Mr. Jiang , the first assistant's wife and sister

, did not tell the driver to drive the horse slower this time, but the night was still dark and he couldn't go faster even if he wanted to.

In the middle of the night, the people had learned the news of the victory and rushed to tell each other. The entire capital was enveloped in this huge joy.

In the second half of the night, things slowly calmed down. Because they no longer had to worry about foreign enemies, the people of the Imperial Capital, who had been frightened and exhausted these days, could finally sleep peacefully in the second half of the night.

The wheels slowly rolled over the bluestone bricks, the sound of horse hooves could be heard clearly, and the street was silent, as if there were only the two of them in the entire Imperial City.

The night gradually dissipated, and the dawn light bathed the entire Imperial Capital. This tranquility was maintained by tens of thousands of people who risked their lives last night.

Yan Qing suddenly felt something. She opened the car curtain to see the scene outside the car.

"Do you want to see the scenery of Beijing in the morning?" Jiang Weiren asked in a low voice.

"It's been a long time..." she replied calmly, "I have been in the palace for three years. In these three years, I have never seen the morning and dusk in the ordinary alleys of the capital."

There was a moment of sadness in her eyes, not because of the past three years. , but for the rest of my life.

For countless mornings and evenings in the future, she could only watch in the small world of Jinming Palace.

He looked at her, taking in all her subtle emotions, and suddenly said softly: "Let me get out of the car and take a walk with you."

Yan Qing was a little surprised, but when he heard that Jiang Weiren had stopped the carriage, he He opened the curtain and jumped out, then brushed the curtain with one hand and extended his other hand to give her support.

That hand was as slender and fair as white jade. Yan Qing was stunned for a moment, but finally he picked up his robe and supported his hand to get out of the car.

The morning sun is shining slightly on the horizon. There is no one on this section of the street. The doors in the city are closed. The weeping willows planted on the street are swaying their branches in the breeze at this moment. The unique fragrance of early spring is in the air. Everything in front of me is so ordinary. , but it was a sight that would be difficult for her to see again in the future.

In the distance is Xuandemen, and the golden glazed tiles on the left and right gates are faintly visible.

Her steps slowed down, and he slowly followed behind. The two of them walked together in this early spring morning, one after the other, but neither of them spoke, maintaining a tacit silence.

If Yan Qing turned around, he should be able to see that the person behind him had his eyes fixed on him.

——After

this battle is over, the first thing to do is to reward one's merits. If one is to talk about the first meritorious service, there is no doubt that the first assistant is Jiang Weiren.

This time, the court was in trouble, because Jiang Weiren was already the chief minister of the dynasty, and when the late emperor passed away, he was granted the title of Grand Tutor. How to reward him now was really difficult. In the end, Empress Dowager Cao issued an order to recognize Jiang Weiren's sister-in-law as the adopted daughter and make her the county head. The title was determined by the Ministry of Rites and was given the word "Qinghe".

Such a reward is not too high. The county magistrate has always been awarded to the daughter of the royal family. Empress Dowager Cao recognized Jiang Weiren's sister-in-law as her adopted daughter and gave such a title. Even ordinary people would find it very flattering. This Lord Chief Assistant.

The reason why this title was given to Jiang Weiren's sister-in-law was because his parents had died, he no longer had any siblings, and he had no relatives in the clan who were worthy of merit.

When he was demoted back to his hometown, he married a wife in Jiangling. His first wife's surname was Xue and her maiden name was Shifang. Later, when he got up and returned to Beijing, he was supposed to be in the prime of his career, but his wife was unlucky and died of illness not long after entering Beijing.

Xue Shifang has a younger sister whose name is only one character different from hers, named Shiying.

There was a big age difference between the sisters. When Xue Shifang followed her husband Jiang Weiren to the capital, her parents were dead, so she brought her younger sister with her to the capital. After Xue Shifang died, her younger sister had no relatives or friends, so Jiang Weiren naturally took care of her and was treated as his own sister.

Empress Dowager Cao wanted to win over Mr. Jiang, so she thought of starting with his sister-in-law.

How could Yan Qing not understand that Cao Yu, Cao Dingzhen's elder brother, was originally the commanding officer in the fifth military camp, but this time he led troops to fight in Nanxunmen, and was not only promoted to admiral, but was also named Wu Zhongbo. Although she now holds a high and powerful position, her foundation in the court is still shallow. Empress Dowager Cao may not care about a chief minister, but the Cao family has to win over Mr. Jiang.

