Chapter 1006: Accompanying you is like accompanying a tiger, Pan'er's satisfaction
Chapter 1006: Accompanying you is like accompanying a tiger, Pan'er's satisfaction
"Deputy Envoy Zhou!"
Looking at Guo Fen, the commander in front of the palace who was also wearing a purple robe, Zhou Chen responded with a dull expression.
"Commander Guo."
Although Guo Fen is the commander of the Palace Front Division and Zhou Chen's superior, and his rank is still from the second rank, higher than Zhou Chen, Zhou Chen has no respect for him.
Of course, not only Zhou Chen had no respect for him, Guo Fen also had no good impression of Zhou Chen.
For Guo Fen, Zhou Chen is his political enemy, and he is also the biggest one.
Originally, he was the commander-in-chief of the Palace Front Division, and in the Palace Front Division, he could be said to be the master of everything.
But after the Xiao Qinyan assassination incident, everything changed. His deputy commander and Du Yuhou were both sent to prison. Although he was not arrested, he was severely punished by the housekeeper and ordered to shut up and reflect on his mistakes.
Although he did not collude with Qi Mu and other people from the Qingliu lineage, in fact, as the commander of the Palace Front Division, how could he not understand the actions of his subordinates at all, but he did not take care of them.
For him, it doesn't make much difference whether Xiao Qinyan comes to power or the Qingliu line continues to be strong. If they want to fight, let them fight.
But what he didn't expect was that people from the Qingliu lineage would be so stupid that they would just assassinate him and let someone from his palace do it. In the end, not only did they not succeed, but they were all exposed.
In the end, it was good. The Qingliu lineage wanted to wipe it out, but his palace minister couldn't do it.
So he had to take the blame even if he didn't want to, but fortunately, he was okay in the end. He was just fined and spent a few months thinking about it behind closed doors.
But when he returned to Dianqiansi, he was shocked to find that the current Dianqiansi was no longer his Dianqiansi.
Although he knew that Zhou Chen had become the deputy commander of the Dianqian Division, he did not expect that Zhou Chen would be so ruthless and decisive. During his absence, he had already changed the Dianqian Division.
Many of his confidants have been transferred to other places. Now the current Palace Chief, he actually doesn’t have many confidants anymore, and nine out of ten of them have become Zhou Chen’s people.
After coming out, he also tried hard to fight Zhou Chen, but the result was very bad. His previous connections had no advantage at all in front of Zhou Chen.
What's more important is that now the officials have more trust in Zhou Chen, and even the saints regard Zhou Chen in a different light. He, the authentic commander of the capital, has actually turned into an empty frame.
Under such circumstances, if he sees Zhou Chen and looks good to Zhou Chen, then that's a problem.
"Deputy Ambassador Zhou just got married. Why don't you rest at home and come to perform your duties in such a hurry?"
"I have no choice but to receive the emperor's favor. I feel terrified in my heart. As my duty lies, I can only do my best to serve you and I don't dare to rest."
Guo Fen was choked and felt very unhappy. He approached Zhou Chen and said in a cold tone: "Deputy Envoy Zhou, don't think that you can do whatever you want in the court just because you have taken refuge with the saint and Xiao Qinyan. Such a dignified nobleman actually does this."
If you become a lackey of the rear party, you will really lose the glory of your ancestors."
Zhou Chen's face remained unchanged and he responded calmly: "It seems that Commander Guo has not woken up after being behind closed doors these days. How about Commander Guo go back and reflect on himself for a while?"
"Huh, if you join the party and marry a prostitute, I think you are killing yourself."
"That's much better than being a loyal dog of the Qingliu lineage."
Zhou Chen didn't argue with Guo Fen because he didn't join the rear party. The relationship between the two of them was destined to be impossible to coexist harmoniously, so there was no need to give him a good look or explain.
Guo Fen looked ugly. Of course he was not a loyal dog of the Qingliu lineage. After all, he was the commander of the front department of the palace. From a second-grade official, his rank was higher than that of Qi Mu. How could he be Qi Mu's dog?
