Seeing that the emperor also approved of the marriage between Zhang Yuxian and Shen Jin, Queen Mother Zhang breathed a sigh of relief. She was originally worried that the emperor would lose his temper and ruin his marriage out of disgust with Zhang Yuxian.
Although she didn't like this niece very much, she didn't want the Zhang family's daughter to marry poorly because it was a matter of honor for the Zhang family.
She was extremely dissatisfied with Shen Jin's family affairs, but her mother and eldest brother were right. With the prevailing trend outside, a man of about the same age and appearance would be the most honorable choice for the Zhang family.
As for letting Zhang Yuxian enter the palace, she had never thought about it.
"Since the emperor is also optimistic, please ask the emperor to grant a marriage. It is also the honor of the Zhang family and the number one scholar." Empress Dowager Zhang felt relaxed and said to Brother Shou with a smile.
The Zhang family did not believe that a small champion would reject the Zhang family's good intentions. The reason why they wanted the emperor to express his stance clearly was to cover up the "rumors" about Zhang Yuxian in the past, and also to let the censors see that the emperor was still close to him. In the Zhang family, anyone who talks nonsense can just shut up.
Brother Shou smiled particularly tamely, but said: "The queen has forgotten that only royal family members have always been allowed to marry."
Queen Mother Zhang's liver ached with her light words.
The Zhang family is nothing more than relatives.
Her previously relaxed and warm smile became stiff, and she only said: "It's the Ai family who are confused."
Brother Shou smiled and said: "If the Queen Mother is happy, she will issue the same decree."
Empress Dowager Zhang's expression became increasingly grim, but she could only say: "That's all."
What is important is for the Emperor to express his stance. What is the use of the Queen Mother's expression?
And how can the Yizhi be compared with the Zhongzhi? The Cigong Yizhi was only useful to the inner palace, but the cabinet did not buy it.
At this time, Zhang Jiazhenghuan was impeached outside, and the official decree was issued. If he was banned by the cabinet and lost face, the censor would lead to an even more violent impeachment, and the marriage might also be ruined.
Brother Shou acted as if he didn't know what was going on. He was still smiling, acting like a filial son who was obedient in everything.
Empress Dowager Zhang stared at her son for a moment and then said: "When Shen Zhuangyuan proposes marriage, it will be the same for the Ai family to become a matchmaker for a female family."
Brother Shou smiled and said nothing.
The room is quiet.
Curls of green smoke slowly overflowed from the long beak of the fine copper crane furnace, and the sweet smell of agarwood permeated the entire hall.
However, the fragrance that was supposed to calm people did not soothe Empress Dowager Zhang. She only felt waves of chest tightness.
She turned around and looked at the palace people around her, only to see that all of them had lowered their eyebrows and pretended to be deaf and dumb. Even Liang Gong, who was always the most fun-loving person in her palace, was poking there like a wooden stake, which made her look more and more unhappy.
Suddenly, she remembered that Wu Zhonglai, another eunuch who spoke the most pleasant words around her, had just let people go out to choose marriages, but was impeached by Liu Yu, the damn censor who always opposed the Zhang family.
Thinking of this, Empress Dowager Zhang raised her eyebrows and asked Liu Jin, who was standing respectfully behind Brother Shou: "How is the marriage selection?"
Liu Jin didn't expect that this fire could burn him, but fortunately, he came prepared this time.
Since Liu Jin took charge of the Supervisor of Ceremonies and took charge of the 5,000 Battalion of the Second Division of the Shenji Camp, he has also become extremely busy and can no longer accompany the emperor all the time. The reason why he can follow him this time is precisely because Following the emperor's orders regarding marriage selection.
However, the Emperor was originally prepared as a back-up if the Empress Dowager mentioned that Zhang Yuxian should be selected into the palace. Now... Liu Jin couldn't help but look at the little emperor.
During this moment of hesitation, Empress Dowager Zhang became impatient and said: "The Ai family heard that there were people outside trying to impeach Gao Feng? At first, I only thought that he was steady, so she let him take charge of the marriage. The Ai family thought that he was too steady. Oh! Such procrastination will make the candidate for the middle palace undecided, and it will not be good for the heirs! Who in this palace is not more agile than him!"
Because Gao Feng was an old man in the East Palace, she was appointed by the Empress Dowager to take charge of the marriage selection of the young emperor. This was also the Empress Dowager's intention to protect her grandson. She only hoped that Gao Feng and the emperor would work together to choose a suitable person for the emperor.
It was precisely because of this that Empress Dowager Zhang was dissatisfied. In addition to Wu Zhong, Empress Dowager Zhang also had several stewards who were sent out to intervene in the marriage selection. Otherwise, the candidate must be selected who suits the Zhang family's wishes.
At this moment, Empress Dowager Zhang reprimanded Gao Feng so bluntly. If it had been normal, Gao Feng's overall power would have been taken away.
but……
Brother Shou stood up, gave a slight salute, and said respectfully: "Let the queen worry about her son. In fact, I just came from the old lady's side, and Gao Feng has already presented the candidate." After saying that, he turned around and gestured to Liu Jin.
