Dingguo Marquis's Mansion.

Under Ruan Niang's service, the Marquis of Dingguo put on his official uniform, tidied up his appearance, and the maid waited outside with a tray.

"Master Hou, let's eat something and then go out." It was still a gentle and gentle voice, with admiration and care.

Dingguo Hou pinched Ruan Niang's face lovingly, "You still care about Ben Hou the most." ”

"Hou Ye is Ruan Niang's sky, Ruan Niang doesn't care about Hou Ye, who do you care about."

was admired by the woman he loved, and Dingguo Hou enjoyed it very much.

The maid came in with breakfast.

"Auntie, this millet porridge was exchanged by the slave maid from the lady." The maid whispered a word of merit in Aunt Ruan's ear.

Ruan Niang was noncommittal to the maid's cautious behavior.

The maid's meaning was nothing more than that this millet porridge was sent to the Feng family, and just in case, the maid exchanged her share with the Feng family's.

Her eyes flashed slightly, and she swept the millet porridge and various shrimp dumplings carefully cooked on the table, and Ruan Niang personally filled a bowl of millet porridge for the country.

"Ben Hou didn't hurt you in vain." While enjoying breakfast, Dingguohou did not forget to give charity and pampering his women.

"Hou Ye, what you said is bad, the millet porridge was brought back from the kitchen, and the Hou Ye did not have the habit of eating in front of the court, not because the lady did not take good care of it, but because the Hou Ye was concerned about national affairs, and did not have the leisure to sit down and enjoy breakfast. Now that the country is safe and secure, there are not so many trivial affairs in the court, so the Hou Ye is free, so that the slaves and maids can take advantage of the loopholes and have the opportunity to serve the Lord well for breakfast. ”

"You're pretty good at talking." Dingguohou's salty pig hand reached out to Ruan Niang's chest again and pinched it fiercely.

These words not only complimented his "great achievements", but also appropriately flattered the Feng family.

"Master Hou is tormenting the slave and maid, and the slave and maid are the truth." Ruan Niang sandwiched a piece of crystal shrimp dumplings into Dingguohou's plate.

At this time, it was still early for breakfast, and Dingguohou was not very hungry, so he only symbolically ate two shrimp dumplings and drank half a bowl of millet porridge, but when he left, he drank the nourishing soup that Feng's would never fall every day.

Ruan Niang stood beside Dingguo Hou with a smile, watched him drink the tonic soup in the bowl in one gulp, and personally sent him out of the courtyard.

"Auntie?" The little maid looked at Aunt Ruan inexplicably.

She really couldn't understand, what was the reason why Ruan Niang was so confident?

Isn't she at all worried about Madame manipulating her food?

Ruan Niang is young, Hou Ye is in the prime of life, and it is a matter of time before she gives birth to a concubine. According to Hou Ye's love for Ruan Niang, who knows what will happen in the future?

As the lady of the main room, the Feng family will definitely take precautions, even if he doesn't send the shunzi soup in front of the Hou Ye, there must be small actions.

Therefore, every time she went to the big kitchen to pick up the food box, she was careful and careful, and if she had the opportunity, she would secretly change the meals of her aunt and wife.

Although this is a bit bolder, he knows better that she will only be good if Ruan Niang is well.

When she was still "drunk and clean", she followed Ruan Niang, so she watched how Ruan Niang got to where she is now, and finally entered a wealthy family with an innocent body, how can she do it without fighting or grabbing?

Looking at Ruan Niang's tepid appearance, she was anxious in her heart.

Sure enough, after she finished speaking, Ruan Niang squinted at her meaningfully, "You don't want to do those small actions in the future, do you think Madame doesn't know?" Madame just doesn't care, your little trick is not even a small skill of carving insects in the eyes of Madame? ”

"Auntie." The maid was horrified.

Ruan Niang turned around and returned to the house leisurely, "Even you know that Madame can't tolerate me, how can I not know?" ”

It's just that I'm smarter than you, and I know better that what the Feng clan can't tolerate is me or the Marquis of Dingguo.

……

The second prince and the third prince gradually returned to the court after a long period of low-key.

It's just that the old emperor is no longer as favored by the two as before, and even some affairs in the hands of the third prince have been handed over to the fourth prince.

The fourth prince is still a mysterious existence, and he does not go out of the door, even if he is now deeply favored by the old emperor on the surface, but he does not have any big actions in the court, such as forming gangs, and for example, recruiting wise men.

This act made the old emperor's trust in the four princes deeper, and only this kind of son who is not shocked by honor and disgrace and concentrates on doing things can achieve great things in the future.

Compared with the third prince, the second prince has a very difficult time.

The industry in his hands was all defeated in the battle with the three princes, and his grandfather's family, not to mention "Shu Xiulou", is now Qiao Lixi's, and even the most profitable ice shop in his grandfather's family was also defeated in the price war with Qiao Lixi.

Although it is now autumn, it is the time when the autumn tigers are rampant, Qiao Lixi's ice shop business is better than in summer, and the price has also dropped to one or two silver, buy one get one free, what else do the Tao family and the Chang family have to compete with Qiao Lixi?

