First Concubine

Chapter 132 Lantern Festival Troubles (3)

Zhuge Liuyun smashed the table with his palm: "I've really been too spoiled to her over the years! It's just once or twice, I summoned her three times! How can there be a woman as bold as her in the world?"

Uncle Yu sighed: "Your Majesty, please calm down, sometimes what you see may not be the truth..."

Then don’t say it!

Zhuge Liuyun even wanted to kill Uncle Yu!

In Xianglan Courtyard, Mrs. Zhen was sitting on a wicker chair. A little maid stood behind her and supported her shoulders. A little maid knelt down to beat her legs. She closed her eyes lazily and said, "Use your right shoulder a little more." force."

"yes."

Liu Zhu opened the curtain and came in. Zhen opened her eyes slightly and saw her smiling happily, so she asked, "How is it? Miss Qiao's consent?"

Liuzhu hid her face and said with a smile: "Our county king is so talented and gentle, how can any girl's family not be so happy to see her? I personally escorted Miss Qiao San into the inner house. Mrs. Qiao was also there, and Miss Qiao showed up in front of Mrs. Qiao. Nod your head!"

Mrs. Zhen finally had a smile on her face: "I originally planned to give it a try. I didn't expect the Qiao girl to really agree. We will get married by the end of the year. This is really beyond my expectation! Hurry, prepare a lot of things!" Only when the son gets married can the thought of the daughter be completely eliminated!

She just did it. Zhen had no pain in her shoulders or legs anymore. She stood up and walked to the desk and started making a list: "I counted a few auspicious days in the temple that day, and the 28th of next month will be Very good. As for the person to be invited to the banquet, I guess I have to discuss it with the princess or Xiao Xi... and the witnesses..."

“Madam!” Liuzhu suddenly interrupted Zhen’s enthusiastic murmur. Zhen continued writing without raising her head, “What’s wrong?”

Liuzhu asked: "As I walked along, I heard from my servants that the prince and the princess seemed to be at odds."

Zhen finally stopped writing. Apart from Shui Linglong, Zhi Fan and the people who knew about the close contact between Leng Youru and the prince, Uncle Yu was the only witness. Therefore, Zhen was quite happy after hearing this. Somewhat puzzled: "Oh? What's going on? Wasn't everything going well some time ago? Even though he has limited mobility, he summoned the princess to sleep with him." Looking carefully, there was a trace of expectation and gloating in his eyes.

Liuzhu looked confused: "I can't find out the specific reason. The news about the main courtyard and Qingyou courtyard is hard to buy. A servant saw Uncle Yu running to Qingyou courtyard three times. When he came out, his face became uglier each time. This I just guessed that the prince and the princess were having trouble."

Mrs. Zhen smiled faintly: "Since ancient times, the king has been the guide for his ministers, and the husband has been the guide for his wife. Women always want to praise their men to the sky. How dare the princess dare to put down the prince's face! In my opinion, these days have come to an end!"

Liu Zhu’s heart skipped a beat, why did the second lady say this? Quarrels between husband and wife were rare and common, and the wife and the patriarch also blushed. It was not the wife who dared to contradict the man with a word, but the concubine...

Mrs. Zhen put down the pen in her hand and smiled meaningfully: "Okay, this list will be the same tomorrow. I heard that the Crown Princess bought many novel and unique New Year paintings. I will go and get two of them to dress up the Xianglan Courtyard. Ichiban!”

Having won a battle today, Shui Linglong was in a good mood. Thinking of Leng Youru's stiffness when she got into the car, she knew that this blow was right on target. Leng Youru is indeed old enough to be Yunli's mother, but she is prettier than Shui Lingxi, and she doesn't look old at all. If she wants Hongxing to cheat, just wave her hand, and even the emperor won't be able to resist her. Her charm, not to mention the inexperienced prince?

It doesn’t matter whether Leng Youru explains or not. If a man trusts you, he won’t doubt you. When he asks you for an explanation, it’s already a security alarm. Leng Youru had predicted Zhuge Liuyun's suspicious temperament, so she took the risk and planned to set up a trap between her and Yun Li. Unexpectedly, she would suffer the consequences, and she would be the one who fell into the trap.

For a long time to come, Leng Youru should not have any intention of colluding with Xun Feng to do evil, so she can peacefully support her husband and raise her children, oh, and even have a baby, Maomao.

Zhifan and Liulu teased Duoduo with a bone, but Duoduo's naive appearance made them laugh non-stop.

