Harem strategy

Chapter 58 Mrs. Zhang

Mrs. Liu didn't go to see her children that day. She stood by the lake for a while, listening to her daughter's laughter like silver bells.

"Cousin, I want that lotus pod. Yes. It's that one. You didn't see it kept saying 'eat me, eat me'. Hahaha."

"You child, you are naughty again. Here you are. Let the girl peel it for you, be careful not to hurt your hands."

"It's really sweet and juicy, no wonder it recommended itself, hahahaha. Cousin, try it."

"Go back." Liu Shi smiled slightly when she heard this, turned around and gave instructions to the girl, then turned and walked back.

On the return journey, Liu closed her eyes tiredly, but her mind was full of thoughts. She remembered what Master Mingwu said to her back then.

"This child is destined by the phoenix, and should be born with the dragon son."

"Master is right, this child and her brother are twins."

"Female benefactor, this dragon is not that dragon, and this phoenix is ​​not that phoenix."

"What does the master mean by this?"

"This girl is destined to be the lord, and she must be a shelter for her precious son, so that in the future, she will be able to soar through the nine heavens."

I remember that I was confused by what the master said at the time. Isn't the so-called noble son of Master Xindao just the son of a dragon?That's the prince, but even if the family of the government is prominent, how can we find a prince to protect her for my daughter?
The master saw that she was at a loss, and said that the child's parents were not related, so he had to let her out before she was ten years old, so as to keep her safe for a while. This is why she later sent sister Zhen to the fief.

It wasn't until the crown prince passed away five years ago, and the empress and Dingnan Wang's brother and sister made their first appearance, that the Liu family had a faint feeling that the decision back then might be wrong.

Now that I think about it carefully, the decision to send sister Zhen to the fief may not have been the result of the master's words.

It's just that the queen is pregnant now, and she doesn't know whether the child in her stomach is a boy or a girl. The Dingnan Palace looks very grand, but it is actually standing on the edge of a cliff, in a dilemma.

Liu's headache is splitting here, but he can't think of a reason, so he can only take one step at a time.

Xiao Shao had been meeting people in the study room in the afternoon, and then he was talking to Mr. Chu and other staff members. Halfway through, he suddenly remembered that his mother wanted to talk to Sister Zhen about the girls. It was sad, so I got up from the study, thinking that I had to take a look to be relieved.

At this moment, the two cousins ​​were in a small boat, and Zhou Baozhen looked at the boat lady behind the boat with great interest, looking eager to try.

"Sister Zhen is not for fun, why don't you come and sit down." Seeing that she couldn't understand what she was thinking like this, Xiao Shao greeted her.

Zhou Baozhen couldn't help it, thinking that he would have to talk to his cousin about the girls in a while, and he must not make his cousin unhappy anymore, so he obediently sat down opposite him.

"Cousin, here it is for you." Zhou Baozhen smiled, and handed a half-opened pink lotus to Xiao Shao.

Xiao Shao couldn't laugh or cry when he saw it, a delicate little girl wanted to send him flowers.I saw Xiao Shao stretched out his hand to take the flower, put it under his nose and sniffed it, with a coquettish and self-sufficient appearance, combined with the blue waves and red sun behind him, it can be included in a painting.

"Let's talk, what else do you need for cousin." He didn't believe that the little girl had nothing to say to him.

Zhou Baozhen looked at Xiao Shao's face, and saw that he was smiling with phoenix eyes, obviously he was in a good mood at the moment.She was a little hesitant, afraid that her cousin's good mood would disappear as soon as she opened her mouth, but if this matter should be resolved quickly, it would be too late for Qian Bi and the others to be sent out.

"That, cousin. It's about a few girls."

"If you want to intercede for those girls, then you don't need to say any more." Before Zhou Baozhen finished speaking, Xiao Shao interrupted her with a sullen face, really upset.

"But cousin." Zhou Baozhen was in a hurry, she crossed the table and grabbed Xiao Shao's sleeve, begging, "Cousin, since they have served me for many years, you can go around them this time."

