Liu Chengxu is a person who never sticks to trivial details. He was so hungry all the way back and his meal was in a hurry. A pair of old parents sat next to him, and Mrs. Liu had to personally pick up food for him. Even though Mrs. Liu seemed to be talking about Liu Chengxu in front of outsiders, she also felt very sorry for her son in private.
After all, he is the youngest son in the family. Liu Chengxu has been quite lively since he was a child, and is not more depressed than his eldest brother.
"It's great. I can still eat the food at home." Liu Chengxu wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Old Mrs. Liu said: "Now that I'm back, I feel at ease."
"Yes, Dad." Liu Chengxu said respectfully.
"You have children and grandchildren now, so you should be more cautious on weekdays." Mrs. Liu meant something.
"Ahem..." Liu Chengxu played enthusiastically with his grandson Qi's brother's sepak takraw ball, because he kept kicking it and refused to return it, which later made his grandson cry.
But Liu Chengxu promised well on the surface. When he returned to the room, he saw that Mr. Fu had just finished rinsing his mouth, and Brother Qi was also here. Because Liu Chengxu came back, he specially stayed with Lishu and his wife for the night. Just after dinner, Lishu took her servants to make beds and sweep the garden, leaving Qi Geer here.
Although Brother Qi is young, he started eating solid food at seven or eight months old. Now he is over one year old and can cook his own meals.
"Hey, Brother Qi is here too, can you call me uncle?" Liu Chengxu raised Brother Qi and started playing with it.
Children love to lift high. When he is at home, his father often plays with him, so Brother Qi burst out laughing instantly. But this move was scolded by Mr. Fu: "Just finished eating, you are like this, be careful that he vomits out everything he eats. Also, you are my grandfather, what nonsense can you say."
"Qiu Jun, am I getting old now? A child's eyes can't deceive. I was ten years older than you, but now that I'm getting older, you're still so young." Liu Chengxu let Brother Qi go. On the legs, there is quite a feeling of a hero in his twilight years.
Little Fu covered her mouth and laughed: "In my heart, you have always been the heroic and heroic man who came to pick me up wearing a red robe and riding a horse."
Liu Chengxu listened to his wife's words. Although he said nothing more, the corners of his mouth kept rising.
He also said that Lishu had been away from the court for a few years and returned to the boudoir. This time Zheng Hao would stay with her. Of course, this was a great joy. The bed was all made, fashionable flowers were placed in the flower goblets, and her favorite incense was lit. Lishu seemed to have returned to the time before she left the pavilion.
She waved to Zheng Hao, who put down his book: "What's wrong?"
"Brother Qi is really good at shouting. He calls my mother aunt and my father grandfather. I think my father's face turned dark." Li Shu found it funny again.
Zheng Hao originally also laughed, but now he suddenly stood up and took various pictures in the mirror.
Lishu was still confused, so he said, "I'm ten years older than you. I'm really pointing at the monk and calling him bald."
"How can you be the same? The older you get, the more handsome you become."
"Really? You've never seen me look older, how do you know? Maybe I'm old too."
"It doesn't matter, I just know." Because she had met Zheng Hao, who was in his forties. Although he could no longer pursue an official career, he was trusted by the emperor and had a beautiful beard. People also called him Meizheng Lang who went to Beijing.
At night Qi Geer slept between the couple. The little guy was very naughty and wanted his father to tell stories and his mother to sing.
It's not easy for people to toss.
When he fell asleep, Li Shu also yawned: "I can't even open my eyes."
"It's time to go to sleep. I have a problem with choosing seats, so I can't sleep." Zheng Hao didn't feel sleepy.
Lishu knew that her husband was very picky about details. He didn't like coriander and garlic, which had a strong taste, and would never eat it. Now, in a new environment, I really can’t sleep. But for such a person, because she actually went to such a cold temple, it was probably because of the hard work during those three years, and now he is not willing to go to Gan Nian Temple anymore.
He also smiled and said: "Remember the sleeping incense you made for me before? Whenever I couldn't sleep, I would take a pill, but I couldn't bear to use it up."
Lishu's hand crossed over her son's to find Zheng Hao's hand: "Then why don't you want me to do it?"
