Beigong Yongle Palace.

Approaching evening, a group of palace people walked easily along the stone path in the palace.

This group of palace people wore uniform uniforms, and their expressions were happy and full of energy, which was very different from the cautious and depressed expressions of the palace people in the original court.

Strictly speaking, the identity of these girls is not a palace person, but a female worker in the royal silk weaving factory.

The Royal Textile Factory was established in the second year of Guangxi, and after Liu Wei moved his mother Empress Dowager He to Yongle Palace, out of guilt, he also gave his mother a lot of compensation, including the silk weaving factory.

The silk weaving industry in the Han Dynasty was actually quite developed, and all Liu Bian's silk weaving factory did was improve the silk loom and introduce some modern management experience. Although Liu Wei also has high-end goods such as Huang Daopo Textile Machine and Jenny Textile Machine, he can only wait for the shift to the Western Regions and others to introduce cotton, and with the large-scale planting of raw materials, he can release it.

The workers of the silk weaving mill or other royal workshops were all Huangmen, who had been cut down from Liu Wei, and these people had to work in the workshop for more than ten hours a day, with one day off every five days. Although it looks like a sweatshop of later generations, there is a salary to be paid for working in the workshop, and the workshop also provides two meals a day, a dormitory for singles, and even free medical care. These benefits are already extremely generous in this era.

For those who used to live at the bottom of the palace, entering the workshop is like a new lease of life. Although the feudal hierarchy still exists, the work in the workshop is relatively fair and free. Every worker is a free citizen, and the steward in the workshop will not beat and scold at every turn, let alone kill people at will. Even if it violates the factory rules, it is only a matter of dismissal.

In order to protect the rights of the workers, the workshop also signs contracts with the workers, which are renewed every five years. As long as you work according to the rules within the limits stipulated in the contract, there is absolutely no problem in living a prosperous life. The workshop also promised in the contract that if he could work in the royal workshop at the age of 60, he would receive a generous pension for retirement. This has a huge attraction for many Huangmen who have no children because of their physical disabilities. In the past, the fate of these people could only be to be driven out of the palace after old age and decrepitness, and die a miserable death in poverty. Now, the workshop has given them another way to live!

Compared with the Yellow Gate, the palace people have a lot more choices. Because it is a free body, not only can you work, but you can also choose to marry.

The palace maid Wen married a chief of the Shenwei Forbidden Army, although this marriage was not her own choice, but the marriage of Empress Tang, but she was still quite satisfied.

The soldiers of the forbidden army were all from good families, with rich salaries and extremely high salaries, and they were young and strong, with strong muscles that made those palace people blush. The workshop is actually a closed environment, where the palace people work, and they only go to and from work every day, and even when they are resting, they only stay in the palace. Occasionally, they will go out of the palace to walk around the market, but in the current social atmosphere of feudal etiquette, the possibility of developing a chance relationship on the street is very small, and these palace people themselves do not have any concept of free love, and the idea of marrying a self-matchmaker is not at all. That's why Empress Tang made a move, and after asking some opinions from both parties, she arranged several marriages.

Recently, due to the tense military situation in the imperial court, Wen has not seen her husband for several days. The rumors of a war intensified, and as an ordinary person, he naturally did not understand the decisions made by the upper echelons, and he was worried about his man, so he hurried to the barracks after work, hoping to meet his husband, ask about the situation, and by the way, give him a pair of cloth shoes he had made newly.

After saying goodbye to the workers who had gone to work together, Wen walked alone to the camp guarded by her husband, and before she could leave the palace, she met a group of Huangmen who were also working in Yongle Palace, because she also knew one of them, so she stepped forward to say hello.

"Brother Sun!"

Huang Men, surnamed Sun, saw that it was Wen, and also greeted her in a friendly manner. Seeing that she seemed to have something to ask herself, she whispered a few words to her co-workers, probably asking them to go first. Then he came to Wen's side and asked, "Where is the sister of the He family?" ”

The surname He is the surname of the Wen family.

"The slave family was about to visit his grandson, and he didn't expect to meet Brother Sun here, and he wanted to ask Brother Sun about something."

"The sister of the He family has something to say." Brother Sun said sincerely.

Wen had a life-saving grace for him. At the time of the Jiade Hall incident, the Yuan brothers led troops to break into the palace and kill the eunuchs, but the Wen family hid him to escape, so he was grateful and always tried his best to help Wen's request.

"The slave family heard that Luoyang is going to fight a big battle, but I don't know if this matter is true?"

Brother Sun hesitated for a moment when he heard this, and asked, "Why are you asking this?" ”

"The battlefield is ruthless, and the slave family is really worried about the foreign son who serves in the army." Wen replied.

Seeing Wen's worried look, Brother Sun sighed, saw that there was no one left and right, and said to Wen in a low voice: "I tell you, you must not spread the word." I have a friend who is waiting by His Majesty's side, and he revealed to me that the anti-thief Lu Bu is about to come to the city, and His Majesty has decided to go out of the city to fight the anti-thief to the death. ”

"Ahh Wen covered his mouth in astonishment, and asked worriedly: "The slave family's grandson is responsible for guarding the palace, so he shouldn't need to go out of the city to fight, right?" ”

Brother Sun shook his head and said: "On the day of the decisive battle, Your Majesty will go to the battlefield to kill the enemy in person, and I am afraid that Brother He's Shenwei Army will also go out with Your Majesty." ”

Wen's eyes darkened when he heard this.

