cabinet first lady

Chapter 84

In the end, the Yuan Emperor handed over the matter of drafting girls to the Ministry of Households.

As early as two years ago, Yin Ji was promoted from the servant of the household department to the secretary of the household department.

Zhang Anyi's Ministry of Officials, Shen Wei's Ministry of Officials, and Yin Ji's Ministry of Household Affairs, among the six members of the cabinet, only three of them are in charge of one department each.

As soon as the emperor's list for the draft was released, it caused a lot of commotion among the people.If they were not desperate, most families would not be willing to send their daughters to the palace.It would be the best to be favored by the Holy One and enter the sixth house from then on, but even if some women are favored, they will be forgotten in turn, and they will spend the rest of their lives in the deep palace, enjoying the loneliness until death.Most of the beautiful women selected into the palace did not even have a chance to see the true face of the Holy Majesty. They could only be released from the palace when they reached their age. Pick anyone at random and marry them in a hurry.

As soon as the draft came out, many parents who had already been engaged were anxious to marry their daughters off, and those who were not engaged hurriedly engaged, not wanting to send their daughters into the fire pit.

However, this is just the reaction of many people among the people, but those who are well versed in government affairs can see something else.

"Your Majesty wants to be in charge?" Zhang Anyi came back from the palace that night, and Ruan Muyang, who heard the news, asked him.

Zhang Anyi nodded and said with a smile: "Although Madam is in the back house, she can't hide anything from Madam."

Knowing that there was a bit of teasing in his words, Ruan Muyang was not disturbed by him, and glared at him and said: "I'm afraid that even if the emperor is married, the queen mother will not delegate power so easily. This draft will not be so peaceful." The Empress Dowager Qiu had a lot of contacts and knew her character very well.

Zhang Anyi naturally knew it too.

It's just the beginning.

"Where is Qingshi?" He sat down beside Ruan Muyang and asked.

Speaking of Zhang Qingshi, Ruan Muyang also felt a little helpless, and said: "I was tired from playing during the day, so I went to bed early at night. I think maybe I was wrong, and I shouldn't restrain him and teach him to read."

Even Zhang Anyi couldn't do anything with such a student, let alone others.He seemed to agree with Ruan Muyang's thoughts, and said, "Let him play with it first, he's still young anyway."

In this way, Zhang Qingshi, the demon king of the world, finally lived a free life again.

A month later, the showgirls sent from all over the country went through strict selection and investigation, and finally there were 32 people left, all of whom were gathered in the palace.Among them are ladies from aristocratic families in the capital, daughters of local officials, and daughters of ordinary people.

Although they come from different backgrounds, they all have outstanding looks.

"Your Majesty, the Ai family took a look. These women are all good. Especially this Feng Nianyi is both talented and beautiful, and she is also the daughter of Feng Da, the chief envoy of the south of the Yangtze River. She can be made a queen." Turning over the portraits of these women, Qiu The Empress Dowager's gaze finally settled on Feng Nianyi's portrait, and the meaning implied in the words could not be more obvious.

Jiangnan chief envoy, said Jiangnan officials.

Most of the Queen Mother Qiu's cronies are from Jiangnan.

Emperor Yuan didn't refuse, but said: "My mother is right, this Feng Nianyi looks very outstanding." As for the others, there is nothing else.

Regarding Emperor Yuan's attitude, Empress Dowager Qiu didn't say anything, but bent her delicately outlined lips meaningfully.

After leaving from Queen Mother Qiu, Emperor Yuan was about to go back to the imperial study, but suddenly remembered something, changed his way halfway, and said to the little eunuch who was following him: "You and I go to see those beautiful girls, and others don't followed."

Emperor Yuan went to the place where the beautiful women lived and did not disturb anyone.

As the evening approached, the sky was slightly dark, and most of the show girls were in the house.If you go in, you will definitely be recognized, and there will be a lot of noise.Emperor Yuan was about to leave, when he turned around, he bumped into someone accidentally.

"Oh." The person who was hit staggered.

The little eunuch next to Emperor Yuan was terrified and shouted, "Bold!"

The person who came was a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl dressed as a show girl, and she was also a show girl this year.