"Because you are by my side, I feel at ease. Every time I lean next to you, I fall asleep quickly." Zheng Hao said with a smile.
Li Shu thought for a while: "Put the baby in the innermost part to sleep, and lean against me, okay?"
"Isn't this not good?"
Li Shu could tell that Zheng Hao was a little embarrassed, so she patted his hand and said, "That's it, come here quickly, I'll just say yes."
In this way, Brother Qi was moved away, and Zheng Hao slept next to her. Li Shu felt sorry for him, but she would not say it out loud. She just hugged his waist to express her feelings. She was too sleepy and didn't know. When fell asleep.
When I opened my eyes in the morning, Brother Qi was already sitting on the bed, playing with a small wooden bird in his hand. Zheng Hao had disappeared. Lishu couldn't help but ask her son: "Why are you playing alone, where is daddy?"
"I'm on an errand." Brother Qi was wearing a red bellyband and looked very calm.
Li Shu looked outside and wondered if Zheng Hao had slept well last night.
Lishu used it with her parents during breakfast. Liu Chengxu has often not had time to eat with the children for so many years, but today he has the opportunity.
"It's a pity that Brother Qi's father has an errand, otherwise he could have a few drinks with you in the morning." Li Shu said with a smile.
Lirou didn't dare to stay at her parents' house because of her mother-in-law, and she was also afraid that her sister-in-law would talk about her. Lijia listed a lot of things about herself, but only Lishu and Zheng Hao stayed.
Liu Chengxu smiled and said: "Son-in-law Zheng came over to practice sword practice with me this morning. He was sweating all over. He went to the office after taking a shower. He said he was afraid of waking you up."
"That's it." Li Shu was also moved by Zheng Hao's thoughtfulness.
No one is born considerate and meticulous, it just depends on whether he pays attention to it or not.
As for Liu Chengxu being dismissed from office, he took it with a normal attitude. Li Shu was relieved to see that her father was in good condition. As for Mrs. Fu, mother and daughter have endless things to talk about. Especially now that Li Shu is married, Mrs. Fu can say things to her daughter that are no longer convenient for her to say.
Especially about Liu Chengxu's incident on the river, Mr. Fu also said a lot: "Nowadays, the corruption of officials is beyond human power. When the first assistant Zhang Shoufu was there, he still had a clean reputation. Now the first assistant Bai is no more. He is the emperor's yes-man. Your father is a little down on his official career, but things are going well now. He is at home, and I have someone to accompany him."
Lishu nodded: "Yes, the cabinet used to have a lot of power. Now since Emperor Yongchu came to power, he has repeatedly used his words and officials to deal with courtiers. My father's original supporters of the Qing Dynasty have been reduced to this by party disputes. Now both the government and the public are embracing me. With a sympathetic attitude, I think it would be good to raise the baby at home now."
"You are indeed knowledgeable. Your father told me the same thing. By the way, is that person really gone?" Little Fu asked.
It was obvious to Li Shu who she was referring to. She nodded: "It is said that she slipped and fell into the water. Her name was removed from the family tree. The Fu family did not allow her body to go back. So they simply heard that she was cremated and buried in Xishan." .”
Little Fu always thought that she was Fu's substitute. Later, when Fu came back, she gave up her position automatically, but she never thought about letting her die. Now that the news of her death is actually confirmed, I still feel a little sad.
"Mom, there is no need to think too much about the past. Death is like a lamp going out, so let all the past disappear. None of the three of you thought of this matter." Lishu did not think about it after Fu's death. No matter how much she or Yu Lan is blamed, it cannot be said that forgiveness is just in the past, why should we still remember it.
Although Yu Lan escaped the incident between Rao Ma and Yu Ping, she could not escape her involvement in Fu's death. Because the Fu family is no longer in the Liu family according to the genealogy, Yulan, as a filial daughter, cried and buried her. Later, she heard that she contracted an illness and died soon after.
Little Fu was a little confused: "It was only a dozen years ago, but it feels like a lifetime ago."
"Mom, don't think about all the unhappy things that happened to me after this matter has passed. Only then can we live a good life in the future. Now that Shurui has been selected as a scholar, you still have to worry about Shulin, and you also have to worry about dad's career. Care." Li Shu held her mother's hand, hoping that she would return to her past.
