Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Asking for Love
"I've never liked other women, why don't you want to believe me?"
"I have no intention of taking a concubine. It's all your misconceptions. That day, you were so self-confused that you never gave me a chance to argue. I wrote to explain myself, but did you even read a single word?"
Yinzhen suppressed all his grievances. Even though he was not at fault, he had to bow his head for her.
Forget it. After all, she is the woman he likes, so what’s wrong with bowing his head for her once?
When she finds out that she is favored by the prince, she will definitely feel honored and will never act unreasonably again.
Then, he would patiently teach her the rules and regulations.
"Stop your sweet talk. If you really cared about me, you would have come after me long ago. Why are you still in the mood to ask for leave and return home?"
Chu Xian was unmoved, and Chi Zheng's calmness in this relationship made her uneasy.
She always felt that he was hiding something from her.
"Sui Qing!!" Chu Xian shouted angrily and poked her fingertips into the back of Chi Zheng's hand, and bright red blood gushed out.
But instead of letting go, he tightened his arms.
"Chi Zheng! What are you doing! Let go of Lin Shu!" Xian Rong came over after hearing the news, and drew her sword in anger.
"Chi Zheng, if it happens again, get out of here." Chu Xian broke free from Chi Zheng's embrace and turned her back to him.
"Wait! Lin Shu, there's no need to be so anxious. I have something to ask Chi Zheng in person." Sui Qing came over breathlessly and put his hand to block the door.
"Chi Zheng, where did you get this medicine? Do you have any more?" Sui Qing was ecstatic.
"Humph, it's inherited from our ancestors!"
Su Peisheng, who rushed over, saw the blood on the back of the Fourth Prince's hand and immediately jumped up in anger.
"Do you think this medicine is just rotten cabbage leaves? This medicine is our young master's heirloom. We went to great lengths to get it, only to end up like this."
Su Peisheng had a sad face. The price the Fourth Master paid for stealing the black ink was terrible. It was only a matter of time before the truth was revealed.
He didn't even dare to think about what kind of painful price he would pay when the truth came out.
"Sir, I will help you treat your wound."
Su Peisheng wiped his tears and took a handkerchief to wipe the wound on the back of his grandfather's hand.
"Lin Shu, it's aged black ink, it's black ink, and there's also old mountain ginseng. This elixir is hard to come by." Sui Qing excitedly held the white pill in front of the girl.
"Take it quickly, take it quickly." Sui Qing urged anxiously with a trembling voice.
Chu Xian was stunned. The treasure that her father and brother had secretly searched for for many years was priceless, but he actually gave it to him for free.
It wasn't even when the two of them were deeply in love, but on the day when she broke up with him and spoke harshly to him.
Chu Xian stared at Chi Zheng's bloodstained hand in a daze and whispered, "Since it's a family heirloom, it should be left to the people who are closest to me. Master Chi and I are not related in any way, so I won't accept any reward without merit."
Chu Xian snatched the pill and held it in her palm. It felt like a thousand pounds, so heavy that she couldn't breathe, and her palms were burning hot.
She slowly walked to Chi Zheng, grabbed his blood-stained hand, and placed the pill in his palm.
"Chi Zheng, I can't take this pill."
"You. Ugh..."
In a flash, Chi Zheng stuffed the pill into her mouth. The pill was so strange that it melted in her mouth and disappeared down her throat in an instant.
A strange fragrance instantly filled the mouth.
"Chi Zheng, cough cough cough, you..."
Chu Xian was so anxious that she reached out to cover her throat, but he grabbed her hand, pressed in with a kiss to seal her mouth, and poured warm water into her mouth.
Before she could struggle, he stood still, turned around and left without looking back.
"Miss Lin, I am willing to give it to you. You don't need to worry about it, and I don't need you to repay me."
Yinzhen took half a step out of the door when his wrist was suddenly grabbed.
The corners of his lips curled up slightly, but he didn't look back at her. He was angry at her for being heartless, ruthless and cold-blooded.
After Chu Xian grabbed Chi Zheng, her mind went blank and she was speechless for a moment. She didn't know what to say and just held on to him tightly.
The two remained silent for a while, and Chu Xian was the first to give in. "I was the one who stabbed your hand. I'm not an unreasonable person. It's only right that I treat your wound."
"Hmph!" Yinzhen was extremely disappointed and shook off her restraints. This was not the answer he expected.
"No need, it's all my own fault."
After taking two quick steps, Yinzhen felt a warmth on his back and stopped.
"If you are worried, I can give you all the pills at once. Don't worry that I won't give you the medicine." After Yinzhen said this, he took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and handed it behind him.
"There are only four left, no more." Yinzhen murmured dejectedly, hating himself for being powerless.
Chu Xian hugged him tightly in panic and refused to take the pill.
"I have nothing to do with you anymore, are you really going to give it to me? You may not know that this medicine contains priceless black gold ink. If you sell it, you can easily get a fortune."
"I know." Yinzhen responded hoarsely, "This is all I can give you, Shu'er. I'm sorry."
