A bright moon as big as a jade plate climbed up to the tops of the parasol trees, casting thousands of cool moonlights. The octagonal palace lanterns had already been lit in the palace garden. The bright lights swayed with the cool breeze in the night, and were as bright as water in the sky.
Circles of red and yellow light and shadow appeared on Danbi.
Under the carved beams and painted buildings, there is a plaque with three words "Kunning Palace" written in seal script hanging in the palace. The lights are bright, the eyes are beautiful, and the clear water floor reflects the figures of palace maids and internal guards standing with hands hanging down.
Empress Song was entertaining Song Jing and his wife Shen, as well as niece Song Yan. Concubine Duanrong was sitting with her two children, Princess Xianning and the eighth son of the emperor Chen Ze. In addition, Qinghe County was also a guest in the palace.
Lord Li Chanyue, and Liang Wang Chen Wei.
"When you arrive at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you must do your job well and don't let down His Majesty and my expectations."
The Empress of the Song Dynasty was dressed in a vermilion dress embroidered with phoenixes and hibiscus. She stood high in a beautiful bun. She had a bright face, as beautiful as a peach pistil in March. Under the light cast by the crane-shaped palace lantern, she had willow leaves under her thin eyebrows.
Her long and narrow phoenix eyes are bright and lively, and the eye shadow is gorgeous, but there is a solemn look on her face, which makes the plump beauty a little more gentle and maternal.
Song Jing listened to his eldest sister's instructions and nodded in response: "I will be cautious and meticulous in completing the errands assigned by Your Majesty."
Concubine Duanrong smiled at the side and said: "Sister, Shuyu has always been diligent, but he doesn't need to tell you from ear to ear."
Empress Song said softly: "The Ministry of Internal Affairs is not as good as other places, and the Kuaiji Department spends money and food, and has a low position and power. After all, Shuyu has never done this in Honglu Temple before, so he needs to be extra careful."
Mrs. Song Jing, Mrs. Shen, said with a smile: "What the empress said is that it is not a bad thing to be more careful. I should remind the master when I go back."
Empress Song nodded and was about to say something. Suddenly, the eunuch's sharp call came from outside the palace: "Your Majesty has arrived."
Everyone stopped talking and stood up.
Not long after, Emperor Chongping, surrounded by Xiang Daiquan and a group of internal eunuchs in the Daming Palace, entered the palace like stars over the moon. His majestic gaze glanced at the few people in the palace, and his eyes fell on Song Jing's face, and he paused.
"Wei Chen (concubine) has met Your Majesty."
Song Jing and his wife Shen quickly came over to pay homage to Emperor Chongping.
Concubine Duanrong and Princess Xianning also left their seats and stood up, saluting Emperor Chongping.
Empress Song smiled and said, "Has Your Majesty had your dinner?"
"It's already been used." Emperor Chongping's face softened a bit and he spoke softly. Then he sat down on the main seat, looked at Empress Song, with a smile on his face, and asked: "What did Zitong just say?
Does it look so lively?"
Empress Song smiled, her round voice as soft as water, and said: "I just told Shuyu that when we go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, we must handle our errands well and live up to His Majesty's expectations."
When Song Jing heard this, his elegant face showed a respectful look, and he explained: "Just now, I was listening to the empress's teachings."
Emperor Chongping pondered for a moment, with an unnatural look on his face, and said: "I'm afraid I have to look at the errands of the Ministry of Internal Affairs again. After all, Shuyu has never been accustomed to general affairs. What I mean is that he might as well be transferred to the Material Estimate Office of the Ministry of Industry first.
As a doctor, since the collapse of the imperial mausoleum, the project needs to be rebuilt again, and the progress needs to be accelerated compared to before."
Empress Song's originally dazzling smile froze on her face. She was slightly frightened and couldn't help but whisper: "Didn't Your Majesty say before..."
