Hua Xiangyi is indeed not as big as Qi Zhuyin, she is two years younger than Qi Zhuyin. Raised in the deep palace these days, I lost a lot of weight. She saw Qi Shiyu's portrait in front of the Queen Mother's case, and she understood.
The queen mother took her hand and shook it for a long time before she said, "Old husband and young wife, Qi Shiyu will still hurt people."
Hua Xiangyi was wearing a purple palace attire, with her head bowed on the Queen Mother's lap. The queen mother stroked her long hair and said, "Don't feel wronged, the daughters of the Hua family are all married like this. You marry him, and a few years later, you will be the real wife of the five counties of Qidong."
Incense was lit in the hall, and Aunt Liu Xiang silently motioned for the maids and eunuchs to leave.
Hua Xiangyi smiled and said, "I just can't bear to see my aunt, Cang County is so far away, it will take a year to see you again."
"My aunt can't bear you either." The Queen Mother hugged her gently, she snuggled up like a child, and heard the Queen Mother say, "When Aijia married Master Guangcheng, he was only fifteen years old, and he left Dicheng that year, and the most reluctant thing was to leave Dicheng. It is the swing at home. Aijia used to like to sit on it, and when it swayed with the wind, you could hear the noise outside the high wall. Mother coaxed Aijia, saying that when Aijia came to this palace, as long as Aijia was willing, the emperor would Build an identical swing for Aijia."
Hua Xiangyi remained silent.
The Empress Dowager was the favorite person of Emperor Guangcheng, but what Emperor Guangcheng gave was not what the Empress Dowager wanted. When she stepped into the capital, she realized that her husband's favor was just a cloud in the sky, and she had to constantly compete with countless women in the harem for that moment of joy.
The least valuable thing in Yedu is love.
The Empress Dowager patted Hua Xiangyi's head and said, "It's been thirty-seven years since I came to Qidu. Now that the girl is about to get married, the Aijia is really old. When the Aijia is in Qidu, I see this world's Men are strong, because they can enter officialdom, and they can cross horses and spears. My daughter's family is placed in a boudoir, taught by virtue and precepts, and even if you are talented and intelligent, and eager to learn, you will eventually marry."
The queen mother's eyes were calm.
"My father taught Aijia, saying that he and the emperor are the top of the Aijia in this world. How absurd and ridiculous, Aijia became the queen and divided the world equally with the emperor. Who can be the top of the Aijia? No one can do Aijia. The head of the family is on top of the sky! The brothers in the family are all incompetent, and the Hua family can only maintain their dignity by marrying a daughter. Generation after generation, they can’t even complain. What kind of close relatives is this? Since the world has to judge success or failure by strength, Then Aijia can also win."
The queen mother touched Hua Xiangyi's temples.
"You have to remember that this time, it wasn't Qi Shiyu who picked you, but you who picked him. Ai's family may be defeated in the future, but not now. Ai's family went to Qidong, not helpless, Instead, it is ready to go. No matter what happens in the future, you can sigh, but you must never feel sorry for yourself. This game of chess in the world can only be played with no regrets. Since there is nowhere to escape from the pack of wolves, then fight them You die and I live."
The bamboo tube in the hall swayed lightly, and Hua Xiangyi slowly held the Queen Mother's hand.
"I will never forget my aunt's teaching."
* * *
The Hundred Officials Banquet was held on Yuanchun Night, and local officials entered the capital one after another. There have been fewer family banquets this year, and we all know that Hai Liangyi is keeping an eye on her now, and leaning her head together can become evidence of a party. Li Jianheng has not been on the throne for a long time, and everyone wants to observe this new master through the banquet of hundreds of officials.
The direction of the wind in Qidu is still unknown, and everyone is cautious in their words and deeds. Only the matter of Hua San became more and more popular, leaving Qi Zhuyin's displeasure nowhere to be told.
Xiao Chiye has been secretly investigating the matter of the Eight Great Families in recent days, but he is also interested in this matter. Just as Xiao Jiming entered the capital, the two brothers chatted in the palace.
