Chapter 112:

It’s not a secret that the king of Yu has been hoarding soldiers in Yuzhou over the years, but before, as long as the king of Yu did not express the meaning of the Northern Expedition for a day, the ministers would turn one eye and close another, and would rather be regarded as the king of Yu. Demonstrating to the emperor by hoarding soldiers made the emperor dare not act rashly on Yuzhou.
Most courtiers did not want to go to war with King Yu, not only because of the legacy left by the first emperor, but also because once the battle was fought, the Daqi Dynasty would have to pay a high price.
The risk of this battle is too great, it is better to maintain the status quo.
However, now it is not whether the court and the emperor want to fight, it is the king of Yu who is ready to move. Of course, the court cannot be passively beaten...
The atmosphere in the hall became more complicated, and it seemed to be shrouded in a thick cloud.
Only Yuan Minggang did not move like a mountain, and continued to report to the emperor on the Jinluan throne: "The emperor, the ministers went to arrest Gu Xi, Duanrou and the others last night, and captured a total of 40 guards and servants of the Royal Palace of Yu, but Gu Princess Xi, Duanrou and Princess Fang fled, but their whereabouts are unknown."
Hearing that Concubine Fang had escaped, the officials couldn't help feeling like this. Some people felt that Jin Yiwei was still unfavorable. If Jin Yiwei could capture Gu Xihe Fang alive, he would naturally be a proton, then King Yu would not dare to act rashly.
The emperor on the throne of Jinluan swept all the expressions of the officials below into his eyes, but his face was calm, and he solemnly ordered: "Continue chasing, be sure to take Gu Xi and the concubine back to the capital!"
"Yes, the emperor!" Yuan Minggang clasped his fists sonically to lead his orders.
With the incident of Fang Taifei and Gu Xi absconding, the courtiers no longer had the intention of discussing other political affairs. As early as after Yuan Minggang retreated, the court broke up hastily.
The courtiers thought of the upcoming war with great thoughts, especially the Ministry of Households and the Ministry of War.
On the contrary, the emperor was full of spirits, as if he had taken some panacea, not even the oncoming cold wind felt cold.
After the dynasty, the emperor did not go to the imperial study room, but went to Shouning Palace to see Empress Liu. Empress Wei was also there, and the other servants were sent out.
Liu Taihou sat on the Kang with extremely complicated expression. She and Fang Taifei had fought for most of her life. It can be said that besides the first emperor, the people she hated most were Fang Taifei and Yu Wang.
The first emperor died, and the king of Yu was far away in Yuzhou. Over the years, the empress dowager Liu could only focus all her anger on Fang Taifei, but she couldn't do anything to Fang Taifei.
The Empress Dowager Liu had been holding a breath for a full eleven years.
"The emperor," the Queen Mother Liu asked eagerly without waiting for the emperor to bow, "Fang Qinlian is really dead?!"
Empress Dowager Liu also just heard about the death of Princess Fang from Queen Wei, and she still has no sense of reality, as if she had passed away a five-flavored bottle.
Facing Empress Liu, the emperor did not cover her head and said, "Dead."
Empress Dowager Liu's eyes widened slightly, and her chest fluctuated violently.
After a while, she calmed down, her face showed a burst of happiness, her smile was relaxed, but her eyes were red, and she gritted her teeth and said, "Deserve it!"
"She can be'satisfied' by dying in the hands of her own grandson." As she said, Empress Dowager Liu slowly twisted the rosary string in her hand, her expression revealed a touch of ridicule, and her heart was still hateful.
As long as she thinks of Yongle who died young and her poor granddaughter Fang Hanjun, she feels that it would be cheap for her to die like this! Princess Fang and Wang Yu, the mother and son, are really coldhearted.
Queen Mother Liu took a deep breath and asked: "Where is Fang Qinlian's body?"
The emperor said lightly: "The first emperor had a will, saying that in the future, he will be buried with Concubine Fang, but now that the person burned to death in Tai'an Palace is not a "concubine", of course, he cannot be buried in the imperial tomb. I have already ordered it. After he was examined and examined, he was wrapped in straw mats and sent to the mass grave."
The great had just reported what happened early in the morning, and both Queen Mother Liu and Queen Wei knew about it.
The reason why the emperor denied in the court hall that the corpse burned to death in Jiuquyuan was Taifei Fang was not only for political considerations, but also for this.
As long as the corpse is not Taifei Fang, it means that she is not eligible to be buried in the imperial tomb, and be careful to be a lonely ghost.
Empress Dowager Liu smiled, with a strange look blooming in those old eyes, and nodded: "Okay!"