Chu Xian was already in tears. She would rather Chi Zheng glared at her and scolded her for being ungrateful and ungrateful.
But he was full of apology, blaming himself for not being able to give her more medicine.
"Chi Zheng, I'm sorry for you. I know I'm forcing you."
With tears in her eyes, she took Chi Zheng's blood-stained hand and walked slowly into the west wing.
Forget it, since this love is unlikely to last forever, it is better to cherish it for a while.
As for the future...let's talk about it in the future. If she and Chi Zheng have a future, let's talk about it in the future.
The two of them put aside their past grudges and were the only ones who were happy, while Su Peisheng and Sui Qingxianrong looked at each other in bewilderment.
Su Peisheng almost bit his teeth to pieces. If he had known earlier, he would have kept his mouth shut and not spoken up for the Fourth Master.
Suiqing and Xianrong were more worried.
The girl's wedding is about to begin, but she is entangled with Chi Zheng, and she doesn't know whether it is a blessing or a curse.
On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the master and the fourth young master are about to return to Beijing. If they knew that the girl had an affair with someone else, they would be furious.
Sui Qing hesitated and looked at Xianrong, and the two of them slowly walked into the kitchen.
"Sui Qing, when the Master and Young Master interrogate us next month, what will we report? Let's make up our own story first, so that our statements don't become inconsistent."
Sui Qing grabbed the fire tongs in a panic and stirred the stove around.
"In my opinion, we should keep this a secret for now. The elixir in Chi Zheng's hand is very effective. If the master and the young master knew about this, they would be so happy that they would worship Chi Zheng and would not take his life."
"If we gossip about Chi Zheng, the girl will definitely not let us off. It's better to wait and see what happens. You and I need to keep an eye on Chi Zheng and not let him..."
Sui Qing blushed: "In short, before a girl gets married, she must be a virgin, otherwise you and I will die."
Xianrong nodded nervously: "Don't worry, I will never leave your side."
That night, after Chu Xian took a bath and changed her clothes, she walked into the west wing.
"Can't you just not be a teacher? It's already the end of the year."
"The master is so kind, it's hard to refuse." Yinzhen lied helplessly.
It's not that it's hard to refuse, but the end of the year is approaching and there are many things to do, so he needs to take charge and handle them personally.
On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, Khan Ama is about to return to Beijing. He has been very busy these days and also needs to deal with the rotation and handover of his duties in the Ministry of Justice next year.
Yuqing Palace had to arrange affairs from time to time, and he was really overwhelmed.
After putting down his pen and seal on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, he had to assist with the trivial matters of the New Year sacrificial ceremony. He was busy until the 15th day of the first lunar month, and only then could he rest for a few days.
This year's spring break is from the 24th day of the 12th lunar month to the 20th day of the 1st lunar month. After the break, he needs to attend court every day, take turns in the six ministries, and go to Yuqing Palace to discuss state affairs with the crown prince.
The memorials arranged by Khan Ama and the Crown Prince had piled up and had to be dealt with.
Moreover, his wedding with Nara is approaching, and all pre-marital affairs need to be handled.
Even today, when he suddenly heard that she had returned to Beijing, he took advantage of the opportunity to leave the Ministry of Revenue where officials of all ranks were gathered to report on their work and rushed to meet her at full speed.
When you open your eyes tomorrow, you will have to deal with a lot of government affairs.
Yinzhen was exhausted, his eyes narrowed slightly to hide the fatigue in them.
"Then how long will it take?"
"The master said that the young master is still young and needs to be observed. Let's set a one-year period first."
Yinzhen bent down and held her in his arms, and the two of them lay on the bed in each other's arms.
"Ah? But you're going to take the imperial examination next spring. If you pass, how can you still be a teacher?"
Chu Xian subconsciously wanted to hug Chi Zheng's neck tightly, but her hands and feet were cold in winter. She was afraid of getting cold, so she only dared to hug him through her clothes.
"Speak later." Yinzhen held her hand tightly, and a biting coldness came over her for no reason.
"Su Sheng, add the charcoal basin." Yinzhen said in a deep voice.
"My hands and feet tend to be colder in winter. Did I freeze you just now?"
Chu Xian quickly pulled her hand back, but he grabbed her palm tightly, held it in front of him, and rubbed it with his breath.
His palms were warm, and in a short while, the cold palms were warmed by Chi Zheng's body temperature.
After rubbing Shu'er's palms to warm them up, Yinzhen carefully took off her stockings, but he didn't expect that her feet were icy cold.
Chu Xian hugged the quilt while Chi Zheng placed her feet on his knees and rubbed them gently.
The sound of a door opening was heard outside the curtain. Chu Xian propped up her chin and asked casually, "Will this be too much trouble for Su Sheng?"
Yinzhen paused for a moment, "He is my servant, and it is his duty to serve me."
Chu Xian pondered for a moment. On the surface, she, Xianrong, Suiqing and Chi Zheng were on the same level. Su Sheng was Chi Zheng's servant, and Chi Zheng was indeed not good at ordering others around.
