It was obviously noisy and lively, but King Lu felt a little lonely.
There was a little girl's chirping voice beside her ear.
"These fireworks are so beautiful. I heard from my father that they are new things just made by the Ministry of Industry."
"It's so beautiful. It would be great if the palace held this lantern festival next year."
But no matter how beautiful things are, there will always be times when they disappear. Feeling the gradually calming atmosphere, watching the splendid fireworks disappear in the night sky, Ning Ning made bursts of regret.
On the other side, Zhao'er was also saying, "Those craftsmen from the Ministry of Engineering are really imaginative, and they came up with such beautiful things."
Xue Tingxiang touched the mask on his face, but didn't want to tell him that it was accidentally made by the Ministry of Industry when it was developing firearms.
"I like to watch it, and let them play it next year."
Zhao'er laughed at him: "You thought the Ministry of Rites was opened by your family."
Xue Tingxiang's embarrassed face was hidden behind the mask, and his voice was particularly annoyed: "You still have the ability as a man."
Zhao'er knew that he was angry again, so he scratched his palm with his hand, causing him to shrink back and couldn't help grabbing her naughty hand.
"Come on, Ningning is calling us. By the way, who is the person standing beside her?"
Only then did Xue Tingxiang follow his wife's gaze to look there. Seeing that his daughter was talking to the man, his eyes narrowed and he strode over.
"Why is His Royal Highness King Lu here?" Although he was wearing a mask, it was obvious that Xue Tingxiang had a stiff attitude.
"Wander here."
"Did the little girl offend His Royal Highness King Lu? Ning Ning, come over soon."
Xue Tingxiang's attitude made Ning Ning a little confused, but he walked over obediently. Zhao'er glanced at the man and said nothing.
King Lu shook his head, Xue Tingyan nodded reservedly at him, and left with his wife and daughter.
This lantern festival was really extraordinary, and as a result, many people stayed late.
It was not until the time of Kaizi that the Xue family returned home.
After washing and lying down, Zhao'er told Xue Tingxiang about the previous incident.
"Why are you still eating the vinegar from the past? It's been so many years, and you still don't look good when you see someone." This person was naturally referring to King Lu.
Xue Tingxiang snorted softly: "Is there?"
"Ning Ning was stunned by you just now. When he got home, he was still asking me if I made you angry."
Naturally, Zhao'er can't answer these words. She can't say that her father is still eating old vinegar from many years ago, so she can only make excuses.
Xue Tingxiang pulled her into his arms and squinted at her: "He hasn't married yet. His Majesty has told him many times, and he has excused it."
Zhao'er subconsciously froze for a moment, then said nonchalantly: "What does that have to do with me, I'm about to become a mother-in-law. By the way, Ning Ning is not too young, Ying Er is choosing people for Ruyue. Now, what do you think our daughter will do?"
When it comes to this, Zhao'er is worried.
"How old is Ning Ning, what are you talking about?" Xue Tingxiang said disapprovingly.
"I'm thirteen, so I have to decide on a marriage before she gets married."
"Thirteen is still young, you are willing to marry your daughter so early?" Seeing Zhao'er shaking his head, he said again: "It's better to stay for a few more years, it's not too late to marry at eighteen."
"You're not in a hurry to be a father, I'm in a hurry to be a mother. Let's not talk about Ning Ning, Hong'er is already at this age, so far the marriage has not yet settled, and she came back a few years ago, because you promised He worships the three masters of Dongting as his teacher."
Speaking of this, Zhao'er couldn't help but complain.
Xue Tingxiang laughed and said, "I can stop that boy from being a teacher by himself. Okay, my son will be back in a while. There is a big exam in August. He wrote earlier that he will be out this year."
"real?"
"I lied to you."
The husband and wife chatted for a while, and then fell asleep. The matter of King Lu, and even the veiled worry in Xue Tingxiang's heart, were naturally thrown into the clouds.
In May, Xue Yaohong finally returned to Beijing.
He has changed a lot in the past few years. He has grown taller, his skin has darkened a lot, and his facial lines have become much tougher, making him more like a responsible man.
Zhao'er saw it, and was both distressed and sighed. Smiling in front of his son, he turned his head and Xue Tingxiang wiped away tears and sighed, saying that his son had suffered a lot.
