"Yao'er is my biological flesh and blood. I don't want to see her, okay? Am I willing to send her to the palace, to a place where it's difficult to even see her parents and relatives?"
Wu took the handkerchief and pressed it at the corner of her eyes.
"That's the eldest princess's mansion, not ours. Can I do whatever I want? Now that Yao'er is going to be sent to the East Palace, my heart feels like it's been torn apart! I'm so pitiful
My son..."
As he spoke, he frequently wiped away tears.
The madam didn't believe a word she said. But the matter was a foregone conclusion, what else could be done to her?
Zhang Fu saw her acting coquettishly and felt helpless.
He thought about this woman who had slept with him for many years, had children, and was successful in running the family. Even though he knew that she had done such things to Rou'er, he still never thought of being cruel to her.
But she gave herself a blow in the head.
He, Zhang Fu, was a prince, commanded an army of hundreds of thousands, and was a minister of the Long Dynasty. His father was worthy of enjoying the Imperial Ancestral Temple, but now he wanted to send his daughter to the East Palace!
What is Zhang Fu going to do?
Whenever Zhang Fu thinks about the fact that people outside don't know what to think of him, point fingers at him, say that he sold his daughter to be favored, and think that the emperor on the dragon throne doesn't know how to look at him, he feels as if he has fallen into an ice cellar.
This woman ruined his lifelong reputation.
Zhang Fu's whole body was cold and he felt like his whole body was covered with a layer of ice, making him unable to think.
He gave the woman a cold look and didn't even bother to say anything to her.
After changing into court clothes, he rode on a fast horse and hurried into the palace without riding in a sedan or carriage.
Emperor Yongkang was in the palace listening to the Eastern Palace Chief Shi's report about going to the British Duke's palace. The eunuch came to report and the British Duke asked to see him.
Emperor Yongkang's eyes flashed, and he asked the Chief of the East Palace to step down and summoned Zhang Fu into the palace.
At the entrance of the main hall, Mu Yan looked at the British prince without squinting. He walked towards the main hall at a trot, almost at a trot. He probably didn't even see the two living people standing at the entrance of the main hall.
He sighed secretly. This time, the British father-in-law was really tricked by the woman in the back house.
Tragic. Too miserable.
I'm afraid it will take a long time to regain the emperor's favor.
When it comes to the throne, which emperor doesn’t have some grudges?
Ye Chen next to him glanced at him curiously. What was he doing with his head shaking? What about the endorsement? The two bottles of Qiulubai last time were so good that he drank them and took them away. Who knew that the bottle of wine he took back failed?
After drinking it, as soon as he returned home, his father robbed him.
I asked him to go out for a drink after work, but I don’t know if the guy agreed.
No matter how difficult that guy's situation is, it can't be more difficult than that of his concubine and grandson, right? Well, he decided to drag him out for a drink after a while.
Mu Yan had no time to pay attention to him, and listened to the movements in the hall.
In the main hall, as soon as Zhang Fu entered, he walked a few steps quickly, knelt down with a plop towards Emperor Yongkang who was sitting on the dragon throne, and kowtowed three times with a loud bang.
"Your Majesty, I am guilty. I am unworthy of Your Majesty's trust and failed to control the back house. It is my fault. Please punish me."
Emperor Yongkang looked at him for a few times, sighed, and stood up from the dragon throne.
After walking down the steps, he walked to Zhang Fu and helped him up: "Don't I know what Aiqing is like?"
"I feel ashamed." Zhang Fu lowered his head.
"What are you ashamed of? My prince is no longer worthy of your daughter?"
Zhang Fu was so frightened that he tried to kneel down again, but Emperor Yongkang reached out to hold him back.
"Your Majesty, my daughter is stupid and not worthy of the prince. I just want to assign her to a small family with a simpler family background, so that she can be more comfortable."
Emperor Yongkang looked a little worried.
