A Complete Explanation of the Negative Textbooks of the Imperial Examination

    The quarrel between Rong Ke and Empress Dowager Xia did not spread, even so, many people in the court found that something was wrong.

    The Empress Dowager Xia questioned Rong Ke's power and ambition, but Rong Ke did not argue, and then went to court and issued edicts as usual. But Rong Ke never went to Rihua Palace to greet her. On some occasions, Empress Dowager Xia could not be avoided. Rong Ke would smile and nod slightly, not rude, just not rude.

    Chang'an is famous in the Western Regions, and many caravans pass through the Western Regions just to see the grand event. Qiuci admired him, and the lord sent a team of envoys across thousands of miles to study in Chang'an.

    When I came to Chang'an, everything in front of me was an eye-opener for the Qiuci people.

      Under the influence of Gan Ning's rule, women in Chang'an became more and more bold. During the first year of Qiyuan, women still had to wear a curtain to cover their whole body. Now, the curtain is so short that it can only cover the neck.

    Chang'an is like a grand and splendid picture scroll, slowly unfolding in front of the guests from afar.

    In the palace, the imperial court specially held banquets to entertain the envoys of Qiuci and other vassal states. The Qiuci envoy held up a turquoise tea cup and found that there was a smart fish carved on the bottom of the cup, which jumped out of the cup. fish.

    It is so lifelike, with beautiful details, and it is not engraved on the bottom of the cup, but three-dimensionally floating in the cup, how is this carved?

    He looked around and saw that the wine glass on the palace maid's tray was long and slender, engraved with gorgeous reliefs, and the porcelain plate in front of him was inlaid with gold foil with gorgeous patterns. The palace is pure gold, but it is not gaudy at all.

    Princess Qianning, who is well-known and mysterious in the Western Regions, sits at the top, next to her is a young emperor wearing a Mian. The caravans passing by Qiuci all said that the distant Chang'an is now ruled by a princess. The Qiuci envoy thought that the princess was not too young, but he did not expect that he was so young and beautiful. The Qiuci envoy stared blankly at the high platform. He hadn't drank much, but now he was already drunk.

    The envoy of Kucha was deeply fascinated by this, and the officials of the Xuan Dynasty were not very good-looking, still look, still look! The princess and your majesty are both national bodies, can you be blind to it?

    The Qiuci people stayed in Chang'an for three months. After returning to China, the envoy devoted his life to the exchanges between Qiuci and the Central Plains. That palace banquet was like a most beautiful dream. In his later years, he wrote a book about this, and later brought it into the mausoleum, and engraved the story of him and the Xuan Dynasty on the tombstone.

    There are too many foreign envoys in Chang'an, and Rong Ke and courtiers are used to it. There is a saying that the king does not govern the barbarians, he does not reject those who come, and he does not pursue those who leave. The monastery will also pay for their travel and lodging fees.

    This is called eating and taking.

    The courtiers of the vassal states were full of admiration for Rong Ke. Now all the countries in the world have heard of the prestige of Princess Qianning, and when they see the real person, they worship her more and more. In recent years, the country has been prosperous and the people are strong, and the folk style of reading and learning has also flourished. Chang'an has gathered a lot of talents, chant poetry is prevalent, and the talented people are like stars.

    When Gan Ning first came to power, the border troubles were serious and the political situation was unstable. Because two emperors died one after another in the past four years, the people were very frightened, and they were extremely repelled by Rong Ke, the inexplicable regent princess, but In the past six years, Tujue, Tuyuhun, and Xue Yantuo were wiped out one after another, and several princes who rebelled were pacified, leaving only one of the three empress dowagers in the palace. Although the population of the royal family has plummeted, this is the harmony of yin and yang and the sign of peace and tranquility in the universe. After all, there are three empress dowagers of three generations in the palace, and infighting alone is a lot of consumption.

    From being rejected to being recognized by the court and the people, Rong Ke has now become a symbol of the court and is highly respected. A young, beautiful and wise princess is longed for even in the Western Regions, let alone the Middle Earth. In recent years, Rong Ke appeared more and more frequently in poetry, and because Rong Ke vigorously supported the imperial examination, he was more and more respected by literati.

