Fan Yuzhen's self-defeat made Zheng Dou Niang couldn't help but say, "You give up so quickly, what should I do?" She was relieved to say so.
With Fan Yuzhen standing in front of her, it was difficult for her to move up. After all, although she had a better relationship with the late emperor, Fan Yuzhen was the late emperor's cousin in name and a famous talented woman. She could recite any poem or song the emperor said, and her appearance was unmatched in the palace.
More importantly, she had two sons by her side, but because she didn't become the queen for a while, she couldn't bear it and became a monk.
The Empress Xia was not wealthy, and although she held that position, the Emperor only wanted to see her for novelty. Over time, he could not help but like the Empress because of her stupidity.
The deep palace is very trying and requires great perseverance.
Although the Hanhai Mansion was somewhat discouraged by Fan Yuzhen's decision to become a monk, they still had private contact with Fan Yuzhen's fifth and sixth princes. Especially since the fifth prince was already able to go to the upper study, they privately gave generous gifts to the teachers in the upper study, and Fang Weiyan had all of them here.
But Mi Niang said, "It's impossible to think about it since she is neither the eldest nor the legitimate wife. It would be better to try to make Concubine De the queen."
Fang Weiyan smiled and said, "The Hanhai Mansion has few descendants and few people, but it still has some power. The Cheng'en Mansion is a profitless mansion that will not do anything sooner. It is mixed with Concubine Zheng. I am afraid that the emperor will not like both of them."
"If you really want me to explain, you're already in a very high position, very wealthy, and yet you're still thinking about going one step further? You're too ungrateful." If he wanted to go one step further, he would have to overthrow the emperor.
Hearing what Mi Niang said, Fang Weiyan said, "The desires of people in the world are the most difficult to satisfy, just like some businessmen who are already very rich but still feel that they are not satisfied. But the wealth of the world cannot be exhausted, and the prosperity of the world cannot be exhausted either."
Having said that, he looked at Mi Niang again and said, "But that is an ordinary person. If it were Mi Niang, everything would be ruined."
Mi Niang laughed out loud: "Fang Lang is right, Fang Lang is right."
From then on, the couple put Fan Yuzhen's matter aside. On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Fang Weichang returned from Liaoning, and Yu came to his house specially to give him a box of ginseng.
Ginseng is produced in Liaoning. I heard that Fang Weichang hired a lot of ginseng farmers there to dig it.
"Sister-in-law, why did you send so much? Don't you need some at home?" she asked curiously.
With Fang Weiyan's promotion to Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, her salary was not actually that high, but she received a lot of gifts, including a lot of spices and scented tea. She saved some of them and distributed the rest to each room.
Yu smiled and said, "I am just returning the favor. Fourth Uncle has taken good care of us on weekdays. Several of our brothers often come over, and our eldest uncle always says that Fourth Uncle has taken great care of him."
Fang Weiyan presided over the provincial examination in Shuntian Prefecture. He was also a minister of the Ministry of Rites. He was a scholar in conversation and had no ordinary friends. Fang Weichang's two sons were studying at the Shen family, but he had no grudges against them and invited them to the banquet. The elders had conflicts, but the younger generation did not have any major grudges.
Even Min Ge'er invited them over, and Xiangjun was grateful.
Yu would naturally write a letter to tell Fang Weichang about such things. Fang Weichang used to have a relationship with Fang Weiyan that was almost like a brother on the surface, but he was not a stupid man. The second of his two brothers was a ruthless man, the third was useless, and the fourth had to make his own way in the future, but he was indeed a kind-hearted man.
He was in Liaoning, and because he had a brother who was an official in Beijing, many people looked up to him because of this.
After all, the Marquis of Dong'an had retired a long time ago. Although he still had some influence in the capital, Dayong relied on civil officials to control the military, and the civil officials were able to control the military officials. On the surface, they did not belong to the same faction, but in fact, they were intricately connected.
What's more, although the Ministry of Rites is not as good as the Ministry of Personnel and Household Affairs, any official from the Ministry of Rites has a high possibility of joining the cabinet.
Now that Fang Weichang is in his forties, he finally understands the importance of family.
Just like his daughter married into the eldest prince's maternal family, he thought he was on the eldest prince's side, but he didn't know that the emperor directly married his concubine sister to the second prince, and it would be useless for the Dong'an Marquis's Mansion to help anyone.
