Chapter 27 [27] "Ghost, ghost... ghost——" [Little...

【27】/First release on Jinjiang Literature City

The next morning, the dew on the moss was cold and the sky was covered with dark clouds.

After finishing his morning lessons, Yun Ran changed into a brand new jacket embroidered with emerald blue bamboo leaves and a dark pattern, combed his hair into a bun, and went out with Qing Ling.

When they arrived at the Marquis of Changxin's Mansion after rushing, Yun Rui and his wife were already saying goodbye to their family in the front hall.

Seeing Yun Ran rushing back, the whole family was surprised and happy.

"Ranran, why are you back?"

"Yeah, where's His Royal Highness Prince Jing? Why didn't I see him?"

"Go to the stove and warm your hands. It's freezing outside. Don't catch a cold."

Yun Ran waved his hand and replied with a smile: "I came here specially to see my second brother and his wife off."

"His Highness didn't come. He doesn't like to go out, so he asked me to come and see him off myself."

"I'm not cold. I drank a big bowl of chicken soup this morning, and now my whole body is warm."

As she spoke, she walked up to Yun Rui and his wife and said, "Second brother and sister-in-law, let me take you to Baqiao."

Compared with his other brothers and sisters-in-law, Yun Ran spent the least time with Yun Rui and his wife.

The couple went to Yuzhou, and it would be another year before they would see each other again. Yun Ran thought that it would be best if he could spend as much time with them as possible.

Since their younger sister wanted to get closer to him, Yun Rui and his wife naturally wanted it more than they could have hoped.

Zheng was a little worried. She pulled Yun Ran aside and whispered, "Baqiao isn't close. It takes half a day to go back and forth. If you're late, will His Highness be unhappy?"

Things are different now. My daughter is married now, and she is not as free as when she was still a married woman.

"Don't worry, mother. His Highness won't be unhappy."

Yun Ran was very sure that Sima Jing would rather she not disturb him.

Seeing her daughter so confident, Zheng thought that the young couple got along well in private, so she didn't ask any more questions.

Seeing that it was getting late, Yun Rui and his wife also prepared to set off -

It was originally planned that Silang Yunshang would be the only one to deliver it.

When Yun Ran arrived, the third sister-in-law Qian Sijin also decided to go out with her: "I'm free at home anyway, so why not go together? I can also talk to the second sister-in-law and my younger sister on the way."

Ever since Yun Ran got married, Qian Sijin has felt extremely lonely.

She didn't notice it before when she didn't have a sister-in-law, but later she got used to having her sister-in-law as her companion in the house, chattering and making the place lively and bustling.

After she got married suddenly, the house seemed to lose its vitality, and she and her sister-in-law returned to the state where they could hardly talk to each other.

Qian Sijin missed the days when her sister-in-law was at home very much.

And she could see that she was not the only one like this.

As soon as she mentioned going out, she caught a glimpse of her sister-in-law who seemed to be interested.

However, Li Wanrong was busy with chores today and could not get away, so she could only sigh.

In the end, Yun Shang, Yun Ran and Qian Sijin went out together to see him off.

With the addition of his younger sister and sister-in-law, Yunze rode horses with Yun Shang, while the three female relatives rode in a carriage.

As soon as the dark blue carriage curtain was lowered, Qian Sijin opened the vermilion lacquer carved food box and laid out cakes, snacks, melon seeds and peanuts while saying, "Last night I was guessing with your third brother whether you would come to send me off today. Sure enough, I guessed right. You really came!"

Yun Ran smiled and said, "Now that I know, I'll naturally come. Besides, we all live in Chang'an City, so it's convenient for us to come and go."

Lu Lingzhen didn't expect Yun Ran to come.

Firstly, the couple had only spent less than two days with their sister-in-law, so their friendship was still shallow.

Secondly, my sister-in-law is now a first-rank princess, and her imperial title is higher than that of my mother-in-law Zheng. It would be enough to send someone to deliver a gift. How could I dare to trouble her to do it in person?

