In the early spring of the 27th year of Chunjia, the emperor's eldest daughter, Princess Zhaoqing, died.
As the most beloved heir of Emperor Chunjia, Princess Zhaoqing was also recognized as the most beautiful woman in the royal family. Even before her hair was born, her marriage attracted the attention of countless high-ranking nobles.
However, precisely because this emperor's daughter attracted so much attention, her marriage was the most unsatisfactory, and even because her delay was delayed, it delayed the life-long events of the other princesses below.
The final descendant of the princess was Cui Shizi, Cui Tongye.
This choice was beyond everyone's expectations. Even Queen Xie was surprised. Before issuing the marriage decree, she repeatedly confirmed with the princess: "It's really him? Do you really like him?"
It's not that Cui Tongye's conditions are not good. After all, he comes from a time-honored scholarly family. Cui Wan's direct grandson is certainly not picky about his looks, bearing, talent and learning. He is also top-notch among many high-ranking nobles in the Imperial Capital.
Otherwise, how could she get into the eyes of Princess Zhaoqing
Gong Xiangyang has been favored since he was a child, and he is very strong-willed. He is unwilling to lag behind others, so his requirements for his consort cannot be low.
It’s just Cui…
how to say
When Queen Xie entered the palace, she was still from a top family.
But with Emperor Chunjia's pro-government, it inevitably declined.
In addition, during the process of Queen Xie gaining favor, she had a lot of grievances with Cui Tongye's aunt, Concubine Cui.
Even Concubine Cui has been quite flattering to Queen Xie over the years. In the final analysis, people have to bow their heads under the eaves, but they are not sincerely convinced by the Queen.
However, now that the emperor has appointed the former King of Song Dynasty, the heir of Concubine Cui, as the crown prince, the status of Chengyue Palace is very different, and the Cui family has also become somewhat revitalized... But compared to the Yun family, where Jane has always been in the emperor's heart, and who has regained favor The meaningful Meng family and Luo family, as well as several new upstart families, are not as good as before.
Queen Xie had some doubts. Could it be that her daughter had watched the palace become more and more low-key in the past two years and was using her marriage as a bargaining chip
She mentioned it to the princess tactfully, indicating that her daughter did not need to be sacrificed like this, and that she had not yet fallen to the point where she needed to rely on the emperor's daughter to descend to maintain her livelihood and status.
However, Princess Zhaoqing said casually: "Mother, don't worry too much. Erchen likes Cui Tongye very much now. Speaking of which, Erchen and he are indirectly connected to Sister Meng'er. Erchen met Sister Meng'er when he went to see her. Several times, he felt that this man's talent, academics, appearance and looks suited his taste, he happened to be old enough, and there was no other more suitable candidate around, so it would be better to send him down."
She put down the small target scope, her youthful and childlike face was unparalleled in beauty, and she was also unparalleled in arrogance. She said lightly, "If you have an unhappy life after descending, I will naturally not tolerate it. It doesn't matter if you follow the example of Aunt Minghui from before, or If Heli remarries, is it possible that the father, the emperor, and the empress can still turn their elbows outward without feeling sorry for their son?"
"That's true." Empress Xie felt relieved. She was afraid that the princess would be obsessed with someone, and she would be shameless in favor of the consort, who would bully the princess in return. When the time came, she would be so angry just thinking about it.
Since the daughter was so open-minded, the queen calmed down and said, "When you come down, I will teach your father to marry you some royal guards and pick the sensible ones. No one in the Cui family will dare to make you unhappy. Just take care of things."
As for whether the Cui family is happy or not, she doesn't care. What is the purpose of her hard work in the palace these years
Isn’t it just that you and your children can live happily
The mother and daughter are at peace here, but there is no way to calm down in the imperial capital.
Princess Zhaoqing was already a famous beauty and a noble daughter of the emperor. Many high-ranking disciples racked their brains hoping to get her smile.
Although Cui Tongye is still quite outstanding, in the past two years, due to the decline of the Cui family, he has also been asked by his family not to be too public, so he actually does not have much reputation in the imperial capital.