“Come Duoduo, I have delicious food here!” Liu Lu smiled and raised her white bones, and Duoduo ran over with his plump body. But when Duoduo was about to touch the bones, the abominable Liulu threw the bones into Zhifan's hands. This time, Zhifan and Duoduo were replaced.

Duoduo never tired of it and ran in both directions.

Shui Linglong held the storybook in her hands, her clear eyes wandering around the room, and finally landed on Liu Lu. As she got older, Liu Lu's appearance became more and more outstanding. She wore a pink double-breasted jacket, Wearing a plain white skirt that trailed to the floor, her black silk stockings were pulled into a double-snail bun, without any hairpins or jewelry. Even with such a simple outfit, she still made her skin like jade and her eyes like autumn waves.

Duoduo was biting the bone in Liu Lu's hand again. Liu Lu was twisting the bone and teasing, and laughter like silver bells flowed out from between her lips and teeth.

Shui Linglong smiled, withdrew her gaze and continued reading. However, she accidentally caught a glimpse of the stunningly exquisite bracelet on Liu Lu's wrist. Shui Linglong had seen countless jewels, and she could tell at a glance that it was absolutely extraordinary. This was the gift from Zhen. Her thank you gift? Will it be too expensive?

 “Prince Concubine, the Second Madam wants to see you!” Ye Maoqi reported outside the door.

Zhifan and Liulu stopped playing wisely and stood aside respectfully. Duoduo finally got its little bone as he wished.

Zhen opened the curtain and went in. Shui Linglong welcomed her to the chair and sat down: "The wind just started. Is it cold outside?"

Liu Lu gave Zhen a cup of rose tea. Zhen picked up the tea cup and remembered how she deliberately made things difficult for Shui Linglong. She suddenly felt ashamed. It was not because of guilt, but because a little girl took the big picture more seriously than she did. She felt a little embarrassed. Unable to hang on, she took a sip of hot tea and said with a smile, "It's not too cold. I was walking in a hurry just now. I haven't asked you if you were injured. I went back to the courtyard and heard Amber mention it, and I found out that you and the princess were in the center of the chaos at that time."

Shui Linglong showed a grateful expression: "Thank you, Second Aunt, for caring about me. My mother and concubine are both fine." She didn't care about Leng Youru and Yunli.

Zhen raised the corners of her lips: "I'm here to tell you something happy!"

 “Oh, what’s the happy event?”

Mrs. Zhen smiled happily: "The marriage between Miss Qiao from Suchenghou Mansion and Ming'er will be held next month!"

It was originally scheduled for late spring next year, but this is a quarter too early!

Liu Lu lowered her eyes.

Shui Linglong said: "Congratulations to the second aunt! It's a double happiness for us to celebrate the Chinese New Year!"

Mrs. Zhen smiled mysteriously and said: "Double happiness...of course there is, haha..." After laughing for a long time, she found that Liu Lu was looking at her as if she was crazy. She quickly suppressed her overly complimentary smile and said, "This is not Ming'er. Are you getting married? I only took care of the two children and didn’t buy much. I saw that you brought a lot of things in the big car. If there are any, can you give me some?”

Shui Linglong smiled slightly: "They are all kept in the Baoxia. You can take whatever style Aunt Second likes..."

 He planned to let Zhi Fan go to Baoxia with Zhen, but Zhen took the opportunity and said: "In that case, I won't be polite to you, lest people think it's pretentious! Let Liu Lu accompany me to choose!"

　　It was specified that Liu Lu was needed. Could it be that Liu Lu had informed Liu Lu last time, and Mrs. Zhen was grateful to Liu Lu from the bottom of her heart? Shui Linglong remembered that the princess also asked about Liu Lu's situation at the lantern festival. It seemed that they were all concerned about Liu Lu. Shui Linglong pulled her hair back from her temples and said softly, "Liu Lu, please accompany the second lady to Baoxia."

"Yes." Liu Lu gritted her teeth and felt cold sweat all over her body. Could it be that the second lady guessed that she had exposed the scandal between the Fourth Miss and Prince An and planned to confront her?

Zhen took Liu Lu to Baoxia and selected about thirty or forty cards from the east to the west. Both Liu Lu and Liuzhu had their arms full.

The eldest lady only bought sixty pieces in total, ten of which were intended to be sent to the Prince's Mansion. Fortunately, the second lady took most of them in one go!

 Zhifan's face looked ugly.

Mrs. Zhen said again: "I picked too much, please Liu Lu to run an errand for me!"

