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Looking at Prince Zhu Heyu who was at the top of the gift list, Fang Ru and Zhang Yu'er fell into deep thought for a while.
"This is the second time that the prince has shown his kindness to the master!" Fang Ru said slowly with a serious expression: "I remember that when the master and Cui Qianxue got married a few days ago, the prince sent a congratulatory gift. But it was just a worthless piece of gold and jade and an ancient book that encouraged people to do good. At that time, His Majesty personally conferred the marriage to the master, and the Crown Prince sent a congratulatory gift as part of the title. Otherwise, he would be deliberately embarrassing His Majesty. , it doesn’t mean much, at most it just means that the prince’s hostility towards the master has been slightly reduced, but this time..."
As she spoke, Fang Ru's almond-shaped eyes were fixed on the contents of the gift list.
On the gift list, the content of the congratulatory gift from Prince Zhu Heyu was clearly written - "A high-grade jade carving, one foot high, weighing eight pounds and two taels, embossed with three roosters with wings spread; ten high-grade pearls of the same size; and congratulations One thousand taels of silver;"
Fang Ru has been responsible for managing the warehouses and accounts of the Zhao family over the years, and she knows the value of these gold, silver and jade articles best. A high-grade jade carving that is one foot tall and weighs eight kilograms is worth at least three thousand taels of silver. If If carved by a famous craftsman, the value will be several levels higher; ten high-grade pearls of the same size are also worth more than one thousand taels of silver, plus a thousand taels of congratulatory silver...these gifts together are worth at least five Thousand taels of silver.
Prince Zhu Heyu is naturally not short of money. Not only does he receive a monthly salary from the prince, but he also often receives rewards from Emperor Deqing. But after all, he still has to feed a large number of people in the East Palace, and his daily expenses are the same. A lot, plus the fact that Prince Zhu Heyu has never used power for personal gain or taken bribes, Xianyin is probably limited. Now that he has given out such a precious gift in one go, it can be regarded as a waste of money.
Spending money on gifts often means showing goodwill, and often means sincerity.
Therefore, it is no wonder that Fang Ru was shocked after seeing such a congratulatory gift from Zhu Heyu.
On the other side, Zhang Yu'er was born in a noble family and was more knowledgeable than Fang Ru in this regard, but she softly added: "These gifts are very exquisite... Sister, look at this jade sculpture, it is said to be a relief. Three roosters are engraved with wings spread, which implies the meaning of "Three Lords". The Three Lords are the positions of Taifu, Taishi and Taibao. They can be said to be the highest honorary titles among officials. Nowadays, only Zhou Shangjing has such an honor. I hope that the master will go further... and these ten pearls. The ancients said that 'a pearl casts its shadow in secret', but the pearl is a metaphor for cherishing talents..."
During this period of time, Fang Ru also discovered that her ability and knowledge were significantly inferior to Zhang Yuer's. The two saw the same thing, but Zhang Yuer could see more things.
At this time, after hearing Zhang Yuer's reminder, Fang Ru's eyes were a little disappointed, and she felt that her role for Zhao Junchen had been reduced a lot, but she had returned to normal in an instant, and did not let this emotion interfere with her judgment, she just nodded and said : "It seems that the prince's good intentions are very obvious... Haha, seeing that the crown prince's position is not guaranteed, he finally put down his airs and reserve, are you willing to cooperate with the master? I'm afraid it's a little late. !”
When Zhang Yuer was still Chen Zhirong, she had secretly worked for the seventh prince Zhu Hejian for many years. Her way of thinking is somewhat similar to Zhu Hejian. She said: "I don't know what the master will think, but I am not optimistic that the prince can continue to cooperate smoothly with him." , after all, the two sides are not on the same page, and many of the master's methods are unacceptable to the prince at any cost. Even if they cooperate temporarily, they will break up again sooner or later."
Fang Ru nodded, seeming to agree with Zhang Yu'er's statement, but she did not make any statement. She just said: "I will write this matter in a letter and send it to Huamachi camp tonight. The master's thoughts in his heart are not about you and me. What can be guessed is that there may be another decision... The master said that there are never permanent enemies. With different positions and situations, it is normal for enemies to become friends. "
After Zhang Yu'er saw Zhao Junchen's various plans, she also knew that Zhao Junchen often had a way of turning corruption into magic and finding new ways, so she nodded and said: "Sister, what you said makes sense, this kind of matter should be left to the master to decide as soon as possible."
Next, the two girls no longer paid attention to the congratulatory gifts from Crown Prince Zhu Heyu, but carefully studied the gift list to explore the changes in the attitudes of various factions.
In fact, after Zhao Junchen made great military exploits and officially joined the cabinet to assist the government, there were not a few people like Prince Zhu Heyu who changed their attitudes and changed their ways. Many people on the list of congratulatory gifts were originally loyal to Zhao Junchen. Junchen stayed away from him, but this time he sent expensive gifts to express his sincerity.
