Concubine Quan began her performance.
The sound of the phoenix flute moves, the light of the jade pot turns. What I listen to is the sound, what I think about is the emotion.
At the end of the song, Emperor Yongle gave Concubine Quanxian a jade flute, then got up and went to Rouyi Hall, where the coffin of Empress Renxiao was placed.
Emperor Yongle went to accompany the Empress, so there was no need for the royal family to pretend, and they all dispersed. As the crowd left, the tea got cold, and in the end, only Concubine Zhang was left at the grand Mid-Autumn family dinner.
Concubine Zhang Shufei looked at the dishes on the table that had hardly been eaten with her chopsticks and began to reflect.
Did she do a good job at Queen Inhyo's funeral
good.
Did she organize the Mid-Autumn family dinner well
good.
But why is it such a thankless task
She has paid so much, but she is not as good as the dead Empress Renxiao, and she is not even as good as the idle concubine Quanxianfei who spends the whole day doing nothing and just waiting for food and drink.
What’s the use of me having this power in the harem!
I have been in power for less than two months, and I have offended almost everyone in the six bureaus and one department. The emperor can't even look at me. I am really unpopular both inside and outside.
She couldn't go on like this, so Concubine Zhang began to reflect on herself.
It was also the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Hu family on the first ring road was celebrating happily. A Lei excitedly told Hu Shanwei about the magnificent view of the Qiantang River tide:
“… A wave came over, like a mountain pressing down on one’s head, with the momentum of a dragon, like Nezha making trouble in the sea, and the water was boiling. My brother-in-law and I stood far away, and our hair and clothes were soaked by the tide. Many brave people chased the wave, and when the huge waves came, they tied themselves to trees and stone pillars. Many times they felt that the huge waves would swallow them up. They really risked their lives just for fun.”
Hu Shanwei looked at A Lei and smiled, "You said it very well, just like I saw it with my own eyes. It's not like some people who only say that the Leifeng Pagoda is tall and big when they look at it, or that the sun is big and round when they see it."
It was about the time when she went to Hangzhou to print a book, and Mu Chun suffered domestic violence from his own father, so he ran away from home and followed her to Hangzhou. To show off his culture, he bought a Sichuan gold fan and climbed the tower for a tour, then made a big fool of himself when he was writing a poem.
Arei was curious and asked, "Who is it?"
Muchun was concentrating on eating mooncakes, as if it was none of his business.
Hu Shanwei smiled but said nothing. A Lei asked Mu Chun: "Brother-in-law, who is my sister talking about?"
Mu Chun took out the salted egg yolk from the mooncake and gave it to A Lei. "It's so old, who still remembers it? Let's eat."
The three of them chatted and admired the moon in the courtyard. A Lei fell asleep at the second watch. Mu Chun carried her to the bedroom. When she came out, she twisted her shoulders and said, "Alas, I can't play anymore after becoming a father. I used to be one of those people who didn't care about their lives chasing the big tide."
Hu Shanwei helped rub his shoulders, "You dare not follow the tide, but you dare to fight."
Mu Chun said, "That's different. I have spent almost half my life in the southwest. As long as there is a need, I will go and fight even if I am in my seventies or eighties. Not to mention, after winning this battle, I feel refreshed and I feel like I am a few years younger."
Hu Shanwei felt the same way. "I'm the same way. I've been in the palace for almost two months and I've been so busy. Fortunately, you came back to accompany A Lei, otherwise it would be difficult for me to take care of both ends. But even though I'm busy, I can still keep up with the energy. It's like I've returned to the past and become younger."
Mu Chun and Hu Shanwei's five-year secluded life has come to an end. Perhaps because they are both strong-willed by nature, they have no difficulty adapting to returning to their respective battlefields. Instead, they are more adept at it.
A Lei fell asleep. The two of them leaned against each other, sitting intimately. Mu Chun raised his chin and pointed in the direction of the neighbor Mu Mansion. "Everyone next door is familiar. The emperor is so bold to grant me a house. Isn't he afraid that a familiar face like me will be exposed? Every time I go home, I have to put on a mask made of fish glue. It's okay if it's made nice, but I have an ordinary face. It's really a waste of my looks."
Hu Shanwei coaxed him, "It is this kind of ordinary face that is safe. If a handsome man often comes in and out of my mansion, it will become the biggest scandal in the capital."
Mu Chun hugged his wife and said, "Having a scandal with your own wife is more exciting than catching the tide in Qiantang River..."
The family of three stayed at home and had a perfect holiday. The Hu family was full of well-trained official slaves, supervised by the eunuch Sanbao, and their lives were in the hands of the eunuch Sanbao. Suddenly, a strange man appeared in the Hu family, and his face was always changing like the moon, and he had plastic surgery almost every day. The official slaves were used to it and turned a blind eye, just like Mu Chun was an invisible man, and no one dared to reveal a word.
The man behind the three court ladies cannot be an ordinary person. It is better not to know about this kind of thing. The more you know, the faster you will lose your life, and it will also implicate your family. Official slaves cannot escape at all.
