Another year passed, and this year the fifth prince was conferred the title of Prince of Qi. In the same year, he married Zhuang, the daughter of Marquis Jianguo, and Yao Niang was appointed by Empress Hong to help as the Crown Princess.
Although Concubine Li was already a noble concubine, the Crown Princess was the future queen mother, and the elder sister-in-law was like a mother, so it was more legitimate.
The fifth prince was now living in the prince's residence, so Yao Niang simply took Yumozuo out to play while instructing the eunuch on how to decorate and arrange things, and what else was missing from the new house, or how to arrange for the guests who came.
"Mother, that character for "囍" is crooked." Tamamo pointed with her little hand.
Ever since Xun'er went to the study, Yao Niang plays with Yumozuo every day. Her daughter likes to talk and is very cute. Sometimes Yao Niang feels how good it is to raise a daughter.
"Okay, mother will let them straighten themselves out." Yao Niang smiled.
After the mother and daughter finished their work at the prince's residence, they went to have dinner with Queen Hong. Wanwan, Princess Changtai and Princess Herui were all there today, and the three of them came together to pay their respects.
Last year, Princess Xing'an's daughter was awarded the title of county lady and got married. Yao Niang thought that Wan Wan would have to wait until she got married to receive the title. However, Princess Zhen Yang was the legitimate daughter of the empress after all, and she was not very keen on making progress. How could she register in front of the emperor?
Everyone in the world is trying to please the emperor. Even Gao Xuance, who is already the crown prince, still has to please the emperor. It is not enough to rely solely on blood ties.
The emperor dotes on his children like the third princess and the sixth prince, and Cheng Yun is always by his side. There are so many people around him, so how could he think of anyone?
Although Empress Hong is the empress, she can only see her a few times a year now. Seeing that Concubine Li Gui made Huang Rushuang a concubine with just one move, we know who the real master of the harem has been in recent years.
After finishing the meal, they rinsed their mouths. When Queen Hong saw that Yumao was sleepy, she said to Yao Niang, "Put Yumao here with me to sleep first, and we can talk."
"Yes." Yao Niang knew that Queen Hong had something to say.
The girls then dispersed. Princess Changtai looked like her father, with a long face, fair skin and a dignified temperament. Princess Herui was raised by Princess Lanfeng, so she was a little more lively and had a high nose and deep eyes like her mother. Wanwan grew up in Jiangnan and had the talent of a Jiangnan girl.
The three of them left Kunning Palace and walked back to the palace together. Princess Herui looked at the joy in the palace and couldn't help but say to Wanwan, "Speaking of which, I still recognize Zhuang Mingyu. She has entered the palace now, but when did Miss Huang enter the palace?"
A concubine is not like other concubines, and she also has to perform relevant ceremonies.
In terms of close relationship, everyone is closer to Huang Rushuang and their relationship is pretty good. Huang Rushuang is not a bad person, but the three of them are all born to the first wife, so they can't help but feel that the future Zhuang Mingyu is a little pitiful.
Wan Wan thought for a moment and said, "It will take at least a few months. Is the Fifth Prince's wife easy to get along with?"
Princess He Rui nodded: "How can it be bad to be chosen as the prince's consort? I see that she is often praised by everyone, and people say that she knows how to behave like a lady."
"So that's how it is. What does she look like? How does she compare to my third aunt?" Wanwan asked.
Princess He Rui shook her head: "Not by a long way. Although the Crown Princess has given birth to four children, she is as beautiful as a fairy. But Zhuang Mingyu is only pretty. Not to mention being compared with the Crown Princess, she can't even compare with Miss Huang."
Huang Rushuang was born beautiful and charming, very outstanding. If Zhuang Mingyu had been plain-looking, she would not know how to win the favor of her husband.
But that's how the royal family is. No matter how high your status is, if the target is a royal family, you can only endure it.
Unless the Fifth Prince can refuse directly like Gao Xuance did.
But the Fifth Prince obviously knew that marrying the wife of the Marquis of Jianguo would be of great benefit to him, just like many people around Yao Niang. He wanted to marry someone of equal status and take a concubine who he liked.
Men always know what they want, but women don't, or are forced by outsiders to be virtuous.
However, when she saw Gao Xuance coming out in a Taoist robe, Yao Niang's heart warmed up: "Master, why didn't you close your door today? Why did you come out so early?"
A woman is also very possessive of a man, so she will probably never be able to be virtuous.
Gao Xuance laughed when he saw Yao Niang teasing him: "I heard that you brought your daughter back, so I came here to get closer to you."
"Master, don't tease me." Yao Niang wanted to tease him every time she saw him.
Gao Xuance's ears turned red and he felt quite embarrassed.
