After returning from Huguo Temple, Zhong Yuqing not only failed to untie her knot, but became even more depressed.
Xia Houshu asked insinuatingly several times. Not only did her mother not tell her the reason, she also reasoned that there were a lot of things going on in the mansion recently and she had to be busy for a while, so she told Xia Houshu not to disturb her if she had nothing to do.
Xia Houshu thought that his injury was not healed yet, and if he hung around in front of his mother too often, it would inevitably expose his flaws. Since her mother told her not to hang around in front of her, she was happy to leave her alone and recuperate at her residence in the name of sorting out the music scores.
The medicine given by the man in purple was miraculous. Within three or four days of use, the wound had already started to scab. After about half a month, there was only a faint scar left. If you didn’t look carefully, it looked like a slight scratch. It was usually bandaged.
Well, if you cover it with your sleeves, it won't hurt.
Xia Houshu was a person who loved to have fun. Seeing that the wound on his arm was gradually healing, and the music score was almost finished, he couldn't sit still, so he took Yunxi to have fun in his house.
The Duke's Mansion of the State of Yue was built on the basis of the Xiahou family's ancestral residence. As the descendants of the later generations prospered, the residence became larger and larger.
Entering from the solemn and elegant gate of the mansion, there is a large lake, about five or six meters deep, accounting for about one-third of the entire manor. The pool accumulates water all year round, becoming a unique scenery in the mansion. In summer, a pool of clear water
The lotus flowers are fragrant, dragonflies are splashing in the water and butterflies are busy; in winter, the pond is full of nectar and jade liquid, as clear as a mirror reflecting the skylight. Especially at night, the stars in the sky are reflected on the water, as if bathing in the pool, so it is named Xingxing Pond.
There is a water pavilion in the center of Xixing Pond. A winding corridor winds from north to south, changing the scenery as you move, leading directly to the garden in the north. In the garden, rocks are staggered, pavilions and pavilions stand in abundance, vegetation is flourishing, flowers are in abundance, and they are full of vitality. At the back of the garden is a broad
There is a small bluestone square. A row of neat courtyards are built along the gardens on the east and west sides of the square. The Muchun Courtyard is in the east and the Longqiu Courtyard is in the west. They are home to staff and their families who have not purchased real estate in Beijing.
To the north of the square, there are three gates, one facing north and the other facing south. It is a house with three depths. Inside the main gate are the front hall, the middle hall and the back hall along the north-south central axis. The front hall is the most magnificent, the house is tall and spacious, and the hall is in the middle.
There is a family plaque personally written by Emperor Taizong, and elegant huanghuali wood furniture and porcelain ornaments are placed neatly and orderly on both sides. It is a place for discussing business and entertaining guests. The middle hall is also called Songyatang, which is the bedroom of successive heads of the Xiahou family.
The decoration inside the house is elegant and noble. The left and right wings are respectively the study and private treasury of the head of the family. The back hall is the family temple, which enshrines the tablets of ancestors of the Xiahou family. It is solemn and solemn, and the incense is constantly burning all day long.
I could smell the scent of incense. To the north of the back hall, there was a mountain of soil. Several courtyards were built on the mountain. With towering ancient trees and vines climbing the walls, it became a summer resort.
Inside the east side gate are rows of unique and well-organized courtyards. The courtyards are deep and have different scenery. They are connected by corridors and are where the descendants of the Xiahou family live. Behind them is a bamboo forest mixed with cypress trees and a small garden, like
A natural barrier separates the residence of family members from the school where children and grandchildren are educated.
Inside the west side gate, there are carports, livestock sheds, warehouses and servants' quarters arranged in an orderly manner. People come and go, making it lively and full of fireworks.
The most lively places in the entire Yue Kingdom Palace were Muchunyuan and Longqiuyuan where the staff lived.
When he has nothing to do, Xia Houshu likes to go to Muchun Courtyard to watch his father's aides debate or fight. Therefore, he often hears about major events happening in the court and rumors and gossip in the capital.
The most heated discussion recently is the great joy of the emperor's happiness in having his eldest son and the general amnesty for the whole world.
