Madam Dou chatted with Empress Xiao for a while. She smiled on the surface, but she was always thinking about the child in her heart.
Empress Xiao knew that Madam Dou was worried about the child, but she didn't dare to let him go since the Emperor didn't allow her to.
Yang Guang disguised himself for more than ten years. He was able to deceive Emperor Wen of Sui and Empress Dugu, but he could not deceive the person next to him.
Even though Yang Guang favored Empress Xiao for more than ten years in order to win the favor of Empress Dugu, Empress Xiao knew that Yang Guang was not Emperor Wen of Sui, and she did not dare to be Empress Dugu.
Therefore, although Empress Xiao had some complaints about Yang Guang's large-scale construction projects as soon as he ascended the throne, she only dared to make her suggestions in a tactful way.
But Yang Guang may not have understood and never paid attention to Empress Xiao's advice.
However, Empress Xiao was not dissatisfied with her current situation.
Empress Xiao was the daughter of Emperor Xiaoming of the Western Liang Dynasty, which was destroyed by the Sui Dynasty. Although the Western Liang Dynasty was destroyed, the Lanling Xiao clan still existed. When Empress Xiao entered the palace, she was told by her clansmen that whether the Lanling Xiao clan could regain its glory depended entirely on Empress Xiao.
When Yang Guang was fighting for the throne, Empress Xiao also tried her best and helped him a lot.
Although Yang Guang had now returned to his original nature and no longer favored her alone, nor listened to her advice, he still respected her, and Lanling Xiao Shi was also constantly favored. "All those above the age of 18 were promoted according to their talents, and thus all the Xiao brothers were present in the court."
The Lanling Xiao family was revived, and the emperor's sons were all her own. She had finally achieved her lifelong wish. Moreover, she was three years older than the emperor, and now she was already thirty-nine years old. She couldn't win the emperor's favor, and it was enough for her to be respected by the emperor.
Empress Xiao lived a very comfortable life. There were not many wrinkles between her brows, and one could still glimpse into her former beauty.
Seeing Madam Dou's anxiety, she stroked Madam Dou's hand and said gently, "I heard that Erlang and Sanlang were bullied by Zheng Shi of Xingyang. Why didn't Madam Dou come to find me? It's fine if Zheng Shi of Xingyang doesn't want to marry, they've spoiled them!"
Madam Dou smiled bitterly and said, "The Duke had already arranged this marriage with Zheng from Xingyang, but they just couldn't find the right person. It's not that they don't want to get married. Alas, my Erlang and Sanlang have straightforward tempers and can't stand provocation. They are a little too rude."
Empress Xiao laughed and said, "Since it was the Zheng family's children who provoked first, Erlang and Sanlang were just fighting back. How can they be called rude? I think the Zheng family is rude. I see that Erlang and Sanlang like it very much."
Madam Dou sighed, "Erlang and Sanlang are indeed likable, but it's a pity that they are too weak, which makes me worried."
Empress Xiao frowned: "Weak body? Children are young, it is normal for them to get sick from time to time, Madam Dou does not need to worry too much."
Madam Dou shook her head, wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, and said, "I can't help but worry. It's all my fault. Children are prone to illness when they are young. I had twins, and they were born with deficiencies. Erlang and Sanlang have been taking medicine since they were born. The more lively they are, the more anxious I get."
As she spoke, she recalled Li Xuanba's illness and the suffering Li Shimin had endured, and tears really flowed out.
Madam Dou choked up and said, "I shouldn't have brought them to Xingyang! As soon as the two children felt a little better, they insisted on going to see their father. I thought everything would be fine, but... Woo..."
Mrs. Dou covered her mouth with a handkerchief and sobbed.
Upon seeing this, Empress Xiao comforted Madam Dou with kind words and gave her some medicinal herbs, telling her not to worry too much.
She sighed inwardly.
When she heard about the intelligence of Li Erlang and Li Sanlang, she came up with the idea of marrying the twins into a marriage between the Lanling Xiao family and the twins.