In fact, this approach can be considered as a warning to them.
Fang Weichang had been a prince for many years, so he probably knew the proper manners. Besides, it would be easier to get things done if there were talented people in the court, so why would he offend Fang Weiyan?
That's why this happened.
Mi Niang opened the box and saw that the ginseng was indeed of excellent quality. She said, "Since this is the case, I can't refuse you, so I will accept it. But I got a few pieces of Sichuan brocade the other day. You know me, I am not a person who likes to go out. I can't wear them at the moment. If you don't mind, I will give you two pieces."
This Shu brocade has a proper proportion of longitude and latitude, clear patterns, rich colors, and full flower shapes, and is very exquisite.
Yu refused at first, but Mi Niang insisted on giving it to her. After some arguing, Yu finally accepted it.
Actually, except for the fact that she had no children, everything else about Mrs. Yu was fine. Mrs. Shen's two sons were also scholars, and scholars valued filial piety the most. Even if they did not consider Mrs. Yu their biological mother, they still had to respect her according to etiquette.
Etiquette is sometimes more important than others.
Just like Fang Weishi wanted to harm Fang Furong, but he didn't think about what to do to Xu. It was okay to harm a widow with flaws, but Xu was their nominal mother. If that was discovered, the consequences would be more than that.
After Yu left, Mi Niang asked someone to put the ginseng away. Ginseng is a good thing. It is good to take it out to replenish your energy when you are really sick. But it is not used on ordinary days. Taking too much to replenish is not necessarily a good thing.
Chun Tao said, "Now that our Fourth Master has become the Junior Lord, everyone, whether close or distant, will come to visit you, and you will have many more social engagements."
Mi Niang smiled and said, "That's nothing. You know, I'm a person who can be active or quiet."
Now the Ministry of Rites is extremely busy due to the wedding of the two princes, and because Fang Weiyan is young and strong, a lot of work in the ministry is assigned to him. Now he comes home very late every day. Sometimes he is gone when we wake up in the morning, and no one knows when he comes back in the evening.
Compared to Fang Weiyan, she just takes care of the household chores every day. The interpersonal relationships in the family were not so bad when he was in the Hanlin Academy. Now that he is the Minister of Rites, there are quite a lot of interpersonal relationships, but it is still relatively easy for her.
Because she had been living like this since she was a child, she had several years of leisure. Moreover, with the help of servants, the house was quiet. Once, when she took Xian Ge'er out, others even thought she was Xian Ge'er's sister, which made Fang Weiyan very angry.
At the end of the month, all the sisters who had studied in the past gathered together. Even Luo Qiujun came. With her help, her husband also went to Beijing to take part in the imperial examination in February next year.
The Guo family had been dismissed from office because of the construction of the reserve, but now they were reappointed. Guo Yaoyu's husband was also promoted to the position of provincial education commissioner. After returning to Beijing, Guo Yaoyu and her had frequent contacts.
Over the years, the only one who has been cheerful is Tao Chun'er.
Even Guo Yaoyu said to Tao Chun'er: "Among us, you are the most comfortable." Her parents-in-law are both in her hometown, and they are both well-off. The brother of Luo Qiujun, whom she married, is very talented, and she has no other sisters-in-law, so there is no intrigue at all. Therefore, she has always been so innocent and kind.
Tao Chun'er was embarrassed: "No, I think Mi Niang is the one who is living the best. I am not good enough. I have gained weight and people call me aunt when I go out. You see, Mi Niang still looks like a young girl."
Everyone looked at Mi Niang and saw that she had an extremely slender waist, smooth and tender skin, and most importantly, her eyes.
People often say that to tell whether a woman is old, first look at her eyes and then her hands.
Especially the eyes. If they are cloudy and yellow, and there are many wrinkles and folds under the eyes, it is definitely a sign of aging.
But Mi Niang's eyes are clear, and she is no different from when she was a child. She even had some baby fat when she was a child. Now her face is extremely delicate. She has given birth to two sons, and there is not a single spot on her face.
Tao Chun'er couldn't help but ask, "Mi Niang, how do you maintain your looks?"
Mi Niang smiled and said, "I used to eat chili peppers frequently and liked strong flavors. Now I eat light food and rest during the extra time. Anyway, now I don't have to check on myself every morning and evening and sleep for a long time like before."
