Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Propose to marry.
"How is it? Are you feeling comfortable?"
The man's back-rubbing technique was not very skilled, but his movements were gentle and delicate, and it felt comfortable.
Zhao Qingyi's cheeks were as rosy as a rose. She hummed in a muffled voice, and her tense back relaxed a little bit.
She was indeed tired. It seemed as if the absurd things she had experienced that day were more than those she had experienced in her entire life.
Chu Yuanhe continued to scrub slowly, and when her entire back turned slightly red, he finally couldn't help but lean over and kiss a crystal drop of water on her butterfly bone.
Zhao Qingyi snorted softly, clinging to the edge of the bathtub, and looked back at him helplessly.
The bath towel was thrown away somewhere. The man held her round shoulders from behind, preventing her from struggling at all, and his thin lips slowly moved up to her earlobe.
An ambiguous atmosphere lingers in the water vapor.
The hot water created ripples as she shook slightly.
Chu Yuanhe finally restrained himself. After a while, he took the pajamas from the clothes rack and put them on her shoulders, then carried her out of the bucket.
Back on the bed, he skillfully wrapped her wet hair with a dry cloth. The two stopped talking and enjoyed this moment of tranquility.
Just rubbing against each other, the two of them stuck together again.
Fortunately, Zhao Qingyi still had a trace of rationality. She pushed him away breathlessly, "...It's getting late, you should leave quickly."
She still felt uncomfortable, and if the two of them were shameless again, she might not be able to get out of bed tomorrow.
Chu Yuanhe didn't force it. Things will be better if you take it slow. There is no need to rush.
"Then I'll come over when I'm free."
"Yeah." Zhao Qingyi shrank back into the quilt, leaving her slender neck exposed with the new red marks he had left.
After coming out of the palace, she seemed to become even more delicate, like a peony that had drunk enough rain and dew, bright and beautiful.
She was beautiful in the past, but... she was just different.
Chu Yuanhe was very pleased with himself, and could not help but indulge himself on her lips again. After she collapsed limply, he straightened his clothes and stood up, "Rest here, don't see me off."
Zhao Qingyi nestled lazily in the quilt and hummed again. She didn't have the energy to see him off, so just like before, she let him go however he wanted.
Before leaving, Chu Yuanhe put the phoenix hairpin she had left in the side hall back into her hand and said, "Keep it well. Be careful next time and don't drop it again."
Zhao Qingyi held the phoenix hairpin in a daze. Only after he disappeared did she realize what was happening and her face turned red.
Is this her fault?
Two maids knocked on the door and came in. Seeing the county lady who had just come out of the bath and was in disheveled clothes, there was not much surprise on their faces. They were used to it.
Just seeing the red marks on her neck, Qiao Yue sighed in her heart, the county lady has suffered again.
Zhao Qingyi asked them to put away the phoenix hairpin. While putting it away, Qiao Yue talked about the clues she had discovered today.
After a little thought, Zhao Qingyi guessed the other party's intention. The treacherous maid probably wanted to steal her personal belongings while she was away.
"Don't alert the enemy. Tomorrow morning, take a small piece of clothing out and have that maid steal it."
Qiao Yue was shocked, "How can this be possible?" Xiaoyi's private belongings were stolen, and she didn't know what to do with them.
Zhao Qingyi smiled meaningfully, "Didn't Mother take over the household duties? She should know the styles of the seasonal clothes given to Auntie, right?"
The food, clothing, housing and transportation of the female members of the mansion were all arranged by the mansion, and personal belongings were naturally no exception. Meng took over the household chores, and she knew exactly what patterns and styles Concubine Fang liked.
"Find something similar and have that maid steal it. Remember to make it look natural so as not to arouse suspicion."
As soon as she heard it, she knew it was going to be a good thing. Qiao Yue was very excited. "Yes, I will definitely take care of it!"
At dawn the next day, Qiao Yue, holding a basket of clothes, casually called out to the maid, "These are the clothes the county lady doesn't want. Take them down and destroy them. Remember, destroy them completely. Do you understand?"
