Xu Zengshou taught his nephews like his grandsons:
"You have ordinary looks? At your age, you'd be lucky to be half as good-looking as Mr. Hu. Cowardly? Mr. Hu didn't want to cause trouble for Lady Hu. Even if it's just five taels of silver, someone might make a fuss behind the scenes. Do you really think that no one will die after the Lan Yu case? These days, everyone wants to shrink their necks and act like a turtle. Who dares to stand out?"
These words made the nephews nod their heads frequently. They knew very well why they stayed in the capital. Now they could not decide their own lives, including their marriages, and even their parents could not take charge of them. Everything was taken care of by Emperor Hongwu. The uncles from their grandfather's family were their greatest support.
As for the princes of other princely palaces, my grandfather's family was basically wiped out by Emperor Hongwu, especially the Shu Palace, where my grandfather Lan Yu's skin was sent to the palace. In comparison, the five children of the Yan Palace and Dai Palace were relatively lucky. Their grandfather, Xu Da, the King of Zhongshan, died early, which turned out to be a good thing. Emperor Hongwu did not have to be afraid of a dead person, so the Wei Palace survived the purge.
The Duke of Wei had two uncles. The eldest uncle, Xu Zuhui, the second Duke of Wei, was brave and good at fighting. He was always leading troops to guard the border outside the capital. The second uncle, Xu Zengshou, was spoiled by Xu Da. He was neither good at literature nor martial arts. He was given a nominal position as a first-rank military officer without a proper job. He only wore formal clothes to pay homage to Emperor Hongwu at the grand court meeting, just for the ceremony.
Xu Zengshou and his first wife, Mu, had no children. After Mu's death, he did not remarry or take a concubine, and continued to be a wealthy and idle man. Therefore, he had time to take care of his five nephews who were held hostage in the capital, and from time to time he would invite them to reunite at the Duke of Wei. Although he was called an uncle, he actually cared about half of a father.
Ever since the arrival of five nephews, all of them have become a source of worry, especially the second son of Prince Yan, Zhu Gaoxi, who has a hot temper, is good at fighting, and often causes trouble.
The naughty kids completely made Xu Zengshou give up the idea of having a child. Raising a child was too troublesome. This lazy man became more determined to pick up a ready-made child and adopt him from his eldest brother's family in the future.
As expected of the best father in the world, Xu Da spoiled and pampered his youngest son since he was young. Even if you put a cake around his neck, he would not even bother to turn around. Is it impossible for him to have children? He will never have children in this life.
"… I tell you, if you marry a stupid woman, your life will be over. In the royal family, women are afraid of marrying the wrong man, and men are even more afraid of marrying the wrong wife. A virtuous and capable wife will give you a pair of wings, while a stupid and incompetent wife will stab you in the back."
"After the talent show, whether it's a stab in the back or a stab in the back, Concubine Hu's attitude is crucial. If you offend her father at this critical moment, it's like an old lady hanging herself because she thinks her life is too long!"
Zhu Gaochi, the prince of Yan, quickly poured tea and handed it to his uncle, "We know we were wrong. Second uncle has taught us a lesson for so long. It's hard work. Come, have a cup of tea."
Zhu Gaochi was a fat white man with a big white face and a sincere smile. It is said that you should not hit a smiling person, let alone this smiling person is his own nephew.
Xu Zengshou calmed down his anger, took the teacup and took a sip. "During the talent show, you two should behave yourself, don't cause trouble, don't be impulsive, and you two little girls, don't follow your brothers and make trouble. Wherever you want to go, I will take you. I dare not say anything else, but when it comes to eating, drinking and having fun, no one in the capital can compare to me."
Two little princesses: Go out and play with the elders... I'd better stay in the palace.
The five sexy boys came with great excitement, but returned disappointed with the psychological trauma of possibly marrying a stupid wife.
After teaching these nephews a lesson, Xu Zengshou still had to clean up their mess, so he had to go downstairs to greet Hu Rong and apologize. However, Hu Rong had expected this. He felt he could not afford an apology from the son of Xu Da, and he ran away early without even finishing listening to his favorite "Pipa Ji".
