Hearing that Xu Lingyi was back, Eleven Niang and Sister Zhen hurriedly greeted him, and after saluting, they hugged him to salute and greet Mrs. Tai.

Mrs. Tai didn't wait for him to get up, and said hurriedly: "Why did you come back so late?" He pointed to the other side and asked him to sit down.

"The emperor left me to talk, and it happened that someone from the Zongren Mansion came back to the first ceremony of the five princes, so he sat for a while."

The funeral of the five princes dropped out of the dynasty for three days, the mourning was five days, and the eleventh day was the "first sacrifice ceremony".

Mrs. Tai immediately said, "What did the emperor say? ”

Xu Lingyi smiled bitterly: "10,000 gold and silver paper ingots, 10,000 paper money, 31 feasts, 19 sheep, and 9 wines." Princes and above, clan relatives above the general of Bong'en, officials above the princes and uncles, and internal and external women gather at the sacrificial hall to read the sacrificial texts, drink wine, and salute. ”

Everyone was taken aback.

"Ten thousand gold and silver papers, thirty-one feasts," the second lady muttered, "will it be too much......

Xu Lingyi nodded: "Not only me, but even the Zongren Mansion also thinks it's too much." But the emperor's attitude was very resolute, and everyone didn't say much, so it was decided. ”

The second lady glanced at Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi nodded slightly.

The two did not speak again.

Mrs. Tai also fell into deep thought.

Eleven Niang glanced at Sister Zhen'er, and the two quietly retreated.

When I met Brother Chen, my face was ruddy, and Xiao Shao, the little maid in Mrs. Tai's house, walked in with a smile.

Seeing Eleven Niang and Sister Zhen, he said loudly: "Mother, I kicked eleven today, three more than Xiao Shao." ”

Eleven Niang saw that the little maids surrounding him were still holding a few shuttlecocks in their hands, and knew that they were kicking shuttlecocks in the back room. smiled and stepped forward and touched his head: "I can already kick eleven, not bad, not bad!" ”

He smiled with a small face, a little smug.

"Your daddy is talking to grandmother inside, and we're going to talk quietly." Eleven Niang whispered to him.

Brother Zhen immediately nodded and said to Xiao Shao in a very small voice: "We will play again tomorrow." ”

Xiao Shao responded "yes" in a low voice, followed by the maid and daughter-in-law who came in with Brother Chen, squatted down to salute Eleven Niang, and just got up, Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu and Xu Sijian came over.

Brother Zhen immediately whispered to them: "Daddy is talking to grandmother inside, talk quietly." ”

The atmosphere at home has been tense these days, and several children know that now when they hear Brother Zhen say this, their eyes show a little uneasiness, and they lightly stepped forward to salute Eleven Niang, but Mrs. Tai's voice came from the inner room: "Is Brother Qin and Brother Yu coming?" ”

"Yes!" Xu Siqin immediately replied loudly.

"Come in!" Mrs. Tai said, "Your fourth uncle is also here!" ”

Xu Siqin and the three of them straightened their clothes and entered the inner room.

Eleven Niang also took Brother Zhen and Sister Zhen to follow in.

The children saluted their elders, and the third master and the third lady came.

They looked gloomy, changed from their usual smiles, and showed joy from their brows.

The third master asked with concern about the "first ceremony" of the five princes. Xu Lingyi said simply, the two of them couldn't help but smack, and the third lady smiled even more: "Since the emperor has given such a grace, he is still very kind to the queen mother of our family." ”

Mrs. Tai, Xu Lingyi, and the second lady did not speak, and their faces were even more joyless, and the atmosphere in the room sank suddenly.

The third master glanced at the third lady.

The third lady said embarrassedly: "I, am I not right?" ”

Eleven Niang saw it and said, "I think so." Then he asked the little maid beside him: "Go and see, is the meal ready?" ”

The faces of the three Mrs. Tai softened slightly.

Everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when they looked at it.

The little maid went away in response, and the fifth master and the fifth lady walked over with a smile.

Mrs. Tai laughed: "Why are you here too?" ”

The fifth master saluted Mrs. Tai - Mrs. Tai had already exempted Mrs. Tai from the fifth lady's ceremony.

"It's rare to be so laid-back, come here and be lively."

As he was talking, the little maid came in and said, "Mommy said that you can eat at any time." ”

"Let's eat!" Mrs. Tai got up as she spoke, and the second lady hurriedly stepped forward to help, and everyone went to the east room in a huddle.

After eating, Mrs. Tai didn't leave anyone, so she asked everyone to go back and rest quickly: "It's the New Year again, and I'm going to participate in the first festival and the big festival again." ”

Xu Lingyi replied "yes" respectfully, and everyone dispersed.

When she returned to the house, Xu Lingyi's face sank, and the two went to bed after washing. He lay down on his back, looked at the top of the tent and let out a long sigh, and said in a low voice: "Today, the Ministry of Rites came to discuss the affairs of the five princes, and the emperor changed his previous gentleness and behaved very stubbornly...... There are even some flavors of those who follow me prosper, and those who go against me die! ”

Shi Niang sat up with a shock when she heard this: "Those who follow me prosper, and those who oppose me die?" ”

Xu Lingyi's expression was a little dazed, and he recalled: "It's not exactly ...... It's very blunt. The official just said, 'Prince Litong has more gold and silver paper ingots', and the emperor suddenly jumped up and smashed an inkstone with his hand. If it weren't for Gonggong He blocking it, the ceremonial officer would only be afraid that blood would be splattered five feet...... I've known him for so long, and it's the first time I've seen him lose his temper like this...... I watched him be in a bad mood, and after the celebrant left, he sat down for a while and was ready to leave...... But the emperor left me alone...... He didn't say anything, but sat in the warm pavilion for a long time. Let me step down again......"

