Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Four

The car drove out of Chang'an City, and there was another scene.The blue birds are fluttering, the catkins are flying, the green fields are thousands of hectares, and the grass is full of roads. The Zhongnan Mountains lie on the southern edge of the plain. The women feel that their eyes are not enough, their eyelashes are sparkling, and the spring waves are rippling. Accompanied by the creaking of the wheels and the jingling of the horse bells, spring unfolds a colorful picture in front of them. The eldest princess glanced at Wei Zifu, who was concentrating on appreciating the spring, and said, "What is your empress thinking?"

Wei Zifu's eyes were wet: "Bengong recalled the interesting incident when I was in the fields with my mother when I was a child." Naturally, this kind of emotion cannot be experienced by the eldest princess who grew up in the palace.What the eldest princess is thinking at this moment is, if Wei Qing is in the capital on this day, will she go out for an outing with her?They don't need so many guards to follow, and they don't need so many servant girls to serve them. It would be just the two of them, riding two horses, walking leisurely in the spring breeze, how pleasant it would be!

But Wei Qing was at the frontier right now, her heart immediately followed him. "I heard that there was another victory ahead?" Wei Zifu nodded: "Yes! The emperor has sent Mr. Ji to work outside the Great Wall." "The news came from the palace that the emperor ordered Qing'er to be a general, and the number of households in the city has increased by 8,700." Wei Junru said while looking sideways at the eldest princess, only to see that her face was full of bruises. The color of pride. In terms of relationship, the eldest princess is now in the relationship with Wei Junru and Wei Zifu as sister-in-law, sister-in-law and sister-in-law, so the conversation between her family members is not cautious.

"My lord servant will also be rewarded when he goes out with the general," the eldest princess said casually. But her words aroused Wei Junru's displeasure. She lightly slapped the shaft horse's ass with the whip, looked back at Wei Zifu and said, "Where is he? Can it be compared with Qing'er? My sister is the queen now, please speak well in front of the emperor." Wei Zifu felt that their words were getting further and further away, and worried that if they continued, they would hurt each other's friendship, so he hurriedly said: "The scenery in front of me is quite good..."

Although the queen stopped her at this point, the eldest princess did not stop thinking for a moment. She decided to tell Wei Zifu what she had been thinking about for days. Near noon, the convoy drove into Shanglin Garden.Lieutenant Shui Heng waited in the garden early with Huangmen and Gong'e on duty.The empress and concubines were welcomed to the lush Zhaotai Palace to wash up and have a rest.After a brief refreshment, they came to the "Silkworm Pavilion", and saw that the two silkworm gods, Yuan Yu and Yushi, had already set up a dungeon. Wei Zifu led his concubines and ministers' wives to salute the silkworm god devoutly, offer sacrifices and burn incense.Inside and outside the silkworm hall, bells, drums, yu and sheng linger around for a long time.

After the sacrificial ceremony was over, Wei Zifu, accompanied by Captain Shui Heng, went to the mulberry garden, picked three mulberry leaves, and put them in the basket, which was regarded as a kiss. The mulberry leaves were tender and green, Wei Zifu wanted to pick more, and then listened to the sound of the silkworms eating the mulberry leaves.However, the etiquette stipulated that she could only pick three mulberries, so she had no choice but to go back to the palace and sit on the railing, drinking tea while watching the concubines and ministers' wives picking mulberries. Wei Zifu had seen some of the faces walking among the mulberry trees before, and some had only seen them for the first time.They were busy with concentration, but Wei Zifu always felt that these people lacked the joy and freedom of the farm mulberry girl.

Just as she was thinking, she heard a woman's panting, she turned around and saw that it was the eldest princess. "Miss Huang is tired, come and have a rest!" Wei Zifu hurriedly got up to greet her, his eyes were full of tenderness and enthusiasm. "Thank you, ma'am." The eldest princess smiled, and said to Chunxiang next to her, "You all step back first, I have something to say to the queen." "What is so mysterious?" Wei Zifu asked with a smile. "Is it five years old?" Wei Zifu nodded. "Does the emperor have any plans to appoint a crown prince?"