"The Hua family wants to revive, no matter how lustful Mr. Qi is, he can't agree to this marriage." Xiao Chiye said casually after taking a look at Li Beitieqi's expense account for this year.
"That's really hard to say." Xiao Jiming sat at the table and flipped through the military affairs.
Xiao Chiye raised his eyes and said, "What good does this have for him in Qidong?"
Xiao Jiming criticized the famous and said, "You were in Yedu, and you also took over the Eighth Camp. Haven't you checked the account of the Eighth Camp?"
Xiao Chiye said: "When the Dali Temple was cleaned up, she showed me the accounts. The surplus money and military rations from the eight major battalions have been supplied to the banned army this year. What's the matter?"
Xiao Jiming thought about the document for a moment, and said, "When Hua Siqian was still there, the annual military salary of the Eighth Battalion was several times that of the Bian County. Xi Gu'an explained the unclear account, where can he go? If you can make two accounts with one money, the queen mother can’t keep another ledger? The money in the running water and the iron-clad verification, as long as you replace the verification officials with your own people, put them under the eyes of the eight major camps, and write the annual ledger as you want. The house is stolen, but who would dare to touch the Queen Mother's private treasury? The money is now Hua Xiangyi's dowry, and Qi Shiyu should be tempted both in public and private."
Xiao Chiye showed hesitation, and said, "Now Qi Zhuyin is the commander of the five commanderies in Qidong, and Qi Zhuyin will not agree."
"She doesn't agree," Xiao Jiming finally glanced at Xiao Chiye, "I can't stop it."
Xiao Chiye lay down and thought for a while, then said, "The Qi family has had a good relationship with us over the years. If Qi Shiyu really married Hua San, Libei would no longer be Qidong's brother."
"That's not important, as soon as the twelve Biansha troops come in, everyone still has to fight side by side." Xiao Jiming said, "With Huasan, the garrison of the five counties in Qidong will have money."
"In the future, ask them to buy horses from the north." Xiao Chiye's eyes were cold and hard, "How long can the Queen Mother's private bank last, raising 200,000 soldiers and horses is not as simple as raising 20 dogs. The military expenditure is staggering, and it is definitely not something that one person can sustain."
"Since the Queen Mother has the support of the Qi family, the stalemate in the capital can be broken." Xiao Jiming said, "the power will be returned, and the silver will be regenerated."
Xiao Chiye sat up again and said, "This marriage must never happen."
Xiao Jiming said: "There are still ways."
Xiao Chiye looked at him and said, "It's easiest to kill Hua San."
Xiao Jiming looked at him in surprise and said, "You are also a thorn in the eyes of others now, and the Eight Great Families are eager for you to do it."
Xiao Chiye said: "Rumours are rampant now, and it will be too late to stop them after the new year."
Xiao Jiming pondered, and after a while, he said: "The queen mother wants to make this marriage, she must be able to show her face, the Baiguan Banquet is the only chance. This matter is very important, Hai Liangyi may not be willing, when the time comes There will be a lot of chatter."
"There is a daughter married to Qidong in the last three generations of the Hua family. If you look into it seriously, Hua San may be really a distant relative of Qi Shiyu." Xiao Chiye put down the booklet, and suddenly laughed, "No... I want to make Hua San a distant relative of Qi Shiyu. Qi Shiyu's blood is a distant relative, and this marriage must not be possible."
Xiao Chiye got up, pushed the door and called Zhaohui.
"It's New Year's Eve," Xiao Chiye said, "you haven't seen your sister yet."
Zhaohui looked at Xiao Jiming, and Xiao Jiming smiled lightly.
Zhaohui understood it in his heart and said, "I will come to visit tomorrow morning."