But when Ke Zheng was Prime Minister before, he was indeed a little biased towards the Qingliu lineage, so he would tolerate his subordinates doing things for the Qingliu lineage.
"Zhou Chen, don't be arrogant, let's see who can have the last laugh."
After saying harsh words, Guo Fen walked away.
Zhou Chen looked at Guo Fen's leaving figure and frowned slightly. He did not underestimate Guo Fen, so when he arrived at the front office, he would cleanse Guo Fen's accomplices as quickly as possible.
Today I completely broke up with Guo Fen. Guo Fen is obviously not broad-minded and it is definitely impossible to tolerate what he does.
The intrigues in the officialdom are really nothing but ink. Why don't we just kill him and end it once and for all?
With his current force, even if he assassinates the emperor in the palace, he is 70-80% sure. Assassinating Guo Fen will definitely not be more difficult than assassinating the emperor.
But he quickly vetoed it. Now that he had the advantage, why did he want to flip the table? If something happened to Guo Fen, he, the deputy commander, would be highly suspicious, so there was no need to add unnecessary trouble to himself.
trouble.
Guo Fen wanted to fight, so he continued, just to find some fun for the rest of his life.
"Hey, what are you looking at?"
Suddenly a female voice sounded.
Zhou Chen was not frightened because he heard footsteps just now.
Gao Hui walked up to Zhou Chen and looked at Zhou Chen with a sweet smile, a look of joy mixed with curiosity.
"I see you have been in a daze for a while. What are you looking at?"
"Gao Niangzi."
Zhou Chen had no ill feelings towards the familiar and carefree Gao Hui. Although this young lady was rumored to be domineering, he knew that although she had a somewhat arrogant temper, she was actually a simple and kind-hearted girl.
Gao Hui said with a smile: "I came to see my aunt today. I didn't expect to meet you again by such a coincidence. Marquis Zhongyong, I heard that you just got married, why are you here at work again so soon?"
"The duty lies."
"Marquis Zhongyong, I heard that you seem to be marrying a commoner girl who is a merchant. You must like her very much, otherwise you wouldn't be able to marry her as your eldest wife, right?"
Gao Hui's eyes were wide open and full of curiosity. She was a woman, so she was not like other literati who would despise Zhou Chen's behavior.
On the contrary, I feel that Zhou Chen must love his wife very much, otherwise it would be impossible for him to marry a businesswoman as a noble marquis. This must be love and love.
A young girl who had not yet left the court had no qualms about talking to Zhou Chen about such things. Zhou Chen felt that this little lady was really stupid.
"Well, I love my wife very much, and it has nothing to do with status."
"I knew it."
Gao Hui clapped her hands happily, as if she was happy that she had guessed the truth correctly.
"I really want to meet that sister and know what kind of person it is that can fascinate someone like you."
Thinking of the 'fate' between Gao Hui and Zhao Pan'er, Zhou Chen didn't know what to say for a moment.
Because Ouyang Xu had been eliminated by him long ago, Gao Hui and Zhao Paner naturally had no chance to meet again, and naturally there would be no intersection.
"Ms. Gao is ridiculous. I'm just an ordinary person. I still have official duties to attend to, so I won't delay Mrs. Gao's business."
Seeing that Zhou Chen was about to leave, Gao Hui hurriedly said: "Wait, why are you leaving before you say a few words? I have already seen my aunt. I haven't thanked you for saving me last time."
.”
"Ms. Gao, you're very polite. It was just a chance meeting. If it had been anyone else, they would have helped me, so there's no need to express my gratitude."
Although Gao Hui was quite beautiful, Zhou Chen didn't have time to chat with her here, so he quickly left because he was busy with official duties, making Gao Hui stomp his feet angrily.
After returning to the Hou Mansion at the end of the day, Zhao Paner told Zhou Chen about Song Yinzhang and the others coming to the Hou Mansion today.
"I also asked them to leave with a lot of things."
Zhou Chen held Zhao Pan'er's cheeks and said softly: "There is no need to tell me this kind of trivial matter. Pan'er, you are now the wife of my Ming Matchmaker, the eldest lady of the Zhongyong Hou Mansion. In this Hou Mansion, besides me, there is no one else
, you are the biggest, you don’t have to put pressure on yourself or worry, I will always support you.”
