It's almost March and the weather is getting warmer day by day. The spring breeze is blowing on the willows, the sun is shining brightly, the lively spring can be seen everywhere, and the wicker is covered with a hazy green.
In the Marquis of Yongping, the servants are preparing for the upcoming Shangsi Festival. It is one of the most lively festivals of the year for daughters during the Shangsi Festival. Women will be escorted by their brothers when they go out. Gradually, the Shangsi Festival has evolved into a day for young men and women to see each other and date.
Mrs. Yongping Hou had prepared her big clothes for Hong Wanqing early. Embroidered mother brought the clothes today, and Mrs. Yongping Hou immediately asked Hong Wanqing to try it on. Five or six little maids gathered around Hong Wanqing, serving Hong Wanqing changing clothes. Mrs. Yongping Hou stood beside her, looking at the effect of her upper body, and said to Xiu Niang, "The horse's face is too long, and the clothes are too bloated, so try to find a way. Change the waist. The embroidery on the jacket is not good, it looks old-fashioned... "
Embroidery Niang listened to the complaints. The material was chosen by Mrs. Yongping Hou, and the embroidery was also finalized by Mrs. Yongping Hou and Hong Wanqing. They did every step according to Mrs. Hong's wishes. Strange embroidery mother does not care. Xiu Niang's heart was very bitter. A few days ago, Lu Mansion also wore the same jacket and skirt. It was obvious that the lady in Lu Mansion was very tall and slender.
Xiu Niang didn't dare to say such words, she bent down and stood behind Mrs. Yongping Hou's, smiling along with her. Xiu Niang received a new order, and after returning home, she quickly changed it overnight, making sure to bring the jacket and skirt before she went to bed.
Hong Wanqing changed back to her clothes, and when she came out, she saw her mother sitting on the Luohan bed, staring at a place and wondering what she was thinking. She snuggled up to her mother naturally and asked, "Mother, what do you think?"
Mrs. Yongping Hou smiled at Hong Wanqing, and said absently: "It's already twenty-five today. Zhenyuan Hou is out of filial piety. I don't know when he will come to propose marriage."
When Hong Wanqing heard her mother say this, she immediately blushed and said angrily, "Mother, it's so good, what are you doing with this?"
Mrs. Yongping Hou looked at her daughter and knew what she was thinking about these girls. She sighed slightly and said, "My daughter has grown up, and I can't keep it in my family. Marquis Zhenyuan is by no means a thing in the pool. He is still young and looks similar to our family. In another ten years, our family may not be You can get on him. After you get married, you have to win over Marquis Zhenyuan, it is best to give birth to a son and a half daughter. Maybe, in the future, your father and brother will depend on you to help. "
The words of Mrs. Yongping Hou are half joking and half sincere. Since Yongping Hou returned to Beijing, his position has become embarrassing. He has no decent military exploits in the southwest, and he can't speak in front of the emperor. The important position is not his turn, the next position He doesn't care anymore.
Mrs. Yongping Marquis also thought about asking her brother for help, but Marquis Wuding was stationed in Beijing for many years and had not been on the battlefield for a long time, and many people in the army were unfamiliar. The Marquis of Wuding, relying on the credit for supporting the emperor, has been on the credit book these years. Even if there is a good vacancy, Marquis Wu Ding will push his son up, how can he support the Hong family
Once a brother and sister get married, they become two families, and they will never be together again. Seeing that the Marquis of Wuding became more and more addicted to pleasure and power over the years, there were many words that even the Marquis of Yongping dared not say. The elder brother couldn't count on it, the son-in-law did not leave, and the concubine Mrs. Yongping Hou didn't dare to use it. In the end, she could only focus on her son-in-law.
Unlike Marquis of Wuding and Marquis of Yongping, which were founding nobles, the Marquis of Zhenyuan was only conferred by the previous generation. The Fu family's junior experience also proves that they have high credit and real power. Old Zhenyuan Marquis Fu Yue once fought in Datong and successfully repelled the Mongols, making a great contribution.
Datong is one of the nine major border towns, but its strategic significance is much more important than the other eight towns, and it is the most important gateway of Da Ming. In the past, only the officers most trusted by the emperor could go to Datong to lead the army. Fu Yue guarded Datong, which shows the position of the Fu family in the emperor's heart.
