Chapter 185: Phoenix Flutters Its Wings (Two Chapters Combined into One)
Aunt Quan continued, "Before Pu Jing married, she was beaten and scolded by her stepmother. After she married, she was despised by her husband. After her husband died, her son was unfilial. She became a nun because she couldn't make ends meet at home. She was frustrated for many years and finally got the chance to bully others. She couldn't stop. Concubine Wu, who came here with me, was so ashamed and angry after being beaten and scolded by her that she hanged herself with a rope.
And that Pu Xuan, don't be fooled by her hypocritical appearance, she is the most greedy. The money allocated by the palace every year is enough for us to have enough food and clothing, but half of it is pocketed by Pu Xuan, which is why we have to live such a hard life.
If you don't believe me, just wait and see. Next, she will ask you to pass letters outside the temple and have your family send money and gifts to the temple. In the end, none of these will fall into your hands. She will greedily take them all."
The women who were able to be selected to enter the palace would have an official position in their family and would have some wealth. Unless they were cruel families, they would not be able to bear to see their daughters suffer in the temple and would find ways to send some silver or things in, and most of these would fall into the hands of Pu Xuan and her confidants.
Women who have no gifts from their parents will become tools for bullying and venting.
Huiming is a princess after all. Even if those people in the palace treat her like a piece of trash, she still has her elder sister Huixin. The two sisters depend on each other for survival. If Huiming asks someone to send a message to Huixin, Huixin will not ignore it.
Although Huixin's position is awkward, she is also a princess who lives a life of luxury.
Aunt Quan told Huiming these things to remind her that she might be the next person to be sucked dry by Puxuan.
Of course, before she becomes a blood bag, she must be stepped on, her dignity crushed, and she must beg for mercy for a steamed bun or a hot meal.
As Huiming listened, her ears began to buzz and she could no longer hear what Aunt Quan said next.
She just knew that the suffering she had endured these days was just an appetizer, and greater persecution was yet to come.
......
In the courtyard of Tianjing Hutong, Zhao Shiqing received a letter from her sister Zhao Yunnuan.
Zhao Yunnuan's letter was obviously well thought out. She told Zhao Shiqing that she was ready, not only mentally but also from other aspects.
Including physical strength, human resources, and financial resources.
Zhao Shiqing was stunned. No wonder her sister's letter came later than Nie's. It turned out that her sister was making preparations and making sure that she had what it takes to cope with everything after coming to Beijing. That's why her sister wrote this letter to her to reassure her.
Zhao Shiqing deeply suspected that her sister would bring an army to the capital.
In fact, Zhao Yunnuan did prepare this way.
For women of their background, marriage is a struggle, a struggle with fate, the political situation, the husband's family, and even their own family.
Zhao Yunnuan felt that she was luckier than others. First, she did not have parents who could influence her fate. Nie played a certain role, but the final decision was made by the emperor.
Secondly, she has a brother and sister who are thinking about her and helping her. Although her brother is confused, he is kind-hearted and does not do anything bad in secret.
Third, she still has at least a year to fully prepare;
Fourthly, the Yan family, at least on the surface, does not seem to be a wicked family. One has to get in touch with them in person to know what they are like inside. As for Yan Xia, Zhao Yunnuan still has confidence that he is the one who can make his sister sincerely call him Yan Xia.
After the imperial edict was delivered, Nie became radiant as if she had been injected with chicken blood, and even wanted to take charge of the palace's rear house again. Unfortunately, all of her intentions were suppressed silently by Meng Xiaotang.
Nie suffered a loss in silence, feeling both resentful and aggrieved, and cried alone for a long time.
She suddenly realized that apart from Nanny Zheng, she had no one to cry to or to comfort her.
Her husband died, her most beloved son lived far away in the capital, her eldest son was estranged from her, and her eldest daughter was even more heartless. As for her new daughter-in-law, she learned the lesson of a barking dog that bites.
And that adopted daughter who ran off to who knows where was even more of an ungrateful person.
In the past, she had a younger sister, Nie Qionghua, by her side, but now the grass on Nie Qionghua's grave has withered twice. As for the other members of her natal family, they have almost cut off all ties with her since the death of Master Nie Er.
Times have changed. The officials' wives who used to surround her and flatter her are now trying their best to get close to Meng Xiaotang.
It was at this moment that Nie discovered one thing, that is, she really could not take back the Prince Liang's Mansion.
Zhao Yunnuan was finally about to leave, but Meng Xiaotang came. Zhao Yunnuan spent most of his time in the military camp and was not familiar with the affairs of the rear house. Apart from using tough measures to prevent Nie from going out, he had no other tricks.
