Chapter 167: There are stats
An autumn rain and a cold.
It is the season when the ginkgo leaves in Shangjing City fall again. The wine shops and teahouses along the street are crowded with people, talking about the Empress Dowager's 70th birthday. Carriages from various countries are also entering Beijing in a steady stream. The inn is crowded and busy.
As autumn begins, it is not far from winter.
At the west corner of Duan Prince Duan’s Mansion, the servants were moving the newly made silver charcoal into the warehouse.
Xue Yuechen sat under Mu Yueju's eaves to check the account book, frowned slightly.
"This year, the price of carbon has increased by 30%.
She looked at the cinnabar annotations on the paper and sighed to Xue Sui who was cooking tea on her side: "Western Xinjiang is now in turmoil, and recently, Xiz people have had frequent incidents in Beijing. In my opinion, this battle is inevitable. Even the cost of the empress in the palace is being cut..."
Speaking of this, she sighed heavily.
"This time, the prince had the means to investigate the Ministry of Revenue and filled the treasury with tens of millions of taels, which attracted a lot of applause."
Xue Suiqian smiled suddenly, "They were all concerned about family affairs that day. Let's just live our own lives and prepare for a comfortable and comfortable winter."
The Duan Prince’s Mansion prepared charcoal and cut new clothes, and Xue Yuechen carefully managed everything. Seeing her lazy, I couldn't help but feel angry, "You are getting more and more idle..."
Before he finished speaking, the concierge sent someone to report that Princess Rui and Princess came to the mansion again.
Xue Sui paused slightly in his hand, smiled without saying anything.
Xue Yuechen's face was sunk.
"I don't know what reason to look for this time..."
These days, Ruihe has visited Duan Prince's Mansion three times.
Once I hand-written Buddhist scriptures, once I send medicinal food, and once I look for Xue Sui to ask for loquat paste to relieve cough.
Every time I visit my door, Li Huan happens to be not in the mansion.
She always talks with little pleasure, talking about the old things in the palace in previous years or the customs and customs of Longyou. Xue Yuechen accompanied her with silence and floating, and prepared a small nanmu table and placed a fruit dot, so that Xue Sui could cook tea near her to pass on the impatient reception.
The relationship between the two sisters is much deeper than usual.
Xue Yuechen relies entirely on and trust Xue Sui, and he will discuss major and minor matters in the mansion.
In and outside the palace, everyone said that the princess was kind-hearted, but the concubines in the palace behind the palace were really hard to bear.
The prince is busy with government affairs all year round and rarely cares about the affairs of the house.
Such a large mansion was firmly controlled by the Xue family, like an iron barrel.
The concubines dare not speak out, and they can't avoid the morning and evening, and they have to pinch the tiger's eloquence to suppress the jealousy in their hearts. The concubine Zhang was calm and shrank her head to be a quail, saying to the outside world that she should cultivate her mind and worship Buddha, and live a peaceful and obedient life.
In Xue's mansion, Old Mrs. Cui was very pleased with this.
While the matchmaker from the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion came to propose marriage, she specially called back all the girls in the mansion. The married ones and those who were in the boudoir, except Xue Yueying, who was in the confinement period, were all in the old lady’s Shou'an Courtyard and were beaten up well.
The old lady warned them to take the honor and favor of Xue Yuechen and Xue Sui as a model and examine their own words and deeds.
The sisters said yes, but they each had their own plans in their hearts.
The Duke of Zheng’s Mansion and the matchmaker also came, and an experienced old lady, who personally tested Xue Yueman’s body, and the marriage was finalized.
This matter was done secretly, and most of them kept it in the dark, and the sisters even congratulated the eighth girl, saying that she had gotten what she wanted and found a good marriage.
Only Xue Yueman, covered in humiliation and resentment, locked herself in the boudoir after the test, and cried aggrievedly...
Xue Sui just pretended that he didn't know the truth and set up a tea table in Lixiangyuan.
Invite the third wife Qian and Xue Yuelou to have tea and gossip.
Xue Ji was pouring tea and handing water, her face full of smiles.
After the inappropriate concubine ceremony, although Xue Qingzhi never came to see her, the three ladies in the mansion kept stuffing the food and food into the Lixiangyuan courtyard. Xue Yuelou also brought Ming Ge'er from time to time to talk to her to relieve her boredom.
Xue Ji lived a comfortable life she had never had.
Xue Yuelou was holding a silver stick and was picking candied fruit for Brother Ming, but his complaints kept going.
"My eighth sister is now ready, but she is still pretending to be in the mansion and stabs people with words when she sees the sky. I, a daughter who returns home, dare not say anything. I never thought that she would have been pretentious in front of so many people today..."
