Chastity Layman

"Mr. Lu came here with resentment."

Hall of Liangyi.

The emperor left his left servant to drink tea with Fang Xuanling, and when the emperor told the story of the rumors in Chang'an that millions of dollars were spent on money and scattered poems, Fang Xuanling was a little uneasy and hurried forward to defend.

"The Lu family will never dare to complain to His Majesty and the court. It's just that Fan Yang's Lu family didn't make it to the imperial examination this year. It's a bit unacceptable for a while, and I feel a little disappointed. This time it also coincides with the Eastern Palace to compile the Nine Classics of Justice. Calling the world's famous Confucian talents to come to Beijing, so the Lu family loves to invite them to come to Beijing, and the younger generation in the family is very arrogant, so this behavior is a bit unreasonable, please Your Majesty forgive me."

When Fang Xuanling married Lu's daughter back then, it was a high bid, so Fang Xuanling has always been a little afraid of guilt. Lu's temper is indeed relatively hot. It is said that this Mrs. Lu is even a strange woman with both civil and military skills. Can cover head and scurry to avoid.

Of course, Fang Xuanling is not a wimpy man, he can only say that he loves his wife. Except that Lu's temper is hot, and he likes to roll up his sleeves directly when he is impatient, he has nothing to say about other aspects. Taking care of his husband and children, and taking care of housework, he also keeps the backyard of this house in order.

"Since the Lu family in Fanyang has so many outstanding children, why didn't they send more children to take the state examination last year? Why didn't they apply for the Jinshi examination? They failed the rankings and complained about this and that. I heard that the Governor of Youzhou Niu Jinda said that he recruited those young talents from the Lu family to enter the Yamen and gave them official positions, but no one in the Lu family was willing to be called."

There was dissatisfaction in the emperor's tone.

I just want to be an official, but officials don't want to do it. How can there be such a good thing.

But on the other hand, in fact, there are quite a few Fanyang and Lu clans who are officials. After all, the imperial examination was originally a supplementary means to obtain scholars. Nowadays, the imperial court mainly selects scholars and grants officials based on their family background, as well as recommendation and recruitment.

Lu Chengzong, who led the team to Beijing this time, has the title of Duke of Fanyang County himself. Although it is only a false title, he has no real title or salary, but with a title, he can support his children. This is an important channel to ensure that his children can become officials.

It is extremely difficult for the children of other people's poor families to either earn military merits in battles or take the exam with thousands of horses and horses, but they can directly become officials with the shadow of their father and brother. And with the reputation and family education of the Lu family, the imperial court and the local government would actually recommend or enlist a group of people to become officials every year, or to appoint officials or officials.

It's just that the Lu family is not satisfied, or thinks that what is given to them is not enough.

"Xuanling, go back and tell Lu Chengzong that Lu's family has a good family background in Confucian classics, but this is just the merits and virtues accumulated by the ancestors, not earned by the descendants themselves. Now that the crown prince summons him to Beijing, he should be Concentrate on participating in the study and compilation of the Nine Classics of Justice. The Lu family has the deepest research on the knowledge of the Book of Changes. The justice of the Book of Changes in the Nine Classics should still be led by them. If this is done well, it will naturally be of great merit , and benefit future generations, not to mention the imperial court's recognition of their Lu family's achievements in the Book of Changes."

"Reward and punishment, if you do this well, I will not hesitate to reward you."

After some conversation, the emperor stopped talking.

The Lu family came to Beijing to make some noise, but so far, it is not a big deal, so the emperor timely reminded the Lu family through Fang Xuanling.

"Xuanling, you and I have worked together in the last year of our great career. It has been ten years in a blink of an eye, and you have worked hard."

Li Shimin sighed to Fang Xuanling who had already grown some gray hair, "I intend to betroth the seventeenth emperor's daughter to your Erlang's last love, I wonder if you would like that?"

Fang Xuanling was stunned for a moment, "The seventeenth imperial daughter, I have never heard of it."