    Ever since the Qiuci people left, Empress Dowager Xia always felt that something was wrong. The Queen Mother Xia really did not expect that Rong Ke's fame had already spread to the country and to the Western Regions along the caravan. The countries of the Western Regions regarded Rong Ke as a mysterious and powerful princess of the suzerainty country, and they did everything possible to visit Chang'an. In the past, Empress Dowager Xia would only be proud of her daughter being recognized by the world, but now, she can only smile bitterly.

    It was the mother-daughter dispute that day, and Rong Ke did not say the exact words to ensure that she would not have any disagreement with the throne. People who play politics can't do what they say, but Rong Ke won't even lie to her.

    How can Empress Xia feel at ease.

    In a few days, the daughters of the foreign relatives of the Xia family were called into the palace to enjoy the flowers.

    The Xia family and the Empress Dowager Zhaode are cousins. The Empress Dowager Zhaode chose a daughter from her parents' home for the eldest son Rong Wenzhe. Later, the Rong family revolted and entered the Central Plains, and the Xia family followed suit. Up to now, the Xia family has become the empress dowager, Xia Zhiheng has also become a new noble in the court, and everyone in the Xia family is more and more proud. One person has achieved the truth, let alone the daughter of the Xia family has become the current queen dowager.

    The ladies of the Xia family dressed their daughters brightly and brought them into the palace to speak with the queen mother. In the imperial garden, the ladies are rich and plump, and the girls have clouds and phoenix hairpins, their faces are like hibiscus, and their voices are like an orioles. They are more beautiful than the flowers in the imperial garden.

    Several ladies gathered around Empress Dowager Xia to say good things, Empress Dowager Xia listened with a smile, looked over the ladies at the bottom, and asked, "I remember that the girls from the second brother all Not too young, can you come today?"

    Mrs. Xia was overjoyed, and hurriedly called: "Siniang, come out and meet the queen mother soon!"

    A young girl in a bright yellow skirt stood up to greet her. The girl had beautiful eyebrows and a gentle demeanor. Empress Dowager Xia took a look and was very satisfied. The girl looked calm and gentle, and she was sensible and obedient.

    The Empress Dowager Xia asked, "Has Siniang engaged?"

    Mrs. Xia was so surprised that she could barely close her mouth. It was a happy event to be called out by the queen mother alone. Now the queen mother asks about the marriage...their fourth mother, this is a great blessing!

    Mrs. Xia hurriedly laughed and said, "Not yet. I'm just this girl. I can't bear to leave her, so I stay for a few more years."

    "Siniang is knowledgeable and wise, gentle and pleasant, such a quiet beauty should be matched with a hero who gallops on the battlefield. A few days ago, the sage told me that the Marquis of Chengxi is the pillar of the country and the imperial court. He made great military exploits and even delayed his own life events. He did this for the country, and the court should be more sympathetic to him. If he could marry a wife who knew the cold and heat, and was considerate, it would also be a relief for the ministers in the political hall. a matter of heart.”

    After Empress Dowager Xia finished speaking, a trace of guilt flashed in her heart. Rong Ke wanted to marry Xiao Jingduo, and Rong Ke was also her own daughter. If Rong Ke was an ordinary woman, and Xiao Jingduo was also the son of an ordinary family, of course the Queen Mother Xia would agree, but neither Rong Ke nor Xiao Jingduo. The power of the two of them alone is terrible. If they are married and screwed together, who can sit on the throne?

    The Empress Dowager Xia thought that the power of the two of them had expanded to such a point that she was unable to contain their power and could only try her best to separate them. As long as Xiao Jingduo married the daughter of the Xia family, she would be a member of the Xia family, and she would look to herself in the future. She would find a gentle and considerate consort for Rong Ke, and then the matter would be settled.

    It is rare for Rong Ke to have someone she likes. The Empress Dowager Xia took away her daughter's favorite person like this. She is not guilty, but Rong Ke is self-willed and has a hard temper, so she should find a gentle concubine for her. , to tolerate her daughter's temper. Rong Ke has a tough temper, and Xiao Jingduo looks strong. How can they be good together? Even if Rong Ke likes Xiao Jingduo now and becomes a husband and wife in the future, neither of them will let the other, how can this go on? It would be better if Empress Dowager Xia separated them from the beginning, let them marry each other, and achieved two good couples.

