In the imperial city, it was the time of the office break that Bai Qianhe was most looking forward to. From the moment of Shen Shi, Bai Qianhe packed his things and prepared to run away. At about two o'clock, a yamen servant came in from the outside. He knocked on the door, entered the main hall, and bowed to Li Chaoge: "Commander, Gu Siqing ordered the younger one to pass on a message. The Siqing said that he will go to Pei's mansion to see him off after the office is over. Ask the commander if he will go with him?"
Some time ago, due to the rebellion of the two kings, many families were involved in the liquidation, and the Pei family, the eldest grandson's family, and the Gao family were all exiled. Princess Dongyang and the Gao family were the first to leave Dongdu. Two days ago, the eldest grandson's family also left. Now? It's the Pei family's turn.
The big families were exiled one after another, and half of the senior officials of the imperial court were vacated. Gu Mingke was promoted from Dali Temple Shaoqing to Dali Temple Minister, and has become the rightful leader of Dali Temple.
The Pei family will leave the capital soon, so Gu Mingke, as a cousin, naturally has to express something. Today, Pei's family will go back to the residence. It is rare for Gu Ming Ke not to work overtime, but to go to the office as scheduled to attend the farewell banquet at Pei's house. Gu Ming Ke followed the procedure and came to the next door to ask his wife, do you want to go back to have dinner together.
Li Chaoge didn't even think about it, and said, "No."
The yamen servant who delivered the message promised to go back and pass the message to Gu Shaoqing. Gu Mingke was not surprised at all. After explaining the arrangements of Dali Temple, he rarely left work on time with the sound of retreating drums. When he was going out, he happened to see Bai Qianhe rushing out of the crowd like an arrow from the string, and rushed towards the gate of the imperial city first.
The town monster soon left, and Li Chaoge stayed at the end, waiting for the traffic to clear up before going out. There were only a few people left in the imperial city, so when Li Chaoge went out, he immediately saw a strange face.
The other party was led by a eunuch, standing in front of the palace gate, talking to the guards. Li Chaoge raised her eyebrows lightly, she turned around and walked over there.
When the palace gate guard saw Li Chaoge, he immediately stood up straight and saluted: "Commander."
Li Chaoge nodded, and his eyes fell on the man opposite him vigilantly: "Who is this, and why did he enter the palace?"
The man has a slender figure and a handsome face. He has the elegance and elegance of a wealthy family, but his clothes don't look like him. Such a strange man appeared at the gate of the palace, which was extremely suspicious.
Li Chaoge did not hide the suspicion in his eyes. The servant who led the way saw him and hurriedly explained: "Princess Sheng Yuan, this is the person summoned by the empress."
Why did the Queen summon an outsider for no reason? Li Chaoge asked, "What's your name?"
The other party saluted Li Chaoge in a gentle manner: "Princess Hui, I'm under you? Zhang Yanzhi."
By saluting, he carefully looked at Li Chaoge. It turned out that this was the famous Princess Sheng Yuan. Younger than he imagined, also? More beautiful than he imagined.
Li Chaoge has been in Dongdu for so many years, not to mention knowing thousands of people, but he still knows a lot about the children of every family. Among the descendants of officials surnamed Zhang, there is no such name as "Zhang Yanzhi". With his appearance, if he is really in Luoyang, why not? He shouldn't be unknown.
Li Chaoge asked again: "Who is the father's lineage? Can an uncle have an official position?"
The servant was very embarrassed, and hurriedly said: "Princess, Zhang Lang is really summoned by the empress."
"Now that the office has been dispersed, even if someone is here to recommend himself, he wouldn't choose this time to enter the palace. He is a strange man with no official or job title, and he can't even stand cross-examination?" Li Chaoge glanced at the other party lightly. At one glance, the eunuch was frightened and dared not speak any more. Zhang Yanzhi smiled slightly, and said: "What the princess said is true. I am a white man, and the elders in the family have no officials. Only the sixth brother serves beside Princess Guangning."
