Xiao Ji really misunderstood his own fat and handsome prince's biological father. In fact, this was not the prince's true appearance. He had been taking care of Empress Xu for the past two years, and he had to take care of the long journey from Peking to Nanjing, so the prince's current weight was the result of losing about 20 kilograms.
Xiao Ji knew that his father was heavy and inconvenient, so he liked quietness and literature. So he took out the big characters he had practiced every day over the years and showed them to his father. From the fat earthworms to the elegant and graceful characters with his own style at such a young age, it was obvious that he had worked hard.
Crown Prince Zhu Gaoxu nodded in praise after reading it, saying it was well-written. As he nodded, his plump cheeks trembled like pieces of summer jelly.
At night, Emperor Yongle came as expected and wanted to see Xiaoji's riding and archery. He won the empire on horseback, so naturally he valued martial arts more.
Her mother, the Crown Princess, and her husband felt sorry for her son, seeing how thin and tall his son was, with his clothes fluttering as if they were hanging on his body. Especially since she was used to seeing her husband's plump and white body, her son looked even thinner and more pitiful. But she didn't dare say anything because her parents-in-law were around.
Just as Xiao Ji was about to change into clothes that were convenient for riding and shooting, Empress Xu held him in her arms lovingly, and she said to Emperor Yongle, "Okay, okay, your grandson is going home, not to the capital to take the imperial examination. He is only seven years old, and he has been exhausted from the journey. He didn't even have a meal when he got home. What should he do if he is exhausted? We can talk about it tomorrow."
Empress Xu actually directly refuted Emperor Yongle's words in front of her son, daughter-in-law, and eldest grandson.
The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess were used to this kind of scene and did not feel anything unusual. Emperor Yongle smiled and said, "Zi Tong is right. The eldest grandson is a little thin. After dinner, go to bed early and we will talk about it tomorrow."
Xiao Ji was slightly surprised: he had only heard from his godmother that the emperor and the empress had a deep love for each other, and that all of Emperor Yongle's children were born to Empress Xu. The empress was the daughter of a general and the eldest daughter of Xu Da, the first meritorious minister of the founding of the Ming Dynasty. When she was pregnant with her second uncle Zhu Gaochi, she actually rode a horse, tied her second uncle Xu Zengshou behind the horse and dragged him for two miles, pretending to cut off his fingers, forcing her second uncle to quit gambling from then on. She was both wise and brave.
I also heard from my godfather that during the Battle of Beiping, Empress Xu led 10,000 defenders to fight against Li Jinglong's 500,000 southern troops. They ran out of weapons and were short of manpower, so they organized women and children in the city to throw stones and pour cold water on the city. They built a wall of ice and snow overnight, fought hard for several days, and finally waited for the reinforcements of Emperor Yongle. For all these reasons, Empress Xu was deeply respected by Emperor Yongle.
However, hearsay is never as shocking as seeing it with one's own eyes. Empress Xu was far more powerful than the virtuous lady of noble family in the legend.
Xiao Ji observed the expressions and slowly figured out the trick. What Empress Xu showed to the outside world was just the empress needed by the imperial power, which was different from her real self. Living behind closed doors in the palace, Empress Xu's status was more transcendent than any other empress.
At the family dinner, Xiao Ji was listening to everything and watching everything. What he was eating was not food, but all kinds of information. He was eager to understand his family and family relationships. He only ate the dishes in front of him, because he didn't know what they tasted like anyway.
Don't say a word more, take a step more, be careful at every step, and pay attention at all times. Xiaoji's return to his home is just like Lin Daiyu entering the Jia Mansion. Lin Daiyu is a guest, and Xiaoji is obviously the most serious host, but he has to spend more time than a guest to figure out this strange home.
Xiao Ji waited for Emperor Yongle to put down his chopsticks, then he picked up his chopsticks too - he didn't know whether he was hungry or full. Three meals a day was a task for him, not a way to satisfy his appetite. If he could choose, he would rather eat two simple foods like pork and scallion pies, and lick the crispy crumbs on his palms after eating, which would be even more perfect.