Liu Lu snorted and treated her as a coolie again!

Shui Linglong raised her eyebrows and glanced at Zhen in confusion.

Zhi Fan frowned and said: "Miss, I think the second lady is weird... Does it take so many years to paint her Xianglan Courtyard and the Prince's Qinghuixuan?"

"If you want to know, you can ask Liu Lu later when she comes back." Shui Linglong finished speaking with a smile and continued reading the storybook.

 In the quiet courtyard, Leng Youru soaked in the bathtub, closed her eyes and said nothing.

The water has cooled down, and it is early winter. Even if the red charcoal is burned in the house, it is still a bit chilly.

Mother Qiao was anxious and said earnestly: "Princess, what are you doing? It's just a small accident, it's nothing! You just fell down, and His Royal Highness just happened to help you! No one else dares to talk nonsense Damn it! Just relax!”

She was puzzled. It was a perfect plan, both in terms of time and manpower. How come the Crown Princess escaped the old woman's push, but the Princess was knocked away by a passer-by?

Did the Crown Princess understand their plan?

 No way, how can a little girl be so capable?

Mother Qiao thought hard, and finally deceived herself and blamed it on Shui Linglong's bad luck, and the princess had been unlucky for eight lifetimes, because she would never admit that a concubine who grew up in a village could be an intelligent species.

It’s just that the princess kept soaking in the tub, from warm to cold, without saying a word from the beginning to the end. She couldn’t guess what the princess was thinking!

"Princess, please listen to this slave's advice and don't get angry with the prince. The prince ordered Uncle Yu to urge you three times. It can be seen that the prince is really anxious. You should show your face at least. Even if you are angry, it is better than a cold war." If the prince directly Coming to the courtyard to comfort the princess instead of sending Uncle Yu to summon the princess might not lead to the current deadlock. The princess... was hurt by the prince's suspicion...

 Leng Youru remained motionless.

Mother Qiao reached out her hand and touched the water that was so cold that it had no temperature at all. Her face turned pale with fright: "Princess! What are you doing? Who are you punishing for violating your own body? Who can see it? Who will feel sorry for you?" It's just a summons, why do you have to think the worst? The prince is suspicious by nature. Didn't he doubt the person back then? Why do you want to get into trouble with him? Come on, explain your attitude to the prince! Keep it down, husband and wife don’t have an overnight feud!”

I don’t know if Mother Qiao’s words worked. Leng Youru stood up, stepped out of the tub, walked down the wooden steps, and said calmly: "Change clothes."

 …

"Miss Ping'er, you've got it. I won't go in and disturb the old lady when she's resting. I'll come back tomorrow to say hello to her." In the Tian'an residence, Mrs. Zhen took six New Year pictures and handed them to Ping with a smile. Son.

Liu Lu was so angry that her nose was filled with smoke. She actually borrowed flowers to offer to the Buddha and rushed from yard to yard to deliver them at night. It was so shameless!

Zhen took Liu Lu and Liu Zhu out of Tian'anju. According to their status, they went to Zhuge Liuyun's courtyard next.

Zhuge Liuyun had just finished taking a bath, but because of Leng Youru's oolong, he was in a particularly irritable mood, so he did not go to bed immediately. Instead, he used a wheelchair to blow a cold wind in the yard. This blowing lasted for half an hour, and he was in a hurry. Uncle Yu was so confused that no matter how he tried to persuade him, it was of no avail.

 Don’t tell me, these couples really have some similarities!

"Your Majesty, the second lady sent someone to give you New Year pictures. They said there are many pictures. Please choose the one you like. The old lady has already chosen it. Can you let me in?" There is a gatekeeper at the hanging flower door. The mother-in-law reported.

Zhuge Liuyun's light, calm and powerful voice sounded: "Come in."

Liu Lu and Liu Zhu held the New Year pictures and walked through the hall and entered the inner courtyard. Different from other courtyards full of flowers, the landscape here was simple and simple, with a crabapple tree, a round stone table and four round stones. There are benches, two short shrubs, and a small half-moon-shaped fish pond on the far right. It is freezing cold, but the fish in the pond swim happily, and they are probably raised in warm water.

Zhuge Liuyun was sitting by the fish pond, as if watching the fish.

In terms of appearance and demeanor alone, this middle-aged prince is quite outstanding, at least one level higher than a wealthy man like Shui Hangge. Unfortunately, since returning from the battlefield after being injured, she could only use a wheelchair. Liu Lu shook her head and sighed, she was so jealous of the talent!

