Aspirations

Chapter 105

The atmosphere was unavoidably awkward and dull.

Song Chaodu was secretly surprised. Compared with the previous dynasty, women in Daxia were indeed more open-minded, but it was very rare to see someone who dared to love and hate like Lian Ruohan.In addition to secretly admiring Lian Ruohan's boldness and enthusiasm, he couldn't help worrying for Xia Xiang, Xia Xiang was so innocent, and for no reason had another strong rival Cui He and His Royal Highness Jian Wang a rival in love.

On the contrary, Li Dingshan was happy to see this, and was very happy for Xia Xiang.He also knew Xia Xiang's personality very well, and before getting married, he would definitely not do anything out of the ordinary with Lian Ruohan.And he also saw that Lian Ruohan was still a virgin, it was because of this that he admired Lian Ruohan's style and courage even more.No matter whether it is Cao Shuli or Xiao Jia, maybe the gentleness and strength of the two can be compared with Lian Ruohan, but when it comes to rebellious spirit and fearless spirit, the two are far behind.

Cao Yongguo felt a bit of bitterness in his heart. The marriage between his daughter and Xia Xiang was basically hopeless. Lian Ruohan was so radical and so fearless, which not only greatly surprised him, but also made him admire Lian Ruohan's courage to challenge the world.Xia Xiang was truly lucky to have Lian Ruohan as his wife.

"When Mrs. Lian and Xia Xiang get married, I will definitely give you a small gift." King Jing also asked Yu Lian Ruohan, he knew very well that if the third prince inherits the throne, not only his King Jing's position will not be guaranteed. , Even Jian Wang will be demoted to a commoner, "Jin Jia and Ye Muping, please leave it to Lady Lian."

"His Royal Highness King Jing, you don't need to be polite, this matter is also a matter for young girls." Even Ruohan bowed to King Jing and left.

Li Dingshan sent him out the door. He had something to say to Lian Ruohan.

Standing at the gate of Prince Jing's Mansion, Li Dingshan looked at a tall ginkgo tree by the river.The leaves of the ginkgo tree were already golden, and a few leaves fell on the Anding River, floating on the surface of the water, drifting with the current, not knowing where they would go.

In life, most of the time, it is no different from the fallen leaves on the water. No one knows where it will float next. Li Dingshan feels a little bit emotional in his heart, and also has a lot of relief. He knows that when he arrives, he will explain the truth to Lian Ruohan It's time.No matter how strong Lian Ruohan is, she is still a woman and needs friendship and family affection.

"Miss Lian, from now on, you and I will be a family." Li Dingshan stood with his hands behind his back, and smiled calmly, "The two most proud students in my life, one is in politics, and Xia Xiang, who has a lifelong contract with you, and the other A businessman helps you manage your business...Xiao Jia."

Lian Ruohan contradicted his father in public, let out a bad breath, and still felt a little lost in his heart. Li Dingshan was about the same age as his father, but he was much kinder and kinder than his father. The identity of the tutor made her feel very cordial.He was even more surprised when he heard that he was still Xiao Jia's husband, and suddenly felt a kind of warmth like a family member.

Lian Ruohan straightened her appearance, and solemnly bowed to Li Dingshanfu: "The little girl is also a student of the master from now on."

It really is a very smart woman, Li Dingshan laughed, and put his hands up: "You don't need to be too polite, my wife, I can see you and Xia Xiang love each other in my lifetime, achieve great things, have a few children, see you Let's help each other with Jia'er, lay down a piece of land, let the good times spread all over the Great Xia and the countries in the South China Sea, and die without regret."

Lian Ruohan blushed, and said in a low voice: "To tell you the truth, Mr. Han'er and Xia Xianzun haven't..."

"This old man knows your difficulties." Li Dingshan said with a smile without waiting for Lian Ruohan to finish, "Since you will also be my student in the future, this old man will make the decision first and accept this marriage for Xia Xiang. If he disagrees , the old man will not spare him."

"No, I don't want him to marry me because of compulsion or because of guilt." Lian Ruohan is arrogant and has countless suitors around her, so Xia Xiang won't think that she must marry him, and she doesn't want to marry me because of any unavoidable reasons. And to marry her, "Please sir keep this matter a secret. I want to continue to get along with Xia Xianzun as before."

