Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth month of May.

The upper reaches of Leyou Yuan are full of people, a noisy and prosperous scene. In the middle of the river, there is a lively scene of dragon boat racing, with human voices, drums, and shouts, and hawkers shuttling back and forth to sell all kinds of gadgets.

Naughty children bore through the crowd, occasionally breaking free of their parents' hands, and then being caught by their parents and slapping them on the ground, crying out loud.

The scene was lively, as if the ten-mile pavilion send-off a few days ago happened decades ago. This rebellion of Hulu Khan, which stirred up bloody wind and rain thousands of miles away, did not affect the amusement of these powerful families at all.

These dragon boats in the river are specially cultivated by the major powerful families in Beijing, and even the concubines and princes in the palace are cultivated. All the people on the boat were young people in their twenties, rowing the boat and winning the applause of the people on the shore.

The dragon boats of each family are erected with a red flag, and the red flags are embroidered with different patterns, and the people who are good vassal and elegant are mostly the patterns of plum blossoms and bamboos, and the royal relatives who pride themselves on their noble status are mostly gorgeous flowers. However, no matter how proud of one's noble status, patterns such as peonies are generally not used, because this is the symbol of the queen of the middle palace.

And this year, among the crowd of onlookers watching the dragon boat on Leyou Plain, some sharp-eyed people found at a glance that the red flag on the dragon boat was embroidered with a peony pattern.

The golden peony on a red background is simply dazzling, and it attracts everyone to whisper.

The Lu family was also among the onlookers, among whom Lu Liuniang, Lu Qiniang and Lu Jiuniang didn't want to squeeze around with people, so they leaned on the window lattice of the wing room on the second floor of Linjiang Building. Looking out of the window, the scene of the Dragon Boat Festival in front of them is obviously much more lively than the last Shangsi Festival, but the three sisters are far from the mood of the last Shangsi Festival.

The three of them dressed up in gorgeous clothes, but they had a long-lived thread made of colored threads on their wrists, and they changed into a sachet and purse embroidered with the pattern of five poisons on their waists. The dim sum in the box has also been replaced with small and delicate zongzi, and even today Li allowed the three little ladies to drink some realgar wine. It's just that none of this can remove the boulder that weighs on their hearts.

Even if they didn't participate in the family's deliberations, Lu Liuniang and Lu Qiniang were not fools. They have very different personalities. One is lively and the other is introverted, but they are both extremely smart, and they have long inferred from the subtle atmosphere at home these days that it is a little unusual, and the last time the send-off outside the Ten Mile Pavilion directly verified the guesses of the two.

Lu Liuniang, who has always been lively, rarely went downstairs to join in the fun today, but sat quietly by Lu Bingzhen's side. And Lu Qiniang, who was already introverted, looked at this ninth cousin with a worried face. The three of them sat quietly upstairs until they were drawn to the noise outside.

"What the hell are the people out there talking about? I seem to have heard a few words from His Royal Highness King Yu? Lu Qiniang said with some hesitation. Hearing the words of His Royal Highness King Yu, Lu Bingzhen also raised her head, and she and Lu Liuniang said almost in unison, "What is His Royal Highness King Yu?" “

The three of them got up together, walked to the window, and before they could hear the words of the onlookers, they saw a red flag embroidered with peonies in gold silk passing in front of them. Thinking of the words "His Royal Highness King Yu" again, Lu Liuniang blurted out a straightforward sentence.

"They can't say that this peony flag is from His Royal Highness King Yu, right?" As soon as this sentence came out, even Lu Liuniang herself felt a little incredible.

After listening carefully to the conversation of the people downstairs, the three confirmed that the matter was what they had guessed. "Why didn't he just embroider a four-clawed dragon on the flag?" Lu Liuniang only felt that His Royal Highness King Yu was really a magical person, and immediately blurted out another sentence.

Lu Qiniang tugged at her sister Lu Liuniang's sleeve, "Sister, be cautious." Tianhuang nobles are not something we can arrange at will. Lu Liuniang also knew that she had just lost her words, so she quickly stopped.

The three sisters glanced at each other, and the worry in their eyes seemed to be saying, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has just led the army to march in person, and His Royal Highness King Yu dares to trespass so much in Beijing, I am really afraid that the world will not be chaotic." ”

While he was pondering, he heard a commotion outside the door. A palace eunuch who Lu Bingzhen was not familiar with said in a sharp voice, "Qingning County Jun, our mother and His Royal Highness invite you to go to the Baojing Tower to enjoy the dragon boat together, that place is the real place to enjoy the scenery." ”

Lu Bingzhen was still strange, the queen mother was still in the mood to go out of the palace to enjoy the dragon boat at this time, and when she heard the word "Your Highness", she realized that it was not the queen but the concubine.

