In the inner hall, there are bright lights, beautiful eyes, warblers and swallows, surrounded by pearls and emeralds. Bright clothes and hairpin rings and jade pendants are colorful under the candlelight.
Qin Keqing was talking to Xichun, seemingly comforting the arrogant little loli.
Xiangling sat on the embroidered pier beside her, resting her chin on her little hands, quietly listening to the conversation of several people in the hall.
The second sister You was holding a letter in her hand, which she and the third sister You were reading together. It was written by You, who went south to support Ling.
At this time, Baozhu came quickly from outside and said, "Madam, uncle and Miss Bao are here."
In the past two days, the maids in the house, starting from Baozhu and Ruizhu, no longer called Qin Keqing grandma, but changed their name to madam. Compared with madam, which is called Mrs. Xing and Mrs. Wang, grandma is called Mrs. Wang.
A title for a young daughter-in-law, while Madam is more like an honorific title for a certain status.
The wife of Ningguo Mansion may have some strong sense of seeing the palace... Well, it shocked Xiao Xiao.
Several people who were talking stopped talking one after another and looked away in favor of their reputation.
Upon hearing this, Qin Keqing's snow-skinned face showed a look of joy and she got up to greet him. Xichun also got up and looked at the figure reflected on the screen.
Behind the screen, Jia Heng and Baochai appeared in front of everyone under the guidance of Qingwen.
"Sister Xue." Qin Keqing walked in front of Baochai and took her soft plain hands.
Baochai's face, as white as a pear, also showed a faint smile, and she called, "Sister-in-law."
At this time, Xichun also came over to greet him, called "Sister Bao", then looked at Jia Heng and said: "Brother Heng."
Jia Heng nodded toward Xichun, his eyes were a little gentler, and he smiled and said, "Fourth sister."
Immediately, he turned to look at Second Sister You and Third Sister You. His eyes lingered on the letter in Second Sister You’s hand and asked, “Whose letter is this from?”
Third Sister You Yanye, with a look of sadness on her charming face, said: "Sister sent a letter, saying that he has received the coffin and is rushing to Jinling. After the funeral arrangements are completed, it will take three months to return to Shenjing.
Already."
Jia Heng nodded, just turned to look at Xichun, patted Xichun's shoulder lightly, and didn't say much."
After all, the matter involved Jia Zhen, so it was not appropriate for such a festive day. As for Xichun, he didn't see any grief-stricken people anyway.
It cannot be said that the little girl is cold and cold. Jia Zhen means nothing more to her than a stranger.
Jia Heng turned to look at Baochai, who was chatting and laughing with his wife. One was bright and graceful, the other plump and graceful. They were almost indistinguishable, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's good to get along together in advance like this. It's best to become best friends and there will be less trouble in the future." Jia Heng thought and sat down.
At this time, Qin Keqing took Baochai's hand and asked with concern: "I haven't seen my sister much these days."
Baochai looked at the girl opposite and said softly: "Things at home are in a mess. I just asked Brother Heng to help with the cooking."
Hearing this, Qin Keqing sighed and said, "I also know about my sister's family affairs. Is Wenlong's injury healed now?"
Baochai looked at the gorgeous and unprovoked woman opposite, suppressed some complicated thoughts, and said: "Brother's injury is almost healed. When the first month comes, he will go to the Wucheng Bingma Division. Brother Heng said he will take care of him.
.”
Qin Keqing nodded and said softly: "Don't worry, sister. You, Brother Heng, will definitely do what you promised, and Wenlong will not be wronged."
In fact, she looked at the girl who was kind of kind, and her eyebrows were filled with aura.
Baochai said softly: "Brother Heng is true to his words, I can trust him."
He said before that he would give her a status, and if he thought about it... he would definitely be able to do it.
Just this thought made me feel a little shy. It was always a bit offensive to have such thoughts in front of that man's wife.
Qin Keqing didn't know what Baochai was thinking, so he chuckled, looked at Xiangling aside and said, "Come here Xiangling."
At this moment, Xiangling held her handkerchief, slowly came over, looked at Baochai, and called in a low voice: "Miss."
Baochai looked at Xiangling and saw that the gentle girl had rosy cheeks, especially a red mole on her eyebrows. She felt a little happy. With a slight smile on her face, she said, "It looks like she has grown taller."
Xiangling looked at the girl opposite with grateful eyes and said, "Miss, are you okay?"
At first, without Baochai, Xiangling would have been bullied by Xue Pan.
Baochai said: "Everything is fine. I heard that your biological parents have been found?"
