Chapter 47 Chapter 47 “You can tell me to stop…”…
When they heard that the family was going to be divided, the old lady and everyone in the second house were horrified.
How could this be possible? Without the first wife, their second wife was nothing in this capital.
"Oh," Feng quickly tried to smooth things over. "I absolutely have no intention of dividing the family. Uncle, please don't be angry."
Zhao Huaiyi is now a cabinet minister, and is close to Prime Minister Zhang. He is also highly regarded by His Majesty. He may even be the next Prime Minister in the future. Having such a powerful elder brother in charge has invisibly brought a lot of glory to the Second House. Even the threshold for those who come to propose marriage has been raised a lot. They would be crazy to want to split up.
"If you don't want to split up, then why are you insinuating something today?" Zhao Huaiyi snorted coldly, "As long as I'm around, no one can force my daughter to remarry, let alone drive her away!"
He owed his daughter too much, and what he regretted most was that he had listened to the old lady's arrangements and let his daughter fulfill the engagement, which had caused her half a lifetime of suffering. Now that his daughter has returned, he should stay by her side to enjoy family happiness and make up for the debt he owed in the past few years.
Feng felt so ashamed after hearing what he said.
Finally, Madam Zhao sighed, "Stop arguing. I understand. You're all concerned about your own children. Now we're one. We prosper together, and we suffer together."
This means that the family cannot be divided.
Zhao Huaiyi and Zhao Huailiang bowed in response. They were quite filial to their mother.
The old lady hummed, her loving eyes falling on Zhao Qingyi, "Banban, this matter depends on your opinion. Grandmother is just giving you an opinion. If you can remarry, it will be good for you and the entire Zhao family."
"Thank you, grandmother. However, my granddaughter has made up her mind." Zhao Qingyi declined with a smile. "When you divorced Li Che, Your Majesty was absolutely clear that the fault lay with the Li family, not with my granddaughter. If an outsider were to back off from marrying my second sister because of my granddaughter, it would mean they weren't sincere and it wasn't a good match."
Zhao Qingyi didn't want to make things too awkward within the family, but she also had to clear her name. She was not wrong in this marriage.
"Besides, the real culprit affecting Second Sister's marriage is Second Wife's own daughter."
Aunt Fang's expression changed again.
Zhao Huailiang came out to act as a peacemaker, "Yes, yes, it's all my fault for not raising my daughter well. Please don't hurt the harmony between the two families. County Lady, please don't bother with an ignorant woman like your second aunt."
He also said that tomorrow was the first day of the new year, and the old lady would go to Xiangguo Temple to burn incense and pray for blessings every new moon and fifteenth day of the new year. However, this time the old lady was not feeling well, so he simply asked his daughter and Zhao Qingyi to go out together to burn incense for her.
"Sisters, don't be estranged from each other." Zhao Huailiang advised earnestly.
After that, the two families stopped talking, had a quick dinner, and went their separate ways.
Back at Lanyue Pavilion, the maids were also complaining, saying that the second branch was ungrateful. If it weren't for the eldest master's continuous advancement over the years, where would the Zhao family's current glory be? The second branch had gained so much from it without saying a word, and now they had the nerve to blame Zhao Qingyi for her divorce and return home.
Tan Yue sighed, "But it's really troublesome that the Second Miss has been waiting to get married."
"That's their own choice." Qiao Yue curled her lips in disdain.
Zhao Qingyi was bathing when she heard the maids talking about the second room. She couldn't help but think of Zhao Wenyi's experience in her previous life, which was both pitiful and ridiculous.
This second cousin was extremely talented and had an aloof personality. My grandmother had intended to let her fulfill the engagement, but the second wife looked down on the impoverished Li Che and refused to let her daughter marry him. Later, when Li Che passed the imperial examination, the second wife regretted her decision.
