Leader Lan Palace

Chapter 2388 Seven Volumes 91 Asking You (Bi)

With An Ning's expression, he poured a basin of cold water on Concubine Xin's head, which made Concubine Xin quite unhappy.

Originally, I was in a better mood, thinking that everything will come to an end after all hardships... But who would have thought that my brother-in-law would come with such a miserable face.

Pointing to the teapot, Concubine Xin used her body to block the emperor's sight, and said in a low voice and peacefully: "What is brother-in-law doing? Why do you still have such an expression in front of the emperor? The emperor sent the empress dowager to visit the south of the Yangtze River. The grand celebration ceremony. All the people in the south of the Yangtze River are looking forward to it, my brother-in-law is a local official and a servant of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, how can he look like this?"

An Ning sighed, and said in a low voice, "Master Xin doesn't know..."

Concubine Xin was a little impatient, and said in a low voice, "Why didn't I know! Of course I know, I know your hard work. But brother-in-law, don't forget how brother-in-law kicked out his predecessor before he was able to reinstate Jiangsu chief minister For my brother-in-law's future, I was deep in the palace at that time, and I didn't forget to help my brother-in-law plan."

With An Ning's status, Concubine Xin didn't believe that An Ning dared to show such a miserable face in front of the emperor; but he just put such a face on purpose for her to see.

Heh, in the final analysis, he is only her brother-in-law after all, not her Ama...Ama is willing to do anything for her daughter, without expecting anything in return; What does a sister-in-law do.

Even if you do it, you have your own plans.

Therefore, the brother-in-law just wanted her to know how much trouble and hard work he had put in for her this time.What brother-in-law wants is her as a concubine, who can give him more in return.

Now that he is only reinstated as the chief envoy of Jiangsu, how can he satisfy his brother-in-law?After all, the brother-in-law is the person who acted as the governor of Jiangsu, so the brother-in-law at least wants to get the position of the governor of Jiangsu.

Or even... During these years of operating in Jiangnan, in addition to the governor, there is also the governor of Liangjiang; or he can be transferred back to the court to serve as a member of the department.

Concubine Xin could think clearly, facing her brother-in-law's bitter face at this moment, she couldn't help but smile a little coldly.

"Brother-in-law, don't worry, I haven't officially regained my favor yet. Brother-in-law will also wait, after I regain my favor, will you still get what you want?"
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An Ning is older than Concubine Xin at 20 years old, why does he not understand Concubine Xin's thoughts.

It's just that at this moment, the emperor is right in front of him, and in front of Concubine Xin, he also has difficulties to describe.

He could only shake his head with a wry smile, and while holding the cup with both hands to receive Concubine Xin's tea, he said in a low voice, "Master Xin has misunderstood... The servant is afraid that he will be disappointed if he can't help Master Xin."

Concubine Xin smiled lightly, that smile was indeed a bit disappointed, "Brother-in-law is almost unable to help me. I tried to find ways to follow the emperor to the south to Jiangsu. I hoped that my brother-in-law had already arranged everything; but who would have thought that , brother-in-law is helpless!"

Concubine Xin carefully tilted her head slightly, seeing that the emperor was drinking tea with his head bowed, not paying attention to her side, so she was relieved to look away.

"...It made me very happy to come to Suzhou, but I almost left empty-handed. Fortunately, the emperor's itinerary is from Suzhou to Hangzhou, and from Hangzhou to Luan, so he can go back to Suzhou again. Otherwise, this trip Southern tour, I have come here for nothing!"

An Ning's face was full of distress, and when he was anxious, all the wrinkles on his face were squeezed out, with ravines and crisscross lines, it looked like a dried walnut.

"Master Xin... It's not that the slave doesn't do his best for Master Xin, but it's really..."