Li Chaoge raised his eyebrows slightly, this description sounds strange. The servant really had nothing to do, so he walked quickly to Li Chaoge, lowered his voice and said, "Princess Sheng Yuan, the empress has been bored recently, and Princess Guangning brought a person who understands music theory to relieve the empress. The empress likes this person very much. Someone recommended his elder brother, the empress was very excited, and asked the old slave to bring Zhang Wulang into the palace immediately."
The more Li Chaoge listened, the more dignified the expression on her face became, she glanced at Zhang Yanzhi lightly, and looked secretly. Zhang Yanzhi felt Li Chaoge's gaze. That servant was whispering in her ear. Although she couldn't hear what was said, looking at Princess Sheng Yuan's eyes, I'm afraid it was not a good word.
Thinking of this, Zhang Yanzhi laughed at himself, they? With their status as brothers, what good things do they expect
Li Chaoge probably guessed who this person was. Li Chaoge's heart is quite difficult to explain. In the late period of the empress's reign in the previous life, there were indeed greedy ministers who recommended male favourites to the empress, but those? Li Chaoge clearly remembered that the most favored person was surnamed Xue, and he even found a monk as a cover-up. Li Chaoge really didn't expect that Li Changle would recommend a male favorite to the Queen.
The male favorites recommended by different people are naturally completely different, no wonder Li Chaoge doesn't know him. Li Chaoge thinks this fact is so bizarre, she still doubts this man very much, what if this is just an excuse, what if he actually wants to enter the palace to assassinate? Li Chaoge said: "It turned out to be the empress calling. Just in time, I have something to report to the empress, let's go together."
The servant was stunned: "Princess Sheng Yuan..."
Even if the servant has no sense of shame, he still feels embarrassed when he encounters this situation. One daughter recommended a lover to her mother, but the other daughter didn't believe it, so she watched lover No. 2 and came to her mother. this…
The waiter hesitated, but Zhang Yanzhi was the first to react. He saluted and said with a gentle smile: "It's my honor to be able to walk with Princess Sheng Yuan. Princess, please."
Li Chaoge glanced at him indifferently, and took the lead, followed by Zhang Yanzhi. The waiter couldn't help wiping the sweat off his head and face, and felt cold all over on a hot day. The other two masters had already left, and the servant had no choice but to "catch up quickly".
With Li Chaoge clearing the way, the road was unimpeded, and Zhang Yanzhi didn't pass by? He went to the Xuanzheng Hall without questioning. The palace servants of the Xuanzheng Palace saw Li Chaoge and asked questions familiarly. Li Chaoge vaguely heard the sound of silk and bamboo in the inside, Li Chaoge frowned, and asked a familiar female officer: "What's going on in the inside?"
The female official saluted and said: "Princess Guangning is talking with the queen. The queen is in a good mood, so she called someone to cheer."
The queen raised a group of female officials by her side. These female officials were all literate and able to recite poems and compose Fu. They usually follow the queen's side to organize paperwork, serve tea, and even express some opinions on current affairs if they are favored. There is a bronze gate standing outside the palace, encouraging all the people to report to the queen, but the queen is always busy, so it is impossible? Read each letter in person, so these female officials are also responsible for reading the letters, sorting out the contents of the letters from the people into a list, and submitting them to ? Queen.
The queen wants to use the power of female officials to contain the foreign court, but women who can understand political affairs are rare after all, and female officials are limited to the palace, which is too limited compared with the huge civil and military officials. But no matter what dynasty the emperor is in, he cannot offend them. These female officials have been around the queen all day long, which is much longer than Li Chaoge's time seeing the queen. So Li Chaoge made a few friends selectively, so that when something happened, Li Chaoge would never close his eyes and plug his ears.
Li Chaoge asked, "When did Guangning come?"
"It's two minutes before time." After the female officer finished speaking, her gaze passed across Zhang Yanzhi's body calmly. The female officer hid the meaning in her eyes very well, but Zhang Yanzhi still felt it.
