Chapter 19
When Xie Yunchu came back, he saw that the windows and entrance of Chunjing Hall were filled with mugwort, and even the peach charms used for the Spring Festival had been replaced. Only then did he remember that today was the fourth day of May and tomorrow would be the Dragon Boat Festival.
Chunqi waited for her to go in and wash her hands and drink tea, and Xie Yunchu asked, "Did anyone from the Xie family come today?"
Chunqi replied, "I am here, and I have sent you an invitation. Please come back with your son-in-law for a feast tomorrow."
Xie Yunchu was not surprised. It was a folk custom to visit one's mother's home during the Dragon Boat Festival. "Then when you deliver the ginseng soup to the study later, remember to tell the Second Master to ask him if he is free."
It’s not a big deal, it doesn’t matter whether Wang Shuhuai goes or not.
"Anything else?"
Chunqi added, "Her Royal Highness the Princess gave me a festival gift today, it's in a rosewood box, how about I bring it over to you to have a look?"
Without Xie Yunchu's permission, the maids dared not touch their master's things.
Xie Yunchu leaned back tiredly, "Let me see it."
After a while, Chunqi went to the small storehouse in the ear room and took out the brocade box. Xie Yunchu opened it and saw that there was a pair of Hetian jade earrings and a coral bracelet inside. The coral was very valuable. Xie Yunchu got this bracelet after she became the wife of the Prime Minister in her previous life. The princess did not reward her with these in her previous life, but it seems that she thinks highly of her in this life.
Xie Yunchu took it out and put it on her hand. The coral red looked gorgeous against her fair wrist. She liked it very much and didn't take it off.
In the past, she was always cautious and didn't like to show off, but now, she does whatever she wants.
Half an hour later, the Xie family's invitation to a banquet was brought to Wang Shuhuai.
Minggui finally got the chance and insisted on persuading Wang Shuhuai to go to the backyard.
"Second Master, tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival. You always respect and thank the chief priest. Can you make time to go?"
After what happened to Xie Yunchu, Wang Shuhuai actually didn't want to go, but Xie Hui was not only his father-in-law, but also his mentor.
Seeing that he was indifferent, Minggui continued to add fuel to the fire, "Sister has been making a lot of noise these days. Even I heard her calling for daddy in the outer courtyard. You haven't been to the backyard for many days. If you are not thinking about the lady, you must be thinking about sister."
Minggui suddenly felt that Xie Yunchu was right to ignore Wang Shuhuai. Although the master was really busy, he still had time to go to the backyard to take a look at his wife and children.
After being reminded of this, Wang Shuhuai remembered what Xie Yunchu said. If she really wanted to divorce, he would never let her take Ke Jie'er away, because she was his eldest daughter. With this thought in mind, Wang Shuhuai got up and went to the backyard.
The lights were flickering in the wind. Wang Shuhuai came to the gate of Chunjing Hall with his hands behind his back. The yard was filled with the fresh scent of mugwort. In the corner of the corridor was a wooden shelf, on which some of Ke Jie'er's toys were placed. There were also various flower pots in the courtyard, with bright red flower buds clustered together, colorful like the mist. Not far away, there was a pool of early lotus in the water tank, and the tender pink flower buds half poked their heads out from under the green lotus leaves.
There was even a faint sound of laughter like a silver bell.
Everywhere there are traces of their mother-daughter life.
His hand suddenly dropped, as if a light feather was brushing across his solid heart, and Wang Shuhuai stepped onto the corridor.
Nanny Lin happily ushered him in, but she didn't expect Wang Shuhuai to be standing outside the door, and just asked her, "Where is Sister Ke?"
Nanny Lin paused with her smile and said, "I came to see the child."
Wang Shuhuai stood under the corridor with a clear look in his eyes, and had no intention of entering the main room.
Nanny Lin pointed stiffly towards the main room.
"My sister hasn't slept yet. She's making a lot of noise. The young mistress is trying to comfort her."
Wang Shuhuai was silent for a while, then stepped in with his hands behind his back.
In the east room, Xie Yunchu hugged Sister Ke on the bed and pointed at the picture book to show her the pictures. The little girl's eyes wandered around and she was not paying attention at all. Xie Yunchu pinched her round cheeks and said, "If you continue to be so naughty, mother will not teach you anymore."
After hearing this, Wang Shuhuai, who was outside the curtain, paused again. After hesitating for a moment, he walked into the house with a cold face.
