After having lunch in Jintong Courtyard, Wei Shengxian returned home in a complicated mood in the afternoon, dismissed everyone, and only told his two daughters in private: "Your cousin suggested that this marriage should not be concluded. I listened to it." The reason she said made sense.”
Song Xiyue's face turned red and she said: "Daughter, it's up to the mother to make the decision." She didn't ask what the reason was.
Wei Shengxian was very satisfied with his daughter's propriety and understanding. He had to explain it to the two of them: "Your cousin said that Deng Zongqi is a very good person. However, his parents are dead and he is mostly protected by the imperial concubine. It will be inevitable in the future." She will also be affected by the imperial concubine." He roughly talked about the hatred between the queen and the imperial concubine in the palace and the current situation, and sighed, "Actually, your cousin just said it at the beginning and I thought this marriage should not be ended. Things in the palace are not simple. Our own household affairs are so troublesome. How can I find you a husband whose family is also troubled? Not to mention the palace, your second aunt also whispered about it yesterday. Well, Deng Zongqi's father had a grudge with the clan during his time, which caused their brothers and sisters to suffer a lot... "
Song Ruxuan listened and couldn't help but remind her: "Mother, since our family does not intend to marry my sister to the Deng family, what if the imperial concubine takes a fancy to her?"
Wei Shengxian said in annoyance: "Your cousin is pregnant now and has trouble walking around! Your second aunt couldn't find anyone suitable for a while... Fortunately, Deng Zongqi is now in Xiliang. I guess he is just the nephew of the imperial concubine. He's not a prince. The concubine is also being pressured by the queen. Even if you have this intention, it's not easy to ask for an imperial edict to confer marriage. If it doesn't work, I'll take you back to Fengzhou to visit your relatives. ! Everything will be decided by your grandmother!"
Having said that, Wei Shengxian was afraid of putting more pressure on her daughters, so she hid Wei Changying's final reminder - Wei Changying said this: "The Deng family's young master is now far away in Xiliang, so he should be We have to wait until he returns three years later to discuss the marriage, but the imperial concubine and the empress have now begun to see each other. Apparently, either Mr. Deng entrusted the matter to the imperial concubine when she left, or the imperial concubine decided to let Mr. Deng make the decision herself! Which one, you have to be careful of the imperial concubine to settle Sister Yue first!"
These words made Wei Shengxian even more worried. Although Deng Zongqi had made great achievements in Xiliang, he still caught up with an excellent opportunity. However, he has to go to the battlefield after all... With no eyesight, Liu Jizhao, the direct son of the Liu family of Donghu, could die on the battlefield in Sangzi. Why can't Deng Zongqi, a son of an aristocratic family who has no foundation in Xiliang, not be able to do it
Not to mention whether marrying her daughter to Deng Zongqi would involve her in palace battles and bullying from the Deng clan. If Deng Zongqi did something bad in Xiliang, her daughter would be guarded by him without even seeing her fiancé. Wei Lai and Wei Shengxian only have two daughters. After more than ten years of raising them, they have become as beautiful as flowers, quiet and elegant. Should they just change to a cold chastity arch? !
Pretending to be calm and soothing his daughters, Wei Shengxian always felt that his heart was beating suddenly and could not calm down, as if he had some ominous premonition. However, if he wanted to reject Concubine Deng's proposal for his nephew's marriage, he would have to settle Song Xiyue's marriage before the concubine brought it up. Otherwise, considering Deng Zongqi himself and the reputation of the imperial concubine, Wei Shengxian really couldn't think of any reliable reason to refuse.
"It's better to send someone to your husband as soon as possible to talk to him..." Wei Shengxian pondered, thinking secretly, "If something goes wrong, I will take them back to Fengzhou on the pretext of visiting relatives and ask my mother for help. My mother has always been too busy. There will definitely be a way to make good decisions!”
Thinking of the perfect aunt in his mind, Wei Shengxian felt a little relieved. He ordered his servants to find his servants, and sent home letters to his husband while asking them to pack their luggage and prepare to leave at any time.
She hastily made a countermeasure here, but she doesn't know that someone in the palace has also noticed this -
Queen Gu took the sweet-scented osmanthus glutinous rice porridge presented by the little palace maid, took a few bites, and then stuffed it into the little palace maid's hand: "I'll reward you."
The little palace maid thanked her hurriedly and happily, took the porridge and stepped aside. Mrs. Yun advised: "My Majesty, I have worked day and night for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's wedding these days. I got up early this morning to receive the gift from the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. I have indeed lost a lot of money. It is time to nourish my life. Today is a day." How can it be done by just eating this little bit?”
"Perhaps I am tired." Queen Gu sighed and said, "I have been looking forward to Xun'er's wedding before, so I can rest after being busy. Unexpectedly, now that I am free, I have lost my appetite."
"Chicken soup has been simmering in the small kitchen since last night. It is made with ginseng and whiskers. It doesn't have much medicinal smell. Maybe I don't want to drink porridge and want some soup?" said Yun, and there was a smart palace servant. Go out along the foot of the wall and go to the kitchen to get it.
