Stepmother Shaoguang

Chapter 11
After eating cold and sticky food all day yesterday, and drinking wine in the evening, Lu Xiaowen's stomach felt much better after eating pickled vegetable and fish soup.

"I've seen this kind of fish cooking in Sichuan. Did you learn it from the travel notes last time?"

"Hmm... about the same." Although he didn't learn it from a book, he should be baited first.

"The fish is tender and smooth, and the sour soup is slightly spicy and appetizing. Your craftsmanship is rare."

There are a lot of rattan peppers in the pickled fish, so Lu Xiaowen eats it carefully.

The braised short ribs are not boneless, and the sauce soaked in them spreads in the mouth after a strong swipe.This is the soul of gnawing ribs, and those ribs that have been deboned have lost a layer of flavor.

Both are heavy dishes, and the white jade tofu soup is much lighter.The soft tofu is cut into small cubes, and the most tender part of the head of the enoki mushroom is chopped. Only these two ingredients are used to properly relieve the greasy meat.

Lu Xiaowen could really eat, but He Shaoguang couldn't eat a bowl of rice. He swept all the dishes on the table by himself.

He Shaoguang tentatively asked him if he was full?

General Lu regained his reserve: "It's delicious, enough."

"I'll go to my mother, you..." After the meal, Lu Xiaowen originally wanted to ask her to talk to his mother about Xiao Yan, but it's better not to let her know about the troublesome things.

"It's okay, you wait for me here first."

After exhorting, Lu Xiaowen walked straight to Dingxiangyuan.

Xiao Yan is Xiao Chongdao's only daughter, and Concubine Xiao Shu is her aunt. The relationship between the two brothers and sisters is good, and they have not lost contact after entering the palace.

Not to mention that Concubine Xiao Shu has been drafted for several rounds, she is an old man in the palace.

Although it is not as popular as when she was a young girl, but because she gave birth to the fifth prince Shi Hao, the fifth prince was smart and clever, and he was quite inspired when he wrote poems at the age of five.

I heard that he was recently taught by a sage in martial arts, and he was highly valued. At the age of 12, many ministers in the court joined in the camp to support him and proposed to make him a state reserve.

Although the sage didn't have a clear direction, he paid the most attention and love to this son, so Concubine Xiao Shu's status has also risen accordingly. Concubine Xiao Shu is a proud person, and she has become more proud in recent years.

Xiao Yan often went to the palace since she was a child, and Concubine Xiao Shu brought her up with her, and she learned a lot about her temperament, and her appearance was eight times like her aunt's, both of which were bright and majestic.

He has just reached Ji's age, and all the suitors have broken through the threshold.

But no matter how Xiao Chongdao chooses for her, it is not to her liking.Xiao Chongdao was puzzled, and after questioning, he found out that the jewel in his palm already had someone he liked.

However, that person was already married, and it was Anyuan General Lu Xiaowen.

Why are Xiao Chongdao and Mrs. Xiao willing to marry their daughter to someone else as a concubine?Even the flat wife wronged her daughter.

What's more, the prestige of the Jiangning Yumu family is extremely high.

It's just that Xiao Yan saw that the matter had been fully confessed, and there was nothing to hide, so she didn't care about it and started a fight, and refused to marry.

The Xiao couple also tied her to a sedan chair and tried to marry her by force, but she escaped halfway, and only found Xiao Yan in a ruined temple in the mountains a few days later.

Since then, the Xiaos and his wife didn't dare to force her anymore, and after two or three years, she became an "old girl". When the whole family was worried, they waited for the news of Jiang Ningyu's death.

When the whole Lu family was grieving, Xiao Yan locked herself in the boudoir and laughed endlessly, and started to cry when she smiled.

After the funeral, she asked the Xiao couple to ask for a remarriage for her.

Mrs. Xiao also loved her only daughter so much, she and Xiao Chongdao made up their minds, and now there was no better way, so she put down her old face and handed over the greeting card.

She didn't expect to be rejected by Mrs. Lu, and she didn't expect that the Lu family married the daughter of a sixth-rank official.

There were quite a few people who saw the Xiao family's jokes before, and this undoubtedly slapped the Xiao family in the face.

The news naturally reached Concubine Xiao Shu's ears, and there was no guarantee that she would not force Lu Xiaowen to make Xiao Yan his wife for the sake of the Xiao family and her own face.

Lu Xiaowen pursed her lips, her expression was not good.The old lady sat at the head and sighed deeply.

"In your opinion, how to solve this matter? If Concubine Xiao Shu goes to ask for imperial decree."

"Mother, Xiao Yan cannot enter the Lu family." Lu Xiaowen frowned, "The Lu family is already too conspicuous. Concubine Xiao Shu gave birth to the fifth prince. Marrying Xiao Yan is equivalent to standing in the team of the fifth prince."

"Besides, when Xiao's family came to visit, my mother told me that Xiao Yan has a flamboyant personality and a prominent family background. Ming Yan and Ming Zhen are still young, and I'm afraid they will be taught badly."

"My son is afraid that Shaoguang's temper is too soft and he won't be able to suppress her. Even if she is a normal wife in name, there is no guarantee that she will not bully Shaoguang."

"So, are you going to ask for a favor from the Holy One? Forget it, just go."

After Lu Xiaowen left, Mother Zhou helped the old lady to walk in front of the hall, looking at the goldfish playing in the water tank, the old lady seemed to ask casually:
"You said that Xiaowen's treatment of Shaoguang's child is different from that of Ning Yu?"

Mother Zhou didn't make a sound, she knew that the old lady just wanted to talk for herself.

"In today's matter of Xiao Yan, he also considered that Shaoguang would not be bullied. It really is different. My two grandchildren also like her. The daughter taught by the He family is very good."

In the Xuanzheng Hall, Lu Xiaowen knelt in the hall.

"Oh, you don't want to marry that girl from the Xiao family?" The saint raised his eyebrows. Concubine Xiao Shu had already mentioned this matter yesterday. Although he didn't agree, he didn't immediately refuse, and was still considering it.

"Yesterday Concubine Shu also came to me to ask for a favor for the girl of the Xiao family. That girl has delayed you for several years, but you are heartless."

"I have already married a wife, and I have hurt Miss Xiao's heart. I don't want to make my wife sad anymore." Lu Xiaowen kowtowed to express his heart.

"If she is promoted as a flat wife, the He family's daughter is of low status, so she dare not have any opinions."

The saint seemed to be thinking about it, "This is a good marriage."

"I dare not think otherwise, I will always be Your Majesty's minister."

It took a long time before Lu Xiaowen heard the saint's soft boots stepping on the ground, coming in front of him.Then the saint lifted him up with his own hands—

"Look at you, if you don't marry, don't marry. What are you kowtowing for if you have nothing to do? You are all green, you go back, your wife will scold me for being inconsiderate when she sees it."

……

He Shaoguang didn't know the reason, she saw a bruise on the corner of Lu Xiaowen's forehead, she thought he had accidentally dropped it, and when applying the medicine to him, she pressed it maliciously:
"Does it hurt? If it hurts, I will have a long memory next time. How big a man is, and I can still throw myself down."

Recently Lu Xiaowen always came back for lunch, the two got to know each other a lot, and they would joke with each other.

He Shaoguang was always curious, so he asked him: "Didn't you always have lunch with the soldiers in the palace or in the camp? Why do you always go back home recently? Is it because I cook so delicious?"

Lu Xiaowen recalled how drunk He was that day:
"Some people think that there is no one in this mansion. Looking at the mansion, only the third brother is an idler. I can't let you find the third brother to have a drink and have fun, right?"

(End of this chapter)