From the end of the sixth year of Yuanjia, the political turmoil that later generations called the Wenzhong Change had already revealed signs.
Countless people wrung their wrists when reading through this history. Zhang Xiao Lian had been in the cabinet for half his life, in those ten years he had been the First Assistant. How many people praised him was how many people slandered him. The later generation also half criticized half praised this powerful First Assistant. However, no matter how later generations evaluated, at this time, Zhang Xiao Lian still did what he thought was right with a clear conscience.
For example, choosing the Empress candidate for the Emperor.
After the New Year, the Emperor would be sixteen years old, not to mention imperial family, even the children from ordinary officials should consider starting a family at this age. As the head of a country, the Emperor naturally had many ministers worrying about his marriage.
The ministers carefully selected from the official households of the fifth grade in the capital, the third grade and above in other provinces, and carefully drafted a list of young lady with innocent backgrounds, good morals, and ages between thirteen and sixteen. The Empress Dowager Qian and the cabinet soon got a copy. As soon as the Empress Dowager held the list, she immediately circled the Qian family's young lady.
The Empress Dowager Qian's thoughts were well understood. Three thousand were pampering one person, not hoping to give birth to children only long to become the woman. She herself could stand up because of her family, of course, she understood that the Emperor's family womenfolk have so many benefits. Now because of her the Qian family had become one of the most honorable family in the capital. It didn't make sense for them to have so much influence but didn't send their daughter to the palace.
The Empress Dowager wanted to let the Qian family continued to be the empress, but how could First Assistant Zhang agree.
First Assistant Zhang had made plans for the Emperor for the next ten years. This year the Emperor would choose a candidate who has both ability and political integrity, has warm and virtuous personality to become the empress. According to the legacy of the founding emperor, the concubines of the harem shall not be selected from the houses of important officials, and to select the best from ordinary families, this was to prevent the monopoly of the maternal relatives. Although the legacy of the founding emperor was not very realistic, but the main idea was not wrong. That was, the Empress's family should not be too prominent, so as not to threaten the Emperor's power in the future.
And since she was the empress, her appearance must be dignified and generous, too seductive or too outstanding was not acceptable. The sage of the ancient times valued morality and literary talent, because those who were famous for their beauty all without exception became the calamity for the country.
In this way, one could imagine what kind of women First Assistant Zhang singled out.
When the list that had been instructed by the First Assistant passed on to the Emperor, the Emperor only looked at the first few names and his face turned dark.
The Empress Dowager also eagerly lobbied the Emperor and highly recommended her perfect nieces. However, the Emperor had the heart to set up a little palace maid by his side. The little palace maid had accompanied the Emperor for five years. The two thoughts were very much in line. Whether commenting on the ancient history or poetry, the Emperor and this palace maid had endless topics to talk about, endless jokes to tell. The Emperor ascended the throne at the age of eight. Before ascending to the throne, because Bu Guifei was especially pampered in the harem, he did not receive any attention from his father emperor, let alone favor. After he ascended the throne, although he lived in luxury, but outside there was teacher First Assistant Zhang and inside there was adoptive mother Empress Dowager Qian. Before the Emperor could enjoy his childhood, he had to learn to be an ideal sage king. For ten years in the quite Forbidden City, he could only comfortably talk with this little palace. The Emperor pulled this little palace maid as confidant, and naturally wanted to give his sweetheart a good name.
The First Assistant and the Empress Dowager had their own ideas, but the Emperor seemed to have a favorite candidate. After the election, the disagreement was on the verge of breaking out and gradually became uncontrollable. Afterwards, who became the empress was no longer important. The Emperor, the First Assistant, and the Empress Dowager all felt that their kindness was not reciprocated. The empress's selection was actually just a fuse, the crux of the matter was these three people's estrangement and grievances they accumulated over the years.