Speaking of which, my brother was imprisoned, and the starting point of everything was Xiang Ling, but it was all his fault, and we cannot blame this girl with a miserable life experience.
Xiangling glanced at the young man who was smiling and talking to Xichun, and said timidly and softly: "Sister...brother-in-law said that my mother is in Daru Prefecture and has sent someone to pick her up."
Seeing the joy on the face of the girl with the cinnabar moles on her eyebrows, Baochai was also a little pleased. She lightly opened her red lips and said, "The reunion of flesh and blood is also a happy event."
Qin Keqing said: "Sister Xue, Xiangling often tells me that my sister is very good to her and treats her like her own sister."
Although Xiangling was usually dull, as she got along with Qin Keqing for a long time, she developed attachment to her sister, and at the same time, she gradually opened her heart and told Keqing about the Xue family affairs.
Baochai sighed softly and said, "I couldn't bear it at the beginning, so I tried my best."
Qin Keqing took Baochai's hand, placed one hand lightly on the back of Baochai's white hand, and said softly: "I know the difficulties my sister faces at home."
Baochai's apricot eyes turned and he nodded.
"Madam, it's time to eat."
At this time, Ruizhu called Qin Keqing who was talking to Baochai.
Qin Keqing smiled and said: "I only talked and forgot to eat. My sister is also hungry."
With that said, he greeted everyone present to have dinner.
After dinner, they drank tea and talked for a while. Baochai didn't want to stay too long and said: "Sister-in-law, Brother Heng, it's getting late, I'll go back first."
Jia Heng nodded, but did not say "I will send my sister off".
However, Qin Keqing said: "Husband, please send Sister Xue off."
Hearing this, Jia Heng was startled for a moment, stood up, looked at the girl beside him, and said, "Sister Xue, let's go."
Looking at the two people's backs, Third Sister You put down the tea cup in her hand, her beautiful eyes seemed to be thinking.
Jia Heng and Baochai left the flower hall in the backyard and walked along the corridor. Jia Heng glanced at Ying'er who was accompanying him with a lantern. It was not a good idea to make a mistake and said warmly: "Sister, just tell your aunt like that when you get back.
Let Auntie relax."
Baochai nodded and responded in a low voice.
The two of them walked all the way to Lixiangyuan and looked at each other vaguely. Baochai just stopped and looked back at the young man. His moist apricot eyes flashed and he said softly: "Brother Heng, just send him here."
Jia Heng warned: "Sister, please go slower on the road."
Baochai responded softly, and then followed Ying'er into the courtyard.
Jia Heng stood for a while and returned with a lantern.
Lixiangyuan
In the wing room, the lights were brightly lit. Aunt Xue and Xue Pan finished their dinner, talking and waiting.
Baochai and Ying'er entered the hall together. Aunt Xue quickly stood up and asked: "Good girl, why are you back so late?"
"Sister-in-law Heng left some food." Baochai sat down, handed the cloak to Ying'er and said.
"What did Brother Heng say?" Aunt Xue asked quickly.
Xue Pan on the side also cast an expectant gaze.
Baochai took the fragrant tea handed over by Ying'er and said softly: "Brother Heng said he would come back once every half month and one day at a time."
After hearing this, Aunt Xue sat on the chair again and breathed a sigh of relief: "It's okay."
Xue Pan smiled and said: "Mom, when I come back once every half month, we can have a meal together at home. If I say I study in the Imperial College, some people will believe me."
Aunt Xue heard this and said angrily: "If you are studying in the Imperial College and don't come back for three years, I will accept it."
Seeing the two people's happy expressions, Baochai pursed her pink lips and said softly: "Mom, it's getting late, I'll go back and rest first."
She suddenly realized that a lot of things had happened that day, especially the person she had just been confused by, and she needed to sort out her thoughts.
"Let's go, my dear, I'm tired too, so I didn't waste much time talking." Aunt Xue was immersed in her happy mood and said casually.
But Baochai's heart skipped a beat, she had indeed spent a lot of time talking.
Thinking of the numbness and numbness, I still feel red in the face and ears.
Aunt Xue didn't notice the deep thought lingering in her daughter's eyebrows. She discussed with Xue Pan about the family business after going to Wucheng Bingma Division.
Baochai returned to his own room, and Ying'er closed the door and sat alone in front of the dressing table in the inner room, sitting quietly, lost in thought.
At this moment, the face in the mirror was as charming as a pear, with eyebrows as green as feathers, skin as white as snow, and moist almond-shaped eyes slightly drooped, as if there was a bit of confusion and joy in them.