She was taken aback by the little eunuch, and immediately frowned and looked at the little eunuch, then at Emperor Yuan, and said, "Obviously he bumped into me first, how could the little eunuch be so courageous! Do you know that I am who?"

"you--"

Emperor Yuan stopped the little eunuch and asked curiously, "Who are you?"

Xiao Xiunv looked at Emperor Yuan with a strange expression on her face, and said, "Of course I am Xiunv, you can't even tell? Why are you so blind?"

Emperor Yuan laughed angrily: "I'm asking which family's daughter you are and where you came from."

At first, she was dumbfounded by the little eunuch, but now Xiao Xiunv realizes that the young man in front of her has an extraordinary bearing, and she doesn't seem to be a little eunuch.Thinking of the disadvantages she suffered in the palace for a few days, she immediately became obedient and said: "I——I am from Xiangtan, Hunan, our family...you don't even know me if I tell you."

Emperor Yuan understood immediately.It's just an ordinary person's, no wonder they don't have this bit of vision.

This little show girl was different from what he had imagined.He has met very few women since he was a child, and the maids in the palace are also respectful to him. Occasionally, at the banquet, he sees a few young ladies and princesses from aristocratic families who are also well-behaved. I didn't expect to have such a straightforward temper.

"What's your name?" Emperor Yuan asked.

Xiao Xiunv looked at Emperor Yuan vigilantly, not understanding what he was going to do.

The little eunuch looked anxiously at the side, and knew that Emperor Yuan was playful and didn't want to reveal his identity, so he urged: "I'm asking you a question, answer it carefully!"

"You!" Xiao Xiunv glared at the little eunuch, then looked at Emperor Yuan, hesitated and said, "My name is Jiang Yingying."

The more I thought about it, the more I felt that Emperor Yuan's identity was a bit strange, and it was even more strange to appear here, Jiang Yingying said: "I'm going back."

Looking at the back of Jiang Yingying leaving, Emperor Yuan showed a sincere smile on his face.This is very rare.

A few days later, the draft began, and Emperor Yuan and Queen Mother Qiu personally met the girls.

Yin Ji had checked the origin and background of each beautiful girl and reported it to Emperor Yuan. At this time, he was just matching the faces with the names in his mind.

"Your Majesty, this is Feng Nianyi, what a well-behaved child." Queen Mother Qiu said.

Emperor Yuan, Queen Mother Qiu's man, naturally didn't like it, so he nodded perfunctorily.

After watching all the beautiful women, the Queen Mother Qiu asked, "Which one does the Emperor like?"

Emperor Yuan frowned, and asked the eunuch in charge of Xiunu, "Is everyone here?"

"Go back to the emperor, it's all here." The eunuch replied.

Emperor Yuan's eyebrows frowned even deeper: "I remember a beautiful girl named Jiang Yingying from Xiangtan, Hunan, why haven't I seen her?"

"This—" the eunuch hesitated for a moment, glanced at Queen Mother Qiu secretly, and replied, "Your Majesty, that Jiang Niannian was executed a few days ago because he offended the Emperor and broke the palace rules."

Emperor Yuan's face immediately changed.

There is only one person who can do such a thing.Jiang Yingying, who was executed, reminded Emperor Yuan of the little eunuch who played with him before and was executed, trembling with anger.Unable to attack on the spot, he could only clenched his fists tightly.

Empress Dowager Qiu turned a blind eye to Emperor Yuan's anger, and said: "Your Majesty, that Jiang Yingying didn't learn the rules well, and she was ignorant. She dared to attack the Emperor. She was just executed, and her family is already a great grace of the Emperor." Her son naturally had to listen to her.

It was she who gave him the throne and everything. Now that his wings have grown hard, he would want to go against her, which is naturally intolerable.Especially this harem must be under the control of her queen mother.

Facing Queen Mother Qiu's secret reminder, Emperor Yuan remained silent.He seemed calm, but actually pursed his lips tightly.

It wasn't until he returned to the Hall of the Emperor Yuan that Emperor Yuan lost his temper and smashed a cup. The sound of the cup breaking made people's hearts rise, and everyone dared not express their anger.

The little eunuch who was always behind Emperor Yuan was shaking like chaff.

Emperor Yuan looked at the little eunuch, his immature face was full of anger, and his murderous eyes were full of gloom.He never thought that the little eunuch he trusted was also a member of the Queen Mother.

