First Concubine

Chapter 89 Turning the Tide (3)

These are Shui Linglong’s favorite dishes, but Shui Linglong only finished the noodles in the bowl and didn’t use her chopsticks again.

 Mother Zhong's heart dropped: "But the slave's cooking is not to your liking?"

Shui Linglong looked at Mother Zhong and sighed: "Mother Zhong, you don't have to be so sensitive, and you don't have to do seven when I ask you to do three points. You are different. I will take you with me wherever I go from now on."

Mother Zhong’s nose felt sore and she said, “I’m afraid that one day I’ll be too old to move and cause trouble.”

To Mother Zhong, she was just seriously ill and in a coma for three days, but to her, she had experienced more than ten years of dire straits, and her temperament had naturally changed. Shui Linglong patted Mother Zhong’s hand. , said earnestly: "My temperament changed drastically after I fell ill. This is not to fight against you, but also to myself. Don't take it to heart and just live your life as before, eh?"

Mother Zhong said with tears in her eyes: "When people get old, they always like to think about things. Don't be surprised, Miss."

Shui Linglong pressed her eyebrows and said, "Don't call yourself a 'slave' anymore."

 After tidying up, Jade came to announce the news, and the old lady summoned him.

 It’s actually jade? Not Mother Wang? Shui Linglong suppressed her tiredness, drank a cup of strong tea to refresh herself, and just went to Fushouyuan.

The old lady is looking at the list of dowries compiled by Shui Linglong. There is not much difference between Shui Lingxi's and Shui Lingyu's dowries on the surface, but Shui Lingxi's will definitely be much richer privately.

The old lady wore a brown bat-patterned jacket and pearls on her head to wipe her forehead. Her complexion was extremely poor and she could hardly breathe even after speaking a few words.

Shui Linglong saluted her: "Grandma."

The old lady's frown relaxed slightly when she saw Shui Linglong. She patted the seat next to her, and Shui Linglong sat over: "It's still early for the two sisters to get married. You can take your time and watch."

The old lady put down the order, twisted her gray eyebrows, and said angrily: "Your third sister's wedding must be brought forward. It will be held this month, May 23rd."

"So far in advance?" The original date was next spring, which was almost a whole year in advance. Shui Linglong asked tentatively, "But what does Governor Jiang mean?"

The old lady slapped the list on the table: "Who else could he be? The third child got married before the two elder sisters. How unruly! No famous family in the capital has done this! Your father's official position is not as good as yours. If someone asks for something from him again in the future, he will have no choice but to accept it if he is not angry."

Shui Linglong said: "Then I will start shopping tomorrow. There are still nearly twenty days. Most of the things can be prepared. If there is anything that is not thoughtful enough, you can't blame us. Since Governor Jiang asked to advance the wedding date, we have decided to It’s about thinking through all the ways.”

"That's all we can do." The old lady coughed for a while and then said, "I received a letter from your aunt today, saying that the weather was humid and asking me if I had rheumatism. She was worried about my health, so why shouldn't I be worried about hers? ? Can a place like Leng Gong... be accommodated by a pregnant woman?" Her heart broke when she received Shui Chenxiang's letter.

Shui Linglong followed the old lady's words and showed a sad expression: "Counting the days, my aunt has been pregnant for five months."

Hearing this, the old lady finally had a smile on her face: "Yes, the fetus is moving. The child is very healthy. It would be great if he was a prince." But she didn't know what she thought of, and her smile became a little bitter again.

Shui Linglong's pupils moved, and she smiled softly: "If grandma is worried, can you write a letter to Concubine Zhen and ask her to visit my aunt on your behalf?"

 Mr. Shui Lingyue gets angry when she mentions it! The old lady's smile froze and she said: "If she really meant it, why didn't she visit your aunt even once after two months in the palace? In my opinion, she wishes your aunt would never turn over."

Rubbing her temples, the old lady added, "I'm thinking that you have to go there personally for this matter. You can hand a sign to Zhen Concubine and, in the name of visiting Zhen Concubine, drop by the Leng Palace to see your aunt. Also give her some money, those minions are very powerful, it’s really hard to live without money.”

Shui Linglong seemed confused: "The prisoners in the Cold Palace are all criminals. No one can enter unless they get the approval of the emperor and empress. No wonder the concubine Zhen."

  Meaning, I can’t get in either.