As proud as Zhao Wenyi was, she would not marry unless she was the top scholar in the imperial examination. Finally, at the age of 18, she fell in love with the newly-appointed Jinshi Tan Yin. Before marriage, they were in love with each other, but after marriage, she found out that this man was a playboy and had many wives and concubines.
In the end, she could not stand her husband's three wives and four concubines, and died of depression, even earlier than Zhao Qingyi.
Zhao Qingyi originally had no close relationship with her, but now that she has lived a new life, she can actually empathize with this proud and willful cousin.
After all, Zhao Wenyi was just proud and willful and did nothing wrong.
Thinking of this, Zhao Qingyi prepared a small gift and sent it to the second room. Zhao Wenyi had just finished taking a bath and was quite surprised to see the gift.
They were of the same age and had been competing with each other since they were young. She had never expected the other party to be so kind. "Big sister, is there something wrong?"
Zhao Qingyi smiled and said, "It's nothing. I was just touched by what Second Aunt said tonight. Although I didn't affect your marriage, we are sisters after all. When you get married, I will add some dowry for you to make up for it."
"No need." Zhao Wenyi combed her hair slowly, her face full of arrogance. "You said it had nothing to do with you, what are you trying to make up for? I'm still unmarried because I look down on them. What does it have to do with you?"
He is really stubborn and clearly has some resentment towards her in his heart.
Zhao Qingyi wasn't angry either. "Okay, whatever you say is what I mean. I'm just reminding you that if you really find a handsome and talented man you like, you should find out more about his family background, especially whether he already has a wife or concubine..."
Zhao Wenyi instantly lost her composure, her eyes sharp, "What do you want to say?"
Did she already know something?
Zhao Qingyi originally just wanted to give a good reminder, but seeing the other party's unusual expression, he suddenly had a bad idea.
Recently, Second Aunt Feng has been trying to find a date for her, but was always rejected by Zhao Wenyi. Could it be that... she is not always arrogant, but has already had some dealings with Tan Yin, so she has repeatedly rejected Feng?
Yes, the imperial examination has passed, and Tan Yin must have made his mark among them, so it is not surprising that Zhao Wenyi is interested in him.
Things have come to this point, what else can Zhao Qingyi do? Perhaps it is fate. "Just a reminder."
After returning to Lanyue Pavilion, Zhao Qingyi was still thinking about this matter. It took him a while after entering the room to realize that there was someone next to him. He looked up and saw that it was Chu Yuanhe.
She was surprised, "...How did you get in?"
This is the Zhao Mansion, not the house she lives in outside.
"Is it difficult?" Chu Yuanhe pointed towards her courtyard wall with a half-smile, "The Prince of Pingxi's Mansion is right next door."
Last year, the palace caught fire and he had to rebuild it. He specifically asked Chu Tianba for the yard closest to the Zhao family so that he could climb over the wall.
Well, I really can't hide from him anywhere.
Zhao Qingyi found it funny and suddenly asked, "Have you been coveting me for a long time?"
Otherwise, why is it always such a coincidence that before she got married, his palace was next to hers, and after she got married, the new house he bought was next to her husband's house, always separated by a wall.
"You just found out." Chu Yuanhe approached step by step, his shimmering peach blossom eyes filled with amusement, and slowly pushed her to the door. "I've brought my own house to be your concubine, how long do you want to consider it?"
Although Zhao Qingyi has adapted to the other party's rhythm, she still blushes and her heart beats fast when he approaches her.
She lowered her head, hiding the anxiety surging in her eyes, "I... won't stay in the Zhao family for too long."
This time she didn't mean to refuse, but she just needed time.
Chu Yuanhe held his folding fan in one hand and supported her head with the other. After pondering for a moment, he said, "You mean... you want me to go to Zhao's house and wait for you?"
After thinking about it, I can understand that Zhao Qingyi is shy and probably doesn't want to let a third person know that she is secretly supporting a man.
"Are you going to hide this from your parents and keep a beautiful mistress in your house?"
Zhao Qingyi's face turned red. Can the beauty in the golden house be used like this?