Although Lanling Xiao Clan did not have twin daughters, they did have cousins of similar age. With the excuse that "sisters marrying twins" was a good story, they might be able to allow the two Xiao Clan daughters to enter the inner house of the Duke of Tang's mansion.
If the two sisters join forces, they may be able to help one of the twins win the title of Duke of Tang.
Even if that doesn't work, Li's second and third sons are the emperor's cousins, and he has the ability to coax them into assisting the prince. When the prince succeeds to the throne, they will both be given high positions and generous salaries to help the family.
Unexpectedly, Li Erlang and Li Sanlang were in poor health?
Empress Xiao suspected that Mrs. Dou had seen through her intention to marry and deliberately made excuses to shirk.
But Mrs. Dou cried sincerely, and whether Li Erlang and Li Sanlang were ill was something she could easily find out. Empress Xiao thought that Mrs. Dou would not use an excuse that could be easily exposed to deceive her, so she believed it.
Madam Dou did see that Empress Xiao wanted to get married.
The "Five Surnames and Seven Famous Families" are the "leaders" of Shandong gentry, but the world's famous families are not limited to Shandong gentry. There are a total of "four surnames" in the world's famous families - "Qiao surname", "Wu surname", "Jun surname" and "Lu surname".
"Qiao surnames" are the famous families who moved south, with "Wang, Xie, Yuan, and Xiao" being the most prominent; "Wu surnames" are the famous families originally in Wu, with "Zhu, Zhang, Gu, and Lu" being the most prominent; the famous families in Shandong and Guanzhong are all "county surnames", and the status of Shandong families is higher than that of Guanzhong families, with the "Five Surnames and Seven Wangs" being the most respected; the nobles of the northern Hu people are called "Lu surnames", and in addition to the descendants of the Eight Pillars of the State, the most prominent ones are "Changsun, Lu, Yuan, and Dou".
Liu Fang of the Tang Dynasty wrote in his book On Clans that before the Sui and Tang Dynasties, "only the four surnames could be selected to be scholars, state officials, and county officials", which shows how prominent they were.
Although after Emperor Wen of Sui established the Sui Dynasty, there were no restrictions on family background for recommendation, officials from other families in the court were still mainly from the "Four Surnames".
In the struggle for the famous families in the Central Plains, the "Wu surname" and the "Guanzhong county surname" were slightly inferior, and the "Qiao surname" and the "Shandong county surname" had been fighting back and forth.
Because the Northern Dynasty won the battle between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the "Shandong County surname" was defeated by the "Qiao surname". But the "Qiao surname" would not accept it.
Mrs. Dou didn't want her family to be involved in the struggle among the Han noble families.
If the daughter-in-law in the family has both a "county surname" and a "foreign surname", then there is no hope for a stable family.
Li Xuanba was indeed weak. Li Shimin had always been with Li Xuanba. Li Xuanba did not go out, and Li Shimin did not go out either. Mrs. Dou was worried that the two brothers would have a rift because of their different health conditions, so she never told anyone that Li Shimin was in good health. So she was not afraid of Empress Xiao checking.
Mrs. Dou had never thought of arranging a marriage for the twins too early, but Empress Xiao had set her eyes on the two children. For the sake of the peace of the family, she had to hurry up and find a marriage for the two children. But Sanlang's health... Alas, Mrs. Dou really didn't know if she could find a suitable candidate for Sanlang.
Mrs. Dou was crying and very anxious.
On the other hand, her two sons, whom she missed so much, were as happy as baby birds, chirping around the foal.
Li Shimin was shouting and Li Xuanba was acting.
Some things seem to be destined.
When Li Shimin was learning horse riding and archery, he rode a docile pony. That was how he felt about horses at that time. Although he liked riding horses, he had no special feelings for them.
