First Concubine

Chapter 140 Mother and son recognize each other (1)

 Four days later.

Qiao Hui was in the room counting the New Year's gifts sent by Suchenghou Mansion, and selected some to send to various masters in the palace. Before getting married, she did some research on what the prince liked, what the princess liked, and even the old lady. She knows the habits of the king, mother-in-law, prince, prince concubine, sister-in-law and husband-in-law.

"This box of spices is from Persia and is not available in Da Zhou. After wrapping it up, I will send it to the second lady... This box of tea belongs to the prince... The emerald beads belong to the princess... The chestnut candy cake is for the old lady..." Qiao Hui ordered one by one. , the little maids quickly packed the things in exquisite brocade boxes and tied them with ribbons.

"Second Young Mistress!" Xiu'er opened the curtain and came in. Qiao Hui tied the bow that the maid had tied not pretty enough again, "I'm back."

Xiuer stood next to Qiao Hui and said cautiously: "Second Young Mistress..." She looked like she had something to say!

Qiao Hui glanced around a small area and said calmly: "You guys go down, Xiu'er will take care of it."

“Yes, Second Young Mistress.” The two maids stepped back respectfully and closed the door from the outside.

 Qiao Hui sat down on the stool, untied the bow tied by the second maid, tied it again herself, and asked: "Did you find it?"

Xiu'er nodded, looking a little hesitant. Qiao Hui glanced at her, she sighed in her heart, and bravely spoke: "Zijing Courtyard is the courtyard where Dong Jialin lived. From now on, she will stay with her after she passes the door. Our Pingting Villa During the renovation, the Bauhinia Courtyard was also being renovated, and my servant took advantage of Mrs. Sasou’s departure to go in and have a look..."

 At this point, Xiuer stopped talking!

Qiao Hui suddenly felt uneasy: "That's what you said!"

Xiu'er was worried and said: "The furnishings and specifications in the yard seem smaller than those in Pingtingxuan, but... But the slave girl carefully checked the main house and found that the furniture was also painted, but we used The house is made of mahogany, but the one she uses is sandalwood. Only the main house here has floor dragons, while her house also has a wing and a study!”

 Looks the same, but is actually more than a little different? !

 The blood on Qiao Hui's face faded a bit again!

Xiu'er thought that it was bad news anyway, so she told you all at once, so that you could get enough of the blow at once to avoid suffering several times: "Also, I have inquired, Dong Jialin originally stayed in the palace in the name of taking care of the eldest mistress. , but she is closest to the second lady, the fourth lady does not like her, and the imperial concubine has an indifferent temperament and does not interact with each other very much. Dong Jialin must ask the second lady for permission before sending things to the prince or meeting, and she will only do it if the second lady agrees. "

 In other words, Dong Jialin’s development of relationship with Prince An was really thanks to the matchmaking between the second lady?

Qiao Hui's heart felt like something had stabbed her hard. Coming from a noble family, she couldn't understand the idea of ​​a mother giving her son a concubine before he got married. If word spread about this, it would not only harm the woman's reputation, but also the man's family. Pin will also be questioned. If the backer of Zhenbei Palace was not so attractive, her parents would never agree to this marriage! At first she felt aggrieved and didn't want to get married, but at the lantern festival she met Prince An, who was graceful and handsome, and her heart suddenly lost its sense of proportion...

Xiu'er also couldn't understand: "Second Young Madam, tell me...Why did Second Madam do this? Haven't mothers-in-law always favored their first-law wives since ancient times? Taking a step back, if Dong Jialin's brother is Jie Yuan, then he is just Jie Yuan! Even if he wins the imperial examination this year and becomes the number one scholar, it won’t be a big deal! Without a family background, it’s impossible for a top scholar to survive in the capital! Even if Dong Jialin reaches the top, she won’t be able to surpass the status of a concubine!”

 The speaker has no intention of listening, but Qiao Hui realizes another meaning: "Yes, serious mothers-in-law are partial to their first-in-law, but she is not my serious mother-in-law! My mother-in-law is in Kashgar, and she is the wife of the patriarch!"

I am an aunt, so I have some sympathy for Dong Jialin. I will always be in the same camp!

Qiao Hui looked at the beautifully wrapped gifts on the table, and her eyes sternly said: "I will personally deliver them to the prince and the princess."

