When Wuming came back, Feng Hongluan was still reading the book with a calm attitude. He raised his head from the book when he heard the movement and said with a smile: "The maid came to report that the general is missing. I was about to send someone to find you. Why don't I just send someone to look for you?"
, you recognized it yourself."
There was a slight apology in Wuming's eyes: "I have troubled you so much. I've been bothering you all day. It's getting late today. Why don't I bring the letter my friend left me to the prince tomorrow? There's something in the letter."
The characteristics of this painting are all in the prince's collection. He probably has a treasure trove of all calligraphy and paintings, and it is clear at a glance. It is really a sin for me to mess up the prince's study while looking for a needle in a haystack."
"Anyway, it's already getting late, otherwise you can have dinner at my house and then go back!"
Wuming hurriedly declined: "No, I will say goodbye at the end."
"Then Xiaofu, send the general out!"
"Yes, Master."
Wuming went out this time, ditched Xiaofu, and deliberately got lost. Feng Hongluan was still guessing that maybe Wuming's purpose was to find out about Lu Ying.
However, the eyes under Wuming's mask seemed to have fulfilled his wish, and he had probably achieved his goal.
Come to think of it, she hid Lu Ying so secretly that it was impossible for Wuming to find Lu Ying in just half a cup of tea.
But he couldn't say for certain that Bao Buqi and Wuming accidentally bumped into each other and actually found Lu Ying.
When Xiaofu sent Wuming away and came back, Feng Hongluan couldn't sit still.
"Finally, go somewhere with me!"
"Yes, Master!" Xiaofu stretched out his hand and helped Feng Hongluan.
After bypassing a complicated corridor, walking through two corridors, and passing through a courtyard, deep in the purple bamboo, there is an inconspicuous house, which is different from the other surrounding houses hidden among pavilions of flowers, grass, mountains and rivers.
the difference.
When Feng Hongluan passed by, Meihua was fetching water in the yard. When she saw Feng Hongluan, she stepped forward with fear and made a big salute.
"Good luck to the princess!"
"Get up!" Mei Hua was originally a maid bought by Fengcheng to serve Lu Ying. Later she betrayed Lu Ying and was now arranged by Feng Hongluan to watch Lu Ying here.
"What about her?"
"Gold is very precious. I had a stomachache this morning and have been lying down all day."
"Has anyone been here this afternoon?"
Mei Hua hurriedly said: "No, someone brought food to the dining room at noon, but Aunt Wu comes here every day. What's the matter, Princess?"
Feng Hongluan said with an indifferent expression: "Just watch her carefully."
"Yes, Princess!" Mei Hua responded respectfully. Seeing Feng Hongluan taking Xiaofu away, she had a request in her heart. She knew that if she didn't say it now, she might not know what dynasty the next time she saw Feng Hongluan.
"princess!"
"What's the matter?"
A pair of black eyes looked at the plum blossoms lightly.
Mei Hua put on a flattering smile: "It's almost the Chinese New Year. Although I was sold to my family, my father had no choice but to do it. My family is very poor. I'm afraid that I won't go back and send some money. This year, my parents and brothers will have to go back."
I can’t survive anymore.”
Feng Hongluan's face softened a bit, and she felt pity for her filial piety.
"Just tell me where you live, and I will arrange for someone to send some New Year's money to your home."
Mei Hua was flattered: "In that case, I would like to thank you, the princess. I kowtow to you. Even if you work like a cow or a horse in this life, I will repay your kindness."
Feng Hongluan was not impressed by Mei Hua's gratitude.
The Plum Blossom Man lives up to his name, and Feng Hongluan has seen it before.
It is one thing for her to pity Mei Hua and show her filial piety, but it is another thing for her to be disgusted with Mei Hua's betrayal of her master.
He didn't even look at Lu Ying from beginning to end, and Feng Hongluan left without looking back.
The reason why this woman was spared her life was because Feng Hongluan was a pregnant woman and was grateful for the unborn child in her belly, so she spared her life for the sake of the child.
