The Xuanfu mansion of the Meng family is not big, but it has the word "elegance" everywhere. Even if Tong Niang suddenly comes back, the place where she lives is full of fragrance. The furnishings in the house are clean and neat, with pictures of landscapes, flowers and birds hanging all around. The pear-shaped window is half open, and the soft rhombus gauze curtain is blown up, revealing several pots of daffodils, magnolias and agarwood placed by the window.
Tong Niang was in a gloomy mood all the way back. Now that her uncle and aunt treated her so well, she felt much more at ease. Then she turned around and looked at Ruiniang, "It's muddy all the way. I'm afraid my sister's shoes and socks will get wet. Please stay here. I'll go talk to my sister after I've cleaned up."
Just now, Mrs. Han asked Ruiniang to send Tongniang over. Ruiniang saw that Tongniang was obviously in a much calmer mood along the way, because she was quite different in age from this cousin, and she knew that she always had a good face. If she hadn't encountered such a thing, she would have She wouldn't cry so ugly, and naturally she didn't like seeing her in such a miserable state, so she agreed and left.
When Ruiniang walked a little further, Liuying saw that her girl's brows were also furrowed, and she couldn't help but said: "Miss, why are you worried? My aunt's return is just an extra pair of chopsticks. Now, our master has been promoted to the rank of general, and the young master Although he is young, he can already follow me on the battlefield, so everything is fine."
Ruiniang shook her head: "You only know one, but not the other. Dad was promoted to the rank of general in order to rotate other places. My ex-son read the newspaper in his residence, and the Japanese were in trouble. Our Meng family, starting from my grandfather, has been supervising the war in Fujian and Zhejiang. I often deal with Japanese people, and my father is a famous general. If my father goes south, my mother will definitely take my eldest sister and me back to our hometown of Xiangyang. I don’t know."
Returning to Xiangyang at this time? Both Liuying and Huaping have served Ruiniang since childhood, and are called masters and servants. They are actually the same as sisters. They were all worried because Ruiniang's marriage had not been decided yet.
Originally, the wife wanted to wait until the master's official position was higher before discussing the marriage. Now that the master's official position is higher, she has returned to her hometown. If you go back to your hometown and marry someone in a hurry, wouldn't it be a secret investment?
Seeing the two of them acting like this, Ruiniang said mischievously: "You two have such long faces, I think you can fry them and eat them."
Huaping stamped his feet and tossed the tassels on his head: "We are worried about the girl, but the girl is still making fun of us."
"There is nothing to worry about." Ruiniang bit her lip, thinking that it would be great if her marriage could be like that of her father and mother. Although her father loved luxury and had an arrogant temperament, he was devoted to his mother and did not even have a maid in the room.
In the room, Mrs. Han also talked about her daughter's marriage with her husband Meng Jue: "I originally planned to wait until you were promoted to a general, and our daughter would find a good husband, but I didn't know that Tong Niang's incident had happened again. I never wanted to. When I return to Beijing, I don’t want Ruiniang to return to Beijing and get involved in it, but the old lady said that even if it doesn’t work out, she will not treat our Ruiniang badly, and will also arrange a good marriage for her. I can’t be bitten by a snake once and be afraid of the well for ten years. Sheng Sheng, if my daughter is so good-looking and talented, and such a sweet-natured person, I would be really unwilling to get married hastily."
Meng Jue looked at Han: "That's fine. I will go to Fujian and Zhejiang soon to supervise the war. Brother Yan will go with me. You can only return to your hometown first. You have never returned to your parents' home in so many years, so let Ruiniang do it for you. You are filial."
"I think so too. It has been so many years, and people in Beijing have probably forgotten it. My brother and my compatriot, although he is in the name of the old lady, his broken bones are still connected. , he can always take more trouble for us about Ruiniang's affairs. Even if they don't care, we will just treat Ruiniang as coming to Beijing to learn more. After a year and a half, when Tongniang's matter has calmed down, we can pick up our daughter. Come back." Han planned.
