The depressing truth is that the person with whom you will spend most of your life and have children with is not someone you can choose.
The incident of Wang Ning marrying his wife gave Mu Chun a wake-up call. Mu Chun was surprised and frightened to find that Wang Ning, whom he regarded as the most difficult and possibly lifelong opponent in his life, was so easily trapped by the imperial power and marriage that he defeated him.
Mu Chun originally planned to fight with Wang Ning for the rest of his life.
When a rabbit dies, the fox mourns.
Mu Chun almost won without a fight, but he was not happy at all. In addition to the fact that his sister Shanwei was busy arranging Princess Huaiqing's marriage all day long, using busyness to cure her pain, he felt very distressed but was powerless. How to control his own marriage and not be controlled by his father, stepmother, or even the imperial power was something he had to solve immediately.
He was eighteen years old. Military generals usually got married early because no one was sure when the next Northern Expedition would begin, and whether it would be the real person or the urn who would return from the battlefield.
what to do
Mu Chun grew up in the imperial palace. He understood that without enough power and the emperor's favor, he would not be able to freely choose his wife - even his father Mu Ying, who was such a young and talented man, could not divorce his original wife Feng and marry another one even though they had a falling out.
Muchun has no right to choose his spouse. If his "evil thoughts" are exposed, he will at most be beaten and scolded, which will not affect his future. However, it will bring disaster to Sister Shanwei.
By then, Hu Shanwei will be charged with crimes such as "vampire", "shameless whore who seduces ignorant young boys", etc.
As they are all men, Mu Chun understands why Wang Ning is so willing to marry the princess even though he clearly still has feelings for Sister Shanwei. Wang Ning is protecting Sister Shanwei, and he has to stop, otherwise Sister Shanwei will "disappear".
Therefore, he must hide his "evil thoughts" and find ways to protect his marriage from being controlled by others.
How to hide "evil thoughts"? The best way is to use an "evil thought" that even his father dare not investigate as a shield to protect his real "evil thoughts".
Princess Huaiqing is the best shield. She often goes in and out of the palace, grew up together, and is married. These three points can perfectly confuse the father's attention and make him ignore the character of Hu Shanwei.
Otherwise, Mu Chun's frequent visits to the palace and his unusual performance in the Dragon Boat Festival archery competition would surely make his father suspicious of his insistence on not getting married. It would be disastrous if Hu Shanwei was found out.
The key point is, with his father's cunningness, he would never dare to mention his son's shameful "evil thoughts" even if he bit off his tongue, otherwise the entire Mu family would be buried with him.
The first problem can be solved by a big secret between father and son.
The second question is, when he was not yet able to control his own marriage, how could he remain single and not have his marriage arranged by his parents or the emperor and empress
With Mu Chun's limited wisdom, he thought of setting an impossible goal first, something as difficult as "the mountains have no edges, the sky and the earth are united", for example, if he wanted to marry, he would marry the daughter of Xu Da, Duke of Wei.
Xu Da is 49 years old this year and has a lot of grandchildren. The Xu family hasn't heard the cry of a baby for some years, so it is almost impossible for them to have another daughter.
This is the first reason. Secondly, if his father dared to find him a wife casually, he would risk everything and swear to resist the marriage by running naked and trampling on the Mu family's reputation.
When two armies meet, the brave one wins; when father and son confront each other, the shameless one wins. Whoever has shame will lose.
So far, Mu Chun's strategy has worked. He ran out of the ancestral hall naked. Not only did Mu Ying not mention his marriage, but even his stepmother Geng avoided his gaze and did not dare to arrange a marriage for him, for fear that he would make a fuss and no one would care about him.
This method is very coquettish and cheap, but it has an immediate effect. Mu Chun is not a shameless person. No matter whether the cat is black or white, as long as it catches the mouse, it is a good cat.
Mu Chun was very proud and felt that he was better than Wang Ning in controlling the marriage.
The only thing he didn't guess was that Xu Zengshou, the most dissolute playboy in the capital, would become his brother-in-law.
It didn't matter to Mu Chun, it was just another reason to bully Xu Zengshou. After all, if the brother-in-law beat his brother-in-law, it would be a waste if he didn't beat him.
He was a ruthless guy, but he was still beaten into a pig's head by his brother-in-law Feng Sheng and he didn't dare to fight back.
Mu Ying was a womanizer and more fertile than a rabbit. Not to mention those who died in the turmoil in the inner house, there were four sons and four daughters who survived, and each had a different mother. The Mu family's backyard was quite exciting.
Mrs. Geng, the wife of Marquis Xiping, only gave birth to the second legitimate son, Mu Sheng. Miss Mu was born to a concubine. However, every child of a wealthy family is a pawn in marriage and a rare resource, so they don't care much about whether they are legitimate or illegitimate. Miss Mu was also brought up according to the standards of the eldest sister in the family since she was a child and was raised by Geng. The old aunt had fallen out of favor long ago and knew that her daughter would have a better future with her legitimate mother, so she was indifferent and never interfered in her daughter's affairs.
