The lady lowered her eyelids, unable to sense her joy, anger, sorrow or happiness: "What do you say?"

"I said, Empress Fang of Emperor Renzong was the first Empress of Emperor Renzong, and gave birth to Emperor Xiaozong. One day, the emperor sat with the Empress, and because Consort Hu laughed with the Emperor, the Emperor got angry and threw down the cup. The Emperor was furious and forced her to submit a letter of resignation and retreat to Chang'an Palace. She was given the title of Jingci Xianshi and Consort Hu was made Empress. She died within a year and was buried in Jinshan with the ceremony of a concubine. When Xiaozong succeeded to the throne, he wanted to bury Empress Fang in Maoling, but the minister of rites opposed it, saying that if she was buried with Emperor Renzong, she would be the second Empress. Xiaozong was young, and most of the important matters in the court were decided by Empress Hu. Xiaozong was afraid of her power, so he had to offer Empress Fang's tablet in Fengci Hall. As for Empress Chen of Emperor Xiaozong, Because she did not agree with the Empress Dowager Hu, she was deposed as a virtuous concubine. She gave birth to two sons, one of whom died of a sudden illness and the other drowned. She was buried in Anyuan with the rites of a palace maid. On the other hand, although Emperor Yingzong's Empress Gao had no children, she was of noble character, filial and gentle, and raised Emperor Shizong with caution, which won the emperor's favor. When Shizong succeeded to the throne, she was regarded as his biological mother. After her death, she was honored with the posthumous title of "Chen Xiao Gong Su Ming De Hong Ren Shun Tian Qi Sheng Zhao Empress", and was buried with Emperor Xiaozong in Tailong, and sacrificed to the Taimiao. "The second wife said indifferently, "Will she be buried with the emperor and sacrificed to the Taimiao? Or will she be buried in Fengci Hall in a selected tomb? It depends on what the empress chooses."

Eleventh Lady took a breath of cold air.

These words are so bold, sharp... and aggressive.

Her eyes couldn't help but glance at Xu Lingyi.

I saw his brows frowned almost imperceptibly.

The Madam Tai did not comment, and said calmly: "What did the Queen say?"

"The Queen didn't say anything after hearing this." The Second Madam looked solemn. After thinking for a moment, she said, "her face was as pale as paper. She asked about Danyang's situation and then left."

Yes, I have asked everything that should be asked and said everything that should be said...what else can I do except remain silent!

However, a faint sadness arose in Eleventh Lady's heart.

Why does a woman’s growth always come at such a high price?

Maybe, being ignorant is happier!

On the way back to the courtyard, Xu Lingyi was obviously a little absent-minded. Eleventh Lady was also thinking about it - she always felt that the Queen lived a happy life. It was not that she had not experienced any twists and turns, but that her husband and wife loved each other and her children were healthy. For a woman with no ambitions, this was enough. But now, she had to face a choice. On one hand, there was her husband, on the other hand, there was her children, and there was also her family. No matter which one she chose, it would be very painful.

The two of them went back to the room silently to wash up and rest. Xu Lingyi tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.

Eleventh Lady simply said, "Does Lord Hou want to talk to me?"

Xu Lingyi sat up and said, "There's nothing much to talk about!" But he acted as if he was going to have a long talk.

Eleventh Lady found it funny, and the unhappiness in her heart actually faded a lot.

Xu Lingyi sighed: "The Queen is two years older than me..." Then he stopped, looking as if he didn't know how to continue.

Suddenly mentioning the Queen, you must be worried about her.

So I can't sleep.

It is said that Xu Lingchen got married at the age of 14. No matter how good their relationship was, the time they spent together was limited to their childhood.

Eleventh Lady thought for a moment and said, "Will I tell you the stories in "Youth Learning" when you were a child?"

"Youxue" was a relatively common enlightenment textbook in the Zhou Dynasty.