Xie Yunchu was not surprised to see him. Wang Shuhuai would come to see Ke Jie'er when he was free. She stood up holding the child and said, "Second Master is here."
Wang Shuhuai met her gaze, as gentle and calm as ever, without any clues to be seen.
If he hadn't heard it with his own ears that day, he would have thought it was all an illusion.
Wang Shuhuai took the child from Xie Yunchu's arms and held her to play with the Luohan bed. Xie Yunchu found that Ke Jieer was obviously much more excited to see her father, and she stood in his arms and laughed.
You little heartless guy really doesn't know what's good for him.
Xie Yunchu brushed away the golden hairpin that was messed up by Sister Ke, poured a cup of tea for Wang Shuhuai, and then sat down at the long table opposite him to look at the account book.
After a while, Dong Ning came in and handed her another account book, "This is grandma's dowry list and betrothal gift list."
When Wang Shuhuai heard this, he glanced over and saw Xie Yunchu taking the account book and carefully reading it while calculating with the beads.
Wang Shuhuai's eyes were deep.
One moment she says she won't teach the child anymore, the next moment she's calculating the dowry and betrothal gift list.
What does she mean?
Wang Shuhuai never cared about what Xie Yunchu did before, but today he rarely asked,
"Why are you suddenly doing the math?"
Xie Yunchu was in high spirits, and without even looking back, he said, "I just wanted to calculate how much extra money I have on hand."
The purchase of the land cost her 1,800 taels, and she was very short of money. When the new water gate for the canal opened next year, she planned to build a warehouse for merchants to stock up on goods and sell them. She had some vague ideas in her mind, and now she planned to raise money.
Xie Yunchu had a plan in mind. He kicked out the betrothal gift list and handed it to Dong Ning. "Put the betrothal gift in a separate list. Don't let it be related to my dowry list."
Although the betrothal gift was given to her, she did not want to use Wang Shuhuai's money and wanted to leave it for her children in the future.
Xie Yunchu did not avoid Wang Shuhuai because her husband always trusted her with matters such as the warehouse accounts, and he never cared about what he called details.
Little did she know, these words confirmed Wang Shuhuai's plan to divorce.
His breathing was almost inaudible and he was quiet for a long time.
He didn't even notice that the child spit on his collar.
It was when Xie Yunchu heard the child's giggles when he succeeded in doing something bad that he looked up and saw this scene. Wang Shuhuai's face was extremely calm. Xie Yunchu smiled instead and handed him a handkerchief.
"Second Master, there is saliva on your chest, please wipe it off."
Wang Shuhuai did not answer it. He lowered his eyes to glance at the child, put the child on the bed first, took a sip of tea, and then slowly picked up a towel on the table and wiped the place.
Xie Yunchu finally realized that something was wrong with Wang Shuhuai.
She bit the tip of the pen and smiled at Wang Shuhuai, "Have I offended the Second Master?"
Wang Shuhuai felt heartbroken.
"No." He shook his head, not wanting to admit that those words made him uncomfortable. He sat upright on the edge of the bed, always with a posture as still as a mountain, looking at her sharply, with a rare penetrating gaze.
"Madam, are you dissatisfied with me?"
Otherwise, why would they keep calling for divorce?
Xie Yunchu was a little surprised. Wang Shuhuai had asked a similar question with a gentle smile before, "Madam, I am very busy with official duties. If there is anything I have not done, you must tell me." She always felt that her husband was extremely considerate, and she was reluctant to trouble him even if she was wronged.
But today his tone and demeanor were clearly different.
"Why do you ask?"
Wang Shuhuai sneered inwardly.
Still want to pretend?
He didn't answer.
So Xie Yunchu began to wonder whether she was really dissatisfied with her husband.
The words spoken at the drinking party that night flashed through my mind in fragments.
She hopes her husband will be gentle and considerate, that someone will protect her from the wind and rain, and that someone will smile at her gently.
Thinking of this, Xie Yunchu sneered, how could he be so superficial.
Once people are trapped in the backyard, the world is framed by the wall of the backyard, and their thoughts and horizons become narrow. Every day they complain about their mother-in-law being difficult, their children being naughty, their sisters-in-law being difficult, and their husbands not being caring enough.
Complaints come from disappointment.
But why should people pin their hopes on others?