"Then... what should we do?" The old lady's eyes were full of anxiety, "You and the third princess are on good terms, and can you ask the third princess for a favor?"

Shui Linglong shook her head: "The wedding of the third princess and Guo Yan is approaching, and the queen has detained her in Weiyang Palace, where no one can see her."

 The old lady held her chest and fell into deep thought.

Shui Linglong knew that the old lady had a suitable candidate in mind, but she was too shy and unwilling to mention it.

Sure enough, the old lady, who was having a war between heaven and man in her heart, finally spoke slowly: "You and the Crown Princess have met a few times. You should try it with her. If it works, it would be best. If she refuses... "

 The old lady almost didn’t have the courage to say the next words.

Shui Linglong said respectfully: "I will send a message to the Crown Princess first. If she announces my appearance, I will try my best to persuade her to take me into the palace."

The old lady sighed slightly: "It's hard for you to run around here and there."

Shui Linglong smiled happily and said, "It's quite fun. It's boring to be bored in the house."

 The old lady didn’t tease her as usual!

At this time, Mrs. Wang opened the curtain and came in. She was stunned for a moment when she saw Shui Linglong, a hint of complexity flashed in her eyes, and then she greeted the people in the room: "Old Madam, eldest lady."

A hint of anger appeared on the old lady's eyebrows, and she said in a deep voice, "Did you get it out?"

Shui Linglong took a sip of tea. She thought that the old lady didn't think highly of Mother Wang anymore, so she sent Jade to run errands. She knew that Mother Wang was on business.

Mother Wang glanced at Shui Linglong, lowered her head and replied, "Yes, it's been cleaned up."

Shui Linglong didn't ignore the look from Mother Wang. She raised her eyebrows suspiciously. Did something happen in Tianfu while she was out? Clean up what? Something to do with her?

The old lady faced Shui Linglong and showed a faint smile: "It's getting late, you go back to the house to rest. You are very tired these days, so you don't have to come to say hello to me all the time. Just sleep more."

Shui Linglong stood up and said, "Yes, Linglong is leaving. Good morning, grandma."

In Changle Xuan, Shui Lingxi was sitting on the corner of the bed with an indifferent expression. No matter how much Qin Fangyi coaxed her, it was of no avail.

She is the legitimate daughter of the Shang Shufu, and she actually wants to be a side concubine for a prince. Shui Linglong can be the main concubine, so why should she be a side concubine? Is she worse than a concubine?

Qin Fangyi sat on the bedside and comforted her softly: "Your father and mother are doing this for your own good. Prince Xun is a talented man and young and promising. You see, he planned all the important projects such as the South Water River to the West. It can be seen that Long live the Lord thinks highly of him..."

Shui Lingxi said coldly: "Concubine! Mother, that is the position of concubine! If I can't be the crown prince, should I be someone else's concubine?"

Qin Fangyi said earnestly: "But he can cure your disease. If you marry him, you can live a normal life. Mother no longer has to endure Shui Linglong for a few pills. Besides, the concubine is a concubine." The position is only temporary. After entering the palace, who can have the last laugh? You are so beautiful. If you restrain your temper, which man can resist your charm? Support me, Lingxi, your future may not be worse than that of the Crown Princess!"

Shui Lingxi didn't believe it at all: "The Crown Princess is the future Queen, so what if I climb up to the position of Princess? At the end of the day, I'm just a Princess!"

Qin Fangyi smiled meaningfully: "Silly boy, who said you can only be a princess? When you were born, your mother found an eminent monk to tell your fortune. You are destined to marry into the royal family! Why did Yunli abandon you? His loss, you have the luck of being a princess in your life, whoever marries you will be..."

Qin Fangyi smiled and stopped continuing. Shui Lingxi understood. She opened her beautiful eyes wide and said in disbelief: "Mom, you didn't lie to me? I am the imperial concubine?"

Qin Fangyi smiled proudly and said: "Yes, as long as you marry Prince Xun, in the near future, the surname may not be 'Yun' in the world."

At first she didn't believe the monk's nonsense, but after Shui Hangge told her about Xun Feng's plot, she suddenly realized that it was destined that her daughter would marry the emperor!

“Those who seek to usurp the throne will be beheaded, mother!” Shui Lingxi made a motion of slicing her neck.

