Qianlong saw that the queen was about to withdraw, and hurriedly said: "Don't go, I don't know you're here." I was going to see Lafayette and invite you over! The queen stopped, stared at Qianlong with concern, and didn't say anything. Seeing that he had a serious face, the Queen Mother ordered all the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace to step down, looked at Qianlong with a star, and said: "I didn't pay attention, the emperor's expression seems to be frightened, or is there something evil in the palace that is rushing to overcome it?" Otherwise, what's on your mind? ”

"I have something on my mind." Qianlong personally took a mattress, walked behind his mother who was sitting in the circle chair, padded her waist, and motioned for Queen Fucha to sit, pacing himself, and said the "gossip" he heard from the Nala clan, and only avoided giving Fu Heng a "green turban". He said with a faint look in his eyes: "This is actually saying that the first emperor was not rightly seated. If the first emperor is not in the right position, I will also be in the wrong position. There is indeed a big article in it. I think a lot about it today, if it weren't for Zhang Guangsi's victory in Miaojiang, Yin Jishan, Gao Heng, and Fu Heng succeeded in suppressing thieves in Jiangxi and Shanxi, I don't know how this rumor is full of wind and rain! Since I asked Dengji, I got up every morning at four watches to do errands, read excerpts every night, and slept for only three hours. Besides, the eighth, ninth, tenth, and fourteenth uncles who competed for the throne with the first emperor died early, and the tenth and fourteenth uncles saw that they didn't even have the slightest ambition. Uncle Tenth is now scared to stomach pain when he hears my invitation, and Uncle Fourteen also automatically helps with military affairs, they will never fabricate these rumors - but these rumors are like an undercurrent under the ice, they seem to be very urgent and fierce, who is making waves behind? ”

The Queen Mother and the Queen Mother did not seem surprised when they heard this. The queen stared at the candlelight in a daze and did not speak, the queen mother spread out and closed the cards in her hand, closed and spread them out, and said back and forth several times: "There is a wind and naturally a wind source, but this 'end of Qingping' is not so easy to decide, listening to your tone, it seems to be going to the bottom of the matter?" This is not to be done. Whoever sits on this kind of crime will have the scourge of extermination. You can't find out! According to me, if you don't make a noise in your heart, if you don't think it's weird, it will defeat itself. You insist on sending an edict to investigate, which frightens people's hearts, and uneasiness gives rise to other incidents. The first emperor suffered this loss, and he couldn't hear the slightest unclean words in his ears, and argued with the death row prisoner Zeng Jing, and wrote the book "The Mystery of Great Righteousness", and everything in the palace was so turbulent that the whole world knew about it. You burned books when you ascended to the pole, and killed Zeng Jing, which was very clever. Why is it so unbearable when things fall on your head? Besides, you just found out who made the rumor, after all, this is not a real act of rebellion, so what should you do? Maybe it's a royal family, do you deal with it or not? ”

"Anyway, we can't leave it alone." Qianlong felt that what his mother said was reasonable, but he thought that it was too cowardly to ignore it after all, "I treat people with kindness and leniency, in fact, these are these two since I ascended the throne, this is to go to the edge of the sky, stand in front of Confucius, can I say that what I did was wrong?" But the human feelings are weak, the world is bad, and whatever good things you do, you have to do nothing, which is really puzzling. The Queen Mother sighed, lost the cards in her hand, and said: "Emperor, although I am a woman, I also know that it is difficult to be political. Emperor Daxing said at that time that there were many people who hated him. From foreign officials to Beijing officials, from brothers and nephews to relatives and nobles, following him as a courtier is not hungry, idle, but he can't make a fortune. It's just that he has that temperament, and he can't tolerate a little miscellaneous in his eyes and mouth. People were afraid of him. He has a secret folding system, and even the people behind him don't dare to say that he doesn't say a word. I don't dare to say it, I don't necessarily have no words. Do you say yes? Qianlong nodded and said, "The queen mother can see it." ”