Concubine Xin lowered her head and sneered, "I understand. It's not that my brother-in-law is not dedicated, it's that the emperor's orders this year are too strict. The governor of Fujian and Zhejiang who had dinner earlier, and the Xunhe who set off the fireworks all asked the emperor to issue an order. I have warned you, who among the other officials would dare to do extravagant things? As for my brother-in-law, he is only the chief envoy of Jiangsu, and his position is still two levels below the governor, so how dare my brother-in-law go against the dragon scale?"

An Ning bowed her head sadly, holding back a sigh in her heart.

Why couldn't he hear it? Although the sister-in-law in front of him understood his difficulties on the surface, in fact she still harbored resentment towards him.

Concubine Xin raised her eyes high, "It's the emperor's will. My brother-in-law just got reinstated as the chief envoy of Jiangsu. It's natural to be cautious in everything. I don't want my brother-in-law to be in trouble, so I will find a way by myself, as long as my brother-in-law contributes."

When Concubine Xin said this, she finally raised her eyebrows and raised the corners of her lips, "I didn't feel at ease about my idea at first. I always felt that after all, I was just a woman who was raised in a deep boudoir since I was a child. In comparison. Therefore, my idea is not as wise as my brother-in-law's... Hehe, but I don't think so, my idea really still comes in handy."

Concubine Xin stretched out her hand, and used the teapot to refill the teacup in front of An Ning.

"Although I came up with that idea myself, but no matter what, it was my brother-in-law who found those literati and arranged everything. Then I still owe my brother-in-law the credit for the success I have in front of me at this moment, my heart I am still grateful to my brother-in-law."

"When I return to favor, why can't my brother-in-law's wish come true? Not to mention the title of governor of Jiangsu, which was only acting as an agent in the past, and was never actually conferred; even Yin Jishan's governor of Liangjiang, who has served four times, is also my brother-in-law's." What's in the bag?"

Concubine Xin looked forward to that beautiful vision, and couldn't help smiling lightly.

"If I give birth to a prince again... then my brother-in-law will be able to think further."

Concubine Xin's words also gave An Ning a lot of encouragement, and An Ning's ravine face finally showed some brilliance.It's just that he was old after all, the light on his face only flashed for a while, and then faded away.

——The smug little sister-in-law in front of him would never know how much thought he had spent in the past few months just to realize her dream!
But he arranged all the ways to please the emperor, but in the end, he didn't dare to use them all.But the mind has already survived, and the money is all that should be used, but in the end it became "aborted", and I didn't even hear a splash.

And...the situation in Jiangnan's officialdom, how can a concubine Xin, a harem woman, understand everything?
These days, because of the urgent letter sent by Concubine Xin in Hangzhou, he wished he could lose his head overnight... He understood that with Concubine Xin's temperament, if the Emperor returned to Suzhou from Hangzhou to stay this time, what if He still can't fulfill her wish, so after she returns to Beijing this time, she might not even recognize him as her brother-in-law.

After all, he is also an official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and his family is also under the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.My sister-in-law has a lot of contempt for him, but she just needs to use it, which is why her brother-in-law growled and her brother-in-law shouted shortly; if he can't use his strength, then he will always be a wrapped slave in front of her after all.

In the past few days, he has to find many literati and writers in Jiangsu Province, as well as find those ancient books and classics to contribute. The difficulty is comparable to digging three feet of the ground, and he must "dig" it all within a few days... When his son was finally ready in the morning, he was happy for a moment, his heart was throbbing, but his throat felt sweet, and when he opened his mouth, he vomited a mouthful of blood...

Even his sister from Fujin and Concubine Xin hugged him and tried to persuade him not to spend so much effort on Concubine Xin's affairs.

But today, I thought I could breathe a sigh of relief and relieve my sister-in-law of the burden, but what I got was the cynicism of the sister-in-law and concubine's master.

In his heart, hot, cold, sour and sweet all mixed together again, entangled, and he couldn't tell what was left in the end.
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It was already March, and the Emperor Luanjia had been away for two months, and even the northern part of the capital finally felt the spring breeze blowing from the south of the Yangtze River.

