Lady Zhao

Chapter 108

Since the thunder was loud last night, it has been raining for two consecutive days, and it has become smaller today. The fine rain weaves a gray curtain between the sky and the earth, and the rain curtain hangs in front of the eaves. Small splashes of water splashed on the bluestone bricks.

Although it was afternoon, it looked like it was getting dark.

"I can't eat so many lychees from Nanzhou, so bring me a piece, and you can try it." Mu Lanyan told Zhao Wenwan with a smile as she asked her personal servant girl to bring a large plate to the table.

Looking at the juicy lychees, Zhao Wenwan couldn't help but think of the story of a concubine laughing in the world of mortals. You must know that the lychees are produced in Nanzhou, and it will take a few days even if you hurry up. Such fresh ones are extremely rare.

Mu Lanyan peeled one, and handed it to Zhao Wenwan, "I used the rustic method in the countryside. When the lychees were ripe, I picked them off, sawed off the moso bamboo and discarded the upper half, cut open the lower half and put the lychees into the bamboo joints. Tighten it with iron wire, and finally apply yellow mud, and it will heal in a short time. Lychees are hidden in the bamboo joints and can be kept fresh for more than half a year."

Then, as if thinking of something, the corner of his mouth picked up a playful smile and said, "The capital is really an interesting place. I just mentioned that when the lychees in Nanzhou are ripe, someone will deliver them to your door eagerly. I especially love lychee, actually, I don’t like this kind of fruit that much.”

"The most unpredictable thing is people's hearts, and the most difficult to debate is human words." Zhao Wenwan also said with emotion.

Mu Lanyan bent her lips, "It really inspired me."

Zhao Wenwan looked at her, but saw her smiling deeply, and didn't intend to say more, so she didn't ask.A pot of fragrant tea is lingering, accompanied by the sound of ticking rain, but this artistic conception will soon be interrupted by the faint voices of noisy people, not far away, and the excitement over there can be detected.

"Presumably the Princess knows that I accompanied my grandmother to Puji Temple in the morning to comfort your father's spirit. The relatives from the Mu family are at the house at the moment, and there will be a thank-you banquet in the evening, so it will be more lively." Zhao Wenwan listened to the voice. explained.

When mentioning her biological father, a glint of light flashed in Mu Lanyan's eyes, and she said in a low voice, "She should kowtow a few times in front of my father."

Zhao Wenwan understood her mood at the moment, if the master of the Mu family knew that his daughter would be killed by an adopted child, he would definitely die with regret. "This is a good opportunity..."

"It doesn't matter, those relatives are all side branches that can't be reached. The Mu family is not far behind. The immediate family members are afraid of getting caught with me, a poor relative, so they can hide. But... that person still occupied the house after I left. , it’s good, it saves the effort of finding someone, and that person has already got what he deserved.”

Zhao Wenwan nodded thoughtfully, it turned out that Mu Lanyan had just left Daliang City to go back to deal with the villains.

Mu Lanyan paused as she spoke, and continued, "Someone is secretly intervening in the affairs of the Mu family."

Zhao Wenwan raised his eyebrows, and then thought of someone, "It should be the Leng family, Zhao Wenxi doesn't have that much talent."

"It's not a problem, it's not a threat." Mu Lanyan said that this was just a reminder to Zhao Wenwan. The source of the investigation seems to be related to the Dingguo Palace. It would be great if Zhao Wenwan knew it. "I have to ask Wen Wanming to explain the play for me in detail."

Zhao Wenwan immediately thought of the thank-you dinner organized by the Leng family, and then looked at Mu Lanyan, who smiled profoundly, took a sip from the teacup, and offered to leave.

All the way to send Mu Lanyan to the door, the maid held an oil-paper umbrella to cover her from the rain, and the woman under the umbrella stood at the door so that Zhao Wenwan didn't have to see her off.Hearing Lan Yan's voice from far away, he turned his head, the momentary surprise fell into Zhao Wenwan's eyes, and he subconsciously looked towards the source of the voice.

Under the ink-colored oil-paper umbrella, the visitor was dressed in an elegant brocade and light blue gown, his brows were darkened with dampness, and his long black hair hung down his shoulders. However, when Mu Lanyan looked over, her tenderness melted, and there was a hint of pampering in her eyes.

