message?" "There is no one in this eye, as if the imperial concubine has been chosen,

"When did my sister receive the letter from the household department yesterday? Ready to go? Shen Wanzhu asked a series of questions, looking a little anxious, Aunt Zhang was using an iron hook to pluck the charcoal of the charcoal brazier, wanting to burn a little more, stopped her hand, and pricked up her ears to listen.

"The herald arrived last night, and the clothes were all prepared in advance." Xue Jin's aunt is favored by General Xue, and she has a lot of money in her private house, except for the one on the surface, she secretly stuffed her with a large amount of silver tickets.

"Girl, don't blame your aunt for talking too much, taking more money and money, up and down in the palace, that doesn't need to be dotted, less is not enough, most of the girls who enter the palace draft are tall, have good family affairs, and are too shabby to go down, your mother-in-law, Mrs. Xue, is generous to the concubine, I think she took a lot of silver." Aunt Zhang's words had a strange meaning, like she was dissatisfied with the Wu family, Shen Wanzhen thought, the Wu family will take more money to your mother and daughter? Mrs. Xue is also okay, she can't resist General Xue, who is willing to marry more concubines.

Xue Jin looked left and right, these sisters had said hello, and they all chatted with their confidants, not paying attention to this, Xue Jin used her hand to make a number, and Aunt Zhang guessed, "One thousand taels?" ”

Xue Jin shook her head, and Aunt Zhang's eyes widened, "Ten thousand taels of silver tickets? ”

Xue Jin blinked and nodded, Aunt Zhang's eyes widened in shock, and then she coughed and muttered in a low voice, "It's better for your mother-in-law to get you so much silver." ”

Xue Jin shook his hand, signaled not to say anything, and said in a low voice: "It was given by my father, and I didn't let my mother-in-law know about it." ”

Shen Wanzhu felt incredible, knowing that her aunt was favored, but she didn't expect Mrs. Xue to be a homemaker, "Your mother-in-law knows that she can't make trouble?" ”

Aunt Zhang didn't feel good in her heart, "Your mother-in-law is so good." "I blamed the Wu family in my heart, hated the Wu family for being mean, only gave five hundred taels of silver, and didn't wait to enter the palace.

Xue Jin raised his little face, with a look of disdain, and said in a lower voice: "It's good on the surface, but inside you don't know the way, my mother knows that my father gave me these silver, and it was enough to make a fuss, my father has already given it, so it's hard to go back." ”

Aunt Zhang took Xue Jin's hand and instructed enthusiastically: "You and your sister Zhu are cousins, you have to take care of each other when you go to the palace, if the girl goes up, don't forget your sister, if your sister gets a benefit, she will naturally think about the girl." ”

Xue Jin pulled Shen Wanzhu's hand and said happily: "That's natural, the two of us are better than being alone, and there is still a discussion in case of trouble." ”

Aunt Zhang said: "The palace is not as good as the house, be careful in everything, the show girls who are selected to enter the palace together must be vigilant everywhere, the emperor must be decent in front of her, and the queen must also flatter." ”

Xue Jin leaned close to Shen Wanzhu's ear and said in a low voice: "I heard that this primary election is presided over by Concubine Fang, and the last round of re-election is the emperor and the queen's decision." Aunt Zhang hurriedly leaned over and flattered Xue Jin, "Miss Xue knows a lot about the Dao, unlike our girl, the frog at the bottom of the well, the annoying girl should talk about it quickly, and she can also know the preferences of the masters in the Lu Dao Palace, so as not to be reckless and blind and touch the mold." ”

"Concubine Fang, how many ...... have my sister heard" Shen Wanzhu took Xue Jin's hand and said eagerly, Xue Jin and her two muttered quieter.

From time to time, I heard that the head of the palace, the emperor, the queen mother, and the popular stewards and eunuchs and aunts around the queen, it seems that Xue Jin knows everything about the situation in the palace.