I couldn't help but glare at him. "What are you thinking? I mean I won't live in the Zhao family forever, but I can't leave right now. There are still some things I haven't figured out."
There was one thing she couldn't figure out. She was clearly reborn and arranged her parents' route back to Beijing according to the trajectory of her previous life, so why did something go wrong again?
Among them, either the person who targeted her father was reborn like herself, or that person was hiding in the dark, hiding beside her, and found out about her.
Zhao Qingyi thought carefully about the people around her. Needless to say, Tan Yue Qiaoyue was absolutely loyal, and the housekeeper knew how to handle the situation and would not go against her for no reason. The only mistake she made was when she eavesdropped on her conversation at Li's house on the day Zhao Manyi returned to Beijing.
Now she suspected that it was Zhao Manyi who leaked the news to Concubine Fang, so the so-called bandits were most likely arranged by Concubine Fang, but how could she, a concubine, have such ability?
Zhao Qingyi couldn't figure it out, so she had to come back to eliminate this hidden danger. She had already set a trap for Aunt Fang and was just waiting for her to take action and catch her in the act.
Chu Yuanhe could feel the distance between them getting closer. At least, Zhao Qingyi would tell him about her worries, so he nodded in agreement, "The Prince Consort did mention it. He also suspected that the robbery was not accidental."
This immediately caught Zhao Qingyi's attention. "Really? What did the Prince Consort say?"
"Most of the bandits are from all walks of life, a mixed bag, with varying levels of martial arts skills. However, the bandits who robbed the road that day were well-trained and their moves were ruthless."
Not like a bandit, but more like a professional killer.
However, the incident happened in a hurry, and the robbers' bodies were quickly cremated and buried after being transported to the government office. The government only classified them as bandits and closed the case, making it difficult to track them down further.
Zhao Qingyi also thought of this. The hope that had just been ignited was shattered, and he could only take it one step at a time.
"It's just that it's difficult, not that it can't be found." Chu Yuanhe said meaningfully, lifting her chin with his folding fan.
This action was too frivolous. Zhao Qingyi was embarrassed. Just as she was about to speak, Chu Yuanhe pressed her lips with his folding fan.
"I am yours, and everything I have is naturally yours too. You can ask me to check for you, how about it?" He didn't sound like he was joking, his tone was serious.
Zhao Qingyi thought about it seriously for a while, but before she could come up with a result, the other party suddenly leaned over and bit her delicate neck.
He really likes to bite people.
Zhao Qingyi immediately shrank like a frightened rabbit, but he couldn't dodge. Someone grabbed his waist and confined him in a small space.
The warm touch spread from her neck to every part of her body, followed by the man's enchanting voice, which seemed to be far away and yet near, drilling into her ears. She could not resist it at all and dared not move.
Chu Yuanhe was still intoxicated by her gentleness. He opened his mouth and gently sucked her small earlobe, "You can tell me to stop..."
He hugged her tighter, and finally pressed her against the door, sucking her earlobe and then slowly moving his kiss back to her neck. Her skin was so delicate that just a light kiss could leave red marks, so he had to restrain himself and didn't dare to use too much force.
Zhao Qingyi held the man's shoulders and managed to stand steadily, but his head was still buried in her neck and wandering around making trouble, so she was forced to look up.
He kissed her more and more intently, and the unfamiliar touch and pleasure made Zhao Qingyi dizzy.
She bit her lips tightly, but a few soft moans still escaped from between her lips and teeth.
But she still didn't stop.
Chu Yuanhe's presence was too tempting for her. Every time he approached her, she seemed to be bewildered and always accepted him subconsciously.
Even more.
For example, at this moment, her hand had wrapped around the back of the man's neck without her knowing when, her jade fingers ran through his hair, which was so smooth to the touch, and she couldn't help but feel emotional.
Chu Yuanhe noticed her subtle movements and held her arms tighter. He knew her hidden desire, but he was afraid of crossing the line and making her disgusted and retreat. He could only be patient and try to make her fall step by step.