But she came.

She didn't have the slightest bit of the airs of a princess, nor was she strange or polite. She still looked like that lively and amiable little sister.

Lu Lingzhen felt both happy and regretful.

This trip was too hasty, otherwise it would be great if I could spend more time with my younger sister like my eldest sister-in-law and third brother's wife.

"Why is Second Sister-in-law staring at me? Is there something dirty on my face?"

Yun Ran was puzzled and reached out to touch his face.

Suddenly exposed, Lu Lingzhen's delicate face immediately flushed. "There's nothing dirty about it. I just... I just thought that after this separation, it will be another year before we meet again. I was very reluctant to leave, so I wanted to see you more."

Upon hearing this, Qian Sijin raised an eyebrow and said, "Why is Second Sister-in-law only staring at my younger sister and not looking at me? Oh, I get it! She must think my younger sister is prettier than me, right?"

"without……"

Lu Lingzhen quickly shook her head, her face turning even redder with panic: "Don't misunderstand, sister-in-law, that's not what I meant."

Qian Sijin stretched out the ending sound and said, "Then tell me, second sister-in-law, who is prettier, me or my sister? If you don't say it well today, I won't let you and second uncle leave later."

Lu Lingzhen was caught off guard by Qian Sijin's sudden attack. She looked at her third sister-in-law's bright and charming face, then at her sister-in-law's clear and bright eyebrows. She couldn't help but tighten her hand holding the handkerchief: "Hundreds of flowers bloom, each with its own merits. My third sister-in-law is like a dew-dropping peony, with a national beauty and fragrance, and my sister is like a mountain orchid, with a delicate and slender jade..."

"Okay, okay, Third Sister-in-law, stop teasing Second Sister-in-law."

Yun Ran raised her hand and patted Qian Sijin's hand, then moved closer to sit next to Lu Lingzhen, smiling softly, "Second sister-in-law, don't be fooled by the third sister-in-law. She's taking advantage of your thin skin and deliberately joking with you."

Qian Sijin couldn't hold it back and burst out laughing: "Don't be angry, sister-in-law, I was just fooling around with you."

After a pause, she winked at Lu Lingzhen again: "You are so shy, Second Uncle must have teased you a lot, right?"

When Lu Lingzhen heard this, her face immediately turned redder. After a while, she twisted her handkerchief and whispered, "He's an honest man. He rarely acts like this..."

Apart from teasing her with words in bed at night, he was quite serious during the day.

After hearing this, Qian Sijin looked at Lu Lingzhen's delicate and shy appearance, and thought to herself that even a woman like her couldn't help but feel itchy when looking at such a delicate beauty, let alone her second brother.

No wonder he was willing to take the risk of ruining his own future to marry this gentle beauty.

Because of Qian Sijin's joke just now, the atmosphere in the car became lively.

The three of them were of similar age and were all married women, so naturally they had no shortage of topics to talk about.

Although Lu Lingzhen was introverted and not as eloquent as Yun Ran and Qian Sijin, she also joined in the conversation, listening quietly and occasionally adding a few words.

Listening to the occasional laughter coming from the carriage, the two brothers riding horses in the cold wind in front also smiled at each other.

Yun Rui held the reins and sighed, "I've been married to your sister-in-law for so long, but this is the first time I've seen her smile like this."

Yun Shang said, "This is the first time I've heard Third Sister-in-law laugh like this. She never jokes with Eldest Sister-in-law like this at home."

Yun Rui: "Sister-in-law is steady and not the type to joke around."

Yun Shang raised an eyebrow: "Leng Guanyin and Old Master, hey, they are a perfect match!"

Yun Rui glanced at him and said, "If you talk about my brother and his wife behind their backs, I'll tell my eldest brother later."

Yun Shang, however, wasn't afraid at all: "Just tell me. When Big Brother asks me, I'll say you told me first. At worst, we'll both get criticized!"

