The world of rebirth

At the beginning of February in the 11th year of Tianshou, the people of the world had just finished a lively New Year, and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty had just packed up their mood and prepared to devote themselves to busy government affairs, when news came from the harem that the Queen Mother was critically ill.

The Empress Dowager has been in bed for five or six years. Her body was originally weak, and she began to get sick frequently after the emperor's visit.Every few months, there will always be some gossip from the palace, saying that the queen mother is not good this time, especially in winter every year, as long as the wind is a little careless, the queen mother will be seriously ill. It's like getting used to it, not taking it seriously.

But this time, the Empress Dowager's illness seems to be particularly serious. The illness that started at the beginning of the month, she became unconscious before the middle of the month. No matter how the Empress Dowager Hospital tried her best to treat her, the Empress Dowager would not be able to survive until February [-]th. Live, and finally pass away.

The Holy Mother Empress Dowager was not favored before her death, and she had no merits or virtues, but she gave birth to a good son.Although Wenzhen is not very close to her, he has never lost his filial piety. After all, this woman has always protected him when he was young, and he always has a bit of admiration, so he attaches great importance to the funeral of the queen mother .

The death of the Empress Dowager is a national mourning, not to mention the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty, even the people of the world must wear mourning.For 27 days, soldiers and civilians in Beijing were forbidden to pick off official tassels, wear plain clothes, pray and offer sacrifices, stop marrying within one month, not allow slaughter within 49 days, and not allow pleasure within [-] days.

A second-rank official like Ning Jingxian has no leisure at such a time, he has long since stopped his errands, and went to the palace every day to cry and mourn in shifts.Accompanying him is Anping Peihua, the current wife of the Ning family.

Last year Ning Jingxian asked Peihua for a royal title, and as a married woman, she would also go to the palace.For nearly a month, the two left early and returned late, and followed the large army, their eyes were swollen from crying, and they were as red as rotten peaches.

The two went out at about the same time as the early morning, and it was dark when they came back at night, but Ning Yunjin insisted on paying his respects every day.He was too young to be in charge of the family, so apart from saying a few homely words with his father every day when he said hello, he also thoughtfully asked the kitchen to prepare some snacks for the stomach, pills for the throat, etc. for Fuan to bring to Ning Jingxian.

The son's filial piety made Ning Jingxian feel comfortable all over. You must know that mourning is also physical work. Wearing a thick padded jacket, kneeling and howling in this bitingly cold ghost weather, let alone tossing, the palace is busy and only opened Two meals, tired, cold and hungry, tortured a group of pampered elders enough.

On the first day, everyone was inexperienced and not fully prepared.Only when Ning Jingxian is resting, he can drink a piece of hot tea prepared by his son with filial piety, eat carefully prepared stomach-suppressing snacks, and take a throat-moistening pill to soothe his hoarse voice, so that the group His colleagues, whose eyes were all green from hunger, were terribly jealous.

Even though the wives of these colleagues' families thoughtfully prepared the same thing the next day, the feeling was different after all, which made Ning Jingxian very proud and made a face.

What made Ning Jingxian even more frightened was that his younger son, who always loved to sleep, was still guarding the door and waiting for him when he came home at night.

As soon as the carriage entered the house, I saw my son approaching to say goodbye, and asked the maids to prepare warm towels to wipe their faces. That kindness was really heartwarming and warmed my heart.

After all, he couldn't bear his son to suffer with him, the weather was too cold, and he was afraid that the child would get sick, so Ning Jingxian told him not to wait for him the next day, and asked him to rest early.But Ning Yunjin seldom found a chance to perform, so how could he listen to him, insisting on going through the national funeral with him like this.

Seeing his son's sharp and thin chin—there is no fresh meat, someone is a picky eater, and his thin body—he has grown tall and normal, Ning Jingxian felt very distressed.

After 27 days passed, the emperor decided not to follow the custom and replace the month with the day, and insisted on keeping a filial piety for the Queen Mother for three years. For a while, the emperor's reputation of pure filial piety moved the world.By the way, there is another person who has gained some light in this wave of filial piety - Ning Yunjin's good reputation of filial piety has also spread among the civil and military circles of the Manchu Dynasty.

In the blink of an eye, it was the third day of the seventh lunar month, and Ning Jingxian was dealing with official business, when suddenly a young eunuch sent a message, asking him to meet him in Qianqing Palace.He went through the recent events in his mind, and it seemed that there was nothing to alarm the emperor, so he couldn't help but feel a little nervous, so he took out a small purse and stuffed it in the eunuch's palm, and asked, "My father-in-law, I don't know what the emperor has called for?" ?”