Before Hu Shanwei went to Beijing, she repeatedly told A Lei on the way that she and Mu Chun were in a secret marriage. No one else in the capital knew about it except the emperor and empress, the crown prince of the Eastern Palace, the crown princess, Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Zhanhe of the Prince of Han's Palace, and people who worked in intelligence such as the eunuch Sanbao and the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Ji Gang.
A palace lady could be unmarried or a widow with children, but she could not have a living husband - a dead husband did not matter, so Hu Shanwei must have been unmarried to the outside world.
Arei swore to heaven that he would remember it and would never let it slip.
The holiday passed quickly. Hu Shanwei got up at four o'clock in the morning. Mu Chun was sleeping soundly. In order not to disturb him, she tiptoed to the next room to wash and dress. Before leaving, she went to A Lei's room and covered her with the quilt that she had kicked off.
Due to her special status, Hu Shanggong's work ceremony was no less grand than that of a first-rank official in the imperial court. She was escorted by Jinyiwei cavalry, with gongs clearing the way, and surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids.
According to the iron rules set by the Hongwu Dynasty, eunuchs were not allowed to interfere in government affairs or make friends with external officials. Apart from visiting neighbors as a neighbor, Hu Shanwei usually closed her door to visitors and did not interact with anyone. Even when talking to the ladies of the imperial court, it was limited to the palace. She did not utter a word outside the palace.
Even so, Hu Shanwei, as a female official who did not live in the palace, still angered many officials with her daily commute to and from get off work. They wrote letters to the emperor, saying that the palace rules were lax and that it was unbecoming for female officials to enter and leave the palace every day and parade around.
Hu Shanwei didn't want all this pomp and circumstance. Every day, Jinyiwei, palace eunuchs, and female officials from the Shangyi Bureau were there to pick her up and drop her off at get off work. These three departments jointly enforced the law. This was surveillance, but also a form of protection - if someone slandered her for making friends with foreign officials and plotting something bad, these three departments would be witnesses who could prove her innocence, unless all three departments were bribed.
However, behind the three departments are Ji Gang, Sanbao eunuch and Shangyi Bureau respectively, and the chance of them joining forces to frame her is basically zero.
Emperor Yongle ignored these idle memorials and treated them coldly.
Unexpectedly, these officials did not dare to touch the hard rock of Emperor Yongle, so they picked on Hu Shanwei, the soft persimmon. When Hu Shanwei was going to and from get off work every day, they would scold Hu Shanwei on the roadside for parading in the streets and having no shame.
Before he could curse to his heart's content, he was shut up by the Embroidered Uniform Guards and arrested for harassing a female official and taken to the Imperial Prison for tea. Ji Gang used some tricks and he became well behaved after he was released from prison.
Ji Gang waved his hand and added another 100 Jinyiwei escorts in the name of protecting Hu Shanwei, making the scene even more grand...
Hu Shanwei went to Ji Gang and said, "Quickly withdraw those 100 Jinyiwei. The six ministers of the capital don't have this kind of pomp and circumstance when they go to court. You are not protecting me, you are making me hate you. I live outside the palace, and there will definitely be people who will not accept it at the beginning. I am ready to be scolded, but after a long time, people will get used to it and it will pass. Why make such a fuss?"
Over the years, I have seen all kinds of ups and downs, especially the situation in the court, where forces have risen and fallen, and major wealthy families have come and gone. How can it be more than just vicissitudes of life? Time can change a lot of things, so there is no need to rush.
Ji Gang disagreed, "You didn't do anything wrong, why do you have to be pointed at and scolded? I am the commander of the Jinyiwei. I am not a dead man. I will not stand by and watch you being splashed with dirty water. If you don't want to be scolded, then you should be a saint admired by everyone and make others unable to find fault with you. Or, you should be a ruthless person who scares and frightens people. No matter what they think in their hearts, they dare not be rude to you in person, and even have to cater to you and flatter you."
"As for saints, Confucius appears only once every thousands of years. You don't need to follow this path. You should be more realistic. Be a ruthless person and let others fear you. Then you will have peace of mind."
Ji Gang has held a high position in recent years, and his temperament has changed greatly. He is still a beauty, but sometimes when Hu Shanwei looks at him, he often sees another person's face in it - Ji Gang's temperament is becoming more and more like Mao Xiang of the Hongwu Dynasty.
Hu Shanwei said: "I don't care what others think of me. More than 20 years ago, when I entered the palace, some people said that I was a flatterer who only catered to the emperor's wishes. The mouth is on other people's heads, but my ears are mine. I can choose not to hear and do my own things. If there is any dissent and pointing fingers, I can't stand it. If I have to suppress it with shouting and killing, I will not be the Hu Shanwei of today."
"I don't need you to teach me how to be an official. I don't want to see the extra one hundred Jinyiwei from now on when I leave the palace."
Hu Shanwei issued an ultimatum, and Ji Gang was so angry that his face turned pale, "Your kindness was taken for granted."
Although she was angry, when the palace gates were closed in the evening and Hu Shanwei left the palace, there were indeed one hundred fewer Jinyiwei waiting outside Xi'an Gate to escort her home.
