"Sir Shen." Gu Zhiyu walked into the yard where the Duobao country envoy lived, and instead of paying attention to the indecent Duobao country envoy next to him, he saluted Shen Qinghe.
"Master Gu." Seeing Gu Zhiyu, Shen Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He and Gu Zhiyu are officials in the same department, and they are both from the three-rank Honglu Temple Shaoqing, so they often work together. Relying on the care of his grandmother, he was the Shaoqing of Honglu Temple when he first entered the dynasty. Compared with Gu Zhiyu, who was promoted to Shaoqing by virtue of his qualifications and ability, although his talents were comparable, he was slightly lacking in experience.
"What is your country's envoy doing?" After meeting with Shen Qinghe, Gu Zhiyu looked at the Duobao country's envoy with sharp eyes. The envoy at the head was tall, dark-skinned, and powerful, and looked like he had a bad temper.
Gu Zhiyu had never met this person before, guessing that the other party was the first time to represent his country as an ambassador, he said, "I wonder what your distinguished guests are dissatisfied with my Dafeng?"
When the envoy of the Duobao Kingdom saw that the new official was wearing the same official robes as the previous one, he felt confident, and the leader immediately said: "It's not that we are dissatisfied with Dafeng, but we are representing the Duobao Kingdom. All the subjects, come to meet the great emperor and empress with good wishes, why did you not arrange for us to meet with your majesty, is your country looking down on our treasured country?"
These words were full of gunpowder, and several officials of Honglu Temple frowned.
"Since this lord is an official in the court, naturally he should understand a truth," Gu Zhiyu lowered his eyelids and said lightly, "When a minister meets His Majesty, he must pay attention to rules and etiquette."
The envoy of the Duobao Kingdom frowned and said, "But I have come from a long way. Is this how Dafeng treats guests?"
"If His Majesty the King of your country asks to see you, your Majesty will naturally summon him immediately," Gu Zhiyu said, then stopped and stared at the envoy, "Could it be that your identity is more than that of His Majesty the King of your country? And the honor of His Majesty the Emperor of our country?"
The envoy of Duobao Kingdom was choked up by Gu Zhiyu's words, but he didn't dare to say that he was more honorable than these two.
He clearly felt that what the other party said was wrong, but he just didn't know how to refute it.
"Also please don't be annoyed. In order to welcome the arrival of the envoys, Dafeng specially prepared a sumptuous state banquet. At that time, please be sure to show your face." After saying the ugly words, Gu Zhiyu put on a smile again, " At that time, the emperor and the empress will also officially appear."
Originally, he was a little unhappy with Gu Zhiyu's words, but seeing Gu Zhiyu said some nice words, Duobao's envoy finally found the steps and agreed with a smile. Although Gu Zhiyu hadn't said when and where the state banquet would be held, he quickly borrowed the donkey and not only stopped making noise, but even politely sent Shen Qinghe and Gu Zhiyu out.
"Master Gu," Shen Qinghe asked in confusion after leaving the other palace, "Why do I treat them with courtesy, but they become more and more unreasonable..."
"Duobao's national style is sturdy, and the nobles have always kept their identities. They came this time not so much to congratulate His Majesty's wedding, but to inquire about our Dafeng's attitude towards them." Gu Zhiyu put his hands behind him, " So don't be too unreasonable with such people, for them, being too unreasonable is easy to bully."
To put it a bit harsher, isn't it because they saw that Dafeng was now a young emperor in power, and wanted to use this to understand His Majesty's temperament
Shen Qinghe was stunned: "He, they..." What kind of weird personality is this, bullying the soft and afraid of the hard
"When His Majesty first ascended the throne, the envoys of the Duobao Kingdom also made a scene," Gu Zhiyu narrowed his eyes, "they were received by Master Sun from the Ministry of Rites, and they made a lot of trouble at that time, making Master Sun angry. To put it directly, if the trouble continues, the border market with Duobao Country will be cut off, and there will be no contact in the future."