In fact, sleep is the most important thing for people to take good care of themselves.
This is what Mi Niang concluded. Sometimes, any wounds on your body will heal after a good night's sleep, and that is the best thing ever.
Ji Chunfang said, "I would like to do the same, but it is impossible. Our family has not yet been divided."
Previously, Ji Chunfang distanced herself from Mi Niang because Fang Weiyan was sent away. Later, she went to her house several times to reconcile. Mi Niang was not a saint, but she did not forgive her when she thought of their friendship in the past. She only reconciled with her on the surface.
This already made Tao Chun'er very happy, she always hoped that everyone was well.
But Mi Niang was a person who was very clear about gratitude and resentment. Although she always hoped that she could be like Fang Weiyan, not arrogant and conceited, and be fair and peaceful, she couldn't get over it in her heart. Therefore, although she and Ji Chunfang talked on the surface, they were unconsciously distant from each other in her heart.
Ji Chunfang was such an intelligent person, so of course he knew this.
Seeing that Mi Niang didn't respond, Tao Chun'er stepped out and asked, "Do you still remember Fu Rou?"
Guo Yaoyu glanced at Mi Niang and knew that Tao Chun'er was changing the subject, so she immediately said, "Remember, didn't I hear that she died of illness in the palace?"
"My mother wrote to me a few days ago saying that Zhou Furou's mother died of illness and cried bitterly before she died. She said that I shouldn't have listened to others and believed in the lucky girl, which ruined her daughter's life."
When people heard this, they sighed.
However, Mi Niang remembered that Zhou Fu Rou was wearing the imperial robes of the Crown Prince's wife, and there was no one in the capital who did not envy her. It was heard that in her previous life, she had brought her mother to the capital, and the Crown Prince of Jinxiang Marquis specially bought a house for his parents-in-law. At that time, Queen Ruan told them that the Crown Prince of Jinxiang Marquis was a really good husband and that Fu Rou had married the right person.
At that time, Mi Niang missed her parents very much. Her parents had passed away long ago. Others became rich and powerful and had relatives and friends, but she had even forgotten what her mother looked like.
In this life, Zhou Furou was thrown into a well and died an ignominious death. Her mother also died early, which is really sad.
Guo Yaoyu was silent for a while and then said, "If she didn't enter the palace, she might marry into a wealthy family in Jiangling and not have a bad life. In my opinion, she'd rather not have that blessing."
This so-called blessing allowed her and her family to see the prosperity of the upper class society, and they wanted to move into that upper class with all their heart. However, they were later thrown into a well at a young age. It would have been better if they had not seen that prosperity, as perhaps they would have lived a better life.
Mi Niang agrees: "Time, fate and luck are all important."
Several people felt unhappy about the things mentioned today, but they became happy only when Mi Niang mentioned the embarrassing things that happened in Jiangling Academy in the past.
After gathering with her close friends, the next day Mi Niang took a carriage to pay her respects to the Duke of Dong'an's mansion.
Although the family has been separated now, Mi Niang still has to go to the Dong'an Marquis's Mansion to pay respects on the first and fifteenth day of every lunar month. When she came, Chang Yuzhu was having a snack outside with her daughter. When she saw her, she waved to her.
Mi Niang knew that Chang Yuzhu was up to some gossip again.
She now spends her days asking about these things and sharing them with me.
"Sister-in-law, what's the matter?"
Chang Yuzhu said, "Nothing else, but there is a new thing. The wife of the Marquis of Xinling once beat her concubine to death and harmed her illegitimate son, and someone reported her to the government."
She was okay with other people, but she cared a lot about Lady Xinling Hou. When Lady Xinling Hou threatened her, she held a grudge against her.
Mi Niang raised her eyebrows: "I don't think she is any exception in harming bastards, but it's just a coincidence that it's only come to light now."
"It's good to expose it now. After being beaten by Gu Wangshu, the son of Xinling Marquis has been resting all day and not doing his job well. I heard that his youngest son is not very successful either. Now the palace is relying on Commander Gu. Commander Gu is still very loyal to the emperor and is just enforcing the law impartially."
Chang Yuzhu felt quite happy when she said this.