But she always felt it was weird. Su Sheng was not a eunuch, but an adult man. She always felt something was wrong about having him serve her.
She was confused for a moment, and suddenly Chi Zheng wrapped her legs into his chest and hugged her tightly.
Chu Xian pulled herself back to her senses and moved closer to him. The two of them fell on the bed, kissing each other.
When the passion was at its peak, Xianrong coughed deliberately outside the window: "Lin Shu, it's getting late, go to bed early."
Chu Xian was angry, but helpless, so she could only let go of her hands that were trying to take off Chi Zheng's clothes.
Yinzhen knew he was in the wrong, so he could only restrain himself and let go of Shu'er's soft and fragrant lips.
Su Peisheng squatted by the door and stared blankly, but could do nothing.
I always feel that something is wrong. Logically, Lin Shu and Xianrong Suiqing are both maids, so they shouldn't meddle in other people's business. But why do I feel that these two are protecting the young ladies in the boudoir and are strictly preventing Lin Shu from getting close to the Fourth Master?
Hey, although Nara is domineering, she has her own way of governing her subordinates. The slaves are well-educated, well-behaved, and know how to protect each other.
At three o'clock in the morning, Sui Qing came to replace Xian Rong, yawning.
Su Peisheng curled up by the window of the dormitory, dazed, and saved himself the trouble of keeping watch.
Early the next morning, Chu Xian was half asleep and half awake when she felt a continuous stream of warm and passionate kisses. She tilted her head back and kissed Chi Zheng.
"Ahem! Lin Shu, it's time to get up! We have to go to the market today, so we need to get up early."
Chu Xian refused to stop and used her tongue to pry open Chi Zheng's lips, intertwining her lips and teeth with his.
"Lin Shu!" Sui Qing almost shouted.
Yinzhen suppressed his anger and rubbed Shu'er's lips for a while before leaving reluctantly.
Yinzhen turned around and waited until the annoying noises made by the man when he woke up in the morning died down before he put on his clothes and stood up.
"You should sleep a little longer and don't have to get up early. She will be able to rest peacefully after I leave."
Chu Xian awkwardly raised her head and kissed him to soothe his unhappy mood.
How could he not notice that Sui Qing and Xian Rong were on guard against him? He must have been feeling very uncomfortable.
"They're also worried that I'd suffer if I followed you without any status. If it was Sui Qing or Xian Rong in the room today, I would have been so nosy."
"Don't blame them, they are all thinking about me."
"I know they have good character."
Yinzhen decided to let Su Peisheng add Suiqing and Xianrong's names to the dowry list of the Nara family.
From now on, Shu'er will have familiar companions in the backyard to spend her time.
"Shu'er, I won't be back until the 20th of the twelfth lunar month. Take good care of yourself. When I come back, I'll take you to buy clothes and jewelry."
Chu Xian covered her mouth and laughed secretly: "Your money box is still with me. The owner is really generous to give me three months' deposit at once."
Yinzhen felt extremely guilty that he could make her so happy with just six taels of cheap silver.
Trapped under the mask of a poor scholar, he couldn't even present gold, silver and treasures to her openly.
After the wedding next May, he will make up for all his debts to her doubly.
"Chi Zheng, before I went to bed yesterday, I made Sichuan Fritillary Pear Paste Soup on the small stove in the kitchen. Your lips are chapped and red, and you have a dry cough. It must be lung heat. Drink it first before you leave."
"Hey, I don't want you to leave..." Chu Xian's nose felt sore and she hugged him tightly with red eyes.
Yinzhen was so upset by her crying that he kissed her hair and cheeks with guilt.
It was not until Su Peisheng urged him anxiously outside the door that Yinzhen made up his mind to let her go.
After Chi Zheng and his servants left the farm in an ox cart, Chu Xian lazily got up to wash.
Last night she mentioned to Chi Zheng that she would need to return to the mansion at the end of the year to deal with the complicated and trivial matters arranged by the young lady.
Anyway, Chi Zheng was not at the manor, so instead of staying there alone, she might as well go home and return to the manor to reunite with Chi Zheng on the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month.
After lunch, Chu Xian took the embroidery frame and boarded the carriage back home.
As soon as Pu Yi returned to the mansion, Wan Ning came in time for dinner.
"Xian'er, it's been a long time since I've had a candlelit night chat with you. Would it be okay for me to rest here with you today?"
Wan Ning raised her hand and the servants brought in the prepared New Year gifts.
There were seven or eight large boxes, and they couldn’t even fit in the corner.
"Xian'er, the gifts you sent are really nice, especially the Hepu Pearl Powder. How come it's finer and whiter than others? I applied it on my body for two days and my skin became white and smooth. Yinsi even praised me."
"Cough cough..." Chu Xian coughed hurriedly, interrupting Wan Ning and waving her hand to let all the servants leave.
"What are you afraid of? The servants around me were all arranged by Yinsi. He said that these servants are loyal and that I don't need to be on guard."
"Auntie, you and Master Ba haven't married yet, so why don't you tell me how Master Ba knows where the white part of your body is?"