"Thanks to the mother's love, it's just that the courtiers have occasionally felt cold recently, and it is inconvenient to meet the nobles."

The eunuch didn't give up, and even had a bit of threat in his tone, "What does Qingning County Jun mean by this?" Isn't it that the gentleman of Qingning County thinks that if he is given marriage as the crown princess, he can be higher than the mother and His Royal Highness? Don't say that you haven't made a big gift now, and you can't be considered a princess, even if you become a princess in the future, then you don't have to salute when you see our mother. ”

Lu Bingzhen stopped talking and just sat quietly, unmoved by the eunuch's words, she didn't want to continue to prevaricate, but this eunuch also cared about his dual identity as the daughter of the Lu family and the future princess, and he would not dare to openly pull herself.

But the eunuch on the opposite side seemed to see through her thoughts, and instead glanced around with his eyes and fixed on Lu Liuniang and Lu Qiniang, who were walking with Lu Bingzhen.

"These two little ladies are eye-catching, our family has never seen them in Beijing, otherwise we would go with our family to meet the mother. It's a great honor for you two little ladies to have a glimpse of the lady's face. Seeing this, Lu Bingzhen knew that the eunuch was going to threaten him with Liuniang and Qiniang, so he could only agree to go with him.

Upstairs in the treasure mirror, the three sisters of the Lu family saluted in turn.

"Flat, Ah Zhen, come to the main palace."

Probably used to being high, Gu Guifei just waved her hand and gave the pair of gold bracelets and sent Lu Liuniang and Lu Qiniang away, and asked the palace people to lead the two little ladies to the next room to drink tea, but they left Lu Bingzhen quite kindly.

Gu Guifei probably didn't know her little character A Rui, so she was called Ah Zhen, and she wanted to be more kind, but she was particularly embarrassed because of Lu Bingzhen's unfamiliarity with this name.

"Xie Niangniang loves her, and the courtiers don't dare to be it."

Gu Guifei smiled and beckoned her son, His Royal Highness King Yu, to step forward, and Lu Bingzhen had to get up again to salute His Royal Highness King Yu. After this toss, it became even more of a hypocrisy on Gu Guifei's face.

In this way, Lu Bingzhen and His Royal Highness King Yu sat beside Gu Guifei left and right, and heard Gu Guifei sigh, "Ah Zhen has grown so big in a blink of an eye, I still remember that when you entered the palace with your mother to thank you, you were still a little bit big." The same was true of King Yu back then, and the children grew up in a blink of an eye. ”

This familiar tone, this posture of holding Lu Bingzhen's right hand, as if Lu Bingzhen is not the fiancée of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince but the fiancée of His Royal Highness King Yu next to him?

"Niangniang has a good reputation, His Royal Highness King Yu is a nobleman in the sky, naturally with a dragon and phoenix posture and extraordinary demeanor, how can it be compared to an ordinary woman who grew up outside Beijing with a courtier?"

Gu Guifei's face stiffened slightly, obviously she was used to being flattered, and she was not very comfortable with someone refuting her. Even if this rebuttal was so circuitous, it made her feel displeasure immediately.

Lu Bingzhen immediately felt that his right hand that was being held was let go again, and Gu Guifei slapped the fan in her hand in disguise. At such an embarrassing time, suddenly a palace maid said back and forth, "Niangniang, the prince of Rongde County has arrived, can you invite her in." “

Pinching the fan in her hand tightly, Gu Guifei said in a stiff tone, "The county monarchs have all arrived at the door, how can there be a reason for this palace to drive people away, it is Your Majesty's niece." Please, please come in. ”

Junchi Weiyan of Rongde County came in and made a big salute, "The courtiers meet the noble concubine Niangniang and His Royal Highness King Yu, and wish Niangniang and His Royal Highness all blessings and peace." “

Gu Guifei just said lazily, "In my life, give a seat to the monarch of Rongde County." Gu Guifei didn't move the whole time, let alone holding the hand of Rongde County Jun so affectionately.

It seems that he feels that there is a gentleman from Rongde County, and it is inconvenient to say something, but after sitting for a while, Gu Guifei deduced that she was tired. Lu Bingzhen and Rongde County Jun all retired with interest, and only His Royal Highness King Yu stayed behind and said that he wanted to serve the sick.