After dinner, Xiao Ji said goodbye to the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. The family of three walked from Kunning Palace to the East Palace, which was like climbing over a small hill in Yunnan.
Hu Shanwei had already explained to Xiao Ji in detail the layout of the six palaces in the east and west, as well as the East Palace. Xiao Ji noticed that the palace servants in front were obviously taking a detour, but the prince and princess did not say anything. He could only remain silent and follow behind his parents, always keeping a half-step distance, which was even more accurate than a machine.
Passing by an intersection, I saw a wall being built in front of me, enclosing a large piece of land. I heard clanging sounds inside, as if they were repairing a road.
Xiao Ji recalled what his godmother had said, and then he understood the reason for taking the detour - there was a landslide ahead, and the foundation had collapsed, causing the palace walls and palaces along the road to become unstable and shaky. For safety reasons, they simply built a wall to enclose this place. Since the straight road was impassable, they had to take a detour.
The routes in the palace were complicated, so Xiao Ji memorized the new route to ensure that he would not get lost in the palace even if no one led the way.
It was not difficult to remember the route - because the prince was a big fat white man, and he walked slowly, panting, and it was very difficult.
The Crown Princess would use a handkerchief to wipe her husband's sweat from time to time. This kind of thing should have been done by palace maids, but the Crown Princess did it herself, which seemed to show that her parents had a good relationship.
Xiao Ji thought to himself: According to regulations, the prince can ride in a sedan chair or a carriage in the palace. He is so tired, why not
Of course, he was just thinking about it and didn't dare to ask.
Only after the Crown Princess had used up three handkerchiefs did the family of three walk into the East Palace with its green glazed tile roof.
When we left Kunning Palace, the sky was still bright, but when we arrived at the East Palace, it was already time for lighting.
The gates of the East Palace were wide open and the lights were on. All the palace maids, concubines and other imperial concubines stood solemnly by the side to welcome the three real masters.
Xiao Ji was dazzled by what he saw, and when he reached the main hall, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess sat down, and the family members came over to greet them.
The Crown Princess pointed to a concubine who was sitting below her, who had a beautiful face, a calm demeanor, and a temperament that was no less than hers, and said, "Jier, this is Guo Liang Di."
Xiao Ji learned from Hu Shanwei, the encyclopedia of the Ming Dynasty Harem, that his father had a concubine with a very remarkable background. Her mother's family, the Guo family, had produced two marquises, a noble concubine, a prince's wife, a prince consort, and all the family disciples were officials, and the bed was full of hu tablets.
Among them, Consort Duanjing Guo was almost crowned as the empress, but unfortunately she was so sad because her son, Prince Luhuang, died suddenly after taking an elixir by mistake that she fell ill (Hu Shanwei would certainly not tell the truth that Guo was actually sentenced to death by Emperor Gaozu for poisoning Emperor Xiaokang Zhu Biao).
More importantly, the Guo family survived the reigns of Hongwu, Jianwen and Yongle, and remained standing. During the Jingnan Campaign, disciples of the Guo family secretly delivered military intelligence and released various smoke bombs, making great contributions. Not to mention the fact that during the Battle of Peking, concubine Guo also put on military uniform and followed Empress Xu to climb the city wall to kill the enemy.
After her father was named Crown Prince and her mother was named Crown Princess, Guo was also named Eastern Palace Liangdi, her status was second only to that of the Crown Princess, almost equal to them.
Xiao Ji hurriedly bowed to his stepmother Guo Liangdi.
Guo Liangdi stood up and accepted his salute, which made Xiaoji have a new understanding of this favored concubine with an extraordinary status: Guo Liangdi was not a person who was spoiled because of her favor, and her etiquette was impeccable. She did not sit down, but stood up to accept the salute of her eldest grandson.
Not only that, Guo Liang Di waved her hand and the palace servants brought a heavy gift, "A few small things, take them and play with them."
When Guo Liangdi helped him, Xiaoji certainly didn't think it was just a "little thing" and thanked her solemnly.
Guo Liang Di smiled at the Crown Princess and said, "When he was little, I often hugged him. He was as soft as a dumpling. Five years have passed in a flash. He looks like a little adult now. He is even more lovable."