Obviously, if there are no unexpected circumstances, Zhao Junchen's power will inevitably expand rapidly for a period of time.
But both Fang Ru and Zhang Yu'er knew in their hearts that the so-called "unexpected situation" would definitely happen. Neither Emperor Deqing nor the powerful officials would allow Zhao Junchen's power to expand too fast. Now with "Zhao Party" No. 2 When the character Zuo Lanshan leaves Beijing, I am afraid that something will happen in the temple soon.
Zhao Junchen had already expected this, and Fang Ru and Zhang Yu'er had been secretly preparing for it during this period.
On this day, with Zhao Junchen joining the cabinet and being ennobled, the Zhao Mansion must be very lively, and many unexpected changes must occur.
Just as Fang Ru and Zhang Yu'er were studying the gift list carefully, another servant of the Zhao family hurriedly entered the room and reported softly: "Mrs. Ruyi... the old lady of the Cui family has come to the house."
After hearing the report, Fang Ru didn't react for a while and subconsciously asked: "Old Madam Cui Mansion? Which Cui Mansion is it?"
But soon, Fang Ru understood the meaning of "Old Madam of the Cui Mansion". Her expression was full of complexity and she said, "You mean Cui Qianxue's grandmother? The wife of the former Cui Mian?"
Cui Qianxue is the official hostess of the Zhao Mansion. It is okay for Fang Ru to call herself by her name in private, but the servants of the Zhao Mansion did not dare to be rude. She lowered her head and said, "It is Mrs. Cui's grandmother, the old lady of Cui Ge." The old lady!"
After hearing this report, Fang Ru's expression was dull for a moment, and then she nodded and said: "It seems that not only the prince Zhu Heyu and the various factions have changed their attitudes, but also the attitude of the front cabinet old Cui Mian has changed. There has been a change...this is a good thing!”
Cui Mian was one of the leaders of Qingliu. In order to protect his reputation, he cruelly drove Cui Qianxue out of the Cui family because Cui Qianxue was going to marry Zhao Junchen. Even Cui Qianxue's father was removed from the family tree. When Cui Qianxue officially After marrying into the Zhao family, the relationship between Cui Mian and Cui Qianxue has eased slightly, and he has been secretly using his connections to improve Zhao Junchen's reputation, but he still has no contact with Cui Qianxue openly.
Now, with Zhao Junchen joining the cabinet to assist the government, the reputation of the government and the public has also been greatly improved. The old lady of Cui Mansion personally came to Zhao Mansion to express her congratulations, but it meant that Cui Mian no longer objected to Cui Qianxue marrying Zhao Junchen. Not only Cui Qianxue will soon be able to return to the Cui family, and the cooperation between Zhao Junchen and Cui Mian will soon shift from behind the scenes to the front.
As Fang Ru said, this is a good thing.
However, when Fang Ru expressed her stance, there was still not much joy on her face, and her eyes were full of complicated thoughts.
As Cui Mian expressed his recognition of Cui Qianxue and returned to the Cui family, Cui Qianxue will have the support of her mother's family in the future, and her position as the head wife in the Zhao family will become more stable, and Fang Ru will be less able to compete with her.
As a result, Fang Ru was naturally a little disappointed.
When Cui Qianxue and Zhang Yu'er entered the Zhao Mansion one after another, Fang Ru warned herself many times that she must be more generous and must not show jealousy or gaffes easily, otherwise it would only make Zhao Junchen feel embarrassed.
But now, as Zhang Yu'er continues to show stronger vision and means, and as Cui Qianxue's status in the Zhao family becomes higher and higher, Fang Rucai finds that this matter is much more difficult than she imagined.
After a wry smile flashed at the corner of her mouth, Fang Ru whispered: "The old lady of the Cui family came to the Zhao Mansion in person. This matter is not trivial. I must treat her seriously and must not be rude in any way... My status is low, but I am You can't show up to entertain. When entertaining Mrs. Cui, just let Mrs. Cui make the decision on everything. You don't need to come and ask me what I want."
Seeing that Fang Ru was in a bad mood, the Zhao Mansion servant did not dare to stay longer, so he quickly agreed and left.
Then, Fang Ru and Zhang Yuer continued to study the gift list, but there were a few more thoughts.
At the same time, Zhang Yu'er showed no abnormal behavior from beginning to end, but after seeing Fang Ru's absent-mindedness, her beautiful eyes were full of meaningful smiles.
*
But he said that while Fang Ru and Zhang Yu'er were busy dealing with various matters in the back house, Cui Qianxue was also busy in the front house welcoming guests from all over the house.
Because Zhao Junchen was not in the palace, most of the guests were the wives, daughters and family members of officials and nobles, but they wanted to get closer to Zhao Junchen through "lady diplomacy".
Although Cui Qianxue has grown up a bit these days, she is still innocent and inexperienced in nature. It is really difficult for her to entertain so many guests with different personalities and origins at the same time, trying to cover everything.