The little eunuch couldn't stand anymore, his legs gave way, and he knelt down on the ground with a "plop", begging: "The emperor spares my life, my lord, this servant has no choice but to beg the queen mother to spare her life."

But how could Emperor Yuan spare him?

"Come here, drag him down to me and beat him to death!"

Immediately, the little eunuch was dragged down.

In fact, Emperor Yuan didn't fall in love with Jiang Yingying at first sight. He could only say that he had a good impression of her and found her interesting. The reason why he was so angry was the Queen Mother Qiu's interference and warnings to him.

This is still the case in the future, as long as Emperor Yuan looks at any beautiful girl with special eyes, something will happen to this beautiful girl.It made the show girls panic and frightened.

Emperor Yuan was extremely angry.

Yin Ji persuaded: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has listened to the government behind the curtain for five years. The power in her hand is not something that can be taken just by taking it, it has to be taken slowly."

"Then I must listen to the queen mother to make Feng Nianyi queen?" Emperor Yuan asked angrily.

"The emperor is angry." Yin Ji said, "you and the queen mother will only let more innocent girls die. Jiangnan has almost become the queen mother's power, but Jiangnan has been a place of talent since ancient times. The emperor can't give up just because of the queen mother." Jiangnan. The appointment of the daughter of Feng Da, the Chief Envoy of Jiangnan, can not only show the officials in Jiangnan that the emperor is willing to accept it, but also let the queen mother relax her vigilance, and the emperor will find another chance at that time."

Emperor Yuan was silent, his eyes filled with resentment.

Although he sat on the throne early, he never took power until he was 14 years old.

Under Yin Ji's suggestion, Emperor Yuan finally compromised with the Queen Mother Qiu and made the daughter of Jiangnan Chief Envoy Feng Da his queen. At the same time, he also hand-picked Cheng Lanyue, the daughter of Shandong General Cheng Guang, and the daughter of Fujian Governor Wei Wu. Wei Shu is a concubine.

After Feng Nianyi was made queen, Queen Mother Qiu also took a step back and asked Emperor Yuan to make Cheng Lanyue and Wei Shu his concubines.

The draft turmoil that has lasted for several months has finally subsided.

Then there was the process of Qin Tianjian selecting auspicious days and the Ministry of Rites preparing for the wedding of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, in September of this year, that is, the fifth year of Xinde, Emperor Yuan married Empress Feng.

After the wedding, Emperor Yuan once again proposed to be in charge with Queen Mother Qiu, but Queen Mother Qiu was still unwilling to delegate power.

All this was expected by Zhang Anyi and others.

Yin Ji and others led the ministers who supported the Yuan Emperor's pro-government to request the Holy Majesty to be pro-government every day, but there was also a part of the court under the influence of the Queen Mother Qiu. , to the end of the year amid turmoil and competition.

In the twelfth lunar month, it gradually begins to have the atmosphere of the New Year.

On the day of Laba, Falang went to the Yinlu Temple in the suburbs of Beijing to burn incense and brought back some Laba porridge.

Zhang Qingshi likes sweets, and he likes Laba porridge very much.

While Ruan Muyang was eating, he suddenly felt nauseous and retched.Once she was pregnant, she realized that she might have it, and immediately asked Fang Fang to find a doctor.

The doctor came to check the pulse, and immediately said: "Congratulations to Madam and Second Master, Madam has been pregnant for more than a month."

Ruan Muyang was both happy and emotional.After giving birth to Zhang Qingshi, her health has been not very good, after a long time of recuperation, she finally recovered.

Zhang Qingshi looked at the doctor, at Ruan Muyang, and at the enamel, as if he didn't quite understand what it meant to be pregnant.

It is rare for Fang Fang to see this little ancestor so quiet, and said with a smile: "Young master, Madam is pregnant, and I will give you a younger brother or sister soon." Fang Fang married Heyue when he was in Xinde for four years. relative.

Zhang Qingshi was stunned for a moment, but suddenly his little face was full of joy, he threw himself happily on Ruan Muyang, and got into her arms, frightening the red glaze beside him.

Ruan Muji touched Zhang Qingshi's head very gently, and asked, "Is Eryi happy to have a younger brother or younger sister?"