How can Li Dingshan not know what Lian Ruohan thinks in his heart, such a high-ranking woman must not want Xia Xiang to think that she is determined to marry him as his wife, she has her self-esteem and arrogance.

"Okay, the old man must keep it a secret." Li Dingshan smiled mysteriously, "It's okay to find a chance to tell Xia Xiang about Jia'er being by your side. He should also know that the old man is walking in King Jing's mansion."

"Understood." Lian Ruohan didn't ask Li Dingshan why he hid it from Xia Xiang, and she could guess that Li Dingshan's previous invisibility was for Xia Xiang's sake.She bid farewell to Li Dingshan, and returned to Guanxin Pavilion with Ling'er.

Linger was unhappy along the way, and when he arrived at Guanxin Pavilion and served tea for Lian Ruohan, he said all the words he had been holding back all the way: "Madam, Xia Xiang can't just be so cheap, he wants to marry you without any effort." Lady, there is no door!"

"Ling'er, I'm tired, let's take a rest first." Lian Ruohan didn't want to mention this matter again.

"Yes, ma'am." Ling'er has followed Lian Ruohan for many years and knew her temper, so she didn't say any more, turned around and left.

When she woke up the next day, Lian Ruohan was still upset. After breakfast, she went back to her study, studied ink and laid paper, meditated for a while, and wrote a poem: "Excuse me, blowing Xiao to Ziyan, who used to learn to dance for a long time If you can achieve success, why not die? Gu Zuoyuanyang does not envy immortals. Bimu mandarin ducks are really enviable, don’t you see them? Don’t you see them? You hate the solitary luan embroidered on the forehead, so you can get the double swallows on the curtain..."

It is "Chang'an Ancient Ideas" written by Lu Zhaolin, a poet in the early Tang Dynasty.

After looking around for a few times, she put down her pen, and Lian Ruohan pushed open the window. The window was full of autumn, like a landscape painting with splashed ink, with distant mountains and near water, even the Taihang Mountain in the west could be vaguely seen.It is the most beautiful season in Beijing. If you go to Xishan, whether it is Yanshan or Xiangshan, it should be when the autumn leaves are red.The red leaves are all over the mountains and plains, extremely brilliant.

I remember that at this time last year, she climbed the mountain with Linger and a few friends, and her mood was as clean and blue as the blue sky.But at this moment, she felt inexplicably uneasy and irritable.The uneasiness is due to the break with his father and the family, and the restlessness is due to Xia Xiang.

I believe that Xia Xiangyuan will also cry for injustice in Zhending.

Lian Ruohan has always liked to be independent since she was a child. Although she has a strong personality, she is not selfish, and she will not let others accommodate her in everything because of her own selfishness.She just tries to be herself and strives for perfection in everything.Although it is hard and tiring, it is also fun.

Only the matter of marriage kept her struggling.It was also the matter of marriage that was the main reason why she changed her surname in a fit of anger.Father and mother are married with fingertips, and when they grow up, they follow the orders of their elders to get married.After getting married, they are like strangers, and sometimes they don't see each other for a month.

After his father took a concubine, he was even more indifferent to his mother, often not seeing her for half a year.The mother lived alone in a small courtyard, depressed, and even after the mother became seriously ill, the father did not visit her once.It wasn't until his mother passed away that his father showed up.In her childhood memories, her father was more ruthless to her mother than to a stranger.

When their mother died, Lian Ruohan was only ten years old, and his brother Lian Ruoque was only five years old.Her father loved her and her younger brother very much, but she couldn't accept his love no matter what. Whenever she saw her father, she thought of her mother's lonely life.Although she is extremely indifferent to her father, his father still cares about her and loves her patiently, hoping that she will be obedient and marry Lu Zhiyue according to his wishes.

She thought her father's love for her was out of guilt, and she didn't want her father to still treat her as a tool for marriage.As a marriage tool, the mother has a miserable life, no happiness at all, no autonomy over her own destiny, and is completely at the mercy of others.She will no longer be a pawn of fate like her mother, nor will she marry a man like her father and be alone all her life.

She has to be strong, to be independent, or not to depend on a man!
But women can't take part in the imperial examination, can't change themselves by obtaining fame and fame, and can't be an official, so there is only one way to go-to do business.Lian Ruohan spent three years planning, and another two years to sort out Cui's contacts. At the age of 15, he left a letter to his father, and then left without saying goodbye. It took three years to establish the huge foundation of Haojing Changzai.