The more she emphasized, the more certain the maid was that the basket was the county lady's clothes. She hurriedly took it and nodded repeatedly. After Qiao Yue walked away, she carried the basket of clothes to the corner and found the only piece of clothing, which was bright red.
With the county lady's small clothes, I will definitely be able to help my aunt succeed.
She folded the small clothes, put them in her sleeve pocket, and then quietly handed them to Aunt Fang in the middle of the night.
It was dark at night, and Aunt Fang just took a casual look. The clothes looked the same no matter how she turned them over and over, so she didn't think much of it. As long as she was sure that it was Zhao Qingyi's, she gave the maid a bag of silver and sent her away.
—
Not long after the Flower God Banquet, the palace examination ended and the Ministry of Rites announced the results. Many families in the capital began to look for sons-in-law based on the results and started to get married one after another.
As for the Flower Goddess Banquet, His Majesty still did not choose any woman. According to the descriptions of the female relatives who attended the banquet, His Majesty did not even show up that day, which made many noble families who dreamed of clinging to the royal family give up the idea.
It just happened that the results were announced, so he took the opportunity to arrange a marriage for his daughter. At her father's suggestion, Zhang Wanyan was betrothed to Qiao Wenbai, a newcomer who had won three top spots in the imperial examinations, also known as Qiao Langjun.
Although this person does not come from a high-class family, he has noble character and great talent. He is the most respected disciple of Prime Minister Zhang. This time, when he married Zhang Wanyan, he volunteered to marry into the Zhang family and even asked the eldest princess to act as a matchmaker, which shows his sincerity.
Zhao Qingyi was peeling grapes leisurely in the porch. When she heard about this, she was also happy for Zhang Wanyan.
She still had some impression of Qiao Wenbo. In her previous life, he was appreciated by the emperor with his essay "State Governance Policy" in the palace examination and became a new upstart in the court. Later, he was in the cabinet with Li Che, but the two did not get along and often had different political views.
As Li Che's wife at that time, Zhao Qingyi indirectly knew Qiao Wenbo. Qiao Wenbo had great ambitions, but what was even more rare was his down-to-earth and calm temperament. He acted cautiously and prudently, never making any mistakes, and was deeply favored by the emperor. As soon as he entered the cabinet, he took away half of Li Che's power.
At that time, Zhao Qingyi naturally stood on the same side as Li Che, sharing the same hatred and enemy. Now that he thought about it, anyone who could get along with Li Che should not be too bad in heart.
If Zhang Wanyan were still alive in her previous life, she would probably marry Qiao Wenbo just like she does now.
Thinking about Qiao Wenbai's future career, Zhao Qingyi felt that this might really be a good marriage.
Tan Yue smiled and said, "I heard that Miss Zhang asked for it herself after the Flower God Banquet."
This was beyond Zhao Qingyi's expectations. Qiao Wenbai was a disciple of the Zhang family, and Zhang Wanyan took the initiative to ask for this marriage. Could it be that the two of them had already fallen in love with each other?
After the accident, Zhao Qingyi felt relieved. It was normal for a girl's thoughts to be unknown to others. She also had secrets that she had never told Zhang Wanyan.
Thinking of this, Zhao Qingyi asked Tan Yue to prepare a generous gift and send it to Zhang Wanyan after she got engaged. At that time, she would definitely tease Zhang Wanyan.
Qiao Yue also smiled, and then thought of something else, "Oh yes, has the county lady heard about the renaming of Prince Qi?"
When King Qi was mentioned, Zhao Qingyi paused while peeling grapes. After hearing what the maid said, she felt that King Qi deserved it and got what he deserved.
No matter if he killed Zhang Wanyan in his previous life or plotted against her in this life, simply changing his title and exiling him to a cold and bitter place would not be enough to atone for his sins.
However, the fact that King Qi drugged her could not be brought to light. She would remember this grudge and would seek revenge sooner or later.