Xue Yaohong rested at home for two months, and ended in August, taking Xue Yuan in one fell swoop. In February of the following year, he went to the meeting for the examination, and then returned to the Yuan Dynasty. In the palace examination in April, Emperor Jiacheng was astounded by a piece of writing style, and he was called a well-deserved number one talent.
Since then, the deeds of the Xue family's two champions have been handed down to the world.
Xue Yaohong entered the Hanlin Academy and was cultivating history books like his father did in those days.
By this time, the issue of his marriage was once again on the agenda.
If it was said that he had not yet completed his studies before, or that he had not acquired a name, but now that he has become the top scholar, he is considered an official of the imperial court. Naturally, these excuses can no longer be used.
Who would have thought that Xue Yaohong did not refuse this time, but only said that he would let his parents decide, which surprised Zhao'er.
The son has let go, but it is difficult to be a mother here. In order to choose a satisfactory wife for Xue Yaohong, Zhao'er asked many times and discussed with Xue Tingxiang many times before choosing the Ke family's wife for him. Three girls.
This Ke family is the family of Ke Yong, who is a sacrifice to the Imperial College.
Miss Ke San was born gentle and demure, with a soft personality and firmness, yet she did not lose everyone's demeanor. Xue Yaohong was the eldest son, and he chose the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xue family, so naturally he had to be cautious.
The two families had long been interested in each other, but Zhao'er didn't dare to explain the words because his son never returned.
Now, after only one or two inquiries, the two hit it off.
However, Zhao'er still showed the other party's portrait to his son to see if he liked it. Who would have thought that Xue Yaohong's expression was indifferent and calm, and he just said that his parents felt it was acceptable.
His attitude was too calm, but it made Zhao'er feel up and down. She couldn't come forward to ask, so she asked Xue Tingyan to ask if her son was a girl on his mind. Can.
Xue Tingxiang didn't want to come here, but was forced by Zhao'er. Now in the entire Xue Mansion, who doesn't know that the man in the mansion is not the master, but the lady.
The lady gave an order, and the master naturally obeyed.
Xue Tingxiang specifically went to see his son and had a frank and open conversation.
After he came back, he told Zhao'er that she should not think too much, as his son had nothing to do with him.
In fact, I want to know, where in this world there are so many sweethearts, and most of them are blind and dumb marriages based on the words of the parents' life matchmaker.
As for feelings, feelings are cultivated after marriage. At present, the couples in the official family are more of a kind of mutual support. The male lead, the female lead, and the inside, each do their own duties, and if they can get another case, it will be perfect.
After being pointed out by Xue Tingxiang, Zhao'er felt gloomy.
But Xue Yaohong is already in his twenties this year, so he is not married at an old age, and he has never met a woman he likes after going out all these years.
His age can't be delayed, and since then, Zhao'er has taken a break from his messy thoughts and started to take care of his son's marriage.
The wedding was scheduled for October, although it was a bit rushed, but Xue Yaohong was at this age, and Miss Ke San was not too young, and she was not so particular about it.
On that day, the Xue Mansion held a large banquet, and there was an endless stream of people passing by the mansion to congratulate him.
Not to mention the capital, the Mao and Chen families came, and Zhao Di and Shen Ping also came with their children.
And Wang Wei. Back then, he and Xue Yaohong went out to travel together, and by chance, he went to the Three Masters of Dongting as his teacher.
These three heroes of Dongting are the three hermits who lived in the area of Dongting Lake. They are all famous scholars. Xue Yaohong worshipped at the gate of the mad Confucian Qiu Nianxi, and Wang Wei worshipped at the gate of Gu Heting, the sage of the qin.
Because the two were not in the same place, they were separated. In addition, the mad Confucian lived in no fixed place. Xue Yaohong had been living away from him, and the two cousins had not seen each other for many years.
Wang Wei had already won the fame two years ago, but he was not in the middle of the ranking. The fact that they have not married so far has also caused Zhao Di and Shen Ping to have a headache.
"I didn't expect you to bow down."
Wang Wei was dressed in a dark blue robe with wide sleeves, with a single bun and only one bamboo hairpin. Although he was plainly dressed, he was born with a handsome appearance, which added a bit of a dusty temperament to him.
