Chapter 19 She didn’t think Xie Guanlan would wear the shoes she gave him

Wen Xingluo pursed her lips, hesitating whether to take the blame for Xie Shian.

Xie Shian gestured anxiously: Ten taels of silver!

As long as she helps him take the blame, he is willing to give her ten taels of silver!

Wen Xingluo raised his eyebrows slightly but said nothing.

Xie Shian was in a hurry and continued to gesture: Twenty taels of silver!

Wen Xingluo still remained silent, guessing that this book might be a banned book by the imperial court.

The imperial court listed many ancient books as banned books. Although it was expressly forbidden for the people to read them, the emperor was far away and many people still read them secretly. Even if they were caught, they would only be fined and given a warning, which was not a serious crime.

Maybe Xie Shian has a special identity, so he is afraid of being caught by Xie Guanlan?

Xie Shian looked pitiful and opened his mouth silently: Little aunt!

He offered a price of thirty taels of silver.

For the sake of the thirty taels of silver, Wen Xingluo admitted, "Yes, this is my book. I bought it from a street vendor for five copper coins. Besides me, many other people also bought it."

As the saying goes, the law does not punish the masses. There are so many people buying banned books, Xie Guanlan won’t arrest them all, right?

Xie Guanlan turned another page.

The entire book is filled with pictures of a man and a woman doing unspeakable things between the curtains of a boudoir.

His voice was calm, and no emotion could be heard: "I didn't expect Miss Wen to like reading this kind of book."

Wen Xingluo said confidently: "The content is wonderful, I like it very much and I am looking forward to it."

Xie Guanlan: "Do you yearn for it?"

Wen Xingluo: "This book has many ups and downs, it's very attractive."

Xie Guanlan read a few more pages and commented calmly, "Ups and downs... to some extent, it is quite ups and downs."

Xie Shian: “…”

He had a tense face, wanting to laugh but not daring to, so he simply slipped away when the two weren't paying attention.

Wen Xingluo racked his brains: "I often imagine myself becoming the heroine in it."

She had read some storybooks in which the heroines traveled the world with swords, fighting and killing, living a free and unrestrained life.

For a woman like her, it was an unprecedentedly interesting experience.

Xie Guanlan: "Becoming the heroine of this book? Miss Wen looks frail, but I didn't expect her temperament to be so different from that of an ordinary woman. Even her personal hobbies are so unique. I must have been wrong about her before."

Wen Xingluo was surprised.

This guy doesn't like her and has always been stubborn in private. I didn't expect that he would praise her today.

She coughed lightly and said modestly, "Your Excellency, you are too kind."

Xie Guanlan smiled faintly, closed the "Spring Palace Fire-Preventing Picture" and placed it solemnly in her hand.

He looked down at the girl's round almond-shaped eyes and said, "Although I heard that Miss likes it very much and longs for it, this kind of book should be kept away and read in private. Otherwise, if others see it, they will say that the royal family's education is not strict."

He turned and left.

Wen Xingluo was puzzled.

It's just a storybook, why is it said that the parents have lax discipline?

The noble ladies in Baihe Academy also often read storybooks.

She thought, and opened the book——

Then he froze on the spot.

This book... This book is...

She suddenly closed the book, and her face, which was as rosy as a peach blossom, turned even redder, as if blood could drip from it.

This is a book called "Spring Palace Fire-Preventing Picture"!

She had just told Xie Guanlan righteously that she loved this book very much and longed to read it!

She also said that she often fantasized about being the heroine in the film!

Wen Xingluo felt like he was frozen into a block of ice.

Xie Guanlan's eyes were like an invisible knife. As he looked at her with a smile on his face, she was cut into pieces and could collapse in an instant!

"Xie Shian! I'll kill you!"

In the study, the girl let out a sharp explosion.

In the end, Xie Shian gave Wen Xingluo thirty taels of snowflake-patterned silver and a very precious five-colored glass, gemstone and gold dagger.

As the winter solstice was approaching, Wen Xingluo got up early in the morning and went to see his mother Wei Si first.