Zhao Pan'er is actually a very independent person, but she just married into the Hou family and has not been able to change her identity for a while, so she is a little constrained in doing things.
She didn't say anything and leaned directly into Zhou Chen's arms.
"Master Hou, it's great to have you."
The life she lives now is something she could not imagine before. Because of this, she thinks more and wants to handle everything in the Hou Mansion for Zhou Chen.
"This is just the beginning. We still have decades to come. In this life, you will always be my eldest wife, and I will always be your official."
"Well, forever."
Thinking of the summons from the officials and the queen today, Zhou Chen said: "Pan'er, today I met with the officials and the queen. They all want to meet you, so in a few days, I will take you to the palace to meet the Holy Emperor."
"Ah? Entering the palace to meet the saint?"
Zhao Pan'er sat up from Zhou Chen's arms in surprise, with a nervous look on her face: "The officials and the Queen want to see me?"
Zhou Chen said with a smile: "Don't be so nervous. Not only are you the eldest lady of the Hou family, you are also the third-grade imperial concubine of the official family. Of course you are qualified to enter the palace to meet the saint."
But his comfort didn't work at all, Zhao Pan'er still looked uneasy.
"But, but I have never been to the palace and met the officials and the empress. What should I do?"
"It doesn't matter. Aunt Zhu and Aunt Pu know the etiquette of entering the palace to meet the saint. They will teach you in the next few days. With your intelligence and alertness, there will be no problem."
Zhao Pan'er was still nervous: "Then what should I pay attention to? Will the officials and saints look down on me?"
"You are overthinking this. Our official family is actually quite kind. As for the Queen."
Zhou Chen's expression became a little more serious: "Whatever I say to you next, you must not spread it."
Seeing Zhou Chen being so serious, Zhao Pan'er also nodded solemnly: "Okay."
"Our Queen, I told you about the night banquet before, and you should have some understanding of her experience, but what I want to tell you is that the Queen is very resourceful and ambitious.
Jiji, now controls almost half of the forces in the DPRK and China, and she has been wooing me recently, but as a distinguished noble, I cannot stand on the side of the rear party, so I have never agreed."
"If you go to the palace and meet the queen, she will definitely try her best to trick you, or even win you over directly. I know this is difficult, but..."
Before Zhou Chen could finish speaking, Zhao Pan'er stretched out her finger and pressed it on Zhou Chen's mouth.
"I understand, Lord Marquis, don't worry, I am not that fragile. I have experienced life and death. Even if I face the Queen, I will not be timid."
Zhou Chen praised: "Well done, you are indeed my Pan'er. So what about the Queen? She is not necessarily better than our Pan'er."
Zhao Pan'er was startled and quickly covered Zhou Chen's mouth: "Don't talk nonsense, it will be troublesome if someone hears it."
"Yes, yes, Pan'er is right. In the future, you should always remind your officials." Zhou Chen kissed Zhao Pan'er's palm gently.
Zhao Pan'er rolled his eyes and said: "You know how to laugh at me. I don't seek glory in this life. As long as I can stay with Mr. Hou forever, live together for a long time, and see Mr. Hou every day when I open my eyes, I will
I am satisfied."
Zhou Chen scratched Zhao Pan'er's nose and said softly: "Yes, I'm afraid you'll get bored looking at it in the future."
"No, even if I look at Mr. Hou all my life, I will not feel bored, I will only feel happy."
Zhao Pan'er doesn't have many wishes. She has experienced a wealthy life and also experienced misery, so she desires happiness more than many people and desires to be with Zhou Chen forever.
A few days later, Zhou Chen took Zhao Pan'er to the palace. Within a few days, Zhao Pan'er had learned the court etiquette and put on her imperial attire when she went there.
After paying homage to the officials, Zhao Pan'er was called to the harem by Queen Liu Wan. Only the officials Zhao Heng and Zhou Chen were left in the palace, and even the servant Cui was arranged outside.
Looking at this posture, Zhou Chen knew that Zhao Heng must have something important to tell him.
