09 Engagement
Meimei did not object to Heng'er and Zhao Min getting engaged. In fact, she had this idea, but she felt that the child was still young, so she did not say it out loud. Xu Junying's children were remembered by the emperor. Instead of marrying a princess, it would be better to marry a princess. This princess was raised by him since she was a child. She was as close to him as a mother and daughter, and she was also of royal blood. The marriage between the Prince of Qi's Mansion and the Hou Mansion could also be considered a marriage with the royal family, right
He and the King of Qi hit it off immediately. Seeing that the two of them still had the same ideas and opinions as they did in the past, Xu Junying felt a little sour in his heart: If Meimei had not been firm in her stance and had followed him, then they should also be... Xu Junying gritted his teeth, pinched himself secretly, raised his eyes to meet Meimei's gentle gaze, and a doting smile appeared on his face.
It is well known that the King of Qi behaved improperly and kept male favorites and was fond of male beauty, but facts also prove that the King of Qi did not delay having children because of this. It is extremely difficult to guess whether he was really a homosexual or not. Those who used to have such a good relationship with him were also confused when they thought about it carefully. They had played together, yes, but they had never seen him having sex with any man in public.
Xu Junying accidentally learned the secret of the King of Qi. Su De finally made up her mind to restrain her behavior. Under the arrangement of the Queen, she married a fourth-rank official in her thirties who had recently lost his wife. In the second year after marriage, she gave birth to a daughter. Su De, who became a mother, felt guilty and released Song Jiulang and other male favorites. Xu Junying disdained to send a male favorite personally, and handed the matter to Bai Zhan to do it. Song Jiulang was safely sent back to his hometown. Bai Zhan was talkative and loved to parrot. When he came back, he couldn't help but tell Hou Ye about Song Jiulang's departure from Beijing. Song Jiulang was drunk and said with a sad face that the person he couldn't bear to let go was actually the King of Qi. He also said that in fact many people were confused by the King of Qi, including himself, who had been played by the King of Qi. The King of Qi was indeed a male favorite, but he didn't do it for real. He could hug the male favorite and sleep with him in the same bed, strip off his clothes and touch and play with each other, but he refused to go further. He tortured people to the point of burning desire and drove them away...
Maybe he only has one Jian Yu in his heart. Among all the dirty men in the world, only Jian Yu can achieve the fusion of soul and body with him? The ambiguous feelings of the King of Qi for Meimei for so many years made Xu Junying very unhappy. Are they really that similar? He caught Shan Yong to ask, and Shan Yong told the truth: Jian Yu is a peerless handsome man with noble temperament, gorgeous face, changeable and smart personality. Madam Hou in men's clothes is not exactly the same as him, but she is really similar, especially the pair of eyes as bright as stars, which are exactly the same as Jian Yu. When seeing Qin Er on the snow that year, not only the King of Qi, but everyone around him was stunned for a while. Even if she wore a mask and turned into Cen Meimei, the King of Qi pulled her out with those eyes.
Xu Junying was not worried that Meimei would be snatched away. The couple had long been integrated into one and could not live without the other. However, the feeling that someone was coveting the treasure in the family was always lingering, like a harmless little wooden thorn stuck in the flesh, irritating you from time to time and causing you great discomfort.
He subconsciously didn't want to marry into the Qi Wang Mansion, but Meimei had made the decision, and he couldn't object to it in person. After the Qi Wang left, he said to Meimei:
"The marriage of the children of the royal family is always decided by the Queen Mother, the Emperor, and the Empress. Even if the Prince of Qi is Min'er's father, he cannot make his own decision. I'm afraid this matter is not so easy to decide, right?"
Meimei looked at him thoughtfully: "My husband has been silent just now, don't you like Min'er to be your wife? Do you really want Heng'er to marry a princess?"
Xu Junying said: "I don't think so, I just want to remind you that this may not be possible."
Meimei smiled slyly: "Don't worry, my husband, this will definitely work, as long as you don't sabotage it secretly!"
"Look at what you said, how can I destroy it and how can I destroy it?"
"I don't think I know what you are thinking. You are competing with the King of Qi and are not willing to marry him! I might as well tell you, Xu Junying, that I have talked to Heng'er and told him that he must marry one of the ten princesses of the emperor, otherwise he will marry Min'er. Let him weigh it himself. He has seen the princesses, but he said he doesn't like any of them. He likes Min'er and is willing to marry Min'er. You are not allowed to interfere in this matter. You can't go to the emperor and say something. Let it go and let the King of Qi handle it. Don't worry, the King of Qi will get it done!"
Xu Junying was suppressed by Meimei in this way. He just watched the situation develop quietly and stopped interfering, but in his heart he hoped that this would not succeed.
