This news shocked everyone so much that they no longer wanted to drink.
Sheng Hong sighed, Chang Feng sighed, "The fourth sister is really miserable," and Minglan secretly complained, "It was the father-in-law who died, not the husband." Ru Lan leaned into the eldest sister's ear and muttered: "So the fourth sister didn't die this time." You're lying." Hua Lan glanced at her sister and thought it was Mo Lan who had a crow's mouth. It was just an excuse at first, but she didn't expect it to come true.
Seeing this, everyone hurriedly broke up the banquet and went home. After returning home, Minglan looked for Manager Hao and asked, "How come the Marquis of Yongchang informed us about the death of Marquis Yongchang?"
Hao Dacheng wiped his sweat and stood outside the pavilion and replied: "Madam, it was Gu Lu who came back to tell me and asked me to go to the in-laws' house to report to my wife. After that, Xiao Lu said that the Marquis had other errands. , and ran away in a panic. As for what was going on, I really don’t know.”
Minglan pressed her left hand on the armrest of the chair, patted it gently, and said nothing.
Hao Dacheng tentatively asked carefully: "This... madam, do you want to prepare for the funeral ceremony of Liang Mansion?"
Minglan smiled bitterly: "He didn't knock on the cloud board, and he didn't announce the funeral. How could we rush to express condolences (not asking for beatings)... However, Mr. Hou will not make such a mistake, it must be the truth, you It’s better to prepare it first. Well, just add 20% to Uncle Yang. By the way, I don’t know if the Liang Mansion wants to hold a road festival. If so, we will inevitably have to put together a few paper figures, so please be considerate."
Hao Dacheng did not respond, and then continued to respect him.
Considering Mrs. Liang's age, the Marquis of Yongchang should be less than fifty. How can he say that he is gone? The most surprising thing is that her husband was the first to report the news. Could it be that... Mr. Liang Marquis did not die a good death?
Minglan was full of doubts and made several guesses but could not come to a conclusion. It was not until Gu Tingye returned to the house at night that she understood the whole story.
"You haven't seen it, but there's really a chaos on the school grounds today."
The man seemed to have not eaten the last meal, so he just ate the hot fried mutton with green onions and dried shrimps, mushrooms and cabbage soup. He ate two large bowls of rice at once, wiped his hands with a towel, and asked Mrs. Sheng if it was okay for his party to start their journey, and then slowly talked to her. Minglan talked about today's events.
Since he succeeded to the throne, Mr. Liang has always wanted to show his loyalty. However, military generals are different from civil servants. There is no chance of war and disaster on weekdays. Seeing the emperor's eagerness to organize the army, Mr. Liang worked hard day and night, practicing and preparing. , no day for leisure.
Today is a rare occasion for the emperor to go to the western suburbs camp in person. How could Mr. Liang miss this opportunity to show his face? He endured his discomfort, straddled his horse and put on his helmet, and went to the battlefield to practice military formations in person. When his blood was flowing, all the generals saw Mr. Liang covering his face. His head shook, and he scratched his chest. He seemed to be dizzy and heartbroken, and then he fell from his horse. The scene was chaotic. Before the imperial doctor could arrive, Liang Laohou had already passed away.
Later, I heard from the imperial doctor that Liang Laohou died suddenly due to fatigue and heart disease.
——It can't be cerebral thrombosis and heart disease, right? Minglan was silent for a moment, "If you are so loyal to the country, will the emperor be able to honor you?"
Gu Tingye nodded, then shook his head: "When it comes to swordsmanship, the most important thing is omens. Your Majesty, Japan is in high spirits today, but he has poured cold water on it... There are always honors and favors, but His Majesty may not be happy in his heart."
Minglan changed his mind and realized that this is the principle of enlightenment. - This article was first published in Jinjiang Literature City
It's like the boss has been working hard for half a year and is excited to open a branch. He has chosen an auspicious day and invited celebrities. Unexpectedly, on the opening day, before the boss can cut the ribbon, an old employee died on the spot due to overwork. .