* * *
Han Cheng, the new commander of Jinyiwei, is the third son of the Han family, one of the Eight Great Families. He used to be the commander of the Eight Great Battalions. When he was in the Nanlin Hunting Ground, he just took a rest, neither following Xi Gu'an nor following the Queen Mother's orders. It is rumored that when the forbidden army knocked on his door, he was still asleep, so he escaped the autumn wind of the Hua Party's purge.
But Shen Zechuan knew that this person was the one buried by Xue Xiuzhuo.
On the eve of the Baiguan Banquet, Jinyiwei ranked. According to the plan, Shen Zechuan had to stay in front of the imperial palace, so it was no surprise when he got the waist card.
Han Cheng personally handed the waist card to Shen Zechuan, and the two signed the house in Jinyiwei. He said, "Everything is in order, I only owe Dongfeng. At that time, I will be by my side. No matter what, you must not hurt the emperor."
"Naturally," Shen Zechuan hung up his badge and said with a smile, "This time, we will rely on the commander."
Han Cheng felt uneasy in his heart and couldn't show it, so he could only say again and again: "If this matter is exposed, both you and I will be condemned to death, but if it happens, Jinyiwei will be able to take a spoonful of the soup from the forbidden army, and from then on, enjoy the delicious food and drink spicy food, have a good day. here it comes."
"Don't worry, my lord," Shen Zechuan said solemnly, "Our brothers are united, and nothing will go wrong."
Seeing that he was determined, Han Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
The snow outside was getting heavier and heavier, and it didn't stop until dawn.
* * *
There was a sacrificial ceremony before the banquet for the hundred officials, and the imperial army was ready to fight in the early morning. Xiao Chiye dressed neatly in his court clothes today. When he entered the palace gate, he met Han Cheng and was chatting when he saw Shen Zechuan.
"The left guard is the front guard," Xiao Chiye didn't know, looking at Shen Zechuan and asked Han Cheng, "How did you arrange for Jinyi guards with less than 100 households to do it?"
"Jinyiwei has been reorganized now, and many positions are vacant." Han Cheng said and turned his head, "Today's selection is all first-class players, most of them are suffering from the promotion year has not yet arrived, so it seems that they are all low-level small positions. ."
When Xiao Chiye saw Shen Zechuan, he became wary, but even if he could overwhelm Jin Yiwei, he did not have the power to directly make the other party replace him. Because no matter how the Jinyiwei was suppressed, it and Dongchang were directly under the emperor's orders. As long as Li Jianheng didn't speak, the others would be arrogant.
Shen Zechuan looked at him as if he knew what he was thinking, and the meaning in his eyes was unclear.
The elephant taming station in front had already driven out the elephant, and Li Jianheng was about to leave the hall. Xiao Chiye could not stay for long, so he walked away.
For the first time, Li Jianheng held the sacrificial sword in his hand, and it was so heavy that he could hardly lift it up. This dress made him wear the sun and the moon on his shoulders and the stars on his back, finally showing a clear and mighty bearing from the normal state of playfulness.
Li Jianheng's palms were sweating, and he supported the big sword again before stepping out the door.
Chaoxiang wears a red velvet golden saddle, separated on both sides. All officials kowtow in order, Long live the mountains. Standing on the steps, Li Jianheng saw the eastern haze from his wide-open field of vision, the sky and the earth were covered with snow, and he stood very high, as if he had reached the clouds. The "Long Live My Emperor" in his ears was deafening, Li Jianheng's heart beat rapidly, surprises gradually surfaced on his face, his eyes moved down from Hai Liangyi and Xiao Jiming in turn, and he saw that everything in the world was kneeling, and he was the only one!
This is what it feels like to be an emperor.
Li Jianheng couldn't help clenching the big sword, feeling that he had gained the strength to dare to fight against the sky in the process of kneeling down. This is completely different from the feeling of sitting in court for a long time. This is the first time he is excited when he is bowed down on the hunting ground.
Li Jianheng walked forward, along the long steps, to the sacrificial altar. He walked very slowly, enjoying the honor of the journey immensely.
