novelonline Chapter 1510: The First Year of Jianxing
Chapter 1510: The First Year of Jianxing
Chapter 1510: The First Year of Jianxing
Shenjing City
In the evening, the night falls, covering the entire earth. Lanterns are hung on both sides of the street, and the orange halo shines on the white snow, which can be seen in yellow or white.
Jia Heng, Chen Xiao and Gu Ruoqing returned to Ningguo Mansion. Because today was New Year's Eve and the country was in mourning, the Five Cities Army banned the use of fireworks and firecrackers, and the streets were extremely quiet.
From the main gate to the second gate and then to the third inner gate of the Jia Mansion, torches were like dragons, and the light and shadows were sparkling and illuminating everyone.
Qin Keqing sat on a chair covered with a soft mattress, surrounded by Youshi, You Erjie, You Sanjie and others. In addition, Xiangling was also sitting not far away, her face as white as jade, looking well-behaved and gentle.
The maid Baozhu entered the flower hall and said, "Grandma, the prince is back."
Qin Keqing's graceful and beautiful face smiled brightly when she heard this, and she said to You Shi who was standing beside her, "I was just wondering when the prince would come back."
The maid said, "Grandma."
As he spoke, Jia Heng walked into the side room, looked at Qin Keqing intently, called out to her, and said, "Keqing."
Qin Keqing smiled and said, "Husband, the kitchen has prepared a large table of dishes, waiting for you to come back and enjoy them together."
Jia Heng responded softly, then slowly sat down, and Sister You San, who was not far away, came forward and said, "Your Majesty."
Jia Heng said, "Today is New Year's Eve, and since it is a period of national mourning, it is not appropriate to have too much fun. Later, the family will have a reunion dinner."
Qin Keqing's beautiful eyes sparkled like water under her willow-shaped eyebrows. She said, "My husband, should I ask someone to call Sister Lin and Sister Xue, as well as Sister Lanxi and Sister Yaruo?"
After all, she is the concubine of the prince's palace, so they should get together.
Jia Heng frowned and said in a gentle voice, "Go ahead."
Well, it always feels like a Christmas collection or a fan thank-you festival.
Jia Heng sat down, washed his hands in a copper basin filled with clear cool water, took a white towel from a maid beside him and wiped his hands.
At this moment, the sound of the pearl curtain rustling was heard, and Daiyu came in from outside. Under her eyebrows, which looked like clouds and smoke, her sparkling eyes were full of brightness, and she said, "It's quite lively today."
Baochai's snow-white face was also covered with smiles. Under her bright and beautiful emerald eyebrows, her watery eyes were filled with charming ripples.
Qin Keqing smiled and greeted them, saying, "Sisters, please sit over here."
While Daiyu and Baochai were talking, they sat down on the embroidered cushion beside Qin Keqing, and everyone was talking in low voices.
Jia Heng picked up a pair of bamboo chopsticks and began to eat the food on the plate slowly and leisurely.
Daiyu's eyes sparkled with a twinkling gleam under her smoky eyebrows. She said, "Brother Heng, today is the New Year's Eve of the first lunar month. Aren't we offering sacrifices to our ancestors?"
Jia Heng put down his chopsticks, took a handkerchief and wiped his mouth, then said, "Tomorrow morning, the Jia family will gather in the ancestral hall to offer sacrifices to the ancestors."
Third Sister You said with a smile, "The prince was conferred the title of a prince again this year. With such a big happy event, we should offer sacrifices to our ancestors and comfort them."
Jia Heng said, "Yes, wait until the second day of the New Year to visit relatives, and you guys should visit the relatives you should visit."
Third Sister You hummed, with a hint of brightness in her eyes.
During this period, Old Lady You's face was almost full of smiles. Her two daughters both became the wives of the princes, and she was also considered a relative of the prince.
While everyone was talking, the sound of jingling bells was heard from outside, and soon, waves of refreshing fragrance floated into the hall through the cotton quilt curtains.
Zhen Lan, Zhen Xi, and Ya Ruo came quickly from outside with smiles on their faces, and whispered, "Brother Heng."
Yaruo quickly stepped forward, looking at the young man in python costume with a smile on her innocent and bright face, and said in a gentle voice, "Brother Heng."
Jia Heng called Yaruo and said with the same smile: "Yaruo, come here."
Yaruo came over quickly, took Jia Heng's arm, and said, "Brother Heng, Dad sent me a letter the day before yesterday."
Jia Heng smiled and said, "Oh, what do you mean?"
The Mongolian King, also known as Chahar Khan, is now in the Yushu area of Tibet, with a large number of troops under his command.
