When the Li family arrived, it was already late.
I was thinking of taking a day off and coming back tomorrow, but unfortunately, Concubine He was reluctant to pay for the accommodation, so she directly pulled passers-by on the roadside to ask clearly that it was convenient for her to come.
Along the way, Concubine He realized why the passerby looked strange. King Jing's mansion is really easy to find. Most of the city is the mansion of King Jing, and you can walk a little further inside.
Before they reached the gate of the palace, they were stopped by a team of guards. The Li family couldn't help but feel in awe when they saw that the guards had clear armor and strict discipline.
After explaining their purpose, one of the leading soldiers asked them to wait for a while, then turned and left, leaving the army of guards to watch them.
A row of three dilapidated carriages, corresponding to the brightly armored soldiers, looked really shabby.
Concubine He was sitting in the car, half-turning the curtains to look outside, and she could vaguely see the towering city wall in front of her.
My darling, this is the palace? How does it feel like a city!
After a while, the leading soldier turned back, and with a wave of his hand, a soldier led the carriage forward and stopped at the Zunyi Gate on the west side of the palace. After checking, the carriage continued to go inside.
Not to mention Aunt He was surprised, even Li Xuebing was extremely surprised. Where is this palace, it's obviously like a palace.
It's not that Li Xuebing didn't pay attention to this nephew, but because of some things that happened in the early years, he never communicated.
Things have to start from the beginning. The Li family was not a big family at first, but Li Xuebing got an official position after he passed the exam. The official position is not high, but he was appointed as the head of the county government in a small county in the south.
The chief clerk is the deputy of the magistrate, who changes every three years at the peak, but Li Xuebing has worked in this position for many years. Li Xuebing is an aspiring person, and his ambitions can be supported by money and wealth, but he has no way to do it, so he has to waste many years in the position of the ninth rank.
Selected that year.
Whenever the news of the election comes, the local people will set off a wave of marriage climax. Being selected as a pick-up girl, it is not to enter the palace as a concubine to enjoy the blessings. Many of them serve as servants and servants of the palace servants, and it is difficult to leave the palace once they are selected.
Even ordinary people fled, but Li Xuebing went the opposite way. He moved another thought, and that thought was her sister Li Wanting.
It was not a shameful thing to see Li Xuebing at that time to use a younger sister to make a career. He never thought that if Li Wanting wasn't outstanding enough, he would probably not be selected as a palace concubine, but a palace servant.
Fortunately, Li Wanting was indeed beautiful, and was chosen as a concubine and received the title of a talented person.
After learning this news, Li Xuebing was ecstatic, waiting for his sister to give him a good future. But one year has passed, two years have passed, and one year has passed, and there is no movement at all. Li Xuebing was just the head of a small county far away from the capital. How could he contact the people in the palace? The two brothers and sisters have since cut off contact.
A few years later, it was suddenly heard that there was a fifth prince on the sage. This 'rumour' was discovered by Li Xuebing from Shangfeng's mouth when he discovered that Shangfeng was suddenly much kinder to him. At that time, Li Xuebing had already let go of his undeserved thoughts, and was ready to work honestly as a master for the rest of his life. Suddenly, a pie fell on his head with great joy.
He had wanted to go to the capital, but he could follow his wishes when he was in office. He had also imagined that one day his sister would send a letter to his family. After all, his sister was the emperor's concubine. In Li Xuebing's mind, the empress in the palace was omnipotent. What he couldn't imagine was that her sister was not what he imagined. so beautiful.
I didn't believe it all the time. Li Xuebing also complained. I felt that when my sister became a mother, she forgot her brother. But how could there be no benefits? After all, it is the prince's uncle's house, and everyone is more or less willing to give him a little face.
After Shangfeng was transferred, Li Xuebing finally changed from deputy to positive. At that time, Li Xuebing no longer complained, he felt that what he did at the beginning was right. Later, he deliberately inquired about a lot of news in Beijing, knowing that his sister Jingbi seemed to be in bad health, and the fifth prince was not in good health either. He is in a hurry, this is the hope of their Li family in the future, but it is useless to be anxious.
Not long after, his sister passed away, leaving behind a fifth prince who is said to be mute. It is said that the saint was furious. It is said that his sister was crazy and his nephew was a mute.
Li Xuebing was afraid, what should he do if he was angered? The sage won't take the fifth prince, but what if he wants to anger the Li family for giving birth to a crazy daughter? Li Xuebing was completely quiet. At that time, he wished that everyone would forget the relationship between the fifth prince and his concubine.
Even in the past few years, there has been no movement, and Li Xuebing was relieved and honestly served as his seventh-rank magistrate.
If it wasn't for the desperate situation this time, Li Xuebing wouldn't be able to remember this nephew, but he couldn't. He could only defect, and he couldn't live on the streets with his family.
***
After the carriage stopped, the Li family was led into a yard.
The family was sitting cramped in the main hall when an old man in his fifties came. The father-in-law and Li Xuebing verified the situation, then turned and left.
Afterwards, a palace servant sent two tables of seats for them to use first.
The Li family hadn't had a good meal for a long time, and the dishes on the table were so rich that people couldn't help but move their forefingers. The Li family was not polite, so they all sat down and used it.
A total of seventeen people, Li Xuebing, Qi Shi, He Yiniang, and the second young lady Li Miaolian and the third young lady Li Miaofang. Then there is the big house where Li Xuebing's eldest son, Li Hongchang, has his wife Mao, concubines Chen and Xu, and three children. In the second room where Li Xuebing's second son Li Hongqian lives, his wife Qian has an aunt surnamed Hong, and then they have two children.