Among the ten thousand people, only Shen Zechuan raised his head slowly. He passed Li Jianheng's figure, and in the flying snow, he also saw the dark and gloomy sky through the high-level.
* **
When the banquet was opened, Lu Temple began to pass meals, and the imperial wine room followed non-stop drinking. Li Jianheng loves candy, so the sweets room made a lot of tiger eye candy.
Li Jianheng sat on the dragon chair, and the queen mother and Hua Xiangyi came down, and then came Mu Ru, who had just sealed the concubine. Shen Zechuan and Han Cheng stood at the foot of the steps, with the forbidden army on the opposite side. The eunuch of Shangshi Bureau knelt on the right behind Shen Zechuan. Every dish on Li Jianheng's table, the eunuch of Shangshi Bureau had to taste it first.
Li Jianheng was in high spirits tonight, and he frequently persuaded him to drink. He sat on the top and said, "Since I ascended the throne, I have been fortunate to have the help of virtuous people. With such a bright mirror as Mr. Haige, I dare not forget to reflect on myself every day."
As soon as he drank high, he became somewhat open-mouthed.
"I am very grateful to Elder Haige, and I would like to regard Elder Haige as the father of North Korea and Central Asia. This kind of honor has never been given to elders in the past, and now I want elders..."
Yafa!
How can this be said? After saying this, Hai Liangyi's expression changed. He had already stood up in astonishment, and was about to kneel down to stop him, but Li Jianheng happened to burp and was still waving.
"Elder Ge, don't panic, you should..."
"Aijia thinks this is inappropriate." The queen mother looked at Hai Liangyi and paused for a moment. She seemed to see through Hai Liangyi's shock at this moment. She turned to Li Jianheng and said softly, "Old Haige is the leader who is respected by the people of the world. It seems that the cliffs are high and steep, and since he entered the official office, he has been clear-headed and has the courage to speak out. If the emperor is like a father, he will show his favor, but he will lose the public heart that the old man is bitter about."
Seeing the Queen Mother's gentleness, Li Jianheng smiled and said: "In the past, King Xiang emphasized righteousness and respected Fan Zeng as Yafu. Now I am also grateful to the old assistant of Ge, calling him Yafu, which means closeness and self-examination! Ge! Elder, Elder Ge, do you think it's okay?"
Hai Liangyi had already kowtowed and said, "This is absolutely impossible!"
Li Jianheng was like pouring cold water on his face, his enthusiasm was turned into unhappiness by this stern "no". His complexion changed a bit, and he finally smiled reluctantly: "I am close to Elder Ge, it's just a title, what's the problem."
Hai Liangyi said: "The emperor is the most noble of the nine-five, and he is completely different from the overlord who is in one corner. The old minister was born in the mountains of Hezhou, and he is really a vulgar.
Li Jianheng's original intention was to win the favor of Bo Hailiangyi and the people of the world, so as to prove that he was not a disrespectful scumbag. But he only read that few books, how could he know that a title could arouse Hai Liangyi's such resistance. At this moment, it is difficult to ride a tiger, and the wine is a little sober.
Li Jianheng couldn't hold his face tonight, so he wanted to take a sloppy eye and turn the matter over, so he said: "Elder Ge is reluctant, that's all..."
"The old minister thought," said Hai Liangyi, "that what is good on the top will be followed by the bottom! Tonight the emperor has set a precedent, and some people will try to follow in the future. When the time comes, colluding with the party and forming a constraint between the court and the middle will endanger the country and society. It is only a month since the Hua Party's case was settled, and the past is not forgotten, and the teacher of the future, it is really inappropriate for the emperor to drink and get drunk tonight!"
Li Jianheng clenched the wine glass in his hand, looked around, and saw that the ministers bowed their heads and dared not look directly at him, so he calmed down a little. He couldn't be angry with Hai Liangyi, but today he didn't want to admit his mistake. He was restless on this dragon chair, and he had tasted the sweetness of being surrendered.
He is the king.
Li Jianheng's eyes were all red, he took the last sip of wine, and said, "... this matter is over, please return to your seat."