The current emperor, Dugu Che, had been on the throne for more than seven years. He was smart, capable, benevolent, and virtuous, and he was popular among the people. Under his governance, the government was clear, the neighbors were stable, the world was prosperous, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. People said that he had the legacy of Emperor Taizong.
However, as the emperor, who is the most respected person in the world, he cannot get everything he wants.
It is said that since Dugu Che came to the throne, he has recruited beautiful women twice to fill the inner palace. Now there are more than a dozen named concubines in the palace, all of whom are gentle, virtuous, and talented. But over the years, except for Queen Xiao of Daxing,
The family gave birth to a princess for the emperor, but no one successfully gave birth to an heir.
It is said that Empress Xiao was kind-hearted, virtuous and obedient. She and the emperor knew each other at a very young age, and the relationship between husband and wife was very deep. However, beauties have always been unlucky in ancient times. Empress Xiao encountered a chaos in the palace before giving birth, which caused her to be frightened and give birth prematurely. She passed away soon after giving birth to the princess.
Human world.
The emperor also attached great importance to love and righteousness, and loved his wife deeply but had yet to appoint a new queen. All matters in the inner palace were managed by his biological mother, the Queen Mother Yao, and the concubines got along very harmoniously.
Although the emperor was in his prime, the lack of heirs and the empty throne still caused criticism and worry among the courtiers. Especially Dugu Che had two half-brothers who were excellent in all aspects. One had many wives and concubines and prosperous heirs.
Pu Wang Duguyan, the other is Ji Wang Dugulu who has just turned eighteen and is not yet married.
The birth of the emperor's eldest son brought new hope to the royal family, but it also broke the original balance inside and outside the palace, setting off an undercurrent between the court and the inner palace, and exposing everyone's thoughts to the sun.
Firstly, the birth mother of the emperor's eldest son, Lu, was from a humble background and was now just a mere beauty, unable to raise a prince. Secondly, the emperor was young and powerful, and his position in the middle palace had been suspended for many years. After all, it was against the rules.
What's more, it is said that no prince has been born in the palace for many years, and even if there is an occasional pregnancy, it is difficult to keep the fetus, which is related to the lack of an owner of the sixth palace. If a virtuous person is placed in the middle palace, his mother will honor the world, and the ancestral temple will comfort him.
As long as the line of succession continues, the country will surely prosper.
In the memorials written by the courtiers requesting the appointment of a new queen, they already had their opinions on the candidates for the new queen.
Among them, the two who have the loudest voices are the gorgeous and flamboyant concubine Yao, who is also the niece of the Empress Dowager Yao and the emperor's cousin. The other is the dignified and humble concubine Tong, the cousin of the Empress Dowager Yang.
My sister's daughter and my biological niece.
The new round of competition for the throne looks like a competition between the Yao and Tong families on the surface, but in fact it is also a struggle between the two queen mothers.
Everyone knows that Dugu Che is not the legitimate son of the late emperor, and his biological mother, Yao, is only the late emperor's concubine. After Dugu Che ascended the throne, according to etiquette, he respected the former emperor's first wife, Yang, as the empress dowager, and lived in Jihe Palace; his biological mother, concubine Yao, was the empress dowager.
The Empress Dowager lived in Yushao Palace.
Because Jihe Palace and Yushao Palace are located on the east and west sides of the inner palace respectively, the empress dowagers of the two palaces are also called the East Empress Dowager and the West Empress Dowager respectively.
Over the years, Empress Dowager Yang has been avoiding living in Jihe Palace, eating fast and chanting Buddha's name, not caring about anything, and has gradually lost the momentum she had when she was the queen. And Empress Dowager Yao is the biological mother of the emperor, and controls the actual power of the Sixth Palace, so she naturally wants to do everything.
Even though the two concubines Yao and Tong have strong family backgrounds, have been in the palace for many years, and have similar honors and favors in the palace, Concubine Yao has the full support of the Yao family headed by the Empress Dowager Yao.
With many years of experience and methods in assisting Empress Dowager Yao in managing the inner palace, she seems to have an advantage in the competition for the position of the middle palace.