The Queen Mother stood up, paced to the door of the hall, looked at the night outside, and said, "It seems easy for you to change from strict to lenient." Actually, have you thought about it? Suddenly exempted the world's money and food, how many people have been cut off from the way to get rich? Didn't they get rich by collecting money and deducting money from it? Thousands of miles to be an official, for the money money, you are exempt from taxation every three years, and you will collect three less in ten stops, so what you do is what God is happy about, the ancestors are at ease, and the people are happy. Qianlong smiled and said, "If you eat, let them eat." I'm going to take a few clever names and rip them off and slaughter them!" Although the son is young, he has seen the style of the Holy Ancestor in governing the country, and he wants to govern better than the Holy Ancestor! Bet on this breath - so that some people have nothing to say! His heart suddenly moved: these rumors are all old accounts, and they are the prince of Li, who turned out to be the prince's son. Now it's just a powerless vassal king, with a strange mind to make waves? He opened his mouth for a moment, but did not say this, but smiled: "My son thinks that he is a little too casey." The Holy Grandfather has to visit the micro-service several times a year, otherwise he will go to Fengtian to worship the ancestors, or go to Mulan to patrol and hunt, Jiangnan has been to six times, not to mention Gyeonggi, he has to go out and walk around at both ends of three days. The son sits in the fold pile every day and reads the square words, the first emperor and the holy ancestor are different, they never leave the Forbidden City, but when they arrive, they ...... It's not a good death. The son's body is stronger than that of his grandfather and Huang Ama, so he has to take care of both ends. However, there are many courtiers in front of Kangxi, but few of his sons can really be trusted. When I go out, I'm afraid that the queen mother will be suspenseful, but I really should go out for a walk......"

"Of course I'm not at ease." The Queen Mother said, "Now these guards are different from the ancestors at that time, they themselves are 'masters', wherever they go, so that everyone can recognize them, and it is difficult for you to be subdued." You look for it slowly, don't rush. I look at that Liu Tongxun and ask him to keep this heart for you. She exhaled and changed the subject with a smile, "This is our girls talking, I think you are an infatuated lover." Women are not close, and there are fewer stunning houses in the six courtyards of the harem? You're still pestering Tang'er - don't blush, no one told me, I could see it a long time ago, but I just opened my eyes and closed my eyes and pretended to be confused. I'm not talking about Tang'er, I'm talking about women. The Holy Grandfather actually married your grandmother. Yongzheng Ye was planted in the hands of a woman, this matter can't be taken too seriously. Women, in one place, let go of those who should put their hands away, this is a man, after a long time, it is not good after all, what will happen, what do you tell me to do? ”

Qianlong was really difficult to answer when he heard this, starting from Shunzhi to his fourth generation. Shunzhi fell in love with Dong E, Dong E's died early, and Shunzhi died of depression. Kangxi loves Ah Xiu, but Ah Xiu has another love, the sea is difficult to cross, and Ah Xiu is a monk Huanggutun. Needless to say, my father fell in love with Tang'er, a married woman, - they are all seeds of infatuation. But can this kind of love be dispelled with one or two quotes from a saint and a few words of persuasion? Qianlong thought. It was difficult to answer, so I had to bow down and say, "Yes." It's late, it's time for my son to go back, and Ming'er's mother still has to watch the play, so my son won't stir up. The son Ming'er wants to meet a few people, and after seeing them, if the hour is still early, the son will also go over for recreation. With that, he retreated, went back to the Heart Cultivation Hall and lay on the couch, tossing and turning just to think, until the first bell of the end of the ugly heart struck a little before he fell asleep.

Sigege loves Xinjue Luo Qingying's fiftieth birthday, and the arrangement is unusually lively. From Shunzhi's three grandmothers to Kangxi's more than 30 daughters, there are only thirteen or fourteen princesses who have lived past the age of fifty. She counts as a "long-lived" princess. Last night, a few of them came and passed on the queen mother's decree: not only the queen mother must watch the play, but the emperor will also come, and no princess has ever had this dignity. Her sons and daughters-in-law stayed up all night, canceled the church meeting, and set up a stage on the water pavilion. The place to watch the play on the shore is low, and I am afraid that the queen mother will not be able to see clearly, so I dispatched all the family members overnight, raised three or four feet with loess, transplanted more than a dozen weeping willows with thick bowl mouths and planted them on the loess platform, and spread a layer of green and fluffy grass. When the day was approaching, the actors of Luqingtang came, and they saw one after another princesses Gege go to the hall to pay their respects, but no one came to greet them, and they didn't dare to ask. When he was wondering, a housekeeper rushed over, pulled Wang Xiong, the head of Luqing Hall, and went to the west corridor room to put the big ingot silver on the table, and said: "This is Dingyin, tell the actors, take out your spirit and work hard, the Queen Mother Lafayette will come to see the play immediately, and the emperor will also come!" Wang Xiong was stunned when he heard it: "This time I will go to the sea in person, and you will give me the list of plays!" The housekeeper handed over a piece of paper, and when Wang Xiong watched it, the hat show was "Magu Offering Birthday", and the bottom was:

"Burning Red Lotus Temple", "Full Bed", "Hitting the Golden Branch", "Mulian Saves Mother", "Wang Xiang Lying Fish", "Picking a Pulley".

Wang Xiong snorted: "This is a common play, there is nothing difficult." But my lord, "Pick the Pulley" is about the Yue family army and the Jin soldiers fighting, and they are not in harmony with the national body, what should I do if I annoy the master? Let's talk about this "Hitting the Golden Branch", look at it today, all the princesses who come here, how can they point out this play? Don't you want a little eater? ”

""Pick a Pulley" was ordered by a girl with twelve foreheads, she doesn't understand, and she is not an important person, so I decided to delete this one." The housekeeper groaned, ""Hitting the Golden Branch" was ordered by Eighteen Gege personally, she is the sister-in-law of today's Banzai grandpa and his mother's compatriots, and even Banzai has to let her, with her in the horizontal and vertical positions, you don't have to this heart - that's all." So he hurried away. For a while, I heard one after another pager outside:

"Galeries Lafayette has arrived!"

When a group of princesses heard this, their chattering and laughter immediately calmed down. Wang Xiong peeked through the window, and came out one by one in the order of eldest and youngest, and the Jingqi grandmother who was guarding under the corridor was busy following her master out to welcome the queen mother - each princess brought four grandmothers, all of whom had a solemn face and a calm demeanor. After a while, I listened to the queen mother and a few old ladies talking and laughing and entered the second door, and the princesses kowtowed together. The princesses asked Ann to get up, and these grandmothers also asked for their own greetings. They were all married by the old palace people who had waited for the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, and cheered in unison: "The old master is healthy!" ”

"That's it, get up." The Queen Mother didn't seem to smile. Looking at the thirty or forty princesses who came to celebrate their birthdays, some of them knew each other, and some of them didn't know each other very well. smiled and said to Qingying, who was accompanying her: "The Gege of the old nine families you brought last year, full of smart girls, I love her very much, but then I didn't go to the palace again, are you here today?" Qingying was stunned for a moment, lowered her eyebrows and said, "She is not blessed." I passed away after the Lantern Festival in the spring of this year, and I was afraid that Lafayette would be sad, so I didn't dare to say it. The Queen Mother was silent, and there was no smile on her face, she nodded and said, "Let's watch the play, the emperor said, he will come in a while." ”

When she said this, everyone was immediately solemn, and they retreated to watch the play in order. Only four Gege Qingying accompanied the Queen Mother to sit under the weeping willows on the earthen platform, and watched the actors on the water pavilion act on the other side. The queen mother sat in the middle, four grids and seven grids sat side by side on the left, the queen sat on the right, and a carved dragon chair was empty, waiting for Qianlong to come and sit with him. Seeing everything, Si Gege got up and said with a smile: "Queen Mother Lafayette, although today is my birthday, in fact, as soon as you came, you had already added my birthday." After a while, it will be "Magu Offering Birthday", wishing you a thousand years of life and a long life for the emperor. Let's have fun, whatever you want to eat, I'll ask them to arrange it for you. ”

"What a thousand years old." The Queen Mother smiled so hard that her eyes narrowed into a slit, "Who has lived for a thousand years?" There are dozens of people who come today, a large group of old aunts and grandmothers, some of them know, some don't know, such a way of sitting, no matter how you look at it, it looks like we are at the mercy of a women's court, how uncomfortable. According to me, whoever is familiar with whom, and gets along well, just sit in one place, and there is no need to limit which room and which branch, whether it is young or old, intimate and sparse, and position, and I am afraid of being rude when I watch a play, do you say? The four and seventeen grids were busy laughing and said, "But what! Lafayette, this is called the understanding of human feelings! This group of princesses couldn't wait for this decree, and suddenly the group was chaotic, calling sisters and sisters, looking for aunts and nephews, looking for their own acquaintances, squeezing and squeezing was not lively, and the solemn atmosphere suddenly came to naught, only those old elves and grandmothers were still standing in place like wood.