Among the many princes, the emperor values the crown prince the most and sees him in person every day. Naturally, he is familiar with Xu Jiheng who is beside the crown prince. The eleven-year-old boy is very much like his father, with handsome appearance, dignified and calm demeanor. What is more rare is that he is both good in character and academic performance. He is one year older than the crown prince, but seems much more mature than the crown prince. The emperor has a lot of praise for him. He once chatted with Xu Junying and intended to promise his favorite nine-year-old third princess Yurui to Heng'er. Xu Junying did not tell Meimei because it was just a casual chat and he was unwilling to say more about things that had not been decided.
But he underestimated the determination of Prince Qi. Prince Qi not only mobilized the Queen Mother, but also went to find the Queen together with Lin Runan. The marriage of royal daughters has always been decided by the Queen Mother and the Queen. The mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law suddenly became unprecedentedly united and unanimously decided on the matter. By the time the emperor got the news, it was too late to stop it. He could only watch his beloved daughter Yurui crying, but he could do nothing.
Meimei felt that there was no suspense in this matter. The Queen Mother doted on Prince Qi, Lin Runan was the Queen's close friend, and after the Crown Prince was appointed, the Emperor never met another concubine like Concubine Shu who could make him lose his mind, and their relationship was restored. The Queen's position was stable, and no one in the harem dared to challenge the Queen. Even with the two most authoritative women in the royal family coming forward, how could this marriage not be settled
But after the two children's marriages were settled, she started to prepare for a rainy day: after all, the two kids are so young, what if their feelings change when they grow up
Observing secretly, he found that the two children did not show any special behavior. Zhao Min followed Heng'er as usual when he arrived at the Hou Mansion, and never left his side. As the eldest brother, Heng'er had been accustomed to taking care of his younger siblings since childhood. It was hard to tell any difference in his attitude towards Zhao Min and Meiyi and Meijuan. If there was any difference, it was that he often ordered Zhao Min to help look after Xue'er who was running around and Cheng'er who was still unstable in his walk.
Meimei's worried expression made Xu Junying laugh: "You are so happy, aren't you? Why are you still like this? Don't worry, all the boys in the Xu family are responsible. Now that they have settled down, Heng'er will treat Min'er well."
"I hope so. Finally one problem has been solved, but we still have so many sons, and Meiyi and Meijuan... Husband, come with me to think of a solution, especially for our two daughters. We can't let them enter the palace!"
Xu Junying hugged her and said, "I know. Take your time. Don't think too much. Just focus on your pregnancy!"
"Well, do you think we should let the elders in the mansion know about this?"
Xu Junying pondered and sighed slightly: "I'll go in the evening, you take a good rest!"
The elders of the Hou Mansion, Mrs. Xu, who was in her seventies, was still in good health and seemed to be getting more and more energetic as she got older, but people who had contact with the Hou Mansion rarely saw her. Everyone knew that Mrs. Xu was old and unwell and was not suitable for seeing guests. Her Jinhua Hall became completely silent after Xu Xiaowan and Xu Xiaomin got married. Xu Xiaojuan had disappeared for many years. After Li Zhao failed the imperial examination, Xu Junying could not bear it and found a position for Li Zhao in another province and sent the couple far away. Zhuang Yulan gave birth to a stupid son and two daughters in a row. She felt ashamed and refused to come to the door. The second master and second mistress often came to accompany her. The grandchildren came to greet her from time to time, but they no longer voluntarily stayed for dinner here. Except for the New Year and other festivals, they would come to get together. The great-grandchildren were sent by their parents to greet them every day, but they were all naughty and mischievous. They either caught the rare animals in the yard and plucked their fur, or climbed trees and broke branches, destroying the precious flowers and plants that the old lady loved the most. They were just short of climbing up the roof and tearing off the tiles. They often messed up Jinhua Hall. The old lady no longer had the energy to scold them as she did to their fathers: "You monkeys!"
He could only rage and angrily order Mother Flower: "Find their parents to compensate me for my flowers, birds and forest!"
Madam Zheng of Qiuhuayuan is still the same, dependent on medicine, with weak hands and feet and unable to speak. Every day after getting up and enjoying the massage from the maids, she leans motionlessly on the couch waiting for the arrival of her grandson. Heng'er comes to accompany her for an hour every day, rain or shine. This is what Meimei taught him since he was a child. Xu Junying later set a time for him and allowed Madam Zheng to live to see her grandson grow up, but she was not allowed to leak any information. In this life, Madam Zheng can only live like this.
The two concubines, Lin and Zhou, each lived with their sons, enjoying their grandchildren and spending their old age in peace.
Three years passed in the blink of an eye. In the late autumn season when the autumn sun was fading, people in the mansion began to pick lotus leaves from the lotus ponds again. The half-grown children clamored for the work, and the guards were left aside.
Meimei was knitting in the upper room. The maids knitted the children's sweaters, but she had to make the underwear for her husband herself.