Qing Zao stood by the window, watching the gradually lively and brilliant vitality outside the window, the heart that had withered long ago, and finally sprouted two new leaves again.

After all, he is still young, but he is only 16 years old; he was newly married last year, and his life is clearly just beginning.

It is because of the body that the heart suddenly withers; but after all, when the eyes see the brilliance of the spring back to the earth, they are still not reconciled to the rapid aging and withering of this life.

Qing Zao looked back at Dai Yun, "Miss Cui Huan, how many days have you been here?"

Dai Yun was startled, and quickly replied, "Miss Cui Huan comes here every day. It's just that sometimes the master is not strong enough, so the servant will take it back on his own initiative..."

Qing Zao sighed softly, "Go, invite Miss Cuihuan to come here."
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When Cui Huan came, she suppressed all her selfish emotions first, and just did the errands assigned by the master first.

Cui Huan explained to Qing Zao the accounts of the fields, lotus ponds, bamboo forests, etc. that were rented out in the Old Summer Palace, one by one.

Qing Zao also raised his eyebrows, "Miss can manage accounts?"

Cui Huan blushed, "Which of the girls from our Banner family didn't learn how to be a housekeeper before leaving the cabinet. The servant Xiaoqian also helped Er Niang at home, so it's easy to learn after going through the family's account books a few times." Yes. Later, the servant Erniang was weak, so Ama simply left all the family affairs to the servant. Therefore, I understand these things."

"After entering the palace, the internal affairs of Yongshou Palace were originally managed by Master Rui himself, but after Master Rui entered the confinement, it is not appropriate to handle those account books anymore. I heard that slaves are more skilled, so they gradually It doesn't matter, let the slaves try to learn reasoning."

Based on the appearance of Cui Huan's confession just now, Qing Zao knows it well.Qing Zao lowered her head and chuckled, "Miss is self-effacing, but she really understands it very well."

Cui Huan blushed, she was not as comfortable as she was just talking about business.

Seeing Cui Huan like this, how could Qing Zao be so calm in his heart?
She was also embarrassed, so she lowered her head and smiled, "As for me, I read a story book before, and there was a similar thing written in it: a rich family also had an excellent garden, but the The garden is for the family's concubine to visit relatives, and it is not suitable for other purposes; but after all, the concubine's visit is only once, so the garden can only be left alone."

"But if it is abandoned, firstly, it will not live up to the grace of God, and secondly, it will make the imperial concubine feel uncomfortable, so I have to send someone to take care of it. The girl is an aunt in the palace, so she naturally understands that it will be used as a family-saving villa. The garden used and laid out is so big, so the sum of money that is asked to be managed is a huge expenditure."

Cuihuan immediately understood what Qingzao was talking about.

Qingzao was talking about "A Dream of Red Mansions", which was the later fate of the Grand View Garden.

"...Later, it was an idea given by a girl in their family who hadn't left the cabinet. She said that the fields and bamboo forest in the garden could be rented out, so that the women could have their own livelihoods. It is a good thing for everyone to make an extra income for the garden. "

Qing Zao laughed as well, and raised her eyes to look at Cui Huan, "When I saw this paragraph that day, I just admired the knowledge and courage of the third girl in the family, but I also peeped out. In the reality outside the book, Not everyone has the courage and ability.”

"But only now did I realize that I was stupid; not to mention that it was just a garden for a minister's family to visit relatives, it turned out that even the Emperor's Old Summer Palace had already been built according to this method! The third girl is more courageous and courageous, and the person who had this insight earlier is actually our imperial concubine!"

Qing Zao couldn't stop admiring, "I used to say, how did the gentleman who wrote the book come up with such a good idea, and how dare he give such a demeanor to a girl who was raised in a deep boudoir; I vaguely understand it—maybe the gentleman who wrote the book is because he knew the story of the Old Summer Palace, so he used the real things that existed in reality into his book."

"This is not the original creation of the book writer himself, but the use of real things in reality!"