Wei Zifu looked at the eldest princess in confusion, she didn't understand why this question was mentioned at this time.However, she knew that the establishment of the crown prince was related to the Han Dynasty and needed to be discussed by the court. "No! Besides, I'm still young and don't understand anything..." "How can your empress say that? The establishment of a crown prince is not only related to the son, but also to the empress herself. It has been a principle since ancient times that a mother is more valuable than a son, does the empress not understand?" The eldest princess leaned closer to the queen again, speaking in an even more mysterious manner. .

How could Wei Zifu not understand this truth?She has been in the palace for so many years, and she has heard a lot about the events surrounding the appointment of the crown prince.As a lesson learned from the past, she had to be cautious, and would never make such a request to the emperor ignorant of the times. "This is the emperor's business, I really can't speak." "Your Majesty's words are wrong! This matter should be planned in advance. Although the ancestral system is established for a long time, the emperor's character is clear to me. It is hard to guarantee that one day he will be interested in a woman and do unexpected things. If the Empress It's hard to say, I just blow the camera in front of the emperor."

The eldest princess has the confidence to say this. She thinks that when Wei Qing is named a general, it is the best time to nominate the crown prince. Wei Zifu was grateful to the eldest princess from the bottom of his heart. From the day she sent him to the palace, he always received her love and help at every critical moment.However, Wei Zifu didn't know how to answer what the eldest princess said next. "This palace has another idea, that is, the husband and wife and the three brothers are now the emperor's nephew and the descendants of the great general anyway, so they must not have a status, right?"