Hai Liangyi also knew that tonight was not the time for remonstrance, but his disposition was hard to change, and he was straightforward: "Old minister still has something to say."
Li Jianheng's lips were tight, and he didn't say a word.
There was silence during the banquet, and Hai Liangyi didn't get a response, so he knelt down and didn't move. This time there was a stalemate, no one touched the chopsticks again, and even Shengle stopped.
Suddenly heard a "pop" sound.
Xiao Chiye put his chopsticks in his place, laughed aloud, and said, "I am so happy to see the emperor and the patriarch like this. The so-called monarchs, saints, ministers and sages are nothing more than this. That's right. Dazhou has such a sage king and such upright loyal ministers, the prosperity of the world is just around the corner."
"Your Majesty speaks widely and accepts direct advice well. It is the blessing of the ministers." Xue Xiuzhuo raised his glass, "Tonight in Yuanchun, why not honor this holy scene."
The ministers raised their cups and congratulated in unison.
Li Jianheng calmed down a little in the congratulations. Seeing that Hai Liangyi was still kneeling, he couldn't help sighing, "Elder Ge, please get up."
A crisis became invisible, and the queen mother looked at Xiao Chiye for a moment and said, "It is a man's lifelong wish to start a family and start a business. Does Ce An have a candidate for marriage now?"
Shen Zechuan's eyes flickered, and he also looked at Xiao Chiye.
Xiao Chiye smiled recklessly and said, "Returning to the Queen Mother, with my current appearance, how could anyone with a daughter be willing to marry? Besides, starting a family and starting a business is not my ambition."
The queen mother said: "The governor is Guoqian. Now in the capital, there are very few people who can be called upstarts. With the appearance of the governor, there are also red sleeves when crossing the Dongjie Bridge. If you don't rush, it will be too late."
Xiao Jiming also smiled and said, "The old father in the family thinks his temperament is uncertain, and he is also afraid of delaying someone's girl."
The queen mother turned her head again and smiled at Li Jianheng: "Ai's family is not in a hurry to see them all. When she was the age of King Bei, she had been married for three or four years."
Li Jianheng hadn't recovered from the affairs of Shicai, and he was a little lacking in interest at the moment. He didn't dare to ignore the queen mother's words, looked at Xiao Chiye and said, "I don't know the queen mother, Ce'an is in a hurry, and the ordinary ladies are still there. I can't stand it."
"You can't say it like that, it's just delaying his marriage." The Queen Mother said, "There's no need to be obsessed with the noble daughter of Qudu. When Aijia saw the daughter of Marquis Helian, the princess of Zhaoyue was about the same age as Ce'an. Very fitting."
Marquis Helian was the Marquis of Trent, one of the Fei family members of the Eight Great Families, and the empress dowager really pointed to the right match.
Helianhou Fei Kun hurriedly toasted and really looked towards Xiao Jiming.
Xiao Chiye thought that the Queen Mother would talk about Hua Xiangyi's marriage at the banquet, but he didn't think it was for him this time. He can't just refute it, let alone marry in a confused way.
Li Jianheng was also caught off guard, and after a moment of blindness, he looked at Xiao Chiye and said, "I... Zhaoyue County Master..." He had an idea, "The national mourning has not yet passed, so I'm afraid it would be inappropriate to refer to marriage at this time."
"It's one thing to get married, but it's one thing to get married. Ai's family doesn't have a good time recently. It's better to get married first, and wait until the summer to find an auspicious day to get married." The queen mother said lovingly, "Zhaoyue and Xiang Yi is also a close friend of the boudoir, and a temporary marriage can be considered a complete success."
She kept her mouth shut about who Hua Xiangyi was going to marry, and only pushed Zhaoyue County Master to Xiao Chiye, which made it clear that she regarded Xiao Chiye's marriage as a state affair and Hua Xiangyi's marriage as a private matter.
Qi Zhuyin's face was solemn, but she didn't speak.