When people approached, Zhao Wenwan saw that he was holding a thin cloak of the same color in his hand, and carefully tied it on for Mu Lanyan, and said, "You have a headache all the time these days, so don't run around." He doesn't hide his concern.

Mu Lanyan smiled calmly, pretending to be taught, and introduced to Zhao Wenwan, "This is the benefactor who saved me."

Then the man gave Zhao Wenwan a slight nod, greeted Miss Zhao, and held up an umbrella to take him back.

Zhao Wenwan watched the back of the two leaving, looked at the man whose shoulders were mostly wet under the umbrella, couldn't help but smiled with his lips curled up.

As the evening approached, the banquet was held in Yunhua Pavilion by the lotus pond. In the huge hall, there was an assortment of delicacies on the big mahogany round table.Zhao Wenxi was wearing a cherry gauze skirt with large sleeves and cross-legs. She wore a hanging bun and wore jade and emerald flowers, which had obviously been carefully picked and decorated. Standing beside the old lady, she behaved gracefully and decently.

Because they are all relatives of the Mu family's offshoots, few people really know Mu Lanyan. Occasionally, they say that Lan Yan seems to have changed, but they are all fooled by the greeting Leng with a sentence of "female college eighteen changes".It's just that when they heard that the rich and powerful officials in the capital wanted to invite people to the capital, they came here blindly. Anyway, they eat and drink for nothing, and they can also take advantage of the Duke of Dingguo. Naturally, they are very positive, and this is Leng's desired effect.

The protagonist of today's banquet was Zhao Wenxi. Zhao Wenwan was thinking about the good show Mu Lanyan mentioned in his heart, and kept making guesses, but the lively atmosphere at the banquet was still there, and there was no sign of a good show starting.

After dinner, it was Leng's decision to send the relatives of the Mu family to the inn. Zhao Wenxi accompanied Leng to see off the guests at the door. His thoughtful courtesy was praised endlessly.Zhao Wenwan was always on the sidelines, looking at the flattering appearance of those relatives, but guessed Leng's purpose.

Perhaps aware of Zhao Wenwan's probing gaze, Leng stared at her, and joked with a smile, "Since Yuan Li got married, I've seen you withered, knowing that you and Yuan Li have a close relationship. With your younger sister Wenxi as your company, you are looking at the age of marriage, and you will soon be unable to keep it."

"Auntie." Zhao Wenxi said coquettishly when she mentioned this in front of outsiders.

"Sister Wenxi has a crush on someone?" Zhao Wenwan followed the words knowingly, but didn't give her a chance to answer, and deliberately said a little familiarly, "There are many young talents around the sixth prince, and I want to see if my sister is suitable. of."

"..." Zhao Wenxi's chest was clogged with anger at what she taught her, but she couldn't break out, maintaining a smile on her face, "Sister, don't make fun of me."

Zhao Wenwan chuckled from the bottom of his heart, but didn't answer.Just as he was wondering that the curtain was about to end today, a call came with the sound of wind.

"Lan Yin!"

Zhao Wenwan recovered from surprise, and only had time to catch a glimpse of Zhao Wenxi's face that had faded in an instant, and then saw a woman rushing forward, before she got close to Zhao Wenxi, she was stopped and questioned about her identity.

"Lan Yin?" The woman looked at Zhao Wenxi's luxurious clothes, took a step back bewilderedly, and looked carefully again, only to be sure that she did not admit her mistake. "It's mother, you...how do you..."

"This is the second young lady of the family, don't be blindsided by your mother-in-law." A servant yelled impatiently.

Zhao Wenwan looked at the woman's clothes, plain and simple, but meticulous, which was obviously a concern.Then came the middle-aged old man, his hair was dyed a few strands of gray, and he was so excited when he saw people that he didn't even care that his umbrella was blown off by the wind, and his eyes were full of tears, staring at Zhao Wenxi.

"I found it, I found it at last. You and Miss said that there was no news after we came to the capital. Your mother and I were looking forward and looking forward in Yuzhou, just waiting for a news of your safety. Later, the house let the killer It’s worth a thousand dollars, your mother and I were kicked out and sold our cattle and sheep to make some money, thinking about coming to the capital to try our luck, my son, it’s good if you don’t suffer.” The old man choked up a little at the end. , kept muttering the last sentence, quite relieved.