Cui Huan had read the book after all, and now when Qing Zao mentioned it, she couldn't help but wander away along with it.

"... What Bafujin said is very true. After all, Mr. Cao is a gentleman in the Zongxue, and he has a very close relationship with a group of clan children; it is also because Mr. Cao himself was born as a coat and assistant leader in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and he also has close contacts with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Many aristocratic families had exchanges. The Old Summer Palace was leased to bannermen, and all the rent received went to the Treasury of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Therefore, Mr. Cao must have heard of the Old Summer Palace from the children of the imperial family and the aristocratic families of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It's about being bagged."

The smile on Qing Zao's face faded little by little, and finally quietly raised his eyes.

"So, Miss Cuihuan has indeed read that "Dream of Red Mansions"."
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Cui Huan woke up just like a dream, knowing that she had slipped her words.

But Cui Huan didn't panic.

Only guilt and sadness.

——In fact, she has long known that such a day will come, and no matter how she escapes, she will always face it.

It's not that she hasn't panicked before, she has already panicked too many times in her mind and in her nightmares.But when the reality really unfolded in front of her, she was already calm.

She stood up quietly, and knelt quietly in front of Qingzao.

"Your servant just let the Bafujin deal with it... If the Bafujin wants to swear a few words to make him happy, the slave will listen attentively; if the Bafujin wants to hit the slave to vent his anger, then as long as the Bafujin doesn't hit the slave in the face, as long as no one else sees it, then he will be fine." The servant has absolutely no complaints."

Cuihuan's calmness also made Qingzao calm down.

Qing Zao bowed his head, twirling the tassel of the bead with his fingertips, "So, the legends outside are not all false. You really met Eighth Brother before I married Eighth Brother .”

"Eighth Brother must value you very much in his heart, so he will show you "A Dream of Red Mansions". I know very well how much he treasures that book."

Cui Huan couldn't speak, so she could only nod vigorously and admit it.

Qing Zao couldn't help but smiled wryly, "Do you know that this episode between Eighth Prince and you reminds me of a passage in that book? You must have thought of it in your heart—it was Baoyu and Daiyu secretly. Let's watch the scene of "Hui Zhen Ji" together."

Qing Zao closed her eyes bitterly, "...the infatuated man in this world can only share the most forbidden book with the person he cares most about. The way eighth elder brother treats you is really true It is exactly the same as Baoyu and Daiyu."

Cui Huan's heart trembled violently, her face turned completely pale.

Qing Zao clenched her fingers, tried her best to smile, not wanting to lose her composure, "Who is that sad and sickly body, who is that beautiful appearance; and who is the one who has the life of that first-class lady? Only now did I deduce and understand that since the big wedding, eighth elder brother has really taken care of all the troubles and illnesses for you; Miss Cuihuan, you are graceful and beautiful, and your words and deeds are almost as good as a noble concubine. If you divide it, you will be worthy of the beauty of the country and the city."

"As for me, at any rate, because of my marriage to the prince, I won the title of First-Class Lady for my mother-in-law, so let's say it's me."

Qing Zao looked up at Cui Huan.

"Heh, heh, then the three of us can be regarded as well-placed, and no one is too wronged, is it?"
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Both women, both at the age of 16, both of them have just begun to fall in love in this life.

They met in one place like this; and Qingzao suffered such a big loss because of falling from a horse...

At this moment, Cui Huan only felt ashamed and had no face to defend herself.

She could only prostrate herself, "Thousands of mistakes are all the fault of the slave. It is the slave who doesn't know what is good or bad, and is wishful thinking."

Qing Zao sniffed hard and smiled, "Cuihuan, I thought about hating you. All the rumors outside have their noses and eyes, and the day I fell off the horse was so coincidental that you were the first one to come out." Save me—that's enough to prove that when something happened to me, you were watching nearby."

"Because of this, I have too many reasons to believe the rumors outside—as the rumors say, it is you, because you hate me for marrying the eighth elder brother as a Fujin and cut off your dream. It made you hate me, and you tampered with my mount..."