"Then what happened later?" Shen Qinghe swallowed his saliva, a little doubt in his heart, wouldn't this kind of trouble cause disputes between countries
"Afterwards, they just behaved well and stopped making trouble," Gu Zhiyu said calmly, "This country has always been like this, you just get used to it."
Accustomed to the courteous and polite way of getting along with nobles from aristocratic families, Shen Qinghe felt that his whole person was not very good.
Seeing him like this, Gu Zhiyu couldn't help but remember that when he first entered Honglu Temple as a businessman, he was also stunned by the various strange behaviors of these envoys. But no matter how bizarre things are, they will calm down after seeing more.
Just after leaving the other palace, before they reached the corner, the two saw a funeral team passing by on the main road, so they both stopped and let the funeral team pass first.
When the funeral team approached, Shen Qinghe suddenly felt a little uncomfortable after seeing who was in the funeral team, and was even embarrassed to look up at Gu Zhiyu.
However, Gu Zhiyu just watched coldly as the funeral procession passed by, as if the man in the coffin was not the third wife of the Sima family, but a passerby who had no grudges against him.
"Master Gu, my servant is here, I'm sorry." Shen Qinghe felt embarrassed to stay any longer, and when the funeral team passed by, he hurriedly found an excuse to leave regardless of the paper money that was still flying in the sky.
"Walk slowly." Gu Zhiyu cupped his hands at him, then continued to stand in place, watching the funeral procession move further and further with a blank expression, until it could no longer be seen.
"This third wife is really pitiful. I heard that the Sima family does not plan to bury her in the ancestral grave."
"What do you know, I heard that the time of this lady's death was not good, and the eight characters were in trouble with the ancestral tomb of the Sima family, so she was not allowed to enter the ancestral tomb."
"What can't be done, I think it's that the Sima family is not doing things kindly, and the third wife also has children and children for their family. There is no credit or hard work, so what kind of words are they buried alone? "
"It's not for us lowly people to know the affairs of these rich and noble families. You don't care how they are buried. If this third lady had a powerful family, the Sima family probably wouldn't act like this."
"That's why the nobles of noble families are nothing more than sanctimonious hypocrites. When they get a wife, let alone other people."
"What you said is not quite right. Back then, the eldest wife of the Gu family died with evil spirits, and she hadn't given birth to a son and a half daughter for the Gu family. Didn't the Gu family also let her be buried in the ancestral grave?"
"How many family cares are there in the world, otherwise, how could his daughter be the queen because of the good family style and good character?"
Some matters of the noble family are often discussed by the common people after dinner. Many times they only know a little about certain things, or even hear some rumors, but this does not affect their bold speculation and determination to explore the truth.
After all, compared to Zhang San, the head of the village, and Chen Guzi's rotten sesame affair with Li Si on the street corner, it's the family's affairs that are more attractive to big guys.
Hearing the surrounding people talking about these things with relish, Gu Zhiyu walked to the street in a daze.
In this world, there is too much pain and helplessness, but for irrelevant people, it is useless except as a talk.
Sima Xiang walked through the funeral procession in a slack and filial piety. The sound of a suona was like the desperate and shriveled cry of an old woman, and it reached her ears, making her breathless.
After the dignified wife of the Sima family died, there were not many families who set up road sacrifices. These people seem to regard their three rooms as a flood and beasts, and they can't avoid it.
Pulling away Xiaopa, who was covering her vision, Sima Xiang held her mother's tablet firmly in both hands, and walked out of the city step by step amid the paper money in the sky.
The big house of the Sima family was currently deliberating whether to take Sima Xiang over to raise him. From the bottom of his heart, the Zheng family is unwilling. In fact, even Sima Hong, the elder, doesn't particularly like the junior Sima Xiang.
But now it's not a question of their willingness or not, but Sima Xiang no longer has a mother, and there are no female elders in the family to teach them. If they don't stand up at this time, no matter how dominant they are, others will say behind their backs. They are cold.