All the people looked confused!

However, the expected touching reunion did not happen. Zhao Wenxi quickly calmed down after the panic at the beginning, and eagerly put aside the relationship and said: "The two old people may have misunderstood the person. I am not the Lan Yin you mentioned. It's getting dark today, Auntie, seeing the two old people who are looking for relatives are poor, why don't they send them to the inn together?"

"Indeed." Frowning, Leng hurriedly recruited the servant girl to pick up an umbrella to support the two people, and ordered the servants who saw the guests to send them there.

"Why isn't it Lan Yin? How can I not recognize my own daughter!" After Zhao Wenxi's speech, the woman who lost her voice burst into tears, stepped forward, and pointed at her chest through her clothes. "There is a birthmark, there is a birthmark here."

Zhao Wenwan had had enough of watching from the sidelines, and now she pretended to be surprised and said, "How does the mother-in-law know that my sister has a birthmark? You...why do you call my sister Lan Yin?"

"Sister, they recognized the wrong person..." Zhao Wenxi immediately emphasized.

Zhao Wenwan smiled, and said slowly, "Sister, what's the hurry? I just asked the two old people for a pitiful question. Maybe their daughter is really similar to you, sister." Then he said to the two people not far away: "Where did the two old men come from? Before my sister came back, she was Mu Lanyan, the eldest lady of the Mu family in the south of Yuzhou City. It's raining heavily, old man, you can take a closer look."

"How could this be the eldest lady of our Mu family? It's obviously Lan Yin, the maid next to the eldest lady, Lan Yin, our daughter!"

As soon as these words came out, Zhao Wenxi's complexion became ugly, and some of the servants present began to secretly point and point, Zhao Wenxi's extreme resentment towards Zhao Wenwan was hidden under his eyes.

"Oh? You are also from the Mu family?" Zhao Wenwan said in even more surprise.

The old couple were responsible, and after teaching Zhao Wenwan this distraction, they realized that they had not been introduced, so they talked about the Mu family. Today, they also heard that Dingguo's mansion was in Puji Temple for Mu. It was only because of the Buddhist ceremony run by the master of the family that I had come all the way. If it wasn't for the help of noble people on the way, the old couple might not be able to find anyone.

Things have come to this point, there are so many eyes watching from up and down in the mansion, and the distant relatives of the Mu family who have not yet left recognize the couple as the stewards of the Mu mansion, Zhao Wenxi's face is green and his voice is completely numb.

Leng Shi could no longer cover up, as if realizing that something was wrong, he sent someone to inform the old lady. Zhao Wenwan was worried about Leng Shi, and deliberately asked Xue Yan to go to Mingxu Garden with her.

Finally, with an unstoppable momentum, the group was invited to Mingxu Garden.

On the way, Zhao Wenxi turned his head quickly, suppressed his nervousness, tried his best to maintain a calm face, and took the opportunity to whisper to Leng, without complaining in his tone, "Auntie also said that she would help me handle the Mu family's affairs, look Now this situation? I must become an ungrateful person in front of my grandmother!"

In the end, he said with a bit of anger: "I am afraid that my aunt said that it is not allowed to carry out Mu Lanyan's body after checking the ruined temple. Don't jump out of the mansion one day and say that you are the eldest lady of the Mu family." .”

Of course, although Zhao Wenxi had doubts about the identity of Princess Mu, when he calmed down, he still favored the result given by Leng.She thought that Mu Lanyan was just the daughter of a porcelain merchant, and she would never be able to gain a relationship with Prince Mu's Mansion, let alone be a princess. If it was true, she should have come to expose herself long ago.

Zhao Wenxi's daring to yell at Leng at this time is probably because she was vented by this one, and there is another layer that she has already figured out a countermeasure to deal with it.

After hearing this, Leng Shi said coldly: "If you don't have to do it, will there be such a thing today?"

"..."

The oil lamp was dim, and after listening to the old couple say Zhao Wenxi, no, it was Mu Lanyin's ten years, Mrs. Zhao fell silent.These remarks are different from what Zhao Wenxi said when he came, even the two old men are not evil servants, and it is clear at a glance which is right and which is wrong.

