At nightfall, Duke Guo Qin took a breath and opened his eyes to see Mrs. Tao standing by his side. He asked hoarsely, "Have you told the children?"
"I have told you everything." Mrs. Tao stood up, walked to the table, poured him a cup of hot ginseng tea, served him to drink it, and then said, "They have already decided on the person to express their condolences and are packing their things. We will be there tomorrow and the day after. leave!"
Qin Guogong asked who they were, and then fell silent. After a moment, he said, "Do you also think that the eldest brother...?"
"Don't be afraid of 10,000, just be afraid of the worst!" Under normal circumstances, Jiang Jingzhan has a great-grandson, and there is no need to send many people from the capital to express condolences, not to mention that all the people who go to express condolences are his elders - Jiang Yayi, the third family member, and Jiang Yayi, the fourth child. Jiang Yadan left the house, and Jiang Tianxiao went to the eighth house by himself, not for Jiang Jingzhan, but for the Kui County man - Mrs. Tao said calmly, "You can't go!"
"I know!" Qin Guogong's eyes were dazed for a moment, and he sighed, "If the third brother had not passed away, I would still be able to go back and stay with my eldest brother for a few more days. But now..."
The sudden loss of his younger brother in November last year had severely damaged his vitality. Now that he was hit again, if he still wanted to go back to Kui County in person to see off the Kui County man, the Jiang family would probably be able to take care of his funeral arrangements. .
The Jiang family is still inseparable from Qin Guogong, who cannot die. Therefore, whether the Kui County man is seriously ill or dead, he cannot take the risk and run away.
"Maybe I will be like my third brother, and I will be able to return to my hometown after my death, right?" Over the past few decades, my hometown in Kui County has been worn away in my memory, leaving only a few silhouettes.
Once, he and the Marquis of Jibei were thinking about the future. Their biggest hope was to buy a big house and redeem the life of a man from Kui County. The three brothers and their families could live together and live a harmonious and beautiful life.
But he didn't want to be influenced by fate. In the past, a poor family in Kui County would one day stand tall in the court and dominate the situation. But that distant hometown could no longer be easily returned.
Duke Qin remembered that the last time he returned to his hometown was before Empress Dowager Jiang left the cabinet. It was the birthday of the man from Kui County. He finally found time and traveled day and night to catch up. The man from Kui County was so happy that he couldn't stop laughing. That night, the two brothers slept next to each other. The man from Kui County actually woke up laughing several times in the middle of the night. .
"I'm very tired now. Please pay more attention to the situation at home these days." Looking back on the past, Qin Guogong felt more tired than ever before. "I know that the boss and the third child have never convinced you. In fact, this matter is my fault, right?" Live with you - In the early years when the Dou family was still around, I returned to my hometown to visit my brother and sister-in-law, but I found that the Han family treated the boss and Tian Yuan very badly, so much so that the eldest brother took action against the Han family. I was still worried and tried my best to persuade the eldest brother to put them away. Let me take the brothers and sisters away and let Dou raise them together with the third and fourth children!"
"Later, Mrs. Dou died, and I remarried you. I thought that although Mrs. Lin, my sister-in-law, was born as a maid, the Han family was only from a small family. She dared to treat her first wife and children badly, not to mention that the Dou family was an ordinary official. My daughter, you are the queen of a well-known family recognized by our country since the founding of Darui?"
"So since you came in, even though Mr. Tao was still there at that time, I prevented Mr. Tao from embarrassing you, but privately I hinted to the boss and the third child that they don't need to be jealous of you... Now think about it, I come from a poor family and have no experience. How can your vision be comparable to that of Mr. Han? Over the years, not only have you not treated anyone wrong, but you have also been wronged in the first and third rooms! Even if you spend the most time in the fourth room, Mr. Zhuang is not virtuous. I’ve made you suffer so much... I’m really sorry for you!”
Mrs. Tao listened to his rare heartfelt words, but she remained calm and said calmly: "Although I am not your first wife, I have been with you for so many years, and I can be considered an old husband and wife. Do I need to say these things?"
"What I want to say." Qin Guogong smiled bitterly, "I have always felt sorry for you for two things in my heart: one is the Tao family. Although the Tao family betrayed our family first, if we show their cards to them at that time, they may not dare to Take the last step! In order to deal with the Gu family, I deliberately let them go..."
"Since my grandfather, the Tao family has never produced any decent talents. Even if they are still there today, it is difficult to cheer up." Mrs. Tao said lightly, "Qianbin is not lucky. Although she left a child for Xiaoba, she herself But she didn't survive. Without her mother's guidance, An'er would not be close to the Tao family when she grew up - the relationship between the Jiang family and the Tao family would be severed after Tianluan, and their decline would be inevitable sooner or later. It’s not you who plots against them, there are others. Besides, it’s been so many years since I left the cabinet and I have so many children, how much can I think about my mother’s family?”
"One more thing is the genius!"
At the mention of this name, Mrs. Tao, who had always been calm and gentle, was finally moved. She was silent for ten breaths, and then she said calmly: "The child with whom we have a close relationship is no longer alive. What else did you mention?"
"Tianjiao is a good boy. Ever since he showed his talent when he was young, he has been jealous of his brothers. I know this." Qin Guogong laughed miserably and sighed, "It's still because of Han's past mistakes. I am very worried. Before you Although I am not bad to the boss and the third child, but with my own biological son, Tianjiao is still so outstanding, will I feel that Dou's child is a stumbling block? Therefore, although I like Tianjiao very much, I even regretted why he is not mine? The eldest son? But I still restrain myself from pampering him too much."
