At the end of last year, although the imperial court decided to withdraw the army, leaving only some elite cavalry to pursue and kill the remnants of Dili, but at that time, the Dili royal city had just been defeated, and there were still many places that needed to be suppressed and cleaned up by the army.

He was so busy until the spring of this year, when there was nothing that needed to be in charge of the army, he began to organize his things and return to the DPRK.

In this way, it is now autumn, and the army has returned.

The princesses of Dili who Empress Dowager Su suggested to Empress Nie naturally delayed until now to the imperial capital.

In the past half a year, due to the entangled affairs in the Yanguo Mansion and the fact that she was pregnant, Song Yixiao almost never left the house except for the banquet that had to enter the palace.

And there are many people at the banquet, so it is naturally difficult to have a deep conversation with Queen Nie.

Therefore, for Queen Nie's current situation and thoughts, Song Yixiao is not sure.

However, she is now approaching the delivery period, and this baby is not so stable, and she doesn't even dare to go out of the door on this eye joint, let alone enter the palace.

With this kind of important matter related to the imperial heir and the prince, it is impossible for her to let others ask Empress Nie on her behalf-because other people may not have such face and trust in Empress Nie.

You must know that after Empress Dowager Su gave Empress Nie this idea, Empress Nie didn't even reveal a word about the half-sister of the county lord of Qingjiang.

The most important thing is that the imperial list has been posted for three or four years, and Empress Nie has never come out, which is a fact.

Although Song Yixiao has tried her best to delay and fight for her, but now that the time has come, she is helpless.

Even if she knew that Empress Nie couldn't withstand the pressure, what could she do?

Everything that can be done has already been used.

Song Yixiao was finally pushed into the delivery room in various worries.

She gave birth to a son this time, because she has given birth to a son and a daughter, and both children are very healthy and lively, whether it is Princess Chengyang or Jian Limiao, the two elders, or the couple themselves, there are no requirements for the gender of the third child, just want the child to be strong.

But for the thin Yanguo Mansion, it is always good to have more boys.

Xu is people are in good spirits on happy occasions, and Jian Limiao, who has been recuperating on the couch for a year, has improved greatly because of the landing of this grandson.

Although it is still not to the point where it can be done, it seems that everything is normal between staying in the house and acting in the house.

Princess Chengyang was so happy that she even had the idea of holding a big event to celebrate.

However, he was reminded left and right: "Only the lady is in charge of our house now, and now the lady is going to be confined, the grandfather is busy with government affairs, and the old lady is not healed, if you want to hold a banquet, then you have to go into battle in person - but if you are also busy, the county lord, the prince and other little masters, but only the next person is watching!" ”

Princess Chengyang was dumbfounded when she heard this, so she had to dispel her unrealistic calculations.

After Jian Xubai knew about this, he took a special trip to Guansong Xiaozhu and comforted her: "After these few years, Leyuan and Xuan'er are a little older, and my grandmother wants to be lively, so let them get it for you!" Wouldn't it be good to save us elders from worrying about it and give them a chance to sharpen themselves? ”

He also mentioned the name of his youngest son, "I just went to my father's place, and my father has drawn up several of them, but he has not been able to choose, so let me show them to you!" ”

As he spoke, he took out a piece of red paper, on which a string of names were listed with silver hooks and irons, all of which followed the brothers and sisters, starting with clear characters.

Princess Chengyang was interested, and after taking it, she looked at it for a long time, pondered for a while, and then said, "This, what do you think?" ”

"Qingsa?" Jian Xubai looked in the direction of the princess's finger, read it, and said with a smile, "Grandmother and father have said yes, then it must be good!" ”

"I was thinking that it was autumn now, and the so-called 'autumn wind was blowing', but it was also appropriate." Princess Chengyang smiled, "You go back and ask Shanyao, if you have no opinions, then settle it for the child!" ”

Jian Xubai nodded yes, and talked with her again, seeing that Princess Chengyang was a little tired, so she retired.

He followed him to the side room of Keshao Hall to see his wife, at this time Song Yixiao was still in confinement, and the couple could only talk through the screen.