"His mother was originally Li Yuan's concubine." Li Shimin said simply. Now Fang Xuanling remembered that after Li Yuan was beheaded by Qin Lang for his rebellion last year, his wife, daughter and concubines were all rewarded to Qin Lang, but Qin Lang still took the wives and daughters of Li Yuan, Wang Junkuo and other rebels Sent to Chang'an.

These people were confiscated into Ye Ting as slaves.

Li Yuan's concubine is very beautiful. It is said that she was originally a merchant's wife. Because she was beautiful and could play the pipa, Li Yuan took the opportunity to kill the merchant and took her as a concubine. , Seeing that she really looks very beautiful, and she can play the pipa well, so she is lucky.

Li Shimin liked this woman very much in the harem, and Li Shimin often wanted to listen to her playing the pipa and dancing. Later she became pregnant, and not long ago gave birth to the emperor's seventeenth daughter, who has not yet been granted a title.

Although it was a concubine princess, she was a princess after all, and Fang Xuanling was very happy that the prime minister's second son was given a princess.

After all, the eldest daughter of the emperor gave Qin Lang a marriage, and now Qin Lang is extremely honored and favored. The Qin family has two relatives and three males, and it can be said to be the first family among the honored relatives.

Fang Xuanling quickly took it.

Fang Yiai is only seven years old, and she is still studying in the Chongxian Hall. The daughter-in-law here was born not long ago, but this is only a political marriage, so age does not matter.

Before Xiao Yu was dismissed as prime minister for the first time, the emperor had married Xiao Yu's son Xiao Rui, and when Feng Deyi was prime minister, his second son also married his imperial sister.

After Liu Wenjing was rehabilitated, Li Shimin also married Liu Wenjing's son as the eldest princess.

Li Shimin still likes marriage very much. This is actually because he saw that the five surnames and seven sects in Shandong like to play like this, so he followed suit.

Are you allowed to play marriage with famous families?

Now he is also married, specifically with the prime ministers.

In this way, there are many natural benefits.

Li Shimin was very happy to see that Fang Xuanling agreed to the marriage so happily, there was finally no second Qin Huailiang.

"Xuanling, would you like to ask Mrs. Lu first?" The emperor thought of something.

Fang Xuanling's face blushed, the reputation of fear spread throughout Chang'an, there was nothing he could do. However, in front of the emperor, one still has to maintain the dignity of a man with a family status, not to mention that it is a good thing to accept the princess who gave her a marriage, and Lu has no reason to disagree.

"Your Majesty, the Fang family's major affairs are all in the hands of the ministers, but the small matters in the backyard are only taken care of by Mrs. Lu. There is no need to ask her about this matter."

Seeing Fang Xuanling's tough side, Li Shimin laughed.

"The minister has the final say!" Fang Xuanling emphasized again.

Seeing him like this, Li Shimin felt like joking.

"I heard that Mrs. Lu is fierce and tight. Even Xuanling, you are not allowed to take concubines. Now you are the dignified minister and the left servant. You are the head of all officials, but you have not yet taken concubines in the backyard."

"Your Majesty, I just had no time to be distracted before, not because my wife forbids it."

"real?"

"Of course it's true. How can a man be limited to women in everything?"

"That's a good statement, I like it. Xuanling, although you are the prime minister and the head of all officials, you can't be busy with public works all day long. In this way, I will give you ten beauties, including those from Silla, Baekje, and Dongying. The Turkic ones from Khitan, as well as the blond orchids from the Zhaowu Sogdian and Persian Sasanian races, are all young and beautiful, so I’ll give you a chance to enjoy them.”

Fang Xuanling's face twitched when he heard about the gift of beauty.

Hastily declined.

"Don't refuse, this is a reward for you, and it's also for you to relax. You have worked hard with me for many years."

The expression on Fang Xuanling's face was wonderful, as if he was constipated.

Before, Li Shimin also gifted Fang Xuanling many beauties, but every time, the Lu family found a reason to sell them directly, and Fang Xuanling didn't touch them at all, which is also a sad reminder.

Even Lu Shi later made an agreement with him for three chapters, forbidding him to have the desire to take a concubine again.