Some people try their best to push their daughters into the palace and in front of their sons. He doubts other people's intentions. But when he heard that the other party looked down on his son and tried his best to refuse, he felt that the other party despised his son.
I feel uncomfortable again.
"I think this is a very good thing. I know that Aiqing is loyal to me. I will be even more relieved that the prince will have Aiqing as his assistant in the future."
This matter was settled by Emperor Yongkang.
No matter how unwilling Zhang Fu was, he had no choice but to send Zhang Biyao to the East Palace.
After coming out of the main hall, Zhang Fu walked out of the palace in a daze.
When he arrived at the palace gate, he felt countless eyes looking at him, pointing at him, scolding him for being greedy and selling his daughter for glory.
Zhang Fu closed his eyes in pain, feeling as if a piece of iron had fallen in his heart, pulling him downwards.
He got on his horse and looked around, but for a moment he didn't know where to go.
At the Boya Book School, Huo Nian straightened his body upright, with his hands behind his back, shaking his head and reciting articles after his teacher.
In the classroom, the sound of reading aloud sounded rhythmically.
Zhang Fu silently looked at his son's back, just looking at him quietly until his eyes became sore and swollen.
Until the end of get out of class.
"...Why are you here?" Huo Nian was a little surprised.
The son still refused to call him father, which made Zhang Fu frustrated.
Still smiling: "Father comes to see you."
Huo Nian glanced at his face and pursed his lips. Although he was smiling, the smile did not reach his eyes. "Are you in a bad mood? Did something happen?"
When Zhang Fu heard this, his heart felt warm.
"My father is in a bad mood. Would Nian'er be willing to accompany him to the lake for a walk and talk?"
Huo Nian nodded solemnly, said something to his husband, and walked out of the school with him.
The willows by the lake have not yet grown new leaves, they are bare and lonely.
Huo Nian took two steps and looked up at him again. His eyes were worried. He was already the Duke of the country, no one could bully him, right? What made him unhappy?
He opened his mouth: "Is it because of the Yamen matter?"
Zhang Fu smiled, shook his head, and reached out to stroke his head.
Without answering, he asked: "Can you keep up with your studies? Are you tired from practicing martial arts?"
Huo Nian nodded: "I can keep up. Every day I will go to Mr. Qin's place to study for an hour. Mr. Qin will teach me carefully. Practicing martial arts is not tiring. I like practicing martial arts. Several masters even said that I have learned marksmanship!"
I couldn't wait to share this joy with Zhang Fu and looked up at him.
Sure enough, Zhang Fu praised him after hearing this: "It's very good. The spear is long and heavy. You are still young and have already started, which is good. But don't slack off. You still need to practice diligently every day. You must know that practicing martial arts is like sailing against the current. If you don't advance, you will retreat.
.”
Huo Nian was happy and nodded at him: "Well, Nian'er knows. Nian'er will work hard!"
"Very good. In martial arts class, in addition to practicing marksmanship, you also need to practice arm strength, and you also need to put more thought into the art of bow and arrow."
"Yes. When I get back, I'll ask a few masters to set up straw targets at home and practice bow and arrow."
Zhang Fu felt happy. This child... was very good, just like him.
Then he asked warmly: "Have you ever learned equestrian skills?"
Huo Nian shook his head: "I know how to ride, but I don't know how to equestrian. My uncle bought two horses from Tamluo Island, and the foal they gave birth to is mine. My sister said that it belongs to me. I can ride it, but it is a pony.
It’s very docile. I don’t dare to ride a big horse yet.”
"Don't worry, in a few days, my father will come to teach you equestrian skills in person."
"Okay!" Huo Nian responded loudly.
With a smile on his face, Zhang Fu hugged his son's young shoulders. The father and son walked several times by the Mochou Lake. By the time the father and son parted, the haze in Zhang Fu's heart had dissipated a lot.
Huo Nian was in a very excited mood for a long time. He was even distracted in class.
After returning home from school in the afternoon, Huo Nian learned the news from her sister that Wu was sending her daughter to the East Palace.