The royal feast, the sky is full of earth, and the fireworks in the night sky are dazzling. But as a participant, Shi Niang only hopes that all this will end as soon as possible - she can neither become the center of everyone's service like the emperor and queen, nor can she get special treatment like Mrs. Tai, standing in the cold wind and starving to watch the fireworks has become a sad thing, not to mention that she still thinks about the three brothers Xu Siqin at home.

finally survived until the beginning of the year, the emperor and the queen went back to the inner court to rest, and everyone could disperse. On the road, there were fires and silver flowers, and there were crowds of people, and it took half an hour to return home. Mrs. Tai and Eleven Niang were uncomfortable, only Xu Lingyi was still in high spirits and energetic.

Amber followed behind the third master and the third lady to greet Eleven Niang, and when she saw this, she immediately greeted her, and while helping her, she whispered: "Madame, don't worry, the three young masters have all rested in Mrs. Tai's house." ”

Eleven Niang took a long breath, cheered up and hugged Mrs. Tai back to the house, and went to see the three of them with her own eyes, and then she relieved herself and went back to the house with Xu Lingyi.

She immediately told him about the imperial concubine's reprimand and her encounter with Ren Kun's wife, Jiang Mallow Aoi.

Regarding Jiang Mage's matter, Xu Lingyi said with a smile: "There is no way to do this. Everyone is intertwined, and there will always be a time to meet. It's just not humble or arrogant. As for the imperial concubine's reprimand, he smiled, "I have also heard about this matter." It seems that the emperor is hinting at those imperial histories. However, the lights were turned off on the seventeenth day of the first lunar month. The emperor should not have expressed his position before. Even if there is something, it will be three days later. ”

Eleven Niang nodded, made the bed and rested with Xu Lingyi.

I went to Mrs. Tai's early the next morning, and met Xu Siqin and Xu Siyu, who came to greet Mrs. Tai, and said with a smile that they wanted to pretend to be a little girl and go out to see the lights: "...... I'm afraid you won't be obedient. I didn't expect it to be a gentleman who keeps his promises. I was really at home yesterday. "I didn't say that this was Xu Siyu's idea.

Mrs. Tai was stunned when she heard this.

Xu Siqin's face was already flushed: "It's wrong for us." The fourth aunt said that I was embarrassed. ”

Xu Siyu just smiled faintly.

Another third lady brought Xu Sijian to greet Mrs. Tai, Mrs. Tai pressed down the confusion, and when the third lady left, she sent a few children to play in Brother Chen's house, and then asked Eleven Niang: "...... Why don't you come to discuss me about such a big matter? ”

Eleven Niang said the cause and effect: "...... Because he promised the children, if he went back on his word, it would be insincere. If you don't agree, it's a little harsh. Then he told Mrs. Tai about the arrangements at that time.

She chose this time to say that it was for her purpose.

The Lantern Festival will not be lit until the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, and there are still two days before the end of the Lantern Festival. If Xu Siqin and the others really gave up this plan, then her words should be told to Mrs. Tai and make her smile. But if Xu Siqin and the others didn't give up this plan, the last two days would be the best opportunity - as soon as the people staring at them saw that they had been honest, they would inevitably relax; The second is that the time limit agreed by everyone is the Lantern Festival, and there is no specific date agreed, if they go out, it is not considered a breach of promise. On the contrary, Eleven Niang also took advantage of this. Find a way to keep the fifteenth day of the first month, and then tell the story. First, she did not break her promise to the children, and secondly, Mrs. Tai felt that she did not follow these children; Thirdly, I told Mrs. Tai about this, and I could shirk it if I made a mistake.

Mrs. Tai listened and nodded slightly.

After all, Eleven Niang is a newcomer, and some things can't be done too much. That's just right. It not only takes care of the children's face, but also does not indulge them. Eleven Niang thought about it so carefully, Mrs. Tai put her mind at ease.