, Liu Jin bowed and saluted, and walked backward out of the Nuan Pavilion.
Queen Mother Zhang was stunned for a moment, and then her face became angry. Not even a hint of this matter was revealed to her!
What a pair of grandparents!
"When did this happen?" She almost squeezed out the words through her teeth.
Brother Shou's smile was as warm as the spring breeze in March outside the curtain: "Just now, I went to the old lady to say hello. I brought her along to see my mother."
His eyelids drooped slightly, concealing the sarcasm in his eyes. It is true that some people impeached Gao Feng, but they impeached him for relying on favors and manipulating power, transporting Li Rong, and bringing in businessman Tan Jingqing in order to buy replacement leather and return residual salt.
Tan Jingqing was the errand boy of Zhou Shou, the Marquis of Qingyun, and everything about Yanyin was handled by him.
The impeachment of Gao Feng was false and was intended for the Zhou family; it was not the work of the Zhang family!
But the Empress Dowager asked her to say this again. This was to try to stop Zhang Yuxian, but she also wanted to take advantage of the situation to eliminate Gao Feng and let the Queen Mother's people take over. This would make it easier for the Zhang family to stop people?
Brother Shou's eyes flashed coldly, "As you wish", and looking at the day...
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Liu Jin coming in holding a brocade box. Brother Shou didn't say much and motioned for Liu Jin to present it.
Over there, Liang Gong also bowed to take it and presented it to Queen Mother Zhang.
Empress Dowager Zhang suppressed her anger and raised her chin slightly to signal. Liang Gong opened the box, took out the top scroll, and called two servants to unfold it for Empress Dowager Zhang to take a look at.
Queen Mother Zhang was startled when she saw it. She looked at it twice more and then looked at the name written under it. She couldn't help but asked in surprise: "Why is it her?"
On the side, Liang Gong quietly stretched his neck and took a look with squinted eyes. This woman... looked like a relative of Mrs. Shouning Hou who had once entered the palace. Her name seemed to be... Wu... Xitong.
Wu Xitong? Liang Gong's mind turned around. Isn't that the one Miss Zhang threw into the lake?! He twitched the corner of his mouth, shrank his neck, and turned into a wooden man again, not squinting at all, and he didn't dare to look at the little girl.
The emperor glanced at him.
Empress Dowager Zhang kept staring at Brother Shou, her face gradually became cold and serious, and she slowly said: "Wu, it is not suitable for you to enter the palace."
Brother Shou pretended to be surprised, rolled his eyes, and said curiously: "I heard that she had lived in her uncle's house for several years and was carefully trained by her aunt. Wasn't it because her mother chose her because she was respectful, courteous, and of good conduct?
Palace companionship? Since she can stay with the queen for several months, I think she is also a sensible person."
Empress Dowager Zhang was too lazy to go around in circles and said bluntly: "You were also at the Shangsi banquet that day. Don't you know what happened?"
Brother Shou smiled brilliantly and returned to his sunny and carefree appearance: "I know, I know, Queen Mother, that's just cousin Ting being naughty."
When he said this, Queen Mother Zhang was speechless. This was a standard statement from the Zhang family - the play between the sisters had gone too far.
But how could she not know what the reality was, no matter how stupid she was?! How could she, a smart prince, not know!
But knowing it is one thing, speaking it out is another.
"There is something wrong with her that makes Sister Ting angry." Queen Mother Zhang thought for a while and then spoke strictly.
She didn't believe that Brother Shou didn't mean to deal with the Zhang family by doing this. With such a girl entering the palace, the Zhang family not only couldn't take advantage of her, but actually raised an enemy!
Mrs. Jin Tai has already found a good home for this girl, but now that the storm is at the forefront, it is difficult to move, and the girl has injured her head. Chun'an said that it is difficult to move, and the Zhang family cannot forcefully pick her up, otherwise
I can't tell you what Chun'an said.
"How can she serve in the palace if she has something wrong with her? And she also injured her head, so I don't know if she will suffer from any problems." Empress Dowager Zhang waved her hand and asked the servant to put away the scroll and prepare to throw it aside.
However, the little emperor took a step forward. Instead of his calm demeanor, he showed the green smile that he should have at his age. He seemed to be a little embarrassed to get close. His voice was a little low, but with a bit of abnormal lightness: "Mother, this is
Women are, um, the ones with the best looks among all women."
Empress Dowager Zhang was stunned. All the girls sent by the Zhang family were good-looking. She only remembered the ones who were clever with words and knew how to tell jokes to her and make her needlework. She really didn't remember what Wu Xitong was like, who was honest and easy to follow the crowd.
Beauty.
Looking at the fifteen-year-old son in front of her, who was exactly the age of Zhimu Shaoai, Queen Mother Zhang suddenly remembered the stunning fascination in the young prince's eyes when she lowered her hijab.
