"Third brother, do you have something to talk to me about?" Princess Zhenyang felt strange when she saw Gao Xuance here.
Yao Niang also stepped forward to pay her respects, but noticing beads of sweat on Gao Xuance's forehead, she thought, no wonder they said Prince Chen died young in his previous life, and now it looks like he is not in good health. She and Princess Zhenyang are just walking around in Yu Garden, so it's not a big deal.
Gao Xuance also felt that he had overreacted. He never lost his composure easily, so he smiled and said, "Nothing, I just passed by here and heard that you were not here, so I was about to leave."
"Since the third brother is here, why don't you come in and have a cup of tea?" Although Princess Zhenyang has a cheerful personality, she is also familiar with the etiquette of the palace and knows a little about the ways of the world. She knows that the third brother is probably just passing by and doesn't really want to come in, so she said this.
Unexpectedly, Gao Xuance nodded and came in.
Yao Niang quickly took her leave and went to the side hall. Now that she was grown up, she had to stay away from other men.
After entering the main hall, Princess Zhenyang invited Gao Xuance to sit down. After the brother and sister drank tea, Gao Xuance asked, "Is this Luo Bandu the second lady?"
"Yes, she is the fifth in the clan, but the second in the family, but we usually call her the Fifth Lady." Princess Zhenyang said with a smile.
It was as if he was struck by lightning. Now everything matched. The person written on the birth certificate was Luo Zhizheng's second daughter, whose nickname was Yao Niang. It was indeed her.
But why is she so thin now? Could it be that many things have changed because of his rebirth?
Or maybe he had the same adventure as him and was reborn.
Thinking of this, Gao Xuance stood up and subconsciously denied it.
"Royal sister, I remember that I have something to do. I'll excuse myself first." Gao Xuance no longer cared about so much. Whether she was reborn or not, the two of them would never have any contact in this life.
As for the fact that she was favored by the Ninth Prince, he could remind her that the Ninth Prince was a playboy and had already secretly defected to the First Prince Gao Xuanzhan. If she was really determined to do so, then don't blame him for ignoring them when the time comes to get rid of Luo Zhizheng.
Compared with the great cause, the so-called love affair between children is really insignificant. In this life, he will never give up his power again.
Princess Zhenyang saw her brother's face turn gloomy, wondering what he was thinking. Then she heaved a sigh of relief when she saw him leave, and quickly went to find Yao Niang to help her arrange flowers.
Many people took leave from the library during the winter, but Yao Niang went there every day, and she was the first to go. After school, Princess Zhenyang wanted to go to Kunning Palace to pay her respects to Concubine Hong, and Yao Niang followed her.
Unexpectedly, I met Madam Yan here. Because the empress had not yet been officially canonized, the others were called concubines, just like this Madam Yan, and everyone called her Concubine Yan.
"I pay my respects to the two ladies. May the ladies be blessed with good health." Yao Niang hurriedly followed Princess Zhenyang to pay her respects.
But seeing Concubine Yan in tears, she sat down and realized that the Fourth Prince had fallen off his horse a few days ago. She thought he was just injured, but she had no idea that he was really lame.
"Lame?" Princess Zhenyang was shocked when she heard it.
Concubine Yan cried, "This child is afraid of riding a horse. She has told me this many times, but I told her that who in the palace doesn't want to learn? You only listened to your father and studied hard, but you didn't know..."
Concubine Hong comforted him, "You don't have to be sad. If the palace can't cure it, we can find a sage from the folks. The child hasn't grown up yet, so there's still a chance of recovery."
"Sister is right. If possible, please ask His Majesty for me." Madam Yan wiped her tears.
This is also a kind of surrender to some extent, because the person with the best say in the palace now is Concubine Hong. Of course, this does not mean that the emperor has no other concubines.
Yao Niang thought that she had originally been interested in the Ninth Prince and the Fourth Prince, as these two were the most stable. However, she had heard people say that the Ninth Prince was very romantic. Although he was a prince, he loved money like his life and was greedy by nature. He even took advantage of the fact that the late emperor doted on the youngest son, and his followers even kidnapped people. His character was indeed low.
Neither of these two is a good candidate, Yao Niang shook her head.
Later, Concubine Hong made a special plea in front of Emperor Jianzhang to bring in a doctor from the public to treat the fourth prince's leg, but unfortunately it failed and Madam Yan was sad outside.