So in the eyes of outsiders, he is just a little-known thing. He doesn't know how he deceived the innocent Jinzhiyuye into falling in love with him with his sweet words.
All the nobles in the imperial capital felt that if they had similar opportunities, they would also be able to win the favor of the princess!
After further inquiry, it turned out that Cui Tongye was Deng Chengzhai's nephew. He was arranged by Cui Wan to study under Deng Chengzhai since he was a child. From then on, he often went in and out of Deng's house, and the princess often visited Xie Meng, the mistress of the Deng family who grew up with her. Taking advantage of the opportunity to get along with each other frequently, I hooked up with the princess.
So for a while, many people in the government and the public were thinking about finding the flaw in Cui Tongye.
It's just that Cui Wan, as a veteran, has always been scheming. He had made full preparations when the Ji family and Zheng family were destroyed. He has been extremely strict with his family over the years. Cui Tongye's father may still have some unclear accounts of his early years of misbehaving outside. But Cui Tongye himself has been required to be discreet when he comes out since he was sensible, and he behaves like a well-educated and well-educated person from a scholarly family.
After a group of people searched, they found that there was nothing to hack!
"Where can there be a perfect person in this world?" Koch's face was gloomy and he ordered, "Look again! If you really can't find it... the editor will also make up an excuse for him that is not suitable for the Lord!"
It had been several years since the palace wedding that year. Koch had been forced by his family to marry a wife, but he only longed for the stunning beauty, but how could he like his wife? In particular, his wife, Xiao Feng, had decided in a hurry that she was the sister-in-law of the Marquis of Yongchun. She was very beautiful. However, no matter how beautiful and fragrant the country was, she still lacked a share compared to the royal family's golden branches and jade leaves. Dazzling created by honor.
Although Xiao Feng acted virtuous and virtuous after entering the house, her appearance and behavior were not comparable to Zhao Qing's. Even if she were to be a noble girl, she could still compare with this girl.
Koch disliked her a lot. Although he didn't beat or scold her harshly, he was also very cold and cold. Even after getting married, he was unwilling to sleep with her.
Of course, the Ke family was very dissatisfied with this situation. However, after several beatings and scoldings, they couldn't do anything to win over Ke He. Duke Ning Guo just returned the favor. This was the master who killed his legitimate son for the future of the family, but the wife of the Ke family , the old ladies are soft-hearted after all, thinking that Koch's wife is just an outsider, why should they wrong their children for her? Anyway, since Ke He has a wife, it is impossible for him to be the master. No matter how worried he is, he will not harm the big Ke family.
Just like that, Kohe separated from his wife when they were newly married, and secretly sent people to inquire about Princess Zhaoqing's situation.
In the middle, he learned that Queen Xie had been deposed. To be honest, while he was worried about the princess, he also had some secret expectations.
I just hope that Queen Xie’s loss of power will also suppress Princess Zhaoqing.
If she was a legitimately favored emperor's daughter, no one would dare to ask her to be her successor, not even a high-ranking disciple with military power.
But it would be hard to say if no one cares about the golden branch and jade leaf that has fallen out of favor, and even the master of the harem who later comes to power still suppresses and humiliates her.
This was Koch's only chance to get his wish.
However, Queen Xie was only briefly depressed and quickly returned to the throne.
Kohe was disappointed, and when he heard the news about General Cui Tongye, he felt extremely jealous and ordered his surroundings, "If the palace doesn't believe the fabricated story..."
He showed a ruthless look on his face, "Then make it impossible for him to pay homage to his master!"
This news was soon known to the Imperial City Secretary, who reported it privately to the emperor.
The emperor looked at it and ordered it to be handed over to the queen.
Queen Xie was quite unhappy after seeing this: "I did intend to match Zhaoqing to him at the beginning, but now that he is a married man, how dare he continue to dream about the apple of my eye?"
"Mother, do you want to deal with him?" asked the left and right, "otherwise if the news spreads, people who don't know will not know how to arrange our princess!"
The queen thought for a moment: "After all, Mr. Ning Guo has made great contributions to the country. Let him know about this in private and let him straighten his family style!"
