When Qi Yuning saw Lu Baozhu's innocent face, she was a little envious of her. She was simple-minded and didn't have too many worries in her daily life.
"Think about it, why didn't King Xu want an old cow to eat young grass before, but wants an old cow to eat young grass now?"
Lu Baozhu said, "Before, Aunt Xu Wang was not seriously ill, so he was naturally embarrassed to say that he wanted to marry Lu Baohua as a concubine. Although she is still a concubine now, my uncle Xu Wang is now a strong candidate for the crown prince. It is very likely that Baohua will become the queen in the future if she marries him."
Qi Yuning said, "It's not that your uncle Xu Wang is a strong candidate for the crown prince that you came to find Baohua to marry him as a concubine, but if Baohua marries him, your uncle Xu Wang will be the only choice for the crown prince."
Lu Baozhu suddenly realized, "That's right. Our Lu family is marrying Uncle Xu. Uncle Xu is naturally more capable than Uncle Shou to compete for the position of crown prince. Since Uncle Xu is using Baohua, why did Second Uncle and Second Aunt let Lu Baohua marry him?"
Qi Yuning said calmly: "Because this is a win-win situation, they also want to gamble whether the Lu family can produce a queen."
"Mother, auntie!"
Lingling came out with her hair braided and rushed straight to Qi Yuning.
Qi Yuning looked at Lingling who was wearing double buns with pink tassels, looking very cute. She hugged Lingling, touched her buns and asked, "Where are you going to play, Lingling?"
Lingling said: "Lingling wanted to take Second Aunt to eat delicious food, but Second Aunt cried so hard."
Qi Yuning agreed: "Then go find your second aunt first."
In a quiet little pavilion in the mansion of Duke Lu, there is a plaque with the words "Xiang Fei Ju" written on it, and the pavilion is planted with green bamboos.
Although the weather has turned cooler in September, the sun has been strong in recent days and it is still a bit hot. This green bamboo is quiet and peaceful. It would definitely be a good place to live in the summer.
Going further in, there are two Podocarpus trees that are trimmed in a very artistic way.
Various orchids were placed under the eaves of the courtyard corridor. There were very few orchids in Shengjing City that were grown so well, especially those pots of black orchids.
When Qi Yuning came to Lu Baohua's courtyard for the first time, he couldn't help but exclaimed: "This Miss Baohua is really a wonderful person."
Lu Baozhu asked, "Why is it so wonderful?"
Qi Yuning smiled faintly and said, "Plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum and pine are arranged in a well-arranged manner, which is very elegant. It is not like some people's courtyards, which are either bright red roses, or azaleas, peonies, and bright red camellias, and the flowers are in a messy and chaotic manner."
Lu Baozhu returned Lingling in her arms to Qi Yuning and said, "I won't help you hold the child anymore, hold it yourself!"
Qi Yuning took Lingling and held her.
Inside the house, Lu Baohua stared blankly at the straw dragonfly in her hand with tears in her eyes. She stroked the straw dragonfly gently and bit her lower lip between her teeth.
"Miss, Princess Qi and Princess Baozhu are here."
Lu Baohua had just hidden the straw dragonfly when he saw Lingling coming in wearing a pink dress.
Little Lingling flew into Lu Baohua's arms like a pink butterfly, "Second Aunt, are you still crying? Don't cry, don't cry, Lingling will take you to eat delicious food!"
Qi Yuning and Lu Baozhu entered. Seeing Lu Baohua crying, Lu Baozhu said, "Why are you crying? If you don't want to get married, I don't believe they can still force you to marry?"
Lu Baohua whispered, "Marriage is always decided by my parents. Although they can't tie me up with ropes, the kindness of my parents in raising me and my filial piety to my grandmother are like invisible chains that bind me. I have no choice but to accept my fate...
Qi Yuning comforted him softly, "There will be a way. As long as you say you don't want to, Lu Ze and I will help you."
Lu Baohua looked up at Qi Yuning and said, "Thank you, Princess. But will this offend Prince Xu..."
Qi Yuning said, "I'm not afraid of offending King Xu. You haven't been back to Shengjing City for a long time. It's autumn now, so I guess you haven't bought new clothes for autumn. Let's go shopping on the street, and I'll buy some more clothes for Lingling."
Lingling is cute, and Qi Yuning likes to change clothes for Lingling, even if it's just one change a day.
Lingling said happily: "Also buy beautiful clothes for my aunt and second aunt, and also buy clothes for my little cousin and brother Cheng!"
Qi Yuning chuckled and said, "Who is this brother Cheng?"
Lu Baozhu said, "The wife of the eldest young master of the Zhong family gave birth prematurely to a son, who is Zhong You's younger brother. My mother didn't let Lingling touch her little cousin, so she went to play with brother Cheng."
Qi Yuning smiled calmly and said, "Zhong You has a new little brother, which is cause for celebration."