As soon as the gongs and drums sounded, it had already begun. Playing Magu is the famous Xiaodan Xiangyun in Beijing, and the water sleeves are dazzling. A group of female fairies danced with the music, the stage was full of streamers fluttering, curling cigarettes, it really felt like being born out of the sky, and the Magu sang:

Worship the Queen Mother, leave Yaotai, and step on the auspicious clouds in the void. Looking back, looking at the majestic sky, the emperor's mercy is still in his arms. Overlooking the mountains and rivers in the world. I am willing to offer this millennium peach, offer to the Buddha, offer it to the Buddha, pray for hundreds of millions of people's surnames, good men and women, and give this blessing, wishing the world, Yao Shun Dide, and the mother Yi Grace dew all over the grass......

Wang Xiong pretended to be an ugly child, dressed like a butterfly in the "group of immortals", somersaulted and grimaced, and gaged: "Now the Buddha is sitting opposite." Since your old man has just gone to the Pan Peach Club, take advantage of the freshness of the peaches, why don't you hurry up and offer them to Lafayette? ”

"Yes, too!"

The "Magu" long sleeves flicked, and the white mist immediately filled the stage. When the fog cleared, each fairy had a small plate of peaches in their hands - although it was not yet the season, the Liu family, a flower craftsman in Fengtai, Beijing, had already planted May fairy peaches. The green leaves are matched with the red tip of the big fairy peach, fresh and spiritual, one plate per person, floating in the air along the long bridge of the curved corridor next to the water pavilion, until the earth platform is down, saluting upwards, and saying in unison: "Congratulations to Lafayette, the master Niangniang is blessed with the East China Sea, Shoubi Nanshan, and I wish Sigege a thousand years old, a thousand years old!" The Queen Mother smiled happily: "Two princesses each, put a plate here, and we will enter again when the emperor comes!" He pointed to "Magu" and smiled, "Reward them!" ”

"Yes." Sigege agreed, the family had already prepared, a basket of Qianlong money was carried out and sent to the water pavilion, and the actors fell on the stage with a "clang", and the actors did not care about the identity of the "fairy family", kowtowed and scattered, lying on the stage and desperately holding the money in their arms. The Queen Mother, Queen Fucha, a group of concubines of the Nala clan and princesses of all sizes laughed back and forth.

Then he began to sing the main play, a play that was sung on point. The monsters are dancing wildly, the monks are casting spells, and the black smoke and miasma are also very lively. By the time of the second play "Full Bed", it was quieter. The queen sighed beside her: "Like Guo Ziyi, the seven sons and eight sons-in-law of the rich and noble life test are full of grace, and there are really few in history." Sigege smiled: "It's all a play, why take it seriously?" Guo Ziyi didn't have this great credit in history, the emperor gave him a favor, he was scared, the emperor's grace is so easy to bear? ”

"The fourth sister's words are tasteful. People and ministers should think like this, the monarch and the minister will be at peace, and the country will be governed! Suddenly, someone from behind him interjected.

As soon as Si Gege and Qi Ge turned around, they saw that it was Qianlong, and they didn't know when they had quietly come up from behind them, and everyone was concentrating on watching the play, but they didn't even see it! At this time, "Full Bed" has been sung as soon as it is played. The princesses in the audience knelt down one after another, and the actors also knelt and kowtowed on the stage. The Queen Mother ordered the emperor to sit down without courtesy, and said with a smile: "Even I was startled, have you seen anyone?" Why didn't you bring your sixteenth uncle, Hongxiao, Hongsheng, and Honghui? Today, our mother's family sees my aunt and grandmother, and there is no taboo at all. Qianlong said with a smile: "There is no meeting in the military aircraft department of the upper study, and they each have an envoy and can't come." I followed the line of thought I had said when I met the queen mother last night, and met with a few ministers. Like Liu Tongxun, he hurried over after a few words. Since ascending the throne, this is the first time I have watched a play! He said to Gao Wuyong Nunu again, and said: "How to act, continue to sing, don't dance to add officials, I don't like to watch hat shows." Gao Wuyong agreed and went to pass the decree.