There are so many princes and counts in the capital, and everyone is passed down from generation to generation. When encountering children and grandchildren who don’t give up their lives, they can only pin their noses and recognize them. Why does Fu Yue want to pass the inheritance to the next level? The Ministry of Rites was willing to approve his invitation to seal the document, but the emperor nodded behind him.
Fu Tingzhou, like Lu Heng, seems to have taken shit luck and violated the rules, but the emperor actually picked them up. As time goes by, Fu Tingzhou will surely rise to the sky, and all the way to the sky, Mrs. Yongping Hou can only tie this hidden dragon when he is young and becomes a relative.
Therefore, not only the Marquis of Zhenyuan needed this marriage, but the Marquis of Yongping also tried their best to facilitate this.
Hong Wanqing knows that her parents and uncle are very satisfied with the marriage. Of course Hong Wanqing is willing to marry Fu Tingzhou, but this kind of thing is not something Hong Wanqing is willing to do. Fu Tingzhou's attitude is the key. Hong Wanqing quickly passed a figure in front of her eyes. She felt heavy, lowered her eyes and said, "The woman can't take the initiative in marriage matters. Marquis Zhenyuan should have some arrangements."
Mrs. Yongping Hou didn't know, she sighed and said: "It should be too busy recently, Zhenyuan Hou can't make time. This year is turbulent, and it's less than a month before Yang Shoufu resigned. Empress Dowager Zhang Something happened again. I heard from your father that brothers Zhang Heling and Zhang Yanling had left the capital the day before yesterday and went to Nanjing to take charge. The emperor gave Zhang Heling the title of Commander of Jinyiwei, who seemed to be from the third rank, but who doesn't know This is a false title, the real power of Jin Yiwei is in Lu Heng's hands. Zhang Jiaming was actually demoted and was driven out of Beijing. In the future, only the Queen Mother Zhang will be alone in the capital.
Hong Wanqing doesn't know much about the changes in the officialdom, but the case of Gejue was so big some time ago that Hong Wanqing couldn't even hear it. Hong Wanqing asked: "Mother, are there two titles in the Zhang family, are they really deprived like this?"
"Otherwise?" The character of Yongping Houfu hurt him, and he couldn't help sighing, "When I saw Zhang's family in Shangyuan Festival, they were still beautiful, but in a blink of an eye, they fell down."
Speaking of this, Mrs. Yongping Hou was also angry and said: "They are really, wealth and power are not enough, they even raped palace maids in the palace. Can the women in the palace be touched by outsiders? This is still the Empress Dowager Zhang. , the emperor remembered the grace of welcoming Li back then, and was embarrassed to kill them all. When the Queen Mother Zhang dies in the future, I may not know how the emperor will turn the old account."
Hong Wanqing was very surprised: "They have already been dethroned and demoted, and this matter is not over yet?"
Mrs. Yongping Hou sneered, it was about the emperor, she did not dare to speak rashly, but her tone undoubtedly expressed the thoughts of Mrs. Yongping Hou. When the emperor and Empress Dowager Jiang first came to the capital, Empress Dowager Zhang relied on her two dynasties as the empress and gave Empress Dowager Jiang a lot of looks. With the emperor's cautious and vengeful character, can he let the Zhang family go
Dream it. I'm afraid Empress Dowager Zhang didn't believe it herself, so she couldn't get sick. I heard that even people have disappeared these days.
The Marquis of Yongping was very embarrassed. During the Hongzhi period, Empress Zhang was the only favorite in the harem. No ordinary man in the world could have a couple for the rest of his life, but Emperor Hongzhi could not accept a concubine and guarded Empress Zhang all his life. I don't know how many women envied Queen Zhang's good life back then. Later, when Queen Zhang's son succeeded to the throne, everyone felt that Empress Zhang would never have ups and downs in her life. Looking at the experience of Empress Dowager Zhang, she was simply lucky and blessed, and she was born with good fortune. Who would have known that the world actually made a huge joke with everyone.
The first half of Empress Dowager Zhang's life was successful, but the evening scene was extremely desolate. It is said that Zhang Yanling was able to save her life, all because the Empress Dowager Zhang knelt outside the Qianqing Palace that day, crying and begging the emperor for mercy. Mrs. Yongping Hou was worried just thinking about the scene. Anyway, she couldn't accept it at all. She took back a child from a side branch to inherit the family business, but many years later she had to kneel down in public and beg the other party.
If there is such a day, it is better to let her die early.