This was a win-win situation for the Cao family and Jiang Weiren. Even though he, Jiang Weiren, looked down upon the Cao family, as a minister, he had to pretend to be grateful for the emperor's biological mother's favor.

On the day when Xue Shiying came to the palace to thank him, Yan Qing happened to be there.

When the late emperor was here, Cao Dingzhen was respectful and courteous to Yan Qing. After Zhao Yuan ascended the throne, Cao Dingzhen was also courteous to her. Because Zhao Yuan was young, he had to worry about food, clothing, housing and transportation, but Cao Dingzhen did not forget to invite Yan Qing to discuss both big and small matters to give her face.

On weekdays, even if he had nothing to do, he would invite her to go to Yichun Garden to enjoy flowers, or to listen to a play in Qingyin Tower. All in all, he seemed very harmonious.

Looking inside and outside the court, they felt that the two palaces were so harmonious, so they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

When the eunuch came to report that Qinghe County Lord had arrived, Yan Qing had not yet returned to the palace. Xue Shiying finished saluting the two queen mothers, and Cao Dingzhen smiled and said: "It's a coincidence that Queen Mother Shengyi is also here, lest you have to wait until then. Let's go to Renshou Palace. "

It's not a simple matter which palace to go to first. Xue Shiying is now the adopted daughter of Empress Dowager Cao, so it makes sense to go to her Funing Palace first. But in terms of superiority and inferiority, Yan Qing should be respected. This is reasonable and reasonable, but the etiquette and law are still open to question.

She also met Yan Qing. Regardless of the red tape, Xue Shiying felt a little guilty, so she stepped forward to salute her and said obediently: "My little girl has met the Queen Mother Shengyi!"

Yan Qing nodded and looked at her briefly. Fan.

In fact, Yan Qing had met Xue Shifang. Before her father passed away, she accompanied her father back to her hometown to recuperate. After her father passed away, she stayed in Jiangling for more than half a year. During this period, Jiang Weiren took his wife to Yange. Worship at the grave.

Xue Shifang was born extremely beautiful, and beauties have always come from the south of the Yangtze River. A place like Jiangling is full of beautiful people, and all the women are delicate and graceful. Xue Shifang's appearance is one of the best in Jiangling.

The newly appointed head of Qinghe County looks very much like her late sister if you look at her facial features, but if you look at her facial features from a distance, she is even more outstanding than her sister.

What's more, she is now in the prime of her life, wearing a sash-colored palace dress, with a thick and slim waist. She stands there with a pretty smile, and her eyes are full of brilliance, just like a begonia flower blooming in the garden. , which makes people want to look at it again and again.

The Empress Dowager Cao ordered the eunuch to give her a seat, and then said: "What a beauty. The Ai family is blessed to have such an outstanding daughter."

"The Empress Dowager said this is a shame for my little girl," Xue Shiying hurriedly replied, "I can see the two of them. The Queen Mother Yirong is already a blessing that has been cultivated by my daughter for several generations."

Queen Mother Cao took her to talk for a while. Yan Qing said little at the side. She looked at Xue Shiying's clever appearance and was very good at asking questions. Empress Dowager Cao's liking.

After a while, the eunuch came in to report that His Majesty had come to pay his respects.

Zhao Yuan naturally came with Zhang Fang. When he entered the hall, he saw Xue Shiying. Xue Shiying immediately came forward to kowtow. Since he ascended the throne and experienced such a major event as Beiqi's invasion, Zhao Yuan seemed to have grown up overnight. Although he was still only seven years old, he was much calmer than before.

Empress Dowager Cao said to him: "Your Majesty, this is Mr. Jiang's wife and sister, our Qinghe County Head."

Jiang Weiren initially opposed all opinions and set up heavy troops at Nanxunmen, which repelled the Beiqi army and brought the whole Yu Dynasty to safety. After this battle, everyone inside and outside the court was convinced of him, and now they all respect him. "Yuanfu". Because he was the emperor's master, the emperor Zhao Yuan and the two queen mothers all called him "sir" in the harem to show respect.

Zhao Yuan nodded and said: "Qinghe County Lord is now the adopted daughter of the Queen Mother, and she will be my sister from now on, so there is no need for such a big gift."

Empress Dowager Cao also smiled and said to Xue Shiying : "Your Majesty is right, you don't have to be too formal in the future."