If Fang Qinlian knew about it, she would not be reconciled for fear of being a ghost, and she would be so angry that she would sit up from the coffin, and the news would also reach the ears of King Yu. How would King Yu react? !
Happy, really happy.
This is not to not report, the time has not arrived.
On this day, the empress sat in the Shou'an Palace until the afternoon before leaving hand in hand.
In the next few days, some of the people from the Yu Palace arrested by Jin Yiwei could not survive the torture and finally recruited, saying that the kerosene was brought from Yuzhou by the third son of Yu Wang, Gu Xi, and secretly sent to Jiuqu Garden. ；
It is said that the fire in Tai'an Palace was also ordered by Gu Xi to set it off and exchanged for Princess Fang with a substitute;
It was said that Gu Xi and Duanrou princess should be ordered by the king of Yu to bring Taifei Fang back to Yuzhou.
In the whole matter, the emperor did not give a password, even deliberately instructing Jin Yiwei to spread. Therefore, within two days, there was a lot of talk among the people in the market.
Even Qin Jiu, who was married in the Hou Mansion, could hear some people talk about this from time to time:
"Fang Taifei has also been guarding for eleven years, and I am afraid that she can't stand the desertedness in the palace, so let the king of Yu take her to Yuzhou to enjoy her luck!"
"Then why bother to get a stand-in and feign death? I see, since Princess Fang wants to hide her name, she can't stand loneliness in all likelihood, so she wants to go to Yuzhou and marry again, right?"
"Such a big Tai'an Palace burns as soon as it is said to be burned. It is unusual for this concubine to make a shot.
"..."
Qin Jiao only listened to the gossip when he was eating melon seeds, and did not comment. On this day, a maid came and said: "The wife of the Wei family, the uncle and the uncle are here."
Qin Jiao: "?"
Qin Jiu blinked, only then dullly realized that it was the grandmother and uncle of the original master's three brothers and sisters.
"Let someone go to the Shenshu camp to inform Lord Hou, and also to call Ayu." Qin Jiao ordered as he got up.
Du Ruo slightly adjusted Qin Jiu's clothes, and put a red gold flying swallow bead hairpin between her hair before letting him go.
When Qin Zhuo arrived at the front hall of the inner courtyard, Mrs. Qin Tai and Qin Zeyu had already arrived, and were chatting with guests from afar.
Mrs. Wei Tai, who is sitting on the bottom, looks in her fifties, her hair in a round bun is mixed with a lot of silver threads, and her loving eyes are full of thick smiles, she is pulling Qin Zeyu to speak, Qin Zeyu smiles. Brilliant, sweet to make the old man laugh from ear to ear.
Mrs. Wei sat next to Mrs. Wei. She seemed to be about forty or less, with a bright and cheerful smile on her round face.
Opposite the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was a middle-aged man with a refined appearance, wearing a royal blue auspicious cloud pattern straight, gentle and elegant.
"sister!"
Qin Zeyu was the first to see Qin Jiao and shouted outside the hall, so everyone in the hall looked at Qin Jiao with scorching eyes, especially the three of Wei's family.
Qin Zhuo walked lightly into the hall, first met Mrs. Qin, and then bowed down to the three Wei family members one by one, calling out: "Grandma, uncle, and aunt."
"Good boy, no need to be polite!" Madam Wei quickly helped Qin Jiao up, her eyes flushed slightly.
The old woman took Qin Jiu's hand and looked at the girl in front of her almost greedily, as if she wanted to engrave her face deeply in her heart.
"Your name is Sister Jier, right?" Mrs. Wei said, she couldn't help crying, "You and your mother are so alike, the eyebrows are exactly the same."
Thinking of the child's experience in the Li family over the years, Mrs. Wei felt distressed, as if she had been stabbed. This child is so bitter!
Qin Jiao took out a lilac-colored veil, gently wiped away the tears from the corner of Mrs. Wei's eyes, and smiled: "My aunt also said that I am like a mother."
Qin Jiu didn't have much impression of the Wei family. In the novel, there was not much ink on the Wei family. She only vaguely remembered that the Wei family did not end well, as if it was to seek justice for the original master's brothers and sisters. Later, the whole family died. She couldn't remember what the specific plot was like.
"Mother, you will scare Sister Ji if you cry again." Mrs. Wei said jokingly, "Today is a good day!"
Master Wei smiled and nodded and stroked his beard, and looked at Qin Jiao with a loving face.
"That's right." Mrs. Wei stopped her tears, but her eyes were still a little red, her eyes still stuck to Qin Jiao's face, and she whispered, "It looks like, sister Jia, your eyes and nose are very special. Like your mother, your mouth is like your father, and your ears are like your uncle. No wonder they say that the nephew is like the uncle..."