Fortunately, he rarely showed his face in the capital, otherwise he was designated to fascinate all the ladies.
Hearing this, Xue Yaohong smiled and said, "It's not that I'm going to bow down, but when the time comes, I'm the eldest son in the family, and this is my responsibility."
"I'm also the eldest son, but I don't have as many concerns as you." Wang Wei leaned in his chair and said leisurely.
But he is different from Xue Yaohong. During the years when Zhao Di and Shen Ping got married, they gave birth to two sons and one daughter. Because they had to take care of business, the two lived a lot in the coastal area, while Wang Wei lived in Xuejia a lot in order to study.
Because it is not biological, Shen Ping treats Wang Wei with a little more care in addition to his father's care. And because they have not been able to live together for many years, the husband and wife still have a sense of guilt towards the eldest son. They always feel that their family is happy now, but the eldest son has been singled out.
So don't look at Zhao Di's urgency, but she doesn't dare to say more, and she doesn't dare to force her son to marry.
"Don't worry about yourself all the time. Think about your aunt. She cares about you in her heart, but she doesn't know how to speak."
The smile on Wang Wei's face froze for a moment, but it was fleeting: "I said it before, when I meet the woman I like, I will get married."
Happy
What is joy
In Xue Yaohong's mind, the appearance of Miss Ke San in the portrait appeared subconsciously, but he was at a loss.
But he didn't think too much, turned his head and talked to Wang Wei about other things.
The next day was the right day, and the Xue Mansion was full of joy and excitement.
Zhao'er was so busy that even though she had to do trivial matters, she still had to be busy entertaining the female relatives who came to congratulate her.
Fortunately, Ning Ning didn't look at her usually naughty, but she was very sensible when she was doing business, and greeted guests by her mother's side. All the ladies of the same age as her were accompanied by her. They were all good-looking, and they did not do anything rude. Instead, some ladies praised their excellent upbringing.
Zhao'er, who smiled so hard that his face was frozen, was relieved, and his heart was full of relief.
The wedding banquet was held from noon to the treetops on the moon, and with the departure of the guests, the Xue residence returned to peace.
After a tired day, Zhao'er fell on the bed and didn't want to move, so Xue Tingyan forced her to get up to wash and change.
Finally lying on the couch, Zhao'er couldn't fall asleep now, and began to worry that his son's bridal chamber would come at night, so Xue Tingyan sneered whether he had to listen to the corner to feel at ease. Since then, another mouth battle has been sparked, and the last move is stopped when someone gags her mouth.
Spring nights are not worth a thousand dollars, not only for newcomers.
The next day, the family gathered early to wait for the new couple.
The newcomer came slowly, and seeing her daughter-in-law following her son, Furong's face was shy and timid, and the corner of her son's mouth smiled, Zhao'er's heart finally fell back into her stomach.
It can be seen that the upbringing of Miss Ke San is excellent, subtle yet generous. Ning Ning likes this sister-in-law very much, and the second child, Xue Yaotai, is also respectful and polite to her sister-in-law.
As for Miss Ke San, after seeing her in-laws and uncle and aunt, her heart finally settled down.
Although she knew that her mother-in-law would be easy to get along with in the future, but she didn't see the actual situation of the Xue family, her heart was still half-hanging. At this time, she finally understood why her mother would rather drag her marriage on and wait for Xue's elder son to come back and do this marriage.
Just by looking at the family's behavior and the simple population of the family, this marriage is the best. Looking at the steady and considerate husband beside her, Miss Ke San lowered her head shyly.
Xue Yaohong naturally saw his wife's little gesture, thinking about the bridal night last night, his brows could not help softening.
It was normal, but inexplicably had more expectations for the future.
There are only two sons in the Xue family. The eldest, Xue Yaohong, is already famous.
One follows his father's career and the other follows his mother's business career, which means that there will be fewer conflicts in the future.
On the third day of Ke Liyun's visit, Zhao'er set about handing over the central feed from the mansion to her.
She first refused, but she refused, but she accepted it calmly. He took care of the whole house in an orderly manner, which made Zhao'er very satisfied.
Time passed like flowing water, and in the spring of the second year, Ke Liyun became pregnant.
It was at this time that Xue Tingxiang planned to let his son go out of Beijing.