But Meng Xiaotang was different. He was someone who had truly escaped death in the backyard of the Marquis's Mansion. He had both means and courage.
More importantly, she is no longer a young girl who has just started out. She is calm and resolute, yet smooth and sharp. Such a person is easy to be liked by others, yet can calm the situation and control the scene. As long as Zhao Tinghan can sit firmly on the position of King Liang, Meng Xiaotang will definitely be his wise wife.
In other words, if Meng Xiaotang had not been framed, she would definitely be the wife that all wealthy families wanted to marry.
With Meng Xiaotang being like this, it’s no wonder that Nie was defeated in just one round and didn’t even have the courage to fight again.
Now, Nie only hopes that Zhao Tingxuan will come back soon. As long as Zhao Tingxuan comes back, she will have someone to rely on.
When Zhao Yunnuan learned that it was her own mother, Nie, who first suggested that she be exchanged as a hostage, she no longer even thought of looking at Nie.
My younger sister said in front of Nie that she would not care even if Nie died.
Zhao Yunnuan smiled bitterly. She wanted to say the same thing, but she couldn't.
However, once she arrived in the capital, returning to Liangdi would be harder than climbing to the sky.
She couldn't interfere in the affairs of Prince Liang's Mansion, and even after Nie died, she couldn't come back.
Changing her mindset is a good thing for her.
Zhao Yunnuan knew very well that even though she and her brother trusted each other, and even though her sister-in-law Meng Xiaotang was married with her help, she held military power and was seen as a threat to her brother in the eyes of the world. Even if her brother didn't think so now, who could know what would happen in the future?
It would be better for her to hand over the power and stay away from her now while the relationship between brothers and sisters, and aunts and sisters-in-law is the closest.
On the third day after receiving the imperial edict, Zhao Yunnuan handed over the Royal Guard Battalion to Zhao Tinghan.
Zhao Tinghan was heartbroken. He had finally returned from the capital, but his eldest sister was leaving and would have to live in seclusion in the rear house from now on. His heroic and brave sister would have to look at the faces of her parents-in-law even when she stepped out of the house.
Zhao Tinghan felt that he owed his sisters. If he hadn't come back, the second sister wouldn't have left. If the second sister hadn't left, Nie wouldn't have taken revenge on his two younger sisters. Now the younger sister has run away from home, and the older sister is going to be a hostage. A good family has been broken up just like that.
That night, Meng Xiaotang held Zhao Tinghan in her arms and let him cry until her clothes were wet.
This is a man who has been away from his family since childhood and lacks maternal love. Only Meng Xiaotang knows how much he longs for the warmth of family, the love of his parents, and the affection of his brothers and sisters.
But when he finally returned home, it was at the cost of his father's death, and the maternal love he imagined was ultimately just an illusion.
Fortunately, the brothers and sisters were very close, but the good times did not last long. One married far away and the other ran away. Although Zhao Tingxuan would be back soon, with Nie around, how could the relationship between the brothers be any better?
Meng Xiaotang comforted her softly, "While there's still time, let's prepare more dowry for the eldest sister, and then find a way to gather more people so that she can take them to the capital. With money and people, she can do things with ease. As for the younger sister, although she is still young, she has reached the age of marriage, and her dowry should also be prepared in advance."
Fortunately, Nie won’t take care of these things, so let her, as her sister-in-law, arrange it.
Meng Xiaotang liked and was grateful to the two nuns. Without them, she would not have been able to come to Liang smoothly, and she would not have been able to marry into the Liang Palace as the principal wife.
Zhao Yunnuan guessed some of the couple's thoughts, so when Meng Xiaotang told her about it, she did not refuse.
At the same time, she also participated in it.
The people Zhao Tinghan gave her were all selected by her personally. Among them were men and women, old and young, civil and military, some in the open and some hidden. Only a small number of them would go to Beijing with her dowry, while the others would go to Beijing in batches in advance as ordinary people.
Not long after, Zhao Shiqing met the first group of people who went to Beijing as pioneers.
They were a middle-aged couple, the man was called Han Da and the woman was called Liu Chunhua. They came to Beijing to visit relatives, who were native Beijingers and a real family.
On a very ordinary day, Zhao Shiqing met Han Da and Liu Chunhua. They came to kowtow to her and brought another letter from Zhao Yunnuan.
Zhao Yunnuan told her that more people would come to the capital from Liangdi in the future. Some would try to settle down in the capital, while others would live in the county towns near the capital. These people did not have any tasks for the time being, but they were familiar with the capital, so if Zhao Shiqing had anything to do, he could order them to do it at any time.
Zhao Shiqing was very happy because she now had someone in her power.