Little Mrs. Fu looked at her daughter, a little dazed, and said, "I always thought you were still the five or six-year-old little girl before. Now you are an adult mother, but mother feels that life passes too fast."
Sometimes even Li Shu laments that time flies by so fast, just like her former friend Zeng Yingxiu is now her sister-in-law and the mother of a child. The eldest brother used to be Liu Shuzhao, but with the death of Dafu, Liu Shuzhao is no longer in the world. Now Liu Shujing is the eldest brother.
Not even Lijia herself would mention Mrs. Fu again, even Lishu said: "People outside think that the eldest sister is your daughter."
Little Mrs. Fu found it funny: "A son doesn't think his mother is ugly, and a dog doesn't think his family is poor. In any case, her mother didn't feel sorry for her at all. She was able to survive by committing herself to others."
"Not only because of her mother, but because of her father's dismissal from office this time, she reacted the most. I can understand that she tasted the sweetness of being a real eldest daughter-in-law, but her reaction was too big. She was too shallow-eyed and too snobbish. A little more." Lishu didn't like Lijia very much.
Little Fu said: "Liwan is smarter than her. Even if she thinks so in her heart, she won't show it. Lijia used to be able to restrain herself a little, but now she has changed a lot."
"The Song family is really a snobbish family, and Mrs. Song is like this from top to bottom. You don't know, right? The eldest sister's sister-in-law originally came from a high family and gave birth to sons. Just after resigning the year before last, a lot of big things were revealed. The woman who used to overwhelm her eldest sister was breathless, but now she is breathing a sigh of relief. I heard that Song Mingcheng is planning to marry again." Lishu really felt that In the Song family, good people can turn bad, not to mention Li Jia is not a good person either.
Little Fu was speechless, and she asked Li Shu with concern: "What about the Zheng family?"
Li Shu smiled and said: "Of course the Zheng family won't. Didn't my father-in-law also resign a few years ago? Life has ups and downs, and so does being an official. Ups and downs in one's career are also normal."
Little Mrs. Fu touched her daughter's forehead: "It's hard for you at such a young age.
I can see things more clearly than an adult like me, so I feel relieved. "
Lishu saw that the knot in Xiao Fu's heart had dissipated, and she talked about what happened in Beijing before taking Brother Qi home.
After not going back all night, the elders of the Zheng family also wanted to kill Brother Qi. Li Shu said that her father taught Brother Qi how to play Cuju. Mrs. Zheng covered her mouth and smiled and said: "Your father is very childish. He has not done anything for so many years." Change."
The world of officialdom was so cold and warm that even her grandfather, Fu Cifu, had just prepared to write a letter to resign, so the people under him might not be able to obey his orders, let alone her father.
However, this had no impact on Lishu, because Zheng Hao had a good career in the official career. He had just been promoted to the sixth rank of imperial lecturer. He had been an official for more than three years. It was rare for him to be promoted at such a speed.
The official title he held before was the official title of Zhan Shifu, but now it is the real official title of Hanlin Academy, which is of course different.
Zheng Hao looked indifferent. Li Shu knew that he never showed how proud he was at home, but she still prepared a banquet and poured wine for him herself.
"Congratulations to the Master of the Hanlin Academy for returning home."
"You girl, you are very clever."
"Then are you happy?"
"Rejoice."
The two had a drink together, and Zheng Hao talked about what he had seen today: "Originally, Brother Fu should have a smooth future, but he didn't expect to marry the princess. He doesn't like the princess either. It seems that the princess doesn't like him very much either. I heard that the princess also There are a few more guests."
Seeing Zheng Hao's expression of sympathy, Li Shu recalled what happened to him in his previous life and said, "Cousin Fu has always been a rebellious person. I'm worried that if this continues, he will be the one who loses more than he gains. Marrying a princess requires a lot of effort. Just be submissive and respectful all your life. If he doesn't like the princess, the princess will probably look for someone else."
The fact is indeed as Lishu guessed. Fu Minglun lives alone. He has to marry Princess Funing as husband and wife, and he also has to bribe the middle officials and nuns of the princess's mansion. Although he is a son of an official family, he is also familiar with it. Officialdom, but he was unwilling to be so humiliated.
