Value peace

Chapter 24

Early the next morning, Gu Xiyan went to guard the garden to greet Mrs. Gu after finishing her grooming.

Mrs. Gu also just got up, her face with disheveled hair was reborn with tiredness, she gave Gu Xiyan a weary look, and said, "I'm going to school in the future, so you don't have to come to greet me every day."

Gu Xiyan replied respectfully: "Mother treats people generously, so I can't lose my dignity!"

Mrs. Gu smiled, her smile was full of bitterness, and said calmly: "In this case, then you just come to pay me a visit on the first day of every month."

Gu Xiyan responded with a modest "yes".

Mrs. Gu called Madam Tian to take her to Cui Baoyi's place.

When the two walked out of the guard garden, they couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

It was the eve of the autumn festival, and there were two layers of personnel and affairs, and Nanny Song just disappeared.

Nanny Tian didn't seem to talk as much as Nanny Song, and she was very silent all the way. When they reached Cui Baoyi's place, it was Nanny Wu who led her out earlier to lead them in.The house where Cui Baoyi met them was called "Daoxiang". There were three small pavilions with white walls and green tiles. An old osmanthus tree was planted in front of the door. House cinnamon.The room was very tidy and clean, with a small couch and a few embroidered piers. Cui Baoyi sat on the couch and waited for them.

Cui Baoyi is wearing a lake-green Ru skirt today, with three jasper hairpins inserted obliquely on the towering cloud bun, her dress is fresh and refined, elegant and pleasant.

Gu Xiyan also dressed up specially, with a white chest wrap, an emerald green high-waisted pomegranate skirt, and a small opal hanging on her ear, changing mysterious colors in the shade of light, which complements Gu Xiyan's delicate A face as white as porcelain and jade, with a pretty face.

Gu Xiyan and Tian Nanny came forward to salute her, Cui Baoyi asked them to sit down, and said a few more polite words, Tian Nanny left.As Gu Xiyan expected, Cui Baoyi first asked her what she had learned during the enlightenment. Gu Xiyan said that she had only read "Sound and Rhythm", Cui Baoyi first asked her to recite a few sentences, and then took out a pen, ink, paper and inkstone to let her know. She writes a few words.

The result is predictable.

Cui Baoyi couldn't hide the disappointment on her face, and she took out a book and posted it: "This is Mrs. Jieyu's handwriting, you take it back and paint it in red first, come back in three days!"

Gu Xiyan saluted Cui Baoyi respectfully and then left. Madam Wu sent her outside the door again, and the person waiting for her at the door became Duan Niang.

Gu Xiyan went forward to greet her: "Why are you here in person!"

Duanniang said with a smile: "Nurse Tian is now the chief steward of the inner house, so I can't send you to school every time!"

Gu Xiyan and Duanniang went back to the house, opened the sticker and saw that it was imitation Song style.

One of her Chinese teachers once said that "a good handwriting is a stepping stone", and everyone agrees with this sentence in the era of popular computers, let alone in such a dynasty.

Just practice calligraphy!

The whole afternoon Gu Xiyan concentrated on painting red, and when it was time for dinner, she couldn't even hold her chopsticks.

On the third day, Gu Xiyan went to Cui Baoyi's place again.Waiting for her this time was a little girl about seventeen or eighteen years old, with peach face and apricot cheeks, very beautiful.She welcomed Gu Xiyan in with a smile, and introduced herself as "Hui Lan", a personal maid beside Cui Baoyi.She took out a pen, ink, paper and inkstone to let Gu Xiyan paint red, and said that Aunt Cui had specially confessed this.

One morning passed like this.

Back in the house, Gu Xiyan began to draw red again.

On the sixth day, when Gu Xiyan went, it was Huilan who entertained her again, and she also brought a pen, ink, paper and inkstone with a smile to let her sit in the Daoxiang Xiaoxuan to trace red.

No matter how stupid Gu Xiyan was, she understood what Aunt Cui meant.

When going out, Gu Xiyan asked Huilan to tell Aunt Cui that she would come back in a month.

Whelan didn't say anything, and sent her out with a smile on her face.

In September, when the weather turned cold, Gu Xiyan was always painted red.Of course, she also did one more thing during the period, which was to meet Gui Guan.

The place where they met was also chosen to be the place where they met Gu Xiyan and Deacon Li.In case of being bumped into by someone, Gu Xiyan can go to the inner house by turning around, and Guiguan can hide in the woods by turning around; if asked, they can also lie because they met by chance.

This also made Gu Xiyan wary of Deacon Ding once again. It seems that Deacon Ding is quite experienced in contacting people in the inner house!
Their conversation revolved around the selection of concubines by the prince in the spring of next year.

Empress Dowager Fang is * years old this year, and it has been 26 years since she became a queen at the age of 38 and began to handle government affairs on behalf of the late emperor.During these 38 years, the decrees of the Xizhao Dynasty have been operating according to Fang's intentions, and no matter whether it is the former emperor or the current emperor, they have never raised any objections. 23 years ago, she chose her aunt and niece Wang as one of the emperor's candidates. At that time, the Manchu Dynasty was discussing that it was only a matter of time before Wang became the queen, but Wang himself thought so At that time, the empress dowager begged for the emperor to marry the daughter of the Li family of Fengtai as the empress.Now she keeps Fang Shaoying by her side, and now the whole court is talking about whoever marries Fang Shaoying will be the crown prince. Master Gu believes that many people like Master Gu also believe..."

