After returning from the Thousand Buddha Temple, a major event happened in the British government.
The second master Wei Sheng and the second wife Song Shi were in a quarrel, which alarmed the English Duke Wei Changchun and the wife Luo Shi. Gein, the second master's three-year term has expired this time, and he did not come back from the Jiangnan water town by himself. He also brought back a concubine.
Now that maiden is fourteen years old, and she was born in the second master's courtroom. Now that maiden is about to reach the age of marriage, the second master wants to bring her back to the British government and give her an identity, so that it will be easy to find a good marriage to marry by then.
As soon as this incident happened, the whole family was shocked, even Mrs. Tai was quite surprised.
Fourteen years old! He has kept it a secret for so long. Song's heart was ashamed, and she was quite broken, she had a falling out with him, no matter what, she would not let other people's daughter step into the British government.
Mrs. Song has been married to the second master for sixteen years. She has two daughters and no son. The eldest daughter, Wei Sheng, is fifteen this year and has already been betrothed to someone; the second daughter, Wei Jian, is fourteen this year and is still in her boudoir. I thought that the two of them were a loving couple, they had treated each other like guests for so many years, but they never expected him to give her such a blow. The daughter of the outer room was fourteen years old, which meant that they had been having an affair for at least fifteen years. At that time, she had just married into the British government, and she and him were newlyweds. While he was dealing with her hypocritically, he was having sex with another woman. Whenever Song thought of this scene, she felt so disgusted that she couldn't stand it!
If he wants to take a concubine, tell her the truth, she may not agree. But he chose such a method to blow away her feelings for him for so many years.
After this incident, the Song family hated Wei Sheng and the outsider so much that they almost kicked Wei Sheng out of the house.
When Wei Luo and the fourth wife, Mrs. Qin, went to the bamboo garden of the second room together, Mrs. Song was throwing things in the main room—the cloisonné flower goblet, the three-star statue of Fu Lu Shou and suet jade, and the large vase of enamel-colored pine, bamboo and plum, all of which were thrown at the second master. , The porcelain crackled and shattered all over the floor, all of which were high-quality antiques. Wei Luo watched from the door, feeling distressed.
Mrs. Song threw all the porcelain on the ancient shelf, and said to the second master with red eyes: "If you want that bitch's daughter to come in, just mend the broken porcelain on the ground one by one. When will I promise you?"
This condition was ingenious. She dropped more than a dozen kinds of porcelain in different patterns and shapes, not to mention that some of them were as big as a thumbnail, so it was too difficult to mend, even impossible.
The second master had a wound on his forehead, which was bleeding out. He looked annoyed, probably because he was too lazy to be as knowledgeable as her. He shook his sleeves and said before leaving, "It doesn't matter if you agree or not, as long as mother agrees."
The second master's biological mother, Lan Shi, is the personal servant girl by Mrs. Tai's side, and she once saved Mrs. Tai's life. Mrs. Tai took care of Lan's kindness, treated the second master as her own, and treated him well. Now if he talks about his biological mother, Mrs. Lan, Mrs. Tai will definitely not disagree.
It's just that it's not too difficult to have an extra pair of chopsticks.
Mrs. Song must have known this too, so after Wei Sheng left, she sat back in the Eight Immortals chair in frustration, took out her silk handkerchief and cried bitterly.
Song's father is a scholar of Wuyingdian University and also holds the post of Minister of the Household Department. She has a prominent family background. Although she is a concubine daughter, she is deeply loved by her father Song Yingqi, and her status in the family is no worse than that of a legitimate daughter. She and the second master Wei Sheng can be said to be in the right family, Wang Heng is in the same room, they are perfect for each other. However, it is precisely such a marriage that everyone is optimistic about, and today there is such a problem.
Mrs. Song wept unceasingly, and couldn't be coaxed no matter how much she cried, she continued to blame the second master: "Don't tell me I still have to give the dowry to that woman's daughter..."
Qin Shi persuaded her from the side, "What's the use of crying when things have come to this point? The second sister-in-law should find a way to deal with this matter... Didn't the second uncle want her to get married? You are the head of the second room , where she will marry at that time is not up to you to decide."
Having said that, Qin Shi still felt intimidated. She couldn't accept this fact for a while, and couldn't listen to anything.
Wei Luo didn't know that there was such a thing. She was not in the Duke's mansion in her previous life and missed a lot, so she couldn't know what happened in the end. She couldn't get in the way, so she sat silently for a while, then got up and left.
Half a month later, the second master Wei Sheng took the maid back to the British government, and heard that there was another uproar in the bamboo garden.
