In the third month after Nianyun's wedding, news came out in the East Palace that Hui Niang was pregnant.

If Hui Niang is pregnant with a little boy in her belly, then her status can be regarded as stable, even if she is the county lady, I am afraid it will be difficult to shake her, and the county lady is not favored.

To put it mildly, if one day the county lady commits some crime and is abolished, or dies of illness, it is self-evident who in the East Palace has the final say.

Even if the county lady and the county lord of Deyang are now mixed up every day, it won't be long before the county lord has to get married, and when she gets married, who else in the East Palace can help her speak?

Because of this child, the people on Hui Niang's side are even more arrogant, as if they have regarded the position of Mrs. County as something in their pockets.

Several maids were worried, and they didn't know how to comfort their masters, and even Li Chang was so angry that he didn't want to pay attention to Li Chun for several days.

A head-to-head confrontation broke out at the beginning of summer.

The weather in early summer was changeable, and Nian Yun got up too early in the morning, suffering from the cold of dew, and coughed slightly. I happened to hear that the palace had rewarded two baskets of fresh loquats, so I ordered Fennel to go to the Shangshi Bureau to get a plate.

Unexpectedly, Liu, the chef of the Shangshi Bureau, was extremely unhappy and said that there was no more.

Fennel asked, "Why is it gone?" ”

Si Shan said: "Liangdi took a large plate first. ”

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has always had bad teeth and can't eat sour, could it be that Liangdi ate these two big baskets alone?

Fennel couldn't bear to quarrel with her, "If I'm not mistaken, the palace rewarded two big baskets?" ”

Si Shan said: "You girl doesn't know anything! Hui Niang's new pregnant little son, always worried about eating sour, this season in addition to bayberry there is only loquat to eat, you have to go over there first, right? ”

When was Fennel's identity robbed by a minion, and when she heard it, she was angry and scolded: "Dog minion, I don't know if this East Palace is the county lady or Hui Niang!" ”

Si Shan was not to be outdone, straightened his waist and scolded back: "Phew! It's been a few months since the wedding, and the lady who hasn't broken her body is embarrassed to call her Mrs.! The master is useless, but the slave raised is sharp-toothed, and maybe he wants to be a lady one day! I don't know what Mrs. is not Mrs., I only know that the son of the king of the county is the biggest! ”

Fennel heard her vulgar and angry, so angry that tears came out, ran all the way back, told Nianyun about the matter, and sobbed and shook, "Eleven Niang, we can't go on like this anymore, woo, a concubine is riding on our heads as a blessing and might......"

She has heard a lot of gossip in the past few months, and knows that Si Shan is a distant cousin-in-law of Hui Niang, who is favored by her sister-in-law, and she is also the number one person in the East Palace.

Now that these people are getting more and more disagreeable, the three-month deadline is approaching, and it's time to clean up the situation.

Nian Yun smiled and patted the back of her hand, "It doesn't matter, you change clothes with me, let's go out to play." ”

Fennel was puzzled, and became more and more aggrieved: "Eleven Niang!" It's all this time, you're still just playing, and they'll eat us to the bones sooner or later! ”

Nian Yun had no choice but to reveal a little news to her: "Don't worry, I promise to avenge you today!" While beckoning to her, he motioned for her to lean her ear over, and said in a low voice: "Prepare an extra set of clothes, let's go to Danfeng Gate first and wait for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to go to the court, and then go to the market with His Royal Highness!" ”

Fennel was so startled that she almost screamed, felt like she was covering her mouth, and was busy preparing her clothes.

The crown prince Li Yu came out of the court, and was about to get on the carriage waiting at Danfeng Gate to return to the East Palace, but saw a handsome little Langjun riding a high-headed horse to meet him, and he dismounted and saluted, followed by a few small servants in Hufu.

When I looked closely, the person wearing the men's robe turned out to be his daughter-in-law, and the little maids were all dressed as maids.

He was out of breath for a while, and the concubines and attendants were complaining all day long, saying that the daughter-in-law here was not in shape, and she only knew how to hang out all day long, and she didn't look like a lady at all, but she didn't expect it to be so outrageous that she broke into the palace gate like this.

He was the crown prince in the end, and he was very calm, but he asked kindly: "Nianyun, what are you doing here?" ”

Nianyun said solemnly: "The weather is very good, Nianyun wants to invite His Highness to visit the market together." ”

Li Yu was almost choked to death by her own saliva, what is this little girl doing?

"Ahem, I...... I still have some official business to deal with, you can go yourself, or do you want Chun'er to accompany you? ”

Nian Yun leaned over and made a big salute, and said earnestly: "No, Nian Yun knows that His Royal Highness is busy with official affairs, but this matter is not trivial, it is related to the livelihood of the people in the capital, and it is related to the reputation of the East Palace and even Daming Palace. ”

Li Yu is keenly aware that the daughter of the Guo family is probably really unusual, and her performance in the past three months is likely to be just a cover-up. So he nodded: "That's so, but I have a carriage with the emblem of the East Palace......"

Nianyun has already prepared: "Nianyun has made his own opinion, he has prepared his clothes and carriage, His Royal Highness can order the carriage of the East Palace to return first, and ask His Highness to change his clothes in the car, and visit the market with Nianyun's micro-clothes." ”

When Li Yu changed into his court clothes, he was a middle-aged man with a white face and a slight mustache, and he looked dignified. Nianyun invited him to sit in the carriage, and he still rode a horse and pretended to be a squire, leading the servants to drive straight to the West Market.

The West Market was very prosperous, Nian Yun asked Li Yu to get out of the car, parked the carriage and horses at the gate of the West Market, and the two took a few small people to walk in.