Brother Sun comforted her and said: "It is a soldier's duty to protect the family and defend the country. Since your husband has chosen to be a soldier and be paid, he will inevitably go into battle to kill the enemy. Don't say anything to drag him back, you must know that fighting on the battlefield is the most taboo for not having a strong will, don't let him be distracted and lose his life! ”

Wen nodded repeatedly. "This slave family, thank you Brother Sun for reminding me."

Brother Sun smiled and said: "I am also learning and selling, and I have recently learned some battlefield fighting skills with some veterans, and on the day of facing the enemy, I will also serve the country on the battlefield." ”

Wen was stunned for a moment, and asked curiously: "Brother Sun is not a member of the army, why do you want to go into battle to kill the enemy?" ”

Brother Sun lowered his head and thought for a while, as if he was organizing the language, before replying: "I don't read much, and I can't talk about the big truths in it." But I still understand the matter of knowing that I want to repay it. I don't need to say how His Majesty will treat me. Now that the country is in trouble, we can contribute our modest strength to Your Majesty, even if we die in battle. Moreover, Governor Wei Zhongxian once said, 'There are no eggs under the nest', and our beautiful life today is all due to His Majesty's benevolence and good governance. And the Yuan brothers led troops into the palace to kill the palace people Huangmen, they didn't treat us as human beings at all, Lu Bu and they were the same dog, if they were allowed to attack Luoyang, do you think they would be so good to us like Your Majesty? ”

"And I heard that there are also Xiongnu barbarians among the rebels, they are brutal by nature, when they break through Hanoi, they burn, kill and plunder, rape and humiliate countless women, if Luoyang falls into the hands of these beasts, you and I will not escape. So whether it is your husband or me, we go into battle to kill the enemy, not only to repay the emperor's kindness, but also to earn a way to live for ourselves. ”

Wen nodded again and again when he heard this, and said, "When Brother Sun said this, the slave family understood. I only hate the slave family, a weak woman, and I can't go into battle to kill the enemy and serve the country. ”

"If you serve your husband well, so that he has no worries, you will contribute to the country." Brother Sun said half-jokingly.

Wen's face was slightly red, but he still replied very seriously: "The slave family knows." ”

Brother Sun said again: "It's not early, I made an appointment with the others to ask Chief Wei Zhongxian to go into battle to kill the enemy, and I can't stay any longer." Your family lives outside the palace, and you also have to watch for some time, don't be unable to go out after the palace is banned. ”

"The slave family will leave after seeing the husband."

With that, the two of them bowed and walked away. It was just that not long after the two of them left, in an alley not far from where the two spoke, Empress Dowager He's carriage and horse honor guard slowly drove out.

Just now, the conversation between Wen and Brother Sun, Empress Dowager He had heard all of them in the alley, and quietly waited for them to finish before walking out.

If it was in the past, the palace people and the Huangmen were good at discussing the government and politics, it would have been the result of being beaten to death immediately, but at this time, the Empress Dowager He did not show any attitude, as if she had not encountered this matter, and ordered people to continue to rush back to the dormitory.

It wasn't until she returned to the dormitory that Empress Dowager He sat on the couch with Guo Yi's support, and then she asked Guo Yi seemingly casually: "Guo Yi, what do you think of what the two people said just now?" ”

Guo Yi made a contribution to quelling Yuan Kui's rebellion, coupled with the conscientious management of Yongle Palace, not only won the title of baron, but also served as the director of the Horse Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, plus his own director of Yongle Palace, Liu Wei handed over the silk spinning factory to the Empress Dowager He, who was responsible for taking care of it, and now it can be said that he has gained both fame and fortune.

He himself is a short-term character, and Wen is his female worker, and he has seen it. When I came back all the way, I was worried that Wen's words just now would anger the Empress Dowager He, and when I heard the Empress Dowager He's question, I tried to turn things to a better place and answered: "The person surnamed Sun just now is still quite knowledgeable, at least the heart of serving the country is moving." ”

Empress Dowager He smiled and scolded: "You slippery head, have the mourning family ever said anything that will be blamed, you should play your heart first." ”

What he wanted was exposed, Guo Yi couldn't help but blush, and confessed again and again. Empress Dowager He didn't care, and then said faintly: "Bian'er asked me to move to Chang'an not long ago, obviously because I was afraid that the Mourning family would encounter danger after the rebels broke the city. Originally, the mourning family was still hesitating, but just after hearing the words of the two of them, the grass people still have the heart to sacrifice their lives for the country, and the mourning family, as the mother of the Han Dynasty, does not have the determination to coexist with the country? ”

"The Queen Mother's ......"

Liu Wei persuaded Empress Dowager He to move to Chang'an a few days ago, and Guo Yi also knew about it. In fact, in the current situation where the outcome is unknown, it is not a safe way to flee to Chang'an. Empress Dowager He did not refuse at first, but kept hesitating. However, after hearing the conversation between the two of them today, it is clear that they have made up their minds to coexist with the city.

"Besides, how can there be a mother in the world who leaves her child and runs for her life alone?"

Empress Dowager He laughed as she spoke, and her happy smile seemed to make her return to her green girlhood.

Guo Yi also laughed, for him, Empress Dowager He's decision was actually what he thought in his heart.

"The minister is rough in martial arts, please ask the queen mother's quasi-minister to go into battle to kill the enemy." Guo Yi said with a straight face.

Empress Dowager He was slightly stunned, and then laughed happily. Then he did something that Guo Yi never thought of and was surprised.

She bowed slightly to Guo Yi and said, "Thank you." ”

Guo Yi hurriedly turned sideways and said in a panic: "Don't be like this Queen Mother, Weichen can't afford it." ”

"Kill the enemy for the country, deserve it."

(To be continued, stay tuned for the next chapter.) ）