Hong Wanqing did not feel as deeply as her mother. When she heard what happened in the palace, she just listened to the story, and didn't think this kind of thing would happen to her. Teenagers and girls always have a higher heart than the sky, and they should feel that they are different, ordinary people are mediocre and suffering, but they are by no means ordinary. In contrast, Hong Wanqing is more concerned about the haunted rumors that are catching the wind.
Hong Wanqing lowered her voice and asked quietly, "Mother, I heard that the maids of Ciqing Palace heard the female ghost cry for several nights. Is this true?"
Mrs. Yongping Hou was noncommittal. She also quietly asked her husband about this matter, and he asked her not to inquire about court affairs, but Mrs. Yongping Hou felt that it was somewhat related.
Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental? There were rumors that there were ghosts in the palace. Lu Heng went to the palace to investigate, and not long after that, he suddenly had to re-investigate the old case of He Ding 30 years ago, which revealed that Zhang Yanling raped the palace maid. When the Zhang family was sent back, the Empress Dowager Zhang stopped shouting and haunting, and the crying in the East Palace disappeared. If it was said that it had nothing to do with it, Mrs. Yongping Hou would not believe it anyway.
Mrs. Yongping Hou looked at her daughter's fearful and curious eyes, did not elaborate, and said roughly: "Don't inquire about these strange and chaotic things. The most important thing in the daughter's family is virtuousness and virtue, husband and child, and should not be touched. "
Hong Wanqing's face flushed with embarrassment when she heard it, and she quickly responded with shame. Mrs. Yongping Hou thought that her daughter was about to get married and she would be the daughter-in-law of someone else's family. She could not help but slow down her tone and said, "Mother is not blaming you, but I am afraid that you will suffer in your husband's family in the future. It's fine for you to say anything in front of your mother. , but in the future, when facing the Marquis of Zhenyuan, you can't be so open-minded. Outside the male lead, the female lead, the court affairs are not something women should worry about. What you need to do is to be filial to your mother-in-law, manage your concubine, and if you can give birth to a son quickly better."
Hong Wanqing blushed when she heard the words of giving birth to a son, and responded as finely as a mosquito. Mrs. Yongping Hou took advantage of the situation and instilled Hong Wanqing with the secret of managing concubines. Hong Wanqing heard this from a young age, and she was not surprised for a long time, and her mind slowly flew to another name.
Lu Heng. In such a short time, my mother has mentioned this name several times.
Hong Wanqing had something in her heart. When Mrs. Yongping Hou said that she was tired and moisturizing her mouth, she casually mentioned: "Mother, doesn't Lu Heng also have a wife?"
Mrs. Yongping Hou took a sip of tea, and replied indifferently: "Well. He is also strange, it is too late for Zhenyuan Hou to not get married at the age of 21. He is two years older than Zhenyuan Hou, and he has never been married. "
Hong Wanqing asked, "Why?"
Mrs. Yongping Hou raised her eyebrows with a delicate expression. There are many speculations in private in the capital, such as good masculinity, poor health, eccentricities in the bed, and so on. But how could these words be put forward in front of the girl, Mrs. Yongping Hou refused to talk about it in detail, and said perfunctorily: "Who knows, maybe he has other arrangements."
Hong Wanqing snorted and lowered her eyes, not knowing what she was thinking. Mrs. Yongping Hou did not pay attention to her daughter's abnormality. She said with emotion: "Aside from the fact that he has no wife and no children, he is also a genius. The day we went to visit the Empress Dowager Jiang, we bumped into him entering the palace, and he should have been at that time. He was officially ordered to investigate. As a result, after only two or three days, the rumors of ghosts stopped, and no one hit the ghosts in the palace after that. He was too good at trying to figure out what he liked. Handing over the old case of the Zhang family, I am afraid that the roundworms in the emperor's stomach will not understand the emperor's intentions. He was just promoted at the beginning of the year, and when he accumulates qualifications, I am afraid that he will be promoted again. "
Lu Heng's resume has already made everyone in the capital look numb, and the experience is so dazzling that people can't even feel jealous. When Mrs. Yongping Hou thought about Lu Heng and her son, she was really heartbroken. She sighed for a while, then regained her mind, and suddenly noticed Hong Wanqing biting her lip, her face in a trance, as if she had something on her mind.
Hong Wanqing's series of anomalies finally caught the attention of Mrs. Yongping Hou. She unknowingly sank and asked, "Wanqing, what happened to you? Ever since you came back from the Shangyuan Festival, you have been distracted. What happened?"