    Mrs. Xia originally thought that the queen mother called Siniang out to meet the emperor, but she did not expect it. Mrs. Xia was a little disappointed at first, and then she heard Empress Dowager Xia talking about the Marquis of Chengxi. This time, not only Mrs. Xia, but even Siniang Xia was surprised.

    Mrs. Xia hurriedly asked: "What you said is the Marquis of Chengxi, the current Minister of War, Xiao Jingduo?"

    The Empress Dowager Xia smiled faintly: "Otherwise who else could it be."

    Xia Siniang also pursed her lips and smiled softly: "The Marquis of Chengxi led two hundred men to raid the Turks' tooth tent, ran thousands of miles north of the desert, and drove the Turks out of the frontier. He is indeed a hero. figure."

    As soon as Mrs. Xia heard it, she knew that her daughter was willing, not to mention Siniang Xia, the eyes of the other daughters of the Xia family were also full of envy and bitterness. It's okay, so can they.

    Excluding the group of the founding veterans, Duke Duan, Xiao Jingduo is now the only one in power. And Xiao Jingduo is now twenty-four years old, and it can be predicted that his future achievements will be higher than Duan Gong. Anyone with eyes knows that Xiao Jingduo should be friends. His wife has always been a hot topic in Beijing, and many girls are secretly competing. However, Xiao Jingduo insisted not to marry a wife, and many people who went to investigate his words were clearly rejected by him.

    Xiao Jingduo is obviously not suitable for the words of the parents' life matchmaker. If Xiao Jingduo hits a wall here, go to Xiao Ying, this is not a marriage, this is a revenge. The relationship between Xiao Jingduo and Xiao Ying, everyone in the court could feel that he suppressed his biological father, and the senior management knew it. It's just that one is a famous general in the army with great military exploits and a promising future, and the other is an old minister who has been getting older and has not made achievements for many years. The high-level officials turned a blind eye, and the others were not as high as Xiao Jingduo's official position, and because of Xiao Jingduo's power, they would not point it out.

    Mrs. Xia never dreamed that such a good thing would fall on her own head. She was overjoyed, and her daughter liked it. A man who became famous as a teenager, became famous in battle, and was very good-looking, doesn't that girl miss him?

    Seeing that the people in the second room were so happy that they couldn't close their mouths, Mrs. Longfang's smile became a little stagnant. Unexpectedly, the Queen Mother Xia changed the conversation and suddenly asked other people: "I've always been tired recently. I want to find a few 13th and 4th girls to come in and talk to me. I wonder if there are suitable ones at home?"

    Mrs. Xia was taken aback, and quickly pushed her daughter out: "Jiuniang is 13 this year. If the queen mother doesn't think she is noisy, let her come to the palace to serve the queen mother."

    The other rooms also called out a few girls, and the Queen Mother Xia called them to her eyes, asked them one by one, pointed to two of them and said, "I think Liuniang and Jiuniang are good, so I just Both of them."

    The Queen Mother specially kept two girls who were thirteen years old. The emperor is exactly fourteen years old this year!

    The eldest lady of the Xia family figured this out, and she could hardly sit still. Could it be that their Xia family is going to have another queen? Also, in the harem now, only the queen mother can decide, who is the queen of the Shexia family? If the queen mother chooses a daughter-in-law, can she still go to her own family?

    The Xia family entered the palace this time. Before leaving, the Queen Mother Xia called Xia Siniang and Xia Jiuniang in front of her eyes and said, "They are all good girls. You will often come to the palace to accompany me. Today, I will hold a banquet in the palace and ask Siniang to come and take a look."

    Xia Siniang was pointed to Chengxihou by the queen mother and asked her to take a look, what else could she see? Xia Siniang's cheeks were already red, and the other ladies looked at her teasingly, and saluted the Queen Mother with a smile: "Thank you Queen Mother."

    In September, the golden chrysanthemums in the imperial garden were blooming very well.

    He originally planned to go to the garden for a walk, but there were a lot of things waiting for him outside, so he didn't have time to enjoy the flowers.