"Grandmother, I didn't mean to deceive. At that time, I was afraid of sleeping on the street, so... I made up my poor life experience. Grandma forgive me for being confused for a moment. Later, you love me so much, and I dare not tell what I have suffered before. I'm afraid you feel distressed, this is also the reason why I don't want to adopt my parents today, and I wanted to make up for them in private." Seeing this, Zhao Wenxi admitted his mistake without hesitation, and cried like pear blossoms and rain, with his usual pitiful appearance.

The old lady stared at her for a while, seeing that she was about to cry and faint, she was still soft-hearted after all, thinking that these two raised Zhao Wenxi, so she asked Mother Yang to arrange to clean up the side courtyard and live there.

The old couple came from the countryside and had never seen much of the world. Everything they saw was new, and they had heard of the rigor of the big family, so they were cautious in every move.Zhao Wenxi saw that her grandmother didn't pursue it immediately, so she hurriedly accompanied her adoptive parents as if she was a good friend.

When he came to the courtyard, the expression on Zhao Wenxi's face suddenly changed. After confirming that there was no one around, he glared at the two of them viciously, almost gnashing his teeth, and said, "You just don't want me to have a good time, let me marry that poor scholar first, Now that I have regained my identity, you are rushing to destroy it again!"

The old woman looked horrified, and watched Zhao Wenxi leave in a huff of sleeves. After a while, she turned to the person next to her and said, "Old man, how did Yin'er become like this?"

The poor scholar obviously saw that she liked her. He said that he could become a high-ranking official after high school, and the name was given by the master. They have been called Lan Yin for more than ten years, but why did they become Miss when they arrived in the capital? , the two old people were sad, but their hearts were full of doubts.

It is easy to get tired in the summer afternoon. After lunch, the maids remove the dishes. Mrs. Zhao always wants to take a rest for a while, but she is not allowed to go to sleep right after eating, so she consciously leans on the soft bed. Pull Yang's mother to gossip on the couch.

Mama Yang has been with the old lady for many years. In private, the master and servant are more casual. The old lady smiled and asked her to sit across from her. You are willing to listen to what the eldest lady says, even if the eldest master comes."

Old Mrs. Zhao squinted her eyes and immediately smiled, just like the sunshine outside, full of warmth, she was naturally happy to be filial to her granddaughter, but she refused to follow her words, "What Wan girl said is reasonable, the old lady listened to it, just now Sleeping after eating is not good for your health."

"What Missy said is that it's good if you pay attention to your body." Mama Yang said with relief.

"Yuan Li married a daughter-in-law, and I'm already half at ease. The old lady is greedy, and she wants to see some of my precious granddaughters get married!"

"As long as you relax and pay attention to your body, the eldest lady will be married this year, and the second lady will follow. Hurry up, maybe you can hold your great-grandson, old lady."

Mrs. Zhao's eyes darkened instantly when she heard Mama Yang mentioning the second room's granddaughter.The old couple left the mansion early this morning, they just knew that they were fine, and they didn't dare to make too much of a relationship, they left quietly, but the few words they left behind were still full of sadness.

There were only two people left in the room, and the old lady never regarded Yang Ma as an outsider, she frowned, and asked abruptly, "You are used to judging people, what do you think of Wenxi?"

Mother Yang was stunned for a moment, then she turned to laughing and boasted: "Second Miss is gentle and kind by nature, maybe... She suffered from hardships since she was a child, and she is not as open-minded as Eldest Miss."

Mrs. Zhao cast a sideways glance at Mama Yang, and said in a nonchalant way on purpose: "After living at such an age, my wife still knows something in her heart. You are used to picking up some nice words, and now it's just the two of us here." , you better not fool the old lady."

After hearing this, Mama Yang showed a bit of embarrassment, the old lady snorted and turned sideways.

Mother Yang sighed lowly, and explained: "The old lady is not an old slave and she doesn't want to say more, but an old slave doesn't dare to make false remarks."

"You can say it anyway."