But in order to prevent her from going out to make trouble, so what if the Jin Palace keeps Lu Ying in this life?
Anyway, there are already quite a few people in the palace, so why not an old woman?
It seems that I haven't "visited" the old lady for a few days, but I'm too tired today, so I'll leave it to another day.
*
The day Hong Yuan returned home was the day before Hong Yuan's birthday. Hong Yuan's mother and concubine had kept aloof from the world these years. Naturally, Hong Yuan's son rarely came into the eyes of the late emperor because of his mother's aloofness.
Therefore, compared to other princes, he is like an invisible prince. People will only respect him when he appears. If he does not appear, who will remember that there is such a prince Hongyuan in the world.
I heard from Hong Yan that Hong Yuan's title has been drawn up, and the emperor chose it himself, and he will be called You Wang.
"Secret" means quiet. I showed it to Concubine Li, and Concubine Li was very pleased with it.
King You, huh, doesn't match Hong Yuan's temperament.
During the days when Hongyuan lived in the mansion, Feng Hongluan had long noticed that he was lively, talkative, and very clever.
But after all, I have a title, so it doesn’t matter what I call it.
The title must be conferred on the person's birthday by an imperial edict personally read out by the envoy in the palace.
I heard that the emperor not only wanted to confer the title of Prince You on Hong Yuan this time, he also personally decreed a marriage and rewarded Hong Yuan with the crown prince's concubine as his concubine.
The Crown Prince and Taibao have just been sitting idle these years without any real power in their hands, so being able to marry the royal family and become a respectable relative of the Royal Family is a great honor for the Crown Prince and Taibao family.
Feng Hongluan heard from Hongyan that Hongyuan was not happy at all about this marriage, and even stayed in the room for a whole day and refused to eat. Later, Hongyuan's nanny went in and persuaded her for a long time before she finally agreed to eat.
A little something.
Feng Hongluan also lamented that this child was so courageous. Even if he was unhappy, it was a marriage granted by the emperor, and it should not be written on his face. If someone with a heart was asked to come to the emperor's ear to gossip about Hongyan's birthday,
, isn’t it time to live a miserable life?
After all, he is still a child and has no temper at all.
Just like Feng Hongluan in her previous life, she was crazy and making noises. She cried when she wanted to cry, laughed when she wanted to laugh, made trouble when she was unhappy, and cried when she was happy.
*
The wind was beautiful and the sun was shining brightly. Although the weather was still bitingly cold, the afternoon sun felt somewhat warm on my body.
It’s already the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Hongyuan’s birthday.
In the morning, Feng Hongluan and Hong Yan carefully selected a blood jade Ruyi. This blood jade Ruyi is very rare. Blood jade is a rare treasure. It is very rare, not to mention that the blood jade Ruyi in front of him is very rare.
A child's arms are so big, they are priceless.
This gift is so thoughtful.
Since the time of Hongzhi, Hongyan and his brothers have become closer. In the past, they didn’t have much contact with the younger brothers. Hongyuan lived in the house for a while. Hongyuan and Hongyan are very close. After all,
It's connected by blood.
Hong Yan was generous with others, but he was even more generous with Hong Yuan.
At the evening banquet, Hong Yan and Feng Hongluan were in great spirits. In the afternoon, they got on the carriage and went out to the banquet.
In Prince You's Mansion, the plaque was replaced in the morning, with gold characters on a blue background, shining brightly in the afternoon sun.
At the gate of Prince You's Mansion, there is a bustling crowd, BMWs and cars, high-ranking officials and dignitaries, crowded around, and the music of silk and bamboo can be heard endlessly.
Although Hongyuan was usually a prince who was not taken seriously in his daily life, things were different with the title. What's more, the position of Princess You was one that all the girls in the family flocked to.
Most of the adults who came to celebrate brought their daughters of the right age, and some even brought their pink and delicate little girls. As long as they could catch the eyes of King You, they would be considered as the king of You.