However, are other people's daughters so easy to discipline, they are too light to be too serious, and they are already grown girls. Even if they are taught by their big family now, how much change can they teach
Zheng Shi didn't like this niece a little, not only because of the problems of Sima Xiang's little family. For some unknown reason, when she saw Sima Xiang's niece, she always felt that she lacked vitality, her mood was dull, and her mind was not very pure.
A little girl in her teens can't let go of her mind, that's not a good thing.
But no matter how unwilling it is, as a lady of an aristocratic family who values face, Zheng Shi still took the initiative to go to the third room and pick up Sima Xiang.
In the palace, Gu Rujiu was playing chess with the Queen Mother Zhou in Kangquan Palace. She had not improved her chess skills recently. After playing a few games with the Queen Mother, she lost a few games. In the end, even the Queen Mother was not in the mood to continue playing with her.
"It seems that this kind of thing can't be forced," the queen mother told the maid to put away the chessboard, and then said, "I heard that the envoys from various countries have arrived in the capital one after another, and you may have to receive these envoys with the emperor soon. "
Gu Rujiu has long heard that Dafeng has several affiliated countries, and there are some countries around the border that have contacts with Dafeng, so it is not surprising to hear the Queen Mother say this, but I am a little curious, which countries are here this time.
"In addition to the countries that sent the congratulatory letter, there are a total of 11 countries that sent envoys this time, and three of the envoys are their own princes." As early as when Jin Yang first ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Zhou had never seen him before. There are few envoys of the country, so he mentioned it to Gu Rujiu and said it very carefully.
"It doesn't matter what thoughts or plans the envoys of these countries have," Empress Dowager Zhou said with a smile, worried about Gu Rujiu's nervousness. "As long as they dare to move their minds, then our Dafeng iron hoofs will make them learn to regret."
Gu Rujiu also agrees with the Queen Mother Zhou's remarks. Only with the support of absolute strength can she have enough confidence. Now the small affiliated countries around Dafeng are so petty to please them, isn't it because Dafeng is prosperous and powerful
If Dafeng is weak and bullying, I am afraid that these countries would have jumped up and bit off a piece of meat from Dafeng's body to feed their stomachs.
"Empress mother, you are right. Before absolute strength, some conspiracy methods are insignificant," Gu Rujiu smiled, "If you learn to behave like a villain, you will lose your identity."
"It's good for you to think like this," Empress Dowager Zhou suddenly changed the conversation. "In the Zichen Palace two days ago, the way you dealt with those two palace maids was very good."
The dignified queen, if she directly said how to punish the little palace maid, it would be too degrading. Hand it over to the steward eunuchs in the palace, and it's just right for them to handle it.
Hearing what the Queen Mother said, Gu Rujiu smiled: "I don't want to get into the identities of these two palace maids, as long as others remember not to make the same mistakes in the future."
"This is someone trying to test your behavior," the Queen Mother Zhou said with a faint smile. "In this harem, you and I are not the only masters."
Gu Rujiu was stunned when she heard the words. Did the mother's words mean those old concubines in the palace
"How could a woman who can gain a firm foothold in the harem not have her own manpower?" Empress Dowager Zhou said with a satisfied smile when she saw that Gu Rujiu didn't show an unacceptable expression, "The palace is a wrong place, and some people want to escape. Going out, some people want to come in, and some people want to climb up. For their own ambitions, these people use all means, form gangs, and even kill people, and all they want in the end is a victory.”
This was the first time Gu Rujiu heard the Queen Mother seriously mention the dark places in the harem, so she didn't interrupt, just listened quietly.
"In the eyes of others, I may be the ultimate winner among these women," the Queen Mother sneered, "but in this kind of place, how can there be a real winner. We women, who are treated as playthings by the emperor, from the moment we step into the palace gate , is doomed to be a loser.”
Gu Rujiu opened her mouth, seeing the bitter expression on the Queen Mother's face, she swallowed the words she didn't say.
