Ningguo Mansion
The night was deep and the backyard was brightly lit. In the inner hall, Qin Keqing, Youshi, Sister Feng, and Second Sister You were playing dominoes. Not far away, the maids Baozhu and Ruizhu, Sister Feng's eldest maids Ping'er, Feng'er, and Youshi The maid Cai Die lowered her hands and served tea and fruit snacks.
Sister Feng said with a smile: "It's already this time, Brother Heng hasn't come back yet?"
Qin Keqing chuckled and said, "I'm probably still in the Yamen now. I haven't been very busy in the past few months."
Youshi's original haggard expression had long since disappeared. Under her bun, her cheeks were white and rosy, and she was once again radiant. She held a domino in her hand, played it out, and said with a chuckle: "What have you been doing these days?" I'm getting more and more free now, why isn't the old lady waiting on me?"
Sister Feng sighed and said, "Baoyu just went to school today. When I came back, my ancestors felt distressed and had no intention of having fun."
In recent months, because Jia Lian went out early and came back late, Sister Feng felt depressed and frequently came to visit Qin Keqing.
Youshi played with a domino in his hand, stared at it, and said softly: "It has been more than ten days since the school was completed. Why did Baoyu go there only today?"
Sister Feng said with a smile: "What kind of temperament does Brother Bao have? Sister-in-law You still doesn't know? He is an old monk who beats the clock, and he can live a good life as long as he can."
Everyone laughed when they heard this.
Second Sister You looked at the splendidly embroidered fairy concubine beside her, with a smile on her face as white as snow.
I thought to myself, this Mistress Lian is really a refreshing person.
In the original time and space, the two people, who served the same husband and had a secret feud, are now playing dominoes on the same table, without any hatred at all.
While Sister Feng was speaking, she looked at Qin Keqing aside and asked softly: "Has your brother also entered the school?"
The smile on Qin Keqing's beautiful face faded slightly and she said: "I'm going to go there as soon as the school opens. My husband said that he would go to the martial arts hall to practice martial arts. I saw that the people before him were a little stronger."
Sister Feng said with a smile: "You are willing to bear it. Didn't Brother Huan go there too? Aunt Zhao misses her son and keeps sending people to hurry her up. The former one caused quite a scene in the old lady's house."
Second Sister You said softly: "This is a good thing, what's the fuss about?"
Sister Feng looked at Sister You who had picturesque features, and said with a chuckle: "My good sister, not everyone thinks the best of others. She hasn't seen her son for a while, and she has nothing to lose. Maybe she thinks Brother Heng is a key link." Where’s my brother?”
Second Sister You nodded her head, lowered her bright and moist eyes, and said softly: "Sister, that's right."
Sister Feng glanced at Second Sister You, who had soft eyebrows, and smiled at You, "Sister-in-law You, I haven't seen Third Sister much in the past two days."
Youshi said softly: "She, some time ago, I looked for some story books to read, and I talked about what story books I would write in the past two days."
Qin Keqing smiled. She heard her husband tell her about this.
While several people were talking, they heard the woman from outside enter the inner hall and said with a smile: "Madam, the uncle is back."
The faces of those who were playing cards were stunned, and they all showed varying degrees of joy.
While talking, Qingwen was the first to carry the lantern, followed by the tall and handsome young man.
As soon as they entered the inner hall, pairs of Yingying and Yanyan looked at her and called each other.
Jia Heng's expression was as usual, he nodded to several people, looked at Qin Keqing, and when he met those charming eyes, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty in his heart. He asked first, "It's so late, why haven't you slept yet?"
In fact, it wasn't too late, it was just the beginning of the first lunar month, which would be around ten o'clock in the evening in later generations.
But if he doesn't ask, he will be asked, why did he come back so late?
Qin Keqing stepped forward with a smile and said: "After dinner, Sister-in-law Feng will come over and sit down. Sister You will come over and wipe the dominoes for a while. Is your husband coming back from... Yamen?"