Yaruo's chubby, pink, apple-shaped face said, "Daddy said that the Khoshut people have been a little unstable recently, and he wants the court to send troops to pacify them."
Jia Heng said, "It won't work this year. It won't be too late to wait until next spring to see what happens in the court."
Today, the Han Dynasty has a new emperor who wants to establish his prestige in the court and the country. In addition to following Emperor Chongping's new policies, raising troops and expanding the borders is also a good choice.
While Zhen Lan and Zhen Xi were talking, they came over to Qin Keqing's side and sat down. Their postures were dignified and graceful, like two lotus flowers blooming side by side, competing with each other in beauty and setting off each other.
Zhen Lan smiled as she watched Jia Heng and Yaruo talking, thinking to herself, now that Brother Heng has supported a new king to ascend the throne, it won't be long before he'll be suspected.
Although she was already a concubine of a prince, she was still a long way from being the mother of the country.
Qin Keqing said, "Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's eat first."
Jia Heng didn't say anything else and started eating with his wives and concubines. The whole family spent the last New Year's Eve of the Chongping era in a warm atmosphere.
……
……
Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall
There was a floor heating in the side room, making it warm, and women in their hairpin skirts and jackets gathered there.
Grandmother Jia sat on a Luohan bed covered with a fluffy wool blanket, with a kind face. Sitting on an embroidered cushion below her were Sister Feng, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, Aunt Xue and others.
Grandmother Jia sighed, her tone inexplicably sad, and said, "This year's New Year has been a little bit lonely."
Sister Feng said, "It's like this when the New Year coincides with a national mourning."
Grandmother Jia thought for a moment and asked, "Baoyu's father should be back in the spring next year, right?"
Mrs. Wang, who was sitting beside an old monk in meditation, twisting a string of Buddhist beads in her hand like a Bodhisattva sitting on a cushion, continued, "The master sent a letter the day before yesterday, saying that he has arrived in Hanzhong and should be able to reach the capital on the third day of the first lunar month."
Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I haven't seen him for more than two years. It's really not a good idea for him to be an official outside all the time."
Aunt Xue asked, "Are you coming back to be posted outside the capital or to be an official in the capital?"
Grandmother Jia smiled kindly on her old face and said, "Didn't Heng'er mean to let Baoyu's father try his luck in the local area first?"
Madam Wang's fair face showed a sense of loss. She said, "My master has been wandering in the officialdom and has not returned home for many years. This is not a good solution."
A gentle smile appeared on Jia's kind face, and she said, "If you can be transferred to the capital, it would be a good thing. It's time to arrange Baoyu's marriage. He is not young anymore."
Mrs. Wang said, "I am worried too."
"Let Heng'er keep an eye on him." Grandmother Jia said in a low voice with a flourishing smile on her kind face.
She originally had her eyes on Baoqin, but he snatched her away first. Later, she thought Xiangyun was pretty good, but unexpectedly, Xiangyun was also snatched away from her.
It's true that any girl with a bit of beauty in the mansion fell into the hands of Heng Ge'er.
Mrs. Wang said, "We have to pick a good one anyway."
That Master Heng played with her daughter-in-law, so he definitely couldn't have it in vain. She had to worry about Baoyu's marriage.
Grandmother Jia asked, "The eldest girl has been in the Princess's residence for quite a few years. When should we let her come back?"
Madam Wang frowned, and her fair, bright face showed a hint of surprise. She said, "I was just saying that. Last time, someone was sent over, saying that he would stay in the Princess's mansion for a while."
Grandmother Jia said, "Perhaps she is afraid that you will ask her about her marriage again."
Mrs. Wang sighed and said, "At this age, how can I ask more questions?"
It can be said that Mrs. Wang has accepted her fate, so this is the knot in her heart about Jia Heng.
Mrs. Wang's face showed an unpleasant look, and she said, "It seemed like it was just yesterday when the King of Chu sent someone to propose marriage to me."
When mentioning this, Mrs. Wang's heart felt like it was bleeding.
If she had agreed to the marriage, her eldest daughter would now be the emperor's concubine, she would be the emperor's mother-in-law, and Baoyu would be the emperor's uncle.
That damn guy in Dongfu really committed a sin.
He had caused her eldest daughter to lose her position as a royal concubine, so where could he get a royal concubine as compensation?
When Mrs. Wang thought of this, she became more and more angry. It can be said that she couldn't stop the anger in her heart from rising.
Grandmother Jia sighed and said, "After all, maybe I just don't have that fate."
Speaking of this matter, Grandmother Jia felt it was a pity.
After all, the old lady still favors Jia Zheng. If Yuanchun becomes a concubine, Baoyu will become the emperor's brother-in-law, and the two mansions of the East and the West can be evenly matched again.
