The internal fighting in Ranli Hall has eased a lot in the past two years because of the incident in Yanzhou.
However, Liu Xixun, who was supported by the Weiyuan Hou faction, delayed his promotion because he missed the opportunity to go to the border to make contributions. In the past two years, Weiyuan Hou tried every means to support him, and the Taiwei recently tried to show his goodwill to Weiyuan Hou. , deliberately promoted, but now he is just a captain of Fengche from the fifth rank.
But Liu Xixun had a cheerful personality. Although at the Manzhou banquet held for his eldest son Liu Keng, almost all the old friends who came to congratulate him had higher official positions than him, they were still smiling and there was no sign of depression. On the other hand, because Liu Xixun was plotted, his younger brother Liu Youzhao, who replaced him to go to Donghu to perform meritorious service and thus jumped several levels, was very proud of his official career, but for some reason, his expression today was a bit gloomy, as if he was unhappy.
The guests who came to congratulate saw it with curiosity, and they couldn't help but talk about it in private.
This is the front yard.
In the backyard, because Liu Xixun's parents were both in Donghu, all the people who came to congratulate him were his peers and juniors. The female family members did not have to wait in front of the old ladies. After watching the protagonist Liu Keng, who was sleeping soundly, they congratulated Song Xiyue and took advantage of the banquet to start chatting in twos and threes to get close to each other.
Wei Changying asked his wet nurse to take Shen Shuguang down to play with Song Xiyue's eldest daughter Liu Jinger. He spared time to talk to his cousin about himself: "I think you don't look well today. Could it be because of Kang'er's full week banquet?" Are you tired? You must take care of yourself, Jing'er and Keng'er are still young and they are relying on you!"
Song Xiyue's face looks rosy today from a distance, which is very in line with Aizi Manzhou's joyful spirit. But if you look closer, you can see that this complexion is decorated with makeup. In fact, her eyes were dark and green, and she was even thinner than before she left the cabinet. She originally looked very similar to Wei Changying, but after Wei Changying gave birth to two children, she became plumper. Now the cousins stand together and they don't look as similar as before.
After listening to Wei Changying's words, Song Xiyue pursed her lips and smiled, and said, "It's nothing to worry about Cousin Wei. It's just that Keng'er had a cough in the past two days. I was worried, so I lost some weight."
"Keng'er has a cough?" Wei Changying frowned slightly and asked with concern, "What about him now?"
"It's better now. I just brought him over. My cousin saw it too. Didn't he sleep peacefully?" Song Xiyue smiled peacefully and said, "The doctor we invited earlier also said he just caught a cold, but I'm not sure at all."
Wei Changying is also a mother, so she feels deeply about this: "Children are the flesh that falls off our bodies. If there is something wrong with them, we know it's okay, so how can we not worry about it? But you can't either You worry too much. After all, your body has been a little weak in the past two years. If you don’t take care of yourself, how can you take care of Jing’er and Keng’er?”
"What my cousin said is that I don't care about anything now, I just want my two children to grow up safely." Song Xiyue sighed softly, "Just don't let those messy people and things disturb them."
Wei Changying's eyes flashed, he looked around and saw that the people around him were talking to each other, and his sisters were surrounded by trustworthy servants, so he whispered: "But when Kang'er was born, someone in the backyard was restless? "
"No matter how restless they are, they are just concubines." Song Xiyue shook her head and said softly, "On the father-in-law and mother-in-law's side, because of Keng'er's death, there has been less gossip. What I am worried about now is the situation. Cousin, look at the world now. , Although we are a family of women, we often hear news about civil commotions here and there. Jing'er and Keng'er are still young... thinking that they may be caught up in troubled times, my heart... ugh!
Wei Changying comforted him: "So you are worried about this? It's just that you are confused. Although the world is not peaceful now and there are wars and wars, how can a family like ours be despised in troubled times?" After saying these words, I suddenly felt very familiar - after thinking about it, I remembered that they were the exact words my brother Wei Changfeng used to persuade me when my mother made me kneel in the court one year before I left the cabinet.
Recalling his mother's family, Wei Changying couldn't help but feel dazed for a moment.
Fortunately, Song Xiyue also paused for a moment before speaking, and said quietly: "There is a saying among the people that it is better to be a peace dog than a person in troubled times. Although people like us are not as miserable as the common people, we will still have peace and prosperity after all. Such peace of mind!”
"Who doesn't want peace and prosperity?" Wei Changying gently patted the back of her hand and said, "But in troubled times, we can only live well! Compared with Li Shu and those small nobles in remote places, we Such an identity is already blessed by God. "Even the royal family is not as safe as nobles like them in this troubled world.
Song Xiyue wanted to say more, but Shi Yu suddenly ran over and whispered: "Second Grand Master asked the maid to come and ask the young lady to come over quickly."
Guard Chief Ying Qi asked: "What's wrong?"
Song Xiyue was a little worried: "Is Jing'er naughty and bullying him?" Although Liu Jing'er is a girl and more than a year younger than Shen Shuguang, she has a bad temper.
The last time Wei Changying came to visit, he saw with his own eyes Liu Jinger grabbing the fruit in the fruit plate and throwing it at someone, and Song Xiyue refused to stop even after scolding her.
So when they heard Shi Yu coming to call for someone, they all thought Liu Jinger had beaten her cousin, and the two of them stood up together.