Hong Wanqing hesitated for a long time, and finally tried to tell Wang Yanqing's story: "Mother, in fact, I saw Wang Yanqing on the day of Shangyuan Festival."
When Mrs. Yongping Hou heard the name, her thin eyebrows rose immediately: "What?"
"After the Marquis of Zhenyuan left, you asked me what I was looking at, and I said nothing. Actually, I saw Wang Yanqing passing by with a man. Later, when I met Lu Heng in the palace, I found out that the man that day turned out to be he."
Mrs. Yongping Hou did not expect these words at all, and her face could not help but become serious: "Are you serious?"
"It's absolutely true!" Hong Wanqing couldn't help being excited, she held it back for a long time, and finally spit it out today. She breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at her mother nervously: "Mother, why is she by Lu Heng's side?"
Mrs. Yongping Hou snorted and said coldly: "Why, it's just climbing the dragon and the phoenix. I just said why she was willing to leave Zhenyuan Hou's mansion. It turned out that she climbed the high branch."
Hong Wanqing asked nervously, "Then what should we do next?"
Mrs. Yongping Hou thought for a long time, and finally said solemnly: "This matter is no trivial matter. You should not know about it in the future, and don't worry about anything. You don't need to worry, maybe it's a good thing."
"A good thing?" Hong Wanqing became more and more confused. "She doesn't know how many secrets of Zhenyuan Hou's mansion she has mastered. Now that she has thrown herself to Lu Heng's side, she said that it is almost a threat. How can it be a good thing?"
"Silly girl." Mrs. Yongping Hou looked at her daughter with clear eyes and sighed, "It's not a good thing for the Fu family, but it's the best for you. She and Zhenyuan Hou grew up together, and the ten-year friendship is not just talking. Just kidding, I heard that Lord Fu had always liked her to be his grandson-in-law before, and it is estimated that Hou Zhenyuan regarded her as one of his own. If she disappeared or fell to her death, it would be a life-long hurdle in Hou Zhenyuan's heart, and she will be forever in the future. Thinking about her well, it doesn't look right to you; but if she remarries, she will fall from the clouds and fall into the mud, which is worse than a broken flower and a willow, and she will no longer be the moon in Zhenyuan Hou's heart."
Hong Wanqing's eyes froze, she seemed to understand, but she didn't seem to understand. The Marquis of Yongping stopped when she clicked and said, "Don't worry, she's nothing to be afraid of. Man, that's what you're thinking. As long as it works well, it's not difficult for Marquis Zhenyuan to hate her, and she won't be able to get along with her in the future. You fight for favor."
Hong Wanqing became nervous and asked, "Mother, what are you going to do?"
Mrs. Yongping Hou shook her head and said, "You don't have to worry about it. I'll let your brother do these things, you just need to be a bride in peace."
·
It has been two months, and Fu Tingzhou has not found Wang Yanqing. In spite of his urgency, he still felt suspicious. He almost checked all households in the capital. Whether Wang Yanqing rented a house, bought a house, or had a pseudonym, he should have found it out under this kind of strength. How could he still not find it
Fu Tingzhou was at a loss for what to do. Today, he also left Nancheng Bingma Si early, but just after leaving the imperial city, he met the Prince of Yongping Hou.
These days, Fu Tingzhou is busy looking for Wang Yanqing, and has no time to go to the Hong family to propose marriage, but Yongping Houfu has regarded him as his future son-in-law. The prince of Yongping Hou came to chat enthusiastically and invited Fu Tingzhou to go to the restaurant for a few drinks. Fu Tingzhou was actually not interested, but he had to go without giving face to the Hong family.
Yongping Hou Shizi asked for the best box and served a table with good wine and good food. As the two of them, no one cares about the price of a meal, a few glasses of wine, the atmosphere is lively, and the topic gradually opens up.
The Prince of Yongping poured wine for Fu Tingzhou and said lively: "I haven't had a drink with you for a long time. I must not be drunk today. What is the Hou Zhenyuan busy with during this time, why can't I see you anywhere?"
Civil servants and military officers are two circles. These noble children are born with a title, and they don't need to test for fame or make a way out, as long as they can keep the family foundation. Coupled with the relationship between their fathers, these princes and young masters formed a circle of their own, and they were almost familiar with each other. Gradually this has become an unspoken rule. If you want to mix in the military, you must first integrate into this circle, otherwise you will not be able to eat anywhere.