Seeing this, Lu Guangbai didn't know well, and guessed that Qi Shiyu had already nodded, so he told Qi Zhuyin not to make a sound. But marrying Zhaoyue County Master is absolutely impossible. If this marriage is settled, after the mother will make Zhaoyue a princess, Xiao Chiye will be Princess Shang. Da Zhou's concubine has no real power, and he has a false name, and what Xiao Chiye has taken away is the military power in the capital that Xiao Chiye has only held at this moment.
The wine in Xiao Chiye's throat turned into a raging fire. He had already stood up, but he laughed again when he saw the queen mother.
"The eldest son married the daughter of the Bian Shabo Lu family in Bianjun. Now the child is four or five years old, right?"
Xiao Jiming replied, "The dog is four years old."
"The grandson is already four years old, and General Lu has not married a wife," the queen mother looked at Lu Guangbai, "Bian County is a land of yellow sand, and it is not easy for the general to guard it. If you get married as soon as possible, it is also a concern of Bian Shabo. I see that General Lu is similar in age to the prince, why, is it not an ambition for a general to start a family?"
Lu Guangbai was dumbfounded for a moment, and said, "Back to the queen mother—"
The queen mother continued: "Zhaoyue's temperament is out of playfulness. To be honest, Ce'an is really in a hurry, and the general looks more calm. But Ce'an, what do you think about yourself?"
If Xiao Chiye doesn't marry Zhaoyue County Master, Lu Guangbai will marry him. This problem is lying in the banquet, which is to make him be in a dilemma.
Xiao Chiye had already asked Zhaohui to manage the people from the Ministry of Rites, and tonight he was waiting for the Queen Mother to speak, to prove Hua Xiangyi as a distant blood relative of Qi Shiyu, so that the etiquette and law would be obstructed and the seniority would be separated, and this marriage would be interrupted. But the queen mother didn't give him a chance to fight back at all. Who would have thought that what he was going to hand over tonight turned out to be his Xiao Ce'an's life-long event.
In this flash of lightning, Xiao Chiye saw Shen Zechuan's eyes. The two people stared at each other for a moment under the eyes of the public across the looming problem.
Xiao Chiye took a step and said, "Go back to the queen mother."
The eunuch of Shang Shisi was passing dishes to the dessert room. He lowered his eyebrows and sorted out what he wanted, picked up his chopsticks, and looked at Li Jianheng, who was an arm's length away.
Li Jianheng was hesitating, and listened to their confrontation with his brows furrowed. He felt that the eunuch in front of him didn't move, so he turned his eyes and said, "Why—"
When it was too late, the eunuch clenched the long gold-clad chopsticks and stabbed Li Jianheng's neck!
Suddenly, Li Jianheng didn't even have time to react, he could only watch the tip of the chopstick stab at him. His whole body stiffened, panic gleamed from his eyes, and he couldn't even move his fingers.
At the moment when everyone changed color, Shen Zechuan had already pulled out the Yangshan Snow, and the cold light of the straight blade blinked past.
Li Jianheng tightened his throat and screamed with all his strength. As soon as his voice came out, the hot blood splattered on his collar and the hem of his robe. Li Jianheng shouted hoarsely: "Escort—"
The eunuch's head rolled forward and fell on Li Jianheng's body. Li Jianheng propped up on both sides of the dragon chair, watching the headless body leaning toward him being held in the strong smell of blood.
Shen Zechuan threw away the corpse, turned around and said indifferently, "Escort!"
Ge Qingqing immediately drew his sword, and the snow light spread out with a "swoosh". Jinyiwei stood in front of the forbidden army like a golden city soup pool, and became Li Jianheng's first shield.
Xiao Chiye had to look up to see Shen Zechuan's face across Jin Yiwei.
Their long-standing balance of high and low was finally broken at this moment, and Shen Zechuan looked down on him and gave him a meaningful smile. Those eyes were like substance, stepping on Xiao Chiye's chest.