"girl."
Along with a burst of fragrance, Ying'er came forward, helped Baochai take off the hairpin and other accessories from his head, put it aside and hid it in a brocade box, and said with a chuckle: "Miss, I don't see young ladies wearing this hairpin on weekdays, it seems.
I bought a new one."
Baochai recovered his thoughts, glanced at Ying'er, and said angrily: "Let's get to the bottom of it."
Ying'er chuckled lightly, and while collecting all kinds of hairpin gifts, she whispered: "This morning, my wife even mentioned it. I said it was a new one for the girl, and she didn't ask any questions."
As a personal maid who has served Baochai since childhood, it is impossible for her to be unaware of everything. She has always known her own lady's temperament and should not talk recklessly and nonsense.
Baochai said "hmm" and whispered: "This is a gift from someone else. Don't tell mom."
As a maid, she has a delicate mind and is like a sister to her. I am afraid that if she often goes to Dongfu in the future, she will need her help to cover it up. Otherwise, if she sees him alone several times, she will be suspicious in the eyes of interested people.
In fact, the personal maid at this time, just like the driver in later generations, could not hide it at all.
When Ying'er heard this, she suddenly felt enlightened. She didn't feel weird at all. She originally felt there were some signs, but now she felt like the last boot had landed.
He glanced left and right, lowered his voice, and said: "Miss, although that person is rare in the world, I don't think the person in my family is easy to get along with."
When Baochai heard this, he frowned and remembered the gentle and peaceful scene while eating. He sighed quietly in his heart, but said softly: "She is good."
Seeing that her girl didn't seem to understand what she meant, Ying'er said, "Girls have had opinions since they were little. I don't want to talk too much. I just feel aggrieved for her."
She felt that if the girl had met that person earlier, given her appearance, she would have become the head wife by now, Mrs. Gaoming.
Baochai's jade face paused slightly, and said softly: "There is no grievance or grievance."
Ying'er nodded, chuckled and said, "Then I'll help the girl hide it."
Baochai:"……"
After sorting out my thoughts, yes, I can only hide it now.
…
…
But Yuanchun left Ningguo Mansion, returned to the wing where he lived, and sat behind the desk. He felt restless at the moment. He reached out and touched his cheek. It was as hot as fire, and he couldn't help but sigh.
At this time, the attacker came in and was about to serve the fragrant tea. He saw the tears on Yuan Chun's face and did not ask why. Instead, he said: "Girl, let me get a basin of water for the girl to wash her face."
Yuanchun's mind changed, and under his gentle eyebrows, there were a pair of eyes that were as red and swollen as peach after crying, and said: "Don't be busy yet."
She felt that with her current appearance, maybe... it would be better when she saw her mother later.
Sure enough, after sitting for a while, I heard Bao Qin enter the room and said: "Girl, the wife is here."
As soon as Mrs. Wang entered the wing, she didn't pay attention to Yuan Chun's face. She looked at the man and asked: "Big girl, what did Brother Heng say?"
Yuan Chun raised Xue Yan, whose tears were still there, and whispered: "Mom, Brother Heng has made up his mind about entering the ancestral hall. As for the other things, Brother Heng said he will take care of it."
Mrs. Wang was about to speak when she suddenly saw the traces of tears remaining on Yuan Chun's face. Her heart skipped a beat. She grabbed Yuan Chun's hand and said urgently: "Are you... being bullied?"
Yuanchun's heart skipped a beat and he shook his head and said: "Mom, Brother Heng has already made up his mind about kneeling in the ancestral hall. I won't say more. As for Baoyu's future, Brother Heng is still willing to take care of it."
Seeing this, Mrs. Wang's expression changed and she sighed: "It's hard for you. It depends on his face."
He guessed that his daughter was probably dumped by that person, and he would not let her go in the future.
Mrs. Wang added: "It was your uncle who lost power, which is why our mothers were wronged. When your uncle was still in Beijing camp, how could he be as powerful as he is now?"
Xu Shi saw that her daughter was angry, and Mrs. Wang no longer concealed her true thoughts.
In other words, I have never been convinced by Jia Heng.
Yuan Chun frowned and didn't respond for a moment.
Mrs. Wang said: "In the afternoon, my sworn brother's daughter-in-law came over and said that Zi'er has now entered the list of candidates for the King of Wei's concubine. There is probably good news. When your uncle comes back again, Baoyu will still have you, so you don't have to suffer from those cowards anymore."
gas."