Queen Gu didn't want to drink chicken soup either, but she couldn't resist Yun's repeated persuasion. After the palace attendant brought it, she drank more than half of the bowl, and the remaining half of the bowl was given to the palace attendant who ate the soup.
Chicken soup is really replenishing. After drinking it, the queen's complexion improved a lot. She wanted to talk about something serious, so she dismissed everyone in the palace except Yun.
"There were so many things going on at the banquet yesterday that I had no time to ask in detail. It is said that Mrs. Deng called Miss Song to her side and kept interrogating her?" Empress Gu asked, "Which Miss of the Song family is it? Especially which one?" Just take your seat!”
Yun said: "Miss Song, the direct descendant of Jiangnan Hall, has been hiding in the house since the accident. Previously, Mrs. Wei of the Shen family was pregnant. Because Mrs. Wei was her cousin, it was rare for her to go there. However, she was wearing a curtain and hat, covering her front and back so that no one could see her face. Not to mention, if something had not happened to her, she would have been the one who was congratulated and envied by everyone yesterday. How could she have come to the palace to congratulate her. What? I reported illness as usual."
"Who is that?" So far, when Song Zaishui is mentioned, Queen Gu still has a look of regret in her eyes. This is not the first time that the Queen has shown her satisfaction with Song Zaishui, the original prospective daughter-in-law. She just chose the one from the Liu family instead. Liu Ruoyu was crown princess - to outsiders, it seemed that it was Concubine Deng's doing. The Song family and the Wei family might think it was their choice, but the Yun family knew that it was Empress Gu's own intention.
Yunshi was also confused about this, but since Empress Gu had no intention of telling her, Yunshi also knew that she should not talk too much, so she replied: "She is the eldest daughter of Song Tong, the governor of Ruanzhou, and her maiden name is Xiyue. "
"Ruanzhou is Zhongzhou, and the governor is the fourth rank." Empress Gu pondered, "If there is no Deng family, with Deng Zongqi, it is more than enough! After all, his father was just a casual official from the fourth rank when he died. That’s all.”
Yun said: "My maid also thought that Deng paid attention to Song Xiyue, mostly for Deng Zongqi. But Deng Zongqi is currently in Xiliang. It is said that he will wait for three years and return from his meritorious service, so that he can take the opportunity to marry a daughter of a high family to strengthen his family." It seems a bit strange that Deng is looking for a candidate for him now. Or is this Song Xiyue not looking for Deng Zongqi? "
Queen Gu narrowed her eyes and suddenly asked: "Shenbo asked Wei Lingyue to be his concubine before... Has he changed his mind these days?"
"No!" Madam Yun said hurriedly, "Ms. Madam Deng is saying that Madam Deng wants this Song Xiyue?"
"Actually, if I think about it now, there is nothing wrong with Wei Lingyue giving it to Shen Bo." Empress Gu pondered, "After Wei Qi was defeated by Wei Huan, the two of them raised their old age together in Fengzhou. Zhi Bentang sees There are many heirs, but none of them are very outstanding. It's just in the past two years. If Wei Qi can't recover in one or two years, he will definitely show signs of decline. Rui Yutang and Wei Changfeng are rumored to be in decline. She is very outstanding, and his sister Wei Changying is also the wife of Shen Zangfeng! Shen Xuan has also taken great care of Rui Yutang over the years, and the position of Situ has now returned to Rui Yutang... even if he is moved to the rear guard. Changfeng cannot take over Ruiyu Hall, Wei Shengyi has been on his own for many years, and his scheming skills are quite good. "
Yun said: "Then, does the empress want to persuade the Holy Emperor to agree to him?"
"Speaking of which, Song Zaishui's incident has delayed Chen Guang." Empress Gu frowned and said, "Xun'er was supposed to get married last year, so in October this year, when he is sixteen, we can marry him a concubine at will. , just send him to the fiefdom. As a result, Xun'er didn't get married until yesterday, and Shen Bo kept saying that he didn't dare to go beyond his brother, but he still refused to leave until now! It seems that he will delay the marriage again - not necessarily everything. If that is not the case, then Wei Ling Yue will not marry her."
The queen pondered, "But if Mrs. Deng noticed that Song Xiyue was here to apply for the World Cup, what would she want to do? Should Shenbo ask Song Xiyue to be the princess instead? It doesn't matter whether she is Wei Lingyue or Song Xiyue, she can be the queen. After all, the official positions of father and brother are not low, and they are both legitimate daughters! How can Chen Guang be delayed if he chooses another person? "
He asked, "Has Shen Bo met Song Xiyue? Have you paid attention to her?"
Yun said: "It's strange that His Highness King Yi has never met Song Xiyue."
"Song Xiyue has nothing to do with the Deng family... Even if she wanted to win over Shenbo through marriage, it should be Deng Wanwan. How could it be Song Xiyue?" Queen Gu was puzzled and asked, "Yesterday I have seen so many beauties, but I don’t remember who Song Xiyue is—how old she is and what she looks like, please tell me again!”