"You, just tell the truth." Chu Xiantao said.
"I trust the servants around you. Don't worry, I know my limits and won't talk nonsense to you in private."
Wan Ning looked up at a brand new plaque. "Horse and Cow Skirt? What does that mean? Do you even have the leisure to make skirts for horses and cows now?"
Chu Xian covered her mouth and laughed: "It's a horse and cow skirt. It means that people who are uneducated and unskilled are just like cattle and horses wearing skirts."
"Eh? It's 'skirt hem'? Why do the two characters for 'skirt hem' look the same?"
"Impossible!" Chu Xian looked up hastily, then held her forehead in frustration. "Tsk... I wrote it wrong."
Now it was Wan Ning's turn to laugh so hard that she fell forward and backward.
"Xian'er, we are both the same, both novices, so don't act like a peacock in front of me. Turn around and show half of your butt."
"Come on! You're the one showing your butt." Chu Xian covered her face and quickly asked Sui Qing to take down the plaque that had just been hung up.
Fortunately, Chi Zheng didn't catch her making a mistake in writing, otherwise he would have forced her to practice writing big characters.
"Xian'er, look at this bracelet, isn't it pretty?"
Chu Xian's eyes fell on Wan Ning's wrists. There were two strings of beads carved from tourmaline, red agate, and turquoise, with clear and exquisite crystal beads in between, as translucent as water. At the end of the beads hung two golden bells carved into lotus shapes.
Wan Ning shook her wrist slightly, and the golden bell of Fulian emitted a melodious and pleasant crisp sound.
"It looks beautiful." Chu Xian reached out and poked Fulian's little bell enviously.
"This is the most fashionable style in the capital. It's only sold in old silver shops. Yinsi took me to buy it yesterday, saying it was one of my birthday gifts."
As Wan Ning spoke, she pushed one of the bracelets onto Chu Xian's wrist. Chu Xian was flattered and quickly declined, "Wan Ning, this is a birthday gift from Master Ba. How can I accept it?"
"Xian'er, Yinsi gave me this string of acacia beans as my birthday gift. I chose the string in your hand for you. You always think of me when you have good things, and I think so too."
"This bracelet is made of garnet, Canaan wood, and agarwood beads. It's called 'One Step, One Sound,' which sounds like 'One Step, One Thought,' and has a very good meaning."
Wan Ning said, smiling and approaching Chu Xian: "Xian'er, we want to be best friends for life. No, no, no, we want to be best friends for all eternity, okay?"
Chu Xian gently stroked the one on her wrist, moved to tears: "Okay, we will be best friends for the rest of our lives."
That night, Chu Xian and Wan Ning curled up in the quilt and talked privately.
"Xian'er, you are getting married in May next year. Are you nervous?" Guo Luoluo didn't dare to ask Xian'er whether she was happy about the wedding.
Her relationship with the Fourth Prince was tense, and it was a blessing that they didn't fight.
In the dark night, Chu Xian finally couldn't hold back her tears, saying, "I'm not nervous, I'm scared. I'm scared to death. Terrified to death."
"Xian'er, don't be afraid. It hurts the first time you do that. I'll find you a good ointment. Apply it there afterwards to relieve the pain and swelling."
"I've heard people say it hurts at first, but then it gets better."
"Who told you that? It couldn't be your Eighth Master." Chu Xian joked, reaching out to tickle Wan Ning's waist.
"No way..." Guo Luoluo muttered with a flushed face, and stretched out her hand to block Xian'er's sneak attack.
Wan Ning's tone was weak, and Chu Xian knew it was undoubtedly the Eighth Master.
"Xian'er, the Emperor has given Yinsi several mansions to choose from. After I marry him, I will move out of the palace and open a mansion to live in."
"I urged Yinsi to choose a house next to yours, and he agreed. He submitted the petition yesterday. I saw it with my own eyes."
"It will be more convenient for you and me to visit each other in the future. I will persuade Yinsi to open a small door between the two mansions to facilitate the two of us to visit each other."
"It's just..." Guo Luoluo looked embarrassed: "It's just that the small door here is easy to open. I wonder if the small door of the Fourth Prince's mansion is easy to open. If not, then so be it."
"Is it the mansion next to the Fourth Prince's residence? Wan Ning, don't offend the Eighth Master for me, it's not worth it." Chu Xian was so moved that her eyes were filled with tears.
Historically, the residences of the Fourth Master and the Eighth Master were next to each other. Later, the Eighth Master's residence was merged into Prince Yong's Mansion, becoming the Yonghe Palace.
Unexpectedly, Wan Ning spared no effort to persuade the Eighth Master to choose to be neighbors with the Fourth Master for her, even though the Eighth Master had a closer relationship with the Eldest Prince and the Ninth Prince.
"What offense? He said he would do whatever I wanted. He said that from now on he would have to go out early and come back late to be busy with government affairs, and he would not be home all day, leaving me alone and helpless in the mansion. He felt sorry for me. He said that the most important thing was that I lived comfortably in this mansion."