In the past three years, although she and her father have been in contact from time to time, they have not seen much and met even less.In the limited number of meetings, my father either urged her to marry or let her go home. He didn't care about what she did. Even though he knew that the good fortune she founded was often expected to become the No. In his opinion, a woman's lack of talent is virtue, and no matter how great her fortune is, it's better to marry a good family.

Lian Ruohan drifted away from her father.

But it wasn't because she didn't want to marry Lu Zhiyue just because she was angry with her father, it was because she really didn't love Lu Zhiyue.Lu Zhiyue has a weak personality and likes to seek immortality. She doesn't want to be an official, but only wants to be at ease, very similar to Cao Shujun.The difference is that Cao Shujuan was lucky enough to meet Xia Xiang, and he still has a skill. Lu Zhiyue is different. He has all the problems of the children of the family. What makes her unbearable is that Lu Zhiyue has no ambitions. .

Even Ruohan was already prepared to present Lu Zhiyue's letter to his father to terminate the engagement in public today, what he wanted was that there was no room for maneuver.Unexpectedly, for the sake of face, her father would take second place and betroth her to King Jian. In desperation, she used Xia Xiang as a shield, which was a deadly move as a last resort.

She would rather die in Xia Xiang's chess game than Jian Wang and Lu Zhiyue's chess game, Lian Ruohan thought bitterly, Xia Xiang, don't be complacent, this lady is not obliging you not to marry, but rather Under the circumstances, you are somewhat more ambitious than Lu Zhiyue than Wang Yingjun.

But I believe Xia Xiang will respond with a wry smile, please, I have provoked whomever I have provoked, not to mention being used as a shield by you, and you will use it to step on me a few times, I am the most wronged one.

Lian Ruohan was engrossed in his thoughts for a moment, and kept thinking that if Xia Xiang really knew about it, would he laugh at her and tease her, or would he be indifferent and not take her seriously?Just when he was tangled in his thoughts, Ling'er suddenly opened the door and came in.

"Lady, Mrs. Cao and Mr. Cao Lang are here to visit."

Cao Shuli and Cao Shujun are here?So fast.Lian Ruohan got up and went to the door.

Under the dripping eaves outside the door, stood Cao Shuli and Cao Shujun.Cao Shuli lost a little weight, and there was more yearning and less innocence on her thin cheeks.Cao Shujun was still the same, beaming with joy, like a child who got candy.

After seeing the ceremony, Lian Ruohan led the two of them into the house.Cao Shujun sat down on the chair carelessly as if he was at his own home, took a sip of tea and said, "Miss Lian, since you and Mr. Xia Lang left, I have moved out of Guanxin Pavilion. Living alone is too spacious. It's empty and lonely, so it's not as lively and popular as your own house. The main reason is that Guanxin Pavilion is without you and Mr. Xia Lang, so how can you watch your heart?"

Compared with Cao Shujun's high spirits, Cao Shuli sat on the chair, her brows unfurled, slightly worried, and she didn't say a word.

Cao Shujun didn't care about Cao Shuli's loneliness, and continued to talk endlessly: "You don't even know, my lady. Since you and Mr. Xia Lang left, I have been carving out more than a dozen jade rings day and night. I came in a hurry, so I took it with me when I was busy, and I will ask you to inspect the goods when I get it tomorrow. By the way, I forgot to ask Mr. Xia Lang if everything is okay? In fact, I didn’t forget to ask, but I wanted to leave it to my sister. But my sister I was full of worries, and I wanted to ask but I didn’t want to ask.”

Lian Ruohan guessed that after Cao Yongguo returned home, he told Cao Shuli what had happened in King Jing's Mansion, which made Cao Shuli frown.She asked softly: "Miss Cao, do you miss Xia Xianzun?"

"Xia... the county lord?" Cao Shuli woke up like a dream, and was taken aback for a moment before laughing at herself, "Yes, he is now the lord of a county, which is not the same as before. Is he... okay? ?”

"Okay, everything is fine." Lian Ruohan will not tell Cao Shuli that Xia Xiang is in danger in Zhending. It is of no benefit except to make her more worried. It is better not to say, "Master Xia just arrived in Zhending , opened up the situation, and now Zhending County is governed in an orderly manner, known as Xia Qingtian."