"The real winners are only the emperors of the Jin family." The Queen Mother Zhou sighed with a wry smile, "So at the beginning, when the emperor wanted to marry you, I hesitated."
"Queen Mother." Gu Rujiu didn't think that the Queen Mother Zhou never planned to let her enter the palace. She was both moved and a little sad about the Queen Mother Zhou's intention to protect herself.
How much suffering did he have to go through in this palace to feel so bad for this place.
"Fortunately, the emperor is not like the emperor, and you are not like me back then," the queen mother smiled, her tone more relaxed, "the mother hopes that you will become the lucky one in this court."
Won't go down the same path as other court ladies.
Gu Rujiu held Empress Dowager Zhou's hand and bit her lower lip without speaking.
After coming out of Kangquan Palace, Gu Rujiu thought of taking a walk in the Imperial Garden, but she didn't know that she had met Concubine Qian and Concubine Wu.
The two concubines were about the same age as the queen mother, but now they looked older than the queen mother. When the two concubines saw Gu Rujiu, they immediately stood up.
Gu Rujiu was unfamiliar with the two of them. Except for seeing a few concubines at the Queen Mother's place on the third day of the wedding, she had no chance to meet them at other times.
There was nothing to say between the three of them, but it seemed inappropriate to just walk away like this. In the end, Concubine Qian invited Gu Rujiu to sit down and have tea.
Gu Rujiu did not refuse, and sat down at the stone table with the two concubines.
The tea was not bad, but it seemed to drink like last year's stale tea. However, Gu Rujiu didn't show it on his face, and he didn't show any disgust while holding the teacup, and he talked to the two concubines from time to time.
Perhaps there is really no friendship. After the question and answer session of the three of them ended, they couldn't find anything to say, and they all quieted down for a while.
Fortunately, the high-fives that followed broke the almost awkward silence.
The two concubines knew that this was a reminder of the arrival of the emperor's guard of honor. As concubines with no children and no daughters, the two were naturally in awe of the emperor, so they put down the teacup, stood up and took two steps back.
Gu Rujiu got up half a beat later than the two concubines. She put down the teacup, looked at the young man in black robe walking towards her, and smiled before saying a word.
"Your Majesty." The two concubines saluted together.
Jin Yang gave them a junior salute, then turned to look at Gu Rujiu, "I just went to my mother's place to look for you, and my mother said that you have already left, but I didn't know you were drinking tea here with the two concubines."
"The spring is just right, if I don't walk around, I will fail this piece of spring." Gu Rujiu smiled at Jin Yang, revealing two small dimples, which made Jin Yang couldn't help reaching out and poking, "Since the spring is so good, I'll accompany you around."
"Okay." Gu Rujiu was quite happy without being silent with the two concubines. The most important thing is that these two concubines seem to be honest and honest, but... how can there be such honest and honest people who have been in the harem for so many years
After Gu Rujiu and Jin Yang left, Concubine Qian took a sip of the tea brewed with Chen tea on the table, and then slowly said, "The Empress is very self-disciplined."
It is said that the girl of the Gu family is very spoiled by the elders, but today, it seems that the queen does not seem to be too spoiled.
It is the girl from the Wu family who can be called arrogant, and has always acted rashly and recklessly. If she drinks this cup of old tea today, although she will not express dissatisfaction, she will definitely not drink a second sip.
But the queen was able to keep her face unchanged, as if she was not holding Chen tea, but a carefully selected tribute tea.
"How could the queen who can be favored by the empress can't even do this superficial skill well," Tai Concubine Wu raised her chin towards Kangquan Palace, "The one who entered the palace as a remarried woman back then could still sit on the throne of the queen. This kind of means is not comparable to you and me."
Hearing that Concubine Wu mentioned that in those days, Concubine Qian didn't look very good, and after a while, she said, "There are a lot of people who are attracted by her, and the nails we finally put into the Qiankun Palace have not only been pulled out, but also the emperor has been fascinated. There are five fans and three paths. I didn’t see anyone for a while, so I came to find it myself, where is the queen, it’s a demon concubine that harms the country.”