——What a bad luck! The boss must be very depressed: Lao Liang, it is good for you to work hard, but if you are not in good health, you should not come out. I did not force you to come to the opening ceremony. I seem to be making too much trouble.
It's like being mean and exploitative.
Very sad and very realistic.
She nodded and asked: "What about the title of Liang Mansion? I heard that Mr. Liang Mansion...well, he is very outstanding."
"No. It must be the eldest son of the old Marquis, Xi Jue."
Minglan smiled and said: "Why is Mr. Hou so sure?"
Gu Tingye sighed: "Firstly, there is a difference between concubines and concubines, and secondly...hehe, why do you think Mr. Liang is so desperate?"
Minglan was puzzled: "Is it because of the direct descendants?" Then why did you delay in establishing a new life and have trouble with your wife?
Gu Tingye smiled and picked up the tea bowl: "The boss of the Liang family has grown up, and his popularity outside is even wider than his elders. [Ye*] [*] If Liang Laohou is not his direct descendant, then who is he? How could the emperor not know? Alas.
, I have met the second son of the Liang family, he is gentle and kind, but it is a pity..."
He shook his head and said no more.
Minglan couldn't bear it and sighed: "The four words of fame, fortune and fortune are nothing more than a steel knife hanging over the heads of the world."
Gu Tingye curled up the corners of his mouth and said deliberately: "For the sake of the safety of my wife and children, I will do this even if I risk my life." Then he looked at her with keen eyes, waiting expectantly for his wife's reaction.
Unexpectedly, Minglan shook her head and said: "That's wrong. Without Mr. Liang's hard work in the beginning, how could the Liang family be where it is today? We are weak and strong, so we didn't ask for the throne early, and we worked hard when we didn't arrive in time."
Old fate, is there nothing wrong with the old Marquis?"
Then she looked back with even more vigour, half-smiling but not smiling: "Speaking of which, our regiment also has an elder brother who is a concubine?"
Gu Tingye shook his head and smiled bitterly. He wanted to make Minglan happy and moved, but he didn't know that this little girl was as cunning as a fox. She also learned the tricks of her second senior brother and was good at knocking people down with a rake.
"You know Tuan Ge has no brothers."
According to the person who was looking after him, Brother Chang was still weak, and Mannia still didn't want to urge him to study and practice martial arts. She only kept Brother Chang nervously by her side, and stayed with him every day, easily even to the children in the neighborhood.
Don't let me get close, my son will soon be a little girl.
As he shook his head, he felt relieved.
He had this scruple at the beginning, so he planned it early and asked Brother Chang to simply become a farmer.
Therefore, not only did he not include Brother Chang in his family tree, he also asked General Zheng and Duan Chengqian to accompany him as guarantees (these two were relatively stable and reliable), and went to the clan's residence to issue a document stating that he indeed had a concubine.
It's just that he acted recklessly at a young age and his mother was humble. Gu Tingye couldn't bear the humiliation of his family. He already made proper arrangements with his mother to teach them to have food and clothing. However, Brother Chang will not be able to consider himself a grandson of the Gu family in the future, nor will he be assigned to the Marquis Mansion and his father's family.
Half share of the estate - akin to eviction from home early.
Completely cut off all escape routes, so as to avoid various situations, such as saying that Gu Hou didn't know that he had a relative who was wandering in the world, or that Gu Hou actually cared about him in his heart, but he just couldn't find it, or that Lan was jealous and blocked his father from knowing each other, etc... nonsense.
Minglan knew this arrangement. She stood up, hugged her husband's head, kissed him, and said in a low voice: "I know that Mr. Hou has done many things for our mother."
You can't kill Brother Chang. Children of this age have already remembered things (Manniang's indoctrination). Even if they are raised in other people's homes, it is inevitable that someone will instigate Brother Chang to cause trouble for profit. If the parents have passed away at that time, Tuan
Brother, don’t you have a headache?
