Yan Mingzhu naturally did not expect that her second nephew and youngest niece would start such an outrageous couplet.
After leaving Ming Yuexuan, she did not go back to the Hou Mansion directly, but took a detour to Jin Manlou.
Shopkeeper Pan recognized her at a glance and immediately greeted her with a smile, "Girl, you are here at the right time. The whip you customized last time has been made. Please take a look and see if you are satisfied with it. If you are not satisfied, you can
Ask the craftsmen to modify it on the spot."
With that said, Shopkeeper Pan led Yan Mingzhu up to the second floor and brought up a black box. Inside, suddenly there was a long black whip with red gold thread lying folded inside.
Yan Mingzhu picked it up, stretched it left and right in his hand, and suddenly with a backhand, the whip flew out like a long snake. It stopped just short of the vase on the flower stand.
Accompanied by a gust of wind, it was thrown out with a snap, and then quickly taken back. The whole process didn't even take the blink of an eye.
Yan Mingzhu had already retracted the whip and showed a satisfied smile, "It suits me very well. How much money?"
Shopkeeper Pan quickly smiled and said: "The young man who came with you that day has already paid the money. The girl can just take it."
Of course, Shopkeeper Pan can't tell the truth. This shop belongs to Qi Jue. How dare they, the underdogs, reach out and ask for money from their boss at their own risk?
Yan Mingzhu was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect that Qi Jue actually paid the money in advance. She didn't say much. She just asked: "How much money did this whip cost? Don't worry, shopkeeper, I just want to know the value.
How much money, since the young master has already paid it, I naturally will not pay more."
Shopkeeper Pan didn't think much and truthfully quoted the price: "Thirty taels."
Yan Mingzhu made a note of the price in her mind, thinking that she would return the money to Qi Jue the next time she saw him. She never liked to owe others.
Even though she is now in a cooperative relationship with Qi Jue, there is absolutely no need for him to spend this money on her as a partner, so he must pay it back so that he does not owe anything.
At that time, in the palace.
After going to court, Qi Jue went to Huaqing Palace.
"My son, I send my regards to my mother and concubine."
Concubine Zhuang was embroidering a pair of high boots. When she saw Qi Jue coming, she immediately put down what she was doing, raised her eyebrows with joy, stretched out her hand and said: "Jue'er, come here and let me take a closer look to see if I have lost some weight."
Qi Jue stepped forward, his tone was not as cold as before, "I just came to pay my respects to my mother and concubine the day before yesterday."
This means that after just one day, how can I lose weight just by saying I am thin?
Concubine Zhuang took Qi Jue's hand and looked at it carefully for several times, "In my mother's eyes, no matter how small the change in my son is, I, as a mother, can see it immediately."
With that said, Concubine Zhuang handed him the newly made dark embroidered high boots inlaid with black gold, "Put them on and try them on to see if they fit your feet."
Qi Jue took it and smiled lightly, "My mother and concubine made it myself, so it is perfect."
After putting on new shoes, Qi Jue added: "These delicate work can be done by the embroiderers of Wenxiu Academy. My mother-in-law is so careful that it hurts her eyes."
Concubine Zhuang nodded with satisfaction when she saw that Qi Jue's new boots made his legs longer and straighter, and his whole body was as straight as a pine tree.
"After all, boots are something close to the body. Even if it is the top embroiderer in the palace, I don't worry about it. It is most appropriate to make them by hand, stitch by stitch."
People in the palace are unpredictable, and when Qi Jue was eight years old, he was poisoned and almost lost his life. Although it was not found out who did it in the end, it must be related to several other princes.
relationship.
After all, Qi Jue has been extremely intelligent since he was a child and has been favored by Emperor Zhao. The other princes will naturally regard him as a thorn in their side.
From then on, Concubine Zhuang became more cautious. She personally checked all Qi Jue's food and clothing expenses in the palace. All the servants in Dingbei Palace were also personally trained by her father Zhuang Guogong.
After saying this, Concubine Zhuang remembered something, "By the way Jue'er, the little brat Ke'er didn't fall while riding the Zhaoye Jade Lion the other day, right? That horse has a very fierce temper and won't be touched easily.
Even the best horse trainer in the palace couldn't tame it.
It's not that I am stingy and refuse to give it to him, it's just that the horse trainer in the palace can't tame it, not to mention that he is a half-hearted person. Don't accidentally break his arm and leg. If he asks you to give it to him, you can
Don’t be soft-hearted and agree.”
Qi Jue replied calmly: "Mother and concubine, don't worry, I have already given away the jade lion."
Concubine Zhuang was a little surprised, "You gave it away? That horse is rare. Jue'er, don't you like strong horses the most? Why did you give it away? Could it be to that child Jingxue?"
Except for Ji Jingxue, Concubine Zhuang didn't think about women at all.
But unexpectedly, Qi Jue said four words lightly: "A girl."
As soon as these words came out, Concubine Zhuang was so surprised that her jaw almost dropped to the ground. It took her a while to come back to her senses, "Girl? Which girl? Whose name is she? But she is from the capital? What does her family do? Are her parents still alive?
?What is your temperament, what is your appearance, and what are your talents?"
Seeing that Concubine Zhuang was about to ask a hundred thousand reasons, Qi Jue interrupted in a funny and helpless manner: "Concubine, I just thought that the horse was destined for her, so I gave it to her."
It would be fine if this was an ordinary horse, but it is a Zhaoye Jade Lion, which is hard to find, so it seems like it is given away as a gift?
What's more, her son has never been close to women. Previously, a woman deliberately fell on him, and he threw her into the lake without mercy.
At this point, His Highness Prince Dingbei's reputation for ruthlessly destroying flowers resounded throughout the entire imperial capital.
Concubine Zhuang is worried, although it is a good thing that the son is not greedy for beauty, but if he has never been interested in any woman, will he never marry the princess in this life?
What worries Concubine Zhuang even more is that Qi Jue is surrounded by only men, and the one closest to him is Ji Jingxue.
The two men were together all day long, and if her son was misled... wouldn't that mean they would have no descendants?
No, no, absolutely not!
So when she heard the word "girl" from Qi Jue's mouth, Concubine Zhuang became very excited, "This girl is unique in being able to tame such a strong horse. Jue'er, when are you free?
Enter the palace and show it to your mother and concubine?
Of course, my mother-in-law has no intention of questioning your vision. My son is extremely talented and beautiful. The girl who can be chosen by you is naturally a leader. My mother-in-law will never embarrass her, and will treat her as her own daughter, okay?
?”
Qi Jue: "..."
He just talked about a girl, how could his mother and concubine have so many messy thoughts?
What's more, Yan Mingzhu, a woman who doesn't know the slightest bit about style, even sent an egg as a gift in return and brought her to meet her mother-in-law. Maybe she would still refuse to nod...
No, he and Yan Mingzhu only have a cooperative relationship. Why did they get involved in this? He is probably confused by his mother and concubine!