Emperor Chongping said: "The Ministry of Internal Affairs has recently raided many prisoners. I saw that the account books were piled up in several large boxes. After all, Shuyu used to be a guest at Honglu Temple and suddenly went to the Kuaiji Department to write off the account books. He may not be familiar with affairs.
, I thought that I might as well go to the Materials Appraisal Office first, estimate the sales of the civil engineering materials of the imperial mausoleum, and at the same time, I can hone my skills in general affairs, so that I can put them to good use in the future."
Emperor Chongping felt a little embarrassed as he spoke.
Without him, Jun has no joke. He had promised well before, but now he suddenly changed his mind. Fortunately, he did not issue an order, otherwise it would be even more embarrassing.
He secretly thought that Jinyang had given him a difficult problem.
Just when the air in Kunning Palace suddenly became quiet and several people looked at each other, Song Jing was stunned for a moment and said quickly: "What your Majesty said is true. I told the empress before that my brother has never done anything like this. I am afraid that I will not do anything like this."
I didn't know what was going on, and I thought that if I really couldn't do the job in a month or two, I would resign to His Majesty. Now Your Majesty has asked me to go to the Materials and Appraisal Office to help supervise the construction of the imperial mausoleum, and to work with colleagues from the Ministry of Industry, which has broadened my knowledge.
Just what I want."
At this moment, Empress Song's face was pale, and the handkerchief in her sleeve was clenched tightly by her bare hands. Although she was disappointed, she still smiled and answered: "Your Majesty, it's okay for Shuyu to go to the Ministry of Industry. I am my concubine."
I think the Ministry of Industry is short of people recently, so it would be a good idea to ask Shuyu to train."
Emperor Chongping also felt that what he had done was a bit unethical. After thinking about it, he said: "Shu Yu goes to the Ministry of Industry to do a good job. If the mausoleum is completed in one or two years, all the officials in the Ministry of Works will have to express their merits. Then
It is not impossible for Shu Yu to be promoted to a third-grade minister-general at that time."
When Empress Song heard this, her face paused slightly, she suppressed the strange feeling in her heart, and said hurriedly: "Your Majesty, Shu Yu did not come from the imperial examination. I am afraid that if he is really a minister, there will be criticisms from above and below."
"Being in the imperial examination does not necessarily mean you will be an upright official. Think of Pan Bingyi and Lu Chengan, who were originally from the imperial examination. But once they became powerful, they became greedy for profit and became crazy, following the common man Chen Rong to tamper with the imperial mausoleum." Emperor Chongping said.
At the end, he looked ugly and said in a deep voice: "This time, the two ministers and officials of the Ministry of Industry cannot limit themselves to the career of the top class."
In fact, those who were born in Kejia were only in the Hanlin Academy, Zhanshifu, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, which were relatively restrictive. Especially for the former, they not only needed to be born in the second rank of Jinshi, but also needed to be ranked among the top two.
Facing Empress Song's gaze, Emperor Chongping muttered: "The court recommendation will be held in the future. Zhao Yi, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, has returned to the headquarters to serve as director. If there is a minister to assist him, it will be enough to handle the affairs of the Ministry of Industry."
It seems that this was a temporary idea, and the Ministry of Works only left one minister, an official, but this undoubtedly made what he said just now a little more convincing.
Instead of going to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he went to the Ministry of Works, completed his errands, and was promoted to the Ministry of Works.
Moreover, when the minister of the Ministry of Industry was vacant, the Qi and Zhejiang parties took notice of the situation, and he did not intend to use it.
Queen Song's heart moved slightly, but she frowned and said: "As for a department, Shu Yu may not be worthy of his talent, so Your Majesty still has to make a decision."
The original plan was to go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and work with the prefect in a year or two. The Ministry of Internal Affairs would draw money and food. In the future, Jinyang would not be allowed to go back, so the fourth brother would be able to take charge of power alone. Ran'er would definitely benefit from it at that time, but now it has not happened.
Somehow, he changed his mind again.
But you must not show other emotions at this time.