It was also an eventful period. When the court was rocked by the storm, at the end of the year there was a continuous snow for a month in the northwest. The farmers' houses collapsed, cattle and sheep were frozen to death, and a large number of starvation even appeared in some places. In order to pass the year decently, the cabinet suppressed the matter, but Zhang Xiao Lian personally wrote a letter, instructing the Governors of Shanxi and Shaanxi to open the warehouse to help people.
Zhang Xiao Lian's heart was good, but the final result was quite different. No one dared to neglect the letter from the First Assistant, but without official court orders, many procedures could not be followed. In addition, the local officials also wanted to have a good New Year. When the news from Shanxi and Shaanxi could not be press down anymore and passed on to the Emperor's ears, in Xi'an Prefecture alone thousands of people had died from freezing and starvation.
Because of this incident, the capital once again set off an uproar.
This time, the impeachment against Zhang Xiao Lian was vicious and fierce, far surpassing the one in early summer last year. The confusion in the court turned into a complete mess, everyone was busy writing impeachment memorials, or busy protecting themselves. Almost no one remembered that in Guanzhong every second someone died.
Yan Wang really couldn't stand by and watch, so he requested himself to be sent out of the capital and went to Qin and Shaanxi for disaster relief.
"The snow was heavy last night and the wind blew all night, but it's sunny this morning, which is really weird."
"Isn't it?" Lin Wei Xi's stomach had already bulging. With the support of the maid, she slowly walked in the deep winding corridor of Yan Wang Mansion. There was heavy snow last night, and all trees in the vicinity were covered with white snow, only the snow on the roof were melted by the sun, revealing the green glazed tiles underneath.
Liu Su Niang carried her skirt while walking down the steps, she turned around and hurriedly said to Lin Wei Xi: "There are steps here, Wangfei be careful with your steps."
Lin Wei Xi cautiously stepped on the ground and said, "I am not as fragile as you think, I still able to walk, why would I be so delicate? I was kept in the house for three months to take care of my fetus, cannot come out to stretch my legs. My bones are about to rust."
Yan Wang went out of the capital just after the New Year to fix up the disaster situation, didn't even celebrate the Lantern Festival. Lin Wei Xi stayed alone in the mansion, with great difficulty the imperial physician' orders, because of the startled horse' incident, had finally passed. As long as Lin Wei Xi did not move around too much, daily activities should be safe. Liu Su Niang felt sorry that Lin Wei Xi lived by herself with her first pregnancy, so she dared to run over to accompany Lin Wei Xi. Unexpectedly, the famous Yan Wangfei was very friendly. In the past few days, Liu Su Niang often came to Yan Wang Mansion, and she gradually became familiar with Lin Wei Xi.
The two of them came out of the main courtyard and walked around in the garden for half a circle, both of them were sweating thinly. There was a pavilion right in the front, Lin Wei Xi asked the maid to put down the windshield curtain, leaving only one side open, and she sat down opposite Liu Su Niang.
The maids filed in with charcoal fire, hot tea and pastries. In just a short time, the pavilion became fragrant and pleasant, warm and harmonious. Sitting in the pavilion, you could see the vast snow scene outside, holding hot tea and a pleasantly warm stove to enjoy the snow, the breeze was gusting, the sky was high and the air was refreshing, the depression in the chest had unknowingly disappeared.
Liu Su Niang took a sip of hot tea, put her fingers on the green porcelain cup and asked Lin Wei Xi: "Wangfei, your due is in early April this year?"
"Yes." Lin Wei Xi nodded, placing her palm on her stomach, her expression unconsciously softened, "He's already seven months old, I didn't even realize."
"When the child is born, every day is like that, it's called not knowing the years." When talking about the child, Liu Su Niang couldn't help but smile. "I don't know if this baby is a boy or a girl. But from what I see he know how to love his mother. He specifically chose to be born in April, when the spring is in full bloom, isn't it just to make Wangfei suffer less. When the child is born, the weather will be just right, and confinement will not be like the summer, and at that time, Yan Wang must have already returned."
The more Liu Su-niang talked, the more she felt that it was like Heaven's will. When Lin Wei Xi heard Gu Hui Yan's name, the smile on her face couldn't help but constricted: "I hope."