If he brought ten beauties home, Lu Shi would have to make a fuss, or he would be chased around again. The key point is that this time the Lu family entered Beijing, Mrs. Lu invited the clansmen to live in Liang Guogong's mansion.

With outsiders here, it would be ugly to make a fuss.

Fang Xuanling is also a person who wants face.

With a trace of uneasiness, Fang Xuanling finally took ten beauties home.

On the way, my mind was full of the appearance of these beauties, especially all of them were young, tall and tall, and some were full of exotic styles. The Persian orchid had blond hair and blue eyes, with high breasts and big buttocks. She also wore perfume on her body, and the smell made people want to move .

The emperor said well, after many years of hard work, he is now the head of the hundred officials. Taking a few concubines can not only enjoy the enjoyment, but more importantly, it can also flourish and prosper the family.

"Aaron, you're home."

The coachman stopped the carriage and reminded Fang Xuanling.

The old house looked up at the plaque in Liang Guogong's mansion, and he became a little afraid.

He was sitting in the carriage, momentarily hesitating whether to get out of the carriage and enter the mansion.

"I have something that I forgot to explain, I'll go back again."

"Bring these women back to the mansion first, and tell Madam that they were specially rewarded by His Majesty."

After finishing speaking, Fang Xuanling hurriedly asked the coachman to turn around and return to the Yamen before the servants in front of the door greeted him.

After Fang Xuanling lingered in the Imperial City Political Hall until dark before returning to Liang Guogong's mansion, he found that the atmosphere in the mansion was dignified.

flower hall.

Mrs. Lu was chatting with her cousin Lu Chengzong and others, while Fang Yizhi and his brothers were also playing.

"Alang is back!"

Lu stood up to greet her expressionlessly, Fang Xuanling's heart was beating wildly, and she smiled nervously.

"There are many things in the Zhengshitang today, and there are many things."

Mrs. Lu poured Fang Xuanling a cup of tea, and said, "What's the matter with those girls?"

"Today, His Majesty asked me to talk, and proposed to reward our Erlang with the seventeenth daughter of the emperor. I agreed, and His Majesty was happy, so he rewarded me with ten slaves, saying... to be my concubine. .”

"What is the meaning of Dalang? Didn't you agree before? If there are more young foxes in the backyard of the house, there will be no peace. I think it happens that my natal brothers come to Beijing, and there are no people around to serve them. It’s better to just give them one for each of them.”

Fang Xuanling couldn't help but feel heartbroken, those women are really young and beautiful.

"Why, Ah Lang doesn't want to?"

"Ma'am, it's not that I don't want to part with my husband, it's just that your Majesty said that these were specially given to me as a concubine, and this can't be changed. As for Shiro and the others who came to Beijing and lacked someone to take care of them, it's not difficult to solve. Our mansion It’s fine to just let the people go, or just buy some clean people.”

"No!" Mrs. Lu didn't give Fang Xuanling any face.

Fang Xuanling had always been fearful of internal affairs, but today there were guests from Lu's natal family at home, seeing them sitting there laughing, Fang Xuanling felt angry for some reason, only saying that the emperor did not dare to pass on gifts.

The husband and wife were at a standstill in front of the guests.

After the morning court, Li Shimin specifically asked Fang Xuanling how those beauties were, and Fang Xuanling had to tell the truth, saying that his wife would give them to her natal brothers.

Of course Li Shimin was not happy.

"I've heard that Mrs. Lu is jealous, but I didn't expect it to be this far. I'm here to help you cure her."

Li Shimin called his servant, "Go to Duke Liang's mansion and deliver an order to Mrs. Lu. If Mrs. Lu insists on obstructing Mr. Fang from accepting a concubine, give him a pot of poisoned wine and let her choose!"

"Your Majesty, absolutely not, Zhuo Jing has a strong temper. If Your Majesty gives poisoned wine, she will really drink it."

"Could it be that he would rather drink poisonous wine than let his husband take a concubine? I don't believe that there are such jealous women in the world!"