But Concubine Tong Shu is not bad either.
When the late emperor was still alive, Concubine Tong Shu often went to the palace with her mother to visit her aunt Yang, who was the queen at that time. She played with the princes and princesses in the palace since she was a child, and her words and deeds were exemplary. Moreover, she and Dugu Che's original wife, Xiao, were ancestral
She is related to her, so she looks somewhat similar to Mrs. Xiao and has a gentle temperament. Even Princess Fule, the daughter of Mrs. Xiao, is very close to her.
Xia Houshu sat behind the screen with his chin in his hands and listened for a long time, becoming increasingly impatient with the arguments among his staff.
Although the three families of Yao, Tong, and Yang hold high positions in Nanqi and have always been related by marriage to the royal family, they have all been civil servants for generations, while the Xiahou family is a family of military generals, so they can be said to be distinct.
Civil and military officials have always had differences in political opinions, and verbal conflicts are common. Most of them maintain superficial harmony. Therefore, the Xiahou family and the Yao Tong family are just officials in the same dynasty and work together under the same emperor. They have no deep friendship in private.
.
No matter who the Queen's position ends up being, it will have little impact on the Yue government.
Neither the left nor the right are our own people.
Furthermore, women of the Xiahou family who were born in the general family have never been known for being gentle, virtuous, knowledgeable and courteous, and they have never been the best candidates for concubines. Therefore, there is no precedent for a Xiahou family woman to marry into the royal family in the past dynasties. Therefore, the Xiahou family is here
You can completely stay out of the battle for positions at the back of the court. The aides in the government are quarreling and talking here, just to show off their talents and foresight.
As for Xia Houshu, he just thought it was a book that was not very exciting.
The staff were still competing to express their opinions, but Xia Houshu was no longer interested in listening. She curled her lips, stood up, stretched, and led Yunxi to walk slowly outside.
When she reached an alley, she saw no one around, so she turned into an inconspicuous small courtyard.
Mu Chun Garden is home to a large number of celebrities, literati, and martial arts masters recruited by Xia Houyuan. These people have unique skills and their own strengths. When they gather together, they are like a ball of fire, and when they are scattered, they are like stars. They are also the most powerful people in Xia Houyuan's military career.
Help, a veritable think tank.
Among them was a young staff member named Pei Lang who was proficient in medical skills.
I heard from the housekeeper that Pei Lang was an orphan. He followed his master to the Duke of Yue's mansion when he was twelve years old. He stayed there for more than ten years. He was born as the Duke of Yue's family and died as the ghost of the Duke of Yue.
Over the years, aides in the government have come and gone. Some have been born, some have died; some have become officials and have risen to prominence, and are content with their ambitions; some have resolved the turmoil and stayed away from the court, enjoying their time; and some have fished in troubled waters, relying on a certain event in the past.
The merits of the Duke of Yue's government were all in vain. Pei Lang was the only one who was indifferent to fame and fortune. Even though his master had passed away for many years, he had been living in the medicine house of Muchunyuan, holding a medical book from morning to night every day.
I just shut myself in the house and tinker with medicinal herbs. Occasionally I go into the mountains to collect herbs, and I don't see anyone for several days.
Pei Lang is not good at words, has few close friends, and does not have a confidante or a wife or children. In the past, when his master was still alive, he had made plans to get him married, but in the end nothing happened. And because he rarely had close friendships with others, he lived in the house.
After so many years, his sense of existence is very weak. Fortunately, he has superb medical skills, and the people in the house treat him respectfully. If he has a headache or fever, he basically doesn't need to go to the doctor outside.
Xiahou Shu had a good relationship with Pei Lang and also valued his medical skills.
She is a martial arts practitioner and a hard-working person. She often suffers minor injuries and it is difficult to tell others the cause of the injury. Pei Lang has superb medical skills and a strict mouth. Over time, they have a tacit understanding.
Of course, there is another important reason, that is, she once heard Xia Houyi mention that when her eldest brother Xia Houyi was still alive, she had a good relationship with Pei Lang and often played chess with him.