There were two tables on the table.
After using the mat, Fushun also got an order from King Jing.
After all, he is a serious uncle, and Fushun is polite on the face. He said some words that His Highness was busy with official business, so that my uncle and master could stay at ease. Li Xuebing exchanged a few words with him, and then Fushun withdrew. Before leaving, he ordered the servants below to wait on him.
When he arrived, his nephew did not deny him, and Li Xuebing finally felt relieved.
The yard where they are located is quite large, divided into the main room, the east and the west wing, and the back room. A line of eight palace servants waited with their heads lowered, which made the Li family sigh lightly.
After the break, Mrs Qi said to Li Xuebing, "Why didn't your nephew come out to see us?"
Li Xuebing turned over and said, "It's already late at night, so don't look at what time it is."
Qi Shi pursed his mouth and said nothing.
Li Xuebing can pretend to forget, but Qi can't.
Before my sister-in-law entered the palace, she was married. My sister-in-law was already betrothed by her father-in-law. She is a close family. Although she is not an official, she is also a rich landlord. It's a pity that the husband was lost at that time, so he just broke off the marriage for the aunt and sent it to the palace.
The father-in-law was ill at that time, and he was sick for two years before leaving. Before leaving, he still talked about his aunt.
Qi's family was also from a small family and had little knowledge. In her opinion, a woman's engagement could not be changed, so the decision of her husband and her sister-in-law's tears were engraved in her memory for many years. Even if she is no longer the Qi family she used to be in the future, but becomes the magistrate's wife, many thoughts have changed, but she still can't forget the past.
So even though she was lying on the soft quilt, she was still uneasy, and she was still thinking about why her nephew didn't come out to see them. Did she know the experience of my sister-in-law and hate them
But after thinking about it for a while, she figured it out. After all, she is a relative, and this is the last straw in the family. No matter what, it has to be tight.
***
King Jing sat there, not showing on his face, but in fact he was a little restless in his heart.
Without him, aunt Qi's performance is too exaggerated. From the moment he came in, he took his hand and cried, crying about his mother, crying about his grandfather, crying about how difficult it was for my family to come from the south...
Mentioning his own sister, Li Xuebing was also full of sighs, and then said a few words about his sister still at home.
"My aunt's life is bitter, and every time my father mentions it, he is heartbroken." Li Xuebing's eldest son, Li Hongchang, sighed aside.
"Yes, if it wasn't for the situation, Wanting would not have entered the palace, nor would she have died prematurely."
The second child, Li Hongqian, interjected: "Father, what are you talking about, it's a fate for my aunt to die early. How can a cousin of King Jing enter the palace without an aunt."
"But my uncle was startled, alas..."
King Jing was slow to respond and restrained in his emotions. When he met such a group of people with exposed emotions, he was quite embarrassed to deal with them. He doesn't talk much at first, and sitting there at this time seems even more withdrawn.
Li Hongchang blinked and asked suspiciously, "Isn't my cousin's mute illness cured? Why haven't you spoken?"
King Jing's expression froze, and Fu Shun bowed and said, "His Royal Highness is taciturn and doesn't like to talk much, but he is close to his uncle's family."
Li Hongchang smiled and nodded.
This group of people continued to talk, and they were still talking about Jingbi's past. Unfortunately, it was too long, and Li Xuebing and Qi Shi had some understanding of her. Their feelings were very sincere, but when they talked, they felt that they were running out of words. .
At this moment, King Jing couldn't sit still, so he got up and said, "The solitary king still has official business."
King Jing stood up without taking a step. After a while, he wanted to say something and didn't know what to say, and then he left.
Fushun smiled at the Li family, who followed from behind.
After King Jing left, the Li family began to discuss.
"Master, this nephew doesn't seem to like seeing us very much."
The expressions of Li Hongchang and Li Hongqian almost expressed this meaning. It would have hindered the presence of King Jing just now.
"After spending so much saliva for a long time, without even calling my uncle, how can we treat us as serious relatives!" Li Hongchang said.
When he turned 30, he was born with a fat brain and a big belly. He didn't look like a scholar, but a rich family. After studying for many years, I didn't even pass the exam for a scholar, and I got nothing and lived in a daze.
"Brother, don't say a few words. After all, you live in someone's house." Li Hongqian's words were more subtle than Li Hongchang's, but you could tell what he meant just from the sour sentence in the family's house.
Li Xuebing's two sons are similar things. They are not young and have achieved nothing, so they pointed to the old father. Now that Li Xuebing has lost his official, he has come to King Jing's mansion again. Anyway, the two of them knew that as long as their father was there, they didn't have to worry about it.
"I don't think my cousin's appearance is as bad as you said. Didn't Eunuch Fu also say it just now, my cousin was originally quiet." Li Miaolian whispered aside.
Li Hongchang sneered, glanced at his little sister, and said nothing.
At this time, a team of eunuchs walked in with a few trays.
One of the leaders said with a smile, "Please say goodbye to my uncle, this is a welcome gift from His Royal Highness to the family."
The tray was covered with thin silk, and it was impossible to see what was inside. Li Xuebing stood up and said, "Your Highness is really polite."
"Nothing, His Highness said that since he is here, he will stay in the mansion, and if you need anything, please tell the servants who are serving you."
"Thank you very much, Your Highness."
When Li Xuebing was talking to the eunuch, he gave a color to Aunt He who was beside him. Aunt He was also a good person, so he hurriedly asked for a small piece of silver from his sleeve and handed it over.
"Troublesome father-in-law for a trip, there is not much money, let's drink tea for everyone."
The leading eunuch did not refuse, but bowed again before leading the people out.