When Wan Ning mentioned the Eighth Master, her voice became so gentle that honey could be squeezed out of it.
Chu Xian poked her cheek, forbidding Wan Ning to show off again: "Go away, you're making my teeth sore."
Wan Ning suddenly pinched Chu Xian's cheek and said, "Xian'er, you don't look well today. Has anything happened to you recently? If you need my help, please let me know as soon as possible."
Chu Xian pursed her lips, raised her hand and wiped away her tears, choking with sobs as she said, "Wan Ning, I want to cancel the engagement. I don't want to marry the Fourth Prince. There's something I need your help to mediate."
Chu Xian leaned over and whispered something in Wan Ning's ear.
"Ah? Xian'er, what if we fail? The royal family will be disgraced, and you will definitely not have a good ending."
"I'm at my wit's end. So what? My father has retired. My elder brother, Wu Ge, isn't cut out for an official position. He's always cracking jokes in the army and has no desire for power. As for the rest of my brothers, I hope they don't have a good end. What's there to be afraid of?"
"My father saved the emperor's life when he was young. His Majesty will never vent his anger on him. At most, he will blame me for any new or old grudges. I will definitely not be able to escape a beating and imprisonment."
"Wan Ning, if you don't help me, I will be tortured to death by the Fourth Prince. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have caused you to choose to be my neighbor. I'm afraid I won't have many more years to visit you."
"What nonsense! I'm here to help you. Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up with you!"
Wan Ning carefully wiped her tears with a handkerchief. Chu Xian grabbed Wan Ning and burst into tears.
The cold moon was silent. In the Forbidden City's prince's residence, Su Peisheng and his old friend Chai Yu were warming themselves by the stove in the corridor of the study.
"Today, the Fourth Master asked me to go to the old silver shop to pick up a bracelet. The bracelet is very exquisite. Tell me, who is it for?" Chai Yu asked with a grin.
"Of course it's a girl."
Su Peisheng handed a peeled orange slice to Chai Yu.
"Is it sweet? Yesterday I tasted an orange and it was so sour that it made me feel like I was about to be born and two Buddhas ascended to heaven."
"Sweet, so sweet." Su Peisheng slowly pinched a petal and put it into his mouth.
"Let me try it, hiss! Su Peisheng, you are so mean." Chai Yu grinned.
"Hey, you can't be the only one jealous of me." Su Peisheng covered his mouth and laughed.
"What girls? The two in the backyard?" Chai Yu wondered, it didn't seem like it.
"How would I know? The bracelet is of course given to girls. How could it be given to a rough man? Stupid." Su Peisheng kept his mouth shut, not daring to reveal a single word.
On the way back, the Fourth Master specifically told several servants who knew the truth that if they dared to gossip about it, they would be killed without mercy.
"By the way, the Eighth Master came yesterday to ask for the face-changing potion. Do you still have any? I need to report to the Fourth Master later."
Su Peisheng nodded: "There are still some. We need to ask Doctor Ye to send some more tomorrow."
That disguise potion is better than a human skin mask. It is breathable and does not cause prickly heat. You just need to wipe it clean with the potion prepared by Ye Tianshi.
The Fourth Master has been using it frequently recently, and the whole bottle is almost empty.
"Brother Su, the Fourth Master asked you to go find tools for making jewelry, such as chisels and grass twisters. You also need to go to the storehouse and find the same gems as the ones on this bracelet."
The young eunuch Enpu trotted over to look for Su Peisheng.
"Brother Chai, the Fourth Master ordered you to go into the study and read the memorial on his behalf."
"I'm coming." Chai Yu patted his butt, turned around and rinsed his mouth to remove the orange smell so as not to offend his master.
Su Peisheng plunged into the Fourth Master's private vault, searching for various gemstone seeds.
Thinking that the Fourth Master would personally carve jewelry for Lin Shu and would definitely not just make bracelets, Su Peisheng simply took the high-quality gemstone seeds and rare gold and jade from the warehouse.
Sure enough, as soon as he stepped out of the private warehouse, a young eunuch came running over, panting, and said that the Fourth Prince asked him to select a few more precious seed materials.
In the study, Chai Yu was reading a memorial with a pen, while Yinzhen was sketching jewelry patterns at his desk.
Su Peisheng placed the tray filled with seed materials and tools on the table. Yinzhen picked up the chisel for carving gold and jade and carved it carefully according to the pattern of making a sound with every step.
Jade beads are difficult to carve, and he is not good at it. Overnight, the broken beads filled the small dish.
It was not until midnight that he finally finished carving a lotus flower.
Yinzhen held the jade lotus in front of the lamp and looked at it carefully. He frowned with displeasure and threw the lotus into the small waste dish.
Late at night on the second day, Chu Xian returned from the banquet. Drunk and excited, she couldn't help but meet Chi Zheng.
Chi Zheng's place of teaching was only seven streets away from her.
I don’t know if Chi Zheng has rested. It would be bad to disturb him so late at night. I’d better go the next day.
Chu Xian suppressed her thoughts and didn't even have time to eat lunch the next day. She immediately asked Xian Rong to prepare a carriage as she wanted to send winter clothes to Chi Zheng.