Yun Rui laughed angrily and stretched out his leg to kick Yun Shang: "You bastard."

Yun Shang dodged sideways while deliberately yelling, "Second sister-in-law, second sister-in-law! My second brother is hitting someone!"

Upon hearing his wife's name, Yun Rui's expression immediately changed: "Shut up, don't disturb their peace."

Yun Shang chuckled and decided to quit while he was ahead, but he still joked, "I didn't expect that my second brother is just like my third brother, and he's also a henpecked husband."

It would be fine if the third brother was henpecked, after all, his sister-in-law was a sharp-witted and shrewd woman. But the second sister-in-law, though gentle and graceful, could actually make the tall and strong second brother bow down and obey his orders.

It's really strange!

Yun Rui didn't seem annoyed by his brother's teasing. He just rolled his eyes and said, "You're just a brat, you know nothing. As the old saying goes, a man who loves his wife will prosper. Even if you want to be a henpecked husband, you're not even qualified yet."

Yun Shang said with disdain: "I haven't had enough fun yet, I don't want someone to control me."

The two brothers were bickering with each other outside, and the women in the carriage were also chattering and laughing.

But there will always be a time for separation.

The Ba Bridge is desolate and desolate in winter, with no willow branches for people to break off to send off.

But Yun Ran still gave Yun Rui and his wife a bunch of gifts: "This hundred-year-old ginseng is perfect for making soup in winter to nourish the body. This is the tribute Huqiu tea, it's not too late to drink it this year. And these Huanhua brocades from Shuzhong, I specially selected these elegant colors based on your skin tone. The navy blue and dark blue ones are for my second brother, just enough to make two new robes to wear next spring..."

She stuffed the gift into her mouth, and Lu Lingzhen looked embarrassed: "Sister, you are so polite. It's us brothers and sisters-in-law who should buy you gifts. How can we ask you to give us so many?"

And each of these is valuable.

Yun Ran said: "It's okay, there are still plenty in the palace warehouse anyway."

When they heard that these came from the royal treasury, Yun Rui and his wife looked at each other in surprise.

After a moment's thought, Yun Rui pulled Yun Ran aside and said, "Sister, does the prince know that you're giving these things away?"

Yun Ran said, "He said it's up to me to deal with it."

Yun Rui frowned. "It's up to you to do with it. Maybe he wants you to use it for yourself. If he knew you were using it to support your family... I'm afraid it wouldn't be good."

"No, His Highness is not such a petty person."

Yun Ran said, "Besides, I can't use it all myself. For example, there are more than ten ginsengs in the treasury. If I eat them all, won't my nose bleed? As for the tea and brocade, there are too many to count. I can't drink or wear them all. Instead of letting them gather dust in the treasury, it's better to take them out and share them so that they can be put to good use."

After a pause, she looked at Yun Rui: "Does brother dislike these things?"

Yun Rui said hurriedly, "That's not true. We're so happy that you're thinking about me and your sister-in-law. I'm just... I'm worried that you'll have a hard time explaining yourself when you get back."

"Don't worry about that. I asked His Highness twice yesterday, and he said both times that I would handle it."

As the saying goes, "When you take someone's money, you owe them something." Yun Ran felt she needed to help Sima Jing restore his image. "I know people out there think His Highness is incredibly sinister, but if you've gotten to know him, you'll find he's not that scary..."

She chattered on and on about Sima Jing. Yun Rui listened quietly, and seeing that his sister's eyes were clear and frank, and she didn't seem to be pretending, he felt relieved.

"Okay, as long as you are doing well, brother will be relieved."

Yun Rui patted Yun Ran on the shoulder and said, "My second brother is far away in Yuzhou and won't be able to take care of you in time. If you encounter any problems, just go home and find your parents and your other brothers. If they are of no use, write to me again."

Although he didn't think there was anything that his parents and elder brother couldn't handle.

