On the sixth day of the first lunar month, the Zhu family received a letter from the Ruan family, saying that Ruan Xiping was appointed by the emperor as the general of Erpin Town, and that he would go to the northwest to exterminate the remnants of the foreign feudal clan on a certain day.

After the Zhu family learned the news, their hearts were full of mixed feelings, and they couldn't say whether they were happy or sad. The royal relatives are not so easy to be, the situation in the capital has changed abruptly, maybe this favor is still there today, and Ming'er will disappear again.

If the emperor is happy, he can promote a person, and if the emperor is unhappy, he can also destroy a family with his own hands.

Ruan Xiping is a concubine, originally a person without a title, but now he has been awarded the second rank of official residence, and he is regarded as a prince, which is really a great honor.

The ancestors of the Ruan family started because of their military exploits, but one generation is not as good as the next, and when it comes to Ruan Zhengshan's generation, the highest is only the general of the three-rank Longxiang, as for Ruan Dongsheng, he is even more of a person without merit, although he can inherit the title, but he can't compare to his brother-in-law.

Ruan Xiping is now second-class, and he still has the military exploits of pacifying the northwest, and now, Ruan Linluo has been named Concubine Jing, and he has also become the nominal "Lord Guozhang", and his future is naturally limitless.

Ruan Dongsheng watched his younger brother step by step higher and farther than himself, and his heart was quite uncomfortable, he was weak and sick since he was a child, he couldn't lift a sword and couldn't hold a knife, let alone march to fight, even if he usually walked too quickly, he would feel stuffy and uncomfortable in his chest. My father said that he was not a military general, so he gave up martial arts since he was a child, but he didn't have any outstanding talent, and he didn't even get a decent reputation, so he only got a five-grade civilian job, and he had no face to say.

Seeing Ruan Xiping's steady progress, his eyes were red and his mouth was foaming.

The Ruan family has gained momentum, and even the Zhu family has risen with the tide, and the door posts delivered to the door every day are already endless.

The Zhu family has always had a lot of experience in dealing with entertainment, which is nothing more than watching people put on dishes.

Shen Yuechen accompanied the Li family to meet the guests for another day, and her face was sour with a smile, and the ladies who came to visit wanted to come and see what was the difference between the Zhu family today and before. In fact, the Zhu family is still business as usual, and there has not changed much, but they are cautious in everything, and they are more low-key than before.

Their expressions are different, either with envy on their faces, or with jealousy in their eyes, or with secret contempt, and they don't smile at each other.

Shen Yuechen laughed with them all day, and was busy until dinner, before going to the upper room with Li Shi to say goodbye.

Mother Yang was taking the maids to set up the dishes and chopsticks together, and when she saw the two of them walking in one after the other, she hurriedly smiled and saluted: "The eldest lady and grandmother are here, dinner has been prepared, and you can start eating at any time." ”

In the second room, the old man Zhu was playing with his grandson Brother Ming, the old lady was talking about trivial matters with the Chai family, Zhu Feng and Zhu Jun were playing chess, and the two brothers Zhu Jintang and Zhu Jinlun were standing behind their fathers, watching the chess without saying a word.

When she heard that they were coming, the old lady saw that everyone was all together, and she ordered the maids to prepare a meal.

After everyone greeted each other, they got up and sat down to prepare for dinner.

The adults eat, and the children are served by the maids and women and eat porridge.

Eating the same thing every day, which makes people feel bored, Brother Ming pushed away Yang's mother's hand, turned his head to look at the table of the adults next to him, stretched out his chubby little hand, pointed to the dishes on it, and said, "Eat meat...... Eating meat ......"

Mother Yang was slightly stunned when she heard this, and couldn't help laughing: "Young Master Ming, are you still young?" ”

The little man with full teeth, but he always wants to eat meat.

Brother Ming didn't give up, stalked his neck, stretched out his little hands, and insisted on eating meat.

Mother Yang really didn't have a problem with him, but she heard the maids behind her secretly laughing, and couldn't help frowning: "It seems that I have to find grandma." ”

Shen Yuechen heard the movement, slowly got up, saluted the elders, and then walked to the inner room, took Brother Ming from Mother Yang's hand, and before he could coax him, he heard the old lady speak: "Bring him over too." ”

Shen Yuechen did as he said, and personally hugged Brother Ming to sit down again, and asked him to eat with everyone.