Unexpectedly, he was turned away. The doorman said that Chi Zheng and the young master were out studying and their return date was uncertain.
Chu Xian was unhappy. She handed the winter clothes to the doorman and returned home.
Half an hour later, the news of her visit reached Yinzhen, who was busy in the Ministry of Revenue.
After pondering for a moment, Yinzhen asked Su Peisheng to clean up the house immediately.
From now on, he has to live in that house, and when Shu'er comes next time, he will not let her go back disappointed.
After Chu Xian returned home, she tossed and turned for two days, and couldn't help but go to the house again under the pretext of delivering a warm hat.
"Chi Zheng? He came back last night. Go wait inside the corner gate. I'll have someone call him over."
"Thank you, uncle." Chu Xian's eyes were full of joy, and she immediately took two steps at a time and stepped into the corner gate.
She had checked this family of bannermen. They were from the Plain White Banner of the Manchu army, with the surname Xilin Jueluo. They were honest and hardworking, and all the men in the family served in the Cavalry Battalion and the Guard Battalion.
"Shu'er!"
Chi Zheng's voice came from behind, and Chu Xian quickly turned around to look at him.
It had only been a few days since they last met, and he looked exhausted. Chu Xian bit her lip to hold back her tears, and walked up to him.
The closer she got, the more distressed she felt.
"Why are you so tired? Didn't you get enough rest? Look at your eyes, there are black and blue. If you are too tired, just quit your job early. The worst that can happen is that you have to pay compensation."
Chu Xian couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke his haggard face.
"Are you at your house tomorrow? Miss gave me some Cordyceps and Bird's Nest, as well as Blood Bird's Nest. I'll cook them all night and bring them to you for lunch tomorrow, okay?"
"Shu'er, the master is kind and treats me well, so don't worry about me."
Chi Zheng suddenly grabbed her wrist, and she felt a warm touch. Chu Xian lowered her head and saw a string of sounds coming from her wrist with each step.
But the workmanship is not as fine as that of the old silver shop.
"This is called one step, one sound."
"I know, the girl has a bracelet on her hand." Chu Xian guessed that the bracelet must have been made by Chi Zheng himself. He had once carved a hairpin for her personally, and the style and technique were exactly the same.
"I'm sorry, I can't wear this bracelet. Let me practice a little longer."
Yinzhen didn't expect that she had seen the original version. He wanted to take the bracelet back embarrassedly, but she held it tightly against her chest.
"The girl's bracelet is not as pretty as mine. Mine is so unique that you can't buy it even with a lantern."
"Hmph." Chu Xian's nose felt sore, and she scolded him: "Did you stay up all night making bracelets, and that's why you look so haggard?"
"I didn't stay up for many nights." Yinzhen smiled shyly.
He wanted to give her the bracelet from the old silver shop.
But the bracelet was worth five hundred taels. If a poor scholar like him took out a bracelet worth five hundred taels, Lin Shu would not be surprised. Instead, she would be frightened and think that he was committing a crime. She would even start to doubt his identity.
In desperation, in order to show his sincerity and make up for his guilt, he could only bite the bullet and make a string for her himself.
This move made it popular among the boudoirs in Beijing. Lin Shu couldn't live without this new and rare item that others had.
"I like this. Don't make any more. Try my new warm hat and silk sweater."
Chu Xian took out the newly made warm hat and was standing on tiptoe when he took the initiative to bend down towards her to make it easier for her to put on the hat.
"It's the perfect size. This warm hat is made of mink fur, so it's windproof and moisture-proof, and it doesn't hold snow. It's very warm."
"Give me a little money, and I'll make you a warm hat and a silk shirt lined with mink fur. Even in heavy snow, you can just wear a coat underneath."
"Since it was a reward from the young lady, you can keep it for making new clothes. You don't have to rely on me. What did you keep for yourself?" Yinzhen covered her icy hands in his palms and rubbed them.
"I kept it for myself. I made two fur collars and a coat lined with ermine."
Chu Xian felt guilty. She approached Chi Zheng as a little maid and could not spend money lavishly in front of him.
She was even hesitant when delivering a piece of clothing, for fear that Chi Zheng would find out that she was the girl.
At this time, she looked around and saw that there was no one, so she bravely threw herself into Chi Zheng's arms.
"I haven't seen you for a few days. I miss you so much."
"I miss you too." Yinzhen tightened his arms and held her in his embrace.
"Ahem...Lin Shu, we should go back. The young lady is at home today. Maybe she's looking for you right now." Xianrong reminded in a shrill voice.
A flash of hostility flashed across Yinzhen's eyes. He gently stroked her back with his palm for a while before reluctantly letting her go.
"I should go back now. The girl has been staying at home all these days, so I can't leave for too long."
"Remember to come back early on the 20th of the twelfth lunar month. I'll wait for you." Chu Xian looked back every few steps and was dragged away by Xianrong.
She was not angry with Xianrong. Everything Xianrong did was for her own good.