I wonder if it was because of the initial love that after so many years, even though the prince became an emperor, she was still the only one in his eyes.
However, this beautiful memory did not make her agree with her son's point of view. On the contrary, it made her hate Wu Xitong even more - she must not let the emperor fall in love with this charming girl!
"Your Majesty," Empress Dowager Zhang said in a more serious tone, "when choosing a wife, you should not just look at her beauty. If you are really beautiful and beautiful, but your character is flawed, how can you be a good mother to the world!"
The mother is in the world. Brother Shou sneered in his belly. Of course, the mother cannot be in the world! Do you still think that the middle palace still comes from the Zhang family?!
"Mother." The little emperor said with a good-tempered look, "Grandma, mother, and aunt trained someone, how could it be wrong? I heard that she is the most honest. The queen knows cousin Ting's temper, so it's no wonder
she……"
To be honest, that's true. Empress Dowager Zhang tried her best to recall, but she still couldn't remember anything about this girl. It seemed that she did have a submissive nature.
Even though she was pushed into the trap this time by Sister Ting, her mother didn't say anything bad about this girl. She only said that Sister Ting was going for the girl from the Yang family. The reason why she wanted to marry the Wu family far away was also
It's not that there is a problem with women, it's just to calm the material debate in the capital.
Be honest. Be honest. Be honest... If you choose someone with such a bad temper, it will be easy to handle. Empress Dowager Zhang pondered slightly. The girls she had previously thought were too clever and too ambitious.
There is no shortage of ambitious women in this palace, and as long as one is needed, the whole palace will be disturbed. If there are more than a few, the whole palace will be in chaos.
The little emperor came closer and said with a smile: "Besides, by choosing her, as the queen mother said, all the previous misunderstandings about cousin Ting have been solved, and the noisy censors outside can no longer say that my uncle's goddaughter has nothing to do with her.
square."
Queen Mother Zhang glanced at her son again, and the little emperor looked back with smiles in his eyes.
Mother and son looked at each other for a moment, and Queen Mother Zhang's eyes fell back on the scroll. Yes, whether she married Zhang Yuxian or chose Wu Xitong to enter the palace, it was all to smooth over the previous incident, and it was all for the good of the Zhang family...
Forget it, if he likes it... After all, this is a member of the Zhang family, and the whole Wu family is in the hands of the Zhang family.
Empress Dowager Zhang thought clearly and nodded slowly, saying, "It's rare that you've taken a fancy to her."
The little emperor's smile was really bright.
It was a child after all. Empress Dowager Zhang sighed for no reason and looked at the next picture.
The woman on the scroll has a round face, thick eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes. Although she looks plump, her face is simple and honest, round and pleasing to the eye.
Empress Dowager Zhang raised her eyebrows. Brother Shou seemed to be in a very good mood and said with a smile: "I said this looks like a man."
Although people at that time did not regard plumpness as beauty as the people of the Tang Dynasty did, they also liked the appearance of roundness and wealth, thinking that they were dignified and majestic.
Empress Dowager Zhang couldn't help but smile and said: "It is indeed a good look for a man."
Looking at the biography again, this Xia family's ancestors also had high-ranking officials in the Jiuqing Dynasty, but his grandfather only served as a young minister of Taichang Temple in Nanjing. He had been out of office for many years due to illness, and his father's generation was all civilians. This was a very standard candidate for a concubine.
Liang Gong whispered in her ear: "I have checked and found that this person has nothing to do with the Zhou family."
Queen Mother Zhang nodded, saying that this one was good, and then went to look at another one.
She had a standard beautiful face, not much to pick out, but there was a small mole on the tip of her eyebrow.
Empress Dowager Zhang pointed and asked, "Have you ever asked if this mole would cause any obstruction?"
This time, it was Liu Jin who replied respectfully: "The slaves have already asked someone to look at it, and they said it is a good mole, which means 'joyful'."
"That's a blessing." When she read the biography again, Empress Dowager Zhang frowned again because she asked: "Mr. Shen? Is he related to that... Mr. Shen?"
Liang Gong replied loudly: "The servants have checked, and there is no relationship at all. They happen to have the same surname." Then he lowered his voice and said: "It has nothing to do with the Zhou family."
Empress Dowager Zhang then nodded with satisfaction and said that this was okay.
There were only these three scrolls in the shallow box. Brother Shou said with a smile: "The old lady said that I am still young and it is not appropriate to choose from multiple choices, so I just chose these three people. If the queen mother has no objections, she will submit it to the cabinet for review.
If there is no objection from the cabinet, the queen mother will be asked to reward a few palace servants to teach them the rules of the palace."
Queen Mother Zhang responded.
Brother Shou turned to look at Liang Gong and said: "Empress Mother also knows that Gao Feng is already old and is far less useful than I and the people around her. At the beginning, I took pity on him for his hard work and no merit over the years, and rewarded him with a decent job.