When Zhou Baozhen was in a hurry, she forgot all the words she had thought up beforehand, and her words were out of order, and she just begged Xiao Shao to avoid the maids.

Seeing her like this, Xiao Shao couldn't even care about her manners, he wished he could arrest her and beat her up again.

"Sister Zhen, where did all your usual upbringing go?" Xiao Shao became anxious but calmed down. He pulled his sleeve out of Zhou Baozhen's hand little by little, then stood up and sat in the cabin. With his hands behind his back, he looked down at her.

Zhou Baozhen also knew that her image at the moment must be in a mess, but she couldn't care less about it now, and she knew that if she couldn't do it this time, it would really be over.She hugged Xiao Shao's leg in two steps on her knees, looked up and cried to him: "I know they did something wrong, it's just that my cousin punished them, and if the girls make a mistake in the future, we will If you want to be kicked out, then who will dare to come to my side to serve me in the future, and who will be sincere to me?"

At first seeing Zhou Baozhen kneeling on the ground Xiao Shao felt a little distressed, but later seeing her crying without caring, she just kept begging.She was born delicate and beautiful, but now that her hairpin is loose and her temples are sagging, she is even more indescribably pitiful.She was born to be delicate, when did she have such a state of mind, even a hard-hearted person will be softened when seeing her, let alone Xiao Shao who loves her to the bone?

"Okay, sister Zhen." Xiao Shao was helpless, even if he had a big temper, he couldn't express it now, so he had to squat down and hug her up first.

And the waiters on the boat were already silent when Xiao Shao was angry and Zhou Baozhen was begging, and seeing these people hold their breaths, wishing that they didn't exist.

Xiao Shao helped Zhou Baozhen to a chair and sat down, then took out a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe her face, and asked Zhou Baozhen who was emotionally excited, "Sister Zhen, you must save these few days. a girl?"

Zhou Baozhen nodded and looked at Xiao Shao: "Yes."

Xiao Shao nodded, sat on the chair beside Zhou Baozhen, thought for a while, then turned to Zhou Baozhen and said: "It's okay to not move those girls."

"Really? Thank you, cousin." Zhou Baozhen was pleasantly surprised, and was about to stand up and salute Xiao Shao.

"Don't be so anxious to be happy," Xiao Shao raised his hand and pressed Zhou Baozhen's shoulder, and then said, "It's okay to keep them, but I can't be your big girl anymore, and they are all reduced to second-class. I'll find another suitable one for you, do you think it's feasible?"

Zhou Baozhen thought to herself, as long as they are not driven away, it doesn't matter if they are first-class or second-class. As for the lack of monthly money, it is a big deal to subsidize them privately.

In this way, Zhou Baozhen smiled through tears, got up and thanked Xiao Shao: "Everything should be done according to my cousin's wishes."

Xiao Shao was amused in his heart, the little girl cried and begged, but in the end everything was done according to her cousin's wishes, if you really did according to her cousin's wishes, I'm afraid you will cry again.

"Cousin, let someone pick the tender water chestnut, and tell the kitchen to mix it with bad marinade. How about serving wine to cousin at night?" Zhou Baozhen looked at the water chestnut in the water, thinking that his cousin loves bad food Nen Ling suggested, "Oh, by the way, I'll pour wine for my cousin in the evening." Zhou Baozhen looked at him flatteringly.

"Sister Zhen pours the wine herself, so my cousin should drink two more glasses." Xiao Shao saw that she was happy again, and his heart was so soft that he regretted that he shouldn't have provoked her for such a trivial matter in the first place. Crying, his sister Zhen should be happy every day.

It's just that Xiao Shao didn't drink the wine poured by Zhou Baozhen in the end at night, he went out to the banquet temporarily because he had something to do.

In the end, Zhou Baozhen divided the bad water chestnut into two, one half was kept for Xiao Shao, and the other half went into King Dingnan's stomach. On this point, father and son's tastes are very similar.

Zhou Baozhen personally poured wine for Wang Dingnan and his wife. King Dingnan was very happy, raised his glass and said to Concubine Liu, "Oh, it's not good to be dissatisfied. Even sister Zhen can pour wine for us."