Grand View Garden, Qichiyuan
The lights in the wing were bright, illuminating everyone. The flickering candles on the tall tables were reflected on the screen, making two slender and graceful figures vaguely visible.
Inside the room, Zhen Lan sat on a soft couch next to the glass window, and her beautiful, bright face had a somewhat cold and charming look.
Zhen Xi was playing chess with Ya Ruo across a chessboard.
The two of them were playing chess.
Yaruo has recently become obsessed with playing chess, and Zhenxi has a gentle personality and they cooperate well.
At this moment, the maid's voice came from outside the corridor, saying, "The prince is here."
While Jia Heng was talking, he entered the wing room and asked, "Sister Lan'er, Sister Xi'er, are you still awake?"
Zhen Lan put down the book in her hand, stood up, and with surprise in her eyes, she said, "Brother Heng, you are here."
Jia Heng smiled and said, "Sister Lan, I will rest here with you today."
Yaruo's innocent and bright face was full of surprise. She stopped playing chess and stood up, saying happily, "Brother Heng."
As she spoke, she hugged Jia Heng's waist like a koala.
Jia Heng gently hugged Yaruo's plump body, feeling somewhat helpless, and said, "Okay, you're like a child, begging for hugs all day long."
Yaruo said confidently: "The child asked for a kiss."
As she spoke, she raised her cute, apple-like face and looked at Jia Heng, her eyes full of expectation.
Jia Heng gently put his arm around Yaruo's shoulders, and while speaking, he leaned close to the girl's soft and slightly moist lips, wantonly plundering the sweet breath of the girl's youth.
Zhen Lan's eyebrows were as beautiful as black ink. She pouted at Zhen Xi beside her and whispered, "It's true that the crying child gets the milk."
Zhen Xi pursed her fair pink lips, glanced at the two people hugging each other, raised her beautiful eyebrows, and there was a hint of envy in her eyes.
Jia Heng and Yaruo were intimate, and he didn't say anything else. Instead, he looked at Zhen Xi and said, "Xi'er, they are playing chess."
Zhen Xi responded with a timid look on her face, and said, "I have nothing to do, so I'll play two games with Yaruo."
It's like being a widow every day, isn't it?
Jia Heng sat down, took the fragrant tea handed to him by Zhen Lan, took a sip of the tea, and said, "Sister Lan'er, tomorrow is the first day of the first lunar month. You and Sister Xi'er will both wear imperial decrees and make-up and go to the palace to pay respects to your elder sister."
Zhen Lan sat down with a bright smile on her face, and said, "I will go to the palace to pay my respects to my elder sister tomorrow. By the way, I haven't seen my second sister for a while."
When Jia Heng heard Zhen Lan mention Zhen Xue, he put down a Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain teacup and said, "I haven't seen her for a while."
I don’t know how Xue’er and the child are doing now, and I feel a little worried.
Zhen Lan asked with concern: "Brother Heng, how have you been since the new emperor ascended the throne?"
Jia Heng said, holding Zhen Lan's delicate hands, "It's fine now."
Zhen Lan lowered her voice and said, "Brother Heng, there is no such thing as a wall that is impenetrable. I'm afraid the matter between the eldest sister and the second sister can't be concealed for too long. Brother Heng needs to take precautions early."
Jia Heng said: "Nothing, I will."
As he spoke, he hugged Zhen Lan's plump body, warmed his hands in the hand warmer, and asked, "Sister Lan, what good ideas do you have next?"
Zhen Lan's beautiful and bright face was covered with two blushes. She offered advice and said, "Now, Brother Heng can only wait and see what happens, or wait for the palace to make a move. It's better to stay still than to move now."
The King of Chu obtained the throne with the endorsement of Emperor Chongping. In other words, it was impossible for Jia Heng to take any action before Emperor Chongping's body was cold.
Jia Heng said: "Yes, now it is better to be still than to move."
Zhen Lan asked, "Brother Heng, have you gone to see the elder sister?"
Jia Heng said: "It's not very convenient these days, let's wait for a while."
He also needs to discuss this more with Zhen Qing.
But Zhen Qing became the queen, and people around were watching her, so it was not convenient for them to meet more often.
As they were talking, Jia Heng came over to the bed and sat down, gently taking Zhen Lan's slender hand and sitting her in his arms.
Zhen Lan said: "Brother Heng, the longer the time is delayed, the more disadvantageous it will be for Brother Heng."
Jia Heng said: "Yes, if you don't make a decision when you should, you will suffer the consequences."
At this moment, Yaruo blinked, and her sparkling eyes under her thick eyebrows were full of curiosity. She glanced at Zhen Xi beside her, as if asking, what are Brother Heng and Sister Lan talking about?