Back at Hu's Bookstore, business was booming. Almost all of the people who came to buy books were pretty girls between thirteen and sixteen, who seemed to want to try their luck here.
The matter of the beauty contest and the selection of commoner princesses has caused a lot of controversy. Most of the people who come to buy books have impure motives. Hu Rong has been very busy recently, so he went to the brothels of the Jiaofangsi to find some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, in the huge world of fame and fortune in the capital, he could always meet nobles whom he could not afford to offend, and he could not even hide from them.
Hu Rong asked the waiter to close the shop early on the pretext of taking inventory of the accounts and inventory.
The next day, the door of Hu Family Bookstore was closed, with a notice posted on it saying "Going home to worship ancestors, temporarily closed for business."
Those who came here because of his reputation had to go back. Some of them were still unwilling to give up and asked their neighbors where Hu Rong went to worship his ancestors.
Some neighbors said it was Suzhou, and some said it was Jining, Shandong. In fact, Hu Rong didn't go anywhere. He was a timid and cautious person, so how could he dare to go back to his hometown in Jining to recognize his ancestors and relatives
Hu Rong took his whole family to a farm outside Nanjing to hide away. This farm was originally purchased as a dowry for his daughter Hu Shanwei. He thought that the dowry would be used to add to her dowry when she left the palace and got married in the future. However, not only did his daughter not leave the palace, she was also promoted continuously and became the highest female official in the Ming Dynasty, Shang Gong. She had long been "happy in her hometown" and could never go back.
Hu Rong went to the farm and became a small landlord. He usually went fishing and read books, and finally had some peace and quiet.
Ji Gang immediately informed Hu Shanwei about Hu Rong's move to the farm. "… Your father packed his luggage in the middle of the night and left as soon as the city gate opened at dawn. We were afraid that he would go to Suzhou or Jining, so we had to 'invite' him and his family back to Nanjing. Unexpectedly, Mr. Hu said he was going back to his hometown to worship his ancestors, but he actually went to Nanjing farm. We are relieved now."
When Hu Shanwei was the palace lady, Emperor Hongwu would never allow Hu Rong's family to move out of the capital. Just like when Mu Chun was guarding Yunnan, but the Duke of Qian's Mansion was in the capital, this was a restriction.
Hu Rong's family was under close surveillance by the Jinyiwei. Hu Rong ran away in the middle of the night and almost forced the Jinyiwei to reveal their true identities - the waiter at Hu's Bookstore was actually a Jinyiwei spy.
Hu Shanwei said, "It's better to go to the farm to avoid the limelight. Father will come back after the talent show."
Hu Rong's family was nearly wiped out in one day due to a huge change. Being timid and cautious by nature, it was expected by Hu Shanwei that he would close the door and avoid the limelight.
However, although it was expected, Hu Shanwei felt a little uncomfortable and asked Ji Gang: "If one day, I mean if... the emperor asked the Jinyiwei to kill my whole family, would you do it?"
Ji Gang said: "This is impossible. If the emperor doesn't trust you, how could he let you be a concubine?"
Hu Shanwei got the answer, smiled and said, "I'm sorry, this is your responsibility, I shouldn't ask you this kind of question."
Emperor Hongwu had a "criminal record". In order to conceal the fact that Prince Yiwen poisoned King Luhuang, Emperor Hongwu threatened the lives of Hu Shanwei's entire family.
Although Hu Shanwei was not involved in the Lan Yu case, many old ministers who fought side by side with him, such as Lan Yu, Feng Sheng, Fu Youde, etc., all ended up with their entire families wiped out. Hu Shanwei knew her own limitations. She had served as a female official in the harem for many years and helped Emperor Hongwu share his worries. She did have some merits, but compared with those of the old ministers, these merits were simply insignificant.
Therefore, Hu Shanwei has always been clear-headed. If Emperor Hongwu wanted to take action against her, he would definitely not show any mercy.
At present, Emperor Hongwu treated her well, but living with an emperor was like living with a tiger! Who knew when this tiger would bare its fangs at her
Having been friends with Ji Gang for fifteen years, Ji Gang would not show leniency even if Emperor Hongwu ordered.