But in private, he said to the Fourth Prince: "Good boy, you will be safe in the future, and no one will harm you."
The Fourth Prince had a look of maturity that did not match his age. He nodded and said, "Son, I understand. This way, I can become a rich prince. In the future, when mother is older, I will take you to the fiefdom."
Only a useless person, who has no qualifications, will not be envied by anyone.
Not only did the mother and son not think it was a bad thing, but they hugged each other and cried. They were all from the royal family, and no one wanted to sit on the throne. No one didn't have that thought in their hearts, but fighting for power was really tragic.
Just last month, Prince Heng hung himself in his mansion because he was afraid of being liquidated.
"I'm glad you understand. Now that you're like this, your father will care about you even more." Concubine Yan nodded.
Of course, outsiders, except the parties involved, don't know what's going on behind the scenes.
However, Cheng Shaojian mentioned something to Yao Niang, "I think when the late emperor was alive, the princes' mothers were weaker, and the princes' consorts were stronger. If the mother's family background was good, the prince's consorts chosen were not necessarily good."
After Princess Yongqing left the fiefdom, Cheng Shaojin was reassigned to Princess Xing'an, and Yao Niang interacted with her quite often.
After hearing this, Yao Niang looked at her and said, "You said this to me when I was still young. What about you?"
She now fully understood her father's official position and her own importance. She was no longer the person in her previous life who did not dare to leave the palace because of her obesity. Moreover, she was often in the palace, and she could sense the spring breeze even without any movement.
"Me? To tell you the truth, I don't know either." Cheng Shaojian himself was also confused.
Luo Jingrou, who was the same age as her, was already married, not to mention Wei Feng. So where was her own way out?
Yao Niang said, "You don't have to worry. The emperor is still in mourning. After the mourning period is over, there will definitely be arrangements. Besides, there are Li Tianjiao and Wang Yuanshuang. They are not panicking."
In this way, Cheng Shaojian is much better now.
Soon it was the New Year, and Yao Niang went home to celebrate the New Year as usual. This time, Concubine Hong was much more generous. She filled a cart with gifts and specially asked the eunuchs in the palace to send her home.
When she came back this time, Yao Niang found that her mother Yu was worried.
After the dinner, she spoke to Yu in private: "Mom, what's wrong with you? Did something happen at home?"
Yu whispered to her, "Originally, I shouldn't have told you about your affairs since you were still young, but since you came back, I've realized that you are smart and different from ordinary people. A few months ago, the Prime Minister's wife suddenly proposed to my family, wanting to marry you to her grandson. I've seen the child, and she is indeed of good character and appearance, but your father..."
Yu was a little ashamed: "Your father doesn't agree."
She knew that her daughter would most likely become like Luo Shilan after entering the palace, but the Prime Minister's House was also very good, and even more affordable.
You know, it's not easy for a royal family to become an official, but it's still easy to become an official through imperial examination. What's more, the two families are old friends, so even if her daughter has any problems, she can go to her husband's family to help.
After hearing this, Yao Niang couldn't help but say, "I think Daddy should know what the Li family is planning."
Yu frowned: "What is the Li family's plan?"
"The Ninth Prince and even several princes in the palace are not young anymore, but there are fewer and fewer companions left in the palace. Especially with Princess Zhenyang, ever since Tang Huijun left the palace, the princess has been sentimental and no longer wants another companion. If I were betrothed to the Li family, wouldn't Li Tianjiao lose an opponent?" Yao Niang thought that these people really did everything they could to get what they wanted.
With Li Tianjiao's ability, she certainly didn't want to marry the Ninth Prince. If it was when the late emperor was alive, it would be fine as she had the status of a prince. But now she is just the emperor's younger brother, and her status is not as good as those of the current princes.
Among these princes, the eldest prince goes without saying, but there are also Xu Qingrong and Cheng Shaojin. Xu Qingrong's father has been promoted to patrol, and her brother also has a good reputation in the official position. The Xu family has seven Jinshi, which is richer than Yao Niang's family.
Although Cheng Shaozhen's father was only the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple, with a lower status, she was beautiful and kind.
Sometimes, when choosing a prince's wife, it's not just about status, but also about personality. Li Tianjiao is very good in Yao Niang's eyes. Although her appearance is not the best, she is full of talent and always has a bit of arrogance.