Forget it, now that we have chosen to marry, we should relieve him of his errand and let him go back to the imperial prison. I think it is safest to ask my mother for a capable person to take charge of the renovation of Kunning Palace."
Empress Dowager Zhang's face was uncertain.
After the death of Emperor Hongzhi, Empress Dowager Zhang never moved to the palace.
Kunning Palace is not only a place where she has lived for decades, but in a sense, it is also a symbol of power.
It was okay if there was no queen at the beginning, but now that the couple is confirmed, Kunning Palace should be renovated in preparation for the emperor's wedding. It is indeed time for her, the Queen Mother, to move to the palace.
However, moving the palace is also a change of power in the eyes of the outside world.
At such a time, the fact that the Zhang family is on the cusp of the storm and moving to another palace will also become a hint.
"Where does your Majesty want to move the Ai family?" Empress Dowager Zhang said in a rather unkind tone.
Not only those court battles, but now, there is no place in the palace that she likes.
The most well-organized palace among all the palaces in the imperial city is the Renshou Palace, which was the residence of the Zhou family. Empress Dowager Zhang did not like the Zhou family and refused to live in the palace where she lived.
During the funeral, in the name of filial piety, the Empress Dowager Wang was admitted to the Renshou Palace.
Where can she move now?!
Brother Shou was like a filial son again and said with a smile: "The queen will do whatever she pleases, and I will listen to the queen."
Listen to the Queen Mother, when has he ever listened to the Queen Mother? Empress Dowager Zhang opened her mouth, but she couldn't say anything about not moving to the palace.
"Everywhere in the palace is empty, so my mother will slowly make a decision. My uncle has been preparing the wood and stone for a long time. It will not be too late for my mother to make a good choice and repair the palace first, and then Kunning Palace." Brother Shou.
road.
"Haven't the wood and stones prepared by your uncle been sent to Xiyuan?!" I don't know, but the Zhang family reported this matter to the Queen Mother Zhang as a good thing to honor the emperor.
Brother Shou was slightly surprised and said: "Xiyuan? Hey, my eldest uncle transported a lot of wood and stones to Beijing last year, saying it was for the repair of Kunning Palace. Why did he say it was sent to Xiyuan? The Xiyuan land has just been paved.
, I just use some rough stones, the wood has not been seen yet. I will call my uncle and uncle to ask about it someday."
He said it casually, but Queen Mother Zhang's heart sank, and then she thought, the Zhang family finally gave birth to another queen, not to mention repairing the palace, but what is the value of spending money to rebuild the Kunning Palace!
Therefore, she relaxed a little and said, "This is just a family in heaven. If you are in an ordinary family, how can an uncle and a nephew be so meticulous?"
Brother Shou said with a smile: "Thank you mother, I will tell my uncle tomorrow like this."
In Kunning Palace, there is another group of loving mothers and filial piety.
*
In the Shouning Hou Mansion, Zhang Heling had mixed feelings in his heart after receiving the oral instruction.
Zhang Yanling crossed her legs, yawned, and looked like she had not slept enough, and said: "Didn't my eldest brother get a lot of wood and stones from Henan and Shandong last year? They are also piled in the village. Just take them out to the emperor."
Zhang Heling said coldly: "How much money is that wood and stone!"
Zhang Yanling curled her lips and said: "Zuo is just a person who respects you."
Zhang Heling said angrily: "That's nonsense! You dare to say anything!"
Zhang Yanling was not afraid at all, and said coolly: "Dongchang is not a jobber, I'm afraid I would have known about it earlier." He retracted his legs, leaned forward, and his face changed into a serious look, "Brother, Yan Yin hasn't done it yet.
Got it."
Zhang Heling was speechless. After a while, he turned around and called for Mrs. Shouning Hou to come over.
As soon as he entered the door, he immediately asked: "What is the character of this woman Wu Xitong?"
Mrs. Shouning Hou hesitated for a moment, and then Zhang Yanling added, "Sister-in-law, it's a very important matter, so it's better not to make excuses but to tell the truth."
Mrs. Shouning Hou blushed, calmed herself down, and then said: "She is an honest person who doesn't like to talk. I also checked after the accident that day... Ping Su Ting..." She glanced at Zhang Yanling and said, "Sister Ping Su Ting
If Sister Erjiao and the others were unhappy, they would take it out on her. That day, Sister Ting was probably used to it and didn't think much about it..."
Zhang Yanling rolled her eyes silently and did not answer.
Zhang Heling frowned and said, "This woman has been wronged in our family?"
Mrs. Shouning Hou's face turned redder, which was tantamount to accusing her of not managing the inner house well. She quickly said: "It's not a grievance, it's just a joke between the little sisters. Sister Ting and her children are more noble than others, and they are relatives.
Naturally, the girls flatter them. Our family's fine clothing and food are much better than her shabby family, and we teach them music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and needlework. This is still a grievance. There is no such thing as a good life in the world!"