In the study room of the main courtyard, Zhuge Liuyun looked at the letter handed to him by Uncle Yu, with deep astonishment and undercurrents flowing in his deep eyes: "Dong Jiaxue? How could Shui Linglong's mother be from the Dong Jia clan? What is her relationship with Dong Jia Jieyuan? "

Uncle Yu truthfully reported the information found by the secret guards: "I told the prince that Dong Jiaxue was originally the daughter of a wealthy family in the south of the Yangtze River and was betrothed to the son of the Deng family as his wife. However, Dong Jiaxue fell in love with a poor scholar and eloped with him. Later, the couple committed suicide due to business difficulties, leaving behind a pair of children, Dong Jia Xieyuan and Dong Jialin. The princess's mother was also named Dong Jiaxue for some reason, but the secret guards checked the Dong Jia clan in Jiangnan and found no trace. When I find someone with the same name, I guess she... must be using a false identity."

 Fake identity?

Zhuge Liuyun's eyes suddenly flashed with light!

"Check! Keep checking for me! Let's start with Shui Hangge. If Shui Hangge is tight-lipped..." Zhuge Liuyun paused, "Isn't there Shui Agarwood in Leng Palace?"

“Yes!” Uncle Yu responded respectfully and was about to turn around and leave. At this time, Zhuge Liuyun spoke again, “Where did Zhaoyun go?”

Yu Bofu lowered his body and said expressionlessly: "I was asked by the princess to learn piano, chess, calligraphy and painting again."

Zhuge Liuyun tapped his index finger on the table, and his tone was so calm that no one could hear the sadness or joy: "Are you going to embarrass her?"

Uncle Yu shook his head: "No, everything is the same as what the princess taught my aunt. She was strict and serious, but there was no sloppiness in language or attitude."

 Zhuge Liuyun said a faint "Hmm", and immediately the maid reported that the Second Young Mistress came to give gifts. Zhuge Liuyun pressed his slightly groggy head and told Uncle Yu: "Tell me to rest."

Uncle Yu asked doubtfully: "My lord, are you feeling unwell?"

Zhuge Liuyun said nonchalantly: "I probably didn't sleep well and was a little tired. It's okay. You can go ahead."

Uncle Yu walked outside and conveyed Zhuge Liuyun's intention in a friendly manner. Qiao Hui expressed her deep understanding of this. How could the prince condescend to meet her when he didn't even see his concubine? She just needs to do her best to be polite. After handing the gift to Uncle Yu with a smile, Qiao Hui turned to the second battlefield - Mohe Courtyard. This time, she still missed it.

In the Mohe Courtyard, Shui Linglong was holding Duoduo to "write". She dipped Duoduo's little paws in the ink pad, and then made one footprint after another on the rice paper. She originally hated furry things, but after getting along with them for a long time, she started to like them.

Duoduo hates this kind of quiet game. It prefers to grab bones and jump in circles. After playing for a while, Duoduo became unhappy and twisted in Shui Linglong’s arms, trying to break free.

Shui Linglong's need for control came out at this moment. She held down Duoduo's head and shouted: "Don't move! If you move again, I will throw you out!"

 Zhi Fan and Mother Zhong were immediately amused. How could anyone give orders to a dog? Pian Duoduo seemed to understand, so he surrendered obediently!

Mama Zhong sewed a button and said with a smile: "The eldest lady, hurry up and give birth to a young prince, so that you don't have to embarrass us a lot."

Shui Linglong touched her flat belly and said, half sighing: "Children are rare things. It's all about fate."

Mother Zhong gave her an angry look: "This slave doesn't like to hear this! It seems like it's not easy for you to have a child? Madam followed the master, and the good news came out a month ago. You are getting married in three months, I guess it's not easy for you." Not far away!”

Zhifan watched Duoduo "writing" on the rice paper, but what came to his mind was Liu Lu's going in and out of Qingyouyuan: "Miss, the princess calls Liu Lu to her side every day, is it really out of kindness? Servant Why don't you think the princess is such a generous person? "If you can't even tolerate your adopted son or daughter, how can you tolerate a concubine?"

Mother Zhong and Zhifan's priorities are always different. Mother Zhong has not participated in Shui Linglong's plans and has always lived a relatively simple life. What she thinks about most is Shui Linglong's husband and godson; while Zhifan, as Shui Linglong's most valued confidant, has been living a simple life all the way. After seeing through all kinds of faces and experiencing all kinds of conspiracies, she was even more concerned about Shui Linglong's status in the palace.

Shui Linglong touched Duoduo's little paws and said casually: "You can get something if you give it up. She is ignored by Zhaoyun every day. This generous and virtuous reputation has been spread. Didn't the prince stay in her yard every other day?"