"Look at what you said, it's normal for young couples to be reluctant to part," Qian Taifei smiled, her laughter was a bit sharp, sounding like a mockery, "I just don't know how long this love will last. "
As the losers of the palace battle, seeing the next generation of emperors and queens have a deep relationship, they are full of disgust.
Thinking of how the late emperor treated them, these women in the harem, they felt hatred in their hearts, and then they began to look forward to the day when Gu Rujiu lost the emperor's favor.
How could they want other women to get what they didn't get.
They are all women in this harem, all women who serve the emperor, why should their fate be different
"You didn't look right just now," Gu Rujiu whispered to Jin Yang after leaving the Imperial Garden, "Is it because of those two concubines?"
"Those two concubines..." Jin Yang recalled the nails he had pulled out by Bai Xian and He Ming in the past few days, and frowned slightly, "They have complicated minds, you have to be careful."
"They are just out of place concubines. I have His Majesty's backing. No matter how much thought I have, I have nothing to fear," Gu Rujiu smiled smugly, "The most honorable men in the world are all on my side, and they take What do you compare to me?"
Seeing her proud appearance, Jin Yang held her hand and said with a smile, "I'm very happy to be able to protect her for a long time."
Gu Rujiu smiled and said, "I am also happy to be protected by His Majesty for a lifetime."
Bai Xian, who followed behind the two, thought, no wonder that almost every generation of the Gu family has a harmonious husband and wife and a happy family. The secret is here.
Being so good at coaxing people's hearts is probably the unique characteristic of the Gu family.
"Remember the Xinghualin we went to?" Jin Yang looked back at Gu Rujiu, thinking of himself at that time, because he was afraid of finding out his mind for a long time, he only dared to secretly look at her, and it felt like a dream now. Beautifully unreal.
Gu Rujiu nodded.
"The apricot blossoms have already bloomed, Jiu Jiu would you like to go with me to enjoy the flowers?" Jin Yang held Gu Rujiu's hand tightly, his eyes full of tenderness.
"Of course I'm very willing," Gu Rujiu glanced at the hand held by Jin Yang, "just with Mr. Ruyi by his side, I'm afraid I don't have the heart to appreciate the flowers."
Bai Xian felt that he was going to kneel to the Empress, which was like saying in advance what His Majesty was going to say.
It's a pity that the couple's flower viewing plan only started at the beginning, and it was cancelled because of Dali Siqing's request.
Unintentionally interfering in the affairs of the previous dynasty, Gu Rujiu made a random excuse and returned to the Zichen Palace.
Before returning to the inner room, she glanced at Dali Siqing who was standing in front of the main entrance of Zichen Hall. The other person's face was very ugly, as if something extremely dissatisfying had happened, so she had a bad premonition in her heart.
"A guard of the Duobao country's envoys actually molested a woman from a good family in a restaurant?!" Jin Yang frowned after hearing the report from Dali Siqing, "Since they have come to my Dafeng realm, they should guard my Dafeng. The rules. What is the crime of molesting a girl from a good family
"Wei ministers also think so, but the envoys of Duobao Kingdom said that the guard is a noble in their country, and they are willing to let the guard marry the girl of the good family who was molested back to the country." Dali Si Qing felt that this statement was a bit disgusting. , but as a courtier, he still has to make things clear.
"You've molested an innocent woman, but you still want to take her as a concubine without being punished, what's the point?!" Jin Yang's face was extremely ugly, "If every man in the world has a crush on a woman, he will go forward to molest her. If you have to take people as concubines, what rules are there in this world?!"
"Go back and tell the Duobao country's envoys that my Dafeng country's women will not be married because they are molested. I don't care what the identity of this guard is, if they dare to make trouble in our Dafeng country, I will punish them severely!"
"If they are unwilling," Jin Yang said with a single word, "they will be expelled from Dafeng. In the future, the envoys of the Duobao Kingdom will never be able to enter the Dafeng realm."