Several wives in the mansion did not quite agree with this daughter coming in, but the uncle's housework was not easy to intervene, so they had to hide their thoughts in their hearts and wait and see what happened. Mrs. Qin went to the bamboo garden too many times these days, and persuaded Mrs. Song to persuade Wei Sheng. Her mouth was already parched, and she suffered a serious illness because of this. She really didn't have the energy to take care of the two of them.
However, Qin Shi was a little worried after all, so she asked Wei Luo to go over and have a look. If Song Shi was impulsive, she could help stop her.
When we arrived at Zhuyuan, the main hall was quiet and silent, which made people not used to it. Wei Luo looked inside, and saw a girl kneeling inside wearing a goose-yellow satin woven gold-sleeve shirt. She had a beautiful face, a frail figure, and a waist like a willow. When the girl heard the footsteps, she raised her head and looked at Wei Luo. Her dark eyes were full of anxiety, like a frightened bird. It's beautiful, but it doesn't have much aura.
Presumably she is the maid raised by the second uncle outside.
Wei Luo's eyes lingered on her face for a moment, then turned away without changing his expression, turned around and walked to the back of the main hall.
She asked a maid on the way, and the maid said that the second lady was currently in the main room. She then walked towards the main room.
When she arrived at the main room, there was no one in the verandah. She walked under the sill window, and was about to walk to the door, when she suddenly heard the voice of a conversation coming from inside. Usually, she would disdain to listen to these footsteps, but now, when she faintly heard a familiar name, she couldn't help being stunned, and before she could figure it out, she had already stopped under the sill window.
There were two voices inside, one was the second aunt Song, and the other was the third aunt Liu.
It was Mrs. Liu who spoke just now, her voice was intermittent and not very clear: "... men are all such bad-natured people, they can't control themselves. He will fall in love with any woman who knows how to please him. This is the end of the matter, you should look away. don't be mad..."
Song seemed to be crying, her voice sobbing and choking: "Do you think I don't want to look away? I'm just too disappointed in him. I can't imagine that the relationship between husband and wife for so many years is nothing more than this..."
Mrs. Liu interrupted her, quite sympathetic: "What is the relationship between husband and wife? I have been married to the third master for so many years, how did he treat me?" After speaking, he sighed and said angrily: "He has Jiang Miaolan in his heart, and he didn't treat me Put it in your eyes, if you say you are indifferent, you are indifferent. Some women just have the ability to make men so confused that they are willing to do anything for her. We don’t have this ability, so we just take care of our husband and children in a peaceful manner. One day he will turn around and find you good."
Mrs. Song didn't speak, but she was still sobbing when she heard the voice.
Mrs. Liu probably brought up her own sadness, but couldn't hold it back, and continued: "If I hadn't joined hands with Mrs. Du... I'm afraid Jiang Miaolan is still in the mansion. As long as she is here, the British government will not be peaceful. .”
Wei Luo stood under the sill window, the more he listened, the more serious his expression became.
Does Liu compare Jiang Miaolan with Dong? Mrs. Dong is a shady concubine, and Jiang Miaolan is the wife of Wei Kunming's matchmaker! Can it be compared
And what did she just say? She said that she teamed up with Du Shi to force Jiang Miaolan away.
In other words, Jiang Miaolan is not dead
She turned around silently and returned to the pine garden, her mind kept thinking about Liu Shi's words.
Jiang Miaolan didn't die, she was just forced away by Mrs. Liu and Mrs. Du. If she is not dead, why not come back to see her and Chang Hong? In her previous life, she was abducted by the Du family, and Chang Hong was persecuted by Wei Zheng and Li Song. She never showed up. Where did she go? Why didn't she just die? Wei Luo admitted that he resented her and hated her, and even though he knew she had difficulties, he couldn't forgive her.
However, while resenting, she was also curious about the truth back then. What good deed did Liu Shi and Du Shi join forces to make her leave her and Chang Hong cruelly? If it wasn't for not finding out the cause of the matter, this matter would always be a lump in her heart, and if she couldn't let it go, it would rot in her heart.
Wei Luo wanted to go to the study to look for the painting, maybe he could find some clues. However, just as she was about to leave, a servant girl came in from the front yard and said, "Miss, Pingyuan Marquis Qianjin has come to see you, and is waiting for you in the front hall."
Liang Yurong
She came to her, what's the matter
Wei Luo harbored doubts and walked towards the front hall.
When we arrived at the front hall, we saw Liang Yurong sitting on the iron wood official hat chair, drinking tea while waiting for her. Seeing her coming, he hurriedly stepped forward to hold her arm, and said with a smile, "Ah Luo, I'm going to Bazhenfang on the street today to buy sweets and cakes, can you come with me?"
Wei Luo's mind was disturbed, and she wanted to refuse.