Zhao Qingyi stuffed the grapes into his mouth and crushed them hard. "If you have any other news, go on."
Tan Yue flipped through the booklet in her hand. "There's one more important thing. The second son of the Li family, Li Heng, has also passed the imperial examination and is the runner-up this year."
Except for Li Heng, almost all the students who hosted the New Policy School passed the exam. This undoubtedly gave great encouragement to students all over the world, and many people followed suit to join the New Policy.
Zhao Qingyi secretly admired Chu Yuanhe's ability. She had just said it casually that day, but he really listened to it and even reported it to the emperor, which led to the current situation.
The gloom caused by King Qi was immediately swept away, and Zhao Qingyi smiled, "This is a great thing. My father, who is far away in Zhejiang, can also get help from scholars all over the world."
Just as the master and servant were rejoicing, the housekeeper came in and reported, "County Lady, someone has arrived from the palace. Please go out and receive the imperial decree."
Zhao Qingyi's heart skipped a beat. An order from the palace?
Could it be His Majesty? Could her earlier wild guess... have come true?
How can this be?
Zhao Qingyi lifted her skirt and hurried out to greet him. She saw that the eunuch delivering the imperial edict at the door looked unfamiliar. He was not the eunuch in charge of imperial ceremonies who was always by His Majesty's side. She felt a little relieved.
The whole family knelt on the ground to receive the decree, and the first sentence the father-in-law said was the decree of the Empress Dowager.
Zhao Qingyi breathed a sigh of relief.
When the eldest wife heard that the Empress Dowager had actually decided to cancel the engagement between the Li and Zhao families and even destroyed the documents that had been approved by the government, she almost cheered out loud.
Zhao Lanyan, in particular, couldn't hide his joy in his eyes. Without waiting for the old lady in front to get up, he rushed forward and grabbed the imperial decree, "It's not a divorce, it's the dissolution of the engagement!"
Now let’s see who dares to talk about his sister being a divorced woman!
The old lady glared at him and said, "How dare you! Get out of here right away." Her tone was stern, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that Madam Zhao was also very happy.
The eunuch smiled and took the reward money from the Zhao family and returned to the palace to report.
Meng finally stopped suppressing her emotions and moved closer to her son.
The imperial edict clearly stated that the engagement was to be cancelled, and neither the royal family nor the government recognized the marriage.
"That's great!" Meng cried with joy. No one could criticize the Zhao family or her daughter anymore.
Zhao Qingyi couldn't believe it. This was actually the decree of the Empress Dowager?
At the last Flower Goddess Banquet, the Empress Dowager did not give her a good look. It was hard to imagine that she had actually been a good person.
Madam Zhao said quickly, "We need to find a craftsman to frame this imperial edict and hang it in the hall."
Qingyi is her proudest granddaughter, and she wants everyone to know that her granddaughter is innocent.
"Let's go back and find a good and reliable family for Qingyi. Let's wipe the slate clean and live happily ever after!"
As soon as Madam Zhao finished speaking, the doorman's voice rang out again, "Li Bangyan is here!"
When they first heard the surname "Li", the eldest wife's face looked unhappy, but when they saw that it was Li Heng, their expressions eased.
Li Heng had just passed the ceremony of being released from prison. He wore a hairpin with flowers on his head, the imperial crown and robes for a Jinshi, a blue silk robe, a red silk ribbon, and court boots. He strode in, and behind him were seven or eight servants carrying boxes and baskets into the house.
The Zhao family was stunned. Before they could recover, Li Heng had already walked up to the old lady and Mrs. Meng and bowed deeply. "I am Li Heng, the humble official. I pay my respects to the old lady Zhao and the eldest lady. I am a humble official, but I have passed the imperial examination and come to the Zhao family today to ask for the marriage of the county lady!"
Even though the old lady had seen a lot of storms, she couldn't help but open her mouth wide when she heard this.
She must have heard it right, please, please marry Qingyi?