Wei Zifu was a little puzzled. One of the three brothers was one year younger than Liu Ju, one was just two years old, and the other was just half a year old. Why did the eldest princess want to seek fame for them? "Are they still children?" "They are the queen's nephews! You have to get a title if you say anything? Otherwise, when you and I are old, who will arrange these things for them?" Wei Zifu looked at the eldest princess in surprise. It was still the delicate face, the lightly drawn eyebrows, and the plump body, but why did she feel strange?During these days when Wei Qing left Chang'an, what did she think about all day in the mansion? It's not that she doesn't understand the emperor's admonition that the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics, but she still wants to raise this problem in front of her.Wei Zifu gradually understood that every help she gave him these years was not without price. But according to his own personality, how could it be possible to satisfy her unreasonable desires?Wei Zifu gently picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and slowly brushed off the catkins that fell on his knees, in order to calm his mood. When she faced the eldest princess again, her embarrassment and helplessness were all reflected in the eyes of the eldest princess. "The imperial sister's love for her son, I deeply understand. I can ask for a title for a group of children who don't know anything about human affairs. Will the emperor agree?" "Otherwise, how can I ask the empress?" The eldest princess smiled and said, "The emperor is also a human being! He must listen to the queen's opinion, right?" "Please be considerate, Miss Huang, I really can't help you with this matter." Wei Zifu lifted his skirt, bowed his head and went to drink tea. "Why is your empress so stubborn?" The smile on the eldest princess's face gradually turned into a cold cloud, "Your empress probably forgot how she entered the palace in the first place, right?" Wei Zifu seems to have heard this somewhere, oh!She remembered, when the emperor was alone with her, didn't he often mention that Lord Dou always used this sentence to threaten the queen mother?It seems that the style of the previous generation of eldest princesses will be repeated in the new generation of eldest princesses. Wei Zifu's heart was suddenly flustered, and he whispered: "The kindness of the imperial sister, I will never forget it, but..." "Okay! Don't embarrass the queen about this!" The eldest princess stood up, and the wind from the skirt swept Wei Zifu's face, making her feel cold. At this time, Chunxiang went upstairs to report: "I would like to tell my lady, the concubines and ministers' wives have already picked enough mulberry leaves, and are waiting for my lady to go to the silkworm hall to feed the silkworms!" The eldest princess took all her anger towards the queen on Chunxiang, and stretched out her hand to slap her, causing five bloodstains to appear on Chunxiang's face. "How does the queen train you on weekdays? Don't you see someone talking here?" "What is the emperor doing here? What does this have to do with her?" Wei Zifu suppressed his unhappiness, bypassing the eldest princess and going downstairs.She didn't look back again, that kind of wordless indifference was like a stone, stuffed into the princess's chest, making her breathless for a long time, her fair face turned livid. After a long time, a cold word was squeezed out from the eldest princess's teeth: "Okay! What a humble kabuki, she has forgotten her origin. This palace can make you the queen, or make you Pull it down." A few days have passed since the mulberry kissing ceremony, but the eldest princess has been suffocating in her heart.She resented the queen's ungratefulness and laughed at her ignorance of current affairs. She even regretted introducing this kabuki to the emperor. In the dead of night, she lay alone on the couch and thought quietly, looking for various reasons for her behavior.She felt that there was nothing wrong with seeking a title for her son.what?If it weren't for Wei Qing, would the emperor have scared the arrogant Huns?From grandfather to father, the big man has never been so proud as today!Isn't it all because of her husband? When the eldest princess was sullen all by herself, she suddenly thought of someone, that is the new prime minister, Gongsunhong. She thought that Gongsunhong would not have the guts to be indifferent to her ideas, and would definitely help her accomplish this matter. The eldest princess laughed contemptuously through the window screen and fell into the bamboo forest in the garden: "Hmph! If you don't care about Mr. Wei, someone will take care of it." As long as she wants to get it, she must get it, regardless of the means. Two days later, Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang were invited to the house for a banquet. Today, the eldest princess is full of dignity and elegance like a lotus in clear water from top to bottom.The delicate and white powder conceals her age, and when the rouge Zhang Qian brought back from the Western Regions is lightly applied to her slightly fat cheeks, the lost youth seems to come back all of a sudden.In the bronze mirror, she immediately glowed with radiance and radiance. "Isn't this palace old?" the eldest princess turned her head to Fei Cui and asked behind her. Fei Cui, who has been by the princess's side for many years and has understood her temper, said with a smile: "How can the princess grow old? The servant has been by the princess's side for many years, and the princess has always been so young." "Really? Hehehe!" The eldest princess smiled, with two dimples slightly showing on her cheeks. At this time, the magistrate stood outside the door and said that the prime minister and Lord Tingwei had arrived. "Quickly invite the two adults to sit in the living room." The eldest princess's words were still circling in her throat, but she had already left with a happy face.Before entering the living room, a gentle voice floated in.When she appeared in front of the two ministers, the old and dazed Gongsun Hong mistook her for the former Lord Dou. "Hehe! The prime minister was joking, how old is this palace?" Gongsun Hong was very uncomfortable, thinking of ways to find