Emperor Chongping nodded and said: "Shu Yu is cautious and careful, and went to the Ministry of Industry to participate in the supervision of the construction of the imperial mausoleum. I can rest assured that the King of Qi and the King of Chu are young after all and have experienced little. This is the first time that an imperial mausoleum is being built.
Shuyu used to be here, and since he is an elder, he can also help with some advice."
At this time, seeing what was said, Song Jing hurriedly said: "Mother, my brother has not been in the office before, and he hastily led the Ministry of Internal Affairs to send dispatches. I don't know how many things will go wrong. As your Majesty said, this
It is a good thing for Ban to go to the Ministry of Works to supervise the construction of the imperial mausoleum and hone his surveying skills."
Thunder and rain are all due to your kindness. At this time, I can only make mistakes and go to the Ministry of Works to take up a job. In the future, I will be the Minister of the Ministry of Works.
When Empress Song saw this, she didn't know what to say. She warned, "You should do your errands well when you go to the Ministry of Works. There was such a big mistake in Gongling. When you go to the Ministry of Works, you should do your errands carefully."
Concubine Duanrong looked at this scene and sighed in her heart.
Song Yan pinched her handkerchief and looked at her father, her bright eyes showing concern. The cardamom girl's soft and white face, and her facial features were very similar to Empress Song's.
Emperor Chongping sat for a while, gave some instructions, and without staying much, led the eunuchs back to the Daming Palace.
Empress Song ordered the female officials to send Song Jing's family of three away from the palace, and Princess Xianning and Princess Qinghe gradually dispersed.
Empress Song took Concubine Duanrong's hand and sat down on the phoenix couch in the inner wing of the palace. There was confusion on her beautiful face and she asked: "Sister, why do you think His Majesty changed his mind?"
Concubine Duanrong shook her head and said softly: "Who knows? But Your Majesty has always been true to his word, and today is indeed a little unusual."
Empress Song frowned slightly, turned to look at the female official on the side, and whispered: "Go and tell Xia Shouzhong to ask who went to the Daming Palace to see His Majesty this afternoon."
She always felt that this place was unusual.
The female officer immediately took the order and went.
After a while, the female officer came back, walked quietly to Queen Song's ear, and whispered a few words.
Queen Song's white face was suddenly covered with a layer of frost, and her phoenix eyes flashed with a cold light.
"Sister, what's wrong? What is this?" Concubine Duanrong said softly.
"This afternoon, Jinyang went to the Daming Palace." Empress Song's beautiful face returned to her soft beauty, and she said with a slight smile.
"This..." Concubine Duanrong's beautiful eyebrows frowned slightly. Yurong was stunned for a moment and asked doubtfully: "Jinyang, what is she doing this for?"
She neither liked nor disliked that sister-in-law, but her daughter had a good relationship with Jinyang.
Queen Song licked her pink lips and felt annoyed.
That sister-in-law, she has been tolerant over and over again, but she has always pushed her to the limit. Now her fourth brother is going to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and he is not bothering anyone. How can he stand in the way?
Seeing the worried look on Empress Song's face, Concubine Duanrong gave her a low-key advice and said, "Sister, it's actually a good idea to go to the Ministry of Works. Didn't His Majesty just say that he would wait a year or two before preparing for his fourth brother's promotion to the Minister of Works."
She had also felt that it was not appropriate before. Her fourth brother went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. If she needed money, she would not refuse her request to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. If things continued like this, there would be unforeseen disasters.
But she knew what her sister was thinking.
Queen Song's beautiful eyes narrowed, and she nodded and said, "I didn't say it was inappropriate here. It would be better to go to the Ministry of Industry."
Jinyang had the support of the Queen Mother, so there was nothing she could do for the time being, but she remembered it.
…
…
Lixiangyuan
Night has enveloped the mansion, and a bright moon hangs in the sky. The moonlight shines on the earth, covering the deep Lixiang Courtyard in the courtyard with a layer of silver gauze.