Li Heng came to propose marriage right after the Empress Dowager's decree arrived. In such a short period of time, Li Heng should not have known the content of the decree in advance. In other words, regardless of whether Zhao Qingyi was a divorced woman or not, the other party was willing to marry her.
this……
Old Madam Zhao had just said that she wanted to find a good family for her granddaughter when Li Heng came. Could it be God's will?
The old lady and Mrs. Meng subconsciously looked at Zhao Qingyi and asked her what she meant.
As for the silent second wife, they were so sad that they were about to cry, especially Concubine Fang and Fang Ru.
Fang Ru looked at Li Heng not far away with red eyes. After not seeing him for many days, Li Heng looked even more high-spirited. Now he had passed the imperial examination and was very famous, with a bright future ahead of him.
Putting aside Aunt Fang's thoughts, Fang Ru herself also liked Li Heng very much, but it was a pity that from beginning to end, the other party never had her in his eyes.
Fang Ru twisted her handkerchief and tears welled up in her eyes. When she saw the other party looking at Zhao Qingyi with affection, she knew that Li Heng's feelings for Zhao Qingyi had been planted a long, long time ago.
She had no chance.
Fang Ru became more and more embarrassed and turned and ran away.
Aunt Fang was just feeling angry, mad at how lucky Zhao Qingyi was. When she found out her niece ran away crying, she secretly spat at her useless thing. If Fang Ru had fought for her dignity, Li Heng, the newly-minted Jinshi, would have belonged to their second wife. How could it have been the first wife's turn?
Second Aunt Feng felt a pang of sadness when she saw the servants bringing in the betrothal gifts. She turned around and glared at her husband, Zhao Huailiang, "You, as a father, shouldn't you hurry up? Our Wen Yi hasn't even gotten married yet."
Wen Yi is still a virgin and has never married, while Zhao Qingyi, the second-married woman, has already found her second spring. She is also a newly-minted Jinshi, the second place selected by His Majesty herself. It's really frustrating to compare yourself with her.
Zhao Huailiang hadn't expected Li Heng to come to his house and openly propose marriage. Hearing his wife's complaints, he could only sigh, "Why rush? I've already chosen Tan Yin, the son of Minister Tan of the Ministry of Revenue. There were some unexpected events in the imperial examination this time, and although he wasn't among the top two, he has a family background and is related to the Yongning Marquisate, so he's still a good candidate."
Feng curled her lips. She had come into contact with Tan Yin before, but at that time the Tan family had solemnly promised that their son would definitely pass the imperial examination. But now...
Feng was still not happy, "Our daughter is going to marry the top three scholars in the imperial examination."
What's the use of being in the top three? He will be sent to work as an official in the local area, and she can't bear to let her daughter suffer with him.
Zhao Huailiang was too lazy to say more. "I will invite the Tan family to come over another day and let Wen Yi take another look. If there is no objection, it will be decided." He thought that the other party was handsome and had a good family background.
Zhao Wenyi was right next to the two elders and heard their conversation clearly. She couldn't help blushing and her heart was beating fast.
She had met Tan Yin several times and he was quite good-looking. They had also exchanged letters, but she had never agreed to the marriage at that time. She wanted to wait until he passed the imperial examination before discussing it. Now, the matter was being delayed again and again, and she was already at the age to get married.
Before this, she had always hoped to marry a talented man, and live in harmony and respect with him. But now...
Maybe she was really too arrogant. It was not easy to marry the top three scholars in the imperial examination. In comparison, Tan Yin was not too bad.
Zhao Wenyi glanced at her eldest cousin, who was like a star among the crowd, with a gloomy expression. She rarely looked over Feng and said, "Just do as father says."
Feng still wanted to fight for her daughter, but after hearing her daughter say this, she had no choice but to agree with her, "Don't worry, mother will definitely not let you suffer. Ask around later. If your family background is really good, it won't be too late to agree."