Zhang Yanling said: "Brother, aren't you just afraid that there is no good intention in choosing her? In fact, if this person can hold our hands, what does it matter if there is no good intention in choosing her? People outside will not care about this person.
Are you of the same mind as us? We will only see that she comes from the Zhang family."
It was for this reason that Zhang Heling was hesitant. After hearing what his brother said, he took a deep breath and asked Mrs. Hou Ning: "Her family is a poor one? But is it difficult to deal with?"
Zhang Yanling added: "Sister-in-law, please tell the truth. Oh, brother, just tell your sister-in-law that the Empress Dowager has chosen your niece to be the queen."
It was like a huge pie falling from the sky and hitting Mrs. Shouning Hou on the head. The hit made her dizzy for a while. She almost stood upright holding on to the back of the official hat chair beside her, "This...this..."
She didn't know what to say for a moment.
If the Zhang family girls throw the future queen into the water... there will be no good fruits for them in the future!
But deep down in my heart, I secretly thought that it was Zhang Yuting who did this recklessly and had nothing to do with her sister Xian.
Wu Xitong's mother is as doughy as she can squeeze someone soft with just two handfuls. The honor of the queen mother's family will not fall on her in the end...
Zhang Heling did not allow her to think about it, and said: "Now that you know it, you know that the matter is very important. If she is a difficult person, whether it is difficult at home or in other people, you cannot accept her into the palace, and you cannot raise a tiger."
Become a problem."
This is the queen... the glory and wealth of two generations.
Mrs. Shouning Hou suppressed her mood and said: "My brother's family are all well-known for being honest people, but he is just a scholar sitting in the palace. He has no future and knows nothing."
The implication is obvious, this family will rely on the Zhang family for everything in the future.
Zhang Heling breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Although the emperor cannot issue a decree to marry Sister Xian, but since he has approved Sister Xian's marriage, he does not bear any grudge against her. Now that he is willing to choose a girl from the Zhang family to enter the palace, after all, he still wants to marry her.
The love between the Zhang family and the Empress Dowager and mother are also gratified."
Mrs. Shouning Hou was even more happy and said: "It would be great if the emperor never blamed Xian'er." She then asked, "Since the Marquis said that the palace has decided on the candidate, when will we bring him back? It is not good to live in the big city all the time.
Over there, the eldest princess."
Zhang Heling said with a cold face: "Don't act rashly until the decree comes down! Let's wait and see."
Seeing that the two of them had finished speaking, Zhang Yanling stood up and yawned, saying, "Since eldest brother is fine, I will go back."
Zhang Heling said angrily: "Second brother! There is also the matter of wood and stone!"
Zhang Yanling, who had his back to them, had a sarcastic smile on his face, which disappeared in a moment.
He turned his head and said with a sleepy and unreasonable expression: "Brother, if he wants it, just give it to him. Have I given him less? My people are still catching white tigers in the old forests of Liaodong!"
He shook his head and walked out, saying: "At this moment, being able to suppress the matter is one, being able to please the emperor is the second, and third, there is the Yan Yin that I didn't get! Brother, you are just staring at the Zhou family.
What's the use of ginseng in death? We and the Zhou family are like grasshoppers on the same rope..."
As he gradually moved away, his voice became softer and quieter, "Brother, what do you say in the market? If you don't want to let go of your children, you can't lure the wolf..."
Zhang Heling looked at the careless back of his younger brother and felt his teeth itching with hatred.
Over there, Mrs. Shouning Hou was still in a dizzy state with excitement, her mind was agitated, and many things could hardly be arranged, but the first thing was... "Master Hou, Sister Xian's marriage... is... Shouldn’t it be time to ask the Duke of Zhuang Yuan to come and propose marriage as soon as possible?”
Zhang Heling glared at her and said "I don't know the importance". However, he also had a plan in his heart. It was time to find someone to give Shen Jin some advice.
Li Ge's hometown originally asked Liu Zhong, the examiner of the Yingtianfu Township Examination, to ask Shen Jin. Liu Zhong was regarded as Shen Jin's master. However, the examiner of the joint examination was also Shen Jin's master.
In the 18th year of Hongzhi's reign, there were two examiners for the Yichou Examination. One was Yang Tinghe, and the other was Zhang Yuanzhen, who was then Minister of Taichang Temple and a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy and is now the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The girl from the Zhang family had just thrown Yang Ting and her daughter into the water. They were about to die. Don't even think about this one.
As for Zhang Yuanzhen... Ma Wensheng, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, is over eighty years old. He is deaf and dazzled. He has written many times to beg for an official position. The two ministers of the Ministry of Personnel, Jiao Fang and Zhang Yuanzhen, are also eyeing the position of Minister. They are both in their seventies. , I'm afraid this is the last chance.
Zhang Heling had made up his mind, and he did not tell Mrs. Shouning Hou. He only ordered: "Go and prepare Sister Xian's dowry, and get her married as soon as possible."
No matter how much Mrs. Shouning Hou disliked Zhang Heling's attitude, she could only silently agree.
