Chapter 13 Chapter 13 For You

Du Ling stood still.

She didn't know how this marquis could say such a thing.

Is it that a man can bend and stretch himself, or is it that he has been drinking and chatting in this palace of power for too long that he can say anything?

Du Lingjing felt it was the latter. As for what he said about falling in love with her at first sight in Zhenyue Tower, it couldn't be true.

But what exactly did he want to gain by marrying her?

She remained silent and motionless, but saw the man take out something from his arms. His hand was very light and it seemed to be something precious.

But when Du Lingjing looked from the corner of her eye, she saw it was a key.

He spoke.

"I have a library in the suburbs of Beijing. It is taller, wider and more spacious than the Mianlou in my wife's home. It can easily house a hundred thousand books. People say it is comparable to the Royal Wenlan Pavilion. This building took many years to build and was completed just half a year ago."

He stretched out his hand and handed the key to her.

The key shone with a brass sheen, and the top was shaped like a tall, delicate library.

Du Lingjing had heard about this library of the Lu family a long time ago. It was built by craftsmen borrowed from the Ministry of Works to build the building for the palace. It had been under construction for six years since Lu Shenru returned to Beijing from the northwestern border.

She had also lamented to Sanlang that the Lu family was wealthy enough to build such a majestic building, but it was a pity that the Du family could only barely support the Mian Building to keep its collection of books, and it was impossible for them to build another tall building.

At that time, Saburo just smiled and said nothing.

He handed the key to the library to her.

"I have never known what to name this building. This time, please accept it, my lady. From now on, it belongs to you and you can name it as you like."

The light of the brass key flickered slightly, and Du Lingjing was in a trance for a moment. She wanted her family's book collection to have a place like Lu's building, but not in this way.

She shook her head.

"This item is too valuable, Du Lingjing can't afford it."

She doesn't want it.

Her face was tense and she turned her head away, as if this was not the key to the library, but a bad thing that would stick to her hand and she would not even touch it.

Lu Shenru looked at him and pursed his lips, but the next moment, he took another half step forward.

The study room, which already seemed cramped, suddenly became crowded, and he was less than half a step away from her.

Du Lingjing wanted to retreat, but there were tables and chairs behind her and there was no place to retreat.

The man's breathing was faintly audible. Du Lingjing was no longer used to being so far away from others, and her heartbeat quickened.

She clenched her hands secretly and looked up at him.

His eyes were as black as ink, and the thick ink contained inextricable meaning.

She had no intention of pursuing the matter, so she had to repeat it again, "This key is too valuable, please take it back, sir..."

However, before she finished her words, the man lowered his head and tied the key around her waist.

The belt around her waist was gently pulled, and she moved closer to him.

Du Lingjing was startled and reached out to untie it, but he suddenly looked up and stared at her with his ink-black eyes.

"Other gifts are not worth mentioning. This is the only thing I want to give you the most. Don't understand."

A low, hoarse voice brushed against her ears.

Du Lingjing's hands hesitated slightly, and he had already tied the key tightly around her waist.

Du Lingjing had never seen anyone give gifts to others like this!

But the man's mouth corners raised, the spring in his eyes warmed up, and his steps retreated to where they were.

Du Lingjing pursed her lips and remained silent.

At this moment, her uncle suddenly asked from outside the door, "My Lord, would you like another pot of tea?"

Du Zhiqi was afraid that his niece would cause trouble again, so he didn't dare let her talk to Marquis Lu alone.

When he asked, Lu Shenru glanced at the girl beside him and saw that she didn't even want to glance at him again, and had nothing to say to him, so he could only respond to Du Zhiqi.

"Master Du, there is no need to rush. It is getting late and I should go back soon."

His eyes passed over her again, and she certainly wouldn't try to hold him back.

But the man felt satisfied when he saw the key tied around her waist which she had not yet untied.

Seeing Du Zhiqi coming into the study, he spoke to his uncle and nephew.

