July 25th is Concubine Shu's birthday. Song Jianing remembered this day before she got married, because on that day, Mrs. Tai would always talk about it. When she married Queen Shou, Song Jianing forgot it, but she accompanied Feng Zheng to the palace last time. When I went to see Brother Sheng, Concubine Shu also came to the Central Palace as a guest to tease the children. Empress Li accidentally mentioned something and asked Concubine Shu if she was celebrating her birthday, and Song Jianing remembered it again.
On the way out of the palace, Feng Zheng and Song Jianing discussed that the twenty-five concubines would enter the palace again to see the promotion of the elder brother, and secondly to celebrate the birthday of Concubine Shu. On the small birthday, Concubine Shu didn't plan to hold a banquet, so she might just have a little fun in her palace.
Song Jianing agreed. In terms of relationship, Concubine Shu was her nominal aunt, and she needed to pay more attention to her etiquette than Feng Zheng.
Returning to the palace to discuss with the prince, Zhao Heng did not object to this kind of politeness.
While coaxing her daughter, Song Jianing embroidered a table screen of Songhe Yannian for Concubine Shu, and then asked Liu Xi to find a red sandalwood screen stand, and the gift was ready. When embroidering, he carried the prince on his back. Now that everything is in order, Song Jianing deliberately used this table screen to replace the original one in his room, hoping to see if the prince would notice.
Song Jianing likes the prince to praise her, but he can't ask directly, he can only play a little trick.
When Zhao Heng returned to the mansion at dusk, he first bathed and changed his clothes in the front yard to wash away the hustle and bustle of the palace. The elder Zhao Pu of the two dynasties entered the capital, and a widow decree helped his father to correct the throne, and then he framed his uncle to solve the troubles for his father. , began to deal with Zhao Pu.
Zhao Pu was the prime minister, the first civil servant, and his father named six prime ministers in one go. The four brothers were just names and had no real power. They were placed in Zhongshu Province to suppress Zhao Pu in terms of identity, Song Qi, Li He was the one who really divided Zhao Puquan.
Zhao Pu knew that, but so what, his father was the emperor, and he could only bear it.
Recalling the open and secret fights that he watched from the sidelines that day, Zhao Heng leaned against the wall of the barrel, his eyes gradually blurred.
The land of Da Zhou was seized by his uncle, Emperor Gaozu, by using military power from the previous emperors. There are three main points of uncle's merit, one is to pacify the world and unify the Central Plains, the second is to concentrate military power to eliminate the scourge of rebellion, and the third is to be diligent in government for the people and win the hearts of the people.
His uncle, Emperor Gaozu, was the founding ruler of the country, and Zhao Heng respected him and was proud of him.
As for the father...
Zhao Heng unconsciously splashed water on his body, with some sympathy in his heart. The father has the heart to be an emperor and can successfully inherit his uncle's throne. It has already shown that the father has the means to be an emperor, but the identity of the father's younger brother, the problem of the succession that the father faces, is destined to be the father's shoulders. burden on.
There are civil and military officials left behind by the uncle who want to win or replace them. There are elders of the two dynasties like Zhao Pu who are constrained, there are threats from the uncle and cousin of the emperor, and there are rumors and rumors of the common people. There are Liao and Xixia to defend. Difficult. But the father and the emperor have carried the burden alone, and no matter who their brothers ascend to the throne in the future, they don't have to worry about the throne anymore, and they can just govern the country with one heart.
Therefore, the elder brother resented his father's methods. Zhao Heng just watched silently, watching how his father and emperor fought with the common people and courtiers, and how he took care of the country. Since the father has already become an emperor, as a child, they should not ask him to be only a father, that is unfair to the father.
The chaotic thoughts calmed down, and the water around him became cold. Zhao Heng got up, and his eyes returned to the usual fog, clear but not cloudy. At first glance, he felt that his eyes were clear and quiet, but when he looked at them again, he realized that no one could see through this. With his eyes, he could guess what King Shou was thinking.
The moment he left the front yard, all Zhao Heng thought about was his princess and the little princess. When he came to the backyard, he saw his daughter's little face against the glazed window and smiled at him. The corners of Zhao Heng's lips rose, unconsciously. Speed up. When he entered the door, he saw that his daughter had already crawled to the couch, and the princess was protecting her on the ground.
Zhaozhao cried happily.
Zhao Heng picked up his daughter and kissed Song Jianing with his back.
Song Jianing walked to the table and poured him tea, and naturally led the prince here. Zhao Heng took his seat, holding his daughter in one hand and holding a tea bowl in the other, his gaze inadvertently swept across the small screen on the table, over the vivid crane on the screen, and recognized it at a glance. Her characters, her paintings, and her female red all carry a unique agility.
Embroidering Songhe Yannian should be a birthday gift for Concubine Shu, but it is here...
Zhao Heng smiled and said to the table screen: "This is not bad, send it to the front yard."
Song Jianing was stunned, and then became embarrassed. After thinking about it, he discussed with a smile: "This one is not well embroidered, so I'll embroider another one for the lord?"
Zhao Heng looked at the desk screen, shook his head, and wanted this.
Song Jianing hesitated, but the lord liked her embroidery so much, Song Jianing was quite happy, and said, "Okay, I'll send it to you tomorrow morning and put it in the study?"
She let the gift out so easily, Zhao Heng glanced at her unexpectedly, then nodded.
"Then the lord will play with Zhaozhao first, and I'll go outside to have a look." Song Jianing left in a complicated mood, and led Shuang'er to her small storeroom. She wanted to pick out the same birthday gift for Concubine Shu again, but the storeroom was full of valuables. , I was afraid that what Feng Zheng had prepared was embroidered pieces, and she sent them too heavy, which was embarrassing for Feng Zheng.