But when it came to the foal that Yang Guang chose for him, Li Shimin hugged the horse's neck and fell in love with the foal at first sight. He was so strong that the foal could not get out no matter how hard it struggled.
Li Xuanba also wanted to try to imitate his second brother and be infatuated with the horse. But when he approached, the horse "nodded" at him, so he gave up the idea and took three steps back.
He doesn't have as much strength as his second brother, so he gives up.
Whether it was the look of Li Shimin hugging the foal and rubbing it wildly, or the look of Li Xuanba taking three steps forward and then three steps back, Yang Guang couldn't help laughing.
Yang Guang laughed as many times today as he did in the entire previous month.
Ever since he decided to build Tokyo and the canal, there have been countless noisy voices in the court, which annoyed him. He hadn't laughed so hard for a long time.
"Okay, Erlang, let go, the horse is going to kick you." Yang Guang rubbed Li Shimin's head lovingly, "You should stay in Xiyuan for a while longer, tame the horse, and your cousin will take you hunting."
Li Shimin said happily: "Okay! Thank you, uncle! Ah Xuan! Say thank you quickly!"
Li Xuanba: "...Thank you, uncle."
Li Xuanba couldn't help but yell in his heart: [Brother! What are you thanking me for! Hurry up and find a solution! The emperor wants us to stay in Xiyuan! ]
Li Shimin pretended not to hear.
Li Xuanba kept persuading him: "Brother, I know you love fine horses. But hasn't the fine horse been given to you? If we stay in Xiyuan, mother will be worried."
Li Shimin buried his face in the horse's neck. I struggled for a while.
Li Xuanba wanted to continue persuading him, but Yang Guang had already ordered to vacate a house for the two children. They lived near Empress Xiao and asked Empress Xiao to help take care of them.
As for Madam Dou, Yang Guang's grudge against Li Yuan disappeared a little because of the two children. He decided to give Li Yuan a chance and naturally would not have any misunderstandings with Li Yuan. Therefore, he did not let Madam Dou live in Xiyuan to avoid the spread of bad rumors.
Yang Guang also thoughtfully sent someone to see Madam Dou off from Luoyang, and asked her whether she wanted to return to Daxing or to Li Yuan.
As for these two cousins, Yang Guang wanted to follow the example of the late emperor and keep them by his side for a period of time.
Yang Guang has decided to go on a tour to Jiangdu on August 15th, and he plans to bring these two children with him.
It's a great honor.
Li Shimin looked up in shock, and Li Xuanba shouted "Oh my God" in his heart.
When Mrs. Dou heard the imperial edict, she stopped crying, a look of joy appeared on her face, and she kowtowed to express her gratitude.
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Her nails dug into her palms.
Living in Xiyuan, and accompanying the emperor on a tour of Jiangdu?! My two children are only six years old! How can they bear to be away from their parents for a long time? What's more, being with the emperor is like being with a tiger. What should I do if my two children make the emperor unhappy? They are just the sons of ministers. The title of Duke of Tang is useless around the emperor. What should I do if they are treated badly?
Although Li Shimin and Li Xuanba were precocious and might be able to please the emperor and earn a more comfortable environment, it was not like home after all, and Mrs. Dou did not believe they could live comfortably. Moreover, it was also harmful to the health of the little children to worry so much!
Mrs. Dou was extremely resentful and didn't know why the emperor suddenly had such a whim.
She was extremely anxious, but could not think of any way to deal with the situation. She could only try her best to show joy and pride so as not to let the Queen see her reluctance.
The Sui Dynasty emperor and his family were extremely narrow-minded and would not sympathize with her motherly love.
Fortunately, Empress Xiao had children. Madam Dou had just cried because she was worried about her two children's frailty, but Madam Dou did not show it. However, Empress Xiao could understand the worry in Madam Dou's heart.
She consoled him, "Your Majesty asked me to take care of the two children, but my cousin doesn't believe me?"
Empress Xiao even called Madam Dou her cousin, so Madam Dou could only force a smile and said, "Believe me, it is my good fortune that Erlang and Sanlang can be taught by the Empress."