Song Yixiao reclined on the couch, listened to her husband say the name given to the second son by the two elders, and after reading it a few times, she thought there was no problem and said, "This name is good, catchy." ”

This matter is so decided, but Song Yixiao asked her husband who was outside, and couldn't help complaining a little, "We have three children so far, but each of them can't take our turn to choose our own name - think about it, just with Leyuan, let's look through the books and check the classics to prepare her name, it's really a waste of time!" ”

Jian Xubai laughed outside the screen and said: "Anyway, now there are two elders in the house, grandmother and father, they have already named Qingshi and Qingsa respectively, and if we take it ourselves, I don't think they will fight anymore." You want to name your child yourself, so what's so hard about it? Let's try to have a few more, and when the time comes, you can take it however you want, and I will never fight with you! ”

"It's the father of three children, and it's still so unserious!" Song Yi took a sip with a smile, remembering that Empress Nie had just sent someone to deliver something yesterday, so she smiled and asked, "By the way, how is the queen lately?" Is there any news coming out of the palace? ”

Because she couldn't see her husband's face through the screen, she only heard Jian Xubai say in a steady tone: "Queen? Or is it like that? Recently, the palace has been very peaceful, and I haven't heard anything about it. ”

"I heard that the army brought back most of the Dili royal family?" Song Yi smiled and asked, "Those princesses of Dili, can anyone enter the palace?" ”

She was quite apprehensive when she asked this, but she didn't think about it, but she heard her husband laugh and said, "What are you kidding?" Not to mention that Your Majesty is not a person who values beauty, even if it is, you Dao Dili is as easy to be a beauty as Wu Huan? Those princesses, I haven't heard of any special looks. What's more, as a prisoner under the stairs, he has traveled a long way, and his original appearance is very good, but now it is good to have five or six points left. How can Your Majesty look at it? ”

Song Yixiao was about to answer, but who knew that Jian said in vain, "Besides, have you forgotten about Princess Feinuan in the previous dynasty?" Although His Majesty has not had a son and a half daughter until now, it has only been a few years since the matter of King Qing, who dares to persuade His Majesty to accept a princess of a different race? ”

Doesn't this mean that there is a suspicion of making Emperor Sutai a cuckold?

“…… I'm really stupid, I only cared about the distressed queen a few years ago, but I forgot about this stubble! Song Yixiao was taken aback when she heard this, secretly said that she had made a mistake, and hurriedly said, "Then those princesses Dili?" ”

"Dutai Temple is a prisoner." Jian Xubai said, "It's just two days ago. ”

Taimiao sacrificed prisoners, and sacrificed their heads - so, those princesses were also beheaded? Together with their parents and clansmen, they made sacrifices in front of the great Rui ancestors and their ancestors.

Song Yixiao exhaled, suppressed the slight discomfort that arose from imagining the bloody scene, and said, "It is estimated that He Jie is in this city, but unfortunately I am in confinement here, but I can't make up for this excitement." ”

"So let's Qingsa choose a good time to land." Jian Xubai said, "And it's a good thing that you are confined now, there are originally one or two birthdays and other personal contacts every month, which can't be pushed away." This year, the army has returned, and the families have moved around a lot. If you weren't in confinement, Leyuan and they were still young, everyone knew that there was a real shortage of manpower in our house, and you didn't know how to be busy at this time. ”

"That's right!" Song Yi smiled and thought about it, couldn't help but regain his appearance, and said, "So, Qingsa felt sorry for me, so he deliberately chose to be born here?" ”

But he heard Jian Xubai chuckle and said a little frivolously: "Qingsa was born at full term, so the person who really wants to save you from the hardships of recent labor is not my husband?" ”

"It's getting more and more out of shape!" Song Yi smiled and scolded, "Hurry up and go away, I didn't teach the child badly-Qingsa is next door!" ”

The husband and wife laughed a few more words, and Jane saw that the time was not early, so he left with a smile.

Later, when he came to visit, Song Yixiao had to ask a few words about Queen Nie, and Jian Xubai said every time that the harem had been very calm recently.

Song Yi laughed a lot, but he couldn't rest assured, because Jian Xubai was just a courtier, and he had a heavy responsibility, and he couldn't be busy with many government affairs every day, how could he have so much time to inquire about the queen's every move? This is not only inconsistent with etiquette, but also has some secret things, and it is impossible for Queen Nie to make everyone know.

finally survived until the end of the confinement, and finished the simple and sassy full moon wine.