Especially in the past two days, when Xie Yunchu was excited about doing business, he found that the people and things he cared about before suddenly became as small as ants.
As for Wang Shuhuai in front of her, her husband.
He is handsome and talented, able to hold his own in the government, be a general or a prime minister, and is very cautious in his private life. He never restricts or blames her, and sometimes she may not see him for half a month, and he doesn't need her to serve him. Where can you find such a "perfect" husband?
Now, does she need Wang Shuhuai to care about her?
No, you don't need to. Don't stand in her way and don't waste her time. She wants to do something.
Your destiny is in your own hands, so you don't care whether others turn their backs on you or not.
"I don't have any," Xie Yunchu said with a smile, "Second Master is good in every way. I hope that he will get promoted and make a fortune, and my child and I will also benefit from it."
This is hypocritical and contrived.
If he hadn't heard with his own ears that she wanted a divorce, he would have believed her.
Wang Shuhuai never showed his emotions, so Xie Yunchu didn't think about what he would do and continued to concentrate on calculating the accounts.
Wang Shuhuai was so angry that he left. Before he left, he said,
"I have something to do during the day tomorrow, so I'll visit my father-in-law in the evening."
Xie Yunchu sat at the desk and hummed indifferently.
Wang Shuhuai looked at her indifferent expression and turned away.
Nanny Lin quietly watched Wang Shuhuai walk away, then glanced at Xie Yunchu who was working diligently inside.
The present Xie Yunchu reminded her of the former Wang Shuhuai.
Everything goes around in circles.
The next day was the Dragon Boat Festival. In the morning, Xie Yunchu went to the upper room to pay his respects as usual. Unexpectedly, the Second Wife was invited to the Glazed Hall by the Third Wife. Xie Yunchu had to go to the Glazed Hall to pay his respects to his mother-in-law and aunt.
It was rare for Jiang not to say anything sarcastic. She just kept a calm expression and said nothing.
The Third Madam looked at her and smiled, "Chu'er, your aunt is coming back today. She sent a message asking you to mend something for her. Remember to come back early."
The fifth aunt is the only daughter of the eldest princess and the duke, and also the youngest daughter. She is only twenty-five years old this year and is married to Duke Yao’s mansion as the mistress of the house.
Xie Yunchu remembered that Wang Shuhuai went to the Xie family for dinner in the evening, and said in embarrassment, "Second Master is busy during the day, and has to go to the Xie family for dinner. I will try to go back early. If it is really not possible, you can let my aunt stay for a few days."
The Third Madam said, "Okay, she was planning to stay here anyway, so in that case, you can just go and do your thing first."
My aunt Wang Yining has a cheerful personality and is not as intimidating as the eldest princess. The younger generations in the Wang family all like her very much.
Xie Yunchu immediately got in the car and headed for the Xie family.
After sending gifts to my grandmother and the other wives, I asked about Aunt Lu.
"How is she?"
Second Aunt Li replied, "She still refuses to give up. She cries and begs to see your father every day in the yard. I didn't give her a chance. If it weren't for the fact that she gave birth to a pair of children, I really wouldn't have kept such a person."
To put it bluntly, my father is still concerned about personal feelings.
"What about Jiangzhou? Is there any news?"
Li sneered, "Like mother, like daughter. Your sister is very patient. There is no news so far. I wonder what she is planning."
Xie Yunchu didn't care. If Xie Yunxiu was smart, she would just live peacefully in Jiangzhou and get married. If she wanted to go to Beijing, she would have to be dealt with again.
At noon, he had lunch with his father and grandmother, and then packed some clothes and books and asked someone to send them to Songshan Academy for his younger brother, asking him not to worry about home.
In the afternoon, Xie Hui called Xie Yunchu to his study and handed her the deeds of the two shops.
"This is the dowry that Mrs. Lu secretly took away. She bought two shops and registered them to your sister. I asked someone to change the name to yours a while ago."
Xie Yunchu was worried about not having any money, so he simply took it and said, "Thank you, father."
Xie Hui looked embarrassed, his hands on the wings, his face turned sideways, not daring to face his eldest daughter, "It was originally yours, and I, as a father, am ashamed of you."
Xie Yunchu remembered something. The mistress of the Xie family couldn't be left alone forever. After all, Second Aunt was a layer away. There had to be a dignified and capable mistress to suppress the vixen Aunt Lu.