"Knowing that mistakes can be corrected, and good is great." She thought about it for a while, and decided to raise Eleven Niang, "Since they want to go out to play so much......," she instructed Mother Du, "Go and call Manager Bai to come in, and ask him to send someone to serve the three young masters to go out and visit the lamp market." ”

This result surprised Eleven Niang, and she hurriedly instructed Amber to tell Xu Siqin and others the news.

The children who got the news all ran out, thanking each other, giggling and jumping, and Brother Zhen rolled into Mrs. Tai's arms: "I'm going too, I'm going too!" ”

Xu Sijie pulled Eleven Niang's dress and stood aside giggling.

Anyone can go, only Brother Zhen, Mrs. Ten will not agree.

Eleven Niang thought about it and hugged Xu Sijie, and Mrs. Tai's firm voice came from her ears: "You stay at home and accompany your mother and fifth brother." ”

Brother Zhen pouted in disappointment, his eyes looked straight at Eleven Niang, but he didn't dare to refute.

Eleven Niang only pretended not to see it.

As soon as he lowered his head, the corner of his eye saw the taunt that passed by the corner of Xu Siyu's mouth.

Xu Lingyi, who knew Mrs. Tai's decision, did not object, thought for a while, and only asked Manager Bai to send more people and act carefully. The third master also nodded slightly: "Boy, it's better to travel thousands of miles than to read thousands of books, you should go out for a walk." ”

The third lady was very worried, and her face turned white: "It's a mess outside, what if you bump somewhere?" I think it's better to be at home. Let the fifth uncle buy fireworks and set them at home, no, it's the same. ”

Xu Lingkuan listened and volunteered to accompany them: "I'm here, don't worry!" ”

In this way, the words of the third lady were naturally ignored, Xu Lingkuan accompanied Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu, and Xu Sijian to the street to see the lights, and Brother Zhen and Xu Sijie followed Shi Niang to make rice balls at home.

Xu Sijie was very happy, pinched the rice balls into all kinds of pieces, and made one after another, but he couldn't stop.

Brother Zhen kept pouting and was unhappy.

Eleven Niang enlightened him: "Brother Jian said that he has grown so big, it is the first time he has gone to the street to watch fireworks." When you're your age, you can't even think about it – because you haven't done it before. You're different. The eldest brother, second brother, and third brother have all gone out for a walk, and there is a precedent, and when you reach their age, you can also go out for a walk. ”

Brother Chen's eyes lit up when he listened: "Yes, yes!" Then happily went to make dumplings with Xu Sijie.

"You're mistaken. The rice balls are round! He tried hard to correct Xu Sijie.

Xu Sijie ignored him, and he could pack it as much as he wanted.

Children should have sporadic thinking, if this is Xu Siyu, Shi Niang may ask, "Who said that the rice balls must be round", but it is Brother Zhen who asks this, he will inherit the title in the future, and it is better to be too tricky than to be treacherous.

Eleven Niang smiled and touched Xu Sijie's head: "He is not sensible, he has to teach slowly." ”

When Brother Zhen saw her speaking for herself, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and he nodded heavily.

In the afternoon, they cooked rice balls in the small kitchen of Shi Niang, and the three aunts and Shi Niang were not reluctant, but everyone in their house had a share.

Aunt Wen was still clever, smelled the fragrance and moved, and brought the maid in her room to beg for glutinous rice balls. He also said: "If the eldest lady was here, how lively it would be." ”

Eleven Niang immediately said: "Mrs. Tai has instructed Mr. Bai to send someone to pick up Sister Zhen early tomorrow morning." ”

Brother Zhen cheered when he heard this.

Aunt Qin led the maid over: "I heard that there are dumplings to eat." ”

Eleven Niang doesn't care, let Luyun serve the pestle and rice balls to Aunt Qin.

Everyone was laughing and laughing, but there was no movement on Qiao Lianfang's side.

In the evening, Xu Lingyi came back from King Shun, holding a sweet white porcelain teacup filled with Tieguanyin, leaning on the big welcome pillow tiredly and lazily breathing: "It's finally the end of the New Year." ”

Eleven Niang covered her mouth and smiled, and served him to bed.