"The old slave thinks that the second miss is not as weak as she seems on the surface. The real adoptive parents of the previous second miss were found by everyone, and they were really unwilling to recognize them at first. If the eldest miss hadn't sent someone here Ming Xuyuan notified, I am afraid they will be dismissed. There was also the time when the sixth prince was assassinated in the palace, the second lady was injured and came back to save the sixth prince, but the old slave accidentally heard the conversation between the two ladies, which meant that she I touched the garden of the Sixth Prince, and thought about it..." Mother Yang lowered her voice, and then said what was in her heart.

"Perhaps the old slave thought too much, and the old lady passed it after hearing it, but don't worry about it, the lady in the house doesn't have a temper."

Mrs. Zhao nodded, and let out a faint, inaudible sigh. Her cloudy eyes burst into a little clarity, and finally faded to darkness again. She said that she was tired and went to sleep for a while. Mother Yang waited for her to sleep, and sighed again.

After staying for an hour, the little maid serving tea in Mingxu Garden came in and reported to Mama Yang that General Cheng had come with his wife, and that the Fourth Grandma had been with her for a while, and now Madam Cheng and the Fourth Grandma came to the garden together. Waiting outside to see the old lady.

Mama Yang went to the back room after listening. The old lady just woke up from tossing around. After a nap at noon, she was refreshed. After listening to one side, she asked, "Which family is Mrs. Cheng? Why doesn't the old lady remember being acquainted with this family?"

"It's Er Ye's old department, Deputy General Cheng. Now he's been transferred to the capital and has just been named a general. He said he came to Beijing for a special trip to see you, old lady. Do you still have any impression of old lady?"

Mrs. Zhao nodded as if lost in memory, "Is it the Vice General Cheng who transported Hongyuan back from the battlefield?"

"Exactly."

The old lady said comfortingly: "After so many years, I still don't forget to visit the mansion. She is a person who values ​​friendship. Quickly change my clothes and freshen up. I can't let people wait for a long time and neglect me."

After a while, Madam Yang hurried out to invite people in. Mrs. Cheng led a woman to open the curtain and came in to greet the old lady politely and thoughtfully. Mrs. Zhao was also polite and asked people to sit beside her and asked.Mrs. Cheng had a good temper at first sight, she spoke softly, and the atmosphere in the room was harmonious for a while.

"Hey, why don't you see the girls at home? As soon as I entered the capital, I heard that General Zhao's only daughter had been found, and I was just about to take a look."

The old lady smiled, and Mrs. Leng immediately understood what Mrs. Cheng meant, and hurriedly said: "Just call me here and let Madam meet you."

After finishing speaking, he ordered the little maids to go to various gardens to invite people.

This room, in the Xiangzhu Garden, Zhao Wenwan was leaning over the desk to read the letter from Gu Jingxing, declaring safety, Zhao Wenwan read every word, looking at the strong pen, he finally felt more at ease and had more strength It is written so neatly, it must not be hurt, the corners of the mouth are bent, looking out lazily, it seems that I have looked at a certain place through thousands of mountains and rivers, and I read a sentence in my mouth, every word is very clear, full of meaning. With a few traces of dark emotions.

After a sudden thought, Zhao Wenwan folded the letter paper, repacked it into the letter paper, and carefully put it into the wooden box next to it for safe storage. On the corner of the case table was another letter, which was passed down from Flying Pigeon in Chudi. The person who came here was exactly the West Chu Prefecture where Leng's father was transferred after Leng's departure from Beijing.

Zhao Wenwan picked up the letter again and looked at it, her black eyes were flickering, she was pondering for a while, her dark eyes were getting deeper and deeper, her red lips were tightly pursed.According to reports from the spies, the Leng family was indeed neglected after their family moved to Chu, and was sent to a Taoist temple. In previous years, there was no contact with the Leng family. It is said that Leng went to the Taoist temple to pray for his biological mother on the surface, but it does not seem to be the real reason.

The spies only said that it might have something to do with the Shen family, but at that time the head of the Shen family was a prince with a different surname from the royal family, so it was not easy to dig deep, and some secrets were too heavy to find out.

After listening to the spy's report, Leng's faint hatred for her is because she is more inclined to the Shen family. After all, Leng was only a child when he was in his prime, and the extent to which he can kill is probably the same as his biological mother, Shen. It's related, but what kind of grievances and grievances there are in it still needs to be checked carefully.

