Cui Yun'er was taken aback, and quickly explained, "It's just a metaphor, it's just..."
She leaned close to Su Xuerong's ear and whispered, "It describes prying into other people's privacy and using other people's affairs as topics of conversation..."
That's really hard to describe!
Su Xuerong immediately apologized: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry into your privacy..."
Cui Yun'er quickly waved her hand: "It's okay, I don't mind! I met him when I was in Quanzhou, but his family background isn't very good..."
At this point, her expression became somewhat downcast.
Su Xuerong was very curious: "Are they ordinary people?"
“If only he were an ordinary person!” Cui Yun’er said helplessly. “His grandfather committed a crime back then, and his whole family was exiled to Quanzhou. He is still a criminal.”
Su Xuerong was slightly surprised.
"I'm really worried right now. My parents definitely won't agree, but he's the kind of person who's unwilling to compromise..." Cui Yun'er couldn't help but grab Su Xuerong's hand and say, "Arong, what should I do?"
Seeing the sorrow in Cui Yun'er's eyes, Su Xuerong realized that she had met her true love.
"Why don't you have your cousin bestow a marquis title upon him?" she suggested.
Cui Yun'er said irritably, "Don't even mention it. He's so rigid. He insists that someone must make contributions to the court before they can be granted a title."
Su Xuerong asked, "Then what exactly do you see in him?"
This person must have some special talent to attract Cui Yun'er.
"He's a good person!"
"Where is it good?"
"He was so poor himself, yet he was still willing to help others..." Cui Yun'er's face flushed red as she said this, "Back then, he thought I was a poor girl who had been sold to a brothel, and he tried every means to save me..."
Su Xuerong's eyes widened: "What...what were you doing at the brothel?"
"Ahem... I was just really curious about how the Silla maids from overseas entertained their patrons, so, so..."
Cui Yun'er was too embarrassed to continue, afraid of frightening Su Xuerong.
Su Xuerong looked horrified.
She understood.
This girl is incredibly brave!
But I can understand it.
Silla maids were women from south of Lin-eup; they all had curly hair and skin as black as lacquer, which was quite striking.
Cui Yun'er is a curious person, so it's easy to imagine her wanting to gossip about the Silla maids.
"Arong, you absolutely mustn't tell my cousin about this! If he finds out, he might kill me!" Cui Yun'er said nervously.
In that damned old society, the emperor had supreme power.
She was a little scared by Xiao Yuan's behavior today.
Su Xuerong quickly said, "Don't worry, as long as you don't tell anyone, I definitely won't tell anyone else."
This concerns the Cui family's reputation, so we can't just say things carelessly.
Cui Yun'er played with the two children for a while longer before reluctantly saying, "I still have to go and pay my respects to my parents. See you at the banquet tonight."
Su Xuerong was both amused and exasperated: "I simply don't know what to say to you, girl."
However, she also felt very relieved to have such a close and trusting friend in this life.
After Cui Yun'er left, Zhou Shi arrived with Wang Shi and Lin Jinyu.
The family originally stayed in Hangzhou, but upon hearing that the emperor and empress were on a southern tour to Quanzhou, they rushed over to meet the emperor.
Upon seeing Su Xuerong, Wang and Lin Jinyu immediately knelt down and kowtowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress."
Su Xuerong quickly told them to get up: "We're all family, get up quickly."
They only dared to sit down after Granny Cheng offered them seats.
The mother and daughter were both a little reserved. Zhou said with a smile, "Your Majesty can still talk in this palace, but if it were a formal banquet, I'm afraid you wouldn't even be able to speak."
Madam Wang quickly replied, "That's right."
Lin Chenggui is now an official in the Ministry of Revenue, and Wang Shi is now the wife of a fifth-rank official, but they are still very cautious in front of Su Xuerong.
Lin Jinyu was even more reserved.
She never imagined that her cousin, who grew up with her, would become the empress of a country!
She was convinced in her heart.
Back then, Crown Prince Xiao Shiyan couldn't stand anyone else, but he took a fancy to his cousin.
When the current emperor was still the Prince of Fenyang, he had his eye on my cousin back in Suzhou...
In truth, it was my cousin's stunning beauty that played the key role.
Lin Jinyu only envied Su Xuerong for inheriting her great-aunt's unparalleled beauty.
She heard from her father that when the Su family's aunt was favored by the founding emperor, she was immediately brought back to the capital.
But that aunt wasn't as lucky as my cousin...
After exchanging a few cautious pleasantries, Ms. Wang finally got to the point.
"Your Majesty, Jinyu is almost seventeen this year. Could you please ask His Majesty to help us find some talented young men in the court who we know well and could introduce some to Jinyu?"
Su Xuerong smiled and said, "That's no problem. Now that Uncle is an official in the Ministry of Revenue, Jinyu's marriage won't be too difficult."
Lin Jinyu blushed with embarrassment. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Your Majesty, where is Lord Ming now?"
Su Xuerong was taken aback.
This girl still can't forget Akira.
"He stayed in the capital. We'll find out about his situation for you after we return."
Hearing Su Xuerong say this, Lin Jinyu sighed inwardly.
Akira looked down on her before, probably because of her family background.
Now that she is the Empress's cousin, how could he possibly look down on her?
Seeing Lin Jinyu's expression, Su Xuerong sighed inwardly.
Ming Shu rejected Lin Jinyu not because of her family background, but simply because he didn't like her.
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