He pulled Yao Niang up and said, "Recently I have been feeling a clear mind, just like when I was cultivating in the mountains. How about we play a song together?"
Somehow, this man has both a sinister and cunning side and a romantic side like a person from the Wei Jin Dynasty.
Yao Niang took out the guqin and tuned it, but she felt a little rusty at it.
After playing for a while, she tilted her head and looked at him: "How about we play a piece of Spring River Moon Night together?"
Gao Xuance nodded. Although Yao Niang had never played with him before, she slowly raised her hands and began to play. Gao Xuance seemed to have a tacit understanding with her. The two of them hardly needed to make eye contact. It was mostly the sound of you and me, and me and you.
I don’t know if Gao Xuance was looking for some kind of agility, but Yao Niang also cooperated seriously.
Many people were afraid that he would become a monk, but Yao Niang was not afraid. It was because it was him that she didn't mind. Otherwise, whose husband would have so much free time to become a monk and not care about any household affairs?
After the song, Gao Xuance said, "Someone presented me with Jiji Pills and Qiushi, saying that taking these pills can make you feel refreshed and strong. Why don't you give them a try?"
Qiushi?
When Yao Niang heard that Qiushi was extracted from the urine of young boys and girls, she immediately stopped him and said, "As the saying goes, all medicines are poisonous, not to mention that things like this are not good for medicine. Don't eat them. I'm not kidding you, it's impossible for people to live to be a hundred years old."
Why do you practice Taoism? Why do you take pills?
Isn't it just for immortality? Every emperor wants immortality.
Gao Xuan Ce immediately put it aside: "Okay, then I won't eat those bad things offered."
"You're so obedient, you won't eat it secretly, will you?" Yao Niang wrinkled her nose.
Gao Xuance shook his head: "No, if I really were immortal, how could I bear to see you go? You know, I have always put you first."
He is extremely dependent on Yao Niang and cannot bear to be without her for a day. If he really goes to war in the future, he wants to take Yao Niang with him.
"Well, I have no objection to your cultivation of Taoism, and I also have no objection to your making pills occasionally. But you cannot use some strange prescriptions or even some folk remedies for the sake of your own body. You cannot force things in this world. If you ascend the throne and become an emperor in the future, you must love the people like your own children." Yao Niang seemed to be hinting at something.
It would be fine if he just practiced Taoism for the sake of self-cultivation, but if the leader sets an example, the followers will surely follow suit. By then, there will be people around him constantly instigating him. Gao Xuance is already obsessed with this, and I'm afraid that even she won't be able to control him in the future.
"If one day you become obsessed with seeking immortality, I will not stay by your side. No matter where you look for me, you will not be able to find me."
If you don't use harsh words, Gao Xuance won't listen at all.
When he heard that Yao Niang was leaving, he panicked: "Don't worry, I will listen to you. Whatever you say is what I will do."
Yao Niang broke free from his arms and went straight into the room. Seeing that she ignored him, Gao Xuance must have hated those old Taoist priests who offered her medicine.
There are too many things involved between this couple. Gao Xuance has officials from the East Palace, many eunuchs, and even ministers who are very pleasing to him around him. It seems that the couple is in harmony, but three people make a tiger. Yao Niang must first express her own attitude.
Until dinner time, Yao Niang didn't talk much to Gao Xuance. Cheng Yun was now living in the prince's residence, and the selection of his grandson's concubine was also in progress, so he could no longer live under the emperor's wing. Every day for dinner, he would go directly to the East Palace for dinner.
Today I saw that my parents looked strange and distant. My father seemed to be trying to please my mother, but she looked cold.
He naturally supported his mother, for no other reason than because his mother was truly very upright and had always been very tolerant of his father. No matter what his father did, she was always supportive. Last time, when his father said he had a headache, his mother even made incense herself and prepared breakfast in the kitchen herself. She really did her best.
But why do parents do this?
Could it be that my father has a concubine or some kind of beautiful woman in his favor?
That's not the case.
If the father had said this, the mother would not be just slightly indifferent. Of course, he felt that there was nothing wrong with the father having a concubine, because the father would inherit the throne one day, and this kind of thing was inevitable.
If Gao Xuance was not his father, he would not have any reaction, precisely because he knew very well how his mother felt about his father. His mother had always been so strong-willed, and she would probably ignore his father from now on.
As a son, he would definitely help his mother unconditionally.
After the meal, Bai Ying brought over the tea, and Gao Xuance took the tea from the tray and handed it to Yao Niang personally.
Yao Niang didn't want him to lose face, so she drank it calmly.
Gao Xuance saw her drink it, and then he smiled happily: "How about I walk with you in the yard for a while?"
