The Changle Hou Mansion in Surimen can be full of birds, and when I got up this morning, the sky just flashed the white of the fish's belly, and it began to be noisy. One after another Yunjin Huagai's tung lacquer carriage swept the dust one after another, and the curtain stretched out a green and tender hand like bone china, opened a corner, and walked out of a wonderful person with flowers, supported by the girls, and the wind helped the willows to enter the vermilion lacquer gate of the Hou Mansion. The repainted and repaired courtyard has also become brilliant because of these beautiful colors.

When the dazzling light and shadow were refracted on the glazed tiles of the beast spine of the Hou Mansion, a scarlet carpet flowed down from the gate, and the Changle Hou couple raised their eyebrows, with several masters in the Chang Mansion, waited at the foot of the steps, and respectfully welcomed the Empress Dowager who returned to the province into the main hall of the mansion.

The fragrant sparrow tongue tea was served, the head was kowtowed, the auspicious words were spoken, and the idlers avoided it, and stood with bated breath under the courtyard porch, clenching the new cuffs excitedly, and puffing up their ears to pay attention to the movement in the hall.

The fragrant and delicate warblers and swallows lowered their heads, entered the house gracefully, and knelt on the ground, raising their faces tremblingly one by one according to the dignity and humility, and replied to the question of the Queen Mother.

The Empress Dowager half-closed her eyes and rubbed her brows tiredly.

In silence, Mrs. Chang Lehou Lian raised her face like a full moon, and she was full of fat smiles: "The Empress Dowager must be tired, the little girl Ling Yan has always been filial, and she is the best at pinching her shoulders and beating her back, why don't you let her serve your old man and relieve her fatigue?" ”

Chang Lingyan, who was kneeling at the front, raised a face like a pink carved jade, smiled at the Empress Dowager, and opened his mouth like a warbler's voice: "If you can serve the Empress Dowager, it is the blessing of Ling Yan I." ”

The Empress Dowager lifted her eyelids, swept her sharp gaze like water, and casually praised: "She is a clever girl." ”

Chang Lingyan's eyebrows were slightly raised, overflowing with joy, the wind blew his head slightly like a peach branch, and his head shook with a crisp sound: "Thank you for the praise of the Empress Dowager." ”

Mrs. Chang Lehou's heart trembled suddenly, and she couldn't wait to wave at her: "Don't you want to give the Empress Dowager filial piety?" ”

Chang Lingyan stood up coquettishly, the smoky purple tulle skirt rippled open, and the lotus step was lightly moved, and Chang Lingxixiang, the eldest daughter of the Hou Mansion beside her, shrank slightly to the side with her shoulders, and the hand that was too late to withdraw was coincidentally stepped on by Chang Lingyan under the soft-soled embroidered satin shoes.

Chang Lingxi lightly frowned, gasped, but bit her lips tightly and didn't dare to make a sound, she quietly retracted her hand into her cuffs, and her fingertips couldn't help but tremble in pain.

Chang Lingyan was unconscious, still smiling like a pool of early melting spring water.

A sneer passed from the corner of the Empress Dowager's lips, she picked up the jasper tea cup on the case sideways, cocked her orchid fingers, lifted the lid of the cup, took a sip of her tongue, and did not lift her eyelids: "That's it, no need, let's go down." ”

Thousands of charming people should be respectful, and they rose up, and the fish ran out of the main hall, and for a time they were ringing and ding, and the fragrance was wanton.

The Queen Mother's voice was calm and indifferent, and she couldn't hear her joy or anger, Chang Lingyan was stunned and glanced at her mother helplessly.

Mrs. Hou quietly stretched the sleeves of the people around her, Chang Lehou immediately understood, and smiled cautiously: "I'm afraid this tea is cold, let Ling Yan cook you a new one?" ”

The Empress Dowager seemed to be a little impatient, and frowned slightly on her eyebrows.

Mama Lin, who was standing behind her in a regular manner, immediately realized and said: "This fat powder is too sweet and greasy, the Queen Mother can't stand it the most, just disperse, and the tea will be free." ”

The implication of this is to imply that Mrs. Hou and Chang Lingyan avoided it together.

Mrs. Hou smiled wryly, glanced at Chang Lehou fiercely, and bowed down with Chang Lingyan.

As soon as the lady left, Chang Lehou seemed to have lost his backbone, bowed down to laugh, and the atmosphere was uncontrollable.

Mama Lin took the tea cup in the hand of the Queen Mother, took two steps and raised her hand in the door to spill the residual tea, and heard the sound of the skirt under the corridor, and gradually moved away.

"Hmph, there's not even a rule anymore." The Queen Mother snorted coldly in displeasure.

Chang Lehou knew what the Queen Mother meant, and he could dare to listen to the root of the wall so blatantly in the Hou Ye's mansion, except for his own wife, I am afraid that there is no one else.

He smiled awkwardly, the corners of his mouth a little stiff, and twitched twice unnaturally.

The Queen Mother stretched out her fingers and tapped lightly on the table, her head tilted back slightly, her snow-like silver hair was not messed up, and a gilded jade-inlaid gorse hairpin fluttered its wings from the auspicious cloud bun, and the amethyst tassel in her mouth rippled in the microwave.

"My Chang family's daughters are here?"