When he got closer, he smelled the smell of alcohol and a hint of fragrance on Jia Heng's body. His heart moved slightly, but his face remained calm as he chuckled: "My husband has been drinking."
Jia Heng said "hmm" and said, "Have a drink with a friend. You guys can continue playing. I'm going to take a shower first."
With that said, he called Qingwen and walked towards the inner room.
Qin Keqing's eyes were filled with smiles, and her face was thoughtful.
A smart woman can easily detect her husband's cheating.
But no matter how smart a man is, it will take him a long time to discover his wife's secret. There are some victims. The whole world knows that their wives are unfaithful, but they are the last to know.
Because women are born actors, the more beautiful they are, the better their acting skills are.
So...men should protect themselves.
Sister Feng said with a smile: "Since Brother Heng is back, I won't stay any longer. Ping'er, let's go back first. The second master should probably go back now."
By the end of it, I felt a little bit sour in my heart.
Lian Er might be lying on that wild woman's bed right now.
I felt a little nauseous and unclean before, but for more than a month...
Qin Keqing smiled and said, "Send the treasure to Sister-in-law Feng for me."
"Yes, madam." Baozhu responded, and then sent Sister Feng away.
Youshi said softly: "Sister Keqing, my second sister and I have also gone back."
Qin Keqing nodded and said nothing more. He watched Mr. You and Second Sister You leave and sighed quietly.
She hesitated whether to make some insinuating remarks later.
"My husband's temperament should not provoke any unscrupulous women, and he would not flirt with women on weekdays. Otherwise, Sister You's two sisters have lived here for more than a month and haven't seen anything. But it's just This makes people feel uncertain." Qin Keqing thought.
She was afraid of meeting a woman from a famous family...
"It's been two months, and there's been no movement in my stomach." Thinking of this, Qin Keqing couldn't help feeling frustrated.
In the wing——
Behind the screen, Qingwen wore a pomegranate skirt. The girl raised her slender hands from the barrel, looked back at Jia Heng, her cheeks were red, and she said in a trembling voice: "Master, the water is no longer hot."
Jia Heng nodded and entered the bathtub filled with spices. This bathtub was obviously much larger than before.
At this time, Qingwen also had a pink and pretty face. She took off her clothes without saying a word, stepped on the wooden floor with her white feet, hugged her chest with one hand, and grabbed a towel with the other and entered the tub.
Even though I don’t know how many times I have washed like this, I still feel a little shy.
"Young Master, have you been drinking today?" Qingwen looked at the young man who closed his eyes to rest, then walked behind him and squeezed his shoulders as usual, her clear voice slightly trembling.
Jia Heng felt a little comfortable when a pair of small hands kneaded his shoulders, especially the softness on his back. He closed his eyes slightly and said softly: "Drink a few cups."
Qingwen said in a charming voice: "The medical book says that drinking for a long time will damage your mind and your life, so you should drink less."
Jia Heng smiled, turned around, stretched out his hand to pull Qingwen, and said with a clattering sound: "It's amazing, Qingwen can read medical books now?"
Well, after all, there is no comparison. The difference between cloud and mud is less than a grasp.
Qingwen's delicate body trembled, her nose snorted, she lowered her misty eyes and said shyly: "Master... don't look down on people, I have recently... learned a lot of words, and I also read some new words that I don't know many words about." book of."
Jia Heng nodded and said softly: "Yes, but it has improved compared to before."
The bath lasted for half an hour, until the water temperature gradually cooled down and Qingwen's cheeks were hot and as soft as silkworms. The two of them changed their clothes, got out of the tub, and went back to rest.
…
…
The next day, Prince Chu’s Mansion
In the study, a young man in his early twenties, with a face like a crown jade and wearing an embroidered python robe, stood in front of a bookcase and stared at the map on the mahogany desk. On the map, Peking and Jizhen were clearly marked. The deployment of troops in several places.
At this moment, a servant came in and reported, "Your Highness, Duan Dianjun is here."