He was extremely gentle, kissing her slender neck and her profile...
Almost everywhere his thin lips passed, there was his breath and his traces.
Chu Yuanhe sniffed the faint fragrance beneath her clothes, but he tried to hold back and finally didn't go any further.
It was just that his breathing was disordered, and his breathing against her neck sounded particularly pleasant.
Zhao Qingyi never thought that this level of intimacy alone would be enough to move her.
Thin tears soaked her vision, and her eyes were hazy. But the hand that was hugging the man's neck unconsciously hooked down, wanting him to be closer, closer.
However, the other person's lips only stayed on her cheek, without going any further, and even hadn't kissed her lips.
Chu Yuanhe knew himself. He was greedy and would keep asking for more once he tasted the sweetness. He didn't want to scare her.
Looking at her eyelashes fluttering and trembling like a startled butterfly so close to her, he smiled softly and touched her face soothingly.
"That's it for tonight."
He should be aware of being a mistress unless she takes the initiative.
Zhao Qingyi was still dizzy, with a look of confusion on her face.
Chu Yuanhe held her face and kissed the corner of her eye again. The hot breath disappeared in an instant, and it was still that familiar yet unfamiliar numbing feeling.
Zhao Qingyi was stunned for a moment, then reached out to grab the other person's clothes.
"See you next time." A pleasant male voice fell into my ears.
When Zhao Qingyi came to her senses, her hand was frozen in mid-air, the person had disappeared, and she suddenly felt empty.
“…”
Tan Yue Qiao Yue pushed the door open and came in, ready to help her rest, when she saw her leaning against the door in a daze.
"County Lady, are you ill?"
Qiao Yue looked concerned. She raised her hand to check the temperature on her forehead and exclaimed, "It's so hot, County Lady! Your face is so red too!"
Tan Yue: "Do you want to invite the imperial physician?"
The two maids were startled.
Zhao Qingyi came back to her senses and brushed the two away, "No...it's okay, just a little hot..." She shook her hands pretending to be hot, and returned to the couch as if nothing had happened.
The maids looked at each other in confusion. It’s not even March yet, and it’s already hot?
The room became quiet again. Zhao Qingyi had a sleepless night. When she woke up, her cheeks were still rosy, more gorgeous than if she had put on rouge.
The maidservant helped her put on makeup and couldn't help laughing, "Since the divorce, the county lady has looked much better."
Zhao Qingyi didn't dare to say anything. If she let it slip and let other people know...especially her parents, she wouldn't be able to explain it. So she simply kept it a secret and kept silent.
After getting on the carriage heading to Xiangguo Temple, Zhao Qingyi was still wondering when the next time Chu Yuanhe mentioned would be.
Tonight?
Then she couldn't spend the night in Xiangguo Temple.
This thought flashed through his mind, and Zhao Qingyi realized belatedly what he was expecting.
Could it be that she really fell in love with Chu Yuanhe?
"Big sister." After a night, Zhao Wenyi's attitude towards this elder sister softened a lot. "Can I come up?"
Zhao Qingyi collected her thoughts and moved aside. There was only one carriage going to Xiangguo Temple. The two sisters sat on each side, and the rest of the servants and guards walked on both sides of the carriage.
With no elders present, the two sisters looked at each other in silence.
After walking a distance, Qiao Yue knocked on the car wall outside and said quickly, "County Lady, come and take a look!"
The carriage slowed down. Zhao Qingyi opened the curtain and saw that where Qiaoyue was pointing were beggars in groups of three or four. One of them was crawling on the ground in his underwear, with disheveled hair and dirty face. His back and buttocks were covered in blood. He was holding a broken bowl and tremblingly begging passers-by, mumbling and unable to utter complete words.
Occasionally, a few wealthy businessmen passing by would feel sorry for her and throw two copper coins into her broken bowl.