King Dingnan drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, and put another piece of water chestnut into his mouth. Then he saw Zhou Baozhen and joked: "If your tiger cousin knows that this king not only ate his food, but also drank our precious food." I'm afraid I'm going to get angry again with the wine poured by my sister. Hahaha."

"My lord, Sister Zhen is still a child." Concubine Liu looked helplessly at her husband who was laughing, how could she say this in front of the child.

"Sister Zhen, put it down quickly, let the girls do this kind of thing." Princess Liu waved her hand, let Zhou Baozhen sit beside her, and personally picked up her usual favorite dishes for her.

It was not until the third day that Zhou Baozhen finally saw Qianbi Qinghong and the others.

When the "girls" saw Zhou Baozhen, they knelt down and kowtowed to her.When Chengying came to pick them up, she told them that if the girl hadn't pleaded with the son several times, and finally even knelt down and cried to the son, according to the son's temperament, they would have been sent out by now , where I can be blessed to return to the girl's side to serve.

"What are you doing? Why don't you get up quickly? I'm the one who got you bothered this time." Zhou Baozhen saw that the girls looked haggard. Those who were guilty, hurriedly motioned to the girl in the room to help them up.

It turned out that after Mrs. Liu returned from the palace that day, she also blamed the maids for not serving her wholeheartedly. She originally wanted to drag them all to the second gate and give each of them twenty boards. In the end, it was Liu's mother who persuaded her that it was the girl who was next to her. Big girl, if you do this, the girl will not look good.

Liu thought about her daughters, and finally decided to put each of them on five boards in the yard, and then lock them in the yard to wait for punishment.

And Xiao Shao didn't want to let these girls go so easily, so he deliberately delayed for two days before having someone go to the Duke's mansion to pick them up.

The master and servant talked, and they had to cry again. Seeing that they were not going on like this, Shuangfu and Shuanglu had to come out to persuade them again: "Ciao girl, and a few older sisters, listen to the persuasion of the servant, the son is the best!" I don't like Miss Biao to be sad, besides, all the sisters are still guilty of crimes, and if you make the prince angry again, you will disappoint Miss Biao's heart for her sisters."

"Do you think that with a pair of earrings, people outside can bring you messages?" Shuren Zhao said quietly when he appeared at some point.She is the one who has been here to invite the Moon Palace for the longest time, and her charming face is no longer there.

Qin Sesur said: "It's better than sitting still and waiting to die. When I go out, for the sake of us living together, I will let someone take care of you!"

Hearing Qin Sese said that she could go out, Shuren Zhao also became energetic, but when she thought about it, when she came to this cold palace, where would she have a chance to go out?

The emperor will definitely not come back, but if they come, the emperor will be disgusted when he sees them now.In this palace, there are very few people who can come out of the cold palace, most of them are dead, or died of old age here, and they can't live for a few years, so everyone is afraid of being thrown into the cold palace.

If the emperor was angry for a while, it would be fine to put him in the cold palace, but he has already been convicted, and it will be very difficult to turn over.

Seeing Qin Sesur like this, what can be the result?
Li Jialuo is now the master of the Fanglin Palace, and Li Jialuo is at ease. Although the emperor said that he would give her the Changchun Palace, it will be a year later.

The Chinese New Year is approaching, and moving is not a big deal.

There are six bureaus in the palace, even the empress is just ordering everyone and then making up her mind, let alone Li Jialuo, as a concubine, there is nothing wrong at all, let alone a pregnant concubine.

Needless to say, the courtiers of Fanglin Palace, they will never be wronged when they go to get the things now, but they are the first ones. After all, they all know that the concubine Shu is favored and pregnant, and has a bright future in the future, so don't rush to curry favor With?

But Wang Zhaoyi, who was already sick, was forgotten in the corner.

No one dared to provoke her, because the Queen Mother arranged someone to take care of her in Yonghe Palace.And although everyone guessed what Wang Zhaoyi did, they just didn't know what it was, and they didn't have the courage to inquire about it.