She became even more worried.
The Queen intends to marry Lanling Xiao to Erlang and Sanlang. What if she has feelings for Erlang and Sanlang again after spending a long time with them?
Mrs. Dou decides to consult her husband first, and then immediately return to Daxing to look for a marriage partner with Erlang and Sanlang.
Although she may not be able to find a suitable candidate at the moment, she can first look at the family, and then after the child grows up a little, she can look for a suitable woman in the family.
This is how the eldest son Li Jiancheng saw it. He had decided to marry Zheng from Xingyang a long time ago, but he did not get engaged because he could not find a suitable woman.
As long as the Duke of Tang's Mansion has made up its mind to marry into a certain family, the Empress Lanling Xiao's background will become an obstacle for her to prevent others from marrying.
There are many "unspoken rules" in marriages between noble families. Since the queen cares about her origins in the Lanling Xiao family, she will not break the "unspoken rules" of the noble families.
Since the decision had been made to let the two children stay, the emperor should have stopped testing them. Empress Xiao brought Madam Dou with her to see the emperor.
Mrs. Dou's heart was in a knot, and her mind was filled with the images of the children forcing themselves to smile and please the emperor.
Who knew that before she saw the two children, she heard Li Shimin's loud laughter.
"Hahahaha, uncle, we agreed and you can't go back on your word! I win, I win!"
"Okay, okay, you win. Here you go."
"Thank you for the reward, uncle! Xuan, say thank you quickly!"
"Thank you for the reward, uncle. But uncle, please don't be too indulgent to my brother. If anyone gives me some color, he will open a dyeing factory."
"Ah Xuan, how can you say that about your brother? Uncle, ignore him, let's continue the competition!"
Mrs. Dou's face first froze, then darkened.
Empress Xiao covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled: "You said your Erlang is lively, it seems that he is really lively, he doesn't look like a weak person."
Madam Dou said with sorrow in her eyes, "That's why I'm worried. Alas, he loves to play and make trouble, but he was betting with the Zheng family's children and recited books for a while, and he fell ill for several months."
Empress Xiao sighed and said, "Thank you for your hard work. But it's a good thing for a child to be lively. If he moves more, he will be healthy."
Empress Xiao took Madam Dou through the winding flower corridor, and the view suddenly opened up.
Li Shimin held the bow in one hand and the arrow in the other. Three arrows without arrowheads were already stuck on the large cushion standing on Li Xuanba's head.
With a "whoosh", the fourth arrow flew out and firmly pierced the soft cushion on top of Li Xuanba's head.
Madam Dou took a deep breath, her vision went dark, and she reached out to hold the hand of the maid next to her, and only then did she manage to stand steady.
Empress Xiao looked at Madam Dou again in confusion: "You said... Is Erlang really weak like this?"
Madam Dou: "..." I really want to pin Erlang down on his knees and give him a good beating!
Li Shimin! Is this how you take care of your brother?! You actually let your brother hold the target and you shoot arrows at his head?!
Madam Dou's face flashed with a ferocious look, which made Empress Xiao tremble.
She then realized, "Are you worried that he's overexerted himself and got sick again?"
Madam Dou took a deep breath and said, "Yes, yes. Alas, Erlang and Sanlang both respect their father very much and work hard to learn archery, but... Alas."
Li Shimin heard Madam Dou's voice and turned around immediately: "Mother?"
He spread his arms, revealing the gold and silver jewelry chain hanging around his neck: "Mother, mother, look! I won a lot of rewards from my cousin!"
Yang Guangda smiled and hung another string of turquoise Buddhist beads around Li Shimin's neck.
Madam Dou took another breath, her breathing stagnated, and her vision went dark.
Li Shimin, what are you doing! Are you performing for the emperor? Who taught you?!
Li Xuanba looked away guiltily.
Sorry, it was my idea, I taught it.