There was a floor dragon burning in the bedroom, and pearl curtains and green drapes were hung low. Ambergris curled up from the carved phoenix incense burner. Through the Xiang embroidery screen with mountains and rivers, Wen Xingluo saw his mother leaning on the golden nanmu couch with phoenix tail patterns under the window, gazing at the snow in the yard through the bright tiled crabapple and ruyi windows.

The moon-white satin and gold-woven jacket and skirt outlined the mother's frail and slender figure. Her profile was dimly visible, with a cold and beautiful face and flawless skin, as if she had captured seven parts of the soul of plum blossoms and frost and snow.

Wen Xingluo knew since childhood that his mother was a rare and stunning beauty in the world.

It’s just that my mother doesn’t like to laugh.

In Wen Xingluo's memory, his mother was always full of disgust when facing his father.

In fact, Wen Xingluo couldn't understand why such a breathtaking beauty as her mother would become the wife of a mediocre, ordinary-looking man from a poor family.

The mother had no love for her children. She didn't care whether they had enough food and clothes, and she didn't care about their future.

If his father hadn't wanted to establish connections with the Zhenbei Palace and hadn't knelt on the ground and begged his mother to bring a child into the palace, Wen Xingluo guessed that his mother wouldn't even be willing to take any of them.

My mother always stares at the flowers and plants in the yard in a daze, her eyes seeming to hide all her thoughts.

Wen Xingluo couldn't understand his mother in the past, and he still can't understand her now.

She knelt and greeted: "Xingluo greets mother, may mother be blessed with good health!"

The beauty behind the screen didn't react much.

Wen Xingluo lowered her head, staring at the tips of her embroidered shoes. "Today is the Winter Solstice. I wonder if Mother ate dumplings this morning? The dumplings at the palace are delicious, with all kinds of fillings. I ate two full bowls."

Wei Si stared out the window silently, as if he couldn't hear her greeting.

The light of snow shone through the bright tiles, covering her beautiful face with a layer of bright white light, making the woman look even more cold and beautiful with black hair and red lips, like a snow demon born under the plum tree.

Wen Xingluo guessed that she didn't want to see him.

She handed the Zhaojun suit she had brought to Wei Si's maid and said softly, "This is the Zhaojun suit I made myself. I'm giving it to you to keep you warm. I hope you won't dislike it."

She bowed again and retreated obediently.

Compared to the deserted main courtyard, Wansong Courtyard where the old concubine lives is much more lively.

When Wen Xingluo came over, Xie Guanlan and Xie Shian were both there.

She paid her respects to the old concubine and took out the gift she had brought: "The academy was on holiday a while ago, and I had nothing to do, so I specially made a headband for you, grandmother. I hope you like it."

It is a royal blue satin headband with a bat pattern, inlaid with a sapphire of the same color.

The sapphire was originally a gift from the old concubine to Wen Xingluo. Wen Xingluo felt that the color matched the headband very well, so he embedded it in it and paired it with a mink fur edging, which made the headband look even more elegant and noble.

During this period, the old concubine rewarded her with many good things.

Wen Xingluo couldn't feel at ease enjoying the gifts from others, but he also knew that he couldn't afford an equally valuable gift in return. That's why he thought of making some little things by himself during the winter solstice to please the old man.

The old princess dowager had no granddaughter, so she was never very satisfied with the gifts from her grandsons. But today, she was coaxed into a smile, and repeatedly praised Wen Xingluo for being sensible, and immediately put on a new headband.

Wen Xingluo took out two new pairs of boots and said, "I also made boots for my two brothers."

Xie Shian was surprised: "I have a share too?!"

Xie Guanlan was always gentle in front of his elders: "Thank you very much."

Wen Xingluo half-closed his eyes.

She put a lot of effort into making the pair of boots that Xie Shian wore.

As for Xie Guanlan's...

She didn't think Xie Guanlan would wear the shoes she gave him. He might just throw them away.

She didn't want to spend too much time on things that were destined to be thrown away, so the pair of boots she gave to Xie Guanlan looked exquisite, but were actually completely shoddy inside.