Yun Ran smiled and said, "I understand. You and Second Sister-in-law should take good care of yourselves when you are outside. Especially Second Sister-in-law, she is such a delicate lady, don't bully her."

"Hahaha, do you even need to tell me that?"

Yun Rui laughed heartily, his dark face full of satisfaction: "I wish I could worship your second sister-in-law as a bodhisattva."

Lu Lingzhen was talking to Qian Sijin not far away. When she heard this, her face turned red again.

She turned around: "Husband!"

Yun Rui immediately responded: "Hey, coming, coming——"

It was already past noon, and the family had a simple meal at a roadside teahouse before going their separate ways.

On the way back, Qian Sijin took Yun Ran's arm and said, "When your third brother and I got married last year, your second brother and his wife didn't come back, so this is the first time I see them."

"Although I've never met her, I know that my second sister-in-law, like my eldest sister-in-law, comes from a prestigious family. One is the Longxi Li family, and the other is the Fanyang Lu family, both of which are well-known and powerful. Moreover, before my second sister-in-law married, her poems and essays were highly praised. Even someone like me who doesn't like reading much has heard of her as the most talented woman in the boudoir."

"I thought that since she was from an aristocratic family and a very talented woman, she would definitely be more sophisticated than my sister-in-law... ahem, more disciplined. I never thought that after spending so much time with her, she would actually be such a kind person."

"Now that you're married and she's gone back to Yuzhou, there are suddenly two fewer people I can talk to at home. I feel so empty and miserable!"

Yun Ran also knew that her eldest and third sisters-in-law had always been at odds with each other. Before, when she was at home, she tried her best to act as a peacemaker and ease the relationship between them.

Unexpectedly, once they left home, their relationship returned to normal.

"Third sister-in-law, although the eldest sister-in-law is a little bit well-behaved, she has a very good heart."

Yun Ran advised, "Perhaps you could try to put aside your grudges and get along with her?"

"Well, do you think I don't want to get along with her? She's the one who's looking down on me and despises my background."

Qian Sijin curled her lips. "What's wrong with merchants? I run my business honestly, never stealing or robbing. I've worked so hard to build our current fortune. It's not easy. Those high-ranking nobles, relying on the protection of their ancestors, have so many lazy, greedy, and foolish people. How are they any better than us?"

Yun Ran grew up in the countryside and had heard of many corrupt officials and dignitaries who abused their power to oppress others, and had also seen many black-hearted and unscrupulous businessmen who were cunning and treacherous. Therefore, she was helpless in dealing with the conflict between her two sisters-in-law and could only sigh secretly -

Fate cannot be forced, so let it be. At 1:00 PM, the carriage re-entered Chang'an City.

Hearing that Yun Ran was planning to dispose of all the old tea that had accumulated in the mansion, Qian Sijin directly ordered the carriage to go to the East Market, the main store of Qian's Tea Shop.

"I'll ask my shopkeeper how much he can take. If he can take it all, you can send it to me. I guarantee it will be more cost-effective than the market price for buying tea."

“That’s wonderful.”

Yun Ran was overjoyed. "You don't know what a shame it is that when I opened the warehouse yesterday, I saw several boxes of tea inside. They were all top-grade tea. They were just sitting there gathering dust."

Qian Sijin was curious: "Are they all rewards from the palace?"

Yun Ran said, "There are gifts from the palace, and there are gifts from other mansions during the four seasons. You know, His Highness never socializes with others, but because of his status, others will still give him gifts during the holidays. So, His Highness only accepts gifts and doesn't give anything in return..."

Qian Sijin: “…”

No wonder my sister-in-law is so generous. It turns out that there is a wealth-attracting Pixiu in the house that only brings in money but never gives out.

As they were talking, the carriage arrived at the main store of Qian's Tea House.

I saw that the shop was spacious and magnificent, three stories high, with flying eaves and pointed corners, covered with colored glaze, which was clear and bright in the sunlight.