The only person who could have sued the wife of Marquis Xinling was Gu Wangshu. She had heard from Fang Weiyan that Gu Wangshu was the daughter of a singing girl and was brought back to the mansion of Marquis Xinling and brutally tortured.
This person has actually been away from him for a long time. When Mi Niang first saw him, she was afraid, but now she treats him as a complete stranger. Perhaps many things are different between her previous life and this life.
As for Fang Weiyan, she never thought that she would be so suitable to be his wife in this life.
God is really kind to her.
Xinlinghou Mansion
Lady Xinlinghou pointed at Gu Wangshu and said, "It's you, it's you, right? It was you, the little bastard, who did this?"
Her husband has many concubines and many illegitimate sons. These people are like debt collectors, all here to divide her son's things. If they want to blame someone, they should blame themselves for being unlucky.
This little bastard is so tough.
She thought he would be like an ant, but she never imagined that he would become like this one day.
Gu Wangshu said indifferently: "The law of heaven is vast and nothing can escape it. If Madam didn't do it, then this matter naturally has nothing to do with you. But if you did it, I'm afraid it will be difficult to tolerate under the law of the country."
He had been waiting for this moment for too long. Normally, the wife of Marquis Xinling was very strict in housekeeping, so it was difficult to find out anything. Recently, there was finally a clue. He had collected all the evidence and had been waiting for this day.
Xinling Hou's wife sneered: "You are in charge of the Jinyiwei. Even if I am innocent, I will be said to be guilty. In this case, I will enter the palace."
As a princess, she would never let a horse ride on her head.
Gu Wangshu even said, "It's up to you."
The emperor is not the kind of person who would listen to the words of his relatives. He might not even be able to please the empress dowager's brothers, let alone the wife of Marquis Xinling. Gu Wangshu is not worried at all.
After the wife of Marquis Xinling entered the palace to pay her respects, she put pressure on the relevant government offices. She had been living like this all these years. To her, concubines were just toys, and it would not matter even if they were beaten to death.
But for some reason, this case had reached a high level, and the relevant government offices actually brought in witnesses. It was difficult for them to handle matters involving royal relatives, so they handed it over to the Ministry of Clan Affairs, which reported it to the emperor.
Lady Xinlinghou also said to her two sons, "I grew up in the palace. What relationship do we have with the emperor? Even if Gu Wangshu is trusted, the emperor will not punish me because of him, let alone for such a small matter."
In her opinion, she was a member of the emperor's family, and Gu Wangshu was just a dog of the emperor. How could a person hurt her relatives for a dog!
But she was totally wrong, and this time the emperor ordered a re-investigation.
The title of Marquis Xinling was inherited by Gu Wangshu, the eldest son of Marquis Xinling was exiled to Liaoning on behalf of his mother, and the wife of Marquis Xinling was stripped of her title and returned to her natal family.
Gu Wangshu won a great victory in the fight with his stepmother.
But he was very nervous in front of the emperor.
The emperor dismissed everyone and was also shocked after listening to what he said.
"You mean you couldn't get Ruan, so you found someone who looked similar, and that person was a convict? You are so bold."
Gu Wangshu knew that he had handed the emperor the last handle on himself, so he said: "I know that I have failed the emperor's cultivation of me, but if this matter is exposed, it will probably implicate your majesty in the future. Therefore, I request to resign and retire, and never get involved in politics again."
After saying this, he put his head on the ground, not daring to look up.
The emperor was so angry that he laughed: "I never thought you were such a romantic person."
For a woman, he gave up his future.
But he also knew that Gu Wangshu was giving him the handle on him. Gu Wangshu had done a lot of dirty things for him, but he was a man without desires. He was not greedy for wealth or women, and he even drank less alcohol.
They don't even form cliques or engage in selfish activities, they just obey his orders wholeheartedly.
He is indeed a very qualified commander of the Royal Guard.
But as an emperor, he couldn't help but have some worries. Hasn't he heard that a man without desires is strong? He didn't dare to fully trust a commander who had no leverage at all.
Gu Wangshu raised his head slightly and said, "I dare not, but she is a convicted woman, I dare not presume to be so. Your Majesty has placed so much trust in me, but I have failed you. This is really wrong."
The emperor has always been mean and ungrateful, and is not a kind person.
