First Concubine

 Chapter 225 The incident occurred (1)

 Back at Mohe Courtyard, Shui Linglong placed her sleeping sister next to her brother who was also asleep. After retreating from the crowd, she asked Xiang Zhifan: "What do you think of the second lady and cousin?"

What do you think? This definition is very broad. Zhifan thought for a moment and whispered softly: "Well, how should I put it? I think what the second lady and the cousin said sound quite reasonable. Anyone who is robbed of their marriage will feel uncomfortable, although now the second lady She is the wife of the patriarch, but just because she is so proud does not mean that she has not been angry before. Marriage, do you like the prince and feel a little uncomfortable? You can throw away the things that belong to you, but you can't let others take them. "

"The prince is trapped in the desert. If Shangguan Qian doesn't save him, he will die. Shangguan Hong can't marry him either, and can only marry Liu Feng. In other words, Shangguan Hong's fate is doomed early on. What Shangguan Qian has really changed is herself and Shangguan Yan's fate, a rescue made her become the prince's wife, and Shangguan Yan succeeded her as the divine envoy. Therefore, Shangguan Yan's resentment against Shangguan Qian is understandable, but Shangguan Hong's resentment is untenable." Shui Linglong said calmly: "What else? Keep talking.".

Zhifan nodded and said: "However, from the slave's point of view, although the second lady is resentful of the prince's mother, she will not become resentful because of her resentment. After all, the prince's mother has lived such a miserable life, and the second lady has regained her lost possessions and done something else. The patriarch’s wife.”

Shui Linglong picked up the tea cup and shook it gently: "What I said is in vain."

Zhi Fan smiled: "No, what I mean is that what the cousin said sounds very reasonable, which shows that the cousin is very capable of making things out of nothing."

Shui Linglong smiled: "So, do you think the cousin is the suspicious one?"

Zhifan nodded: "Yes, who in the palace can't tell that she likes the prince? She has the nerve to promise never to ruin the relationship between you and the prince? Since she doesn't want to ruin it, what does she do now? Dress up all the time. Little, as if no one knows that she is innocent, pure, cute, innocent and ignorant!”

Shui Linglong burst out laughing, and Zhi Fan stamped her feet: "Miss, you are kind-hearted and didn't think deeply about it, but I think it's strange that my cousin was poisoned! Why did you go to find your brother and fall off the horse? , and then encountered a poisonous snake, maybe it was her trick! There are so many kinds of snake venoms, she happened to be hit by one that has no antidote, so she can only use that... some kind of exercise, some kind of acupuncture, alas, After all, it was a poison that only the Crown Prince could cure. She had planned every step! No matter how hard-hearted the Crown Prince was, he would never let his wife’s niece die in the palace. Didn’t they come into contact with each other during this two-step process? And with contact, isn’t it possible to cultivate feelings? Miss Cousin is so brave and is not afraid of being bitten by a poisonous snake!”

Shui Linglong really has a bad impression of Wen Yuan. This is the nature of a woman and a wife. She doesn't like anyone of the opposite **** to get close to her husband. Even if she knows that her husband is unlikely to be tempted, she still feels that her husband is really unwilling to waste his time with other women. . However, Zhifan's analysis of Wen Yuan was very subjective. Not only Zhi Fan, but also she herself subconsciously rejected Wen Yuan. Shui Linglong pressed her eyebrows, and Yun Danfeng said softly: "Okay, I'll take a nap for a while, please step back."

"Yes." Zhifan bowed and retreated. She looked at the sky and saw that it was still early and there was still more than half an hour before the meal time. She went back to the house, picked up a box of halva, and went to the main courtyard.

 Since the twists and turns between the princess and Zhuge Liuyun, Liu Lu has been like a beautiful porcelain doll hidden in the snow. When Zhifan found her, she was sitting in the house sewing clothes for my mother and brother. The palace had a lot of fabrics, but she couldn't blatantly sell them for money, so she simply made some clothes and gave them to her family.

"Why are you making clothes every time I come to see you? You're not afraid of hurting your eyes!" Zhi Fan pushed the door open and scolded him with a frown.

Liu Lu sighed helplessly: "What if I don't do it? What should I do with all the free time?"