Zhang Heling added: "Don't tell anyone about Wu's entry into the palace! Especially Sister Xian. If there is any trouble, I won't care about her anymore and let her stay with Sister Ting!"
Mrs. Shouninghou froze, then smiled bitterly and answered.
*
Although there was a banquet at the Shen Mansion in Renshoufang, most of the guests were vegetarian and there was no alcohol due to filial piety, but the guests and hosts still had a great time because of the lively conversation.
Lu Erqilang's father-in-law, Tian Liangzi, did not act like a magic stick to ruin the future of everyone at the banquet. Instead, he confirmed the identity of the Danding sect and took out a few small porcelain bottles to distribute to everyone. He said that he made the heart-nourishing and longevity elixir by himself.
He even took his pulse with the Third Master, and although he didn't tell him how ugly he was, he gave him a bottle of Shiquan Dabu Dan.
The Third Master has always been weak and has taken a lot of medicine. He has also seen many famous doctors. I originally wanted to deduce from Tianliangzi's pulse whether he was a liar, but when I saw that he didn't say anything and went straight to the elixir, it was quite a bit strange. I can't laugh or cry.
Because of Shen Li, Shen Jin had to rush back before the curfew, so the meeting dispersed early.
Shen Jin took Shen Li's car, and the two chatted a few words on the way.
Shen Jin had a hard time in the Hanlin Academy because he offended Mr. Li Ge. Shen Li also knew this, and he took care of him. However, after all, he was only a younger brother of his clan, so people saw that he could only treat him well.
"It's better... to find a place to relax and be at ease." Shen Jin couldn't help but smile bitterly.
However, Shen Li shook his head and said: "How can there be any reason why the number one scholar should be released to others? As time goes by, people will understand you. After a year or two, when that person finds a good son-in-law, no one will mention it again. Already."
Shen Jin just sighed and said after a while: "I have some free time with the clerks. I was helping my second brother sort out some historical documents. I took a look today, and I might as well find some books on shipmen's charts and miscellaneous notes to read."
Shen Li patted his shoulder and said no more.
After sending Shen Jin home, Shen Li passed by a bookstore that was not closed yet. He couldn't help but go in and look around. However, there was no book he was looking for, so he bought two new books for his eldest son, Shen Lin.
As soon as I entered the house, I saw the housekeeper running towards me with sweat on his forehead. He almost chanted, "Sir, you are back. My wife has something urgent to wait for you."
Shen Li looked at the book in his hand, handed it to the attendant beside him, and said, "The top two books will be sent to Brother Xiao Lin. The rest will be put in the study."
Chang Sui responded. Shen Li walked up to the upper room and casually asked the housekeeper who was following him, "What's the emergency? Why didn't you go to the house over there to look for me?"
The housekeeper thought that it was because the wife made the decision directly, but he did not dare to say this. Although he was Shen Li's confidant, it was undoubtedly more appropriate for the couple to talk about such matters themselves.
Therefore, he only said: "Today the third grandma of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Zhang Shilang's house, came over. I heard the news from the second door, and I think she wants to propose marriage to our eldest daughter for Zhang Shilang's eldest grandson."
Shen Li stopped and said in astonishment: "Libu? Zhang Yuanzhen? Why... I didn't say hello before."
When such families want to get married, they usually have to be in contact for a long time. Only when both parties are interested will they formally send official matchmakers to propose marriage, so as not to embarrass each other if one party disagrees. This kind of contact is not limited to the female family members, men will also chat with each other. and children’s marriage.
The housekeeper said awkwardly: "I guess that's what I meant... I probably didn't mention it clearly. I just sent a few gifts and chatted with my wife for a while."
Shen Li frowned and entered the main courtyard. The little maid came early to report the news, but Mrs. Xie did not stand at the door to greet her. Mother Dong only picked up the curtain and said with a smile: "The master is back, so it's easy for my wife to wait."
Shen Li nodded slightly and entered the room, where he saw Mr. Xie sitting on the soft couch with her brocade quilt in her arms, her eyes half closed as if taking a nap.
Two maids came over to undress Shen Li, but Shen Li waved to stop her. Mother Dong walked over softly and whispered in Mr. Sour bamboo shoot soup, I’ll bring it to you right now.” He said with a wink and led the maids out.
Ms. Xie looked at Shen Li for a long time and then said quietly: "What's wrong, sir? You don't change your clothes?"
Of course, he didn't plan to stay in the upper room and went back to the study after a while. Shen Li didn't answer, but asked: "Is there someone coming from Shilang Zhang's house?"
Mrs. Xie cheered up and said with a smile: "It is for this reason that I sent someone to wait for the master in front of the Hanlin Academy..." Halfway through his words, he remembered that Shen Li had gone to the second room, and the joy on his face suddenly disappeared. She faded a little and just said lightly: "The third grandma of the Zhang family came to sit down and mentioned that Mrs. Zhang took a fancy to our sister Mei at the banquet last year and wanted to marry sister Mei to Zhang Hao, the eldest grandson of the Zhang family. That Zhang Hao has four elder sisters. Years old, I won the imperial examination last year! It is extremely rare."