"Happy! Mom, I want a younger sister." Zhang Qingshi's pale, sickly face flushed because of his joy, and he was extraordinarily cute.

Ruan Muyang laughed: "Why?"

Zhang Qingshi said solemnly: "I already have a younger brother from my fourth aunt's family, and I don't have a younger sister." To him, the younger brother is mischievous and stupid, and the younger sister is better.

The year before last, Hu Yunxi gave birth to Zhang Anyu's second child, a boy named Zhang Qingchu, who was two years younger than Zhang Qingshi, had only walked for a short time, and ran after Zhang Qingshi's buttocks all day long.

"Then you should be more obedient in the future, and don't cause trouble again." Ruan Muyang gently pinched his cheek.She was naturally very excited to finally have a second child, but at the same time she was a little worried, worried that when the second child was born, she would neglect Zhang Qingshi and make him feel left out.

Ruan Muyang Youxi made the servants of Chuanyun Courtyard look happy.

In the evening, when Zhang Anyi came back from the palace, as soon as he entered Zhang's mansion, he saw the servants smiling at him. The servants in the mansion were still a little afraid of the second master who became the chief assistant of the cabinet, but the servants of Chuanyunyuan But much better.As soon as Zhang Anyi entered Chuanyun Courtyard, the servants surrounded him and said, "Congratulations, Second Lord."

At the same time, they begged Zhang Anyi for happy money.

Suddenly everyone congratulated him, and Zhang Anyi was a little dazed, but he soon guessed it.

"But Madam is happy?" he asked.

The servants nodded.

After asking Mo Jian and Mo Wen to stay and distribute happy money, Zhang Anyi strode towards the house.

In the room, Zhang Qingshi was cuddling obediently beside Ruan Muyang, looking at her belly curiously.

Hearing the voice, Zhang Qingshi raised his head, saw Zhang Anyi, and obediently called out "Daddy".

The four-year-old Zhang Qingshi is very cute, and his appearance has inherited Ruan Muyang's delicacy, like Zhang Anyi's eyes and the femininity in his facial features, a small one, a fleshy face, plus a pleasant speech, Make people like it.

"Father, I'm going to have a younger sister soon." His voice was childish, with a bit of smugness in his tone.

Zhang Anyi laughed, walked over and patted his head and asked, "That's why you're so sure it's my sister?"

In front of others, Zhang Qingshi was always upright, but when he was in front of Zhang Anyi, he was stopped by questions. He raised his head high and looked at Zhang Anyi with dissatisfaction.

Why does it seem like you are not talking about your sister?
Zhang Anyi looked at Ruan Muyang and asked, "Madam, do you feel any discomfort?"

Ruan Muyang shook his head.

With her husband in front of her, her eldest son beside her, and an unborn child in her stomach, she felt that she was extremely happy and satisfied at this time.

At night, in the dead of night, Ruan Muyang was embraced by Zhang Anyi from behind and held him in his arms.

Feeling the warmth and thickness of his chest on his back, Ruan Muyang was extremely comfortable, and at the same time, the worries and anxieties in his heart surged up again.

As if feeling Ruan Muyang's emotions, Zhang Anyi pressed against his neck and asked very gently: "Madam, is there something on your mind?"

Ruan Muyang thought for a while and said, "I'm worried about Twenty-one."

Zhang Anyi immediately understood what Ruan Muyang was worried about.

Most of Zhang Qingshi's sickness is due to their parents, so they owe him a great debt.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of him then." Ruan Muyang said.She was not such a sentimental person, probably because she was pregnant.

Zhang Anyi hugged Ruan Muyang's hand tightly, kissed her hair, and said in a low voice, "Don't worry, madam, Qingshi is my eldest son. Even if we have more children in the future, he will still be my most cherished and dearest son." A beloved one. No matter what, he will have no worries in his life."

He is making a solemn promise in a peaceful tone.What flowed in his distant eyes were their suspicions, disputes, and the heavy rain that summer that had not been seen in many years.

Zhang Anyi's words made Ruan Muyang's restless heart finally calm down.Her heart seemed to be filled with his commitment, almost overflowing.He knew her heart, knew that she only hoped that Zhang Qingshi could grow up safely, carefree and happy.