Officials who were invited by Ji Gang to the imperial prison for tea had problems one after another, of course not because they reported Hu Shanwei's stay outside the palace. Some of them were reported for corruption and bribery; some of them had bad family traditions and protected their relatives; some even stayed at a prostitute's house and were caught in bed, etc. All of them had solid evidence and eventually lost their jobs.
In this way, Hu Shanwei's commute to and from get off work became completely quiet and no one dared to provoke him.
Regardless of whether Ji Gang’s method was correct, the result was fast and accurate, and the goal was achieved quickly.
Let’s talk about the harem. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, Emperor Yongle went to Rouyi Palace and sat in front of the coffin of Empress Renxiao all night; Concubine Zhang Shu also suffered from insomnia that night.
The next day, Concubine Zhang Shu immediately rewarded the Imperial Food Bureau generously and summoned all the female officials and female scholars of the bureau to the Yanx Palace for a celebration meeting. Even the low-ranking servants in the kitchen and purchasing who were not allowed to set foot in the Yanx Palace were rewarded. Everyone received a reward from Concubine Zhang Shu.
Chen Ermei shook the bracelet on her wrist that looked like a curve of clear water. "This is quite good, isn't it? Concubine Zhang Shufei has learned how to use both kindness and severity. She has made progress."
Hu Shanwei laughed and said, "You are a person who is easy to appease. You will calm down if I give you a bracelet."
Chen Ermei was just such an optimistic person. She said, "We are both working in the palace. We should just give each other a way out. Why make things unhappy? Can Concubine Zhang and I leave the palace freely like you? We are all going to stay in the palace for the rest of our lives."
Thinking of Empress Renxiao's entrustment before her death, Hu Shanwei expected Concubine Zhang Shu's behavior. She was a noble lady, arrogant, and impatient. Her advantage was that once she came to power, she could immediately intimidate the harem and keep the situation under control.
The disadvantage is that if you want to eat a big fat man, you open your mouth too wide and damage your teeth. After doing it a few times, you will know the limit.
Who can do it perfectly right the first time? It's good enough if nothing goes wrong.
As the two were chatting, Tuya from the Yanxi Palace came over and asked Hu Shanwei to talk.
Concubine Zhang Shu gave him a seat, and her previously cold expression changed to a friendly one. She said, "I am young, and I have never been involved in palace affairs before. Thanks to the help of Concubine Hu and the six bureaus and one department, I am now able to support myself. I am naturally competitive. When I was in the boudoir, whether it was riding, shooting, reading or writing, I wanted to be the best, and I never lost to others."
"When I reached the age of marriage, I vowed to marry the best man in the world. Otherwise, I would rather live alone at home until the end of my life. After all, our Zhang family can afford to support an old girl. Later... I met the emperor."
Concubine Zhang's cheeks flushed, and with her curvy figure, Emperor Yongle was really blessed. "I dare not hope to be on par with Empress Renxiao. I just want to be the best concubine in the harem, share the emperor's worries, let the emperor live comfortably in the harem, and slowly get out of his sorrow. I feel that I have tried very hard, but things go against my wishes. My efforts have not worked. Concubine Hu, you have been a concubine for three dynasties and have a wide range of experience. Can you give me some advice on how to satisfy the emperor and become the best concubine in the harem?"
Hu Shanwei said, "Since Madam Shufei has spoken, I will tell you the truth. It's not that you don't work hard, nor that you are not good enough, you just put your efforts in the wrong direction. There was a concubine in the palace who had a similar background to you, encountered similar situations, and even suffered similar setbacks. I think Madam Shufei should learn more about how this concubine dealt with it later. It will be like a mirror, and you will be able to see yourself clearly."
Concubine Zhang Shu asked: "Who is it? Please enlighten me, Lady Hu."
Hu Shanwei said: "The Royal Consort Guo of the Hongwu Dynasty."
Hu Shanwei ordered someone to send the "Diary of Concubine Duan Jing" kept in the Shanggong Bureau to the Yanx Palace for Concubine Zhang Shu to check for herself.
The author has something to say: I was exhausted today. It was the kindergarten parent-child sports meeting. The sun was scorching hot. I participated in two events, dancing and passing the ball. I was in pain all over. It just so happened that my aunt came to check the water meter. I went home and collapsed in bed. I beg all the little angels to comment and encourage me. I will give 100 red envelopes tonight. Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solution~
Thanks to the little angel who cast [mines]: Xia~Taoyuan 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
Shuangyueba 150 bottles; Yanduanxiangwei 89 bottles; Bencao, lcy5202000, lfy01025 20 bottles; Jiushu 11 bottles; Amo, Weiyu 10 bottles; Yanyang 8 bottles; 17184939 7 bottles; Tu Axin, Yuezhi, Fanfan Mengyouzhong 5 bottles; Eros 2 bottles; Honghuang Tree Demon, Tianyi Youlan, Xingyao Feixiang, Baosimm, Qingxuan Zhubaizhou 19, 17438403, puffertony 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!