Fortunately, most of these guests are knowledgeable people. The main purpose of visiting Zhao Mansion is to please Cui Qianxue. When speaking, they just follow Cui Qianxue. Even if Cui Qianxue is occasionally rude and impolite, they just pretend not to see it, so Cui Qianxue I managed to cope with it, but I was a little confused.
And just when Cui Qianxue was surrounded by a group of official and female family members, she suddenly received a report that her grandmother had come to Zhao Mansion.
When Cui Qianxue was still in the Cui Mansion, the old lady of the Cui Mansion had always doted on Cui Qianxue the most, and she was very obedient. It was precisely because of the love of this old lady of the Cui Mansion that Cui Qianxue developed such an innocent and romantic personality. Temperament, it’s just that the old lady of Cui Mansion has always adhered to the rules of women and obeyed her husband when she married. When Cui Mian wanted to drive Cui Qianxue away, she didn’t dare to persuade her. After Cui Qianxue left Cui Mansion, she never had any relationship with Cui Qianxue again. Contacted.
After hearing the news, Cui Qianxue was in disbelief.
Then, Cui Qianxue ignored the guests around her and hurriedly ran towards the gate of Zhao Mansion.
When Cui Qianxue rushed to the vestibule of the Zhao Mansion, she happened to see an old lady with silver hair and kind eyes being helped over.
This old lady is Huo, the wife of Lao Cui Mian in the front pavilion and the old lady of Cui Mansion.
At this time, Huo looked at Cui Qianxue with eyes full of love and guilt, and her eyes were slightly red.
"grandmother!"
After a soft cry, Cui Qianxue threw herself into Huo's arms. Her eyes could not help but be filled with tears. The grievances and frustrations she felt after being kicked out of the Cui family during this period were all released at this moment.
"Good boy, I have really wronged you these days...Grandma is useless. She failed to dissuade your grandfather at that time...It is grandma who is sorry for you!"
While speaking, Huo was also in tears.
Then, Mrs. Huo wiped the tears on her face, patted Cui Qianxue's delicate back gently, and said: "Don't cry, there are so many guests in the Zhao Mansion now. You are the hostess of the Zhao Mansion, so you can't go too far." Lose your composure, otherwise you will be looked down upon!"
After helping Cui Qianxue up, Mrs. Huo carefully observed the changes in Cui Qianxue's face. Seeing that Cui Qianxue was not obviously losing weight, she smiled happily and said, "However, although you were kicked out of the Cui Mansion because of your wedding a few days ago, After all, you did not marry the wrong husband. Your husband is really up to date and has made great military exploits in Shaanxi and Gansu. Now the government and the public are vying for praise. He has reversed his previous reputation in one fell swoop... Your grandfather has received the news. After that, I have now changed my mind... I came to the Zhao Mansion today. Firstly, because there are too many guests in the Zhao Mansion, I am afraid that you will not be able to cope with it and I want to help you. Secondly, it is also your grandfather who asked me to tell you. You and your father will take some time to return to Cui Mansion in the next few days."
Hearing what Huo said, Cui Qianxue couldn't help but trembled, and said with surprise on her face: "Grandma, you mean... Grandpa is willing to let me go back to Cui's house?"
Huo nodded with a smile and said: "So, your husband is really trying his best. He is now the elder of the cabinet and the new earl, and you are now also the elder of the cabinet and the head wife of the current earl. If you were my Cui family If they don't let you go back, it would be disrespectful of the Cui family and make people laughable!... Sigh, don't blame your grandfather for being cruel. In that position, he often couldn't help himself."
After Cui Qianxue was stunned for a moment, she finally burst into tears and smiled. She nodded solemnly and said: "After I have dealt with the affairs of the Zhao family in the past few days, I will definitely go back on my word with my father as soon as possible. The Cui family will pay homage to my grandfather!"
In fact, Cui Qianxue also understood Cui Mian's last resort, and she also knew that Zhao Junchen was finally willing to marry her because of Cui Mian's secret efforts. Since Cui Qianxue officially married into the Zhao family, the secret contact between the Zhao family and the Cui family has also begun. Very frequently.
However, on the surface, Cui Qianxue is just an abandoned daughter who was kicked out of her family. She can no longer communicate with her family openly and has to endure gossip. This kind of pain is beyond imagination.
Now that Cui Qianxue can return to the Cui family in an upright manner, it really means a lot to her.
As Huo said, all this happened because she married a good husband.
Cui Qianxue has never regretted her decision to marry Zhao Junchen, but at this moment, Cui Qianxue is even more proud of her identity as Zhao Junchen's wife.
*
While the situation in the capital was changing, Zhao Junchen also led the army back to Huamachi Camp on the three sides of Shaanxi and Gansu on this day.
With Zhao Junchen arriving at Huamachi Camp, the situation on the three sides of Shaanxi and Gansu has officially entered a new stage.
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Tomorrow and the next two days I will have some free time and will update twice.
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