Qin Fangyi thought of the title that Prince Xun promised to Shui Hangge, and she smiled wildly: "Didn't our first emperor of the Zhou Dynasty seek to usurp the throne? Changing dynasties is an unavoidable history for any country. There have always been capable people in this world. Juzhi, I think Prince Xun is much better than the Crown Prince! After the death of Long Live Master, it’s not certain who will be able to ascend to the top of the Ninth Five-Year Plan! Don’t worry, your father and mother never do anything uncertain. Now You are the most valued child in your father’s heart again!”

Shui Lingxi finally showed her brightest and most charming smile in two months: "Mom! Maybe... I can meet Prince Xun?"

Qin Fangyi breathed a long sigh of relief: "After so many things, I feel sorry for myself. After decades of life, there is no need to compete with others for the length of a night. The beautiful scenery will make her beautiful! She will get married one day, The old lady will return to the west one day, and then the Shangshu Mansion will still be in our hands? So, don’t do things like Ayi again, do you understand?”

A trace of panic flashed in Shui Linglong's beautiful eyes: "I know."

Shui Linglong returned to Lingxiang Courtyard to rest. After a hard day's work, she was not a strong person, so she really didn't want to put in the trouble. She was thinking about the strange look in Wang's mother's eyes, and she was not sleepy at all.

 She opened the curtain and called, "Who is on duty tonight?"

Liu Lu walked around the screen and bowed: "This is my servant on duty, young lady."

Liu Lu and Zhi Fan both ran out with her for a day. When they came back, everyone closed the yard. They probably didn't know much about the affairs in the house. Shui Linglong said seriously: "Call Mother Du."

"Yes!" Liu Lu hurriedly dressed up and went to the courtyard where the kitchen steward lived to find Mama Du.

Mama Du was also tired all day and had just fallen asleep. She heard someone knocking on the door and put on her shoes impatiently: "Who is it? Are you allowed to sleep in the middle of the night?"

“Mother Du, it’s me, Liu Lu.”

Mama Du's sleepiness flew away instantly. She put on her coat and opened the door. She said with a smile: "Why is Liu Lu here? Come in and sit in the house."

Liu Lu bowed to Mama Du: "Mama Du, you're so polite. I didn't have time to thank Mama Du for interceding for me last time in the courtyard."

Mother Du patted her leg: "Hey, you made a special trip in the middle of the night just for this? Everyone works for the eldest lady, so we are all our own people, so we should help each other." But she was thinking in her heart that she When I first arrived at Lingxiangyuan, what impressed me most was Liu Lu. She was beautiful and capable, but she was a little too impetuous to take on big responsibilities. Now she is much calmer.

Liu Lu smiled and said, "I'm not afraid of Mama Du's jokes. I'm just saying thank you by the way. In fact, it's the eldest lady who is looking for you."

As soon as Mama Du heard that Shui Linglong was looking for her, she hurriedly turned around and went into the house to start changing her clothes. She was a woman, so she didn't shy away from anything. As she was getting dressed, she asked, "What did the eldest lady say?"

This woman was actually embarrassed to see a woman naked. Liu Lu turned her face away, holding back her embarrassment and said, "No, the eldest lady just asked me to call you over."

After finishing getting dressed, Mama Du found Liu Lu standing there uneasily. She patted her head and said nonchalantly: "Look at my memory, I almost forgot that you are still a yellow-flowered girl! I'll pay attention next time, old lady!"

Liu Lu was stunned for a moment. She was sent to be the eldest young master's wife. Almost everyone thought she was unprotected. Liu Lu frowned: "Mother Du, how do you know I'm still a virgin?"

Mama Du smiled and said, "I don't know much about the eldest young master, he doesn't even..."

At this point, Mama Du suddenly woke up. She must have been confused. How could she almost reveal the secret of the eldest young master?

Mama Du quickly changed her tune: "He doesn't like you at all."

Liu Lu felt that Mama Du was lying. She recalled the experience of the eldest young master not touching her, Biqing and Lan'er. Combined with Mama Du's half-reserved words, she suddenly had a very bold guess in her mind: "Mother Du, you Tell me the truth, the young master...does he...not like women? "

Mother Du opened her mouth, hesitated several times, and finally pretended to be angry: "Oh, my aunt! You can eat whatever you want, but you can't talk nonsense! The eldest young master... Why doesn't the eldest young master like women anymore? ? Stop guessing!"