"I have asked the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to choose an auspicious date for the wedding, and it will be on the sixth day of next month," he said. "When the drums and music lead the way and red silk is spread on the streets, I will come and marry the girl."

As soon as the words fell, the uncle and nephew froze.

The sixth day of next month?

There is only half a month left!

Du Lingjing couldn't help but look up at him, and he smiled at her gently.

Du Zhiqi couldn't help but ask, "My Lord, you said September 6th? That only leaves half a month for preparation..."

"That's enough." Lu Shenru didn't look at him, his eyes only fell on the girl's frowning brows, "The Marquis' Mansion will be fully prepared within half a month, and the Marquis's wife will not be wronged in the slightest."

After he said this, he did not stay any longer and said goodbye to the uncle and nephew and left.

Du Lingjing felt her eyes were a little dry and sore, and there was a dull pain from her eye sockets to half of her forehead.

She wanted to go back to her yard, but her uncle stopped her.

"What did you say to the Marquis just now? Fortunately, the Marquis didn't make a fuss with you. You know he is the Marquis of Yongding, holding a large number of troops at the border, and even the emperor has to treat him with courtesy. Who dares to talk nonsense to him?"

Du Zhiqi was frightened when he thought of his niece suddenly coming over and wanting to talk to Lord Lu alone.

First, she met Shao Boju without saying a word, then caused a huge stir, and now she wants to meet Lord Lu alone. I don’t know what she wants to do?

Du Zhiqi thought that his niece seemed silent but dared to stir up trouble, so he couldn't help but speak.

"Next time you're going to do something, can you tell me first?!"

Du Lingjing was surprised by these words and looked at her uncle.

Du Zhiqi also felt that what he said was a bit strange. If she had told him in advance, how could he have "made trouble"?

"Anyway, let me save some worry!"

He said he would go, and seeing that his niece seemed to be in a bad mood, he just said "hmm" perfunctorily.

Du Zhiqi sat down, holding his head.

Du Lingjing went all the way back, passed the main courtyard, and saw a skirt.

Some people seemed to be in a hurry to avoid it, but their skirts were still exposed.

Qiu Lin whispered, "It's the Second Miss. Just now, the Second Miss has been paying attention to the situation of the girl in the front yard, the Marquis, and the Second Master."

It's not strange that she was paying attention to the front yard, but what was strange was why she was in a hurry to avoid it when I was walking towards her?

But at this moment, Du Lingjing didn't have the heart to investigate further. Her eyes swept across Du Runqing's skirt and returned to the west courtyard.

She asked Qiulin to get the empty box, and she bent down to unlock the key at her waist.

She didn't want to be the marquis's wife, and she didn't want his key.

But the key was tied very tightly, as if it was tied in some special way. She tried to unlock it herself for a long time, and Qiulin also came to help, but neither of them could unlock it.

"It looks like a loose button, but when you untie it, it becomes a tight button, and it's fastened around the girl's waist. What should I do?"

Du Lingjing couldn't help but think of what happened just now. She didn't want Lord Lu's things, but he came up to her and tied them around her waist.

She was silent for a moment, then suddenly picked up the scissors.

Qiu Lin was startled. "Miss, after all, it was the key given by the Marquis, and it is tied with the ribbon of the Marquis' Mansion."

How can I cut it?

She said that the girl became more silent when she saw her, but she picked up the scissors and cut the belt around her waist.

The laces were cut and the keys dropped with a clang.

The girl didn't even glance at it and walked away to the desk.

She opened the old manuscript and began to revise the book, without saying a word from beginning to end.

Qiu Lin no longer dared to make any noise——

The girl's most unhappy moment was when she began to revise the book without saying a word.

The book was revised until night fell and the lights were lit.

Qiu Lin was just about to go in to light the lamp for the girl when the maid Ai Ye came back.

"Sister Qiulin, I have found out everything the young lady asked me to find out about the Marquis of Yongding."

Qiulin was delighted, and the girl in the study finally spoke.

"Ai Ye, come in and answer the question."

"yes!"