Being controlled by others and helpless, Hu Shanwei had no power to resist under the imperial power, which made her feel very insecure.
Hu Shanwei is the highest-ranking female official in the palace, presiding over the selection of concubines. She seems to be in power and can lead the future direction of the Ming Dynasty. In fact, Hu Shanwei is nervous. She will feel uneasy if she cannot retire and leave the palace for a day. However, all this is hidden under a calm appearance, and she cannot tell anyone...
Just as I was thinking, Haitang came over and said, "The Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace invites Hu Shanggong to come over to appreciate the peach blossoms."
Hu Shanwei frowned slightly, "It must be about the Crown Princess again. The Crown Princess thinks too highly of me. How can a mere Shang Gong decide the future Queen Mother? This is something the Emperor is concerned about."
Haitang said, "Mrs. Hu can't decide who it will be, but she can still have a say in the selection. I heard from the people in the Shangyi Bureau that many female relatives came to the palace to attend the Peach Blossom Banquet today, including daughters of wealthy nobles. I guess they are all eyeing the position of future queen mother."
Hu Shanwei sat in front of the dressing table, touching up her rouge, looking more energetic. "The Crown Princess has invited me, I can't refuse her. I'll go to the East Palace to socialize for a few minutes. When you think the time is almost up, come find me and say you have something urgent so I can get away."
Haitang bought Hu Shanwei a new black gauze hat with a few pink silk flowers pinned on the left side of the hat. They were peach blossoms made of silk cloth, which was just right for attending the Peach Blossom Banquet in the Eastern Palace.
On the way, he happened to meet the Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen, who was followed by eunuchs and palace maids. One of the palace maids was holding a guqin.
Hu Shanwei stepped aside and bowed. Zhu Yunwen saw the flower on her official hat and said with a smile, "Is Hu Shanggong going to the Peach Blossom Banquet
Go with the Shang Gong. Just now my mother asked me to go and meet some of the elder ladies and play a song to liven up the banquet."
It seems that no matter how old you are or how high your status is, you will be pulled out by your mother to perform for the guests.
The Crown Prince is seventeen years old this year. The royal family gets married early. If it weren’t for Prince Yiwen’s mourning period, he would have been married at the age of fifteen.
The rules in the harem are strict. In order to distinguish the crown prince and the crown prince's grandson, the crown princess continues to live in the East Palace, while the crown prince has a special crown prince's palace. The mother and son do not live together.
The Crown Prince is already seventeen years old and has to avoid suspicion. He rarely hangs around the harem unless summoned. In the royal family, everyone is more cunning than a lotus pod. It just so happens that the beauty contest is underway, and Hu Shanwei doesn't believe that this encounter with the Crown Prince was just a coincidence.
Hu Shanwei and the Crown Prince were walking on the palace road. Hu Shanwei controlled his pace and always lagged behind the Crown Prince by about half a step.
The Crown Prince said, "I have read the "Instructions of Consorts of the Zhao and Song Dynasties" written by Empress Xiaoci these days, and I found that the engraving and binding of this book are very exquisite. Later I learned that this book was engraved and printed by Consort Hu herself in Hangzhou. Consort Hu is really omnipotent."
Hu Shanwei smiled and said, "That was fifteen years ago. I had just entered the palace and was entrusted by Palace Master Fan to print this book and give it to the concubines and relatives in the harem."
When talking about this book, Hu Shanwei's mood suddenly improved, and she was no longer depressed after learning that her father had gone to the countryside to hide. Because of that trip to Hangzhou to print books, she and Mu Chun got to know each other, and they both made a vow on the official ship to grow out of their own shells, protect themselves, and no longer rely on their families.
Fifteen years have passed, and both she and Muchun have grown a hard shell and fulfilled their vows.
Muchunmuchun is like a spring breeze. The memory of him alone can make this depressing world beautiful.
The Crown Prince was smart since childhood. He observed people's words and expressions and saw that Hu Shanwei's eyes suddenly glowed with an inexplicable light and her eyebrows were obviously smiling. He thought it was due to his compliments and praise of her "omnipotence". He thought to himself that he was right. People still like to hear good words, and Hu Shanggong is no exception.