However, he tilted his head, met her eyes full of hope, and the words of rejection hovered in his mouth, and finally nodded: "Okay."
Bazhen Square is located in the middle of the West Street, where shops are lined up and it is very lively.
The sweets and cakes of Bazhenfang are the most famous, and there are many people in the market almost every day. Wei Luo and Liang Yurong got off the carriage, walked into the gate of Bazhenfang, and saw a young man in a brocade robe with sapphire blue embroidered four blessings and wishful patterns standing in front of the pastry, his back was facing them, and his face could not be seen. Most of the people who come here to buy cakes are female customers. Men don't like to eat such sweet and greasy things, so a male customer suddenly came in, which attracted the attention of many girls in the store.
In addition, he has a good appearance and handsome appearance, which makes a group of girls very excited. From time to time, they would secretly glance at him, their pretty faces blushing.
The young man tilted his head, pointed to dried peach rose cake and honey twisted pine nut cake, and said to the shopkeeper, "I want these two."
This time, Wei Luo finally saw his face clearly.
It turned out to be the Fifth Prince Zhao Zhang!
The shopkeeper graciously helped him wrap it up, and ordered a few more candied fruit and sugar cakes. After the guards at the side paid the money, he turned away and left.
Zhao Zhang turned his head and happened to see Wei Luo and Liang Yurong standing behind.
He knew Wei Luo. During the Lantern Festival, he apologized for Li Song and invited her, Song Hui and others to sit in the Jade Pavilion. Goodbye now, he was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and asked: "Miss Wei Fourth also likes the pastries here?"
Wei Luo shook her head, pulled Liang Yurong over and said, "I'm here with Yurong." After a pause, she looked at the oiled paper bag in his hand, bent her lips and asked, "Fifth... son, do you like dessert?"
Zhao Zhang knew that she had misunderstood, and explained with a slight smile: "I went out this morning to do some errands, and I passed by here when I came back. I didn't eat it for myself, I bought it for Lin Lang."
Oh, he and Zhao Linlang are siblings, Wei Luo almost forgot about this.
She nodded with a smile, didn't ask any more questions, and pulled Liang Yurong to stand aside, the meaning was self-evident.
Zhao Zhang walked past her, suddenly remembered something, tilted his head and asked with a smile: "I heard that the British government went to the Thousand Buddhas Temple a while ago, and it happened that my second brother also went there that day. I wonder if Miss Wei Si can meet him?"
When Zhao Jie was mentioned, Wei Luo froze slightly.
She quickly came back to her senses, remembering that Zhao Jie said that she was traveling in micro-clothes that day, presumably she didn't want others to know her whereabouts. She looked back frankly, and said sincerely: "We went to ask to see the abbot Qingxu, and the people around didn't care, and I'm afraid we can't answer the fifth son's question."
Her attitude suddenly turned cold, Zhao Zhang was slightly taken aback, then laughed, and apologized: "I was rude."
After finishing speaking, he saluted Wei Luo, turned around and walked out of Bazhenfang, and got on the Cui Gai Hua carriage back to the palace.
After watching Zhao Zhang leave, Liang Yurong couldn't bear the curiosity in her heart, and asked in a low voice, "Who was that person just now..."
Zhao Zhang has not yet left the palace to build a mansion, and has been living in the palace. It is normal that Liang Yurong has not seen him. What's more, men and women are irrelevant, even if there is a banquet in the palace, they will sit separately, not to mention Zhao Zhang, Liang Yurong has not even seen Zhao Jie's face a few times.
Wei Luo withdrew her attention, focused on all kinds of pastries in the store, and said without changing her expression, "He is Zhao Jie's fifth younger brother."
Having said that, Liang Yurong immediately understood that Zhao Jie was the second prince, and his fifth younger brother was also the fifth prince! She suddenly realized, and patted her chest with lingering fear: "Fortunately, I didn't talk nonsense just now."
Wei Luo pursed her lips and smiled lightly, and couldn't help teasing him: "What did you want to say?"
She shrank her head and said, "Eat so many sweets, beware of toothache..."
It's a big truth.
The two stopped discussing Zhao Zhang, and began to carefully choose some desserts.
Liang Yurong originally only planned to return Wei Changyin a kind of candy called snowflake fruit, but after seeing it, every dessert was exquisitely made and cute, and she wanted them all. He was really hesitant, so he bought snowflake fruit and two kinds of cakes for Wei Changyin, four or five kinds of cakes for Wei Luo, and several more kinds for himself, and then walked out of Bazhenfang satisfied.
On the other side, Zhao Zhang left Bazhenfang and sat in the carriage.