"Yan Wang will definitely come back." Liu Su Niang didn't expect that her casual words would cause Lin Wei Xi's grief. She hurriedly comforted Lin Wei Xi: "Yan Wang's trip this time is to provide disaster relief. If it was not because there is no one else in the court, why would Yan Wang leave you this mother and child and go out for disaster relief out of the capital by himself? Guanzhong's matters are really messy. A few days ago, my lord was very worried every day in the court. It was not until Yan Wang asked for his order that he finally put down his heart and said to me, 'Guanzhong is the land of Longxing (the origin) of Three Qin and Two Han Dynasties. Now starving people are everywhere, if the delay continues, afraid there will be riot. Now that Yan Wang has gone, then there's no need to worry.'"
Lin Wei Xi did not expect that the future First Assistant Shen's evaluation of Yan Wang would be this high. Shen Changzhou was right to worry. If Guanzhong's snow disaster was not dealt quickly, it might be not long before everyone revolted. The Qin, Han, Sui and Tang dynasties were nurtured from there. Perhaps Guanzhong this piece of land had some mysterious power. If there was revolt in Guanzhong it was not a small matter.
Seeing that Zhang Xiao Lian and the Emperor were now started to get dirty, Lin Wei Xi could basically conclude that the heavenly book was correct, and soon Zhang Xiao Lian would pass away. The mainstay would fall, and Zhang's party, like abandoning a sinking ship, would scatters. In the next ten years the court would still settling accounts with Zhang Xiao Lian, rejecting Zhang Xiao Lian, and then vindicated Zhang Xiao Lian again. The First Assistant after Zhang Xiao Lian was Shen Changzhou, the husband of Liu Su Niang in front of her.
First Assistant Shen's ancestral hometown was in Changzhou. Nowadays, factions in the court were prevalent, and because factions that naturally formed by ancestral hometown were also very strong, so in the officialdom many used hometown to called others. Lin Wei Xi also followed the officialdom's method of calling Shen shi as Shen Changzhou.
Speaking of natural disasters, Liu Su Niang also sighed: "Who knows that this year's snow will be so fierce. I heard that there are thousands of people freezing to death in Xi'an every day. Sometimes a whole family freezes to death, even there are no people to collect their bodies. Alas, not only my lord, but many people are actually worried about the situation in the northwest. The northwestern people are sturdy, and not too far away there are foreign tribes glaring like tiger watching its prey. If there is chaos in Guanzhong, the northern tribes will take advantage of the situation to go south, then it will be troublesome. Of course these barbarians can't compete with our imperial court, but these people fight back and forth, and the one that suffer stills common people. Fortunately, there is Yan Wang, because if there's Yan Wang, there is no need to worry about outside and internal wars."
Lin Wei Xi laughed: "Wangye has only been away for more than ten days. I am afraid that he has just entered Xi'an. It is too early to say these words now."
"How can this be called early?" Liu Su Niang unexpectedly stern, and said solemnly, "Ten years ago, the northern tribes invade the border, the northern part of Yan, Zhao, Qi and other places were fighting, to be able to gradually calmed down the wars in various places was it not relied on Yan Wang alone. In the past few years, there was a great chaos in the capital, and if there was no Yan Wang who entered the capital in times to save the country, it's uncertain what the scene is now. Yan Wang's achievements have been remembered throughout the Great Zhou. Although I and my lord are unknown people, but also sincerely admire Yan Wang. Now the northwest met natural disasters, in spite of the severe cold at the end of the year, even heartlessly left his pregnant Wangfei, Yan Wang still personally went to the northwest for disaster relief. With this act of his, it's unknown how many people will be saved. Yan Wang is highly loyal and admired by many people. I don't say this to be flattering or fawn over. This is really my sincere word."