"No matter where his talent and knowledge go, everything will go well." Cao Shuli nodded, and the worry in her expression eased a little, "Xia Xianzun has just arrived in Zhending, and it is the first time to serve as the county magistrate. As for the lady, please help me, Miss Lian."

As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that he had slipped his tongue, and quickly smiled apologetically: "Ms. Lian and Xia Xianzun are originally a family, and it is their duty to help each other. If I, an outsider, are to talk too much, it is impolite, impolite."

"Sister, you don't have to be like this. It's a good thing that Mr. Xia Lang and Mrs. Lian are married. You see, I also liked Mrs. Lian before, so I accepted everything calmly?" It's not that Cao Shujun no longer likes Lian Ruohan, but Knowing that the matter has come to an end, thinking about it is useless, and it will only increase troubles, why not let it go, he put the fan in his hand, "Let's take a step back, Mr. Xia Lang has two doors on one shoulder, he can marry two wives."

One sentence awakened the dreamer, and Cao Shuli's eyes lit up instantly. There is still a fate between her and Xia Xiang, and it's not that the fate is over.Immediately, the cloud in my heart dissipated, and I showed a smile: "I made Lian Niang laugh, but I am also concerned about it. I have nothing to do recently, and I embroidered a sachet. It is not a respect."

Lian Ruohan took Cao Shuli's sachet, the sachet was extremely exquisite, every stitch and thread was meticulously detailed, and said with a smile, "Thank you Mrs. Cao, I remember Xia Xianzun also has a sachet, is it your gift?"

"Yes, there is also a poem embroidered on his sachet." Cao Shuli's face was slightly shy, "It's "The Song of the Yue People."

"The mountains have trees and trees have branches, and you don't know if your heart pleases you... How could Xia Xianzun not know your heart? After he left Zhending, he will never forget you." Lian Ruohan said this against his will Now, she doesn't know whether Xia Xiang has never forgotten Cao Shuli, and she has never heard Xia Xiang mention Cao Shuli. Of course, she and Xia Xiang don't spend much time together, and most of the things they talk about are business matters, but she is willing to believe Xia Xiang Xiang cares about Cao Shuli, but Xia Xiang doesn't want to say it in front of her.

"Really?" Cao Shuli looked surprised and lowered her head slightly, "Miss Lian is lying to me again. He has become a county magistrate and is busy with affairs. How can he have time to remember me? With Mistress Lian by his side, he probably Forgot all."

"If Mr. Xia Lang forgets, no one will forget me. If he can't forget me, he will never forget you. Sister, you don't have to guess wildly. If you really want to know Mr. Xia Lang's mind, go to Zhending County to meet him face to face. Wouldn't it be easy to ask?" Cao Shujun looked Lian Ruohan up and down again, "Miss Lian, there is one thing I don't understand, why don't you choose to see the king, Lu Zhiyue or I have to choose Xia Sir, how is he better than us?"

Lian Ruohan was not in a good mood at first, but Cao Shujuan's words were like a breath of fresh air, which instantly cleared her mind, and she smiled: "Seeing that the king is a majestic prince, the little girl can't afford it. Lu Zhiyue and Like Cao Langjun, he is playful by nature, seeks immortality and asks questions, and has no ambitions. Only Xia Xianzun is dedicated to serving the country and the people, and has a manly look. If you don’t choose him, who will you choose? But I just choose him, and I don’t necessarily marry him.”

Cao Shujun rolled his eyes, and said dissatisfiedly: "Where do I have no ambitions? How can Lu Zhiyue compare with me? I am the most handsome young man in the capital. Hmph, Miss Lian, you underestimate others, Xia Mr. Lang is just talking, and the rest of the work is done by me. Without the craftsmanship of my master sculptor, where would there be Yu Lianhuan and Ruoer? Can Lu Zhiyue make fans? Can he carve jade? Apart from fasting and a high heart, what talent does he have?"

Lian Ruohan smiled even more happily: "If Lu Langjun heard what you said, he will definitely fight with you. Although Lu Langjun can't make fans or carve jade, now he has ambitions and is interested in official career. .Xia Xianzun has already elected him as Zhending County Lord Bo, and he is also close friends with Ye Muping."

(End of this chapter)