Qiao Yue was amazed, "This Luo family is really lucky. After ninety blows, he didn't die."
Not only did he not die, he also did not suffer a stroke and was no longer bedridden. With his strong will to survive, he was able to crawl out and beg on the street. It was a miracle.
Qiao Yue thought that perhaps Luo had done too many evil things and God didn't want her to die too easily.
As if she heard Qiao Yue's voice, Luo looked towards the carriage and caught sight of the person in the carriage at a glance. She suddenly became excited and wanted to rush over, but unfortunately she was paralyzed on one side of her body and was lying on the ground twisting and struggling, like a rotten and smelly maggot in a gutter.
Tan Yue quickly pulled down the carriage curtain, "Don't look at it, my lady, it's bad luck!"
Zhao Qingyi's vision was blocked, and he had no interest in lifting the curtain again. He just turned around indifferently with a normal expression.
Since getting in the car, Zhao Wenyi has been observing her secretly. She also saw the scene just now. Thinking about how she almost got married, she still felt scared.
"I've heard a little about the Li family. It's said that when Luo woke up in prison, she took all the blame on herself and Luo Gui. Luo Gui couldn't handle it anymore and was beaten to death, leaving only Luo to survive... It seems, it seems, the Zhongyong Marquis's Mansion also played a role."
Li Susu was an abandoned child and was useless, but she was born from Luo's womb after all, and the Bo family married her with great fanfare, so it was impossible for them to just sit back and watch.
Lending money at high interest rates would be fine, but he couldn't be charged with murder. Otherwise, it would be like the Earl's Mansion had a daughter-in-law whose mother was a murderer, and the Earl's Mansion would have to intervene and mediate.
Luo was lucky, otherwise she would not have been able to get out alive.
Zhao Qingyi sneered and lowered his head to take a sip of tea.
"Big sister, aren't you worried?" Zhao Wenyi asked again.
The only response she got was silence. Ever since the divorce, Zhao Qingyi didn't care about the Li family at all.
"Luo has completely cleared Li Che of all charges, and Li Che has only admitted to the crime of harboring a criminal. If that were all, the hanging would be too harsh. Who knows, Li Che might even survive."
Zhao Wenyi reminded her indirectly, but secretly, she still hoped that her elder sister would have an easier time, because there was no point in comparing with her.
Zhao Qingyi remained silent.
The Zhao family carriage continued to move forward, and the sound of the silver bells hanging on the four corners of the carriage drifted away in the wind, gradually fading away.
Luo was crawling on the ground, his eyes bloodshot.
Damn Zhao!
She was so angry. She hated herself for not killing Zhao Qingyi quickly. It was all her fault for being indecisive and not ruthless enough, otherwise she wouldn't have ended up like this.
Thinking of Li Che who was still in prison and whose life or death was unknown, Luo's heart was broken. She had to live and live well to have hope.
Luo put the copper coins in the broken bowl into her arms and crawled until she reached the door of the Li family's old house.
This is her home. As long as she settles down and asks someone to send a message to Susu, Susu will come to see her and find the best doctor to treat her. After she recovers, she will seek revenge on that bitch Zhao.
Her will to survive was stronger than ever. She slowly climbed the stairs. Just as she straightened her upper body and was about to knock on the door, the door opened from the inside.
"Go back and study hard with Mr. Kong, and don't miss home, okay?" Yuxiu held her son's hand and admonished him earnestly.
Li Jiao agreed obediently. Just as the mother and son were about to part, they were frightened by Luo, who was covered in dirt and blood.
Yuxiu held her bulging belly and screamed in fear, and the mother and son hid far away.
"Yu, Yuxiu... Jiao, Er..."
Luo stretched out her skinny and dirty hands, trying to grab the life-saving straw in front of her, and shouted vaguely, "Jiao, Jiao'er... I am... Grandmother..."
Yu Xiu recognized the ferocious old face beneath the man's messy hair, and quickly protected Li Jiao and retreated back to the house.