Liu Su Niang's words were solemn, and Lin Wei Xi couldn't help but straighten up. She looked at Liu Su Niang for a while, and slowly smiled: "Su Niang's words are too heavy, on behalf of Wangye I thanked Su Niang and Shen Changzhou for their trust. You usually look gentle and weak, and you don't like to go out to socialize, didn't expect to have such insights on political affairs."
Liu Su Niang was suddenly praised, her cheeks flushed, and she smiled shyly: "I just listened to the words my lord said. I just learned it randomly, not worthy of Wangfei's praise."
"How can it be not worthy. Although Su Niang is a woman, but also a woman who can match any men, seeing this sharpness let people feel ashamed of one's inferior." Lin Wei Xi said this sincerely. No wonder in the previous life Liu Su Niang had died for many years but Shen Changzhou did not remarry, and he still have a deep affection for Liu Su Niang. Presumably this couple often discuss political affairs, each other's hearts and minds were mutually interlink and became confidants, this kind of affection could be discovered but not be sought.
Even if it was their own backyard and there were no other people around, they couldn't talk too much about current affairs. Lin Wei Xi and Liu Su Niang had tacit understanding and quickly changed the subject: "You came out today and left all the children with Shen Changzhou, is that okay?"
"What can be the problem." Liu Su Niang was very relieved. "Those little devils like to pester their fathers very much, and do not think who gave birth to them. I also don't want to stay at home all the time, as if besides home, I have nowhere else to go. Don't mind them, we can talk freely. On the contrary, you are the only one in the mansion these days. Even if there are servants, it's still too hard."
"What hard can I have?" Lin Wei Xi laughed. If according to the trajectory in the heavenly book, Liu Su Niang was pushed into the pool by Zhao Wang during the Dragon Boat Festival the year before last and died early. In this life, because Lin Wei Xi pulled Liu Su Niang in time, she didn't fall into the pool and gave birth to her baby safely. Naturally, Shen Changzhou's madam had nothing to do with the daughter of Han's family. Now Lin Wei Xi watched their family was very harmonious and happy, her heart silently said 'it's really nice'.
Liu Su Niang saw Lin Wei Xi although smiling, but the smile seemed to be a bit lonely. Liu Su-niang knew it in her heart, Yan Wangfei didn't say anything, but she still missed Yan Wang who was away from the capital. That said, which woman didn't want her husband to be with her when she was pregnant, not to mention this was Lin Wei Xi's first child, and the relationship between their husband and wife had always been very good.
Liu Su Niang didn't know how to console her. Although she unhesitatingly said that Yan Wang would be able to come back before Lin Wei Xi gave birth, but after the snowstorm, there was a risk of plague. Yan Wang must guard against the plagues and rebellions in various places. Who dared to guarantee that Yan Wang could be back in April. Liu Su-niang felt sorry for her, Lin Wei Xi had a life-saving grace for her, on top of that she was the wife of Yan Wang, Liu Su Niang and her husband both respected Lin Wei Xi. Now seeing this exquisite and beautiful like immortal Yan Wangfei showed her loneliness, Liu Su Niang as a woman couldn't stand it.
Liu Su-niang led Lin Wei Xi to talk about children instead. Liu Su-niang already had a son and a daughter, if it's about parenting she could talk endlessly, and Lin Wei Xi unknowingly was also taken in.
When mentioning children, Lin Wei Xi's expression was indeed energetic. Liu Su Niang gradually felt relieve. They were still talking when suddenly saw a figure walking on the other side of the path. In such snowy day, eyes were full of white, just this person wore pink all over, wrapped in silvery snow it was unspeakably striking to the eyes.
Lin Wei Xi was also surprised to see this person. She asked the maid next to her: "Who is this?"
"Answering Wangfei, this is the new lady that Shizi brought back to the mansion."
Gu Cheng Yao's concubine? Lin Wei Xi was surprised. When this happened? How could she as the mansion's mistress and also the stepmother didn't know? As the people walked in, her face appeared in front of everyone. When Lin Wei Xi saw the other's face, her face suddenly sank.
This concubine looked very much like her in the previous life.