First, I met an uncle who sold wild meat, and the pothos went up to ask for the price, and the price was fixed, and he bought a rabbit and a pheasant, a total of 120 yuan. I also saw an aunt who sold eggs, and Pothos bought her basket of about 30 eggs for 60 dollars.

Every time Nian Yun bought something, he repeated the value to Li Yu, and Li Yu was silent.

After walking dozens of steps, I saw two men in ochre-colored prison uniforms galloping on horseback, knocking over many stalls, and the vendors complained bitterly.

Nian Yun hurriedly pulled Li Yu aside and blocked his face.

Li Yu was surprised: "That's the envoy of the five squares in the palace?" ”

The envoy of Wufang is the eunuch in charge of purchasing in the palace, and his status is not high, so he didn't expect to be so arrogant outside.

Nian Yun nodded, "Don't make a noise." ”

I saw that the two eunuchs did not care about the crowded crowd in the market, nor did they avoid women and children, but only blindly rampage, and the pedestrians avoided like a plague god, and the eunuch rode on a horse and looked at the embarrassed people and laughed.

The vendors who were originally selling their goods saw it from a distance, and they hurriedly packed up their things and hid aside. Only one gray-haired old man, driving a heavy ox cart full of good charcoal, had no time to dodge, and was suddenly exposed to the envoys of the five squares.

The eunuch said "Huh", but jumped off the horse: "Old man, you are good charcoal, how much is it?" ”

The old man was trembling, and he was about to cry: "Little Lao'er's carload of charcoal is going to be sold for his son's medical treatment, and he doesn't dare to raise the price, and he will pay a total of money......

Nianyun has been in the market for these times, and he probably knows the market price, and this car of charcoal is seven or eight hundred catties, and it is really cheap to sell it for a penny.

The eunuch pouted and smiled, "The old man knows how to do business!" Such a little charcoal, what is it worth a penny, when our five envoys all eat rice? ”

The old man begged with a bitter face: "The old man only has this one son, and now he is so sick that he has to hang in one breath, waiting for money to buy medicine and rice!" The official family opened the favor, went to other houses to buy it, and the old man of Ming'er sent a car of good charcoal to thank the official family......"

The other eunuch was impatient, and pushed the old man to stumble: "Our family is doing things for the palace, and I like your charcoal, which is your creation, and you are talking nonsense and delaying!" ”

As he spoke, he casually pulled out a piece of cloth about three feet long and hung it on the cow's head, "Oh, our family is a tribute satin in the palace, a horse is worth 100 gold, it's cheap for you!" ”

The eunuch from before pulled the old man over: "Okay, okay, the price has been paid to you, don't be verbose, send charcoal to our family!"

The old man cried with a sad face, and begged for himself, where did the two eunuchs still take care of him, beat their horses and galloped away.

The old man sat down on the ground and cried loudly: "Wufang Xiaoer! ”

The surrounding passers-by and vendors all looked at him sympathetically, and an aunt who sold fish even picked some fish from her stall and gave it to him: "Go back and make up for your son's body...... I also ...... last month Alas, what a sin, a hundred good fish, not a single money for me, and insisted that I sold carp privately......"

Li Yu was shocked, and whispered to the green pothos: "Go and get two pieces of money for him." ”

The green pothos agreed, but Nianyun said: "Your Highness is kind, but in this east and west city, many such things happen every day, what should I do?" ”

Li Yu was shocked: "Every day? ”

Nian Yun asked rhetorically: "Otherwise, does Your Highness think that this is a program specially arranged by me?" ”

Li Yu was silent. Nian Yun didn't let him go: "Not only that, if Your Highness can go back and check the accounts in the palace, this carload of good charcoal must be written to buy it at ten or twenty times, and it will not harm the people at all." ”

The money naturally fell into the pocket of the Wufang envoy, and there was also a share of the upper and lower points.

Li Yu asked: "In the past few months, you have been secretly investigating this matter?" ”

Nian Yun nodded: "Yes, but it's far more than that, Your Highness might as well come to Yiqiu Palace for dinner today, and my name is Chun Ye to come over." ”

Li Yu is a smart person, he can understand a little, he knows that Nianyun still has something to say, so he nodded in response: "Okay." ”

Back in Yiqiu Palace, Nian Yun ordered Luluo and others to prepare meals. Yiqiu Palace, like Cheng'en Palace, has a small kitchen, which is convenient for the prince and Li Chun, the two fathers and sons, to get up early to go to the court or return late to pass on meals.

Nianyun hadn't seen Li Chun for a long time, and after thinking about it, he felt that it was a little inappropriate to ask the maid to invite him, so he went to Li Chun's study Chongwen Hall in person.

Li Chun was a little surprised: "The March deadline is not yet over, can Mrs. end the plan in advance?" ”

Nian Yun said with a smile: "How dare you, tonight Yiqiu Palace has prepared dinner, and I also invite the king of the county to appreciate it." ”

"Viewing the light?" Li Chun waved his hand: "If you didn't mean to seduce me, I wouldn't go." ”

Nianyun said: "I want to officially declare war with your concubine, not only successfully win over your son and your sister, but also invite you and His Royal Highness to have dinner tonight and win support - are you coming?" ”

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has many concubines, but as long as he doesn't go too far, he turns a blind eye and doesn't take sides of any side, so there hasn't been much wrong over the years. Please get him, I'm afraid it's not as simple as a house fight, and he can't help but watch this excitement.

Seeing him nodding, Nian Yun squinted his eyes and smiled, and said teasingly: "Okay, now Madam is going to bully the concubine!" ”

Li Chun smiled: "Are you serious? I've heard that even the subordinates don't take your lady very seriously. ”

Nian Yun winked at him and took his leave.

Note: In the Tang Dynasty, because the royal family was surnamed Li, it was stipulated that the common people were not allowed to eat "carp (lǐ) fish".