"Where did this beggar come from? Go away!"
Yuxiu ordered the servant to close the door quickly. Luo Shi desperately blocked the doorway, saying in a timid tone, "I, I am the old lady of the Li family! Who of you dares to..."
The servant was new and still young, and was also frightened by Luo's appearance.
It happened that Li Heng was preparing to go out on business. He was now a popular student in the capital, and his social engagements had increased accordingly. Seeing Yuxiu and her son trembling at the door, he quickly rushed over.
As a result, Luo grabbed his ankle.
"Li, Li Heng..."
Luo raised her head and looked up at the tall man in front of her. Li Heng was no longer the same person he used to be. He was no longer the little bastard who had to look at her face.
Li Heng had a blank expression on his face as he threw out a handful of copper coins. "That's all I have. If you want to beg, go somewhere else."
What? A little bastard actually treated her, his legitimate mother, like a beggar?
Luo Shi felt extremely humiliated. "This... this is my home! I, I want to go in..."
"Your house?" Li Heng sneered, "This is the Li family's old house, the ancestral property of the Li family. What does it have to do with an outsider like you?"
"You..." Luo Shi couldn't believe it.
What outsider? She is the daughter-in-law of the Li family, the old lady of the Li family!
This bastard Li Heng clearly wants to take her house!
She pointed at Li Heng with trembling fingers, cursing him as an unfilial descendant who had seized the ancestral property, attracting many curious passers-by to watch.
Li Heng's eyebrows were throbbing, and finally he couldn't help but kick Luo away. Luo screamed, and his lame body rolled down the stairs like a pile of rotten meat.
"Listen carefully, the Li family is now ruled by Jiao'er. Because Jiao'er is young, I, your uncle, will be in charge of the family for the time being. As long as I am here, I will not allow you, a bitch who disturbs the family home, to come back!"
Li Heng ordered the servant to fetch something. It was a yellowed letter, showing that it was quite old. "Luo, you probably wouldn't have guessed that before my father passed away, he left behind a suicide note. It was for you."
He threw the letter in front of Luo Shi and said, "Open it yourself and see!"
"Oh, I forgot. It's not convenient for you." After a round of sarcasm, Li Heng ordered the servant to pick it up and read it to Luo in public.
It turned out to be a letter of divorce, and it was written by Li Heng's father, Luo's husband, before his death.
Mr. Li knew his wife's character, and did not want Mrs. Luo to bring disgrace to the family after his death, so he left a letter of divorce before his death, instructing his descendants that if Mrs. Luo did anything detrimental to the family, they could take out the letter of divorce and kick her out.
The boy, who had just learned to read, stuttered as he finished reading the divorce letter. Mrs. Luo didn't believe it, so she snatched the letter and glanced at ten lines. It was indeed her husband's handwriting.
Luo Shi collapsed instantly and burst into sharp cries.
Impossible, this is impossible!
She has been running the Li family for many years, and even if she has no credit, she has worked hard. How could the Li family treat her like this?!
Li Heng was no longer willing to give her a second look and told Luo to fend for herself. He slammed the door shut, isolating Luo's cries and the people's curses from outside.
Mrs. Luo was like a madman. She wanted to tear the divorce letter into pieces, but her hands were unable to exert full strength. In a frenzy, she tore and bit the letter, wishing to vent all her anger.
Why? Why do you treat her like this?
What on earth did she do wrong?!
She was unwilling to accept this, she was so unwilling to accept this, she couldn't just give up like this, she still had a son and a daughter, her son was the third place in the imperial examination, her daughter was the young lady of the Earl's Mansion!
Yes, she still has her daughter to rely on. She will find Susu and come back to deal with that little bastard Li Heng!
Luo wiped away her tears and dragged her bloody and numb lower body, struggling to twist towards the Bo Mansion.
With the thought of seeing her daughter in her mind, she walked resolutely through the crowded streets, until a pair of small, exquisite dark purple embroidered shoes appeared in front of her.
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