    At Linhu Hall, Xiao Jingduo saluted the emperor and the Queen Mother Xia.

    "Saint, Queen Mother."

    Xiao Jingduo answered one by one, when he spoke, he obviously felt that the young ladies around were looking at him.

    At this time, the atmosphere is open, the queen does not avoid foreign ministers, and the ladies of the harem do not have to avoid foreign men, not to mention the queen mother sitting here. Sir. Although the emperor was also there, but the emperor was only fourteen and still tall, how could he compare to Marquis Chengxi, who had a cold look and an aura of killing in every move.

    After the emperor asked, Xiao Jingduo thought that he could get away, but he was left behind by the queen mother.

    The Queen Mother Xia pointed at Xiao Jingduo and said to the others, "This is the Marquis of Chengxi."

    The daughters of the Xia family actually knew Xiao Jingduo, and who else in Chang'an didn't know him, but it was the first time to see him up close. After the Queen Mother pointed, the female relatives turned their eyes and looked at Xiao Jingduo carefully. The more they looked at him, the more they felt that this person was tall and straight, with cold and delicate eyebrows, and he was really a good person that could not be found.

    Mrs. Xia became more and more satisfied now, looking at Xiao Jingduo with a smile. It was rare for the girls to have the opportunity to look at Xiao Jingduo so blatantly so close and blatantly. Empress Dowager Xia said, "Siniang, come out."

    Xia Siniang's cheeks flushed, and she slowly stood up from her sisters.

    The Empress Dowager Xia said to Xiao Jingduo: "This is the fourth mother of the Xia mansion. This girl is quiet and obedient since she was a child, and the older she grows, the more gentle she is. She is a lovely person."

    As soon as the Queen Mother Xia spoke, Xiao Jingduo could guess what the Queen Mother was going to say. He had heard similar words too many times. Xiao Jingduo answered, "The Fourth Young Lady of your residence is knowledgeable and reasonable, and will surely get a good son-in-law in the future. I will first congratulate Mrs. Xia."

    Huh? what's going on? Mrs. Xia was a little stunned. Xiao Jingduo congratulated Siniang that she must have a good husband. Although this was a compliment, Siniang wanted to point it to him. How could Xiao Jingduo say that?

    The Empress Dowager Xia saw Xiao Jingduo pushed back, her eyes lightened, and she said, "Marquis Chengxi also thinks that Siniang knows the etiquette, that's fine. Marquis Chengxi has not yet married, and Siniang is also gentle and graceful, you guys The two have a strong temperament and a soft temper, which is just a good story, what do you think about the Marquis of Chengxi?"

    Xiao Jingduo's eyes suddenly turned cold, but Rong Lang raised his eyebrows unexpectedly. His mother actually planned to marry Xiao Jingduo? Rong Lang stood up straight, intending to wait and watch the development of the situation.

    Xiao Jingduo's heart turned cold. He has been waiting for Rong Ke all these years. Seeing that the emperor is getting bigger and bigger, Empress Dowager Xia wants to marry him other women. Does Empress Dowager Xia think that he is such an easy-going person? If he is unwilling, neither Xiao Ying nor Mrs. Xiao can force him, let alone the Queen Mother Xia, who has no relationship with him and no reason.

    At least not yet.

    Xiao Jingduo's tone did not fluctuate, and said: "Xiao has no intention of getting married now, and the Queen Mother Xie cares."

    Mrs. Xia was stunned, and Siniang Xia raised her head in surprise.

    He refused marriage? How dare he refuse the queen mother?

    Although Empress Dowager Xia only told her family about the meaning of marriage, the official marriage intention has not yet been prepared. But who is the queen mother, her words are all Yizhi! Not to mention the Xia family, even the Queen Mother Xia herself did not expect that anyone would dare to refuse the marriage she gave her.

    Sure enough, Empress Xia's smile subsided: "You dare to refuse to give marriage?"

    "Even if the sage bestows the marriage, one should also take into account the thoughts of the courtiers. Now that the border is uncertain, and I have been violated from time to time towards the border, how can I ignore the important affairs of the family and the country, but focus on the love of my children Go? I have no intention of getting married at this juncture, and I don't want to delay the girls of other families, and I also ask the Queen Mother to take her life back."