Under the eaves of the corridor, Baochai and Ying'er opened the cotton curtain, and the light suddenly poured out of the room, illuminating the gilded couplets on the corridor pillars in golden color. When the master and servant entered the wing, Baochai untied his cloak and handed it to
Ying'er.
Aunt Xue was sitting in front of the high table, sipping the fragrant tea. She raised her eyes to look at Baochai and said with a smile: "My dear, I'm back."
It turned out that Baochai went to Dongfu to talk to Qin Keqing after listening to the play in the afternoon.
"Mom, why are you back so early?" Baochai sat nearby and asked.
"I'm a little tired today, so I'll come back early to have a rest." Aunt Xue said softly, looked at her daughter, and said with emotion: "Brother Heng still helped Uncle Qi to accomplish that thing. I don't want to be a fourth-rank official."
."
Thinking back to the afternoon, when I saw my sister's unconcealed joy at the corners of her brows and eyes, my wrinkles almost stretched out, and my thoughts were a bit complicated.
We have the same mother and sister, but my elder sister married well.
Baochai sat down on the embroidered pier, took the tea cup from Ying'er, and took a sip. The girl's muscles and bones were smooth and her manners were elegant. When she lowered her head, the airy bangs in front of her forehead were also covering her face.
The next shadow became gentler than water. He raised his bright apricot eyes and said softly: "Mom, when did Brother Heng never fulfill his words?"
Not only can he fulfill his uncle's affairs, he can also fulfill his promise to her.
Aunt Xue nodded and said, "Yes."
However, a strange feeling inevitably welled up in my heart. What Bao Yatou said was a bit...
Aunt Xue suppressed the sudden strangeness in her heart and asked: "Good girl, I heard that the father of Brother Dongfu Heng's daughter-in-law is also in the Ministry of Industry and is a doctor in the first division. Good girl, tell me, Brother Heng, will you know?
Do you have a plan?"
Baochai looked stunned for a moment and said in a low voice: "I don't know about this. If Brother Heng doesn't tell me about this, it's hard for us to ask. But Mr. Qin was originally a doctor, so he can't be lower than his uncle."
That’s right.”
Sister Qin's father is also in the Ministry of Industry, and he is a member of the fifth rank. With his temperament, he would not favor one over the other. I don't know if he is a fourth rank or a third rank.
If it's the third grade...
Baochai couldn't help but echo the young man's words. At that time, he was a high-ranking official wearing scarlet official robes.
Seeing this, Aunt Xue opened her mouth and finally sighed: "Good girl, alas."
She couldn't explain why, and her heart felt sour.
Looking at my own family, my daughter cannot get married, my son is still in prison, and people are comparing themselves to each other, which is very annoying.
"Good girl, do you think Brother Heng can help manage your brother's future?" Aunt Xue thought, suddenly her heart moved, and she asked expectantly.
Baochai's face paused and he said softly: "Mom, there is a layer between her and ours after all. Besides, my brother is not the material to be an official."
"Can't he still be a general in the army? Brother Heng is in charge of the Beijing camp now. If your brother is in the army, he can be a general, guerrilla or something, and it is not his fault? I have heard that the same clan
All the men here are serving in the military." Aunt Xue lowered her voice and said.
Clearly seeing Jia Heng helping Jia Zheng get promoted, Aunt Xue's thoughts were inevitably aroused.
Baochai:"……"
His eyes flashed, and he persuaded: "Mom, have you forgotten about that time when my brother was injured? Those who have no eyesight in the army are not easy to live with. Wealth and honor are only gained through danger."
With my brother's reckless temperament, he went to the army. If something happened, my mother would have no idea why she should blame him. This would not be a good thing.
But his brother couldn't help, after all...
Baochai sighed quietly in his heart.
But Aunt Xue smiled and said: "I don't think so. I think your brother is very lucky. Besides, as long as Brother Heng wants to cultivate him, he doesn't have to take too many risks. You see, your brother doesn't have to eat anything in the prison."
suffering."