Mrs. Wei Tai was very excited, she said whatever she thought of.
Mrs. Qin Tai slowly brushed off the floating leaves floating on the tea soup with the tea cover. She only felt that her family was getting older and her eyes were not good. Their sister Jiu looked like Old Hou Ye, especially the eyes and nose, which were simply carved out of a mold.
"Mother," Mrs. Wei said to Mrs. Wei with a smile, "Jiu's skin is white, and she is also like her mother. The jewelry I picked for her was all because of her mother's choice. She would wear it for sure. good looking."
Then, she beckoned to Qin Jiu, took a heavy box from the mother, and stuffed it to Qin Jiu with a smile. Makeup!"
The Wei family came here specifically for Qin Jiu's big wedding, and they set off from Jiangnan very early.
Originally, Mrs. Wei and his wife didn't plan to take Mrs. Wei. After all, Mrs. Wei was too old, but she had to come, saying that she would come to see her granddaughter.
The couple couldn't hold back the old man, so they had to take her with her. It was not too hard to rush along the way, so they walked for half a month.
Qin Jiuluo generously thanked Mr. Wei and Mrs. Wei. The hall was very lively, there was a loud noise, and everyone's faces were filled with bright smiles.
After another cup of tea, Qin Zening also hurriedly asked for leave and hurried back from Shenshu Camp.
He hadn’t seen his grandmother and uncle and aunt for several years, so everyone had a good show of courtesy. After talking, Mrs. Weitai's topic came to Qin Jiu again, saying that fortunately Qin Zening had found his sister. So much.
Qin Zeyu was a guest on the side, and he was secretly relieved, thinking that it was good to have his sister. He used to be the youngest, and his grandmother and eldest aunt always kneaded and pinched around him. Now his sister replaces him! He used to be small, but now he is big, he is a man, and what does it look like when someone touches his face and rubs his head!
Qin Zeyu ate a piece of chestnut biscuits happily. Before biting it off, Mrs. Wei Tai asked, "Qin Xin...how is it now?"
Qin Zeyu's eyes drooped slightly, eating his chestnut crisp, which was fragrant, sweet and crisp.
Qin Zening would never help Qin Xin hide, and talked about what happened in the past few months, including her instigating Su clan to poison Mrs. Qin, including her murdering the old master Qin Xun...
Mrs. Wei became more and more angry when she listened, her lips trembled slightly with anger, and she trembled: "Shameless!"
How could there be such a brazen person in this world!
In the past, Mrs. Wei Tai had pains for Qin Xin. Although she always felt that she could not get close to her and seemed to be separated from her, she thought that she was the only daughter of the second daughter who died young, and she also paid her sincerely. She went to Wei's house to stay.
It was not until later, that is, six years ago, that the Wei family went to Jiangnan with their family, and the two families moved less.
Over the years, the Wei family has also sent things to Qin Xin from the south of the Yangtze River from time to time. In the past, Qin Xin also called his grandmother affectionately.
But until now, Mrs. Wei knows that there are people who are inherently vicious, and whoever blocks her way should be damned, whether it is the old Houye or the current Mrs. Qin.
Fortunately, his real granddaughter is back.
Mrs. Wei Tai held Qin Jiu's hand tightly, her eyes began to turn red again, and she felt the joy of returning. Fortunately, my daughter and son-in-law are alive in the sky, bless them to find Qin Jiu!
If it weren't for Qin Jiu's wedding soon, there must be a lot of work to do. Mrs. Wei almost wants to take Qin Jiu back to the Weifu in the capital.
After having dinner, before leaving, Mrs. Wei reluctantly made an appointment with Qin Jiu: "Sister Jiu, as soon as I arrive in the capital today, I will pass the sign to your aunt in the palace, and you will accompany you tomorrow. May I enter the palace with my aunt?"
Qin Jiu agreed without saying anything, and personally went to Yimen to send them to the carriage.
Early the next morning, she woke up early and accompanied Mrs. Wei Tai's mother-in-law into the palace.
When the mother and daughter met, they cried again.
The Wei family has been to Jiangnan for six full years, which means that Mrs. Wei Tai and Queen Wei have not seen each other for six years.
In the past six years, Mrs. Wei's sideburns have added a lot of white hair, and she looks a lot older.
Looking at the old mother, a deep sadness arose in Queen Wei's heart. Jiangnan was too far away. After seeing her this time, she didn't know when she would wait for the next time.