Xu Lingyi was slightly startled, then he pondered and said, "Yes! 'Xiao Cao served as prime minister to Emperor Gaozu of Han and was once a clerk; Ji An served as prime minister to Emperor Wu of Han and was a true minister of the country. Zhao Bo implemented King Wen's policies and once lived under the Gan Tang tree. Later generations missed his love and could not bear to cut down the tree; Kong Ming had the talent to assist the king and once lived in a thatched cottage. The first lord admired his reputation and visited him three times.' That's what my sister told me..."

Eleventh Lady noticed that he said "sister" instead of "Empress".

The royal family is first the ruler’s subjects and then their relatives.

Sometimes, the loyalty between ruler and subject can overwhelm the affection between family members, or even distort it.

"At that time, I thought, how great it would be if I were that Kong Ming, I could put on airs in front of the emperor, I could stabilize the country, I could go down in history..." He looked at the top of the tent with a gentle expression, "At that time, I couldn't even trace the red characters well. The teacher said that I was too ambitious, and the people in the clan school laughed at me for daydreaming. Only my sister praised me for my ambition. She also said that generals and ministers don't care about their backgrounds, what matters is that you have the ability. She asked me to learn from the teacher and do well in the small things like literacy and reading. Little by little, I can do big things in the future..."

"I still remember that I was only seven years old at that time, and my second brother was twelve years old. Mother was worried about finding a husband for my second brother. My sister led the maid to pick elm leaves and made elm cakes for me in the kitchen. As a result, I don't know who accidentally set the firewood on fire..." He laughed, "I still remember that my sister's maids at that time were called Su'e and Qingniang. Su'e was so scared that she burst into tears, and Qingniang covered my sister's face with her skirt and dragged her out. My sister cried and called my name, and called the kitchen manager over. It turned out that the firewood thrown next to the stove was smoking, and we were crying and jumping there..."

Eleventh Lady could imagine the funny scene at that time, and the corners of her mouth curled up: "I must have been severely punished later, right?"

"Hmm!" He looked at Shiyi Niang, his eyes sparkling in the darkness, "My sister and I were confined to our rooms for a month. Su'e and Qing Niang were punished to wash dishes in the kitchen for a month..."

He talked a lot. He said that his handwriting was not good, and his sister tried to find him some calligraphy; he said that he could not recite the book, and his sister accompanied him; he said that he had a fight with someone and his clothes were torn, and his sister made him an identical one without telling the lady...

Eleventh Lady was deeply saddened when she heard this.

If Xu Lingchen married into a family of equal status like Madam Jiang, the eldest aunt of Duke Maoguo, would she be much happier?

At least, you won’t be in such danger!

The thought flashed through his mind, but the words were already out: "Why did you let my sister marry the Seventh Prince?"

Xu Lingyi was stunned for a moment, and lowered his voice: "The Seventh Prince's mother died early, and Mr. Deng Jingzhi from the Hanlin Academy is his teacher. Mr. Deng and Dad are childhood friends and close friends. Mr. Deng thinks that the Seventh Prince has a gentle temperament and noble character, and his sister is gentle and honest, with outstanding conduct. They are a natural match. That's why he wants to be the matchmaker. Dad has met the Seventh Prince several times before, and thinks he is handsome and born in the royal family. Not only does he not have the bad habits of those dandy boys, but he is also down-to-earth and steady. Although he has no one to support him in the inner court, he is the grandson of the prince after all, and it is inevitable that he will be given a title and become a king. If my sister marries him, she won't suffer much. I think it's good. Then Mr. Deng mentioned it to the emperor, and the emperor also thought it was a good idea. So my sister married him.

"Who knew that the world would change so quickly. First there was the Crown Prince's 'Witch Curse Case', then Queen Wu hanged herself, and several princes were imprisoned or committed suicide. The late emperor was old and suspicious at the time. Not only did he not appease the princes, but he also used this incident to purge the meritorious officials in the court. Dad saw that the situation was not right, and if he didn't find a way out, he was afraid that the Seventh Prince and his sister would not have a good end sooner or later. It happened that the Seventh Prince also discussed this matter with Dad, wanting to take the position of Crown Prince, which had been pending.