If their wives were asked to give birth to a baby right away, they would probably be too busy going home to "work hard."
The servants of Prince You's Mansion greeted the guests at the door. When they saw Feng Hongluan and Hong Yan, the housekeeper Li Si hurriedly ran out and said respectfully: "Your Majesty has already given instructions. If Prince Jin and Princess Jin come, they should be taken to the east wing to rest first.
There are a lot of people here, and the prince is afraid that these people will bump into each other and hurt Princess Jin."
"He does have a heart, please lead the way!"
Compared with the Jin Palace, the specifications, decoration, and layout of Prince You are slightly inferior.
However, the residences of the two princes were usually given to them by the emperor or the queen mother on their own initiative. Given the status of Hong Yan and Hong Yuan's mother, it would not be surprising if their residences were so different.
Concubine Li has long since stopped caring about worldly affairs. Although she is in the palace, she is no different from her sister-in-law who eats fasting and chants Buddha's name.
As for the Queen Mother, Fengyi was the most powerful person in the world, and Hong Yan was the Queen Mother's biological son. Naturally, the Queen Mother was eager to give Hong Yan the best house in the world to live in.
Prince You's Mansion is not as luxurious as Prince Jin's Mansion, but it is not less grand. Along the way, there are pavilions, pavilions, waterside pavilions, cloisters, flower and bird rockeries, one eaves for every five steps, and a pavilion for ten steps. If someone hadn't taken him with him, he would have really lost his way.
.
In the east wing, a sober mint incense was lit in the room, and the curl of cigarettes lingered between two bottles of plum blossoms in the room. The elegant plum fragrance came to the face, and the aroma filled everyone's face.
The house is far away from the front hall full of guests and friends, so it is very quiet.
On the round table in the middle of the room, there are many pastries and fruit plates, all of them are various, exquisite and tempting.
The housekeeper led Feng Hongluan and Hong Yan into the house and bowed out respectfully: "I'll go and do my work first. Prince Jin and Princess Jin will rest here for a while. It's too chaotic up front, so I don't want to disturb you two. When we get to the front, everything is ready.
The banquet is about to start, and I will personally come to invite you two."
"Go ahead and don't worry about us. By the way, are King Xuan and the others here?"
"Never."
"Is the Emperor coming?"
"You should come back. This year is different from previous years. It is the sixteenth birthday of the slave prince."
"I know, let's get down!"
Hong Yan waved his hand and steward Li Si stepped back.
Feng Hongluan smiled and said: "Why didn't the Emperor grant you a marriage when you turned sixteen? Even if the Emperor is not in a hurry, the Queen Mother is too!"
Hong Yan casually pinched a grape into his hand, holding the crystal grape with his long fingers, and said casually: "No one can force me to do what I don't want."
"De Xing!" Feng Hongluan sneered and pinched a grape to peel, but Hong Yan stretched out his hand to block it.
"Sit down and be careful of sticky hands. You'll have to wash your hands later. If it's troublesome, I'll feed you."
As he spoke, he sped up the movements of his hands, peeled off a grape with ease in a few seconds, and put it into Feng Hongluan's mouth: "Eat it and see if it's sweet or not. It's probably a tribute from the Western Fan. The emperor is quite right.
Sixth brother, please take it seriously. In previous years, you could only get such good food from the Queen and Queen Mother."
Feng Hongluan stretched out her lips, held the grapes in her red lips, sucked them gently, sucked them into her mouth, and took a bite. It was indeed plump, juicy, sweet and delicious.
“It’s delicious!”
Seeing her expression of enjoyment, Hong Yan raised his lips in relief: "You have eaten very little these days, and Xiaofu said you have no appetite. Since you like to eat these grapes, I asked Brother Huang to give me the rest.