The more sensible Xiao Ji was, the more distressed the Crown Princess felt. In those turbulent times, no one was sure whether Beiping could be defended. As the only grandchild of the Prince of Yan's Mansion, her son had to find a way to preserve the "spark".
But everything has a price. The son was saved, and Mu Chun and Hu Shanwei raised their child well. However, she could feel her son's anxiety and alienation. A seven-year-old boy should be at an age where even dogs would hate him for being naughty. Her son's sensible appearance made her feel distressed and guilty.
It's not good to worry too much about raising a child, but it's also not good to not worry at all and expect the child to grow up to be as sensible as an adult in the blink of an eye. It's like giving birth to a son for nothing, which makes people feel uneasy.
Guo Liangdi spoke out the Crown Princess's concerns. The Crown Princess felt that she knew her son well, so she took him in her arms and rubbed his face for the first time in five years. She could feel the bones under his fair skin. "My son, you are too thin. I will give you a good nourishment when we get home."
When Xiao Ji was touched by his mother, he immediately became nervous, analyzing what his mother meant. It seemed that she was hinting that his godfather and godmother had not raised him well. He couldn't let his mother misunderstand his godfather.
Xiao Ji said hurriedly: "My son is in Yunnan. Godfather and godmother have been taking good care of him. He has everything that sister Shanxiang has. He is just tired from traveling so much that he has lost his appetite and is a little thin. He will be fine in a few months."
Xiao Ben wanted to call her sister A Lei, but changed his words halfway because he felt that A Lei was seven years old and it was not appropriate to always call her by her nickname, so he changed it to her full name "Shan Xiang".
In fact, the Crown Princess had no intention of blaming Chunwei and his wife. She was just expressing her instinct as a mother by saying that her son had lost weight. However, her son was obviously overly nervous and misunderstood her meaning.
Alas, even if they are mother and son, they cannot be so careless. Misunderstandings may arise if they are not careful.
The Crown Princess was somewhat sad, but the Crown Prince touched his bulging belly and said to Guo Liang Di: "Did you leave some food for me? I'm still hungry, so I just want Ji'er to eat with me. We can both eat happily."
Guo Liang Di chuckled, "I knew the prince wouldn't dare to eat freely in front of the emperor and empress. He must be hungry today since he walked back. I've already prepared the banquet and kept the food warm over hot water. We're just waiting for the prince to come back and start the feast."
The parent-child relationship of the Ming Dynasty royal family was simply a genetic misfortune, with each generation having its own pain points. The emperor and empress did not dislike their eldest son, but as the crown prince, being too fat would eventually affect his health, so the emperor and empress asked the prince to eat less and walk more. The prince was a filial son, so of course he agreed not to go against his parents' wishes, but with his huge body, he was really hungry even though he ate a normal amount of food.
Xiao Ji understood why his father didn’t ride in the sedan: he wanted to lose weight.
When Guo Liangdi joked, the Crown Princess immediately came out of her grief, thinking that there was a long time to go and the relationship between mother and son would be restored one day.
So the Crown Princess also smiled, "Now the Crown Prince has an even more legitimate reason to have an extra meal."
The prince smiled innocently, "Just fill your stomach a little, you won't feel too full. Come on, son, go have a midnight snack with dad."
Compared to others, the prince is most naturally close to Xiao Ji, perhaps because fat people are naturally friendly.
Xiao Ji followed the prince out of the main hall, thinking, isn't there a concubine named Li in the East Palace who gave birth to a son and was given the title of Liang Yuan? The little brother may not be able to go to the main hall to see him because he is still sleeping in his cradle, but why doesn't Li Liang Yuan have a seat in the main hall? Liang Yuan's status is only below Liang Di...
Xiao Ji really had a lot to worry about, and he accompanied the prince for a midnight snack with a lot on his mind. The Crown Princess and Di Guo Liangdi took turns serving him food. It was a gift from the elders, so he couldn't refuse. He finished all that was in the bowl. Xiao Ji was a little full, but he didn't dare to refuse.