Baochai sighed softly and said, "But our homes are separated by one floor after all."
This is actually a kind of guidance. There is a layer of separation. If I become your old son-in-law, there will be no layer of separation.
"Yes, Brother Heng said he was good to his relatives, but I think it's also about distance and distance." Aunt Xue said, feeling a little sour.
"It's a pity to say it. If we had come here half a year earlier, Brother Heng hadn't gotten married yet, and Mom would have asked for anything..." Aunt Xue looked at her daughter and paused quickly as she spoke. What an accident.
Say what's on your mind.
No one is stupid, Aunt Xue can naturally tell the good from the bad. With such a wealthy husband in the East Mansion, how could he not have thought about it?
Baochai said angrily: "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"My dear girl, alas, it's too late to say anything now." Aunt Xue sighed, feeling depressed, and sighed: "Look at Brother Heng's daughter-in-law, how old is she? She's just a first-class imperial concubine.
, I see that your appearance is no worse than hers... That’s all, it’s meaningless to say this now.”
But when he saw Baochai blushing with embarrassment, he paused and said nothing.
But suddenly he remembered something, and he stared at his daughter and said solemnly: "Girl, you are always looking for Brother Heng. Mother knows that Brother Heng is so young, looks so good, and has such a powerful position.
But don't get carried away, he now has a wife, even if he is a common wife, although he doesn't talk about the size in private, the government has not recognized it, and it was impossible to seal the imperial edict at that time."
In the Tang Dynasty, the practice of marrying one's wife was particularly popular, and among the people of the Chen and Han Dynasties, they were also called equal wives. However, due to the limitations of etiquette and laws, they were not recognized by the government. Otherwise, the etiquette of ritual inheritance would be shaken from the bottom up.
Baochai suddenly blushed with embarrassment this time and said angrily: "Mom, why are you talking about me again?"
With that said, he got up and returned to the room.
"Okay, okay, Mom won't talk anymore." Aunt Xue quickly reached out to hold Baochai, smiled and said: "My dear girl is a sensible and sensible person. She doesn't need Mom to remind her, she already knows what she is thinking."
Previously, I saw my daughter frequently interacting with Brother Dongfu Heng because of Pan'er's affairs, so I was worried. However, thinking about Brother Heng's temperament and my daughter's intelligence since she was a child, it shouldn't be a big deal.
Baochai sat down again and changed the subject: "Mom, stop talking about this. Well, where is your brother? Why haven't you come back yet?"
Because Xue Pan is still a guilty person, if something happens outside, I am afraid that even his face will not look good.
As he was talking, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside, "Sister, are you looking for me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xue Pan shook his big head, stepped high and low into the side room, and said with a smile: "After worshiping the ancestors, I had two drinks with some men from the Jia family. I have to go there tomorrow.
It’s the prison.”
Originally I wanted to go to Cuihong Mansion to listen to music, but who would have thought that I would be stopped as soon as I left the house.
"My son, why do you eat so much wine?" Aunt Xue asked with worry when she saw that Xue Pan's face was red and she was staggering when she walked.
Xue Pan smiled and said: "It's not easy to drink wine in prison, so I ate two more cups."
As he said that, he glanced at his sister and asked with a smile: "Why did you hear mom talking to your sister about cousin Heng just now?"
But I listened outside for a while.
Aunt Xue said: "Well, just talk casually."
"Mom, my sister doesn't need you to worry about it, she understands it better than anyone else." Xue Pan said with a smile.
He looked at his sister and cousin Heng riding in a carriage today. Who knows if there was anyone in the carriage... Hehe.
Given Cousin Heng's powerful position, he would not treat his sister badly, and of course, he would not treat his brother-in-law badly either.
Aunt Xue said angrily: "You ate too much and drank too much, so you are just messing around here. Go and wash up quickly. You have to leave tomorrow."