There is also Wang Yuanshuang who is an even more powerful enemy. Li Tianjiao's chance of being chosen as the eldest prince's consort is actually not very high.
Then the next ones would be the Second Prince and the Third Prince. She had herself among the Second Prince and the Third Prince, and even Concubine Hong and Princess Zhenyang were nice to her. Moreover, she was not weak in terms of appearance or family background. If she could be eliminated, her chances of winning would be great.
Only after listening to Yao Niang's explanation did Yu finally understand.
She said, "So that's how it is."
Doesn't her husband agree? This is obviously dragging her daughter down. Even if her daughter doesn't marry those princes, she can't be plotted against.
Yu suddenly said, "I think your father has high expectations for you, higher than for your sister."
"Mom, it's not that dad has high expectations of me, but that I can stand on my own feet. If my third sister can enter the palace on her own, father will have different expectations of her." Yao Niang was telling the truth.
Just like in the previous life, her father treated her and her third sister differently. Her mother defended herself in front of her father several times, saying that she was framed, and her father said that she was stupid enough to be framed.
From then on, she knew that no one would understand you, everyone only looks at the results, and it is useless to tell others all your troubles.
Yu sighed slightly: "Mother Yao, don't think too much. You must be tired after coming back today. Go and rest first."
Yao Niang nodded.
After Yao Niang walked away, Yu said to her maid Erzhen, "My daughter may appear gentle on the outside, but in fact, she is tougher than anyone else."
My daughter is very promising. She was chosen from so many families of officials and nobles. She has been serving as a companion to the most favored princess. Even now, Princess Zhenyang has only her as a companion. The rewards she brought back this time are incomparable to before.
After a few days at home, Yao Niang visited various places to greet people, and everyone was much more polite to her than before.
This politeness did not come from her, but from the fact that she was now close to the center of power. Just like the closer you are to the emperor, even if you are just a small eunuch, there will be countless people with higher status than you who will be polite to you.
After Luo Jingrou got married, she now lives in the house of Duke Fuguo in Beijing. Luo Zhizheng and Yu took them in to live with them because her brother-in-law Wang Zongmu will take the imperial examination next year and Luo Zhizheng will be taking care of him.
This was the first time Yao Niang had seen Luo Jingrou after her marriage. She took out a pair of purses she had embroidered and said, "This is a pair of purses I made myself. Although I sent them a little late, please don't mind, Third Sister."
Luo Jingrou saw that the purses were gourd-shaped, palace-style, and filled with jade, gold, and silver. They were really magnanimous and a very appropriate gift. Luo Jingrou couldn't help but smile and said, "They are really beautiful. You have become more and more successful in the palace. Look at these purses. They are really beautiful."
"Sister, what are you talking about? I just love my younger sister and I don't mind her. How are you? Is my brother-in-law treating you well?"
Although Luo Jingrou was dissatisfied with her sister in her heart, when she heard her sister ask about Wang Zongmu, she smiled shyly and said, "Your brother-in-law is certainly good."
She and Wang Zongmu lived in the Luo family, and everything was prepared by the Luo family. Wang Zongmu was a carefree and talented person. The two of them wrote poems and lyrics in the pavilion and were very happy.
Yao Niang nodded, "That's good, that's good."
She didn't know how long Luo Jingrou could live, or how her life would be like. She had already taken revenge for her previous life, and the grudge between them had been offset. In this life, everyone should live well.
Luo Jingrou took the pair of purses back to her own courtyard. She used to live alone in Xiyuekua, but now she lived here with Wang Zongmu. Her parents-in-law came to Beijing in person to preside over their marriage. Although her mother-in-law was a daughter of the royal family, she was not at all arrogant.
Of course, this is also because her father has now been promoted to the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and every foreign official coming to Beijing would want to pay a visit.
This time, she doesn’t know whether her husband can win the first prize in one stroke. If so, she will be the wife of an official.
"Is this the purse given by the fifth girl? It is very exquisite, with jade and money inside." Daimao took a look.
Pearl smiled and said, "Our fifth daughter was sent back by someone from the palace this time. I wonder if she can become a princess like our eldest daughter in the future?"
"What princess? The eldest girl is the Duke's wife." Luo Jingrou corrected her.
Only then did Zhenzhu realize that she had said the wrong thing, because they often said that the eldest girl married into the Fenyang Palace, and if she married into the palace, she would of course be called the princess.