He looked at Gu Wangshu, and rarely did he feel angry. Instead, he thought to himself, even a man like Gu Wangshu could do anything for a woman and still find someone to spend his life with, so why don't I have the person I love the most in this life?
"It's nothing. Since she comes from the Jiaofangsi, you can take her as your concubine. In the future..."
"Your Majesty, I have decided not to marry again. Your Majesty is a wise and intelligent person, and I have failed to live up to your trust."
After his great revenge, Gu Wangshuruo had some plans for his future before, but now he has something to worry about, so he has decided to leave.
"Forget it, you should go to Nanjing, spend your old age in Nanjing, and see the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan for me." The emperor said with a smile.
Gu Wangshu kowtowed three times, this time with sincerity.
But as the emperor watched him leaving, he thought that Gu Wangshu had offended many people in the past and he didn't know how it would end in the future, but this matter was no longer under his jurisdiction.
Gu Wangshu came out of the palace, changed out of his official robes, and breathed a sigh of relief.
A few days later, a blue tweed carriage appeared on a path. He rode his horse to catch up. The curtain opened and the person inside was Jian Ningchu, holding a baby.
"My dear, are we going to Tongzhou now?"
"Yes, I have already sent someone to buy a house in Nanjing, but it is not very big. I hope my lady will forgive me."
Jian Ningchu smiled gently: "As long as I have a home, it will be fine."
A slight smile also appeared on Gu Wangshu's indifferent face.
This is how it is in the capital. When someone leaves, someone else comes. The number of people leaving is far less than the number of people coming. Mi Niang was telling Chun Tao, "I originally thought that Han Qi would take over Gu Wangshu, but it turned out to be him. Forget it, just send this gift over."
The person who took over was none other than Fang Weichang.
He had just fought a battle in Liaodong and was appreciated by the emperor, so this position fell into his hands.
Chun Tao was a little worried and said, "Then the title of the prince will be..."
Mi Niang smiled and said, "Wei Jun is not a good-for-nothing like the son of the Marquis of Xinling. Don't worry. Besides, my elder brother is a dozen years older than Wei Jun. When he was a child, the Marquis visited a famous teacher and taught him personally. He is also ambitious, which makes him special."
Mi Niang even thought that this was the reason why Fang Weiyan himself took the imperial examination.
Only then did Chuntao feel relieved.
Moreover, there was constant turmoil within the Dong'an Marquis' family, but now after the separation, the relationship is pretty good. Except for the county lord who feels a little awkward, it is not as difficult as imagined for the others to be in charge of their own family.
Mi Niang even arranged a marriage for Shen's eldest son. The man he promised was Tao Chun'er's daughter, whose husband was currently the director of the Imperial College.
He was also a graduate of the Hanlin Academy and had served as an editor.
After assigning the tasks, Fang Weiyan unexpectedly came back. He looked at Mi Niang and said, "Brother, you have been promoted. We can just send him a gift. With my current status, it is not easy for me to interact with him."
"That makes sense, but why did the emperor transfer my eldest brother back?" Mi Niang still couldn't figure it out.
Fang Weiyan secretly had an idea in his mind. Although Empress Xia was young, she had no more children after giving birth to a daughter. Concubine Zheng, on the other hand, had been promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine and had given birth to children one after another, but they were only Imperial Concubine. According to rumors in the palace, the relationship between the Empress and Imperial Concubine Zheng was very strained.
Now it has come to the point where the dragon is nowhere to be seen.
When he was in bed with Mi Niang at night, he whispered, "I think the emperor still wants to establish the eldest son as the crown prince, so that when there are changes in the capital, my eldest brother can control it. But he doesn't want the court officials to understand his thoughts, so now he can only take this roundabout way."
This is the emperor's mind, which is beyond your comprehension.
At the same time, the second prince's grandfather was promoted to governor of a province, and both the eldest prince and the second prince thought they had great prospects.
Mi Niang said that in his previous life, there were many people surrounding the eldest prince, and he had a weak character. Of course, having such a monarch was not a bad thing for his subjects.
The emperor was weak, so he just wanted to rule the country with his ministers, which was actually a good thing for his ministers.
"Okay, let's take a rest. I heard that you have to go back to your parents' home tomorrow. If you look tired, what will your parents say to you?"