These female officials are well-clothed and well-fed, walking in front of the imperial court, and their bearing is no worse than that of the rich ladies outside. They were respectful when facing Li Chaoge, but when they looked at Zhang Yan, although they were polite and decent, there was a trace of disdain in the corners of their eyes.
Along the way, everything Zhang Yanzhi heard and saw reminded him that there was a world of gap between his and Li Chaoge's identities. He is the mud on the ground, and Li Chaoge is the cloud in the sky.
In Li Chaoge's mind, he roughly knew it. At this time, the servant who notified came back, and Li Chaoge followed them into the palace. Because of Li Chaoge's arrival, the music playing in the hall came to an end temporarily. After Li Chaoge entered, she felt someone was behind the screen. Her eyes did not move, and she calmly bowed to the Queen: "See Your Majesty."
Li Changle too? Stand up and say hello to Li Chaoge: "Sister Sheng Yuan."
The queen waved her hand casually and said, "Sit down quickly. Chaoge, why are you here?"
Li Chaoge sat down next to him. The hem of her clothes was naturally piled up on the ground, and her hands were folded on her knees, looking tall and luxurious from the side. Li Chaoge said: "When I was leaving the palace, I happened to see the guards at the palace gate interrogating someone. I thought this man was unfamiliar, so I brought him in."
Zhang Yanzhi has been standing by the side of the palace, waiting for his masters to mention him, he can go up and salute: "Caomin refer to the empress, refer to Princess Sheng Yuan, and refer to Princess Guangning."
The queen looked at the man with interest in her eyes: "You are Liu Lang's elder brother, Zhang Yanzhi?"
"Back to the queen, it's my brother." At this time, a clear and loud boyish voice came from behind the screen, and a boy with bright eyes and a smile came out, leaned close to Zhang Yanzhi's side, and said coquettishly to the queen, "Queen , look, I didn't lie to you, brother looks much better than me?"
Ming? Ming? The Queen did not order, but he came out on his own initiative, without any scruples in his actions. Goosebumps appeared on Li Chaoge's body, but the empress felt good about it, and said with a smile, "Sure enough, she looks very beautiful. I heard from Liu Lang that you are also good at rhythm and poetry?"
Zhang Yanzhi lowered his head and said, "I don't dare to be that. I just learned a little bit when I was young."
The queen was very excited and said, "Liu Lang has been clamoring to play with you just now, and it just so happens that the instruments are all complete, you guys? Go and try."
Brother Zhang Yanzhi went to play music behind the screen. Zhang Yanzhi sat behind the piano, tuned the strings, and the music began to tinkle, and soon, a rapid and clear pipa sound joined in.
There was bursts of music, and Li Chaoge could clearly hear the music when he sat on the front, but the people who played the music behind couldn't hear them clearly. Li Chaoge saw the gap and asked the queen: "These two are..."
Li Changle replied: "They used to be a scholarly family, but later their family fortune fell and became a music book. The elder brother is ranked fifth and his name is Zhang Yanzhi, and the younger brother is ranked sixth and his name is Zhang Bangchang. I like listening to music recently. I gave Zhang Bangchang to me. I think Zhang Bangchang is eloquent and proficient in rhythm, which is a happy fruit. I think that my mother doesn't sleep well these days. If someone is by my mother's side to relieve boredom, it may be easier to fall asleep. I gave Zhang Bangchang to my mother. I didn’t expect him to think about his elder brother, saying that his elder brother is better looking and more talented than him. I thought it was interesting, so I asked my mother to come in to have a look. Unexpectedly, he is really a wonderful person.”
Li Chaoge silently glanced at Li Changle, but did not speak. Li Changle wanted to imitate Princess Yang'a and stabilize his position by sending someone to the emperor? She also didn't want to think about what happened to Zhao Yi and Zhao Hede in the end.
Li Changle sat next to the empress to make things happen: "Mother, what do you think of these brothers?"
The queen nodded and said with a smile: "The elder brother is quiet and steady, and the younger brother is lively and aggressive. They are a pair of interesting people."
Li Changle laughed more and said: "Since it's interesting, then? Mother might as well keep them? There's nothing fun about it in the palace. They spend all day facing memorials and those old officials. Even if mother isn't tired, she should change. Change your mood."