She kissed him on the bridge of his nose again, "Although Mr. Liang's intentions are merciful, in my opinion, Mr. Marquis is much better than him." After thinking about it, she added, "Also, don't lose it.
Get off your horse and eat more vegetables, less alcohol and less meat."
Gu Tingye touched his nose, pulled down Minglan's head, bit her nose, and said with a smile on his eyebrows: "You're talking nonsense again, what does vegetarianism have to do with riding a horse?"
Minglan said seriously: "If you eat too much wine and meat, the horse will be angry."
Gu Tingye touched her slightly protruding belly, and then slowly moved his palm upwards. Due to pregnancy, Minglan's body was getting softer and softer, and his tentacles were all soft. He bit her earlobe and exhaled hot breath: "Quit drinking and quit drinking."
Meat, should we abstain from sex?"
Minglan's face was hot, her ears were extremely hot, and she felt that his body was hard, so she said coyly: "Well...it's best to quit."
When the welfare was endangered, the man immediately turned against him and looked like he was collecting a debt, "Stop pretending, isn't it already past the first three months? You've quit, why don't you become a monk!" It's not like Huai Tuan didn't do anything when he was a child.
Pass.
-This article was first published in Jinjiang Literature City
Minglan twisted her waist and jumped out of his arms. She clasped her hands together and bowed, and said cheerfully: "Master, abstain from anger."
The man picked her up from the waist, strode towards the back room, and laughed: "Young lady has served you well, I won't be angry anymore."
Minglan was picked up high, pinched the flesh on his waist, bit his ear, and blushed: "Keep your voice down! If people hear you, why are you pretending to be a perverted monk here to pick flowers?"
…
It took two days before the Liang Mansion sent someone to report the funeral. (·~)
At this time, Zhi Rulan had set off with her husband half a day earlier, and Ming Lan was pregnant, which conflicted with Bai Shi, so she didn't have to go. Among the sisters, only Hua Lan could make it, and the rest were left to Mo Lan's real sister-in-law Liu.
Zhang Luo.
During this period, Mrs. Liu was not only polite and considerate, but also gentle and caring. She helped her in-laws take care of some trivial matters in a very measured way. Even the uncle's house came to express his condolences, and Mrs. Zhang praised Mrs. Liu when he came back.
"...My mother said that my cousin is rarely one to praise others, so this time she also praises your third sister-in-law." Mrs. Zhang brought her son to visit, and also brought a lot of warm medicine and food, and looked at Minglan's belly with a smile.
, it must be a boy.
Minglan smiled and said, "I just found out today that the second grandma of the Liang family is your cousin, and she is my fourth sister's sister-in-law. Isn't this a confusion of generations?"
Mrs. Zhang waved her hands and said, "My family has many relatives, and most of the girls scream when they get married. My cousin is familiar with my mother, but I haven't seen her much."
"That's good, I'm still worried about what to call it in the future." The marriage between the dignitaries in the capital was complicated, and Mrs. Zheng had countless cousins.
Minglan turned to look at the kang. Brother Tuan was lying obediently next to a red satin swaddling bag with a brocade carp pattern. He looked curiously at the white and tender baby. From time to time, he stretched out his fat fingers to scratch or touch it.
The baby has a good temper, doesn't cry, and laughs like a cat.
"It was just like a kitten at that time, but it has grown so big in such a short period of time." Minglan saw the child's rosy complexion and thought that Zhang and her daughter had raised him well. "Has he become famous now?"
"I gave him a nickname, Brother Wang, Hope of Hope." Mrs. Zhang looked at her son, her eyes full of love and contentment, almost completely different from the desperate and pale girl a few months ago.
"I said that your brother Tuan has already passed his first birthday and he hasn't even been named yet."
Minglan smiled bitterly and said, "I'm still grinding. I just hope I can get up well before I go to school." Old Gongsun was really dawdling on the name. Gu Tingye saw that none of the words was good, so he put it off day by day.