"Father, my brothers and sisters are getting old and it's almost time for them to get married. It's not appropriate to have no mistress to take care of the house. It's not conducive to finding a marriage partner. For the sake of your brothers and sisters, you should also consider remarrying."
Xie Yunchu planned to personally screen the candidates, so that Aunt Lu's children would never cause any more trouble.
After hearing this, Xie Hui's old face turned red and he turned his back, "Let's talk about it later."
Xie Yunchu didn't try to persuade him any further.
She thought of her brother. In his previous life, he became lame because of her, and he gave up on himself and didn't have a good future. He was arrogant and refused to accept Wang Shuhuai's help. In this life, she hoped that her brother could stand up on his own and live the way he wanted. This autumn, her brother will be able to participate smoothly.
She hopes that the Xie family will get better and better in this life.
Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Imperial City Division is holding a dragon boat race near Lianghu Lake. Her cousin Xie Yunyi and fifth sister Xie Yunshuang insisted on dragging her over to join in the fun. Lianghu Lake was packed with people, with opera singers, acrobats, and fruit vendors all on the street. They finally squeezed to the viewing platforms on both sides to watch the race, which ended soon. The way back was jammed with traffic, and by the time Xie Yunchu led his men out of the Liangyuan gate, it was already dusk.
Nanny Lin sent someone to tell her that her aunt Wang Yining was at home helping her take care of Sister Ke, meaning that Xie Yunchu should go back quickly. Xie Yunchu had originally planned to have dinner with Wang Shuhuai at the Xie family before going home, but now she was delayed and had to return to the palace early.
Wang Yining has finally come back, so we must not neglect him.
The three sisters had to go their separate ways.
"When you go back and see your brother-in-law, tell him that I have to go back to the Wang family first."
"Don't worry, sister." Xie Yunshuang and Xie Yunyi waved at her.
Xie Yunchu turned around and got on the carriage, and told the driver,
"Take a shortcut and return to Mingzhaofang quickly."
After a tiring day, he closed his eyes and rested as soon as he got on the carriage. However, when he turned into an alley, the carriage suddenly stopped. Just as Xie Yunchu opened his eyes in a daze, a steady and hoarse voice came from outside.
"Yun Chu."
Xie Yunchu suddenly woke up with a start. She looked at her maids Chunqi and Xia An, and all three of them were stunned.
There is only one person in this world who can call her by her maiden name.
He is back.
Xia An was brave enough to open the curtain and look outside.
Beneath an old locust tree at the corner stood a towering figure. He was tall and majestic, with deep and firm facial features like rocks. The black robe embroidered with dark silver python dragon patterns fluttered in the night wind, highlighting the owner's noble status.
Xia An recognized the person and greeted him with sparkling eyes, "It turns out to be His Royal Highness Prince Xin. Are you back from the border?"
The third son of the emperor, Zhu Yun, was named Prince of Xin. Because of his bravery and fighting skills, he was stationed at the border all year round.
The Xie family is adjacent to the Xin Wang Mansion, so Xie Yunchu and Xin Wang Zhu Yun are old acquaintances.
Before Prince Xin left the palace, he often studied with Xie Hui. After he established his own residence, he chose a residence near Xie Hui's.
However, her father Xie Hui was impartial in the court and was determined not to get involved in party disputes. After Prince Xin came of age, he had little contact with her. However, Prince Xin would send gifts to the Xie family from time to time, and the Xie family would return the gifts out of courtesy, and the two families maintained open exchanges.
The reason why Xia An knew that Prince Xin had gone to the border was because the servants from Prince Xin's mansion would visit the Xie family whenever they had time, so it would be hard for anyone not to know.
In Xia An's opinion, although His Royal Highness Prince Xin has an extremely aggressive face, he is actually a very gentle person.
On the other hand, Wang Shuhuai never showed any displeasure and was always humble and polite. Xia An always felt intimidated when he saw Wang Shuhuai and always felt it was difficult to approach him.
King Xin smiled and nodded at the little maid, then fixed his eyes on a corner of the carriage curtain.
"Yun Chu, I just came back from the border yesterday. I went to the palace for a banquet today. I didn't expect to see your carriage. It's been a long time since we last met. How have you been these years?"
His voice was always a little hoarse, and Xie Yunchu got goosebumps when he heard it.
Seeing that he could not escape, Xie Yunchu stepped out of the carriage and stood on the shaft to salute Prince Xin.