Ning Guogong was a sensible man. After receiving the news, he sent his wife to the palace to express gratitude. Within two days, Ke He "fell ill" and his condition was serious. He had to leave the imperial capital and go back to his hometown to rest.
Of course, his newlywed wife accompanied him and took care of him.
Once they left, they would never come back to the Imperial Capital again in their lives.
Queen Xie dismissed this section lightly without causing any trouble in front of the princess.
Therefore, the marriage between Zhaoqing and Cui Tongye was held very smoothly.
After the marriage, Cui Tongye loved the princess as much as before the marriage, and the emperor and empress were very satisfied with it.
It’s not like no one has reminded the emperor, empress, and princess. How can there be a perfect person in this world? Cui Tongye's performance perfectly fits the character of a loyal noble son, but that may not be the case inside.
But the emperor and the princess didn't matter. Since the imperial power was strong, what did Cui Tongye think in her heart
As long as he makes Zhao Qing happy, he can think whatever he wants.
What Empress Xie was most worried about was that it would be difficult to handle if Zhaoqing was completely devoted to his consort.
However, she had been worried for several years and was relieved to see Zhaoqing still looking so relaxed and at ease.
A few years later, this daughter still caused trouble: it was not that Cui Tongye fell in love with her, but that Zhaoqing himself fell in love with a scholar who came to Beijing to take the exam.
"That scholar is very good, with outstanding calligraphy and superb piano skills." Chi'e, whose face was no longer young anymore, reported to Xie Fenghuang in a low voice, "His Highness fell in love with him at the first sight, and now he has built a house outside. After settling the man, he also asked His Highness the Crown Prince to help him, and found two great scholars to open a small stove for him, intending to promote him as the number one scholar... "
Xie Fenghuang said disapprovingly: "What a nonsense! Zhaoqing grew up in the palace, what kind of outstanding talents have I never seen, and he was fascinated by a scholar!"
Chie covered her mouth and smiled: "I went to see it with my own eyes once, so that's all. When the scholar came out, I thought of that time..."
She paused and then whispered, "When Yi Shi was still here, he came up to pay his respects to the empress and walked out from a group of concubines."
"Then he looks really handsome." Xie Fenghuang then became cautious and asked, "Does the consort know about this?"
Chie said: "This matter was reported to our subordinates step by step because the prince-in-law hinted it."
"It seems that the consort is a sensible person and knows not to make a big fuss on his own." Xie Fenghuang sighed, "This little ancestor, I thought that she made me worry less, so she started to cause trouble."
She also felt that Zhaoqing was so worrying, which was completely unlike her, and it was all Chunjia's fault. "She doesn't know how to learn from His Majesty's strengths. She just learned the preferences of the Three Palaces and Sixth Academy."
Chie smiled apologetically: "The prince's intention is obviously that he wants you to take care of His Highness. Just looking at His Highness's appearance, even if he is not sincerely moved, he still likes the scholar very much. Do you see this?"
Xie Fenghuang twitched the corner of his mouth: "Let Your Majesty give you an idea for the child your Majesty brings up!"
Chunjia was busy with everything, and he knew that the queen was very capable. Except for the prince, he basically would not take the initiative to interfere with other children.
At this moment, the queen came to her and told her the story in a few words. She was also a little speechless and said, "Didn't Cui Tongye always serve her? How could she still fall in love with someone else?"
"Your Majesty said this. Didn't I serve you well when I was young?" Where did all these royal heirs come from? It can be seen that Zhaoqing is really the apple of your eye, and his temperament of being able to change his mind when he is new is almost the same as yours back then!"
Chunjia's face was stiff, and she was sensitive to the fact that this was not a good thing, and she was afraid that the fire would burn on her head!
He decided to sell his daughter without much thought, and immediately said with a serious face: "This child is just being ridiculous! I had no choice at that time. The two generations of emperors Shenzong and Xiaozong had few heirs. If I had fewer children, wouldn't I be following in the footsteps of the late emperor? , so that all the powerful officials and relatives in the clan are ready to make a move? But where did Zhaoqing get such pressure? To actually do such a thing, she must have left us after her descent and was taught bad things by her subordinates! "
The emperor tried his best to put the blame away, but in turn persuaded the queen not to be angry, "The child is still young, and there are times when she is ignorant. Let's call her and talk slowly, and then look at the people around her. If there is anything inappropriate, do it as soon as possible." Send them away! We can’t let them lead our eldest daughter away!”