Since then, Xue Tingxiang's meaning has become obvious. Xue Yaohong will follow the road he has traveled, and experience the accumulation of network resources, which will also exercise his ability to govern, and at the same time understand the people's conditions and people's livelihood. After everything is in order, he will return to Beijing for promotion.
Xue Yaohong was not surprised. As early as when he first came back, his father had already told him.
But Ke Liyun is worried here. Her husband is out, but she is pregnant. In this case, she will not be able to go with her.
In fact, according to the rules of the general official's house, the husband is an official outside, and the wife is at home to serve the in-laws, and will choose one or two concubines to accompany the husband when he goes out.
What should she do
Ever since she married into the Xue family, Ke Liyun prides herself on never being picked on by others. This is her upbringing from a young age, and the daughters of the Ke family have been raised according to the standards of the patriarch.
In this case, she should have picked a dowry girl, accompany her husband to take office, and graciously invited her parents-in-law to serve at home. Not only can he win the favor of her husband, but also the praise of her in-laws.
She understands all this, but she doesn't want to do it for some reason.
She hesitated for several days until Xue Yaohong left before she hesitated to speak.
As soon as the words came out, tears fell first, but for fear of being seen by her husband, she turned her back and wiped her tears silently.
A big warm palm was placed on her fragrant shoulder, and the man's warm and magnetic voice sounded behind him: "Don't think too much, there are no rules for taking concubines in my family. If I take concubines, I guess my mother will pass the test. No. And my mother also said that there is no reason for a husband and wife to be separated, so this time you will go out to Beijing with me."
Ke Liyun turned to look at her husband in amazement, forgot to wipe the tears on her face.
Xue Yaohong said with a smile: "When my father went to Beijing to take the exam, my mother brought me with me. For so many years, where is my father and where is my mother, how could she have left you to accompany her in Beijing, even if If you want, my father doesn't want to."
Speaking of the love between her in-laws, Ke Liyun couldn't help being a little shy, and at the same time, she was even more ashamed of her own prudence.
Because she was afraid that her mother-in-law would take the initiative to bring up the matter of letting her stay, she had been taking advantage of her discomfort for the past few days and did not go to the main courtyard to ask for safety. Now that she thinks about it, she is superficial.
She whispered to her husband about this, and expressed her inner worries.
Xue Yaohong smiled and said, "Don't worry, my mother is different from ordinary women, she won't blame you."
At the same time, Zhao'er in the main courtyard was also talking to Xue Tingxiang about this.
Xue Tingxiang was lying down, and she was sitting cross-legged, speaking worriedly.
"You say that there are more people in this family, but it's different. Liyun is a good boy. We are respectful and polite to us, and Ningning and Brother Tai are both prudent and decent, but they are too serious. I know what she is thinking. Seriously, I usually talk and do things in front of her, so I can't help but feel scruples, but I didn't expect that this time it was a misunderstanding."
"You are a mother-in-law, and she is a daughter-in-law. When a mother-in-law is worried about her daughter-in-law's thoughts, are you tired? If you have a little spare time, you can focus more on me."
Hearing this, Zhao'er glanced at him and said, "You said that I don't put much thought on you? I didn't see you being so pretentious when I was young, but now that I'm old, it's everything. Inside and out, what kind of diet and daily life are not arranged by me, so that means I put less thought on you?"
Xue Tingxiang, who was getting old, couldn't help touching his face.
After entering the cabinet, in order to make himself appear mature and stable, he deliberately wore a beard, which is now known as a beautiful beard. I was not used to it at first, but after a long time I felt that it not only made him look stable, but also added a bit of style, except that he looked older.
Go to see the wife again.
However, at forty, because of proper maintenance, she still looks less than thirty, but she is full of mature charm. No wonder King Lu still had a crush on her, and always wanted to show his face in front of her when he had something to do.
With a sour heart, he pulled her over: "Think I'm old?"
Seeing his expression, he just didn't think of a good thing, and Zhao'er hurriedly said, "No."
"You just dislike it."
"I really don't. Don't get distracted, okay? We're obviously talking about our daughter-in-law."
"What is there to say about your daughter-in-law, your son will handle it himself. This is just a daughter-in-law. When Tai'er gets a wife in the future, I see what your mother-in-law plans to do?"