The little eunuch Huang Jin pinched the purse, it seemed that there was only a thin piece of paper inside, and he put it in his sleeve with satisfaction.Although he is young, he is naturally capable of sneaking into the Qianqing Palace as an errand.Huang Jin knew that Ning Jingxian was a celebrity in front of the emperor, and he was generous with his actions, so he naturally didn't mind giving him some hints, "Master Ning, just relax, it's a good thing!"

Ning Jingxian had the bottom line in his mind, so he didn't force him to say something good.The two got closer after they had "friendship". Although they didn't talk, they didn't have the restraint they had before.

After approaching Qianqing Palace, Huang Jin went into the palace to inquire, and came out soon.He slammed his mouth and said, "Master Shaozheng and Master Li from the Ministry of Rites just went in to have an audience, please trouble Master Ning to wait."

"It should be!" Ning Jingxian replied, and then stood aside and waited attentively.

After all, Qianqing Palace is the residence of the emperor, and the surroundings are very quiet, and no one dares to make any noise in this place, so it seems that the roar coming from the main hall is very clear. The emperor's anger also kept pouring into his ears.

"...Aren't those things on your shoulders useless at all? I entrusted you with the Ministry of Rites because I trusted you and affirmed your abilities. The result? It happened once, twice, last year I gave you such a long time to do the divination, and I don't ask how compatible the horoscope is, how much it looks like a man, and you can't complete such a simple request..."

"At the beginning, you two used the heads on your necks to guarantee that the empress would have a long life, but what happened!! I don't want your heads, come, someone, and take off their crowns for me..."

There was a sound of begging for mercy and loud kowtows in the hall, and the crisp sound of his forehead touching the gold brick made Ning Jingxian's face extremely ugly. As the crow's mouth said, the successor queen is about to collapse again!

Ever since the Empress Dowager's funeral was over, there have been rumors in the palace that the Empress is in poor health. It is said that at the funeral, the Empress brought the concubines and wives to cry very sadly, and also had to do palace affairs. Then I caught a cold, which hurt my body, and the next few months were up and down.

During the national funeral, many ministers and wives were sick. Even Ning Jingxian was haunted by his youngest son and drank tonics for a while, so no one paid much attention to it.

You must know that this empress is already the longest-lived one at present. Since the birth of the third prince last year, her body has been very healthy.After all, two empresses had collapsed in the past three years, and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, especially the emperor himself, were looking forward to someone who could break this bad luck.

Who knows that the good times won't last long, Ning Jingxian got the news two days ago that the Queen has fallen ill, and it is said that she is just hanging on to her life. Now that the Emperor has so simply and neatly picked off the hats of the two ministers of the Ministry of Rites, it seems that If this news is confirmed, it is only a matter of time before the queen collapses.

But thinking of the upcoming funeral, Ning Jingxian really couldn't feel sympathy for these two people.Ordinary people have to marry the horoscope, and the emperor's marriage is naturally the top priority of the Ministry of Rites. As a result, two successor queens collapsed in the positions of these two people. It is really kind of the emperor not to lose their heads. It is a waste of money. The best divination in the flag!

The hall quickly fell silent, and then Zhengqi and Li Lianzhu, the former Minister of Rites, staggered out.Ning Jingxian glanced at the two of them, their faces were pale, the red tassels and court beads on their hats had been taken off, and they looked like mourning concubines.

Those who were demoted due to negligence in handling affairs like them basically had no chance of being promoted as long as the emperor was in power. The emperor is still in his prime, and these two probably won't survive the new emperor's succession.It doesn't matter that a Han official like Li Lianzhu who has been promoted through the imperial examination arrives, but Shaozheng is the next head of the Shaozheng family. If he loses his position, I'm afraid the Shaozheng family will have some troubles.

But compared to Shaozheng's family, the emperor is afraid that he will have more headaches. Now there is a prince born in the Yuan Dynasty, two princes born in successors, the second prince and the third prince, and the fourth prince born in concubine Hui. The emperor has to keep his filial piety for three years. It is said that there will be no happy events in the palace during this period, and when these princes come of age...then it will be lively!

Thinking about the future, Ning Jingxian couldn't help frowning, but he didn't let his thoughts spread out, but calmed down and prepared to see him.

After he had finished paying his respects, Wen Zhen gave Ning Jingxian a seat.