When his three-year term was up, Ruan Jiading returned to Beijing to report for duty. He was a fairly good official, especially good at water conservancy. Wherever he went, he would first look at water conservancy and ignore other matters. Of course, this was also due to his own limited abilities.
This is the difference between him and Fang Weiyan. Fang Weiyan not only wants to do a thing well, but also wants to do it very well.
What Ruan Jiading wanted was to avoid making mistakes. His ability was limited, so he just wanted to avoid making mistakes.
Moreover, his son-in-law is currently the Minister of Rites, so no one dares to make things difficult for him.
When Mi Niang saw her parents, her eyes were red. Ruan Jiading's face looked weathered, and he must have not been doing well in his job. Second Mistress Ding took her daughter to the inner room to talk.
She said, "On our way back, we passed through Huguang and met your grandmother."
Oh, Mrs. Jane.
Mi Niang couldn't help but ask, "How is she? Is she in good health?"
Mrs. Ding nodded: "He is in very good health, and -"
At this point, Second Madam Ding looked a little strange: "Has someone come to propose marriage to her?"
Propose marriage?
Mi Niang thought to herself that Mrs. Jian seemed to be getting quite old. Of course, she was willing to marry, and Mi Niang agreed.
"Did grandma agree?"
"She didn't agree. She told me that at her age, if she got married again, wouldn't she have to take care of the household chores for others and would have no time to rest? She has now opened a few shops in Wuchang and bought a piece of land. She is building a house and I heard that she is going to rent it out to someone when the time comes. If it weren't for Lord Jian's accident, she would really be as talented as Tao Zhugong." Second Madam Ding sighed that she was not as good as him.
At least when it comes to financial management, she is always thrifty and not very good at making money. Although her daughter is smart, she doesn't know much about doing business or managing finances. Now most of the family business is still managed by her aunt.
Of course, my aunt also had a family background in this knowledge. Her mother, Xu, was the daughter of a wealthy family in Wu and was quite knowledgeable about this.
I heard that after Mrs. Weng passed away, all her property was given to Fang Weiyan. Fang Weiyan handled it very properly in just over a month without any complaints, which was enough to show his ability.
Mi Niang smiled and said, "It's good that grandma is so open-minded. She can do whatever she wants now, but her actions are up to her heart."
Mrs. Ding nodded and said yes, and she thought that the person who wanted to marry Mrs. Jian was not someone else, but a retired official from Huguang, with very good moral integrity.
"If it was a few years ago, your grandmother might have agreed, but she also wanted to be quiet."
Mi Niang thought to herself that Madam Jian was a person who would never suffer a loss from beginning to end, and she was also very good at judging the situation. Not all kind people in the world could live a good life, but people like her always lived a very good life.
I wonder if I look a bit like her?
Originally, she and Fang Weiyan could talk about anything, but when it came to Mrs. Jian's affairs, she didn't tell Fang Weiyan much.
He has a kind of insanity, and is very afraid that he will really have to remarry or something. If you tell him such a thing, he will be suspicious. Even though he is so busy now, he will ask her how she is every day, and is always very concerned about her and is also afraid that something is wrong with her.
He is a man who can handle important matters with ease outside, but he is also a very important figure in the family. However, he often worries about her. Naturally, Mi Niang will not cause him trouble.
But Fang Weiyan was probably unhappy after learning about it from Ruan Jiading or the Ruan family. He whispered to Mi Niang at night, "It would be great if we could live and die together in the same bed."
"What nonsense! We are still so young, why are you talking about life and death? You are such a fool."
Fang Weiyan said quietly, "You are still so young and beautiful, and you will always be like this in the future. I am afraid that when I stand beside you, people will say that I am unworthy."
"Really? You are a minister, a third-rank official at a young age, and the Junior Master of the Ministry of Rites. I am nothing, but you always treat me like a treasure, afraid that someone will snatch me away. If I go outside, others won't even look at me." Mi Niang comforted him.
Fang Weiyan shook his head: "No, if you go out now, many people will marry you. Because you are a priceless treasure, everyone will be happy."
"Fool..." Mi Niang was moved and found it funny.
Even her mother said that she was lazy and not good at managing money, and her housekeeper was also sloppy. Only in his eyes did she think highly of herself.
After Fang Weiyan helped Ruan Jiading to get in touch with the Ministry of Personnel, he was selected as a Beijing official and returned to the Dali Temple to serve as Shaoqing.