The Crown Prince was very cautious in his heart, but he maintained his usual elegance and calmness on his face, and continued: "I was only two years old at that time, and had just learned to speak. In the blink of an eye, I was already old enough to get married."
Here it comes! Hu Shanwei thought to himself, the Crown Prince is really cunning. He first used a book as a topic to get closer to me, and then used it to get to the point and test my attitude.
Hu Shanwei was not averse to the Crown Prince's temptation. After all, the Crown Prince's Consort was his wife, future life partner, and political partner. The Crown Prince had his own expectations of her background, character, talent, virtue, etc. No one could remain calm in this matter.
The Crown Prince will inherit the throne in the future. How Hu Shanwei will spend the rest of his life depends on him. No matter how powerful Emperor Hongwu is, he is old after all. He is a 68-year-old man, and he can leave when the King of Hell says so.
So from the perspective of interests, Hu Shanwei is still very willing to meet the needs of this "customer".
Hu Shanwei continued, "What are the expectations of the Crown Prince for the future Crown Prince Consort?"
Hu Shanwei didn't talk nonsense and just talked about the matter. The Crown Prince seemed a little shy and gave a standard answer: "Well... as long as Grandpa Huang is satisfied."
It sounds like Emperor Hongwu is getting married.
Hu Shanwei's mind was full of Mu Chun at this moment. He remembered that when they met, Mu Chun was also seventeen years old, the same age as the Crown Prince. However, the Crown Prince was so mature and steady, while Mu Chun at that time was impulsive and unruly... He really missed him.
Muchun is like a virus. Once you get it, it will replicate itself everywhere, omnipresent, and seek a sense of existence everywhere. I think of him all the time. Everything I see reminds me of him, and I can't help but compare myself to him.
Hu Shanwei secretly sorted out his emotions that were about to get out of control, and said, "The girls that can be chosen in the capital are not bad. They all have their own personalities and strengths. In fact, people are not good or bad, only suitable or not. The Crown Prince's Consort is the one who will spend the rest of his life with Your Highness. Husband and wife are one, and they will prosper together and suffer together. Although marriage is a big matter and is theoretically decided by parents and matchmakers, the Crown Prince's own thoughts are also very important. Among so many girls, there must be one who suits the Crown Prince's heart."
It is said that marriage is decided by parents and matchmakers. But it is still the old saying, it has always been like this, is it right? Muchun's parents' tragic marriage is an ironclad proof - oh, why do I miss him again
Hu Shanwei pinched his palm secretly with his fingers hidden in his sleeves: Don't be distracted anymore.
The Crown Prince was encouraged and said frankly, "When Empress Xiaoci passed away, I was still young, but I could remember things at that time. I remember the demeanor of Empress Xiaoci. She was quiet, fair, and kind. She had rules for everything, but she was not bound by them. She was generous to her children and kind to the concubines. She had a compassionate heart. I guess this is the demeanor of a queen mother. Hu Shanggong was someone close to Empress Xiaoci. She fed deer and phoenixes at the Mausoleum of Xiaoling and served as a mausoleum keeper for a year. I, as a grandson, am not as pious and filial as Hu Shanggong. I am very ashamed. If the Crown Prince's wife can be one-tenth of Empress Xiaoci in the future, I will be very satisfied."
The ancients attached great importance to loyalty and filial piety. Hu Shanwei's experience as a tomb keeper for a year gave her a transcendent status in the royal family. She became a palace lady at the age of 32, which was almost what everyone expected.
Hu Shanwei thought that they were indeed a close family, as they had the same idea about the Crown Princess, and both wanted her to "be like Empress Xiaoci."
"Your Highness's request for one tenth is too high." Hu Shanwei said truthfully: "The Empress Xiaoci that Your Highness saw was in her old age. The Crown Prince Consort you are going to marry is a girl between thirteen and sixteen years old. People change and grow up slowly. No one is born to be a queen. They all need to learn and go through some things before they can become a model mother of the country like Empress Xiaoci. It is not achieved overnight."