"That's not necessary. There are too many mosquitoes outside. It's better to have tea here. Well, you don't have to do this. You still have to do evening classes in the evening. Why come here? Besides, my fifth brother will be getting married in a few days, and you have to go too." Yao Niang said that the matter was over.
Only then did Gao Xuance finally breathe a sigh of relief.
But he felt very uncomfortable because Yao Niang ignored him.
Tamamo stuck out her tongue and said, "Father, my mother is going to study with me."
"Yes, we'll go first." Yao Niang took Yumozuo's hand and left.
Gao Xuance was left watching Yao Niang's receding back, and he was actually infatuated. Cheng Yun was relieved to see his father like this. Such an infatuated man would never cheat. Since it was not this kind of thing, they would reconcile quickly, so he didn't have to worry.
How could Yao Niang know what her son was thinking? She just told him in a practical manner: Although I love you very much, if you do something out of line and touch my bottom line, I will not forgive you.
No matter what you do on a daily basis, I will forgive you, tolerate you, and treat you well, but I also have a bottom line.
Of course, she wouldn't really run away by herself. You have to know that Gao Xuance doesn't doubt her at all. Even if he made incense for him, he could use it directly, not to mention killing him.
Three days later, the fifth prince got married and the female relatives gathered together to congratulate Concubine Li.
"Your Highness, you will be able to see your wife soon. Are you happy? I see you have been smiling all day. Don't worry, you will be able to see the bride tomorrow." Yao Niang joked.
Concubine Li Gui is actually about the same age as Yao Niang, only a few years older. Usually, the two of them can get along well with Queen Hong. Now, after hearing what Yao Niang said, she couldn't help but say, "Crown Princess, please don't say that. The Crown Prince will soon marry a Crown Prince Concubine, and I'm afraid you won't be able to put down your mouth."
"I'd really like that." Yao Niang covered her mouth and laughed.
The women also laughed, and one said jokingly, "Tomorrow the newlyweds will meet everyone."
Princess Zhenyang also laughed: "I think my fifth brother is a good person. I have also met his wife. She is a stable person. Your Majesty, I have prepared generous gifts for them."
"Princess, since you are their elder sister, I hope they can call you sister more often in the future, right?"
"Look, just a few calls of 'sister' have already won my generous gift."
Everyone laughed again.
It is also said that Princess Zhenyang asked about Tamamo: "Why don't you see her?"
"There are too many people outside, so I didn't bring her here. As for her, you can go to Wanwan's place to see her later. It happens that the other girls are all in the west side hall."
Sometimes when Princess Zhenyang went to the palace, her daughter was studying and she was rarely seen.
Since Princess Xing'an's daughter was given the title of county lord before her marriage last year, Princess Zhenyang guessed that her daughter would wait until she got married to receive the title. Although she was a little disappointed, she could do nothing about it.
That's just how she is, she has no bad intentions and is always carefree.
She was quite cautious in the palace, but after getting married, she became even more fearless and all her previous scruples disappeared.
Yao Niang knew, of course, that according to the rules, it would be good to give Wan Wan a title before she got married, but if she was favored, it was also okay to give her a title now, just like Gao Xuance was given the title of "King Chen" which was higher than his two brothers. There are exceptions to everything.
Prince's Office
The Fifth Prince saw the bride's face after she was fanned, and he was not disappointed at all.
He had heard before that the girl from the Zhuang family was a little plump and of average appearance, and even today's wedding did not catch people's eyes.
When he lived in the palace, most of the people he met were very well-dressed, including his mother, Concubine Li Guifei, who was a rare beauty, and his nephew, Taisun Chengyun and others, who were also very handsome. Even his brother, the Crown Prince, and his sister-in-law were so dazzling that no one could match them.
Zhuang Mingyu looked at the fifth prince, who was the son of the imperial concubine and had been granted the title of prince, so she was already the Princess of Qi.
Although she heard that the concubine would enter the palace in a few months, she had to face this fact earlier, otherwise all the charm would be gone.
Therefore, Yao Niang also found it strange to see this new brother or sister-in-law. They were clearly a new love, and their relationship should have been at its sweetest, but she and the Fifth Prince were acting like an old married couple.
Zhuang Mingyu still had the aura of a mistress. As soon as she entered the palace, she won over the two chambermaids of the Fifth Prince, and then began to take charge of the household chores. She even acted as a filial daughter-in-law to Concubine Li Guifei.
Concubine Li Gui was originally afraid that this daughter-in-law of noble birth would be arrogant, but she didn't expect Zhuang Mingyu to be so well-mannered in every way. She was simply perfect. At this time, she regretted letting Huang Rushuang enter the palace, after all, she was still looking forward to having a legitimate grandson.