As a result, I heard the news in the afternoon of the next day - the emperor dismissed Xu Lingyi from the post of governor of the capital of the five armies.

At that time, the third lady was counting the New Year's exchanges with Mrs. Tai, Eleven Niang sat on the side and listened, and the fifth lady was nibbling on apples.

“…… The fourth brother is handing over to Jiang Feiyun! Xu Lingkuan, who came to report the news, looked a little depressed.

Mrs. Tai didn't make a sound, picked up the teacup and took a sip silently.

"So fast." The fifth lady looked shocked, and she still had half an apple in her mouth, "Did the Praetorian Guards follow you?" ”

"That's not the case." Xu Lingyi said in a daze.

"What is the charge?" The third lady asked cautiously.

Xu Lingkuan didn't make a sound.

The fifth lady hurriedly swallowed the apple: "Naturally, it is 'bad conduct', if it was 'the enemy in front of the battle', the people of the Praetorian Guard would have been waiting to catch someone and go to prison." As he spoke, he looked at Eleven Niang.

Eleven Niang muttered: "I only said that I was removed from the post of Governor of the Five Armies, and what about the post of the prince and young master?" Has it ever been dispensed with? ”

Xu Lingkuan showed a suddenly realized expression, his spirit perked up, and said, "No, no." Only the post of governor of the five armies was dismissed. The rest, none of them moved. ”

Shi Niang wanted to go to the palace to watch the fireworks during the Lantern Festival, but the imperial concubine Ou was not invited......

She felt that Xu Lingyi's strategy had worked—the emperor's heart was biased towards the Xu family.

But this is speculation after all, and in the end, I have to see Xu Lingyi to ask clearly.

Thinking so in her heart, a smile unconsciously filled her eyes: "Master Hou was ready to resign from the post of Governor of the Five Armies Metropolitan Mansion. Now it's a dream come true. The fifth master doesn't have to worry about the Hou master. ”

Mrs. Tai listened with a slight bow.

Life has ups and downs, it's good that Eleven Niang can think like this.

The fifth lady also breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, that's good." "Master Hou is still young, the emperor has not been beaten to death with a stick, there will always be a chance in the future." It's a good time to take a break at home. She said something nice.

The third lady looked at everyone and stopped talking. Then he took the opportunity of the third master to go back to the house to change clothes in the afternoon and said to his husband: "Will our things be repeated?" ”

"Don't worry!" The third master comforted the third lady, "The emperor doesn't think about the Hou Ye, he always thinks about the queen!" ”

"I hope so!" The third lady muttered, and Qiu Ling came in and said, "Madam, the eldest lady has returned home." ”

"Hurry up!" The third master urged the third lady, "We will stay at home for two or three months at most, so as not to upset Mrs. Tai before leaving." ”

The third lady hurriedly tied the ribbon to help the third master tie it, and the two went to Mrs. Tai.

As soon as they entered the hall, they heard a cheerful laugh coming from the inner room. When I entered the house, I saw that the big kang near the window was full of large and small paper boxes, Xu Lingkuan, Eleven Niang, Fifth Lady and Xu Siqin brothers were all sitting in front of Mrs. Tai's kang, all smiling and looking at Sister Zhen who was snuggled next to Mrs. Tai - she was wearing a lake-colored jacket and was smiling and saying something.

Seeing them come in, Sister Zhen hurriedly greeted: "Third uncle, third aunt." ”

The third master laughed, stepped forward to salute Mrs. Tai, and before he could speak, a little servant ran in and said, "Master Hou is back!" ”

Everyone was stunned.

The curtain was opened with a bang, and Xu Lingyi strode in.

When everyone saw that his face sank like water, their hearts were full of "chuckles". Mrs. Tai hurriedly moved to the side of the kang and said, "Fourth, what happened?" ”

Xu Lingyi's eyes swept and fell on Eleven Niang's face.

"Eleven Niang," his voice was low, faintly revealing a little worry, "Wang Lang is dead!" ”