There are a lot of dishes on the table, but there are very few that can be eaten for Brother Ming, as soon as Brother Ming is on the table, he reaches out to grab the chicken leg closest to him.

The chicken leg was oily and big, he couldn't grasp it with one of his little hands, Shen Yuechen had no choice but to pick up the chicken leg and hand it to him personally.

"How can he eat such a big chicken leg?" Seeing this, the old lady couldn't help but smile and persuade: "Brother Ming, you have to be obedient, you can't play with food." ”

Where is Brother Ming'er willing to listen to persuasion, his little hand grabbed the chicken leg, lowered his head and opened his mouth to gnaw down, but he couldn't bite and couldn't bite, so he could only salivate and be anxious.

Everyone was laughed by his silly and funny appearance, especially Old Man Zhu laughed the most happily, and stroked his palm: "Brother Ming, this child should have been a golden pig, but looking at it this way, he looks like a little tiger." ”

Brother Ming is a pig, and is regarded as a golden pig by his family, and is the most auspicious symbol of wealth and auspiciousness.

Shen Yuechen saw Brother Ming grabbing the chicken legs, biting back and forth, but he didn't eat anything, only his face was full of oil, so he hurriedly took the chicken legs out of his hands, and then instructed Mother Yang: "Bother your mother to go to the kitchen to get some minced meat to eat for Brother Ming." ”

Mother Yang understood and immediately went to prepare.

Brother Ming has been eating supplementary food for three or four months, and he is very greedy in his mouth, but he can't eat it if he wants to, so he can only dry his eyes.

Shen Yuechen felt his mood, obviously the delicious things were placed there, but he couldn't touch them.

After a while, Mother Yang served the cooked minced meat with japonica rice while it was hot.

Shen Yuechen personally took the small bowl and fed it to Brother Ming one by one, and everyone couldn't help but smile when they looked at their mother and son's affectionate appearance.

Among them, the old lady's heart is the most relieved, after Brother Ming's child arrived at her side, he became a lot more lively and active, and he was also smart, and he didn't see any illness at all.

It is not easy to raise this grandson, as long as he can be healthy, live well, and grow up safely.

Thinking of this, the old lady couldn't help but be secretly anxious for Shen Yuechen, it had been almost half a year since she entered the door, and it was time for her to make a move.

Before, Imperial Doctor Hu said that she was in good health and was very suitable for pregnancy, why was there still no news...... It seems that it's time to ask a safe person to take a look, don't be what is wrong with that kid in Jintang.

Shen Yuechen was concentrating on taking care of Brother Ming, but she didn't know that the old lady was looking at her meaningfully.

After dinner, the men of the family continued to stay to play chess and drink tea, while the women went their separate ways.

Shen Yuechen put on a windbreaker, only wrapped Brother Ming in his cloak, and personally carried him back to the west courtyard.

When he returned to the house, he immediately put Brother Ming in the quilt of the stove, his body was delicate and should not be cold.

Shen Yuechen changed her clothes, and when she saw Mother Xia coming, she said with a shameful face: "Grandma is auspicious, the slave and maid are bothering again." ”

When Shen Yuechen saw her coming, she knew that it was the Sun family again, so she took a sip of tea and said, "Say it quickly, what's the matter?" ”

Although I don't know when Zhu Jintang will come back, I still don't want him to hear these things.

Mother Xia said: "Aunt Sun has been talking nonsense a lot recently, and the slave has already prescribed a tranquilizer for her to take on time, but it still doesn't work...... The slave maid wondered if it was time to send Aunt Sun out of the yard. ”

They had mentioned this matter before, but Shen Yuechen wanted to delay it on the face of the child.

Hearing Xia's mother say this, it seems that Sun's situation is so bad that it can't be worse.

Shen Yuechen groaned slightly: "Since there is no rule of law, then send it out." However, food, clothing, housing and transportation are still according to the current rules, don't be bitter about her. ”

People are useless, and they should be kind to her when they look at the child's face.

Mother Xia was relieved to see that she finally nodded in agreement, but she could be regarded as completely getting rid of the big trouble of the Sun family.