Gu Xiyan asked Guan Gui: "Do you believe it?"

Gui Guan nodded solemnly: "I believe it too."

Gu Xiyan raised her slender and smooth eyebrows like willow leaves slightly.

Guiguan analyzed: "The current empress dowager is the first empress born in a common family in Xizhao's more than [-] years. At that time, she chose the Li family of Fengtai as her daughter-in-law to consolidate her own imperial power and gain the recognition of Xia's gentry. Now The empress dowager's foundation has been stabilized, and she is getting older. She is about to start arranging the way out for the Fang family. Although the girl comes from a prominent background, she is the sister of the imperial concubine and the nephew of Concubine Kanglian. It stands to reason that she should be the most hopeful , but I think this is your disadvantage. During the reign of the Empress Dowager, she vigorously attacked the gentry. Although the Lian family had children, they were not favored, and no one in the Wu family was an official in the court. The master did not expect you to be able to choose I just hope that I can get a piece of Fang's pie. But it's too early now, the empress dowager is still in control of the government and the inner palace. The empress dowager is not happy..."

Gu Xiyan pondered: "Do you know Fang Shaoqing's situation?"

"That's even more impossible!" Gui Guan laughed, his handsome features were sassy and upright under the warm autumn sun at noon, "Fang Shaoqing was betrothed to the daughter of Xu Zhen, Minister of Rites, since she was young, although I don't know why she hasn't Married, but for a decent family, marriage is a matter of time."

Gu Xiyan knew that Guan Gui had misunderstood her, thinking that she had heard that she had no hope of being selected as the imperial concubine, so she took up the idea of ​​Fang Shaoqing, who came from a wealthy family, but she didn't explain, and said: "Since you are not married, you should help me find out. !"

Guiguan smiled and agreed.

Gu Xiyan asked him again: "The last time you talked about the household loan, what happened?"

Guiguan's face was gloomy: "People like us have no household registration...can't marry casually, can't get guides...have no freedom..."

"Then do you trust him?" Gu Xiyan asked, "Do you believe that he will keep his promise and let you be naturalized when you are 15?"

Guiguan smiled wryly: "I can only trust him."

Gu Xiyan said: "Is there any other way?"

"I have searched all over Xizhao's laws, and unless he is willing to guarantee my naturalization, there is no other way."

Gu Xiyan pondered: "Help me find a book about Xizhao's law..." What better way to understand the rules of survival of this society than reading the laws of a country!
Gui Guan looked at Gu Xiyan's face excitedly, muttered at the corner of his mouth, and it took him a long time to answer "yes".

The two broke up and went back to their own rooms, Gu Xiyan continued to sit quietly on the big couch in the room to paint red.

In the evening, Gu Xiyan asked Duanniang to discuss: "Hengyue and Talang are not young, you know the situation at home. I'm afraid that they won't be able to survive at that time, and they will be the first to suffer. A few years ago, we should make a plan early, tell the two girls to see what they think, find a husband's family and marry them as soon as possible... Everyone is decent."

Duanniang remained expressionless for a long time.

When the first snow fell, Gu Xiyan sent Talang and Hengyue off.

Talang married a farmer in Fuchun County, and was a matchmaker for Duanniang, a sister of Duanniang.Said to be a farming family, the family has hundreds of acres of fertile land, and there is an oil mill. The life is quite prosperous. Duanniang visited in person, and Talang is also satisfied.Hengyue's family has a widowed mother who married back to Shuzhou. Duanniang was a matchmaker. She knew her before. The man's father worked as an aide in Xizhou Mansion, Hainan County. I heard that she was the second maid of the Gu family. I am very satisfied. Come on When receiving Hengyue, he even gave Gu Xiyan a small red gold statue showing the sky.

There were only three people left in Gu Xiyan's room, she took the initiative to find Mrs. Gu, and said that the old people were used to it, so there was no need to add any more.

Mrs. Gu has been in poor health since the autumn wind, she often leans on the bed, most of the family affairs are led by Madam Tian, ​​seeing what Gu Xiyan said, she didn't ask much.

Gu Xiyan's birthday was spent in such a deserted manner.

In the twelfth lunar month, things at home suddenly increased. The family friends who returned to Beijing to report on their work had to treat guests and give gifts, and the official inspection would begin in the spring of next year. Madam Gu had to take care of where to go and where to visit. In addition, the new year is coming soon, and she has to check and nod one by one for the arrangements for the year, the gifts for the shrine, the rewards for the servants, and the list of the spring banquet. She has been bedridden for a long time, so she is naturally a little powerless.Although Nanny Tian is shrewd, she is a servant after all, and she does not dare to make decisions at will. Gu Xiyan took advantage of this time to give Madam Gu some advice. Gradually, many things came back to Gu Xiyan.

Duan Niang was very happy when she saw it, and said: "It is also right for a girl to learn Neo-Confucianism from her wife before she gets married."

Mother Tian was very worried that Gu Xiyan took advantage of Mrs. Gu's illness and took the power and did not let go. Later, she saw that Gu Xiyan was clear and orderly in her work, spoke kindly but calmly, and asked Mrs. Gu for instructions on everything. Take it easy.

Apart from helping Mrs. Gu with some housework, Gu Xiyan spends most of her time tracing red.She thought she had made some progress, but Cui Baoyi still asked Huilan to greet her.She knew that she hadn't passed the test yet, so she didn't ask any questions, and went there once a month with the written words.

In the middle of the twelfth lunar month, another unexpected guest came to the family.

(End of this chapter)