One was Lu Heng, and the other was Fu Tingzhou. Lu Heng only came to the capital when he was eleven years old, and the next year he went to Jinyiwei to serve as his wife. After that, he went on missions from the south to the north, and he really didn't have time to attend the banquet. Of course, even if Lu Heng came, they would not dare to invite him. What is Lu Heng doing, inviting him to come in for a good joke, isn't he not happy to find it by himself
But Fu Tingzhou is different. He grew up in the capital, and he used to get along well with the people in the circle. Recently, he has suddenly become cold, which is really not right.
Fu Tingzhou was busy looking for Wang Yanqing, but it wasn't that he couldn't see any banquet. But Fu Tingzhou has no intention of explaining that even if he is a child of aristocrats, there are two classes of people who do business and those who do not. Fu Tingzhou patiently accompanied Yongping Hou Shizi to drink, and said lightly, "There is something in the house recently, and I can't go away."
Yongping Hou Shizi sighed, and did not say whether he believed it or not, and did not continue to ask. The Prince of Yongping suddenly approached and said mysteriously, "You haven't been here for a while, and you have missed a lot of fun. You know, there are rumors that Lu Heng has changed his personality in private now, and he actually played the golden house."
Fu Tingzhou has no interest in these private gossip, but the other party is Lu Heng, so he asked more: "You mean Lu Heng?"
"Yes." The Prince of Yongping Hou smiled, "I can't believe it. When I first heard it, I thought they were joking, but it turned out to be true."
Fu Tingzhou felt that at Lu Heng's age, it was normal to have a woman by his side. Before, Lu Heng didn't marry or take concubines. They always felt that Lu Heng was physically sick in private. However, Fu Tingzhou asked curiously: "Why? If he likes someone, he can just marry him and go home. Even if he can't do a happy event because of his filial piety, there are ways to replace him. Why does he need to hide his beauty in a golden house?"
Yongping Hou Shizi spread his hands: "Who knows? Maybe the identity of the other party is inconvenient to disclose. Some time ago, before the Zhang family was investigated, he brought that woman into the palace."
The more Fu Tingzhou listened, the more strange he felt. Being able to bring the other party into the palace shows that this is not a shady and low-ranking member of the brothel, so why does Lu Heng hide it? Fu Tingzhou gave birth to an inexplicable feeling and asked, "Really? With Lu Heng's suspicious personality, he can let him put people in his home. I don't know what kind of heaven and human appearance it should be? What does this woman look like?"
The Prince of Yongping seemed to be drinking too much, and said with a big tongue: "I haven't seen it before, but I heard from the people in the palace that she is a cold beauty, tall and slender, probably so tall, and her skin is very white. What is especially rare is that she looks clean and jaded, but she speaks indifferently. Gentle and gentle."
Fu Tingzhou squinted his eyes secretly. Did he think too much? Why did he feel that this description was very similar to Qingqing
Yongping Hou Shizi happily talked drunkenly again and fell asleep on the table. Fu Tingzhou looked at him quietly, with a confused look in his eyes, and called someone in to check out.
He didn't think that the Prince of Yongping had only this amount of alcohol, and he would not think that the Prince of Yongping had run half the city and intercepted him at the gate of the Military and Horse Division, just to discuss Lu Heng's private affairs. But now is not the time to worry about these, Fu Tingzhou needs to check another thing.
All things can only be calculated with the mind, once there is doubt, the next thing can't stand scrutiny at all, even Lu Heng is no exception. Sure enough, within a few days, Fu Tingzhou found clues.
He only wanted to search houses before, why didn't he think about it, no matter how careful Wang Yanqing was, she was just an ordinary woman. What kind of house could hide from Fu Tingzhou's eyes
Unless, it was the mansion of another powerful man.
Fu Tingzhou looked at the various reports on the paper, and with a click, he actually crushed the tea cup.
He was not mistaken, the carriage he encountered at the gate of the city last winter, and the back of the woman he saw at the Lu family on New Year's Eve, was really her. It's ridiculous that when he went to Lu Heng for a showdown, Lu Heng boldly put his interests on the table to discuss. Although he was cold-blooded, he was inexplicably sincere, and Fu Tingzhou actually believed it.
It was hopelessly stupid, he actually believed Lu Heng!
The author says:
Lu Heng: Let me just say it casually, but you actually believe it