Ruan Muyang turned over, faced Zhang Anyi, raised his head and kissed him.

Zhang Anyi chuckled, still hugging her tightly.

After enjoying the lingering affection between husband and wife for a while, he said: "The Holy Majesty is becoming more and more dissatisfied with the Queen Mother. I am afraid that the bottom line of his patience will be next year, and there will be another turmoil at that time. I only hope that our children will be safe." born."

When they were pregnant with Zhang Qingshi, it happened that the court was in turmoil before the death of Emperor Ling. Coincidentally, when their second child came, the court was about to usher in the first real storm since Emperor Yuan ascended the throne.

Perhaps this is fate, they are all people who cannot escape the government, and the ups and downs of their lives follow the changes of the government.

With Ruan Muyang's joyful pregnancy, Chuanyun Courtyard is also extraordinarily lively this year for Chinese New Year.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the lantern festival of the Lantern Festival.

Not long after Ruan Muyang became pregnant, she didn't feel any discomfort, so she and Zhang Anyi took Zhang Qingshi to the Lantern Festival.

Zhang Qingshi's personality was unrestrained, and he especially liked such a lively atmosphere. When he saw the dazzling array of lanterns, he even clamored for each of them.On the way, Ruan Muyang bought him a tiger hat, which was extra cute.

There were not many guards around them, only Mo Jian Mo Wen and Hong Yao followed from afar.

Zhang Anyi, Ruan Muyang, and Zhang Qingshi seem to be an ordinary family of three, but the two adults are very eye-catching, and the children are very cute, which often attract attention.

After all, he was still young, his legs were short, and his body was weak, so Zhang Qingshi became tired after walking for a while.

Normally, Ruan Muyang would hug him, but now she is pregnant, so it is not convenient for her to hug him.She thought about it, looked at Zhang Anyi, and said to Zhang Qingshi: "Twenty-one, mother is pregnant with a younger sister, so I can't hold you, let your father hold you."

Zhang Anyi was taken aback, then looked at Ruan Muyang.

She smiled at him, the purpose of which was obvious.From Zhang Qingshi's birth to now, he has never had the chance to hug him.

Zhang Anyi looked at her spoiledly, and then looked at Zhang Qingshi.His floating and gentle eyes reflected the unextinguishable lights of the Lantern Festival, and the stars were like the vast night sky, bright and deep.

I have to admit that he is a little nervous at this moment. I am afraid that he has never been as nervous as he is now when he took the general examination, the palace examination, and the announcement of the results.This feeling reminded him of the feeling of wanting to be approved by his master when he was just studying.

Hearing Ruan Muyang's words, Zhang Qingshi's eyebrows frowned, and his small face was filled with complex emotions that made people laugh.

He looked at Ruan Muyang first, then looked at Zhang Anyi tangledly, and met his gaze.

There are two people, one big and one small, one tall and one short, one with his head down, the other with his head up, and two pairs of very similar eyes are looking at each other.

The little Zhang Qingshi was wearing a tiger hat, and looked very cute with his head up.

"My father is hugging me?" Zhang Qingshi seemed to be in disbelief.

The elder brothers of his uncle's family and third uncle's family said that their father never hugged them.

Without saying anything, Zhang Anyi bent down and opened his hands towards him.

Zhang Qingshi rolled his eyes, and threw himself into Zhang Anyi's arms, as if he was very unaccustomed to get along with his father like this, and found it strange that his father was always a little serious on weekdays. "Jinzhu and Yinbao said that I've gained some weight these days." Little he didn't know that this feeling was called awkwardness.

Zhang Anyi hugged him easily, curled his lips invisibly, and said, "It's true that he's getting fatter."

Zhang Qingshi snorted.

Ruan Muyang finally saw the picture he wanted to see, and he was very happy, his eyes were full of tenderness and he said, "Let's go."

Zhang Anyi hugged Zhang Qingshi with one hand and Ruan Muyang with the other.

After a few steps, with a sound, half of the night sky lit up.Every Shangyuan Festival, the royal family will set off fireworks on the tower.

They stop and watch.The sudden burst of fireworks lit up their faces.

"Father, you hug me so high." Zhang Qingshi's childish voice was mixed with the crackling of fireworks, which was very kind.

(End of this chapter)