"It turns out to be His Highness Prince Xin. I heard that you have made another contribution at the border. Your Highness, I would like to congratulate you." She did not respond to his question.
That face was too aggressive, and Xie Yunchu didn't dare to look him in the face. This was also the reason why Xie Yunchu was afraid to meet Prince Xin even though the two mansions were neighbors.
Prince Xin was quite gentle towards her, at least that's what he thought.
"You are my little sister who grew up under my watch. You are different from others. I met the teacher last night and mentioned you to him. He said you were not feeling well."
Xie Yunchu smiled, "No, I'm fine. My father just blamed me for being lazy and unwilling to take care of the household expenses, so I made an excuse to evade him."
Prince Xin smiled and asked again,
"Does Wang Shuhuai treat you well?"
This question... gave Xie Yunchu a headache.
At 3 p.m., Wang Shuhuai left the government office early and planned to visit his father-in-law at Xie's house.
However, he was dragged out for tea by his immediate superior, the doctor of Jiangnan Qinglisi.
Xiao Youran's husband, Zhu Shizi, also worked in the Ministry of Revenue, but he was different from Wang Shuhuai. Wang Shuhuai took the imperial examination, while Zhu Shizi relied on a recommended official position. It was more difficult for a recommended official to be promoted than an imperial examination, so Zhu Shizi did not have much real ability in his daily life and spent all his energy on entertaining people.
Hearing that Doctor Wen was taking Wang Shuhuai out for tea, he invited the two to join him, and they came to the teahouse opposite the government office.
It was still early, not even time for dinner, but the teahouse was packed.
Doctor Wen said with some envy, "I don't know who opened this teahouse, but it does pretty good business. The location is good, and the people who come here are all officials. They all care about their reputation, so they won't default on payments or cause any trouble."
Prince Zhu said, "You have to know that to open a teahouse and restaurant right under the emperor's feet, the person behind it must be extraordinary."
Wang Shuhuai was still thinking about the details and numbers of the negotiations between the two countries and did not pay attention to the conversation between the two.
The doctor raised his eyebrows and looked at the smiling Prince Zhu, "Prince, do you know who opened this teahouse?"
Prince Zhu whispered, "It's His Royal Highness Prince Xin."
Doctor Wen made a look of understanding, "I see."
When Wang Shuhuai heard Prince Xin, his eyes flickered slightly.
The group sat down to drink tea, and Doctor Wen asked Prince Zhu with a smile, "You seem to know Prince Xin very well."
Prince Zhu smiled, "No, Your Highness Prince Xin lives next door to my father-in-law's house, and I have met Your Highness several times. Oh, by the way, Yunzhi, you and Prince Xin are classmates, right? You were both taught by Xie Jijiu when you were young, and Prince Xin's mansion is next door to Xie's. My wife often says that Prince Xin values courtesy and always likes to send gifts to his neighbors during festivals, but he doesn't act like a prince."
Wang Shuhuai shook his head thoughtfully, "I'm not familiar with him."
Every prince in the capital had tried to win him over, openly or secretly, except Prince Xin, who did not make any move.
Wang Shuhuai had no idea how deep this person was, but two years ago, before Prince Xin left the capital, the two of them exchanged glances outside the Fengtian Palace, and that glance was not friendly.
Since the prince was involved, the court officials were both excited and secretive, fearing that they would get into trouble if they spoke too much, yet they could not help wanting to find out a few more questions.
Doctor Wen asked Prince Zhu, "I heard that Prince Xin's palace has only two concubines and no principal wife. Why is that? Prince Xin is over 20 years old, and logically he should have decided on a principal wife long ago."
What Doctor Wen actually wanted to say was that other princes were vying for the position of crown prince and using marriage to consolidate their power, but Prince Xin was concentrating on leading troops in battles and was almost invisible in the capital.
Prince Zhu laughed and poured a cup of tea for Doctor Wen.
"Don't mention me. I'm afraid even His Majesty doesn't know about this. I can only ask Prince Xin himself."
Doctor Wen would not be stupid enough to ask such a question. His eyes immediately fell on Wang Shuhuai and he naturally talked about Wang Shuhuai's achievements in the past few days.
"My wife happened to be sitting opposite the Wang family's brocade pavilion that day. When she came back, she praised your wife highly. She said that when Meng Luchuan spoke wildly, your wife remained calm. Such a demeanor is worthy of being Shu Huai's wife."