"Two daughters-in-law?" Zhao'er felt a headache just thinking about it.
However, her headache did not last long, and her attention was quickly diverted.
Early the next morning, Ke Liyun came to greet Zhao'er.
Although they didn't say it clearly, they both understood what was going on. It was nothing to do, but Ke Liyun thought about it a lot. Now that he has figured it out, it's over.
However, after this incident, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law became closer. Ke Liyun asked Zhao'er a lot for advice. After taking office, Zhao'er told her carefully about what the wife should do.
In the next few days, it was time to pack up and plan to set off.
However, this time, Ke Liyun changed from the low-pitched and busy schedule earlier to arrange for someone to buy it. The red face made everyone in the Xue family know that the eldest wife was going to Beijing with the eldest son to take office. Both the master and the wife agreed. Understand.
Therefore, many girls were disappointed in secret, but looking at the love between the master and his wife, it seems that it is not difficult to understand why the wife did not keep the eldest wife at home.
On that day, Zhao'er personally sent her son and daughter-in-law out of the house. Looking at the motorcade that was far away, she couldn't help but think of Xue Yaohong's travels back then. She was filled with emotion for a while, with a sense of the vicissitudes of life.
"I have raised my son, and I just watched him leave me time and time again. I don't know when I will come back."
Xue Tingxiang supported her and said, "It won't be long."
But it won't be long, but it's been seven years.
Since the King of Zhenbei guarded Liaodong, after years of hard work, he has recovered lost cities in various places and rescued countless Han people who were miserable under the enslavement of the Jin people.
Later, thirteen acropolis were set up in the Fushun Pass area to completely block the Jin people from the Fushun Pass.
In the end, it is to block, not to cut the grass and root. For many years, the King of Zhenbei has been guarding Liaodong and guarding the country gate in the north for Dachang.
In the 30th year of Jiacheng, it was the 60th birthday of Emperor Jiacheng. The King of Zhenbei was unable to come to Beijing to celebrate his birthday, so he asked his eldest son Qi Xuan to replace him.
The emperor felt that the king of Zhenbei was in the Sheji, and he felt that the palace was cold when he was old, so he left the prince of Zhenbei to accompany him in the palace, and he envied countless princes and grandsons for a while.
Qi Xuan actually didn't want to stay in the capital, he knew why Grandpa Huang would keep him. When he returned to Beijing this time, his father had told him that although he was only seven years old, he understood what a proton was.
His father guarded Liaodong. The Liaodong army had several hundred thousand troops. Grandpa Huang was old and his courage was too small. He was afraid that his father would rebel, so he kept him as a pledge.
The life in the palace is naturally better than that in Liaodong. I don't know where it is. Behind the seemingly glamorous and honorable pets, there are countless innuendo and guns and arrows.
Qi Xuan was also a tough guy. At first, he endured it. When he couldn't bear it any longer, he made a fuss because of his young age. The trouble made Emperor Jiacheng lose his energy and began to hate him, but he still refused to let him go back to Liaodong.
For young Qi Xuan, the only warmth in the palace is probably Xue Shaofu.
Although Xue Shaofu is not the first assistant, he is the emperor's confidant minister. His little uncles and cousins looked at Xue Shaofu's face and did not dare to provoke him openly.
"Master, why are you so kind to me?"
Xue Tingxiang looked at the short and strong radish head, and was speechless for a while.
He can say that Dachang can have today's peaceful and prosperous age, in fact, a large part of the reason is because of this little radish head in front of him.
The trajectory of fate is always so fantastic and unpredictable. In his dream, the third prince should have ascended the throne as the emperor. A few years later, the king of Zhenbei was Gao Zhenzhu, and his eldest son was left in Beijing as a pledge.
Afterwards, due to chance and coincidence, it was this son who gained the great power and became the wise and wise Emperor Yanxi, who created the Taiping and prosperous age of Dachang.
Today, Emperor Jiacheng is still built, and the third prince was given death for his treason, but the king of Zhenbei was still the most successful, and his son was left in the capital again.
In the dark, Xue Tingxiang always had a feeling that maybe some things have changed, but some things will still run according to his established trajectory.