Zhen Xi shook his head, indicating that he didn't know.
As they were talking, a maid brought a copper basin with steaming hot water, handed it over, and helped the two wash their feet.
Jia Heng washed his feet, looked at Zhen Lan beside him, and said, "Sister Lan, let's go to bed early."
While the two were talking, Jia Heng put his arm around Zhen Lan's shoulders and sat down on a soft couch covered with a mattress beside him. He raised his eyes to look above the curtains of the bed, his brows furrowed and relaxed, and he was lost in thought, thinking about the upcoming court situation.
Zhen Lan, Zhen Xi and Ya Ruo came closer, their two beautiful, bright faces were as red as fire, and the three of them each performed their duties.
After a while, Zhen Lan sat on the cushion like a solemn and dignified Bodhisattva, with her slender neck slightly raised. The golden hairpins in her hair swayed constantly, reflecting her bright face, which was filled with rosy aura and gorgeous clouds.
On the high table, the wax in the candlestick burned out, the light went out with a puff, and then, the New Year's Eve passed quietly.
……
……
The next day, with the crowing of a cock that resounded through the sky, the sky brightened and the Han Dynasty officially entered the first year of Jianxing.
The first day of the Lunar New Year marks a new beginning. Early in the morning, soldiers sent by the Wucheng Bingmasi were clearing snow on the streets. There were traces of melted snow on the bluestone streets. The snow water flowed across the streets, soaking the bluestone slabs wet, reflecting the shadows of people coming and going early in the morning.
Civil and military officials went to the palace to pay homage to the late emperor. At the same time, all the wives of the emperor entered the palace in their imperial makeup to pay homage to Zhen Qing, who had just been canonized as the empress.
Although it was a national mourning, all the necessary ceremonial procedures were carried out after the succession to the throne.
Jia Heng, also accompanied by the Jinyi Palace's entourage, entered the palace through the Anshun Gate and paid his respects to the new emperor.
At this moment, in the square palace, teams of officials entered the hall in a black mass and saluted towards the coffin placed in the hall.
The King of Chu came to Hanyuan Hall early in the morning to mourn for Emperor Chongping.
Jia Heng entered the palace and offered sacrifices before the spirit of Emperor Chongping.
At this moment, an eunuch came forward and said, "Prince Wei, His Majesty has summoned you in the inner study."
Jia Heng stood up and said, "Eunuch, please lead the way."
After a while, Jia Heng followed the eunuch to the inner study room, bowed to the emperor behind the lacquered wooden table, and said, "Greetings to His Majesty. Long live His Majesty."
The King of Chu was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe and in mourning. He sat behind a lacquered wooden table and was reviewing memorials to the emperor. Since he ascended the throne, this emperor's face had become much more majestic and stern.
In other words, his demeanor is becoming more and more like that of Emperor Chongping.
As he spoke, the King of Chu raised his eyes and saw Jia Heng. A smile suddenly spread across his face, and he said in a gentle voice, "Zi Yu, stand up."
However, when the King of Chu looked up at the tall young man in the python robe, he couldn't help but think of the fact that Aunt Jinyang had an affair with him, and a feeling of resentment welled up in his heart.
However, when he saw the young man in the python costume, who was so high-spirited in the past, now saluting him, he couldn't help but feel an indescribable sense of pleasure in his heart.
"Someone, please take a seat." The King of Chu said loudly.
The King of Chu spoke softly. Sang Yao, who was serving at the side, moved an embroidered cushion over and placed it in the hall, then looked at the young man in the python robe.
Jia Heng bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
King Chu looked at the young man in the python robe not far away with his sword-like brows, and said, "At the beginning of the new year, the Han Dynasty has many things to do. What suggestions do you have, Ziyu?"
The King of Chu had just ascended the throne. It could be said that he was holding a hammer in his hand. Everything looked like a nail and he had to hit it.
Jia Heng's eyes were deep under his sword-like brows, and he said, "Your Majesty, I have discussed with the cabinet ministers before. Now that the new policy is flourishing in the world, it should be further promoted to the prefectures and counties. When the maritime trade flourishes, the customs duties and taxes will be used to support the people of the world, and the navy will be built to protect the maritime trade."
The King of Chu nodded and said, "Yes, I have decided to have the cabinet issue an imperial decree in a few days to dismiss some of the soldiers in the nine borders. What do you think we should do, Ziyu?"
Jia Heng paused for a moment and said, "Send a few military officials to the border town for inspection. According to the border defense and troop deployment, they will draft appropriate troop numbers and then discuss it."
This is feasibility verification.
(End of this chapter)