"
"No need, why go to such trouble? No matter how delicious the food is, you will feel tired after eating too much. Maybe it's because the New Year is approaching and I feel excited thinking about my father. When I get excited, the child is also infected and will feel full even if I don't eat.
Already."
"What nonsense are you talking about? After the New Year, we will go to Bieyuan to stay for a while. The lotus flowers we visited last time have all grown into lotus pods. We can eat fresh lotus seeds after the New Year."
"Um."
I snuggled gently into Hong Yan's arms. After a tiring journey, I didn't go far, but I still felt very sleepy, and I closed my eyes unknowingly.
When she woke up, there was a voice in her ears. When Feng Hongluan opened her eyes, she realized that she was lying on the bed.
She was sleeping so hard, but she just wanted to take a nap, and she actually fell asleep.
There was a screen in front of the bed, and the voices came from outside the screen.
It seemed to be Hong Yan's voice.
"Third brother, according to the plan, it would be best to discuss this matter with the emperor tonight."
"I think so too, but will it annoy Brother Huang?"
"Besides, if you make me angry, the worst I can do is never say anything again. Let's not mention that today is the sixth brother's birthday. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. The emperor will not punish you during this year's border crossing and then retreat.
To put it more seriously, if the emperor punishes you, I will naturally not be able to stand by and watch. This is what I asked Third Brother to do. If it succeeds, it will be the best. If it fails, Third Brother will naturally not be affected."
"Okay then, are my siblings still sleeping?"
"Maybe I didn't sleep well last night. When I got up in the morning, I followed me to the warehouse to select gifts for a long time. What, is it about to start outside?"
"Well, it's almost done. I'll go first. I'll talk to the emperor when I get the chance."
"Then go ahead, Third Brother. Hongluan and I will be here soon."
Shaoqing, I heard the sound of the door closing.
Feng Hongluan stood up from the bed, holding her belly, and said softly: "Is it the third brother?"
Through the screen, she saw Hong Yan walking towards her.
"Yes, did it wake you up?"
Smile.
"I actually slept to death."
"If you're sleepy, it doesn't hurt to sleep a little longer."
"No, I probably didn't sleep well last night, and I woke up too early in the morning. I've been drowsy since I was pregnant."
"Did you hear everything?"
Hongyan asked, but his tone was neither surprised nor panicked. It seemed that he had no intention of hiding the matter he had "discussed" with Hongwen from Feng Hongluan.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to discuss things with Hongwen outside, knowing that Feng Hongluan was resting inside and might wake up at any time.
"Well, what did you say?"
"We brothers, we want to ask the emperor for something."
"What's up?"
"You also know that after this calamity, the fourth brother's body can no longer withstand the torture. After all, brothers, even if the prince was really killed by the fourth brother, we were careless and left the fourth brother alone. The same is true for the emperor brother.
, otherwise, how could we be allowed to take the fourth brother out for treatment. The fourth brother's health is not good anymore. He was already weak, and now he has lost half of his life. The third brother and I can't bear it, and want to ask the emperor to take care of him.
The fourth brother was sent to Changhou County and will never be allowed to return to the capital as punishment."
"Changhou County, the hot springs there seem to be very good, and they are rich in tangerines."
"Well! If you go there to recuperate, if you are well, the fourth brother will probably have more than ten years to live. But if he is sent to the prison again, I am afraid that he will not be able to survive a year and a half."
I don’t know if even Hongzhi’s fate has changed because of her appearance. When will Hongzhi die? Will he be sent to the heavenly prison to live for another year, or will he die in a heavy snowfall in the sixth year of Kangding like in his previous life?
, or was he sent to Changhou County to recuperate until his death as Hong Yan wished?
No matter what, if a person is sent back to the prison, he will definitely die, Feng Hongluan knows this in his heart.
"How confident are you that you can convince the Emperor?"
Feng Hongluan asked.
"About eight minutes or so."
It was quite high, and for some reason Feng Hongluan felt a sense of comfort in her heart.
She doesn't like Hongzhi, but at least she doesn't want Hongzhi to die.