As expected, Zhao Heng made a big move as soon as he opened his mouth.
"Zhou Qing, what do you think of Mr. Xiao?"
Zhou Chen looked stern and said in a deep voice: "I don't have many opportunities to interact with Xianggong Xiao, but the official's acceptance of Xianggong Xiao must be because they rely heavily on Xianggong Xiao's talents."
This nutritious answer naturally did not satisfy Zhao Heng.
"Qing Zhou, there are only two of us, the emperor and his ministers, in this palace. You don't have to worry. If you have anything to say, just say it."
"My lord, I obey the order."
What else could Zhou Chen say, he could only nod in agreement, but he made up his mind that no matter what Zhao Heng asked later, he would start Tai Chi.
Zhao Heng asked solemnly: "Do you think Mr. Xiao will be able to safely assist the prince a hundred years from now?"
"Well."
Zhou Chen was stunned for a moment. He never expected that Zhao Heng would ask him such a shocking question. He really didn't know how to answer.
"The official body is in good health and longevity is boundless..."
"Okay, don't say these useless things. You are a noble person, and I trust you more than Prime Minister Xiao."
Zhou Chen could only grit his teeth and reply: "Xiao Xiang is the pillar of the imperial court and will definitely assist the prince in governing the world."
Zhao Heng was a little disappointed and sighed: "The prince is young, I really can't worry about it, but you are right, Mr. Xiao is loyal and will never let me down."
Zhou Chen lowered his head. Judging from his appearance, he knew that Zhao Heng did not have many days left. Based on the official history, it was estimated that Zhao Heng's deadline would be within these few months.
No wonder Zhao Heng suddenly asked him this question, no wonder Queen Liu Wan asked him to bring Zhao Pan'er into the palace. They both probably wanted to test their attitudes. It seemed that in the minds of these two people, their weight was already quite heavy.
Zhao Heng asked a few more questions, including some involving the prince, but Zhou Chen answered them after careful consideration, fully demonstrating his loyalty to the court, his support for the prince, etc.
He knew very well that the closer the life was to the last moment, the more suspicious the emperor would be. Although the emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty were rarely murderous, they still had to be cautious.
He had to be careful when dealing with the official Zhao Heng here. Zhao Pan'er in the harem would not be easy when facing the queen Liu Wan, so he couldn't help but worry about Pan'er.
…………
After waiting for a long time, Zhou Chen finally waited for Zhao Pan'er who was sent by the palace maid, and then quietly left the palace with Zhao Pan'er.
After getting on the carriage, Zhou Chen asked Zhao Pan'er: "Pan'er, are you okay? Did the Queen give you a hard time?"
Zhao Pan'er shook his head and said: "No, on the contrary, he is very enthusiastic. But you guessed it right, the empress has been testing me, and she even pretends to be close to her, so that I can go to the harem more in the future."
"As long as it doesn't embarrass you."
Zhou Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that Liu Wan was ambitious and would listen to politics behind the curtain in the future and control the government for more than ten years. Although Zhao Pan'er was smart, he was definitely not as smart as Liu Wan.
So he asked Zhao Pan'er to tell him everything that happened in the harem. He knew that Liu Wan must also have the intention of letting Zhao Pan'er pass on the message. There were some things that were difficult to say to him, but it was easier to talk between women.
"Master Hou, did I say something wrong?" Zhao Pan'er asked nervously. She was afraid that she would say something wrong and cause trouble to Zhou Chen.
Zhou Chen held her hand and said comfortingly: "No, you didn't say anything wrong."
Now it was Zhao Paner's turn to breathe a sigh of relief: "As long as you didn't say the wrong thing, that's fine."
Zhou Chen suddenly laughed: "Now you understand the meaning of what I said to you before. Marrying me actually requires taking a lot of risks. Sometimes every word and deed will be magnified by others. It's not like you are here."
When I was in Qiantang, I was free to do whatever I wanted, but there were too many rules in Tokyo, especially in the palace."
Zhao Pan'er knew that Zhou Chen was trying to comfort herself and said these words deliberately, and she felt very warm in her heart.