The queen was silent. Seeing this, Li Changle suddenly lowered his voice, and said mysteriously: "Mother, the bridges of the noses of these two brothers are both tall, especially Zhang Yanzhi's nose is as tall and straight as a bulge, so you must pick one out of a hundred miles."
After hearing this, the queen showed a clear expression. Although she didn't speak, she agreed. The mother and daughter knew each other, but Li Chaoge raised his eyebrows strangely.
what? They? What did the two of them guess? Why didn't she understand
·
At this moment, it is rare that there are so many people in the Pei family? After Gu Mingke entered, he was led to the main courtyard by his attendants. A few of Pei Chuyue's married daughters came back today, and Mrs. Pei was surrounded by a group of people. When they heard the maid's message, the voices in the room stopped, and everyone stood up one after another: "Master Biao is here."
Gu Mingke entered the door and saluted Mrs. Pei and Pei Silian without looking sideways. Pei Ji'an and Pei Chuyue stood on the side. After Gu Ming Ke stood up, they saluted Gu Ming Ke: "Brother Gu."
Gu Mingke nodded lightly, and everyone sat down again. Pei Chuyue has been taciturn since she came back today, but now that she sees Gu Mingke, she is even more silent.
After Gu Ming Ke sat down, Pei Silian asked, "I heard that you have been promoted to be the Minister of Dali Temple?"
Gu Ming Ke nodded: "Yes." Everyone in the Pei family listened silently, and Pei Silian was deposed from the prime minister, and he was relegated as the governor of Yunzhou. Yunzhou is far away in the northernmost part of the country, where the wind and sand are raging, the desert is solitary, and foreign enemies harass it from time to time. Pei Silian was sent to this place to be the governor, which is really not a good place to go. The rest of the Pei family also demoted their officials one after another, but Gu Mingke was the only one who was promoted. The comparison of these situations is really embarrassing.
Pei Silian sighed: "When you first went to Dali Temple, I thought it was a remote and dangerous place, not a place for nobles. Now? It seems that it is a good thing. Dali Temple does not need to be involved in factional disputes. It can actually? Do things for the people. Are you? Here? Good."
Gu Ming Ke nodded and thanked. Mrs. Pei looked at it and asked, "Why didn't Princess Sheng Yuan come?"
Pei Ji'an lowered his eyes and flickered a wry smile, it's no wonder she came. Gu Ming Ke explained: "She has other business, and it's inconvenient to get away, so she didn't come here."
Pei Silian and Pei Ji'an escaped safely this time? Thanks to Princess Sheng Yuan. If she hadn't transferred these two people to the Imperial Prison, even if the Pei family rescued them, they would still have to suffer. Because Li Chaoge forcibly broke into Pei's house to rob people, the internal evaluation of Li Chaoge in Pei's family has always been very bad. I didn't expect that this time, my old friend Ming Zhe would protect himself, and others would fall into trouble. Even Li Changle was afraid of implicating himself, but it was Li Chaoge. Help.
Mrs. Pei wanted to take this opportunity to thank Li Chaoge, but Li Chaoge didn't come. Although Mrs. Pei was somewhat regretful, she was not surprised. Pei Silian said: "Princess Sheng Yuan is arrogant, but she is upright, affectionate and righteous, and she is a good match. You husband and wife should get along well, be of one heart and one mind, and support each other. In the future, when we leave, we will only be in the capital. Are you left? Two people."
Gu Mingke looked at Mrs. Pei: "Grandmother? Is going out of Beijing too?"
"Yes." Mrs. Pei said, "I'm an old man. Silian, Si Ze, and Da Lang are not here. I'm staying in the capital alone? It's not interesting. Why don't you go back to your hometown and take advantage of the last time?" In the next few years, I will teach the younger generations of the family well. This can be regarded as my last effort for the Pei family."