Chang Lehou nodded like pounding garlic: "All the unmarried women of the Chang family have arrived today, the two daughters of the second and righteous families, the concubines of the two side ladies, the third and one daughter of the Li family, the two concubines born and raised, the eldest daughter of the fifth to the Xin family, and the eldest daughter of my house Ling Xi, the second daughter Ling Yan, the concubine Ling Luo, a total of eleven sisters, didn't the queen mother see it?" ”

"The identities of the concubines are still high, and those concubines don't mention it." The Queen Mother tiredly leaned half of her body on the oily armrest of the sandalwood Taishi chair, and sighed: "It is rumored in Beijing that the daughter of your Changle Marquis Mansion has a good upbringing and is famous in Chang'an, and it seems that today it is nothing more than that." ”

Chang Lehou couldn't help but be stunned: "Lian Xin she really took great pains in the upbringing of her children, especially Ling Yan, her piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, poetry and songs, which are top-notch among the nobles in the capital......"

"You Hou Ye is confused, it's just a matter of doing nothing, why can't you even be a father!" The Empress Dowager interrupted him unhappily: "The mourning family is choosing the emperor this time, not choosing a courtesan and a dancing girl, what's the use of these Raushzi's elegant tricks?" Could it be like those demon concubines, jumping up and down every day, hollowing out their hearts to invite pets? What kind of capable person is there in front of the emperor? Can it impress the emperor? The important thing after choosing is character! ”

Chang Lehou was reprimanded, and fine sweat oozed from his forehead, and he whispered: "The little girls are also of good character, dignified and quiet, and have a peaceful temperament. ”

"Humph!" The Empress Dowager snorted contemptuously from the end of her nose, and the hot air she spewed out was already filled with three points of fire: "I really regret that you raised such a sharp mother-in-law back then." Originally, I thought that she was the only one among the wives and concubines in the mansion who gave birth to Rui'er, a boy, so as to give Rui'er the identity of the eldest son. And you're cowardly, so it's not bad to have a strong support lintel. But look at it, where does the Lian family have a little bit of the demeanor of being a housemother, and what kind of children have been raised? ”

Chang Lehou did not speak with a red face and red ears.

The Empress Dowager sighed again: "You are too arrogant and indulgent to the Lian family, Ling Xi is the eldest daughter of our Changfu, but she was so disciplined that she cowered, and she couldn't even say a word. Not to mention the girl raised by your fifth aunt, looking at Lian's face everywhere, at first glance, she is good at flattering the lord of the beard, am I right? ”

Chang Lehou was taught by the Empress Dowager that he didn't say a word, quietly wiped the sweat on his head, and shook his head again and again, he had to admire her vicious eyes, and she was more insightful than the Buddha in the temple.

The Empress Dowager seemed to be slightly relieved, and said with a pleasant face: "Zhiren, do you know that you are not as good as courtesy, martial arts and righteousness, your mind is not as trustworthy, and you have no strengths, why did your father choose you to inherit the title of marquis?" ”

"The little nephew is stupid, but he also knows that it was the Empress Dowager who lifted it."

The Empress Dowager bowed slightly, and said earnestly: "Although you are the eldest son of the Hou Mansion, the most important thing is that you are kind-hearted, although you are weak and introverted, unlike the second and third children, who are sharp, but have the demeanor of the eldest brother." Just like when your sister-in-law Zhirou left with General Chu, you were willing to take on the responsibility of raising her orphans. Therefore, after the election for the emperor this time, the first thing the mourning family considered was the daughter under your name, who felt that the family style was heroic, and the daughters were familiar with it, and they were also self-conscious.

The time of mourning is running out, and I have tried my best to preserve the glory of three generations of my Chang family, and now I have more than enough to do. How much did it cost the mourning family to get a back position for my Chang family this time, I think you should know it. After my Chang family closed its eyes, how to rise and fall, I bet on this posterior. ”

Chang Lehou didn't expect the Empress Dowager to talk to her like this, and she was a little flattered for a while: "The imperial aunt is a thousand years old, and she will definitely live a long and healthy life, and her Chang family will always be prosperous." ”

The Empress Dowager waved her hand: "That's just self-deception, who can escape the cycle of birth, old age, sickness and death." It's just a pity that among so many daughters in the Chang family, none of them can take responsibility. ”

Chang Lehou remembered the glance of the Lian family when he was leaving, and couldn't help but snort: "Ling Yan is the leader in the capital in terms of talent and temperament. ”

When the Empress Dowager heard him mention Chang Lingyan again, her face suddenly sank, and she opened her eyes, her eyes were bright, and her face was frosty: "Lingyan is good anywhere, but she was arrogant and arrogant by Lian's biological mother!" What kind of place is that harem? Eat people without spitting out bones! She's so arrogant that she doesn't even know how she died! ”

Seeing that the Queen Mother had already moved her liver, Chang Lehou knelt down with a plop, trembling: "The Queen Mother is angry, Zhiren knows that she is wrong." ”

The Empress Dowager shook her head in disappointment, feeling that there was fire in her throat, and raised her eyes to guard Mama Lin who was guarding the door. Mama Lin immediately changed the tea, held it with both hands steadily, and mouthed the Queen Mother to the courtyard outside.