"Don't say that. Compared to what you brought to me, these are nothing. I don't understand many things now, but I can learn slowly."
She had heard some rumors about Zhou Chen and her. She didn't care about being said, but she couldn't accept it when others said bad things about Zhou Chen, so she took a breath in her heart and wanted to do a good job and let those people
Look, Zhou Chen made the right choice.
Zhou Chen gently hugged Zhao Pan'er into his arms and expressed his love and affection: "Pan'er, you are so kind."
"Master Hou, you are really good to me." Zhao Pan'er also hugged Zhou Chen tightly.
"You are my wife, of course I must treat you well."
"very nice."
This was Zhao Paner's first time going to the palace, and it had a great impact on her. It made her know that if she wanted to be a good wife of the Hou Mansion, she not only had to manage the Hou Mansion well, but also be cautious when outside.
, the confrontation between women in the harem backyard should not be underestimated. If you are not careful, it may cause problems and cause unnecessary trouble.
Late at night, Zhao Paner lay next to Zhou Chen.
She felt very happy to marry Zhou Chen. Zhou Chen was very kind to her and could satisfy everything she wanted.
But recently, her body has gradually begun to feel weak, because Zhou Chen's physical fitness is so strong, he is as strong as an ox, as if he can't feel tired, and he recovers very quickly.
She was very happy at first, but after all, her physical fitness was not as good as Zhou Chen's. It became difficult to get up the next day. As time went by, she became a little unbearable.
On the other hand, Zhou Chen, even if he works hard all night, he can still be energetic the next day.
Zhao Pan'er came out of Jiaofangsi very early. She had been hiding her clumsiness before, so she had no experience in this field at all. After she left Jiaofangsi, she only dated Ouyang Xu, and she was more in love than polite.
So before she met Zhou Chen, she was a well-behaved woman.
But after all, I have stayed in a place like Jiaofangsi for several years. Although I have not experienced those things, I still have some understanding of this kind of thing.
After marrying into the Hou family, Aunt Zhu told her some things in this regard in private, so she also knew that Zhou Chen was different from ordinary people in this aspect.
She doesn't quite understand. Is it because Zhou Chen has high martial arts skills, or is he really gifted?
But no matter what, since they got married, except for the occasional inconvenience, the two have always been inseparable.
Zhao Pan'er felt that if she continued like this, she would be useless sooner or later, so sometimes she had to refuse when facing Zhou Chen.
Originally she was worried that Zhou Chen would be unhappy, but Zhou Chen didn't care at all. Although sometimes they couldn't share the same room, he would still hold her to sleep every night, which made her feel particularly at ease.
"Pan'er, I may have to come back late tonight. Someone in the department is holding a banquet in the Jiaofang Department."
Zhou Chen said it calmly, and Zhao Pan'er didn't think there was a problem, and replied gently: "Then let Qin Yi follow?"
She doesn't object to Zhou Chen's visit to Jiaofangsi. In this era, it is normal to go to Jiaofangsi to visit brothels. Especially many scholars are proud of it and often visit brothels and Jiaofangs.
Si Li's poems and lyrics are sometimes even passed down as a good story.
Furthermore, Zhou Chen took the initiative to tell him, showing that she was open-minded enough that even if Zhou Chen really did something in the Jiaofang Division, as long as it was not excessive, she would turn a blind eye.
This is because in ancient times, women's status was generally low and their ability to accept was also very strong.
Even the heroic father in her mind was not only her mother, but also had two concubines.
Zhou Chen married her as the eldest wife of the Hou family and treated her so well that she no longer needed much desire.
What's more, she has been tortured by Zhou Chen a lot these days, and she can naturally see that Zhou Chen has restrained himself, so she can accept Zhou Chen's occasional outing and indulgence.
Zhou Chen didn't know what Zhao Pan'er was thinking. If he knew, he would have a few words of emotion.
It’s so good in ancient times! It’s so damn good!
As soon as the carriage left the Hou Mansion, a figure got on the carriage. Qin Yi, who was driving the carriage, pretended not to see him and concentrated on driving the carriage.