As soon as he went out, Rongde County Jun said in a strange manner, "Qingning County Jun is really left and right, and now he is married to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince as the future princess, and he is so friendly with Gu Guifei Niangniang and His Royal Highness King Yu." It really didn't fall headlong. ”

Lu Bingzhen said unhurriedly, "If you want to talk about the source of the left and right, you have to look at the Junjun of Rongde County." previously appeared at the queen's mother's plum banquet, but now she took the initiative to come to Baojinglou to say goodbye. My two cousins and I were just called by the concubine to ask for a goodbye, where can I catch up with the filial piety of Rongde County, so I took the initiative to come. “

This means that she does not have the reserve of her daughter's family. Knowing that Lu Bingzhen had always been sharp-toothed and sharp-tongued, Rongde County Jun immediately brushed his sleeves away. In fact, Lu Bingzhen still felt a little grateful to Rongde County Jun in his heart, if she took the initiative to come, Gu Guifei didn't know how long she would stay with her.

At present, everyone knows that Gu Guifei's mother and son and the queen's mother and son are regarded as fire and water. Lu Bingzhen, as the future daughter-in-law of the queen's mother, if she stays in Gu Guifei's treasure mirror building for too long, it is difficult to guarantee that it will not cause a lot of discussion.

And Gu Guifei and His Royal Highness King Yu, who were still in the Treasure Mirror Tower, also talked about the right talent at this moment, and Gu Guifei was simply furious.

"Your Majesty is inevitably too partial, you see that the crown princess he gave the crown prince to marry is the Fan Yang Lu family, the head of the famous family. This Lu family Jiu Niangzi herself is the Jun of Qingning County, her father is a scholar of the Ministry of Officials, her grandfather is the third duke, and her mother is from the Li family in Longxi. I heard that as soon as her brother entered the office, he followed Wang Jiaqilang to go out with the mission. Look at the princess you picked. ”

Speaking of Rongde County Jun, Gu Guifei pursed her lips disdainfully.

His Royal Highness King Yu knew that his mother didn't look down on the prince of Rongde County, who had no father, and only had an empty shelf left for the daughter of the eldest princess. However, this is what his father meant, and it is not good to belittle the monarch of Rongde County too much, His Royal Highness King Yu can only persuade his mother, saying that he will not marry the monarch of Rongde County, which is why Gu Guifei is angry.

I think that the eldest princess of Ruyang was very domineering because she had a brother who was the emperor, so she was estranged from her husband's family. It's nothing in this one. Who of the eldest princesses who has never relied on their brothers instead of their husbands?

However, when the husband of the eldest princess of Ruyang died early, the two had only one daughter, that is, Rongde County Jun. After the early death of her husband, the Hou Mansion, which was not prosperous, declined even more because of the loss of a horse.

And seeing that His Majesty is declining, the situation of the eldest princess of Ruyang has begun to become embarrassing day by day. If His Majesty is once in the sky, then the eldest princess of Ruyang will really be helpless.

Therefore, the eldest princess of Ruyang wants to marry His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and marry her daughter Rongde County Jun to His Royal Highness the Prince. First, to maintain the relationship with the future emperor, and second, to let his daughter be the most noble woman in the world.

Originally, the eldest princess of Ruyang was sure to win, and she grew up in the deep palace and saw the suspicion of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He has always believed that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will be willing to marry his daughter even if it is to ease relations with His Majesty.

But I didn't expect that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would rather not have this eldest princess mother-in-law who can speak in front of His Majesty, and he would not look down on her daughter Rongde County Jun. The eldest princess of Ruyang was angry and annoyed, but she was helpless, seeing that His Royal Highness King Yu was like cooking oil on fire, so she turned to His Royal Highness King Yu, and wanted to marry her daughter Rongde County Jun to His Royal Highness King Yu.

This is what happens, and today the Rongde County Jun on the Baojing floor took the initiative to come to ask for peace.

It's a pity that the eldest princess of Ruyang wants to emulate Princess Guantao, but it's a pity that she is not Guantao, and she doesn't have a biological mother with a noble status and power, and His Royal Highness King Yu is not Liu Che.

Her operation made Gu Guifei's mother and son even more disgusted with them.

Gu Guifei has been smooth sailing since she entered the palace, she did not experience the gloomy days after the failure of His Majesty's imperial conquest, but gave birth to her own child smoothly. After becoming a man in one fell swoop, Gu Guifei became a concubine whose status was second only to the queen's mother.

To this day, Gu Guifei is still living a smooth life. How could she endure the eldest princess of Ruyang who was so bright and disgusted that her son was not as good as the prince.