She even thought that officials usually return to Beijing every three years to report on their duties, but if the official's position changes, it is okay to return to Beijing in one or two years. Then she can just let her husband take her daughter home.
Meng Jue nodded heavily: "I'll listen to you."
Seeing Mrs. Han looking up at him, Meng Jue suddenly remembered the past. Because his father was recommended by Uncle Tai'an, he took the fourteen-year-old boy to visit Uncle Tai'an.
Unexpectedly, when he was passing by Tai'an Bohou Lake, he saw people crowding around a young girl. The girl had a face like a pear blossom, skin like ice and snow, and was as graceful as a virgin. He was stunned at a glance.
Later, she found herself and said that the emperor liked her, but King Jin wanted to marry her. She was in a dilemma and was in danger, so she asked him if he would help her?
At only fourteen years old, he had the temperament of a wild horse. He was an old man at home and was very favored. However, he knew that marriage was not something he could decide by himself. No matter how stupid he was, he would never be an enemy of the emperor Jin Wang.
But Miss Han looked at him like a drowning person, so Meng Jue asked his father to marry her.
I don’t know why the uncle agreed, but he quickly married Miss Han, and the couple had been married for more than ten years in the blink of an eye. Meng Jue's mother died young and he was prone to anger. Everyone around him respected and feared him, but no one really loved him. Only the Han family loved him.
When Mrs. Han saw that her husband agreed, she smiled slightly and said, "I'm going to Ruiniang's place."
"Hey." Meng Jue saw her getting up and held her hand again, reluctant to let go.
Han said angrily: "Why are you acting like a child? I'll leave first."
When Mrs. Han came to her daughter's place, Ruiniang was talking to Shen Yue, the daughter of the deputy general of the Xuan Mansion. Shen Yue was fifteen years old and was a dignified and steady girl, but she still found it unbelievable when she mentioned this matter.
"Do you know General Wang Bitao's daughter?" Shen Yue mentioned.
Ruiniang said: "How come I don't know? I heard my mother say that General Wang has two daughters. The eldest daughter has already left the court, and the second daughter is still waiting to be married."
Shen Yue took Ruiniang's hand and said: "The eldest daughter of the Wang family passed away due to dystocia. It is said that the Wang family invited four or five doctors to come over but they could not save her. The in-laws also ridiculed her family for being too labor-intensive. So, Mrs. Wang The trustee bought an ultimatum for Wang Erniang, saying that it was to avoid the pain of childbirth and not to get married."
The ultimatum is a symbol of the status of a monk. If you want to become a monk, you must have the ultimatum.
Monks and Taoists are different from ordinary people, not because they have escaped into Buddhism, let alone because they practice Taoism, but because they no longer need to pay taxes, nor do they have to perform corvées and other miscellaneous services.
But now it actually has another use. If you buy a certificate and become a Taoist nun or a bhikshuni, you don't have to get married and have children.
"What are you thinking? Is this too shocking for the world?" Shen Yue waved her hand in front of Ruiniang's eyes.
Ruiniang said: "You don't know that in some places, baby girls are often drowned just to avoid paying the dowry money. On the contrary, I think Mrs. Wang is the one who truly loves girls."
Hearing this, Shen Yue pinched Ruiniang's face and said, "I know you look the nicest, but you are actually different."
The little girls just chatted and agreed to go out riding in a few days. Ruiniang's mother was afraid that her legs would become bow-legged and she would get tanned, so she always restrained her and refused to let her ride.
But now that she has been at home for a long time, her parents love her the most and will probably agree.
"Sister Shen, please try some snacks." Ruiniang pushed a plate of jasper cake towards Shen Yue.
Seeing her slender fingers, Shen Yue couldn't help but say: "People say the yellow vine wine with red crisp hands, but you have the jasper cake with slender hands, which matches well."