For the draft of this dynasty, Shen Xuanzhen knows how much about the Tao, the daughter of the official and the civilian woman who was selected, after the primary election, and then the re-election, and then after the re-election, the show girl who left the card was divided into two groups, one group of show girls were left in the palace, and the other group of show girls were given to the prince's mansion, and the palace was left to be presided over by the emperor, several rounds of re-election, and the party was sealed.

Shen Wanzhen sneered, if these two people were elected to the palace, the palace was afraid that they would set off a storm and fall into the prince's mansion, and there would be no right or wrong.

At this moment, a hurried voice sounded outside the curtain, "Five girls, five girls, someone from the household department is here." ”

An old woman crashed in, slammed the door curtain on both sides, panting and pouting, "Miss Zhu, someone from the household is here, in the front hall, the girl should go." ”

Aunt Zhang was pleasantly surprised: "It must be a message coming, the girl is going out quickly." "Say it, and hurriedly push Shen Wanzhu out.

Shen Wanzhu hurriedly went out, and everyone listened to the letter in the house.

It didn't take much effort, Shen Wanzhu Xingxing came in, and Xue Jin greeted him, "How about sister, is it the message from the household department?" ”

Shen Wanzhu nodded excitedly, Aunt Zhang followed behind, her head was raised, and her voice was louder, "The master said, plan well, if the girl has any thoughts, just tell the master." ”

Shen Wanzhen thought, Master Shen has only arrived today, and Shen Wanzhu is about to enter the palace, what can be done in a hurry, and her grandmother is shrewd.

Aunt Zhang asked Xue Jin, "What is Miss Xue preparing?" Tell us, and do what is prepared for our girls. ”

Xue Jin said how many sets of new clothes have been prepared, how many new pieces of head jewelry, and how much to show off and exaggerate, Aunt Zhang listened to it, and was a little dumbfounded, "The girl is so well prepared, but our girl doesn't even have a set of serious clothes now, how good is this, no, I'll go back to the master." ”

Say it and go out.

Shen Wanzhu also looked anxious, Xue Jin not only had a rich dowry, but her father also invited the old lady from the palace in advance to teach her the etiquette in the palace, and spent a lot of money to ask the famous kabutha to teach her to sing and dance, and her mother-in-law did not plan to send her to the palace at all, she was not married, and her age was among the candidate draft girls, so her mother-in-law had to send her into the palace.

Aunt Zhang hurriedly walked to the upper room, and there was a little maid standing at the door, and whispered: "The master and the wife are talking in the house." ”

Aunt Zhang didn't care about this, and said loudly: "The concubine came to discuss with the old lady about the girl's alternative entry into the palace. ”

When Wu heard it in the house, his brows furrowed, and his heart became more and more unruly, and because Master Shen was there, he said outside: "Let her in." ”

Aunt Zhang hurriedly walked in, only saluted slightly, and said: "Master, the concubine just asked Miss Xue what to prepare, and Miss Xue's mother-in-law prepared a lot for her, dozens of sets of clothes are all good palace fabrics, new head jewelry, and silver alone brings this number." "Say it, hold out a finger.

Master Shen was surprised: "Ten thousand taels? ”

Aunt Zhang was afraid that the old man would not believe it, so she hurriedly said: "If the old lady doesn't believe what the concubine said, Miss Xue is in the side hall, and when she asks her, she will know that the concubine is not lying." ”

Old Man Shen's face sank, and he turned his head to Wu and said, "How much has the fifth girl's wife prepared?" Master Shen was a little angry, and his wife's face was not good-looking.