Zhao Yuan walked to Yan Qing and gently called her "Empress". Now that Cao Dingzhen has become the Empress Dowager Ciyi, he calls his biological mother "Queen Mother", But Yan Qing is still called by the old name, which is good. It would be hard to tell if they all called her "Queen Mother", and Yan Qing was happy that he called her that.

"The late emperor's son has a weak life. Your Majesty has no brothers or sisters, and the Ai family also feels lonely," Empress Dowager Cao sighed. "Since you are the adopted daughter of the Ai family, you will have to move around more in the future, so this palace will be more lively." He looked at Yan Qing and asked, "Sister, do you agree?"

Yan Qing naturally wanted to agree, so he nodded and said, "Yes, this palace is really deserted. Qinghe County chiefs often go to the palace to accompany Empress Dowager Ciyi."

Xue Shiying nodded . He answered "yes" and chatted with him in the hall for a while. Seeing that the sun had set much higher, he stood up and left.

The Jiang family's carriage was already waiting outside Xuande Gate, waiting for her to return to Jiang Mansion. Jiang Weiren came back soon.

He is very busy. Most of the time he returns home late at night. He rarely has dinner at home, but he came home early today.

When Shi Fang passed away, she specifically asked him to take good care of his sister Shi Ying for him. Jiang Weiren always took his wife's words to heart. Once Shi Fang left, apart from the servants, only he and Xue Shiying were left in the Jiang family. She was young at that time, so whenever Jiang Weiren came home early, he would have dinner with her.

On weekdays, he would come back at night and often change his clothes before going into the study. Even if Xue Shifang lived under the same roof with him, she would rarely have the chance to see him.

Jiang Weiren naturally knew that she had entered the palace today, so he asked, "See the two queen mothers?"

"Yes, yes," Xue Shiying sat down next to him and muttered, "the two queen mothers are really different..."

She has followed her sister since she was a child, and Jiang Weiren has always regarded her as his own sister, so she has no scruples in front of him.

"Why is it different?"

"The Empress Dowager Ciyi is very kind, very gentle and tolerant, and very close to me." Xue Shiying thought for a while and then said, "But the Empress Dowager Shengyi..."

As she said, Jiang Weiren turned his head and looked at her, as if waiting for her next words.

"The Queen Mother Shengyi is a bit cold. Except when His Majesty comes in, I have never seen her smile, and she doesn't like to talk much. It's hard to guess whether she is happy or angry, which makes me a little scared."

Xue Shiying said to herself She told the truth what she was thinking, "I heard that Empress Dowager Shengyi ordered Master Fu to be killed with a stick. Everyone in the capital said that she was very powerful. It turned out to be true after seeing her today."

After she finished speaking, she left. Looking at Jiang Weiren, I saw that his eyes were lowered, as if he was in a trance, and he didn't know what he was thinking. She had rarely seen him like this. She thought for a while and wondered if she had gone too far. She was afraid that he would say she was rude. She was about to soften her words when she suddenly heard him whisper: "She was not like this before..." ..."

His voice was so low that she almost didn't hear it clearly. It didn't seem like he was speaking to her.

"Don't say such things in the future. How about letting outsiders hear it?" He said with a slight expression on his face.

"I'm talking to my brother-in-law, who is not an outsider." She muttered in reply.

Xue Shiying is indeed a smart girl. Not only that, just from her words and deeds, you can tell that Jiang Weiren has protected her extremely well over the years.

The Xue family is just an ordinary merchant family in Jiangling. Because of this, many ladies from aristocratic families in Beijing are privately reluctant to associate with the Qinghe County Lord. In their eyes, her family background is almost For being lowly.

But Yan Qing looked at Xue Shiying, even though she was standing among those noble ladies from aristocratic families, her demeanor and demeanor were no worse than anyone else's. On the contrary, her appearance was always the most eye-catching among the crowd.

She could probably understand how those ladies from aristocratic families despised her own origin, but no matter what the occasion, she could neither be humble nor overbearing, and advance and retreat appropriately. This confidence was given to her by Jiang Weiren.

Those people can look down on the daughter of a merchant family, but no one dares to offend the family of the chief minister of the dynasty.

Jiang Weiren allowed her to have the honor of the county lord, and also prevented her from feeling humble in front of anyone.

Editor's note: Today we have a double update of benefits. All chapters are free. Please click on the next chapter: Breaking through the "adultery". Can you guess what the "adultery" is? Please leave more comments and likes to unlock more updated benefits.