The location is also excellent, right at the entrance to the East Market, surrounded by a constant stream of cars and people coming and going, and it is very lively.

Yun Ran raised his head and sighed: "Third sister-in-law, your family is really rich."

Qian Sijin waved her hands proudly: "It's okay."

As he spoke, he pulled Yun Ran and called his brother-in-law Yun Shang: "Come, I'll treat you to some of my top-quality Da Hong Pao."

Upon hearing the news that the eldest lady had arrived, the shopkeeper immediately ran out to greet her.

After respectfully leading the group to the private room on the third floor, he unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance in the corridor.

"Brother Cui?"

"Sister Yunwu?"

Cui Boxu was carrying a box of gift tea wrapped in red paper sprinkled with gold and was about to go downstairs when he saw three people from the Yun family coming towards him.

It wasn't until Yun Shang frowned that Cui Boxu came back to his senses. He hurried forward to greet the other two people: "Madam San Shao, Si Lang."

Qian Sijin returned the greeting, and at the same time calmly took a step forward, blocking Yun Ran with her body.

Yun Shang asked, "Brother Bo Xu, are you here to buy tea?"

Cui Boxu nodded. "The eighth day of next month is my master's birthday. I heard that the shop has received new tea today, so I came to buy some as a gift."

Yun Shang: "I see. What a coincidence! This shop happens to be owned by my third sister-in-law. Let's come for tea."

Cui Boxu nodded, but his eyes kept looking at Yun Ran.

I saw her with her black hair tied up in a bun, wearing a small jacket embroidered with emerald blue bamboo leaves, which made her skin look white and her cheeks look like jade. Her dark eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes were still as clear and lively as when I first met her, as if she was still the carefree young lady waiting to be married.

Since they parted at Xuandu Temple that day, although they never met again, he had always been concerned about her situation.

When he learned that she had married safely into Prince Jing's Mansion, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief for her.

But later he heard that the always solitary King Jing had actually accompanied her back home, and that the couple had joined the team together, behaving intimately. For some reason, he felt a sense of melancholy in his heart.

He met her on the first day she returned to Chang'an.

If only he had proposed to her earlier...

Maybe, maybe there wouldn't be this unspeakable regret.

"Brother Bo Xu, if there is nothing else, let's go upstairs first."

As a man himself, Yun Shang could tell at a glance that there was something wrong with the way Cui Boxu looked at his sister.

Although he was also wondering why Cui Boxu was already thinking about his sister after only meeting her once?

Well, it must be because my sister is too beautiful.

If it weren't for the Queen Mother's arrangement of marriage, the threshold of my house would probably have been trampled down by suitors by now.

Cui Boxu naturally understood Yun Shang's meaning and nodded in response, "Okay."

But when he passed by Yun Ran, he couldn't help but ask, "Princess Yun... Princess, how are you these days?"

Yun Ran still had a good impression of Cui Boxu. Now that they met again, she smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Cui, for your concern. I'm fine."

After a moment's thought, he added, "I am alive now, proving that all those rumors about wife-killing are false. I hope you can let it go soon and not let rumors lead you to misunderstand my Highness."

The words "My Highness" made the expressions of the three people present change.

Qian Sijin smiled secretly, the young couple had a really good relationship.

Yun Shang was wondering when her sister became so close to King Jing?

Cui Boxu was confused and disappointed. After a long while, he managed to force a smile: "My princess, everything is going well for you. You are blessed with great fortune. May God bless you."

Yun Ran also felt that it was the Grandmaster who was blessing her from heaven. She smiled and invited him, "It's a rare opportunity to meet you. If Brother Cui is free, would you like to join us upstairs for tea?"

Facing the young lady's friendly eyes, Cui Boxu was stunned.

Looking at Yun Shang and Qian Sijin's polite yet distant smiles, Cui Boxu politely declined: "No, I have some things to do at home, so I won't bother you."

Yun Ran felt a little regretful when he heard this, but he didn't force it: "Okay, then we can get together again some other time if we have the chance."