In a blink of an eye, it has been two years since Empress Xia entered the palace. Apart from the birth of a princess, there has been no movement in her belly. The Emperor rarely comes to her place and even skips the Thousand Years Festival.
This Queen Xia originally came from the common people and was lively and lovely, but she was no longer the same as before in the deep palace.
As the chief assistant, Li Tan has already begun to secretly inquire about the emperor's appointment of a crown prince.
The emperor repeated his old tune, saying that the empress was still young and might be able to give birth to a legitimate son, but these words could no longer calm people's hearts.
Of course, the emperor might have said something about the other princes, but the ministers had to follow the ancestral family rules and asked for the eldest son to be made the emperor.
Especially after Fang Weiyan became the Minister of Rites the following year, the Ministry of Rites also wrote to the inner cabinet, requesting the establishment of a crown prince.
This is not what Fang Weiyan himself wants, but at this point, it is probably the only way to go.
So when Mi Niang went to the Dong'an Marquis's Mansion and saw Xu, Xu couldn't help but say, "The other day, we went to the palace to see the Second Prince's wife, and she was crying. She meant that our family had written a letter to ask for the establishment of a crown prince, which made her very unwelcome in the eyes of the Second Prince."
Xu had never liked Fang Weichang. If the eldest prince ascended the throne, it would benefit the Guo family and Fang Weichang, who was married to the Guo family. On the contrary, after the second prince ascended the throne, it would be Xu who benefited. Fang Qinnan was still quite respectful to Xu.
Mi Niang couldn't help but say, "What are you talking about? We certainly don't want to think about our sister, but you know he is now an official of the Ministry of Rites, so everything should be handled impartially."
Establishing the eldest son as the heir is the family rule passed down by our ancestors.
Unless the empress was deposed and Concubine Zheng was made queen like in the previous life, it is possible that the eldest son would not be able to inherit the throne.
Xu sighed, "It's not me who said that, but Wei Yan always does things with a fair conscience, but others may not be the same."
Mi Niang thought she was making a big deal out of nothing. Just because they and Fang Weichang looked good on the surface didn't mean they were really good. Besides, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for the eldest prince to succeed to the throne.
But she also knew that Xu was afraid that Fang Weichang's power would become too great and affect Fang Weijun's title as the crown prince.
But for Fang Weiyan, the main issue now is to establish the foundation of the country as soon as possible. Although the eldest prince and other princes have already left the palace to study, princes who have no experience at all will not be a blessing for the country.
Fang Weiyan was considering the matter from the perspective of a country. As for whether his younger brother could keep the title, it depended on Fang Weijun himself.
Especially now that he has become a high-ranking official, he has specifically told his relatives and friends that he will never receive guests at his private door in the future.
In the past, girlfriends and other wives of officials would often come to talk to Mi Niang. Although Mi Niang liked quietness, she still had to go out for social events from time to time. Now everything is fine. She still practices painting, reading, and playing the piano at home every day. She leads a very leisurely life.
Therefore, she could only evade Xu: "No matter what others do, he is always filial to you. The emperor gave me some shad as a gift and asked me to bring two back for you and the marquis to eat."
Mrs. Xu smiled and said, "This child is indeed very filial, just like Tang Ge'er now. When I was taking care of the household affairs, he just sat there obediently. I almost hated him for being too quiet."
Only after making her mother-in-law laugh did Mi Niang leave.
Later, when they went to the palace to pay their respects to the empress, the two princes' wives served her. Although one of them was the daughter-in-law of Concubine Guo Jin and the other was the daughter-in-law of Concubine Cui Gui, they both had to serve Empress Xia in name.
But the three of them are about the same age, which is a bit awkward.
Queen Xia looked very haggard some time ago, but now she looks radiant. She also raised a pug, which is snow-white and looks very cute.
Mi Niang thought to herself that the Queen was right to think so. According to etiquette and law, whoever became the Crown Prince had to respect her biological mother, even if her treatment in the future was not as good as that of the concubines under her. But think about it, Queen Xia's family background, talent and appearance did not allow her to become the Queen.
Of course, only wise people can think of this. If they are not wise, they will just blame themselves.