Ning Jingxian half-sat on the embroidered pier, secretly took a look at the emperor's expression, and found that he had returned to a expressionless expression, seemingly very peaceful, with neither emotion nor expression.He couldn't help but sigh that the emperor is becoming more and more unpredictable. Compared with the immature four years ago, the current emperor is no longer something that the courtiers can easily guess.

"I called you here today for the sake of your second son." Wenzhen waited for him to sit down, and then straight to the point, "Is it called Yunjin, or I named it after you! I heard that he is a filial child. The prince was a little earlier. The day said that I want to study a year earlier, I remember that your second son is the same age as the crown prince, so I planned to let him and Hong Ming be companions."

The crown prince’s name is Zong Zhenghongming, the emperor meant to let Yun Jin be the crown prince’s companion, Ning Jingxian’s heart skipped a beat, his background was nothing, thinking of his youngest son’s character, he couldn’t help feeling dizzy, and quickly knelt down on the bed Difficult to say, "I am grateful to the emperor for his kindness. But although the child is filial, he is stubborn. If you let him sit and read a book, he will fall asleep. I am only worried that he will miss the emperor's kindness."

What Ning Jingxian said was very subtle, but Wen Zhen suddenly remembered the secrets about Ning's residence.The attention of those placed under surveillance in the Ning Manor was naturally on Ning Jingxian, but Ning Yunjin had the most interactions with Ning Jingxian, and he was mentioned quite a few times over the past few years.

Like the second son of the Ning family who is filial and sensible, the most frequently mentioned are sleeping late, greedy for money, and not doing business properly... Wen Zhen has a very good memory. When choosing a companion for the prince to read, the first thing that comes to mind is family background and age. Thinking of the character of the default candidate, even the other's own father was so secretly worried that his son would spoil the crown prince, so he couldn't help hesitating a little.

Wen Zhen asked hesitantly, "Your son still likes to run to the kitchen and play with those radishes and vegetables?"

A flash of shame flashed across Ning Jingxian's face, and he said shamelessly, "Going back to the emperor, it's because I didn't discipline him strictly. My son has been persuading me repeatedly. I thought he was still young and let him go."

"Nonsense. It's your fault that you don't teach your father. Don't tell me you still want to let the grandson of the princess do the dirty things." Wen Zhen began to struggle, and it seemed that the candidate for companion reading had to be reconsidered.

Ning Yunjin didn't know that he often went to the kitchen to practice shredding cucumbers and potatoes, and carving flowers with radishes. He was regarded as aspiring to be a cook, and depressed his biological father and adoptive father—of course he would not reflect on it if he knew it. , I'm afraid he will laugh three times because of Wenzhen's depression.

After Wenzhen finished his lesson, he looked at Ning Jingxian with a panicked and helpless expression, feeling a bit embarrassed.

In all fairness, he likes Ning Jingxian very much. He is loyal, smart, capable of handling affairs, and his family background is even better. Its wrist can give itself a firm grip.

Naturally, he is willing to show kindness to such a useful subject. Letting his son befriend the prince is the guarantee for the future of the Ning family. Who would have thought that such an accident would happen to the Ning family, who has always been strict in family style... Wen Zhen hesitated for a moment , said unswervingly, "The child's temperament is unstable, maybe it can be corrected after a good discipline. Tomorrow, you will bring him to me to have a look."

Ning Jingxian clenched his fists, wishing he could grab that bastard and slap his ass hard, otherwise he would embarrass himself so embarrassingly and throw him in front of the emperor.

But at this time, it was useless for him to struggle any longer. He couldn't drag his son back for half a day, so he had to plead guilty, "Your Majesty, my son went to Zhuangzi to escape the summer heat a few days ago. I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to Beijing tomorrow." inside."

"To avoid the heat?" Wen Zhen asked suspiciously, just to avoid the heat, why would Ning Jingxian have such an annoyed expression.He asked curiously, "What did your second child do on Zhuangzi?"

Ning Jingxian gritted his teeth and said, "He's digging a hole on the back mountain of Zhuangzi..."

"Dig holes?"

Ning Jingxian knew that the emperor would not be able to hide it if he wanted to know, so he had no choice but to give up and say, "He said that it was too hot in Beijing, and he needed to build a cave to avoid the heat. In May, my son asked the housekeeper to find a craftsman who was good at building mausoleums. The back mountain is almost hollowed out..."

Wen Zhen was so choked that he couldn't speak, looked at him strangely, and said earnestly, "Yi Cheng, don't spoil your son too much."