a step for himself: "My minister, listening to that voice, really looks like the Grand Master!" Every word uttered from the eldest princess's mouth was filtered by the spring breeze and dyed by the fragrance of flowers, she said with emotion: "This time Wei Qing was named a general, it's all thanks to the two adults, this palace knows it well. Bengong has long heard that Lord Gongsun learned from Fu Wuche, but he has never had the opportunity to ask for advice. Now that you have become the prime minister, I am afraid that you will be disturbed more often in the future. Lord Zhang is also well-known in the government and the public for his ability in handling affairs, and his swift and resolute actions. There are two adults Assisting the emperor, the great Han society will be as stable as Mount Tai!" The scheming Gongsun Hong was not dizzy by the fragrance of the eldest princess, and every word she said contained the appeal she was about to make. The wine is hot and the dishes are ready.Gong Sunhong was very surprised. He didn't know where the eldest princess learned about his and Zhang Tang's hobbies. Every dish on the table was their favorite.It seems that even the princesses who grew up in the palace can always show their care and wisdom in these aspects. Standing beside the two of them was a slim and graceful maid, who was responsible for refilling wine and serving food for the adults.Although there was a distance between the guests of honor, the princess's politeness made the atmosphere of the banquet extraordinarily lively. The eldest princess first congratulated and said: "The acting general of the palace congratulates Lord Gongsun on being promoted to prime minister." "Everything depends on the emperor's holiness." Gongsun Hong returned the courtesy. "Then invite the two adults to drink this cup for the emperor." The eldest princess was scheming, and she emphasized her relationship with the emperor without showing any signs of expression.She was telling them that she also had a part in Liu's family, and that they were officials of the emperor and hers. Gongsun Hong understood the meaning of the twists and turns, and raised the wine in his hand and said: "I respectfully wish Lord Wei to be promoted to a general!" Zhang Tang followed by beating and drumming: "It is the fortune of the country and the blessing of the people that the general leads the three armies." A flower burst into a smile on the eldest princess's face.She raised her glass again, thanking the two adults for coming.After a few rounds of cups and cups like this, both the host and guest's faces became hot. "The kabuki in my palace look like gods and are good at singing and dancing. Why don't you let them come to help the two adults have fun?" The eldest princess clapped her hands as she said, only to hear the music in the back hall. The group of dancers floated to the front of the court like spring swallows.All of them had rippling eyes and Danzhu in their mouths.Especially the long dancing sleeves made Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang dazzled and their hearts fluttered. After a dance, when the girls slowly left the stage, she saw Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang's eyes chasing their backs, and they didn't turn around for a long time.The eldest princess smiled in her heart, she was very proud, hum!Men are all this kind of virtue, there is no cat that does not eat fish, even the dying old man in front of him is also greedy. She tapped the table with her chopsticks, and softly called out, "My lord!" "grown ups!" Gongsun Hong came to his senses suddenly, and said awkwardly, "Is the princess calling Weichen?" "Hehehe..." Princess Chang looked at Gongsun Hong's expression and covered her mouth with a smile. Gongsun Hong stroked his beard and asked in bewilderment: "Is there any stain on the old man's face? Why did the princess laugh?" "Hehehe..." Zhang Tang didn't know the reason why the eldest princess laughed, and also smiled embarrassingly. The Eldest Princess stopped laughing, and said pantingly: "You two...the two adults have peach blossoms on their faces, so gorgeous!" The two ministers couldn't help but smile awkwardly, but they didn't know how to respond. The eldest princess finally stopped her laughter and asked the two of them, "How about this dance?" The two quickly replied: "Great, it's so beautiful." "And what about the girls?" "This..." Gongsun Hong pondered for a moment and said, "You are smiling cleverly, and you are looking forward to your beautiful eyes." "In this way, people are better than dances?" "Where! Where! Weichen just followed the princess's wishes and talked about his feelings." "If you two adults like it, you can choose one at random, and I will send it to the house tomorrow." Gong Sunhong hastily declined and said: "Princess made fun of it, the old minister is so old, how dare he have such unreasonable thoughts?" "What about the grown-up?" "If the princess needs the service of the servant, just ask. As for the beauties, leave it alone!" In fact, Zhang Tang's heart was itchy, but how could such an affair be exposed in front of the prime minister and the eldest princess! "Okay! It's rare for the two adults to be so happy! I really need the help of the two of you for one thing." After the eldest princess finished speaking, she slapped her hands three times, and saw Fei Cui coming in with three young masters and a wet nurse. When Gongsun Hong saw this scene, he understood eight or nine points in his heart.He secretly exchanged glances with Zhang Tang, then drank the wine calmly. Sure enough, the eldest princess introduced her sons to the two adults one by one and said: "The general is not at the house. I originally wanted to invite the dog son to toast on behalf of the father. But they are still young, so I have to let the jade serve for the adults in their name." Alcohol." Gong Sunhong had to admit that this royal woman was extremely smart, and she was so calm and unhurried when she achieved her goal.He had already decided in his heart that instead of twists and turns, it would be better to give him a favor, so as to leave room for himself to move forward and retreat in the future. Hearing Gongsunhong's exclamation, he attracted Zhang Tang's eyes: "Master Zhang! Did you