Xia Houhui is such a proud man. To be able to catch his eye, Pei Lang must not be simple.
Xia Houshu put away his memories. Before he stepped into the medicine house where Pei Lang lived, he smelled a strong smell of Chinese herbal medicine and knew that Pei Lang was showing off the precious medicinal materials he collected from everywhere. She walked along
When you enter through the ajar door, you will see that the yard is neatly filled with bamboo dustpans of different sizes. Each dustpan contains different medicinal materials, including common and precious varieties such as Ganoderma lucidum, ginseng, and deer antlers, as well as other
Xia Houshu couldn't name him. Under the exposure of the sun, the smell of various medicinal materials was very strong, and the intertwining of the various smells seemed a bit strange, so that most of the other staff in the government were reluctant to approach his yard unless they had nothing to do. However,
This actually suited Pei Lang's wishes and allowed him to concentrate on studying medical skills.
Xia Houshu didn't know medical skills, so she didn't put her mind on these medicinal materials. She stood in the yard and glanced around. She didn't see Pei Lang, so she walked straight into the house.
As expected, Pei Lang was grinding medicinal materials in the house, his whole body was focused on it, meticulous and gentle.
Hearing the footsteps, he slowly raised his head and saw that it was Xia Houshu. A warm and peaceful smile appeared on his face, and he said softly: "Miss Three is here. Please wait a little longer. The medicine you want will be ready soon."
Already."
Xia Houshu glanced at the medicinal powder he was grinding in his hand, nodded to himself, found a stool and sat down to watch him quietly making medicine.
Xia Houshu didn't dare to let anyone else know about the injury at Huguo Temple except Yunxi and the strict-tongued Pei Lang. There were so many people in the house talking, even in the Qingfeng Pavilion where she lived, she couldn't tell which ones were loyal to her.
Yes, which ones are mother's eyeliners. If one day the scars are seen by someone around you while taking a bath, and if more words are spread to mother's ears, it will inevitably cause a stir.
Therefore, she never left any maids other than Yunxi and Yuhu to serve in the room when she took a bath.
Yuhu, like Yunxi, is the eldest maid in her room, in charge of her money box and warehouse. A few days ago, Yuhu's mother was seriously ill, and Xia Houshu allowed her to go home to take care of her illness.
These days, Xia Houshu has been paying great attention to the treatment and maintenance of wounds. She heard that Pei Lang has developed a plaster to remove blood stasis and remove scars, but the medicine can only maintain its effect for three days after being made, so she comes to follow her every now and then.
Pei Lang asked for medicine.
Later, she thought about it, and the reason why her wound healed so quickly was not just due to the timely golden medicine given by the man in purple, but most importantly, it was due to Pei Lang's superb medical skills.
Pei Lang did not shy away from Xia Houshu's gaze. He ground a few medicinal herbs into powder without haste, then poured in half a cup of amber paste and medicinal powder and mixed them carefully. His expression was very solemn during the whole process.
It's like doing something extremely sacred.
After preparing the ointment, Pei Lang found a white wide-mouthed porcelain bottle from the wooden cabinet and put it in it. He carefully wiped the ointment stuck to the seal of the porcelain bottle with gauze before giving it to Xia Houshu and telling her to do as before.
Apply to affected areas and taboos morning and evening.
Xia Houshu took the ointment and handed the bag of pearls to Pei Lang.
The last time she came to get medicine, she heard Pei Lang say that she wanted to find some high-quality pearls to prepare a skin-building, whitening and beauty plaster. It happened that Xia Houyi came back from a trip two years ago and gave her a bag, but she didn't have much use for it.
, so I borrowed flowers to offer to Buddha.
Pei Lang opened the bag, grabbed a few smooth and round pearls and looked at them in the sun. He felt like he had found a treasure and sighed "very good". Then he smiled and did not pretend to refuse. He just talked to Xia Hou
I thanked him and accepted them all.
Xia Houshu liked to deal with Pei Lang, not only because of his superb medical skills and lack of nonsense, but also because of his intelligence.
When planning things with smart people, be open and aboveboard and get things done as soon as possible. This chapter has been completed!