The butler came hurriedly to report that the Queen had arrived.
She hurried out to greet them, but the queen had already arrived at the gate. She smiled and waved her hand to stop her from bowing. She pulled her inside, to the lotus pond, and pointed at the noisy group of children and said:
"Picking lotus leaves again? Why is it like this?"
Meimei smiled and said, "It's like this every year. They have so much fun!"
In the small pond, there were two small wooden boats lying sideways, with several boys busy on them. There was also a group of children on the shore, chattering non-stop. The queen took a look and suddenly exclaimed. Her eldest son, the handsome and elegant Crown Prince, whom she was so proud of, was sitting in a small wooden boat, frantically picking up lotus leaves that had been cut off and fallen into the water. He skillfully spread them out and stacked them together into a thick pile. Then he waved his hand to let the two princes behind him row the boat to the floating corridor. Immediately, a pretty girl in a pink dress and double buns squatted down by the fence, stretched out her hands to take the lotus leaves from the Crown Prince's raised hands, smiled like a flower, and spoke sweetly and crisply:
"Brother Prince, you are awesome and so capable!"
The prince's smile grew brighter, "My goodness, I can pick more, just wait!"
"Um!"
The second prince shouted from behind: "Meiyi, I have some here too... lots and lots!"
"No! I only want the ones picked by the prince brother!"
Several other princes and sons of other dukes also joined in the fun: "I have the same good intention..."
"Get out of here!"
"Give it to the beauty!"
A girl with the same hair in a light green dress was standing by the fence, but she hadn't made a move. When she heard this, she said, "Don't come over here, you little leaf. I don't want you!"
The same pearly voice, but with a little more gentleness and gracefulness, the queen chuckled: "This beauty is really honest. Among all the children in the courtyard, she is the most clear-headed!"
Meimei was a little embarrassed: "This child is even more snobbish than her sister."
The queen looked at the two girls in the floating corridor again and thought, "The prince has always liked beauty since he was a child. He keeps talking about beauty in the palace. He only keeps the fun things for beauty. Alas, I think beauty suits him better!"
Meimei looked at the queen warily. What did she mean? Did she want both? That was not possible!
"The children grew up together. Meiyi is closer to the prince, but Meijuan is closer to her cousin!"
"Children of the Qin family?"
The queen frowned slightly, "I have seen that child too, he is indeed well-born, and looks very much like the top scholar who won the top three prizes in the imperial examination. It's just... Alas! Meimei, the children are still young, there is no need to rush, no need to rush!"
Meimei's body was slightly stiff, and her words of "no hurry" meant that a beautiful woman should not get engaged to anyone easily.
The queen in front of him is no longer the weak Sun Huiyun of the past. She is not only strong and energetic, but also capable and decisive in governing the harem. The emperor has had concubines one after another. It doesn't matter. The concubines just need to go to the emperor to please him, but if they dare to have any disrespectful thoughts towards the queen, they have to be careful and wish for good luck.
Such a queen is a good backer, but one cannot afford to offend. The sons don't matter. The queen gave birth to the crown prince and the fifth prince, but no princesses. She doesn't like any of the princesses born to concubines. Meimei doesn't want to marry a princess, and she can do it through the queen's refusal. But the prerequisite is to give her two beautiful and intelligent daughters to the queen as wives, and she can't bear to do that!
The queen just stopped by to visit Meimei. She sat down to drink a cup of tea, chatted for a few words, and then left. She didn't want to disturb the children, but instructed the palace guards by the pool:
"Watch carefully, don't let anything happen to the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince!"
He looked at his two sons in the pond with a loving gaze again, and then Meimei accompanied them out of the house.
Meimei escorted the queen to the phoenix chariot. The queen held her hand and said with a smile, "No wonder the princes love to come to your house. The director of the Imperial Observatory said that the new house site granted to the Hou Mansion by the late emperor is a blessed land that gathers the spiritual energy of heaven and earth... Look at you. The sons you gave birth to are all smart and clever, handsome and energetic. I have never heard of a woman giving birth to twins twice in all dynasties. Only you, Meiyi and Meijuan, are already the most beautiful in the capital at a young age. Meiyi and Mei are just over two years old, and they have grown into little ones... Are these two children still with Runan?"
"Yes, Runan has been away for two days. This couple is just as shameless as ever. Last night, when Junying went to pick them up, they hid and disappeared. The child's father was so angry that he wanted to tear down the Prince Qi's mansion."
"Hahaha! It's no wonder they are so cute. Meiyi and Meifang are just like the New Year dolls in the paintings. Well, let's go back and tell the emperor that my husband and I will also adopt one and raise it for a few days!"
Meimei had just stepped off the phoenix chariot when she heard the words and turned around to chase after him: "No! Queen..."
The queen laughed so hard that her body shook with laughter and waved her hands: "Go, go..." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)