The prince sighed, "You two have forgotten your husbands now that you have a son, and you keep putting food into his bowl. That's enough, you can't eat a big fat man in one go, be careful that your son will have indigestion."
Guo Liang Di smiled and said, "The imperial physician told you to eat less and move more. Moving your chopsticks to pick up food counts as moving too much. We are doing this for your own good."
The Crown Princess scooped a bowl of ham and tofu soup with her own hands and said, "Stop after drinking this. Don't eat anymore."
The prince nodded and stared at the soup spoon in the princess's hand. "Hey, don't just scoop the soup. It's almost like drinking water. Scoop a few slices of ham in. The ham is already cut as thin as paper and cut into thin strips. It doesn't take up any space at all."
The Crown Princess said, "After the ham has been stewed in soup, the flavor is all in the tofu. If you eat the tofu, it's like you've eaten the ham."
There wasn't even a piece of ham shreds, just two pieces of tofu and a bowl of soup.
The prince was helpless. As the crown prince of a country, he actually "succumbed" to the arrangement of his wives and concubines. He drank a bowl of tofu soup and stayed there.
However, Xiao Ji felt that the prince was more and more approachable—the way the prince was greedy for meat was just like Sister A Lei.
Xiao Ji thought, should he secretly bring some meat to his dad starting tomorrow
Donggong Xiaoji is using his father as a breakthrough point to gradually understand and integrate into the royal family. Ji Gang has just completed the escort mission and was so worried about the safety of this precious child that he was so tired that he didn't even go back to the mansion. After completing the mission, he immediately went to the Wengtang (the name of the bathhouse) to relax.
The Jinyiwei had already gone to Wengtang to clear the area. How could Lord Ji's "noble body" be watched by others? Only Ji Gang was soaking in the huge round pool.
When Ji Gang was about to fall asleep, his confidant came over and said, "Jiang Quan, the lady-in-waiting of Princess Nankang's mansion, wants to talk to you. It's so late, do you want her to come tomorrow—"
Ji Gang gave him a cold look and said, "I've already said it before. If Miss Jiang has anything to do, just come and report directly. It's not convenient to meet here. Please arrange a pleasure boat and I'll go over to talk."
When Mao Xiang was executed by lingchi, Jiang Quan went to the death row and brought a pot of nerve-numbing wine, which relieved Mao Xiang's pain. Ji Gang remembered Jiang Quan's great kindness, and now that he is in power, he takes good care of Jiang Quan.
On the Qinhuai River, pleasure boats are dotted like stars, shuttling back and forth on this jade belt. Jiang Quan, wearing a hood and a veil, with only a pair of eyes exposed, boards a pleasure boat.
Ji Gang was already dressed and respectfully asked Jiang Quan to sit down. "Lady Jiang, why did you come to me at night? Is there something urgent?"
Jiang Quan took off his hood and veil, raised his head, and under the light, his eyes were red and swollen. "I'm fine, it's Princess Nankang... Hu Guan, that beast, actually secretly married a prostitute as his concubine! How can a princess share a husband with a prostitute! But Nankang was blinded by Hu Guan's sweet words..."
It turned out that after Princess Nankang married Hu Guan, Hu Guan knew that his wealth and honor in this life would depend on the princess, so he tried his best to please and serve the princess, won the princess' heart, and gave birth to a son, Hu Zhong.
Nankang lost her mother at a young age and was raised by several concubines during her infancy, childhood and adolescence. Her living environment was unstable. Although she was always protected by the female official Jiang Quan, she was no match for her biological mother and grew up to be a cowardly person.
A woman who is extremely lacking in love is often easily deceived by a scumbag, a man's temporary tenderness and sweet words. With just a little trick from Hu Guan, Princess Nankang became completely devoted to him. After she gave birth to a son, she trusted Hu Guan even more.
Jiang Quan has experienced many vicissitudes of life and can see Hu Guan's true colors at a glance. He always advises Nankang to behave like a princess and not be manipulated by her husband. Hu Guan pretends to be a wronged white lotus and flatters Jiang Quan in front of Princess Nankang.