Unlike the previous Ming Dynasty, when the vassal princes were raised like pigs, the Chen Han Dynasty allowed the adult princes to take charge of the affairs of the government, and appropriately appointed staff for them, on the basis of eliminating the six Cao Cao.
The royal palace has a chief historian, who is responsible for the general management of the palace. Then the prince will appoint his own subordinates, take charge of the books, record the office, join the army, assist in civil and military affairs, and command 330 troops as a sixth-grade military attache to act as a vassal. Yiwei.
The purpose of eliminating Liu Cao's joining the army was not to allow the prince to prepare a small central organization, but to train the prince's ability to manage and coordinate politics, he recruited civil servants according to the tasks they were assigned.
King Chu raised his head, his sharp eyes slightly sinister, and said in a deep voice: "Let him come in."
After a while, a young man wearing a sixth-grade military attaché robe and a black hat came in with a knife in his hand, clasped his fists and said, "I have met His Highness the King of Chu."
King Chu stared at the young man and asked, "How do you say that?"
Duan Dianjun said: "Your Highness, Jia Yunhui visited Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess yesterday and stayed in the Princess's mansion for more than an hour."
King Chu frowned and asked, "Do you know what was said?"
Duan Dianjun said: "My subordinates have not broken into the princess's mansion, so I don't know the details. But this morning, I discovered that Liu Tong, the shopkeeper of Hanmozhai, went to Ningguo Mansion with the eldest princess's personal maid, Miss Lianxue." .”
The King of Chu pondered for a moment and murmured: "Hanmo Zhai? Could it be a matter of the Three Kingdoms dialect?"
After thinking for a long time, he couldn't figure it out. He waved his hand and said: "Continue to let people stare, and then go and call Mr. Pei and Mr. Feng to come over."
Mr. Pei and Mr. Feng were both the think-tanks of the King of Chu. One served as the chief historian and the other served as the chief registrar.
Duan Dianjun frowned and said, "Your Highness, my subordinates have also been stared at recently."
King Chu's expression changed slightly and he said anxiously: "What's going on? Didn't I tell you not to follow too closely?"
That Jia Yunhui was not a good person. In just a short time, he had gained the trust of his father. As far as he knew, he had left meals in the palace many times.
"It's the people from Nanzhen Fusi. It should be the time in Dongcheng. They found some clues." Duan Dianjun whispered.
Pan Jian, the second leader of the Sanhe Gang, not only has a group of secret spies, but also has a list of officials bribed by the Sanhe Gang.
There is no doubt that the Sanhe Gang, who runs gambling houses and brothels in Dongcheng, has a romantic relationship with some court officials.
That is to say, Jia Heng wiped out the Sanhe Gang with thunderous momentum. Otherwise, if it is delayed for a long time, it will be a big trouble for these people to connect in series under the guidance of the Sanhe Gang.
Because this batch of lists includes not only civil servants, but also generals from the Beijing camp. Although it is not as powerful as the "****", it is useful for the King of Chu to use this as an opportunity to cultivate power.
King Chu said in a deep voice: "First collect the scattered people. Don't move around recently."
He is not his fat pig-like brother Wang, and he does not have the Supreme Emperor to back him up.
Duan Dianjun cupped his hands and said, "Yes, Your Highness."
After Duan Dianjun left, King Chu's eyes were lost for a moment, and the graceful figure of his imperial aunt seemed to appear in front of his eyes. He felt uneasy, his face paused, and he quickly moved away. He held the brush in his hand and wrote something on the rice paper. With one stroke of the pen, two words were written: "Jia Heng."
The King of Chu looked gloomy, picked up the red pen on the side, and put a cross over the word Jia Heng. When he finally put down the pen, he put a check mark, "This man is now trusted by his father and has commanded the troops of the five cities." For a key position like Si, we have to find a way to win over him."
Not long after, Liao Xian, the chief minister of the Prince of Chu, and Feng Ci, the chief clerk. Liao Xian was in his early forties, short and lean, with sharp eyes and serious words.
Feng Ci is in his early thirties, with a tall figure, a handsome face, a beautiful beard under his chin, and an elegant temperament. Both of them were born in civil society.