After greeting, Queen Xia suddenly said, "Madam Fang, Master Tai Su said he has something he wants to give you."
In fact, such delivery of objects was not allowed in the palace, but Mi Niang knew that Fan Yuzhen had something to say to her, so she agreed.
When Queen Xia saw that Mi Niang agreed, she couldn't help but say, "Then go quickly."
The palace is deep and deep. Once upon a time, every brick and every piece of wood here was so disgusting to Mi Niang. She was bound in this place and never knew what to do. Fortunately, with the opportunity of rebirth, she can be free.
The fallen leaves in late autumn seemed endless to sweep away. Some of the young eunuchs were still repairing the roof. They also had to keep an eye out for concubines passing by and kneel down to pay their respects, for fear of being discovered and trembling with fear.
This is life in the palace, you have to be on tenterhooks all the time.
Not to mention anything else, now she can't wake up no matter how hard she tries at home. Sometimes she doesn't even know whether Fang Weiyan has come home or not. But in the palace, she can wake up even if the wind blows. If anyone moves his feet, she is afraid that it is a villain.
Of course, those who can hold on will eventually succeed, but it is also very difficult to hold on.
In a side hall, Mi Niang saw Fan Yuzhen, who was wearing cotton clothes. She was having breakfast, which was very simple, a bowl of bean porridge and a steamed bun.
Mi Niang was about to bow down, but she said, "Mrs. Fang, I am no longer a mortal. Please don't do me such a big honor. Let's talk inside."
After following Fan Yuzhen into the room, I found that it was also very simple, with a bunk bed and a half-old table next to the bed, on which were some yellow paper incense sticks.
Even the books she liked to read were not moved in. It seemed that this place was indeed so simple.
Mi Niang couldn't help but ask, "Why is the Master so poor?"
Fan Yuzhen smiled bitterly: "The emperor is very unhappy that I want to become a monk. If I still live in this palace with luxurious clothes and delicious food, how will others look at me?"
Yes, it's like some people who passed the imperial examination but refused to become officials. Some people think it's a sign of integrity, but in the eyes of the emperor, such behavior is a slap in the face. It's clearly saying that I, the emperor, am not virtuous and the politics is not clear, so you don't want to be an official.
By the same logic, you, Fan Yuzhen, are too noble to be the emperor's concubine. Do you look down on the emperor?
Would a concubine dare to despise the emperor?
Although he was generous enough to allow her to study Taoism in public, it did not mean that he could tolerate her really gluttony and fun.
Fan Yuzhen was very smart. She stepped out of the situation and realized that she had become a thorn in the emperor's side.
Mi Niang was silent, but she knew that she was called by Fan Yuzhen, and he must have given her some instructions. She leaned in and asked, "Master, do you have anything to say to me?"
Fan Yuzhen looked around and stepped forward to whisper to Mi Niang, "I want to ask you to take care of the fifth and sixth princes for me in the future. Of course, I'm not trying to gain anything for them, just save their lives."
"You're being too serious. They are just princes. It hasn't reached that stage yet?" The princes have only been out of the palace to study for a few days. Even the second prince doesn't dare to contact the ministers privately.
"No, it will be soon."
She looked at Mi Niang and said, "The emperor has been favoring several women at night recently. I heard that he started to bleed from the nose."
Fan Yuzhen has been in charge of palace affairs for many years and has many connections in the palace. Although she did not try to find out what the emperor was like, she still knew the secrets.
So that's how it is. In his previous life, the emperor didted on her alone. Although he would occasionally favor others, he would definitely look for her within three days. Mi Niang often accompanied the emperor and had sharp eyes. The emperor didn't know how someone could secretly present a girl from a good family to him, but he didn't dare to be so wild.
Now that Empress Xia is unable to control the palace, Concubine Zheng won't care so much. She might even send some drugs to the Emperor to help him have fun.
The human body is not made of iron. Mi Niang nodded: "I understand."
The two of them returned to normal and talked about the past before she left.
The emperor was in poor health, so the eldest prince had to be established early. Mi Niang looked back at the palace wall, and Fan Yuzhen looked like he was entrusting his son to someone else.
But she is still so young...
After returning home, Mi Niang told Fang Weiyan about this, but Fang Weiyan shook his head and said, "I know how to handle this matter. You don't have to worry. Don't worry."
Li Qin once again
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