Unfortunately, the decree has already been issued, and the Fifth Prince is also looking forward to it. If she says no now, that son will also have opinions about her.
It was too late to regret, so Concubine Li Gui gave the Fifth Prince a warning: "Your wife is a good girl. She is very filial to me. You must treat her well."
Little did he know that the Fifth Prince had already set his sights on Huang Rushuang when she entered the palace. Although Zhuang was a nice woman, she was not interesting at all and was a dull person, so he could not fall in love with her.
But now that his mother mentioned it, he nodded in agreement.
"My son knows."
Just when the palace was still immersed in the news that the fifth prince was about to be married, Emperor Jianzhang became critically ill. Although he was in poor health before, he was still hanging on, but now he is dying.
Gao Xuance did not practice Taoism as he did before. He had been guarding the Funing Palace for a long time and told Yao Niang not to panic.
Emperor Jianzhang was an emperor who loved his reputation. At the same time, he was also a kind-hearted man. During his reign, he did not restrict the development of his ministers and even exempted many of them from taxes.
"Baby, come here." Emperor Jianzhang waved to Gao Xuance.
Gao Xuance came to his bed and wiped his tears, "Father, your son is here."
"I entrust my kingdom to you. I know your... ahem... your talents, so I feel relieved..."
Emperor Jianzhang left with a smile on his face.
At that time, Yao Niang heard the little eunuch coming over, stumbling and crying.
"Crown Princess, Crown Princess... The Emperor has passed away..."
What?
Yao Niang's tears immediately burst out, and she cried so sadly that she almost fainted when she was riding on the sedan chair to visit Queen Hong.
Empress Hong seemed to have just received the news, and she almost fainted. She and Emperor Jianzhang had grown up together, and although she had been favored by the emperor over the years, she was not without resentment in her heart. But when the moment came, she suddenly remembered the emotions of those years.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I will follow you."
Yao Niang, who was pretending to cry, saw that Empress Hong was so excited, so she had to cheer up and persuade her.
While relatives may still be sad, others are already singing.
The character "Ren" was chosen as the temple name of Emperor Jianzhang, and later generations called him Renzong from then on.
After Renzong's funeral, Empress Hong became the empress dowager, the emperor's sister Princess Zhenyang became Princess Zhenyang, Gao Xuance ascended the throne as emperor, the country's name was changed to Yuanchang, and Yao Niang was officially canonized as empress, and her eldest son Gao Ji was named crown prince.
Since the death of Emperor Renzong, the Empress Dowager seemed to have aged a lot, and Yao Niang served her soup and medicine by her side.
Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager said, "Your Majesty, please go down. I just need to rest. You have to take care of the affairs of the palace now, and you have to run around all day. Your body can't bear it."
When people get older, they lose all their passion.
Princess Zhenyang also advised: "Sister-in-law, go back and rest."
"Okay." Yao Niang breathed a sigh of relief after she walked out of the gate of Shoukang Palace.
Bai Ying stepped forward and said, "I just received news that the emperor has appointed our old master as Duke, our eldest master as the first-rank commander of the left army, and our third young master as the crown prince."
The third young master is Yao Niang's biological brother Jing Hao. Yao Niang clasped her hands together and said, "Amitabha, my dream has finally come true."
Since the family title was conferred because of her, naturally the Crown Prince should be her biological brother. This way, if my father passes away in the future, my mother will have Jinghao to take care of her legitimately.
After the Luo family received this imperial decree, everyone was happy except Luo Jingxi's family.
Wang Song, however, took it easy. This was something she had expected. Everything in the world was truly in the hands of the emperor. There were rules that people usually had to follow, but now it seemed that the royal family cared least about this.
Looking at her two children, who were still so young, she made up her mind.
She is different from her mother. Her mother did not take medicine in order to maintain her beautiful image and died young. Also, it was because she had always lived a worse life than her step-sister, who was not as talented as her.
He even left her and her brother to die, leaving them to suffer the mistreatment of the Dou family.
But she would not be so stupid. Back then, Yu's grandmother took advantage of her youth and beauty to allow her fifth aunt to enter the palace, and she rose to prominence from then on. Now, she could also win the emperor's favor by being younger and prettier than her fifth aunt.
She did not ask to enter the palace to become a concubine and risk the world's condemnation, she only hoped that the emperor would like her, and it would be best if he could reward her children.
So that her children would not repeat the same mistake. In the future, the Yu family would prosper and all the members of the family would enjoy titles, but her children would most likely become penniless.
The title of first-rank governor of my father-in-law only applies to himself. Her husband cannot inherit it, and her son cannot inherit it either.
In this case, please don't blame her, Fifth Aunt. She has never thought of taking her position. She just hopes to make her family live a better life.