Tan Yin, the legitimate son of Minister Tan, is indeed related by marriage to the Yongning Marquis's Mansion. The original wife of the Yongning Marquis was surnamed Tan. She died after giving birth to the prince Xiao Hanyu for the Marquis's Mansion. Later, Zhao Huaishu married into the Marquis's Mansion as his second wife. If he wanted to meet her, he could use Zhao Huaishu's relationship.
The couple discussed in a low voice and planned to ask Zhao Huaishu's stepson Xiao Hanyu to invite Tan Yin to the Marquis' Mansion in the name of cousins meeting. They would go together from the second house and pretend that they met by chance and visited each other by the way.
If you are satisfied, you can get engaged. If you are not satisfied, you can just leave. Then outsiders will not be able to blame you in the future, and it can also save the face of both parties. After all, even if the deal fails, the friendship remains.
The second wife's calculations were clattering.
On the other side, Li Heng and Zhao Qingyi walked away to talk, and the old lady noticed the movement in the second room.
Hearing the couple's whispers, he snorted coldly, "Huaishu is the second wife, and her life in the Marquis's Mansion is not so comfortable. Don't take advantage of her."
"Mother-in-law, you can't be so partial."
Feng was unhappy. "My sister-in-law is your biological daughter, but Wen Yi is also your biological granddaughter. We are planning this to find a good husband for Wen Yi. You can't just care about the county lady's granddaughter, right?"
As soon as the Empress Dowager's decree came down, the old lady thought of choosing a husband for Zhao Qingyi. How could she forget the girl from their second house?
The old lady also looked a little uneasy. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Don't be too deliberate. If you want, both families can go visit Huaishu together."
This was a relief, but Feng Shi was still dissatisfied. She wanted to find a husband for Wen Yi, so why did she ask the eldest wife to come with her? Was she asking Zhao Qingyi to snatch her daughter's ideal husband?
And you say you are not biased!
Old Madam Zhao was really wronged this time. She just wanted to visit relatives with her family, but she didn't know Feng's twists and turns. Besides, Li Heng was asking for Zhao Qingyi's hand in marriage, and it was possible that the marriage would be settled.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Qingyi declined this marriage that everyone thought was a good one.
The two stood aside, and Zhao Qingyi said calmly, "Congratulations to Lord Li on winning the second place in the imperial examination. However, I'm sorry that I cannot agree to this marriage. Lord Li, please go back."
On the way here, Li Heng had thought that Zhao Qingyi would reject him, but when he heard these words with his own ears and saw the other party's calm and almost ruthless expression with his own eyes, his heart still ached.
Hidden within his wide sleeves, his hands clenched into fists. "Can I...can I know the reason?"
Why did Zhao Qingyi reject him again and again?
At first he thought it was because of his inferior background and that he was a bastard's son, so the marriage would not fall on him. Later, he waited for Zhao Qingyi to divorce, but the other party was still lukewarm.
Now that he has graduated from high school and can start his own business, no one can use his background to make trouble, and everyone even has to look up to him, but Zhao Qingyi still refuses.
Zhao Qingyi felt that there was nothing to hide, "I have no plans to get married."
No matter who proposes marriage, they will only get this answer.
"I have something else to do in the shop, so I'm sorry I can't keep you company."
When turning around, Li Heng looked at her steadily, and saw clearly a faint trace under her half-high collar, and his expression was gloomy.
He is not at the age where he knows nothing.
But Zhao Qingyi had already divorced, and the traces were obviously recent.
Who is that person...?
When he came to his senses, Zhao Qingyi had already left. Old Madam Zhao and Meng looked at each other and realized that this was a polite refusal, so they had no choice but to order the servant to return the betrothal gifts as they were.
Aunt Fang walked over and said, "It's getting late. Why don't you stay for dinner, Li Bangyan?"
Just as Meng was about to retort, Aunt Fang continued, "Li Bangyan previously taught Jiang Yan at the clan school. I never had the chance to thank you in person. Please stay."
Zhao Jiangyan ran out at the right time, hugged Li Heng's legs and begged.