Miss Mu is only fifteen years old this year. As a lady from a noble family who never leaves her house, her heart sank when she heard the title of "the most dissolute lady in the capital". At the engagement party, she forced herself to smile in front of others, but cried behind their backs.
Others would only say nice things to her face, saying that the Xu family of Duke Wei was the second richest family in the capital after the Chang family of Duke Zheng, and that the Duke Wei loved his youngest son the most. If she married him and became the second wife of Xu, she wouldn't have to take care of the household chores and could just enjoy her life.
Growing up in the Xiping Marquis's mansion with many wives and concubines and undercurrents, Miss Mu couldn't be so naive. Instead, the old aunt comforted her, "... Don't worry about what others say about your eldest brother-in-law being the most dissolute man in the capital. Look at your father. People outside say he is a young talent and a genius of his generation, but do you think your wife is happy?"
Miss Mu thought about it and agreed that what he said was true. You have to live your own life. You know the cold and warmth of the water yourself. Don’t let your imagination run wild.
Despite this, Miss Mu still seized the opportunity. After the engagement banquet, when Mu Chun left the mansion to work at Yulin Youwei, she "blocked" him at the Chuihua Gate and said, "Brother."
Mu Chun turned around and looked at her delicate elder sister. Mu Ying liked beauty. When the old aunt was still the young aunt, she was the most beautiful and could be described as a beauty of heaven and earth. Of course, the elder sister was a beauty.
But Muchun seldom went home, and had no feelings for his brothers and sisters. He was the most familiar stranger. Muchun asked, "What's the matter?"
Miss Mu was a little shy, "I heard that Xu Zengshou and Big Brother are good friends, so..."
What kind of friendship is there between the dudes? It's just a paper-made brotherhood.
Mu Chun and his sister had no sibling relationship, but his sister didn't even know whether Xu Zengshou was round or flat, and she was going to marry him. He could understand his sister's fear, as he was a man and could resist the arranged marriage by being shameless, but his sister couldn't.
Mu Chun felt sympathy for his sister and said, "I still don't see through Xu Zengshou. He can be deep or shallow, smart or stupid, fragile or strong. He can pretend to be stupid until others think he is really stupid. I think this is also a kind of ability. After all, the Xu family has three princesses. It is not a good thing to have a brother-in-law who is too smart. You are the daughter-in-law chosen by Duke Wei. He will definitely treat you with courtesy. The trick to living with him is to turn a blind eye and be a good second young lady of the Xu family."
In fact, Muchun had no idea, he just felt that for his sister, the smaller the hope, the smaller the disappointment. Don't be like my mother, who thought that the man she loved was a hero and would be happy, and happily married him, but died of depression in less than two years.
Miss Mu nodded in confusion, "Yes, I will listen to you, brother."
Mu Chun rode his horse out. The Xiping Marquis Mansion was filled with joy, with lights and decorations everywhere. He looked back, but saw only a bright red area. It was a giant red lacquered coffin, burying the youth and tears of countless women.
This is a damn coffin. How could he bear to let Sister Shanwei die in the Mu family’s backyard
If the affectionate thoughts without sufficient power to protect them are exposed, it will be a disaster. Wang Ning is a living example, and Mu Chun does not want to follow in his footsteps.
Sister Shanwei, please move forward bravely, move forward, and don’t look back.
This summer, Hu Shanwei can also use ice, which was something she couldn't even imagine last year. With the doors and windows closed tightly, the bedroom is chilly. If it weren't for the noisy cicadas outside the window, she would hardly feel that it is summer.
In September, the weather was clear and cool. The princess's mansion summoned Imperial Physician Tan to take Princess Huaiqing's pulse. After returning to the palace, Imperial Physician Tan reported the good news to Emperor Hongwu that the princess was pregnant.
Emperor Hongwu was very pleased and rewarded Imperial Physician Tan handsomely. When the news reached the harem, Empress Ma ordered Hu Shanwei to bring supplements and other gifts to the princess's residence.
Perhaps her worries were over, or perhaps it was really time for her to run out of energy, but after her great joy, Concubine Sun fell ill and could not get up. In September, she was carried to the Qianqing Palace five times, and was examined by famous doctors such as Imperial Physician Tan and the Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau.
On this day, Empress Ma went to Yiku Palace to visit Concubine Sun.
Concubine Sun was very weak and had difficulty getting up to perform the ceremony. She just sat on the bed and bowed. Empress Ma hurried over to help her lie down and said, "I've already told you not to perform the ceremony. Don't torture yourself."
Concubine Sun said: "The palace has its own rules. The better the Queen is to me, the more I must be cautious and self-disciplined, and set an example for the other palaces."