The authorities are confused, and the bystanders are clear.

The emperor called the people away, but sat silently......

Eleven Niang's mind was spinning fast.

He is the emperor, what can't he say?

They are kings and ministers, and they are uncles Lang...... Monarchs and ministers can naturally say anything, but if it is Uncle Lang, with the death of the fifth prince, such silence becomes understandable.

Eleven Niang asked cautiously: "Didn't Master Hou take the initiative to say anything to the emperor?" ”

"How can you not speak! It's just a few innocuous greetings. Xu Lingyi smiled helplessly, a hint of self-deprecation flashed in her eyes, "You also know Mr. Deng's attitude." He has been in the Hanlin Academy for more than 30 years, and he has not been introduced by a better gentleman, and he is completely in a hurry. I'm just afraid that it's too much to say and be wrong! At the end of the words, it was already stunned.

Mr. Deng hurriedly cleared up, what did he mean?

Is the current situation very complicated, and even Mr. Deng, who is the emperor, doesn't want to get involved? Or does Mr. Deng think that the emperor will "hide the cunning rabbit and the good bow" and is unwilling to get too close to the Xu family? Or now that he has the honor of the emperor, he simply wants to be alone?

Eleven Niang pondered: "Master Hou, didn't you say that you would resign after the year?" I think it's better to quit ...... now."

She thought of the changes in the third master and the third lady during this time.

Knowing that they want to be released, the couple laughed all day long, and the third lady tried her best to tell herself how to take care of the housekeeper like a hot potato. In the final analysis, it is because of the vision of a new life that such a change will occur. If Xu Lingyi breaks his promise, although there is a reason for it, but in addition to the strong disappointment, it is impossible for the husband and wife not to have a little resentment. The eleventh lady who is not in charge of the family is not forced. In the current situation, she is more relaxed if she is not at home. What's more, although the third lady is a little greedy, there are no fish when the water is clear, and whoever sits in that position is the same. Speaking of which, the third lady did a pretty good job. The position has been reduced a lot, and the family's expenses are also less than when Yuan Niang was there......

Xu Lingyi smiled bitterly: "I don't want to." But at this time, I am afraid that the emperor will think that I am retreating as advancing, but there will be a gap. ”

Eleven Niang listened and said: "Mother said, when you were young, you often went to the palace to see the emperor, and the emperor treated the marquis like his own brother. You broke King Shun's head, or did the emperor find a way to cover it. ”

Xu Lingyi's eyes darkened: "That was when I was a child......"

Eleven Niang said: "Even so, the love when I was a child was there." Didn't you talk to your concubine about being with the queen when you were a child two days ago? The emperor may not remember. Her voice was soothing, a little low, in this quiet night, like a mellow cup of tea, with a warmth that pointed directly to people's hearts, "What's more, you are small, what can't you say?" Even if you rely on it, you can also say something embarrassing......"

Whether the emperor is out of concern or taboo, he must be very concerned about the Xu family, and the affairs of the family may not be able to hide from the emperor's eyes and ears. It is better to play the sad card and be honest with the emperor about family affairs euphemistically, so as to avoid the emperor thinking that Xu Lingyi is playing the trick of retreating as advance; second, the relationship between the monarch and the minister can be diluted and the relationship between relatives can be emphasized; Third, it can weaken Xu Lingyi's image, and even weaken the image of the Xu family - men are measured by meritorious service, and Xu Lingyi is undoubtedly strong in this regard. If such a strong man has thorny problems that cannot be solved, he can only endure helplessly, I believe that the emperor will re-evaluate Xu Lingyi's ability, and will even be happy to see the contradictions within the Xu family, and it is possible that the third master's career will go more smoothly.

Xu Lingyi understood his wife's intentions after a little thought.

He was silent for a long time.

After all, he is a son of a family, and his arrogance is in his bones. Let him quit the officialdom on the grounds of this kind of thing, I am afraid that it will be difficult to accept it for a while.

Eleven Niang didn't expect her to change his mind in a few words. He said softly: "Those who achieve great things are not informal. Thousands of merits and demerits, have their own posterity evaluation. What's more, the winner is king, and the loser is the ......"

Xu Lingyi couldn't help but stare at his wife when she heard this, and fell into deep thought.

On the 11th, the first sacrifice ceremony was held at Sishanmen, and on the 12th, officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs held a "deduction ceremony" for the five princes. The scene is also grand. Two thousand gold and silver ingots and two thousand paper money, five feasts, five sheep, and five wines. On the thirteenth, the emperor came in person, and the ceremony was the same as the first sacrifice, and only the nine wines were changed to five wines. It was at this time that the queen fell ill. The emperor ordered Mrs. Tai and Mrs. Yongping to visit the palace.

Mrs. Tai was worried, she didn't sleep all night, and early the next morning, she took Shi Niang to Kunning Palace with a tired look.

The atmosphere of Kunning Palace was solemn, the Queen Mother came to visit them one step earlier, Mrs. Tai and Eleven Niang waited outside for more than two hours, and when they saw noon, the Queen Mother got up and said goodbye.

The queen mother personally sent her out of the door.

Eleven Niang found that she had gorgeous makeup and a look in her eyes, and it was difficult to hide the fatigue between her eyebrows, and her heart couldn't help but tighten.

※

Sent off the guests...... I'm going to take off ......~~~~~~~~ too