Zhifan showed a thoughtful expression, as if...but it felt strange. As for what was strange, she couldn't tell at the moment!

Mother Zhong has been immersed in her own thoughts and didn't hear what Shui Linglong and Zhi Fan talked about at all! She looked up at Shui Linglong, squinted her eyes and said with a smile: "Miss, do you still remember the Putuo Temple where you had a blind date with the Crown Prince?"

"Remember."

"That's where you and the prince got married, and it's where the third lady asked for the peace talisman and the marriage sign. As a result, among all the sisters, you and the third lady got married the best! It can be seen from this that Putuo Temple It’s very effective!”

Zhifan had a sip of tea stuck in his throat and almost lost his breath! If Mother Zhong knew how the eldest lady plotted against the third lady, she probably wouldn’t have thought that the third lady’s position as governor’s wife was given by Bodhisattva…

Shui Linglong glared at Zhifan, who quickly pursed his lips and lowered his head.

Mother Zhong didn’t notice the strangeness between the two of them, and smiled to herself: “How about we go to Putuo Temple to offer incense another day? I heard that the third princess lives in Putuo Temple and prays for the emperor and empress!”

Shui Linglong curled her lips, she hadn’t even drank the tea given to her by the third princess yet! He let go of Duoduo and said, "It's better to choose a different day than to hit the sun. I'll go and greet the princess and go to Putuo Temple in the afternoon."

Shui Linglong went to Qingyouyuan and explained what she meant: "The last time I went to the temple to offer incense was the winter before last when I met my mother and concubine for the first time. I made a wish at that time. Now that my long-cherished wish has come true, I want to fulfill my wish."

Leng Youru smiled lightly, not caring whether Shui Linglong lied or not. She refused. When Zhuge Yu took a rest, Zhuge Yu also wanted to take Shui Linglong there. "It's snowy and the road is slippery. Bring more people and walk slower on the road. Putuo Temple is not that far away, I should be able to get back before dark. "

Shui Linglong thanked her again and left the palace with Ye Mao and Zhi Fan.

But the plan couldn't keep up with the change. As soon as she stepped onto the carriage, another carriage stopped in front and blocked her way. The curtain was opened and Shui Lingyu jumped down. This was the first time the two sisters met after Shui Lingyu got married. Shui Lingyu wore a goose yellow satin coat embroidered with roses and a smoky green skirt with flowers and smoke. , with a woman's bun on her head, a plum blossom gold hairpin, and long tassels that fall to her ears, shining brightly under the sunlight, cleverly covering her childish face.

"Sister!" Shui Lingyu also looked at Shui Linglong. She saw that Shui Linglong was wearing a red pipa-buttoned short jacket and a plain white floor-length pleated skirt. The style was simple, but she was full of nobility. She had a more casual hairstyle. The bun is slanted on the back of the head, and a strand of green silk hangs on the shoulders. There is no gold hairpin, only a pair of ruby ​​and white jade flower hairpins, but Shui Lingyu can see that just this pair of flower hairpins can buy several houses! She touched her Bu Yao and sighed secretly, this is the real Phoenix!

Shui Linglong's eyes were filled with just the right amount of surprise. She smiled as Shui Lingyu walked towards her: "Third sister! Why are you here today?"

Shui Lingyu said very affectionately: "If I don't come, I'm afraid I won't be able to see my eldest sister this year!"

Shui Linglong smiled: "Look what you said! My brother-in-law is highly respected and is the queen's cousin. This time he returned to the capital for a short stay. The people begging you are almost crossing the threshold. Sister, I'm afraid I won't be able to squeeze in, so I plan to wait for you to calm down. When I visit you later, why does it sound like I'm avoiding you on purpose?"

Shui Lingyu smiled, and then said seriously: "Grandma is sick. I'm here to ask you to go back to the house and take a look."

Shui Linglong glanced sideways at her, got out of the car and went to Qingyouyuan, where she informed the old lady of her illness. Leng Youru graciously allowed her to return to Shangshu Mansion, and asked Mother Qiao to prepare two pieces of fine snow. Take ginseng to replenish the body of the old lady.

After returning to Shangshu Mansion, Shui Linglong found out that the old lady had suffered a stroke. The old lady was lying on the bedside, her eyes wide open, and drool kept flowing from the corners of her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't understand a word!