"But it's no use. There is really no way not to love that child. He is sensible, filial, considerate, tolerant, tolerant, and humble... No matter whether the eldest, the third, or even the eighth, who is a concubine, they will tease him and exclude him out of jealousy. He, he never cares... I know he really doesn't care, unlike the fourth child, who just keeps it in his heart and refuses to say it!"
Qin Guogong said sadly, "At that time, I was very conflicted. I was proud to have such a good child, but I also felt that since he had not given birth to his eldest son, he might as well be more ordinary! I even dreamed that the third child would be more tolerant, but I couldn't. I hope Tianjiao can be more domineering until Tianjiao is gone, I..."
"Stop talking!" I don't know when Mrs. Tao burst into tears. She looked at the carvings on her feet and said in a cold tone, "There is no one anymore! I only have a biological son! You Since you know how much my heart hurts, why do you still mention it?”
"The genius is gone. The eldest son, the third son, the eighth son, and their daughters-in-law are all overjoyed. You were so ill that your bones were broken, but you still asked Mother Hu to help you find me and tell me all this. I hope I can bring justice to Tianjiao! But I didn’t promise you. The look in your eyes at that time will never be forgotten in my life!”
Mrs. Tao choked up and said: "What's the use of talking about this now? As you said, who said that Tianjiao was not reincarnated in Dou's belly? Even if he is not the eldest son, if he was born by Dou, I think you will I won’t do this to him! After all, I’m a useless mother and I always make you worry!”
"Wrong!" Qin Guogong shook his head tiredly, "I refused to speak out at that time, not because I didn't love Tianjiao enough, but because I was extremely disappointed!"
"You know that we three brothers came from humble beginnings, and it is not easy for us to be able to rank in the imperial court! To be honest, I have not had much ambition all along. When I promised Tianluan to the late emperor and married you as my second wife, it was not originally For the sake of power, it is for self-protection!”
He let out a long breath and said, "The title of 'Kingdom's Castle' was obtained by me and my third brother fighting each other with swords and guns. I have a clear conscience! But there are still a few people who know that back then, I took my third brother to join the army, and we were only able to fight for a long time." If I have made meritorious service in three battles, will it be an eyesore to my colleagues? If Dou's father hadn't taken a fancy to me, promised me a daughter, and taught us how to survive in the army, I'm afraid neither of us brothers would have been able to survive that disaster!"
"From there, I understood that you don't get ahead by doing meritorious deeds. There are far more villains than gentlemen in this world - even Dou's father felt that helping me was more beneficial to him, so he meddle in this business!"
"So after Mr. Dou left, I hooked up with Mr. Tao by marrying you. With Mr. Tao escorting me, not only did no one dare to take away the credit for my and third brother's achievements, but even the credits of many other people were recorded in our account..."
"Later, Tao Gong passed away, and I had not yet found a new alliance with the courtiers. The late Emperor ascended the throne at a young age, and the Queen Mother became the regent. Their mother and son were not in the right position, and they were worried all day long. In fact, I was also very scared at that time. By that time, Dou's father had already Passed away, and Tao Gong is no longer here. As a general who has been guarding the border for many years, if there is no one to support him in the court, it is easy for villains to take advantage of him! Since ancient times, famous generals who have made great achievements but did not die well, or even died in confusion! , is it still less?”
"After Empress Dowager Gu's people secretly rushed to Northern Xinjiang to find me, I thought about it briefly and agreed to give Tianluan to the late emperor - I just didn't want everything that my third brother and I had earned with our lives to be wasted like that! I don't want to I hope that my descendants can live the life that our three brothers had when they were young. It is a luxury to have enough to eat; if you want to know a few words, you need to kneel down and be a slave..."
Mrs. Tao suddenly interrupted him: "You just woke up, don't talk so much!"
"Let me tell you!" Qin Guogong said as if pleading or sighing, "The reason for marrying Queen Mother Gu was to protect herself, and later supporting Tian Luan and Queen Mother Gu to fight for power was also for self-protection. If you say this, everyone in the world will probably know it. They accuse me of being shameless, because I clearly refuse to admit that I am ambitious and powerful... But this is the truth. My thoughts have not changed from the beginning. I just hope that our three brothers and our descendants can be well-off and well-off. Carefree…”
"So, after Tianjiao died, I was so disappointed when I saw what the boss, the third, and the eighth were doing... When I was so disappointed, I almost wanted to kill them myself!"
Mrs. Tao was startled and almost stood up!
"But I didn't say anything in the end, even when you complained to me - that was the only time you complained to me openly since you came in! You always expressed your opinions in a tactful way. If I frowned, you wouldn't Go on. That was the only time you forced me to listen to you!" Qin Guogong sighed deeply, "But I didn't promise you!"
"Because since then, my mind has changed."
"Why do I hope that all the children of the Jiang family will be well-dressed and well-educated? Because I have seen my eldest brother selling himself into slavery in order to support me and my third brother in studying, and being treated like pigs and dogs by the master's family; I have seen my third brother protect me in front of the battle, I will not hesitate to stand up to block the attack; in order to redeem my elder brother as soon as possible, I have tried every means, and it can be said that I have committed meritorious deeds by any means... In order for future generations to have a good life, the three of us can do anything and endure any hardships, and we are always willing to do so! !”
"But it's just our descendants - how old will it be without Tianjiao? He hasn't had time to participate in the Spring Festival! He hasn't officially entered the officialdom yet - at this time, his brothers are jealous to the point of celebrating his death. Such descendants, How can I exert even a little bit of energy to fight for them!"