Just be patient. As long as the scandal spreads in the spring, she will be able to successfully break off the engagement and be able to be with Chi Zheng openly.
After returning to the mansion, Fang walked around the screen wall and came towards a young man of eighteen or nineteen with red lips and white teeth.
Uncle Kang, the most capable steward beside Ama, personally led the young man away.
"Lin Shu, be careful where you step." Xianrong reminded in a low voice.
At this moment, she happened to pass by the young man, and he suddenly turned to look at her with a smile in his eyes.
He had delicate skin, red lips, white teeth, and was more feminine than a woman. It was obvious that he was a eunuch. Chu Xian took a closer look and immediately lowered her head in dismay. It turned out to be Su Peisheng, the trusted eunuch of the Fourth Prince.
It’s over. The Fourth Prince sent someone here, and it must be something bad.
As expected, as soon as Chu Xian took off her disguise, her father invited her to the study in the front yard.
Ama returned to Beijing early, and her fourth brother, Wu Ge, also returned with him.
"Xian girl, where do you go to have fun all day? You must not be eating well. Look at you, you are so skinny."
A young man with a clear face scolded her in a bad mood, but his eyes were filled with a doting smile.
Chu Xian stamped her feet and muttered, "Fourth brother laughs at me as soon as he comes back. I'm not a White Bone Demon at all. I'm beautiful."
"Where is my fourth sister-in-law? Where are my fourth sister-in-law and my little nephews and nieces?" Chu Xian looked around hesitantly.
"Your fourth sister-in-law rarely returns to Beijing. She said she would stay at her parents' home for a few days. I will go and pick her and her son up on New Year's Eve."
"Xian'er, come here and let Fourth Brother take a good look at you."
Having not seen his younger sister for over half a year, Wu Ge was so excited that his eyes turned red. Looking more closely, he couldn't help but nagging his younger sister to eat well.
"This is outrageous! From now on, stop running around. Eat with me every day at home and eat meat with your hearty mouthfuls. By the end of the first month, if you don't gain five more pounds of weight, I'll write my name Wu Ge upside down."
"Shunzi, from now on, there will be someone on guard at the gate, and the young lady is not allowed to leave the mansion."
Wu Ge glanced at the servants in Xiao Mei's room and added, "Including the servants in the young lady's courtyard, no one is allowed to go out. If you need anything to buy, tell Shunzi and let him arrange it."
"Fourth brother! I was looking forward to your return, but I didn't expect that the moment you came back you would confine me in the mansion. Humph!"
Chu Xian was both angry and anxious. She had to go to Zhuangzi to reunite with Chi Zheng on the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, and she couldn't break her promise.
"There's no room for negotiation on this matter."
Wu Ge rarely spoke to his younger sister in a hasty manner, but she had fallen ill twice in just two months. He was afraid that something might happen to her outside.
"Xian'er, the wedding is coming soon, it would be better for you to stay home and prepare your dowry."
"Spend more time with your father. You are about to get married. From now on, when your father wants to see you, he will have to kowtow and bow to you. Please have pity on his old bones."
Fei Yanggu was in tears. He knew that his daughter would only respond to soft words and not harsh ones, so he often spoke soft words to her, and it always worked.
When Chu Xian saw her father wiping his tears pitifully, she couldn't say anything harsh.
In desperation, he could only give in: "I understand, but I have to go out to Tanzhe Temple to burn incense on the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month. Everything else is up to you."
"Don't cry, Father. I'm not marrying far away. I'm only two streets away from you. You can come and see me anytime."
"Okay, okay." Fei Yanggu succeeded and smiled secretly while holding his daughter's arm.
"What is Su Peisheng, who was beside the Fourth Prince, doing here?" Chu Xian was uneasy.
"Your wedding to the Fourth Prince is imminent, and Su Peisheng has come to review the regulations, but things are a bit tricky." Wu Ge frowned. "The Fourth Prince seems dissatisfied with the list of dowry servants, so he returned it today so we can carefully select them."
"Humph, he just doesn't like me. In my opinion, he should select ten old servants to live in the Fourth Prince's house and eat for free, and let the Fourth Prince take care of them in their old age and see them to the end of their lives."
Chu Xian was choking with anger. That person was really finding fault with everything and was so cunning as to nitpick on the dowry servants.
"No rush. Eunuch Su just said to take the birth dates of the servants who came with the dowry to the Imperial Observatory for a look first."
Fei Yanggu was calm and confident in the Fourth Prince: "The Fourth Prince is not an unreasonable person. We will be right if we listen to him."
Chu Xian couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Father, what's so good about the Fourth Prince? I think he's put a spell on you!"
"Hiss! You are such a disrespectful girl."
Fei Yanggu slapped his forehead, but couldn't bear to get angry at his precious daughter.
"You were the one who risked your life to marry the Fourth Prince, so why are you being so wicked now? Since this marriage is what you've always wanted, you must marry."
"Xian'er, after marrying the Fourth Prince, you must never act recklessly again. Remember this."
"I understand." Chu Xian was inconsolable.