Shen Yuechen immediately thought of Changning again, looked at the heat rising in the teacup, and said lightly: "I told the old lady before, let Changning be a stand-in for Brother Ming, the old lady has already approved, and said that let me donate more silver for merit, you can do it yourself." ”

Mother Xia nodded: "Yes, the slave knows." ”

While the child is still young, send it out quickly, lest everyone feel uncomfortable when they grow up and know people.

Sun's daughter Yaya has been given a name by Old Man Zhu, because she is a girl, so the name is not from water, only from the word "Xiao", called Zhu Xiao.

Since it is the name chosen by the old man, it naturally cannot be changed.

When Cao Shi heard this, he was secretly proud in his heart, this is the difference between the eldest daughter and the second daughter, Zhu Ying and Zhu Xiao, as soon as they heard it, they knew which child was more likable.

Two days later, another shocking news came from the capital.

King Jingrong intended to rebel, and was convicted by the emperor of his house, and three days later he was about to be beheaded in the street to show the public.

King Jingrong is the respect of the prince, but now he has been denamed by the title and has become a prisoner, which is really unacceptable for a while.

The Qin family has been blessed by King Jingrong for many years, and now they are also going to be implicated by it, and I heard that they have begun to sell their property.

Although the Qin family has a wide network of contacts in the capital, this time is different from the past, no one dares to help them openly, so they can only secretly find a way for them and sell those valuable good things.

The Qin family likes to be vassally elegant, famous paintings, famous scrolls, and antique jade, so many that there are countless of them. It's just that these things look good and are not easy to bring, and if something really happens, you can't take a few things with you, so you have to pick and choose and sell them, so you can plan for the future.

The Zhu family and the Qin family are also in-laws, and they naturally care very much about the Qin family's disaster this time, but when the Qin family wanted to send valuable belongings over, the Zhu family still refused. Right now, it's not the time to talk about old relationships, the Zhu family doesn't dare to take such a big responsibility, in case the Qin family also follows the crime, it will be troublesome.

Qin Taoxi has been confined in the South Courtyard and doesn't know anything, after the incident, Shen Yuechen deliberately asked the maids to pass on the message to her, so that she knew that the maiden family she was proud of in the past is now in danger.

A few days later, news came from the capital again, King Jingrong was beheaded on the street, all the women around him were not included in the official slaves, and the men were all sent to the army, and they were never allowed to enter Beijing.

When Old Man Zhu heard this, he couldn't help but sigh: "It's a pity, it's a pity, a good person dies like this, and future generations will also suffer!" Alas! In this world, everyone wants to be an official and get ahead, don't you know that the water in it is as deep as the sea, and if you don't pay attention to it, you will never recover. ”

The ancestor of the Zhu family said that the children of the Zhu family could not enter the court to be officials for generations, which must have been expected.

Zhu Jun also sighed: "Thinking about it, my son was fortunate to have met the prince, he is really a handsome person, and Qin Hongqin can be regarded as a rare wonderful person in the world." ”

When Old Man Zhu heard this, he frowned slightly and said, "Do you still have the leisure to pity the fragrance and cherish the jade?" ”

Zhu Jun coughed lightly and said, "Isn't my son pitying the fragrance and cherishing the jade?" It's just a momentary emotion, and I think it's a pity. ”

Zhu Feng is different from what he cares about, King Jing is so down, it must be widely implicated, and I don't know how many people will be unlucky in the future.

Zhu Feng sighed slightly: "I think, after the Lantern Festival, I should go to Beijing in person, first, to do some business over there, and second, to dredge up contacts." ”

Old Man Zhu nodded, only to feel that his eldest son had something to do, "It's okay for you to go, that kid in Jintang is all about going to sea." Still, you go safer, bring enough money, don't lose the face of our Zhu family. ”

Zhu Feng replied yes.

Zhu Jun was beside him, and couldn't help asking: "Big brother went to the capital to burn money again this time, let's not say anything, I have to count this number." With that, he stretched out five fingers and shook them.

Old Man Zhu glanced at him and shook his head: "Where is five thousand taels enough, let alone ten thousand taels." ”

In dredging contacts, no amount of money can be spent in distress, if the money is not spent, things will not be done, but it will delay the future financial road.

Zhu Jun heard it itching in his heart, such a good thing would never be his turn. Who wouldn't spend money? Who wouldn't socialize?