The play started again, that is, "Hitting the Golden Branch" Guo Ziyi tied his son to the palace and folded, and the king of Fenyang was played by Wang Xiong, and that loyalty and courage were all mixed with worries about Xiao Guo Yao, and the awe-inspiring fear of the Tang Emperor's unpredictable power was played by him to the fullest. Xiao Guo is dressed as his son, but he is depressed and resistant. Guo Ziyi shook his head and trembled, and asked regretfully:

"Son...... Aren't you afraid of death? ”

"Son, I'm not afraid of death!"

"Alas...... You ignorant and bold evil obstacle, go with your father! ”

……

Qianlong smiled: "It's a pity that we don't have such an uncle!" This play is so interesting, there are a large group of golden branches sitting in the audience, but there are golden branches on the stage! Who ordered this play? ”

"Your Majesty," the audience sat next to the concubines, and suddenly a twenty-year-old Gege got up and left the table, walked to the front of the stage and knelt down, raised his face without kowtowing, and said, "It's the play I ordered!" I've got something to do! ”

Her recital immediately caused a sensation in the audience. The princesses whispered, and the eunuchs and grandmothers all looked at each other. The Queen Mother was also stunned, and then smiled: "Isn't this eighteen grids?" Good boy, do you have something to say to play the emperor again? Qianlong also smiled: "It's a little sister!" Watch the play first, this is what you ordered, if you have something to say, after watching the play, is it done? ”

"After watching the play, the Queen Mother Lafayette went back to the palace, and the emperor is busy with serious business again." Eighteen Gege's face did not change, kowtowed and said, "After I finished speaking, with the emperor's golden branch killing me, I really can't stand it!" "This eighteen Gege is Qianlong's youngest sister, she is very shy, gentle and polite, what's wrong with this today, becoming so stubborn? Qianlong thought about it and said to the Queen Mother with a smile: "I'll talk to the eighteenth sister first and see what she does." ”

The Queen Mother sighed and said: "I know what she wants to say, it is still the matter of Qigege crying last night, and I came to you and comforted a lot of 'military merits, knighthood and general', which is not right." Qianlong asked in surprise: "Eighteen sister, is it that your family has no messenger?" ”

"That's not what I'm talking about." "I want to ask, who is my man?" Where does he live? ”

Qianlong's face was gloomy, and he said, "I should have asked you this." You've been married for five years, haven't you? Ping Suzhen sees that you are still peaceful, why do you stir up trouble for no reason? Today is not only the birthday of the fourth aunt, but also the queen mother and me, don't you care about the national law and family law? ”

"I'm asking the truth!" Eighteen Gege immediately pushed back, "I am twenty-three years old this year, and I have been married to Ge Xinting for six years, and I have only met ten times. He entered Gege Mansion at night, and went out without knowing the day, except for staying in one place for three days for the wedding, I don't know why the first emperor married me into an empty house! To be honest, when we meet in half a year, it's night, and I can't recognize my man in the crowd during the day! ”

Qianlong smiled: "Sister, maybe he let go of the errand?" Don't be so aggressive. I really miss him, Ming'er will be transferred back to Beijing. ”

"Your Majesty, brother, you are wrong!" Eighteen Gege said amazingly, "He is on an errand in the Zongren Mansion, and he lives next door to my mansion." The night was quiet, and I could hear my man playing finch cards over there, eating and drinking. Just don't meet! She pointed to a large group of princesses and said, "Look at us proud prisoners, golden and noble Huanglian people!" How many people are gray before the age of forty. Too old aunts, grandmothers, aunts, and little Gege like me, the layman calls it a little aunt and grandmother. According to the calculations of Shunzhi Ye, there are hundreds, only one has lived past the age of sixty, and only thirteen have lived past the age of fifty. Men have rooms and women have families, this is human humanity. Why can't you live with your own man? I ordered this "Hitting the Golden Branch" today, and I am also desperately eating puffer fish, I am a mother and a holy grandfather with the emperor. If you don't listen to me, you will see it again next year, and the 'golden branches' here will be half dead-aunts, sisters, if any of you dare to stand up and say that what I am telling is not the truth, I will die for this crime of bullying the king! "Say goodbye and cry! She started crying, and the princesses below were all in love, some were sobbing at the desk, some hid their faces and wept, and some cried loudly.