Mother Du’s concealing eyes and words have confirmed Liu Lu’s guess that the eldest young master is a broken sleeve!

Mama Du knows, and the eldest lady must also know, right? But the eldest lady didn't remind her at all, and just watched her jump into the fire pit and suffer all the hardships. When she was desperate, she begged for mercy from the eldest lady, and the eldest lady naturally became her only savior!

 …

When Du's mother entered Lingxiang Courtyard, Shui Linglong wore a loose plain white skirt and sat on a chair in the outer room reading a book. Shui Linglong pointed to the teacup beside her. Du's mother sat down and Liu Lu offered warm water, her face was expressionless. excellent.

Shui Linglong glanced at Liu Lu and ignored her. She only asked Xiang Du's mother, "What happened in the house today?"

 “Aunt Feng…is gone!”

Shui Linglong was shocked: "When did it happen? Aunt Feng's body has always been strong, why did it suddenly disappear?"

Mama Du sighed: "Just an hour ago, Aunt Feng committed suicide by swallowing gold in the yard."

 Is...suicide?

When Shui Linglong entered the house, Aunt Feng secretly helped her a lot. Although Shui Linglong later understood that Aunt Feng had wanted her to help Shui Lingqing and Shui Minhui, but everything in the world is for profit, who can say Doesn't she have any intention of taking advantage of Aunt Feng?

At this time, Aunt Feng passed away quietly, and Shui Linglong's heart suddenly felt a little empty. The person who was smiling beautifully in front of you the day before passed away at this moment, and she still adopted such a tragic way. No wonder Mrs. Wang had such a complicated expression when she looked at her. She must have thought she knew something inside. But this time, she really didn't know anything.

The old lady didn't ask for the specific reason. To her, the death of an aunt was just the loss of a cat or a dog. She didn't even bother to raise her eyes.

Shui Ling sat dumbly in front of the dressing table, holding Aunt Feng's suicide note in her hand, with tears streaming down her face. She tore the suicide note into pieces and smashed it against the bronze mirror!

"I just said a few words to you, and you want to punish me in this way? Shui Minhui is your son, and I am not your daughter?"

 She really...has no nostalgia for this home!

Shui Lingqing fainted from crying in her room. She was timid by nature and respected Aunt Feng very much. When Aunt Feng died, half of her sky collapsed. Shui Linglong was afraid that she would not be able to think about it, so she rested in her room that night. Throughout the night, Shui Lingqing woke up crying countless times. Every time she hugged Shui Linglong and called her "Mom", Shui Linglong responded while patting her. lulling her to sleep. Even so, Shui Lingqing fell ill.

There was no doctor in Shangshu Mansion, and all the major pharmacies were closed. Qiaoer went to look for Shui Hangge, but to his surprise, Qin Fangyi closed the courtyard tightly and saw no one. Qiaoer went to see the old lady again. The old lady took a rest. It was Mother Wang who came out to see her. Mother Wang said it was not that the old lady was unwilling to help, but that there was no doctor available at this time. As soon as it gets light, she will send someone to fetch him immediately.

When Qiaoer returned to Shui Lingqing's room, she could no longer suppress her grief and burst into tears. Her aunt was dead and the young lady was sick again. What kind of joke was this? Will the young lady not be able to survive this illness and follow her aunt? So what is she going to do?

Shui Linglong's sharp eyes like knives were directed at her: "Why are you crying? Do you want to curse your lady? Get out of here!"

 Zhi Fan pulled Qiaoer out.

Shui Linglong thought of Anping and originally planned to ask Liu Lu to report the news. After thinking about it, she decided to ask Ye Mao to make a trip. She is now in charge of the house and has the key to the second door. Mother Du took the key and led Ye Mao out, and called a young and strong coachman to arrange a pretty good carriage. There was no way, the carriages of the old lady and Shui Hangge were the best, but not as good as theirs. The token Du Mama cannot be moved.

Just as Mama Du was shaking her head and sighing, Shui Lingyu came over with red eyes. She was wearing a plain white skirt and a small white jade flower on her head, which made her look particularly plain.

 “Third Miss.” Du’s mother bowed to Ye Mao.

Shui Lingyu glanced at Ye Mao, resisting the pain of sore throat, and said expressionlessly: "It's so late, are you going to ask a doctor for Miss Fifth?"

 (End of this chapter)