This one sentence praised both the husband and wife.
Wang Shuhuai raised his cup to the doctor and said, "You're too kind." But he thought to himself that Xie was indeed calm and prudent in her actions.
Prince Zhu also praised, "To be honest, Yunzhi, your sister-in-law's talent is secondary. The most valuable thing is her character. Has she ever complained to you about the affairs of the mansion? You had some disputes with the princess in the previous dynasty, and she turned around and made a box of blood-replenishing ointment and personally sent it to the palace. I heard that the emperor and empress praised this. You should marry a virtuous wife. You, Wang Shuhuai, are really lucky."
"Look at my wife, she's always noisy and gets angry easily. Tell me why I hang out in teahouses and wine alleys all day long, isn't it because I don't want to go back and listen to her nagging?"
Speaking of this, Wen Langzhong also got excited. Not only do women like to nag their husbands when they get together, but men are also like this.
The doctor changed his usual mild manner, blew his nose and glared, "Your family is still good, but the one in my family is a tigress. Whenever I drink a little wine, she will kick me off the bed. I have to drink tea instead of wine all day."
It was all bitter tears, Doctor Wen almost cried, "She is domineering, but she is also incompetent. She only listens to her mother's instigation every day and takes my salary to support her brother."
Prince Zhu did not expect that Doctor Wen was even more miserable than him, and was speechless for a moment. Doctor Wen wiped his tears, pulled Wang Shuhuai aside and spoke to him earnestly,
"Your Madam is virtuous, modest, capable and steady. She is Shu Huai's wise wife. We must not let her down."
Wang Shuhuai's wrist was held tightly by the doctor, but his eyes were fixed on the teacup, and the dark light in his pupils flickered with the tea.
What the two colleagues said was simply outrageous to Wang Shuhuai. Not only could he not accept such a petty woman, he wouldn't even look at her.
In comparison, Xie never gave him any trouble, and he did things in an orderly and perfect manner.
If we must find fault, it would be that she said "I want to divorce him". Is that wrong?
Thinking about it this way, I feel a mixed feeling in my heart.
With Xie's talent and beauty, she would be able to remarry smoothly after divorcing him, and he could also marry again.
But... Wang Shuhuai took a sip of tea, swallowed the sour taste, and didn't think any further.
After the banquet, Wang Shuhuai immediately rode his horse to Xie's house. As soon as he arrived at Xie's house and met the elders, he was told by Xie Hui that Xie Yunchu had taken his sister to watch the dragon boat race.
"Yunzhi, we have been master and disciple for so many years, and we don't need to follow these etiquettes. I heard that there are many people in Liangyuan today, so why don't you go and pick up Chu'er and bring him back home? There are still young children at home, so don't make trouble too late."
Wang Shuhuai followed his father-in-law's order and rushed to Liangyuan. He caught up with Xie Yunchu halfway.
The lights were like a thick mist in the alley. One person stood in the dark with bright eyes, and another stood under a canopy with a charming smile.
The wet wind from the distant lake blew over hot and slapped my face, but it was as cold as a mountain stream.
He heard the man ask, "Does Wang Shuhuai treat you well?"
Xie Yunchu replied hesitantly.
"He is my husband, how can he treat me badly?"
"You are lying." Prince Xin's voice was cold.
In the darkness, Wang Shuhuai curled up his hands and tightened the reins without moving. His eyes were like a dark abyss, deep and bottomless.
Xie Yunchu was stunned, "Why do you say that, Your Highness?"
Prince Xin replied slowly, "You always hesitate before telling a lie."
Xie Yunchu choked.
This guy really understands her.
Wang Shuhuai's pupils shrank sharply, and his sharp gaze pierced through the wind and light to lock onto the graceful woman. He was usually calm and composed, but there was a rare surge of emotion in his eyes.
Wang Shuhuai understood very well what Prince Xin's words meant. The rage in his heart rose uncontrollably, but was suppressed by his innate self-cultivation. For a moment, he felt like he was trapped between two walls and could not move for a long time.
Xie Yunchu no longer had the heart to exchange pleasantries, and said,
"These have nothing to do with Your Highness Prince Xin. It's getting late, and I have to go home to serve my husband, so I won't see you off."
After saying this, she turned back to the carriage and told the driver to hurry on.