Lingling said: "Brother Ayou has a little brother, Lingling also wants a little brother and sister. Mother promised Lingling that she would have a little brother and sister, but now she doesn't have one!"
Qi Yuning coaxed Lingling, "It will be there soon. Let's go buy new clothes."
Lu Baohua took the hot towel handed to her by the maid, wiped her face, and followed them to Yunyi Pavilion without putting on any makeup.
The Yunyi Pavilion has been bustling recently, and Shengjing City has gradually regained its former prosperity. There are many good fabrics in the Yunyi Pavilion.
“Ahem.”
"Mother, be careful."
Qi Yuning heard a cough and turned around to see that it was Princess Xu and her eldest daughter, Princess Fang, who was only eleven years old.
When Lu Baozhu saw Princess Xu coming, she bowed and said, "Aunt."
Qi Yuning and Lu Baohua also bowed and saluted, "Princess Xu, Princess Fang."
Princess Fang looked at the little Lingling beside Qi Yuning and said with a smile: "This is cousin Ze's daughter Lingling, right? She is so cute."
Qi Yuning smiled faintly and said, "Lingling, call me great-uncle and aunt."
"Great uncle, aunt."
Princess Xu smiled faintly when she saw the well-behaved Lingling and said, "What a well-behaved child, ahem."
Qi Yuning saw that Princess Xu seemed to be really ill, and she didn't know whether she came here by coincidence or on purpose.
Princess Xu looked at Lu Baohua and said, "Baohua, I haven't seen you for a while. In the past, when the prince held poetry and calligraphy gatherings, you always stood out. It just so happens that the prince is going to hold a calligraphy gathering in the east of the city in a few days. All the literati in Shengjing will go, and the scholar Xianchu, whom you admire the most, will also come. You must come."
When Lu Baohua heard the name of Mr. Xianchu, she thought of Zhong Ming and pursed her lips slightly.
Qi Yuning said, "Book club? This princess is also interested in it. It's a good opportunity to pick some good books for Lingling. Baohua, let's go together then."
Lu Baohua nodded and said, "Yes."
Princess Xu took her daughter to choose fabrics and seemed to no longer greet the group.
"Mother, I think this piece of fabric is suitable for Sister Rong. Can I buy it and give it to Sister Rong?"
Princess Xu patted her daughter's head and said, "Your sister Rong is not a good person. Don't associate with her. She is the only little princess in the Jin Palace. There are many people who buy her clothes and fabrics."
"Mother!" Princess Fang frowned and said, "How can Sister Rong not be a good person?"
Qi Yuning saw the helplessness and worry in Princess Xu's eyes, and thought to herself that the love of parents in this world is truly pitiful.
After buying the fabric, they strolled around the street for a while. Lingling bought a lot of things to give to her little cousin and brother Cheng. Qi Yuning let her choose, and then they went to Qingshan Tower for lunch at noon.
Lu Baozhu said: "It's been a long time since I had the roasted pigeon in Qingshan Tower!"
When the group entered Qingshan Tower, Qi Yuning saw that the hall was extremely lively, with a group of scholars sitting around a table and exclaiming in amazement.
Lu Baozhu was a person who loved to join in the fun. She squeezed forward to watch a young man writing poetry, then left with little interest.
Lu Baozhu said to Qi Yuning, "I thought there was something interesting to watch, but it turned out to be a young man showing off his literary talent. His handwriting is not very good, and there was a round of applause from the audience!"
Lu Baozhu's voice was not low and was overheard by the young man.
Shen Jialin stood on the chair, obviously a little drunk, "Who dares to say that I am showing off?!"
When Qi Yuning saw Shen Jialin in front of her, Lingling's eyes lit up, "Uncle Linlin."
Qi Yuning asked Lingling in a low voice: "Do you know him?"
Lingling nodded and said, "He is Uncle Linlin, Brother Han's uncle. He has the same name as Lingling."
Qi Yuning wondered, was the brother Han that Lingling was talking about Huang Han, Shen Nian's son? Shen Nian's son should call Shen Jialin uncle.
The people around Shen Jialin who were holding him said repeatedly: "Mr. Shen, that is Princess Lu."
Shen Jialin walked up to Lu Baozhu drunkenly and said, "You said I was showing off? My handwriting is not very good? What good skills do you have that you dare to say I was showing off?"
Lu Baozhu hated this kind of self-righteous literati the most. She patted Lu Baohua on the shoulder and said, "This princess doesn't even need to show off her abilities. I can send my sister to defeat you. Baohua, write a poem and show him what real talent and learning are."
When Lu Baohua was about to go there, he saw Zhong Ming sitting at the table with a bandage on his right hand. Lu Baohua stared at Zhong Ming in front of him in a daze.
"Second aunt..." Qi Yuning covered Lingling's little mouth when Lingling was about to call out the word "father".
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