When Duan Nanqi finished speaking, Jiang Lingyao's heart trembled. She pursed her lips and smiled shyly: "Why do you say that, my husband?"
"I have to know my wife, right?" Duan Nanqi said sincerely, "Even if we see each other day and night, I have to remember her face, otherwise if I run into her on the road..."
Duan Nanqi sighed: "If we don't know each other, wouldn't it be awkward?"
"My dear, you and I have similar personalities. We have said before that no matter how things are at home, we must look radiant and loving in front of outsiders. We cannot let outsiders see us and make fun of us."
He lowered his eyes slightly and looked at the tea bowl in his hand: "If I can't recognize my wife outside, I will be laughed at by others."
"What do you think, my lady?"
Duan Nanqi spoke slowly and steadily, and Jiang Lingyao gradually calmed down in his self-contemplation.
Seeing Duan Nanqi like this, he is probably 90% sure that Qiao Tui Guan is himself, but she refuses to admit it, so Duan Nanqi will not point out her identity again and again.
He just asked her in a roundabout way: "Madam, if I saw you at the scene of the case, what would I do? What would I say?"
Jiang Lingyao rarely developed a favorable impression of Duan Nanqi because of his knowledge.
She frowned and thought deeply, and finally said: "Husband, there are thousands of people in this world, and there are countless people of the same age as me. I am just an average-looking person, and there are countless people who look like me. Even in Yanjing, there may be people who look similar to me."
Jiang Lingyao's voice was clear, and her words were full of smiles, which made people curl up the corners of their lips unconsciously.
Jiang Lingyao raised her eyes slightly and her gaze fell on Duan Nanqi's face: "Husband, even if we have similar faces, if I were you, I would immediately go to your side and gently call you husband."
"But if you only know that your husband is a stranger who is a garrison commander of the Imperial Guard, you will probably only call him sir with trepidation."
Jiang Lingyao smiled brightly, "In this case, I think my husband will not make a mistake."
Duan Nanqi looked back into her bright eyes with a warm smile on his face, as if showing boundless doting.
"My wife is very smart, so I feel relieved."
Duan Nanqi said, "When I was on duty with the Jinyiwei to investigate a case, I also met a judge who looked 80% similar to you. I wonder if you know him?"
Jiang Lingyao was surprised: "Oh my, there is actually a judge who looks like me, so he must be a man with a feminine appearance."
"That's not the case. That magistrate is also a woman, as smart and intelligent as you."
"Madam, do you really not know?"
Jiang Lingyao was very curious and said, "My husband, if there really is such a woman, I would like to meet her. It is really admirable that she can become a magistrate as a woman. She is really a role model among women."
Duan Nanqi: “…”
Duan Nanqi heard her praising "Little Master Qiao" so much, and for some reason he felt that the woman in front of him was a little more adorable. He calmed down and said, "If there is an opportunity in the future, my lady and Master Qiao will definitely get to know each other."
Jiang Lingyao smiled brightly: "That's great."
The two men argued back and forth and finally finalized the matter. In early May, the court issued an order to hold a Dragon Boat Festival palace banquet. Duan Nanzhi, as a close minister of the emperor who had made great contributions recently, was naturally among those who would attend the banquet.
As a relative, Jiang Lingyao also had to go to the palace to attend the banquet. Therefore, Jiang Lingyao did not play mahjong with her aunt and sister-in-law for the past few days. Instead, she began to think about her own dress.
It seems that because His Majesty the Emperor had a great fondness for Duan Nanzhi, at the beginning of the marriage, he also changed Duan Nanzhi's official title of Jinyiwei with salary to a real official title. Therefore, Duan Nanzhi's rank of fourth-rank Zhenfushi was a real title. Then, since the two were arranged to marry, His Majesty the Emperor also wanted to make good things come true and gave Jiang Lingyao the title of fourth-rank Gongren.
This imperial edict of hers was probably only useful in daily palace banquets and when the court granted her rewards during festivals. Jiang Lingyao had not thought of it before, but now that she was about to enter the palace and the embroiderer from the Imperial Wardrobe came to measure her for dresses, she realized that this imperial edict was actually very useful.
At least now I can get a dress for free.
The dresses in the Imperial Wardrobe are all ready-made. You can come and take your measurements, then go back and make some minor alterations. From tiaras to shoes and socks, everything is available and can be delivered within two or three days.
The day before the dress was delivered, the Jiang family sent someone to deliver a letter saying that Jiang Lingyao's mother missed her and asked her to go home to see her.
Jiang Lingyao had no parents-in-law, and her grandparents didn't care about Duan Nanqi, so Jiang Lingyao just said something to Uncle Zhong and led a group of maids and servants back to the Anding Marquis's Mansion.
The two residences were only separated by two alleys, but they seldom visited each other. Today, when she returned to her parents' home, Jiang Lingyao realized that the two homes were actually so close.
If she hadn't been acting like the young lady of a marquis's mansion, she would have arrived in two quarters' walk. Taking a carriage would have been even faster, and they would have reached their home in just a quarter.
She first paid her respects to her grandfather, talked with him for a while, accompanied him to feed the fish and watch the birds, and then went to the main courtyard with ease.
The person in charge of the feeding in the Anding Marquis's mansion was her mother. Although Zhou Huiniang was always gentle and seemed easy to talk to, everyone in the family, even her grandfather, had to carefully ask his daughter-in-law before he dared to make a move if he wanted to buy a mynah bird or a dog.
When Miss Jiang Liu returned to the Bo's Mansion, she came with a great fanfare. When she arrived at the main courtyard, her seventh sister Jiang Ling'an was already waiting in the flower hall, drinking tea with Zhou Huiniang.
As soon as Jiang Lingyao appeared, Jiang Lingyan immediately jumped up and threw herself into Jiang Lingyao's arms: "Sixth sister, you are back. I missed you so much."