Dad thought about it and decided that it was better to take advantage of the opportunity than to wait for death. So he sold most of the family property, tried to get in touch with the Marquis of Jianning and the Earl of Shouchang, and talked to the Empress Dowager, who was made empress because she had no children at the time. With the support of the Empress Dowager, the Emperor's sincerity and modesty, and his sister's birth of three sons, the late Emperor decided to let the Emperor inherit the throne... and we have the Yonghe Reign today."

The tone was already melancholy.

Eleventh Lady could only comfort him: "The Queen is such an intelligent person, nothing will happen to her!" But she felt that this kind of comfort was too pale, so she reached out and held Xu Lingyi's hand.

Xu Lingyi was surprised by his wife's initiative.

Thinking of the soft feeling when she curled up in his arms last night... he immediately shook Eleventh Lady's hand back: "Come to me."

At this time, it is neither reasonable nor emotional to refuse.

After a slight hesitation, Eleventh Lady moved into his quilt.

She was not short among women, but compared with Xu Lingyi, she looked petite and slender. When he held her in his arms, her hands and feet were warm and she felt very comfortable, and her body naturally stretched out.

Xu Lingyi immediately felt something different about her - her body had only gradually softened after she fell asleep.

He suddenly thought of the brief words he heard from the generals in the military camp: "...a woman has to reach the age of 15 to know the difference between heat and cold. What do those little girls know...like my wife, she only became interesting after giving birth to three children..." At that time, he thought it was very dirty to bring up his private affairs...but now, his heart moved, and his hand slowly reached into her clothes.

My body really tensed up.

He couldn't help but sigh secretly in his heart.

Stop.

He whispered, "Go to sleep! You have to go to the funeral tomorrow!"

He used the same nonchalant tone as yesterday.

Eleventh Lady said “hmm”.

Xu Lingyi closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing to be even.

The person in his arms slowly relaxed, gently adjusted his posture, and moved towards his arms, and his hands fell down in the air.

Xu Lingyi found it very interesting.

His hands left her body, but she was pressed against his chest. The fragrance of her hair drifted into his nose, making him feel a little anxious... Was this considered a case of losing the big picture for the small?

He couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth.

After thinking about it, he stretched his body.

The person in his arms immediately shrank back alertly like a kitten.

Xu Lingyi really wanted to laugh.

He turned over and lay on his side, wrapping her whole body in his arms.

She struggled for a few times, but seeing that he didn't move, she leaned her head on his shoulder, found a more comfortable position for herself, and slowly relaxed.

Xu Lingyi was already very sure.

As long as he keeps a certain distance from her, she is still willing to be with him.

Very childish.

Her eyes, as hazy as the mist and rain in March, flashed through my mind... It must have been very painful at that time.

He knew her delicateness better than anyone else, and he was surprised that she had taken the red pill.

As the thought came to my mind, a strange feeling slowly spread in my heart.

He couldn't tell whether he was happy or sad, bitter or disappointed, pity or guilt...all kinds of emotions mixed together, making him feel uncomfortable.

* * * * * *

Seeing Xu Lingyi fell asleep, Eleventh Lady breathed a sigh of relief.

Although she had been prepared to be patient, shouldn't a couple only be patient? Once or twice can be considered as temporary discomfort, but if it happens all the time, even a fool would feel uncomfortable, right? Not to mention someone like Xu Lingyi. But she was not sure she could control her reaction.

We have to find a way...

Eleventh Lady turned over in annoyance, which caused the people around her to grumble incoherently. Then, she was hugged even tighter!

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I have time, but no computer... I am still anxious and can only update once a day. ⊙﹏⊙bSweat!