Ruiniang pointed at Shen Yue and said, "Sister has become bad now and is making fun of me."
The two laughed and laughed for a while. After Shen Yue tasted it, she pointed at Liuying and said, "It must be made by Liuying. Her craftsmanship is unique. Every time she comes to your place, she just wants to have this bite."
Ruiniang looked at Liuying and said with a smile: "Sister Shen, you like to eat, I'll ask Liuying to bring another plate."
Shen Yue shook her head: "My mother doesn't allow me to eat more sweets. We eat more pasta here in Xuanfu. You also know that I love to eat pasta. Unknowingly, my waist has become thicker. The clothes I made in the first half of the year cannot be worn now."
"Then you should be more careful. When I first came to Xuanfu, I loved drinking milk. I drank it all day long. It turned white. It also made my face fatter. Later, my mother said that I should consider it." Rui Niang also thought about it. Qi Qi Yan.
The daughter's family could talk about these trivial things for a long time. Han couldn't help laughing when she heard it outside. When she walked in, Ruiniang and Shen Yue both stood up.
Han and Shen Yue said a few words, and Shen Yue left. When Ruiniang saw that there was no one around, she acted coquettishly and said, "Mother, my daughter was very sleepy last night and has a very bad headache."
"Even I didn't sleep well. When your eldest sister comes back, your father and I are afraid that something will happen to her, but we don't know what happened? Now that we have asked, we are relieved." Han said softly road.
Ruiniang lamented the harshness of the world: "The Ying family is really snobbish. They are a high-ranking family that usually looks grand, but they are just a bunch of outsiders. When my aunt came out of the cabinet, the Ying family sent several children to come to beg for mercy, claiming to be the quick son-in-law of the east bed. Now that I see my grandfather and uncle letting my eldest brother die, I have turned against him and disowned him."
Mrs. Han patted her daughter on the back, as if she was coaxing her to sleep when she was a child: "As long as you know, why bother saying it."
Ruiniang said: "If the road is uneven, there will be people calling. Why can't my daughter say that? Heaven is ruthless, but there is love in the world."
Mrs. Han knew that her daughter looked very similar to her on the outside, she was so elegant, gentle and pleasant, but inside her daughter was a very affectionate woman. Instead, she pursued power and wealth.
Therefore, she hugged her daughter and said: "Rui Niang, don't worry about other people's affairs. Your eldest sister has returned home. No matter she is pitiful or aggrieved, it will affect the woman's reputation. That's all for her. She is not prepared. If you remarry, your father and I will take good care of you, but you have already been affected before you leave the cabinet. Even in the Xuanfu, why should you marry one of those men who are so rude that they can't even say a word?"
Ruiniang shook her head and said coyly: "My daughter naturally hopes to marry a good man."
Han understood: "Mom also came here at that time, how could you not know? It happened that your grandmother wanted to take you to Beijing. The capital is not as good as Xuanfu, where there are many people and culture. You are far away in Beijing, and you have the support of the uncle, so you don't have to suffer here. Isn’t your big sister’s influence the best of both worlds?”
Having said that, Ruiniang hesitated and said: "I heard that my grandmother wanted to betroth me to my cousin? And my aunt doesn't agree. How embarrassing would it be for me to go?"
Han didn't take it seriously: "People have to go with the flow. If Han Xian is in love with someone else, you naturally don't need to destroy them. Anyway, your grandmother already knew about your eldest sister in the letter, saying that even if you express love with someone else, Brother, if it doesn't work out, I will promise you a good marriage. But if it does, silly boy, you will be the wife of Prince Tai'an."
Ruiniang said quickly: "No, no, I don't want to be the wife of the Prince of Tai'an. I have never thought about it."