What? Don't you have guards?
Zhao Shiqing: Forget about them. They are useless except when fighting. And right now, there is no chance for them to fight.
So now, besides Xiuxiu who can change her appearance, the people who can help Zhao Shiqing the most are Niuqiu, Xiaoyao and Xiaoguai.
While Zhao Shiqing was still immersed in the joy of having someone available, a major event happened in the Feng Mansion halfway across the city.
Something happened to the fifth lady Feng Yalan who was in the process of getting married!
Although they said they were discussing marriage, in fact, the two families had already exchanged engagement letters, which meant that the marriage had actually been settled.
The third prince rejected the crown prince twice and closed the door to visitors. Feng Jiahe also stopped seeing visitors, but these "guests" did not include her family members.
Especially Feng Yalan, who is discussing marriage with Yang Shengqiu.
Originally, Feng Jiahe disdained this half-sister. Even when she was at her mother's home, she schemed against Feng Yalan and the third aunt in order to support her mother.
But Feng Yalan's status is different now. Both the Third Prince and her father want to use Yang Shengqiu, so Feng Jiahe must give this cousin some respect.
Even repair the relationship between each other.
So on a sunny afternoon, Feng Jiahe invited Feng Yalan into the house, and also accompanied by the Princess of Qingchuan County, Lang Yuyu and Fan Qiujun.
The sisters met and talked about personal matters for a while. Feng Jiahe deliberately tried to get close to Feng Yalan, and Feng Yalan was also very smart and sincerely catered to her. It was a deep sisterly love. Even the Qingchuan County Lady and Lang Yuyu, who had their eyes on the top of their heads, became more affectionate towards Feng Yalan than before.
Later, a maid ran in happily and said to Feng Jiahe, "Congratulations, Princess! Congratulations, Princess! The Phoenix Zhenyu tree has finally bloomed!"
Feng Jiahe was overjoyed. Phoenix Zhenyu is a famous variety of chrysanthemum and it is also her dowry, a gift given to Feng Ke by someone else.
However, this pot of chrysanthemums has not even produced a bud since it came to the Feng family. When Feng Jiahe married into the Third Prince's mansion, she also brought this pot of Phoenix Zhenyu with her.
The third prince also loves chrysanthemums. He found an old eunuch from the palace who was good at caring for chrysanthemums and took good care of Fenghuang Zhenyu. Feng Jiahe just saw the buds two days ago and was still regretting that it happened at this time. If it were any other time, she would definitely hold a special flower viewing party.
However, it was estimated that it would take another three or four days for the flowers to bloom. Unexpectedly, the Phoenix Zhenyu actually bloomed early today. Feng Jiahe immediately invited all the girls to go to the garden to appreciate the flowers together.
At the same time, the Fifth Prince also came to the Third Prince's residence. The Third Prince was a little unhappy: "It's the height of the storm right now, why are you here?"
The fifth prince said disdainfully: "Third brother, even if I don't come now, everyone knows that we are the best brothers. Besides, if I don't come to your place, outsiders will think that my brothers can't stand you doing well."
In the past, the Fifth Prince’s remarks would only make the Third Prince think that he was stupid, but he would not be offended.
He wished all his brothers were brainless.
But now, these words sounded particularly harsh to his ears.
Don't you just want to see me doing well?
There is no family affection in the royal family, only fighting among brothers and killing each other. Where is the true brotherhood?
"Okay, now that you're here, then..."
Before he finished speaking, he saw the Fifth Prince's servant Changming lifting a side of the curtain and looking inside.
The third prince was so angry that he wanted to lose his temper. Not only did the fifth prince have no rules himself, but his subordinates also followed him and had no rules at all.
The fifth prince also saw Changming and shouted, "Changming, who has the guts to spy outside the door?"
Chang Ming heard this and came in, then knelt on the ground with a plop. "Third Master, Fifth Master, even if I had the courage of a wild dog, I wouldn't dare to spy on you two."
The Third Prince frowned, but the Fifth Prince roared with laughter and kicked Chang Ming: "You little brat, you can't even speak. You have the courage of a bear and a leopard, but in your mouth you've turned it into the courage of a wild dog."
Chang Ming hurriedly said: "I am a worthless person, and I can only show the courage of a wild dog. Master, your feet are not tired, I will do it myself."
As he said this, he slapped himself twice on the face.
The Fifth Prince waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, stop it. What do you want from me?"
Chang Ming: "Just now, I heard the sisters in the mansion running around telling each other that the phoenix of the Third Prince's wife has spread its wings and blossomed. This is a good omen, so I came to congratulate the Third Master on their behalf."
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