"Gu Hou is scolding you for seeking perfection." Mrs. Zhang smiled and said, "By the way, I have something to entrust you with."
Minglan smiled and said: "I thought you were thinking of me and came just to see me, but it turns out you wanted my help! When you were longing for my brother, I went to see you without any care.
Thoughts."
Mrs. Zhang laughed and said: "I am not as thoughtful and well-spoken as you. We are stupid and honest. If we have anything to say, we can only say it directly without any twists and turns. We have to ask others to talk!"
Minglan clicked her tongue and said, "I just said one thing, and there is so much waiting behind me, and I said that I am a stupid person but my heart is honest. If you were stupid, there would be no one in the world who could speak smartly!"
"Good sister, I don't ask you to do this favor for nothing, I owe you something." Zhang said with a smile, "Don't worry, I won't say this to make things difficult for you."
With these words, Minglan felt relieved and asked Zhang to tell her what was going on.
"Marquis Gu is one of our own, I won't hide it from you. In the Shen family, we, the Marquis, always don't like to talk to each other. There is only one clan uncle who got out of the fifth service early. He relied on his father-in-law in the early years, but he was loyal and kind. When my parents-in-law passed away,
, their family never left each other, and they still took good care of the Marquis brother and sister, and later they followed him to Shu. Although the two were just distant relatives in terms of their status, in terms of love, the Marquis treated him as an uncle, and now they are regarded as uncles.
He also received the hereditary command of Jianghuai Guards and Qianshi."
After talking for a long time, Minglan wanted to say a few words before she got to the point, but she held it back.
Mrs. Zhang took a sip of tea and said smoothly: "My uncle and aunt have a daughter who is thirteen years old. I have seen her with my own eyes. Like her parents, she is the most honest and kind..."
Minglan was even more confused. She looked at the meatballs on the kang and said, "My brother is still young."
Mrs. Zhang laughed angrily and hit her lightly: "You're such a talkative person."
Minglan rubbed her shoulders and smiled, asking Zhang to continue.
"A few months ago, my aunt went to offer incense. Unexpectedly, it was raining and the mountains were slippery. She could not walk in the sedan chair. There was only a maid beside her. The aunt fell again and couldn't move. At this time, she met two young scholars who helped her.
He led an old lady down the mountain. After going down the mountain, one of the young men went home with his grandmother, but the other one turned back halfway up the mountain to look for the old lady and carried her down. While chatting on the road, they found out that the young man was Jing.
It is rare for a brother from a high-ranking official family to be honest and enterprising in studies, so my old aunt became interested."
Minglan thought for a long time and said blankly: "It can't be... it's my younger brother... Changdong."
"Exactly." Zhang said with a smile.
Minglan opened her mouth wide and froze for a while like a toad, then said sarcastically: "Changdong... is still young."
"Isn't this the right time to talk about marriage?"
Minglan calmed down, the old lady must be Grandma Chang, and the other young man is Chang Nian. It is estimated that Changdong accompanied the Chang family's grandparents to offer incense, and he did a good deed, so God rewarded him, and the red Luan star moved.
.
"Thanks to the Shen family for being considerate, but Changdong...he is a concubine..." Minglan was reluctant to say it, but she had to point it out clearly.
Mrs. Zhang smiled and blocked it with one hand: "My old aunt has already inquired about everything that should be asked. They have two sons, but they only have one daughter. Their parents and brothers are in pain. All they want is for their son-in-law to be of good character and for others."
Everything is easy to talk about.”
-This article was first published in Jinjiang Literature City
Moreover, the two people also found out that Chang Dong was about to pass the Tongsheng test. At such an age, his future would not be too bad. Although the boy named Chang was better at studying, he was from a poorer family and wanted to prosper his family.
In this way, if poems and books are passed down from family to family, if there are elders, rules and family background, most of the children and grandchildren will not be too outrageous, not to mention there are many distinguished relatives, even if it is unreliable, it is still good to talk about it.