Yunshi said: "This lady seems to be sixteen years old? She is very beautiful. She is..." Just as he was about to describe it in detail, Yunshi suddenly thought of someone, clapped his hands lightly and said, "It's not necessary to bother." As you said, the ready-made ones can be compared. Do you still remember Mrs. Wei - Shen Zangfeng's wife Wei Changying? "
Queen Gu nodded and said, "I will naturally remember the future mistress of the Xiliang Shen family."
"Song Xiyue and Mrs. Wei Wei Changying are cousins. They are very similar in birth, as if they are full sisters with the same father and mother." Yun said, "However, Song Xiyue's temperament is elegant and quiet, not as bright as Mrs. Wei."
"Looks like Wei Chang Ying?" Empress Gu said, "She is a beauty. But it's not like Shenbo has never seen beauties before, but she only fell in love with Wei Lingyue..." At this point, the queen suddenly revealed her appearance. With a thoughtful look on his face, he said after a moment, "I remember that Deng sent Yao Tao to attend two of the happy events in the imperial capital in the second half of this year?"
Yun didn't know what she meant, but said truthfully: "It was two events. Princess Chengxian of Prince Run's Palace came out of the palace, and thinking about Mrs. Deng's face from the Su family, she went to the banquet where the second young lady of the Su family came out of the palace."
"What about the eldest lady of the Su family?" Queen Gu asked back, "Only one of the two young ladies of the Su family left the cabinet. The eldest daughter, Deng, did not go with Yao Tao when she left the cabinet, but the second daughter left the cabinet and went with Yao Tao? Don't you? Feel suspicious?"
Mrs. Yun was startled and said, "I heard that the eldest and third bedrooms of the Su family are in conflict..."
"I have never seen Mrs. Deng being so close to the Su family before." Empress Gu sneered. "Although the Holy Emperor does not like to be disturbed by government affairs, he is well aware of the general goings-on inside and outside the palace! Deng is the direct relative of the Holy Emperor. Cousin, don’t you know the Holy Will? Although the Holy One is kind to you, he is always on guard against them! If Deng dares to have close contact with you, how can the Holy One trust her again? Fighting, the result has not yet come out, why should she interfere? Then Su Pingzhan is easy to provoke! How can he let his descendants kill each other? "
The queen said happily, "Queen Run was born in Ruiyu Hall. When Princess Chengxian came out of the cabinet, Ruiyu Hall was basically invited to Prince Run's Mansion, right? Song Xiyue must be among them!"
Yun was startled and said: "Is your Majesty saying that Deng has been interested in Song Xiyue since Prince Run's Mansion? The next day, she went to the Su Mansion to congratulate the second lady of the Su family on her coming out of the palace. It was just a pretense. The real purpose was to see Song Xiyue. ?”
She was surprised and said, "It's just Song Xiyue's knowledge about identity, appearance, and talent... Although it's good, it doesn't seem to be good enough to require Deng's attention, right?"
"You forgot one thing!" Queen Gu smiled coldly, raised her hand to rub her forehead, and then said, "Maybe this is the most important point! This Song Xiyue looks very much like his cousin Wei Changying!"
Yun was shocked, thinking quickly, and blurted out: "Could it be that His Highness King Yi... But it seems that His Highness King Yi has never seen this Mrs. Wei? The Wei Lingyue that His Highness King Yi had chosen before was not as good-looking as Wei Chang Ying... "
"Shenbo?" Empress Gu narrowed her eyes and said, "Wrong! It's not him! It's Deng Zongqi! Have you forgotten? Last autumn, Deng Zongqi and others were ordered to go to Qingzhou to pick up the Zhong family. They passed by Xiaozhu Mountain outside Fengzhou City and were stopped due to heavy rain. He stopped and asked for help from the people of Ruiyu Hall who happened to be staying on the mountain. Before setting off the next day, it was Deng Zongqi and Gu Yiran who went up to the mountain to express their thanks and say goodbye... Because of this, Deng Zongqi also rescued Wei who was taking a rest in the bamboo pavilion outside the house. Chang Ying! According to rumors, Wei Chang Ying was shocked when he found Zhuye Qing so close to him, and he asked the maid to keep Deng and Gu alone, and after tidying up, he came up to say thank you in person! Wei Changying's appearance... He even fell in love with her at first sight! Otherwise, Deng didn't go to Prince Run's Mansion in person to congratulate Princess Chengxian. Only Yao Tao and Deng Wanwan went to Prince Run's Mansion, and Yao Tao should have been there that day! I have never met Song Xiyue. I am afraid that Deng Wanwan told me so. The next day, Deng sent Yao Tao to check and confirm Deng Wanwan’s words. Taking advantage of Xuner’s wedding yesterday... "
Yunshi was dumbfounded, and after a moment she said, "If that's the case, Madam, are we?"
"How could you miss such a good opportunity?" Queen Gu slightly curved her lips and said with a half-smile. (To be continued)