Liu Lu and Liuzhu knelt down in front of Zhuge Liuyun and raised a pile of New Year pictures in their hands above their heads: "Greetings to the prince."

Zhuge Liuyun picked a few at random and asked Uncle Yu to give them small red envelopes. The two of them thanked them respectfully, then stood up and walked outside.

From the beginning to the end, Zhuge Liuyun didn't look at them seriously.

Liuzhu remembered what Zhen had told her before going to Mohe Courtyard to pick up the New Year pictures. She loosened her arms and all the New Year pictures fell to the ground: "Slave... I didn't mean this!"

Liu Lu snorted lightly, showing no intention of helping her.

Zhuge Liuyun then looked at the two maids in front of him. When his eyes passed through the flowing beads and fell into a pair of willow-green autumn eyes, snap! The New Year picture in my hand fell to the ground...

The deeper the night gets, the cooler the wind becomes. Shui Linglong is still not warm no matter how much she sleeps in her quilt.

 Duoduo lay on the edge of the bed and snored weakly.

Shui Linglong originally hated pets, but this time, for some reason, she touched Duoduo’s head.

Zhifan finished washing and planned to go to Baoxia to rest. She was on duty tonight. She asked the guard for the last time: "Miss, do you want to light a stove?"

Shui Linglong shook her head: "No, it's only the middle of November. It's already midnight. How can we survive in the severe winter? By the way, Liulu hasn't come back yet? It's been half an hour."

Zhi Fan frowned: "I don't know what she and the second lady were talking about!" Could he have betrayed the eldest lady?

Shui Linglong was not worried that Liu Lu would betray her for the time being. Although Liu Lu was selfish, she did not care about her parents' lives. She dared to move. The old lady was the first to kill her parents: "Maybe something delayed her. , wait another quarter of an hour, if she still doesn’t reply, go to the second lady’s yard and ask.”

“Yes!” Zhi Fan hugged the quilt and retreated.

Shui Linglong closed her eyes and thought about Guo Yan for a while, and then Zhuge Yu for a while, and then fell into a deep sleep.

 In the dark night, the candlelight suddenly went out, and a black shadow slowly approached the bed. Duoduo was alert and was about to scream, but he slapped it away with a palm!

Duoduo surrendered spinelessly and lay limply on the soft couch, motionless.

He opened the quilt and slipped in. Then, there was a flash of silver light, and the dagger in Shui Linglong's hand was pressed against his neck: "Who?"

Zhuge Yu was stunned for a moment, then chuckled: "Madam, you must not murder your own husband."

Shui Linglong's eyebrows jumped. She was so surprised that the hairs on her head and toes stood up. She turned over and sat on Zhuge Yu's body. The dagger still didn't leave his neck until she woke up from her sleep completely. It was certain that the person who had startled her was her husband.

 Zhuge Yu was no less surprised than she was. He had never known that she was so vigilant and reacted so quickly. She seemed to have been professionally trained.

After being surprised, his obsidian-like eyes were filled with deep endearment, but he said in a slightly sullen tone: "What? My husband is not here, and my wife cannot sleep peacefully?"

"Of course I'm not as safe as when you were by my side." Shui Linglong took back the dagger and put it in the drawer of the bedside table instead, leaning against his chest gently. The nerves that had been tense for many days finally relaxed at this moment, and the joy in her heart suddenly disappeared. Dots spread out, and there was a bright smile on the corners of the lips: "Didn't you say it would take a few days to come back?"

This smile greatly pleased Zhuge Yu, and most of the fatigue in his body disappeared in an instant. He thought more about her, so he rushed back without stopping.

 Zhuge Yu turned over and pressed her down, their bodies pressed closely against each other. He had already taken off his outer robe, and through the thin material of clothing, the two of them could clearly feel each other's body temperature. She was slightly hot, and he was slightly cold.

Shui Linglong noticed that there was a lot of stubble on his usually smooth face. She reached out her hand and touched it. The sharpening touch slowly stimulated her delicate palm. If she had followed the motorcade, she would never be in such a mess. Thinking of her sleeping soundly in a warm room while he rode his horse around in the cold wind for more than one night, it was quite touching.

Zhuge Yu let her soft hands roam around his face, while he looked at her intently. His eyes gradually became as deep as an ancient pool, but they clearly reflected her palm-sized face. He couldn't get enough of it. It seemed like he didn't even blink.

 (End of this chapter)