Qin Fangyi and Shui Hangge were frightened. If the old lady died of illness, Shui Hangge would have to step down from office for three years. This would undoubtedly be a fatal blow to Shui Hangge, who was at the height of his power in the court! Shui Hange and Qin Fangyi personally attended to the sick in the room, serving tea and water, squeezing shoulders and legs, all with meticulous care, as if they would also die in love if the old lady died!

Shui Minhui knelt in front of the bed, crying silently.

Shui Minyu stood aside and glared at him with disdain!

Shui Lingxi got the news early in the morning and went back home to visit very diligently. To be honest, this was not like her style.

Shui Linglong entered the room, looked away, and greeted everyone: "Grandma, father, mother..."

 The old lady's mood gradually became excited. She said "Ah...ah..." a few words, but she could not express her inner thoughts.

Shui Lingxi looked at Shui Linglong, who had become much more beautiful after two months of absence, and felt that the bright red color stung her eyes!

Qin Fangyi looked at Shui Linglong, who was dressed in a noble style, and then glanced over her shoulder at Shui Lingyu who lowered her eyes and said nothing. Her eyes flashed and her attitude was surprisingly good: "Linglong is back. Your grandmother is seriously ill. I am I planned to ask someone to bring you a message, but Ling Yu was one step ahead of me."

Shui Hangge frowned when he heard this and glared at Shui Lingyu!

Shui Lingyu's forehead felt cold and she quickly retreated behind Shui Linglong.

Shui Linglong’s probing eyes fell on the sad Shui Minhui and asked: "Why did grandma suddenly have a stroke? What was Minhui doing kneeling again?"

Shui Hange was so angry that he pointed at Shui Minyu and said with bright eyes: "Isn't he this evil boy? He insists on giving up writing and going into business. If I don't agree, he will ask the old lady! As a result, I will This is what life looks like when you are angry!”

Shui Minyu had **** with her male favorite in the classroom, but was caught by the dean. This incident spread throughout the capital. The emperor scolded Shui Hange bloody. The Prime Minister's Mansion and Xun Feng's minions were there. A war of words ensued in the court. One side demanded that Shui Hangge be preserved, while the other demanded that Shui Hangge be dismissed from his post. More than half of the officials were persuaded by the "anti-gee faction" and wrote poems one after another asking for severe punishment of Shui Hangge. Seeing that Shui Hangge and Prime Minister Qin were so isolated and helpless, the emperor immediately felt sympathy and fined him a symbolic salary, saying that he had no way to teach his son, but nothing else.

Shui Hangge was spared, but Shui Minyu's career was ruined. Therefore, Shui Hangge devoted all his efforts to Shui Minhui, hoping to train Shui Minhui to become a pillar of the court. Who would have thought that Shui Minhui was someone who could not withstand the storm. As soon as he heard the news of Aunt Feng's death, he had the idea of ​​​​abandoning his literary career and going into business. What else could he say...to join his second uncle!

Damn it!

　　　He is not allowed to turn to Shui Qingge even if he turns to beggar!

"That's it?" After listening to Shui Hangge's explanation, Shui Linglong raised her eyebrows suspiciously. Just abandoning literature and going into business wouldn't make the old lady so angry that she had a stroke. She pulled out the trembling Shui Lingyu behind her, " What are you hiding from?"

Shui Ling hesitated and said nothing.

Shui Minyu smiled sarcastically and looked at Shui Linglong with mocking eyes: "What? Did the third sister trick the eldest sister into coming here and didn't tell the eldest sister what she wanted to do?"

Shui Hangge glared at his son angrily: "Shut up!"

Shui Minyu's face was broken, and she had long lost the high spirits of last year. Her face was still the same, but her eyes were deeply sunken, making her cheekbones appear more prominent, and she was particularly in poor spirits. After listening to Shui Hangge's reprimand, he gave a contemptuous "scoff".

Shui Hangge wanted to get angry again, but Qin Fangyi quickly made peace with her: "Master, don't be angry. Lingyu didn't necessarily call Linglong here because she wanted her to plead for Minhui!"

Shui Hangge stopped talking to Shui Minyu and scolded Shui Lingyu: "It's great if you become the governor's wife, right? You can disrespect your parents and grandmother, right? You actually want to treat Minyu like this?" When Hui came to Jiangnan to do business, he said that he would be raised by you for the rest of his life! How can I, a dignified minister, not raise a son? Do you need your married daughter to worry about this? "

So Shui Lingyu voted in favor and said that Shui Minhui should "clean up and leave the house". Therefore, Shui Hange was half-dead with anger, but Qin Fangyi was happy to see the result.

 (End of this chapter)