As he spoke, he gradually became sad, his eye circles were slightly red and he said, "I only saw you once in half a month."
Xue Pan smiled and said, "Okay, it's not like I won't come back. I'll be back in a few days."
After saying that, without saying much, he returned to his residence with the support of Tongxi Tonggui.
But there was another daughter of the Wang family in the courtyard. The candlelight was burning in the wing, reflecting two figures on the window screen.
Mrs. Wang also held Yuan Chun's hand and sat on the bed, and the two of them talked to each other.
"Big girl, I haven't seen you for a few days. Are you okay at the princess's house?" Mrs. Wang asked with concern on her face.
Yuanchun said softly: "Mom, I'm fine."
Mrs. Wang nodded and said: "That's good. I'm worried that if you leave home, you will end up serving noble people and be bullied by others."
Yuan Chun pursed her pink lips and said, "Don't worry, Mom. Brother Heng often comes to see me and will take care of me."
The words were a bit of a pun at the moment, but Hengdi also "bullied" her.
"No matter what he says, he is not as noble as Princess Jingui. If something happens, he may not be able to protect you." Mrs. Wang sighed and said.
Her eldest daughter almost regarded the man from Dongfu as her own brother, and her elbows kept turning outwards.
Yuan Chun said softly: "Mom, don't misunderstand Brother Heng. Isn't it Brother Heng who is in charge of father's affairs this time?"
If possible, she still wanted to resolve the grievances between her mother and him.
"That's what he should do. He has become the patriarch of the clan. You tell me how many things have happened in the family. You were fine in the palace, but he insisted on taking you out. Now your marriage is not good enough, so why not?
There is something about Baoyu." Mrs. Wang whispered, seeing Yuan Chun frowning, she said: "That's all, I know you don't like to hear it, so I won't say this anymore. Your father listens to him now, and you are in the palace.
Mom knows how hard it has been, and it is actually right to come out, but you should also drink less of his ecstasy soup. Mom is also watching how he arranges your marriage."
Yuanchun's heart skipped a beat and she felt the jade tiger was slightly hot, causing her delicate body to tremble. She almost thought her mother had discovered her affair with Hengdi.
However, she probably drank Hengdi's ecstasy soup, remembering that it was a bit salty...
Um?
Why did she think of this again in front of her mother? It was so... so shameless.
Mrs. Wang sighed and whispered: "Your father is okay. I don't care whether he can be a third-grade official in the future. The key is that your brother is still young and he cannot ignore Baoyu's future."
He said he didn't care about the third-grade official, but he kept saying it, obviously he also said he didn't care.
Yuan Chun's beautiful eyes were slightly focused, and her jade face, as soft as a spring flower, was stunned. After a moment, she comforted her: "Don't worry, Mom, he will take care of Brother Heng."
With her here, Baoyu's future will be settled. At worst...she just needs to "serve" Hengdi well.
Mrs. Wang sighed and said: "Well, there is one more thing. Last time I saw Mr. Qin, he was so old and his hair was a lot whiter. It's time to take care of him. I don't know.
What is Dongfu’s plan?”
She was also a little curious. From her point of view, it was time to be old and prosperous. She shouldn't be promoted to a fourth-rank official, right?
"I don't know either. Brother Heng doesn't usually talk to me about this." Yuan Chun said softly.
Mrs. Wang said: "You ask him about the good things you do in your daily life, and about your brother, you also take the time to talk to him."
Yuanchun's heart skipped a beat and he said, "Mom, I'll ask."
Mrs. Wang sighed again, with a hint of worry in her heart.
Ever since the big house in Rongguo Mansion was deposed, I feel like everything has changed.
In the final analysis, it is still the title. The title is the iron crop that guarantees harvest in times of drought and floods. Being an official does not last a lifetime. It would have been better if the eldest girl had been granted the title of concubine and Baoyu had been the uncle of the country. Even the Zhen family is much better than it is now.