Fu Minglun was having a drink in the mansion. He met Zheng Hao today. They were the first three of the three cauldrons together. At that time, the names on the gold list were still riding horses together in the streets, but Zheng Hao had been promoted to minister, but he was still just a consort.
Hey, Prince Consort!
After a glass of turbid wine, a butler said, "Consort, Mr. Song is here."
Master Song? Song Mingcheng?
Fu Minglun said: "Let him come in."
Although Song Mingcheng did not have any fame, he was recommended by the Prince's Palace, and he was now the number one figure in Beijing.
From time to time, a young man in green clothes appeared at the door. Song Mingcheng came in with the hem of his clothes and a bottle of wine in his hand. He sat down and said with a carefree smile: "Brother Fu, why don't you come to me, Song, to drink? Speaking of which, let's talk about it from my sister-in-law. We are still relatives.”
"Are you looking for me for something?" Fu Minglun is not stupid either. He shows courtesy for nothing, and is either an adulterer or a thief.
Song Mingcheng smiled brightly: "People don't tell secrets, I'm here to tell you a piece of news, the princess's face -"
"Okay, you don't have to say it." Every man doesn't want to be called a cuckold.
Song Mingcheng understood: "Speaking of which, I sympathize with you. I heard that the person originally chosen by Princess Funing was Zheng Hao, but Zheng Hao got married at that moment, and it was your turn. Otherwise, he would not be as successful as he is today. They are also Sanding Armor, one is like that, and the other is like you. By the way, there is also your original
My first fiancée, Mrs. Zeng, didn’t marry a very good person. "
This kind of provocation is very superficial, but very effective.
Because he and Li Shu were relatives, he knew that Li Shu's marriage was actually decided suddenly. It turned out that the Liu family had just married their second daughter that year, but who knew that they had hurriedly married their daughter to Zheng Hao. Zheng Hao had just won the Huiyuan lottery. , normal people would wait for him to finish the exam before getting married, but the second aunt said that it was the Zheng family who proposed to get married early.
He didn't know anything at the time and helped to block the door.
But shaking his head, Fu Minglun sneered: "This is just your guess."
"Guess? You have to think about how much trouble the Princess Shao'an incident caused back then. Princess Funing and Princess Shao'an in the palace have never dealt with each other very well. To tell you the truth, I am not guessing. Look, Princess Funing raised You know exactly who those faces look like." Song Mingcheng shook his head and walked out.
After Song Mingcheng left, although Fu Minglun didn't believe it immediately, he knew very well in his heart that this kind of thing was a trick of fate, and Zheng Hao couldn't be blamed.
Fu Minglun drank another glass of wine and looked at the rafters, feeling dizzy for some reason.
He remembered that when he was a child, he and Lijia had a good relationship. Although she was a little Taoist, they were the default couple. Mother always said that she would make the relationship between him and his cousin public after he became famous. In fact, he knew what Mother meant, but the fact that he didn't like the marriage was not because of the problems with his cousin as Mother said, but because of the past problems of his mother. He doesn't like his cousin's temperament.
Later, his aunt became a monk, his cousin got married, and he successfully got engaged to the third wife of the Zeng family. They met once. The girl was well-written and free-spirited, and he felt comfortable talking to her.
Originally, he thought he would spend the rest of his life with this woman, but he never knew that fate would arrange it this way.
…
Sunset Riverside
Xiao Yun was watching the river rolling in with his hands behind his hands. The setting sun shone on him, making his shadow seem to be rimmed with gold. When Song Mingcheng came over, he saw this scene. Big waves were rolling in, and Xiao Yun was standing on the shore. He felt like he was standing in the distance, ready to go.
"Your Majesty, although Fu Minglun doesn't believe it, I think he will understand after seeing those faces." Song Mingcheng smiled sinisterly, as if he could enjoy the show.
Xiao Yun said calmly: "If he has blood, I admire him as a man. If he doesn't have blood, then we don't need to work hard on him."
"Your Majesty, we personally selected those people. They are somewhat similar to Zheng Hao. I'm afraid Fu Minglun didn't take it seriously at first, but he will become more and more hateful in the future. People in this world all hate those who have them, and those who don't. , with him pestering Zheng Hao, it is enough to give Zheng Hao a headache. When the time comes, won’t you, Your Majesty, just get everything you want from Miss Liu?" Song Mingcheng said with a smile.