The Pei family is prosperous, even if they don't become an official, it is enough to live a decent life when they go back to their hometown and eat the ancestral land. Mrs. Pei wanted to leave, so Mrs. Pei and Mrs. Gu Pei naturally followed her back. The Pei Mansion, which was once prosperous in Dongdu, now only has Gu Ming Ke, the cousin, and Pei Chuyue, the married woman.
People around tried to dissuade them: "Madam, what are you talking about?" Mrs. Pei raised her hand, stopped their words, and said, "I'm getting old, I can't live long, I know it in my heart. On the contrary It's you guys, live a good life and give birth to a few promising children to the Pei family, that's the greatest filial piety to me."
Everyone bowed their heads? Mrs. Pei is getting old, especially after experiencing the rebellion, her health is getting worse. Pei Silian sighed: "As a son, I can't? Serve by? Mother's side. It's really unfilial."
Mrs. Pei waved her hand: "You have the emperor's life, so naturally you should go to Yunzhou to serve. What's the matter with being tied to me all day long?" Then, Mrs. Pei looked at Pei Ji'an: "Da Lang, you go Empress Yunzhou, take good care of your father, he has bad legs and feet, don't let him catch cold."
Pei Ji'an bowed his head? It should be. Mrs. Pei couldn't hold back, and asked: "Da Lang, are you really going to Yunzhou? Why don't you go back to the ancestral house and study quietly..."
Pei Ji'an shook his head slowly, his eyes were very firm: "It is better to travel thousands of miles than to read thousands of books. I have been studying for twenty years, and it is time to go out of the house and see the outside world. Mother, you don't have to persuade me , I have made up my mind."
"However, the place in Yunzhou is harsh and harsh, and it has been fighting with foreign enemies all year round. How can you stand it when you go to that kind of place?"
"It's because of hardship that's why I'm going." Pei Ji'an didn't know what to think of, and sighed silently, "I should have done this a long time ago."
It was rare for Pei Ji'an to be so firm, Mrs. Pei couldn't persuade her, so she could only reluctantly give up. Gu Ming Ke's eyes swept over Pei Ji'an, his eyes dimmed.
Mrs. Pei and Mrs. Pei felt distressed, and even Pei Chuyue didn't understand why her brother had to go to Yunzhou to suffer. Only Gu Ming Ke knew that this was Pei Ji'an's real fate.
He was a young man who was dignified and prosperous, but when he grew up, his family experienced great changes. The family was exiled for offending the empress, so Pei Ji'an went to the frontier fortress, where he really grew up under the baptism of wind, sand and war. Many years later, Pei Ji'an became a Jiedu envoy, led his troops back to the capital to quell the rebellion, supported Li Huai as emperor, and reunited with Princess Guangning.
This is the fate that Xiao Ling planned for him. In his previous life, Pei Ji'an was interfered by Li Chaoge, and his fate was changed into a mess. After going through all kinds of troubles in this life, I finally got back on track.
For the first time, Gu Mingke felt that his missions in the mortal world were effective. What a joy.
As soon as they parted, the Pei family was unwilling to talk about the heavy future, and slowly talked about common matters. Pei Chuyue had just lost her child, so Madam Pei didn't dare to talk about her, so the topic inevitably turned to Gu Mingke: "Gu Lang, when are you and Princess Sheng Yuan planning to have a child?"
Everyone looked at Gu Ming Ke. Gu Ming Ke said calmly, "We're still young, so there's no rush."
"Can't? Don't be in a hurry." Mrs. Pei leaned on the soft pillow and said solemnly, "I heard that a few days ago, someone gave Princess Guangning a male favor. Princess Guangning married? The queen's nephew. I'm afraid there will be more people staring at Princess Sheng Yuan. I know you guys have a good relationship, but the better the relationship, the more you can't be sloppy. Love is like a mirror. Once there is a crack, it can never go back. "
Pei Chuyue clutched her skirt tightly, Pei Ji'an looked away, and didn't want to listen anymore, but the others were very interested in this topic, and you tried to persuade each other: "Yes, how innocent and lively Princess Guangning used to be, Now? Start accepting male favors. People will change, so don't ignore it."