Princess Nankang became more and more dependent on Hu Guan, and gradually alienated Jiang Quan, the female official who grew up with her. Jiang Quan was helpless, thinking that for the sake of her great-grandson Hu Zhong, it would be bad to break up the family. Hu Guan was a bad person, but he would not dare to do anything bad to the princess, so they just had to get along.
Jiang Quan turned a blind eye. Hu Guan knew that this female official had extensive connections and was very powerful, so he did not dare to go too far. The two sides reached a truce and lived in peace.
Hu Guan relied on the princess to make money. Everyone said that Bao Nuan wanted to do that, so Hu Guan hooked up with an oinster lady in Qinhuai River.
Jiang Quan had been on guard against Hu Guan, and when he got the evidence, he immediately revealed the matter to Princess Nankang. However, Hu Guan denied it, and secretly hid the courtesan somewhere else, leaving no evidence. He also accused Jiang Quan of being a psychopath, deliberately instigating discord between them, and wanted to drive Jiang Quan out of the princess's mansion.
Princess Nankang chose to believe Hu Guan, but after years of friendship, she couldn't bear to part with Jiang Quan, a loyal female official. The princess advised Jiang Quan not to be suspicious anymore, as it would be nice for him to spend his twilight years in the princess's mansion at his age.
How could Jiang Quan swallow this? She was a ruthless person who studied hard for ten years in order to take the exam for a female official and find her daughter!
On the surface, she agreed to the princess, apologized to Hu Guan and repented, and used a delaying tactic. As soon as Ji Gang came back, she immediately came to him overnight and asked Ji Gang for help to find the courtesan that Hu Guan had secretly hidden, so that Princess Nankang could see Hu Guan's true face.
Ji Gang heard this and said, "When Lord Mao was tortured to death, it was Hu Guan who started the conspiracy against Lord Mao and framed him to kill important officials of the imperial court. I know that Hu Guan wanted to avenge the family of Marquis Dongchuan, and that Emperor Gaozu wanted to kill Lord Mao to appease the public anger. But since he was willing to be used as a gun, he should know the consequences of being a gun."
"It's just that Hu Guan is the consort of Princess Nankang. How can I not know the relationship between Lady Jiang and Princess Nankang? Others may not know it, but how can I not know it? It's not worth it to damage the jade bottle just to kill a rat. Now Hu Guan dares to plot against Lady Jiang and deceive Princess Nankang. I will not let him go for the new and old grudges. In your words, what do you want to do to Hu Guan?"
Jiang Quan's eyes froze. "Nan Kang will not be happy with him around. She is falling deeper and deeper into the trap of love. Sooner or later, she will suffer a fatal blow. It is better to stop the loss in time. I want him to be the same as Lord Ji wants him to be."
The author has something to say: If you don’t do it, you won’t die~
There was also a Princess Nankang in the Jin Dynasty. She was the one who took a knife to kill her husband's concubine, but gave up when she saw that the concubine was too beautiful, saying "I still pity her". Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solution~
Thanks to the little angel who threw [bazooka]: 1 small ball;
Thanks to the little angels who cast [mines]: lonely as stars 2; 1031272, Rongrong loves to be a small bench, all the exams passed, 壓壓, Ozil said excitedly, breathesky2007, 910002, two pieces, Lili 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
Hanjin, Chuanfan, Fengguo Huilang 50 bottles; Girl Ran 49 bottles; Yanzi 20 bottles; Mushroom 18 bottles; Longbao 15 bottles; 21682930, Mantanghuazui, Lavender, 15272123, lostluna, Exam Complete Pass, anne, zfzl2 10 bottles; Tingting Jingzhi 6 bottles; rrofhz, Miaojiang's Miao, Xiangmao, yuki, Lemonade 5 bottles; Sanqian 3 bottles; Lingzi, Natiao Xiaoxiaoyu 2 bottles; Xixi in the book chase, Fanfan in the dream, llllna, 22426265, Grasshopper, 17438403, Tranquil Orchid, 20487360, lynnlynn, Qingxuanzhu Baizhou 19, Yang Yanxi Dada Penyu 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!