Minglan breathed a sigh of relief: "I dare not say anything else. When it comes to moral character, my younger brother has nothing to say. But..." She hesitated, "Both my parents are here, so I can't make the final decision on this matter. Let’s see what Daddy thinks?”
According to Sheng Hong's thinking, he would probably have to wait until his son has achieved fame before he raises the price to find his in-laws. Changdong's future father-in-law is probably also a civil servant, but his grade may not be as good as that of the Hai family and the Liu family.
Mrs. Zhang saw that she was in trouble and had some concerns in her heart, and said: "I know your master's reason for discussing marriage. He is afraid that his son will have less help in the future and does not want a military attaché to marry him."
Minglan chuckled, wondering why you speak so bluntly.
Mrs. Zhang said sincerely: "Let me put it this way. Although my uncle is in the military, he admires literati very much. The second child of his family has invited his husband to study since he was a child. He has been admitted as a scholar a few years ago."
"Oh, that's good!" Minglan's eyes lit up. It would be easier to have a brother-in-law who studied literature. Jianghuai Road Health Office is a fat job, so the dowry must be generous. He is a hereditary fourth-grade military general, and Changdong will have a father-in-law in the future. Sheng Hong will probably be moved by his uncle's help.
She quickly went to hold Mrs. Zhang's hand and said softly: "Come to think of it, it's my younger brother who has climbed the ladder."
Mrs. Zhang also breathed a sigh of relief. The old Shen family members were Shen Congxing's closest confidants. A few of them had not approved of the Shen family's way of treating their wives and concubines from the beginning. They were upright and respected.
She chuckled and said, "Sister, what are you talking about? Gu Hou's brother-in-law, father and elder brother are both famous. My uncle is just afraid that you scholars are from a noble family and don't look down on them as warriors."
This marriage is mutually beneficial. Since the second son of the Shen family wants to be a civil servant, he will inevitably need connections and helpers in the civil service.
As for Changdong, he is not as good as Changbai Changfeng in terms of appearance or talent, and he may not be lucky enough to meet Liu again, so he might as well make plans in advance.
The two talked for a long time, and the more they talked, the more congenial and passionate they became. It was almost obvious that a happy event was imminent.
As we talked, we couldn't help but talk about our respective family affairs. Minglan's family had a simple life, and it ended in just a few words, but the Shen family was really lively.
First, although Aunt Zou was beaten half to death and imprisoned for a long time, she refused to come out. Shen Congxing said a few more words and she wanted to hang herself. Several children also begged her. Mrs. Zhang also expressed her unwillingness and said It harms Tianhe, so Uncle Guo returns without success.
Now there is peace between the wives and concubines, but there are other troubles. The Shen family is about to announce their marriage. Everyone knows that the bride will have two mothers-in-law, one is the noble aunt of a wealthy family, and the other is the mother-in-law. The aunt who took her brother-in-law as a concubine took advantage of the actual relationship. It was so nondescript that the bride was caught in the middle. What should she do?
Shen Congxing looked down on people with inferior family backgrounds. After all, he was his direct eldest son and would be the next in line for the title.
But most high-ranking families cherish feathers, and they all know that it is not a good marriage. If they still get married, wouldn't they be known as "selling their daughters to please their uncles"? The Shen family is not willing to give in to a concubine.
Besides, what’s the use of a daughter-in-law from a high family? The daughter of the British Duke Zhang’s family didn’t fare well in the Shen family.
Therefore, Uncle Guo encountered obstacles at every turn.
Minglan had heard a little bit about this matter.
Shen Congxing wanted to be loyal to the daughter-in-law of the Hou Zheng family, who was the cousin of the Zheng brothers, so he asked his younger sister, Xiao Shen, to come and explain his intention. After several days of discussion, the Zheng family's cousins finally decided to go back.