Mrs. Han was surprised: "Why don't you want to? Do you think you are unworthy? Although Yang Yuhuan was from the Hongnong Yang family, she was just the daughter of a young scholar Cao. Your status is higher than hers. Not only are you beautiful, you are as beautiful as A heavenly man, you have an elegant and refined personality, you are good at singing and dancing, and you are proficient in music. Whenever a young man sees you, he will be fascinated by you. So many people have come to our door to propose marriage over the years that the threshold of our house has been broken down. Why do you have to belittle yourself!"
Mostly, in the hearts of mothers in the world, daughters are the best. It is not surprising that Han, who has always been gentle, said so.
Therefore, Ruiniang found it funny: "I don't belittle myself, but I would rather find someone like my father and mother, who are devoted to each other and will never be separated. Those princes and young masters, all of them have three wives and five concubines. No matter how beautiful their daughters are, they will never be separated." But I got tired of it after a few days.”
When Mrs. Han saw this, she had no choice but to say silently: "It all depends on people. Your mother and I even thought about becoming a queen back then."
ah?
Ruiniang stared at her mother blankly, a little in disbelief, because her mother had always been indifferent to fame and wealth in her heart.
Seeing her daughter's mouth open, Mrs. Han couldn't help laughing: "Back then, I was planning to enter the palace to stand for election. Speaking of the queen mother, she was still my aunt in name. I was also the daughter of the uncle's family. Although she was a concubine, I didn't find it difficult to enter the palace. . However, you also know that the Queen Mother has two sons, one is the current emperor, and the other is the younger son King Jin. King Jin did not know when he saw me, so he asked the Queen Mother to let me be Princess Jin."
"But it happened that during the draft, the emperor also took a fancy to me. I was in a dilemma, so I pretended to be sick and went home, where I met your father. Although he was young at that time, he was high-spirited, like a blazing fire and the sun, fearless of heaven and earth. Looks like, we might as well get married."
After hearing this, Ruiniang felt very strange. Since her mother likes people with power and wealth, it is not impossible for her to marry the King of Jin or the Emperor. Why bother...
When Mrs. Han saw her daughter's doubts, she smiled bitterly. In her previous life, she had married Prince Jin, because the Queen Mother believed that the throne was given to her eldest son, and the woman she loved would naturally be given to her younger son.
Prince Jin did like her very much, but he only liked her elegant and beautiful appearance. He didn't really appreciate her inner self, and he didn't want to understand herself. The couple often couldn't talk to each other, and later they even disliked her. I like to dance and write. The emperor knew that her life was not good after marriage, and he blamed himself very much. He was afraid that he would be treated harshly by King Jin, so he specially gave her two beauties to share the burden with her, and even called King Jin over to scold her.
This is a hornet's nest. Prince Jin was the woman he stole from his brother. He always thought that she looked down on him. One morning when she was squatting to put on his shoes, he kicked her and she vomited blood. .
This completely angered the emperor, and the emperor reprimanded King Jin again. King Jin couldn't stand it, so he went out to fight, rushed forward on the battlefield desperately, and finally died on the battlefield. She was later summoned to the palace by the emperor, and was named Concubine Shu as soon as she entered the palace. Within two months, she was also named Imperial Concubine, which can be said to be the most favored in the Sixth Palace.
However, she was regarded as the public enemy of the entire harem, and even the empress dowager, who was kind and kind to her, treated her coldly. She lived a life of walking on thin ice every day, and she was also trepidatious towards the emperor. The emperor's favor did not make her life smooth. Instead, the children she gave birth to died without knowing it. On the tenth thought of entering the palace, she finally couldn't bear it and passed away.
Although she died, her soul remained on one of the emperor's riding whips. This riding whip passed into the hands of Meng Jue, then the governor of the left governor's office. Later, Meng Jue went on an expedition at the age of sixty and died for his country with his adopted son. , then the Qi Kingdom was destroyed and the country was destroyed.
The Han family was reborn. She did not want to enter the palace again, causing disputes between the emperor and the king of Jin. The brothers were at odds with each other and lived on thin ice. Therefore, she chose Meng Jue, who held her hand in the end.