Because he had to pay a large amount of silver, Zhu Feng had to go to the account office in person, and met Zhu Rong who came back from errands on the way, seeing his panicked expression, he couldn't help asking: "If you don't follow Jintang's side, what are you doing here?" ”

As soon as Zhu Rong saw him, it was like a mouse seeing a cat, and he immediately got up and said: "Go back to the master, the little one is back to get the silver, the granary on the outskirts of our house caught fire last night, saying that it burned people to death, and besides, there is no food left!" ”

When Zhu Feng heard this, his expression changed, his face became gray, and he only asked, "What about Jintang?" ”

"The eldest young master rushed over as soon as he received the news, and only let the little one come back to get the money and prepare for the aftermath."

……

The seventeenth day of the first month.

Ruan Xiping took his wife Zhu Yuanlan into the palace to meet Concubine Jing, and this time the emperor granted amnesty to let the husband and wife enter the palace.

Goodbye Ruan Linluo, Ruan Xiping and his wife were slightly stunned.

The person in front of him is clearly their daughter, yes, with the same face, the same eyebrows, but it looks like another person.

After the two of them were slightly stunned, they knelt down and kowtowed: "Weichen (concubine) see Concubine Jing, Niangniang Chitose Chitose Chitose Chitose." ”

The slightly uneasy voices of the two people, echoing in the empty hall, were exceptionally clear.

Ruan Linluo did not expect before, as if she had seen relatives, she rushed into the arms of the two and cried loudly.

She was surprisingly calm, just standing motionless, with no tears in her eyes and no waves.

Ruan Xiping and his wife knelt on the ground and did not dare to get up, and their hearts were full of mixed feelings for a while.

Ruan Linluo hesitated for a moment before saying, "Daddy, please get up." After speaking, he waved his hand and signaled the palace people on the side to see them stand up.

Ruan Xiping and his wife stood still, both raised their heads to look at her face, and couldn't help but say, "Niangniang has been ...... lately." How are you doing lately? ”

When Ruan Linluo heard this, she curved the corners of her mouth and said with a wry smile: "How can this palace be bad?" This is the Imperial Palace, the most luxurious and exquisite place in the world. ”

She said this lightly, but the real meaning was the opposite. This is the palace, how can she live well?

When Ruan Xiping heard this, his shoulders trembled slightly, and Zhu Yuanlan next to him also held back tears, not wanting to cry in front of his daughter.

Ruan Linluo looked at the faces of her parents, half silent, and the eunuch behind her was a little overwhelmed, so she only said softly: "Niangniang, it is rare for your family to see each other, so it is better to sit in one place and talk well." ”

Speak? Ruan Linluo did have a lot to say, but when it came to this, she couldn't say a word.

At this time, silence is better than sound, and even if she doesn't say the words in her heart, they will know that in the final analysis, Zuo is just a "grievance" word, plus a "ruthless" word.

Ruan Linluo waved her hand lightly and instructed the palace people around her, "You guys should retreat first." ”

The palace people retreated, and the three of them were left in the huge palace room.

Ruan Linluo slowly walked to her parents, looked at her mother's forbearant face, and said lightly: "Mother, don't cry, everything is fine in this palace." ”

When Zhu Yuanlan heard this, she raised her head and looked at her, and the worries and grievances that she had endured for many days fell with tears. "I'm sorry...... Sorry ......"

Ruan Xiping even knelt directly on the ground and pleaded guilty to his daughter, "It's all my father's incompetence, it's all my father's fault." ”

Hearing this, Ruan Linluo raised her head slightly, deliberately closed her eyes and said, "We are all people who have no choice, neither does my father, neither does my mother, and as for me, I don't have it." Now that I have entered the palace as a concubine, there is no turning back in this life, so I can only keep moving forward...... However, I am afraid to wait for the road ahead, and I don't know where it will take me......" After saying that, she reached out to help her father and mother, looked at them, and said calmly: "Although I am afraid, I will still be good, and go on as much as I can, until I reach that high position." And you have to wait for the day when I succeed. ”

Ruan Xiping and Zhu Yuanlan were stunned when they heard this, Ruan Linluo at this moment was surprisingly calm and calm, which made people a little unable to adapt for a while, such a calm tone, such sharp eyes, and such a proud momentum, not at all like the well-behaved and docile daughter before, is this person still their daughter?