Xiao Shen was a little sad, feeling that everyone looked down on her natal family. In order to relieve her, Mrs. Zheng said frankly that she did not agree with this matter -
Just imagine that after getting married, if the bride pays filial piety to the Zhang family, Aunt Zou will definitely be dissatisfied, and her husband will also be displeased. But if the daughter-in-law of the family, who is rich and noble, is asked to please a concubine and serve her like a proper mother-in-law, wouldn't it be ridiculing - like
A family like the Zheng family always has a good reputation in their dealings. A good daughter-in-law would have her status lowered for nothing, and it would even make it difficult for her mother-in-law to go out and meet people.
Little Shen knew this was true, but after she gave birth to a daughter, she was no longer in the same state of mind as before. When her eldest sister-in-law, who relied on her like a mother, asked her: "If it were your girl, would you marry her to your nephew?"
Little Shen quickly held her daughter in her arms. This was probably the only flesh and blood she had in her life. She was so weak and slender that she felt so distressed that she wanted to tear out her heart and give it to her. She shook her head hastily, she didn't want a daughter.
Take that guilt.
So she concealed the truth in front of her brother, and only followed the same message, saying that the Zheng family had arranged their marriage in their hometown in Xunyang.
The uncle-in-law's marriage proposal was not going well, so he inevitably begged to go to his wife's place and ask her to look for her in someone he knew. Mrs. Zhang almost laughed three times and wanted to scold her right away - What do you think you are marrying into the Shen family?
What a great thing?! You tricked me, and you want me to trick a good girl from a relative or friend? What a dream!
-This article was first published in Jinjiang Literature City
After having a son, she was no longer the same Mrs. Zhang who swallowed her anger. She sneered in front of her husband and said: "The eldest young master has never even called me mother. The only thing he cares about is his aunt. If he gets a wife in the future, he will not be able to serve her."
It’s not me. Mr. Marquis is really good at entertaining people, so if he takes advantage of my good temper, it’s too much to bully our Zhang family!”
Shen Congxing was very embarrassed, but could not refute, so he had to grit his teeth and say that he would escort his son to pay his respects to his wife to apologize.
Mrs. Zhang stopped him again and sighed: "You gave birth to his flesh and blood, but you couldn't give birth to his heart. If you force him to recognize me, what's the point if he doesn't accept it in his heart. He thinks about his biological mother, which is only natural. He only hates that crooked thing."
People with evil intentions provoked the eldest young master and me for no reason, as if I had forced his mother to death."
She cried and said, "When sister Zou passed away, I was still thousands of miles away. Zhang and Chen's family couldn't even fight together. I have to bear this crime inexplicably. I am really unjust!"
Shen Congxing naturally knew who this thoughtful person was, but he still couldn't open his mouth. He only hated the Zou family for causing trouble and making his son confused. He said, "When he grows older, he will naturally understand." In fact, he felt sorry for Zhang, and his tone
Soften down.
Mrs. Zhang took advantage of the victory and pursued her, pretending to be sad and said: "Well, fortunately, I don't point at the eldest young master to support him in his old age. Let's just keep it in check. But now that the eldest young master has a prejudice against me, if he knows that I am the one who found my daughter-in-law,
Yes, how can he be happy in his heart? He is just afraid that the girl will be implicated and suffer for no reason, and the husband and wife will not get along in the future, and he will offend the in-laws for nothing."
When Shen Congxing heard this, he felt that it was very reasonable. After that, he no longer asked Zhang to worry about his son's marriage. They stayed together for several months. When he was really at his wits' end, he had no choice but to go to the queen. Finally...
Minglan almost spit out a sip of tea: "What?! I want to call my uncle the chief minister?"
Mrs. Zhang idly fiddled with the tassels on her skirt: "Isn't that right? The eldest princess and the eldest young master are about the same age. They are cousins and they know each other well. They are easy to get along with... I think that your highness, the princess, will definitely appreciate the Shen family's kindness to Zou.
Family’s good intentions.”
Anyway, when Shen Congxing dies in the future, she will immediately move out with her son to live more freely.
Minglan couldn't speak for a long time; this... was so creative.