Qianlong thought about her words, and when he saw a group of aunts, sisters, and younger sisters crying so much, he couldn't help but be furious and asked, "Why is this so?" Why don't you play it sooner? ”

"Ask these grandmothers!" Eighteen Gege wiped away his tears, pointed to the Jingqi Mama who was standing behind Gege, all of them were like earth, and said, "I didn't bring my Mama today, I just want to offend them!" She swept the group with contemptuous and arrogant eyes, "You yourself are old virgins and old widows, so you prevent us from reuniting as husband and wife!" ——In terms of identity, you are just a lowly old palace person, just call you ** us for the sake of your ancestors, and you will become an overlord! Didn't you ask, Your Majesty, to talk about it, if we want to see our husbands, we have to bribe them first, otherwise she will dare to say that we are 'shameless'! A princess has 3,000 taels a year, and more than half of them use this, and they have to pretend to be decent, generous, and pretending to be golden! You said why didn't you play it earlier, because we are women, can these words be said to you, the emperor? ”

The courtyard was full of guards, eunuchs, palace maids, and a large number of grandmothers, nurses, girls, and old women who were all stunned by the stupidity and boldness of the eighteen grids. It's not that she dares to scream like this "brother emperor", completely ignoring the courtesies of the monarch and ministers; It is her words that are so shocking that they are tantamount to openly asking the husband and wife to live in the same room in broad daylight and stay with their husbands every night! Si Gege suddenly remembered that his old husband in his fifties was close at hand, and at this moment he could only eat wine with a group of foreheads outside the second gate, "congratulating" his birthday, and he couldn't even see him after the banquet, so he had to go back to his "Efu Mansion", and he was in the same place for a total of more than ten nights a year, and he couldn't help but feel sad, and he was afraid that Qianlong would punish eighteen Gege, and he was afraid of causing trouble for himself, so he looked at the Queen Mother and the Queen for help. The queen sneered, wanted to get up and speak, sat back again, sighed and said to the queen mother: "Eighteen Gege words are reckless, if the emperor is angry, ask the queen mother to protect some." The queen mother said: "The emperor may not be angry. These grandmothers sent out by the palace are also too disagreeable, the master ate a few mouthfuls of her milk, and relied on this idea to 'credit' the master! Qianlong stood at the entrance of the platform, glanced around with a blue face, and asked:

"Guilty?"

"Guilty!" Eighteen Gege kowtowed and said, "Although the emperor punishes crimes, it is!" ”

"I'm asking you!" Qianlong raised his voice sharply and asked the grandmothers standing behind Gege, "Do you deceive your masters with slaves, don't you know your sin?" ”

More than 100 grandmothers were shocked by his questioning, and immediately knelt down, kowtowing and begging for mercy, messy, and couldn't hear what the group of mothers-in-law said.

"Get out!"

Qianlong shouted angrily, and this group of pretending to be self-satisfied high-ranking servants hurriedly kowtowed and stumbled out. Only then did Qianlong turn his gaze to his aunts and sisters, stared at them for a long time, and sighed: "No one can blame anyone, and I won't blame anyone." There are good ones among these grandmothers, and some are kind-hearted. In the future, the princess will marry Gege, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will no longer send a grandmother. The existing ones are your domestic slaves. The princess will live in the same courtyard with the princess for the rest of the year—that's it. If there is a grandmother who still takes the discipline money from the palace, you just have to fight it out, just send it down-" He suddenly laughed, "This is your family matter, it is sung in "Hitting the Golden Branch", it doesn't matter to my country, I don't care!" This kind of grace to this group of princesses and county lords is like rain and dew, but the words of gratitude are difficult to open, so they leave the table together, and everyone holds back a smile and kowtows. The Queen Mother laughed and said: "My son, this is called a good emperor who is like a family!" ——Calling the foreheads outside to come in, it's also a happy day for the fourth forehead, isn't it more interesting for a couple to watch a play? ”

"Done!" Qianlong returned to the queen and sat down, "Follow my mother's order." Eighteen grids into the princess of Heshuo! ”