This sentence instantly made all of Luo Jingrou's joy about her new marriage vanish into thin air. She was nothing and was now just the name Wang Luo. Her stepmother had become a virtuous woman, and her fifth sister was looked up to by everyone wherever she went because she was Princess Zhenyang's study companion.
Yes, when she was at her parents' home, the people in the eldest house knew that she was the eldest daughter of the eldest house, and she was still the eldest daughter of the Luo family, but in the future, when women get married, their status will be considered from the perspective of their husband's family.
This fact made her very painful.
How would Yao Niang know all this? She flipped through the calligraphy written by Jinghao and was happy to see that her brother had made progress.
“That’s good handwriting.”
"No, my father said I was lazy. It would be a blessing if I could pass the imperial examination in the future." Jinghao was a little sad.
Yao Niang smiled and said, "Everything depends on one's own efforts. I think it would be good enough if you can pass the imperial examination."
Jinghao secretly said, "But mother said she hopes I can pass the imperial examination and become like father in the future."
Not to mention anything else, Jinghao is really handsome, but he didn't talk much when he was a child and was often sick. Fortunately, when she was at home, she often took him out for activities and let him study. His fate is no longer to die at the age of five, but he is alive and well, and Yao Niang is already very satisfied.
She touched his head and burst into tears: "Sister just hopes that you can live a happy life. The hardest thing for a person is to enjoy himself."
Jinghao seemed to be thinking about something.
Yao Niang knocked on his head and said, "Don't listen to this and sleep in every day and stop studying. That's not okay. You are a man and you have to support your family in the future. Otherwise, you will have to go out and beg for food."
The relationship between the siblings has always been good. She was very happy to know that her brother had learned to swim. In his previous life, her brother fell into the water and died, so learning to swim could have avoided that.
"Really? Sister can't swim yet. When will you teach me to swim?" Yao Niang looked at him and teased him. In fact, Yao Niang grew up in Fujian and often played in the water.
Jinghao nodded heavily: "I have been to the hot spring resort with my parents. We can bathe there. Sister, you can go too. Oh, by the way, my fourth sister can't swim but she still saved people."
Diving into water to save people?
"Who was saved?" Yao Niang asked.
Jing Hao smiled and said, "The person I saved was my friend, Cao Wanxuan from the Dongyang Marquisate. The Dongyang Marquisate also gave her a lot of gifts. My aunt was so happy that she showed off in front of my mother."
So that's how it is. It seems that once fate comes, it can't be stopped.
Unexpectedly, Yu said, "Your eldest aunt thought that the Marquisate had taken a fancy to Shi Fang, and she was so happy that she wanted to spread the word everywhere, and asked me and your second aunt to bring Shi Fang with us when we went to the Marquisate of Dongyang as guests. Since then, Cao Wanxuan has been avoiding her."
This is what I mean by not liking it?
"Why is that? I think Cao Wanxuan is the youngest son, not the crown prince..." Generally speaking, most families have very high requirements for the eldest daughter-in-law. She doesn't necessarily have to come from a high family background, but she must have good character and outstanding abilities.
Just like the one their family chose, Fan, who is gentle but also capable. Living in such a large family and with a philandering brother, she is still able to handle all aspects of the relationship harmoniously.
But the requirements for the younger daughter-in-law are not that high, so Shi Fang is not completely out of the question.
Of course, the premise is that Cao Wanxuan likes it.
Yu shook her head and said, "I don't know what's going on. Sister-in-law is really something. Your sister Shifang didn't make up her mind to give up sweets. She did control her eating habits for a while and even lost some weight, but in the end she ate even more."
Thinking of this, Yu looked at her daughter and said, "Fortunately you discovered your third sister's conspiracy, otherwise, Shi Fang today would be you tomorrow."
Whenever Yu thought of this, she would feel a chill down her spine.
Yao Niang hated this matter at first, but now she feels relieved. She smiled and said, "She will have a good life. She has been a bad person since she was a child. I think she will kill herself in the future without anyone having to deal with her."
"You are right. Your father said that your third brother-in-law is still young and has been very successful. He wanted him to take the examination again next time, but he insisted on taking it. If he fails this time, it would be a good idea for him to go home and study for a few years." Yu said.