Song Yi smiled and let out a sigh, and didn't care about going to Princess Chengyang to hand over the affairs of the back house during her confinement period, so she sent her henchmen to inquire about the current situation in the palace:

- Empress Nie really did not let Princess Sutai Di Nadili enter the palace.

But the reason is not because the queen still has hope that she will give birth to her eldest son, but as Jane said in a simple way, not long after the incident of Princess Wuhuan Feinuan, the Darui court felt that a woman of different races, even if it was a princess, could not be compared with a Darui woman after all.

Therefore, Empress Nie only revealed a little rumor, and she was unanimously opposed by both inside and outside - even the Empress Dowager Su who came up with the idea was affected, and the ministers did not know that the idea came from the Empress Dowager Su, but they also thought that she did not fulfill her obligations as an elder and did not teach the young queen well.

This made Empress Dowager Su very embarrassed, because when she gave Empress Nie this idea, it was out of kindness.

It is not a problem that the queen has never had children, the problem is that no other concubines are allowed to give birth - there is no such thing in any dynasty.

Even Empress Su of the former Yongyongping Emperor when Song Yixiao gave an example to Empress Nie, this famous favorite who has been spoiled all her life, after marrying Emperor Yongping, because she gave birth to two daughters in a row, she had to take the initiative to persuade Emperor Yongping to go to other concubines, and before the two later princes, let Emperor Yongping and a Jieyu give birth to a princess?

If it weren't for Queen Su who later gave birth to a male heir, Emperor Yongping would definitely not have had only such a princess from a concubine.

And Queen Nie has not even had a miscarriage after pregnancy.

Empress Dowager Su didn't think that Empress Nie could always bear such pressure, even if Emperor Sutai was willing to help her carry it, it was impossible to carry it all the time.

However, the dispute over the establishment of the heir has not stopped since ancient times.

The eldest son of the emperor is a special status.

Especially Queen Nie is not a deep middle palace at all, even if the Empress Dowager Su has given her more guidance in private in the past two years, the queen's entry in the intrigue has always been very slow.

In the final analysis, Queen Nie is not this piece of material at all, and the worst thing is that she doesn't want to be this piece of material from the bottom of her heart.

In this case, it's strange that the queen learns well!

Therefore, if the eldest son of the emperor can't come from the queen, he must not come from the second concubine Yaoxuan, and it is even better not to leave his biological mother at all - but Queen Nie is soft-hearted and has a lot of resistance to going to the mother and leaving the son, and she even privately told the queen mother that she doesn't care about her children, and if she can have children in the future, will she inherit the throne.

Empress Dowager Su was very speechless about her naivety, the concubine of the Empress Yuan, with such an orthodox identity, if she couldn't be the prince, how much better would the end be than the Yiwang Mansion back then?

After Empress Dowager Yi Su heard that Di Li was destroyed and the army was about to be brought back to the royal family to offer prisoners, she felt that this was an opportunity for Empress Nie.

Di Li's princess is absolutely not qualified to fight with Queen Nie for anything.

No matter how good their sons are, unless Emperor Sutai has no other sons, it is impossible for them to ascend the throne!

Is there a better shield than this?

However, Empress Dowager Su is not good at temple planning after all-when she helped the family participate in major events in the past, Su Shaoge has always been the leader - she took into account the intrigue of the harem, but forgot the aftermath of Princess Feinuan.

In this way, after Empress Nie was attacked, it was as if she had been cheated by her.

The queen mother was embarrassed, so she naturally wanted to protect the queen and prove that she had no intention of harming the queen.

Fortunately, Empress Dowager Su once again clearly protected Queen Nie, otherwise this kind of scene would really not be something that Queen Nie could handle.

This turmoil in the harem of the former dynasty lasted for more than half a month, and in the end, of course, the courtiers won, and the princesses of Di Li did not get the grace of entering the palace, and they were all the same as the clansmen, and were regarded as sacrifices to the ancestors of the Great Rui.

However, because of the mediation of Emperor Sutai, and also because of the return of the army to the court, the matter of asking for rewards is indispensable, and the ministers are busy, and they do not mention the issue of the emperor's heirs for the time being.