Even if Qiao Yixi is dead now, the industry under her name is still making money, and it is still the kind that makes money every day.

Without the financial support of his grandfather's family, and his own industry has almost failed, it is really difficult for the second prince to succeed now.

Although those strategists still followed him with all their hearts, he knew better than anyone that these people had already had their own careful thoughts, but now they were still waiting to see whether to continue to follow him or surrender to the fourth child.

Why not the third?

He and the third child fought so fiercely, and there was no lack of credit for these people, and the third child was not so generous in accepting them.

As for the fourth?

These strategists, as his former subordinates, can be said to know themselves and each other for him and the third child, if the fourth child accepts them, it will be like a tiger with wings, and he and the third child also know the details of him and the third child clearly.

So at this time, the second prince can be said to be walking on thin ice, and he began to go in and out of the Tao family frequently.

But Tao Mingxing has been very unhappy in the court recently, how can he have the heart to take care of the second prince.

Although Tao Mingxing holds the title of prince and concubine, in fact, in the court, he has no extra real power, and he relies on his protégés to maneuver.

First, Tao Mingxing is smart, knows that Mingzhe protects himself, and does not want to get involved in too much right and wrong, and secondly, the title of "Prince Taifu" sounds noble, but it is just to assist the future prince, and the power in his hand is too great, which will only pose a threat to the future prince, and when the time comes, all the credit will become the master.

He has so many protégés, all over the important positions in various departments of the court, he only needs to sit behind the scenes, less danger, no worries, isn't he happy?

It's just that no one would have thought that the situation in the court would change abruptly, and his protégés would be impeached one after another, just like those henchmen of the third prince at the beginning.

The accident came too suddenly, too unprepared, Tao Mingxing didn't have the power to parry at all, which made him very angry!

These people were transferred one after another, which caused him a lot of losses, and at the same time made the second prince more and more difficult.

The battle outside is naturally indispensable to the battle between the two princes' mothers and concubines in the palace.

Concubine Cao and Concubine Tao have been "recuperating" for so long, and those little-known concubines have been competing for favor in front of the old emperor for a long time.

At first, Cao Guifei could still open one eye and close one eye, but after her decoction was broken, her appearance was no longer what it used to be, and she was aging at a visible rate, but for more than half a month, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes were so obvious that they could be clearly seen even from a distance of three steps away from her.

This is something that Cao Guifei can't allow.

The dryness of her skin, the gray hair on her head, the wrinkles on her face, everything told her that she was getting old.

During this time, Cao Guifei secretly invited many famous doctors, but they were helpless.

The recipe she took at the beginning had both advantages and disadvantages, but she was too conceited at the beginning, thinking that she could cover the sky with one hand in the harem, coupled with the temptation of eternal youth to her, she dared to rashly use that prescription, but after the drug was stopped, even if she used this prescription again, it would be useless, so she was eager to find another prescription, which could not only alleviate the speed of her aging, but also allow her to return to the past.

But look at these so-called charlatans she found, all of them are quacks.

Except for the palace maids and eunuchs who served beside her, Concubine Cao had not seen anyone for a long time.

Don't dare, even more afraid.

didn't dare to let outsiders see her appearance, and she was even more afraid that her status would not be guaranteed.

It's a pity that there is no impermeable wall in the world, let alone a harem that is frightening every step!

Concubine Tao has been paying attention to Concubine Cao's situation, and because of the accident of the two princes, neither of them left the palace before, which also gave Concubine Tao a chance to buffer.

The two have been fighting wits and courage in the harem for nearly twenty years, and Concubine Tao, as the person who knows Cao Guifei best, knows her small actions well.

It was not revealed before because there was no substantive evidence, and she also needed an opportunity, an opportunity to completely put Cao Guifei into the cold palace.

And now, here's the opportunity.

Concubine Tao personally carried the pastries she made to the outside of the imperial study.

Wei Pingtou came out of the ground.

Why don't the women of the harem know about stopping?

Forget about those ignorant concubines, why even the "old men" of the harem like Cao Guifei and Concubine Tao began to use such unbearable means?

Fortunately, the emperor was in a good mood today, and let Concubine Tao in for the first time.

Concubine Tao waited for the old emperor to eat two pieces of walnut cake, and pretended to complain coquettishly: "The emperor has all kinds of opportunities, and he doesn't know how to cherish his own body." Your Majesty, you are the heaven of the dynasty, and only if you are well, there is hope for the dynasty. ”

Similar to this kind of compliment, the old emperor has long been tired of listening to it.

However, as he grew older, so did his desires and ambitions.

What do you crave?

Desire for immortality, longevity and heaven.

Ambition what?

Ambition can dominate the country and expand the territory of the dynasty!

"Your Majesty, it's been a long time since you went to the concubine and sister to drink tea, and the concubine and sister have seriously reflected on it, we have overstepped the rules and connived at the two princes. We are sincerely repentant, and we hope that the emperor can give us a chance. ”