Prince Xin silently watched the carriage go away, his eyes casually cast towards the darkness at the other corner, and then he mounted his horse and left.
Xie Yunchu lost his sleepiness after being disturbed by Prince Xin.
She was aware of Prince Xin's thoughts, so she had been avoiding him. After their marriage, Prince Xin went on a northern expedition and she never saw him again. Unexpectedly, she ran into him in this night alley.
Chunqi and Xia An were familiar with the relationship between the two, but they saw through it but did not say it out loud. Compared with Wang Shuhuai, Prince Xin obviously understood Xie Yunchu better. Xia An sighed silently.
If the master had not been so cautious and self-protective, it is unknown whether Xie Yunchu would have become the princess.
Xie Yunchu rode back to the mansion at full speed, putting the matter of Prince Xin behind her mind, and happily went to the backyard with her skirt lifted up. The sound came before she arrived.
"Aunt, sorry to have kept you waiting..."
She stepped over the threshold with her gorgeous skirt in hand and lifted the curtain. A pair of deep, sharp eyes shot over. Xie Yunchu's smile froze on her face.
"Second Master?"
The light pink jacket hung on her shoulders, swaying with her brisk steps. The blue and green floral skirt slowly spread out around her body. She was like a blooming crabapple, rushing into his eyes with warmth.
Her cheeks were red from jogging, and her panting made her slender figure look even more graceful.
Wang Shuhuai looked at his wife like this, and the gentleness in his black eyes faded away. His gaze fell on her like snowflakes, with a cold and sharp intention.
"Where is the madam? She asked me to wait for her." His tone was extremely calm.
Xie Yunchu was even more shocked. This was the first time in her past and present lives that she saw Wang Shuhuai waiting for her in the backyard.
Could something big have happened?
She sat down opposite him with a serious expression, "Second Master, what happened?" She racked her brains to recall whether there had been any major changes at this time in her previous life.
Wang Shuhuai looked at his wife's worried face, her thin eyebrows were furrowed, and under the light, they looked like frost and snow that could not be melted. She was anxious and doubtful, but not guilty. The indescribable anger in Wang Shuhuai's heart suddenly shattered.
No matter what Xie Yunchu's plan was, at least she had been behaving properly with him and his wife for nearly two years. It was not her fault that Prince Xin stopped her carriage.
It is really ungraceful to question your wife just because she says a few words to others.
The sharpness in his eyes faded away, and his gaze turned away from her. Wang Shuhuai's face returned to normal.
"Nothing, my aunt has been here with Sister Ke for a long time, so I came to visit her."
Xie Yunchu felt relieved when he heard this.
"What did my aunt say?"
In fact, Wang Shuhuai didn't meet Wang Yining at all. When he came back, Wang Yining had already left and the child had just gone to bed.
Nanny Lin knew about it and answered from outside the curtain, "My aunt originally made a headband for the eldest princess, but the pearl and jade on it was torn by a child at home. The thing has been passed to the eldest princess, and she liked the color, so my aunt thought of changing it to a double-sided embroidery with a phoenix inlaid with kingfisher feathers. You are the best at double-sided embroidery in the mansion, so I would like to ask you to embroider it for her."
"I see," Xie Yunchu asked with a smile, "Where is the thing?"
Nanny Lin pointed to the dressing table in the inner room and said, "I put it in the box on the dressing table myself. You will see it later."
Xie Yunchu nodded. She had just run all the way and her mouth was dry. She immediately poured herself a cup of tea and drank it. Then she asked Wang Shuhuai with a smile, "Second Master, do you want some tea? This is not the West Lake Longjing you like, but Emei Maojian. If you want, I'll pour you a cup."
She liked Emei Maojian tea, so she replaced the original West Lake Longjing tea. She originally only prepared some for Wang Shuhuai on the first and fifteenth of each month, but now she has not had time to go to the public to get it.
Wang Shuhuai was casual, but he was thinking in his heart, Prince Xin had special feelings for Xie Yunchu, but he had never married a wife. Could it be that he was hoping that Xie Yunchu would divorce him and marry him?
Why?
Why did you provoke him and then remarry someone else?
He was just not what they wanted.
The subtle discomfort in Wang Shuhuai's heart suddenly disappeared. He sat upright and looked at his wife.
"Minggui is sick. I will stay in the backyard tonight."
His eyes examined Xie Yunchu, not missing any expression on her face.
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