Seeing this, Meng Shi found it difficult to refute. She felt that Li Heng wanted to marry her daughter, but her daughter refused. Keeping him would embarrass both parties. But Aunt Fang's excuse...
Forget it, just don’t bring it to the eldest wife’s house. She has no right to interfere in the second wife’s private affairs.
Zhao Huailiang thought of the Flower God Banquet, where Li Heng made an exception and received an invitation to attend the banquet. He knew that Li Heng was a person valued by the higher-ups, and it would be great if he could make friends with him, so he agreed.
Finally, Li Heng could not resist the kindness of the second wife and reluctantly agreed.
Aunt Fang was overjoyed and quickly sent someone to welcome Li Heng to the west wing. After doing all this, she did not forget to give Zhao Huailiang a coquettish smile and seductive eyes, which naturally earned her praise from Zhao Huailiang, who said that she had good vision and did a good job.
Feng looked at Aunt Fang's smug face, rolled her eyes, and took her daughter Zhao Wenyi away.
If Zhao Huailiang loses his mind and dares to promise Fang Ru, that little bitch who came from nowhere, to Li Heng, I bet she will make him die!
Mrs. Feng would never allow a niece who lived under someone else's roof to marry someone better than her second wife's daughter. Wouldn't that be a slap in the face to her first wife?
However, Li Heng himself was also on guard. He knew that Aunt Fang was probably looking for an opportunity to match him with Fang Ru, but this was obviously impossible. So when Aunt Fang mysteriously invited him to a secluded place, he politely declined.
Aunt Fang smiled and said, "Don't be nervous. I'm not looking for you to propose marriage for Fang Ru. I want to return something important to you."
Important things? Return them to him?
Li Heng immediately thought of the box he had lost for a long time. After all, it was the only thing his biological mother left him. It disappeared inexplicably when he was at the Li family. He was depressed for a while because of this, but he never found it.
Could it be in Aunt Fang's hands? How did she get it?
With a lot of questions in his mind, Li Heng avoided outsiders and followed Aunt Fang to a secluded place.
After the two of them sat down, Aunt Fang had the box brought over.
The moment he saw the box, Li Heng couldn't wait to take it back.
Aunt Fang stopped him and said, "Hey, Li Bangyan, don't worry. Take a closer look first. Is this yours?"
"Of course!"
Li Heng didn't hesitate. He knew his mother's belongings even if they were reduced to ashes. He hurriedly asked, "How much silver does Auntie want before she is willing to return the box to me?"
"Talking about silver is a bit strange." Aunt Fang's delicate, nail-dyed hands pushed the box in front of him. "I came across this by chance, and after asking around, I realized it was yours. Today, I'm returning it to its rightful owner, as a token of my good will towards Li Bangyan."
Li Heng took the box and opened it, wanting to see if his things were still there. Suddenly, a neatly folded piece of brightly colored clothing caught his sight, which scared him so much that his hand trembled and the box almost fell at his feet.
"T-This isn't mine!"
A flash of shame crossed his handsome face, and he was anxious to prove his innocence. "There's no way I would secretly keep something like this... something so filthy!"
He picked up a branch and tried to pick the thing out, but Aunt Fang stopped him again, "Don't you want to marry the county lady?"
Li Heng paused and looked at her in surprise. What did she mean?
Could it be...
Looking at the things in the box again, Li Heng's face turned even redder.
"This is a great opportunity right now, don't you want to take her home?"
Aunt Fang stood up, walked to his side, and said slowly, "As long as Li Bangyan cooperates, I can make your wish come true."
Li Heng was silent. He vaguely guessed what Aunt Fang was planning.
Although he knew that the other party had bad intentions and was just trying to use him, Li Heng seemed to be possessed by a ghost and spoke hesitantly, "May I ask, Auntie, what are you going to do?"
There was a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.
Aunt Fang smiled sweetly, thinking that even a hero could not resist the temptation of a beautiful woman.
This time, Zhao Qingyi can't turn over!
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