Fortunately, Shi Yu shook his head: "No, just now the second grandson went to find Miss Jing'er, but Miss Jing'er didn't want to play with the second grandson, but went to the greenhouse to see the peonies with Miss Gu's Sun. On the contrary, Chengxian County The Lord happened to see the second grandson and liked him very much. He called the second grandson to his side and played with him with several other ladies and young ladies. "
The Miss Sun of the Gu family that Shi Yu mentioned was Gu Sheng, the daughter of Princess Linchuan and her consort Gu Wei. Because Liu Xixun's current official position is not high, and his close elders are not in the imperial capital, the guests invited today are mostly his former colleagues and close brothers in the clan. Because these people are young, they don’t have many children and they are not very old. For example, Shen Shuguang is already an older person inside, and someone like Shen Shuxie is still in his hands and needs constant care. Wei Changying, like several other mothers, simply does not take him out.
Therefore, apart from Liu Jinger and Liu Keng, the only children in the Liu family today were Shen Shuguang and Gu Sheng.
Guard Chief Ying took a look at this Gu Sheng when he arrived. The little girl's appearance is a bit regrettable. She followed her mother and did not inherit her father's handsomeness. Although her skin is delicate and white due to her pampering, but other than that, she is lackluster and her facial features are bland. She's still young now, so she doesn't look very cute. I think she will be like Princess Linchuan when she grows up, and she can't be called a beauty.
However, this little girl has a good temper, is gentle and quiet. After arriving with Princess Linchuan, she saluted the elders in the female family members in the backyard. She was not annoyed by being teased and was very polite.
Maybe it's because of this that I can play with Liu Jinger.
Song Xiyue knew Gu Sheng better and knew that this was a rare girl among relatives and friends who could live in harmony with her daughter, so she was relieved to hear that they went to see the peonies together. He asked with concern: "Then why does Guang'er want you to call me cousin?"
"The second grandson is afraid that Princess Chengxian will really take him back home." Shiyu said with a bit of laughter, "So while he was perfunctory with the princess, he sent his maid over to ask the young lady for help."
She roughly told what happened: It turned out to be because Shen Shuguang was lively and clever. After being called to her side by Princess Chengxian, she not only answered fluently. When he became interested, he used the sweet words he had honed to persuade his grandmother and mother to like him, which in turn made a group of aunts and uncles laugh from ear to ear.
Princess Chengxian is particularly fond of children because she and her husband were separated for three years after their marriage and they only reunited at the end of last year. There is no news yet. She was so amused by him that she put her arms around him and couldn't put it down and said: "Good boy, you are so cute. My aunt really loves you so much that it hurts her heart. How can she be willing to let you go home with your mother later? How about you?" , How about you just go with your aunt? Anyway, you still have your brother to accompany your mother, so just stay with your aunt!"
Hearing Shi Yu say this, the two cousins who had already sat down to ask what was going on couldn't help laughing. Chief Wei said: "With the princess coaxing him like this, he is afraid that he will be forcibly taken away by the princess?"
Shigure smiled and said: "Our second grandson is so smart, how could he be afraid now?"
But when Shen Shuguang heard this, he didn't feel scared at all, but said firmly: "I won't go!"
Princess Chengxian smiled and asked, "Why? My aunt must love you more than your mother!"
"But my aunt can't protect me from being beaten." Shen Shuguang pouted and said, "I was painting red in my father's study yesterday and accidentally soiled the calligraphy of my predecessors that my father liked. I'll be sure when my father comes back. Want to beat me!"
After hearing this, the people who were teasing him with the princess burst into laughter and said one after another: "Then you have to leave with your Aunt Chengxian. If you hide in your Uncle Gu Shi's house, your father won't be able to hit you." Yet?"
Shen Shuguang said: "My father said that if he wants to beat me, it will be useless if I hide anywhere. But my eldest brother said that my father is afraid of my mother, so I can only count on my mother to protect me."
Everyone was staggering with laughter at the childlike words, and even said that it was a pity that Shen Zangfeng went to Yanzhou to quell the chaos, otherwise they would have immediately sent people to the front yard to ask him. He is so young and promising, but he is so fearful that even his nephew and son know about it.
Princess Chengxian became more and more interested in teasing Shen Shuguang and said, "Then we won't tell your father where you are. When your aunt goes back later, she will quietly put you in the carriage without letting your family know. This way Your father will not be able to find you."
Because the princess was still hugging Shen Shuguang when she said this, Shen Shuguang was worried that the princess would really "abduct" him quietly without telling anyone - this kid is very thoughtful, and he can't even complain. He expressed his stance to the princess, and while the princess was talking to someone, he called Shigure, who was waiting beside him, and asked her to come over and ask his mother for help, lest he be kidnapped by Princess Chengxian.
After hearing what happened, Wei Changying and Song Xiyue both fell down laughing. Song Xiyue pushed her sister who was still sitting still: "Guang'er is eagerly waiting for you to save me, cousin. Cousin, are you still laughing? You're late, please be careful. The princess really took Guang'er away... Haha!"
"He was just being held in the princess's arms. How could he hide it from the princess when he was talking to Shi Yu?" Guard Chief Ying put his handkerchief on the corners of his eyes and said, "This smart-aleck kid. I'm not sure how the princess is smiling now. ." (To be continued)