Since she is said to be sick and needs to rest, then everyone should not bother her.

As the New Year approached, more people in the harem saw their natal families.

"Mrs. Zhang?" Li Jialuo frowned, and Amber hurriedly said: "Mrs. Zhang is Yun's cousin, married in the capital, and usually has a good relationship with Yun. This time, she knew about the draft in advance. Mrs. Zhang told Yun Shi."

Hu Po is Yun's big maid, and Yun's favorite, so she is very clear about this matter.

Mrs. Zhang's husband-in-law is just a fourth-rank loose official, the kind who has rank but has no errands.There are also many officials of this kind in the capital city, and they are mainly from their families, either under the shade, or donated with money.

Mrs. Zhang is not Wu Wanzhen's direct natal family, but if Concubine Shu can nod and agree, she can handle it at her own discretion. The palace is generally very humane in this regard.

So Mrs. Zhang asked someone to bring a message to see Li Jialuo, and Li Jialuo smiled.It seems that I played an honest and obedient person in the Wu family, and it was very popular among the people. Mrs. Zhang still thinks that she is a very obedient girl.

"Master, have you seen this Mrs. Zhang?" Amber asked.

"The palace was busy before, so I don't want to see you anymore."

Hu Po immediately went to ask someone to give orders. This Mrs. Zhang had never shown her head before, but now that her master was recovering, she hurriedly climbed along.

Mrs. Zhang asked Concubine An's mother, Mrs. Chen, to bring the message. Concubine An gave birth to the second princess. Although she is not favored now, people in the palace dare not underestimate her.Because there is a princess, the emperor has few heirs, and he is good to the second princess, and he will visit the second princess from time to time.

The women in the palace will not be neglected because of the number of times the emperor has visited.

Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Zhang are in-laws who turned a corner.The daughter of Mrs. Chen's brother was betrothed to the son of Mrs. Zhang's sister-in-law.

Because of this relationship, Mrs. Chen met Mrs. Zhang, and Mrs. Zhang wanted to see Concubine Wu, so she brought a message.

Concubine An got a reply from Concubine Wu, and hurriedly asked someone to bring a message to her mother.

When Mrs. Chen received the news from the palace, Master Chen also knew about it, so he asked, "Isn't it about the empress? Why did you mention the empress concubine?"

Mrs. Chen hurriedly said: "It's Mrs. Zhang from the Zhang family. You asked me to take the message. After all, it's an in-law. It's shameless not to take a word." Her natal niece is also Mrs. Zhang's sister-in-law's daughter-in-law This kind of kinship cannot be torn apart.

Mr. Chen said: "You shouldn't meddle in the affairs of the Zhang family in the future. People like them won't do things that are not beneficial. Now they are still in touch with the palace. Don't touch your hands, so as not to give your empress too." folded in."

Mrs. Chen said: "Our mistress has a second princess, how can it be bad? I have considered this matter too, since the Zhang family has something to do with the concubine Shu, and the concubine Shu is favored now, it will be fine at that time If you have a helper with our empress, you can't be plotted against in the palace."

"Do you believe this too? It's true that she has long hair and short knowledge. It's not easy for Concubine Shu to be promoted from a nobleman to Concubine Shu in less than a year, and she is also pregnant. Don't you If you underestimate people, it will be too late to regret.”

"Understood, I'll just bring a word, master, you are so talkative, can't it be okay if I don't bring it in the future?" Mrs. Chen disagrees. Although Mrs. Zhang's cousin is Wu Shupin's stepmother, the stepmother is also a mother. Chu Ke ruled the world with filial piety, and Concubine Wu Shu couldn't ignore her natal family no matter how promising she was.

Besides, if the palace wants to be promising, it is impossible for her mother's family not to show up.

Besides, Mrs. Chen is also for her natal niece. Mrs. Zhang has a very good relationship with her sister-in-law. If she really doesn't say anything to Mrs. Zhang, then the one who gets angry is her natal niece.

Mrs. Zhang had already received the news from her cousin, Yun Shi, and sent Wu Wanzhen over for the draft. But at the beginning, she didn't have much hope. a high position.