Gu Mingke didn't expect outsiders to care so much about his relationship with Li Chaoge. He didn't care about everyone's advice. Instead, he focused all his attention on the front.
Male favorite
·
After the Zhang brothers played a song, the queen was very excited, and asked them? What else. Zhang Bangchang smiled brightly, saying that they all know Shuanglu, Weiqi, Zhiqiang, and Qilong. The empress asked for backgammon to play against Zhang Yanzhi, while the female officer, Li Changle and Zhang Bangchang gathered around to give advice.
Li Chaoge felt bored, so she talked to the queen when she saw the opportunity, and left first.
When Li Chaoge went out, Zhang Yanzhi put a piece of chess on the chessboard, and quickly glanced behind him.
Li Chaoge was confused all the way back to the Princess Mansion. The maids gathered around to serve Li Chaoge, chattering and asking: "Princess, I heard that Princess Guangning sent a man to the palace today. He is fair and beautiful, and looks like a lotus flower. Is it true?"
Li Chaoge glanced at them strangely: "You guys? How do you know?"
All the girls chattered together: "We all know. Princess, you just came out of the palace, did you see that Liu Lang?"
This kind of explosive gossip is widely spread, but not immediately? Li Chaoge couldn't help it? After thinking about it, he commented truthfully: "It's not bad looking, and the rhythm is good."
Not bad looking... The maid huddled together? Laughing together, asked: "Then? How do you compare with the son-in-law?"
Li Chaoge did not fluctuate, and said bluntly: "Can't? Compare."
The maids? There was a giggle. Li Chaoge thought of something, hesitated for a while, and said slowly: "However, it is said that the real strength of their brothers is not in their rhythm, but in their bridge of nose."
Maids? After hearing this, I was confused: "What does this mean?"
Li Chaoge didn't understand either. She paraphrased Li Changle's words and said, "The person who recommended him said that his nose is tall and straight, and he is the best in a hundred miles."
After Li Chaoge finished speaking, he still didn't understand Baili? Pick one? Where?. But a few of the maids blinked and said "Oh" meaningfully: "That? Indeed."
Li Chaoge remained silent, and began to suspect that he had read too little. Why even the maid knows, but she doesn't? How many young maids did not understand, and quickly asked, "Why?"
The speaking maid smiled narrowly, shook her head, and said nothing. The little maid threw herself on him to tickle her itch, and they romped together, and finally the maid couldn't stand it any longer, and said, "You guys haven't grown up yet, what are you doing now? The man has a tall and big nose." , indicating? Yang Dao Zhuangwei."
Li Chaoge almost choked on his saliva. She widened her eyes in surprise, with an expression of disbelief: "What?"
The maid said these words in front of everyone, a little awkward: "I don't know, but everyone in the palace says so."
Li Chaoge recalled the expressions of Li Changle and the queen at that time, and he believed it. She didn't understand at first, but now after listening to the maid's explanation, she doesn't understand anymore.
Li Chaoge asked from the bottom of his heart: "Why?"
"There's no reason, it's usually like this." After one person started? After that, the others also chirped, "Fat and thin? Yes. Men who were fat when they were teenagers will basically lose it later on."
"And fingers. Fingers are usually long."
"You're not sure, obviously? Ming? Look at the difference between the second finger and the fourth finger. The smaller the difference, the longer that place will be."
Maids? Talking all over the place, the more you talk, the more you don't know the door. Li Chaoge silently raised his hand and carefully observed the length of his fingers.
Is it so amazing
Just as she was feeling strange, she vaguely heard movement outside. Li Chaoge looked up and asked, "Is there someone at the door?"
The maid poked her head around to see: "It doesn't seem to be there."
Li Chaoge pursed his lips, cleared his cough, and said seriously: "Okay, don't be here? Talking nonsense. Let's all go down."
The maids all agreed, crossed their arms and stepped back. After everyone left, Li Chaoge sat for a while, and after making sure that the heat had dissipated, he walked into the inner hall calmly.
Sure enough, Gu Mingke was inside.