The two of them entered the study and both greeted the King of Chu, saying, "I have met you, Your Majesty."
"Two gentlemen, please sit down quickly." When the King of Chu saw the two of them, he left his seat with a smile to greet them, waiting for the servant to serve him tea.
Liao Xian looked at King Chu and asked, "My lord, do you have something to inquire about?"
Feng Ci also set his sights on King Chu.
King Chu smiled and said, "I have some doubts about Jia Yunhui."
Liao Xian looked thoughtful and said, "The Lord of Ning Country?"
The King of Chu asked: "Yes, this boy can be said to be the rising star in Shenjing in the past three months, with the most fame and the most prosperous Holy Book. Do you two gentlemen think that this boy can win over him?"
Hearing this, Liao Xian shook his head slightly and said, "This is a person from the Holy Sage, how can I win over him?"
The King of Chu was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and said slowly: "But Mr. Liao, among all the civil and military officials in the dynasty, who is not the father of the emperor?"
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Liao Xian said: "Your Majesty, my subordinates have been paying attention to this person, and I have also asked Brother Xihe for advice. Jia Heng is a holy master, and all honor and disgrace come from his superiors. I have observed his actions. He has a strong heart and would rather break than bend, but he He is favored by the Holy One, but if the prince fails to win over such a person rashly, he is afraid that it will be self-defeating and be plotted against him."
When the King of Chu heard this, his expression was silent and he looked at Feng Ci.
Feng Ci said: "What brother Shiqing said is reasonable. It is not easy to win over the prince, but he can secretly add fuel to the flames. To deal with the man from Yongyefang, Jia Heng will cut off people and make money. He will definitely be jealous of the prince of Qi County."
At the mention of King Qi, King Chu also had a strange smile on his face. This should be the most gratifying thing for him after opening the palace. He said loudly: "I was originally thinking about where his Jia family and Gu's princess are. The Zhen family is also an old relative, and the Qiguai and Baguai are also related to each other. If this is the case, forget it for now, but this person...will he hinder us? "
Liao Xian frowned and said: "I can't do it now, but it's hard to say in the future. Your Highness, the Holy Spirit is at the peak of the Spring and Autumn Period. You must not act too hastily. A little impatience will mess up the big plan."
But he saw the King of Chu's recent "impetuousness" after King Qi was eliminated, and he gave some advice.
King Chu took a deep breath and could not hide the worry in his tone: "Next year... the third brother will also be in charge of the government. He is the legitimate son."
Feng Ci said seriously: "My lord, there is no need to worry. There is no distinction between direct descendants and concubines in Your Majesty's heart."
King Chu said: "But the civil and military officials may not think so, and there are Song sisters in the palace."
"Your Highness, whether you can enter the East Palace, the most important thing is the Holy Heart. The Holy Dragon's body is not well these days. The prince can walk around the palace more." Feng Ci said softly.
King Chu nodded and said: "About this matter, the concubine said when she went to the palace to pay her respects to her aunt, my father occasionally felt cold and worried about the past, so he went so often. Isn't it a little... too deliberate?"
The King of Chu had one main concubine and two side concubines. One of the side concubines adopted the daughter of the nephew of Wu Tianyou, the young minister of Guanglu Temple, and Wu Tianyou's sister was a noble person in the palace.
Feng Ci looked at King Chu helplessly. This man was good at everything, but he couldn't bend down. His father was sick, so he visited him more often to fulfill his filial piety. Who cares whether he did it deliberately or not?
Liao Xian pondered for a moment, his sharp eyes flashed, and said: "What His Highness said is not unreasonable. He was too deliberate and made him lose his rank. You can take the princess and the prince to visit him. The emperor is not in good health. It is Long." Lying on the couch, licking the calf and feeling deeply in love, I must be very happy to see His Highness and the young prince."
King Chu's eyes lit up and he said, "Liao Changshi's proposal is feasible."
Feng Ci also took a deep look at Liao Xian.