The carriage moved forward slowly, he lifted the curtain, and asked a guard in green clothes next to the carriage: "Second Brother went to Qianfo Temple to meet Abbot Qingxu that day, did you find out what he asked?"
The guard followed on horseback, and said shamelessly, "This subordinate is incompetent, so far no inside information has been found out."
His expression was a little unhappy, Abbot Qinghuang was an eminent monk, Zhao Jie must have asked some questions about the layout of the court when he asked to see him. If the abbot Qingwang gave him some guidance, and he suddenly realized, then his situation would be in a bad place. Now the court is divided into three situations. On the one hand, there are ministers who support him, on the other hand, supporters of Zhao Jie, and a very small number of ministers remain neutral and do not step into the muddy water. He was already severely suppressed by Zhao Jie's forces, and now he is assisted by a pure and arrogant monk, wouldn't he be very dangerous
He thought for a moment, and decided that the top priority should be to support one of his confidantes, and win over some ministers from Zhao Jie's side along the way.
He thought of Song Hui, the eldest son of Uncle Zhongyi's mansion. Song Hui was a young man who had read poetry and books and was full of economics. He has a quick mind and a comprehensive understanding. Given time, he must be a talent that can be reused. Not long after, the palace examination will be in April. If Song Hui can be admitted to the top three in the palace examination and be appreciated by Emperor Chongzhen, with his relationship with Uncle Zhongyi's mansion, he will undoubtedly have another right-hand man.
The Zhongyibo Mansion has close contacts with the British government. It would be great if we can take the British government in one fell swoop and bring it under our own command.
He thought for a while and asked again: "I heard that the fourth young miss of the Wei family married Song Hui on their fingertips, is there a marriage contract?"
The guard nodded and said yes.
Hearing this, he curled his lips and fell into deep thought.
The next day, Emperor Chongzhen brought him and Zhao Jie into the imperial study to discuss important matters with them. It will be the palace examination soon, I don't know what they think about the palace examination, and whether there are any talents to recommend.
In order to test the abilities of the two, Emperor Chongzhen often called them into the palace and asked them about these minutiae.
Right now, Emperor Chongzhen was sitting in front of the black lacquer and gold-painted double-dragon play bead-patterned table, holding the list of this year's palace examinations, checking them one by one, waiting for the answers from Zhao Jie and Zhao Zhang.
Zhao Zhang arched his hands and said respectfully: "Returning to the emperor, my ministers believe that the eldest grandson of Uncle Loyalty has outstanding abilities and outstanding talents, and he will surely stand out in this palace examination."
Emperor Chongzhen said thoughtfully, he had some impression of this name, put down the palace examination list and asked, "You mean Song Hui?"
He nodded yes.
Emperor Chongzhen nodded approvingly, and murmured: "I have met him several times, he is full of knowledge, not pedantic, stubborn, smart, really good."
Received the emperor's praise, he bent his lips and smiled with joy on his face.
Zhao Jie on the other side lowered his eyes, his face was calm, and his voice was calm: "Although Song Hui has outstanding talents, his temperament is too gentle and weak. He can be a fuss, but he may not be suitable for an official." He raised his head and met Emperor Chongzhen's sight , said calmly: "I also have a person who I want to recommend."
Emperor Chongzhen asked, "Who?"
He said: "Zuo Chenghuai, the son of Zuo Zong, Minister of Rites."
Emperor Chongzhen was slightly surprised, he also had an impression of this person. Jiang Chenghuai participated in last year's Chunwei, and was the last one in the Gongshi examination. It's not because of his lack of talent, but because of his sharp words, slanted sword, he is a maverick. The examiner who graded the papers back then was a well-behaved old man, and he couldn't understand his style. Although his essays were sharp, he still gave him a very low comment.
Zhao Jie recommended him because he had met this person a few times and admired him quite a lot. Zuo Chenghuai is not suitable for making fuss, but he is very suitable for officialdom. If he manages tax relief and other cases, he will definitely manage them in an orderly manner.
Emperor Chongzhen thought for a moment, and then said: "When the time comes, I will personally review the test papers of these two people, and see who is better, and I will give you a fair answer."
After speaking, he asked a few more questions about taxes and this year's disaster situation in the Northwest.
After half an hour, Emperor Chongzhen was tired of listening, and waved his hands to signal the two of them to leave.
Zhao Zhang suddenly stepped forward and said, "I have one more thing to say."
Emperor Chongzhen held a Zihao xuan pen, marked it twice on the palace examination list, and asked without raising his head: "Say."
He lowered his eyes and said slowly: "Song Hui, as I said just now, has been engaged to Wei Luo, the fourth lady of the British government since childhood. If this palace examination can be the first prize in high school, I wonder if the emperor can marry them both?"