She was much plump than He Liqian and her words became more bold.
Xue Sui knew what the eighth girl was crying for, but she didn't say it out loud, but just smiled.
Qian suddenly sighed softly.
"There are more and more people leaving this mansion. I used to feel quarrels, but when the eighth girl got married, there was one less person quarrel. It would be empty when I think about it. It was a bit unpleasant..." Xue Sui couldn't help laughing.
Qian put a piece of pastry on the plate of the ten-girl Xue Yueling, signaled her to eat it, and wiped the corner of her mouth with a veil.
"Our family is a little ten, and we will worry about it in a few years..."
Miss Ten is still a child under ten years old. She is usually spoiled by Xue Qingxiu and Qian. She is not worried at all and says with her big eyes.
"I don't learn from Sister Ba and Sister Jiu, and I want to get married all day long. I'm happy to be an old girl in the mansion. If my father and mother support me, that life will be beautiful..."
Qian smiled and grabbed her pink face.
"But you have spoiled you, and you carefully let your grandmother hear you, and you want to blame me for spoiling you lawlessly."
Xiao Shi giggled.
Xue Ji also chuckled, happy, but didn't say anything, for fear of disturbing others...
Xue Sui looked at her mother and aunt, then at her younger sister, with a slight smile on her face, but a slight sense of agitation in her heart...
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Because only she knows.
This beautiful peace will not last long.
The Xue family will not continue their wealth and glory forever as Old Mrs. Cui expected...
-
The autumn rain fell on the pond, and the East Palace was bleak and silent.
Li Zhao drew a picture of flowers and birds in his study.
The cinnabar suddenly fainted and dyed the birds on the rice paper red.
Lai Fu shrank his neck and came in to add water. Seeing that His Highness was dizzy, he was afraid that it was his own fault and he would not dare to do anything...
In the past half month, the prince rarely went out and devoted himself to studying politics in the East Palace. His daily life was just listening to politics and discussions in Zichen Palace, going to Chongwen Palace to listen to the teachings of the Grand Tutor, and talking to the prince’s guests.
The bad debts of the Ministry of Revenue were demoted in Luo Huan, and after Xiao Jing's death, the Minister of Revenue was replaced by Zhou Chongli, the disciple of the Prince's Tutor, and the Minister of Revenue was also replaced by the steady and capable Tian Huaitong.
They took over this hot potato and were very respectful to the prince. Because they couldn't figure out his temper, they did not dare to make decisions without authorization, and they carefully asked His Highness the Prince for instructions on everything.
The Eastern Palace seemed calm, but in fact, it was God who had unconsciously held the Daliang Dynasty's money bag in his hand.
It is said that the prince took such a wonderful step, which is worthy of joy.
But Lai Fu looked at it. When the master wrote, he always paused a few times and dipped it repeatedly ink, which was obviously an impatient person.
"Master, you can try the new Junshan Silver Needle this year."
Li Zhao said no, no comment.
Mei Ruhui sat on one side and said slowly, "I heard that King Duan found a long-lost auspicious thing - the Nine Dragons Playing with Pearl Glass Cup. The Empress Dowager has been thinking about that thing for a long time..."
Li Zhao nodded again, still expressionless.
Mei Ruhui looked at his face, tidied up the corner of his robe, bowed and said, "The newsletter learned that it was the gesture made by the Xue family to build a bridge for King Duan. He just found this thing from the antique dealer in the Jiulingzhu..."
He carefully observed Li Zhao's reaction, afraid that he would say the wrong thing.
Lai Fu was even more unlucky. As soon as he heard the "click" sound of the wolf hair in the prince's hand, the splashed ink was thrown on him like raindrops. His face turned pale and his knees fell to the ground.
"Your Highness calms down..."
Li Zhao was not angry and casually placed the broken pen on the inkstone, looking calm.
"There is no news?"
Mei Ruhui said: "The King of Wei has prepared a hundred hu of East Pearls, and King Chun presented a guqin. Even the Xianwang Mansion presented a slave juggling team in Dianzhou... The kings and princes and ministers racked their brains to prepare gifts for the empress dowager. The things given by His Highness must not only match the Queen Mother's preferences, but also show the honor of the Eastern Palace. It is really not easy..."
The tea kettle was bubbling.
In the palace, nothing is trivial.
Mei Ruhui is familiar with history books and knows the advantages and disadvantages.
Birthday is not a simple celebration, but a world of fame and fortune that is secretly competing for all forces.
Li Zhao looked at the gloomy and gray sky outside the window.
On that snowy day, Xue Liu broke into Youhuangju and said he wanted to be his chess piece. Now that I think about it, he is the most wonderful piece in Xue Liu's entire chessboard.
"I know what I know in my heart."