"This child has indeed been known as a child prodigy for a long time, but he has not yet been engaged? And the Zhang family," Shen Li's face darkened, "did you know that Mr. Zhang is now..."
"Master, after all, that is the eldest grandson of the Minister of Civil Affairs' family." Ms. Xie interrupted him and stroked his wild hair, "Besides, my mother told me that Ma Shangshu will become an official, and Zhang Shilang can take a further step. ."
Shen Li frowned.
Zhang Yuanzhen and Jiao Fang had been fighting for this position for a long time.
Because Liu Ge Lao also held the title of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Ma Wensheng, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Jiao Fang, the Minister of Civil Affairs, were both from Henan, the Ministry of Personnel had always been the territory of the Henan Party. As a member of Mr. Liu Ge, Jiao Fang had a natural advantage.
Although Zhang Yuanzhen is not a party member, he has a good relationship with Mr. Li Ge.
The dispute between these two people is also the struggle between the two pavilion elders behind the scenes.
Xie Ge Lao himself has no relationship with Jiao and Zhang, but if he wants to marry his granddaughter to Zhang Yuanzhen's grandson at this time, he will have to join forces with Li Ge Lao to seize Liu Ge Lao's territory.
Since it is a marriage between grandchildren, the Xie family does not have no suitable girls, but they only introduce a granddaughter, just for the sake of advancement and retreat.
Shen Li himself is accustomed to such political tactics, but when his daughter was involved, he couldn't help but feel angry.
Shen Li said coldly: "Since my mother-in-law has agreed, why not marry the Xie family's daughter to her."
Mr. Xie looked at Shen Li in surprise and was a little annoyed: "Master, what do you mean by this?! Zhang Hao is a young and talented man. Isn't he a good son-in-law? Why do you blame the Xie family for letting a talented son-in-law come in?!"
Shen Li took a deep breath. Although he did not believe that his wife was completely ignorant of political affairs, he still said: "This is an important time for the change of ministers in the Ministry of Personnel. It is not appropriate for us to take action to avoid causing trouble to our family. My father-in-law is naturally immobile. , I am just a Hanlin bachelor."
Xie frowned and said: "Since mother has said yes, of course father has also agreed, so what can happen to us?" Then he said patiently: "Master, Sister Mei is not young anymore. In fact, she was already there that day. There were also several ladies who talked to me at the banquet. I saw that Zhang Xiaolangjun was a good scholar and had a high family status, so he was a good match for Sister Mei. Don’t you think about your daughter?"
"You really don't know the key? With the family status of the Zhang family and the talent and learning of the young man of the Zhang family, why do you need to look for a family like ours?" Shen Li looked at his wife, his eyes full of disappointment, "The Yue family says whatever they say. What, for so many years, have you always thought that you were the daughter of the Xie family, not the wife of the Shen family?"
Mrs. Xie felt aggrieved and angry at the same time. She couldn't help but said loudly: "I want to find a husband for my daughter, but what does it have to do with the Xie family and the Shen family? The Shen family, the Shen family..."
Anger surged up, and Ms. Xie couldn't help but scream, "You only care about the Shen family. What did the Shen family give you?! How did the Shen family treat you back then?! How did the Xie family treat you! You Now the Xie family and the Shen family are clearly divided!
Shen Li was exhausted both physically and mentally, and was too lazy to argue with her. The Shen family was indeed indebted to him, but no matter how you put it, it was his aunt who raised and provided for him, and today he has nothing but her aunt to support him. , he would never dare to forget the kindness of the Xie family for supporting him. "That's all, what are you talking about? Let's put this marriage aside for now..."
Mr. Xie sneered and said: "Let go? You let such a talented person wait for you! When Zhang Shilang becomes Zhang Shangshu, will you be able to join him? You don't have to think about it. I have already sent Sister Mei's Geng Tie to you." It’s over. I have the final say in my daughter’s marriage!”
"You!" Shen Li slapped the table and stood up. He was so angry that he didn't know what to say. "You...!"
Mrs. Xie was aroused and couldn't hold it in any longer, so she exploded like firecrackers, "Now you are not allowed to do this or that, what have you been doing?! I asked people to block you in front of the Hanlin Academy, why don't you still do it? Baba went to the second room?! He didn’t care about his own affairs, but he ran to the second room diligently!”
"Why don't you think about it, the reason why the second room comes to look for you for everything is because you are the only official in the court! You are serving others in vain! There are so many things for the second room, and you are the only fool!
"Who are the two second-in-laws? Your good brother, you raised him in vain in those years, but now he can't show any kindness? What benefit has he given you? Why don't you just come and ask for your help when something happens? , holding you back everywhere!