"Let alone the Queen, even I have gone through many hardships to achieve my present success. When I entered the palace, I was just a copyist. I had no advantages except that I could write quickly. To use the words of our market, if you want to be respected in front of others, you have to suffer behind the scenes. You only see the thief eating meat, but you don't see the thief being beaten."
Hu Shanwei never shied away from his merchant background.
The Crown Prince was inspired by what he said and said, "Mrs. Hu is right. It's my fault. Think about it. The gap between me and Grandpa is more than a hundred times. I actually asked the future Crown Prince's Consort to be one-tenth of Empress Xiaoci. The standard is ten times different. I am ashamed. I can't do it myself, so how can I expect others to do it?"
It’s a good idea to think of it this way. If the “clients” lower their own standards, their satisfaction will naturally increase. Hu Shanwei’s audition work will then be easier, and they won’t end up pairing up a bunch of unhappy couples.
As the two were talking, they arrived at the East Palace. It was said to be a party to appreciate the flowers, but in fact it was to appreciate the people. The Peach Blossom Banquet of the East Palace Crown Princess invited all the famous wealthy families in the capital, who were at least earls and above. Each lady of honor brought the most outstanding unmarried girl in the family into the palace. The purpose was self-evident: they were all eyeing the position of the Crown Prince.
Looking at the rich and noble ladies under the peach tree, Hu Shanwei secretly shook his head: It seems that everyone thinks that the emperor's "selecting beauties from the common people and marrying into the families of the farmers" is only aimed at the princes' wives in the princes' palaces, in order to weaken the power of the princes' palaces, because the prince cannot borrow the power of his wife's family.
Weakening the princes' palaces was, of course, intended to strengthen the power of the Crown Prince, so the Crown Prince's wife must have come from a wealthy family in the capital.
In this way, with one being weakened and the other being strengthened, the power of the Crown Prince will be strengthened and the position of the Crown Prince will be secured.
But Hu Shanwei clearly remembered that Emperor Hongwu did not say that the Crown Prince's Consort should be selected from among the ladies of wealthy families. According to the standard of "looking like Empress Xiaoci", a lady who understands the suffering of the people and comes from a low-level official is probably more suitable than a wealthy girl who lives a life of luxury and has high expectations.
As soon as Hu Shang Gong arrived, the Crown Princess personally got up from her table to greet her, which showed her respect for Hu Shanwei. All the ladies with royal titles brought their daughters to show their faces in front of Hu Shanwei one by one, showing off their magical powers in the hope of leaving a good impression.
In this situation, Hu Shanwei naturally said it was good, and he tried every possible adjective to praise it:
"Your daughter is so beautiful, she's no more beautiful than the fairy from Yaochi."
"You have an extraordinary temperament, just like the fairy flowers in the Peach Garden."
"This sword dance is so good, combining strength and softness, it's true that women are just as good as men."
"Did you embroider this handkerchief yourself? Your needlework is simply amazing. The grapes on it look like they can be eaten right away."
"What a great poem! I'm going to read your poem to Shen Shangyi and ask her to comment on it. She's sure to like it."
While Hu Shanwei was racking his brains to avoid repeating the words of praise, the Crown Prince was playing the guqin in the bamboo forest. The forest was half-covered by bamboo poles and leaves, and the light was dim. Unmarried men and women could not see their specific faces clearly, so it was not considered disrespectful and it also allowed the sound of the guqin to flow smoothly.
The piece the Crown Prince played was "Three Variations on Plum Blossoms", which was a fairly standard piece. Given the Crown Prince's cautious character, it was impossible for him to play something as explicit as "The Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix".
In fact, the Crown Prince was reluctant to be dragged here by his mother to perform, but what boy wouldn't be tempted by love? With a noble status like the Crown Prince, he also hoped that his future wife would love him a little bit in addition to loving the position of the Crown Prince's Consort.
The author has something to say: If someone like me with social anxiety were in this kind of situation, I would probably choose to die.
I will send 100 red envelopes tonight. Good night, everyone. Give me kisses, hugs, and touches~
Congratulations to the reader for getting a 100-point red envelope
№2 Netizen: Tou Ding Qing Tian Comment: "Hu Shan Wei" Score: 0 Published time: 2019-03-17 23:46:01 Reviewed chapter: 146
6