stormy clouds

The kitchen of Changping Hou Mansion is extremely lively.

Chang Luoyun rolled up his sleeves, took out the duck from the boiling pot with a long-handled spoon and looked at it. On the duck meat, which was quite fat and thin, there was a layer of fat that was shiny.

"Now it's ready to be steamed." Chang Luoyun told the cook, "The wine is very well made this time. You can add more. The Marquis likes it."

The cook took the spoon from her hand and said with a smile: "Grandma Du made the wine this time. I didn't expect her to make it so well?"

"Grandma Du can also make wine?" Chang Luoyun asked happily.

"Grandma Du not only knows how to make rice wine, but she also raises the ducks in this pot." The cook said, "She surrounded the open space next to the vegetable field and raised some chickens and ducks. Now the chickens and ducks have grown up. , you don’t even have to buy the chickens in the kitchen at the market.”

"I didn't expect Granny Du to be so capable," Chang Luoyun said, "When the food in the kitchen is ready, you can pick some and send them to her. Her hard work will not be in vain."

Several cooks in the kitchen agreed with smiles.

Chang Luoyun cleaned his hands and came out of the kitchen.As soon as she arrived in the yard, the corners of her lips raised slightly, she continued to walk a few steps forward, then suddenly turned back.

Lian Zhen rolled up her sleeves and withdrew her hand that was about to pat Chang Luoyun's shoulder with a frustrated expression on her face, "I've been waiting here for a long time just to scare you. It's really boring for you to be like this." .”

Chang Luoyun laughed, "My mother was talking about you a few days ago, and you didn't go to see her first?"

"Of course I will go to my aunt's place, but I have something important to tell you, so I came here first." Lian Zhen waved her hand, "My porridge shed has been demolished a few days ago, when do you plan to open it? ?”

"Now that the prince is releasing food to help the people, there are fewer and fewer homeless people on the streets. We can demolish it in the next two days."

"That's right, the prince is really good. As you look at Lindu City, it is gradually returning to its original appearance."

Chang Luoyun glanced at her, Lian Zhen was like this, she dared to say anything.

Since the last time she stayed in the Changping Marquis Mansion for a period of time, and after the knot in her heart was resolved, she became very affectionate to Chang Luoyun, which was rare.

"A peaceful and prosperous era is not easy," Chang Luoyun said, "After this disaster, it will take some time for the Qi Kingdom to recover."

"With brother Jingyi here, the rise of the Qi Kingdom is just around the corner. I have confidence in brother Jingyi." The girl's eyes sparkled.

Seeing that Chang Luoyun was looking down on her, she pouted and said, "What are you looking at? Am I right?"

Chang Luoyun said: "Everything you said is right, I naturally have confidence in Mr. Hou."

Lian Zhen chuckled and said, "I'm not here to discuss this with you today. I'm here to talk to you about Miss Chang Wu."

When Chang Luoyun heard her talking about Chang Luoyao, he suppressed the smile on his lips and said lightly: "What's there to say about her?"

Lian Zhen took two quick steps to stand in front of her and said: "Chang Wu is back and wants to enter the uncle's house, but my mother doesn't agree. Now I have to live and die in front of my brother."

"This is your Xu family's business, and I, an outsider, can't take care of it." Chang Luoyun's expression did not change and he continued to walk forward.

Lian Zhen said with a smile: "That's what you said. Zhang is not a good character. With her here, Chang Wu doesn't even know how he died."

"So what?" Chang Luoyun sighed, "Although she and I are half-sisters, we don't have much affection. Let her choose the path she chooses. I have no obligation to help her. Aftermath.”

Lian Zhen pointed her index finger on her cheek and said thoughtfully, "If you don't care about her, she will probably be in trouble this time."

Chang Luoyun didn't speak. Lian Zhen turned around and walked side by side with Chang Luoyun: "I now understand a little bit why you didn't agree with brother Jing Yi to take concubines. Now that I think about it, what you said is right. If I take it seriously After becoming brother Jingyi’s equal wife, I don’t want my child and your child to be like this.”

Chang Luoyun stopped and turned to look at Lian Zhen.The breeze blew a few hairs hanging down from her temples, making her skin look even more radiant than snow and spotless.Lian Zhen touched her face with her hands and asked unnaturally, "Why, is there dust on my face?"