Ever since Concubine Sun became the "second in command" of the harem and helped Empress Ma suppress the six palaces, Emperor Hongwu distributed looms and hung red cards to educate concubines to be virtuous. In addition, Fan Gongzheng compiled the "Instructions for the Virtuous Concubines of the Zhao and Song Dynasties". This year was the most peaceful and harmonious year in the harem during the Hongwu period. Nothing major happened - Liu Siyan's death in the Qin/Wang Mansion happened in Xi'an, which was not counted in the harem.
Concubine Sun was a helper and also a confidant. Like Empress Ma, she had lost both her parents and was adopted by powerful men and "traded" as political capital. She also gave birth to two princesses but no sons.
Queen Ma looked at her weak and felt very sad. "You must get better. I will be so lonely without you."
Concubine Sun said, "The six bureaus and one department are full of talented people, and they are all good helpers to the Queen. Your Majesty, I am not in good health. It is time to move the little princess out and find another reliable concubine to take care of her. It would be bad if she gets sick."
Empress Ma said sternly, "Let me see who dares to gossip about us!"
Concubine Sun shook her head. "The palace is quiet now, no one dares to say anything, but it's better to be safe than sorry. If it's my sister's child, it's okay. The little princess was entrusted to my sister by the queen, so it's better to be safe than sorry. The queen is the stepmother, and if something happens to the princess, the queen will take responsibility."
From beginning to end, Concubine Sun always cared about Empress Ma.
In front of Concubine Sun, Empress Ma only said some encouraging words and fed her a few mouthfuls of rice porridge with her own hands. Concubine Sun had no appetite, but for the sake of Empress Ma's face, she forced herself to swallow it.
Seeing Concubine Sun fall asleep, Empress Ma sighed and said to Hu Shanwei, "When the little princess wakes up from her nap, take her to Kunning Palace."
The little princess has to move again. She is only one and a half years old and has been forced to move three times.
Hu Shanwei ordered someone to call Jiang Quan, who came hurriedly. The wet nurse and others packed up things outside and moved the little princess's usual belongings to Kunning Palace.
Jiang Quan and Hu Shan sat under the window and talked. Jiang Quan felt very sorry: "Why don't good people live long? Concubine Sun is so caring to the little princess. Compared with Concubine Li Xian who used the little princess to win favor, there is a world of difference."
Hu Shanwei also felt sorry for the little princess. "The little princess has been well taken care of this year. Concubine Li Xian just gave birth to a prince. At her age, she is considered to be an old clam with pearls. There is a rumor among the people that if a couple has no children, they can adopt an abandoned baby girl first. Saving a life is considered to be accumulating virtue. If you treat the adopted girl well, you will be blessed and give birth to a son in a few years. Such a girl is called Zhaodi. The little princess lives up to this rumor. I don't know how many concubines who are eager to have children are scrambling to adopt the little princess."
Jiang Quan's eyes were full of vigilance. "We must keep our eyes open this time. We cannot accept those who have bad intentions and only use the little princess as a tool."
"I can say a few words about choosing a foster mother for the little princess, but—" Hu Shanwei spread his hands helplessly, "Do you think there is another Concubine Sun in the palace?"
No.
Jiang Quan made a sad discovery that Concubine Sun was not only unique to Empress Ma, but also to the little princess.
Hu Shanwei patted Jiang Quan's hand and said, "Don't be too sad. We are here to watch over you. We will do our best to protect the little princess."
Concubine Sun was seriously ill, and Empress Ma and Emperor Hongwu took time out to visit her every day. In order to compete for the custody of the little princess, undercurrents surged in the six palaces, waiting for an opportunity to take action. Many concubines gave gifts to Hu Shanwei and other female officials around the empress, hoping that they could have a say at a critical moment in the future.
The threshold of Hu Shanwei's residence was almost broken by people. She ordered the little palace maid Haitang: "No matter who sent the gift, accept it. Keep a list of gifts and accept all of them."
Haitang didn't understand why Hu Shanwei did this, but she just did it anyway.
Rumors immediately spread in the palace that Hu Shanwei came from a humble family, was short-sighted, and too greedy. He dared to accept any gift from anyone, not afraid of getting burned.
Chen Ermei and others warned Hu Shanwei to be careful and restrain himself, but Hu Shanwei just smiled and said, "I know."
As a result, no matter how many gifts someone gave him, Hu Shanwei would still accept them without any mercy.
The author has something to say: Hu Shanwei: Someone is trying to stir up trouble again.
I will give out 100 red envelopes tonight, and there is also a 100-point big red envelope prize question. Ladies and gentlemen, nothing is better than doing the questions, dating is not as good as doing the questions, and doing anything else is not as good as doing the questions. Don't leave, I can still do another 500 questions...
There is a line in this chapter: "Go forward bravely, go forward, don't look back." It is the theme song of the movie "Red Sorghum". Who wrote the lyrics of this song
a Jiang Wen b Zhang Yimou c Zhao Jiping d Mo Yan