For several days, Chu Xian stayed in her boudoir and refused to go out. She originally wanted to write a letter to Chi Zheng, but Sui Qing and Xian Rong could not go out, so she had to give up.
Chu Xian endured the ordeal until the early morning of the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, when she got up before dawn.
"Suiqing, hitch the carriage, I want to go out." Chu Xian said in an urgent tone.
"Miss, you haven't had breakfast yet. After breakfast, you need to pay your respects to the master."
"It's okay. I'll pay my respects when I get back. Go to the kitchen and get some buns to eat on the way." Chu Xian hurriedly sat in front of the dressing mirror, dressing herself.
After she stepped into the carriage and drove out of the mansion, she quickly took out the maid's clothes and makeup water from the secret compartment of the carriage.
This makeup water is used up so quickly. I asked Wan Ning that day to bring her some more, but I don’t know when it will be delivered.
Before noon, Chu Xian had already arrived at the farm, but Chi Zheng was nowhere to be seen.
At the same time, Yinzhen, wearing a dark blue dragon robe, stood behind the prince, respectfully welcoming Khan Ama back to the capital.
Unexpectedly, Khan Ama returned to Beijing early.
Today, all the princes gathered in the Palace of Heavenly Purity to listen to the Hadith of Khan Ama.
The princes on duty in the six ministries also had to appear before the emperor to be strictly questioned by Khan Ama.
After enduring lunch, the eldest brother Yinzhi began to report on the political affairs of the Ministry of War.
An agonizing hour had passed, but the eldest brother still had not stepped out of the imperial study.
Yinzhen held his forehead helplessly and quietly called Su Peisheng over.
Su Peisheng rushed out of the Forbidden City, returned to the Fourth Master's private residence, disguised himself, and rode his horse to Tanzhe Temple.
Chu Xian waited and waited in Zhuangzi, and even the prepared lunch was cold, but Chi Zheng never showed up.
Just as he was about to go to the house where Chi Zheng was teaching as a teacher to inquire about the matter, he suddenly heard the sound of horses neighing outside the farmhouse.
"Finally you're here, Suiqing, please heat up the food."
Chu Xian ran towards the stable, but only saw Su Sheng rushing towards her.
"Lin Shu, the master of the main family wants to test the young master's homework today, and our young master is really busy. Let me come back first to deliver the New Year gift from the main family and the New Year gift prepared by the young master for you."
Chu Xian's face fell and her nose felt sore. She had been suffering for nearly a month, but she didn't expect that he would break the appointment first.
Missing each other seems to be the fate between the two.
"How is he these days?" Chu Xian suppressed her bitterness and took the bundle and the big box that Su Sheng brought to her.
"It's all good. I just miss you all the time. I've written you several letters but haven't dared to send them to your house, fearing it might be inconvenient for you to receive them."
As Su Sheng spoke, he took out a palm-square red lacquer box from his arms.
"What is it?" Chu Xian took the red lacquer box curiously. The box was filled with a dazzling array of hairpins, earrings, and pendants. Judging from the styles, they were all made by Chi Zheng himself.
"Lin Shu, Master said you should wear these first. Next year, I'll take you to the old silver shop to choose some nice jewelry. They're a bit shabby, but don't mind. Master has been doing this for a long time."
Su Peisheng complained bitterly. These jewelries were all polished by his grandfather himself with great effort. Although the materials used were luxurious gold, jade and gemstones, he did not dare to use the whole pieces and deliberately broke them into pieces.
Afraid that Lin Shu would discover his identity, he only picked up small pieces of seed material to polish, which made the process even more difficult.
The chisel has to crack dozens of beads before a complete bead can be produced.
There was a box full of jewelry. Chu Xian only counted it roughly and found that there were seventeen or eighteen different pieces of jewelry.
She was moved and distressed, and told Su Sheng: "Don't let him do it again. If he sends jewelry again, I will never see him again."
"Hey hey hey."
Su Peisheng thought the same thing. He couldn't do it anymore. His fingers were scratched by the chisel, and the new wounds and old scars overlapped with each other. The pen was bleeding when he held it.
Chu Xian tearfully handed the clothes, shoes, socks and embroidered purse she had made over the past few days to Su Sheng.
"Give this purse to Chi Zheng. Inside it is the amulet I got from Tanzhe Temple. Have him carry it close to him."
"And these are the blood swallows and ginseng deer antlers that the girl gave me as a reward. I'll have them made into nourishing pills. Watch Chi Zheng eat one every night before going to sleep."
"And these are the pear syrup candies I made. If he has a cough due to lung heat again, dissolve them in warm water and give them to him morning and night."
Su Peisheng could no longer hold the gifts with his hands, so he hurriedly took a piece of gauze from the east wing, packed the large and small packages of gifts that Lin Shu had sent him, and put them on his back.
"Su Sheng..." Chu Xian choked up, "Please take good care of Chi Zheng."
"Oh, look at my memory. I still have this to give you."
Su Sheng took something out of his sleeve, and when Chu Xian saw what it was, tears immediately filled her eyes.
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