"No," Chang Luoyun turned around and walked forward slowly, "I suddenly thought of what my mother-in-law said to me a long time ago."

The two of them walked in silence for a while with their own thoughts, and then Lian Zhen went to see Mrs. Mu.

As soon as Chang Luoyun returned to the house, Bi Yan ran over holding a letter, "Madam, there is a letter from Master Wen Yun. The Marquis brought it back."

Chang Luoyun was startled, "How could Master Wen Yun's letter be in the hands of the Marquis?"

"When I arrived at the gate of the hospital, I happened to meet Wang Yanqing who came to deliver a letter, so I brought it back with me." Mu Jingyi was wearing a black monk's robe and standing at the door with a smile. His formerly solemn face had become much softer without realizing it.

Chang Luoyun smiled and held the letter in his hand, "It's just that some parents are short-sighted and just want to send a message, but they still insist on writing a letter."

Although she said this, Chang Luoyun's eyes were shining with joy. After all, she had never received a letter from home since she was a child.

Mu Jingyi felt pity that she had not had a mother since she was a child, and she had no relatives to care about her. Her tone became a little gentler, "Sending a verbal message is a bit hasty after all. Wen Yun thought of sending you a family letter because she was concerned about your sister."

Chang Luoyun walked into the room and sat down at the table, opening the letter with a smile.

Sure enough, in addition to talking about some daily trivial matters, the letter also asked her when she could return to Qingzhou.

Mu Jingyi sat opposite him, watched her read the letter, and then asked with a smile: "What did the letter say?"

"Ask me when I will return to Qingzhou." Chang Luoyun folded the letter and put it in an envelope. "How can I go back in this situation?"

"Why can't you go back?" Mu Jingyi's eyes were full of smiles.

"Isn't the Emperor back yet? After the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the Marquis will lead troops to rescue him. How can I return to Qingzhou at this time?"

"The Empress can't come back." Mu Jingyi lowered his eyes, took a sip of tea, and said, "The Empress originally decided to ask Prince Yongchang to go rescue her with her, but she didn't plan to come back."

Although Chang Luoyun was surprised, he just looked at Mu Jingyi with doubts in his eyes.

"Everyone knows that if we really wanted to rescue him, it would be most appropriate for me to lead the black-armored army." Mu Jingyi put down his cup, his eyes darkened, "But the queen chose Prince Zhou. This does make sense. , the Xia soldiers had just withdrawn their troops at that time, and there was no guarantee that a remnant of the troops would appear from somewhere and threaten the prince's safety."

"But," Mu Jingyi looked at Chang Luoyun, "the emperor is in more danger than the prince in the hands of Xia Bing. If it is delayed for a while, it will be very dangerous. The queen cannot understand. But she just left the border situation without knowing it. I am familiar with the Crown Prince of Zhou, and I asked the black armored army who has been guarding the border all year round to escort the prince back to Lindu, just to let the prince ascend the throne smoothly."

Chang Luoyun was suspicious, "Isn't the queen afraid of the denunciation of the ministers?"

"That's why the queen kept Prince Zhou by her side. Prince Zhou is her nephew. It is better to leave her funeral affairs to her nephew than to an outsider." Mu Jingyi said.

Chang Luoyun stared at Mu Jingyi blankly, "You mean, the Queen avenged her death, so the Marquis already knew about it?"

"I am not the only one that everyone in the court knows about. Doesn't the prince know?"

Chang Luoyun paused and asked, "When did the Marquis choose the prince?"

"What I follow is God's will, and what I care about is the people's will. I don't choose anyone." Mu Jingyi and Chang Luoyun's eyes met, "Yun'er, do you really think that Xia State sent troops to conquer Qi this time because of Xia State? Is there a drought that we have to do as a last resort? The emperor has been in power for more than ten years. Qi State is prosperous on the outside, but it is actually a strong country on the outside, and the Xia Kingdom is just taking advantage of it."

Chang Luoyun looked firm, "I know, so I said that I will support Mr. Hou no matter what he does."

Mu Jingyi breathed a sigh of relief and put his hand on Chang Luoyun's hand, "So, Yun'er, we can take a few days to return to Qingzhou now."