But all this is just a mysterious feeling. Xue Tingxiang couldn't explain all this to a little radish head. He could only say: "You probably don't know that, besides being able to read and be an official, young Fu also has one thing."
"what?"
"Young Master can tell fortunes. Young Master sees that you have an extraordinary skeleton and will become a great weapon in the future. Are you willing to worship me as a teacher?"
Obviously, the little radish head is not stupid.
He asked curiously, "Young Master, what else can you figure out besides figuring out that I will become a master in the future?"
"This—" Xue Tingyan paused and said, "Young Master still calculates that your future marriage is in the south. Although this woman's identity is humble, she has a strange fate. It complements your fate, and if you get it, it will be even more powerful."
Although the little radish head did not speak, it was clearly written on his face that you were lying to me.
He glanced at Xue Tingxiang, scratched his head after a while and said, "Although Young Master is obviously lying to me, since you value me so much, I will worship you as a teacher. First, I will definitely not be able to study, and fighting is fine. ."
…
"Why did you choose him?"
"Eye edge."
…
In the thirty-eighth year of Jiacheng’s reign, Xue Tingxiang, the minister of households, was promoted to the prince’s grandfather, and was granted the title of Baohedian University scholar, and took over the position of the cabinet’s first assistant. He was only forty-eight years old.
In the forty-three years of Jiacheng, the emperor collapsed in the Qianqing Palace, at the age of seventy-three.
During his reign, he was diligent in government and love for the people, diligent in government affairs, and made good use of talents, creating a rare peaceful and prosperous age in Dachang. His great achievements shine in the annals of history, and he was named an emperor through the ages by later generations.
And the friendship between him and the first assistant Xue Tingxiang was also passed down as a good story in later generations.
It is worth mentioning that the fact that Chengzu passed over many sons to his grandsons surprised many people. But Nianqi was Xue Xiang's only disciple, so he seemed to understand.
This is all about the love of the king.
Some people say that when there is an ancestor, there is Xue Xiang, and some people say that when there is Xue Xiang, there is a prosperous age of Jiacheng.
There are different opinions, but the story of the saint and the virtuous is widely circulated.
…
In a carriage that had just left the capital, there was a woman's babbling voice.
"You said, we are all old and still running around, what does this look like."
"How old are you? You recognize old age, but I don't."
"But you threw all that mess to Hong'er, and the new emperor left without an explanation. What would the new emperor think?"
"Think whatever you want."
Zhao'er glared at him: "Why are you getting more and more stupid as you get older!"
Knowing that she was reluctant to give birth to her little grandson, Xue Tingxiang put her arms around her and softened her voice: "I said a long time ago that I would take you on a tour of the mountains and rivers, but unfortunately it has never been possible. When we all have old arms and legs, we won't be able to swim anymore."
"Can… "
"Don't you want to accompany me for a walk? No one, just the two of us?"
Seeing his somewhat sad face, Zhao'er's heart softened on the spot.
She sighed in her heart, some sighed, some laughed, and a thousand words were turned into one sentence: "I want to, how can I not."
Xue Tingxiang touched her face and said, "Don't worry, it's not that you're not coming back. If you get tired of swimming, come back, and when you get tired of staying at home, go out and look around. We've been tired for most of our lives, so we should take a break. After a break, the children and grandchildren will have their own children and grandchildren, so don't worry about your family."
Looking at the man's pale temples, Zhao'er touched it distressedly: "It's time for you to rest too."
It's not time to take a break. Even Xue Tingxiang never thought that he would come here like this for most of his life. It can be said that he did his best for the court and died.
Especially in the next few years, Emperor Jiacheng's dragon body was good and bad, and the government almost weighed on him alone. At the same time, all the princes and grandsons were secretly eager to try, and it was only because of his suppression that there was no trouble.
He still remembered his dying wish in that dream, and even the only thought after waking up—just being good to her and not repeating all the mistakes in that dream.
How did it become like this
In order to live a good life and to protect her, he once again embarked on the road to the imperial examination, but his fate slipped out of its path unknowingly, and deviates a little bit.
Fortunately, in his life as a person and in doing things, he did not leave the four words, and he was worthy of his conscience.
As for the merits and demerits, it is left to future generations to evaluate, and it has nothing to do with him.
(End of text)