see that, there is a way to get out of the door. Look at the three young masters, each of them has a tiger head and a tiger brain, with piercing eyes. The princess is doing this for me. Three great generals were born!" Zhang Tang nodded frequently and said: "Prime Minister has insightful eyes, I dare to say something, why doesn't Prime Minister play the Ming Emperor and ask for a title for the young masters?" The eldest princess' eyes were wide open, but she still concealed her words: "Is this really the case? They are still children!" "What's wrong with the child? Youdao is three years old, and according to the veteran, the three young masters will become the pillars of the great man in the future. The old minister will invite the emperor tomorrow to make the three young masters marquises." Gong Sunhong said confidently . Having said that, the meanings of both parties have reached a tacit understanding amidst the aroma of singing, dancing and drinking.Without waiting for Zhang Tang to speak, the eldest princess pushed the banquet to the third climax while the iron was hot.Her slender and smooth hands clapped out a crisp rhythm again, and the servants came in, carrying two boxes. "Princess, this is..." The eldest princess did not answer, but said to the servant: "Open!" "Oh! It's gold... this! The princess is like this, so that the humble minister..." Facing the dazzling gold, Gongsun Hong, who was criticized by Ji An for eating common clothes in the court, looked uncomfortable. Seeing this, Zhang Tang hurriedly said: "The princess is kind, but she is disrespectful, my teacher is still..." His words hadn't finished yet, but the magistrate hurriedly came in to report: "The chief manager of the Yellow Gate, Mr. Bao, is here." The eldest princess frowned and said, "The general is at the front line, what is he doing here?" She asked the government servants to put away the gold, and said to Gong Sunhong with a smile: "Change the Japanese Palace to send people to the house." As soon as the living room was tidied up, Bao Sang came in, and he shouted from a long distance: "Oh! Your Excellency, the emperor ordered our family, Mr. Xuan, to enter the palace, but your lord has hid here." Gongsun Hong hurriedly said: "The emperor summoned the veterans, what is the important matter?" "The emperor ordered the prime minister to go directly to the residence of Marquis of She'an. Yu Shan is critically ill, and the emperor has already gone to visit him." After talking, Bao Sang turned around and walked out of the mansion.Gongsun Hong didn't dare to be negligent, he secretly winked at Zhang Tang, got into the car and followed Bao Sang to the Marquis of She'an's mansion. Liu Che's car has arrived.When the two met the emperor, Gong Sunhong was about to plead guilty, but Liu Che stopped him coldly. At this moment, Chunyu Yi came out from the inner room, Liu Che stepped forward and asked, "How is it?..." Chunyu Yi shook his head helplessly and said: "Your Majesty, Marquis She'an is very ill, I'm afraid..." "But it's okay to say!" "I'm afraid I can't make it through today." At this time, Tutu Hutu came out from the inner room and said: "Master Hou has something to say to the emperor." Gongsun Hong hurriedly said: "The dragon body of the emperor, how can you get close to the patient, please allow me to enter." Liu Che waved his hand and said, "Yu Shan descended to Han according to the order of the Long Liyan family. I regard him as my own nephew. How can I avoid seeing him when he is dying?" Yu Dan woke up from the coma, and saw Liu Che sitting in front of him, with a gratified smile on his pale face, but two lines of tears dripping from the corners of his eyes. "emperor!" Liu Che took Yu Shan's hand and asked softly, "Does Aiqing have anything to say to me?" Yu Shan took a breath and said: "When I was in the Xiongnu, I was taken care of by the Yan family. At the critical moment, I got the advice of the Yan family, and I was able to surrender to the Han. I should serve the country, but heaven does not allow me. Every time I think about it, I feel ashamed." Word." A person who is about to leave, still wants to serve the imperial court, this moved Liu Che, and hurriedly persuaded him: "Why did Aiqing say this? Aiqing is a hero of the Han Dynasty." "I will soon die, so I have something to say to the emperor, I wonder if it is possible?" "If you have something to say, Aiqing, just say it." Yu Dan looked at the maid beside her. The maid hurriedly brought water to come over, but Liu Che picked it up. The water slowly flowed into Shan's mouth along the spoon in Liu Che's hand. His burning heart and lungs were immediately refreshed, his eyes became brighter, and his spirits lifted.There were two blushes on his cheeks, and he struggled to sit up from the couch. Chunyu Yi knew that this was the flashback of someone who had been ill for a long time, so he hurriedly reminded: "Master Hou, if you have something to say, tell the emperor quickly." "Your Majesty!" Yu Dan held Liu Che's hand tightly and said, "Yi Zhixie perverted and harmed the Yan family. This crime cannot be pardoned. However, I cannot bear to see the loss of life. I ask the emperor to show mercy to the people of the Huns..." As Yu Dan spoke, and as he spoke, his voice gradually weakened, and his hands full of expectation slowly let go... He was lying on the couch wearily, his eyes were still open, as if he was still waiting for Liu Che's answer, as if he was looking at the grassland thousands of miles away.Tu Tuhu gently stroked his forehead before putting it on, and Yu Dan closed his eyes. "It's rare that he is loyal to the big man and has affection for the people of the Huns." Liu Che personally fed Yu Dan with water, which Gong Sunhong did not expect.He didn't know for a while why the emperor valued an exiled Huns prince so much.He hastily stepped forward to ask for instructions: "How to handle the funeral of Lord Hou, please let the emperor express it." Liu Che stood up from the couch, and said to Gongsun Hong: "A generous burial according to the rites of the Xiongnu Shanyu! After I get rid of Yi Zhixie, I will send him back to his hometown and be buried with the military minister Shanyu. That's right! Let Liu Huaiqian Come to see off Marquis She'an, after all they are brothers."