Zhifan glared at her: "Oh my, you must not say that! You have good food, drink and housing, but you seem to be unsatisfied! I am busy all day long, as tired as a dog, and I have to watch from time to time. What a shame, you are just talking about this to attract hatred!"

"Fuck you!" Liu Lu pretended to kick her, "I can also cause hatred. Aren't you becoming the public enemy of women all over the world?"

Zhifan looked at Liu Lu with confusion, and Liu Lu smiled mysteriously: "Tiantian and the prince look up and look down, bringing tea and pouring water, and waiting for bathing and changing clothes. Oh, how can I be with my beloved?" Living under the same roof is worth dying for!"

Zhi Fan pinched her arm, which made Liu Lu feel pain and slapped her hand away: "You are seeking death, little hoof! Can you pinch my arm at will?"

 “Who told you to talk nonsense?”

"Did I make a mistake?" Liu Lu tied a knot, bit off the thread, put the needle and thread into the embroidery basket, dusted the brown robe in her hands, and said leisurely, "Ye Mao's mother is starting to You keep talking about kissing her, and she will get married soon. But look at you, you don't care about life's important matters! I don't understand, what is so good about the prince...isn't he the same? A nose with two eyes, a head with three legs? Who are you living with? You have to hang yourself from a tree?"

Zhi Fan raised his eyebrows in confusion: "Three legs?"

Liu Lu said "Oops" impatiently: "You...forget it! You are not getting married. I will tell you when you get married one day!"

 Speaking of getting married, Zhi Fan glanced at Liu Lu sympathetically: "Is this really going to be like this in your life?"

Liu Lu was startled at first, then smiled nonchalantly and said, "Isn't this good? You don't have to worry about food or clothing, and your parents and younger brothers are also well-off..."

 “To have a child.”

 “Huh?” Liu Lu was startled again.

Zhifan repeated solemnly: "My prince only regards you as my wife's substitute. I will look at you when I miss you, but I don't have much affection for you. When you get old and lose your lust, my prince may not even look at you." I will look at you one more time. What will you do then? To put it bluntly, there is no one to kowtow to when you die. Don’t you feel that this life is too lonely?” I don’t know what this means? While convincing Liu Lu, he was still admonishing himself.

Liu Lu smiled bitterly: "We maids are lucky to be able to get to where we are. Look at the bonuses in Lingxiang Courtyard, and look at Bizhu in Mohe Courtyard. We are either beaten to death or sold. The princess has no children. Forget it, now that she is pregnant, how can she allow another person to come out and compete with her child for the family property? "

 Zhifan fell into silence. Liu Lu smiled: "You are still talking about me, don't you understand this truth yourself? I can't help myself. You followed the right master, seize the opportunity, and don't waste your good years." Because Shui Min I really complained about Shui Linglong about Yu, but after seeing through other people's faces, I realized that people like Shui Linglong have the truest temperament.

 Liu Lu was beautiful, straightforward, and smart. She was often jealous of her, thinking how could God give Liu Lu so many excellent qualities? But now she suddenly discovered that beautiful things are meant to be destroyed by others. The end of Liu Lu's life is probably to die of old age in another hospital. What about herself? Zhi Fan sighed secretly, and accidentally saw a piece of rose-red brocade on the table. It was bright in color and clear in texture, just like the rays of sunshine covering the spring scenery, absolutely gorgeous!

 “Take it if you like it.” Liu Lu glanced at Zhi Fan and said generously.

Zhi Fan said harshly: "Who likes it? I don't want to wear that kind of satin that looks like a matchmaker! You are so vulgar, you dare to wear it! The prince's taste is too..." Great, this color is worn on Liu Lu, It must be incredibly beautiful.

Liu Lu glanced at her and hummed: "How can the prince give me these things? The satin in the main courtyard is sent regularly by the princess according to customization. The princess doesn't like such bright colors."

Zhi Fan was slightly stunned: "Who gave it to you?"

Liu Lu was obviously a little sleepy. She yawned and said lazily, "It's Xianglan Courtyard." After saying that, she folded her brocade clothes and put them on the bedside. She turned over and lay on the bed without making a sound.

Zhifan put down the halva and said: "Your favorite flavor, remember not to eat it before going to bed, it will make you fat. I'm leaving first."

Liu Lu covered her head with a quilt: "Okay, okay, you look like an old woman all day long, no wonder you can't get married! It's so verbose!"