Mrs. Wei seemed to see what her daughter was thinking. She wiped the corners of her eyes with a kerchief and smiled: "Empress, your father intends to be an official after the expiration of his term. When we return to Beijing, we will see each other from time to time."
Queen Wei's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she smiled as Mrs. Laweitai sat down on the kang, "Father is getting older, it's time to enjoy the happiness."
"Now Zezhi is still in the capital. Sister Ji doesn't have to go to Xijiang. Everyone will see each other from time to time."
Empress Wei was happier as she spoke, her graceful face looked radiant, and she couldn't tell that she was so excited that she didn't sleep most of the night because of the arrival of the Wei family.
Mrs. Wei smiled and said, "It seems that this year is really happy."
Mrs. Wei Tai agreed with a smile, her eyes narrowed, and deep wrinkles appeared in the corners of her eyes.
Although she hadn't met Gu Zezhi yet, she had already met Madam Xiao. After Mrs. Xiao arrived in Jiangnan in the first half of the year, she specially visited them.
To be honest, before meeting people, Mrs. Wei Tai was somewhat worried about Mrs. Xiao’s eyes not getting the sand in her eyes because of Mrs. Xiao’s affairs with Wang Yijue, and she would look down on her granddaughter;
After meeting people, she was relieved, and her impression of Mrs. Xiao was quite good. She could see that the other party was a knowledgeable and reasonable person, and she valued her granddaughter as a future daughter-in-law very much. In addition, Xiao’s family style is very good, so she is in Jiangnan There is word-of-mouth, and Queen Wei praised Gu Zezhi in her letter. Mrs. Wei Tai was also very satisfied with the marriage between her granddaughter and Gu Zezhi.
Mrs. Wei stroked her sleeve and said, "I have already handed a greeting note to Xiao Mansion, and I will come to visit Mrs. Xiao tomorrow."
In any case, this royal palace is messy, and it would be better for Qin Jiu to not have to go to Xijiang, otherwise he will have to get entangled with the king of Duan and the king of Duan. Isn't it all right to add to the life?
Mrs. Wei continued: "Mrs. Xiao said last time that our family is good in Longjing. This time I specially brought her some more from Jiangnan."
At this moment, Xiao Kouzi came in and said with a smile, "Queen Empress, the second prince concubine please see me."
Queen Wei: "..."
The smile at the corner of Queen Wei's mouth narrowed slightly. She knew that Tang Fengchun must have come for Gu Xi and Princess Duanrou.
Since the early dynasty three days ago, the case of the imperial palace was officially settled. Gu Xi sent someone to burn the Tai'an palace and replaced the concubine Fang with a stand-in. The evidence was complete.
The emperor also issued an imperial decree to Yuzhou, instructing King Yu to severely punish Gu Xi. If King Yu couldn't be cruel to his son, he would send the person back to the capital.
Not many people knew that Gu Xi was in Jin Yiwei’s imprisonment, only when he, Princess Duanrou, and Princess Fang fled back to Yuzhou.
The corners of Queen Wei's mouth moved like a smile, and she only said gently: "Tell the second prince and concubine that there is a guest in this palace today and it is gone."
So Xiao Kouzi went out from the Dongbian Hall again, and truthfully spread the word to Tang Fengchun.
Tang Fengchun was waiting under the eaves of the main hall of Fengluan Palace, wearing a thick black cloak inlaid with mink fur. The cold wind roared outside, causing her cheeks exposed to the cloak to flush slightly.
Tang Fengchun glanced towards the Dongpian Temple where the little Kouzi had just walked. The red curtain of the begonia was still swaying slightly, reflecting her bright and dark pupils.
Tang Fengchun smiled and said to Xiao Kouzi decently: "If you bother father-in-law, then I won't bother mother-in-law."
She turned and left. The moment she turned around, the smile on her lips disappeared, her face expressionless.
The heavy snow of goose feathers floated in the gloomy sky, like the catkins in the sky.
Tang Fengchun closed his cloak and walked forward facing the cold wind, his heart heavy.
Since Gu Xi and Duan Rou left Beijing, the series of things that have happened made her unable to react. Now she is isolated and helpless in the capital, and she can't grasp it.
Tang Fengchun frowned lightly, her eyes darkened.
No one came to contact her these days. She didn’t know if Gu Xi and Duan Rou had arrived in Yuzhou, nor did she know what King Yu’s next plan was. She was like an island in a boundless sea, abandoned alone. In the capital, the future is long.
The little Kouzi standing at the entrance of the main hall looked at Tang Fengchun's slightly thin back in the wind and snow, brushed off his robe at will, and returned to the Dongbian Hall. After reporting to Empress Wei, Tang Fengchun had already left.