At the mention of cowardice, Mrs. Wang's eyes flashed with coldness.
I was clearly thinking about how I had begged so hard the day before yesterday, when everything was in chaos, but now that I think about it, I feel like my heart is fried, and I feel aggrieved and angry.
Yuan Chun's beautiful eyes flashed, and she asked: "Did King Wei choose Zi'er as his concubine when he left the palace to open a palace?"
Mrs. Wang said: "Not the principal concubine. I heard that the empress, for the sake of the descendants of the Tian family, will select the remaining ones as talents and praise. In other words, Zong Zi'er can not be the principal concubine, but can also be the side concubine.
, no matter how bad you are, you can still be a talented person for the palace."
Once the list is finalized, generally speaking, there is always a consolation prize.
Yuan Chun's jade face paused slightly and said softly: "My uncle seems to have never mentioned this matter to Brother Heng. Didn't Brother Heng say before that our Duke's family is extremely wealthy and there is no need to seek the honor of a relative of the country?"
When Mrs. Wang heard this, she sneered in her heart. Her face was as cold as ice and she said: "He is now a good official, so he doesn't need to be a relative of the country."
If her family does not win the imperial examination, they will not even get a title in the future. Once the old lady goes, it is a matter of doubt whether they can still live in the Duke's Mansion.
Yuanchun sighed softly, his mother's prejudice against Hengdi deepened.
Mrs. Wang looked slightly cold and said: "He is in charge of the Jia family, and now he has used those words to convince the old lady. He is the patriarch and does not care about the Jia family's affairs. Now he can't also be in charge of your uncle's family, right?"
Yuanchun just listened and no longer responded, but had other things on her mind. She had promised him that she would not interfere with family matters in the future.
Mrs. Wang took Yuan Chun's hand, looked at her daughter, and warned: "Big girl, the one who loves me the most is you. After this year, you are already twenty-two years old. You were originally able to be the palace concubine.
You don’t know, my mother had a dream some time ago, and it was just like the real thing. She dreamed that you had been granted the title of concubine and returned to Ning for marriage. I don’t know how grand the scene was... You are now in the eldest princess’s house, and you have your own affairs.
You also have to worry about yourself, you can't just count on others."
Mentioning the dream, Yuanchun didn't know what to think of. Yanmei's face turned red with shame and she said softly: "Mom, I will pay attention to what you said."
Seeing that her daughter was as "well-behaved" as before, Mrs. Wang hesitated for a moment and whispered: "He said that your marriage will fall on him. As a mother, I understand that he will not let you marry into the prince's palace. That's right."
That kind of ordinary person, in this way, he can be a good official for him, but he is also worried about us overshadowing him."
Jia Heng first brought Yuan Chun out of the palace, and then rejected the marriage proposal from Prince Chu's palace. This fell on Mrs. Wang's mind, and she had long suspected his motives.
Yuan Chun said: "Mom, you misunderstood. Brother Heng was right before, he was a hindrance to the clan."
Mrs. Wang shook her head and said: "Just listen to what was said in that kind of situation. The Zhen family, your uncle, and, by the way, the Prince of Nan'an County. I don't know if Princess Wei will be at his house this time. These things
Putting people together, it is impossible for a junior to see the long term without him."
These are some of the inside stories that Wang Yi's daughter-in-law had previously revealed to Mrs. Wang. The daughter of the Wang family in Nan'an County is also up for selection this time.
Yuanchun raised her pretty face and saw that his mother was almost obsessed, and sighed: "Mom, everyone has their own fate, you can't force it."
Mrs. Wang said: "Baoyu was born with a jade in his hand, so he has great blessings. You were also born in the first month of the first lunar month. These are all signs of good fortune."
As time passed, Baoyu was beaten to bedridden and his reputation was damaged. Jia Zheng was angry to death. Jia Mu was in a gloomy mood. The more Mrs. Wang thought about it, the more uncomfortable she became. Thinking that if Yuanchun had not left the palace, she would never have ended up like this.
It is so hard to find a good son-in-law, I am afraid that he will be as noble as in a dream.
Thinking about it day and night almost makes me crazy.
Yuanchun could only comfort Mrs. Wang with words, until it was getting late, when Xiren came in and called: "Madam, girl, it's time for dinner."
Mrs. Wang said: "You eat first, and I'll go and see the treasure."
With that said, he left Yuanchun's room.
Looking at Mrs. Wang's leaving figure, Yuan Chun had complicated thoughts and sighed quietly.
She couldn't stay in this house after she was fifteen, and she couldn't see it out of sight.