Cui Huan sadly closed her eyes tightly, "Ba Fujin, this servant thinks he deserves to die. It's just that if Bafujin really listens to these rumors, the slave's death is not a pity, but it will implicate the two masters in Yongshou Palace... The slave does not want the masters to be killed by outsiders. Make arrangements."

"Eight Fujin only wants the life of the slave, and the slave is willing to listen to the fate of the Eight Fortune, and there will be no complaints in life or death."

Qing Zao also shed tears sadly, "You want to die? You allow me to take your life?"

Cui Huan bit her lips tightly, and also shed tears, "...Slaves these days, what is the difference between life and death?"

Qing Zao also choked up when she heard this, "I understand. You mean, you and Brother Ba were originally in love, but Brother Ba married me, and you will watch me and Brother Ba be together in the days to come. ...You would rather die, in fact, those days are no different from death."

Cui Huan nodded vigorously, choked up so that she could not speak.

Qing Zao nodded, then nodded again, "I broke you up..."

"No!" Cuihuan wept, stepped forward on her knees, and hugged Qingzao's leg, "No matter how foolish I am, I won't think about Fujin like this. How does Fujin know this? How can Fujin decide all this by himself?"

"If the servant talks about it, he only talks about good fortune tricking people. On the contrary, because of Fujin's character, the servant is thankful for the eighth elder brother... With Fujin by his side, the slave can rest assured and is more willing to let go."

Qing Zao was a little surprised, another stalk in her throat, but she already stretched out her hand to hug Cui Huan's shoulder.

"Cui Huan... It's also because of your character, how can I believe that you harmed me? If you harmed me, why did you run out to save me by yourself at that time? Wouldn't it be for yourself? Get on suspicion!"

Cui Huan finally choked with sobs and cried out loudly, "Slave should die too. At that time, I still had a bit of a grudge against Fujin, and I always wanted to know what is so special about Fujin, so I followed Fujin secretly, peeping at him. ...It's just that when Fujin fell off the horse, the slave had no time to think about anything, and there was only one thought in his heart: the slave must not let Fujin have an accident in front of the slave."

"Otherwise, the slave will be sorry for Fujin, and even more sorry for Eighth Brother..."

Qingzao and Cuihuan embraced each other and wept.

Qingzao cried for a while, then raised his sleeves to wipe away his tears, "Okay, let's stop crying, let's stop crying. It's good to talk about these things, and we have to calm down to discuss the next thing."

Cui Huan also suppressed her mournful voice, and raised her eyes to stare at Qing Zao, "Fu Jin ordered it."

Qing Zao lowered her eyes, "Let me tell you the truth: I am not afraid of anything else, even if you are fighting with me, if I really want to fight, it is not impossible to restrain you; but I am afraid, The two of us really fight, not only the two masters of Yongshou Palace, but also the eighth elder brother."

"And once the reputation of the eighth elder brother is damaged, there will naturally be people who will profit from it. For us, won't it become the pain of the relatives and the pleasure of the enemy?"

Cui Huan also nodded vigorously, "Isn't this what the slave and the two masters are worried about?"

Qing Zao wiped away all the remaining tears from the corners of his eyes, "... If the trouble really got to that point, then my body would be ruined for nothing. It is said that I will learn a lot from a fall. I have lost my wish to have a child in the future, but why is my mind still not sober?"

Cui Huan was startled, and hurriedly persuaded with tears in her eyes, "Fu Jin must not say that... Fujin is still young, although his body is in good condition, there will definitely be opportunities in the future."

Qingzao smiled wryly, "Because I'm still young, a fall like this will actually break the foundation... Cuihuan, I know my body well. I'm telling you this, not to make you feel bad for me , I just want you to know that I'm quite sober now."

That's what Qing Zao said, but he still took a few deep breaths before saying the following: "Cui Huan, I only ask you, would you like to replace me and spread the branches and leaves for Elder Brother?"

(End of this chapter)