What's more, there is Wang Xianfei controlling the palace, and even the queen has to stay away. How promising can a little beautiful girl be?

So Mrs. Zhang didn't show up at all, even if she had a relationship like Mrs. Chen, she didn't say, please take care of her.

Until this Wu Wanzhen really came out, and now she is pregnant with the dragon seed, it is said that even Wang Xianfei was punished by the emperor because of her, Mrs. Zhang thought, it is time to see her.

For the empresses in the palace, if they want to go further, they must have a strong backer behind them. Their Zhang family has to rely on Concubine Wu Shu if they can't say it.

It's better for someone in the capital to handle things better than for her to fight alone.

So Mrs. Zhang asked Mrs. Chen to take the message.

The Zhang family also knew that Mrs. Zhang's cousin's stepdaughter was promising, and Mrs. Zhang's status in the Zhang family rose all of a sudden.There are more people who fawn on her.

Mrs. Zhang has always been a person who is not profitable. She told her cousin Yun's draft because she saw that the Zhang family had no suitable candidates. Strictly speaking, it should be that she did not have a suitable daughter. His daughter is already married, and the remaining concubines are too young to be qualified, so he thought of the Yun family.

It's just a matter of one sentence, if Yun can do it, that's good, if it can't, she has nothing to lose.

"What? I don't see you?" Mrs. Zhang almost died of anger when she heard such a sentence.I think that Wu Shupin is ungrateful, if it weren't for her, would she have a good life now?I haven't seen it yet!
He boasted in front of his family, saying that he would definitely see Concubine Wu Shu.

But now this Concubine Wu Shu didn't want to see her, it was unreasonable!

She couldn't go to the palace to question Concubine Wu Shu, she didn't have the guts yet, "Sure enough, her wings are hardened, so she won't recognize anyone!" Madam Zhang sneered, "I don't believe she won't need us anymore!"

Mrs. Zhang felt very ashamed because of this incident, and wrote a severely worded letter to the Yun family in Zhuozhou.The content implies that Wu Wanzhen was ungrateful by crossing the river and demolishing the bridge.

I don’t know how the old lady Wu found out about this matter, and the old lady Wu scolded: "What ungrateful, crossing the river and demolishing the bridge? What does our Wu family have to do with her Zhang family? Isn't it just about the draft? Without her Zhang family, we still know that there is a draft. If my granddaughter is not outstanding and won the favor of the emperor, what does the Zhang family have to do with him? He dared to ridicule the empress. When I got to the capital, I saw the empress and had to sue her. Impossible!"

Mrs. Wu is very proud. Her eldest granddaughter entered the palace and became a concubine, and now she is pregnant with a dragon son. She might become a prince in the future. If she is not a prince, she will at least be a prince.
"Sister-in-law, I didn't say it, Mrs. Zhang is too big. Although our family is not as good as theirs, she can say whatever she wants? She should slap her when she says those words! Besides, the lady is still pregnant? If the emperor Hearing this, he is still furious. For a little thing, he makes it seem like he is a great benefactor of our Wu family, I really don't know what to do." The second wife, Ruan Shi, did not show any empathy in her words.

Moreover, what kind of green onion is that Mrs. Zhang, she dared to call her empress, it was too much!The prosperity and wealth of their family depends on the empress.

After hearing this, Yun said: "It's all mine, isn't it? My cousin, when she was young in her mother's house, had a temper like that. Only others let her go, and if she doesn't let others, even if she is married, it's the same. After so many years, I still haven't changed my temper. It's just that I thought, the master will go to Beijing to report on his work next year. In Beijing, he must have acquaintances anyway. Although the Zhang family is not good, they are better than us in the capital after all. I know a lot of people, mother, can you be more tactful?"

Old Madam Wu said: "My eldest granddaughter is already a concubine. What's the matter, she still needs to rely on her Zhang family? Isn't that a joke? She dares to write a letter to question her, so don't be polite to her!"

After hearing this, Yun said, "How about the daughter-in-law ask the master?"

(End of this chapter)