…… This turmoil happened throughout Song Yixiao's production and confinement, and Jian Xubai ordered to block the news, lest she have something in her heart and problems during the confinement.

Then, of course, she had to go into the palace to visit the queen at once.

Empress Nie was not surprised by her arrival, but regretted that she did not bring Jian Qingsa, who had only a full moon, with her.

"This kid is more noisy than Leyuan and Qing Shi, he has been happy since he was pregnant with him, and now he has fallen to the ground, and he is getting worse and worse, and he is noisy all day long, for fear that he will bring it over and disturb the purity of Weiyang Palace." Song Yixiao explained, "When he is older and sensible, I will bring him to greet you!" ”

"I wish I could have a kid here?" Empress Nie sighed, invited her to sit with her, watched the palace maids serve tea, and said gloomily, "It's a pity that I don't have this blessing!" ”

Song Yixiao didn't know what to say for a while, but after settling down, he said, "Then what are you going to do next?" ”

"If the fourth sister-in-law had come earlier, she would have been able to see the group of people I just picked." Empress Nie said expressionlessly, "The Queen Mother and the eldest sister helped to find out the details, and they are all honest people with innocent backgrounds - in fact, think about it, even if I give birth to the eldest son of the emperor, but so what?" Others will bear children for His Majesty. In this way, what is the point of fighting for this eldest son? ”

From the perspective of interests, as long as the eldest son of the emperor is not from a famous concubine like Concubine Yao Xuan, the threat to the queen will indeed not be too great.

What's more, although there was no shortage of women who climbed from palace maids to the supreme position in the previous dynasty, whether it was a minority-that was also to drive the emperor to eat them-Emperor Sutai might not give this kind of person a chance.

However, Song Yixiao knew that the reason why Emperor Sutai insisted on letting the emperor's eldest son come out of the middle palace was not only because he wanted to have the most legitimate heir, but also because he wanted to express his heart to the queen in this way.

After all, they are a young couple, and it is rare in this era to be happy with each other before marriage.

Even though Emperor Sutai was a very sober emperor and divided the overall situation from personal feelings very clearly, he always hoped that Empress Nie would be more defended.

It is also to maintain the feelings between them that are not mixed with any interests, origins, or purposes.

Song Yixiao was silent, and then heard the queen say lightly, "Besides, even if I can give birth to the eldest son, if this child is not like Your Majesty, but like me, you say, will that be a good thing?" ”

Who is the queen talking about, naturally it does not refer to appearance, but to personality - if the eldest prince is a simple and generous character like Queen Nie, it is indeed not a good thing.

Even if he has the most orthodox qualifications as a prince, as the heir of a dynasty, even if he doesn't need to fight with his brothers before ascending the throne, after ascending the throne, he must also follow courtiers, foreign enemies, attendants, and relatives...... Bucket's.

Emperor Sutai's personality will be like Emperor Xianjia, knowing that his favored son is not suitable for sitting in that seat, but he still insists on helping him to the throne?

The example of Duanhua is so fresh, it is impossible for this emperor to make such a mistake.

In the final analysis, the promised position and storage position were ...... It's just an expectation.

After all, everyone hopes that the offspring born with the person they love is the best and the best.

If not......

Empress Nie smiled self-deprecatingly, "Instead of getting tired of each other at that time, it's better to sober up early." ”

The queen's eyes are still clear at a glance, and in her four-year career in the middle palace, she has not grown much.

But that ignorant innocence, after all, is a little bit and wears away.

She has opened her eyes and truly seen this court, this imperial city, and saw her identity and future.

Even if she is still unwilling, even if she still can't hide her loneliness and sadness, but this time Queen Nie did not go on a hunger strike like a few years ago when she knew that her heir was in difficulty.

This shows that Queen Nie is already a little used to the palace career.

From the point of view of those who care, this is a cruel thing.

But in the long run, that's actually a good thing.

What can be done about the impossible reality of change but to adapt?

Song Yixiao used the action of drinking tea to hide the regret and pity in her eyes: at the foot of Cuihua Mountain, on the shore of Lotus Lake, the cheerful and lively young man buttoned the willow hat to the head of the depressed girl, and laughed carefree together - after all, it can only exist in memory.