Cui Boxu said yes and said goodbye to the three of them.

Until I reached the first floor, I could faintly hear the sound of conversation coming from upstairs——

"...Now that you're married, how can you invite a stranger to have tea with you?"

"But isn't Brother Cui a friend? Can't I drink tea with my friends now that I'm married?"

“………”

The subsequent words were drowned out by the door of the private room and could no longer be heard.

Cui Boxu murmured: "Friends..."

After a long while, he curled the corners of his lips, picked up the tea gift, and walked out of Qian's Tea House.

**

As dusk fell, the lights in Prince Jing's mansion were lit one after another.

Shenliu Hall, which is usually dim and quiet, has several more lights lit from the gate to the courtyard today, illuminating the way forward.

But until late at night, there was still no sign of the nimble butterfly-like figure.

Looking at the man in black robe standing by the window with his hands behind his back, Chang Chun pondered for a moment before speaking: "The princess must have been out all day and must be tired, so she didn't have time just now..."

Before he could finish his words, the man by the window gave him a cold look.

The overwhelming majesty and coldness in that gaze made Chang Chun's knees weak, and he fell to his knees. "Your Highness, please calm down. It was I who spoke too much."

He was crawling on all fours, but he could still feel that gaze still lingering above his head, like a coiled viper, dark, damp and cold.

I couldn't help but groan in my heart, what is going on?

If you want to see the princess, why don't you just go to Zhanlu Hall? Standing here looking out the window, no one will know you're waiting.

Suddenly, a deep voice sounded from above: "Going out to see someone off, how can it be too tiring?"

Chang Chun shuddered and hurriedly reported the princess's itinerary for the day truthfully.

When talking about Qian's Tea House, he paused.

Sima Jing's patience was already running low, and his tone grew graver: "If you have something to say, just say it."

“Yes, yes…”

Chang Chun's voice trembled as he told the princess about her chance encounter with Cui Jia Sanlang in a teahouse.

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent, save for the sound of the cold north wind and the flickering of lanterns outside the window.

Just when Chang Chun was worried, a sneer suddenly came from the window.

Before he could react, he caught a glimpse of a dark-colored robe with dark patterns out of the corner of his eye.

Looking up again, Chang Chun looked at the tall figure that quickly disappeared into the vast night, feeling panic in his heart.

Where are you going, Your Highness?

Liuxianyuan, or...

Zhanlu Hall?

**

Yun Ran had been out all day today and was very tired.

On the way back, she was still thinking that Sima Jing might be waiting for her.

But when I returned to Zhanlu Hall, I lay on the couch and drank a cup of warm ginseng tea. I saw that it was dark outside, the north wind was howling, and the warmth in the house was really comfortable.

After comparing the two, I felt lazy and didn't want to move anymore.

Anyway, one day less of not holding him won’t make much difference. Maybe he’ll be happy to have some peace and quiet over there.

Thinking of this, she took a shower, changed her clothes, and went to bed with peace of mind.

Before I knew it, the night grew darker and everything became silent.

Yun Ran was lying in the soft quilt, sleeping soundly with his eyes closed, when suddenly a cold wind blew.

The cool breeze blew straight to her neck, brushing against her skin, making her shiver.

After rubbing her eyes in a daze, she wondered how the wind could get in when the curtain was clearly drawn. She stood up and tried to draw the curtain.

I didn't expect that when I opened my sleepy eyes a little, I saw a dark figure beside the couch.

“Ghost, ghost… ghost—ah!”

My mouth was suddenly covered by a warm big hand.

Yun Ran's dark eyes trembled violently until the cold wind blew through the persimmon-colored curtain, and the man's overly gorgeous face also enlarged in front of her eyes.

The fear in her eyes turned into full of doubt: "Hmm?"

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The author has something to say: Have a nice Sunday, this chapter will continue with the red envelope, see you all tomorrow~ [kiss]