"You've never changed your mouth!" Zhi Fan straightened his clothes and turned around with annoyance. After walking a long way, he heard Liu Lu's murmur behind him, which seemed to be close but far away, "The night when the prince returned home, The prince seemed to have had a quarrel with the prince. I couldn’t hear the exact details of the quarrel, but I just heard something about Kashgar Qing.”

"A quarrel?" After listening to Zhi Fan's report, Shui Linglong raised her eyebrows in surprise. What could be related to Kashgar Qing? Is it worth a big quarrel between Zhuge Yu and Zhuge Liuyun?

At dusk, Zhuge Yu came back from work. As soon as he passed the second entrance, he saw the jeweled mother Yu again. Mother Yu raised her head and smiled flatteringly. The rouge and makeup on her face fell off, which made Zhuge Yu's hair stand on end. She immediately suppressed her smile and put on a worried look: "Your Majesty, I will wait for you. ! The lady is poisoned again and is soaking it with ice cubes in water. Please go to Xianglan Hospital to detoxify the lady!"

Zhuge Yu frowned, and with a flash of his mother's eyes, he said, "I sent someone to ask for Doctor Hu before I came here. I guess Doctor Hu has already arrived at Xianglan Courtyard by now!"

Zhuge Yu glanced in the direction of Wisteria Courtyard, and his obsidian-like eyes flashed with a dim and hard-to-discern light: "Let's go!"

"Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty!" Yu's mother said happily, with a joyful smile on her lips.

In the Xianglan Courtyard, Wen Yuan was sitting in a bathtub with a lot of ice floating on it. Her skirt and outer clothes were soaked, and there were patterns of gathering and dispersing on the bottom of the water. Although her whole body was cold, big beads of sweat were dripping from her forehead: "Come...are you here?"

The little maid ran to the door and looked around. When she came back, she shook her head with a look of embarrassment: "No, Miss, please bear with me longer!"

Wen Yuan's chest seemed to be filled with a blazing fire, scorching her internal organs beyond recognition. She held the edge of the barrel tightly, and her fingernails almost scraped over it! Just when she couldn't hold on any longer and wanted to hit her to death, the maid reported that Zhuge Yu was here!

Yu's mother hurriedly opened the door for Zhuge Yu, and a delicate scent of jasmine came to his nostrils. Zhuge Yu paused and asked in a deep voice: "Where is Doctor Hu? Why didn't he see anyone else?"

Yu’s mother lowered her eyes to cover up a flash of guilt: “I don’t know, I sent someone to invite you.” She did send someone, but...

"Oops! Mom, mom! It's not good! Something happened to Dr. Hu! He can't come!" A maid ran over in a hurry, panting to report.

The corner of Yu's mother's lips curled up slightly, and she quickly said worriedly: "Huh? Doctor Hu can't come? What should I do? The young lady's condition cannot be delayed for a moment!" She looked at Zhuge Yu and begged. , "Your Majesty! You...save the young lady!"

Zhuge Yu's obsidian-like eyes flashed with intriguing light: "What happened to Doctor Hu?"

The maid explained Dr. Hu's condition to Zhuge Yu in detail: "Doctor Hu has been feeling unwell since last night. He had vomiting and diarrhea. He seemed to have a bad stomach. He took the medicine himself and drank it. , but I still struggled all night, and today I feel so weak that I can’t even get out of bed!”

Zhuge Yu looked at the maid's expression for a moment. When she finished speaking, he knew that she had not lied. It stands to reason that Doctor Hu is a doctor and is very careful about his diet. He should not have a bad stomach... His cold eyes suddenly shot at Yu’s mother!

Yu's mother's temples twitched suddenly, and she lowered her body a little: "Slave... I don't know... maybe... maybe I ate too much last night. Your Majesty, when you left last night, you asked Doctor Hu to eat the food. It’s over, there’s a table full of dishes...” They didn’t drug Dr. Hu, and they ate all the meat dishes on the table. Is it strange that Dr. Hu, a frail scholar, could bear it? But they can't be blamed for this. Who told the prince to open his mouth? They just carried out the prince's perfunctory words very strictly.

Zhuge Yu glanced at Yu's mother coldly and said calmly: "Go and soak in the cold pool by yourself."