    The Queen Mother Xia lowered her face and did not speak, but Rong Lang smiled and came out to relieve the siege: "What Chengxi Marquis said is that I also expect Chengxi Marquis to guard the frontier and protect the family and the country, since He's not in a hurry, so we'll leave him alone."

      How dare other small countries dare to provoke?

    Before Rong Kelai told the Queen Mother Xia about her and Xiao Jingduo. Since then, the Queen Mother Xia has been vigilant against Xiao Jingduo. Now Xiao Jingduo dares to refuse the marriage in front of her mother's family. Very annoyed. She has been the queen mother for a long time, and now all the palaces are following her, and the queen mother Xia can no longer listen to others' rejection.

    The Empress Dowager Xia did not think of the Empress Dowager Wu, who died of illness, and the Empress Dowager Cui, who was imprisoned in the deep palace and lived in depression. If the two of them were still there, how could Empress Dowager Xia speak.

    The Empress Dowager Xia wanted to reprimand Xiao Jingduo for being rude, but now that the emperor came out to relieve the siege, she could not say anything. The emperor said that he would rely on Xiao Jingduo to guard the frontier. The Queen Mother Xia did not want to disobey her son's words, so she said: "Since the emperor has said this, then let's put this matter on hold. It's not me who said that, Marquis Chengxi, you have already arrived. When it comes to the age of starting a family, it is said that you should start a family first and then start a career. Now that you have established a career, it is time to think about starting a family.”

    After finishing speaking, Xiao Jingduo took the opportunity to retire. He walked for a while and suddenly found that the jade carving he was carrying was gone.

    Rong Ke's birthday is in September. This is the birthday gift he specially prepared for Rong Ke. Xiao Jingduo immediately turned around to look for it. When his entourage saw it, he quickly said, "What are you looking for, Servant? Your time is precious, how can you come here in person? Just leave it to the slave to find it."

    Xiao Jingduo shook his head: "I'm not worried, I'll find it."

    He went back the same way to see him, and was looking carefully when a female voice suddenly came from the side: "Marquis Chengxi, are you looking for this?"

    Xiao Jingduo turned back and saw a woman in a goose-yellow palace dress standing among the flowers with a rabbit-shaped jade sculpture in her hand.

    Xiao Jingduo was greatly relieved when he saw the jade carving, and then he moved his gaze up and saw the woman's face.

    "Miss Xia?"

    "It's me." Xia Siniang walked out slowly, with a forced smile on her face, "So Marquis Chengxi still remembers me."

    Xiao Jingduo also guessed what Xia Siniang wanted to say. He said, "Miss Xia, it is Xiao who is not worthy of you, please forgive me."

      She really wanted to know why Xiao Jingduo refused to marry.

    "Since that's the case, then I'll say it straight. I was in the Lakeside Hall just now, and there were so many people, so I had to use family and country affairs to prevaricate. In fact, Xiao refused to marry because of his heart. Already interested."

    Xia Siniang half-opened her mouth in surprise, and the light in her eyes gradually died out: "You already have someone you like?"

    "Yes. Don't think about anything other than her."

    Xia Siniang then understood that Xiao Jingduo refused with some high-sounding reasons, and almost annoyed the Queen Mother, all because he had someone he liked, and he didn't want to say it in front of everyone, hurting Because of Xia Siniang's face, she acted in a roundabout way. Xia Siniang's heart was extremely complicated. If Xiao Jingduo had just said directly in the hall that he had a crush on him, Xia Siniang would have been disgraced and become a sister's laughing stock, but Xiao Jingduo did not do this, but changed his words and took all the reasons. on himself. Xia Siniang should obviously thank this man for his thoughtfulness, but hearing his frank words, Xia Siniang felt heartbroken.

    He is really considerate and polite, and cold and unfeeling.

    "Who is she?"

    Xiao Jingduo just said: "Thank you Mrs. Xia for keeping the jade carving for me. It is inconvenient now. After Mrs. Xia finds her good son-in-law, Xiao must thank him. Tan Ming, go to pick up the jade carving, thank you four lady."

