Chapter 124 Moving into the Princess's Mansion
The princess's residence was staffed with a steward and other servants, all of whom were provided by the Ministry of Rites.
Qiu Yu and Xiao Tao are Xu Chu Mian's two head maids. She also has four junior maids and some cleaning and tidying maids in her main courtyard.
Zhao Lingyao packed her small package and came that very day.
The reason is simple: the princess's residence is closer to the school.
Zhao Lingyao gets at least an extra 15 minutes of sleep each day.
However, the second wife stipulated that she must return to the Duke's mansion within five days at most.
Xu Chumian led Zhao Lingyao on a tour of the mansion, where every corner was exquisitely decorated with carved beams and painted rafters.
The following day, Xu Chumian hosted a banquet at the Princess's residence, inviting some members of the Zhao family, as well as Mo Zhen and Doctor Chen.
The princess's mansion was unusually lively that day.
Zhao Yu did not appear during the day; he only came to her room at night.
Zhao Lingyao lived in the next room.
How did it come about?
Of course, it still requires bypassing the Great Firewall.
Zhao Yu leaned against the antique shelf, carrying a box with him.
It contained gifts for moving to a new home.
Xu Chumian glared at Zhao Yu and said, "Get out."
Zhao Yu seemed to have been drinking, his eyebrows flushed red, and he stared intently at Xu Chumian, appearing more delicate than usual.
weak……
When this thought popped into her head, Xu Chumian was surprised.
No, we absolutely cannot trust Zhao Yu.
Xu Chumian repeated: "Get out!"
Zhao Yu walked straight toward her and whispered, "I'm afraid there might be thieves around here."
Xu Chumian sneered: "The only thief is you."
Zhao Yu looked down at her, his expression somewhat pitiful.
Xu Chumian was considered tall for a woman, but she only reached a little below Zhao Yu's shoulder. When the two stood close together, Xu Chumian felt a sense of oppression from all sides.
She pursed her lips and cautiously took a step back.
Zhao Yu: "I am wearing white today."
Xu Chumian noticed it just now, but didn't think much of it.
So what if I'm wearing white...?
Suddenly, Xu Chumian's expression changed slightly, "You... don't need to do this."
No wonder Zhao Yu didn't look as gloomy and cold as usual today, but rather had a more gentle and aloof air.
Zhao Yu moved his lips, his eyes darkening, and his voice remained soft, sounding completely unlike his usual style.
"Don't you like people who are very bookish?"
Xu Chumian's expression changed drastically as she recalled some scenes from her past life. She hurriedly said, "Zhao Yu, those were all jokes, don't take them seriously."
Zhao Yu pursed his lips. "Really?"
In his past life, Zhao Yu said that if he died in battle, Xu Chumian would take Mu Mu back to Jiangnan and find a young scholar...
Xu Chumian's face flushed, but she tried to ignore it. "If you don't leave, I'm going to call for help."
Zhao Yu: "I haven't had dinner yet."
Xu Chumian turned around and stared out the window, "Wenju and the Duke's Mansion are always ready for you."
Zhao Yu came up behind her, his drunkenness drawing near, and he reached out and put his arm around Xu Chumian's shoulder.
"I don't want anyone else."
The moment Zhao Yu got close, Xu Chumian froze. She could clearly sense that Zhao Yu was drunk.
She struggled slightly, but Zhao Yu held her even tighter.
Xu Chumian stepped down, her elbow braced against Zhao Yu's chest. The man behind her seemed oblivious to the pain, his grip on her never loosening.
"Let go, your sister is still next door."
Zhao Yu chuckled in a deep voice, "Then I'll let her go back."
Xu Chumian felt that Zhao Yu was ill.
Her gaze was unreadable. After calming herself down, she said, "Then let go, and I'll have someone bring you your meal."
Zhao Yu pressed most of his strength onto Xu Chumian, as if he wanted to embed her into his body.
They wouldn't budge an inch.
"Just say it through the window."
Xu Chumian took a deep breath, "If you hold me too tight, I can't speak, and Xiao Tao and the others will get suspicious."
Zhao Yu hugged her tightly: "Then I don't need dinner, I just want to hold you."
Xu Chumian felt overwhelmed; she couldn't muster any strength in her hands, so she could only back down and say, "I don't feel well, I want to take a bath."
Zhao Yu nodded, "Then I'll take you there."
Xu Chumian frowned: "Zhao Yu!"
Zhao Yu picked her up and carried her to the restroom.
There was hot water prepared by Xiaotao inside.
Zhao Yu put her on the ground. "Go ahead and wash. I'll wait for you outside."
Xu Chumian's expression was complicated. Zhao Yu was drunk and his mind was unclear, but his body and limbs were still awake.
Xu Chumian had been waiting for this moment. She called out to Zhao Nai, "Get in here."
Zhao Nai immediately appeared at the bedroom door with his sword in hand.
Xu Chumian went behind the screen and frowned: "Zhao Yu is drunk, take him away."
Here, Xu Chumian is in charge, unlike in the Xu family courtyard where she had to worry about making too much noise and being overheard by the neighbors. It's not like in Wenju where Zhao Yu's people are everywhere, nor is it like in the Duke's mansion where Zhao's maids and servants are waiting everywhere.
Zhao Nai stared blankly at the person standing at the door of the washroom.
Zhao Yu glanced sideways, his eyes filled with coldness.
Judging from that expression, is the young master drunk?
The outside quickly became quiet.
Xu Chumian breathed a sigh of relief. She left the bathroom, and Xiao Tao closed all the doors and windows.
"Miss, don't worry, I'll keep watch!"
Xu Chumian's expression was complicated.
Given Zhao Yu's martial arts skills, even if he didn't become an official of the imperial court, Xu Chumian believed he could still make a living in the martial arts world.
Xu Chumian came out of the bath and changed into a clean robe. It was springtime now, the weather was warm, and there was no underfloor heating in the house.
She wrapped herself in the blanket, first thinking about how Mu Mu was doing, and then about her future.
The next day, after Zhao Lingyao woke up, Xu Chumian asked her if she had heard any noises or sounds.
Zhao Lingyao was completely unaware of this.
After Zhao Yu left this time, he stayed away for several more days.
Rumors kept coming from the north that the army of Prince Ding had been driven to the border area near the Western Di, and that the Duke of Zhao would soon withdraw his troops and return to the capital.
On the day Zhao Lingyao moved back to the Duke's Mansion, she had a meal at a restaurant with Xu Chumian, Mo Zhen, and the Qin siblings.
With the imperial examinations just days away, Qin Zhitong, a man of clear mind and grateful to the Zhao family, is naturally hoped to pass the examinations with high honors by Zhao Lingyao, who has a very good impression of him. Putting aside Qin Ruoyu, Qin Zhitong is also a man of clear mind and grateful to the Zhao family.
Qin Ruoyu has been behaving herself these past few days, and she took the initiative to raise her teacup to apologize to Zhao Lingyao and Xu Chumian for their rudeness a few days ago.
Such a grand occasion made Zhao Lingyao feel embarrassed.
Xu Chumian, however, had a misgiving in mind. She smiled and said that the tea was poured into individual cups together, so there was no need to add any random things.
Qin Zhitong nodded in satisfaction.
When Xu Chumian returned to the mansion, Xiao Tao said that Zhao Yu had come by in the afternoon and brought her several ancient books on spices.
The thing was placed right on the stone table in the courtyard.
Xu Chumian was taken aback, her expression momentarily frozen. "He climbed over the wall?"
Xiao Tao nodded with difficulty.
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