Empress Wei didn't even bother to respond, and continued to talk to the Wei family and Qin Jiu. Listening to her parents and brothers in Jiangnan, she cried and laughed.
When Qin Jiu left the palace in the afternoon, the empress ordered people to give the makeup and send them to the Zhongyihou's mansion.
Mrs. Qin happily re-arranged the dowry list again, and the more she looked at her, the more satisfied she became, "Sister Jiu, this jade ruyi rewarded by the emperor and the queen can be placed first by then. It is your glory to be able to live in the scene. "
"This time the Wei family also gave you some makeup. After such a calculation, this dowry box can't fit..."
There are regulations for dowry. As the future princess of the county, Qin Jiao can no longer carry more dowry, and it will exceed the regulations of the princess.
Qin Jiu said casually while licking melon seeds: "Grandma, I remember there are several boxes of materials, why don't you just remove one box?"
"No!" Mrs. Qin vetoed without thinking, "That's Yun brocade and Shu brocade, every inch of gold, you may not be able to buy it if you want to buy it."
Mrs. Qin repeatedly looked at the dowry list and wanted to delete two items, but she felt that she couldn't lack anything, so she was reluctant to start, and she struggled for a while.
"Why don't you take away some medicinal materials...no, ginseng, deer antler and fleeceflower are indispensable."
"These porcelains and furnishings really take up space... But these porcelains are Ru kilns, and this red coral jade bonsai is also a rare thing."
"By the way, silver, I can just replace all the silver with silver bills, so I can save a box, but this silver bill really doesn't have the real silver ingot style..."
Mrs. Qin babbled and talked to herself, but Qin Jiu had given up on giving her advice, anyway, she was happy.
Qin Jiu was afraid that the old man would say too much and had a dry mouth, so he hurriedly said, "Grandma, drink tea. This is the Longjing that my grandmother and the others brought yesterday. Try it."
Mrs. Qin gave Qin Jiao a lightly sideways, feeling that this child is so big-hearted, and his dowry can be so careless.
Fortunately, the blessing is great, the talent is great.
Thinking of Qin Jiu's future husband-in-law, Mrs. Qin Tai couldn't help but think of another granddaughter Qin Sheng's marriage, and sighed: "Sister Jiu, your fourth sister is also suffering."
"That Juren surnamed Cheng is really not a thing. Seeing that your fourth sister is no longer a daughter of the Hou Palace, she will ruin her marriage."
"I don't want to think, their Cheng family is just a shabby settled down, but they really take themselves seriously."
Mrs. Qin frowned. Since Qin Zhun and Su's family were convicted, their children will inevitably be looked down upon.
Regarding the second room Qin Sheng sisters and brothers, Qin Jiu only knew that they had gone to stay at the Su's house first, but they had not been able to live much before they were driven out. The Su family bought them a small courtyard with two entrances in the west of Beijing, and they no longer care about them.
Regardless of the Su family, Qin Jiu certainly couldn’t care about it, except that Mrs. Qin quietly asked Mrs. Qin to send some personal money to Qin Sheng’s sisters and brothers, and occasionally asked the women to give them some vegetables and melons from the village. Fruit or something.
For these, Qin Jiu does not intend to intervene.
Mrs. Qin is at this age, and she has always been a soft-hearted person, it is impossible for her to leave a few blood-related grandchildren completely ignored.
Anyway, as long as she doesn’t mention bringing them back, just to help with some silver or something, Qin Jiao just thinks that she doesn’t know anything, it is Mrs. Qin’s own dowry, she has the right to control it, and she can use it whatever she wants. use.
Mrs. Qin Tai nagged and said a few more words. Speaking of Qin Sheng's bad mood recently, she felt that she was not in the control of Qin Sheng and her younger siblings, and finally sighed: Sister, you are lucky!"
Rather than sweet first and then bitter, it is better to first bitter and then sweet. The days of their sister Jiu will only get better.
"Oh!" Mrs. Qin suddenly thought of something, "Why am I so confused, changing the silver to gold, isn't it magnificent and less space occupied."
Mrs. Qin's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly asked someone to prepare the Four Treasures of the Study, planning to copy the dowry list again herself.
Qin Jiao: "..."
Qin Zhuo wanted to say that Mrs. Qin could actually ask the maid to help her copy it, but seeing her radiant and more energetic than the panacea she had taken, she decided not to say anything.
Anyway, grandma is happy!
As the wedding was approaching, Mrs. Qin became more nervous. She repeatedly checked the dowry list and went to the treasury to see the dowry in person again and again. She changed the dowry list almost once a day, and it finally arrived on the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month to give the dowry.