By the time of Jiang Lingyao, the Jiang family had four sons and four daughters. Jiang Lingyao was the sixth child. She had two older sisters who were both married. Before she got married, she was the only one who could accompany Jiang Lingyan in the family.
Now that she is married, no wonder Jiang Ling'an feels lonely.
Jiang Lingyao tapped Jiang Lingyan's forehead and said, "You usually have to go up the mountains and down the rivers with your eighth brother. Do you still have time to think about me?"
Jiang Lingyan hugged her arm and said coquettishly: "Eighth brother still has to go to school, how can he have time to play with me? Besides, he is old-fashioned. At most, he likes fishing and climbing mountains. It's boring. He is nothing like Sixth Sister."
The two sisters were just being affectionate when the Crown Prince's wife, Zhou Hui Niang, interrupted them, "Okay, little girl, I'm calling your sixth sister home today to discuss something. If you're free some other day, just go to the Yongping Marquis's mansion to visit her."
Jiang Lingyan just murmured a few words to Jiang Lingyao, and when she heard her aunt's words, she was startled and immediately said, "Yes, yes, I know. Good day, aunt, I'm back."
After she finished speaking, she ran away in a hurry without waiting for the people in the room to reply. She is really a person who does not hesitate to speak.
After taking her away, Jiang Lingyao entered the flower hall and fluttered around Zhou Huiniang like a butterfly: "Mom, do you miss me?"
She was always coquettish and sweet-talking, and everyone in the family liked her. Zhou Hui's mother raised her personally and loved her deeply, treating her like her own daughter.
After not seeing her for ten days, Zhou Hui Niang really missed her.
She held her daughter's hand and sat on the bed, looking her up and down. She saw that her eyes were shining, her face was as rosy as a peach, and she was wearing a stand-up collar, double-breasted light red gauze dress, beautiful as a fairy in heaven. Only then did she put her mind at ease.
Zhou Hui Niang said, "I miss you, but I have something to do today."
Jiang Lingyao asked curiously, "What's the matter? I've been free lately, so I'll do whatever you ask me to do, and I won't make you worry."
Look how thoughtful it is, it really is a little cotton-padded jacket.
Zhou Hui Niang's kind face was more smiling. She looked at her daughter's bright face and sighed, "You are already an adult. You have your own plans when you speak and do things. I have to tell you a lot of things. Yaoyao, come with me."
As she spoke, she took her daughter's hand, and the mother and daughter went upstairs side by side.
The second floor is the sleeping quarters of the Prince of Anding and his wife. There is a bedroom, a side room, a partitioned room, a small study, and a spacious terrace. It is not very exquisite, but it is clean and elegant, which is very refreshing.
Zhou Hui Niang took Jiang Lingyao's hand and walked with her to the door of the study.
She did not knock on the door, but pushed it gently, and the furnishings in the study came into Jiang Lingyao's eyes.
To Jiang Lingyao's surprise, the study was not empty. There was a familiar figure sitting behind the desk, reading a book.
Jiang Lingyao exclaimed in surprise: "Dad?"
"Why are you not in the government office but at home?"
In the small study, Jiang Zhisheng raised his head and smiled faintly at his wife and daughter with his elegant face that looked like a banished immortal.
"Today is a day off. If I am not at home, where else would I be?"
As he said this, he pointed to the rosewood tea table by the window and said, "Sit down and talk."
Zhou Hui Niang patted Jiang Lingyao on the back and accompanied her into the study. After the family of three sat down, Jiang Zhisheng took the hot water that had been boiling for a long time and began to slowly make tea.
While Jiang Zhisheng was making tea, the smile on his face gradually faded, and his aura suddenly changed from that of an elegant elder to that of an august and powerful vice minister of the Ministry of Justice.
Jiang Lingyao suddenly felt a little nervous.
From childhood to adulthood, although the mother was the one who took care of the family more, the father would not neglect to discipline his children. The eight children of Jiang Lingyao's generation not only had to go to the clan school, but also had to be forced to take exams on their studies by Jiang Zhisheng when he came home on vacation.
This is no joke.
If you really can't recite it by heart, you need to copy and recite it more than ten times by yourself, not even once less.
Jiang Lingyao's father would usually ask with a smile: "Do you want to memorize the essay or punish me? It's all right. I'm not that stubborn."
This is all fine. It makes people tremble all over and feel a chill down their spine.
Jiang Lingyao is not afraid of anything except him.
The same is true now.
But seeing Jiang Zhisheng brewing tea with a sullen face, Jiang Lingyao couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine. She thought: I should bring Duan Nanzhu back with me, so that there will be a tall guy to lead her.
After Jiang Zhisheng boiled a pot of tea, he selected a purple clay bamboo joint tea cup and filled it up. Then he poured each cup one by one into the small tea bowl in front of each person.
After pouring the tea, Jiang Zhisheng gestured to invite him to drink: "Try this year's Mingqian Longjing. It's very fragrant."
Jiang Lingyao straightened her back even more. She didn't know why her father asked her to come back, but since he had gone to the small study and made tea himself, it must be something special.
Jiang Lingyao pursed her lips, but still obediently picked up the teacup and took a sip of the light green tea.
Mingqian Longjing is indeed worthy of its reputation.
After taking this sip, Jiang Lingyao felt everything come back to life, and a rich fragrance filled her mouth and nose. In a trance, she seemed to see stretches of new green buds sprouting in front of her eyes.
After drinking the warm tea and taking a breath, the sweetness came back to my heart.
It is indeed the best tea.
Seeing that she drank the tea obediently, Jiang Zhisheng sighed and said, "Yaoyao, why did you ask for the position of Shuntianfu Magistrate?"
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