Wu fiddled with a jade Ruyi in his hand, smiled lightly, and said slowly: "The royal wealth, that will care about the courtiers just a few dollars, no one will ask the girl how much money to bring, compared to appearance, character, and talent, General Xue is a third-grade military attaché, how can our Shen family compare, such as more silver and money, less must make people suspicious, the most taboo in the saint is to release officials to corruption and corruption, the palace is not more than the palace to stop, that person does not have 10,000 hearts and eyes, no one to hold the handle, he will be defeated first, and what to talk about in the future to get the holy favor." ”

Wu's words have already been thought about, and they actually said the truth, Master Shen listened to it, and he also felt that there was some truth, a five-grade civil official, so much silver came from there, don't be a daughter who can't be drafted, and he is causing trouble for himself.

Aunt Zhang was anxious, and hurriedly said: "It's inconvenient to take more money, but there must be several sets of decent clothes, and the girl is too shabby to lose the face of the Shen family." ”

Master Shen was a little dissatisfied, and what Aunt Zhang said was also that it was inconvenient to take more money, but the clothes always had to pick up a few sets of good palace yarns, how could they not even be thoughtful about this.

looked at Wu and frowned: "Why don't you make new clothes for Zhu'er, I trust you, you usually do things carefully, why is Zhu'er so perfunctory in major matters?" ”

Wu listened to her husband was not dissatisfied, and openly accused, towards the concubine mother and daughter, as if the concubine mother and daughter were valued, and was so angry that he said for a long time: "Master, Zhu'er and Zhao Zhang's marriage did not come to fruition, so I moved my mind to enter the palace to draft a girl, in a hurry, the concubine quickly invited the best tailor in the capital to come to the house, and made more than a dozen sets of clothes for Zhu'er. ”

Wu's mouth is full of reason, this Aunt Zhang just saw her daughter, and she didn't have time to ask in detail, only to hear her daughter say that her mother didn't prepare anything, the clothes and materials were not good, and there were few decent jewelry.

Master Shen's face changed, and he said to Aunt Zhang dissatisfiedly: "Your wife has arranged it properly, you don't have to worry about it, she is always an aunt, she has never seen the world, and she knows how much she knows." ”

Aunt Zhang was said by Master Shen, her face was slightly red, and she had nothing to say, so she had to quit and walked to the door, and listened to Master Shen's voice coaxing Wu's voice inside, "I know that you are working hard, Zhen'er's marriage is very good, and my official position is all entrusted to Mrs. Lai's contribution, I know in my heart, she is just a concubine, what do you know, and I care about her." ”

Listening to Wu's whimper, "The master knows that he is looking at the concubine mother and daughter, and he doesn't take me and Yun'er to heart, no matter what, Yun'er is also a concubine, why doesn't the master ask, how are the preparations for the marriage?" ”

Master Shen let out a low voice, "Okay, okay, Yun'er is a concubine, and I won't treat her badly." ”

Dumbfounded, Wu Jiaojiao gasped, "The old man is blue and white, be serious, the concubine is looking for a girl for the master, and when the old man is idle, he will look at each other, if he is not hit, the concubine will still have a good body." ”

Hearing this, Aunt Zhang was shocked, Wu prepared a young girl for the master, and she didn't care about listening to the master, so she hurried out.

Bofu

Aunt Ying rubbed her lower abdomen, not to mention how aggrieved she was, the second master moved to the upper room, and the Shen couple reconciled, so what is she, she worked in vain and was ridiculed.

"Girl, the red girl is out again."

Aunt Ying jumped up, leaned on the window and looked, it was dark outside, and she saw clearly that it was really a red note helping Yu'er out of the door of the east wing.

"Yu'er seems to be carrying a package in her hand." Chunxiao's face was pressed against the window, and even her facial features were flattened.

Aunt Ying also thought that this master and servant seemed to be a thief, sneaking around, first Yu'er looked around at the courtyard door, and then beckoned to the red note behind her.

"Chunxiao, help me follow her, and see what this little hoof of the red note is going to do, sneaky." Aunt Ying hurriedly pulled a gown on the back of the chair and put it on, Chunxiao helped her, and went out to chase the master and servant of the red note.