After going around the warehouse twice, Song Jianing couldn't find a suitable one.
Zhao Heng just wanted to tease her, but he didn't want her to be unable to eat. After feeding his daughter, he asked casually, "I will enter the palace tomorrow, a birthday gift?"
Song Jianing thought about it, and the table screen was the most suitable. Seeing that the lord seemed to be in a good mood, Song Jianing bit his head and said: "My lord, in fact, that table screen is actually the birthday gift I prepared for the empress, look, that is for me, come back to me. Embroider a better one for you?"
Zhao Heng pursed his lips.
Song Jianing immediately regretted it, resigned and said, "No, I'll..."
"Okay." Zhao Heng interrupted her.
Song Jianing breathed a sigh of relief, but looking at the man's displeased face, Song Jianing was annoyed and worried, for fear that the prince would be angry. This worry continued until the bed, where the man lay with his back to her, cold. Song Jianing turned over a few times, and finally felt uneasy. He suddenly sat up, pushed his arm, and whispered, "My lord, you really like that one, so I'll leave it to you, I'll give it to the empress, pick one from the storeroom. You can."
Why bother the prince for a gift
"No need." In the darkness, Zhao Heng turned around and pulled her down, then climbed up and bit her lip as punishment: "Tonight, make up for me."
Who is really angry with her? It's just to tease her, but she thinks too much and delays it for so long.
"Stupid." His breathing became messed up, he said into her ear.
Song Jianing finally came to his senses, and lightly tapped his shoulder with his little hand: "Your Highness is too bad..."
Who would have thought that the fairy-like prince would make fun of her
After a long night, Zhao Heng woke up early the next day and went to the court in the dark. Song Jianing slept until dawn before taking his daughter into the palace.
After sitting with Queen Li for a while, Song Jianing and Feng Zheng went to the Changchun Palace of Concubine Shu together. Concubine Shu did not expect that the two princesses would come to congratulate her on her birthday. For those who have been bored in the palace all the year round, whether it is sincere or polite, the juniors remember her, Concubine Shu is very happy, especially the younger brother and the older brother. , Zhaozhao all came, and the children were more beautiful than each other. Concubine Shu smiled and hugged the three grandchildren to the couch and ordered them to serve cakes, which was as lively as a festival.
"The third sister-in-law seems to have gained weight again." Princess Duanhui looked at Song Jianing and said, without being sarcastic, just telling the truth. When she was a child, because her cousin was partial to Song Jianing, Princess Duanhui didn't like Song Jianing very much. Now that Song Jianing is a princess in Shouwangfu, there is nothing to offend her, and the fifteen-year-old Princess Duanhui has also restrained her childhood temper.
Song Jianing touched his face and joked to himself, "I haven't been able to lose weight since Zhaozhao was born."
"Jianing only looks good when she's fat." Concubine Shu hugged Zhaozhao and boasted with a smile.
At this moment, a little eunuch walked in with a bowed waist, and said to Concubine Shu, "Niangniang, the prince is here to celebrate your birthday."
Song Jianing's eyes changed slightly, but Princess Duanhui ran out in surprise, and saw her good cousin standing in the yard, dressed in the official uniform of Ma Jundu Yuhou, tall and straight, with broad shoulders, more and more imposing.
"Cousin." Princess Duanhui called sweetly.
She was wearing a pomegranate red dress with bright features. Guo Xiao smiled and glanced at Shuang'er and the others who were waiting under the porch with their heads bowed.
Princess Duanhui snorted: "Sister-in-law and third-sister-in-law have just arrived, how come cousin is free?" She raised her head to look at Guo Xiao, her eyes were about to stick to Guo Xiao's face. In fact, Princess Duanhui hasn't lost her temper this year. It's not just that she is good to Song Jianing, because Princess Duanhui is living a comfortable life, and her cousin is becoming more and more gentle with her, and it seems that she likes her too.
Feeling good, occasionally the maids make mistakes, and Princess Duanhui doesn't get angry like she used to.
"If you have something to report to the emperor, let's see my aunt again." Guo Xiao said, and motioned for Princess Duanhui to go in first, and he walked behind.
"Guo Xiao pays respects to his aunt and two princesses." Entering the house, Guo Xiao respectfully saluted, and his eyes fell on Song Jianing's skirt. Today was purely a chance encounter, but Guo Xiao cherished every opportunity to meet her. King Shou hid her too deeply. He saw her only a handful of times in a year.
"Excuse the ceremony, they are all relatives, so don't be restrained." Concubine Shu said intimately.
Guo Xiao stood up straight, glanced at her quickly, and turned to the couch. The three children were all looking at him curiously, Guo Xiao only looked at her daughter, met Zhaozhao's watery almond eyes, very much like her, Guo Xiao's expression softened, and he asked his niece with a smile, "Does Zhaozhao still know your uncle? "
Hearing "uncle", Zhaozhao tilted his head and looked behind him, thinking his uncle was here.
The girl is beautiful and cute, Guo Xiao couldn't help but want to hug her. Seeing his intention, Song Jianing suddenly walked over to hug her daughter, and politely resigned to Concubine Shu: "Eldest brother rarely has time to enter the palace, auntie should talk to eldest brother more, my sister-in-law and I will come to accompany aunt another day."
Concubine Shu really wanted to talk to her mother's nephew, so she agreed, patted Zhaozhao's head, and watched her mother leave.