It didn't matter whether she left or not. If possible, she would still want to stay away from Hong Yan in this capital city where power disputes and intrigues existed.
Just as he was about to ask a few more questions, there was a knock on the door, and Li Si's respectful voice came from outside: "Prince Jin, Princess, the preparations are almost complete, you two can go over now!"
"Well! - let's go, come on, I'll help you!"
*
The sixteenth birthday is the coming-of-age ceremony for Hongchao men, and it is more lively than any other birthday in the past.
The entire palace of Prince You was decorated with lanterns, red and green hangings, and all the courtyards were decorated with colorful lanterns. The banquet was held in the open air in the front courtyard.
There were so many people who came that a mere front hall that could accommodate a hundred people was no longer enough, so the banquet was placed in the open-air garden.
The house had already begun preparations earlier, and all the potted flowers were the most vivid, with red flowers, green leaves, and colorful colors, which made the entire banquet even more lively.
The emperor has not arrived yet, but he has sent someone to deliver the message. There is no need to wait for him. He has some matters to deal with over there. He will come over as soon as he has done so.
The emperor said this, maybe something has delayed him, and he won't be here for a while.
Not wanting to keep the ministers waiting, Hong Yuan made a suggestion: "Sit down, everyone. Sit down, ministers and brothers. Thank you very much for coming. I will drink this cup first as a token of my respect."
"I, the King," was a little uncomfortable when I first heard Hong Yuan calling himself this, but Feng Hongluan soon smiled in relief. He now has a title, and he is considered a real prince. Calling himself the king is not just for show, but
Identity is like this.
Hongyuan raised his head and drank the cup, and the officials also raised their glasses in return.
The banquet started. They were a little reserved at first, but when the wine was half drunk, they started to talk too much. I don’t know who instigated my daughter to write a poem to King You to celebrate his birthday. A long and delicate little girl sang in a crisp voice.
A birthday poem.
At this point, the courtesy of ministers from all walks of life is like a dam that has opened its gates and can no longer be controlled.
Each daughter is a talented woman, either presenting poems or paintings.
It can be seen that everyone tried their best, just to get into Hongyuan's eyes.
Of course, it's not as simple as just wanting to fall into Hongyuan's eyes. He is a high-ranking official, the prince's son, and Lord Bei. Although these poems and paintings are for King You, he doesn't want to try his luck to see if he can get in.
Who has a discerning eye?
Seeing that the birthday banquet was almost turning into a beauty show, Hong Yuan looked a little impatient.
The officials sitting far away could not see the displeasure on Hong Yuan's face. They all privately encouraged their daughters to win a performance. They saw that Hong Yuan's face became worse and worse and he drank more and more wine.
.
Feng Hongluan was afraid that the situation would be embarrassing, so she pulled Hongyan's sleeve: "Sixth brother doesn't seem to be very happy. I'm afraid he won't be able to control his temper if we go on. Aren't we still going to discuss matters with the emperor today? If the emperor is waiting for a while
What I saw when I came here was an unpleasant scene, and I’m afraid I’m not in the mood to listen to what you have to say.”
Hong Yan chuckled: "I know!"
Looking up, one lady had just finished reading a poem, and just as the next lady was about to stand up, Hong Yan suddenly raised her glass: "You ladies are really talented, but I can't handle the celebration program prepared by this king."
Hong Yan was so humble, so naturally some people complimented him: "Oh, my lord, you are so humble."
"Haha, come in!" Hong Yan gave the order, and several dancers came in. Hong Yan winked at the barrier, and suddenly there was the sound of silk and bamboo music, and the dancers danced gracefully, with their clothes flying, and they began to sing together
The music dances.
In fact, this show was not prepared by Hong Yan, but when Hong Yan left, he noticed that Hong Yuan looked bad, so he secretly ordered the housekeeper Li Si to prepare the dancers and perform according to his words, so as to interrupt the group of women.