Yao Niang shook her head: "Third sister has never been a kind person, and she likes to use some tricks. It's okay at first, but after a long time, she may be able to see through her tricks."
As for the rest, she stopped talking about Luo Jingrou.
When I saw my father again this year, Luo Zhizheng had not changed at all and was still as courteous as ever.
When she met her parents, Yao Niang told them how Tang Huijun had framed her and how she had kicked Tang Huijun in revenge. This incident was originally a trivial matter, but it made Luo Zhizheng look at her with new eyes.
"Well done. If you really stop her, you won't be able to sue her. Instead, you will be reading with her every day and you will be hated. Since ancient times, good will be rewarded with good and evil will be punished with evil. This is really a famous saying from ancient times."
Yao Niang was a little embarrassed: "Dad, I was just alert and very angry at the time, but I didn't think too much about it."
Luo Zhizheng himself was born into a scholar family, but he never beat around the bush. He nodded and said, "This is enough to show your courage. It seems that it is not easy to be in the palace."
"Tang Huijun's pressure is not a means at all. In the future, I'm afraid there will be more and more means. But so what? The winner is the king and the loser is the enemy."
Yao Niang herself has never been a submissive and tolerant person. In her previous life, when Luo Jingrou repeatedly asked her to be a concubine, she refused without hesitation, even though she had her own ideas at that time.
She was caught cheating and had to follow her husband to the King of Zhou to be a fief. She also held this concept in her care for the King of Zhou's son, so in the end she won and got her revenge.
What's the point of living a life of accepting everything that comes your way? If a person lives happily, even one day is enough.
Mrs. Yu looked at the father and daughter and immediately said, "You are both passionate people."
To put it bluntly, it means acting on impulse and not being willing to humble oneself for even a moment.
Luo Zhizheng was also very generous in giving Yao Niang a set of kingfisher jewellery. Yao Niang wore it in her hair when she went to the Dongyang Marquis's residence. Even Madam Cao praised her, saying, "I really like your daughter Shi Wei. In five years, I think your daughter will be a beauty that can captivate the whole country."
Yu quickly said modestly: "She is just a young girl, but you always praise her for this."
There are many beautiful people, but no matter who you are, you will grow old as you get older.
Mrs. Cao was very cold when she saw Shi Fang, but very enthusiastic when she saw Yao Niang. Mrs. Cao even personally asked Cao Wanxuan to put on his clothes and pay his respects to Yu and others.
Today, all the women of the Luo family came, even Ren came with them. She was really too angry when she saw the situation.
"Look, look, he's really snobbish." Ren was so angry.
Zhou did try to persuade her gently, but she was still unwilling to accept it. She saw that Fan's husband was talented but not ambitious, far inferior to her own husband. However, she, the eldest daughter-in-law, was much more prosperous than the second eldest daughter-in-law.
No wonder the mother-in-law was angry. This kind of contrast was simply a slap in the face.
At this moment, Madam Cao smiled and said, "I have a treasure that I would not give to anyone else, except Miss Shi Wei. I think she is very beautiful and I love her very much."
A lady beside Madam Cao also said, "Madam Cao, why don't we open our eyes too?"
Yao Niang felt that something was not good. If Li Tianjiao's family wanted to bring her down, it would be fine, but Wang Yuanshuang was a daughter of the Earl's Mansion. If the Cao family had any intention, they should not have acted as if they wanted to marry her in public.
She had heard that Wang Yuanshuang's mother was also related to the Cao family by marriage, and now it seemed that everyone had really started to make plans.
Yu also sensed something was wrong and said quickly, "Madam Cao, my daughter is still young and cannot handle such a great blessing. It is better not to do so."
At this time, Ren saw that Yu was unhappy and thought, she must want to find a better one for her daughter, but I won't let her do so. So Ren said directly: "Sister-in-law, since Madam Cao is interested, why not let her take it out and have a look. It's nothing, not to mention that it's a gift to Shi Wei, and she has given it to her before."
Mrs. Cao smiled with her lips bent, it was like a pillow for a sleepy person, the mother and daughter of the Yu family were very shrewd, but this Ren family was a scoundrel, and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. She wanted to make this happen, firstly to find a good marriage for her youngest son, to marry the daughter of the Minister of Personnel, and secondly to do things for the Wang family, as her family still had to rely on the Wang family as a relative.
Yao Niang frowned slightly and immediately came up with a plan.
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