Xie Fenghuang looked at him sideways and sneered: "What if Zhaoqing comes and starts crying and acting coquettishly?"
"..." Chunjia hesitated, "You're such an old man, you shouldn't be fooling around like this."
Xie Fenghuang laughed angrily: "You just said that the child is still young, and now he is an adult?"
She had a heated argument with the emperor, and her anger subsided a lot, and she finally made a decision similar to that of the Ke family: "After all, Zhaoqing is our child, and we can't make Zhaoqing unhappy because of Cui Tongye... Let's do this, let's Tell Zhao Qing that the scholar can be raised outside, but he cannot be brought to the princess's house to shame the prince-in-law."
Chunjia nodded vigorously: "In the final analysis, it's the prince-in-law's own fault for this kind of thing. He is a dignified noble son and a serious prince-in-law, but he couldn't win over Zhaoqing's heart. He asked a scholar from out of town to coax Zhaoqing's heart. Who can you blame?”
"Your Majesty is right." Xie Fenghuang thought this was very reasonable. "Cui Tongye is still too pretentious. No scholar can coax Zhaoqing... Alas, but he is Zhaoqing's serious consort after all, so he can't If the news spreads that he has lost his dignity, Zhaoqing and his children will not look good."
The more the emperor talked, the more he felt that the responsibility lay with Cui Tongye, but it had nothing to do with Zhaoqing.
Out of the kindness of an elder, Xie Fenghuang specially summoned Cui Tongye the next day to comfort him: "Don't worry, you are Zhaoqing's serious consort. No one can get past you!"
"Don't think too much about it, that screwdriver is just a plaything at most."
"Even if you really win the No. 1 prize, isn't it so rare? There will definitely be a No. 1 scholar every three years in the imperial dynasty, isn't that all?"
"You already have three children, why are you still worried about the disturbance from the outside world?"
"Listen to me. From now on, just teach a few children and ignore that screwdriver. No matter how bad Zhaoqing is, you can still do a lot of things when you are young. As you get older, as the saying goes, young couples come to keep company. When the time comes, Don’t I have to go back and live with you?”
"I give you a guarantee that no one can shake your status as the consort!"
… Cui Tongye came with full expectations and left in a daze.
On the way back, you always felt like something was wrong
Later, when I thought about it carefully, wasn't this what his grandmother said when she persuaded her daughter-in-law to agree to her husband's concubine
It's just that the queen took advantage of the power of the Tian family and asked him to be her consort!
He was so heartbroken!
But after returning to Cui Mansion and discussing with the family, everyone was silent, but they didn't even dare to complain about the queen.
Finally, his father said slowly: "You can get a princess by marrying a wife, but you can buy a government officialdom... In the past two years, the royal family has done a lot of favors to our family because of Princess Zhaoqing. Now that the princess has made a mistake, let's make some concessions. There is nothing wrong with that. And there is some truth to what the queen said. No matter how the princess changes her mind, the three children between you are her biological flesh and blood. She cannot ignore it... Since the queen promised that the scholar will not enter the princess's house, just treat it as if she doesn't know. .”
What else could happen
After all, that is the most beloved apple of the emperor and empress.
The Cui family even talked a lot about the eldest princess Minghui to persuade Cui Tongye to calm down: "It's hard to tell whether that one is actually the blood of the Gongxiang family, but because I have recognized it now, the Yun family has arrived. Now I have to hold my nose and support those evildoers... and although Princess Zhaoqing has moved on, she is not harsh to you, the children, or our family. This is much better than Minghui."
The Cui family reminded Cui Tongye again and again: "It's okay to pay for your highness's mistakes on your errands. You can't be confused! The emperor is generous to your highness, but he may not be willing to treat you equally!"
If one could treat everyone equally, there would be no way to persuade a son-in-law to tolerate his daughter's lover.
Anyway, let’s live like this.
Things in this world are never perfect, right