Wen Yuan inside heard the words and held back the pain and said: "Cousin, it's just a cure. Why don't you look at it? We are obviously..."

 “I have nothing to do with you!” Wen Yuan was interrupted sharply, and Zhuge Yu threw up his sleeves angrily and left! After returning to Wisteria Courtyard, Shui Linglong greeted him with a smile as usual and ate with him without showing any abnormality. Seeing his wife's gentle and virtuous appearance, Zhuge Yu moved his lips, wanting to say something, but finally swallowed it.

Leng Youru was pregnant, so the government's middle minister was handed over to Shui Linglong, and the account books were moved box by box to Ziteng Courtyard. Only then did Shui Linglong realize that the accounts Leng Youru had asked her to settle were simply the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately, the handover went very smoothly, and no servants deliberately caused trouble, provoked or questioned her authority. Compared to the days when I was the head of the Shangshu Mansion, I was much more tired, but my heart felt more relieved.

A few days later, just when Shui Linglong thought that the house was really clear, a piece of earth-shattering news shocked the palace: Liu Lu had smallpox. Fortunately, the little maid was clever and discovered it in time, which put an end to the spread of smallpox. Danger of spread in the main yard. At present, Liu Lu has been sent to Zhuangzi to recuperate. Whether she lives or dies depends on her own fate.

Smallpox is an infectious disease, and Liu Lu has not had any contact with the outside world. It is unbelievable to contract this disease. Shui Linglong ordered people to search Liu Lu's room carefully and found a horse that had not been sent to Liu Lu through her hands. According to the little maid's report, the brocade was sent by Xianglan Courtyard.

The little maid met the brocade deliverer on the way to receive lunch at noon. The man kept his head lowered, so the little maid didn't take a close look at her. She only heard her talk about the little things Xianglan Yuan had given Liu Lu. Liu Lu was the prince's wife, and there were many people who fawned over her in the past. Even Mrs. Zhen never forgot to bring her a gift during the holidays. The little maid took the brocade away without thinking, and even the other party's appearance Didn't even see clearly.

Zhifan was so frightened that he burst into tears: "Slaves have heard and seen the disease smallpox. In the past, when they were led around by human traffickers looking for buyers, there were several maids of the same age who got smallpox. The traffickers killed the people without saying a word... After locking the dark room, after a few days, everyone was dead, and the traffickers burned the house down again... Miss, they... will they burn Zhaoyun too? "

"The smallpox virus is not incurable. Zhuangzi has hired doctors and the medicinal materials are the best." Shui Linglong took a pen and made an note on the booklet. "What's more, it was sent to Zhuangzi, where my father and mother are both here, so there are people taking care of it."

Zhi Fan felt a little relieved. After wiping his tears with a handkerchief, he said again: "Then... can I go to Zhuangzi to see Zhaoyun?" It was a bit embarrassing.

Shui Linglong's eyes turned cold and she said coldly: "Of course you can! Don't come back until you pass!" Are you kidding me? She is a personal maid. If she carries some smallpox virus, wouldn't my brother and sister also face the risk of being infected?

Zhi Fan choked. Between her future and friendship, she chose the former this time. Shui Linglong flipped through the second bedroom's account books and fell into deep thought. Suddenly, someone outside the door reported that the report girl was here. Wen Yuan walked into the room with a smile and saw Zhi Fan's eyes were red. When Zhi Fan went to prepare tea, Wen Yuan asked, "Cousin, what's wrong with Zhi Fan?"

Shui Linglong invited Wen Yuan to sit down on the chair covered with cool cushions, and said nonchalantly: "It's nothing. Zhaoyun has contracted smallpox, and she feels uncomfortable. She used to have a good relationship with Zhaoyun."

"Oh, that's right." Wen Yuan's smile slowly narrowed, and a trace of solemnity appeared in her eyes, "Cousin, do you think it's strange when we talk about Zhaoyun being infected with smallpox?"

Shui Linglong raised her eyebrows suspiciously: "What's the trick?"

Wen Yuan said thoughtfully: "I had never heard of Zhaoyun before. This time they said that someone in the house had smallpox. To prevent the disease from spreading, every room was smoked with vinegar. After careful inquiry, I found out that the prince He actually received a beautiful lady like a flower in the yard.”

 (End of this chapter)