Zhao Wenwan's brows furrowed suddenly, revealing a hint of determination not to let go.

Immediately called Xueyan to come in, Zhao Wenwan handed over the letter in his hand to Xueyan, and ordered: "You let Bai Ling make desserts, send them to Mu Wangfu for the princess to taste, and tell the princess to ask her to have a good taste of the dessert , if there is something wrong, please ask the cook of Mu Wangfu to help improve it."

Xueyan is transparent, she heard clearly the hidden meaning in her young lady's words, and replied "Yes."

Before going out, she saw Baochan running over in a hurry, bluffing, "Miss, old lady invites you to Mingxu Garden!"

Before Xue Yan left, she explained, "Second Master's former department came to visit the mansion, and it should be the wife of General Cheng."

Zhao Wenwan seemed to be thinking, so she told Xueyan to go quickly, and took Baochan to Mingxuyuan. On the way, she happened to meet Zhao Wenxi and Zhao Wenxuan. Zhao Wenxue said she was not feeling well, so she didn't come, and the three of them happened to go inside together.

As soon as she saw the three girls, the smiles on Madam Cheng's face became more and more friendly. The three of them saluted one by one. Give them the presents prepared for the young ladies early in the morning, each with a kit containing a gold bracelet, and give the rest to Mama Yang for the missing child.

After a few people were seated, Mrs. Cheng's eyes fell on Zhao Wenxi, and she pulled her to her side with pity, especially affectionately.

"Look at this appearance, the birth is really similar to General Zhao, and the watery one looks like the second lady."

Zhao Wenxi bowed her head in embarrassment when she heard the praise. Mrs. Cheng asked Zhao Wenxi's daily life in detail, and asked where she was before she was found and how her life was. Zhao Wenxi's originally good face changed after hearing this question Changed, silent.

Leng looked at the side and whispered a few words for her, and saw Mrs. Cheng's complexion changed drastically, and there were tears in her eyes, "Wenxi, you have suffered."

Listening to the intimate conversation between the two, Zhao Wenwan just lowered her eyes quietly, maintaining the dignity and elegance that the eldest daughter of Duke Dingguo's mansion should have. Occasionally, she took a sip of tea and lowered her eyelids, and saw Zhao Wenxi's teary eyes with a look of ecstasy. Ruoqi's appearance is as if she has been wronged by the sky, such a soft heart of a little white rabbit, if she hadn't known her poisonous scorpion heart, she would have been deceived.

The atmosphere was a bit heavy, and because of the mention of Zhao Hongyuan, the old lady also had a look of grief, so Mother Yang quickly asked softly, "Is the lady's tea cold?"

Mrs. Cheng understood, and hurriedly said, "It's cold."

Then they changed the topic and said some other light-hearted things. Leng interrupted, probably to praise Mrs. Cheng for her good life, and she became the general's wife at a young age.

Mrs. Cheng smiled, "It's not that my fate is good, it's that my husband accumulated virtues in his ancestors and had a kindness with the master of the Shenji Pavilion. Your husband got three of his tips and was able to rise all the way."

The master of the Divine Machine Pavilion?

Zhao Wenwan was listening lazily at first, but this sentence lifted her spirits. In the script, Zhao Wenxi asked the master of the Shenji Pavilion to be Gu Jingxing's counselor, which can be regarded as a boost to the relationship between the two... Thinking of this, Zhao Wenwan's eyes fell on Cheng On Madam's body, the old second room, it should be the opportunity in front of me.

For some reason, I remembered that when Zhao Wenxi came to look for her one time, he read the book of strange stories on the table, and he also knew the master of the Shenji Pavilion.Looking at her eager eyes looking at Mrs. Cheng now, Zhao Wenwan can completely guess what she wants to do, but how can she fail this time?Zhao Wenwan fell into deep thought.

After chatting for a while, Mrs. Cheng got up to leave and let Mama Yang see her off. Zhao Wenxi graciously offered to see her off by herself, but when she was about to leave, she quietly asked Mrs. Cheng if she could introduce herself to the master of the Shenji Pavilion, see above one side.Mrs. Cheng pursed her lips and didn't respond in time, as if she was in a dilemma, and couldn't bear to let her expectations fail, so she finally asked General Cheng to come out for an interview.

(End of this chapter)