    Xiao Jingduo's entourage took the jade from Xia Siniang's hand and gave it to Xiao Jingduo with both hands. Xiao Jingduo brought it over, looked carefully, made sure there was no bump, and put it away in relief.

    "Miss Xia, Mr. Xiao has something to do, so I won't accompany him. People come and go here, Mrs. Xia, don't stay for long, go back quickly. Mr. Xiao takes a step first."

      But so polite. But unfortunately, he has someone he likes.

    Jade, rabbit-shaped, in fact, Xia Siniang has already guessed who it is.

    Linhu Hall, since Xiao Jingduo went out, Empress Dowager Xia's face has not been very good.

    Rong Lang knew that when he saw it, he pushed the porcelain plate beside him and said, "Mother, this is the newly delivered Changshan Zhending pear, you can try it."

    The father-in-law who followed the emperor immediately put a piece of steamed pear in a celadon bowl filled with jade and presented it to the queen mother. The person next to him smiled and said, "The saint is really filial, and the queen mother is very lucky."

    The queen mother had no appetite for fruit, so she took the steamed pear, stopped it in her hand, and put it aside. Hearing what others said, she was also very happy: "Yes, Ah Lang has known the cold and the warmth since he was a child."

    This is filial piety? Rong Lang himself thought it was funny, the elder sister asked no one in the harem to dare to disrespect the Queen Mother Xia, but the Queen Mother Xia could only see Rong Ke's unrequited love, and Rong Lang just handed a pear, without even doing it himself filial piety.

    But the relationship between Rong Ke and the queen mother is deadlocked, and Rong Lang is caught in the middle. We must try to ease these two people, and don't say anything that adds fuel to the fire. With a smile on his face, he was about to bring the topic to his sister when he heard the queen mother say: "Speaking of filial piety, Jiuniang is also extremely filial, and she has been in the palace every day to talk to me. Jiuniang, come here. ."

    As soon as these words came out, Xia Liuniang's face froze, does the queen mother like Jiuniang? When Xia Jiuniang heard this, she immediately stood up with a smile and gave Rong Lang a salutation in a clear voice: "I have seen the saint."

    Xia Jiuniang is young and favored at home, not as gentle as Xia Siniang, but very lively.

    Rong Lang looked at the cute and lively girl, and the smile on his face faded.

    This time, even he can no longer speak for his mother.

    Rong Lang had to sigh that his father was very accurate in seeing people. His father was worried that the prince's assistance would cause chaos, so he defied all opinions and handed over the regency to the elder sister. Even King Qi was swaying. At that time, many people persuaded that Empress Dowager Xia was the emperor's biological mother, and that her biological mother would never harm her son. After listening to it, my father thought for a long time, and still shook his head firmly.

    It turns out that Rong Wenzhe was right.

    When Empress Dowager Xia was the crown princess, everyone praised Xia for being gentle and generous, with the style of the mother of the country. When she was the queen, the harem also praised Xia for being generous and considerate, not punishing the palace staff. But now that she is the queen mother, she is still soft-hearted and undecided, which is fatal.

    The two queens are both surnamed Xia, will Rong Ke agree? Will Rong Lang agree? Does Empress Dowager Xia pretend that their siblings do not exist? Rong Lang was very disappointed, and as his father said, if his mother became the queen mother, Wang Zhengjun would be first-rate.

    Rong Lang tapped his fingers on his knees, already thinking about how to reject Empress Dowager Xia's wishful thinking. First, he forcibly gave Xiao Jingduo a marriage, but now he is still eyeing him.

    Rong Lang was about to speak, when the **** chanted from outside the palace: "Princess Qianning is here."

    The author has something to say: Small Theater:

    After the palace banquet, Silla went to find Rong Ke

    Silla: Sovereign Father, they beat me!

    Rong Ke:…

    Silla: It hurts when they beat me, you send troops to beat them!

    Rong Ke:…

    Silla: Dad, you can't ignore me!

    Rong Ke, who was so troublesome and didn’t want to care about it, sighed: I’ll borrow you five thousand sets of red robes and red flags, and you can put them on by yourself. When the two armies are fighting, Goguryeo will see it as a proclamation The army came and scare them away.

    Silla: …Thanks Dad.