Xiao Yun sighed: "I was surprised that the Liu family was so calm about Liu Chengxu's dismissal. Commander Liu was a confidant of the emperor, but he was married to Cen Shifang, and Liu Chengxu, an old man, didn't know how to appreciate it. Seeing that Zheng Hao and I will definitely not deal with each other. If he is lucky enough to join the cabinet and helps the East Palace, wouldn't it be my sin?"
It just happens to kill two birds with one stone. It not only gives Zheng Hao an enemy as Fu Minglun, but also can alienate Zheng Hao's husband and wife relationship in the future.
How could Li Shu know about these dirty things?
Now that her son is one year old, Mrs. Zheng slowly leaves her to take care of the family affairs.
She is not only the wife of the Zheng family, but also the wife of the clan. She has a very heavy task. Li Shu had a lot of authority at first, but now she no longer has that idea. She wishes she had less things on her shoulders.
Brother Qi was taken by his grandfather to plant trees, and Li Shu drank tea with Mr. Tan. She asked, "Is your second brother in better health now? Our uncle has been very busy recently, so he asked me to ask more questions." Ask a few questions.”
Tan smiled shyly: "It's much better already."
Looking at Mrs. Tan's face, she knew that Zheng Qing was really getting better. Li Shu smiled and said, "It seems that you will get pregnant sooner or later. Should you start taking pregnancy pills?"
When Mrs. Tan heard this, she asked Li Shu what she was eating. After writing it down in detail, she added: "Sister-in-law, I heard that Sister Shan is also pregnant, and the imperial concubine is also pregnant. If Sister Shan gives birth to a son in advance, then... The Crown Princess’s face doesn’t look good.”
These days, Lishu doesn't pay much attention to Sister Qiu Shan because of her father's affairs. Aunt Qiu went to the Li family again. Mrs. Zheng was the only one in the family who cared about her niece. She sent her gifts during the holidays. Mrs. Tan helped Mrs. Zheng and also Just know a little bit.
"It's really weird. I haven't given birth to a baby for several years, but I'm pregnant every time I do." Li Shu thought it would be difficult to do Chi Song. I heard that Sister Qiu Shan was not very favored, but she was actually pregnant.
But this is just gossip. The affairs of Prince Cheng's Palace have nothing to do with them after all. However, there are many dignitaries in the capital, and everyone likes to be the first to find out about anything that happens in a certain palace.
This time something happened at Princess Funing's house. It is said that the princess's consort was going to the palace to pay her respects, but the two had a big quarrel on the spot. The consort was even taught a lesson by the emperor. Not only was she fined for three years, but she also had to go to the clan's mansion to have a new marriage. Provide etiquette instruction.
"Sister-in-law, this prince-in-law is your cousin, right?" Mrs. Tan said with sympathy on her face.
Lishu nodded: "Yes, why did it happen like this?" As far as she knew, Zheng Hao was highly regarded by the emperor in his previous life, although his relationship with the princess was only average.
Fu Minglun didn't want to bear it anymore, especially when he saw that Princess Funing's face was so similar to Zheng Hao's, with Zheng Hao's shadow on every face, he felt that he really didn't want to bear it anymore. Even a princess can't be so unruly, right?
His future was ruined, and this princess was still treating him like this. Fu Minglun simply felt that his life was so miserable that he would rather die than live.
At this time, everything Song Mingcheng said was correct. It turned out that it was really because Zheng Hao had been attracted to him for a long time and he got married early and quickly, so he avoided the disaster.
Song Mingcheng came to see you again that day. What he wanted to say was: "Sir Master Fu, let me tell you the truth. What I told you that day was all the truth. The reason why I told you was because our prince sympathized with you. Secondly, it is also for his great cause. Now that your whole family is in the Fu family because of Princess Shang, your father has left office, and you, the prince-in-law, are living a life worse than death. As long as the princess is still a princess, your life will always be a life worse than death, unless - —”
"Unless what?" Fu Minglun looked at him.
Song Mingcheng smiled and said: "The only one who can save you from fire and water now is our prince. You must hear clearly what he wants you to do."!