"He doesn't know how to do it. He joined the second house and took charge of the family, but he learned how to spend money lavishly! Do you know that yesterday he gave a good village to a man named Yang! He is going to be the son-in-law of the Yang family ?! What kind of honorary disciples did you learn before? What kind of refugees did you accept? If you threw your money in the water, what would you lose? Sooner or later, all the belongings of the second room were ruined by him!
"Since you have to take care of the second wife's affairs, you should take care of him! If the Yang family girl is not lucky enough to survive, it would be fine. Such a restless person will drag us down sooner or later. Let's choose a wife for him this time , we can’t let them do it!
"There is also the weaving factory left to him by the fourth-fang aunt, but the tribute is from the emperor. If something goes wrong, it is a family matter. He cannot be allowed to mess around. My eldest sister-in-law told me that her natal family There is someone who knows about the cloth shop and weaving factory. We have to take care of it for him. Don't always deal with all the rags and trivial matters for him, but also seize the important ones..."
The more Shen Li listened, the more something was wrong. The more he listened, the more angry he became. When he finally heard it, he couldn't bear it any longer. He stretched out his hand and overturned a small table, smashing all the teapots and teacups to the ground. Broken porcelain flew out and made a continuous crunching sound.
Xie was startled and stared at him blankly, unable to recover for a moment.
She had never seen him lose such a big temper. Normally, he would just say a few words and ignore others when he was angry.
"You are the one who makes the decision about your own children, and you still want to take care of the second wife's affairs?!" Shen Li's eyes almost burst into flames, and he gritted his teeth and said, "You want to take care of the second wife's marriage, and also the second wife's property? You What a great ability. You are the rich daughter of the pavilion, and the Shen family has nine rooms and a small temple. We cannot afford to support a mistress like you."
"What did you say?!" Mrs. Xie screamed, no longer acting weak, she jumped off the couch in two steps, threw herself at Shen Li and began to fight, "Who am I for?! Who am I for! What am I doing for this family? You, Shen Li, are so heartbroken that you can still say such things! Shen Li, do you still have a conscience?"
Shen Li pushed her away and said in disgust: "What kind of shrew are you doing!"
"Shrew, shrew?!" Mrs. Xie looked like she was crazy, laughed twice, but shed tears. She rushed over again and grabbed Shen Li's clothes, and cursed at the top of her lungs: "Shen Li! How much favor have you received from my Xie family? Now, I'm an old man, but you find it offensive, you ungrateful thing! I understand, you also want to imitate Shen Zhou from the second room?! Okay, okay, it's strange that you went to the second room every day and learned these things! Shen Li, you You are so heartless! You have no conscience..."
Shen Li's face turned livid with anger, and he raised his right hand, but looking at his wife's face with tears streaming down her face, and the silver threads in her disheveled hair, she couldn't get rid of them. Finally, she opened her hand and said in a deep voice: "This time My son, you are unconscious, so I won’t tell you. When you wake up, I will write you a letter of release from my wife. I will take all your family members away with you." After saying that, he turned around and walked out of the inner room.
As soon as the words "letter to release my wife" were spoken, Mrs. Xie felt as if she was under a spell. Her crying stopped suddenly and she stood stunned on the spot.
When she came to her senses, Shen Li had disappeared behind the door curtain, but she no longer cried. She felt that the raging anger had burned her to ashes. She scolded "beast" sharply, turned around suddenly, overturned the case, and began Smashed everything in the house.
Shen Li stepped into the yard and saw Mother Dong standing frozen on the porch, her hand holding the tray trembling slightly. The lid and body of the bowl of sour bamboo shoot soup collided with each other, making a slight breaking sound.
Seeing Shen Li striding out, Mother Dong didn't care about anything else. She threw the tray away in a panic, rushed over to get ahead of him, and knelt down in front of Shen Li.
"Mother Dong, there's no need to say anything." Shen Li walked around.
But Mother Dong threw herself at Shen Li's feet again, kowtowed and begged, "Master, let me say a word, Madam... Madam, she is sick... Master, don't blame Madam..."
A sneer appeared on Shen Li's lips, and he simply said: "I think she is also ill."
Mother Dong almost bruised her forehead and begged: "I never lied, nor did I defend my wife. In fact, in recent months, my wife has always been restless in sleep, and the sunflower water... the sunflower water also comes and goes." I invited a doctor to come and see, and he said... He said that when the Tiankui is about to die, the Qi is stagnant and the blood is withered, and the evil spirits are attacking, you will become anxious, restless, and moody..."
Shen Li was silent for a long time, and finally sighed and said: "Real illness can be cured, but mental illness is difficult to cure. It's not that she did this because she was ill at this time, but she has never looked down on the Shen family and took care of everything. The Xie family is at the head of the Shen family."
Mother Dong still cried: "I have misunderstood my wife. My wife only misses me and my young lady..."
Shen Li said nothing, walked around her, and walked out of the main courtyard.
There was no yelling or cursing in the upper room, only dull banging sounds of tables, tables, and chairs hitting the floor, like cotton wool stuck in the heart, causing depression and dull pain.